Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 WHO regrets U.S. withdrawal announcement, hopes for continued partnership Xinhua) 09:33, January 22, 2025 Geneva, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed regret over U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of withdrawing the country from the organization. It hopes the U.S. government will reconsider this decision. In a statement released on Tuesday, the WHO also said it looks forward to maintaining its partnership through constructive dialogue. It reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the root causes of diseases, strengthening health systems, and detecting, preventing, and responding to health emergencies, such as disease outbreaks. The organization emphasized its crucial role in safeguarding global health and safety, including the well-being of the American people. The statement highlighted that the United States has been a founding member of the WHO since 1948 and has played a vital role in shaping and governing the organization with other 193 member states, actively participating in the World Health Assembly and the WHO Executive Board. The WHO acknowledged the contributions of American institutions to its mission and the mutual benefits derived from the U.S. membership. The statement also underscored the historic reforms undertaken by the WHO over the past seven years developed collaboratively with the United States and other member states. These reforms aim to enhance the organization's accountability, cost-effectiveness, and global impact, with ongoing efforts to strengthen these achievements. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Defendant Mason Sayer Lubitz, 31, left, talks to his attorney Patrick Ballantyne, right, after being found not guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. Lubitz was accused of fatally shooting his neighbor Trevor Beeman, 24, with whom he had an ongoing dispute, on Christmas Day in 2021. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Mason Lubitz, right, talks to news media alongside his defense attorney Jason Goss, left, about his reaction to being found not guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. He was accused of fatally shooting his neighbor Trevor Beeman, 24, with whom he had an ongoing dispute, on Christmas Day in 2021. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News A relative of shooting victim Trevor Beeman reacts as defendant Mason Lubitz is found not guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. Lubitz was accused of fatally shooting his neighbor Beeman on Christmas Day in 2021. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Judge Frank J. Castro confers with prosecutor Jordan Brown (left) and defense attorneys Jason Goss (center) and Patrick Ballantyne (right) as they await the jury's verdict in Mason Lubitz's trial on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. Clint Datchuk Mason Lubitz (right) confers with his defense attorneys Jason Goss and Patrick Ballantyne as they await the jury's verdict in Lubitz's trial on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. Lubitz is charged with the murder of his neighbor on Christmas in 2021. Clint Datchuk Defendant Mason Sayer Lubitz, 31, reacts after being found not guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. Lubitz was accused of fatally shooting his neighbor Trevor Beeman, 24, with whom he had an ongoing dispute, on Christmas Day in 2021. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News A Bexar County jury has found that a San Antonio man accused of killing his neighbor on Christmas Day is not guilty of murder. Mason Sayer Lubitz, 31, was accused of fatally shooting Trevor Beeman, 24, at the North Side apartment where the two men lived in 2021. Had the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, Lubitz would have faced up to life in prison. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The jury began deliberating Wednesday afternoon. The verdict was announced on Thursday after 10 hours of deliberation. Outside the courtroom, Lubitz said hearing the not guilty verdict was an "out of body experience." He then began to question why he was in this position in the first place. He also appeared to blame San Antonio Police Department for not preventing the situation. "I'm not even happy yet, why did this happen? SAPD, why did this happen? I don't get it," Lubitz said. Since the trial began last week, Lubitz's attorneys, Jason Goss and Patrick Ballantyne, have conveyed to the jury that when Lubitz fired his AR-15 style rifle at Beeman seven times, he did so in self-defense. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "We are grateful to the jury, it was an extremely difficult decision for them to make," said Goss. "When someone is trying to come into your home and is threatening you, the homeowner can use deadly force, and that's what happened here." Prosecutors said Beeman was walking up the stairs of the apartment complex when Lubitz opened the door to his unit and screamed, You ruined my life. I hate you. Beeman then knocked on Lubitzs door. That's when Lubitz shot him through the doorway with the assault rifle, prosecutors said. As Beeman was on the ground, Lubitz shot him again before returning to his apartment, they said. After Lubitz's arrest, investigators found an AR-15 style rifle on a bed in one of the rooms. Advertisement Article continues below this ad However, during the trial, Goss painted Beeman as a "violent man" who was abusing his girlfriend, whom he lived with. He also said Beeman had consumed cocaine the night before the shooting, which was confirmed by the medical examiner. In her testimony, Beeman's girlfriend said Beeman would sometimes hit her when he drank alcohol. Goss said Lubitz and his girlfriend would regularly hear Beeman and his girlfriend fighting through the walls of their apartment. Testimony established that Beeman owned a weapon and would sometimes carry it in his waistband. Lubitz believed that Beeman was armed when he knocked on his apartment door, Goss said. Two months before the shooting, Lubitz contacted police to report Beeman slapped him in the face. Testimony established that Beeman slapped Lubitz after Lubitz commented about him hitting his girlfriend. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Defense attorneys said Lubitz was terrified of Beeman after the incident and was living in hotels to avoid Beeman. During closing arguments, prosecutor Jordan Brown said one of the reasons why Lubitz shot Beeman was because he felt "emasculated" after the alleged assault. Brown said Lubitz instigated the confrontation with Beeman by calling him a "wife beater" and had been "stewing on his feelings of shame and embarrassment" until the shooting on Christmas Day. Brown said Lubitz also instigated the confrontation with Beeman on Christmas Day when he shouted at him. Witness testimony established that Lubitz was waiting until Christmas to move his things out of the apartment because he thought Beeman would not be home. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One of the biggest questions since the beginning of the trial has been whether Beeman stepped into Lubitz's apartment when he was shot. While speaking with police at the scene, James Beeman, Trevor Beeman's father, said he believed his son had stepped through the door frame, but on the witness stand, James Beeman changed his story, saying his son hadn't done so. Prosecutors have repeatedly said Beeman's body was lying in front of the door frame at the scene of the shooting. Officer Tomas Picasso, a San Antonio Police Department detective who responded to the scene, said Lubitz was "belligerent" when police responded to the apartment. The jury watched Picasso's officer body-worn camera footage showing Lubitz yelling at officers from his second floor balcony. Lubitz was wearing only underwear briefs. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code American travelers into Cancun International affected by latest winter storm Cancun, Q.R. The impact of another winter storm in the U.S. has caused disruptions to scheduled flights between American terminals and Cancun International. So far, more than a dozen flights have been reported either cancelled or delayed. On January 21, nearly a dozen Cancun flights were affected due to the adverse weather. Of the affected flights, five were canceled United Airlines flights bound for Cancun from Houston. Six flights departing Cancun were also affected. Those flights were bound for Houston, Newark and Washington. On Wednesday, United Airlines canceled a morning flight arriving from Houston. Several other cancellations have since been added to the list due to the same winter storm. So far, two arriving flights by Southwest Airlines originating from Houston have been added to the Wednesday cancellations. Several departures by United Airlines and Southwest Airlines for flights to Houston and Chicago have been rescheduled. Despite the U.S. cancellations, the Cancun International airport has more than 400 operations scheduled for January 22. Later-in-the-day arrivals from affected winter storm areas are optimistically displaying the flights as being a tiempo or on time. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service said a bitterly cold airmass will remain in place for much of the South and eastern U.S. over the next couple of days. That significant winter storm has affected the region from Texas to north Florida. Winter storm warnings were in effect for Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Other U.S. areas hit by the cold weather include the East Coast and the Northern Plains to the tip of Maine. Authorities continue their search for abducted Chetumal prison guard Chetumal, Q.R. Authorities are continuing their search for a prison guard who was abducted Tuesday in broad daylight. The guard, identified as 32 year old Angel N, was forcefully removed from his vehicle after being intercepted on Magisterial Avenue. Witnesses reported seeing four heavily armed men get out of a car and force the man from his truck into their vehicle before speeding off. Police found the guards private vehicle abandoned in the middle of the avenue. The victim, Angel N, is currently a guard at the Chetumal prison. He has also held that same position at the prison in Cancun. PDC cab driver target in deadly early morning shooting Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Police have arrested a suspect in the early morning shooting of a Playa del Carmen taxi driver. The 30 year old driver was shot to death inside his cab around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday. He was parked outside a club in the Ejido neighborhood when his car was fired upon repeatedly. Bullet holes riddled the outside of his vehicle, leaving him dead inside. A second taxi driver was injured by a stray bullet. Police were at the scene of the shooting on Juarez Avenue and Playa del Carmen Boulevard in the middle of the night after receiving reports. Dead is Erick N, 30. He was found shot four times, at least twice about the head. A second taxi driver identified as 30 year old Angel N from Chetumal was injured by a stray bullet. He was transferred to hospital by ambulance and treated for injuries considered not serious. The taxi was found riddled with bullet holes from the attack. Elements of the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) of Solidaridad began a search for the gunman, ending the night with the arrest of a suspect. Police have not yet identified the man taken into custody. Police arrest Tabasco teen responsible for deadly Playa del Carmen bar shooting Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Police have arrested a Tabasco teen on charges of homicide and attempted homicide in a Playa del Carmen shooting. Police say 18 year old Juan Luis N remains in custody after being arrested Monday night during an operation in the citys Bellavista neighborhood. The Municipal Citizen Security Secretariat (SSCM) of Solidaridad says the teen is facing charges for the murder and attempted murder of people shot inside a Playa del Carmen bar Monday. In a statement, the Secretaria de Seguridad Ciudadana Municipal (SSCM) of Solidaridad reported arresting a male person for his probable participation in the crimes of homicide and attempted homicide during an operation in the Bellavista neighborhood. Juan Luis N, 18 years old, originally from the state of Tabasco, was arrested by Municipal Police officers when the red code was activated due to the report of gunshots inside a bar. According to eyewitnesses at the crime scene, one of the aggressors was traveling on an Italika brand motorcycle, without license plates, with a modified exhaust. After a search operation, the police officers arrested a person with the characteristics provided by the witnesses, so he was placed at the disposal of the Specialized Prosecutors Office for Homicide for the corresponding legal purposes. On Monday night, one person was killed and two injured in a targeted bar shooting. At least two of the people shot were employees of the bar. Police have not announced a motive for the shooting. Jacob Beltran covers crime, breaking news and general assignments for the Express-News. He can be reached at jbeltran@express-news.net. A San Antonio native, Jacob began his journalism career in 2010. He's worked for the student-run newspaper for San Antonio College, The Ranger, and for Texas A&M University-San Antonio, The Mesquite. He enjoys video games, photography and exploring during his free time. U.S. cold airmass freezes out 20 states and brings strong winds and cool temperatures to Yucatan Peninsula Riviera Maya, Q.R. Mexicos National Meteorological Service (SMN) says the full entry of an arctic air mass from the U.S. has left 20 states below 0C. The cold air has also created strong winds that left navigation closed to small boats and red flags dotting Cancun beaches. The mass of cold air hit the region early Wednesday with strong wind gusts and a dip in temperatures. Local Civil Protection says the region will likely dip down to 15C (59F) during the late hours of Wednesday and remain there until early Thursday. According to Mexicios Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (SMN) cold front no. 24 and the associated arctic air mass will maintain the cold wave in a large part of the national territory, mainly in the north and northeast with minimum temperatures below 0C in 20 states. Simultaneously, the intense Norte event will prevail with gusts of 90 to 110 kms/h in the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec and gusts of 80 to 100 kms/h on the coasts of Veracruz and gusts of 60 to 80 kms/h in Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo Rough seas left navigation closed to small boats Wednesday. Photo: January 22, 2025 Cozumel. In addition, waves of 4 to 6 meters high are expected on the coasts of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco and in the Gulf of Tehuantepec as well as waves of 3 to 5 meters high on the coasts of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The interaction of a low pressure channel and the entry of humidity from the Gulf of Mexico will cause heavy rains in Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco and Quintana Roo, as well as showers in Campeche and Yucatan, they reported Wednesday. Tulum Civil Protection has also issued a warning due to the strong winds and dip in temperatures that are expected to affect the region until Saturday. An Isla Mujeres beach is seen nearly empty Wednesday due to the entry of cold air from the U.S. The Direccion General de Proteccion Civil y Bomberos of Tulum says the forecast for the next 24 hours in the municipality of Tulum is expected to be mostly cloudy, windy and very cool at night and at dawn tomorrow. From today until Saturday will be a very windy environment associated with a strong northern event. Tomorrow, probability of heavy rains in Tulum. According to the SMN, Chetumal was the states hotspot Tuesday with 29.5C. The area with the most significant rainfall Tuesday was Puerto Juarez, Isla Mujeres with 27 mms. Youth arrested in deadly shooting of Cancun mother in front of young son Cancun, Q.R. A youth accused of shooting a mother in front of her young son has been arrested. Cancun police say Alexis N is one of the gunmen alleged responsible for the womans shooting death on January 18. According to their public statement, initial investigations indicate that Alexis N arrived at the victims home accompanied by another person on a motorcycle and shot her with a firearm in the presence of her minor son, before fleeing the scene. The woman was taken to the hospital where she died shortly after, they said. Alexis N is allegedly involved in the murder of a female victim, which occurred on January 18 of this year, in the irregular colony La Roca. He was also arrested for his probable participation in acts possibly constituting drug dealing, they said. I was a day shy of my eighth birthday when the reassuring words of President Reagan crackled over my familys radio. Like all Americans, we were traumatized by the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, which carried, among her passengers, 38-year-old social studies teacher Christy McAuliffe. We had followed her story in the newspapers and were proud of the opportunity afforded this civilian hero, chosen from among 11,000 applicants to a special Teacher in Space program. The presidents wordsdelivered at a time when presidents still knew how to deliver reassuring words in crisiswere poignant and powerful: The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God. This was my introduction to the creative pen of Peggy Noonan, working then as a speechwriter for the 40th president. And Ive been reading Noonan ever since, from the apt prose she crafted for Reagan to the eyewitness account of her time in the White House, What We Saw at the Revolution. Noonans tribute to Reagan, When Character Was King, was a key text in my political journey, while her how-to book on the delicate craft of communication, On Speaking Well, is a guide I recommend and often require as I teach future writers. For the last quarter century, Peggy Noonan has been a weekly fixture at the Wall Street Journal, where her column, Declarations, is a must-read. Like an unofficial political poet laureate, she has put words to the feelings Americans have experienced in this tumultuous century. Consider this column, written the Thanksgiving after 9/11: We . . . learned we are stronger than we knew. A nation that had spent the past few decades trying to decide what kind of cashmere slippers to buy found out it was, still, tough as old boots. We found some things that had been lost. Our love of country, for instance. Not everyone found it because not everyone had lost it but some had. They hadnt thought in a long time about why America is worthy of their love and protectiveness. Or her reflection on the trauma of 9/11, just one year later: And then the buildings fell. That was the thing, they heaved up and groaned to the ground and brought a world with them. We could have taken it if the buildings didnt fall. In 2015, Noonan published an anthology of her Journal columns published to that point, The Time of Our Lives. And now shes back with a collection of her works in the decade since, entitled A Certain Idea of America. Noonans pen has been sharp at times. In a section entitled I Dont Mind Being Stern, she does not hold back in criticisms of public officials or troubling trends. She doesnt, for instance, much like Pennsylvania Senator John Fettermans hoodies and shorts. Shes angered by the events of January 6. Though conservative, she calls balls and strikes, critiquing Republicans and Democrats for their public sins. Most of all, she has an innate ability to tell us what it all means, where the country is going, what shed recommend leaders do and say. They dont always listen, as is clear from an entire section, It Appears He Didnt Take My Advice, with columns on Presidents Trump and Biden. Conservatives will especially appreciate that she was prescient in channeling the rising angst against the woke policies that became a fulcrum for the 2024 election. As early as 2019, Noonan was railing against the pronoun police, comparing this new, strange norm to the French Revolution. An odd thing, she writes of the new Robespierres, is that they always insist theyre doing this in the name of kindness and large-spiritedness. And yet have you ever met them? Theyre not individually kind or large spirited. Theyre more like messianic school-masters. She mocked the struggle sessions of social justice warriors, for whom the air is full of accusation and humiliation. We have seen this spirit most famously on the campuses, where students protest harshly, sometimes violently, views they wish to suppress, comparing this phenomenon to Chinas Cultural Revolution. Not everyone will agree with Noonans observations about our political momentshed be upset if you blindly accepted her opinions as gospel. But it will be hard to match her rhetorical power in key moments. In a column after the landmark reversal of Roe, she correctly predicted the coming conflicts over abortion. And yet she didnt hesitate to state her own beliefs, worth quoting in full: I am pro-life for the most essential reason: Thats a baby in there, a human child. We cannot accept as a societywe really cant bear the weight of this fact, which is why we keep fighting that we have decided that we can extinguish the lives of our young. Another reason, and maybe it veers on mysticism, is that I believe the fact of abortion, that it exists throughout the country, that we endlessly talk about it, that the children grow up hearing this and absorbing it and thinking, We end the life within the mother here, Its just some cellsthat all of this has released a kind of poison into the air, that we breathed it in for fifty years and it damaged everything. Including of course our politics. If only Republican leaders could use their bully pulpits to persuade like this. Readers also cant miss the moral indignation Noonan expresses after the horror of October 7. This is what happens, she writes, when savages hold the day: they imperil the very idea of civilization. Or her disgust, felt by all Americans, at the slow response of the Uvalde officers, who failed in 2022 to charge the Robb Elementary school, where 22 children and two teachers were murdered. We cant let it settle in that the police cant be relied on to be physically braver than other people. But Noonans columns arent all news and politics. She especially enjoys profiling great Americans, and in this volume we are treated to profiles of Billy Graham, Tom Wolfe, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, George H.W. Bush, and others. Of Graham, she writes, We talk about the friend of presidents, who moved among the powerful, but he was a man who wanted to help you save your soul, whoever you were, in whatever circumstance. And there would have been millions. Of Dylan: We can forget: there are geniuses among us. Theyre doing their work and bringing their light. Of Wolfe: This was a great man. Of Queen Elizabeth II: When she entered the room, Britain entered the room. To write like that, with such verve, eludes most of us. She wishes, as you can see in her many admonitions to her fellow Republicans, that conservatives could summon the kind of rhetoric that is both clear and uplifting. You can sense in her columns a kind of nostalgia for the old Reagan. And its hard not to share that aspiration, with so many jeremiads today that sound persuasive only to those who happen to agree with the particular Jeremiah. Yet what is refreshing about Noonan is that her ability to adapt, to stay perceptive and relevant in an era when so many have either formed their identities as reflexively anti- or pro- Trump, without appreciating the political currents that have shaped us. She rightly calls Trumps 2024 win the biggest political comeback in American history. Noonans steadiness, I think, is owed to her deep love for America, which bleeds on every page. She is conservative but not myopic. She holds fast to her beliefs, but zooms out from the partisan squabbles and observes America as a whole. An entire section of A Certain Idea of America is devoted to patriotism, a sentiment Noonan has not yielded to the cynics. In one column, A Continuing Miracle, she waxes poetic: Which gets me closer to my feelings on patriotism. We are a people that has experienced something epic together. We were given this brilliant, beautiful thing, this new arrangement, a political invention based on the astounding assumption that we are all equal, that where you start doesnt dictate where you wind up. Weve kept it going, father to son, mother to daughter, down the generations, inspired by the excellence, and in spite of the heart-break. Whatever was happening, depression or war, we held high the meaning and forged forward. Weve respected and protected the Constitution. And in the forging through and the holding high, weve created a history, traditions, a way of existing together. America, she writes, is where the miracle is. Miracles being something Noonan, a Catholic and admirer of Pope John Paul II, believes in. I continue in a kind of puzzled awe at my friends who proceed through life without faith, the Pulitzer Prize winner admits, who get up and go forward without it. How do you do that? I have been alive for some years and this is the only true thing, that there is a God and he is good and you are here to know him, love him, and show your feeling through your work and how you live. That it is the whole mysterious point. And the ridiculous story, the father, the virgin, the husband, the babyit is all, amazingly, true, and the only true thing. The publication of A Certain Idea of America is a reminder that Americans, of all persuasions and political stripes, should read Peggy Noonan. For even when you disagreeand you willyoull come away smarter, more patriotic, and with gratitude for her unusual gift of words. Having witnessed a revolution, a great American writer has unleashed her own. State employees allegedly accessed the personal account information of thousands of Texans, according to reports. The data breach was first publicly reported Jan. 6. Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61 The morning sun shines on City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News A week ago, city of San Antonio staffers inadvertently published a batch of private data including credit card and drivers license numbers of 10 candidates running for mayor and city council. City Clerk Debbie Racca-Sittre said the candidates all filed their campaign paperwork on Jan. 15, the first day office seekers could apply for a spot on the May 3 ballot. Twenty-four people filed to run for office that day. The data was accessible on the citys website where officials typically post redacted candidate applications for five hours that day. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Upon realizing the mistake, the material was immediately taken down, Racca-Sittre told the San Antonio Express-News. She added that very few people accessed the information. Racca-Sittre said her office notified all affected applicants. She did not disclose which candidates from among the 24 who filed their candidacies on Jan. 15 had their personal information released online. The city deeply regrets this incident and is taking steps to help prevent any future incidents of this nature, she said. READ MORE: Four open City Council seats means City Hall is in for a shakeup come June Cybersecurity experts are checking to see if anyone captured the information, according to an email Racca-Sittre sent to those whose personal information was exposed. The city is also checking on whether employees have been trained on how to handle sensitive information. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Racca-Sittre also encouraged those candidates to monitor bank accounts for suspicious activity and to consider placing a fraud alert on their credit accounts. The day of the bungle was a busy one at the city clerks office. The department was juggling candidate ballot applications and uploading campaign finance reports that were due the same day. The oversight has left some candidates worried and frustrated. District 1 candidate Patty Gibbons, 65, said she never got a follow-up email that she was promised after getting a call from Racca-Sittre about the incident last week. Gibbons had handed over her drivers license when she applied on Jan. 15, but her banking information is safe she paid in cash to protect her credit card information. She said her personal cell phone number was also posted. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I dont feel that I was provided full transparency of the scope of it, Gibbons said. I wasnt ensured any accountability of what happened here how they were going to strengthen on their end and how theyre offering support on my end. Mayoral candidate Mauricio Mau Sanchez, 35, said he didnt file with his voter ID number but he had given the city his credit card and his drivers license. When Racca-Sittre called Sanchez the day after he filed, she said his unredacted application was posted for six hours before it was taken down. That included his home address, so Sanchez has been taking extra precautions lately. He said he wont leave his house without his handgun. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its very unsettling that the city of San Antonio would be that irresponsible, Sanchez said. And I understand its a busy day, but that, to me, is just negligence. Youre exposing a candidate to a backlash if somebody doesnt align with their views. Sanchez said Racca-Sittre told him that four IP addresses had been on the site in the time that his information was exposed. Similarly, Gibbons was told that only a handful of people may have seen the data. Council members Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Phyllis Viagran, Adriana Rocha Garcia, Teri Castillo and Marina Alderete Gavito all applied to run for office on Jan. 15. But Rocha Garcia, who is running for mayor, was the only sitting council member whose private information was posted to the public. The citys mistake has taken hours of Rocha Garcias time. She said she dropped what she was doing when she found out and updated all her passwords, and has been carefully monitoring her bank accounts. Its annoying and an added responsibility that I did not need right now that was thrown on me, Rocha Garcia said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The District 4 councilwoman said she wants to look into ways to prevent this mistake from happening again. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Last Thursday, Cornelius Taylor was killed by an Atlanta city bulldozer. Taylor was homeless; the citys Department of Public Works swept him up with the encampment where he slept. Taylors death is a tragedy. Its also emblematic of the increasingly tense disputes over how to handle street homelessness in American communities. If the old canard about mayors is that the job is to shovel snow, pick up trash, and fill potholes, surely in 2025 we can add one more responsibility to the mix: managing the countrys increasingly visible crisis of affordable housing. The question of how to house the homeless, and in particular those who live on the street, has become a top issue in local politics just about everywhere. The Department of Housing and Urban Developments point-in-time count recorded an unprecedented second-straight double-digit increase in homelessness last year, taking the U.S. homeless population up 18 percent to an all-time high. At a time of low trust in institutions, this pervasive public suffering suggests a deep failure of governmentand, especially, Democratic-run cities and statesto respond to societys most pressing problems. Well before Donald Trump took office, the country was pivoting to a more punitive approach. A COVID-era wave of federal funding is drying up. The Supreme Court ruling in Grants Pass has paved the way for fines and jail time for people who sleep on the street. Liberal cities like New York and San Francisco are increasingly supportive of forced medical treatment as a response to public displays of mental illness. The consensus around Housing First strategieswhich elevate proper housing as the precursor to other behavioral changesis fraying as liberals grow desperate and conservatives draft their own policy responses to a problem that hasnt traditionally concerned them. Politicians of all persuasions are trying to remove homeless encampments from public spaces, despite the concerns that sweeps without alternative solutions are dangerous and disruptive to those trying to rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, the root cause of homelessness, the lack of affordable housing, remains stubbornly difficult to fix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was growing bipartisan consensus that supportive housing and Housing First were strategies that reduced the human costs and fiscal costs, said Shaun Donovan, the former HUD secretary and the head of the affordable-housing group Enterprise Community Partners. Im deeply concerned that alignment is fracturing. Grants Pass is a symbol of that, and an accelerant. What youre seeing is that mayors and others are losing patience and looking for solutions that are faster, like temporary housing and tiny homes, but also camping bans and criminalization, even if they are not solutions but actually make the problem worse. Advertisement Its not hard to see why, he admits: We have spent years putting money and effort into solving this issue, and it can seem as if we have nothing to show for it. But that, many advocates say, would be a devastating misinterpretation. On the contrary: An enormous outlay of money during the pandemic did make a difference, and many who are homeless still find housing every year. But a new, larger wave of homeless people is taking their place in the shelters and on the streets. Take Atlanta: In 2021 federal stimulus money helped reduce homelessness by 40 percent. Since then, the number has crept back up each year, and a series of fires started by people living under bridges has prompted the city to take a more aggressive approach to those sleeping in public. Critics are right that the encampments are dangerous, mostly for those who live in them. But when they are bulldozed, their inhabitants lose touch with friends, documents, caseworkers, and public services. Advertisement The most important factor driving this historic homelessness spike, experts say, is that the high cost of housing is no longer being abated by pandemic-era relief. Houston has seen a decrease in homelessness of 60 percent since 2011 and 17 percent since 2020, making it a national model. But local advocates are sounding the alarm that progress could quickly be reversed without more federal aid. Kelly Young, the president of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, said in an email that the region needs a permanent revenue stream: Without secure, long-term funding, there is a real risk of backsliding and increased pressure on shelters and services. Advertisement Advertisement Its not the only jurisdiction that has been flush with federal dollars to fight homelessness. Springfield, Missouri, is using American Rescue Plan money to build homeless shelters. Baltimore is building supportive housing. Massachusetts is fighting veteran homelessness. The result has been a supercharged version of the Community Development Block Grant program, the usual way HUD distributes money to cities for such projects. Even more significant, though, was the $46 billion federal rental-relief program, which kept vulnerable tenants in place during the pandemic. After that money was spent, housing insecurity came roaring back. The migrant surge of 202223 also affected the increase in certain cities, but experts say the problem ultimately ties back to housing-market fundamentals. Advertisement Advertisement We are facing a cliff here in Connecticut, said David Rich, of the states Housing Collective. We thought we were bending the curve, but weve had a 40 percent increase [in homelessness] in Fairfield County over the past three years. The biggest impact has been rents increasing by 30 to 60 percent throughout western Connecticut. The vacancy rate is down, its practically impossible to find housing for the homeless, and theres no throughput in the shelters. Building more housing is the obvious solution, but many suburban towns will not hear of it. Advertisement Though people sleeping in tents, in cars, and under blankets make up just a small part of the larger homeless population, they furnish the publics primary sense of the problemboth the political urgency to help and the frustration when those efforts dont succeed. In Los Angeles, for example, Mayor Karen Bass made it a priority to give people in encampments precedence for housing, upending a long-standing ranking system in favor of resolving the most high-profile cases. Unsheltered homelessness fell by 10 percent in two years, though the number of people rough sleeping without a tent or a vehicle has risen. Advertisement Advertisement In November, L.A. County voters once again decided to dedicate $1 billion a year in sales-tax money to building housing for homeless citizens. The most amazing thing is that the population of Los Angeles is interested in solving this problem in a humane way, said Louis Abramson, an advocate and researcher. Its a political miracle. It would be easy for them to feel neglected, swindled, underdelivered to. (Previous efforts to build homeless housing have been slow and expensive.) By other measures, though, the goodwill is fading fast. California voters also adopted Prop. 36, a retail-industry initiative to impose harsher penalties for theft and drug use. After the Grants Pass ruling freed cities to penalize people sleeping in public, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told the states cities and towns to clear homeless encampments or lose funding. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is clearing encampments in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl. Public health researchers believe that the tactic is counterproductive to getting people back on their feet and increases the likelihood that someone will die on the streets. Advertisement You might expect the ruling to divide cities and suburbs between those that prosecute homeless populations and those that do not. But that hasnt been the case so far, perhaps because homeless people dont typically shop between jurisdictions, as conservatives allege. Many live on the street not far from where they last lived under a roof. In Grants Pass itself, the Oregon city of 40,000 whose policy won the high courts approval last summer, there is one city-sanctioned lot where homeless residents can sleep, though the city closes it at 7 every morning. Advertisement Advertisement Conservatives have formalized these policies at the state level. The Cicero Institute, a right-wing think tank founded by tech billionaire Joe Lonsdale, has guided states like Georgia to develop a conservative homelessness policy whose central points include statewide camping bans and a rejection of Housing First. Cicero argues that the housing delivery system is too expensive and that states should pursue minimally viable shelter options and sanctioned encampments with services. The view is shared by the America First PAC, the Trumpist policy plank. Advertisement The third piece of the Cicero platform is to expand civil commitment laws, which permit the involuntary hospitalization or institutionalization of people with mental illnesses. Long a flash point of intra-left tension and reliably opposed by the ACLU, such laws are rapidly gaining ground in blue America as well. In New York, several left-wing candidates for this years mayoral election have endorsed the idea, following a series of violent crimes committed by and against homeless residents. Advertisement Related From Slate One Solution to Americas Housing Crisis Might Be Found in Millions of Vacant Spare Bedrooms Read More Such measures are popular, but theyre hard to put into practice. When does the publics discomfort in a park or a subway train become grounds for police to hold someone down and inject them with antipsychotic drugs? In many cases, as the sociologist Alex Barnard notes in his book Conservatorship, the barriers to providing effective mental health treatment lie upstream, in shortages of money, beds, and trained staff. Another sign of exasperation: Starbucks, long the default public bathroom for American cities, will close its restrooms to nonpaying customers in an attempt to deter homeless populations. Its a problem we know how to solve: boatloads more affordable housing, with or without shared kitchens, in tiny homes or in single-room-occupancy or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit buildings, sometimes with built-in medical support. But the will to build this housing is lacking. For a case study, compare Californias all-hands-on-deck response to the homelessness created by the Los Angeles wildfires with the muted approach to the homelessness that came before. And so the urgency to manage the crisis manifests in short-term cycles through shelters, hospitals, and jailsrearranging the tents on the Titanic. Advertisement Its especially tragic, advocates say, on the heels of an experiment that showed that more money to keep people in housing could stop the homelessness crisis in its tracks. Donovan, the head of Enterprise Community Partners, says: If youre a company running a factory line and falling behind demand for your product, the answer is not that somethings wrong with the product or the factory. Instead, you need to speed up production or open new factories to meet the demand. Rather, many people feel that the system is broken and want to try something new. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is in part because we have a distorted mental image of the crisis. The avatar of homelessness in the American mind is a person with mental illness and a drug problem who has lived outside for years. In reality, all those categories are minorities: Most homeless people live in shelters or housing. Fewer than 1 in 5 are severely mentally ill; fewer than 1 in 7 have addiction issues. Perhaps most importantly, fewer than 1 in 4 have been homeless for more than a year. Most have recently fallen on hard times. They have lost their place due to a layoff or a natural disaster or a rent increase or an abusive partner. They will be homeless, then they will be housed again. At a time when tens of thousands of Americans have just had their homes destroyed by fire and flood, is it so hard to imagine ourselves in their shoes? Patrick Fealey, a former Boston Globe reporter who lives in his car, wrote in Esquire this fall that the recognition is present but subconscious: Many of you could be where we areon the streetbut for some simple and not uncommon twist of fate. This is part of your rejection, this fear that it could be you. You deny that reality because it is too horrific to contemplate, therefore you must deny us. Karen Martinez, 30, was accused of threatening San Antonio police officers during an incident on Dec. 16. An officer shot her. Her charges have been dismissed. GoFundMe Criminal charges have been dropped against a woman who was shot by a San Antonio police officer after being accused of making threats against herself and three police officers. Karen Martinez, 30, was charged with two counts of terroristic threats against a police officer. The Bexar County District Attorney's Office dropped the case due to lack of evidence, according to court records. Officials in the D.A.'s office didn't respond to repeated requests for comment regarding the case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A San Antonio Police Department preliminary report and arrest affidavits provide different narratives about the case. In the preliminary report, police said that on Dec. 16, police said they received a call from someone reporting that a woman, later identified as Martinez, was attempting to break into her ex-boyfriend's home in the 200 block of Loma Park Drive. "The suspect began making suicidal threats and slashing motions toward her arm with a blade-like object in her hand," police wrote in a preliminary report. "The suspect also stated that she was in possession of a firearm that she recently purchased..." An officer attempted to shock Martinez with his Taser but was unsuccessful. "The suspect then began to run in the direction of officers," the preliminary report continued. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That's when SAPD Officer Andrew Davis fired his service weapon multiple times, striking Martinez once, police wrote. Officers performed life-saving measures until EMS arrived and took Martinez to a local hospital in critical condition. But contrary to the SAPD preliminary report, an arrest affidavit, which was written by SAPD Detective Arturo Ramirez 10 days after the incident, Martinez was threatening to kill herself, but didn't directly threaten police and she wasn't struck only once. Officers "believed" Martinez was armed when she ran past officers, the detective wrote. That's when Officer Davis shot her. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Officer Davis, who also believed that the defendant (Martinez) had a knife, discharged his firearm at the defendant, striking her twice," the detective wrote in the affidavit. The detective stated that "no knife or blade was found" on Martinez after she was shot. Martinez was transported to University Hospital for treatment, the affidavit concluded. Washington Moscoso, SAPD public information officer, said the department is conducting concurrent criminal and administrative investigations into the shooting. Their findings will be sent to the DA's office for an independent review. Davis, a 3-year veteran, was placed on administrative duty following the shooting, police said. Body camera footage of the incident will not be released because the incident happened during a domestic violence incident and doesn't meet the criteria under SAPD's Procedure 410 for Body Worn Cameras, Moscoso said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Martinez was released from the Bexar County jail on Jan. 11. Her criminal history includes charges for drug possession, driving while intoxicated, and assault-bodily injury-married, according to court records. In an interview from her hospital bed, Martinez told KENS 5, she was recovering from surgery after the shooting. She said her kidney was pierced with a bullet and she had bullet fragments in her spine. She also said she suffered from depression and anxiety and she had a possible "episode" during the incident. Martinez's brother, Raul Martinez, organized a GoFundMe to help pay for legal fees. He blames police for excessive force. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "I am writing to share the heartbreaking story of my sister, Karen Martinez, who is a victim of an unjust and tragic act of excessive force," he wrote. "Karen was shot by a San Antonio police officer who initially claimed she had a knife in her hand...after further investigation, it was revealed that she was unarmed." Raul Martinez wrote that he expected legals fees to cost up to $25,000. "No donation is too small, and every contribution brings us closer to holding those responsible accountable for their actions," he added. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. While Donald Trump was in the Capitol rotunda taking the presidential oath of office on Monday afternoon, Adam Eidinger was high on mushroom tea, dancing around Dupont Circle in a fake-fur hat. A minor local celebrity known for spearheading the 2014 ballot initiative that legalized weed in D.C., Eidinger had organized an outdoor inauguration party for residents who were as dismayed by Trumps return to the city as he was. You could stay at home and cry in your pillow and scream in your pillow and face down on the pillow all day long, Eidinger said. But we were saying, No, actually, go outside. He got a permit from the city for the event, which would last untilwait for it4:20 p.m. A little after noon, the temperature was in the mid-20s, dance music was thumping through a set of formidable speakers, and, according to Eidingers estimate, half the partygoers were tripping on psychedelics. The other half? I dont know what theyre on, he said. Trump was there in spirit, sort of. The two dozen or so attendees took turns warming up in a Burning Manready mutant vehicle that resembled a covered wagon, which contained an evocative sculpture of the presidents head. It was built by the artist Emma Hardy when Trump was first elected, and Eidinger has kept it in various art spaces in the city since then. Other than a dent in Trumps left jaw where several people have punched it over the years, the noggin remains in perfect condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Trump moved back to the District of Columbia on Monday, he entered hostile territory. Only 6.6 percent of the citys voters supported the president in November, while 92.5 percent chose Harris. For comparison, 15 percent of San Francisco voters picked Trump, as did 30 percent of New York City voters. Washington may be the most unreceptive major city in America for Trump and his acolytes, and its the one they have to make their home. Its hard to say whos more disgruntled by the unavoidable arrangement: Trumpsters, who have made the city out to be an anarchic hellhole in need of law and order, or D.C. residents, who lament the intrusion of more MAGA types into their public spaces. Advertisement District dwellers also have a specific Trump campaign promise to fear: the presidents pledge to take over the District. With complete Republican control of Congress, it would theoretically be easy enough for the federal government to abolish the local government by repealing the 1973 Home Rule Act, which granted D.C. a mayor and City Council. Some advocates think the GOP may not want the responsibility of governing a whole city, but local activists are preparing for the worst. At a gathering of leftist demonstrators sliding around the snow-covered lawns of Malcolm X Park Monday morning, Cassady Cundari, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said she worried that Trump would increase policing in the citysomething he almost did in his first term, when he considered seizing control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Advertisement People do feel like theyre being invaded to some extent. But we are also aware that there is strength in our communities, Cundari said. Home rule is something that we will fight to defend, relentlessly. Advertisement Walking with a group of friends around the edge of the protest, a 24-year-old teacher who would self-identify only as Slob expressed worry for the children at their school. Im really scared for whats going to happen to students with families with mixed immigration statuses, they said. As Trump threatens mass deportations of immigrants, students who lack permanent legal status or have parents who lack legal status may stop attending school altogether for fear of drawing attention from governmental institutions. Teachers across the country are bracing for this possibilitybut educators in D.C. believe that Trump may focus his energies here to make an example of the city. I think Trumps trying to make it more of a nationalistic center, Slob said. Advertisement D.C. residents are also despondent about the cultural shift that Trumps return might portend, particularly when you count all the allies, advisers, family members, and fans that may be newly drawn to the District with Trump in office. During the presidents first term, Trump staffers who chose to live in D.C. (as opposed to Virginia, which attracts those repelled by city living or partial to backyards) cloistered themselves mostly in the upscale buildings that populate a string of newish, sterile-feeling riverfront developments on the southern border of the city. (The stretch of D.C. from the Wharf to Navy Yard saw a marked uptick in Don Jr.esque slicked-back hairdos after 2016.) But this time, the influx might be less contained. Advertisement Advertisement For one thing, theres no more Trump Hotel to serve as a default meeting place for his colleagues and admirers. And days before inauguration, Eater reported that Elon Musk would be the highest bidder on the Line Hotel, a hip hangout with a bar and restaurant in Adams Morgan that went up for sale in December. The neighborhood, home to a few of the citys buzziest eateries and barsin addition to a younger, lower-brow nightlife crowdmay now play host to a private social club run by Musk. D.C. residents might start avoiding it: The Line was a good place to work from home, a good place to go get coffee. Wont be doing that if [Musk] buys it, said Louise Plever, who was out dog-walking Monday afternoon with fellow Columbia Heights resident Sarah Kallgren. Advertisement Advertisement A bizarre silver lining of Trumps election for those in the nations capital? This Inauguration Day felt safer than the previous one, which happened soon after insurrectionists brought chaos and violence to the District. (Trump signed the pardons to set those insurrectionists free during his very first afternoon at work.) The reappearance of Trump and his followers in the city seems very sinister. It feels quite heavy, Kallgren said. I had a friend that was like, Dont go on Tinder! Stay away from Navy Yard! Advertisement Brendan Wynn, who lives in the neighborhood where Musk may soon set up shop, said he was committing an act of small defiance against the citys new and returning inhabitants by wearing his backward HarrisWalz camouflage hat to get a pastry at a Mount Pleasant cafe Monday. When Trump was first elected to the White House in 2016, Wynn was living in Charlottesville, Virginia. As long as Trump was in office, I was afraid to come to D.C. the entire time, Wynn said. It wasnt until November 2020, when a room opened up in a friends house and Biden won the presidential election, that Wynn felt comfortable moving to the city. Advertisement Now its scarier than last time, Wynn said. He worries about a version of the Trump administration thats supercharged by Musk and other self-interested billionaires having so much sway, especially after Trump has already railroaded nearly every guardrail against authoritarianism. Obviously the Trump administrations going to bring a lot of Trump sympathists to the city more often, Wynn said. You can already see people starting to adapt to that. Its really weird seeing the mayor of D.C. go down to Mar-a-Lago. Advertisement Advertisement Walking the icy streets of the city on Monday, I met Mike Smith, one of the 21,000 Washingtonians who voted for Trumpand who took a different view of Mayor Muriel Bowsers meeting with the president. I dont like Mayor Bowser, but she went and talked to [Trump], so maybe shes going to get herself together too, Smith said. Advertisement Ignoring his French bulldog, Money, who had jumped up on my legs and begun nibbling my fingers, Smith said he liked that Trump was specifying a man as a man and a woman as a woman, but he didnt think his return would mean much to D.C. itself. The only thing that had changed in Trumps prior term was that more different people moved in. People with money. Advertisement Columbia Heights resident Tressa Munoz is not interested in welcoming those newcomers. Nobody who lives here currently is going to want to meet anybody new. Theyre gonna be just cut out of any kind of social life, unless they create it themselves, she said. During the previous Trump administration, D.C. residents occasionally hounded Trump officials they encountered out and about, like Kirstjen Nielsen eating at an upscale Mexican joint. This time around, hospitality workers are already talking about how they might make a Trump officials experience just a little less comfortable when they dine out. Munoz passed on a bit of advice shed heard in recent days: If anyone in town for inauguration asks for directions, no matter where theyre trying to go, tell them to take the green Metro line to Congress Heights. (The neighborhood sounds as if it belongs near Capitol Hill, but its way across the river from anywhere a typical tourist would want to go, in a not-quite-gentrified part of the city that might discomfit MAGA types from out of town.) When we first started chatting on a sidewalk near her home, Munoz sounded fired up about D.C.s prospects in Trump era 2.0. This is our city. And we know that he wants to come in and take it over, she said. Were not gonna let him do that. Were gonna resist in our own way. Advertisement Advertisement But when I asked her how this moment felt different from Trumps arrival in 2017, a more somber reality seemed to set in. Back then, Munoz said, the city felt as if it were pulsing with resistance. Its a whole different feeling now, she said. Im tired. I dont want to resist. Munoz thinks many D.C. residents are as exhausted as she is, and she doubts that her neighbors have the motivation to fight back. I think a lot of people are like, Im not gonna do anything, she said. Ill put my head down for the next four years. Advertisement Advertisement Even Eidinger, who organized the psychedelics party, isnt raring to tear down the White House gates. Though hes far from a Trump fan, and he was just arrested earlier this month at a protest for the Equal Rights Amendment, he still plans to look for reasons for optimism in the years ahead. RFK Jr., Trumps pick for secretary of health and human services, may be one of them. I think hell do some good stuff when it comes to getting chemicals out of our food, Eidinger said. Im going to support that. Advertisement But Eidinger still hopes D.C. will rise up against the worst of Trumps agenda. The city was radicalized during the presidents first term, he said, as evidenced by the massive racial justice protests in the summer of 2020, including the one that ended when police tear-gassed peaceful demonstrators in advance of a Trump photo op at a church. I have a feeling thats coming back. If Trump isnt careful, itll be like that times two, Eidinger said. If hes seriously gonna take away home rule, were gonna shut the city down. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. On Monday, outgoing President Joe Biden issued a last batch of pardons, some covering government officials who have been threatened with baseless criminal investigations by incoming President Donald Trump, and five others covering Bidens own family, ostensibly for the same reason. Later in the day, after he took the oath of office, Trump issued more than 1,500 pardons and commutations covering everyone charged with or convicted of crimes committed in the course of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Bidens pardons were understandable, though in my view gravely mistaken. Trumps were an abomination. Considered together, as they must be, they amount to a grave blow to the rule of law in America. When we speak of the rule of law, we mean, of course, that all are protected from injustice by a system of uniform rules applied uniformly by neutral officers of the law. But we also mean that all, high and low, must walk in justified fear that violations of law will be punished by the same system applying its strictures with majestic indifference to birth, wealth, political affiliation, or social status. Neither aspect of this ideal ever works perfectly in any society. But both must work reasonably reliably in a healthy society, and especially in a healthy democratic republic. Conversely, two invariable attributes of autocracy are, first, that no one trusts the organs of the law to protect them from baseless inquisitions, false charges, and cruel punishments, and second, that the powerful and their friends need have no fear of the law, regardless of their misdeeds, so long as they remain in favor with the ruling power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bidens preemptive pardons create an expectation, and a regrettable precedent, that all of a presidents political allies, friends, and family who might be at risk from the law wielded by a successor will be pardoned before there can be any determination by the legal system that they have acted illegally. Advertisement It is, of course, true that Bidens action was a reaction to the open threats of Trump and his acolytes to misuse the legal system as an instrument of retribution. Nonetheless, however justified the fear that Trumps new-minted minions at the Justice Department will undertake baseless investigations may have been, Bidens action betrayed a disheartening lack of faith in the capacity of the criminal justice system to reject groundless criminal charges, and thus a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of courts in a rule-of-law system. It is certainly true that investigations alone can be emotionally debilitating and financially ruinous. For that reason, I sympathize with the former presidents motivations, and I am pleased on a personal basis for those honorable public servants who will receive some relief from Bidens preemptive actions. But two of the core functions of the criminal justice process are, first, to provide a forum in which the accused can rebut criminal allegations, and, second, to speak with an authoritative voice in publicly rejecting unfounded allegations. Advertisement By preemptively pardoning all those threatened with Trumpian injustice, Biden prevents the justice system from doing its essential job of declaring that Trumps claims are false. As matters stand, MAGA blowhards will forever be able to claim that Biden issued pardons to cover up nefarious criminal schemes. Advertisement This is particularly true of Bidens pardons to his family, which seem far less justifiable than those issued to beleaguered patriots like Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley, and those affiliated with the House Jan. 6 committee. While pardons to the latter group can never fairly be categorized as narrowly self-serving, pardons to Bidens family are precisely that. Again, I understand the former president was reacting to endless MAGA threats to investigate and prosecute the Biden crime family. But if, as I assume, the Biden family is entirely innocent of any crime, the venue for proving that point, both legally and in the public mind, is the courts. By issuing these pardons, Biden has cast a permanent taint of suspicion on the very people he seeks to protect. Advertisement Moreover, as I have argued elsewhere, Bidens well-meaning pardons can at best afford their beneficiaries only partial relief from the grievous inconveniences of groundless MAGA investigations. So long as Trump is president, they should all reliably expect endless harassment by the civil organs of the executive branch, continued congressional inquiries, and indeed DOJ investigations despite the pardons, perhaps indeed into the circumstances of the pardons themselves. Advertisement Advertisement I am a longtime student of the pardon power and, in the course of writing my upcoming book on the subject, I have reviewed executive clemency actions throughout the entire span of American history. Bidens preemptive pardons are, so far as I know, unprecedented. No previous president has issued pardons to people he believed to be innocent of any crime who were not under active investigation, previously charged, or convicted. Even though responsive to Trumps equally unprecedented threats of baseless persecution, Bidens pardons have now set a precedent that will, without question, be abused by successors with less honorable motives. They will surely be cited by Trump when he issues his own preemptive pardons to friends and familywho may be far less innocent of wrongdoing than Bidens beneficiarieslater in his term. Advertisement Trumps Jan. 6 pardons were, of course, infinitely worse. Bidens preemptive pardons to virtuous officials sought to protect those who violated no law, but instead were zealous in upholding it. Trumps exonerated (or in the case of 14 militia members, at least freed) those who were actually convicted of attempting to nullify the most basic law in any democracythe constitutional provisions for installing in office those who freely and fairly win elections. Presidents throughout American history have employed pardons liberally in the wake of domestic unrest, civil war, and foreign conflicts to reconcile rebels and protestors to the national community. George Washington pardoned the Whiskey Rebels. Abraham Lincoln pardoned hundreds, and Andrew Johnson thousands, of Confederates. Multiple presidents pardoned fractious Mormons. All the major wars of the 20th century were followed by presidential pardons of deserters, draft evaders, and the like. Advertisement But all those pardons were issued by presidents who suppressed the rebellions or who presided over the aftermath of the wars that pardon beneficiaries had resisted or protested or in which they had violated military law. No American president has ever pardoned those who joined him in seeking to overthrow constitutional government. Trump pardoned people who were, quite literally, his co-conspirators in the crime of attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Advertisement When the Framers of the Constitution debated inclusion of a pardon power, they were concerned that a president would pardon his co-conspirators in treasonous plots. For that reason, many wanted either no presidential pardon power or one limited by subject matter or by the requirement of senatorial participation. Fears of this sort were assuaged by James Madisons argument that a president who issued pardons to his criminal confederates could, of course, be impeached. What he and the rest of his generation failed to anticipate was that Congress could ever fall so far under the sway of a corrupt and demagogic president that it would lack the courage to impeach him even when he openly sought to overthrow constitutional government. Advertisement Advertisement We live in such a degraded moment. A president who was both impeached and indicted for conspiring to overthrow the government returns to power with a Congress controlled by his own enablers, a gang either gleefully supportive of Trumps transgressions or too cowed to murmur even a sotto voce protest. In such a moment, Madisons expectation that a presidential pardon of his own co-conspirators would result in impeachment is a laughable fantasy. Trumps Jan. 6 pardons and their timid acceptance, or indeed rapturous embrace, by the Republican Party are not only unprecedented in American history, but they also represent an ominous departure for Trump himself. To be sure, in his first term, he misused the pardon power by first dangling and then granting pardons to close associates like Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and Michael Flynn, who might have provided damaging evidence against him in either criminal or impeachment proceedings. But hitherto, his support for violent paramilitary groups who backed him was expressed only rhetorically, as in his characterization of the deadly Charlottesville white supremacist riot as having very fine people on both sides, or his admonition to the Proud Boys during a presidential debate to stand back and stand by. On Monday, his first day back in office, he used the pardon power to wash clean the proven crimes of extremist militias. In doing so, he unmistakably offered implicit permission for such groups to use violence in the future, with an implied promise that, so long as they act in his service, he will render them legally immune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is, of course, precedent for executive embrace of violent militias. But it lies in dark historical episodes like the rise of the Third Reich and the unhappy present of too many countries in what we have hitherto been pleased to sneer at as the Third World. By definition, official acceptance of extralegal paramilitary violence is the antithesis of the rule of law. In sum, Bidens well-intentioned, if misguided, use of the pardon power together with Trumps cynical, malevolent employment of it place the future of rule of law in America in genuine peril. The danger is made even more acute by the Supreme Courts recent, deeply dangerous, holding that pardons are a core power of the presidency and that presidents are absolutely immune from criminal liability for even flagrantly illegal uses of it. During Trumps upcoming term, we should expect Trump to wield his stranglehold on DOJ leadership and, if necessary, pardons to shield himself and all who support him from immediate legal jeopardy. Even pardons awarded to protect Trump himself from legal liability are now, per the Supreme Court, constitutionally privileged. We should also expect Trump to end his term with preemptive pardons, justified by reference to the Biden precedent and consciously crafted to free all those who have remained slavishly loyal from apprehension that they will ever be held legally accountable for sins in their masters service. Relieved of that salutary fear, his followers in and out of government can be expected to behave accordingly. Once Trump is gone, whether by operation of constitutional term limits or the inexorable wheel of time, it will be terribly difficult, perhaps impossible, to restore the restraining expectations that hitherto governed pardons. If history teaches any lesson, it is that new accretions of presidential authority are almost never entirely surrendered. In sum, we may be entering a prolonged era of legal impunity for presidents, their families, friends, and even criminally violent supporters. If that proves so, the rule of law in America cannot long survive. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Among the most striking of President Donald Trumps first-day executive orders, the ones that may augur an era of lawless thuggery, are his pardons or commutations for all of the Jan. 6 rioters andless noted but hardly less ominousthe reversal of President Joe Bidens sanctions against some of the most savage settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Beyond the betrayal of justice that both steps represent on their own, they also send an ominous message: that acts of political violence are OK, even laudable, as long as theyre committed in furtherance of Trumps power and preferences. There is little doubt that at least some of the J6 hostages (as Trump has called them), or like-minded observers emboldened by the pardons, will threaten or carry out additional attacks on people or institutions decried by Trump as enemies, assuredcorrectly or notthat the president will once again come to their rescue. Just last week, Trumps running mate, and now vice president, J.D. Vance, said that obviously no pardons would be given to Jan. 6 defendants who had committed violence that day. House Speaker Mike Johnson repeated the reassurance. But as it turned out, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of the whole bunchnearly 1,500 had been convicted, many for beating police officers among other criminal charges, by juries of their peers. As for the reversal of Bidens sanctions, Trump is telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the far-right-wing members of his ruling coalition, and every settler in the West Bank that they can do whatever they want against innocent unarmed Palestinians. It is worth emphasizing that the West Bank, the occupied territory along the IsraelJordan border, is not controlled by Hamas and played no role in the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Yet the most violent of Jewish settlers in the territory have used the attacks as an excuse to step up their decadeslong campaign of burning, looting, and confiscating the land and houses of the Palestinians who live thereeven killing more than 800 of them since the war began. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November 2023, not quite a month after Hamas murderous invasion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israel to clamp down on the settlers rampage, which even during that brief spell had killed more than 120 Palestinians, injured at least 2,000, and expelled more than 800 from their homes. Advertisement Netanyahu did nothing to suppress the violence; in fact, the Israeli government continued supplying many of the settlers with rifles, as it had been doing for many years. On Feb. 1, 2024, Biden signed a broad order imposing sanctions on violent West Bank settlers, a directive that was later applied to 17 individuals and 16 organizations. He noted that their violence had reached intolerable levels and constituted a serious threat to the peace, security and stability of the broader Middle East region and to U.S. foreign policy. The sanctions were meant to signal that Washington was making a distinction between defending the Israeli state from attack and tolerating Israeli citizens unprovoked acts of aggression. However, Netanyahu waved away the measure, taking no additional action against the settlers, and Biden himself did little to follow up his stern words with any penalties. Still, Trumps reversal of the sanctions marks an abandonment of even rhetorical criticism of Israeli policiesthe end of Washingtons dissociation from Israels most extremist settlers and an implicit association with their cause. It also suggests that Trump agrees with Mike Huckabee, his nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel, that there are no Israel-occupied territories, that the West Bank should be called by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, and that Israel should annex the whole area. Advertisement Advertisement Trump amplified his message by inviting the head of the Yesha Council, the body of settlement mayors, to his inaugural ceremony. He was in the audience at the Capital One Arena when Trump announced he would sign the order back in the Oval Office. Advertisement One might have thought that the recent signing of a ceasefire in Gazafor which Trump justifiably takes partial creditwould temper the presidents long-standing indifference toward the Palestinians. But apparently not. At a press conference Monday, he said he was not confident the ceasefire would last, adding, Thats not our war, its their war. I think theyre very weakened on the other side (referring to the Palestinians side). At least 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza; Israel estimates that about half of them were civilians, many of them women and children. The conflict has inflamed the West Bank to the point that Hamas is now more popular there than it is in Gaza. Related From Slate The Moment Is Ripe to Push the Middle East in the Direction of Peace. What Will Trump Do? Read More Just hours before Trump signed his repeal, another settler rampage broke out in the West Bank village of al-Funduq. And just after that, the Israeli armywhich has become increasingly involved in the West Bank, as the population has grown increasingly radicalizedlaunched an offensive in the city of Jenin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump may soon suffer second thoughts about his reversal. One of his larger ambitions is to entice Saudi Arabia into normalizing relations with Israel. The Saudis were about to sign such a deal in the fall of 2023, but Hamas Oct. 7 attack and Israels devastating retaliatory blows scuttled the deal. (This is what Hamas, in fact, intended.) The Saudi royal family doesnt really care about Palestinians, but the Saudi people do. Prince Mohammed bin Salman said he couldnt normalize relations until Israel showed signs of at least resuming negotiations toward the creation of a Palestinian state. Even if the peace in Gaza takes hold, continued violence in the West Bank renders this impossible. The settler population in the West Bank has grown to nearly half a million. The territory is home to about 3 million Palestinians, but they have little control over their own lives, their parcels of land are split up by the expanding settler villages, and the Palestinian Authoritywhich formally governs the areain fact has little power. Advertisement Finally, right-wing troublemakers looking to the White House for permissive signals might also have noted Elon Musks recent tweets expressing strong support for Germanys neo-Nazi party, the AfD, and, at a postinaugural Trump rally Monday, his flashingtwice, before camerasof a boisterous straight-arm salute straight out of Hitlers Germany or Mussolinis Italy. Musk has denied he had any such thoughts in mind, but historians of fascism think otherwise. Trump has not endorsed Musks tweets or his salute, but he hasnt dissociated himself from it either. On Monday the Senate confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state. Maybe Rubio, the first of Trumps Cabinet picks to take office, will clarify matters. Till then, the worlds hooligans are celebrating. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed dozens of executive orders that sought to reach into nearly every corner of America life. Yet that was overshadowed by Trumps unprecedented, sweeping pardons and commutations for nearly all of the roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Among those pardoned were high-profile figures convicted of seditious conspiracy and violent assaults that left dozens of police officers injured. Though Trump had promised the move, its broad scope reportedly surprised even members of his inner circle. Just days before being sworn in as vice president, J.D. Vance told reporters that the most violent perpetrators obviously shouldnt be pardoned. To help understand the true scope of Trumps action, on Tuesday I spoke with Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and co-author of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America. Wares work examines the deep roots of far-right extremism and the importance of the sedition charges that followed Jan. 6 in sending a message of accountability in America. Now, with Trumps pardons reversing much of that, I asked Ware how he sees this moment. He had a simple response: Were in unprecedented territory. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Aymann Ismail: What was your gut reaction to the news of the pardons? Jacob Ware: This is pretty devastating moment for counterterrorism in the U.S., particularly counterterrorism against domestic paramilitary groups. It sets a terrible precedent for rule of law, for violence against institutions, violence against law enforcement. And it sends a message of permissionthat political violence will be tolerated as long as its on behalf of a certain movement and a certain man. And thats tremendously dangerous. Were in unprecedented territory where people who sought to overthrow the government have now been allowed back on our streets as returning warriors. What worries you most about Trumps action? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jan. 6 was the largest investigation in Department of Justice history. Those prosecutions were really about two things: punishments of crimes committed and deterring follow-on acts of violence. The consensus among the counterterrorism community is that the deterrence has been completely and fully eroded now. Its not just because of the pardons. In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, even the most conservative Republicans were horrified. Elise Stefanik called for people to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Over the course of the past four years, that narrative has been steadily eroded as Jan. 6 defendants have been recast and redefined from insurrectionists to martyrs, political prisoners, victims, hostages. At one point, President Trump even used the word warriors, a word that actually celebrates organized state violence. And so the concern is there is now no deterrence against political violence from this particular movement. What was the anticipation in the online extremism world heading into the Trump inauguration? What is the reaction to these broad pardons? We know that countless individuals who are enmeshed in these criminal cases were trying to delay or postpone trials, waiting for Trumps inauguration, truly believing that he was going to protect them from the criminal justice system. This has been an ongoing dance that weve seen over the course of the past eight years, where President Trump would issue these public proclamations of support condoning these movements. We saw that at Charlottesville, and with the Proud Boys stand back and stand by comment. And we know from statements that these groups make from the chatter within their online spaces that they do take his words and his actions to be supportive of them. It was barely months between stand back and stand by and the Jan. 6 insurrection. So they were waiting for this moment, and they will be celebrating their freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I should also point out that Jan. 6 was an incident that had a huge variety of activity. You did have people who were involved in nonviolent crimes, trespassing crimes, and they served very short prison sentences, if they served prison sentences at all. And then you had people prosecuted for very violent crimes, including seditious conspiracy, which is arguably the most serious crime in our country. I think even the most conservative Republicans did not expect President Trump to pardon or commute the sentences of those prosecuted for seditious conspiracy. So that is also a big shock. The people the Justice Department proved had intended to overthrow the government have now been protected and condoned by President Trump. That is a big deal. As the people convicted of Jan. 6 crimes start getting out of prison, what will you be watching? Do you think most of them will try to fade into ordinary life, or is there a chance they will jump back into organizing or activism? You have two kinds of Jan. 6 defendants. You have those who recognize that they were duped and are genuinely remorseful. Those are the kind of people who I hope will be given the space to rebuild their lives. You also have those who acted out on Jan. 6 because they had a grievance against the government. And that victimhood has now been propelled further. They feel they now have more evidence that they are struggling against a tyrannical government. Certainly, I would expect those people to double down in their activism and go back to their paramilitary and militia groups as battle-hardened leaders who now can speak with authority about the violence against the government that theyve been promising all these years. I do think this will be a shot in the arm for the movement and for several groups who had been relatively dormant since Jan. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since President Trump first emerged on the political stage, he has redefined what we once called anti-government extremism. These kinds of movementsthe Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, and the Proud Boysused to be fundamentally opposed to all governments or federal authority in the United States. That has changed now. Theyve been recast as anti-Democratic and pro-Republican, because they feel that President Trump is an ally in the White House. Because President Trump has shifted the Overton window, whether we see those people enter the political process or continue in their violent activism remains to be seen. I would also not be surprised to see some people use that to propel political careers as well. The narrative has been rewritten. Jan. 6 perpetrators are no longer violent insurrectionists. They are now peaceful patriots who were victimized by the government. And that is going to be something very powerful for people who decide to run for office, much as it was an honorable thing to have been a prisoner of war. What about the Proud Boys specifically? What do you think Enrique Tarrios release could mean for the groups future? Enrique Tarrio has a long, checkered history of cooperation, which of course is not looked upon very positively by the movement. Hes going back with this sense of legitimacy and authority because he is somebody who has personal experience of government tyranny in quotation marks; he stared down an overreaching tyrannical government and won. I think thats going to be an incredibly powerful narrative that hes going to be able to spin, which can make him a very powerful figure in whatever the next generation of the violent far right is. This pardon will be taken as a stamp of approval by the movement, and hes going to become a poster child for it. Advertisement Advertisement The violent far right has always been exceptional at weaving this narrative of martyrdom and hailing those people who have been felled at the hands of the government as martyrs. And these people will now carry that authority with them forever. Whether Tarrio determines that hes going to go deeper into the movement and rebuild it for this golden age in the second Trump administration, or whether he decides to do something more productive with his life, it remains to be seen. Related From Slate One of Trumps Less-Discussed Executive Orders Is Truly Chilling Read More Has anything of this scale happened before? Im thinking a lot about historical parallels. In 1988, the U.S. government tried 14 white supremacists for seditious conspiracy at Fort Smith, Arkansas. And those 14 white supremacists were acquitted. It was a huge deal for the movement because they felt they had approval. But one of them, a former KKK leader called Louis Beam, realized that the entire movement had almost been decapitated. So, he went underground, formed this journal called the Seditionists, in reference to the charges, and he revived an old treatise of insurgency and guerrilla warfare known as leaderless resistance, basically lone-actor terrorism. And most of the violence that weve seen from the far right over the past decadein places like Charleston, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Buffalohave actually followed this model. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont know whether the movement is going to say Jan. 6 was proof of concept for leaderless resistance, because when they organized publicly, the government was able to decapitate the movement temporarily, or whether they see that as a success now that they have infiltrated the mainstream. I can see it going either way. I think certainly we will see both groups and individuals acting with more of a sense of invincibility because they attacked the United States government. Advertisement How does this moment stack up against other pivotal points in your work studying domestic extremism? Were in unprecedented territory. The success of the seditious conspiracy charges a couple of years ago was a really important moment because the government had made up for the mistakes that they made in 1988. For the first time, arguably since the Civil War, the United States government had proven without question that groups that organize against the government on behalf of white supremacist and anti-government ideologies were attempting to overthrow the government. And that was a significant deal, not just legally, but also in terms of deterrence and building a democratic norm against violence. All of that has now been destroyed. Advertisement Advertisement It is fundamentally a rewriting of the norm against violence in democracies. That will affect our own battle here against domestic terrorism, but I think it also has implications abroad. Right now, in Washington, D.C., our national security bureaucracy is obsessed with great power competition, obsessed with strategic competition against China and Russia, and our allies and adversaries are watching crucial democratic norms be undermined in the alleged city on a hill, the United States. And that has impacts abroad. In fact, we saw that in Brazil in January 2023 when an election riot struck that capital city. Its not just an unprecedented impact for our own battle against domestic terrorism, but it also deeply affects American soft power and American foreign policy at a critical moment. I really think this is a transformational day for American national security and American counterterrorism, if not for American democracy writ large. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. At a time when many commentators think that the death penalty is waning in the United States, President Donald Trump issued an ambitious executive order on his first day in office laying out his vision for the use of capital punishment in this country. It describes capital punishment as an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens. The presidents embrace of the death penalty is no surprise given his longtime support for that punishment and his use of it during his first term in office. What is surprising is how sweeping his executive order was and how much of it was designed to revive capital punishment and facilitate executions, not just at the federal level but in death penalty states where they are flagging. Reviving the death penalty across the country, though, will be a heavy lift even for a politician as skilled as the president. Recently, the death penalty fundamentals have changed in serious and significant ways. The playing field is now tilted in favor of its opponents. Moreover, first-day executive orders often turn out to be more important as symbolic gestures than as surefire policy guides. That will likely be the case with the presidents death penalty order. Some of what he wants to accomplish seems to be of dubious legality. Some of it will raise the specter of gratuitous cruelty. One thing is certain: The presidents order is a shockingly broad attack on abolition that will generate a lot of litigation. Whatever its ultimate effect, it is a reminder that Americans live in two different worlds regarding the governments use of the ultimate punishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In most of the country, the death penalty has been abolished or is seldom used. Still, as I explained in 2021, it remains a force in a dwindling number of outlier jurisdictions to continue to pursue death sentences and executions. Last year, new death sentences were handed out in just 10 states. Many of them, including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas, are longtime death penalty hot spots. Executions, the Death Penalty Information Center reported, also are geographically concentrated in the South, with 19 of this years executions (76%) carried out in southern states. Advertisement The center noted that Alabama carried out the most executions in 2024, with six, followed by Texas with five, and Oklahoma and Missouri with four each. President Trump carried each of those states by large margins in the November election. The death belt is Trump country. There, his executive order on capital punishment will play well with his most fervent supporters. In addition, it is an area in which the president can potentially undo the legacy of the Biden administration, which imposed a moratorium on federal executions and commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people who were on federal death row. In his executive order, Trump described the inmates to whom Biden showed mercy as vile and sadistic rapists, child molesters, and murderers on Federal death row: remorseless criminals who brutalized young children, strangled and drowned their victims, and hunted strangers for sport. He previously criticized the commutations, calling them a mockery of justice that insult the victims of these horrible crimes. Related From Slate Trumps First Flurry of Executive Orders Plagued by a Surprising Problem Read More That is why it is unsurprising that two parts of Mondays executive order target Bidens clemency. First, the presidents order directs the attorney general to evaluate whether the 37 people whose federal death sentences were commuted under Biden can be charged with state capital crimes. This is possible, professor Josh Blackman writes, because there is no statute of limitation for murder, and states remain free to punish defendants who had their federal sentences commuted. Advertisement Advertisement But, Blackman observes, Even in the states that still allow death sentences, it would be difficult to re-prosecute decades-old cases. However, he points to the case of John Hanson, who is serving a life sentence in federal prison in Louisiana, as one in which Trump could take advantage of a states death penalty system. Hanson was also sentenced to death in Oklahoma for two murders but [under Biden] the Federal Bureau of Prisons refused to transfer him to the custody of the state. The Trump Justice Department could now turn him over to Oklahoma authorities so his execution can be carried out. The presidents second response to Bidens death penalty clemencies was to direct the attorney general to evaluate the places of imprisonment and conditions of confinement for each of the 37 murderers whose Federal death sentences were commuted by President Biden. He wants to ensure that these offenders are imprisoned in conditions consistent with the monstrosity of their crimes and the threats they pose. Advertisement Advertisement Inmates removed from death row generally remain incarcerated in very restrictive conditions. But if the president cannot get them executed under state law, he may be signaling that he wants the people whose death sentences Biden commuted to spend the rest of their lives in the federal governments supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. Advertisement Prisoners in these facilities, Human Rights Watch notes, typically spend their waking and sleeping hours locked in small, sometimes windowless, cells sealed with solid steel doors. Prisoners have almost no access to educational or recreational activities or other sources of mental stimulation. The presidents order also seeks to ramp up federal death penalty prosecutions quickly. It directs the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use. It singles out for special attention the murder of a law-enforcement officer or capital crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Advertisement Moreover, the president wants to turn the federal government into a cheerleader for capital punishment everywhere. As he put it, The Attorney General shall encourage State attorneys general and district attorneys to bring State capital charges for all capital crimes. Recognizing that drug shortages have prevented many death penalty states from carrying out executions, Mondays executive order seeks to enlist the federal government in helping to ensure that each state that allows capital punishment has a sufficient supply of drugs needed to carry out lethal injection. It is, of course, not clear that the federal government will have any greater success than the states in securing such drugs, But the president can again direct the Food and Drug Administration to stop regulating death penalty drugs as he did during his first term. Advertisement Finally, the presidents order seeks ways of expanding the reach and applicability of capital punishment. That is why it directs the attorney general to challenge Supreme Court precedents that hinder capital punishment and limit the authority of State and Federal governments to impose capital punishment. One likely target would be the courts 2008 Kennedy v. Louisiana decision, holding that the death penalty for child sexual assault is unconstitutional. Such a case is already teed up by the laws recently enacted in Florida and Tennessee that authorize the death penalty in such cases. For opponents of capital punishment, the presidents executive order is a reminder that the road to abolition will not be smooth. For death penalty supporters, Trumps executive order is about as good as it gets. It is comprehensive, bold, and imaginative. But, at the end of the day, it is unlikely to make much of a dent in the progress that abolitionists have made in changing the national conversation about capital punishment and in putting this country on the path to ending capital punishment. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250122/ukraine-loses-up-to-630-soldiers-as-russia-liberates-village-in-kharkov-region--1121480817.html Ukraine Loses Up to 630 Soldiers as Russia Liberates Village in Kharkov Region Ukraine Loses Up to 630 Soldiers as Russia Liberates Village in Kharkov Region Sputnik International Russia's Tsentr group of forces has eliminated up to 630 Ukrainian military personnel over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. 2025-01-22T09:54+0000 2025-01-22T09:54+0000 2025-01-22T09:54+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russian armed forces russian army ukrainian crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0c/1f/1121317803_30:0:3671:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_a607f7598eb6583c4133623f743c3a50.jpg "The enemy lost up to 630 military personnel, a tank, five armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, six cars and three artillery pieces," the statement said. Russia's Zapad group has eliminated over 460 Ukrainian soldiers, while the Yug group of forces has eliminated up to 250 Ukrainian soldiers, the ministry said. Russian forces took control of the Zapadnoye village in the Kharkov region, the ministry said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250121/ukraine-was-always-just-anti-russian-battering-ram-to-us-ex-pentagon-analyst-1121480274.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia's special military operation, ukraine crisis, ukraine conflict, russian offensive, russia control territory https://sputnikglobe.com/20250122/west-bank-paying-price-for-gaza-peace-deal---jenin-governor---1121480979.html West Bank Paying Price for Gaza Peace Deal - Jenin Governor West Bank Paying Price for Gaza Peace Deal - Jenin Governor Sputnik International Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of the Iron Wall "counter-terrorism operation" in the West Bank under the pretext of strengthening security. 2025-01-22T11:32+0000 2025-01-22T11:32+0000 2025-01-22T11:32+0000 world mideast https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0b/01/1120743302_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_f4f2e862829d20a3781b5c6fc1f6d561.jpg Israel cannot exist without the war against Palestine When Israel ceased its military activities in the Gaza Strip, it immediately refocused towards the West Bank with hostilities breaking out there just hours after the ceasefire deal was reached," Kemal Abu al Rab, governor of the Jenin Governorate, told Sputnik. Al Rab stressed that Israel started its military operation during the daytime when Palestinian citizens were on the streets and in their offices. Israeli military vehicles and choppers stormed their way into [West Bank] peaceful routine, airstrikes and bombardments started," he said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250120/with-gaza-in-ruins-us-israel-will-try-to-exploit-tensions-within-hamas-analyst-1121477304.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International mieast crisis, west bank violence, west bank israeli army, west bank hostilities, mideast Former O'Brien Award winner Artspeak has a new base of operations for 2025, one of three stallions headed to Canada's newest stud farm. Winbak Farm has announced that Artspeak p, 2, 1:50.2; 3, 1:47.4 ($1,770,980), will stand at Kingsmen Equine in Milton, Prince Edward Island. We believe that Artspeak should be a great option for Maritime breeders, said Pat Woods, Winbak Farm of Canada Manager. We are excited to work with Kingsmen Equine, by having them stand Artspeak, and wish them the best of luck as they develop their breeding operation. Artspeak, a career winner of 14 races from 27 starts, was the OBrien and Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year Award winner in 2014. He was the richest performer in his freshman division. The son of Western Ideal out of The Art Museum won multiple Grand Circuit stakes that are now classified as Grade 1 and 2 stakes. At two, Artspeak won the Metro Pace and Governor's Cup, divisions of the Nassagaweya Stakes and Bluegrass Stakes as well as a New Jersey Sire Stakes division and the final. Artspeak is still to date the best two-year-old Ive sat behind, said driver Scott Zeron. He was easy to drive and very versatile. At three, Artspeak won the Tattersalls Pace, taking his lifetime mark of 1:47.4 at The Red Mile, as well as an elimination of the Breeders Crown (second in the final) and Max Hempt Memorial (second in final), division of the Simcoe Stakes and New Jersey Sire Stakes division and final. Artspeak is the sire of 213 race winners, including 56 in 1:53 or faster. He is the sire of 63 winners of $100,000+ and averages $69,675 per starter. He is the sire of Pennsylvania Fair Stakes winner Seth Hanover, p, 1:52h ($463,987), multiple Grand Circuit stakes and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner Magical Arthur, p, 3, 1:50.3s ($432,960), Blue Chip Matchmaker Series leg winner Intothemysticmoon, p, 1:50.3s -'23 ($388,102), and Pennsylvania Fair Stakes winner Bipbopnallie, p, 1:51f ($354,560). Artspeak is the perfect missing piece for the Maritime provinces, said Ashley MacDonald, Kingsmen Equine Manager. Not only does he have beautiful conformation and rocket-like acceleration, he has proven that his offspring can handle any size track. Artspeak will stand for $2,000 at Kingsmen Equine in Milton, P.E.I. The farms location is the former Meridian Farms. For more information, call 613-581-7292 or visit kingsmenequine.com. His ability to produce racehorses is a standout quality that breeders and trainers should take advantage of, said MacDonald. I am very excited and honoured to get such an opportunity and would like to thank team Winbak for the support and mentorship. In addition, Kingsmen Equine is also adding trotting stallion Marseille and pacing stallion Carlisimo to its roster for 2025. Marseille, a son of Muscle Hill out of Order By Wish, is the 2019 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial champion and winner of $518,285 with a mark of 1:51.4 taken at The Meadowlands as a three-year-old. He will stand for a stud fee of $2,000. Carlisimo is a multiple stakes winner in the Maritimes and Ontario with career earnings of $431,635 and a mark of 1:50 taken as a six-year-old at Pocono Downs. The Shadow Play-Putnam MacKenzie son will stand for a fee of $1,000. (With files from Winbak Farm) VIA Metro last year took over the Little Runner e-cab service at the same time it created a new VIA Link ride-hailing district in the downtown area. Centro San Antonio The ride-hailing service VIA Metropolitan Transit launched in September to ferry students and others around downtown has fallen far behind performance targets, raising questions from the agency's board about its future. The Uber-like service the newest of five VIA Link ride-hailing zones the transit agency has established across San Antonio since 2019 had an average of 75 daily passengers on weekdays and 25 on weekends in its first 120 days of operation, according to a presentation Sandip Sen, VIA's director of planning and scheduling, gave to the VIA board of trustees on Tuesday. VIA had estimated there would be 175 daily passengers on weekdays and 100 on weekends. Advertisement Article continues below this ad So far, the service has cost $47.74 per passenger more than three times the target cost of $15.46. Leo Gomez, the board's vice chair and president and CEO of the Brooks Development Authority, called that gap "glaring." "It's a startup service. On the other hand, $47 to $15 is alarming," he said. While board members emphasized they wanted the service to be successful, they expressed surprise at the numbers. "These numbers are horrendous," said Louis Cooper, the assistant board secretary. "If this was my business and you brought these to me, I'd be asking you what in the heck are you going to do to fix this." Advertisement Article continues below this ad He added, "We might have made an assumption that isn't working." 'It's still new' Sen and Jessica Gonzalez, VIA's marketing director, told the board it would take time for the service to develop a ridership. They pointed out that it is different from other VIA Link zones in that it is smaller and the agency still operates many bus routes through it. "It's still new," Gonzalez said. "We are creating a more robust media campaign that's going through June," in conjunction with Fiesta and the NCAA men's Final Four, to be held in April at the Alamodome. Advertisement Article continues below this ad VIA debuted the new ride-hailing zone on Sept. 2, with boundaries stretching as far west as Medina Street, as far south as Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, as far east as Interstate 37 and as far north as Quincy Street. Anywhere in that area, customers can use the agency's app or call a phone number to request a ride in one of its white vans. As in the other VIA Link zones, each trip costs $1.30, which can be paid through the app, with cash or with a regular bus pass. The zone can also take passengers to a stop at the Pearl development. At the same time it launched the new ride-haling zone, VIA also took over the Little Runner e-shuttle service. The service was created last year by the University of Texas at San Antonio and the downtown nonprofit Centro San Antonio to carry students and others on a fixed route between Interstate 35, Dolarosa Street, Flores Street and Nueva Street, linking UTSAs downtown facilities. The shuttle operates as part of the VIA Link zone, and the statistics presented on Tuesday comprise both services. Cooper requested that the board be updated on the service's numbers on a monthly basis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Don't feel that I'm just beating on you guys," he said. "When it comes to new areas, new services and budgets, we need to look at them more closely, on a greater cadence." Jon Gary Herrera, VIA's new CEO, said the agency has flexibility with the service, including "the ability to pull back if it's not going to be feasible." He referenced a decision the agency made in 2022 to end a VIA Link pilot program that provided service from the town of Sandy Oaks south of San Antonio to the Brooks Transit Center. 'Hope the numbers get better' During the first 120 days, the downtown VIA Link zone cost a total of $356,983, according to the presentation. VIA had estimated a cost of $288,024.The service had 7,488 passengers far below the estimated 18,975. Trish DeBerry, Centro's CEO, said the holiday season was partly to blame for the low ridership numbers, as it drew students and workers out of downtown. The changes VIA made upon taking over the shuttle, such as declining to use the existing all-electric fleet, might have caused a hiccup in ridership, she said after the meeting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She expressed faith that Fiesta and the Final Four would bring a surge passengers. "I still firmly believe in micromobility downtown, and this was the first foray into it," she said. Board member Javier Paradez said ridership should improve as UTSA continues toward its oft-stated goal of bringing 10,000 students to live and attend classes downtown. Accessibility statement for Statistics Finlands web service This accessibility statement applies to Statistics Finland's stat.fi website. Separate statements have been made on Statistics Finland's other web services. This statement has been updated on 6 June 2024. Statistics Finland aims to guarantee the accessibility of its web services in accordance with the Act on the Provision of Digital Services (306/2019). We have assessed the accessibility of the service ourselves. In respect of the newest parts of the pages, the assessment was supported by an earlier evaluation made by an external expert organisation. The main and most used pages have been examined in the assessment. State of accessibility Statistics Finlands web service is partially compliant with the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA. We are in the process of renewing our website, and parts of the contents are already published on new kinds of pages. New kinds of pages are now available in the Statistical data section and the Surveys and data collections section of the website. We aim to make all the pages that are being renewed accessible. There are deficiencies in accessibility particularly on older pages. If you need such content that you cannot use because of deficiencies in accessibility, please contact Statistics Finlands information services. 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If you want to give feedback by telephone, call Statistics Finland's information services, tel. +358 29 551 2220. We will respond to your feedback as soon as possible or within two weeks at the latest. Supervision authority If you notice accessibility problems on the website, start by giving feedback to us, that is, the website administrator. Receiving a response may take 14 days. If you are not satisfied with the response from us or if you do not receive any response within two weeks, you may file a report with the Digital Accessibility Supervision Unit at Traficom. Supervisory authoritys contact information Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom Digital Accessibility Supervision Unit www.webaccessibility.fi saavutettavuus@traficom.fi telephone (switchboard) 029 534 5000 Truecaller has announced the biggest ever update for iPhone. The new update now offers the entire might of Truecallers spam and scam blocking abilities to iPhone users everywhere! It now has the ability to identify all types of calls making it at par with its Android counterpart. This is made possible by Apples Live Caller ID Lookup framework, developed especially for apps like Truecaller to provide live caller ID in a privacy-preserving way. This API uses state-of-the-art homomorphic encryption and Truecaller is the first in the world to deploy this at scale for Caller ID. Truecaller has now been in the business of filtering unwanted communication for 15 years. This update can leverage Truecallers latest AI capabilities and global database to identify as many calls as possible. It can ensure that no call goes unidentified on iOS as long as Truecaller has any information about it. Top Breaking News Of The Day In addition, the latest update includes something that Truecaller iOS users have been requesting for a long time: automatic blocking of spam calls. Other improvements include the ability to search for previously identified calls, going as far back as 2,000 previous numbers in the Recents list in the Phone app. Finally, Truecaller on iPhone now includes the ability to subscribe for a Premium Family plan. With Family Plan, user can share all Truecaller Premium benefits with up to four additional people at a low monthly or annual price. How to enable Truecaller on iOS 18.2 Make sure user is on Truecaller for iPhone version 14.0 or later. Open iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. Here, enable all Truecaller switches and open the Truecaller app again. Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO, Truecaller, said, We are excited to bring the full power of Truecaller to iPhone. We see tremendous potential and growth in our iPhone user base and parity with Truecallers Android experience has been top of their wishlist. This update does that and more while preserving privacy for all calling activity. All the new features will be made available for Truecaller Premium users. Free users on iOS will continue to enjoy ad-supported number search and caller ID of Verified Businesses. Auto blocking of spam is available globally & the new Caller ID will be rolled out starting today. It will be available to all users across the world within the coming days. Nokia announced the appointment of Patrik Hammaren as President of Nokia Technologies and member of the Nokia Group Leadership Team, effective 22 January 2025. Nokia Technologies is responsible for managing and monetizing Nokias intellectual property, including the companys industry leading patent portfolio. The business group licenses Nokias innovation and contributions to global technology standards to other companies. Hammaren joined Nokia in 2007 and has been acting President of Nokia Technologies since October 2024. Prior to this role, Patrik held several senior positions in Nokia Technologies patent licensing business including: Chief Licensing Officer Wireless Technologies; Vice President, Head of IoT Licensing Program; and Head of Patent Licensing Greater China. During this time, he was heavily involved in the renewal of Nokias major smartphone license agreements and the growth of Nokias IoT licensing program. Top Breaking News Of The Day Pekka Lundmark, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nokia, said, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Patrik as President of Nokia Technologies. During a thorough process, Patrik has demonstrated he has the strategic vision, drive, and experience to take Nokias patent business forward into the next phase of its growth journey. It is a great honor to be asked to lead Nokia Technologies. Nokia has an industry-leading patent portfolio and a proven track record for monetizing its innovation. I look forward to working with our external partners and our world-class team to maximize these strengths and build upon the successful completion of our smartphone renewals last year and the momentum we have established in our licensing growth areas, Patrik Hammaren commented. Hammaren will be based in Finland and report to Pekka Lundmark, Nokias President and Chief Executive Officer. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The developed hardware platform for real-time video processing and electrical characteristics of the analog memristor array. Credit: Nature Electronics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-024-01318-6 As artificial intelligence models become increasingly advanced, electronics engineers have been trying to develop new hardware that is better suited for running these models, while also limiting power-consumption and boosting the speed at which they process data. Some of the most promising solutions designed to meet the needs of machine learning algorithms are platforms based on memristors. Memristors, or memory resistors, are electrical components that can retain their resistance even in the absence of electrical power, adjusting their resistance based on the electrical charge passing through them. This means that they can simultaneously support both the storage and processing of information, which could be advantageous for running machine learning algorithms. Memristor-based devices could be used to develop more compact and energy-efficient hardware for running AI models, including emerging distributed computing solutions referred to as edge computing systems. Despite their advantages, many existing memristor-based platforms have been found to have notable limitations, adversely impacting their reliability and endurance. Researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and other institutes in the Republic of Korea recently developed a new analog computing platform based on a selector-less memristor array. This platform, introduced in a paper published in Nature Electronics, was found to run AI algorithms for the processing of real-time videos both efficiently and reliably. "Systems based on memristor arrays face challenges implementing real-time AI algorithms with fully on-device learning due to reliability issues, such as low yield, poor uniformity and endurance problems," wrote Hakcheon Jeong, Seungjae Han and their colleagues in their paper. "We report an analog computing platform based on a selector-less analog memristor array." The researchers' platform consists of 1,024 memristors made of titanium oxide (TiO x ), arranged in a 32 x 32 grid. These memristors were found to reliably store and process the information fed to machine learning algorithms, working consistently over time. "We use interfacial-type titanium oxide memristors with a gradual oxygen distribution that exhibit high reliability, high linearity, forming-free attribute and self-rectification," wrote Jeong, Han and their colleagues. "Our platformwhich consists of a selector-less (one-memristor) 1 K (32 32) crossbar array, peripheral circuitry and digital controllercan run AI algorithms in the analog domain by self-calibration without compensation operations or pretraining," To assess the potential of their analog computing platform, the researchers carried out various tests, where they used it to run AI models for the real-time processing of videos employing an online training scheme. This framework was used to train the models to discern between the dynamic elements in videos and static backgrounds. "We illustrate the capabilities of the system with real-time video foreground and background separation, achieving an average peak signal-to-noise ratio of 30.49 dB and a structural similarity index measure of 0.81; these values are similar to those of simulations for the ideal case," wrote the researchers. So far, the new memristor-based platform developed by Jeong, Han and their colleagues has yielded very promising results, enabling the efficient and reliable processing of real-time video streamed directly from a camera. In the future, it could be improved further and evaluated on a broader range of real-time data processing tasks, potentially contributing to the advancement of edge computing solutions. More information: Hakcheon Jeong et al, Self-supervised video processing with self-calibration on an analogue computing platform based on a selector-less memristor array, Nature Electronics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-024-01318-6. Journal information: Nature Electronics 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain President Donald Trump signed dozens of executive orders shortly after his inauguration, including one that rolled back the recent approval of a controversial wind farm in south-central Idaho. Trump signed a temporary order that prompted an immediate review of federal wind leasing and permitting regulations, and specifically halted any activity on the Lava Ridge Wind Project north of Twin Falls. The order said the project, which the Bureau of Land Management approved in December after more than three years of discussion and analysis, "is allegedly contrary to the public interest and suffers from legal deficiencies." The order directed the new Interior secretary to review the final BLM analysis and conduct any additional review or environmental impact studies as needed. Trump's pick for that post, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has not yet been confirmed. The Lava Ridge project, which proposed building as many as 230 wind turbines up to 660 feet tall to provide clean energy, was proposed by Magic Valley Energy. The company said the project could power half a million homes and create jobs for Idaho residents. Magic Valley Energy has also proposed a wind farm on federal land southwest of Twin Falls. That project, Salmon Falls, is still in early stages. The Idaho Statesman reached out to Magic Valley Energy for comment on the executive order. The project was criticized by multiple groups and politicians. Perhaps the most outspoken was the Friends of Minidoka, a nonprofit focused on the preservation of the Minidoka National Historic Site, which was an internment camp for imprisoned Japanese Americans during World War II. The group said the wind turbineswhich would be visible from the historic site northeast of Twin Fallsdisturbed the historic view-shed and made it impossible for visitors to understand the true isolation of the camp. In a statement Tuesday, Friends of Minidoka Executive Director Robyn Achilles told the Statesman the group is "pleased" that the project is on hold. "The proposed Lava Ridge wind development should be stopped and the area outside of Minidoka should be protected from future energy development that harms the viewshed of the park," Achilles said. Lava Ridge also drew criticism from local politicians in Twin Falls and Jerome, as well as ranchers with existing grazing leases on the proposed wind farm site. Idaho's congressional delegation, all Republicans, were also outspoken critics. In a statement, Idaho Sen. Jim Risch's office said the longtime lawmaker co-wrote the executive order with the Trump administration. "I made a promise to Idahoans that I would not rest until the Lava Ridge Wind Project was terminated. On day one, President Donald Trump took action to keep that promise," Risch said in a news release. Sen. Mike Crapo, as well as Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, also applauded the executive order. "The Lava Ridge Wind Project is unwelcome and has zero place in our state," Simpson said in a statement. Not all Idahoans opposed the project. The Idaho Conservation League, a longtime environmental advocacy group, backed the project last year after the BLM opted for a scaled-down version of the wind farm amid complaints. Adrian Gallo, the group's climate program manager, said in a report that Lava Ridge "is not perfect, but it is necessary." 2025 The Idaho Statesman. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Rhyma Castillo is a trending reporter for the Express-News and a member of its Digital Go Team. She can be reached at rhyma.castillo@express-news.net. A native of San Antonio and a Texas A&M University graduate, she is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience. She has reported on politics, immigration, climate change, gun violence, and workers rights. Additionally, she excels in lifestyle and entertainment writing, covering music, television, video games, technology, and relationships. In her free time, she enjoys painting, drawing, cooking, hiking, climbing, gardening, playing video games, cuddling with her cats, and making music with her band. 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 As part of the ongoing war in Ukraine, one night in late November, Russia sent a swarm of 188 drones to attack Ukrainian infrastructure like electrical utilities, as well as residential areas, according to news reports. Ukrainian forces said they shot down 76 drones, but the damage was still extensive. Those kinds of attacks are continuing almost daily now. The attacks are a sign of the growing importance of the use of unmanned aerial vehiclesthe more technical name for dronesin conventional warfare. Military drones started being used by the U.S. in the 1990s for airborne reconnaissance, and in the early 2000s, U.S. Predator drones were also used to target Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders following the 9/11 attacks. Now drones are being employed as weapons in conventional warfare between countries, and their use is evolving rapidly. "Ukraine is the laboratory for all of this," says Richard Shultz, Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of International Security Studies at The Fletcher School, referring to the nation that Russia invaded in February 2022, creating Europe's largest armed conflict since World War II. Tufts Now recently spoke with Shultz, who is also director of Fletcher's International Security Studies Program, to learn more about the history of drones in warfare, how they are used now, and what the future holds. How were drones used early on by the U.S. military? The U.S. military in the 1990s had a fleet of UAVsunmanned aerial vehiclesfor intelligence purposes, not attacking. As drones evolved in the aftermath of 9/11 and the war in Iraq, one UAV could watch 24 hours a day for several days, some 60 targets in a small city. With two, you could watch 120 targets. In the counterterrorism world, that was tremendous, because you could monitor many siteswas this an IED [improvised explosive device] factory, a terrorist unit headquarters, and so on. These things collected an amazing amount of data. The big challenge was having enough people to watch the video and images created, which became a problem as the drone fleet proliferated. Around 2014 or so, these UAVs were collecting so much video that it couldn't be used. You just didn't have enough eyeballs to go through it. If military staff couldn't analyze all the drone reconnaissance data, what did they do with it? This is where the first attempt to use artificial intelligence in war fighting comes into play, training algorithms and putting them on those UAVs to help identify counterterrorism targets. That sounds straightforward, but it was very hard to do. It meant distinguishing between different kinds of vehicles and between peopleis this a fighter or a farmer? Is he carrying a gun or is he carrying a hoe? You need a lot of data to train the AI. But first, you need people to develop specific types of targets for the AI. Then the algorithms have to train on that data to be able to look at large amounts of full motion video to identify all sorts of targets. In Ukraine, this means training algorithms to find tanks, missile launchers, fortifications, headquarters. When were drones first used to attack targets in battle, rather than to conduct reconnaissance or targeting individuals? We first saw UAVs or drones having a strategic impact in the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, also known as the second Nagorno-Karabakh war, in 2020it was the weapon that shaped the outcome of the war, giving Azerbaijan victory. The Azeris more or less took the Armenians by surprise. They launched drones that were able to obliterate Armenian armor and artillery, and they quickly took back the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and could have gone into Armenia. The Armenians suffered a lot of casualties for a small country. The Azeris were so successful because the drones were used as strategic weaponsit took away the Armenian defense. That was really the first example of what was coming. What is the combat role of drones now, and how might it be evolving? Imagine you're a combat force defending territory. Drones allow you to hit behind the enemy lines, hit critical supplies for the attackers, like gasoline. Likewise, a unit in the field can send drones forward to directly attack the enemy. Don't forget they are also still very much used for intelligence gathering. Think about the war in Ukrainethe combatants have to watch a large number of areas. If you have UAVs that can do that, and the AI is trained to find specific assets, then you can target them. This is evolving in the Ukrainian caseUkraine is the laboratory for all of this. The future of land warfare is really changing, not just because of UAVs, but a number of developments that have taken place in the war in Ukraine, including what's called electronic warfare. Electronic warfare gives you the capacity to disrupt the communications of your enemies' fighting-forward forces and their rear-area commanders, using things like jamming their command-and-control systems. Does this mean that the nature of war is changing? Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian war theorist, said that the nature of war never changes, but the characteristics of war are always changing. We are in a periodwhich started before the Russia-Ukraine warwhen new technologies are really affecting the characteristics of war. The big question is, will it advantage the offense or the defense? Who comes out best in this? It's an age-old question. In the case of the Azeris, they used UAVs offensively to map the Armenian defenses, identify key capabilities like artillery and armor, and destroy it. But it can be successfully used defensively, too. Is it easier to launch a drone offensive or defend against a drone offensive? I think that's a big question. What does effective drone defense look like? We tended to think that an attacker could swarm the enemy with drones, but the other side always gets a vote in this. There's no question in my mind that there's obviously a lot of attention to how you defend against some of this. Is the U.S. military changing its ways to adjust to this new reality, where unmanned vehiclesvia air or seacould take out large military equipment like tanks and warships? Well, to an extent. But don't give them too much credit for being innovative, because large organizations change slowly. All we have to do is look back to the Iraq War and how long it took the U.S. to adapt its military strategy to the war that they were fighting versus the conventional war that they first fought against Saddam's army. I think it comes slowly, but certainly there's a lot of attention to this on both sides of the house, for fighting and for intelligence-gathering. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain An English literature graduate turned data scientist has developed a new method for large language models (LLMs) used by AI chatbots to understand and analyze small chunks of text, such as those on social media profiles, in customer responses online or for understanding online posts responding to disaster events. In today's digital world, such use of short text has become central to online communication. However, analyzing these snippets is challenging because they often lack shared words or context. This lack of context makes it difficult for AI to find patterns or group similar texts. The new research addresses the problem by using large language models (LLMs) to group large datasets of short text into clusters. These clusters condense potentially millions of tweets or comments into easy-to-understand groups generated by the model. Ph.D. student Justin Miller has developed this method for use by AI programs that successfully produced coherent categories after analyzing nearly 40,000 Twitter (X) user biographies from accounts tweeting about U.S. President Donald Trump over two days in September 2020. The language model developed by Miller, an English literature graduate, clustered the biographies into 10 categories, and allocated scores within each of these categories to assist in analyzing the likely occupation of the tweeters, their political leaning, or even their use of emojis. The study is published in the Royal Society Open Science journal. Miller said, "What makes this study stand out is its focus on human-centered design. The clusters created by the large language models are not only computationally effective but also make sense to people. "For instance, texts about family, work, or politics are grouped in ways that humans can intuitively name and understand. Furthermore, the research shows that generative AI, such as ChatGPT, can mimic how humans interpret these clusters. "In some cases, the AI provided clearer and more consistent cluster names than human reviewers, particularly when distinguishing meaningful patterns from background noise." Miller, a doctoral candidate in the School of Physics and a member of the Computational Social Sciences lab, said the tool he has developed could be used to simplify large datasets, gain insights for decision making and improve search and organization. Using large language models (LLMs), the authors created clusters using a methodology known as "Gaussian mixture modeling" that capture the essence of the text and are easier for humans to understand. They validated these clusters by comparing human interpretations with those from a generative LLM, which closely matched human reviews. This approach not only improved clustering quality but also suggests that human reviews, while valuable, might not be the only standard for cluster validation. Miller said, "Large datasets, which would be impossible to manually read, can be reduced into meaningful, manageable groups." Applications include: Simplifying Large Datasets: Large datasets, which would be impossible to manually read, can be reduced into meaningful, manageable groups. For example, Mr. Miller applied the same methods from this paper to another project on the Russia-Ukraine war. By clustering over 1 million social media posts, he identified 10 distinct topics, including Russian disinformation campaigns, the use of animals as symbols in humanitarian relief, and Azerbaijan's attempts to showcase its support for Ukraine. Gaining Insights for Decision-Making: Clusters provide actionable insights for organizations, governments and businesses. A business might use clustering to identify what customers like or dislike about their product, while governments could use it to condense wide ranging public sentiment into a few topics. Improving Search and Organization: For platforms handling large volumes of user-generated content, clustering makes it easier to organize, filter and retrieve relevant information. This method can help users quickly find what they're looking for and improve overall content management. Miller said, "This dual use of AI for clustering and interpretation opens up significant possibilities. By reducing reliance on costly and subjective human reviews, it offers a scalable way to make sense of massive amounts of text data. From social media trend analysis to crisis monitoring or customer insights, this approach combines machine efficiency with human understanding to organize and explain data effectively." 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: Humane Autonomous Technology. Credit: Natasha Stillman In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems are rapidly transforming various sectors, a book by a multidisciplinary group of scholars offers a timely and critical examination of these technologies from a human-centered perspective. The open access book delves into the ethical, humane, and holistic aspects of AI and autonomous systems, emphasizing their impact on human lives and ways of working. "When developing these systems, and developing business around them, it is vital to understand how humans experience and act in, around and with the technology. Whether you are a software developer or a business developer, this book affords insight that spans across the boundaries of areas in human life, says Rebekah Rousi, Associate Professor in Communication studies at the University of Vaasa, Finland. Rousi is one of the editors of "Humane autonomous technology" together with Catharina von Koskull, Associate Professor of Marketing from the University of Vaasa and Virpi Roto, Senior Lecturer and Professor of Practice of Design from Aalto University. Ethical and humane considerations One of the central themes of the book is the ethical implications of AI and autonomous systems. The editors and contributors explore challenging questions related to intellectual property rights, human roles, biases, and the potential for these technologies to adopt deviant human traits. The book emphasizes the need for ethical design and implementation practices that prioritize human well-being and creativity. "The big challenges concerning AI very much relate to ethics, moral conduct, as well as sustainability. In addition to the previously foreseen. 'Robots will steal our jobs' types of concerns. we have a myriad of new challenges arising. For instance, several big tech companies have pulled out of their promises for carbon neutrality. Also, ethics, ethical content delivery and consumption has proven challenging with the rise of a new form of sweatshopsdata cleaning centerslocated in the Global South to filter inappropriate content from large language models. There is truly a lot to address both as researchers and developers," Rousi says. Impact on various sectors "Humane autonomous technology" offers a truly multidisciplinary approach to autonomous technology, whereby the contributors represent disciplines including human-computer interaction, interaction design, art, service and consumer studies, as well as cognitive science. Many of these contributors already cross disciplinary boundaries in their research. The book is divided into four themes: labor, co-work and industry; cognition and emotion; humanness and values; and art, design and visual culture. For instance, the chapters on labor and industry discuss the collaboration between expert employees and chatbots, as well as the design of automation for work enrichment. In the arts and design section, the contributors examine how AI can be integrated responsibly to enhance worker-centered practices. According to Rousi, one of the key learnings from the book is that intention needs to be placed on the role of artificial intelligence in the workplace and services. "Do we want the technology to remain as a tool, should it be our slave, or even co-worker? For what reasons do we attribute these specific roles to the technology? Once more, reflecting on the information-rich nature of the technology, AI is rapidly changing our relationship to tools, work, and life in general. It also forces us to re-think our own roles and identity," Rousi says. The book argues that autonomous technologies should be viewed as part of a larger system of systems, with each component working together to enhance human experiences. By taking this approach, the book aims to foster a more nuanced and ethical perspective on the development and deployment of AI. More information: Rebekah Rousi et al. Humane Autonomous Technology, Re-thinking Experience with and in Intelligent Systems (2024). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-66528-8 Eight people were killed in the occupied West Bank during an Israeli military raid in the city of Jenin, an area excluded from the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement. Israel characterized the operation as a "significant and broad military action" targeting Palestinian militants. The raid occurred just two days after a ceasefire agreement, aimed at halting Gaza bombings in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages, came into effect. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that eight people were killed and 35 wounded in Jenin, where Israeli forces have conducted repeated raids. Meanwhile, in other parts of the West Bank, suspected Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian villages, torching cars and properties. Officials in Jinsafut and Al-Funduq, about 30 miles north of Jerusalem, described dozens of masked men storming homes and businesses. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it treated 12 individuals who had been beaten during the attacks. Israel's military stated that the men had thrown rocks at soldiers and announced an investigation into the incidents. Just hours later, Donald Trump lifted U.S. sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the West Bank. The sanctions, imposed by the Biden administration, were aimed at penalizing radical settlers. Their reversal signals a potential Trump presidency more permissive of Israel's settlement expansion. The events unfolded as Israel's military chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, announced his resignation, citing failures to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Those attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in southern Israel and 250 hostages taken. The attacks provoked a massive Israeli military response, with Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reporting over 47,000 Palestinian deaths in the densely populated territory. Sterling Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI Free Report) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,445 shares of the companys stock after selling 367 shares during the period. Sterling Investment Management LLCs holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $924,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 41.8% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,058 shares of the companys stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 1,490 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in British American Tobacco by 23.4% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 28,822 shares of the companys stock valued at $892,000 after acquiring an additional 5,461 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in British American Tobacco by 3.5% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 182,526 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,646,000 after acquiring an additional 6,139 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 16,576 shares of the companys stock worth $513,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of British American Tobacco during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $236,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.16% of the companys stock. Get British American Tobacco alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently commented on BTI shares. Barclays upgraded shares of British American Tobacco to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. StockNews.com cut British American Tobacco from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered British American Tobacco from an overweight rating to an underweight rating and set a $33.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. British American Tobacco Stock Performance Shares of NYSE BTI opened at $36.76 on Wednesday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 52-week low of $28.25 and a 52-week high of $39.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $36.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.09. British American Tobacco Company Profile (Free Report) British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It also offers vapour, heated, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands. See Also Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Travelers are being urged to avoid driving after snowfall hit Atlanta on Tuesday, as the ongoing cold snap has caused ice to form on untreated roads. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) issued a warning advising motorists to "stay off the roads" due to the hazardous conditions. "Road conditions are deteriorating quickly and becoming dangerous to travel, especially parts south and east of I-85 and south of I-20," the GDOT notice stated. "Stay safe, stay inside, and call 511 to report icy road conditions or incidents." Conditions are generally clear to the northwest of the city, but ice may persist on roads along a northeast-southwest line where snow accumulated. Areas marked in pink below may experience the most severe impacts, with roads potentially remaining hazardous or even impassable. Interstates are expected to be in better condition than surface roads. Full list of roads with icy patches: Marlen Mendoza, left, Stephanie Velasquez and chef Nicolas Vera at Ema, which is a semifinalist in the Best New Restaurant Category. Karen Warren/Staff photographer The dining room at Hamsa in Rice Village. Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy of Sof Hospitality Group (Hamsa, Badolina Bakery and Doris Metropolitan) were named James Beard semifinalists. Kirsten Gilliam Koffeteria is up for Outstanding Bakery. Annie Mulligan/Contributor Koffeteria is up for Outstanding Bakery. Alison Cook / Staff The James Beard Foundation released its list 2025 semifinalist nominees for restaurant and chef awards, and this year Houston garnered 13 nominations two more than last year. The organization's picks reflect Houstons diverse dining scene, which recently also received accolades from the Michelin Guide's new Texas awards. Three new categories Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service were added this year. Some familiar names and even a chef without a brick-and-mortar space made the cut. Here are the nominees: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Best New Restaurant: Ema Stephanie Velasquez, one of three partners behind Ema, was a semifinalist in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category last year even though the Heights cafe was still months away from opening. Since then, her pastries combined with Nicolas Vera's savory dishes and Marlen Mendoza's coffee program have proven to be a hit locally and beyond. On weekends, Houstonians regularly line up for the conchas, carrot tacos and cafe de olla. The New York Times named Velasquez's Berlinesa, a jam- or custard-filled doughnut, one of its favorite dishes last year. Emerging Chef: Suu Khin, Burmalicious Perhaps the biggest surprise among Houston's semifinalists was Suu Khin, who's been a staple on the pop-up scene the past few years serving up dishes such as tea leaf salads and coconut noodle soups. The former blogger landed on "MasterChef," so she has a strong following and has used it to introduce more Houstonians to Burmese cuisine. "It's a sign that now is the time," Khin said about the potential award and opening a brick and mortar. Advertisement Article continues below this ad HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants Outstanding Restaurateur: Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy, Sof Hospitality Group (Hamsa, Badolina Bakery and Doris Metropolitan) Sara Stayer and Martin Stayer (Nobie's, Toasted Coconut and Nonno's) For the second year in a row, Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy of Sof Hospitality are in the running for Outstanding Restaurateur. Their portfolio of Mediterranean-leaning establishments now includes Okto located at the Montrose Collective. Sof Hospitality is joined by Martin and Sara Stayer, the husband-and-wife team behind Montrose favorites Nobie's, Nonno's and Toasted Coconut. In 2023, Esquire name checked Nonno's as the country's best pizza joint. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Outstanding Bakery: Koffeteria The recognition keeps rolling in for chef-owner Vanarin Kuch's EaDo bakery. Last year's Beard nomination in the same category has since grown to include more national kudos, including recently landing on the Times' 22 best U.S. bakeries list. A native Houstonian, Kuch's creative pastry program features plenty of global influences such as tweaking Texas staples like kolaches and tacos with Asian ingredients, including some from his Cambodian roots. MORE FOOD NEWS: 15 Houston restaurant closings that defined 2024, including longtime staples Damian's and Nippon Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: March Goodnight Hospitality's crown jewel, the one Michelin-starred March, has set itself apart among Houston's fine-dining restaurants. June Rodil, who is one of only a handful of wine professionals locally with the esteemed title of Master Sommelier, oversees the wine program. The stylish restaurant also features a stunning bar area where customers often kick off a six- or nine-course tasting menu in the main dining room. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Andres Blanco (Le Jardinier) Before joining Le Jardinier and its pedigreed team (the Bastion Collection's culinary director Alain Verzeroli is one of the most decorated French chefs in the world), Andres Blanco already got a taste of what the Beard awards mean for restaurants. He joined Beard-winning chef Hugo Ortega's Caracol in 2013 as a server before focusing more on wine. Blanco has also worked to highlight Mexican wines throughout his career. Best Chef Texas: In this regional category, nearly a third of the 20 nominees are from the greater Houston area. Thomas Bille and Emmanuel Chavez are second-time nominees with the latter moving on as Houston's lone finalist. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The nomination last year helped Bille's restaurant Belly of the Beast pick up business for a few months, he said. "It was definitely perfect, divine timing," Bille added. His Mexican-inspired cooking with global influences throughout the menu think pozole dumplings, tandoori carrots and lamb shank rendang also earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand when the French tire company's guides debuted in Texas. While Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu's Heights restaurant Jun has been open for nearly two years, Ope Amosu's brick-and-mortar in Montrose for ChopnBlok has also received national attention, including a feature in the New Yorker focused on West African food. The awards committee gave nods to several chefs with restaurants well outside of the Inner Loop, including Beatriz Martines' Xalisko in The Woodlands and David Skinner, who closed his acclaimed Kemah modern restaurant Eculent last year and reopened it as Ishtia, which focused more on his Native American background. The James Beard Foundation started in 1986, nearly a year after the passing of James Beard, a chef many described as the dean of American cooking with his early television show, nearly two dozen cookbooks and influence in the restaurant industry. One of the organizations goals is to celebrate and bring attention to Americas food community. Before the awards launched in 1990, the Beard Foundation had been known for hosting fundraising dinners at Beards home in New York City. In recent years, however, the foundations awards process has undergone scrutiny to be more inclusive in how it doles out its high-profile awards. The criticisms pushed the New York-based nonprofit to share more about its awards process and whom it nominated for the prestigious awards. For 35 years, the James Beard Awards have stood as a testament to American food culture and its exceptional talent, said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, in a statement. As we mark this milestone, we are committed to our vision of a vibrant independent restaurant industry that stands as a cornerstone of American culture, community and economy, and drives towards a better food system. The James Beard Award finalists will be announced on April 2, and the awards ceremony for winners will take place June 16 in Chicago. Asyad Group, a prominent global integrated logistics provider, today announced its intention to offer at least 20 per cent of the issued share capital in Asyad Shipping Company (ASC), one of the worlds largest diversified maritime shipping companies, through an initial public offering (IPO). It plans to list its ordinary shares for trading on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX). The offering comes as part of Asyad Group's vision to drive its operational growth, diversify its business portfolio, and achieve sustainability and long-term growth. Since its inception through the end of 2023, Asyad Group has consistently delivered a strong and sustainable financial performance, achieving a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% in revenue and 73% in net profit. This growth has been underpinned by the group's expansion into over 90 geographical markets, including into major global economies such as China, India, the United States, and the GCC. Established in 2003, Asyad Shipping is one of the worlds largest providers of diverse shipping and maritime solutions. It is competitively positioned to meet the needs of high-growth markets such as Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the Americas. ASC operates 89 multi-purpose vessels reaching over 60 countries, linking Omani and global ports, and providing reliable and competitive shipping solutions to all major industrial sectors. It is also distinguished by its long-standing strategic and commercial partnerships with many major international clients, reinforcing its position as a leader in the global shipping and maritime transportation sector, the company said. Wholly owned by Asyad Group, Asyad Shipping leverages the group's advanced infrastructure and shared resources to provide comprehensive solutions to customers around the world. Additionally, its integration within Asyad Group's major ports, economic and free zones supports the efficient handling, exporting and importing of cargo and containers with reduced waiting times at ports, and thus maximises its competitiveness and sustainable business growth across major markets. Sohar International Bank has been appointed as the issue manager. Oman Investment Bank, Sohar International Bank, EFG Hermes, Jefferies and JP Morgan, have been appointed as joint global coordinators. Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and Societe Generale have been appointed as joint bookrunners. KEY DETAILS OF THE OFFERING Asyad Group (the selling shareholder) owns 100% of Asyad Shipping prior to the offering. The selling shareholder expects to offer at least 20% of the total issued share capital of Asyad Shipping, with the selling shareholder retaining the right to amend the size of the offering at any time at their sole discretion in line with the applicable laws and the approval of the FSA. The offering will be in two tranches to eligible and qualified institutional investors in Oman and other institutional investors in a number of countries (the Category I Investors) and retail investors in Oman (Category II Investors). It will be conducted in the manner approved by the FSA and will be carried out concurrently. Category I (Institutional Tranche) offer represents 75% of the total offering and will be made to eligible investors in Oman and qualified institutional and other investors in several countries, with allocation of offer shares determined by the selling shareholder in consultation with the joint global coordinators. Of the 75% of shares allotted to the institutional tranche, 30% of have been allocated for anchor investors. Category II (Retail Tranche) offer represents 25% of the total offering for retail investors in Oman. The subscription period for Category I and Category II investors is expected to commence in February 2025, after receiving the required approval from the FSA. -TradeArabia News Service Omans Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) on Wednesday celebrated the completion of infrastructure projects in Samail Industrial City. The infrastructure works included roads, lighting, fibre optic network, water network, and other vital services. The total value of the infrastructure project exceeded OMR35 million ($90.91 million). The developed area of the project covers 753 hectares, with Phase 1 spanning 548 hectares and Phase 2 covering 205 hectares. The event was held under the patronage of Sheikh Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ). Eng. Haitham bin Sulaiman Al Aufi, Head of Projects Implementation Section in Madayn, gave an overview of the projects key infrastructure elements, which include: 32.41 km of fiber optic networks for Phase 1 and 28. 8 km for Phase 2; 17 km of wadi protection works; water tank in Phase 1 with a capacity of 2,500 cu m and a pumping station with a capacity of 48 l/s; water tank in Phase 2 with a capacity of 2,500 cu m and a pumping station with a capacity of 35 l/s; irrigation tank in Phase 1 with a capacity of 2,500 cu m and a pumping station with a capacity of 41 l/s; and irrigation tank in Phase 2 with a capacity of 800 cu m and a pumping station with a capacity of 16.5 l/s. Other works involved in the project include two main gates and three emergency exits in Phase 1, in addition to 215 CCTV cameras, 1221 lighting poles, 604 fire hydrants, and 82.051 sqm area of public parking for trucks and taxis. Moreover, Al Aufi pointed out that the infrastructure project featured 45.780 km of road networks, 58.040 km of irrigation network, 62.740 km of water network, and 51.620 km of sewage network, five security rooms on an area of 104.74 sq m, and sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 3,500 cubic meters/day. The event also included an exhibition showcasing the products of the investing companies in Samail Industrial City. The exhibition presented a wide range of products from various sectors, reflecting the citys robust commitment to the Sultanates industrial development and economic growth. Strategically located in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, Samail Industrial City is approximately 60 km southwest of Muscat. Al Sunaidy emphasised the strategic significance of Samail Industrial City in advancing Omans industrial sector, and its success in attracting a diverse range of manufacturing industries. He further noted that Samail Industrial City serves as an extension of Al Rusayl Industrial City, which has already attracted significant investment projects. The strategic location of Samail Industrial City, in proximity to the Sultan Turki bin Said Road, ensures easy access to Muscat and various cities in Al Dakhiliyah and North Al Sharqiyah Governorates. Speaking at the event, Eng Yasser bin Ibrahim Al Ajmi, Director General of Samail Industrial City, emphasised the strategic role played by Madayn in advancing Omans industrial sector, aligning with Oman Vision 2040s objectives, and strengthening private sector contribution in sustainable economic growth. He noted that the project comes to complement Madayns efforts in creating employment opportunities, enhancing competitiveness, attracting local and foreign investments, integrating artificial intelligence technologies, and expanding the production base. Al Ajmi also pointed out that Samail Industrial City has been designed according to the highest international standards, incorporating environmental and civil defense requirements, while also addressing the social and recreational needs of employees and local communities. The city offers a comprehensive environment for living and working, featuring diverse facilities and services. Samail Industrial City is divided into several sectors, including technology medical, food, petrochemicals, steel, aluminium and wood, marble, building materials, and SMEs sector, all complemented by support services. Additionally, the industrial city includes a facility building with a total area of over 16,000 sq m, providing more than 12,000 sq m of leasable space. This building aims to meet market demands and offer essential facilities for the workforce, and hence enhance the available infrastructure and services. - TradeArabia News Service International architecture practice Able Partners has revealed a groundbreaking concept for a pedestrian bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed to transform Highway 65 from a barrier into a dynamic connection between the East and West sides of Riyadh. Named Dune Bridge after the iconic sand dunes of Saudi Arabia, the proposal consists of a 75-metre footbridge that merges engineering ingenuity with cultural symbolism. Its sweeping geometries have been conceptualised to evoke the natural beauty of the desert, and create an elegant and functional link across the highway. More than just a bridge, Dune Bridge is envisioned as an urban oasis, offering public parks, shaded walkways, and spaces for community gathering. By integrating urban greening and shaded areas, the bridge would provide a welcome respite from the desert heat. During the evenings, the parks on either side would evolve into vibrant community hubs, fostering social interaction and enhancing the citys public realm. Bill Webb, CEO and co-founder of Able Partners, said: Our goal for the Dune Bridge concept is to address the challenges posed by large infrastructure in the city, transforming these largely forgotten spaces into opportunities for connection and interaction. We hope there is scope for Dune Bridge to become not only a physical link but a cultural and social one, drawing inspiration from Riyadhs natural environment to create a space where people can pause, reflect, and connect. We have envisaged this as an emblem of modern Riyadh, which celebrates the harmony between nature and urban living. The Dune Bridge conceptualisation was inspired by our commitment to pushing the boundaries of architectural innovation in leading global cities. Applying our unique approach to new design problems outside of our current remit is a passion for the team, but our ultimate dream is to form local partnerships that will help us realise the concept. We welcome the opportunity to work with the talented, like-minded contractors in the Middle East to transform our bold designs into a reality. Able Partners Dune Bridge forms part of an ongoing series of visionary conceptual ideas, which follows on from the studios imaginative BT Tower proposal that saw the iconic London skyscraper transformed into a viewing platform and events space, the architecture practice said. TradeArabia News Service 14 armed rebels killed in central India Xinhua) 09:39, January 22, 2025 NEW DELHI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Indian security forces shot dead at least 14 armed rebels called "Naxals" in the country's central state of Chhattisgarh, confirmed federal Home (Internal Security) Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday. The encounter between the security personnel and the Naxals took place in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district located along the inter-state border with the neighboring state Odisha. All the 14 dead bodies had been recovered from the site of the encounter. A search operation was being carried out in the area to look out for more dead bodies. According to media reports, around 40 Naxals have been killed by Indian security forces so far this year. In another encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district 12 Naxals were killed on Jan. 16. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Trump memorabilia at the new Flatonia location. Roland Beainy Trump-stamped burgers and memorabilia are on the menu at Trump Burger, which is opening a new location in Houston. The burger joint that's themed around President Donald Trump will open at 3410 Chimney Rock in the next few weeks. Owner Roland Beainy said he chose to open in central Houston due to popular demand from local residents, who had to drive an hour and fifteen minutes to the restaurant's first Bellville location to get their hands on a Trump burger. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "We got a lot of requests from Houston people that we need to open something closer, so they don't have to drive all the way up to (Bellville)," Beainy said. Will Taylor picks up his order during lunch at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The Trump Burger is coming to Houston Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Ari Morales makes burgers during lunch at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Donald Trump-themed shirts are for sale at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville, Texas. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The Trump Burger is coming to Houston Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A picture of the 45th President adorns a wall and a drink cooler at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Will Taylor stands in line waiting to place his order during lunch at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Will Taylor, far right, stands in line waiting to place his order during lunch at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A Trump Burger recently opened outside San Antonio in Flatonia. Roland Beainy A customer picks up her cheeseburgers during lunch at Trump Burger Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Bellville. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The Trump Burger Coming Soon sign is reflected on the icy ground Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer This will be the third Trump Burger. The first opened in 2020 attracting crowds of people; another location recently opened in Flatonia, outside San Antonio. He already has plans for a fourth location in Kemah. Beainy grew up in Lebanon and moved to the U.S. in 2019. As an entrepreneur, he said he appreciates President Trump. The concept started simply because he supported the president, who was in office at the time of the restaurant's fruition. He believes Trump uplifted the economy in his tenure as president. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The buns at Trump Burger are stamped with "Trump" on them. Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer Beainy believes his burger recipe is the best he's ever created. He's worked in the food industry for 20 years and still has restaurants in Lebanon and Dubai. The Trump Burger menu consists of burgers, buns branded with the letters TRUMP, along with chicken sandwiches and a Philly cheesesteak. "Non-Trump supporters will come by just to eat; food makes peace with everybody," Beainy said. But when there is a disturbance from those who may feel strongly against President Trump, Beainy said the police have always been a big help. He said he also doesn't respond to hate comments. Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), the world's largest express transportation company, has launched a new customs clearance facility at Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ). The facility is equipped with in-house clearance capabilities, enabling FedEx to handle shipment clearance procedures on behalf of its customers to enhance operational efficiency and offer greater convenience to businesses. The new facility supports the clearance of packages shipped to and from RAKEZ through a range of FedEx express air and deferred road services, simplifying the import and export process. We are pleased to launch our new customs clearance facility in Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone to enhance trade flow for local businesses and improve their access to specialized logistics support. By providing customs clearance services in the free zone, we are not only helping businesses to reduce costs and save time but also allowing them to focus on their growth and expansion, said Taarek Hinedi, vice president of FedEx Middle East and Africa Operations. This facility demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the UAEs logistics ecosystem by continuously investing in the enhancement of our products and services. We look forward to supporting Ras Al Khaimahs economic growth and the evolving needs of our customers in the Emirate. Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), said Welcoming the new FedEx customs clearance facility in RAKEZ marks yet another strategic development in our ongoing efforts to enhance the business support infrastructure for our community. This facility will provide our businesses, particularly manufacturers, with streamlined customs processes and access to top-tier logistical solutions from FedEx, helping to improve their operational efficiency. An integral part of our commitment to empowering businesses in RAKEZ is facilitating their expansion plans and providing them with seamless access to international markets. A robust logistics network will be key to supporting Ras Al Khaimahs growth, particularly its thriving manufacturing and industrial sector, which contributes approximately 30% to the Emirates overall GDP . This diverse economy positions Ras Al Khaimah as an attractive destination for businesses of all sizes, further solidifying its role as a key player in regional and global trade. TradeArabia News Service A group of leading Bahraini companies in the food and beverage sector will participate in Gulfood 2025, the world's largest food and beverage exhibition, being held in Dubai next month. The 30th edition of the exhibition, at the Dubai World Trade Centre from February 17 to 21, will feature over 5,500 exhibitors from 129 countries, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected from around the globe. WorkSmart Events Management announced that this years participants from Bahrain will include prominent local companies such as Kazerooni Brothers, Awal Dairy Company, Jannaty, and Farm Source Foodstuff. These companies, having excelled in the local market, aim to expand into the Gulf and global markets. They plan to showcase their innovation in food processing and distribution, connect with industry leaders, and foster advancements in the food sector, a statement said. Ahmed Al Hujairy, CEO of WorkSmart Events Management, emphasised that the participating companies aim to boost exports, facilitate access to international markets, and seize opportunities for partnerships and trade exchange. He highlighted Bahrain's evolving business environment, which offers companies a chance to expand, form new partnerships, and showcase their products alongside global leaders in the food industry. WorkSmart will provide logistical and business support to ensure the success of Bahraini participants, enabling them to explore investment opportunities and connect with key players in distribution, and wholesale sector. This aligns with Bahrains economic goals, fostering sustained growth. TradeArabia News Service US President Donald Trump has launched a massive artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure initiative named "Stargate Project" with an investment of up to $500 billion over the next four years. This project is a collaboration between OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX. Other IT leaders are also expected to join the venture. The Stargate Project aims to construct a network of data centres across the United States, beginning in Texas, to bolster AI development and applications. The initial investment of $100 billion will be deployed immediately, with plans to create over 100,000 jobs. Key figures present at the White House announcement included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. They emphasised the project's potential to advance AI capabilities, including early disease detection and personalised medical treatments. This initiative is also seen as a strategic move to enhance US competitiveness in AI technology, particularly in response to advancements from countries like China. Microsoft, Nvidia, and Arm are also expected to join the venture according to OpenAIs post. Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI are the key initial technology partners. The buildout is currently underway, starting in Texas, and we are evaluating potential sites across the country for more campuses as we finalise definitive agreements, OpenAI stated. "As part of Stargate, Oracle, NVIDIA, and OpenAI will closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system. This builds on a deep collaboration between OpenAI and NVIDIA going back to 2016 and a newer partnership between OpenAI and Oracle," OpenAI said. This also builds on the existing OpenAI partnership with Microsoft. OpenAI will continue to increase its consumption of Azure as OpenAI continues its work with Microsoft with this additional compute to train leading models and deliver great products and services, it said. "All of us look forward to continuing to build and develop AIand in particular AGIfor the benefit of all of humanity. We believe that this new step is critical on the path, and will enable creative people to figure out how to use AI to elevate humanity," Open AI added. However, the energy-intensive nature of AI infrastructure has raised concerns about sustainability. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the rapid growth of data centres could strain local power grids. Unlike his predecessor Joe Biden, who championed clean energy for tech projects, Trump is expected to prioritise fossil fuel production under his "drill, baby, drill" policy, signalling a departure from renewable energy subsidies. Leading IT solutions provider Hilal Technology, in collaboration with Dell Technologies, recently brought together over 100 valued customers at an exclusive event titled "Exploring the Future of IT". The event, held at Wyndham Grand Manama on January 14, marked a significant milestone in the long-standing partnership between the two companies, which began in 1998. Hilal Technology is a Platinum Partner for Dell in Bahrain and a Titanium Partner in Saudi Arabia. "We are incredibly proud to celebrate this moment with our esteemed customers," said Jubran A Abdulrahman, Executive Director of Hilal Technology. "Our partnership with Dell Technologies has been instrumental in our growth journey, and we are excited to continue exploring the future of IT together." The event featured a distinguished line-up of speakers: Mohamed A l Basti, Sales Director, North Africa, Levant & Telcos in Africa, introduced Dell and its journey into the world of Generative AI. Mehdi Medini, Specialist Sales Executive, Infrastructure Solutions Group, delved into the intricacies of modern data centers. Ian Dench, Managing Director of Northstar Telecom, shared insights into the companys expansion in the telecom sector with the support of Dell Technologies. Michael Ouza, Specialist Sales Executive, shed light on robust data protection strategies offered by Dell Technologies. Yasser Elouarith, Services Account Executive, emphasised the importance of enhancing business resiliency with Dell Technologies' comprehensive services and solutions. The event concluded with an engaging interactive quiz, further fostering a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere among attendees. This event served as a testament to the enduring partnership between Hilal Technology and Dell Technologies, reinforcing their commitment to delivering cutting-edge IT solutions to customers in Bahrain and beyond, said Hilal Technology. TradeArabia News Service Dana Gas, the Middle East's regional private sector natural gas company, has announced a strategic investment in a decarbonisation project in partnership with British climate tech firm Levidian, aligning with Dana Gas's commitment to innovation and sustainable energy solutions. Since signing an agreement in September 2024, the Company has been preparing to deploy Levidians patented LOOP technology across its field operations. The unit will use advanced microwave plasma technology to capture the carbon from methane that would otherwise be flared to produce up to 1.5 tonnes of high-quality graphene and hydrogen per year and could play a critical role in Dana Gas commitment to achieve near-zero methane emissions from operated oil and gas assets by 2030. The project will allow Dana Gas to demonstrate the technologys capabilities and explore broader commercial applications for the graphene - a high-value versatile material that is set to shape the future of multiple industrial applications from batteries and tyres to concrete and polymer pipes which has drawn strong interest from the industry and investors. By adopting this innovative technology, Dana Gas aims to secure first-mover advantage and unlock new commercial opportunities, including sourcing customers for graphene offtake in partnership with Levidian. The installation of the pilot unit will allow Dana Gas to test and refine the capability for graphene production at its facilities, with the potential to install industrial scale units that will each be capable of producing over 15 tonnes of graphene per annum if there is sufficient demand in the market. Richard Hall, CEO of Dana Gas, said:We are excited to be at the forefront of adopting breakthrough technologies like Levidians LOOP. This project represents an important step for Dana Gas as we continue to explore the adoption of technologies that support a lower-carbon future. By converting methane into valuable products like graphene and hydrogen, we are reducing our emissions, unlocking new value from natural gas, and driving sustainable growth. This initiative underscores our commitment to playing a part in shaping a lower-carbon future, while delivering tangible benefits for our operations and the communities we serve. In 2023, Dana Gas became a signatory to the Aiming for Zero Methane initiative, reinforcing the Companys commitment to eliminate flaring, reducing methane emissions and contributing to the global push for a lower-carbon future. This pilot project further underscores Dana Gass efforts to implement all reasonable measures to minimise GHG emissions, contributing to cleaner operations for the local communities in which it operates. John Hartley, CEO of Levidian, said: Were delighted to be working with Dana Gas on this important project, which will demonstrate the significant potential of our LOOP technology to help carbon intensive sectors to drive down emissions while unlocking a future of lower-carbon products that perform better in every way. -TradeArabia News Service Imerys Al Zayani- recently named Solar Project of the Year in Commercial and Industrial Sector by Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) Yellow Door Energy, a leading sustainable energy partner in the Middle East and Africa, achieved significant project milestones in 2024, adding 32.7 megawatts-peak (MWp) to its portfolio and acquiring five Oman operating projects, the company said. Jeremy Crane, Group CEO of Yellow Door Energy, said: In 2024, Yellow Door Energy commissioned 27 solar power projects across the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and South Africa. Our swift project execution reflects the exceptional collaboration amongst our teams and contractors, and aligns with the Net Zero ambitions of governments in the region. I extend my gratitude to all who contributed to accelerating the Just Energy Transition. We look forward to unveiling even more projects and reaching new milestones in 2025. As part of its efforts to drive a sustainable future, Yellow Door Energy published its second sustainability report, titled From Promise to Progress: Our Journey Towards a Just Energy Transition, detailing its initiatives and progress in this space. Alongside this, the company issued its second carbon footprint report, underscoring its commitment to decarbonising its operations. The companys achievements were recognised with six prestigious industry awards, including the Excellence in Solar Project Management award from SolarQuarter and Bahrains Al Bilad Award for Corporate Social Responsibility in the Environmental Excellence category. As part of its ongoing thought leadership and community development initiatives, Yellow Door Energys team conducted seven educational workshops for students across the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and South Africa. Notable initiatives include: Project Daw in Jordan Co-funded by Actis Acts, this programme delivered free training to 20 Jordanian youths on solar power system design, installation and maintenance. It also provided a solar power system to a community center in Mafraq free of charge. INJAZ Solar Plant Tour in Bahrain Yellow Door Energy hosted 20 secondary-level school students for an educational tour at its solar power plant at City Centre Bahrain. With over 350 MWp of projects in operation, under construction, in planning or awarded, Yellow Door Energy continues to lead the solar sector in the region. Its projects are developed through innovative solar leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs), enabling business owners to transition to solar power and significantly reduce electricity costs without incurring any upfront capital expenditure. The newly commissioned solar power plants feature 61,500 solar panels, utilising rooftop solar, ground-mounted solar and carport solar applications. More than 550,000 person-hours were dedicated to building the solar power plants, all completed with zero recordable incidents. This achievement highlights the companys commitment to rigorous quality, health, safety, security and environmental (QHSSE) practices and their strict implementation across all its projects. To date, Yellow Door Energys operational projects in the region have generated 842,000 megawatt-hours of clean electricity, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by 328,000 metric tons. This achievement supports the Net Zero and clean energy ambitions of governments in the countries where the company operates. -TradeArabia News Service Park Hyatt Dubai has promoted Teegan Deck to Director of Sales and Marketing. Deck, who joined the hotel last year as Resort Director of Marketing and Communications, has made a significant impact in a short time. She will lead the sales and marketing teams, focusing on driving revenue, elevating brand positioning, and building partnerships to enhance the property's global reputation. Deck, from Australia, brings over 15 years of experience in luxury hospitality and has been a key member of pre-opening teams for five luxury resorts. She has led the largest cultural collaboration for ME by Melia Dubai, worked with acclaimed artists like Nat Bowen and James Goldcrown, and organised Abu Dhabi's largest hotel event at The Ritz-Carlton, hosting 6,000 guests for the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony. Her vision is to expand the hotel's market appeal while staying true to Park Hyatt Dubai's legacy of elegance and sophistication. Deck shared, I am truly honoured to step into this new role at Park Hyatt Dubai. Over the past few months, Ive been inspired by the passion and dedication of our team in creating unforgettable experiences for our guests. The quality of the service, top-of-the-line facilities, amenities, and the skilled team are all striving to deliver on the Park Hyatt Dubai promise of excellence. Im excited to build on what weve achieved and continue to create moments that leave a lasting impression. -TradeArabia News Service The International Air Transport Association (IATA) plans to hold regular procurement events in 2025 for airlines to purchase Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs). The first procurement event saw 32 airlines participate and 11 airlines purchase CORSIA Phase 1 EEUs from the Government of Guyana. This was the first large-scale purchase of CORSIA Phase 1 EEUs by airlines. The CORSIA EEUs purchased were Jurisdictional REDD+ ART Trees Guyana credits, which remain the only CORSIA EEUs available, and sold for $21.70 /tonne as part of the fixed-price auction/offering. These will be useable by airlines in fulfilling their CORSIA Phase 1 offsetting obligations covering traffic for the period 2024-2026. The EEUs must be canceled by 31 January 2028. The first procurement event was open to airlines only and ran from 28 October to 29 November 2024, and was supported by the Government of Guyana, Mercuria, and Xpansiv. Xpansiv operates, with IATA, the Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) which facilitated the sale. IATA, via the ACE, intends to host quarterly CORSIA EEUs procurement events for airlines in 2025, with the next event being held alongside Guyana and Mercuria in Q1. Those involved with the first procurement event shared various perspectives: IATAs procurement event provided an optimal transparent and auditable process for Pegasus to purchase credits to fulfill our obligations under CORSIA. We were pleased to acquire EEUs to support the market for high-integrity carbon credits that are essential for airlines to meet the ambitious emissions goals set in CORSIA, said Barbaros Kubatoglu, Pegasus Chief Financial Officer. The success of the first procurement event demonstrated the airline industrys commitment to both the offsetting and reduction aspects of CORSIA, which is essential to the sectors decarbonisation goals. To serve the significant projected future demand for EEUs from airlines we look forward to holding similar events in 2025 and beyond. The major challenge is availability of credits to meet demand. The solution rests on the CORSIA agreement which obligates countries to make credits available. Other governments should follow Guyanas strong lead, said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATAs Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist. This event was successful because the participating airlines showed that they are willing to pay fair price for the countries and communities doing the hard work of protecting forests and mitigating climate change. For too long, this price signal was missing. Valuing nature in this way marks an important step toward recognising the true value of natural ecosystems for sustainable development. If this is sustained, we could finally see real progress on ambitious climate action through financing forests in a way that benefits buyers, sellers and the entire world, said Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Mercurias mission is to leverage the power of markets to direct funds to vital carbon offset projects and enable companies to meet their emissions targets. The procurement event sent an important signal that EEUs command a premium price, which should encourage greater supply to flow to CORSIA rather than other sources of offset demand, said James Cooper, Head of Origination EMEA, Environmental Products, Mercuria. Since 2020 we have worked with IATA to develop a secure marketplace and infrastructure enabling airlines to transact high-quality carbon credits, including EEUs to fulfill CORSIA obligations. We were excited by the enthusiastic uptake of the first procurement event last year and are encouraged by the growing number of airlines joining ACE to participate in future events, said John Melby, CEO, Xpansiv. -TradeArabia News Service AN unused piece of equipment intended for NiQuan Energy Trinidad Ltds operations is among several assets now up for sale by the receiver, just after the seventh anniversary of the gas-to-liquid plants grand opening. The unused FT Max Catalyst-T 2811, weighing 231,000 pounds and used in gas-to-liquids (GTL) processes, is being sold by receiver manager Varune Mungal. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Donate but dont dictate is a maxim for donors. We have seen such being done as the giver Megan Menchaca is a Houston Independent School District reporter for the Houston Chronicle and the co-author of The Report Card, a weekly newsletter diving into Houston K-12 education news. She can be reached at megan.menchaca@houstonchronicle.com. Megan joined the Chronicle in 2023 after working as the higher education reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in journalism and government. Two Tucson siblings will receive a pardon for Jan. 6 offenses after President Trump granted clemency Monday to convicted rioters at the Capitol building in 2021. Felicia and Cory Konold pleaded guilty to obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and aiding and abetting. Felicia Konold, 30, was sentenced to 45 days in prison. Cory Konold, 29, was sentenced to 30 days. The siblings also had to pay restitution and faced 24 months of supervised release. Hours after returning to the White House, Trump issued a complete and unconditional pardon for all people convicted of crimes relating to the events at the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, amounting to about 1,500 pardons. The 14 individuals who received commuted or shortened sentences, including members of the Proud Boys, will not receive the benefits of a presidential pardon. These benefits include the formal recognition of forgiveness and restoration of civil rights such as voting and the right to have guns. The Konolds joined members of the Kansas City area Proud Boy group and followed them to the front rows of the crowd, federal prosecutors said. They were among the first rioters to go past the barricades and push the United States Capitol Police away, defying crowd control attempts. Cory Konold took a Capitol Police helmet from the riot home, which was returned to law enforcement later. Felicia Konold posted her involvement on social media. I never could have imagined having that much of an influence on the events that unfolded today, Felicia Konold stated after the attack. A presidential pardon does not mean that the records of the convicted felons, including the Konold siblings, will be expunged. Removing a crime from a criminal record is a separate process, but the pardoning opens the door for expungement. Felicia Konold was released from federal prison in May, 2024, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The siblings will still have the felony on their record but will be able to vote and own guns. PHOENIX Arizonas top education official is opposed to a new Trump administration directive allowing immigration officials to pursue students in schools. People would stop sending their kids to school due to fear, Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne told Capitol Media Services. Anyway, he said, even if a child was brought to this country illegally, its not their fault. Horne said the directive undermines a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the state cannot refuse to educate children regardless of the legal status of the parents or the students themselves. On Tuesday, Trumps acting director of the Department of Homeland Security voided a 2021 policy enacted by the departments prior director that made enforcement of immigration laws off limits in certain sensitive locations. These included health-care facilities, religious institutions, playgrounds and schools. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest, a department spokesman said. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense. This comes on the heels of Trumps separate executive order directing federal agencies to no longer recognize birthright citizenship, which, on a prospective basis, would deny legal status to the children of those not here legally making them subject to arrest and deportation themselves. Horne said hes not convinced that, despite the new directive, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement will now start showing up at schools. If theyre going to arrest anybody, its the parents, not the kids, he said. But Horne said its not good policy. Still, he said there may be little that schools can do if ICE agents show up at their doors. I dont know how they would stop them if they wanted to go in, he said. Theres a supremacy clause in the Constitution. You dont want to resist the federal government. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, also says having immigration agents show up at schools is a bad idea. The attorney general disagrees that ICE should be operating on school campuses, let alone hospitals or churches, said Mayes press aide Richie Taylor. There are myriad other ways that federal immigration law can be enforced without disrupting the work of medical professionals or scaring children who are just trying to receive an education. Taylor, speaking for Mayes, advised school officials to first, consult with their legal counsel before moving forward with anything. Schools should also be communicating with parents about these possibilities, he said. Mayes previously said she will take on the Trump administration when she believes it is acting in ways that are unconstitutional or illegal. That most recently occurred Tuesday when she joined with other states to oppose the presidents directive to federal agencies to no longer recognize birthright citizenship. But Richie said Mayes might not pursue a challenge to the new policy allowing ICE raids in places the Biden administration had considered off limits. I think its going to depend on how it is enforced, he said. Crucial in all of this, Horne said, is the 1982 case of Plyler v. Doe about the rights of all children regardless of legal status to get a public education. That stemmed from a 1975 Texas law withholding state funds for education of people who were not legally admitted into the United States. It also authorized local school districts to deny enrollment to those students. In that case, the justices said the law ran afoul of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Whatever his status under the immigration laws, an alien is surely a person in any ordinary sense of that term, wrote Justice William Brennan for the majority. Aliens, even aliens whose presence in this country is unlawful, have long been recognized as persons guaranteed due process of law by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. That ruling, however, didnt stop some Arizona lawmakers from seeking to provoke a challenge of their own. In 2009, then-Sen. Russell Pearce proposed requiring public schools to ask parents to provide documents showing their children were in the country legally. The Mesa Republican insisted he wasnt trying to keep those children out of school at least not initially. Instead, he said, the state was trying to get information so it could calculate the cost on Arizona taxpayers. But Pearce admitted one goal was to challenge the 1982 Supreme Court ruling. Members and supporters of La Union del Pueblo Entero march in protest of President Donald Trump during his inauguration in McAllen on Jan. 20, 2025. Trump supporters followed the marchers in their cars flying flags in support of Trump. Michael Gonzalez/Contributor Houston immigration advocates are preparing for upheaval after President Donald Trump signed a series of stringent executive orders on Monday aimed at dismantling immigration into the United States. In declaring an emergency at the southern border, the executive orders that Trump signed on his first day of office will send troops to the Rio Grande, designate foreign gangs as terrorists and close the border to asylum seekers, requiring them to remain in Mexico while they await their day in court. He is rescinding parole programs implemented by former President Joe Biden and suspending the resettlement of refugees. In perhaps his most ambitious executive order, Trump said he will end birthright citizenship a move that would require him to change the U.S. Constitution, and one that is already being challenged in court by lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union and more than a dozen Democratic states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other executive orders are also expected to face pushback and legal challenges from Democrats and civil rights groups. (The American government) fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world, Trump said in his inaugural address, mischaracterizing the vast majority of immigrants living in the United States illegally, who commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens. We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders, or more importantly, its own people, Trump said. Been through this Though the mass deportations that Trump promised throughout his campaign had not yet materialized on Tuesday, the executive orders he signed late Monday mark the first step in the presidents plans to curtail the American immigration system and remove people deemed to be living here illegally. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Houston immigration advocates, however, said they had learned lessons from Trumps first term as president and were prepared for what his administration might throw at them, even if Trump stands to face fewer obstacles to his agenda during his second stint in power. Weve been preparing for this since the election results came out. Weve already been through this, weve overcome obstacles and with the wealth of resources were sharing with each other, well be able to pull through, said Beatriz Ballerini, the Houston-based president of the American Immigration Lawyers Associations Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma chapter. Cesar Espinosa, the executive director of FIEL Houston, one of the citys most prominent immigrant rights groups, and an immigrant himself, said his organization is continuing to field a deluge of questions from immigrants and advising them of their rights, whether they have legal documentation or not. In the event that Immigration and Customs Enforcement does conduct deportation raids in Houston, FIEL will be on the ground documenting the situation and making sure immigrants rights arent violated, he said. Its not necessarily different from what weve been hearing the past couple of weeks, Espinosa said. (But) there is a heightened sense of knowing whats going on, a lot of people have been sending messages and calling and people are on alert so the sense of urgency, the sense of fear in the community is palpable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Birthright citizenship at risk Espinosa and other Houston immigration attorneys said that the executive orders restricting asylum and refugee resettlement could have some of the strongest ripple effects in the Houston area, as immigrants who have already made their homes here can no longer count on their family members to join them. Within minutes of Trumps inauguration Monday, Customs and Border Protection had shut down its CBP One app and canceled all existing appointments, removing the only legal method for asylum-seekers to enter the country. We saw this in his last time in the presidency, said Houston immigration attorney Naimeh Salem. It was difficult for us as attorneys and for people seeking asylum to prepare their cases while they were living in tents in Mexico but we did it once and were getting ready to do it again. Ballerini, the president of the AILA chapter covering Houston, said that while she expected most of the executive orders and their language around invasions and emergencies, she was caught off guard by the scope of some, such as a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which provides measures for seasonal worker visas, and the extent of the birthright citizenship ban. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The proposed elimination of birthright citizenship would not only apply to the children of people who crossed the border illegally it would also apply to those whose parents were in the country legally on work or student visas, and who could have been living in the country for over a decade while they wait for their green cards. Youre telling me that these people who have bought homes, have mortgages and their children in our schools all of a sudden, their children are not going to be able to obtain U.S. citizenship? Ballerini said. Local advocates cautioned that the order regarding birthright citizenship will be subject to extensive legal challenges, and that immigrants in the Houston area shouldnt panic about their future childrens status just yet. But Espinosa acknowledges that encouraging calm is easier said than done. After living as a Dreamer for over a decade, which afforded him protection from deportation as someone who was brought to the United States as a child, Espinosa finally received his green card in April. Advertisement Article continues below this ad His family, however, decided to cut short a trip to Mexico last week in order to return to Houston before Trumps inauguration, in case the president unexpectedly revoked the legal status of people like him. Leaders of Da Nang, the capital city of central Vietnam, on Monday worked with firms, institutions, and financial investment funds in Switzerland, encouraging them to plan investments in the citys financial center. An official from the municipal administration on Tuesday confirmed that a working team led by Da Nang Chairman Le Trung Chinh held talks with Swiss enterprises during the ongoing trip to Switzerland with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The prime minister, his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation landed at Zurich Airport on Monday night (local time) to attend the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum and several bilateral activities in Switzerland. On the same day, Da Nang's team met with the representatives from Sygnum Bank, the worlds first digital asset bank. A bank representative discussed with the officials of Da Nang City the current development trends in innovation activities, digital assets, and digital currencies. The bank is reshaping the approach of digital asset banking, focusing not only on financial products but also laying the foundation for global expansion, said the representative. Chairman Chinh provided information about the legal framework for digital assets in Vietnam and introduced infrastructure conditions, information technology facilities, and innovation activities in the city. Dang Dinh Duc, director of the Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic Development and a member of the working team, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the citys leader clarified potential opportunities for foreign financial investors at the Da Nang Financial Center at the working session. He encouraged Sygnum to establish its presence in Vietnam as soon as possible. The citys working team also had discussions with leaders of Concessor AG, a Swiss strategic advisory firm focusing on internationalization and market entry, UBS Group AG, a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded in Switzerland, Bitcoin Suisse and Maerki Baumann. Chinh presented the citys advantages in terms of location, international connectivity, infrastructure, quality of life, and business environment, as well as Da Nang's vision and development plans, including major projects that will shape the citys future. Speaking of the citys determination to build Da Nang's regional and international financial center, Chinh emphasized that the city is collaborating with relevant units to draft policies and mechanisms to bring the design into reality. The city is also focusing on the development of an ecosystem to support its financial center, train human resources, and improve infrastructure, particularly digital infrastructure and connectivity infrastructure. The city leader called on these firms to enhance their reach to Da Nang City and invest in its financial hub. Le Trung Chinh (R), chairman of the Da Nang Peoples Committee, signs a memorandum of understanding with the leader of Concessor AG in Switzerland on January 20, 2025. Photo: Van Duc At the working session, the municipal administration signed a memorandum of understanding with Concessor AG to implement the matters discussed during the meeting. Philipp Rosler, former Vice-Chancellor of Germany and founder and CEO of Concessor AG pledged to bring financial investors in Europe, especially Switzerland, to Da Nang to sound out investment opportunities in the coming time. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese durian exports to China have been disrupted due to Chinas new requirement for Auramine O certification, introduced after traces of the carcinogenic chemical were detected in Thai durians at the end of 2024. Consequently, starting January 10, China has mandated that imported durians must provide certification for Auramine O, alongside existing cadmium residue tests. The Chinese General Administration of Customs implemented this measure to ensure food safety, creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters. Many shipments have been denied customs clearance, while others have been completely halted, leading to severe financial losses. Vietnamese exporters, particularly in durian-producing regions like Dong Nai Province, have reported extensive delays. A local exporter shared that approximately 10 containers of durians have been returned to storage facilities due to the lack of Auramine O certification. This issue is particularly problematic with the peak consumption period of Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday, approaching. With each durian container valued at roughly VND3 billion (approximately US$126,000), the financial impact is immense, an exporter said. Hundreds of containers remain stranded at border checkpoints, with some returning to domestic markets or frozen for future use. The exporter blamed the delays on the lack of testing facilities and clear guidance from Vietnamese concerned agencies. In contrast, Thailand, facing similar issues, has rapidly established six certified testing centers, enabling their exporters to resume shipments. According to news site Vietnamnet, after detecting Auramine O residues in Thai durians late last year, China introduced stricter measures requiring imported durians to have Auramine O certification, in addition to the previously required cadmium certification. Following the detection, hundreds of containers of Thai durians were blocked at the Nakhon Phanom border checkpoint, prompting Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to initiate negotiations with the General Administration of Customs of China to resolve the issue. Last Friday, China resumed import of durians from Thailand after approving six Thai laboratories capable of testing for Auramine O residues. Vietnamese exporters and associations have urged local authorities to expedite the establishment of certified laboratories for Auramine O testing. They have also called for transparent guidelines to facilitate compliance with Chinas new regulations. Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, confirmed that many businesses are facing difficulties exporting durians to China due to the latter's requirement for additional Auramine O inspection certificates. China has also cautioned that fresh durians rejected for export should not be processed into frozen products, as these will be subject to the same stringent inspections. "With China inspecting every import shipment, customs clearance now takes up to a week, significantly disrupting Vietnam's durian export activities," Nguyen warned. Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday about solutions and instructions for businesses to address China's requirement for Auramine O certification, a leader from the Plant Protection Department stated that the matter has been addressed but declined to provide further details. Auramine O, a synthetic chemical used in industries like dyeing and wall painting, is prohibited in food production due to its harmful effects. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies it as a Group 3 carcinogen, with a high potential to cause cancer. Durian is a key agricultural export for Vietnam, with exports exceeding $3 billion in 2024, a significant increase of $1 billion from 2023. China remains the primary market, but previous warnings about cadmium residues and non-compliance with phytosanitary regulations have significantly strained trade. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam marked a festive start to 2025 by welcoming the Oceania Riviera, an international cruise ship registered under the Marshall Islands flag, on Tuesday as the years first international arrival. The ship docked at Cam Ranh International Port with 1,200 passengers on board. Addressing the welcoming ceremony, Dinh Van Thieu, vice-chairman of the provincial administration, emphasized the province's ambition to enhance its infrastructure and services to attract some of the worlds largest cruise liners. This effort is part of the provinces broader strategy to boost its position as a leading destination for cruise tourism. Upon their arrival, cruise passengers joined guided tours to explore the charm of Nha Trang, the provincial capital city, and nearby attractions, such as cyclo tours, river and countryside tours along the Cai River, and excursions to Nui Chua National Park in neighboring Ninh Thuan Province. International guests disembarks from the international cruise ship Oceania Riviera in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, January 21, 2025. Photo: Ky Pham Some visitors also chose to explore Nha Trang independently for shopping and sightseeing before the ship was scheduled to leave for Chan May Port in the central city of Hue at 7:00 pm the same day. In 2024, Khanh Hoa hosted 28 international cruise ships, welcoming 57,816 tourists. For 2025, nine cruise ships carrying approximately 14,650 passengers have already registered to dock at Cam Ranh International Port by April. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on Tuesday congratulated Marco Rubio on his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of State and extended an invitation for him to visit Vietnam this year, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic relations. In the congratulatory message, Son emphasized Vietnams recognition of the U.S. as one of its most important partners. He expressed confidence that the enduring partnership built over the past three decades would continue to flourish, advancing the Vietnam-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He highlighted the importance of further cooperation to address mutual interests and contribute to peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond. Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American, was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of State by the Senate on Monday with a unanimous vote of 99-0. He is the first Hispanic and Cuban-American to lead the U.S. Department of State. On the same day, top Vietnamese officials including Party General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th President of the U.S. Vietnam and the U.S. normalized diplomatic relations in 1995 and elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter agreed to elevate the relationship between Vietnam and Switzerland to a comprehensive partnership during their official talks in Switzerland on Tuesday. The two leaders held their talks as part of PM Chinhs bilateral engagements during his visit to Switzerland for the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday noon (Hanoi time) released a nine-point statement highlighting this significant milestone, marking an achievement after nearly 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Both leaders pledged to work closely to define and implement the key aspects of this enhanced relationship. President Keller-Sutter acknowledged Vietnam's growing role as a vital regional partner for Switzerland. She reaffirmed Switzerlands commitment to supporting Vietnam through the 2025-28 Development Cooperation Program, aimed at helping Vietnam achieve its goals of becoming a sustainable, resilient, and high-income economy, said the statement. The two sides agreed to enhance dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as innovation, green finance, intellectual property, and sharing experiences in building and developing international financial centers in Vietnam. Recognizing the benefits of educational and cultural cooperation, the two leaders agreed to continue exploring the potential for expanding joint academic cooperation initiatives, training programs, and tourism collaboration. In terms of trade, both parties expressed their commitment to concluding negotiations for a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member. Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Vietnam Sea. They emphasized the need to resolve disputes peacefully, based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two leaders also shared the importance of cooperation in multilateral forums, strengthening efforts to address global challenges, including environmental protection, climate change response, and water security. During the talks, the leaders witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Switzerland was the final stop on PM Chinhs European tour scheduled from January 15 to 23. Vietnam and Switzerland established diplomatic relations in 1971. Over more than half a century, their bilateral ties have expanded significantly across politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, culture, education, and training. Trade and investment cooperation has been the cornerstone of their relations, with ample room for further growth. Switzerland is one of Vietnams key trading partners in Europe, while Vietnam ranks as Switzerlands fourth-largest trading partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade has grown steadily, reaching a record US$2.2 billion in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, bilateral trade was reported at $811.3 million, with Vietnam exporting $183.7 million and importing $627.6 million, according to official figures. Switzerland is currently the sixth-largest European investor in Vietnam, with 220 active projects and total registered capital exceeding $2.1 billion. The Vietnamese community in Switzerland consists of approximately 10,000 individuals residing across 26 cantons, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a brief meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Tuesday (local time) during the formers trip to Switzerland for attending the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and engaging in bilateral activities. The two leaders underscored the importance of Vietnam-Ukraine ties, emphasizing traditional friendship, partnership, and comprehensive cooperation. Both sides expressed their desire to maintain and enhance bilateral collaboration, including delegation exchanges at various levels. They discussed measures to restore and boost trade exchanges and agreed to resume the Vietnam-Ukraine Intergovernmental Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation to sustain growth momentum. PM Chinh reiterated Vietnams balanced and consistent stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, advocating for peaceful resolutions based on international law and the United Nations Charter. He emphasized respect for sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, rejecting the use of force or threats while considering the legitimate interests of all parties. He also supported global mediation efforts and expressed Vietnam's readiness to contribute to international initiatives promoting dialogue for peace. The top Vietnamese official requested the Ukrainian government to ensure the safety and security of Vietnamese citizens residing and working in this Eastern European country. PM Chinh also had same-day high-level meetings with Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director-General Daren Tang. Lithuanian PM Paluckas expressed interest in strengthening economic, trade, and energy cooperation, particularly in renewable energy and liquefied natural gas. The meeting with Panamanian President Mulino Quintero focused on expanding ties into new areas such as infrastructure, electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. WIPOs Daren Tang congratulated Vietnam for being in the top 50 countries on the Global Innovation Index and praised its leadership's strategic vision. He also expressed excitement about collaborating on Vietnam's local innovation index. PM Chinh invited these three top leaders to visit Vietnam and they gladly accepted. The top Vietnamese officials participation in the WEF meeting is part of his on-going European tour from January 15 to 23 to tighten ties with Poland, Czechia, and Switzerland. With the theme of Collaboration for the Intelligent Age, the 55th Annual Meeting of the WEF, held from January 20 to 24, gathers approximately 3,000 leaders from countries, international organizations, and leading corporations globally. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son extended an invitation to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to visit Vietnam in 2025, the year marking the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic ties, in a letter of congratulations on the latters appointment on Tuesday. -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino Quintero in Davos on Tuesday (local time), within the framework of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum and his bilateral activities in Davos, Switzerland. -- Vietnam supports international mediation efforts aimed at achieving a lasting peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with the participation of all relevant parties, in line with international law and the United Nations Charter, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told President Volodymyr Zelensky during their short meeting in Davos on Tuesday. Society -- A tractor-trailer caught fire, and shortly after, a chain-reaction crash involving four container trucks, a 16-seat passenger van, a truck, and a car occurred on the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway to Dong Nai Province early Wednesday morning, resulting in a traffic jam that stretched for dozens of kilometers up to the An Phu intersection in the southern metropolis. -- The Prime Minister approved on Tuesday the master development plan through 2040 for Thu Duc City as a class-1 city of Ho Chi Minh City, dividing it into nine key zones. -- Starting Thursday, passengers can take free shuttle buses to an external taxi staging area at Tan Son Nhat International Airport during the busy Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) travel season, thanks to a collaboration between the airport, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, Southern Airports Authority, and bus operator Phuong Trang. Travel -- Vietnamese visitors can stay in Belarus without a visa for up to 30 days per entry, with a maximum stay of 90 days within a year, starting January 30, according to the visa exemption agreement for common passport holders between Vietnam and the European country. Belarusian citizens will benefit from the same conditions when visiting Vietnam. -- Khanh Hoa Province welcomed its first international cruise ship of 2025, the Marshall Islands-flagged Oceania Riviera, which brought 1,200 tourists to Cam Ranh International Port on Tuesday. Sports -- Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club, based in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, re-signed Brazilian forward Washington Brandao on Tuesday to compete starting from Round 11 of V. League 1 2024-25. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese visitors can stay in Belarus without a visa for up to 30 days per entry, with a maximum stay of 90 days within a year, starting January 30, according to the visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders between Vietnam and the European country. This visa exemption agreement, signed in December 2023, will officially take effect on January 30. The agreement was formalized during a ceremony in Hanoi, where Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and her Belarusian counterpart Evgeny Shestakov signed the historic document in the presence of top officials from both countries. Under this agreement, citizens of both nations holding ordinary passports can travel visa-free for up to 30 days per visit. However, the total time spent in the other country cannot exceed 90 days in a calendar year. The agreement marks a new milestone in the friendship between Vietnam and Belarus. It is expected to facilitate tourism, particularly by encouraging Belarusian visitors to explore Vietnams vibrant destinations. Moreover, it will enhance opportunities for cultural exchanges and business collaborations, promoting stronger connections between the two nations. The Vietnamese government aims to promote easier international travel, reflecting reciprocal visa arrangements with global partners. Vietnam and Belarus share strong political and diplomatic ties, with regular exchanges and collaborations in politics, trade, defense, education, and culture. Since 1993, the two countries have maintained a visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports. In 2015, Vietnam extended a unilateral visa waiver to all Belarusian citizens, regardless of passport type, allowing them to enter Vietnam freely. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ghosts Australia will film in Perth, thanks to the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive, and screen on both Paramount+ and Network 10 later in the year. The eight-part BBC Studios Productions series will be directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren (The Office Australia, Top End Bub, A Sunburnt Christmas) and Madeleine Dyer (Colin from Accounts, Austin), produced by Bree-Anne Sykes (Critical Incident, Wellmania) and executive produced by Sophia Zachariou (Ladies in Black, The Office Australia). The writing team is headed by writer and executive producer Josh Mapleston (Surviving Summer), with script editor and writer Libby Butler (Surviving Summer, Neighbours) alongside writers Shontell Ketchell (Gold Diggers), Philip Tarl Denson (Zero-Point) and Steph Tisdell (Fisk, Rosehaven). Young lovebirds Kate and Sean are about to jump into the hellscape of the inner-city property market, until Kate inherits a huge and historic mansion in the country. The only problem? Its haunted by a motley collection of spirits who over the centuries, carked it under this very roof. When go-getter Kate decides to revamp Ramshead Manor into a boutique hotel, nerdy city boy Sean has his doubts. But when a near-death experience gives Kate the power to see the Ghosts, all their lives (and afterlives) will change forever. The question is, as Kate and Sean navigate the milestones of a new relationship, build a business and deal with the emotional needs of six neurotic Ghosts, will their relationship survive or end up as dead as their new housemates? Casting is yet to be announced. Ghosts has entertained audiences all around the world, and were so pleased to welcome Network 10, Paramount+ and BBC Studios Productions Australia to Western Australia for the Australian series. The production will kick off what is set to be an exciting year for the WA screen sector, creating a slew of opportunities for Western Australians, said Rikki Lea Bestall, Screenwest CEO. Were excited to bring Ghosts to life with a unique cast of characters that reflect our very own history and culture. Western Australia will provide the perfect backdrop for all their comedic antics and were grateful to Screenwest for their support, said Kylie Washington, General Manager and Creative Director, BBC Studios Productions Australia. We are thrilled to bring the hugely popular UK and US hit Ghosts to Australia! Its an incredible opportunity to film this one-of-a-kind comedy series in Western Australia with the support of Screenwest, alongside an amazing cast and crew. We cant wait for production to start, said Daniel Monaghan, SVP Content and Programming, Paramount Australia. Production Credit: Ghosts Australia is a BBC Studios Productions Australia production for Network 10 and Paramount+ with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. Based on the original series Ghosts, produced by Monumental Television in association with Them There for BBC One. Distributed by BBC Studios. Nine News has axed its Darwin bulletin, effective immediately. In a note to staff Nines head of news Fiona Dear attributed the change to well-considered changes in order to offset the declining free-to-air advertising market. From tonight, Territorians will receive the Brisbane 6pm bulletin as they currently do on weekends. There is no change to our station operations in Darwin, and Nine remains committed to the Northern Territory. We will retain a reporter and camera operator on the ground whose sole focus will be to tell the Territorys stories to a national audience via our National News Desk, ultimately giving them more exposure. There are also further changes impacting Nine News on the Gold Coast. Moving now to the Gold Coast, where 9News remains the only free-to-air bulletin in this region and that commitment doesnt change. Despite an increase in ratings since Sevens exit last year, we are required to make this a more efficient operation which means shifting how we produce and present this bulletin. We will be moving to a single presenter format, with Eva Milic and Paul Taylor splitting this responsibility across the week. While addressing workflows to avoid duplication, we are also required to reduce the number of camera operators at the bureau along with a producer position. Its unclear how many roles have been impacted by the changes but Nine indicates it is working through redeployment opportunities and vacancies. By closing some open roles or moving individuals into vacant positions, we have reduced the impact significantly. Importantly, these decisions are in no way reflective of the calibre of talent, professionalism or dedication of the Darwin or Gold Coast newsrooms. Softbank group CEO Masayoshi Son is heading up new AI venture Stargate. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA, Contributor / AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump is supporting the newly formed Stargate to advance AI as construction on the company's first data center gets underway in Abilene. Trump announced the new entity formed by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank Tuesday, which plans to invest up to $500 billion over the new four years in the United States. LIVE WEATHER UPDATES: Houston's coldest morning this week freezes snow left over from Tuesday Advertisement Article continues below this ad Joining Trump for the announcement were Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. Heres what to know about the new venture. What is AI? According to IBM, Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, and autonomy. Applications and devices equipped with AI can see and identify objects. They can understand and respond to human language, learn from new information and experience, make detailed recommendations to users and experts and act independently, replacing the need for human intelligence or intervention, like a self-driving car. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What is the Stargate Project? The Stargate Project will build new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States. According to the companys website launched Tuesday, it will deploy $100 billion immediately. This infrastructure will secure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and generate massive economic benefits for the entire world, the website states. Company officials say the project will not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies. Who is behind the Stargate Project? The initial equity funders in Stargate are SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX. SoftBank and OpenAI are the lead partners for Stargate, with SoftBank having financial responsibility and OpenAI having operational responsibility. Masayoshi Son will be the chairman. The key initial technology partners are Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who is Masayoshi Son? According to the Associated Press, Son is a billionaire based in Japan and already committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. He previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trumps first term, which included a large stake in the troubled office-sharing company WeWork. How did the Stargate Project begin? According to the Associated Press, the initial plans for Stargate go back to the Biden administration. Tech news outlet The Information first reported on the project in March 2024. OpenAI has long relied on Microsoft data centers to build its AI systems, but it has increasingly signaled an interest in building its own data centers. What will the Stargate Project do? As part of Stargate, Oracle, NVIDIA, and OpenAI will closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system. This builds on a deep collaboration between OpenAI and NVIDIA going back to 2016 and a newer partnership between OpenAI and Oracle, the companys website states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad US comedy Abbott Elementary has been renewed for a fifth season. The comedy follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers and a slightly tone-deaf principal as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do even if they dont love the school districts less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children. Quinta Brunson stars as Janine Teagues, alongside Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard. Season 4 returned to Disney+ in Australia yesterday. This season also features a crossover episode with Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Source: AV Club HCM CITY The woodworking industry will strive to achieve the export target of US$18 billion for this year, the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City has said. The association along with the Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA), and the ong Nai Wood and Handicraft Association (DOWA) organised a ceremony in HCM City last week to honour the Ancestors of Carpentry and celebrate the achievements of the woodworking and handicraft industry in 2024. It was attended by more than 700 delegates representing members and partners. Phung Quoc Man, HAWA chairman, said Viet Nam's wood product exports last year were worth a record US$16.3 billion after rising by 20.3 per cent from 2023. "This is a truly impressive achievement, reflecting the strength and resilience of the industry in overcoming challenges." Tran Quang Bao, director of the Forestry Department, told the event that non-wood forestry products were worth another $1.04 billion. "As a long-standing traditional industry, the woodworking industry not only brings economic value but also plays a crucial role in preserving the national culture and creating products that proudly bear the mark of Viet Nam in the international market." Vietnamese wood products are now present in over 170 countries, he said. In 2025 the wood processing and export industry would have both opportunities and challenges, with significant changes expected in international trade policies, especially in major markets like the US, he said. To achieve the export target of $18 billion, he urged the industry to diversify its markets to avoid over-reliance on a few major ones and leveraging e-commerce platforms. It also needs to build transparent supply chains, adopt technology in production and management, ensure traceability of wood materials, develop sustainable and eco-friendly products, and foster collaboration and innovation, he said. "Associations such as HAVW, DOWA and BIFA should continue to be bridges between businesses and regulatory agencies, supporting workforce training and encouraging innovation. Unity for collective prosperity Man said: "In 2025 we will strive together with the wood furniture community to achieve the export target of $18 billion." The global furniture consumption is worth more than $516 billion a year and exports from Viet Nam are still very modest, meaning that the industry still holds immense potential for growth, he said. "The US, the largest furniture market in the world, is also witnessing dynamic political movements. These developments may present new opportunities for Viet Nam's wood industry. If leveraged effectively, Viet Nam can establish a stronger and more sustainable position in the global market." He also stressed the importance of unity between businesses in the industry to grow together. "Competition is a driving force for development, but it is crucial to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy competition. Businesses should not 'get in each other's way' but should cooperate to grow together, and build the strength needed to conquer the world markets. Then, all enterprises will benefit." He said the HAWA executive board has prioritised connectivity between member businesses, enhancement of ties between associations and leveraging the strengths of different regions to achieve shared development. He referred to the unique regional characteristics of the countrys handicraft and wood industry, saying the north is a raw material supplier with large furniture production areas and distinctive traditional craft villages. The central region excels in outdoor furniture and serves as a focal point for developing plantation forests, while the south is the heart of wood processing with three major centres, HCM City and ong Nai and Binh Duong provinces. HCM City stands out for creativity, designing, trading, branding, logistics, and finance. But connecting the three regions to leverage these values remains an unachieved goal, he said. He stressed the need for establishing connections to enable Viet Nam's handicraft and wood processing industry to create a complete furniture supply chain for the global market. He also appreciated businesses for making significant efforts to invest in machinery and equipment, fostering creative design and steadily seeking to expand their markets. Enterprises have also embraced new business models and leveraged e- commerce, enabling direct exports through platforms like Amazon, Wayfair and others, he said. It is encouraging to see the active support of the Government and relevant authorities, who have joined hands with the wood industry through initiatives such as organising trade promotion programmes domestically and internationally and planning plantation forest resources, he said. "Thus, the overall picture of the wood industry today can be summarised in one sentence: External conditions are favourable, and internal transformation is underway." "I firmly believe that with optimism and collaboration and the spirit of unity among all of us, the Vietnamese woodworking and handicraft industry will overcome challenges and achieve remarkable success in 2025." - VNS HA NOI Hideaki Egashira, General Director of Idemitsu Viet Nam Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Japanese petroleum company Idemitsu Kosan, has revealed plans to expand the company's investment portfolio in Viet Nam. The plans include a green fuel project in Binh inh and a project to reduce carbon emissions from sugarcane raw material in Thanh Hoa. Egashira revealed the plans at a meeting with Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nguyen Hoang Long, and expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) for its support of the company's Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical project. Currently, the Nghi Son Refinery operates stably at 120 per cent capacity, contributing significantly to national energy security, particularly amid global geopolitical and economic fluctuations. In close collaboration with the Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam), the company's stakeholders are making maximum efforts to restructure the project. In oil and gas exploration and production, Idemitsu continues to ensure a stable supply of gas to power plants through the Sao Vang - ai Nguyet gas project. Long commended the contributions of the Nghi Son Refinery project and reaffirmed the Government and MoIT's commitment to supporting the project. Nghi Son Refinery is a joint venture project sponsored by four corporations: Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), Kuwait Petroleum Europe B.V. (KPE) from Kuwait, and Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui Chemical Inc from Japan. With a total investment of about US$9 billion, it is one of the largest foreign-invested projects in Viet Nam and has been in commercial operation since late 2018. In 2024, the refinery processed 83 million barrels, equivalent to 11.4 million tonnes of crude oil. VNS HA NOI Viet Nams rice exports to Singapore recorded significant growth in 2024, cementing Viet Nams position as the third-largest rice supplier of the city state, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore. The country's export revenue reached S$128.9 million (US$95.2 million), representing 28.25 per cent of Singapores rice market share, up 28.45 per cent compared to 2023. India and Thailand retained the top spots with export revenues of S$148.19 million ($109.4 million) and S$137.75 million ($101.7 million), making up 32.48 per cent and 30.19 per cent of the market share, respectively. Data from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority indicated that Singapores rice imports grew by 10.73 per cent year-on-year, reaching a total value of over S$456.2 million in 2024. Viet Nam held dominant shares in three rice categories: white rice (42.23 per cent), milled or husked fragrant rice (65.73 per cent), and glutinous rice (77.02 per cent). Despite strong performance in the first half of 2024, Viet Nam lost its leading position in the Singapore market by the year-end, overtaken by India and Thailand, primarily due to limited growth in its core exports of white rice, which saw only a slight increase. Cao Xuan Thang, Trade Counsellor and Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, attributed the modest performance in white rice exports to insufficient promotional efforts from Vietnamese businesses and rice associations. In contrast, competitors such as Thailand, India, and Japan have invested heavily in marketing and established partnerships with importers to promote their brands. Thang emphasised the need for enhanced marketing strategies, branding initiatives, and long-term planning to boost Viet Nams competitiveness in Singapores rice market. VNS ALGIERS The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria hosted the Homeland Spring 2025 programme in Algiers on January 20, bringing the vibrant atmosphere of traditional Tet to the Vietnamese community in the country. The event welcomed nearly 300 participants, including Vietnamese families, representatives from organisations, Vietnamese traditional martial arts associations, local press, and Algerian friends. In his address, Ambassador Tran Quoc Khanh highlighted Viet Nam's achievements in 2024 across sectors such as the economy, tourism, investment, and social welfare. He acknowledged the significant contributions of overseas Vietnamese, including those in Algeria, to these successes. Khanh also expressed gratitude for the communitys support for disaster relief efforts in the homeland, their commitment to preserving the Vietnamese language, and the active role of younger generations in promoting the Vietnamese cuisine and culture abroad. Pham o Nhat Quang, who has lived in Algeria for 38 years and traveled over 600km to join the programme, shared his pride in witnessing Viet Nam's rapid development and his joy in reconnecting with fellow expatriates through such meaningful events. The annual celebration offers a unique opportunity for Vietnamese in Algeria to immerse themselves in the flavours and customs of Tet. Traditional dishes like banh chung (square glutinous rice cake), pho, fried spring rolls, and beef stew were a highlight of the event. Earlier, on January 17, the embassy held a banh chung wrapping activity using ingredients sent from Viet Nam. This initiative aimed to preserve the beauty of Vietnamese traditions, pass down cultural values to younger generations, and foster a festive Tet atmosphere for the entire community. VNA/VNS A dog named Momma Dog stays with its owner in an emergency warming center at George R. Brown Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022 in Houston. The city plans to keep the warming center, which has chairs, no cots, open until Saturday. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Shere Dore, 43, greets Sean Thedford, 39, Alisha Grizzard, 39, and their emotional support service dog while they wait in line for a plate of food at Lamar Street on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019, in Houston. Marie D. De Jesus/Staff photographer While pet owners flooded social media with pictures of their pets in cute winter outfits frolicking in the snow on Tuesday, animal welfare representatives were reminding Houstonians to be vigilant for homeless pets abandoned in the biting cold temperatures. Houstons historic 2025 winter event expected to last through Wednesday isnt much of a wonderland for the many stray cats and dogs stranded in the cold with little or no shelter, or for those being left out in the cold by irresponsible pet owners. "I really do wish Houston had a 24-hour shelter," said Courtney Mayes at the Veterinary Emergency Group, an emergency and urgent care facility with three locations in the Houston area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The take-ins have increased at its facilities in the last several days as the colder temperatures set in, Mayes said. "We have a lot of good Samaritans that help out with the cat colonies, and rescue groups that taking in homeless pets while shelters are full at the moment, so we have our resources," she said. The dispatch crews at the Houston Humane Society were trying to keep up with the calls coming in on Tuesday, said Angelina Saucedo, a spokesperson for the Houston Humane Society, which closed its facility Tuesday, but is expected to reopen at noon Wednesday. With animal shelters bursting at the seams and road conditions restricting most rescue services during the storm, groups such as the Houston Humane Society are relying heavily on help from the community, Saucedo said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Unfortunately, theres just not a lot of enough manpower right now, she said. A lot of staff are not able to go out due to road closures and safety, so were leaning on the community right now. The Houston Humane Society reserved available space during its preparations for the freezing temperatures by finding fosters for the pets currently housed in its shelter kennels and urged residents to contact the group once it reopens about found or lost pets sheltered during the storm. We had prepared space in the shelter prior to the storm for animals people take in temporarily, Saucedo said. For concerned citizens, it can be difficult to know what to do in urgent circumstances when city and county resources are limited, but there are steps that can be taken to alleviate some of the hazards for these pets, Saucedo said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad See a pet wondering around in the cold? Here are some steps to take: Safety first The first step is to make sure its safe to approach the animal. If a stray seems anything like aggressive or scared, were asking people to make sure theyre smart about it and put their safety first, she said. As a precaution, Saucedo urges people taking in stray animals to keep that pet away from a house pet, even if the animal is friendly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Keeping them away from your pets is for the best just to avoid any potential dog fights, or illness or diseases, she said. For the most part we like to think the strays are lost pets and they do belong or have belonged to a family, and usually these dogs are friendly, Saucedo said. Beware of packs Even the most concerned citizen should be cautious of dogs traveling in a pack, Saucedo said. Thats when people should be wary of even approaching those animals, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For dogs, it can be safety in numbers. Dogs form packs when they dont have anyone to rely on and at that point, they become feral and protective, Saucedo said. Temporary shelter The ideal response for citizens is to provide a stray pet with temporary shelter and there are several simple ways to do this, Saucedo said. Mud rooms, a spare bathroom or extra room can be safe places. If people do not have the room to house a stray animal inside, or if they have concerns about the safety and health of their own pets, an outdoor doghouse, or a spare kennel or other pet enclosure preferably in a garage or protected space can provide shelter, Saucedo said. Build your own temporary shelter For those that do not have an available outdoor enclosure or space, they use a plastic garbage can, tub or Styrofoam cooler filled with straw, or newspaper to generate some warmth and leave it out for an animal seeking some protection from extreme weather. However, don't leave blankets outside. Blankets or cardboard do not work in an outdoor enclosure because they soak up moisture from precipitation and snow, and can even lead to hypothermia, Saucedo said. That can make it colder than if you had not left a blanket, she said. It freezes and becomes an ice block, so the animal ends up colder. Food and water Provide food and water, preferably wet food as it is easier to digest, but dry food doesn't freeze. Refresh water bowls twice daily or use heated bowls to prevent freezing. Be careful when starting a vehicle Check your car and tap the hood before starting the engine on a vehicle. In the last several days, the Veterinary Emergency Group has taken in several kittens and cats at injured after seeking warmth in car engine compartments, according to receptionist Courtney Mayes. Cats and other wild animals will often try to find shelter and protection under cars or in the wheel wells. Report neglect If you see an owned animal left outside without shelter, report it to Harris County Animal Cruelty TaskForce immediately. The Houston Humane Society urges people to rely on resources when reporting abuse or neglect and not approach owners directly or trespass on someone elses property, no matter how much you want to help that animal," Sauced said. Neglected or abused pets can often be in a more vulnerable situation, because they might be chained and their ability to seek shelter is restricted, while strays are likely to look for protection, Saucedo said. Who to call Houston Humane Society Phone: 713-433-6421 Intake will be by appointment only and can be set via email at admissions@houstonhumane.org. Pets found during the storm will take priority. Harris County Animal Cruelty Taskforce Website: 927PAWS.org Houston SPCA Phone: 713-869-SPCA (7722) Ramla Khalidi, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Viet Nam, speaks to Viet Nam News on the UNDPs role in supporting Viet Nam's vision for "the era of the nation's rise". How does General Secretary To Lam's vision for Viet Nam's "era of the nation's rise" align with the UNDP's strategic objectives and priorities in the country? For over four decades, UNDP has supported Viet Nam in the achievement of its national development goals. Today, this means supporting Viet Nam in the promotion of a dynamic and expanding economy. An economy that is inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and effectively governed. As we move into the second quarter of the 21st century, the challenges Viet Nam faces are increasingly complex, reflecting a world economy that is becoming ever more competitive, interdependent, and dynamic. Geopolitical tensions and uncertainties around trade add a further layer of complexity. Following several years of slower economic growth, General Secretary To Lam has brought a new energy and urgency to Viet Nams socioeconomic development agenda, including the dual goals of becoming a high-income economy and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. During his October meetings with UNDPs global leadership in New York, the General Secretary notably recognised UNDPs past contributions to Viet Nams development, as well as its potential for future contributions, underscoring the significance of the partnership. Looking more closely, we see an alignment between many of UNDPs global objectives and Viet Nams development priorities. These include the further reduction of poverty, expanding access to decent work, increasing economic resilience to climate change, strengthening effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, and advancing gender equity across all sectors. Currently, UNDP works with national authorities across many of these policy areas, including the promotion of inclusive economic growth, innovation, digitalisation, climate resilience, energy transition, the rule of law, development finance, and strengthening of essential social services. As Viet Nam embarks on a new development phase, UNDP looks forward to deepening this partnership and addressing the countrys most pressing challenges together. In what ways can UNDP support Viet Nam in achieving the sustainable development goals outlined in this vision, with a particular focus on environmental sustainability and social equity? While Viet Nams economy has regained momentum, sustaining rapid growth will require deliberate measures to achieve significant transformations across an array of key areas, including institutional reforms, technological upgrading, the movement into higher-value manufacturing and service activities, and long-overdue breakthroughs in the development of private enterprises. All of this will occur within an economy that is and will continue to undergo rapid spatial and socio-demographic transformations, owing to a confluence of factors, including climate change, migration, urbanisation, and population aging. For Viet Nam to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth in this context, it needs to invest in the development of managerial and technological capacities within and outside the state, develop a green growth model that creates equitably shared benefits for the population, and promote a more open and inclusive governance system. The latter includes further strengthening Viet Nams socialist rule of law state, to ensure vulnerable populations can access justice and have their rights protected at a time of rapid and at times disruptive - transformation. As Viet Nams leaders have pointed out, now is the time for the country to address longstanding bottlenecks in infrastructure and energy, to promote the development of a more skilled workforce, and to develop social policies that better support the socioeconomic security and development capabilities of the countrys population. The recent flurry of activity around the promotion of science, technology, innovation, and digitalisation indicates that there is recognition of the need for swift action across a range of critical fields. Sustainability, energy transition, and resilience in the face of climate change further illustrate UNDPs assistance to Viet Nam. In alignment with Viet Nams climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, UNDP is focused on promoting Viet Nams green energy transition, enhancing natural resources management, and strengthening community resilience. These efforts are essential. To grow its economy sustainably and remain internationally competitive, Viet Nam must rapidly expand its supply of energy from renewable, low-carbon sources, such as wind and solar. While moving toward a carbon net-zero economy by 2050 is an ambitious goal, Viet Nam is well placed to realise it and to become a regional and world leader in sustainable development. Correspondingly, our focus is on how we can support Viet Nams efforts in this direction right now. The transition to green growth requires coordination of transformations across a range of sectors and industries. To diversify and strengthen its energy system, Viet Nam must facilitate the development of green industries, integrate renewable solutions -- such as solar, wind, hydrogen, and energy storage, and make use of other measures such as carbon taxes and incentives to promote movement toward a greener economy. To improve its economic performance and sustainability, Viet Nam must undertake the structural transformation of its export-led economy and seek investment from and partnership with firms at the cutting edge of sustainable growth. In infrastructure, Viet Nam requires a more integrated approach to transport and logistics, spatial planning, energy, water management and storm resilient housing. Finally, Viet Nam can seize competitive advantage in the region and beyond by embracing sustainable business models and regulatory practices that will help the country build a reputation for producing increasingly high-quality and sustainable export produces. While it is impossible to know how this might play out and how Viet Nams energy mix will take shape, it is clear Viet Nam must meet its present and medium-term energy challenges, and UNDP is actively supporting the country in expanding, accelerating, and financing its transition to a more sustainable mix of energy sources. In parallel, Viet Nam must enhance its national preparedness and resilience to climate change impacts. Again, UNDP is well positioned to assist, as was demonstrated in our strong technical leadership and effective coordination in the post-Yagi response effort. Additionally, UNDP continues to assist the government in policy making for green growth strategies, circular economy development and environmental regulations to ensure compliance with international commitments. Finally, to expand and sophisticate its economy in a way that supports and protects the wellbeing of the countrys population, Viet Nam must also develop a 21st century system of social protection and supports, enabling its citizens to both drive and benefit from the nations growth. UNDP remains as a strong partner in helping Viet Nam build a future that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable ensuring that no one is left behind. What primary challenges does the UNDP anticipate during Viet Nam's transition in this 'rising era'? How does UNDP plan to address these challenges, particularly in fostering digital and green transformations? Could you highlight potential collaborative projects that might help Viet Nam harness these technologies for socio-economic development? One of Viet Nams primary challenges is that it must successfully undertake large-scale economic restructuring while promoting the development of an economy that produces benefits for all of Viet Nams people, including those at risk of being left behind, such as rural populations, ethnic groups and labor migrants. There is indeed justifiable optimism in Viet Nam about the countrys economic prospects and increasing indications that Viet Nams economic transformation has entered a new era. However, addressing the countrys development challenges will require focused improvements in the inclusive design and implementation of policies that are responsive to diverse needs and vulnerabilities across geographies and populations groups. In the past, development efforts were frequently focused on specific sectors. By contrast, many of the challenges Viet Nam faces today require an ability to address large-scale, multi-sectoral challenges involving multiple domestic and foreign development partners. State policies must catalyse and coordinate action across sectors and across central and local levels of governance in ways that past policies have sometimes struggled to do. In the field of digital transformation, a whole-of-government approach is needed to steer, finance, incentivise, and support digital transformation across all sectors and at all levels of governance, even as specific aims and challenges of digitalisation will vary across sectors. UNDP programmes are currently supporting digitalisation in areas such as public administration, social protection, and sustainable environment development and management. Building robust legal and policy frameworks that safeguard the rights of citizens and prevent inadvertent patterns of exclusion, inequality and abuse unleashed by artificial intelligence and new technologies is also critical. The rise of cybercrime, issues around digital privacy, the role of social media in human trafficking and the persistence of digital divides are examples of the risks and threats that will need to be managed to ensure a safe and equitable digital transformation. With respect to Viet Nams green transformation, Viet Nam faces the challenge of diversifying its sources of energy and energy finance but also harnessing domestic sources of finance and ensuring that energy policy benefits all of Viet Nams people. UNDP will continue to help Viet Nam develop and monitor policies and work with its international development partners. A good example of this is UNDP s facilitation and coordination role in the Just Energy Transition Partnership a multi-billion multilateral initiative that aims to assist Viet Nam finance its green energy transition and access technologies. Alongside this, UNDPs approach includes empowering local communities and women-led enterprises, piloting green technologies and circular economy models, promoting sustainable land-use practices, and collaborating on conservation projects. There are digital aspects, as well. Leveraging digital tools for real-time monitoring of environmental and socio-economic indicators, for example, promotes more effective policy management and accountability. Could you elaborate on specific programmes or initiatives UNDP is implementing to strengthen Viet Nam's governance and institutional capacities in this new era? How does the UNDP view its role in fostering governmental transparency and efficiency, particularly in addressing issues such as wastefulness and corruption highlighted by General Secretary To Lam? Sustainable Development Goal 16, which is focused on building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, is central to UNDPs partnership with the Government of Viet Nam. Cognizant that sustainable and equitable development cannot be achieved without responsive institutions that deliver for all citizens, UNDP continues to work closely with several government partners at central and provincial level to increase transparency, efficiency and inclusion. Founded in 2009, the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) is a key example of those efforts. The index measures and benchmarks the performance of provincial authorities in citizen participation, transparency, accountability, control of corruption, public service delivery, and environmental and e-governance. It is the largest social survey-based governance assessment tool in Viet Nam, gathering feedback from over 16,000 citizens annually. In annually capturing citizen perceptions on local government performance, PAPI provides invaluable data for policymakers and civil servants to strengthen public sector responsiveness and efficiency. Crucially, PAPI allows national and local leaders to gauge how different demographic groups women, youth, the elderly, ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, migrants are experiencing governance and where potential gaps may exist. UNDP also has longstanding programming aimed at advancing the implementation of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), ratified by Viet Nam in 2009. Adopting a multisector approach, UNDP supports a wide range of government partners to advance both corruption prevention for example, through digitisation in service delivery, which reduces opportunities for corruption and by strengthening law enforcement capacities. Strengthening systems to more effectively manage conflict of interests in the public sector and to bolster authorities capacities in asset recovery remain top priorities. Finally, the National Assembly and Provincial Peoples Councils also play an important role in promoting transparency and efficiency. As Viet Nam prepares for the 2026 elections, UNDP is hoping to see a greater number of women representatives, in line with Viet Nams National Strategy on Gender Equality and Communist Party Resolution 26-NQ/TW. Across the world, the increased participation of women in politics especially in parliaments has been linked to more representative, transparent, and inclusive institutions and in policies that result in a more equitable distribution of resources. UNDP looks forward to working with national partners to enhance the role of elected women representatives to that end. How does the UNDP plan to monitor and evaluate Viet Nam's progress toward achieving the goals outlined in the vision for the rising era? Viet Nams socioeconomic development goals have many strengths, especially for their commitments to promoting rapid, equitable, sustainable growth. In our work, we regularly collaborate with government partners to better understand the effectiveness of Viet Nams development policies. As Viet Nam moves into a new developmental phase, we are working to assess how our own contributions to Viet Nams development can best support the countrys success and ensure that the benefits of Viet Nams development are widely shared. VNS DAVOS Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter in Davos on January 21 afternoon (local time), within the framework of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and his bilateral activities in Switzerland. Congratulating Karin Keller-Sutter on taking office as President of Switzerland, PM Chinh expressed his belief that she will have a successful term, contributing to the enhancement and elevation of the relationship between the two countries. Delighted at returning to Switzerland to attend the WEF Davos meeting, he emphasised that Viet Nam always treasures its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the European country. For her part, Keller-Sutter stressed that the Swiss Government regards Viet Nam as an important partner in the region and wishes to lift bilateral relations to a new height, with political trust and comprehensive and effective cooperation enhanced across various fields. The two leaders highlighted the positive advancements in Viet Nam-Switzerland relations in recent years, particularly in politics - diplomacy, trade - investment, development cooperation, science - technology, and education - training. Building on the strong foundation of their enduring friendship and shared vision, they agreed that now is the ideal time to elevate their countries' relations to a Comprehensive Partnership, with shared principles and broad directions, aiming to create breakthroughs to deepen bilateral ties in a more comprehensive and substantive manner, and foster cooperation at both regional and global scales. The Swiss President affirmed that the talks with the Vietnamese PM and the agreement to elevate bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership hold significant importance, helping foster a stronger and more effective bilateral relationship in the coming time. She urged the two sides to work closely to concretise the Comprehensive Partnership. The two leaders lauded the prospects for bilateral economic cooperation, agreeing to strive for an increase in two-way trade in the coming period. They gave high priority to the early conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the resumption of negotiations on the bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement, in order to facilitate economic exchanges and encourage long-term investments by businesses in both countries. PM Chinh appreciated Switzerland's plan to continue supporting Viet Nam in the field of development cooperation for the 2025-28 period. The Swiss President welcomed PM Chinh's proposal and expressed Switzerland's readiness to expand cooperation with Viet Nam in new areas that match the needs and strengths of the two sides such as innovation, digital transformation, high technology, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, climate change response, carbon credit trading, experience sharing, and support for the establishment of an international financial centre in HCM City. The two leaders highlighted the importance of security and defence cooperation, including promoting collaboration in the defence industry, training, capacity building, participation in peacekeeping forces, and research, negotiation, and signing of defence and security cooperation agreements. The Vietnamese leader suggested that both sides further enhance ties in the fields of education-training, science-technology, and culture-tourism, especially in building a high-quality education system, reinforcing links between training establishments, research institutes, and universities of the two countries, and working together in sustainable tourism and tourism human resources development. President Keller-Sutter thanked Viet Nam for granting short-term visa exemption for Swiss citizens, thereby helping to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries. She also spoke highly of the integration and positive contributions by the Vietnamese community in Switzerland to local socio-economic development, as well as their role as a bridge for promoting bilateral cooperation. Discussing some international and regional issues, the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in the face of global challenges and to enhance coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and within the framework of the ASEAN-Switzerland sectoral dialogue partnership. During the talks, PM Chinh and Swiss President Keller-Sutter witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries ministries of foreign affairs. On this occasion, PM Chinh conveyed State President Luong Cuong's invitation to President Keller-Sutter to visit Viet Nam. The Swiss leader accepted the invitation with pleasure. VNS DAVOS Viet Nam and Switzerland issued a statement on advancing the bilateral partnership, following the talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter in Davos on January 21. The following is the full text of the statement: "STATEMENT ON ADVANCING THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM AND THE SWISS CONFEDERATION 1. During the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, on January 21st 2025, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, H.E. Pham Minh Chinh, met with the President of the Swiss Confederation, H.E. Karin Keller-Sutter. The two leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations, domestic developments, and regional and international issues of mutual interest, stressing the importance of dialogue and cooperation in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect. 2. President Karin Keller-Sutter noted Viet Nams growing role as a partner in the region, while Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh underlined the great importance of the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Switzerland. The delegations agreed to deepen the bilateral ties, in principle in the form of a comprehensive partnership that reflects the priorities of the current collaboration. 3. Recognising the central role of economic ties in the broader bilateral relations, the two leaders highlighted the potential to deepen mutual economic engagement and explore new opportunities to enhance the complementarities of their economies. They agreed to enhance their efforts and take concrete steps to reach an early conclusion in the current negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). 4. President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed Switzerlands intention to continue supporting Viet Nam through the 2025-2028 Cooperation Programme under the auspices of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, committed to supporting Viet Nams aspirations of becoming a resilient sustainable high-income economy. The two sides agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as innovation, green finance, intellectual property, and the exchange of experiences in building and developing an international financial centre in Viet Nam. 5. Recognising the benefits of educational and cultural exchanges, both sides agreed to further explore the potential for expanding joint academic initiatives, training programmes and tourism cooperation. Areas such as innovation, technology and knowledge sharing were identified as promising avenues for further engagement. 6. The role of people-to-people contacts and of the respective diasporas in promoting mutual understanding and building bridges between the two countries was also recognised as an important aspect of the relationship. 7. Both Leaders noted the opportunities for promoting innovation, scientific and technological cooperation, including partnerships between research institutions and possible joint initiatives to support scientific development, such as the initiatives for funding joint scientific research activities through the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Vietnamese National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). They also exchanged views on strengthening efforts to address environmental challenges and promote climate resilience, in particular in the context of the Paris Agreement. 8. Both sides reaffirmed the value of cooperation in multilateral fora. They reaffirmed the importance of working together to contribute to prosperity and regional and global stability, strengthening efforts to address global challenges, including environment protection, climate action and water security. Both sides voiced their support for multilateralism and a world order based on international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and the importance of resolving disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). 9. The two Leaders expressed their confidence in the future of Viet Nam-Switzerland relations and their resolve to work more closely together to promote the common interests of both nations." VNS DAVOS Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on January 21 (local time) within the framework of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum and bilateral activities in Switzerland. The two leaders affirmed that they treasure the traditional friendship, partnership and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Ukraine. They expressed his wish to maintain and promote bilateral cooperation, including the exchange of delegations at all levels; continue to seek effective and appropriate measures to maintain growth momentum and soon restore trade exchange between the two countries, resuming the activities of the Viet Nam-Ukraine Intergovernmental Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation. PM Chinh emphasised Viet Nam's balanced, objective, and consistent stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating that all disputes should be resolved through peaceful means, in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, including respecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of countries, not using force or threatening to use force, and considering the legitimate interests of all parties involved; supporting the mediation efforts of the international community in seeking a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict with the participation of all relevant parties, in line with international law and the United Nations Charter. Viet Nam is ready to engage in international efforts to promote dialogue and seek peaceful solutions to quickly end the current conflict, he stressed. On this occasion, PM Chinh called on the Ukrainian administration to continue ensuring safety and security for lives and property of and creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to continue living and working in this Eastern European country. VNA/VNS DAVOS Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had talks with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino Quintero in Davos on January 21 (local time), within the framework of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and his bilateral activities in Switzerland. Emphasising that Viet Nam highly evaluates Panama's role and position in Central America and Latin America, PM Chinh expressed appreciation for the support the people of Panama have extended to Viet Nam during its past struggle for national liberation and in its current national construction process. He highlighted that the close relationship between the two countries' people will provide a favourable condition for strengthening the bilateral ties, particularly in politics, diplomacy, economy, and trade. Affirming Viet Nam plays an important role for Panama, President Jose Quintero stressed the need for the two countries to strengthen their collaboration in an increasingly competitive world. The President stressed that the two countries have various areas where they can enhance cooperation and complement each other, such as trade and services. He thanked Vietnamese businesses for their ongoing support and for choosing to do business with Panama over the years. He also noted that the scale of trade, Viet Nam's role in Asia, and the hardworking and diligent nature of the Vietnamese people are added values for the cooperation between the two countries. To develop the bilateral relationship in a more effective and substantive manner, the two leaders agreed that both sides need to increase the exchange of delegations, particularly at the high level; enhance trade and investment cooperation; and expand collaboration to new fields such as infrastructure, electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, tourism development, and people-to-people exchanges. PM Chinh affirmed that based on its experience in agriculture and rice production, Viet Nam is ready to share its knowledge and support Panama in food production, particularly rice cultivation. Viet Nam is also prepared to create favourable conditions for Panamanian enterprises in doing business and investing in Viet Nam, as well as gaining access to its 60 FTA (free trade agreement) partner markets. On this occasion, he conveyed invitations from Party General Secretary To Lam and State President Luong Cuong to President Jose Quintero to visit Viet Nam soon. The latter happily accepted the invitations. VNA/VNS DAVOS Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and delivered a keynote speech at the seminar on the future of global trade and development in the smart era, in Davos on January 21 afternoon (local time). Held within the framework of the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and bilateral activities in Switzerland, the seminar was designed exclusively for Viet Nam by the WEF, serving as a platform to shape the agenda for the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) to be hosted by Viet Nam later this year. The event was moderated by UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan and attended by senior leaders and representatives from international organisations such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), along with distinguished scholars and international experts. UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan opened the event by praising Viet Nam's impressive 30-year track record of 7 per cent economic growth. She affirmed that hosting UNCTAD16 in Viet Nam, a dynamic and open economy, marks a significant turning point for UNCTAD's new development phase. Amid mounting risks faced by global trade, including protectionism, competition and potential trade wars, she and guest speakers called on countries to enhance cooperation, openness, integration and reinforce multilateral trade for mutual growth, reduce inequality and ensure that no one is left behind. Sharing the same view, PM Chinh also called for a people-centred inclusive and global approach, and urged countries to jointly fight protectionism and boost multilateral trade for development. In his view, it is necessary to fully embrace the "smart era", focusing on geopolitical and security, economic, environmental and social dimensions. He highlighted Viet Nam's commitment to preparing its resources for the new era with an approach rooted in thinking and vision, with motivation stemming from innovation, and with strength derived from the people and businesses. Viet Nam attaches importance to hosting UNCTAD16, welcoming delegates from around the world, he said, adding that the chosen venue will showcase the country's rich cultural heritage and values, offering participants a unique opportunity to share ideas, engage in meaningful dialogues and explore Viet Nam's landscapes and its people. Viet Nam's remarkable socio-economic achievements were widely recognised, particularly its effective involvement in global supply chains and enforcement of the "leaving no one behind" policy. These have been most notable in agriculture and rural development as well as Viet Nam's entry into the top 15 of the Global Innovation Index. The country has emerged as a global model for innovation and adaptability in response to global economic disruptions. Representatives of international organisations provided strategic recommendations for Viet Nam's continued progress, including leveraging the dynamic and creative Vietnamese youth, transforming foreign investment into tangible benefits for sustainable growth, and harnessing innovation as a driver to escape the middle-income trap. Delegates expressed confidence that with Viet Nam's experience in holding multilateral conferences, UNCTAD 16 will be a convergence of new development momentum, creating a ripple effect and driving global trade and development in the new era. VNA/VNS NEW YORK The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an open ministerial discussion on the situation in the Middle East and Palestine in New York on January 21 under the chair of Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria, which holds the presidency of the UNSC in January 2025. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, many foreign ministers, ambassadors and representatives of more than 60 countries attended the event. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and delegates welcomed the ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas, and between Israel and Lebanon, as well as the formation of new governments in Lebanon and Syria. Guterres considered these moves as positive steps towards lasting peace in the Gaza Strip in particular and the Middle East in general. However, many opinions expressed caution and concern about the risk of violence breaking out again, emphasising the need for a comprehensive, just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue and other hotspots in the Middle East, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. Speaking at the meeting, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN Ambassador ang Hoang Giang welcomed the newly reached ceasefire agreements and highly appreciated the international diplomatic efforts that have contributed to promoting dialogue between the parties, bringing the prospect of ending the conflict in Gaza and creating a foundation for sustainable peace in the region. The Vietnamese representative affirmed the importance of complying with international law, the UN Charter, relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, as well as provisional measures of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Giang stressed that the implementation and maintenance of ceasefires must go hand in hand with the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, the release of all hostages, and ensuring the smooth flow of humanitarian aid to people throughout Gaza, with the key role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). On this occasion, the Ambassador reaffirmed Viet Nam's support for the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders, calling on the international community to urgently deploy efforts to rebuild Gaza, restore the socio-economy, and consolidate the foundation for a lasting peace. VNA/VNS HA NOI Party General Secretary To Lam on Wednesday offered incense in tribute to former Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at his residence on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) and the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (February 3, 1930 2025). The Party chief expressed his respect and profound gratitude for the immense contributions and dedication of the late leader, a particular outstanding leader, a shining example of studying and following President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle, a steadfast communist party member embodying the qualities, talents, willpower and wisdom of the leadership generation of Viet Nam during the 'oi moi' (Renewal) period. Lam pledged to join hands with the entire Party and people to foster great national unity strength and aspirations for development, guiding the country into a new era of prosperity and wealth. Throughout his nearly 60 years of diverse, unwavering revolutionary work, Professor, Doctor, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, with his wide and keen intellect, has left a valuable system of ideology and theory on Viet Nam's revolutionary path in the new era for the entire Party, army, and people. Persisting and creatively applying Marxism-Leninism, and Ho Chi Minhs ideology, with the goal of national independence and socialism, ideologist Nguyen Phu Trong, a theory flag of our Party, clarified the theory of socialism and the path towards socialism in Viet Nam, the role of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, and the socialist-oriented market economy. This invaluable legacy has consolidated the strong trust on the path towards socialism, significantly contributing to the development of the world communist movement, and developing Marxism-Leninism, and Ho Chi Minhs ideology in the present era. Amid the warm atmosphere leading up to the traditional Lunar New Year, Lam wished the family of the late General Secretary a new year of good health, happiness and success. VNA/VNS TAY NINH A memorial and burial ceremony was solemnly held on January 22 for 146 remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia while defending the southwestern border and fulfilling international duties. The ceremony took place at Hill 82 Tan Bien Martyrs' Cemetery in the southern province of Tay Ninh. The remains were repatriated during the first phase of the 24th mission (2024-2025 dry season). Nguyen Thanh Tam, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Council, chaired the ceremony by solemnly ringing three ceremonial bells to honour the fallen. Speaking at the event, Nguyen Hong Thanh, Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, expressed deep gratitude for the immense sacrifices of millions of Vietnamese soldiers, emphasising that their heroic contributions to the nations independence and freedom will forever be remembered. Over the years, Military Region 7, along with the Tay Ninh Party Committee, authorities, military forces, and residents, has remained committed to locating and repatriating the remains of fallen soldiers. Under a bilateral agreement between Viet Nam and Cambodia, with support from Cambodias Royal Army and local authorities, significant progress has been made in searching for and bringing home the remains of Vietnamese martyrs. The repatriation efforts reflect Viet Nam's enduring gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for the nation and its international commitments. VNS DAVOS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh spoke at a special policy dialogue on Viet Nams vision for innovation and its global role, as part of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday afternoon (local time). This is a key event on the first official day of the 55th WEF meeting and one of five major policy dialogues with heads of state and government leaders recognised by the WEF for their vision, influence and ability to inspire. It was broadcast live across the WEFs major online platforms. The dialogue between PM Chinh and renowned host Gillian Tett, former editorial board chair and US editor-at-large for the Financial Times, delivered a powerful message hailing Viet Nam as a highly attractive strategic choice for foreign investors amid global competition. Drawing on the countrys 40-year journey of economic reform and growth, the conversation underscored Viet Nams determination and breakthrough development policies aimed at seizing opportunities in the intelligent age of AI, where science and technology, innovation and transformation will drive Viet Nam to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a high-income, developed economy by 2045. Commenting on the current global context, Chinh stressed that the intelligent age must be marked by political stability, freedom from war, rapid yet sustainable economic growth, environmental protection and inclusivity, so that no one is left behind. This era must be closely linked with the development of intelligent minds and data-driven infrastructure, he said. To prepare for the intelligent age, PM Chinh stated that Viet Nam is committed to improving its institutional and legal frameworks to create favourable conditions for equal development among stakeholders in the multi-sectoral economy, adding that the development of AI in Viet Nam must be based on Vietnamese data. The newly issued Resolution 57 on the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation will provide a strong boost for investment in research and development, he elaborated. The Vietnamese Government is also focusing on ensuring intellectual property rights to create a fair legal framework for foreign investors in the technology sector, PM Chinh said, adding that it has made efforts to promote investment, mobilise social resources and encourage businesses to develop transport infrastructure and smart infrastructure, with plans to complete the construction of a national data centre by June 2025. The Government leader emphasised that although Viet Nam has faced various challenges, with a low starting point and a transitioning economy, through these efforts it has become an important partner for research and development cooperation and an attractive investment destination for major global tech groups like Samsung and NVIDIA. While answering a question about whether Viet Nam can balance its relations with both the US and China amid strategic competition, the PM stressed that Viet Nam remains steadfast in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification, as well as being a good friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible member of the international community. In response to concerns about Viet Nams trade surplus with the US, PM Chinh said Viet Nam is always ready to listen to and address issues that concern its partners, and wants to make the most of its competitive advantages, increase imports and strengthen cooperation in areas where the US has strengths and Viet Nam has needs, such as aviation and high technology. Asked whether Viet Nam had communicated with the administration of US President Donald Trump, PM Chinh stated that Viet Nam had "discussed matters with the US side" and that Party General Secretary To Lam had directly engaged with President Trump, but while some details could be disclosed, others were still under discussion. On whether the PM planned to visit President Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate and play golf with the new US President. If playing golf brings benefits to the nation, the people, and our compatriots, then I wouldnt hesitateId be ready, PM Chinh replied. As for the challenges posed by climate change and achieving the dual goals of economic development and environmental protection, he emphasised that, as one of the countries most affected by climate change and rising sea levels, Viet Nam is strongly committed to achieving net zero emissions and is making efforts to promote a green transition and green production. The Vietnamese leader shared specific and impactful examples, including a project on developing one million hectares of high-quality, low-emissions rice as part of an effort to ensure global food security and promote green growth. Regarding the energy transition, he said that Viet Nam is accelerating efforts to improve institutional frameworks to unlock resources for renewable energy development, noting that the country has also initiated a nuclear power project to ensure a clean energy supply for further development. In her conclusion, Tett shared the opinions of foreign investors, who described Viet Nam as an impressive country due to its economic transformation over four decades of reform. The nation has maintained strong and long-term growth momentum, attracted a large number of foreign direct investment projects, ensured financial and monetary stability and achieved an economic growth rate of over 7 per cent even amid global economic challenges in 2024, she noted. With the goal of double-digit economic growth in the near future, Viet Nam will become a model of development for the world, she said. Tett also expressed appreciation for the contributions of the business community and the Vietnamese Government's commitment to national development and interests. Participants applauded the messages shared by the Vietnamese leader at the event. The success of the policy dialogue session, held for the second consecutive year at the WEF, helped strengthen Viet Nam's international role and position and contributed to spreading the Southeast Asian countrys numerous recent achievements, as well as its vision and development prospects in a new era. VNA/VNS Anthony Franze is a native Texan and very passionate about covering any weather that is thrown at him. He can be reached at anthony.franze@express-news.net. Anthony earned a degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University in 2017. He has worked as a broadcast meteorologist for six years, one at NBC Montana and the next five at NewsWest 9 in Midland before joining the Express-News in July 2023. In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching sports, checking out local restaurants and breweries, and getting outside whenever the heat allows for it. If you have any story ideas, questions about the weather or restaurant suggestions, drop him a line. CAN THO Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man paid working visits to the Can Tho University and Nam Can Tho University on January 22 as part of his trip to the Mekong Delta city. Visiting the Can Tho University, the top legislator praised the institution's remarkable development over its nearly-60-year history. The university has distinguished itself by ranking among Viet Nam's top 10 universities and embracing an educational philosophy of "Community - Comprehensiveness - Excellence". He highlighted the university's academic achievements, noting its nationwide leadership in the number of teachers granted the professor and associate professor titles for two consecutive years. It currently boasts 24 professors and 182 associate professors, reinforcing its pivotal role in serving socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta and Viet Nam. Along with expanding its education scale with the enrollment of nearly 9,600 undergraduates, more than 1,100 masters candidates, and 78 doctoral researchers in 2024, the institution has strengthened its international partnerships. Looking ahead, the NA leader called for more ambitious development goals, urging the Can Tho University to elevate its status from a Mekong Delta leader to one of Asia's premier institutions. He stressed the importance of tailoring educational programmes to regional workforce needs and preparing teachers for educational reform. He urged the university to embrace the Politburo's Resolution No 57-NQ/TW on science-technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation, noting that the NA is working to remove institutional barriers and implement breakthrough policies in scientific research and sci-tech infrastructure development. On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2025, he expressed his hope that the university will carve out further achievements to enter the new era the era of the nations rise. The same day, the top legislator visited the Nam Can Tho University, where he had a meeting with the institutions leaders and extended Lunar New Year greetings. Established in 2013, the universitys goal is to train a high-quality workforce with advanced expertise in health, socio-economic development, and technology to contribute to the development of the Mekong Delta and the country at large. In the 2024 Viet Nam university rankings, it ranks 61st among more than 230 universities nationwide, climbing 37 places compared to 2023. Speaking at the working session, Man expressed his satisfaction with the university's achievements over the past 12 years. He urged the school to continue implementing the Politburo's resolutions on socio-economic development and national defence-security safeguarding in the Delta, on the fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training to serve industrialisation and modernisation against the backdrop of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration, and on breakthroughs in science-technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation. He also stressed the importance of grasping the Partys guidelines and the States policies, especially the laws related to education, training, and science-technology. While acknowledging the universitys accomplishments as just initial steps, the NA leader expressed hope that it will continue to enhance its teaching quality and become one of the leading centres of education and training in the Mekong Delta. VNA/VNS CAN THO The Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Executive Committees meeting opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on Wednesday with National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man attending. In his opening remarks, the Vietnamese leader highlighted the APFs goal of promoting governments' progress, as well as the Vietnamese legislatures engagement in and contributions to the APF over the past more than 50 years. Viet Nam's active participation in APF activities and the broader Francophone community affirms its consistent foreign policy of independence and self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as multilateralism and diversification of external relations, he said, noting Viet Nam positions itself as a friend, a reliable partner, and an active, responsible member of the international community. Viet Nam always shares and supports the noble values and goals of the Francophone community, including peace, democracy, cultural and linguistic diversity, solidarity, cooperation, and development. These goals align with Viet Nam's comprehensive reform efforts and significant achievements across various fields, Man said. Briefing the participants on the Vietnamese legislatures operations, the top legislator said that, on the inter-parliamentary diplomacy front, the NA is an active and responsible member of regional and global parliamentary cooperation frameworks, such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the APF, the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. Viet Nam highly values the role of the APF as an advisory body of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the leader said, expressing his belief that the APF and the Francophone community will carry forward their roles, alongside other multilateral institutions, based on international law and the UN Charter, providing a framework to foster cooperation and coordinated actions in addressing global challenges. In this context, the Can Tho declaration on Francophone cooperation in sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response, unanimously adopted on this occasion, represents a significant contribution to Francophone collaboration. The NA Chairman proposed that the APF Executive Committee consider the submission from the Viet Nam Subcommittee, approving the Can Tho declaration on this topic, and report it to the APF General Assembly at its upcoming session. APF President Hilarion Etong thanked the Vietnamese NA for its thorough preparations for the meeting, saying Viet Nam's hosting sends a powerful message about the global reach and ambition of the Francophone community. The APF leader affirmed that the steadfast commitment and friendship of the Viet Nam Subcommittee have brought tremendous value to the APF in numerous areas of cooperation, including South-South collaboration, political stability, the sharing of best economic practices, technological innovation, climate change adaptation, and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable development. After the meeting, he proposed further strengthening the relations between Viet Nam and African countries, promoting cooperation in economy, trade, and technology, with a particular focus on enhancing agricultural collaboration. VNA/VNS DAVOS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), on the sidelines of the 55th WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday morning (local time). At the meeting, the PM briefed Schwab on Viet Nam's recently-issued resolution on breakthroughs in scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation. The resolution identifies science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers for rapidly developing modern productive forces, improving production relations, and renewing national governance methods to promote socio-economic development. Chinh also expressed pleasure over the positive developments in the Viet NamWEF relationship, particularly the inauguration of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in HCM City, saying this marks an important milestone in the bilateral partnership. The PM affirmed that the 2025 WEF theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age" is both visionary and guiding, shaping new trends in international cooperation. He highlighted that this is an area of priority and great interest to the Vietnamese government. PM Chinh suggested that Professor Schwab connect WEF member businesses, experts, and scientists with Viet Nam in developing an innovation and technology ecosystem to maximise opportunities for all parties in the smart era. He also called for WEFs support in co-chairing an annual global economic forum in HCM City. On this occasion, the PM invited Professor Schwab and WEF leadership representatives to attend the 4th Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in April and the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 16) in October in Ha Noi. Schwab praised PM Chinh's participation in this years conference, highlighting its significance for the WEF and the global business community. He expressed confidence that Viet Nam is playing an increasingly pivotal role in reshaping regional and global geopolitics. Schwab also admired Viet Nam's socio-economic achievements, calling the country a model for economic growth and the integration of economic development with environmental protection. The WEF Chairman affirmed the Forums commitment to connect Viet Nam with global corporations and investment funds, supporting the country in attracting high-quality investment in priority sectors and fostering high-quality human resources and innovation. On this occasion, PM Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation witnessed the awarding of an honorary doctorate from the Viet Nam National University, Ha Noi to Professor Schwab. VNA/VNS DAVOS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting with his Liechtenstein counterpart Daniel Risch on the sidelines of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday morning (local time). Both PMs affirmed the importance the two countries attach to the bilateral relations. Viet Nam wishes to enhance its cooperation with Liechtenstein across spheres, particularly economy, Chinh said, adding while economic cooperation remains modest, there is significant potential for growth, as the two economies possess complementary strengths that can benefit one another. To achieve substantial progress in economic and trade cooperation, he proposed that both sides continue to strengthen the legal framework for bilateral cooperation and explore new potential areas for collaboration. The leader also noted Viet Nam's desire to soon conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as to advance negotiations for and conclude an investment protection agreement. Sharing Chinhs views, Risch expressed his hope that the Viet Nam-EFTA FTA negotiations could be completed this year, and that both sides could proceed with talks for a double taxation avoidance agreement. He held that the two countries share similarities that can facilitate their cooperation, adding many Liechtenstein businesses are highly interested in the Vietnamese market. The PMs exchanged invitations for visits to further discuss measures to enhance the bilateral relations. These visits will be arranged through diplomatic channels. VNA/VNS DAVOS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (local time) on the occasion of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) there. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive development of the Viet Nam-Netherlands comprehensive partnership, particularly in climate change response and sustainable agriculture. In the economic and trade sphere, the Netherlands is Viet Nam's second-largest trading partner in Europe and top investor from the European Union (EU). Despite global trade challenges, bilateral trade reached US$13.77 billion in 2024, an increase of 26 per cent compared to 2023. PM Chinh expressed his gratitude for the Netherlands' special affection for Viet Nam, particularly from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, and noted his wish to welcome them to Viet Nam in the near future. Building on the growing political trust and the multi-faceted friendship nurtured over the past 50 years, the Vietnamese leader proposed elevating political and diplomatic relations to new heights through increased high-level exchanges, and concretising sectoral strategic partnerships on climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture by implementing specific and practical cooperation programmes, particularly in the Mekong Delta and coastal regions. He also suggested enhancing the effectiveness of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms while expanding collaboration into areas where the Netherlands excels and Viet Nam has demand, such as high-tech industries, semiconductor chip design and production, and other science and technology fields. PM Chinh called on the Netherlands to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) promptly and to advocate for the EU to lift the yellow card under the IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing regulations imposed on Vietnamese seafood, facilitating greater economic and trade cooperation. For his part, PM Schoof highlighted the strong friendship and collaboration between the two nations across various sectors. He emphasised the potential to further deepen bilateral ties. He noted that the Dutch King and Queen are eager to visit Viet Nam again and affirmed the Netherlands interest in exploring investment opportunities in Viet Nam's semiconductor chip sector. He also congratulated Viet Nam on hosting the UNCTAD ministerial meeting in late 2025. PM Chinh thanked and called for the Dutch governments continued support for the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands to integrate successfully into the host society and contribute to local socio-economic development. The leader also noted his hope for greater cooperation and mutual support between the two countries at international and regional organisations. On this occasion, PM Chinh invited PM Schoof to visit Viet Nam soon and attend the 4th Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, to be hosted by the Southeast Asian nation in April 2025, to review high-level agreements between the two countries. VNA/VNS DAVOS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (local time) as part of his participation in the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Expressing gratitude for the OECDs support during Viet Nam's co-chairmanship of the Southeast Asia Regional Programme, the fight against COVID-19 and policy consultations, PM Chinh praised the strong partnership between Viet Nam and the OECD. He noted that the two Southeast Asia Ministerial Conferences held in Ha Noi contributed to bringing the OECD and the region closer together. Outlining Viet Nam's strategic development goals, the Vietnamese Government leader said that, building on 40 years of oi Moi (Renewal), 2025 will mark the start of a new era for Viet Nam to rise up for a prosperous and developed nation by 2045. To enhance cooperation between Viet Nam and the OECD, the PM urged the Secretary-General to direct the organisation's specialised committees to share expertise, provide policy advice, and assist Viet Nam in boosting its competitiveness towards aligning with the OECDs global governance standards. He also called on the organisation to support Viet Nam in preparing and publishing key economic reports, which will serve as essential references for long-term policy formulation. PM Chinh suggested that the OECD consider Viet Nam's early accession to the organisation and facilitate the inclusion of Vietnamese professionals within its Secretariat. He affirmed Viet Nam will meet all necessary procedures, standards, and conditions for membership, as part of its efforts to deepen global economic integration and make greater contributions to international peace, cooperation, and development. For his part, Cormann recognised Viet Nam as a dynamic and fast-growing economy, playing an increasingly significant role in Southeast Asia - a major driver of global economic growth. The OECD, he said, is keen to strengthen its collaboration with Viet Nam and stands ready to provide support through policy advice and assistance, including in Viet Nam's pursuit of OECD membership. He agreed to facilitate Viet Nam's participation in the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises. He also committed to enhancing connections between the OECDs specialised committees and Viet Nam's ministries and agencies, to further the effectiveness of their cooperation. PM Chinh invited Cormann to the 4th P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) Summit, scheduled for April, and the 16th UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16)s ministerial meeting in October, both to be held in Viet Nam. He also confirmed that Viet Nam will send a representative to the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in June, demonstrating its strong commitment to and desire for closer collaboration with the organisation. VNA/VNS DAVOS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday emphasised that Viet Nam is always closely monitoring the situation in Myanmar and hopes for a prompt return to stability there, for the benefit of the local people as well as for regional and global peace and stability. During a meeting with United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum meeting, the PM reaffirmed Viet Nam's consistent stance of respecting Myanmar's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. "Viet Nam opposed embargo measures that negatively impact the lives of the Myanmar people and the Myanmar issue must be resolved by the Myanmar people themselves, through agreement, compromise, and the involvement of all relevant parties," he noted. With its role, reputation, and relations, Viet Nam is ready to exert all efforts to bring peace and stability to Southeast Asia and Myanmar in particular, Chinh said, adding that it is prepared to cooperate with the UN towards this goal, including offering a venue for all concerned parties to meet and discuss solutions to the Myanmar issue. He spoke of the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Viet Nam in promoting the grouping's central role in hastening and coordinating with all parties involved to seek a peaceful solution for Myanmar. Agreeing with PM Chinh's proposals, Bishop stressed the need to prioritise urging all parties in Myanmar to exercise restraint, cease violence, ensure security and safety for civilians, and resume dialogue with the participation of all relevant sides to find a peaceful solution to the Myanmar issue. She affirmed her commitment to closely cooperate with ASEAN and promote dialogue among all parties for a peaceful resolution. VNA/VNS BEN TRE Rice paper makers in a southern commune are working at full tilt to keep up with a pre-Tet surge in demand. My Thanh Commune in Giong Tom District, Ben Tre Province, has a well-established tradition of rice paper making dating back over a century. For Nguyen Thanh Huy, a rice paper maker, the weeks leading up to Tet are the busiest of the year. His family begins work at 1am every day, producing around 700 sheets to meet the rising demand. The task is labour-intensive. It requires careful mixing of rice flour, coconut milk and sesame seeds before the thin batter is spread, steamed and left to dry under the sun. "This job doesnt make us rich, but its been passed down through generations in our family," Huy said. "Were proud to contribute to the festive atmosphere of Tet with our work. Rice paper in My Thanh, often referred to as 'My Long rice paper', is highly regarded for its quality and flavour. During Tet, demand spikes as people stock up for feasts and celebrations. But the once-thriving industry is facing mounting challenges. Just a few years ago, My Thanh had 211 families involved in production, employing approximately 500 workers. This year, that number has dropped to 60 families. Rising input costs, particularly for coconuts, a key ingredient, have squeezed profits. Coconut prices have nearly doubled compared to last year, leaving many operating on razor-thin margins. "Were barely making a profit," said Nguyen Thanh Tung, a veteran rice paper maker with over 50 years of experience. "In the past, this was a lucrative trade. Now, were just working to preserve our traditions." Tung, like many others, has scaled back production, focusing on supplying loyal customers. He says makers are now in a situation of "taking labour as profit," as rising costs leave little room for earnings. Despite the challenges, rice paper remains a sought-after product during the holiday season. Each family typically produces between 25,000 and 90,000 sheets in the weeks prior to Tet. Most are sold to customers in Viet Nams central and southern regions, while a portion is shipped abroad to Vietnamese communities overseas. However, supply often falls short of demand. Makers prioritise pre-orders, and those without contracts are left waiting. "We simply cant keep up," Huy said, noting that orders come in faster than they can fulfil them. Recognising the cultural significance of My Long rice paper, local authorities have stepped in to support the industry. The craft has been officially recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of Viet Nam, and the My Long Rice Paper Co-operative has received three-star OCOP certification, a designation for high-quality rural products. Ngo Tan Quyen, Chairman of My Thanh People's Committee, said the Government is working to modernise production and expand the industrys reach. "We are supporting makers with improved equipment, better packaging and marketing strategies to boost competitiveness," he said. In recent years, provincial funding has helped a handful of families transition to industrial methods, significantly increasing productivity. The commune also offers financial assistance of up to VN50 million ($1,975) per family to help them secure raw materials in advance, avoiding price hikes during the peak season. For many, rice paper is more than just a livelihood its a source of pride and identity. "When we see our rice paper drying under the sun during Tet, it reminds us of the joy this craft brings to our community," Huy said. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam now has 645 social housing projects underway across the country, totalling 581,218 apartments, built under the 'Investment in the construction of at least one million social housing units for low-income groups and industrial workers in the 2021-30 period' project. Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh revealed that there were 96 projects, comprising 57,652 apartments, which had been completed, 135 projects, amounting to 115,630 apartments, had broken ground, and 414 projects, with 407,936 apartments, had received investment approval during the period. In 2024 alone, 28 projects, with 20,284 apartments, were completed, a 46 per cent increase compared to 2023. Additionally, 23 projects with 25,399 apartments were granted permits, and construction commenced, while 113 projects, which equated to 142,450 apartments, were approved for investment. Sinh also said that as of January 2025, many provinces and cities nationwide had planned and designated land for social housing development. Specifically, over 1,309 land plots, covering a total of 9,756 ha, had been earmarked for social housing. In particular, HCM City, Ha Noi, ong Nai, Long An and Hai Phong had allocated large land reserves for the purpose. In relation to the VN120 trillion (US$4.75 billion) credit programme aimed at subsidising loans for social housing, worker housing and the redevelopment of old apartment buildings, Sinh said that banks had committed to lending over VN4 trillion ($158.3 million). The total loan disbursement stands at VN2.36 trillion ($93.3 million), including approximately VN2.16 trillion ($85.4 million) had been allocated to investors across 17 projects. Despite the achievements, Sinh acknowledged that the provision of social housing for eligible groups had not yet met expectations. The challenges stem from local governments and businesses facing numerous legal and regulatory hurdles in implementation, he said. Furthermore, there remained a reluctance, with many waiting for new legal frameworks such as the revised Land Law, Housing Law, and Law on Real Estate Business, which were expected to provide more flexibility before proceeding with projects. The disbursement of the preferential credit fund of VN120 trillion ($4.75 billion) had also been slower than anticipated, failing to meet the actual demand, he said. Given the challenges, Sinh emphasised that achieving the Governments goal of expanding social housing required a high level of unified commitment from ministries, agencies, local authorities and enterprises. In early 2025, the Ministry of Construction submitted a report to the Prime Minister, proposing the organisation of a conference to accelerate the development of social housing and ensure the healthy, sustainable growth of the real estate market. The move highlighted the Governments strong resolve to address the growing demand for housing. This year, the ministry plans to continue urging local areas to allocate more land for social housing projects, streamline administrative procedures and accelerate the implementation of social housing schemes. The goal is to complete 100,000 apartments this year, as directed by the Government and the Prime Minister. VNS KATHMANDU Nepal has sharply increased Everest climbing permit fees and introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution and preventing accidents on the planets tallest peak. Under the revised rules, every two climbers must hire a guide to climb any mountain over 8,000 metres, including Everest. The revisions, which were approved in the Cabinet meeting on January 8, will soon be published in the Nepal Gazette. Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to $15,000 from the current $11,000 per person. The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from $5,500 to $7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from $2,750 to $3,750. The new rates will take effect on September 1, 2025. The last royalty fee revision was made on January 1, 2015, when the government switched from a group-based system to a uniform fee of $11,000 per climber for the spring season from the normal route. For Nepali climbers, the royalty fee for the normal route during the spring climbing season has doubled from Rs75,000 to Rs150,000. Climbing permits, previously valid for 75 days, will now be limited to 55 days. The reduced validity is aimed at streamlining climbing activities. Bookings already confirmed for the spring 2025 expedition will not be affected by this change, said Indu Ghimire, a joint secretary at the Tourism Ministry. According to Ghimire, the regulations have focused on garbage management, social security for high-altitude workers, and boosting government revenue. As per the amended rules, from the upcoming spring season, Everest climbers will be required to bring their poop back to base camp for proper disposal. Climbers must carry biodegradable bags to collect waste in the upper reaches. Base camps typically have designated toilet tents with barrels to collect human waste during expeditions. However, in higher camps, only a few agencies provide similar facilities, while others rely on pits. Very few climbers use biodegradable bags to transport waste from the summit. Last spring, the local government of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality enforced the use of biodegradable waste bags as part of its initiative to address the garbage issue. It sold 1,700 poop bags. This initiative has now been mandatory for climbers scaling peaks over 8,000 metres. Mandatory waste collection is part of a broader effort to address environmental degradation in the Everest region. Climbers have long relied on unsustainable practices, accumulating garbage, including discarded oxygen canisters, abandoned tents, food packaging, and human waste in one of the worlds most iconic places. Such practices have tarnished the regions natural beauty and created health hazards for local communities. According to the new rules, climbers are barred from carrying items not listed in their permit documentation issued by the Department of Tourism. Paragliding is permitted from mountains above 8,000 metres but only during descents and with prior authorisation. The government has also hiked the insurance coverage for high-altitude workers. Insurance coverage for high-altitude guides has gone up to Rs2 million ($14,400) from Rs1.5 million ($10,800), and for base camp workers, it has been raised to Rs1.5 million ($10,800) from Rs800,000 ($5,760). The increased insurance coverage aims to provide better security to the Sherpas and other support staff who take on big risks while helping climbers. These workers often face harsh conditions and receive little recognition or protection despite their indispensable contributions to successful expeditions. The amended rules have permitted rescue teams and cleaning campaign members to collect garbage and dead bodies up to Camp IV of Everest without paying fees. They, however, have been barred from venturing into the death zone without a permit. During last years spring climbing season, 421 permits were issued for fee-paying individuals. Around 600 climbers, including 200 foreigners, reached the summit, with nearly 2,000 people assembling at the base camp. Eight climbers lost their lives, and the expeditions generated an estimated 100 tonnes of waste. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) reported collecting 85 tonnes of waste from the Everest region during the spring climbing season 2024. This included 27.99 tonnes of burnable garbage, 7.51 tonnes of recyclable waste, 27.53 tonnes of human waste, and 14.15 tonnes of kitchen waste. Additionally, the Nepal Army removed over 11 tonnes of garbage. According to experts, the alarming volume of waste collected each season underscores the urgent need for sustainable mountaineering practices. Climate change exacerbates the waste problem by melting snow and ice, exposing previously buried garbage and human remains. These pollutants contaminate the watershed, posing significant health risks to local communities. Before the spring climbing season last year, the Supreme Court issued a mandamus order directing the government to regulate the rising number of expeditions on the worlds tallest mountain. A division bench of justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Sushma Lata Mathema ordered the government to issue climbing permits only after specifying the number of climbers that can be safely accommodated. The court order followed increasing traffic jams on the worlds highest peak and the trash people leave on its slopes. Everest has even been called the worlds highest garbage dump. According to the Himalayan Database, which records all expeditions and deaths in the Himalayas, more than 200 people died on the Nepal side of Everest between 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first scaled the peak, and 2022. Nepals tourism ministry started documenting Everest incidents in 1922 when seven Sherpa climbers died in an avalanche, marking the first reported deaths on the tallest mountain. But it has no archive of those who lost their lives on the icy slopes. Nearly 8,900 people have summited the worlds highest peak from Nepals side since 1953. The Kathmandu Post/ANN Adiel Santos, of Mitchell Historic Properties, scrapes ice and snow from a sidewalk in The Strand as businesses on the island reopened in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Massive amount of litter and make-shift sleds are left at the Miller Outdoor Theatre hill after people enjoyed sledding in the snow the day before Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 at Hermann Park in Houston. A handful of volunteers saw the mess and decided to clean up the trash. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Gordon Murphy picking up litter and cleaning up the hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre after people enjoyed sledding in the snow the day before Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 at Hermann Park in Houston. Gordons father was taking him and a group of friends from St. Marks Boy Scout Troop 211 to the science museum, but his father decided to help cleaning up the trash. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Massive amount of litter and make-shift sleds are left at the Miller Outdoor Theatre hill after people enjoyed sledding in the snow the day before Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 at Hermann Park in Houston. A handful of volunteers saw the mess and decided to clean up the trash. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Remnants of melting snow and ice remain on the beach the day after an icy winter storm blanketed the island with a coat of the wintery mix on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A tent is seen in a patch of snow on a grassy area on Montrose Boulevard Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Thor Khalji rests in Terminal A at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. He said his morning flight was delayed until this afternoon. Both Houston airports reopened Wednesday after being closed on Tuesday due to the winter storm. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Snow sculptures stand in a League City street Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 as the snow and ice gradually melt from the roads Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A duck walks on a frozen pond outside an office building along the North Sam Houston Parkway Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Ice and snow remain on the ground as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Ice and snow remain on the ground as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Harris County Emergency Services District No. 20 Firefighters with Station 43 are shown at the scene of a single vehicle crash on the SH249 overpass of the North Sam Houston Parkway Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Ice is visible on the shoulder as vehicles travel north on Gulf Freeway South and east/west on Beltway 8 South Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2027. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Walmart on FM 518 in Pearland is closed early Wednesday morning, Jan 22, 2025 due to icy road conditions. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A person passing a patch of snow as they are exercising along the trail Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 at Hermann Park in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Vehicles make they way along the ice-covered Seawall Blvd. in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Vehicles make they way along the ice-covered Seawall Blvd. in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Vehicles make they way along the ice-covered Seawall Blvd. in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Ice and snow remain on the ground as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer An Icy freeway is photographed the morning after a winter storm hit Houston on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Icy freeways are photographed the morning after a winter storm hit Houston on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer The entrance to the 10 freeway is blocked east of downtown Houston, the morning after a winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer City and county leaders urged residents to stay off the icy roads Wednesday morning after multiple crashes were reported. CenterPoint outages were at a minimum with 138 reported as of 12:58 p.m., affecting 4,149 customers. Houston airports resumed flights today. The Houston Independent School District also announced the opening of schools Thursday. Follow along below for live updates from Houston Chronicle reporters and meteorologists covering the winter storm. Here's a recap of Tuesday's coverage. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Two more people were found dead Wednesday as Houston made its way through its latest cold blast, according to the citys Office of Emergency Management. A man was found dead outside of a church at Dixie Road early Wednesday after being reported missing Jan. 18. A woman was found just after noon in a parking lot on Congress Street. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Both individuals causes of death are pending verification from the Harris County Medical Examiners Office. During a weather update Wednesday afternoon, Mayor John Whitmire said the man, who was urged to go to a warming center, likely died of a pre-existing condition. City officials on Wednesday said Houston needed help taking care of the homeless community and people with mental health issues. Weve got to handle that population compassionately, Whitmire said. Whitmire cautioned Houstonians that there were still mobility issues with ice on bridges and roads. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Slow down, be cautious, Whitmire said. He said there were no deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning during this storm. Around 1,300 people visited the citys 10 warming center locations, and Whitmire said no one was turned away even as some locations like the Fonde Community Center reached capacity. Warming centers will remain open tonight, and city leaders are assessing how many will stay open through Thursday. Whitmire said two or three would likely be available. City services will be back up and running tomorrow, the mayor added. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Abby Church Bernard Murphy, a Boy Scout parent, from left, Jorge Rangel and Amber Carrasco picking up litter and cleaning up at Miller Outdoor Theatre after they saw the mess Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 at Hermann Park in Houston. Rangel and Carrasco, who live in the neighborhood, joined people playing in the snow the day before. They came back to the park again today and saw the large amount of trash on the hill. They went to purchase trash bags and started cleaning it up. This is my city, Carrasco said. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer We hope everyone stayed safe and warm during the winter storm. Based on updates from local officials, it is safe to resume normal operations. All HISD schools and offices will reopen tomorrow, Thursday, January 23, at their regular start times. pic.twitter.com/UNzfdqZ4my Houston ISD (@HoustonISD) January 22, 2025 - The Education Team Advertisement Article continues below this ad People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Gerald Herbert/Associated Press St. Luke's Health facilities resumed operations Wednesday after the winter storm that covered the Houston area with snow. Patients who need to reschedule appointments will need to contact a local physician's office. - Octavia Johnson A winter storm that rolled through Southeast Texas and the U.S. Gulf Coast dumped multiple inches of snow on Tuesday across a region already gripped by freezing temperatures. Check out how much snow Houston received in comparison to New Orleans and across the deep South and Gulf Coast, per the Chronicle. - Roberto Villalpando A snowman still stands as snow and ice begin to melt in The Strand as businesses on the island reopened in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The Electric Reliability Council of Texas will end its weather watch at noon, the grid operator said in a Wednesday morning X post. The weather watch, initially issued for Monday through Wednesday, is a notice from ERCOT that very cold temperatures could lead to higher electricity demand and lower operating reserves. Unlike in 2021, there has been plenty of electricity supply through the entirety of this weeks freeze to meet that higher demand, which means ERCOT hasnt had to initiate a grid emergency nor any outages. ERCOT only orders outages if Texans are about to use more electricity than power plants in the state can generate. The grid continues to have sufficient resources to meet demand and grid conditions are expected to be normal, ERCOT wrote in its Wednesday morning update. - Claire Hao Ice and snow remain on the ground as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The Lone Star Flight Museum will reopen at noon Wednesday with a special winter wonderland discount. Houstons historic snow event created an avalanche of snow day photos posted to social media, and the museum is giving all guests who show their photo collections at the door a $3 discount admission. The museum is a treasure trove of vintage military aircraft exhibits that span aviation history: from iconic World War 2 fighter jets to modern and rare airplanes. For guests wanting to get out of the cold and enjoy time off from work and school, the museum will be open until 5 p.m. The Lone Star Flight Museum is located at 11551 Aerospace Avenue at Ellington Field. Admission: Adults $18 Youth (1217): $15 Children (511): $12 Seniors (65+): $15 Children (4 and under): Free - Yvette Orozco Remnants of melting snow remain on the beach the day after an icy winter storm blanketed the island with a coat of the wintery mix on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The Texas Department of Public Safety announced that it will delay the opening of several offices in the Southeast Texas region until 1 p.m. Wednesday. The counties affected include Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Orange and Wharton. The following DPS Offices will be DELAYED until 1:00 PM on Wednesday, 01/22/2025, in the following counties in the Southeast Texas Region: Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Orange, and Wharton https://t.co/DwTroTLU5f TxDPS - Southeast Texas Region (@TxDPSSoutheast) January 22, 2025 - Michael Garcia A Precinct 6 Harris County Constable and Harris County Emergency Services District No. 20 Firefighters with Station 43 are shown at the scene of a single vehicle crash on the SH249 overpass of the North Sam Houston Parkway Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer The Fred Hartman Bridge and Ship Channel Toll Bridge in Harris County were open as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Precinct 8 Constable Phil Sandlin said on X. As snow melted, ice patches remained on the bridges, Sandlin said. He urged motorist to exercise caution when driving on roadways Wednesday. - Caroline Wilburn Snow remains on a bush as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The University of Houston will reopen tomorrow per a Tuesday announcement. Alief ISD will also reopen with its school board meeting rescheduled for that day, per its initial announcement. The region's school districts and universities closed operations Tuesday and Wednesday, with some universities opting to run remote classes. They are expected to widely re-open Thursday. - Nusaiba Mizan, Megan Menchaca, Samantha Ketterer, Elizabeth Sander, Claire Partain Harris County Emergency Services District No. 20 Firefighters with Station 43 work at the scene of a single vehicle crash on the SH249 overpass of the North Sam Houston Parkway Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer The Houston Fire Department saw an increase in vehicle crashes beginning Tuesday evening as temperatures dropped and an almost invisible thin layer of ice developed on sidewalks and roads. The crashes happened all over the Houston area, including highways, overpasses and residential streets, said Rustin Rawlings, HFD public information officer. He encouraged drivers to stay off the roads until at least noon Wednesday, as temperatures will rise to the upper 30s to lower 40s and more melting is expected through the day improving road conditions. He also noted bridges and elevated surfaces were more dangerous to drive on. - Caroline Wilburn Vehicles make they way along the ice-covered Seawall Blvd. in the aftermath of an icy winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Galveston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer How are the driving and road conditions in your area? Officials encouraged the community to stay home during the winter storm that covered the Houston area with snow and ice. Share how the roads look in your Houston neighborhood on our social media pages. Walmart on FM 518 in Pearland is closed early Wednesday morning, Jan 22, 2025 due to icy road conditions. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer As freezing temperatures overnight worsened driving conditions, several Houston-area businesses remained closed Wednesday. Kroger stores delayed opening until 10 a.m. Wednesday, but Harris Health clinics extended closures. However, HPCA Houston will operate at normal business hours while the Houston Humane Society will elevate if they reopen based on Wednesday's weather conditions. - Caroline Wilburn The Houston Chronicle is gathering information about frozen pipes and damage to Houston homes and businesses caused by the winter storm. Please share your experiences, along with your neighborhood or ZIP code, on our social media pages. Ice is visible on the shoulder as vehicles travel north on Gulf Freeway South and east/west on Beltway 8 South Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2027. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Harris Health extended the closure of its Ambulatory Care Services' facilities through Wednesday with anticipation to resume operating hours Thursday. The health clinic said patients with appointments were notified about the extension and offered rescheduling options. Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson hospitals will remain open for emergency medical services. Visiting is limited to one person per patient. Here are the facilities that will be closed on Wednesday: Administration offices Fournace Place Health centers Acres Home Aldine Baytown Casa de Amigos Cypress Danny Jackson El Franco Lee Gulfgate Martin Luther King Jr. Northwest Pediatric and Adolescent - C.E. Odom Pediatric and Adolescent - Pasadena Settegast Squatty Lyons Strawberry Vallbona Same day clinics Monroe Clinic Sareen Clinic Sunset Heights Clinic Urgent care Urgent Care at Outpatient Center Specialty facilities Ben Taub Tower Harris Health Dental Center Outpatient Center Quentin Mease Rehabilitation Services at Fournace Place Smith Clinic Ambulatory Surgical Center at LBJ - Octavia Johnson An electronic road sign warning drivers of hazardous conditions is shown along the North Sam Houston Parkway near SH 249 Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Metro Houston said in a post on X it will resume its core local bus routes by 1 p.m. Wednesday with additional routes to be brought back in phases as conditions allow. Service update for Wed Jan 22nd Core local bus routes will resume by 1 p.m., with others returning as resources allow. * Phase 1: Routes 2, 52, 54, 63, 73, 82, 102 * Phase 2: Routes 8, 20, 26, 50, 56, 85 * Phase 3: Routes 28, 38, 40, 44, 65, 80, 89 (1/4) pic.twitter.com/fypYQYzYmL METRO Houston (@METROHouston) January 22, 2025 Metro officials said while bus and rail routes will resume throughout the day, the Park and Ride will not operate and its Metro Lift service will be available only for medical emergencies. Metro HOV lanes will also be shut down until at least 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the post. Metro said its bus routes will resume operation in three phases. Phase 1: Routes 2, 52, 54, 63, 73, 82, 102 Phase 2: Routes 8, 20, 26, 50, 56, 85 Phase 3: Routes 28, 38, 40, 44, 65, 80, 89 - John Lomax V Icy freeways are photographed the morning after a winter storm hit Houston on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Public officials urged Houston-area drivers to stay off the roads Wednesday after melted snow refroze overnight, leaving black ice on roadways and dangerous driving conditions. Houston police and local law enforcement agencies reported multiple crashes due to ice on highways. Houston Transtar reported over 50 road closures due to ice as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. - Caroline Wilburn The ice covered parking lot sits empty as the HEB grocery store is closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 on Highway 96 near South Shore in League City following severe winter storms Tuesday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer H-E-B stores in the Greater Houston area will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to a 5 p.m. Tuesday update. Storefronts shortened their hours Tuesday due to the winter storm. Central Market, Joe V's Smart Shop and Mi Tienda stores will also open at 10 a.m. in Houston. For anyone living in the Gulf Coast area, H-E-B stores in Bay City, El Campo, Kenedy and Wharton will open at 8 a.m. "At H-E-B, our top priority is taking care of Texas, and we are committed to help our fellow Texans in any situation our communities might face," H-E-B officials said in the update. "Across our business, we are familiar with and regularly prepare for extreme weather events." - Octavia Johnson The entrance to the Hwy 146 Seabrook Kemah bridge over Clear Lake is closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 following severe winter storms Tuesday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer More than 99.9% of CenterPoint Energy's customers continue to have power and had power restored as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, officials said in a statement last night. Crews and contractors responded to outages during the winter storm and will work to address potential effects from the freezing temperatures into Wednesday morning, according to the news release. Officials reported 28,500 customers across the 12-county service area had power restored by 12:01 a.m. "We also want to thank those mutual aid workers who traveled from as far away as Virginia, North Carolina and Florida to help us prepare for this storm," said Darin Carroll, senior vice president of CenterPoints Electric Business, in a statement. CenterPoint officials said their preparation and response on Tuesday included deploying frontline electric workers, supporting local communities by providing temporary generation units to temporary warming centers, keeping customers informed, conducting outreach to critical care customers and coordinating with government officials. - Octavia Johnson People are shown waiting in line at the American ticket counter in Terminal A at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Houston. Both Houston airports reopened Wednesday after being closed on Tuesday due to the winter storm. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer After shutting down Monday before significant snowfall in Houston, the Houston Airport System announced it planned to reopen Wednesday morning. The news came after travelers were stuck at the airport because of the winter storm that slammed southeast Texas with historic amounts of snow. Security checkpoints for William P. Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental Airports will reopen at 9 a.m., according to a spokesperson with HAS. In an email to the Chronicle, officials said arriving flights would start at 10 a.m. with departing flights beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesdays closure prompted more than 900 flight cancelations at Bush Airport and nearly 300 at Hobby Airport, per Flight Aware. Across the country, the storm had delayed at least 2,000 flights and contributed to thousands of more delays. - Shakari Briggs Goh Yan Han SINGAPORE The committee that determines Singapores electoral boundaries has been formed, kicking off the process for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to call the next general election. In the past four elections, the time between the committees formation and Polling Day has ranged from four to 11 months. This means that voters could go to the polls in May, or even earlier if the committee is able to complete its work in time. The ad-hoc Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) is appointed by the prime minister, to whom it will submit a report. The Elections Department (ELD) said in a statement on Wednesday that PM Wong has convened the committee. The report that the EBRC produces will trigger the redrawing of Singapores electoral constituencies a necessary step before a general election can happen. The next general election must be held by November. ELD said that in reviewing the boundaries, the committee has been directed to seek to keep the average size of GRCs, the proportion of MPs elected from SMCs, and the average ratio of electors to elected MPs, all at about the same as that in the last general election. PM Wong said in a Facebook post that he convened the EBRC on Wednesday. I look forward to the committees report and its recommendations in due course, he added. There is no fixed timeline given to the committee to issue its report, but past teams have taken between three weeks and seven months. There are currently 93 electoral seats, spread across 14 single-member constituencies (SMCs) and 17 group representation constituencies (GRCs). The average number of parliament members (MPs) per GRC is 4.65, with six four-member GRCs and 11 five-member GRCs. The EBRCs formation has been hotly anticipated as a bellwether for when the next general election will be held. In 2024, opposition MPs filed parliamentary questions on several occasions to ask if the committee had been formed. When asked in November 2024 when the EBRC would be formed, PM Wong said: When we do so, we will announce it as we always do. We wont do these things quietly. He also said then that he had not decided when the election would be held. The EBRC will be chaired by Secretary to the Prime Minister Tan Kee Yong. Its members are Singapore Land Authority chief executive Colin Low, Housing Board chief executive Tan Meng Dui, and chief statistician Koh Eng Chuan, with ELD head Lim Zhi Yang as its secretary. Its job is to review the boundaries of existing constituencies and recommend how many GRCs and SMCs there should be. Boundary changes typically take into account changing voter numbers in current electoral divisions due to population shifts and housing developments. The report the EBRC produces goes to Parliament, which decides whether to accept the new boundaries. Emerging new towns like Tengah in the west of Singapore and Bidadari in the Potong Pasir area have raised speculation that there will be changes to the constituencies they are in or near to, because of the rise in population they have brought to those areas. The EBRC was last convened in August 2019, ahead of the 2020 General Election. It was tasked to reduce the average size of GRCs and create more SMCs. It completed its report in March 2020, four months ahead of the general election, which was called in June and held in July. There were no six-member GRCs for the first time since 1991, as Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol had their number of MPs reduced to five each. Speculation has swirled around the prospective date of the next general election since PM Wong formally took over as head of the Government in May 2024. In December, he took over as secretary-general of the Peoples Action Party and said he would lead the ruling party into the polls. Political parties have ramped up their activities on the ground, introducing new faces and conducting walkabouts. Some 50,000 public servants have also been appointed election officials, and training began in April 2024, ELD had said in March 2024. When The Straits Times contacted the political parties for comment, the Workers Party said it welcomes the announcement of the EBRCs formation on the date that it was convened. We look forward to the committees reasoning and justification for adjustments made to the existing constituencies, in the White Paper on the report of the EBRC. Progress Singapore Party secretary-general Hazel Poa said her party looks forward to the release of the committees report, and trusts that the EBRCs proposed electoral changes, if any, will be transparent, fair and impartial to all political parties. THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN There are still many foundational barriers preventing a safe and secure carbon credit system, Photo: Shutterstock Last month, Lasuco JSC signed a contract with Idemitsu Kosan and Sagri from Japan to implement a carbon emission reduction project involving sugarcane raw material in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa. The initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by improving agricultural land management and increasing carbon storage capacity in the soil. Starting this year, it will enter a testing phase in a 500 hectare area. Lasuco plans to scale up to 8,000ha and commence commercial operations in 2026. The carbon credits generated will be registered under the VM0042 standard of Verra, the worlds largest carbon credit certification organisation. Le Van Phuong, CEO of Lasuco, stated that cultivating sugarcane with a focus on reducing emissions will bring benefits to both the local community and the business. All profits will be paid to farmers, helping them increase sugarcane productivity and significantly improve their economic livelihood. This is how we accompany farmers, creating sustainable and long-lasting value, Phuong said. According to data, the amount of carbon Lasuco can obtain when expanding to 8,000ha could reach up to 480,000 tonnes, equivalent to $480,000. This figure is equal to 10 per cent of Lasucos profit in 2023 and 40 per cent compared to 2022. According to the governments roadmap, Vietnam will pilot the domestic carbon market from now to 2027 and put it into operation in 2028. Therefore, businesses that have early preparations will have a significant advantage when participating in the market. Dr. Nguyen Tu Anh, director general of the Department of General Economic Affairs at the Central Party Economic Commission, said that developing the carbon market was not only an environmental solution but also a promising opportunity. By establishing a mechanism for trading emission rights, the carbon market encourages businesses to invest in efficient green technologies, thereby reducing production costs and enhancing competitiveness. At the same time, the new financial flow generated from trading carbon credits will drive emission reductions, contributing to the transition of the economy towards a lower-carbon model, he said. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the global carbon market is experiencing strong growth, reaching an accumulated value of $104 billion in 2023. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and China are exemplary models, while the US has regional markets such as California. In South Korea, the carbon market has been established since 2015. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are either planning or already implementing this market. Nguyen Thanh Cong, deputy head of the Department of Climate Change Economics and Information under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said that Vietnam has been participating in the carbon market since 2005 through the Clean Development Mechanism. Vietnam is currently ranked fourth in the world, with over 250 projects and more than 40 million carbon credits generated from related ventures, Cong added. According to the Carbon Market Institute, approximately 73 carbon mechanisms are operating at the national and sub-national levels, including both voluntary and mandatory markets. Currently, these mechanisms cover around 23 per cent of the total global GHG emissions. For the voluntary carbon market, statistics from the Ecosystem Marketplace programme by Forest Trends show that during 2021-2023, there were 1,530 carbon projects operating in 98 different countries, with a traded carbon volume of approximately 254 million tonnes, amounting to nearly $1.9 billion. However, Nguyen Hong Loan, director of Advisory and Climate Solutions at the Vietnam Energy and Environmental Consultancy, told VIR that there are still regulatory and institutional barriers. One of the major challenges in developing a domestic carbon market in Vietnam is the need for a clear regulatory framework that governs the market, ensures transparency, and prevents fraud. While the current provisions lay a solid foundation, effective implementation will require several key components, Loan said. According to Loan, the majority of Vietnamese businesses have little understanding and interest in this advantageous market. Only 30 per cent of businesses currently have a basic understanding of the ETS and the carbon market, with 1.27 per cent clearly understanding how ETS and the carbon market operate. There is also a misunderstanding between ETS and the carbon credit exchange mechanism. Issues include the assignment of specific responsibilities and establishment of coordination mechanisms among parties involved in the domestic carbon market, as well as capacity building and resource mobilisation to overcome the administrative complexity of managing emissions allowances and carbon credits, said Loan. Limited infrastructure is also an issue. Vietnam faces significant challenges in developing the infrastructure needed for registering, reporting, and tracking emission allowances and carbon credits, given that infrastructure such as the registry system or the carbon trading platform does not yet exist in the country, she added. Next stage reached in carbon credit sphere International cooperation policies are essential to develop the carbon credit market in Vietnam, but the market as a whole still has to be built in an effective manner in terms of legality and process. Suitable market conditions for carbon credit transactions Vietnam has made a significant leap in its climate policy by committing to ambitious emission reduction targets. Nguyen Hong Loan, director of Green Climate Innovation Co., Ltd., looks at the importance of carbon credit trading in accelerating the countrys climate actions. Dr. Rui Ludovino, First counsellor, Climate Action, Environment, Employment and Social Policies, Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam For this reason, the European Union introduced the Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR). Entering into force in June 2023, this is a transformative approach in global efforts to combat deforestation. To ensure its effective implementation, in December 2024, the European Council and Parliament agreed to delay the application of the EUDR until the end of 2025 for large and medium-sized companies, and July 2026 for micro and small enterprises. This delay does not change the substance of the regulation. Rather, it allows stakeholders more time to meet their due diligence obligations for deforestation-free products. With the EUDR, the EU aims to minimise its contribution to global deforestation and forest degradation and, in turn, reduce its impact on climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss. Vietnam is a major global exporter of timber, coffee, and rubber. As such, the EUDR presents both challenges and opportunities. For instance, adapting commercial operations to ensure the production of deforestation-free commodities will require adjustments, especially strengthening business due diligence systems. At the same time, however, it also offers the potential to improve Vietnams sustainability credentials and global competitiveness. With the EUDR, the focus is shifting from voluntary action to a regulatory framework. Companies placing relevant products on or exporting from the EU market will be required to do due diligence. This includes ensuring products are deforestation-free after 2020, complying with national legislation, and providing geolocation data for production plots. The regulation targets operators and traders, not countries or producers. Therefore, Vietnamese enterprises will need to establish robust traceability systems and conduct due diligence to ensure their products meet EUDR requirements. The regulations traceability requirements may pose a challenge in some situations. But they may also create important possibilities for others. For example, they offer significant opportunities for smallholders in third countries, such as Vietnam, by ensuring a more transparent and traceable value chain. EU support for Vietnam Meanwhile, by owning their geolocation data, smallholders will gain greater independence in the value chain, enabling direct relationships with suppliers and fairer pricing. Furthermore, the regulation will facilitate technical support and capacity building from business partners who depend on information exchange, helping smallholders and their cooperatives meet requirements. The regulation is expected to increase demand for deforestation-free products, strengthening the position of producers working to achieve deforestation-free supply chains. Meanwhile, for smallholders struggling to access costly certifications, the focus on geolocation to provide assurance that their production is deforestation-free is an incentive. In addition, the EUDR will strengthen cooperation between the EU and its partner countries, such as Vietnam, aligning their shared interests and advancing sustainable and equitable supply chains worldwide. Recognising the importance of the EUDR, the Vietnamese government is assisting stakeholders to build deforestation-free, legal supply chains. For instance, it is fostering collaboration among coffee, rubber, and timber actors to address challenges in these sectors. In doing so, the government is encouraging the development of sustainable and climate-adaptive agricultural products and demonstrating its dedication to building sustainable, deforestation-free supply chains that meet EUDR requirements. The EU has introduced several measures to help stakeholders prepare for the implementation of the regulation. These include comprehensive guides, a detailed FAQ, the creation of the European Forest Observatory, and international dialogues designed to clarify regulatory requirements and encourage compliance. Meanwhile, under the Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains, and with 80 million ($82.4 million) of funding, the EU and several of its member states are supporting supply chain actors to ensure deforestation-free value chain production in partner countries like Vietnam. The EU remains a strong partner for Vietnam in navigating the regulation. Through the EUDR Engagement project, the EU Delegation to Vietnam is working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to facilitate communication and implementation. Since its launch, the initiative has hosted technical exchanges, stakeholder meetings, and outreach events to prepare Vietnam to enhance the enabling framework for deforestation-free commodity production and improve the capacities of actors throughout the supply chain. Key milestones include a technical exchange in March 2024, outreach events in June, and discussions on traceability tools in November. To support the transition under the EUDR Engagement initiative in the coming months, various activities have been planned. A major component involves further outreach and capacity building for a wide range of stakeholders. This will ensure a better understanding of the new regulation and provide a platform to discuss the implications for Vietnam among different partners. Complementing wider efforts Vietnam is also participating in the Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project. This global initiative is co-funded by the EU, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Netherlands, and will run in Vietnam until 2027. In collaboration with MARD, SAFE Vietnam will support actors in the coffee value chain to meet market and legal requirements, fostering deforestation-free, legal supply chains. At the core of its strategy, SAFE Vietnam aims to strengthen coordination between public and private sectors through multi-stakeholder dialogues and strategic EUDR action plans at both the national and local level. It equips authorities with essential expertise and practical tools to effectively enforce the new regulation. The initiative also encourages private sector involvement by fostering inclusive business partnerships that ensure transparency and innovation throughout the supply chain. Moreover, SAFE Vietnam places significant emphasis on supporting smallholder farmers by enhancing their capacity to produce deforestation-free, legal commodities while also encouraging sustainable land and coffee production practices. Importantly, the initiative integrates gender and intersectionality into its approach. In particular, it addresses the concerns of marginalised groups preparing for EUDR and ensures a just transition that encourages equitable participation across the coffee supply chain. In Vietnam, the EU is also financing projects to help actors align. Key initiatives include programmes by the French Development Agency and the European Forest Institute, which focus on capacity building, traceability systems, and sustainable land-use practices. These efforts complement broader EU support and provide critical resources for Vietnamese producers, enterprises, and authorities to strengthen their readiness for EUDR application, ensuring a smooth transition to deforestation-free supply chains. Deforestation-free coffee production to comply with EU regulations The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the EU Delegation to Vietnam, and sustainable trade initiative IDH hosted a conference on deforestation-free coffee production on June 29. Malaysia, Indonesia, EU agree to tackle concerns over deforestation rules Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producers, have agreed with the European Union (EU) to promote mutual understanding and tackle concerns over the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and benchmarking via an ad hoc joint task force (JTF) co-chaired by the three parties. According to the decision, the investor of the project is Gilimex Bac Giang Industrial Park JSC, which will be responsible for the development and operation of the industrial park's (IP) infrastructure. The total area of the development is 148.68 hectares, with an investment of VND2.2 trillion ($87.5 million), of which the Gilimex's equity contribution is VND330 billion (nearly $13 million). The undertaking has an operational duration of 50 years from the date of approval of the investment policy decision. The IP is located in Dao My and Nghia Hung communes, Lang Giang district, Bac Giang province, with an implementation timeline of no more than 30 months from the date of the land being handed over by the government. Bac Giang People's Committee will direct the Bac Giang Industrial Parks Management Board to guide the investor in specifying the implementation timeline. Incentives, investment support, and applicable conditions will follow current legal regulations. The decision stresses the responsibility of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in appraising the content of the investment policy and managing the states responsibilities for industrial parks under the provisions of investment law and other relevant laws. Relevant ministries are responsible for appraising aspects of the investment policy within their functions and duties as stipulated by the investment law and related regulations. Bac Giang People's Committee will implement the plan for land recovery, compensation, support, and resettlement for the venture. It will also organise and execute plans for land conversion, leasing, and preparation for implementation, ensuring compliance with approved documents regarding scale, location, and timeline. Additionally, the committee must ensure no disputes or complaints about land-use rights and supplement the area of specialised rice land affected or increase the efficiency of rice land use, as stipulated in Article 182 of the Land Law. In 2024, Bac Giang attracted over $2.23 billion in investment capital, ranking 11th nationwide. Foreign-invested projects in the province focus primarily on manufacturing and processing electronic components, garments, and logistics. To date, over 30 countries and territories have invested in Bac Giang, affirming the province's prominence as a key investment destination in northern Vietnam. Situated along the economic corridor of Nanning (China) Lang Son Hanoi Haiphong and adjacent to the northern key economic region, Bac Giang enjoys excellent conditions for economic development and cultural exchange with neighbouring countries. Nghia Hung IP offers excellent connectivity as it is just 5km from National Highway No.1A, 15km from Bac Giang city, 70km from Hanoi, 75km from Noi Bai International Airport, 130km from Haiphong Port, 120km from Cai Lan Port in Quang Ninh, and 140km from Huu Nghi International Border Gate. Gilimex Industrial Park builds foundation for modern and sustainable industry Gilimex Industrial Park JSC is at the forefront of innovation for the development of modern and sustainable industry in Vietnam. Driving innovation to boost investment in Vietnam's industrial park network Innovation has become a key factor in driving economic development and enhancing national competitiveness in the context of globalisation and a strong shift of foreign direct investment. Challenges pertaining to related-party relationships via borrowing criteria Many businesses encounter challenges related to the complexity of determining related-party relationships based on the borrowing criteria outlined in Point d, Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree 132. This includes cases where a credit institution, which would under normal circumstances be viewed as an unrelated party, is deemed to be a related party for transfer pricing purposes because the loans it makes are equal to at least 25 per cent of the borrowers contributed capital, and more than half of the total medium-and long-term debts of the borrowing enterprise. In these circumstances, businesses are classified as having a related-party relationship with such credit institutions. For transfer pricing compliance purposes, taxpayers must declare these credit institutions as related parties. If they are not exempt from the transfer pricing compliance requirements, the taxpayers are also obliged to prepare and maintain documentation to demonstrate that borrowing transactions with these credit institutions adhere to the arm's length principle, resulting in additional administrative responsibilities for the borrowing enterprises. Challenges relating to non-deductible interest expenses Another challenge arises when a credit institution is classified as a related party, potentially leading to the disallowance of some interest deductions. For instance, if a business does not engage in related-party transactions and only borrows from a credit institution deemed an independent party, the interest expenses would not be capped at 30 per cent of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA). However, if that credit institution is considered a related party due to meeting the criteria outlined in Point d, Clause 2, Article 5, the interest expenses are then capped at 30 per cent of EBITDA. This restriction poses significant challenges for businesses by limiting their ability to deduct legitimate interest expenses. Given that many businesses encounter these challenges, potentially obstructing their ability to manage finances, secure funding, and grow operations effectively, the MoF has decided to revisit this provision to better align with the current economic environment. Proposed changes On July 5, 2024, the MoF released a draft decree to amend and supplement Point d, Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree 132. On November 6, 2024, the MoF also submitted a draft (version three) to the Ministry of Justice for opinions. This draft is currently under review by various government departments and the broader business community for comments. Key proposed amendments include: Introducing a charter capital threshold of 20 per cent between an enterprise and credit institutions, whereby an enterprise and a credit institution are deemed related parties only if the enterprise owns at least 20 per cent of the credit institutions charter capital. A credit institution will not be deemed to be a related party under the 25 per cent/50 per cent rule unless it participates in the management, control or capital contribution of the borrower. Providing provisions regarding the treatment of non-deductible interest expenses from prior years (before 2024). These proposed amendments aim to enhance compliance and clarity in the transfer pricing framework. The amended decree is expected to be published in early 2025 and will apply to corporate income tax returns for 2024 and beyond. Judith Henry, Transfer Pricing partner (left) and Ngo Thanh Tin, Transfer Pricing director at PwC Vietnam Judith Henry, Transfer Pricing partner at PwC Vietnam, stressed the need to address the complexities in determining related-party relationships. It is essential for tax regulations to keep pace with the changing economic landscape, ensuring businesses can effectively manage their financial commitments without undue restrictions, she said, underscoring the need for a more flexible regulatory framework. In a changing economic landscape, the regulatory framework must evolve to support businesses in overcoming challenges while maintaining transparency. These amendments are not merely regulatory updates; they represent a proactive response to the complex difficulties that businesses are currently facing. Regulations must be both adaptable and enforceable, creating a business environment that encourages growth and compliance. Relating to the proposed provision of a 20 per cent charter capital threshold between enterprises and credit institutions, this amendment aims to establish clearer criteria for determining related-party relationships. According to the provision, an enterprise and a credit institution are considered related parties only if the enterprise owns at least 20 per cent of the credit institution's charter capital. This threshold is designed to ensure that only those credit institutions meeting this specific ownership are classified as related parties. In addition, the changes to the 25 per cent/50 per cent rule mean that fewer credit institutions will be classified as related parties. The impact for taxpayers of these two changes is that they should reduce the administrative burden on enterprises by alleviating the need for additional compliance obligations associated with related-party transactions. The changes are intended to enhance the identification of genuine related-party relationships based on a significant ownership threshold and management and control, thereby streamlining compliance processes. This change to the definitions is crucial for both clarity and compliance. It allows businesses to operate with greater confidence in their transactions, as credit institutions will now only be considered related parties if there is a charter capital contribution of at least 20 per cent. That makes a lot more sense, she added. Under Decree 132, non-deductible interest expenses can be carried forward to subsequent tax years and deducted if the net interest expense/EBITDA ratio is below 30 per cent in those years. The proposed changes in the draft decree in the definition of related-party relationships via borrowing criteria are applicable from 2024 onwards. Thus, there may be instances where a company borrows from a credit institution that is considered a related party before 2024 but no longer a related party from 2024 onwards. In such a case, it opens the question whether the non-deductible interest expenses incurred before 2024 can be carried forward to the years from 2024 onwards. The draft decree provides transitional guidance in this respect, i.e., the non-deductible interest expenses as of the end of 2023 shall be equally allocated to the respective remaining years for claiming deduction in such years. Ngo Thanh Tin, Transfer Pricing director at PwCs Ho Chi Minh City office, said, These proposed changes provide flexibility for enterprises in managing non-deductible interest expenses, allowing those without affiliated relationships to distribute these expenses across future periods, while offering those with such relationships a structured timeline to carry forward expenses, thereby easing the taxpayers financial burden over time. Looking ahead, businesses should proactively prepare for the changes set to take effect in the 2024 tax year by staying informed and ready to adopt the new regulatory framework. Conducting thorough assessments of current compliance processes and engaging in training sessions to familiarise teams with the upcoming regulations will be essential. This proactive approach reduces the risk of non-compliance and positions businesses to capitalise on the opportunities introduced by these amendments. PwC offers young entrepreneurs the skills to succeed A cooperation agreement signed between the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and PwC Vietnam last week is expected to contribute to enhancing corporate governance efficiency and fostering a future of prosperous economic growth. Digital solutions are crucial for Vietnams tax future Technology is transforming tax management in Vietnam, enhancing transparency and compliance. The adoption of advanced data analytics and digital tools is essential for efficient tax administration and fraud prevention. As businesses navigate these changes, it is crucial to stay informed and adapt to new regulatory landscapes effectively. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order commuting sentences for people convicted of Jan. 6 offenses in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci/Associated Press Years after defending the U.S. Capitol from a mob of insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021 the officer still has trouble sleeping. It was the most pain Ive ever experienced, said Metropolitan Police Officer Nathan, who was assaulted with bear spray and a metal whip by Houston area resident Andrew Taake. It was like living death. It took my breath away. It left me entirely vulnerable." As he was disoriented and temporarily blinded, crawling on the floor in a thicket of bodies, he thought he might not make it home to his four children. Reflecting on Taake's actions in a victim impact statement, Tate asked only that he "be held accountable for his actions." Taake pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This week, Donald Trump, in his one of his first acts as the nation's 47th president, pardoned Taake and roughly 1,500 others charged in the Jan. 6 attack, including more than 100 Texans. Accountability is not one of Trump's virtues. With the stroke of his pen, he proved once again that loyalty is all that matters -- not to the country, but to him. What happened to backing the blue? It's a convenient mantra to rally traditional conservatives, but in this case it doesn't serve him politically. Trump's own vice president, JD Vance, said in 2024, "If you beat up a cop, of course you deserve to go to prison. If you violated the law, you should suffer the consequences. He reiterated the point on Fox News Sunday this month: "if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. Obviously? The old rules no longer apply. Facts, laws, principles, virtues all, even the value of the lives of our first responders are subject now to a perverse immoral relativism determined on Trumpian whim. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In Trump's America, the insurrectionists were the heroes. The real enemies of the state were the ones seeking accountability: the members of Congress who led an investigative committee probing the attack, the federal investigators and prosecutors who put the seditionists behind bars and even the police officers who were bloodied and beaten trying to protect the peaceful democratic transfer of power. I have been betrayed by my country, and Ive been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump, whether you voted for him because he promised these pardons, or for some other reason, you knew that this was coming. And here we are, Michael Fanone, a former Washington D.C. police officer who was attacked by Jan. 6 rioters, told CNN on Monday. Some Trump supporters have already lined up a cynical defense of his actions: what about Joe Biden? They argue the former president's pardoning of his son, Hunter, for tax evasion and lying on a gun purchase form reeks of hypocrisy. They point to Biden's last-minute, preemptive pardons of his siblings and their spouses, as well as prominent former Cabinet members and Trump critics such as Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, as setting a "dangerous" precedent. While it's true that Biden ceded the moral high ground by reversing himself on pardoning his son, which we criticized at the time, most of his pardons and commutations are distinct from Trump's in at least one crucial way: the vast majority were for non-violent offenses. Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents, is a notable exception. The 80-year-old who spent decades in prison and is in declining health will serve the rest of his life sentence at home. And in the case of Biden's family members and allies, the pardons were a direct reaction to Trump's promise to appoint a special prosecutor to "totally obliterate" Biden and the "Deep State." Those claiming that Biden's preemptive pardons must mean the recipients are guilty of something don't understand the extent of Trump's record of retaliation during his first term. Biden wasn't protecting his Cabinet members and others who merely did their jobs from a righteous criminal inquiry; he was protecting them from years of legal and financial harassment, from thousands upon thousands of dollars in lawyer bills, from the full force of Trump's corruption newly unbridled by recent Supreme Court precedent granting U.S. presidents near total immunity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Even so, Biden's pardons, no matter the threat, set another precedent that we worry will be abused by Trump or future presidents. Trump's Jan. 6 pardons, meanwhile, signal a more harmful disregard for political violence. No one should really be surprised. If there's one constant throughout Trump's presidency, it's his willingness to dispense with the concept of "norms" and prove to his supporters, time and time again, that he is politically impervious. A suspect has been arrested on charges stemming from a triple homicide at Ely State Prison last year. In December of last year, the Nevada Attorney General's Office contacted detectives with the Regional Gang Unit looking to find and arrest Andrew Emerich, who was wanted for a triple homicide inside the Ely State Prison in July. After his release from Ely State Prison, Emerich ended up living in the Reno-Sparks area. On Monday the Regional Gang Unit, with the assistance of Sparks Police and K9 officers, arrested Emerich on his outstanding warrant. He was booked into the Washoe County Jail on charges including three counts of murder with a deadly weapon, five counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, five counts of battery by a prisoner with a deadly weapon, and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a prisoner. There was also a gang enhancement. Chinese scientists fuel low-altitude economy with sparkling innovations Xinhua) 09:42, January 22, 2025 This photo taken on Nov. 13, 2024 shows the ZG-ONE electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at the low-altitude economy area of Airshow China in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- For Huang Xun, a professor at Peking University's College of Engineering, the vision of flying cars filling the sky, as seen in science fiction, may soon become a reality. He likens the shift to the transition from horse-drawn carriages to cars a century ago, noting that human beings are about to enter the "low-altitude vehicle era." More than 100 years ago, the United States seized the opportunity of automobile development to become a country on wheels. Now, China is seizing the opportunity of the low-altitude economy to become a country on wings, Huang said. However, he warned that numerous challenges must be overcome before low-altitude vehicles can be widely adopted, citing safety concerns, such as potential collisions with drones, privacy issues related to drone sensors, and environmental impacts like noise pollution. Huang's reflections were published in Nature last month, marking the first article on the low-altitude economy in the prestigious journal. In fact, over the past years, Huang and his colleagues have been focused on finding solutions to these challenges and supporting the rapid growth of the low-altitude economy. BUILD INVISIBLE ROADS With the vision of airborne vehicles coming into reality, ensuring flight safety is paramount. Chinese scientists are working to establish "invisible roads" in the airspace below 3,000 meters to ensure orderly flight. Qu Tengteng, a researcher at Peking University's College of Engineering, and her team developed a geospatial grid system to map low-altitude airspace. The system converts three-dimensional spatial coordinates into binary codes, which are loaded into computers to create a real-time dense grid of airways. These invisible roads would help prevent collisions between low-altitude aircraft and avoid buildings. "With this air road network, we can design traffic rules and add 'traffic lights' to avoid accidents," Qu said. To enhance air safety further, Li Zhongkui, a professor at the college, developed an unmanned aircraft vehicle trajectory planning system. Inspired by how birds in flocks coordinate with one another to avoid collisions, the system developed by Li uses swarm intelligence to regulate the movement of low-altitude vehicles both online and in real-time, ensuring they maintain safe distances and fly in harmony. SIZE DOWN ENGINES For long-distance air travel, low-altitude vehicles will need robust power sources. While current small drones rely on battery storage, future vehicles, which will carry heavier loads, will need more powerful engines. "A major challenge with lithium batteries is their weight, which limits low-altitude flight capabilities," said Chen Zheng, deputy dean of Peking University's College of Engineering, adding that the energy density of batteries is two orders of magnitude lower than that of liquid fuels. The team is exploring ways to miniaturize combustion engines for use in low-altitude vehicles. Wang Shengkai, an assistant professor at the college, said the goal is to develop high-power, stable combustion engines that could fit into various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sizes. "By scaling down the engine and optimizing the combustion process, we can create efficient, long-range propulsion systems for UAVs," Wang said. The team is also looking into environmentally friendly fuels, such as hydrogen and biomass, to reduce the carbon footprint. Meanwhile, Zhao Hao, a colleague of Wang, has been working on monitoring and regulating combustion engines and power batteries for low-altitude vehicles using advanced fiber optics. Zhao explained that power safety is a major concern for these vehicles, and this innovation helps create intelligent UAVs with enhanced safety. MITIGATE NOISE POLLUTION As low-altitude vehicles proliferate, noise pollution will likely become a growing concern. To address this, Chinese scientists are working on technologies to minimize the noise generated by UAV rotors. Lyu Benshuai, an assistant professor at the university's College of Engineering, and his team developed a rapid prediction model for rotor noise. The model helps predict how different blade shapes and configurations affect noise levels, allowing for more efficient noise-reduction designs. "We can do quite a lot in aeroacoustic optimization. For example, rotors mounted at the rear of the fuselage are often much noisier than those at the front, while blades with suitable geometry and serration designs generate less noise," Lyu said. The team is collaborating with Chinese tech companies like Huawei and Ecovacs to implement these noise-reducing innovations. "We hope to bring these scientific advances to market soon," Lyu added. The low-altitude economy in China has flourished in recent years, with an increase in drone manufacturers and expanded applications. The Civil Aviation Administration of China estimates that the country's low-altitude market will reach 1.5 trillion yuan (about 209 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025 and as much as 3.5 trillion yuan in 2035. Chen revealed that their college plans to offer more practical courses related to low-altitude vehicles. These courses will include opportunities for students to design their own aircraft and collaborate with enterprises on co-designing projects. "We are planning ahead to meet the growing demand for talent in the future." "We often ask, where is the next technological revolution after the industrial revolution? I believe the low-altitude economy could be the answer," Huang added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Migrants seeking asylum leave an immigration office after their scheduled meetings were canceled and they were turned away soon after President Donald Trump canceled the CBP One app, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Matamoros, Mexico. Eric Gay/Associated Press US President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) Jim Watson/TNS President Donald Trump is seeking to end birthright citizenship, a move to cut off a longstanding constitutional right that could leave hundreds of thousands of Texas children without legal status. The move has been questioned by legal scholars and it has already drawn lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of Democratic-led states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Texas Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, are pushing legislation that would do the same, arguing birthright citizenship incentivizes illegal immigration. U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, a Woodville Republican, filed a bill Tuesday that would limit automatic citizenship to those born in the U.S. with at least one parent who is a citizen, a lawful permanent resident or an immigrant serving in the military. At least nine other Texas Republicans had signed on as cosponsors by Tuesday afternoon, according to Babins office. Heres what you need to know. What does Trump want to do? Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing federal agencies to stop recognizing the citizenship of future children born to undocumented immigrants, as well as children born to those with permission to be in the country temporarily, including students, workers and tourists. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The order would cut off access to social security numbers, passports and more for those children. It was set to take effect in 30 days, but a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked it, calling the order "blatantly unconstitutional." How would ending birthright citizenship work? The order doesnt lay out how it would be enforced, but experts said agencies would likely have to begin checking the immigration status of everyone applying for a range of government documents and programs. Muzaffar Chishti, an analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, said ending birthright citizenship would present a logistical nightmare. Anyone applying for a birth certificate for their child or for a passport for themselves would have to prove they are a U.S. citizen. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They'll have to ask everyone for their documentation. You cannot just limit it to people you think may be in the country illegally, he said. Just the challenge of implementation may itself be an impediment for this becoming sort of effective anytime soon. In Texas, the Department of State Health Services issues birth certificates. Those applications do not currently ask about immigration status. An agency spokesman said it had not received any information that would change that process. The federal Social Security Administration issues social security numbers. Hospitals typically help new parents apply for both after a baby is born. How many people might be affected? The order would only apply to new births, so it would not affect any current citizens. But studies have shown it would create potentially millions of new undocumented residents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About 4.4 million U.S.-born children under 18 live with an unauthorized immigrant parent, according to estimates from the Pew Research Center. The number of babies born to unauthorized immigrant parents represented about 6% or 240,000 of the 4 million births in the U.S. in 2016, according to Pew. About 8% of Texas households include an unauthorized immigrant, according to Pew. That would mean more than 920,000 households could be affected. A 2010 study by the Migration Policy Institute, meanwhile, found that ending birthright citizenship for babies with two unauthorized parents would increase the unauthorized population by 4.7 million over the next 40 years. Ending it for children with one unauthorized parent would more than double the unauthorized population, from 11 million to 24 million, over that time. Can Trump end birthright citizenship? Legal experts are skeptical the president can unilaterally end a right that has long been seen to be enshrined in the 14th Amendment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. The text of the 14th Amendment here is pretty clear, said Tara Leigh Grove, a University of Texas at Austin law professor who studies the federal judiciary and the constitutional separation of powers. She compared it to the provision in the Constitution that says you have to be 35 to run for president. There are lots of provisions of the constitution that are really hard to read, and that people debate, she said. But this is among the more straightforward provisions. The Trump administration, however, has argued the clause specifying citizens must be subject to the jurisdiction of the United States means those born to undocumented parents are not qualified. Its a distinction that has been argued in past efforts to challenge birthright citizenship and it was rejected by the Supreme Court in a landmark 1898 ruling upholding the right, said Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, a law professor at the University of Southern California. Being subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. has long been understood to mean those who must adhere to the nations laws. It's pretty clear anyone physically present in the United States is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, he said. However, Perl-Rosenthal said the current Supreme Court has shown a willingness to revisit longstanding precedent and the conservative justices could see this as an opening to revisit the 1898 case. He also said that the U.S. is unusual and most nations limit birthright citizenship in some way. Creating fear Experts said they expect the order to generate fear in immigrant communities, whether the courts allow it to stand or not. Andrea Caracostis, president of HOPE Clinic, a network of health care centers serving low-income families in southwest Houston, said many undocumented immigrants already choose not to sign themselves up for government health insurance. Now undocumented mothers may opt not to sign their children up, as well. That will mean healthcare providers will have to absorb costs of care they cannot get reimbursed through Medicaid. It will also mean many children may not get the vaccines and other care they need early on, potentially creating much bigger public health problems, she said. An October trial date is now set for a former Washoe County School District employee accused of student sexual assault. 46-year-old Caitlin Rock pleaded not guilty to all 20 charges against her, in a court hearing on Wednesday. Her trial is scheduled to start October 6th and last about a week. ORIGINAL STORY: A judge has set bail at $2 million for the Washoe County School District employee accused of student sexual assault. Caitlin Rock attended the bail hearing on Monday. Rock is accused of several counts of sexual assault of a minor and statutory sexual seduction. Earlier this month, the Reno Police Department took a report from a 14-year-old boy who said he had been in a sexual relationship with a 46-year-old woman, later identified as Caitlin Rock. According to the WCSD website Rock works at Billinghurst Middle School. Her job description on the site is listed under support staff as Intervention. Detectives with the RPD Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit took over the case and arrested Rock after interviews with her and with the victim. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Reno Police Department's non-emergency line at (775) 334-2188 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900 or secretwitness.com. A spokesperson from the Washoe County School District sent the following statement: The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is appalled by these allegations and has not been privy to the details of the criminal investigation. This alleged behavior is reprehensible and not representative of our employees, schools, or district. Ms. Rock is not currently under contract with WCSD as the contracts for educational support professionals ends today. The district will follow due process proceedings moving forward. WCSD is fully cooperating with the Reno Police Department in its ongoing criminal investigation. As a reminder, anyone with information is urged to contact the Reno Police Departments non-emergency line at (775) 334-2188. They can also contact Secret Witness by calling or texting a tip to (775) 322-4900 or online at this link. The Israel Philharmonic returns to Davies Symphony Hall under the direction of Lahav Shani. This well-loved orchestra will perform works by Tzvi Avni, Max Bruch, Leonard Bernstein, and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for one night only. The Israel Philharmonic is one of Israels oldest and most influential cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1936, the Israel Philharmonic has dedicated itself to presenting the worlds greatest music to audiences in Israel and around the world. Founded by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, the Israel Philharmonic represents the fulfillment of his dream to unite the desire of the country for an orchestra with the desire of the Jewish musicians for a country. Huberman spent countless hours persuading first-chair musicians of Eastern European and German orchestras, who had lost their jobs as a result of Nazism, to immigrate to Palestine. In doing so, Huberman created an orchestra of soloists which continues to act as a dynamic, global community for musicians from across the world. Major soloists and conductors have always performed with the Israel Philharmonic. Martha Argerich, Yefim Bronfman, Leonidas Kavakos, Itzhak Perlman, Kirill Petrenko, Gil Shaham, Sir Andras Schiff and Pinchas Zukerman, among many others, are regular guests of the orchestra. The Israel Philharmonic is Israels premier cultural ambassador and travels extensively throughout the world, particularly to countries where there is little or no Israeli representation. // March 23 at Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); tickets are available at sfsymphony.org. With Substantial Upgrade Upside on upcoming Drilling Significant Maiden JORC Inferred MRE Lithium Resource Sydney, Jan 22, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Patagonia Lithium Ltd ( ASX:PL3 ) is pleased to report a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) statement for its Formentera Lithium Brine Project (the Project) in the Jujuy province of Argentina in the "lithium triangle". The MRE detailed in Table 1 below* includes 173,000 metric tonnes (t) of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) with calculated mean sample values of 461.6 mg/L for lithium (Li), and 945.7 mg/L for magnesium (Mg) were applied as the default values for unestimated High Porosity Salar blocks and calculated mean sample values of 186.4 mg/L for Li, and 729.8 mg/L for Mg were applied as the default values for unestimated Salar blocks in the block model. Lithium grades as high as 1,122 parts per million (ppm) were measured in the subsurface and 580 ppm at 360 m depth in drill hole JAM-24-01 (ASX release 18 June 2024 - "Exceptional results achieved from Well Two at Formentera"). - Significant maiden JORC Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of insitu 3,816,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) based on an insitu lithium metal resource of 717,000 tonnes defined at the Formentera Lithium Brine Project (the Project) in Argentina (lithium metal to lithium carbonate factor is x 5.323). - The 173,000 tonnes of LCE in free flowing and capillary areas (Specific Yield [Sy]) provides a 15 year mine life at 10,000 tonnes a year. - This maiden MRE confirms the Project as a highly strategic lithium asset being substantial in size with further upside targeting other high porosity areas on the salar. - This initial 3.8 million tonne LCE MRE is within a 1,952 hectare (ha) area with high porosity zones close to demonstration plant location. - Further drill holes are targeting upgrades to the MRE in the Cilon concession where sub-surface samples of 1,122 parts per million (ppm) lithium were collected are planned. - Infill drilling, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveying is also planned to upgrade the Resource from an Inferred Resource category. - Of the total MRE, 85.82% of the brine volume is above a 100 ppm lithium (Li) cut-off grade (COG), of which the surface siliciclastics domain comprises 0%, the main salar domain comprises 86.07% above COG, and the high porosity salar domain comprises 100% above COG. - Notably, the average porosity from core samples was higher than the Borehole Magnetic Resonance (BMR) derived values as these were sampled from discrete zones of higher porosity. - Patagonia Lithium Ltd (Patagonia) can now complete the demonstration plant application, to be followed by further drilling at Cilon, and BMR surveys to further upgrade the initial MRE. Phillip Thomas, Executive Chairman commented "We are delighted to announce this robust maiden JORC resource estimate of 3.8 million tonnes LCE, with 717,000 tonnes of lithium metal insitu which confirms our Formentera project as one of the best undeveloped projects in Argentina with superior brine volumes, specific yield (Sy), high porosity and lithium grades. The board will now progress its exploration, application for a demonstration plant, a scoping study and then definitive feasibility study with results from further exploration. This maiden resource exceeds our expectations both in terms of total volume, specific yield (Sy) and also in terms of the high concentration of lithium, leading us to believe Patagonia has a valuable project to be developed. We have the added benefit of proven Ekosolve(TM) DLE (Direct Lithium Extraction) technology that has a short construction time and already proven extraction of more than 92% lithium, minimising pond construction risks with water table damage and K and Mg concentration risks. Considering we have drilled only 4 wells, there is still significant exploration and resource upside potential to expand this resource as we continue to drill out the high porosity zone and the Cilon concession. These results allow Patagonia to proceed to the next stage of our flagship project which is submitting the 1,000 tonne Ekosolve(TM) demonstration plant permit application, drilling exploration well five and planning production wells when the BMR surveys are finished. We are confident we will unlock additional resource and value for our shareholders." *To view the full announcement, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/RJS8KJ61 About Patagonia Lithium Ltd Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX:PL3) owns 100% legal and/or beneficial interest in the share capital in Patagonia Lithium Argentina S.A. Patagonia Lithium Argentina S.A. is a private company registered in and governed by the laws of Argentina. Patagonia Lithium Argentina S.A. was incorporated on 13 June 2022 for the purpose of being the Company's local vehicle for its business operations in Argentina and holding title to the Projects and/or future acquired tenements located in Argentina. Related Companies Jeremy Wallace has covered politics and campaigns for more than 20 years. Before joining the Hearst Texas newspapers in 2017 he covered government and politics for the Tampa Bay Times, The Miami Herald and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Previously he covered Congress for the Boston Globe and Detroit Free-Press. Originally from San Antonio, he attended the University of North Texas and earned his bachelors degree from the University of Missouri. Jeremy also authors the Texas Take with Jeremy Wallace newsletter, where he shares insights from inside the Capitol along with the occasional Willie Nelson reference. You can sign up here. You can follow him on Twitter, @JeremySWallace, or email him at Jeremy.wallace@chron.com. By Weimeng Yeo, Head of Terrorism and Political Violence Analytics, Crisis Management and James Borrie, Head of Terrorism & Political Violence, GB from WTW Threat of Sunni militant extremism The global threat posed by Sunni militant extremists is expected to escalate in 2025, fueled by the destabilizing impact of the humanitarian crises in Gaza and southern Lebanon. These regions are becoming catalysts for radicalization, influencing similar groups worldwide and amplifying the potential for violence. This amplification has already manifested in 2024, with several alarming plots uncovered in Europe. Notably, a high-profile attempt in Vienna targeted a Taylor Swift concert during the summer, underscoring the operational persistence of Sunni militant groups. Leading the list of threat groups is Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), the Afghan branch of the Islamic State (ISIS), which continues to focus on high-profile, mass-casualty attacks. This pattern is expected to persist into 2025. Compounding the threat, groups affiliated with Al-Qaida and ISIS are exploiting new safe havens. For example, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria has left a power vacuum in the country, possibly enabling Sunni militia groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to gain dominance across Syria. This will turn the country into a sanctuary, mirroring past patterns where such nations became breeding grounds for extremist activities. These developments create an environment ripe for growth and expansion, signaling an elevated risk from Sunni militant extremist organizations in the coming year. Escalation of state-sponsored terrorism Geopolitical rivalries are expected to exacerbate the use of state-sponsored terrorism in 2025, with rival nations leveraging violence as a strategic tool. A potential shift in U.S. foreign policyperhaps marked by a more confrontational stance against Irancould trigger a wave of retaliatory attacks orchestrated by Irans proxy networks, such as Hezbollah. These actions may target U.S. facilities, allies, or corporate interests, creating heightened tensions in the Middle East and beyond. Geopolitical rivalries are expected to exacerbate the use of state-sponsored terrorism in 2025, with rival nations leveraging violence as a strategic tool. Russia, another major player in state-sponsored terrorism, continues to operate with impunity. Moscow has a long history of covert operations, including assassinations of dissidents in Europe. In 2024, a particularly brazen incident involved placing explosives on a DHL cargo plane, underscoring Russias willingness to use terrorism as a tool for both intimidation and geopolitical mischief. Technological advancements are also increasing these threats. Cyberwarfare tools enable state proxies to conduct sophisticated and deniable operations, ranging from advanced phishing to more pernicious infrastructure attacks. The rise of authoritarian politics and the weakening of international accountability mechanisms further embolden such states. As state-sponsored terrorism becomes increasingly normalized in global conflicts, its impact on the global terrorism landscape is likely to intensify. Extremism fuels increasing violence In 2025, the primary threat from terrorism is also expected to come from political extremists on both the far-right and far-left, who are increasingly operating in clandestine cells or as 'lone wolves.' These individuals are often harder to detect and prevent due to the decentralized nature of their operations. On the far-right, white nationalist organizations and anti-government militias focus on divisive, symbolic attacks that fracture communities and target vulnerable groups. Their efforts, while not always aiming for high casualties, are intended to instill fear and amplify societal divisions. Far-left extremists, such as those aligned with anarchist or radical environmentalist ideologies, by contrast, often pursue highly targeted attacks against specific individuals or institutions. Their operations frequently involve figures on the political right or entities associated with capitalism, climate change, and inequality. These groups favor tactics such as sabotage, assassinations, or direct action aimed at disrupting businesses and governments. The decentralized nature of these groups makes them harder to track and disrupt. While many attacks may remain small-scale, the risk of escalation particularly as isolated incidents inspire copycat attacks cannot be ignored. Both sides feed off existing political and social tensions, creating a dangerous feedback loop that could lead to more frequent and severe acts of political violence in 2025. Lone actors and new radicalization pathways Lone actors represent one of the most unpredictable and evolving threats in 2025. Recent events, such as the assassination of UnitedHealthcares CEO in New York City, illustrate how societal, financial, and geopolitical upheavals can drive individuals toward radicalization. These factors, combined with the influence of online platforms, are enabling new motivations and ideologies to emerge. The spread of terror tactics has empowered individuals, making it increasingly difficult to track and stop these lone-wolf attacks. Technology has made it easier for lone actors to obtain resources, plans, and even weapons, often without detection. This has led to a more decentralized threat, where attacks are harder to prevent and predict. The spread of terror tactics has empowered individuals, making it increasingly difficult to track and stop these lone-wolf attacks. Radicalization pathways are also diversifying, with issues ranging from environmental grievances to incel ideologies driving individuals toward violent extremism. This ideological shift calls for more nuanced and adaptive counterterrorism strategies that not only focus on prevention but also on understanding the core factors fueling lone-actor threats. Implications for risk management and insurance As the global terrorism landscape evolves, businesses must reassess their risk management strategies. Traditional or conventional policies may no longer cover decentralized threats, lone-actor violence, or state-sponsored operations. Companies need to work closely with insurers to tailor policies that address these emerging risks, including cyberterrorism and politically motivated attacks. Enhanced risk analytics will also be critical. By leveraging intelligence and predictive models, organizations can better anticipate threats and implement proactive measures. Collaboration between businesses and insurers will be essential to maintaining resilience in an increasingly volatile world. Conclusion Terrorism risk in 2025 will be molded by multiple forces, from ideological extremism to geopolitical rivalries, making it critical for businesses to stay ahead of these threats. By adapting risk management strategies and insurance coverage to these emerging challenges, businesses can mitigate losses and ensure resilience. The ability to anticipate and respond to these threats will be critical in navigating the volatile environment ahead. There are green shoots of change being seen in the top order of the English News genre. This genre has seen CNN-News18 being the leader for two years. The second spot has seen a keen tussle between Times Now and Republic TV. However, in the last few weeks, NDTV 24x7 has surged to the claim the No. 2 rank among the English News channels. For the most recent data released by BARC, NDTV 24x7 climbed to No. 2 recording gross AMAs (Average Minute Audience) of 1122,000, placing it ahead of Times Now (1088,000 G AMAs), Republic TV (882,000 G AMAs) and India Today TV (623,000 G AMAs) [Source: BARC | All India | Avg Wk5124-Wk0125 | 22+ | G AMA 000s | 24 Hrs]. Looking at the changing dynamics, Adgully seeks to examine some of the key developments that are having a positive impact on the English News genres growth. Election Bonanza The one major event for the News genre in India in 2024 was the Lok Sabha elections, which generated a lot of interest. While English News genre might have a small share of the overall television universe, channels in this genre made significant inroads with their coverage of the elections as well as their programming around this mega national event. Along with the Hindi News channels, English news channels, including NDTV 24x7, CNN-News 18, India Today TV, among others, provided extensive coverage from all corners of India with an army of on-the-ground reporters. Another feature that increased viewership of English news channels was the use of new tech such as augmented reality, AI, hybrid studios and on-screen graphics to provide a more immersive news experience. This drew the eyeballs of the Gen Z audience base, which usually prefers to consumer news content on digital platforms. Not surprisingly, News genre ad volumes saw 5% rise in Jan-Jun24 compared to Jan-Jun23. Ultratech Cementwas the top brand in the News Genre in H1 of 2024, while Reckitt Benckiser India and Hindustan Unilever retained their 1st & 2nd positions, respectively, during this period. The year 2024 also saw Assembly polls conducted in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, and four other states, which added to the viewership of the News genre. The Content Pivot English news genre has mostly been led by debate-discussions and interview-based programmes, along with new-updates, developing stories, feature reports on key issues. Over time, TV news debates are seen as turning into noisy battlefields, with viewers not being able to get clear and unbiased information. Recognising this, English news channels are bringing changes in their programming strategies. Gradually moving away from acerbic debates, channels are widening base of people who are being invited for discussions, having more international speakers, as well as experts from more diverse fields. Given the audience base of English News channels, international events such as the US Presidential elections, the UK elections, the escalation in Israel-Palestine strife, the geo-political concerns over the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian war, Chinas incursions into its neighbouring countries, and more. Channels like NDTV 24x7, CNN-News18, WION, Times Now, Republic TV, India Today TV have been presenting a far deeper global perspectives into the international developments by inviting a greater array of international speakers. This has resulted in growing viewership for the English news channels, which is helping grow this genre. Diverse Programming It is not all hardcore news that is driving the English News genre. Several channels in this genre have introduced special IPs that are garnering viewership. NDTV 24x7 launched its biggest IP NDTV World Summit, which was held in October 21-22, 2024. The Summit also saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi launch NDTV World, a new home for global news, with the tagline: The World From Where India Stands. The 2024 edition of NDTV Indian of the Year was held on December 6, 2024, celebrating exceptional Indians. NDTV also held the first anniversary of Samarth by Hyundai in collaboration with Hyundai Motor India Ltd. In an initiative to deepen bilateral relations between India and Germany, TV9 Network held its first-ever international conference, the News9 Global Summit, in Stuttgart, Germany, from November 21 to 23, 2024. With the theme India-Germany: A Roadmap to Sustainable Growth, the summit was co-hosted by Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, and supported by the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. ET Nows event calendar was full with IPs such as ET Entrepreneur Summit, Great India Retail Summit, and more. The India Today Conclave, held on March 15-16, 2024 in New Delhi and September 25-26, 2024 in Mumbai brought together Indias political big-wigs, business tycoons, cultural icons and the countrys think tank. The diversity of content has led to a gradual, but consistent growth in viewership that has sustained over the months. The year 2024 began with a major global event World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, which was held from January 15-19. It garnered major coverage from the English News channels in India. January also marked a major religious event this was in India, the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. The year 2025 is beginning with another religious event the once-in-12-years Maha Kumbh Mela, 2025, which begins from today (January 13, 2025). However, given the audience base of English News genre, the Mela itself is not expected to add to the viewership, say industry experts. What is of interest for the English News channels is Donald Trumps inauguration, which took place on January 20, 2025. Trumps second term as US President is being keenly observed and covered by English News channels, given the implications for India. The ongoing World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, which is taking place from January 20 to 24, is also of huge interest to English News channels. It will be interesting to see how English news channels keep up the growth momentum in 2025. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), a leading FMCG company, has acquired the Indian skincare brand Minimalist in a deal valued at approximately $350 million. Under the terms of the agreement, HUL will acquire 90.5% of Minimalist's shares for Rs 2,670 crore (approximately $320 million) in a secondary buyout. Additionally, HUL will invest Rs 45 crore ($5.4 million) in primary funding. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year. The remaining 9.5% stake held by Uprising will be acquired by HUL within two years of the initial acquisition. This acquisition marks one of the largest deals in the Indian direct-to-consumer (D2C) space in recent years. Founded by entrepreneurs Mohit and Rahul Yadav, Minimalist specializes in skincare and haircare products, including serums, toners, and moisturizers. In the last fiscal year, product sales were the sole source of revenue for the brand. The founders will continue to lead Minimalist for the next two years. Minimalist experienced significant growth in FY24, with revenue surging to Rs 347 crore ($42 million) from Rs 184 crore ($22 million) in FY23. Despite increased marketing expenses, profits doubled to Rs 10.83 crore ($1.3 million) in FY24. The company has achieved an annual revenue run rate (ARR) of Rs 500 crore ($60 million) within just four years of operation. Prior to this acquisition, Minimalist had raised $17 million in funding, including a Series A round led by Peak XV. Peak XV holds a 27.9% stake in the company, while co-founders Mohit and Rahul Yadav own 62%. In a previous funding round, Minimalist was valued at Rs 565 crore ($65 million). ICICI Lombard, one of Indias leading general insurance companies, proudly announces that its innovative #GameOfLife campaign has been featured in Impacts Hall of Fame Top 50 Ads of 2024. This annual recognition by Impact, a premier advertising and marketing magazine, celebrates the years most impactful campaigns across industries. The #GameOfLife campaign stands out as one of the few BFSI campaigns on this prestigious list. It has been celebrated for its disruptive, gaming-inspired approach to reimagining insurance communication, a bold departure from traditional industry norms. The campaign blends the thrill of gaming with the realities of lifes uncertainties, presenting insur-ance as an empowering tool to navigate challenges. Anchored by a visually stunning film, it show-cases life as a video game, complete with a dynamic life/power bar that fluctuates based on the protagonists choices. The campaign effectively conveys how ICICI Lombards insurance solutions act as a "power button," safeguarding individuals and ensuring resilience in the face of life's ups and downs. Sheena Kapoor, Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications & CSR, ICICI Lombard, remarked, The inclusion of our #GameOfLife campaign in Impacts Hall of Fame is a proud validation of our efforts to challenge the conventions of insurance marketing. We thank the editorial board and team Impact for the recognition. This campaign is more than just a creative exerciseit is a testament to our commitment to connect with audiences in ways that are relatable, meaningful, and innovative. We sought to engage millennials and Gen Z with an approach that reflects their world, leveraging the universality of gaming to communicate the vital role of insurance. This recognition inspires us to continue exploring bold and boundary-pushing ideas that not only enhance brand affinity but also resonate deeply with our audiences. The campaign has made a profound impact, resonating with audiences across platforms. Since its launch, the #GameOfLife campaign has reached over 150+ million people and garnered more than 45.54 million views across all channels. It has recorded over 120k+ meaningful engagements in a short span, highlighting its success in capturing attention and driving interaction. On YouTube and Meta, the campaign achieved 13+ million views with a remarkable view-through rate of 44%, significantly higher than the industry average of 30%. Social media platforms amplified the campaigns success, delivering over 72+ million impressions and seeing #GameOfLife trend at #1 nationally on X (formerly Twitter), with more than 3,500 retweets. The campaigns innovative narrative has not only driven awareness but also delivered tangible business outcomes. The campaign-landing page witnessed a 36% increase in traffic, and there was a 17% rise in quotes for ICICI Lombards insurance products. This demonstrates the campaigns effectiveness in both engaging audiences and driving meaningful actions, reflecting the strategic integration of creativity and business objectives. Impacts editorial board evaluated thousands of campaigns released in 2024, spanning diverse sec-tors, including FMCG, technology, and retail. The selection process emphasized creativity, narrative strength, and audience resonance. Despite operating in a cluttered advertising environment with lakhs of campaigns and a cumulative industry spend of nearly 1.5 lakh crore, ICICI Lombard made its mark with a limited but strategic investment in media. The #GameOfLife campaign reflects ICICI Lombards commitment to innovation, leveraging gamification to redefine the perception of insurance. It positions the brand as a tech-centric ally that empowers individuals to make healthier choices while staying protected from unforeseen events. This accolade underscores ICICI Lombards dedication to delivering differentiated and meaningful communication that resonates with consumers. The company remains steadfast in its mission to enhance its brand equity through creative, relatable, and forward-thinking initiatives. #ICICILombard #SheenaKapoor #GeneralInsurance #Innovation #Gamification #GameOfLife #HealthInsurance #StayProtected Also Read: ICICI Lombard launches AI-Generated Theme Song 'Jeet Ka Vishvas' to Boost Sales Indonesia's antitrust agency on Tuesday ordered Google to pay a hefty fine of approximately 202 billion rupiah ($12.4 million). This action places Indonesia alongside other countries that are increasingly taking a stand against the tech giant. The antitrust agency found that Google had engaged in unfair business practices related to its Google Play Store payment system. The investigation, launched in 2022, centered on allegations that Google abused its dominant market position by forcing Indonesian app developers to utilize Google Play Billing. This system, which charges fees of up to 30%, was deemed by the agency to be detrimental to developers' earnings. The agency's panel concluded that Google's actions violated Indonesian anti-monopoly laws, significantly impacting developers' revenue and hindering user growth. Google, which holds a commanding 93% market share in Indonesia's rapidly growing digital economy, has contested the ruling and plans to appeal. The company maintains that its current practices support a healthy and competitive app ecosystem. This fine adds to Google's growing list of antitrust penalties. In the past decade, the European Union has imposed fines exceeding 8 billion euros ($8.3 billion) on the tech giant for various anti-competitive practices. Also Read: Gupshup appoints Trisnia Anchali Kardia as Country Head, Indonesia VIRTUE Asia has promoted experienced advertising executive Lesley John to the role of CEO as part of a strategic restructure that enables VIRTUE Asia to accelerate growth across the region. Under Johns leadership VIRTUE Asia, which works with leading global and regional brands including Diageo, Toyota and Shiseido, has enjoyed sustained success, building local and international brands inside culture, expanding its teams in both Singapore and India and earning the agency multiple agency of the year and work awards. She has served as Managing Director of VIRTUE Asia since 2021 and joined from MediaMonks, part of S4 Capital, and has held senior positions at VCCP, Arcade and BBH. As part of the restructure VIRTUE Asia will work independently of VICE Media Group, while collaborating with the VIRTUE Worldwide network on proprietary research and global clients when relevant. Lesley John, CEO, VIRTUE Asia expressed her enthusiasm, This restructure represents an exciting new era for VIRTUE Asia, our people and clients. As we embark on a new chapter, the focus on creative innovation, cultural insight and meaningful partnerships remains unwavering. With greater autonomy and flexibility, our increased agility means we can meet the unique needs of brands across Asia, forge new alliances and tailor our approach to the regions significant opportunities while continuing to deliver the high standards that define VIRTUE. She further added, Im delighted to be leading the teams in Singapore and India as CEO and while our clients will not notice any differences from the agencys management change, we have plans to further invest in growing our team of specialists, underscoring our continued confidence in the regions vast potential. Chris Garbutt, President of VIRTUE Worldwide, said: Lesleys appointment as CEO represents a new beginning for VIRTUE Asia. Operating independently, while maintaining collaborative ties with VIRTUE Worldwide will allow the agency to continue delivering innovative, culturally resonant work that drives real impact for clients. Under Lesleys leadership, I look forward to watching the agency reach new heights and redefine whats possible for brands in Asia. Sumbul Khan, Business Lead India, VIRTUE Asia said, Exciting times for us in India, super chuffed to be a part of VIRTUE Asia. We look forward to having greater agency in the market with respect to strategic partnerships and products, to offer even better solutions to our clients. This is a new chapter for us, and were committed to delivering work that is deeply rooted in culture, creating meaningful connections with brands and their audiences in the region. Also Read: Virtue Worldwide appoints Sumbul Khan as Business Lead, India Market Veer Pahariyas highly awaited debut film, Sky Force, has already captured attention ahead of its grand release this Friday. A perfect Republic Day cinematic tribute, the films trailer has left audiences in awe with its breathtaking visuals, gripping action sequences, and a storyline that delves deep into a historic chapter of Indias armed forces. The film received a monumental boost when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended an exclusive screening in Delhi. Impressed by the storytelling, Singh took to the social media platform X to commend the film, saying: Joined CDS and three service chiefs at the special screening of Sky Force. The film narrates the story of the Indian Air Forces bravery, courage, and sacrifice during the 1965 War. I laud the makers of the film for their efforts. Accompanying his message were photos featuring Singh alongside Akshay Kumar, debutant Veer Pahariya, and producers Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik, along with the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Akshay Kumar responded with gratitude, posting on X: Thank you, Sir. An absolute honour for me and the team of Sky Force that you, the CDS, and the three service chiefs took out time to watch and bless our film. Weve made it with immense pride and gratitude for the courage of our armed forces. Veer Pahariya also shared heartfelt appreciation on Instagram, writing: What an honour! Memories for a lifetime. Thank you, Sir. A Tribute to Heroism and Sacrifice Sky Force chronicles Indias first-ever and most daring airstrike during the 1965 Indo-Pak War, spotlighting the valor of the Indian Air Force. Veer Pahariya plays Air Force Officer T Vijaya, a character inspired by the heroic Squadron Commander Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya, who was posthumously awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his exceptional bravery in the Sargodha mission. The film pays homage to the strategic brilliance and sacrifices of Indias armed forces, delivering a story that is both powerful and patriotic. To further honor the spirit of the film, the team of Sky Force hosted a special screening for National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets in Delhi, facilitated by Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh and the Indian Air Forces Disha Cell. The event saw NCC cadets, the future torchbearers of the armed forces, deeply moved by the films impactful narrative. Many shared emotional reflections post-screening, highlighting the inspiration they drew from the story. Directed by Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur, the film features Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar alongside debutant Veer Pahariya and Sara Ali Khan. Produced by Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande, Amar Kaushik, and Sahil Baber Khan, Sky Force is a dynamic blend of high-octane action and heartfelt patriotism. Governor Greg Abbott, left, listens as Texas Border Czar Mike Banks comments on the potential increase of illegal immigration from Venezuela during a press conference at the DPS Southeast Texas Regional Headquarters in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Texas border czar Mike Banks who oversaw Gov. Greg Abbotts efforts to bus migrants to blue cities and block their entry to the U.S. with buoys and razor wire is now leading the U.S. Border Patrol, according to posts on social media. The U.S. Border Patrol chiefs official X account posted Tuesday that Banks was the agencys 27th leader. With over 20 years of service in the Border Patrol, I am honored to lead this incredible team, the post, attributed to Banks, said. Together, well strengthen partnerships, enhance operations, and embrace innovation to secure our nations borders. Advertisement Article continues below this ad NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 15: Newly arrived asylum seekers wait in a holding area at the Port Authority bus terminal before being sent off to area shelters and hotels on May 15, 2023 in New York City. The historic Roosevelt Hotel in midtown is being prepped to reopen shortly to accommodate an anticipated influx of asylum seekers into New York City. With migrants arriving weekly on buses from Texas and other parts of the country, Mayor Eric Adams' administration is under pressure to find shelter for the thousands of individuals and families looking to start new lives in America. Mayor Adams announced Saturday that the city will utilize the closed hotel to eventually provide as many as 1,000 rooms for migrants. Spencer Platt/Getty Images President Donald Trump has not publicly named Banks to the role and on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website still listed Jason Owens as the Border Patrol chief. The agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment and had not officially announced the change in leadership. I created the first ever Texas Border Czar. He did so well that Trump has now selected him to lead the US Border Patrol, Abbott wrote. We've never had a better partner to secure the border. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Banks described his role in Texas as a go-between between the office of the governor and the various agencies involved in Operation Lone Star, Abbotts $11 billion border security initiative. Banks oversaw the effort as it grew to a multi-agency crackdown. State troopers have arrested thousands of migrants on trespassing and other state charges. Armed soldiers have patrolled the Rio Grande, where they strung miles of razor wire, deployed a wall of buoys and seized a public park in Eagle Pass. And the state bused thousands of migrants to Democratic-led cities. Migrants walk past large buoys being used as a floating border barrier on the Rio Grande Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay/Associated Press Banks previously spent two decades working for the Border Patrol. He last served as the top agent in the Border Patrols Weslaco station. Before that he served as acting deputy chief of operations at the agencys headquarters in D.C. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He has said he left the Border Patrol in 2022 because he disagreed with President Joe Bidens policies, including his decision to end mandatory DNA testing of migrants and to assign more agents to process migrants for release amid a record surge in crossings. He joked that he spent 24 hours in retirement before Abbott called him up to take the job. I get asked daily, How does it feel to have to leave the Border Patrol to be a Border Patrol agent? Banks said in a 2023 interview with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in Austin. Banks will replace Jason Owens, who has led the agency since 2023. Owens previously served as the top agent in the Border Patrols Del Rio sector. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Schbang, one of the leading creative, media, and technology transformation company, is excited to announce the appointment of Dipshika Ravi as its new Digital National Creative Director, West & North. With over 17 years of experience in the advertising industry, Dipshika brings a wealth of expertise in creating compelling stories and cutting-edge campaigns that have shaped some of the most influential brands in the world. In her new role, Dipshika will oversee and enhance the creative vision for Schbangs diverse portfolio. She will lead a talented team of creatives, driving innovation, strategy, and excellence while ensuring that the agencys output resonates deeply with audiences across India and globally. Dipshika's career has been marked by a passion for storytelling and an ability to understand people and cultures, which has helped her craft work that truly connects with audiences. She has been recognized as one of India's Top 40 Creative Leaders and is also recognised as one of the 'Top 40 Under 40' leaders by e4m and Social Samosa, and was also honored as a 'Superwoman' by Social Samosa. Over the years, she has contributed to over 600 digital campaigns for renowned brands such as PepsiCo, Singapore Tourism Board, HDFC Life, MakeMyTrip, Mahindra Auto, Godrej, Kelloggs and Canon and her work has earned over 80 national and international awards. She has also served on multiple global and Indian juries. Her previous roles include working with agencies such as Creativeland Asia, Hungama (a WPP company), iProspect, and LS Digital. Commenting on the appointment, Harshil Karia, Founder, Schbang, said, "We have always prided ourselves on being at the forefront of digital innovation, and I am thrilled to welcome Dipshika to the team. Her expertise will further strengthen our capabilities across clients, enabling us to deliver greater value and help them achieve their goals." Umma Saini, Chief Creative Officer, Schbang expressed, We are super excited to have Dipshika join our team. With her exceptional drive, deep experience, and enterprising spirit we are looking forward to taking Schbang further on an exciting creative journey for our clients and us. Expressing her excitement about the new role, Dipshika said, I have always followed Schbangs work and culture closely for years, and this felt like the natural next step for me. Its wonderful to be part of a culture that thrives on high standards, equal opportunities, and a collaborative spirit where everyone is encouraged to bring their best ideas to the table. I am looking forward to creating some great campaigns that not only bring us awards but also solve bigger brand challenges. Also Read: Schbang strengthens global influence with Addikt acquisition; expands to Europe Sintex, part of one of the Indias fastest growing conglomerate, Welspun World, has announced the appointment of Sudeep Chawla as the Chief Marketing Officer, marking an exciting new chapter in the companys journey towards unparalleled growth and innovation. With nearly two decades of experience in sales and marketing roles at renowned organizations like Cadbury/Mondelez and Pidilite, Sudeep brings a wealth of expertise in brand-building across both B2C and B2B spaces. A passionate storyteller and advocate of marketings transformational impact, Sudeep has a proven track record of driving category creation and strengthening brand equity. Sudeep brings nearly two decades of expertise in sales and marketing. His commitment to nurturing the marketing community is evident through his weekly marketing podcast, his teaching roles at colleges and online platforms, and two impactful TEDx talks on marketings evolving landscape. With his unique blend of strategic thinking and a deep commitment to knowledge-sharing, Sudeep is set to bring fresh perspectives and drive exceptional outcomes in his new role. Expressing his excitement about this new role, Sudeep shared, It is super invigorating to join Sintex at such an opportune time, when it is set to unlock unprecedented growth. I look forward to contributing to the growth trajectory of the Sintex brand and further strengthening efforts at Sintex BAPL as well as Welspun World to continue being a great place to work for current and future employees. Ashish Prasad, CEO of Sintex, warmly welcomed Sudeep, said, I am thrilled to welcome Sudeep to our leadership team as the Chief Marketing Officer at Sintex. His extensive expertise in marketing and brand management, coupled with his passion for customer engagement, will be instrumental in driving our transformation journey of Growth. We look forward to leveraging his skills and experience to elevate our brand and continue delivering exceptional value to our customers and stakeholders. In his new role, Sudeep will spearhead Sintex's marketing strategy, driving brand innovation, enhancing customer engagement, and fostering key strategic partnerships. His appointment underscores Sintexs commitment to fostering a culture of excellence and innovation, ensuring it continues to lead in delivering value-driven solutions for its customers and partners. Also Read: Omkar Bagdekar joins Sintex by Welspun World as Digital Marketing Head As part of its ambitious expansion strategy for 2025, Value 360 Communications, a leading PR and communications firm, has announced the appointment of Archana Hindocha as Head of its Bangalore operations. This strategic move marks the first in a series of key leadership appointments aimed at driving the companys next phase of hypergrowth, geographic expansion, and diversification into new industry practices and capabilities. With over two decades of experience in corporate communications, public relations, and marketing strategy, Archana brings a wealth of expertise to Value 360. Throughout her career, she has successfully led communication strategies for an impressive portfolio of brands across consumer, lifestyle, and technology sectors. Her experience spans working with industry giants such as Wipro Technologies, Bharti AXA General Insurance, Bosch, Dell, and AWS, among others. Archanas deep understanding of business development, marketing, and corporate communications will play a pivotal role in strengthening Value 360's foothold in South India. Speaking on the appointment, Kunal Kishore, Group CEO & Co-Founder and Joint CEO, V360 Group, said, "Value 360 Communications is at a critical inflection point as we prepare to unlock our next phase of accelerated growth. The year 2025 will witness our hypergrowth strategy in action, with a sharp focus on geographical expansion, industry diversification, and capability building. Archanas appointment is a strategic step in this journey, and we are confident that her experience and leadership will drive our Bangalore operations to new heights. Expressing her excitement, Archana Hindocha said, "I am thrilled to join Value 360 Communications at such a transformative time in the company's journey. The firm's vision, client-centric approach, and innovative strategies resonate deeply with my professional values. I look forward to leveraging my experience to contribute to the companys ambitious growth plans and deliver impactful communication solutions for our clients in South India. Value 360 Communications has set the stage for an ambitious 2025, with plans to expand its regional footprint and strengthen its capabilities across various industry verticals. The company's growing clientele includes renowned brands such as Kia India, Tata Motors, Pernod Ricard, Audi India, Mondelez, and EaseMyTrip, among others. With offices across major Indian metros and a commitment to innovation, Value 360 Communications continues to redefine excellence in the PR and communications landscape. Also Read: Value 360 bags INR 10 crore in new contracts in Q1n with marquee brands Jharkhand IAS Officer Pooja Singhal Reinstated After Bail in Money Laundering Case 2 The Jharkhand government has revoked the suspension of IAS officer Pooja Singhal, who was jailed for over two years in connection with a money laundering case. Her reinstatement follows her release on bail granted by a special court on December 7, 2024. Singhal was initially suspended on May 12, 2022, a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested her over alleged corruption in the implementation of MGNREGA, the central governments flagship rural employment scheme. A notification issued by the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Raj Bhasa confirmed that the Suspension Review Committee recommended her reinstatement, effective December 7, 2024. Singhal has been assigned to the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Raj Bhasa. The ED had accused Singhal, who previously served as secretary in the state Mines Department, of laundering money linked to corruption. Her release and subsequent reinstatement have sparked discussions across administrative and political circles. Two Alabama chefs and one beverage professional have been named semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards, one of the food and beverage worlds most prestigious honors. The James Beard Foundation announced its restaurant and chef semifinalists this morning. The semifinalists from Alabama are: Jose Medina Camacho of Adios in Birmingham for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. David Bancroft of Acre in Auburn for Best Chef: South. Arwen Rice of Red or White in Mobile for Best Chef: South. Most categories include 20 semifinalists, and the field will be narrowed to five finalists on April 2. The overall winners will be announced at the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony, which will be held on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Camacho and his business partners Jesus Mendez and Vinh Tran opened Adios in 2022, and two years later, the Spirited Awards named it one of the best cocktail bars in America. Last fall, Camacho and Mendez opened a taqueria, Salud, down the street from Adios. Bancroft, who won the Food Networks Iron Chef Showdown in 2017, was previously a James Beard semifinalist for four consecutive years, from 2016 to 2019. Rice, the executive chef at Red or White, is a semifinalist for the second year in a row. RELATED: Meet the chef whos put Auburn on the restaurant map Elsewhere, Birmingham native Kyle Knall, the chef and co-owner of Birch in Milwaukee, Wis., is a semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest. Knall previously worked with Frank Stitt at Chez Fonfon in Birmingham. Also, McMomb, Miss., native Austin Sumrall, who began his culinary career in Birmingham working for Chris Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish Club, is a semifinalist, along with his wife, Tresse Sumrall, for Best Chef: South. The Sumralls co-own White Pillars restaurant in Biloxi, Miss. Named for the celebrated chef, cookbook author and television personality whom the New York Times called the dean of American cookery, the James Beard Awards were first presented in 1991 and have become known as the Oscars of the food world. Previous James Beard Award winners from Alabama include: Adam Evans, Automatic Seafood and Oysters, Birmingham, Best Chef: South, 2022. Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Outstanding Restaurant, 2018. Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Outstanding Pastry Chef, 2018. Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Best Chef: South, 2012. The Bright Star, Bessemer, Americas Classic, 2010. Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar and Grill, Best Chef: Southeast, 2001; named to the James Beard Foundations Whos Who of Food & Beverage in America, 2011. For the complete list of this years James Beard Awards semifinalists, go here. Fourth grade science teacher Paul Obakpolo during a tour of Benavidez Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer State lawmakers are considering spending billions in the next biennium on private school vouchers, teacher pay raises, property tax cuts and border security. Thats according to initial draft budgets released on Wednesday by the Texas House and Senate, giving early glimpses of each chambers priorities for the legislative session. The Senates draft budget, authored by Senate Finance Chair Joan Huffman, would extend property tax cuts passed in previous sessions and increase the homestead exemption by $40,000 for most homeowners, up from $100,000, meaning they could shave that added amount from the total taxable value of their homes. The House budget draft, written by Rep. Greg Bonnen, who chaired the appropriations committee last session, puts slightly less toward property tax relief, just over $26 billion total compared to the Senates $32 billion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Under the Senate proposal, teachers across the state would see a $4,000 pay bump, and teachers in rural areas would see a $10,000 increase. The school voucher program which Gov. Greg Abbott has said is his top priority would be funded at $1 billion in both the House and Senate proposals, double the amount lawmakers considered last session. Students attend class in a t-building at Cornelius Elementary School in Houston, TX on September 25, 2024. The school was built in 1960 and has 30 T-Buildings that are 40 years old and in disrepair. HISD is planning to add on to the existing school and eliminate the t-buildings. Sharon Steinmann Both GOP-led chambers intend to spend $6.5 billion "to maintain current border security operations," according to Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate. Thats down from the roughly $8 billion lawmakers allocated in 2023. Texas officials have said they expect the Trump administration to contribute to border security. Abbott said late last year that Texas could consider" allocating its border funding to other priorities with Donald Trump returning to the White House. Each of the chambers budget items for the 20262027 biennium are contingent upon separate enacting legislation. Last session, for example, lawmakers had originally set aside $4.5 billion for public school funding and a private school voucher program, only to leave it by the wayside when they couldnt reach agreement on a voucher program. That unallocated funding from last session contributed to a $24 billion budget surplus available to lawmakers this session, Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Texas must prioritize one-time spending of our surplus, Patrick said in a statement on Wednesday announcing the Senate budget bill. The draft budgets include several other priorities. As the state confronts growing water scarcity and aging infrastructure, both chambers have suggested allocating $2.5 billion to water infrastructure and supply projects. In 2023, voters approved a $1 billion one-time appropriation to the newly created Texas Water Fund. State Sen. Charles Perry, a Republican from Lubbock, has suggested creating a dedicated revenue source for water through a carve-out of tax revenue. According to Hegar, lawmakers have $194.6 billion in funds available for general-purpose spending this session. Lawmakers cant spend more money than they expect to bring in. The House plan stays well within that limit, allocating $154.1 billion in general revenue spending. How did Slapout, Ala., get its odd name? Did someone really burn corn in Burnt Corn? Just who was Phil Campbell? We looked up the backstories to how some of the states most unusual town names came to be. In some cases, unusual events led to the naming of a town, such as a postal typo. Some were named after humorous incidents that occurred in pioneer days. Still others seem to have fairly simple explanations. Here are the stories some fact and some fiction behind 15 town names. Arab Town Hall in Alabama.Courtesy of City of Arab Arab People are often surprised to learn the name of this Marshall County town is pronounced Ay-rab rather than Air-ub. It all started with a tiny misunderstanding at the post office. When city officials submitted the name to the U.S. Postal Service in 1882, they submitted Arad after Arad Thompson, son of early settler and first postmaster Stephen Tuttle Thompson. Arad is used in the Bible as the name of a man and a town and is pronounced Ay-rad. So when the postal service accidentally listed the town as Arab, it was from then on pronounced Ay-rab. A sign on the Bacon Level community of Randolph County. (Contributed by Lt. Paul Swisher, retired) bnbn Bacon Level Bacon Level, located in Randolph County, was named in pioneer days, according to retired Lt. Paul Swisher of Roanoke. He said: Local story has it that some pioneer travelers, circa 1800, had their camp robbed and provisions were taken. They were told there were some outlaws up the way, where the trail leveled out. Sure enough they found their missing bacon at the level spot, hence the name Bacon Level. Burnt Corn, Ala. (Wil Elrick) Burnt Corn Burnt Corn is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, located at a crossroads near the source of Burnt Corn Creek and the intersection of two historic Native American trading paths. The town and the creek may have been named for an incident in which passersby found a pile of parched corn, a food used by Creek Indians. However, others believe the name derives from either Indians who burned settlers' crops, or vice versa. Water tower in Eclectic, Ala. Eclectic Eclectic in Elmore County, Ala., has been mentioned on numerous lists of strange place names. Although many people assume it is named for the word eclectic, the town was actually named for the field of eclectic medicine, an outdated branch of alternative medicine that made use of herbal treatments and physical therapy. It was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Dr. M.L. Fielder, a practitioner of eclectic medicine, founded the community in the late 1800s. Historical marker in Flomaton, Ala.Kelly Kazek Flomaton This Escambia County town of about 1,400 people is located on the Alabama-Florida border and gets its name by combining Florida, Alabama and town. It was initially settled in 1869 as a railway town and was incorporated in 1908. Sign in Frisco City, Ala.Birmingham News File Photo Frisco City Frisco City in Monroe County was initially incorporated in 1909 under Jones Mill, named for the owner of the local grist mill. In 1928, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad brought a rail line to the town and the happy townspeople named the little town as an homage to San Francisco. Lick Skillet Auction and Pizza Barn in 2010.Huntsville Times File Photo Lick Skillet Sometimes written Lickskillet, this community near Hazel Green in Madison County is at the intersection of Butter and Egg Road and Charity Lane. According to a 2010 story on AL.com, the community got its name from a brawl. Bill Malone of Fayetteville, Tenn., said his uncle, Hut Malone, got into a fight inside the general store at the crossroads. Suddenly, he grabbed a skillet that was in the store and struck his opponent on the head, ending the fight. The community was from then on known as Lick Skillet because Malone licked his opponent with a skillet. Phil Campbells from around the world gathered in Phil Campbell, Ala., for the 2010 "I'm With Phil" convention.Birmingham News File Photo Phil Campbell This Franklin County town was settled as a work camp in the 1880s by a railroad engineer named Phillip Campbell. Local lore says a wealthy businessman promised Campbell he would name the budding town for him if he would build a depot. It was once the only town in Alabama named using a persons first and surname, until the town of Susan Moore was incorporated in 1982. In June 1995, Phil Campbell hosted its first convention for people with the same name: 22 Phil Campbells and one Phyllis Campbell attended. Historical marker in Pine Apple, Ala.Birmingham News File Photo Pine Apple This Wilcox County town was settled in 1825 as Friendship. In 1852, it was renamed in honor of the areas pine and apple groves. Pike Road Consolidated School. Pike Road Pike Road was an unincorporated community from 1815 until 1997, when it was incorporated. The towns website says, by the early twentieth century, a booming small town had grown up at the intersection of Pike Road and Meriwether Road. (Pike Road, of course, was so-called because one had to pay a toll, or pike, to travel on it.) The crossroads community was referred to as the Pike Road community because of its location on the heavily traveled highway. Businesses located at the intersection included cotton gins, a hardware store, a livestock auction house, post office and a general store, the website says. Local Joe's Trading Post in Rainbow City.Birmingham News File Photo Rainbow City This Etowah County city is named for a highway. U.S. Highway 411 is also called Rainbow Drive, and it runs through the middle of the city. However, some locals say the town was named after the 42nd Infantry Division, which is known as the Rainbow Division. Produce stand in Slapout, Ala.Kelly Kazek Slapout According to lore, this Elmore County community got its name from the 1920s-era general store, which was typically slap out of many staples. When quizzed about his stock, the owner would respond simply, Im slap out. Smut Eye Grocery. bn Smut Eye This community in Bullock County got its name from a blacksmiths shop, according to a 1999 article in The Montgomery Advertiser. The blacksmith served a homemade ale that the local women called the devils brew. The men of the town would stand around the fire to talk and drink moonshine, leaving with their faces smudged with the exception of their eyes. The wives would know what their men had been up to and soon began calling the shop, and later the community, Smuteye. This 1982 photo shows a road in Susan Moore, Ala.Birmingham News File Photo Susan Moore This Blount County town was called Clarence when it was settled by the Robert M. Moore family in about 1865. In 1923, a new high school was built and named Susan Moore after the mother of the men who donated money to build it. Over time, people referred to the entire town as Susan Moore. However, it wasnt officially renamed until 1982, when the town was incorporated. Zip City, Ala., on a map.Google Maps Zip City The Lauderdale County town of Zip City was settled in 1817. According to one legend, it was renamed in the 1920s, all because of liquor runs. Florence was a dry town so residents would drive to the Alabama-Tennessee line, where it was legal. Legend says the name comes from the fact that cars zipped along the road. Many Alabama doctors are pausing the use of a popular antibiotic following a recent warning issued by the states public health department. According to the release, the department is investigating eleven reports of potential adverse events after injections of ceftriaxone, otherwise known as Rocephin, that have occurred throughout the state in the last few months. The drug is used to treat bacterial infections like E. coli, pneumonia, or meningitis and is also used to prevent infection in people having certain types of surgery, according to the FDA website. Some of the cases reviewed showed signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, including hives, pruritis [itchy skin], hypotension, and hypoxia [low oxygen], the release said. The health department said all such cases have been successfully treated. Persons investigated have had a variety of comorbid conditions and no specific causal link between ceftriaxone and these reactions has been identified at this time, the release reads. Out of an abundance of caution, ADPH will continue to collaborate with healthcare partners to investigate the possibility of epidemiologic links between these events or in connection to receipt of injections of this antibiotic, related diluting substances, or steroid medications often administered in conjunction with antibiotics in healthcare setting. Although the release did not specify where the adverse reactions had been reported, several clinics in north Alabama have issued alerts about pausing use of the drug. Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Mobile medical centers have not issued any alerts as of 10 a.m. The ADPH release added that while this investigation is ongoing, it is important to keep in mind that, as with any injectable antibiotic, allergic reactions can occur, and measure should be taken to monitor and respond appropriately to such reactions. Cephalosporins, such as ceftriaxone, can cause allergic reaction between 0.5% to 2.5% of patients. The department advised healthcare providers to report potential adverse events related to ceftriaxone at https://redcap.link/AdverseEventReport or to the FDA at MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program | FDA. Alabama has seen more of its residents die since 2020 than the number of newborns welcomed into the states families over that same period. And while the states population has continued to grow each year due to migration into Alabama, its a worrisome statistic at a time when the states policy makers are already concerned about the number of Alabamians who are not working, and the ability of new industry to fill jobs. That can prove to be a real economic challenge, said former State Sen. Greg Reed, who is advising Gov. Kay Ivey on workforce participation numbers. To be fair, a declining birth rate isnt a problem faced solely by Alabama. Demographers and statisticians are seeing birth numbers globally plummeting in developing countries, and the effects are already being felt in parts of Europe. Last year, the world population passed the 8 billion mark, so it wouldnt seem to be much of an issue right now. But according to research, the global fertility rate has more than halved over the past 75 years, when around five children were being born to each female in 1950. That number was 2.2 children in 2021. More than half the countries of the world were below the population replacement level of 2.1 births per female, as of 2021. Demographers say that nationally, deaths will overtake births in the U.S. by the year 2040. But Alabama is already there. Dr. Nyesha Black, the director of demographics at the University of Alabamas Center for Business and Economic Research, broke that news earlier this month, to the surprise of some, at the Alabama Economic Outlook Conference. People used to say in politics, Its the economy, stupid, Black said. Now they can say, Its the demography, stupid. Deaths have exceeded births in Alabama since 2020.University of Alabama To understand the problem, lets go back to 1990, when Alabama saw more than 63,000 babies born, and recorded more than 39,000 deaths. That means the states population increased naturally by more than 24,000. Births continued to rise as late as 2009, when Alabama had more than 64,000 births, a statistical high during that period. But deaths began to rise in the years after, with Alabama recording more than 50,000 deaths by 2013. The turning point was 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Alabama had 57,643 births, but 64,779 deaths. The following year saw the trend continue, when the state saw almost 11,000 more people die than were born. The trend has continued every year since. More people have died than have been born in Alabama since 2020.University of Alabama The pandemic was the tipping point, Black said. Before the pandemic, deaths were increasing about 1.1% a year. The flip (to more deaths than births) happened about five to 10 years earlier than it would have otherwise. Alabamas population exceeded 5 million in 2020, with the census last year estimating 5,157,699 people calling the Yellowhammer State home. That means the state is making up the difference due to people moving in. That number is also in keeping with a trend throughout the South, according to the Federal Reserve. The Southeast has grown 0.2 percentage points per year faster than the rest of the U.S. in economic performance numbers, including population. And since 2020, the region has doubled the number of people coming, largely due to quality of life and cost of living. But the falling number of births is an issue that will have some effect on Alabamas ability to attract industry in the future, former Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said. More people have died than have been born in Alabama since 2020.University of Alabama Weve definitely got to get more people participating in the labor force, Canfield said. Our population is a little older. Weve got a population over the age of 65 that I think is higher than most of our peer Southern states. According to the census, Alabamas percentage of the population over the age of 65 is 17.8%. A study by Lending Tree last year found that Alabama ranked third among the states where people were least likely to work past retirement age. Why? Because of the aforementioned low cost of living and quality of life. Reed, along with other state officials, is working to get Alabamas workforce numbers higher. Alabamas labor force participation rate for November remained unchanged at 57.6%, lower than the national rate at 62.5% and among the lowest in the nation. The rate is the percentage of people in the working-age population who are employed or seeking jobs. Black said the aging population may explain why that number is so low. You hear, People just need to work, there are jobs out there, she said. The reality though is that when those (workforce participation) numbers were good, you had a generation of baby boomers out there who were of working age engaged in the labor market. What is driving the declines is that our labor force is an aging population. About 70% of the decline in labor force participation is due to aging, not the economic behavior of people simply not working. Huntsville's Mazda-Toyota plant in a 2021 aerial photo. (Marty Sellers | sellersphoto.com) Companies have still had problems throughout the South satisfying labor needs. Seven years ago, when Mazda-Toyota decided to build its auto plant in Huntsville, it set an ambitious goal of filling 4,000 jobs. Ambitious, that is, given the number of expanding industries already locating in the Huntsville area and those labor participation numbers. It was an issue, and we knew it was going to be an issue, Canfield said. It took a lot of effort and collaboration with Mazda-Toyota, the state, our entire workforce programming, and locally. Huntsville really rose to the challenge. For the moment jobs are continuing to fill statewide. Companies locating South are seeing a larger number of retirees seeking jobs, while workers aged 25 to 54 are attached to gig economy jobs that offer greater time and office flexibility. But you might ask - why is the birth rate declining? And why should we care if it is? Lets take the second question first: As stated above, a nations fertility rate has to be at least 2.1 children per woman to keep a population steady. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the birth rate has dropped in the U.S. to 1.6 births per woman. And thats across many demographic categories: births are declining among teenagers, among the educated, lower and upper income, and in categories historically associated with higher birth rates, such as Hispanics, according to Pew Research. There is some good news. Alabama was 49th among the states in the rate of decline in its birth rate from 2001 to 2020, checking in at a decline of 5.5%. As to why fewer people are being born, there are several suggested reasons by researchers - women are marrying later in life, and couples are choosing career over childrearing in their 20s, meaning fewer children can be born. The cost of raising a child can be a factor for low-income families, while more affluent people may opt to spend their time and money on themselves. Fewer teenagers are reporting having sex. Alabama is no longer a primarily agrarian economy, where big families tend to split the farm work. Some researchers have even blamed falling birth rates on the rise of social media. If people are online more, they contend, thats less time they could be spending making other people. But we should care about a declining birth rate for several reasons. As Politico reports, Social Security could face serious shortfalls if there arent enough workers paying into the system on a consistent basis. Fewer workers mean fewer people paying taxes, which could impact national and state budgets. Beyond simply filling jobs, theres also the potential effect on certain sectors of society. Colleges have wondered for years about the potential for falling enrollment numbers. Its an issue that has garnered a name - the demographic cliff. Falling birth rates potentially mean smaller enrollments, less money coming in, and less qualified workers for high-quality jobs. Fewer births became an issue during the 2024 presidential campaign, when Vice President J.D. Vance called a falling birth rate a profoundly dangerous and destabilizing thing. In addition, relying more on older workers opens up other problems for industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, points out that research is inconclusive as to whether age affects productivity. An aging workforce also means higher costs with insurance and other associated expenses. But as Black pointed out, these numbers arent just numbers; they reflect individual choices that will have long-term social, political and economic implications in communities across Alabama for generations to come. Each of these numbers is a person, she said. A previous version of this story mentioned research by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center which showed falling enrollments, but the center this week corrected its research to show higher enrollment numbers. An Alabama man pleaded guilty to money laundering tied to a Nigeria-based sextortion scheme that led to a Michigan teens death by suicide. Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, is among five U.S. residents linked to the scheme. He will be sentenced April 24 by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids. Sextortionists convinced boys and young men to create nude images then blackmailed them to send money. The payments were made through online cash applications. The indictment said the five U.S. men collected proceeds from sextortion through online payment systems. The alleged money launderers would keep about 20 percent, convert the rest to bitcoin and send it to Nigeria, federal prosecutors said. The plea agreement said Robinson agreed to forfeit $56,672.36, which represents his proceeds. He admitted that he laundered money to obscure the identities of those involved in sextortion. Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, both of Lagos, Nigeria, were earlier sentenced by Jonker to 17 years in prison for conspiracy to sexually exploit minors. Jordan DeMay, a high school student in Marquette, Michigan, died by suicide after he was sexually exploited by the brothers, federal prosecutors said. The brothers had targeted over 100 others, including at least 11 minors, prosecutors said. The FBI and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria investigated the case. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Sixteen armed sheriffs deputies lined a Jefferson County courtroom Wednesday as an accused mass killer and two other capital murder suspects appeared before a judge. A trained police K-9 sniffed and cleared the courtroom before anyone entered, and everyone who attended the hearing had to show their drivers license before going inside, and sign their name to a legal pad. The defendants, Damien McDaniel II, Larry Rollins and Charles Nance each wore bullet-proof vests and shackles at their hands and feet. The show of force, according to their lawyers, was not only excessive but could prejudice their right to a fair trial. The mere fact that my client is charged with a capital offense is not, in my opinion, sufficient to require this many law enforcement officers without the defense being at least allowed to know if threats have been made, said John Lentine, who represents Rollins. It gives the impression, and you have all the media here, it gives the impression that hes somehow a dangerous person, said John Robbins, who represents McDaniel on 11 murder cases, 10 of them capital murder. Hes only been charged, not convicted. Robbins said potential jurors could see the media coverage. I think its a show, showing this person is dangerous, Robbins said. Is it because this is a high-profile case, or have there been threats made on his life from family members and friends? At least 40 family members packed into Wednesdays hearing. Damien Laron McDaniel III, 22, speaks with his appointed lawyer, John Robbins, during a Jan. 22, 2025, arraignment in a Jefferson County courtroom.(Carol Robinson) McDaniel is also charged with 30 other shooting charges in alleged crimes between July and September in Birmingham, including two mass shootings. Rollins is charged with drug trafficking, and with capital murder in the Sept. 22 ambush killing of a Jamarcus McIntyre, whose robbery and shooting was captured on home surveillance camera. Rollins and McDaniel are among five people charged in McIntyres murder, and text messages between them show McDaniel and two others allegedly waited for the victim for nearly two hours before gunning him down. Nance is charged with capital murder in the Aug. 13 slaying of Charlie Herbert Moore, 61, who was shot to death inside his Birmingham home. Police say the shooter or shooters were actually looking for someone else. Authorities contend Nance provided the intended victim or victims names and address to McDaniel. Nance was arraigned Wednesday and is represented by attorney Emory Anthony. Lentine previously expressed concern about the show of force when all of the defendants were in court earlier this month. Larry Denzel Rollins(Jefferson County Jail) He said Circuit Judge Shanta Craig Owens told him during that hearing something to the effect of he better get used to it, referring to the additional security and he broached that in court on Wednesday. My concern is how the court said I should get used to it, Lenine said. Im not going to get used to it. Owens stopped Lentine. Now Im going to let you argue but Im not going to let you be disrespectful, the judge said. Have a seat for just a minute and I want you to gather your thoughts. I want you to represent your client to the fullest extent, just like I want the state of Alabama to be able to do their job. But I want everyone here to retain dignity and respect and I will do that for your client, Owens said. What I will require is that everybody who addresses me will be respectful. Lentine said while courtroom security is up to a judges discretion, the U.S. Supreme Court said it should not infringe on his constitutional rights. He also said Rollins should not be made to wear a bullet-proof vest and said he has repeatedly asked if there was a threat against him but has not received an answer. Unless theres some showing that theres been a credible threat to his life, which I dont think there has been nor do I feel like his life is in danger given that we have a quarter of the Jefferson County sheriffs deputies in this room right now, he said. The lawyer asked for permission to take pictures of the deputies in the courtroom and Owens denied the request. The judge said the safety precautions were for everyones well-being. The court is wanting to make sure that Mr. Rollins is safe and I, absolutely, will make sure Mr. Rollins will have a fair trial, Owens said. Its important for me that he remain safe, that the public remain safe, and that you the lawyers remain safe, she said. This case has been highly publicized due to the violent nature of what has taken placeit is the courts opinion that this is what is needed for these cases when they come to trial. It is for the safety of everyone. Owens said Rollins would be allowed to wear something other than a jail jumpsuit to court, and said she was fine with him not wearing body armor if thats something jail officials felt was safe for him to do. Rollins attorneys are still seeking bond for him, but so far that has been denied. Lentine previously said his client was being demonized. Rollins in April was found not guilty in the May 2, 2021 killing of 27-year-old Hoover father Eric Tyler Sledge Jr. That fatal shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. that Sunday in the 1100 block of 20th Street South. Sledge was found unresponsive in the middle of the roadway. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police at the time said the deadly shooting stemmed from an altercation inside an establishment that then spilled over to outside. Slain Birmingham firefighter Jordan Melton was a witness to Sledges killing and was set to be called to testify in Rollins trial, however Melton was gunned down last year in a targeted shooting at Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services Station 9. Also critically injured in the shooting was Lt. Jamal Jones. No one has been charged in Meltons death. The Alabama Department of Transportation is urging drivers to exercise extreme caution Wednesday morning with dangerous black ice possible on state roadways. Black ice is a thin, invisible layer of ice that can make driving conditions extremely treacherous, increasing the risk of crashes. ALDOT said its crews will be working to clear snow and apply de-icing agents to bridges and roadways, but icy patches may remain on seemingly passable surfaces. 59 1 / 59 Rare south Alabama snow Jan. 21, 2025 The agency offered the following tips for Alabama drivers: Avoid travel until conditions improve: Once winter precipitation begins, ALDOT urges motorists to avoid travel during adverse weather and roadway conditions. Slow down: Reduce your speed and increase your following distance, allowing extra room to stop. Plan additional travel time to reach your destination. Be aware of black ice: Bridges and overpasses are particularly susceptible to black ice. Avoid sudden braking and steering: These actions can cause your vehicle to lose control. Turn on your headlights: This will make your vehicle more visible to other drivers. Avoid using cruise control on icy roads: This can cause you to lose control of your vehicle if you hydroplane. Watch for workers: Be aware of emergency personnel and crews treating and clearing roadways. Move crashed vehicles: In the event of a minor crash, safely move vehicles off the roadway if possible, to maintain access for first responders and treatment crews. Do not abandon vehicles in travel lanes. Stay in cleared lanes: Stay in the lane visibily cleared of snow. Motorists were encouraged to stay informed about road conditions and visit ALDOTNews, ALGOTraffic.com or download the ALGO Traffic app, as well as follow ALGO Traffic on X and ALDOT on Facebook. Follow regional operation accounts on X for more local information: Senators weighing the confirmation of President Donald Trumps Pentagon nominee, Pete Hegseth, have received a fresh spate of allegations from a former family member and self-described confidante of Hegseths ex-wife. In an eight-page sworn affidavit obtained by The Washington Post, Hegseths former sister-in-law Danielle Hegseth described her ex-brother-in-law as a man with a drinking problem who was prone to aggressive outbursts and racist remarks, and who behaved abusively toward his second ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth. The allegations were first reported by NBC News. Pete Hegseth is a former Fox News personality whose controversial nomination to run the Defense Department has been mired in allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual and financial misconduct, including reports that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. Samantha Hegseth, with whom Pete Hegseth shares custody of the couples three children, could not be reached for comment. There was no physical abuse in my marriage, she told NBC. Tim Parlatore, Pete Hegseths attorney, denied the allegations. Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse, she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview, he told The Post. Belated claims by Danielle Hegseth, whom Parlatore called an anti-Trump far left Democrat who never got along with the Hegseth family, do not change that, he said. Parlatore described Danielles divorce from Pete Hegseths brother Nathaniel in 2018 as acrimonious and alleged she has had an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family. Leita Walker, an attorney representing Danielle Hegseth, told The Post that Danielle will not be commenting beyond her statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which required much courage. Danielle Hegseth said in the affidavit that she approached the Senate committee after conveying the same information to the FBI in late December. She said she was unsure whether the FBI had included the information in its background report on Pete Hegseth, which the bureau delivered last week to the leaders of the committee. FBI officials did not include Danielles testimony in their briefing to committee leaders, a person with knowledge of the briefing said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a classified briefing. The committee approved Pete Hegseths nomination on Monday in a 14-13 vote along party lines, after Democrats mounted fierce opposition during his confirmation hearing last week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) on Tuesday evening advanced Senate procedure toward a vote on Hegseth later in the week. Senate Democratic aides suggested Tuesday that the new allegations in the affidavit could move some Republican senators to vote against him, sinking his nomination. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the GOP whip, called the affidavit a desperate attempt to sidetrack Hegseths nomination by the left because they know we have the votes to confirm. Hegseth is not expected to garner any Democratic votes and can afford to lose only three Republican votes in the GOP-controlled Senate. At least three Republicans have not publicly said whether they will support him. According to Danielle Hegseths affidavit, Samantha was so afraid of her then-husband that she once hid in a closet from him and, in another instance, texted a code word to Danielle to request help. The affidavit alleges that Pete Hegseth in 2009 yelled drunkenly at Danielle, following her angrily out of a room in one instance and berating her until someone else intervened. On numerous occasions, Hegseth drank so heavily that he passed out and had to be carried away, the affidavit alleges, echoing anonymous claims made in news reports by Hegseths former colleagues at Fox News and two veterans organizations. In the affidavit, Danielle also describes hearing Hegseth make racist and disparaging comments about Mexicans, Muslims and women, the latter of whom he purportedly saw as subordinate to men. Hegseth impregnated a Fox News co-worker, Jennifer Rauchet, who is now his third wife, when he was still married to Samantha. In October 2017, a few months after his child was born to Jennifer, a woman accused him of sexual assault at a political conference in Monterey, California. Hegseth told Monterey police investigators that the encounter was consensual. He did not face charges. Hegseth has acknowledged paying his accuser an undisclosed sum to put the allegation to rest, and the woman has not commented publicly. Senate Democrats expressed frustration this month when they learned that the FBI had not interviewed Hegseths accuser as part of its background investigation. The young Fairfield man charged with killing 11 people and wounding 29 others in just a span of several months in Birmingham on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to his alleged crimes. If found guilty of those 11 homicides, Damien Laron McDaniel III is to blame for 7.3% of all of Birminghams 2024 murders. Without the lives lost by his alleged actions, Birmingham would have ended the year without breaking its record for homicides set in 1933. The 22-year-old went before Judge Shanta Craig Owens wearing shackles and a protective vest. A police dog swept the courtroom before the hearing, and 16 armed officers were stationed throughout the courtroom. The arraignment, previously postponed because he had to be appointed new lawyers, was held in the courthouses lower-level courtroom to accommodate the large number of victims families, many of whom were prevented from attending the last hearing because of courtroom capacity. McDaniel is charged with multiple counts of capital murder in the deaths of four people each in two separate mass shootings. He is also charged with capital murder in two other killings, and murder in yet another homicide. He was arraigned on all of the homicide cases Wednesday, and waived arraignment on 30 other shooting charges in which 29 people were actually wounded. McDaniel is represented by veteran attorney John Robbins, who said he has assembled a team of five other lawyers to work with him on McDaniels defense. Were putting together a very good team to handle the defense, and we want to make sure this process is fair and that we protect his rights,' Robbins said. I dont know anything other than the charges. I dont know what the evidence is. Robbins said McDaniel has told him hes not guilty. When I met with him, he said hes not guilty,' he said. We didnt get into any specifics about the case because I dont know anything other than the charges and theres a lot of charges. Robbins said hes eager to see the states evidence against McDaniel. I know theres a lot of pressure in the community to prosecute this case,' he said. The actual event was horrific, and we feel for the victims and their families. We understand they want someone prosecuted. If you sit down and talk to (McDaniel), hes a very gentle, kind person,' Robbins said. The Damien that I first met, and granted Ive only met him in this case, but that Damien doesnt fit the mold of someone who would do these types of crimes. Damien Laron McDaniel III(Jefferson County Jail) Heres a look at McDaniels cases: McDaniel, police have previously confirmed, is also suspected in other unsolved homicides, police confirmed. When we announced his arrest for additional homicides aside from the Hush shooting, we announced that in working with the Jefferson County Districts Office and going over the impact that Damien McDaniel as well as the other suspects had in our community, they were responsible for up to 30 percent of all homicides from July to September, Officer Truman Fitzgerald previously said. Investigators have previously said some of the killings in which McDaniel is charged were likely hits. Who paid for the killings and why have not have been revealed. Who is Damien McDaniel? What little is publicly known about McDaniels past comes from court records, news reports and a short interview he gave in a YouTube documentary about Birmingham violence. McDaniel, then 17, was arrested at Fairfield High School for an October 2019 case in which two people were shot at in Fairfield. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023, to two counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison with two years to serve followed by three years of probation. The week before Birmingham police announced McDaniels arrest in the Hush massacre, Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff Chief Assistant District Attorney Lane Tolbert filed a motion to revoke McDaniels probation in the 2019 attempted murder cases. McDaniel, prosecutors contended, violated his probation terms by engaging in injurious and vicious habits. He was recorded on social media brandishing firearms at least nine times between April 1, 2024, through Oct. 1. His probation was revoked on Dec. 12. There has been criticism about the sentence and probation on the Fairfield cases which put McDaniel back on the streets. Tolbert said they were fortunate to obtain a conviction by way of McDaniels guilty plea -- and the 15 year split sentence of time served awaiting trial and probation. Prosecutors, he said, had no one who was willing to come forward with information. When you have no witness cooperation, like in most of his cases, because of fear probably, we were lucky to get that, Tolbert said. He wasnt released early,' Tolbert said. He got what he got because no one was willing to cooperate. McDaniel had at least a half-dozen arrests as a juvenile which were either dismissed or ended with him being given probation. Those charges ranged from being a juvenile in possession of a gun to giving false information to police. In 2021, he was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office on an attempted murder charge, but he would later tell investigators the grand jury did not indict him. He was also arrested by Vestavia Hills police on charges of trafficking cocaine, heroin and meth. The disposition of those charges was not available. McDaniel is the father of two children who were last known to live in Georgia. He described his relationship with his children to investigators as poor. McDaniels own father, 43-year-old Damien Laron McDaniel Jr., is in federal prison in Kentucky. He was sentenced to 26 years in 2013 for trafficking cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. His fathers arrest in that case came after a six-hour standoff with U.S. Marshals in Adamsville. The older McDaniel was described in news reports as a former leader of the Bloods gang in the Fairfield area. When McDaniel III was 5-years-old, his father was charged with the fatal 2007 shooting death of 23-year-old Cedric Burch in Fairfield two months after McDaniel Jr. and others allegedly poured gasoline on Burch and set him on fire. At the time of that homicide, McDaniel Jr. was out on bond for shooting Burchs brother and had already served at least part of a 10 year sentence for possessing cocaine. The case was nol prossed, and Damien McDaniel Jr. never went to trial for the slaying. His son was a few months shy of his 12th birthday when McDaniel Jr. received the 26 year sentence. Damien McDaniel Jr. is scheduled to be released in 2037, according to the federal prison system. The younger McDaniel previously worked at a Walmart, but that job ended with his 2019 cases. He attended Fairfield High Preparatory School until his junior year, leaving in 2019 when he was arrested. During his time in high school, he had been suspended for fighting. McDaniel told investigators in 2023 that he was prescribed psychotropic medications for various mental health issues, however he stopped taking them during his time in jail. He also reported having therapy a couple of times a week. NyQuan Cordae Lollar and Damien McDaniel in a Youtube documentary.Screengrab McDaniel, prior to his arrest in the Hush shootings, was interviewed in a YouTube documentary about violence and murder in Alabama called This City Eats People Alive: The Most Dangerous Place in Alabama, America: The Dirty South posted by The Taboo Room With Aaron S. NyQuan Cordae Lollar, 22, another suspect in McIntyres death, was also featured in the documentary. They were asked if they would have any empathy toward the mothers of someone who was murdered. Im (expletive) going to do the same thing to you so why not do it to them? McDaniel said. Why show them compassion when they aint gonna show your folks compassion? They aint sparing (expletive), Lollar says. They aint going to spare me, McDaniel said. If their son ends up dead and they come to court, they aint going to spare me in the mother (expletive) courtroom. Theyre going to want my ass (inaudible). Elon Musk, the worlds richest man and a top aide to President Trump, drew and quickly dismissed a raft of condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, left-wing politicians abroad and others across the internet after twice making what to some looked like a Nazi salute from an inauguration stage. Musk who has endorsed antisemitic remarks and aligned himself with far-right factions, including the Alternative for Germany in that country made the gestures during a giddy speech celebrating Trumps return to power at an indoor rally Monday at Capital One Arena in Washington. I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you, Musk said to the crowd. He slapped his chest with his right hand and then shot that hand out and up, open and flat and palm down, with his right arm rigidly extended. He then turned and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. My heart goes out to you, he said. Some defended Musk. The Anti-Defamation League, which works against antisemitism, offered Musk a pass with a post on X a platform Musk owns. It seems (Musk) made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge, the group said. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. Others disagreed sharply. Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wrote in response to ADLs post on X. People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., expressed shock at seeing Musks gesture at an inaugural event. I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal, Nadler wrote on X. The concerns were echoed by left-wing politicians across Europe, and sparked a sharp debate online where people compared videos of Musk and Hitler, side by side. Others came to Musks defense. After one account on X called the uproar a hoax and part of what Musk himself had once called a dirty tricks campaign against him by liberals, Musk reposted the comment. Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired, he wrote, before adding a sleeping-face emoji. Musk also suggested on X that debate over his gestures was evidence of legacy media propaganda. On Tuesday, the matter was raised again in Congress. At a confirmation hearing for Trumps nominee for United Nations ambassador, Elise Stefanik, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., asked her what she thought of Musk doing two Heil Hitler salutes last night at the presidents televised rally? No. Elon Musk did not do those salutes, Stefanik said. She said Musk likes to cheer on Trump and is a visionary. It was simply not the case that Musk made Nazi salutes, she said. And to say so, the American people are smart they see through it. They support Elon Musk. Murphy then noted that neo-Nazi and other far-right and white supremacist extremists around the country had made clear online that they believed Musk had made Nazi salutes which they approved of and thanked him for and asked Stefanik what she made of that. Stefanik criticized Murphy for asking the question, and said both she and Trump have strong records of combating antisemitism. _____ 2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R- Ala. has introduced legislation with U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla. that would penalize healthcare practitioners who fail to provide care for an infant that is born-alive from an abortion attempt. Proud to introduce the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act with @SenatorLankford to ensure babies who survive an abortion receive the medical care they need. I'll always be a voice for the voiceless and fight to protect life.https://t.co/FQGbqwUxNE Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) January 22, 2025 But opponents say this type of legislation is unnecessary and that it vilifies healthcare providers. The bill, known as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, would establish enforcement for the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. Established in 2002, this law ensured that infants born alive at any stage of development receive the same legal protection provided to other human beings, according to its text. In 2002, Congress passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act which codified in law that a newborn, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, is to be legally recognized as a person from the moment of birth if he or she show any sign of life, reads a release from Britts office. The 2002 law did not provide any measures to enforce the protection of these infants, which has allowed the current practice of leaving a child to die after a botched abortion to continue. Under the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, healthcare providers who do not exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence that they would provide to any other infant born are liable to be fined or imprisoned for up to five years. Infanticide, the crime of killing a child within a year of its birth, is illegal in all states, and any federal prohibition on any form of violence, including homicide, would be extended to an infant born alive after abortion, according to previous comments made to PolitiFact by Mary Ziegler, a University of California, Davis law professor and abortion historian. David Cohen, a Drexel University law professor who specializes in the intersection of constitutional law and gender, told PolitiFact that once a person is born, you have all the protections of every criminal law, every civil law, including laws against murder, including laws against assault, including medical malpractice laws, etc. In previous legislative sessions, Alabama lawmakers passed a similar bill on a state level. But Dr. Morissa Ladinsky, associate professor of Pediatrics at UAB Medicine, previously told AL.com that these bills were based on a fallacy because clinics in Alabama used to perform abortions up to 21 weeks gestational age, which is before babies can survive outside the womb. Its basically a theoretical scenario that is medically implausible, Ladinsky said in 2020. Ladinsky acknowledged that an infant delivered before 22 weeks gestational age may have a heartbeat for a short time, but no matter what we do or try to do, [with] the technology we have and our knowledge in the United States today, doctors are unable to keep an infant alive if born before prior to 22 weeks in utero. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 93% of abortions were performed at 13 weeks gestation, 6.1% were performed at 1420 weeks gestation, and 1.1% were performed at 21 weeks gestation. The [Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act] maligns and vilifies providers and patients to push a false narrative about abortion later in pregnancy, Dr. Kristyn Brandi, a board member of Physicians for Reproductive Health, told Vox in 2019. Brandi added that in the modern medical landscape, the situation is so uncommon, it is essentially nonexistent. This is a part of the false narrative around this bill and abortion later in pregnancy, she told Vox. Other cosponsors of Britts bill include Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.Dak.) and Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Roger Wicker, R-Miss.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-N.Dak.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.Dak.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Mike Rounds (R-S.Dak.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). This article was updated on Jan. 22, 2025, at 1:59 p.m. to clarify that a version of the bill had been passed in Alabamas legislature. Former biology teacher turned award-winning actress and current director Byun Joong Hee is making headlines after news broke out about her past career and her dealings with students, where ex-students claim that she disciplined them to the point of trauma. Recently, a post that went viral on the South Korean forum Theqoo pointed out how Byun made the shift from 39 years of teaching to acting at the age of 65. Although she made her debut in 2018, she has been garnering attention through K-drama and films such as Hidden Face, Taxi Driver, and The Queen Who Crowns. Nonetheless, the post also shared horrible memories of past students from Boin Middle School, where Byun had taught for over 30 years, who recollected experiencing corporal punishment. Former students described experiences of physical abuse, including one account of a student who said he was slapped so hard that his nose bled. "She would slap me on both sides of the face so powerfully that blood would seep through my uniform,' one student said. Based on the other comments, it looks like I wasn't the only person who got slapped." While many have commended her for creating a nurturing environment and have gone so far of calling her a "mother figure," her suitability to continue acting, in the wake of the allegations has come into question amidst the testimonies. A lot of the reaction on social media was outraged, asking how she was able to show on screen again after those allegations. "I hope she never acts again if this is true. I am so sorry to hear this, and this is sad no, this is awful," one commenter said. Here's what other Korean netizens are saying: Byun Joong Hee has not given a single response to the allegations and the growing criticism regarding her past. The bill sponsored by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., that requires immigration authorities to detain undocumented migrants that commit theft-related and other crimes is landing on President Trumps desk after the House approved the Senate version of the legislation Wednesday. The bill, Britt said, will be the first to be signed in Trumps new term. The Laken Riley Act, authored by Britt following the February 2024 murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley at the hands of undocumented migrant Jose Antonio Ibarra, would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain undocumented individuals who commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses so they cannot reoffend and commit further crimes. This undated image provided by Augusta University shows Laken Hope Riley.Augusta University via AP Ibarra had been arrested multiple times once in the United States but was released each time before ICE could put a detainer on him. On Feb. 22, 2024, Riley was jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens when she was killed by Ibarra. With the House passage of the Laken Riley Act today, this landmark bill now heads to President Trumps desk to not only be signed into law, but to be the first law he signs as the 47th President, Britt said in a statement. The American people spoke loud and clear in November demanding changedemanding border security and keeping American families safe. Senate Republicans listened. House Republicans, with the leadership of Congressman Mike Collins [of Georgia], listened, and, today, Congress turned promises made into promises kept. Working alongside President Trump, our Republican majorities are going to continue fighting to make America safe again and secure our border. The Laken Riley Act the first bill taken up by the new Republican Senate majority along with the GOP-led House in the new Congress -- also ensures states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law. The Senate passed the bill on Monday, with 12 Democratic senators joining all 52 GOP senators in a 64-35 vote. The House, with the support of 46 Democrats in the minority, passed the bill Wednesday by a vote of 263-156. It passed a different version of the bill earlier this month, which had the support of 48 Democrats. Amendments to the Senate legislation were added before it passed, which led to the House voting on it Wednesday: assault of a law enforcement officer and crimes that result in death or serious bodily injury were added to the list of offenses that trigger ICE detention. It was not immediately clear exactly when Trump will sign the bill; the president said Monday the signing would occur within a week or so. A 45-year-old man has been charged in the November death of Shelby County fifth grader who died just over a week after she was hit by a vehicle in Montevallo. John David Winton is charged with manslaughter in Ember Poes death. He was taken into custody Wednesday by Montevallo police and was undergoing booking at the Shelby County Jail. Ember, 10, was riding her scooter on Tuesday, Nov. 5, when she was struck. The crash happened about 5:15 p.m. in the 300 block of Spring Creek Road. Ember was taken to Childrens of Alabama in Birmingham where she was pronounced dead at 11:32 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, said Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans. The Shelby County Traffic Homicide Task Force investigated the incident. Winton was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the crash, according to charging documents. Court records show Winton was arrested three days after the fatal crash, allegedly in possession of cocaine and a glass smoking pipe with burned residue on it at the time of the crash. He was charged with drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Winton bonded out of jail on those charges and returned to work as a maintenance man at the apartment complex where the Poe family still lives. Embers mother, Kelly Poe, spoke out this week on social media about the angst Wintons presence near her home has caused her. She said his vehicle still had damage from hitting Ember, and said when she complained to apartment management, she said she got no sympathy or relief. Poe said she could not emotionally bring herself to pack up Embers room and move. Her posts on the issue were shared more than 1,000 times. A GoFundMe to help Embers family with expenses has raised more than $17,000. Poe said she learned Winton was fired from his job earlier Wednesday. Then, Montevallo police called her immediately after Wintons arrest. Lots of tears,' Poe said. Its a relief. Im relieved but Im not going to be super relieved until hes convicted, sentenced and he is in prison,' she said. The fact that Im not having to see him everyday is a huge relief. That was driving me insane. Embers death, she said, has been hard on the girls friends, the community and her. Its been awful. I can hardly go in her room,' she said. Life without her is very hard. A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to life without parole in the brazen 2017 killing of a trial witness outside the Montgomery County Courthouse Josephus Boone was convicted last week in the in the shooting death of 31-year-old Kelvin Cooley, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Tuesday. Cooley was killed shortly after he testified against Boones brother, Jacquees Boone, who was on trial for the attempted murder of Cooleys brother. A jury on Thursday convicted Boone of capital murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied building following an eight-day trial. Circuit Judge Brooke Reid sentenced Boone based on the jurys verdict to impose a life without parole sentence, Marshall said. The shooting happened at 4:33 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in the 300 block of Lawrence Street, just outside the Montgomery County Courthouse. Kelvin Cooley was pronounced dead at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday at Baptist Medical South. Former Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey told Al.com at the time that following Kelvin Cooleys testimony, two armed investigators walked Kelvin Cooley to his car parked outside the courthouse. Cooley got into his vehicle, pulled off and moments later the gunfire erupted. The investigators actually witnessed it, Bailey said at the time. As we have learned in the city and throughout the country, there are people who just dont care. Its pure evil, and its everywhere. Trial testimony showed that Boone fired 17 shots from his vehicle at Cooley. Two of those 17 shots struck First Baptist Church, with one of them going through a window, into a room, and through a hallway before being lodged in a door frame inside the church Church staff members were in the building at the time of the shooting, but not injured. Justice was served today, Marshall said Tuesday. Josephus Boone murdered Kelvin Cooley in broad daylight, endangering numerous citizens in downtown Montgomery while attempting to intimidate and undermine our very system of justice. His violent disregard for life extended beyond his intended victim, as he recklessly fired into the historic First Baptist Church, placing even more lives at risk, Marshall said. Boone will now serve the rest of his life in prison for his violent acts. Cooleys shooting death was the latest act of violence in a series of disputes between the Cooley and Boone families that went back years, court records show, in a feud that ultimately left one person from each family paralyzed by gunfire and then Kelvin Cooley dead. On March 29, 2014, according to court records, Jacquees Boone, now 27, shot Alondre Cooley, who was Kevin Cooleys brother. In that case, police say Alondre Cooley was walking down the street when Jacquees Boone drove up next to him in a vehicle and fired, striking Cooley in the face and leaving him paralyzed. Alondre Cooley had no criminal record, but authorities have said he was targeted because of some of his family members. Just two days after that shooting, records show, Kelvin Cooley shot Jacquees Boone -- apparently in retaliation for his brothers shooting. Records show Kelvin Cooley fired into a 2004 Ford, striking Jacquees Boone in the back. As a result, Jacquees Boone was also paralyzed. Jacquees Boone was convicted of attempted murder in February 2015 and sentenced to life in prison under the states habitual offender laws, but the Alabama Supreme Court in 2016 reversed the courts judgement and the defendants new trial began this week. The following month - in March 2015 - Kelvin Cooley pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in the wounding of Jacquees Boone. He was sentenced to 9 1/2 years in prison with two years to serve followed by probation. Prince Harry has settled his historic case against Rupert Murdochs U.K. tabloids. Having previously said he wanted to see his case over phone hacking and unlawful information gathering go to trial, the royal has now reached a settlement before an argument was even made in Londons High Court. In a last minute deal made the day after the lawsuit was due to start, Murdochs News Group Newspapers agreed to pay substantial damages to Prince Harry and issued an apology, read by his lawyer David Sherborne, of the serious intrusion by The Sun into his private life ... including the unlawful gathering of information on him. NGN also apologized for phone hacking, and the impact this had on Harry, his friends and relationships, and the impact of it had on the private life of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. The royals lawsuit against NGN concerned alleged activities carried out by both journalists and private investigators working for The Sun and the now-defunct The News of the World from 1996 until 2011. Alongside phone hacking and unlawful information gathering, while the trial was also set to assess whether senior figures at the papers knew what was happening and withheld or even destroyed evidence. These claims will no longer be tested. While in 2011 NGN apologized to victims of phone hacking that took place at The News of the World, which Murdoch shut down that year, it has -- until now -- never admitted to any of the claims made against The Sun, making the admittance and apology even more historic. See the full apology below: NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGNs response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable. 2025 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC A historic winter storm in south Alabama on Tuesday broke Mobiles 130-year-old snowfall record and brought a rarely seen covering of snow to the beaches of Gulf Shores. But while it gave folks in Mobile an exceedingly uncommon opportunity to build snowmen, it also caused more than a few problems around the state. A state of emergency remains in effect for 17 counties while 22 others are in alert status. The roof of the Mobile Civic Center, already slated for demolition, collapsed under the weight of the snow. Heres a look at yesterdays winter weather event, what we know and what we can expect today. How much snow fell in south Alabama? Mobile got 7.5 inches on Tuesday, which shattered its all-time record for snow, which had stood since 1895. But that wasnt the most. One of the top amounts was 11 inches in Babbie in Covington County. Hows it looking today? A slow warming trend will get going today, according to forecasters. There will still be cold days and nights to get through first, but by early next week Alabama should be back in the 50s and 60s again, according to forecasters. Roads: The Alabama Department of Transportation is urging drivers to exercise extreme caution with dangerous black ice possible on state roadways. Alabama National Guard and heavy duty wreckers are working to clear semi trucks stuck along I-85 between exit 58 and exit 64, according to the Lee County EMA. Schools: Many schools, particularly in south Alabama, are delaying opening or closing all-together on Wednesday and some are announcing closings and delays on Thursday. We will provide the latest on school closings here. Snow at the beach? See it for yourself as webcams capture the sights on Orange Beach and Gulf Shores and folks share their photos and video on social media. How did the rest of the state fare? Central and north Alabama escaped most of the snow, though it was seen as far north as Montgomery. In Birmingham on Wednesday, a major waterline broke in 12 degree weather, causing problems there. In a prayer service on Tuesday for the new president at the National Cathedral, the Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Washington, D.C., took the opportunity to ask President Donald Trump for mercy for immigrants and the LGBTQ community. The reactions have been stark, and mixed. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God, Bishop Mariann Budde said. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. Theymay not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurudwaras and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. After the service, Trump, who sat in the front pew along with his wife, Melania, Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, reacted to reporters who asked about the sermon: Did you find it exciting? Not too exciting was it? I didnt think it was a great service. They can do much better. On social media, the bishops message got both resounding support from Trump opponents and criticism from Trump supporters. It hit a nerve, with some saying it reflected Jesus teachings about helping the poor and outcast, while others questioned the political tone of it. This morning, Trump went on his social media site, Truth Social, to demand an apology from Bishop Budde. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, he wrote. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology! Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors...may I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away." pic.twitter.com/iXaHJrPsof CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2025 Bishop Glenda Curry, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama and a colleague of Bishop Budde, said today she had heard snippets of the sermon but didnt think it was fair to weigh in on it. I know her; shes a colleague and a friend, Curry said. Im cautious about commenting on what somebody else said because I didnt hear the whole sermon. Overseeing the National Cathedrals a big thing. Curry said she knows what its like to be a target of critics. Ive had my own challenges at the Cathedral (Church of the Advent in Birmingham), she said. I always have sympathies for the gospel, she said. I didnt hear the whole thing. I dont know the context. Bishop Budde is a respected colleague, Curry said. Shes been a really good, able, capable colleague, lovely to work with, Curry said. Other than that, I dont want to comment on somebody elses sermon. Budde ended her message with a further request. Let me make one final plea, Mr. President, she said. That you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. Good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen. Russell Dean Alford turned 62 in federal prison. The Hokes Bluff man was convicted in 2022 for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, and spent a year at the federal penitentiary in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Alford, who owns a body shop in Etowah County, was found guilty of entering and remaining in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building, all misdemeanor convictions. He is one of at least 22 Alabama residents charged in the Capitol breach during a joint session of Congress which had convened to certify the electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election. Alford is now one of at least 22 Alabama residents pardoned in President Donald Trumps first day of office. Its about time, Alford told Al.com Tuesday. If we would have lost the election, we probably would have gotten more prison time. Asked what the pardon means to him, Alford said, Nothing. It cost me $20,000 to go to prison. Alford said he went to D.C. that day because he was tired of listening to the national news media and wanted to see the truth for himself. He spent his time recording what he was seeing and quickly posted it online to show others. That whole thing was a Broadway play, Alford said of the Jan. 6 events. They created the whole thing, and I told the FBI that in my statement. It was all scripted. I was there to officially observe, Alford said. I basically did a year in prison for nothing. Im not bitter, he said. I just want people to do their damn jobs. The whole government is so corrupt its ridiculous. Kaleb Dillard, 26, was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Federal Court Records) Kaleb Dillard, 29, also was sentenced to the prison in Yazoo City. Dillard is a graduate of Briarwood Christian High School and served in the U.S. Marines for five years as a videographer and public affairs correspondent. He also attended Samford University. Dillard, who works in property management, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. He was sentenced to 10 months, serving seven in Yazoo City, and the remainder at a halfway house. He was released in September 2024. Dillard was accused of illegally entering the Capitol and using a metal tool to smash a window of the doors. Charging documents said an officer was attempting to close the doors and stop rioters from entering when Dillard grabbed the officers protective vest from behind and threw the officer backward onto the marble floor. Dillard told 1819 News: The Podcast that he tried to get away from the crowd but was pushed to the front of the Capitol building and then inside. He said he was trying to fight his way out of the crowd and got pulled in on a wave of people. He said he didnt think, he just acted when he grabbed the officer by the vest. He told 1819 News he apologized to the officer and tried to help him get up. Dillard acknowledges that was federal assault, by definition. He said he didnt go there to protest and said he and the others arrested that day were treated unjustly and persecuted. Kaleb Dillard, 26, was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Federal Court Records) The entire ordeal, he said, led him to his now-wife and brought him closer to family and friends. Dillard said hes thankful for the pardon. It means a lot. Im just really thankful to have my rights back, Dillard said. Thats probably the biggest thing. It cant give me my time back, he said, but Gods been really good through all of this. Dillard plans to write a book about his experience. Heres a look at the other Alabamians charged and pardoned. At least two of them, who had not yet gone to trial, had their cases dismissed by the U.S. government on Monday. Robert James Bonham, a 44-year-old Shelby County man, was arrested just over one month ago, and now he is a free man. Bonham was charged with felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. The Wilsonville man was also charged with several misdemeanor offenses. Federal officials alleged Bonham was armed with a flagpole bearing an American flag during the siege while the joint session of Congress was underway to certify the vote count of the Electoral College in the 2020 presidential election. He was accused of trying to stab a law enforcement officer with that flagpole. Bonham allegedly raised the flagpole and thrust it forward toward an officer in an apparent attempt to stab him. Body-worn camera footage showed the flagpole making contact with the officer, constituting a forcible assault and obstructing the officers duties. After the alleged attack, the officer reacted immediately, grabbing the flagpole with his left hand, prompting a physical struggle with Bonham as the officer tried to disarm him. Court documents say that additional officers moved in to assist, ordering Bonham to release the weapon. Despite multiple commands to let it go, authorities say Bonham refused, shouting, No. A tense standoff ensued until Bonham regained control of the flagpole and returned to the mob, records stated. He was taken into custody by FBI agents in Shelby County in December 2024. Federal prosecutors in D.C. on Monday filed a motion to dismiss the charges against Bonham, citing the presidential pardon, and that dismissal was granted. Joshua James, a U.S. Army veteran from Arab, was the first person charged in the U.S. Capitol riot to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy the most serious crime from the Jan. 6 breach. Federal authorities described the 37-year-old James as the regional leader in charge of the Alabama chapter of the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel. The seditious conspiracy indictment alleged that, following the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election, James, other co-defendants and others conspired to oppose by force the execution of the laws governing the transfer of presidential power by Jan. 20, 2021. In his guilty plea, James admitted that, from November 2020 through January 2021, he conspired with other Oath Keeper members and affiliates to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He used encrypted and private communications, equipped himself with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and was prepared to answer a call to take up arms. James is a U.S. Army combat veteran who reportedly received the Purple Heart. He owns a cleaning company called America Pro Hydro Services. In December 2024, James received probation. Dillon Colby Herrington (Federal Court Records) Dillon Colby Herrington pleaded guilty in 2023 to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Herrington was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Herrington, who lived in Madison and formerly served in the U.S. Army, was arrested in June 2021. Authorities said Herrington was wearing a camouflage pullover-style jacket with a distinguishable yellow patch on the left arm of the jacket, camouflage pants, a yellow scarf, and a red hat with the words Make America Great Again, according to the affidavit against Herrington. Surveillance footage captured Herrington on two separate occasions attempting to strike members of law enforcement with objects. He was seen throwing a wooden 4x4 piece of lumber in the direction of members of law enforcement. No officers were hit by the wood. More footage captured Herrington standing near a metal electrical box. While standing near the electrical box, he appears to have an unknown object in his hands which he appears to throw in the direction of law enforcement, records stated. While standing near the box, the individual took hold of a metal barricade and threw the barricade in the direction of law enforcement. No member of law enforcement was struck with the metal barricade. Herrington since then has been indicted by a Limestone County grand jury on a charge of first-degree rape, court records showed. Joshua Matthew Black, 48, of Leeds, was convicted in 2023 of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on capitol grounds or buildings, entering and remaining on the floor of Congress, and disorderly conduct in a capitol building. Black was sentenced to 20 months in prison. Authorities said Black entered the Capitol and was captured in photographs and on video, posted to social media sites, standing on the floor of the Senate chamber. Black later posted a video to YouTube in which he discussed entering the Capitol and the floor of the Senate chamber on Jan. 6, 2021, the Justice Department said. He explained that once we found out Pence turned on us and that they had stolen the election, like officially, the . . . crowd went crazy. I mean, . . . it became a mob. We crossed the gate, we got up. He also admitted carrying a knife to the Capitol because youre not allowed to carry guns in DC and I dont like being defenseless. Black, who ran a lawn care service in Moody, was seen on video and in photos of the Jan. 6 riot, wearing a red hat, camouflage jacket and yellow gloves. He appeared to be bleeding from the left cheek, and later said he was trying to protect a police officer, or police officers, during the breach. Joshua Matthew Black, of Leeds, was identified being in the crowd of protesters that breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Federal Court Documents) Dylan Bowling and Marissa Lee Bowling, both of Loxley, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on capitol grounds and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in any of the capitol buildings. The couple in July 2024 was sentenced to two years of federal probation. Videos obtained from YouTube and TikTok show who investigators believe to be Marissa in a dark stocking cap, light pink jacket, dark pants and a black backpack while Dylan is believed to be shown wearing a stocking cap, dark jacket, dark pants, goggles and a camouflage backpack. An image taken from CCTV video footage is part of evidence investigators are using to show Dylan and Marissa Bowling allegedly walking through the House Wing of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C. Photo and video evidence show two people believed to be the couple entering the U.S. Capitol building through a broken window near the Senate wing door, according to court documents. After being in the building for about 21 minutes, the couple exited through the same broken window, investigators said. Phillip Andrew Bromley, of Sterrett, pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Bromley, a veteran and a nurse anesthetist from Sterrett, was sentenced to three months in prison. According to court records, Bromley was standing eight feet from Air Force veteran Ashli E. Babbitt, 35, when she was shot and killed during the chaotic events that Wednesday. FBI Special Agent William Novak stated in federal charging documents that Bromley was shown on video footage published on the ProPublica website under What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol. The website contains numerous videos that appear to have been recorded on Jan. 6 in and around the Capitol building. One of the videos was titled 4:26 p.m. Near Capitol and shows a man who identified himself as Phillip Bromley chronicling the events he witnessed that day. Listen, he tells the man recording him, everybody needs to know the truth. It is important to note that Phillip was not involved in any violence and actually dissuaded one such individual from further violence on January 6th, his attorneys previously said. He also rendered medical aid to those who were injured. Phillip admits that he got caught up in the moment and has learned a valuable lesson from this process and looks forward to having this behind him. Lonnie Coffman, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Army, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and carrying a pistol without a license. He was charged following the seizure of nearly a dozen Molotov cocktail explosive devices from his pickup truck, as well as a number of guns, ammo and concerning handwritten notes. At the age of 72, the Falkville man in 2022 was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison. He was carrying a loaded handgun and revolver without a license as he walked in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, according to prosecutors. He isnt accused of entering the Capitol or joining the mob during the riot that day. When Coffman parked his truck a few blocks from the Capitol on the morning of Jan. 6, it contained a handgun, a rifle, a shotgun, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a crossbow, machetes, a stun gun and a cooler containing eleven mason jars with holes punched in the lids, according to prosecutors. Each jar contained a mixture of gasoline and Styrofoam, which are components of the homemade incendiary devices called Molotov cocktails, prosecutors said. Law enforcement officers found the cache of weapons and ammunition when they searched Coffmans truck. Larry Freligh III, of Auburn, pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Freligh was sentenced to four months in prison. Freligh, in a 2021 interview with FBI agents, admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol that day. He said he and another man drove from Alabama to D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021, for President Trumps Stop the Steal rally. He told agents that he brought with him a black backpack containing a spare set of clothes and a hunting knife with an estimated six-inch blade. He said he left the backpack, including the hunting knife inside it, inside his vehicle while at the Capitol. After the two attended the rally, which took place near the Ellipse area of the White House grounds, Freligh and his friend walked to the U.S. Capitol grounds, where he said they witnessed people getting tear-gassed and pepper sprayed by the police. Freligh said he had been following Alex Jones online that day, and Jones had directed people to go to the Capitol. Mark Grods, of Mobile, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding. In 2024, Grods was sentenced to 36 months in prison and cooperated with investigators. Authorities said Grods stormed the U.S. Capitol with members of the Oath Keepers extremist group. Authorities said members of the Oath Keepers came to Washington intent on stopping the peaceful transition of power and were ready to use violence if necessary. Prosecutors have said members of the group prepared in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 as if they were heading to war and dressed that day in battle gear, like helmets and tactical vests. Kari Dawn Kelley, a 40-year-old Mobile woman, is facing federal charges in the Jan 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. (Federal Court Records) Kari Dawn Kelley, of Mobile, pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. Kelley, a 40-year-old insurance adjuster at the time of arrest, was sentenced to three years of probation. Kelley, a mother, was among the crowd that forced its way into the building while the joint session of Congress was underway to certify the Electoral College vote count. According to the criminal complaint filed against her, the FBI on Jan. 21, 2021, became aware that Kelley had been inside the Capitol. Kelley was seen in footage climbing through an open window and was present in the Senate wing of the building. The footage time stamp was 2:56 p.m. It showed her in a ponytail, a cream-colored scarf and a hooded Adidas sweatshirt. Kelley was seen recording the events on her cell phone. The FBI said they verified Kelleys identity through database checks. Christian Matthew Manley, of Elkmont, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon. Manley was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. The government claimed videos showed Manley in a tunnel, trying to breach the Capitol. The video showed the man wearing cargo pants and a tactical jacket twice using pepper spray on officers, then using those empty cans as projectiles. The video shows the man throwing a metal rod at police protecting the building. At one point, the man exits the tunnel and waves for more of the crowd to join the protesters in attempting to breach the building. The videos from both protestors and from Capitol security then show the man making his way to the front of the mob inside the tunnel to get inside the building. The government alleges Manley reached the front, using his body trying to force open the last door to the Capitol while law enforcement tried to hold back the rioters. He was leading the charge, so to speak, a judge said. Manley served with the Marines for four years but received a less-than-honorable discharge, the judge said. Manley moved from Alabama to Alaska. He was a commercial fisherman when the FBI arrested him as he arrived at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Jonathan Walden, of Birmingham, was charged with conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct the certification process, and misdemeanor trespass. Federal prosecutors on Monday dismissed the charges against Walden following Trumps blanket pardon. He was part of the Oath Keepers conspiracy case. Authorities said Walden was equipped with goggles, scissors, a tactical vest with attachments, gloves, a backpack, fatigues, boots, and his dog that day. They said he helped to plot the breach and touted his qualifications for joining the groups quick reaction force as being a former firefighter and EMT and having an 82-pound German Shepherd named Warrior who is trained for security control. Sometime before Jan. 5, 2021, authorities said, Walden sent a message to co-defendant Joshua James expressing his interest in joining the quick reaction force team. His message to James read, I am interested in the QRF team in D.C. I am a former Firefighter, EMT-B and have a K-9 trained for security patrol (82 ib. German Shepherd named Warrior) I have a Jump Bag with Trauma supplies and have ALL the necessary 2A gear that the situation may require. PLEASE ADVISE. As soon as I hear from you I can hit the road and join up! Jonathan Walden. He provided James with his phone number. Anthony Michael Mazzio, of Midland City, pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. Mazzio received 46 months probation. Prosecutors obtained several photos showing Mazzio carrying a Trump flag inside the Capitol. He wore an M81 camouflage jacket, dark-colored hooded sweatshirt underneath, black tactical vest, gas mask, gas mask carrier secured to his belt, camouflage pants, and boots. Gregory Lamar Nix, of Cleveland, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon or inflicting bodily injury. Nix was sentenced to 42 months in prison. According to court documents, Nix was captured on video about 2:21 p.m. that day banging the end of a white flagpole against the East House Doors in an attempt to breach the U.S. Capitol building. Approximately six minutes later, Nix physically assaulted an officer with the U.S. Capitol Police, striking him with the flagpole and then thrusting and throwing the object at him, federal authorities contend. A few minutes later, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Nix attempted to smash the East House Doors glass panes with a black baton. He subsequently entered the building. Bobby Wayne Russell, of Falkville, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Russell was among rioters confronting officers at a line of bicycle barricades on the southwest side of the Capitol grounds. Russell, wearing a hooded Alabama Crimson Tide sweatshirt, resisted police orders to move away. Russell resisted officers efforts to get him to back away from the barricade. He held a section of bike rack pressed between his upper arm and side, clinging to it despite being sprayed with OC spray. When the barricade broke apart due to the involvement of other rioters, Russell grabbed the jacket of a Metropolitan Police Department officer, pulling the officer down with him as he fell headlong down a short flight of stairs. Later that day, at approximately 4:20 pm, law enforcement officers formed a line and attempted to clear the area near the Senate wing doors. Russell refused orders to leave the area and pushed his back and buttocks into the riot shields of several officers. He then turned around to face one officer and declared, Theres more of us than you guys, youre gonna lose. Bryan Shawn Smith (Federal Court Documents) Bryan Shawn Smith, of Madison, was convicted of civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, inflicting bodily Injury on certain officers and aiding and abetting, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings. Smith was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison. He was arrested in Huntsville on Dec. 4, 2022. Smith was on the lower west terrace of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and was captured on police body camera footage confronting officers at a security barricade, the U.S. Department of Justice said, citing court documents in the case. As rioters breached the terraces barricades, a group of officers fell back behind a door underneath the inaugural stage scaffolding. About 45 seconds later, the door was opened, and Smith held the door open and refused an officers order to step away from the doorway to allow the officer to close it, prosecutors said. William Wright Watson, of Auburn, was found guilty by the court after agreeing to a stipulated set of facts of obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon. Federal court records did not reflect a sentence. Watson told federal agents he went to D.C. on Jan. 5. He said he and a friend left Auburn about 7 p.m. and arrived in D.C. about 6:30 a.m. He said he went to support the patriots, support Trump, support freedom. I guess the overriding thing for why we were there that day is because they were certifying the fraudulent election that day, and so we went to protest that, Watson said. Watson said he was in an area south of the White House when he saw others walking toward the Capitol and began to follow them. He worked his way to the front of the crowd at the stage which had been set up on the west side of the Capitol for the upcoming presidential inauguration. He said he had been directed by radio show host Alex Jones, who operates the website InfoWars, to meet at the Capitol at 1 p.m. Watson told the agent he had a taser but had left it in the car. He approached the Capitol and then began banging on windows trying to get people to hear me, he said. He eventually entered the building through a broken window. At some point, Watson said, he was in a hallway with others from the crowd and they encountered police. Some of the protesters, he said, had shields and batons, and one man was dressed like a Viking with a spear. Asked by the agent whether he had received guidance or direction from others to cause violence or criminal activity, Watson replied, No, it was kind of just what the mob was doing. I was, I was there, helping push on their backs. He said he had no prior knowledge the event would turn violent and that, in hindsight, he would have stayed back from the area where people were charging at. A search warrant of Watsons home turned up a yellow sweatshirt matching photographs taken of Watson inside the Capitol. In that picture, Watson is standing with Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, the so-called QAnon Shaman, widely seen in photos of the breach. The agent said that a Capitol police officer reported that when he asked if anyone in the crowd had weapons, the man in the yellow sweatshirt now identified as Watson showed him a can of pepper spray. He was asked to hand it over, but he did not. The officer stated the man was quiet and reserved and helped (police) to try to calm the crowd. The agent said Watson was seen on video fiddling with the cannister. Later, he said, Watson was seen holding the canister in the direction of police officers. In a second interview with federal agents on Jan. 15 Watson admitted to having the pepper spray. He said someone had given it to him, but he had no idea how to work it. Watson told the agent he was scared and didnt know what was going on at that point and that he never figured out how to use the mace. During the second interview, he also admitted to having a pocketknife on his waistband. He said he used the several-inches-long flip box cutter to cut down cloth around the inauguration scaffolding so the crowd could progress. Donnie Duane Wren, of Athens, was convicted of civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Wren was sentenced to 12 months in prison. His cousin Thomas Harlen Smith, 45, of Mathiston, Miss., was sentenced to nine years in prison and 36 months of supervised release. According to evidence presented during the trial, Smith traveled from his Mississippi home and picked up Wren. They continued on to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally held by former President Trump on the day electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election were to be certified by Congress. On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Smith and Wren attended the rally and afterward made their way toward the U.S. Capitol building. Before entering Capitol grounds, Smith climbed a column near the African American History Museum with the former Mississippi state flag containing the Confederate battle emblem. Arriving on the Capitol grounds, Smith and Wren saw other rioters climbing scaffolding erected around the stage for the presidential inauguration. They then climbed and made their way to the Capitols Lower West Terrace Tunnel. Smith pushed toward the front of a group of rioters and used a flagpole like a spear five times to try to break a window next to the Lower West Terrace doors. He then surged through the doorway, where he and a mass of other rioters pushed into a line of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers attempting to hold the door shut. According to prosecutors, Smith exited the tunnel and reunited with Wren, where they posed for a photograph together on the Lower West Terrace. Smith and Wren then climbed up a railing to the Upper West Terrace and confronted a line of police officers with riot shields and attempting to clear the area. The two men pushed back against the police line, placing their hands on the officers shields and leaning back into the police. Wren leaned all his weight into the riot shield, preventing the police officer from advancing as police attempted to clear the area. While this occurred, Smith witnessed an object fly past him and hit an officer. Smith yelled at the officer, You deserve that, you piece of s! At 4:35 p.m., Smith kicked an MPD officer in the back sending the officer to the ground. Smith picked up a metal pole-like object and threw it toward the line of police, striking two MPD officers in the head. Later that day, on Facebook, Smith described the assault on the Capitol: Patriots stood together and battled the tyrannical cops throughout the entire afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement at 8:53 p.m. on Tuesday in effect until Wednesday at 6 a.m. for Clay, Randolph, Perry, Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Lee, Russell, Pike and Barbour counties. "Sub-freezing temperatures across Central Alabama tonight will allow for the possibility of hazardous travel conditions across portions of the area that had snow. Snow was generally noted along and southeast of a line from Selma to Clanton to Wedowee. The greatest amounts were noted and thus the greatest overnight impacts are expected along and southeast of Interstate 85. Slick driving conditions may occur on roads, bridges, and overpasses as the temperatures will not likely go above freezing until midday on Wednesday. Please use extra caution if you have to travel," says the weather service. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. Just yesterday, at an inaugural prayer service sermon, an Episcopal bishop addressed President Donald Trump directly and urged him to have mercy upon illegal immigrants and LGBTQ+ children. The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, said the following during the concluding moments of her sermon. "Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God." In the Name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families. Some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. So, what does one make of this? The bishop had no right to abuse her position in the church and hijack a prayer service with a political message. By mentioning only working-class illegal migrants, she is attempting to imply that this is about class and that Trump is persecuting the less fortunate. It also reveals her outlook when she assumes that illegal aliens can only be dishwashers and such. But illegal aliens could be wealthy and hold white-collar jobs. They could be the kind who overstay their visas. What the bishop seems to forget is that it's the President's job to enforce the laws. Illegal aliens, irrespective of their profession, have broken the law. The law requires that violators be punished, and the punishment here is deportation. The bishop must also remember that a country has finite resources which are funded by and meant for taxpayers only. The resources could be anything from a hospital bed in an emergency ward or a public park. When illegal aliens overwhelm these resources, it is the citizen's loss. Illegal aliens also end up taking jobs meant for citizens. When an illegal alien occupies the working-class jobs the bishop mentioned, citizens are rendered unemployed. When working-class citizens are unemployed for prolonged periods, the family suffers hardships. While the bishop didn't explicitly state it, it can be inferred from her utterances that she is an open-border advocate. Perhaps she doesn't realize the perils an open border causes for citizens. An open border facilitates the smuggling of deadly drugs that cause unspeakable harm and even result in overdose deaths. The victims are usually the young. Human trafficking is also the result of an open and unmonitored border. Also, if illegal aliens are allowed to cross over, there will be dangerous and violent criminals among them who can wreak havoc in the homeland. However, the bishop appears to have no mercy for the citizens. It's President Trump who is actually being compassionate to the needs of citizens. It is also curious that the bishop mentioned transgender children. A child who changes his mind every moment simply doesn't have the mental faculty and the life experience to decide on any kind of gender reassignment procedure. It is nothing short of barbaric when adults brainwash very young minds with this gender propaganda and coerce them into opting for gender reassignment procedures. Studies have shown that transgender people have a high suicide rate. Even the most cold-hearted of individuals have instincts to protect children. Only forces of pure evil, such as Nazis, perform such barbaric acts on children. One would expect that religious institutions, which are supposed to be moral, would confront and condemn such evil acts and even side with those attempting to stop this barbarity. Instead, the bishop mentions transgender children as normal and a natural occurrence, while, in reality, it is the result of coercion and manipulation of impressionable minds. Churches are supposed to be pro-life, yet such procedures are also the equivalent sterilizing innocent children. The Bible calls children a gift of god, yet the bishop seems to be siding with those doing unspeakable and permanent harm to these gifts from the almighty. Yet the bishop seems to have no compassion for the child or the families of the child who have been subjected to this barbarity. President Trump is being humane by preventing children from being subjected to such treatment. Some on social media have thought that Trump should have walked out, but that would have been unwise. A walkout would place undue importance on the virtue-signaling bishop, who was among many preachers at the church. The bishop was seeking publicity by injecting a political message into her sermon. A walkout would have given her more publicity and made it appear she had gotten the better of Trump. Trump, Vance, and their families must be commended for showing exemplary restraint given the situation. What is concerning is that the White House allowed President Trump to be subjected to this. One would imagine that the staff would have vetted all the preachers at the prayer service and had a fair idea about what would be said. The Rev. Budde has been unfairly critical of Trump in the past. Back in 2020, when the president was photographed outside of St. Johns Episcopal Church with his bible, a day after George Floyd-supporting arsonists set fire to part of the church, Rev. Budde claimed to be outraged and even appeared to accuse him of blasphemy. The rest of Rev. Budde's statement made her sound like an MSNBC contributor. She mentioned 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy. She aligned the church 'with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd.' Although there was an explicit mention of supporting peaceful protests, her lack of condemnation of the burning of the church or the rioting, looting, and violence made it clear where she stood. It is undeniable what Rev. Budde stands for. Trump's White House should have insisted that Budde not deliver the sermon, or perhaps they shouldn't have attended the specific prayer service. This is a needless embarrassment for Trump and Vance and their families on the second day of his presidency. Hopefully, the White House personnel who allowed this to happen will be rebuked for their carelessness. Back to the sermon. At a juncture where the bishop should have spread unity and harmony, she was attempting to sow seeds of division. This a reminder of how far religious institutions have been co-opted by sinister forces causing them to depart from their core values. This is a matter that needs attention from the Trump administration. Image: Library of Congress/Carol M. Highsmith Years ago, I knew a guy who desperately wanted to make a mark as a conservative activist. He was seriously naive and ill-informed about most things (hed been raised in a kind of self-segregated immigrant community). He used to call me up at five in the morning dont ask me what he was doing running around at that hour and say things like, I just saw the New York Times. They were saying bad things about President Reagan. So here I am, half asleep and scarcely able to think (not an uncommon problem with me). I tell him, The Times, huh. The leading leftist paper in the U.S. What do you expect them to say? A long pause. But A real sense of desperation here. Theyre saying bad things about President Reagan! It would go around a couple more times before I could get him off the phone, well aware that I hadnt convinced him because he was beyond convincing. He fancied himself a movement conservative, and all the movement conservatives at the time believed in institutions. Ancient establishments that no matter what the field -- media, finance, government, what have you -- could be trusted implicitly and must not be questioned. So when a media institution -- the NYT above all -- said bad things about Reagan, they had to be true. (That bad things, with its kindergarten aura of if you dont actually say it, it wont come true is a tell. And no, he never did make any contribution.) Ive been thinking about this a lot over the past few weeks. Because recent behavior among MAGA conservatives -- the new populist conservatism that has pushed the movement types into well-earned obscurity -- has made it clear that this attitude, toward the legacy media in particular, this attitude that it was in the noospaper, so it must be twoo, still exists. And that, playmates, is a problem. Some people are just not cynical enough. Its clear that naivete and misplaced trust has a firm grip on MAGA populists. Think for a moment about the hundreds just freed from lengthy, unwarranted sentences because they believed it when the nice policeman invited them into the Capitol and even held the door open for them. The two most recent examples deserve a close look: The drone invasion and the H-1B uproar. Both came out of nowhere, apropos of nothing, and both were media-driven. Legacy media tube and newspapers not social media, at least not at the start. Lets take a look at those drones if we can find one. The last week of November, they were suddenly all over the place. Thousands of them. Big as SUVs. Or even bigger. Iran had sent them, from a mother ship. Or maybe ISIS. Theyd already taken over New Jersey, and were ready to spread all over the country (in the end, they didnt). Anybody who has ever looked into the UFO crazes of the late 40s and 50s will recognize this narrative immediately. Most people spend their lives without much in the way of looking up. When they do, when they are persuaded to actually pay attention to what is going on over their heads, they tend to see things that were always there but are unfamiliar to them. Someone on the news starts going on about flying saucers or mystery drones, and this is exactly what happens. I was child during the last -- and largest -- of the UFO flaps, as they were called, in 1965, when, triggered by an extremely goofy and ambiguous UFO report from Michigan, thousands of people across the country raced out of their homes, saw Venus or Jupiter, and screamed that the aliens were here. It made quite an impression on me at the time. Thats exactly what happened these past six weeks regarding the drone attack. Ive looked at some of the videos. They come in two varieties: 1) small lights too distant to see what they are, and 2) airliners. (I kid you not. The majority of the videos well over half were airliners showing the standard lighting arrangement of all such.) Not to put too paranoid a point on it, but how is it that all this started only a couple weeks after one of the biggest political upsets in modern history? Its not unusual for political upheavals to have this kind of effect. Look into the Great Fear that gripped revolutionary France just before the Terror or the same panic that spread across the South in the weeks after Lincoln was elected. I cant tell you how many drone submissions Ive fielded over the past few weeks. The frustrating thing is that all of them, with one exception, repeated the panicky, fearful tone of the legacy media coverage: The drones. Theyre coming! Theyre from Iran! Or the hollow earth! Theyre as big as houses, as aircraft carriers God help us, can nothing be done (The one exception was this sensible piece from Ed Sherdlu, a licensed pilot.) As we reached the holidays, the drones faded out, as was to be expected. But then they were replaced by something else: the H-1B visa conflagration. The controversy suddenly sparked out of nowhere when it became apparent that neither Elon nor Vivek Ramaswamy had any intention of targeting the H-1B skilled visas program, on the grounds that it worked and was necessary for the U.S. economy. This was immediately met with an explosion of outrage, much of it from MAGA circles and much of it overwrought and ill-informed. Why, youd think that Elon had been sending drones over New Jersey. Elon handled it badly, but hes a billionaire unused to backtalk. He was also right, being well aware that the U.S. university system turns out streams of feminist interpretive dancers and lit theorists specializing in early Bazooka gum comics but not so many highly-trained techs. The media, and the Democrat/DEI structure, want desperately to drive a wedge into the MAGA movement, and thats exactly what they did here. Its appalling how many MAGA kids went along with the joke, immediately concluding that the H-1B visa was a dagger pointed at the heart of a helpless America. That anybody who supported them was in league with the Chinese and the Cartels. That Musk and Ramaswamy were the very worst of RINO carpetbaggers. Im quite sure that the legacy media, the Dems, and the elites couldnt be more pleased. Fortunately, the damage hasnt been permanent. But we need not congratulate ourselves. Once again, paranoia is uncalled for. But it wouldnt hurt to consider whether these convenient episodes were something along the lines of proof-of-concept, a demonstration that MAGA can be manipulated as easily as the old movement conservatives, or, for that matter, pink-haired lefties. We have to do better. Become suspicious, cynical, more enquiring and intuitive. We must not, in the words of Patton, take counsel of our fears. We must extend no trust to the legacy media at all, on any topic, at any time. Above all, we must upgrade and retune our BS detectors. The next time such a panic ignites, ask yourself: Does this make sense? Why now? What happened last week that somebody would like to see disappear? Where does this come from? Who does it serve? Who does it hurt? For a long time, conservatives have insisted that they cant be fooled, that they know too much, that theyre way smarter than all the pink pussyhat wearers. Well, playmates, the drones tell me that is not the case. Were going to be hearing a lot of wild tales in the months to come. A lot of demented claims, a lot of accusations, a lot of signs and wonderments. Its safe to say that not a single one will have any weight. It will be best to discount them all. We can take it for granted that anything coming out of legacy media is suspect. Legitimate journalists are bailing out. Newspaper owners have had enough. Jeff Bezos, WaPo owner and the most humane and fundamentally decent of the Third Millennial moguls, and Patrick Soon-Shiong of the LA Times have both embarked on reforming their newspapers. Theres also Bari Weiss, a smart lady who quit the NY Times out of disgust and has been extraordinarily critical of the media in the Free Press and her own podcast since. Dont fall into the legacy media trap. Dont let yourself be led around by the nose by your enemies. Dont give in to panic. And above all, dont go calling people up at five in the morning. Image: AT via Magic Studio Since media's coverage last month of the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people, reporting has taken a darker turn, with the former head of Korea Airports Corp. Son Chang Wan -- found dead at home on January 21st -- coming under suspicion for overlooking safety measures at the airport. As reported by Chosun Biz, Police found Son dead at approximately 6 p.m. that day in an apartment located in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province. A family member, who had just returned home after being out, found him and alerted the authorities. There are no indications of foul play, and investigators believe he may have taken his own life. They are looking into the circumstances surrounding his death. According to the Korea Times, Son, who served as the state-run agency head from 2018 to 2022, supervised the repair work for the instrument landing system localizer at Muan International Airport. The December 2024 crash reportedly involved a Jeju Air plane that had landed without its landing gear deployed and rolled off the runway, hitting a blast mound, which had been a subject of controversy in safety debates. Koreaboo reported that Son's death has raised alarm because it comes at a time when investigations into the fatal incident are ongoing and authorities have yet to finalize the cause of death. Renovated in 2020, the concrete structure is credited with promoting poor design, according to some experts, that worsened the crash. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had previously said it would probe both the accident and the problematic embankment. Even more damning, there was no video evidence of what transpired on the plane, as the recorders found on the aircraft only provide black box footage of a crash. Son's death only serves as a further complication to an already nationwide tragedy as investigators work to put together the pieces of the crash. As an Episcopalian, I am reluctant to write this, but as I feel strongly about what this member of the clergy of my church just did at a sacred National Prayer Service in the National Cathedral, I feel I must note these impressions. The world just witnessed a bishop of my church, Bishop Budde, lecturing the president of the United States about how scared the members of the LGBTABCWXYZ communities are at his return to office and asking him to respect their fears, etc., etc. She even had the audacity to note that many are genuinely concerned that they might be locked up by the newly elected president. As we watched this ignominious display of sheer hubris and in-your-face arrogance, I wondered how many of the viewing audience thought as I did that what we just saw is the reason there will never be a rapprochement with the far left, as its members have utter contempt for every tradition and custom and code of civility upon which America is built. With all due respect to the high place she holds in my church, I just must say: disgraceful! This was not the place for this bishops personal politics to persuade her that she had the right to lecture the president of the United States on matters of national policy. As I noted in a note to my rector, members of the clergy in authority should take notice of this ill-mannered breach of etiquette and take appropriate action to ensure that it never happens again. Whether this will happen is entirely in the hands of the hierarchy of the Episcopal Church. For my part, I will note my complete concurrence with President Trumps answer to a reporter when asked what he thought of the service: It was not a good church service. Thats a most reserved and dignified characterization by the president; far more dignified and civil than the bishops effrontery. Image: AgnosticPreachersKid via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Donald Trumps inauguration has revealed the existence of two realities inhabiting the same plane of existence. Normal Americanslargely but not exclusively Republicansinhabit actual, objective, scientifically examined reality. Graphic: Chris Muir, Day by Day Cartoon. Used with permission. Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) reality is a Bizzarro World/backward existence where Normal American victims are aggressors and D/s/c aggressors are victims. Its a world of self-delusion, raging, drooling, terminal Trump Derangement Syndrome sufferers and projection: Graphic: X Screenshot Trumps speech was actually uplifting and hopeful, identifying injustices and betrayals of Americans and promising restoration. The transcript is here; judge for yourself. A good example of D/s/c world comes from a recent New York Times editorial: Real power is I dont even want to use the word fear. Donald Trump made that remark to the journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in March 2016. Fear is, of course, a favorite tool of the president-elect. He has used it for decades to intimidate opponents, critics and allies to give up, give in or give way. He built his real estate empire through lawsuits and threats against rivals and partners. He cowed and demolished political opponents through humiliation and invective. He consolidated control of the Republican Party and silenced G.O.P. detractors with pressure tactics and threats to end careers. And as president, he used the power of the office and the power of social media to make life miserable for anyone he chose. In Normal American (NA) reality, the world of New York City real estate is hardball for everyone. One doesnt make billions by being nice. Trump succeeded because he was smarter and more capable than others. He delivered on timeoften earlierand under budget. DC politics are likewise hardball and Trump was a counter puncher. Those that attacked him with nuclear strike-level humiliation and invective got as good as they gave. Indeed, Trump wrote mean tweets in response. Pity the poor swamp dwellers so frail and sensitive as to be made miserable by tweets. And careers were canceled not by Trump or other NAs, but by cruel, even evil, D/s/cs using rampant wokeness to their advantage. But did Trump use the power of the presidency against critics? It wasnt Trump who filed more than 90 indictments across the nation against political opponents, opponents who impeached him twice, once when he was out of office and who are trying to impeach him again for campaigning. They tried to bankrupt him. D/s/cs tried to strike him from ballots, tried to twice assassinate him, indicted his associates and constantly lied about him, calling him racist, fascist, a dictator and an existential threat to our democracy. They serially subpoenaed his children and ransacked his wifes underwear drawers. Claims that Trump was violating the rule of law were the grossest projection, and as President, his every action has been to restore the rule of law and to do away with political prosecutions, the weaponization of government against Americans and maliciously woke evil that has done so much damage to our nation and to so many Americans. Nowhere did Trump so restore the rule of law as in his pardons of J6 hostages. The text of that executive order is here. So, its time to revisit NA, objective reality, beginning with this joyous announcement: Graphic: X Screenshot Now and always thank God. And revel in this equally happy reality: Graphic: X Screenshot January 20, 2025 was indeed a good day for America: But as expected, and despite Trumps order to the contrary, there was expected, unlawful, resistance: Graphic: X Screenshot Ive no idea if those hostages were released on the 21st, but perhaps representatives of the Trump Administration can get in touch with those prison officials who defied the lawful orders of the POTUS and introduce them to NA reality? Norman Rockwell, that iconic recorder of NA America, could not have done better than this: Graphic: X Screenshot Seeing innocent Americans restored to full citizenship, if not to full wealth, is hearwarming. There are no better images heralding Americas return to NA, objective, trust-the-actual- science reality than these: Graphic: X Screenshot For the next four years we can expect feverish, desperate, raging mad resistance whenever objective reality reasserts itself. Yet Normal Americans, and those trending that way but not yet ready to make that final leap of faith to objective reality, can once again enjoy the blessings of steadily restored liberty and patriotism. As Donald Trump put it: fight, fight fight! 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. When I began basic training in the USAF back in the early 1970s, just like every young man or woman in every military branch, I was taught our military was controlled by the President of the United States. It was a brief lesson. He is the Commander-in-Chief. He outranks the highest-ranking general who ever lived. Civilian control of the military is unquestionable, there is no debate, no argument. Repeat it back. Dont ever forget it. Moving on Imagine my surprise, all these years later, when I saw this: Graphic: X Screenshot OK, you got me. Considering the current state of our military, and the arguably treasonous antics of the Former Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, I wasnt in the least surprised. Disgusted, alarmed, ticked off, sure. But wow! When youve lost Vindman Graphic: Twitter Screenshot Lets give it the kindest possible interpretation and assumeI know; I knowthe current Chairman really means hes prepared to take Donald Trumps orders and faithfully carry them out, and if he cant, immediately resign which is the only course an honorable officer has when he cant carry out the orders of his superiors. Considering the current Chairman is General Charles Q Brown, the kindest interpretation is surely wrong. I last wrote about Brown in June of 2023 in Charles Brown: More Woke Than Milley? The answer is yes, more woke than one can easily imagine. Brown is arguable a racist, and has played a significant role in hastening the woke deterioration of our military. During the Black Lives Matter riots, inspired by the death of George Floyd, Brown posted a You Tube video where he first identified himself by rank and position, and then, in uniform, angrily discoursed on race, offering diversity and inclusion as a goal. One other thing everyone in uniform is taught early and often is you never, ever, and particularly never in uniform or identifying yourself as a military member, engage in politics. For a general officer to do this is among the most grievous offenses one can make, but he did it during the Harris/Biden Administration, so Biden made him the Chairman. Graphic: YouTube Video Screenshots Brown has always been ready to see racial slights where they dont exist: What horrible acts of oppression did one of the most powerful men in the military experience that made him turn on America? In his own words to People Magazine, When you get to senior levels, you have reserved parking spots around the base. I was in civilian clothes, I parked in a spot and someone came out and said, That slot is reserved for the Pacific Air Forces Commander. And I go, Yeah, I know, because I am the Pacific Air Forces Commander. In that incident, Brown was apparently in civilian clothing and new to the assignment. One would think he would appreciate his airmen looking out for the perks of the new Pacific Air Force Commander, but instead, he reflexively saw racism. Brown also presided, as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, over the publishing of one of the most shocking and destructive racist documents ever produced by the modern military. that document, available here, establishes officer quotas set by race and gender: Similar quotas had been issued by political appointees in a politically correct military, but they had focused on slowly boosting minority officers rather than calling for a purge of white men. The 2014 quotas had looked for an 80 percent white, 10 percent black and 8 percent Asian officer corps. While choosing officers by any racial category rather than merit is racist, wrong and illegal under civil rights legislation, this fell short of Browns proposed racist purge. Browns quotas limit the number of white officers to 67% and cut white men down to 43%. Racial quotas are blatantly unconstitutional. The law is absolutely clear on that point, yet Browns actions suggest he thinks himself above the law and the Constitution. Browns Air Force tenure also directly affected readiness: The F-35A rate fell from 76% to 68% from 2020: the year that the Air Force went woke, endorsed Black Lives Matter and forced racial struggle sessions on its officers. In 2022, the rates fell to an outrageous 54%. Thats barely 1 in 2 available planes. In a major war, rates like these mean we would lose and hundreds of thousands of our people could die. Politico is worried about Brown: Defense officials are getting anxious about the possibility of the incoming Trump administration firing Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown, due to perceptions that he is out of step with the president-elect on the Pentagons diversity and inclusion programs. They ought to be, because Trump, and his Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth have made clear there arent going to be any diversity and inclusion programs in the military, and Brown is used to illegally spouting off in public about such things. Hopefully Trump will soon make clear the proper place and deportment for generals in the US Military. 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. While its true pardoned members of Joe Bidens crime family can be interviewed by the FBI, and lying to an agent is a crime, they dont have to speak with federal agents. Its equally true they can be subpoenaed by Congress and may be prosecuted for perjury, but Im quite sure that like James Comey, Christopher Wray and a variety of other swamp dwellers, theyll suddenly develop very bad memories. Its equally likely Former General Mark Milley, also pardoned by Bidens handlers, will suffer memory loss. There is, however, one consequence, small for most Americans, but large indeed for a perfumed prince of the Pentagon: Graphic: X Screenshot Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. (Ret.) Mark Milleys portrait, which was just unveiled 10 days ago at the Pentagon, has been taken down, according to a photo posted by CNN. It is unclear who took it down. However, Katie Miller, former Trump administration official and wife of Stephen Miller, senior adviser to President Donald Trump, posted on X on Monday morning on January 20, the first day of Trumps presidency: This is coming down. Pentagon princes wear enough ribbons, medals and badges to sink a WWII battleship. By way of comparison, note this photo of five-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower during WWII: Graphic: General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, at his headquarters in the European theater of operations. Wikimedia commons.org. Public Domain. Service members may legitimately wear the decorations theyve earned, but as anyone who has served knows, some are far more interested in that sort of thing than others, which says a great deal about them. But why, of all the officers in our military, even retired officers, should Bidens handlers grant a blanket, preemptive pardon to Mark Milley? He arguably committed mutiny, but that was under Donald Trump who is not a Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c). It was another last-minute spit in the eye of Normal Americans and the kind of soldiers far more dedicated to the mission than self-promotion. It was also a last-gasp boost to DEI. Milley, according to accounts that appeared in books while he was still serving, subverted Trump as he contested the 2020 outcome of the election by telling service chiefs and other senior military leaders to check with him before taking certain orders from Trump putting himself in the chain of command when his position as an adviser to the president as chairman of the Joint Chiefs was not part of the chain of command. Graphic: Twitter Screenshot The Joint Chiefs are military advisors to the POTUS. They have no place in the command structure of their respective services or of the overall armed services. Assuming such command is a violation of the UCMJ, as is usurping any presidents authority. In fact, thats a gross constitutional violation. The Constitution establishes absolute civilian control of the military and the POTUS is the Commander-in-Chief. In addition, according to those accounts, he also told Chinese leaders during the transition from Trump to Biden that he would give them a heads up if Trump decided to attack. His then-spokesman never denied Milley said those things, saying only that he has not read what was in the books accounts. Heres the relevant portion of article 94 of the UCMJ: (1) [Any person subject to this chapter who] with intent to usurp or override lawful military authority, refuses, in concert with any other person, to obey orders or otherwise do his duty or creates any violence or disturbance is guilty of mutiny The punishment for violation of Article 94 is death. In overriding the lawful authority of officers in the chain of command of the armed services, and certainly in overriding the authority of the President to the benefit of an enemy state, Milley arguably committed multiple counts of mutiny. Milley also notoriously defended the teaching at West Point of Marxist-based Critical Race Theory, saying it was important to study. I want to understand white rage and Im white, he said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing, using CRT terminology. Harris/Biden Administration attempts to paint military members and veterans as violent, racist extremists have come to nothing. Fortunately, on his first day in office, President Trump began the process of eradicating DIE, CRT and other vestiges of wokeness from the federal government and military. Thanks to Bidens handlers, Mark Milley will never face the punishment he apparently deserves, but a competent investigation will surely include officers that served with Milley willing to tell the truth and honor their oaths of office. The truth about Milley will come out, and this time around, Donald Trump wont hesitate to see that disloyal officers get the punishmentafter full application of due process--and public scorn theyve earned. That too is part of restoring our military to its constitutional role. 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. Among Donald Trumps day one executive orders was revoking the security clearances of 51 former intelligence experts who signed a letter ginned up by Antony Blinken, claiming The New York Post expose of Hunter Bidens laptop was Russian disinformation. Blinken was rewarded with the Secretary of State posting. The executive order clearly explains the rationale for the revocations: Graphic: NY Post 03-19-22 Cover. Public Domain Signatories of the letter falsely suggested that the news story was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Before being issued, the letter was sent to the CIA Prepublication Classification Review Board, the body typically assigned to formally evaluate the sensitive nature of documents prior to publication. Senior CIA officials were made aware of the contents of the letter, and multiple signatories held clearances at the time and maintained ongoing contractual relationships with the CIA. Federal policymakers must be able to rely on analysis conducted by the Intelligence Community and be confident that it is accurate, crafted with professionalism, and free from politically motivated engineering to affect political outcomes in the United States. The signatories willfully weaponized the gravitas of the Intelligence Community to manipulate the political process and undermine our democratic institutions. This fabrication of the imprimatur of the Intelligence Community to suppress information essential to the American people during a Presidential election is an egregious breach of trust reminiscent of a third world country. And now the faith of Americans in all other patriotic intelligence professionals who are sworn to protect the Nation has been imperiled. The order goes into greater detail and orders an investigation into other potential breaches of national security. Graphic: Twitter Screenshot Its widely known the signatories of that letter knew the FBI had the laptop for many months and had confirmed it belonged to Hunter Biden, its contents were genuine, had not been tampered with, and had no relationship to Russia. They knew their assertions were false; they were election interference to help Joe Biden. Polling reveals Americans would not have voted for Biden had they known. The letter has long been controversial, and some of those signing it have done their best to backpedal: We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement just that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case, the former officials wrote in 2020. If we are right, this is Russia trying to influence how Americans vote in this election, and we believe strongly that Americans need to be aware of this. In other words, the noble signatories had no evidence the laptop was Russian disinformation, they were protecting America against a national security threat for which there was no evidence just in time to throw the election to Joe Biden. Such nobility and selfless love of country. As one might expect, now that theyve lost lucrative security clearances, theyre crying foul: It would be contrary to decades of national security norms to suspend the security clearances of individuals who did nothing other than, as private citizens, exercise their protected First Amendment rights, said Mark Zaid, an attorney who represents a number of the signatories. Such an action would be unprecedented and undeserved, especially given many of the signatories spent their entire careers serving apolitically to protect the American people. So, revoking their clearances violates the First Amendment? Thats rich coming from people whose purpose in signing the letter was deceptively depriving Americans of information essential to informed voting. One even admitted the letter was political. Graphic: E-mail from former CIA Director Brennan via NY Post Zaid is also engaging in deception. There is no right to hold a security clearance, nor are revocations unprecedented or undeserved. Clearances are granted only after exhaustive investigations going back to elementary school, and the slightest worry or doubt is sufficient to deny or revoke one. Service members have seen their clearances revoked for missteps that clearly did not result in any breach of security. Merely the appearance of a mistake or carelessness is more than enough. The government doesnt have to prove anything to revoke a clearance to which no one is entitled. Even during the Biden years security clearances were suspended. The most notable example was Iran envoy Rob Malleya decades-long pal of Blinken--suspected of giving classified materials to Iran. Malley has since gone far below the medias radar and no charges have been publicly filed. Because no one has a right to a security clearance, Zaid, crying politicstheres irony for you--is making a case for his clients in the media. Should he try to appeal to a court, any non-political judge should throw it out. Sadly, thats no longer a certainty. Trumps revocation of the 51s clearances is not only consistent with past practice, its entirely within his discretion. It couldnt happen to worse people. 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. According to campusreform.org, the University of Louisville recently hosted a lecture titled Swamp Tales, Trans Ghosts, and Nonbinary Magical Realism. The presentation was apparently part of the Kentucky schools Global Humanities Lecture Series. The event description stated: As a nonbinary space that is neither land nor water but both, the swamp serves as the material groundsas the terra infirmafor a series of considerations about transformation and difference. Alrighty then. Nonbinary Magical Realism sounds to me like what progressives use to view the world. Or perhaps Nonbinary Magical Surrealism would be more accurate. Regular people around the world need to toss out the pointy-headed elites that rule over them -- and are starting to do so with regularity. These elites were typically educated at wildly progressive and woke institutions like the University of Louisville and now see their swamps as moats around the ivory towers in which they live, protecting them from the rabble. Our elite, globalist rulers refuse to be transparent and honest. They disdain common senseand those over which they rule. President Trump is attempting to drain The Swamp that is Washington, D.C. Heres hoping we soon see much transformation and difference. It seems like many Italians, Germans, and Frenchmen have seen the light, as well. Maybe even the British will someday. We dont need Nonbinary Magical Realism. (Magical Realism is an oxymoron.) We need effective policies that help real people in the real world. Some policies clearly do so. Others clearly do not. If thats too binary for those on their high horses, so be it. Image: Thierry Ehrmann, via Flickr // CC BY 2.0 Deed Trumps executive orders and memoranda to his department heads are thrilling. Hes doing all the right things. But of course, signing pieces of paper is easy. The hard part is getting those things to happen. Trump will face opposition from the entrenched federal workers (all of whom have been protected for decades by their increasingly partisan, leftist unions), from Democrat-run states, and from individual actors. Most of this will end up in the courts, so we need to hope that judges correctly read the American mood and give Trump his way on acts manifestly within his constitutional purview. Last week, a very scary poll came out showing that over 40% of federal workers say that they intend to oppose the administration. The poll surprisingly showed that highly educated, affluent Americans, the ones who are the Democrats most fervent supporters, are willing to give Trump a chance, as are ordinary Americans, the ones without post-graduate degrees and high salaries. The outliers, however, were federal employees who live in and around D.C. and bring home salaries exceeding $75,000: A surprising number of federal government employees admit they are gearing up to act like a deep state, opposing the incoming second administration of Donald Trump. Most Americans, even many of the elites who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, are willing to support Trumps administration, according to an RMG Research survey commissioned by the Napolitan Institute. Yet 42% of federal government managers who work in the Washington, D.C., swamp intend to work against the administration. In all instances, these employees proposed acts of resistance are firing offenses. In some instances, they may also be sedition. The problem, though, is rooting out these employees. Trump has announced that he is firing over 1,000 Biden appointees, which is a good start (beginning with General Milley), but it doesnt address the many thousands of other employees among the 2.2 million-strong federal labor force. These people can cause a lot of trouble before theyre rousted. Fortunately, Trump has already appointed 1,300 new staff, so they should be on the ground policing the resisters. These resisters will also get major support from their unions, so I continue to hope that Trump reverses JFKs executive order authorizing those unions. The unions are a pernicious way for Democrats to buy votes using taxpayer money (Dems give the unions huge wages and benefits; the unions respond by funding and voting for Democrats), and have no place in our constitutional system. Trumps not just facing trouble from within the workforce. Twenty-two states instantly sued Trump to block his executive order ending birthright citizenship. I believe Trump is right, and stand by S. David Sultzers excellent analysis on the subject. (If you have friends in the Trump administration, maybe you can pass the analysis on to them.) Leftist states have other opposition geared up. Even as California burned, the California legislature voted to spend $50 million in taxpayer money to ensure that illegal immigration continues in America. Meanwhile, in Oregon, the state is mandating training for state workers so that they can learn the finer points of fighting deportation. (A friend of mine in Bend, Oregon, which is not part of the crazy left coast, was in the ER in November. She was the only patient there that day speaking English, not Spanish.) While California is just funding lawsuits, Oregon seems to believe that its sanctuary laws trump the Constitutions Supremacy Clause. I find that hard to believe and hope that the politicians and upper level managers behind this initiative all find themselves arrested, tried, and imprisoned under 8 USC sec. 1324. Its not just federal workers and states, though. Within seconds of Trumps inauguration, a lawsuit was filed challenging DOGE. Expect many more lawsuits against every single Trump initiative. All these pro-illegal immigration, anti-Trump efforts will eventually ended up in the courts, of course. As we all remember, during Trumps first term, the courts were relentlessly hostile to his actions. This was especially true for border initiatives, which saw federal district court judges in cherry-picked jurisdictions block the entire federal machinery. This was never how the system was intended to work, with unelected judges controlling national security and other powers unique to the president. This time, however, those judges might notice that Trump has enormous support, as shown by his stunning Electoral College victory, his popular vote victory, and the poll mentioned at the top of this essay. Perhaps the judges will show a little wisdom this time around and let the constitutional system operate. Image by Grok. According to documentarian Ken Burns, President Lincoln began his presidency when the Dome of the Capitol was still unfinished. When the enormous financial demands of the Civil War threatened to delay its completion, Lincoln overruled the bean counters, insisting that the work continue to symbolize the vitality of his troubled nation. Like Churchill in 1940, Lincoln had reason to fret about the future of the nation in his care. The unfinished dome was visible to rebellious Virginians and in range of rebel guns just two miles away. His Capital City was populated with patriots, anxious citizens, rebels, and Confederate sympathizers. He was elected with only 40% of the popular vote in 1860. If America had a hurt locker in 1860, Lincolns name was the first on the rental agreement. On December 2, 1863, the Dome was completed, as workmen and engineers secured the Statue of Freedom to its top. I am not claiming that this location challenges the Western Wall in Jerusalem or Mount Sinai, but the Dome on the Peoples House means much to those of us who live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Franklin Grahams prayer. YouTube screen grab. Trusting in God, Lincoln and many others held this nation together through four horrendous years of war at the cost of 600,000 lives. General Lee and his rebels surrendered their fight to divide America on April 9, 1865. If you look at pictures of Lincoln taken in 1861 and those taken of him in 1865, you can see the toll the war took etched on Old Abes face. The news of Lees surrender brightened Lincolns eyes. We do not have a picture of him as he got the good news, but I can imagine it was one bodacious smile. Yesterday, I felt in my heart and caught glimpses of Lincolns smile in the faces of other celebrating, liberated patriots. Under the Dome of the Capitol that Lincoln insisted on finishing, another Republican began his second term by removing the yoke of wokeness and political correctness from a nation accustomed to free speech. Most importantly, President Trump gave God credit for saving him from two assassination attempts so he could perform the mission of restoring common sense to our land of Pilgrims pride. He gave God glory under the dome that Lincoln completed. Trump gave us the opportunity to see once again Lincolns smile. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth snuck into a theater box seat and shot President Lincoln in the back of the head. Booth convinced himself that he was killing a demon and that his act of bravery would earn him everlasting fame. With his derringer, Booth instead made Lincoln a martyr and stoked the hero adulation Lincoln deserved for playing the life-saving physician for four years to his suffering country. Lincoln, not Booth, was the first American to lie in state under the Capitol Dome. Booth is recalled as a coward and an assassin. Other American heroes like Billy Graham, JFK, and Rosa Parks have been honored like Lincoln, so admiring Americans can come and pay their last full respects to American heroes. Much can and has been said about President Trump. I marvel at his bravery and his commitment to the nation he loves and now serves for a second time. Others will comment on and evaluate the speech he gave as he began his second term. As an analyst of Lincoln and Trump, I dont think yesterdays speech matched the breathtaking eloquence of old Abe, but Trump did do something quite remarkable. His words let us see again the smile Lincoln beamed to witnesses when he got word of Lees surrender. Trump put a smile on the faces of many American patriots yesterday, and it was glorious. Ned Cosby, a frequent contributor to American Thinker, is a former pastor, veteran Coast Guard officer, and retired English high school teacher. His novel OUTCRY is a love story exposing the refusal of Christian leaders to report and discipline clergy who sexually abuse our young people. This work of fiction addresses crimes that are all too real. Cosby has also written RECOLLECTIONS FROM MY FATHERS HOUSE, tracing his own odyssey from 1954 to the present. For more info, visit Ned Cosby. Its Day 2 of the Elon Musk gave a Nazi salute shtick from the media and the leftist political class. Why are they doing this, and will it have traction? The faux Nazi salute saga started when Musk, who has a slightly twitchy, overly enthusiastic affect, gave a speech during which he thanked voters from his heart for electing Donald Trump, a man who will restore constitutional liberties to America. What he did was quite obviously was touch his hand to his heart and then throw his heart to the crowd, which is not exactly a part of the approved Nazi salute: The left is crying already! Elon Musk thanked the crowd for making this happen and that his heart went out to them. He didn't do a Nazi salute ffs! pic.twitter.com/3rNU48nw8f Joe Anidjar (@PuckDaddy93) January 20, 2025 The left, however, seized upon this gesture. Musk, they said, is a Nazi. The subtext, of course, is that Trump is Hitler. I wont bore you or lard this post with all the hysterical tweets on this point. Suffice it to say that Democrats were very, very excited to have proof of their dark suspicions. It was a real downer for leftists when the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which exists to combat antisemitism, said that Musk did not give a Nazi salute: This is a delicate moment. Its a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on ADL (@ADL) January 20, 2025 Apropos the ADL, its kind of fun to watch it struggle with the rabid antisemitism and craziness on the left. The ADL is a Democrat-run institution that was all-in on Democrat party policies. Indeed, two weeks before October 7, the ADL went to war against X because Elon Musk had bought it. Then, October 7 happened, and the organization learned that the Democrat party is increasingly filled with people who dream of killing Jews. The result: The ADL having to defend Musk! Rabbis chimed, too: He slapped his chest and threw his arm out. Thats not neo Nazism. Hamas are todays Nazis. Musk isnt. I shouldnt have to say this, but Twitter seems to have infected people with these extreme reactions to innocent behaviour. View the video in a wider context. Its quite https://t.co/REhLMmgZ7G Rabbi Zvi Solomons Am Yisrael Chai (@RabbiZvi) January 21, 2025 This was not a Nazi salute. Elon Musk is a friend to the Jews. This is a man with Aspergers, who was passionately trying to throw his heart to the crowd. Theres no need to invent controversy. https://t.co/NNKuFULmE3 Rabbi Shmuel Reichman (@ShmuelReichman) January 20, 2025 Naturally, though, leftists werent going to let this one go, including (of course) AOC, the same gal who falsely labeled Trump as a rapist, something that justifies a defamation action against her: What about the guy who did a Nazi salute behind the presidential seal? https://t.co/eghq9Hmunl Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 22, 2025 That attack did not go well for her. Indeed, no Democrats came out of this little defamation-fest looking good: Holy shlit. Is everyone who voted for Harris-Walz a Nazi supporter??? pic.twitter.com/fCCsP6rRcA Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 22, 2025 Does this mean Swifties = HitIer youth? pic.twitter.com/rfCZVdltT1 End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 22, 2025 Can someone direct me to the articles where the media expressed outrage over this? Cant find any pic.twitter.com/ivBzKGHhQr Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 21, 2025 For sane people (and most Americans are embracing sanity), this is all very silly. It will not have traction among voters. So, whats really going on here? At the most obvious level, leftists are showing again how shallow they are. Because theyre deeply into visual symbolism (rainbow flags, clenched fists, in this house signs, and thousands of other things), many of them have lost their ability to analyze issues at anything more than a subliterate level. If it looks like a Nazi salute, it must be a Nazi salute. In the same way, they assume that the underdog in any battle must be the beleaguered good guy. Thats part of their passion for Hamas. It lacks Israels weapons; ergo, its good. And yes, many are that stupid. But of course, the movers and shakers, including AOC, arent stupid. They are out to destroy Musk in any way they can because Musk is a very dangerous threat to them. His championing of free speech leaves them open to all sorts of attacks they previously avoided when the government and media censored all opposing thoughts. With Musk having opened X to free speech, Trump got his message out...and he won. With Musk having used X to expose the Labour Partys connection to the Muslim grooming/rape scandal in England, Prime Minister Keir Starmers hold on power is tenuous. Leftists know that Musk, through the engine of free speech, can do the same to them. Musks obsession with government efficiencytrimming its size and scopealso threatens the hold Democrats have on the federal government. When you have 2.2 million workers who control every aspect of American life, and almost all of whom are Democrats, you have tremendous power (witness what they did to Trump and his supporters during Trumps and Bidens administrations). If the government workforce is suddenly cut in half, that power is also cut in half. And once weakened, the Deep State is even more vulnerable to being gelded and returned to a constitutional government, not an unconstitutional, unelected, highly partisan administrative state. In other words, although the Nazi salute attack is ridiculous, Democrats fear of Elon Musk is very real and legitimate. Knowing this, we also know that the Hitler salute hoax is not their only salvo. There will be more, and I seriously hope that Musk, having been identified to the rank and file as a Nazi, has good security wrapped around him. The Dems are making sure that some nutjob among their number envisions himself as a glorious martyr taking down Americas second-biggest Nazi. UPDATE: We now have the last, best word on the subject: .@elonmusk is being falsely smeared. Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israels https://t.co/VkBptanDmp Benjamin Netanyahu - (@netanyahu) January 23, 2025 X screen grab. Googles Pixel devices never stay secret for too long, and it looks like theres now some information regarding the leak of the Pixel 11a codename. Following a leak of the 2026 Pixel phone codenames, which includes several from the Pixel 11 series, Android Headlines has received some exclusive information about the Pixel 11a codename, a device that wasnt included in the details of yesterdays leak. Perhaps unsurprisingly, itll stick to the bear-themed codenames. Now this is just speculation, but the A series Pixel phones dont usually come out until several months after the non-A models. The Pixel 8a came out in May 2024 while the Pixel 8 came out in October of 2023. The Pixel 7a came out in May 2023 while its Pixel 7 counterpart was released in October of 2022. If Google continues with this trend, the Pixel 9a is likely to come out in May of 2025 (a rumor suggests it may be earlier), and the Pixel 10a should be arriving sometime in May of 2026. That would put the Pixel 11a all the way out in May of 2027. And even with all that time ahead of it, Google still seems to have a codename ready for it. Leak suggests the Pixel 11a codename is Formosan According to yesterdays leak, all of the Pixel 11 series codenames are bear-themed. The Pixel 11 is Cubs, the Pixel 11 Pro is Grizzly, the Pixel 11 Pro XL is Kodiak, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Yogi. According to our source, the Pixel 11a is going to be codenamed Formosan. This refers to the Formosan Black Bear, a bear native to Taiwan with a distinctive v-shaped patch of white fur on its chest. Its unclear whether or not the choice to use Formosan for the Pixel 11a has any significance. Maybe Google just needed another bear-themed name. That being said, all of the codenames leaked yesterday seem to match up well with their devices. Cubs are baby bears and are obviously smaller than adults. So it makes sense Google would choose the Pixel 11 for this codename. The Pixel 11 Pro isnt likely to be noticeably larger. However, it will have more features and do more stuff. Itll be a more robust version of the phone. So Grizzly fits. The Pixel 11 Pro XL perhaps fits the best. As Kodiaks are large brown bears that can be massive in size. And with the Pixel 11 Pro XL being the biggest phone, Kodiak fits. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold probably fits the least here. Yogi is the name of a bear, albeit a fictitious one. Yogi is also the name of a Yoga practitioner. And since Yoga involves a lot of bending and stretching the body in various ways, Google could be using Yogi as the name for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold due to its ability to bend in half. While also fitting the bear theme. Sure, were grasping at straws here. But its fun to think about Googles reasoning for picking which codenames go with which devices. Its unclear what chipset Google will go with We dont have any information on the chipset for this device. However, we can draw some ideas based on chipsets rumored for the upcoming phones. The Pixel 10 series is supposed to be using Googles custom Tensor G5. While the Pixel 10a may stick with the Tensor G4 that the Pixel 9a is supposed to use, it could go with the Tensor G5 as well. The Pixel 11, meanwhile, is rumored to be going with the Tensor G6. If Google chooses to stick with the Tensor G4 for the Pixel 10a, its also possible it could use the Tensor G5 for the Pixel 11a instead of the Tensor G6. Its also worth noting that there was a rumor from last year that states Google is planning to use a nerfed Tensor G6 in the Pixel 11a. Again, this is all just speculation. The phone is too far out to have any real concrete idea of what chipset Google has planned for it. That being said, perhaps there will be more details on this once the Pixel 10 series releases later this year. Outside of the chipset, consumers can probably expect the rest of the specs to be fairly similar to the regular version of the device. Much like Google is expected to do with the Pixel 9a and the Pixel 9. From the camera to the screen size, the Pixel 9a is stacking up to be pretty similar to the Pixel 9. And the same is likely to be true with the Pixel 11a and the Pixel 11. The availability of the first security patch of the year continues to expand to more Galaxy devices. Samsung has already pushed it to its latest flagship phonesboth foldable and traditionaland the previous-generation Galaxy S23. Now, older models, such as the Galaxy S22 series and even the Galaxy Note 20 devices, are receiving Androids January 2025 update. January 2025 update now reaching the Galaxy S22 and Note 20 series As reported by SamMobile, the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra are now receiving the January 2025 security patch. The update includes a ton of fixes for potential vulnerabilities. The S901U1, SM-S906U1, and SM-S908U1 models are getting it under the build numbers S901U1UES7EXL8, S906U1UES7EXL8, and S908U1UES7EXL8, respectively. Samsungs 2022 flagship phones are on the eligible for One UI 7 list. That said, itll probably take a while to arrive. The company is also sending out the OTA to the legendary Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Both devices arrived in 2020 as the last in the Note lineup before Samsung replaced them with the Galaxy S Ultra. In this case, the SM-N981U1 and SM-N986U1 models are getting the new firmware under the respective build numbers N981U1UESBHXL1 and N986U1UESBHXL1. Android 13 was the latest big Android update for these phones, but they are still receiving security patches. The report mentions that the OTAs are reaching carrier-free units in the US first. However, carrier-locked variants should also start receiving the notification in the coming days. As always, you can try to manually check for availability from Settings > Software update > Download and install. As a reminder, the update fixes up to 51 vulnerabilities (29 in the Android core, 22 exclusive to Galaxy hardware and software). These vulnerabilities enabled potential remote code execution on your device. They also allowed attackers to change your phones notification settings. Samsung still working on One UI 7 In related news, the Galaxy S24 series is getting a second January 2025 update. These devices should be the first to receive stable One UI 7 once its available. However, some sources suggest that users might have to wait as late as March for it. Currently, One UI 7 beta for the Galaxy S24 phones is awaiting an undated fourth update. On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 series will run One UI 7 out of the box. The quality and consistency of Android updates have improved over the years. This is thanks to Google making changes to the frequency of updates, as well as Android OEMs who are also improving on how often updates are released. If you are a Pixel 9 owner on the T-Mobile network, then you will be interested to learn that the January 2025 update is now available for your phone. Better late than never Google released the first Android update for 2025 earlier this month. Its not a particularly huge update. However, it does come with a host of bug fixes that should address various annoyances that some users might encounter on their phones. Google released the update two weeks ago, but Pixel 9 owners on T-Mobile are only receiving it now. Currently, T-Mobile is rolling out the update to Pixel 9 devices on its network. This is two weeks after Google released the update. The update introduces some performance improvements and bug fixes for Pixel devices. This includes the bug where dark icons turned light. The bug manifested itself following the December 2024 update, and the January 2025 update addresses it. Its not a huge deal, but we imagine that it might be quite annoying for some users. Google had previously acknowledged the issue so the company is aware of it. The January 2025 update also fixes flashing lines on the screen under certain conditions, audio delay, and stability when using specific apps, and issues with the cameras stability when switching to a connected camera. The update is available for Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold devices. Carrier testing Its not surprising that the January 2025 update took longer for T-Mobile Pixel 9 users. It is also one of the drawbacks of buying phones directly from a carrier. If you bought an unlocked Pixel 9 phone, you would get the update the same time Google releases it. However, if you bought it through a carrier like T-Mobile, it requires additional testing. This ensures that the update does not cause any issues with your phone while using it on their network. This includes problems such as dropped calls. Ultimately, this means that those who have an unlocked version of the phone will inevitably get the update earlier than those locked to a carrier. In this case, the difference was two weeks. The discrepancy in release times isnt too big. Still, sometimes it can be annoying. Especially if there are app-breaking bugs or major security vulnerabilities and flaws that need to be patched ASAP. If youre a Pixel 9 owner on T-Mobile, you can check the updates availability by going to Settings > System > Software updates > System update to try and pull it manually. Alternatively, you can manually install it using the OTA images from Googles website. The first Unpacked event of the year is less than 24 hours away and Samsung is said to have some surprises in store. The company is expected to launch the Galaxy S25 series during the event, in addition to announcing the stable version of the Android 15-based One UI 7 along with the rollout schedule. A new report claims that Samsung will not only announce its next-gen flagship phones in tomorrows Galaxy Unpacked but will also show more of its long-awaited XR headset. Samsung could announce the Galaxy S25 series and show more of its XR headset at tomorrows Unpacked Leaks related to the XR product developed by Samsung and Google have taken several turns. It all started with an XR headset, which had allegedly been discarded in favor of smart glasses. However, in December 2024 the firm surprised the industry by offering a first look at an XR headset. Will we also have smart glasses from the South Korean giant later this year? Only time will tell. Business Korea now reports that the XR headset goes by the codename Project Moohan. According to the source, tomorrows Unpacked event will bring more info about the device. Its possible that Samsung will show off new teasers with more specific details about the products features. The firm could also reveal more about its tech specs, as the first look from December only revealed the XR headsets design and that it will run Android XR. Samsungs product will enter a territory where rivals like the Apple Vision Pro and Metas Quest 3 arrived first. However, the price segment they will occupy is still unknown. Lets remember that Apples headset came out for $3,500, while Metas Quest 3 costs just $500. Theres a wide range in which Samsungs alternative could be positioned. A Snapdragon-powered XR headset According to leaks, Samsungs XR headset will be powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip. Google confirmed that it will support features like Find My Device. The Mountain View giant also revealed that there will be two ways to experience the apps. In Home Space, a user is able to multitask with your app running side by side with other apps. In Full Space, your app takes center stage as the focus of the users experience with full access to the immersive capabilities of Android XR, says the Android Developers site. All everyone could talk about over the weekend was how TikTok was shutting down. The app briefly went dark ahead of a law that would effectively ban it in the US. The company got a reprieve when US President Donald Trump gave it a 75-day extension. Now, Trump hopes that industry figureheads like Elon Musk and Larry Ellison might be open to buying TikTok from its owner, ByteDance. Selling TikTok The law scheduled to take effect on January 19 would have effectively forced TikTok to shut down. That is, unless the company were to sell itself to a US-based company. Currently, ByteDance, a company based in China, owns TikTok. There are national security and privacy concerns over its ownership. The US government is worried that data from TikTok is being sent back to China. This would allow TikTok to spy on US citizens. This is why the US government wants an American company to own the majority stake in TikTok. Trump responded affirmatively when asked if he is open to the idea of Elon Musk buying TikTok. He made his comments during a press conference with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masa Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman where he also floated the idea that Ellison could buy the company. In front of the media, Trump said, Larry, lets negotiate in front of the media. What Im thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it, and give half to the United States of America. Half, and well give you the permit. And theyll have a great partner, the United States. Chinas not happy China imposes many restrictions on selling or exporting technologies it deems as core technologies to other countries or foreign companies. TikToks proprietary algorithm is considered one of those core technologies. This is why TikTok selling itself or its majority stake to a foreign entity would be problematic. The current proposal is to sell 50% of TikTok to the US through a locally-based company. Mao Ning, spokesperson for Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rejected the idea, stating that companies should decide this independently based on market principles. Musk and Ellison definitely have the resources to buy TikTok, but the question is whether or not theyll be able to. Musk bought social media platform Twitter back in 2022, which was later renamed X, although some argue that the platform has lost a great deal of its value following Musks acquisition. British Airways parent company has warned it would not support Heathrow expansion without an overhaul of how passenger fees are set. International Airlines Group (IAG) chief executive Luis Gallego said the regulatory model used to determine the west London airports charges is not fit for purpose. He made the comments amid speculation Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to back the building of a third runway at Heathrow. Speaking at an event held by trade association Airlines UK in central London, Mr Gallego said: I think the regulatory model that we have is not fit for purpose. All the investments in Heathrow are too high and in the end we transfer that to the customers. As a consequence of that, Heathrow is the most expensive airport in the world but the experiences of customers are not comparable to other places. So we want to develop Heathrow and we support the development if we have the right regulatory model. Asked if IAG would not support expansion if the current regulatory model remains, he replied: Yes. Regulatory the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) determines the cap on per passenger charges that airlines must pay to Heathrow. Heathrow and the CAA were approached for a comment. British leaders could learn lessons from the Swedish government and its brochures about preparing for war, the Defence Secretary has warned. John Healey told MPs that the UK is stronger if its society is resilient, after the Russian spy ship Yantar was spotted around UK waters. Authorities in Sweden distributed a pamphlet titled In Case Of Crisis Or War last year, which featured advice about seeking shelter during an air raid and food that is filling, energy-rich and that can be stored safely at room temperature. Mr Healey had earlier told the Commons that Russia was the most pressing and immediate threat to the country, but reassured MPs that Moscow was dangerous but fundamentally weak. Dr Ben Spencer, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Nordic Countries, said news the Yantar had entered UK waters twice over recent months was concerning but of course not surprising. He read the pamphlets title in Swedish Om Krisen Eller Kriget Kommer and asked: Is it time for us to look into this? Mr Healey replied: One of the benefits of all Nordic countries now being part of Nato, of the very close defence and security relationships we have with those countries is that we can indeed learn from each other. And not just the new before-Christmas approach that the Swedish have taken the sense that a country is stronger if its society is resilient and if society is recognising that they may be under threat and ready to respond if required. I think there are certainly some lessons for us in the UK as we consider the future and we consider a rising level and complexity of threats that we may face in the years ahead. Sweden became a full member of Nato last year, a year after its neighbour Finland. Sir Julian Lewis, the Conservative MP for New Forest East, later said: If (Vladimir) Putins Russia is the greatest threat to peace in Europe, the second greatest threat must be any American decision to turn its back on Nato. Mr Healey replied that he did not expect the new Washington administration, led by US president Donald Trump, to require any coaching on the threats from Russia or the threats from and around other parts of the world. He continued: I expect this administration to be one that takes defence and security seriously, and that recognises that a secure, free, openly trading Europe is in Americas very best interests. Defence Secretary John Healey said change is essential, not optional (Lucy North/PA) The Defence Secretary earlier said: Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve. He added P8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint aircraft would join a Nato operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea, while the Yantar used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure had been shadowed by Royal Navy ships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne. Mr Healey continued: Russian aggression will not be tolerated at home or in Ukraine. Its why one of the first acts of this Government was for the Prime Minister to launch the strategic defence review. Its why the Government has increased defence spending next year by almost 3 billion and why we will set a path to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in the spring. This new era of the threat demands a new era for defence. Change is essential, not optional, and the Government is determined to meet the challenge, determined to deliver for defence. We will protect the homeland and our critical national infrastructure, and we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad. The criminal investigation into the alleged abduction of Alex Batty, who returned to the UK after six years abroad, has been discontinued because he and his family would not support a prosecution. Greater Manchester Police said the inquiry into his disappearance between September 30 2017 and December 13 2023 has officially concluded because there is no realistic chance of criminal prosecution. Mr Batty and his grandmother Susan Caruana have been informed that case has been discontinued, police said. He went missing at the age of 11 after his mother, who was not his legal guardian, took him on a pre-arranged trip to Spain with his grandfather. Mr Batty was found by a chiropody student near the French city of Toulouse in December 2023 after walking across the Pyrenees. Detective Superintendent Matt Walker, who led the investigation said: Alex and his safety has been at the forefront of our minds and actions since he was found in Toulouse, France, in 2023. In our commitment to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alexs disappearance be properly and thoroughly investigated. I led a dedicated team to do exactly that when Alex was first found, and this has continued since. We have consulted with various partners, such as a complex case CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded there would be no realistic chance of criminal prosecution. Given this, the right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his familys lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for. Alex is now an adult, safe, and reintegrated with life back in Greater Manchester surrounded by those who love him, which ultimately is the priority. Officers in the UK interviewed Mr Batty when he returned from France and a criminal investigation was subsequently launched. He left his mother for a better future, telling The Sun newspaper she was a great person but not a great mum. The teenager, who is now under the legal guardianship of his grandmother, in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said his mother was anti-government, anti-vax, whose catchphrase was becoming a slave to the system. He had become fed up with his nomadic lifestyle, with no friends and no social life. It is thought Mr Batty had previously been living with his mother and grandfather, who had taken him to Spain in September 2017, across Spain, Morocco and France while he was missing. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a recruitment campaign, with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warning that a failure to recover officer numbers would be unimaginable. Amid an ongoing budget crisis, the force currently has 6,300 officers, the lowest number in its history. Mr Boutcher said he needed more officers to ensure people in Northern Ireland were given the same level of protection as in the rest of the UK. This is the first recruitment campaign to shortlist candidates to the PSNI merit pool since 2021. There will be a three-week advertising campaign aimed at attracting new recruits to embark on a 22-week training programme. Starting officers would have a salary of 34,000. Mr Boutcher has said he wants to grow the force to 7,000 officers in three years. This, along with the recruitment of additional civilian staff, would require an additional 200 million in funding. This money would have to be agreed by Northern Irelands powersharing Executive. Mr Boutcher said what he was doing was responsible planning. He added: We last went out for recruitment in 2021. That pool of people that was successful in being selected has now almost run dry. When I became chief constable we had not been recruiting for a while because of financial challenges. We started recruiting in April last year. We recruited because we are in such a challenging position with our numbers. We cant go below what we are currently at, which is 6,300. We lose about 350 police officers a year through retirement and normal reasons for leaving. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher launched the new recruitment drive at PSNI HQ in Belfast on Wednesday (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) This is about getting a pool of police officers that we have selected to join this organisation. Additionally to that, it is only right and proper that I plan to put this organisation back onto a footing where it needs to be with regards numbers. Our workforce are exhausted. They are doing remarkable things every day. The Chief Constable said: What I want to do, with the support of the Executive and the Department of Justice, is to plan for the next three years, to get back to 7,000 police officers. To be clear, 7,000 police officers is not nearly enough for this organisation. But it is a recovery plan to get us back into a position to provide the policing service that we want to provide. Mr Boutcher said it would not be a resigning matter for him if he did not get the funding he requires. He said: I will do everything in my power, with every breath I have, to show the arguments as to why we need to be funded to 7,000 officers. Anything below that is almost unimaginable. The chief constable said the current funding pressures mean victims of crime are currently being failed. He said: Already in my time here we have had to get assistance from colleagues in Scotland to help deal with some of the challenges in Northern Ireland. If you have less police officers, you get less of a service, less policing. If we dont get the numbers, the reality for Northern Ireland is you will not have the safer communities the programme for government requires, we wont be able to end violence against women and girls. Citizens in Northern Ireland should be protected the same as elsewhere in the United Kingdom and in the island of Ireland. Mr Boutcher and the PSNIs chief operating officer Pamela McCreedy launch the recruitment drive (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) Mr Boutcher said he also wanted the force to continue to grow among groups currently under represented in policing. He said: We must be reflective of the communities we serve if we want our communities to have confidence in us as a police service. The application process for student officer recruitment will close at 3pm on February 12. The PSNI will also launch recruitment for call handler staff next week. Policing Board chairman Mukesh Sharma said: We encourage people from all walks of life and community backgrounds to consider policing as a career of choice as we want policing to be reflective and representative of the diversity of the community it serves. The PSNIs recruitment partner Deloitte manages the initial assessment stages of the recruitment process which include an online application form, online initial selection test and assessment. Applicants can be between the ages of 17 and 57. The Police Federation for Northern Ireland said the recruitment drive is an essential first step towards re-building officer numbers. Chairman Liam Kelly said: Our hope is that this is a turning point. We have to halt the decline in officer numbers and work towards bringing the size of the service up to where it needs to be. Reaching a headcount of 7,000 within three years is the ambition but it is all heavily conditional on the PSNI receiving a budget that allows it to go out and recruit. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the need to recover police officer numbers in Northern Ireland is widely accepted. She said: I will continue to seek the best possible financial package for justice in Northern Ireland. It's incredible to think that no one has shown these two Pittie pups some love. But it's true! These cuties have received "no interest" while in the care of the Jersey Pit Rescue. But today that's going to change. The rescue recently shared a photo of the 4-month-old dogs Wembly and Red with the hopes of finally finding the dogs their forever home. Who could resist? If it wasn't bad enough that these Pittie girls haven't gotten their due, the rescue recently shared the rude thing that someone said about the pups. View the original article to see embedded media. We can't imagine anyone who would speak so cruelly of a dog, but according to the rescue they were recently told that Wembly's perky little ears were "ugly." It's just not true! In fact, both Pit Bull pups are beyond adorable. Together they could make someone really happy. Related: Mama Pit Bull Teaches Her Puppies to Do 'Zoomies' In Darling Video "They are in a foster home together, but they are ready to go their separate ways and find their own families," the rescue noted in their Instagram post. The comments section was up in arms over Wembley's positively perfect ears. "I would like to have a word with whoever said that about Wembleys ears," wrote one person. "Both pups are adorable and those ears are super deluxe!" another commenter agreed. "Wembley ears are perfect! We would love her to be a part of my family if it was possible," added someone else. "Aw both these girls are adorable!! Ears and all!" chimed in one person. About Jersey Pit Rescue Based in New Jersey, Jersey Pit Rescue is dedicated to rescuing stray, abandoned, and surrendered Pitties and helping them find permanent homes. It's a worthwhile goal! So many dogs need our help. The rescue also gives their pups medical care and provides spay/neutering services, which is good for their long term health. They seek to educate the public about why spaying and neutering is beneficial to dogs and how to take care of their animals so they're healthy for life. If you want to help Jersey Pit Rescue, why not volunteer? Any time you can give to them allows their dogs to get individualized love and care. Fostering is also another wonderful way to get involved. It gives a dog a loving home for a bit and takes the pressure off of shelters that might already be overcrowded. Donating to Jersey Pit Rescue can make a difference too! Any amount of help is the right amount. So don't hesitate! Today is the day to change a dog's life. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. The Duke of Sussex and Lord Tom Watson are not the only household names to have settled their claims against News Group Newspapers (NGN), with The Sun publisher said to have spent more than a billion pounds, according to a barrister representing Harry and other celebrities. Harry and the former Labour deputy leader settled their cases against the publisher of The Sun after negotiations on Tuesday, when the trial expected to last up to 10 weeks was due to begin. In a statement outside the London court, Harry and Lord Watsons barrister David Sherborne said NGN had spent more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs in order to prevent the full picture from coming out. He also said: In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdochs UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them. More than 1,000 people have come to agreements to end their legal action in recent years, including actor Hugh Grant, actress Sienna Miller, ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne, comic Catherine Tate and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm. In 2019, Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Heather Mills settled phone hacking claims against NGN. Like Harry and Lord Watson, they reached an agreement very close to trial settling within a week of their court date. The cases of Jim Moir, also known as the comedian Vic Reeves; Coronation Street actor Rajan Harkishindas, who uses the name Jimmi Harkishin; journalist and TV presenter Kate Thornton; and talent manager Chris Herbert were settled shortly before trial in July 2018. Hugh Grant outside the Rolls Buildings in central London (James Manning/PA) The judge, Mr Justice Mann, expressed concern at the time that it was the fourth trial in the long-running litigation to be aborted after court time and resources had been taken up. Other celebrities who came to agreements with the publisher include radio DJ Chris Moyles, former Boyzone member Shane Lynch and Gavin And Stacey actor Mathew Horne. Fellow Boyzone member Ronan Keating, television presenter Fern Britton, former Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Chris Huhne, and Great British Bake Off host Noel Fielding also settled their claims against NGN. Speaking after settling his case in July 2021, Mr Keating said: For many years I was suspicious as to how my private information was being obtained and I am overjoyed that I can now put this episode behind me and move on. The Duke of Sussex has been dubbed the predator of the big beasts of the tabloid jungle for his hard-fought battles against elements of the press who believed they were untouchable. Harry has settled his case against News Group Newspapers (NGN), receiving substantial damages and a full and unequivocal apology for both serious intrusion into his private life and unlawful activities by The Sun. He hailed it as a monumental victory and there was a key apology too by NGN for the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his personal life and that of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when Harry was a child. Diana, Princess of Wales talks to a young Prince Harry during the 50th Anniversary of VE Day in 1995 (Martin Keene/PA) There was an acknowledgement by the media organisation of the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family. Lord Watson Harrys co-claimant said outside court: I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators. I was wrong, they have Prince Harry. His bravery and astonishing courage have brought accountability to a part of the media that thought it was untouchable. He praised the duke for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure. Lord Tom Watson and the Duke of Sussexs barrister, David Sherborne, speak to the media after the legal action was settled on Wednesday (Lucy North/PA) A statement read on Harrys behalf outside court by his barrister David Sherborne told how as a direct result of him taking a stand Harry and those close to him had faced repeated aggressive and vengeful coverage since he began his claim more than five years ago. In December, Harry vowed not to settle the claim, saying he was pursuing truth and accountability and that he was the last person that can actually achieve that after 1,300 others settled their cases against NGN. The duke, appearing at the New York Times Dealbook Summit, said he had become professional at litigation but hinted he aimed to retire from the role fairly soon. Harry revealed in an ITV documentary last year how his determination to take on the press was a central piece in destroying his relationship with his family. Harry, William and Charles together at a premiere in 2019 (John Sibley/PA) The duke has faced a strained relationship with his father the King in recent years and an ongoing rift with his brother the Prince of Wales, which worsened after Harry and wife Meghan moved to the US, and after his Netflix documentary and his memoir Spare. He said he wished his family had joined with him in his campaign in the wake of the phone hacking scandal. Harry told during his High Court battles how William reached a settlement with NGN for a huge sum of money over hacking claims in 2020. And the duke claimed he could not bring his own legal action sooner because of a secret agreement between the royal institution and senior NGN executives, and that his bid for an apology from media mogul Rupert Murdoch was blocked by Charless staff. The Duke of Sussex launched a number of legal cases against media organisations (Aaron Chown/PA) Harry accused Clarence House of seemingly blocking our every move as part of a strategy to keep the media onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother, and father, to be accepted by the British public as Queen Consort and King respectively. Asked during the Tabloids On Trial documentary if his determination to fight the tabloids destroyed the relationship with his family, the duke replied: Yeah, thats certainly a central piece to it. He also insisted his grandmother the late Queen wanted him to see his battle against tabloid newspapers to the end. Harry told ITV: She knew how much this meant to me and shes very much out there, going See this through to the end, without question. In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote that his father, the-then Prince of Wales, told him his legal action against the press was massively damaging to the reputation of the family. Harry was summoned to a meeting at Buckingham Palace with the late Queen, Charles and their two senior advisers to discuss his multiple lawsuits in 2019. Harry said the late Queen backed his mission to take on the tabloids (Julian Simmonds/The Daily Telegraph/PA) He wrote in his autobiography: Alone, without my staff, without Meg, I was confronted directly about my legal action. My father said it was massively damaging to the reputation of the (royal) family. The duke was told by Charles that it makes our relationship with the media complicated. Harry told them he objected to the wining and dining of the same editors and journalists whove been attacking me and my wife. One of the two advisers, whom Harry dubbed the Bee and the Wasp, told him: One has to have a relationship with the press Sir, weve talked about this before. Harry and Meghan on their official tour to South Africa in 2019 (Dominic Lipinski/PA) He described how he was met with stony faces when he said he would not have had to launch legal action if all of them had protected him and Meghan. Harrys relationship with the media is a complicated and difficult one, with roots in his childhood when he witnessed the overwhelming media intrusion faced by his mother on a daily basis. Then, when the duke was just 12, Diana was killed in a crash after her car, driven at speed by a drunk chauffeur, was chased through the streets of Paris by the paparazzi. Earl Spencer, William, Harry, and the-then Prince of Wales after Dianas funeral in 1997 (Fiona Hanson/PA) In court documents, Harry also recounted how the tabloid press always became involved in his relationships, and tried to ruin them. In a witness statement, he said: At no point did I have a girlfriend or a relationship with anyone without the tabloids getting involved and ultimately ruining it, or trying to ruin it, using whatever unlawful means at their disposal. When Harry began dating American actress Meghan Markle, he attacked the media over its abuse and harassment of his girlfriend. Harry and Meghan watching the wheelchair tennis at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto while they were dating (Danny Lawson/PA) Kensington Palace warned on his behalf: This is not a game it is her life. Harrys dislike of the media appeared to intensify following the birth of his first-born child Prince Archie. At the end of an official tour to South Africa in 2019, Harry released a scathing attack on the tabloid press, in which he heavily criticised certain sections of the media for conducting what he called a ruthless campaign against his wife. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after a visit to the Tembisa township in Johannesburg during their tour of South Africa (Dominic Lipinski/PA) It was accompanied with the launch of legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of The Mail On Sunday, over the publication of parts of a private letter Meghan wrote to her father, and swiftly followed by lawsuits against NGN over unlawful activity at The Sun, and Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over phone hacking. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces, Harry said. The duke told how he and Meghan believed in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting as a cornerstone of democracy. But he added: Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son. Meghan once recounted how she underestimated the tabloids interest in her after she began dating Harry. Harry and Meghan at their engagement photocall (Dominic Lipinski/PA) When I first met my now-husband my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me Im sure hes great but you shouldnt do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life, she said. The Sussexes stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and moved to the US, in the hope of a more peaceful life. A woman whose family fled the Taliban and who became the first person in her family to go to school has graduated with a masters degree in human rights law. Gurvin Chopra, 23, whose parents fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, made a speech to a crowd of around 1,000 graduating students and their loved ones in Bristol, in which she spoke about what a privilege it is to pursue an education. Her parents Jaspal and Waryam Chopra were forced by the Taliban to leave their home country in 2000 because of their Sikh religion. Although neither received any education, and cannot read or write, they encouraged Miss Chopra and her two younger siblings to work hard at school. Growing up in west London, she would read the familys post, fill out their forms and read books to her brother and sister. These early experiences propelled her towards a career in law. In their youth my parents werent really allowed to participate in education, she said. My grandfather died young and my dad had to work, and there was a cultural element of what a womans place was. Despite that, theyve always seen the value in education. I always saw education as a way out and a way of making myself different from the women I saw growing up, who often didnt work. Ive found education really empowering in breaking away from that, developing a voice and helping the people around me. After finishing her undergraduate law degree in 2023 at the University of Bristol, for which she received a bursary, Miss Chopra went on to study for a masters degree in human rights law at the university. She also volunteered with the universitys law clinic, where law students provide free legal help to those in need, and founded the Taylor Swift Society, which now has hundreds of members. Gurvin Chopra addresses students at her graduation (University of Bristol/PA) Now working as an elected officer for Bristol Students Union, Miss Chopra has also set up a charity, The Beathard Project, which seeks to uncover miscarriages of justice to posthumously exonerate people who have been executed for alleged crimes. On Tuesday Miss Chopra officially graduated in front of her family, friends and tutors. Congratulating the graduating class, she said: For me, as an Afghan woman, the significance of this day cannot be overstated. In Afghanistan, women and girls have been denied the right to an education, the right to be seen and heard. These are privileges that I, through education, have been fortunate to receive and foster. As the only educated woman in my family, it is an honour and privilege to have earned my masters in human rights law. It is through my education that I have been able to see first-hand how access to education can be life-changing, in providing a voice, freedoms and, most importantly, choices. So, as we all celebrate the end of this chapter, we must remember the power education has in transforming lives, and, more importantly, the privileges we hold and the responsibilities we bear in ensuring that these opportunities are available to all. Gurvin Chopra poses for a selfie with Professor Michele Acuto from the University of Bristol (University of Bristol/PA) Professor Michele Acuto, the University of Bristols pro vice-chancellor for global engagement, conducted Miss Chopras graduation ceremony. My heartfelt congratulations to Gurvin for the many incredible things she has already achieved, and for her outstanding service to the student community too, she said. She has demonstrated the kind of global civic leadership we aspire to in our strategy, and is an inspiration to us all. Gurvin is a credit to the amazing students we have the chance to host at university. We have no doubt that she will have every success in the future, and I look forward to more collaboration with Gurvin in this and the years to come. After finishing her year-long service as a students union officer, Miss Chopra plans to work on her charity before becoming a human rights lawyer. TV presenter Jonathan Ross will return as host of ITVs Oscars companion show this March for the second year running. The chat show host, 64, will be joined by celebrity guests and film experts to discuss nominated films on the night of the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday March 2. There will also be coverage of the ceremony, which begins at midnight, after presenter Ross King goes live on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. It comes after the Oscars nominations announcement was postponed for a second time amid the wildfires in Los Angeles which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures. Emma Stone with her best actress Oscar for Poor Things in 2024 (Doug Peters/PA) The announcement, now taking place this Thursday at 1.10pm, will be broadcast on ITVX hosted by ITV News broadcaster Lucrezia Millarini with arts editor Nina Nannar. Prior to the ceremony, ITV will broadcast a raft of Oscars-themed programming on Good Morning Britain (GMB), Loose Women, and ITV News. There will also be an Oscars 24/7 channel which will feature Oscar-winning and nominated movies. Spanish-language musical Emilia Perez and historical drama The Brutalist were big winners at the Golden Globes ceremony earlier in the month, suggesting they could be frontrunners at the Oscars. The 97th awards ceremony and red carpet coverage returns to ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday March 2. Manchester City are in danger of crashing out of the Champions League after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 at Paris St Germain. Jack Grealish looked to have put the 2023 winners on course for a crucial victory at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday after coming off the bench to score and set up another goal for Erling Haaland. Yet in a dramatic second half, the hosts quickly levelled through Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola before a Joao Neves header put PSG ahead 12 minutes from time. PSG COME BACK AGAINST MAN CITY After going 2-0 down, Joao Neves fires home to give PSG the lead @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/t2p3ZSS6sS Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2025 Goncalo Ramos had the final say in a pulsating contest played in pouring rain when his fine strike was given after a lengthy VAR check in stoppage time. The defeat leaves City outside the top 24 in the league phase of the competition and needing to beat Club Brugge in their last game next week to reach the play-off round. PSG, who had been the better team in the first half and had a goal disallowed, leapfrogged Pep Guardiolas side to keep their own chances of progressing alive. With both sides having struggled in the competition, there had been an obvious tension in the build-up but PSG, feeding on a lively atmosphere, started well. Jack Grealish gave Manchester City the lead (Adam Davy/PA) Desire Doue tested Ederson in the opening minutes and Ruben Dias was booked for crudely halting a charge from the dangerous Achraf Hakimi. Neves headed over from the resulting free-kick. City threatened when Phil Foden had a shot blocked and Kevin De Bruynes follow-up was pushed away by Gianluigi Donnarumma. Haaland also headed tamely at the keeper. PSG went close again when a long-range Hakimi effort was saved by Ederson and Vitinha had a shot deflected wide. Fabian Ruiz looked certain to score from the resulting corner but Josko Gvardiol cleared off the line. City survived a major scare on the stroke of half-time as Nuno Mendes got behind the defence and squared across the box for Barcola to tee up Hakimi. The Moroccan drove powerfully into the net but City were reprieved moments later when VAR showed Mendes marginally offside in the build-up. Kevin De Bruyne has an effort (Adam Davy/PA) The visitors capitalised on the reprieve as they stunned PSG with two goals inside the opening eight minutes of the second half. Their first came after Manuel Akanji beat Mendes to set up Bernardo Silva. The Portugueses effort was blocked by Donnarumma but Grealish, introduced at the break, pounced on the rebound to smash home from close range. Grealish was involved again as City doubled their lead moments later. This time he was the provider as his cutback was deflected into the path of Haaland at the back post. The Norwegian made no mistake with a typically emphatic finish. Yet as quickly as City had built their position of strength, they managed to squander it. Erling Haaland scores Manchester Citys second (Adam Davy/PA) PSGs own half-time substitute Dembele was soon into the action, racing on to a ball from Barcola on the left to sweep home after 56 minutes. That lifted the crowd and City were undone again on the hour as Doue struck the bar. The ball bounced back towards Barcola and he deftly clipped back over Ederson to score off the post. PSG now had the bit between their teeth and went close again as Neves fired narrowly over and Dembele thumped another effort against the woodwork. Goncalo Ramos wrapped up Paris St Germains victory (Michel Euler/AP) City were struggling to get the ball out of their own half as PSG continued to attack in waves. They broke through again in the 78th minute as Neves stooped low to meet a Vitinha free-kick and head past Ederson. There was no way back for City, who had another let-off when a Dembele goal was disallowed. VAR did not come to their rescue in stoppage time, however, as Ramos effort was ruled onside. Elon Musk must defend his own actions, Downing Street said, after the tech billionaire made a gesture widely interpreted as a Nazi salute during a rally for new US President Donald Trump. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Sir Keir Starmer would not be happy were any of his ministers to make a Nazi salute, but he would not be drawn into saying whether he believed Mr Musks gesture was an example of it. On Monday, Mr Musk gave a speech at a rally following the new Presidents inauguration, in which he thanked Mr Trumps supporters. He then slapped his hand on his chest and extended his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards. The Tesla mogul then turned around and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired https://t.co/9fIqS5mWA0 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025 Mr Musk has not explicitly denied claims the gesture looked like a Nazi salute, but hit out at his critics, writing on his X social media site that the everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired. Asked about the gesture, the Prime Ministers spokesman replied: It is clearly for the individual to defend his own actions. When it comes to the Governments position on these issues, you have heard the Prime Minister speak passionately about his visit to Auschwitz and our plans ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day. Asked if Sir Keir would be happy if a member of his Government gave a salute like that, the spokesman replied: Would he be happy if a member of the Government did a Nazi salute? No. He added: The Prime Minister would not be happy with a member of the Government doing a Nazi salute. When pressed whether this meant the Government believed Mr Musks gesture was a Nazi salute, the spokesman replied: I am saying it is up to Elon Musk obviously to respond to that. The billionaire and Downing Street have had an uneasy relationship in recent months. Mr Musk has repeatedly attacked ministers over the historical handling of the grooming gangs scandal in the UK. He will lead a US federal government cost cutting exercise in Mr Trumps new administration. The attacker targeted a group of children from a daycare centre. Photograph: Heiko Becker/Reuters A 28-year-old Afghan man has been arrested after a knife attack in a park in the German city of Aschaffenburg that killed two people, including a toddler, in what the countrys chancellor, Olaf Scholz, condemned as an act of terror. With a month left in a campaign for snap elections dominated by debate on immigration and asylum policy, Scholz demanded authorities explain immediately why the assailant was even still in Germany. Police said a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man who reportedly attempted to help the child were killed. Two other victims were severely injured in the stabbing whose motive was not immediately clear, police said, noting the investigation was still at an early stage. Local media reports said the attacker targeted a group of children from a daycare centre who were in the park. The suspect lived in an asylum centre in the area, news outlet Der Spiegel reported. Other media reported the man had been treated for psychological problems. Election frontrunner Friedrich Merz, head of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said he was deeply shocked by the violence. This cant go on, he said in a statement. We must and we will re-establish law and order. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland, running second in the polls, posted on X: Remigration now! referring to her partys highly controversial call for mass deportation of migrants and asylum seekers. Train service in Aschaffenburg was briefly suspended as the suspect attempted to flee along the tracks, but police quickly detained him. Scholz described the violent assault as an inexplicable act of terror that required immediate consequences its not enough just to talk. I am sick of such acts of violence occurring every few weeks, he said in a statement. Of attackers who came to us seeking protection. Misplaced tolerance is completely inappropriate. Markus Soder, the conservative premier of Bavaria, where the attack occurred, called it a terrible day for his state and denounced a cowardly and despicable act in a post on X. A second person who was detained was being treated as a witness, and there were no immediate indications that the assailant had accomplices. It was the latest in a series of violent attacks in Germany, fuelling calls ahead of the 23 February election for tougher security measures. One month ago, a Saudi doctor with reported far-right, anti-Muslim sympathies was arrested after a car-ramming rampage at a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg in which six people were killed and about 200 injured. In June, a policeman died after he intervened in a knife attack allegedly by an Afghan man at an anti-Islam rally in Mannheim in the south-west. And in August, three people were killed and eight injured in a mass stabbing at a street festival in the western city of Solingen. The attack was claimed by Islamic State, and the police arrested a Syrian suspect. After that attack just weeks before three key state elections, Scholzs government responded by tightening rules on knives in public places, limiting benefits for asylum seekers and moving to allow swifter deportation of those whose claims for asylum have been rejected. Merzs CDU has vowed to implement a harder line on immigration, including a de facto ban on new asylum requests at the border. Angela Rayner is under pressure to apologise - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing Angela Rayner is under pressure to apologise for suggesting the Southport attacks were not terror-related. The Deputy Prime Minister had claimed Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, was spreading fake news after he questioned whether the tragedy was linked to terrorism. Mr Farage is now demanding Ms Rayner says sorry after it emerged Axel Rudakubana, the 18-year-old killer, was referred to the Governments Prevent anti-extremism scheme three times Rudakubana this week pleaded guilty to the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July. Police also found an al-Qaeda training manual and ricin in his home. Sir Keir Starmer arrives to lay flowers at the scene of the stabbing attacks in Southport last July - ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Sir Keir Starmer confirmed after the guilty plea that police and politicians knew about the attackers terrorist material shortly after the attack, but the public was not told. The decision not to be more transparent has been blamed for fuelling nationwide riots which followed the killings and saw more than 1,200 arrests. On July 30, the day after the attack, Mr Farage said in a statement that there were questions remaining surrounding the tragedy and possible links to terrorism. He also suggested that the truth was being withheld from us regarding the attacks, which prompted significant backlash from politicians accusing him of stoking hatred. Riot police hold back protesters in Southport - Getty Images Mr Farage said: I have to say there are one or two questions. Was this guy being monitored by the security services? Some reports say he was, others less sure I just wonder whether the truth is being withheld from us. I dont know the answer to that. I think it is a fair and legitimate question. What I do know is something is going horribly wrong in our once beautiful country. Axel Rudakubana, who was referred to the Prevent anti-extremism agency on several occasions, admitted murder earlier this week Asked directly about Mr Farages words at the time, Ms Rayner said: He must understand that you have a level of responsibility, youre a community leader, youre elected to represent your constituency. And therefore you have a level of responsibility with that, and its not to stoke up what conspiracy theories or what you think might have happened, or lean into what you think. Ms Rayner insisted police were doing a difficult job, adding: We want to establish facts as soon as possible. And we have a responsibility to hold the community together and say, lets get the facts and then lets look at what the actual solutions are and what we can do about the horrific situation that we find ourselves in, not to stir up these fake news online. Credit: YouTube/LBC On Wednesday night, Mr Farage told The Telegraph: Many public figures, including Angela Rayner, made derogatory and inciteful remarks about my comments in the vacuum that followed the terrorist attack in Southport. I was right all along. This man was known to the authorities and the truth was withheld. As the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall KC confirmed, the public should have been told the truth without damaging the trial. This is an appalling cover-up and I deserve apologies. Credit: Facebook/Nigel Farage Reform has identified Ms Rayner as one of seven MPs who blamed Mr Farage for the riots or inferred he was at least partly responsible. Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, accused Mr Farage of having exploited the Southport attacks dishonestly. The day after Mr Farages comments, she said: Nigel Farage could yesterday have had the questions, he claims are unanswered, answered if he had bothered to turn up to parliament and ask them during the statement on the incidents in Southport. He didnt turn up, he grifted instead. Kim Johnson, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, demanded that the Parliaments standards commissioner look into Mr Farages comments. She told The Guardian: Nigel Farages dangerous comments cannot be left to fester. He is the voice of the EDL [English Defence League] in Parliament, using his platform to spread fear and misinformation. Ms Johnson added: With so much at stake, we need urgent action from the Commons standards committee and the police to hold him to account. Dawn Butler, a Labour MP, claimed Mr Farage had whipped up unrest across the country, writing: You have the nerve to blame BLM [Black Lives Matter] for something you have stoked! Understand the consequences of your actions. In a now-deleted post on X, which was widely reported at the time, Labour MP David Baines said of Mr Farage: Arsonist appalled at flames. Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister, claimed during the Tory leadership contest that the Reform leader was irresponsible and dangerous to imply the police withheld the truth. And in an interview with Times Radio, Labours Andy McDonald accused Mr Farage and Lee Anderson, a fellow Reform MP, of stirring up racial hatred. Others to suggest Mr Farage was responsible for stoking tensions included Anna Soubry, a former MP, and the campaign group Stand Up to Racism. Tobias Ellwood, a former minister, accused the Reform leader of stirring up racial hatred, while Carol Vorderman, the television presenter, called him an apologist for violence on the streets. Gerry Adams was previously represented by Lord Hermer, the Attorney General - Liam McBurney/PA The Attorney General has insisted his work for Gerry Adams was unconnected to the legislation paving the way for the former Sinn Fein leader to claim compensation. Lord Hermer, who has been under fire for potential conflicts of interest, reiterated that barristers did not choose who they worked for but operated under the so-called cab rank principle, where they represented clients irrespective of their views or behaviour. In a written parliamentary answer, the Attorney General continued to defend his right not to disclose whether he advised the Government on its decision to repeal sections of the Legacy Act which blocked Mr Adams from claiming compensation over his unlawful detention during the Troubles in the 1970s. Lord Hermer has been under pressure to disclose whether he recused himself from decisions on the legislation because of the potential conflict of interest over his representing the former Sinn Fein leader in 2023 in a case where he was being sued for damages by victims of three IRA bomb attacks. On March 8 1973, an IRA bomb in Whitehall, central London, killed one and injured hundreds - Getty/Central Press The Troubles Act, introduced by the Tories in 2023, originally denied Mr Adams and some 400 other Irish republicans from claiming compensation over their detention in prison in the 1970s. Labour decided to repeal the act last year, after a Northern Irish high court ruled that the Tories legislation was incompatible with human rights laws. Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, said that the decision to repeal the law underlined the Governments absolute commitment to the Human Rights Act. Ministers decided not to appeal against the Northern Irish high court decision despite warnings on Tuesday by 16 leading lawyers, former judges and ministers that the decision would reopen the door to a wave of meritless litigation relating to events dating back more than 50 years. Gerry Adams at the funeral for IRA members killed in Gibraltar in 1988 - NLI/Hulton Archive In a report by Policy Exchange, the think tank, the 16 signatories including Lord West, the former Labour security minister said that hundreds of people who were lawfully detained for suspected involvement in terrorism could be paid compensation in an unjust and wasteful use of public money. In his written answer, Lord Hermer said he had set out to MPs that as a private barrister prior to my appointment as Attorney General, I represented Gerry Adams on an issue unconnected to the Legacy Act. A Tory source said this still did not answer whether he had or had not recused himself from decisions on the Legacy Act and could be read as suggesting he might have advised on it as it was unconnected to the case where he represented Mr Adams. However, Lord Hermer said it was a longstanding convention that Government law officers did not disclose whether or what they had advised ministers. It is also an important legal principle, as confirmed by the Bar Council, that barristers do not choose their clients, nor do they associate themselves with their clients opinions or behaviour by virtue of representing them, he said. Lord Hermer has been under pressure to say if he recused himself - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future via Getty Lord Hermer added: Law officers, by their experience and professional nature will sometimes have an extensive legal background and may have previously been involved in a wide number of past cases. That is why there is a robust system for considering and managing any conflicts that may arise, in line with the professional obligations of lawyers. He said that if he was to disclose whether he had recused himself, it would immediately indicate that the Government had taken advice from a law officer, thus risking a breach of the convention. Equally, if he was to recuse himself and make it public, he would be naming a client to whom he had given private legal advice, which would breach their confidence. In that regard, I have been through the same process as previous law officers, none of which have gone as far to proactively disclose their specific conflicts of interest for the reasons set out above, he said. The Chapare region in Bolivia A Bolivian man has died after contracting Chapare virus, an Ebola-like disease so rare that there have only ever been 15 confirmed cases. The man, a farmer in his 50s, came down with a headache, fever, muscle and joint pain, then began vomiting and bleeding from his gums on December 19th. He died in hospital just 11 days later, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Test results later confirmed he had been infected with Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever. The virus was first discovered in rural Bolivia in 2003. Since then, at least fifteen people have contracted the disease, all of them in Bolivia, and eight have died; meaning the virus has a fatality rate of almost 60 per cent. The virus belongs to a family of serious diseases that can cause haemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses. It is not exactly clear how the man, from the La Paz region, contracted Chapare, although it is primarily caught through contact with the saliva, urine, and droppings of infected rodents like rats or mice. An investigation carried out by health authorities found a severe rodent infestation in and around the mans home, as well as poor housing conditions which created a conducive environment for rodent activity, the WHO said. The patients occupation as a farmer likely involved exposure to rodent burrows, also increasing the risk of infection, the agency added. Human to human transmission of Chapare is rare, but possible. In 2019, two patients transmitted Chapare virus to three healthcare workers at a hospital in La Paz, Bolivias administrative capital. One of the patients and two of the medical workers later died. Blood samples collected from close contacts of the recently deceased patient have all so far come back negative, and the risk to the general public remains low, the WHO said. There are currently no licenced treatments for Chapare virus, although the University of Oxford and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are advancing vaccine development for Arenavirdiae viruses the family to Chapare belongs as part of a $25 million (20.2 million) initiative. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security James Dixon and Thomas Loring were sentenced to 17 and 14 years in prison respectively Ian Towning said incident left him depressed and often he often cries uncontrollably - Facebook Balaclava-clad thieves stole 365,000 of jewellery and antiques from an antiques dealer who has regularly appeared on television after hitting him on the head with a clawhammer, a court was told. James Dixon, 43, and Thomas Loring, 41, raided a jewellery shop in Chelsea, south-west London, owned by Ian Towning who has appeared on shows including ITVs Dickinsons Real Deal in March last year. The pair stole jewellery and antiques from the shop, named Bourbon Hanbury, worth up to 365,000 as part of a campaign of burglaries conducted between March and June, Kingston Crown Court was told. On Wednesday, Dixon and Loring were sentenced to 17 and 14 years in prison respectively for conspiring to rob and conspiring to burgle. The court heard that on March 26, the career criminals committed the brazen robbery on the Sydney Street jewellery shop armed with a clawhammer and sledgehammer. Dixon used the clawhammer to strike a security guard on the head before the pair smashed through the locked door of the shop, Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey said. Mr Towning, 76, and his co-owner Les Barrett, 77, were then attacked. You both then smashed through the display cases taking items of jewellery and antiques, the judge said. Dixon, you then punched Mr Towning again before you fled the shop with the items, got into a getaway car and sped off. The pair stole items including sapphire and diamond necklaces, one of which was worth 44,000. Left in fear In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Towning said: Its left me with a fear of social situations... I am depressed and often cry uncontrollably when I think about what happened. The court was also told of four other robberies Dixon and Loring attempted or succeeded in committing last year. On March 11, they failed in an attempt to take 25,000 in from a Post Office cash-in-transit worker, while on May 9 they burgled more then 3,000 worth of tobacco from a Shell Garage in Gravesend, Essex, before driving off in a stolen Skoda. On another occasion, they robbed 5,000 from a Poundland in Sidcup, south-east London, and in June they took more than 8,000 from a Post Office, on the Old Kent Road. Dixon, who had 26 previous convictions for 50 offences, pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob and conspiring to burgle and was handed an extended sentence of 17 years. Loring, who had 23 convictions for 53 previous offences, was convicted of the same offences as Dixon after a trial and was given a 14-year sentence. Simon Harris (left) and Ireland's centre-right Fianna Fail party leader, Micheal Martin, outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Irelands incoming prime minister, Micheal Martin, has accused opponents of a subversion of the Irish constitution after formal election to the role was cancelled amid chaotic scenes in the Irish parliament. The outgoing taoiseach, Martins coalition partner, Simon Harris, called Wednesdays events in Dail an utter disgrace [with] so many pressing issues facing the country, as a spiralling row over the speaking rights of independent TDs torpedoed the first day of Martins new term in office. Ireland faces an urgent need to launch a diplomatic offensive in Washington to head off any threat from the Trump administration to repatriate jobs and taxes paid by US multinationals with European headquarters in Ireland, including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, X and Pfizer. The independent TD Michael Healy-Rae said all TDs should get on with delivering government as proceedings collapsed in the Dail. We see what is happening in America. We need decisiveness, he said. The new government, elected in November, should have taken its first steps on Wednesday morning in a set-piece ceremony in which Martin would have been formally appointed by the president of Ireland at about 2pm. Instead the day was left in tatters with proceedings suspended multiple times. The new speaker, Verona Murphy, lost control of the house and the president, Michael D Higgins, was left hanging. At the centre of the row were attempts by independent TDs who have agreed to prop up the new government to remain on the opposition benches so they have speaking time to air their constituents concerns. On a second attempt to get the election under way, Murphy, who appeared to be struck by a crisis of self-confidence, stood up, announced the house was adjourned until 10am and walked out. Martin said: This is the first time in 100 years the Dail has failed to elect a government to fulfil its constitutional obligation. Fury ran just as deep in the opposition. The Labour TD Alan Kelly told RTE the words should haunt Martin for the rest of his career as opposition TDs were fighting for the principles of democracy. The Sinn Fein leader, Mary Lou McDonald, criticised what she said was a cynical ruse by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to place their independent cronies, supporters of the government, on the opposition benches and to afford them the same speaking rights of the opposition. Murphy initially suspended the Dail for 15 minutes but upon its return she was forced to suspend it again. The Dail will make a second run at electing the taoiseach on Thursday, with Martin claiming the issue over speaking rights could easily be resolved through standing orders. However, Sinn Fein and Labour leaders pushed a united front, saying they would not be backing down, and demanded the matter of speaking rights was fixed before Martins election. Martin and Harris will lead the new government in a near repeat of their partnership that ran the country up until Novembers general election. Under the deal hammered out between the two main parties, Martin will remain taoiseach for three years, with Harris taking over in November 2027. Harris will become deputy prime minister, with a beefed-up foreign affairs ministerial role to include international trade, a role already dubbed minister for Trump. If Thursdays election does materialise, he will name his 15-strong cabinet. Just four ministerial roles are expected to go to women after an election that resulted in the lowest proportion of female parliamentarians in western Europe, with a 75:25 ratio of men to women. The two centre-right parties were only one seat short of the 87 majority needed to form a government on their own. But with their third partner, the Greens, virtually wiped out, and Labour and the Social Democrats deciding against coalition, the two parties are relying on a confidence and supply deal with a group of 10 independents. The most senior woman in the government, Helen McEntee, a former justice minister and key minister of state during the Brexit negotiations, is expected to get the education portfolio, with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, the outgoing Europe minister, expected to get the health job. Group hug While great minds think alike, the belief that teams with diverse perspectives boost creativity is increasingly deployed by progressive business bosses. But research suggests that while groups with differing expertise do produce more left-field ideas, they also come up with fewer practical solutions. The University of Waterloo, Canada, and Texas Tech University invited diverse or uniform teams to come up with suggestions for an unused university space. They found that while teams with differing skill sets and perspectives brought unique viewpoints to the table, they often struggled to create practical and workable solutions. Adam Presslee, a professor from the School of Accounting and Finance at Waterloo, said: Our study challenges the trendy belief that teams with diverse expertise always boost creativity. While teams with differing skill sets and perspectives tend to come up with more original ideas, they also face friction when trying to turn those ideas into practical, implementable solutions. Companies cut back programmes Many companies, including Meta, Amazon and McDonalds have scaled back their diversity programmes during a growing backlash against affirmative and inclusive policies which are believed to have contributed to stocks tumbling, and heads rolling, at some firms. At the end of last year, Jaguar faced global ridicule for releasing a rebranding advert featuring a group of diverse models who seemingly had little in common with its core customer base. This week, Donald Trump, the US president, cancelled all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in federal agencies and instructed all federal DEI staff to be put on paid leave ahead of being laid off. Findings raise important questions Waterloo University said that their results challenge the widespread belief that teams with diverse expertise are automatically more creative, adding that the findings raise important questions for managers and businesses worldwide. For the experiment, accountants and engineers were placed into 40 two-person teams and each fitted with a brain scanning cap to see how synchronised their brain activities were. Participants were told they had $240,000 (194,000) to refit an empty space of about 8,500 square feet in a university management school. Diverse groups came up with unique but impractical suggestions such as building an escape room, while more similar teams suggested a simulation centre where business students could practice real-world scenarios. They found that when team members brains were more synchronised in certain areas, it influenced their ideas uniqueness or usefulness. Diverse expertise was found to enhance the uniqueness of team ideas, but reduce their usefulness. Teams with differing skill sets and perspectives also trigger different areas of the brain associated with divergent and convergent thinking. Prof Presslee said: For companies to get the most out of their teams, they need to think carefully about what kind of creative output they want. Diverse expertise is great if the goal is innovative, out of the box ideas. But if you need timely usable ideas, you may want a more focused, uniform team. Diversity policies may increase workplace tension In 2015, McKinsey, the management consultancy, found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity were 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. However, by 2022, the Harvard Business Review published an article questioning DEI policies, arguing that the effectiveness of diversity policies was lower than many practitioners make it out to be. Critics argue that DEI policies actually increase workplace tension and risk a backlash that worsens inequalities for vulnerable groups. Other more recent studies have suggested that while diverse teams are more innovative and less subject to group-think, they are also at greater risk of interpersonal conflicts. The research was published in the journal Management Science. Dry and windy conditions have led fresh blazes to break out in California - Jae C Hong Dangerous winds returned to Southern California on Tuesday as firefighters battled new fires amid dry conditions while two major blazes burned for a third week in the Los Angeles area. Forecasters warned that gusts could peak at 70mph (113kph) along the coast and 100mph (160kph) in the mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that is expected to last until Tuesday morning. Wind speeds ranged from 35mph (56kph) along the coast to 63mph (101kph) at elevation overnight, according to the US National Weather Service. The weather service warned of a particularly dangerous situation in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties owing to low humidity and damaging Santa Ana winds. A firefighter tackles the Lilac Fire in San Diego County - Noah Berger/AP Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard, said: The conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start. Firefighters responded to several small blazes across San Diego County. Evacuation orders were issued for the Lilac Fire, which had burned at least 80 acres (32 hectares) of dry brush and was threatening structures in the Bonsall area early on Tuesday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Meanwhile, crews stopped the progress of the nearby Pala Fire, the agency said. Firefighters at the Lilac Fire in San Diego on Tuesday - Noah Berger/AP On Monday, Los Angeles firefighters quickly extinguished a small brush fire near the iconic triple-domed Griffith Observatory in a park overlooking the city. David Cuellar, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman, said that a man suspected of starting the fire was taken into custody. Firefighters also quickly extinguished a brush fire along Interstate 405 in the LA neighbourhood of Granada Hills that temporarily closed the northbound lanes. Kamala Harris, the former vice-president, and Doug Emhoff, her husband, flew to Los Angeles on Monday after attending Donald Trumps inauguration as US president and met firefighters, volunteers and victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Some of the fires have now been burning for three weeks - Jae C Hong/AP We just came out to thank [the firefighters], to thank the community and just remind folks that were all in this together, Ms Harris said. She said the couples home in Pacific Palisades was still standing. WaterNSW shut off Medlow Dam in the Blue Mountains as it investigated the presence of PFAS 'forever chemicals' in water. Photograph: WaterNSW Experts and water providers have called for a broad ban on so-called forever chemicals at a Senate inquiry into PFAS, warning of environmental harm and increasingly costly removal. The Water Services Association of Australias executive director, Adam Lovell, said a ban should be imposed on PFAS in non-essential consumer products. We need to reduce now, as much as possible, how much PFAS is in the environment. Were deeply concerned about the levels of PFAS that are being allowed to enter the country through thousands of everyday household and industrial chemicals and products. The New South Wales EPA told the inquiry it had identified 51 sites in the state with significant PFAS contamination that required continued monitoring and remediation. The inquiry on Wednesday heard that removing PFAS from water supplies and wastewater was difficult and costly. Lovell said installing new treatment plants to remove PFAS would require hundreds of millions of dollars in capital and operating costs, increasing pressure then on water bills. Purchasing 1kg of a PFAS chemical cost about $150, Lovell estimated, but treating that same quantity of chemical after it had gone through a wastewater system would cost between $4m and $25m. Sydney Waters executive general manager, Paul Plowman, said it was currently designing its first thermal treatment facility, which would heat biosolids from wastewater to very high temperatures to destroy PFAS molecules, creating a charcoal-like substance called biochar. Its extremely energy intensive and very, very expensive, he said. Related: Trumps blizzard of first-day actions leaves opponents scrambling to respond Wherever we look, we find it, said Dr Ian Wright of Western Sydney University, whose research group has identified PFAS in platypuses. Theres a growing worldwide awareness that PFAS is accumulating in wildlife, and particularly as we go up to different levels in the food chain. Dr Nicholas Chartres, of the University of Sydney, called on the government to follow the lead of European countries that have backed a broad ban of PFAS chemicals. Phasing out specific PFAS chemicals had led to similarly hazardous replacements for which the health effects were poorly researched, he said. We need to ban them as a class. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in a wide variety of household and industrial products. The more than 14,000 compounds are difficult to break down and persist in the environment for long periods. Authorities investigating the source of PFAS that contaminated two dams in the Blue Mountains are close to releasing its preliminary findings, including potential links to a 1992 petrol tanker crash, the inquiry heard. Last year, WaterNSW disconnected Medlow Dam and Greaves Creek Dam from the Blue Mountains water supply system after elevated levels of PFAS often called forever chemicals were detected in untreated water. Jon Dee, of the Stop PFAS action group, said that since the initial detection NSW government agencies still had not informed residents where and when the original contamination occurred. Related: Water quality expert calls for wider PFAS ban as NSW community seeks blood tests on poisoned land Importantly, they have not told us at what levels we have been drinking PFAS chemicals in our drinking water since the first contamination took place, he said. Dee suggested that the PFAS had originated from vast quantities of firefighting foam used to put out a petrol tanker which caught fire in 1992 at Medlow Bath. The incident took place close to local waterways. The executive manager at WaterNSW, Fiona Smith, told the inquiry the statutory body was investigating the source of PFAS contamination, including possible links to the tanker crash. Weve collected over 250 samples from 37 different locations within that catchment. We are getting close to finalising the preliminary phase of that investigation, and once we have done that then we would seek to make that information available to the public, she said. Related: 3M knew firefighting foams containing PFAS were toxic, documents show Experts debated whether Australia should adopt US limits for PFAS in revised drinking water guidelines set to be finalised later in the year. From 1 July, three specific PFAS chemicals PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS will be banned from import and use in Australia. The US [Environmental Protection Agency] has done an extraordinary evaluation of the evidence on this, and we should be adopting their values because they are far more health protective, Chartres told the hearing. But water expert Prof Stuart Khan, also of the University of Sydney, disagreed, taking issue with the idea that the US EPA is some sort of shining light that we should all look to for effective management of PFAS. PFAS was developed, produced initially in the US, contaminated the US very, very significantly in some areas and that contamination spread to the rest of the world under the watch of the Environmental Protection Agency, Khan said. He said the US EPAs approach to risk assessment in drinking water guidelines differed from that approach taken by the World Health Organization, Europe and Australia, which uses a tolerable level of risk model. PFOA, a compound used to make Teflon, was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen in December 2023, while PFOS formerly the key ingredient in Scotchgard was classified as possibly carcinogenic. New guidelines to be finalised later in 2025 propose decreasing the limit for PFOS in drinking water in line with US guidelines, while the Australian levels of PFOA would remain than higher US limits. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), which is revising the drinking water guidelines, defended not adopting US limits for some PFAS chemicals. Ultimately it comes down to the health evidence, and what our local advisory committee advises us is the most certain evidence to base the guideline values on, Kristal Jackson, a director at the NHMRC, told the hearing. The inquiry is examining sources of contamination and the effectiveness of current regulations, along with the social, economic, health and environmental effects. A car driving along a highway in an area engulfed by a forest fire near the city of Porto Velho, in Brazils Rondonia state, on 12 September 2024. Photograph: Isaac Fontana/EPA After enduring its worst drought on record in 2024, Brazil closed the year with another alarming milestone: between January and December, 30.86m hectares of wilderness burned an area larger than Italy. The figure published in a new report is 79% higher than in 2023 and the largest recorded by Fire Monitor since its launch in 2019 by MapBiomas, an initiative by NGOs, universities and technology companies that monitors Brazils biomes. The data could pose an embarrassment as Brazil prepares to host Cop30 in Belem, the capital of the Amazonian state of Para, in November. Related: Its guerrilla warfare: Brazil fire teams fight Amazon blazes and the arsonists who start them Not only was the state the hardest hit by the fires, accounting for 24% of the total burned area, but the Amazon was also the most affected of Brazils six biomes, at 58%. The area scorched in the Amazon in 2024 exceeds the total burned across the country in 2023. It was an absurd increase, said Ane Alencar, coordinator of MapBiomas, adding that, for the first time, forest areas were the most affected, surpassing grasslands and pastures. Once a forest is hit by fire, it takes years and years to recover If theres another drought and that forest isnt protected, it will burn again, she said. The researchers believe severe drought between 2023 and 2024 the worst since the government began keeping records in 1950 exacerbated by El Nino was a decisive factor in the wildfire surge. But thats just one part of the equation. The other involves human activity, said Alencar, pointing primarily to the agricultural sector, which often uses fire to clear pastures, as well as deforestation, which has been drastically reduced under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas third term, but still hasnt been eradicated. There were also cases where fires simply started in the middle of a forest, which suggests possible criminal activity, the researcher said. At the fires peak in September, there were suspicions that the blazes might have been part of a criminal backlash against federal efforts to crack down on deforestation and illegal mining. The federal police opened 119 investigations into suspected arson in 2024 alone, an increase from the average of 70 in previous years. Alencar fears that 2025 could see a similar scenario. We would need a very strong rainy season to truly replenish the soil, and that hasnt happened yet, she said. Despite the grim statistics, she says that the blame cannot fall on Lulas administration. If we had seen last year the level of deforestation we had in 2022 [when the climate change denier Jair Bolsonaro was in charge], combined with the climatic conditions of 2024, then it would have been the worst-case scenario, she said. One clear takeaway is that forest conservation goes far beyond fighting deforestation. We also need to focus on combating climate change, said Alencar. Academics highlight the need for urgent steps to protect children online - Dominic Lipinski/PA One in 12 children around the world has been exposed to some form of online sex abuse or exploitation in the past year, according to research giving the first global snapshot of the threat. Children are being widely exposed to pornography, grooming, extortion and solicitation through online platforms such as social media, researchers found. Academics said they had been surprised by the scale of abuse uncovered in the findings, and they highlighted the need for urgent steps to protect children online. The peer-reviewed study published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal analysed more than 120 recent studies conducted in 57 countries to build a global picture. Dr Xiangming Fang, one of the authors and research associate professor in the Georgia State University School of Public Health, told The Telegraph: Its hard not to be surprised that its happening on such a staggering scale and we believe the actual extent may even be underestimated, as many victims are unwilling to disclose due to the sensitive nature of the topic. My concern is that the risk to children is escalating, especially with the growing access to the internet and smartphones, particularly in the developing world. Prof Deborah Fry, of Edinburgh Universitys Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, added: With 8.1 per cent of children globally the victim of sexual exploitation and abuse, we urgently need the online world to have safety built in by design. This must be supported by much more robust regulation of online environments in every country, with improved education for young people and those who care for them. The abuse and exploitation of children is preventable, but action is needed now. Children cant wait any longer. Abuse preventable, not inevitable The study calculated the prevalence of four different subtypes of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Some 12.5 per cent had been subject to online solicitation such as unwanted sexual talk, while 12.6 per cent had been subject to the non-consensual taking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and videos. Some 4.7 per cent had been exposed to online sexual exploitation, where the internet has been used to facilitate abuse. Finally 3.5 per cent had been exposed to sexual extortion, for example being targeted by blackmailers threatening to share intimate photos. From this month, the UK will begin enforcing new internet laws aimed at protecting children under the Online Safety Act. Starting from January, some adult sites will be required to enforce age checks. A wider swathe of sites will then be covered from March, when social networks and search engines will be required to start complying with illegal harms duties. Ofcom is reported to be consulting on a levy on major internet companies worldwide revenue to meet the extra costs of enforcing the Online Safety Act, which it estimates at 70m a year. It said in consultation documents that it expected around 20 companies that meet a revenue threshold to contribute. The regulator has suggested a fee of 0.02pc of qualifying worldwide revenue, which could mean the biggest tech companies paying tens of millions. It estimates that the largest five providers likely to be Meta, Google, Microsoft, Apple and TikTok would account for around 91pc of the qualifying revenue, thus paying almost all the cost. That could mean the largest providers paying in excess of 10m each to pay for the Act. Ofcom is consulting on the proposals ahead of plans to introduce them in 2026. Dr Fang said: Child sexual exploitation and abuse is preventable, its not inevitable. Effective steps included strengthening police and justice mechanisms to detect, investigate, and prosecute offenders and to break up exploitation networks, he said. Educating children and families to spot and resist abuse was also effective, he said. The internet had to be designed with safety in mind. He said: We should mandate safer digital environments through safety by design principles so the internet is safe for children, just as we expect homes, workplaces, cars and medicines to be safe, and enforce accountability for online platforms that fail to prevent the proliferation of abuse materials. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Collage of Xi Jinping, soldiers map of Taiwan With a new and unpredictable US president in the Oval Office and increased signs of Chinas belligerence in the Taiwan Strait, fears are growing that Beijing is accelerating plans to invade Taiwan, the island democracy that the Communist superpower regards as a renegade province. Alarm bells rang on Wednesday with news that undersea cables connecting Taiwan with the Matsu Islands had been damaged. Taiwanese authorities said the incident may have resulted from natural decay. But already this month, Taiwanese authorities said a Chinese-owned vessel had damaged an undersea internet cable to the north-east of the island, even as Beijings jets and warships continue to circle the island of 23 million people. US intelligence suggests Xi Jinping has instructed his military to be prepared to make a move by 2027. And Xi, the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, views retaking Taiwan as part of his political destiny. As such, many observers think it is a question of when not if he makes his move. Here are the five signs that suggest China might be preparing to make a move on the island: Grey-zone warfare Chinas military launched a record number of warplane incursions over 3,000 into Taiwans air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in 2024 as part of its grey-zone warfare, designed to exhaust a foe without resorting to open combat. In addition to intimidating Taiwan, such activities allow the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to hone its capabilities ahead of a full-scale invasion. Analysts say Chinas relentless harassment has already taken a psychological toll and depleted Taiwans resources. Underlining Beijings willingness to compete militarily with Washington, Chinas navy announced on Wednesday it has ordered a new-generation frigate to play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness of its forces. A Taiwanese fighter jet prepares to land in Hsinchu on Dec 10, 2024, after 47 Chinese military aircraft were detected near the island in 24 hours - Getty Coercive tactics As well as near-daily air incursions, China has upped the ante with other coercive tactics. It has already been swamping the waters around the island with balloons, drones and civilian boats. Most experts believe that ahead of an all-out assault, China would first try sieges, blockades and cyber-attacks to bend the Taiwanese to its will before risking a Third World War with a full-scale attack. In December, China unveiled a new tactic: large-scale drills with no fanfare in a bid to normalise a heightened military presence and to suggest to Washington that it could attack Taiwan whenever it wanted to. Delay in weapons integration Some in Taiwan fear the attack might come sooner, with China spurred on by Taipeis delays in integrating US weapons systems. The timeline for incorporating the systems has remained largely hidden in part because the Pentagon releases little information on such activities. And unsurprisingly, Taiwan is reluctant to advertise such hold-ups to China. But in order to deter Beijing, many in Washington and Taipei have focused on defences such as the Harpoon anti-ship over-the-horizon missile system, given the likely central role of the Chinese navy in an invasion. 400 land-launched Harpoon systems have been ordered, with delivery expected in 2028. But even in three years time it is uncertain how soon Taiwans military will be able to employ the weapon, given uncertainties over the construction of bases for new anti-ship missile units and shortfalls in military manpower. Propaganda A constant barrage of propaganda and disinformation is another weapon that China is using against Taiwan. Taipeis National Security Bureau said the number of pieces of false or biased information distributed by China on sites such as X and Facebook increased 60 per cent last year, to 2.16 million from 1.33 million in 2023. China has created bogus accounts to distribute its propaganda on YouTube, used AI to create fake videos and flooded comment sections with pro-China statements. Diplomacy Some experts think Chinas supreme leader Xi Jinping believes now is the time to up the pressure. I think China does see an opportunity with Trump, says Prof Rex Li, a professor of international relations at Kings College London. Biden indicated that he wanted to defend democracy and defend Taiwan. Trump has been more ambiguous. He is less ideological and more transactional. He probably doesnt care. Xi is upping the pressure with all the shows of military strength. He wants Trump to think that Taiwan is not worth defending because the cost would be too high. Initial signs suggest Trump is open to entreaties from Xi. The Chinese president was the first foreign leader publicly known to have been invited to Trumps inauguration though vice-president Han Zheng went in his place and already Trump has said he has had the invite for a visit to Beijing this year. Initial signs suggest Trump is open to entreaties from Xi - Reuters Xi, who has made the annexation of Taiwan central to his dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, will be using all his diplomatic and economic levers on Donald Trump, the most transactional of US presidents. I think there is lots of behind-the-scenes bargaining going on between the Trump administration and Beijing, says Prof Li. Xi wants to show that he is willing to co-operate in other areas the Middle East, Ukraine provided the US does not provide military support for Taiwan. But other experts think the risks to China, the US and the rest of the world from a full blockade or Chinese invasion are so huge, that the status quo is likely to be maintained for now. Steve Tsang, historian and director of the SOAS China Institute, says: I do not think Xi is going to invade Taiwan in the next four years, just because Trump is in power. Invading Taiwan in the hope that Trump would not step in to help Taiwan despite overwhelming Congressional support for the island would, he says, be reckless, particularly since the PLA is obviously not ready to mount such an operation. And there remains much ambiguity in the Trump administrations stance on Taiwan. That it still might not tolerate any outright aggression against the island was underlined when diplomats from the China-focused Quad grouping of the US, Australia, India and Japan, appeared to warn China yesterday against moving on Taiwan. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion, a joint statement by the Quads said, after a meeting in Washington. China has denounced the Quad as a Cold War grouping. Prof Li adds that economic concerns, including Americas dependence on Taiwans hi-tech computer chip, will also figure in the Trump administrations calculations. The island produces over 60 per cent of the worlds semiconductors. Parkview regional medical center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Photograph: Rachel Von Art/The Guardian Indiana lawmakers are pushing to slash hospital prices after a Guardian investigation chronicled how one of the states largest non-profit hospital chains bought up its competition and used its market power to stick patients with some of the highest bills in the country. Related: Patients and employers accuse not-for-profit Indiana hospital of price gouging A new bill introduced last week in the Indiana general assembly would strip non-profit hospitals of their tax-free status if they continue to charge commercially insured patients more than 200% of what the federal government pays for the same services under Medicare. If enacted, the legislation would mean millions annually in tax obligations for Parkview Health, the Fort Wayne-based non-profit hospital chain investigated by the Guardian, should it choose to maintain its high prices. Between 2011 and 2023, Parkview charged commercially insured patients an estimated 233% of the Medicares reimbursement rate on average, one of the highest price levels in the country, despite its location in greater Fort Wayne, which currently ranks as the No 1 most affordable metro area to live in the United States. The Guardians investigation into Parkview Health sparked a firestorm in Fort Wayne with hundreds of patients and small business owners complaining on social media, to the Guardian and to local news outlets about their struggles with the charity hospital chains high prices. In a statement, the Republican representative Martin Carbaugh, the bills author, said he hoped his proposal would help address the public outcry by holding large non-profit hospitals like the Fort Wayne system accountable. Indiana has a high cost of healthcare problem and when you look closer at the numbers we see some of our highest-costing hospitals that are driving this issue are our large non-profit hospitals, said Carbaugh. Any not-for-profit hospital that continues to charge more than 200% of the Medicare reimbursement rate for a service or item will lose their not-for-profit status which would mean they would need to start paying taxes like any other for-profit entity. Parkview Health did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the proposed legislation. In an email, the Indiana Hospital Association, an industry group Parkview is affiliated with, criticised the bill, arguing it would put Indiana residents at risk of losing access to comprehensive care. While we can all agree that healthcare is expensive across the board, the Indiana General Assemblys own report shows that prices are moving in the right direction, said Scott B Tittle, the president of Indiana Hospital Association. Legislators set a benchmark for commercial prices charged by hospitals, and according to the report, Indianas non-profit hospital systems averaged 31% lower than the states benchmark in 2023. In addition, systems reduced their prices on average over the course of the study. Carbaughs bill would also subject non-profit hospitals to audits, which would be carried out at the discretion of Indianas secretary of state. Doug Allen, a Fort Wayne area small business owner who has struggled to balance employee payroll with Parkviews hospital costs, said its about time lawmakers took action. The more you drive around, the more you see every single facility around here is Parkview, said Allen, who runs a plastic molding firm outside of Fort Wayne. Its pretty easy to see where everybodys money is going. In 2023, Parkview Health, which brought in more than $2bn in revenue, handed over more than $5m in compensation to its already retired CEO, Michael Packnett, the hospital chains latest available Internal Revenue Service disclosures show. The hospital price bill has been designated as a priority by the states Republican house majority, and may attract bipartisan support. Im open to any conversation surrounding lowering healthcare costs, because thats something Hoosiers desperately need, said Representative Kyle Miller, a Democrat from Fort Wayne, who said through a spokesperson that he was mulling whether to support the bill. Last year, after the Guardians initial stories about Parkview, Allen, the small business owner, said he was skeptical that legislators would take on the non-profit, which is the largest employer in the greater Fort Wayne area. But now hes watching to see what happens. I thought it would all just flame out, Allen said, referring to the public uproar. But this one seems like its sticking around a little bit. Medics move a patient to an ICU isolation ward in Kerala, India the location of a Nipah outbreak last summer Scientists may be able to develop a vaccine which offers lifelong protection against Nipah virus, one of the worlds deadliest known pathogens, new research suggests. Since the virus which inspired the Hollywood film Contagion first burst onto the stage in Malaysia in 1998, at least 754 people have been infected and 435 have died, giving an average case fatality rate of almost 60 per cent. Yet there are currently no vaccines or drugs to target the disease, which is deemed a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization. This is a big concern, said Dr Valentina Bernasconi, head of Laboratory Sciences at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), which funds Nipah research. The problem with Nipah is that its very, very deadly the case fatality in each outbreak varies from 40 per cent to 75 per cent, so it is really scary. The problem also is that Nipah has an animal reservoir of fruit bats, she added. There have been confirmed outbreaks in Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and the Philippines but these bats are found in an even larger geographical area, covering southeast Asia and beyond, where theres a population of more than two billion people. However, a study published this month in the Journal of Infection has amplified hopes that it will be feasible to create a vaccine that confers lifelong protection, much like the jabs for measles, polio or yellow fever. Immune response enduring through time The study tracked 25 survivors from the original outbreak in southern Malaysia when the virus jumped from bats to pigs to people, killing 105 people and triggering a cull of more than a million swine. Analysis of blood samples found that 72 per cent of the survivors had detectable levels of neutralising antibodies more than two decades later, which would help to protect them from reinfection. Researchers also found high levels of two specific antibodies known as Anti-Niv-F and Anti-NiV-G which block Nipah from infecting human cells. Meanwhile further analysis of six blood samples found memory B cells were present, which help the body to remember the pathogen so it can rapidly launch an attack in future. The discovery that memory B cells and antibodies specific to [Nipah] persist 20 years post-infection suggests that vaccines aiming to induce long-term immunity are feasible, said Dr Hui Ming Ong, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Malaya, and co-author of the report. Dr Bernasconi added: The results are very, very good because it really suggests there is an immune response that is enduring through time we want the same kind of response to be generated from a vaccine. At the moment, Cepi is funding two promising vaccine candidates, which have both completed phase one trials. Dr Bernasconi said the latest research will be used to check the vaccines are targeting the correct parts of the virus, and could be used by regulators to approve the shots in future. The analysis will also aid the development of monoclonal antibodies laboratory made molecules that are used to mimic our bodys immune response to help treat acute infections. But Dr Bernasconi said there are some limitations of the study. With just 25 survivors, the sample size was small, while the study did not look at different strains of Nipah virus found in India and Bangladesh. Dr Ong added that her team in Kuala Lumpur plan to analyse T-cells next another part of the immune response to further map the defence systems present in the human body. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security China, AU celebrate achievements in diplomatic, economic ties Xinhua) 09:43, January 22, 2025 ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China and Africa have enjoyed remarkable achievements in their diplomatic and economic relations amid deepening collaboration in international and regional affairs, Chinese and African Union (AU) officials have said. They made the remarks Monday at the new compound of the Mission of China to the AU in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where a gala is held to celebrate the start of Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. The Spring Festival falls on Jan. 29 this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, told the event that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations has been elevated to an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era. "No matter how international and regional circumstances change, China is always Africa's most reliable friend, the most reliable partner in African pursuit of development, and Africa's strongest supporter on the international stage," he said. The Chinese government is committed to working with African friends to implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit, carry out the "10 partnership actions," and work together on the path toward modernization, Hu said. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy chairperson for the African Union Commission, said AU-China cooperation has achieved gratifying and fruitful results during the previous years, noting China's 35-year-long tradition of dispatching its foreign minister to Africa on their first overseas trips at the start of a year. "In recent years, the political mutual trust between the African Union and China has continued to deepen, and the two sides have closely cooperated in international and regional affairs," Nsanzabaganwa said. She noted that China has always firmly supported Africa's struggle against colonialism, power politics and racial discrimination, for which the African Union is deeply grateful. According to Nsanzabaganwa, 2025 marks the first year for the implementation of the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, and the AU is committed to strengthening the deep synergy of development strategies with China and working together to set a benchmark for international cooperation. Monday's event, which attracted the representatives of the AU and the Chinese community in Addis Ababa, featured Chinese foods and traditional performances from both China and Africa, among others. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) In a groundbreaking achievement, Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have successfully demonstrated artificial photosynthesis technology in orbit. This innovation marks a critical step toward sustainable space exploration by producing oxygen and components of rocket fuel directly in space. Chinese Astronauts Turn Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen and Rocket Fuel in Space The Shenzhou-19 crew conducted a series of 12 experiments using a compact, drawer-shaped device equipped with semiconductor catalysts. According to InterestingEngineering, by mimicking the natural process of photosynthesis, they transformed carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and ethylene, a hydrocarbon that can be used to make spacecraft propellants. "This technology mimics the natural photosynthesis process of green plants," state broadcaster CCTV reported. Unlike traditional methods requiring high temperatures and pressures, this system operates efficiently at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, drastically reducing energy consumption. The experiments began in 2015 when Chinese researchers explored "extraterrestrial artificial photosynthesis." The device installed on Tiangong is not only energy-efficient but also upgradeable. It allows scientists to test various catalysts and reactions, enabling the production of diverse compounds like methane, ethylene, and formic acid, which could serve as resources for propulsion or sustenance in space. New Tech Boosts China's Crewed Moon Landing Plans for 2030 China Manned Space (CMS) highlighted the significance of this advancement for human survival during long-term space missions, SCMP reported. The technology is expected to play a key role in missions like China's planned crewed moon landing by 2030. The ability to generate oxygen and fuel components on-site eliminates the need to transport large quantities of resources, a costly and logistically challenging endeavor. This achievement places China at the forefront of sustainable space technology, a crucial milestone for future projects like the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a collaborative effort with Russia planned for construction between 2028 and 2035. Bill Browder said 15 million people could leave Ukraine if US military aid ended without a substitute. Photograph: Yan Dobronosov/Reuters Keir Starmer should show leadership over the Ukraine war by pushing for $300bn (243bn) of frozen Russian assets to be used to fund Kyivs military, the financier turned activist Bill Browder has said. Speaking at Ukraine House on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Browder warned that if US military support for Ukraine dried up, Russia would make territorial gains in the near-three-year long conflict, forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee the country. Browder predicts a refugee problem like weve never seen before, estimating that 15 million people could leave Ukraine if US military aid ended without a substitute. Related: Zelenskyy says Russia-Ukraine peace deal would require 200,000 allied troops Earlier this week, Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance programmes, but Ukrainian officials are hopeful that blockade will not apply to their military aid. Browder said delays to a package of US military support in early 2024 allowed Russia to make advances into Ukraine, and fears a repeat now Trump is back in the White House, if the president decides to force negotiations by suspending aid. Browders solution is to take the $300bn of foreign currency, gold and government bonds belonging to the Russian central bank which were frozen after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and spend it on weapons. It shows a profound lack of leadership on our part not to have done this before, but its not too late, said Browder, who believes the problem is that nobody wants to step up and be a leader, so are going along with the status quo. Keir Starmer could be the leader in this whole thing. Emmanuel Macron could be. The Germans cant put a leader up until after their election, Browder pointed out. Browder has been a leading campaigner against Vladimir Putins regime since his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was arrested and died in custody 15 years ago. He argued that using Russias money in this way would prevent a new military catastrophe for Ukraine, and also take Trump out of the drivers seat in terms of determining the outcome of the war. Failure to do so could lead to a refugee crisis, and also force Nato members to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP, as Trump has demanded. Browder criticised the lack of leadership from the UK over this issue, arguing that one of the benefits of Brexit is that it can take the lead, rather than standing there in an EU straitjacket and doing nothing. Browder said he has discussed the issue with the foreign secretary, David Lammy. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, criticised European leaders in a speech in Davos on Tuesday, in which he warned Europe could drift into irrelevance unless it lifts military spending. Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see Nato as necessary? Zelenskyy asked. Lammys predecessor, David Cameron, told the World Economic Forum last year that there were legal, moral and political justifications for using the frozen funds to help Ukraine. Other countries have been reluctant because of fears of legal repercussions. Last year, the US passed a new law allowing it to seize Russian state assets located in the US and use them for the benefit of Kyiv. Browder also warned against a rushed peace deal with Moscow, and said it could open the door to Russian attacks on Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all Nato members because Putin wants to prove the body is a paper organisation, not a true treaty defence organisation. The costumes looked distinctly like the white robes and masked hoods worn by the American white supremacist hate group A cruise ships staff have pleaded ignorance after their upside-down snow cone fancy dress costumes were misconstrued as Ku Klux Klan (KKK) outfits. P&O Cruises Australia issued an apology after footage surfaced online showing crew members strolling across the deck in all-white outfits with pointy hats and masks with makeshift eye holes. The costumes looked distinctly like the white robes and masked hoods worn by the American white supremacist hate group, the KKK. The cruise company has since said its housekeeping crew were completely unaware of the connotations and were actually dressed as snow cones during a Christmas-themed family event on the Pacific Explorer voyage from Melbourne to Hobart in December. The international crew had never heard of the organisation [the KKK] when management asked them to remove their outfits, said Lynne Scrivens, the communications director of P&O Cruises Australia, adding that it was an innocent case of improvisation gone awry. No one can seriously think that was their intention, Ms Scrivens told Australian radio station 2GB on Wednesday. She added: They were so distressed they really are so hard-working and try their hardest to deliver guests amazing holidays. They are wearing their cleaning uniforms, and theyve got something on their head that looks like an upside down snow cone. Ms Scrivens noted that none of the passengers had complained at the time. A passenger posted the footage on Facebook but said she believed the likeness to the KKK was unintentional The KKK was founded in the wake of the American Civil War and resurfaced again in the early 20th century. It was notorious for burning crosses and lynching black people. Terri, a passenger onboard the cruise, said there was plenty of excitement about the festive family fun day, but said everyone went quiet when the staff emerged in their costumes. She told Daily Mail Australia: Everyone was there, everyone gathered, it was advertised, there was a lot of noise and it went dead quiet, just silent. A lady sitting in front of me, her jaw dropped, she was like what the hell, everyone was like OMG they were calling it the KKK cruise. However, she said she believed the likeness to the KKK was unintentional. Some 2,000 travellers were on board the Pacific Explorer when the incident occurred as the cruise ship made its way back to Melbourne following an eight-day trip to the Bass Strait Islands. Terri, who did not share her surname, filmed the incident and posted it on cruise forums on Facebook. Is this appropriate for 2024? she captioned the clip, explaining that the event had been billed as a Christmas-themed tug-of-war. Sir Keir Starmer said a schools Bill will be amended after criticism that it could limit academy freedoms - House of Commons/REUTERS The Government will amend its own flagship education Bill after a backlash from school leaders, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The Prime Minister said ministers tabled an amendment to the Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill on Wednesday, following criticism that it could lead to curbs on academy freedoms. The Telegraph revealed earlier this month that Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, issued a written complaint to the Government, calling for it to amend claims around teachers pay. Ms Trott wrote to the Department for Education warning that it was simply not true and misleading for officials to claim in a statement to The Telegraph that the Bill would mean all schools can benefit from the flexibilities that academies enjoy. Laura Trott has called on the Government to amend claims around teacher pay - House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Conversely, academy leaders have warned that under its current wording, the Bill would end their freedom to set their own pay and conditions for staff. The amendment will spell out that there will be no pay cuts for academy teachers, although they will still face other restrictions under the proposed legislation. We need flexibility in our schools Responding to criticism from Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, Sir Keir told Prime Ministers Questions: We do need flexibility in our schools, and if she hopped off social media for a while, she would have seen the amendment that was put down this morning to achieve that. The revision will reflect recent comments from Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, after she was forced to clarify last week that there will be a floor and no ceiling on teacher pay. However, academies will still be forced to follow the national curriculum for the first time under the planned changes and will lose their right to recruit expert teachers that lack qualifications. The Bill would also end the requirement for failing state schools to be converted into an academy with a strong partner school sponsor, and would hand local authorities greater powers over school admissions. Neil OBrien, the shadow schools minister, said the amendment tabled on Wednesday marked half a U-turn by the Government on its main education policy package. Starmer said he would amend the Schools Bill. Obviously not great to be having to amend his OWN Bill just weeks after introducing it And its only half a U-turn: the pay clause hasnt been dropped and tweaks announced wont solve problems, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which was laid before Parliament in December, has received broad cross-party support for its plans to improve childrens safety. They include plans to roll out free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England, introduce a register of children not in school and scrutinise home-schooling requests for pupils judged to be at risk of significant harm. However, the Government has faced a major fallout over its proposed school reforms under the Bill, with Mrs Badenoch saying on Wednesday they marked an attack on excellence. Attack on aspiration This Bill denies children the guarantee that their failing schools will be turned into a better academy. It is an attack on excellence. It is an attack on higher standards. It is an attack on aspiration. This Bill is the worst of socialism, she told PMQs. The Tory leader also claimed the planned reforms for schools would benefit the trade unions instead of children, adding: Why is the Education Secretary allowing trade unions to run her department and ruin childrens education? The four main teaching unions have previously called for the implementation of a national pay structure across all state schools. Mrs Badenoch also claimed the removal of academies right to recruit experts without qualifications implies that doctors are not sufficiently qualified to teach biology, that Olympic medallists cannot teach PE. Her comments echoed warnings from academy trust leaders that Labours schools Bill would limit their freedoms, which they insisted have helped drive up standards across the state system. Sir Dan Moynihan, the chief executive of the Harris Foundation of top-performing academies, said on Tuesday it was unclear why the Government was seeking to restrict academy freedoms. It is not clear what problem this is solving. I have seen no evidence to suggest that academy freedoms are creating an issue anywhere. Why are we doing this? he told MPs during a committee debate on the Bill. The trust leader also voiced concerns over Labours plans to remove academies flexibility to teach their variation on the national curriculum. He insisted this had allowed the Harris Foundation to transform failing schools into those rated outstanding by Ofsted. Sir Dan told MPs: It is not clear to me why we would need to follow the full national curriculum. What advantage does that give? When we have to provide all the nationally recognised qualifications GCSEs, A-levels, SATs and we are subject to external regulation by Ofsted, why take away the flexibility to do what is needed locally? Dame Rachel de Souza, the Childrens Commissioner, also told MPs on Tuesday that the schools element of the Governments education Bill had taken the sector by surprise. I was well consulted around the first part of the Bill, the wellbeing part of the Bill I dont think anybody got to see the schools bit until it was published, she said. My first school as a headteacher was in 2006. It was a Tony Blair-sponsored academy, I was his number 67, it was a school that had been failing for 20 years I got it to outstanding with the support of everyone around me, and it has never gone back to less than good. Any new system has to deliver for the most vulnerable as well as that. Catherine McKinnell, the schools minister, insisted the Bill amendment would ensure all schools can create a strong pay and conditions offer for our fantastic teachers. She said: We will take whatever action is needed to deliver on our clear aim to set a floor on pay and no ceiling, so that all state school teachers can rely on a core pay offer and all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best teachers that they need for our children. Anti-Trump activists protest in Chicago's Loop on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration. Photograph: Armando L Sanchez/TNS/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock The US House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes, sending the proposal to Donald Trumps desk and giving the new president his first legislative victory as he presses his hardline immigration agenda on multiple fronts. The House vote was 263 to 158, with 46 Democrats joining every present Republican in supporting the Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan national who was in the US unlawfully. The House vote came two days after the US Senate passed the legislation in a vote of 64 to 35, with a dozen Democratic members backing the bill. Under the bill, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) would be required to detain undocumented immigrants charged with crimes such as burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. It would also allow state attorneys general to sue the federal government if they believed their states had been harmed by its failure to enforce immigration laws. The House vote followed a heated hour-long floor debate, in which Democrats argued that the measure would do nothing to fix the immigration crisis in America and would instead result in racial profiling and fearmongering. Republicans countered that the measure would save lives. Related: Trumps suspension of refugee program leaves advocates in turmoil but unsurprised Senator Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican and leading sponsor of the legislation, hailed it as the most significant immigration enforcement and border security related bill to be passed by Congress in decades. She said it would be the first bill Trump would sign as the 47th president. The measure does not include any new funding, even though US Immigration and Customs Enforcement warned lawmakers earlier this month that the agency did not have the existing resources to implement it. The notable bipartisan support for the bill underscores the pressure some Democrats are under to move to the right on immigration after Republicans narrowly won the White House and both chambers of Congress in November. But progressives laced into Democrats, accusing the party of caving to Trumps anti-immigration agenda. Reinforcing Republicans anti-immigrant messaging and handing them political wins without a fight is not a plan, said Mari Urbina, managing director of the progressive group, Indivisible. She added: Immigration policy is a messaging playground for Republicans who use immigrants as scapegoats to expand their power but never offer real solutions, and Democrats should not play. Juliana Macedo do Nascimento of United We Dream Action, a youth-led immigrant rights groups, called the Democratic votes shameful beyond words. It is because of their political cowardice and their inability to even read the legislation in full and understand its consequences, that people in states like Arizona, Nevada and Michigan will be deported after being arrested for something like petty theft, without conviction and without their due process rights, she said. Immigrant rights and civil rights groups have expressed additional concerns about how the bill could undermine federal authority and empower Trump to carry out his plan for a mass-deportation program, with opponents arguing that it ignores the principle that someone charged with a crime has not been convicted and is entitled to due process. This is an extreme and reactive bill that will authorize the largest expansion of mandatory detention we have seen in decades, sweeping in children, Dreamers, parents of US-citizen children and other longtime members of their communities who even Ice thinks should not be detained, Sarah Mehta, senior border policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said last week as the bill made its way through Congress. This legislation offers no solutions to improve our immigration system, and we thank the senators who stood up for immigrant communities and due process and voted against this harmful, expensive bill a bill that will not make us safer. Despite those concerns, Trump is expected to swiftly sign the bill once it reaches his desk, making it the first law of his second term. Trump has already used his executive authority to declare a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and call for an end to birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the 14th amendment of the constitution. That latter proposal has sparked a wave of lawsuits from Democratic-led states and civil rights groups, which may foreshadow many protracted legal battles over Trumps immigration policies for the next four years. The Home Office does not publish any comprehensive data on the number of illegal migrants in the UK London is home to as many as 585,000 illegal migrants, according to a previously confidential report. The analysis by Thames Water, done to help assess demand for its services, suggests that the equivalent of up to one in 13 of its users is an illegal migrant. It comes amid mounting concern over the failure to control Britains borders and the pressure that places on public services such as schools and the NHS. The use of illegal migrants in the black economy, working in roles such as food delivery drivers, is also a concern. Despite this, no official figures on the scale of the problem are provided by the Home Office. The new estimate has emerged in a study commissioned by Thames Water, obtained by The Telegraph under freedom of information-style laws for the environment. In total, there are estimated to be more than one million illegal migrants in the UK, with 60 per cent of those in the capital. The report suggests most illegal migrants arrived in the UK on work, study or visitor visas and then overstayed. Migration experts suggested that the figures could be an underestimate as some of the underlying data dates from 2017, before the surge in migrants crossing the Channel. On Tuesday, the Home Office confirmed 1,000 migrants had crossed so far this year, following 38,816 in 2024, the second highest total on record. Migrants disembark in Dover from a Border Force vessel. More than 1,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats already in 2025 - Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the figures in the report were deeply alarming. Having lost control of illegal immigration over the Channel, the Labour Government must now urgently start deporting far more illegal immigrants, he said. It is totally unacceptable to have these numbers of illegal immigrants in the UK. The law needs to be looked at so that spurious human rights, modern slavery and asylum claims cannot be used to delay or prevent removals of illegal immigrants. Alp Mehmet, chairman of think tank Migration Watch, said: A population underestimate on this scale has colossal implications for utility and local authority planning. Utilities, housing, the NHS, GP surgeries and schools will all come under severe pressure, further risking community cohesion. The Telegraph has previously revealed accusations that the NHS is giving undocumented migrants priority for appointments and at A&E, as the health service continues to battle to bring down waiting lists. Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said: One in 13 people in London are here illegally, probably working illegally using taxpayer-funded public infrastructure and services. It is totally unacceptable. Its another reason why we need to properly control our borders. The report for Thames Water, by Edge Analytics, demography and data experts at Leeds University, aimed to quantify the hidden and transient users of their services to enable them to better meet demand. It based its analysis on academic estimates of illegal migrants nationally including the respected Pew Research Center in the US, the London School of Economics, Office for National Statistics data and other research. It then used National Insurance registrations for non-EU foreign nationals over a nine-year period to estimate the number of irregular migrants in each London borough. For the zone of London served by Thames Water, it produced a range of 390,355 illegal migrants at its lowest to 585,533 at its highest, with a median figure of 487,944. With an estimated population of 7,044,667 for the zone, excluding irregular migrants, that would mean on the highest figure up to one in 13 of the zones population is an illegal migrant. When other areas outside London covered by Thames Water are included such as Henley, Guildford, Reading, Swindon and Newbury, the range for the number of illegal migrants rises to between 415,568 and 623,351. Home Office fails to keep track The Home Office does not publish any comprehensive data estimating the number of illegal migrants in the UK. Only since 2018 has it produced figures on the number of illegal Channel migrants reaching the UK. However, there have been unofficial estimates by insiders over the years. In 2019, David Wood, a former director general of immigration enforcement, said illegal immigration was probably running at around 150,000 a year. The report cites Home Office calculations that between 150,000 and 250,000 foreign nationals fail to return to their home country each year. It also cites estimates by Migration Watch that there is a net addition to the population of 70,000 irregular migrants a year owing to visa overstayers, illegal arrivals and failed asylum seekers. The report notes that there are an estimated further 165,000 legal migrants who are working illegally in the UK economy. However, these were not included in the overall calculation by the researchers because they were officially recorded users of water utilities so not part of the hidden total of irregular migrants. A Thames Water spokesman said: Water companies have a regulatory obligation to undertake a water balance, which includes understanding how much water our customers use on a per-person basis, and how it is distributed across our supply area. Analysis to estimate hidden and transient populations is carried out by an independent firm of consultants, who draw from publicly available sources including census, surveys, and published academic research. Thames Water played no part in the writing of the report and the conclusions drawn are those of the independent firm that carried out the research. A Home Office spokesman said: This Government is strengthening global partnerships and rooting out the criminal gangs who profit from small boat crossings which threaten lives. We have also removed 16,400 illegal migrants in just six months, the highest figure in half a decade, making it clear that those who arrive illegally will be returned. Home Office sources said the underlying data were out of date and there was no officially recognised way of measuring how many illegal migrants are in Britain. CORRECTION: The figure of 7,044,667 is the estimated population of the Thames Water London Water Resource Zone, excluding irregular migrants, not geographical London which is about 9 million. Up to 1 in 12 illegal migrants in a previous version was incorrect and ought to have been up to 1 in 13, based on the studys upper figure for irregular migrants, which includes children born in the UK with irregular status and, it is understood, those with indefinite leave to remain. We are happy to correct the record. Nicola Sturgeon said she is divorcing Peter Murrell after 14 years of marriage - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images A proceeds of crime unit is behind a ban on Nicola Sturgeons husband selling their home, it has been reported. Peter Murrell was barred from selling any property he owns last June, two months after he was charged with embezzling funds from the SNP. The Daily Record reported that a proceeds of crime unit in Scotlands Crown Office prosecution service had asked for the inhibition. This is when an individual is prevented from selling property or from taking out loans on it. Official documents disclosed that it prevents Mr Murrell from selling the home he and Ms Sturgeon bought in 2005 for 228,000. It is the only property listed in the inhibition. Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell bought their house in Uddingston near Glasgow for 228,000 in 2005 - Wattie Cheung Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, the head of the Crown Office, which oversees all prosecutions in Scotland, is named as the pursuer of the restriction, but the Daily Record said the agent for her was an individual at the proceeds of crime unit in the Edinburgh procurator fiscals office. Ms Bain has recused herself from the case as she is also the SNP Governments chief law officer, having been nominated for the role by Ms Sturgeon. A legal insider said she had no role in the inhibition and her name appearing on it was a technicality. SNP membership Mr Murrell was the SNPs chief executive for more than 20 years, but he resigned in March 2023 after accepting the blame for the public being misled about the number of SNP members. The following month, police raided Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrells home and searched it for two days, erecting a large evidence tent. A luxury motorhome was also confiscated from outside the Fife home of Mr Murrells elderly mother. He was arrested in the raid. In May 2023, Colin Beattie, the partys then treasurer, was arrested, followed by Ms Sturgeon in June that year. All three were released without charge pending further investigation, and Ms Sturgeon has vigorously denied any wrongdoing. Mr Murrell was charged in April last year in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the party. The Crown Office is deciding how the investigation should proceed. Separated for some time Earlier this month, Ms Sturgeon announced that she was divorcing Mr Murrell. She said the couple, who married in 2010, had been separated for some time now, but it is understood they are both still living in the house. A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on steps taken by the Crown during an investigation. Court actions must be registered in the name of the Lord Advocate and that reflects a constitutional position and not personal involvement. The investigation into SNP finances is being handled by professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel without the involvement of the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General. The SNP and Ms Sturgeons spokesman were approached for comment. The Dukes quest to bring down part of the Murdoch empire has ended in a fizzle rather than a bang - Noah Berger/AP Prince Harry, our noble dragon slayer, has laid down his sword. With moments to spare, as teams of lawyers and a phalanx of press filled the High Court, he agreed to settle with News Group Newspapers (NGN) and avert what was expected to be the 10-week-long media trial of the century. It is the last thing anyone expected. The Duke of Sussex, so vocal and so determined in his battle against the tabloid press, will now not have the full-scale public inquiry he was accused of wanting, as part of his quest to change the media landscape forever. Far from jetting into Britain to lay bare the tabloid grievances that have tormented him for so long, he accepted the settlement from home. The key question is, why? Firstly, it cannot be ignored that this is a personal, emotional success for Prince Harry. For a man who has been so open about his pain and grief, the apology issued by the publisher about his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, will carry great meaning. That NGN acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family will also be incredibly important to Harry. It cannot be ignored that this is an emotional success for Prince Harry, as the apology issued by the publisher about his late mother must carry great meaning - Eddie Mulholland But can the Duke claim that, as hoped, he has changed the media landscape with his crusade? Not quite. In this regard, it is not what was said in NGNs full and unequivocal apology that is key, but what was missing. There is no admission of phone hacking, surveillance or misuse of private information at the Sun; just the News of the World, which closed more than a decade ago. Admissions of unlawful activity are confined to private investigators, with no executive heads rolling, no forensic examination of any cover-up, and no airing of new details of the serious intrusion that NGN admits to. As such, one wonders how quickly the elation of the personal victory may, behind the scenes as the adrenaline wears off, give way to deflation for the man who has called holding the British press to account his lifes work. Having set himself up as a champion of the voiceless (Ive been told that slaying dragons will get you burned, he cried poetically, after a legal victory last year), Prince Harry now finds himself in terms of taking the stand back among them. His quest to bring down part of the Murdoch empire has ended in a fizzle rather than a bang. Rift with family remains significant What could have persuaded the Duke to stop at this stage? The decision will inevitably raise questions about his finances the settlement was an eight-figure sum, we are told. While other celebrities and civilians settled, with some saying they could not afford to pay the legal fees, Prince Harry planned to be the one who saw it through, with money as no object. It is not clear to what extent his settlement is materially or morally different to the one he told the world his elder brother had made, with 2023 court papers claiming Prince William has recently settled his claim against NGN behind the scenes. One brother did so in private, and the other in public. There will be question marks, too, about whether someone finally convinced Harry, a family man who is forging a new life on another continent, that his energies might be better spent elsewhere. The cost, both financially and mentally as he relived his unhappy younger years was huge, and the rift with his family significant, as his legal battles came to play a central piece in this, he said previously. The settlement comes at a strange time for the Sussexes: Meghans Netflix show postponed after the Los Angeles fires, a blistering Vanity Fair cover story about their alleged failings, and questions over their professional futures. Their Spotify deal has ended, though not before Harrys more embarrassing ideas a podcast inviting famous guests to talk about why they, not him, were sociopaths, no less had made their way into the public domain. His Netflix show about Polo did not generate the buzz it might have expected, his bestselling memoir is long done and dusted, and his relations with the Royal family remain on a scale between strained and non-existent. He is preoccupied with the ongoing issue of security in Britain (note a line in his barristers statement, alleging that the press coverage since he began his legal claim had created serious concerns for the security of him and his family), and may want to concentrate his energies on progressing this through the courts. David Sherborne, Prince Harrys barrister, delivers a statement outside the High Court after the settlement was agreed - Benjamin Cremel/AFP Last year, a reputable US magazine whose report has never been contested by the Sussexes team recorded that the Duchess of Sussex wished Harry could let go of these lawsuits and live in the moment, wanting him to be free of all of this despite understanding that his love for her and their children meant he could not. Those who warned that such a high-profile, lengthy court case would air too much dirty laundry on all sides a Pyrrhic victory to rival Meghan vs Mail on Sunday, even if he had won will be grateful for the escape. That proposed ten-week trial was over in little more than 24 hours, just minutes of which were in court. Only predator in tabloid jungle is Prince Harry As the dust settles, the Dukes only remaining media target is Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, which he will meet in court next January. He will also be appealing a High Court ruling about his security provision in the UK. His next public trip will be for his Invictus Games, always a boost for a Prince who is deeply admired by those who take part. And then who knows? Last year, Harry said: One of the reasons why I brought the claim...is specifically for truth and accountability. His lawyers, as well as the couples fans and those who support his media battles, have hailed this as a monumental victory in doing just that. The Duke will be able to bask in the credit. Lord Watson, the former Labour deputy leader and Harrys co-complainant, said: I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators. I was wrong, they have Prince Harry. In a statement calling for the police and Parliament to step in, their barrister said: The rule of law must now run its full course. A pre-settlement Prince Harry insisted: The mission continues. This is nothing close to mission accomplished. But those with Harrys best interests at heart will hope that it is enough. An undated handout photo issued by Royal Navy shows HMS Somerset flanking the Yantar near UK waters. Photograph: Royal Navy/PA A Russian spy ship was tracked closely by the Royal Navy this week after it entered UK waters on Monday and passed through the Channel at a time of heightened concern about the safety of undersea cables. The defence secretary, John Healey, told the Commons on Tuesday that the Yantar, a Russian vessel engaged in mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure, had passed through British waters for the second time in less than three months. Healey accused the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of trying to threaten European security by targeting undersea infrastructure carrying oil, gas, electricity and the internet. We see you. We know what youre doing, he said before MPs. The Yantar, officially an ocean research vessel, was first picked up 45 miles (70km) off the British coast, well inside the UKs exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Monday. Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship, Healey told MPs. It had previously sailed through UK waters in November, when Healey said it had been detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. It then sailed into Irish waters east of Dublin, raising concern it was spying on internet connectors running between the UK and Ireland. Healey said it had been tracked at the time by a submarine, warships and patrol aircraft. The submarine, thought to be HMS Astute, had been ordered to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move, he said. This time the vessel did not loiter and was followed by the frigate HMS Somerset and patrol ship HMS Tyne, which had been authorised to get closer to better track it, Healey said. Cables under the Baltic Sea have been damaged in unclear circumstances three times in the past 18 months. An oil tanker dragging its anchor damaged a power cable running between Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day, prompting Nato allies to step up patrols of the region. It is unclear who was responsible for the incident, which involved the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S, but Healey told MPs that many analysts believe this was caused by a vessel in Russias shadow fleet. Britain and other Nato countries are anxious about threats to undersea infrastructure, which are often critical to a nations needs but are hard to defend. They believe the threat from Russia has stepped up since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Moscow considering itself involved in a conflict with the west. Katja Bego, a research fellow at the Chatham House thinktank, said undersea cables are vulnerable to deliberate weaponisation. Though there is enough backup to ensure severing one or two cables will not lead to a loss of a service, she added, these networks would find it harder to withstand an attack in which many cables were damaged at the same time. Though Healeys description of the Yantar as a spy ship did not come as a surprise to experts, it did show that the UK remains willing to call out Russian espionage activity, which is at times brazen but not always publicly acknowledged. The Yantar is officially an oceanographic research vessel with underwater rescue capability, but it is also a member of the Russian navy. It is operated by the countrys Main Directorate Deep-Sea Research, which is part of the defence ministry. Moscow appears to have been kicked out of its naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus Russias crucial diesel attack submarines can likely no longer operate in the Mediterranean Sea, after Moscow appears to have been kicked out of its naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus. The new Syrian government terminated a 49-year lease on the base the Kremlin brokered with the Bashar al-Assad regime in 2019, according to Russian and Syrian media reports. Two Russian cargo ships that had been waiting offshore for three weeks were tracked entering the port on Tuesday and Wednesday to begin a probable evacuation. It marks a major loss for Russia. The port at Tartus has played a vital role as a hub for its military presence in the Mediterranean, which it has increased over the past decade to support its operations in Africa. Russia effectively lost its military use of the port in early December, when its fleet withdrew 10 miles off the coast as Moscow-backed dictator Assad was overthrown after a lightning-quick rebel offensive. The lease cancellation will be another blow to the Kremlins hopes of retaining the port, which it has held since 1971, after it said it had reached an informal understanding with the new Syrian government over its use last month. Rows of military vehicles and hardware have been lined up at the port, waiting to be taken away, since the ships left. Riad Judi, Syrias customs director, said revenues from the port would now be used for the benefit of Syria, as he accused Moscow of not modernising the facilitys equipment as dictated by the terms of the 2019 deal. Russian troops, for now, are continuing to operate at its Khmeimim air base in the Syrian port city of Latakia. Satellite image of Russia evacuating its fleet from the Syrian port of Tartus in December - Maxar Tartus is the only Russian facility in the region capable of sustaining its diesel-electric powered submarines, which are cheaper and often quieter than nuclear-powered boats but require regular refuelling. Moscow had maintained a near constant undersea presence of at least two attack submarines in the region since 2013, until the Kalibr missile-carrying Novorossiysk withdrew earlier this month. Without Tartus, any of Russias submarines diesel-electric or nuclear deployed in the region would have to remain at sea, with only the possibility of an occasional visit to a friendly port that could not offer long-term logistical and infrastructure support. Russia will struggle to sustainably operate Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy officer and naval warfare expert, said that Russia would now struggle to sustainably operate any submarines at all in the Mediterranean. Nuclear-powered submarines can operate at sea for much longer than conventionally-powered submarines without docking, but experts said their deployments could also be hampered by the loss of Tartus, which is reportedly able to service nuclear-powered submarines and ships. The last Russian nuclear-powered submarine detected in the Mediterranean was the Severodvinsk in 2022, although it is unclear whether it docked at Tartus. H I Sutton, a Naval analyst, writing for Naval News, said it was possible Russia could have a nuclear submarine operating in the region, but considered it unlikely. The potential loss of Tartus is likely to send the Kremlin scrambling to find alternative bases with its North African allies. Algeria has long-standing friendly relations with Russia and ports that already serve its navys Russian-built submarines. These facilities could assist Russian vessels, but access would be dependent on the permission of the Algerian government, which has expressed recent concern over Russias growing influence in neighbouring Mali. Another option would be war-torn Libya, where Russia already appears to be increasing its foothold as it retreats from Syria. A growing partnership with Khalifa Haftar, the warlord who controls the eastern and southern parts of the country, could open up the ports of Tobruk and Benghazi to Russian warships and submarines. However, analysts have questioned whether either of the ports are large enough or in good enough shape to accommodate warships and submarines. From left, Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Satya Nadella have different takes on Trumps AI initiative. Composite: EPA, Rex/Shutterstock, Getty Images Major tech moguls had their claws out for each other on Wednesday, hissing at their rivals over enormous pledges to invest in AI that had been announced by Donald Trump the day before. Trump announced Stargate, a $500bn project to be funded jointly by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, on Tuesday. During the announcement, the president was flanked by the leaders of those companies: Sam Altman, Larry Ellison and Masayoshi Son, respectively. Son is slated to be the chair of the project. All three are multibillionaires. Absent from the photo op was a representative from MGX, Abu Dhabis state AI fund, another principal investor. The partnership is geared towards building essential data centers and computing infrastructure for the development of artificial intelligence. While the headline investment is substantial, some estimates had already indicated that developing AI would cost that much. Another notable absence was Elon Musk the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and xAI; the richest person in the world; and a Trump ally who reportedly has an office in the White House. The evening after the announcement, he declared Stargate a financial farce. When OpenAI wrote on X Musks social network that it would begin deploying $100bn immediately, Musk responded: They dont actually have the money and followed up with another jab: SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority. Musk, who has a net worth of some $430bn, tweets extremely often every day about an eye-watering swath of topics usually hyping up his own companies, and Trump. Even with his propensity to post, his tweets pronouncing Stargate nothing more than hot air represent an extraordinary break with the White House, where he is one of Trumps closest and most senior advisers. Trump has yet to respond to Musks broadside. On Truth Social, the presidents own social network, he was focused on wishing a happy anniversary to his wife, Melania. Musk went further. He retweeted an image of a crack pipe with the accompanying tweet: Leaked image of the research tool OpenAI used to come up with their $500 billion number for Stargate. He spent much of Wednesday afternoon sniping at Stargate. Altman tried to strike a conciliatory tone with his first response: I genuinely respect your accomplishments and think you are the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time. Then at least one glove came off when Altman wrote snidely about Musks Softbank remark: Wrong, as you surely know. want to come visit the first site already under way? this is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope youll mostly put first. The Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, a less pugnacious public figure than Altman, and certainly than Musk, was asked about the spat during an interview on CNBC. He quipped: All I know is, Im good for my $80bn. Im going to spend $80bn building out Azure, referring to Microsofts cloud-computing product. Unlike Musk and Altman, Nadella did not sit on a dais beside Trump during the presidents inauguration on Monday, though his company did give $1m to the inaugural committee. Nadellas net worth is estimated to be more than $1bn due to stock awards from his employer and its recent stellar performance. The animosity in part stems from a longstanding feud between Musk and Altman. Musk co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but later split from the younger man. In March 2024, Musk sued the company over its plan to transition to a for-profit business model, then withdrew the suit in July, then sued again in August, alleging deceit of Shakespearean proportions. The other two company heads involved in Stargate, Ellison and Son, have yet to comment. Mohammad Javad Zarif said the continuation of US sanctions was hitting the most vulnerable in Iran hardest and insisted Iran did not want to become a nuclear power. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock A senior Iranian politician has appealed to Donald Trump to begin new negotiations with Tehran over its civil nuclear programme, saying: I hope that this time around, [Trump 2.0] will be more serious, more focused, more realistic. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Irans vice-president for strategic affairs, pointed out that the returning US president had not reappointed figures from his first term such as the former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, who persuaded him in 2018 to quit the nuclear deal on the basis that withdrawal would lead to the regimes collapse. Instead, Zarif said, withdrawal had left Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear bomb, with the components including highly enriched uranium, although he claimed Tehran was not interested in actually making such a weapon. Zarif, probably the best known Iranian diplomat in the west, was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in his first remarks outside Iran since his countrys election of a reformist government. He said the continuation of US sanctions was hitting the most vulnerable in Iran hardest and insisted Iran did not want to become a nuclear power. If we wanted to build a nuclear weapon we could have done so a long time ago, Zarif said. He also gave the impression that Iranian society was liberalising, saying women could be seen on the street not wearing the hijab. He said the Iranian leadership had decided not to put pressure on women to obey the law. Its a step in the right direction but it is not enough, he said. This led to criticism in Iran from those who said Zarif failed to acknowledge that many women still felt harassed and he ignored the price many women had paid for seeking greater freedom during the protests two years ago. But he gave little sign that Iran was prepared to end its support for groups in the region deemed terrorists by the US, such as Hamas in Gaza. He said: Therell be more groups, with or without Irans help. Iran has always supported the struggle of people for their human rights, for their right to self determination, and well continue to support that. But the groups resistance stemmed from the injustice suffered by Palestinians, and not Iranian interference, he said. Zarif said of Hamass attack on Israel on 7 October 2023: We didnt know We were set to meet the Americans on JCPOA [the Iran nuclear deal] renewal on 9 October, but the operation destroyed it. The nuclear deal was designed to ensure UN inspectors had access to Irans nuclear sites and could certify that Irans nuclear programme was solely for civilian energy purposes. Trump left the deal in 2018, opting to impose harsh sanctions on Iran, but so far he has been opaque about whether he will now try to strengthen those sanctions or endorse an Israeli government attack on Irans nuclear sites. Two rounds of talks between EU negotiators and Iranian officials in Geneva last month will have given the US intelligence on the kind of preconditions Iran would set in any talks on a new deal, including the sequencing of any lifting of sanctions. Iran wants a possibly unobtainable guarantee that the US would not again walk out on a deal. Marco Rubio, the new US secretary of state, acknowledged there were divisions in Tehran about whether a new deal with the US on its nuclear programme was desirable. But some regard Irans current weakness, including its damaged air defences, as a good reason to strike. A decision is unavoidable since the key clauses in the original 2015 deal are due to expire in October. Related: Diplomats fear growing power of Iranian factions that want nuclear weapons Zarif acknowledged these divisions, adding: Iran is not a single voice, a uni-voice society. We have many voices and many views, and we cannot shut them down. It is not clear if the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thinks the lifting of US sanctions, requiring difficult concessions, is necessary. In a speech on Wednesday, Khamenei said it was realistic for Iran to achieve 8% annual growth. In a potential sign the hardliners may still dominate in Iranian security policy, the head of the UN nuclear weapons inspectorate, Rafael Grossi, said Iran was pressing the gas pedal on uranium enrichment, He said: Before it was [producing] more or less 7kg [of uranium enriched to up to 60%] per month, now its above 30 or more than that. So I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. He said Iran had about 200kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%. Gulf states have become increasingly vocal in opposing an Israeli attack on Iran. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in Davos urged Tehran to engage with the US on its nuclear programme. Obviously a war between Iran and Israel, any war in our region, is something we should try to avoid as much as possible, he added. Qatars influential prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said: I do not want to see an arms race in the region, adding he hoped the Gulf states would come together to call for a peaceful path. I hope we defuse this completely now, he said. John Bolton, who was sacked by Donald Trump in 2019, wrote a memoir that was highly critical of his former boss - GETTY IMAGES John Bolton has said he is at risk of attack by Iran after Donald Trump removed his Secret Service protection within hours of taking office. The former national security adviser, who has become a vocal critic of the president since leaving his first administration in 2019, said the inescapable conclusion was that he would now be targeted by hostile states. Mr Bolton told The Telegraph that he was given 12 hours notice before his Secret Service detail was terminated by Mr Trump. The 76-year-old diplomat is a longstanding hawk on Iran and has been targeted by the regime since leaving office. In 2022, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was charged with a plot to murder him. Mr Bolton said he was told by officials as recently as a few days ago that the threat against his life remained high. Mr Trump directed the Secret Service to stop the protection hours after taking office on Monday. Mr Bolton told The Telegraph there was no other conclusion to be drawn from the decision other than that it was an act of political vengeance. They called me at about 11.30pm last night, and I was asleep, he said. I dont remember the exact words, but it was something like: The president has directed that your protection be terminated at noon tomorrow. Mr Bolton is making arrangements to pay for his own security after the taxpayer-funded team was removed. Asked whether he was now at greater risk of attack by Iranian agents, he replied: I think thats the almost inescapable conclusion. As I say, Im putting measures in place. During the election campaign, Mr Bolton spoke out against a second Trump presidency, writing in a book last year that he was unfit to hold the office. If his first four years were bad, a second four will be worse, he wrote. Mr Trump defended the move to remove Mr Boltons protection on Tuesday, claiming it had been enough time and that were not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives. I thought he was a very dumb person, but I used him well, he added. Mr Trump has previously criticised Mr Boltons views on national security, claiming in 2020 that if he had stayed in the White House, then the country would be in World War Six by now. Because the two have exchanged barbs in the media, Mr Bolton said he was disappointed, but not surprised to have his security removed. This is Trump the man, he said. This is the evidence of the character or lack thereof that he possesses. Assassin was paid to kill Bolton Mr Bolton was given Secret Service security after he received a series of duty-to-warn notices by the FBI in 2021. The notices are used by the agency to warn American citizens if they are at risk of attack by a hostile foreign power. They ultimately recommended to the attorney general that he ask Biden to restore Secret Service protection, he said. At about the same time, in late 2021, Mr Bolton was targeted by Shahram Poursafi, an IRGC agent who was charged with a plot to kill him in revenge for the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian general. Mr Poursafi attempted to pay an assassin $300,000 to murder Mr Bolton, but was caught when he disclosed his plan to an FBI human source. Since then, Mr Bolton said the threat level from Iran essentially remains the same, adding: I was told that as recently as a few days ago. Mr Trump first terminated Mr Boltons security team when he left his first administration. It was later reinstated by Joe Biden on advice from the FBI, after he received a series of assassination threats from Iran. Mr Trump sacked Mr Bolton in September 2019 after a series of disputes between the two men on foreign policy. Privately, the president complained that his chief adviser was too hawkish and could no longer be trusted to form US government policy on Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan. The final straw came after he objected to a plan for Mr Trump to meet members of the Taliban at Camp David in mid-2019 to sign a peace agreement. The meeting was cancelled, but Mr Trump was reportedly frustrated with him for opposing the deal and accused him of being too aggressive. Asylum seekers enter the US at El Chaparral border crossing port in Tijuana, Mexico, on 17 January 2025. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images Advocates warned the Trump administrations abrupt announcement on Wednesday that it was canceling travel plans for refugees already approved for resettlement in the US puts lives in danger and has left families devastated. Donald Trump followed an announcement on Monday that he was suspending the nations refugee resettlement program starting on 27 January with news on Wednesday that even those who had been approved for travel to the US before then have had their plans canceled. The decision has left US advocacy groups in turmoil, but hardly surprised. The refugee program fulfills Americas profound moral leadership to ensure that the most vulnerable refugees are safely resettled. The administrations decision leaves refugees in danger, said Eskinder Negash, president and CEO of the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Exodus Refugee Immigration, an organization in Indianapolis, said it had been due to welcome 118 new refugees to Indiana in February. That number is now zero and both we and the families we assist are devastated, Cole Varga, the organizations chief executive, said. These and many other organizations had been working around the clock ever since the election to try to resettle thousands of refugees as quickly as possible before the new administration. Varga added, about Wednesdays announcement: For those abroad, they have had the rug pulled out from under them after spending sometimes years preparing for this moment. Pausing resettlement indefinitely will change peoples lives for the worse. Such news had been dreaded for months but was still shocking it came. The conversations once the election was over became more in earnest, said Dan Hannaher, field office director of Global Refuge, an agency in Fargo, North Dakota. Organizations were calling each other urgently. Related: DoJ says it will prosecute officials who resist Trumps immigration crackdown There were national calls of please check your capacity, see what you can do, and let us know if you can [take on more cases], said Hannaher. Global Refuge has hurriedly resettled 55 people in the last few weeks who had been vetted and approved for travel and made it to the US under the wire before Trumps second presidency. Exodus Refugee Immigration had put itself on an accelerated footing, working intensely to speed up the resettlement in their area of refugees approved for entry into the US in the last two months before Trumps inauguration. We probably said we could take 250 or 300 in [just] a couple of months compared to the 700 we would [typically] have accepted throughout the year, said Varga. As of last Friday, the group had welcomed 226 arrivals to its Indianapolis office since November, and its Bloomington office had taken some additional refugees. On Wednesday, he added: Already we are seeing the effects on family members here. He described how a wife awaiting the arrival of her husband was losing sleep each night, and said the hallway of the organizations office was lined with the car seats of children who will now not come. An estimated 10,000 refugees approved for entry already had travel arrangements in place to come to the US when Trump signed the executive order on Monday announcing the suspension of the refugee resettlement program, CNN reported on Wednesday morning, citing data and unnamed officials and other sources. Their countries of origin are not publicly available but many were probably due to arrive from Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Venezuela and parts of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being cancelled, and no new travel bookings will be made. [Resettlement support centers involved in refugee applications overseas] should not request travel for any additional refugee cases at this time, according to a state department memo obtained by CNN. The secretary of state and the secretary of homeland security could jointly determine to admit refugees on a case-by-case basis, according to the Trump administration, but only so long as they determine it is in the national interest and the case does not pose a security threat. Advocates do not anticipate those acceptances will happen often. Three months from now, the secretary of homeland security will submit a report about whether the resumption of the program is in the best interest of the country. But the final word will be up to the president. In Massachusetts, Rabbi James Greene, chief executive officer at Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts, a social services organization in Springfield, said the group had resettled more than 100 refugees since election day. Our belief is that welcoming the stranger is not just part of our vision, but is part of what it means to be in American society, he said. Greene said he watched on Tuesday as cases were cancelled from their arrivals list. In that list of clients who were scheduled to arrive this week was an Afghan family who fled the Taliban, three family-reunification cases and more. Each of these families has a unique story, has waited years for the opportunity to resettle here, and are eager to join the community and contribute to the workforce and economy, he said. Greene said each of his more-than-100-person staff had been working around the clock. He picked up one of his last families last Friday before the new administration. Bringing families into the fold of a new community means equipping them with a temporary place to stay, like a hotel or apartment, assisting with basic needs like food and trauma services, he said. The bleak memory of Trump gutting resettlements and funds in his first administration remains fresh to many staff, Greene said. His organization welcomed 947 refugees in 2016, Barack Obamas last year in the White House before Trumps first term. By 2020, Varga estimates the annual total of resettled refugees was down to 150. Hannaher said his organization saw more of a trickle than a good stream of arrivals under Trump. Varga recalls about 300 US-refugee-assistance organizations shrinking to about 200. In 2020, only 11,814 refugees were admitted to the US, compared with 84,994 in 2016, according to state department data. Refugees often spend decades in camps abroad. If they attempt the US application and resettlement process with the US Refugee Admissions Program, there are years of rigorous background and medical checks overseas. Refugees are more vetted than anyone [else] coming into the country, said Varga. Both he and Hannaher said the country with the greatest resettlements in their regions had been the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of December, there were 517,405 refugees waiting in camps in that country, according to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency. Each refugee is allotted $3,000 by the federal government through a resettlement agency to pay for case workers, housing and other immediate needs over three months. Before Monday, the state department told the Guardian in a statement: The US Refugee Admissions Program continues to operate under a Presidential Determination of 125,000 refugee arrivals for fiscal year 2025. The federal governments fiscal year runs October to October. More than 27,300 refugees were resettled between 1 October and 31 December 2024, the first quarter of the fiscal year. The number for January was not yet available and everything has now abruptly changed, with new arrivals now suspended. Greene said he kept a poem called Home, by the British-Somali poet Warsan Shire, on his desk, reminding him of what refugee families have gone through to reach the US. No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land, he quoted. The journey has been long and hard. Joanna Walters contributed reporting The boss of energy regulator Ofgem has called for more powers to make sure customers rather than investors get compensated when suppliers go bust. Jonathan Brearley said shareholders of some firms took advantage of energy price spikes even after their companies had collapsed during the energy crisis. Speaking to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee of MPs on Wednesday, he said the practice points to a fundamental problem that we have in terms of the extent of our powers, and said ministers should give Ofgem the ability to tackle it. Energy prices rocketed in 2022 after Russias invasion of Ukraine, causing many people to struggle to pay their gas and electricity bills. It also prompted the collapse of more than 30 energy supply firms in less than a year, forcing millions of people to switch to new, sometimes more expensive suppliers. But shareholders in some of the companies that went bankrupt still made money after that, Mr Brearley said. That is because they had bought power at a fixed price before their company collapsed a process known as hedging then made money when the value of that energy rose even further later in the crisis. He told MPs: One of the massive frustrations for me during the crisis was seeing companies go bust, where shareholders then walked away with valuable energy hedges that grew in value over time as the crisis went on. The shareholders were able to realise some of that value, said Mr Brearley, adding that the amounts added up to hundreds of millions of pounds across multiple companies. We cannot fully control that, and I think we need the powers to do so, he said. The Ofgem chief did not name the companies he was referring to. He added: Quite frankly, before anybody else gets paid anything, customers need to be paid back. Mr Brearley was recently appointed for another five-year term at the helm of Ofgem, and will lead the regulator while the Government tries to deliver on its promise to decarbonise the power system by 2030. He added: Were in a complex market with complex corporate structures and we are seeing a huge change coming in the next few years. No one, including us, can guarantee there wont be issues that customers need to deal with. I think the regulator should have the power to be able to identify where theres been significant customer harm and ask for compensation when that happens. A couple whose daughter was born weighing just one pound and spent her first six months in hospital have praised medical staff after she was finally allowed to go home. Katie McArthur, 27, said staff saved our baby girl time and time again and she described the past few months as a rollercoaster ride. Hope was born at just 23 weeks after Ms McArthur unexpectedly went into labour with her twin girls at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on July 30 last year. She and her partner John Fry, 27, welcomed daughter Faith first, who was quickly taken by the medical team for urgent care, and Hope was born shortly afterwards. Faith did not survive but Hope was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. Ms McArthur said: We were told to rest while both babies received immediate medical support due to their premature birth. Hope spent her first Christmas in hospital, but was allowed to go home for the first time a few weeks later (Katie McArthur/PA) Shortly afterward, the team delivered the devastating news that Faith hadnt survived. They brought her to us, and we spent some precious time with her. After being moved to the hospital in Glasgow, Hope faced ongoing challenges and spent several months there. Her mother said: Hope seemed to be doing okay initially. She weighed just 461 grams and was fed through a tube while in an incubator. However, on day five her condition worsened. Her heart rate kept dropping, and she required resuscitation. It was discovered that she had a brain bleed and a perforated bowel, necessitating emergency surgery. Hope recovered but faced ongoing health issues, including low oxygen levels and difficulty gaining weight, while she also needed additional surgery. Ms McArthur said: It was a rollercoaster ride. The medical staff saved our baby girl time and time again. We were never short of support. We are incredibly grateful to all the hospital staff. Now we are home, and its time to enjoy our baby girl. The family had hoped to be home for Christmas, but were not given the all clear until December 30. They are now enjoying life at home in Glasgow with Hope, who will have ongoing health check-ups. Lesley McGuire, senior staff nurse at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), said: We are all absolutely delighted to see Hope finally getting home with her family. Looking after Hope and her family was a privilege, and we will miss seeing little Hopes smiley face on our neonatal unit. As a team we are all dedicated to ensuring that parents are cared for as much as our babies. Hope is settling in well at home and Katie and John have promised to keep in touch, and we are all looking forward to seeing her progress. NICU is a place where miracles really do happen. The Metropolitan Police are waiting to hear from the parties involved in the High Court battle between the Duke of Sussex, former Labour leader Lord Tom Watson and the publisher of The Sun. Lord Watson questioned whether the head of the force, Sir Mark Rowley, will take action when he receives a dossier of information linked to the case. The Labour peer and Harry reached a settlement with News Group Newspapers (NGN) on Wednesday over claims they had been targeted by journalists and investigators instructed by them before 2011. Speaking outside court on Wednesday, Lord Watson said: To Sir Mark Rowley when you receive our dossier exposing wrongdoing, will the Metropolitan Police act? To the Prime Minister I know you care deeply about fairness in the law, but are we really willing to continue as a country where some executives are above the law and out of the reach of the police? Lord Watson questioned whether Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley will take action (Aaron Chown/PA) The Met carried out an extensive probe into claims of phone hacking at the now defunct News of the World, which began in January 2011 and came to a close in December 2015. Operation Weeting saw 12 former members of newspaper staff charged and taken to court. Three were cleared deputy editor Neil Wallis, retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner and ex-editor Rebekah Brooks and one, former editor Andy Coulson, who went on to become David Camerons spin doctor, was found guilty by a jury. The remaining eight pleaded guilty. The settlement reached on Wednesday was over serious intrusion by The Sun into Harrys private life between 1996 and 2011 including unlawful activities carried out by private investigators employed by the newspaper, as well as phone hacking and surveillance by the News of the World. NGN also apologised to Lord Watson for intrusion between 2009 and 2011, but denied having hacked his phone. On Wednesday, after the settlement, the Met said there is no current investigation into phone hacking or related claims. A force spokesman said: We are aware of the outcome of the civil proceedings. It remains the case that there are no active police investigations into allegations of phone hacking or related matters. We await any correspondence from the parties involved, which we will respond to in due course. Expanding terror laws to encompass atrocities carried out by lone attackers like the Southport killer would be a mistake and such threats are not new, security experts have warned. Sir Keir Starmer announced a review of terror laws to address extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms following the Southport murders. Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July. The attacks sparked widespread riots across the UK last summer, fuelled by online misinformation that Rudakubana was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat. Axel Rudakubana (Merseyside Police) Crime journalists have criticised significant overreach by the Crown Prosecution Service, after police forces involved in the Southport case said they had been advised against sharing more details despite wanting to. Documents about Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide and car bombs were found on Rudakubanas devices during police searches of his home. The teenager pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on the date of the attack, production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism. After Sir Keir claimed in a Downing Street statement that this was evidence of a new threat a different kind of terrorism experts pushed back. Neil Basu, a former national head of counter-terrorism, told LBC it would be a mistake to label something as terrorism if it is not terrorism, as this could lead some to seek out a day of infamy. He added: I would be wary of expanding terrorism law to cover lone actors that isnt what terrorism law is about, but it would be for politicians to debate whether the law needs to be expanded. Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior Home Office official, meanwhile told the Times newspaper people who are mobilised by hatred and contempt for others into committing lone wolf attacks have been with us for years. Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar (Family handouts) Despite Rudakubanas contact with state agencies such as Prevent, aimed at countering terrorism, authorities failed to stop the attack which claimed the lives of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced an inquiry into the case on Monday evening, telling MPs on Tuesday the Government will consider the wider challenge of rising youth violence and that requests will be made to tech companies to remove online material accessed by Rudakubana. She said it was a disgrace Rudakubana had been able to buy a knife from Amazon, and shared he had been stopped more than ten times before for carrying a knife. The online retail giant is also where he bought ingredients needed to make ricin, the Times reported. Elsewhere, the Crime Reporters Association (CRA) has written to the chief prosecutor in England and Wales, Stephen Parkinson, warning of a worrying pattern whereby forces wanting to provide information to the press have been instructed to stay silent. The groups letter added: The CRA believes there has been a significant overreach by the CPS in this case which has fuelled a cover-up narrative. Rudakubana has also admitted the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. He is not expected to receive a whole life order because he was 17 at the time of the murders. The teenager will be sentenced on Thursday. Writing in The Sun, Sir Keir said: Whatever shortcomings are holding back Britains ability to protect its citizen and its children, I will find them I will root them out. No matter who it upsets, I will act. Southport must become a line in the sand for Britain. There are deep wounds in our society politics now has a responsibility to heal. But that starts by holding up the mirror and facing what we see. A Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine was used to warn off one of Russian President Vladimir Putins spy ships operating around UK waters. The hunter-killer submarine was ordered to surface close to the Yantar after the Russian vessel was caught loitering over critical undersea cables. Just weeks later the Yantar returned to UK waters and the Royal Navys rules of engagement were changed to allow warships to sail closer to the spy vessel to monitor its activities. HMS Somerset with the Russian spy ship Yantar (Royal Navy/PA) Defence Secretary John Healey gave details of the operations in a Commons statement. In a direct message to Mr Putin he said: We see you, we know what youre doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country. Mr Healey said the Yantar was used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure. The incident involving an Astute-class attack submarine occurred in November. Mr Healey said the Yantar was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure and to deter any potential threat, I took measured steps then as part of a clear direct response to the Russian vessel. RAF maritime patrol aircraft, minehunter HMS Cattistock, offshore patrol vessel HMS Tyne and surveillance ship RFA Proteus were deployed to shadow Yantars every movement. Mr Healey added: I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean. It headed back towards the UK earlier this week and was shadowed by Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and the Tyne. Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday, the Defence Secretary said. For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters. I changed the Royal Navys rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation. "We see you, we know what you're doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country". @RoyalNavy vessels have been tracking a Russian spy ship in the English Channel just weeks after it was caught loitering over critical undersea infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/rqF4xuB4Yj Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) January 22, 2025 The vessel had since sailed into the North Sea, he told MPs. The UK and Nato allies are increasingly concerned about the risk Russia poses to offshore cables, pipelines and other infrastructure. P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint spy planes will join the Nato operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea, while RFA Proteus has also been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure. The Defence Secretary said Russia was dangerous but fundamentally weak, as he referenced the casualties the country had suffered during the war in Ukraine and its decision to draft in troops from North Korea. He said: Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the change to the Navys rules of engagement sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond. Katja Bego, senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank, said the incident followed a repeated pattern of the Yantar engaging in suspicious activities in the North Sea and elsewhere and called for governments to introduce more redundancy in undersea cables to reduce the impact of any damage caused by Russian interference. She added: It is commendable that John Healey has been so vocal in calling out this most recent Yantar incursion. Nato needs to speak with one voice on these increasingly more brazen hybrid activities and it is of the utmost importance that Nato countries and others bolster their response to these kinds of increasingly frequent incidents. Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the sheer and remarkable courage of Holocaust survivors ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day. The Prime Minister welcomed a group of survivors and their families to Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon, describing the meeting as an incredible privilege. He said: After surviving the most appalling and incomprehensible suffering at the hands of the Nazis, they have gone on to make the world a better place by dedicating their lives to Holocaust education. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, third left, spoke to guests during the reception to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at 10 Downing Street (Alberto Pizzoli/PA) I pay tribute to their sheer and remarkable courage in sharing their stories, imparting memories of the worst moments of humanity seeing family members, friends, neighbours murdered in the cruellest ways imaginable to ensure we never forget. The reception comes ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, and follows the Prime Ministers trip to Poland last week during which he visited Auschwitz, a former Nazi concentration camp, where he vowed to fight the poison of antisemitism. On Wednesday, Sir Keir recommitted to ensuring Holocaust education remained on the national curriculum and all schools must teach it. He added: This is a time where we must all stand steadfast in our commitment that the Holocaust is never forgotten, stand up to all forms of hatred and division and ensure the six million Jewish lives that were abhorrently and cruelly taken are forever cherished. Sir Keir sat with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt during the event (Alberto Pizzoli/PA) Earlier in the day, MPs heard the testimony of two Holocaust survivors, Yisrael Abelesz and Alfred Garwood, at a separate event in Parliament. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the first-hand stories of the two men, who survived the Holocaust but found their families had been murdered, was a precious resource. He said; We must do everything we can now more than ever to listen to and honour survivors who have devoted their lives to sharing their harrowing stories in the hope the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. This years Holocaust Memorial Day marks 80 years since the end of the Holocaust in 1945. Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, which supported Wednesdays reception at Number 10, said it was extremely powerful to see the Prime Minister speaking to Holocaust survivors. She said: Eighty years on, the survivors here today would never have dreamed they would be talking to the Prime Minister of Great Britain over a cup of tea at 10 Downing Street. Their resilience and determination is extraordinary. The Prime Ministers warmth and compassion for these precious eyewitnesses was deeply moving and we welcome the strength of his commitment to our cause. Sting said he is steadily improving from a temporary throat infection, after postponing two concerts and cancelling an awards ceremony appearance on doctors advice. The former Police frontman was due to perform at the Bass Magazine Awards in California on Thursday, where he was to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award. He also postponed shows in Phoenix, Arizona, and Wheatland, California, as well as a performance at a record labels concert, which had all been scheduled for this month. I am steadily improving from a temporary throat infection which has prevented me from singing, though Im looking forward to resuming my performances and rescheduled shows soon, the 73-year-old wrote on Instagram. The British star praised his fans for all of the well wishes, signing it off with love, Sting. It is not yet known whether he will still perform as expected at the FireAid charity concert on January 30, raising money to rebuild communities devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters. His comments come a day after a post to his social media, which said: On advisement from his doctor, due to illness, it is with sincere regret that Sting must cancel his appearance at the Bass Magazine Awards this Thursday and postpone his Sting 3.0 concerts in Phoenix, AZ (originally scheduled for January 24) to June 1 and Wheatland, CA (originally scheduled for January 26) to May 28 as well as his performance at the Cherrytree Music Companys 20th anniversary, now taking place May 29. Fans should retain their tickets for the postponed shows, as they will be honoured on the new dates. Sting sincerely apologises for any inconvenience and extends his gratitude to the fans for their understanding. Sting rose to fame with new wave rock band, The Police, in the late 1970s and early 80s before embarking on a successful solo career. He has had three number one albums in the UK chart and three top 10 singles with tracks All For Love (with Bryan Adams and Sir Rod Stewart), When We Dance, and Rise And Fall (with Craig David). Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) Investigations into the gruesome murder of Beth Muthoni, 44, a devout Christian on pilgrimage at the Thiririka Shrine, on the slopes of the lush Aberderes Mounts, near Mount Kenya, continues with no breakthrough in sight while a manhunt is underway in Kajiado for the suspected murderer of a 14-year-old girl, who is thought to have crossed the border into neighbouring Tanzania The Duke of Sussex has settled his legal claim against the publisher of The Sun, with his barrister describing the agreement as a monumental victory. Harry was one of two remaining claimants, alongside the former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, who were due to take their claims over alleged unlawful information gathering against News Group Newspapers (NGN), which also ran the now-defunct News Of The World, to trial. But the High Court was told on Wednesday that the pair had reached an agreement with the publisher before the trial started. The settlement saw NGN, which denied any unlawful activity took place at The Sun, offer a full and unequivocal apology to both men and agree to pay them substantial damages. Many others had previously settled their claims against NGN, including: actor Hugh Grant, actress Sienna Miller, ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne, comic Catherine Tate and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm. Harry began legal action against NGN in 2019, with the trial twice adjourned before Wednesdays hearing. Here is a timeline of the dukes claim against NGN: 2020 March 4 The High Court is told that The Sun unlawfully obtained phone records of Harrys then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, in 2005, from a South Africa-based private investigator named Mike Behr. The court heard that these were sent to The Suns then-royal correspondent, Duncan Larcombe, in May that year. NGN did not respond to the allegation in court. May 20 A judge was asked to extend the period for which claims of alleged unlawful information gathering could be brought against NGN, from 1998-2010 to 1994-2011. Mr Sherborne said at the time that disclosure of further evidence showed that NGN was engaged in unlawful information gathering both before 1998 and after 2010. The Duke of Sussexs barrister, David Sherborne (Lucy North/PA) June 4 Mr Justice Mann rules that victims of phone hacking can sue NGN for alleged unlawful information gathering between 1996 and 2011. 2021 March 5 The High Court heard allegations, which NGN denied, that senior staff at the publisher paid hush money to private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed for phone hacking, in order to conceal criminal activity at the newspaper. It was alleged that Tom Crone, legal manager of NGN in 2007, arranged for Mulcaire to be kept on the payroll to keep him non-hostile ahead of his sentencing for intercepting the voicemails of aides to the royal family. Les Hinton, then NGNs chief executive, was said to have been intimately involved with the plan to prevent Mr Mulcaire from revealing the truth that unlawful information gathering was widespread at the publishers newspapers, the court heard. NGN said the allegations were not accepted. March 22 Mr Justice Mann rules that Harry and other claimants cannot have access to sticky notes thought to have been written by a lawyer working for NGN to support his claim. 2023 April 25-27 At a three-day hearing, the High Court heard that a secret agreement was reached between the institution of the royal family and NGN stopping them from bringing legal claims, which Harry claimed he was informed of in 2012 and prevented him from bringing legal action sooner. At the same hearing, NGN applied for the case to be thrown out, arguing it was brought too late. The publisher also said that the duke did not say in his evidence who made the agreement, who it applied to, when it was made, or a date when it was meant to expire. In court documents, Harry also claimed that the tabloid press always became involved in his relationships, and tried to ruin them. In a witness statement, he said: Whenever I have been in a relationship, I have always tried to be the best partner that I possibly could, but every woman has her limit. Unfortunately, they are not just in a relationship with me but with the entire tabloid press as a third party. At no point did I have a girlfriend or a relationship with anyone without the tabloids getting involved and ultimately ruining it, or trying to ruin it, using whatever unlawful means at their disposal. He also said that in late 2017, he wanted to push for a resolution over alleged phone hacking and get an apology from News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch before his wedding to the Duchess of Sussex. He said that the late Queen backed his bid, but his efforts were blocked by King Charles, then Prince of Wales. Harry accused Clarence House of seemingly blocking our every move as part of a strategy to keep the media onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother, and father, to be accepted by the British public as Queen Consort and King respectively. July 5 Harry asked the High Court to be allowed to rely on the alleged secret agreement at trial. NGN again denied that such an agreement existed. July 27 Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that Harry could not bring his claim relating to phone hacking. He also ruled that the dukes claim over other allegations, including the use of private investigators, should go ahead to a trial, but that Harry could not rely on the alleged secret agreement as part of his claim. 2024 March 20-21 Harrys barristers asked the High Court to update parts of his case, including adding allegations that media mogul Rupert Murdoch turned a blind eye to allegations of phone hacking at the News Of The World. In court documents, Mr Sherborne claimed that it should be inferred from his dominant position in the company that Mr Murdoch would have known about phones being hacked as early as 2004 and was aware of the nature and extent of NGNs wrongdoing when allegations were first published by The Guardian in 2009. NGN resisted the application, with its lawyers saying the proposed changes were wholly unnecessary and positively undesirable, adding there should be a serious audit of the claims. At the two-day hearing, Harry also asked the court to extend the timescale of his claim, with his barristers stating that several Sun and News Of The World articles dating from 1994 to 2016 showed evidence of unlawful activity. It was claimed that some of these came from NGN unlawfully intercepting phone calls of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Charles when he was the Prince of Wales and his now-wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. This had the inevitable and/or intended consequence of revealing private information about Harry, the court was told. Anthony Hudson KC, for NGN, said described the new information as designed to grab headlines and that the dukes updated case was wholly different in nature to the claims currently made. April 19 NGN lost a bid to push back the full trial scheduled for January, claiming that a narrower-in-scope preliminary trial should have been held to decide whether the cases against it have been brought too late and outside a legal time limit. Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that there was a plainly considerable risk of a preliminary trial increasing costs overall and delaying a full trial by up to two years. May 21 Mr Justice Fancourt ruled that claims made against Rupert Murdoch as part of Harrys legal action could not be tested at trial. The judge said that the new claims against trophy targets such as Mr Murdoch added nothing material to the case, but ruled some other amendments could be made, including some concerning other senior NGN executives. June 27 Harry is accused by NGN of creating an obstacle course in its efforts to find relevant material for the legal action. The High Court was told by the publishers lawyers that they were extremely concerned about the deletion of exchanges via the Signal messaging service between Harry and John Moehringer, the ghostwriter of the royals memoir, Spare. The dukes legal team told a judge that NGN had wrongly characterised his approach to disclosing material, accusing the publisher of embarking on a classic fishing expedition for potential information that was entirely unnecessary and disproportionate. Mr Justice Fancourt ordered Harry to explain how the messages were destroyed, with the judge stating this was not transparently clear. November 15 The High Court was told that Harry was one of two claimants whose claims are still live along with Lord Watson, with 39 cases settling since the earlier hearing in July. 2025 January 21 The trial of the legal action failed to begin as expected after barristers for both sides asked for time for discussions, stating they were very close in negotiations. January 22 Harry and Lord Watson settled their cases against NGN. In its apology, the publisher said: NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. NGN further apologises to the duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGNs response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable. In a statement outside the court in London, Mr Sherborne described the agreements as a vindication. David Sherborne, right, speaking to the media outside the Rolls Building in London following the settlement (Lucy North/PA) He said: In a monumental victory today, News UK has admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdochs UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them. After endless resistance, denials and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs, as well as paying off those in the know to prevent the full picture from coming out, News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law. Tragically, there are dog siblings that go into the shelter system together. That's entire litters of pups all looking for a home. Cattle Dog puppy Sawyer is the last of his siblings left at the Elmbrook Humane Society in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Which is why they're sharing his story, so he'll finally get a home of his very own! This is one seriously cute pupper. He looks like a little toy! Even with the cone around his head, we can tell that Sawyer is a good boy. If only someone would see him and bring the boy home. The poor Australian Cattle Dog pup is all by his lonesome. It's clear that he knows he's alone too. Sawyer seems distraught to be without his littermates. They've all gone to permanent homes. Related: Cattle Dog Owner Installs Kitty Door To Keep Dog Out of Basement and It Backfires Miserably "We're hoping he won't have to wait much longer," the rescue wrote in the video's text overlay. We understand the sentiment. The Cattle Dog is too young to stay in the shelter. He'd be much happier in a loving home. "Just waiting for the last baby to go home!" they wrote in the caption. Commenters were begging for the right person to see Sawyer's video. "He is so waiting for his hero! Adopt, save a life please! A loving family and a forever home for this sweet angel!" wrote one person. "Someone please give this sweet baby the gift of a loving forever home," added a second commenter. "What a cutie pie, too bad an ocean separates us. I hope he gets adopted soon!!! Much love!!!!" one person chimed in. "Oh sweet baby I am so sorry. I hope you find your forever home very soon," someone else agreed. Adopting From Elmbrook Humane Sawyer can come home with you today if you want him to! All you need is to visit the Elmbrook Humane Society or their website to put in an application. Then follow their rules and guidelines to adopt. Sawyer needs a loving, patient home. As the Elmbrook Humane website notes, "Sawyer is a shy but endearing puppy, still adjusting to life outside of the puppy mill where he came from. While he may be timid at first, his quiet, sweet personality hints at the loving companion hes meant to be." Remember, Sawyer is still very young. How you socialize the dog can greatly impact the kind of temperament they'll grow to have. So if you have a lot of love in your heart and some patience, go adopt Sawyer! He's ready for a new home. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. The chairman of the UKs competition watchdog stepped down earlier this week because he had a different strategic approach from the Government, the Chancellor has said. Rachel Reeves told an audience in Davos, Switzerland, that Marcus Bokkerink believed he needed to make way for somebody who does share the mission of the Labour Government. He left his position at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this week and will be replaced by former country manager of Amazon UK Doug Gurr. Nevertheless, ministers stressed on Wednesday that the organisations independence will stay intact. The Government has demanded that regulators, including the CMA, prioritise supporting growth as well as regulatory responsibilities. Ms Reeves and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds called bosses of UK regulators to Downing Street last week to spell out their strategies in order to drive growth. The Financial Times reported that they raised concerns over the CMAs approach to sectors they believe are key for driving growth. Speaking in Davos hours after Mr Bokkerinks departure, Ms Reeves said: Now, of course, the regulators are independent, and the chair of the CMA decided to step down, but he recognised that this Government have got a different strategic approach when it comes to regulation. He recognised it was time for him to move on and make way for somebody who does share the mission and the strategic direction that this Government are taking. In recent days, the Chancellor has received letters outlining plans from regulatory bodies. She added: Ive got to say, the responses weve had, a lot of them have been incredibly positive about things that they can do. CMA chairman Marcus Bokkerink had a different strategic approach from the Government (BEIS/PA) In Parliament later in the day, business minister Justin Madders said: The CMAs operational independence is going to remain intact. Weve obviously very clearly set out there will be a new strategic steer, which will be about boosting growth, and weve decided, after conversations, that actually new leadership is needed to actually deliver on that. The change in leadership at the CMA follows criticism of the watchdog, including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, after businesses complained it intervenes too much in deals. At an investment summit in October, Sir Keir said the Government will make sure that every regulator in this country, especially our economic and competition regulators, takes growth as seriously as this room does. The CMA was also publicly criticised by Microsoft after it initially blocked the tech firms planned takeover of gaming giant Activision Blizzard. Microsoft president Brad Smith said in 2023 that the UK was bad for business, although the deal was eventually given the green light. Last week, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was among regulators to tell Government it will take greater risks to support its drive for more economic growth. However, it also warned that this strategy could lead to more failures and potentially affect consumers and firms. Bosses at the FCA are set to face questions from members of the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee later on Wednesday. Wolves are not expected to sell star player Matheus Cunha during the January transfer window, despite reported interest from a host of Premier League clubs. The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for Wolves in a miserable season, scoring 10 goals and assisting four more in 21 Premier League appearances. That has seen him attract interest from a number of Premier League clubs during the current transfer window, with Nottingham Forest and Arsenal said to be considering bids. But Wolves have received no offers or official contact for Cunha and the PA news agency understands he is not for sale, with the club determined he will still be at Molineux after the window shuts on February 3. The midlands club, who face Arsenal at home on Saturday, are relaxed about the situation as he has two and a half years left on his current contract. Wolves have recently opened discussions with the Brazilian over a new deal, though that was as recognition for his form this season and not due to his immediate future. Cunha joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid in 2023, initially on loan, and has been a key player since then. He has had to watch other important players such as Pedro Neto, Matheus Nunes and Ruben Neves be sold in recent years. As a result, Wolves fortunes have faltered on the pitch and they find themselves in 17th in the Premier League table, above the relegation zone on goal difference. Cops busted an illegal cock-fighting operation in Southern California, arresting two men, detaining nearly three dozen spectators and seizing hundreds of roosters, weapons and cash, authorities said. Talk about fowl play. Cops busted an illegal cock-fighting operation in Southern California, arresting two men, detaining nearly three dozen spectators and seizing hundreds of roosters, weapons and cash, authorities said. Jose Adame, 33, and Carlos Romero, 35, were arrested Sunday morning after cops responded to the 32000 block of Avenue E in Yucaipa to investigate reports of the blood sport occurring at the property, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. Police also detained 33 people at the property where about 50 vehicles were parked outside many of them fleeing as authorities arrived. Police recovered 250 roosters from the property. Getty Images Authorities seized 250 roosters, a fighting ring with a scoreboard, about 24 firearms from a large safe and steel talons typically placed on the birds claw during fights, cops said. Officials with animal control also recovered approximately 17 dead roosters, eight live ones and tagged 61 boxed roosters, said police, who also red-tagged several buildings on the property including a trailer. Adame, who was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, cruelty to animals and failure to yield, was nabbed by police after he allegedly attempted to escape from the property and plow into a patrol unit, narrowly missing a deputy who then initiated a pursuit, police said. Police responded to the home after receiving reports of an illegal cock-fighting ring. Facebook / Yucaipa Police Department Three live roosters were found inside the rear cargo area of his car, which was later impounded. Three passengers were also taken into custody, police said. A police aerial unit located Romero hiding inside his truck with seven live roosters kept in boxes, a large sum of money and a semi-automatic handgun hidden in the vehicle. He is charged with animal cruelty and gun possession, police said. Both men were booked at Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. Rescue vehicles are seen near a crime scene in Aschaffenburg, Germany, Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, where two people were killed in a knife attack. (Ralf Hettler/dpa via AP) BERLIN (AP) Two people, including a 2-year-old boy, were killed and three others injured in a stabbing attack in Bavaria on Wednesday. The suspect, a former asylum-seeker who was supposed to be leaving Germany, was arrested. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that authorities must clear up why the suspect was still in the country. He said the attack, a month before a national election in which curbing irregular migration is a major issue, must have consequences. The attack occurred just before noon in a park in Aschaffenburg, a city of about 72,000 people. Bavaria's top security official, Joachim Herrmann, said the assailant attacked the boy, who was part of a group of kindergarten children, with a kitchen knife. He said the 2-year-old of Moroccan origin was killed, along with a 41-year-old German man who was passing by and appeared to have intervened to protect the other children. Bavarian officials said two adults and a 2-year-old Syrian girl were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment, and none of their lives were in danger. Other passers-by chased the suspect and he was arrested 12 minutes after the attack, Herrmann said. He said the suspect, a 28-year-old Afghan national, had come to authorities' attention at least three times because of acts of violence. On each occasion, he was sent for psychiatric treatment and later released. The suspect is believed to have arrived in Germany in November 2022 and applied for asylum in early 2023, Herrmann said. On Dec. 4, he told authorities that he would leave the country voluntarily and would seek papers from the Afghan consulate. A week later, German authorities formally closed asylum proceedings and told him to leave. Police will work over the coming days to identify his motive, Herrmann said, adding that suspicions so far point to his psychiatric illness. A first search of his room at a refugee home found no evidence that he had radical Islamic views, and only turned up medicine that would fit with his psychiatric treatment, he said. The attack is politically sensitive a month before Germany's national election. Scholz issued a strongly-worded statement condemning what he called an incomprehensible act of terror. I am tired of such acts of violence happening here every few weeks by perpetrators who came to us to find protection here, he said. Mistaken tolerance is inappropriate here. Authorities must clear up at high pressure why the attacker was still in Germany at all. That must lead to immediate consequences it is not enough to talk," Scholz added. He didn't elaborate. Following a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant in Mannheim in May that left a police officer dead and four more people injured, Scholz vowed that Germany would start deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria again. He vowed to step up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers following a knife attack in Solingen in August in which a suspected Islamic extremist from Syria is accused of killing three people. At the end of August, Germany deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. ___ Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. Police have arrested a suspect in the unsolved murder of a Honolulu teenager, whose death rocked the high school where her body was discovered almost five decades ago. They said the man arrested, Gideon Castro, was one of her former schoolmates who joined the U.S. Army Reserve after graduating. Dawn Momohara was found dead the morning of March 21, 1977, on the second floor of a building at McKinley High School, in Hawaii's capital, according to the Honolulu Police Department. She was 16 and a student there in her sophomore year. Officers at the time showed up to a gruesome scene. Momohara was partially clothed and lying on her back with an orange cloth tied around her neck, said Lt. Deena Thoemmes, of Honolulu Police, at a Tuesday news conference. A subsequent autopsy ruled Momohara was strangled to death, and the medical examiner said there were signs of sexual assault. Although police retrieved an unknown man's DNA sample from the teenager's clothing, they could not identify a suspect. Authorities would not develop meaningful leads in the homicide until 2020, after a cold case detective re-submitted evidence for forensic exams using updated technology. Dawn Momohara. / Credit: Honolulu Police Department By September 2023, the DNA tests led investigators to two possible suspects: brothers Gideon Castro and William Castro, who had both been interviewed in the immediate aftermath of Momohara's killing. Back then, Gideon Castro told police he met Momohara at a school dance in 1976, just before he graduated, police said. William Castro in those interviews said he and Momohara periodically talked on the phone but denied ever being in any kind of relationship with her. Once forensic tests narrowed down the pool of potential suspects to the Castro brothers, Thoemmes said police traveled to Chicago, where William Castro lived, to obtain a DNA sample secretly from one of his children and use it as a comparison. The comparison excluded William Castro as a suspect, and Gideon Castro, now 66, was arrested at his nursing home in Utah on a second-degree murder charge. Gideon Castro will be extradited back to Honolulu, Thoemmes said. "On behalf of the Honolulu Police Department, I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today's arrest possible," the lieutenant said. "Thank you for all your dedication and commitment to the tireless purusit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family." Trump signs executive orders after inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day Designer Eric Javits discusses Melania Trump's inauguration hat GoFundMe Michael Meagher An arrest was made after a 9-year-old Illinois boy was shot and killed in Wisconsin. Officers were called to a home in Lake Geneva, Wis., on a report of a shooting at around 2:25 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, according to a news release from the Town of Geneva Police Department. Police said a boy had been shot and was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Brookfield LaGrange Park District 95 in Illinois identified the boy as second-grade student Michael Meager. We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of second-grade student Michael Meagher, the statement reads. Michael brought amazing energy to life at Brook Park Elementary, where he was known for his incredible kindness and was beloved by all. The entire school community mourns his loss." In the coming weeks and months, we will celebrate Michaels life. Our focus now is on supporting the Meagher Family and our school community in every possible way during this difficult time, the statement concluded. Loved ones remembered Michael as a bright and funny 9-year-old boy on a GoFundMe campaign created to help his family offset funeral costs. Police have arrested Steven D. Merkel Jr., 52, in connection with the shooting, per the release. Merkel has been identified as the boys stepfather, WISN-TV reports. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. He is charged with first-degree reckless homicide and is being held in the Walworth County Jail, police said. Its unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. Further details about the shooting have not been shared by police. Read the original article on People Its no secret Americans love using hot sauce to spice up their meals, but which fiery flavoring reigns supreme? In honor of National Hot Sauce Day on Jan. 22, the folks at Instacart analyzed purchase data from the online grocery platform to reveal Americans hot sauce and chili sauce preferences. Looking at the U.S. as a whole, the top brands sold in the country between January and September of 2024 were Franks RedHot, Huy Fong Foods (makers of the iconic Sriracha), Cholula and Burmans. The Instacart report also dives into the state-by-state data, offering a breakdown of the most-ordered sauce brands in each of the 50 states. The company also revealed which states buy the highest and lowest volume of hot sauce per customer. Instacart Instacart Instacart National Hot Sauce Day gives us the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at this beloved condiment, and we found that hot sauce like many fridge and pantry staples is very closely tied to regional and cultural preferences, Alex Orellana, Instacarts trends analyst, told HuffPost. So, as we zoomed in to look at the various types of hot sauces preferred by people in different states, it gave us a lens into what makes each state unique. Interestingly, Texas Pete was not the most popular choice in its namesake state, though it was the top pick in Virginia and the Carolinas. Instead, Louisiana Brand won out in the Lone Star State, as well as Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and of course, Louisiana. Franks RedHot dominated in the majority of states 29 to be exact including Georgia, New York, Illinois and Washington. We found the distinct regional preferences fascinating, like Tapatios popularity in California or Hawaiis affinity for Tabasco, which are not seen in other states, Orellana said. This demonstrates that hot sauce preferences go beyond basic flavor profiles and are intertwined with local culture and foods. Its intriguing to see how personal and regional identities influence the spices people choose to enhance their dishes. Instacart As for total hot sauce consumption per capita, the highest volume of purchases per customer was in New Mexico (with 31.9 ounces per customer), followed by Alaska (29.2 ounces per customer) and Colorado (27.2 ounces per customer). Apparently the people of Alabama, Arkansas and Florida are less inclined to add the condiment to their food, but that doesnt mean things cant change! We hope the report offers a glimpse into the diverse hot sauce culture across the U.S., and people can see their spicy preferences reflected in the data and perhaps theyll be inspired to try a favorite from another region for a true taste test! Orellana said. For more information about the methodology and additional hot sauce insights, check out the full report on Instacarts website. Related... A Belfast man whose body was found in Spain had been stabbed and shot, his family said they have been told. John George, 37, a father-of-two from west Belfast, also known as John Hardy, had been on holiday in Alicante when he was reported missing in December. Several members of his family travelled to Spain to help in the search and a body was found earlier this month. A man has appeared in court in Spain on suspicion of his murder. A law firm representing the family of John George, right, said a second pathologist had been instructed to conduct a further post-mortem examination (Family Handout/PA) Solicitor firm KRW Law, representing the George family, said in a statement that relatives had received a post-mortem examination report from the Spanish authorities. They said it indicated that Mr George had been stabbed before being shot, and added that they had instructed another pathologist to conduct a second post-mortem examination. We can confirm the family have received an autopsy report from the Spanish authorities, KRW Law said. The findings point to John having been stabbed before being shot. As a precautionary measure and in order to make sure we have absolute clarity on the cause of death, we have instructed another pathologist to conduct a second autopsy on Johns remains. John Georges father Billy and other family members travelled to Spain to help search for the 37-year-old (Brian Lawless/PA) In the past few days, we have been liaising with the family together with the coroners office, the appointed pathologist and nominated funeral director on the logistics engaged in this very sensitive matter. It is hoped that the second autopsy will be completed at some stage early next week. KRW Law also said that in the interim, the family were encouraged by the latest development confirming the issuing of arrest warrants for a suspect in relation to Johns murder. They are hopeful that all engaged authorities will pursue implementation of the warrants in order to take the case to the next very important stage of the investigation, the firm added. A Utah man is accused of fatally shooting a teenage girl he thought she and her companion were "stalking" him. Michael Edward Hess-Witacki, 23, was inside a black truck along with his three companions---Ethan Andrew Galloway, 23; Aldric S. Felipe, 21; and Matthew D. Sorber-Petri, 22---when the shooting incident happened. Hess-Witacki fired 12 rounds into a red truck occupied by a 17-year-old girl and her 18-year-old friend, causing the truck to lose control and crash through a fence. The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, according to KSL TV. Why Did He Shoot the Teenagers? The 17-year-old and her friend were allegedly driving in an area northwest of Cedar City and were being followed by a black pickup truck occupied by Hess-Witacki and his companions. At around 10:42 p.m., the truck stopped next to the teens' vehicle, and someone inside began opening fire. The black truck then sped away. The 18-year-old passenger sustained a shrapnel injury to her leg but was able to call police. First responders attempted to administer lifesaving care to the 17-year-old driver but were unable to save her. In an interview with authorities, the passenger said they first encountered the black truck at a townhouse complex at 1645 N. 3200 West. A court filing noted that the girls were at the complex for unrelated reasons, per The Sacramento Bee. Police officers searched the townhouse complex and found the black truck. They later identified Hess-Witacki as the registered owner. Apologizing to the Girl's Parents Authorities promptly arrested Hess-Witacki and Galloway. They are now facing charges of second-degree murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. Their two companions, Felipe and Sorber-Petri, were charged with obstruction of justice and being a restricted person in the transaction of a firearm. Hess-Witacki wrote an apology letter addressed to the parents of the 17-year-old girl, where he said he shot at the teenagers because he thought they were stalking them. "Their justification for chasing the victim's vehicle was they believed they had previously observed the victim's vehicle in their neighborhood and presumed the occupants of the victim's vehicle were (stalking) them," the affidavit stated, as reported by The Independent. Residents cross a river to Venezuela from Colombia's Tibu, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, following guerrilla attacks that killed dozens and forced thousands to flee their homes in the Catatumbo region. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) TRES BOCAS, Colombia (AP) The Colombian border village of Tres Bocas has become a ghost town as residents flee to neighboring Venezuela to escape a new wave of violence in Colombias Catatumbo region that has left at least 80 people dead and displaced thousands. According to the United Nations, more than 18,000 people have fled the northeastern region as fighting between the National Liberation Army or ELN, and a rival group known as the FARC-EMC intensifies. Of those who had fled, about 1,000 have sought shelter in Venezuela. Many of them are afraid of the firefights that have broken out in rural areas, said Jaime Botero, president of a community association in the town of Tibu, which is about 10 km (6 miles) to the west of Tres Bocas. Located on Colombias border with Venezuela, the Catatumbo region has around 300,000 residents and produces 15% of Colombias coca crop. The FARC-EMC and the ELN have long battled for control of the region and its lucrative drug trafficking routes, but had recently held a truce. But violence escalated last week when members of the ELN attacked civilians, accusing them of collaborating with the FARC-EMC, with ELN rebels reportedly dragging people out of their homes and shooting them at close range. Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks with the ELN on Friday, accusing the rebels of committing war crimes. On Monday night, Petro said he would issue an emergency decree that would enable him to pass legislation related to the conflict without congressional approval. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of civilians, including former combatants who signed the 2016 peace agreement, in the violence, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. And he is concerned by the reported displacement of thousands of civilians. The secretary-general calls for an immediate cessation of acts of violence against the civilian population and for unhindered humanitarian access, Haq said late Tuesday. The United Nations urged the ELN and other armed groups in the Catatumbo region to respect civilians' rights. The U.N. said that two human rights defenders were killed last week. ___ Rueda reported from Bogota, Colombia. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Drug traffickers whose entire organized crime ring was brought down by a photo of a French Bulldog were ordered to fork over more than $1.4 million, the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency said. Stefan Baldauf, 64, and Philip Lawson 63, were drug traffickers nabbed in 2020 as part of Operation Venetic along with other members of their group for smuggling drugs from the United Kingdom to Australia. The traffickers sent 448kg of amphetamine worth about $46 million in an arm of an excavator down under. The traffickers even rigged an auction to make sure the amphetamine went into the right hands. The drugs, which investigators said was MDMA, was first stored in the heavy equipment in an industrial unit in Grays, Essex, before being shipped to Australia. It took almost three months to arrive in Brisbane, the National Crime Agency said. The ruse, however, fell apart when fellow trafficker Danny Brown sent a photo of his French Bulldog, Bob, to Baldauf. A photo of Bob, the french bulldog, helped bring down an organized crime group. / Credit: National Crime Agency Investigators were able to use the photo which had his partner's phone number on its tag and other methods to find and crack down on the organized criminal group. "These criminals did not care about the misery and exploitation that the supply of illegal drugs bring to UK and Australian communities," said Chris Hill, who led the NCA investigation. Baldauf, Brown, Lawson and four other men in the UK were sentenced for a combination of 163 years, the National Crime Agency said. The other members will face a confiscation hearing later this year. Trump signs executive orders after inauguration Former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama arrive for Trump inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Five elderly African elephants at a Colorado zoo will stay there, after the state's highest court said the animals have no legal right to demand their release because they are not human. Tuesday's 6-0 decision by Colorado's Supreme Court means Jambo, Kimba, LouLou, Lucky and Missy will remain at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. It followed a similar decision in 2022 by New York state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, that another aged elephant, Happy, had to remain at New York City's Bronx Zoo. An animal rights non-profit, Nonhuman Rights Project, brought both cases on the elephants' behalf under a legal doctrine known as "habeas corpus," saying the animals should live in sanctuaries. Citing affidavits from seven animal biologists, the group told the Colorado court that elephants are highly social and mobile, share many cognitive abilities with humans including empathy and self-awareness, and when confined in zoos can experience boredom and stress that could lead to brain damage. But the court said Colorado's habeas statute applies to persons, not to nonhuman animals "no matter how cognitively, psychologically, or socially sophisticated" they might be. It also said Nonhuman Rights Project's concession during oral argument that it was seeking only different confinement, not complete freedom, for the elephants was another reason to treat them and humans differently. The case "does not turn on our regard for these majestic animals generally or these five elephants specifically," Justice Maria Berkenkotter wrote. "Because an elephant is not a person, the elephants here do not have standing to bring a habeas corpus claim." In a statement, Nonhuman Rights Project said the decision "perpetuates a clear injustice" that consigns the five elephants to "a lifetime of mental and physical suffering." It has not determined its next legal steps. The zoo welcomed the outcome in a separate statement, but expressed disappointment at having spent 19 months defending against a "frivolous" case that the animal rights group has pursued unsuccessfully against several other reputable zoos. "We've wasted valuable time and money responding to them in courts and in the court of public opinion," the zoo said. In Tuesday's decision, Berkenkotter also emphasized that legislators, not judges, were best positioned to expand legal rights of nonhuman animals. She said counting those animals as persons would be a "monumental change" that one would expect legislators to make explicit if they really meant it. The case is Nonhuman Rights Project Inc v Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society et al, Colorado Supreme Court, No. 24SA21. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sandra Maler) Wild elephant portrait Anna_Om/iStock via Getty Images Outrage erupted among animal welfare activists after Colorado courts ruled that five captive elephants could not petition for release. An animal rights group presented the case in Colorado. Still, the states supreme court could not allow an elephant to file a habeas corpus claim because elephants are not considered human. Some researchers contend that captivity at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, among other zoos, has harmful emotional and neurological impacts on elephants. Elephants need larger spaces to thrive and socialize. The group requested the court transfer the five Colorado elephants to one of the states two animal sanctuaries, where they would have more room to roam. A similar situation arose in New York when Happy the Elephant sought release from the Bronx Zoo but was denied. Why not release them into the wild? The elephants have grown up in captivity, meaning they are not accustomed to large herds and other aspects of their natural habitats. Consequently, experts concluded that animal sanctuaries are the best environment for these remarkable animals. Unfortunately, it seems Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo will continue to reside at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, unable to seek release due to their non-human status. The post Elephants Not Allowed to Petition for Release in the U.S. Due to Non-Human Status appeared first on A-Z Animals. During a Movistar+ presentation at the historic Telefonica Building on Madrids Gran Via this afternoon, renowned writer-director-producer duo Los Javis Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo shared early details about their next project, La bola negra, a multi-timelined feature about what it is and has meant to be a gay man in Spain throughout the last century. A day after their series La Mesias won the Rose dOr Award for best mini or limited series at Content Americas, Ambrossi and Calvo known locally as Los Javis revealed that theyre in the final stages of putting the project together and will begin shooting later this year. Abrossi and Calvo are writing, directing, and co-producing the feature through their label Suma Content, which is teaming with Movistar+, its production and distribution partner, on La Mesias. More from Variety La bola negra is a queer revisitation of a part of the history of our country, explained Ambrossi from the stage. The film shares its name with one of legendary gay Spanish poet, playwright and theater director Federico Garcia Lorcas unfinished works. Four pages of the document were written by the author, who speaks of a person they reject because of their sexual orientation, Ambrossi explained. He couldnt finish it because he was killed. It was the first time Federico had written to an explicitly homosexual protagonist. We start from that work to create a reflection on what it means to be gay over time, in three different times. We are living the journey of writing between an introspective search and historical research from the utmost respect. Elaborating with a more specific synopsis, Calvo added, La bola negra narrates the interconnected lives of three men in three different eras. Three existences, mainly linked by sexuality and desire, pain and inheritance. And one final, unfinished work of Federico Garcia Lorca. Much like Lorcas piece was the first time that he even put a gay man in the leading role, La bola negra will be the first time that Los Javis headline a gay man in one of their works. Weve always examined [what it is to be queer] by telling stories about women or trans people, Ambrossi recalled, explaining that this time, the story will be told from a perspective the creative and life partners know well. The rest of the afternoons presentation featured a star-studded lineup of creative talent who updated attendees on their previously announced features. Present were Antonio de la Torre and Barbara Lennie with their upcoming film Los Tigres, Oliver Laxe and Santiago Fillol with Sirat, Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabel Pena with El ser querido, Alauda Ruiz de Azua with Los Domingos and Berto Romero and Javier Ruiz Caldera with Cinco minutos mas. We have the privilege of being able to work with the best talent, with creators who endow our original films with artistic ambition and personality, and always accompanied by excellent producers who make those films a reality, said Movistar+ Director of Original Fiction Domingo Corral of the companys impressive lineup. We continue to bet on theatrical premieres, and we do it with the best distributors. We also have international partners who help us get our films to travel beyond our borders. We are all very excited about making great films that enrich the audiovisual culture of our country. Los Tigres From longtime collaborators Alberto Rodriguez and Rafael Cobos (Marshland, The Plague), this thriller follows siblings Antonio and Estrella, who work in industrial diving. Their lives take a dramatic turn when they discover a stash of cocaine hidden in a ships hull. The film stars Antonio de la Torre and Barbara Lennie and is produced by Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with Kowalski Films, Feelgood Media, Mazagon Films AIE, and Le Pacte (France). Sirat Oliver Laxe (Fire Will Come) and Santiago Fillol (Matadero) are behind this intense thriller that tells the story of a man and his son searching for their missing daughter/sister at a rave in the Moroccan mountains. The film stars Sergi Lopez and Bruno Nunez, along with numerous non-professional actors. It is produced by Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with Pedro and Agustin Almodovar El Deseo, Filmes Da Ermida, Uri Films, and 4A4 Productions. El ser querido About the relationship between a successful film director and his struggling actress daughter as they work on a movie together, El ser querido comes from the prolific creative partnership of Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabel Pena (The Beasts, Riot Police). The film stars Javier Bardem and Victoria Luengo, with a supporting cast including Raul Arevalo and Marina Fois. It is produced by Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with Caballo Films and El Ser Querido AIE, with co-production by Le Pacte (France). The film will be distributed by A Contracorriente Films. Los Domingos Directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azua (Lullaby), this film follows Ainara, a young woman deciding her future career path, much to her familys concern. The film stars Patricia Lopez Arnaiz, Miguel Garces, and Juan Minujin. It is produced by Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with Buenapinta Media, Encanta Films, Sayaka Producciones, Think Studio, Colose Producciones, and Los Desencuentros Pelicula AIE. The film will be distributed in Spain by Bteam Pictures4. Cinco minutos mas Written and starring Berto Romero and directed by his The Other Side collaborator Javier Ruiz Caldera, this fantasy film revolves around a couple in crisis who experience a time loop during a rural getaway. The film is produced by Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with El Terrat (The Mediapro Studio) and Ikiru Films. It will be distributed in Spain by Filmax. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Donald Trump grabbed on to the idea of hitting Canada with tariffs almost immediately after November's election, and he hasn't let go since. The continued centrality of that country to the presidents tariff talk has been on full display during his first days in office as the intensity and consistency of his comments surpass the rhetoric applied to more traditional Trump foes like Mexico and China. "Canada is a very bad abuser," he said of the world's largest importer of American goods on his first day in office. "Canada very much so," he added of their supposed abuses on day two. Trump's overall plan is to impose 25% blanket duties on both Canada and Mexico, perhaps as soon as Feb. 1. On Tuesday night he said some of his China tariffs could also come that day and re-upped tariff threats against the European Union. On Wednesday he used his social media platform Truth Social to threaten tariffs on Russia if Vladimir Putin does not end the Ukraine war. But it's Canada one of America's deepest allies and historic trading partners that may be the worst positioned of Trump's various targets. "We've expressed fairly high confidence that Mexico will continue to avoid President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs," Signum Global said in a recent note. "We do not share that same optimism as regards Canada's fate in coming weeks and months." Read more: How do tariffs work, and who really pays them? President Donald Trump talks with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) (NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images) Why is Canada such a prime focus? Henrietta Treyz, director of economic policy research for Veda Partners, offered an answer in a recent episode of Yahoo Finance's Capitol Gains. It's "really about the USMCA renewal that's due in about 18 months" referring to the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that is up for review in 2026. The pact was signed during Trumps first term in office as a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She notes that talks to come there will be centered around goods central to the US/Canada trading relationship lumber and dairy in particular. Indeed, one of Trump's few early trade actions was an executive order issued Monday night that, in part, ordered his government to "commence the public consultation process ... with respect to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement." The move could even lead to an earlier USMCA review than the current plans for reopening the agreement in July 2026. But Trump has flatly denied this is the reason for his tariff threats, saying of USMCA Tuesday, "That has nothing to do with that." Trump's threat against Canada, including calling for it to become the 51st state, has led to the creation of a line of "Canada is Not For Sale" hats. (DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images) (DAVE CHAN via Getty Images) A focus from Trump on drugs and immigration Trump's oft-stated reason for his ire toward Canada is instead focused on drugs like fentanyl and illegal immigration. But available data shows Canada having a very limited role in both issues. Contacts at America's northern border did increase in the 2024 fiscal year but remain a fraction of those from Mexico. Data from the US Border patrol reported about 23,700 apprehensions at the northern border during that time frame. The commensurate total on America's southwestern border is over 1.5 million. On drugs, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has often downplayed Canada's role. "Fentanyl manufactured by the Mexican cartels is the main driver behind the ongoing epidemic of drug poisoning deaths in the United States," read the agency's 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment. Canada didn't earn a single mention in the report's 57 pages, while Mexico and China received more than three dozen each. Another 2020 look from the agency at fentanyl flow to the US listed Mexico, China, and India as nations to watch. The flow to Canada was mentioned as primarily for users there, with smuggling to the US happening "on a smaller scale." A Canadian Donald Trump was spotted at the festivities around Trump's second inauguration this week. (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) (DOMINIC GWINN via Getty Images) Experts have noted that both issues are real ones on the northern border, but their scope appears to be wholly out of whack with Trump's rhetoric. "The fentanyl coming through Canada is massive," Trump said this week without offering evidence. A request to the White House Wednesday as to what he is relying on to make the assertion went unanswered. 'The politics don't look good' A clear element in Trump's Canada obsession is also political, with the president clashing with Justin Trudeau, the outgoing prime minister. Trump had a rocky back-and-forth with Trudeau that appears to currently be at low ebb as Trudeau is set to leave office soon. Signum, in its recent note, said Trump's distaste for Canada now outweighs his long-held antipathy for Mexico. "Part of that distaste is driven specifically by a repulsion vis-a-vis Canada's Liberal party and its representatives," according to this week's note, which suggested that an element of Trump's effort here could be to influence a coming snap election set for the spring. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seen in West Palm Beach, Florida in November after traveling for a meeting with President-elect Trump. It was a meeting that failed to head off tensions. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) (CHANDAN KHANNA via Getty Images) But, however the politics shake out, the economic consequences could be sizable if the US/Canadian standoff continues to escalate. America imports an array of Canadian goods, from $97 billion worth of oil and gas to lumber and other products. But perhaps more notably, Canada currently stands as the world's largest importer of American goods and that could give it a wide array of areas for retribution. The government in Ottowa has already threatened retaliation if Trump acts and signaled that products like American orange juice, toilets, and some steel products could be in focus. In the end, both sides would clearly be hurt. A recent analysis from Oxford Economics projects that if Trump goes all in with his 25% blanket tariffs plans, a likely result would be a 3% slump in Canadian GDP enough to trigger a recession. Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Every Friday, Yahoo Finance's Rachelle Akuffo, Rick Newman, and Ben Werschkul bring you a unique look at how U.S. policy and government affects your bottom line on Capitol Gains. Watch or listen to Capitol Gains on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance China's President Xi Jinping arrives at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) at the Convention Centre in Lima, on Nov. 16, 2024. (LUIS ACOSTAAFP via Getty Images) China's relations are starting to improvewith Japan, India and other countries that former U.S. President Joe Biden courted, just as Donald Trump brings his more unilateralist approach back to the White House. The change of leadership in Washington on Monday could be an opportunity for China, which has long railed against Biden's strategy of building partnerships with like-minded countries aimed at countering its growing influence. Biden reinvigorated a grouping known as the Quad the United States, India, Japan and Australia. China's relations with all three of those U.S. partners are improving, as are its ties with Britain. The durability of Bidens legacy is now in question. During his first term, Trump didnt hesitate to challenge traditional U.S. partners. It is possible that Trump may drift away from U.S. allies, making them pay more attention to Chinas role and in fact it has provided a chance for Chinas diplomacy, said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. I think we should grasp the chance. But U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said that Trump has a record of rallying the world toward a more competitive stance with China. Trump agreed to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy that Japan introduced during his first term and backed excluding Chinese companies from telecom networks in the U.S. and many of its partners. And on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hours after he was sworn in met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan in Washington, a move that suggested engaging the Quad countries and countering Chinas influence will remain a priority for Trump. China's fence-mending has limits Beijing's rapprochement with the U.K. and Japan is in its early stages, and major differences remain that limit and could derail it. India turned the page with China on a bitter border dispute last October, but protested when Beijing created two new counties in an area claimed by both nations. Still, new leaders in Australia, the U.K. and Japan have shown a desire to warm relations with China, the world's largest manufacturer and a source of strategic minerals. The government in Beijing has reciprocated in part because it wants foreign investment to help revive its economy, which could be set back if Trump follows through on a threat to impose higher tariffs. Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Council President Antonio Costa in a phone conversation last week that both sides could bring more stability and certainty to the turbulent global situation. China and Britain restarted economic and financial talks after a six-year hiatus when the U.K. Treasury chief visited Beijing this month. From Chinas point of view, improving relations with American allies and increasing economic cooperation will offset the shock to China-U.S. economic relations, Wu said. Trump's statements agitate U.S. allies In Washington, theres a strong bipartisan consensus that the U.S. must prevail in its economic and tech rivalry with China to maintain its global leadership. During his confirmation hearing, Rubio called China the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted. Biden kept the tariffs Trump levied on China and imposed more on Chinese electric cars and solar cells. But unlike Biden, Trump has irked U.S. allies and partners with his recent remarks on possibly annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and making Canada the 51st American state. Hal Brands, senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute, said he believes some top strategists in Beijing are salivating at the damage they think Trump is going to do to U.S. alliances and the opportunities this creates for Beijing to resurrect some of its relationships with other advanced democracies Japan and Europe that had moved in a very sharply anti-China direction since COVID. Trump's rhetoric, and attempts by his adviser Elon Musk to interfere in British and German politics, are certain to have a ripple effect, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington. Countries want to at the minimum keep their options open," she said. China is unlikely to be a better choice than the U.S., even under Trump, but it is important to find some counterbalance. The Philippines isn't mending fences Chinas relations arent improving with every U.S. partner. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has aggressively resisted Chinas increasingly assertive stance in their territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines complained recently about what it called a monster Chinese coast guard ship in nearby waters, and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines said last week they would convey to Trump the urgent need for the U.S. to remain engaged in the region. Uncertainty about Trump's policies is prompting both China and Japan to seek a stable relationship, said Taizo Miyagi, an expert on Japanese diplomacy at Chuo University in Tokyo. A Japanese foreign minister visited Beijing last month for the first time in seven years, and Chinese military officials visited Tokyo last week to resume defense exchanges after a five-year hiatus. In a way it is a Trump effect, Miyagi said. Many other countries are likely thinking the same and this could invigorate their diplomatic activities. Britain steers a new course with China British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to rebuild ties with Beijing since his Labour Partys election victory last summer. It's a marked shift from predecessor Rishi Sunak, who in 2022 declared an end to his country's golden era of friendship with China. In Britain's case, Trump's return may not be driving the rapprochement. Many European leaders may not welcome Trump's America-first agenda, "but the idea that as a result they will all kowtow to Beijing for more trade is fanciful thinking on the part of some of our Chinese friends, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. Most would prefer to remain partners with Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron, outlining his vision for global diplomacy in a New Years speech, declared that his country was a solid ally of Trump. He and others hope that Trump will respond positively to their outreach. Much will depend on what path the returning U.S. president takes, and how the rest of the world reacts. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on Wednesday lost a bid for a new trial, after arguing his recent corruption conviction should be thrown out because jurors were allowed to review improper evidence during deliberations. U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein's decision paves the way for Menendez's sentencing next Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan says the Democratic former chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations should spend 15 years in prison. Prosecutors admitted in November that jurors reviewed nine pieces of evidence containing material that should have been redacted, but said the mistake did not justify setting aside the verdict. Menendez's lawyers said the unredacted material contained the only evidence tying him to the government's central accusation, that he accepted bribes in exchange for shepherding military aid to Egypt. They say Menendez, 71, should face no more than 2-1/4 years in prison. The evidence mistake may form part of Menendez's expected appeal of his conviction. "I respectfully disagree with the Court's decision and expect the Court of Appeals will hold these prosecutors to account for their misconduct," Menendez said in a statement. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, declined to comment. In a written ruling, Stein said defense lawyers bore some responsibility because they also did not catch the unredacted material before it went to the jury. The judge also said it was unlikely that the jury noticed the material, meaning it probably did not prejudice their verdict. Menendez, who spent 18-1/2 years in the Senate, was convicted last July on all 16 counts he faced, including acting as an agent of a foreign government. Prosecutors said Menendez accepted gold, cash, a Mercedes-Benz and other rewards for political favors, which also included providing assistance to Qatar. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New YorkEditing by Nick Zieminski and Rod Nickel) The House passed an amended version of the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday on a vote of 263-156, teeing up major immigration reform at the start of President Donald Trump's second administration. Forty-six Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, breaking with Democratic leadership. The bill, which was expected to pass two weeks after it initially passed the bill, will now go to Trump's desk and symbolically will become the first measure he signs into law of his second administration. The updated measure, which cleared the Senate with some Democratic support on Tuesday, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants for theft-related crimes and includes amendments from Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst that expanded the scope of offenses that trigger detention. PHOTO: Supporters of former President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump hold images of Laken Riley before he speaks at a 'Get Out the Vote' rally in Rome, Ga., March 9, 2024. (Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images) The death of Riley, a 22-year-old woman who was murdered by Jose Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant, on Feb. 22, 2024, fueled the immigration debate in the United States and became a lightning rod issue for Trump on the campaign trail. Ibarra had illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 but was allowed to stay in the U.S. while his case was ongoing, and he had been charged with misdemeanor shoplifting while living in Georgia. The legislation will require immigration officers to detain undocumented immigrants who are suspected of minor criminal offenses, including shoplifting. It also grants power to attorneys general to sue the federal government if they can show their states are being harmed over failure to implement national immigration policies, as well as allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to citizens allegedly due to illegal immigration. "We're putting the safety and security of Americans first with this commonsense piece of legislation, so it's a big deal," Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said Wednesday. "Whether it's from fentanyl overdoses or whether it is the tragedy that occurred to Laken Riley or Rachel Morin or Jocelyn Nungaray or its countless number of people -- today, we said we hear you to the American people." The bill, a major Republican-driven initiative, originally cleared the House on a vote of 264-159 on Jan. 7, with 48 Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill. The amended version then passed the Senate, the first bill to pass in the chamber this session, on Tuesday on a vote of 64-35, with support from 12 Democrats, which resulted in the new bill going back to the House for final approval. "Illegal migrants shouldn't be here in the first place," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said on the Senate floor leading up to a vote on the bill. "Everybody knows that it is against the law to enter the United States without our permission. Even so, if they come here violating our law, they hurt and kill an American, the federal government must prioritize their detention and deportation." Cornyn's amendment, which adds assault of a law enforcement officer to the list of crimes that would mandate detention of an undocumented migrant, passed with substantial Democratic support, 70-25. The bill previously passed the House in the last Congress but was not taken up in the Democratic-controlled Senate. PHOTO: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson responds to a question from the news media during a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 22, 2025. (Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) "Chuck Schumer made it clear that in a Democrat Senate, they had no desire to stand up for women who were assaulted by people here illegally," House Speaker Mike Johnson said ahead of the vote Wednesday. "Joe Biden would not have signed that bill, but now with John Thune, you have the same House majority, but you now have a willing partner in the Senate that actually wants to confront real problems facing families so that you don't have more Laken Riley, you don't have more murders of innocent people because of an open border." ICE estimated enforcement of the bill will cost close to $27 billion in its first year, according to a document obtained by ABC News, up from a previous estimate of $3.2 billion. ICE has said a lack of cooperation from local and state law enforcement officials may make their jobs more difficult and that going after people for property crimes might prevent them from targeting "more egregious offenders." After a recent review of immigrants in their nondetained docket, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations found about 110,000 people with offenses referenced in the act, the document said. That's up from its original count of over 60,000. To enforce the law, ICE would need to expand detention capacity to 151,500 beds. It is currently only funded to have 41,500 beds. PHOTO: A Border Patrol agent makes his way towards a group of migrants waiting to apply for asylum between two border walls separating Mexico and the United States, Jan. 21, 2025, in San Diego. (Gregory Bull/AP) "Full implementation would be impossible for ICE to execute within existing resources," the document noted. "This bill comes with an astronomical price tag and will create more problems than it solves," said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat. "It will make our immigration system more chaotic and our country less safe. Under this bill, people charged with serious crimes will be released because detention centers will be forced to detain a child who stole a pack of gum from a gas station instead." On Tuesday, 13 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Thune committing to working with Republicans in "good faith" toward providing the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to pass certain immigration and border security measures. "We can solve big challenges when we work together, and there is much work to do to improve border security, protect Dreamers and farmworkers, and fix our immigration system to better reflect the needs of our country and our modern economy," the Democrats wrote. "These issues require bipartisan cooperation and we stand ready to work with you to develop meaningful and long-lasting solutions to these important issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long under both Democratic and Republican-controlled government." Of the 13 who signed the letter, 10 voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act. Those votes were necessary in helping that bill hit the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. ABC News' Arthur Jones II contributed to this report. House passes Laken Riley Act, teeing up immigration crackdown originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A California couple is suing JetBlue for $1 million, alleging that a large chunk of ice from one of the airline's planes crashed through the ceiling right over their bed. According to court documents reviewed by CBS News, Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini were sleeping in bed on Jan. 1, 2024 when a "large block of ice" came through the roof. The lawsuit claims the chunk of ice was "the size of a watermelon" and the couple "barely (escaped) devastating physical injury." Police and the fire department were called to the home. An investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration found the plane had a history of potable water issues, going back to July 2023, the lawsuit said, and the same aircraft was suspected to have dropped ice on a Massachusetts home in August 2023. The suit alleges that JetBlue failed to "investigate and correct the problems" causing the water issues and falling ice blocks. On January 11, 2024, 10 days after the ice fell on the plaintiff's home, the plane was flagged so its potable water system valve and drain could be removed and inspected, the lawsuit said. The plane was removed from service in February 2024 for repairs, according to the lawsuit. "JetBlue had been on notice for months prior to January 1, 2024, yet failed to conduct an investigation as to the problems with the potable water system valve and drain," the lawsuit said. "Had JetBlue done so after being on notice that there was a problem as early as July 2023, the discharge of the large block of ice on Plaintiffs' home would not have occurred." JetBlue said they could not comment on the lawsuit because of ongoing litigation, but said that at the company, "safety is our number one priority and guides everything we do." According to the lawsuit, the chunk of ice caused "extensive damage" to the roof, and the couple have "suffered severe emotional distress" which they said resulted in insomnia that has led Reese, a commercial driver, to turn down work. The pair said they have also both attended therapy because of the incident. Both plaintiffs have become "anxious and depressed" and have a constant fear that their home may be struck again, the lawsuit said. Planes pass over the home every five minutes, the lawsuit said, and they now "cringe in fear with each plane" that flies overhead. The pair are considering moving, even though they consider their current residence "their dream home." The couple is suing JetBlue for negligence, according to the lawsuit, and for trespassing. "JetBlue knew or should have known that there had been (a) prior instance of ice falling from the aircraft at issue ... and that a thorough inspection and investigation of the potable water servicing system would have discovered a defect in the valve which was causing a leak and the ice dropping from the aircraft at issue," the lawsuit stated. The couple are asking for a jury trial on the charges. Ferrarini and Reese are asking for $360,000 for property damages, $40,000 in medical expenses, $300,000 for emotional distress, and $300,000 for pain, suffering and inconvenience, according to court documents. An attorney representing Reese and Ferrarini did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last June, a New Jersey family told CBS New York that a huge chunk of ice apparently fell from an airplane above, crashing through their roof and landing just feet from where they were sitting. Trump signs executive orders after inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day Designer Eric Javits discusses Melania Trump's inauguration hat News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesian rescuers retrieved four more bodies after they resumed their search Wednesday for people missing after floods and landslides on Indonesias main island of Java, bringing the death toll to 21. Waters from flooded rivers tore through nine villages in Pekalongan regency of Central Java province and landslides tumbled onto mountainside hamlets after the torrential rains Monday. Videos and photos released by National Search and Rescue Agency showed workers digging desperately in villages where roads and green-terraced rice fields were transformed into murky brown mud and villages were covered by thick mud, rocks and uprooted trees. National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said flooding triggered a landslide that buried two houses and a cafe in the Petungkriyono resort area. The disasters all together destroyed 25 houses, a dam and three main bridges connecting villages in Pekalongan. At least 13 people injured and nearly 300 people were forced to flee to temporary government shelters. The search and rescue operation that was hampered by bad weather, mudslides and rugged terrain was halted Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rain and thick fog that made devastated areas along the rivers dangerous to rescuers. On Wednesday, they searched in rivers and the rubble of villages for bodies and, whenever possible, survivors in worst-hit Kasimpar village, said Budiono, who heads a local rescue office. Scores of rescue personnel recovered three mud-caked bodies, including a 5-month old baby, as they searched a Petungkriyono area where tons of mud and rocks buried two houses and a cafe. Another body was pulled out from under a broken bridge near a river in Kasimpar village. Rescuers are still searching for five people reported missing. Landslides and floods were also reported in many other provinces, Muhari said. On Monday, a landslide hit five houses in Denpasar on the tourist island of Bali, killing four people and leaving one missing. Heavy seasonal rain from about October to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains. Landslides of earth, rock and debris can happen suddenly or slowly and can be caused by rain, erosion, or changes to the slopes material. Rain adds weight to the slope, making it more unstable. The slopes steepness or erosion at the base can make landslides more likely. They can be caused by the movement of nearby bodies of water or vibrations from earthquakes, mining or traffic. The types and sizes of the rocks and soils can determine how much water land can absorb before weakening and collapsing. Studies have found that landslides could become more frequent as climate change increases rainfall. ___ Associated Press writer Isabella OMalley in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Ivanka Trump's diamond jewelry at Donald Trump's inauguration. Courtney Reed/Courtesy of Leviev ; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Ivanka Trump wore diamond jewelry with a total value of $1.1 million at Donald Trump's inauguration. She wore the jewelry with gowns designed by Oscar de la Renta and Givenchy. Her diamond pieces came from Leviev, a brand founded by the Israeli diamond magnate Lev Leviev. Ivanka Trump wore more than $1.1 million worth of diamond jewelry from Leviev at events held in honor of President Donald Trump's inauguration. At a dinner the night before the inauguration, Ivanka Trump wore a custom Oscar de la Renta dress embroidered with crystals and pearls along with diamond and platinum pear-shaped drop earrings from Leviev. The 18.08-carat earrings retail for $900,000, a Leviev representative told Business Insider. Ivanka Trump the day before the inauguration. Courtney Reed/Courtesy of Leviev At the Liberty Inaugural Ball after the swearing-in ceremony, Ivanka Trump wore two more pieces from Leviev: a diamond necklace totaling 50 carats and 10-carat diamond cluster earrings. The necklace retails for about $180,000, and the earrings cost $60,000, the representative said. Ivanka's Givenchy haute-couture gown was inspired by a dress the fashion house created for Audrey Hepburn's character in "Sabrina" in 1954. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at the Liberty Inaugural Ball. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Between the two events, Ivanka Trump's inaugural jewelry totaled just more than $1.1 million in value. "We are proud to have our exquisite Leviev jewelry worn by Ivanka at this historic event with such elegance and poise," Leviev president and CEO Chagit Leviev told Business Insider. "These diamond fine jewelry pieces made the perfect finishing touches to complete her iconic inauguration looks." The jewelry brand was founded by Lev Leviev, an Israeli diamond magnate with ties to Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner. His daughter, Chagit Leviev, now owns the company. In 2015, Kushner bought four floors of the former New York Times headquarters from Africa Israel Investments, of which Lev Leviev is the controlling shareholder, and its partner Five Mile Capital for $295 million. Kushner is set to continue to advise his father-in-law on Middle East affairs in an unofficial capacity, reports say, while Ivanka Trump has made it clear she's done with politics. January 22, 2025: This story has been updated to include comments from Leviev president and CEO Chagit Leviev. Read the original article on Business Insider A JetBlue Airways plane takes off from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on January 31 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) JetBlue now accepts Venmo payments for flights, in what it called a first for airlines on Tuesday. Venmo payment options are available on the airlines website and will roll out on their mobile app in the coming months, the carrier announced. Venmo payment options are the latest announcement in a broader effort from JetBlue to enhance its services and boost profits. The struggling low-cost carrier has searched for new revenue streams as larger airlines introduce their own budget options, increasing competition for those flyers. In September, JetBlue introduced new features on its mobile app, including more easily accessible gate information and a countdown system to boarding. Many airlines, including major US carriers such as American, Delta, Southwest and United airlines, already accept payments using PayPal. Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, is a popular payment app in the United States. It is commonly used for peer-to-peer transactions and to settle group expenses. JetBlue passengers can purchase flights through their Venmo balance or linked bank accounts, debit cards and credit cards, the airline said. JetBlue has been mired in losses since the Covid-19 pandemic, reporting $260 million in losses in 2022 and an adjusted loss of $151 million in 2023. It lost $173 million in the first nine months of 2024, and its efforts to purchase discount carrier Spirit Airlines were blocked by a federal court a year ago, leaving it struggling to compete with larger US airlines. Last year, it announced economy passengers would no longer get hot meals aboard transatlantic flights, an attempt to lower costs. In the fall, JetBlue unveiled a plan to introduce its first-ever airport lounges in JFK and Boston Logan airports. And the carrier announced this month that it will introduce additional routes and flights, including new direct flights to Canada and Honduras. JetBlue shares (JBLU) rose 6% in mid-day trading on Tuesday. CNNs Chris Isidore contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The 2025 inductees to the Songwriters Hall of Fame have been announced, honoring some of the most influential figures in music history. This year's class includes legendary acts such as The Doobie Brothers, George Clinton, and The Beach Boys' Mike Love, as well as hitmakers like Ashley Gorley and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers came out of San Jose, California in the 1970s and have built up a dedicated following in that five decades. The band became known for its dual sound first with the guitar-driven lineup of Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, and later the soulful sound with Michael McDonald. Their hits like "Black Water," "Long Train Runnin'" and "What a Fool Believes" have made a lasting impact on music and earned them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. As Pete Townshend of The Who said, "Their songs seem to just pop out of the radio speakers and grab at you." The Doobie Brothers became known for their dual sound with the guitar-driven lineup of Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, and later with Michael McDonald. T / Credit: Clay McBride George Clinton George Clinton is considered one of the pioneers of funk, lifting the genre to international audiences and respectability in the industry. Clinton, with his innovative work with bands like Parliament-Funkadelic, played a key role in shaping the sound of hip-hop and creating enduring dance floor anthems. Hits like "Give Up the Funk" and "Flashlight" earned him a reputation as a master of funk, and he once declared that his music was "the DNA for hip-hop." George Clinton played a key role in shaping the sound of hip-hop and creating enduring dance floor anthems. / Credit: Songwriters Hall of Fame Ashley Gorley Ashley Gorley's songwriting has contributed to 80 No. 1 hits and nearly 500 overall releases, including "I Had Some Help," by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, "Play It Again" by Luke Bryan and "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins. Raised in Kentucky, Gorley moved to Nashville to pursue his dream, and his hard work has paid off, making him one of the most successful songwriters in country music today. Gorley was named the Nashville Songwriters Association International Songwriter of the Decade for 2010-19 and the 2023 Songwriter of the Year by both Variety and the Academy of Country Music. Ashley Gorley's songwriting has contributed to more than 80 No. 1 hits and nearly 500 overall releases. / Credit: Katie Kauss Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, known for his work with pop superstars like Destiny's Child, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, is being inducted for his groundbreaking contributions to R&B and pop. He began his career at just 15, and went on the pen hits like "Say My Name," "It's Not Right But It's Okay," "Telephone," Deja Vu," and "The Boy Is Mine." Jerkins is celebrated for his innovative production and has become a sought-after figure in the music industry. Rodney Tony Macaulay Tony Macaulay, a British producer and songwriter, is being honored for his work in the 1960s and '70s. Macaulay is behind hits like "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations and "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse. He also wrote for artists like The Fifth Dimension and David Soul. His songs were also recorded by prolific artists like Elvis Presley, Donna Summer, Sonny and Cher, Bon Jovi, and Olivia Newton John. In addition to his traditional songwriting credits, Macaulay holds the rare title of Composer to Her Majesty the Queen. He was commissioned to write a piece to celebrate the monarch's sixtieth birthday. In 1986, it was performed by six thousand children at Buckingham Palace, in the biggest rehearsed musical event in history. In addition to his traditional songwriting credits, Tom Macaulay holds the rare title of Composer to Her Majesty the Queen. / Credit: Songwriters Hall of Fame Mike Love As a member of the Beach Boys, Mike Love already has a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, he's joining the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his role in crafting the iconic surf sound of the '60s. Along with his cousins, Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, The Beach Boys blew up well beyond the West Coast, with hits like "I Get Around," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo," and "California Girls." Mike Love, already inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beach Boys, is now being honored with a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. / Credit: Songwriters Hall of Fame Trump signs executive orders after inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day Designer Eric Javits discusses Melania Trump's inauguration hat Palestinians look at their destroyed home, in Bureij, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) The Israeli military said Wednesday its soldiers killed an alleged militant in Gaza whom it said posed a threat to its forces, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stretched into a fourth day. It appeared to be the first time since the ceasefire began Sunday that the Israeli military said it struck targets in Gaza. It was not clear whether the killing would affect the deal. The truce is supposed to bring calm to war-battered Gaza for at least six weeks and see 33 Hamas-held hostages released in return for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli forces are pressing ahead with a major military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second day. At least 10 people have been killed, Palestinian health officials say. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Around 100 hostages still remain in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed dead. The rest have been released, rescued, or their bodies recovered. Israels military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. ___ Here's the latest: Israels Netanyahu will probably visit Trump in the next few weeks, official says UNITED NATIONS Israels ambassador to the United Nations believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington to meet President Donald Trump in a few weeks. Danny Danon told reporters Wednesday: Im sure he would be one of the first foreign leaders invited to the White House. Danon said he expects their discussions to include the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages taken during Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel. Israel says it killed a militant in Gaza, an apparent first since the ceasefire began TEL AVIV, Israel The Israeli military said Wednesday its soldiers killed an alleged militant in Gaza whom it said posed a threat to forces, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stretched into a fourth day. It appeared to be the first time the Israeli military said it struck targets in Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began Sunday. It was not clear whether the killing would affect the deal. The military said troops in southern Gaza saw several armed suspects. It said troops then eliminated an alleged militant with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group identified by the military as Akram Atef Farhan Zanon. The militant group had no immediate comment. The ceasefire will see a six-week pause in the war in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel and Hamas are expected to begin talks soon over extending the truce. Israel's military has said it will uphold the agreement but would act against perceived threats. UN envoy visits Syria and urges forming a new national army DAMASCUS, Syria U.N. special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Wednesday during a visit to Damascus that forming a new national army in Syria should be a priority for the countrys rulers the former insurgents who toppled President Bashar Assad. Bringing Syria's disparate factions together into one military is vital for stability, but it also requires careful management in a way that avoids competing armies and fragmented command structures, he said. Pedersen said he is concerned about ongoing fighting in northeastern Syria between Turkish-backed groups and U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led forces. He said Turkey and the U.S. have crucial roles to play in negotiating an end to the fighting so this does not end in the full military confrontation that will not serve the interests of the Syrian people, he said. He also criticized Israels occupation of Syrian territory in a buffer zone set up as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement. Israeli forces captured the area after Assads fall, and Israeli officials have said they will remain there until a new arrangement is established to ensure Israels security. There is no excuse for what is what the Israelis are now doing, Pedersen said. And this needs to stop. Speaking at Davos, the Syrian foreign minister has high hopes for economic recovery BEIRUT Syria's new foreign minister said Wednesday at the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos that his country hopes it can follow in the footsteps of economic powerhouses like Singapore and Saudi Arabia as it begins rebuilding after nearly 14 years of war. We need the help of the international community to help us in this new experiment, Asaad al-Shibani said. He also pledged that Syria's government and constitution will be representative of all of the country's communities. Western nations, although they have moved to restore ties with Damascus since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown by a lightning insurgent offensive last month, are still somewhat circumspect about the new rulers, led by the Islamist former rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. All the time they ask us about the how to guarantee the rights of (this or) that group and how to guarantee the rights of the woman in Syria all of us will be under the Constitution and under the rule of law, al-Shibani said. The committee of experts formed to draft a new constitution a process that could take years will comprise all the different groups of Syria including women, he said. Israel pulls more troops out of Gaza JERUSALEM The Israeli military said Wednesday it was drawing down soldiers from the Gaza Strip, as a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas holds for a fourth day. Also Wednesday, Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said that troops will begin to withdraw Saturday from a corridor that bisects northern Gaza from the south. That will pave the way for Palestinians prevented from heading north to return to their homes. The withdrawal would only happen once the next batch of hostages set to be freed Saturday are in Israeli custody, Shoshani said. The military shared footage of what it said were tanks crossing out of Gaza. It said the force leaving, the Givati Brigade Combat Team, spent weeks in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, where Israel launched a major offensive late last year. Under the first stage of the three-phase ceasefire agreement, Israel is to withdraw troops from parts of Gaza and displaced Palestinians will begin returning to what's left of their homes. Syrian defense minister is open to all possibilities in talks with the Kurds DAMASCUS, Syria Syrias new defense minister is ready for all possibilities in negotiations with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces who control northeastern Syria, with the intention of having the war-torn country under one military force. The former rebels who now run Syrias government have rejected any form of federalism or autonomous regions, and aim to have all weapons solely under state control. We want a solution with the administration that runs eastern Syria in order to preserve the Kurdish component and find a peaceful solution with them and not to cause a large-scale war, Murhaf Abu Qasra told reporters Wednesday. The Kurdish forces have been fighting with Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria in the weeks since President Bashar Assad was overthrown. Turkey wants to create a border buffer zone free of the Kurdish forces, but the Kurds have been a key U.S. ally in combatting Islamic State group sleeper cells. Israeli forces are surrounding a hospital in the West Bank and hundreds of Palestinians are trapped inside, health officials say JENIN, West Bank Hundreds of Palestinians were trapped in a hospital by an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank that has killed at least 10 people in two days, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Wednesday. The Israeli military said its forces were trying to detonate explosive devices planted by militants beneath the road outside the hospital in the city of Jenin, and had told patients and doctors not to exit the hospital during the detonations. Dozens of military bulldozers have carved up tracts of roads in Jenin. A nurse inside the Jenin Government Hospital said patients were terrified as hundreds of people were unable to leave for hours. On Wednesday afternoon, pregnant women and older adults, one carrying an infant bundled in a blanket against the winter chill, walked past ambulances and armored vehicles away from the hospital and the Jenin refugee camp, as gunfire echoed down the empty streets and Israeli military drones and aircraft buzzed low overhead. Theres no medicine, no food, no supplies, nothing, said Ashram Abu Sroor, shaking his head as he exited the hospital. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Israeli forces had begun the large operation in Jenin with the main goal of clearing roadside bombs placed by militants under streets and civilian infrastructure aimed at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces have regularly clashed with Palestinian militants in Jenin in recent years, even before the war in Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, and Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. Escalations in one area frequently spill over. Yemens Houthi rebels release crew of commercial vessel seized in 2023 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Yemens Houthi rebels said they released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they seized in November 2023 at the start of their campaign in the Red Sea corridor. The rebels said Wednesday they released the sailors after mediation by Oman. The crew of 25 included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. They then had a campaign targeting ships in international waters, which only stopped with the recent ceasefire in Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel says it will keep control of the Rafah crossing with Egypt JERUSALEM Israel says it will maintain control of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas. A statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office on Wednesday denied reports that the Palestinian Authority would control the crossing. It said local Palestinians not affiliated with Hamas who had been vetted by Israeli security would merely stamp passports at the crossing. It noted that, under international agreements, this stamp is the only way Gazans may leave the Strip in order to enter, or be received in, other countries. The statement said Israeli forces would surround the crossing and that Israel must approve the movement of all people and goods through it. It said European Union monitors would supervise the crossing. Israel captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing last May, forcing it to shut down. Egypt, a key mediator in more than a year of negotiations that led to the ceasefire, has demanded that Palestinians control the Gaza side. UN says aid is flowing smoothly into Gaza UNITED NATIONS The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Gaza says trucks from the U.N., aid groups, governments and the private sector are arriving and no major looting has been reported - just a few minor incidents. Nearly 900 trucks of aid entered Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire Tuesday, the United Nations said. That's significantly higher than the 600 trucks called for in the deal. Muhannad Hadi, who returned to Jerusalem from Gaza on Tuesday afternoon, told U.N. reporters by video that it was one of the happiest days of his 35-year humanitarian career to see Palestinians in the streets looking ahead with hope, some heading home and some starting to clean up the roads. In his talks with families at a communal kitchen run by the U.N. World Food Program and elsewhere, he said, they all told him they need humanitarian assistance but want to go home, to work and earn money. They dont like the fact that they have been depending on humanitarian aid, Hadi said. Palestinians talked about resuming education for their children and about the need for shelter, blankets and new clothes for women who have been wearing the same clothes for more than a year. He said a shipment of tents is expected in the coming days. Julio Ramirez, left, and John Umberger. The trial of three men who prosecutors say facilitated a drugging and robbery scheme that terrorized New York Citys gay bars and led to two deaths began Wednesday in a downtown Manhattan courtroom. Jayqwan Hamilton, 36; Robert Demaio, 35; and Jacob Barroso, 30, are accused of working together to drug and rob five men after meeting them outside Manhattan gay bars and nightclubs from March 2021 to June 2022. Prosecutors alleged that the crimes led to the deaths of social worker Julio Ramirez, 25, and political consultant John Umberger, 33, in the spring of 2022. The crimes didnt come into broad public view until May 2022 more than a year after the scheme began when NBC News reported on Ramirezs mysterious death. Hamilton, Demaio and Barroso pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the scheme that included murder, conspiracy and grand larceny. Attorneys for Hamilton and Demaio declined to comment. An attorney for Barroso did not immediately return a request for comment. In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Emily Ching said the three men along with three others who had previously pleaded guilty to lesser charges lurked outside several Manhattan gay bars, befriended seemingly intoxicated men and then suggested the victims continue the night with them at subsequent locations. Once in private, Ching said, the defendants worked together to drug the victims to the point of incapacitation using a concoction that included fentanyl. Next, she said, the defendants would use the victims unconscious faces to access their bank accounts and payment apps using facial recognition technology. They would then steal thousands of dollars and use the victims payment apps to pay for food, shoes, alcohol and other items, according to Ching. The assistant district attorney also laid out how the same methods were allegedly used to target and rob Ramirez and Umberger, which ultimately led to their deaths. The evidence will make it very clear that it does not matter who handed the drugs to the victims, Ching said. The evidence will establish that each defendant intended to commit the robberies, succeeded together in committing the robberies and, as a result, the victims died. In their opening statements, attorneys for the three defendants called the deaths tragic but asked jurors to keep an open mind until the end of the case. We ask you to put that aside and decide this case on the evidence, Dean J. Vigliano, an attorney for Demaio, pleaded. The attorneys also said that it was impossible to know which drugs led to the deaths of Ramirez and Umberger. Ching acknowledged that some of the victims, including Ramirez and Umberger, used illicit drugs recreationally on occasion. They cant prove which drugs killed these two individuals, Vigliano said. Youll find if you look at the toxicology reports, any number of these drugs could have killed these individuals. The New York City medical examiners office ruled the deaths of Ramirez and Umberger as homicides caused by a drug-facilitated theft. The drugs found in their systems included fentanyl, lidocaine and cocaine, according to the medical examiners report One of the surviving victims who testified Wednesday, admitted to using recreational drugs on occasion, such as marijuana and cocaine. He said, however, he did not do so to the point of incapacitation. Ching said video footage from the night of the witness' encounter shows him losing mobility shortly after meeting up with two of the defendants outside his hotel in Manhattans Union Square. She said the two men then wheeled the witness's unconscious body into his hotel room using a luggage cart, where they then robbed him. Other surviving victims and the mother of Umberger, Linda Clary, are expected to testify. FILE - A court officer removes Albert "Ian" Schweitzer's handcuffs following the judge's decision to release him from prison immediately, after spending more than 20 years in prison, Jan. 24, 2023, in Hilo, Hawaii. (Marco Garcia/The Innocence Project via AP Images, File) HONOLULU (AP) Two Native Hawaiian brothers who were convicted in the 1991 killing of a woman visiting Hawaii allege in a federal lawsuit that local police framed them under immense pressure to solve the high-profile murder then botched an investigation last year that would have revealed the real killer using advancements in DNA technology. Albert Ian Schweitzer, who had been incarcerated for more than two decades for the killing of Dana Ireland, was released in 2023 based on new evidence. Ireland, 23, a tourist from Virginia, was visiting a remote part of the Big Island when she was found along a fishing trail, raped and beaten and barely alive. She died at a hospital. Schweitzer was one of three men who spent time behind bars over her killing, but he always maintained his innocence. His brother Shawn Schweitzer took a deal to plead guilty to manslaughter and kidnapping and receive credit for about a year served and five years of probation after a jury convicted his brother in 2000. The brothers' lawsuit insists they had nothing to do with the crime and that investigators never found physical evidence linking them to Irelands murder. The suit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Honolulu. It names as defendants Hawaii County, the county police chief, as well as former detectives and a prosecutor who handled the case. Both the county and the police chief say they won't comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit alleges the misconduct continued into last year, when advancements in DNA technology led to the identification of a new possible suspect who killed himself after police took a DNA swab from him. Police took no steps to arrest 57-year-old Albert Lauro Jr., who lived less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from where Irelands body was found, even when they knew DNA connected him to the crime scene evidence, lawyers for the Schweitzers said. Instead, Defendants released Mr. Lauro, allowing a man who had been hiding a secret for more than two decades to return home free to do whatever he wanted to do, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for claims including denying the brothers their constitutional right to due process, conspiracy and malicious prosecution. William Harrison, one of the Honolulu attorneys for the brothers, said Wednesday a separate effort is ongoing to seek compensation from the state for their wrongful convictions. Ian Schweitzer is entitled to $50,000 for every year spent in prison as a result of his wrongful conviction, Harrison said, noting Shawn Schweitzer spent a year in jail. ___ This story has been updated to restore a dropped letter in the first name of the woman killed, she is Dana Ireland, not Dan Ireland. By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - He hails a fantastic woman sweeping all before her in Europe. She praises a strong and shrewd defender of the West. Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni are fast forging a new transatlantic "special relationship". Italian Prime Minister Meloni was the sole European leader at Trump's presidential inauguration on Monday, an honour that came barely two weeks after she flew to Florida to meet him at his Mar-a-Lago retreat, and propelled her into pole position to become Washington's new go-to ally in Europe. "Trump has chosen her for credibility, reliability and for the stability of our government as the preferred interlocutor in the EU," Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, a member of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, told Reuters. "This is useful for Italy and will also be useful for the EU." Indeed, in theory, Meloni has much to benefit by being in Trump's good books. NATO member Italy has a big trade surplus with the United States and a diminished defence budget, putting her on a collision course with the new administration, unless she can leverage her ties with the president to deflect this. But aligning herself too closely with the mercurial American commander-in-chief also carries potential dangers. Meloni has worked hard to convince Brussels she is a reliable partner and could undermine her standing if she blatantly promotes Italian interests at the expense of the rest of the 27-nation bloc. "Meloni is actually in a very awkward position," said Francesco Galietti, founder of political risk firm Policy Sonar. "She hopes that having Trump's ear will prove valuable, but she risks isolating herself in Europe, while having no guarantees that she can shield Italy from threatened American tariffs or blowback for the underwhelming defence spending." In less than 10 years, Meloni has gone from being the leader of a marginalized, ultranationalist party, to head of one of the most stable governments in post-war Italian history, serving as a bridge between far-right and conservative factions in Europe. The election of Trump, a natural ideological partner, has given her the opportunity to play a similar role on a much bigger stage - one that has seen the emergence of powerful personal alliances between leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s who cemented what is widely termed the "special relationship" between Britain and America. "Italy will always be committed to consolidating the dialogue between the United States and Europe, as an essential pillar for the stability and growth of our communities," Meloni said in a statement after applauding Trump's swearing-in. Despite Meloni's move away from her far-right roots, some analysts in Rome who have followed her meteoric rise believe her deep-rooted eurosceptic instincts will prevail. "Thinking that she's going to do things in Europe's interest and be the Trump whisperer is totally naive," said Nathalie Tocci, director of the Italian international relations think-tank Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI). "She will always instinctively opt for national interests rather than European interests." TRUMP: MELONI IS A FANTASTIC WOMAN Trump and Meloni have showered each other with praise since the president sealed his return to the White House. "This is very exciting. I'm here with a fantastic woman," Trump said during Meloni's visit to Mar-a-Lago this month. "She's really taken Europe by storm." Meloni, for her part, has insisted the U.S. president-elect will defend Western interests and said his geopolitical skills could force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to resolve the Ukraine conflict. "Trump has the ability to balance diplomacy and deterrence," she said after her Florida trip. Potentially, Italy has much to lose from a Trump presidency, especially from his threat to reverse the U.S. trade deficit with the European Union, possibly through hiked excise tolls. The G7 member state registered a 42.1 billion euro ($43.6 billion) trade surplus with the United States in 2023, according to the EU statistics office, the second-highest in the bloc after Germany, making it especially vulnerable to tariffs. Italian newspapers have said Meloni will look to use her alliance with Trump to deflect tax hikes away from local firms, such as its food producers. Meloni's office refused to comment on such speculation, but analysts say Italy would still suffer, even if Trump directed his ire elsewhere. "The Italian economy is so tied to the European economy that thinking tariffs could only penalize France or Germany without hurting us is an illusion," said Arturo Varvelli, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations in Rome. "Meloni knows this, so for better or worse, she will have to represent Europe's interests to Trump," he added. A senior EU official in Brussels, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was not yet clear that Trump wanted to build any bridges to Europe, with or without Meloni. Another official said Meloni's friendship with Trump would be valuable if she can persuade him to stick by Ukraine in its war with Russia. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on relations between Trump and Meloni. MELONI: ELON MUSK IS PRECIOUS GENIUS Meloni is also close to billionaire Elon Musk, who has emerged as a key mover and shaker in the president's inner circle, and the pair have engaged in a flurry of praise. Musk described Meloni as "someone who is even more beautiful inside than outside" at a black-tie event in New York in September last year, for example, prompting the Italian leader to reply that the entrepreneur was a "precious genius". Meloni's government has entered into talks to sign a possible five-year contract with Starlink, part of the Musk empire, worth 1.5 billion euros. Italian officials say the nation's military and diplomats need secure satellite communications of the type offered by Starlink and cannot wait until 2030, when a rival European system IRIS2 is expected to go on line. "The government says this deal isn't detrimental to Europe, but it's clear that if you spend 1.5 billion on Starlink, you won't walk away from it in five years to join IRIS," said IAI's Tocci. "This is a very obvious example of Meloni putting national interests above European interests." A Starlink contract would provide a small boost to Italian defence spending, but nowhere near enough to satisfy Washington. While NATO has said the military budget of member states should total 2% of national output, Trump has called for this to jump to 5%. In Italy, spending is hovering around 1.5%, with the country's huge debt mountain preventing any additional splurge. Policy Sonar's Galietti said he didn't believe Washington would accept the sort of vague pledges that Rome has offered over the past decade to lift spending. "We will not deliver on our promises and just being Trump's bestie isn't going to help Meloni on this one." ($1 = 0.9663 euros) (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Additional reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Andrew Gray in Brussels; Editing by Pravin Char) DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - China is not seeking a trade surplus and is willing to import more competitive and high-quality products and services to balance trade, Ding Xuexiang, the country's vice premier, said on Tuesday. Addressing the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Ding said economic globalisation was a process of mutual benefit and shared progress. "Protectionism leads to nowhere, and there are no winners in a trade war," Ding said, calling multilateralism "the right path for maintaining world peace and promoting human development". Chinese policymakers are intensifying efforts to stimulate a faltering economy in the face of concerns over potential U.S. tariff hikes following President Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. Trump unexpectedly held off from imposing tariffs on China on his first day back in the White House. China welcomed more investment by foreign companies in the country, Ding said, adding that China was willing to solve problems encountered by domestic and foreign firms. Ding is leading an official government delegation at this week's WEF, making him the second-highest-ranking Chinese official to rub shoulders with global business and political elites at the Davos summit since President Xi Jinping's attendance in 2017. ECONOMIC OPENNESS Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the forum last year when he delivered a keynote speech that also highlighted China's economic openness and potential for foreign investment. In his speech this year, Ding said the stable and healthy development of China's economy would provide impetus for global economic development. A prolonged property crisis, high local government debt and weak consumer demand has slowed China's economic growth, and the country's exports - one of the few bright spots - could soon face U.S. tariffs in excess of 60% if Trump delivers on his campaign pledges. China's GDP grew 5% in 2024, matching the government's target, but in a lopsided fashion, with many people complaining of worsening living standards and raising concerns of deepening structural problems in 2025. Although the country is expected to maintain a roughly 5% GDP growth target in 2025, analysts forecast growth to slow to 4.5% this year and 4.2% in 2026. In addition, businesses and investors have longstanding worries about geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties. Foreign direct investment into China fell 27.1% in 2024 from the previous year to 826.3 billion yuan ($112.75 billion), official data showed. Ding, 62, is the sixth highest-ranked leader in the Politburo Standing Committee, the top governing body led by President Xi Jinping. He was Xi's chief of staff before being promoted to his current position in 2022 when Xi unveiled a leadership line-up stacked with loyalists. Beyond the message on the Chinese economy, investors will be watching for any closed-door meetings on the sidelines of the event, notably between China's official delegation and global investors and business executives. WEF President and CEO Borge Brende said last week that Trump, who has twice previously attended Davos, will join "digitally" on Jan. 23, without giving further details. He said it would be a "very special moment" to learn about the Trump administration's policy priorities. Topics on the Davos agenda range from mounting global geopolitical and economic uncertainty to trade tensions, climate goals and how AI can help make lives better. (Reporting by Julie Zhu in Davos and Yukun Zhang, Ethan Wang and Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Barbara Lewis) Blog Archive: Mar 2025 (65) Feb 2025 (139) Jan 2025 (155) Dec 2024 (144) Nov 2024 (143) Oct 2024 (155) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (155) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) President Donald Trump holds up an executive order White House | YouTube (The Center Square) Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul are criticizing President Donald Trump for pardoning Jan. 6 defendants. Senate Judiciary Democrats, led by Durbin, D-Springfield, asked on social media, Does Pam Bondi condemn the pardons for insurrectionists who attacked police officers? Bondi, Trumps pick for attorney general, was asked about pardoning Jan. 6 defendants in a Senate confirmation hearing last week. I'm asking you, do you believe that those who have been convicted of the Jan. 6 riot, violent assaults on our police officers, should be pardoned? That's a simple question, asked Durbin. So, Senator, I have not seen any of those files. If confirmed, and if asked to advise the President, I will look at each and every file. But let me be very clear in speaking to you. I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country, said Bondi. Raoul said on social media, ...our nation went through a peaceful transfer of power. I am disappointed that was followed by pardons and commutations for people, several of whom have ties to well-known hate-groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who stood in the way of that process four years ago. Tom Devore, a Republican who ran for attorney general and lost in 2022, said Raoul hasnt taken notice that people of our country have grown tired of the political gamesmanship of selective outrage. The Attorney General sat in silence as President Biden pardoned his own son. He sat in silence as President Biden pardoned all of his own family members. And he even sat in silence when President Biden commuted the sentence of [former Dixon, Illinois comptroller] Rita Crundwell who stole millions from Illinois taxpayers, said Devore. On Feb. 14, 2013, Crundwell was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in federal prison for embezzling more than $53 million from the city of Dixon going back to 1990. Crundwell admits to using taxpayer money for her personal horse-breeding business expenses. Among his final actions Monday before transitioning power to Trump, Biden also preemptively pardoned members of the Jan. 6 Select Committee including former Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger. The Democrat led committee was investigating the 2021 riot. Trump suggested a reporter focus on Bidens pardons rather than his Jan. 6 pardons. Tuesday, Trump was asked about Jan. 6 defendant Daniel Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to stun-gunning an officer. Why does he deserve a pardon? asked a reporter at the White House. Murderers today are not even charged. You have murderers that aren't charged all over. You take a look at what's gone on in Philadelphia, take a look at what's gone off in LA, where people murder people and they don't get charged. These people have already served years in prison and they've served them viciously. It's a disgusting prison. It's been horrible. It's inhumane, said Trump. Joe Biden gave a pardon yesterday to a lot of criminals. These are criminals that he gave a pardon to. You should be asking that question. Why did he give a pardon to the J6 unselect committee when they burned and destroyed all documents which showed that they did what was wrong? Not me. Why did they give a pardon to all of his relatives? DeVore echoed Trumps comments saying Illinois Democrats like Raoul are selectively outraged about the Jan. 6 defendants receiving pardons. "The Attorney General will have to excuse me when I give a big yawn to his attempt to create rage bait in regard to the pardons issued by President Trump, DeVore said. The people of Illinois see the Attorney General's comments for what they are, which is childish schoolyard politics. At least nine people are believed to have died as a result of the dangerous cold gripping much of the country, as a once-in-a-generation winter storm wreaks havoc on the Gulf Coast a region wholly unaccustomed to winter weather. While the cold has proved deadly, footage from across the Gulf Coast shows snow blanketing implausible places, causing surreal wintry scenes: in New Orleans French Quarter, where street performers sang for passersby; on the grass at the Florida border; and on the white sand beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama. Ive never seen anything like this, Brennan Matherne wrote on X, where he shared footage of snow falling in Cut Off, Louisiana, and probably never will again. Heres whats happening now: Deadly storm: Two deaths in Austin are being investigated as suspected cold-related deaths, according to the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, though the medical examiners office has not made a final determination of the causes of death. Georgia officials reported one death from hypothermia at a news conference Tuesday, saying the individual was outside the night prior. Another death is also believed to have been caused by hypothermia, involving an 80-year-old man in Milwaukee who fell outdoors early Sunday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office. At least five people died in a vehicle accident caused by icy conditions early Tuesday morning in Zavala County, Texas, according to CNN affiliate WOAI/KABB, citing authorities. Record snowfall: Snow is falling from southeast Texas through Louisiana and into parts of Mississippi and Alabama Tuesday, creating treacherous conditions. An area stretching from Houston into Alabama has recorded widespread snowfall of 3 to 6 inches, with at least one locale hitting the double-digit mark. Eight inches of snowfall was recorded at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Tuesday according to the National Weather Service in New Orleans; the previous modern record was 2.7 inches in 1963. Florida has likely broken its all-time statewide snow record, with at least 5.5 inches recorded in Molino a record that has stood since 1954. Mobile, Alabama, has so far recorded more than five inches of snow, breaking a 143-year-old record for one-day snowfall. A record amount of snow is forecast for New Orleans and other cities along the Gulf Coast. Unprecedented blizzard warning issued: Heavy snow and strong wind gusts combined to create whiteout conditions in southern Louisiana, where snow totals of 3 to 6 inches are already widespread. It prompted the first-ever blizzard warning anywhere along the Gulf Coast from the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, for parts of southern Louisiana and far eastern Texas. Widespread closures: Snow has closed or hindered operations at multiple airports in the South, contributing to the more than 2,300 flight cancellations into or out of US airports Tuesday and more than 900 cancellations so far Wednesday. Large sections of Interstate 10 the Gulf Coasts major thoroughfare in Texas and Louisiana are closed Tuesday as snow and some icy mix make travel difficult to impossible. Major roads were closed across the New Orleans area. Schools and government offices are closed Tuesday throughout the Gulf Coast and states of emergency are active in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. Bitter cold: Low temperatures and wind chills from the Canadian border to the Mexican border are hitting dangerous levels for the second consecutive day. Wind chills Tuesday morning dropped into the teens for much of the Gulf Coast with single-digit values in northern Texas. Generational winter storm hitting the South Brutally cold temperatures are allowing an incredibly unusual storm to unfold along the Gulf Coast. Snow, and an icy mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain, expanded in the early hours of Tuesday and ramped up throughout the morning. Snow even covered sandy beaches along Texas coast Tuesday morning. The sweeping system is a generational winter storm event, the National Weather Service said Monday and urged those along its path to take it seriously. Roads overnight and Tuesday will be extremely hazardous if not impossible for much of the area, and travel is highly discouraged, the service said. Schools are closed in states including Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina. The complex mess of wintry weather spread east to reach more of Mississippi and into Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and the western Florida Panhandle throughout the day. Galveston, Texas, sees snow on the beach Tuesday morning. - Visit Galveston/San Luis Hotel Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp warned people in the state to stay off roads because the sudden onset of snow later in the day, in places like Atlanta, could catch people off guard. Indeed, there were impacts to the roadways by early evening, particularly south of Interstate 20, according to Georgia Department of Transportation spokesperson Natalie Dale. Plow crews are having trouble treating some areas due to non-incident related congestion, she said, encouraging motorists to avoid travel. This could deteriorate very quickly like it did in 2014, Gov. Kemp said. A few inches of snow that year paralyzed Atlanta with countless traffic incidents that trapped drivers in what became known as Snowmageddon. The rare winter storm comes as 33 million people in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina under winter weather alerts, with more than 200 million people in the US affected by bitterly cold air more broadly. The Upper Midwest and Northern Plains recorded wind chills to 50 degrees below zero Monday and were experiencing 40 degrees below zero Tuesday morning temperatures that can cause frostbite on exposed skin in a matter of minutes. Air and road travel halted; schools shut down Officials in affected states in the South cautioned people to stay off the roads, keep faucets dripping to prevent pipes from freezing, check batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and refrain from using cooking stoves to heat homes. Governors in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi have declared states of emergency, while Texas authorities have directed state agencies to mobilize resources for the rare snowfall. In North Carolina, officials have deployed parts of the state National Guard to the eastern reaches of the state to support local emergency services. Most of us havent experienced this combination of bitter cold and significant snow ever in our lifetime, Louisiana climatologist Jay Grymes said Monday. Travel was paralyzed along the Interstate 10 corridor with portions already receiving widespread snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches. More than half a foot of snow had fallen by Tuesday afternoon along a portion of I-10 in southwestern Louisiana. One location just north of Rayne, Louisiana, recorded 10.5 inches of snow before noon. Cold weather will lock any snow and ice that falls into place, keeping roads hazardous. By late Tuesday afternoon, the Louisiana State Patrol had responded to more than 50 weather-related calls for service and numerous crashes across the state. Similar warnings were echoed in neighboring Florida. Our infrastructure is designed differently than states that are used to this (winter weather), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned in a Tuesday news conference. The state has done a lot to prepare but driving in icy conditions, it can be very, very hazardous. Cars travel on a snow-covered highway Tuesday in Houston. - David J. Phillip/AP Disruptions were also reported in the skies, with more than a dozen airports in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia closed to commercial flights as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. There were more than 2,300 flight cancellations within, into or out of the US Tuesday morning, with most of those flights coming from Texas and Louisiana, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Nearly all flights to or from New Orleans International Airport were canceled by 10 a.m. CST. Louisianas Lafayette Regional Airport was closed Tuesday due to ice and snow on runways, the airport said. Mississippis Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport also closed its terminal and runway until weather permits a safe reopening. The Mobile Regional Airport in Alabama closed around 9:15 a.m. CT, spokesperson Devon Calametti told CNN, with plans to reopen at noon Wednesday. In Florida, Tallahassee International Airport said it would suspend all operations at 4 p.m. CT with plans to reopen Wednesday at noon. And Jacksonville International Airport will close after its last departing flight Tuesday evening, around 8 p.m. Again, the airport plans to reopen at noon Wednesday. Houstons two major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby, are also closed Tuesday, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the worlds busiest, is pretreating roadways and airfield surfaces in preparation for the winter weather, according to spokesperson Andrew Gobeil. Schools across the Deep South were closed or moved online Tuesday from Texas to Florida. In Georgia, Gwinnett County Public Schools, the states largest school district, has moved all its classes online. The Houston Independent School District, the largest in the Lone Star state and the eighth largest in the country, will also be closed until Wednesday. Lesley Martin and her 4-year-old daughter Layla Richardson walk on a snow covered street in New Orleans Tuesday morning. - Gerald Herbert/AP But while the weather spelled trouble and headaches for many, others were basking in the novelty. This is the real deal, as we call it. The fluffy snow, Benny Fontenot, a 51-year-old school principal in Rayne, Louisiana, outside Lafayette, told CNN. He shared footage of himself sitting outside in the snow wearing a traditional Cajun Mardi Gras costume while playing the accordion. For me, its a blessing, he said. I mean, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that God blessed us with. CNNs Taylor Galgano, Zenebou Sylla, Hanna Park, Jillian Sykes and Alexandra Skores contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Rich McKay and Georgina McCartney ATLANTA (Reuters) -An historic January storm dumped more deep snow along the U.S. Gulf Coast on Wednesday after bringing Houston and New Orleans to a near standstill over the past two days and burying parts of Florida's Panhandle with accumulations more typical of Chicago. Another 4 inches (10 cm) of snow, combined with sleet and freezing rain, piled up in some spots in northern Florida, southern Georgia and southeast South Carolina as the storm crawled through the region on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. Florida may have already broken its all-time record of snowfall with 9 inches in the western Panhandle town of Milton, near Pensacola, according to Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Before this storm, Milton Mayor Heather Lindsay said she had not seen a snowflake fall in town since 2014. "We're taking it in stride, but everything is shut," said Lindsay. The city has no snow plows and most residents don't even own a snow shovel, she said. "But the kids are out using kayaks and inner tubes as sleds, enjoying a snow day," she said. As the precipitation dissipated on Wednesday, frigid air set in and will remain at least until this weekend along the Gulf Coast and the East Coast. "The cold is sticking around," Pereira said. Tallahassee, Florida's capital city, where temperatures are typically in the 60s in January, was expected to see a low of 4 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius) on Wednesday. The winter storm had already slammed major Gulf Coast cities such as Houston, where 4 inches (10 cm) of snow fell, the most the city has gotten since 1960. In the New Orleans area, a record 10 inches (25 cm) of snow accumulated in some places, turning Bourbon Street white on Tuesday. SNOW A RARITY IN LOUISIANA Justin Daffron, chief development officer at Covenant House in New Orleans, said its shelter was operating at full capacity but managing to keep up with demand even though snow emergencies are virtually unknown in Louisiana. "I think this is different because hurricanes in New Orleans are commonplace, and we are unaccustomed to the severe winter weather," he said. "It took everyone by surprise because for those of us who have had winter weather here before, it was basically a dusting." The storm has killed at least 12 people, including five in Zavala County, Texas, early on Tuesday in a car accident on Highway 57, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Two other Texas deaths were reportedly caused by exposure to the cold in Austin, officials announced. Other cold-related deaths were reported in Alabama and Georgia, officials announced. Some 20 million people across the region were under winter weather advisories and warnings on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said, warning people about the dangers of frostbite and hypothermia and road travel. "These travel impacts may linger for several days given the historic heavy accumulations combined with frigid temperatures, as well as the lack of equipment for clearing roads compared to areas further north," the service said. More than 90,000 homes and businesses were without power from Texas east into Georgia and Florida, according to Poweroutage.us. Many schools and local government offices were closed, while many highways across the region were slick, covered with snow and ice. Airports, including Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were temporarily closed overnight and early on Wednesday because of the storm. More than 1,400 flights were canceled in the U.S., many in the southeast and another 1,200 were delayed, according to the tracking site, Flightaware.com. U.S. liquefied natural gas company Freeport LNG said on Wednesday it closed its export plant in Texas on Jan. 21 due to a power feed problem during the winter storm, and will keep it shut until power supply stabilizes. The U.S. Northeast was facing another day of frigid cold temperatures. The lowest temperature recorded in the contiguous United States on Wednesday was a harsh -27 degrees Fahrenheit (-32 C) in Davis, West Virginia, according to the National Weather Service. (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta, Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Marianna Parraga and Georgina McCartney in Houston; Editing by Frank McGurty and Ros Russell, Aurora Ellis) Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) will chair a key subcommittee on Middle East affairs, ascending to the role after campaigning as a resolute defender of Israel and fierce critic of Biden-era policies that enabled Irans terror network in the region, The Post has learned. The freshman senator will take up the gavel for the influential Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, according to sources familiar the matter, which will be announced later by the full committees chairman James Risch (R-Idaho). I am honored to chair a subcommittee on such critical issues, McCormick told The Post. I see this as a great opportunity to strengthen the US-Israel alliance, expand the Abraham Accords, grow US-India cooperation, and delve deeply into regional energy, economic, and security issues. Sen. Dave McCormick will chair a key subcommittee on Middle East affairs, The Post has learned. Obtained by NY Post I look forward to working with President Trump and my colleagues to deter the Islamic Republic of Iran, stamp down the terror threat, and realize his vision for a more peaceful Middle East, he said. I am hopeful my background and perspective will allow me to lead this subcommittee in a manner that is good for Pennsylvania and the country. The panel, which was headed up by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during the last Trump administration, oversees US policy in the region, as well as its posture toward international organizations like the United Nations. Specifically, it focuses on terrorism and non-proliferation, crime and illicit narcotics, US foreign assistance programs and the promotion of US trade and exports. Iran and its proxies have escalated conflict in the region throughout President Bidens term, with Hamas killing 1,200 Israelis and 46 Americans in an Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust that immediately erupted into a war in the Gaza Strip. Last year, the US deployed thousands more troops as well as fighter jets and ships to the Middle East and later engaged in direct strikes on Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen to deter a broader regional war. Before the 2024 election, hackers from an Iranian paramilitary group also targeted Trumps campaign and tried to leak sensitive communications to Biden aides in an effort to tank the Republicans candidacy. Iran and its proxies have escalated conflict in the region throughout President Joe Bidens term, with Hamas killing 1,200 Israelis and 46 Americans in an Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. REUTERS Additionally, the US Secret Service disclosed before Election Day that agents had also been alerted to the threat of a possible drone attack by Tehran on the 45th president more than a year ahead of the first assassination attempt against Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13. On the campaign trail, McCormick frequently slammed his Democratic opponent, three-term Sen. Bob Casey, and Biden for their weakness in the face of Iranian aggression and mounting global conflicts, especially criticizing the presidents order to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan. The former hedge fund manager also faulted both of them for supporting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal during the Obama administration, allowing Tehran to rake in billions of dollars in oil revenue due to relaxed sanctions. McCormick was accompanied on the trip to Israel by his wife, Dina Powell, the former deputy national security adviser during the first Trump administration, who helped with work on the Abraham Accords. Obtained by NY Post The original sin is Iran, he said at a roundtable with The Post and other reporters in Harrisburg, Pa., last September. Senator Casey was the deciding vote on that Iran deal, which has underwritten terror. McCormick, a staunch pro-Israel candidate, returned from a visit to the Jewish state in January 2024, declaring that his eyewitness experience reinforced the need to absolutely eradicate Hamas. You cant live. You cant sit in your backyard and look 600 meters across the cornfield and think that you can live side-by-side with people and a terrorist organization that can undertake such a horrific genocidal campaign, he told The Times of Israel. As a retired Army captain, his tough talk on terrorism was likely significant in securing far more of the Jewish vote than previously achieved for a Republican in Pennsylvania. AFP via Getty Images As a retired Army captain, his tough talk on terrorism as well as exploding antisemitism on college campuses in the US was likely significant in securing far more of the Jewish vote than previously achieved for a Republican in the swing state of Pennsylvania. McCormick was also accompanied on the trip to Israel by his wife, Dina Powell, the former deputy national security adviser during the first Trump administration, helping to lay the foundations for future work that resulted in the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between the Jewish state and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. The Pennsylvania Republican will also sit on the subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy as well as the subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy. The newly-elected senator has indicated hes also looking forward to working across the aisle with Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, announcing earlier this month that the two had dinner with their wives and talked about how to best serve their state. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he had a great discussion with McCormick last week and the two were ready to get to work confirming some of Trumps nominees including the US ambassador to the UN designee, Rep. Elise Stefanik. Anadolu via Getty Images From stopping the spread of fentanyl, to fighting antisemitism & supporting Israel, & providing the best constituent services for the people of our commonwealth, McCormick said of their conversation. Fetterman also told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star that the two had a great discussion and were ready to get to work confirming some of Trumps nominees including US ambassador to the UN designee, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who has denounced the international body as a den of antisemitism. Before running for office, McCormick served as the CEO of Bridgewater Associates. He will also sit on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Special Committee on Aging and the Joint Economic Committee. Are the Suns stockpiling assets to upgrade their roster this season around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant? (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) (Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images) The Phoenix Suns have turned one first-round draft pick into three. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Suns have agreed to trade their 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for conditional first-round picks in the 2025, 2027 and 2029 drafts. The collection of new picks gives the Suns more tradable assets as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. Phoenix is believed to be active in the trade market as it looks to capitalize on the primes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and upgrade its roster amid a 21-21 start. The Suns are reportedly interested in Jimmy Butler, who has requested a trade from the Miami Heat. Thanks to the trades of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz have multiple picks in each of the 2025, 2027 and 2029 drafts. The Suns will receive the lowest of those picks in each year of the deal. In the 2025 draft, the Suns will receive the worst pick available of selections that initially belonged to the Timberwolves and Cavaliers. In 2027 and 2029, the Suns will receive the worst available pick of those awarded to the Jazz, Timberwolves and Cavaliers. For the 2025 draft, that means that the Suns project to receive one of the last picks in the first round. At 36-6, the Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA. Projecting out to 2027 and 2029 is more difficult, of course. But the Jazz apparently felt comfortable enough in the value of Phoenix's 2031 pick to part with three of their own as they hold a stockpile of picks in upcoming drafts. After Tuesday's trade, the Jazz now have 11 first-round picks in the next seven years. The 2031 pick they received from the Suns is unprotected. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., hugs Miriam Adelson before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool) WASHINGTON (AP) Many Republican senators say they do not agree with President Donald Trumps decision to pardon and commute sentences for more than 1,500 people who assaulted police officers, broke into the building or committed other crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol four years ago. But they arent pushing back on the decision. Were not looking backwards, were looking forward, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, repeating his frequent response to questions about Trumps promises of retribution from his first term. Thune did not say whether he supported or opposed the pardons, which rattled many on Capitol Hill who lived through the attack and fled the mob of Trumps supporters as they violently broke into the building and halted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said he would have preferred a more surgical approach to the pardons, looking at them case by case. Its not ideal in my mind, Cramer said. But I do think I understand the spirit of it, and Im comfortable with it hopefully we move forward now. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., agreed. Its a hard one, because we work with them up here, Tuberville said of the Capitol Police who were beaten by the rioters and guard lawmakers every day. At the end of the day, weve got to get Jan. 6 behind us. Moving beyond the attack on the Capitol and downplaying its violence have become a central approach for congressional Republicans who have enthusiastically re-embraced Trump after his 2020 defeat and his attempts to overturn Bidens win. And the muted GOP response to his sweeping pardons of both non-violent and violent Jan. 6 rioters was another display of their longtime strategy of praising Trump when they agree and ignoring him when they dont. Were looking forward and beyond on other policy issues, said West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a member of Republican leadership. The pardons, part of a flurry of executive orders on Trumps first day in office, immediately upended what had become the largest prosecution in Justice Department history and freed criminals who brutally beat police and members of far-right extremist groups determined to stop Biden from assuming office. More than 100 police officers were injured. Some were never able to fully return to work. Many prominent Republicans, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, had suggested that Trump would review the cases individually. But, as he had long promised, Trumps actions were much more sweeping. In defending Trump's move, Republicans have also been able to point to Bidens own flurry of preemptive pardons, including of his own family and House members who investigated the Jan. 6 attack, as he left office. How come everybodys asking me about January 6th? Arent you going to ask me about the Biden pardons? asked Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. What we should be focusing on is the Biden pardons, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said angrily as reporters asked him about the clemency for Jan. 6 rioters. Many Democrats said they disagreed with Bidens actions, as well. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that he opposed the preemptive pardons, and was frustrated that they gave Trump an argument even though its a false argument to pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists as well. A few Republicans said they agreed with Trump. New Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said that he appreciates Capitol Police officers, but nobodys been treated worse than the rioters. Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said she is so glad those people are out of jail. More than 200 people convicted of Jan. 6 crimes were released from federal Bureau of Prisons custody by Tuesday morning, officials told The Associated Press. A few Republican senators said they opposed the pardons, even as they appeared resigned to the idea. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he has an honest disagreement with the president over pardoning violent offenders. South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds said he couldnt defend them. Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she had received a message from a police officer who sent her a video of his assault. I dont disagree with him at all, she said. People who committed violent crimes on January 6th, 2021, should not be pardoned. The pardons by both Trump and Biden erodes public confidence, she said. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was disappointed in the pardons, and pointed to a police officer who was guarding Republicans as they entered their weekly luncheon. I do fear the message that is sent to these great men and women that stood by us, Murkowski said. ___ Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. Chip Somodevilla - Getty Images Yesterday, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, with his family members, former presidents, billionaire tech CEOs, and politicians in attendance. Keeping with tradition, royals from around the world congratulated the new president on the start of his term. Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles had sent a private message to Trump, but other royal houses shared the text of the messages that were sent, below. Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf: On the occasion of your assuming the high office of the President of the United States of America, I extend to you my sincere congratulations and my best wishes for your health and happiness and for the well-being and prosperity of the people of the United States. Denmark's King Frederik X: On the occasion of your inauguration on January 20th, 2025, as the 47th President of the United States of America, I wish to express my sincere congratulations and best wishes for yourself, your family and for the people of the United States of America. Norway's King Harald V: On the occasion of your inauguration as the 47th President of the United States of America, I am sending you my warmest congratulations on behalf of myself and the people of Norway, and my hopes for the welfare and prosperity of the American people. Jordan's King Abdullah II: Wishing President Donald Trump every success as he commences his second term. Congratulations on your inauguration, Mr. President. We greatly value our partnership with the United States and are committed to working with you towards a more prosperous and peaceful world. Queen Rania Last week, Queen Rania met with incoming Lady Melania Trump in Palm Beach, Florida. According to a press release from the Jordanian Royal House, At the meeting, hosted by the incoming U.S. First Lady, Queen Rania and Mrs. Trump discussed various issues of mutual interest, including childrens welfare, as well as improving their education. It was the third time Queen Rania and Melania had met. Morocco's King Mohammed VI sent a longer message to Trump, per the Moroccan Embassy in the U.S. "As we address an array of increasingly complex regional and global challenges, the Kingdom of Morocco will be, more than ever, a true friend and loyal ally of the United States, King Mohammed wrote, emphasizing his determination to work closely with Trump to advance our shared interests and further enhance our unique alliance across all levels of cooperation. (Read their press release here.) Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa extended his heartfelt congratulations and warm wishes to President Trump, wishing him success in leading the US toward greater progress, prosperity, and advancement, according to Bahrain News Agency. His Majesty also expressed his deep pride in the longstanding and historic ties that unite Bahrain and the United States, underscoring the solid foundations and strong pillars upon which their partnership is built, as well as the mutual respect and enduring friendship shared between their peoples. Furthermore, His Majesty reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the strategic relationship between Bahrain and the United States. Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah: It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest congratulations to you on your inauguration as the 47th President of the United States of America. Brunei Darussalam and the United States of America have shared an enduring friendship which has strengthened to new heights over the years, deeply-rooted in much-valued cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security as well as people-to-people exchanges. As we elevate our two countries' 40 years of diplomatic relations to a Strategic Partnership, I look forward to working closely with you again to enhance our bilateral and regional cooperation, particularly through the ASEAN-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. He concluded with an invitation to Brunei: At this opportunity, I would like to invite you to make a State Visit to Brunei Darussalam at a mutually convenient date. With my best wishes to you and your family for your continued good health, and for much success in your second Presidential term. We'll update this story if more royals from around the world send messages to Trump. You Might Also Like Rupert Murdochs media empire just did something incredibly unusual: It said sorry. The conservative media moguls British newspapers division, known as News Group Newspapers (NGN), offered a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. And that was just the first sentence. The apology to Prince Harry and former Labour Party lawmaker Tom Watson went on for another four paragraphs. The rare public apology was a key part of a settlement deal announced Wednesday in an 11th hour agreement to avert a high-stakes trial. Prince Harry, who spent five years pursuing Murdochs papers, declared it a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them. The move was especially striking because it came at the behest of Murdoch, the hard-charging magnate who has wielded his papers like weapons for decades. Murdoch is not exactly a man known for apologizing. His pugnacious media brands tend to resist any whiff of weakness or wrongdoing. When Murdochs Fox News Channel was sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems over lies about the 2020 U.S. election, Fox settled for a whopping $787.5 million, but did not say sorry. In that case, a public apology on Foxs airwaves was never a top priority for Dominions lawyers. They believed it wouldnt seem genuine in any event. I dont think a forced apology is worth a nickel, co-lead counsel Stephen Shackelford remarked afterward. Wednesdays settlement in the UK was similar to the Dominion case in one way it allowed Murdoch to avoid the embarrassing spectacle of a trial. But Murdochs tabloids have been held accountable, nevertheless, because the apology included an admission of wrongdoing in detail. Rupert Murdoch arrives for the inauguration of President Trump on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. - Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool/Getty Images This was, in essence, what Prince Harry had said he wanted: Truth and accountability for the phone hacking scandal that shocked the United Kingdom more than a decade ago. The wide-ranging scandal centered on private investigators who illegally hacked into the voicemails of news subjects and gathered information for Murdochs tabloids. The company issued a blanket apology, back in 2012, when Murdoch was hauled before a British parliamentary committee. In a full-page ad titled we are sorry and published in all of Britains national newspapers, Murdoch said, we are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred and deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected. He repeated the apology on camera during his testimony. In the years since, Murdoch-owned media companies have paid out more than $1 billion to claimants relating to what it called voicemail interception. But those settlements did not include specific admissions of wrongdoing. Prince Harry rejected NGNs earlier settlement overtures and pushed for a trial that would allow for the presentation of new evidence in public. A lawyer speaking on behalf of the claimants called the settlement with its admissions of wrongdoing a monumental victory. The newspaper group said it is paying both Prince Harry and Watson substantial damages. But the public apology might be priceless. According to The Washington Post, Prince Harry texted his brother Prince William in 2019 about pursuing the lawsuit, writing obviously my aim is to expose all their lies and manipulation to the public, to get a public apology for all of us and to get some justice. Accordingly, Wednesdays apology note went into detail. It notably referenced The Sun newspaper, not just News of the World, a tabloid that the Murdochs shut down in 2011 amid the public outcry about phone hacking. (NGN emphasized it was private investigators working for The Sun, not the newspapers journalists, who conducted unlawful activities.) As for the News of the World, the newspaper group apologized to Prince Harry for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by both journalists and private investigators there. And it acknowledged the damage done to the royal family. NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years, the company said. We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com AP Photo/The Oklahoman, David McDaniel Brenda Andrew The only woman on death row in Oklahoma could get a new chance to challenge her murder conviction, following a Supreme Court ruling in her favor on claims she was sex-shamed during her trial. Brenda Andrew was convicted of the 2001 murder of her husband, Rob Andrew, an advertising executive and church deacon, who was killed with a shotgun in the garage of his home in Oklahoma City. Brenda was convicted of murder in 2004, as was her boyfriend, James Pavatt, whom she had begun seeing after her estrangement from Rob. But on Tuesday, the Supreme Court, in a 7-2 ruling, threw a lifeline to the death row resident. The justices stated that a lower court could not prevent Andrew from mounting an appeal based on her contention that prosecutors unfairly focused on her personal life during her murder trial. The court ordered the case back to an appeals court for further proceedings. The unsigned opinion stated that the prosecution spent significant time on evidence related to Andrews sex life and about her failings as a mother and wife, much of which it later conceded was irrelevant. At her trial, prosecutors told jurors about Andrew's previous affairs and clothing she wore, at one point holding up a pair of her thong underwear. Andrew claimed in a habeas corpus petition that the evidence was prejudicial and violated due process. The Court of Appeals rejected that claim because, it thought, no holding of this Court established a general rule that the erroneous admission of prejudicial evidence could violate due process, the Supreme Court wrote. That was wrong. Rob Andrew was fatally shot on Nov. 20, 2001, while Brenda was shot in the arm. She called 911 to say she and her husband had been shot by two masked men. Following the shooting, Brenda went with Pavatt and her two children to Mexico before she and her lover were named as suspects. Prosecutors claimed that Brenda and Pavatt, an insurance agent, had killed Rob to cash out on a life insurance policy. A month before his murder, Rob discovered that his vehicle's brake lines had been cut and told police that he suspected his wife, from whom he was separated, and her boyfriend. 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. Pavatt confessed to killing Rob to a friend, but denied that Brenda was involved, the Supreme Court noted. Brendas attorneys claimed in the lead up to her trial that the prosecutions case was completely circumstantial," PEOPLE previously reported. Pavatt is also currently on death row, having been convicted of murder one year before Brenda. Read the original article on People PHOTO: Families wait as school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2025. (George Walker IV/AP) PHOTO: Families wait as school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2025. (George Walker IV/AP) An alleged portrait is beginning to emerge of the 17-year-old boy who opened fire at his Nashville high school on Wednesday, killing one student and wounding a second student, according to police. Solomon Henderson, who was armed with a pistol, fired multiple shots in the cafeteria at Antioch High School around 11:09 a.m., Nashville police said. Henderson confronted a 16-year-old girl, Josselin Corea Escalante, in the cafeteria and shot and killed her, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at a news conference. PHOTO: An ambulance leaves the Antioch High School following a shooting in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2025. (George Walker IV/AP) PHOTO: School bus arrives at a unification site following a shooting at at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2025. (George Walker IV/AP) Another victim, a 17-year-old boy, was injured with a graze wound and has been treated and released from the hospital, Drake said. The suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while he was in the cafeteria, police said. Another student was transported to the hospital after suffering a facial injury from a fall, police said. PHOTO: Families wait as school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 22, 2025. (George Walker IV/AP) MORE: Trump's pardons for rioters 'disturbing,' former top Jan. 6 prosecutor says The suspect rode the bus to school Wednesday morning and later went to the bathroom to "retrieve his weapon," Drake said. A motive is not known, police said. "There are some materials on the internet that we're looking at," Drake said. According to a detailed analysis conducted by SITE Intelligence, the suspected shooter praised mass shooters and showed an affinity for extremist views. Online material allegedly written by Henderson "detailed the individual's apparent far-right politics, shaped by fringe online forums," SITE reported. "Henderson was highly in fringe online communities, including several known neo-Nazi venues. Across these sites and his writings, Henderson expressed admiration for far-right and incel mass shooters," SITE reported. According to the intelligence group, Henderson claimed online that the school shooter in the Abundance Life Christian School attack in December, Samantha Rupnow, followed him on his X accounts. Additionally, documents online allegedly written by Henderson "detail his admiration" of Christchurch, New Zealand shooter Brenton Tarrant, the suspect in the Slovakian gay bar shooting in 2022 and other mass shooters, according to SITE. The intelligence group reported that Henderson also appeared to "post photos of himself in attire commonly associated with neo-Nazis." As the investigation into the school shooting continues, officials said Wednesday it's not yet clear where the suspect obtained the gun. Police have reached a parent of the suspect, the police chief said. BREAKING: A shooting incident is under investigation at Antioch High School. Three people have been wounded, including the suspect, who shot himself. Reunification site for parents is 3754 M'boro Pk. Buses will be taking students there. pic.twitter.com/G5UypO7neP Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) January 22, 2025 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wrote on social media, "Ive been briefed on the incident at Antioch High School and am grateful for law enforcement & first responders who responded quickly. ... I join Tennesseans in praying for the victims, their families & the school community." The White House said it had been monitoring the shooting. Nashville school shooting suspect allegedly praised mass shooters, extremist views originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON President Donald Trump says he's looking at slapping an additional 10% tariff on China, as he upped the ante on the U.S. competitor and pushed Beijing to crack down on the production and distribution of fentanyl. On his first full day in office, Trump said he was also eying Feb. 1 for the 25% tariffs he plans to put on imports from Canada and Mexico. He indicated Tuesday evening that he may also impose tariffs on products from China, as he took questions from reporters at the White House for the second evening in a row. "We're talking about a tariff of 10% on China, based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump said from the Roosevelt Room. "Probably, Feb. 1 is the date we're looking at." U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on AI infrastructure at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, U.S., Jan. 21, 2025. The tax that Trump says he's looking at now for China is lower than the 60% tariff he threatened to impose on Beijing last year but consistent with the 10% tax he pledged as president-elect. The move came after a call Trump had with Chinese President Xi Jinping a few days before he took office. Trump said in a social media post at the time that the leaders discussed fentanyl, TikTok and trade. He told reporters Tuesday evening, after an announcement on AI infrastructure, that he'd spoken to mothers who had lost children to fentanyl poisoning. "And I had that talk with President Xi the other day, too, of China. I said, 'We don't want that crap in our country. We got to stop it,'" Trump said. "I would have stopped it." Trump said during their call he and Xi also discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a response sent after this story was first published, embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu swung back. "We believe that theres no winner in a trade or tariff war, and we firmly uphold our national interests. We stand ready to maintain communication with the US, properly handle differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and pursue a steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relationship. China will also firmly defend its own interests," Liu said, in an emailed statement. Tiktok ban: Trump talks to China's Xi Jinping hours before Supreme Court decision This combination of pictures created shows President-elect Donald Trump (L) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 4, 2024, and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) at a press conference in Belgrade, on May 8, 2024. Trump levied tariffs on China in his first term which former President Joe Biden assessed and opted to keep and selectively raise. The United States largest trade deficit in 2023 was with China and came in at $279.4 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Experts say tariffs could be passed onto consumers, prompt retaliatory actions and fall short of the yields that Trump envisions. However, the incoming president has signaled that he plans to use tariffs as a negotiating tactic to get other countries to change their behavior. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump looking at 10% tariff hike on imports from China A new Justice Department memo outlines the Trump administrations plans to challenge so-called sanctuary city laws by threatening to prosecute state and local officials who resist the federal immigration crackdown, according to a copy of the document obtained by CNN. The three-page memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove also says federal prosecutors who decline to prosecute those immigration cases will be reported immediately to the Justice Department for investigation and potential prosecution. Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests, the memo reads. The U.S. Attorneys Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution. The memo is just one example of how President Trump has begun to shift American immigration policy in his first few days in office. In his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to clamp down on immigration and undo Biden-era policies that he said were too permissive and allowed a large influx of undocumented immigrants. And on Monday, he signed executive orders that would give the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency greater ability to conduct enforcement actions in sensitive areas, expand the pool of undocumented immigrants subject to fast-track deportation and attempt to end birthright citizenship a move that has received fierce pushback from constitutional experts and Democratic-led states and cities. Further, US Customs and Border Protection announced the removal of the scheduling functionality of CBP One an app that allows migrants to share information and plan interviews with immigration authorities before reaching the US border and all future asylum appointments were canceled. Trump laid out these and other priorities in his inauguration speech Monday. We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came, he said. The actions have already created fear and confusion among immigrants, who are now left to wonder what to do if ICE comes knocking. Nedi, a 35-year-old Venezuelan mother of two, set off six months ago on a treacherous journey through the Darien Gap to get to the US. With the hope of eventually settling in Miami, Nedi and her family arrived in San Diego 11 days ago after successfully crossing into the US with the help of the CBP One app. Now, with her appointment canceled, she is anxious and in limbo. I left behind friends and family who didnt make it, and we dont know what will happen, Nedi told CNN. She declined to give her last name for fear of reprisal. Were worried about not being able to stay, about being sent back. The Trump administrations actions also set up a conflict between local and federal officials, as a number of Democratic-led cities in Colorado, Illinois and California have instituted sanctuary city policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration officials efforts to arrest, detain or gather information on migrants. Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they dont want, White House border czar Tom Homan told Fox News on Wednesday. More agents in the communities, more people arrested, collateral arrests. If thats the game they want to play? Game on. Local officials in several cities told CNN teams they are not aware large-scale actions have taken place so far. Other sources say federal immigration authorities are still waiting for additional guidance and have largely been relying on verbal communication from headquarters. The new policies, however, begin to paint a picture of how the Trump administration plans to tackle immigration and carry out an ambitious deportation operation. Heres what we know: Immigration enforcement near churches and schools Homan told CNN that targeted enforcement operations by ICE were already happening, but this time agents have greater latitude. The gloves are off, he has said repeatedly since his appointment in November. Like under the Biden administration, ICE teams are continuing to carry out routine enforcement operations arresting and detaining public safety and national security threats nationwide. Agents will identify and target an individual or individuals for arrest, sometimes taking a team for safety. A key difference now is that if ICE targets a criminal and that person is with another undocumented immigrant, they, too, could be arrested. Trumps new policy would also allow ICE to conduct enforcement actions in or near sensitive areas like schools and churches places that, under the Biden administration, would require more steps before authorities could initiate arrests. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense, acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a statement. Trump officials also expanded a procedure to speed up deportations, to include undocumented immigrants anywhere in the US who cannot prove theyve lived in the US continuously for two years or more. The fast-track deportation procedure, known as expedited removal, allows immigration authorities to remove an individual without a hearing before an immigration judge. In doing so, the administration is broadening its powers to deport undocumented immigrants. Despite the policy changes, Renard Johnson, the mayor of El Paso, Texas, said it has been business as usual in this community for the last few days, telling residents they can go to school and church in peace. There are six border crossings throughout El Paso and neighboring areas that connect to Mexico. Youre going to be OK, he said in a news conference Wednesday. We can take a deep breath because were stronger as a community if we unite. The end of catch and release Trump has repeatedly criticized what Republicans call catch and release, referring to a practice of provisionally releasing migrants into the US while they wait for their immigration court date. On Monday, Trump said during his inaugural address: I will end the practice of catch and release. US Customs and Border Protection has since been directed to hold migrants in custody and not release them, even if that means theyll keep them longer, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. The aim is to swiftly remove those who arent eligible for asylum. Migrants make their way to a Border Patrol van in San Diego Tuesday after crossing illegally and waiting to apply for asylum between two border walls separating Mexico and the United States. - Gregory Bull/AP On Tuesday morning, Customs and Border Protection informed Catholic Charities of San Diego, a non-profit that provides shelter, food and immigration services to migrants, it will no longer be releasing migrants to their care, the organizations CEO Appaswamy Vino Pajanor told CNN. Pajanor said the federal agency only provided an explanation that policy has changed at the federal level. Since 2021, Catholic Charities has been working with Customs and Border Protection, ICE and the port-of-entry to provide shelter and care to migrants who are released to their care. The non-profit organization was receiving an average of 200 to 300 migrants daily, Pajanor said, and now more than 200 migrants in their care are facing uncertainty. We have a lot of refugees here and theyre all panicking. Theyre very fearful, Pajanor said. CNN has reached out to Customs and Border Protection and ICE for comment. Policies will cause fear and uncertainty, expert says Dozens of Colorado leaders, elected officials, and immigration rights advocates packed the states capitol Wednesday to denounce Trumps immigration policies. Cristian Solano-Cordova, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, and Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty read aloud Solano-Cordovas story titled The Meaning of Courage, about a conversation with his younger sister after Trumps election. Solano-Cordovas sister was born in the US and is a citizen but was worried that her two siblings and her mother, who are not, could be deported. When we are threatened, she is threatened. My baby sister is forced to bear the burden of political attacks on immigrants, they read. How do you talk to a child about being taken from their siblings or their parents without terrorizing them and without stripping them of their innocence? Early Tuesday, Danielle Cosmes, with the American Friends Service Committee, said she was not surprised to see eight migrants near the border wall waiting to be taken to a detention center by Customs and Border Protection agents. Cosmes runs an aid tent adjacent to the border wall that shares information about immigration law and distributes water, hot beverages, and food to arriving migrants while they wait to be processed. On Tuesday, no migrants accepted donations or wanted to speak to Cosmes. The announcement of executive orders on immigration does not mean organizations will see immediate effects on the ground, she said. Maybe we will, maybe we wont, but what I am concerned for the most is the effect it will have on migrant communities. The fear it is instilling both on migrant communities that are already in the US and have been living here and are essential part of the communities and people who are in transit attempting to arrive to the United States, Cosmes said. What I can anticipate for sure is fear and uncertainty, because that is essentially what they are being made to feel. Cosmes also warned of a potential increase in injuries and fatalities of people attempting to cross in more remote areas of the US-Mexico border. Thats what we can expect when policies and executive orders are taking away opportunities for safe entries and eviscerating the asylum system. How cities and schools are responding Several Democratic-led cities have expressed plans to resist the Trump administrations new priorities. Amid violent winds and bitterly cold temperatures, members of the Chicago Teachers Union have been preparing to protect their students for changes to immigration policy training staff at their schools on how to respond to an ICE raid. We started attending know your rights training so that we could know how to defend ourselves and our students, if anyone tries to, if ICE tries to communicate with us or potentially detain somebody, a teacher at Chicago Public Schools, identified only as Erin, told CNN affiliate WLS. Erin said there are nearly a dozen teachers in her sanctuary team a group in charge of defending students if threatened. I want our families to feel confident they can send their children to school; we are not going to interact with ICE, Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez told WLS. The citys police department has also spoken out about its response to policy changes, telling WLS that it does not assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement action solely based on immigration status. Additionally, CPD does not document immigration status and does not share such information with federal authorities, the Chicago Police Department added. In New York City, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams a Democrat who attended Trumps inauguration said in a Wednesday statement to CNN that enforcement should focus on criminals. Regardless of immigration status, everyone in New York City should be able to get an education, seek medical care, and practice their faith, the spokesperson said. Law-abiding immigrants play a vital role in our city, and the mayor has been clear that any enforcement should be focused on the small number of people who are coming to our city or country and committing violent crimes. Adams stopped short of endorsing any potential changes to the citys current sanctuary laws on Tuesday, a turnaround for a city leader who has repeatedly suggested migrants who are accused of committing crimes should be deported without due process. Authorities in other cities like Las Vegas have similarly weighed in on the policy change. Speaking to KLAS, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said his police department will not partake in mass deportation roundups as outlined in Trumps new immigration policies. McMahill, who hopes for a bipartisan effort to secure the US border, told KLAS that roundups out in the community and those kinds of things, thats not my job. I have too much to do. I dont think that with the volume and magnitude of the problem that theyre going to make as much progress on it as they would like to unless they first focus in on stopping people from coming across the borders, he said. CNNs Karina Tsui, Julia Vargas Jones, Norma Galeana and Eric Levenson contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Donald Trump said he is in favor of Elon Musk or Larry Ellison buying TikTok as he offered his latest thinking on what a deal might look like to save the US operations of the social media platform. "I would be if he wanted to buy it," Trump said of Musk, the owner of X, when asked by a reporter at the White House if he was in favor of such a deal. "Id like Larry to buy it too," he added, with Oracle (ORCL) chairman Larry Ellison standing next to him at a press conference held to announce a new $500 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure commitment. The arrangement the president said he was considering involves the US providing a "permit" in exchange for half of TikTok. "I have the right to make a deal," he said. "So what Im thinking about saying to somebody is buy it and give half to the United States of America, half, and well give you the permit, and theyll have a great partner. Ellison said, "It sounds like a good deal to me, Mr. President." The new comments provide more detail about prior Trump suggestions that the way to solve the TikTok situation was a 50-50 "joint venture" where the US gets half. TikTok's parent company is Chinese, and China would need to sign off on any such deal. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman after delivering remarks on AI infrastructure at the White House in Washington. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (Reuters / Reuters) There are many reasons why a joint venture might be a bad idea from a legal standpoint, according to experts who said such a partnership wouldnt be enough to undo a ban of the social media platform that began the day before Trump took office. "I don't know necessarily that Trump has thought this all the way through," said Jonathan Entin, professor emeritus of law at Case Western Reserve University. But for Trump and any US companies that want a piece of the popular platform, there may be plenty of financial reasons in favor of it. Dan Ives, global head of tech research at Wedbush Securities, said in a note that TikTok "is a chip on the poker table" in a much bigger set of negotiations with China over the possibility of tariffs. The president on Monday floated the idea of imposing tariffs on China if they don't approve a proposed buyer for TikTok's US assets. At a rally he indicated TikTok parent ByteDance would turn over half of the company so that he would allow it to keep operating. "Whether you like TikTok or not, were going to make a lot of money," he said. Ives expects 10-15 bids, with X owner Musk in the drivers seat to win any approval from Beijing. Oracle, he said, could be involved, given that it does act as a host for the social media platform. It could also go to a consortium that Musk could build. On Sunday, Musk said on X, I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time, because it goes against freedom of speech. That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced. Something needs to change. I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time, because it goes against freedom of speech. That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced. Something needs to change. https://t.co/YVu2hkZEVZ Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2025 Would such a venture keep TikTok operating in the US? Its not clear. Constitutional law experts say an equal partnership likely does not do enough to meet the laws demands, even if the US were to acquire a controlling stake. That statute the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act bans TikToks app nationwide unless its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, completes a "qualified divestiture." A qualified divestiture is one that severs ByteDances "operational relationship" with TikTok and leaves the divested company free of "any formerly affiliated entities that are controlled by a foreign adversary." "As I read the statute, the idea is to get that foreign connection off the table, and a joint venture doesn't seem like it would do that, said Entin. Nicholas Creel, a business law professor at Georgia College & State University, said so long as foreign nationals from adversary countries own 20% or more of TikTok, or have any significant control over access to its data or algorithm, the app must be banned. Elon Musk arrives to speak at an indoor presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) "The only way to change that is for Congress to pass a new law changing that rule," Creel said. Jared Carter, a constitutional law expert and Vermont Law School professor, said he would eventually expect to see challenges if a 50-50 deal were struck between the US and ByteDance. "As I read the law, it requires divestiture to an American company, Carter said, adding that a 50-50 split would also violate the spirit of the law, which requires divestiture due to national security concerns. Other legal challenges could come before any deal is made, the lawyers said. The president on Monday issued an executive order that pauses enforcement of the ban for the next 75 days, giving him time to find a buyer. "I would not be surprised to see legal challenges over the next 75 days," Carter said. He suspects a plaintiff to question the presidents authority to issue the executive order delaying enforcement of the TikTok ban. If challenged, Creel said, the order is highly likely to be struck down because it goes outside the confines of the law, which explicitly requires the US attorney general to enforce the ban and permits delays only if substantial progress toward divestiture has been made. However, the limited number of parties that could legally challenge a 50-50 venture could mean Trump has some wiggle room for his idea to become a reality, Entin said. Entin explained that parties with standing or a right to challenge would include Congress and TikToks competitors, such as Metas Instagram and X. "Who's going to challenge this? he asked. "Usually, you've got to have a party that is legally harmed." Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance In his first hours in office, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders stating how his administration plans to designate certain cartels and criminal groups as terrorists, invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove them and call on the U.S. military to assist in border security. Precise details of the plans are still unknown. But former Homeland Security officials and experts said pronouncing cartels and immigrant gangs, such as the Tren de Aragua Venezuelan street gang, as terrorist enemies could allow immigration officials to target people from that country. And having military troops directly intervene in border enforcement could also clash with entrenched rules and practices, they said. Jerry Robinette, former head of the San Antonio office of Homeland Security Investigations under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said it was still early to know exactly how the designation will be used. But having broader powers to go after not only individuals but the networks that support them could help federal investigators along the border, he said. "It puts you in a position of advantage to move forward some of your investigations," Robinette said. "You have a tool that allows you to do things you maybe you couldnt do before." What is the Alien Enemies Act? The 1798 Alien Enemies Act was intended to be used as a wartime authority to detain or remove designated enemies, said Katherine Ebright, counsel in the Brennan Center for Justices Liberty and National Security Program. The law was last invoked in World War II as the legal authority for interning noncitizens of Japanese, German, and Italian descent, according to the Brennan Center. Trump described targeting members of crime gangs such as Tren De Aragua or the transnational gang MS-13 from El Salvador and Guatemala. But if written broadly, the order would apply to anyone who isnt a U.S. citizen a permanent resident, a visa holder or asylum seeker from a designated country, Ebright said. Historically, the designated country has been named in wartime. This is why Japanese citizens were designated enemy aliens after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but why members of al-Qaida, a stateless terror group, werent after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This would mark the first time the Alien Enemies Act was declared against a crime gang rather than a country. Its never been done, she said. Army National Guard soldiers patrol the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass on Tuesday January 9, 2024. What impact will the terrorist organization designation have on cartels? Michael Brown, a former senior Drug Enforcement Administration special agent said the foreign terrorist organization designation is long overdue. They're not operating like drug traffickers of the 70s anymore, said Brown, who spent 32 years at DEA and is now global director of counternarcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices. This designation now gives law enforcement and prosecutor's offices the big hammer they need to really go after not just the cartels, but the domestic groups helping them as well, Brown told USA TODAY. In his executive order Monday night, Trump didnt single out any particular cartel, crime group or drug trafficker. But his order said cartels "had engaged in a campaign of violence" destabilizing the region and flooded the country with dangerous drugs and criminals. Technically, the order designates cartels and crime organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The new declaration could help the U.S. government bring down everyone involved in the fentanyl supply chain including precursor chemical manufacturers, entities responsible for logistics and distribution, banks and street-level dealers in ways that traditional law enforcement efforts cannot, Brown said. The FTO designation allows the U.S. government to more aggressively go after cartel traffickers, including potentially using the military or intelligence agencies to kill them with drone strikes outside the U.S. including potentially across the border in Mexico. Theoretically, the president could authorize that strike if we were to see no cooperation from Mexico in the next six months to a year. I don't think it's something you would see right away, Brown said. He noted that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has indicated at least some willingness in working with the Trump administration in attacking the cartels much more aggressively. If that was to fail, Trump, then could theoretically authorize that (cross-border) strike, and you wouldn't need congressional approval, because it's a terrorist organization, Brown said. The designation also could allow prosecutors to charge their U.S.-based accomplices with supporting terrorist organizations, which could bring them dramatically longer prison sentences, Brown said. What are the current military operations on the border? Both the Defense Department and border state governors currently have troops deployed along the border, though its not yet clear how Trumps actions will transform these missions. The Pentagon's federally controlled border mission, whose troops are legally barred from executing law enforcement tasks, consists of approximately 2,500 Army Reserve and National Guard members that have been mobilized, or brought to full-time duty, under the president's control, a Pentagon spokesperson told USA TODAY. The mission began during the Trump administration in 2018, peaking around 7,000 troops when active duty units joined the reservists and Guardsmen there. Troops assigned to the federal mission assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel with logistics, helicopter support, data entry and crossing detection, in addition to other tasks that free law enforcement agents to do tasks service members cannot complete, such as roaming the border and intercepting migrants. Thousands more members of the National Guard are doing state-led border enforcement work in Texas and Arizona. Texas Operation Lone Star, which began in March 2021, is a state-controlled border mission directed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Because the National Guard members are under gubernatorial control, they have made arrests largely under state trespassing laws and done other law enforcement tasks. The effort peaked around 10,000 Texas National Guard members in late 2021, but officials remain tight-lipped about the missions strength in recent months. Operation Lone Star has also included small, largely short-term Guard contingents from 18 other states whose governors wished to support Abbotts immigration policy. How will Trump's actions differ from past military deployments at the border? The administrations of George W. Bush and Obama sent thousands of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in support of U.S. border agents. The Obama administration deported more people (more than 400,000 for three years straight, according to the Migration Policy Institute) than any other president in history. Trump also dispatched National Guard troops during his first term. The question this time around is whether the troops will take a more direct role in apprehending migrants. Gil Kerlikowske, Customs and Border Enforcement commissioner from 2014 to 2017, said his agency routinely used Armed Forces, both National Guards and active duty troops, to help out Border Patrol agents. But the military troops always took supporting roles, such as monitoring cameras or piloting helicopters, he said. A Texas National Guard officer stood by his vehicle with Ciudad Juarez in the background. The National Guard was stationed on the Rio Grande after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called up the guard to El Paso and other parts of the state. Ordering military troops to apprehend migrants could lead to unwanted consequences, Kerlikowske said. "You really dont want an issue of someone using deadly force," he said. "When you put them in that position, there is that potential." What role can the military legally play in immigration enforcement? What U.S. troops can do at the border varies based on the legal authority under which they are serving. By giving active duty troops a more direct role, Trump officials would have to answer to the Posse Comitatus Act, which largely bars federal troops from directly participating in civilian law enforcement. Reserve troops brought onto full-time federal duty like those already on the border face the same restrictions. But Trump could invoke another law, the Insurrection Act, to order troops to directly arrest migrants, said Lindsay Cohn, an associate professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College. By invoking the Insurrection Act, "there is essentially nothing the military couldnt participate in," Cohn said. Doris Meissner, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, said that "what's being talked about now with the Alien Enemies Act and tapping active military, that is a different form of military assistance," she said, "and a real escalation." Under some circumstances, National Guard members can enforce laws without the Insurrection Act, though. The defense secretary can fund Guard units for state-controlled homeland defense" work. When Guardsmen are called to border duty under federally funded state duty, as they were in Trumps first term, they remain under their governor's control, according to the Congressional Research Service. Governors can refuse to deploy troops under this authority a bipartisan group of governors withdrew troops from the border in 2018 after the Trump administrations family separation practices came to light. Davis Winkie's role covering nuclear threats and national security at USA TODAY is funded by a grant from Outrider Foundation. Outrider Foundation does not provide editorial input. You can reach Davis via email at dwinkie@usatoday.com or via the Signal encrypted messaging app at 770-539-3257. What the Trump administration means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter. Follow Jervis on X: @MrRJervis. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump border executive order explained: Why send the military? A major winter storm slammed the US Gulf Coast Tuesday, blanketing parts of a region largely unaccustomed to extreme winter weather with record-breaking snowfall. The storm impacted 1,500 miles of the Deep South from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Atlantic coast of the Carolinas, causing widespread closures and travel disruptions, including stranded motorists and thousands of canceled flights. The storm, along with the brutal cold that helped cause it, is blamed for at least 11 deaths. The snowfall that dazzled Southerners unaccustomed to significant accumulation is over, but the cold is sticking around and keeping slippery conditions in place. Many cities are begging residents to avoid driving as the sun melts snow that then refreezes, increasing the danger on roadways. A beach walker heads to the ocean on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, Wednesday after a winter storm dropped ice and snow. - Mic Smith/AP In New Orleans, which saw record snowfall and frigid temperatures, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Wednesday the city is focusing on response and recovery. The city has been through challenging situations before, Cantrell said. Through the dedication and tireless efforts of our people, we will get through this history snow event. City crews in New Orleans are working to clear bridges and roads while warning residents should still shelter in place. Snowfall records broken Multiple locations in Florida recorded enough snow to preliminarily shatter the states all-time snowfall record of 4 inches set in 1954. More than a foot of snow fell in Louisiana, the high mark from the storm. New Orleans shattered its modern all-time daily snowfall record on Tuesday, receiving 8 inches of snow, far surpassing the previous record of 2.7 inches. The city has recorded more snowfall this month than Anchorage, Alaska, which has seen nearly two inches in January. The Big Easy typically sees measurable snow only about once per decade. Other Southern cities also broke long-standing snowfall records: Mobile, Alabama, reported 7.5 inches, exceeding the previous 3.6-inch record from 1973. Pensacola, Florida, recorded 7.6 inches, surpassing its 2.3-inch record from 1954. Milton, Florida, recorded the most snow in Florida: a preliminary total of 10 inches The Mobile Civic Center roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow Wednesday morning. The collapse occurred in a manner consistent with the plans for the buildings ongoing demolition, the city said in a social media post. No one was injured. Deadly conditions Nationwide, at least 11 deaths have been reported due to the severe cold affecting large parts of the country and the winter storm. On Tuesday, at least five people died in a vehicle accident caused by icy conditions in Zavala County, Texas, Sheriff Eusevio Salinas told CNN. Four of the victims were ejected from their vehicle as it wrecked on a bridge. Wednesday morning, a woman was also killed when a minivan she was in collided with a tractor-trailer on US Highway 57 east of La Pryor, Texas, Salinas said. A 27-year-old woman died in Ozark, Alabama, after her car slid on a snow-covered highway Tuesday and hit a pickup truck head-on after crossing the center line, according to the Dale County Coroners Office and Ozark Police Department. Authorities are also investigating two deaths in Austin as potentially cold-related, though the medical examiners office has not confirmed the causes. In Georgia, officials reported one hypothermia-related death, noting the individual had been outside the previous night. People walk as snow falls in New Orleans Tuesday. - Gerald Herbert/AP While the wintry storm has had a visceral impact on the Gulf region, below-freezing temperatures are also affecting much of the US. An 80-year-old man in Milwaukee is suspected to have died from hypothermia after falling outdoors early Sunday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office. Below-freezing weather helped law enforcement in Oklahoma catch a fugitive. A man accused of slamming a vehicle into a Pottawatomie County Sheriffs deputys cruiser during a pursuit and then leading authorities on a foot chase was caught less than three hours later, according to the sheriffs office. The chase ended after the suspect entered a strangers home and asked them to call the sheriff because he had decided it was too cold to stay on the run, the sheriffs office told CNN affiliate KOCO. As temperatures plunged below freezing this week, the plight of those experiencing homelessness became increasingly dire. In San Antonio, Mariah Pena and Daniel Vertiz felt the weight of this reality when Pena found a woman seeking refuge in their dog kennel on the porch Sunday, CNN affiliate KSAT reported. Startled yet desperate, the woman explained that she had nowhere else to turn. Though the couple hesitated to invite a stranger into their home, they felt an imperative to help, thinking that even a makeshift shelter would offer respite from the life-threatening cold. Who knows what could have happened if she were left out on the streets? Vertiz told the outlet. There were about 1,300 people using warming shelters in Houston Wednesday morning, Mary Benton with the Houston mayors office told CNN. The two largest centers were filled, but Houston Mayor John Whitmire said no one was turned away. Theres no such thing in weather like this as reaching capacity, Whitmire said Wednesday. Two warming centers in New Orleans quickly reached capacity on Wednesday causing the city to open a third. Mobile Crisis Units and the health department are working to transport people to the newly opened center, a city spokesperson said. Airport disruptions Airports in Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida closed Tuesday due to unprecedented snowfall. Issues from the closures rippled into Wednesday. More than 1,800 flights have been canceled nationwide as of Wednesday afternoon, primarily affecting routes to and from Texas and Louisiana along with Atlanta, the nations busiest airport, according to FlightAware. In Mississippi, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport closed its terminal and runway until conditions improved. Jacksonville International Airport reopened at noon on Wednesday, while Tallahassee International, Mobile Regional and Mobile International Airports will remain closed until midday Thursday, due to ongoing weather conditions, Wednesday updates said. Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana also remained shut down due to icy conditions. All departing flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were canceled Wednesday, but flights resumed at both of Houstons major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby. Widespread road closures With cold weather conditions across the region this week, roads could remain hazardous as snow melts and refreezes. In Louisiana, Interstate 10 from the Louisiana/Texas state line to Baton Rouge a roughly 150-mile stretch was closed in both directions due to deteriorating road conditions Wednesday, according to the state Department of Transportation and Development. Nearly 30 state roadways were closed as of Tuesday, including the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway the nations longest bridge over water. To help treat roads, New Orleans has hired 14 snow plows from an Indiana-based company, Collin Arnold, the city director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, told reporters Tuesday. The initial focus will be on clearing critical routes, while crews will tackle main thoroughfares, he said. A car drives on a snowy road in Tallahassee, Florida. - Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images Meanwhile, roads in Alabamas Escambia, Mobile and Baldwin counties were deemed impassable and closed due to the storms impact, officials said. Nineteen counties in Mississippi were still reporting ice on roads and bridges Wednesday morning, with black ice remaining a significant threat, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said on social media. Until the sun warms us up enough to thaw things down today, please only drive if its an emergency! The Georgia State Patrol responded to more than 100 vehicle crashes in a 14-hour period, the Department of Public Safety said. Metro-Atlantas DeKalb County declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning after hundreds of 911 calls and over 100 vehicles became stranded on icy roadways, with many obstructing emergency response efforts. This is a highly unusual winter weather event impacting nearly three-quarters of the state and our crews cannot be everywhere at once, Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said. Georgia DOT will need time, ability to access the roads to treat or plow, and warmer temperatures working in our favor to help restore and maintain passable conditions. CNN Meteorologists Mary Gilbert and Brandon Miller and CNNs Alexandra Skores, Lauren Mascarenhas, Jamiel Lynch, Karina Tsui and Dakin Andone contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Washington Interscholastic Activities Association/Facebook; gofundme (2) Magdalyn (Maggie) Ogden, Abriauna Hoffman, Elaine Hunter Balberdi An Arizona man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison for killing three college students in a wrong-way crash in 2022 while he was intoxicated, authorities said. Vincent Ian Acosta, 27, was sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of second-degree murder, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced in a statement on Friday, Jan. 17. Just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2022, Acosta was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 17 near New River when he crashed into several cars, including a Honda Accord carrying three freshmen from Grand Canyon University, Mitchell said in the statement. The victims were identified as Abriauna Hoffman, 18, and Magdalyn (Maggie) Ogden, 18, both of Clarkston, Wash., and Elaine Hunter Balberdi, 19, of Kula, Hawaii. Balberdi and Ogden were pre-med students at Grand Canyon University. Hawaii News Now reports. Hoffman was studying marketing and advertising, the university said in a 2022 email, the Idaho Statesman reports. The three were roommates, according to the Idaho Statesman. They were on their way to watch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon when they were killed, AZ Central reports. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Vincent Ian Acosta Two victims died at the scene; the third victim was taken to a hospital and later died, Mitchell said in the statement. During the hearing on Friday, Judge Sam Meyer said, There is not a sentence that would do what I wish I could do for all of you, and that is, bring back your beautiful daughters, ABC 15 reports. 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 judge sentenced Acosta to 22 years in prison for each of the victims, which he will serve concurrently, with credit for 813 days he has already spent in jail, ABC 15 reports. Acosta had a blood-alcohol level of .129 at the time of the crash, court documents show, Hawaii News Now and Arizonas Family reported. The legal level in Arizona is 0.08. He was found unconscious at the scene. Acosta pleaded guilty in August 2024. He was supposed to be sentenced in September, but the judge at that time, Judge Pamela Dunne. recused herself, 12 News reported. Read the original article on People By Jana Choukeir DUBAI (Reuters) -Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the Bahamas-flagged vessel off the Yemeni Red Sea coast, Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV reported on Wednesday. It said the crew were handed to Oman "in coordination" with the three-day-old ceasefire in Gaza's war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. "The release of the Galaxy Leader crew comes within the framework of our solidarity with Gaza and in support of the ceasefire agreement," it quoted the Houthi Supreme Political Council as saying. The crew is comprised of 25 nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, according to the car carrier's owner Galaxy Maritime. The vessel was chartered by Japan's Nippon Yusen. The Galaxy Leader was escorted to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Houthi-controlled north Yemen after being boarded by Houthi forces at sea on Nov. 19, 2023, soon after the outbreak of war in Gaza. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Monday the group, known formally as Ansar Allah, was ready to act if Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire agreement. "We are in constant readiness to intervene immediately at any time the Israeli enemy returns to escalation, genocidal crimes and siege of the Gaza Strip," he said. The U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement that the "release of the Galaxy Leader crew is heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and separation that they and their families endured for more than a year". "This is a step in the right direction, and I urge Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks," Grundberg said. The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships plying the Red Sea since November 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's devastating air and ground war against Hamas in Gaza. They have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers. The attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa for more than a year. (Reporting by Jana Choukeir; Additional reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din; Writing by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Mark Heinrich and Alex Richardson) Wholesale Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provider FoneSense has inked an exclusive deal with Access4 as part of its official launch to market. Leveraging Access4s engineering and development resources, the FoneSense solution has been crafted to meet the specific needs of wholesale UCaaS providers targeting the underserved SMB market. The collaboration underscores a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in the rapidly evolving communications space, with FoneSene committing to Access4s Cloud Phone System offering. Additionally, Access4 has built a customised version of its SASBOSS platform to ensure the demands of FoneSense partners can be addressed. The customised version of SASBOSS allows for easy onboarding and delivery of core phone services, which is what differentiates it from the Access4 partner program. We are thrilled to launch FoneSense as a formidable player in the wholesale UCaaS space, FoneSense national general manager, Chris McMahon said. Intelliworx has promoted Blake Jeffery to chief operating officer, just eight months after his appointment as general manager for Australia. This marks the first time the managed IT services company has chosen a COO with a cyber security specialist background to oversee its global operations. In a LinkedIn post Jeffery said he was excited about the growth and direction that weve been heading in. Whilst its not always been smooth sailing, Im happy I get to do it with such an amazing bunch of people at Intelliworx, he said. Jeffery has been with the IT services company since 2022, when he was hired as the general manager of security and identity. \My appointment as COO is a testament to our companys unwavering commitment to cybersecurity,\ he said. \At Intelliworx, we prioritise safeguarding our clients data and staying ahead in an increasingly digital world. \With the rise of cyber threats, its crucial that we remain proactive and adapt to technological changes.\ For the first time in a decade, the Nepalese government is raising the levy to reach the world's highest peak. Up to ,000 will have to be shelled out in the summer season, a substantial increase from the ,000 required until now. Fall and winter fees are also growing. The hope of mountaineers is that the money will be invested in the environment and safety. Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - For the first time in a decade, the Nepalese government plans to raise permit fees to climb Everest by more than 35 percent, making the world's highest peak more expensive for mountaineers, climbers or just enthusiasts. Executive sources announced this, pointing out that the cost will rise from the current ,000 to ,000 in total. A growth that will provide new revenue for the country's coffers, as total tax revenues are a key source of income for a cash-strapped nation that is home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks. Permits to climb Everest's 8,849 meters will cost ,000, said Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the Department of Tourism, confirming an overall increase of 36 percent. Royalties [permit fees, ed.] have not been revised for a long time. Now, Regmi explained to Reuters, we have updated them. The new fees will go into effect starting in September and will apply for the popular April to May climbing season along the standard Southeast Ridge route, or South Col, opened by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Rates for the less popular fall season, which runs from September to November, and for the even less traveled season (the winter season between December and February, when climbs are much more difficult due to adverse weather and climate conditions) will also increase by 36 percent: costs will rise to ,500 and ,750, respectively. Some expedition organizers said the increase, under discussion since last year, is unlikely to discourage climbers from attempting to reach the top of the world's highest mountain. Indeed, about 300 Everest permits are issued each year. We expected this increase, said Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures. He then added that this is an understandable step on the part of the Nepalese government. I am sure, he concluded, that the additional funds will be used in some way to protect the environment and improve safety on Everest. However, the director general of Tourism would not clarify for what purposes the additional revenue from the fee increase will be used. Every year hundreds of mountaineers attempt, with mixed fortunes, to climb Everest and many other peaks in the Himalayan range. With this in mind, Nepal's government is often criticized by sportsmen and environmentalists for granting too many climbers permission to attempt the summit. In addition, Kathmandu itself would do too little to keep the mountain clean or to ensure safer climbs. In response to the criticism, Regmi said cleanup campaigns have been organized to pick up trash and regular safety measures and rope fixing have been taken. However, climbers returning from Everest say the mountain is becoming drier and rockier, with less snow or other precipitation, which experts say could be due to global warming or other environmental changes. by Vladimir Rozanskij The fall of the regime in Damascus has also led to a backlash against the Orthodox patriarchate heir to one of the most important seats of ancient Christianity by a mysterious movement sympathetic to the new Islamist regime which - amid accusations of collaborationism and old scores - is calling for the resignation of Ioann X. In the background are relations with Moscow with which this Church remains linked, though without having broken with Constantinople. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The fall of the regime of Bashar al Assad has caused telluric movements in the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, the easternmost of the apostolic pentarchy of the first centuries of Christianity, which is now based in Damascus. A Movement for Antiochian Changes, composed of Christians sympathetic to the new Islamist regime, has also formed, which would demand the resignation of pro-Russian Patriarch Ioann X (Yazigi), who is accused of being tainted in collaborating with the regimes of Assad and Putin. It is unclear who the anti-patriarchal movement really represents, but the reaction in the Syrian press demonstrates its ability to influence the internal balances in the ecclesiastical and social worlds, considering also the patriarchate's difficulties in establishing a dialogue with the new power in Damascus. The legitimacy of Ioann X's role, after all, had already been questioned at his election in 2012 because he was accused of violating certain provisions of the statute of the Antiochian Church, according to which candidates for the patriarchal throne could only be metropolitans with at least five years since their appointment, while Yazigi was a few months away. The synod changed the statute as early as the election, and the Assad government immediately confirmed these changes, emphatically welcoming the election of Ioann X. The patriarch's opponents had to swallow the toad, which is now being thrown back into the fray, accusing the patriarchate of allowing Assad to meddle in the internal affairs of the Church, which would thereby lose its independence, and the Syrian Orthodox confidence in their spiritual leaders. Ioann recently turned 69, and hails from the northwestern province of Latakia, the homeland of the Assad clan, where Russian military bases are also located. In 2013 the patriarch's younger brother, then Aleppo Metropolitan Pavel (Yazigi), was kidnapped along with Archbishop of the Syrian-Jacobite Church Mar Grigorios Ioann Ibrahim. Their fate remains unknown to this day, although they were said in the local press to have been killed by Isis terrorists, opponents of Assad. Four days after Assad fled to Moscow, where he was granted political asylum, Ioann X traveled to the Russian capital in turn, meeting Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) who expressed to him all solidarity for the suffering Syria is currently undergoing. From the Moscow Patriarchate came calls to militarily counter Islamist forces, when the capital Damascus had not yet been conquered, otherwise Russia would lose its status as a Katekhon, i.e., as a universal embankment against evil, as stated by Protodeacon Vladimir Vasilik, a professor at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Failure to defend the Assad regime, in his view, would result in a shameful defeat in Ukraine as well, because of the refusal to defend Christians anywhere in the earthly sphere. Before the war-which has many leaving the country-Christians constituted 5-6 percent of Syria's more than 20 million inhabitants; among them, the majority are the Arabic-speaking Orthodox of the Antioch Patriarchate, about half a million faithful, led by ethnic Greek hierarchs. Under Assad, Christmas and Easter were observed as the state's national holidays, while this year on Christmas Eve was Ioann X's first contact with Dr. Abu Omar, a member of the interim government, who conveyed the new leader Al-Jolani's good wishes, which assured respect for the rights of Christians in Syria. The Patriarchate of Antioch remains in suspense politically and also ecclesiastically, being the only Church that explicitly supports Moscow, without, moreover, having severed relations with Constantinople, against the backdrop of the recognition of Kiev's autocephaly. And if the country were to undergo decisive Islamization, it cannot be ruled out that the ancient Antiochian see might move in other directions, as has happened several times in history. Perhaps to Lebanon, if not even to Moscow, in the warm embrace of the Third Rome. by Arundathie Abeysinghe Delays are leading many cargo ships to bypass the port, causing economic losses for the country and higher costs for importers. Maritime authorities have reported two to three days delays in berthing due to low terminal capacity and obstacles in slow clearance operations. Colombo (AsiaNews) Colombo Port, Sri Lanka's foremost maritime hub, is facing a serious congestion crisis that is compromising its operations and international competitiveness. Despite government directives last week to expedite container customs clearance, the situation remains critical. Significant delays have led many cargo ships to bypass the port altogether, generating economic losses for the country and increased costs for importers, who ultimately bear extra demurrage costs and customs fees due to delays. Port authorities currently report two-three days in berthing delay from lack of capacity. According to Australia-based shipping experts Dushyantha Weerasekara and Manilal Samarasinghe, "the main cause of congestion is the availability of only three deep-draft berths at the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), while the East Container Terminal is still partially operational." Such delays are pushing ships to opt for other ports, in India or Singapore, causing Sri Lanka to lose its competitive advantage. Although, there are multiple factors leading to congestion at the Port, strict inspection of cargo is also a major reason leading to disembarking delays, port officials explained. Goods from India, which normally reach Sri Lanka in eight hours, take up to 10 days to reach local markets. In the past five to six months, about 25 to 30 ships bypassed Colombo, said Tuan Ghouse Arfin, president of the Customs House Agents and Traders Association, who also complained about slow customs operations, aggravated by staff shortages and stricter inspections. This issue has led to wharf clerks having a hard time clearing consignments at prices quoted to clients as extra payments have to be made due to delays. Customs officials, who are required to work 24 hours a day, often work until 3 am and then resume at 8 am, accumulating overtime and increasing operating costs to clear the backlog," former customs superintendents Nihal Vithanage and Damith Punchihewa explained. To overcome the problem, port infrastructures need to be expanded and customs operations reorganised. It is necessary to increase port capacity and customs inspection points," the former superintendents explained, specifying that demurrage charges at customs for delays range from 15,000 to 20,000 rupees per day (US$ 50-65), depending on the length of the container Port congestion is also likely to have a direct impact on consumers, with a possible 20 per cent increase in import costs. The Container Transport Owners Association (CTOA) reported that 800 to 1,000 vehicles are stuck at the port, with drivers forced to wait up to a week for customs clearance. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) is a nominally independent body tasked with monitoring Armenian courts and protecting them against outside interference. The party led by Pashinian nominated lawyer Aleksandr Sirunian for membership in the SJC despite his political affiliation and systematic use of profanities in social media posts defending the Armenian government. Sirunian for years attacked opposition figures and many other people on his Facebook page which was disabled following the nomination announced last fall. Opposition lawmakers cited excerpts from some of those posts on Monday during a heated parliament debate on his candidacy. One of the posts was made before Azerbaijans September 2023 military offensive in Karabakh that forced the regions entire remaining population to flee to Armenia. Sirunian urged the Armenian authorities to round up Karabakh Armenians evacuated for medical reasons and to keep them in a remote Armenian region until you figure out which country will take them in. The very fact that you are now speaking from this podium is a disgrace, Agnesa Khamoyan of the main opposition Hayastan alliance told Sirunian. You should have been sitting in the dock for spreading hate speech. Sirunian did not retract or apologize for his offensive Facebook comments, saying that they were taken out of context. Can you tell us the context in which you swore at people? scoffed Artur Khachatrian, another parliament deputy from Hayastan. Sirunian, who had worked as a prosecutor under Armenias former governments, then claimed that his Facebook account containing Pashinians pictures is a collective page that was also used by other people. He did not name any of them. The ruling partys decision to install him as a member of the SJC was also condemned by more than a dozen Western-funded civil society groups. This candidate's inappropriate public behavior and vocabulary is persistent and ongoing and is incompatible with the principles of integrity, they said in a statement released ahead of the parliament debate. It accused him of spreading hatred towards the people of Artsakh. Civil Contract deputies defended the nomination and hit back at the opposition during the debate. Still, parliament speaker Alen Simonian did not exclude on Tuesday that the uproar will deter the parliament controlled by Pashinians party from appointing Sirunian to the judicial watchdog. Everything is possible, Simonian told journalists. Hours before the parliament vote scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, Sirunian told the pro-government news website civic.am that he voluntarily decided to withdraw his candidacy. He attributed his decision to questions raised during Mondays debate about the legality of some of his business deals. He said he does not want to damage the image of the ruling party and the judicial branch. Khamoyan dismissed the explanation, saying that Sirunian was simply ordered by Pashinian to drop out. The SJC has wide-ranging powers, including the right to nominate, sanction and even dismiss judges. The judicial watchdog fired dozens of judges, who fell foul of the government, when it was headed by Karen Andreasian, a former ruling party member, from 2022-2024. Andreasian was among six senior state officials who tendered resignation in November at the behest of Pashinian. The prime minister said he asked Andreasian to step down because he was unhappy with some of the decisions made by Armenian courts. Opposition leaders and some legal experts said the request was illegal and proved that the SJC is controlled by Pashinian. 22 January 2025 20:46 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Armenias procurement of Indian-made Trajan Towed Howitzers has heightened doubts about its intentions to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. Recently, Indian and Armenian media outlets circulated information on the deal concerning the acquisition of these weapons. However, the specific number and delivery date of the ordered howitzers were not disclosed. The Trajan Towed Howitzer, jointly developed by India's Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and France's Nexter Systems, has undergone rigorous testing by the Indian Army. While Nexter Systems provided the core design and expertise, L&T manufactured critical subsystems, ensuring seamless integration and localized production. The howitzer is a 155mm/52-caliber towed artillery gun system designed for exceptional mobility, accuracy, and rapid deployment, making it a formidable addition to any military arsenal. Key Features and Specifications: - Firing Range: Up to 42 km using extended-range projectiles. - Rate of Fire: Sustains up to 45 rounds in 30 minutes. - Crew: Operated by a team of six. - Setup Time: Ready to fire within 1.5 minutes. - Mobility: Capable of speeds up to 80 km/h on roads and 30 km/h off-road. - Weight: Approximately 13 tons, making it transportable via military transport aircraft like the Airbus A400M, Boeing C-17, and Ilyushin IL-76. Armenia, a belligerent country in the South Caucasus, has territorial claims against three of its four neighbors. As a result of its expansionist foreign policy, Armenia has waged two wars with Azerbaijan over Garabagh, which is an integral part of Azerbaijan according to international laws. These conflicts have persisted for 30 years since Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union. So, the First Garabagh War occurred between 1988 and 1994, during which Armenia invaded 20% of Azerbaijan and expelled over 750,000 indigenous people of various ethnicities. Azerbaijan initially sought to resolve the issue through negotiations, but these efforts failed, leading to a war that went down in history as the 44-day War or the Second Garabagh War. As a result of the war, Azerbaijan reclaimed its territories. Aftermath, cornered Armenia started to speak about a long-awaited peace. However, Armenia has delayed signing the peace agreement while simultaneously doubling its defense budget and increasing its armament. To put it into perspective, the Armenian defense budget exceeded $1.5 billion for the first time in its history. Armenia has imported several lethal offensive weapons from France and India since the 44-day war, which casts doubt on Yerevans intentions. To top it all off, a video of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, circulated on social networks, has sparked anger in Azerbaijani society and increased doubts about Armenias intentions. The First Garabagh War began when Levon Ter-Petrosyan was in office, and in the footage, the then-Armenian president provides insight into the ongoing First Garabagh War and the countrys future plans. In the footage, Ter-Petrosyan bluntly discloses that Yerevan will deliberately play for time to prolong negotiations, aiming for the Garabagh issue to lose momentum over time. Thus, all the aforementioned information provides many with the basis to suggest that Pashinyan is following in Levon's footsteps. More precisely, on one hand, he appears to be keen on signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, while on the other hand, he deliberately delays signing peace to arm the military for a potential new war. 22 January 2025 12:09 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more A joint working group in the energy sector will be established between Iran and Azerbaijan. Azernews reports that Iran's Oil Minister, Mohsen Paknejad, made this announcement during a meeting with Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister, Shahin Mustafayev, in Tehran on January 21. Paknejad stated that the joint working group would facilitate technical-level cooperation between the two countries and maintain focus on energy collaboration. The Iranian minister emphasized that neighboring countries are a priority in Iran's foreign policy, with Azerbaijan holding a unique position. He also highlighted that organizing meetings between the two countries is crucial for strengthening relations across various sectors. Deputy Prime Minister Mustafayev underscored the importance of mutual visits for familiarizing both countries with each other's potential and infrastructure. Additionally, the 16th meeting of the Joint Economic Commission between Iran and Azerbaijan commenced on January 21 in Tehran and will run for two days. 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. 22 January 2025 11:47 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more A concert of Azerbaijani and Russian musicians has been held at the Russian House of Science and Culture in Paris, organized by the Association Dialogue France-Azerbaijan (ADFA) in cooperation with Natalia Casuccini-Bonci and her association "Life and Growth", Azernews reports. The concert program featured the Avey duet - Agarakim Guliyev (flute) and Eldaniz Alakbarzade (piano) (our compatriots studying in France), together with Laura Volpato (cello) and Yulia Vdovina (vocals). Their performance caused thunderous applause and delight of the audience, demonstrating the power of art that unites people regardless of borders and nationalities. The Avey duet, named after Mount Avey in Gazakh, Azerbaijan, was created with a noble goal - to popularize Azerbaijani music abroad. The duo performed in a unique line-up that evening, with Laura Volpato on cello and Yulia Vdovina, whose soulful vocal style added depth and emotion to the performance. Their performance combines tradition and modernity, filling the hall with enchanting sounds and creating an atmosphere of dialogue between cultures that resonates in the hearts of the listeners. "Such performances prove that culture and art are above politics, demonstrating the greatness of the human spirit. They help strengthen friendly ties between countries, open up new horizons for mutual understanding and inspire joint creativity," the statement said. 22 January 2025 17:50 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The documentary film "Nizami: Eternal Inspiration" dedicated to the Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi, will be broadcast for the first time on television, Azernews reports. The film, commissioned by the Culture Ministry and the Azerbaijan Cinema Agency, will be presented on January 25 at 23:00 on AnewZ Television. The main goal of the project is to immortalize Nizami Ganjavi's creativity and to contribute to its promotion on an international level, targeting a global audience. Filmed in English, the documentary includes insights from prominent historians, literature, and cultural figures about the rich creativity of the great poet. The screenplay is written by Kristina Lin Morelli, directed and produced by Atakan Kerkuklu, with cinematography by Miya Lusia Keyhli Padcet and Ceremi Stefan Fut, and the editing done by Bahaddin Dastan. Nizami Ganjavi is considered one of the most prominent figures of medieval Azerbaijani philosophical poetry. The poet wrote lyrical poems, including gasidas, ghazals and rubais. He dedicated his whole life to lyrical poems, and different philosophical problems. The works of Azerbaijani poet and thinker have been translated into many languages. Rare manuscript copies of his works are kept and preserved in world-famous libraries, museums and literary foundations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Baku, Tashkent, Tabriz, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, London, Paris and others. In Khamsa (Quintet), the poet revealed the living pages of history. The attack of the Russians on Barda city, a fairy tale of the Russian Princess, the beautiful Shirin amazons, battles, described in various poems of Nizami - all this is historically and geographically related to medieval Azerbaijan and the Caucasus. Nizami Ganjavi passed away in 1209 in his native city of Ganja. A grandiose tomb was raised over his grave. 22 January 2025 21:06 (UTC+04:00) Nobel laureate, Turkish and American scientist, professor, and academician, Dr. Aziz Sancar has been awarded the title of "Turkic World Culture Ambassador" at the 40th meeting of the Permanent Council of Culture Ministers of the Turkic World Culture Organization (TURKSOY), held in Azerbaijan's Shusha, Azernews reports. During a ceremony at the Aziz and Gwen Sancar Foundation Cultural Center in North Carolina, USA, on January 19, 2025, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev announced that the honorary title was conferred upon Sancar based on a unanimous decision from the TURKSOY Permanent Council of Culture Ministers. In his address, Raev praised Sancar as a pride and inspiration for the Turkic world: Mr. Aziz Sancar, you are not only a scientist but also a valuable figure reflecting the shared consciousness and scientific genius of the Turkic world. Your Nobel-winning research is an example for all, embodying the values of Turkic culture through your humility and hard work, along with your outstanding achievements in the scientific world. Your dedication to your roots and accomplishments on prestigious global platforms motivate all of us. This title is not merely an expression of gratitude, but a thank-you from the entire Turkic world. It is our great honor to award you the title of Ambassador of Turkic World Culture on behalf of the TURKSOY member states. Professor Sancar called the title the most important award of his life, declaring it even more valuable than his Nobel Prize: This award means more to me than any other. It was my dream. TURKSOY is a very valuable organization, and I hope it will represent us all over the world. Sancar also discussed the challenges faced by the Turkic world in achieving unity throughout history, attributing much of the current progress to the leadership of Turkic-speaking nations and organizations like TURKSOY: Historically, the Turkic tribes were often fragmented. However, if today we speak of unity, much of it is thanks to our heads of state, those with a Turkic consciousness in their hearts, and organizations like TURKSOY. Reflecting on his own upbringing with a deep sense of Turkism, Sancar shared: From the age of 8, I understood that I was a Turk. I grew up with the belief in the unity of the Turkic world and Turkism. He added that he had visited all independent Turkic states except Turkmenistan, where he was welcomed with warmth and hospitality: I am a successful scientist, but there are many successful scientists. My brothers and sisters accepted me as one of their own every time I visited. I felt the Turkic unity on the lands of our ancestors and witnessed the conscious Turkism in the Turkic world. I was immensely happy. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Secretary General Raev presented Sancar with valuable gifts reflecting the unity and rich culture of the Turkic world. These included a robe from Kazakhstan, a kalpak from Kyrgyzstan, a national belt from Uzbekistan, a wolf-headed cane from Turkey, a symbol of Karabakh Victory, a lapel pin featuring Khary-Bulbul from Azerbaijan, and a special edition of Makhtumkuli Fraghi from Turkmenistan. Sancar expressed his gratitude for these honors: These gifts are symbols of the unity and solidarity of the Turkic world. Countries with Turkic populations and Turkic languages form the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY). The group launched in 1992 in Baku, Azerbaijan and Istanbul, Turkiye when the culture ministers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan pledged to collaborate. Turksoy was founded by an Almaty agreement on July 12, 1993. In 1996, an official cooperation between Turksoy and UNESCO was established, involving mutual consultations and reciprocal representation. Turksoy has six founders and eight observers in 2022. 22 January 2025 13:11 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy, particularly in transport, energy, and environmental protection, was a key topic during a meeting between Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova and members of the European Union Policy Commission of the Italian Senate, Azernews reports. The meeting highlighted the growing ties between the two countries, emphasizing achievements in the humanitarian sphere, such as the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's projects in Italy and the Azerbaijan-Italy University. The Italian delegates noted the university as a symbol of pride for Italians visiting Azerbaijan. Discussions also touched on environmental protection, with praise for the high-level organization of COP29 in Baku, which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended. The Italian side expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev, noting that the successful outcomes of COP29 underscored Azerbaijan's proactive role in environmental negotiations, reflecting the European Unions growing interest in this issue. Speaker Gafarova underlined the importance of enhancing parliamentary relations through friendship groups and mutual visits to counter misinformation about Azerbaijan in Europe. Marco Scuria, head of the Italian-Azerbaijani friendship group on interparliamentary relations, echoed this sentiment while expressing concern over bias against Azerbaijan in PACE. The meeting concluded with an interactive discussion, where questions about Azerbaijani-Italian relations, Azerbaijan's foreign policy priorities, the South Caucasus situation, and the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process were addressed. 22 January 2025 12:15 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, held discussions with Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister, Shahin Mustafayev, on enhancing bilateral relations and addressing developments in the South Caucasus, Azernews reports. This meeting followed Mustafayev's visit to Iran for the 16th session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Trade, and Humanitarian Cooperation. During the visit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also met with Mustafayev to explore avenues for deepening cooperation between the two nations. Discussions centered on current and future collaboration in economic, transport, energy, trade, investment, and humanitarian fields. Both sides highlighted the importance of joint projects and agreements in advancing these areas. According to the IRNA news agency, continuing and strengthening such partnerships could elevate Iran and Azerbaijan to the status of strategic partners. President Pezeshkian emphasized the historical and cultural bonds between the two nations, describing their ties as "brotherhood, friendship, and kinship" that transcend borders. He added, "Iran regards the development of relations with neighboring and Muslim countries as a key policy. Relations with Azerbaijan hold particular significance, and we are committed to expanding ties in all areas." The meetings reaffirmed the shared commitment to fostering deeper cooperation and addressing mutual interests, reflecting the strategic importance of Azerbaijan-Iran relations. 22 January 2025 13:18 (UTC+04:00) During the meeting, the two leaders discussed political, economic, and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. They also exchanged views on cooperation in the energy sector and regional security issues. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, on January 22 in Davos at the latters request, Azernews reports. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 22 January 2025 16:35 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Turkic states should accelerate their efforts in promoting green energy, according to Mehmet Sureyya Er, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA). Azernews reports that Er made this statement during the second meeting of the Health Committee Chairs of TURKPA member parliaments, held at Azerbaijans Milli Majlis (Parliament). The event was titled "Climate Change and Health: Response Measures in Legislation Regarding Health Impacts of Climate Change." Er emphasized the importance of international coordination to mitigate the effects of climate change and strengthen healthcare systems. He remarked, "The burden on healthcare systems is constantly increasing. Our main task is to take measures to reduce the harmful effects of climate change. This is a very difficult task. We believe that cooperation between Turkic states will contribute to promoting global efforts in solving such issues." 22 January 2025 15:46 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Cahit Bagc, made a farewell visit to the Western Azerbaijan Community on January 22 as his term of service in Azerbaijan comes to an end. Azernews reports that Aziz Alekbarli, Chairman of the Community's Board of Directors and Member of Parliament, first expressed condolences to the diplomat from the brotherly country regarding the fire in Kartalkaya district of Bolu Province, Turkiye. Aziz Alekbarli thanked the ambassador for his contributions to deepening the relations between the two brotherly countries and for his moral support on the Western Azerbaijan issue. He wished Ambassador Bagc success in his future endeavors. Cahit Bagc noted that his tenure as ambassador in Azerbaijan has left him with indelible memories and stated that Turkiye will always support the Western Azerbaijan issue, which is a matter of human rights. During the meeting, there was an exchange of views on issues of mutual interest. 22 January 2025 17:09 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more A parliamentary working group is being established between Azerbaijan and the Sultanate of Oman. According to Azernews, this issue is reflected in the proposed amendment to the decision "On the election of the heads of working groups on inter-parliamentary relations of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan." Under the project, Deputy Sabina Salmanova is proposed as the head of the Azerbaijan-Oman Sultanate inter-parliamentary relations working group. 22 January 2025 16:03 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more The Supreme Court of Iran has confirmed the execution sentence for the individual who attacked the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran. Azernews reports that the spokesperson for Iran's Judiciary System, Asghar Jahangir, announced this today at a press conference in Tehran. Jahangir stated that the criminal case has been sent to the court for execution. The court will invite the relatives of the victims. If the victims' families demand the execution, the case will be sent to the relevant authorities for implementation. It should be recalled that a terrorist attack was carried out against the Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran on January 27, 2023. As a result of the attack, one embassy employee was martyred, and two others were injured. Feature: Lao people eagerly embrace Chinese New Year as cultural exchange flourishes Xinhua) 09:47, January 22, 2025 VIENTIANE, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- As the 2025 Chinese New Year approaches on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable in Laos. The celebration has gained unprecedented attention, with more Lao people than ever eager to immerse themselves in Chinese customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. With a splash of red and gold, traditional Chinese dress Qipao, or cheongsam, take center stage. The dress has become a sought-after fashion statement among many young Lao women, adding a new layer of excitement to the celebrations. "I've always seen decorations for the Chinese New Year, it's so festive! I wanted to participate and learn more about it," Chintana, a 49-year-old mother of two, told Xinhua on Tuesday. "This year, I bought a Qipao for my daughter because I want her to experience something different while staying connected to the festive spirit. I love how the Qipao looks. It's a beautiful mix of tradition and elegance," said Chintana. A 31-year-old shop assistant selling clothes said, "The Qipao sells increasingly well each year, and I think it's because more events are being held to celebrate Chinese New Year. Many places are hosting festivities, including dragon dances, to usher in good fortune. As a result, many people buy the dress to match the events." She said that the Qipao is not only elegant but also features vibrant colors that are perfect for the celebration. The Chinese New Year celebration is also a symbol of the growing cultural ties between Lao and Chinese people. For many Lao individuals, it is an opportunity to learn more about Chinese traditions, fostering greater understanding and appreciation of China. Khampaserd, a 24-year-old student, said, "I have many friends who are Lao people of Chinese descent, and they celebrate the Spring Festival every year. They always invite us to join in the celebrations, and it's an exciting time for us. The dragon dance is so thrilling to watch -- I never get bored with it. And the food is incredible!" The celebration is not only festive but also warm, as family members come together to celebrate, share memories of a year well-spent, and wish for a good and prosperous year ahead, he added. The 2025 Year of the Snake "Happy Spring Festival" kicked off here on Jan. 17, featuring vibrant Chinese cultural performances, including dragon dances by Lao students. "I'm very excited and honored to perform the lion dance today. I hope to send my sincerest blessings to everyone," said one of the Lao students who participated in the performance. The event, decorated with zodiac lanterns and traditional Chinese New Year items, drew large crowds eager to experience Chinese culture, explore Chinese crafts and savor Chinese cuisine. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Workers cover up graffiti outside the presidents office at Stanford University after it was briefly occupied by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters on June 5, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Ending months of speculation, Stanford University will not discipline a student journalist whose case attracted national attention when he was arrested in June after following student protesters into the presidents office to cover the story for the campus newspaper, the Chronicle has learned. I can confirm that this process is complete and resulted in no disciplinary action, Stanford President Jonathan Levin wrote to First Amendment advocates on Monday in an email obtained by the Chronicle. Stanford had also pushed for criminal prosecution of Dilan Gohill, now a sophomore. That situation remains in flux, although it has been seven months and no charges have been filed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Gohill was covering anti-Israel protests for the Stanford Daily when, before dawn on June 5, he followed a dozen student protesters who barricaded themselves in the presidents office and caused extensive damage during their short occupation before sheriffs deputies arrived. Wearing his press pass, Gohill was arrested with the protesters and held at the Santa Clara County jail. All were released after about 15 hours. Since then, First Amendment advocates have decried Stanfords continuing threat of discipline and prosecution against Gohill who, they say, had a legal right to cover the protest. Stanford still says that Gohill violated campus policy when he accompanied the protesters. Stanford has a very strong set of policies to protect free expression, including by student journalists, Levin wrote in his email Monday. But those rules are not a license to violate university rules or state laws. A sheriffs deputy with the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office stands near the site of a former pro-Palestinian encampment at Stanford University after a group of protesters briefly occupied the university presidents office nearby on June 5. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Levin wrote in response to an email he received Friday from the First Amendment Coalition in San Rafael and the Student Press Law Center in Washington, D.C., urging him to stop pursuing discipline against Gohill. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As for the criminal case, Levin wrote that Stanford will let the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office determine how to proceed based on the evidence it has assembled. Months earlier, on June 10, the university leaders released a statement saying they fully support having (Gohill) criminally prosecuted and referred to Stanfords Office of Community Standards along with the other students, who broke into Building 10, a large building in which the presidents office is housed. University officials did not respond Wednesday when asked why Stanford is not now recommending that the district attorney drop criminal proceedings. Sean Webby, a spokesperson for the district attorneys office, said Wednesday that no charges against Gohill or the protesters have yet been filed. Gohills attorneys said they dont think it will happen. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If Gohill is charged, I would get him acquitted with my eyes closed, and then Id turn around and sue them all for malicious prosecution and punitive damages, attorney Nick Rowley of Trial Lawyers for Justice, who is representing Gohill free of charge, told the Chronicle. Dilan did not break into any building, Rowley said. He didnt vandalize any property. Nor did he create the barricade that left him trapped with the protesters. He went in an already open door that students were allowed access to. Students had key cards. The discipline status of the dozen protesters arrested with Gohill remained unclear. All were initially suspended and barred from campus, while seniors were not allowed to graduate. Reached Tuesday, Gohill said he didnt know that Stanford had lifted any discipline until his lawyers told him about it. I feel so great that its finally over after seven months, he told the Chronicle. Obviously, I feel anxious about pending criminal charges. But this is an incredible step forward. It lifts a load off my shoulders not just for me, but for student journalists across the country who may be experiencing similar things. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dilan Gohill, a Stanford University student and journalist with the Stanford Daily, was arrested alongside a dozen protesters who broke into the administration building, locked themselves inside and caused extensive damage in the early hours of June 5, 2024. Courtesy of Dilan Gohill Gohill, 19, is majoring in international relations and still works at the Stanford Daily but on the business side of the independent newspaper. He said he has come to appreciate every dinner with friends and every paper he has to write because he never knew if it he would get an email the next day saying the university was expelling him. It definitely freaks you out, he said. Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel for the Student Press Law Center one of the two First Amendment advocacy groups whose letter to Stanford triggered Gohills reprieve told the Chronicle on Wednesday that the group is relieved at the news. Even so, he said, its mind-boggling that the university took this long to acknowledge what should have been a simple decision. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In their Friday email, the groups urged Levin to abandon the case against Gohill, an undergraduate student who has for more than half a year faced the prospect of felony charges and academic discipline for the act of covering the news. Given that Stanford invited the police response and has publicly endorsed Gohills prosecution and disciplinary referral, it must now publicly call for that prosecution and threat of punishment to end, wrote Hiestand and Ginny LaRoe, advocacy director for the First Amendment Coalition. Their letter referenced a lengthy Dec. 9 letter from 11 alumni in law, journalism and college administration expressing grave concern that Stanford was pushing the prosecution of a student who wore a press pass on June 5 and filed dispatches to the Stanford Daily. All the facts and the relevant law establish that Dilans actions were lawful, the alumni concluded. Columbia Journalism Reviews Bill Grueskin, who wrote an analysis of the situation on Dec. 4, said there was plenty of evidence that Gohill had entered the building as a reporter, and not as a protester. 22 January 2025 16:38 (UTC+04:00) On January 22, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Johnnie Moore, President of the U.S. Congress of Christian Leaders, at the latters request in Davos. According to Azernews, the discussion emphasized Azerbaijan's commitment to religious freedoms, noting with satisfaction that representatives of various nations and religions have historically lived in peace, tranquility, and harmony in the country. The meeting included an exchange of views on the positive prospects for Azerbaijan-U.S. relations during Trumps tenure. President Ilham Aliyev stated that the Biden-Blinken administration exhibited a biased stance towards Azerbaijan, which resulted in a crisis in bilateral relations. The head of state described the reinstatement of Section 907 as an expression of ingratitude by the Biden-Blinken administration. The sides also discussed the future trajectory of Azerbaijan's relations with the Trump administration. 22 January 2025 17:45 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in Davos on January 22 at the latters request, Azernews reports. Odile Renaud-Basso congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the successful organization of COP29, emphasizing the significance of the outcomes achieved. She discussed several ongoing projects between Azerbaijan and the EBRD, including the Bank's approval to finance the water management project in Ganja. Odile Renaud-Basso shared details about the credit lines dedicated to supporting projects in collaboration with the country's banking sector, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and sustainable development projects. Highlighting key projects slated for implementation in the country, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the ongoing initiatives in water management, transportation, and the development of Baku. During the conversation, the sides discussed the export of green energy to Europe, as well as regional cooperation projects and opportunities with both Georgia and Central Asian countries in this context. The meeting concluded with a signing ceremony. A loan agreement for the Reconstruction of the water supply and wastewater system of the city of Ganja was signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development by Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy, and Jurgen Rigterink, EBRD First Vice President. 22 January 2025 09:00 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The promise made by US President Donald Trump to lead the race to explore and develop Mars signifies an intensification of the space rivalry between the United States and China, Azernews reports. However, experts suggest that this competition does not necessarily have to be confrontational. Yang Dali, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, whose views are quoted by the publication, believes that this competition could present China with an opportunity to "learn from the United States." He argued that the rivalry may not be as intense or confrontational as it is often perceived and could be characterized by a form of constructive competition, rather than the kind of negative rivalry typically imagined. As the expert noted, entrepreneur Elon Musk has emphasized that space exploration is essential for the advancement of human civilization, regardless of which country leads the charge. He sees competition as a mutually beneficial process where Chinese companies, for instance, "learn from Musk and catch up with him, such as through the development of reusable rockets." Professor James Chen from Tamkang University in Taiwan also expressed confidence that space exploration competition is not inherently hostile, given the potential benefits it holds for humanity. In his view, "Trump's mention of Mars in his speech was largely aimed at furthering Musk's ambitious plans." In his inaugural speech to Congress, Trump declared that the United States would strive for the stars by "sending American astronauts to plant the star-spangled flag on the planet Mars." This evolving race for space exploration reflects the increasing global importance of space technologies, not only for national prestige but also for their potential to solve critical challenges such as resource scarcity, climate change, and even the survival of the human species. As countries and companies compete, the push to explore and develop Mars could accelerate technological advancements that benefit humanity as a whole, from enhanced space travel to innovative applications in fields like AI, robotics, and environmental sustainability. 22 January 2025 20:21 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva In South Korea, the birth rate increased in 2024 for the first time in nine years, Azernews reports. A total of 220,094 children were born in the country from January to November 2024, marking a 3 percent rise compared to the previous year. The increase in the birth rate occurred alongside a rise in the number of marriages in 2023, the first increase in 12 years after many couples had postponed weddings due to the pandemic, according to Reuters. Previously, the country had seen a decline in the birth rate for eight consecutive years, with the figure hitting a record low of 0.72 children per woman in 2023. South Korea remains at the bottom of the global rankings in terms of birth rates. In response to the country's demographic challenges, the South Korean government implemented various measures in 2023 to encourage young people to marry and have children. This included declaring a "national demographic crisis" and announcing plans to create a new ministry to address the issue of low birth rates. Many of the government's measures focused on financial support, such as a one-time tax cut of 500,000 won ($349.35) per person for couples who marry between 2024 and 2026. However, the government emphasized that it would adopt a more comprehensive approach in tackling the issue moving forward. Interesting Note: South Korea's efforts to address its demographic challenges reflect broader trends seen across East Asia, where countries like Japan and China also face declining birth rates. These trends are contributing to concerns about aging populations and shrinking workforces. The policies being introduced in South Korea could set a precedent for other nations grappling with similar issues, especially as governments around the world explore innovative solutions to support growing families in an increasingly uncertain economic climate. As Kerry McQuisten watched Donald Trump take the oath of office as Americas 47th president on Monday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C., she felt that she was completing an exciting journey that started more than two years ago. McQuisten, who grew up in Baker County, attended the event on Nov. 15, 2022, when Trump, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, announced he would run in the 2024 election. We were there at the beginning, McQuisten, a former Baker City mayor and 2022 Oregon gubernatorial candidate, said in a phone interview on Tuesday, Jan. 21. McQuisten attended both the 2022 event, and the inauguration, with her boyfriend, Solomon Yue, the Oregon Republican Partys national committeeman to the Republican National Committee. Due to frigid temperatures, the inaguration was moved indoors to the Capitol rotunda. McQuisten and Yue watched the event from Capitol One Arena, where a massive screen was set up to broadcast the ceremony. McQuisten said they were invited to other events, including a reception with members of Trumps cabinet, as well as the Starlight Ball, the final event that Trump attended on Monday. McQuisten said the president arrived about midnight. She said the ball was amazing. Over the past two years, McQuisten said she and Yue have visited Mar-a-Lago multiple times and met Trump. Weve been able to meet and shake hands several times, and once in a while you get to have a conversation, she said. They were invited to Trumps election night watch party Nov. 5 at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida. In addition to helping raise money for Trumps campaign, McQuisten and Yue are members of Republicans Overseas, an organization founded in 2014 to keep Republican voters who live outside the U.S. politically informed. Yue is vice chairman and CEO of Republicans Overseas, and McQuisten is the organizations senior advisor. One of Republicans Overseas key policy positions, which Trump endorsed during the campaign, was to end double taxation of Americans who live and work in other countries. Nine million Americans who live overseas can have their income taxed twice, McQuisten said. She said that during a conversation with Trump during the campaign she asked him why he was seeking a second term. McQuisten said Trump told her daughter, Vivien, who was 12 at the time, that he was doing it all for her and her generation. His entire goal has been restoring and protecting our freedoms for the upcoming generation, McQuisten said. According to video footage obtained by the FBI, Daniel Goodwyn entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, wearing dark sunglasses and a red MAGA hat. FBI Four men and one woman with ties to the Bay Area received pardons for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, or had their pending charges dropped by President Donald Trump in his executive order issued hours after he took his oath of office on Monday. The Bay Area five included one Mill Valley dad who fled to Belarus and received political asylum status, and another San Francisco man who got arrested for his involvement only last week. Another San Francisco J6er convicted for his role in storming the nations capital as lawmakers prepared to certify the 2020 presidential election attended inauguration activities in Washington, D.C., before the pardon news broke. Im just praying for pardons for all J6ers no man left behind! wrote Daniel Goodwyn of San Francisco on Monday on his X account with a selfie of himself wearing a black MAGA hat with inauguration festivities simulcast behind him at Capital One Arena. Later, after Trumps pardons, Goodwyn reposted a number of messages from freed J6ers and a link to Trumps official executive order. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump went beyond his campaign promise of pardoning many of the roughly 1,500 supporters who tried to stop the election certification in 2021. He pardoned all of those convicted, dropped charges in pending cases and commuted other sentences. At least 1,583 individuals had been charged in crimes related to the breaching of the Capitol, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, including more than 600 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. A video still released by the FBI shows officers attempting to push a barricade back into place near the U.S. Capitol as Evan Neumann of Mill Valley allegedly keeps his grip on the barricade on Jan. 6, 2021. FBI It appears former Mill Valley resident Evan Neumann, who was indicted by federal prosecutors on 14 criminal counts, including charges of assaulting four officers, will be allowed to return to the United States and reunite with his family and two children. In early 2022, Belarus granted the 52-year-old political asylum, but he was wanted by the FBI. A year ago, Neumann told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat he was cautiously optimistic Trump might pardon him. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Goodwyn, 36, serves as president of the local chapter of the California Republican Assembly, a right-wing faction of the San Francisco Republican Party. Goodwyn had pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly entering a restricted building. He received 60 days in prison. A still image taken from police body-worn cameras during the Jan. 6 insurrection allegedly shows Frank Peter Molinari Giorgi Jr. pushing Capitol police officers. Giorgi Jr. was arrested and charged Jan. 15 for his alleged attacks on officers during the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but he had his charges dropped by President Trump five days later. U.S. Attorney's Office Just last week, four years after the insurrection attempt, the FBI arrested Frank Peter Molinari Giorgi Jr., 36, in San Francisco alleging he assaulted law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6 insurrection, along with other charges. Giorgi Jr. is linked to the citys Molinari salami family, which has operated P.G. Molinari and Co. for more than a century. Prosecutors alleged that Giorgi wore a black hooded sweatshirt and bright red knit hat and was captured on police body camera footage charging a Capitol police officer, throwing his body into a line of retreating cops and striking another officer in the head. Giorgi was arrested Jan. 15, and Trump dropped his charges five days later. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A screenshot of Mariposa Castro (in red), formerly of Gilroy, is seen on a livestream video taken by another individual in Room ST-2M of the Capitol building during the attack on Jan. 6, 2021. United States Department of Justice Mariposa Castro, formerly of Gilroy, received her pardon. Castro, who moved to Tennessee, spent 45 days in prison after crawling through a broken window that day in Washington. The FBI said it reviewed video from U.S. Capitol cameras during times in which Daniel Shaws cellphone was identified as being inside. In reviewing the footage, FBI personnel identified Shaw, of Santa Rosa, as being inside the Capitol, specifically entering through the Rotunda doors, while holding what appears to be a cellphone in his hand, as though he was filming or photographing his entrance. FBI Daniel Shaw, 58, of Santa Rosa, who pleaded guilty to demonstrating in the Capitol building, received his pardon Monday. He served 10 days in prison and remained on probation. David Misch, 63, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for killing two women in 1986. Rafe Swan/Getty Images A man convicted of killing two young women whose naked bodies were found along a Fremont road in 1986 was sentenced this week to 50 years to life, prosecutors said. David Misch, 63, was convicted last month of two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Jennifer Duey and Michelle Xavier, whose bodies were discovered along Mill Creek Road on Feb. 2, 1986, in a case that went unsolved for more than three decades. Misch is already in prison, convicted in 1990 in the fatal stabbing of Margaret Ball, 36, in Hayward a year earlier. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At his sentencing at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin on Tuesday, Misch became disruptive, singing as family members of the victims spoke of their loss and forcing bailiffs to remove him from the courtroom, according to the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl Roberts, who is in charge of the office in the interim as a result of former District Attorney Pamela Prices recall, blasted Mischs actions. David Mischs behavior in court was not only reprehensible but a blatant display of no remorse for taking the lives of Jennifer Duey and Michelle Xavier, Roberts said Wednesday in a statement. Roberts noted that the families waited nearly four decades for justice for the tragic and senseless murders. Duey, 20, and Xavier, 18, attended a birthday party the night before their bodies were discovered. They were last seen together in a 7-Eleven store, according to a 1986 article in the Chronicle. The case went unsolved until bits of skin discovered under Dueys fingernails were found to contain Mischs DNA, prosecutors said. The link was made with the use of technology that was not available at the time of the crimes. The new evidence led to the charges in the double-murder case in 2018. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At trial, Misch said his DNA was under Dueys fingernails because he had tried to save the two women from an armed kidnapper, but prosecutors said he shot and stabbed the two women before dumping their bodies on the side of the road. Prosecutors theory relied in part on a partial license plate number linked to Misch that was written on one of the victims hands. The largest Planned Parenthood health center in the U.S. has opened in Oakland. Officials are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 1. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle The largest Planned Parenthood health center in the U.S. has opened in downtown Oakland, officials said. The building, located at 1400 Broadway, is officially named the Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Barbara Lee Oakland Health Center, officials said. It opened on Dec. 17 and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for the center on Feb. 1. The 12,000-square-foot center has 19 exam rooms and offers services including abortions, birth control, gender-affirming care and HIV services. Officials said the center will allow Planned Parenthood Mar Monte to see more patients in a region that has an acute need for our services. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte locations in California and Nevada have seen patients from 39 other states, officials said. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte serves more than 300,000 people between its health centers and educational programs, according to officials. The opening of the center comes amid worries about actions President Donald Trump will take to restrict abortion care during his administration. In October, JD Vance, now Trumps vice president, told reporters that he and Trump were in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood. In 2019, during Trumps previous presidential term, his administration blocked federal funds from organizations that provided abortion referrals, the New York Times reported. I am deeply humbled by this recognition, said Lee in a statement. To have a Planned Parenthood health center with my namesake is a great honor, and one I do not take lightly. It is because of the persistence, fight, and values of organizations like Planned Parenthood that we are able to continue pushing for reproductive justice. May this center be a symbol for all of those that stand up for womens health care and may we continue to lead the fight toward reproductive freedom for all. Officials said Lees service as an Oakland representative and her advocacy for health-care access made her a natural choice to be the centers namesake. Rep. Lee has also been a stalwart champion of reproductive rights and was among the first members of Congress to publicly share her own abortion story, powerfully illustrating that abortion care is health care, officials said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad NI farmer warns of decimating effect of foot-and-mouth disease amid overseas outbreak Over 50,000 infected animals were put down during the last major outbreak here Foot and mouth disease primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals (Getty) Abdullah Sabri Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 07:44 A Co Tyrone farmer has warned of the devastating consequences of foot-and-mouth disease amid an outbreak in Germany. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, Chief Operating Officer Pamela McCreedy and Chair of Northern Ireland Policing Board Mukesh Sharma during the launch of a recruitment campaign at PSNI HQ on January 22nd 2025 (Photo by Kevin Scott) The PSNI has launched a new recruitment campaign as part of its drive to attract new student officers who want to make a difference. The force is seeking to draw the best talent and those who want to help others to the role which has a starting salary of 34,000. A three-week long multi-faceted advertising campaign is being rolled out in across the media including social and digital platforms urging people to embark on the 22-week training programme. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, Chief Operating Officer Pamela McCreedy and Chair of Northern Ireland Policing Board Mukesh Sharma during the launch of a recruitment campaign at PSNI HQ on January 22nd 2025 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Allison Morris takes a look at the PSNI recruitment drive Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said he wants the PSNI to be seen as an employer of choice and be representative of the community we serve. Being a police officer is where you will change lives for the better because of the positive difference you will make for people and communities, he added. It is a challenging and rewarding career where you play a vital role in protecting people and the communities you serve. Mr Boutcher continued: It is an exciting career, where no two days are the same. "With a starting salary of 34,000 on your appointment as a student officer, you will have the chance to learn and develop new skills as you progress through your career with access to a wide range of training opportunities you may never have thought possible. You will have the opportunity to attain and access qualifications, and you will be supported every step of the way. There is no other job like it and we want people from all walks of life, from all communities, to join us. The application process for Student Officer Recruitment will close at 3pm on February 12. Read more Titanic Belfast hiring 80 new staff in recruitment drive It comes a week before the PSNI launches its next Call Handler competition. The vacancies have been hailed as fantastic opportunities for anyone interested in joining the police. Well be undertaking a range of outreach and engagement activities in the coming weeks to encourage people from all communities, particularly those currently under-represented within the service, to apply for a career in policing, Mr Boutcher said. We must be reflective of the communities we serve if we want our communities to have confidence in us as a police Service. We want to attract the best talent and be an employer of choice. If you share our values if you have empathy, respect, integrity and courage and you want to make positive change across Northern Ireland, and make a difference, apply today to join the police service, which I believe, having been a police officer for over 40 years, is one of the best police services in the world. Supporting the new recruitment campaign, NI Policing Board chair Mukesh Sharma said the police officer post offers a wide, varied and challenging role and one that provides the reward of a professional career with the ability to make a positive difference to the safety of our community. Policing is a career that also offers new opportunities for learning, development, promotion and progression, he added. "As a Board we encourage people from all walks of life and community backgrounds to consider policing as a career of choice as we want policing to be reflective and representative of the diversity of the community it serves. Stormonts justice minister has welcomed the move which she said is part of a longer-term strategy to recover officer numbers to their former levels and provide stability for the PSNI going forward. Naomi Long also said she is pleased to support the campaign. "The need to recover policing numbers is widely accepted and this new recruitment campaign will help alleviate some of the short-term pressures being felt within its ranks, she added. Following October monitoring, I prioritised additional funding to where I believed it would make the most impact. 36.7million was allocated to the PSNI to fully meet the pressures identified and to sustain and stabilise policing in this financial year and I will continue to seek the best possible financial package for justice in Northern Ireland. In regards to the advertising campaign, Mrs Long said she hopes it will inspire those considering a job in policing to apply for the role. "Policing is a career offering opportunities for all and I encourage anyone with an interest to apply, she continued. Read more Belfast dominance of cyber sector sparks calls for jobs to be rebalanced Meanwhile, the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) described the recruitment drive as an essential first step towards re-building officer numbers. Its chair Liam Kelly said: Our hope is that this is a turning point. We have to halt the decline in officer numbers and work towards bringing the size of the Service up to where it needs to be. Reaching a headcount of 7,000 within three years is the ambition but it is all heavily conditional on the PSNI receiving a budget that allows it to go out and recruit. Mr Kelly said current numbers are 700 below the target and 1,200 short of the figure recommended for a peacetime service of 7,500. Our officers face appalling work pressures with units and sections operating dangerously below strength, he added. This is a crisis that has to be tackled for the sake of our entire community and right now, I dont see any appetite from our political leaders to confront the challenge. Todays recruitment drive launch is most welcome and an important starting point, but we will have to wait until March before we know the budget allocation for policing from the Department of Justice. "This will qualify what the PSNI can afford to bring into the service. "We are wholly supportive of this announcement and will continue to be engaged with the Service in helping to shape and configure the recruitment initiative. From left, Connected Health managing director Michael Carty, its CEO Dougie Adams, Chris Nixon from BGF, Theresa Morrison of Connected Health, Ryan Williams, Connected Health and Scott Christie, Connected Health, outside its head office in Tallaght Belfast-based homecare provider Connected Health has said it plans to create 1,000 jobs after receiving funding from investor BGF. The company said the investment from BGF would enable it to grow its footprint and diversify its services through organic growth and acquisitions. It said it plans to hire 1,000 carers in the next two years to meet demand for high-quality homecare. Connected Health said it aims to revolutionise community care. It said the jobs would be spread around all regions it operates in, both north and south of the border. Connected Health said it had also strengthened its leadership team by appointing Scott Christie as chair, Marc Murphy as chief financial officer and Theresa Morrison as chief operating officer. Chris Nixon, representing BGF, also joins the board. The company had appointed Michael Carty as managing director in July. Connected Health chief executive Dougie Adams said: This partnership with BGF marks an exciting chapter for Connected Health. "BGFs support will allow us to scale rapidly, both in terms of geographical reach and service delivery. "We are committed to creating a further 1,000 jobs, expanding our team of carers to meet the growing needs of communities across Ireland. "With a robust governance structure and fresh leadership, we are in an exceptional position to lead the transformation of homecare and continue delivering excellent services at scale. "The appointments of Scott Christie, Marc Murphy, Theresa Morrison and Michael Carty are invaluable to our future direction. "They bring a wealth of experience and entrepreneurial drive that will help us grow responsibly while staying true to our mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care." Chris Nixon from BGF said it saw tremendous potential in the homecare sector in the Republic. Our support will help the business expand its footprint and capabilities, ensuring more individuals can access outstanding care in their communities." Cormac Fadden has been appointed general manager of the Culloden Estate and Spa A new general manager whos worked in Dublin and New York has been appointed at the Culloden Estate and Spa. Cormac Fadden has joined the five-star luxury resort following three years in the role of hotel manager at Castlemartyr Resort in Co Cork. Mr Fadden also worked as revenue and resident manager at The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin for more than six years, and was part of the team at the Hilton DoubleTree in the city. He also worked at Fitzpatricks Hotel in New York. He has both a BSc and MSc in hotel and restaurant management from Technological University Dublin as well as a diploma in digital marketing. Culloden Estate and Spa, which is part of the Hastings Hotels Group, was the first Northern Ireland hotel to be given five-star status, back in 1996. Cormac Fadden has been appointed general manager of the Culloden Estate and Spa James McGinn, managing director of Hastings Hotels, said: "We are delighted to welcome Cormac Fadden as general manager of the Culloden Estate and Spa. "With his extensive experience in luxury hospitality and a proven track record of excellence, we are confident that Cormac will continue to enhance the Cullodens reputation as Northern Irelands premier five-star retreat. "His leadership and passion for guest experience align perfectly with our commitment to delivering world-class service, and we look forward to seeing him drive the hotels continued success. Mr Fadden added: It is a privilege to lead the exceptional team here at Culloden Estate and Spa in Belfast, where tradition meets modern luxury. "Together, we will continue to create extraordinary guest experiences, ensuring every visit is memorable to Culloden Estate while maintaining the timeless elegance that our guests have come to expect. I am passionate about hospitality, and I am determined to build on the outstanding reputation that Culloden Estate holds. My focus is to build a culture of excellence, and I look forward to shaping the future of this remarkable hotel, alongside a passionate group of professionals. The Culloden Resort and Spa near Belfast News Catch Up - Wednesday 22 January Sir Stephen Fry has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is not immune from being contaminated with peoples hatred, weirdness and grooming. The actor, 67, also said there are certain human activities where technology can become deleterious, mentioning competitive sport as an example. Belfast dad killed in Spain was stabbed before being shot, autopsy reveals Spanish authorities confirm three separate arrest warrants out for the individual suspected of carrying out the killing John George Allison Morris and Gerard Couzens Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 07:00 An autopsy carried out on murdered Belfast man John George prior to his body being returned to Northern Ireland showed he was stabbed before being shot. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails performs at the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Mexico. The band announced its 2025 Peel It Back Tour, with the U.S. leg starting in the Bay Area. Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press Nine Inch Nails plans to return to the stage with the Peel It Back Tour 2025, marking the bands first live outing in three years. The U.S. leg will kick off on Aug. 6 at Oakland Arena, following the tours European debut on June 15 in Dublin, Ireland. Produced by Live Nation, the European leg will take the industrial rock pioneers through several major cities, including stops in the U.K., Germany and Switzerland. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The band will also headline festivals across Europe, including Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, Opener Festival in Poland and Mad Cool Festival in Spain. The North American leg will include stops in Toronto; Vancouver, British Columbia; Portland, Ore.; Chicago; and New York, among others. The tour is scheduled to conclude on Sept. 18 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood (Los Angeles County). Tickets for the Peel It Back Tour 2025 will go on sale at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 29, via the bands official website, www.nin.com. Nine Inch Nails, led by Trent Reznor, initially planned to announce its tour earlier this month but held off after the wildfires across Los Angeles broke out. We are all watching the devastation that is unfolding in California and have paused our announcement while people try to deal with all that is happening, the band said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Irelands main opposition parties have rejected claims that they had reneged on a deal with Government over a speaking rights row that prevented the nomination of a new taoiseach. The Irish parliament failed to nominate a new taoiseach on Wednesday after what Government officials described as unprecedented scenes of disruption. Opposition figures objected to the Governments attempts to proceed with the business of the Dail over a dispute around speaking rights. The central question is whether independents who have agreed to support the proposed Government can be allocated opposition speaking time. It comes after several independent TDs agreed to enter into a Government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Some of those independents are to be given jobs as Ministers of State while the remainder want to join a technical group, which is a mechanism designed to allow opposition TDs to sit in groupings of at least five members to gain an allocation of speaking time. This has been categorically rejected by opposition parties who feel that the independents in question are effectively Government TDs and should be allocated time through the Government Chief Whip. The Government and independents in question have argued that the existing parliamentary standing orders allow for them to join technical groups, adding that the rules can only be changed through a Dail Reform Committee which would require a new Government to be formed. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called the claim that you can be in government and in opposition at the same time a clear and patent absurdity. Speaking to the media alongside the leaders of the other main opposition parties in a rare show of unity, she said the dispute was farcical but added that it was mess created by Government. She said: This is not simply about speaking time, this is about the definition of the opposition. This is about the capacity and the mechanisms for holding the government to account. You cannot have government supporting TDs posturing as members of the opposition, that makes a farce of the whole notion of holding a government to account. This is an important matter. We would not be standing here collectively but for the fact that this is absolutely fundamental and we have to get it right from the get go. Senior Government and opposition figures met during an hours-long suspension of the Dail on Wednesday in an effort to resolve the dispute, however the talks concluded in a stalemate. The two sides remained entirely at odds on Wednesday evening with the heavily divided Dail due to resume on Thursday morning. Ms McDonald said: We are united in our position that the Government cannot contrive to have Government TDs designated as members of the opposition. She accused the Government of incredible arrogance in trying to ride roughshod over the collective opposition and said they would be failing the democratic process if they did not take a firm stance on the row over opposition speaking time. The Government Chief Whip, Fine Gael TD Hildegarde Naughton, claimed Sinn Fein had blocked the democratic process. Ms Naughton also told reporters that opposition parties had reneged on an agreement. She said: There was an agreement made that we would allow the democratic process to continue so opposition could have come into the Dail and voted down or voted against Government which is how democracy works, you have a strong opposition, you have government we agreed that, we shook hands on it, and they reneged on it. She added: We understand democracy, but I dont think Sinn Fein and some of the others in opposition do, it is absolutely anti-democratic, and were in a really shameful position tonight. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said there had been an attempt to stop Mr Martin being nominated as taoiseach. However, opposition leaders rejected claims that a deal had been agreed and denied their actions had anything to do with preventing Mr Martin from becoming taosieach. Ms McDonald said it was not true that there were handshakes on a resolution on the dispute, adding: There was no agreement reached, thats a misrepresentation. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that while the opposition parties had their differences, they agreed they could not agree to a situation where TDs that agreed a programme for government were treated as part of the opposition. She said: We simply cannot stand over a situation where those TDs who are actively engaged in supporting and constructing a programme for government can somehow also be designated as opposition TDs. Its simply not tenable. Its a chaotic situation. Social Democrats deputy leader Cian OCallaghan added: What happened at all today should never have happened, it should never have come to this. Independent Irelands Michael Collins argued that the very word democracy is at question here. [The regional independents] want their bread buttered on both ends, and it cant work, he added. Solidarity-People Before Profits Richard Boyd Barrett said Mr Harris and Mr Martin were allowing the Government-supporting independents to sabotage the democratic process. It doesnt only undermine the opposition, it makes a mockery of the government themselves, he said. The opposition leaders said they would collectively write to the Ceann Comhairle and Government leaders seeking a meeting to resolve the matter. Mr Martin said the Government parties were prepared to work on opposition concerns over the speaking rights row. The Irish parliament has been suspended twice amid a row over speaking time rights afforded to independent politicians who were part of a negotiating team in the Government formation talks. Chaotic scenes descended in the Dail on Wednesday as TDs clashed over a decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to keep their speaking time as part of opposition technical groups. It led to a series of interruptions and lengthy dispute over their speaking rights. The speaker (Ceann Comhairle) of the House, Verona Murphy, was forced to suspend matters, however, after returning about 20 minutes later, the chamber was again interrupted by angry scenes. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald arrives at Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA) Ms Murphy suspended proceedings for a second time for around 30 minutes. It has led to a delay in the nomination of the taoiseach. Several Sinn Fein representatives have objected to Government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. In particular, they noted that Sinn Fein had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election. The partys chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn had called for the Dail to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute. As Mr Mac Lochlainns party colleague Matt Carthy continued making objections, Ms Murphy said she would suspend the Dail for 15 minutes. She made the decision after Mr Carthy did not return to his seat and the suspension was not for Sinn Feins request of a meeting of the Business Committee. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Upon the resumption of the Dail after a suspension, the Ceann Comhairle said she would deal with the dispute over speaking time expeditiously. She said this meant before February 5, when the Dail is planned to return after Wednesdays proceedings. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier criticised the decision on speaking rights. She described it as a cynical and unprecedented ruse from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in past Dails and in past governments, but this takes the biscuit, she added. What is proposed today is anything but fair, anything but independent, and is completely unacceptable to those of us in Sinn Fein and, I believe, to the opposition as a whole. Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have also criticised the decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to be allocated opposition speaking time. Labours Duncan Smith said the public is angry about the arrangement. They are really angry. And I would like you, Cean Comhairle, to commit a deadline as to when you will make an adjudication upon the joint opposition submission on this matter and make a decision that is in the goodness of the entire parliament and every member in this House, he said. Us in opposition believe there is only one answer to that question. Independent TD Michael Lowry outside Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA) Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the arrangement was ludicrous. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was a farcical start to the new Dail term. Michael Lowry, who chaired the Regional Independents Group during the negotiations, said the Committee on Standing Orders and Dail Reform will make a decision on the groups request to sit on the parliaments opposition benches. The Ceann Comhairle (House speaker) has been referred for advice and, as of today, we will sit (on the opposition benches) and then it will go to the Reform Committee of the Dail, and the committee will make a decision and we will come back for a full ratification, he told reporters. That will happen in the next couple of weeks. Fianna Fail did that in their confidence-and-supply arrangement. Ive been here for 25 years, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar, I supported them all through opposition and I will do the same. It will be an issue for the Dail Reform Committee and when that decision is taken, we will get on with the business. The Dail has been adjourned until 9am tomorrow morning as a row over speaking rights led to a breakdown in proceedingsGovernment leaders describe situation as subversion of ConstitutionOpposition say Government engaging in farce over speaking time A new taoiseach will not be elected today due to a lengthy row over speaking rights. The 34th Dail sat for just a matter of minutes this morning before outbursts forced new ceann comhairle Verona Murphy to suspend the house. The Dail has now been adjourned until tomorrow morning. Government leaders have accused the Opposition of engaging in a "subversion of the Constitution" by not electing a taoiseach, while Opposition politicians have said the Government is engaging in a "farce" by allowing TDs who support the Government to speak on Opposition time and resources. Heres a live blog to keep you up to speed with all the breaking news of a big day at Leinster House. Police officers at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham (Jacob King/PA) A funny and sweet 12-year-old boy was stabbed to death as he walked home in Birmingham, a family member has said. The boy, who has not been named, was found with serious injuries near Scribers Lane in Hall Green shortly after 3pm on Tuesday and was taken to hospital, but died as a result of his injuries. A boy aged 14 has been arrested on suspicion of murder, West Midlands Police said. In a written statement issued to BBC News, a member of the victims family described him as the most beautiful, kind child, and the nicest kid you would meet. The family member added that the boy was funny, sweet and had not one aggressive bone in his body, and had been walking a 10-minute route home. Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy (CCSA) in Yardley Wood, where the boy is said to have been a pupil, shared a statement saying it was a sad time for the school community. They said: Our condolences and deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of one of our CCSA students. This is a very sad time for our school community and we are focusing on supporting our students, staff and families with professional support. As this is a live police investigation, we are unable to share any further details with you. At this difficult time, we would urge parents and carers not to contact the school office unless it is for an emergency. Police have cordoned off several entrances to the Shire Country Park, which includes a stretch of the River Cole. Residents living near a riverside path leading into a wooded area of the park spoke of their shock at discovering the victims age and that he had died from his injuries. A police officer stands at a cordon close to the scene of the stabbing (Jacob King/PA) One resident, who declined to give her name, said a member of the public had knocked on her door shortly after 3pm on Tuesday asking for the areas postcode to assist emergency services in reaching the scene. She told reporters: The first thing I knew was a gentleman came and asked for the postcode as somebody had been injured. He just came and knocked the door. We had two police cars and then a helicopter. I found out somebody had been stabbed last night but it wasnt till this morning that I realised the poor little soul had died. Another woman, who said her son was in the same school class as the 12-year-old who died, said she believed the victim was walking home through the park. Police have cordoned off several entrances to the Shire Country Park (Jacob King/PA) Some areas of the park where the attack happened, close to Trittiford Mill pool, had been plagued in the past by anti-social behaviour involving local youths, some riding quad bikes, one resident claimed. Its been a weekly occurrence, the woman said. Its a short-cut for school children before and after school, but sometimes there are people just hanging around near a car. Police are asking anyone with information to use the major incident public portal or call 101 quoting log 3324 of January 21. Detective Inspector Joe Davenport, from the West Midlands Police major crime unit, said: Were urgently reviewing CCTV and speaking to witnesses as we work to understand what happened and why, and who was responsible. Neighbours living close to the scene said they were shocked at the age of the victim (Jacob King/PA) If you were in the area at the time and saw what happened, or think you may have captured any part of what happened on dashcam or mobile phone, its vital you get in touch with as soon as possible. The fatal stabbing happened on the day that MPs were told following the Southport murders that a ban on knife sales to under-18s has not proved effective. The sale of knives with a fixed blade of more than three inches long to under-18s is illegal in England and Wales, with retailers facing fines or prosecution if they breach the law. But Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has revealed that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was easily able to order a knife on Amazon, when he was still aged 17 and had been convicted over violence. She told MPs: Thats a total disgrace and it must change. So, we will bring in stronger measures to tackle knife sales online in the Crime and Policing Bill this spring. The family of a jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist hope David Lammy can secure his release when he visits Egypt on Thursday. The Foreign Secretary is expected to press for Alaa Abd El-Fattahs release during his meetings with Egyptian government officials. Mr Abd El-Fattah, 43, has been detained in Egypt since September 29 2019, and in December 2021 was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news. Laila Soueif, during her hunger strike in Whitehall (Family handout) He has spent most of the past decade in prison because of his criticism of Egypts rulers and is unable to see his young son who lives in Brighton. His mother, Laila Soueif, 68, has spent 115 days on hunger strike and has vowed not to eat until he is freed. Ms Soueif said Mr Lammy should bring Alaa back with him on the plane, adding: I have not eaten or taken any calories for 115 days, and I am tired. I am tired of being on hunger strike and I am tired of sitting outside Downing Street waiting to die. I dont know how much time I have left, and I desperately want to see my son a free man. I believe that the Foreign Secretary should be able to secure Alaas release on this visit and bring my son back to his family in the UK. Please Mr Lammy, bring Alaa back with you. I dont know if direct negotiations are happening, but weve been assured publicly and privately that Alaa is the number one issue for the Government. So now I can only wait. Mr Lammy last week told the Commons that freeing Mr Abd El-Fattah is the number one issue and senior UK officials will do all we can. He also said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made representations over the case with his Egyptian counterpart in recent days while the national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, also visited the country this month. Other issues expected to be discussed by Mr Lammy on Thursday include efforts to counter irregular migration and Egypts role in helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Mr Lammy is also expected to attempt to boost trade and investment ties at the second meeting of the UK-Egypt Association Council. Campaigners have previously urged the UK Government to hit Egypt with trade penalties until authorities free Mr Abd El-Fattah. Home Office figures show 129 people made the journey in two boats on Tuesday, taking the provisional total for 2025 to date to 1,019 (Gareth Fuller/PA) More than 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, hitting a new record. Home Office figures show 129 people made the journey in two boats on Tuesday, taking the provisional total for 2025 to date to 1,019. It means it has taken 21 days since the start of the year for crossings to top 1,000 the quickest time on record that the milestone has been reached for any calendar year. (PA Graphics) In 2022 a record year for crossings the number of people arriving in the UK after making the journey did not reach 1,000 until January 23, PA news agency analysis of Government data since the crisis began in 2018 shows. And in 2024 the total reached 1,000 on January 28. This time last year 621 people had arrived in the UK after making the journey compared with 280 in 2023 and 963 in 2022. Crossings continued on Wednesday, with people wearing life jackets pictured being brought ashore from a Border Force boat in Dover, Kent. A Royal Navy submarine has been used to warn off one of Vladimir Putins spy ships operating around UK waters. Defence Secretary John Healey gave details about the activities of the Yantar, which he said the Russians used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure. Mr Healey warned Mr Putin we see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country. Defence Secretary John Healey said a submarine had been ordered to surface near the Yantar (Jordan Pettitt/PA) He told MPs the Yantar was in the North Sea having passed through British waters in recent days, where it had been shadowed by Royal Navy ships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne. But he said it was the second time the Yantar had entered UK waters in recent months. In November, the ship was also closely watched and detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps, he told the Commons. I can confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean. The submarine is understood to have been one of the UKs Astute-class nuclear-powered attack boats. RFA Proteus monitoring the Yantar in November (Royal Navy/PA) On the Yantars return to the waters around the UK on Monday, Mr Healey changed the Royal Navys rules of engagement to allowing shadowing vessels to get closer. The Defence Secretary said: The foreign ship Yantar is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters. Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure. Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday. For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters. I changed the Royal Navys rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation. The UK and Nato allies are increasingly concerned about the risk Russia poses to offshore cables, pipelines and other infrastructure. P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint spy planes will join the Nato operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea, while survey and surveillance ship RFA Proteus has also been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure. The Defence Secretary said Russia was dangerous but fundamentally weak, as he referenced the casualties the country had suffered during the war in Ukraine and its decision to draft in troops from North Korea. He said: Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the change to the Navys rules of engagement sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond. A Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine was used to warn off one of Russian President Vladimir Putins spy ships operating around UK waters. The hunter-killer submarine was ordered to surface close to the Yantar after the Russian vessel was caught loitering over critical undersea cables. Just weeks later the Yantar returned to UK waters and the Royal Navys rules of engagement were changed to allow warships to sail closer to the spy vessel to monitor its activities. HMS Somerset with the Russian spy ship Yantar (Royal Navy/PA) Defence Secretary John Healey gave details of the operations in a Commons statement. In a direct message to Mr Putin he said: We see you, we know what youre doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country. Mr Healey said the Yantar was used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure. The incident involving an Astute-class attack submarine occurred in November. Mr Healey said the Yantar was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure and to deter any potential threat, I took measured steps then as part of a clear direct response to the Russian vessel. RAF maritime patrol aircraft, minehunter HMS Cattistock, offshore patrol vessel HMS Tyne and surveillance ship RFA Proteus were deployed to shadow Yantars every movement. Mr Healey added: I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean. It headed back towards the UK earlier this week and was shadowed by Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and the Tyne. Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday, the Defence Secretary said. For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters. I changed the Royal Navys rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The vessel had since sailed into the North Sea, he told MPs. The UK and Nato allies are increasingly concerned about the risk Russia poses to offshore cables, pipelines and other infrastructure. P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint spy planes will join the Nato operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea, while RFA Proteus has also been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure. The Defence Secretary said Russia was dangerous but fundamentally weak, as he referenced the casualties the country had suffered during the war in Ukraine and its decision to draft in troops from North Korea. He said: Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the change to the Navys rules of engagement sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond. Katja Bego, senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank, said the incident followed a repeated pattern of the Yantar engaging in suspicious activities in the North Sea and elsewhere and called for governments to introduce more redundancy in undersea cables to reduce the impact of any damage caused by Russian interference. She added: It is commendable that John Healey has been so vocal in calling out this most recent Yantar incursion. Nato needs to speak with one voice on these increasingly more brazen hybrid activities and it is of the utmost importance that Nato countries and others bolster their response to these kinds of increasingly frequent incidents. Will Scharf assists as President Donald Trump signs an executive order at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington on Jan. 20. Susan Walsh/Associated Press President Donald Trumps stall of the TikTok ban is political theater, many Bluesky users say. So are other executive orders, others alleged, made during his first days back in office, from renaming the Gulf of Mexico to ending birthright citizenship to asserting that the federal government recognizes only two genders. Calling an action mere political theater, however, writes it off as fakery or conciliatory fan service. Political theater, the thinking goes, is all smoke and mirrors distracting us from policy failures and issues of substance. When a politician cant solve real problems, he conjures tempests in teapots in order to rage back against them or magically clear the air once again. Only a fool usually someone whose politics dont align with yours falls for it. But as with actual theater, not all political theater is created equal. Some of it is shudderingly effective, to the extent that it ceases to be theater. Advertisement Article continues below this ad President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on his first day in office, Jan. 20. Evan Vucci/Associated Press Some of Trumps executive orders are supposedly political theater because theyll likely face legal challenges or because Congress might not fund them. In other words, Trump can make such proclamations in the way a dog barks at speeding traffic or an actor represents murder onstage. He looks tough, decisive and active, without actually doing anything. Yet we call these executive orders political theater at our own peril, and not just because these threats could uproot and dehumanize millions. Doing so doesnt always defang them; it normalizes evil. It says things that are harmful are harmless, paving the way for worse harms still: No one was that horrified last time; lets see what else we can get away with. Usage of political theater as such began to take off in the 1960s. Writing in the Los Angeles Times in 1961, Henry J. Taylor coined the phrase shoddy piece of left-wing kabuki to criticize President John F. Kennedys State Department. But every era has its own version. Joseph Schommer as Brutus, left, and Libby Oberlin as Caesar perform in We Players 2018 Caesar Maximus in San Francisco. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle Grandstanding came into vogue around the turn of the last century, in the William Jennings Bryan era. Propaganda, in its non-Catholic Church meaning, was making inroads in the mid-1800s. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeares Brutus has a theatrical plan for winning public approval after he assassinates the emperor: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Let us bathe our hands in Caesars blood Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords: Then walk we forth, even to the market-place, And, waving our red weapons oer our heads, Lets all cry Peace, freedom and liberty! But then such visions are outshone by some of the most effective stagecraft in the Western canon. Co-conspirator Cassius warns Brutus about it. You know not what you do, he says. Do not consent that Antony speak in (Caesars) funeral. Know you how much the people may be moved by that which he will utter? Rotimi Agbabiaka performs as Mark Antony in Caesar Maximus, We Players 2018 adaptation of Shakespeares Julius Caesar, in Golden Gate Park. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle In the famous ensuing oration, Antony even uses props Caesars body, Caesars will. But however heartfelt he seems, immediately after, when hes by himself again, he dismisses all he just said, the mob violence he fomented, as mischief. In other words, it was all political theater. The good news that might sound like bad news is that even if political theater is potent, and potentially deadly, its only because we allow it to be. Politicians dont hold a monopoly on what their political theater means. Just as in actual theater, their audiences have agency. Oscar Velarde as Ajax the Juggler performs in Caesar Maximus, We Players adaptation of Shakespeares Julius Caesar, at the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 26, 2018, in San Francisco. Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle The historian Jeremy C. Young, in The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870-1940, has a relevant parallel in the sociologist Max Webers notion of charismatic leadership. Charismas transience and instability meant that followers could easily dethrone leaders they no longer deemed charismatic, he writes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Revelations about the man who admitted the killing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport and the Prime Ministers pledge to overhaul online terror laws dominate the front pages of Wednesdays newspapers. The Times is one of several papers to concentrate on Axel Rudakubana ordering a knife from Amazon when he was under the legal age of 18. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Rudakubana is labelled The Amazon Killer in The Sun, while the Daily Mirror says a terror guide found at his home is still available online and echoes Home Secretary Yvette Coopers words that the purchase was a total disgrace. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Sir Keir Starmers promise to overhaul terrorism laws to remove the tidal wave of online violence features on the front of The Guardian, above a picture of a man released from prison after being pardoned for his part in the January 6 2021 Capitol riots by US President Donald Trump. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The i paper concentrates on the same story, say the Government has put tech giants on notice of further regulation. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Metro calls the steps a war on misfits, the Daily Express using the same word to describe a new threat to the country. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Trumps plans also feature prominently on the front pages, The Independent saying the new president holds all the cards in trade talks with the UK, while the Financial Times says he was widened his economic war to taxes with fresh trade tariffs on the way. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Back home, The Daily Telegraph says people who owe more than 1,000 in wrongly claimed benefit payments and have ignored requests to return the money face a two-year ban from driving. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Jobs occupy the front of the Daily Mail, which says Chancellor Rachel Reeves is heading to a World Economic Forum meeting in Davos on the back of more bad news, including a slump in jobs. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content And the Daily Star warns of the arrival of Storm Eowyn at the end of the week. Australian detectives are investigating whether foreign actors are paying criminals to commit antisemitic attacks in the country, police said. Australia Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw was meeting on Wednesday with state police chiefs to discuss an increase in antisemitic crime in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 2023. We believe criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents, Mr Kershaw told reporters in the national capital, Canberra. So part of our inquiries include: Who is paying those criminals, where those people are, whether they are in Australia or offshore, and what their motivation is. He did not take questions from reporters. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Kershaw told federal and state government leaders on Tuesday in a briefing on antisemitism that detectives were investigating 15 serious allegations of antisemitic crime. We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs, Mr Kershaw said after Tuesdays meeting. We are looking at if or how they have been paid, for example in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify, he added. Police were also investigating whether young people were involved in antisemitism and if they had been radicalised online and encouraged to commit antisemitic acts, Mr Kershaw said. Prime minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday declined to comment on who might be paying for antisemitic crime in Australia. He told reporters: It is important that people understand where some of these attacks are coming from and it would appear that some of these are being perpetrated by people who dont have a particular issue, arent motivated by an ideology, but are paid actors. An arson and graffiti attack on a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue on Tuesday is the latest in a spate of targeted attacks in Australias largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which are home to 85% of the countrys Jewish population. The fires and other attacks have targeted buildings, businesses and cars. One person suffered burn injuries in a fire that was set at a Melbourne synagogue in December. After the childcare centre fire, New South Wales Police said the number of detectives working for Strike Force Pearl, which was formed to investigate antisemitic crime, had been doubled from 20 to 40. Strike Force Pearl detectives arrested a 33-year-old man on Tuesday night and charged him with attempting to burn down a synagogue in the inner-Sydney suburb of Newtown on January 11. A liquid accelerant burned out without the building catching fire. Red swastikas were also painted on an exterior wall. Police say the mans alleged accomplice was expected to be arrested soon. Guerrilla attacks have killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee their homes in the Catatumbo region (AP) The Colombian border village of Tres Bocas has become a ghost town as residents flee to neighbouring Venezuela to escape a new wave of violence in Colombias Catatumbo region that has left at least 80 people dead and displaced thousands. According to the United Nations, more than 18,000 people have fled the north-eastern region as fighting between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and a rival group known as the FARC-EMC intensifies. Of those who had fled, about 1,000 have sought shelter in Venezuela. Many of them are afraid of the firefights that have broken out in rural areas, said Jaime Botero, president of a community association in the town of Tibu, which is about six miles to the west of Tres Bocas. Thousands of people have been displaced by the violence (AP) Located on Colombias border with Venezuela, the Catatumbo region has around 300,000 residents and produces 15% of Colombias coca crop. The FARC-EMC and the ELN have long battled for control of the region and its lucrative drug trafficking routes, but had recently held a truce. Violence escalated last week when members of the ELN attacked civilians, accusing them of collaborating with the FARC-EMC, with ELN rebels reportedly dragging people out of their homes and shooting them at close range. Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks with the ELN on Friday, accusing the rebels of committing war crimes. There have been widespread calls for the violence to stop (AP) On Monday night, Mr Petro said he would issue an emergency decree that would enable him to pass legislation related to the conflict without congressional approval. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of civilians, including former combatants who signed the 2016 peace agreement, during the violence, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. And he is also concerned by the reported displacement of thousands of civilians. The Secretary-General calls for an immediate cessation of acts of violence against the civilian population and for unhindered humanitarian access, Mr Haq said late on Tuesday. The United Nations urged the ELN and other armed groups in the Catatumbo region to respect civilians rights. The UN said that two human rights defenders were killed last week. Former El Salvador president Mauricio Funes, who spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences, has died aged 65. Nicaraguas Health Ministry said Mr Funes had died of a serious chronic illness. He governed El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. He lived his final nine years under the protection of Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega, whose government had given him citizenship, allowing him to avoid extradition. The former president had pending sentences in El Salvador for corruption and making deals with the countrys powerful street gangs that amounted to more than 26 years, but he never set foot in prison. The journalist-turned-politician came to power with the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), the leftist party born of El Salvadors civil war and a powerful national political force for three decades that was left with no seats in the Congress after last years election. Mr Funes was born in San Salvador on October 18 1959. He worked as a teacher in Catholic schools, but later made his name as a war reporter and hosted a highly popular interview show that took on controversial topics. He interviewed multiple heads of state, worked at two television stations and was a correspondent for CNN from 1991 to 2007, winning multiple awards. Then the FMLN came calling, offering to make him their candidate and he won the 2009 elections, defeating Rodrigo Avila of the conservative National Republican Alliance, better known as Arena, that had governed the country since 1989. Mr Funes was a fresh face, not someone directly involved in the civil war as the party tried to remake itself with a less bellicose image. At the time, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez praised Mr Funes as tenacious and someone who would not shy away from El Salvadors problems. But by the time he left office, Mr Funes was hounded by accusations of corruption. In 2016, he fled the country. He always denied the accusations and said his troubles were all part of political persecution. But he was tried in absentia six times and convicted in each one. Two people were killed in the incident (Ralf Hettler/dpa via AP) Two people, including a two-year-old boy, were killed and three others injured in a stabbing attack in Bavaria, German police said. The suspect, a former asylum-seeker who was supposed to be leaving Germany, was arrested after the attack on Wednesday. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that authorities must clear up why the suspect was still in the country. Police said the incident was not a terror attack (Ralf Hettler/dpa via AP) He said the attack, a month before a national election in which curbing irregular migration is a major issue, must have consequences. The attack occurred just before noon in a park in Aschaffenburg, a city of about 72,000 people. Bavarias top security official, Joachim Herrmann, said the assailant attacked the boy, who was part of a group of kindergarten children, with a kitchen knife. He said the two-year-old of Moroccan origin was killed, along with a 41-year-old German man who was passing by and appeared to have intervened to protect the other children. Bavarian officials said two adults and a two-year-old Syrian girl were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment, and none of their lives were in danger. Other passers-by chased the suspect and he was arrested 12 minutes after the attack, Mr Herrmann said. He said the suspect, a 28-year-old Afghan national, had come to authorities attention at least three times because of acts of violence. On each occasion, he was sent for psychiatric treatment and later released. Rescue and security workers at the scene in Aschaffenburg, Germany (Ralf Hettler/dpa via AP) The suspect is believed to have arrived in Germany in November 2022 and applied for asylum in early 2023, Mr Herrmann said. On December 4, he told authorities that he would leave the country voluntarily and would seek papers from the Afghan consulate. A week later, German authorities formally closed asylum proceedings and told him to leave. Police will work over the coming days to identify his motive, Mr Herrmann said, adding that suspicions so far point to his psychiatric illness. A first search of his room at a refugee home found no evidence that he had radical Islamic views, and only turned up medicine that would fit with his psychiatric treatment, he said. The attack is politically sensitive a month before Germanys national election. Mr Scholz issued a strongly-worded statement condemning what he called an incomprehensible act of terror. I am tired of such acts of violence happening here every few weeks by perpetrators who came to us to find protection here, he said. Mistaken tolerance is inappropriate here. Authorities must clear up at high pressure why the attacker was still in Germany at all. That must lead to immediate consequences it is not enough to talk, Mr Scholz added. He did not elaborate. Following a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant in Mannheim in May that left a police officer dead and four more people injured, Mr Scholz vowed that Germany would start deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria again. He vowed to step up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers following a knife attack in Solingen in August in which a suspected Islamic extremist from Syria is accused of killing three people. At the end of August, Germany deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. President Donald Trump looks on during a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement is not reached to end the war in Ukraine. The US already prohibits the import of virtually all Russian products, and Russia has faced a multitude of US and European sanctions since the invasion began almost three years ago. In a post to his Truth Social site on Wednesday, Mr Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to settle now and stop this ridiculous war. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via video conference in Moscow (Gavriil Grigorov/AP) He said he had no desire to hurt Russia which he noted had played a major role in securing victory for the Allies against Nazi Germany in the Second World War and has a good relationship with Mr Putin, but warned of the penalties if the war is not stopped soon. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries, he said. Mr Trump has been sceptical of the billions of dollars the Biden administration provided Ukraine in weapons and other material to defend itself. He has often spoken of his desire to end the war and said on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office. That has not happened. The problem with the threat is that other than a small amount of fertiliser, animal feed, inorganic material like tin, and machinery, Russia currently exports very little to the US that could be subject to tariffs. Oil had been Russias largest export to the US, but such trade was zeroed out in 2023. The US imported a total of 2.8 billion dollars worth of these products from Russia in 2024, a tiny fraction of US imports and a precipitous drop from 2023, when it was 4.5 billion dollars, and 2022, when it was 14.4 billion dollars, according to US government statistics. And, Russia is already one of the worlds most heavily sanctioned nations. Many of those sanctions relate to its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and were imposed under President Joe Biden, but others predate Mr Biden. Some were imposed during Mr Trumps first term in office, and some date back to Russias 2014 seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. In addition, other participating countries such as Iran and North Korea, the two most often accused of helping Russia in the Ukraine war, are subject to even more US sanctions. Shutterstock.com In the Bible, we never see the word abuse, but the term oppression (meaning crushing or burdening someone by the abuse of power or authority) is everywhere. God designed the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman to be holy and sacred union connected and dedicated to God. However some men abuse that covenant, and step over the line into abusive behaviors both emotional and physical. Gods design of marriage places the husband as the wifes partner, lover, protector, provider, and spiritual leader, not her dictator. When your husband loves you like Christ loves us, theres no room for being unkind or abusive. The husband is responsible for loving and treating his wife like he would treat Christ. When a women is in an abusive relationship, she is likely to feel alone, mentally broken, and helpless. God, though, is still with these souls. He is ready to help guide them through this suffering to find light on the other side. What the Bible Says About Abuse In the Bible, all violence is considered an offence against God and against humanity. Scripture is full of condemnations of violence. Time and time again violence is associated with wickedness and condemned as detestable to the Lord (Psalm 11, Proverbs 3 & 10). Psalm 10 says: "His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity." These are not the type of men that God want us to be around, and He does not condone their behavior. In particular, violence against women is condemned. In Jewish law, rape was viewed as equivalent to murder (Deuteronomy 22:26), as was pressuring a woman physically (Deuteronomy 22:2527) or psychologically (Deuteronomy 22:2829) into sex. The Bible recounts many stories of the horrific sexual abuse of women. In Old Testament narratives, rape is viewed as an outrage. The Bible uses the term nebalah. This is a term which only occurs 13 times in the Old Testament and is reserved for extreme acts of violation against God and human beings, including the rapes of Dinah, Tamar, and the woman of Bethlehem. God is on the Victim's Side It may seem obvious that the person who abuses is the sinner but some Christians have attempted to justify or excuse abuse using Scripture to back them up, however, this goes against the very nature of God, who is love. God is on the side of the oppressed and abused (Psalm 56). Even in troubled relationships were one is provoked, the Bible speaks out against responding with violence (Ephesians 4:26, Luke 6:45). The Bible views all forms of domestic violence as sin (Psalm 11:5, Colossians 3:19), including verbal abuse (Proverbs 12:18, Colossians 3:8), and exhorts us to protect ourselves from violent people (Proverbs 27:12, Proverbs 11:9). While not everyone has the ability to leave an abusive partner, it is not wrong to attempt to do so if possible, and the Bible encourages victims to seek safety (Proverbs 22:3, Luke 4:28-29, Matthew 18:15-17). The scriptures clearly express Gods desire for a dramatic transformation of society for those who are burdened, marginalized, or unjustly treated (Luke 4:18-21, Proverbs 14:3, Matthew 9:13, Mark 3:4-5). Jesus refuses to play by the rules of violence and power (Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 26:52, Mark 10:41-45). This new revolution, which was modeled by Jesus, means that the powerful should give up their privilege to the vulnerable, the abuser should stop using violence against those powerless to resist, and the institution should stop ignoring the trauma of the abuse survivor. A Prayer For the Abused If you know someone who is being abused, encourage them to get to safety. It's important to also help start a dialog with Christ on the matter. With His guidance and strength, He can help end this cycle. Use this prayer to help get you started. Gracious God, You created us in Your image and breathed life into us, a life You want us to live abundantly. We ask You to free those living with abuse physically, mentally or spiritually, from their oppression, so that they may walk in peace and enjoy a life full of Your blessings. We pray that You open our ears, our eyes, and our hearts to be more aware, outreaching, and supportive to people in abusive situations, so that they wont feel alone and know that someone cares. Let us love them as You have loved us. Be with the women who are in doubt about their intimate relationships. Give them clarity of mind and peaceful hearts so that they can make good decisions guided by Your love. Let them discern any abuse that exists so that they can learn to care for themselves with Your help. Let those who are causing harm acknowledge that they are hurting another, so they can learn to abhor their own behavior and come to true repentance and amendment of life. Keep us all safe in our relationships. In Jesus name. Amen. We can see throughout the Bible that God is not passive about violence committed against women. God acts decisively and compassionately through Jesus to call all people to love mercy, act justly, and nurture healing and justice for everyone. There is no excuse for committing abusive behavior. It is a dark sin condemned by God, and He will not stand for it. Our Lord wants us to live a life that is full of love, care, compassion and kindness, just like Jesus shows us each day. Women deserve to live a life they are not afraid of. God is with them. Megan Bailey is a content producer and digital marketing specialist specializing in social media marketing. She attended James Madison University where she received a degree in psychology. Shoppers select prepared food items from the deli at Suruki Supermarket in 2021. The market is one of many great options for prepared foods in the Bay Area. Lea Suzuki/Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Tteokbokki (rice cakes), left, and japchae (sweet potato noodles), right, from EM Deli + Catering in Montclair. Elena Kadvany/The Chronicle The wide array of banchan at Korean market EM Deli + Catering in Montclair. Elena Kadvany/The Chronicle No delivery fees. No minimum order. No tipping required. This isnt some scammy new food app or meal kit service. Its the prepared food section at great Bay Area markets. Yes, you will have to bring the food home yourself. And yes, you may want to reheat and plate it. But the Bay Areas many grocery stores and takeout specialists present a convenient and economical alternative to another night of restaurant delivery or cooking yet another meal. The good news is, wherever you are in the region, youre probably not far from excellent frozen lasagna, an expertly roasted chicken or a fridge full of banchan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Below, the Chronicle Food & Wine teams favorite options for prepared food, in alphabetical order. Caleb Pershan Inside Apres Vous, which recently opened in West Portal. MacKenzie Chung Fegan/The Chronicle Apres Vous With its black-and-white checkerboard floor and old movies projected on the wall, this carryout eatery and retail shop in West Portal is far more charming than it needs to be. Staff at the counter are friendly as well, offering samples of dishes behind the glass case in small paper cups. That tiny taste sold me on both the beef stew ($21.99/lb), which I ate over a side of garlic mashed potatoes ($9/lb), and the sausage peperonata ($13.99/lb), pleasantly sweet and loaded with zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. I didnt sample the lasagna ahead of time ($9.99 for a sizable square), but it was a family favorite. If I lived nearby, it would surely be a go-to weeknight dinner. MacKenzie Chung Fegan 345 Taraval St., San Francisco. apresvoussf.com Advertisement Article continues below this ad B-Dama supplies Berkeley Bowl with a variety of prepared Japanese meals, including sushi and fried chicken, as seen Jan. 12, 2025 at Berkeley Bowl West. Janelle Bitker/The Chronicle B-Dama at Berkeley Bowl Berkeley Bowl might be most heralded for its produce section, but the prepared foods area is nothing to sneer at. Youll see packaged fare from many familiar brands: Burma Superstar salads, Bowld kimchi fried rice, cheesy hand pies from Ediths Pie. The biggest spread comes from B-Dama, which occupies an entire cold case near the deli. A rainbow of sushi trays sits alongside the likes of crispy chicken katsu fanned over noodles and rice bowls topped with ikura and lightly seared salmon. Need a snack? The rice balls known as onigiri are cleverly packaged, the seaweed in a separate plastic sheet so it stays crisp. Prices feel reasonable for what you get (think $8 for a roll or $3 for onigiri), especially given the chef responsible is Chikara Ono. Ono, a kaiseki-trained chef from Japan, is best known for his high-end Japanese restaurants, Delage in Oakland and Utzutzu in Alameda. But his first restaurant was a tiny izakaya called B-Dama, which now lives on at Berkeleys most famous grocery store. Janelle Bitker 2020 Oregon St. and 920 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. berkeleybowl.com Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bi-Rites Russian Hill location seen in San Francisco in 2024. The chain of three markets stocks reliable prepared food, in addition to groceries and ice cream. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Bi-Rite Market This overachieving grocer, now with three San Francisco locations, prides itself on the quality of its fresh produce, meat and veggies. But why cook them when Bi-Rites commissary kitchen in the Bayview has done it for you? An achiote chicken salad ($15), a version of the popular sandwich, makes a handy lunch or dinner; for more substantial entrees, there are soups like matzo ball ($12.59) and bowls like tofu garlic chile noodles ($12) and salmon teriyaki ($16). For snacks, the dips are a good bet the hot pink beet hummus ($6.29) is sweet and slightly smoky. And for dessert, you could of course grab some pints of Bi-Rites popular ice cream ($11.59) the extra creamy salted caramel is a signature but the jarred pots de creme $8), in flavors like chocolate and butterscotch, have their fans as well. Bi-Rites cheffy roots come from second-generation owner Sam Mogannam, a restaurant chef who took over his dads corner store in the Mission District in 1998. C.P. 3639 18th St., 550 Divisadero St., and 2140 Polk St., San Francisco. biritemarket.com Comforts in San Anselmo, as seen in 2014. The market is known in particular for its Chinese chicken salad. Stephanie Wright Hession Comforts Chinese chicken salad from Comforts: Residents of Marin County speak these words in hushed tones. The signature dish from the popular San Anselmo market is served in a Chinese takeout-style container filled to the brim with pulled Marys chicken breast (or equally satisfying tofu), crispy rice noodles, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, scallions, shredded lettuce and a slice of orange ($17). The dressing, a sesame rice vinaigrette, is so popular they sell it by the bottle. (This being Marin, its also gluten-free.) If you cant bear to bring it all the way home, you could have it for lunch on the patio outside, then for dinner bring back a container of hearty soup, like curried lentil or butternut squash. Now run by second-generation owner Erin Miwa, Comforts has been an area favorite since 1986. Locals still descend from morning, for pastries baked in-house, to afternoon, for meals at Comforts adjacent cafe. C.P. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 33b5 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo. comfortscafe.com An exterior view of Contimo is seen in Napa in 2022. Known for its biscuits, Contimo also serves food to reheat at home. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Contimo Provisions The main draw at Napas Contimo Provisions is its fluffy biscuits, the best in the Bay Area, according to Chronicle associate restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez. But the heat-then-eat dinner offerings at this casual spot, like pot pie topped with those signature biscuits, are a serious sleeper. Contimo has over 200 prepared food dishes that it rotates through, which means the menu changes daily. During winter, the provisions fridge is stocked with hearty comfort dishes, like a healing chicken and potato soup ($18.50), pork ragout ($19.50) grab some Flour + Water pasta from Contimos gourmet marketplace to complete the dish and Burmese-style pumpkin curry ($19.50). The butcher case offers prepared meats ($11-22 a pound), such as bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, porchetta pork shoulder roast and marinated chicken. For dessert, Contimo always has fresh-baked cookies, like the Big Debra, its spin on the classic Little Debbie. Theres also a small yet fantastic wine selection, plus plenty of nonalcoholic options to complete your meal. Note: Contimo closes at 3 p.m., so youll need to plan ahead. Jess Lander 950 Randolph St., Napa. contimonapa.com Advertisement Article continues below this ad Em Deli & Catering Every visit to EM Deli & Catering in Oakland is a delightful discovery: What fresh banchan or hot Korean dishes will the market have today? Tucked away in the quiet Montclair Village, this unassuming convenience store is one of the Bay Areas best sources for prepared Korean foods. The deli case is stocked throughout the day with a wide variety of banchan ($3.99-$7.99), from classic kimchi and stir-fried fish cakes to sticky cubes of braised sweet potato and spicy anchovies. Pair them with gyeran-mari, egg rolled around seaweed and green onions ($7.99), or several kinds of jeon (a savory pancake, $8.99). Theres always a selection of ready-to-eat hot food (mostly $7.99), like allium-forward japchae (stir-fried sweet potato noodles) or tteokbokki (saucy, chewy rice cakes), while a fridge is stocked with nourishing Korean soups. Raid the markets extensive selection of Asian chips and frozen desserts to round out your meal. EM Deli & Catering, which originally operated in downtown Oakland for more than 20 years, opened in Montclair in 2019 and also runs a smaller store in San Francisco. Elena Kadvany 6119 La Salle Ave., Oakland. 714 Post St., San Francisco. emdelicatering.com Greens & Grains at the Alameda Marketplace features a variety of prepared foods like salads, pastas and rotisserie chicken. Mario Cortez / The Chronicle Greens & Grains at Alameda Marketplace Even with bags full of fresh produce and specialty pantry items, shoppers at Alameda Natural Grocery cant steer their eyes away from the hot, plump rotisserie chickens at Greens and Grains on the way out. The kitchen counter offers Marys chickens by the quarter ($9.99), half ($14.99) and full bird ($23.75) wafting with rosemary and spices. Accompanying dishes from the cold display include kale Caesar salads, roasted beets, and classic potato salads. A rotation of hot daily specials includes enchiladas, mac-and cheese and chicken pot pies. Whether youre hauling a full dinner home to the family, or having a quick bite at the outdoor seating section, grabbing a few items is as quick as can be. Mario Cortez 1650 Park St., Alameda. greensandgrains.net A fried booboo set at Joodooboo in Oakland, California on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. The restaurant and casual banchan shop is a great option for prepared food. Adahlia Cole/Special to the Chronicle Joodooboo Joodooboo in Oakland is one of the Bay Areas finest banchan shops, the side dishes that tend to anchor a Korean dining table. The shops creativity shines through seasonal Californian ingredients, which might mean marinated greens, fermented fruits or braised tubers that are transformed into memorable supporting characters. You can pick up a 4-pack ($13.50), fluffy white rice ($3) and a side ($4.50), or a 12 oz container ($9), of freshly made tofu, and you have the makings of a breezy picnic lunch. Make sure to also grab some of that magical dooboo sauce ($2), a zingy elixir created specifically for the tofu. Cesar Hernandez 4201 Market St., Oakland. joodooboo.co Little Original Joes, an extension of the restaurant Original Joes, which opened in West Portal and then in the Marina, pictured above. Yuri Avila/The Chronicle Little Original Joes The West Portal market thats a spinoff of the beloved Original Joes restaurants is popular for its takeout pizzas, sandwiches and rotisserie chickens. But those in the know can skip the often-considerable wait time for made-to-order dishes and head straight for the freezers in the back of the diminutive shop. Here, youll find frozen trays of lasagna, eggplant parm, chicken parm and stuffed shells, plus desserts like butter cake classics that will be familiar to many Original Joes fans. They all just require a little time in the oven. (Pro tip: If you like a crispy top layer, ignore the instruction to cover the baked-pasta trays in tinfoil.) To supply yourself with a real feast at home, supplement your freezer meal with other items that Little Original Joes carries from cherished local purveyors: a slab of Liguria Bakery focaccia and a Zanzes cheesecake. Esther Mobley 393 West Portal Ave., San Francisco. littleoriginaljoes.com There's almost always a line for the prepared foods at Rockridge Market Hall in Oakland, pictured above in 2025. Elena Kadvany/The Chronicle Rockridge Market Hall When cooking dinner feels futile, this upscale Oakland market will save you. The prepared foods counter at Rockridge Market Hall is perpetually busy, filled with people raising their hands in anticipation as their number is called. Employees are constantly filling pint containers with seasonal salads that could be served at any respectable, produce-driven restaurant, from kale studded with lentils, olives and salty feta to farro with smoked chicken and arugula (priced by weight; the most popular ones are often sold out by early evening). Warm foods rotate often, from ragu to a warming gigante bean stew with broccoli rabe ($10.95/pound) or weekend specials like cauliflower-potato fritters with lemon aioli. There are always several kinds of succulent rotisserie chicken ($9.95/pound), which staff will break down for customers by request. If youre up for boiling water but not much more, hit up the fresh pasta case and pair your pick with any of Market Halls excellent premade sauces. If you need to round out dinner with cheese, wine or dessert, the store is well stocked with all of the above. E.K. 5655 College Ave., Oakland. rockridgemarkethall.com To-go sushi in the case at the popular Suruki Supermarket in San Mateo in 2021. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Suruki Supermarket This Peninsula institution, open since 1974, is a local destination for to-go sushi and other prepared Japanese foods. Head to Suruki in downtown San Mateo for high-quality sashimi at reasonable prices, rolls, onigiri and bento boxes with everything from chicken katsu to grilled mackerel. Those in the know show up at 4 p.m. for Surukis highly anticipated, daily half-off sale; since everything is made fresh, it helps the store clear out for the next day. Just know you may have to wait in line and respect the markets sale rules, including, please do not run or push and hiding food is not allowed. E.K. 71 E 4th Ave., San Mateo. surukisupermarket.com New World Market in the Richmond District is a fully stocked Russian deli. MacKenzie Chung Fegan/The Chronicle New World Market When I asked if the dish labeled eggplant and garlic should be heated up, the woman behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy. Are you kidding? Its mostly mayonnaise. There are plenty of salads that arent mayo-based at this well-curated Russian market, which besides prepared foods carries everything from fancy French butter to Eastern European beers. Id recommend the Vostochny salad, a Central European melange of roasted eggplant and peppers, or one of the many beet-based options. On the meatier front, cabbage stuffed with rice and chicken or pork is hearty winter fare, and the braised lamb shanks with mushroom sauce are worth a trip to the Outer Richmond alone. M.C.F. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Friends and fellow chefs recall Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in San Francisco as an uncompromising and inspiring presence. John Storey/The Chronicle 2015 Vietnamese omelette with gulf shrimp and pork shoulder at the Slanted Door in San Francisco. John Storey/The Chronicle 2015 Lemongrass-braised Niman Ranch beef short ribs with roasted baby vegetables served at Out the Door in San Francisco, the now-closed, casual spinoff of the Slanted Door. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2009 Chefs who knew and admired Charles Phan, the Slanted Door chef-owner who died suddenly of cardiac arrest on Jan. 20, are mourning the loss of a figure they called a generous, boundary-pushing food icon. A refugee who fled Vietnam by boat with his family at age 13, Phan helped create a new standard for his native cuisine in America, they said. Chefs, colleagues and friends praised his bold reinvention of Vietnamese food, beginning in 1995 with the original location of his restaurant. Several said that Phan belongs in the canon of those credited with creating California cuisine, such as Alice Waters of Berkeleys Chez Panisse and Judy Rogers of San Franciscos Zuni Cafe. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He is and was and always will be the founder of modern Vietnamese cuisine, said David Fink, a longtime friend who convinced Phan to open a Slanted Door location at his hotel in France in 2022. But those who knew Phan also remembered him as kind and generous, creative and uncompromising, devoted equally to his restaurants and loved ones. He could be found fixing a piece of kitchen equipment minutes before the restaurant opened, quietly picking up the dinner tab for friends without their knowledge, or dispensing advice to young chefs. Dominique Crenn, today one of the worlds most acclaimed fine-dining chefs, said Phan paved the way for those, like her, who had no formal culinary training. It was very inspiring for me, she said. What he brought to San Francisco was to inspire new chefs who come here and say, If Charles Phan did it, I can do it. Speaking of Phan, Crenn said she was instantly transported back to a bar seat at the original, pocket-size Slanted Door on Valencia Street. She can still smell her favorite dish: nem ram, golden, fried egg rolls filled with tender pork and vegetables. Chef Charles Phan at the Slanted Door in San Francisco in 2015. John Storey/The Chronicle 2015 Tanya Holland, chef-owner of Oaklands popular Brown Sugar Kitchen, also recalled the power of Phans influence. When she arrived in the Bay Area in 2001, Phan stood out in a dining scene still dominated by Euro-centric restaurants. Heritage cuisine from cuisines that werent represented in the way at that time for him to take it to that next level, that alone was inspiring, Holland said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Slanted Door outgrew its original location in 2002, relocating to SoMa and then the Ferry Building. It was notable not only for its food, but also its service and design. Phan, who once studied architecture at UC Berkeley, was highly attentive to the restaurants aesthetics, friends said. But it felt unpretentious and accessible, Holland said. National recognition soon followed. The New York Times wrote in 2004 that Phan may have the most successful Asian restaurant on the West Coast and a paradigm for upscale Asian restaurants in general. That year, Phan won the James Beard Foundation award for best chef in California, and a decade later, the organizations Outstanding Restaurant award. Chefs recalled the Slanted Door as among the first restaurants to cook Asian food with local, seasonal ingredients, and to pair them with serious wine and cocktail programs. Two of the Slanted Doors most famous and enduring dishes were glass cellophane noodles studded with local Dungeness crab and shaking beef made from filet mignon. Now it seems obvious that you can have an Asian restaurant that serves higher end food but at the time it was definitely a first, said Sylvan Mishima Brackett, chef-owner of acclaimed San Francisco Japanese restaurant Rintaro. When I was thinking about opening my own restaurant it was clear if you did something the way he did it, it could be successful. You could bring a different culture here and do it successfully and excitingly and beautifully. We stand on the shoulders of Phan, Vietnamese American chef Tu David Phu, of San Francisco wine bar GiGis, wrote on Instagram. Because (of) him it was possible for chefs like myself to find a way. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Slanted Doors famed cellophane noodles with crab. John Storey/The Chronicle 2015 At his restaurant, Phan ordered the bar to remove large-scale commercial liquor brands, as well as its soda guns and processed syrups to better align with the quality of the food revelatory for that era, said Thad Vogler, who worked as the Slanted Doors bar manager from 1999 to 2005. It was risky, Vogler said of Phans vision. The food was uncompromising. The wine was uncompromising. He had such strong intuition that he really gave me carte blanche to find an identity in that context. On a food panel at the Ferry Building in the late 1990s, a moderator asked Phan how to persuade diners and home cooks to try new ethnic foods they may be unfamiliar with, recalled Bay Area food writer Carolyn Jung. Charles replied in his usual emphatic, no-nonsense way: Just try it, for Gods sake. Its a buck-fifty. Its not going to kill you. And the whole room erupted in laughter, she wrote in an email to the Chronicle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Phan went on to open a slew of restaurants, almost all in San Francisco. He made San Francisco what San Francisco is today, Crenn said. He branched out beyond Vietnamese food including with a whiskey bar, Chinese restaurant and a British spot named after the San Francisco pub where his father worked as a janitor and he as a busser when they first arrived in the city. Slanted Door fans later flocked to newer outposts in Napa, San Ramon and even Beaune, the capital of Burgundy in France. Phan was excited, friends said, to resurrect the Slanted Door this year at the original Valencia Street location; a spokesperson said the restaurant doesnt have a timeline for its reopening. Decades into his career, no task was beneath him: For the Slanted Door in France, Fink said Phan built a wood-fired oven by hand because he didnt trust the French mechanical engineer to make it to his standards. Charles Phan works on the outside of the Slanted Door in Napa before it opened in 2023. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle 2023 He was so unafraid, said Vogler, who went on to open popular San Franciscos bars including Bar Agricole. He was impulsive and creative. It was maddening at times. He just exploded cultural differences. For Phan, the eldest of six siblings, taking care of others was central to his identity, many said. Many restaurants superficially refer to their staff as family, but at the Slanted Door, Vogler said it felt genuine not only because many of Phans family members worked there. For staff meal, at which cooks are sometimes relegated to eating unwanted leftovers out of deli containers, employees ordered from the menu and sat together before the restaurant opened. It was so powerful, Vogler said. I really felt cared for. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Phan was generous with his time and experience. Many chefs said he became their mentor. He was also known for his philanthropy, regularly cooking charity dinners and donating to local organizations. Last year, when a Make-a-Wish Foundation childs request was to cook dinner with Phan, he said yes before I even finished the sentence, recalled Liam Mayclem, a longtime food writer and friend of Phans. When chef Melissa Perellos refrigerator at her San Francisco restaurant Frances died recently, he immediately loaned her one. Mark Bright, co-founder of Saison Hospitality Group, partnered with his longtime friend on the wine program at the Slanted Door in France. After a long night of eating roast chicken and drinking wine with a group in Beaune, Phan got up early. Bright woke up to the smell of congee that he had made with the leftover chicken bones. Despite Brights best attempts over a 20-year friendship, Phan never let Bright cook him a meal, even in Brights own kitchen. BENNINGTON A two-day trial is set to begin Wednesday for a Pownal man facing a possible life sentence on four felony counts including aggravated domestic assault, domestic assault with a prior conviction, burglary, and unlawful trespass into an occupied residence. Nelson Barney, 56, was charged back in May as a habitual offender on all four counts, allowing prosecutors to enhance the charges to habitual offender status and seek a life sentence if he is found guilty on any of the charges. According to an affidavit in the case, on May 18, Bennington Police responded to the State Office Complex on Veterans Memorial Drive after a female approached a law enforcement officer to report a domestic incident at her residence. The victim told police that Barney, her ex-boyfriend, had assaulted her. The victim stated that she was at a store for a friend when Barney became irate. When the victim returned, she found that Barney had left and started to put his stuff outside the residence when he appeared and started allegedly pushing open the door, injuring her with force. The victim told Barney to leave, but he made his way inside, hitting her against the wall. She then fled. Barney was under probation conditions and a GPS-monitored curfew at the time of the incident. Barney was arrested at his Pownal residence and transported to Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland where he has been held without bail since that arrest. Barney has an extensive criminal record in the state of Vermont, including eight convictions for violating an abuse prevention order, violating his conditions of release three times, two convictions for first-degree aggravated domestic assault, extortion, DUI-1, contempt of court, taking a deer out of season, three convictions for simple assault, disorderly conduct, and unlawful trespass. In Vermont, anyone convicted three times of a felony is eligible for the habitual offender label, allowing prosecutors to pursue a life sentence for those so labeled. A tentative plea deal was reached in the case in November, but Judge Jennifer Barrett did not accept the agreement due to a technical error related to the charges. She ordered the State to re-file amended charges, but the deal fell through when the defense and prosecution could not agree on those new charges related to the plea deal. Another issue arose when Judge Jennifer Barrett disclosed that she had ties to some of the previous cases the state was using to enhance the penalties. Judge Barrett, in a judicial disclosure, while stating that she was involved with some of Barneys prior domestic cases, did not feel that her involvement rose to the level that would disqualify her from the ongoing case. Defense attorney Kate Lamson disagreed with that assessment and filed a motion in September to disqualify Judge Barrett from presiding over the case. That motion was eventually denied by Vermont Chief Superior Judge Thomas Zonay, allowing the judge and the case to move forward. The Banner will cover the trial and update this story as more information becomes available. The civil lawsuit alleges that after the sexual abuse incident, the resident severely regressed and lost interest in interacting with others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Belaire Foley was sworn in Tuesday as U.S. attorney for the district of Massachusetts. The U.S. Attorney's Office is in the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston's Seaport District, above, seen from Boston Harbor in 2017. The Greek word apokalupsis or apocalypse means "to uncover" or "to reveal. An apocalypse is a revelation, which is also the final, mystifying book of the Bible. In Discipleship on the Edge, Darrell Johson explains that apocalypse (our anglicized version of the Greek) has come to mean something negative or cataclysmic. But a study of the original Greek exposes both frightening and beautiful, inspiring implications of the word revelation. Meaning and Context of Revelation The Apostle John opens his writing with an introduction of who he is and what he is about to share: This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1-2). Apocalypse, or the synonym revelation, describes an unveiling, disclosure; the disclosure of divine truths or the manifestation of God's will and purposes. We get the word reveal from this root. There is both general revelation (of God, through Scripture) and the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ at His second coming. This is the revelation.: Johnson frequently says that Jesus is breaking through, so one could say this is the breaking through of Jesus Christ from the spiritual realm into earthly reality. John, writing from the island of Patmos where he was exiled by the Emperor Domitian at the end of the first century, had a specific revelation in mind, one which started with a loud voice like a trumpet coming from behind him (Rev. 1:10). He turned to see who was speaking and saw a figure dressed like the Son of Man (v.13). Jesus was breaking through the veil to speak with his beloved disciple in a vision. Strongs Concordance tells us that first century Greco-Roman culture was familiar with the concept of revelation [...], often associated with the disclosure of divine mysteries through oracles or visions. On the other hand, "apokalupsis" is distinctly related to God's initiative in making known His divine plan and purposes to humanity. This revelation is not merely informational but transformative, calling for a response of faith and obedience. God Revealed Himself We put up walls between ourselves and others, and we try to hide from each other and God (Genesis 3:8). In our broken world, exposing our true selves to one another feels unsafe, and it often is, but our original design was for honesty, not barriers and dissembling. The Revelation exposes the relational nature of the Trinity, the fact that God revealed himself in Christ so that we can know him. We are all designed for interpersonal breakthroughs, exposure in an emotional sense, as per the Triune example. John M. Frame explains how God reveals himself to himself, each Trinitarian person to the other two, and his revelation extends beyond his own being. Each member knows the other entirely, unlike human beings who are often mystified by their own actions and motives. Revelation gives us a breathtaking picture of Jesus as the lamb that was slain, and is yet glorified by the angels who sing holy, holy, holy while he sits on the throne (Revelation 5:6, 4:8-9). Revelation or apokalupsis highlights the connections between Jesus as his disciples had seen him on the cross, and Jesus, Messiah, Savior, Lord. As we try to connect the dots between all of the events of Scripture into a cohesive whole, we frequently miss the full picture because we take scenes out of context; we read a little here, a little there. And because the crucified Christ and the risen lamb seem so incongruous with each other, people often disconnect them. But here, we see Christs broken body as glorious and victorious; he bears his wounds as symbols of majesty. For anyone struggling to understand why Jesus had to die or how he could be both man and Lord, this image of the Lamb the gory and bleeding King on his throne, surrounded by worshipers and splendor is an astonishing revelation. The Present Spiritual Reality Unveiled One like the Son of Man is Jesus. Although this is a Hebraic way of saying human being, that is not how John uses the term. He is using a technical term [...] from the Old Testament derived from Daniel 7:13-14. Daniel had a vision in which he saw a Son of Man, and he came up to the ancient of Days [...] And to him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, [...] which will not be destroyed. Jesus revealed to John that he had always been there, right from the start, as the pre-existent, heavenly being who comes to establish the kingdom that cannot be destroyed. (p.42) In The Book of Revelation, we see over and over that things are not as they seem says Johnson. Johns vision unveils what is going on in the spiritual realms, unseen to us and yet more real than our reality. How the Lord of Life grieves over the cities of our world. Not simply because we disobey Gods good law, but because in disobeying we break with reality even the reality of ourselves. (Johnson, p. 84) Christ and Satan are truly at war for our souls because Satan knows the power of that vision. The lamb who was slain is in his rightful place; the one who, though he was killed, is all-powerful, attracting curious, seeking hearts and minds towards a glorious and loving Savior. This battle is big, it is terrifying, and it is taking place constantly, all around us. Imagery and the Big Picture We cannot see the spiritual reality behind the veil, so Jesus reveals it and John interprets what he has seen using figurative language. His imagery provides a breakthrough. Imagery has the power to go deeper than mere words explains Darrell Johnson, because it goes beyond intellect and through the emotions into the imagination, informing intellect and igniting emotion. (p. 22) Some of those images include: One like a son of man, [...] His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars (Rev. 1:12, 14-15). From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength (Rev. 1:16). A pale horse! And its riders name was Death, and Hades followed him (Rev. 6:8). A Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth (Rev. 5:6). That double-edged sword emerges from the mouth of our Savior whose face is so bright, it is compared to the sun. He is recognizably a Son of man, and yet nothing like any man we have ever seen. The Apostle John reveals in pictures what our minds and hearts might not otherwise be able to connect, a Savior both terrifying and wonderfully loving. Ephesians 6:12 insists that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. We cannot see them, and most people could not face them. John helps us to see what was invisible to us by appealing to our imagination, the part of our minds which can see past the curtain to reality. Warning and Promise God revealed to Jonn the fact that Christ and Satan are still battling, but for what? Johnson asserts that Satan cannot overcome the real object of his wrath Jesus Christ so he goes for Jesus people instead. It is desperately important for people to understand that they must not try to worship Jesus and someone or something else; he will not share worship. For example, the church at Ephesus rejected Nicolaitan teaching which sought to undermine Gods commands. They did not care about eating meat sacrificed to idols, or about sexual sin. Jesus warned them to repent of their sins and come back to their love for him. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place (Revelation 2:5). He will remove his presence. And yet, if they do repent, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:6). Jesus revealed what he had against five of the seven churches (not Smyrna or Philadelphia) as a matter of grace. (Johnson, p.85) He warned them to fix the sin issues inside their doors; return to the gospel alone and do not follow the cults of their culture, including the worship of other gods. They also must repent from sexual immorality. He warns us now, too, because we are following the cult of our current culture when we behave as though we can worship Jesus and anything else. In Revelation 9, Jesus described locusts with scorpion-like weapons, sent to torture only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them (Rev. 9:1-6). The terrifying scenes of Revelation are very real, and they reveal Gods grace, his desire for us to repent. Beautiful and Terrifying Jesus revelation is hard to handle at times, and difficult to understand. Figurative language brings some of the reality to life, but some of the imagery remains a mystery. John received a glimpse, but not the full picture; yet Revelation is beautiful too. What we see is enough, if we are not hard-hearted, to inspire awe, fear, obedience, and to remind us of our great love, our first love (Revelation 2:4). God is gracious; he had already defeated death at the cross, providing evidence that Jesus is the Lord, worthy of worship. This final, parting Word is more evidence of his lavish love. Related articles 7 Beautiful Lessons Revelation Has about the End Times How Should We Read and Interpret Revelation? Do We Have an Accurate Revelation Timeline of End Times Events? Sources https://biblehub.com/greek/602.htm https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/divine-revelation-god-making-known/ Johnson, Darrell W. (2004). Discipleship On the Edge: An Expository Journey Through the Book of Revelation, Regent College Publishing: Vancouver. Photo credit: Getty Images/Design Pics Candice Lucey is a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Find out more about her here. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Andrew Dudum, CEO of Hims & Hers, separately opened Georges Donuts and Merriment in San Franciscos West Portal in early January. The cafe, which is not related to the online health company, has drawn public backlash over the donation. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Cappuccino, lemon poppyseed donuts and a creme brulee donut at Georges Donuts and Merriment in San Franciscos West Portal. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A popular San Francisco doughnut shop is facing online backlash related to its co-owner, Andrew Dudum, the CEO and co-founder of the online health company Hims & Hers, which recently donated $1 million to Donald Trumps presidential inaugural committee. The Yelp page for the doughnut shop, Georges Donuts & Merriment, has seen a surge of one-star reviews dated Jan. 21 and 22, with comments mentioning the donation as a reason to not support the business. Dudum, who grew up in West Portal, launched Hims & Hers in 2016, offering an array of products to treat erectile dysfunction and hair loss for men and women. It has more recently entered the weight loss drug market, by compounding weight loss drugs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This month, Dudum opened an unrelated business, Georges Donuts and Merriment, with his wife Lea Dudum and chef partner Janina OLeary. Located near his home and named for Dudums grandfather, Georges has drawn lines out the door for its fried treats served in an elegant, marble space. A Georges Donuts & Merriment spokesperson declined to comment on the donation, because the business is not involved with Hims & Hers, which made the donation. A Hims & Hers spokesperson defended the donation in a statement. Hims & Hers is committed to increasing access to world class personal care in the highest impact areas of health and wellness, they wrote. By engaging and collaborating with political leaders, including the incoming Presidential administration, we believe we can push for meaningful progress. The New York Times reports that such donations can bring invitations to dinners with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. These dinners can be a venue for donors to curry favor with the new administration. Other tech companies which have reportedly donated to the fund include Amazon and Meta. Pharmaceutical donors include Pfizer and PhRMA. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dudum posted a photo on Tuesday of the Hims & Hers chief operating officer posing at the inaugural festivities with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trumps controversial pick to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Paul Iglesias pours miso-ginger consomme over Afghan mantu filled with confit duck, cumin and charred leeks on Jan. 17, 2025. Iglesias and his wife, Sophia Akbar, are opening Jaji, a modern Afghan restaurant in Oakland. Dan Hernandez/The Chronicle Family and historical artifacts sit in shelves carved out behind the bar at Jaji. Dan Hernandez/The Chronicle Inside Bak Bar, a hidden, reservations-only room behind the main bar at Jaji in Oakland. Courtesy Hardy Wilson In Kabul, Afghanistan, where she grew up, Asia Jaji learned how to make mantu, or meat-filled dumplings, from her mother. Decades later, in a kitchen in America, where Jaji sought refuge after the Soviet Invasion in the 1980s, Jaji would pass the culinary artform to her daughter, Maria, and later, her granddaughter, Sophia Akbar, who grew up hand-wrapping mantu in the East Bay. Now Akbar and her husband Paul Iglesias, the accomplished restaurateurs behind Oaklands Parche, have opened a restaurant devoted to her familys Afghan recipes but turned on their heads. At Jaji, now open at 422 24th St. in Oakland, mantu will not be filled with the typical beef or lamb, but instead duck confit, with a miso-ginger consomme poured tableside. Jajis version of Kabuls national dish, qabuli pallow, will trade the typical mound of rice with carrots over meat for raisin-glazed carrots and spatchcocked Cornish hen. Alcohol is illegal in Afghanistan, but Jaji will pour modern cocktails mixed with Afghan cooking staples like saffron, cumin, pomegranate and yogurt. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Akbar and Iglesias are known for their similarly contemporary take on Colombian food at Parche; before that, they worked at Bay Area restaurants including Teleferic Barcelona in Walnut Creek, Canela Bistro & Wine Bar in San Francisco and Calavera in Oakland. With 250 seats, multiple menus and a commitment to boundary-pushing food, Jaji will be unlike any other Afghan restaurant in the Bay Area, they said. Most local businesses serve only traditional dishes, and rarely with cocktails (though there are some exceptions, like Oaklands Saffron Kitchen). I think its time, Akbar said. It doesnt exist. Sophia Akbar, left, and Paul Iglesias hope Jaji will be a first-of-its-kind Afghan restaurant. Dan Hernandez/The Chronicle For Akbar, as a first-generation Afghan American growing up in the East Bay, it was always hard to relate to others other than my family, she said. When she saw Colombian American adults her age with tears in their eyes dining at Parche, she craved the same affirming experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Yet Jaji, located in a prominent corner space attached to the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel, is threading a delicate needle between tradition and experimentation. Its taken months to explain the restaurants mission to Akbars supportive but somewhat skeptical family. How will people know how to eat bolani without rice on the side, they asked, or even recognize qabuli pallow if the focus is on the carrots? When Akbars family arrived in America in 1982, food was their comfort, her mother, Maria Jaji, said. Being in a new place, we always went back to our roots, our food. Marias mother, Asia Jaji, said she loved introducing people to Afghan food. Years later, her future grandson-in-law, Iglesias, would often arrive at her house to a 10-dish spread (and expect to bow to her frequent refrain of eat more while his plate was still full). Friends and family urged her to open a restaurant devoted to her juicy chapli kabab or tender bolani, but she never did. Instead, the former teacher showed others how to cook her food, including Iglesias. At Jaji, for every nontraditional treatment, the kitchen staff cooked the dish first the traditional way, including once with the Jaji women supervising. I feel initially when they told me contemporary, I honestly didnt understand what that meant. I had to keep asking, Maria Jaji said. They were trying to explain: Theyre going to do dish A and turn it completely upside down. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shola-qurooti croquettes, made with a sticky rice and bechamel filling, at Jaji in Oakland. Dan Hernandez/The Chronicle Take qurooti, for example, the Afghan equivalent of savory bread pudding. Stale, leftover bread is typically soaked in fermented whey and then cooked with fried onions and walnuts. At Jaji, its been transformed into a fried, bechamel-filled croquette with a cheffy swoosh of walnut aioli and mint oil on the side. The filling also incorporates a spin on shola, a hearty rice dish that Asia Jaji serves heaped on an ornate platter, to be eaten with hands, tea and snacks. Kebabs here are made with Wagyu steak or King trumpet mushrooms, the latter marinated in a walnut-ginger broth made in Afghanistan for mothers after they give birth. Many Jaji dishes play with form. Bolani, a flatbread, is usually filled with vegetables or herbs. The Jaji kitchen will instead work fillings like potato, onion and cilantro into the bolani dough. To Iglesias, contemporary food means cooking in the moment, and weaving California influence into Afghan cuisine. Asia Jajis chicken liver stew, meanwhile, has been turned into a modern chicken liver mousse, slathered on a thick slab of brioche bread with a mix of seeds and tart pops of pomegranate. Physically, the dish is unrecognizable to the Jaji matriarch. But when you taste the chicken liver mousse itself, it gives you these reminiscent flavors of what I would have at the dinner table with my grandparents, Akbar said. Asia Jaji, for her part, remains admittedly confused about some of Jajis dishes. But shes proud of her granddaughter for opening the restaurant she never did. She did my wish, Asia Jaji said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Paul Iglesias pours Jaji's Ancient Roots cocktail with bourbon, sherry, turmeric syrup and egg whites. Dan Hernandez/The Chronicle While cocktails are often necessary for a restaurants financial viability, the owners tried to shape a bar with respect for a culture that doesnt allow alcohol. There will be numerous nonalcoholic options. No drinks will be shaken; they dont want the noise of a cocktail shaker to dominate the space. Cocktails will highlight Afghan flavors and ingredients, like a smoky single-malt scotch with pomegranate molasses and cardamom bitters. The Zira Gold, with mezcal, cumin syrup, cilantro, lime and black pepper tincture, nods to cumins role as a currency on the Silk Road. Jaji will offer several dining options across its various spaces. The main dining room and cocktail bar will serve an a la carte menu geared towards sharing. Near the back of the long, railroad-apartment-like space are two cozy, reservations-only booths devoted to a tasting menu. The menu will change often, akin to a chefs counter, sometimes featuring guest cooks (including possibly Asia Jaji) or special, large format dishes. Each table will seat a maximum of four people twice a night. Beyond the booths is a 30-seat private dining room where the owners hope to host community as well as corporate events. A view of the lounge area and main dining space at Jaji. Dan Hernandez/The Chronicle Through two heavy wooden doors to the left of the main cocktail bar is another, semi-secret speakeasy bar. The reservations-only Bak Bar will focus on cocktails made with special liquors, paired with small bites. Its the most traditionally decorated room in Jaji, with cozy velvet couches and deep-red patterned rugs from Akbars grandparents home in Afghanistan covering the floor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The decor and colors of the main dining room, with light pouring through enormous arched windows, are meant to evoke a poppy (the flower was an Afghan symbol of sacrifice in the first World War, according to the owners). Pink, orange, red, yellow chiffon tapestries hang from the 20-foot ceiling like gently waving petals over stem-green chairs and booths. Traditional Afghan dresses that have been in Akbars family for over 200 years will hang on the walls. Afghan drums, a marriage hat thats gifted from the grooms family to the bride, and other historical artifacts are tucked into boxes carved into the wall behind the bar. The entrance to Bak Bar is lined with 128 colorful tiles, hand-painted by a Parche employee, inspired by the vibrant colors and patterns of the iconic Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif. Jaji is Akbars familys tribal name, and the name of her grandfathers native village. When she was 8 years old, Akbar told her mother she was sad that she wouldnt carry on the family name. This, she said standing in the restaurant on a recent evening, was my way of finally having the name. Delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs visits Thailand Xinhua) 09:48, January 22, 2025 Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, addresses the 2025 Thailand-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum and the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo Thailand Roadshow in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong) BANGKOK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs visited Thailand from Saturday to Tuesday to promote practical cooperation between businesses of the two countries. The delegation, led by Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, took the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand as an opportunity. During the visit, the delegation had extensive exchanges with Thai officials and business representatives, and attended the 2025 Thailand-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum and the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo Thailand Roadshow, as well as the Thailand-China Business Roundtable. In his speech, Ren introduced China's high-quality development to promote the Chinese path to modernization and its adherence to high-level opening up. He stressed that China would make greater efforts to promote practical cooperation between businesses of the two countries, and welcome Thai businesses to actively participate in the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo to deepen the cooperation in the industrial chain and supply chain. The enterprises and institutions from both sides have conducted multiple business negotiations and exchanges, achieving fruitful results. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Rasas impressive White Elephant Butter Paper Dosa, which places an emphasis on texture by plating itgs flavorful potato hash on the side to keep the crepe crisp. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Rasas Chocolate Cremeux. The first Indian restaurant in California to receive a Michelin star, it has returned after a closure. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Rasas masala omelette. The Burlingame restaurant opened in 2014, became the first Indian restaurant in California to win a Michelin star in 2016, closed in 2021 and returned late last year. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle A dining area on the mezzanine level at Rasa. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle I have to vehemently disagree with former Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer, who in 2016 claimed that Indian food in the Bay Area tends to be generally disappointing. Perhaps our difference of opinion is owed to the passage of time, but I happen to uphold Indian cuisine as some of the most thrilling in the region. One thing is for certain: Contemporary Indian food in the Bay Area has been on an upward trajectory in the last decade. A notable pioneer in that conversation was Burlingames Rasa, which opened in 2014, became the first Indian restaurant in California to win a Michelin star in 2016, closed in 2021 and returned late last year. Now, the Bay Area is full of power players: The group behind Rooh has three Indian restaurants in the region; chef Sri Gopinathan just opened wood-fired Indian spot Eylan in Menlo Park, which follow hits Ettan and Copra; last year, Tiya brought an Indian tasting menu to San Francisco. Were living in one of the most exciting moments for the cuisine. The landscape was different, though, when Rasa was at the top of its game under chef Vijay Kumar, who has since gone on to open the critically acclaimed Semma in New York. It was among the first to spotlight South Indian cooking, which has now become a major regional focus for its contemporaries. So I wondered, how does the resurrected Rasa stack up now in a field of stiff competition? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Vada pav, potato sliders, were a fixture of the original Rasa, and remain well-executed, though they are now more readily available elsewhere. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle My first impression of Rasa was that it seemed to be bound to dishes that made it exciting a decade ago. For example, the potato fritter sandwiches known as vada pav, while well-executed and undoubtedly tasty, are now abundant throughout the Bay Area. I could go to Dublin or Sunnyvale and have equally good vada pav for half the price. But its hard to let go of crowd favorites. We were threatened by our guests that we should never think about taking the sliders off [the menu], said owner Ajay Walia with a chuckle. Still, Rasa has many tricks up its sleeves that I believe make it a relevant magician today. It boils down to three dishes. The first was a lunch item called the breakfast egg curry ($24), a luxuriously thick vegetarian sauce that was the picture of grace. The turmeric-tinted curry had a gentle but soulful spice profile, cooled, thickened and slightly sweetened with coconut milk; freshened via an herb oil; and further enriched with a floating boiled egg with a jammy nucleus. It was accompanied by saffron rice with the most austere use of the flower Ive ever encountered. I find that a little goes a long way; too much and it starts to taste metallic. Rasas rice struck that ideal middle ground, just floral enough to tickle your taste buds, but not so fragrant that it distracted from the curry. Rasas breakfast egg curry, featuring a luxuriously thick vegetarian sauce. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Dosas have been a longtime staple at Rasa, and they remain a fun, worthwhile option. Theres a specific thrill that comes from ordering a dosa the size of an elephants trunk it actually measured the length of my entire arm. The appropriately named white elephant butter paper dosa ($25) stirred up feelings of child-like wonder as I became the envy of the dining room when it landed on my table. This dosa put texture above everything, opting to put the flavorful potato hash on the side to keep the crepe ethereally crisp. The accompanying sambar was earthy with a hint of tang, while the tomato chutney brought sweet umami and coconut chutney cooled the spice of the dosas gunpowder seasoning, composed of sesame seeds, legumes, chiles and curry leaves. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For dinner, I was floored by the tantalizing, subtle flavors of the halibut pollichathu ($44), an aromatic filet wrapped and baked in banana leaves. Flaky, juicy and light, the halibut was joined by three coconut-flavored accouterments: fluffy coconut rice, crunchy snap peas with shredded coconut and an ethereal, mild coconut sauce inspired by the southern Indian state of Kerala. If you desire more heat, order a side of combustible ghost pepper chutney ($3); a small dab is the appropriate dosage. The dining area on the entry level at Rasa. The restaurant feels cozy, almost intimate, by comparison with other high profile contemporary Indian restaurants in the region. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Southern Indian cuisine once played a pivotal role in the first iteration of Rasa, but Walia admits that the scope has broadened since then. The look of the restaurant, too, has changed. The dining room now features various richly toned wallpapers that extend to the mezzanine level, which is adorned with plant branches. Where contemporaries like Rooh lean on clubby aesthetics and Copra prefers palatial maximalism, Rasa feels cozy, almost intimate, by comparison. The community appears to have welcomed it back like an old friend, as if it never left. With the new Rasa, is Walia still chasing Michelin stars? He said the first version of the restaurant, in fact, wasnt driven by a galaxy quest. He had more lofty goals in mind. I got my wish putting Indian cuisine onto the landscape. We have plenty of trailblazers that are going to leave me in the dust, but I'm excited about that opportunity, because it is their time, said Walia, graciously. But Id argue that Rasas time is not over. It remains an impressive thread in the fabric of the larger Indian food scene. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rasa 209 Park Rd., Burlingame. rasaindian.com Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday Accessibility: Two levels, second level mezzanine only accessible by stairs. Wheelchair accessible tables on the first floor. Noise level: Quiet to mild during lunch. Moderate to loud for dinner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Meal for two, without drinks: $80-$150 What to order: Breakfast egg curry ($24), pollichathu ($44), white elephant dosa ($25) Meat-free options: Rasa sliders ($16) Drinks: Full bar, with Indian-inspired cocktails. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Best practices: Order a side of ghost pepper chutney. Cork City Councils Severe Weather Assessment Team met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the weather warnings associated with Storm Eowyn. The local authority has activated its Severe Weather Plan to prepare for the potential impact of the severe weather expected in the city. Advertisement Members of the public are asked not to go outside during the period the red warning is in place and not to make unnecessary journeys during the period of the orange warning. If you must travel, take care when doing so, as conditions may be hazardous and there may be debris on roads. "Take care as structural damage may have occurred to buildings. Stay away from exposed quays, coasts, rivers and lakes. Stay away from any fallen electricity lines or trees. "Make sure to charge mobile devices and ensure you have a working torch to hand. Advertisement "Take measures to secure any loose outdoor items such as temporary structures, parasols, trampolines, etc and secure any construction sites. Meanwhile, there is no river flooding predicted for Cork City during the period of the storm. No tidal flooding is expected within the city centre. The City Councils Customer Service Unit (CSU) can be contacted on 021 4924000,. The public counters in Cork City Hall will be open after noon on Friday. Cork City Councils Accommodation Placement Service office will open from 2pm to 4pm on Friday. Cork City Councils Severe Weather Assessment Team and Operations crews will continue to monitor the situation. The Department of Integration has temporarily suspended the relocation of over 400 Ukrainian women and children who were told that they would have to leave the Quality Hotel in Redbarn in Youghal, Co Cork by February 7th next. Local Fianna Fail TD, James OConnor, has welcomed the lifeline given to the Ukrainians who live in the hotel. I will continue to raise this issue but I welcome this mornings news. Since this issue was first raised with me, I have been in constant communication with the government and civil servants in the Department of Integration to fight for the Ukrainian families to remain at Redbarn in light of the enormous disruption this would cause for both the Ukrainians and the wider Youghal community. Many of the Ukrainian women who live in the hotel have obtained work in the area whilst their children are settled in local schools. Eoghan Rua ONeill, Principal at Bunscoil Mhuire in Youghal, previously said they many of the children who reside at the Quality Hotel attend his school. He had described the situation as inhumane. Mila Rylushkin, mother of thirteen year old Daniil and Alisa (8) said that the children living in the Quality Hotel were feeling lost because life as they know it is in Redbarn. Mila told the Opinion Line on Corks 96FM that her children were very worried about the situation. To find new friends, to start a new school if there even are places it is terrifying for the small souls. It is understood the provider at the hotel in Youghal is looking to change the accommodation usage from housing Ukrainians to providing shelter for international protection applicants. The Department of Integration has indicated that the need for accommodation for international protection applicants is increasing. In a statement last week the Department of Integration says that that continue to work as part of a whole of Government response to the war in Ukraine with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict. This supports Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) to make longer term independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland for the duration of the Temporary Protection Directive. As the demand for accommodation for BOTPs decreases, and they make their own independent arrangements for accommodation, the Department is carrying vacancies in commercial contracts. As a result, the Department ends contracts on a regular basis in order to ensure value for money and greater oversight of the portfolio. In 2024, over 400 contracts ended for emergency accommodation, in some cases initiated by the providers in order to return to the private sector, or to offer their accommodation for other uses. At the same time, the need for accommodation for International Protection applicants is increasing and experiencing significant shortages, with over 3,000 people left without an offer of accommodation in 2024. The Department statement stresses that every effort is made to keep Ukrainians as close to their current location as possible However, given the significant number of moves planned, this may not always be possible. The Dail failed to nominate a new taoiseach on Wednesday following a row on speaking time. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had been poised to become the next taoiseach after agreeing a Programme for Government with the Fine Gael party and a selection of independents. Advertisement However, a dispute over whether some of those independents would be allocated opposition speaking time ended Wednesdays proceedings without a new taoiseach. The Dail sitting to nominate a new taoiseach was delayed for hours to allow for talks on resolving the dispute. Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton addressed the chamber after 4.25pm and said the nomination process should proceed. Fianna Fail TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach. Advertisement Members of Sinn Fein including leader Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn continued to interrupt the sitting. Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairles attempts to proceed as a disgrace, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was outrageous. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy adjourned the Dail until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of chaos inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments. Here are the live Dail updates BreakingNews provided throughout the day... Advertisement 4.30pm Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has adjourned Dail proceedings until tomorrow at 9am following widespread disorder on the opposition benches as the row over speaking time continues. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was due to be formally nominated for the position of Taoiseach but the continued disorder caused by the speaking time disagreement delayed proceedings. Multiple suspensions were called throughout the day by Murphy. 4.15pm The Dail has resumed after multiple suspensions were called following widespread disorder. Advertisement The row concerning speaking time continues, and comes down to whether Independent TDs, who have agreed to support the incoming government, should be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time. Several Sinn Fein representatives had objected to government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. Meanwhile, Aontu has left the Dail's Regional Technical Group - and will join the group which contains the Independent Ireland party. 2.55pm Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has had to call multiple suspensions amid widespread disorder on the opposition benches as the row over speaking time continues. Advertisement Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had been poised to become Taoiseach after his party agreed a Programme for Government with Fine Gael and a selection of independent TDs to secure a majority. However, the agreement with the independents sparked an enormous row over rules on speaking time which delayed the proceedings. 1.25pm The Dail has been suspended until 2pm to allow the party whips see if the issues between them can be resolved. 1.05pm European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has deleted a post on X in which she congratulated Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin on his appointment as taoiseach, which has not yet happened. Ms von der Leyen had posted a picture of the pair with a caption that included: Looking forward to working with you again. Mr Martin has yet to be formally nominated for the position in the Dail after it was suspended twice today already. 12.50pm Opposition parties have called for a meeting of the Dail Business Committee to resolve a dispute over speaking time. The Dail has been suspended twice today already, delaying the nomination of the next taoiseach. The dispute centres around whether Independent TDs who have agreed to support the incoming government should be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has allowed this on an interim basis, adding that she would take submissions on the dispute and make a decision before February 5th. Opposition TDs have also criticised the government proposal to push back the next sitting of the Dail to February 5th. Meanwhile, Independent Ireland representatives have argued Ms Murphy has a conflict of interest as she had been nominated to the role of Ceann Comhairle by regional independents. 12.25pm Despite the delay to proceedings so far, we are still expecting Micheal Martin to be nominated as taoiseach this afternoon. As Mr Martin takes up the role again and Simon Harris prepares for a stint handling foreign affairs, trade and defence, we have profiled some of the TDs who could be in line for a ministerial role. Read more: Minister profiles the fresh and familiar figures tipped for Cabinet roles 12.00pm The Dail resumed for a brief time before 12pm, but Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy suspended proceedings again two minutes later. Ms Murphy said she would deal with the dispute over speaking time expeditiously. She said this meant before February 5th, when the Dail is planned to return after todays proceedings. Following further disruptions relating to the speaking-time dispute from members of Sinn Fein and People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, Ms Murphy suspended the Dail for a further 30 minutes. 11.25am The Dail has been suspended for 15 minutes by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy amid angry scenes over speaking rights for the opposition. Several Sinn Fein representatives had objected to government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. In particular, they noted that Sinn Fein had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election. Sinn Fein chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn had called for the Dail to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute. As Mr Mac Lochlainns party colleague Matt Carthy continued making objections, Ms Murphy said she would suspend the Dail for 15 minutes She made the decision after Mr Carthy did not return to his seat and the suspension was not for Sinn Feins request of a meeting of the Business Committee. Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit also criticised the decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to be allocated opposition speaking time. Labours Duncan Smith said the public was angry about the arrangement. They are really angry. And I would like you, Ceann Comhairle, to commit a deadline as to when you will make an adjudication upon the joint opposition submission on this matter and make a decision that is in the goodness of the entire parliament and every member in this House. Us in opposition believe there is only one answer to that question, he said. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the arrangement was ludicrous. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was a farcical start to the new Dail term. 11.20am Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald will be allowed to speak following her anticipated nomination to be taoiseach in the Dail. It follows a dispute over speaking time for Wednesdays proceedings, in which Sinn Fein claimed Fianna Fail and Fine Gael had sought to block Ms McDonald from speaking. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy noted precedent whereby Ms McDonald spoke in 2020 following her nomination for the position of taoiseach on that occasion. Ms Murphy agreed that the same time will be allowed to the leader of Sinn Fein on Wednesday. A majority of TDs are expected to back the nomination of Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to become taoiseach. 11.15am Michael Lowry, who chaired the Regional Independent Group during the government formation negotiations, said the Committee on Standing Orders and Dail Reform will make a decision on the groups request to sit on the Dails opposition benches. The Ceann Comhairle has been referred for advice and, as of today, we will sit (on the opposition benches) and then it will go to the Reform Committee of the Dail, and the committee will make a decision and we will come back for a full ratification, he told reporters. Independent TD Michael Lowry outside Leinster House this morning. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA That will happen in the next couple of weeks. Fianna Fail did that in their confidence-and-supply arrangement. Ive been here for 25 years, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar, I supported them all through opposition and I will do the same. It will be an issue for the Dail Reform Committee and when that decision is taken, we will get on with the business. Read more: Michael Lowry the controversy over Moriarty Tribunal and his role in government talks 11.05am Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae rejected claims that controversy surrounds members of the Regional Independents Group seeking speaking time in the Dail on the opposition benches. Arriving at Leinster House in Dublin, he said: There is no controversy because, if things were to be different there would actually be a change made to what exists already, because in 2016 there was a confidence-and-supply arrangement. Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae arrives at Leinster House this morning. Photo: PA Fianna Fail were supporting the government at that time but then they were also raising issues on the floor of the Dail. In 2022 you had TDs who were supporting the government and they were also entitled to stand up and raise issues on the floor of the Dail, so this whole controversy, as far as I can see, what they are looking for is to change things to make them different as to what they were. The system that is there allows for this to happens and what the Ceann Comhairle is doing is allowing that to continue. There is nothing unusual about it, that a person supports the government and at the same time they have the right and entitlement to stand up in in the Dail and ask questions and raise issues about that government. 10.55am Micheal Martin is poised to become the next taoiseach as the Dail meets this morning to nominate a new head of government. After weeks of government formation talks, Fianna Fail has agreed to re-enter into a coalition with Fine Gael. The two parties combined are just shy of a majority in the Dail and will be supported by several Independent TDs for the five-year term, following lengthy negotiations. The Dail will meet from 11am today where Mr Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach. Follow all of the developments live here on breakingnews.ie. Micheal Martin is poised to become Irelands next taoiseach, as the Dail meets to nominate a new head of government on Wednesday. Mr Martins Fianna Fail emerged as the largest party following the general election at the end of November. Advertisement After weeks of government formation talks, Fianna Fail has agreed to re-enter into a coalition with Fine Gael, led by outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris. The two parties combined are just shy of a majority in the Dail and will be supported by several Independent TDs for the five-year term, following lengthy negotiations. Fine Gael leader and outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris will become Tanaiste. Photo: Niall Carson/PA The Dail will meet from 11am on Wednesday where Mr Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach. Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, intends to nominate its leader Mary Lou McDonald during the proceedings. Advertisement However, the outcome of the government formation talks suggests that Mr Martin will be approved by the Dail. In that event, he will then travel across Dublin to Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the President, where Michael D Higgins will sign the warrant of appointment and hand Mr Martin the Seal of the Taoiseach at around 2pm. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Later on Wednesday evening, the new taoiseach will nominate members of the next government. The incoming Cabinet will also travel to the State Reception Room of Aras an Uachtarain to receive their Seals of Office. Advertisement The final make-up of that Cabinet will be closely watched with selected departments expected to be reshaped as some portfolios swap between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Fianna Fail will hold most Cabinet positions, with Independents securing two super junior ministries with seats at the table during formation talks. The Independents-backed Government has already been faced with a number of rows around the make-up of the coalition. Independent TD Michael Lowry (Brian Lawless/PA) Independent TD Michael Lowry acted as a key negotiator for those in the Regional Independents Group that have agreed to enter into government. Advertisement Mr Lowrys past behaviour was described in a tribunal as profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking. Gardai investigating matters examined by Tribunal recently sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to their findings. Mr Lowry has maintained that there is no basis for any liability attaching to me Meanwhile, some of the Independent TDs involved in the groups which have expressed support for the Programme for Government have sought to keep their Dail speaking time in opposition technical groups. Advertisement The Ceann Comhairle of the Dail, Verona Murphy, has indicated that this will be allowed under legal advice she has received. Verona Murphy in her office at Leinster House. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Ms Murphy, who was re-elected as an Independent TD for Wexford, was appointed to the speaker position in December ahead of a deal on Government formation with regional independents. Opposition parties, including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats, are objecting to the government supporters receiving opposition speaking time. They have filed a submission to Ms Murphy on the basis of alternative legal advice which contradicts her official position. She has indicated that she will consider the submission but will allow the government-supporting independents to speak from opposition benches in the interim. Mr Martin (64) previously served as taoiseach in the last coalition government with Fine Gael and the Green Party. That coalition introduced a rotating taoiseach mechanism which saw the top office swapped between the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin with his family in Cork. Photo: Jacob King/PA The arrangement will be repeated, although on a three-to-two year basis in favour of Fianna Fail in recognition of the party securing a 10-seat lead over Fine Gael. It continues a partnership which began in 2020 and set aside almost a century of animosity between the two parties forged opposing sides of the Civil War of the 1920s. Mr Martin, from Cork, cites the moment Ireland became the first country to implement a workplace smoking ban in 2004 during his time as health minister as among his proudest political achievements. Ireland Martin vows to prove wrong the naysayers in new go... Read More The son of an international boxer, he has also held Cabinet ministries for enterprise, foreign affairs, defence and education. He has been the leader of Fianna Fail since 2011. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, will take the role of tanaiste. Jim Martinez participates in an anti-Trump demonstration on Market Street in San Francisco on Sunday. President Donald Trumps first day in office on Monday included clemency for Jan. 6 rioters and executive orders targeting immigrants. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Regarding S.F. Republicans gather to celebrate Trumps energizing return to office (Politics, SFChronicle.com, Jan. 20): I am not a Donald Trump fan but am a patriotic American (and former elected official in Contra Costa County) and recognize that one party wins and one party loses; so in the end, we must all join together to move our country forward. I would like to know from those attending the Republican gathering, and especially those criticizing the pardons by former President Joe Biden, how they feel about Trumps pardons and commutations of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters, especially those who lead the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The Biden pardons can hardly compare to this Trump abomination for those who were convicted of violence against our Capitol, law enforcement, government and nation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Let me answer: They only care about the border, criminals and the economy. Oh, and Jan. 6 was really no big deal. Trump is Trump, and were OK with that. Jan. 6 was a big deal and you just elected a felon who pardoned other felons. I heard one on the radio saying he would do it all again: no repentance, no remorse, just individual action with no thought for others. No adjective can describe such thought or behavior. I will continue to hope for the best from the Trump administration but prepare for the worst. Karen Mitchoff, former Contra Cosa County supervisor, Pleasant Hill Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shine is dimming Every so often a politician, historian or pundit will talk about American exceptionalism. Ronald Reagan referred to the U.S. as the shining city upon a hill, a quote from John Winthrop. Ive read quite a lot of U.S. and world history, and biographies of early American leaders. We have little to be proud of in this country. We had a chance in November to do something exceptional, something to be proud of, and failed miserably. Our exceptionalism does exist. We are exceptionally racist. We are exceptionally selfish and greedy. And, we are exceptionally stupid. On Monday, when we should have been reflecting on the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we witnessed everything bad about the United States. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I am truly ashamed of this, my, country. Ron Franke, Aptos, Santa Cruz County Counting the days As promised, President Donald Trump began the golden age of American cruelty and selfishness. On his first day in office, Trump fired many, canceled asylum appointments already set at our southern border and put at risk the resettlement of 1,660 Afghan refugees, many of whom had aided our country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump also pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters, granting clemency to many violent offenders. The Proud Boys stood by and were rewarded for their efforts, as well as many members of right-wing extremist organizations who participated in the violence. Monday was just the first day, with 1,459 more days left to go. It is time for democratic politicians to stop normalizing evil. Mitchell Goldman, Richmond Cant change Constitution Shortly after taking the oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, President Donald Trump tried by executive order to end the constitutional protection for birthright citizenship. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thanks to an 1898 Supreme Court decision in a case brought by San Francisco native Wong Kim Ark, the Constitution is clear: If youre born here, youre a U.S. citizen. A president lacks the unilateral authority to amend the Constitution or ignore the parts he doesnt like. John Trasvina, former dean, University of San Francisco School of Law Protest and take action Welcome to our new dictatorship, where the president can ignore laws (TikTok) and the Constitution (birthright citizenship) with impunity. The question is what to do, and while marches, banners and petitions are great motivators, action is needed. I am increasing my donations to places with lots of lawyers so that they can take the dictator to court. 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 Action alleviates anxiety, so figure out what inspires you. And do it. Ernest Isaacs, Berkeley Opposition TDs have continued to criticise the "farcical" situation where Independents supporting the Government will get Dail speaking time normally allocated to members of the opposition. Some of the Regional Independent TDs involved in negotiating and supporting the Programme for Government have sought to keep their Dail speaking time in opposition technical groups. Advertisement Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, who previously sat as a Regional Independent, has indicated that this will be allowed under parliamentary legal advice she has received from the Oireachtas. Opposition parties have described the decision as absurd, objecting to the move on the basis that it would "eat into" their speaking time. The row over speaking rights threatens to overshadow the first few days of the new government. The Dail will meet from 11am on Wednesday where Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said it was "farcical" that TDs who "constructed" the Programme for Government wanted to take opposition speaking time in the Dail. Advertisement Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland on Wednesday, Mr Gannon denied he was "making a mountain out of molehill". He said it was was a "ludicrous" scenario where people who had "literally constructed the governments position" would also get to challenge the government. Mr Gannon said it was important for opposition parties to have speaking time to challenge government policies. "This is why this matters. It actually means that it removes a chance for us to forcefully stand up on housing, on disabilities, on public services." Advertisement People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger told the same programme: I think everybody can see what's happening here, that instead of encroaching onto the government's speaking time, the people who are going to support the government are trying to take it from the opposition. "It's clear that the government has decided that the election is over and now they're going to revoke the promises or the impression at least that they gave people." Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae said there was a precedent for Independent TDs supporting the government but also having opposition speaking rights. Speaking on Newstalk radio, he said the Confidence and Supply Agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in 2016 saw Fianna Fail supporting the government while at the same time holding them accountable. Advertisement There was no difference between that situation and now, he said. The only difference is that Sinn Fein and others have to shout and roar about something today and this is what they are going to do. Theyre trying to make a massive big mountain out of a molehill. Mr Healy-Rae, who is set to become a junior minister in the new government, said the precedent had been set before. Why should we change the rules? Nobody has changed the rules that allow this group to exist, but you would have to change the rules to stop them from existing. Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath described being an Independent TD without speaking rights in the Dail as "a lonely place on the back bench", which was why he had accepted a "late" invitation to join the Regional Independents technical group. Mr McGrath told Morning Ireland that he wanted to represent his constituents and to be a "ferocious critic" of the government when necessary, while also supporting positive measures that benefit the people of Ireland. Advertisement Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty described the decision not to allow his party leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking time in the Dail on Wednesday as arrogant and petty. Mr Doherty told RTEs Morning Ireland it was "unprecedented" that a nominee for taoiseach would not be allowed to speak in the Dail. "Nominees for Taoiseach always had the right to actually speak in this section. And the only reason that this has happened is actually to exclude Mary Lou. It's petty, it's vindictive. Like why are Micheal Martin and Simon Harris actually sitting together and saying, you know, how do we stop Mary Lou from speaking and why are they going to this effort? There are enough problems within the state instead of trying to curtail the speaking time of the opposition. "Because we are a party of opposition we will fight this government tooth and nail on all issues, whether it's housing, health, cost of living. And we've seen the programme for government. We know that hundreds of thousands of people are going to be abandoned and the largest number of Sinn Fein TDs that we've ever had over 100 years, are going to take this government on every single day." Anyone who was concerned about democracy should be concerned about the Ceann Comhairles decision to allow temporary opposition speaking rights to the Independent TDs who were supporting the government, he said. Michael Lowry was the "king maker" in all of this, he added. Mr Lowry had nominated Verona Murphy to the role of Ceann Comhairle, and now she had a big decision to make because standing orders were very clear, he said. "You cannot be in a group in government supporting government at the same time. It simply cannot happen. "We expect Verona Murphy to call this right. We expect her to act independently and to call this right. If she doesn't call this right, we will look at every single opportunity to pursue this issue. This cannot go ahead. This cannot be allowed to happen. It is a farce and it is a sham. It has never happened before." On the same programme, Labour TD Duncan Smith expressed anger over the government's actions, which he described as an attempt to exclude the Labour Party and other left-leaning parties. He criticised the incoming taoiseach Micheal Martin for allowing the Independent TDs to "dictate" the direction of the government, and warned that this could lead to a troubled Dail. "The people are angry about this. They may not know the details of business committees, the standing orders and all the rest, but they know when a stroke is being pulled. They know someone's trying to duck and dive and they are not happy with this. We're not happy with this." Mr Smith said the Labour Party would not discount any avenue of action, including the legal route. "We'll take our legal advice and we'll see where we can go with it. We are really angry about this. We don't do the performative stuff in the Dail. We are very serious about how our parliament works." There was a political solution in the Dail, he added. "The Ceann Comhairle has to see sense here. This is the first real test of her independence and her judgement. "The Ceann Comhairle represents all TDs and should represent all TDs fairly." Aontu leader Peadar Toibin criticised the new government for its lack of urgency, comparing its level of activity with that of US president Donald Trump on his first day in office. Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland, Mr Toibin defended his partys decision not to support a request from Sinn Fein in relation to speaking rights in the Dail. Ireland Peadar Toibin calls for reform of standing orders... Read More "A key part of democracy is the fact that when an elected representative is elected, that they have a right to speak in the Dail. And if we were to fulfill the request by the likes of Sinn Fein and others, we would actually be taking away any speaking rights we would have over the next five years. "Mary Lou is really upset at the moment because she's going to miss out on ten minutes speaking today. And yet she's asking us to go without speaking rights for five years. There's a complete lack of awareness here. And in reality, if the other opposition parties wanted to actually resolve this change, and the standing orders make it impossible to create the situation that we have. "But at the heart of that is standing order reform, to make sure that every elected representative has a democratic right to be able to represent the people that elect them. And nobody seems to be talking about that. "It is interesting that Sinn Fein feels that this is of such importance that it's necessary for us to withdraw from this technical group. Yet when we ask Sinn Fein, we say, yes, we will withdraw for sure. Just give us the speaking rights, share your speaking rights with us. They say no and they slink away." Three days before a pensioner was allegedly beaten with a rock and thrown off Ireland's highest cliffs, he had an aggressive altercation with the man accused of his murder, the defendant's brother has told the Central Criminal Court. Bruce Vial, the brother of the accused man Alan Vial (39), also told the court on Wednesday that after the alleged murder the defendant borrowed a vacuum to clean his car and when it was returned, it was "full of gunk" which the witness assumed was "red wine vomit". Advertisement The witness told the trial that Alan Vial called to his home with his co-accused Nikita Burns (23) and the now deceased man Robert 'Robin' Wilkin (66) on June 22nd, 2023. All three were living at Alan Vial's home but they had no plumbing so they came to Bruce Vial's house to use the shower and clean their clothes. While they were there, the witness recalled "a bit of an altercation" between Alan and Mr Wilkin. "They were aggressive towards each other, shouting at each other," he said. Following the altercation, Mr Wilkin drove away after taking Mr Vial and Ms Burns's belongings out of the car in which the three of them had arrived. Advertisement The following Sunday afternoon, after the prosecution alleges Mr Wilkin had been beaten and thrown off a cliff at Sliabh Liag, Alan Vial and Ms Burns again called to Bruce Vial's home. The witness said Alan wanted to clean his car and took a multi-purpose cleaning spray, Formula 1 plastic spray and two cloths from Mr Vial's utility room. Alan Vial also used his brother's vacuum cleaner but when he returned it, it was "full of gunk" which Bruce Vial assumed was "red wine vomit". Mr Vial and Ms Burns left, having told the witness that they were going to Letterkenny. Later that day, gardai arrived and took the vacuum cleaner away. Advertisement Damien McIntyre told Emmet Malone BL, for the prosecution, that he owns Mac's Bar in Dunkineely in Donegal. On Saturday June 24th, 2023 he recalled Alan Vial, a man he knew as Robin Wilkin and a younger woman whose surname he knew to be Burns coming into the bar. They arrived at about 11.30pm and "seemed to have a bit of alcohol on them". Ms Burns ordered a triple vodka, but it was bar policy not to give out triples. At closing time, Mr McIntyre was ushering everyone out the side door when Ms Burns began talking about a minor argument that had occurred in the bar earlier. Advertisement As she was talking, Mr McIntyre recalled Mr Wilkin using his fist to hit her on the arm. Mr McIntyre told him "not to hit a girl" and afterwards Mr Wilkin "tried to make light of the situation and tried to shake my hand" before heading off on foot with Ms Burns while Mr Vial walked ahead of them. Michael Molloy told prosecution counsel Bernard Condon that he is a ranger at Sliabh Liag and operates the gate at the lower car park, about two kilometres from the viewing point at the top of the cliff. On June 25th, after the prosecution alleges Mr Wilkin had been thrown over the cliff, Mr Molloy recalled a car driving up with a male driver and female passenger. They asked to be allowed to pass the barrier at the car park and drive closer to the top of the cliff. Mr Molloy said he would normally say no, but allowed them to go up after the man told him that he needed to collect someone from the top who could not walk. Advertisement About 20 minutes later, the car returned and Mr Molloy noted that the man and woman were still in the car but they did not have a new passenger. The jury has spent this afternoon watching CCTV of the alleged movements of Ms Burns and Mr Vial on the night of the alleged murder. Ireland Garda whose nose was broken by colleague was almos... Read More Ms Burns (23) of Carrick, Co Donegal and Alan Vial (39) of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, Co Donegal have pleaded not guilty to the murder of 66-year-old Robert 'Robin' Wilkin on June 25th, 2023 in Donegal. Mr Wilkin's body was found one week later in the water below the Sliabh Liag cliffs. Ms Burns has pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of another person for an arrestable offence but the prosecution did not accept her plea. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women. The High Court has found a house, a former shop premises, car and cash seized from a convicted drug dealer and members of his family were funded by the proceeds of crime. Mr Justice Alexander Owens was satisfied the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) had established, on the face of it, that each of the items were under the control of Dermot Calvert (53), his wife Martina Harty (37), his daughter Stacey Calvert (31) or by one or more of them. Advertisement Mr Calvert, a father of 15 who formerly lived at Fairview Crescent, Limerick, has 91 convictions, mostly road traffic related, but of which four relate to the sale and supply of drugs, the CAB told the court. The CAB applied to the court for civil proceeds of crime orders over a house at Singland Crescent, Garryowen, Limerick, which is owned by Stacey and at the back of which is an apartment where her father and Ms Harty lived. The application also related to a former shop at Cloughan Court, Garryowen, which is being converted into a residence. It also relates to 17,145 cash and some sterling seized from Singland Crescent in June 2019 and another 5,680 from the same property in June 2021. There was also a 171 D VW Passat motor car seized. Advertisement The Singland Crescent house was bought in a derelict state for 17,250 in 2014 with the money paid directly to the vendor and at what the CAB said was a significant undervalue and sourced from illegitimate funds. Social welfare payments to Mr Calvert, Ms Harty and to Stacey do not not explain the sources of the money, it alleged. Barrister Grainne ONeill, for the CAB, told the court Mr Calvert was a career criminal who has associations with prominent criminals and has no visible source of legitimate income. He received social welfare payments for most of the time from 2002 to late 2017, much of which he was not entitled to, the court heard. Advertisement He has signed numerous social welfare assessments that were false. When asked how he funded the 2019 purchase of a 7,000 van, he said it was a few scams, tomo jobs and window cleaning, she said. He also denied that the Singland Crescent house, which had the apartment added to it later, and is now valued at 170,000, was renovated using criminal monies. In his judgment, Mr Justice Owens said there was no acceptable evidence to rebut evidence of a prima facie probability that the cash seized by gardai in the apartment at Singland Crescent in June 2019 and June 2021 was drug dealing money. There was also no basis on which he could be satisfied that the making of proceeds of crime orders in relation to Cloughan Court and the seizing of the two amounts of cash or the VW Passat would result in a serious injustice, he said. Advertisement The position in relation to Singland Crescent was a little more complex, he said. While it is owned by Stacey Calvert, its current condition has been subsidised by her fathers proceeds of crime. Her only contribution to this property was a payment of 14,000 at a time when Singland Crescent was virtually valueless, he said. She depended on her father to pay for her motor cars and to put this property into a condition which enabled her to live there. Advertisement She has had a very bad break in life in that she has two young daughters with cystic fibrosis, he said. Ireland CAB seeking possession of Martin the Viper Foley... Read More However, he said she chose to benefit from proceeds of crime by accepting the benefit of Singland Crescent prior to suffering her current misfortune. While the State will have to eventually rehouse her when Singland Crescent is sold by the State, the judge noted CAB, in the special circumstances of this case, will allow her and her children to continue to reside in Singland Crescent for seven years from the date of the courts order relating to this property. This will give Stacy Calvert and her children the advantage of being allowed to reside rent free in property which they do not own and which must eventually be disposed of for the benefit of the people of Ireland, he said. He said it was also necessary to make some allowance to compensate Ms Calvert for her 14,000 contribution to the purchase of this property and he proposed declaring she has a 20 per cent equitable lien on the sale proceeds. An offer of 25,000 damages by Ryanair to a 12-year-old schoolgirl, who was scalded on a flight from Lourdes just over five years ago, was rejected by a judge on Wednesday as inadequate. Barrister Darach MacNamara, who appeared in the Circuit Civil Court for Sienna Darcy, told Judge Michael Walsh that a piping hot meal including oil and sauce, had spilled on her left hand. Advertisement Sienna, who sued through her mother Aideen Darcy, of Oscar Square, Dublin 8, alleged in her 60,000 damages claim that a hot pasta meal had been placed before her by cabin staff on what was claimed to be an unstable extendable table. Mr MacNamara, who appeared with Brian McGrane Solicitors, told Judge Walsh that liability was no longer an issue in the case and he was recommending that the court reject the Ryanair offer of 22,390 general damages and 2,610 special damages. He said the accident had happened on July 12th, 2019 when Sienna, then aged seven, had been returning with her mother on a Ryanair flight from Lourdes to Dublin. Very hot pasta spilled on her left hand and caused her significant burns, Mr MacNamara told the judge. While her burns healed over time she had been psychologically impacted and there are three medical reports before the court. Advertisement He said Sienna had to have a significant amount of counselling in the form of therapy. He told Judge Walsh that if he was happy to refuse Ryanairs tender he felt a better offer would resolve the case. Judge Walsh, agreeing to refuse the settlement offer, said Sienna had suffered nasty burns and pain and trauma. Siennas mum Aideen told the court in an affidavit that the hot food had fallen off the table onto her daughters lap and she asked the court to refer to the medical report of Dylan Murray, craniofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and two reports from Blanaid Gavin, consultant psychiatrist. Ms Darcy said her daughters subsequent reaction to the burns and scarring of her hand had badly affected her. Advertisement It really was a horrific experience, Ms Darcy said. Sport James McClean involved in car accident en route to... Read More She claimed her daughter had screamed in pain and cold water and cooling gel had been applied to the burn by Ryanair cabin staff. Her daughter had continued to be in excruciating pain and cried for the duration of the flight. On landing at Dublin, Sienna had been taken by ambulance to Temple Street Childrens Hospital where she had been treated. She had been required to attend hospital on numerous occasions, it was claimed. In the absence of an increased settlement offer from Ryanair, Siennas claim will go forward to a full trial before another judge. Taoiseach Simon Harris has paid tribute to showband and music legend Paddy Cole, who has died aged 85. The musicians death comes after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022, The Irish Times said. He was receiving hospice care at the time of his death. Advertisement Harris said Cole was "an exceptional music talent, a gifted performer, a warm-spirited person, and an 85-year-old who never grew old". "His achievements are eye-watering and his adventures almost swashbuckling, best captured in his excellent memoir, King of the Swingers. "Paddy almost became a butcher in his younger life, but the call of the saxophone and jazz was in his blood from his family in Castleblayney." Harris said Cole's admirers included Elvis, who came to see him perform multiple times in Las Vegas. "Paddy was also a talented broadcaster on both RTE television and later the Paddy Cole Hour on weekend radio, the embodiment of the companionship and magic of a great radio show," Harris said. "His first love always remained performing live, something he continued to do well into his 80s. "Paddy spoke with great dignity in recent years about his battle with cancer and to his wife Helen, his children, all his family and friends as well as those who loved and admired him, I am terribly sorry for your loss." Evacuations were ordered for remote communities near a new fast-moving wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles. It comes as Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend. Advertisement The Hughes Fire broke out on Wednesday morning and quickly ripped through three-and-a-half square miles of trees and brush, sending up a huge plume of dark smoke near Lake Castaic, about 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week. Plumes of smoke caused by the Hughes Fire rise over Castaic, California (Ethan Swope/AP) Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft attacked the wind-driven flames. Meanwhile to the south, Los Angeles officials were preparing for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Advertisement Gusty weather was expected to last through to Thursday. Were going to see another round of critical fire conditions across Southern California, Todd Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said on Wednesday morning. At this point, it sounds like a broken record. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite clean-up efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. Advertisement She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides and reinforce roads ahead of the possible rain. Smoke fills the sky during a wildfire in Castaic, California (Ethan Swope/AP) Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas. As the fires have settled, new challenges lie ahead, supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday news conference. Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real. Advertisement A 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting on Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 centimetres), according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the weather services office for Los Angeles. However, up to an inch (2.5 centimetres) could fall in localised thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough falls on scorched slopes. But even if the rain doesnt materialise this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that theyll have to deal with for months or years, Mr Kittell said on Tuesday. Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers were installing barriers and clearing drainage pipes and basins. Advertisement In 2018, Montecito, a town 80 miles (130 kilometres) up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. A large plume of smoke rises from Castaic Lake seen behind a neighbourhood in Santa Clarita (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through to 8pm on Thursday in LA and Ventura counties. Officials remained concerned that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to watch for hot spots, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned strategically allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA, San Diego and Riverside counties, officials said. Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits, and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly. Ms Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the citys website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event. LA County public health director Barbara Ferrer cautioned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials. Even a brief exposure can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems, Ms Ferrer said on Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning up. A firefighter battles the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego (Noah Berger/AP) The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out January 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 68%, and the Eaton Fire was at 91%. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Wednesday that his department was still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All of those reported missing are adults, he said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings. Several legal cases have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edisons equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the cases ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started. President Donald Trump, who criticised the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address on Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday. Ms Barger said on Wednesday that details of Mr Trumps visit were still being worked out. Israel has said it will maintain control of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas. A statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office denied reports that the Palestinian Authority would control the crossing. Advertisement The truce, now in its fourth day, is supposed to bring calm to the war-battered Gaza for at least six weeks and see 33 Hamas-held hostages released in return for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. At UNRWA centre in Khan Younis, UNRWA staff are working around the clock to deliver aid supplies to people across the #Gaza Strip. You cant imagine the atmosphere here. Staff are working tirelessly. Theyre exhausted but they keep going says one of our colleagues.#UNRWAworks pic.twitter.com/0hCcTrVGkv UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 21, 2025 The statement said European Union monitors would supervise the crossing, which will be surrounded by Israeli troops. Israel also will approve the movement of all people and goods. Israel captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing last May, forcing it to shut down. Egypt, a key mediator in more than a year of negotiations that led to the ceasefire, has demanded that Palestinians control the Gaza side. Advertisement Palestinians are returning to devastated neighbourhoods (AP) Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Gaza says trucks from the UN, aid groups, governments and the private sector are arriving and no major looting has been reported only a few minor incidents. Nearly 900 trucks of aid entered Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire on Tuesday, the United Nations said. This is significantly higher than the 600 trucks called for in the deal. Muhannad Hadi, who returned to Jerusalem from Gaza on Tuesday afternoon, told UN reporters by video that it was one of the happiest days of his 35-year humanitarian career to see Palestinians in the streets looking ahead with hope, with some heading home and others starting to clear the roads. Palestinians have returned to their homes destroyed and possessions obliterated (AP) In his talks with families at a communal kitchen run by the UN World Food Programme and elsewhere, he said, they all told him they need humanitarian assistance but want to go home, to work and earn money. Advertisement Mr Hadi said: They dont like the fact that they have been depending on humanitarian aid. Palestinians talked about resuming education for their children and about the need for shelter, blankets and new clothes for women who have been wearing the same clothes for more than a year. He said a shipment of tents is expected in the coming days. Scenes of devastation greeted people returning to Rafah (AP) The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Around 100 hostages still remain in Gaza, after the rest were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered. Israels military campaign has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Advertisement Israel says it killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Pope has offered prayers for the people of Los Angeles as they endure deadly fires. Francis referred to the disaster during his weekly general audience at the Vatican and invoked Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is revered by many Latino Catholics. Advertisement My heart is with the people of Los Angeles who are suffering so much as a result of the fires that have devastated entire neighbourhoods and communities, Francis said. Francis invoked Our Lady of Guadalupe (AP) May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for everyone to be a witness of hope. Fires fuelled by hurricane-strength winds and parched weather have been raging in parts of Los Angeles since January 7. The blazes have killed at least 28 people, forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, destroyed more than 14,000 structures and rank among the most destructive in Californias history. Refugees who had been approved to travel to the US before a January 27 deadline suspending Americas refugee resettlement programme have had their travel plans cancelled by the Trump administration. Thousands of refugees are now stranded at various locations around the globe. Advertisement The suspension was in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Monday. President Donald Trump listens in the Roosevelt Room at the White House (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) It left open the possibility that people who had undergone the lengthy process to be approved as refugees and permitted to come to the US, and had flights booked before that deadline, might still be able to get in under the wire. But in an email reviewed on Wednesday by The Associated Press, the US agency overseeing refugee processing and arrival told staff and stakeholders that refugee arrival to the United States have been suspended until further notice. Among those affected are the more than 1,600 Afghans cleared to resettle in the US as part of the programme that the Biden administration set up after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Advertisement That number includes those who worked alongside American soldiers during the war as well as family members of active-duty US military personnel. Mr Trumps order had given the agency until January 27 before it began to halt all processing and travelling. Now, however, it appears the timing in the order was moved up. It was not immediately clear what prompted the change. Refugees are distinct from people who come directly to the US-Mexico border with the goal of eventually seeking asylum in the US. Advertisement Refugees must be living outside of the US to be considered for resettlement and are usually referred to the State Department by the United Nations. They undergo extensive screening before coming to the US. Once in the US, they are usually paired with a resettlement agency that helps them adjust to life in America. That includes help finding a job and get their children enrolled in school. US President Donald Trump has demanded an apology from the Episcopal bishop of Washington after she made a direct appeal to him during a prayer service marking his inauguration to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers who are in America illegally. Referencing Mr Trumps belief that he was saved by God from assassination, the Right Rev Mariann Budde said: You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. Advertisement After he returned to the White House, Mr Trump said: I didnt think it was a good service, and they could do much better. But later, in an overnight post on his social media site, he sharply criticised the so-called Bishop as a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart, said Mr Trump, a Republican, adding that Ms Budde did not mention that some migrants have come to the United States and killed people. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! Mr Trump said. She and her church owe the public an apology! Advertisement The Trump administration has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughening immigration policies. The Washington National Cathedral service was largely focused on national unity. Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance and their families attended, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Mr Trumps US defence secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth. In her sermon, Ms Budde said they gathered to pray for unity as a people and a nation not for agreement, political or otherwise but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division. She added: Unity is not partisan. The Supreme Court will hear a case that could align police use of force standards in the U.S. with those of most of the world. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images 2024 In 2016, 24-year-old Ashtian Barnes was driving a rental car near Houston when he was stopped by a police officer for an unpaid toll fee that a previous renter had incurred. Minutes later, he was dead, shot at point-blank range by an officer who jumped onto the car at the driver-side door when the vehicle inched forward for two seconds. Now, nearly a decade later, the Supreme Court will hear Barnes v. Felix, the civil rights case brought by Ashtians mother to seek accountability for his tragic death. Beyond justice on an individual scale, this case is a long-overdue opportunity to address a systemic problem: the United States woefully inadequate standards for law enforcement use of deadly force. In 2024, police in the U.S. killed more people than any other year on record. With Barnes, its crucial that the Supreme Court affirm one clear, cohesive policy on police force that aligns with international human rights standards and saves lives. Barnes v. Felix centers on a key question: Should courts evaluate whether killings by police are a permissible use of force based on the controversial and narrow moment of the threat doctrine, which only examines the precise moment that police officers decide to pull the trigger? Or should they use a more holistic evaluation that takes into account the totality of circumstances surrounding the shooting, including, for example, whether police use of force was necessary and proportionate? Advertisement Article continues below this ad As attorneys and advocates who regularly work with international human rights bodies, we know that international standards governing use of force are clear and precise when compared to the United States patchwork of laws in the federal and state systems. International human rights law requires that police only use force that is necessary and proportionate to the threat. Deadly force is allowed only when necessary to save a life and only if no other less harmful options would work. Necessity dictates that force be used only as a last resort to achieve a legitimate law enforcement objective. This means officers must first exhaust viable, nonviolent measures such as persuasion and de-escalation tactics. Proportionality mandates that the degree of force used by police officers correspond to the level of resistance encountered, the gravity of the threat and the law enforcement objective at stake. In Barnes, these principles also prompt important questions. What level of force is warranted in response to a two-second acceleration of a vehicle stopped for a mere toll fee? What alternatives to deadly force could have been used before a young mans life was ended? Necessity and proportionality ensure respect for the human right to life and protect police officers and the public they serve by setting clear, administrable limits on the use of deadly force. But those protections exist only if the principles are universally upheld in court. And in the United States, the standard for lethal force is riddled with inconsistencies, leading to wildly different standards across jurisdictions. For example, Washington state has incorporated proportionality and necessity into its use-of-force standards. But in Harris County, Texas, where Ashtian Barnes was killed, police operate under unclear standards that permit unnecessary deaths for trivial reasons, spurred on by the flawed moment of the threat test. In states and localities without clear standards, courts constrained by the moment of threat doctrine are stripped of their ability to consider the full context of police use of force, undercutting an accurate determination of whether deadly force was reasonable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The moment of threat doctrine also excludes actions a police officer took that may have unnecessarily heightened an avoidable threat, including the failure to use alternatives to deadly force. By disregarding officers actions before they use deadly force, the doctrine undermines accountability efforts and allows law enforcement to provoke situations that lead to the use of force, without facing accountability. As legal scholar Barbara Armacost notes, As long as the focus is on whether the circumstances justified the use of force at the moment it was applied, officers have no legal incentive to step back and ask themselves whether they could have avoided the entire situation without a violent confrontation. 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 United States inadequate and inconsistent use-of-force standards threaten the integrity of our immigration system as well as our criminal legal system. Customs and Border Protection, the nations largest law enforcement agency, operates without an explicit prohibition on the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force, leading to an extreme lack of accountability. This culture of impunity has a human cost, evident in tragic and all-too-common stories such as that of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, a longtime San Diego resident who was brutally tased, beaten and killed by U.S. border agents in 2010 while handcuffed and hog-tied, posing no threat to law enforcement safety. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement is not reached to end the war in Ukraine. The US already prohibits the import of virtually all Russian products, and Russia has faced a multitude of US and European sanctions since the invasion began almost three years ago. Advertisement In a post to his Truth Social site on Wednesday, Mr Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to settle now and stop this ridiculous war. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via video conference in Moscow (Gavriil Grigorov/AP) He said he had no desire to hurt Russia which he noted had played a major role in securing victory for the Allies against Nazi Germany in the Second World War and has a good relationship with Mr Putin, but warned of the penalties if the war is not stopped soon. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries, he said. Mr Trump has been sceptical of the billions of dollars the Biden administration provided Ukraine in weapons and other material to defend itself. Advertisement He has often spoken of his desire to end the war and said on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office. That has not happened. The problem with the threat is that other than a small amount of fertiliser, animal feed, inorganic material like tin, and machinery, Russia currently exports very little to the US that could be subject to tariffs. Oil had been Russias largest export to the US, but such trade was zeroed out in 2023. The US imported a total of 2.8 billion dollars worth of these products from Russia in 2024, a tiny fraction of US imports and a precipitous drop from 2023, when it was 4.5 billion dollars, and 2022, when it was 14.4 billion dollars, according to US government statistics. Advertisement And, Russia is already one of the worlds most heavily sanctioned nations. Many of those sanctions relate to its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and were imposed under President Joe Biden, but others predate Mr Biden. Some were imposed during Mr Trumps first term in office, and some date back to Russias 2014 seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. In addition, other participating countries such as Iran and North Korea, the two most often accused of helping Russia in the Ukraine war, are subject to even more US sanctions. Welcome to your five-minute recap of the trading day. The numbers The Australian sharemarket closed higher on Wednesday, as a surge in technology stocks helped to make up for slump in mining and energy companies shares. The S&P/ASX 200 climbed 27.4 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 8429.8 points at the close, with seven of the 11 industry sectors in the green. Information technology was the top-performing sector, following a positive lead from Wall Street overnight, and the announcement of new private sector investments in artificial intelligence (AI) from US President Donald Trump. The Australian dollar saw marginal losses, and was valued at US62.62 at 4.25pm AEDT. 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 Following yet another worlds hottest year on record, unprecedented drought and temperatures and wildfires in LA, President Trump has rushed to join Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries outside the Paris Agreement. (Trump blasts off, January 22). By doubling down on his cry to drill, baby, drill and removing all limits on Americas booming fossil fuel industry, the new president has once again declared war on the worlds climate mitigation efforts. However, this is a war that Trump cannot win. The climate doesnt give a toss about a presidents ostentatious signing of an executive order. The climate will always win with increasing havoc if humans are stupid enough to continue dumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, already reeling with 420 ppm CO2. Rob Firth, Red Hill (ACT) President Trump Credit: AP Donald Trumps policy of filling the senior positions of his administration with loyalists, his control of the Senate and Congress by a Republican Party subservient to him, and his appointment of conservatives likely to favour him in any controversial issue give rise to a government structure more committed to the president himself than to the American Constitution and the people as a whole. One can draw a parallel with the rise of the Roman General Marius, who began the process which led to the Roman legions swearing allegiance to their generals rather than to Rome itself. This was a significant factor in the downfall of the Roman republic. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the American republic? Rob Phillips, North Epping Trump made his intentions clear to the American people before November 5 last year he won the popular vote and the electoral college, so 78 million Americans obviously supported the Trump manifesto this time. The Democrats will need a better messenger next time, preferably Josh Shapiro or Andy Beshear somebody who can relate to average working-class American families in the rust belt states, otherwise J.D. Vance will have two terms as president from 2029 onwards. Evan Parsons, Thornleigh It boggles the mind to watch the man who sent a rabid mob to defile a sacred building, violently attack its defenders in an attempt to overthrow the government, in that very same place again be anointed as the leader of the free world. Victoria Harrington, Thirroul Watching President Trump sign executive orders in front of an adoring crowd reminded me of a celebrity autographing copies of his new book. However, by withdrawing from agencies such as the World Health Organisation and by freezing USAID, what Trump really was signing were death warrants for many of the millions of people receiving essential assistance from the $50 billion US foreign aid program. Clay OBrien, Mosman Advertisement Elon Musk is a rent-seeker whose companies receive eye watering sums of government assistance. You can bet that in his role of DOGE cutting government expenditure that it will be the most needy whose funding will be cut and not his. Welcome to the return of the robber barons. John Bailey, Canterbury Yesterday I rang the Herald to cancel my subscription. I cited my mental health as the reason and that the current news would cause me aggravation. An employee listened politely and suggested I use the MyNews function on my Herald app and select and place in order what I would like to read. She walked me through the function and I said I would give it a go. Its a new day and after my breakfast I have a much nicer news feed that will give me a more serene start to my day. Lynn Revai, Greystanes Now that Trump has been president for a few hours, Im looking forward to waking up in the morning and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have been resolved, as per his promises. If it isnt a lie, it will be an amazing accomplishment in diplomacy. Sam Kent, Hunters Hill Trumps Mars project will hopefully be an ego trip that encourages him to spend years travelling in outer space searching for aliens to con and new power-bases to set up. His departure into outer space another great step forward for mankind. Joy Cooksey, Harrington The news from Mars everybody is moving to Venus. Roberto Aureli, Neutral Bay Is Melanie Trump more evolved than the echidna? No need for her to curl up into a tight, protective, spiky ball to hide her face (The cheek of it: Melania exudes elegance and enforced social distancing with her wide brim, January 22). Her designer hat provided her with the necessary protection from the lips of the incoming president. Lyn Savage, Coogee If I was Melania, I would never take that hat off. Kerry Bogard, Millers Point Advertisement Im wondering if the boater hat will be marketed as a kiss shield? Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay It was once a common jest that the greatest achievement of Donald Trumps first presidency was to make George W. Bush look good. The current concern is that the main achievement of Trumps second presidency will be to make his first presidency look good. Kent Wilson, Collaroy Could the Herald please have a moratorium on photos of Trump attached to news articles. I can avoid the articles but not the photos and they make me feel ill. Trish Nielsen, Avalon Beach Quick, help required! I need an app for my smart TV, with voice and facial recognition. It should recognise certain people and render them into images of turkeys or badgers or anything else laughable. It may enable my survival over the next four years. Diane Prior, Northbridge Due to the return of Trump to the White House, I wish to advise family and friends through the letters pages that I will be retiring to bed for four years, effective immediately. John Swanton, Coogee Health heroics I am writing to endorse one of the heroic psychiatrists who are working at the coal face (Psychiatry crisis puts pressure on wards, January 22). Dr Michele Meltzer, chief medical officer at Ryde Hospital Mental Health Centre, has been in that post for 25 years, at least. I am in fragile health with chronic mild schizophrenia, but what sanity I possess I owe in part to Dr Meltzers support and guidance. She and her team are the quiet achievers and unsung heroes of the system. I hope the Industrial Relations Commission will rule in their favour and preserve the wellbeing of so many unfortunate members of our society. Helen Jordan, Lane Cove Advertisement Having worked in NSW Health since 1997, I understand the psychiatrists frustration with the system. The same is true for paediatrics and renal medicine, and you are more likely to see consultants of both sub-specialties in the hospital after working hours. But as there is no lucrative private practice for them, they are not resigning en masse. I would like the psychiatrists to reconsider and rejoin us in the tent, and advocate for Medicare to reimburse other clinicians who do long consultations but not procedures. Jo Rainbow, Orange Slow and steady Australias low birth rate is a good thing because it provides a base from which to painlessly establish a stable population, either by slightly increasing the birth rate or the level of immigration or a combination of both (Falling fertility needs fresh approach, January 22). A stable population makes planning much easier and recognises the costs and detrimental effects of infinite growth. For example, the level of housing stock and food production would stabilise and not have to depend on alienating ever more marginal land and water. Allen Greer, Sydney Unemployed storks. Credit: Simon Letch Out with the old guard The ageing remnants of the Liberal Party have pre-selected a new candidate to run for the federal seat of Bradfield (Dutton pledges tax breaks, as Mundine camp declares war over failed Liberal preselection, January 19). Gisele Kapterian follows the same old trajectory: lawyer, political staffer, wannabe politician. The deputy leader of the Liberals, Sussan Ley, thinks this candidate would have a great political career ahead of her. Bradfield electors want a candidate who is focused on the views and interests of the electorate, not another foot soldier for Peter Dutton. Carolyn Pettigrew, Turramurra I am so delighted to see that regional Australia has taken note of the success of the independents on the crossbench in Canberra, with Michelle Milthorpe running a targeted and clever independent campaign against incumbent Sussan Ley in Farrer and candidate Barbara Baikie standing in Riverina against incumbent Michael McCormack. If these neighbouring electorates with a combined area of more than 175,000 square kilometres roll to the cross-bench, the future for the people of southern NSW could look remarkably different to the sullen indifference we have suffered for so long. Gemma Frances Purcell, Grong Grong Advertisement Halfway house hybrids Climate Change Minister Chris Bowens decision to provide tax breaks only to fully electric vehicles deserves applause (Cleaner and greener, but no tax perks for hybrids, January 21). Offering tax incentives for hybrid cars would be like promoting vaping to curb cigarette smoking. Its not a solution. Hybrids still rely on expensive imported fuels, exacerbate climate change, pollute the air and subsequently harm our health. Unlike smoking, however, a clean, healthy alternative exists in fully electric vehicles, which are also cheaper to run and fun to drive. Hybrid vehicles are only a halfway house that will not get us to the endpoint we need. For a healthier future, fully electric, zero-emissions vehicles deserve our full support. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic) For better, for worse Avoiding divorce is one reason why so many mark their anniversary rather than celebrate it (Battling the financial pain of divorce, January 22). Mustafa Erem, Terrigal Tougher hate laws needed As the community leader who spearheaded the campaign that resulted in Section 93Z of the Crimes Act being passed in 2018, I have followed the current debate closely (Premier may defy advice on hate speech law reform, January 22). The premier is spot on when he says everything begins with words. The government review headed by Tom Bathurst SC, which advised against strengthening 93Z, was handed down before the current litany of antisemitic attacks. The 93Z campaign ultimately comprised more than 30 communities of varying faiths and traditions. The need to keep the people of NSW safe has never been more critical. Current laws are clearly inadequate and urgently need to be strengthened if the worsening antisemitism crisis is to be meaningfully tackled. Vic Alhadeff, Darlinghurst Police have released vision of two people wanted over graffiti sprayed on the walls of the Southern Sydney Synagogue at Allawah. Credit: NSW Police Advertisement For years, those keen to scale Brisbanes iconic Story Bridge could only do so from its southern side, starting at Kangaroo Point. Not any more. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb has switched sides its now operating from the northern bank of the Brisbane River, conveniently linking the attraction to Howard Smith Wharves. The switch came after Artemus Group, the hospitality giant behind Howard Smith Wharves, acquired the bridge climb from previous operator XBrisbane last February. Climbers take on the Story Bridge from its southern side, before the northern switch. Credit: Story Bridge Adventure Climb The business office has also changed sides, with the tourism operator leaving its Kangaroo Point digs for a base on the northern side of the river under the Crystalbrook Vincent hotel at Howard Smith Wharves. A man has been charged with murder following the grim discovery of a womans body in north-west Victoria on Tuesday morning. The body, believed to be a woman, was found after fire crews responded to a grass fire on the outskirts of Quambatook, a small farming town about 300km north-west of Melbourne, about 6.30am. Homicide detectives arrested a 67-year-old Quambatook man in the Welshmans Reef area, about 180km south of the crime scene at Quambatook, on Wednesday morning. Police interviewed the man and subsequently charged him with murder. Less than 24 hours after the board meeting, RSL WA officials arrived at the site flanked by police and locksmiths to evict the Nollamara sub-branch members and the Veterans Motorcycle Club from the premises. Loading But the eviction soon descended into a search and seizure the RSL gave police permission to execute, which uncovered 35 rounds of ammunition, magazine clips and imported pharmaceuticals. The police attendance was not part of any criminal investigation into the club. Counsel for VMC Stephen Hicks grilled Anderson on the leagues decision not to forewarn the club of an eviction he claimed was more akin to an ambush, a characterisation the RSL state president rejected. Anderson told the court the decision to move in secret was underpinned by concerns it held about the amount of personal property, memorabilia and valuable medals that had been donated to the sub-branch. So it would be better for it to be an ambush than to give notice? Hicks asked Anderson. Thats a pretty bold term. We took a decision our constitution allowed us to take, Anderson responded. The court was told VMC members forcibly gained access to the site several weeks later, which the league claims amounted to trespass because their permission to be on the property was conditional on the RSL operating. Despite verbal and written warnings, Anderson said it was clear the club members had no intention of leaving the property and that the league would not return to the community while the VMC remained next door. The RSL took the matter to court in May 2024 seeking an urgent injunction requiring the motorcycle club and its members to vacate the premises. But the VMC have staunchly defended the allegations, firing back with a counterclaim against the league. The club claims it has held a peppercorn lease agreement with the sub-branch since it invested in the clubhouses construction in the mid-1990s and was entitled to stay. RSL WA has repeatedly insisted it has no record of a formal lease agreement ever being inked between the two parties and that members of the sub-branch did not have the authority to sign off on such an arrangement. But Hicks questioned the veracity of that claim, accusing the organisation of looking furiously for documents everywhere but the other party to the lease deal. Anderson also refused Hicks push for an apology on behalf of the RSL for harbouring goods seized during the eviction, saying the conduct coupled with the nine-month legal battle had left the relationship beyond repair. The actions of the VMC have cost a membership-based charity tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, Anderson told the court. The RSL has taken significant steps to settle this matter in mediation, despite another party behaving in contravention of our code of conduct and bylaws. No, Im not willing to apologise. While maintaining that the Nollamara sub-branch and VMC had members in common, Anderson could not confirm who from the VMC was involved in the incidents that gave rise to the termination of the sub-branch. [The VMC] are being punished, effectively, as if they were involved, Hicks told the court. On the stand, the VMCs president of almost 30 years John Lewis pored over documents from the construction of the clubhouse in the mid-1990s. The Vietnam veteran, who served in the 3rd Battalion, said the $7000 worth of construction materials were bankrolled by fundraising efforts and the bulk of the labour was donated by more than half a dozen members. Lewis told the court the clubhouse was built after the Nollamara sub-branch agreed the VMC would have exclusive and unhindered access under a peppercorn lease, which required the club to hold four minor functions annually. The VMC has argued departing the site would require abandoning infrastructure it bankrolled through donations and free labour and community connections forged could not be replicated elsewhere. Hicks had attempted to unearth more documentation from the RSLs archives through a court-ordered document swap, a move Justice Alain Musikanth warned could necessitate an urgent adjournment of the trial. Of all the images published from the roiling, pro-Palestinian rallies that have occupied the centre of Melbourne every Sunday for the past 15 months, there is one that remains impossible to reconcile. It is a portrait of two protesters, a young, handsome man and a woman, in stylised pose. She has dark hair and a distinctive tattoo; he is sporting a hipster beard, framed by an elegantly knotted keffiyeh scarf, and is holding with apparent reverence a picture of Yahya Sinwar. Pro-Palestine protesters hold a placard of Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at a rally in Melbournes CBD in October 2024. Credit: Getty Images Sinwar, the Hamas leader shot dead by Israeli troops in October, was a principle architect of the atrocities in southern Israel which resulted in the murder of 1200 people and abduction of 251 hostages and provoked a war in which Israel is estimated to have killed nearly 47,000 Gazans. He earlier made his bones as Hamass cruel and manipulative leader of al-Majd, an internal security apparatus which enforced the terrorist organisations strict morality code. He tortured and murdered anyone he suspected of collaborating with the Israelis. He spent 23 years in an Israeli jail for murdering a dozen Palestinians. The Greens are on a collision course with Alcoa and South32 and their 7000-strong workforce after unveiling a commitment to ban bauxite mining in Western Australias native forests if they seize the balance of power in the upper house at the March 8 state election. Under the Greens plan, all new forest mining and expansion proposals would be rejected, and the practice would be rapidly phased out. They would also negotiate an immediate ban on all mining in Water Corporations reservoir protection zones and create mining exclusion zones around high conservation value forests. Labor Premier Roger Cook rejected the plan as a thought bubble that would put literally thousands of Western Australian jobs at risk while Alcoa described it as overly simplistic given aluminiums importance in the green transition and the major economic benefits of the industry to the state. Greens forestry spokeswoman Jess Beckerling speaking about the partys plan to end forest mining. Credit: Hamish Hastie The commitment would be a major test for the next government and could impact the jobs of the 7000 people employed in the industry. The Greens said the shutdown should be supported by a just transition for all workers in the sector. Im a nervous flyer with a vivid imagination not an ideal combination. Rocketing along in a crowded, oxygen-strained space for hours can give me all sorts of things to worry about. A random stomach pain can send me into a panic: What if I get sick up here? It turns out that theres a whole discipline of preventive health care aerospace medicine that focuses on treating pilots, aircrews and astronauts. Were trying to keep people healthy in an unhealthy environment, said Dr Leigh Speicher, an internist and aerospace medicine specialist in Jacksonville, Florida, and president of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. I asked her and other experts for their best tips on how to stay healthy during this travel season. As you book your flight Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting to emphasise their close ties a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president. The two leaders discussed their prospective contacts with Trumps administration during the video call that lasted more than 1 hours, the Kremlin said. They have developed strong, personal links that brought their relations even closer after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. China has become a major customer for Russian oil and gas and a source of key technologies amid sweeping Western sanctions on Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via videoconference from his Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside of Moscow. Credit: AP In the call with Xi, Putin emphasised that Russia-China relations were based on shared interests, equality and mutual benefits, noting they dont depend on internal political factors and the current international environment. Jason Stuckrath (center) and Michael McHenry move a cabinet out of Michael's apartment in Pacifica, California, on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. Californians leaving the state tend to move to counties that match their own partisanship, on average even in states where they don't. Connor Radnovich/The Chronicle Every year, thousands more California residents leave the state than vice versa and they take their politics with them. In some states, the effect has been the spread of West Coast-liberalism. In others, movers actually helped pad President Donald Trumps margins, pulling them firmly out of Vice President Kamala Harris reach last November. Regardless of party, the reasons for the exodus are no surprise: California has stratospheric wages for some and housing shortages for all. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The thing is, people cant afford to live here, said Eric McGhee, a researcher who studies migration at the Public Policy Institute of California. Whats less obvious is how that wave of migrants has affected the politics of the states Californians move to as well as the politics of those of us left behind. A new Chronicle analysis of data from the analytics firm L2, which links multiple datasets including voter registration records, financial data and other sources, makes it possible to better understand the political impacts of those leaving the state. Loading... The Chronicle examined data on all registered adults L2 identified as having moved out of California between April 2020 (the start of the pandemic) and November 2024 (the most recent election), breaking them down by their last party registration, the state and county they moved to, as well as other attributes like estimates of their age, race, and income. (Other data sources, like the Census and the IRS, are more precise for measuring migration but cannot be used to estimate partisanship.) Advertisement Article continues below this ad The analysis shows that Californians are in fact changing the political composition of many states, but that the impact melts away at the local level. Movers self-sorted by partisanship probably not on purpose At the state level, California migrants look politically influential. On the one hand, migrants from California are often even redder than the rest of the population. For example, Donald Trump won Texas by a convincing 14 points last November but the tens of thousands of Californians who moved to Texas in the preceding four years had an even larger 17-point Republican registration edge. The gap was even wider in purple Arizona, which voted for Joe Biden by the narrowest of margins in 2020. There, immigrating Californians since 2020 had a whopping 20-point Republican registration edge helping to move that state back into President Trumps column in 2024. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On the other hand, California migrants tend to be bluer than the residents of other purple states like Nevada and even blood-red states like Indiana and Louisiana. In the latter state, the small number of Californians who had moved in had a solid 20-point Democratic registration edge in a state that ended up voting for Trump by 22 points. Loading... Look at county-level data and those discrepancies fade away. Californians moving to Indiana, for example, are bluer than the average Hoosier because they tend to be the kind of people who choose to live in Indianapolis or Bloomington, two very blue towns. Likewise, Californians moving to purple Arizona are overrepresented in ruby-red Navajo County compared to solid-blue Pima County. Loading... Is that because movers from Santa Cruz and Berkeley actively seek places with similarly liberal politics? That's hard to say in part because the data the Chronicle obtained from L2 did not include the movers counties of origin in California. But scholars said: probably not. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My view is, politics has very little to do with why people move, said William Frey, a researcher at the Brookings Institution and one of Americas leading demographers. The large part of the reason people move is employment or to some extent housing, Frey said, citing years of surveys that ask people why they move. Other scholars the Chronicle spoke to echoed that rationale, and added that proximity to loved ones also played a role in movers decisions. In other words, software engineers leaving Silicon Valley for new jobs or cheaper housing often end up in places with existing concentrations of software engineers, like Austin or Seattle. Those places will then tend to resemble each other in cultural attitudes, levels of education and politics. Likewise, oil and gas workers moving for work from Bakersfield to Dallas might encounter people with similar worldviews there. Job choices are increasingly proxies for culture, which in turn increasingly drives partisanship. Jacob Brown, a Boston University professor who co-wrote an influential study on political polarization, said that its not surprising that people moving for work might end up going to places with similar politics to their own. Movers who are a smaller share of Americas population than they used to be arent even the biggest component of Americas political polarization, Brown said. Much more, its that people living in a particular area tend to slowly align on politics because of shared experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The pandemic years were different The pandemic may have changed that calculus for some movers. With the rise of remote work, people became freer to move for non-economic reasons. As jobs and lifestyle became uncoupled for some, its possible leisure, amenities, and even politics could have played more of a role in choosing where to move. That may account for some of the most extreme cases in the data. Although movers partisanship tended to match the partisanship of their destinations on average, there were exceptions. For example, some places in the Mountain West and the South have become renowned for their friendliness to conservatives maybe nowhere more so than Ada County, Idaho, home to Boise. While Ada County voted for Trump by a margin of about 10 points, incoming Californians had a whopping 53-point registration edge, making it the place where Californian migrants had the largest such edge over other residents. Conversely, some northeastern counties attracted Californians much bluer than the locals particularly counties that skew moderate or conservative but have an outdoorsy, foodie, or resorty scene. For example, Dutchess County, New York, a light-blue Hudson Valley county that voted for Harris by a 6-point margin, attracted Californians with a huge 61-point Democratic registration edge to artsy towns like Beacon. Loading... Loading... About the data The Chronicle used two sources of data for this analysis. The first was data made available by the political analytics firm L2, which collates a variety of sources, most crucially present and past voter registration records, to assemble a record of people whove moved from state to state, and their party registrations at different periods of time. That dataset has several limitations, which include: An under-representation of moves within California. In-state moves form the majority of all moves, and were ignored for the purposes of this analysis. The lack of equivalence between voter registration and voting habits. Many voters registered as Republicans or Democrats often or always vote for the other party, without bothering to change their registration. The large number of non-partisan registrants and, to a lesser extent, third party registrants. Partisan advantage was calculated by subtracting the share of Republican registrants from the share of Democratic registrants, without regard for non-partisan or third party registrants. This is an imperfect but well-supported assumption: Research shared with the Chronicle suggests that non-partisan registrants vote breaks down roughly in proportion with the partisan registrants. Lack of access to individual voter records. L2 has individual voters data, which they obtain from public records, but the Chronicle does not at the time of this writing have a contractual relationship with L2 that would allow for the sharing of individual voter profiles at scale. Instead, L2 made available a tool that would allow us to extract aggregated data. That tool, however, allowed us to examine just two variables at a time, which in our case was county (or state) and one demographic or voting variable. For example, we knew how young or how Democratic movers were to a given county in aggregate, but not the specific breakdown of age by partisanship within that county. In addition, the Chronicle made the choice to only measure voter registrations as last recorded in California not in movers destination states. Thats partially because we were primarily interested in partisan preference when leaving California, but also partially because different states measure and report registrations in different ways. The second source of data was county-level 2024 presidential election results, which we used in our comparisons of partisan registration advantage of movers with actual vote margins in the destination states and counties. We extracted that information from this open source repository and are grateful for the labor of those who made it available. Washington: Kevin Loftus received a knock on his cell block door at 11pm, about the same time Donald Trump was dancing on stage with his wife, Melania, at one of Washingtons ritzy inaugural balls. They pounded on our cell door with a flashlight and said, Get ready cos youre getting out of here, he said. January 6 participant Kevin Loftus, who was released from prison following Donald Trumps presidential pardon. Credit: AP Loftus was one of the many January 6 convicts released from prison in the 24 hours after Trumps pardon for nearly all 1600 rioters who marched on the US Capitol on that infamous day in 2021 to protest against the results of the 2020 election. Loftus said he was charged with a misdemeanour for parading and picketing inside the Capitol but spent 82 days behind bars due to a probation violation. Senators vetting the nomination of Pete Hegseth for defence secretary have received an affidavit from his former sister-in-law alleging that the onetime Fox News host was abusive to his second wife, to the point where she feared for her safety. Hegseth denies the allegations. The sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, was formerly married to the nominees brother, and in an affidavit, she said she believes that Pete Hegseth is unfit to run the Defence Department based on what she witnessed and heard. She said she first relayed her allegations to the FBI in December but was concerned that the information was not shared with Congress as senators consider Hegseths nomination to lead the Pentagon. The affidavit describes Hegseths treatment of his second wife, Samantha, and alleges repeat drunkenness and a domestic situation where Samantha Hegseth had a safe word to indicate if she was in danger at home. Danielle Hegseth said Samantha texted that safe word to her sometime in 2015 or 2016, which prompted her to call a third party for help. Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trumps choice to be defence secretary, at his confirmation hearing. Credit: AP I have chosen to come forward publicly, at significant personal sacrifice, because I am deeply concerned by what Hegseths confirmation would mean for our military and our country, she said. An attorney for Pete Hegseth vehemently denied the allegations. Tim Parlatore said the affidavit was filled with belated claims by an ex-relative with an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family. In a statement to US broadcaster NBC News, which first reported on the affidavit, Samantha Hegseth said there was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision. Samantha Hegseth and Pete Hegseth both signed a Minnesota court document in 2021 during their divorce saying neither claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. Republican leaders said they doubted the new allegations would change the votes of support they are lining up for Hegseth. They marched ahead with the nomination on Wednesday (AEDT), taking a key procedural step needed to confirm him by weeks end. Hegseth was grilled by senators during a hearing last week about his behaviour, including excessive drinking, extramarital affairs and allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied. Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job and has denied a 2017 sex assault allegation but acknowledged paying the woman a settlement. He was going through a divorce at the time after having a child with a Fox News producer who became his current wife, according to court records and his social media posts. AP "Brokers are a very important channel for the industry," said Aaron Bassin, cofounder and chief executive officer of non-bank lender Bridgit. "It's free [to go to brokers]. It's tailored advice. Since they're all commissioned, brokers need to abide by best-interest duties. So they have to provide viable options to the borrowers to ensure that they're getting the best product in the market for them. If the consumer goes directly to the bank or the non-bank, they don't need to abide by those same rules. We can put that customer in a product that may not be suitable for them but is suitable for the business. That is really important in the industry, and for consumers, to be able to have trusted advisers in the ecosystem to continue to support the customer and make sure that they enter into the best product for them." New collaboration to bring Brazilian researchers to UB Our partnership with CAPES is a great opportunity to build extensive and impactful research collaborations with faculty and PhD student colleagues from Brazil. UB is embarking on a new partnership that will grow its collaboration with researchers from Brazil. The new agreement with Brazils Ministry of Education will bring Brazilian faculty and PhD students to UB to collaborate on research for up to a year. President Satish K. Tripathi recently formalized the agreement with Brazils Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education. CAPES, as it is known, is an agency of Brazils Ministry of Education designed to improve the quality of higher-ed faculty and graduate students in Brazil through grant programs. In this case, the agency will administer a competitive selection process and sponsor the research visits to UB. Our partnership with CAPES is a great opportunity to build extensive and impactful research collaborations with faculty and PhD student colleagues from Brazil, says Nojin Kwak, vice provost for international education. Our office looks forward to working with CAPES and our academic units at UB to implement this far-reaching program and expand our scientific and scholarly ties to Brazilian universities, Kwak says. UB each year would host up to 10 PhD students and 20 faculty members from Brazil, typically for a semester but as long as an academic year, says John J. Wood, senior associate vice provost for international education. The agreement also opens the door for up to 10 UB faculty members a year to travel to Brazil to collaborate on research. Brazil has a robust higher-education sector, conducting significant scientific research that aligns well with UBs, Wood says. A 2026 start to the collaboration is anticipated. While a variety of schools at UB have collaborated with universities in Brazil, the School of Dental Medicine has leveraged relationships in that country both in the past and under the leadership of Dean Marcelo Araujo. UB SDM has a long history of research collaboration with universities in Brazil, Araujo says. This agreement will allow our university to expand this partnership and strengthen the scientific ties between the two countries. President Donald Trump tried to end high-skilled worker visas in his first term, but now says he supports them. Evgenia Parajanian President Donald Trump tried unsuccessfully in 2020 to ban H-1B visas, which allow hundreds of thousands of skilled foreign workers to work temporarily in the United States. Now he says he favors the program but it could be hampered by his order to restrict birthright citizenship. H-1B visas enable employers, mostly in the technological and communications fields, to hire highly skilled foreigners to work in the U.S. for three to six years or longer, if immigration officials allow the employer to sponsor the visa. About 580,000 people held those visas in 2019, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Most of them are chosen by lottery after applying in their home countries. In the Bay Area, about 11,000 visas are issued each year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump halted new H-1B visas in June 2020 and barred visa-holders from entering the U.S., saying he wanted to protect American jobs during the pandemic. But U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White of Oakland ruled four months later that Trump had exceeded his authority, and his order was shelved before Joe Biden became president in January 2021. Now Trump is changing his position while denying any about-face and that move has opened a rift between two important supporting factions: the Big Tech sector that wants more H-1B visas and the ultranationalist side represented by top political adviser Stephen Miller, which wants a drastic curtailment of all forms of immigration. I have always been in favor of the visas. Thats why we have them, Trump told the New York Post on Dec. 28. I have many H-1B visas on my properties. Its a great program. Elon Musk, a Trump financial backer and leader of the presidents advisory Department of Government Efficiency, is also an H-1B supporter. Musks Tesla electric car company moved into the top 25 of H-1B employers last year with 1,787 successful visa applications, Citizenship and Immigration Services reported. Meanwhile, among the dozens of executive orders Trump issued after his inauguration Monday was an edict to limit birthright citizenship, the right of anyone born in the United States to be a U.S. citizen, except for the children of foreign diplomats. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trumps order redefining birthright citizenship, calling it blatantly unconstitutional during the first hearing in a multistate effort challenging the order. The temporary restraining order sought by Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington was the first to get a hearing before a judge and applies nationally. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said hes been on the bench for more than four decades, and he couldnt remember seeing another case where the action challenged was so clearly unconstitutional. The Constitutions 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, grants citizenship to all persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, language the Supreme Court interpreted in 1898 to apply to the U.S.-born children of immigrants. Trump says he wants to deny citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants. California, 17 other states, the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco filed suit Tuesday to challenge his order, which is scheduled to take effect in 30 days. Advertisement Article continues below this ad His order did not refer to holders of H-1B visas, but it would deny citizenship to the children of everyone on temporary visas, from visitor visas to H-1Bs to journalists, said Bill Hing, an immigration law professor at the University of San Francisco. That wouldnt require deportation for the visa-holders themselves. But it would deny citizenship to their children who were born in the United States. What effect that would have on the H-1B program is an open question. I dont think it would have much impact, said Kevin Johnson, the law school dean at UC Davis who has written extensively on immigration law. H-1B workers come to the Bay Area for skilled jobs and higher wages. Birthright citizenship is not a primary issue. A different view came from Deepak Ahluwalia, an immigration attorney in Fresno. He said many H-1B visa-holders seek to become eligible for green cards, as lawful permanent residents, which they can acquire once their U.S.-born child turns 21. That applies to skilled workers whose employer takes over sponsorship of the visa and can extend it indefinitely. But if their children are no longer eligible for citizenship, Ahluwalia said, the visa-holders will know they will never get a green card in their lifetime and would be less likely to enter the program. Advertisement Article continues below this ad LTIMindtree [NSE: LTIM, BSE: 540005], a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, announced extension of their strategic collaboration with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), a nonprofit association dedicated to improving the health of people everywhere through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaborations. As a part of this renewed partnership, LTIMindtree will help the AAMC expedite its continuous improvement initiatives, driving improved decision making and increased productivity across its business functions. Founded in 1876, the AAMC is based in Washington, D.C. Through this extended alliance, LTIMindtree will assist the AAMC in enhancing their technology infrastructure and optimize application development and maintenance processes. This engagement will reduce the time to market, through improved overall engineering productivity. Additionally, it will also enable the integration of security practices in development and operational processes to ensure a robust and reliable end-to-end delivery. Technology-led innovation is helping tackle some of the most significant challenges within healthcare and we are pleased to renew our partnership with the AAMC, a leading organization in this space. As part of the engagement, LTIMindtree will enable the AAMC in their strategic transformation journey. Our long-term objective is to streamline operations and optimize processes at the AAMC by leveraging our deep expertise in AI-led transformation of data as well as in user experience and infrastructure management, said Manjunath Yerragunta, Business Head Healthcare, LTIMindtree. The AAMCs members are all 159 U.S. medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education; 14 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 500 academic health systems and teaching hospitals, including Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and more than 70 academic societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC leads and serves Americas medical schools, academic health systems and teaching hospitals, and the millions of individuals across academic medicine, including more than 201,000 full-time faculty members, 97,000 medical students, 158,000 resident physicians, and 60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences. Renowned global brands ExxonMobil, Eaton, Volvo, Colgate-Palmolive and Hershey are just some of the confirmed participants for Kinexions 2025, hosted by Kinaxis (TSX:KXS), a global leader in end-to-end supply chain orchestration. Taking place from March 31 to April 2, this years event is shaping up to be the biggest and best ever, with hundreds of supply chain experts, leaders and innovators. The three-day event will feature: a mainstage keynote address from Staale Gjervik, president supply chain at ExxonMobil who will share insights into how the largest integrated energy company is pioneering enterprise-wide orchestration, who will share insights into how the largest integrated energy company is pioneering enterprise-wide orchestration, the story behind biopharmaceutical leader Merck & Co. stransformation to serve patients with greater speed and accuracy, stransformation to serve patients with greater speed and accuracy, the secrets behind Hershey s groundbreaking supply chain journey, s groundbreaking supply chain journey, building a greener future with Schneider Electric , plus , plus 60+ content-rich sessions, product demos, training and workshops as well as peer-to-peer networking and, the 7th annual Kinaxis Customer Awards, recognizing the individuals and organizations solving the worlds most complex supply chain problems. We have an amazing line up of innovators and gamechangers signed up for Kinexions 2025 and I cant wait to welcome them to Austin, said Andrew Bell, chief product officer at Kinaxis. Attendees will have the rare opportunity to hear first-hand about transformational supply chain stories from global leaders who are running some of the most complex operations. Kinexions 2025 is made possible by its platinum sponsors, Scott Sheldon and Capgemini and gold sponsors, 4flow, Genpact, Microsoft, Google Cloud and Spinnaker SCA. Registration for Kinexions 25 is open at www.kinexions.com and to learn more about Kinaxis and its supply chain orchestration solutions, please visit www.kinaxis.com. About Kinaxis Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain orchestration, powering complex global supply chains and supporting the people who manage them, in service of humanity. Our powerful, AI-infused supply chain orchestration platform, Maestro, combines proprietary technologies and techniques that provide full transparency and agility across the entire supply chain from multi-year strategic planning to last-mile delivery. We are trusted by renowned global brands to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate todays volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122765146/en/ Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., discusses the Laken Riley Act inside the Capitol on Jan. 14. The measure passed the Senate on Monday with some Democratic support. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, convicted on charges relating to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, talks to reporters outside the D.C. Central Detention Facility after being released from a jail in Maryland on Tuesday. Rhodes had been sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press WASHINGTON Congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump have both made moves early in Trumps presidency that could offend their core constituencies. But its only Democrats likely to pay a price for helping pass the draconian Laken Riley Act cracking down on immigration. Meanwhile, Trump, who promised to restore law and order, faces little criticism from law enforcement for pardoning Jan. 6 demonstrators who committed violent acts, including attacking police officers. Republicans, under Trumps direction, contend that even undocumented immigrants accused of minor crimes are potentially so dangerous they must be removed from the streets of U.S. cities. Yet, in pardoning violent convicted criminals, including some who are leaders or members of violent white supremacist groups, Trump has done just that: He released people known to be dangerous into the street. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On the other side, some Democrats support for the Laken Riley Act illustrates how difficult the road will be for the party to claw back power if they are divided on key issues and how politically cowed they are of crossing Trump when it comes to immigration, an issue pivotal to his victory. Twelve Democratic senators voted Monday with Republicans to pass the measure, named for the 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia who was killed last year by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela. Trump and other Republicans often used her murder to call for tougher immigration laws during the campaign. The measure could lead to racially profiling Latinos and contributing to mass deportation efforts, even of those who have been living in the U.S. for years, immigration rights advocates said. It requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who are charged, arrested or convicted for committing acts of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. That means young immigrants could be detained if they are merely arrested for but not convicted of a minor act like shoplifting a candy bar. The proposal does not include exemptions for Dreamers, immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, or TPS holders, who enjoy temporary protected status to live and work in the U.S. for a limited time without fear of being deported. It has no exemptions, no exemptions for minors, like someone who is a 12-year-old that steals gum from a store, said California Sen. Alex Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committees Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety and an opponent of the measure. Its not focused on violent felons or criminals. (Neither of Californias senators Padilla and Sen. Adam Schiff supported the measure.) The amended bill will again be considered this week by the House, where 48 Democrats including six Californians representing battleground districts in the Central Valley and Southern California supported it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Any legislator who supports this bill is complicit in perpetuating Trumps plans for mass cruelty and eroding trust in our nation as a place of refuge and opportunity, said Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub. Juan Proano, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said Democrats who supported the bill fear being seen as soft on immigration. Some folks are really playing defense here, right? You know, elected officials and candidates are playing defense here, and dont want to be spotlighted right in a potential attack ad in coming election cycles where they did not support the Laken Riley Act, Proano said. Democrats who supported the measure said they did so to keep their constituents safe. Hannah Rehm, a spokesperson for Orange County Rep. Dave Min, who supported the bill, said Min spent his career working to strengthen law enforcement and uphold the rule of law. In Congress, he is going to continue to prioritize the safety of his Orange County constituents. Other Democrats who backed the bill said that while they believe its necessary, there also needs to be broader, bipartisan immigration reform. Rep. Jim Costa, of Fresno, said Rileys death underscores the need for justice and exposes flaws in our immigration system. Now, more than ever, Democrats and Republicans must come together in a bipartisan way to address immigration and border challenges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Proano said the bills provisions are so punitive that he predicted that in 20 years we will be looking back at it like we do the (1994 federal) crime bill that many criminal justice advocates say triggered an era of mass incarceration. Meanwhile, Trump has faced virtually no blowback from law enforcement advocates for issuing 1,500 pardons and commuting the sentences of 14 of his supporters in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Neither the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents 377,000 members nationwide and endorsed Trump, nor the United States Capitol Police Labor Committee, which represents the officers guarding the Capitol, responded to a request to comment on Trumps blanket pardon, which included those who injured or attacked 140 law enforcement officers. Law enforcement unions typically, but not always, support Republican candidates. Trumps move came within hours after he promised in his inaugural speech to restore fair, equal and impartial justice under the Constitution and the rule of law. And we are going to bring law and order back to our cities. Then he cut loose nearly 1,500 convicted criminals, including many who had attacked law enforcement officers. Even his own vice president, JD Vance, disagreed with that approach. He told Fox News earlier this year, If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned, but hedged a bit: Theres a little bit of a gray area there. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Vance agreed with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, whose office was ransacked during the attack and who was sought out by insurrectionists who said they wanted to kill her. The Presidents actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protect the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution, Pelosi posted on X. Its shameful that the president has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power. David Bier, the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, noted on X that it was pretty interesting how as Trump was about to sign his executive order on the Jan. 6 convicts, the Senate amended the Laken Riley Act to require mandatory imprisonment just for people accused of assaulting a cop, let alone convicted and imprisoned. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, who was crushed between two doors as some of the rioters beat him in a scene captured on video during the insurrection, reacted after he saw a social media post about Trumps pardons Monday: Just worked about 14 hours making sure Trumps inauguration was secure and peaceful, got home and read this. Thanks America. Dans une nouvelle declaration rendu publique hier, le leader de l'oppostion repond a la sortie du Secretaire General du RDPC, le parti au pouvoir. DECLARATION RELATIVE AU COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE DU RDPC DATE DU 14 JANVIER 2025. Le Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun (MRC) a pris connaissance du Communique de presse date du 14 janvier 2025, dans lequel le Secretaire General du Comite Central du RDPC denonce, avec larrogance propre a son parti, les propos et actions des acteurs politiques et sociaux de tous bords qui, non seulement ne chantent pas les louanges de son parti, mais attirent lattention des Camerounais sur la situation dramatique du pays. Il y releve les objectifs que viseraient, selon lui, ces agissements antirepublicains, irresponsables et condamnables , comme si le RDPC savait ce quest la Republique, lui qui promeut le tribalisme dEtat et la terreur politique, bafoue lEtat de droit en pietinant sans vergogne les lois de la Republique, a commencer par la Constitution, et se nourrit des injustices dune justice qui est mise en coupe reglee. Parmi les trois objectifs quil fustige, il glisse celui qui consisterait a preparer les consciences a des violences eventuelles dans la perspective de defaites annoncees pour certains ou de non-participation au scrutin presidentiel pour dautres. Le Secretaire General du RDPC qui parle de defaite annoncee de certains na sans doute pas realise que ce sont ses propres camarades du parti qui annoncent depuis 2023 au moins la defaite du RDPC a presidentielle a venir et ne trouvent pour seule issue a leur debacle quun coup dEtat militaire qui priverait le candidat elu du MRC du pouvoir. Et le tres republicain Secretaire General du RDPC na jamais dit ne fut-ce quun demi-mot pour denoncer cet appel funeste a un acte antirepublicain par excellence, par des communicants officiels et attitres de son parti. Il se bouche les oreilles pour ne pas entendre les memes, et plus encore le Ministre de lAdministration Territoriale, militant notoire de son parti, qui claironne depuis 2021 au moins, non meme pas que le MRC ne pourra pas presenter de candidat au prochain scrutin presidentiel, mais que son President National, Maurice KAMTO, ne sera pas candidat a ladite election, et ce, contrairement a letat actuel du droit sur la question. Qui donc fait preuve de febrilite et agite un spectre illusoire de nature a susciter et entretenir un climat generalise de peur, de tension, de panique, dinquietude et dinsecurite au sein des populations en cette annee delection presidentielle ? Qui seme la terreur physique, intellectuelle et psychologique dans notre pays depuis des decennies, depuis les multiples tentatives de coups dEtat des annees 1983-84, aux repressions barbares des annees 1990-92, puis de la fin de cette decennie avec les disparus de Bepanda, celles de 2008 suite aux emeutes dites de la faim, puis de la fin de 2018, en 2019, 2020 avec des tirs a bout portant sur des marcheurs pacifiques, les assassinats des religieux et divers autres non elucides a ce jour, pour ne rappeler que quelques moments emblematiques ? LHistoire ne secrit pas avec une gomme et aucune tentative dinversion des roles ne trompera les Camerounais sur la nature reelle du regime RDPC et ses faits darmes terroristes. En adaptant les propos dun penseur francais, Blaise Pascal, je dirais quau lieu de faire que ce qui est juste soit fort, le regime actuel a fait que ce qui est fort soit considere comme juste. Et voila ou en est notre pays ! Cest depuis le double scrutin legislatif et municipal de 2020 que le RDPC vacarme sur la non-participation du President National du MRC, investi par son parti, au scrutin presidentiel de 2025, au motif curieux que le MRC ayant boycotte ledit scrutin ne peut pas prendre part a lelection presidentielle a venir. De quel droit le Secretaire General dun parti politique pretendument republicain peut-il se substituer aussi aisement aux instances legales habilitees a recevoir les candidatures, a examiner leur conformite a la loi - et a la loi seule et a arreter la liste de celles qui remplissent les conditions requises ? Comment le Secretaire General du parti qui dirige le pays, et qui devrait etre plus que quiconque attache au respect de la loi et a linteret general, a-t-il pu se laisser entrainer dans la panique qui gagne les rangs de son parti, si ce nest quil est lui-meme persuade de la defaite certaine du candidat que le RDPC soutiendra ? Je dis soutiendra, parce quen letat actuel des choses, le RDPC ne peut pas presenter un candidat au prochain scrutin presidentiel. Et il le sait. Au lieu de faire du hooliganisme politique comme cest le cas depuis quelques temps deja, le RDPC devrait avoir le courage de dire a ses militants quau regard des dispositions pertinentes des Statuts de leur parti, ils nauront pas de candidat a lelection presidentielle doctobre 2025, que ce soit le President de la Republique actuel ou nimporte lequel des militants de ce parti. Les seules options qui restent au RDPC sont soit de faire presenter la candidature de quelquun sortant de leurs rangs par un de leurs partis allies disposant de representants dans les conseils municipaux ou a lAssemblee Nationale, soit que linteresse obtienne les 300 signatures prevues par le Code Electoral et se presente comme candidat independant. Dans lun et lautre cas, il ne devrait pas y avoir de difficultes. Les instances competentes pour se prononcer sur la validite des candidatures le feront le moment venu. Contrairement au RDPC et ses dirigeants, nous ne sommes pas a ce point hatifs et irresponsables pour trancher la question. Quant a moi, jai informe lopinion que je serai candidat a lelection presidentielle doctobre 2025, parce que ma candidature sera presentee dans les conditions conformes a la Constitution de notre pays et a la loi electorale. Je lai redit la derniere fois dans mon message du 31 decembre 2024, je le dis a nouveau aujourdhui et ny reviendrai pas. Le RDPC et quiconque devront sy resoudre. Il est etonnant que des personnes qui concedent du bout des levres que jaurais quelques competences en droit soient les memes qui severtuent a vouloir me donner des lecons de droit a travers des commentaires hasardeux du Code Electoral. Le RDPC et ses excroissances et autres satellites croient pouvoir distraire ou decourager les Camerounais avec du verbiage sur ce sujet. Mais seuls ceux qui ne veulent pas entendre peuvent croire quil y aurait la un sujet de debat. Toute personne, a quelque niveau que ce soit, qui poussera le zele ou la haine, ou quelque autre sentiment tenebreux, jusqua la violation des lois pour satisfaire le reve antidemocratique clairement assume du RDPC sera declare ennemi du peuple camerounais et traite comme tel, sans aucun menagement. Jentends souvent quelques vendangeurs de connaissances sommaires declamer comme un mantra que lEtat a le monopole de la violence legitime . Non seulement il ne sagit pas dun enonce juridique, mais une telle declaration decoule dune lecture partielle du travail du sociologue Max Weber. A supposer que cette formule veuille dire quelque chose pour le juriste dans un Etat de droit, il importerait de preciser que lEtat na le monopole de la violence legitime que lorsque celle-ci sexerce dans le cadre et les limites fixes par la loi. Il nest dans linteret de personne de jouer avec le feu, et nul ne devrait croire que la force triomphe de facon irremediable. Le RDPC et son regime peuvent renoncer des a present a la violence multiforme quils exercent sur le peuple camerounais, de facon permanente et sans replique. Jexhorte les Camerounais de toutes les regions du pays et de la diaspora a continuer daller sinscrire sur les listes electorales encore plus massivement quen 2024, a aller voter tout aussi massivement le jour du scrutin, a surveiller avec une vigilance absolue leurs votes et a le defendre en cas de besoin, afin que notre pays etonne le monde par sa capacite a creer une alternance democratique, par les urnes en cette annee 2025. Fait a Yaounde, le 21 janvier 2025 Maurice KAMTO President National du MRC, Candidat du MRC et de lAPC a lelection presidentielle de 2025 STATEMENT RELATING TO THE CPDM PRESS RELEASE DATED JANUARY 14, 2025 The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) has taken note of the Press Release dated January 14, 2025, in which the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPDM denounces, with the arrogance typical of his party, the words and actions of "political and social actors of all stripes" who not only do not sing the praises of his party, but draw the attention of Cameroonians to the dramatic situation in the country. He notes the objectives that, according to him, these "anti-republican, irresponsible and condemnable actions" are aimed at, as if the CPDM knew what the Republic is, it which promotes state tribalism and political terror, flouts the rule of law by shamelessly trampling on the laws of the Republic, starting with the Constitution, and feeds on the injustices of a justice system that is being cut to size. Among the three objectives he criticizes, he includes the one which would consist of "preparing consciences for possible violence in the perspective of announced defeats for some or non-participation in the presidential election for others." The Secretary General of the CPDM who speaks of the announced defeat of some has probably not realized that it is his own comrades in the party who have been announcing since at least 2023 the defeat of the CPDM in the upcoming presidential election and find no other way out of their debacle than a "military coup" that would deprive the elected candidate of the CRM of power. And the very republican Secretary General of the CPDM has never said even half a word to denounce this disastrous call for an anti-republican act par excellence, by official and appointed communicators of his party. He covers his ears so as not to hear the same people, and even more so the Minister of Territorial Administration, a well-known activist of his party, who has been trumpeting since at least 2021, not even that the CRM will not be able to present a candidate in the next presidential election, but that its National President, Maurice KAMTO, will not be a candidate in the said election, and this, contrary to the current state of the law on the matter. Who is showing "feverishness" and waving an illusory specter likely to "create and maintain a generalized climate of fear, tension, panic, worry and insecurity among the population in this presidential election year"? Who has been sowing physical, intellectual and psychological terror in our country for decades, from the multiple attempted coups d'etat of 1983-84, to the barbaric repressions of 1990-92, then at the end of this decade with the missing persons of Bepanda , those of 2008 following the so- called hunger riots, then at the end of 2018, in 2019, 2020 with point-blank shots at peaceful marchers, the assassinations of religious leaders and various others that have not been elucidated to this day, to recall only a few emblematic moments? History is not written with an eraser and no attempt at role reversal will deceive Cameroonians about the real nature of the CPDM regime and its terrorist feats of arms. Adapting the words of a French thinker, Blaise Pascal, I would say that instead of making what is right strong, the current regime has made what is strong considered right. And that is where our country is! It is since the dual legislative and municipal elections of 2020 that the CPDM has been clamoring about the non-participation of the National President of the CRM, invested by his party, in the 2025 presidential election, on the curious grounds that the CRM having boycotted the said election cannot take part in the upcoming presidential election. By what right can the Secretary General of a supposedly republican political party so easily substitute himself for the legal authorities authorized to receive applications, to examine their compliance with the law - and the law alone - and to draw up the list of those who meet the required conditions? How could the Secretary General of the party that runs the country, and who should be more attached than anyone else to respect for the law and the general interest, have allowed himself to be drawn into the panic that is taking over the ranks of his party, if not because he himself is convinced of the certain defeat of the candidate that the CPDM will support? I say will support, because in the current state of affairs, the CPDM cannot present a candidate in the next presidential election. And he knows it. Instead of engaging in political hooliganism as has been the case for some time now, the CPDM should have the courage to tell its activists that in light of the relevant provisions of their party's statutes, they will not have a candidate in the October 2025 presidential election, whether it be the current President of the Republic or any of the activists of this party. The only options left to the CPDM are either to have the candidacy of someone from their ranks presented by one of their allied parties with representatives in the municipal councils or in the National Assembly, or for the person concerned to obtain the 300 signatures required by the Electoral Code and present himself as an independent candidate. In either case, there should be no difficulties. The competent authorities to decide on the validity of the candidacies will do so when the time comes. Unlike the CPDM and its leaders, we are not so hasty and irresponsible to decide the question. As for me, I have informed the public that I will be a candidate in the presidential election of October 2025, because my candidacy will be presented in conditions consistent with the Constitution of our country and the electoral law. I said it again the last time in my message of December 31, 2024, I say it again today and will not come back to it. The CPDM and anyone else will have to come to terms with it. It is surprising that people who half-heartedly concede that I have some legal skills are the same people who strive to give me lessons in law through risky comments on the Electoral Code. The CPDM and its outgrowths and other satellites believe they can distract or discourage Cameroonians with verbiage on this subject. But only those who do not want to listen can believe that this would be a subject for debate. Any person, at whatever level, who pushes zeal or hatred, or any other dark sentiment, to the point of violating the laws to satisfy the clearly assumed anti-democratic dream of the CPDM will be declared an enemy of the Cameroonian people and treated as such, without any consideration. I often hear some harvesters of summary knowledge declaim like a mantra that "the State has a monopoly on "legitimate violence". Not only is this not a legal statement, but such a statement stems from a partial reading of the work of the sociologist Max Weber. Assuming that this formula means something to the jurist in a state governed by the rule of law, it would be important to specify that the State only has a monopoly on "legitimate violence" when it is exercised within the framework and limits set by law. It is in no one's interest to play with fire, and no one should believe that force triumphs irremediably. The CPDM and its regime can now renounce the multifaceted violence they are exerting on the Cameroonian people, permanently and without reply. I urge Cameroonians from all regions of the country and the diaspora to continue to register on the electoral lists even more massively than in 2024, to go and vote just as massively on election day, to monitor their votes with absolute vigilance and to defend them if necessary, so that our country astonishes the world with its capacity to create a democratic alternation, through the ballot boxes in this year 2025. Done in Yaounde, January 21, 2025 Maurice KAMTO National President of the CRM, Candidate of the CRM and the PAC in the 2025 presidential election Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 6:53PM Nothing Phone (2) (Photo: Nothing) A leaked internal email from Nothing founder Carl Pei and shared by Evan Blass, a.k.a. @evleaks, shared what we could expect from Nothing's newest smartphone. The company is supposedly hosting a "landmark smartphone launch" for the Nothing Phone (3), which is being touted as the brand's first flagship phone, in the first quarter of 2025. It will also supposedly be the brand's first device to integrate artificial intelligence features. Nothing is also focusing on the phone's camera capabilities, with the company expanding its camera teams by 50%. Many smartphone AI features focus on camera capabilities, so this rumoured move isn't surprising. SOURCE: 1 + 2 Corazon Dandan had finished her shift as a telephone operator and was taking BART home to Daly City when she was pushed to her death on the train platform. Courtesy of Alvin Dandan The family of a Daly City woman who was pushed to her death in front of an oncoming BART train in San Francisco last summer is suing the transit system, alleging officials failed to keep riders safe and prevent crime in stations and on trains. The lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court late Tuesday says Trevor Belmont, the man charged with killing Corazon Dandan, was previously banned from the BART system but police did not enforce the order, leading to the 74-year-old Dandans death. Records show Belmont had been arrested dozens of times and was previously ordered by a judge to stay away from BART trains and stations. What we want is for this not to happen again, Dr. Alvin Dandan, Corazon Dandans nephew, told the Chronicle. He said his aunt loved the city and taking the train into downtown, and would frequently host new arrivals to the United States, some family and some not, at her Daly City home while they found their footing in a new country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Alvin Dandan called the lawsuit a wake-up call for the city and said he would like to see a heavier police presence in the transit system. The suit also seeks damages, funeral and burial expenses and attorney fees. BART officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Brought by the law firms Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy and Pritzker Levine, the complaint includes allegations of wrongful death, elder abuse, dangerous condition of public property, and a survival action for the losses incurred by Dandans death. Cotchett attorney Nanci Nishimura is representing the Dandan family. The family filed a preliminary complaint, a precursor to a lawsuit, in October. Belmont allegedly pushed Corazon Dandan in front of the speeding Millbrae-bound train at Powell Street Station in July as she commuted home from her Union Square hotel job, where she had worked as a telephone operator for decades. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Belmont, whom police have described as a transient, was born in Cambodia and also goes by the name Hoak Taing. He has been hospitalized for psychiatric care in the past, which caused him to miss court appearances. Belmont had yet to enter a plea in the case as of late last year. He was scheduled to appear again in court next month. Corazon Dandans death does not constitute an unforeseeable accident but rather is a direct result of the violence that BART has ignored and enabled throughout their stations through its negligent conduct, the complaint said. The complaint also cites numerous instances over a period of years in which riders and workers were injured or killed on BART platforms. The system has taken no meaningful action to make its platforms safer in order to prevent people being pushed or falling onto the tracks, the complaint added. Attorneys cited glass barriers that have been installed in the New York City subway in some of its busiest stations to separate riders from tracks and moving trains as reasonable safety measures. New Yorks system has seen similar incidents of people being pushed onto tracks and into oncoming trains in recent years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Concerns about violent crime on BART flared up again in November after an apparently random stabbing on another BART train in San Francisco, allegedly by another man with a criminal history, Jovany Portades. Shortly after that attack, local businesses organizations, city officials and Asian Pacific Islander community groups sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking for the immediate deployment of California Highway Patrol officers to help police the BART system. Attorneys cited the letter in their lawsuit. Those officers have not been deployed. A Chronicle analysis of BART police data shows that the number of violent crimes on the system is lower than it was before the pandemic. But the rate of violent crimes per ride, while down slightly as of late last year, is still nearly double what it was in the years pre-COVID. About 80% of people arrested for committing crimes on BART had not paid, according to the complaint, citing BART police statistics. Advertisement Article continues below this ad BART has also taken steps to prevent fare evaders from entering the system. POPULATION growth, over 90% employment and a county that is very entrepreneurial and punching above its weight in terms of job creation. Co Carlow enjoyed a very positive bill of health in a presentation on the most recent CSO figures at last weeks meeting of Carlow County Council by Justin Gleeson of People in Place Consultants. The socio-economic profile of the county contained lots of good news, but it wasnt without its challenges for the future, including the demographic profile of the county and a rise in Carlows age profile, showing15% of the county is now aged over 65. This figure for Co Carlow is very much in line with the rest of the country with a much older population, which is growing. This is predicted to impact significantly on social policy and services into the future. Mr Gleeson also indicated that while there have been some improvements in overall deprivation scores across the county since 2016, some areas of disadvantage still remain. Co Carlow ranks as the 11th most disadvantaged settlement in the country. Mr Gleeson went through the figures for Co Carlow, which has a population of 64,000 an increase of 1.2% on 2016, with the increases mainly experienced in the northern parts of the county in Carlow town and Tullow. Carlow town experienced a 12% growth from 2016 to 2022 and is now ranked the 12th largest settlement in the country. Mr Gleeson stated that conservative estimates indicated that Co Carlow will reach a population of 70,000 by 2035, with the county growing at a faster rate than many other areas of the country. Economically, Mr Gleeson described the county as in good shape, with 26,792 persons in the labour force at work (over 90%), a 20% increase on the previous census. The largest number work in professional services, with commerce and trade and manufacturing industries also big employers locally. Approximately 7,000 people leave the county every day for work, mainly to Dublin or neighbouring counties, with almost 20,000 working within the county. Almost 38% of the countys residents own their own home, with 27% of households owned with mortgage/loan and the remainder HAP (housing assistance payments)/rental properties. Just under 7,000 non-Irish people are living in the county, the largest being Polish, followed by citizens of the UK. Just over 1,500 Ukrainians were living in the county as of June 2024. Members welcomed the data and the information provided, and agreed that it was very useful in terms of shaping policy into the future. Cllr Ben Ward remarked that 17% in the county avail of HAP, which was public money going into the private housing sector, and that a far better use of the funding would be the building of social and affordable housing. Cllr Ken Murnane described HAP as a necessary evil. If we didnt have it, wed have families living in tents, he said. Mr Gleeson agreed that HAP was absolutely necessary to assist people, adding that there were affordability issues in terms of building houses. Cllr Michael Doran also raised challenges posed by the lack of infrastructure in some areas, which halted construction, and this problem often lay with Irish Water and the ESB. Cllr Tommy Kinsella remarked that Co Carlow was doing better than average when it came to state jobs, which Mr Gleeson agreed with, describing the county as punching above its weight in terms of job creation. It is a very entrepreneurial county, he said, adding that a supportive and committed LEO office was instrumental in that. In terms of the areas of concern, Mr Gleeson stated that areas of disadvantage were identified in Carlow town, Tullow and in rural aeras. He said that disadvantage did not always mean poverty but was broader than that, including a rural areas sustainability and population projection. He added that an aging population also presented issues, such as access to health centres and GP services, the prevalence of older housing, the reliance on fossil fuels for heating and rural isolation. By Rebecca Black, PA A Belfast man whose body was found in Spain had been stabbed and shot, his family said they have been told. John George (37), a father-of-two from west Belfast, also known as John Hardy, had been on holiday in Alicante when he was reported missing in December. Several members of his family travelled to Spain to help in the search and a body was found earlier this month. A man has appeared in court in Spain on suspicion of his murder. A law firm representing the family of John George, right, said a second pathologist had been instructed to conduct a further post-mortem examination. Photo: Family handout/PA Solicitor firm KRW Law, representing the George family, said in a statement that relatives had received a post-mortem examination report from the Spanish authorities. They said it indicated that Mr George had been stabbed before being shot, and added that they had instructed another pathologist to conduct a second post-mortem examination. We can confirm the family have received an autopsy report from the Spanish authorities, KRW Law said. The findings point to John having been stabbed before being shot. As a precautionary measure and in order to make sure we have absolute clarity on the cause of death, we have instructed another pathologist to conduct a second autopsy on Johns remains. John Georges father Billy and other family members travelled to Spain to help search for the 37-year-old. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA In the past few days, we have been liaising with the family together with the coroners office, the appointed pathologist and nominated funeral director on the logistics engaged in this very sensitive matter. It is hoped that the second autopsy will be completed at some stage early next week. KRW Law also said that in the interim, the family were encouraged by the latest development confirming the issuing of arrest warrants for a suspect in relation to Johns murder. They are hopeful that all engaged authorities will pursue implementation of the warrants in order to take the case to the next very important stage of the investigation, the firm added. David Raleigh Garda Headquarters has encouraged any sex worker in the Limerick or Munster area who has been the victim of assault to report the matter confidentially to gardai. The appeal was made following an alleged false imprisonment and sexual assault of two female sex workers in Limerick, last Sunday night/Monday morning. Subsequent allegations emerged on Wednesday that some gardai had protected men who had allegedly sexually assaulted and committed violence against sex workers in the city. Garda headquarters urged any sex worker in Limerick or the wider Munster region to speak to gardai if they were under threat. Gardai said the safety of sex workers, was a priority for the force, and that if any sex worker finds themselves in immediate danger or in an emergency, always contact 999/112. Gardai said they were investigating allegations that two women were held at a premises close to the city centre and subjected to violent sexual and physical assaults over prolonged period between last Sunday/Monday. One of the women may have played dead while the other managed to escape and raise the alarm nearby, reliable sources said. Gardai said the suspect, a male Irish man, had been found dead, they were not looking for anyone in relation to the mans death, and that there was no ongoing risk to public safety in respect of the suspect. Its believed the man brought the two women to the premises separately and may have been seeking a third lady while gardai were actively trying to trace him. A statement released on Wednesday by online sex worker safety scheme UglyMugs.ie offered that serious assaults on sex workers and victims of sex trafficking, are happening on a daily or weekly basis and that the vast majority of these men are Irish nationals. It said the State was obliged to take an interest in and help vulnerable persons, including street sex workers and sex trafficking victims but it has not. It claimed sex workers were over-policed and under protected by the gardai and that the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, had done nothing for people in sex work or victims of sex trafficking. In response, Garda Headquarters said it did not comment on remarks made by third parties but that it strongly encouraged sex workers who had been assaulted to speak with us at any Garda Station, or alternatively on the free, Garda Confidential Line number, 1800 666 111 / Crime Victims Helpline at www.crimevictimshelpline.ie. We are here to listen and support anyone that requires assistance and advice or believes that they are subject to threat, the statement continued. Their safety is a priority and gardai will treat any report of a crime against them in the course of their work, sensitively and with the utmost seriousness whether it is assault, theft or criminality of any other kind. Gardai said it regularly engages with sex workers through the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit (OPIU), the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) and local Gardai, providing safeguarding checks, safety advice, and contact details for specially trained Garda Liaison Officers, and other important support services. It is also through safeguarding checks that gardai can link in with those in the sex trade who may be vulnerable or who maybe being sexually exploited or trafficked. Garda HQ said it was cognisant of the fact that the sale of sexual services in Ireland is not a criminal offence, and some people wish to work independently in the sex trade and that the protection of Human Rights of all persons is a fundamental principle for An Garda Siochana. Meanwhile, the head of the Ruhama charity, which provides supports for sex workers and sex trafficked victims, said it was horrified and deeply concerned by the news of the violent attack on two women in Limerick. We hope the women concerned are accessing all the necessary supports, Barbara Condon said. Ms Condon said Ruhama was very worried about the increase in the level of violence against women involved in the sex trade being reported in recent years and that it was vital that victims receive adequate support and that justice is pursued to prosecute violent perpetrators. For anyone singing to access its supports Ruhama operates a freephone number 1800-020-202 and a free-text support service by texting REACH too 50100. A source outside of the UglyMugs group, who is familiar with the women who work as street sex workers in Limerick City, said An Garda Siochana needed to do better in supporting the women. They said that women had shared among themselves that attacks, similar to the alleged incident last Sunday night, have been happening at an increased frequency in Limerick. Its been going on quite a while nowthey have been picked up and physically and sexually assaulted for hours on end, said the source. There is still a lot off stigma and shame associated with working on the street, these women are very vulnerable so it is harder for them to report these incidents. Some of the women working on the street are also entrenched in (substance) addiction and homelessness and are in need of support. High Court Reporters It "could not be just" that a losing litigant is forced by the laws of the State to pay an hourly rate for an opponent's lawyers at a rate that is multiples of the around 200 per hour the Taoiseach is paid, a High Court judge said. Mr Justice Michael Twomey said transparency demands that a losing litigant, who must pay High Court costs, is entitled to know lawyers hourly rates which were used in the calculation of that obligation. He made the comments when he once again highlighted what he called "millionaire" legal costs in the High Court in a case in which a developer is suing two women in a row over plans for new houses next to Inchanappa House in Ashford, Co Wicklow. Developer Greg Kavanagh's Beakonford Ltd has sued Inchanappa House owner Oonagh Stokes and local woman Barbara Wilding claiming there was an attempt to extract a payment of 6 million from the company as part of an objection lodged against the planning application. Planning permission was eventually granted for 98 homes on land formerly part of Inchanappa Estate and bought by Beakonford for 4 million. The defendants strongly deny the claims. In advance of the hearing of the case, the defendants sought that Beakonford put up security for costs should it lose the action. The defendants argued the company could not properly show it had the money to pay costs, which the company disputed. The court ordered that security should be provided. To help the court assess what the amount of the security should be, three legal costs accountants provided estimates. One was provided by Lowes for some 250,000 on behalf of Beakonford, another was provided by McCann Sadlier on behalf of Ms Stokes for around 411,000. A third, on behalf of Ms Wilding, was provided by Peter Fitzpatrick Legal Costs Accounts in the sum of around 454,000. Mr Justice Twomey said the court favoured the lower figure provided by Beakonford. The judge said in all three cost accountants' reports, there were no hourly rates provided for the work that lawyers would carry out on the case. In the Fitzpatrick estimate, he said a figure of 170,000 (excluding VAT) was provided for work by the solicitors (excluding barristers) for costs in preparing and attending what is due to be a six day trial of the case. But this was "without the court having any idea of how much time the legal practitioner was estimated to expend on the case, he said. If the legal practitioner worked for 170 hours - the equivalent to working full time for a month on this case alone at a rate of 1,000 per hour - this would in an "inordinate" rate and could not be viewed as reasonable, the judge said. He pointed out the Taoiseach - holder of the most important office in the country - earns 241,480 per annum. Based on a 40-hour week this equates to an hourly rate of around 200, excluding pensions and benefits which he noted are not paid to self employed lawyers. The court was being asked, he said, to approve costs without knowing whether it is based on the lawyer being paid at rates roughly around what the Taoiseach is paid or whether it is "many multiples" of that (where the rate is 1,000 per hour). Under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, costs are required to be "reasonable" which can be done by applying hourly rates, he said. But where costs adjudicated by the State-operated Legal Costs Adjudicator are, in practice, "anything but reasonable since they are at 'millionaire' levels", this is a conflict which requires consideration by the court, he said. A security for costs application is one of the few occasions in which the courts have any insight to how costs are calculated, even though costs are an integral part of the administration of justice as they often exceed the damages awarded, he said. As a result, the judiciary, with no control over the level of litigation costs, has repeatedly complained, but without success, about the high costs of litigation in the High Court for at least 60 years, he said. He also said if he directed the costs accountants to produce new reports based on hours worked that would simply add further to the costs of this case. Accordingly, the court has adopted the Lowes estimate of 250,000, even though it cannot definitively say that this estimate is reasonable, he said. Eimear Dodd One of three men accused of the sexual assault and rape of a woman they met in a Dublin nightclub told gardai he thought it was a normal night and denied the allegations. The three men, aged between 34 and 42, with addresses in Dublin and Wicklow, have pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the woman at an unknown location in a car and in a Dublin house on August 31st, 2019. The men, who cannot be named for legal reasons, deny any wrongdoing. On Monday, the jury heard evidence relating to searches of the men's address and that items including phones were seized by gardai. On Tuesday, evidence was given of a Whatsapp chat between the first accused and the third man on September 9th, 2019, which were recovered from the phone belonging to the first accused. During this exchange, the first man wrote send me that clip of your one. The third man asked which one and the first accused replied with the nightclub's name. Two video clips were then sent by the third accused man to the first accused, who replied listen to you laughing after she says no. These clips were played for the jury. Nothing was visible, but a female voice could be heard to say 'no' several times during a 30-second clip. An investigating garda told the court he believed a male voice could also be heard saying: Stick it up her arse. The second clip is six seconds long and no words are audible. The investigating garda agreed with Padraig Dwyer SC, defending the first man, that there are no allegations of anal rape against any of the accused men in this case. The garda also accepted a suggestion from Garret Baker SC, representing the second man, that the 30 second-clip was possibly recorded in a car, while the second clip was made in a different location. The court heard these exchanges were not found on a phone seized from the third man and it appeared a different phone or number may have been used. Evidence was also heard that gardai cannot say the time that each video was recorded or the order in which they were recorded on August 31st, 2019. This material was not found on a phone belonging to the second man. The investigating garda told the court that he was contacted by a solicitor representing the three accused men shortly after searches were carried out in December 2019 who advised his clients were willing to be interviewed. Arrangements were later made for the three men to attend separate Garda stations to be interviewed in September 2019. Memos from interviews with the first accused man were read to the jury. The court heard the man provided a DNA swab and his solicitor was present during his three interviews. At one point, the man told gardai that he thought it was a normal night. I cant believe this is what Im accused of doing. The first accused man told gardai that he went to the nightclub with the other two accused and another person. He saw the complainant there but didn't speak to her until they were at the second man's SUV. The man said there was some friendly conversation at the SUV. He said they the three men and the woman initially drove to the home of the third man hoping to have an afterparty. The first man said he remained in the car with the second accused and the woman. He said the woman told him she wanted to party and was rubbing his arm and stomach. He said he asked her do you want to party with us and she agreed. He then asked her for a kiss and they kissed. The first accused said the third man returned and they drove away from this home. The second accused then suggested they leave the woman at a nearby taxi rank, but she didn't want to go home. He asked her for another kiss and they kissed again. He said the SUV parked while he continued to kiss the woman. He then performed oral sex on her. He said the woman and the third accused kissed at the same time. He said the second man then got into the back of the vehicle, and kissed the woman, before they had sex. The first man said the woman performed oral sex on him while having sex with the second man. He told gardai that he understood the meaning of consent and that the woman didn't do anything to indicate she was withdrawing consent at any point. He said he suggested they all go to his house. When they arrived, he said he went inside with the second man. The woman and the third man followed them inside shortly afterwards. He said the second accused and the woman had sex in his bedroom. He said he also kissed the woman and she performed oral sex on him, then on the third man. The first accused said he then asked the woman for sex and she agreed, but she later refused his request for anal sex. He said she performed oral sex on the other two men while they were having vaginal sex. He said the woman asked to stay over after the other two men left and they slept in the same bed. The first man said there was some conversation when they woke the next morning about booking a taxi. When gardai put to him the woman's statement that she rushed from the house, he insisted that he woke her to tell her to leave. He said he walked the woman to his front door, gave her a kiss then saw her get into a taxi outside his home. He told gardai that he couldn't remember texting with the two other accused about that night, but accepted it was possible. During interview, the man was shown CCTV footage in which he identified himself. Extracts from the woman's statement were also read to him. The man said he was 100 per cent shocked, I cant believe what is being said, later adding, what she is saying happened is wrong. He said he would never agree with her account of the night, later describing it as 100 per cent not true. He denied that the woman hadn't consented to sexual activity or that she was too intoxicated to consent. When shown the two video clips, the man suggested the 30-second clip was recorded when he asked the woman for anal sex, but that it was a small part of a longer period. Later, he said he had similar experiences with other women and had never been accused by anyone of doing anything. He described messages exchanged with the third accused as boys being boys [which] might come across crude. The investigating garda agreed with Mr Dwyer during cross-examination that his client had no access to any evidence before the interview. It was further accepted that the first man engaged with the interview process and was co-operative. The garda also told Mr Dwyer that he was unable to locate one former occupant who had lived in the same house as the first man in 2019. The first man, aged 39 with an address in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to one count of raping the woman in his home address and not guilty to one count of oral rape and one count of sexually assaulting her in a car. The second man, aged 42 with an address in Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to one count of raping the woman in the car and one count of raping her in the house. The third man, aged 34 with an address in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to orally raping the woman in the house and sexually assaulting her in the car. The trial continues. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800 77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help Vivienne Clarke Opposition TDs have continued to criticise the "farcical" situation where Independents supporting the Government will get Dail speaking time normally allocated to members of the opposition. Some of the Regional Independent TDs involved in negotiating and supporting the Programme for Government have sought to keep their Dail speaking time in opposition technical groups. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, who previously sat as a Regional Independent, has indicated that this will be allowed under parliamentary legal advice she has received from the Oireachtas. Opposition parties have described the decision as absurd, objecting to the move on the basis that it would "eat into" their speaking time. The row over speaking rights threatens to overshadow the first few days of the new government. The Dail will meet from 11am on Wednesday where Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said it was "farcical" that TDs who "constructed" the Programme for Government wanted to take opposition speaking time in the Dail. Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland on Wednesday, Mr Gannon denied he was "making a mountain out of molehill". He said it was was a "ludicrous" scenario where people who had "literally constructed the governments position" would also get to challenge the government. Mr Gannon said it was important for opposition parties to have speaking time to challenge government policies. "This is why this matters. It actually means that it removes a chance for us to forcefully stand up on housing, on disabilities, on public services." People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger told the same programme: I think everybody can see what's happening here, that instead of encroaching onto the government's speaking time, the people who are going to support the government are trying to take it from the opposition. "It's clear that the government has decided that the election is over and now they're going to revoke the promises or the impression at least that they gave people." Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae said there was a precedent for Independent TDs supporting the government but also having opposition speaking rights. Speaking on Newstalk radio, he said the Confidence and Supply Agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in 2016 saw Fianna Fail supporting the government while at the same time holding them accountable. There was no difference between that situation and now, he said. The only difference is that Sinn Fein and others have to shout and roar about something today and this is what they are going to do. Theyre trying to make a massive big mountain out of a molehill. Mr Healy-Rae, who is set to become a junior minister in the new government, said the precedent had been set before. Why should we change the rules? Nobody has changed the rules that allow this group to exist, but you would have to change the rules to stop them from existing. Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath described being an Independent TD without speaking rights in the Dail as "a lonely place on the back bench", which was why he had accepted a "late" invitation to join the Regional Independents technical group. Mr McGrath told Morning Ireland that he wanted to represent his constituents and to be a "ferocious critic" of the government when necessary, while also supporting positive measures that benefit the people of Ireland. Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty described the decision not to allow his party leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking time in the Dail on Wednesday as arrogant and petty. Mr Doherty told RTEs Morning Ireland it was "unprecedented" that a nominee for taoiseach would not be allowed to speak in the Dail. "Nominees for Taoiseach always had the right to actually speak in this section. And the only reason that this has happened is actually to exclude Mary Lou. It's petty, it's vindictive. Like why are Micheal Martin and Simon Harris actually sitting together and saying, you know, how do we stop Mary Lou from speaking and why are they going to this effort? There are enough problems within the state instead of trying to curtail the speaking time of the opposition. "Because we are a party of opposition we will fight this government tooth and nail on all issues, whether it's housing, health, cost of living. And we've seen the programme for government. We know that hundreds of thousands of people are going to be abandoned and the largest number of Sinn Fein TDs that we've ever had over 100 years, are going to take this government on every single day." Anyone who was concerned about democracy should be concerned about the Ceann Comhairles decision to allow temporary opposition speaking rights to the Independent TDs who were supporting the government, he said. Michael Lowry was the "king maker" in all of this, he added. Mr Lowry had nominated Verona Murphy to the role of Ceann Comhairle, and now she had a big decision to make because standing orders were very clear, he said. "You cannot be in a group in government supporting government at the same time. It simply cannot happen. "We expect Verona Murphy to call this right. We expect her to act independently and to call this right. If she doesn't call this right, we will look at every single opportunity to pursue this issue. This cannot go ahead. This cannot be allowed to happen. It is a farce and it is a sham. It has never happened before." On the same programme, Labour TD Duncan Smith expressed anger over the government's actions, which he described as an attempt to exclude the Labour Party and other left-leaning parties. He criticised the incoming taoiseach Micheal Martin for allowing the Independent TDs to "dictate" the direction of the government, and warned that this could lead to a troubled Dail. "The people are angry about this. They may not know the details of business committees, the standing orders and all the rest, but they know when a stroke is being pulled. They know someone's trying to duck and dive and they are not happy with this. We're not happy with this." Mr Smith said the Labour Party would not discount any avenue of action, including the legal route. "We'll take our legal advice and we'll see where we can go with it. We are really angry about this. We don't do the performative stuff in the Dail. We are very serious about how our parliament works." There was a political solution in the Dail, he added. "The Ceann Comhairle has to see sense here. This is the first real test of her independence and her judgement. "The Ceann Comhairle represents all TDs and should represent all TDs fairly." Aontu leader Peadar Toibin criticised the new government for its lack of urgency, comparing its level of activity with that of US president Donald Trump on his first day in office. Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland, Mr Toibin defended his partys decision not to support a request from Sinn Fein in relation to speaking rights in the Dail. "A key part of democracy is the fact that when an elected representative is elected, that they have a right to speak in the Dail. And if we were to fulfill the request by the likes of Sinn Fein and others, we would actually be taking away any speaking rights we would have over the next five years. "Mary Lou is really upset at the moment because she's going to miss out on ten minutes speaking today. And yet she's asking us to go without speaking rights for five years. There's a complete lack of awareness here. And in reality, if the other opposition parties wanted to actually resolve this change, and the standing orders make it impossible to create the situation that we have. "But at the heart of that is standing order reform, to make sure that every elected representative has a democratic right to be able to represent the people that elect them. And nobody seems to be talking about that. "It is interesting that Sinn Fein feels that this is of such importance that it's necessary for us to withdraw from this technical group. Yet when we ask Sinn Fein, we say, yes, we will withdraw for sure. Just give us the speaking rights, share your speaking rights with us. They say no and they slink away." By Cillian Sherlock and Cate McCurry, PA A row in the Dail has been labelled a subversion of the Irish Constitution by would-be taoiseach Micheal Martin. The Fianna Fail leader, who was poised to become the next taoiseach on Wednesday after a deal with the Fine Gael party and several independents, criticised the opposition for disrupting protocol amid noisy scenes. The dispute, centred on whether some of those independents would be allocated opposition speaking time in the Irish parliament, ended Wednesdays proceedings without a new Irish premier. The Fianna Fail and Fine Gael leaders branded the oppositions actions farcical and accused Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald of stunt politics on speed. The most fundamental obligation of the Dail is to elect a taoiseach and, indeed, to elect a government, Mr Martin told reporters outside Government Buildings after the Dail was adjourned for the fourth and final time. That opportunity was denied today by a premeditated, co-ordinated and choreographed position by the opposition and particularly by Sinn Fein party. Mr Martin said there were numerous attempts to facilitate a resolution to a dispute on speaking time arrangements, but added: It became very clear to us that there was no intention ever to reach agreement on the nomination of a taoiseach or a government today. He said there had been agreement to establish a Dail Reform Committee which would have met at midday on Thursday. The establish of the committee would require the formation of a Government, which did not happen because of the adjournment of the Dail. Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton TD, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris TD, and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin address the media outside Government Buildings (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Martin said: The actions of the opposition, the actions of Sinn Fein today, were wholly disproportionate to the issue at hand, which could have been resolved. Fine Gael leader and presumptive Tanaiste Simon Harris, who spoke to the media alongside Mr Martin, said it was unprecedented and utterly farcical. The peoples representatives gathered to discharge their constitutional duty and obligation to elect a taoiseach and to elect a government, he said. There was a clear majority of the peoples representatives ready, willing to elect Micheal Martin as taoiseach and to elect the next government and get on with the peoples work. There is much work to do. Instead, what we saw was an effort to obstruct, an effort to shout down, an effort to disrespect the Ceann Comhairle and her constitutional office, and ultimately preventing a majority of the democratically elected representatives of Dail Eireann to discharge their duty and their mandate to elect a taoiseach. Today was unprecedented, unseemly, and tomorrow Dail Eireann must reconvene and must elect a taoiseach and get on with the urgent work of government. Mr Harris accused Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald of carrying out stunt politics on speed. Mary Lou McDonald came into Dail Eireann today with one intention and one intention only, to stop Micheal Martin being elected taoiseach and, therefore, to deprive the people of Ireland of the outworkings of the last general election. We hear a lot about mandates. Respect my mandate. Theres only one leader who spoke today in Dail Eireann by the way, the Sinn Fein leader, neither the leader of Fianna Fail nor the leader of Fine Gael got up in their mouth. There was only one leader who spoke, and she spoke with one purpose and one purpose only, to stop a government being formed, to stop a taoiseach being elected, to obstruct, to spin, to divert and to distract, to conflate different issues. But there is no conflating, and the people of Ireland will see through this. The people of Ireland are smart and canny, and they know exactly what happened today. What happened today was stunt politics on speed, led by Mary Lou McDonald. The Dail was due to sit on Wednesday to nominate a new taoiseach, but was delayed for hours to allow for talks aimed at resolving the dispute. Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton addressed the chamber after 4.25pm and said the nomination process should proceed. Fianna Fail TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach. Members of Sinn Fein including Ms McDonald, Pearse Doherty and Chief Whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn continued to interrupt the sitting. Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairles attempts to proceed as a disgrace, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was outrageous. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy adjourned the Dail until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of disorder inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy called multiple suspensions amid widespread disorder on the opposition benches (Brian Lawless/PA) Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels agreement on forming a government with independents sparked the enormous row over parliamentary rules, which has yet to be resolved. Five of the nine independents who entered into negotiations are due to be given junior ministries, with the remainder expressing support for the Programme for Government but not taking up an official post. The four remaining independents are seeking to join a technical group, which is a mechanism designed to allow opposition TDs to sit in groupings of at least five members to gain an allocation of speaking time. This has been widely rejected by opposition parties including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats who argue that the independents who supported the incoming government should not be allowed to join technical groups. As the Dail met to nominate a taoiseach from 11am on Wednesday, opposition TDs objected to the order of business set out by the government chief whip and repeatedly interrupted proceedings. The allowance of the Government-supporting independents being allowed to join technical groups was described as ludicrous and farcical. Ms Murphy suspended the Dail multiple times before it was agreed that party whips would meet with the clerk of the Dail to seek a resolution to the dispute. The talks did not find a solution. At the same time, Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, had intended to nominate Ms McDonald as taoiseach when proceedings resumed. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald arrives at Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA) However, the outcome of the Government formation talks suggested that Mr Martin would be approved by the Dail. The successful nominee had been due to travel to Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the president of Ireland, where Michael D Higgins was to sign the warrant of appointment and hand them the Seal of the Taoiseach. That meeting was called off following the final adjournment of the Dail after 4pm. The Dail is due to reconvene again at 9am on Thursday where it is expected further attempts will be made to nominate and vote on a future taoiseach. A wrecked Tesla sits at the scene of a multicar crash at Sixth and Harrison streets in San Francisco on Sunday. Police are investigating whether the driver of the Tesla that they believe caused the fatal collision was also involved in a suspected hit-and-run on Interstate 280 that happened just moments before. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Police on Wednesday said the vehicle involved in a suspected hit-and-run on Interstate 280 was a black Tesla the same color and make of the car that police believe caused a fatal multicar crash moments later on Sunday. It is suspected but not confirmed that it was the same vehicle, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Mark Andrews said Wednesday. At 6:09 p.m. Sunday, CHP received reports that a black Tesla was involved in a four-car collision on the Interstate 280 northbound Sixth Street off-ramp and fled, Andrews said. Two people in other cars suffered mild injuries during the hit-and-run, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One minute later, at 6:10 p.m., San Francisco paramedics responded to the crash at the intersection of Sixth and Harrison streets that mangled seven vehicles and killed 27-year-old Mikhael Romanenko. The crash scene included a crumpled black Tesla sedan that came to a halt in the middle of the intersection. According to police, the Teslas driver was allegedly speeding when the electric car collided with several others, including a Waymo robotaxi and a sedan carrying Romanenko. Loading... First responders declared the crash a mass casualty event and transported seven people to area hospitals with injuries, including the Teslas alleged driver Jia Lin Zheng. Zheng, 66, was booked Monday on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, felony vandalism and speeding, according to jail records and the San Francisco Police Department. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Wednesday afternoon that prosecutors needed more time to review evidence before deciding whether to charge him. Zheng was in custody at the San Francisco County Jail as of Wednesday morning, records showed. It was unclear when he would be freed. Generally, authorities can hold people who are arrested for up to two days before they must be charged or released. While I understand that there is an immediate desire to know what ultimately will happen in this case, I ask for patience from the public as investigators continue to gather more information so that my office can make appropriate charging decisions, Jenkins said in a statement. Jenkins said her office was awaiting additional materials, including toxicology results and a review of the vehicles operating systems before making decisions about charges. Jenkins did not say whether investigators had ruled out drugs or alcohol as factors in the collision, but she noted that toxicology reports cannot be completed within the 48 hours that we legally have to render a charging decision. Neither she nor police have discussed possible causes of the crash. According to a police report obtained by ABC7, a blood alcohol screening hours after the crash did not indicate alcohol in Zheng's system. Zheng also told investigators he had been pressing the brake but that the vehicle failed to stop, the station reported. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jenkins said it was critical that we take the time to diligently comb through all of the evidence and gather as much information as possible so that were able to make the correct charging decision. She also noted that vehicle operating systems will need to be carefully analyzed by experts and assessed to determine whether mechanical issues may have played a role in this incident. Paramedics declared Romanenko dead at the scene. A dog that had been riding in his wrecked car was also found dead. Romanenkos girlfriend, Linh Luu, told ABC7 that she and her dog Keeper were traveling with Romanenko to pick up family members for a trip to the airport. Luu remained hospitalized Wednesday with several broken bones, the television channel reported. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Thai-Chinese animated feature, Out of the Nest, opened in Thailand last fall after making its world premiere at the 2024 Annecy International Film Festival, and it is a unique story in global animation production. The film was almost ten years in the making, and faced many financial and technical challenges before a successful launch last fall in Thai cinemas. The production was led by director and writer Arturo A. Hernandez (a veteran of Disney animated productions), co-directors Jeff Schu and Andrew Gordon (veterans of Sony Pictures Imageworks and Pixar Animation Studio), and Riff Studio head and co-director Veerapatra Tun Jinanavin. Cartoon Brew spoke with Gordon and Jinanavin about completing the film against all odds, through a rocky and sometimes (according to Gordon) horrendous production process. It all began back at Pixar, in 2007, where Gordon welcomed Jinanavin as an intern after the young animator graduated from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Gordon, whose career at Pixar spanned two decades from the late 1990s to the late 2010s with credits including Monsters, Inc., Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, Finding Dory, Wall-E, and The Incredibles, kept in touch with his former trainee, who in 2009, launched his own animation company, Riff Studio, in Thailand. Our studio was founded by a close-knit group of friends who have known each other since high school, said Jinanavin. When we first started, the studio only had three animators, and we focused solely on animation work, driven by our strong desire to one day produce our own feature-length animated film. We believed that if we focused on producing the highest quality work, everything else success, growth, and opportunities would follow naturally. This philosophy took us from a small team of three to a studio with a full production pipeline that now includes every department needed for a complete production. Today, Riff Studio is home to around 200 team members who work together as a family. Out of the Nest, Riffs first feature-length project, began in 2016 as a vision from T&B Media Global founder Dr. Chawalit PTan Arayavarorm, who pitched the idea to Jinanavin. The idea: seven little royal fledgling birds, each with their own distinct personalities, entrusted to the care of Arthur, a teenage goat delivery boy whose dream is to become a world-class barber. My approach, recalled Jinanavin, was heavily focused on making sure the story had universal appeal, while also maintaining its unique charm. Out of the Nest is truly a Thai animated film, both in its origin and development. It was conceived and invested in by its Thai creators, and the key was ensuring that while the story was born out of Thailand, it could resonate with international audiences. But even with Riff and T&B Media Global forces combined, producing a full-length feature with, to quote Jinanavin, the same level of quality as the major global studios while working [with] a significantly smaller budget and team proved very difficult. To achieve this goal, the studio sought the help of co-director Jeff Schu and executive producer/co-director Andrew Gordon. Gordon, who initially boarded the project to provide help with storytelling, ended up co-directing. As an executive producer, said Gordon, youre weighing in on the notes of the film, and youre trying to shepherd the story, making sure that things are running smoothly. At least, thats how it started for me on this project. According to Jinanavin, Gordons support and guidance not only helped refine the story, but also helped shape narrative structure and pacing while ensuring that the film had heart and clarity, appealing to audiences of all ages. This allowed Schu to focus on refining character animation and elevating production processes to the standards that Riff Studio and main producer T&B Media Global wanted to achieve. Another major hurdle, added Jinanavin, was the fact that Thailands cg animation industry is still relatively small. We dont have a vast pool of experienced talent to draw from like in larger markets. Eventually, to complete the film, Riff and T&B teams shared portions of their work with Base FX in China. This added another layer of challenge and technical complexity. As the film was also going to play in China, recalled Gordon, we had to take Chinese censorship into account. And so, there were some changes demanded by the China Film Administration (CFA) that we had to integrate in the film, adding or removing some elements. That proved very challenging, but Art Hernandez and Gillian [Berrow, co-writer] did a lot of that heavy lifting, going back and forth, and that proved really good. It was no easy task for the teams to add a co-producing studio within the framework of an ongoing production. To match the look and rendering of the project, Base FX had to ingest all of the production assets to fit existing animation. This required a tremendous amount of work, on a tight budget of under Usd$10 million. Despite the financial limitations, said Jinanavin, we were committed to ensuring that the final product would not differ from the quality youd expect from larger studios. This required us to make the most of every resource we had, and to be incredibly efficient in time and manpower. For Gordon, witnessing this flexibility first-hand was eye-opening. Coming from Pixar, I had never worked in that sort of environment, he said. Pixar, Illumination, and DNEG are all very insular, but in this case the sharing of assets proved incredibly valuable to face the many difficulties that this production had to face. Overall, it was a lot of stops and starts, but we learned a lot. Coming from North America where there is no shortage of talents, it can be difficult to grow, and it can get very competitive. Overseas, there are a lot of opportunities to elevate your game and broaden your skill sets. And its refreshing to feel the mentality of creating animation with smaller teams, institutional support, and tax breaks. I would recommend it for animators who are interested in seeing a bit of the world as well. The triumph of Out of the Nest in Thailand continues to bring joy to Jinanavin and Riffs teams. Im truly grateful for all the support, said Jinanavin, and its my hope that this success will pave the way for more Thai animated films to gain recognition on the global stage. Were excited to see where the journey takes us next, and I hope that Out of the Nest will continue to inspire audiences, not only in Thailand but across the world. Advertisement Total Vietnam cement sales, including domestic and export sales, amounted to 8.333Mt in December, up 5.9 per cent YoY from 7.867Mt a year earlier, according to the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA). Domestic sales in Vietnam jumped 14.8 per cent YoY to 6.080Mt compared to the 5.295Mt reported a year earlier. Of the total, Vietnam Cement Industry Corp (VICEM) companies reported domestic sales up 21 per cent YoY at 1.896Mt. Other VNCA-affiliated companies recorded a 14 per cent YoY increase to 1.124Mt, while non-VNCA members recorded 12 per cent YoY increase to 3.060Mt. Cement exports rose 6.8 per cent YoY to 1.611Mt in December. VICEM cement exports dropped 25 per cent YoY to 123,638t, other VNCA-affiliated companies saw cement sales fell 13 per cent YoY to 271,385t, while non-VNCA members reported an 18 per cent YoY increase to 1.216Mt. Clinker exports contracted 39.7 per cent YoY to 641,988t in December. VICEM companies reported no exports, other VNCA-affiliated companies recorded exports of 27,976t down 61 per cent YoY, while non-VCNA members saw clinker export sales drop 37 per cent YoY to 614,012t. Full-year 2024 In 2024, total cement sales in Vietnam amounted to 95.043Mt, up one per cent YoY from 2023. Domestic cement sales were 65.191Mt, up three per cent YoY from 2023. VICEM companies reported a 3.3 per cent YoY increase to 18.222Mt, other VCNA members saw a 4.1 per cent YoY increase to 11.809Mt and non-members reported a 3.1 per cent YoY increase to 35.160Mt. Cement exports from Vietnam were unchanged from 2023, coming in at 20.288Mt for 2024 as a whole. Cement exports by VICEM companies rose two per cent YoY to 2.878Mt, other VCNA-members saw cement exports rise 17 per cent YoY to 3.159Mt, while non-member companies reported a four per cent YoY contraction to 14.250Mt. The Philippines, followed by the USA, Singapore, South Africa and Malaysia were the top five export destinations for cement in 2024. Clinker exports declined 13 per cent YoY compared to 2023, coming in at 9.564Mt. Clinker exports by VICEM companies jumped 119 per cent YoY to 656,727t, other VCNA-affiliated companies reported a 67 per cent YoY increase to 332,184t, and non-members saw clinker exports decline 18 per cent YoY to 8.575Mt. Bangladesh, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Russia were the top five export destinations for clinker in 2024. Outlook Strengthening economic growth and a robust revival in construction will help underpin stronger demand for cement in 2025. Meanwhile, robust demand in the Philippines will be the main bolster for Vietnamese cement exports, while the sharp property market correction in China will remain a key downward drag on Vietnamese clinker exports. Advertisement Cement sales in Indonesia amounted to 5.619Mt in December, a drop of 11.5 per cent YoY compared to the 6.350Mt reported a year earlier, according to the Asosiasi Semen Indonesia (ASI). Cement demand contracted across all regions as a devastating tropical cyclone hit the country. All regions noted double-digit declines in December, except, Sumatera, which saw consumption slip 1.5 per cent YoY to 1.343Mt. Java, the countrys largest market, accounting for 50 per cent of all sales, saw dispatches shrink 12 per cent YoY to 2.187Mt from 3.202Mt in December 2023. Elsewhere, Kalimantan reported a 14.9 per cent YoY decline to 518,148t. Sulawesi noted a 20 per cent YoY decline to 439,914t. Bali-Nusa Tenggara saw demand drop 14.3 per cent YoY to 325,058t and Maluku-Papua recorded an 11.5 per cent YoY fall to 175,921t. Domestic cement production fell 16.1 per cent YoY to 5.574Mt, from 6.646Mt in December 2023. Clinker production decreased 11.7 per cent YoY to 4.776Mt, down from 5.411Mt previously. In December cement exports dropped 65.8 per cent YoY 28,000t, down from 81,780t a year earlier. Meanwhile, clinker exports rose 8.3 per cent YoY to 902,145t from 833,029t a year earlier. Full-year 2024 Cement sales in Indonesia 2024 amounted to 64.887Mt, a decrease of 0.9 per cent YoY compared to the 65.501Mt recorded in 2023. Java accounted for just over half of all sales during the period (52 per cent) followed by Sumatera (22 per cent) and Kalimantan (9 per cent). Bagged sales were down 3.1 per cent YoY to 44.772Mt, accounting for 69 per cent of total sales in 2024, bulk sales rose 4.4 per cent YoY to 20.115Mt. Cement production amounted to 67.570Mt in 2024, up one per cent YoY from 66.924Mt in 2023. Clinker production amounted to 57.091Mt in 2024, down 2.8 per cent YoY from 58.709Mt in 2023. Total cement and clinker exports amounted to 11.9Mt in 2024, up 10.1 per cent YoY, with Bangladesh (66 per cent), Australia (15 per cent) and Taiwan (11 per cent) the main export destinations. Cement exports fell 22.8 per cent YoY to amount to 998,000t, while clinker exports rose 14.6 per cent YoY to 10.9Mt. Cement capacity in 2024 was 119.9Mta, unchanged from 2023, with a capacity utilisation rate of 56.5 per cent, up from 55.8 per cent in 2023 and the highest rate since 2021. Clinker capacity was 83.4Mt, unchanged from 2023, with a capacity utilisation rate of 68.5 per cent, down from 70.4 per cent in 2023. Outlook Looser monetary policy, lower inflation risks, reduced political uncertainty and increased government spending, combined with accelerating economic growth will underpin a return to growth in cement demand in 2025. Indonesias cement association is targeting cement consumption to expand 1-2 per cent in 2025. However, it warns of higher cement prices should the transportation fuel subsidy to removed. Advertisement In view of the current launch of significant decarbonisation investments, CEMBUREAU has highlighted the importance of a level playing field on carbon through the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), supporting the start of the operational phase of CBAM in 2026, as agreed by the EU institutions. It argues that these large-scale projects require regulatory certainty and policy support to be successfully implemented. The statement follows calls by the European Peoples Party at its Leaders Retreat on 17-18 January for a two-year delay of the implementation of CBAM, amongst other measures. CEMBUREAU agrees that some targeted improvements could be brought to CBAM, in particular to minimise the risks of fraud and circumvention, find a solution for exports, and simplify the mechanism where possible. These points are important and deserve a strong focus from policymakers. However, a two-year delay in CBAM implementation would only cause major risks for ongoing EU decarbonisation investments, and for the broader competitiveness of the cement sector, which has been confronted with rising imports in recent years, said CEMBUREAU in a statement. The European cement association also points out that CBAM does not add bureaucratic constraints on European cement producers as it mirrors the requirements of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, to which all European producers of CBAM goods are subject today, to ensure a level playing field between goods produced in the EU and outside of the EU. This wrecked Tesla is one of seven vehicles involved in a crash that killed one man, one dog and injured seven other people at Sixth and Harrison streets in San Francisco on Sunday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Paramedics with San Franciscos Street Overdose Response Team were heading down Sixth Street just after 6 p.m. Sunday when they happened upon the chaotic aftermath of a multicar crash that mangled seven vehicles, including a Waymo robotaxi. Within seconds, the paramedics began searching the wreckage for victims, according to a spokesperson who reviewed the 911 dispatch records. They found eight people with injuries and one dead dog. Firefighters arriving on scene moments later uttered the two words that set in motion a well-rehearsed sequence that sped the crash victims to area hospitals: Red alert. That means were dealing with a mass casualty event, said San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Justin Schorr. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police wrapped the scene in yellow caution tape and blocked off Sixth Street between Harrison and Bryant streets, which was littered with shattered glass and auto parts. The scene included a crumpled Tesla sedan whose driver allegedly caused the collision while speeding, a Waymo with its rear end ripped off and a white sedan with its sides torn off that appeared to have crashed into the Waymo. Dispatchers sent more ambulances and began contacting city hospitals to find out how many emergency room beds were available, Schorr said. Meanwhile, paramedics at the scene began triage and continued to scour the mangled cars for victims who might have been thrown by the force of the crash. Were trained to look for the sickest people first, those who might be the most injured, he said. We look in the cars and under the cars. It was unclear where the Tesla driver accused of causing the crash, Jia Lin Zheng, was treated or the extent of his injuries. Police detained the 66-year-old Sunday night while he was hospitalized for his injuries. A member of Zhengs family declined to comment on his condition Tuesday. Police on Monday booked Zheng in absentia on one count of felony vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, felony vandalism and speeding, according to jail records and the San Francisco Police Department. It was unclear whether investigators had ruled out drugs or alcohol as factors in the collision. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One unidentified vehicle occupant with significant injuries was declared dead at the scene after paramedics followed a protocol to determine they had no heartbeat, Schorr said. The deceased dog was in the same vehicle. By 6:29 p.m. ambulances carrying two patients were en route to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. One person was admitted Sunday night and remained in serious condition as of Tuesday afternoon, a hospital representative said Tuesday afternoon. One victim was discharged in good condition. The remaining crash victims were transported to St. Francis and St. Marys hospitals, part of the UCSF Health system. UCSF did not respond Tuesday to questions about their conditions. Emergency responders called San Francisco Animal Care & Control, and the agency quickly dispatched employees to remove the dogs remains from the vehicle, Schorr said. The dog had been traveling in the white sedan that appeared to have crashed into the Waymo, coming to a halt behind it. Animal Care and Control staff were in touch with the family and planned to hold the dogs body at the shelter for them, spokesperson Deb Campbell said. Around 8:40 p.m., a medical examiners van pulled up and pulled out a single stretcher. Police officers held up a white sheet while the medical examiners moved a body to the stretcher, loaded it into their truck and drove away. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jessica Flores is a reporter on the breaking news and engagement team. Before joining the Chronicle in 2021, she worked for USA Today, LAist and Curbed LA. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she is a graduate of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has officially announced the creation of the Violence Reduction Initiative (VRI), a research center housed within the Department of Criminal Justice dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world solutions to violent crime in Chattanooga and beyond.Led by UC Foundation Associate Professor Rick Dierenfeldta former police officer and head of the Criminal Justice departmentthe VRI will utilize data-driven research to tackle pressing public safety challenges.The establishment of the Violence Reduction Initiative places our program and University in a position to produce research and policy that address timely, important and highly visible issues, Dr.Dierenfeldt said. Specifically, it will make us more competitive for external funding, encourage a higher level of community engagement and support student-faculty research collaboration.Dr. Dierenfeldt said the seeds for the VRI were planted shortly after he joined the UTC faculty when he began working with the Chattanooga Police Department to implement and evaluate the Scenic City Crime Gun Intelligence Center.Over three years, Dr. Dierenfeldt assisted the CPD by conducting statistical analysis, producing policy-driven technical reports and providing CGIC with new metrics that could be used to guide practices designed to reduce gun violence in Chattanooga.The collaboration yielded remarkable outcomes: firearm homicides dropped by 27 percent, overall homicides decreased by 36 percent and the number of shooting victims fell by 42 percent.The success of the program led Dr. Dierenfeldt to pitch the idea of establishing a research center at UTC to place the Criminal Justice program in a better position to address these violence concerns through the use of data-driven research.There was an opportunity here to expand our reach and partner with more agencies and service providers in the community to pursue more externally-funded partnerships and really embrace this idea of data-informed, evidence-based practice, Dr. Dierenfeldt said. What I ended up pitching to the University was that we could open a research center and use that to focus on relationships with community partners to seek external funding.Dr. Dierenfeldt thanked numerous UTC personnel for their assistance in lifting the VRI from conception into realityincluding Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jerold Hale, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Pam Riggs-Gelasco, Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Meredith Perry, Academic Affairs Director of Space Management Theresa Liedtka, and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School Ethan Carver.Full credit goes to them for seeing the value in what we were trying to do here and investing in it immediately. Ive never seen anything move this fast, Dr. Dierenfeldt said.UTC prides itself on doing research that matters, and the work that Dr. Dierenfeldt and the Criminal Justice department is doing is an important social issue that affects not only our communitybut every community, Vice Chancellor Hale said. Its also a great example of the strong collaborations that UTC continues to have with the community to address issues of importance and interest.The VRI is a great example of the synergy possible between campus and the community, Dean Riggs-Gelasco said. The research advances the academic discipline while also leading to improvements in the City of Chattanooga.At UTC, we demonstrate the value of approaching education and research as inseparable factors transforming lives and advancing the quality of life in our community, Vice Chancellor Mann said. The Violence Reduction Initiative is a great example of how this works successfully in practice.After getting the approval to move forward in 2024, Dr. Dierenfeldt and the VRI sought funding activityand two grant collaborations have already yielded federal grants.First, Hamilton County Alternative Sentencing Programsin partnership with a Criminal Justice team of Dr. Dierenfeldt, Dr. Andrew Denney, Dr. Gale Iles and Dr. Sherah Bashamwas awarded an $844,294 grant from the U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Assistance as part of the Second Chance Act Smart Supervision Program.The three-year project, titled the Recidivism Reduction Initiative, is designed to improve public safety by reducing recidivism rates among justice-involved individuals in Hamilton Countys misdemeanor supervision programs.The RRI, managed through Hamilton Countys Alternative Sentencing Programs, focuses on implementing evidence-based supervision strategies and providing essential services to participants. As the research partner, the Criminal Justice program provides ongoing analysis of program outcomes, including recidivism rates, compliance with supervision and the overall effectiveness of interventions offered to participants.The RRI officially launched in January 2025 and runs through September 2027.Shortly after learning that RRI had received funding, another award came througha $1,999,187 grant from BJA for a partnership with the City of Chattanooga for the Chattanooga United to Reduce Violence (CURV) initiative.CURV, led by the citys Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, seeks to reduce gun violence in high-crime, high-risk neighborhoods through evidence-based, community-focused strategies. The initiative includes expanding structured after-school activities for youth, providing trauma-informed mental health services, offering wraparound support for families, and deploying violence interrupterscommunity members trained to de-escalate potentially violent situations.Dr. Dierenfeldt said the three-year grant will allow UTC researchers to assess the impact of CURVs strategies and provide data-driven insights to inform future violence prevention efforts. A Criminal Court jury on Tuesday sentenced Jason Chen to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Life in prison in Tennessee requires serving 51 full calendar years before there can be parole eligibility. The option the jury chose means no parole consideration. The jury, that was selected in Nashville, earlier found the UTC computer science student guilty of first-degree murder in the savage attack on 22-year-old Jasmine Pace. Authorities said Chen stabbed her 60 times while she was shackled at his apartment in North Chattanooga, then stuffed her body in a suitcase and dumped it along Suck Creek Road. At a sentencing hearing, Chen's mother spoke in a dialect of Mandarin Chinese in a sobbing voice, pleading for the jury to "give him a chance so he can go home and restart his life." She said he was "a very obedient child, diligent in his studies, and who would help with the housework." She said he never got in trouble in school. "We are all a law-abiding family," said Ms. Chen, who has one other child. She said Jason Chen had just a half year left in college and he had plans to study for a masters and get a good-paying job. She said he told her he wanted to help so she would not have to work so hard at their Chinese restaurant. Ms. Chen said "because of a sudden passion he made a mistake." A Chinese interpreter at a remote location was initially used. Afterward, an aunt of Jason Chen got on the line to interpret because the family felt the initial interpreter was missing some of her testimony that was in a separate Mandarin dialect. Ms. Chen was asked several times her family's feelings about the Pace family's loss, and she always returned to talking about her son. The defense then called her husband, who was also asked about the Paces and said, "We understand your hurt. We are so sorry for your loss." Gabrielle Pace, older sister of the victim, told of Jasmine losing their 14-year-old brother, Austin, to an ATV accident and of Jasmine being first at the scene. She said the family had other losses, including a cousin to COVID and their beloved grandmother on the night that Jasmine Pace went over to Chen's apartment, Nov. 22, 2022. She said Chen had never shown any remorse while the family continues to relive Jasmine's tragic final minutes. Jacqueline White, a cousin, went to the witness stand and methodically dropped 60 stones into a jar - illustrating the 60 stab wounds. She said Jasmine was the glue that held the family together, contrasting her with Chen, whom she termed a "sub human and a predatory sociopath." She noted he had also torn up his own family, recalling seeing the Chen mother in the hallway "hyperventilating." Ms. White said Chen "has never shown a shred of remorse in this empty-eyed head. He is beyond saving." Travis Pace, her father, said she was a beautiful, intelligent child who ran the family's very successful business and might have inherited it. He said the family keeps thinking about her final terrifying minutes. District Attorney Coty Wamp said, "All we are asking is that he never get out of prison. Jasmine Pace never got out of that suitcase until she was in a coffin." She also said, "I feel terrible for the Chen family. It's terrible to see his mother up on that witness stand sobbing. Shame on him." He said of Chen that "he took everything that the family gave him and he squandered it." Defense attorney Josh Weiss asked jurors, "Are you willing to grant him the hope of redemption?" He said if Chen got out of prison at age 73 "he would be an old man and no threat to society." The attorney said, "It would still be a life sentence. It's not leniency." Hamilton County Schools will be back open on Thursday. The schools closed on Wednesday with officials saying the decision to close schools was due to an appeal from TVA and EPB that the community voluntarily reduce power usage between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Craig Lambert has been appointed as chief executive officer of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Chattanooga.The 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital is located at 2412 McCallie Ave. in Chattanooga, and holds The Joint Commissions Disease-Specific Certification in Stroke, Amputee, Hip Fracture and Brain Injury Rehabilitation.I am honored to serve as CEO of Encompass Health of Chattanooga, said Mr. Lambert. I look forward to working with the hospitals incredible staff to provide high-quality, compassionate care for our patients.Mr.Lambert brings more than 20 years of healthcare experience to Encompass Health. He previously served as CEO of Select Specialty Hospital in Pensacola, Fl. Mr. Lambert led all hospital operations and managed patient experience. His accomplishments include reducing staff turnover, improving patient quality and expanding access to care. Mr. Lambert began his career with the U.S. Air Force working at various air bases across the country in medical and surgery centers.Craig is a results-oriented, dedicated healthcare executive, said Abe Sims, president of Encompass Healths MidAtlantic region. With his diverse experience in hospital operations, compliance, and quality and risk management, I feel confident he will be successful in leading our hospital team.Mr. Lambert received a bachelors degree in healthcare management from the University of Alabama and a master of business administration from the University of Wyoming. He is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Mr. Lambert has won multiple awards over his career, including the Air Force Surgeon Generals Patient Safety Program of the Year (2017) and Outpatient Clinic of the Year (2018). Chinese court upholds death penalty for man convicted of trafficking children Xinhua) 10:38, January 22, 2025 CHENGDU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A higher court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence for Wang Haowen, who was convicted of trafficking children. The higher court in southwest China's Sichuan Province heard his appeal and decided to reject it, maintaining the original verdict. The ruling will be referred to the Supreme People's Court for final approval. Court documents showed that Wang, either acting alone or in collaboration with accomplices, abducted 14 children from regions including Hubei and Sichuan and sold them in regions such as Shantou in Guangdong from 2001 to 2014. In May 2024, an intermediate court in Sichuan sentenced Wang to death for child trafficking, stripped him of his political rights for life, and ordered the confiscation of all his personal assets. Wang appealed the decision after hearing the ruling. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Limited (the Company or MCK) advises that, in response to the takeover notice received from CDL Hotels Holdings New Zealand Limited (CDLHH NZ) on 20 January 2025, MCK has appointed Cameron Partners Limited and Bell Gully to assist it in responding to the takeover notice from CDLH. The Company has also appointed Northington Partners Limited to prepare an independent adviser report under the Takeovers Code, and the Takeovers Panel has approved that appointment. MCK recommends that shareholders do not take any action in respect of their shares until they receive a target company statement, including any recommendation from independent directors of MCK, and the independent advisers report. Shareholders who are considering selling their shares before then are recommended to seek their own professional advice. In addition, the takeover notice does not apply to the listed redeemable preference shares in MCK (MCKPA). Any holders of preference shares who are considering selling those shares to CDLHH NZ through any broker facility it offers are recommended to seek their own professional advice. -ENDS- Issued by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Limited For investor relations enquiries, please contact: Stuart Harrison, Managing Director M: +64 21 869 216 About Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Limited Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Limited (NZX: MCK ) is the only NZX listed hotel owner operator with 18 owned / leased / franchised hotels based in New Zealand under the Millennium, Grand Millennium, M Social, Copthorne and Kingsgate brands. As part of the Millennium & Copthorne Hotels group, we are proud to be part of a global network of over 120 properties in gateway cities across Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East and New Zealand. MCK is also the majority shareholder in land developer CDL Investments New Zealand Limited (NZX: CDI ) and also has property interests in Australia through its Kingsgate Group subsidiaries including a 50% ownership interest in the Sofitel Brisbane Central through a joint venture. For more information, visit our website: www.millenniumhotels.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKT - Sky secures iconic sports rights RYM - Ryman completes Retail Entitlement Offer TEM - Transaction in Own Shares FPH launches F&P Nova Nasal mask in NZ and AU Fonterra announces changes to management team March 12th Morning Report WHS FY25 Interim Results teleconference details VGL - Odeon Cinemas Group signs for Vista Cloud DGL - T&G appoints new Director TEM - Transaction in Own Shares The Office of the Tennessee Attorney General announced a settlement Tuesday with Family Dollar Stores, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree Inc. This settlement follows an investigation that revealed Family Dollar stores in Tennessee were selling consumer goods that had knowingly been stored in a rodent-infested distribution center in West Memphis, Ar. When a mom or dad buys groceries for their kids, they should never have to wonder whether some nasty critter got the first bite, said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. No matter the family budget, whether at a discount shop or not, every Tennessean deserves confidence in the food they buy. This settlement holds Family Dollar accountable and protects Tennessee families from being sold harmful or mislabeled food. In 2022, Family Dollar, Inc. announced a voluntary recall of FDA-regulated products stored in their West Memphis Distribution Center. In 2024, the company pleaded guilty to causing FDA-regulated products to become adulterated while being held under insanitary conditions. That plea agreement included a fine and forfeiture totaling $41.675 million, the largest-ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case, and required the company to implement a robust corporate compliance program with reporting to the U.S. Department of Justice. As a part of the settlement, Family Dollar Stores has agreed to pay the State $1.125 million. You can view the settlement here. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) announces that workers compensation insurance premiums will decline for most Tennessee businesses in 2025 for the 12th consecutive year. We are proud to announce yet another rate decrease for workers compensation insurance premiums," said Governor Bill Lee. Lower premiums allow business owners to have the flexibility they need to re-invest in their companies. I thank the Department of Commerce and Insurance for its work to serve Tennesseans. On Dec. 27, TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence signed the order approving a 3.6% percent overall loss cost decrease for the voluntary market beginning March 1, on new and renewal policies. This rate decrease allows carriers to blend the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) loss cost filings with company experience and expenses to develop insurance premiums for the coming year. Since Tennessees workers compensation system reforms began in 2014, Tennessee employers have seen substantial savings with these loss cost reductions. The loss cost reduction can be contributed, in part, to safer workplaces where workers are receiving fewer injuries on the job, said Commissioner Lawrence. These reductions indicate a healthier workplace for Tennesseans as they result from decreases in lost time claim frequency and more stable claims costs." The Rhea County Commission debated several topics to a standing room only meeting Tuesday night at the Courthouse Annex. The Commission voted to table considering the three-year reappraisal plan and the resolution to authorize a continuous three-year reappraisal cycle for Rhea County. After discussion by Property Assessor Debbie Byrd and the commissioners, Commissioner Mark Cashman made a motion to have a special meeting of the County Commission after they got a time frame when the reappraisal plan needed to be sent to the state. Commissioner Billy Thedford seconded the motion with six commissioners voting for it, but Sandy Francisco voting against tabling it. Commission Chairman Jim Reed and Commissioner Tommy Ballard were absent. Commissioner Cashman and Commissioner Leo Stephens kept pressing Assessor Byrd on when the plan actually had to be in Nashville to the State Board of Equalization to which she replied by February. She told commissioners that she did not know a specific date. I want to assure the audience and the commissioners that a shorter reappraisal period does not mean higher taxes," she said. She stated, "It makes it hard for the commission to meet our budget and balance the budget when the state applies the ratio; we dont receive the money for that. Thats when our tax rate could possibly be raised. Assessor Byrd added that with more frequent reappraisals then the ratio is not as large, "and we dont lose as much money in our county." She said, I dont want higher taxes for anyone. She further told commissioners that she was more than happy for anyone to come in my office who wants to know more about this. Commissioner Nick Welch said it would actually benefit the county to go to the three-year plan. He said if the property sales rate went down, people would not be stuck with the rate for five years. Commissioner Cashman said, We want this to help the public. We needed this earlier, but we are now put in a position where we have to vote for it tonight. Assessor Byrd said the ability to change to a three-year plan was not available last year to Rhea County. County Executive Jim Vincent stated, I have never voted for a tax increase. And thats what Im trying to avoid. We have one of the lowest property tax rates in the state. We are at 1.37 and thats really low. If we hadnt had a reserve backup, we would have hit a wall this year with the 60 percent ratio. What Im trying to do is get our revenue at that low rate where it is stable and we dont have to hit that wall every two years. Sooner or later, it will bite us. "They do two ratios in a five-year cycle in the second and fourth year. The public may not realize this, but we lost 40 percent of our revenue on the last ratio. What moving to three years does it does away with one of those ratios completely. Commissioner Stephens asked why the commission didnt have this information earlier since it was known since the fall this was coming up. Why didnt we start earlier? Why havent we been presented this before now? Now we have to vote on it a week later after finding out about it and it really makes it hard on us. Especially when we wait to the last minute. Assessor Byrd said she was debating on whether to keep it at the five-year plan. Whenever I saw what it would cost us as a county, and the money we would be losing, I had to present this. Commissioner Cashman asked if there would be another time when they could vote on this, and Assessor Byrd said that it would be five years as they would be starting the next appraisal cycle. Prior to the motion, Assessor Byrd played a recording from the Blount County Commission, which has already gone to a three-year plan, as has Roane County. In the recording, Blount County Commissioners heard from State Comptroller Jason Mumpower on going to a three-year plan. Comptroller Mumpower said he has a responsibility to advise all 95 property assessors in the state. He said, Its right for your taxpayers, it's very friendly to your taxpayers. We live in what is the sixth fastest growing state in the nation. We have a very dynamic property market from Mountain City to Memphis. And I think in East Tennessee we are going to see that become even more relevant. "We have been seeing such explosive growth in Middle Tennessee, and this growth is moving more and more our way, And when you have a dynamic property market like we have like we have more frequent reappraisals are the taxpayer friendly way to go. In addition to being good for taxpayers it is a hallmark of good government; More and more counties are moving in that direction. I am preaching it from every mountain top in Tennessee and counties are moving in this direction. Blount County had been considering the change since April of 2023 after a reappraisal increased property assessments with some there receiving a significant increase in property values, according to the property assessors office there. Commissioners also tabled action on providing Sheriff Mike Neal additional compensation for the Ex Officio services of the Sheriff and to adjust the county executive's salary. Commissioner Cashman made the motion with a second by Commissioner Thedford to table the action until County Attorney Carol Baron could be present to address several questions that he and some of the commissioners had about the increase. We dont know if the county executive gets retro pay as well or just from this year. And we have other questions as well, said Commissioner Cashman. During public comments on the issue, community activist Jack Kauffman objected to the commission doing this. He said, I would like to remind you all that the Rhea County Sheriffs Department and Sheriff Mike Neal have actually been in trouble in the past and is now looking for financial gain from this community. He has used officers and resources for his own business for his own gain. I dont see rewarding him for that. If he hadnt done that, I can see giving him what he is asking for. He has shown himself not to be a man of his word. I would rather ask for his resignation than give him a raise." Mr. Kauffman appeared in front of the commission wearing a red sweatshirt with the words "Concerned Citizens of Rhea County on the back. The Concerned Citizens of Rhea County is a 501 (c3) organization. On the list of 501 c3 organizations in Rhea County, Mr. Kauffman is listed as the contact person. In recent meetings Sheriff Neal had addressed the commission and stated his case for the adjustment of his salary. Since you built the Justice Center and worked on it, its now a tier one workhouse," he said. He went on to tell the commission that the State Legislature had set forth a statute in the Tennessee Code Annotated to address this issue, but I didnt know anything about it "since we never have been a workhouse." Sheriff Neal said, "The state has set that the counties can supplement the sheriffs salary for these extra responsibilities. Ive got three of them (the workhouse, juvenile detention and the animal shelter)." He said, "I am just making you aware of this and asking for that salary supplement to be added to (the salary)." He went on to say that whoever is doing this job in this position and taking on these responsibilities would receive the supplement. A new sheriff wouldnt be standing in front of this commission saying, 'Hey, I should be getting this.' The reason that I didnt bring it up at budget time was I was not aware of it. But there are statutes on the books. In a world where data security is an ever-growing concern, Joshua Tylera computational engineering doctoral candidate and electrical engineering research associate at the University of Tennessee at Chattanoogahas broken new ground. Mr. Tyler, who is on track to receive his third UTC degree in May, has developed the worlds first usable Artificial Intelligence network that can learn how to encrypt itself. This AI network, he said, can provide nearly unbreakable cryptographysignificantly improving the security of communications. Mr. Tyler and his faculty mentor, Dr. Don Reising, a Guerry and UC Foundation associate professor of electrical engineering, have uploaded a draft of their publication to arXivan open-access repository for scholarly papers. They have already submitted their invention disclosure to the University of Tennessee Research Foundation for a provisional patent. Mr. Tylers AI network, he explained, learns to encrypt data by transforming an encryption key onto the original unencrypted data. The goal is to ensure that the encrypted message is unique to the key while the original message is still recoverable on the other end. This ensures that when deployed, each encryption is unique and significantly extends the networks lifespan, said Mr. Tyler, who received a bachelors degree in electrical engineering in 2020 and a masters degree in 2022. The research builds on a concept initially proposed by Google, known as Adversarial Neural Cryptography. While Google demonstrated the potential for AI-driven cryptography, its approach faced significant limitationsparticularly in ensuring the encryption keys influence on the encrypted message and additional communication overhead. I copied over Googles setup and trained their network on my side, he said. The network was encrypting the information, but we found out that there wasnt a lot of uniqueness on the encrypted side when we were switching keys, so that makes the overall life of the network shorter. Youd only get to encrypt one message per network. Dr. Reising, who has worked with Mr. Tyler for more than six years, said he basically challenged Josh to go and find a way to get this thing to generate a unique code or a unique encoded message. And thats what he did, Dr. Reising said. He went off and worked on developing his own technique. Dr. Reising recalled a pivotal moment during the process. I asked him, What architecture are you using? Are you using CNN? Are you using an LSTM? What are you using? And hes like, No, Im not using any of those. I made my own. I said, What do you mean you made your own? He said, I made my own and its a deep learning network. That was crazy and it was pretty awesome. By rethinking the structure of AI networks, Mr. Tyler developed a novel neural network architecture that addresses these challenges. The result is a network that offers nearly unbreakable encryption and unparalleled adaptability in safeguarding sensitive data. I changed the network architecture so that the influence of the key was still maintained through the entire structure of the network, he said. A crucial feature of Mr. Tylers system is its rapid adaptability, which allows it to retrain itself in seconds to produce entirely new cryptographic algorithms. This new architecture ensures that each encryption remains unique, effectively overcoming the limitations of previous methods. Every time you retrain the network, you get a different cryptographic algorithm, Mr. Tyler said. So then, even if you use the same key across two differently trained networks, youll get a new encryption scheme. These things train really fast so that we can have a new cryptographic algorithm in about 16 seconds. Police said a 17-year-old male student opened fire in a lunchroom at Antioch High School in Nashville on Wednesday, killing a female student. The student then turned the gun on himself and fired a fatal shot. A third student had a graze wound. The girl has been identified as Josselin Corea Escalante and the shooter as Solomon Henderson. The 16-year-old girl who was fatally wounded in the cafeteria of Antioch High School this morning is identified as Josselin Corea Escalante, MNPD said. The 17-year-old shooter who killed himself is identified as Solomon Henderson, who was an active student at Antioch High School. Reports said the shooter shot two students before shooting himself. Students were bused to a site at Ascension Saint Thomas hospital to meet with parents. The school is located in Antioch, Tn., and has approximately 2,000 students in grades 9-12. A statement from the Metro Nashville Public School board said, "This morning, we were heartbroken to learn of the tragic shooting at Antioch High School. Our thoughts and prayers are with the students, educators, families, and the entire Antioch High School community as they navigate this unthinkable event. "As leaders of Metro Nashville Public Schools, we are committed to ensuring that all those affected by this tragedy receive the care and support they need. The MNPS team is working tirelessly to provide resources and assistance to help our students, staff, and families heal during this difficult time. "This incident underscores the critical importance of coming together as a community to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our schools. We will continue to stand united in addressing the challenges we face and fostering environments where every student and educator feels secure and supported. "Please join us in keeping the Antioch High School community in your thoughts and prayers. Together, we will move forward with compassion, strength, and a shared commitment to the safety and success of our students." A statement from Professional Educators of Tennessee said, We are heartbroken by the school shooting that occurred today at Antioch High School. Our prayers are with the students, educators, parents, and Metro-Nashville Public Schools. Schools must be safe spaces for students, educators, and staff. "The issue of school shootings is complex and influenced by various factors, including access to firearms, mental health challenges, societal pressures, and a significant lack of adequate support systems. To effectively address this crisis, we must expand our comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to prevention strategies and continue seeking solutions. The 114th Tennessee General Assembly needs to increase funding for school safety across Tennessee. This remains a critical issue and should be a priority for Governor Lee and Commissioner Reynolds. Senator Charlane Oliver, who represents the community where the school is located, issued a statement, saying, "My heart is broken over the devastating shooting at Antioch High School today. As a mother and a representative of this community, I grieve with the families, students and staff who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to the victims who were shot, their loved ones and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. No child should ever feel unsafe in their school, and no family should face the anguish of such a senseless loss. I am in contact with local officials, law enforcement and school leadership to offer my full support and ensure our community has the resources needed to heal. My senate office stands ready to assist families, students and educators with navigating this crisis and will do everything in my power to push for meaningful legislative changes to prevent senseless acts of gun violence. Rep. Shaundelle Brooks said, Every child deserves to live free from the fear of gun violence. "Ever since I lost my son, Akilah, in a mass shooting in 2018, I have been fighting to ensure this never happens again. "Here we are almost seven years later, and our communities are still being impacted by gun violence. "My prayers are with all of those impacted by this senseless tragedy. We are only one week into the start of our legislative session and already our state has been ravaged by another school shooting. I will continue to call on my colleagues in the Tennessee Legislature to pass comprehensive gun reform to ensure the safety of our children and loved ones. We must do better. Tanya T. Coats, a veteran Knox County educator and president of the Tennessee Education Association, said, "We are heartbroken for the students and families affected by the tragic shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the students, staff, families and the entire Antioch community as they navigate the aftermath of this horrific tragedy. As educators, we are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students. As we grieve this heartbreaking loss, TEA stands ready to continue the important work alongside our community partners, law enforcement and policymakers to ensure that schools are safe for every child, every educator and every family. Our thoughts remain with the Antioch High School community, and we offer our full support as they begin the long road to healing. CHI Memorial welcomed Bishop Mark Beckman, from the Diocese of Knoxville, on Monday. This was Bishop Beckmans first visit to the hospital since his installation in July 2024. During the visit, Bishop Beckman met with members of the hospitals executive leadership team to learn about the hospital, which was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 1952. Bishop Beckman also celebrated Mass in the hospitals St. Annes Chapel. The service was attended by hospital employees and volunteers. CHI Memorial is the only Catholic hospital in East Tennessee. Photos: Bishop Beckman-13: Bishop Mark Beckman, Diocese of Knoxville, celebrated Mass in CHI Memorial's St. Annes Chapel during a recent visit to the hospital. Bishop Beckman-1 - Bishop Mark Beckman, Diocese of Knoxville, met with members of CHI Memorials executive leadership team to learn about the hospital, which was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 1952. Massey Services, a pest management and landscape care company, announces the opening of its new Commercial Service Center in Chattanooga. Massey Services currently has six residential locations throughout Tennessee. This new service center is the companys first commercial location in Tennessee and will provide pest and termite services to businesses throughout the eastern portion of the state. Our new Service Center in Chattanooga represents our commitment to meeting the needs of our business customers, said Tony Massey, president and CEO of Massey Services. This new dedicated commercial office will provide a business-focused expertise that includes adapting to our customers hours of operations, access points and layout to minimally interfere with normal operations. As always, we are dedicated to delivering exceptional customer satisfaction and this new service center enables us to respond within two hours of a customer request. We look forward to continued growth in this market. Massey Services provides commercial services to a variety of businesses, including hotels and motels, restaurants, theme parks, warehouses, health care facilities and business offices. The company works in partnership with their commercial clients to ensure they meet FDA, USDA and other federal compliance guidelines as well as health codes. Youth together at the MARCH FOR LIFE held in Pennsylvania in 2023. | March For Life A new poll indicates that the majority of young people in the U.S. support limits on abortion. The Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement, a project of the pro-life advocacy group Students for Life of America, released the survey on Monday, which included responses from 1,485 voters aged 18 to 42 collected from January 6 to 10. The poll revealed that two-thirds (67%) of respondents supported some restrictions on abortion. In contrast, only 9% favored allowing abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy, including in instances where babies survived botched abortions. When asked about specific limits, 63% of participants expressed support for prohibiting abortion after 12.5 weeks of pregnancy, while 66% agreed to ban abortions after 24 weeks of gestation. In terms of when human rights begin, 60% of respondents believed that human rights start while unborn babies are still in the womb. Twenty-five percent asserted that human rights do not begin until after birth, and 2% supported allowing a court to determine when human rights commence. While most young voters favored some form of abortion restriction, opinions were more divided regarding taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. Forty-eight percent believed that Planned Parenthood should receive taxpayer dollars, while 37% opposed it. When asked where they would prefer the $700 million in taxpayer funds allocated to Planned Parenthood go instead, 36% suggested mental health care, followed by general healthcare and wellness services (34%), public schools (32%), job creation (27%), prenatal and birth care (24%), abortion services (23%), assistance for at-risk families (20%), and law enforcement and crime prevention (17%). Additionally, the poll showed significant concerns regarding Planned Parenthoods provision of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to youth experiencing gender dysphoria, with 91% expressing worry about the potential for such treatments to sterilize minors permanently. Ninety-two percent of respondents backed requiring women seeking chemical abortions to undergo ultrasound screenings, with 41% calling ultrasounds extremely important. Similarly, support for blood testing to protect fertility was high, with 39% also considering it extremely important. Meanwhile, 66% of young voters supported the requirement for women to see a physician in person before taking the abortion pill. Nearly one-third of those surveyed (31%) indicated they would be MORE WILLING to accept limits on abortion if policies to assist mothers and families caring for newborns were implemented. Sixty-eight percent of participants identified keeping healthcare costs for pregnancy and birth affordable as the most important priority for elected officials to support mothers, newborns, and families. When asked about providing medical care to babies who survive an abortion, nearly 90% supported such care, while two-thirds (66%) advocated for calling 911 if a baby survives a botched abortion. Matt Laubhan, former chief meteorologist at WTVA in Mississippi. | Photo Credit: Matt Laubhan's Facebook A Mississippi TV meteorologist who became an internet sensation for his sincere prayer during a deadly tornado in 2023 has been laid off due to corporate restructuring efforts. Matt Laubhan, the former chief meteorologist at local ABC affiliate WTVA in northeast Mississippi, became a social media sensation in March 2023 after he prayed on-air for those in the path of a dangerous EF-3 tornado in Amory. During his live broadcast on the night of the storm, Laubhan urged residents to seek safety: So, Amory, we need to be in our tornado-safe place. We've got a new scan coming in here as we speak. Oh man, like, north side of Amory, this is coming in. Oh man. He then paused, looked down, and quietly prayed, Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen, before resuming his report and asking staff to check on a colleague's family in the area. WTVA's parent company, Allen Media Group (AMG), announced a restructuring plan in May that impacted approximately 2,500 employees, resulting in several layoffs in October. Laubhan and his weather team will be replaced by a regional weather service operated by The Weather Channel, which is a subsidiary of AMG. This restructuring will impact over 100 meteorologists across 20 stations nationwide, shifting local weather forecasting to pre-recorded segments from The Weather Channel. While Laubhan has not publicly commented on his layoff, he is remembered by many as a beacon of hope during some of the region's most challenging weather events, as reported by Christian Post. Supporters of Laubhan have expressed their outrage over the decision. One viewer described him as an invaluable local presence whose connection to the region went beyond weather reporting. Helen Thorson, a north Mississippi resident, said in a January 17 Facebook post, Matt is more than a meteorologist to us. He is a neighbor, a friend, and a face we could rely on. Matt Chisholm, another resident, shared a story illustrating Laubhan's impact. He posted an image of a large tree that crashed into a room where his then-6-month-old child regularly slept during storms. He reflected, The sobering truth is this had my family and I not heeded the warning of the approaching storm, my baby girl would have been crushed in that pile of rubble and would not be with us today. By the grace of God, between an amateur knowledge of weather I have been blessed with and affirmation from Matt Laubhan on WTVA, my family and I were safe in a nearby friend's storm shelter as our home was destroyed. Home News 3 shot at Antioch High School in Nashville including student who shot himself Antioch High School, located some 12 miles southeast of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, has been placed under lockdown following a shooting Wednesday that left three people injured, including a student suspected of shooting himself. News of the shooting, which reportedly occurred in the school's cafeteria, was first released on X at about 12:38 p.m. Eastern time by Metro Nashville Public Schools. Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building. Metro Police are on the scene. The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible, the agency said in a statement. This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe At around 1 p.m., the Metro Nashville PD confirmed the shooting at the school and the number of people injured. A shooting incident is under investigation at Antioch High School. Three people have been wounded, including the suspect, who shot himself, investigators said. Parents were asked not to come to the school to pick up their children but to meet at 3754 Murfreesboro Pike at the Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital. A Fox17 report said one victim is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Hospital while another is in stable condition at Monroe Carell Junior Children's Hospital. One person was also reported dead, but the report was not confirmed. This is a developing story and details might change as authorities provide updated information. Home News 'May He have mercy': 4 reactions to death of fmr. Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards Barack Obama, Lila Rose offer condolences, prayer for her soul From former President Barack Obama to pro-life leaders like Lila Rose, activists on both sides of the abortion debate have reacted to the death of Cecile Richards, with many offering prayers for the 67-year-old womans soul. Richards, the daughter of former Democrat Texas Gov. Ann Richards, served as president of Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018. The former leader of the nations largest abortion provider was diagnosed with brain cancer about a year-and-a-half ago, and her family released a statement Monday confirming her death. Planned Parenthoods profile received a boost under Richards leadership, one of the reasons being an increase in abortions. During her time as Planned Parenthoods president, Richards presided over various scandals, including allegations from pro-life groups that the organization helped cover up sexual abuse of underage girls who were taken to clinics by their abusers to obtain abortions. Planned Parenthood also came under scrutiny when Richards admitted under oath that the business never provided mammograms, despite having claimed to provide the life-saving screening. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Here's a list of reactions to Richards' death from people on both sides of the abortion debate. Home News 71% of Americans support presidents placing hand on Bible during inauguration, poll finds Most Americans support the inclusion of the Bible in the swearing-in ceremony at presidential inaugurations, according to a new survey released hours before President Donald Trump made headlines for not placing his hand on the Bible during the oath of office Monday. Rasmussen Reports released the poll documenting the opinions of 1,330 likely U.S. voters on the appropriateness of having a president place his hand on the Bible during his inauguration ceremony. Overall, 71% of respondents considered the practice appropriate, while 15% disagreed and 14% described themselves as undecided on the matter. Conducted from Jan. 13-15, the data has an error margin of +/-3 percentage points. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe A breakdown of results by demographic subgroup reveals support for the tradition extends across all political persuasions, highest among Republicans (88%), followed by unaffiliated voters (67%) and Democrats (59%). The practice also received the majority of support from all racial demographics, the highest among whites (74%). The majority of respondents belonging to other races (68%), blacks (67%) and Hispanics (63%) took the same view. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on Monday. Although he placed his hands on two Bibles during his first inauguration in 2017, the president did not put his hand on the Bible during his second inauguration. Social media users speculated that he did not do so because he did not see the Bibles included in the ceremony as U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts began administering the oath of office before members of the Trump family were in place. By the time First Lady Melania Trump, who was holding both Bibles included in the ceremony, arrived next to her husband, he was already taking the oath. The presidents inaugural committee had previously announced that the Bibles present in this years ceremony included one that President Abraham Lincoln placed his hand on during his first inauguration in 1861 as the U.S. was on the brink of civil war and one given to Trump by his late mother when he was nine years old. While Mondays poll showed that Americans were largely in agreement about the appropriateness of the tradition, partisan divides materialized in the responses to other questions included in the survey. Overall, 42% of Americans believe that former President Joe Biden kept his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution during his term in office, which expired Monday. On the other hand, 48% of Americans think that Biden failed to uphold his oath. Most Democrats (76%) believe that Biden kept his oath of office compared to just 34% of unaffiliated voters and 13% of Republicans. Looking ahead, voters had mixed views about whether or not Trump would keep his oath of office. Among all voters, 58% predicted that Trump would uphold his constitutional oath, while 40% disagreed. While most Republicans (91%) and unaffiliated voters (61%) expressed confidence that Trump would uphold his oath, only 25% of Democrats said the same. Home News Bishop defends comments to Trump in National Cathedral sermon: 'People are being harmed' The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, has defended comments she made appealing to President Donald Trump for mercy on behalf of illegal immigrants and the LGBT community in a sermon where she mentioned unity while also claiming the president's policies would "harm" trans-identified children LGBT families. The 65-year-old bishop appeared on "The View" Wednesday morning to address the national controversy surrounding her recent comments at a prayer service attended by Trump. The remarks, delivered during a Service of Prayer for the Nation at Washington National Cathedral, included a plea for Trump to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now, including gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde takes a swipe @realDonaldTrump at the @WNCathedral service, says trans kids and families now "fear for their lives." pic.twitter.com/yd9FRy8VSP Melissa Barnhart (@MelBarnhart) January 21, 2025 The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she said. Speaking to the "The View" hosts, Bishop Budde said, My responsibility yesterday morning was to reflect, to pray with the nation for unity. As I was pondering, what are the foundations of unity? I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility. I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy, compassion and understanding. So, knowing that a lot of people ... in our country right now, are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that service for unity; to say we need to treat everyone with dignity, and we need to be merciful. I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing, and in which people, real people, are being harmed. Trump, seated in the front row with first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, reacted visibly during the remarks. When asked on The View about their reactions, Budde said she avoided focusing on their body language. Ive long since given up trying to read peoples reactions as I preach. I had what I felt was on my heart to say, and I had to leave it to them, to all of us, to take from whatever my words were, to hear in whichever way they could, and leave, as they say, the rest to God. The sermon ignited a strong reaction from Trump, who criticized the service as not good and labeled Budde a radical left, hardline Trump hater on social media. He accused her of bringing politics into the church and demanded a public apology. Budde dismissed the characterization as part of the current culture of contempt, saying, We're in a hyper-political climate. One of the things I caution about is the culture of contempt in which we live that immediately rushes to the worst possible interpretations of what people are saying. I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it in as respectful and kind a way as I could, and also to bring other voices into the conversation ... that had not been heard in the public space for some time. The conversation on The View also touched on Trump's policies, including the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authority to enter traditionally protected spaces like churches, schools and hospitals, if warranted. Budde called the erosion of churches as sanctuaries heartbreaking, claiming that while not encoded in law, it was an unwritten policy to respect places where people could seek safety. We have a lot of churches in our particular denomination that meet the needs of immigrants and other vulnerable populations and we need now to be as special and mindful and to make sure that basic human rights are protected and people's needs can be met, she said. Budde also said that, if given the opportunity, shed address the president directly: I've never been invited into a one-on-one conversation with President Trump, and I would welcome that opportunity. I have no idea how that would go. I can assure him and everyone listening that I would be as respectful as I would with any person," she said. Budde, known for her progressive stances, previously criticized Trump in 2020 when he staged a photo-op at St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House following a protest in which rioters torched part of the church. At the time, she accused him of using the church and the Bible as props, a move she said "outraged" and "horrified" her, and was antithetical to the teachings of Jesus. The National Cathedrals interfaith service, a tradition since 1933, included prayers from Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, as well as representatives from other faiths. Home News John Piper unveils strategy for battling porn addiction: 'beauty and blood' In the battle against pornography, theologian and author John Piper offered a biblically-based strategy in a recent episode of his Ask Pastor John podcast: think about beauty and think about blood. Piper, the 79-year-old chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, was asked by a listener named Derek to explain the relevance of Psalm 16:11 in the daily battle against lust. Psalm 16:11 states: You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "Can you explain how a glorious promise like Psalm 16:11 functions in my daily battle against lust today? Derek asked. Listen to the "Ask Pastor John" podcast on edifi Piper unpacked the verse to show how the promise of eternal joy in Gods presence motivates believers to reject fleeting sinful pleasures like pornography in favor of lasting satisfaction in Christ. The speaker and author began by establishing what he calls the biblical principle of motivation: The Bible uses fear and hope to draw us away from impurity. He cited Romans 8:13, which warns of spiritual death for those living according to the flesh but promises eternal life for those who, by the Spirit, put sinful desires to death. This dual dynamic of threat and promise, the Desiring God founder explained, is woven throughout Scripture. Hell is real; Heaven is better. Flee Hell; pursue Heaven, Piper said, emphasizing the stark contrast between the consequences of sin and the rewards of holiness. Acknowledging that fear and hope are not uniquely Christian motivations, Piper pointed to the Gospel as a transformative factor. No other religion reveals a God who sent His own Son to endure the punishment for the sins of His enemies, he said, highlighting 1 Peter 2:24: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Piper contended that Christs death not only secures forgiveness but also empowers believers to resist sin. The death of Jesus not only paid for our sin; it also purchased the power not to sin, he explained. Thats what He bought. He, Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He paid for that. The pastor returned to Psalm 16:11 to show its centrality in the fight against lust. For the believer, Gods presence becomes the ultimate source of joy, surpassing all earthly pleasures, he said, adding: This is now a blood-bought fullness of joy. These pleasures are now not only the presence of God in Christ; they are the purchase of God in Christ. God in Christ is the promise. God in Christ is the price that purchased the promise. When facing temptation, Piper advised believers to reflect on two realities: My mind turns to beauty, and my mind turns to blood, he said. The beauty, he said, is the promise of eternal joy in Gods presence, and the blood is the price Jesus paid to make that promise a reality. Together, these truths provide the greatest power for purity. My ears hear Jesus say, I suffered crucifixion to turn you away from the fleeting pleasures of sin and lust to embrace the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore, he said. And my ears hear Jesus say, I suffered crucifixion to turn you away from the fleeting pleasures of sin and lust to embrace the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. And in that way, Psalm 16:11 is the greatest promise purchased at the greatest price and therefore I pray it will become the greatest power for purity. Pipers comments come as a recent Barna study found that a majority of practicing Christians, including pastors, admit to viewing pornography and a large share say they are comfortable with the habit. The Beyond the Porn Phenomenon, produced in partnership with Pure Desire Ministries, found that even though practicing Christians were still found to view pornography less frequently than non-Christians, the gap between the two groups was only 14 percentage points. Some 54% of Christians reported viewing pornography compared with 68% of non-Christians. Researchers urged Christian leaders to partner with experts, prioritize education and awareness and create safe spaces for people to get real to address the issue within the Church. Ultimately, the Church is meant to be a source of hope for people facing all sorts of challenges in life, including struggles with pornography. By addressing this issue head-on with care, understanding and practical support, churches can fulfill their role as places of healing and restoration, they said. Even small steps toward openness and support can make a significant impact in the lives of those struggling. Home News Most millennials, Gen Z adults support bans on abortions when baby's heartbeat is detected: poll A new poll released ahead of the annual March for Life reveals that most young Americans support efforts to ban abortions after a baby's heartbeat can be detected. The poll, conducted on behalf of the pro-life organization Students for Life of America from Jan. 511, asked 834 young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 for their views on abortion and the United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide. The polls release comes as pro-lifers are set to gather in Washington, D.C., Friday for the annual March for Life that's held in the nation's capital around the anniversary of the Roe decision. The survey informed respondents that the human fetal heart begins to beat 21 days after conception, at 3 weeks gestation before asking if they supported banning abortions after a heartbeat is detected. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed said they supported banning abortions after a heartbeat can be detected compared to 48% who opposed. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Denise Harle, an attorney with the religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, reacted to the polls findings in an interview with The Christian Post. I think that is fantastic news, she said. Harle told CP that she was so encouraged because it means that our younger generation understands what medical science shows us and what biology teaches us, which is that life begins at conception, its a human right and it should be protected. Some of the young Americans who participated in the poll changed their views on abortion once they received more details about Roe v. Wade. Initially, 60% of respondents expressed some level of support for Roe, with 21% saying that they very strongly supported the decision, 26% reporting that they strongly supported the decision, and 12% telling the pollster that they did not strongly support it. The share of respondents who expressed some level of support for Roe decreased after they learned that Roe allows abortions to take place throughout all nine months of pregnancy, right up until the moment of birth and allows women to abort their children if they do not like the sex of their baby, fear it has an abnormality like Down syndrome or believe that the baby might be same-sex attracted or one day identify as transgender. Additionally, the poll informed respondents that Roe has been used to justify sending U.S. taxpayer dollars to perform abortions or off-set other expenses of abortion vendors/providers, allows women to use abortion as contraception and ends a disproportionate number of minority lives. At the end of the poll, support for Roe had dropped to 50% among those surveyed. The share of participants who very strongly support Roe dipped slightly from 21% to 20%, the percentage who strongly support Roe dropped from 26% to 21%, while 9% indicated that they did not very strongly support it. Harle described this finding in the poll as consistent with previous polling revealing that when you ask people about what Roe v. Wade really held, they dont agree with it. When asked for their views about abortion in general, 25% agreed with the statement asserting that I support an abortion at any time without exception. Twenty percent expressed support for abortion after a heartbeat is detected, up until the fetus can feel pain. Twenty-eight percent opposed abortions after a heartbeat can be detected, while supporting exceptions to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. Seventeen percent opposed abortions at all times after a heartbeat can be detected, except to save the life of the mother. The remaining 9% opposed abortion in all circumstances. While 80% of respondents supported allowing Americans to vote on the abortion policies of their respective states, only 47% said they would support a ban on abortion in their state, compared to 53% who would oppose a ban. A majority (55%) of respondents disagreed with the idea that all Americans, regardless of their beliefs on abortion, should pay for abortions worldwide with tax dollars. However, 54% contended that all Americans, regardless of their views on abortion, should have to pay for abortions in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mothers life. Respondents were split on whether or not healthcare personnel should have to perform abortions if doing so violates their conscience. Fifty-one percent disagreed with forcing healthcare personnel to perform abortions, while 49% agreed. The Students for Life of America survey, as well as this years March for Life, come as the Supreme Court weighs whether or not to uphold a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi. A ruling in favor of the state of Mississippi, which is seeking to uphold the ban, would significantly weaken the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. Harle finds herself very optimistic about the future of abortion policy in the U.S. based on the oral arguments in the case surrounding the Mississippi abortion law, Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which took place last month: Its quite possible that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, which would mean that this issue would be returned to the states so that Americans can decide and enact policies consistent with their values, policies that protect life, that protect womens health. For almost 50 years, states have been imprisoned by this one Supreme Court decision, in which seven of those nine justices decided that the American people no longer had a say in protecting life as a human right. And so theres a very real possibility that in a matter of months, thats going to be undone. And its going to free us up to go back to Americas foundational respect for life and embrace a culture that celebrates life. Harle emphasized that an end to Roe would not mean the end of the pro-life movement. The battleground will shift, she predicted. If Roe v. Wade is overturned and the issue goes back to the states, that means every state will have the ability to decide its own policies. And so, thats going to be so important to make sure that states immediately put good measures in place that protect the humanity of unborn children. There will be states like New York and California that want to continue sanctioning abortion up until the moment of birth and we have a lot of work there to do to continue to show them the humanity of the unborn child and the dangers and harms to women who go through abortion and how demeaning it is for us to tell women that they need abortion to succeed in our nation, which is a lie, she proclaimed. Home News Ohio pastor sues city after being slapped with charges related to housing homeless: 'Smear campaign' Lawyers for an Ohio pastor who is facing nearly two dozen charges related to housing the homeless at his church sued city authorities and filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against them Monday. "We've had to resort to go into federal court to hold Mayor Schlade and the city of Bryan, Ohio, accountable for violating the Constitution and federal law," attorney Jeremy Dys of the First Liberty Institute told The Christian Post. Dys is representing Pastor Chris Avell, who pastors the nondenominational Dad's Place in Bryan, a town of approximately 8,600 people about 50 miles southwest of Toledo. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Their lawsuit which was filed by First Liberty Institute along with the law firms Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and Spengler Nathanson PLL lists the city, Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade, and other Bryan officials as defendants. The pastor pleaded not guilty on Jan. 11 to 18 zoning violation charges that came following "numerous State Fire Code violations that the tenant and property owner were made aware of," according to a Dec. 13 statement released by City Police Chief Gregory Ruskey. Avell was slapped with more citations last week after the city's fire chief found a potentially dangerous gas leak amid other violations that have not been corrected, according to local WTVG. According to First Liberty Institute, Avell decided last March to keep his church open 24/7 because the neighboring local homeless shelter was often full, forcing some of the town's homeless to stay outside. He said his church has since been able to help at least 100 people in Bryan who are struggling with homelessness. A court filing states that because Dad's Place is zoned as Central Business, the building is prohibited from allowing people to eat, wash clothes, or sleep on the property. After the story drew national attention, the city of Bryan issued an extensive 42-page press release last week that included pages of documents related to Avell's alleged zoning violations. "Pastor Avell never requested, nor was approval given, to use Dad's Place as a residence or homeless shelter," the press release read. "The city enforces its zoning code equally to all. A church does not have any special rights under the zoning code and the city expects Pastor Avell and Dad's Place to follow the law." Dys was dismissive of the city's release, telling CP that it's "a tragedy that they would think any of that would be true." He maintained that many of the complaints against Dad's Place that began to pour in last spring were related to incidents that did not take place on the church property. "Unfortunately, the innuendo and the public smear campaign led by Mayor Schlade and the town of Bryan, Ohio, is just further reinforcement that this town is doing everything they possibly can to discriminate against Pastor Avell and his congregants," he said. "They want that church driven from view and out of the mayor's sight." Dys also claimed that it appears city authorities are "trying to create problems where none exists in an effort to smear this church from caring for the most marginalized and vulnerable in our in their community." The mayor's office did not immediately respond CP's request for comment, but Bryan city attorney Marc Fishel said they "absolutely deny any allegation that the city has treated any religious institution inappropriately," according to The Associated Press. "The city has been and continues to be interested in any business, any church, any entity complying with local and state law," added Fishel, who claimed that Schlade supported the church opening in the building four years ago. Avell has a trial date set for Feb. 9. Home News Trump demands apology from Mariann Budde after inaugural prayer service sermon Bishop called to 'replace President Trump' in 2020 President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for an apology from Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde after she made a direct appeal to him for mercy toward LGBT-identified Americans and illegal immigrants during an inaugural prayer service. In her prayer Monday at the Washington National Cathedral, Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, directly addressed Trump, who was seated in the front row alongside his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance. After referencing Trumps belief that God saved him from an assassination attempt, Budde said, You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe While Trump initially dismissed the service, stating, I didnt think it was a good service and suggested they could do much better, he took to his social media platform Truth Social and sharply criticized Budde, referring to her as a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. The president wrote in part: The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. Trump said Budde sidestepped the issue of illegal immigration, which a Gallup poll last year found to be the most pressing national problem for voters ahead of the 2024 election. [Budde] failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions, Trump wrote. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA." He called upon Budde and the cathedral to issue a "public apology" for the sermon, adding that the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. CP reached out to the cathedral Wednesday for comment. This story will be updated if a response is received. In an appearance on ABC's "The View" Wednesday morning, the 65-year-old bishop addressed the national controversy and said her intention was to pray with the nation for unity. My responsibility yesterday morning was to reflect, to pray with the nation for unity, she said. As I was pondering, what are the foundations of unity? I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility. I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy, compassion and understanding. So, knowing that a lot of people ... in our country right now are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that service for unity to say we need to treat everyone with dignity and we need to be merciful. I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing, and in which people, real people, are being harmed. Its not the first time the historic church has stirred controversy for its anti-Trump stance. Gary Hall, the former dean of the cathedral who left the post in 2015, said he was disappointed with the decision to hold Trump's first inaugural service in 2017 at the cathedral. In a 2017 interview with Think Progress, a Democrat-aligned news outlet, Hall denounced the National Cathedral for legitimizing Trumps first administration and said he believes Trump violates any possible norm of Christian faith and practice. At the time, Budde took a slightly softer stance, saying, At a time when emotions are raw, we hope to offer a few moments of spiritual solace and the healing gift of transcendent beauty. However, Budde didnt shy away from a more overtly political stance in 2020, when she criticized Trump for the infamous photo of him holding a Bible in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House after it had been damaged during the protests against the killing of George Floyd. U.S. Park Police used tear gas to clear protesters before Trump walked from the White House to the church for the photo and brief comments. Although a federal probe later found that neither Trump nor then-Attorney General William Barr ordered the protesters to be tear gassed to make way for Trump's passage through the square, Budde argued the move desecrated our sacred space. That is the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, Budde told NPR in June 2020. It speaks messages of love, of God, love of neighbor. I was outraged that he felt that he had the license to do that and that he would abuse our sacred symbols and our sacred space in that way." In a Facebook post at the time, Budde accused Trump of using tear gas to "clear the church yard" so it could be used as a "backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for." In August 2020, Budde offered a prayer for the Democratic National Convention. At a rally in 2020, she called for swift justice for George Floyd, for systemic justice for all brown and black people who have been under the knee of this country. "I've given up speaking to President Trump," Budde said. "We need to replace President Trump. Her bio on the cathedral website describes Budde as an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of [LGBT] persons, and the care of creation. Since 1933, Washington National Cathedral has served as the venue for presidential inaugural prayer services, beginning with President Franklin Delano Roosevelts first inauguration. The cathedral, which describes itself as a house of prayer for all people, has continued this tradition with the only exception being President Bill Clintons two inaugurations, when he chose the historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Washington for his prayer services. Beyond its role in inaugural events, Washington National Cathedral has also been the site of funeral and memorial services for nearly all of the 21 U.S. presidents who have passed away since the cathedrals founding, including for late President Jimmy Carter earlier this month. Home News Trump says slew of Biden family pardons make former president 'look very guilty' Former President Joe Biden's decision to extend pardons to multiple family members just before the close of his presidency drew swift backlash from political opponents, including his successor. In the hours leading up to the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Biden, 82, issued a series of preemptive pardons to several members of his family, stirring a firestorm of debate over ethics, accountability and potential corruption. The pardons covered seven family members, including his brother James Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, brother-in-law John T. Owens, sister-in-law Sara Jones Biden and his youngest brother, Francis Biden. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The pardons cover any nonviolent offense from the named individuals from Jan. 1, 2014, to Jan. 19, 2024, and come after several Biden family members testified before the then-U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Accountability Committee as part of the panel's influence-peddling investigation into President Biden and son, Hunter Biden. Shortly after the inaugural ceremony, Trump, 78, said Monday evening the pardon made Biden "look very guilty." "I could have pardoned my family. I could have pardoned myself and my family," the president said while speaking to reporters. "I said, 'If I do that, it's going to make me look very guilty'. I don't think I'd be sitting here, frankly." Trump, who drew criticism of his own for pardoning hundreds of people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot on his first day in office, hinted that Biden's pardons set an "unbelievable" precedent for future presidents. "Now maybe every president that leaves office, they're going to pardon every person they've ever met," said Trump. Biden addressed the pardons in a statement Monday, defending his actions by framing them as a response to what he called "unrelenting attacks" on his family. "My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me the worst kind of partisan politics." The former president vehemently denied that the pardons signaled any admission of guilt, insisting that his family had done nothing wrong and that the decision was necessary to end what he described as politically motivated harassment. Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, also criticized Biden's last-minute maneuver. In a Monday night appearance on Newsmax, Comer sharply criticized Biden, accusing him of using the pardons to shield his relatives from legal consequences in what he claims is an ongoing influence-peddling scheme. "It's wild," Comer said during an interview on "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "He pardoned his whole family. So, he's pardoned seven Biden family members. Our investigation found that 10 Biden family members, including Joe Biden, received money through influence-peddling schemes that were laundered through a series of shell companies and then deposited in Biden family member's bank accounts through incremental payments." Comer argued that the pardons amounted to an "admission of guilt," stating that they demonstrated the former president's awareness of his family's involvement in illegal activities. "Joe Biden lied to the American people. He said, 'He would not pardon his family.' You go back even further, he said, 'He had no idea what his family did for a living.' He said 'he never met any of these people.' Our investigation proved he met all of the people," Comer added. In June, Biden said despite the investigation into Hunter Biden's illegal activities, he would not pardon his son who was convicted of three federal firearms-related felony charges in June 2024. In September, Hunter Biden pled guilty to three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses. "I'm extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He is one of the brightest, most decent men I know," Biden told reporters June 13. "I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him." Despite those now-broken promises, Comer said testimony from the House investigation shows the allegations against Hunter Biden and others in the family could be "the biggest public corruption story in my lifetime." "And today was the exclamation point by Joe Biden pardoning his entire family preemptively," Comer added. Jonathan Turley, author and professor of public interest law at George Washington University, wrote in an editorial Monday that Biden "snatched infamy from the jaws of obscurity" a move in which, Turley added, the media was complicit. "The pardons were timed to guarantee that the media would not focus on yet another unethical act by this president," Turley wrote. "He need not have worried. For four years, the media worked tirelessly to deny or deflect the corruption scandal surrounding the Biden family." "One of the most glaring lies was that he would never pardon his son. Few people believed him. Indeed, Hunter Biden's bizarre criminal defense made no sense unless he knew that he had a pocket pardon if all else failed," he added. In addition to his family, Biden granted pardons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and the bipartisan U.S. House of Representatives select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, as well as the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the committee. Biden set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued just days prior to Monday's statement. Home News Virginia lawmakers advance amendment that would allow third-trimester abortions Lawmakers in Virginia have approved a constitutional amendment that would establish a right to abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, taking the first step in their push to ensure that it goes before voters by the end of the decade. In a 21-19 vote Tuesday, the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate approved Senate Joint Resolution 247 along party lines. All Democrats in the upper chamber voted to advance the proposed constitutional amendment, while all Republicans voted against it. The passage paves the way for the Virginia General Assembly to weigh in on a proposal that would amend the Virginia Constitution for a second time following the next general election, scheduled to take place this November. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The proposed amendment to the Virginia Bill of Rights would establish a "Fundamental Right to Reproductive Freedom," declaring that "every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one's own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care." "An individual's right to reproductive freedom shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means," the proposed amendment also states. While the proposal stresses that "the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester," it prohibits the regulation of abortion in cases where a physician determines it is necessary to "protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual" or because "the fetus is not viable." The Virginia Senate rejected an amendment to the proposal introduced by Republican state Sen. Emily Jordan that would clarify that "In the event of a live birth of an infant, including when an abortion procedure results in the live birth of an infant, such infant shall be considered a legal person for all purposes under the laws of this Commonwealth and entitled to the full protection of such laws." The amendment also proclaimed that "An infant born alive following an abortion procedure has the same claim to the legal rights and protections as all persons in the Commonwealth and shall be provided the same level of care and treatment as any infant or person seeking care and treatment in a medical facility." The rejection of Jordan's amendment fell along party lines, with all Republicans voting in favor of it and all Democrats opposing it. Another amendment, proposed by Republican state Sen. Tara Durant, was also rejected. The amendment would add text to the Virginia Constitution stating that "the Commonwealth's parental consent laws shall remain in effect, and the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care and gender-affirming care to minors." The vote to reject Durant's amendment also came down along party lines. The Virginia Senate approved Senate Joint Resolution 247 less than a week after the Democrat-controlled Virginia House of Delegates approved House Joint Resolution 1 in a 51-48 vote that fell along party lines. The text of House Joint Resolution 1 is nearly identical to the text of Senate Joint Resolution 247, with only minor changes reflecting that it originated in the House and not the Senate. The joint resolutions passed in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly included a reference to Article XII of the Virginia Constitution, which states that proposed amendments to the state's constitution must receive the support of a majority of members of both the Senate and House of Delegates in two consecutive legislative sessions. If the proposed constitutional amendment is approved by members of both chambers in the next legislative session, which begins following this year's general election, it must be submitted to the voters for approval. "The stakes of Virginia's legislative elections this November just got higher," Caitlin Connors, regional director for the national pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement Tuesday. "Virginia already allows abortion in the sixth month of pregnancy, but that isn't enough for Democrats." "Republicans must hold Democrats accountable for supporting abortion in the third trimester, the end of parental consent and denying abortion survivors the right of lifesaving care," Connors added. All 100 seats of the Virginia House of Delegates are up in November's general election. Members of the Virginia Senate do not have to run for re-election again until 2027, meaning the push for the amendment will depend exclusively on which party holds control of the House of Delegates. Republicans recently had control of the chamber from 2022-2024. The push to create a constitutional right to abortion in Virginia marks the latest attempt to enshrine a right to abortion into a state constitution following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The high court determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. California, Michigan and Vermont voters approved such measures in 2022 while Ohio voters followed suit in 2023. In 2024, voters in seven states approved measures establishing rights to abortion in their respective constitutions either directly or indirectly: Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and New York. Meanwhile, efforts to enshrine a right to abortion in the constitutions of Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota came up short. Home Opinion Is the global population of Christians really increasing? Projections indicate that the population of Christians is increasing so much that it will balloon to over 3 billion worldwide by 2050. This should be thoroughly investigated since the reality on the ground seems to be different. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary reported that global Christianity is experiencing remarkable growth, defying expectations and surpassing population rates. According to its report: The growth of Christianity is particularly pronounced in the global south, with Africa and Asia emerging as the fastest-growing regions. Africa, in particular, has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from having less than 10 million Christians at the turn of the 20th century to now being home to 734 million Christians, growing at a rate of 2.64%. By 2050, Africa is projected to host more Christians than Asia and Latin America combined. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe I dont know how this projection will become a reality, but while we get excited about this projected increase, we really need to take note of the fact that not all who claim to be Christians are indeed Christians. Its in Antioch where the first Christians received their name (Acts 11:26). They were called Christians because people noticed that their characters showed that they were followers of Christ. Are we all just called Christians because we claim that we are? An honest answer to this question will help us have accurate data on the population of Christians globally. I am so worried about what is happening in my country Nigeria and that is why I am confused and skeptical. This is trying times for Christendom worldwide and more so in the southern part of Nigeria. In the southeastern part of Nigeria, currently, the fastest-growing religion is idolatry. Idolatry is now on the upswing. Many of these idol worshipers are surprisingly attending churches and influencing minds everywhere. Why Christians are abandoning Christianity for idolatry or combining Christ with idols is beyond me. We need to remind ourselves of our responsibilities regarding the mandate of the Great Commission. How many of our church members are still real believers? Are there some that have gone down the road of apostasy? How do we recover some lost sheep? The gospel of financial transaction in our churches has overwhelmed the Gospel of life transformation. I tried to get in touch with some young men who left Christianity for idolatry to know why they left. They bluntly told me that in their mind the Church is a business, and they are tired of the manipulations and the fraud going on. This is the bitter truth, and if nothing is done, the current trend of apostasy will continue. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and if Christians are being depopulated here on a daily basis, how realistic is the aforementioned projection of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary? Instead of waiting to see population growth among Christians in Africa, missionaries should be sent to re-evangelize Nigeria. We need urgent help! In northern Nigeria, Christians are being slaughtered to ensure that no one dares mention Christ. In the southern part, the prosperity gospel is chasing Christians into the hands of idols. This is a serious call to duty. The population of Christians in Nigeria is going down alarmingly. Please come to our aid! Home News Pathetic or prophetic?: 5 Christians' reactions to bishop's sermon rebuking Trump The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, has garnered headlines for a sermon she delivered at the Service of Prayer for the Nation at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. During the service, where President Donald Trump was in attendance, Budde directly addressed the newly sworn-in commander-in-chief, expressing concerns about his policies regarding illegal immigration and LGBT issues. In the Name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now, Budde said. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families. Some who fear for their lives. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde takes a swipe @realDonaldTrump at the @WNCathedral service, says trans kids and families now "fear for their lives." pic.twitter.com/yd9FRy8VSP Melissa Barnhart (@MelBarnhart) January 21, 2025 The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. Budde also asked Trump to have mercy on people in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing warzones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Many have taken to social media to express support or opposition to her remarks, with some believing that she wrongfully politicized the service while others believed she spoke truth to power. Here are five reactions to Buddes comments. Home News Pastor found guilty of fire code violation for keeping church open to the homeless, could face jail time An Ohio pastor has been found guilty of a fire code violation and could face as much as two months in jail for keeping his church open all day so that local homeless could shelter there. Pastor Chris Avell of Dad's Place Church in Bryan was found guilty on Tuesday of the violation, which was leveled by city officials who believe that the church is not following proper fire code. A Bryan Municipal Court judge fined the pastor $200 and gave him a 60-day suspended jail sentence, according to the First Liberty Institute, which represents Avell throughout his legal battles with the city. The judge stayed the decision for 30 days to allow Avell's attorneys to appeal. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Avell could face imprisonment if he continues to let people stay inside his church 24/7 without official approval that his building is up to code under Judge Kent North's decision, reports the Associated Press and Spectrum News. "This has been about fire code compliance for public safety," Bryan Fire Department Chief Douglas Pool said in a statement. "It's never been about anything as far as religion, and we are appreciative of the court's findings today to again show that we are trying to protect the public by enforcement of the fire code." Ryan Gardner, counsel for First Liberty Institute, denounced the decision in a statement Tuesday. "No pastor in America, including Pastor Chris Avell, should be pronounced guilty for providing temporary shelter to those in desperate need," said Gardner. "Only government officials could say with a straight face that people are safer in the sub-zero temperatures on the street than inside the warmth of a church." The legal issues between Avell and city officials began in March 2023, when the pastor decided to keep his church open all day and night for the benefit of the local homeless. Officials charged Avell with 18 zoning law violations, including allegedly lacking proper kitchen and laundry facilities, unsafe building exits and improper ventilation. In January 2024, Avell and his legal representatives met with city officials. After the meeting, it was announced that the two parties agreed that the city would drop the charges against Avell in return for halting residential operations while he acquires requisite building certifications and zoning permits, as well as installing the necessary safety measures. But in April, Dad's Place and the building owner, Riehle Rentals, faced new citations related to its sheltering of the homeless, as Bryan officials alleged that two violations of the city's fire code were found during an inspection that month. Charges centered on how the church reportedly did not have an automated sprinkler system in its main room, where 15 people were sleeping at the time of the fire chief's inspection. "We did not want to do this. We must do this for the safety of the people using the church, renters in space above the church and the businesses adjacent to the building," Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade said in a statement, reported WTOL 11. "This is not some bureaucratic dispute between Dad's Place and the city. This is a very dangerous situation for the people that Dad's Place has invited in to stay overnight." The First Liberty Institute contends that while the city wants to force the church to install an expensive fire suppression system, it doesn't require the same standard for many of its hotels and apartment complexes, including a senior living facility. Scott Morrison with wife Jenny. (Photo: Instagram/Scott Morrison) (CP) The former prime minister of Australia has told The Christian Post how God sustained him when he led his country through an especially tumultuous time, and how he has learned to find his value not in power, but in God's love for him. Scott Morrison, a Christian who served as Australia's 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2022, detailed his faith journey in his 2024 book, Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness. The book posits three main questions based on Jeremiah 29:11, exhorting readers to consider "Who am I?," "How should I live?," and "What should I hope for?" The book provides pastoral reflections on how to answer such fundamental questions while weaving compelling stories from his own life and time in office. Morrison emphasized to CP that the book is not a political memoir, but rather a message of hope to readers facing their own doubts and struggles. "It's not a political book," he said. "If I wanted to write a political book, it probably would have been three times longer and would have been full of defenses and advocacy of my political agenda. That's what I did in politics, and I did that for a long time." Morrison said his faith was not something he went into very often in great depth while serving as prime minister, but that leaving the public stage has offered him "an opportunity for me to just to be very open about my Christian faith and to declare it." 'A very difficult time' Morrison's time as prime minister was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which he described as the biggest crisis Australia had faced since World War II. The COVID-19 protocols in Australia drew criticism from some who believed they were too strict, though the country of 25 million people was one of the few able to bring new community-acquired COVID-19 cases down to zero in 2020. Morrison pushed back against critics who maintain there was a global conspiracy to oppress citizens. "It was a very difficult time, and I think there was a lot of uncertainty and anxiety at the time," Morrison said. "People were trying to understand and explain what was going on. I just knew that we were dealing with a pathogen which was very, very dangerous and we had to deal with it. If there was a conspiracy, no one invited me to the meetings." "It was tough. You're never going to get remedies and responses to that which was going to make everybody happy," he added. Morrison said dealing with the rise of China was the most difficult issue he had to deal with as prime minister, noting how the Chinese government "sought to bully and break Australia," even as they were straining under the weight of the pandemic, a recession and some of the worst natural disasters the country had seen "in quite some time." "Everywhere I went, I was seeing devastation and heartache in my own country, and that was heartbreaking," he said, adding that he credits God for strengthening him "to stand up to China and to do so with the backing of many of our friends, particularly in the United States, with whom I formed some very good personal and close relationships." 'Anxiety is human' Morrison is also very open in his book about how he began to suffer anxiety attacks while serving as prime minister that required medication in 2021. He urged Christians not to be ashamed if they need help with their mental health amid what he described as "an anxiety crisis, particularly in Western society." "Anxiety is human," he said, adding that his anxiety was not caused by policy challenges or security threats, but rather "physical exhaustion combined with the tenacious, relentless, personal, vindictive attacks principally through secular voices in the media and opponents." "We're all flesh and blood, mind and spirit," he said. "And these things can affect us after some period of time." "I say to Christians that you take a pill for a headache, and your mental health is no different," he said. "The stresses that we labour under at times need that sort of support." "I was on my knees at that time, I was praying, I was seeking the counsel and support of Christian friends and others, but there are physical things that happen that can affect your mental health, and you've got to be mindful of those things." Morrison also said Christians should acknowledge the spiritual aspect of anxiety by casting their anxieties on the Lord. "As Christians, we need to learn how we can just hand these things over to God; the anxieties are real, the things we're anxious about are real," he added. "We can't pretend they're not there, and we've just got to deal with them and hand them over to Him and allow Him to give us peace." 'Constant source of strength and wisdom' Morrison stressed the importance of having a community of believers who upheld him in prayer while he was in office, including a tight-knit group of pastors. "You can't live your faith other than in community of brothers and sisters in Christ, and that's intentional by design, I believe," he said. "God helps us when we're on our knees in prayer; He helps us when we're reflecting on His work, and He also encourages us and supports us through those he puts around us. I've always been blessed with that, and, frankly, sought it out." Morrison suggested the increasingly secular nature of Western societies makes Christian fellowship even more vital. "You can't live in a secular society faithfully and strongly if you're not in a community of those who love Christ," he said. "They are a constant source of strength and wisdom and support and love, and to be in such a community is one of the great joys and blessings of Christian life." 'We don't have to prove anything' A section in the third chapter of Morrison's book delves into the many setbacks and failures he has suffered, starting with when he was fired from his job in the country's tourism agency during his late 30s. He claims he was fired for political reasons by then-Prime Minister John Howard, with whom he had a good relationship and whose campaign he worked for. The experience, he writes, was "humiliating and soul destroying," but revealed to him how much he was placing his self-worth in his own accomplishments instead of in God's unconditional love for him. "We don't have to prove anything to God, even the things we think we are doing for Him," Morrison writes. "God's love has nothing to do with what we think we can offer. He loves us just as we are, in all our brokenness." "God's love is transformational if you allow it to be. It's one thing to accept it; it's entirely another to let it transform you and allow you to see yourself through His eyes instead of through the perspective of what you have or haven't accomplished." That lesson would prove invaluable throughout the rest of his life and steel him to experience other losses, including ultimately losing reelection as prime minister in 2022. He writes that while some politicians who lose begin to crave the "relevance" they lost, he is free from such an "affliction." Morrison suggested to CP that one of the greatest lessons he has learned is God's faithfulness regardless of what vocation to which he is called in the different seasons of his life. "I just found God faithful to me in every walk of life, whether it was as prime minister, as a treasurer, as a cabinet minister, a member of parliament, a father, senior chief executive, all these sorts of things that I've done over the course of my life," he said. "He's always been there with me, and that's really what I'm trying to say. It doesn't matter what your vocation is, what job you have, what you're doing in life. The prize is Christ and His presence. That's what will sustain you always in everything." The Christian Post (Photo: Getty/iStock) MPs have urged the Health Secretary to close an abortion loophole that allows grooming gangs to hide their sexual abuse of children. In light of the recent media coverage surrounding the grooming gangs, MPs have written to Wes Streeting explaining that, in cases in which grooming gang victims aged 15 or younger have become pregnant, these crimes can more easily be hidden because there is no requirement for abortion providers to notify a parent or guardian before performing an abortion on a child. As the law currently stands, if a girl aged 15 or younger has an abortion, there is no requirement for the medical professionals involved with the abortion to notify either the girl's parents or a guardian. Parents have no legal right to be informed or consulted before their child has an abortion. In the letter to the Health Secretary, Carla Lockhart MP explained that some of the victims of grooming gangs, aged 15 or younger, had been pressured into abortions with "little to no emotional support from those who care about them most". She said, "Without doubt, the legal status quo also made it far easier for the vile individuals behind these crimes to conceal the evil they have inflicted on these vulnerable girls. "If there were a legal requirement for parental notification, then it is far more likely questions would have been asked potentially leading to the discovery of these heinous crimes at an earlier stage." In one case in Rochdale, a 13-year-old had an abortion in a hospital in an attempt to cover up the abuse. In another case in Oxford, a 12-year-old girl was repeatedly raped and made to have a back-room abortion after falling pregnant. Father of the House and former minister, Sir Edward Leigh MP, said, "It is difficult to find words to fully capture the extent of the horror that was visited upon some of the most vulnerable people in our society as a result of the grooming gangs scandal. "This has been an appalling failure and it is some relief that a spotlight is now being shone on it. It is also clear that the current abortion laws made it far easier to conceal these crimes. They should be revisited urgently to prevent further catastrophes on this scale." Commenting on the letter, former MP and co-chair of the New Conservatives group Miriam Cates said, "As a child under 16 cannot legally consent to sex, there is a high chance that the pregnant girl has been abused. Parents absolutely must be informed if there's a suspicion that their child is being abused. How can that child possibly be kept safe if they are not?" Strong public backlash There was also strong public backlash after a plotline on Coronation Street revealed that a 14-year-old character was able to get a secret abortion without her parent's knowledge. Members of the public were shocked to find out that the plotline reflected the current law where there is no requirement for abortion providers to notify a parent or guardian ahead of performing an abortion. Changing the law in this area would bring the UK into line with other European countries such as Portugal, Italy and Spain, which have more robust requirements in regard to parental notification when it comes to girls aged 15 and under having abortions. Polling on this issue has shown that there is significant support for a change in the law. The polling found that 70% of parents agree parental or guardian consent should be required for girls aged 15 or under to undergo an abortion. Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said, "It's baffling that the current law includes no requirement for medical professionals to refer abortions of minors to parents. "Without doubt, this enables abuse to go undetected and would have made it easier for the perpetrators of the appalling crimes that have recently been in the spotlight, to conceal the crimes they carried out so brazenly." Right to Life UK President Donald Trump was joined by his family, Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance at the National Prayer Service. (Photo: Fox 5) US President Donald Trump has hit out at a bishop who rebuked him during the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning over his LGBT views and immigration policies. The Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, suggested that LGBT people were living in fear as she used her sermon to criticise Trump a day after he took office for the second time. "In the Name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now," Budde said. "There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives." She continued, "The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labour in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals." She added, "I ask you to have mercy, Mr President." A day earlier, Trump signed executive orders to halt the arrival of asylum seekers and start the deportion of illegal immigrants. Responding to the sermon on his Truth Social platform, the President railed against the bishop and illegal immigration, and said her comments were "inappropriate". "The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater," he said. "She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. "She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. "It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!" An interfaith prayer service has been held at the National Cathedral for newly inaugurated presidents in a tradition going back to 1933. Also in attendance on Tuesday were First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance. Bishop Budde has been critical of Trump in the past. In 2020, when he staged a photo op outside St John's Episcopal Church near the White House a day after it was damaged during George Floyd protests, Bishop Budde complained, "The President just used a Bible and one of the churches of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for." We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 00:00 Hello. Good afternoon, and welcome to CIO Leadership Live. I'm your host, Maryfran Johnson, CEO of Maryfran Johnson Media and the former editor in chief of CIO magazine. Since November 2017 this video show and audio podcast has been produced by the editors of CIO.com and the digital media division of foundry, which is an IDG company. Our sponsor for this episode is Veeam Software, a global market leader in data resilience. Veeam delivers a wide range of solutions for data backup and recovery, data portability and security and data intelligence. Veeam leaders believe that every business should be able to bounce forward after a data disruption with confidence and control wherever and whenever they need it, headquartered outside Seattle, Washington with offices in more than 30 countries. Veeam protects more than 550,000 customers worldwide, including 74% of the global 2000 to learn more, visit veeam.com website. Now onward to today's guest, I'm joined today by Veeam Software, CIO Nathan Kurtz Nate joined Veeam in June of 2022 he leads the corporate technology team and is responsible for the company's global business systems and all of its internal technologies. Prior to Veeam, he led the Technology Services team at F5 networks, where he spent more than 10 years leading it through periods of significant growth and helping to transform overall customer and employee experience at this rapidly growing tech provider before F5 networks, Nate spent 11 plus years at Arthur Andersen and KPMG serving as part of the global technology and telecommunication practices, where he led both sales and delivery teams for many of their high tech customers, including Microsoft and Amazon. Nate, welcome. It's wonderful to have you here today. Thanks, Maryfran, really nice to be here as well. Thanks for for inviting me. Okay, well, I'm going to take full advantage of your expertise with my first question here about data resiliency. Now, what does that term mean to your seat CIO customers today, versus the data backup and data storage needs a kind of data housekeeping that we've all heard about for many, many years in the industry. When you talk about data resiliency, what exactly are we talking about? Yeah, so I think, you know, in my my career in tech, I think if you were to go back 1015, years, people tended to talk about, like you said, data backup and recovery. It was pretty basic kind of cut and dry. I think, though, as as this space has evolved and we start talking about data resiliency, it's become more and more important as time has has gone on, as a CIO, we can recover applications and systems pretty quick. What we can never recover or recreate is our data. And so this is the one area. This is truly the keys to what we are responsible for is is recovering that data in a very complex environment, too. And so it's the world is becoming more complex. The amount of data that we have as a world is growing. It's doubling every year. I think the last term I heard was 150 zettabytes. And it's, continuing to expand. And so not only do we have this rapid growth of data, but we also have growth and complexity in terms of the number of of systems, cloud providers, and where it's all residing. And so with all this, I would say that macro level environment, in terms of our data, it's just become more and more critical to be resilient when it comes to it. And for Veeam, we we use this bounce forward slogan because we want, we want our products, but we also want the industry as a whole to be able to very quickly be resilient and recover if there is an incident with their data. Well, you mentioned that in years past, once you could recover applications, but data would be lost. Talk a little bit about the kind of protections that are in place today. I take it that as technologies have evolved, the problem of losing that data forever. I mean, we're not talking about ransomware here. We're talking about data that is harmed in a disruption. What is it about technologies and the advances of them that are protecting that data better today? Yeah, yeah. So we tend to, we tend to think of it in a framework, type approach. Sure And so, and I think, I think we've kind of talked about this a little bit already, but we tend to think of it in kind of five pillars. When you have just your your basic data backup, are you? Are you on a at the frequency that you want? Are you storing your your data within your systems? But then are you able? The next kind of pillar would be recovery. Are you able to bring it back? Then we get into the areas that I think you're you're really asking about, which is on that data portability. Can you recover data from any anywhere to anywhere? Because we're in a very like I mentioned, a complex environment where we have information being stored both in systems. They could be local, in your own data center. They could be at a Co Location facility where you have a hosted data center. They could be in the cloud, you know, the major cloud providers being AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and so forth. Can you recover between those then we get into data security, and that's kind of that fourth pillar that we tend to think about, which is, when you have your information stored somewhere, does it have integrity? Is it? Is it free from I guess the common term would be, you know you could, we've talked about like viruses or ransomware. Do you know that it has you have assurances and trust in that data, and that's what these products today are allowing CIOs to have, is we know that these where our data sits, there's a high degree of trust and integrity to it, so that when we recover it, we're not reintroducing the problem back and then lastly, or that the fifth pillar would be on intelligence, with the emergence of AI, there is an enormous amount of new insights we are getting on our data, not only in terms of how do we more better protect it, to keep it resilient, but also, what insights do we have, maybe, to drive product and revenue growth within our own companies. And so it's just, it's a really exciting time, I think, to be in this space and and it's only going to continue to be exciting going forward. Yes, well, and it seems it's very joined at the hip with everything that people talk about around cyber security. I mean, the cyber security conversations I've had with other CIOs always involve that protection and recovery of data and, of course, customer privacy and those sort of things. But it seems like the flip side of the security and privacy coin has become the data protections that companies and technology providers can offer out in the market. I wanted to ask you next I wondered, and this may be my own assumption, and so correct me, but is the intensifying AI driven focus on enterprise data these days? Has that had an impact on Veeam zone business or on the needs of your customers? Is I mean, I feel like, I feel like it's a federal law now that we can't go more than 10 minutes into a conversation with the CIO without bringing up AI. But the AI intensity and the need for the high quality data all seems to play into what you've been talking about as well. Yeah, absolutely. So if we talk about just AI at a top level, it is only going to give you insights based on quality, accurate, complete information that you're providing to it. And so you can, you can run AI models on on all the data sets you want, but if it doesn't have that integrity and accuracy, it's when you, when you enter in your prompt, it's going to respond with what we call like a hallucination, or something that's that's not correct. Pretty entertaining term, actually, that it is that's, I mean, maybe the first time I've ever heard hallucinations talked about in the tech industry, yeah. And that's why, whenever you get a prompt or you get a response to AI, it always says, hey, you know, check this. Make sure it's accurate before you actually take it as the truth, because it can return false answers and so forth, or false insights. But we tend to think of AI within, within Veeam, I think it's really in two areas. One, it's on our product side and what we're providing to our customers. And this can be, this is embedded within our product that helps with that data resiliency that we talked about. It also could be as simple as, how can we more efficiently support our customers through our support organization? If they're having, let's say, questions or things they need to resolve with our own products that we're offering them. Can they leverage AI capabilities to gain insights quick so they can resolve their issues sooner? Then internally, we have our own set of AI tools that we're using just to better the efficiency and the product. Activity of our own company, and so I think that's really where my focus has been over the last couple of years. When it comes to AI, we have a variety of tools, and what I'm continuing to see is every key software player out there, I'm sure everybody knows they have their own AI capabilities, and the challenge is, how do you stitch those together? How do you create a cohesive experience for your employees, and so you're not having a bunch of disconnected experiences. The worst two would be if you go into one, let's say, AI module, prompt it, and then you go into another one, and you get two different answers, or conflicting answers, and so you want to make sure that you have a really good governance process in terms of how we're going to use it, where we're going to use it, what the data is, and so forth. And when you talk about, and I know we discussed this as we were getting ready for this interview, you talked about, when we were talking about data quality, you mentioned the importance of having a cohesive AI strategy. What does What does cohesive mean in that context? What is it that holds an AI strategy together? And is this something that you find yourself talking with other CIO customers about a lot these days? Yeah, so I have been on on a few round tables these days. I think it at the start, you always need to start with what's the employee or the customer experience you want, and then work back from there. And I think, and that's really where I'm talking about, a cohesive strategy, is you want to have that customer journey, whether it be how we transact with our customers, how we support our customers, and you want to think of it in those terms, and then work your way back in terms of what are the AI capabilities that you have, and then where's the right fit for each of those as you work through those customer or employee journeys. And so it's taking more of a customer centric view and working your way back into the into the AI tooling. Okay. Well, you'd also mentioned that one of the other concepts you end up talking with a lot of companies about is monetizing their data, and the role that, of course, data resiliency and data recovery would be pretty important in that, especially if you've got price tags on things where you're dealing with your end user customers. Talk about that a little bit. Yeah, so I'll just, I'll speak for being. I mean, we are, we are starting to introduce solutions where we're actually storing our customers data as part of their their resiliency. And so we have, we have an enormous amount of information, and being able to provide that information back to your customers, for them to get insight into how their business is operating, I think, is a real value proposition that we have, I think too, when it comes to to to customer data. There's an ethical responsibility that we have when it comes to to that our our customers trust us to to operate in an ethical manner. And I think as your work as companies are thinking about monetizing their own customers information, they really need to put ethics at the forefront, just like with our own personal information. In our personal lives, we want to know that wherever it's sent, or wherever it's stored, it's being safeguarded and treated in an ethical manner. I think that's something that we continue to focus on. Okay, good. That makes sense. I want to pivot over and talk about the multi faceted role that you have as the CIO. The CIO role in a tech vendor and provider is always a little more nuanced and complex because of the different you're not only dealing with end user customers, but you are dealing with products that get sold in the market and so forth. So the role has got lots of layers of nuance to it that other you know, straight up companies outside the tech industry might not have. So I wanted to go back to 2022 when you first joined Veeam software, what did you come in with as your marching orders? Yeah. So when it comes to being a CIO and a tech company, and you mentioned it, we have 5500 employees. We have 5500 of the smartest technical engineers in the world, right? So everybody, everybody knows technology, and it can know more than you do, right? Yeah, so that's that can you know that presents its own unique set of circumstances, but yeah, when I, when I came in, I think Veeam has been on a rapidly growing trajectory, and so we were, we. To, I think we were just a bit north of a billion. We're, we're approaching 2 billion just within a couple years. And I've, I've been through this before, and as companies kind of go through that, that part of their journey, what got them to a billion is not what's going to get them to two to five to 10 billion, the the startup, I guess you could say, or the early type processes and systems that were built, they tend to not scale once you get to to this kind of inflection point, which I tend to think of as around a billion. I'm sure there's, there's other examples or other ways to look at this, but that was one of my marching orders to answer your question, which was, how do we scale the organization from a technology perspective, but more so from a business perspective, so that we can continue to grow and and expand? Number two, I think, and this is always going to be my number one priority, is, how do we just safeguard our our technology, there's nothing more important than our reputation in the market, and if we have a security event that can that can have a dramatic effect, not only on on your technology, but on your company and its reputation and its customers in the market. So that will always be my, my, my number one. But that was also one of the marching orders. And then two was starting to get a very clear vision around how we want to how we want to consolidate and gain insight on our own internal data, to to improve the operations of our business. So those are kind of the three, the three main pillars as as I joined a couple years ago, right? And do you approach something like that when you a company, there's the fast growth stage, that first, that wonderful first billion dollars of revenue. And then I've heard similar descriptions about companies when they hit the 5 billion mark or the 10 billion things have to change just in terms of scaling. You'd been through a lot of that kind of work at your previous technology company you worked at. Did that so did you arrive then with a framework in mind something, well, like some of the, I mean, other than the pillars that you just talked about, are there things that you know that were essentially, maybe not a burning platform, but something that really needed to be addressed pretty quickly when you get to that tipping point of growth at the billion dollar mark. Yeah. So the the area that that we're looking at intensively right now is what we call our quote to cash process. So how do you transact with your customers, from quoting all the way through to receiving payment, support, customer success and so forth. Beam was in a what got them to a billion was a very we've been wildly successful, but it was primarily a single product that we had, and our processes and our systems were optimized to deliver that single product and a single kind of licensing model, which was perpetual, as we've moved into subscriptions and usage based and service offerings those that addition of new business models, New licensing ways to license and support our customers has really been, I would say, under pressure based on the rigidity of how our processes and systems were originally designed, and so as a result, what we're having to do is to rebuild it from the ground up, in terms of what I call our quote to cash process, all While not slowing down or impacting this continued kind of upward trajectory of the company. And so it is, it is quite the challenge. And we're about, I'd say, halfway through that journey, and it's something similar to what we, what I did in the previous company as well. So they all kind of, they all kind of go through this same evolution, or at least that's been my experience, yeah, well, and it's true. I mean, Veeam was founded, I think, in 2006 so you've been around almost 20 years, which means that your original model was on premises, and you had mentioned that the real next wave of innovation has to come with a subscription model. That's right, and that presents a whole new kind of an educational and a service oriented approach from your technology staff. So how do you, how do you handle that? How do you, what sort of new skills do you have to bring into an IT group? And it's a sizable IT group. You have 300 people on your tech team. We have about 300 people, Yep, yeah. And so, you know, used a term there a wave. We tend to think of it as waves as well. So we cut our first wave. Now internally, we refer to it as catching our second wave with with subscription based business. And so that's even how we. Talk about it internally at fame and so when it comes to the to the skill sets that have have emerged, I think there's a few things that we've done. One, we've tried to flatten out the organization there. There's a there's a skill set, and then I think there's a structure and an empowerment that we've tried to do stay as efficient as possible with our people. So we've we've tried to flatten out the organization. We want to drive empowerment and ownership for decisions within the engineering teams of corporate technology. We want to reduce the number of hierarchical kind of steps for decision making. And so what we've, what we've worked really hard to do, is to flatten out that, or really empower the individuals. I tend to think of it as I have 300 of the smartest minds. They know more than me within within corporate technology, and I'm just there to create the culture and the environment for them to succeed. And so we've we've done that on the structural side, on a skill set side, we've really tried to focus on core platforms and rationalizing and consolidating down our technology. And as as a result, we built out teams that are really specialized within those those key platforms. And then there's obviously the emerging skills that I'm sure everybody's looking to hire, which is cloud architects, public cloud architects, public cloud engineers, automation engineers and so forth. So those are just some of the skill sets we're continuing to add. And then the last area I think we've really increased is on data engineering and data analytics and so, okay, we've, we built out a team there, and and again, that's a, that's another area that we're continuing to invest pretty heavily in, all right? Well, I used to, it used to be a pretty short question and answer to talk to CIOs about how they had it organized. You know, there was plan, there was build, there was run. You know, in the old days, it was those three steps so, but these days, when I ask CIOs about how they have it organized so that it brings the most value to the business, the answers are always very different. They are so they are unique to each company and the industry it's in. Tell us a little bit more about how you have those 300 brilliant engineers who all know maybe a little bit more than you do. How do you have them organized for optimal delivery to the company? And is there anything that you changed greatly in the last two and a half, almost three years that you've been there? Yeah. What was interesting when I joined Veeam, we had two IT departments, and so had to, had to combine those two to create corporate technology. What was interesting is one was called Corporate Information Systems, and the other one was it so to create a shared identity, we we became corporate technology. I took the C and the T from each one, and so that's why we have corporate technology. But the way that we're organized internally is we have a group. It's called the the business partners, and so think of them as they're they're really embedded within our lines of business, and they are there to work through technical solutions, road mapping, understanding the business objectives and outcomes we're trying to save and then and achieve, and then determine how best we can leverage our existing tools and our existing systems to achieve those business objectives. So they're very experienced group of people who truly is there, even though they they functionally align into corporate technology, I would say they, they dotted line, straight into the lines of business that that we're supporting. Then we have an enterprise architecture function. This is another one that we've kind of built out recently, over over the last couple years, and these are really the senior level engineers that understand the entire landscape of our technology. And so they're, they're, they're a shared service across the organization that people can tap into. We have a PMO that's fairly standard in terms of running technical programs and projects. And then we have an enterprise application team, and that's goes back to those core they're organized by platforms. And so there's about seven or eight pillars there within that team, such as, like a sales force, engineering team, a service now, engineering team, a workday. You know, the standard platforms that that most companies have, then we have a security team as well. Obviously, that's a high priority that I talked about, a data engineering team. And the way that we tend to think about this, I think it's worth commenting on, is the goal of that team is. We have all these data sources throughout our systems. This team is responsible for getting that data into the data warehouse in a curated manner and in a way that the business can answer their own questions. I tend not to want to have the reporting within my organization. I think there's just too many questions that the business has. And so if we can provide that space for where the business has enough insight into how our data is structured, how how it looks, they can answer their own questions, and they can do that really, you know, pretty rapidly. And so that's how we we have that structure. And then lastly, we have what's called a performance and compliance team, which they do all of our Sox compliance, ISO compliance. We have licensing department level reporting and so forth. So there, again, another shared service that kind of spans across the the team. Okay, that's a thank you. That's a great explanation of all of that, that's, that's quite a few moving parts, isn't it? Right? Yeah, it is. Yep. The when you do, you find that that kind of organization and that the way it is structured, is that something that you encounter very similar setups at some of your customers, or some of those round tables you're on when you were talking with other CIOs in the industry. Or do you have, do you have more intensive groups of that because you are a tech provider? Yeah, I think that's a, I think that's a fairly standard model. You know, I'm just kind of thinking through I did forget one team. So if they're, if my team is going to watch this. I better mention we also have a core services team, which is our service desk, and all of our infrastructure and so, oh, of course. So I think that's, I think it's fairly standard, and the reason why I like that is because then everybody understands their role within the organization, if you get into something that's too, we'll say too nuanced, or too new, or too too out of the ordinary. I think people have difficulty understanding how their how their roles are, and how they fit within the delivery. And so these are fairly industry standard. There's probably a bit of uniqueness with it just based on where we're at as a business, but it enables us to more clearly communicate and understand, you know, which base everybody is playing as we're delivering our services to our to our customers well, and we talked a bit about this before, and I want to dive into it a little bit more now, to the culture, the company culture and the culture within your corporate technology organization, and just also how that, how that has changed, how that is central to the way you approach your work as the CIO, because I know this is something near and dear to your heart from our previous conversation, yeah, Yeah. So I think a bit of context too, on those 300 people we're we are geographically dispersed and culturally different. So we have about a third of our of our people who are in the US. Then we have another, I'd say, two thirds that are in Europe, and there's a few that are then kind of sprinkled throughout the rest of the world, as we have sales offices to support. But so we, we operate in a model where you have large centers on two continents spanning eight time zones. And so that can that can create its its own set of challenges, not only just in terms of the timing, but also just the cultures. We all have different backgrounds. And so we, we definitely put a concerted effort in terms of embracing that, in terms of of improving not only our team, but the performance of Veeam. And so when you when I think about my role as the CIO, I think of it in kind of three, three areas. One is to set the overall vision and direction for the department that's obviously aligned with our business goals and objectives. There's a lot of work that goes into understanding where we want to go as a company, how that translates into corporate technology and our execution priorities for the upcoming year and into the future. Then I look at the second kind of role, role that I play is building a culture of excellence and that empowerment that I talked about in terms of allowing the engineers to really make those decisions. I like to understand them. We like to debate them, and we but ultimately, want to make sure that people have a say in how things are executed, so that they have ownership and accountability for the outcomes that they're delivering. And then the last kind of piece, I'd say, is kind of wedged in the middle. It's just making sure we have the right people. I like say is, you know, we got the right people on the bus and the right seats. And so if we can do that. That when you have that a very clear vision, you have the right people in the right roles, and you built out that culture that that is empowering, and is a place that people basically want to be at, you know, a team they want to be a part of, yeah, you just unleash them, and it's amazing to see what they can accomplish. Well, and you had mentioned also that with a very open and collaborative culture inside of corporate technology, you do this weekly meeting where everybody, the entire department, comes and it's 20 minutes long. Yeah, I was thinking about that. And you're talking about a 20 minute meeting with 300 people dialing in from around the world. That barely sounds manageable. How do you make that work? Well, I mentioned to the time zone, so we started 6am my time. I'm on the West Coast of the US. So, so I've become conditioned to performing at 6am in the morning. But so it's, it's 20 minutes, and we, we do it once a week, on a Wednesday, and just the the level of success of that meeting. So we have, like we've talked about 300 people, we get over 200 people, 230 a week that join that. And we've been doing it every week for two and a half years since I started. So we're probably at 100 and, you know, 150 130 times of doing this. And so what people really appreciate is the connection that we have, not only within the team, but it's a really good way of disseminating information. So if I'm in an executive meeting, let's say on a on a Monday or a Tuesday, I'm I'm rolling that out, that information out to the department within a day doesn't require emails, doesn't, you know? And so it, it is a very good way to get information out to the team. We also use it to discuss challenges we're having. It's not all it's not all happy, so to speak, but we will go through and say, Hey, here's a problem we have, here's how we let's talk through how we want to, how we want to address it. We also bring in business leaders from around the company to share their priorities, how corporate technology can can impact their performance and what we can do to enable them to be successful. And so we've had just in the last, I'd say, six or seven months, probably a dozen leaders up to our CEO, you know, through our sales leaders, our marketing and so forth, leaders come through there. And what we try to do, too is to have a little bit of fun. So because I mentioned we're such a multicultural team, we have I play, I'm a DJ in that meeting. And so before we start, people have sent me their song requests. And so I have a running list. And so as the meeting is getting started. I always join a couple minutes early, depending on the song length. That kind of time it right. And so we play that song that somebody has requested. And because people are from around the world, the songs will be in all different languages, and, you know, things we've never heard, but it's, it's really pretty cool people, people start dialing into that meeting about five minutes early because they want to hear what the song is and who requested it. And so it really does help to keep us together, because we are so geographically dispersed well, and music is such a wonderful way to universal all kinds of yes, that's making me think of Taylor Swift and the errors tour, which my my granddaughters, got into in such a huge way that I started listening to Taylor Swift. I'm more classical music myself, but this week's song was the Nutcracker. So we so it it's also seasonal as well. Depending on what's happening, somebody will request, hey, I want to hear a holiday song or but it's, it's been, I think when I look at building that culture, it's been one of those pillars. And I have people from around the company wanting to join and and it's a really good source of information within the company, and is there a written component of this? Do you follow up with, like a newsletter, or is this all just happening in the moment? This is live. You can it's kind of a streaming organization, right? That's exactly right. I tell people it's low production value, high content. There you go. Oh, yeah. So there's almost no pre work, yeah. And oftentimes, if there's something really important, I'll just have a list of handwritten notes and I'll just talk and and so doesn't there's no presentation. Some teams will come and present. They'll have a few slides, but we really try to keep it right at 20 minutes that's enough for every. Everybody to get what they need, stay engaged and then get back to Yeah. Need to do, yeah. That's that is, that is no joke. I am. That is something I'm kind of marveling at here. I mean, consider this conversation today. We're covering a lot of ground, of course, but it's going to be, you know, almost an hour that we'll be talking. And you know, you certainly can cover a lot, but it'd be pretty hard to get all those people to dial in for a whole hour, wouldn't it? They would, let's just hope they're all going to dial in to hear what you have to say on this one. Yeah, yeah, hopefully, yeah. Now I wanted to ask you also, in terms of you've mentioned earlier about all the information and the expertise that you have available, just as kind of ongoing education for the corporate technology team. Are there AI tools that you're using, like aI use cases for things to get you'd mentioned getting answers really quickly for people's questions. It may not just be the tech team. It may be your sales folks as well. How do you how do you find the information you need very quickly inside Veeam zone systems. And are there AI tools that are playing a big role in that these days? Yeah, so there's a few things we've done. We've launched our own internal AI tool that's within the company. It's, it is, it is fenced off from the outside world so that there's no information going out, out of game in terms of what the prompts are and what people are asking for. But we have, we've layered on. And this is a, you know, standard tool, chat GPT, that most people are familiar with, but it's, it's an internal use case for and so it, we've fed into it most many of our data sources within the company. So people use it. I actually was just looking at a at a readout on we get about 70 to 80,000 prompts on it just within a month. And so it's getting actively used by people as a way to get information and as part of the transformation that we've been through, we have built out a corporate portal as well in terms of where all the latest information is within the company. I struggled to call it an intranet, but it's it is a portal that everybody can go to to get the latest and greatest information and knowledge sharing within the company. Yeah, calling it an intranet might sound too much like late 90s rather than a day, right? You probably got some youngsters on your staff that would be like intranet. What are we going to be next? We call it web, yeah. We call it beam Central. It's something that everybody can go to to get the latest information. Trainings, all of the recordings within the company are loaded, loaded there as well, so that people, if they miss it, they can go back and see it. So it's a real positive impact. Too great. Because I know I asked you, when we had talked before about this, you know, this 20 minute meeting that you have, and the the the importance of communication with all of the corporate technology folks on a regular basis. And I asked whether you had someone who kind of manages all that for you, like a marketing communication professional working with you on all this. And I think you told me, No, it's just documentation. Yeah. So, so we do within that performance and compliance team, we have a documentation group, and they're fantastic. And so we do send out to the company, I mean, multiple times a month, quick updates. Hey, here's the latest technology that's coming your way. Here's the things we need you to know. And so they do that, but they're also really focused on building out our our Knowledge Center. As I mentioned, we have 5500 of the smartest technical people. They tend to want to solve their own problems. They're not that's we don't have a community of people that want to call a service desk or a customer support line and have their they want to, they want to have the information at their fingertips, and yeah, and 90% of the time, or they can, they can fix their own problem. And so we've spent a lot of effort going through documenting, creating knowledge articles, creating key insights for our business that then they can tap into and solve their own problems. So we do spend there's, there's a level of structured communication, but then there's also we balance it out with some unstructured communication as well, through those those meetings every week and things like that, like the song of the week, right when you talk with other CIOs, and I'm sure the company cultures and how, how complex CI role, cio roles get managed inside of companies, especially in terms of communicating with everybody. Are you finding are a lot of those AI use cases popping up in in those areas? Is it because you're already a technology company? So it would make sense that you would have, you know, very high tech methods for doing this. Are you seeing similar trends going on in the customers that you deal with, or the round tables that you're on? Absolutely. I mean, we're all, we're all kind of working through this, this problem set in terms of how AI can enable our business, it would be easy just to enable every AI capability that we have access to within our systems, but I'd go back to it would create a fragmented experience for our users. So what I have noticed, though, is a trend in the market, which I think is really promising, where you have certain software platforms who are historically, they would say, Look, we have, we have an AI capability within our platform, and it's kind of within that ecosystem, just that that platform itself, they're Now starting to to roll out API's integrations into other platforms. And so they're, they're starting to become aggregators, so to speak, in terms of of how to leverage those tools, which I think is is super promising. You can, you can kind of focus in on one or two of those solutions and then integrate it with your other systems, and so you're able to then kind of rationalize and consolidate those down. Yeah, we've had a couple of CIOs who have expressed a little bit of concern over the proliferation of chat bots, and how you got chat bots for maybe you started out with three or four main ones, but now it's a year later, and you've got 30 different chat bots and and then from there you go to having meeting a platform where all the chat bots can, you know, up an aggregator, an aggregator exactly how far along that curve are we and are you experiencing that as well? A little bit of an over proliferation of chat bots. You know, we're not, I think we've been really disciplined. And I'd go back to that. You want to focus on the customer experience. So we do have several chat bots, but it's always focused on the customer in mind. So we have one that's public facing, that's more, I would say, marketing related, when it when it comes to to our that customer base, then we have another one that's more support focused for our existing customers. And so we've, we haven't had a, what I would say is an explosion of chat bots. We've We've kept a lot of we've been very disciplined in how we deploy them. And again, we've always focused on, what's that customer that we're trying to address, and what's that customer experience? Yeah, well, with the company as widely spread around the world as Veeam is with 550,000 customers being protected and served and all that. Do you have a typical customer? Or is it just, is it a universe, a universe of everyone that needs to look for data recovery and data protection solutions? You know, we we span. I think what's really unique about Veeam is our customers. We go all the way from SMB to mid market to to enterprise customers, yeah, and I think that's what that's really, you know, not to, not to tout beam too much, but I will on this one, that's what's really amazing about our product is it scales from startups all the way up to some of the largest institutions in the world, including the governments and so forth. So it's, it is, it truly does span all customer segments, and that's a that's a really unique value proposition that we have to the market. Okay? Well, when we think about your strategic technology and business priorities, which are usually joined at the hip anyway these days with most companies, but going forward into 2025 what are the what is shifting up or down your own CIO priority list, the things that are your your greatest focus, that are going to help the company continue to accelerate? Yeah, so security aside, oh, that's that one's a given. Yeah, that's a given. Wrapping up our quote to cash transformation, I kind of alluded to it. That is, that is really consuming a lot of our time, and it's from a technical perspective, I tend to think of it as it's pretty straightforward. We're building out a new set of platforms. We're going to have to migrate our data, migrate our customers. The real transformation there is on our business and the business processes that are going to change, and so that is because you're expanding, not. Just on premise products, but a subscription model that's growing. Yeah, and we're also, we tended historically. We operated regionally. By that, I mean, like APAC, EMEA, Americas, we're bringing all those processes together to have a global standard. And so as we're doing that, there's going to be changes throughout the entire organization. So that is, that is going to be number two, and then the the third one is, we talked about that second wave that we have here at Veeam with our subscription product, we are building out many new services on that, that platform that we're providing to our customers. And so corporate technology plays a key role in enabling that, either through our online store, through our partner channel, through our licensing, through how we want to sell and support it. And so there's a lot of work that we have to do to enable that next wave of growth, and what we call VDC, VM, Data Cloud. And so that is, that is the third priority for for next year. Well, and you'd mentioned that you have to be the first and the best customer of Veeam products themselves. Yep, we do. And so we the terms you'll hear in the industry or like dog food, or drink your own champagne, or champagne metaphor a lot more than the dog food. Yeah, I'd rather drink that than than eat some dog food. But we, we tend to think of ourselves as the as the first and best customer, like we should and I, and I would challenge, or I would hope that all CIOs that are working in tech companies are their first and best customer for their product. We want to not only understand and deploy our products in very business in valuable ways, but we also want to be able to uncover any issues that might occur before it does impact our main customers. So we tend to be very aggressive when it comes to deploying our own product to make sure that that it works for us and it's going to work well and great for our customers, yeah, because, I mean, truly inside of Veeam, if, if you can't make it work well, that doesn't bode well for customers, right? Yeah, when it comes to innovation, is always a big area for CIOs. I find when I all the years at CIO magazine and then running our CIO events division, I would always build our agendas and our approach to the magazine issues around three really big topics, business strategy, innovation and leadership. Those are the things that CIOs kind of wake up thinking about, let's say, and so when it comes to focusing the innovation work that you need to that you need to guide, or that you need to shape at Veeam, do you have any particularly special approach to it. Are there special groups or their task force or teams, or is it one of those? Everybody's job is to innovate. How do you how do you work that at Veeam? I think it's it's always a challenge, least in my experiences, you're so busy doing the day to day work, how do you ever get time to kind of, instead of taking your your vision off of what's the next step in front of you? How do you bring your aperture up and be looking kind of long term? And how can you make things better, as opposed to just operating what you have? Just some of the creative things we do, we actually are going through. It's like, as we speak, we have an AI hackathon going on within the company, and it's not to hack AI, but it's what we've done, is we've asked people to volunteer, teams to volunteer from throughout the company, and then there's and we have many teams that have volunteered, and they have a 48 hour window to say, look, what is the business problem we have at beam. How can we leverage AI to solve it and to come up with a creative, technical solution? Those then get submitted even up to our CEO. He's on the, on the on the committee to review those, and then we'll pick a winner. And then oftentimes that will then get get rolled into our into our technology and how we support our employees and customers. And so that's one way to it creates dedicated time. It allows people to step away from their day to day jobs and just to think creatively about how to solve business problems. And I think that's a really powerful way to go about that. And so that just started a couple days ago. Runs, I think through tomorrow, maybe they have a we give them five days to do it, to spend two days on it. So, you know, we have to be flexible with people's schedules, but that's a that's a really good way of of doing that. Just. Let you come in and be on any of those teams, or, you know, they don't. They're probably too smart to allow me to get in there and do that, but, but we tend they kind of self organize, and then we have a we have a little reward and all that. And obviously, public praise is probably the highest reward that they're that they'll get through it. Oh, yeah, knowing you're working toward a purpose and knowing that your work is appreciated, it's something that is so universal, and I feel like we see a lot more of that being applied to technology talent these days, because it's so important to have all that great tech talent, whether you're a tech vendor in the industry, or whether you're a bank or an insurance company, I've had so many conversations about data engineering teams and hackathons that standard great big enterprises, you know, banks and insurance companies and so forth. Are there any emerging technology trends, something beyond AI that are of greater interest to you these days, or something that you feel kind of gets overlooked when we think about emerging technology and all the great things it can do in the world. Yeah, I think we we fall into the trap of tending to focus on AI large projects, large platforms, things like that, where I've seen a real improvement. And what, what excites me is it's the simple things that enable all 5500 beamers to do their job better. And what I mean by that is we're constantly spending time on how do we create a frictionless environment in internal as simple as just how do you log in and access the various technical resources within the company? If we were to go back 1015, years, you had a password to log in. You had a password then to log into another system. You had a password to do this, and that next thing you know, you have on your iPhone and your Notes section, all your passwords, and it, you know, it just becomes, it becomes a, just a poor user experience. And so where I've seen it really getting get better over the last couple of years is we, we have passwordless authentication at this point within the company, which is great. People don't have to remember passwords. They're able to use biometrics and and those are things that that cannot be compromised. And once you've kind of authenticated in to the network you have, you have access to the resources you need. You don't have to re authenticate. So it's, it's a, it's just those little things that I think make a big difference in everybody's lives. And so we're constantly trying to improve the user experience internal and how people interact with technology. And so it's, it's been a, I think, a huge benefit for the company good, and I'm excited to see it continue to evolve and mature in that space. Yeah, well, because I can remember from many, many years ago, all the talk about, you know, like password systems and trying to streamline that, and I can't even remember all the terms for it, but we used to devote entire articles in the magazines about, you know, how you could streamline this? And it's a lot more complicated than it sounds like, isn't it? It is, yeah. And so at the end of the day, we want people to enjoy. We want to create a cons, what I would call a consumer grade experience within the within the enterprise. And so that's what we're constantly striving for. It's always amazes me when you go to, let's say you're at home, you're on your, you know, on your personal time, and you're interacting with apps and things like that, it's a great experience. Then you get into your whatever company you work for, and you're like, this is nothing like it. I need a, I need a 50 page FAQs to figure out how to actually use this thing, and so we want to constantly be moving towards that consumer grade experience, yeah, well, and it's the fact that all the consumer experiences are so much more streamlined. And I've heard it called, you know, like the amazonification of Sure, yeah, yeah. Once that happened, that has actually been a real boost in many ways, for it just growing in, I think, regard and popularity from the business side, because we need to do that. I had a The other thing too, we we always want to strive for is, I don't care where people are at or what form factor they're using. So, for example, like the mobile phone, they should be able to do all of their work and whatever form that they want to so that's another area that we continue to focus on. Do you think we'll get to a point where I just got into a new smartwatch recently? Yeah. Will you get to a point where you can manage that complex. Uh, enterprise processes on your smart watch. It's all type. So I'll tell you that we just launched internally. So badging is another one that, again, like you have, you know, you have badging, and you gotta carry your physical badge. You can now use your smart watch proximity to the reader, and it'll just let you into the door. Great. So although it again, it's those little things that that make a huge difference to people. Okay, final question to wrap up that I have for you here. Tell me what you have learned about your own leadership style, how it has changed or grown or morphed in the last several years because you were you led the technology operation at five. You've been at this for a few years now, almost three, I guess, there at Veeam. And how have you changed as a leader? What are some of the things that you're doing more of these days and less of others? Yeah, you know, I tend to think that, especially earlier in my career, you tended to have to think you needed to have all the answers, and that if you didn't, didn't have them all with your family. You know, at least that was, that was what I thought. And I think you tend, I tended to operate more what I'd call kind of I had to make the decision and then move that decision out to the organization. Needed to have the right answer every time I think, over my career, I've gotten a bit more we'll call it confident in my abilities and maybe just self assured in terms of who I am as a person. So I tend to think of it as kind of a reverse pyramid at this point in time, where i i tend to really want to tap into all the people within the organization. Hear their ideas. We'll debate them, as long as it aligns with our principles and where we're trying to go, and our design principles, and in terms of where we want to go as a company, and we're operating within kind of those, those guard rails, I think, really empowering people to think through the solutions. They can then talk to me, we'll bounce through ideas. But then ultimately, I want that, that decision, to be theirs and and I think it's it, it's transformed the way that I have approached leadership, and I've seen just an amazing response from the teams that I'm a part of and and I think that's that's really been, it's been great to be a part of, and I think it's just part of My evolution as a person. Okay, well, another very good answer. Thank you so much, and thank you also for joining me today for this conversation. It's really been fun. Yeah, I've really enjoyed myself. Thanks. Mary Fran, All right, great. You are very welcome now. I hope that you all are listening and watching today. Enjoyed this conversation with CIO Nate Kurtz of Veeam Software, as much as I did. This episode is the latest addition to our extensive library of CIO leadership live podcasts, which includes more than 150 similarly fabulous in depth interviews with prominent CIOs all available on cio.com and on CIOs YouTube channel, as well as your most popular podcast platforms as an audio podcast, please do take a moment to subscribe to CIOs YouTube channel where, in addition to these dozens of conversations with US based CIOs, you can find Several international editions of this podcast featuring senior IT leaders from Canada, India, New Zealand and Australia. Thanks so much for joining us today, and we'll see you here next time you. Moldova pentru Educatie: Liceul Teoretic O. Ghibu din Orhei va avea unul dintre cele mai moderne blocuri alimentare din tara January 21, 2025: In late 2024 Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency reported that it had arrested seven Israelis who had been operating as Iranian spies since the October 2023 Hamas uprising in southern Israel. The seven spies had operated from 2022 t0 2024, gathering information on the Israeli military as well as port activity, Iron Dome batteries and a power plant. The Iranian spies were originally from Azerbaijan and were caught using specialized espionage equipment to observe Israeli air bases. The Israeli spies were apparently identifying targets for Iran to attack. This was a high value operation because Israeli police found that the spies had been paid several hundred thousand dollars for their efforts. Suspicious activity by members of this espionage team was detected by Shin Bet and that led to the arrest of the team members and disruption of their plot. Israel is accustomed to dealing with foreign spies. Years ago Lebanese police arrested seventeen Lebanese and accused them of being Israeli spies. Some of the suspects apparently were Israeli spies. Lebanon attributed this sudden success to closer cooperation with Hezbollah and Iran. Well, it admits that it is cooperating with Hezbollah but played down any Iranian involvement. Iran had been sending more intelligence officers, including some senior ones, to Lebanon for several years. Most of these Iranian officials are there to keep an eye on the Hezbollah leadership, which angered their Iranian patrons with their aggressive actions against Israel that led to a 2006 war with Israel. Hezbollah declared a victory, but the Israelis inflicted far more damage on Hezbollah, and Lebanon, than they received. The 2006 attack angered many Christian Lebanese who had long been somewhat pro-Israeli. It was from this population that useful information about Israeli spies was obtained in the last few years. The Lebanese had caught one or two Israeli spies a year for over a decade. It appeared that the Israelis had an extensive, and not unexpected, espionage network in Lebanon and Syria. The Israelis were known to pay well, and try to get their agents, if discovered, out of trouble. Still, several Israeli spies were executed by Arab countries over the last seventy years, as well as a number of innocents who were prosecuted because the local counterintelligence officials were under a lot of pressure to do something about Israeli spies. Some of these spies are Jewish, but most are local Moslem, Christian or Druze Arabs who hated the local rulers more than Israel. Many confessed when caught, knowing that, otherwise, long periods of abuse and torture would ensue. The Israeli intelligence effort against its Arab neighbors was intense and prolonged. The Israelis also spied on their friends, which is not an unusual practice. But the Israelis tended to be more successful at it, in part because they lived in a very rough neighborhood, and faced extinction if they did not succeed in keeping their hostile neighbors at bay. UNDP through the Supporting the Moldovan authorities in the sustainable management of the Dniester River Project, kindly requests your quotation for the RFQ25/02985: Procurement of Laboratory Equipment, for the Water Quality Laboratory of Environmental Agency. Deadline for submission of proposals: 12 February 2025, 16:30 (GMT+2). For details regarding the competition and submission requirements, please visit the page: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_negotiation.cfm?nego_id=29738 Alte articole de la acest autor: UNHCR is looking for a Senior GBV Associate, G7, for a period of six months. The Senior GBV Associate supports the operations efforts to fulfil UNHCRs mandate and associated obligations on GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response based on policy and guidance. The incumbent will work in close collaboration and coordination with the GBV team under the supervision of the Senior Protection Officer and primarily performs the functions as per the Job Description. The position requires a highly motivated individual who can work seamlessly with teams and independently complete tasks assigned to them. The incumbent must have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to identify issues and practical solutions. They must have strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines. They must demonstrate qualities and a proven ability to support the leading of processes related to gender equality and GBV and manage functions related to working and coordinating with partner organizations. Understanding Moldovas gender and GBV context is key and previous work experience the area(s) of human rights, community-based protection, gender equality or GBV is required. Experience with individual case management is an asset. Knowledge of and experience of programme management cycle and of UNHCRs Age, Gender and Diversity Policy is considered an asset.The incumbent must be able to communicate clearly and effectively and establish an enabling and collaborative working environment, including with partners, government counterparts, and forcibly displaced and stateless persons. Working experience with local or international organizations in the field of gender equality and GBV is an added advantage, and commitment to adhere to the approaches and principles of the UN/UNHCR is required. Interest to work with forcibly displaced and stateless persons with diverse backgrounds, including LGBTIQ+ people, sex workers, persons living with HIV and persons who use drugs is a must. Willingness and availability to undertake field missions, liaise and coordinate with partners to advance on gender equality and GBV issues within the operation is essential. Knowledge of English and Romanian is required, working level of Russian, or Ukrainian is considered an asset. General information: This position is open to applications from internal candidates, provided that requirements regarding professional experience, academic qualifications, language, etc. are fulfilled. Candidates must meet the essential minimum requirements of the position and must have either Moldovan citizenship or the legal status necessary to work in Moldova. UNHCRs workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. We seek to sustain and strengthen this diversity and to ensure equal opportunities, as well as an inclusive working environment, for our entire workforce. Joining us means living, sharing and promoting these core values of inclusion, diversity and gender equality. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. UNHCR reserves the right to retain applications and consider external candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNHCR at the same grade or lower level and with similar job descriptions, experience, and educational requirements for the appointment of a shorter duration (Temporary Appointment).UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees). Remuneration & Benefits: A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. The annual net salary is between MDL 459,388 and MDL 535,953 depending on relevant experience, excluding dependency allowances (if applicable), mandatory medical insurance and pension fund enrollment. Annual leave: UNHCR staff members holding a temporary appointment will accrue annual leave at the rate of 1.5 working days for each full calendar month of service (i.e.: 18 working days per year). Pension system: Staff members holding a temporary appointment of 6 months or more will become participants in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF). Health insurance plan: locally recruited staff members in the Republic of Moldova will be enrolled in the Medical Insurance Plan (MIP). The coverage is optionally available for eligible family members. For more information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the Office of HR Management of United Nations: https://onehr.un.org/salary-survey/#/viewdutystation/636b9e0899530c554d34b467. Alte articole de la acest autor: Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. Journalists favor the serious and the certain. In an unserious, uncertain world, we must learn to embrace some difficult new topics. One particularly pressing issue: stupidity. A number of European writers have tackled this subject in recent months. In Homo Cretinus, Olivier Postel-Vinay describes stupidity as a mental polyp that subtly encloses specific brain regions, impairing cognitive flexibility. This form of stupidity, he said in an interview, is not an occasional lapse or lack of knowledge but an attack on intellectual integrity that renders us incapable of exercising common sense. Our societies have never known such a high level of education, which obviously doesnt prevent the development of stupidity, he says. For Postel-Vinay, stupidity transcends ignorance because it operates even in highly informed individuals, who remain ensnared by rigid beliefs. Such beliefs lead people to ignore contradictory information and select the evidence that supports their ideas. Postel-Vinay defines this confirmation bias as the polyps tool of choice because it perpetuates a self-reinforcing cycle of false beliefs that impedes intellectual development. Thus, he says, opinions become dogma in even the most intelligent individuals. Social media echo chambers only make the situation worse. In his recent book Elogio dellignoranza e dellerrore (In Praise of Ignorance and Error), the Italian writer and former prosecutor Gianrico Carofiglio distinguishes between two types of ignorance: unconscious ignorance and conscious ignorance. The former, he said in an interview, is particularly dangerous to democracy because it combines a lack of knowledge with the arrogant belief that one already knows enough. Unconscious ignorance undermines the foundations of democratic debate, trust in science, and respect for knowledge, Carofiglio said, describing it as an attitude that poisons public discourse and fuels misinformation. On the other hand, he argues that we should embrace conscious ignorancean intellectual humility that helps us recognize our own limitations while remaining receptive to the knowledge of others. This form of ignorance, like the Socratic I know that I know nothing, is the foundation of true competence. By recognizing that others may hold truths beyond our understanding, we reduce the tendency for categorical statements that exacerbate division. The truth each of us holds is, for the most part, a legitimate opinion, Carofiglio explains. And opinion pushes us to engage in dialogue with others, which is precisely the opposite of polarization. Any historian will confirm that stupidity influences the world at least as much as its noble cousins justice and truth, particularly at moments of turmoil. Postel-Vinay talks about the First World War, which he describes as the result of an enormous concentration of stupidity at the highest levels of European political and military leadership. Sign up for CJRs daily email Postel-Vinay points out that even when the lessons of such events appear clear, they are rarely learned. At the time, he writes, stupidity is generally only recognized as such by a minority of observers or actors, who have no influence on the course of events or who, when they have the means to intervene, lack the courage to do so. Postel-Vinay notes that, from Europe at least, American society seems to be in the grip of a similar moment. Isaac Asimov once said that there is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. Asimov argued that this ignorance is nourished by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is as good as your knowledge. For Carofiglio, the ethical challenge journalists face requires us first to examine how our own personal biases and assumptions affect us. We must examine our own stupidity, as human beings and as journalists. Fact-checking is not truth, and punctiliousness is not rigor. Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. Yesterday, Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary, appeared on Fox & Friends. She was asked whether, at her first press briefing, she would have to painstakingly consult a binder before answering reporters questionsa snarky reference to her Biden-era predecessor Karine Jean-Pierre. Leavitt replied that she might bring in some notes, but that my binder is in my brain, because I know President Trumps policies, and we have truth on our sidebut she then revealed that there wouldnt actually be a briefing later on; instead, the press would be hearing directly from Trump, who would be making a big infrastructure announcement. Online, liberal pundits quipped that it must be infrastructure week again. A press secretary appearing on Fox, rather than in the briefing room; infrastructure week: one could be forgiven for thinking that a wormhole had opened up and wed all been taken back in time to Trumps first term. (Back then, infrastructure week became joking journalistic shorthand for Trumpsperpetually frustratedefforts to establish a disciplined policy and messaging agenda.) Some of Trumps policy moves since returning to office on Monday have inspired a similar sense of deja vu: his moves to crack down on the border, his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate accordand a very early executive order, signed onstage at the Capital One Arena in front of an adoring crowd, aimed at restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship. During his first go-round, Trump repeatedly issued orders with similar titles and aims. In 2017, he signed one promoting free speech and religious liberty, the centerpiece of which, per the New York Times, was a bid to create more space for political endorsements from the pulpit (though the head of the American Civil Liberties Union dismissed the effort at the time as an elaborate photo op with no discernible policy outcome). In 2019, Trump attempted to link federal cash to the preservation of free speech on college campuses, and took rhetorical aim at rigid, far-left ideology (though the details were kinda vague). In 2020after Twitter appended fact-checks to two of his tweets baselessly casting doubt on mail-in votingTrump signed an executive order aimed at preventing online censorship, and even suggested, in remarks at the same time, that he would shutter Twitter if he could. Major platforms content moderation decisions represented one of the greatest dangers to free speech in American history, Trump told reporters. (Again, the order itself was of dubious enforceability.) If Trumps latest free speech order marks a return to a familiar theme, however, the context is now different. Of the platforms that provoked Trumps ire back in 2020, Twitter is now owned by his close ally Elon Musk (and is now called X) while Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has recently pledged to roll back its third-party fact-checking partnerships in a move widely interpreted as kowtowing to Trump. (Thats before we get into the visual of tech titans standing side by side in front of Trumps incoming cabinet at the inauguration on Monday.) And the text of the new order explicitly takes aim at the administration that came in between Trumps first term and his second, and its practice of liaising with social media companies with the aim of restricting the flow of mis- and disinformation online. (Mark Zuckerberg, Metas CEO, recently alleged to the podcaster Joe Rogan that Biden officials would sometimes yell at his staff to take down certain content.) Trumps order characterizes this sort of thing as egregious government censorship, and prohibits it going forward. It also directs the attorney general to investigate Biden-era processes and suggest appropriate remedial actions. (Trump has previously advocated firings.) Predictably, the order quickly faced questions and criticism. The Associated Press noted that it does not acknowledge how online lies have increasingly snowballed into real-world threats, harassment and targeted violence, and that it doesnt seem to address how malicious foreign actors peddle such lies. The AP quoted Nina Jankowicza disinformation researcher and frequent target of right-wing fury who now leads a group called the American Sunlight Projectdescribing the order as nothing more than vengeance for a slight that never happened; in a series of posts on Bluesky, Jankowicz further characterized it as the culmination of four years of lies as to what officials, tech companies, and researchers actually did, and argued that, since theres nothing binding or enforceable here, its important to see it for what it is: government intimidation, pure and simple. David Kaye, a former United Nations rapporteur on free expression, told Reuters that the order seeks to prohibit conduct that is already prohibited by the First Amendment, and dismissed it as a deeply cynical exercise in public relations. Others took a more textured view. In addition to obviously political right-wing attacks, various free speech advocates and tech experts have long raised concerns of their own about the appropriateness of government officials speaking about content with tech companies and what lines they might be crossing in the process. Writing for Just Security yesterday, Alex Abdo, of Columbias Knight First Amendment Institute, made the case that a version of Trumps order could have addressed such questions in good faith, and that a section of the actual order reminding officials not to violate the First Amendment appears unobjectionable. Other sections of the order, however, assert as fact that the Biden administration censored social media usersdespite even the conservative-dominated Supreme Court describing the evidence for this proposition as weakand, in doing so, effectively preempt the conclusion of any probe by the attorney general. Abdo also noted that the order has nothing to say about recent instances in which Republicans have sought to curb private speech: that of disinformation researchers, say, or pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses. Ultimately, Abdo concludes, the order is a work of revisionist history that may itself become a vehicle for the new administration to restrict speech it doesnt like. If the context for Trumps latest order is newand the subject matter with which it attempts to engage is genuinely fraughtAbdos conclusion is also painfully familiar from Trumps first term: the subordination of legitimate debate about the inherent complexity of free speech discourse to an almost cartoonish position of free speech for me but not for thee. Last time around, this dynamic perhaps reached its zenith in the days after Trumps 2020 order taking aim at online censorship, when he infamously posted the message when the looting starts, the shooting starts on various platforms as racial-justice protests spread across the country following the police murder of George Floyd: Twitter, as it was then known, concluded that Trump had violated its rules against the glorification of violence and hid his post behind a warning message; over at Facebook, Zuckerberg suggested that Trump wasnt immune from rules about violent posts, and reportedly complained to Trump privately that he was putting the company in a difficult position, but ultimately left the post up, citing the public need to know if the government is planning to use force. (The episode serves as a useful reminder that, while Zuckerbergs overt chumminess with Trump might be new, his current posturing is more complex than a total 180.) I argued at the time that Zuckerbergs approach failed to take into account the unavoidable free speech implications of platforms algorithms, interpersonal contact between leaders and tech titans, and the chilling effects of false or violent speech on other speech. The latter concern would be borne out a few months later, when a tidal wave of election denialismnot least that disseminated by Trumpculminated in the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. After that, even Facebook suspended Trumps account. Now that Trump is back in office, such free speech tradeoffs feel freshly urgentand delicate, despite the effort of Trumps order to blitz through them. Zuckerberg has sold his recent stripping back of fact-checking as a free speech move, even though it impinges on the speech of fact-checkers and could well drive other users to take their speech off Metas platforms for fear of it being drowned in lies; as Abdo notes, Trumps new order looks poised to elevate speech he likes while chilling criticism of it. Trumps move this week to pardon or commute the sentences of January 6 riotersincluding those convicted of violent offenses and members of militiasfrees their speech (and maybe much worse) to the detriment of those who have condemned, prosecuted, or testified against them. (After being released from prison, Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, did an interview with the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones yesterday and warned that the people who did this to him and his fellow convicts need to feel the heat.) Writing in the conservative Washington Examiner yesterday, Tom Rogan made the case that another early Trump moveto rescind Secret Service protections for John Bolton, a former Trump adviser turned sharp criticis an abrogation of his free speech rhetoric since it opens Bolton to tangible threats (Iran has reportedly plotted to kill him) in apparent retaliation for his anti-Trump speech. Overnight, Trump slammed a DC pastor who had earlier given a sermon in his presence and urged him to show mercy toward communities scared by his return to power. Trump has the right to criticize the pastor, of coursebut it was a bit rich coming from a man who once signed an order promoting political speech in church. (And thats before we get into the Republican congressman who called for the pastor to be added to the deportation list.) Sign up for CJRs daily email Then, of course, theres the media, which Trump has bashed, otherwise credibly threatened, and targeted with increasingly absurd (and yet sometimes successful, at least in terms of scoring a settlement) lawsuitscreating a chilling climate going into his presidency, as I wrote on Monday. So far since taking office, Trump has, at least, been extraordinarily available to the press, taking reporters questions at length while he signed orders on Monday and then again yesterday at a news conference tied to the infrastructure announcement, which turned out to be a significant commitment to extend AI data capacity on US soil. (Whatever Trumps free speech credentials, he certainly likes to speak freely.) Writing for CJR yesterday, Jake Lahut reported that a surprising number of people on the daily White House beat are looking forward to having better access to Trump than they did to Biden, even if that optimism comes with worries about intimidation. (Were coming out of four years of Biden and things havent been great, one White House reporter told Lahut.) As I argued when Biden was in office, media access to the president is generally good for press freedombut is a starting point, not the be-all and end-all. With Trump, the things that he saysand, not least when it comes to free speech and press freedom, doesmatter most. (As the Washington Post noted, Trump repeated many of his typical exaggerations, falsehoods and attacks in his presser yesterday, including the lie that the 2020 election was rigged and a bizarre claim about the water supply in Los Angeles.) The same is true of his representatives. A White House reporter told Lahut that the press corps views Leavitt and Steven Cheung, the new communications director, as full MAGA, but also professionals. But they, too, should be judged on the things that they say, more than the access they offer. Not that access is necessarily a given. After discussing a range of issues on Fox & Friends yesterdayincluding the January 6 pardons, which she said were not causing much controversyLeavitt was asked when her first briefing would be, but the host who had asked the question was met by silence; Leavitt had dropped off the line. After a few seconds, she came back. When is your first press briefing? a different host asked. To be announced, Leavitt replied. Other notable stories: We noted in yesterdays newsletter that a blockbuster trial had been set to begin in London over claims, made by Prince Harry and a senior former British lawmaker, that Rupert Murdochs British tabloids illegally accessed their private informationonly for the start of proceedings to be delayed to allow the parties lawyers to talk. This morning, it emerged that Harry and the lawmaker have reached settlements in the case in exchange for damages, an apology, and an admission of wrongdoingnot only at the now-shuttered News of the World newspaper, but also on the part of private investigators working for The Sun, the first time that Murdochs UK arm has made such an admission about the latter paper. The settlement means that claims against Murdoch executives wont be tested in court, NPRs David Folkenflik reports. The Guardians Ruth Michaelson and Obaida Hamad spoke with the new temporary head of Syrias state news agency, who was appointed to the post by the caretaker government that ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad, as well as with longer-standing state-media staffers about their hopes and fears for the future of the apparatus. A month after Assad fled, the new government is starting to overhaul the same propaganda organs that had labelled them as terrorists, but its commitment to press freedom remains unclear and uncertainty reigns for those who worked for the organs under Assad, who fear everything from being accused of allegiance to the Assad regime to prosecution for embedding with [Assads] troops during the long civil war. Press Gazettes Bron Maher spoke with Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, the former US news editor at the Financial Times who recently moved to Semafor to anchor an invite-only newsletter that aims to serve chief executives of companies that make at least five hundred million dollars a year. (The product intends to expand into events, audio, and video.) Its target readers are actually trying to run exceedingly complicated organisations, at an increasingly complicated time, and finding that the media coverage ostensibly targeted at them isnt quite doing what it says, he told Maher. And CJRs Sacha Biazzo explored how journalists should think about covering stupidity (including our own), and canvassed writers in Europe who have recently wrestled with the concept philosophically. One contributor to the debate recently described World War I as the result of an enormous concentration of stupidity at the highest levels of European political and military leadership. He notes that, from Europe at least, American society seems to be in the grip of a similar moment. A federal judge on Tuesday rejected Citigroups bid to dismiss a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James claiming it failed to protect customers from online scammers and refused to reimburse customers who were victimized. U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan said the banks Citibank unit must face James claim it violated a 1978 federal law concerning electronic wire transfers, and parts of three other claims. Oetken said Congress intended the 1978 law, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, to protect consumers from sophisticated frauds involving technologies they may not understand, leaving banks in a better position to shoulder the risks of fraud. In seeking a dismissal of the lawsuit last April, Citigroup argued that the law expressly excluded wire transfers. But in his 62-page decision, Oetken said Citibanks reading would operate in derogation of the statutory purpose. The judge dismissed some claims against New York-based Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. bank. Citigroup had no immediate comment. James office also had no immediate comment. James suedlast January, saying scammers stole millions of dollars from Citibank customers because the banks security systems could not investigate red flags such as unrecognized devices, changes in user names and passwords, and phishing. In one instance, a customer allegedly lost $40,000 after clicking a text message link that appeared to be from Citibank. James also accused Citigroup of coercing customers into signing affidavits that limited their ability to recoup losses, and then summarily rejected reimbursement claims. The lawsuit sought restitution and a $5,000 civil fine per violation. Citigroup has acknowledged online wire fraud as a real problem, but said its systems stop countless fraudulent transactions every day. The case is New York v Citibank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-00659. (Reporting by Stempel in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul and Marguerita Choy) The Department of Justice sued Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. for allegedly dispensing opioids and other controlled substances at pharmacies across the U.S. while ignoring red flags that the prescriptions were likely illegal. The lawsuit claims Walgreens pharmacists filled millions of prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose and then sought reimbursements under various federal health care programs. The suit, filed Thursday in federal court in Illinois, alleges that Walgreens pharmacists faced pressure from corporate leadership to dispense the drugs quickly. Related: Public Nuisance Claims Denied by Ohio Supreme Court in Opioid Case Pharmacies serve as critical gatekeepers against the diversion of controlled substances, lawyers for the government said in the lawsuit. For years, even as the opioid epidemic ravaged this country, Walgreens failed to meet that responsibility. Walgreens is among a number of pharmacies, drug manufacturers and distributors that have collectively agreed to pay tens of billions of dollars to resolve various lawsuits filed by state and local governments accusing them of mishandling opioids. The painkillers have been blamed for more than half a million U.S. deaths since the year 2000. Related: Insurers Paying $123M in Walmart Settlement of Shareholder Suits Over Handling of Opioids The lawsuit focuses on conduct over the last 12 years, when Wallgreens allegedly filled prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids and the so-called trinity, an especially dangerous combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant. A spokesperson for Walgreens said the companys pharmacists fill legitimate prescriptions in accordance with all laws and regulations. The company sued the US Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday, accusing the agency of unlawfully imposing stricter requirements on pharmacists in an effort to crack down on the dispersement of opioids for non-medical uses. The companys lawsuit claims the DEA is now requiring pharmacists to ensure the legitimacy of prescriptions before filling them, or else face penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. In its complaint, Walgreens claims earlier DEA regulations placed only limited obligations on pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions and that the shift in policy was not adopted following the proper rulemaking process. We will not stand by and allow the government to put our pharmacists in a no-win situation, trying to comply with rules that simply do not exist, the company said in a statement. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued two large automakers, accusing General Motors and the United Auto Workers of age discrimination and the Stellantis unit that includes Chrysler of subjecting female employees to sexual harassment. GM and the UAW were accused of having since October 2019 maintained a sickness-and-accident benefits policy under their collective bargaining agreement that reduces payouts to older employees who receive Social Security benefits. The EEOC said the policy, covering at least 50 GM facilities nationwide, discriminates against employees ages 66 and older, violating the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Stellantis FCA US unit, meanwhile, was accused of having since December 2020 tolerated pervasive sexual harassment of female employees at a Detroit assembly plant, and routinely ignored their complaints about male supervisors and co-workers, some of whom were placed in leadership roles. The EEOC said the alleged harassment included inappropriate touching and sexually charged comments, and together with FCAs failure to discipline male harassers created a hostile work environment that violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. GM had no immediate comment, having yet to review its complaint. FCA and the UAW did not immediately respond to requests for comment about their respective cases. The GM and UAW lawsuit seeks to recoup benefits that workers ages 66 and older deserved but never received, while the FCA lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for female employees at the Detroit plant. Both lawsuits also seek permanent injunctions against further wrongful conduct. GM and the UAW were sued in the federal court in New Albany, Indiana, while FCA was sued in Detroit federal court. The lawsuits are part of a string of enforcement actions by several federal agencies in the final days of the Biden administration. It is unclear how EEOC enforcement priorities will change after President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House. (Reporting by Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio) Among natural disasters, wildfires are the great unknown. Even the most-sophisticated scientific models fail to capture all the risk factors or properly account for the increasing impact of climate change. Its a major problem for homeowners, insurers and investors, as shown by this months Los Angeles blazes that partly or completely incinerated more than 14,000 structures, including several thousand homes, according to local authorities. Related: LA Braces for Fire Risk From Bone-Dry Winds as Winter Rains Lag While wildfire risks for the area were broadly known, what surprised almost everyone has been the ferocity of the disaster. Thats when specialty analysts are supposed to fill the void by finding new ways to anticipate the threats of an increasingly unsettled world. Wildfire risk is notoriously hard to predict because of factors such as rising temperature levels, as well as different vegetation, wind speeds and topographies. Its also one of the few natural disasters where human intervention the use of fire retardants, for example can materially alter the outcome. When an area has very little or no inherent risk, you dont need a lot of variables to assess risk levels, and the models tend to agree, said Tammy Nichols Schwartz, senior director of analytics at Guidewire Software Inc., an insurance solutions provider. As the perceived threat gets greater in an area, the accuracy of the models can vary tremendously. Moodys RMS Event Response estimates that insured losses from the Los Angeles wildfires will range from $20 billion to $30 billion. Thats on top of the $79 billion, or 60% of the $132 billion of total wildfire losses, that insurers paid out globally over the last decade, according to Munich Re. Wildfires are a complicated peril to model, said Julia Borman, an industry expert at Verisk Analytics Inc., which works with the insurance industry on catastrophe modeling. What makes the process especially challenging is the homes and buildings that youre trying to protect are often providing the fuel for the peril, she said. Related: Los Angeles Pushes to Rebuild Homes Fast, Despite Wildfire Danger In high-risk areas, models work best when there is a large amount of granular data. How close are homes to one another? Is there a defensible space between a structure and the surrounding area so the fire department can safely defend a structure? Are there vents through which through which wind-borne embers can enter? Global warming adds another layer of complexity when forecasting wildfire frequency and intensity. Models have to be updated every year or two because the climate is changing so rapidly, said Daniel Ward, director of model development at Karen Clark & Co. California, where wildfire risk levels are particularly high, recently announced plans to build the countrys first public wildfire risk model with the goal of improving loss forecasts and helping insurers set fair and accurate insurance rates. Verisk said earlier this month that it was first in requesting a review of its wildfire model by the California Department of Insurance. Two wildfire-risk models dominated the market between 1997 and 2020, according to Guidewires Schwartz. Each used only three variables and the results didnt always agree, she said. Todays risk-assessment tools, including one developed by Guidewire, incorporate a lot more variables such as wildfire history, fire-suppression capabilities and maximum annual temperature, Schwartz said. Its not always enough. Guidewires 2023 model included an assessment of high winds, but not hurricane-force winds. The ruinous fires that occurred that year in Hawaii provided a stark lesson. In that fire, it turned out that the wind from an offshore hurricane played a big role in reigniting fires that destroyed the town of Lahaina. Our new wildfire model will incorporate maximum wind speeds at each location, regardless of the cause, Schwartz said. Still, investors are skeptical whether risk modelers will ever nail down all the variables behind fires like the ones in Los Angeles. Icosa Investments rarely invests in catastrophe bonds with material exposure to wildfires, said Chief Executive Officer Florian Steiger. When you look at the models, theres a divergence between modeled losses and economic reality, he said. Neuberger Berman will invest in multi-peril cat bonds that are issued by large insurers such as Allstate Corp., according to managing director Sophie Ware. Still, Neuberger worries about inadequate pricing given the known unknowns in the modeling, she said. Top photo: The burned interior of Altadena Hardware following the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Hurricane-strength gusts from Santa Ana winds will sweep over the mountains and foothills around Los Angeles, putting the region back on high alert after two weeks of devastating fires. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. January 22, 2025: Since 2023 Israel has had one problem after another. For a long time problems never seemed to get solved. That has changed as Lebanon became less of a threat since Israel destroyed Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shia militia that controlled southern Lebanon for decades. Lebanon and Syria were hostile towards Israel until 2024 when Syria had an unexpected change of government with HST, a former Islamic terrorist group, and its charismatic leader conquering Syria in a week. The Assads, which had been ruling Syria for over fifty years, fled to Russia, along with the remaining Russian troops in Syria. Iranian forces were also expelled. Iran helped found and long supported Hezbollah. This group dominated southern Lebanon and parts of Syria for decades. In 2024 an Israeli effort to destroy Hezbollah succeeded. This victory took nearly a decade to plan but succeeded. It will take years, if not longer for Hezbollah to be reconstituted. That may not happen because the new HTS government in Syria wants peace with Israel and peace in Lebanon. Israel is still in southern Lebanon rooting out all the elements who want to attack Israel. There is an unusual complication Lebanon is now a failed state with just a name but no government, or armed forces. The government went bankrupt and the army deserted for lack of pay. There isnt even enough money for them to agree on a president. The army presently consists of paper soldiers and a few senior officers; the United States contributes money in an effort to pretend Lebanon has an army and government. This also enriches a few people and serves whatever other CIA purposes in need of covert cash. Lebanese Christian and Sunni militias lack the money to mobilize for the extended effort required to eliminate Hezbollahs militia forces which the Israelis have not destroyed. Hezbollah is still a problem because unless Israeli forces extend the Israeli border north, Hezbollahs remnant militias are still there with some undiscovered rockets and missiles. Another option, which Israel last used decades ago, is for Israel or the Americans to provide money and heavy weapons to Lebanons Sunni and Christian militias. These revitalized forces will happily drive Lebanons Shia somewhere else. But right now they cant afford to mobilize for offensive operations and probably lack the heavy weapons. They didnt have the money to pay those from the disbanding Lebanese army, so those went to Hezbollah. Money is so scarce in Lebanon and the Sunni and Christian leaders would have more rewarding uses for the cash we offer them to destroy Hezbollah.] Theres no nearby refuge for Hezbollah remnants, which has also lost access to its longtime patron Iran. Often forgotten is the fact that Israel has made peace with some of its neighbors. Egypt and Jordan were the first in 1978 and 1994. Now there are negotiations for peace with a reconstituted Lebanon and Syria. Turkey has long provided sanctuary for Islamic terrorists and other outlawed groups that were driven out of nearby nations. As long as these exiles caused no problems inside Turkey, they were free to plot and scheme all they liked. Turkey also offered the exiles work as mercenaries to fight the Kurds in eastern Turkey plus the Russians and pro-Western factions in Libya. For a long time Israel has had to deal with the troublesome Arab Fatah government in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza. Since late 2024 Hamas has been trapped in Gaza and the Israeli military is threatening the group with extinction. The only asset Hamas has is dozens of Western and Israeli hostages taken during a late 2023 Hamas offensive out of Gaza towards Israel. That attack failed and Hamas is negotiating a peace deal that will leave the Hamas remnants intact in return for the hostages. The problem with that is that most of the hostages appear to have been killed during the Gaza fighting or murdered by their Hamas captors. Fatah and Hamas still agree that Israel must be destroyed and Jews expelled from the region before there can be peace. In the meantime, Hamas remnants and Fatah encourage violence against Israelis and Palestinian civilians. Outsiders like the Saudis, European Union and World Bank dismiss or trivialize the realities that Israel faces from Palestinian violence. They also assume that Hamas and Fatah can prevent their radical factions from violently disrupting any outside peace efforts. Some foreign donor nations, especially Moslem nations, are aware of the reality of the situation but keep silent. Contradicting the Saudis, EU and World Bank by pointing out the reality of the situation is ignored. What cannot be ignored by Israel is the growing Palestinian violence. In 2023 there was more violence in the West Bank that required Israel forces to deal with. At first it was armed Palestinian groups fighting each other for dominance while organizing attacks on Israelis or in Israel itself. This led to a degree of fighting in the West Bank not seen since 2021 and it was feared it could lead to a new Palestinian offensive or intifada. This would be the third one. The first lasted from 1987 to 1993 while the second one was from 2000 to 2005. Israel defeated all of them and the 2000 Intifada was crushed by 2005. As long as Palestinians had free access to Israel, the Fatah Palestinian government urged and encouraged Palestinians to attempt attacks inside Israel. The Israelis responded with tighter border controls which kept the terrorist threat low in Israel. Fatah insisted they had a right to keep trying to kill Israelis and, for over a decade, Arab and Western nations kept providing aid to the West Bank and Gaza despite the fact that more and more of it was used to support and encourage more terrorism against Israel. Some Palestinian leaders tried to describe the violence as an effort to defend Islam. The Palestinians were not very religious and their violence against Israelis was justified by their belief that Israel must be destroyed and Israelis driven from the region so that Palestinians could fight among themselves undisturbed. There were other problems, mainly involving corruption. This has led more donor states, Moslem and non-Moslem, to openly complain of Fatah misuse of aid money. Fatah denied it and continued their corrupt ways. The donors cut their aid, often to nothing. It was not just the Fatah support of terrorism but the growing Fatah corruption which meant a lot of the aid was stolen to enrich Fatah leaders. Palestinians also opposed the Fatah policy and Fatah was forced to tolerate more and more Palestinians renouncing terror to pass the background check and work in Israel. West Bank Palestinian jobs in Israel have become a crucial part of the West Bank economy, even more so than they were back in 2000. Palestinians were barred from those jobs for nearly a year after the Hamas October 2023 attacks. Over 100,000 Palestinians depend on those jobs because the 20,000 0r so working in Israel have dependents who are destitute without that income. The post-2000 ban on Palestinian workers was unpopular with many Israeli employers, but the threat was so great that Israeli employers had to pay more to import and hire non-Moslem foreigners for as long as there was a threat that Palestinian workers were likely to try and kill Israelis. Both Israel and the former or potential Palestinian workers knew that a growing number of those Palestinian workers could be trusted to work in Israel. Those who violated that trust faced prison or worse if they played any part in an attack. Anyone associated with these untrustworthy Palestinians had a more difficult time getting permits to work in Israel. The growth in the number of trustworthy Palestinian workers was something neither Israel nor Fatah wanted to publicize lest the Islamic radicals declare war on Palestinians working or seeking to work in Israel. This might trigger a civil war in the West Bank, something Fatah did not want but the radicals were less opposed to. There are Palestinian factions that believe chaos in the West Bank would spread to Israel and weaken Israeli power. This is a minority belief that ignores the Israeli ability to organize effective responses to Palestinian violence. Life inside Israel is peaceful. Most Palestinians wish they had a similar situation, and they would be correct if not for the endless supply of radical factions insisting violence is the solution. West Bank violence between Palestinians and Israelis living in the many Jewish settlements has been on the increase for over a decade. The upsurge in violence is the result of the Palestinian leadership calling for another intifada uprising in 2013. This was a side-effect of the rebellion in Syria and the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions in general. While some Palestinian leaders called for another intifada uprising, most Palestinians, especially those over 30, fear the economic consequences of that and warn the pro-intifada radicals that there is not a lot of popular support for another round of violence. Israel has shown they know how to handle this at little cost to themselves and great cost to the Palestinians. All this is complicated by persistent American efforts to achieve a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian peace talks never made much progress. The talks were held at the insistence of the U.S., which threatened to cut aid if the talks did not happen, but kept it going to Fatah regardless of what Fatah did or did not do. American leaders are aware of Palestinian attitudes on peace with Israel but the U.S. still assumes that a peace deal is possible if you keep trying. Thats one definition of insanity, continuing to try and make the same policies work and failing. For years Palestinian leaders have agreed to give peace talks a chance approach when speaking to Western leaders and reporters but they then turn around and tell their followers that, of course, Israel must be destroyed and that there is no other solution. For most Western leaders the disunity, corruption and general chaos within the Palestinian community is seen as a larger problem than a peace deal. That may be true, but without a positive attitude towards a peace deal, there wont be any peace. Despite all this, for over a decade many Palestinians have been talking about another Intifada as if more civil disorder will change anything. Peace is not on the agenda. Most Israelis and Americans agree. Even without a new intifada, casual violence in the West Bank kept increasing. This usually takes the form of young men throwing stones at Israeli soldiers or civilians. Israeli women and children are the preferred targets because they are the least likely to shoot back if the rocks begin to inflict injuries. Palestinian propaganda praises those who kill children just as much as those who killed soldiers or police. All are heroes of the Palestinian struggle to destroy Israel. This is becoming embarrassing for some Western nations when it was pointed out that their aid money was being used directly for some of this propaganda. The disruptive impact of small groups of radicals is a long tradition in the Middle East, especially after Islam was introduced over a thousand years ago. Islam is the only major religion whose scripture mandates continuous violence against non-believers. The Islamic scriptures make it clear that the mere existence of infidels is a threat to Islam and these infidels must be attacked, no matter what the cost. Most Moslems ignore this aspect of their religion, at the risk of being declared a heretic if nearby conservative Moslems decide to get violent and make war on any Infidels within reach. Many Moslems, including Gulf oil state Arab governments, are openly seeking a way to reform Islam and eliminate this flaw which has been crippling Islam and killing Moslems for over a thousand years. This is a serious effort and one reason for making peace with Israel. The Islamic militants in the regions oppose efforts to give peace a chance. WASHINGTON, D. C. - Eighteen Republican state attorneys general led by Ohios Dave Yost want the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to review the federal governments list of countries whose migrants are admitted to the United States under the Temporary Protected Status program. This program has been applied too loosely, allowing noncitizens to live here indefinitely, even after its safe for them to return home, said a statement from Yost, who is weighing a run for Ohio governor. Congress made these designations temporary for a reason they were never supposed to last 20-plus years. Citizens of 17 countries where conditions are deemed unsafe for immigrants return are currently allowed to live and work in the United States under the program. Those countries are Afghanistan, Burma (Myanamar), Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuala and Yemen. An influx of legal Haitian immigrants to Springfield, Ohio, became an issue during the 2024 presidential campaign, with President Donald Trump citing a debunked claim that the immigrants were eating pets during a debate with the Democratic candidate for president, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump subsequently said hell revoke the temporary protected status for Haitians living legally in Springfield and deport them. About 10,000 to 15,000 Haitians legally live and work in the town of 60,000, which has caused strain on the schools, health care and other services. Immigrants from Haiti first got temporary protected status in 2010, after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean nation. A letter the Yost-led group sent to President Donald Trumps nominee to oversee Homeland Security, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, says temporary protected status designations for many of the countries have been extended far longer than Congress intended, with some dating back to the 1990s. For example, it said Honduras first received the status after a hurricane hit in 1998, and its status has been renewed ever since. In June, temporary protected status for Haitians was extended through Feb. 3, 2026. The letter says the repeated extensions have allowed thousands of noncitizens to remain eligible to live in the United States and receive benefits for more than 20 years. It notes that former President Joe Biden extended the designations for roughly 1 million immigrants from El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela before he left office this month. The extensions stretch into 2026 and cover roughly 85% of the TPS immigrants in the U.S. Converting TPS into a license for long-term residency frustrates congressional aims and only increases the financial and governmental strain on States, the letter says. It urges Noem to expedite review of existing TPS designations upon taking office because Congress requires the Homeland Security secretary to remove the designations when a country no longer meets the conditions for the status. Joining Yost in calling for the review are the attorneys general of Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. January 22, 2025: Prosecutors in New York City accused a leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, and three of his followers of trying to organize an assassination of a government critic in 2022. The target of this plot had actively opposed Iranian officials' harsh treatment of women. IRGC officials had contacted members of an East European criminal organization to kill the critic. These criminals often carry out assignments like this for the IRGC and were paid for their work even when the scheme failed. Ruhollah Bazghandi, a general in the IRGC who remained in Iran, was in charge of this operation. The designated victim, Masih Alinejad, lived in Brooklyn at the time the IRGC planned to kidnap her and get her to Venezuela, which is currently an ally of Iran and willing to help carry out operations like this. Once in Venezuela, Masih Alinejad would be flown to Iran for a public trial and conviction that would put her in prison as a warning to others thinking of openly criticizing the Iranian government and the IRGC that does the governments dirty work. This was one of several failed IRGC schemes to kill or kidnap Masih Alinejad. Iran didnt care because even failed plots were publicized in the west and that intimidated other actual or potential critics of the Iranian religious dictatorship. For example the IRGC was accused of hiring criminal operatives in the United States to follow and photograph critics of Iran. In one case the surveillance included installing a remotely controlled video camera that monitored the victims home. When this video surveillance was reported in the western media it frightened Iranians in foreign countries who were openly critical of the IRGC or planning to speak out. That takes a lot of courage because for decades the IRGC has been assassinating critics in Europe, using local gangsters to do it. Western intelligence agencies have recordings of IRGC discussions with criminal organizations to murder or kidnap critics for a price. Since Iran has been an outlaw state since the 1980s, American and European criticism has little impact. The gangsters Iran hires to kidnap and kill critics are paid well and know it is risky business. Venezuela was one of the first countries to recognize the new Iranian government formed after the monarchy was overthrown in 1979. That recognition evolved into cooperation with Iran on economic and criminal matters. Venezuela is recognized as the Iranian outpost in the Western Hemisphere. For example, in 2012 Iran obtained an American F-16 fighter from Venezuela. The mercurial and anti-American president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, had been threatening to sell some of his F-16s to Iran. Finally sending one to Iran was apparently an effort to help Iran prepare its defenses against an air raid by Israeli F-16Is. This Venezuelan gesture is not likely to help much as the Venezuelan F-16s are much older models while the current Israeli F-16s were the most modern model then available. The Venezuelan F-16s were received in 1983 and 1984. They are F-16A/B Block 15. F-16s currently in service with the US Air Force are F-16C/D Block 50s, with the even more advanced F-16E/F Block 60 being built for the UAE. The Venezuelan F-16s in question are over 25 years old. For the F-16, that is very old indeed. These aircraft are not equipped with the latest radars, air-to-air missiles, or jammers. And, in the 13 years since Chavez took power, they have not been getting much in the way of maintenance thanks to the freeze in relations with the United States. Upsetting the country which makes the spare parts for your combat aircraft is not a good idea. Despite the F-16 fiasco, Venezuela remains the primary Iranian outpost in the Western Hemisphere. Google is rolling out a range of new ChromeOS features designed to enhance accessibility and give classroom learning a new identity this year. From facial expression controls to collaborative tools for educators, these updates are helpful in improving usability and functionality across its platform. Control Your Chromebook with Facial Expressions You could never go wrong with your Chromebook at the moment since Google surprised us with a new accessibility feature that we haven't seen before. The Verge reports that you can now control your Chromebook using head movements and facial expressions. Designed for individuals with motor impairments, this feature leverages advanced AI technology to translate gestures into actions on the device. It's that simple and convenient. Initially announced in December, this tool is now available on compatible Chromebooks, with Google recommending devices equipped with at least 8GB of RAM for optimal performance. This isn't Google's first venture into facial expression technology. The company previously developed Project Gameface, an open-source AI accessibility tool for Windows games, and expanded its capabilities to Android devices. Expanding the Chromebook Lineup for 2025 Google is gearing up to launch over 20 new Chromebook models in 2025, spanning its standard Chromebook and Chromebook Plus lines. While the figure includes existing devices like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus released in October, it also accounts for new entries, such as the recently announced 14-inch Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1. These new Chromebooks are tailored to meet the needs of students, educators, and professionals, offering enhanced performance and versatility for various use cases. New Classroom Tools for Educators To improve digital learning, Google has introduced a suite of Class Tools aimed at empowering educators. These tools enable teachers to take real-time control of their students' screens, enhancing collaboration and interaction during lessons. Here's why you should use the set of Class Tools: Screen Sharing: Teachers can send content directly to students' Chromebook screens. Live Captions and Translations: Real-time accessibility tools for inclusive learning environments. Remote Screen Viewing: Educators can monitor students' screens to ensure engagement and participation. Collaborative Sharing: Easily share a student's work with the entire class. These tools are designed to make online learning more interactive and efficient, offering teachers better control and flexibility. Google Classroom Integrates with Figma's FigJam Google Classroom is getting a productivity boost with its integration of Figma's FigJam, an online whiteboard platform. This allows teachers to assign brainstorming and group work tasks seamlessly within the classroom environment. Students can collaborate on virtual whiteboards, making it easier to share ideas and complete projects. Combined with teachers' ability to monitor screens, this integration ensures accountability and participation in group assignments. With the anticipated release of more than 20 Chromebook models in 2025, Google is doubling down on its efforts to cater to a wide range of users, from educators and students to professionals. Google's latest ChromeOS updates showed its focus on inclusivity and innovation. From empowering users with motor impairments to giving educators powerful tools to manage classrooms, these features are what educators and students need to achieve a better ChromeOS experience. The TikTok short form video hosting service logo is seen on a mobile device in this illustration photo taken in Warsaw, Poland on 17 July, 2024. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he'd consider the possibility of Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok. At a press briefing to announce a joint venture for investing in artificial intelligence infrastructure, Trump was asked by a reporter if he was open to "Elon buying TikTok." "I would be if he wanted to buy it, yes," Trump said in response. "I'd like Larry to buy it, too." TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, is in a state of limbo in the U.S. after Trump signed an executive order on Monday to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. for 75 days. That order aims to suspend a ban that went into effect after the Supreme Court last week upheld the validity of a national security law that would penalize app stores and service providers for hosting TikTok unless ByteDance sold it. Analysts have valued TikTok's U.S. business at about $50 billion. Trump said on Tuesday that TikTok would be "worthless" without a permit to operate in the U.S., but could be worth $1 trillion with one. Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX and owner of social media app X, was one of Trump's top financial backers in the campaign and is positioned to wield major influence in the administration. Ellison is a longtime Trump supporter, and Oracle is TikTok's cloud infrastructure provider in the U.S. "What I'm thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it and give half to the United States of America," Trump said. "And we'll give you the permit.'" Trump said ByteDance would have "the ultimate partner" in the U.S. which would "make it very worthwhile for them in terms of the permits and everything else." Trump's views on TikTok have shifted radically since his first term. In 2020, Trump signed an executive order to ban the app. A federal court viewed his effort as "arbitrary and capricious," and blocked him. He began to speak more favorably of TikTok after he met in February with billionaire Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, a major ByteDance investor who also owns a stake in the owner of Truth Social, Trump's social media app. TikTok CEO Shou Chew attended Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Monday. ByteDance has not indicated whether it will sell TikTok, but the Chinese government has reportedly considered a plan that would involve Musk acquiring the operations. Musk didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Oracle and TikTok representatives also didn't provide an immediate comment. WATCH: President Trump speaks on AI infrastructure investment U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, on Nov. 19, 2024. President Donald Trump's new administration is likely to do away with the White House's National Space Council, a cabinet policy panel that lobbyists at Elon Musk's SpaceX have been pushing to axe, according to three people familiar with the plans. Trump's aides and SpaceX's top lobbyist Mat Dunn in recent months have told associates they see the space council as a "waste of time", according to the sources, stirring doubts about its fate and whether Vice President JD Vance would have an interest in chairing it as required by law. Following Trump's election victory, his team did not contact the space council, chaired by Kamala Harris, as it did with NASA and other agencies over transition plans, one of the sources said. The council's staff offices near the White House have mostly been emptied, the source said. Dunn, SpaceX and the heads of former President Joe Biden's space council did not respond to requests for comment. The space council's demise would be an early indication of SpaceX's influence over space policy under Trump. Musk, SpaceX's CEO who spent a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump back in the White House, has maintained close proximity with the president and united with him on plans to send missions to Mars during his second term. Trump in December named Jared Isaacman, a Musk associate and longtime customer of SpaceX, to lead NASA. In November, Trump joined Musk in SpaceX's Texas mission control for the company's sixth Starship test launch, wooed by a Mars-tailored rocket that could play a role in potential Mars missions. Biden's administration kept the council, which hosted one public council meeting per year, as required, to focus largely on building international alliances and rules in space. In 2023, the council released a proposal that frustrated the private space industry for seeking to implement "mission authorization", which would have resulted in greater U.S. government supervision of corporate activity in space. Trump's first administration in 2017 revived the space council, after it was disbanded in 1993, as a spearhead for the creation of the U.S. Space Force and platform to launch policies such as returning humans to the moon and reforming commercial space launch regulations. If the council is axed, two sources said, Trump's team would look to build on some of those space policy efforts from his first term while making good on a campaign promise to trim back federal bureaucracy, a key task handed to Musk's government efficiency team. Views on the space council's value fluctuate between presidential administrations, with some seeing it as duplicative of smaller space-focused White House offices while others believe it allows for quicker action on space priorities. Audrey Schaffer, former space policy chief on Biden's National Security Council, defended the space council's role in an op-ed, opens new tab on Monday. "Without a team dedicated to space policy," Schaffer said, "the sheer volume of issues White House staff must tackle on a daily basis quickly crowds out any space agenda." The surprise Stargate project announcement at the White House on Monday creates new opportunities for artificial intelligence-related stocks and some other companies too, according to Wall Street analysts. The joint venture among Softbank , Oracle and OpenAI pledged to invest up to $500 billion in the U.S. 's AI infrastructure, with $100 billion of that immediately available. So far, 10 data centers are currently under construction in the U.S., with plans to build a total of 20. Technology partners named so far in the deal also include Nvidia , Microsoft , Arm Holdings and Oracle . The deal appears to "rely heavily" upon Nvidia's computer technology and hardware solutions presenting a tailwind for its shares, according to UBS. "While investors have become increasingly concerned about peak compute demand, this should go a long way to quelling these concerns and potentially adding growth runway for NVDA beyond [calendar] 2026," UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri wrote in a Wednesday note. Oracle is another stock analysts think will benefit from the increasing buildout of AI infrastructure. The company could see additional deals with the federal government, according to Evercore ISI analyst Kirk Materne. "We believe the Stargate announcement is a reminder that Oracle's opportunities at the Federal level are material and another potential revenue driver when thinking out over the term of this new administration," Materne said in a note on Tuesday. ORCL 1Y mountain Oracle over the past year. Similarly, UBS also highlighted Microsoft and Oracle as winners owing to Stargate. The two are a "natural and expected choice" for OpenAI in training graphics processing units capacity, according to analyst Karl Keirstead. "That said, the scale of this data center build-out is likely even larger than most Oracle analysts contemplated," Keirstead said in a research note on Tuesday. "In our view this is a clear net positive for Oracle shares and its OCI trajectory in the coming years." Beyond AI-technology stocks, another segment that stands to benefit from the deal are global cement and construction companies needed to build out the data centers which will require "an awful lot of building materials," RBC Capital Markets analyst Anthony Coding wrote. Building materials supplier CRH and Heidelberg Materials are the analyst's top picks to benefit from heightened demand as a result of the deal. "Should the later stages of Stargate lead to investments across the U.S., based on our analysis of the end market exposure of the companies we follow, we believe that CRH Is the biggest beneficiary of the global cement players," Coding said. CRH 1Y mountain CRH shares over the past year. Broadly, the deal is a positive for AI infrastructure companies. Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers named chipmaker Arm Holdings which was named in the Stargate annoucement as one of the key tech partners as a beneficiary. Computer networking company Arista Networks also could see a "derivative positive" from Oracle's involvement in Stargate. Oracle is one of Arista's main customers. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. The recently brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas isn't a "strategic" win for the Jewish state, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat told CNBC. Announced last week, the agreement has so far seen the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and will, if honored by all parties, continue to see captives freed and bring an end to the devastating 15-month war between the two adversaries. Still, speaking at the World Economic Forum, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat told CNBC's Dan Murphy on Tuesday: "I don't think it's a strategic victory. A strategic victory is to bring peace to the Middle East." He added that such an outcome would involve Hamas' historical ally Iran not achieving what Barkat described as Tehran's goal to "wipe Israel off the map." "We need to make sure they never have that. There are fingerprints of Iran all over our region, all over Oct. 7," the minister said, referring to the Hamas-led attack in 2023 that killed roughly 1,200 in Israel and took more than 200 hostages. "We must make sure they pay a heavy price for that," he added, saying Israel must also pursue the "jihadists" in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and "all over the world," as well as expand the Abraham accords a set of agreements to normalize ArabIsraeli relations. "This would be a strategic victory," Barkat said. The artificial intelligence boom doesn't appear to be going away any time soon. Tech and other industry leaders from Bill Gates to Mark Cuban have embraced the technology and touted its potential to reshape the global economy. Colleges and universities have followed suit, preparing tomorrow's workforce to use and continue to develop AI tools for a variety of business and life applications. Back in 2018, long before ChatGPT gained its current notoriety around college campuses, Carnegie Mellon University began offering the country's first Bachelor of Science degree in artificial intelligence. "Specialists in artificial intelligence have never been more important, in shorter supply or in greater demand by employers," Andrew Moore, former dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon said in a press release at the time. Since then, over a dozen schools throughout the country have developed their own AI degree programs, including the University of Pennsylvania, which became the first Ivy League school to offer an AI-focused degree in 2024. CNBC Make It identified at least 14 colleges and universities that currently offer bachelor of science degrees in AI: Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Dakota State University Madison, South Dakota Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois Keiser University Fort Lauderdale, Florida Long Island University Brookville, New York Mississippi State University Mississippi State, Mississippi New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, Rhode Island Oakland University Rochester, Michigan Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, Texas In addition to its B.S. program, Purdue University also offers a bachelor of arts in AI which includes computer science course requirements alongside a philosophy-focused curriculum. The following schools offer other kinds of AI-related degrees: Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona: B.S. in AI for business University of Southern California Los Angeles, California: B.S. in AI for business University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, Texas: B.S. in business analytics and AI Earning your degree in AI could help you land a good job in the industry, but it may not be necessary. Many of the AI pioneers like OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman certainly didn't need an AI degree or a degree at all to succeed in the field. But if you're passionate about using your undergraduate years to study the technology some say will revolutionize the world, one of these schools may be the place for you. Want to up your AI skills and be more productive? Take CNBC's new online course How to Use AI to Be More Successful at Work. Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid. Sign up now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+ taxes and fees) through February 11, 2025. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on AI infrastructure at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. Carlos Barria | Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda raises awkward questions for the European Union, although some lawmakers say Trump's return to the White House could be a "real opportunity" for the 27-nation bloc. Trump, who promised a new "golden age" for America in his inaugural address on Monday, has repeatedly threatened to impose duties on goods imported to the U.S. from the EU, stoking fears of a possible trade war. Speaking to reporters earlier in the week, Trump said the EU has been "very, very bad to us. So, they're going to be in for tariffs. It's the only way you're going to get fairness." His comments come as the new U.S. administration mulls imposing an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China, potentially starting from next month. EU officials, some of whom struggled with Trump's confrontational style during his first four-year term, have suggested his return to office could be a positive for the bloc this time around. Laurent Saint-Martin, France's minister delegate for foreign trade and French nationals abroad, described Trump's election victory as a "real opportunity" for Europe. "We have to stick together, this is very important," Saint-Martin told CNBC's Dan Murphy at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. Ursula von der Leyen, president of European Commission, at a news conference following a meeting of the Christian Democratic Union party in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images "Europe is a very powerful continent in terms of industry, in terms of savings, in terms of purchase power, in terms of the single market. So, what we need now is to create more unity and to defend our values as well," Saint-Martin said. "But don't be naive, there is probably a new shape of the world and of trade systems for tomorrow, so we have to be ready to change, but first of all we have to be united," he continued. "You know, the first mandate of Donald Trump was a kind of opportunity for Europe to be together in terms of defense Now I think it's time to be more united on industry and trade." Business leaders, meanwhile, have expressed mixed feelings about Trump 2.0. Richard Edelman, CEO of global communications firm Edelman, suggested Trump's return could be a "shot in the arm" for businesses, while ING CEO Steven van Rijswijk told CNBC that the U.S. president's inauguration should constitute a "wake-up call for Europe." 'America First' and Europe second? The transatlantic economic relationship is considered critically important to both Washington and Brussels, with the two economies sharing the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world. In dealing with Trump's tariff threats, Finland President Alexander Stubb said it's going to be important for Europe to "take it one day at a time." President Alexander Stub of Finland speaks as he arrives at the 2024 NATO summit on July 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images "In foreign policy, you always have to react to a certain situation, especially when you come from a small state, and you realize that you work with whoever is the president of the biggest superpower in the world," Stubb told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at WEF on Wednesday. "Now, I, of course, take comfort in the fact that Donald Trump wants the United States to remain and retain the position of a superpower and for that, you need allies, and I think those allies come from Europe," Stubb said. "So, if I may simplify a little bit, though it is 'America First,' perhaps it should be Europe second, which is quite fine," he added. Poland Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said Wednesday that Europe's "best answer" to any possible tension with the U.S. is to bring back competitiveness and make the economy stronger. "We know how to do it, and we will do it step by step," Domanski told CNBC at the WEF's annual meeting. "Our Polish relations with the U.S. are very, very good and, as you said, we are buying lots of U.S. military equipment, tanks, fighter jets. Actually, you name it, we buy it," Domanski said. "But, as a European Union, of course we must and we will remain united in our relations with the U.S.," he added. watch now Venture capitalist and early Facebook investor Jim Breyer said Wednesday that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been reenergized by the company's recent push into artificial intelligence. "Post election I've traded many messages and spoken to him," Breyer told CNBC's Sara Eisen on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "He's very revitalized." Breyer knows Zuckerberg well, having first invested in Facebook in 2005, when it was a fledgling social media site led by a 21-year-old Harvard dropout. It turned out to be one of the most lucrative investments in the history of the venture industry. Breyer said Zuckerberg's "original vision" was to connect billions of users through the social media platform. Last year, Zuckerberg made developing and investing in generative AI one of Meta's top priorities, and the company said it planned to spend billions more on AI infrastructure. Meta, which is building the Llama family of large language models, also launched a competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Breyer said he sees Meta emerging as a "top two or three" player in AI within the next five years. "I think he feels right now with what he's doing with AI, what he's doing from a technology standpoint, he feels he's really unleashed to go for it," said Breyer, who founded Breyer Capital in 2006 and left Facebook's board in 2013. "And I think Meta, through a lot of their open source work in AI, is as well positioned in AI as anyone out there." Zuckerberg has looked to smooth over relations with President Donald Trump since his election victory as Meta tries to established itself as an AI frontrunner. Meta has made a series of moves to appease the Trump administration. In the weeks leading up to Trump's second term, Meta pivoted its moderation policies to eliminate third-party fact-checkers, which Zuckerberg said would help "restore free expression." Meta also added UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime friend of Trump, to its board of directors. Zuckerberg attended Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday alongside a handful of other tech CEOs. In addition to OpenAI, which was chosen Tuesday to be part of Trump's joint venture on AI infrastructure, Meta also competes with Elon Musk's AI startup xAI. Musk has emerged as one of Trump's closest advisors, and he leads Trump's new government efficiency advisory board. WATCH: Breyer says 'Stargate Project' too big and expensive Europe will respond to any tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in a proportionate way, the European Union's commissioner for the economy told CNBC on Wednesday. "If there is a need to defend our economic interests, we will be responding in a proportionate way," Valdis Dombrovskis told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "We're ready to defend our values and also our interests and rights if that becomes necessary," he added. Since his inauguration on Monday, Trump has repeated his threat to impose tariffs on EU goods entering the United States, telling reporters that the EU was "very, very bad to us. So they're going to be in for tariffs. It's the only way ... you're going to get fairness." He also said his administration was discussing imposing an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China, starting in February. Dombrovskis said the U.S. and Europe were strategic allies, and it is important for them to work together, both geopolitically and economically. European officials were talking to their U.S. counterparts to find a "pragmatic" solution to the discussion of tariffs, he said, noting that global growth could suffer if the economic relationship between the two nations were damaged. "It's important to maintain this trade and investment relationship because of this global economic fragmentation would set in, and there is a real risk of this happening, and the IMF estimates that it would mean a reduction of the world GDP by up to 7%," Dombrovskis said. The EU is keen to hold on to its economic ties with the U.S., noting that they have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship and "enjoy the most integrated economic relationship in the world," the European Commission states. The balance of trade has been a particular bugbear for President Trump, with the EU having a trade goods surplus with the U.S. in 2023, but a deficit in services over the same period. In 2023, the EU exported more than 502 billion euros' worth ($522 billion) of goods to the U.S., while importing volumes in excess of 340 billion euros, resulting in a surplus, according to data from the European Commission. watch now Europe must "be prepared" and anticipate the potential trade tariffs of newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told CNBC on Wednesday. She said the fact that Trump had not imposed blanket tariffs on the first day of his presidency was a "very smart approach ... because blanket tariffs are not necessarily giving you the results that you expect." As such, she said she expects Trump's tariffs to be "more selective, focused." "What we need to do here in Europe is to be prepared, and anticipate what will happen in order to respond," she told CNBC's Karen Tso at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump has threatened to impose duties on goods imported to the U.S. from the EU and has repeated these claims since his inauguration on Monday, telling reporters that the EU has been "very, very bad to us. So they're going to be in for tariffs." Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Union's commissioner for the economy, on Wednesday told CNBC that if the bloc's economic interests needed to be defended, the EU would respond "in a proportionate way." European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaks to CNBC's Karen Tso on Jan. 22, 2025, at the World Economic Forum in Davos. CNBC There is widespread debate about the impact of the potential U.S. tariffs. Economists have said that the duties could hurt the economies that they are imposed onto, leading to fewer goods being exported to the U.S. Some have also warned that the U.S. economy could be affected as tariffs could result in higher inflation. Trump has said that the tariffs would protect U.S. business and support his country's economy. The ECB's Lagarde on Wednesday said that the theory of substitution lowering imports from Europe in an effort to "beef up" manufacturing in the U.S. was "questionable because the US economy [...] is almost running hot at the moment." "If you look at the [U.S.] labor market, you have a very low unemployment rate. If you look at the capacity, it's running almost at full capacity already. So that idea that you can manufacture what you will not import anymore, or that you will import at much higher prices, is... is something that will take a bit of time," she said. Importers likely also could not run businesses at low margins for an extended period of time, meaning that eventually "the buck passes to the consumer," Lagarde added. 'One way to respond' to U.S. trade policy Lagarde separately also called for the removal of obstacles to trade within Europe, noting that despite aspirations to create a single market there were still barriers that at times prevented goods and services from travelling without impairment. watch now Frank McCourt, civic entrepreneur, executive chairman of McCourt Global and founder of Project Liberty, speaks at The Wall Street Journals Future of Everything Festival in New York City on May 22, 2024. Andrew Kelly | Reuters Frank McCourt said his Project Liberty consortium, which has bid to buy TikTok, would be comfortable sharing ownership of the app so long as it's hosted on tech developed by his nonprofit. "I'm okay with whatever is legal and the U.S. government is OK with," McCourt told CNBC in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. McCourt's remarks come after President Donald Trump last week said that he would like the U.S. to have a "50% ownership position in a joint venture" in TikTok. The Supreme Court last week upheld the law requiring ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok or face an effective ban. Since TikTok was not sold by the law's Sunday deadline, the app was shut down for American users and also removed from Apple and Google's app stores. But TikTok began restoring some services Sunday after Trump said he would sign an executive order to delay a federal ban of the app, which he did on Monday. The executive order allows TikTok to keep operating for another 75 days. With all the twists and turns, McCourt said he's open to any commercial agreement, including a 50% stake rather than full ownership. "I'm not going to be the decision maker there. You know, this is President Trump's deal now it's in his ... administration, and you know, it will all get sorted out," McCourt said. "We're not flexible about the values and principles of Project Liberty, right?" he added. "We're totally flexible about commercial arrangements, as long as they abide by the law." McCourt's condition is that TikTok must run on technology called the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol, or DSNP, which is overseen by the Project Liberty Institute, the nonprofit founded by the billionaire. Focus on user data McCourt has been a critic of the way social media and internet companies collect user data and target them with ads. He has said that this current model, where the user has little control over their own data, needs to change. DSNP is focused on making those changes. The protocol is a technology that third-party developers can build apps on top of, but users are able to choose how their data is used and who has access to it. If they don't like a particular app, they can migrate their content and data to another service built on top of the DSNP. McCourt's goal is to purchase TikTok and put it on the DSNP. The "user experience would be very similar, with the one big exception owning your identity and your data and your relationships would be quite different than how Tiktok currently operates," McCourt said. "So if Project Liberty, or anybody else ... buys U.S. Tiktok and does a poor job, the underlying technology will allow that whole user base to go to a different app that's doing a better job," he added. Project Liberty has bid to buy TikTok without its core algorithm. Project Liberty is "not interested in the algorithm or the Chinese technology," McCourt said, although he admitted that TikTok is "worth less" without the algorithm. Many experts have said that TikTok's success is in large part due to its algorithm, which keeps users hooked on the app. Other buyers swirling Its unclear if ByteDance will sell TikTok or if China will agree to any kind of sale of the app in the U.S. Project Liberty is organizing the bid for TikTok with a consortium of other investors. It is dubbed the People's Bid For TikTok, but there are other potential buyers swirling. Trump said on Tuesday that he'd consider the possibility of Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok. The comments come after a report that the Chinese government has considered a plan that would involve Musk acquiring the operations. YouTube star MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, along with a group of investors is also preparing to make a bid for TikTok, his lawyer confirmed this week to various media outlets. CNBC's Jonathan Vanian, Hakyung Kim and Lora Kolodny contributed to this report. WATCH: Rep. Khanna on TikTok: No evidence of systematic algorithmic interference by the Chinese government JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Wednesday said that he and tech billionaire Elon Musk have smoothed over their previously contentious relationship. "Elon and I hugged it out," Dimon told CNBC in a TV interview at the World Economic Forum's annual event in Davos, Switzerland. "He came to one of our conferences, [and] he and I had a nice, long chat. We settled some of our differences." Dimon praised Musk's various companies, including Tesla , space exploration firm SpaceX and Neuralink a startup seeking to develop brain-computer interface systems. "The guy is our Einstein," the JPMorgan chief said. "I'd like to be helpful to him and his companies as much as we can." Dimon's remarks come after the U.S. banking giant late last year agreed to drop a lawsuit filed against Tesla in 2021, seeking $162.2 million plus fees in a dispute over stock warrant transactions. Previously, JPMorgan had alleged Tesla had breached the terms of a contract that the companies signed pertaining to repricing the warrants. Tesla was supposed to deliver stock or cash if its share price went above a contractually agreed "strike price" by a certain expiration date. Los Angeles Times investigation raises questions about Eaton Fire evacuation Xinhua) 13:14, January 22, 2025 LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- An investigation by the Los Angeles Times has raised new questions about why it took so long to issue evacuation warnings to parts of Los Angeles region devastated by the deadly Eaton Fire earlier this month, said the biggest newspaper in U.S. West Coast on Tuesday. Records, radio logs and interviews show that residents living west of Lake Avenue in Altadena were not told to evacuate via electronic alerts until many hours after the Eaton Fire started, said the report, adding that residents said they were stunned how long it took to get the evacuation order, and by then many homes in the area were on fire. The Eaton Fire, one of the two largest active wildfires in Los Angeles area, was 89 percent contained as of Tuesday morning. The fire has burned over 14,000 acres (56.7 square km) and destroyed 9,418 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Of the 17 deaths confirmed so far in the fire, all of them occurred in the area west of Lake Avenue, noted the report of the Los Angeles Times. The fire roared out of Eaton Canyon around 6:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 7, pushed west by intense Santa Ana winds. Many neighborhoods in eastern Altadena and surrounding areas got evacuation warnings and orders that Tuesday night, said the report. The report pointed out that records reviewed by the newspaper show that Altadena neighborhoods west of North Lake Avenue did not get electronic evacuation orders until 3:25 a.m. and never received evacuation warnings. By then, burning embers were raining down on neighborhoods on the west side of Altadena and igniting homes. Los Angeles County emergency officials declined to discuss details of the evacuation process, which they described as a unified command involving the Sheriff's Department, county fire department and other agencies, said the report. According to the report, the Office of Emergency Management noted in a statement that "Wireless emergency alerts are only one of several means of notifying residents to evacuate their homes during a fire emergency." "Our response also includes door knocks, patrols with loudspeakers driving up and down streets messaging the need to evacuate, as well as leveraging local media to help us get the news to residents. This is a layered process and system intended to provide redundancy during local and widespread disasters," the agency added. Officials have vowed to conduct a full review of their actions during the fire, said the report. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) MBABANE The CBE groundbreaking listing of the R4 billion Bond on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is not only boosting the countrys financial markets but also earning global recognition. The R400 million inaugural issuance of the Protea Bond, made under this listing, has been shortlisted for the Global Banking & Markets Africa Awards 2025.This high-profile nomination places Eswatini alongside other international players, with the Protea Bond recognised in three competitive categories: Sovereign, Supra & Agency Bond Deal of the Year, Debut SSA Bond Deal of the Year and High Yield Debt Deal of the Year. John Harrison, Head of Editorial at Global Banking and Markets, highlighted the significance of the awards. These awards celebrate the most innovative and groundbreaking deals from sovereign, corporate and financial institution issuers worldwide. We are thrilled to bring the industry together once again for the awards ceremony at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town on March 26, 2025, Harrison said. Eswatinis R4 billion listing on the JSE under the Protea Bond programme marks a historic moment for the country. This segment allows foreign governments to issue South African Rand-denominated bonds on the JSE, offering a unique opportunity to attract investors while diversifying funding sources. Significant Since the listing, Eswatini has already realised significant gains, starting with the successful issuance of the R400 million Bond. Dr Melvin Khomo, the Director of Financial Markets at CBE, expressed pride in this global recognition. This nomination is not only a testament to the strength of Eswatinis financial strategy but also a signal to investors that we are a credible and competitive player in the regional and international markets, he said. The nomination reflects the growing sophistication of Eswatinis financial ecosystem and its ability to attract global attention. Should the Protea Bond win in any of the categories, it would further cement Eswatinis reputation as a rising financial hub in Africa. This recognition, coupled with the positive impact of the bond listing, demonstrates the strategic importance of innovative financial instruments in driving economic growth and global visibility for smaller economies like Eswatini. Confidence The Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg had previously stated that choosing to list in the South African market represents a demonstration of governments confidence in the South African markets, given their participation in the Common Monetary Area (CMA) and strong economic links with South Africa. Sovereign bonds are an important tool for governments to raise funds for large and critical capital projects such as roads, power stations and hospitals. One of the biggest "new" things to come out of the Trump White House so far is yesterday's splashy announcement of "Stargate." It has sent shares of Oracle up 13% in fewer than 24 hours. It has analysts in almost every sector talking about the impact it could have on the stocks they cover. But what is it, exactly? A juiced-up version--without using any taxpayer dollars, as far as I can tell--of a massive supercomputer project that was already underway. Specifically, it's a joint venture between Oracle, OpenAI (which is privately held), and Japan's Softbank to invest a combined $100 billion in a new U.S. company, and "up to $500 billion" over the next four years. What is this company going to do? Its first project will be the buildout of data centers, ten of which are already planned in Abilene, Texas, and whose construction is already underway, according to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. That could benefit Texas-exposed concrete and material names like CRH, Cemex, and Holcim, according to RBC--although they only have 3-4% total revenue exposure, and their shares are up just fractionally today. The much bigger moves are in the chip and tech stocks. The name "Stargate" refers to an AI supercomputer that these new data centers will support, which, according to The Information (which first reported this back in March), could cost over $100 billion and take five to six years to complete--making it potentially 100 times more expensive than the ones we're currently using. UBS thinks it could end up having "well over a million" GPUs. The biggest beneficiaries today are shareholders of Arm Holdings--which will be one of the "key initial technology partners," along with NVIDIA and Microsoft. Arm shares are surging 16% today and a whopping 45% since Jan. 1. Arm is also still majority owned by Softbank, whose CEO, Masayoshi Son, will be chairman of the new company. Masa Son, if you recall, previewed this announcement with Trump last month. He has promised to create 100,000 U.S. jobs; he has certainly created billions in market cap. Stargate's power needs, by the way, could be massive and even require nuclear-scale support. "We anticipate further developments in permitting reform and federal investment...particularly in nuclear energy," to fuel this buildout, Ed Mills of Raymond James wrote today. Intriguingly, this project was initially reported as a joint venture between close partners OpenAI and Microsoft. And yet, one surprise out of yesterday's announcement is not only that many more companies and even foreign financiers will be involved (such as Middle East AI fund MGX), but that Microsoft is now actually losing its status as OpenAI's exclusive cloud provider. Wells Fargo analyst Michael Turrin isn't concerned. Microsoft, he notes, will now have the right of first refusal on all new OpenAI compute, "benefitting both parties, in our view," he wrote. Sure enough, Microsoft shares are up 3% today. The company can now take "only the highest-margin or most-consistent compute," lower some of its capital expenditures, and diversify its revenue base, he pointed out. So what we seem to have here, in other words, is the president marshalling eager tech CEOs who will directly benefit from this work to scale up their investment plans for a massive supercomputer that will help the U.S. keep its edge in the AI technology race. As our Deirdre Bosa has reported, this comes as many in the tech world are concerned by the breakout success of China's "DeepSeek," which has reportedly built a competitive AI model in just two months for less than $6 million using inexpensive GPUs. It's also a stark contrast to the Biden administration, whose Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act cost $550 billion of taxpayer dollars. This is essentially Trump's private-sector version, which as RBC noted is actually somewhat smaller than they had hoped. (And hence why the materials stocks aren't huge movers today.) It's still bullish, Macquarie notes, for the power infrastructure stocks--and in fact brings that sector, long seen as more of a Democratic policy beneficiary, into Republicans' orbit as well. All of which is to say, Stargate also seems to giving us a glimpse into the quickly-arriving future of the U.S. economy. See you at 1 p.m! Kelly Click HERE to sign up for this newsletter in one easy step. Twitter: @KellyCNBC Instagram: @realkellyevans Kevin O'Leary is seen in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on May 28, 2024. Canadian investor Kevin O'Leary is still interested in a TikTok deal, but it's not possible under current law, he told CNBC, as President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a ban on the social media platform. As part of a wave of executive orders on Monday, Trump delayed by 75 days the imposition of a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the U.S., allowing for "an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action." Trump had promised the move in a social media post on Sunday, also floating a deal that would see the platform, owned by China-based tech giant ByteDance, stay active under a joint venture with a 50% American stake. "That 50/50 deal, I would love to work with Trump on, so would every other potential buyer ... But the problem with some of these ideas is they are inconsistent with the ruling of the Supreme Court," said O'Leary, widely known from his role in ABC's "Shark Tank." The investor announced that he, along with "The People's Bid for TikTok," an effort led by Project Liberty Founder Frank McCourt, had offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash to buy the platform in an appearance on Fox News' "America's Newsroom." Speaking to CNBC, he said the proposed deal did not include ByteDance's TikTok algorithm, which has been a key point of scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers, adding that his group had its own alternative. In order for TikTok to stay online under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, or PAFACA, signed last year, ByteDance needed to divest it by a Sunday deadline or see the ban come into effect. TikTok temporarily went dark in the U.S. after the Supreme Court upheld PAFACA on Friday, but resumed service after Trump provided it with assurances. McCourt confirmed to CNBC that the Project Liberty team remained "ready to work collaboratively with the Trump Administration, ByteDance, and a consortium of American partners" to finalize a deal and keep TikTok online. "Project Liberty has a proven tech stack that is already in use and offers a clear path to address the national security concerns of Congress while keeping TikTok operational," he added. A splashy White House announcement on artificial intelligence investment is a shot in the arm to Nvidia and a host of other portfolio stocks involved in the AI boom. The news OpenAI, Oracle , Softbank and investment fund MGX established a new company dubbed the Stargate Project to build AI infrastructure in the U.S. In a press release, ChatGPT creator OpenAI said $100 billion will be deployed "immediately," with plans calling for a total of $500 billion in investment over the next four years. Construction has already started on the Stargate Project's first data centers in Texas, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison said Tuesday evening appearing alongside OpenAI's Sam Altman, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son and President Donald Trump . The event confirms earlier reporting dating back to early 2024 about OpenAI's ambitions to expand its computing footprint in the U.S. Club holdings Nvidia and Microsoft , which have maintained a close relationship with OpenAI for years, are among the "key initial technology partners" for the Stargate Project, according to a press release . Oracle, Nvidia and OpenAI intend to "closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system," the release stated. It also read: "OpenAI will continue to increase its consumption of Azure as OpenAI continues its work with Microsoft with this additional compute to train leading models and deliver great products and services." Investors are upbeat on the news. Shares of Nvidia rose 3.5% on Wednesday to nearly $146 each. That's on top of a 2.3% gain in Tuesday's session fueled by afternoon reports of the then-forthcoming AI infrastructure announcement. Microsoft added 3% to roughly $437 a share after a muted session Tuesday. Other Club companies not explicitly called out in the press release or during the White House event were up on the news. Shares of Eaton , an electrical equipment supplier with a significant data center presence, rose 4%, building on a more than 3% gain Tuesday. Strong results from electronic connectors maker Amphenol are boosting sentiment on Eaton, too. Dover , another AI data center play but to a lesser extent, initially climbed Wednesday before fizzling. The stock gained 1.7% in the prior session. Big picture The generative AI gold rush continues as companies scramble to build more computing infrastructure to meet the demands of the nascent technology. Billions upon billions of dollars have already been invested since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 sparked the AI boom. The Stargate Project indicates that there's plenty more on the way, an encouraging sign for investors in companies that benefit from the aggressive spending. Nvidia, the leading maker of AI chips, is the embodiment of the AI boom. And, in a note to clients, analysts at UBS said the Stargate Project may extend Nvidia's runway for growth beyond the next calendar year. But there's so much more inside these data centers than just Nvidia's graphics processing units, or GPUs, and that's where the likes of Eaton and Dover come into the fold. Eaton is a big player in the electrical systems for data centers, utilities, and other commercial and industrial markets. A diversified industrial, Dover's liquid cooling technology for the high-powered servers containing Nvidia GPUs is a key growth area. One question mark surrounding the Stargate Project announcement is the evolving ties between OpenAI and Microsoft, given that the ChatGPT creator and Oracle are forming a cozier relationship through this initiative. In a press release, Microsoft said crucial parts of its OpenAI partnership are still in place through 2030, such as revenue sharing agreements and OpenAI's application programming interference, or API, being exclusive to Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform. The big change is that Microsoft now has a right of first refusal on new computing capacity for OpenAI. "To further support OpenAI, Microsoft has approved OpenAI's ability to build additional capacity, primarily for research and training of models," the company said. Some on Wall Street view this tweak as a positive for Microsoft. Analysts at Wells Fargo said the tech giant can now "take only the highest-margin or most-consistent compute" from OpenAI, with its preference being for the day-to-day use of AI models, known as inference, ahead of the more intensive training process. It also helps Microsoft "offload" some capital expenditures to other companies, Wells Fargo argued. Microsoft already intends to spend $80 billion on AI data centers in its fiscal 2025, which ends in June. "I think the partnership with OpenAI, to us, is a critical partnership. We love it. It's working. It's created a lot of value for us, and we plan to just continue forward with it," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a CNBC interview Wednesday from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Bottom line The pledged spending from the Stargate Project, if it comes to pass, should provide tailwinds to our basket of AI stocks over the medium and long term. In the short run, the market reaction offers an opportunity in Dover. "Dover is a terrific stock to own," Jim said during Wednesday's Morning Meeting, arguing CEO Richard Tobin can still further reshape its business portfolio to focus on faster-growing areas. With shares turning lower Wednesday, Jim said he would buy the stock. Nvidia has become a "battleground" name of late, Jim said. Still, its leadership position in the AI race is unchanged. While we're pleased to see Microsoft catch a bid Wednesday, it's too early to say whether shares have actually found their footing. The stock's recent underperformance has been "problematic," Jim said. "This is a company that could miss its numbers" when it reports earnings next Wednesday evening, Jim said. "Now, that doesn't mean we have to abandon ship." (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long NVDA, MSFT, ETN and DOV. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. From left, President Donald Trump, Oracle Executive Chairman Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appear in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Jan. 21, 2025. Trump announced a joint venture to fund artificial intelligence infrastructure. Aaron Schwartz | Sipa | Bloomberg | Getty Images It's "paramount" that Europe returns to Cold War-era defense spending policies as the war in Ukraine continues, Polish President Andrzej Duda told CNBC on Wednesday. The president warned the security situation in Europe has "drastically changed" since 2014, when NATO's defense expenditure rules were first introduced. "There's hardly any difference between Soviet imperialism and Putin's version. It's about expansionism, gaining territory, dominating other countries and enlarging the Russia sphere of influence," he told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "So today, if we want to defend against this and us Poles decisively do we're spending close to 5% of GDP on defense this year. We're aware that we have to modernize our armed forces, we have to be strong and provide a real deterrent to keep Russia aggression at bay," he said according to a CNBC translation. Duda also called on other NATO members to boost their defense budgets in solidarity. "Percentages themselves won't scare off Russia," but if the money goes towards expanding military capabilities, Russia could be defeated, he said. "I believe that if NATO members step up to the plate and they succeed in universally modernizing their armed forces with that 3% of GDP, at least, then they'll be able to attain such defense capabilities to render any Russian attacks futile." Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west, has been a key supporter of Kyiv throughout the war, accepting thousands of civilians fleeing the conflict and donating military aid, including tanks and armored personnel carriers. The total amount of assistance from Poland to the region amounts to 3.23 billion euros (or $3.37 billion), according to data from the presidential office. Duda on Wednesday reiterated that Russia "must be repelled" and order restored. "We're saying now that neither side can win outright, so we have to support Ukraine as much as possible so that Russia is unable to defeat it, so that Ukraine can drive out the Russian army from as much of its occupied territory as possible," he said. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 30: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on March 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) Prince Harry claimed a "monumental" victory over Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper group on Wednesday after the publisher settled his lawsuit, admitting unlawful actions at its Sun tabloid for the first time and paying substantial damages. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, had been suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, at the High Court in London, alleging the papers had illegally obtained private information about him from 1996 till 2011. NGN also admitted it had intruded into the private life of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. A source familiar with the settlement said the damages involved an eight-figure sum. "In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch's UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices," Harry and his co-claimant Tom Watson said in a statement. "Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived," said the statement, read by their lawyer David Sherborne outside the High Court. The trial to consider Harry's case, and a similar lawsuit from former senior British lawmaker Watson, had been due to start on Tuesday but following last-gasp talks, the two sides reached a settlement, with NGN saying there had been wrongdoing at The Sun, something it had denied for years. "NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun," Sherborne said. "NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years." It also admitted targeting Watson, including when he was a junior minister under then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had been due to give evidence had the trial gone ahead. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2R) stands alongside Indo-Pacific Quad ministers, L-R, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, during a photo opportunity before meetings at the State Department in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025. The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the China-focused "Quad" grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. In a joint statement after the talks in Washington, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first day in the job, the four nations said officials would meet regularly to prepare for an upcoming leaders' summit in India, expected this year. The four countries share concerns about China's growing power and analysts said the meeting was designed to signal that countering Beijing is a top priority for Trump, who began his second term in office on Monday. Rubio earlier said he said would stress the importance of working with allies "on the things that are important to America and Americans" during the meeting. He posed with Australia's Penny Wong, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya in front of the flags of their countries before the meeting at the State Department, but did not respond to questions from reporters. "Significant that the Quad (foreign ministers' meeting) took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration," Jaishankar said on X after the meeting. "This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states." The four nations restated their "shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended," the joint statement said. "We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," it said, an apparent reference to the threat that China will act on its claim to sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan. That includes in the East China Sea, where Japan is locked in a territorial dispute with China, and in the contested South China Sea, Japan's government said in a later statement. A trade war is not in the interest of the European Union or the U.S., Spain's prime minister told CNBC Wednesday. "We share a strong transatlantic bond ... our economies are very interlinked and I believe a trade war is not in the interest [of either party], neither for the U.S., neither for the European Union," Pedro Sanchez told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "A trade war is a kind of a zero-sum gain," he added. "We need to focus on how do we strengthen our transatlantic relationship, which is now more important than ever." Since his inauguration on Monday, President Donald Trump has repeated his threat to impose tariffs on EU goods entering the United States, telling reporters that the EU was "very, very bad to us. So they're going to be in for tariffs. It's the only way ... you're going to get fairness." On Tuesday, Trump said his administration was discussing imposing an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China, starting in February. He has also warned that Mexico and Canada could likewise be targeted with import duties. The European Union's commissioner for the economy told CNBC that the bloc would respond to any tariffs imposed by the U.S. "If there is a need to defend our economic interests, we will be responding in a proportionate way," Valdis Dombrovskis told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick. "We're ready to defend our values and also our interests and rights if that becomes necessary," he added. European officials were talking to their U.S. counterparts to find a "pragmatic" solution to the discussion of tariffs, Dombrovskis stressed, noting that global growth could suffer if the economic relationship between the two nations were damaged. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on AI infrastructure at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. Carlos Barria | Reuters Politicians from around the world gathered for the second day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, and there was one name on everyone's lips: Donald Trump. Inaugurated on Monday as president of the United States, Trump's proposed tariffs on Europe were a particularly hot topic. Speaking to CNBC, here's what European policymakers had to say about what four more years of Trump could mean for America's relationship with Europe. Pedro Sanchez, prime minister, Spain "We share a strong transatlantic bond ... our economies are very interlinked and I believe a trade war is not in the interest [of either party], neither for the U.S., neither for the European Union," Sanchez told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick on the sidelines of the event. "A trade war is a kind of a zero-sum game. We need to focus on how we strengthen our transatlantic relationship, which is now more important than ever." Christine Lagarde, president, European Central Bank Lagarde welcomed the fact that Trump did not enforce blanket tariffs on the EU on his first day in office. "I think it's a very smart approach to the matter of trade, because blanket tariffs are not necessarily giving you the results that you expect. I'm not sure exactly what result is expected, whether it's a transactional tool, whether it's going to be a pure trade tool, but I'm not really surprised," she told CNBC's Karen Tso. "It doesn't mean to say that it will not happen. I think that it will be a more selective, focused development that we will see in the next few days or weeks. But I think what we need to do here in Europe is to be prepared and anticipate what will happen in order to respond." Alexander Stubb, president, Finland "I take comfort in the fact that President Trump wants the United States to remain a superpower, and for that you need allies and I think those allies come from Europe. So though it is America first, perhaps it should be Europe second, which is fine," Stubb told CNBC's Dan Murphy. "I also take comfort in the fact that he's a man of peace. [He] just forged peace in the Middle East and I think he's going to try to do the same thing in Ukraine. Then there are, of course, things that I find problematic, such as trade tariffs, but we'll see how we deal with that." Laurent Saint-Martin, minister delegate for foreign trade, France Regarding the impact of tariffs, Saint-Martin said: "For now, there are no new tariffs, so we'll see." "We know Donald Trump, during his first [term], President Emmanuel Macron worked with him closely, he's still an ally. Europe and the U.S. are friends, but we have to be realistic and pragmatic if there are new tariffs we will have to respond," he added. "I think Trump's election can be a real opportunity for us but if tomorrow there was new tariffs, if there was some countries, say the U.S. or China, who didn't want to play by the rules anymore, then we will have to adapt. We cannot be the last continent in the world to follow rules that no one follows." Wopke Hoekstra, European commissioner for climate, net zero and clean growth Hoekstra said the U.S. "will be missed" after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement the U.N.'s landmark deal aimed at curtailing global warming. "It is unfortunate. Not completely unexpected but it is unfortunate given the pivotal role the U.S. is playing at a global stage," he said. "It is the largest economy, it is the most dominant power, it is the second-largest emitter. So, losing them in the cycles of international diplomacy as far as climate is related, is unfortunate," he said. Valdis Dombrovskis, EU commissioner for the economy "If there is a need to defend our economic interests, we will be responding in a proportionate way," Dombrovskis told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick. "We're ready to defend our values and also our interests and rights if that becomes necessary." Elisabeth Svantesson, finance minister, Sweden "There has been a lot of focus on the tariffs. Tariffs are bad if they get higher but what we do, we have to do together," she said. "Sweden is very dependent on exports. So, of course, if more and more countries [impose] more protectionism, it's bad for us but it's also bad for the global economy. It's not so good for the U.S. if they have high tariffs when it comes to Canada, for example, or Europe." On defense spending, Svantesson added: "We have to do more in Europe. When it comes to Ukraine, it's an existential question. So, I hope that America won't [pull] back, but if they do, we have to be strong." Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office for the President of Ukraine Prior to officially becoming president, Donald Trump held a lengthy conversation with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and the need to develop the technology in the U.S., CNBC has learned. During the chat Friday, Trump was particularly animated about building AI in the U.S. instead of having it developed in China, and what that could mean for job creation and confidence in the U.S. during his administration, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the conversation was private. Following Trump's inauguration Monday, the president quickly got to work touting the importance of AI. He announced a joint venture on Tuesday with OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank to invest billions of dollars in AI infrastructure in the U.S. OpenAI's participation is notable because Altman is in the midst of a heated legal battle with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a Trump advisor and his top financial backer in the 2024 campaign who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit. Musk swiftly undercut the newly announced project, dubbed Stargate, writing in a post on X that the joint venture companies "don't actually have the money" to back up their pledge to invest $500 billion. He added that he knew "on good authority" that SoftBank "has well under $10B secured." Altman responded to Musk on X on Wednesday morning, saying he thinks Musk is "the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time" but that his claims are "wrong, as you surely know." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in an interview on CNBC, "All I know is, I'm good for my $80 billion," referring to his company's plans to invest in AI-enabled data centers this year. Microsoft is OpenAI's main financial backer. Musk, who's leading Trump's new government efficiency advisory board, is suing OpenAI to try to keep it from converting into a for-profit entity. The two sides have sparred in court filings and in public. In a blog post in December, OpenAI wrote that in 2017, Musk "not only wanted, but actually created a for-profit" to serve as the company's proposed new structure. OpenAI published screenshots of emails from Musk to back up its claims. While Altman's relationship with Musk has frayed, Altman still has ties to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, a big Trump supporter, which has helped his standing with the president's team, the source said. Oracle and OpenAI struck a cloud-computing partnership in June. Altman also has a close relationship with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, another source said. Son publicly pledged $100 billion to invest in the U.S. ahead of the Stargate announcement, and Softbank has also backed OpenAI. WATCH: President Trump speaks on AI infrastructure investment Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) looks at U.S. President Donald Trump during the welcoming ceremony prior to the G20 Summit's Plenary Meeting on November 30, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose "high levels" of sanctions on Russia and tariffs on imports from there if the country did not reach a settlement to end its nearly three-year-old war against Ukraine. Trump's warning, made in a social media post on his third day as president, called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name. "If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way and the easy way is always better," Trump wrote. "It's time to "MAKE A DEAL." NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!" Trump had repeatedly said that he could end the war in Ukraine in one day if he was elected to a second, nonconsecutive term in the White House. The war began in February 2022 with an invasion by Russia. "They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done I'll have that done in 24 hours," he said in May 2023. That did not happen on the heels of his inauguration Monday. But Trump's message to Russia on Wednesday revealed his intention to deploy economic weapons against that country similar to ones he has threatened against U.S. allies such as Mexico and Canada if those nations do not bend to his will. "I'm not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin and this despite the Radical Left's Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process." "All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War!" Trump wrote. "IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE." Trump's claim of Russian losses in World War II is markedly higher than expert estimates. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans says the total number of military and civilian losses in the Soviet Union during the war was 24 million. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in December said that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action and an additional 370,000 have been wounded. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine estimated that 198,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and more than 550,000 wounded. MBABANE The TSC has reversed its decision to transfer St Marks High School Head teacher Khanyisile Bhaa Shabangu to Fonteyn High School. The Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has agreed to revoke the letter of transfer, which would have seen Shabangu transferred to Fonteyn High School. This would have necessitated the transfer of the Head teacher of Fonteyn High School, Mangaliso Dlamini, to St Marks High. Yesterday, Crown Counsel Sibonginkhosi Dlamini informed the Industrial Court that the TSC would no longer effect the transfer. The last time the matter was in court, Crown Counsel Sibonginkhosi had requested a postponement to consult with the TSC, as Shabangu had challenged her transfer on the grounds that she was purportedly not consulted. He stated that the consultation was likely to result in an amicable resolution. When the matter resumed yesterday, Sibonginkhosi announced that they had held a meeting with the TSC and, despite some initial difficulties, had reached a breakthrough. Matter We promised the court that if possible, we would advise our client regarding some aspects of the matter. Indeed, we did advise our client via correspondence and meetings, and despite difficulties, we made a breakthrough. The client (TSC) agreed that they would not effect the transfer, said Sibonginkhosi. According to Sibonginkhosi, the TSC ultimately agreed not to implement Shabangus transfer. However, the Crown Counsel informed the court that the official instrument the letter revoking the initial letter of transfer was still outstanding. He stated that he believed the instrument was being processed and was supposed to be finalised by the close of business on Monday. However, it was still pending yesterday. Sibonginkhosi said as soon as the instrument revoking the transfer letter was finalised, it would be provided to the court for its attention. On the issue of costs, Sibonginkhosi submitted that the respondents may have been in the wrong, but as soon as we recognised our error, we made immediate amends to resolve the matter amicably. In light of the fact that the employer-employee relationship still exists between the parties, we urge the court to be lenient on the respondents and order that each party bear its own costs, submitted Sibonginkhosi. Shabangus attorney, Siphamandla Simelane of Robinson Bertram, appreciated the efforts of Dlamini and the TSC to resolve the matter as soon as possible. On the issue of costs, Simelane said he wished to communicate with his client, the St Marks High head teacher, regarding the latest development and the issue of costs. Judge Muzikayise Motsa advised Simelane to take into account the respondents efforts at resolving the matter. He emphasised that this was particularly relevant given that they had not yet had an opportunity to see the instrument in question. The matter was postponed to next week Tuesday by mutual consent. In this matter, Shabangu disputed that she was consulted on the transfer. TSC Executive Secretary Nhlanhla Dlamini, in the commissions answering papers, submitted that the head teacher was consulted prior to the transfer. She argued that the commission failed to annex the letter, if any, that purported to invite her to appear before the TSC for the purpose of making representations on why she should not be transferred to Fonteyn High School. She stated that the TSC did not disclose the date of the purported consultation and who was present during that consultation process. Shabangu further submitted that the commission conspicuously did not furnish the court with the minutes of the consultation meeting to prove that it took place. This seems to me like a belated attempt by the TSC to cover up their flagrant disregard of the law by transferring me without due process and without a substantial reason, the applicant stated. I deny that I was ever consulted by the TSC in November 2024, she submitted. Denied Nhlanhla denied that there are routine visits to his office at the TSC. He also denied that the consultation was an informal conversation. I cannot call my staff just for an informal conversation, said Nhlanhla. The reason the applicant (Shabangu) was in my office on that particular day was solely for consultation regarding the redeployment.The only invitation to my office is purely professional. I have no time to entertain visitors in my office because there is always a queue. The applicant has never come to my office unless it is official. The head teacher, according to Nhlanhla, failed to demonstrate to the court that there was no consultation prior to the transfer. He stated that Shabangu denied that there was any consultation, while in her affidavit she admitted that they held a consultation, which she labelled as an informal visit. Nhlanhla also disputed that he told the head teacher that it was a rumour. As the secretary to the commission, he could not spread rumours as it is against Section 20 of the TSC Act and the code of conduct. He submitted that he could not call his personnel to his office just to spread rumours. My office is established in terms of a statute and has a mandate. The only response the applicant gave me was that she could not leave St Marks because she wrote an interview and passed it, and she has been in the school for only two years, and the school is performing well, submitted Nhlanhla. Doug Gurr, a former country manager for Amazon U.K., has been selected by the government as interim chair of the Competition and Markets Authority. Max Mumby/indigo | Getty Images LONDON The British competition regulator tapped a top former Amazon executive as its new chair after facing accusations from Prime Minister Keir Starmer of stifling growth. The Competition and Markets Authority announced late Tuesday that Doug Gurr, who was previously country manager for Amazon U.K. and president of Amazon China, would serve as its interim chair replacing Marcus Bokkerink. The move follows a meeting between CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell and other regulators with British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves to deliver ideas on how to stimulate growth. Regulators were told to "tear down the barriers hindering business and refocus their efforts on promoting growth." Cardell thanked Bokkerink for his leadership since taking the role of chair in 2022, telling CNBC Wednesday: "He has tirelessly championed consumers, competition and a level playing field for business, as well being steadfastly committed to openness and stakeholder engagement across the U.K." watch now "The CMA has a critical role to play supporting the government's growth mission. I welcome the appointment of Doug Gurr as the CMA's new interim chair and look forward to working closely with him as we drive growth, opportunity and prosperity for the U.K.," she added via emailed comments. The government wants to see regulators like the CMA "supercharging the economy with pro-business decisions that will drive prosperity and growth, putting more money in people's pockets," U.K. Business and Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds said in a statement. Reeves said the decision to replace Bokkerink was taken because the CMA needed to be led by someone who shared the government's "strategic direction." "He recognised it was time for him to move on and make way for somebody who does share the mission and the strategic direction that this government are taking," she said, speaking at a Bloomberg event Wednesday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Push to take growth 'seriously' Last year, Prime Minister Starmer told investors he wanted to make sure that "every regulator in this country especially our economic and competition regulators takes growth as seriously as this room does," suggesting a dissatisfaction with the work of the CMA. The U.K. has faced criticisms more broadly from technology executives and investors over a number of regulatory decisions, including an intervention into Microsoft's takeover of video game publisher Activision Blizzard and its decision to force Meta's Facebook to divest GIF database Giphy. "The announcement of the new Chair of the CMA cannot be pure coincidence, coming as it does at the same time as the UK Government is banging the drum for its growth agenda and calling regulators to account for their own policies on stimulating growth," said Alex Haffner, a competition partner at Fladgate. "Mr Gurr has been appointed on an interim basis suggesting this is not about succession planning and far more a reaction to current events. His background is also unashamedly commercial as opposed to the consulting one of his predecessor," Haffner added. Gurr's appointment as the CMA's chair comes after the regulator received new powers to regulate large technology firms under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), which seeks to prevent anti-competitive behavior in digital markets. It can designate large companies that have a significant amount of market power in a certain digital activity as having "Strategic Market Status." The CMA now has the power to impose changes to prevent potential anti-competitive behavior from any firm that is given Strategic Market Status. MBABANE - A 21-year-old mother of triplets is seeking public assistance to help raise her children. The infants, who are two months old, are in need of essential items such as disposable nappies, formula and financial support for clinic visits. Their mother, Vuyisile Mantimakhulu, explained that she was unemployed even before the birth of her children, and both she and the childrens father are currently without work. We are both unemployed and are asking the public for help in raising our children, she said. Overwhelmed Mantimakhulu, who resides in Nkambeni, shared that the triplets will turn two months old on January 28. We are overwhelmed by the demands of raising the babies, which is why we are pleading for assistance, she added.The arrival of the triplets has brought immense joy into Mantimakhulus life, but also a significant financial burden. The constant need for supplies like nappies, formula and clothes has stretched her limited resources to the breaking point. Its a struggle every day, Mantimakhulu confessed. I worry constantly about how I will provide for them. Im grateful for any support, big or small. Anyone wishing to offer support can contact her at 7849 8313. MBABANE The local transgender community has voiced fears of an uncertain future following US President Donald Trumps recent declaration that America will recognise only two genders. In his inauguration speech on Monday, Trump stated that his administration would adopt a two-gender policy, a move that could have significant implications for transgender individuals globally, including those in Eswatini. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States (US) government that there are only two genders: male and female, he said and received a standing ovation from the inauguration attendees. Organisations such as TransSwati, who advocate for transgender rights in the country, fear that the policy shift could result in a loss of critical funding from US-based donors, particularly those supporting healthcare initiatives. Transgender (sometimes referred to as trans) refers to individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. A transgender person may identify as male, female, non-binary or another gender that does not align with societal expectations based on their assigned sex. Some transgender individuals may choose to transition socially, legally or medically, to align their gender expression with their identity, while others may not. The term is an umbrella that encompasses a wide range of gender identities and expressions. TransSwati Director and Southern Africa Trans Forum (SATF) Coordinator, Pinty Dludlu expressed concerns about the potential impact on healthcare services. Many organisations rely heavily on US funding for HIV prevention programmes. A reduction or withdrawal of funds could lead to a rise in infections and limit access to LGBTQIA-friendly healthcare services, she said. However, Dludlu noted that TransSwatis operations would continue despite the challenges. Our organisation is not solely dependent on US funding and our focus extends beyond HIV prevention. We are considering broadening our funding sources across the continent and exploring social enterprise opportunities for long-term sustainability. She highlighted progress made in recent years, including improved access to healthcare for transgender individuals and growing social acceptance. While we do not yet have fully-tailored services, there has been a positive shift in inclusivity within the healthcare sector. Unfortunately, Trumps policy could reverse these gains, making it even harder for trans people to access vital services without facing discrimination. resolute Despite these challenges, Dludlu mentioned that her organisation remains resolute in advocating for transgender rights. Transgender people can never be erased. We will continue our advocacy efforts and work with government stakeholders to ensure trans people receive the support they need. She called on local and international stakeholders to maintain their support for the LGBTQIA community and to seek alternative funding sources. It would be disheartening to see years of progress undone. Advocacy should never stop and we urge stakeholders to keep LGBTQIA organisations in the loop for potential funding opportunities. Dludlu also stressed the importance of family and community support in reducing stigma. Acceptance begins at home. Family support plays a crucial role in shaping societal attitudes and ensuring trans people feel safe and valued in their communities, she said. The US President issued executive orders shortly after he was sworn in to change the US governments policies on gender and diversity, following through on promises he made on the campaign trail. expansion Trumps return to power coincided with growing criticism from the right and religious conservatives of the expansion of transgender rights in the US. Trump espoused a traditional view of gender throughout the 2024 campaign and he and his allies attacked Democrats for supporting transgender rights. Agenda47, the official policy platform for the Trump campaign, promised to cut federal funding for radical gender ideology as well as the dissemination of inappropriate racial, sexual or political content to our children. He has criticised policies that allow transgender athletes school-age players, college athletes and professionals to play on teams that align with their gender identity, arguing this could harm womens sports programmes. Trump and his fellow Republicans also called for banning certain kinds of medical treatment for transgender minors. One of Trumps most notable political advertisements declared his opponent, Kamala Harris, was for they/them while President Trump is for you. The order declaring only two official genders could have wide-ranging implications. Some US and global health experts have said singling out individuals based on their gender identity or expression can be harmful to physical and mental well-being. The World Health Organisation warns that Rigid gender norms also negatively affect people with diverse gender identities, who often face violence, stigma and discrimination as a result, including in healthcare settings. Danny DeVito recommends that everyone should try being a grandpa. Its better than a Caribbean Paradise. On Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, family isnt exactly a point of emphasis. Despite the fact that three of the five members of the Paddys Pub Gang share a last name, Dennis and Dee arent the most inseparable of twins, and what few fatherly instincts Frank once had disappeared the second he found out that his whoo-ur wife had the two bastards with Bruce Mathis. Thankfully, that un-familial feel of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia doesnt extend to the shows cast, all of whom have families, sometimes with each other but not in the way Frank and Barbara thought Dennis and Dee were doing it. At 80 years old, DeVito is a proud and elated grandfather, and hes just bursting to tell everyone what pleasure it is to be a paterfamilias. In a recent talk with AARP: The Magazine, DeVito revealed that, after his two daughters each had a baby in the last two years, hes so happy that, Im just like, you know, busting." Don't Miss Keep it light, Frank. Embrace the love and give the love, DeVito declared, and hes got a lot of love to give. Advertisement In two years, my daughters have had a baby each, and since these babies have been born, you gotta tamper me down in the joy department, DeVito ecstatically explained, though he advised AARPs antsy readership against the common urge that people his age feel to push their own offspring too hard to make some grandchildren. DeVito offered words of wisdom to the wizened retiree community, saying of his approach to fatherhood, Theres that saying, a watched pot never boils. So I apply that to my kids. I look at them all the time, because I dont want them to boil. I want them to take their time and grow. I tell my kids that, too. Dont miss a thing. Dont look away. Because when you look back, that kids gonna be hula hooping, DeVito said of his grandfatherly advice, reflecting, No matter what happens in your life, the main thing is that youve got family and friends. Thats all we have, basically: reliable people in our lives who we can talk to and we can open up to. Im very fortunate. Blessing showered down on me, and I wish it for everybody. Advertisement That is, without a doubt, the most wholesome blessing that Frank has ever wanted to see showered down on anyone. Richard Kind really has been in everything: Spin City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Argo, countless Pixar films, and, of course, Sharknado 2, to name just a very few of his very many roles (more than 300 in all). Along the way, hes made a name for himself not only as an actor, but as an incredible showbiz storyteller. Whether its stories about pranks with his best friend George Clooney or working with legends like Carol Burnett, Kind always has a yarn to spin so much so that hes decided to make a whole production out of it. How Not to Be Famous: A Conversation with Richard Kind is his new stage show in which he tells some of his best behind-the-scenes tales and fields questions from the audience that inevitably turn into more stories. The show begins its run on January 24th at the Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, with other shows to follow in Waukegan, Illinois and Boston (more dates are on the way). Don't Miss I recently asked Kind to give me a bit of a preview by sharing anecdotes about some of his most beloved roles. True to form, he was more than happy to oblige. Curb Your Enthusiasm as Cousin Andy Shelley Berman, who played Larrys Dad on Curb, is a great and comic guy who, forgive me for talking ill of the dead, was a pain in the ass. Advertisement On Curb, there was one time we were doing a thing where we were talking about burying Larrys mother. It was me, Jeff Garlin, Larry David and Shelley. You have Jeff, whos the biggest mouth in the world. You have Larry, whos really great at playing Larry. You have me, who's a good improviser and I can pull focus when I need to if I have a good line or idea. And then you had Shelley, who was old, wasnt loud, a little feeble, had a huge ego, and hes not getting his screen time. Were talking in the scene, and all of a sudden, Shelley screams, Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! We all look over, and he goes, Listen to me! It was the worst improvisation in the world, but it made us all laugh. Advertisement Spin City as Paul Lassiter During the filming of the pilot of Spin City, Im doing a scene with Michael J. Fox, and as hes doing it, Im looking at him going, in my head, Really? Thats how youre going to say the line? Thats what its going to be? Its almost like he wasnt paying attention or that he was hardly saying the lines or that he didnt mean them. Advertisement Advertisement But when I watched the finished product, I looked at it and I went, Oh my God, hes a magician. It was magic. Now, I can tell you the difference between Michael J. Fox and Carol Burnett. When youre acting on a four-camera show in front of a live audience, Michael treats the camera like a funnel, like its wide at the end and it just comes in so close and it gets his face and his eyes, but he needs the audience to tell him where the laughs are. He uses the audience as a tool to give him the timing, but he knows exactly where the reality is. Hes so smart. Carol Burnett is the opposite. Shes so smart, but it starts with her, and she spreads it like a megaphone. She takes it out and embraces the audience. Two very different styles of acting in front of an audience. Michael couldnt do theater because hes very small. He takes all of that energy, but he makes it small for the camera. Carol was great at theater because she took it and could go to the back of the house and into the rafters. Advertisement Im more like Carol, as is obvious by my acting style. Im great onstage and not as good on camera, and what Ive learned in the last five or ten years of my career is how to be more like Michael. The Producers on Broadway as Max Bialystock The Producers and M*A*S*H are probably the two movies that shaped me the most as a human being and as an actor. I love The Producers. I adored watching Nathan Lane play Max Bialystock. I could watch Nathan do anything. I love him. Hes facile. He can do everything. He can segue and move. Hes an ice-skater. Hes a dancer. Hes magnificent, which is how he played Max. Advertisement Advertisement Im a gorgon, much more like Zero Mostel than Nathan was. I was asked to audition for Hairspray, and I said I couldnt do it because I couldnt be better than Harvey Fierstein. I couldnt add to it. I couldnt even make it different. My different wouldnt be as good. With The Producers, I couldnt do it better, but I could do it differently, and thats what I tried to do. I got into big fights with the guy who was directing me as to how I should do it. Then, when the choreographer came in, I said, I cant do it like that, I have to do it like this, and he said, Yeah! Go ahead and do it! So thats what I did. What was I doing? I was dirtier. I was grittier. I was ugly. I was Fagin from Oliver Twist. I was Jewy I was an ugly Jew. I was an ugly Jew producer. Whereas Nathan was a slimy Jew producer. Advertisement You can always remember that strand of hair that used to go down in front of Zeros face in The Producers he was an ugly rhinoceros! He was a monster. He was a gorgon. He was a gargoyle. Thats what I tried to do, and I think Mel Brooks really liked me. He even mentioned me in his autobiography, which was really nice. Sharknado 2: The Second One as Harland The Blaster McGuinness Yes, I did Sharnkando. Im not proud of it, but Im not embarrassed by it either. A really good friend of mine was friends with the producer. They lost some guy, and they were asking her who she knew and she said, Richard Kinds in New York. So they asked me if I wanted to do it. Advertisement Advertisement I dont care that its Sharknado. I dont care how much money Im making. I dont care what Im doing. I dont care if its good, bad or indifferent its a job. Thats what I care about. One afternoon out at Mets Stadium? That sounds great! What the hell? I get people today going, I love you in Sharknado! I get people saying, How could you do Sharknado? I didnt do Sharknado. I did a job that happened to be Sharknado. It happened to be funny, and I dont want to say iconic, but it was memorable. Plus, I do everything. I just fucking dont say No. Why not? Its what I like doing. Its what I get paid to do. I like to think its what I do best, and I like to think Im good. So, what the hell? Every Jan. 25, Scotland and Scots around the world come together to honor the legacy of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland. Known affectionately as the Bard of Ayrshire, Burns penned iconic works like Auld Lang Syne and Tam o' Shanter, capturing the heart and soul of Scottish culture. Burns Night is a celebration of his life, his poetry, and the enduring heritage of Scotland. The first Burns Supper was held in 1801, five years after Robert Burns' death. A group of his close friends gathered at his former home in Alloway to commemorate his birthday. They feasted on haggis, toasted his memory, and recited his poetry-a tradition that remains at the heart of Burns Night today. The event's popularity quickly spread beyond Burns' inner circle, evolving into a worldwide celebration of Scottish culture. Today, it is both a literary tribute and a joyous gathering filled with music, food, and community spirit. For Americans with Scottish heritage, Burns Night is a meaningful way to connect with their roots. Across the United States, Scottish societies, cultural organizations, and individuals host Burns Suppers ranging from formal galas to cozy family gatherings. These events give a sense of camaraderie and shared cultural pride, uniting Scots and enthusiasts in celebration of their shared history. Pondera Arts Council would like to invite all to Robert Burn's Birthday Celebration and Celtic Festival at the Orpheum Theatre in Conrad. The festival will be held on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. All will enjoy Scottish bagpipes, music, dancing, drama, and a special performance by Montana State Fiddle Champion, Cadhla Norris. Kilts are highly recommended! Join us for this Free Will Offering event. The Valier Public Library will host the Montana Conversations program Storytelling: The Power to Connect Our World with Lailani Upham on Monday, Feb. 3. The program will be at Valier Public Library at 6:30 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public. Funding for the Montana Conversations program is provided by Humanities Montana through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Montanas Cultural Trust, and private donations. We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montanas cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund. Using her experience working on the documentary film projects The Sixty-Four Flood and The Blackfeet Flood, Lailani Upham leads participants through a discussion on the creative and healing process of storytelling. In the films, survivors on the Blackfeet Reservation told firsthand, historical accounts nearly 50 years after a tragic flood took lives and homes in the worst natural disaster in Montana history. Upham discusses how the documentary story connected our world. The conversation may explore questions like, how are we connected or divided? How do our stories build understanding and human connection? We all have a story that can change our worldviews and bridge a relationship for future generations. This program will offer engaging discussion on untold stories and understandings. Lailani Upham is an Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation) tribal member, and a descendent from the Aaniiih, Nakoda, and Dakota tribes. She is journalist, educator and business developer in indigenous stories and culture. For more information, please call Valier Public Library at 406-279-3366. MANZINI - The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) has outlined six demands that must be met by government before schools can reopen on Tuesday. The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) held a general council (GC) meeting yesterday at the SNAT Centre in Manzini, where one of the main items on the agenda was the reopening of schools for the 2025 calendar year. According to SNAT Secretary General (SG) Lot Vilakati, the GC, an advisory structure of the national executive committee (NEC) composed of all SNAT branch leaders and national committees, discussed issues that need to be addressed before the opening of schools on January 28. He stated that one of the key issues was the need for government to hire at least 4 000 teachers to adhere to the teacher-pupil ratio policy of 1:45, among other things. Discussed He said another critical issue discussed was the timely delivery of food to schools. In that regard, the meeting agreed that government must deliver enough food to schools before the opening date. The meeting also demanded that government, particularly the Ministry of Education and Training, should deliver all the required stationery to schools before Tuesday, the SG of the teachers association said. He added that the meeting further demanded that government should pay the free primary education (FPE) grant to primary schools and release grants for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) to secondary schools before the scheduled opening of schools for the first term. Furthermore, the unionist stated that the meeting demanded that, before the opening of schools, government should have hired teachers who will teach the pupils who will be repeating Grade VII, as per its promise. It is worth noting that a total of 2 716 pupils failed Grade VII in 2024. This is the matter that caused an uproar, resulting in government revoking the letter it had written to head teachers with high numbers of fails, instructing them to write explanation letters. After the meeting, Vilakati said the GC directed them as the NEC to determine how far government has progressed in addressing these demands to assess the readiness of schools to open on Tuesday. The GC has given us until Monday to report back to it on the extent to which government has addressed these issues, ultimately determining the readiness of schools to open on Tuesday, the unionist said. He explained that to submit a concrete report to the GC, they would meet with government, particularly the Ministry of Education and Training, to discuss their demands. Additionally, they will visit some of the schools and talk to head teachers to cross-check the information they would receive from government. When asked what would happen if they found that government failed to meet the demands, which would mean schools would not be ready to open, the SG stated that they would inform the administration of the country accordingly. Furthermore, he said they would advise against opening schools until they are ready or until the demands are met. If government decides to open schools even if they are not ready, it would be akin to opening them for show, as the teaching and learning process would not be effective, Vilakati said.In fact, he stated that since the power to open and close schools lies with the office of the school manager, he acknowledged that even if they advised government not to open the institutions until they are ready, they might still proceed. He emphasised that this is why he stated that if schools were to be opened against their advice, it would be merely for show. With a prize pool of up to $4.1 million to Tribal Colleges and Universities for creating projects at the intersection of clean energy and food sovereignty, the team of USDA interns at Blackfeet Community College have already been named winners of the Phase 1 portion of the program. Billed as a project for TCU students to build a capacity for using clean energy to grow food self-sufficiently on Tribal lands, the team at BCC received a $40,000 cash award. This enables them to move onto Phase 2a - planning and permitting - in which they will submit a detailed project plan. Winning this step gains the college a $75,000 cash prize and moves them into the Phase 2b portion, actually constructing the project. A win there puts $80,000 into BCC's coffers and would qualifies them for the national competition. BCC's project is named "Sapoo," Blackfeet for "Wind," which includes the college's USDA Extension Director/Agent, Felix Nez. His team of interns are full-time BCC students Kristy Augare, Rylee Bird Rattler, Rihanna Many White Horses and Candace Still Smoking. Together, they're working with Glotzen Holdings Inc. of Cheyenne, Wyoming, to obtain a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine to power BCC's greenhouse and the college's new multi-purpose building. "It's a vertical wind turbine," Kristy Augare said, "because the wind here is too strong and breaks most windmills." Glotzen explains on their website, "When it comes to wind turbines, chances are you think about wind parks with 150 meter-high Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs). They may appear slim due to their elongated blades and tower structure. But, in fact, Heppolt Turbines (Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, VAWTs) require less width and work more efficiently." The energy so created, Augare said, is aimed at powering the college greenhouse as well as a new multi-purpose building being constructed on campus. Any leftover power may be put towards "helping families this side of town," or perhaps the new structure planned to house FASTBlackfeet. The next step, she said, is to find a location for the turbine, probably on a hilltop. Each potential site on BCC property, which is more extensive than folks likely know, will be tested for wind strength. The Phase 1 portion began with establishing the student-led team and creating a video explaining the project. Augare said they'd done the video out by the greenhouse where the electricity would go, which also included actual wind conditions on the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. This was enough to land them a win in Phase 1, moving them on to planning and permitting. In that portion, researching locations will lead to materials needed and contractors to do the work. Felix and his team work well together and seem pleased with their success thus far, and eager about their future prospects. They credit Ron Lahr of BCC facilities, Melissa Weatherwax for her help, and Craig Iron Pipe for his letter of support as Ad Director for the Blackfeet Tribe. It was hard to keep up. One after another they came, the sheer speed blurring our sense of what was happening. Within 12 hours, Donald Trump had made a flurry of announcements and signed 46 executive orders. The porous southern border would be treated as an emergency! Federal officials who worked from home would be sacked! There would be only two genders! Illegal immigrants would be deported! It was vertiginous, dizzying, exhilarating. What a contrast to our own passive leaders. Labour having had 14 years to think how it might trim welfare, reform the NHS or build more houses came to office and set up dozens of reviews. It is true that our two systems are different. American presidents are not constrained by standing apparatchiks in the way British prime ministers are. Still, to get a sense of what is happening in the US, imagine a new British government, on its first day, ordered the Royal Navy to halt the Channel boats; sacked every diversity, equality and outreach officer on the state payroll; made free speech an absolute value in all government actions; started drilling for North Sea oil and gas; began a massive deportation programme; banned positive discrimination in state-funded institutions; told quangos to justify their continuing existence; and ordered civil servants back to the office. In making that comparison, we get a sense of why per capita wealth in the US has grown two-thirds as fast as in the UK over the past 15 years. I maintain that Trump is a flawed man. He is boastful, dishonest, vain, needy and, not least, a convicted criminal. But his supporters are prepared to overlook his defects provided he acts as their battering ram against what they see as a remote, self-serving establishment. Within 12 hours, Donald Trump had made a flurry of announcements and signed 46 executive orders Trump is a bore and a braggart, the head of a conservative Washington think-tank told me yesterday. But he has been hired by the American people to do a job. When I hire a plumber, I dont ask whether he is faithful to his wife. I just want him to fix the heating. The President is the supreme product of our impatient, screen-addled ADHD age. He intuited early on that smartphones would erode the legitimacy of old authority figures. An editorial in the New York Times, a university research paper, a Senate committee finding these things were suddenly worth no more than anyone elses opinion on X. The established authorities might claim he lost the 2020 election. But that was now just one more opinion. And, as Trump pardoned hundreds of rioters who had sought to overturn that result, it was hard to deny his view was in the ascendant. Understanding that the frontier between the virtual and real worlds is blurred is the key to grasping Trumps appeal. Many of his announcements were theatrical. Declaring there are two genders is not a policy. Most of the inanities carried out in the name of transgenderism involve private institutions businesses, charities, universities. To the extent that government is involved, it is generally a matter for the 50 states rather than for the person in the Oval Office. But, as the new President well understands, a declaration of this kind sends a message to those private institutions and state authorities. It emboldens campaigners pressing for an end to trans ideology and demoralises their opponents. The same virtual politics informs his declaration that the Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America. Obviously, he is entitled to call it whatever he likes; and, equally obviously, no one is obliged to follow him. But you can be sure that people will follow not only federal officials but, in time, cartographers and foreign governments. The state of Florida has already been the first to adopt the new name in an official weather warning. In the meantime, Trump has advertised that the US is again restless and powerful within her own hemisphere. Which brings us to the most significant aspect of what we saw on Monday, namely Trumps brutal repudiation of the post-war global order. Since 1945, and especially since 1990, we have woven a cats-cradle of interconnected institutions that manage and occasionally constrain national governments. The US, being a great military power, has always been more sceptical than other democracies of some of these institutions. For example, it is one of a minority of states along with China, Myanmar and Libya that refuses to acknowledge the International Criminal Court. But Trump has taken American souverainisme to a new level, repudiating both the global treaties on climate change and the World Health Organisation. He makes no secret of his doubts about Nato, and we can easily imagine him walking away from the United Nations. The international order to which we have grown accustomed, and which rested ultimately on American participation and American military power, has had its day. Whether Keir Starmer and his fellow international lawyers like it or not, we are back to the age of power politics. The norms which governed the post-war international order a preference for democracy over autocracy, a willingness to put international disputes to arbitration and a refusal to allow borders to be altered by force have been vaporised. The country which used to guarantee them is threatening force against Panama because it does not like a treaty which it had previously agreed, and is proposing to use trade sanctions against Denmark, a Nato ally, so as to annex Greenland, a territory to which it has never had any claim. Where does all this leave Britain? We ought to be better placed than most countries to navigate this new and more dangerous world. We have the sixth most powerful military on the planet as well as our own nuclear deterrent. And the US should be our strongest ally. The trouble is, as the rest of the world edges back from the global technocracy that defined the old order, our government is going in the opposite direction, elevating human rights codes and climate treaties over our national interests. It is sometimes claimed Keir Starmers administration has no ideology, but that is not true. We are governed by the kind of finger-wagging legal maximalism that became dominant in the 1990s and was most aggressively pushed by Matrix Chambers the law firm to which Philippe Sands, who acted for Mauritius over the Chagos Islands deal, and former first lady Cherie Blair, were attached. It was also the former chambers of new Attorney General, Richard Hermer, who has represented a number of enemies of the British state, having acted for Shamima Begum against the Home Office, and for ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams against IRA victims groups. This attitude is an obstacle in the relations with Trump, who divides the world into patriots and globalists, and who sees Starmer as the supreme embodiment of the latter a human rights lawyer rather than a national leader. But it will increasingly set Britain at odds with the rest of the world, too. Other countries can sense which way the wind is blowing, and are recalibrating their foreign policies accordingly. We, almost uniquely, are still arguing for the kinds of global technocracy that are going out of fashion even in Davos. How long until we get a government prepared to act as immediately, as decisively and as unequivocally in our own national interest as Trumps? Despite the January gloom, Lady Mary Charteris has been seen around town wearing shades. The Earl of Wemyss's daughter, 37, who works as a model and DJ, admits that she's been hiding her eyes because of the marks left by injections of polynucleotides which she's undergone to combat the ageing process. Lady Mary, who is married to rock musician Robbie Furze, saw the funny side when she was pictured by a fish counter while out shopping. 'The irony of wearing sunglasses while shopping in the fishmonger to hide the marks from the fish sperm injections I just had around my eyes,' she says. Despite the January gloom, Lady Mary Charteris has been seen around town wearing shades The Earl of Wemyss's daughter, 37, who works as a model and DJ, admits that she's been hiding her eyes because of the marks left by injections of polynucleotides which she's undergone to combat the ageing process Wogan sons' pizza empire 2.5million in the red Their father beguiled and enchanted an entire generation of Radio 2 listeners, who became addicted to his easy charm and his playful advice to 'Fight the Flab' and ever hopeful of his racing tips, boldly billed as 'Wogan's Winner'. Now, some nine years after his death at 77, Sir Terry Wogan's two sons, Alan and Mark, could be forgiven for wishing that he were still on hand to offer wise and soothing words as they battle to save the pizza empire they built up after founding their business in 2014. Named Homeslice, it earned dazzling reviews, with one critic summarising its first London restaurant as somewhere 'you arrive hungry and leave happy' a tribute to Mark's culinary skills, acquired while working for the late, great Antonio Carluccio, founder of the eponymous restaurant chain, and at the Groucho Club, the louche west London den favoured by the likes of Sir Stephen Fry and Noel Gallagher. Sir Terry Wogan and his son Mark, 54, who alongside his brother Alan, 57, are determined to save their pizza empire Homeslice which is now in liquidation, owing 2.5million But those glory days are over. I can disclose that Homeslice Holdings, of which Mark, 54, and Alan, 57, are directors and in which they are the controlling shareholders, is now in liquidation, owing 2.5million. The key creditors include HMRC, which is owed 485,000, and Lloyds Bank, which is owed slightly more at 517,000. There are, in addition, numerous small businesses and suppliers awaiting payment some for a few hundred pounds, but others for several thousand. Mark tells me that he and Alan who is himself owed a mammoth 470,000 by Homeslice are determined to salvage the situation after a brutal 12 months during which they suffered the loss of their mother, Helen, aged 88, some 59 years after she married Sir Terry, whose BBC television chat show was watched by millions. 'Last year was challenging, to say the least,' he reflects of the business, which he began by selling at festivals and markets, before setting up what became a chain of five London restaurants. Two didn't survive the catastrophic effects of repeated lockdowns. Now, he and Alan are intent on saving the remaining three. 'We're sorting out a restructure that the business can afford and can keep going,' adds Mark, who also hosts a successful podcast, Spooning With Mark Wogan, which has featured Claudia Winkleman and Jimmy Carr among its guests. He doesn't make light of the task. 'The cost of production has gone up dramatically,' he says, explaining that profitability is probably 'half what it was pre-2019', with the amount diners are prepared to spend remorselessly declining. On one point in particular, adds Mark, he and Alan are adamant: they will not bid farewell to the business, leaving staff and small creditors to count the cost a tactic favoured by so many restaurateurs, including a number of household names. 'Rents are significant, but people are more significant. We have good people who rely on Homeslice for their living. We have a lot of staff who've been with us seven plus years. It's really important that, as an owner, I provide them with a living going forward,' says Mark, a fitness enthusiast who fights the flab with a zest never attempted by his father. '[And] it's very important to honour the creditors it's not who I am otherwise.' Camilla's 'concern for ailing bee population' The Duchess of Sussex was filmed wearing a beekeeping suit as she walked to an apiary in the trailer for her Netflix cookery series, With Love, Meghan. Off screen, it's Queen Camilla who's worried about bees, says beautician Deborah Mitchell, whose firm, Heaven, has supplied Her Majesty with 'anti-ageing' bee venom facials for 20 years. 'There's fewer bees around because pesticides kill them as well as radio waves,' claims Mitchell, whose company was awarded a Royal Warrant last month. She will meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace today at a reception. 'It's important because, without bees, there won't be any humanity. Her Majesty and I do talk about things like that. She is concerned about the bees.' Dorothy Purdew had just 60 start-up capital when she launched her successful weight-loss business WeightGuard in 1970. She went on to establish the Champneys spa chain, whose clients included Princess Diana. Newly published probate documents reveal that Purdew, who died in 2023 aged 91, left 32.3million in her will to her two sons, Stephen and Simon. Purdew's business strategy of offering famous figures reduced rates for stays became controversial in 2011 when Sir Paul Stephenson resigned as head of the Metropolitan Police following a complimentary stay at Champneys Tring in Hertfordshire. Tucci meets a literary giant... He walks tall in Hollywood, having starred in blockbusters such as The Hunger Games, but Stanley Tucci could have been forgiven for feeling a little self-conscious about his stature when he bumped into Richard Osman at The Bestseller Awards. Former Pointless host Osman, who's 6ft 7in, towered over the American actor, 5ft 8in, at the ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London's Soho. Osman, 54, won a Platinum Award for the third year in a row, for the latest in his record-breaking series of novels, The Thursday Murder Club. Tucci, 64, meanwhile, collected a Silver Award for his book, Taste: My Life Through Food. Stanley Tucci bumped into Richard Osman at The Bestseller Awards. Osman, who's 6ft 7in, towered over the American actor, 5ft 8in, at the ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London's Soho Sir Tim Rice, who wrote the lyrics for a string of West End hits including Evita and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and won an Oscar for The Lion King, insists he is not resentful about his failure to achieve one particular honour. 'For the 28th year running I have just missed out on The Stage's list of the 100 most influential people in British theatre,' he says. 'I'm not bitter. I shall make extra effort to make it next year.' Prince Andrew is a victim: Lord Patten Prince Andrew cancelled plans to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the Royal Family after news broke of his friendship with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo. Yang denies the 'entirely untrue' claims and now Chris Patten, the last governor of British Hong Kong, has voiced his sympathy for the beleaguered Duke of York. 'He is a hapless victim of United Front [Chinese Communist Party operatives] activity in this country,' Lord Patten tells me at The Oldie magazine's literary luncheon at the National Liberal Club. 'I don't think Andrew has large numbers of state secrets.' The former Tory chairman's new book, The Hong Kong Diaries, details his time as governor of the former British colony. On Monday, the trial of Axel Rudakubana, the man accused of murdering three little girls at Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, opened. But Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick had someone else in his sights. Once this trial is over, Keir Starmer must be held to account, he seethed. The public has a right to know and get honest answers. Any suggestion of a cover-up will permanently damage public trust in our authorities. He was clearly hoping his thinly veiled accusation of a No 10-inspired conspiracy would be left to swirl unchallenged as the trial proceeded. But then Rudakubana unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all charges. With reporting restrictions finally lifted, we now know the truth about the killings. Which is a problem for Jenrick and those conspiracy theorists who have been trying to peddle their toxic wares across the cesspit of social media. Because they cant handle the truth. Before Rudakubunas belated admission of guilt, the charge against Starmer was that he had deliberately hidden vital facts about the Southport attack from the public in order to quell a potentially violent backlash. What did he know and when? Jenrick challenged. Yesterday, the Prime Minister provided the answer. He had been constantly briefed by the police about the case. But had been specifically advised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to release information about evidence that had been gathered for fear of potentially prejudicing any trial. This account was supported by Stephen Parkinson, head of the CPS, who stated: Public reporting of significant information before the conclusion of the trial, including about the actions of Axel Rudakubana on the day and some elements of his past history, would have posed a serious risk to the integrity of the trial and risked undermining justice for the victims and their families. The police confirmed theyd received similar CPS guidance. Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Robert Jenrick claims that Keir Starmer deliberately hidden vital facts about the Southport attack from the public Now its true, some respected lawyers have queried whether this CPS advice was overly cautious. And its entirely legitimate to debate that point. But what is not open for debate is the scenario Starmer was presented with. Britain had just been subjected to one of the most appalling crimes in our modern history. He was advised by the head of the CPS, and the Governments own lawyers, that the release of information risked prejudicing the trial. And if in those circumstances hed sought to overrule them, he would have been guilty of reckless irresponsibility. Though that, apparently, wouldnt have stopped Robert Jenrick. Many will be wondering why it would have prejudiced the trial to reveal information such as Rudakubanas possession of the Al Qaeda manual and [the chemical weapon] ricin that was released anyway when he was charged, he chided. Those wondering need only look at what happened when that information was put into the public domain. As soon as it came to light, the far-Right rabble-rousers fanned out across social media to declare this was definitive proof Rudakubana was a jihadi terrorist. But he wasnt. The document he possessed was not as widely believed an Al Qaeda training manual. It was, in fact, a US military evaluation of an Al Qaeda training manual. Its possession was still technically an offence. But it was no more proof he was a jihadi than it was proof he was a member of the US army. Rudakubana was also in possession of material about the IRA. That didnt mean he was a Catholic nationalist. It was the same with the ricin. As soon as it was revealed, people claimed: Ricin is a jihadi weapon. But the last person convicted of a terrorist offence in the UK involving ricin was Ian Davison, a white supremacist and the leader of the Aryan Strike Force, who was convicted of manufacturing a deadly chemical weapon in 2010. On Monday, at his trial, Axel Rudakubana unexpectedly pleaded guilty to killing three little girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport In any case, Starmer did not have the presence of ricin confirmed by the chemical weapons laboratory at Porton Down until August. And he wasnt informed of the discovery of the manual until just before Rudakubana was charged in October. The idea that the premature release of these facts even in advance of Rudakubana being charged could not have potentially influenced a subsequent trial is a fantasy. As is the conceit it would somehow have cooled public passions. But again the truth is of no consequence to those who believe the pursuit of Starmer is more important than the pursuit of justice. Yesterday, Starmers critics were demanding to know why the killings had not swiftly been declared a terrorist incident in the same way they had been after the killings of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. They werent declared terrorism for one very simple reason. The police and CPS assessed the murders as distinct to possession of the US military assessment not to be terrorist crimes. And that remains their position. People may debate that assessment. But there is no debate about what the law says. For a crime to be classified as terrorism it must be shown to be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. And the police and CPS judged there was no sustainable evidence of such cause in this case. But he had ricin and a terror manual! people scream. In 1987, Michael Ryan, dressed in military fatigues and armed himself with the terrorists weapon of choice an AK47 machine gun murdered a police officer and 15 others in Hungerford. Nobody said he was a terrorist. They, rightly, identified him as a sick maniac. The Dunblane massacre in 1996. The Cumbria shootings in 2010. Were they carried out by terrorists? Its not just that people cant handle the truth about Southport. Its that they dont want the truth. The far-Right social media warriors dont just believe Axel Rudakubana is a jihadi terrorist. They are actively desperate for him to be a jihadi so they can continue to peddle their agenda of hate. But we know what jihadi terrorism actually looks like. Manchester. 7/7. London Bridge. Woolwich. The perpetrators dont sit in cowardly silence with their shirts pulled over their face, as Rudakubana has done since the day of his arrest. They publish manifestos. They produce videos. They glorify in their slaughter. So the person who now has questions to answer is Robert Jenrick. And all those others who have leapt aboard the Southport conspiracy bandwagon. Why are they helping peddle conspiracy theories that only serve to cement cynicism and mistrust? Why are they ignoring the actual evidence in this case as presented by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service? And one for Jenrick specifically. Is he seriously saying that if a crime as appalling as Southport is ever repeated, and he finds himself back in office, he would actually ignore the advice of the CPS and his own lawyers, even if that raised a risk if only a minuscule risk of the perpetrator walking free? The reality is we now know the truth about Southport. Can Robert Jenrick, and the social media conspiracy nuts, handle it? As tradition dictates, the gown worn by the First Lady to the President's inauguration ball will, once it has finished being eyeballed, eventually wind its way to Washington's Smithsonian museum, to be preserved as part of history. Since the precedent was set in 1912 by Helen Taft, wife of the 27th US president William Howard Taft, more than 35 gowns have taken up residence in the museum's First Ladies Collection (including a dress from the first ever First Lady, Martha Washington, dating back to the 1780s). Others featured include those worn by Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Soon, they will be joined by the graphic black-and-white gown worn by Melania Trump her second entry into the canon, and an undeniable coup for the designer whose creative talents she showcased on a global stage. Did Melania choose her beloved Dior? Or, in a bid to be patriotic, perhaps a high-profile American label such as Oscar de la Renta, or a lesser-known name whose career she could boost, in an echo of Michelle Obama's 2009 choice of Jason Wu? Melania's pick was certainly lesser-known. Step forward Herve Pierre Braillard, who designs under the name Herve Pierre. Pierre, 59, once worked at Balmain, Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, but has been focused on overseeing Melania's wardrobe since she first entered the White House in 2017, and was retained as her stylist and wardrobe adviser after she left it. Having designed her first inauguration ballgown in 2017, it's a mark of Melania's trust in, and loyalty towards, Pierre that she should turn to him again. But it's also a mark of Melania's standing in the fashion industry. Melania Trump in her Herve Pierre gown paired with a Harry Winston choker as she arrives on stage alongside Donald Trump at a ball in Washington on Monday Where most designers would consider dressing the First Lady a coup, when it's Melania, many consider it a catastrophe. Given that Melania, 54, is a former model who once featured on the cover of American Vogue (before she became First Lady), it's clear that the problem lies less with how she looks in a dress than with her husband's politics. Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen and Jason Wu are some of the designers who have been vocal in refusing to dress her, either due to their political views or because they're fearful of the same backlash that faced Stefano Gabbana in 2017. After Gabbana thanked Melania for wearing a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket, there were widespread calls to boycott the brand. But while some designers have made their feelings clear, others have remained peculiarly silent. No brand has a more perplexing stance than Dior, a firm favourite of Melania's. She has chosen its tailoring on several prominent occasions, wearing a red suit at the Republican National Convention last July, and a grey version on the night of her husband's election victory in November. Usually, when a celebrity or notable person wears a brand, the press office quickly sends a gushing press release by way of confirmation. But Dior was silent. Relationships with Trump's daughter Ivanka are only slightly better. It took Dior more than 24 hours to own her inauguration outfit, finally writing 'Ivanka Kushner wore a Dior Haute Couture green cashmere jacket and skirt, inspired by the design Favori AH1950 of Monsieur Dior. She also wore a Dior hat, a small black leather Lady Dior bag, black leather gloves, belt and shoes.' Likewise, the provenance of Ivanka's Givenchy inauguration gown a recreation of the same 1954 haute couture silhouette that Hubert de Givenchy created for Audrey Hepburn for the film Sabrina was confirmed by a press release from the White House, as opposed to an official press release by Givenchy itself. A White House representative said that Ivanka was 'honoured' to wear the gown and 'incredibly grateful [to the] Arnault family and the Givenchy atelier for creating this masterpiece, capturing the original artistry and elegance with remarkable precision and craftsmanship. 'Audrey Hepburn has long been a personal inspiration to Ivanka,' they added. Ivanka Trump's Givenchy inauguration gown was inspired by an Audrey Hepburn outfit The 1954 haute couture silhouette that Hubert de Givenchy created for Audrey Hepburn for the film Sabrina The distancing and delay would, perhaps, be understandable if Dior's owner, Bernard Arnault, was a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat keen to minimise any association with Donald Trump. But this is far from the case. So close are the Arnaults to the Trumps that senior members of the family Arnault himself, Arnault's wife Helene Mercier, their son Alexandre and Arnault's daughter and Dior CEO Delphine were not only at the inauguration, but on the podium. As the owner of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the most powerful luxury empire in fashion, Arnault is the richest person in France, with an estimated net worth of 150 billion. His wealth unquestionably bought him the same privilege as the tech billionaires who also shared the podium Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg among them. Whatever his feelings about Trump, Arnault is a businessman, and it greatly behoves him to be on cordial terms with a president who caused LVMH to lose an estimated $1.6 billion in one day alone in 2019, after Trump imposed stiff tariffs. Any European label would agree that US trade barriers are destined to have a far more punishing effect on sales than Melania Trump wearing one of their jackets. In the case of Dior, rather than being a political statement, its press office's silence over Melania could just as likely indicate that she bought her Dior suits herself. Her stylist Pierre has admitted that 95 per cent of her clothes were purchased off the peg, rather than being lent or gifted. Although even the act of purchasing them can be problematic, with Pierre telling industry bible Women's Wear Daily that he was once refused entry to a Madison Avenue shop (he declined to name which) because the brand in question didn't want its designs to be worn by Melania. The rift between Melania and the fashion industry clearly remains, with a near-blanket refusal to partner with the First Lady. It is unlikely, for example, that Mrs Trump will surface in the front rows of New York fashion week next month, because the optics wouldn't look good for the designers. So perhaps it's little wonder Melania showed loyalty to her trusty Pierre by wearing one of his own designs to her husband's inauguration ball. Mr Trump and First Lady Melania dance on stage at the President's inauguration ball in Washington Dior's press release image of Ivanka with her family. It took Dior more than 24 hours to own her inauguration outfit, finally writing 'Ivanka Kushner wore a Dior Haute Couture green cashmere jacket and skirt, inspired by the design Favori AH1950 of Monsieur Dior' In the last six months of 2023, it's estimated that he was paid more than $100,000 from Donald Trump's political action committee for his services a modest fee, given his experience (past clients include Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama) and level of responsibility. 'If people don't want to dress her, I think it's sad, but I was honoured,' Pierre has said. 'The beauty of this country is it's a democracy, so some people want to dress certain people and some people don't want to. I choose to.' Whether more designers decide to dress Melania this time around remains to be seen. There certainly seems to be no thawing of relations between the Trumps and American Vogue. During Trump's last stint in office, Melania was snubbed by Anna Wintour, its powerful British editor-in-chief and a proud Democrat, despite the editor having featured every other First Lady in the magazine, including Republican Laura Bush. Nor does her editorial stance seem to have softened. Yesterday, Vogue ran an article that criticised Ivanka Trump's choice of the Hollywood-inspired Givenchy gown: 'Trump's wardrobe appears to be built on artifice,' it noted rather sourly, adding that 'her nod to upbeat Hollywood glamour felt misguided'. If Melania's rejection by the fashion industry rankles, we'll never know it. She has already proved that necessity is the mother of invention, wearing items from her own wardrobe and making them look current even when they're several years old. With the help of Pierre, she has carved out a classic yet contemporary look that focuses on clean lines and elegant silhouettes which enhance her figure. And on the days when her banishment from fashion's inner circle stings? She has a pair of Jackie O-inspired sunglasses for that or, failing those, a hat. Whether with or without the fashion world's blessing, bar the odd misstep, Melania knows how to dress. Let them weaponise their politics. Whether certain designers give her their blessing or not, she'll continue to weaponise their clothes. A High Court judge in Ireland is to consider using a legal power that would take fines imposed on teacher Enoch Burke for contempt of court directly out of his salary or bank account. The submission would allow the Attorney General, Rossa Fanning, to sequester the assets after Mr Justice David Nolan estimated that Mr Burke, who has been a central figurehead in the country's culture wars for two and a half years after he refused to acknowledge a transgender pupil's identity, owes some 190,000 euros to date, following a 700 euros a day fine imposed by the court since January 2023. Barristers representing Mr Fanning said he believes he can bring an application to sequester the teacher's assets as he would have standing in the public interest. On Tuesday, the court heard submissions from lawyers representing the state that could order Mr Burke to pay the fines. Mr Burke, from County Mayo, did not appear at the High Court in Dublin and instead attended Wilson's Hospital School, the court heard. He gained notoriety after being sacked as a teacher and was later jailed for contempt of court - but was released from prison in December. He had spent more than 500 days in jail for repeatedly defying a court order which banned him from protesting outside Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath when they fired him. A High Court judge will consider a submission allowing the Attorney General to sequester the assets of Enoch Burke (pictured in February 2023) over fines imposed on him for contempt of court The board of management at Co Westmeath and Mr Burke have been in a legal dispute stemming from incidents over a request from the school's then-principal to address a student by a new name and the pronoun 'they'. Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian, argued that his suspension was unlawful and went against his right to express his religious beliefs. He has been on suspended paid administrative leave from the school since August 2022 following the dispute. The school has been granted injunctive relief, restraining Mr Burke from attending the school, however he continues to attend in breach of the order. Mr Burke was released from prison days before Christmas but he continues to attend the premises almost every day since it reopened following the end of the holidays. The court was told that Mr Burke's presence on the premises continues to 'disrupt' the school day. Pictured: Irish teacher Enoch Burke stood outside Wilson's Hospital School gate in County Westmeath The Christian teacher found himself in the centre of a cultural war after he refused to use a transgender student's chosen pronouns (seen leaving the the Court of Appeal in Dublin in March 2023) The court also heard concerns about third parties appearing to supporting Mr Burke, who also occasionally join him. Representatives of the Attorney General's office and the Department of Finance attended court to discuss how the court can enforce payment of the fines. In an email from Mr Burke, he said that any attempt to strip him of his livelihood was 'deeply disturbing'. Brian Kennedy, senior counsel for the AG, said that the court could also consider a garnishee order - which requires a person owing money to the defendant to pay their debts to the claimant rather than the defendant. In this instance, as reported by Extra.ie, fines could be taken directly from a person's wages or bank account. The court was told that issuing a garnishee order against Mr Burke was less straightforward as the authority is not 'clear cut'. Senior counsel Alex White said that the school has no connection with Mr Burke's bank account as the Minister for Education is the paymaster of teachers, and that the school has no role in the administration of paying or supervising his salary. Mr Kennedy said it was usual practice that enforcement orders in contempt cases are applied for by the party in whose favour the order is made, however he added that there are occasions when the Attorney General can make the application. Pictured: Irish teacher Enoch Burke standing outside Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath He said this could be done in the 'public interest'. Mr Kennedy said that one route is an order sequestering Mr Burke's assets, which would freeze his assets and monies could be withheld to discharge the fines. The judge said he was 'disappointed' Mr Burke did not attend court, saying he would give him the opportunity to make submissions before he makes a decision. The court heard that a garnishee order would be in relation to Mr Burke's salary. This type of order has never been made in Ireland, but has been made in England and Wales. Mr Justice Nolan said that the court has the power to lock someone up for contempt but does not have similar powers to have contempt fines recovered. He also said that he is concerned to impose further costs on the school if it was to take enforcement action, adding that any fines recovered would be for the benefit of the state and not the school. Mr White said that that the case has been going on for years and all the 'school wants is to be a school'. Enoch (seen arriving at Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath in January 2023) has been on suspended paid administrative leave from the school since August 2022 He said that it has been disruptive to the student community and parents. Justice Nolan said he would give Mr Burke the opportunity to make submissions on the issue. He said he would give him 14 days and then would make a ruling on the matter at a later date. When Burke gained notoriety after being sacked as a teacher and later jailed for contempt of court, many locals were unsurprised by his extreme views - as he was born to one of the most controversial families in Ireland. Burke is one of 10 siblings; many of whom are well known in the community and nationally for their evangelical opinions. The family is known to spout anti-LGBT beliefs and has campaigned against gay marriage and 'transgenderism' which they describe as 'anti-Christian'. The siblings were previously accused of sharing flyers on a university campus which implicitly connected gay marriage to paedophilia and incest. As Burke's sentence came to an end, his father, Sean is set to begin a two month sentence for assaulting garda Victoria Fisher in a courtroom scuffle which left her with bruising after she was knocked over and fell on a radiator. His sister Ammi, 33, was cleared of obstructing another police officer in the same incident which saw Burke family matriarch Martina escorted from the hearing for shouting at judges. Ammi is not the only sibling of the ex-teacher to have experienced a brush with the judicial system - with several of the 10 siblings subject to controversy over the years. A Gen Z CEO has hit back at Lord Stuart Rose after the ex-Asda boss said working from home doesn't count as 'proper work' in a recent interview. Lord Rose, the former boss of Marks & Spencer and Asda , 75, told BBC 's Panorama working from home is creating a generation who are 'not doing proper work', in an episode that was aired on January 20. He said: 'We are creating a whole generation, and probably a generation beyond that, of people who are used to actually not doing what I call proper work. 'I believe that productivity is less good if you work from home,' he continued, adding that 'your personal development suffers'. The British businessman also suggested there was 'a correlation' between the state of young people's mental health and 'the number of people working away from a workplace'. 'I think it's bad,' he offered his verdict on hybrid working. Vicky Owens, 24, runs a social media agency called Socially Speaking that counts big-name brands such as Netflix, TikTok, and Vogue among its clients. The Manchester-native has criticised Lord Rose's comments by saying 'suffering through a long commute to the office' has nothing to do with being productive. A Gen Z CEO has hit back at Lord Stuart Rose after the ex-Asda boss said working from home doesn't count as 'proper work' in a recent interview Lord Rose, the former boss of Marks & Spencer and Asda , 75, told BBC 's Panorama working from home is creating a generation who are 'not doing proper work', in an episode that was aired on January 20 Vicky Owens, 24, runs a social media agency called Socially Speaking that counts big-name brands such as Netflix, TikTok, and Vogue among its clients The Manchester-native has criticised Lord Rose's comments by saying 'suffering through a long commute to the office' has nothing to do with being productive In fact, she countered, her eight employees are more efficient thanks to the company's hybrid working policy and that 'resting' at home during the work day is not 'lazy'. Vicky added that she never forces anyone to come into office if they don't want to. 'I'm not sure why older generations think suffering through a long commute will make you more productive - I can't believe anyone would say hybrid working is making us lazy,' she said, regarding Lord Rose' comments during the Panorama episode. 'Taking the opportunity to rest during work is beneficial - but don't get that confused with laziness. 'We're recognising, as the new generation, what's going to make the team more productive. 'For that, we have to think smarter, not harder - and being mindful of employees' wellbeing is the top priority.' Vicky founded her business in early 2021, after spending months cold-calling businesses and offering to revamp their social media pages. Since then, she has worked as a social media strategist for huge brands while growing her business. Just over a quarter of people in the UK are thought to be hybrid-working (stock picture) Vicky shared that her own struggles with anxiety and panic disorders during her teenage years enabled her to recognise when an employee might need help. 'When I initially wasn't well with panic attacks and anxiety, it was good to have the option not to leave the house,' she said. 'Being aware of other people who might struggle with that has been a benefit - I'm not going to force someone to come in. 'Profit numbers have shown, if you give people that flexibility, time and space - productivity gets higher. 'As a good leader, you have to think about what's going to make the team more productive; for some people, there's too much going on in the office and they'd rather work from home.' The CEO thinks Gen Z has a better awareness of mental health issues as compared to older generations - which makes them more open to hybrid working. But she also 'refuses' to force her non-local employees to do a long commute to the office, if they don't want to. As well as two days of hybrid working a week, Vicky also offers flexible hours for people who live over 40 minutes away. Many staff still WFH post-Covid after enjoying the saved time and money by not commuting 'Usually what I do, when I have a new member of the team, is I ask them to be in the office as much as possible for the first month,' she added. 'Once I see what they're like, and how self-sufficient they are; that's when we start to think about the set-up that would work best for them. 'If they're not local - it might work to slightly change their hours, like letting them do 10am to 4pm in the office, and two additional hours from home. 'As long as people can be in for meetings on Mondays and Fridays, and can respect that there are boundaries to hybrid working, I think it's great.' Even as the founder of the company, Vicky continued, some of her best work has been done from her laptop in bed. While it isn't 'all the time', she thinks it's important to rest her body and energise for the days she works in the office. She said: 'I think when older people think of working from home, they think of us taking Zoom calls in our pyjama bottoms. 'They think of us not changing, showering, or even brushing our hair. 'But even when I work from home, I sometimes literally just stay in bed on my laptop. 'My body gets so exhausted from working, sometimes it's beneficial to rest.' Just over a quarter of people (26 per cent) in the UK are thought to be hybrid-working, with 13 per cent fully remote and 41 per cent fully office-based. The trend began during the pandemic in 2020 when the Government ordered millions of workers to stay at home to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19. As lockdown restrictions were eased, many workers enjoyed the flexibility being at home offered for childcare as well as saved time and money by not commuting. But this has put many workers on a collision course with bosses who now want them in the office more, with some even threatening or taking strike action. The fast food giant has rolled out new sustainable paper lids for its hot drinks McDonald's fans have been left fuming after the fast food chain made a major change to its coffee cups. Restaurants across the UK are now serving coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in cups with eco-friendly lids that, some customers complain, lose their structural integrity when they come in contact with hot beverages. It appears the new sustainable lids are being used at McDonald's outlets across the UK as part of the firm's 2030 pledge to 'close the loop on waste' and ultimately reduce the amount of material used across packaging by 30 per cent. So far, the fast food giant appears to have achieved its 2024 goal for all of its primary customer packaging to be made recyclable or compostable, which explains the recent switchover to paper-based straws and cutlery, as well as plastic-free salad boxes. However, some customers have taken to social media to complain about the 'awful' new lids that collapse while they are still drinking their beverage. Writing on X, one person said: 'Can't stand these new lids. Surely you can find plastic lids that can be recycled? 'Same as the stupid paper straws that go soggy in 10 minutes.' Another said: 'After my recent moaning about McDonalds cup lids, Im conflicted as to whether this is better or worse than the plastic ones that split every time.' McDonald's restaurants across the UK are now serving coffee, tea and hot chocolate in cups with eco-friendly lids - but the move has not gone down well with regular customers Plastic lids (pictured) have been switched for fibre-based alternatives in the new design, which appears to have been rolled out nationwide over recent weeks (stock image) A third commented: 'The lids dont even go on, the paper ones. Switch back to plastic lids right away plz.' A fourth wrote: 'Think you might want to rethink this new cardboard lids idea. Literally collapsing as I drink it.' Critiquing McDonald's switchover to paper-based packaging and cutlery, one person said: 'Paper cutlery... Just why? It's absolutely useless and the paper lids on hot drinks are horrible too.' Agreeing, another said: 'New lids on McDonald's coffee are horrendous, up there with wooden cutlery.' A third dissatisfied customer wrote: 'Mcdonalds have now moved to hot drinks having paper lids.. like i get it, plastic [is] bad, but why would i want to drink a hot chocolate with a topping of f*****g soggy paper.' However, one customer appeared to have approved of the new change, writing: 'At last new lids from McDonalds, the black plastic were terrible, at last something positive well done McDonald's.' In a statement issued to The Sun, a McDonald's spokesperson wrote: 'At McDonald's we are always looking at ways to innovate and improve. Scores of customers criticised the move, with many complaining of their lids going soggy and collapsing while consume their beverage 'Our new moulded fibre McCafe lids are one of the many steps we're taking towards our commitment to making all our customer packaging recyclable.' They added: 'As with any changes we make, the new packaging went through a thorough testing process to collate extensive feedback both internally and externally, allowing us to make any necessary changes ahead of launch.' Elsewhere, American fast food fans can now purchase 'nostalgic' Happy Meal toys at McDonald's. The restaurant empire brought back its fan-favorite Happy Meal toys for a limited time at participating locations nationwide on January 21. The promotion, which McDonald's dubbed 'Dragon Discovery,' gives customers the chance to score a Pokemon card pack with their meals. A British author is spearheading a publishing industry drive to raise funds for wildfire relief in Los Angeles. Caroline L. Perry, who wrote the acclaimed children's book The Corgi and the Queen, teamed up with fellow writers to launch Kidlit For Los Angeles, and donations have come flooding in from some of the book world's biggest names. Top auction highlights include rare, signed books from YA sensations Leigh Bardugo and Victoria Aveyard and a book signed by the late President Jimmy Carter. A complete signed set of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books along with an original sketch by creator Jeff Kinney, and a full, signed Wings of Fire collection from Tui T. Sutherland, paired with original art prints by award-winning illustrators, are also up for auction. Additional offerings include virtual book club and school visits, and many other exclusive experiences and collectibles. Manchester-born Perry, who moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago, collaborated with fellow authors Charlotte Offsay, Tara Luebbe, and Jocelyn Rish to organise the fundraiser, and the team has been deeply moved by the generosity of their peers. 'I have friends who lost homes in the fires,' Perry shared. 'And all of us know people who were affected by this tragedy. We felt heartbroken but we wanted to channel that sadness into something positive.' The auction received more than 1200 bids in a single day, and the team is hopeful that they will raise 'a significant sum' to support those impacted by the devastating wildfires. A group of authors, including Caroline L. Perry, have launched Kidlit For Los Angeles to raise funds for Los Angeles fire victims 'The donations we've received are extraordinary,' Perry said. 'We're so grateful to everyone who's offered their support, and we hope to help make a difference.' Taking to Instagram, Caroline wrote: 'I have many friends who lost their homes, livelihoods, and communities in LA's devastating fires, while others remain evacuated, suspended in a state of uncertainty. The scale of this tragedy is truly staggering, and very hard to process. 'Like so many others, I spent much of last week feeling powerless, and crushed under the weight of my beloved city's grief. 'I needed to channel that sadness into something productive, so I reached out to friend and fellow LA-based author, to see if she'd join me in creating a fundraiser. 'Minutes later, Kidlit For Los Angeles was born. Along with our fearless writer friends and, we've been working tirelessly to gather donations, design graphics, upload and manage items, and set up social media accounts (the wonderful @sydwiki designed our gorgeous fundraiser logo). 'Already, the response has been nothing short of remarkable: donations have been flooding in from agents, editors, and award-winning creators. Caroline L. Perry (pictured), who wrote the acclaimed children's book The Corgi and the Queen, moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago 'Our small but mighty team is burning the midnight oil to get all of the amazing offerings uploaded onto our platform before the auction goes live on Monday, and after shedding so many tears of sorrow, the sobs are now sparked by gratitude for all the kindness in our children's publishing community. 'Kidlit For Los Angeles's goal is to raise money for wildfire relief efforts and support the organisations doing extraordinary work in the beautiful and unbreakable city of LA.' Bidding is open for the Kidlit Los Angeles auction until January 26th here. The idyllic Palisades neighbourhood has gone from a beloved celebrity paradise to something that now resembles a smouldering apocalyptic hellscape. Hundreds of ritzy, multi-million-dollar homes are now nothing more than piles of rubble and ash, with little evidence left behind of the treasured heirlooms and household items that used to decorate the walls. Properties that remain partially standing barely offer a glimpse of the glamour they once displayed. Instead of picturesque buildings with perfectly manicured lawns, the properties paint a portrait of the horrific fires. The remains are covered in black soot and littered with debris, while the trees and shrubbery that were previously green and full of life are burnt to the crisp. The children's author is hoping to raise a 'significant sum' for charities aiding victims of the tragic fires via Kidlit Six fires have erupted across the greater LA area since 7 January, killing at least 25 people and burning more than 12,000 homes and other structures. A new fire broke out last Wednesday in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles, burning 30 acres, Cal Fire reported. Two other fires in Southern California were largely under control. Critics have questioned whether the city properly prepared for fire danger in the face of National Weather Service warnings about hazardous weather, even though firefighters were on alert and able to deploy assets beforehand. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley fielded queries last Wednesday about a Los Angeles Times report that fire officials had opted against ordering 1,000 firefighters to remain on duty for a second shift on 7 January as fires were beginning to grow out of control. The Times cited critics who said the outgoing shift should have been kept on duty and that as many as 25 additional fire engines should have been moved into hillsides. Crowley defended her department's preparation, saying it was impossible to know exactly where fires might break out and that some firefighters needed to remain in place to field ordinary emergency calls anywhere in the city. 'We did everything in our capability to surge where we could,' Crowley said. The Times quoted Deputy Chief Richard Fields, who was in charge of staffing and equipment decisions ahead of the fire, as saying the scrutiny was welcome but that critics were too easily second-guessing decisions after the fact. New Delhi, Jan 22 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on the interim bail plea of Tahir Hussain, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case. Hussain sought bail to campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly election. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah passed a split verdict. Justice Pankaj Mithal dismissed the plea, citing concerns over its implications, while Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah allowed interim bail until February 4, 2024, subject to specific conditions. In light of the divergence, the Registry was directed to refer the matter to the Chief Justice of India for assigning it to a third judge or a larger bench. The case stems from Hussains Special Leave Petition challenging a Delhi High Court order that denied interim bail but granted custody parole for filing his nomination for the Mustafabad constituency. The charges against Hussain relate to the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma during the riots. Contesting elections is not a fundamental right, and the High Courts custody parole protected Hussains rights adequately. Allowing bail for campaigning could create a "Pandora's box," enabling other undertrials to seek similar reliefs. Hussains release could lead to interactions with witnesses, posing risks to the trial. "Campaigning for 10-15 days cannot suffice, as a constituency must be nurtured for years," Justice Mithal remarked. While acknowledging the gravity of the charges, Justice Amanullah emphasized that there are still allegations at this stage. He highlighted that Hussain has been in custody for five years without significant progress in the trial. The Judge advocated for creating a "level playing field," given that the Election Commission certified Hussains eligibility to contest. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju asserted that the plea was a "gimmick" to secure bail and that Hussains release could endanger witnesses and the trial. Pointed to pending cases under UAPA and PMLA, which would prevent Hussains release even if bail were granted in this case. Stressed that election canvassing does not require personal freedom, as party agents can campaign on behalf of the candidate. Senior Advocate Siddharth Agarwal highlighted Hussains prolonged custody of over five years and delays in the trial. The Court noted that other accused in related cases had been granted bail. He emphasized that Hussains calls to PCR during the incident demonstrated his innocence. The split verdict underscores the complex legal and constitutional questions surrounding the rights of undertrial candidates to contest elections and the balance between individual liberty and the integrity of criminal trials. The matter now awaits further direction from the Chief Justice of India. UNI SNG CS1652 The Norwegian royal family has released a series of intimate family photographs of Princess Ingrid Alexandra to mark her 21st birthday. The royal daughter of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 50, and Crown Prince Haakon, 50, turned 21 on January 21st. To mark the special occasion, the royal household shared five unseen pictures of the future Queen on Instagram with the caption: 'Happy birthday, Princess Ingrid Alexandra!' The first photo shows Ingrid smiling proudly, wearing her military uniform as she poses in front of a tank. The princess only started her military training in January and is set to serve for a year at the Engineer Battalion in Brigade Nord; she is set to train at the country's Skjold camp in Indre Troms. Another photo shows Ingrid with camouflage paint smeared on her face as part of a military training exercise while a fourth shows her bundled up with ski goggles on her head as she explores a snowy landscape. In a complete change of scene, another photo shows the young princess flashing a dimpled smile as she wears a lifejacket onboard a boat. However, royals fans were particularly delighted by the final snap of a glammed-up Princess Ingrid sitting alongside her brother Prince Sverre Magnus, 19, on the day of Princess Martha Louise's pre-wedding party in the idyllic coastal village of Geiranger. The royal household shared five unseen pictures of the future Queen on Instagram to mark her 21st birthday. In one photo, Princess Ingrid smiles alongside her brother Prince Sverre Magnus on the day of Princess Martha Louise's pre-wedding party in Geiranger With one hand placed on her younger brother's arm, the second-in-line to the throne dazzles in an emerald pleated maxi dress. In the image, she has a floral lace bolero over her shoulders and a hot pink clutch bag completing the stylish ensemble. Her brother Sverre looked dapper in a forest green velvet blazer paired with a crisp white shirt which had the top few buttons unbuttoned for a more relaxed look. Accompanying the sweet birthday post, the caption read: The princess, who is currently serving in the Armed Forces, turns 21 years old.' Royal fans and friends quickly flooded the comments with heart warming messages. 'Happy 21st birthday! You're good for Norway, we're rooting for you,' wrote one, while a second penned: 'Happy 21st birthday to our lovely princess!' and a third chimed in: 'Happy birthday, beautiful Ingrid.' Another enthusiastic royal fan penned: 'Congratulations so much on your birthday to our beautiful Princess Ingrid Alexandra. 'You are a great and healthy role model for the country's younger generations, and a worthy, skilled and inspiring member of the royal family.' In a complete change of scene, the second picture shows Ingrid flashing a dimpled smile as she wears a lifejacket onboard a boat Active: A third picture shows Ingrid with camouflage paint smeared on her face as part of a military training exercise Another image shows Ingrid bundled up with ski goggles on her head as she explores a snowy landscape. The caption read: 'Happy birthday, Princess Ingrid Alexandra!' Princess Ingrid started her military training in January and is set to serve for a year with the Engineer Battalion in Brigade Nord Her milestone birthday comes as the Norwegian royals have been rocked by scandal over the last 12 months. Marius Borg Hiby 27 - the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon - was arrested on August 4th 2024 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. 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.' 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) 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' 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) '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. The dialect used by the younger generation is always bound to befuddle those who've been around a little longer. However, it's less often that the words the latest generation are using have absolutely no discernible meaning to English speakers over the age of 27. According to a new study by the Oxford University Press, one of the most popular words used by Generation Alpha - those born between 2010 and 2024 - is so offbeat that not even their closest peers, Gen Z, know what they're saying. A whopping 15 per cent of children surveyed revealed that their favourite term was 'skibidi' - a word that has left linguists scratching their heads. Nevertheless, the seemingly nonsensical word was voted as the third most used by children in 2024. You'd be forgiven for never coming across it though - apparently it only arrived on the word scene in 2023 after appearing in a bizarre YouTube video about cartoon toilets with human heads. So, just how many of this year's most popular Gen Alpha words do you know? Test your knowledge with MailOnline's 12-question quiz... The dialect used by the younger generation is always bound to be different to that used by those who've been around for longer Your browser does not support iframes. For those hoping to adopt 'skibidi' into their vocabulary, it doesn't necessarily have any one hard meaning and can be used in nearly any context the speaker would like. For example: 'that's skibidi' can carry multiple meanings and could be used to express disgust, great admiration, disdain or even bewilderment. In a survey carried out by Oxford University Press, 15 per cent of 1,200 children said it was their favourite word. Offering examples on how to use it, children suggested, 'my chances of winning are very skibidi' and, 'oh, it's totally skibidi mode'. Linguists have struggled to come up with a solid definition for the term, which first arose in a series of popular animated YouTube videos dating back to February 2023. The bizarre clips feature an army of singing toilets, all which have human-heads (Skibidi toilets), battling it out against a rival troop of camera-headed men (Cameramen). The videos were then scattered through TikTok, Instagram and other social media channels before eventually evolving into a distinguishable phrase - at least to the younger generation. Taking to social media, one British TikToker, username scrolldepp, attempted to offer an explanation for the seemingly ineffable word. In a TikTok explaining the phrase, Australian creator, anthony.voulgaris, (pictured) said: 'I'm pretty sure slay used to mean, back in the day, to kill something so if you had slain an animal, you'd killed the animal 'There's a wild trend taking over the internet and you're probably too old to understand it, even if you're Gen Z, it's Gen Alpha' he said. 'It's a slightly bizarre incomprehensible trend that all started with a really viral video of a head in a toilet singing the song that goes 'skibidi bop'. 'It started off as just a TikTok of that but it has evolved to surprisingly deep, law filled story of toilet head men battling these monsters that have camcorders for heads.' He explained that there had even been plush toys made of the strange animated toilet and camera heads. 'It was created by a guy who goes by dafquman and he puts new episodes out regularly and they get millions upon millions of views. Each episode has the toilet men fighting the machine men. 'People are just obsessed with this!' he added. Other strange new words to have materialised from the study are 'sigma' and 'slay', the former, pertaining to 'coolness', was in second place for the most popular words used by 11-year-olds. In one TikTok video, British primary school teacher Kit Brown, admitted he is still baffled by the phrase 'sigma', despite hearing it regularly in the classroom. He included the phrase in a list of Gen Alpha words he couldn't get his head around. 'I've asked around but no one can tell me what "what the sigma" means,' he said in the clip. Other strange new words to have materialised from the study are 'sigma' and 'slay, the former, pertaining to 'coolness', was in second place for the most popular words used by 11-year-olds It's generally thought that things described as 'sigma' are viewed positively or as 'cool'. Meanwhile, the word 'slay' refers to success and was awarded the most popular word with nearly a third, 28 per cent, selecting it as their favourite. Elsewhere, a fifth of those aged between 12 and 14, also chose 'slay' as their favourite phrase. In a TikTok explaining the phrase, Australian creator, anthony.voulgaris, said: 'I'm pretty sure slay used to mean, back in the day, to kill something so if you had slain an animal, you'd killed the animal. 'Theoretically it still does mean to kill something but [now] to kill a look [outfit]. I love Gen Z and millennials ability to completely change the meaning of a word,' he said. 'I see dead people' has a whole new meaning for one woman after she was accidentally declared legally dead - despite being very much alive. Nicole Paulino, from Maryland, went to get a new drivers license in November, but was told she wouldn't be able to because she is registered as having passed away. 'It appears that I am deceased,' the mom-of three told NBC4 Washington. Paulino admitted she was a 'little frightened,' by the revelation because, 'I am alive.' 'I'm here,' she added indignantly. Paulino was later contacted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), who told her that her Social Security number was registered to the person who died, due to a typo. The mom-of-three said the mistake has impacted both her medical and physical health - with her family's insurance now canceled over the mix up and her medical bills steadily increasing because of it. 'This really, really messes up my life,' Paulino said, adding she's been unable to get her asthma inhaler. 'It has affected me a lot.' Nicole Paulino, from Maryland, went to get a new drivers license in November, but was told she wouldn't be able to because she is registered as having passed away Paulino confirmed she had received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stating she was a 'deceased taxpayer.' She discovered the problem in November 2024 but claimed the government didn't declare her 'alive' until January 14, 2025 after the SSA admitted the mistake was a clerical error. The Social Security Administration insisted that records are 'highly accurate.' 'Of these millions of death reports we receive each year, less than one-third of one percent are subsequently corrected,' they said in a statement to NBC4. This equivalates to around 10,000 false reports each year, according to NBC4. Paulino's situation isn't the first time someone has accidentally been declared dead, despite being alive. Madeline-Michelle Carthen, 52, claimed she has struggled to hold down a job, get a mortgage or rent an apartment due to an erroneous Social Security number error made nearly 20 years ago. In 2007, she was denied financial aid as a student at Webster University, ultimately forcing her to drop out. Paulino was later contacted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), who told her that her Social Security number was registered to the person who died, due to a typo The mom-of-three said the mistake has impacted both her medical and physical health - with her family's insurance now canceled. Pictured: Social Security Administration Office in Rockville Maryland And since then, she hasn't been able to complete basic life tasks - like rent a car, saying it has 'messed up my whole life.' 'It's impacted my life, financially. If I wanted to buy a house, that won't happen,' she told KSDK in 2023. 'I got denied my financial aid,' she told a local NBC affiliate KSDK when she was previously interviewed in 2007. 'Now, they're saying, 'Prove to us you're not dead.' As she was preparing for a summer internship in Ghana 16 years ago, she received the startling news that according to her social security, she was dead. When she found out that her social security number was associated with a deceased person, Carthen laughed - initially dismissing it as a 'simple mistake.' She said to the outlet at the time: 'What do you mean? I'm sitting right here. I've been at school over a year and a half. How am I dead?' But that was only the start of her troubles. 'It's like a haunting,' Carthen added. Once her Social Security number is processed, she said Human Recourses isn't able to process payroll and she is typically fired from her job. 'It's just a matter before my Social Security number catches up with me, and then they have to let me go HR can't process payroll,' she said. Paperwork and credit reports document her as 'deceased.' Carthen said she's been dealing with the issue for nearly two decades but nothing has changed. 'I just want direct answers, and I haven't been able to get that,' Carthen said. A luxurious members-only 'doomsday' bunker featuring swimming pools, AI-driven healthcare and glamorous suites is set to open in 2026. US-based company SAFE has unveiled plans to build a luxury fortress in Virginia, just14313809r outside Washington in the US, where a $300million (242million) bunker will house 625 of the world's wealthiest people in the event of a global disaster. The underground bunker, which has been named Aerie, will offer clients the chance to survive should there be a disaster above ground - though they will need to shell out $20million (16 million) each to secure it. Despite being placed in close proximity to The White House in Washington, directors of the new hideout have insisted the location of the build is merely 'coincidence' and has nothing to do with global tensions - and fears of a potential World War Three. The fortress is just one of a string of similar hideouts built for the ultra-wealthy over the last few years, with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Mark Zuckerberg and Tom Cruise admitting to building their own, or signing up for a spot in one of the posh safety pits. Clients willing to fork out the hefty price tag will not only have access to the fortress should the world come to an end but will be able to step foot into the pods whenever they feel their 'safety threatened'. Beyond just memory-foam mattresses and marble floors, Aerie will provide guests with an unmatched set of facilities, including 'AI powered' medical care, countless 'wellness programs' and a perfect blend of 'protection and luxury'. The hideout is also set to come with luxury gourmet dining facilities, an indoor swimming pool, cold plunge centers, IV therapy rooms, a bowling alley and climbing wall. The US-based company, SAFE, has unveiled plans to build a luxury fortress in Virginia , just outside Washington in the US, where a $300 million (242 million) bunker will house 625 of those world's wealthiest people in the event of a global disaster The company behind the new construction is SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), a Virginia-based company specialising in secure property designs. Construction of the vast underground fortress will cost a whopping $300 million (242million). According to Director of SAFEs medical preparedness, Naomi Corbi, the 'impenetrable residence' will emphasise both privacy and security. She told Realtor.com the 'multifaceted club' will offer its millionaire members the privacy to 'conduct business' while sealed behind 'impenetrable' walls. It will also offer MediShield illness centres where clients can be treated for ailments and be given lifesaving treatments using AI powered tools. Describing the centres, SAFE wrote: 'The companys team of highly specialized medical professionals will deliver the same standards of the White House Medical Unit straight to you. 'The cutting-edge robotic services provide top-tier medical care and emergency response, regardless of location.' Corbi said the hideout has been designed with 'wellness' in mind to compensate for the growing interest in youth and 'longevity'. Meanwhile, AI powered medical suites will have clients permanently in reach of health professionals. A luxurious members-only doomsday bunker, featuring swimming pools, AI-driven healthcare and glamorous suites, is set to open in 2026 with an price tag of 20 million per person (pictured) The underground bunker, which has been named Aerie, will offer clients a taste of true luxury in the event of disaster - though they will need to shell out $20 million (16 million) each to secure it However, directors of the new hideout have insisted the decision to build within close proximity to the White House is merely 'coincidence' and has nothing to do with global tensions or climate crisis The fortress is just one of a string of similar hideouts built for the ultra-wealthy over the last few years, with a number of high-profile names admitting to building their own or signing up for a spot in the posh safety pits Clients willing to shed the the 16 million will not only have access to the fortress should the world come to an end, but will be able to step foot in their pods whenever they need refuge or feel their 'safety threatened Beyond just memory-foam mattresses and marble floors, Aerie will provide guests with an unmatched set of facilities, including ' AI powered' medical care, countless 'wellness programs' and a perfect blend of 'protection and luxury' The hideout is also set to come with luxury gourmet dining facilities, swimming pool, cold plunge centers, IV therapy rooms, a bowling alley and climbing wall Each bunker will be built underground except for a rooftop penthouse and members club. But celebrities and tycoons won't be short of views as thanks to 'interactive walls and ceilings', they will be able to imagine themselves anywhere. Ms Corbi told Realtor there will be a four-tiered membership available when the construction opens. She said the lowest tier would be affordable to a 'moderately successful CEO' while the 'Asylum membership' will only be available via invite to those worthy of a gold-standard bunker. Directors at the company are still in conversations over who this will be offered too. Beyond the Virginia-based bunker, the company has plans to expand their empire of opulent safety hideouts to other parts of the United States. The company have insisted that plans to build just outside of Virginia are 'strategic' and based solely around convenience - insisting they are not reflective of unrest in the wide political world. SAFEs founder and president, Al Corbi, said: 'Its coincidental, but its the wealthiest state per capita. Its ground zero for the finest demographic for something like this in the world.' He added that the hideout will 'transform the high-end security space'. Pictured: Mr and Mrs Corbi. According to SAFEs founder and president, Al Corbi, said the hideout will 'transform the high-end security space' Each bunker will be built underground except for a rooftop penthouse and members club But celebrities and tycoons won't be short of views. Thanks to 'interactive walls and ceilings', they will be able to imagine themselves anywhere It will also offer MediShield illness centres where clients can be treated for ailments and be given life saving treatments using AI powered tools But celebrities and tycoons won't be short of views. Thanks to 'interactive walls and ceilings', they will be able to imagine themselves anywhere Mr Corbi said the decision to build the high-end hideout was inspired by the brutal death of one of SAFE's customers, who forked out for a $103 million (83 million) to custom security system - only to end up being killed when a gunman opened fire at a concert they were at The company has plans to expand their empire of opulent safety hideouts to other parts of the United States Mr Corbi said the decision to build the high-end hideout was inspired by the brutal death of one of SAFE's customers, who forked out $10 million (83million) for a custom security system - only to end up being killed when a gunman opened fire at a concert they were at. He said: 'Imagine you are one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world and then something unimaginable happens and youre a regular guy, you have no place to go in the moment.' He added that merely going to a 'hotel' would be little to offer the same level of sanctuary as Aerie. According to Ms Corbi, the bunker will be home to some of the company's most famous and infamous clients. While it will take several years to complete the build, a taster experience of the hideout will be available in 2026, when prospective clients can visit to decide whether to shell out for a room or not According to Ms Corbi, the bunker will be home to some of the company's most famous and infamous clients The company has reportedly received thousands of requests from wealthy figures around the world Speaking to Realtor, Ron Hubbard, founder and CEO of Atlas Survival Shelters, who is behind the bespoke underground hideouts of a number of celebrities - including Kim Kardashian, the Tate brothers and Mr. Beast - said he believed 'civil unrest' would be the likely cause of requiring sanctuary The company have insisted that plans to build outside of Virginia are 'strategic' and based solely around convenience - insisting they are not reflective of unrest in the wide political world While it will take several years to complete the build, a taster experience of the hideout will be available in 2026, when prospective clients can visit to decide whether to shell out for a room or not. The company has reportedly received thousands of requests from wealthy figures around the world. Speaking to Realtor, Ron Hubbard, founder and CEO of Atlas Survival Shelters, who is behind the bespoke underground hideouts of a number of celebrities - including Kim Kardashian, the Tate brothers and Mr. Beast - said he believed 'civil unrest' would be the likely cause of requiring sanctuary. He added that homes built underground would likely be the standard model for houses over the next few years. Lauren Sanchez is engaged to one of the richest men in the world, so it makes sense she would go all out for the inauguration festivities. Lauren, 55, who got engaged to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in May 2023, has become famous for her sultry sense of style. The tech founder popped the question on his $500 million superyacht following an affair which led to his divorce from his wife of 25 years, Mackenzie Scott. Lauren has completely changed her style since she got together with her billionaire beau. She often opts for skin tight, curve-hugging ensembles, including her inauguration ensembles to celebrate President Donald Trump. To find out how much Lauren spent on her elaborate outfits for the inauguration events, FEMAIL reached out to fashion experts. On Sunday night, the Fly Who Flew to Space author attended a star-studded pre-inauguration candlelight dinner at the National Building Museum in a glittering black strapless Dolce & Gabbana gown. Celebrity stylist Amanda Massi told DailyMail.com, 'The dress appears to be custom as it can't be located in collections from present to 2023' and estimates the gown would range from $15,000 to $20,000. On Sunday night, Lauren Sanchez attended a star-studded pre-inauguration candlelight dinner at the National Building Museum in a glittering black strapless Dolce & Gabbana gown Celebrity stylist Amanda Massi told DailyMail.com, 'The dress appears to be custom as it can't be located in collections from present to 2023' and estimates the gown would range from $15,000 to $20,000 Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez and Elon Musk attend a candlelight dinner hosted by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Lauren finished off the look with dazzling jewels from celebrity jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, including a pear diamond statement choker, mesh cuff bracelet, diamond pinky ring, and diamond earrings. Irina Aran, founder of Facets Fine Jewelry, told DailyMail.com that she estimates the 'spectacular' jewelry paired with the black gown would be worth $6 million to 10 million. Irina, who is based in Brooklyn, New York, believes the oval solitaire pinky ring is worth up to $2 million based on one she previously designed, as ovals are hard to get in stock. Lauren was again the center of attention at Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday in her plunging white Alexander McQueen lace corset with floral detailing paired with a matching blazer. The satin-trimmed cotton-blend corded lace bustier top, which she's worn before, retails for $1,890. The former news anchor paired the romantic cropped Italian bustier with the design house's $2,590 crepe blazer. According to the blazer's description, it's meant to be worn with 'nothing but a lace bra underneath.' It appears that she paired the blazer with the matching Alexander McQueen crepe straight leg pants, which retail for $990. Lauren was the center of attention at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday in her plunging white Alexander McQueen lace corset with floral detailing paired with a matching blazer The children's author showed off the monochromatic suit when she attended the 2024 Forbes Power Women's Summit in September Lauren was again the center of attention at Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday in her plunging white Alexander McQueen lace corset with floral detailing paired with a matching suit Celeb stylist Amanda Massi told DailyMail.com 'depending on the jewelry brand and quality of the diamond, one carat is roughly $5,000 to $10,000' Lauren also wore diamond stud earrings and her whopping 30-carat engagement ring. Mike Fried, CEO of The Diamond Pro, previously estimated that the ring is likely worth $2 million. Amanda, who works with socialites and beauty queens, believes her diamond stud earrings are about two carats, which would mean they cost approximately $20,000 to $30,000. Amanda, based in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, told FEMAIL that in her experience sourcing fine jewelry for private clients, 'depending on the jewelry brand and quality of the diamond, one carat is roughly $5,000 to $10,000.' Lauren changed into an ethereal peach Dolce & Gabbana gown for the Starlight Ball Monday night paired with chandelier earrings Amanda believes the custom gown would be close to $40,000, although this has not been confirmed by a D&G rep since it's typically confidential Lauren accessorized the peach chiffon cape dress with more jewels from Lorraine Schwartz, who has created bespoke pieces for celebrities including Beyonce and Kim Kardashian The mom-of-three has been getting her money's worth out of the controversial cleavage-baring bustier and ivory McQueen suit. The children's author showed off the monochromatic suit when she attended the 2024 Forbes Power Women's Summit in September. The View guest host gave her Instagram followers a peek at the suit on December 5 when she shared a mirror selfie on Instagram and captioned the snap 'Winter white.' Lauren changed into a stunning, delicate peach couture Dolce & Gabbana gown for the Starlight Ball Monday night that was potentially even more expensive than her black custom gown. She accessorized the peach chiffon cape dress with more jewels from Lorraine Schwartz, who has created bespoke pieces for celebrities including Beyonce, Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian. Lauren showed off elaborate chandelier earrings dripping with pearls. Amanda believes the gown made with delicate fabric would cost close to $40,000, although this has not been confirmed by a D&G rep. The Spanish King and Queen opened the International Tourism Trade Fair Queen Letizia of Spain looked stunning in a rose-coloured blazer as she attended a tourism fair in Madrid today. The Spanish royal, 52, joined her husband King Felipe, 56, to open the International Tourism Trade Fair which is taking place at the IFEMA congress centre in the capital from January 22 to 26. The mother-of-two stepped out in a bubblegum pink blazer with ribbed detailing to highlight her elegant physique. Ever the style icon, Letizia's elevated look comes from the high-street fashion brand Zara. The royal and former journalist, who is known for her fashion-forward choices, paired her striking yet affordable jacket with simple black trousers and let her blow-dried brown tresses fall over her shoulders. She kept her makeup to a minimum with a peach shadow dusted over her eyelid, warm bronzer to accentuate her cheekbones and a sparkly pink gloss on her lips. The monarch completed her outfit with sparkling three-cuff earrings and modest black kitten-heels. The practical yet stylish footwear meant she oozed confidence as she toured exhibits across the nine halls at the venue, meeting ministers, government representatives and tourism industry leaders from around the world along the way. Queen Letizia of Spain looked stunning in a rose-coloured blazer as she attended a tourism fair in Madrid today with her husband King Felipe Queen Letizia is believed to have been suffering from Morton's neuroma in her left foot since 2022. This condition is characterised by a thickening of the tissue around the nerves between the third and fourth metatarsal bones. It can cause severe stabbing pain, numbness and tingling. She is also reported to have metatarsalgia - pain in the ball of the foot - in both feet, which also explains why she has chosen comfortable shoes for this event. The International Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid acts as the largest meeting point for the tourism sector. As Brazil is featured as this year's featured partner country, the Minister for Tourism Celso Sabino and President-Director of the EMBRATUR, or the Brazilian Tourism Board, Marcelo Freixo, welcomed the Spanish King and Queen to their exhibit in hall three. The Spanish royals were also seen talking to President Salvador Illa at Catalonia's exhibit. A total of 9,500 companies are participating in the fair with 156 countries represented. The mother-of-two stepped out in a bubblegum pink blazer with ribbed detailing to highlight her elegant physique Ever the style icon, Letizia's elevated look comes from the high-street fashion brand Zara The monarch completed her outfit with modest black kitten-heels as she is believed to have been suffering from Morton's neuroma in her left foot since 2022 The former journalist to oozes confidence as she tours exhibits across the nine halls at the venue, meeting ministers, government representatives and tourism industry leaders from around the world along the way The Spanish royals stop to chat with Catalonia Government's President Salvador Illa The 52-year-old monarch kept her makeup to a minimum with a peach shadow dusted over her eyelid, warm bronzer to accentuate her cheekbones and a sparkly pink gloss on her lips It comes weeks after the Spanish King and Queen bid farewell to their eldest daughter Princess Leonor as she embarked on a sixth-month navy training course that will take her all across the United States. In early January, Felipe and Letizia watched proudly as the 19-year-old took part in a departure ceremony before setting sail from Cadiz. The future queen looked solemn as she joined her fellow students, all aspiring officers of the Spanish Navy, for the procession before the three-masted sailing ship left the port in Cadiz. Meanwhile, her parents smiled and waved goodbye, while King Felipe documented the milestone by snapping photographs of Leonor. She is following in the footsteps of her father, Felipe, and her grandfather, King Juan Carlos, who also carried out a similar trip. Leonor - who began three years of military training in 2023 - looked just the part in her navy uniform. She styled her brunette tresses in a sleek low bun, allowing her sailing hat to sit comfortably, and added a pair of white gloves. The royal wore little makeup for the occasion, revealing her naturally glowing complexion. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain bid farewell to daughter Princess Leonor as she embarked on a six-month navy training cruise on Saturday The future queen, 19, smiled at onlookers as she joined her fellow students on the deck of the Juan Sebastian Elcano ship At one point, Felipe sweetly wrapped his arm around Letizia's waist, while surrounded by cheering locals, as they watched Leonor embark on a new chapter. Princess Leonor looking solemn during the military procession Meanwhile, Letizia looked effortlessly chic in dark blue pantsuit, which she paired with a white shirt that tied into an elegant bow at the neck. The mother-of-two finished her look with a gold headband that peeked through her brunette tresses, as well as black heeled loafers. Spain's king Felipe wore his own navy uniform for the occasion, as the royal couple gushed over their daughter while waving at the crowds of onlookers that gathered in the port city. At one point, Felipe sweetly wrapped his arm around Letizia's waist, while surrounded by cheering locals, as they watched Leonor embark on a new chapter. Pictures from the ceremony showed their daughter walking in step with her fellow students as she boarded the ship before the navy hopefuls assembled on the deck, laughing and chatting with each other. Arnott's is set to launch a new Jatz product next month with two flavours on offer. From early February, customers will be able to get their hands on Jatz Minis - a bite-size version of the popular Aussie cracker. The tasty cracker is crispy, lightly salted and oven-baked to be the ultimate crowd-pleaser. The snack will likely be a hit among shoppers given the popularity of Jatz. The new offering is made from 100 per cent Australian sourced wheat from local farmers and doesn't contain any artificial colours or flavours. The product will retail for $4 and the two flavours include sea salt and cheese and garlic. Customers can pick up the two flavours from Coles and independent retailers nationwide from early February. Marco Maiese, Marketing Manager, Arnott's Crackers & Crispbread, said: 'Creating a brand-new mini range of Australia's favourite cracker in two great flavours, highlights Arnott's constant exploration for ways to innovate and excite Aussies. 'Arnott's Jatz is more than 70 years old and continues to be a well-loved pantry staple. With this exciting addition, we hope even more Aussies will be grabbing a box to enjoy themselves or share with friends at their next entertaining occasion.' From early February, customers will be able to get their hands on Jatz Minis - a bite-size version of the popular Aussie cracker Last month Australia's most popular biscuit of 2024 was revealed - with foodies across the country crowning a well-known buy as their favourite. The original Tim Tam has taken the top spot for the second time in a row. 2022 saw Aussies favour Jatz as their go-to biscuit in every state except one - but Australia's sweet tooth has once again reigned supreme. Arnott's sold over 300million packets of goods in 2024 across its 134 different types of biscuits and crackers. 2.8 million households devoured Australias favourite chocolate biscuit, which celebrated its 60th birthday in 2024. Arnott's also revealed that Australians were the most 'loyal' to Tim Tams - with the most repeat purchases of any Arnotts biscuit this year. However, Tim Tams also received a fair amount of backlash over the year, with many Aussies 'outraged' over the 'eye-watering' and 'un-Australian' price increase at Coles and Woolworths. Earlier this year a packet of Tim Tams cost a staggering $11.70 at a petrol station in Kalumburu in far north Western Australia. Common drugs like ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests. Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter identified several medications - already licensed and in use - with the potential to be repurposed to treat dementia. Antibiotics, some vaccines, antivirals, and anti-inflammatory drugs were all linked to a reduced risk in dementia, the review of data involving more than 130 million people found. The findings supports the theory some common dementias may be triggered by viral or bacterial infections, causing damage to brain cells. Experts say it is 'too early' to conclude whether these drugs can have a protective effect but that the area of research must be prioritised. Dr Ben Underwood, from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge, said: We urgently need new treatments to slow the progress of dementia, if not to prevent it. 'If we can find drugs that are already licensed for other conditions, then we can get them into trials and - crucially - may be able to make them available to patients much, much faster than we could do for an entirely new drug.' Common drugs like ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests (stock image) Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter identified several medications - already licensed and in use - with the potential to be repurposed to treat dementia (stock image) The fact they are already available is likely to reduce cost and therefore make them more likely to be approved for use in the NHS.' Around a million people are estimated to have dementia, which is the leading cause of death in the UK. There are currently no licenced treatments to prevent the disease, with the slowing effects of lecanemab and donanemab deemed too little to justify any rollout on the NHS. Vaccines linked to a reduced risk in the study include hepatitis A, typhoid, those combined, and diphtheria, cutting the risk by up to a third (32 per cent). Previous work has suggested that the BCG vaccine, which protects against tuberculosis, could also have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease. Antipsychotics, antihypertensives, drugs for diabetes and some antidepressants were linked to an increased risk, according to the findings published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions. But the authors stressed that the finding of increased risk may be due to other factors. For example, someone with early dementia may be prescribed an antidepressant for altered mood so the link with antidepressants could be a caused by the dementia, rather than the other way around. Dr Ilianna Lourida, of the University of Exeter, said: 'Because a particular drug is associated with an altered risk of dementia, it doesn't necessarily mean that it causes or indeed helps in dementia. 'We know that diabetes increases your risk of dementia, for example, so anyone on medication to manage their glucose levels would naturally also be at a higher risk of dementia - but that doesn't mean the drug increases your risk. 'It's important to remember that all drugs have benefits and risks.' Dr Richard Oakley, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime, making it the biggest health and social care issue of our time. 'If we can repurpose drugs that have already been shown to be safe and approved for use for other conditions, this could save millions of pounds and decades it takes to develop a new dementia drug from scratch and get us closer to beating dementia.' Killjoy experts have called for McDonald's to rename its famous Happy Meal, claiming the impact on our physical and mental health is anything but joyous. In a statement published today, behavioural psychologist Dr Heather McKee said: 'The so-called Happy Meal is far from it. 'Its ingredients take a toll on gut health and mood let alone the environmental consequences. Rebranding it as "unhappy" would be closer to the truth.' Dr McKee was speaking in partnership with plant-based food brand Happiee in calling for a ban on food brands using the term 'happy' to promote what they described as 'junk food'. Joining their call is registered nutritionist Dr Frankie Phillips, who claimed ingredients used in foods like Happy Meals fail cause a 'mood crash'. 'Foods high in fat, sugar and salt might be lacking the types of fibre that support the gut bacteria that can influence mood and happiness,' she said. 'Peaks in blood sugar after a hit of simple carbs can be followed by a slump, leaving us feeling miserably low in energy. 'Swapping for complex, fibre-rich carbs, releasing sugars more slowly into the bloodstream, can help stabilise mood.' Behavioural psychologist Dr Heather McKee claimed: 'The so-called Happy Meal is far from it. 'Its ingredients take a toll on gut health and mood let alone the environmental consequences. Rebranding it as "unhappy" would be closer to the truth.' Joining their call was registered nutritionist Dr Frankie Phillips who claimed ingredients used in foods like Happy Meals failed to deliver on their promise Dr McKee was speaking alongside plant-based food brand Happiee in calling for a ban on food brands using the term 'happy' to promote what they called 'junk food'. Pictured McDonald's Happy Meal But independent nutrition experts told MailOnline calls for a ban were an 'overreaction' and seemed to be part of a promotional stunt for a 'healthy' food brand instead of a serious suggestion for the nation's health. Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an expert in nutrition and food science at the University of Reading said: 'I think they're just jumping on to the bandwagon of vilifying junk food to promote a competing product.' 'This statement appears to be mainly promotional material for Happiee'. The call for ban came as part of a publicity stunt in which a Happiee food truck showed up at a McDonald's outlet to distribute its own plant-based 'Happiee Meal'. This meal contained beetroot fries, a butter bean salad, tomato salsa and a breaded plant-based imitation 'shrimp' made from tapioca and root vegetables. The brand claims that the ingredients in this meal can 'boost' mood and gut health. But Professor Kuhnle said a McDonald's Happy Meal isn't void of any health benefits, depending on the options chosen. 'It includes some vegetables such as carrot sticks, and you can choose water instead of a soft drink which is sensible, and there's the option of fish fingers,' he said. 'Fish fingers can be an important source of fish especially for children who often do not like other types of fish. They often contain fatty acids that are beneficial for the brain.' The call for ban came as part of a publicity stunt where a Happiee food truck showed up at a McDonald's outlet to distribute its own plant-based 'Happiee Meal' This contained Beetroot Fries, a Harissa Butterbean Salad, Tomato Salsa and a breaded plant-based imitation 'shrimp' made of tapioca and root vegetables Professor Kuhnle added that, while a head-to-head comparison was limited, Happiee's shrimp-product wasn't necessarily healthier than fish fingers. He noted that, based on nutritional information published online, Happiee's shrimp contained more fat (9.7g per 100g) than McDonald's fish finger meal (6.2g). As part of the promotion, Happiee spokesperson Rosie Bambaji said: 'Were calling on brands to rethink the way they shape British food culture with the language they use. 'Its time for them to step up and embrace a future where food can truly contribute to the wellbeing of its customers, beyond offering a pack of carrots as an alternative.' While decried by critics as a nanny-state measure, there have been increasing efforts to control the language and messaging on ultra-processed food labels to help Brits to make healthier food choices. For example, a junk food advertising ban will come into action from October this year, making it illegal to advertise 'less healthy' food and drink on TV before the 9pm watershed and online. Calorie labels, introduced in 2022, which require businesses to detail how many calories a product contains, are another measure introduced to help tackle rising obesity. But a recent and major review found it only cuts the equivalent of two almonds worth of calories per meal, which experts described as modest but meaningful in the long-term. Latest childhood health data for England shows one in 10 children are obese by the time they start primary school, rising to about one in five among Year 6. Meanwhile, two thirds of adults are now overweight compared to just half in the mid-90s. Of those, about a quarter are obese. In terms of obesity, this is equivalent to 16.8million people of which an estimated 8million are women, 7.4million men, 760,000 boys and 590,000 girls. Donald Trump has ordered a communications blackout at America's federal health agencies, according to reports. The CDC, FDA, HHS and NIH have all been told to pause external communications, including publishing scientific reports, updating websites or issuing health advisories. The directive came without warning, sources told the Washington Post, and with little guidance as to how long it may last. The health agencies play a vital role in gathering and sharing critical information with the public, including on outbreaks of infectious diseases, raising the alarm over foodborne disease outbreaks and food recalls. However, DailyMail.com received its automated weekly FDA recall email at 8am ET this morning. It is not entirely unusual for incoming administrations to pause external communications temporarily, which may be done to help newly appointed officials understand the scope of information that is being released. But some said that if the pause lasts longer than a week or two then it could be seen as concerning. The new president, 78, singled out public health agencies in his inaugural address saying that they 'do not deliver in times of disaster', referring to what many have seen as a mishandling of Covid messaging. Pictured above is the outgoing CDC boss Mandy Cohen Pictured above is the outgoing FDA boss Robert Califf Robert F. Kennedy Junior has been nominated to head up the HHS, which has oversight over all the federal health agencies. As part of his 'Make America Healthy Again' pledge, he has promised to overhaul the three agencies. The communications blackout was issued by Stefanie Spear, a deputy chief of staff at HHS who joined the agency this week. She was also RFK Jr.'s press secretary during his presidential campaign. The pause on external communications includes blocks on publishing scientific reports issued by the CDC, known as Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR), advisories sent out to clinicians on the CDC's health network, data updates to the CDC website, and public health data released from the National Center for Health Statistics, including on drug overdose deaths. The CDC had been scheduled to publish several MMWR reports this week, sources familiar with the matter said, including three on the bird flu outbreak alarming scientists. It was not clear whether the directive also blocked the agencies from sharing urgent communications, such as on drug approvals or novel disease outbreaks. Dr Lucky Tran, a Democrat-leaning science communicator at Columbia University, blasted the order as the beginning of censorship. Jeff Jarvis, a retired professor of journalism at City University New York, said: 'This is terrible: Forced ignorance on health data. 'Officials in sane and scientific states must band together to report data on their own. We need such shadow governments.' The CDC publishes on average about 50 peer-reviewed articles per week, in addition to updating numerous datasets and other materials, while the FDA initiates more than 500 food recalls per year. The CDC receives about $24.9billion in public funding every year, while the FDA costs $8.4billion and the NIH costs more than $47billion annually. At the beginning of Trump's first term, administration officials also asked public health agencies to cease communicating with the public it was reported at the time. At that time, the limits appeared focused on agenices overseeing environmental and scientific policy, such as the Environmental Protection Agency. In the US, an unprecedented decline in college enrollment has started. From 2010 to 2021, a 15% drop had been reported, which could worsen as the country faces its "demographic cliff." This means birth rates persistently declined since the Great Recession of 2007. By 2025, or this year, US colleges and universities will be feeling the effect as fewer students apply fresh out of their high school graduation. However, experts stated that this is more than a crisis in higher education; it's an economic issue. After all, fewer college graduates translate to fewer skilled workers available to fill the most critical jobs. According to NPR, the number of student population declining is already causing colleges to close. For instance, Iowa Wesleyan University closed its doors in 2023 after years of financial struggles due to reporting fewer and fewer enrollments. The decrease will affect certain regions more than others. States like California, and New York, are expected to report the same case, but in high school graduates, by as much as 30% in 2041. Only Hispanic students are considered the bright spot as they are expected to increase their number among high school graduates. If this trend worsens, more closures will lead to more job losses and shrinking local economies. This is already a problem as the overall US economy already suffers from a lack of educated workers, especially in teaching, healthcare, and other specialized fields. It is expected that in 2032, or earlier, the US could be short 6 million workers to meet the demands of the job market. What Happens if College Enrollment Rates Decline Further? Worsening this problem is growing skepticism about a college degree's value. The proportion of those completing high school enrolling in college immediately declined from 70% in 2016 to 62% in 2022. Too many students are opting out; the reasons cited are costs and benefits that are unclear, among others. The experts believe that faith in the value of higher education needs to be regained for the trend to be reversed. Colleges, in the face of declining numbers, must transform or die. Some schools are now embracing non-traditional students and foreign applicants in 2025 to 2026, per Erudera's report last year, but this could prove insufficient. If not highly transformed, more colleges may end up like Iowa Wesleyan College, leaving economic and cultural vacancies in communities. Eleven people in north Alabama have suffered from a potentially deadly reaction after receiving a common antibiotic taken by millions. Many doctors have decided to pause prescribing ceftriaxone, brand name Rocephin, while the cases are investigated. Officials at the state's department of health said the individuals had suffered from a serious allergic reaction, and had symptoms similar to those with an anaphylactic reaction, including hives erupting on the skin, peeling skin and difficulty breathing. There are unverified reports on social media that one person has died and several are on ventilators. The Alabama health department did not respond to our repeated requests for comment. A nurse who said she had knowledge of affected patients added on social media that the reactions happened within an hour of someone receiving the antibiotic, which is administered intravenously. Officials have supplied hospitals with the batch numbers of the affected antibiotics, according to reports on social media, but some hospitals and clinics have said they will stop using ceftriaxone altogether out of an 'abundance of caution'. Ceftriaxone is commonly used in the US, prescribed for a range of conditions including respiratory tract infections, gonorrhea and sepsis. Officials at the local department of health raised the alarm in a health alert, saying the patients had taken ceftriaxone, or Rocephin, before falling severely ill (stock image) The drug is normally administered intravenously or via an injection once or twice a day, and is not available in pill form. It is not clear what could have caused the allergic reactions, but this may be linked to an impurity in the drug that was accidentally added when it was manufactured. Alerting doctors to the illnesses, the Alabama Department of Health said: '[The department] is asking [hospitals] to report potential adverse reactions through an established, confidential link. 'While no causal link between ceftriaxone and these reactions has been established, at this time, ADPH will continue to act to promote and protect the health of the citizens of Alabama by investigating, responding, and updating information accordingly.' In its alert, it also said that any antibiotic can trigger an allergic reaction. The class of antibiotics ceftriaxone belongs to, cephalosporins, cause allergic reactions in between 0.5 and 2.5 percent of patients, according to studies. It is also currently colds season, with more people suffering from pneumonia caused by bacteria or other complications. Antibiotics are prescribed about 25 percent more in winter months than they are in the summer, according to studies. Your browser does not support iframes. Writing on social media, a nurse said: 'A spike in allergic reactions, even in people who have had it before nad have no previous allergy to it. 'No links yet, but we've had it happen in [intramuscular] and [intravenous] route lately. 'Most have occurred within an hour of administration. Age, patient history and comorbidity didn't seem to match either.' Alabama had a 'moderate' level of respiratory illness activity in the week to January 15, CDC surveillance showed. Around two million people are reported to live with long covid in the UK, suffering with symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and a cough. But scientists have discovered women are up to a third more likely to be hit with long covid than men. Researchers based in Texas used data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of more than 12,200 participants who'd previously had covid from across the US and Puerto Rico all over the age of 18. Subjects were asked to complete a survey detailing their symptoms every three months for four years, followed by an in-person physical exam. The poll asked about the experience of symptoms associated with long covid, including feeling fatigued, experiencing brain fog, dizziness, palpitations, loss of or change in smell or taste, thirst, chronic cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and snoring or sleep apnea. Researchers looked for patterns in the data that may suggest certain age groups of sexes are more likely to suffer the condition estimated to affect about 2million people in England. Scientists have discovered women are more likely to be hit with long covid than men The Leicester University study found four in five 'long Covid' patients were still suffering symptoms five months after they were discharged from hospital. These included breathlessness, slowed thinking and muscle pains Researchers controlled for other factors that may result in long covid symptoms, such as pregnancy and the menopause. The scientists found that the highest risk of the condition was among females aged 40 to 55 years. Overall, being a woman was associated with a 31 per cent increased risk of long covid. Researchers suggested several explanations for this increased risk; one being the impact of the menopause on the immune system, which causes the body's fighter cells to overreact. Female sex hormones also decrease with age; and both higher levels of oestrogen and relatively lower levels of testosterone have been associated with high risk of long in women. Study authors said more research is needed to identify why the female sex is a risk factor, and what changes can be made to improve the management of long covid and the development of any targeted drug. Previous research by experts at the University of Leicester in 2021, quizzed 1,077 people with long covid found two in five had reduced their workload or were off sick because of their persistent symptoms. They also found evidence of organ damage in sufferers, and that those who required mechanical ventilation took longer to recover from long Covid. Separate data from Glasgow University, also from 2021 , further highlighted the plight of long Covid victims, saying women under-50 were worst affected. US officials suggest one in ten people who catch the virus will develop the condition. While in the UK the two million people in the UK are reported to live with long Covid, includes 112,000 children. Extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, brain fog, joint pain and muscle aches are all tell-tale signs of the condition. Microplastics in food, water and even in the air we breathe could cause deadly blood clots to form in the brain, a group of experts have discovered. This could increase the risk of strokes and psychiatric illness such as depression, the Chinese researchers suggested. The findings raised concerns that the tiny particles which 'shed' from plastic items into food or the environment could also be linked to the development of dementia. Microplastics are small enough to enter the micro-circulation within the brain. Once inside, they trigger an immune system reaction that leads to the formation of clots, which the restrict the flow of blood. Tests on mice injected with microplastics found those that developed these clots displayed signs of 'neurological impairment'. Scientists have found microplastics in human brain tissue before but the exact mechanism of how these tiny particles causing damage was unknown. Restricted blood flow to the brain is a known cause of vascular dementia though the new study, published in Science Advances, did not look at this specifically. Tiny pieces of plastic found in everything from the air we breathe to our food and water can cause blood clots in the brain, research has revealed. Stock image Chinese scientists found microplastics small enough to cross the highly sensitive barrier designed to protect sensitive brain tissue caused a potentially hazardous immune reaction Lead author Haipeng Huang, an expert in environmental sciences at Peking University, said the results were concerning and warranted for further research on monkeys to more closely mimic what might be happening in humans. 'The potential long-term effects of [microplastics] on neurological disorders such as depression and cardiovascular health are concerning,' he wrote. 'This study offers a theoretical foundation and a focused direction for understanding the potential health risks. 'Increased investment in this area of research is urgent and essential.' In the study itself, experts injected mice with special fluorescent microplastics and then used complex imaging technology to track the particles' infiltration of the brain and how they interacted with the immune system. They also had mice perform a number of mental tests designed to assess if the microplastics were affecting their ability to think. Mice with the clots were found to perform worse on remembering the layout of a maze and had decreased motor function. It's not the first study to link microplastics, which are less than 5mm in size, to brain damage and dementia. Experts say you can cut your exposure to microplastics by swapping out plastics in your home for natural materials, metal and glass Tiny bits of microplastic, seen here as the black dots, were found in the semen samples of all 36 participants in a Chinese trial Around 900,000 Britons are currently thought to have the memory-robbing disorder. But University College London scientists estimate this will rise to 1.7 million within two decades as people live longer. It marks a 40 per cent uptick on the previous forecast in 2017 Another study on mice, conducted in 2022, found microplastics provoke chronic inflammation in the organ that can damage brain cells. And analysis on human corpses last year found people who had died with dementia had 10-times the amount of microplastics by weight than healthy people, though this study was small with only 12 patients with the condition. While the long-term affects of microplastics on human health remain unclear concern is rising in part because avoiding them is almost impossible. A recent study even found a single tea bag could release billions of dangerous microplastics into the body. Microplastics are in the air, water, food, cosmetics and clothing and have been found in variety of human tissue including the intestines and even in men's sperm. There is a growing body of evidence that plastics could play a key role in early-onset cancer genesis, where healthy cells turn cancerous. Earlier this year, a study found cancer cells in the gut spread at an accelerated rate after contact with microplastics. Experts have also raised the alarm about a potential between microplastics and reproductive health. Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia while the figure is thought to be around 7million in the US. Dementia is incurable and has a variety of causes, with Alzheimer's disease and the vascular form of the disorder being among the most common. Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of dementia, which then worsen over time. A separate Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer. Usually, New Years Day can feel a little dull. You have to start all your boring, healthy resolutions, you probably have a dismal hangover and the return to work is looming after a week of lounging in your PJs. But for the last two years, theres been something to brighten the anticlimactic day: Netflix's gripping Harlan Coben adaptations. First there was Fool Me Once with Michelle Keegan, which quickly became one of the top 10 watched Netflix series of all time, then Missing You, which shot to number 1 on the global viewership chart with 21.7 million streams in a week. Run Away writer Harlan Coben Now, Netflix has released details of which of Cobens thriller novels theyll be adapting next. Keep reading for everything we know so far about the next series Run Away, from a star-studded cast to filming locations. What will Run Away be about? Run Away will follow Simon, a seemingly lucky man with a lovely wife and kids, great job and beautiful home. But then his eldest daughter Paige runs away, and everything falls apart. When Simon finds Paige, vulnerable and strung out on drugs in a city park, he finally has the chance to bring his little girl home. Only Paige doesnt necessarily want to be saved, and Simons mission leads him to a dangerous underworld of violence and secrets that could tear his family apart forever. Summing up the story for Netflixs Tudum, Coban says: 'Run Away is about family about what we will do to keep our family intact, what secrets we keep within our family, and what secrets we keep as a family. Every time you walk past the house, theres a whole universe that goes on behind that door and none of us have a clue what it is.' Who will star in Run Away ? James Nesbitt will lead the new drama Run Aways star studded cast will be led by James Nesbitt, of The Missing and Cold Feet fame. According to Coben, Nesbitts casting was instantaneous. Jimmy just has so much range. Hes so natural and authentic at all times, he told Tudum. Hes not the only familiar face wholl be appearing in the series. Gavin & Staceys Ruth Jones will play a character called Elena Ravenscroft; Good Will Huntings Minnie Driver will play Simons wife, Ingrid; and Alfred Enoch, who youll know from The Couple Next Door, will appear as Isaac Fagbenle. Other cast members include Tracy-Ann Oberman, Lucian Msamati, Ingrid Oliver and Ellie de Lange. Where will Run Away be filmed? Like Cobens previous adaptations, Run Away will be set in the UK. Filming starts this month in Manchester. Ruth Jones will also star Coben says hes keen to stick to the north of England to see out his five-book deal with Netflix. When you do as many shows as weve done there, you really get the charm, he says. Whats wonderful about the north of England is theres such variety. Theres a combination of everyday and eccentric about the settings there. When will Run Away premiere? Run Away doesnt yet have a confirmed release date on Netflix, but its likely following the previous pattern itll drop on 1st January 2026. The series will have eight episodes. What other Harlan Coben adaptations can I watch? You can already press play on nine other Coben thrillers on Netflix: Missing You, Fool Me Once, Gone For Good, The Stranger, Stay Close, The Innocent, Hold Tight, The Woods, and Safe. Stock up on the popcorn: thats a lot of box-set bingeing. Conservative Ann Coulter has branded rival Megyn Kelly a hypocrite for criticizing Lauren Sanchez's breast-baring inauguration outfit. Coulter, 63, took aim at Kelly on X Wednesday morning by sharing an old photo Kelly, 54, in a racy black dress while tugging a shoulder strap down suggestively. 'This you?' Coulter wrote. The question came after Coulter shared a video of Kelly condemning the revealing white outfit Sanchez wore to watch President Trump get sworn in at the Capitol. 'No one should be talking about your t*ts. They should be talking about the inauguration,' Kelly said at the time, after likening Jeff Bezos' fiancee to a prostitute. Coulter also accused Kelly of being a 'bluenose' in a separate post and added: 'Lauren Sanchez looked fine.' Kelly has yet to respond. Coulter has been called-out by critics who say Kelly's sexy photo was for a magazine shoot and not an outfit worn to watch the swearing-in of the president. The spat is a surprising one, given Coulter and Kelly's similar conservative views. She then posted a photo of Kelly from 2010 wearing a low cut black dress herself. 'This you?' in an apparent attempt to point out what she viewed as the Republican's even more apparent hypocrisy. Conservative commentators Ann Coulter and Megyn Kelly are currently at odds over Lauren Sanchez's fashion choice for the inauguration The conflict stems from Sanchez's lack of a shirt under her suit at Donald Trump's swearing-in, where she donned a lacy corset. Kelly on the set of her podcast Tuesday that Bezos' bride-to-be has 'no class. No dignity. No respect' Both women started their careers as lawyers, with Coulter becoming a conservative sensation in the late 1990s after calling for then-President Bill Clinton to be impeached. Coulter became a talking head on MSNBC after its launch in 1996 and later a successful author whose 2015 tome Adios America was credited with influencing Donald Trump's hardline anti-immigration views. She and Trump later fell out after Coulter condemned the president for failing to finish the border wall. Kelly switched from law to journalism in the early 2000s and later became a huge Fox News star. She launched her hugely-successful The Megyn Kelly Show podcast after being fired from NBC News over remarks about blackface Halloween costumes. Kelly was previously an independent voter who backed both Republican and Democrat candidates, but swung hard behind Trump over the Biden Administration's stance on transgender ideology. Kelly wasn't the only famous conservative whose appearance was remarked on by Coulter this week. Responding to an X user's post claiming Melania Trump had 'ice cold hatred' in her eyes, Coulter said: 'She always looks like that.' In other tweets penned this week, the pundit proudly welcomed the second Trump presidency, while panning his predecessor for 'violat[ing] nearly every written law on immigration.' Late Tuesday morning, she relished in the recent release of more than 1,500 defendants involved in the insurrection on January 6, 2021, while panning a network she previously offered insight to in the process. 'I love that CNN is interviewing the bitter ex-wives of the released J6 prisoners,' she wrote of segments aired on the station earlier in the day. 'Because NOTHING is more reliable than a bitter ex,' she sniped sarcastically. 'Stop being such bluenoses. Lauren Sanchez looked fine,' Coulter, 63, wrote on X in reaction, after Kelly, 54, compared the display from Jeff Bezos's bride-to-to to something that of 'a hooker' As for Kelly, she continued to campaign for Trump on X as well, years after engaging in a bitter feud with the Republican both online and on national TV. The abrupt about face can be traced to a July 2023 taping of the Megyn Kelly Show, where she seemed to thrust the pair's long-held animosity in the rearview. The praise, she said at time, came after a private, 'one-on-one' conversation with the then campaigning conservative, who only a few years ago slammed her as 'crazy' and a 'bimbo' after she brought up how he has panned woman as 'pigs' and 'dogs.' The seemingly quashed feud between the two began in August 2015, when they clashed at what was then the first Republican presidential debate in South Carolina. There, Kelly told the eventual president, 'Youve called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.' Afterwards, Trump fired back on then-Twitter: 'Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight. People are going wild on twitter! Funny to watch.' The tirade continued in comments delivered to CNN, where Trump said, 'There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever,' apparently suggesting Kelly had been mean to him while on her period. As for Kelly, she continued to campaign for Trump on X as well, years after engaging in a bitter feud with the Republican both online and on national TV Their relationship has since been repaired, after a meet in 2015 when it became clear he could become president. The two are seen shortly thereafter following his win over Hillary Clinton As history repeated itself Monday with his second-swearing in, Kelly honed in on Sanchez's outfit. '[Sanchez] dresses like a prostitute, she said on the set. 'She looked like a hooker,' she continued, commenting on her corset. 'She had her boobs on display. I cant with this woman. The girls were out I can see the middle of her boobs. I can see her underboob this is absurd. She couldnt even keep them covered up for a day.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Coulter for comment. Sunny Hostin claimed president Donald Trump is a 'DEI' hire as she went on a rant against the Republican's first orders for his second term. Reacting to Trump's announcement that he would get rid of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, The View co-host used a pun to say Trump 'Didn't Earn It' - and instead obtained the world's highest office through nepotism. 'Donald Trump saying things that this country would be a meritocracy, youre talking about a man who didnt become the president of the United States because of merit,' Hostin said. She argued Trump did not earn the presidency because he had 'no political experience' before winning the White House the first time. 'He was given everything that he has,' Sonny continued. 'He is a legacy hire. He is, if anything, a DEI hire, a "didnt earn it" hire, and so, those are just some of the things I was thinking about.' Hostin then brought up Martin Luther King's legacy and how it differs from Trump's view for the country. 'The one thing I did think about was the hypocrisy of having a man be inaugurated to be president on the same day as we commemorate MLK, and that same man saying that he was going to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion,' Hostin said. 'Because Martin Luther King not only wanted racial equality, he wanted economic equality. And that is something people tend to miss.' Sunny Hostin claimed president Donald Trump is a 'DEI' hire and didn't earn the presidency with his own achievements 'Donald Trump saying things that this country would be a meritocracy, youre talking about a man who didnt become the president of the United States because of merit,' Hostin said Hostin told her fellow panelists how instead of watching the inauguration, she indulged in some 'Buffalo Wild Wings' - adding how she couldn't look past 'the hypocrisy of having a man be inaugurated to be president on this same day as we commemorate MLK' Hostin added that 'Black Americans deserve reparations for the injustices they face.' She then repeated MLK's famous quote - its all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps but to say to a bootless man he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.' Trump quickly made good on his pledge to sever diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the federal government as he is set to lay off all DEI hires within 24 hours. The new Trump administration sent a letter to all heads and acting heads of government agencies on Tuesday, informing them all federal employees in DEI roles must be placed on paid leave by 5 pm Wednesday. All DEI offices in federal agencies are also being shuttered in the move, which comes after Trump signed an anti-DEI executive order in front of a cheering crowd at his inauguration on Monday. Hostin also tore into rappers Snoop Dogg and Nelly for performing at inaugural events celebrating Trump. Joy Behar also accused inauguration performer Carrie Underwood of 'normalizing' Trump. Hostin and co-host Ana Navarro revealed they chose not to tune into Trump's inauguration on Monday. Instead, Hostin indulged in some 'Buffalo Wild Wings', she said - while telling the panel she couldn't look past 'the hypocrisy of having a man be inaugurated to be president on this same day as we commemorate MLK.' In months before, Hostin, like the other panelists had been an outspoken supporter of Biden and then Kamala Harris. In November, she admitted to giving the latter a 'softball' question during her high-profile spot the month before. Asking Harris how she'd 'be different' from Joe Biden, the former vice president replied: 'There is not a thing that comes to mind.' 'That was a layup, really,' Hostin said in response. CNN's conservative panelist Scott Jennings scolded his on-screen co-stars while comparing the January 6 rioters to Black Lives Matter troublemakers. Jennings told Van Jones and David Axelrod that the Capitol protesters had been punished far more harshly than those who had looted and burned buildings in the name of racial justice during summer 2020. 'Here is what I think,' Jennings said Monday after Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of 1,500 January 6 convicts. 'Were these people punished? Yes. Were they ruined financially? Yes. Did they spend time in jail? Yes. Have their lives been ruined? Absolutely,' 'And one of you said earlier, Van or Ax, that you think this sends a terrible signal you can get away with things like this. 'As though weve never had a moment in recent American history when people were not punished for rampaging around when it shouldnt have been. It was in summer of 2020,' he said. During riots in the wake of George Floyd's May 2020 murder, at least 24 people were killed, with $1 billion in damages caused across US cities. Meanwhile, the January 2021 protests caused $2.8 million in damages. Five were killed - one who overdosed, one protester shot dead by police and three who died of natural causes, including a police officer. Scroll down for video: Scott Jennings had some stern words for fellow panelists on CNN 's The Source Monday night - as he set out on comparing Black Lives Matter rioters to those who stormed the Capitol on January 6. Fellow contributor Van Jones (left) took issue First, Jennings reminded the former Obama aide how many of the 1,500 convicts have already had their lives 'ruined,' in response to their claims they have already received insufficient punishment. He suggested Black Lives Matter riots were far worse, but highlighted how no one had been punished for those The comparison immediately elicited a response from Jones, who often finds himself at odds with Jennings during broadcasts. 'I see that a little bit different than you do,' he said - leading Jennings to point out how those protesters 'were never even charged.' Jones, a lawyer, persisted, after already calling the president's pardons 'awful' and a 'shock'. 'I do see it differently in that I dont like it when people tear up buildings at all,' he argued, adding, 'Im not a part of some pro-riot, pro-crime lobby. 'But I really dont like when people attack police officers. I really dont like it at all,' he continued, before telling the panel that he is 'the son of a police officer. 'My uncle is a police officer,' he went on. 'I dont like it at all. If you attack a police officer, before you get any lenience, before you get any support from this society, you should apologize - and they didnt. Thats wrong.' He told Jennings: 'And you yourself and others said you would have a problem if the violent ones were let go.' The led to some more back-and-forth, after which Jennings insisted it was 'important to note that these people, whatever they did, whether it was just accidentally walking in or doing something much... did get punished [and] served some kind of time. Collectively, the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020 killed at least 24 and caused nearly $1 billion in damages. Damages incurred during the siege at the Capitol, by comparison, cost taxpayers a little over $2.8million. Pictured, protesters causing chaos in DC on May 31, 2020 Meanwhile, on January 6, 2021, a total of five people died - one from an overdose, one shot by Capitol police, and three from natural causes. The latter included a cop who died a day after being assaulted - his death deemed an unrelated occurrence 'Here is what I think. Were these people punished? Yes. Were they ruined financially? Yes. Did they spend time in jail? Yes. Have their lives been ruined? Absolutely,' Jennings said, before drawing the comparison 'And my assumption is virtually all of them had their lives effectively ruined,' he claimed further. The following day, on CNN's NewsNight, Jennings maintained his stance, telling anchor Abby Phillip that both groups of people were "mad" and tried to initiate change by 'taking matters into their own hands.' That, he said, 'they should not have done.' Jennings, often dubbed the station's black sheep, blamed 'culture and public discourse' as the reason some have painted one group as 'good' - and the other as 'bad.' Herald Investment Trust boss Andrew Joy wont be breaking out the champagne yet despite an overwhelming victory over the US marauder Saba. The amazing 99 per cent-plus vote of minority investors against putting Saba chief Boaz Weinstein in charge augurs well for the six other trusts targeted for a makeover. The big risk will be that the margin of Heralds triumph will lead to complacency among both big battalion and retail investors in the other trusts. It is also possible those funds which have made pledges to return capital to shareholders will fare better than those less able to make distributions. None of this means Herald is out of the woods. Weinstein, as a dominant investor with a 27.8 per cent stake, may seek preferred status, which could give him undue influence on board decisions and strategies. The votes might have gone the right way, but this whole affair doesnt reflect well on industry body the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or some of the targeted trust boards which have been found wanting. Rejected: The 99%-plus vote of Herald Investment Trust minority investors against putting Saba chief Boaz Weinstein in charge augurs well for the six other trusts targeted The AIC was late to the party and questions are being raised about the leadership of chief executive Richard Stone. The FCA has put all its focus on cost transparency but neglected shareholder democracy which ought to be part of the consumer duty. Investment platforms have been ill-prepared for this kind of fight, in some case imposing grotesque charges for voting. One shareholder at the general meeting yesterday didnt receive notification of voting procedure until after the deadline. As for the six remaining targeted trusts, they need to understand that modern investment requires full disclosure. Detail on strategy and the CVs of directors and executives is too closely held. It is not brain science. Poor form Rachel Reeves wont be thankful for the comparison. But the sacking of Marcus Bokkerink as chairman of the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) as a shortcut to growth is a reminder of Liz Trusss ill-fated decision to rid the Treasury of its formidable permanent secretary Tom Scholar before her mini-Budget. The CMA clearly is not the Treasury and with due respect to Bokkerink it is the regulators chief executive Sarah Cardell who has made all the waves with her willingness to challenge the biggest beasts, such as Microsoft. It initially blocked the 55billion bid by tech behemoth Microsoft for gaming giant Activision Blizzard. If Reeves and advisers had examined the CMAs actions, rather than react to a disappointing growth presentation, they might have reached a different conclusion. Cardells decision led Microsoft to guarantee open access to its gaming portfolio. It also was intended to make sure Britains creative genius in the 3billion gaming industry, centred on Dundee and Sheffield, has economic space to develop. The CMAs initial coolness towards a merger between Vodafone and mobile provider Three encouraged them to pledge 9billion of new investment to improve coverage. Amazon is not a widely admired employer, and the choice of its former chief Doug Gurr is a slap in the face to workers rights, says the GMB union. Amazons privileged position on business rates means it is a perpetual threat to our High Streets at a time of stress. Professor Tomaso Valetti, of Imperial College business school, has said it is delusional to think switching chiefs will deliver more output. Tax incentives, axing intrusive quangos and a great trade deal with the US could unleash output. Flight plan As one who lives under the Heathrow flightpath, adjacent to Richmond Park, I have more reasons than most to abhor the idea of a third runway at the airport. But nothing is more essential to Britains entrepot services economy than a third runway at the nations hub airport. Passenger numbers are at pre-Covid levels with the usual horrors of delayed departures and circling planes because of a lack of facilities. Sir Howard Davies airport commission in 2015 warned of impending capacity constraints. The Government must approve a licence to go ahead without delay. JD Wetherspoon has said its labour costs will increase by 60million a year from 1 April as a result of tax changes announced in Rachel Reeves' Autumn Budget. Businesses will be affected by a rise in employer national insurance contributions and the national minimum wage from April this year. Boss Tim Martin warned that 'Government-mandated wage increases' have a 'significantly bigger impact on pub and restaurant companies than supermarkets'. The costs warning took the shine off a solid Christmas trading season, which helped Wetherspoon's like-for-like sales grow 5.1 per cent in the 25 weeks to 19 January. Martin said the group expects a 'reasonable outcome' for the full year, although the cost rises have made forecasting more challenging. On tax discrepancies, Martin said: 'As previously highlighted, supermarkets pay no VAT in respect of food sales, whereas pubs pay 20 per cent. This tax advantage allows supermarkets to subsidise the price of beer they sell.' Substantial: JD Wetherspoon will see its labour costs rise by 60m a year from 1 April He added: 'Given the public's love of pubs, the only possible explanation for this tax discrepancy is that prime ministers and other legislators, in the 45 years since Wetherspoon started trading, have been dinner party goers, rather than pub goers. 'Wetherspoon therefore calls upon Sir Keir Starmer to redress this imbalance, thereby striking a blow for tax equality and ending discrimination in favour of dull (yawn, yawn) dinner parties.' In its latest trading update, Wetherspoon said bar sales increased by 4.5 per cent, while food sales rose by 5.6 per cent. Hotel sales fell by 6.5 per cent. In the three weeks from 16 December to 5 January, Wetherspoon's like-for-like sales jumped by 6.1 per cent. During the first six months of the companys financial year, the group opened two new pubs and sold six. Wetherspoon said it planned to open nine pubs in the year, including sites at London Bridge station, Fulham Broadway underground station, Manchester Airport, Beaconsfield, Wetherby and Bath. The group currently has a trading estate of 796 pubs. Wetherspoon shares were down 0.16 per cent or 1.01p to 610.49p on Wednesday, having fallen over 27 per cent in the last year. Dan Lane, lead analyst at Robinhood UK, said: 'Its a strong reading with sales up across the board, apart from its hotels, but the real focus is what NI costs will do to Martins chain and pubs in general. 'The sector has been punished with a flurry of digs in the form of off-trade drinking, high debt piles, lockdowns and prospective Budget-induced cost hikes. And Martin isnt holding back on the dinner party goers, as Martin says of UK prime ministers over his tenure, who he points to as making the situation worse. 'The chain has already raised what it sees as unfairness between the treatment of alcohol duties in pubs and at home. Now he says wage increases will affect pubs more than supermarkets too.' He added: 'Spoons is holding off significant price rises and it will hope it gets some reprieve from rate cuts but the big question is how much of that positive boost will be offset or overtaken by increased business costs that it says would amount to around 60million including an estimated 67 per cent increase in national insurance contributions.' Charlie Huggins, manager of the Quality Shares Portfolio at Wealth Club, said: 'Wetherspoons sales growth slowed slightly in the second quarter but still remained solid with robust trading over the key Christmas period. Its commitment to low prices and doing the basics well are helping to keep punters loyal. 'However, the extent of cost increases for the sector is crippling.' EnQuest plans to buy Harbour Energy's Vietnamese business in an $84million (68million) deal as it seeks to expand operations outside the UK. The London-based energy exploration business will acquire Harbour's majority stake in the Chim Sao and Dua production fields, which it plans to operate after completing the transaction. Located about 400 kilometres south west of port city Vung Tau, the two fields' net reserves total an estimated 7.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, while its contingent resources are about 4.9 million boe. Net production from the fields is expected to average 5,300 boepd in 2025, of which approximately 73 per cent is high-quality oil. The takeover, which EnQuest expects to finalise in the second quarter, will broaden its Southeast Asian presence beyond Malaysia, where it helps operate the PM8 and Seligi fields with state-owned oil and gas firm Petronas. Although the acquisition has a headline value of $84million, EnQuest said it would pay only about $35million net of interim period cash flows. Takeover: EnQuest plans to buy Harbour Energy's Vietnamese business in an $84million deal Amjad Bseisu, chief executive of EnQuest, said: 'This agreement underlines our commitment to growth, a disciplined approach to M&A, and deploying capital where we see the most favourable returns.' EnQuest has been looking to expand its overseas reach since the UK Government brought in the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) in May 2022 after energy prices surged due partly to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Under the EPL, oil and gas producers pay a 38 per cent surcharge on profits from extraction activities in the North Sea. It means the overall tax rate on UK oil and gas production is 78 per cent, which is one of the world's highest. Companies were previously able to use an investment allowance that could help them save 91p of tax for every 1 they invested, but the new government abolished this tax break at the start of November. Oil and gas companies have blamed the windfall tax for discouraging investment in domestic production, forcing firms to cut jobs, and wiping out profits. Texas-based group Apache announced in November that it would shut down all operations in the North Sea by the end of 2029, saying the EPL had made production 'uneconomic.' Two months before, EnQuest's Bseisu warned that the tax was 'causing irreversible damage to an indigenous and strategically important UK industry.' He called on the current government to institute a 'progressive tax regime that recognises the maturity of the North Sea and re-establishes the UK as a globally competitive investment basin.' EnQuest posted a $30.8million pre-tax loss in 2023, its second consecutive annual loss, after incurring a net EPL charge of $77.2million. EnQuest shares were 2.7 per cent higher at 13.6p at around midday on Wednesday, although they have more than halved since the EPL was introduced. Chinese ambassador visits Ukraine's national music academy Xinhua) 13:15, January 22, 2025 KIEV, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun visited Ukraine's National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music (UNTAM) on Tuesday, where he held talks with the academy's head Maksym Tymoshenko, according to the embassy's press service. During the meeting, Ma emphasized the Chinese government's commitment to fostering international collaboration in high-quality education and promoting partnership based on openness and mutual learning. He highlighted China's support for its universities in developing educational partnership with institutions worldwide, including those in Ukraine. Ma acknowledged UNTAM's extensive experience in inter-university cooperation with China and expressed the hope that the academy will continue strengthening its ties with Chinese institutions, and play an active role in deepening educational and humanitarian exchanges between the two countries. For his part, Tymoshenko said that UNTAM attaches great importance to enhancing its cooperation with China and stands ready to further expand ties. Tymoshenko expressed the academy's readiness to continue contributing to educational and cultural exchanges between China and Ukraine. UNTAM has a history of strong ties with China. In 2019, it became home to Europe's first Confucius Music Center. The following year, UNTAM hosted a musical performance titled "I am with You" composed by world-renowned Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk as a gesture of solidarity with China during the fight against COVID-19. Besides, UNTAM raised 500,000 hryvnia (about 12,000 U.S. dollars) to purchase medical supplies in support of China's efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this month, Ma also visited the Taras Shevchenko National University and the Kiev National Linguistic University. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The owner of LadBible, LBG Media, is considering further investment into the US after expansion into the country helped drive a 'transformational year' for the publisher. LBG Media told investors that strong momentum from its US expansion helped boost managements confidence in achieving 10 per cent top-line growth as the business targets 200million in annual turnover. The group's global audience surged by 19 per cent to 503million in 2024, including 143million in the US. LBG Media, which also owns the UniLad and SportBible brands, delivered forecast-beating preliminary results and said the new financial year had begun strongly. . For the nine months ending 30 September, LBG Media reported total revenue of 86.2million, representing a 22 per cent year-on-year increase. In charge: Solly Solomou is the chief executive of LBG Media Earnings before nasties jumped 16 per cent to 24.5million, reflecting growth in direct and online revenues and the contribution from the October 2023 acquisition of US-based media brand Betches. Direct revenue increased by 39 per cent to 43.9million, accounting for just over half of total turnover, while Indirect revenues, representing advertising shared with social platforms, rose by 6 per cent to 40.7million. Other revenue, primarily licensing and events, jumped 60 per cent to 1.6million. The group ended the year with cash reserves of 27.2million. On the firm's US expansion, it said: 'Strong signs of early success with key client wins such as Netflix, L'Oreal and White Castle and alignment of commercial teams in H1 bearing fruit with a strong pipeline. 'The Board remains confident in the size of the opportunity ahead and may consider further investment to accelerate the US growth strategy.' Chief executive Solly Solomou, added: 'We are running more campaigns for more blue-chip brands, particularly in the US, the largest advertising market in the world. We have been able to drive this momentum for two reasons. 'Firstly, our acquisition of Betches has extended our already-strong reach with US social audiences and our combined business is performing well. 'Secondly, LBG Media has a unique model. More than half a billion people globally, including Gen Z and Millennials, see us as the go-to destination for digital content.' LBG Media shares slipped 0.21 per cent or 0.26p to 124.74p on Wednesday, having risen over 55 per cent in the last year. Fiona Orford-Williams, a director at Edison Group, said: 'LBG Media continues to impress with its progress. 'There was particularly strong progress in its Direct business, where LBG Media works with brands to connect with young adults online and clearly fulfils a need not met through more traditional channels.' The majority of British entrepreneurs believe the return of Donald Trump will be good for business even as his plans set alarm bells ringing in capitals across Europe. A survey by Helm, a group of 400 UK start-ups with combined annual revenues of 8billion, found two-thirds are optimistic about their prospects under the new US President even as others worry about protectionist American First trade policies. And speaking to the Mail at the World Economic Forum in Davos, advertising guru and City grandee Sir Martin Sorrell said the return of Trump to the White House has put rocket-boosters under business confidence in the US. America is on steroids, on fire, he said. The animal spirits are at a level I havent seen since Reagan in 1985. His comments came before Trump addresses delegates in the Swiss ski resort by video link today, with many of the self-styled global elite listening in with trepidation. But while the threat of tariffs and taxes on trade partners and foreign multinationals give some sleepless nights, others see an economic boom on the horizon. Threats: Trump has stood firm on his America First approach and has suggested he intends to hit the European Union with tariffs If you said: What are people talking about at Davos?, its just one word: Trump, noted Sorrell, who is chief executive of marketing group S4 Capital. New York Stock Exchange president Lynn Martin said companies are already actively making plans to list their shares following his victory. JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon dubbed the King of Wall Street and the most powerful banker on the planet struck a more cautious tone, however, warning that share prices are kind of inflated. He added: You need fairly good outcomes to justify those prices, and were all hoping for that. I think having pro-growth strategies helps make that happen, but there are negatives out there and they tend to surprise you. It is the negatives and the surprises that are causing alarm in European capitals, including London. Joining Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves in Davos, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds yesterday said: It will be a choppy time to be a trade minister, theres no doubt about that, but our job is to navigate through that. You dont get to pick the world as you want it to be, you get the world as it is. And that world is likely to see increased tariffs placed on some of Americas closest trading partners and even higher taxes on major foreign corporations operating in the US. Trump has stood firm on his America First approach and shortly after his inauguration this week declared: The European Union is very, very bad to us so theyre going to be in for tariffs. Its the only way... youre going to get fairness. Reeves was rather more optimistic about the outcome than some of her European neighbours, noting a potential Brexit dividend. Speech: President Trump addresses World Economic Forum delegates in the Swiss ski resort by video link with many of the self-styled global elite listening in with trepidation Were not inside the European Union so a tariff on the EU will not affect the United Kingdom, the Chancellor said. German leader Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron were more circumspect as they held joint talks in Paris. President Trump will be a challenge, that much is already clear, said Scholz. Macron added: It is necessary more than ever for Europeans and for our two countries to play their role of consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez joined the unease after he called to strengthen the transatlantic relationship and avoid any misunderstanding. Sanchez added: A trade war is not in the interest of the US and of course [not] in the interest of the European Union. And Larry Summers, a leading economist and former US treasury secretary, sounded a grave warning about Trumps plans at a time when the West is threatened by an axis of autocracy including Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. If our strategy starts from alienating those who have been traditionally close to us, I wonder what the consequences of that strategy will be, Summers told a panel discussion at Davos. King of Wall Street: JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon warned that share prices are kind of inflated British business leaders suggested the UK and Europe become more like America by following Trump with lower taxes and less red tape. I think what London needs to be focused on is not Frankfurt or Paris it needs to be focused on New York and Singapore, said the Barclays chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan. The economic changes that are being proposed on regulation and the business-friendly attitudes are very optimistic. I think the basic movement of the pendulum is a good one. And I would hope that movement of the pendulum towards a more balanced regulatory construct happens in Europe as well and in the UK. Luke Johnson, former Pizza Express boss and now chairman of Gails Bakery, said the contrast between the UK and Trumps pro-business America could not be more stark. Warning the UK faces recession as business is weighed down by 40billion of extra taxes and 5billion of extra costs from Labours reforms to rights in the workplace, he said: There is a terrible contrast between our lot here, who are clearly not really understanding or in favour of growth or businesses, and America, which will certainly have a very interesting few years ahead because they will be able to attract the capital which will lead to growth. Britains entrepreneurs remain hopeful, however. This bullish sentiment likely reflects Trumps pro-business policies, which many entrepreneurs believe could provide opportunities for growth, said Helm chief executive Andreas Adamides. Luxury goods giants are pinning their hopes on a revival in the US following Donald Trumps return to the White House. As the industry gathers at Paris Fashion Week, bosses hope his arrival will kick-start a recovery. The importance of the US to the industry was reinforced when LVMH supremo Bernard Arnault, one of the worlds richest men, attended Trumps inauguration in Washington with members of his family. But concerns about demand for high-end products in China continues to cast a shadow over the sector. Strong sales at Richemont boosted confidence about a wider recovery last week, causing shares in the sector to soar. The Cartier owners update even saw bellwether LVMH regain its spot as Europes most valuable company, after being number two to Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk for almost a year-and-a-half. Fashion stakes: As the industry gathers at Paris Fashion Week, fashion bosses bosses are eyeing a revival in demand across the Atlantic to kick-start a recovery Analysts think companies that have a strong presence in the US will reap the rewards of a rebound in consumer confidence. As nearly two-thirds of US adults hold shares, Wall Street rallies can feed quickly into wealth perceptions, said Susannah Streeter of Hargreaves Lansdown. If rafts of Americans feel that little bit richer, theres a chance that appetite to spend on luxury goods will increase, she said. Mamta Valechha, an analyst at Quilter Cheviot, noted that in the past a rally in the US stock market and cryptocurrency has generated a positive wealth effect, boosting consumer sentiment. But she said potential tariffs on European-based businesses could encourage Americans to buy luxury items abroad, rather than on home soil for a steeper price tag. An Australian influencer who's been celibate for three years says avoiding sex has changed his life for the better mentally and physically. Jamie Zhu, who's amassed more than 10million social media followers, recently shared a video marking his celibacy milestone. The 30-year-old said he decided to break his 'lifestyle of sleeping around' after feeling emotionally worn out by a steady stream of partners. 'I've been in the social media game for 11 years now as a career and that exposed me to a lot of partying, drinking, sleeping around, all these things,' Mr Zhu said. As for how he managed to remained celibate for so long at an age when bodies are primed for reproducing, Mr Zhu said he used short-term goals and expended physical energy at the gym. 'I had to literally trick my own brain into being celibate long-term. Now how did I do that? I set myself a 100-day challenge,' he said. 'I said, Jamie, you're gonna be celibate for just 100 days and after the 100 days is over, you can go back to your old ways. 'But I knew very well in those 100 days that I would be able to break the habit and then move into celibacy.' Australian influencer Jamie Zhu (pictured) has remained celibate for three years Mr Zhu said 'sexual energy is very powerful' when channeled toward other aspects of life, so has now decided he will wait until marriage to break his celibacy. 'Being celibate for the last three years has been one of the best things I've ever done in my entire life. 'The mental clarity, the focus, the drive, the motivation for life that I feel each and every single day is something that I cannot compare with anything else.' Mr Zhu first started his celibacy with 120 days of 'sperm retention', during which he avoided ejaculating and felt mental, physical and spiritual health benefits. While there's been little scientific study on the practice, Mr Zhu told Daily Mail Australia it gave him increased focus and energy, while also reducing anxiety and depression. Mr Zhu (centre) said he decided to break his 'lifestyle of sleeping around' after feeling worn out. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that he 'slept around' with the women pictured above 'After the first one to two months or so, I noticed that my energy was absolutely through the roof,' he said. 'I stopped having those afternoon crashes and my capacity to work was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I used to burn out easily if I was working too much, but the notion of burn-out doesn't exist anymore. 'Not only did I physically feel more energetic, but I was hyper-focused on my career and distractions and temptations were easy to control.' Those extra energy levels motivated Mr Zhu to focus on health and fitness, meaning he was able to go harder at the gym and transform his body. Mr Zhu said that for most of his life he had been 'sleeping around with many different women', and his male friends would applaud him on his sexual conquests. 'I then started to question if this was truly good for me. I also started to question why my mates would encourage this behaviour,' he said. 'I then realised that an element of this is because of the way society and the media have sexualised our culture into making men like myself think that success is based upon money, status and how many women you can sleep with. 'Rappers boast about how many women they can sleep with - like it is a numbers game, how many cars they have, how much money they have and they subconsciously influence young impressionable males like myself into thinking this is what life is all about.' Pictured is Mr Zhu before he gave up sexual pleasure Pictured is Mr Zhu after transforming his body due to increased energy levels as a result of giving up sexual pleasure When he began practicing the new method, Mr Zhu made sure he kept all other parts of his life the same, so he could accurately gauge the benefits. 'I had full control of my emotions. I was always able to control them. Before I would throw tantrums and feel emotionally overwhelmed a lot of the time,' he said. 'I'd say after 100 days, I noticed that my whole life didn't revolve around sex anymore, and I could focus on things that actually mattered long term.' When Mr Zhu told his friends of his new lifestyle, they were not exactly envious and said any benefits he perceived were likely just a placebo effect. He said the celibacy lifestyle would not only benefit those wasting energy on sleeping around, but also those using pornography. 'A lot of friends I know are heavily addicted to porn and can't go more than one day without it. This is what I call an addiction,' he said. One did follow the self-denial example of Mr Zhu and ironically that was making him more attractive to women. 'I had a friend who decided to jump on the bandwagon too and he swears by it and is experiencing even more benefits than I have,' Mr Zhu said. 'He said he has somehow experienced so many more females being interested in him. I didn't really experience an increase in that area, but hey maybe it is because I'm already a handsome guy.' A woman was left 'absolutely astounded' after she ordered a top-of-the-range mobile phone from a household name retailer - only to receive a parcel containing a bottle of cheap aftershave. Jo Davis, from North Derbyshire, had set her heart on purchasing an iPhone 16 Pro in black from John Lewis, priced at 1,000, but was stunned to find the device had been switched for a black bottle of men's aftershave with a retail value of around 2. To add insult to injury, the fragrance - ironically named Me Time - was not sealed and had been used. Having been a loyal customer in the past, Mrs Davis believed the situation would be quickly resolved, but was left feeling 'very let down' by the retailer after an investigation found neither John Lewis or Yodel were at fault - and any refund would have to be sought through a claim raised with her credit card. Nearly three months on, Mrs Davis was left feeling 'frustrated' and still 1,000 out of pocket. But after MailOnline contacted John Lewis, she finally heard this week the department store had agreed to a refund and has presented her with a gift voucher. Speaking about her ordeal, Mrs Davis said: 'I bought through John Lewis because it's a trusted brand, reputable and offers an extended warranty of two-years. 'I was heading off on a holiday to New York and Florida the following week, and I wanted to have a newer phone with with a better camera for the trip.' Jo Davis, from North Derbyshire, purchased an iPhone 16 Pro from John Lewis, priced at 1,000, but was stunned to find a black bottle of men's aftershave instead The aftershave - called Me Time and which was used - has a retail value of around 2 online The HR manager ordered the item on October 18, 2024, for a next day delivery to a local Co-Op store and received a message to say her new phone was on its way. But when she checked a few hours later, she saw a message stating that Yodel had been unable to deliver the item. 'The message said it was unable to deliver, but it was at 3pm to a Co-Op store, which is open all hours. 'Nobody's been able to explain to me why that delivery didn't take place. 'On the tracking it says it went out for delivery again on the Monday morning, October 21, and it was received at the Co-Op. I went and picked it up almost immediately from the store.' When Mrs Davis was handed the package, she noticed it was 'slightly squished', but it was 'an appropriate size' for the device. 'The box was around half the size of a shoebox and it didn't feel any lighter or heavier than it should have. 'There was nothing that would have made me think it was damaged or there could be anything else inside. Mrs Davis said she noticed the package was 'slightly squished', but it was 'an appropriate size' for the device and did not think there could be anything other than a phone inside Mrs Davis said: 'I trusted them to deliver me a high value item, and I was let down and left worrying whether I would get this 1,000 back.' Pictured: Apple's iPhone 16 range (file pic) 'And then I opened it and saw this aftershave. I was very, very shocked.' Mrs Davis immediately reported the issue to John Lewis and was told they would have to investigate and would need at least 48 hours for Yodel to respond. But after not hearing back after more than two days, Mrs Davis decided to order another phone so that she would have a new device in time for her upcoming holiday. 'I didn't have a spare 1,000 to throw about, but I really wanted the phone and believed this would be resolved in a few days. 'At no point did I ever envisage this would be where we are three months on.' Mrs Davis said she went on holiday and tried not to be overly concerned about the situation until she returned. When she did finally come back and contacted John Lewis again however, she was informed that Yodel had completed their investigation - and the retailer concluded neither they nor the courier were at fault, leaving her 'astounded'. She said they told her: 'We know it's not us, and we've had a response from Yodel, and they've said it's not them. So you need to raise a charge back with your credit card company. John Lewis initially told Mrs Davis she would have to claim the money back through her credit card but after nearly three months the retailer has agreed to refund her (file pic) 'I was just absolutely astounded at this point. 'I had a very challenging conversation with them and told them I just couldn't believe this was my problem to sort out.' Mrs Davis began a 12-week process with her credit card company still unsure as to whether she would receive her money back. She also raised a complaint with John Lewis, though claims she did not hear anything from the company until she commented about her case on the CEO's LinkedIn profile. Mrs Davis was then contacted by a senior manager in the retailer's customer services team, but their response remained the same and she was again advised to pursue the matter with her credit card provider. It was only on Friday that she finally heard John Lewis had reviewed her case again and agreed to a refund. Speaking about her experience as a customer, Mrs Davis said: 'I felt very let down. I felt very disappointed with the brand. 'I have spoken to many people about this experience and it has changed their view on ordering high value items being delivered in this way. 'I trusted John Lewis. I trusted them to deliver me a high value item, and I was let down and left worrying whether I would get this 1,000 back. 'On top of that, just the time and energy that I've had to put into this is absolutely ridiculous. It left me feeling really upset.' In a statement to MailOnline, John Lewis said: 'We pride ourselves on our customer service, so we're really sorry that we missed the mark on this occasion. 'In cases such as this, when an item is stolen before it is received by the customer, we conduct a thorough investigation with our carriers and click and collect partners to ensure that we take the appropriate course of action for refunding or replacing the item. Gemma Worley, 39, from Cornwall, thought she was receiving a new Lenovo Yoga laptop - only to discover her parcel contained three mouldy pies instead 'We have now refunded Mrs Davis for the stolen item, and have sent an additional gesture of goodwill to apologise for her experience.' The circumstances suggest that Mrs Davis could have fallen victim to a scam known as refund or return fraud. In these situations, the fraudster will purchase an item - or intercept a bought item - remove it from the box and then replace it with items of a lesser value that have a similar weight. They will then attempt to return the item and claim a refund. A situation could then arise where the package is erroneously sent to a genuine customer with the lower value items still inside. Last week, MailOnline highlighted the plight of Anya Carroll, who ordered a brand new Apple iPhone 16 from Sky - only to receive a package containing a large lump of clay instead. After a brief investigation, she was told there was 'insufficient evidence' her package had been tampered with before delivery and there was nothing further Sky could do. To compound her distress, Miss Carroll was advised to keep making payments for the phone she never received - because she would be the one in breach of contract if the money stopped. A trio of baked goodies from Yorkshire Handmade Pies were crammed into the space where her new computer should have been Anya Carroll, 31, from Bradley Stoke, Bristol was left dumbfounded after she ordered a brand new mobile phone from Sky - only to receive a package containing a large lump of clay instead She claimed that Sky 'washed its hands of her' after reaching a 'deadlock' on her case, leaving her just with a lump of white clay to show for her 25 monthly payments. After being contacted by MailOnline, Sky has agreed to cancel her contract and refund the money she had paid to date. Earlier this month, MailOnline also spoke to Gemma Worley, 39, from Cornwall, who purchased a 700 Lenovo Yoga laptop from Currys only to receive three mouldy pies instead. The trio of Yorkshire Handmade Pies had crammed into the space in the box where her new computer should have been. Currys has since apologised and offered Mrs Worley a refund or replacement laptop. In a statement to MailOnline the retailer said: 'We really appreciate the customer's patience whilst we have been investigating this matter. 'Our teams have been in close contact with the customer during the investigation, and we are pleased to share that a resolution has now been reached with the customer being offered a replacement or refund for the product. 'We apologise to Ms Worley for how long this took to resolve; we had a lot of information to look through regarding the package, and we needed to be extremely thorough.' Kamala Harris was all smiles and affection for her 'beloved' second gentleman Doug Emhoff in the immediate aftermath of her crushing presidential election defeat. But now that President Donald Trump has been sworn into office, for sore loser Harris, it is now all about the blame game, and her target has flipped to her 'dead weight' husband. And as she weighs her political future maybe a 2026 run for Governor of California or another try for the nation's top job two years later she has to consider whether Emhoff is an asset or a liability. One source exclusively told DailyMail.com: 'There's plenty of blame to go around as far as Kamala is concerned and Doug has his share. 'Doug did Kamala no favors during the election frankly, he looked like a hypocritical a** after the bombshells that he had got his child's nanny pregnant while married to his first wife and assaulted his ex-girlfriend on the heels of his 'I am woman' crusade.' Despite their brave united front at the inauguration and at President Jimmy Carter's January 9 funeral, those close to the couple believe all is not 'hunky dory' between them. And word is the husband of California girl Kamala has already signed up for a job with a Big Apple law firm which would require them to split their time between New York and Los Angeles. At Monday's presidential inauguration, the couple presented a united front, though their expressions remained grim as they sat through Trump's speech, their faces mirroring the tension. At the inauguration, Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff presented a united front, though their expressions remained grim as they sat through Trump's speech, their faces mirroring the tension Emhoff was spotted on an outing near his Brentwood home on Wednesday still wearing his wedding band despite swirling divorce rumors involving Kamala Harris, wearing a black pantsuit with exposed zippers, sat stoically throughout the ceremony holding an inaugural program in her lap. She was seen crossing her wrists and pinching the program in her fingers as Trump delivered his address. Emhoff similarly matched the disdain on his wife's face but took it a step further grimacing and shaking his head lightly when Trump promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The couple left the Capitol building together briefly shaking hands with Trump and bidding Joe and Jill Biden farewell with plans to return to California. But now that Harris has been defeated, she's reportedly looking to undergo a complete image overhaul to resuscitate her floundering political career maybe at the expense of Emhoff. As DailyMail.com exclusively reported, she plans to write a book which could give her finances a multi-million dollar boost. Harris's campaign suffered multiple setbacks after DailyMail.com exclusively reported a series of allegations surrounding Emhoff that Harris deftly brushed aside during the final stretch of her political journey. Emhoff was spotted on a Starbucks run surrounded by Secret Service SUVs on Wednesday At her desk signing on January 16, she told her communications chief 'You know me well enough to know that I'm not going to go away quietly' Jill Biden gives Kamala Harris a long hug and Joe Biden shakes Doug Emhoff's hand as Donald Trump looks the other way Emhoff famously stepped away from his own prominent career as an attorney in California to fully support Harris' political ambitions in 2020 becoming hell-bent on perfecting his image as a 'wife guy'. But behind the carefully curated social media posts and campaign photos, even the strongest relationships face challenges. The source said: 'I see the signs that all is not hunky dory in the Harris household. 'It's not like she hasn't had men help further her political career before, the source said, referring to her affair with former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. 'But what does Doug do for her now?' Those closest to her believe she will skip the race for California governor which she believes is a 'thankless, no-win job' and instead try for president again in 2028. 'I was with her last week, when she was signing her desk,' her former communications chief Ashley Etienne told DailyMail.com. Former US President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris bow their heads during the opening prayer of President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony Harris's campaign suffered multiple setbacks after DailyMail.com exclusively reported a series of allegations surrounding Emhoff that Harris deftly brushed aside during the final stretch of her political journey Doug Emhoff cheated on his first wife with Najen Naylor, who also taught at their children's pricey private school When Kerstin split from Emhoff their daughter Ella was finishing third grade. Naylor was Ella's nanny at the time 'She told me: 'You know me well enough to know that I'm not going to go away quietly'.' Over the summer, DailyMail.com exclusively reported a series of allegations surrounding Emhoff that Harris attempted to brush aside during the final stretch of her political journey. In August, we reported Emhoff had an affair with Najen Naylor, his daughter's nanny, while still married to his first wife, film producer Kerstin Mackin an illicit fling that allegedly resulted in a pregnancy and a subsequent miscarriage. A source claimed Emhoff paid Naylor $80,000 in exchange for her signing a non-disclosure agreement and that the affair played a part in his 2009 divorce. But the controversy didn't end there. In October, a former girlfriend of Emhoff's came forward, alleging a disturbing incident during an A-list event in Cannes, France, in May 2012. According to her, Emhoff slapped her so hard in the face after he thought she was flirting with another man that the blow 'spun her around,' leaving her shocked and disoriented. Kamala Harris's husband Doug Emhoff is accused of violently striking his former girlfriend - for allegedly flirting with another man during a booze-fueled altercation in 2012. A May 17, 2012 email provided by the friends, written by his then-girlfriend gives the location of the hotel in Nice the couple stayed at on the weekend he allegedly struck her 'He comes up, turns me around by my right shoulder,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I'm completely caught off guard, I'm not bracing, I'm in four-inch heels, wearing a full-length gown and it's between 2-3am. He slaps me so hard I spin around, and I'm in utter shock.' Emhoff has since admitted the extramarital affair, saying: 'During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. 'I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.' But he has denied, through an anonymous spokesperson, ever having slapped his girlfriend who said, 'any suggestion that Doug would or has ever hit a woman is false.' Emhoff also faced reports from his former colleagues at the Los Angeles law firm Venable, where he worked from 2006 to 2017. They described a work culture marked by misogyny, claiming that Emhoff allegedly yelled expletives, held a man-only cocktail hour in the office, revoked work perks from women who didn't flirt with him and preferred only young, attractive associates to accompany him in limousines to professional events. Harris has never publicly commented on any of the allegations, instead choosing to shy away from the controversy. But the Democrat's golden girl known for her relentless drive is now tarnished and has now has to face the reality of her marriage potentially crumbling following her loss to Trump. Stargazers can glimpse a sight 160,000 years in the making in the night skies across Australia this week as a rare comet passes by. The G3 Atlas comet has returned to southern hemisphere skies for a once-in-a-lifetime show and a few lucky Aussies have already snapped pictures of the spectacular sight. The comet was only discovered last April and those keen to check it out better not waste their chance because it will not be seen again for another 800,000 years once it begins to fade from view on Thursday. Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ices. They range in diameter from a few hundred metres to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the Sun they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that appears larger than a planet. This material forms a 'tail' that stretches millions of kilometres and makes them an eye-catching sight in the night sky. G3 Atlas is one of the brightest comets to pass Earth in the past 20 years and the third brightest ever recorded according to the Royal Astronomical Society. The comet has been heading our way for more than 100,00 years and those eager to witness it before it escapes visibility will need to find a location with a clear view of the western horizon. A few lucky Aussies have snapped pictures of the bright G3 Atlas comet Dr Rebecca Allen, co-director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne University, said stargazers can catch the G3 Atlas just after sunset. 'With a bright tail stretching hundreds of kilometres, the next few days will offer a short window to view the comet before it becomes too faint,' Dr Allen told 9News. 'To have a chance at spotting it, head out just after sunset. You will need a good view of the southwestern horizon, and clear skies. 'Look for the extended tail pointing towards the horizon, below the bright planet, Venus.' NASA astronaut Don Pettit recently had an even better view of the comet from space and snapped a breathtaking image of it hurling through our solar system. 'It is totally amazing to see a comet from orbit,' Mr Pettit said from the International Space Station. Photographers reported on social media seeing the comet in Orange, NSW, in Victoria's Mt Dandenong and Mount Barker in Adelaide Hills. According to NASA, G3 Atlas came within 13.5 million kilometres of the sun on January 13. Once it orbits away from earth's direction, NASA said it wouldn't be that close to the sun again for about 600,000 years. G3 Atlas is now sitting in the constellation of Capricorn and is located around 146 million kilometres from earth, according to TheSkyLive.com. 'It is quite difficult to predict how the comet will behave after its near-death encounter with the sun, so it may be a lot brighter or fainter than our predictions,' Nick James from the British Astronomical Association said. NASA estimates there are billions of comets orbiting the Sun in the Kuiper Belt - a region of the solar system home to Pluto - and the more distant Oort Cloud. The last of the original members of the wartime SAS left nearly 2million to his family, records reveal. Major Mike Sadler, who died aged 103 at the start of last year, joined the elite Special Air Service after it was formed by David Stirling in 1941. He took part in night-time raids against Axis airfields in Libya before being parachuted into Nazi-occupied France following the D-Day Normandy landings in 1944. He was awarded the Military Cross for his heroics, later served in MI6 and even had a piece of the Antarctic named after him. In 2018, he was further recognised with France's highest honour - the Legion d'honneur. He was portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carney in the first series of hit BBC show SAS Rogue Heroes, which is an adaptation of the book of the same name by historian Ben Macintyre. Major Sadler, who was not depicted in this year's second series of Rogue Heroes, spent his later years at a retirement home near Cambridge and was survived by his daughter Sally. Now, probate records recently made available online show that he left an estate worth just over 1.8million to her and his brother-in-law. Major Mike Sadler was recruited by David Stirling, the founder of the British Army's elite Special Air Service regiment, which was formed in 1941 Descendants of his brother-in-law were also listed as beneficiaries. After liabilities of 5,559 were deducted, Major Sadler's estate amounted to 1,805,328. Major Sadler's wife Pat, who he married in 1958, passed away in 2001. The late soldier left school in 1937 to work on a farm in Southern Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe. After war broke out in 1939, Major Sadler joined the Rhodesian Army artillery unit. By 1941 he had been made a sergeant but ended up being demoted when he refused a commanding officer's order for his men to wear boots instead of sand shoes when sleeping. He then met a member of the Long Range Desert Group, a reconnaissance unit based in the North African desert. The soldier persuaded him to join and quickly took up the role of navigator. Soon, he was in charge of navigation for both the LRDG and SAS. Major Sadler was portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carney in the first series of hit BBC show SAS Rogue Heroes, which is an adaptation of the book of the same name by historian Ben Macintyre In December 1941, Major Sadler was part of the first successful SAS raid - on Wadi Tamet airfield - where a team of six men ruined 24 aircraft and a fuel dump. This was led by Lieutenant Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, a former Irish international rugby star who would become one of Britain's most decorated soldiers as commander of the SAS after Stirling was captured. Major Sadler fought with the SAS in Italy and France following his time in the desert war, before setting up the SAS intelligence unit. On the night of July 26, 1942, Major Sadler, without headlights or a map, guided 18 jeeps filled with twin Vickers K machine guns along 70 miles of desert to within 200 feet of Sidi Haneish airfield. The group then opened fire as they drove between planes, wrecking at least 37 aircraft. But one of the SAS jeep drivers was shot through the head during the attack and buried in the sand. 'I do remember the people who didn't survive, and who didn't have the chance to receive this great honour,' Major Sadler said after he was given the Legion d'honneur. He was awarded the Military Medal for the Tamit and Sidi Haneish attacks. Major Sadler (left) initially took part in night-time raids against Axis airfields in Libya before being parachuted into Nazi-occupied France after the D-Day Normandy landings in 1944 Major Sadler was also one of the officers to follow Stirling on the last SAS operation during the desert war in January 1943. This involved trying to cross the Tunisian desert to meet the British-American 1st Army but they were ambushed by a German unit. Stirling was captured and would spend the rest of the Second World War as a prisoner of war in Colditz. Major Sadler managed to escape along with another SAS soldier and an Arabic-speaking Frenchman. He guided the group on a five-day, 100-mile trek, without a map, or any food provisions, to link up with the 1st Army. American war correspondent A J Liebling witnessed Mr Sadler as he arrived from the desert, and wrote: 'The eyes of this fellow were round and sky blue and his hair and whiskers were very fair. 'His beard began well under his chin, giving him the air of an emaciated and slightly dotty Paul Verlaine.' On August 7, 1944, Major Sadler was dropped by parachute into the Loire as part of Operation Houndsworth. The aim was to reach SAS squadrons behind the lines and help destroy fuel depots, encourage local resistance, and prevent Panzer divisions heading north. By this time Hitler had given instructions for any captured parachutists to be executed. Germans struck the two-jeep convoy with Major Sadler returning fire, allowing the other jeep to flee before escaping himself. He was later awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. When the SAS were disbanded at the end of the war, Major Sadler left the army and signed up with the Falkland Islands dependency's Antarctic survey. He was awarded the Polar Medal for his efforts. The soldier then spent two years working at the American embassy in London before being recruited by MI6. He said little about his time with the Secret Intelligence Service, bar the fact that it allowed him to indulge his love of sailing. He retired in 1984 and spent his later years at a retirement home near Cambridge. After the war, Major Sadler married Anne Hetherington, but the union was dissolved after two years. In 1958, he married Pat Benson and the couple had daughter Sally together. 'Here I am,' said Donald Trump as season two of his presidency began Monday. 'The American people have spoken.' Since then he has been a man in a hurry. In his first half day he delivered two more speeches, attended three inaugural balls and, in yet another Trumpian break with tradition, answering journalists' question while signing a slate of executive orders in the Oval Office. He faces a race against the deadline facing all presidents: The moment he becomes a lame duck. Trump showed how he plans to tackle it during his first full day in office on Tuesday (episode two), simply swamping the media with an avalanche of events and headlines. He went to church, met his congressional leadership team and unveiled plans for a huge AI venture, all before discussing everything from TikTok to Jan. 6 pardons in a question and answer session with reporters. But Tuesday's news began in the most Trumpian way possible, with an early morning firing by social media post. 00:28: 'You're fired' President Donald Trump used his Truth Social platform to start the day with action Chef Jose Andres from the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (left) and Gen. Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (right) were publicly fired on Truth Social by Trump Reporters who got used to the leisurely pace of the Biden White House get their first reminder that Trump operates on a different clock. Phones buzz at 28 minutes past midnight. Inauguration day is technically over but the president is dropping messages on his Truth Social platform. This one announces that the White House personnel office is combing through lists of Biden appointees and names the first four to be fired, including some high-profile critics. 'Jose Andres from the Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars, and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the Presidents Export CouncilYOURE FIRED!' Milley, for example, was quoted in a recent book saying Trump was 'fascist to the core.' 9:00 am The White House wakes up There is no Marine guard outside the West Wing's front door, a sign that Trump has not yet made it down from the residence to his office. It is perhaps not surprising after a late night on inauguration day. After the ceremonial occasion of being sworn in, an impromptu press conference in the Oval Office, he attended three inaugural balls, arriving home to the White House at 12:51 am. The rest of the White House is coming to life. A handful of staff are in the press areas, learning how to log on to their new computers. 11:18 am National prayer service Trump and First Lady Melania arrived for the national prayer service at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday morning, a day after the inauguration They took their place in the pew beside Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Trump takes a seat in Washington National Cathedral, beside First Lady Melania, and Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha. The president has sometimes displayed a little unfamiliarity with the Bible (famously being accused of holding it upside down in a photo op) and matters of church practice (once digging in his pocket for dollars to put on a communion plate, which he mistook for collection plate in Iowa.) But the day after the inauguration means heading to the cathedral for an interfaith prayer service. Trump looked every inch the bored schoolboy dressed up in his Sunday best as he slouched in a pew. 'Bless all who dedicate themselves to governing in our land,' went one of the prayers. 'Fill them with the love of truth and strength to uphold our democracy and the rule of law enable us to people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations of the World.' 12:20 pm A lecture on mercy Rev. Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service Trump no doubt expects to get criticism from all corners of America as he embarks on a crackdown on illegal immigration and a rejection of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' policies. But he might not expected to be on the receiving end of a lecture on compassion and mercy at a service held in his honor. Rev. Mariann Budde seized her moment to urge the president directly to show mercy to gay, lesbian and transgender children who 'fear for their lives. 'And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals,' she continued. 'They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.' Trump appeared to look down at his feet while beside him Vice President J.D. Vance raised his eyebrows. Afterwards, Trump was asked what he thought of the sermon. 'Not too exciting, was it? I didn't think it was a good service,' was his scathing response. 'No...They can do much better.' 3:20 pm Meeting with Republican leaders After lunch it was on to congressional matters and a meeting with Republican leaders in the Cabinet Room. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune went first. Then other other top party figures were expected to fill out a bigger meeting in their first formal sit-down with the new president to plot how they want to use Republican power in Washington. They control the White House, House of Representatives and the Senate, offering a plum opportunity to drive through legislation, at least for the next two years. But Johnson and Thune will need to broach the prickly issue of the approaching debt ceiling and try to get Trump onside to avoid the threat of a government shutdown. White House officials said the Republican leaders would appear outside the West Wing to answer questions about the meeting. But when they failed to appear a reporter asked whether that meant it had gone badly. 'It went great,' said a senior administration official. 5:20 pm Stargate has liftoff Trump announces launch of Stargate with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison (second from right), SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (far right) in the Roosevelt room Trump arrived in the Roosevelt Room for his final public event of the day with the chief executives of Oracle, OpenAI, and Softbank. They announced a joint artificial intelligence venture called Stargate. (The name is a classic Trump move, coopting the title of a 1980s sci-fi movie.) 'So put that name down in your books, because I think you're going to hear a lot about it in the future,' he said. 'A new American company that will invest $500 billion at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States, and move and very, very quickly, moving very rapidly, creating over 100,000 American jobs almost immediately.' 5:37 pm Question time with Trump Stargate is quickly forgotten as Trump signals he is ready to answer journalists' questions. With three tech titans now standing awkwardly beside him, the president is asked to defend his pardons for Jan. 6 convicts who assaulted police officers. 'These people have already served years in prison, and they have served them viciously,' he said, relishing the chance to spar with reporters. 'It's a disgusting prison. It's been horrible, it's inhumane.' Trump took questions for 30 minutes at the end of a major AI announcement And then he was off to the races, enjoying the back and forth. He discussed his meeting with members of Congress, outlined his plans to travel to North Carolina, California and Nevada on Friday, his thoughts on finding an American buyer for TikTok, his plans to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin 'very soon,' how Chinese President Xi could help end the war in Ukraine, the letter left for him in the Resolute Desk by Joe Biden, removing Secret Service protection from his former National Security Adviser John Bolton ('I thought he was a very dumb person'), the death toll in Ukraine, and so on. Half an hour after he started taking questions he said he was done. 'I'm going to have to go now' he said. But he could not resist answering one last question about whether he had TikTok on his phone. No. 'I think I'll get it right now,' he said with a smile, no doubt sending a shiver down the spines of his national security officials who believe the app scours American phones for the Chinese Communist Party. 7:12 pm A pardon by social media post Twelve minutes after the White House called a 'lid' (meaning no more public events), Trump turned to social media once again, this time to pardon Ross Ulbricht. He was founder of the notorious dark web site Silk Road. It allowed users to buy and sell goods and services anonymously, and came to be used for drug deals and even allegedly by people looking for hitmen. Ulbricht was eventually convicted of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and computer hacking 'I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. To say the location chosen by Michael Marks and Tom Spencer for their first store has dramatically changed would be something of an understatement. Once home to industrious Victorian textile workers, 130 years on and today Cheetham Hill is best known for its knock-offs, not its M&S knitwear. Dubbed 'Counterfeit Street', in recent decades this corner of Manchester, located in the shadow of Strangeways prison, has been the place to go for fakes from 35 copies of Chanel handbags, to 20 'Apple Airpods' and lookalike Canada Goose parkas, a snip at 60. Warehouses that once produced clothing were replaced by stores selling fake designer gear - which today have been joined by vape shops. Here in Cheetham Hill, some small back streets have as many as a dozen outlets sitting almost side by side while gaudy adverts line the streets promising 'big puffs', 'premium clouds' and 'fantastic flavours'. Because, as ever, new trends mean new business opportunities hence the explosion of shops and stores dedicated to selling vapes. Today the UK e-cigarette market is worth some 1.7billion a year with 5.6million adults in Britain now vaping, about one in ten of the adult population - plus a disturbing number of children are also getting hooked. Across the country, more than 3,500 independent vape shops dedicated to selling the nicotine-based products have sprung up, a figure that rose by almost five a week in 2023. Cheetham Hill in Manchester has been dubbed 'Counterfeit Street' as it is the place to go for fakes - from 35 copies of Chanel handbags to 20 'Apple Airpods' Vapes are also available in convenience stores, supermarkets and online, as well as from outlets such as barbers, phone repair shops and even sweet shops. Indeed, take a stroll along any of Britain's high streets and it would appear that while other businesses are shutting up shop, the vaping industry is booming. But there are growing concerns that all is not what it seems, with questions asked about exactly how so many shops, often clustered together in a way that is surely not good for sales, are making money from selling vapes and where the profits are going. While the growing demand for e-cigarettes clearly represents a genuine business opportunity, there are fears that a significant number of outlets are operating on the margins of legality, with police warning of links to money-laundering activities and organised crime. Take Manchester. It has the third highest density of specialist vape shops in the country, with 20 outlets per 100,000 residents, according to company registrations. And it was in one such store in Cheetham Hill last September that police made an extraordinary discovery during a joint raid with Trading Standards officers (although the vast majority of the vape businesses in the area are understood to be entirely legitimate). Behind shelves bearing legitimate products they discovered a hidden door, leading to another room where shelves were stacked with 1million-worth of illicit and counterfeit vapes. Today the UK e-cigarette market is worth some 1.7billion a year with 5.6million adults in Britain now vaping, about one in ten of the adult population Cheetham Hill has dozen of outlets sitting almost side by side while gaudy adverts line the streets promising 'big puffs', 'premium clouds' and 'fantastic flavours' Vapes sold in the UK must comply with regulations relating to their size, to the strength of nicotine they contain and to labelling requirements. They must also feature on a list of products registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). But some illegal vapes, a large proportion of which are manufactured in China, have been found to have much higher nicotine content than the legal limit and to contain highly toxic chemicals and even cannabis products. A year previously, a visit to another vape shop in the same area led to another find a safe containing 100,000 in cash and the arrest of three men on suspicion of money laundering. At the time officials warned that the discoveries were linked to organised criminal gangs, with the proceeds going to fund more serious crimes. Given the proliferation of vape shops across the country this is highly concerning. For the last two years Greater Manchester Police has been cracking down on illegal activities in Cheetham Hill, with vape shops amongst the counterfeiters targeted in a high-profile and highly successful clean-up campaign dubbed Operation Vulcan. As Chief Inspector Andy Torkington told the Mail, the area became one of the vape 'hubs' of Britain as businesses realised how much money there was to be made. 'You'd drive round there and think 'Why do you need another vape shop?',' he said. 'But the reality is that a box of legitimate vapes similar to what you'd fit 24 packs of crisps in has a 1,500 mark up on it, from the wholesale price to what you would end up selling to the retailer. In the Welsh city of Newport in the past 15 months trading standards officers backed by police have raided dozens of shops selling vapes, seizing almost 25,000 of the devices 'You only have to look at the cars of some of the people to work out the finances that are involved.' He adds: 'And, of course, if you can sell the illegal ones the mark up is even greater.' Illegal disposable vapes often sell for half the price of legitimate ones, which typically go for between 5 and 10 for a 600-puff 'pod'. As Chief Inspector Torkington is at pains to point out, the vast majority of the vape businesses in his area are entirely legitimate. But not all. 'Some do it, not all of them do it, some solely do it, some part do it,' he says. 'They used to say 'that shop is 95 per cent legitimate'. Well that means it is illegitimate then because five percent is selling criminal stuff that means they are bent, doesn't it?' And it is a problem that has surfaced across Britain. In the year 2023-2024, Trading Standards teams seized 1.2million illegal vapes, a 59 per cent increase on the previous 12 months. Experts estimate the black market could be worth 1billion. As a National Trading Standards spokesperson told this newspaper: 'A recent report by Trading Standards has found that the illegal vape market is constantly changing and that organised criminal groups with previous or existing links to tobacco supply, form a key part of the picture. We believe this is an underreported issue and would recommend that more work is done to properly understand the organised crime links.' In the Welsh city of Newport in the past 15 months trading standards officers backed by police have raided dozens of shops selling vapes, seizing almost 25,000 of the devices. Fifty different stores have been shut down as a result, with 2m worth of illegal e-cigarettes and counterfeit tobacco seized. As in Manchester, efforts had been taken to conceal the illicit vapes in false walls or disguised drawers which could only be opened with the touch of a secret button. In some instances sniffer dogs have had to be used to find them (in one search in Derbyshire a dog found a store of vapes hidden beneath a kitchen unit which could be raised up on hydraulics). Many of the locations raided had links to organised crime, officers said, with money from illegal vape sales used to fund 'criminal activity at a higher level'. 'I think it is clear that there are recognised links to be seen between the sales of illegal vapes and illegal tobacco to criminal exploitation,' Superintendent Jason White of Gwent Police told the Daily Mail this week. 'There is a wider impact of those sales as we believe they are being funded or used to fund other types of organised crime, whether that be money laundering, human trafficking and obviously the furtherance of selling illegal drugs in our communities.' Concerns have also been raised about the effect of illegal vapes on people's health, particularly those under 18. As well as higher nicotine levels, previous testing of illegal e-cigarettes discovered high levels of dangerous chemicals such as lead, nickel and chromium in some products, as well as diacetyl, a flavouring banned in the UK because it has been linked to a serious lung disease known as 'popcorn lung'. Health experts are growing increasingly concerned about vape use amongst young people, with figures showing last year that one in four children aged 11 to 15 in England had tried vaping - up from 22 per cent two years earlier. The worry is that vape shops selling illegal vapes are also more likely to flout laws that ban the sale of vapes to those aged under 18. Because they are cheaper, they are also more appealing to young users. Police officers say money from illegal vape sales is used to fund 'criminal activity at a higher level' In some instances sniffer dogs have had to be used during raids to find illegal vapes 2million worth of illegal vape and tobacco products have been seized in south-east Wales in the past 15 months Raids on vape shops have also unearthed other offences, often relating to the status of those working in the shops. During a series of raids last year in Redditch in Worcestershire, police found that many of those working in the shops were immigrants who were themselves being exploited. 'The staff working behind the counters will be purely there to sell and typically won't be paid national wage and some won't be legally able to work in the UK,' said Sergeant Dave Roberts, who is based in the town. 'The money will disappear in various different bank accounts. One shop closes down another opens, the money made is so vast it will carry on.' As in Gwent, the authorities are increasingly resorting to using 'closure orders' to shut down offending premises for a set period, usually three months. To do this, magistrates have to agree that 'on the balance of probabilities that a person has engaged or (if the order is not made) is likely to engage in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour on the premises'. Other action taken includes fines levied against the owners - if they can be tracked down. A recent insight into the process came from a court case held at Salisbury Magistrates' Court in August when Wiltshire County Council successfully applied for a closure order against the Red Power vape shop. In a raid by Trading Standards a sniffer dog found more than 1,000 illicit vapes hidden behind electronic trap doors in the shop. Previously, a 15-year-old had also successfully bought an illegal vape on behalf of trading standards following complaints from the public. The owner was identified as a man called Niaz Ali, who was living Iraq and had never visited the premises. According to a report in the local paper, Ali did not appear in court to represent himself and instead sent an email in which he said he is 'certainly not guilty of selling any illegal counterfeit substances'. He told the court he had been in Iraq caring for his father who was at the 'end of his life cycle' but intended to return to the UK. He explained how he relied on income from the shop to support his family and pay his father's medical bills. A closure order was imposed for three months. Fines can also be imposed, as in a case last week in which Solihull Council prosecuted shopkeeper Abdul Qadar for selling illegal vapes at Vapourmist Ltd in Olton, Solihull. He was fined a total of 11,100 pounds after trading standards seized 472 over-sized vapes. Of them, 65 contained nicotine despite the product packaging stating: 'This product does not contain any nicotine'. Unsurprisingly, illegal practices and publicity such as this are causing deep concern for the majority of vape-selling outlets, both online and on the High Street, who operate in accordance with the law. The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has long called for a licensing scheme to be introduced to stop rogue traders from selling to minors and profiting from the black market. They also want to see fines of 10,000 introduced for every breach of the regulations. 'We want to make sure that the people operating in our sector are of good standing, are following the rules and are not selling to kids,' John Dunne, director-general of the UKVIA told the Mail. 'Right now I can tell you that is not the case. There are lots of retailers out there in every sector breaking the rules and selling these products to whoever. They don't care, they just want to make profit out of it and that is what we have to stamp out.' And he added: 'All of the laws at the moment prohibit everything that is happening, they are just not being robustly enforced and we will do everything in our power to shut these rogue retailers down. We don't want them in our industry.' As part of the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Labour government has agreed to look at licensing for vape retailers, something Mr Dunne describes as 'fantastic'. 'We feel that only reputable premises should be allowed to sell vapes,' he says. 'They should only be sold by premises that sell cigarettes, so a convenience store for instance, or by a speciality vape retailer who is providing education and support, or on online specialist retailer. 'And to get that licence there should be some criteria like you have to age verification training, for instance. This is something we require of all our members and have done for several years.' Separate legislation that will come in to force next summer will see another major change when disposable vapes are banned from sale. The move is intended to help the environment and remove a product from the shelves that appeals to underage vapers. But some have warned that unless enforcement is tightened up the ban could see users simply look to the black market for supplies, with one poll showing that four in ten people said they would buy banned disposables 'from whichever channels' they can. Back in Cheetham Hill and while police say that shops there are now fully aware of the law, clearly not all the customers are. When the Mail visited earlier this week, one male shopper admitted: 'I came to get stronger vapes than you can get elsewhere. But I've been to two shops and they claim they haven't got any. I think I just haven't been to the right one yet.' The worry is that he might not have to look for long. The broad smile and bottle of wine on the table do not speak of a man unduly burdened by the strain of recent events. Some might expect a person who has spent 70 days behind bars and who, shortly after this photograph was taken, was admitted to hospital to look more exhausted, defeated even. Appearances, however, can be deceptive. For in an exclusive interview, Dr Philip Nitschke, the controversial Australian known as 'Dr Death', tells the Mail that the younger man in the shot - Florian Willet, head of the assisted suicide group The Last Resort - has been 'extremely upset' by the way the authorities have treated him since the events of last September. That was when a 64-year-old, as yet unnamed, American mother-of-two became the first person to end her life in a controversial futuristic suicide pod known as the Sarco, short for sarcophagus, created by Dr Nitschke and dubbed the 'Tesla of euthanasia'. She is said to have been suffering debilitating pain from a severe immune disorder when she decided to climb inside the pod in a forest in the Swiss district of Schaffhausen on September 23, with Dr Willet the only witness to her suicide. The furore surrounding the use of the pod grew when reports emerged of strange marks being found on the woman's neck. Prosecutors requested that Florian Willet be detained further while suspicions of 'intentional homicide' were probed. That allegation was dropped in December, but as the Mail has discovered this week, nearly four months on the cloud that has dogged Florian and The Last Resort continues to linger. Dr Philip Nitschke, left, the controversial Australian known as 'Dr Death', pictured in a recent photograph with Florian Willet, head of the assisted suicide group The Last Resort On Friday, the chief prosecutor in the case told us he would investigate for 'as long as it takes' - years if necessary to probe what actually happened. Meanwhile, a slew of new evidence has emerged including findings suggesting that the American woman's death was not peaceful and that questions remain about the reliability of camera footage from inside the capsule. The details are both intriguing and troubling. The one person whose voice would help in all of this is, of course, the woman who chose death. Tantalisingly, this newspaper has now listened to the voice of that woman for the first time - croaky but lucid, upbeat even, shortly before she followed through with her carefully made plans. She had the backing of her sons, she said, in the 15-second excerpt, shared by Dr Nitschke. 'They agree completely,' she says. 'It my decision and they are behind me 100 per cent.' So what exactly do we know of Florian's role in all of this and what have investigations revealed? A Mensa member (he argues that his 'logic', as well as the importance he places on 'empathy', has driven his thinking around the right-to-die), Florian was the only other person present in the secluded wooded glade as the woman used an access code to gain entry to the pod, then settled down on a thin mat with a cushion for her head. She answered, as we now know, a series of questions to confirm she knew what she was doing before pressing the activation button that flooded the sealed chamber with nitrogen, starving her of oxygen. It would be nearly three hours later that police would arrive, arresting Florian, along with a photographer and two lawyers, acting for the Last Resort. But only Florian, 47, was detained, kept largely in solitary confinement, in a nearby prison for the next ten weeks amid a flurry of speculation about just what had actually happened. While Florian described the woman's death as 'peaceful, fast and dignified', the Swiss prosecutor, which leads on investigations of this type, appeared to be contemplating whether something more sinister was afoot. The intentional homicide allegation was dropped on December 2, when Florian was released from prison. But as chief prosecutor Peter Sticher, tells us: 'There is still suspicion of aiding and abetting assisted suicide and suicide.' He then goes further, saying cryptically: 'There are indications of aiding and abetting suicide for selfish reasons.' 'Selfish reasons'; what on earth could this mean? He declines to comment further. But among factors being scrutinised are understood to be any financial and reputational benefits that might serve as a motive for aiding and abetting suicide, in particular any financial benefits to either Florian or The Last Resort. Florian allegedly ended other employment to focus on work linked to the Sarco. The controversial futuristic suicide pod known as the Sarco, short for sarcophagus, created by Dr Nitschke and dubbed the ' Tesla of euthanasia' A vociferous proponent of assisted dying, Dr Nitschke, 77, hopes one day to bring his capsule to the UK Also being probed is the presence of a photographer from Dutch newspaper, de Volkskrant, around the time of the woman's death and whether this might amplify those 'selfish motives'. In response to these suggestions and the prosecutor's cryptic words, Dr Nitschke said: 'It's a ludicrous comment. There was no money transfer and if they're trying to say we did it for personal aggrandisment because of media involvement, as a political activist - which I've been for most of my life - you can't affect social change without involving the media.' Whatever Dr Nitschke, a man well-accustomed to the public eye, and his supporters might say, Peter Sticher is resolute that the decisions made thus far have been reasonable. The investigation could take up to three years, he says: 'We are required to treat the proceedings with due care, but there are no deadlines.' Prosecutors are also exploring evidence from the death capsule, including the reliability of camera footage, with autopsy findings reportedly indicating the death was not peaceful. Quite what Florian, makes of becoming the very public face at the centre of this investigation is open to conjecture. It was a spotlight of an entirely different kind last summer, at the launch of the Sarco, when with gushing conviction he espoused the merits of the machine. 'I have compared all kinds of available options to die, self-determined, and there is no better way, in my eyes, for me, than just breathing air without oxygen, until you lose consciousness and you fall into a never-ending sleep,' Florian said. More illuminating is a conversation recorded by the de Volkskrant newspaper on the evening before the American woman pushed the button to end her life. Florian and Dr Nitschke, 77, are talking by a campfire in the wooded location where the suicide is to take place. The newspaper reports: 'The sun is shining brightly. It looks like a small free state here, with building materials and tools lying everywhere. 'Almost 30 metres away, the suicide capsule is waiting in a grove. It is hidden under three layers of camouflage material.' It's a determinedly idyllic portrait. It is, you might think, just the portrait the campaigners behind proceedings want to underline. There is, the newspaper notes, a silver-coloured plate on the floor, setting up an internet connection via Elon Musk's Starlink satellites, so that Dr Nitschke can follow the suicide live the following day, 'via cameras, oxygen and heart rate monitors'. Quite what Florian, 47, makes of becoming the very public face at the centre of this investigation is open to conjecture For he was shortly off to Germany, the report states, quoting him as saying: 'I don't particularly want to stay here'. Florian, meanwhile, 'shows no trace of fear'. The next day, Monday, September 23, shortly before 4pm, the Sarco had its debut run. According to the newspaper Florian used an iPad to monitor the woman's heart rate and oxygen levels inside the device. He used his phone to film the screen. There are two surveillance cameras also present. What follows, then, is at least in part recorded. The cameras are activated by movement. Those who have seen the footage say that at no point can Florian be seen opening the lid or intervening. The oxygen levels recorded in the device also confirm the lid remains shut. The first call to report the suicide to the Swiss authorities is made at around 4.40 pm. But no one appears, so a lawyer for the Last Resort calls a second time shortly before 6pm. Cameras record the arrival of police at 6.48pm, and at 7.22pm they record the moment the Sarco lid is opened for the first time. If the purpose of so much recorded data was to provide a safety net, it was a net through which Florian may have fallen. Curiously, for a man once so forthright, the right-to-die campaigner, who describes himself as an economist and communication psychologist has not spoken publicly since his release on December 2. While his home is in Switzerland, Florian, once a spokesman for euthanasia clinic Dignitas, visited his friend and fellow campaigner Dr Nitschke in the Netherlands between Christmas and New Year. Last week, however, he was reported to be in hospital, so it appears the last few months have taken their toll. Dr Nitschke is protective of his colleague. 'Ten weeks in prison is not nothing,' he says. It is a remark laden with irony, for he, of course, watched proceedings remotely, having crossed international borders before the death. He is furious about what his fellow campaigner has had to deal with. 'He thought he was in some dystopian nightmare. Here he is locked up and he's hearing stories that you're a murderer. It must have been incredibly unsettling. 'He couldn't, like the rest of us, say this is rubbish we've got the film and this or that - he didn't have access to anything and couldn't speak to anyone. 'He made it clear that he had gone through a very difficult time. Especially because as he said he had no idea, and no-one was giving him any indication, when he was likely to get out. 'We'd been advised [by their lawyers] that if we did everything properly the police would interview him and then let him go home. 'So he was completely shocked by what happened as we all were. Except he was shocked and locked up.' What then of Florian when he last saw him? 'He looked to me like a person who needed a holiday. He was so shaken,' he says. 'He didn't say he didn't want to continue with the Last Resort, but I just said to him, 'Look, we can't do anything about that now. We don't know what's going to happen in the future.' Dr Nitschke, of course, has a particular interest in what happens in the future given he created the Sarco and is working on the next incarnation; a two-person pod. A vociferous proponent of assisted dying, he hopes one day to bring his capsule to the UK. His wife, Fiona Stewart is a fellow director with Florian of the Last Resort. He bristles at any suggestion that the events that unfolded four months ago are motivated by anything other than a genuine desire to change lives, by helping those who want to end theirs. Switzerland had, until September, seemed the perfect location. Swiss law allows assisted suicide so long as the person takes his or her life with no 'external assistance' and those who help the person die do not do so for 'any self-serving motive,' says a government website. According to the Last Resort, the woman who used the Sarco only paid the costs of the nitrogen - 18 Swiss Francs. Both the Last Resort and Exit International, the wider organisation founded by Dr Nitschke, insist they want to make assisted dying almost completely free of charge. They have also been critical of the Swiss investigation. Defensive, Dr Nitschke insists. 'We were never warned that a prosecutor would act in this way and we still don't know why. 'We know there was a degree of embarrassment because the Minister for Health had been talking to the Swiss parliament at the very moment the button was pushed, saying this device will never be used in Switzerland. 'We know that embarrassment may have caused some anger on the politicians' part, but how that's managed to flow into the legal system is a worry. 'None of us have a clue about the strangulation thing. 'We know that there was a phone call made from the autopsy on the day after the death [about marks] that were consistent or could be consistent with strangulation. 'We've got some very good photos ourselves of the person who used the device and it's pretty clear that she just had some marks as part of the ageing process. But we just don't know. Until we get the full autopsy report we just find ourselves jumping at shadows all the time.' 'A 'hopeless limbo' the Australian called it, when the Mail last spoke to him, in November, declaring it all an 'extreme over-reaction by the Swiss authorities to a person who has behaved in every way in accordance with Swiss law'. By contrast, Peter Sticher, has always maintained that those behind the Sarco were warned not to use the device in the region. 'We warned them in writing,' he said last year. 'We said that if they came to Schaffhausen and used Sarco, they would face criminal consequences.' Whether those consequences go beyond the 10 weeks one man has already spent in prison remain to be seen. Additional reporting: Rob Hyde A father-of-four with an 'atrocious' criminal history has dramatically confronted officers inside a police station while armed with a hammer and screaming 'just f**king shoot me'. Timothy Mervyn Charles Hart, 34, was arrested in Mackay, north Queensland, after breaching his parole conditions just 12 days before they were due to end in March, 2024. Police bodycam footage, obtained by the Courier Mail, showed Hart entering the station and being informed of his arrest. He quickly pulled a hammer out of his shorts, prompting the officer to draw his taser. 'Just shoot me, I'm f**king over it,' Hart screamed. 'Don't come towards us, you may be shot,' the officer told him and repeatedly asked him to 'put the hammer down'. 'F**king kill me, please,' Hart said. The officer replied: 'We don't want to do that mate. Let's just have a chat.' Timothy Mervyn Charles Hart (pictured) confronted Queensland cops with a hammer after he breached his parole just 12 days before the conditions ended At no point did any police officer draw their firearm, only a taser (pictured) The tense standoff lasted about two minutes before the officer fired his taser, causing Hart to fall to the ground screaming. At no point did any police officer draw their guns, only a taser. It's understood Hart was turning himself in after learning he had violated his parole conditions by failing to report a new relationship to his supervisors. He had been on parole since 2021 and had just 12 days left when he was issued a return to prison warrant over the breach. The circumstances of Hart's warrant were not made clear to the officers at Mackay Police Station, they only knew he needed to be arrested. 'They showed incredible patience and resilience when dealing with you,' Acting Magistrate Nigel Rees said. 'They did not draw their firearm. 'This could have ended disastrously for you and your family. The court heard Hart (pictured) was arrested 12 days before his parole was due to end after he failed to report a new relationship to his supervisors 'Police officers are entitled to go about their duties without being threatened.' However, Magistrate Rees added 'communication between the different departments might have avoided what happened next'. The court heard Hart had an 'atrocious' criminal history but had worked hard to get his life back on track. Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Danny Yarrow said Hart had been hired as a hydro-blaster, found accommodation and stopped using drugs. The thought that his efforts to go straight were in vain had clearly distressed him, as he told officers during the standoff, 'My life's ruined'. Mr Yarrow said his client believed 'everything that he's worked for has been lost' and pointed to the fact Hart did not raise the hammer during the confrontation. 'He's armed with it though (and) asked multiple times to drop it. Why's he got a hammer on him?' Magistrate Rees said. Hart pleaded guilty to serious obstruction while armed and was granted immediate parole release, having served 314 days in pre-sentence custody. 'You've got your life back on track and your behaviour at the police station manifested because you thought you were going to lose everything,' Magistrate Rees said. If you or a loved one need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Many local councils have vowed to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day despite Anthony Albanese's government scrapping a mandate they had to be held on the public holiday. In late 2022, the federal government scrapped a previous rule which had obligated councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. At the time, Mr Albanese insisted there were 'no changes here' as nothing was being forced, but after that change, more than 80 councils dropped citizenship ceremonies on January 26 last year. In an audit of the country's councils, Daily Mail Australia revealed on Friday that a staggering 154 councils around the country were not holding citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. The number is likely to be higher as just over a third of Australia's 537 local councils refused to reveal their stance when asked by this masthead. However, citizenship ceremonies have received strong support from councils in migrant-heavy western Sydney, with mayors pushing to restore Australia Day celebrations. Liverpool mayor Ned Mannoun said a welcoming of new Australians will be held on the public holiday as it was a 'symbolic' community event. Mr Mannoun was brought to Australia at the age of 10 after his Lebanese mum and Sierra Leoanean-born dad moved from the US. The Albanese administration in late 2022 scrapped a previous rule which mandated councils hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day (Mr Albanese with newly sworn citizens after National Australia Day Citizenship and Flag Raising Ceremony in Canberra January 26, 2024) He said his citizenship ceremony had 'additional significance' as it was held on the country's national holiday. 'We know what a blessing it is to live here,' Mr Mannoun told the Daily Telegraph. 'Australia Day unites us in a celebration of who we are, what we have, the freedoms we enjoy and the promise of a bright, peaceful future. 'For many of our citizens who have come here to escape conflict and persecution, it is also a 'thank you Australia' party.' Blacktown mayor also has a sizeable percentage of new migrants, and mayor Brad Bunting said they love to celebrate their new home Australia. Blacktown is the largest local government area in NSW, with 430,000 residents who speak 188 different languages. Mr Bunting said the Blacktown community loves celebrating 'the best place to live in the world' and have a real appreciation for life in Australia. 'Some people come here because they choose to, others come here because they have to, but they all love being in this country,' he said. It comes after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for turning Australia into 'something to be ashamed of' His council has planned a citizenship ceremony on January 26 to welcome more than 500 new Australians, which will open with a corroboree and end with Australia's iconic 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Oi, Oi, Oi' chant. Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said Australia Day was important as it allowed those who were born in Australia and those who moved to the country for a better life time to 'recognise and respect the past'. The Fairfield council has provided residents with free Australia flags ahead of Sunday and will be holding Australia Day celebrations including a community awards event. It comes after Peter Dutton vowed to restore Australia Day citizenship ceremonies on January 26 if he wins the next federal election. The opposition leader slammed Mr Albanese's approach to celebrations on January 26 and accused him of allowing it to become 'something to be ashamed of'. 'Would we reinstate the requirement for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day? You bet it will done in the first 100 days,' Mr Dutton told reporters. 'It will be a sign of pride and nationalism in our country... I'm incredibly proud of Australians and who we are. I'm proud of our Indigenous heritage. 'I'm very proud of our migrant story, and I'm very proud of the fact that we are a country that should stand up and protect and defend its values.' Australia Day is observed on January 26 and marks the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour on that day in 1788, when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. However, for many Australians, in particular Indigenous and First Nations people, it is regarded as 'Invasion Day' or 'Day of Mourning'. Rallies are held in every major city each year on Australia Day, with thousands of protestors calling for the national holiday to be scrapped or moved to another date. Many local councils across the country have cancelled Australia Day celebrations and have opted to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 24 or January 29. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Joe Biden's shocking response to his demands that the White House do something about the migrant crisis was to keep quite and 'be a good Democrat, Eric.' The embattled 'sanctuary city' mayor claimed Biden's reaction to the crisis that has wrecked havoc on his city was just one of many reasons the Democrat Party 'left me and it left working class people' in an interview with Tucker Carlson. Adams, who was indicted by Biden's Justice Department in September on bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy charges, as well as for allegedly soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, spoke of his frustration with how the saga unfolded. 'We have Venezuelan gang leaders that were coming to the city creating crimes,' Adams said, which led to his asking Biden for help the condescending answer he received. Adams - who uses the 'be a good Democrat' line on multiple occasions in the 48-minute interview - is grilled by Carlson at Gracie Mansion on the city's sanctuary status but the mayor denies the Big Apple is 'welcoming' the migrants. The mayor has previously said that the sanctuary status should be altered to allow migrants who commit crimes to be given up to ICE and that he wants to work with incoming 'Border Czar' Tom Homan. He merely says to Carlson: 'I don't think they should be rounded up in the middle of the night.' At one point, he expresses pure frustration, saying: 'Damn it, I'm at the end of the line here!' New York City Mayor Eric Adams said his demands that Joe Biden 's White House do something about the migrant crisis destroying his city was a shocking warning to 'be a good Democrat, Eric' The mayor listed this as one of many reasons he feels the Democrat Party 'left me and it left working class people' in an interview with Tucker Carlson When asked what he's discussed with President Donald Trump, Adams said it was all in a spirit of bipartisanship. 'We talked about, you know, how do we do things to work together to improve the city,' Adams said of his pre-inauguration visit to speak with Trump down in Mar-a-Lago. 'And as I told everyone, I'm not here to be war in with the president. I'm here to work with the president. And everyone should do that. I think there's some great opportunities and we need to find out those areas of agreement.' Carlson also sided with Adams on his indictments, saying they were 'ridiculous. It was flimsier even than I remember. The whole thing's crazy, actually, if you read it.' He did get in a joke at Adams' expense, however, over the flight upgrades he'd received that were part of the case against him, after Adams revealed he faced 20-30 years in prison for it. Carlson asked: 'Wish you had flown coach, in retrospect?' Adams, who is facing multiple Democrats vying to challenge his reelection, laughed it off and said: 'You can't live life in the rearview mirror. You got to live life in the front windshield, you know?' Through a spokesperson, Adams - who also accepted what he called a 'last-minute' invitation to the 47th president's DC swearing in Monday, eschewing MLK Jr. Day events in his own city for the event - defended sitting down with Carlson despite anticipated liberal outrage. Carlson also sided with Adams on his indictments, saying they were 'ridiculous. It was flimsier even than I remember. The whole thing's crazy, actually, if you read it' He did get in a joke at Adams' expense, however, over the flight upgrades he'd received that were part of the case against him, after Adams revealed he faced 20-30 years in prison for it. Carlson asked: 'Wish you had flown coach, in retrospect?' 'Mayor Adams does not believe we should be living in silos and speaking into echo chambers,' spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said in a statement. 'At a time where our country is so divided, the mayor believes we must break out of our comfort zones and speak with everyone even those we may not always agree with.' Adams has said he would 'love' to work with Tom Homan to deport criminal migrants. The Democratic politician, who has signaled he will be running for a second term in 2025, said he is not afraid to be 'canceled' by being 'honest about the truth' when it comes to immigration. 'Those who are here committing crimes - robberies, shooting at police officers, raping innocent people - have been a harm to our country,' former NYPD captain Adams, 64, told a news conference on Tuesday. 'Those are the people I am talking about and I would love to sit down with the border czar and hear his thoughts on how we're going to address those who are harming our citizens.' Adams added that this position had not changed because previous Democrat administrations pledged to do the same thing. 'You know what's interesting - I want you to all go back and Google Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - Google what they said about those who commit crimes in our city, and what they said in our country,' he said. Adams, who was indicted in September on bribery , wire fraud and conspiracy charges, as well as soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, spoke of his frustration with how the crisis unfolded Carlson grills Adams on the city's sanctuary status and the mayor denies that they're 'welcoming' the migrants to New York 'They said those who commit crimes need to get out right away. That was their position. 'So this is not a new position, because in the era of "cancel culture" (everyone) is afraid to be honest about the truth. 'Well, cancel me, because I'm going to protect the people of this city. 'If you come into this country and this city and think you're going to harm innocent New Yorkers - and innocent migrants and asylum seekers - this is not the mayor you want to be in the city under.' Trump and Homan have pledged to start deporting 'millions' of migrants from his first day in the White House following the inauguration on January 20. The pair said they will start by cracking down on asylum apps used by migrants to gain interviews before targeting the super gangs terrorizing American cities. Homan has also said the incoming president will pull federal funds from any states which refuse to comply with the mass deportation plans. The incoming border boss previously served in the highest echelons of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Presidents Barack Obama and Trump. The Democrat politician, who has signaled he will be running for a second term in 2025, said he is not afraid to be 'canceled' by being 'honest about the truth' when it comes to immigration Adams implies that the Biden administration was deeply unhelpful when it came to the migrant crisis Meanwhile, Adams said in mid-November he believes he can assist the Trump administration with its plans, while lamenting what he called the 'broken' immigration system under President Joe Biden. Adams also declared New York City as a sanctuary city, meaning that its laws limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration officials. 'I am willing to sit down with this administration like I tried to sit down with the previous administration in my 10 trips to Washington to say: we have a problem that is overrunning our cities,' he told reporters at the time, according to Politico. 'I'm hoping this administration will hear what I'm saying and listen to some of the ideas that I have been pushing for... close to two years now.' Adams went on to say he was not surprised by the support Trump received in the five boroughs, noting that many Trump supporters listed immigration as one of their top concerns. 'The voters are stating, "We need to secure our border, we need to make sure cities are not experiencing what New York City experienced,"' the mayor said, according to the New York Post. 'The voters communicated loudly and clearly: We have a broken immigration system, it needs to be fixed. That's the only conversation I want.' The budding bromance between Adams and Trump has had many wondering if the mayor could get a pardon from the president if found guilty. NYC Mayor Eric Adams has said he would 'love' to work with Donald Trump 's incoming border czar Tom Homan (pictured right) to deport criminal migrants in 2025 Adams was indicted in September on bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy charges, as well as soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals. Some of the charges date back to Adams' time serving as Brooklyn Borough President, with investigators alleging he accepted freebies from officials from Turkey, among other misdeeds. 'Yeah, I would, yeah,' Trump said at Mar-a-Lago Monday when asked about a pardon for Adams. 'I think he was treated pretty unfairly.' Trump noted that he wasn't aware of the full extent of the charges. 'Now I haven't seen the gravity of it all. But it seems, you know, like being upgraded on an airplane many years ago. I know probably everybody here's been upgraded,' the president-elect said to the 20 or so reporters standing in Mar-a-Lago's ornate living room for his first press conference since winning the 2024 election. 'They see you're all stars and they say, "I want to upgrade that person from NBC, I'm going to upgrade him,"' Trump said 'And that would mean you'll spend the rest of your life in prison.' Trump also pushed, without evidence, that Adams' indictment was politically motivated over his strong words about illegal immigration. JD Vance's sudden turn of the head told it all as an Episcopalian Bishop sermonized about having mercy on gay and transgender children while the nation's leaders listened. The new vice president turned to his wife, Usha, just as Marianne Budde, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, uttered the line, after she said children were 'fearing for their lives' due to his return to power and urged leaders to show 'mercy.' Second lady Usha looked straight ahead without engaging with her husband, as online MAGA allies offered their own reactions to the video. It was plain to many of Vance's allies that he had a visceral reaction to the comments. 'JD is all of us listening to that woke joke sermon,' wrote Trump ally Benny Johnson on X, in a post that got half a million views. 'JDs face says it all... "are you hearing this crap?" wrote the MAGA-aligned Crazy Vibes account. Also look askance was Trump daughter Tiffany Trump. Others, including first lady Melania Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. sat expressionless while Bishop Budde spoke. It came a day after Trump signed an executive order declaring there are two genders and declaring a state of emergency at the border before a promised immigration crackdown just some of the slate of executive orders he is using to try to transform the government. Vice President J.D. Vance suddenly turned to his wife Usha when the Episcopal Bishop of Washington called for 'mercy' for illegal immigrants Budde was also a Trump critic during George Floyd protests, and spoke at the memorial service for Sen. John McCain, a Trump nemesis. DailyMail.com reached out to the bishop and to Vance's office to inquire about the sermon. But Trump turned in his own review on a brief comment after returning to the White House when asked what he thought of the service. 'What did you think?' Trump responded. 'Did you find it exciting?' he asked. 'Not too exciting,' he responded, providing his own thoughts. One of Trump's most prominent faith allies, Franklin Graham, the son of Rev. Billy Graham. Wrote Newsmax host Todd Starnes on X, 'Franklin Graham tells me on my podcast that the National Cathedral has fallen into the hands of LGBT activists. So, it's not surprising this "lady bishop" spewed hate at Donald Trump today. National Cathedral has become a sanctuary of Satan.' Vance and the Trump family looked on during the sermon. Trump gave his own review afterward Trump sat stony-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the prelate told him illegal immigrants were not criminals and he shouldn't deport those with children. Bishop Budde, 65, addressed Trump directly in a highly political speech from the pulpit during a traditional inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. She told Trump: 'I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives.' The liberal clergywoman then asked Trump to have mercy on illegal immigrants. She said: 'The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation. 'The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.' Trump maintained his calm and appeared to look on slightly wearily after a full day and night of Inauguration festivities. But some other members of the congregation seemed uncomfortable as they listened to the bishop's diatribe. U.S. President Donald Trump stands near Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde as he attends the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance with second lady Usha attend the National Day of Prayer Service Despite the awkward silence in the cathedral, Bishop Budde continued her stunning pro-migrant scolding of the president. She added 'Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we were all strangers once in a strange land.' Later, Trump declined to publicly criticize the bishop over the attack. Asked about the service by reporters at the White House, Trump said: 'What did you think, did you like it? Did you find it exciting? Not too exciting was it. I think it was a great service.' However, Republicans and MAGA supporters eviscerated the bishop. 'The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list,' wrote Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) on social media. President Donald Trump attends the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington S President Donald Trump (front) and US First Lady Melania Trump (C-L) with US Vice President JD Vance (2-R) and Second Lady Usha Vance (R) attend the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, DC, USA, 21 January 2025 Budde champions leftist causes through her ministry. On her diocesan website, she boasts of serving as 'an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation.' She also has a long history of criticizing President Trump during his first term. President Donald Trump (L) speaks with US Vice President JD Vance (R) during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, USA, 21 January 2025 President Donald Trump, from left, watches as Rev. Mariann Budde arrives at the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington That included after after he stood next to an Episcopal church holding a Bible after clearing protesters out of Lafayette Square near the White House during the Black Lives Matter protests. At the time, she said that Trump's actions were 'antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that we as a church stand for.' She also condemned Trump while attending an outdoor Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. 'I've given up speaking to President Trump. We need to replace President Trump,' she said then. A con-artist finally cracked in court as he heard the evidence mounted against him for his role in an overseas-based romance scam which saw unsuspecting victims part with $3.5 million and allegedly led to one woman's mysterious death. Nigerian national and Illinois resident Anthony Ibekie, 59, was convicted on all 14 counts of wire fraud and forgery. Prosecutors said he catfished targets who were looking for love on dating sites before demanding they send him outrageous sums of money. As the trial wore on, reality finally hit hard as he was seen breaking down in tears, according to a juror. 'He did cry on the stand a little,' a juror who remained anonymous told CBS News regarding Ibekie's demeanor. 'But it seemed more about the overwhelming amount of evidence they had against him.' Ibekie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison while his co-conspirator Samuel Aniukwu, another Nigerian national living in Illinois, was sentenced to 10 years after he opted not to fight the charges against him and cooperate with investigators. Recently, a third conspirator named Jennifer Gosha was sentenced to three years probation with her first six months on house arrest. Gosha, a former US post office employee and Iraqi war veteran, had been dating Ibekie and thought he was a Nigerian doctor. Anthony Ibekie, 59, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November after running numerous illegal schemes, including the online dating scam that Laura Kowal was wrapped up in Laura Kowal (pictured), 57, mysteriously drowned in the Mississippi River in 2020 after being scammed out of $1.5 million. She sent the money to a man on Match.com that turned out to be entirely fake Her defense attorney, Patrick Boyle, said Gosha, 52, was manipulated by Ibekie into becoming a 'money mule' for the criminal enterprise, and that she lived her whole life prior to that point as 'an honest and law-abiding citizen.' Their most lucrative victim was a 57-year-old widow named Laura Kowal, who sent nearly $2 million to the scammers before she was found dead in the Mississippi River in 2020. Her daughter, Kelly Gowe, is still trying to unravel what happened years later. Kowal sent this staggering sum of money while under the impression she was in a relationship with a man on Match.com called 'Frank Borg.' 'Frank Borg' would later be revealed to be a fake profile created by a group of scammers based out of West Africa. CBS reported that one of Kowal's initial payments to 'Borg' for $75,000 was received by Aniukwu, Ibekie and Gosha. In August 2020, police told Gowe her mother had committed suicide and that her body had washed up near Canton, Missouri, which is nearly four hours from where her home was in Galena, Illinois. Before she was found, Gowe received a call from a federal agent notifying her that her mother had been a victim of a scam. When she tried to contact her mother, she realized she was missing. Gowe also found a terrifying note from Kowal, who appeared to foresee her own demise. 'I've been living a double life this past year. It has left me broke and broken. Yes, it involves Frank, the man I met through online dating. I tried to stop this, many times, but I knew I would end up dead,' Kowal wrote her daughter in the haunting letter. No formal ruling has ever been given for Kowal's manner of death, but her autopsy determined she died by drowning. 'It's the scammers, It's the criminals behind those emails. It's Frank Borg this character. He killed my mom,' Gowe said. Kelly Gowe (pictured with her mother) attended the sentencing hearing for Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, the two Nigerian nationals who prosecutors said received the money her mother sent to 'Frank Borg' The scammers used these photos for the phony 'Frank Borg' profile. Investigators later realized the emails sent by 'Borg' originated from Ghana When asked by a CBS news crew about those who had lost their life savings to the scammers operating on his dating platform, Match.com CEO Bernard Kim told the outlet: 'Things happen in life. That's really difficult' 'And everyone that is involved in this scam in any capacity, that's moving the money, that's placing a phone call, that's hitting "enter" and "send" on an email they're all responsible for my mom's death.' Emails shared with CBS showed within weeks of virtually meeting in 2018, Kowal and Borg were sharing emails telling each other they were in love despite having never met in person and he convinced her to send him money. 'She had all these buckets full in her life, my mom did, but there was this one bucket that was missing and that was companionship. And that's ultimately where we're at now, is because of that,' Gowe said. Federal agents discovered that Borg's photos belonged to a Chilean doctor and his emails were traced back to Ghana. After the tragic story of Kowal's death came to light, Match.com CEO Bernard Kim was slammed for what some thought was his callous response. When asked by a CBS news crew about those who had lost their life savings to the scammers operating on his dating platform, he told the outlet: 'Things happen in life. That's really difficult.' Gowe gave a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearings for both Ibekie and Aniukwu, where she shared stories about her late mother. A Black Saturday bushfires survivor has walked free from court after bashing a young mum's head in with an iron bar after a generous thank you present turned sour. Madison Gentsch, 28, viciously assaulted her former friend just weeks after she gave the woman her Ford Falcon as a thank you for letting her stay in her home. Their relationship soured when the woman advertised the attached personalised numberplates 'EATZWA' - an eshay term for 'sweet' or 'thank you' - for $10,000 on Facebook Marketplace. Gentsch was then asked to leave the property in Frankston, southeast Melbourne, due to an 'ongoing conflict' over the numberplates. She then planned a violent ambush to get the car back, and the subsequent assault left the young mother bleeding in a gutter outside an IGA supermarket on June 27 last year. An associate of Gentsch arranged to purchase the numberplates, and to meet outside the IGA on Beach Street in Frankston. When the woman arrived in the Falcon, she was ambushed and violently beaten. Gentsch, accompanied by a male accomplice, sprang from a black SUV and attacked her former friend and a male passenger with an iron bar. Melbourne woman Madison Gentsch (pictured) 'planned' a vicious assault on a former friend after she changed her mind after gifting the woman a Ford Falcon as a thank you gift She clobbered the woman in the head several times and attempted to pull her out of the car by her hair before finally gaining access to the car. In a final act of violence, Gentsch slammed the car door on the woman's legs three times before she drove away and left her in the gutter. Her male accomplice drove the black SUV from the scene. Witnesses called the police, and the victim was rushed to hospital with multiple head injuries. Bodycam footage from a responding officer showing the woman bleeding and groaning on the concrete was played to the court on Wednesday. Gentsch and the man hightailed it to the Gold Coast but were stopped by police as they approached Surfers Paradise in the Falcon. They were extradited back to Victoria on August 8. Police asked Gentsch if she had known the woman would be leaving her house prior to the assault. Gentsch (pictured) attacked the woman with an iron bar after she was kicked out of her Frankston home due to 'ongoing conflict', a court was told on Wednesday Gentsch and a male associate were arrested by police at the Gold Coast after immediately leaving Victoria following the assault. 'She told some c**t she would be there at the meet spot to f**kin sell her plates,' Gentsch told officers. That gave her the 'green light' to 'get what's hers'. The court was told Gentsch 'would not disclose whose car she was in or who she was with' because they would 'f**kin kill (me)'. She claimed the man who arrived with her former friend in the Ford Falcon had face tattoos and an extendible baton. In a victim impact statement read to the court on Wednesday, the victim said Gentsch 'destroyed her passion to help others'. 'I still live in fear that they will come and attack me again,' she said. 'I have struggled every day since the attack I am nervous and on edge I would rather be in my room which is my safe zone than spend time with my children. 'Since the attack I don't see life like I use to I suffer from nightmares.' The victim said the assault had 'destroyed my passion for helping others' and that she lives in fear Gentsch (pictured) and her male accomplice will attack her again Gentsch, who now has tattoos on her neck and face, is unemployed and receives a fortnightly Carer Allowance. Her family survived the 2009 Black Saturday fires at King Lake when Gentsch was just a child, the court heard. Judge Richard Maidment described the attack as a 'vicious assault' on someone that had shown 'considerable kindness'. 'It is a serious incident of its kind,' Judge Maidment told the court. 'One that deserves not just serious punishment of you but also punishment that has capacity to deter others from committing offences (and) taking the law into their own hands in the way you did. 'This was planned by you, you involved others in it and you carried out a quiet viscous assault on a person who had showed you considerable kindness although... you may have felt upset being ejected from the house.' Gentsch pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two months imprisonment at the Melbourne County Court on Wednesday. Having been held in remand for 107 days, she was immediately released onto an 18-month community correction order. A young lifeguard has been violently attacked by a group of teenage thugs after he reportedly asked them not to perform dangerous stunts near other swimmers. The 19-year-old was on duty at the Casey Acquatic and Recreation Centre pool in Narre Warren, southeast Melbourne, when he was set upon at about 5.50pm on Sunday. It's understood he had previously spoken with the group of about eight males about not performing flips and other stunts that might endanger other swimmers. The 19-year-old was then headbutted, kicked and punched by the group who fled the scene and remain on the run. The lifeguard, whose uniform was left splattered with blood, was taken to Dandenong Hospital to be treated for cuts and scratches to his upper body. He has since been discharged. Victoria Police has released photos of a group of Middle Eastern appearance who may assist with inquiries. Victoria Police released these photos of a group they wish to speak to over an incident where a lifeguard was bashed Julie Thorne Pemberton said it was her son dressed in black that attempted to help the embattled lifeguard. 'Thats my son in the black vest taking the chair away that they were using to slam into the young lifeguards face,' she posted to social media. 'He pushed into the group to help. Ive seen footage that his girlfriend had & its pretty full on & disgusting.' Ms Thorne Pemberton said the lifeguard had only been doing his duty to try and keep other swimmers safe. 'He asked them to stop doing dives & backflips into the pool. They had already been told & had a timeout period but kept going anyway,' she said. La Trobe MP Jason Wood shared footage of the wild attack on social media and urged anyone who recognised the culprits to contact police. In the video, the lifeguard is seen being surrounded by teenagers in boardshorts as others threw plastic chairs on the side of the pool. The lifeguard was taken to Dandenong Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, including bruises, cuts and scratches on his upper body (pictured, the injured lifeguard's shirt) The attack came just weeks after a national campaign was launched to try and stop mindless violence against staff at aquatic centres. Royal Life Saving analysis shows that there were are than 2,000 incidents of abuse, violence, and aggression directed at staff working in aquatic facilities around the country every year. 'Violence and aggression towards lifeguards and swim teachers is unacceptable. Our campaign has been developed to reinforce a culture of respect, cooperation, and zero-tolerance for aggression in aquatic facilities,' Royal Life Saving spokesman RJ Houston said upon launch of the campaign just weeks ago. 'Lifeguards and swim teachers provide a critical lifesaving role to the community and are there to keep everyone safe. When they give instructions to swimmers, this is to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for all. 'Aquatic facilities should be safe spaces not only for swimming but for staff to work. Thats why were encouraging everyone to "Keep Their Cool at the Pool" this summer and support our lifeguards and swim teachers by standing against occupational violence and aggression.' Casey Crime Investigation Unit Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Luke Shore told reporters on Wednesday police would boost patrols at Casey community centres. 'Were organising reassurance patrols at (Casey) facilities weve put out some tasks to our frontline to ensure theres a visible police presence when and where possible at our local facilities,' he said. The police officer described the offending as 'cowardly'. The 19-year-old lifeguard was headbutted, kicked and punched by the group (the attack is pictured) 'The lifeguard was just trying to do his job and keep the community safe,' he said. 'Our understanding is that it was up to an eight on one attack there were other staff members that tried to intervene and objects within the pool floor used as well. Its really concerning and really disturbing.' Police claim they still have no idea who the attackers are. 'We dont know who they are or where they originated from, were just trying to identify who they are,' the detective said. 'We believe that these people will be known there will be people in the community, given the quality of the CCTV footage, that will be able to recognise and identify these people, and we encourage those people to make a confidential CrimeStoppers report.' City of Casey Mayor Stefan Koomen told 9News his council had taken 'immediate steps to increase security' at its aquatic centres. 'On behalf of the council, I want to reassure our community that we are deeply committed to making our aquatic facilities safe for everyone to enjoy,' he said. 'We are actively supporting the police investigation and providing all necessary assistance. We are taking immediate steps to increase security at all our aquatic centres to ensure a safe environment for everyone.' Aussies also took to social media to slam the attack. 'This incident makes me very angry. Unfortunately kindness is mistaken for weakness. I hope this young lifeguard gets the support he deserves,' one wrote on X. 'I take my daughter to this pool regularly, there has been an increase of violence in the past weeks as there was a stabbing at Fountain Gate the week before. Very concerning,' a concerned mother said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com A white mother-of-two flew into a panic when she thought a black man was following her while jogging in her affluent neighborhood in Ohio - only to later learn he was simply pulling into his home. Michelle Bishop was jogging with her two young kids in their neighborhood in Ohio when she became convinced that the man was following her in his car. She bounded up to a home thinking she'd find refuge, ringing the doorbell frantically and complaining to the woman who answered that she was being followed. Unbeknownst to her, the house belonged to DaMichael Jenkins - the very man she was accusing. His wife, Brittany, answered. 'He's pulling in because he lives here. That's my husband,' she explained. Bishop refused to believe them. 'I don't believe that,' she said, before running away with her son in her arms and her daughter following close behind - leaving the stroller to fall off the Jenkins' porch. She could then be seen running around the neighborhood, screaming 'help' at the top of her lungs in other security footage. Bishop even called the local police department, Jenkins said in an episode of the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco. It turned out he was just on his way home the night of the incident, November 19, and was driving slowly through the neighborhood to admire his Christmas lights. Surveillance footage shows Michelle Bishop and her children on the porch of DaMichael Jenkins' home after running away from him as he pulled into his driveway Even though Jenkins told Bishop he lives at the home, she says she does not believe him, and takes off screaming for help Bishop has since issued a groveling defense, insisting her actions that night were not racially motivated. But at the time, she apparently had trouble believing the man she thought was following her was just a neighbor. A short while later, the Jenkinses' surveillance footage shows, Bishop's husband returned to their house to collect their stroller. He said she had told him somebody was chasing her to the home, to which Jenkins wife replied that it was just her husband. 'You scared the c*** out of me,' Bishop added as Jenkins walked out onto the porch. The couple then apologized, while Jenkins explained that he just saw Bishop on the driveway and asked if she was looking for someone. 'Well, you just have to understand my point of view - being by myself, I have two kids,' she tried to explain. When she was asked why she didn't believe Jenkins was the homeowner, she claimed, 'It was the way that you were talking, I was really caught off-guard.' 'I really hope that you're not upset with me,' she said, as Jenkins' wife suggested they go back into the house and Bishop's husband tries to wrangle her back into the car. Jenkins told Bishop he was just admiring his Christmas lights, and was not following her Bishop and her husband showed up back at the house a little while later to collect their stroller, and tried to apologize to Jenkins and his wife Speaking about the now-viral incident, Jenkins - who builds homes in the neighborhood - said he was driving home at around 6pm when he noticed Bishop and her two kids in his driveway Speaking about the now-viral incident, Jenkins - who builds homes in the neighborhood - said he was driving home at around 6 pm when he noticed Bishop and her two kids in his driveway. He said on the podcast that he asked her if she was looking for someone, but Bishop ignored him and ran to his front porch. Jenkins then proceeded to park his car while the woman rang the doorbell. When she then ran from the home, screaming for help, Jenkins said he started to worry. 'I'm in fear because I know what we face as black men in America,' he told the Nightcap podcast. Jenkins' wife Brittany said the incident made them feel 'unwelcome and unsafe' in their own neighborhood where they have been living for the past three years with their two sons He added that he had to 'control my emotions' when Bishop said she didn't believe he was a resident 'because I knew where it could have escalated. 'I'm thinking, "Well what if she had a gun? Would she have been running or would I have been running?"' His wife also said the incident made them feel 'unwelcome and unsafe' in their own neighborhood where they have been living for the past three years, and built their home from the ground up. 'We have two boys and he leads our family; he protects our family,' she said of her husband. 'It's a lot of weight, it's a lot of pain, it's a lot of emotion.' She added that she thought they would receive a personal apology in the aftermath, even some flowers and a note - but nothing ever came from Bishop, her husband or the homeowners' association. 'I reached out to the HOA immediately after it happened,' the wife said. 'HOA ghosted me for lack of a better word.' But in a lengthy live video on her Facebook page claimed she did apologize to the family twice. She said she had received heavy criticism, with many calling her out for racial profiling, but insisted she did not have any racist intentions. Bishop has since issued a groveling apology in a Facebook live video She said she was only concerned with her children's safety and said she could not see Jenkins' race at the time because it was dark outside. 'I will not apologize for making any sort of racist remark, I am the furthest thing from a racist,' Bishop claimed in the teary-eyed video. 'I will, however, apologize that my expression could ever come across in such a way or that somebody could think something of that nature of myself, of my family.' She went on to claim that a registered sex offender once showed up at her house when she lived in Texas, and as a child a man banged on her door during an apparent manhunt. Bishop also said that after she fled the Jenkins' front porch, she fled to a neighbor's home, who informed her that a black family lives there. She said she then insisted to the neighbor and her husband that the man who was following was a 'young white man,' and claimed her neighbor even wrote a letter affirming she described Jenkins as a white man. Then, on her way home after speaking with Jenkins, Bishop said she saw the cops circling the neighborhood. The officers then told her there was a misunderstanding, she recounted. 'There was never racial intent, ever,' she said as she began to sob. 'What I apologize for is "Sorry for sharing the story of me being scared. I could absolutely be slower to speak.'" Still, she said, she is not apologizing for overdoing her reaction - and would even do it again due to her past history of being followed. 'The way that I reacted, I would do it a million times over because what if. What if that really would have happened?' Meanwhile, Jenkins said he has no ill-will toward Bishop, and even said he feels like her showing up on his porch that night was an act of God, for him to be an example of what emotional control looks like. 'I'm a real estate developer, I build houses from the ground up, single-family houses. But I thought that moving to the most wealthy neighborhood in Ohio, that this was the right thing to do,' he said. 'But maybe my focus needs to be building communities that's for us and by us, so that we can inspire people that look like us.' Donald Trump said 'they can do much better' after sitting through a sermon from a woke bishop pleading for 'mercy' for illegal immigrants and transgender children. Asked by reporters at the White House for his verdict on the lecture from Mariann Budde, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, earlier on Tuesday, Trump responded: 'What did you think? Do you like it? Did you find it exciting? 'Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service. Thank you very much.' He added at the end of his remarks: 'They can do much better.' It came after Budde, 65, sparked backlash at the National Prayer Service on Trump's first full day back in the presidency, as she unleashed a wild lecture claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to him being in the Oval Office. Trump sat stone-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the prelate told him illegal immigrants were 'not criminals', and he shouldn't deport those with children. After the sermon went viral, an image from Budde's church, the St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church, circulated across social media, showing the church - which also reportedly serves as a migrant shelter - attempts to ban ICE and Homeland Security from entering. As Budde's sermon drew outrage from conservatives who questioned her decision to politicize the religious service, Republican Congressman Mike Collins said on X: 'The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.' Donald Trump said Mariann Budde, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, 'could have been much better' in a scathing response to her sermon on Tuesday Budde, 65, sparked backlash at the National Prayer Service on Trump's first full day back in the presidency, as she unleashed a wild lecture claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to him being in the Oval Office After the sermon went viral, an image from Budde's church - which also reportedly serves as a migrant shelter - showed the property attempts to ban ICE and Homeland Security from entering In her remarks, Budde directed the message of her sermon directly to Trump as she begged him to grant 'mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now.' 'There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives,' she continued. Moving onto illegal immigrants, a central issue on Trump's victorious presidential platform, Budde urged him not to follow through with his mass deportation plans. 'The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation,' she said. 'The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.' Trump didn't react to the pointed message as he sat staring at Budde, although others in his group, including new Vice President JD Vance, wore a more telling expression on their faces. Despite the awkward silence in the cathedral, Bishop Budde continued her stunning pro-migrant scolding of the president. She added 'Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we were all strangers once in a strange land.' The sermon quickly drew backlash from conservatives who slammed Budde's politicized remarks, with Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno and Rep. Collins leading the criticisms of her speech. Trump sat stony-faced as Budde delivered her sermon, although others in his group, including new Vice President JD Vance, wore a more telling expression on their faces Moreno said on X: 'As a Catholic and legal immigrant, it's outrageous that some woke Bishop would lecture President Trump about deporting illegals. 'It's an insult to all of us who came to this country the right way. If you don't have borders, then you don't have a country.' Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was seen celebrating the inauguration with the Trump family on Monday night, branded Budde's lecture an 'embarrassment.' 'She was given a great honor today, a chance to unify America around a Christian message at the dawn of a new administration,' he said on X. 'Instead, she disgraced herself with a lecture you'd hear on CNN or an episode of The View.' The bishop, who proudly puts her pronouns in her Instagram biography, is also pro-gay marriage and previously donated to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama In 2020 she hit out at Trump who staged a visit to St John's Church near the White House after police dispersed protestors Following Budde's speech, scrutiny fell on her background as some questioned why she was granted the honor of delivering the sermon. She is known to champion leftist causes through her ministry, and on her diocesan website, she boasts of serving as 'an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation.' She also has a long history of criticizing President Trump during his first term. That included after after he stood next to an Episcopal church holding a Bible after clearing protesters out of Lafayette Square near the White House during the Black Lives Matter protests. At the time, she said that Trump's actions were 'antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that we as a church stand for.' She also condemned Trump while attending an outdoor Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. 'I've given up speaking to President Trump. We need to replace President Trump,' she said then. BrewDog founder James Watt says there has never been a more difficult time to start a business in the UK, blaming the Chancellors Budget for making entrepreneurs struggle. It came as the Scottish businessman, whose comments about work-life balance stoked controversy in recent weeks, announced plans for a new reality show with the largest cash prize in UK TV history. Mr Watt is in search of entrepreneurs to take part in House Of Unicorns, where they will have the chance to win 2million to help grow their businesses. The entrepreneur, who co-founded craft beer giant BrewDog in Aberdeenshire in 2007, will invest 1million of his own cash into the winning business, with another 1million from Founders Capital Europes largest founder investor community. Founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders will be put through their paces over the course of six weeks to compete for the 2million prize. Mr Watt said the plan for the show stemmed from frustrations over the current choice of business investment shows, such as Dragons Den and The Apprentice. He said: Ive always been so disillusioned and, frankly, fed up with the tired format of reality TV business shows relying on worn-out tropes and stale stereotypes of entrepreneurs for comedy value, which are well past their sell-by date. He said he hopes to double the amount of UK unicorns (firms valued at 1 billion or more) through the show. BrewDog founder James Watt (pictured) says there has never been a more difficult time to start a business in the UK, blaming the Chancellors Budget for making entrepreneurs struggle Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. Mr Watts said: I dont think the autumn Budget was helpful, and we are seeing founders leaving to run businesses overseas, so I really hope we see the momentum shift soon However, he believes Labours policies have made starting a new business harder in the UK. He added: I think we partly wanted to do this because its never been a more difficult time to start a business in the UK. There are still an amazing batch of entrepreneurs and opportunities in the UK, but I think the environment at the minute does mean that some need that extra support to really grow to their full potential. I dont think the autumn Budget was helpful, and we are seeing founders leaving to run businesses overseas, so I really hope we see the momentum shift soon. Mr Watt is teaming up with Sony and Whisper Productions to make the new programme, having already invested in a raft of businesses through his The Next Unicorn online show. The Attorney General was yesterday accused of running scared as the Lord Speaker blocked a second debate into conflict of interest concerns about his past clients. The Tories asked the upper house for a debate about Lord Hermers potential role in a string of controversial government decisions. This was after Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle blocked MPs from having one. But the office of Lord McFall, the Lord Speaker, also dismissed the demand for an urgent hearing. Lord Hermer is facing questions over his potential role in a series of controversial moves by ministers, including a law change which paves the way for Gerry Adams to receive taxpayer-funded compensation. The Attorney General represented the ex-Sinn Fein leader before being appointed Sir Keir Starmers top legal adviser last year. But he has refused to say whether he gave legal advice approving of the proposed law change which is likely to benefit his former client. In a bid to get answers, the Tories tabled an Urgent Question - a key tool used by the Opposition frontbench to grill ministers in the interests of transparency - in the Commons on Monday and in the Lords yesterday. Lord Richard Hermer (pictured) is facing questions over his potential role in a series of controversial moves by ministers, including a law change which paves the way for Gerry Adams to receive taxpayer-funded compensation The Attorney General represented ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams before being appointed Sir Keir Starmer s top legal adviser last year But the Commons debate was rejected by Sir Lindsay after Lord Hermers department said it shouldnt be granted. It is understood, however, that his department had no contact with the Lord Speakers office. Former Tory Home Secretary and Attorney General, Suella Braverman KC, said: How can the public have confidence in the Attorney General when he refuses to answer legitimate questions about his past? He must come clean on this cover-up and be answerable to Parliament or resign. How have we stooped so low as to have Gerry Adams and Shamina Begums former lawyer representing His Majestys Government? The public deserves to know the truth on the catalogue of criminals that Lord Hermer has represented. What has he got to hide? Tory MP Sir Ashley Fox said: The British people rightly expect their public officials to face scrutiny. Lord Hermer, as an unelected Attorney General, should be prepared to answer basic questions about conflicts of interest arising from his private practice as a barrister. If he declines to provide clarity about previous cases where he has acted against the British Government, the public may conclude that he has something to hide. Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle (pictured) blocked a debate on into conflict of interest concerns around Lord Hermer Lord McFall (pictured), the Lord Speaker, also dismissed the demand for an urgent hearing The Government is repealing legislation that currently bars Adams from suing ministers over his unlawful detention in prison in the 1970s. When he was a practising barrister, Lord Hermer represented Adams in a separate case involving compensation claims by the victims of IRA bomb attacks. He has refused to answer questions about whether he recused himself over the law change which is set to benefit his former client, citing the Law Officers Convention - a rule that Attorney Generals cannot reveal what legal advice they have given the Government. Over the weekend it also emerged that Lord Hermer previously represented a group of asylum seekers who were given a one-off deal to come to Britain from the Chagos Islands just months after his appointment. He has also acted for human rights group Liberty in 2020 in the case of jihadi bride Shamima Begum, arguing she should be allowed to return to Britain. In 2023 he represented the families of Afghan civilians at the Independent Inquiry on Afghanistan, which is scrutinising the actions of British Special Forces. Sir Robert Buckland, a former Lord Chancellor, said: The best way for the Attorney General to deal with this would be to make a statement clarifying that of course he would not be involved in any issue where a conflict arose. Former Tory Home Secretary and Attorney General, Suella Braverman KC (pictured), said: How can the public have confidence in the Attorney General when he refuses to answer legitimate questions about his past?' Sir Robert Buckland (pictured), a former Lord Chancellor, said: The best way for the Attorney General to deal with this would be to make a statement clarifying that of course he would not be involved in any issue where a conflict arose' Then the Attorney General could pre-empt the Urgent Question applications by making an Oral Statement. A simple explanation here would clarify things. A Lord Speaker spokesman said: All applications for Private Notice Questions (Lords urgent questions) have to meet criteria set by the House before they can be considered. Any Private Notice Question that is submitted is assessed for admissibility against the rules. A heroic window cleaner who risked his own life saving injured children during the Southport rampage has opened up about how the horror played out. Marcin Tyjon, 41, and his colleague Joel Verite, 26, became aware of the knife attack at The Hart Space when they saw terrified children running down the street and heard heartbreaking screams. A woman, who was lying bleeding on the pavement, reportedly told the men that someone - Axel Rudakubana, 18 - was inside the dance studio killing children. Joel ran inside and brought out one girl after another, while Marcin helped the injured children outside as neighbours rushed to the scene with towels to stop the bleeding. 'Someone took care of one girl, and I took care of the first one, then Joel brought out another girl and another one,' Marcin, a window cleaner originally from Poland, told The Sun. 'I didn't even know that the attacker was inside. We were in such a state of shock, in such a frenzy to save these children, that we didn't even have time to speak to each other.' Marcin even gave CPR to one young victim that had attended the Taylor Swift-themed dance class as ambulances started flooding the street to take those injured in the attack to hospital. One of the children carried out of the building by Marcin's colleague Joel was Bebe King, six, who tragically died of her injuries. Marcin Tyjon (pictured), 41, and his colleague Joel Verite, 26, were alerted to the horrifying attack at The Hart Space in Hart Street, Southport, when they saw terrified children running down the street and heard heartbreaking screams One of the children carried out of the building by Marcin's colleague Joel was Bebe King (pictured), six, who tragically died of her injuries Alice da Silva Aguiar (pictured), nine, died in hospital of her injuries a day after the rampage Elsie Dot Stancombe (pictured), seven, was found dead in the studio after suffering severe injuries A woman, who was lying bleeding on the pavement, reportedly told the men that someone - Axel Rudakubana, 18 - was inside the dance studio killing children Marcin said that he didn't know what condition the children he helped were in, 'because they were all seriously injured'. He told ambulance staff that he 'had someone in very, very bad condition' as panicked parents descended on the scene to pick up their daughters at the end of their class around midday. Despite his heroic efforts trying to help the injured victims, Marcin said he couldn't forgive himself and questioned whether he 'could have done something more'. Knifeman Rudakubana, dressed in a green hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and surgical mask on, had armed himself with a kitchen knife with a 20cm blade before he took a cab to Hart Street, arriving just before 11.45am. Minutes before he left home to travel to the dance class, it is understood the 18-year-old searched social media site X for the Mar Mari Emmanuel stabbing, which led to a video of the stabbing of the Bishop Emmanuel and five others during a sermon at church in Sydney in April 2024. He travelled in silence and when he arrived left the vehicle without paying, prompting the driver to follow him demanding payment, which he ignored. A worker at a body shop saw what was going on, telling Rudakubana to pay the taxi driver, but he replied: 'What are you going to do about it?' Inside the play event, because of the summer heat, instructor Leanne Lucas opened a window, and as she did so, saw Rudakubana outside, but thought nothing of it. Marcin's colleague Joel (pictured) ran inside the dance studio and carried out injured children Knifeman Rudakubana, dressed in a green hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and surgical mask on, had armed himself with a kitchen knife with a 20cm blade before he took a cab to Hart Street, arriving just before 11.45am. Rudakubana is pictured above as he waited for the cab Police officers and forensic personnel stand behind a cordon on Hart Street in Southport, northwest England, on July 29, 2024 The 26 excited children, all girls and all aged between six and 11, had earlier been dropped off by loving parents at 10am for the start of the two-hour dance class, organised by Leanne and fellow instructor Heidi Liddle at The Hart Space. Children were gathered around tables in the studio making bracelets, a life-size model of Taylor Swift standing nearby for the youngsters to have their photos taken alongside. Then the door opened. Rudakubana entered, armed with the black-handled Cerbera kitchen knife. Seconds later children's screams rang out. Without saying a word, he had grabbed the child nearest to him and began stabbing the youngster. He then moved through the room, systematically stabbing as many children as he could before they could escape him. A child is seen on CCTV trying to escape the building, before being pulled back in. She is later seen stumbling from the building and collapsing. As the horrified children ran from the studio, Rudakubana chased after them, stabbing them in their backs. He also knifed Leanne Lucas and businessman Jonathan Hayes, who was working in the office next door and bravely tried to stop the carnage. Witnesses described young girls running from the studio into the street, bleeding from multiple stab wounds. Outside, a mother was sitting in her car waiting to collect her daughter, when she heard the screaming and saw people running from the building. She managed to grab her daughter and get into her vehicle, along with three other children. Alice da Silva Aguiar appeared eager to get into the Taylor Swift dance class on Hart Street on Monday July 29 in a handout photo issued by her family Heartbreaking floral tributes and teddy bears were left at the scene of the attack Police are pictured above investigating the scene on Hart Street in Southport on July 29, 2024 One of them had a bleeding injury to the chest, Alice da Silva Aguiar. She collapsed inside of the vehicle from the injury and died in hospital the next day. She was aged nine. Police Sergeant Gillespie was the first officer on scene, arriving at 11.57am to find Rudakubana, holding the large, bloodied kitchen knife, which he dropped when ordered to do so. This was around the time when Joel followed police into the building and carried injured children outside. In the studio itself, Sgt Gillespie found the body of Elsie Dot Stancombe, lying on her back on the floor, covered in blood, suffering severe injuries. It was obvious she had died. She was aged seven. Soon afterwards Heidi Liddle and a little girl she protected were found hiding in a toilet. Crying with fear and relief, they were escorted from the building. At 11.59am the defendant was arrested, initially on suspicion of attempted murder and soon afterwards, at 12.02pm on suspicion of murder. Rudakubana had stabbed two adults and 11 children, Elsie Dot, Bebe and Alice all suffering fatal injuries. When police searched the home of Rudakubana in Banks, Lancashire, after he carried out the attack on July 29, they found knives and poison, as well as images and documents relating to violence, war and genocide on his devices. Firefighters from Merseyside joined members of the public in paying tribute to those killed and injured in the stabbings A court artist's sketch of Rudakubana appearing at Liverpool Crown Court on January 20, 2025 Sources said the material showed an 'obsession with extreme violence' but there was no evidence he subscribed to any political or religious ideology or was 'fighting for a cause'. Among the items found on two tablet computers belonging to Rudakubana were documents including A Concise History Of Nazi Germany and The Myth Of The Remote Controlled Car Bomb, the PA news agency understands Rudakubana, whose parents moved to the UK from Rwanda, also had documents called Rwanda's Hutu Extremist Insurgency An Eye Witness Perspective and Death And Survival During The 1994 Genocide In Rwanda. Other files included A Place Under Heaven Amerindian Torture and Cultural Violence; The Mau Mau War: British Counterinsurgency in Colonial Kenya; Clan Cleansing In Somalia, The Ruinous Legacy of 1991; and Examination Of Punishments Dealt To Slave Rebels In Two 18th Century British Plantation Societies. Also found was a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual. The discovery of the file led to Rudakubana being charged with possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism, which he admitted on Monday. Ursula Doyle, deputy chief crown prosecutor, said: 'It is clear that this was a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence.' Images relating to wars and conflicts including Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Korea, well as images of knives and machetes, were discovered on the tablets. Pictured above is a court sketch of Axel Rudakubana Ricin was discovered in a plastic container under Rudakubana's bed, and a bag which had contained castor seeds, used to make the poison, was found which had been purchased in 2022. Also found were a machete and a knife identical to the one used in the attack at The Hart Space dance studio in Southport. The internet browsing history on a laptop found in his home was deleted shortly before Rudakubana left the house, investigations are understood to have revealed. The Government announced an inquiry into the Southport case on Monday evening, saying the country needed answers on how the state failed to protect Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Ahead of what would have been his trial on Monday, Rudakubana unexpectedly admitted murdering the three girls and attempting to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. He further pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on the date of the attack, production of the toxin ricin on or before July 29, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism. A viral graffiti trend featuring a cartoon bird known as 'Pam' by Melburnians has reached new heights as a hotel becomes the latest landmark to be targeted. 'Pam the Bird', as the character is known by locals, was painted on the top of the Novotel Hotel on Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD on Sunday. A clip shared to social media this week showed Pam the Bird coloured in black underneath the sprawling Novotel logo. The words 'He He Meow' was written below the beak of the bird. The graffiti has divided Melburnians, with some welcoming the public artwork akin to that in the city's famed alleyways, while others regard it as vandalism. 'This is disgraceful,' one person wrote. 'Sick of seeing this c**p all over Melbourne!' another said. 'It's not art, why is everyone liking this? It's property damage for the sake of it,' a third added. A Novotel in Melbourne has become the latest victim of a new graffiti trend (pictured) Others struggled to understand why someone would go to such great lengths to paint the cartoon on the side of the hotel. 'Imagine risking your life and or probably jail to graffiti a really s**t looking bird like creature on buildings', one wrote online. 'Seen this today, what the actual f**k,' a second said. 'This is just dumb,' a third agreed. But others praised the anonymous graffiti artist as 'the urban God of Melbourne'. 'Everyday I go to work and see Pam the bird on a street sign... it makes me happy,' one person wrote. A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia officers are investigating. The Accor Group declined to comment when contacted. Aussies were divided over the graffiti, with some praising the mystery artist and others expressing their outrage at the vandalism (pictured) Pam the Bird has gained notoriety across Melbourne, where the image has popped up on road signs and railway lines. The graffiti even appeared on heritage-listed buildings including the Flinders Street Station clock and the Uncle Toby's factory last year. The bird has also developed a strong following across social media with people tagging the bird whenever they spot the graffiti. The artist responsible for the creation of the bird, which has gained a cult like status, remains a mystery. President Donald Trump, on his first full day in office, said he was interested in the idea that the world's richest man Elon Musk could buy TikTok to stop it going dark in the United States. Trump is opposed to allowing a law to go into effect banning the popular video sharing app because it is owned by a Chinese company. On Tuesday, he was asked whether he was open to his close ally Musk purchasing the app. 'I would be if he wanted to buy it, yes,' Trump said at the end of an event launching an AI partnership between three companies, including Larry Ellison's Oracle. 'I'd like Larry to buy it, too,' he added. Trump has already signed an executive order in an effort to delay TikTok being shut down. And he offered more ideas on how a rescue deal might work, explaining that it was a billion-dollar business if it could continue operating in the U.S., but worthless if not. 'So what I'm thinking about saying to somebody is buy it and give half to the United States of America, half, and we'll give you the permit,' he said. President Donald Trump took questions from reporters for 30 minutes at the end of his first full day in office. He set out his vision for a deal to keep TikTok working in the U.S. He said he was open to the idea that close ally Elon Musk could buy the app Congress passed a law last year banning the app unless its Chinese owners sold it 'And they'll have a great partner, the United States. And they'll have something that's actually more valuable because they have the ultimate partner.' Trump was among those calling for a ban during his first term amid fears that the app's Chinese owners had access to US data, which could be shared with the government in Beijing, or that they could manipulate its algorithm to spread misinformation. Congress passed a law last year banning the app unless it was sold. But in recent weeks Trump has changed tack, breaking with many of his Republican colleagues, describing how the popular app helped him win the election. His executive order delays enforcement of the ban for 75 days. A reporter asked him if he had the app on his phone. 'I think I'll get it right now,' he said with a smile, a joke that would send shivers through his national security advisers. 'By the way, again we won the young vote I think I won it through TikTok. So I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok. President Donald Trump has granted an unconditional pardon to the creator of the notorious dark web page Silk Road in honor of the 'Libertarian Movement,' while slamming the 'scum' who prosecuted him. Ross Ulbricht, 40, was arrested in 2013 because the dark website he founded facilitated the sale of illicit drugs using cryptocurrency. In early 2015 he was sentenced to two life terms in prison plus 40 years for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking, operating under the pseudonym 'Dread Pirate Roberts.' 'Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited peoples addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people,' Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said upon Ulbricht's sentencing. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to commute Ulbricht's sentence 'on day one' if he were re-elected, and garnered enormous support from the convicted criminal's loved ones and fans. And while Ulbricht's clemency was not one of the many tasks Trump completed on Monday, the President revealed on Tuesday evening that Ulbricht had been granted a 'full and unconditional pardon.' 'I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright (sic) to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,' Trump revealed on TruthSocial. 'The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. 'He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!' Ulbricht, 40, was arrested in 2013 because the dark website he founded facilitated the sale of illicit drugs using cryptocurrency While Ulbricht's clemency was not one of the many tasks Trump completed on Monday, he revealed on Tuesday evening that Ulbricht had been granted a 'full and unconditional pardon.' Prosecutors had described Silk Road as an unprecedented one-stop online shopping mall where the supply of drugs was virtually limitless. At his 2015 sentencing, the judge cited six deaths from drugs bought on Ulbricht's site and five people he tried to have killed. Ulbricht said at the time that he was a changed man. Earlier on Tuesday, Ulbricht's clemency lawyer said he maintained hope Trump would deliver on his promise to commute the sentence. 'We do expect President Trump to grant clemency. The president, when a candidate, said that he would release Ross on his first day in office,' he said. 'We have no doubt the president will follow through on his commitment to release Ross. Ross, his family, and all his supporters are forever grateful to President Trump for his willingness to show mercy to Ross.' Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) had earlier sent a letter to Trump noting that Ulbricht's sentence was 'vastly disproportionate to his crimes', adding 'the worst drug sellers on the site received significantly more lenient sentences.' Trump vowed at a rally with Libertarians in May that he would commute Ulbricht's sentence, sparking cheers from an otherwise distrusting crowd. Ulbricht shared an update on X the following day revealing he was aware of, and emboldened by, the commitment. 'Last night, Donald Trump pledged to commute my sentence on day 1, if reelected,' he wrote. 'Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment. It is thanks to your undying support that I may get a second chance.' In early 2015 he was sentenced to two life terms in prison plus 40 years for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking, operating under the pseudonym 'Dread Pirate Roberts.' Trump vowed at a rally with Libertarians in May that he would commute Ulbricht's sentence, sparking cheers from an otherwise distrusting crowd Ulbricht shared an update on X the following day revealing he was aware of, and embolded by, the commitment Members of the Libertarian Party stand in chairs while chanting and demanding the release of Ross Ulbricht Ulbricht had previously maintained that he did not intend for his website to morph into what it ultimately became. He never sold illicit substances himself, despite being convicted of drug trafficking. 'I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more equitable world,' Ulbricht said from prison in 2021. 'We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and now here I am. I'm in hell.' The family of Emma Caldwell have demanded that an inquiry into the police investigation of her death should be led by someone based outside Scotland. But capacity issues elsewhere in the UK mean no other force can take on the probe. Ms Caldwell was 27 when she was murdered in 2005. But it took almost two decades for her killer, serial rapist Iain Packer, to be brought to justice. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 36 years last February. The following month, the Scottish Government announced a public inquiry into the police handling of the murder investigation, and said consideration would be given for it to be led by a judge from another part of the UK. Ms Caldwell's mother, Margaret, and the rest of the family plus their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, yesterday expressed dismay that 'no progress' has been made on the appointment of a non-Scottish judge. They told First Minister John Swinney and Justice Secretary Angela Constance of their concerns at a meeting in Bute House, insisting they would prefer outside counsel. Emma Caldwell (pictured) was just 27 years of age when she was murdered in 2005 Ms Caldwell's mother, Margaret (pictured), and the rest of the family plus their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, yesterday expressed dismay that 'no progress' has been made on the appointment of a non-Scottish judge It took almost two decades for Emma's killer, serial rapist Iain Packer (pictured), to be brought to justice Miss Caldwell (pictured) came from a close-knit family and saw both parents twice a week and spoke to them daily It came ahead of Lord Pentland becoming Lord President, Scotland's most senior judge, next month. Mrs Caldwell said: 'I appeal directly to Lord Pentland not to stand in the way of my family receiving the justice we deserve, and we wish he will appoint a judge outwith Scotland to begin the inquiry.' She said she took some assurance from the meeting with Mr Swinney and Ms Constance, and while she does not want the process to 'drag on' over years, she will 'struggle' on for as long as is necessary. Mr Anwar added: 'This inquiry needs a fresh pair of eyes to properly look at it.' But last night, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said it was a challenge to find another UK force to take the case on. A spokesman added: 'COPFS has been made aware that capacity issues have meant no UK police force outside Scotland is presently able to take on the task. 'We appreciate the importance of this investigation and are working with justice partners to identify how it can be taken forward.' A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 12-year-old was stabbed to death near a primary school. The tragic youngster was attacked near Scribers Lane in Hall Green, Birmingham, at around 3.15pm yesterday. The boy was taken to hospital but sadly later passed away. West Midlands Police are asking witnesses to come forward with any information. His family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Detective Inspector Joe Davenport from the Major Crime Unit said: 'We're urgently reviewing CCTV and speaking to witnesses as we work to understand what happened and why, and who was responsible. 'If you were in the area at the time and saw what happened, or think you may have captured any part of what happened on dashcam or mobile phone, it's vital you get in touch with as soon as possible.' A 12-year-old boy was stabbed near a primary school West Midlands Police hold a crime scene on Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area Scotland's 2.3million drug 'shooting gallery' had 131 visits in its first week of operation. The facility known as The Thistle allows users to inject their own drugs on site. After opening on January 13, it received 131 attendances in its first seven days. Users bringing in their own illegal drugs were given access to injecting booths before relaxing in a lounge area which has a flat-screen television and a selection of books. Allan Casey, Glasgow City Council convener for addiction services, said: 'It's been an intense first week for the team as all eyes are on Glasgow. I am delighted to hear people are making use of all the facilities available at The Thistle. 'We know this is not a silver bullet but having a facility that is safe, hygienic and medically supervised will go a long way towards reducing drug-related overdoses, injection-related wounds and infections, and the negative impact that injecting outdoors has on local communities.' He added: 'It's a promising start and I know the team and everyone involved are eager to engage and welcome more people in the weeks and months to come.' As well as being able to use the safer injecting facilities, users were provided with 'wound care, clean injecting equipment and naloxone as required', Glasgow City Council said. The centre, the first in the UK, is aimed at ensuring addicts have medical back-up on hand when they take Class A drugs, rather than risking overdose on the street Injection bay areas in the Using Space at The Thistle drugs consumption room They also used its shower, laundry and lounge area as well as receiving help with housing and drug treatment support. There were 'no medical emergencies resulting from drug use within the facility', the council added. The 'shooting gallery' will cost 2.3millon for its three-year pilot project and will be funded by the Scottish Government for the first year. Drug workers estimate there are up to 500 regularly injecting users in the local area and hope as many as possible will come to the clinic, where they will also be able to get Covid and flu jabs. Scottish Conservative drugs spokesman Annie Wells said: 'These numbers show the scale of the drug deaths crisis that has spiralled out of control on the SNP's watch. 'They can have no room for complacency that this will suddenly fix the emergency they are responsible for. 'Ministers have failed to alleviate serious concerns among the communities who will wonder what measures will be in place if user numbers continue to grow. The lounge area at The Thistle drugs consumption room at the NHS Enhanced Drug Treatment Facility The facility - known as the Thistle - will accommodate up to 30 service users at a time, 365 days a year from 09:00 until 21:00 The Glasgow project comes amid spiralling drug deaths in Scotland - the highest per head of population in Europe A member of staff demonstrates an AccuVein vein finding device at The Thistle drugs consumption room at the NHS Enhanced Drug Treatment Facility 'It is time the SNP accepted a variety of solutions to reduce drug deaths, starting by finally backing the Right to Recovery Bill.' The Thistle is the first centre of its kind in the UK. There are 31 staff and it is open daily from 9am to 9pm. This could be extended if it is deemed a success. It was set up amid soaring drug deaths in Scotland the highest in Europe but critics have warned it will not tackle the problem of addiction. There were 1,172 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2023, up 12 per cent on the previous year. The parents of a toddler knocked down and killed by a 91-year-old driver say they will never come to terms with losing their kind and gentle little boy. Little Xander Irvine was window-shopping with his mother near their home in Edinburgh when he was struck by Edith Duncans Kia Picanto after she lost control and mounted a kerb in June 2020. It was later revealed the pensioner was suffering from undiagnosed dementia and a Fatal Accident Inquiry concluded last year that the three-year-olds death could have been avoided if her licence had been revoked. Now as his parents Victoria and Paul have spoken out of their devastating loss as they face their fifth year without their happy wee boy. Mrs Irvine told STV News: We just love him so much, he was such a bright wee character, always full of fun. I dont know how we coped to be honest, neither of us wanted to be here without him. But she said: We always just stuck together for our boy. Mr Irvine recalled staring into space for weeks as he struggled to cope with what had happened. Xander Irvine was window-shopping with his mother near their home in Edinburgh when he was struck by Edith Duncans Kia Picanto after she lost control and mounted a kerb in June 2020 Xander Irvine's parents have said they will never come to terms with losing their kind and gentle little boy He said: The house was always full of joy, laughter, singing, we were always just having a carry-on and then just that one day it was all just ripped away from us. I just remember the silence. I sat at the window just staring out into space, for what must have been close to a couple of months. We were both in shock. It just completely turns your life upside down. I dont think well ever come to terms with it. He said Xander, who loved fire engines, trucks and the outdoors, had a fantastic imagination and was a kind, gentle little boy. I remember he picked up a wee snail once and I just watched how he interacted with it - so gentle and caring, he added. The toddler had been out with his mother in the capitals Morningside Road when he suffered catastrophic injuries after being hit by the car driven by Duncan. People lined the street for the funeral cortege of 3-year-old Xander Irvine in July 2020 He died at Edinburghs Royal Hospital for Sick Children a short time later. Duncan had been attempting a U-turn but accelerated and lost control before her car mounted the kerb, throwing Mrs Irvine and Xander into the front of a shop. She had renewed her driving licence - held since 1964 - just months earlier. The retired orthopaedic theatre nurse was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving without insurance but died in May 2021 before the case came to trial. In his written determination following the FAI Sheriff Principal Nigel Ross called for changes to the law on drivers over the age of 80, recommending they should face cognitive testing before they are allowed to carry on driving. Xanders parents have echoed this saying we have to see change in Xanders name.... we dont want to see anyone else go through anything like what weve been through. by Jeroen van Baar Since the murder of UnitedHealthcare (UHC) CEO Brian Thompson drew everyones attention to the insurance company, two reports on its dealings have made my blood boil. Background info: UHCs parent company, UnitedHealth, also owns a service provider branch called Optum and a pharmacy branch called OptumRx. The Wall Street Journal wrote in December that UnitedHealth had bonused Optum doctors to diagnose elderly patients with conditions that did not require treatment but did allow UHC to claim more money from the federal Medicare Advantage fund. Weeks later, the Federal Trade Commission alleged that OptumRx unnecessarily marked up the prices of some life-saving drugs by more than 1,000% to boost revenue, which was made possible by controlling companies throughout the drug supply chain. The profits, of course, were billed to by tax payers and consumers. Its particularly easy for me to get mad at all this becauseperhaps you guessed itI am a UHC customer. When I acquired U.S. health insurance last September, I was initially pleased. UnitedHealthcare sounded great: who wouldnt want to be united, healthy, and cared for? The name of my planChoice Plus 80sounded even better. And I trusted my employer, Columbia University, to select the right insurer for me. I rested easy, knowing I could not be blindsided by Kafkaesque communications and frivolous bills. That trust is now thoroughly shattered. When I need medical attention, my insurance company might try to draw extra profit. If I just need rest, I might get a costly referral. If I need medication, I might be overcharged. And everyone I deal with in these interactions might secretly be working for The Company. Instead of cared for, I feel exploited; rather than protected, I feel exposed. At the face of it, the American health insurance debacle is in line with other products recently losing their appeal. In online platforms such as Facebook and X, enshittification has made the user experience progressively worse as tech companies start to sacrifice quality for advertiser revenue and eventually shareholder value. Aerospace giant Boeing revealed its incompetency when a door plug fell off a plane mid-flight last year, causing passengers to rush to Airbus-only filters on booking sites. And even mundane items like clothes are of much poorer quality than even ten years ago. We tend to respond to all this with a shrug of resignation. Oh well, we say, its a shame we cant trust classic brands anymore, but well just shop around for an alternative. But insurance is a special case. With insurance, the trust is the product. Indeed, trust itself produces the outcome health insurance is meant to promote in the first place: health. One convincing piece of evidence comes from Oregon. In 2008, 30,000 poor Oregonians were randomly invited from a waitlist of over 90,000 to apply an expansion of the low-income health insurance program Medicaid. Harvard professor Katherine Baicker and her colleagues interviewed 6,387 people from the invited list and 5,842 from the waitlist two years later and compared their health outcomes. Getting health insurance nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditures (>30% of household income in a given year)just as intended. Surprisingly, although health insurance raised the chance that people participated in preventive health services, the effects on most health outcomes were negligible. But there was one major exception: depression. Getting insurance lowered the chance of experiencing significant depressive symptoms from 30% (on par with low-income screening rates in other countries) to about 21%. Could it be that health insurance itself provides enough peace of mind to alleviate depressive symptoms? Well, we cant say for sure. Depression treatment plays into it to, as acquiring insurance raised the likelihood of having depression diagnosed by a professional rose from 5% to 9% and antidepressant use trended upward from 17% to 22%. However, it turns out that other forms of insurance, which have nothing to do with health services, also reduce depressive symptoms. During the covid-19 pandemic, for instance, many states made it illegal to evict people from their homes for missing rent or mortgage payments. An analysis of the U.S. Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey showed that such eviction moratoria lowered the likelihood that people who had difficulty paying their bills also developed anxiety or depression symptoms. In other words, being protected form a worst-case scenario may itself improve mental health. The truly infuriating thing is that in a profit-driven health market, this peace of mind bonus is never within reach. Its a unique advantage of collective, not-for-profit solutions that can never be recovered in individualist alternatives. And that adds an interesting layer to political debate around health insurance. Economists may argue for keeping costs low, activists may emphasize fairness. The research above reveals a third way to argue your case. Some forms of insurance might keep us healthy simply by how theyre organizedthereby both saving money and boosting fairness. So next time you read a tale of a corrupt corporation, remember that the corruption itself steals something you cant buy back: trust. Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now. White House border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's mass deportation has begun as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can now arrest illegal immigrants in churches and schools. Fox News reported Tuesday morning that Trump's Department of Homeland Security rescinded a 2021 policy from President Joe Biden's DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that limited ICE enforcement in 'sensitive' areas. Those areas were outlined as churches, schools and hospitals, among others. The day No. 1 Trump order recommended that ICE officers simply use 'common sense.' Homan confirmed Tuesday afternoon that deportations are happening but didn't divulge details to CNN's Dana Bash. 'As I've said numerous times, we're concentrating on public safety threats. That will be our priority out of the gate,' Homan said. 'So ICE officers are back to doing their job.' Bash pushed Homan on where these enforcement actions were happening and asked if they were 'raids.' 'I wouldn't call them raids,' he answered. 'They're targeted enforcement operations. They know exactly who they're looking for, they know pretty much where they'll find them.' Sex offender Edward Marlon Rauda-Aldnada, 56, of El Salvador, was arrested outside Baltimore in Silver Spring, Maryland Trump's mass deportation has begun as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can now arrest illegal immigrants in churches and schools CNN's Dana Bash (left) interviewed President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan (right) on Tuesday, with Homan revealing that the mass deportation effort has commenced Fox News reported Tuesday morning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are told to use 'common sense' when arresting illegal immigrants but can now do so at schools, churches and hospitals Homan said the 'target of this operation' is illegal immigrants who have a criminal record. But the border czar then outlined how sanctuary cities won't even allow ICE officials to take illegal immigrants from jails, which will force officers into immigrant communities. 'When you release a public safety threat out of a sanctuary jail and they wont give us access to him, that means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him, and we will find him, but when we find him, he may be with others,' he predicted. 'There's nothing in the INA - Immigration and Nationality Act - says you've got to be convicted of a serious crime in order to be removed from this country,' Homan explained. 'So there could be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities because they forced us to go into the community and find the guy we're looking for,' he continued. Bash asked if spouses of American citizens could be swept up in this immigration enforcement push. Homan didn't answer that question directly. 'What I'm telling you is when we go find our priority target, which is a criminal alien, if he's with others in the United States illegally, we're going to take enforcement action against them,' the border czar said. 'And this is the difference between the last administration and this administration,' he said. 'ICE is going to enforce the immigration law.' American voters rewarded Trump with a second term in part due to his hardline approach on immigration, as in influx in migrants flooded over the southern border after President Joe Biden took office as the COVID-19 pandemic improved. Trump has said he wants to accomplish the single largest mass deportaion in American history. He tapped Homan, his acting ICE director for the first year and a half of the Trump administration, to lead the charge. Homan was one of the proponents of separating border crossers' children from the parents, a policy that received widespread criticism from the political left. Trump also tapped Stephen Miller, the author of the policy, to be one of his top White House advisers this time around. Australia's most expensive house has been snapped up by a consortium of investors and their rumoured plans for the property may sadden some Sydneysiders. The 1863-built grand estate known as 'Elaine', in Sydney's ritzy Point Piper, was bought by a handful of businesspeople including developer and CEO of Acce Investments Group, Patrick Shi, who currently lives in Bondi Junction. The 6,986sqm waterfront property was sold by billionaire Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar and his wife, investment banker Kim Jackson, for $130million in October. But there is now speculation the new buyers may plan to knock the sprawling property down to make way for another development project. 'Whether or not they keep the old heritage-listed mansion or not remains to be seen, but the two blocks on New South Head Road would have to be worth $40million each alone,' a source told realestate.com. It's been speculated that if the site was divided into four blocks it could be worth more than $200million to prospective buyers. A heritage-listed house can only be removed if it no longer has significant heritage value. However, the process is lengthy and requires approval from the council, the Heritage Council of NSW, and the Minister for NSW Department of Planning and Environment. The 1863-built grand estate known as 'Elaine', in Sydney's ritzy Point Piper, has been sold for $130million by Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar and his wife Kim Jackson Carving up the famous property to make money wouldn't be the most popular decision among Sydneysiders. The historic estate has been home to one of the world's longest-running media dynasties since Geoffrey Evan Fairfax bought it in 1891 for just over $4,000. Mr Farquhar bought 'Elaine' in 2017 from John Brehmer Fairfax for a national house price record of $71million. It's understood that before selling the sprawling waterfront home, Mr Fairfax had sold it at a discount to the Atlassian co-founder in the hope it would be kept as a family home rather than it be sold to developers. Mr Farquhar initially had a $37million plan to upgrade the Elaine estate however, plans were never lodged with the council after a neighbour complained. The sale adds to the 44-year-old's extensive wealth, after he was ranked the fifth-richest Australian on the AFR Rich List 2024 with an estimated worth of $22.88billion. Australia's biggest residential deal is a $140million apartment at the top of Lendlease's Residences One tower at Barangaroo. However, that property is a consolidation of two apartments, the penthouse and sub-penthouse and is yet to settle. Scott Farquhar, with wife Kim, the co-founder of software giant Atlassian, sold the 1863-built grand estate known as 'Elaine', in Sydney's ritzy Point Piper, for $130 million Mr Farquhar and Ms Jackson also bought the UIG Lodge in Point Piper for $130million in 2022. The house next-door to Elaine, Fairwater, had sold for a then-record of $100million in 2018 to Mr Farquhar's former colleague, Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the agents who sold Elaine, Brad Pillinger of Pillinger, and Ken Jacobs of Forbes Global Properties for comment. Labour will use the 'best data' to tackle the 'absence epidemic' and 'get kids back into school', Bridget Phillipson will say. The Education Secretary is expected to unveil how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) will be harnessed to raise standards in schools. The drive is part of the Government's wider project of transforming public sector infrastructure with computer innovation. In a speech today, she will announce a new 'new attendance data summary' tool which will be available to view and download by every council and academy trust in the country. For the first time, it will mean they can see a clear breakdown of attendance of every school they run, including by year group, how vulnerable or disadvantaged pupils perform relative to their peers, and how they compare to local and national averages. Labour will use the 'best data' to tackle the 'absence epidemic' and 'get kids back into school', Bridget Phillipson will say. Pictured: Bridget Phillipson leaves 10 Downing Street after attending the weekly Cabinet meeting in London on January 21 The Education Secretary is expected to unveil how technology and artificial intelligence ( AI ) will be harnessed to raise standards in schools (stock image) This key information will help them target interventions at the most in-need schools, the Department for Education (DfE) said. It comes after shocking statistics showed one in five children are classed as 'persistently absent', missing a day of school every other week. Mrs Phillipson will say: 'Edtech will support teachers and drive high and rising standards - for all our children and young people. 'But first we need to get kids back into school, because we face an absence epidemic. 'We are arming schools with the very best data. 'I'm pleased to announce that every secondary school, trust and local authority in the country can now view, download and share a new attendance data summary.' The DfE also hopes to use AI to develop new ways of teaching, reducing backroom work and freeing up teachers to concentrate on face-to-face learning. She will add: 'Let's not forget - teachers don't just transmit knowledge and skills. They are role models, they shape values, they build belonging. And that's why edtech is so exciting, so powerful. Mrs Phillipson will say: 'Edtech will support teachers and drive high and rising standards - for all our children and young people. 'But first we need to get kids back into school, because we face an absence epidemic' 'Because it will help deliver a new era of learning and revitalise that bond between teacher and pupil.' In her wide ranging speech, she will also reveal how top tech firms, including Google, Amazon Web Services, Adobe, and Microsoft, have helped develop a new minimum set of expectations that for AI tools to be considered safe for the classroom. The 'AI Product Safety Expectations in Education framework' sets out clear technical safeguards including filtering of harmful content. Companies producing classroom tools will be encouraged to meet the safeguards set out in it. And the DfE's technology plan will also include new mandatory training on assistive technology for SEND for all new teachers. The plan will be set out at the 40th annual Bett Show in London today, which showcases technology for use in schools. Six million Brits could have to retake their driving test, as campaigners call for a change to the law after a fatal crash. Retired doctor Dr Turner Waddell, 89, took a wrong turn on the A30 between Hook and Basingstoke in Hampshire in 2011, and ended up travelling south on the northbound carriageway. He drove for about a mile the wrong way at 60mph in the fast lane along the dual carriageway while other motorists flashed their lights and beeped their horns. He then smashed into 28-year-old Neil Colqhuhoun's Vauxhall Vectra, killing him as his car collided with another vehicle and burst into flames. The court heard that Mr Colquhoun's Vauxhall had just overtaken a BMW on the eastbound carriageway, along with another car in front of him and that vehicle had just got back into the slow lane when Waddell's Volvo came around a bend and the collision occurred. The day before the accident, Waddell had visited a doctor and failed an eye test. Now, Neil's mother Patricia has told an ITV Tonight documentary, Older Drivers: Danger at the Wheel?, that there must be tougher changes to licensing laws. Neil Colquhoun, 28, (above) was killed when Dr Waddell crashed into his Vauxhall Vectra after failing an eye test He drove for about a mile the wrong way at 60mph while other motorists flashed their lights and beeped their horns. Pictured: the scene of the crash in 2011 Current rules state that rather than taking a driving test, motorists over 70 and every three years afterwards only need to self-certify driving competency by filling in a questionnaire. Patricia said: The self-certification system should be done away with. it's ridiculous. You don't even have to have a doctor sign it.' Almost six million people aged 71-100 have UK driving licenses, with the oldest woman being 105 and the oldest man being 108. At the time of the incident Judge Keith Cutler suspended the sentence for two years and disqualified Waddell from driving for life. He said that Waddell's eyesight was very worrying and added that if there was a message to come out the tragedy it was that doctors and relatives 'look very, very carefully whether elderly people can drive'. Speaking outside court, Mr Colquhoun's mother Patricia said that the doctor should not have been behind the wheel. Mr Colqhuhoun's family, (from left) brother Ross, mother Patricia and father Les Colquhoun appeared outside court in 2012 Retired doctor Dr Turner Waddell, 89, (above in 2012) took a wrong turn on the A30 between Hook and Basingstoke in Hampshire in 2011, and ended up travelling south on the northbound carriageway She said: 'When a driver reaches 70 all that he or she has to do is complete a form to say that they are medically fit and a driving licence is issued for another three years. 'Though I acknowledge that there are many safe elderly drivers on our roads there are some who are not, and families are sometimes too afraid to confront their elderly relatives as to their failing abilities. 'Through this lack of foresight my son, who had a wealth of friends and family who loved him dearly, and who had just started a new job with such high hopes and plans for the future, has been so cruelly robbed.' Kamala Harris' return to her home in Los Angeles after being booted from the White House was not a particularly friendly one. The former vice president headed back to California Tuesday to thank Los Angeles firefighters for their efforts during the recent wildfires and for a homecoming after spending the past four years in Washington. However, her neighbors in the infamous, wealthy enclave of Brentwood - once home to OJ Simpson - were not particularly thrilled to have her home. 'I'm embarrassed that she lives here, and I'm embarrassed that she represented the United States,' Lewis, a real estate investor who lives near Harris, said Tuesday. With rumors Harris may run for governor in 2026, he expressed frustration with the Democrats already in power. 'Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom, they've destroyed my state. Kamala Harris will do exactly the same. I'd rather she find another state to destroy,' he said. Another was furious at how the vice president - alongside husband Doug Emhoff - made things difficult for those trying to get in and out of the area. 'I don't care that she's back, except that they block off the road whenever she comes to town,' another resident said. Kamala Harris ' return to her home in Los Angeles after being booted from the White House was not a particularly friendly one The former vice president headed back to California Tuesday to meet and greet and thank Los Angeles firefighters for their efforts during the recent wildfires and for a homecoming after spending the past four years in Washington Harris maintains a Secret Service protection for the next six months and four black SUVs were guarding her home on Tuesday. She returned to California on a jet flown to Los Angeles International Airport by an all-female crew. Harris - who promised Friday that she will not 'go quietly into the night' - and Emhoff then served firefighters meals at a World Central Kitchen stop in Altadena, where much of the damage has been done. 'We wanted to come out and just let people know that we see them and that they are cared for,' she said, according to the New York Post. Morlene Keller, an interior designer and neighbor of Harris, was much more pleased to see her but had hoped she wouldn't for political reasons. 'I wish she were back in Washington, but I'm happy to have her back,' she said. Peggy Garrity, a retired lawyer, shared those sentiments, while admitting that Brentwood is a very mixed neighborhood of liberals and conservatives. 'It's tragic that she's not in the White House, but it's a delight to have her as a neighbor,' Garrity said. However, her neighbors in the infamous, wealthy enclave of Brentwood - once home to OJ Simpson - were not particularly thrilled to have her home Harris - who promised Friday that she will not 'go quietly into the night' - and Emhoff then served firefighters meals at a World Central Kitchen stop in Altadena, where much of the damage has been done She added that, regardless of politics: 'Mostly, people find it annoying when they block off Sunset Boulevard.' 'She's a good neighbor, but maybe she should just go back to the private life,' another anonymous resident said. In recent days, Harris has reportedly complained to close allies that she's disappointed that Biden has claimed in interviews that he could have won the 2024 election if he hadn't dropped out of the race. Harris is said to have expressed a 'deep sadness' over her loss and those close to her believe Biden's dubious contention that he would have won shows the 'one-sided loyalty' of their relationship. This all paints a very gloomy picture of the outgoing VP, but she has seemingly been followed by a dark cloud for her entire political career. As far back as the 2010s, when Harris served as California's Attorney General, she was allegedly known for running a 'toxic' workplace. After she was elected in 2017 to represent California in the US Senate, working conditions reportedly did not improve. Analysis showed her office had the ninth-highest staff turnover rate out of the 114 senators who served between 2017 and 2020. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Altadena, California, to assess the aftermath of the LA fires Harris visits firefighters at an LA County fire station Others who worked for Harris before she was VP told the Washington Post in December 2021 that she often lodges 'soul-destroying criticism' and behaves like a 'bully.' According to insiders, Harris is not done with politics and well-connected strategists in DC fully expect her to emerge as a presidential candidate in 2028 or make a bid for governor of California in 2026. In addition, NBC News reported Monday that Harris may do what many ex-politicos do and publish a book of her time in Washington. But if Harris does return to the political fray, she may well run into the same roadblock that thwarted her presidential ambitions this time round. Ministers have been warned that a 'religion' of rewilding is putting the country at risk of catastrophic LA-style wildfires. The Government was told that normally heather would have been burned across the countryside to limit the amount of fuel for potential wildfires. But new limits have been imposed on how much can be burned in recent years, which experts worry could make wildfires in the UK worse. In an open letter to the Home Secretary, Andrew Gilruth, the chief executive of the Moorland Association, said that the fires will be too intense for the fire service to contain. Speaking to The Telegraph, he said ominously: 'Huge wildfires are inevitable when vegetation is allowed to grow unchecked. Sooner or later there will be a spark. Add low humidity and strong winds and the horrors of Los Angeles follow.' He warned Yvette Cooper she is likely to be held responsible as the minister who oversees fire management. 'Unless your government's restrictions on vegetation management are reversed, ministers will have to pray for the wind not to blow towards their constituencies and that no one gets killed in the fire's path.' Around 31 wildfires devastated California in the last few weeks, worsened by drought conditions, a build-up of vegetation and hurricane force winds. Heather is burned on the peatlands of the North Pennines Peatlands are the biggest natural carbon store in the UK, but also help to maintain water quality and protect against flood risk by soaking up and filtering rain Heather is burned on the peatlands of the North Pennines, in Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Northern England. It is burned to maintain the ecosystem for the sport of grouse shooting, but the practice is highly damaging to the peat A perfect storm of overgrown vegetation, dry conditions and uncharacteristic winds were responsible for whipping up the most devastating wildfire Los Angeles has ever seen with more than 20 square miles razed to the ground in less than 48 hours. Once the flames ignited, SoCal was battered by 'devil winds', formally known as Santa Ana winds - warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the region's interior toward the coast, unlike the usual winds which come in from the Pacific and blow cooler, more moist air inland. Huge swathes of iconic California real estate from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are ablaze - impacting millions caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage. Mr Gilruth said that unlike in LA, if a similar blaze tears through the UK it will be down to the 'growing fuel load of vegetation'. He added: 'We consider Natural England's current policy of adding fuel to the coming fires is absurd.' Licences can be issued for burning heather as a means of wildfire prevention, a conservation purpose or where land is inaccessible to cutting or mowing machinery, and the ban will not apply to steep or particularly rocky land. The sensitive peatlands are the country's largest natural carbon source on land and cover around 12 per cent of the land in the UK. Anna Faris's home in Pacific Palisades was completely destroyed in a wildfire that swept through the area A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in in Pasadena, Calif The Sunset Fire breaks out in the Hollywood Hills, prompting swift responses from firefighters They lock in an estimated 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon - equivalent to all the forests in the UK, Germany and France put together - that is released into the atmosphere when burnt. The heather and vegetation also provides nesting and feeding grounds for many wading birds, and important habitats for rare insects and plants. A Natural England spokesman said: 'We understand the concerns of moorland managers on both the risks of wildfire, as well as the desires of many upland managers to rebuild peat health by rewetting moors and reducing the use of burning as a management tool. 'While licences for burning on peat are regulated and issued by Defra, we continue to work constructively with land managers on a site-by-site basis to establish long-term, sustainable solutions to moorland management to maximise their future resilience.' A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesman said: 'England's peatlands are of huge international importance, and it is vital that we protect these sites for future generations. That's why this Government is investing 400 million to protect and restore nature, including our peatlands. 'Healthy peatlands provide multiple environmental benefits; they store carbon, optimise biodiversity, are more resilient to wildfires and can help to alleviate flooding and improve water quality.' A woman has had her life savings stolen by scammers who managed to hack her account after she used public WiFi to make an online purchase. Victorian woman Barbara Turner, 54, was shocked after discovering her money was gone when she logged into her ING Bank app last Wednesday. Ms Turner had spent months saving the money for her upcoming knee surgery. 'I was in shock to see that everything was gone - just like that,' she wrote in a GoFundMe. 'It's hard to put into words how I feel. You hear stories about scams, but when it happens to you or someone you care about, its a whole different reality. 'Right now, Im left with nothing.' Thousands of dollars were drained from her account and Ms Turner claimed ING could do little to help her. With her knee surgery quickly approaching at the end of the month, she turned to GoFundMe for help. Barbara Turner (pictured) lost thousands of dollars to an online scam just weeks before her upcoming knee surgery 'I have important appointments coming up and surgery soon that Ive been saving for, but now all the money I had for medical expenses, physical therapy, and even basic needs like gas and food has vanished,' she said. Ms Turner told the Herald Sun the scam transaction appeared under Ace Money Transfer, an international money transfer company. 'I just feel violated and scared, it's a really scary feeling. I want everyone to be wary, be careful online and don't shop on public wifi, it's not safe,' she said. The nurse said she reached out to her bank for help but was only offered a $150 credit for phone security checks. 'It's hard enough with the cost of living the way it is. Everyone is struggling. Our money is supposed to be safe in the bank, and it is not,' she said. A daughter of Ms Turner's friend helped her create the GoFundMe page, which had raised $250 as of Wednesday afternoon. 'I have an appointment in Melbourne on January 30 at the Alfred Hospital, and since I live six hours away, I now dont even have the funds to cover travel expenses like petrol and parking,' she wrote. 'If anyone could donate even a little to help me get by, I would be incredibly grateful. I know times are tough for many people, so if you cant donate, please consider sharing this page.' More than $24million was lost by Victorians over the age of 45 to online scams in 2024, ScamWatch reported. Woke bishop Mariann Budde admitted that she used a National Prayer Service to berate President Trump with a political lecture during what she described as a 'one on one conversation.' Budde - who went viral after rebuking Trump at Tuesday's inaugural sermon - said she gave the controversial speech because of how Trump portrayed transgender children and illegal immigrants 'in the harshest of lights.' The left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington told CNN that she was 'talking directly' to Trump in her sermon. '(I was) reminding us all that the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups that I mentioned, are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign in the harshest of lights,' she said. 'I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. 'I was speaking to the president because I felt that he has this moment now where he feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do, and I wanted to say there is room for mercy. There is room for a broader compassion. 'We dont need to portray with a broad cloth in the harshest of terms some of the most vulnerable people in our society, who are in fact our neighbors and our friends.' Budde spoke out after Trump said in response to her sermon that she 'can do much better' after sitting through the lecture pleading for 'mercy' for illegal immigrants and transgender children. Mariann Budde, 65, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, said she gave a viral political lecture at Tuesday's National Prayer Service because of how Trump portrayed transgender children and illegal immigrants 'in the harshest of lights' Budde, 65, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, said that she was 'talking directly' to Trump in her sermon Trump sat stony-faced throughout the sermon, with conservatives slamming Budde for politicizing the religious event Asked by reporters at the White House for his verdict on the lecture from Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, earlier on Tuesday, Trump responded: 'What did you think? Do you like it? Did you find it exciting? 'Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service. Thank you very much.' He added at the end of his remarks: 'They can do much better.' It came after Budde, 65, sparked backlash at the National Prayer Service on Trump's first full day back in the presidency, as she unleashed a wild lecture claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to him being in the Oval Office. Trump sat stone-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the prelate told him illegal immigrants were 'not criminals', and he shouldn't deport those with children. After the sermon went viral, an image from Budde's church, the St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church, circulated across social media, showing the church - which also reportedly serves as a migrant shelter - attempts to ban ICE and Homeland Security from entering. As Budde's sermon drew outrage from conservatives who questioned her decision to politicize the religious service, Republican Congressman Mike Collins said on X: 'The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.' Donald Trump said Mariann Budde, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, 'could have been much better' in a scathing response to her sermon on Tuesday Budde, 65, sparked backlash at the National Prayer Service on Trump's first full day back in the presidency, as she unleashed a wild lecture claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to him being in the Oval Office After the sermon went viral, an image from Budde's church - which also reportedly serves as a migrant shelter - showed the property attempts to ban ICE and Homeland Security from entering In her remarks, Budde directed the message of her sermon directly to Trump as she begged him to grant 'mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now.' 'There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives,' she continued. Moving onto illegal immigrants, a central issue on Trump's victorious presidential platform, Budde urged him not to follow through with his mass deportation plans. 'The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation,' she said. 'The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.' Trump didn't react to the pointed message as he sat staring at Budde, although others in his group, including new Vice President JD Vance, wore a more telling expression on their faces. Despite the awkward silence in the cathedral, Bishop Budde continued her stunning pro-migrant scolding of the president. She added 'Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we were all strangers once in a strange land.' The sermon quickly drew backlash from conservatives who slammed Budde's politicized remarks, with Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno and Rep. Collins leading the criticisms of her speech. Trump sat stony-faced as Budde delivered her sermon, although others in his group, including new Vice President JD Vance, wore a more telling expression on their faces Moreno said on X: 'As a Catholic and legal immigrant, it's outrageous that some woke Bishop would lecture President Trump about deporting illegals. 'It's an insult to all of us who came to this country the right way. If you don't have borders, then you don't have a country.' Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was seen celebrating the inauguration with the Trump family on Monday night, branded Budde's lecture an 'embarrassment.' 'She was given a great honor today, a chance to unify America around a Christian message at the dawn of a new administration,' he said on X. 'Instead, she disgraced herself with a lecture you'd hear on CNN or an episode of The View.' The bishop, who proudly puts her pronouns in her Instagram biography, is also pro-gay marriage and previously donated to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama In 2020 she hit out at Trump who staged a visit to St John's Church near the White House after police dispersed protestors Following Budde's speech, scrutiny fell on her background as some questioned why she was granted the honor of delivering the sermon. She is known to champion leftist causes through her ministry, and on her diocesan website, she boasts of serving as 'an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation.' She also has a long history of criticizing President Trump during his first term. That included after after he stood next to an Episcopal church holding a Bible after clearing protesters out of Lafayette Square near the White House during the Black Lives Matter protests. At the time, she said that Trump's actions were 'antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that we as a church stand for.' She also condemned Trump while attending an outdoor Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. 'I've given up speaking to President Trump. We need to replace President Trump,' she said then. Benjamin Netanyahu is piling pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to restore all arms licences for Israel. The Israeli PM raised the issue of Britain having suspended around 30 licences in a phone call yesterday just hours after Donald Trump became US president. A readout from the Jewish States government press office stated that Sir Keir said that an evaluation of the issue is being carried out. Downing Street did not reference the matter, instead focussing on how the UK leader offered his personal thanks for the rescue of British hostage Emily Damari. The 28-year-old was last night seen with her iconic hand, which has had two fingers shot off, unbandaged for the first time. Her mother Mandy uploaded the image of Emily proudly striking the rockstar post with it on Twitter to thank supporters. A No10 spokesman said last night of the arms licences: Weve been consistent in saying that we keep these things under review. The renewed arms embargo row suggests Mr Netanyahu could be strongarming Britain into restarting the arms licences after his friend Mr Trump returned as President. The US leader is expected to be markedly more supportive of the Jewish State than his predecessor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is piling pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to restore all arms licences for Israel Sir Keir in the Downing Street Briefing Room. A No10 spokesman said last night of the arms licences: Weve been consistent in saying that we keep these things under review Emily Damari pictured with her mother Mandy in Israel after her release on Sunday He has already reversed sanctions imposed by Joe Biden against extremist West Bank settlers, putting him at odds with Sir Keir. Mr Trump also withdrew funding from UNRWA, the UN agency to support refugees in Gaza which Israel has called to be disbanded given numerous employees have been exposed as Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. In stark contrast, one of the Labour governments first moves on assuming power last year was to reinstate aid to the organisation. The Daily Mail then revealed that they had imposed a secret arms embargo days before Foreign Secretary David Lammy made it official. It provoked fury among Mr Netanyahus government. In an exclusive interview with the Mail, the Israeli PM attacked the misguided policy and said Sir Keir was sending a horrible message to Hamas. Now it appears he is emboldened by Trumps return and the ceasefire in Gaza to push for Britain to row back. No 10 could not say why the UK account of Sir Keirs call with Mr Netanyahu differed from Israels, when asked last night. Netanyahu with President Donald Trump in 2017. Trump has already reversed sanctions imposed by Joe Biden against extremist West Bank settlers, putting him at odds with Sir Keir According to the British account of the call, Sir Keir is said to have reiterated that it was vital to ensure humanitarian aid can now flow uninterrupted into Gaza, to support the Palestinians who desperately need it. The UK is also said to stand ready to do everything it can to support a political process, which should also lead to a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. It comes as IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi last night announced he will stand down on March 6 citing his responsibility for the IDFs failure on October 7. The military was blindsided by Hamass attack in 2023 that saw 1,200 killed and 250 hostages taken. Halevi was widely commended for stepping down over the failings. It was also rumoured last night that Israeli Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar will also step down once all the hostages are returned. But Mr Netanyahu has not signalled any willingness to step down over the massive failings that led to October 7. His controversial judicial reforms sparked mass public unrest in the lead up to the massacre. He was warned by intelligence and military chiefs that they were risking national security but pushed on anyway. A woman has been locked in a legal dispute with her body corporate for two years after they ruled she painted her roof the wrong colour. Maria Gourley's neighbours in The Gap, western Brisbane, have described her red roof as 'disturbing', 'jarring', and 'alien' since she painted it in March 2023. The 64-year-old owns one of the 64 townhouses on Paltarra Street, managed by Fernbrook Body Corporate under a community titles scheme. The body instructed Ms Gourley to change her 'disruptive roof colour' at her own expense as it was at odds with the by-laws. After she ignored two breach notices, the body corporate took the dispute to the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management for adjudication. It submitted a 105-page condemnation, seen by the ABC, and was supported by 13 neighbours who agreed it did not suit the neighbourhood. 'M. Gourley painted her roof tiles a discordant red in March 2023, being a colour that impacts the common property and other lots,' the committee wrote. 'Several neighbouring owners expressed disapproval of the painting of M.Gourley's roof in the colour red, as the visual impact was significant, with the colour contrasting markedly with the complex's colour scheme.' A woman has been locked in a legal dispute with her body corporate for two years after they ruled she painted her roof the wrong colour Ms Gourley (pictured) claimed she asked her body corporate for a specific colour before painting the roof, which it failed to supply The adjudicator last Thursday ruled in the body corporate's favour and ordered the 64-year-old to dull the colour of her roof to match the other beige-topped homes. 'Given the stark visual impact of the roof, I am satisfied an order requiring the respondent to repaint her roof in the approved colour at her own expense is warranted,' the adjudicator said. 'It is certainly unfortunate that the respondent will be put to the expense of painting her roof for a second time in two years.' However, Ms Gourley firmly believes the repainting should be paid for by the body corporate as she claimed she asked the overseer in January 2022 what colour roof tiles were allowed. The committee, allegedly, told Ms Gourley to meet with a contractor who could show her colour samples to match those of surrounding roofs. 'I tried to do the right thing, I asked for a colour, and I've been let down,' Ms Gourley told the outlet. 'All that was needed to avoid this War and Peace was a colour.' The body addressed Ms Gourley's dispute at its annual general meeting in October 2023 by voting to identify a mandatory roof colour in the future. Nevertheless, Ms Gourley intends to appeal the adjudicator's ruling. Fernbrook Body Corporate did not respond to ABC's request for comment. If a person fails to follow an adjudicator's order the matter can be taken before a magistrates court with a maximum penalty of $64,520. A Bangladeshi politician has called for ex-Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to be extradited to the country as she is investigated over corruption claims. The former anti-corruption minister stood down from her role last week after the Mail revealed she was facing a major corruption probe in Bangladesh. She resigned from Government on January 14 saying she did not want to be a 'distraction' after a sleaze probe condemned her 'regrettable' behaviour. Ms Siddiq is currently under investigation over her links to her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed as Bangladesh's prime minister in August amid allegations of corruption and brutality. She was alleged to have been involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in which billions are said to have been embezzled. Ms Siddiq has also been named in a second investigation into the illegal allocation of land to members of her family during her time as an MP. Following the claims, Bobby Hajjaj, the founder and chairman of the Nationalist Democratic Movement, called for her to be extradited to Bangladesh to 'face law enforcement'. Hajjaj told Guido Fawkes that Tulip allegedly holds dual citizenship for both the UK and Bangladesh and claimed he would urge the country's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to ask her to return. 'So from our end we will certainly push for the ACC and law enforcement here to ask for Tulip to come and face law enforcement, or face the courts here,' he added. Tulip Siddiq (pictured) resigned from the Government last week after the Mail revealed she was facing a major corruption probe in Bangladesh Ms Siddiq and Sir Keir, whose constituencies neighbour each other, at the election count in 2015 Following the revelations, Bobby Hajjaj (pictured), the founder and chairman of the Nationalist Democratic Movement, called for her to be extradited to Bangladesh to 'face law enforcement' Mr Hajjaj also claimed the Labour Government was 'heavily supported by confidants of the dictatorial regime'. 'Labour and the Awami League party have been almost like sister parties and knowing very well the human rights abuses,' he said. When asked whether the UK Government would urge Ms Siddiq to comply with an extradition order, the PMs spokesman told Guido Fawkes they 'wouldn't get into hypotheticals'. The handling of the crisis over Ms Siddiq's links to her aunt Sheikh Hasina's regime has raised questions about the PM's political judgment. The day before her departure, No 10 voiced 'full confidence' in her in spite of several weeks of damaging headlines. Ms Siddiq had referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister's ethics adviser, following mounting questions about her use of properties connected to her aunt. Ms Siddiq acknowledged that continuing as a Treasury minister would be a 'distraction from the work of the Government' Ms Siddiq (left) with her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, (centre) and Vladimir Putin (right) in 2013 She was replaced by pensions minister Emma Reynolds, who will take over her City brief. Questions were immediately raised about the appointment after it emerged that she allegedly lobbied the last government to water down restrictions on Chinese business activity. Ms Reynolds will be replaced by former Resolution Foundation chief and now Labour MP Torsten Bell. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused the PM of 'weak' leadership and questioned whether he had delayed the process due to his friendship with the minister. She said: 'It was clear at the weekend that the anti-corruption minister's position was completely untenable. Yet Keir Starmer dithered and delayed to protect his close friend. 'Even now, as Bangladesh files a criminal case against Tulip Siddiq, he expresses "sadness" at her inevitable resignation. 'Weak leadership from a weak Prime Minister.' The Institute for Government said the handling of the row showed Labour were not yet used to the scrutiny of Government. It added: 'Having been so quick to loudly criticise the last government for its perceived failings on ethics and integrity, Starmer and his team need to show that they truly understand the importance of meeting the standards that they promised to uphold once in office.' Liberal Democrat spokesman Sarah Olney said: 'It's right Tulip Siddiq resigned, you can't have an anti-corruption minister mired in a corruption scandal.' The body of freediver Robby Kinlan who died earlier this month in Thailand has arrived back home following a public appeal. Mr Kinlan, 21, from Quilty, in Co. Clare, died on the island of Koh Tao. His body was discovered in his bed with his phone in his hand and earphones in his ears, his family said. Mystery initially surrounded his sudden death but in an interview with the Irish Daily Mail last week, the family said initial post-mortem results found he had died of acute pulmonary cardiac failure. A fundraiser set up to bring Mr Kinlan's remains home raised 47,782. In a fundraiser update, it emerged he was repatriated to Ireland on Monday. 'Robby has arrived back home to Ireland today,' the update read. 'His family is deeply grateful for your support during this incredibly difficult time. 'As we approach the final moments of this journey, we would like to let you know that the fundraiser will officially close on Thursday, 23 January. 'Your generosity has been a great comfort to the family, and we are sincerely grateful for your support.' The body of freediver Robby Kinlan (pictured) who died earlier this month in Thailand has arrived back home following a public appeal Mr Kinlan, 21, from Quilty, in Co. Clare, died on the island of Koh Tao. His body was discovered in his bed with his phone in his hand and earphones in his ears, his family said Robby Kinlan's cremation is set to take place in Shannon on Thursday afternoon Robby (left) pictured with his mother, Tracy, and brother, Tommy His cremation takes place tomorrow. His death notice reads: 'Robby will be sadly missed by his loving family, his aunts and uncles Lorna, Brian and Stephen King, Seamus & Maralyn and Madeline Kinlan, nieces, cousins, extended family members and a large circle of friends. 'Funeral prayers in Star of the Sea Church, Quilty, on Wednesday 22nd January at 4.30 followed by reposing until seven o'clock. 'Cremation in Shannon Crematorium on Thursday 23rd January at 3 o'clock.' Robby's mother Tracy King told the Mail her son's 'personality was his greatest talent', he loved to work with people and his kindness and selflessness 'shone'. 'He was a freediver and a master diver,' she said. 'He went there on November 20 last year. He got two qualifications in the short time he was there. 'It [his death] was all very unexpected. He was in a really good place mentally. He was an absolute water baby since he started when he was 12 and spent lots of time over in Lahinch and went back to Inis Mor last summer. 'He just walked in one day and said, 'I am going to Thailand. I've already booked the ticket'. It's all he wanted to do.' Offshore wind farm firms have been told not to blow up old bombs found at sea in case they harm fish. The Government said the blasts used to clear unexploded ordnance from the First and Second World Wars can cause injury and disturbance to marine species as well as damaging the seabed. Instead developers have been ordered to use low-noise disposal methods which can involve a small amount of explosive charge being used to ignite the contents of an unexploded bomb without detonating it. The new statement issued by public bodies led by Defra yesterday said noisy detonations underwater can now only be used as a last resort in extraordinary circumstances. In addition, developers will have to prove they have made efforts to reduce noise throughout the installation of offshore wind turbines and a maximum noise limit will be set. Ministers insisted the measures would help Labours drive to decarbonise the energy grid by 2030, as well as minimising the harmful effects of loud explosions and pile driving on vulnerable marine species and commercially valuable fish stocks. Marine Minister Emma Hardy said: As we expand offshore wind to make Britain a clean energy superpower through our Plan for Change, we need to protect the vulnerable animals of our seas. These new measures support the construction of offshore wind that the UK needs, while making sensible changes to stop needless harm to underwater life. A wind farm off the coast of Lincolnshire. Offshore wind farm firms have been told not to blow up old bombs found at sea in case they harm fish Actress and animal welfare campaigner Dame Joanna Lumley (pictured) welcomed the move, saying: Our seas, and the creatures that call them home, are unbelievably precious' Marine Minister Emma Hardy (pictured) said: As we expand offshore wind to make Britain a clean energy superpower through our Plan for Change, we need to protect the vulnerable animals of our seas. Carp commonly found in the seas off the coast of the UK. The Government said the blasts used to clear unexploded ordnance from the First and Second World Wars can cause injury and disturbance to marine species as well as damaging the seabed Actress and animal welfare campaigner Dame Joanna Lumley welcomed the move, saying: Our seas, and the creatures that call them home, are unbelievably precious. This announcement should ensure that high-order detonation, and the damage it wreaks, is consigned to the history books. However it comes just a day after Chancellor Rachel Reeves urged the UKs regulators to tear down red tape in order to drive growth. Ministers have also blamed nature protection rules for hampering infrastructure and building projects. Sir Keir Starmer branded the 100million tunnel to protect bats from HS2 trains an absurd spectacle while Angela Rayner has said we cant have a situation where a newt is more protected than people who desperately need housing. Sir Keir Starmer yesterday admitted he did 'withhold' information about the terrorist links of Axel Rudakubana from the public but denied he was part of a cover-up. Speaking at an emergency press conference, he acknowledged he had been 'kept up to date with the facts' by police and prosecutors investigating the Southport murders. But he said that revealing 'crucial details', such as the killer's fascination with terrorism and massacres, could have prejudiced his trial and broken contempt of court laws. 'It was not my personal decision to withhold this information. That is the law of the land and it is in place to protect the integrity of the system to ensure the victims and their families get the justice they deserve,' he said. Ministers have been accused of trying to 'cover up' the facts of the case last summer in a bid to calm public fury about the murder of the girls. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the failure to be straight with the public created a vacuum in which dangerous misinformation took hold online which 'fuelled' last summer's riots. Mr Philp said there could have been 'more openness and transparency ... without prejudicing the trial'. Yesterday the Crime Reporters Association complained to the Director of Public Prosecutions about the Crown Prosecution Service seeking to 'gag' Merseyside Police and instructing officers to 'stay silent' about the case as riots broke out last summer. The CRA said the CPS had sought to prevent officers revealing details about Rudakubana's religion, which could have prevented false rumours turning into riots. The PM told a press conference in Downing Street that people were right to 'demand answers' over 'failings' in the case of Axel Rudakubana Yvette Cooper was grilled on why the government was not more transparent over the Axel Rudakubana case as she faced the Commons yesterday Merseyside Police issued this mugshot of Axel Rudakubana, 18, of Banks, Lancashire, after he pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to all 16 counts he was charged with Yvette Cooper insisted she was 'keen' to reveal terror links of the Southport killer today amid more claims of a 'cover-up'. The Home Secretary was grilled on why the government was not more transparent over the Axel Rudakubana case as she faced the Commons yesterday. Her Tory shadow Chris Philp warned that stonewalling on the basis there was an investigation going on would no longer 'cut it' in an era of social media. But Ms Cooper said there was no way ministers could ignore the advice they were receiving about contempt of court. 'We have been keen to publish the information on Prevent referrals from the start, but throughout the advice to us has been clear,' she said. 'If we had ignored the advice that we were given about the case that (was) put towards us and about the information that the police and the CPS were working through in order to get justice, and if as a result a killer had walked free, no-one would ever have forgiven the Government or anyone else.' Tory MP Nick Timothy, who had been the joint chief of staff to Theresa May when she was prime minister, accused the Prime Minister of double standards and accused him of 'a cynical masterclass in obfuscation'. He pointed to a previous tweet issued by Sir Keir following the Parsons Green explosive attack on a Tube train in 2017, when the then-shadow minister for exiting the European Union had posted 'thoughts with the victims and all those affected by the terrorist attack in Finsbury Park'. The clashes in the House came after Keir Starmer told a press conference in Downing Street that people were right to 'demand answers' over 'failings'. However, he flatly rejected allegations of a 'cover-up' of terrorist links in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity in July - which was followed by a wave of rioting across the country. He confirmed he knew about the details 'as they were emerging' - rather than in October when extra terror-related charges were brought - but could not risk the case collapsing and the 'vile' perpetrator walking away free. 'That is why the law of this country forbade me or anybody else from disclosing details sooner,' he said. 'I wouldn't be forgiven if I had.' Sir Keir said it was a 'devastating moment in our history' and must be a 'line in the sand' for Britain, warning that 'terrorism has changed' with the threat of 'acts of extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms'. He stressed that the probe should be 'unburdened by cultural sensitivities' and institutions will not be allowed to 'deflect' responsibility. 'I'm angry about it... Nothing will be off the table in this inquiry,' he said. Sir Keir said he was under 'no illusions' that the lack of 'trust' will continue until the state is 'honest' about problems and 'roots them out'. But he insisted he had been inspired by the response of the Southport community, who rebuilt despite the tragedy being compounded by violence on the streets. 'Responsibility for the disorder and violence lies with those who perpetrated it,' he said. The Tories and Reform said there were still 'serious questions' about the transparency of government information in the wake of the killings. Laying out details of the public inquiry in the Commons, Yvette Cooper said it was 'unbearable' that action might have prevented the attack. Challenged over the timing of information being released, Ms Cooper said: 'It is not for the government to ignore the rules or the advice that we are given when justice for the families is at stake.' Ms Cooper revealed that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was 'easily able to order a knife on Amazon', when he was still aged 17 and had been convicted over violence. She told MPs: 'That's a total disgrace and it must change. So, we will bring in stronger measures to tackle knife sales online in the Crime and Policing Bill this spring.' Gregor Poynton, Labour MP for Livingston, asked what social media and search engine companies could do to stop young people accessing violent content. The Home Secretary said: 'The thing about social media companies is they have incredibly sophisticated technology and resources. These are the social media companies that know how to target every single one of us on things that we might be interested in, online, and to use their algorithms in all kinds of sophisticated ways. 'They have the capability to do far more to identify this dangerous content and to take action on it. And I do believe that they should use those responsibilities rather than rowing back from content moderation, rather than reducing the responsible action they need to take.' Sir Keir said it was a 'devastating moment in our history' and must be a 'line in the sand' for Britain, with 'fundamental change' in the way citizens are protected Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (left) and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (right) were in No9 to watch the PM's statement yesterday PM warns UK faces threat of US-style school attacks by 'young men' radicalised by online violence Keir Starmer today warned that Britain faces the threat of US-style school attacks by 'young men' radicalised by online violence. The PM said the 'new' danger from 'loners and misfits' might require a change in the law. He told a Downing Street press conference that previously the 'predominant threat was highly organised groups with clear political intent groups like al Qaida'. 'That threat, of course, remains but now alongside that we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom accessing all manner of material online desperate for notoriety, sometimes inspired by traditional terrorist groups, but fixated on that extreme violence, seemingly for its own sake,' Sir Keir said. The PM continued: 'My concern in this case is we have clearly got an example of extreme violence, individualised violence, that we have to protect our children from and our citizens from. 'It is a new threat, it's not what we would have usually thought of as terrorism when definitions were drawn up, when guidelines were put in place, when the framework was put in place and we have to recognise that here today.' He said the law and framework for responding needed to be appropriate to the 'new threat' and whatever changes were necessary in the law would be made. Sir Keir continued: 'I do think it's new. You've seen versions of it in America with some of the mass shootings in schools. 'It is not an isolated, ghastly example. It is, in my view, an example of a different kind of threat and that is why I'm absolutely so determined that we will rise to that challenge and make sure that our law, our response, is capable, appropriate and can deal with that sort of threat. 'But that is my concern, that is my thinking that this is a new threat individualised extreme violence, obsessive, often following online viewing of material from all sorts of different sources. 'It is not a one-off. It is something that we all need to understand and have a shared undertaking to deal with within our society. 'That is not just the laws on terrorism, the framework on terrorism, it's also the laws on what we can access online. 'We still have rules in place in this country about what you can see at a cinema and yet online you can access no end of material. We have to ensure that we can rise to this new challenge and that is what I'm determined to do.' Advertisement Rudakubana pleaded guilty this week to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July. It has emerged he was referred three times to anti-extremism programme Prevent amid concerns over his fixation with violence. But despite this and contact with other state agencies, the authorities failed to stop the attack which claimed the lives of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. As well as the three murders, Rudakubana admitted 10 counts of attempted murder, possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit acts of terrorism. The charges relating to the possession of ricin and the al Qaida training manual were not made public for three months after the teenager's arrest. In the Commons, Mr Philp said: 'On October 29 Rudakubana was charged with possessing the ricin and the terror manual, that was then made public. So, if it can be made public in October, without risking prejudice of the murder trial, it follows that it could have been made public in August, without prejudicing that same trial. 'Background facts on other cases over the years have been made public after arrest and before trial without prejudice, and the shields relating to two of those cases are in this chamber. So why did the Prime Minister not make public some of this background information in August when he knew it, when later disclosure of that information in October demonstrated such disclosure could be made without prejudice?' Ms Cooper said: 'The British way of justice means that information is presented to the court by the police and CPS with restrictions on what can be said beforehand so the jury does not get partial or prejudicial information in advance, to make sure that the trial is fair and justice is done. 'Social media puts those long-established rules under strain, especially when partial or inaccurate information appears online, and the Law Commission is reviewing the contempt of court rules in that light. 'But, let me be clear, where the police, Government and journalists are given clear advice from the CPS about contempt of court or about not publishing information in advance of a trial, if we did not respect that and a killer walked free, we would never be forgiven.' Sir Keir said earlier: 'No words come anywhere close to expressing the brutality and horror in this case. 'Every parent in Britain will have had the same thought. It could have been anywhere, it could have been our children, but it was Southport. It was Bebe, six years old. Elsie, seven. Alice, nine. 'Back in August, I said there will be a time for questions, but that first, justice had to be done, and that, above all, we must not interfere with the work of the police, the prosecutors and the delivery of that justice. 'Well, yesterday, thankfully, a measure of justice was done, but it won't bring those girls back to their families, and it won't remove the trauma from the lives of those who were injured, their lives will never be the same. 'So before I turn to the questions that must now be answered for the families and the nation, I first want to recognise their unimaginable grief, because I know the whole country grieves for them. 'The tragedy of the Southport killings must be a line in the sand for Britain.' Laying out the new danger the country faces, Sir Keir said: 'In the past, the predominant threat was highly organised groups with clear political intent. Groups like Al-Qaeda. 'That threat of course remains. But now, alongside that we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom, accessing all manner of material online, desperate for notoriety. 'Sometimes inspired by traditional terrorist groups. But fixated on that extreme violence, seemingly for its own sake. 'Now, it may well be that people like this are harder to spot. But we can't shrug our shoulders and accept that.' Sir Keir said the threat was similar to some of the mass shootings in schools in the US. 'This is extreme violence, clearly intended to terrorise, and my concern is that because it is different to the sort of behaviour we've associated with terrorism - al Qaida, there are plenty of other examples, which tended to be more organised in groups with a clear political ideology and motive - because it is not that, it is a new and different threat, it doesn't fit as well as it should within our framework,' he said. 'That is what we've got to change. That is the urgent question that has to be addressed and it's one that has to be addressed before the conclusion of the inquiry and it's why we've already done the learning from the Prevent mistakes. 'I do think it's new. You've seen versions of it in America with some of the mass shootings in schools. It is not an isolated, ghastly example, it is, in my view, an example of a different kind of threat and that is why I'm absolutely so determined that we will rise to that challenge and make sure that our law, our response, is capable, appropriate and can deal with that sort of threat. 'But that is my concern, that is my thinking that this is a new threat - individualised extreme violence, obsessive, often following online viewing of material from all sorts of different sources. 'It is not a one-off. It is something that we all need to understand and have a shared undertaking to deal with within our society. 'That is not just the laws on terrorism, the framework on terrorism, it's also the laws on what we can access online. 'We still have rules in place in this country about what you can see at a cinema and yet online you can access no end of material. We have to ensure that we can rise to this new challenge and that is what I'm determined to do.' Directly addressing the cover-up claims, the PM said: 'Yes I knew the details as they were emerging . He said: 'Yes of course I was kept up to date with the facts as they emerged. But just like you as a journalist I had to obey the law of the land.' Asked if he viewed the killings as an act of terrorism - a label the police have not used - he insisted it was an act of 'extreme violence clearly intended to terrorise'. Announcing an inquiry, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the country needed 'independent answers' on Prevent and other agencies' contact with the 'extremely violent' Rudakubana and 'how he came to be so dangerous'. Following Rudakubana's guilty pleas, Sir Keir described the 18-year-old as 'vile and sick', and said there were 'grave questions to answer' on how the state 'failed' to protect the three girls. The PM added: 'Britain will rightly demand answers, and we will leave no stone unturned in that pursuit.' As well as the three murders, Rudakubana admitted 10 counts of attempted murder, possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit acts of terrorism. The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual. He is also understood to have possessed numerous other documents on violent subjects, including A Concise History Of Nazi Germany, The Myth Of The Remote Controlled Car Bomb and Amerindian Torture And Cultural Violence. Sources said the material discovered showed an 'obsession with extreme violence' but there was no evidence he ascribed to any political or religious ideology or was 'fighting for a cause'. A car burns after being overturned during a protest in Middlesbrough on August 4, 2024 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage insisted he was 'right all along' when he claimed in the summer that information had been withheld from the public. But Ms Cooper said the information about Rudakubana's background could not be made public earlier 'to avoid jeopardising the legal proceedings or prejudicing the possible jury trial, in line with the normal rules of the British justice system'. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said there were many questions that 'remain unanswered about what went wrong'. Welcoming the announcement of a public inquiry, he said: 'We also need to know who in Government knew what and when, as well as why the authorities may have withheld some information from the public.' Mr Philp told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'There is quite a lot you can put into the public domain without prejudicing the judicial proceedings. 'In previous incidents, we've seen more information being put out and Jonathan Hall drew attention to the risks of not putting out information, it undermines trust in justice, but it also creates a void. 'So, I think these are legitimate questions. I think it's important the inquiry looks at those questions as well as what happened before this appalling incident.' Asked whether he was confident in the Prevent counter-terrorism programme, he told Times Radio: 'The Prevent programme is a long-running programme. It deals with about 7,000 referrals per year. 'There was quite a comprehensive review of Prevent by William Shawcross that was published in February of last year So, one question I'll be asking the Government is whether they plan to implement the recommendations in the Shawcross report. Police officers at Rudakubana's home on Old School Close in Banks, Lancashire, last October At 11 years old, Rudakubana appeared dressed as Doctor Who in a television advert for BBC Children In Need, after being recruited through a casting agency, it is understood 'I think it's just important the inquiry looks at all of this, gets to the truth both about what happened beforehand, but critically also the Government's response afterwards, and what they knew when and whether they should have put more information into the public domain. 'It appears they withheld information about the perpetrator, potentially, on CPS advice. 'William Shawcross has raised questions over that, saying that if you leave a void, then speculation fills it, and William Shawcross is obviously an expert lawyer, and also says there's quite a lot you can say about these incidents afterwards. 'But clearly in this case, the Government, it appears, didn't share information which they had in their possession.' A former New Jersey teacher reportedly lied to her friends when they asked her about the father of her baby, whom she is accused of conceiving with a 13-year-old former student. Laura Caron, 34, threw herself a baby shower in the months before she gave birth in 2019, when she was still working as a fifth-grade teacher at Middle Township Elementary School Number 2, the New York Post reports. When a friend then asked about the baby's father, Caron simply said he was 'out of the picture.' 'She had a baby shower. She was happy about it,' Darlene Dowless recounted. 'But she didn't identify who the father was, at least not to me. She just said that he wouldn't be involved and was out of the picture.' The baby's paternity remained a mystery for years, until the victim's father pointed out the uncanny resemblance between Caron's child, himself and his son in a Facebook post last month, police said. That post sparked an investigation in which police determined Caron sexually assaulted a teenager, whom she first met when she taught him and his brother. Caron and the boys' family remained in touch for years afterward, and in 2016, the then 11-year-old boy, his brother and their sister moved in with the teacher to her Cape May home. Laura Caron, 34, is accused of conceiving a child with a then 13-year-old former student She had first met the victim when she taught him and his brother at Middle Township Elementary School Number 2 They lived there for four years, during which time, the boy was sexually abused, police say. His sister explained to officers that the siblings originally slept in a shared room on the second floor, but she soon began to notice that her brother would wind up in Caron's bed the time she woke up, according to a criminal complaint. She also reportedly told officers when her brother would shower, the teacher would enter the bathroom and lock the door. The victim's brother also told cops that he had once seen the suspect sexually assaulting him. When police eventually questioned the young boy, who is now between the ages of 19 and 20, he allegedly admitted to being the father of Caron's five-year-old child and requested that it be kept a secret in texts to his sister, 6ABC reports. He also reportedly claimed that he remained in contact with Caron until his father made the Facebook post. Caron is now charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors also said that the Middle Township School District was notified of the investigation and is currently cooperating with law enforcement. Caron is charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child She allegedly had the boy and his siblings move in with her in 2016 School officials have since placed Caron on paid administrative leave, Middle Township School District Superintendent Dr. David Salvo confirmed in an emailed statement to CBS. She was released from jail on Tuesday, after a judge ruled that she was not a flight risk. But neighbors say they were left shocked by the news of her arrest. 'I don't think that was on anyone's BINGO card for her,' an unidentified former colleague told the Post. 'We all just assumed she had a boyfriend - an adult boyfriend, not a kid.' Customers will be hit with a two per cent price increase Qantas customers will soon be spending more on flights after the airline quietly increased its fares for select long-haul destinations. The national airline announced the price hike in an email to agency partners on Tuesday. From January 28, customers will be hit with a two per cent increase on Qantas' Economy and Premium Economy tickets. The price increase will apply to fares from March 21 on routes flying from Australia and New Zeeland to the UK, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Flights departing from the UK and Europe to Australia and New Zealand will also be hit with the price hike. This means an economy flight from Sydney to London on March 14 would cost $1,547.34 for an economy seat and $4,118.76 for a premium economy seat - up from $1,517 and $4,038 respectively. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Qantas for comment. It comes after Qantas recorded a 28 per cent fall in post-tax profit to $1.25billion in the 2024 financial year. Qantas customers booking economy or premium economy seats are set to be hit with a two per cent price hike (stock image) The decline in profits was largely due to the moderation of fares, increased spending on customer initiatives and reduced freight revenue. The airline has focused on winning back its customers to boost its profits with passenger promotions and inflight services following a tumultuous year of headlines over safety rating, legal battles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's free perks. Airline Ratings' list of the world's safest airlines in January ranked Qantas in second place for the second year in a row. Air New Zealand took out the top spot, with older planes in the Qantas fleet being blamed as the reason the airline narrowly lost the top aviation safety ranking. 'This is a fair point as they do have an older fleet - quite old actually - and they did have some issues recently with some of their older aircraft,' Sydney University professor and aviation expert Rico Merkert told AAP. 'That said, if maintained well, older aircraft can also be incredibly safe.' In November, a Qantas airplane's engine 'exploded' shortly after takeoff at Sydney Airport forcing an emergency landing. It's understood Qantas flight QF520 had just taken off from Sydney to Brisbane shortly before 1pm when one of the engines failed and passengers heard a loud 'bang'. The plane was forced to circle Botany Bay before making an emergency landing with all 174 passengers disembarking safely. The price increase will apply to fares from March 21 on routes flying from Australia and New Zeeland to the UK, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and on routes from Europe and the UK to Australia and New Zealand In December, Qantas was also forced to pay $120million to 1,800 illegally fired ground and baggage handlers after a four year landmark industrial relations battle. The airline confirmed it had settled with the Transport Workers Union, with chief executive Vanessa Hudson extending her apologies to former staff impacted. The decision to sack 1,683 cleaners, ground crews and baggage handlers in 2020 was under the helm of the airline's former chief executive Alan Joyce. Their jobs were outsourced to companies Swissport, Menzies and Dnata at a lower cost. Qantas claimed the outsourcing was to save the airline $100million a year amid difficult market conditions due to Covid travel restrictions. Negotiations between the carrier and TWU have dragged for four years with the Federal Court in October determining the workers' termination was illegal. Qantas was also at the centre of a debacle involving Anthony Albanese after it was revealed the Prime Minister did not declare gifted business class upgrades. The claims Mr Albanese received 22 upgrades from economy when booking Qantas flight by personally requesting them from Mr Joyce are made in a new book The Chairman's Lounge by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston. Aston alleged Mr Albanese directly contacted Mr Joyce while in his various parliamentary jobs, which included Minister for Transport to ask for special upgrades that only the CEO could dole out for himself or his family. According to unnamed Qantas 'insiders' 11 of the 22 flights Mr Albanese received upgrades for were 'privately funded' and included overseas trips to Rome, London, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Mr Albanese reportedly secretly met with Labor MPs to assure them he did not badger Qantas bosses for upgrades and categorically denied he personally asked for upgrades in statements to the media. The only woman on death row in Oklahoma may be spared the ultimate punishment after prosecutors paraded her thong around in court and made a point about her sex life. The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 7 - 2 in favor of Brenda Andrew, now 61, on claims that she was sex-shamed at her trial for the 2001 murder of her husband, Rob Andrew - and ordered a lower court to reconsider her conviction, The Oklahoman reports. In an unsigned opinion, justices said the prosecution 'spent significant time' on evidence related to Andrew's 'sex life and about her failings as a mother and wife', much of which it later conceded was irrelevant. 'Among other things, the prosecution elicited testimony about Andrew's sexual partner's reaching back two decades; about the outfits she wore to dinner or during grocery runs; about the underwear she packed for vacation; and about how often she had sex in her car. 'In its closing argument, the prosecution again invoked these themes, including by displaying Andrew's "thong underwear" to the jury, by reminding the jury of Brenda Andrew's alleged affairs during college and by emphasizing that Andrew "had sex on [her husband] over and over and over" while "keeping a boyfriend on the side."' Andrew had always maintained her innocence despite being convicted in her husband Rob's murder - he was shot dead on November 20, 2001 - and claimed in a habeas corpus petition that the evidence presented at her trial was prejudicial and violated due process. Her attorneys argued to the Supreme Court that prosecutors 'fixated on obtaining a conviction and death sentence by denigrating her character as a woman. 'In order to do so, the State relied on sex-based stereotypes to dehumanize and portray Ms Andrew as immoral, remorseless, deviant, dangerous and thus more likely to have committed the crime and more more deserving of the ultimate punishment.' The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of Brenda Andrew, now 61 (right), who claimed she was sex-shamed at her trial for the 2001 murder of her husband Andrew was accused of fatally shooting her estranged husband, Rob Andrew, on November 20, 2001 As an example, they told justices a prosecutor called her a 'slut puppy' in closing arguments. Prosecutors also showed off her underwear, which she packed for a trip to Mexico with her boyfriend, James Pavatt, just days after her estranged husband was killed. 'The grieving widow packs this to run off with her boyfriend,' the prosecutor said, according to the New York Times. 'That's enough. Can't twist the facts, folks. Can't twist the evidence.' The spectacle reportedly 'drew gasps from the crowded courtroom.' But Attorney General Gentner Drummond argued that Andrew was giving the impression that she was convicted and sentenced to death because prosecutors 'convinced the jury she is a bad person. 'Nothing could be further from the truth,' he argued. He explained that Andrew had a 'visceral hatred' of her husband and evidence of her 'ability to get men... to do her bidding was relevant.' Instead, prosecutors tried to prove that Brenda and Pavatt coordinated the fatal shooting to get Rob's life insurance policy worth $800,000. Prosecutors claimed Andrew shot Rob with his own 16-gauge shotgun When he returned to the family home to pick up his son and daughter for Thanksgiving on November 20, 2001, Brenda told him a pilot light was on in the furnace. He was then shot twice, first by Pavatt, then by Andrew, with his own 16-gauge shotgun, prosecutors claimed. At that point, Pavatt also allegedly shot Brenda in the arm with a .22-caliber pistol to make it look like she was a victim as well. Brenda later called police claiming she and her husband had been shot by two masked men. Days later, Brenda and Pavatt, along with Brenda's two children, traveled to Mexico, as police investigated the shooting. They later uncovered evidence showing Pavatt hid in the attic f the home of Andrew's next door neighbors, and he later admitted to killing Rob to a friend - but denied that Brenda was involved. Still, Brenda was convicted of Rob's murder in 2004, with Pavatt convicted in the same crime a year earlier. She was accused of planning the murder with her boyfriend, James Pavatt Over the years, appeals court also upheld her conviction. In 2007, judges with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals acknowledged they were 'struggling' to find any relevance to some of the sexual evidence that was presented during the trial. Ultimately, however, it found that the evidence's introduction at trial 'was harmless due to the overwhelming evidence in this case.' In a dissenting opinion, Judge Arlene Johnson wrote that a resentencing was warranted because prosecutors admitted evidence 'that had no purpose other than to hammer home that Brenda Andrew is a bad wife, a bad mother, a bad woman. 'I find it impossible to say with confidence that the death penalty here was not imposed as a consequence of improper evidence and argument.' Then, in 2023, the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld her conviction and punishment in a 2 - 1 decision. The majority acknowledged they had concerns 'about some of the "sexual and sexualizing" evidence at trial, and the use to which it was put by the government. Judge Robert Bacharach also wrote that prosecutors focused the entire trial, from start to finish, on Andrew's sex life. 'This focus portrayed Ms Andrew as a scarlet woman, a modern Jezebel, sparking distrust of her loose morals.' 'The drumbeat of Ms Andrew's sex life continued in closing arguments, plucking away any realistic chance that the jury would seriously consider her version of events.' Lou Andrew, left, and her husband E.R. Andrew, right, parents of murder victim Rob Andrew, react with Sandy Steadman, center, after hearing the death penalty sentence delivered to their daughter in-law, Brenda Andrew Only Justices Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented from the majority of the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday. Thomas complained that the majority opinion 'inaccurately portrays the State's evidence, the prosecution's closing arguments and the reasoning of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.' He noted that Andrew described herself as a 'good mother' in her defense, according to CBS News. 'In presenting evidence to the contrary, the State was simply rebutting a point that Andrew had placed in issue, as it clearly is entitled to do.' 'Sex and marriage were unavoidable issues at Andrew's trial and the State introduced a variety of evidence about her sexual behavior.' Still, he noted 'not all of' the evidence was warranted, including 'the sort of outfits Andrew wore to dinner outings.' Andrew's attorney Jessica Sutton said she is now hopeful that the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals 'will stop this injustice. 'Wielding these gendered tropes to justify a conviction and punishment of death is intolerable and poses a threat to everyone who does not follow rigid gender norms.' Attorney Sandra Babcock also called the decision a 'historic victory for gender justice.' Drummond's press secretary, Leslie Berger, meanwhile, said: 'We are disappointed, but respect the court's decision.' Republican lawmakers in Idaho are considering going back to the firing squad after the execution of a convicted serial killer via lethal injection completely failed last year. State Representative Bruce Skaug introduced a bill Tuesday that would make Idaho the only US state that makes a firing squad its primary mode of carrying out the death penalty, the Idaho Statesman reported. Skaug previously sponsored a bill that became law in 2023 that allowed the firing squad a backup method, but only when lethal injection isn't possible due to a lack of execution drugs. In February 2024, 73-year-old Thomas Eugene Creech, a man convicted of five murders, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection, but medics failed to find a suitable vein after eight attempts. Creech is still alive and in the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. His lawyers are now appealing his case up to the federal court system, KTVB reported. The potential change in execution policy comes after the state prison system has been getting more consistent access to pentobarbital, a commonly used drug for lethal injections in over a dozen states. The last order put in to Idaho prisons was in October. 'I see this bill as being less problematic with appeals in the courts,' Skaug told a House committee Tuesday. 'Essentially, if you don't have the bullets, then you go to the pentobarbital.' Four other US states that allow capital punishment have the firing squad on the books, but none of them consider it the primary method. Pictured: Alabama's lethal injection chamber at the Holman Correctional Facility is pictured in October 2002. Lethal injection remains the primary way to execute death row inmates But a bill in Idaho could make the firing squad, which hasn't been used since 2010 in the US, the primary execution method (Pictured: A mock firing squad execution in South Korea) The electric chair is also considered to be a bygone method, though Tennessee executed a death row inmate this way in February 2020 Utah was the last state to use the firing squad. Ronnie Lee Gardner, 49, was strapped in a chair and shot to death in 2010. At that time, Utah law stipulated that death row inmates could choose between lethal injection and the firing squad. Since Gardner was sentenced for the 1985 murder of an attorney years before the firing squad was banned in 2004, he actually chose the firing squad. State Representative Bruce Skaug introduced a bill that would make the firing squad the main execution method Utah is also the only state that has executed a prisoner by firing squad since 1976, doing so three times between then and now, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. The electric chair is also considered to be a bygone method, though Tennessee executed a death row inmate this way in February 2020. 'The U.S. Supreme Court has never found a method of execution to be unconstitutional,' Robin Maher, the nonprofit's executive director, told the Idaho Statesman. 'As a threshold question, there's a floor of what is unconstitutional, and we should also be asking what the right thing is to do.' Deborah Denno, a law professor at Fordham University and a death penalty expert, added that there have been a growing number of botched lethal injections. On top of that a Department of Justice report this month came to the conclusion that there 'remains significant uncertainty about whether the use of pentobarbital as a single-drug lethal injection causes unnecessary pain and suffering.' For the time being, it has recommended halting 'the use of pentobarbital unless and until that uncertainty is resolved.' Thomas Creech, 73, is a serial killer Idaho failed to execute in February 2024 when medics couldn't find a suitable vein to inject pentobarbital into his system Ronnie Lee Gardner, 49, was the last man to be executed by a firing squad. He was a convicted murderer Some consider the firing squad to be the quickest, most painless way to put someone to death. 'I think this would be a move in a positive direction for the state of Idaho,' Denno told the Idaho Statesman, 'because it's the least inhumane method that we currently have in the United States.' Skaug said if his bill is passed, the firing squad wouldn't replace lethal injection as the primary execution method until July 2026. That's because the state prison system would need time to make upgrades at the maximum security prison south of Boise. The bill has advanced to a future public hearing despite objections raised by State Representative Chris Mathias, a Democrat. 'When this came to us I think two years ago, I just expressed concerns about the state being in the retributive killing business, and I still will bring that sentiment to the full hearing,' Mathias said. Skaug hit by saying: 'It is retribution, for the families that lost someone to murder and the person that died from murder.' He clarified his statement, adding that retribution is part of what judges consider when sentencing offenders. Skaug has said his bill is meant to carry out capital punishment with efficiency and 'dignity for all.' A man has been charged with murder after a woman's body was found in a grass fire. Police discovered the body after emergency services were called to a blaze near a cemetery at Quambatook, northwest Victoria, on Tuesday morning, just after 6.30am. Homicide Squad detectives arrested a 67-year-old man 'without incident' almost 200km away in the Welshmans Reef area on Tuesday morning. Victoria Police confirmed on Wednesday night that after questioning, the man had been charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to appear at Bendigo Magistrates Court on Thursday. A local, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia, the deceased woman was well known for being 'community focused' and 'generous'. The woman's body was discovered near the Cemetery Rd and Knight Rd intersection at Quambatook, northwest Victoria Other locals and community groups took to social media to express grief and also thank the police for their 'quick response'. 'The quick response of the Victoria Police yesterday morning and the swiftness and professionalism you all showed as you dealt with this tragic event was unparalleled,' a Facebook user commented. 'Thank you to the Victorian Police for your exceptional service. 'Your actions have brought a sense of hope and justice to a grieving community, and for that, we are immensely thankful.' Facebook user Brenton Little also posted he was thinking of 'Quamby'. 'As a Police Officer and getting to work yesterday to read what had happened, my heart broke,' he said. 'Not only for the victim, but for the town I have so much love for. 'Spending my younger years in Quamby, I know that its the amazing people and the support of the town that will help Quamby and wider community heal... thinking of you all. Quambatook is about 300km northwest of Melbourne 'Thank you to the Victorian Police for your exceptional service. 'Your actions have brought a sense of hope and justice to a grieving community, and for that, we are immensely thankful.' The Quambatook Lions Club and the Quambatook Community Development Association, towhich it's understood the deceased woman had ties, both announced they would be cancelling Sunday's Australia Day celebrations 'due to the tragic events'. According to a social media post, the two groups will 'assess in the coming weeks how to come together as a community to recognise residents who help make our town special'. Gannawarra Shire Council spokesperson said the council is 'saddened by the tragic event'. 'Any loss of life in small rural communities such as Quambatook has a wider impact on the area,' the spokesperson said. 'Our thoughts are with family members and friends of all affected by this incident. '(The) council and local health services including Northern District Community Health and Kerang District Health are collaborating to ensure we have a coordinated response for urgent trauma counselling for those that need it. '(The) council will also provide support and resources where we can to assist agencies during the investigation and afterwards.' Quambatook is about 70km south of Swan Hill and almost 300km northwest of Melbourne. Nine will cut its popular double-team presenting line-up in one of the country's fastest growing cities as the cash-strapped broadcaster scrambles to rein in costs. The network's 6pm nightly news bulletin on the Gold Coast will be reduced to a single newsreader under sweeping changes that will see almost a dozen jobs go. Although both incumbent anchors, Paul Taylor and Eva Milic, will survive the cull, the presenters will now split newsreading duties across the week. But the broadcaster's Darwin news operation faced more drastic cutbacks, with the Northern Territory's capital city bulletin scrapped entirely. Sources said the Darwin centre was devastated after their tightknit newsroom was decimated, with only one reporter, Bianca Wylie, and one cameraman being spared. It is understood two reporters, a senior cameraman, a video journalist and the bulletin's executive producer will all be moved elsewhere. The Darwin newsroom has long been one of the network's most prolific training grounds, producing the likes of A Current Affair host Allison Langdon and Nine News chief political editor Charles Croucher. Nine's Gold Coast news anchor Eva Milic will now only read the news for half the week Nine News Gold Coast anchor Paul Taylor will split the newsreading duties with Milic It's understood that, while 11 full-time roles will be impacted across two newsrooms, the majority will be redeployed, with only three employees forced to part ways with the company. Territorians will now receive the Queensland bulletin seven nights a week. 'Nine has today communicated some regional TV news changes to its team as part of its strategic transformation program,' a Nine spokesperson said. 'These difficult yet necessary decisions ensure Nine is able to withstand external challenges, while maintaining a commitment to both the Northern Territory and Gold Coast regions. '9News remains the only free-to-air and bespoke news bulletin on the Gold Coast, while in Darwin we will retain a reporter and camera operator on the ground to tell the Territory's stories to a national audience. 'Through redeployment opportunities and current vacancies, Nine has significantly reduced the number of people impacted by this decision and we are supporting those employees through this process.' Nine star Bianca Wylie is the sole Darwin-based reporter to survive the city's newsroom cull Channel Seven's veteran weatherman Paul Burt was made redundant in July The Gold Coast cutbacks come just months after Nine's main commercial rival Seven axed its Gold Coast news bulletin completely in a bitter blow to the bustling city's news offerings. The station has kept its bureau on the Gold Coast but the output will be included in a statewide news report at 6pm. Some staff have been offered positions in the Brisbane bureau, while non-editorial departments including sales are expected to continue unchanged. The shutdown of the local Gold Coast edition, which ran at 5.30pm ahead of the metro bulletin, in November followed a raft of well-publicised redundancies at the Seven Network including popular Queensland anchor Sharyn Ghidella and weatherman Paul Burt. The Seven Network vowed at the time that the move would not diminish its news coverage. 'Seven's Gold Coast news operation will be streamlined to run as a multi-faceted bureau, with its award-winning stories and hot button issues to be given more prominence in the nightly metropolitan news at 6pm,' a spokesperson said. 'Gold Coast viewers will receive the full hour of Seven's Afternoon News at 4pm, the full hour of The Chase Australia at 5pm, followed by 7NEWS live at 6pm.' Burt, who joined Seven in 2013, filed weather stories from the Gold Coast and gained a cult following, often appearing on the beach or in crosses during wild weather such as cyclones and torrential rain. He was also let go in the July round of cost cutting, along with the Gold Coast bureau's chief of staff, with one insider saying at the time that 'it would make it pretty hard to put the bulletin together'. A nightmare housemate has admitted to a spate of firebombing attacks and trying to run over her housemates in a campaign of revenge after she was evicted. Backpacker Tsai-Wei Hung, from Taiwan, pleaded guilty to the offences in court on Wednesday. Hung appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court by video link from custody and pleaded guilty to 11 charges including arson, property damage and reckless conduct endangering serious injury. 'Guilty,' the 32-year-old said when asked for her plea, the Herald Sun reported. Hung was evicted from her house in Clyde North, Melbourne, on March 10, 2024, and then pursued a months-long vengeful campaign against her former housemates. In video evidence shown in court, Hung was seen hitting bollards as she tried to run her housemates over, pouring petrol onto their cars before setting them on fire and throwing molotov cocktails at the home's door. Her crusade started a few hours after she told to leave the Viewbank Road rental house, when she came back and egged the garage. When her shocked ex-housemates ran out to see what was happening, Hung tried to run them over with her car. Backpacker Tsai-Wei Hung (pictured) admitted setting fire to her roommates' cars and trying to run them over CCTV footage shown in court showed two cars in flames and a dark hooded figure throwing an incendiary device at the front door A clip filmed on a phone showed a car driving fast down a narrow laneway before crashing through bollards and chasing the housemates over a lawn. After they ran back inside, Hung rammed the garage door, causing major damage to the door and the cars inside. Hung came back the next day, got into the garage through the damaged door and smashed the windscreens of the vehicles in there. Later that day, she went to a police station and told officers she had been abused by her housemates. Those allegations are still being investigated. Hung was charged and given bail, and the police obtained personal safety intervention orders banning her from approaching or contacting her former housemates. When she later didn't show up for a court date, an arrest warrant was issued for her. Then, at around 3am on June 10, she went back to her former home again and set fire to her housemates' cars and threw molotov cocktails at the door. At around 3am on June 10, Hung went back to her former home again and set fire to her housemates' cars and threw molotov cocktails at the door (one of the cars is pictured) The terrified occupants yelled 'she's back, she's back,' to each other after they were woken by explosions. CCTV footage shown in court showed two cars in flames and a dark hooded figure throwing an incendiary device at the front door. The next day, Hung demanded $30,000 to stop the attacks. On June 12 she went to a property in Berwick, where she tried to set the house on fire while shouting out 'just go die' and 'go to hell'. She was also charged over allegedly selling a rented car to an unsuspecting buyer for $8,900. Hung has been on remand since her arrest last June and will face a pre-sentence hearing in the County Court in the coming months. Elon Musk used his 'First Buddy' privileges to sit in with Donald Trump in the Oval Office as the president pardoned Ross Ulbricht Tuesday, while revealing a man known as 'Bitcoin Jesus' could be next. Ulbricht, 40, was arrested in 2013 because the dark website he founded facilitated the sale of illicit drugs using cryptocurrency. 'I was honored to be in the Oval Office tonight when @POTUS signed this,' the Tesla founder wrote on X in response to the pardon. In early 2015 Ulbricht was sentenced to two life terms in prison plus 40 years for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking, operating under the pseudonym 'Dread Pirate Roberts.' Trump granted an unconditional pardon to Ulbricht, the creator of the notorious dark web page Silk Road, in honor of the 'Libertarian Movement,' while slamming the 'scum' who prosecuted him. Though the president has been clear that his pal 'will never be president,' Musk - the chair of the Department of Government Efficiency - made clear that he was in the room with Trump when he put pen to paper on the pardon. Musk appears to be trying to use his influence on Trump while he's in the room, as Ian Miles Cheong replied to him asking for clemency for the so-called 'Bitcoin Jesus' Roger Ver. 'Its Roger Vers turn. End the lawfare,' Cheong wrote to Musk. Elon Musk used his 'First Buddy' privileges to sit in with Donald Trump as he pardoned Ross Ulbricht Tuesday, while revealing he's pushing Trump to free a man known as 'Bitcoin Jesus' next Ross Ulbricht, 40, was arrested in 2013 because the dark website he founded facilitated the sale of illicit drugs using cryptocurrency 'Thats up to the President, but I have asked whether this is possible,' Musk responded. Ver, who allegedly raked in millions of dollars selling his stash of Bitcoin, was arrested in Spain last April for fraud charges and ducking capital gains taxes. The Department of Justice's indictment claims California-born Ver didn't report the capital gains he made from selling tens of thousands of bitcoins in 2017, allegedly netting him $240 million and losing the US Treasury $48 million in tax money. Ver, 45, calls himself 'Bitcoin Jesus,' and his high-flying social media pages makes clear why he bestowed himself the self-righteous nickname. He bolted Silicon Valley for the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis, allegedly obtaining citizenship there on February 4, 2014. Shortly after, Ver supposedly renounced his citizenship in a process called expatriation. Expatriated individuals, even though they aren't citizens anymore, are required under U.S. law to file tax returns that report capital gains from the sale of 'world-wide assets', including sales of bitcoins, and to report the fair market value of any and all assets that are still in one's possession. The indictment says that Ver, if expatriated, was required to pay what's called an 'exit tax' on any capital gains. Ver and his companies allegedly owned 131,000 bitcoins - then worth $871 each - by February 4, 2014, the day he underwent expatriation, according to the indictment. Musk appears to be trying to use his influence on Trump while he's in the room, as Ian Miles Cheong replied to him asking for another pardon for the so-called 'Bitcoin Jesus' Roger Ver His companies purportedly owned 73,000 bitcoins, around 55 percent of his total holdings. Where Ver began to go wrong, according to the indictment, is when he hired a law firm and an appraiser to assist with the tax issues related to him renouncing his US citizenship. Ver allegedly 'provided false or misleading information to the law firm and appraiser that concealed the true number of bitcoins he and his companies owned.' The indictment claims that based on what Ver told them, the firm filed false tax returns undervaluing the two companies' bitcoin holdings, while also not reporting that Ver owned bitcoin personally. Three years later, the indictment accuses Ver of selling tens of thousands of his companies' bitcoin holdings on crypto exchanges, making him $240 million in cash. 'Even though Ver was not then a U.S. citizen, he was still legally required to report to the IRS and pay tax on certain distributions such as dividends from MemoryDealers and Agilestar, which were U.S. corporations,' the indictment read. After the alleged sale, the indictment accuses Ver of concealing it from his accountant, which led to his 2017 income tax return not reporting the massive bitcoin sale. Ver owes the IRS $48 million, according to the indictment. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures during a rally on the inauguration day of U.S. President Donald Trump's second Presidential term Ver, 45, calls himself 'Bitcoin Jesus,' and his high-flying social media pages makes clear why he bestowed himself the self-righteous nickname If convicted on all eight charges against him, Ver could face a maximum sentence of just under 80 years in federal prison. While Trump confirmed Musk will not have an office in the West Wing, much has been made about the Tesla CEO's influence on the president. Musk - who has been a steadfast supporter of Trump since July - has even joined high stakes meetings at Mar-a-Lago while reportedly 'renting' a $2,000-per-night cottage just outside the main residence. In December, Trump took a swipe at Musk after Democrats and Trump critics mockingly started to refer to his close ally as 'President Musk.' Speaking for more than hour at the conservative Turning Point USAs annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Trump vented that even if Musk wanted to be president, he couldn't. 'No, hes not going to be president, that I can tell you,' Trump told the crowd. 'And Im safe. You know why he cant be? He wasnt born in this country,' he continued. While he attempts to influence Trump on pardoning Ver, for now, Musk has overseen the pardon of Ulbricht with great pride. In December, Trump took a swipe at Musk after Democrats and Trump critics mockingly started to refer to his close ally as 'President Musk' In early 2015 he was sentenced to two life terms in prison plus 40 years for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking, operating under the pseudonym 'Dread Pirate Roberts.' 'Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited peoples addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people,' Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said upon Ulbricht's sentencing. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to commute Ulbricht's sentence 'on day one' if he were re-elected, and garnered enormous support from the convicted criminal's loved ones and fans. And while Ulbricht's clemency was not one of the many tasks Trump completed on Monday, the President revealed on Tuesday evening that Ulbricht had been granted a 'full and unconditional pardon.' 'I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright (sic) to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,' Trump revealed on TruthSocial. 'The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. 'He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!' Donald Trump issued a scathing rebuke to the woke bishop who berated him at the National Prayer Service, slamming her as 'not compelling or smart' and demanding an apology to the public. The President slammed Episcopal Bishop of Washington Mariann Budde in a 1am post to his Truth Social platform, hours after she admitted to CNN that she used the religious event to deliver a political lecture. 'The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater,' he railed. 'She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.' After Budde used her sermon to beg Trump for 'mercy' towards transgender children and illegal immigrants, Trump said her argument ignored reality. 'She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people,' he went on. 'Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. 'Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!' The post came as Budde's sermon sparked widespread backlash from conservatives, with Republican Congressman Mike Collins going as far as calling for the radical bishop to be 'added to the deportation list.' Donald Trump issued a scathing rebuke to the woke bishop who berated him at the National Prayer Service, slamming her as 'not compelling or smart' as he demanded an apology Trump sat stony-faced throughout the sermon delivered by Bishop Mariann Budde at Tuesday's National Prayer Service as she begged him to grant 'mercy' on transgender children and illegal immigrants Budde, 65, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, later admitted that she used the religious event to 'talk directly' to Trump in her sermon Budde's sermon went viral on Tuesday after she went on a wild lecture claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' now Trump is back in the White House. Trump sat stone-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the prelate told him illegal immigrants were 'not criminals', and he shouldn't deport those with children. Budde begged Trump to grant 'mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now', invoking the bible as she said 'God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger.' 'There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives,' she continued. Moving onto illegal immigrants, a central issue on Trump's victorious presidential platform, Budde urged him not to follow through with his mass deportation plans. 'The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation,' she said. 'The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.' Trump didn't react to the pointed message as he sat staring at Budde, although others in his group, including new Vice President JD Vance, wore a more telling expression on their faces. Speaking to reporters at the White House shortly after the service, Trump was more reserved than his Truth Social rebuke, but said briefly that he thought Budde 'could have been much better.' In an interview hours after the sermon, Budde, said she gave the viral political lecture because of how Trump portrayed transgender children and illegal immigrants 'in the harshest of lights' Donald Trump said in brief remarks at the White House that Budde 'could have been much better' in response to her sermon on Tuesday In an interview with CNN hours after her sermon went viral, Budde admitted she used the religious event to berate Trump with what she described as a 'one on one conversation.' She said she felt compelled to give the controversial speech because of how Trump portrayed transgender children and illegal immigrants 'in the harshest of lights.' '(I was) reminding us all that the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups that I mentioned, are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign in the harshest of lights,' she said. 'I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. 'I was speaking to the president because I felt that he has this moment now where he feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do, and I wanted to say there is room for mercy. There is room for a broader compassion. 'We dont need to portray with a broad cloth in the harshest of terms some of the most vulnerable people in our society, who are in fact our neighbors and our friends.' As Budde's sermon drew outrage from conservatives who questioned her decision to politicize the religious service, Republican Congressman Mike Collins said on X: 'The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.' Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno also waded in to condemn Budde, saying on X: 'As a Catholic and legal immigrant, it's outrageous that some woke Bishop would lecture President Trump about deporting illegals. 'It's an insult to all of us who came to this country the right way. If you don't have borders, then you don't have a country.' Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was seen celebrating the inauguration with the Trump family on Monday night, branded Budde's lecture an 'embarrassment.' 'She was given a great honor today, a chance to unify America around a Christian message at the dawn of a new administration,' he said on X. 'Instead, she disgraced herself with a lecture you'd hear on CNN or an episode of The View.' Following Budde's speech, scrutiny fell on her background as some questioned why she was granted the honor of delivering the sermon. An image from Budde's church, the St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church, circulated across social media, showing the church - which also reportedly serves as a migrant shelter - attempts to ban ICE and Homeland Security from entering. After the sermon went viral, an image from Budde's church - which also reportedly serves as a migrant shelter - showed the property attempts to ban ICE and Homeland Security from entering In 2020 Budde also hit out at Trump who staged a visit to St John's Church near the White House after police dispersed protestors She is known to champion leftist causes through her ministry, and on her diocesan website, she boasts of serving as 'an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation.' She also has a long history of criticizing President Trump during his first term. That included after after he stood next to an Episcopal church holding a Bible after clearing protesters out of Lafayette Square near the White House during the Black Lives Matter protests. At the time, she said that Trump's actions were 'antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that we as a church stand for.' She also condemned Trump while attending an outdoor Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. 'I've given up speaking to President Trump. We need to replace President Trump,' she said then. A wealth podcaster has issued a grovelling apology for calling Aussies 'idiots' in a public argument over housing affordability. But She's On The Money host Victoria Devine's apology video featured her covered in bling, including pearls, diamond rings and a Rolex watch, leading to questions about whether she truly understood the hurt she had caused. It all started when real estate company Whitefox advertised on billboards that it had been 'Making homes more expensive since 2017'. Marty Fox, the company's founder and a judge on The Block, defended the slogan as 'clever marketing,' despite a massive backlash over housing affordability concerns, with many slamming the billboards out-of-touch. Then Devine sent a private message to Fox, who is a friend of hers, saying 'The people talking s*** aren't your target demographic. They're idiots. I got it immediately. Brilliant!!' Fox asked her if he could post that publicly, Devine said yes and then all hell broke loose and she was slammed for not knowing what regular people are going through. In a video posted to social media, she said she had seen the comments 'about me being tone deaf and completely out of touch, and I can't disagree with you. 'At the end of the day, the comments I made were tone deaf and completely out of touch, and for that, I apologise. I am genuinely really sorry.' Victoria Devine's apology video featured her wearing glittering jewelry, including pearls, diamond rings and a Rolex watch (pictured) Continuing the apology while her jewellery glittered, Devine said she 'never made comments like this with the hope to make anybody feel less than or make anyone feel stupid or dumb'. 'There's no world in which I would want anyone to feel stupid ... I wanna be really clear, I was not saying that people who can't buy property are idiots. 'I was saying that people who didn't understand the billboard were idiots.' She acknowledged that that too 'is very rude still, that is very unacceptable'. Devine said some of the comments made about her were 'really upsetting, but they are also very confronting because some of them... you're not wrong. 'I am a little bit out of touch nowadays. I am a little bit unrelatable, but what I want you to know is that, I know you because I was you.' The podcaster said she too had one time 'been in mountains of debt, not knowing how I was going to pay it off ... where I just didn't think that property was ever going to be for me. 'And now I'm in the very fortunate position where I do own property and I am very grateful for that, but, I just want to make sure that the people that are in my community know that I would never think of you as stupid or less than or not worthy of these things.' Devine sent a private message to Fox, who is a friend of hers, saying 'The people talking s*** aren't your target demographic. They're idiots. I got it immediately. Brilliant!!' Marty Fox (pictured) defended the slogan as 'clever marketing,' despite a massive backlash over housing affordability concerns Devine said the experience had been 'a good lesson for me to be a lot more reflective of what I say online and in DMs'. 'I also want to acknowledge that the housing market and the financial landscape these days is a lot different to when I purchased property and when I was going through my journey. It's not comparable,' she said. 'I think that the world changes so fast, and that by me leaning on my experience, it doesn't mean it's super relatable for you. 'So I think this has also been a really good lesson in teaching me that I need to be a lot more responsive and aware of that in the content that I create moving forward. 'I'm trying to see the positives in this so that you guys benefit even more.' She added that she was 'grateful to have a community that are so wildly passionate that this angers you as well, because if I'm gonna lead this community, I need to be able to take this feedback on and learn from it and grow from it'. If Devine thought her apology would lead to immediate forgiveness, though, she was mistaken. 'Says while wearing pearls and diamonds... give me strength,' one commenter wrote. 'Wearing $50,000+ worth of jewellery during an apology for being an elitist is INSAAAANNE,' wrote another. A third asked: 'What happened to the scripted 'sincere' apology from the kitchen with no makeup, in casual clothing and calm condescending tones? 'Nope, $50k in jewellery in the podcast studio. 'Keeping in touch with the normies.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Devine for comment. The family of a five-year-old boy tragically killed when a parking meter fell on him have paid tribute to his 'cheeky, playful nature'. Sammy was critically injured when the disused parking meter at Bunbury Museum collapsed on him in southwestern Perth on the morning of January 15. He passed away last Friday in Perth Children's Hospital. His devastated parents said their boy brought joy to everybody's lives. 'Sammy impacted everyone he met. He was wise beyond his years and brought so much joy with his cheeky, playful nature,' they said in a statement. 'We are so grateful for the support that we have received from family, friends and the general public. 'We would also like to acknowledge the support from the staff at the museum, first responders and the care given to Sammy at the BRH and PCH, which was so loving and respectful.' After news broke of Sammy's death on Tuesday, WA Premier Roger Cook said the boy's passing was a 'dreadful and a very sad tragedy'. 'Cheeky and playful' five-year-old Sammy was killed after a disused parking meter fell on him at a museum The Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre remains closed amid investigations into the accident 'A museum exhibit or an artefact which was actually just standing by was pulled down on top of him because it was just simply leaning up against a wall,' he told reporters, according to the ABC. 'Any institution that has members of the public coming through their doors has a responsibility and obligation to ensure that it doesn't represent a risk to [the] public. 'Now I know this is a tragic accident, I know this is something which has obviously distressed and, of course, broken the hearts of many, but we do just need to continue to get to the bottom of it, see how the investigation rolls out and learn from that investigation.' The Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions was hosting a school holiday activity in the museum when the tragedy struck. The City of Bunbury, responsible for the management of the museum, reportedly informed staff they were liaising with insurers and would be seeking legal advice as necessary. The Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre re-opened on Tuesday. Outside the museum, locals and city officials were seen laying flowers for little Sammy during the week. This is the terrifying moment a woman kidnaps a newborn baby after duping her mother and grandparents into thinking she was a nurse. Sofia just 24 hours old was snatched from a maternity ward by the woman, who was wearing a full uniform and face mask, and helped by a male accomplice. Dramatic CCTV footage from a corridor at the hospital shows the woman who police say had simulated she was a pregnant take the infant to a pram before escaping. The drama happened late on Tuesday night at the Sacro Cuore hospital in the southern Italian city of Cosenza and sparked a major police operation. Dozens of officers flooded the building and fanned out into nearby streets, and an urgent appeal was launched for help via Tv and social media. Within three hours the kidnapper, identified as local woman Rosa Vespa, 53 and her accomplice Senegalese national Aqua Moses, 53, were caught and the baby safely recovered. Sofias mother, Valeria Chiappetta, broke down in tears as she thanked officers and said: We had died but now we are reborn, we had lost all hope. CCTV footage captured the extraordinary moment the woman, wearing a mask, snatched the baby from a maternity ward in Italy Rosa Vespa her and partner have been arrested in connection with the kidnap Aqua Moses, partner of Rosa Vespa Within three hours the kidnapper, identified as local woman Rosa Vespa, 53 and her accomplice Senegalese national Aqua Moses, 53, were caught and the baby safely recovered I want to thank everyone involved for bringing little Sofia back to us, people have been messaging from all over and I wish I could thank everyone personally but there are thousands. Its thanks to the police and the entire city who helped us find little Sofia, we cant thank everyone enough. Police said Vespa had told friends and neighbours for the last nine months she was pregnant and hatched a plan to snatch a baby with Moses. Dressed in a nurse uniform and wearing a mask she entered the maternity unit at the hospital, and told the mother and grandmother the baby had to be seen by a paediatrician. But after she failed to return, they raised the alarm, and police were called, and the couple and baby were found in a car. A police spokesperson told MailOnline: The baby was recovered safely and the two suspects arrested after a major operation by the forces of law and order. For several months the woman had told friends and neighbours she was pregnant and a few days ago posted on social media that she had given birth to a boy. She told people the baby was being kept in hospital for checks and so she devised a plan to kidnap a newborn infant. When the baby girl was recovered, she had in fact been changed from her Minnie Mouse baby grow into a baby boy outfit. Police pose with baby Sofia after her safe return Sofia just 24 hours old was snatched from a maternity ward by the woman Police said Vespa had told friends and neighbours for the last nine months she was pregnant and hatched a plan to snatch a baby with Moses Footage from the Sacro Cuore hospital in the southern Italian city of Cosenza showed the moment a brazen thief and her accomplice (pictured) took the baby off in a pram Officers later searched the womans house and said it had been decorated for a welcome home baby party with balloons, bunting and catering. Local prosecutor Bruno Tridico, who is now investigating the incident said:The case has been resolved, and everyone is happy. Large crowds had gathered outside the hospital after news of the snatch spread and when an ambulance carrying the bay arrived it was cheered and applauded. However, there was incredulity from some with one local calling into a new show and asking: How on earth in this day and age is it possible for something like this to happen. Officials at the hospital said an investigation would be launched but added: The CCTV worked perfectly and helped us locate those responsible quickly and reunite the child with her family. Detectives investigating the brutal murder of a city banker who was bludgeoned to death in her luxury riverside flat believe the prime suspect may have fled the country. Marianne Kilonzi, 43, was discovered by officers with a fatal head injury at her home in Woolwich, southeast London, on Friday afternoon. 'Blood-curdling screams' had been heard coming from the flat in Argyll Road, where house prices are 442,000 on average, by a neighbour earlier that day. Her suspected killer is believed to be known to her and one line of inquiry Scotland Yard murder detectives are pursuing is that he may have fled the country. A post-mortem examination on Saturday found Ms Kilonzi died from a blunt force trauma injury to the head. She has been formally identified. Neighbours are said to have raised concerns with investigating police officers after hearing a loud disturbance coming from her apartment. Residents of the exclusive Royal Arsenal Riverside development were questioned about the 'noisy disturbance' in the early hours of Monday morning at her first floor apartment. Ms Kilonzi's lifeless body was found on Friday afternoon after police officers entered her property following concerns for her safety. Marianne Kilonzi, 43, who worked as a banker, was found dead at her home in Woolwich, southeast London, on Friday afternoon Officers were called to the 43-year-old's home on Argyll Road in Woolwich, southeast London, following concerns for her well-being Neighbour Michael Buckingham, 82, told MailOnline: 'The police came around and asked me some questions. 'An officer asked me if I had heard anything coming from her flat between 3am and 4am on Monday morning. It appears that had been a noisy disturbance at that time. 'Sadly I couldn't help them because I didn't hear anything.' Police forensic officers scoured the flat, which had a view of an internal lagoon with fountains, throughout the weekend. A cleaner said: 'The police have been all through the flat. They have also searched the rubbish bins.' Mr Buckingham added that he believed detectives had already identified a suspect. The retired company director said: 'The police know who they're after. They're not looking for anyone else. It's just a case of finding him.' Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Soren said: 'This is a tragic crime and our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time are with Marianne's loved ones and colleagues. Ms Kilonzi has been revealed as working for Citi bank. Pictured: the offices of Citigroup Inc in Canary Wharf 'We are in contact with her family, who are being supported by specialist colleagues. 'I know this is a concerning time for the wider community and want to reassure the public that whilst we are in the early stages of this investigation, we believe the suspect was known to Marianne and there is no wider risk to the public. 'This is a fast-paced investigation and I would urge anyone with any information to come forward.' A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed to MailOnline one line of inquiry being explored as part of the investigation is that the suspect has fled the country. Ms Kilonzi had worked at Citi for more than 18 years, according to her LinkedIn profile, and previously ran a company fundraiser for Cancer Research. A spokesperson for Citi told MailOnline: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. Our thoughts are with Marianne's family and friends during this difficult time.' Ms Kilonzi's death comes just days after a fatal stabbing in the same area in which a 14-year-old boy was killed. Two teenagers aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in court last week charged with the murder of Kelyan Bokassa. Kelyan was attacked with two machetes and stabbed 27 times during the horror incident on a 472 bus on Woolwich Church Street on January 7. The two incidents are not thought to be linked. A blue-chip lawyer who expected a week of luxury and fine dining with his family in an idyllic French hotel has been awarded damages after discovering that even the croissants were inedible. Damen Bennion was looking forward to a 'gourmet' experience after spending 6,670 on a stay at the Club Med Opio in Provence with his high-flying accountant wife, Jane, and their two young sons. The hotel's website promises that 'fragrant lavender, the song of cicadas, and the taste of tapenade take you to the heart of Provence'. But the couple found themselves in a 'smelly' room on their first night before being served an 'awful' dinner, followed by stale croissants at breakfast the next morning. 'It's not hard to get pastries right in France, but they got them wrong,' Mrs Bennion, 49, told the Central London County Court. When the couple asked for a different room they were transferred to a dirty and dingy suite where mould dotted the walls. 'We told our children on the first night that daddy would get things sorted, but it wasn't sorted,' Mr Bennion told Judge Justin Althaus. 'At the end of the week, we as a family went home miserable.' Damen and Jane Bennion took Club Med to court after spending 6,670 on a luxury holiday in Provence only to find mouldy rooms and stale croissants The resort, just north of Cannes on the Cote D'Azur, promises that 'fragrant lavender, the song of cicadas, and the taste of tapenade take you to the heart of Provence' (pic: clubmed.co.uk) Mr Bennion, 52, runs his own law firm specialising in deals involving some of the world's most expensive collectible cars. His children were 'excited about all the activities on offer', when they arrived for their stay in July 2023, while he and his wife planned to 'sit around the pool and enjoy ourselves'. But as soon as they arrived they were surprised to be faced with a demand for a parking fee at the 'all-inclusive' resort. And after their disastrous dining experience they decided to take their boys elsewhere, only returning at night to sleep in their mouldy room. 'The reality was that the resort was so poor in terms of cleanliness that we took the decision that they would be happier with us each day away from the resort,' Mr Bennion said. 'That's not what we had planned to do, we wanted to be there for seven days and sit around the pool and enjoy ourselves.' Mr Bennion told the court that at the time he was 'dealing with the purchase of a car which became the most expensive car ever sold', but did not even have a desk he could work on in his 'luxury' room. 'It wasn't a happy place to be,' he explained. The four-star resort charges up to 2,600 a night for rooms, bit the couple found that their first one was 'smelly' and their second dotted with mould (pic: clubmed.co.uk) They said they were promised a 'gourmet' dining experience but claimed the food was 'awful' and they were served stale breakfast pastries the following morning (pic: clubmed.co.uk) Mr Bennon told the court they wanted to 'sit around the pool and enjoy ourselves', but decided to go eslewhere because' the resort was so poor in terms of cleanliness' (pic: clubmed.co.uk) The hotel has a 4.5 star rating on Tripadvisor and reviewers have not previously singled out its its croissants for criticism (pic: tripsadvisor.co.uk) 'The food in the restaurant was awful. To suggest that we could have enjoyed the croissants in the morning was nonsense - they were stale.' Club Med presented the court with photos of the couple's room looking attractive and presentable. But the photos had no date on them and Judge Althaus awarded the couple 3,945 in damages after seeing photos they took which showed the rooms were 'dirty and showed signs of considerable wear'. 'One can see the state of the premises, the rooms have mould in them,' he added. But he refused to compensate the couple for their dining experience insisting they could not have reached a fair judgement on the basis of two meals. 'I accept that the breakfast pastries were unimpressive for the south of France,' he noted. 'But that doesn't establish that the food overall was unacceptable. 'So far as the food was concerned, that was ultimately a matter for the claimants' own choice. 'They could have gone back for a second dinner, but they made a decision to eat all their food and their meals out - which I can understand. 'Our two boys were excited about all the activities on offer' Mr Bennion told the court Mr Bennion, who founded his own law firm specialising in classic cars, said he was 'dealing with the purchase of a car which became the most expensive car ever sold' at the time 'But that doesn't seem to me to establish that the standard of food at the resort overall was the same as they said they found it to be on the night they got there.' Charging the family for hotel parking was also 'inconsistent with the representation that they would enjoy an all-inclusive experience', he ruled, But he declined to compensate Mr Bennion for providing inadequate work facilities, saying that claim wasn't supported by the evidence. 'I am persuaded that there were misrepresentations as to the standard of the resort and that entitles the claimants to general damages,' he added. Rachel Reeves sounded defiance over a Cabinet revolt on Heathrow expansion today as she insisted growing the economy is her top priority. The Chancellor insisted major projects such as the third runway will no longer be blocked as she tried to drum up investment at the elite Davos gathering. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the government is proposing to strip environmental watchdogs of powers to prevent property and infrastructure developments going ahead. Although Ms Reeves has yet to confirm formally that permission to extend Heathrow airport will be granted, she is expected to do so in a speech next week. However, that could prompt a huge row in government, with Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband and London Mayor Sadiq Khan among prominent critics of the scheme. Eight of those who attend Cabinet - including Keir Starmer, Environment Secretary Steve Reed and Mr Miliband - have previously opposed Heathrow's expansion. Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted major projects such as the third runway will no longer be blocked as she tried to drum up investment at the elite Davos gathering An artist's impression of how the expanded Heathrow Airport site could look Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband and London Mayor Sadiq Khan are among prominent critics of the scheme Speaking at a Bloomberg event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ms Reeves said: 'This was the problem with the last government, that there was always somebody that said 'Oh yes, of course we want to grow the economy, but we don't like that investment, we don't like that wind farm, we don't like those pylons, we don't like that airport, we don't want that housing near us'. 'But the answer can't always be 'no' and that's been the problem in Britain for a long time, that when there was a choice between something that would grow the economy and anything else, anything else always won. 'Now, of course, there are other things that matter, but when we say that growth is the number one mission of this government, we mean it, and that means it trumps other things. 'And so we're making pro-growth decisions in the national interest.' EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis welcomed suggestions that the long-mooted project will move forward. He told reporters: 'We welcome the decisive action by the Government to grow the economy. 'We've always said that aviation, the industry, is an enabler of economic growth. 'When it comes to Heathrow, I've always thought Heathrow would fit our network of primary airports with great catchment areas. 'It would be a unique opportunity to operate from Heathrow at scale because obviously right now it's slot-constrained and give us an opportunity to provide lower fares for UK consumers that currently at Heathrow just have the option of flag carriers. 'It fits with our network, we're present at all the other major European airports like Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Geneva etc.' The latest attempt to unblock the planning system will see regulators' powers watered down. Instead of being able to demand developers address environmental harm before construction starts, they would be able to order contributions to a 'nature restoration' fund. The changes are due to be introduced in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill this year. The size of the payments will be laid out in a framework to be drawn up by Natural England. Environment Secretary Steve Reed told The Times: 'Nature and development have been unnecessarily pitted against each other for too long, blocking economic growth but [doing] nothing for nature's recovery. 'These reforms will unblock infrastructure projects while protecting the natural environment we all depend on.' The Chinese city of Wuhan became famous across the globe in 2020 as the epicentre of the deadly Covid-19 outbreak, which shut down much of the world and claimed millions of lives. Five years on, the city is thriving, with shopping districts bustling, food markets brimming with people and roads gridlocked, as though the horrors of the pandemic never happened. The megacity of 11 million people had a far higher mortality rate than the rest of China, with the first cases detected in December 2019. On January 23, 2020, Wuhan sealed itself off for 76 days in an effort to stop the mystery virus spreading, ushering in China's zero-Covid era of strict travel and health controls and foreshadowing the disruption which would grip the rest of the world. Now locals say that the city's association with the virus and increased prominence has actually had a positive impact, with more tourists visiting in the wake of the devastation. 'Now everyone pays more attention to Wuhan,' Chen Ziyi, a 40-year-old resident said. 'They say Wuhan is the city of heroes,' she added in apparent reference to the city's efforts to shut down. Visiting the city, reporters saw people walking dogs and promenading along the upmarket Chuhe Hanjie shopping street in designer outfits while others queued to pick up bubble tea orders, as they do in any bustling metropolis. Locals thronged the Shanhaiguan Road breakfast market, munching on bowls of noodles and deep-fried pastries, and many people happily walked around without masks. At the start of the year, huge crowds gathered on the city's previously empty streets, releasing heart-shaped balloons proudly emblazoned with the city's name as they celebrated New Year's Eve. People attend a New Year celebration in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province on January 1, 2025 Medical workers take swab samples from residents to be tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus, in a street in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on May 15, 2020 A young woman poses for pictures as she holds balloons on a busy street in Wuhan in December Customers purchase food at a stall in Wuhan, China, on Sunday, July 21, 2024 'People are moving forward, these memories are getting fuzzier and fuzzier,' Jack He, a 20-year-old university student and Wuhan local, told AFP. He was in high school when the lockdown was imposed, and spent much of his sophomore year taking online classes from home. 'We still feel like those few years were especially tough... but a new life has started,' he said. But, take a closer look and some signs remain of the city's darkest days remain. At the former site of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where scientists believe the virus may have crossed over from animals to humans, a light blue wall has been built to shield the market's closed-down stalls from view. Censorship, as across Communist-ruled China, remains tight, with journalists looking into the effects of the pandemic trailed through the city. A worker said the market's managers had sent security camera footage of AFP journalists out to a mass WeChat group of stall owners and warned them against speaking to the reporters. At least one black car followed AFP journalists across the city, including to the new market. When AFP visited, workers were putting up Chinese New Year decorations on the windows of the market's second floor, where a warren of opticians' shops still operates. Over a dozen vendors at the aptly named New Huanan Seafood Market refused to speak about the market's past. The owner of one stall told AFP on condition of anonymity that 'business here is not what it was before'. Shoppers walk past and enter a brightly decorated China Gold jewelry store in Wuhan in December Customers purchase goods at a Made-in-Russia Goods Hall in Wuhan, which opened last June Children select Spring Festival decorations at a supermarket in Wuhan City earlier this month There is nothing to mark the location's significance - in fact, there are no major memorials to the lives lost to the virus anywhere in the city. At the former site of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where scientists believe the virus may have crossed over from animals to humans, a light blue wall has been built to shield the market's closed-down stalls from view. Official commemorations of Wuhan's lockdown ordeal focus on the heroism of doctors and the efficiency with which the city responded to the outbreak, despite international criticism of the local government's censorship of early cases in December 2019. The market's old produce stalls have been moved to a new development outside the city centre, where it was clear that the city was still on edge about its reputation as the cradle of the pandemic. One of the few remaining public commemorations of the lockdown is next door to the abandoned Huoshenshan Hospital - an unassuming petrol station that doubles as an 'anti-Covid-19 pandemic educational base'. A food vendor pulls a cart on a street in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province on December 22, 2024, ahead of the fifth anniversary of China confirming its first death from Covid-19 The Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built in just days as cases spiked in early 2020, now stands empty (pictured during construction) One wall of the station was dedicated to a timeline of the lockdown, complete with discoloured photographs of President Xi Jinping visiting Wuhan in March 2020. An employee told AFP that a small building behind the facility's convenience store housed another exhibit, but it was only open 'when leaders come to visit'. The Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built in just days as cases spiked in early 2020, was once celebrated as a symbol of the Chinese city's fight against the virus. But the hospital now stands empty, hidden behind more recently built walls - faded like most traces of the pandemic as locals move on and officials discourage discussion of it. It is widely believed that the Covid pandemic began in Wuhan, though there is debate among epidemiologists as to whether it emanated from a wet market or the world-leading coronavirus research laboratory located in the city. The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), where many scientists believe Covid is may have originated, had been looking into viruses that were distant relatives of Covid around the time of the outbreak. The Prison Service is set to expand its team of officers responsible for breaking up inmate gangs and tackle the rising levels of violence and drugs reported in British jails. Prisons Minister James Timpson announced that the Service's serious organised crime unit would be 'beefed up, amidst deepening concerns that criminal gangs were taking control of prisons across England and Wales. It comes after Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor warned that the growing number of drones delivering drugs and weapons to inmates was causing a 'threat to national security'. Mr Timpson agreed with these claims and also expressed worries that gang bosses were infiltrating jails by paying people with no criminal record to become prison officers and act as 'sleeper' agents for their drug smuggling operations. He was also 'shocked' to discover that 'very vulnerable' new inmates would have the previous cell occupant's drug money debts imposed onto them by gangs. 'I personally recognise what a toxic culture it can bring on to the wings when serious organised criminals really start to take advantage of vulnerable people,' the Minister told the Guardian. The criminal world's tightening grip on British prisons led three former governors to warn The Times last week that our jails could become like Latin American ones, where the gangs are in control. In order to stop this infiltration, Mr Timpson said the Government was 'going to really focus' on growing the Prison Service's organised crime unit - which currently monitors organised crime gangs across 123 prisons in England and Wales. Prisons, Parole and Probation Minister James Timpson announced that the serious organised crime unit would be 'beefed up, amidst deepening concerns that criminal gangs were taking control of prisons across England and Wales (pictured: Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire) It comes after Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor warned that the growing numbers of drones delivering drugs and weapons into jails were causing a 'threat to national security' (file image) The criminal world's tightening grip on British prisons led three former governors to warn the Times last week that our jails could become like Latin American ones (Pictured: inmates at HMP Hindley 'partying' at the prison in 2018) In December 2023, His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) estimated that more than one in 10 (10.6%) were involved in organised crime. And this month, Mr Taylor said police and jail chiefs have 'ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to organised crime gangs'. He called for urgent action after inspections found high levels of drugs in HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire. In his report, Mr Taylor said it was 'chilling' that weapons could be delivered via drones to prison wings which held terrorists. He also found that drones were delivering mobile phones and takeaway meals to prisoners. Inspectors found basic security measures such as protective netting to stop drones and CCTV had been allowed to fall into disrepair. At Manchester, inmates were burning holes in 'secure' windows to continue receiving regular deliveries by drone. In some cases, contraband packages were rolled in grass cuttings and dropped into overgrown areas to be collected later, or disguised in bin bags and dropped into areas littered with rubbish, Mr Taylor said. Mr Timpson was 'shocked' to discover that 'very vulnerable' new inmates would have the previous cell occupant's drug money debts imposed onto them by gangs Prisoners are burning holes in windows at HMP Manchester to get drone deliveries A broken cell window at HMP Manchester Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said he has become 'increasingly concerned' about the amount of drugs that are finding their way into prisons Illustrative picture from security company Drone Defence who have developed a drone proof fence for prisons like Guernsey's Les Nicolles prison Drones are dropping drugs and weapons to dangerous prisoners being held in high-security jails When discussing Mr Taylor's remarks, Mr Timpson said: 'Yes. It has been a serious problem for some time. It is very connected with serious organised crime. 'That means it is very connected with drugs. That means it is very connected with debt. That means it is very connected with violence.' A freedom of information request found there has been a tenfold increase in the number of drone incidents at prisons in England and Wales since 2020, with 1,296 reported the 10 months to the end of October 2024. Last year, Mr Taylor told MailOnline that 'very sophisticated organised crime groups' were employing so-called clean skins to take roles inside jails - where drugs are three times more expensive than on the streets. Former prison guards also said that a crisis in recruitment and retention is being exploited by organised criminals as a chance to plant their own associates inside jails or corrupt existing officers. Mr Taylor said he has become 'increasingly concerned' about the amount of drugs that are finding their way into prisons. In a recent inspection of HMP Hindley, near Wigan, more than half of inmates tested positive for illicit substances. There were series of prosecutions in 2024 of prison staff for smuggling drugs into prisons, although no evidence has been presented to show they were recruited by gangs before taking their jobs. The year prior saw the prosecution of the UK's biggest prison drug-smuggling gang at HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire, which mental health nurse Amy Hatfield 'flooded' with more than 1million worth of narcotics after being recruited by her inmate lover Joseph Whittingham. Mental health nursing assistant Amy Hatfield 'flooded' HMP Lindholme in South Yorkshire with drugs after being recruited by her prisoner lover Joseph Whittingham Hatfield smuggled spice into HMP Lindholme hidden inside these bottles of lemon Ribena This clip - which emerged in 2023 - shows inmates appearing to smoke cannabis at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire The corrupt prison staffer caught on CCTV arriving at the jail with drugs worth around 1million In November 2023, prison officer Martin Mills admitted sneaking drugs inside boxes of cereal into HMP Hewell in Worcestershire - working as part of a conspiracy alongside at least eight other people. And in December, prison employability tutor Jason Taylor was jailed for 32 months after bringing sheets of paper infused with spice into HMP Berwyn in Wrexham - where no less than 18 female staff have had affairs with inmates. According to HMPPS, a record 165 prison staff were sacked for misconduct in the year to June 2024 - for reasons which ranged from selling inmates drugs and phones to engaging in inappropriate behaviour and sex acts. Whilst acknowledging there was a 'small minority' of prison officers who were involved in criminal gangs, Mr Timpson said '99.9%' of prison staff 'turn up to do a fantastic job every day'. He stressed that people do not join the service 'to do bad things', instead he believed those who became involved in illegal activities had been 'corrupted by very manipulative people'. An internal HMPPS counter-corruption unit has been employed to 'deter, detect and disrupt' prison staff who work with organised crime groups. Santander's boss has broken her silence over fears the banking giant could quit Britain over 'excessive red tap'. There were murmurings the Spanish banking giant was looking to leave after 20 years having grown frustrated by rules introduced after the 2008 financial crisis. But executive chair Ana Botin dismissed those fears as she spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos as she insisted: 'We love the UK.' Speaking on a panel about growth at the millionaires' summit, Mrs Botin suggested the rumours had been spread by investment bankers. The Financial Times reported last week that a former Santander executive said it had 'always been a possibility' Mrs Botin would sell up because of the banking rules that had led to lower returns. After the crisis, large banks were required to separate their retail banking from riskier investments and international activities, which the banking giant believes has resulted in lower returns than in other markets, such as Spain. Insiders say executives want to shift their focus on growth regions like the US after share prices fell by a third in just over 10 years. But Mrs Botin reaffirmed the bank's commitment to Britain's high streets in comments reported in The Express, saying it was 'a core market and will remain a core market for Santander'. Santander's executive chair Ana Botin (pictured in January 2019) has dismissed fears the banking giant is looking to quit Britain There were murmurings the Spanish banking giant was looking to leave after 20 years having grown frustrated by rules introduced after the 2008 financial crisis 'Punto [Spanish for full stop],' she said. 'The UK has a huge opportunity. Why? Because it can move faster. The UK does not have to agree with 27 countries now. 'You know the army of investment bankers that wants to get fees? So if they start, these kind of people start looking at M&A [mergers and acquisitions], they start looking around. It's definitely not coming from us.' Mrs Botin did, however, warned Europe was at risk of becoming a 'museum' because of the continent's failure to develop deep capital markets, reported The Times. However, she could not hide her frustration over the current regulation that she said was 'constraining growth' in the banking market. A Santander spokesperson echoed Ms Botin's words, telling the Express that it remains 'focused on providing excellent products and services to our 14 million customers in the UK'. 'The UK is a core market for Santander, and this had not changed.' There are some 14 million Santander customers who could be impacted if the alleged plans go ahead, in addition to around 20,000 employees across 444 branches in the UK. It also holds around 200bn in customer lending. It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the bosses of Britain's regulators to help revive the UK economy by 'tearing down the regulatory barriers that hold back growth'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the bosses of Britain's regulators to help revive the UK economy (Pictured in the House of Commons on January 14) Last year, Ms Reeves vowed to tear up red tape for the City of London after claiming regulation after the 2008 financial crash had 'gone too far'. Meanwhile, more than 100 banks are set to close this year in another blow for UK high streets. Lloyds Bank has 51 branches which are due to shut this year, while Halifax will close the doors to 46 of its stores. Seven of TSB's branches will shut, while 16 Bank of Scotland sites are also set to go. The closures began this month and will happen all the way through to September. Banks and Building societies have closed 6,214 branches since January 2005, according to Which? data - the equivalent of 53 a month. Just hours after President Donald Trump was sworn back into office, Texas ramped up its border security efforts, deploying additional floating barriers along the Rio Grande. Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared footage of the massive buoys being installed at the Texas-Mexico border, in a move aimed at deterring illegal crossings. 'I look forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump to secure the border,' Abbott declared on X/Twitter, adding, 'AMERICA IS BACK!' The floating barriers, part of Texas's controversial border enforcement program, have been at the center of legal and political battles. In 2023, the Biden Administration sued Texas, arguing that the barriers violated federal law. While a district court initially ruled in favor of the federal government, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision, allowing Texas to expand the use of the buoys. In November, Abbott announced plans to extend the barriers near Eagle Pass, a hotspot for migrant crossings, and now with Trump back in the White House, the governor is doubling down on his border security measures. It comes after White House border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's mass deportation has begun as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can now arrest illegal immigrants in churches and schools. Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared footage on X of massive buoys being installed at the Texas-Mexico border The floating barriers, part of Texas's controversial border enforcement program, have been at the center of legal and political battles In November, Abbott announced plans to extend the barriers near Eagle Pass, a hotspot for migrant crossings Governor Abbott, a staunch ally of President Trump, wasted no time in expressing his support for the new administration. On Monday, Abbott shared a letter addressed to Trump, congratulating him on his inauguration and urging further action on the border crisis. 'Texas has fought to secure the border in the face of federal obstruction,' Abbott wrote. 'I look forward to ending this crisis with your help.' During a speech on Monday, President Trump praised Abbott's efforts, calling him a 'strong leader' in the fight to secure America's borders. Now back in office, President Trump is set to sign a series of executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. Critics argue that the buoys are inhumane and ineffective, while supporters say they are a necessary deterrent to protect Texas communities. Trump also pledged to send troops to the southern border, though immigration lawyers have pointed out that military personnel are not permitted to make arrests. Critics argue that the buoys are inhumane and ineffective, while supporters say they are a necessary deterrent to protect Texas communities In 2023, the Biden Administration sued Texas, arguing that the barriers violated federal law 'I look forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump to secure the border,' Abbott declared on X/Twitter, adding, 'AMERICA IS BACK!' Now back in office, President Trump is set to sign a series of executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration Additionally, the president is set to formally designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move that could escalate efforts to combat cross-border crime. The reinstallation of the buoys comes after Trump signed an executive order that aims to end birthright citizenship - a move that Abbott said he would back. But several other states dubbed the order as 'unlawful'. 'What the president did yesterday is unlawful, unconstitutional and it will not stand,' New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in an interview with NPR. 'We are a state of immigrants. Millions of people in our state have obtained their citizenship through birthright citizenship,' Platkin said. 'It's the story of our state and the story of America, and it's enshrined in our [U.S.] Constitution for a reason.' The reinstallation of floating barriers is likely to reignite tensions over border security. US Customs and Border Protection estimates that around 270,000 migrants are waiting on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to get an appointment to enter the U.S. through a system that Trump has vowed to end, according to CBS News. By January 16, nearly 919,000 migrants had been allowed into the U.S. through the CBP One app - a government system which the Biden administration converted into the main gateway to the American asylum system. But critics have argued that the buoys are inhumane and ineffective, while supporters say they are a necessary deterrent to protect Texas communities. Migrants cross back and forth between the United States and Mexico at the Rio Grande in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico on September 16, 2021 A sign (pictured right) asks illegal migrants a shocking question in multiple languages: 'How much did you pay to have your daughter raped?' Another warned that migrants will be arrested if they enter Texas illegally. In addition to Spanish, billboards are being produced in Russian, Chinese and Arabic The Lone Star State is launching a visceral billboard campaign in Mexico and Central America to deter illegal immigration by highlighting sexual assault and other dangers The Biden Administration had opposed the use of the buoys, claiming they posed environmental risks and violated international treaties with Mexico. Abbott, however, dismissed these concerns, framing the barriers as essential to combating what he has repeatedly called a 'border crisis.' With Trump now leading the charge from Washington, Abbott appears emboldened in his efforts to expand the program. As the new administration settles in, the fight over immigration and border security is set to dominate the political landscape once again. With Texas pushing ahead on its controversial measures and President Trump vowing to take bold action, the stage is set for another round of heated debates over the future of America's southern border. A heartbroken father broke down in tears as he revealed today how his world was 'ripped apart' when police officers told him his daughter was being groomed. Ellie Reynolds, a grooming gang survivor who was first exploited at the age of just 13, told GMB how she became involved with a group of men who repeatedly drugged and gang-raped her and trafficked her around Barrow-in-Furness. But the CPS never took her case to court, despite one of her abusers - 'Saj' Miah -now having been convicted of more than 40 sexual offences. She previously told how she would be abducted off the street by her abusers, forced into the footwells of cars and drugged, before being locked up in strange flats filled with adult men. There she would often be left tied or even chained up naked before being repeatedly gang-raped. In 2018, at the age of 17, Ellie reported what was happening to her to the police. The day after she reported being repeatedly kidnapped and raped, she herself was arrested for blackmail - an accusation that was eventually dropped. Ellie said she believes she was arrested as an effort to silence her. Ellie Reynolds, a grooming gang survivor who was first exploited at the age of just 13, told GMB of her ordeal while appearing on the show with her father, Ian Piper Ellie previously told how she would be abducted off the street by her abusers, forced into the footwells of cars and drugged, before being locked up in strange flats filled with adult men Speaking this morning, Ellie appeared on the programme with her father, Ian Piper, as she appealed for police officers to reopen her case. Breaking down in tears, Mr Piper described how he and his wife knew something was going on with Ellie after she kept disappearing for up to five days at a time. He said: 'She wouldn't tell us what was going on. It was the anger that we knew something wasn't right. 'We begged everyone for help - schools, everyone, because we knew something wasn't right. 'We would report Ellie missing. The police would come round, the first thing they would do would be to look in her bedroom. 'They knew she wasn't from a broken home or anything like that. Days later she'd turn up.' Her father described how police eventually informed the family they had 'serious concerns' that Ellie was being groomed - something that 'ripped our world apart'. 'You watch it on telly and you think, it's not going to happen to us. And then your world just falls apart, it really does because it's your own child. Ellie says her principal abuser was Shaha Joman Miah, known in the town as 'Saj' - he has never been charged with any crime against her Shaha Amran Miah was convicted alongside his brothers of serious sexual offences concerning children as young as six Shaha Alman Miah will be sentenced alongside his two brothers in February 'I still to this day don't know half of what Ellie went through. I don't want to know, because it would just kill me as her dad.' Ellie told how she had no ability to focus on anything but survival while she was being abused. 'All that was running through my head at that time was survival. You need to get out of here, you need to get back to your family,' she said. 'I had three main abusers, but the places you can be trafficked to had multiple, you've got to think about the people that live there, the staff members, they're all friends.' Ellie said she always refused to tell her parents what she was going through. She said: 'I was dropping tiny hints to different people, but never piecing the story together. I came in and was withdrawing off drugs and would just go straight to my room. 'I had a lot of hurt, questions, anger, and I needed at that time to isolate myself, I needed to just be on my own.' Describing the decision to go to police when she was 17, Ellie said: 'Something in my head just clicked, and I thought, I am surely not the only person going through this. 'I started thinking about my abusers having children themselves and I was worried about other people's safety.' Ellie wants a national inquiry into grooming gangs across the UK, not just local inquiries Last week Yvette Cooper announced five local reviews into badly hit towns, as Labour backtracked after previously insisting that no new investigations were needed She added she was supportive of a national inquiry, but wants all historic accusations of grooming gangs which did not go to court to be reopened. 'Local inquiries are great, but what needs to be taken into consideration is that these men don't just operate in one area, they operate in multiple areas. 'Everybody deserves for it to be looked at again, it's massive, I'm not the only person that deserves this.' Her father added: 'You put your faith in every possible system to help you. My wife was begging the schools, she even asked for Ellie to be [sectioned] for her own safety because we couldn't figure out what was going on.' Although no charges were ever brought in relation to Ellie's experiences, Shaha Amran Miah, 48, Shaha Alman Miah, 47, and Shaha Joman Miah, 38, were convicted of child sex offences that occurred between 1996 and 2010 in October. Amran Miah sexually abused three children and faced 16 sexual offences, two charges of intimidation and one of kidnap. Joman Miah sexually abused three children and faced 40 offences. The girls abused by Amran Miah and Joman Miah were as young as six or seven when the abuse began, and it lasted several years. The middle brother, Alman Miah, faced three sexual offence charges against one girl. Ellie's case comes after the government announced 'local' inquiries in towns badly affected by grooming gangs, and occurred in the same town where fantasist Eleanor Williams caused uproar after making up allegations she was also a victim of an Asian gang. Williams, 24, sparked vandalism, protests and a visit to Barrow-in-Furness by far-right extremist Tommy Robinson after she posted images of herself seriously injured and claimed she had been gang-raped. It later emerged she had made up the claims and inflicted the injuries upon herself. She was tried and served time behind bars before being released last year. Last week Yvette Cooper announced five local reviews into badly hit towns, as Labour backtracked after previously insisting that no new investigations were needed. The Home Secretary also said there would be a rapid audit of the scale of child sexual exploitation across the country that would look into the ethnicity of perpetrators as part of a 10million action plan. But Ms Cooper refused to answer pleas for the new probes to have the power to summon witnesses, a key requirement of victims as well as politicians on all sides. And she continued to defy calls for a national public inquiry into the scandal, despite admitting there were currently 127 major police investigations under way into child sexual exploitation across 29 different forces. Politico has finally conceded that President Donald Trump is 'the greatest American figure' in recent history. The liberal news outlet's Global Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris said that Trump's second inauguration on Monday put the president in an 'entirely new light'. 'For the first time, he is holding power under circumstances in which reasonable people cannot deny a basic fact: He is the greatest American figure of his era', he wrote. Harris noted that Trump's victory was 'not a fluke', adding that the newly elected president is 'someone with an ability to perceive opportunities that most politicians do not and forge powerful, sustained connections with large swaths of people in ways that no contemporary can match.' 'In other words: He is a force of history', Harris said. He went on to say that Trump's political opponents should not treat him as a 'momentary anomaly', enforcing how his rivals should accept that 'he and his movement represent a large historical argument'. Harris also called Trump 'the most consequential presidents', and praised his 'uncommon psychological toughness'. 'Imagine running for president amid huge civil suits, criminal prosecutions, and even felony convictions - then emerging from this morass as a larger figure than before'. Politico's Global Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris declared President Donald Trump 'the greatest American figure' in his latest column Harris' comments come after Trump took the oath of office for the second time on Monday following his astounding political comeback President Donald Trump attends the Commander-in-Chief Chief Ball on January 20, 2025, alongside wife Melania Harris' comments may come as a surprise given Politico's left-leaning stance as well as the liberal media's united condemnation of Trump. This is particularly significant given the fact several liberal media commentators have lashed out at the newly-elected president and his controversial policies, particularly in the lead up to his move to the White House. Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin recently took aim at the president's supporters and movement, suggesting that Trump voters couldn't read during an event at the 92NY Center for Culture & Arts last month. Meanwhile ex-CNN reporter Don Lemon called supporters of Trump 'dumb f---ing idiots' and mocked their 'stupid MAGA brain,' in en episode of the Don Lemon Show. The Politico piece comes after Trump took the oath of office for the second time on Monday, completing one of the most astounding political comebacks in American history. Trump is the first American president since Grover Cleveland to win a second term after losing the White House. The inauguration proceeded amid heavy security after a campaign highlighted by an increase in political violence that included two assassination attempts against Trump. The ceremony featured live music, including a performance from country music star Carrie Underwood, as well as remarks from several key note speakers. The festivities continued with a traditional presidential parade and three inaugural balls in the evening. Amid the pageantry of the day, Trump signed a host of executive orders as members of the press asked him questions. Many of the orders reverse policies his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, put into effect during his four years in the White House. The orders range in topics from national security, migration at the southern border, the use of natural resources and even gender ideology. Together, they offer insight into the next four years under the Trump administration. Trump signed a host of executive orders on Monday, with many of them reversing policies his predecessor Joe Biden had put into effect President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the Liberty Ball on Monday night US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump next to Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance dance during the Starlight inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on January 20 Billy Ray Cyrus performs at the Liberty Ball Monday night ahead of the Trumps arrival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center In one executive order, Trump hit put at the Biden administration for 'censoring Americans' speech on online platforms' by 'exerting substantial coercive pressure on third-parties, such as social media companies to moderate, deplatform or otherwise suppress speech that the federal government did not approve.' Trump's policy ensures no federal government agency or employee works to 'abridge the free speech of any American citizen.' It also ensures that 'no taxpayer resources are used to engage in or facilitate any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.' The president also ordered the US Ambassador to the Unite Nations to immediately submit a formal written notification of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. 'In recent years, the United States has purported to join international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country's values as our contributions to the pursuit of economic and environmental objectives,' it says. 'Moreover, this agreement steers American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.' As part of his reversals on Biden-era policy, he will also undo some of the restrictions on drilling fossil fuels in the Arctic. Trump signed orders aimed at promoting oil and gas development in Alaska, and pledged to increase fracking while scaling back policies increasing green energy production. Trump also signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization and wasted no time in ordering the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Rachel Reeves has fired the head of the competition regulator, saying he was not on board with Labour's 'mission' to boost economic growth. Marcus Bokkerink, who became chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2022, will step down despite not completing his five-year term. Doug Gurr, former head of Amazon's UK business and a director of the Natural History Museum, will replace him as interim chair. Bokkerink's exit followed an intervention from Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds after his department concluded the regulator was not sufficiently focused on growth, the FT reported. Minister Justin Madders today insisted Mr Bokkerink resigned, but No10 did not deny he was asked to step down. And this morning Ms Reeves told an event hosted by Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos: 'He recognised that this government has got a different strategic approach when it comes to regulation, and he recognised it was time for him to move on and make way for somebody who does share the mission and the strategic direction that this government are taking.' A wider shake-up at the regulator is also expected later this year as 11 members of its 33-strong merger panel, an independent group of experts tasked with reviewing whether any deals will harm competition, are set to retire in 2025. The Government will appoint their replacements, many of whom are expected to come from business backgrounds. The ousting of the CMA's chairman comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Ms Reeves and Mr Reynolds wrote to the country's regulators encouraging them to be 'more pro-growth and pro-investment'. Out: Marcus Bokkerink (pictured), who became of Competition and Markets Authority chairman in 2022, will not complete his five-year term Ms Reeves told an event hosted by Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos: 'He recognised that this government has got a different strategic approach when it comes to regulation, and he recognised it was time for him to move on and make way for somebody who does share the mission and the strategic direction that this government are taking.' Doug Gurr, former head of Amazon's UK business and a director of the Natural History Museum, will replace him. Mr Bokkerink was appointed as chairman in 2022 by then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, having previously been a senior partner at consulting giant Boston Consulting. The watchdog has faced criticism of late, including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, after complaints from businesses that it intervenes too much on deals. At an investment summit in October, Sir Keir said the Government 'will make sure that every regulator in this country, especially our economic and competition regulators, takes growth as seriously as this room does'. The CMA was also publicly criticised by Microsoft after the watchdog initially blocked the tech firm's planned takeover of the gaming giant Activision Blizzard. Microsoft's president Brad Smith said in 2023 that the UK was 'bad for business', though the deal was eventually given the green light. Ms Reeves has urged regulators to 'tear down' red tape in a bid for stronger economic growth. The Chancellor and the Business Secretary met with bosses of watchdogs earlier in January. Ms Reeves told the bosses that they must 'tear down regulatory barriers' in an effort to support business investment and innovation to boost the UK's growth prospects. The CMA and the business department have been approached for comment. Sir Keir Starmer's hopes of a growth-boosting US trade deal have been hit by claims that Donald Trump believes he can dictate the terms of an agreement with Britain. Allies of the new US President are said to feel Mr Trump has the Prime Minister 'over a barrel' as Labour needs to seal a package to revive the UK's sluggish economy. They claimed a US-UK trade deal would be a 'lifeline' for the PM - but warned Sir Keir and his team had 'done everything they could to offend President Trump'. It came as the PM faced a fresh blast from those close to Mr Trump over his 'calamitous decision' to cede control of the strategically-important Chagos Islands. Sir Keir was told handing over the archipelago to Mauritius, viewed by many as an ally of China, was 'something that could impinge on that special relationship' with the US. The PM was recently reported to have set up a 'mini-Cabinet' of his senior ministers to draw up ways to persuade Mr Trump to strike a trade agreement with Britain. A post-Brexit deal with the US was a key aim of the previous Tory government, but negotiations stalled when Mr Trump's first spell in the White House came to an end. Following his return to power this week, allies of the US President suggested Sir Keir was in a weak position ahead of the potential re-opening of transatlantic trade talks. Sir Keir Starmer 's hopes of a growth-boosting US trade deal have been hit by claims Donald Trump believes he can dictate the terms of an agreement with Britain Allies of the new US President are said to feel Mr Trump has the Prime Minister 'over a barrel' as Labour needs to seal a package to revive the UK's sluggish economy It came as the PM faced a fresh blast from those close to Mr Trump over his 'calamitous decision' to cede control of the strategically-important Chagos Islands Andrew Hale, a trade policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation think tank, told the Independent: 'Trump has got Starmer over a barrel. The UK economy is contracting, and there is no growth. 'The Starmer government has doubled down on the failed economic policies of Jeremy Hunt and the past Conservative prime ministers. 'They need to give up their tried and failed policies of punitive taxes, borrowing and reckless spending. The UK is bankrupt. 'The Trump administration is in a position to offer a free trade agreement that would be a lifeline to the UK economy. 'But Starmer and his band... have done everything they could to offend President Trump, and now they risk being tariffed as a form of economic sanction if they are going to realign economically with China - a foreign adversary.' The Heritage Foundation drew up 'Project 2025' as a policy blueprint for Mr Trump's return to the presidency. Although Mr Trump disavowed the project during his election campaign, dozens of his former officials contributed to the proposals. And, since winning November's US election, Mr Trump has chosen people with direct ties to the manifesto for key roles in his new administration. Downing Street last week admitted that Sir Keir would not finalise a deal with Mauritius over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands until Mr Trump had time to consider it. It followed claims that Labour was scrambling to rush through an agreement before Mr Trump's return to the White House, after his allies had publicly criticised the handover. Robert Wilkie, who is heading up Mr Trump's transition team in the Pentagon,has now become the latest ally of the US President to condemn Sir Keir's deal. 'I think it was a calamitous decision, I don't think there was much thought put into it. It was haphazard and not thinking about the long term,' he told the BBC. In Mr Trump's mind, he warned, the move was 'something that could impinge on that special relationship' between the US and UK. Labour has sparked fury by deciding to cede the islands, which Britain has controlled since 1814, to Mauritius. Mr Wilkie said the Diego Garcia military base, on the largest of the Islands, provides 'leverage to project power'. His comments are a blow to No 10, which has been hoping for a cordial start to the Trump administration and has rowed back on past criticisms of the US President. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'Given Diego Garcia's status as a key strategic asset, it is right to discuss the agreement with the new US administration.' BBC commentator John Hunt's family screamed and texted for help in the final hours of their lives before they were executed by savage crossbow killer Kyle Clifford. Clifford bound 25-year-old former partner Louise Hunt's arms and ankles with duct tape and shot her through the chest with a crossbow bolt at the family home in the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9 last year. The BBC's star's wife Carol Hunt, 61, sustained significant stab wounds to her knee, hands, back and torso - injuries that ultimately proved fatal. His other daughter Hannah Hunt, 28, was found in the main doorway of the house - with a crossbow bolt lodged in her chest after she had texted her partner begging him to call 999. Neighbours thought the screams had come from a distressed child. They later realised they were a woman's desperate cries for help as the family was ambushed by a crossbow-wielding killer - and ultimately rendered silent. Clifford, who served in the military from 2019 for around three years, became the subject of a manhunt before he was found injured at Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield, North London. He had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow. Appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court today, Clifford pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one of false imprisonment against Louise Hunt, and two counts of possession of offensive weapons - the crossbow and the knife. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping Louise, and will face a trial for this on March 3. The killings and the subsequent manhunt played out over a horrifying 24 hours - from the moment Clifford entered the Hunt family's home in Bushey to the second he was caught by police after firing a bolt into his own body. Your browser does not support iframes. The horror unfolded on the evening of July 9 after Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of BBC commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were found fatally injured at their family home. The typically quiet suburban cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, was a mass of armed police, medical crews and air ambulances after police were informed Clifford was staging an attack in the house. Medics attempted to save the three women, who sustained horrifying injuries, but they died at the scene. They bore signs of being bound. Clifford had entered the house sometime around 6.30pm. Neighbours reported hearing screams, but had thought they belonged to a distressed child. The screams stopped sometime afterwards - and only later did locals realise the screams had been urgent cries for help as the Hunts were confronted by the crossbow-wielding attacker. Hannah had been able to text her boyfriend telling him she had been 'tied up' - and after being shot in the chest with a crossbow bolt was able to muster the strength to call 999. At 6.50pm, Kyle Clifford was captured on CCTV walking away from the home. Police were called at about 7pm and arrived within moments. But by then, he was on the run. Police on Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 10, 2024 - the day after the murder Police issue a photo of Kyle Clifford on the morning of July 10 as they announce the manhunt Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson of Hertfordshire Police speaks to media outside Hatfield Police Station on July 10, with officers issuing a direct plea to Clifford to 'make contact' One neighbour told MailOnline at the time how 'absolute chaos' broke out as armed police arrived. She said: 'It was between 6.30pm and 7pm and it sounded like kids, somebody screaming, and then it was more shrill and I was like, 'That's definitely a woman screaming', and within 15 minutes, it was absolute chaos. 'We had armed police running down, screaming, 'Stay in your house'... they shut us off and basically put us into lockdown.' The manhunt was launched with full force before news of the triple murder broke. Commuters arriving into London train stations found their exit slowed by ranks of police who were scanning the crowds for Clifford, checking every face. Hertfordshire Police announced at 8.30am the next day that they were looking for Clifford - who was named unusually early in the investigation as the suspect. Members of the public were warned not to approach him, as detectives believed he was still armed with the crossbow. And local schools in Enfield, in the north of the capital, were temporarily locked down as armed police staged a raid at Clifford's home nearby. Police search Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield, North London, on the afternoon of July 10 Kyle Clifford is taken to an ambulance after being found injured at about 4.30pm on July 10 Mourners attend a service at St James's Church in Bushey on July 11 following the incident One mother said: 'They had cordoned off the road and were ushering people away from the house they were going into. 'They had the full protective gear on, guns, shields and helmets the kind you'd expect to see in riots.' Officers later issue a direct plea to the killer to 'make contact'. That afternoon, the identities of the victims are confirmed and the BBC described the deaths as 'utterly devastating'. Around that time, at 3pm, the search zeroes in on the Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield after police find Clifford's abandoned car nearby. Armed police and paramedics were seen rushing into the graveyard an hour and a half later after finding Clifford with a crossbow bolt in his upper body. Rae Cresswell, 26, a local who filmed the commotion, said: 'I saw about ten officers coming in. I was quite worried because they were armed and there were dogs with them. 'I asked them if they wanted me to leave but they said it was fine to stay. They started checking the area so I left shortly after and came back to see all these vehicles.' John Hunt is pictured with his wife Carol, who was killed alongside two of their two daughters Hannah Hunt was killed alongside her mother and sister in the crossbow attack in Bushey Louise Hunt (pictured), sister of Hannah Hunt and daughter of Carol and John Hunt, was killed Minutes later, Clifford was carried on a stretcher out of the cemetery and taken to hospital. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said following the attack she would look at whether tougher laws are needed on crossbows after the attack. A consultation on the law had been launched in February last year - but ultimately, there was no mention of crossbows in the King's Speech a week later. Clifford underwent extensive surgery in hospital as friends of the Hunt family attended a vigil at St James' Church in Bushey. Searches then took place at a house linked to Clifford's brother, Bradley Clifford, who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of moped passenger Soban Khan in 2018. In the wake of the killings, domestic violence charity Refuge said a misogynistic culture at the root of violence against women and girls must be addressed. And on July 13, four days after the brutal slayings, John Hunt broke his silence, thanking the public for their support as he and third daughter Amy said the devastation they were experiencing 'cannot be put into words'. They added: 'We would like to thank people for their kind messages and for the support we have received in recent days. 'These have provided great comfort to us for which we are very grateful.' In a further statement read on Sky Sports Racing, he bravely said he would 'get through this' with his surviving daughter. He said: 'Notwithstanding the horrid evil that's swept through our lives, wreaking devastation on an unimaginable scale, the counter to that has been the breathtaking messages of support, some of which are still to be read. 'Amy, my eldest daughter, has been magnificently inspirational with her control and support for me, which I am trying, trying so hard, to replicate. 'Every message has felt so important, the same as a reassuring hug. We know people are worried about us. We will get through this.' A court artist's sketch of Kyle Clifford appearing via videolink at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 17 Cambridge Crown Court is pictured, where the latest court hearing for Kyle Clifford took place Hertfordshire Police was left waiting to quiz Clifford on the killings after placing him under arrest. His poor health meant the usual time limits on holding someone in custody did not apply. A GoFundMe page set up to support Hunt and Amy passed its target of 100,000 towards the end of July - and a harrowing inquest into Hannah's death on July 30 heard Hannah was still alive when police arrived. The opening of an inquest hears Hannah was still alive and had a crossbow bolt in her chest when police arrived. She was able to text someone pleading for help, telling them she had been 'tied up' at the family home. Hannah was then able to call 999, reporting that she had been shot, as had her mother and sister. On September 17, Clifford was charged with three counts of murder, false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons. He then appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court, which is told Louise had been tied up in the incident which saw her and Hannah shot with a crossbow and Carol suffer multiple injuries in a stabbing. The court also hears Hannah called the police and told them she feared she was going to die. He later appears at Cambridge Crown Court via videolink from HMP Belmarsh where he pleads not guilty to three counts of murder, one charge of false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons. He is also further charged with raping Louise, but is not yet required to enter a plea for this charge. But earlier today, the killer dramatically changed his pleas, admitting three counts of murder, one count of false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons at Cambridge Crown Court. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping Louise Hunt, for which he will face a trial beginning March 3. A former police officer accused of pulling a woman's hair and choking her with his hand committed gross misconduct by pressuring her into sexual acts, a police tribunal has found. Aiden Bloomfield, who resigned from his role as a police constable with Hampshire Constabulary at the start of this year, 'placed pressure' on the woman, referred to as Miss A, to continue carrying out sexual acts, concluded a disciplinary panel in Eastleigh. Miss A said in a video interview shown to the hearing that she had repeatedly made it plain to Bloomfield she did not want to have sex, alleging that he told her to 'Stop being a brat' when she asked him to stop performing sex acts on her. The panel ruled that Bloomfield, who denied acting without Miss A's consent, had pulled her hair and held her neck without consent, but concluded that some aspects of their encounter, including sex, were consensual. The Crown Prosecution Service was passed a file on Bloomfield's actions but decided not to take further action. 'We understand the devastating impact rape can have on victims, which is why each case is looked at by a specialist prosecutor from our dedicated rape and serious sexual offences unit,' said a Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson. 'After a careful review of the evidence in this case, we concluded there wasnt a realistic prospect of conviction.' Bloomfield will be placed on the College of Policing's list of barred officers for a minimum of five years, and would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned, said the hearing panel. 'The police officer resigned whilst under investigation,' said a note on the College of Policing's barred list. 'The force continued with a hearing. 'It was found that had they remained serving they would have been dismissed for breaching the standards of professional behaviour relating to Integrity & Discreditable Conduct after the officer engaged in sexual acts on a female without her consent and such behaviour has discredited the police service and undermined public confidence.' A stock photo of a police officer. Former Hampshire police officer Aiden Bloomfield was found guilty of gross misconduct for pressuring a woman into sexual acts by a police tribunal In a hearing at Hampshire Police headquarters in Eastleigh, a panel said Bloomfield would have been dismissed from the force had he not resigned at the start of this year Miss A said in the video interview that she had met Bloomfield through the Tinder app, explaining that they had a shared interest in bondage and sado-masochism (BDSM). She said she agreed to visit Bloomfield at his home in Leigh Park, Havant, on December 8 2022, but had told him she did not want to have sex. The tribunal heard that Bloomfield, who did not attend the hearing, replied in a Snapchat message: 'The condom is out in case you change your mind.' Miss A said: 'I go there wanting to chill with a friend after work, on several occasions I said, "No, I have just finished work, I dont want to", all the excuses, "I have a headache", "I am tired", "I smell". 'He said: "Thats OK, I dont have a sense of smell". Every excuse, and he still has sex with me and I have said I do not want to have sex. 'I didnt at any point change my mind, I was still saying no.' She said she had not consented to BDSM acts and no safe word was agreed between the pair beforehand. Miss A said she had asked Bloomfield to stop after he started 'groping her' and performing sex acts on her on his sofa, but that he had he pulled her hair and choked her. 'I said, "No, I dont want to,"', said Miss A. 'He said, "No, you are enjoying it."' She added that when Bloomfield asked her to have sex, she replied: 'Oh, go on then.' 'Thats me, I have given up, he is going to anyway,' she said in the interview, reiterating that she 'kind of gave up' because 'he was so persistent'. Bloomfield asked her to leave afterwards because he was expecting friends, said Miss A, which made her feel 'really used'. 'This has been an extremely traumatic time for the woman involved,' said Rob France, an assistant chief constable with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police. 'I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for Miss A to report this to us, and I would like to thank her for her courage. 'Despite these being the actions of an off-duty officer, she was able to put her trust in us, and that has allowed us to ensure that this officer isn't able to abuse his position as a police officer any more. 'I know this case will cause concern within our communities, but it is thanks to the hard-working officers within our professional standards department, with the support of Miss A, who have conducted a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure Bloomfield is no longer serving with us.' Ministers are planning a major overhaul to how knives are bought online after Southport triple killer Axel Rudakubana purchased weapons off Amazon before carrying out a sickening rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party. Rudakubana, who on Monday pleaded guilty to the murder of of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, bought the kitchen knife used in the attack from Amazon when he was 17 despite having a conviction for violence. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons yesterday that it was a 'disgrace' that Rudakubana was able to buy knives on Amazon - including two purchased a fortnight before the attack - so easily despite being under 18. Rudakubana, who has since turned 18, has admitted carrying a knife more than 10 times. Under plans being considered by the Home Office, buyers would need to submit an ID document to online retailers and record a live video or selfie to prove their age. Currently, customers ordering knives on Amazon must enter their date of birth and are told that 'proof of age and signature will be required on delivery'. Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for knife crime, is proposing stronger ID checks as part of a review of online knife sales being carried out on behalf of the Government. Plans for a tougher crackdown are expected to be accelerated amid the fallout from the Southport attack last July. Southport triple killer Axel Rudakubana (pictured) has admitted carrying a knife more than 10 times Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons yesterday that it was a 'disgrace' that Rudakubana was able to buy knives on Amazon It comes on top of a manifesto commitment to fine executives at tech companies which are failing to stop the sale of banned ninja swords, zombie-style knives and machetes. As well as clamping down on knife sales, social media firms were also ordered to take down 'dangerous' online material blamed for fuelling Rudakubana's obsession with violence. Ms Cooper told the tech giants the Government would not tolerate them 'profiting from hosting content that puts children's lives at risk'. The Home Secretary said an 'online ecosystem' was 'radicalising our children while safety measures are whittled away'. Sir Keir Starmer said the Southport murders were 'not a one-off' and that Britain faced a new threat of 'extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms'. Labour has also pledged to reduce knife crime by half in a decade. Writing for The Sun, Sir Keir said 'it remains shockingly easy for our children to get their hands on deadly knives'. 'The lessons of this case could not be clearer,' he said. 'Time and again as a child, the Southport murderer carried knives. Time and again, he showed clear intent to use them. And yet tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon off the internet without any checks or barriers. A two-click killer. This cannot continue. Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) said the Southport murders were 'not a one-off' and that Britain faced a new threat of 'extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms' 'The technology is there to set up age-verification checks, even for kitchen knives ordered online. We must now use it to protect our children from future attack and I will ensure that this happens.' When quizzed on how two types of ID could prevent people from freely buying weapons online, employment minister Alison McGovern told BBC Breakfast: 'Knife crime is horrendous and we have got to have the new measures that you just mentioned, because we cannot have this flow of knives that can cause such absolute devastation. 'We know that the technology is there to improve verification checks and I think that everyone would want that, every business, every organisation. 'So, the Government will work with organisations to bring in every possible protection to stop knives getting into the wrong hands.' She said the Government wants to work with retailers but that 'in the end, we've got to have the right checks in place' and 'look at every measure that we can bring forward through legislation'. Lord Carlile said a 'failure to communicate' enabled Rudakubana to carry out the murders after it was revealed he had been referred to safeguarding services, children social care and mental health services prior to the attack. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Lord Alex Carlile said: 'This is not the first case where the failure to share information has caused very serious offences. 'There have been many before, possibly because of a mistaken belief that it is not right in law to share information about someone who is very vulnerable. 'That is completely wrong. 'Information of this kind should always be shared and it should help to avoid incidents like this in the future. 'We do need to be sure that where people are vulnerable, as this perpetrator certainly was, to becoming very dangerous, then there has to be full sharing of information.' He also called for more regulation of social media companies to prevent potential perpetrators from 'learning how to be a terrorist online' in the wake of the Southport stabbing attack. An aerial view of Rudakubana's home on Old School Close in Banks, Lancashire, following his arrest Police investigate on Hart Street in Southport on July 29 after the attacks at the dance class Police officers outside the home of Rudakubana in Banks, Lancashire, on July 30, 2024 Sir Keir said it was a 'devastating moment in our history' and must be a 'line in the sand' for Britain, with 'fundamental change' in the way citizens are protected The PM told a press conference in Downing Street that people were right to 'demand answers' over 'failings' in the case of Axel Rudakubana Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (left) and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (right) were in No9 to watch the PM's statement Lord Carlile said: 'It is absolutely clear that the online companies are not prepared to scrutinise the content of what is placed on their sites in a way that will ensure that our children and grandchildren do not see dreadful things online when they're not mature enough to be able to exercise a critical faculty over them. 'So, given that the internet companies are not prepared to do what they should voluntarily agree to carry out, it is time for a regulatory regime to be established which does not question the right of free speech, but which protects the public from unlawful acts. 'If the internet companies are not prepared to do it, then the sanction is on governments - not just our government, but many other governments. 'And as we saw in America earlier in the week, one can switch off the site - Tiktok was switched off for a day. 'Also, they can be fined, fines based upon their world turnover, very big fines. 'So, it is time that we looked at having a proper regulatory regime for our own country, doing what we have to do first, protecting our own country and our own citizens to ensure that people like this perpetrator are not able to learn how to be a terrorist online.' Lord Carlile has backed calls for the Government to crackdown on online retailers selling knives to under-18s. A spokesman for Amazon said: 'We use trusted ID verification services to check name, date of birth and address details whenever an order is placed for these bladed items. 'We have an age verification on delivery process that requires drivers to verify the recipient's age through an app on their devices before handing over a parcel containing an age-restricted item.' Sir Keir also confirmed that ministers are reviewing 'the laws on what we can access online', adding: 'We still have rules in place in this country about what you can see at a cinema and yet online you can access no end of material.' In an alarming revelation, Ms Cooper said that 162 people were referred to the anti-extremism Prevent programme last year after 'expressing an interest in school massacres'. She said she was 'deeply disturbed' that the number of under-18s investigated for involvement in terrorism had trebled in the past three years. Rudakubana pleaded guilty on Monday to the murder of three girls during a 12-minute knife rampage in Southport last July. Ministers have ordered a public inquiry into state failings in the case. The killer was referred three times to the Prevent programme but was deemed not to be motivated by terrorist ideology on each occasion. Ms Cooper told MPs that a review of his contact with the programme found he had 'admitted to having carried a knife more than ten times, yet the action against him was far too weak'. She said he was referred to Prevent repeatedly because he was 'expressing interest in school shootings, the London Bridge attack, the IRA, MI5 and the Middle East'. The review, conducted since the summer, has concluded that 'too much weight was placed on the absence of ideology' and that his case 'should not have been closed' by counter-terror police who were assessing whether he posed a threat. Ms Cooper said 'multiple' public bodies had had contact with Rudakubana in his teenage years. Lancashire Police visited his home five times in response to calls about his disturbing behaviour. He was also in contact with social services, mental health workers and the local youth offending team, as well as Prevent. The Home Secretary said there were 'so many signs of how dangerous he had become, yet the action against him was far too weak'. There were up to 15 missed opportunities by government agencies to stop Rudakubana, The Times reported. Sir Keir acknowledged that many would view the murders as a terrorist attack. He said ministers were looking at whether to change the legal definition of terrorism to cover attacks which were designed to spread terror but which were not motivated by an obvious political ideology. Rudakubana, who is due to be sentenced tomorrow, also admitted producing the deadly poison ricin and possessing an Al Qaeda training manual, both of which are terrorist offences. A former soldier who slaughtered the wife and two daughters of BBC star John Hunt after invading their home dramatically admitted the murders today - but denied raping his ex-girlfriend before she died. Kyle Clifford murdered his former partner Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah, 28, with a crossbow before stabbing the racing commentator's wife Carol, 61, to death at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July. Clifford, 26, was arrested in a north London cemetery following a near 24-hour manhunt, but was unable to be interviewed while he was treated for a self-sustained crossbow injury. Today, the ex-security guard appeared at Cambridge Crown Court where he changed his plea and admitted murdering the three women in a sickening rampage. He denies one count of rape and will go on trial for this charge later in the year. A quiet summer evening on July 9 last year descended into a scene of unimaginable horror after police were called to the family home in Ashlyn Close, Bushey. Hannah had also made a harrowing 999 call and told police she feared she was going to die after her sister and mother were attacked. When officers swooped on the property, Hannah was still alive in the doorway with a crossbow bolt in her chest, but despite desperate attempts could not be saved. Clifford, who served in the military from 2019 for around three years, had tied the arms and ankles of his ex-girlfriend, Louise, with duct tape before he also shot her through the chest with a crossbow. Their mother, Carol, was stabbed in the knee, hands, back and torso after Clifford set upon her with a 10-inch butcher's knife. A photo issued by Hertfordshire Police of Kyle Clifford, who was charged with the murders John Hunt is pictured with his wife Carol, who was killed alongside two of their two daughters Hannah Hunt was killed alongside her mother and sister in the crossbow attack in Bushey Louise Hunt (pictured), sister of Hannah Hunt and daughter of Carol and John Hunt, was killed Appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court this morning, Clifford pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one of false imprisonment against Louise Hunt, and two counts of possession of offensive weapons - the crossbow and the knife. How the crossbow killings unfolded Police were called to Ashlyn Close, in Bushey, Hertfordshire, just before 7pm on July 9 2024 after Kyle Clifford launched a sickening attack. Hannah Hunt had also made a distressed 999 call, fearing that she was going to die. Carol Hunt and her daughters, Louise and Hannah, were found seriously injured and all died at the scene after being attacked by ex-soldier Clifford. Hannah was found alive in the doorway with a crossbow bolt in her chest, but could not be saved. Clifford had tied the arms and ankles of his ex-girlfriend, Louise, with duct tape before he also shot her through the chest with a crossbow. Their mother, Carol, was stabbed in the knee, hands, back and torso after Clifford set upon her with a 10-inch butcher's knife. At 9am on July 10 2024, Hertfordshire Police took the unusual step of naming and picturing Clifford as they tried to hunt him down. He was found in the Lavender Hill Cemetery, in Enfield, with self-inflicted injuries at around 5pm later that day - nearly 24 hours after the attack. Advertisement He pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping Louise. Clifford, of Enfield, North London, will face a trial for the charge of rape at the same court on March 3. Seven years after his brother was jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years for murder, Clifford now faces joining him behind bars after admitting to killing Carol, Hannah and Louise inside their own house. Harrowing details of the attack, which took place at around 6.30pm on July 9 last year, started to emerge in the days after. Neighbours of the 800,000 suburban home in a quiet cul-de-sac recalled hearing distressing screams - so piercing that they were initially mistaken for that of a child. It later emerged that the desperate cries for help were coming from the home where the three defenceless women were ambushed in their own home by the crossbow-wielding killer. After cruelly attacking his victims and leaving them to die, the former military man went on the run, sparking a nationwide manhunt to track him down. Shortly after walking out of the property, leaving a mother and her two daughters behind, Clifford was captured on doorbell footage calmly striding away with what appeared to be a crossbow tucked under his arm hidden beneath a white sheet. Hertfordshire Police took the unusual step of naming and picturing Clifford as they desperately tried to hunt down Britain's most wanted man at the time. The evil killer was arrested around 24 hours later after being found in the Lavender Hill Cemetery, in Enfield, with self-inflicted injuries. Dramatic footage showed the fugitive being stretchered away from the scene before he was bundled into the back of an ambulance by armed police and paramedics. After the attack, a picture emerged of Clifford in army gear, holding a gun with his face covered in camouflage paint A court artist's sketch of Kyle Clifford appearing via videolink at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 17 Racing commentator Mr Hunt, who has another daughter, Amy, bravely returned to work 60 days after the tragic incident. At the time of the fatal attack, he said in a joint statement with Amy: 'The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words.' In a further statement read by his colleague Matt Chapman on Sky Sports Racing, Mr Hunt said: 'Notwithstanding the horrid evil that's swept through our lives, wreaking devastation on an unimaginable scale, the counter to that has been the breathtaking messages of support, some of which are still to be read.' He added: 'Amy, my eldest daughter, has been magnificently inspirational with her control and support for me, which I am trying, trying so hard, to replicate. 'Every message has felt so important, the same as a reassuring hug. 'We know people are worried about us. We will get through this.' Clifford joined the Army in 2019, but is believed to have left after a short period of service in 2022 after failing to impress his superiors. It's understood Clifford served as a trooper, the equivalent to a private, in the Queen's Dragoon Guards. After the attack, a picture also emerged showing him in army gear, holding a gun with his face covered in camouflage paint. His guilty pleas come seven years after his brother was convicted of murder after a trial at the Old Bailey. Bradley Clifford, a plumber, was 23 when he mowed down Soban Khan, 18, and Jahshua Francis, 19, on their moped after they struck his 'prized' Ford Mustang car with a bottle. Both teenagers were flung from the moped by the impact. Although Mr Francis escaped without serious injuries, Bradley beat Mr Khan as he lay on the ground injured. The incident followed a row outside a bar in Enfield in which Clifford's car received superficial damage. He flew into a rage and pursued the pair in a 20-minute high speed chase before crashing into the moped. Bradley was jailed for life in 2018 and told to serve at least 23 years for the murder of Mr Khan and attempted GBH with intent on Mr Francis. This was the moment that Clifford could be seen receiving medical treatment on a stretcher in the cemetery in North London Doorbell footage showed a man believed to be Kyle Clifford walking away from a house containing the dead bodies of his ex-girlfriend, her mother and her sister Forensics were seen outside Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield as the manhunt for Kyle Clifford continued Armed police searching Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield as the hunt for fugitive Kyle Clifford took a new turn Friends leave flowers on Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, after the attack on July 11 Mourners attend a service at St James's Church in Bushey on July 11 following the incident A view of the scene on July 11 on Ashlyn Close in Bushey, where the Hunt family lived Following Clifford's attack on Mr Hunt's family, the Home Office said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was urgently considering whether tougher crossbow laws were needed. In the King's Speech, which took place just days after the killings, there was no proposal to take action on crossbows. The review is understood to be ongoing and no decisions have yet been made. The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt to kill the late Queen with a crossbow. There is currently no registration system for owning a crossbow, no requirement for a licence and they appear to be readily available to buy online. But it is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy or own one, with anyone carrying a crossbow in public without a reasonable excuse facing up to four years behind bars. The head of the Crown Prosecution Service has defended its decision to order police not to release key details about Axel Rudakubana in the wake of the Southport stabbings. The Crime Reporters Association (CRA) complained to Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, about the CPS seeking to 'gag' Merseyside Police and instructing officers to 'stay silent' about the case as riots broke out last summer. The CRA said the CPS had sought to prevent officers revealing details about Rudakubana's religion, which could have prevented false rumours turning into riots. Mr Parkinson admitted yesterday that the police's actions reflected the CPS's advice but defended the lack of transparency around the case amid continuing claims of a 'cover-up'. He said in a statement: 'The position taken by the police and the Government on disclosure of information reflected the advice given by the CPS, which was accepted by them. It is important that it is understood why our advice needed to be given. 'In short, releasing that information earlier would have put the trial at risk. As has now become apparent, until Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty on Monday to all offences with which he was charged, the CPS had been preparing for a full trial. 'No defence had been served, and so there was the potential that all evidence would be challenged. 'Public reporting of significant information before the conclusion of the trial, including about the actions of Axel Rudakubana on the day and some elements of his past history would have posed a serious risk to the integrity of the trial and risked undermining justice for the victims and their families. 'Delivering justice for the victims and their families was and remains our absolute priority and we could not and would not have been prepared to agree to anything to put that at risk.' The Crime Reporters Association (CRA) complained to Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions The CRA said the CPS had sought to prevent officers revealing details about Rudakubana's religion, which could have prevented false rumours turning into riots Sir Keir Starmer admitted yesterday that he did ' withhold' information about the terrorist links of Axel Rudakubana from the public but denied he was part of a cover-up Lord Carlile, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, today became the latest senior figure to criticise the decision not to disclose crucial details about Rudakubana's background. 'I think the police should have been more open,' he told the BBC this morning. 'In one instance, they should have made it absolutely clear right from the beginning that this perpetrator was not an immigrant, that he was British-born and had lived in Britain throughout his life. 'It was the false disinformation at saying that he was an immigrant or a recent immigrant that contributed at least to the extent of riots both in Southport and elsewhere.' Hours after Rudakubana murdered three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, misinformation began to circulate on social media suggesting he was a newly arrived illegal Muslim immigrant. In an effort to dispel these false rumours, Serena Kennedy, the chief constable of Merseyside Police released a statement confirming the suspect had been born in Cardiff. She wanted to also make clear that he was from a Christian family but did not do so on the advice of the CPS. In a strongly worded statement expressing her frustration, Ms Kennedy said: 'We have been accused of purposely withholding information, this is absolutely not the case. 'From day one we have been as open as we possibly could and have constantly been in touch with the CPS who have advised us on what information could be released. 'We have wanted to say much more to show we were being open and transparent, but we have been advised throughout that we couldn't do so as it would risk justice being delivered.' Yvette Cooper was grilled on why the government was not more transparent over the Axel Rudakubana case as she faced the Commons yesterday Sir Keir Starmer admitted yesterday that he did 'withhold' information about the terrorist links of Axel Rudakubana from the public but denied he was part of a cover-up. Speaking at an emergency press conference, the PM acknowledged he had been 'kept up to date with the facts' by police and prosecutors investigating the Southport murders. But he said that revealing 'crucial details', such as the killer's fascination with terrorism and massacres, could have prejudiced his trial and broken contempt of court laws. 'It was not my personal decision to withhold this information. That is the law of the land and it is in place to protect the integrity of the system to ensure the victims and their families get the justice they deserve,' he said. Ministers have been accused of trying to hide the facts of the case last summer in a bid to calm public fury about the murder of the girls. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the failure to be straight with the public created a vacuum in which dangerous misinformation took hold online which 'fuelled' last summer's riots. Mr Philp said there could have been 'more openness and transparency ... without prejudicing the trial'. Yvette Cooper insisted she was 'keen' to reveal terror links of the Southport killer today amid more claims of a 'cover-up'. The Home Secretary was grilled on why the government was not more transparent over the Axel Rudakubana case as she faced the Commons yesterday. A car burns after being overturned during a protest in Middlesbrough on August 4, 2024 Her Tory shadow Chris Philp warned that stonewalling on the basis there was an investigation going on would no longer 'cut it' in an era of social media. But Ms Cooper said there was no way ministers could ignore the advice they were receiving about contempt of court. 'We have been keen to publish the information on Prevent referrals from the start, but throughout the advice to us has been clear,' she said. PM warns UK faces threat of US-style school attacks by 'young men' radicalised by online violence Keir Starmer warned that Britain faces the threat of US-style school attacks by 'young men' radicalised by online violence. The PM said the 'new' danger from 'loners and misfits' might require a change in the law. He told a Downing Street press conference that previously the 'predominant threat was highly organised groups with clear political intent groups like al Qaida'. 'That threat, of course, remains but now alongside that we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom accessing all manner of material online desperate for notoriety, sometimes inspired by traditional terrorist groups, but fixated on that extreme violence, seemingly for its own sake,' Sir Keir said. The PM continued: 'My concern in this case is we have clearly got an example of extreme violence, individualised violence, that we have to protect our children from and our citizens from. 'It is a new threat, it's not what we would have usually thought of as terrorism when definitions were drawn up, when guidelines were put in place, when the framework was put in place and we have to recognise that here today.' He said the law and framework for responding needed to be appropriate to the 'new threat' and whatever changes were necessary in the law would be made. Sir Keir continued: 'I do think it's new. You've seen versions of it in America with some of the mass shootings in schools. 'It is not an isolated, ghastly example. It is, in my view, an example of a different kind of threat and that is why I'm absolutely so determined that we will rise to that challenge and make sure that our law, our response, is capable, appropriate and can deal with that sort of threat. 'But that is my concern, that is my thinking that this is a new threat individualised extreme violence, obsessive, often following online viewing of material from all sorts of different sources. 'It is not a one-off. It is something that we all need to understand and have a shared undertaking to deal with within our society. 'That is not just the laws on terrorism, the framework on terrorism, it's also the laws on what we can access online. 'We still have rules in place in this country about what you can see at a cinema and yet online you can access no end of material. We have to ensure that we can rise to this new challenge and that is what I'm determined to do.' Advertisement 'If we had ignored the advice that we were given about the case that (was) put towards us and about the information that the police and the CPS were working through in order to get justice, and if as a result a killer had walked free, no-one would ever have forgiven the Government or anyone else.' The clashes in the House came after Keir Starmer told a press conference in Downing Street that people were right to 'demand answers' over 'failings'. However, he flatly rejected allegations of a 'cover-up' of terrorist links in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity in July - which was followed by a wave of rioting across the country. He confirmed he knew about the details 'as they were emerging' - rather than in October when extra terror-related charges were brought - but could not risk the case collapsing and the 'vile' perpetrator walking away free. 'That is why the law of this country forbade me or anybody else from disclosing details sooner,' he said. 'I wouldn't be forgiven if I had.' Sir Keir said it was a 'devastating moment in our history' and must be a 'line in the sand' for Britain, warning that 'terrorism has changed' with the threat of 'acts of extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms'. He stressed that the probe should be 'unburdened by cultural sensitivities' and institutions will not be allowed to 'deflect' responsibility. 'I'm angry about it... Nothing will be off the table in this inquiry,' he said. Sir Keir said he was under 'no illusions' that the lack of 'trust' will continue until the state is 'honest' about problems and 'roots them out'. But he insisted he had been inspired by the response of the Southport community, who rebuilt despite the tragedy being compounded by violence on the streets. 'Responsibility for the disorder and violence lies with those who perpetrated it,' he said. The Tories and Reform said there were still 'serious questions' about the transparency of government information in the wake of the killings. Rudakubana pleaded guilty this week to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July. It has emerged he was referred three times to anti-extremism programme Prevent amid concerns over his fixation with violence. But despite this and contact with other state agencies, the authorities failed to stop the attack which claimed the lives of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. As well as the three murders, Rudakubana admitted 10 counts of attempted murder, possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit acts of terrorism. The charges relating to the possession of ricin and the al Qaida training manual were not made public for three months after the teenager's arrest. In the Commons, Chris Philp said: 'On October 29 Rudakubana was charged with possessing the ricin and the terror manual, that was then made public. So, if it can be made public in October, without risking prejudice of the murder trial, it follows that it could have been made public in August, without prejudicing that same trial. 'Background facts on other cases over the years have been made public after arrest and before trial without prejudice, and the shields relating to two of those cases are in this chamber. So why did the Prime Minister not make public some of this background information in August when he knew it, when later disclosure of that information in October demonstrated such disclosure could be made without prejudice?' At 11 years old, Rudakubana appeared dressed as Doctor Who in a television advert for BBC Children In Need, after being recruited through a casting agency Ms Cooper said: 'The British way of justice means that information is presented to the court by the police and CPS with restrictions on what can be said beforehand so the jury does not get partial or prejudicial information in advance, to make sure that the trial is fair and justice is done. 'Social media puts those long-established rules under strain, especially when partial or inaccurate information appears online, and the Law Commission is reviewing the contempt of court rules in that light. 'But, let me be clear, where the police, Government and journalists are given clear advice from the CPS about contempt of court or about not publishing information in advance of a trial, if we did not respect that and a killer walked free, we would never be forgiven.' Sir Keir said earlier: 'No words come anywhere close to expressing the brutality and horror in this case. 'Every parent in Britain will have had the same thought. It could have been anywhere, it could have been our children, but it was Southport. It was Bebe, six years old. Elsie, seven. Alice, nine. 'Back in August, I said there will be a time for questions, but that first, justice had to be done, and that, above all, we must not interfere with the work of the police, the prosecutors and the delivery of that justice. 'Well, yesterday, thankfully, a measure of justice was done, but it won't bring those girls back to their families, and it won't remove the trauma from the lives of those who were injured, their lives will never be the same. 'So before I turn to the questions that must now be answered for the families and the nation, I first want to recognise their unimaginable grief, because I know the whole country grieves for them. 'The tragedy of the Southport killings must be a line in the sand for Britain.' Airline staff had overlooked her in the hold Mittens the cat crossed the ditch three times Mittens, a Maine Coon kitty, has been returned to her owners after making three trans-Tasman flights due to an airline mistake. The eight-year-old cat was stowed in the cargo hold of an Air New Zealand flight bound for Melbourne from Christchurch last Monday. Owner Margo Neas said she expectantly waited for Mittens to reappear from the plane at Melbourne Airport. However, after three hours of waiting, Ms Neas had seen not hide nor hair of the feline. Then ground staff told Ms Neas the plane was already en route for New Zealand again - with Mittens still in the hold. 'I said, "How can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God",' Ms Neas told Associated Press. Staff managed to reach the pilot during the flight to inform him of the furry stowaway. He turned on the heating system in the belly of the plane to help keep the cat warm. Margot Neas sent her cat on a one-way flight to Australia, by the time Mittens arrived she'd crossed the Tasman thrice Ms Neas' son carried the worn out cat from Melbourne Airport after more than 21 hours of flight time Luggage handlers hadn't seen Mittens' cage, because a wheelchair was stowed in front of it. 'It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn't have the family, we weren't complete,' Ms Neas said. But the pet moving company Ms Neas had employed to arrange the kitty's travels met the cat in Christchurch and returned her to the plane for a third trip over the ditch. Ms Neas said her cat had lost a little weight but otherwise was unharmed by the back-to-back flights. The cat arrived escorted on a VIP forklift through Melbourne Airport after MoveMyPet staff greeted her at the gate. A typically standoffish house pet, Mittens was beside herself to be reunited with her family. 'She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time. It was just such a relief,' Ms Neas said. Air New Zealand told Ms Neas they would reimburse the costs associated with Mittens' jetsetting and apologised for any distress caused. Ms Neas said Mittens is a typically standoffish cat, but wanted nothing more than some cuddles after her voyages Air New Zealand's general manager of customer care, Alisha Armstrong, told Kiwi outlet Stuff the company had been in touch with Ms Neas. 'We apologise for the distress this experience has caused,' she said. 'Well work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesnt happen again.' Ms Neas assured the public that Mittens would receive royal treatment following the exhausting ordeal. She said the family is just relieved to have her home safe and sound. Prince Harry today accepted a 'substantial' payout from The Sun's publisher which said sorry to him and his mother Princess Diana for intruding into their private lives. News Group Newspapers (NGN) offered an 'unreserved apology' to the Duke of Sussex for using private investigators to snoop on him. It is understood Harry's payout is in excess of 10million, but he will have to use the majority of this sum to pay his lawyers fees. In a dramatic end to Harry's long-running legal battle, the publisher admitted private investigators used by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 had used unlawful methods to find out information about him. A statement read out in open court said NGN 'apologises to the duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years.' Outside the High Court, barrister David Sherborne declared 'this historic admission of guilt' had been achieved 'only through the sheer resilience of Prince Harry'. Mr Sherborne said: 'Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived.' Harry had previously vowed not to settle the six-year case out of court, insisting he was 'the last person' who could achieve a courtroom showdown with the newspaper group. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on March 30, 2023 David Sherborne gives a statement while standing next to Tom Watson But having repeatedly rebuffed peace offers, as the trial was finally due to open at 10.30am, his barrister David Sherborne told the court: 'I am pleased to announce to the court that the parties have reached an agreement.' It is the first time NGN, which had always denied the claims, has admitted unlawful activity in connection with The Sun. It did not admit any wrongdoing by executives or any phone hacking at The Sun. It apologised for phone hacking at the now-defunct News of the World. Lord Tom Watson, former Labour deputy leader, was also taking legal action against the publisher, and also settled his claim. The News Group Newspapers said: 'NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. 'NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. 'NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. 'We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. Lord Watson later delivered his own personal statement outside the court 'It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGN's response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable. 'NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009-2011. 'This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them. 'NGN also acknowledges and apologises for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson's family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages. 'In addition, in 2011 News International received information that information was being passed covertly to Lord Watson from within News International. We now understand that this information was false, and Lord Watson was not in receipt of any such confidential information. NGN apologises fully and unequivocally for this.' After the settlement was announced, Mr Justice Fancourt addressed the press and the public who had gathered in the court where the trial was due to take place, those in an overspill court, and a large number of the members of the media who had joined remotely. He said: 'I am sorry that you were kept waiting around yesterday, expecting the trial to start. 'I am sorry that for some time yesterday it was probably unclear to some of you what was happening.' Lord Watson and Mr Sherborne outside court following today's settlement He added that 'these things happen in litigation' and there is a limit to what can be said in circumstances where parties are close to reaching a settlement. Mr Justice Fancourt said the agreement would include terms of the settlement, some of which he would set out in the court order and others which would remain confidential. He also said that as a result of the settlement, the issues were not tried in this case, adding it would be 'hard to imagine' other claimants would take them to trial. Mr Justice Fancourt added that it was 'regrettable' the agreement was only reached at a very late stage as huge resources had been dedicated to preparing for the trial, but that it was the parties' prerogative to reach a settlement. Digital driving licences are to be introduced in Britain this year under plans to use technology to 'overhaul' public services. As emerging tech fills gaps in security, the government's own biometrics watchdog has warned that technology is fast outpacing regulation, with next-gen tools now able to single people out by how they walk or smell. Such technology could be a boon for police, who are increasingly using facial recognition systems to identify criminals. But advocacy groups warn of the potential for abuse in collating masses of personal data to hunt down crooks. China's 'Social Credit System' sparked concern that tech could be used to compile information on how people behaved to create a kind of credit rating that rewarded 'model citizens' who, for example, took care of the elderly, while sanctioning those who committed minor traffic offences. Reports emerged of people being penalised for criticising the government or failing to pay fines - with consequences said to range from being overlooked for loans to being barred from purchasing flights and train tickets. Fears of a secretive regime sanctioning citizens for getting drunk or jaywalking spawned wide speculation over what the system actually did, behind the myths - and who was making the decisions. In the end, the state was forced to clamp down on regions experimenting with their own overreaching policies. Today, China's Social Credit System is a reminder of the limits of the technology - and carries a warning about the role and efficacy of government. Commuters walk through a metro station in Beijing in March 2021. China is home to some 200,000,000 surveillance cameras A surveillance camera is installed at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 6, 2007 The Social Credit Score system was originally intended as a way of allocating a sort of credit rating - but fears soon emerged it could be used to penalise behaviours judged undesirable In 2019, Chinese state media boasted that a national Social Credit System - unveiled five years prior - would help the country 'restore social trust'. It was aimed at compiling information about behaviour and providing a rating that could help people decide whether to issue a loan or borrow money from a stranger outside the immediate family as China's economy swelled. But according to China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), authorities would go on to block millions of attempts to buy plane and train tickets for 'discredited individuals' who found themselves on a social blacklist. Online chat services were also ordered to verify users' identities, assess their credit score and keep a log of their group chats, deemed information that could be useful in assessing social value, the BBC reports. News of the system was met with horror in the West, where headlines centred on claims people find themselves 'discredited' for spreading malicious rumours, selling on train tickets or failing to pay parking tickets. State media reported in 2019 that individuals with low ratings could be banned from buying premium insurance, wealth management or real estate, and that their personal information would be listed in public. Western journalists able to speak to residents in China retold such horror stories of citizens burdened with a mandatory social credit rating that crept into every aspect of their lives. NBC reported that scores went from 350 to 950 and were based on habits and behaviours. China still had no unified system, but aimed to roll one out by 2020, the BBC reports. NBC noted that the system was developed by a private company in conjunction with the state, and looked to fill the void where China lacked a credit rating system to match its rapidly growing economy. China has indeed been developing a Social Credit System since the early 2000s, inspired by credit scoring systems around the world, according to Vincent Brussee, a PhD Candidate in China Studies at Leiden University, and author of 'Social Credit', who wrote extensively on the subject for German think-tank MERICS. Slowly, regions of China began running pilots for the scheme. From the early 2010s, local officials in the city of Suining - in eastern Sichuan - were reportedly deducting 'points' from people who petitioned the government or posted certain things online. 'Locals would earn points for looking after elderly family members or helping the poor and lose them for minor traffic offenses or if they illegally petitioned higher authorities for help,' Simina Mistreanu, a Greater China correspondent for the Associated Press, wrote in Foreign Policy magazine. 'High scorers were fast-tracked for job promotions and gained access to top schools, while those at the bottom were restricted from some permits and social services.' The policy, she said, was a disaster, judged 'unfair and arbitrary' by residents and state media alike. Suzhou, just west of Shanghai, on the other side of the country, planned penalties for not showing up for reservations or cheating in online games, Brussee noted. At its most frenzied, reports emerged claiming people's scores would be deducted in some regions for playing too many video games or drinking beer, echoed in Forbes. Brussee said this was 'demonstrably wrong', likely derived from a comment by an executive-level figure at Alibaba subsidiary Ant Financial. The executive was said to be developing an alternative way of credit scoring and sought to use non-credit data to inform decisions on whether or not to loan out money. They said that playing video games or drinking beer could be useful indicators, but there is no evidence this ever made it into a system. Ant Financial is a private company and separate from the government's own initiatives. Chinese officials did toy with the programme to offer certain benefits to citizens who behaved well. In 2021, officials said they were drawing up a 'code of conduct' for people to follow on the Beijing subways. Those who behaved properly - not eating on trains or carrying prohibited items, with good Social Credit Scores - were supposedly in line to benefit from a 'fast pass' system, getting on the busy metro before those with lower scores. Xie Yongjiang, head of internet management and legislation research at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication, told state-run newspaper Global Times that the system aims to 'inspire social trust and improve governance'. Beijing subway passengers with good social credit scores will be allowed to skip mandatory security checks and board trains faster, officials have announced Some 3.6 million Chinese citizens were deemed 'untrustworthy' by a social credit system, according to an annual report released in 2019 Rongcheng, way out in the east, attracted a lot of attention amid reports citizens were losing social credit points for littering or jaywalking. In 2019, NBC sent a reporter to the city to investigate. They described Rongcheng as the 'model' for an effective system - it was 'orderly', streets were 'spotless' and, unlike in much of China, 'cars slow down' for pedestrians. In an eerie twist, they found display cases of citizens who best aligned with the behaviours deemed to be good. Elsewhere, citizens who threw cigarette butts into the street or spread rumours lost points and were named and shamed in corresponding galleries, NBC claimed. The ramifications of this system were serious. Model citizens were entitled to certain discounts and benefits. But those with a low score were at risk of ending up on a blacklist, with restrictions placed on movement and their ability to buy a home or send their children to certain schools, the report said. Rather than relying on artificial intelligence, NBC reported that paid informants were given quotas to take notes on the behaviours of peers, feeding back instances of good behaviour and bad behaviour to inform a credit rating. The tests were inevitably not reliable and were susceptible to bias or faulty incentives of quota fulfilment, and did not take hold across the country. 'Rongcheng is a rather unique case because it has a very high proportion of CCP-membership and is otherwise a very small and unremarkable town,' Brussee assessed. Adding up points is not an exact science. In some regions of China, developments in facial recognition aided teams in identifying crooks and penalising them. NBC reported that AI was being used to improve surveillance, although Brussee contested this. In more low-tech environments, this could be simply recognising a number plate to catch a driver who ran a zebra crossing. But private companies, like Alibaba's Sesame Credit, were said to be working with the government on more complex algorithms in some limited capacity. According to the FT, Sesame 'draws upon the biggest pool of non-traditional ratings data in the world'. 'It synthesises details from hundreds of sources - ranging from purchases on Alibaba's Taobao marketplace to subway fares - into a single trustworthiness number for each user, called a "Sesame score"'. Social Credit 'seems to have worked in Rongcheng, albeit it never used any form of high-tech technology, but even this was shut down,' Brussee told MailOnline. In 2024, he noted, journalists visited the town to learn what had happened with the system 'and found that no one really cared about collecting points anymore'. 'The system had become opt-in only: penalties were disbanded, scoring became voluntary and the system only offered positive incentives.' The tests were decentralised and not imposed with consistency across China's 23 provinces. As a result, there is massive variation in reports of what they looked like and how people felt about them. In 2018, the national Cyberspace Administration of China summoned Ant Financial representatives to rebuke them for automatically enrolling 520 million people in its credit-scoring system. The regulator said it violated China's data protection standards. A year later, government officials started raising their concerns about the system, relaying that scores could not be used to penalise citizens, and that only formal legal documents could serve as ground for penalties. This brought the system more in line with its intended role as a credit rating. China had grown rapidly from the market reform of Deng Xiaoping but lacked a means of assessing how trustworthy lenders and borrowers were, essential to trade and continued growth. The Social Credit System promised to fix this, but never formally materialised as a national programme binding all citizens to stringent social obligations. Last year, Brussee assessed that the system was digitally fragmented and 'highly incomplete', focusing mainly on economics rather than political or social activities. 'Government digitisation initiatives worldwide are infamous for budget overruns, delays and failures to deliver on promises,' he wrote. 'China is no exception.' Today, Brussee said, 'there is no mandatory scoring system anywhere in China, be it private or state-run'. 'Insofar as voluntary scoring systems exist, they are not connected to state-mandated penalties.' 'Generally, you will find that very little has changed. If anything, it appears China's government is gradually losing interests in substantial parts of the system.' President Xi Jinping takes part in the Economic Leaders Meeting during the APEC summit in Lima, Peru on November 16, 2024 Rongcheng (pictured, 2024) was one of the major adopters of a social credit system, in which people would receive a rating based on their behaviour Most of the systems still in place 'resemble loyalty rewards programmes', offering benefits to loyal customers. But these are not clearly connected to 'blacklists', which do exist in some capacity for violators of serious crimes. 'None of that is to imply that surveillance in China does not exist (it does), just that the Social Credit System is not that.' For business, too, there is limited application. Michael Cunningham of corporate consultancy Control Risks told the FT in 2019: 'The social credit system is still in its infancy and is unlikely to develop into the fully functional, unified, centrally run system many envision by 2020.' The future is unclear for China's vague Social Credit System, largely as the state is still yet to clearly define what social credit is and what should be measured. The system, or 'fragmented collection of different systems' perhaps, highlights the challenges even centralised, wealthy states can have in introducing effective policy, supported by technology or not. The story of China's Social Credit System carries warnings about the scope of the state and the potential power of technology to curtail certain freedoms. But perhaps above all it serves as a symbol of the difficulties governments have in making such systems work. Witnesses to the deadly Turkish ski resort fire that claimed the lives of 76 people have described their horror seeing people throw themselves from windows to escape the blaze as children cried and a baby tragically died from smoke inhalation. The fire broke out at an 11-storey, 161-room hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in northern Turkey on Tuesday. Dozens were killed as they tried to escape, and 51 people were injured in the chaos. Baris Salgur, a cleaner at a hotel near the Grand Kartal, was among those laying down mattresses for survivors to jump down to. He said people trapped inside the building called out 'Please help, we're burning'. The 19-year-old said witnesses tried to calm the hotel guests, 'but there was nothing we could do'. 'We couldn't get in either.' He described seeing a man on the top floors holding a baby and shouting for a mattress he could throw his baby on. 'We told him to be a little calmer. He waited, then the fire department came and took them (out), but unfortunately the baby had died from smoke inhalation,' he said. Esra Karakisa, an employee at a nearby hotel, described the harrowing scenes as people brought ladders and mattresses to the scene so that victims could escape from windows as the inferno spread. 'It was awful. We were terrified. People were screaming. The cries of children especially affected us,' she said. 'We wanted to help but there was nothing we could do. I couldn't look, it was so terrifying.' Authorities have assigned six prosecutors to investigate the cause of the fire, which appeared to have started at the restaurant section on the fourth floor of the wooden-clad hotel and spread quickly through to the upper floors. At least nine people have been detained for questioning, including the hotel owner. Firefighters work to extinguish the fire at the Turkish ski resort on Tuesday Many jumped from windows to escape the inferno before firefighters arrived (pictured, Jan 21) An overhead view of the huge fire, with fire crews on the scene, on Tuesday Health officials are also working to identify the bodies of the victims found at the scene. Only 45 of the 76 bodies have been identified so far, according to Turkey's Interior Minister. Ali Yerlikaya spoke on Tuesday night as firefighters continued to try to extinguish the blaze. The Health Ministry said that one of the injured is still in serious condition, while 29 have been treated and released. The condition of those who made the perilous jump from hotel rooms was unclear. Witness Esra Karakisa said she brought clothes and water for the survivors while others rushed to bring mattresses for people to jump onto or propped up ladders against the wall to help them escape. 'It was very high, we couldn't extend a rope or anything of course. We were trying to do the best we could,' witness Baris Salgur said. 'People jumped from a great height, I couldn't look. There were two women at the top floor. The flames had literally entered the room. They couldn't stand it and jumped.' A view of the damage from a fire that broke out at a hotel in the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort Fire crews arrived on the scene some 45 minutes after the inferno broke out A large response attending the scene of the fire, on Tuesday Halime Cetin, an employee at a hotel adjacent to the Grand Kartal, said: 'There was no-one around. They were calling for firefighters.' 'They were breaking the windows. Some could no longer stand the smoke and flames, and they jumped.' A very shaken hotel employee, who did not give his name, said he saw guests at their windows screaming for help. 'I saw a father with his baby in his arms asking for pillows so he could throw down his son. Luckily he waited for the emergency services who saved them,' he told IHA. 'But on the top floor, two women threw themselves out of the window and died,' he said, explaining that students were staying on the top floor. The hotel had 238 registered guests at the time the fire broke out, according to Mr Yerlikaya. The fire was reported at 3.27am local time (12.27am GMT) and the fire department began to respond at 4.15am (1.15am GMT), some 45 minutes later, he told reporters. Officials and witnesses said the rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that part of the 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff. According to Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the hotel underwent inspections in 2021 and 2024, and 'no negative situation regarding fire competence' was reported by the fire department. The fire broke out at around 3.30am local time (0027GMT) in the restaurant area of the Kartalkaya Ski Resort Hotel and quickly engulfed the building The hotel had 238 registered guests at the time the fire broke out A man holds a talkie-walkie at the site of the aftermath of a fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, on January 22 'Two-hundred and sixty-seven personnel from various public institutions and organisations responded to the fire and the response is ongoing,' Yerlikaya wrote on X. The fire is thought to have started in the restaurant and quickly spread through the hotel which was covered with wooden cladding. The cause was not immediately clear. The resort is located on top of a mountain range about 170 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of the capital Ankara. More than 1,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year in a new record laying bare how Sir Keir Starmer is struggling to cope with the crisis. Two dinghies carrying 129 people were spotted by Border Force vessels on Tuesday despite poor visibility - taking the provisional total for 2025 to date to 1,019 in 18 boats with an average of 57 per vessel. This means it has only taken 21 days this year for crossings to reach 1,000 - the quickest time on record. The last record for the same period was in 2022, when 963 asylum seekers arrived in small boats. But they came in 34 vessels an average of 28 migrants per boat suggesting smugglers are using bigger boats and packing more people on to them. Those on board were brought into the Port of Dover, Kent after being taken onboard Border Force catamarans mid-Channel. It is a major blow for the PM, who has pledged to drive down Channel crossings by smashing Europe-based smuggling gangs upstream. He has met with several fellow leaders, including Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, to lobby for more co-operation with European capitals to stem the flow of migrants across the Continent. But the latest figures lay bare the failure of Sir Keir to get a grip of the issue quickly and suggest that axing the Tories Rwanda deportation scheme may have made things worse. Two dinghies carrying 190 people were spotted by Border Force vessels on Tuesday despite poor visibility It has only taken 21 days this year for crossings to reach 1,000 - the quickest time on record Those on board were brought into the Port of Dover, Kent after being taken onboard Border Force catamarans mid-Channel Scrapping the scheme, which supporters said was a deterrent against crossings, was one of his first acts as Prime Minister. He has instead launched a Border Security Command, headed by former police chief Martin Hewitt, in an effort to tackle the smuggling gangs. The data also suggest former Tory PM Rishi Sunak was right to claim that thousands of migrants were queueing up in Calais in anticipation of an incoming Labour government which had promised to ditch the Rwanda scheme. The official figures, published by the Home Office, showed that the busiest day for crossings this year was January 13, when 260 migrants arrived in five boats. A total of 61 arrived in the first week of this year, 327 in the second week and 631 in the seven days to Tuesday. Just 21 arrived during the first three weeks of 2020. Tory former immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, said: Their decision to scrap, not strengthen, the Rwanda scheme has backfired. Starmer talks of smashing the gangs but really he has surrendered to them. Danny Kruger, Tory MP for East Wiltshire, added: The only way to stop them [small boats] is to detain and deport all illegal arrivals, either back to their own country or to a safe third country like Rwanda. One man has reportedly died so far this year and others have been hospitalised as a result of the crossings. Last year, 36,816 people successfully crossed the busy shipping strait during the deadliest year on record for small boat migrants. Tuesday's arrivals mark the first in three days, despite favourable weather conditions. The latest numbers add pressure on the PM, pictured, as he struggles to get to grips with the issue Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, pictured, said the government had 'lost control' of Britain's borders On Monday a major rescue operation was launched to save 84 migrants crammed into one dinghy The French coastguard was alerted after witnesses on a a beach saw the overloaded inflatable attempting to make the crossing to the UK Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. On Monday a major rescue operation was launched to save 84 migrants crammed into one dinghy after it stranded on a sand bank as they tried to cross the English Channel. The French coastguard was alerted after witnesses on a a beach saw the overloaded inflatable attempting to make the crossing to the UK. A French customs vessel nearby was sent to the area to monitor the dinghy off Walde, near Calais. After arriving, the crew reported the dinghy had stranded on a sandbank but they could not get close enough to assist as the water was too shallow. The stranded migrants also made a distress call to the French authorities. A navy air sea rescue helicopter was scrambled as well as another boat to help with the rescue as the tide began to rise. 22 people isolated by the tide were recovered from the sandbank and transferred to the customs boat. The remaining 62 on board the dinghy, were able to carry on trying to reach the UK but they too put out a second distress signal. They rescue tug Abeille Normandie, chartered by the French Navy, went to assist and picked up the 62 people remaining on board the boat before dropping them off at the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were all taken care of by the rescue services on land. A Home Office spokesman said it would stop at nothing to dismantle the smuggling gangs business models and bring them to justice. Police are investigating 'despicable' racist KKK flyers spotted across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana which are urging immigrants to 'leave now' to avoid deportation. The vile Ku Klux Klan leaflets promoting racism, hate, and mass deportation surfaced on Dr. Martin Luther King Day, advertising the Trinity White Knights of the KKK and featuring an inflammatory image of Uncle Sam kicking a family out of the country. The flyers, headlined 'Leave Now. Avoid Deportation,' were reported in Ludlow, Fort Wright, and Bellevue, with local authorities condemning the material as 'disturbing and disgusting propaganda.' The Ludlow Police Department shared a copy of the poster on Facebook, revealing that it had already received complaints about the 'despicable flyers'. 'This hateful garbage has been turning up in other cities as well,' the post read. Police officials assured residents that they are investigating and will seek criminal charges if those responsible can be identified. Fort Wright Mayor Dave Hatter voiced his community's outrage, calling the flyers 'disgusting' and 'especially appalling' due to their appearance on Martin Luther King Day. 'Council, Staff, and I are outraged and dismayed that this has occurred in our community,' Hatter said. 'This type of hateful material has no place here.' The Ku Klux Klan leaflets promoting racism and deportation surfaced on Martin Luther King Day, advertising the Trinity White Knights of the KKK and featured an inflammatory image of Uncle Sam kicking a family out of the country The flyer, which encourages anti-immigrant sentiment, includes a cartoon of Uncle Sam holding a proclamation reading 'Mass Deportation in 2025' and 'Report Them All.' It provides contact details for KKK 'realms' in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, as well as a $1 membership application fee. Both the Ohio and Kentucky phone numbers listed on the flyer reportedly lead to voicemail recordings filled with hateful rhetoric. One message claims: 'In January, the world's going to change for a lot of people, especially the immigrants in Springfield, Ohio,' while another urges listeners to 'stand with us to fight illegal immigration, homosexuality, and every other form of wickedness.' Local authorities have confirmed that the flyers have also been reported in several Indiana towns, with similar messages of hate and division. While police have denounced the flyers as 'racist propaganda,' legal challenges to stopping their dissemination remain. FOX19 NOW spoke to one resident in Clifton, New Jersey, who found several of the flyers outside their window. 'It's just like very startling to see,' they said, as per a WKYT report. '[My primary concern is] that people are going to start getting hurt,' they added. 'It might just start with someone getting yelled at in the street. Then someone's going to get attacked, and heaven forbid someone might lose their life.' Bellevue Police Chief Jon McClain, issued a warning to those dishing out the flyers, telling Local12: 'We find you putting this stuff out, and well prosecute you for littering if we have to' The leaflets have been spotted in the streets across Ohio , Kentucky and Indiana The flyer, which encourages anti-immigrant sentiment, includes a cartoon of Uncle Sam holding a proclamation reading 'Mass Deportation in 2025' and 'Report Them All' Bellevue Police Chief Jon McClain, issued a warning to those dishing out the flyers, telling Local12: 'We find you putting this stuff out, and well prosecute you for littering if we have to. 'We dont want trash in our city, whether it be a pop can, a hamburger wrapper, or this garbage. We dont need that on our streets' According to Ludlow Police Lt. Greg Eastham, unless the material meets the threshold of a criminal offence, it is protected under the First Amendment's free speech provisions. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups across the US, reports that there are 1,430 such organisations operating nationwide, with several dozen in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Residents are being urged to contact police with any information about the flyers or those distributing them. Ludlow Police are asking for tips to be directed to 859-261-8186. Meanwhile, local leaders and community groups are rallying to condemn the spread of hate in their towns, vowing to stand united against the divisive messages. 'This kind of material is not welcome in our community,' Fort Wright's mayor emphasized. 'We will continue to do everything we can to ensure Northern Kentucky remains a safe and inclusive place for all.' As communities grapple with the fallout, many are calling for renewed efforts to combat hate groups and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Three of Britain's biggest supermarkets today gave their public backing to farmers in their fight against Labour's inheritance tax raid. Tesco, Lidl and Co-op joined growing calls for a 'pause' in the Government's implementation of the controversial Budget measures. Ashwin Prasad, Tesco's chief commercial officer, said he 'fully understood' farmers' fears about the looming changes. Lidl expressed it's 'concern' about the impact of the inheritance tax shake-up on farmers and the nation's food supply chain. And Co-op revealed it had contacted ministers to ask them to look again at the tax measures. All three have now joined other major supermarket chains Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons in offering their support for farmers. At her Budget in October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced farmers will pay a 20 per cent rate of inheritance tax on land and property they inherit worth more than 1million. Ministers have insisted their action - dubbed the 'family farm tax' - will only affect the wealthiest quarter of landowners. But the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and others say the impact of Ms Reeves' measures will be much more widespread. Critics claim the move could wipe out family-run farms with tight margins, as they will be forced to sell up in order to pay death duties. Tesco has become the latest supermarket chain to back Britain's farmers in their fight against Labour's inheritance tax raid Lidl also joined growing calls for a 'pause' in the Government's implementation of the controversial Budget measures Farmers have been staging a series of protests across the UK in the wake of the Budget, including at Westminster Farmers have been staging a series of protests across the UK in the wake of the Budget, including at Westminster. Mr Prasad said: 'One message is loud and clear: farmers desperately need more certainty. 'After years of policy change, it has been harder than ever for them to plan ahead or to invest in their farms. 'One current area of uncertainty is the proposed change to inheritance tax relief. 'With many smaller farms relying on APR (agricultural property relief) and BPR (business property relief) we fully understand their concerns. 'It's why we'll be supporting the NFU's calls for a pause in the implementation of the policy, while a full consultation is carried out.' Lidl said in a statement: 'Providing security and long-term investment for British agriculture is key to helping ensure that farmers can continue to produce affordable and increasingly sustainable food for generations to come. 'We are concerned that the recent changes to the inheritance tax regime will impact farmer and grower confidence and hold back the investment needed to build a resilient, productive and sustainable British food system. 'We, therefore, support the call by the farming community to pause the implementation of those changes and to consult with industry to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. 'We will be raising our concerns with Government at any opportunity we get.' Matt Hood, Co-op Food managing director, said: 'I can confirm we have directly contacted relevant Government departments to communicate our hope that they will look again at the impact of the IHT/APR changes. The looming changes - announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves - have been dubbed the 'family farm tax' by critics Farmers gathering at Whitehall for a demonstration against changes to inheritance tax announced in the Budget in October 'We have also agreed to sign the UK Farming Unions letter going to the Government imminently, to call for a re-consideration of the proposed tax changes.' Shortly after October's Budget, Sainsbury's urged ministers to 'listen to the concerns' of farmers about the tax changes. Earlier this month, Morrisons told farmers 'we're with you' in their fight against Labour's action. And, last week, Asda also offered their public backing for farmers by supporting the NFU's demand for a pause in Labour's implementation of the Budget measures. Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance said: 'Tesco and Lidl, like many other businesses, understand that they benefit from a buoyant family farming sector, something the Treasury's tax hike threatens to completely undermine. 'It is becoming almost impossible to find anyone that supports this policy, yet Rachel Reeves refuses to consult relevant rural stakeholders to find a way forward out of the unnecessary fall out created by her department. 'If the Government wants to avoid a long-running battle with countryside, they need to rethink this policy urgently' Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility claimed it was highly uncertain whether the tax would raise the anticipated 500million a year for the Treasury. The OBR said this was down to a number of factors, for example, gifting a farm to an heir while the owner is still alive and survives for a further seven years makes it ineligible for IHT. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: This OBR report confirms what we have repeatedly warned, that it will be older farmers who will be hardest hit by the Governments misguided family farm tax. Speaking at the recent Oxford Farming Conference, Environment Secretary Steve Reed offered an apology for having 'shocked' farmers with the Budget measures. The Cabinet minister blamed tax raid on a 22billion 'black hole' in the public finances left by the previous Tory government. 'It meant we had to take immediate tough decisions across the economy to balance the books, including on agricultural property relief,' he said. 'We were shocked by the size of the black hole we were left to fill. I'm sorry if some of the action we took shocked you in return. 'But stable finances are the foundation of the economic growth needed to get the economy growing again after it flat-lined through a decade of chaos.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast we have committed 5billion to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production, alongside our New Deal for Farmers to deliver a profitable farming sector and unlock rural growth. 'Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will mean farmers will pay a reduced inheritance tax rate of 20 per cent, rather than the standard 40 per cent, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. 'This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year.' The criminal investigation into the disappearance of teenager Alex Batty, who was missing abroad for six years after going to Spain with his mother and grandfather, has been discontinued. The investigation ended on the basis he and his family would not support a prosecution, Greater Manchester Police said. Alex Batty, 18, went missing seven years ago after travelling to Spain with his mother Melanie and grandfather David. He spent six years living a nomadic life with them in France, before deciding as a teenager to leave and return to the UK. After fleeing he was found by a delivery driver after he had walked for 22 miles over two days, drinking from mountain springs and sleeping in the woods. He left his mother and grandfather behind and returned to normal life in Oldham in December 2023, with his grandmother Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian at the time of his disappearance in 2017. After reporting to authorities and being reunited with Ms Caruana, Alex told how after first being taken to live his new life with his mother he was excited to be back with her - but after a few years he realised it was 'not the best for me'. 'In the past six years I've met one maybe two people my own age who I've made friends with,' Alex said. He described nomadic life as 'boring, to say the least' and 'very isolated from my own peers'. Alex Batty, 18, went missing seven years ago after travelling to Spain with his mother and grandfather Alex disappeared during a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie and grandfather David But after his return he begged police officers not to arrest either his mother or grandfather. Today, Greater Manchester Police said the force said they had closed the criminal investigation into the alleged kidnapping because Alex and his family did not support a prosecution. In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'Detectives in Oldham have explored all possible lines of inquiry, however we have concluded there is insufficient grounds to move forward with any criminal prosecution.' Detective Superintendent Matt Walker who has led this investigation said; 'Alex and his safety has been at the forefront of our minds and actions since he was found in Toulouse, France in 2023. 'In our commitment to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alex's disappearance be properly and thoroughly investigated. 'I led a dedicated team to do exactly that when Alex was first found, and this has continued since. 'We have consulted with various partners, such as a complex case CPS lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded there would be no realistic chance of criminal prosecution. 'Given this, the right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his family's lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for. 'Alex is now an adult, safe, and reintegrated with life back in Greater Manchester surrounded by those who love him, which ultimately is the priority.' Alex lived a nomadic lifestyle with his mother (pictured) for six years Alex is pictured with his mother and grandfather after allegedly being abducted when he was 11 Alex flew to Malaga in September 2017 before being taken to a 'spiritual community' in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Investigators believe Alex escaped the rural community in southern France and spent days trekking across the French Pyrenees before being picked up by a trucker who took him to a police station in Revel, near Toulouse After being 'kidnapped' by his relatives in 2017, the teenager first discussed returning to the UK with his mother at the age of 16, but said it was a split-second decision to leave when he escaped in December 2023, leaving a note to his mother on a table. He had already been considering leaving for two years previously after becoming concerned for his future prospects, having had no formal education since the age of 11. In an interview last year, Alex said he began to have doubts about the nomadic lifestyle favoured by his mother when, by the time he was 14, he took jobs in construction, painting and renovating houses in order to earn money to eat. He had already been taken across the border from Spain to France where they joined various spiritual 'communes' over the years. He walked out on his mother and his grandfather, David, after an argument. Alex said: 'It was a normal day. To be honest I didn't think I was going to [leave], it was a very very quick decision for it to be that day.' After finding out Alex had fled, his mother reportedly made a late-night dash from her remote hideaway in France and is said to have travelled to Spain. Alex Batty (pictured left) with his mother Melanie and grandfather David six years ago Melanie Batty sitting next to her father David Batty and her son Alex Batty at a market in June 2023 The then-17-year-old made his escape at midnight on December 11 when his mother was asleep in bed. He was found by a delivery driver after he had walked for 22 miles over two days, drinking from mountain springs and sleeping in the woods. After returning to the UK, Alex told The Sun: 'I had an argument with my mum and I just thought I'm gonna leave because I can't live with her.' He added: 'Shes a good person. But shes just not a great mom. She just doesnt do motherly things that youre supposed to do. Shes not very warm and open.' Alex said he had become weary of constantly moving house and working in exchange for food and boarding, and said he only made one friend his own age during his six years away - a Spanish girl he met in a cafe. He said he learned languages by himself and studied maths and computing from textbooks but didn't attend school. The man convicted of killing Brittanee Drexel admitted that his girlfriend was present on the night he went out 'hunting' for young girls and watched as he raped and killed the teenager. Raymond Moody, now 64, was sentenced to life in prison after leading authorities to Drexel's body in May 2022, putting an end to a decades-long cold case. The New York teen, then-17, went missing on April 25, 2009 while on a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She was kidnapped by Moody, who raped and killed her before burying her body the next day. Investigators said in 2012 that Moody was considered a person of interest in her case but he was never charged and the case grew quiet. A break in the case came in May 2022 when he was arrested on an obstruction of justice charge. According to police, that's when he admitted to raping and killing Drexel, and he was then sentenced to consecutive terms of 30 years on the charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct, and a life sentence on the murder charge. Moody's girlfriend Angel Cooper Vause, 56, was arrested in 2023 on charges in connection to the rape and murder of Drexel, and pleaded guilty to all three counts of making false statements to the FBI. The girlfriend of Raymond Moody, Angel Cooper Vause, now 56, will be sentenced in February for her involvement in the murder of Brittanee Drexel in 2009 The body of Brittanee Drexel, 17, was found May 2022, nearly 13 years after she disappeared while on spring break in South Carolina's Myrtle Beach in April 2009 A break in the case came in May 2022 when Raymond Drexel was arrested on an obstruction of justice charge. According to police, that's when he admitted to raping and killing Drexel Ahead of Vause's sentencing next month, Moody has claimed that not only was she with him as he viciously strangled Drexel, but she was part of the plot to abduct and rape the teen, according to a federal sentencing memorandum obtained by People. Moody's claim comes from an interview he gave to the FBI in November at Liber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville on November 13. Speaking to investigators, Moody said that he and Vause went out 'hunting' for young girls on the night they abducted the teenager. He also claimed that Vause had sent him a text just before their 'hunt', in which she told him she 'had always fantasized about snatching some girl.' Moody replied to Vause with, 'That's all you needed to say to me.' and asked her:'so you want to go hunting with me, huh?'. She replied, 'Yeah.'' He told the special agents that the text triggered and surprised him because he was not seriously contemplating that type of criminal activity with Vause because he said he usually did that alone. They first attempted the abduction on April 24, 2009, the night before Drexel was taken, but he said they had 'some phone activity' and Moody was concerned about leaving an electronic footprint. Drexel was picked up by Raymond Moody and then later assaulted and killed by Moody Surveillance footage on April 25, 2009, caught Drexel leaving the Blue Water Resort, after visiting a friend wearing a teal and black shirt she had texted her friends about Bar Harbor Resort on Myrtle Beach, where Drexel was staying at the time of her disappearance A memorial tree honoring Drexel was planted in Grand Park near Myrtle Beach in 2012 The following night, Moody and Vause came across Drexel walking alone from The Blue Water resort to the Bar Harbor in Myrtle Beach. After driving past Drexel twice, Moody claimed it was Vause who helped lure the teen to their car by claiming they were tourists and offered her a ride back to her hotel. Moody added that Vause was the one who spoke to Drexel in order to 'soften her up and maybe even earn her trust.' Once Drexel had gotten into the car, Moody had Vause take the wheel so he could restrain the teen in the backseat. The couple then took Drexel to a tent they already had set up at the Pole Yard Boat Landing in Georgetown. Vause had time to release Drexel while Moody was away, but did not, he told investigators. Moody then said that after raping Drexel he strangled her with a rope, according to the document. Moody said that he does not recall Vause taking part in the killing and said that she was unaware of his intentions to kill Drexel after the rape. He noted, however, that she was in the tent during the murder and that she did not try to stop him. Moody later buried his victim alone at a construction site. Moody's interview came after he agreed to provide the 'complete and truthful information about the abduction, rape, and murder of Brittanee' in exchange for the Drexel family's allowance of a portion of Moody's property to remain in a trust for Vause's grandchildren. In November 2022, chilling texts Drexel had sent to her boyfriend the night she vanished were revealed. She had texted her friends throughout the day, court documents revealed at the time, reaching out to her boyfriend in her hometown of Rochester, New York, to complain about something less than one hour before she was reported missing. 'I'll tell you later when you call me,' Drexel told her boyfriend, adding: 'I'm so heated.' Drexel later told him she was planning to just stay in that night and pack before going to sleep. Throughout the day, the teen sent text messages to her boyfriend, her friends she voyaged to Myrtle Beach with, as well as people she met while on vacation there. In one text, Drexel tells a friend she had borrowed a pair of shorts and made plans to meet at their hotel later in the day to return them. And in another, she tells a friend she 'went for [a] walk' and asked 'what's going on tonite?' Drexel also talks about her outfit, describing the teal and black shirt she was later seen wearing in surveillance footage at the Blue Water Resort, after visiting a friend. By 8:58 pm, Drexel sent her boyfriend one last text message reading: 'I'm staying in packing and going to sleep probably.' Although the phone records show no other messages from the teen, her boyfriend and her friends grew increasingly worried about her lack of a response. One texted, 'Send me something, we think ur missing.' Another told Drexel to 'stop playing games,' while her boyfriend simply wrote: 'Babe im concerned.' Throughout the night, the court documents say, Drexel's phone continued to ping off different locations in the Myrtle Beach area before it died at 11:57 pm. Her body was ultimately found buried in a shallow grave on the property of Moody's Georgetown home. Her remains were positively identified using dental records and DNA. A coroner later determined that Drexel died from strangulation. READ MORE: Influencer dies after going under general anaesthetic for a back tattoo Calls for government to do more for pharmacists Researchers have warned Australia has an alarming shortage of essential prescription medications - with patients battling to access life-saving treatments. A study conducted by the University of South Australia revealed Australian pharmacists are at the mercy of unpredictable global supply chains for vital products. Of 142 pharmacists in the study, 90 per cent said they have to find alternative suppliers for medicines on a weekly basis. The same proportion of pharmacists revealed they often substitute less optimal medicines because the required ones are unattainable. 'There have been particular groups of medicine that have been in very short supply and extremely difficult to source,' Matthew Gillespie of the Pharmacy Guild told Nine News. Adelaide pharmacist Theo Skrembos said the shortages have affected medications that treat diabetes, cholesterol, and even antibiotics. Hormone replacement medications have also been in short supply. Ninety per cent of Australia's medication is sourced from overseas, and supply issues are hard to predict. Twenty-four-year-old Harrison Cal said obtaining his daily insulin medications has become a struggle Mr Cal said he has to call up to 10 pharmacies to get the diabetes medication he needs 'That comes with an increased cost, which you have to pass on to your patient then, which during a cost of living crisis, is a little bit unreasonable,' Mr Skrembos said. One 24-year-old Australian living with type-1 diabetes, Harrison Cal, said he has been fighting for months to obtain the long-acting insulin medications he requires twice every day. 'I have to call 8 to 10 pharmacists, and they won't even stock Levimere or sometimes even Novorapid they do not have,' Mr Cal said. The federal government said the shortages are unavoidable and that they are working on a way to ensure more medications are produced in Australia. JD Wetherspoon today confirmed the locations of 11 new pubs in England set to open this year including two at London railway stations and another at an airport. New sites at London Bridge station and Fulham Broadway Underground station in West London are planned as well as one at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2. The pub chain also confirmed new venues at Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, Wetherby in West Yorkshire, Bath in Somerset and Fareham in Hampshire. This takes its total pub openings in its financial year to nine - after two new venues opened last September, at London Waterloo station and Marlow in Buckinghamshire. Separately, the chain is also opening four new pubs at Haven holiday parks in England this spring in a 6.7million investment as the duo expand their partnership. The new sites will be located at Devon Cliffs in Exmouth, Kent Coast in Allhallows, Cleethorpes Beach in Lincolnshire and Haggerston Castle in Northumberland. This will take the total pub openings to 11 in 2025, and 13 over the financial year. Wetherspoon is also planning to open a pub in Farnham, Surrey, after purchasing the site of a former Slug & Lettuce venue - but no opening date has yet been set. Your browser does not support iframes. Wetherspoon chairman Sir Tim Martin says the firm is set to face a 60million jump in labour-related costs in April, amid increases in employers' NI contributions and the minimum wage The business also confirmed today that six pubs have been sold over the year, generating 4.1million - and the firm now has a trading estate of 796 pubs. Wetherspoon pubs opening in 2025 London Bridge station Fulham Broadway Underground station Manchester Airport Terminal 2 Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire Wetherby, West Yorkshire Bath, Somerset Fareham, Hampshire HAVEN Devon Cliffs in Exmouth Kent Coast in Allhallows Cleethorpes Beach in Lincolnshire Haggerston Castle in Northumberland Advertisement The announcements were made as the Watford-based hospitality giant, which employs 42,000 people, revealed stronger sales for the half-year so far. Wetherspoon chairman Sir Tim Martin also today called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to cut pub food taxes ahead of a jump in costs linked to the Budget. He said it faces a 60million jump in labour-related costs in April, amid rises in employers' national insurance contributions and the minimum wage. Mr Martin said the business is in a 'reasonable' position but that forecasting is 'difficult' in the face of impending tax and wage increases. As a result, he renewed calls to equalise the VAT paid on food by pub and restaurant businesses with that of supermarkets. Most food and drink in shops has zero VAT whereas restaurants and pubs have a standard rate of 20 per cent. 'This tax advantage allows supermarkets to subsidise the price of beer they sell,' Sir Tim said. 'The VAT distortions that exist today will inevitably create more supermarkets and less pubs. 'Wetherspoon therefore calls upon Sir Keir Starmer to redress this imbalance, thereby striking a blow for tax equality and ending discrimination in favour of dull dinner parties.' Wetherspoon opened The Lion & The Unicorn pub at London Waterloo station last September The Grand Assembly in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was also opened in September last year An artist's impression of the Wetherspoon pub planned for Cleethorpes Beach in Lincolnshire Wetherspoon opened the Five Stones pub at Primrose Valley Holiday Park in Filey last March It came as the pub company reported higher sales over recent months. It said like-for-like sales rose by 5.1 per cent over the 25 weeks to January 19 compared with a year earlier. The firm added that rising food sales were a key driver, increasing by 5.6 per cent year on year, while bar sales were up 4.5 per cent. This helped to offset a 6.5 per cent slump in the sale of its hotel rooms. Wetherspoon also highlighted that sales accelerated around Christmas. There was a 6.1 per cent increase over the three weeks from December 16 to January 5. However, this was weaker growth than reported by pub rivals such as Marston's and Young's over the festive period. The expansion of the Haven partnership comes after Wetherspoon opened its first site at one of its holiday parks at Primrose Valley in Filey, North Yorkshire, last March. Vets are more likely to die by suicide due to their knowledge of and access to lethal drugs, their professional regulator has admitted. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) said it has had to focus on reducing vet deaths by suicide in recent years because the rate is higher than that of the general public. The admission follows the death of a talented vet who killed himself with a drug used to euthanise pets after he became increasingly distressed at putting animals down. Dr John Ellis, 35, from Winchester, was upset that pet owners with brand new cars parked outside his surgery would not pay to help their animals and instead asked to put them down, an inquest heard last year. He told his mother Tina Ellis that clients who could not afford treatment often brought their pets in too late for anything to be done, which she said her son found destroying. Dr Ellis had been secretly cheating on his partner of 12 years, Ashley James, with another man, Ryan Hunt, which also troubled him, the inquest was told. Stressed Dr Ellis tricked a vet nurse at a Hampshire practice called Animed, where he had previously worked, to give him the deadly medication by falsely claiming he needed it to put down a friends large dog. Instead, he used the drug to take his own life via an intravenous drip and died in November 2022. Dr John Ellis, 35, from Winchester, killed himself with a drug used to euthanise pets after he became increasingly distressed at putting animals down Following an inquest, Hampshire coroner Simon Burge raised concerns that other vets could invent a story and easily obtain lethal drugs without proper controls The RCVS admitted Dr Ellis should never have been given the drug he acquired at the pet hospital because he did not have a prescription. Following an inquest, Hampshire coroner Simon Burge raised concerns that other vets could similarly invent a story and easily obtain lethal drugs without proper controls. In response to Mr Burges Prevention of Future Deaths report, the RCVS said it has been dedicating specific resources to trying to stop vets from taking their own lives. It admitted vets are at risk and it is considering imposing individualised prevention plans for vet practices. The RCVS said: Research suggests that suicidal ideation is not higher in the veterinary profession compared to the general population. However, we recognise that the likelihood of completion is increased due to knowledge of and access to lethal means. As such, reducing instances of suicide in the veterinary profession has been an area of focus in many aspects of our work in recent years. According to guidelines, a written prescription is required when medicine is supplied by a registered qualified person (a veterinary surgeon, for example) working from a different business or premises from where the product was initially prescribed. Dr Ellis told his mother that clients who could not afford treatment often brought their pets in too late for anything to be done, which she said her son found destroying Such a written prescription must contain specific information including the animal the medicine has been prescribed for and the owners details. In view of these rules, the regulator said: As has already been acknowledged by Animed, in this case the medicine should not have been supplied to Dr Ellis, as a non-employee, without a written prescription. The RCVS also said each vet surgery must have individualised approaches to ensuring safety when handling deadly drugs. As you will appreciate, access to and knowledge of how to use lethal medicines is a necessary part of a veterinary surgeons role. As such, in terms of barriers to access, there is a balance to be struck between keeping the veterinary team safe and ensuring animal health and welfare is protected. It cited the suggestion of a two-person rule - whereby two vet surgeons are involved whenever euthanasia drugs are accessed - as potentially impractical. We recognise that this may work for some practices and species areas, and we note it is one of the measures put in place by Animed following Dr Ellis death. However, for ambulatory practitioners and those on call overnight in rural areas, a two-person rule is largely impractical and would likely be detrimental to animal welfare. The RCVS called instead for an individualised approach for each specific practice, as opposed to a single set of guidance with general application. The regulator said it has agreed to look at requiring practices to have individualised suicide prevention plans, the aim being to reduce incidents and protect staff and the wider public. The body said it takes supporting mental health within the profession very seriously and works to be a compassionate regulator. It also pointed to its efforts to minimise the impact of the complaints process on vets and to its Mind Matters Initiative (MMI), which it has run for the last ten years. The MMI is a campaign which aims to support vet wellbeing through research, training and protective resources, helping team members to thrive, the RCVS said. A child and adult are reported to have been killed during a knife attack in Germany, with two others wounded, local media reports. The violent attack was carried out around 11.45am local time in a park in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg. Three adults and a child were attacked, BILD reports, with two of the victims succumbing to their injuries. The report said the child was one of the two fatalities. Police confirmed that two people had died while two others were seriously injured in the attack, and are now being treated in hospital. A man was arrested at the scene and is in detention, said police, who added that there are no other suspects. An eyewitness told the Main-Echo newspaper that the man was taken away 'in a headlock.' The motive for the attack remains unclear and police have asked that people refrain from speculation. There is no further danger to the public, a police spokesperson said. Rescue and security worker are seen near the crime scene in Aschaffenburg, Germany Police and ambulances were pictured near the scene in Schontal Park, Aschaffenburg Investigators earlier said that two people had been provisionally arrested. They later shared an update that the second person was a witness and was being questioned. A large area was cordoned off covering Schontal Park, police said, and rail traffic in the area was temporarily suspended. The suspect is believed to have tried to escape by running across nearby railway tracks, German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. In November, police classified parts of the city centre park as a 'dangerous place' due to an increase in 'drug-related crimes', which reportedly included robbery and assault. There were reported to be regular patrols of the area, which is potentially why the suspect was apprehended so quickly. Police have asked for witnesses to come forward and share any relevant pictures or videos as the investigation into the attack continues. Iraq's parliament today passed several laws that critics say will effectively legalise child marriage for girls as young as nine. The amendments to Iraq's personal status law will give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance - a dramatic change to the unified family law and safeguards for women established in 1959. Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases, but the changes passed Tuesday would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law. Some of these interpretations allow the marriage of girls in their early teens - or as young as nine - under the Ja'afari school of Islamic law followed by many Shiite religious authorities in Iraq. Proponents of the changes, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shiite lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce Western influence on Iraqi culture. But Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and a member of the Iraqi Women's League, said passage of the civil status law amendments 'will leave disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls through the marriage of girls at an early age'. 'This violates their right to life as children, and will disrupt the protection mechanisms for divorce, custody and inheritance for women,' the activist declared. Iraqi women hold banners and chant slogans during a protest against the amendment of the Personal Status Law, at Tahrir Square in central Baghdad, Iraq Iraqi women demonstrate against underage marriage in Tahrir Square This amendment 'will leave disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls through the marriage of girls at an early age', says Iraqi human rights activist Intisar al-Mayali The parliamentary session which saw the passage of the amendments ended in chaos and accusations of procedural violations. 'Half of the lawmakers present in the session did not vote, which broke the legal quorum,' a parliamentary official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly. He said that some members protested loudly and others climbed onto the parliamentary podium. After the session, a number of legislators complained about the voting process, under which all three controversial laws - each of which was supported by different blocs - were voted on together. 'Regarding the civil status law, we are strongly supporting it and there were no issues with that,' said Raid al Maliki, an independent MP. 'But it was combined with other laws to be voted on together... and this might lead to a legal appeal at the Federal Court.' Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in a statement praised the laws' passage as 'an important step in the process of enhancing justice and organising the daily lives of citizens.' The parliament also passed a general amnesty law that is seen as benefiting Sunni detainees and has been criticised as giving a pass to people involved in corruption and embezzlement. The chamber passed a land restitution law aimed at addressing Kurdish territorial claims. The proposed amendments to the law were first announced in August, sparking a wave of demonstrations in Baghdad. With many Iraqi marriages conducted informally and left unregistered, the revisions will allow figures from Sunni and Shia religious sects to finalise unions between people in law. The law previously stated that marriage requires 'a sound mind and completing 18 years of age', with provisions for women fleeing abuse in annulling a contract. Proposed amendments to the law, including lowering the age of marriage for women, were first announced in August, sparking a wave of demonstrations in Baghdad Protesters hold up signs in English and Arabic calling for secular law to protect children An Iraqi woman holds a banner reading in Arabic 'amending the Personal Status Law will deepen societal division' during a protest in Baghdad on August 8, 2024 Fifteen-year-olds could submit a marriage request, which judges could choose to approve if they deem the individual well and obtain their legal guardian's consent. A judge could permit the marriage of a 15-year-old 'if he finds this absolutely necessary', the law stated, without providing further details. Under the new laws, marrying Muslim couples would choose either a Sunni or Shia sect, who would be able to represent them in 'all matters of personal status' - rather than the civil judiciary. 'When a dispute occurs between the spouses regarding the doctrine according to whose provisions the marriage contract was concluded, the contract is deemed to have been concluded in accordance with the husband's doctrine unless evidence exists to the contrary,' the draft says. And figures from the offices of each 'endowment' would be able to finalise marriages, rather than the courts. This may also see unregistered marriages - more than a fifth of which involve girls under 14 - legitimised by the state. The current amendments circulating do not directly refer to the issue of child marriages - but previous drafts have, inspiring sharp and ongoing criticism from rights activists. Yanar Mohammed, president of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), told Middle East Eye the Coordination Framework was using the changes to distract from their own 'corruption' and political failures. She said the proposals served to 'terrorise Iraqi women and civil society with a legislation that strips away all the rights that Iraqi women gained in modern times'. Ms Mohammed added that the bill would 'force archaic Islamic sharia on them that regards women as bodies for pleasure and breeding, and not as human being[s] with human rights.' A potential Texas Democratic political candidate has a social media presence filled with racist tweets and vulgar posts about President Donald Trump. Tejano music superstar Bobby Pulido is being heavily recruited to run for the House of Representatives in Texas' 15th district in 2026, according to Politico. Republican Monica De La Cruz won the district with 57.1 percent of the vote in November. Democrats in South Texas think the Latin Grammy winner could help them gain ground in an area where Trump has surged in popularity. 'I have strongly encouraged Bobby to run for Texas 15,' said former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who represented a neighboring district until 2022. 'His professional popularity, his political acumen and his center-right disposition make him the ideal candidate for that district. The Democratic Party needs to start getting smart about the candidates that we put forth. Bobby will take that seat back.' However, his social media presence is filled with racist and vulgar posts that are likely to be used as ammo against his campaign, reported Fox News. 'How convenient that Wikileaks only hacked the democrat party. Open your Asian eyes. That's more rigged than anything,' Pulido said in a 2016 Twitter exchange with an account called GOP Asian Americans. Tejano music superstar Bobby Pulido (pictured) is being heavily recruited to run for the House of Representatives in Texas' 15th district The two went back and forth about Trump's 2016 campaign against Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 'You are f*****g blind if you think she is worse than he is,' Pulido said. Pulido made a derogatory statement towards other races in 2015 when a Twitter user asked him in Spanish, 'What would you say to people who bully me because I listen to your music?' 'Tell them I said f**k their race,' Pulido replied. It is unclear which race he was referring to. In other posts, Pulido has made vulgar comments towards Trump - which could dissuade voters in the 15th district, where Trump won the 2024 election by three points across some portions. 'C****a a tu madre,' Pulido said in a tweet to Trump in December 2016, which translates to 'F**k your mother.' 'I'd like to give you the biggest "f**k you" you piece of s**t, a****e, d**k head, son of a b***h,' he said in a 2017 tweet to Trump. Pulido even admitted his intentions to run for office during a livestream announcing his retirement from music in November. Pulido even admitted his intentions to run for office during a livestream announcing his retirement from music in November Welcome to MAGALAND: Insider Trump's Second 100 Days - The podcast bringing you the latest news and gossip from the White House. Listen here. 'Growing up, I was always intrigued by the idea of public service. In 2026 I'll be running for public office in the attempt to fulfill my lifelong dream to serve my people,' he said. Pulido did not specify which political party he would run with during his November announcement. 'People are exhausted from a grueling political season. In due time, everyone will know what I stand for and in what capacity I'd like to serve,' he said. However, he joined Beto ORourke for a rally during his run for Texas Senate against Ted Cruz back in 2018, according to Rolling Stone. Pulido started his music career in 1995 with the platinum-selling album Desvelado. He has since released 14 albums and earned a Latin Grammy for his EP Para Que Baile Mi Pueblo in 2022. DailyMail.com contacted Pulido for comment. A Russian spy ship fled UK territorial waters after a Royal Navy submarine surfaced next to it in a show of force, The Defence Secretary revealed today. John Healey told MPs he approved a mission targeting the Yantar, saying it was 'loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure' at the time. The vessel scarpered to the Mediterranean, followed by surface vessels and RAF aircraft, after being spooked by the sub in the North Sea in November. But it is currently making the return journey through the English Channel, shadowed again by Navy warships, the Commons was told. It is understood to have occurred in the vicinity of Widemouth Bay on the north Cornish coastline. An RAF maritime patrol aircraft, alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus, shadowed her every move. The Yantar's crew eventually complied with a 'polite' warning issued by the submarine's crew - which included the phrase 'good morning' - and headed towards the Mediterranean. The Mail understands a second Royal Navy submarine may have then secretly followed the Yantar on that jouney south. It is the latest incident in which Russian vessels have been accused of shady behaviour. Almost 200 RN sailors were recalled on Christmas Day so they could be deployed to shadow Russian warships spotted in the North Sea and English Channel. Frigate HMS Somerset set sail on Friday December 27, to keep a watch on the corvette RFS Soobrazitelny and two support vessels, MV Sparta II and MV General Skobelev for almost 500 miles. Mr Healey told MPs today: 'I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what you're doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.' John Healey told MPs he approved a mission targeting the Yantar, saying it was 'loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure' at the time. The vessel legged it to the Mediterranean, followed by surface vessels and RAF aircraft after being spooked by the sub in the North Sea in November. But it is currently making the return journey through the English Channel, shadowed again by Navy warships (pictured), the Commons was told. Mr Healey told MPs today: 'I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what you're doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.' 'It was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps then as part of a clear direct response to the Russian vessel. 'RAF maritime patrol aircraft alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus were deployed to shadow Yantar's every movement. 'Today, I also wanted to confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. 'The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.' He added: 'Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure. 'Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday. 'For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters.' Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said he supported the Government's openness over how it was tackling the Russian naval threat. Mr Cartlidge said the Conservative opposition stood 'shoulder to shoulder' with Labour over their approach. He said: 'We welcome that transparency because it is critical for our war readiness that as far as we are able, and without compromising our national security and operational security, we tell the British public the truth about the serious nature of the Russian threat and what that will inevitably mean for public expenditure on defence. 'I specifically welcome the change to the Royal Navy's rules of engagement. This sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond.' Speaking about this week's incident, HMS Somerset's Commanding Officer, Commander Matthew Teare, said: 'The Royal Navy is always there when the nation needs, protecting our home and the waters that surround it. 'This is routine business for HMS Somerset's ship's company and the Royal Navy, but it is nonetheless vital work for the UK's security and I am proud of the professionalism of my crew.' Somerset covertly launched her Merlin helicopter, which used its powerful sensors to locate the Russian ship as it made its way north towards the English Channel. The Type 23 frigate closed in on Yantar's location and intercepted it in the entrance to the Channel south of the traffic separation scheme at Ushant, near France. The Plymouth-based warship took over monitoring duties from NATO allies after they shadowed Yantar in waters close to France. Somerset used her cutting-edge radars and sensors to report on every move during the operation, as she maintained a close distance to Yantar through the Channel and the Strait of Dover. In recent months, the 354ft-long Yantar has been operating in northern European waters as part of a surge of Russian maritime activity. The vessel entered service in 2015 as part of the Russian Navy's top secret Underwater Research Directorate. She belongs to the Northern fleet and her home port is Severomorsk. Yantar, which as a displacement of 5,736 tons, has been equipped with surveillance and interception equipment and can operate submersible drones capable of reaching the Atlantic Ocean floor. Powered by a diesel-electric engine and with a top speed of 15 knots. Yantar has a complement of 60 sailors - many of them trained in espionage and electronic warfare. The Mail understands Yantar may have been surveying the Cornish coastline. A large number of transatlantic cables make landfall in Widemouth Bay, a popular spot for swimmers and surfers. The beach is also six miles from a GCHQ listening station. The facility, known for its giant white satellite dishes, celebrated its 50th year of operation in 2024. According to official government websites, teams at GCHQ Bude 'engage in the full breadth of GCHQ's operational work, but with a key focus on maintaining and managing the collection of data'. Much of this data, and much of this country's internet traffic flows through the cables, which explains its interest to the Russians. The UK and its NATO allies are increasingly concerned about the risk Russia poses to offshore cables and pipelines. Increasing fears of Kremlin sabotage triggered a military response yesterday as the Ministry of Defence announced a P-8 Poseidon and a Rivet Joint spy planes will join the new Baltic Sentry NATO deployment to protect critical undersea infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Proteus has been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure. An infuriated female mayor in Nevada has threatened legal action against a councilwoman who allegedly spread 'spurious rumors' about a steamy affair involving her. Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero has been allegedly engaging in an extramarital affair, according to Councilwoman Carrie Cox. Romero, who was elected in June 2022, has since hired a law firm to represent her and sent a cease and desist letter to Cox over her sordid allegations. The firm, Pisanelli Bice, sent the legal warning to Cox on January 7 in an attempt to get the councilwoman from spreading more alleged 'cruel' rumors about an affair involving the mayor. 'The only plausible purpose that you could have for broadcasting such cruel and despicable statements is to intentionally inflict injury on the mayor, her family and others,' Jordan Smith, a partner with Pisenelli Bice, said in the letter, reviewed by 8 News Now. The letter does not name the person involved in the alleged rumors and does not specify exactly what the alleged affair entailed. In response to the letter sent by Romero's legal team, the firm Marquis Aurbach has strongly disputed the claim that Cox spread rumors about the mayor. 'Your client's demand is utterly devoid of any specific statements or identified credible sources supporting a claim of defamation and which would make your demand for retraction futile,' a lawyer with the firm, Brian Hardy, wrote. Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero (far left) has been accused of engaging in an extramarital affair, according to Councilwoman Carrie Cox (far right). (Pictured: Cox and Romero at a meeting on Tuesday) Romero, who was elected in June 2022, has since hired a law firm to represent her and sent a cease and desist letter to Cox over her allegations. (Pictured: Romero with her husband Ben in June 2024) Pictured: Councilwoman Carrie Cox 'Simply put, without knowing what was specifically said, when it was said and to whom the statements were made, my client has no way of addressing the allegations of your client.' In September, Cox allegedly told attendees at a meeting for the Southern Hills Republican Women (SHRW) club about the reported affair, according to an email sent to the outlet. The alleged conversation 'disturbed' a meeting attendee, a member revealed, adding that the accusations were just 'gossip.' 'The conversation disturbed [a member] because she couldn't understand why she was telling her,' they said. 'I told [the member] to ignore the gossip and that it was simply what it is: GOSSIP.' In November, Cox was allegedly heard speaking of the reported affair again at another SHRW meeting, according to a city email. 'The toxicity and malicious intent to destroy two marriages as well as bring it into our club is not only disturbing but disgusting as well. And I wish it to stop,' the anonymous member wrote. Romero has been married to her husband Ben Romero for 38 years, according to her Facebook account. They share four sons together and recently welcomed their 10th grandchild, her page detailed. Romero with her husband Ben In response to the letter sent by Romero's legal team, the firm Marquis Aurbach has strongly disputed the claim that Cox was spreading rumors about the mayor. (Pictured: Cox in November 2024) Romero (pictured) has been married to her husband Ben Romero for 38 years. They share four sons together and recently welcomed their 10th grandchild Following the alleged rumors being spread at the meeting, city officials were also made aware of more being shared with the City of Henderson Police Department, documents stated. Romero has also warned the department's union attorney Andrew Regenbaum that she will pursue legal action against any officers that get involved in the alleged rumors, documents continued. In the wake of the drama, Cox took to Facebook Tuesday night, sharing that she has received an immense amount of support from the community. 'When you stand for truth, transparency and looking out for the best interest of your constituents you often stand alone. Those who know me know I am unwavering in my commitment to represent the needs of our great city and residents,' she wrote. 'Unfortunately, standing for these things means going against the grain and having the courage to face criticism from those with lesser standards. Cox added that she 'will not be bullied' and will continue to 'stand unwaveringly against those who seek power or control rather than understand what it means to be a public servant. On Saturday, Cox shared an image of her and Romero smiling together as they cut a ribbon for a new park in the city. Cox (middle) took to Facebook Tuesday night and said that she 'will not be bullied' and will continue to 'stand unwaveringly against those who seek power or control rather than understand what it means to be a public servant' 'Although it may feel isolating at times, I will never waiver in protecting the citizens, businesses, and first responders of Henderson. I will not conform to doing something simply because it's easier to do. 'Rather, I am committed to stand against those opposed to transparency, public safety and political integrity. I invite those who share those same values to stand with me.' On Saturday, Cox shared an image of her and Romero smiling together as they cut a ribbon for a new park in the city. 'You are going to love it! While we were having our program and ribbon-cutting the sound of the childrens voices, laughter, and excitement was incredible,' she wrote. During a meeting on Tuesday evening business went on as usual as the two women sat in between another person. DailyMail.com contacted Cox and Romero's legal teams for comment. A tourist was arrested after allegedly going on a drunken, racist tirade at a Miami bar and telling a bartender President Trump would deport him while refusing to pay his bill. Michael John Nixon, 42, of Arlington, Virginia was taken into custody on Sunday after allegedly harassing a Latino bartender and punching another employee at Norman's Tavern in Miami Beach, Florida. Nixon also refused to pay his $130 bar tab around 11:15pm on Sunday, telling staff: 'I won't pay s**t,' according to Local 10. The Arlington resident then broke a glass cup and threatened to break more items while making 'Hispanophobic' remarks, according to police. 'Hola. English, motherf**ker,' he allegedly told the bartender. 'I live in America. You speak English.' Nixon then allegedly repeated 'English, b**ch' four times before adding: 'F**king Trump is going to deport your a**.' He then allegedly reached for the bartender and punched a different employee in the face, according to Local 10. The bartender then 'began to back up' after noticing Nixon's 'increasing[ly] aggressive behavior' to 'prevent further physical assaults,' the arrest report said. Michael John Nixon, 42, of Arlington, Virginia, was taken into custody on Sunday after he verbally harassed and attempted to assault a Latino bartender at Norman's Tavern in Miami Beach, Florida Nixon refused to pay his $130 bar tab around 11:15pm on Sunday, telling staff: 'I won't pay s**t,' before telling a Latino bartender that Trump would 'deport his a**' While leaving the bar, Nixon allegedly 'intentionally struck' the bartender by 'forcefully moving his body forward, specifically his left shoulder toward' the employee, causing the bartender to punch the Virginian in the face, police said. Nixon left the scene before police arrived, but returned while authorities were speaking with the manager. He was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a felony charge of battery with prejudice and misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief, defrauding an innkeeper and disorderly conduct, according to Local 10. During a preliminary investigation, police found surveillance footage that showed guests stopping and staring at Nixon during his outburst, according to NBC Miami. Several guests seated the bar also left during the fit, according to the outlet. On Tuesday, a Miami Beach police officer testified before a court that Nixon's reaction was racially motivated. He is being held on a $5,450 bond. DailyMail.com has reached out to Norman's Tavern for comment. Two South Carolina teenagers have been charged with the murder of a missing 13-year-old girl after they 'viciously tortured her to death'. KaNiyah Baker, 13, was found dead and burned 'with traumatic injuries to her face and body' after a house fire inside an abandoned home in the community of Capital Heights last week. 'The manner of death was not an accident and this was not a suicide,' Naida Rutherford, the Richland County coroner, said during a press conference. 'This is a horrible homicide. KaNiyah was bludgeoned, stabbed and burned.' Two unnamed teenage suspects, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, have been arrested in connection with the death, police announced on Saturday. 'Brutal, heinous, vicious, gruesome, monstrous and disturbing,' Columbia Police Chief 'Skip' Holbrook said at the press conference. 'These are the words I use to describe this murder investigation.' The discovery came after authorities were called to a fire at 114 Cardamon Court, a vacant home, on the evening of January 15 at around 10.30pm. The property is about 20 miles away from where Baker was reported missing from her foster home two days previously. But when they made entry into the smoking building they found Baker lying dead on the floor inside. KaNiyah Baker, 13, of South Carolina, was found 'bludgeoned, stabbed and burned' inside an abandoned home inCapital Heights just two days after she was reported missing The discovery came after authorities were called to a fire at 114 Cardamon Court, a vacant property, on the evening of January 15 at around 10.30pm Baker had suffered traumatic injuries to her face and body and had been severely burned, Holbrook said. Her official cause of death was blunt force trauma. The victim's injures were said to be so severe that police were unable to immediately identify her. According to the coroner 'visual identification was just not possible.' The fact that there was no personal identification or evidence found inside the home made the process even more challenging. Crime scene investigators worked inside the vacant home alongside the Columbia Fire Department and arson investigators for more than eight hours that night. They documented trace evidence, blood evidence and determined the origin and cause of the fire before meeting with the Richland County Sheriff's Department the next day to identify the victim. 'In our meeting with the sheriff's department we learned that they had recently taken up an investigation of a missing juvenile,' Holbrook said. DNA from dirty clothing that Baker's foster mother brought to investigators ultimately determined the victim to be their missing teen. Baker, who was originally from Sumter, recently entered the foster care system in Columbia and had a 'history of running away', according to police. Baker, who was originally from Sumter, recently entered the foster care system in Columbia and had a 'history of running away' On Saturday Columbia Police Chief 'Skip' Holbrook announced the arrest of two teenage girls from Columbia, both of whom are high school dropouts and frequent runaways In a missing person's flyer Baker was said to have been last seen on January 13 on Auburnleaf Drive in Hopkins where she was initially 'believed to be in danger,' WBTV reported. The Richland County Sheriff's missing person report stated that Baker ran away from Auburnleaf Drive between midnight and 6pm. She was also said to have purchased a phone shortly before. On Saturday Chief Holbrook announced the arrest of two teenage girls from Columbia, both of whom are high school dropouts and frequent runaways. The incident raises questions about the rise in teenage homicides and the social aspects of health that impact violence among the younger population. During the conference Holbrook highlighted the lack of parents in teen lives as the common theme among the 'senseless violence' happening throughout the city of Columbia. He also said that poor mental health plays a role in teen violence, noting how his department has observed its prevalence in younger age groups. The 16-year-old suspect, who was reported missing by her mother on January 12, is wanted by the Department of Juvenile Justice after 'cutting off her ankle monitor'. Holbrook said that the first suspect, who last attended school in January of 2024, has a 'history of disorderly conduct', 'malicious injury' and other crimes. Baker 'suffered traumatic injuries to her face and body and had been severely burned' when she was found inside the vacant home Naida Rutherford, the Richland County coroner, said that Baker's official cause of death was blunt force trauma so severe that 'immediate visual identification was just not possible' The second suspect, a 15-year-old girl, was last enrolled in school in December of 2024. The number of young people aged 12 to 17 who were killed by homicides nearly doubled between 2019 and 2022. It rose from 717 deaths in 2018 to 1,409 in 2022, according to the US Department of Justice. 'All of the girls involved had some sort of affiliation with systems that were supposed to protect them,' Rutherford told USA Today. 'And I believe the system failed all three of these young women.' Hayden Smith, a Criminology and Criminal Justice professor at the University of South Carolina, said the case indicates a presence of underlying trauma for all three girls involved, USA Today reported. Smith said that factors tied into children's environments, such as health and access to housing and education, is partly why there has been increasing youth violence across the country. 'Even beyond a traumatic event like this, for a group of people who are exposed to these adverse childhood experiences, they tend to last a lifetime. That is unless you can counterbalance with resiliency, certain skills, stability and positive experiences,' he said. Adverse childhood experiences can include violence, abuse, neglect, witnessing violence in the home, having a family member die by suicide, substance use, mental health problems, incarcerated parents, and parental separation. The 16-year-old suspect, who was reported missing by her mother on January 12, is wanted by the Department of Juvenile Justice after 'cutting off her ankle monitor' and the 15-year-old suspect was last enrolled in school in December of 2024 The Richland County Sheriff's missing person report stated that Baker ran away from Auburnleaf drive between midnight and 6pm. She was also said to have purchased a phone shortly before Chandra Cleveland, a private investigator with 34 years of experience in law enforcement, explained that girl-on-girl violence is increasing Having these adverse childhood experiences before the age of 18 can lead to lifelong physical and mental impacts and can critically impact a child's brain development and decision-making skills, Smith explained. Chandra Cleveland, a private investigator with 34 years of experience in law enforcement, explained that girl-on-girl violence is increasing, WTLX reported. 'I was surprised but not too surprised,' Cleveland said. 'If you've been reading or hearing the news in other states, this is a trend that is going on about these mean girls and they have taken it as far as killing people. And now it has shown its ugly head in the state of South Carolina.' 'We need to address the elephant in the room and that is the girls who are getting to be so violent and fighting in schools,' she said. 'The amount of girls that are in girl fights in school is astonishing.' Cleveland explained the situation as being a symptom of an overcrowded foster care system, noting how Baker had run away from her foster homes previously. 'Someone is not going back, checking if a child comes to you and says "I don't want to stay in this foster home anymore because of this, this or this,"' she added. Crime scene investigators worked inside the vacant home alongside the Columbia Fire Department and arson investigators for more than eight hours the night of the discovery Both girls were arrested on charges surrounding the homicide along with arson, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and the desecration of human remains The solicitor's office is expected to petition the family court and ask to charge the two teenage girls as adults, according to Saturday's press conference. 'We expect to pursue justice in this matter,' Byron Gipson, the Fifth Circuit solicitor, said. Both girls were arrested on charges surrounding the homicide along with arson, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and the desecration of human remains. 'We've got some work to do with our system. We've got some work to do with our young people,' Holbrook said. 'There's too much despair. And we've got to change that,' he added. 'This is gut-wrenching.' It is a jewel of the British coastline, famed for its panoramic views and immortalised by Thomas Hardy as a 'miniature Mediterranean'. But all is not well in the secluded pocket of Jurassic shoreline that is Lulworth Cove, following the approval of plans to set up a beach sauna that have divided local residents. The scheme, which will see a metal-clad shed currently used to store fishing equipment replaced by a luxury, eight-person sauna, has been billed by supporters as a potential magnet for tourism that will benefit the local economy. But many believe it will mar the natural beauty of the cove and could jeopardise the area's status as a Unesco-designated world heritage site. There are also concerns about the safety of the project, with objectors raising concerns about the instability of the surrounding cliffs. The Lulworth estate, which has been owned and managed by the Weld family since 1641, has been granted a three-year permit for the project, which will be run by Saltwater Sauna, a Poole-based company whose Nordic sauna facilities in Avon and nearby Sandbanks have been well received by locals. Sam and Arlene Glyn-Jones, the firm's founders, said they hoped to balance a desire to bring authentic sauna culture to the Dorset coast with respect for the area's natural beauty, creating a 'considerate, intentional space' for locals and visitors alike to enjoy. Lulworth Cove in Dorset is a Unesco-designated world heritage site. Locals are up in arms after controversial plans for a beach sauna were given the green light The beach sauna, which could resemble the one shown here, will be run by Saltwater Sauna, a Poole-based company whose Nordic sauna in nearby Sandbanks has proved popular Local objections to the scheme have focused partly on safety concerns following a series of landslips like the one seen here, which occurred in July last year 'We believe the project will bring a range of benefits to the area, not only for visitors but for the local community as well,' said Sam Glyn-Jones. 'By attracting responsible tourism, we hope to support local businesses year-round, providing an economic boost in the quieter autumn and winter months, when our coastal areas typically slow down.' The facility marks the latest instalment in Britain's fast-growing love affair with sauna culture. There are now 140 Nordic-style saunas nationwide, a number that the British Sauna Society believes could pass 200 this year. Katie Bracher, the society's co-founder, says the trend has been driven by a variety of factors, from health reasons to the pursuit of a 'natural high'. 'There are a number wellbeing trends that bring a variety of people to sauna, for example cold-water swimming, bio-hacking, fitness recovery, celebrity endorsement and self-development communities,' said Bracher. 'There's a kind of 'sauna high' you get from increased endorphins, dopamine and reduced cortisol after a sauna and contrast therapy (hot/ cold) session. It's a kind of healthy addiction. 'Once people have a good quality sauna experience and feel the benefits, they can become real enthusiasts.' That may be of cold comfort to residents of Lulworth, however, whose concerns about the scheme ranged from safety considerations and commercial exploitation to its effect on the character of the area, which some said was at risk of 'Disneyfication'. Saltwater Sauna's founders say they hope to balance a desire to bring authentic Nordic sauna culture to the Dorset coast with respect for the area's natural beauty 'The ongoing process of erosion in this part of the cove, with the path above no longer accessible [or] existing, and the recent and repeated cliffs falls on to the beach itself, make the proposed location for this application unsafe and unsuitable,' objected local resident Hester Fox Adams, commenting on the planning application. 'It would be contrary to the approach to coastal management that respected organisations, like the National Trust, are taking in other parts of Dorset.' Another local resident, Maria Delves, said private enterprise should not be allowed to overshadow the inherent beauty of the site. 'I feel that the cove has become too commercial, with the kayak rentals and the Jurassic rib rides,' said Delves. 'There is hardly any beach left, especially after the recent rock falls. This beach should just be a natural site, not a commercial beach.' Maggie Harris, also from west Lulworth, likewise objected to the choice of location, citing the risk of rock falls. 'I'm all for moving with the times, but I feel very strongly that this venture is not right for Lulworth Cove,' said Harris. 'Surely with the constant erosion of the cliffs and rock falls this is just not viable, and is to be sited in a precarious place. 'Lulworth forms part of a beautiful, serene coastal stretch that is at risk of turning into a Disneyland type of area.' Others stressed the potential health and economic benefits of the project. 'This sounds like such a nice addition to Lulworth,' said Claire Terry, from nearby Christchurch. 'It would definitely bring people in, and has such benefits to people physically and mentally.' Michael Johnson, from Wimborne, echoed those sentiments, suggesting the scheme would promote 'a healthier lifestyle' while 'boosting the local economy'. 'A beach sauna will enhance wellness and relaxation options,' said Johnson. '[It] will positively impact nearby cafes, shops, and services. 'Integrating an eco-friendly sauna into the beach setting aligns with sustainable tourism practices, offering a new way to enjoy the coastal environment without disrupting the natural landscape.' The sauna, which will be built on an existing concrete and masonry plinth, will run on solar power and include a wood fire and a swimming ladder for easy access to the cove. Changing and shower facilities, including an area for sauna visitors to enjoy food and drinks, will be provided in collaboration with Lulworth Lodge, a nearby hotel, with free sauna sessions offered to veterans, mental health groups and other community organisations. 'Ultimately, our vision is to create a space that locals can feel proud of and benefit from as much as visitors,' said Arlene Glyn-Jones. One of the women accusing Sean 'Diddy' Combs of rape claims the disgraced rapper ordered a 'madam' to assault her with a copper IUD. Ashley Parham claims in a lawsuit that she was gang raped by Diddy and his associates in March, 2018, after she was given a glass of water that made her feel 'a little bit off.' Parham detailed her claims in an interview with NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield, saying she was introduced to Diddy when he barged into the California home of her friend Shane Pearce. '[Diddy] basically started threatening me with human trafficking and that they could take me anywhere and sell me,' Parham said. 'He had [his longtime right-hand woman] Kristina Khorramhe ordered her to insert a copper IUD into my vagina, but luckily, it deployed before she could actually get it inside me, like inside the cervix. 'And that's when Sean Combs got extremely angry, and he grabbed the TV remote and sexually assaulted me vaginally with the remote, extremely violently.' Parham claimed that she had previously told Pearce that she believed Diddy 'killed Tupac.' Diddy allegedly heard this comment and vowed to make her 'pay.' Khorram is mentioned as a defendant in Parham's lawsuit against Diddy and other associates. Parham claims Diddy's right-hand woman Kristina Khorram was present during the assault Ashley Parham, left, is seen with her lawyer Ariel Mitchell as she detailed her rape accusations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs Ashley Parham claims in a lawsuit that she was gang raped by Diddy and his associates in 2018 Parham has also said Diddy admitted to having had paid someone to kill Tupac - 'and he was bragging about it.' 'In the room with me, it was Sean Combs, Shane Pearce, Shane's friend... his bodyguard who later claimed he was a correctional officer or a prior undercover officer, but he wasn't,' Parham said. 'And then Kristina Khorram and another white woman who I don't know her name.' 'They took turns raping me and Sean Combs raped me anally,' Parham continued. 'Shane Pearce also raped me, but vaginally, and the bodyguard, he raped me as well, while Sean Combs was sitting in a chair, naked, filming it and jerking off to watching me being raped.' Parham claimed Diddy had threatened her with a knife, but 'Kristina Khorram told him that it wouldn't be good for human trafficking me, that clients wouldn't like it.' Kristina Khorram - once referred to as 'the Ghislaine Maxwell to [Diddy's] Jeffrey Epstein' - has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes. In October, Parham filed a lawsuit against Diddy over the allegations. The lawsuit states that both Pearce and Diddy removed all of Parham's clothes, after which Diddy covered her in 'oil or lubricant.' Diddy also allegedly offered Parham money to say the rape was consensual and that she was a sex worker, according to the complaint. The Trial of Diddy: Listen now wherever you get your podcasts The alleged victim claims Diddy bragged about paying someone to kill Tupac. They are pictured together in 1994 Khorram is mentioned as a defendant in Parham's lawsuit against Diddy and other associates 'He ended up calling his mother... Janice comes and she got on the phone, a FaceTime video, and she yelled at me not to hurt her son,' Parham said. 'And I yelled back, He raped me, and she told me to take the money and shut up.' Diddy's legal team told DailyMail.com on Wednesday: 'As the Contra Costa Sheriffs Department confirmed, her report was thoroughly investigated, and it was determined the claims were unfounded. 'Mr. Combs will be able to establish with documentary proof that he was nowhere near Orinda, California on the day she claims she was assaulted. There is no evidence that Mr. Combs was ever even in the same room as Ms. Parham. She is completely unbelievable and no sane person who views the evidence will credit her story.' The disgraced music mogul has denied all the sexual misconduct allegations against him and his legal team called Parham's claims 'fabricated.' His lawyers have said he was not at the scene. Diddy is awaiting trial for sex trafficking and prostitution charges. He also faces multiple lawsuits detailing similar claims - all of which he has denied. A Texas mother who is accused of sitting 'glued to her phone' while her three-year-old son drowned at a water park has finally been charged. Jessica Weaver was indicted on December 12 on one count of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury or deficiency in connection with the May 13, 2023, death of her son, Anthony Leo Malave, El Paso County Court records show. Weaver, 35, was first arrested on an injury to child charge on September 22, 2023, but was released later that day on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records. A court hearing on the indictment has not yet been set. The three-year-old child was found unresponsive in a four-foot-deep section of a pool inside the Camp Cohen Water Park in El Paso on May 13, 2023. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died the following day. At the time of the drowning, Weaver was allegedly 'by herself on her phone, never looking up or paying attention to anything' a witness told police. Several other witnesses reported the apparent 'neligent' behavior of a woman matching Weaver's description on the day Anthony died. Jessica Weaver (right) was indicted and charged on December 12 on one count of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury or deficiency in connection with the May 13, 2023, death of her son, Anthony Leo Malave (left), El Paso County Court records show Weaver, 35, was first arrested on an injury to child charge on September 22, 2023, but was released later that day on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records Anthony Leo Malave was found unresponsive in a four-foot-deep section of a pool inside the Camp Cohen Water Park in El Paso on May 13, 2023 One witness claimed 'a woman, matching Weaver's description, was on her phone, sitting outside of a pool for over an hour.' The person 'never looked up or paid attention to anything,' the witness added, according to a police report obtained by KFOX. Two other bystanders told police that they saw the boy without his mother, adding that they saw 'Weaver laying down and singing along to her phone, for approximately seven minutes before the toddler was pulled out of the water.' Another said: 'It took Weaver five minutes to run to the pool after lifeguards had blown the whistle for everyone to get out.' As the drowning was unfolding, another witness told police they believed 'Weaver was in the water park by herself' as they did not see her with a child. 'Weaver did not immediately react to the situation and was surprised to learn that she was the mother of the drowning child when Weaver jumped in the water.' One witness claimed 'a woman, matching Weaver's description, was on her phone, sitting outside of a pool for over an hour.' Pictured: Anthony playing in the water at the Camp Cohen Water Park in El Paso, Texas Two other witnesses told police that they saw the boy without his mother, adding that they saw 'Weaver laying down and singing along to her phone, for approximately seven minutes before the toddler was pulled out of the water.' Pictured: Police respond to the scene of the fatal drowning on May 13, 2023 Many more damning allegations were laid against the Texas mother as one witness claimed that they saw two three-year-olds swimming 'unattended and without a life vest,' before noting that the life vests were free for anyone to use. Pictured: The Camp Cohen Water Park in El Paso, Texas Many more damning allegations were laid against the Texas mother as one witness claimed that they saw two three-year-olds swimming 'unattended and without a life vest,' before noting that the life vests were free for anyone to use. Weaver's parenting style was also brought into question by another who claimed that Anthony had been 'spitting chips' into the pool, but that the mother was too busy on her phone to care or realize. According to the arrest report another witness called the police and reported Weaver's apparent 'lack of concern' for her child while at the water park that day. The lengthy police document also states that the capacity at the water park is 1,460 and that there were approximately 466 people present that day and life vests were available. The water park had also posted signs stating that children ages six and younger 'must be directly attended by a swimming adult' at all times and 'must be supervised by an adult within arm's reach.' Weaver's legal counsel, Ryan MacLeod, has since tried to pin blame on the city rather than the 'distracted' mother. Weaver's parenting style was also brought into question by a witness who claimed that Anthony had been 'spitting chips' into the pool but that she was too busy on her phone to care or realize. Pictured: Jessica Weaver with her son, Anthony Leo Malave The 'negligent' mother has since filed a lawsuit against the city of El Paso, alleging that the city destroyed video of the day of the drowning. Pictured: Anthony Leo Malave MacLeod claimed that the city was 'more concerned with filling the park for a soft opening than safety,' Fox News reported. The 'negligent' mother has since filed a lawsuit against the city of El Paso, alleging that the city destroyed video of the day of the drowning. The suit also alleges that the water park's lifeguards 'had zero clue how to perform medical life-saving measures after Anthony was pulled from the pool.' The lawsuit remains pending in state district court. President Donald Trump said California officials could have stopped the LA wildfires by turning on a water 'valve' to release gallons while the city burned. Trump, 78, told a press conference on Tuesday that 'Los Angeles has massive amounts of water available to it' and 'all they have to do is turn the valve.' 'Think of a sink but multiply it by many thousands of times the size of it, it's massive,' he said. 'And you turn it back toward Los Angeles. Why aren't they doing it? They either have a death wish, they're stupid or there's something else going on that we don't understand. 'They throw the water into the Pacific Ocean - these people are crazy. So we're going to be issuing an executive order demanding that they immediately let that water come down through California.' California Governor Gavin Newsom disputed the claims, telling DailyMail.com in a statement that 'Trump is either unaware of how water is stored in California or is deliberately misleading the public.' Trump said the 'valve' directs water from the Pacific north-west where 'millions of gallons of water a week and a day even, in many cases, pours into California (and) goes all through California down into Los Angeles'. It's unclear which 'valve' Trump is referring to, however, one of the executive actions he issued on his first day in office directed staff to find ways to reroute more water from Northern California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the rest of the state. President Donald Trump has blamed California officials for 'creating an inferno' which recently razed large swathes of Los Angeles by simply failing to turn on a water 'valve' California Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured in LA on January 8) has contested claims that water mismanagement was a factor in the widespread destruction wreaked by the fires The order is titled Putting People Over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California. Meanwhile, the Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Palisades was closed for repairs to its cover when the worst of the wildfires broke out in the wealthy neighborhood, according to the LA Times. This meant the 117-gallon water storage complex had been out of action for almost a year when the fires began. Trump added that fire hydrants in LA 'didn't have any water in them' and '40 percent of fire hydrants were dry' when the wildfires broke out on January 7. The president also locked horns with the California state authorities during his first term, claiming they placed limits on the amount of water his administration could move south in order to protect the Delta smelt fish, which live close to the reservoir. In the 'Meet the Press' interview more recently, Newsom called any connection between the fish and the fire 'inexcusable because it's inaccurate.' His office also hit back at Trump directly on X - saying that water supplies in California are the same levels now as they were under his pre-2020 policies. 'The only thing fishy are Trump's facts,' Newsom's office said. 'California pumps as much water now as it could under prior Trump-era policies. And there is no shortage of water in Southern California.' 'Moving more water from Northern California would not have affected the fire response,' Newsom's spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'Water operations in the Delta have nothing to do with the local fire response in Los Angeles. 'Trump is either unaware of how water is stored in California or is deliberately misleading the public. 'There is no imaginary spigot to magically make water appear at a wildfire, despite what Trump claims.' Newsom also penned a letter to the California Department of Water and Power on January 10 asking them to investigate the response, including any water supply issues. 'While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires over large areas, losing supplies from fire hydrants likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors,' he wrote in the letter. His office also hit back at Trump directly on X - saying that water supplies in California are the same levels now as they were under his pre-2020 policies Newsom also penned a letter to the California Department of Water and Power on January 10 asking them to investigate the response, including any water supply issues 'We need answers to how that happened.' It comes as the Palisades Fire continues to raze through the ritzy star-studded LA enclave while the Eaton Fire is still burning in Altadena. Fresh fires have also broken out in Riverside and San Diego. Trump, who also blasted the response to the fires in his inaugural address, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday during his first week as president. He previously said he had not visited before because he 'thought it would be better if I went as president'. Los Angeles residents have also hit out at the city's mayor Karen Bass for being away in Ghana when the fires broke out, despite ample warnings from meteorologists that the upcoming weather forecast amounted to a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, police have arrested two people for allegedly lighting fires amid the carnage, including Ruben Montes, 29, who was detained for arson in Irwindale, roughly 16 miles away from Altadena, where the deadly Eaton Fire continues to rage. Mexican national Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, was taken into custody after allegedly being caught on video walking with a yellow blowtorch before he was confronted by residents in Calabasas, west of Beverly Hills. They spread so rapidly that staff at a senior living center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot in apocalyptic scenes Evacuations for parts of San Diego County have been ordered, while other area residents are urged to pack up their things and leave. (Pictured: The Lilac Fire on January 21) Although investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fires, faults along the Los Angeles power grid alarmingly soared in the same areas where major wildfires raged, sparking theories that the faults could also have catalyzed the crisis. The damaged structures include dozens of multi-million-dollar mega-mansions owned by celebrities including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Bella Hadid and Mel Gibson. The Palisades Fire, which has so far razed more than 23,400 acres, is continuing to burn with only 68 percent of the inferno contained by 9.30am on Wednesday, according to CalFire. In Altadena, the Eaton Fire has burned through more than 14,000 acres and was 91 percent contained by the same time. Two more recent blazes - the Lilac Fire in San Diego and the Clay Fire in Riverside - have also razed through dozens of acres and were only part-contained as of Wednesday morning. Horrifying footage captured the moment a paragliding tourist plunged to her death after slipping out of her harness. Paulina Biskup, 38, of Poland, was seen paragliding over the city of Roldanillo in southwestern Colombia on Tuesday when she appeared to spin out of control. A Colombian National Police official told El Tiempo newspaper that Biskup 'did not fasten the harness, and as a result, fell into the abyss.' Video taken by a witness showed Biskup appearing to lose control of her parachute and swinging wildly in the air moments before becoming detached. In the video, a woman can be heard shouting, 'Look she fell!' The police official told El Tiempo that Biskup, who resided in Dublin, had joined her boyfriend and a group of friends for the paragliding expedition. They were awaiting the arrival of Biskup's boyfriend and friends, who were paragliding in another area. The office of Roldanillo Mayor Jaime Rios said Biskup was not among the participants who arrived in Colombia on January 8 to compete in the Roldanillo Open 2025, a paragliding event. Paulina Biskup, a native of Poland who resides in Dublin, was killed while paragliding in Colombia on Tuesday Authorities told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo that Paulina Biskup (pictured) 'did not fasten the harness, and as a result, fell' while paragliding on Tuesday Paulina Biskup had traveled to Colombia with her boyfriend and friends to practice the extreme sport The weeklong event featured more than 130 athletes from 40 countries. 'We are acting proactively to safeguard the lives and integrity of paragliders, who visit our municipality in large numbers at this time of year, attracted by the benefits of the region's topography and meteorology,' the mayor's office said in a statement. The Rios administration urged paragliders to exercise caution prior to and during their flights to avoid accidents in the future. 'We call on the paragliding community to intensify safety protocols and pre-operational checks,' it said. 'We will work hand in hand with the take-off runways registered with the (aviation authorities) to strengthen procedures during the take-off of athletes.' The deadly accident comes a week after a Russian paraglider fell in a forest located between Roldanillo and Bolivar and suffered an ankle fracture during an event at the Roldanillo Open. In March 2024, 27-year-old Daniela Barrios suffered a deadly fall after she slipped from the copilot's paraglider seat while flying over Quindio. Donald Trump has descibed why his historic return to the White House is 'bigger' than his first four years in his first TV interview as president. The commander-in-chief told Sean Hannity that getting back to the Oval Office was 'a lot of work', and ripped into Joe Biden for dishing out pardons in the interview that will air at 9pm on Fox News. After taping the interview, Hannity said Trump is 'is focused and he's happy and he has a big agenda. He's dialed in.' The 78-year-old has been busy in his first full 48 hours in office by accelerating his plans to secure the border and by dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. Earlier on Wednesday, Elon Musk poured cold water on the $500 billion investment in Artifical Intelligence celebrated by Trump at the White House in a shock sign of a rift. The tech billionaire appeared to troll the Stargate announcement that included a cash injection from Japanese investment company Softbank and plans to build data centers across the U.S. 'They dont actually have the money,' Musk posted on X in response to a press release from Open AI announcing the funding. Open AI CEO Sam Altman then sniped back at the Tesla billionaire, saying he was 'wrong' and offering him a chance to visit one of the facilities already set up. Follow all the updates at DailyMail.com's live blog. The family of a man who say he died after being pushed down an escalator at London Waterloo believe he was 'set upon' by a group of masked men. Today, police revealed Ian Airlie, 48, was found dead at his home in Greenwich, south-east London, on October 10, nearly a month after the incident. Mr Airlie's family told officers that they believed he had been pushed down Waterloo Stations Jubilee Line escalator at 5.05pm on September 15. However, police have since confirmed that they are satisfied that footage shows that the fall was accidental. His cousin Sarah Strugnell, 50, said he had been set upon by a group of masked men. She added: Something clearly happened, he was found with stamp marks to his chest and suffered a serious head injury. We called him Little Ian, his dad was big Ian. They lived together as Ian was caring for his dad. His dad can now not face going back to the house. He found out about Ians death while he was in hospital and he has been there ever since. Its a complete shock,' she told the Metro. Mr Airlie had fallen into a woman of South Asian appearance who also stumbled on the escalator. Ian Airlie, 48, was found dead at his Greenwich home in October, a month after reportedly being pushed down an escalator in Waterloo Station Mr Airlie's family told officers he had been pushed down an escalator at Waterloo Stations Jubilee Line (pictured) at 5.05pm on September 15 Mr Airlie had been caring for his elderly father, who is now in the hospital in a state of shock following the news of his death Afterwards the family say he spoke to security at the station about what had happened, but as yet no one has been identified as being responsible. After leaving the Tube station, Mr Airlie is said to have spoken to another woman on a bus travelling from North Greenwich underground station. She handed him a tissue as he was bleeding from above his left eye. Police are searching for these two women, as well as anyone else who may have witnessed the incident, to approach them with information. It is understood that police have stepped in after a post-mortem examination on Mr Airlie, carried out on October 29, 2024, came back inconclusive. Detective Inspector Chris Rogers, who is leading the investigation, said: Mr Airlies death is tragic and his family continue to mourn the loss of a loving son, partner, brother and uncle. We are determined to piece together the events and give Mr Airlies family the answers they are searching for. 'You can assist us by coming forward with any information. Mr Airlie's cousin Sarah Strugnell, 50, said he had been 'set upon' by a group of masked men, had stamp marks on his chest and had sustained a serious head injury His family say Mr Airlie told security guards that he had fallen into a woman of South Asian appearance who also stumbled on the escalator Mr Airlie's family, who referred to him affectionately as 'little Ian', have described their devastation after his death 'However small it may seem to you, this could be the key we need to unlock the investigation. On the day of his fall, Mr Airlie was wearing a black T-shirt and light grey joggers. He was carrying a turquoise and grey Mountain Warehouse rucksack, and he also had a medium-sized black suitcase with him. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police via 101, or anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111 - quoting 01/942310/24. They may have put on a calm and collected front at the time, but expert analysis has revealed exactly what America's First Family was really thinking as President Trump was scolded by Bishop Mariann Budde. Budde caused a stir inside the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday as Trump and his family attended the National Prayer Service. The 65-year-old, made comments concerning LGBTQ people and undocumented migrants during the service, seemingly taking a jab at Trump and his policies. As she did so, television cameras captured the faces of the first family, alongside Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha, who couldn't believe their ears. Some of Trump's children could be seen making comments amongst themselves, with forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman telling DailyMail.com exactly what was being said. When Budde mentioned that some people's 'hopes and dreams' would have been lost with the new presidential term, there was an immediate stir amongst the group. Eric Trump could be seen turning to his wife Lara and sister Tiffany as Budde spoke. Tiffany then turned to her husband Michael Boulos and uttered: 'Can you believe it?' The First Family's stunned faces: From L-R, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., President Donald Trump, Lara Trump, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Michael Boulos Mariann Budde, seen here, caused a stir inside the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday as Trump and his family attended the National Prayer Service Behind Tiffany was her elder brother Don Jr., who responded to someone slightly out of frame a few moments after saying: 'I cant believe it, no', according to Freeman. After the Bishop mentioned 'contempt' fueling politics and social media and noted it was a dangerous way to lead the country, Eric visibly reacted. He could be seen leaning back in his chair, seemingly shocked by the comment, before his wife Lara whispered something to her sister-in-law Tiffany, which wasn't decipherable. The two had a quick exchange in conversation before both turning back to the service, when Eric again quickly spoke to the two. A few moments later Tiffany turned to her husband Michael Boulos and said: 'Come on'. That was followed by Don Jr responding to someone out of shot saying: 'Pardon...quite a bit'. Budde mentioned that the way to honor dignity is by refusing to mock or demonize people, causing the President to turn to Vance. The two had a quick glance at each other before Trump turned back to face Budde, but his attention was then drawn away across the aisle. She went on to speak about humility - which is what she considers to be the final foundation of unity. Vance was seen turning to his wife, while Tiffany turned to her husband and made a comment Trump, first lady Melania Trump, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and second lady Usha Vance attend the National Prayer Service Tiffany also again turns to Boulos and says the words: 'Good and evil', the rest of the exchange was unverifiable Budde mentioned that the way to honor dignity is by refusing to mock or demonize people, causing the President to turn to Vance The two, seen here behind Trump and Melania, had a quick exchange in conversation before both turning back to the service, when Eric again quickly spoke to the two After the Bishop mentioned 'contempt' fueling politics and social media and noted it was a dangerous way to lead the country, Eric reacted, seen above As she mentioned 'saying and doing things we might regret', Trump turned to Melania and said: 'Can you believe it?' which caused her to smile. At the same time, Vance leaned into his wife Usha's ear and muttered something, before she did the same with a slightly concerned look on her face. Just a few moments later, Usha then again spoke into his ear. Tiffany again turned to Boulos and said the words: 'Good and evil.' Closing her sermon, Budde reached the apex of her lecture against the Trumps, saying: 'There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives.' Vance was seen turning to his wife, while Tiffany turned to her husband and made a comment. 'Millions have put their trust in you, in the name of our God, I ask you, have mercy on people in our country who are scared now,' Budde said. Budde went on to make reference to the laboring workforce of migrants across the US, who clean restaurant kitchens and pick crops. Freeman told DailyMail.com that as she mentioned the migrants working, Tiffany turned to her husband and said: 'This [is] crazy' he responded with a head shake. Trump looked away from Budde as Vance shot him a glance down the pew, as Budde called for mercy on those she mentioned. From back row left, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, from middle row left, Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump, Michael Boulos and Kai Trump, join President Donald Trump, from front row left, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance She urged the new president: 'They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals'. As she closed the sermon and returned to her seat, Vance again made a comment in his wife's ear. It is unclear what was said. Body language expert Judi James also told DailyMail.com that there was clear signs of group or herd responses from the First Family. She said: There's some group or herd responses here as the Trump family alpha comes under attack from the pulpit. During the build-up to the roasting the general mood seems to be one of settling boredom. Children are yawning, Trump himself has been flicking through his order of service or even chatting to Melania and even nudging her to make her smile and behind them backs are being straightened while there is a contagious outbreak of scratching and self-grooming rituals. Don Jr appears to mirror his dad's drooping eyelids, suggesting he might be fighting off the urge to sleep, but then the bishop utters the words 'One final plea Mr President...' and Trump's closest family all appear more attentive, as though sensing a problem. UK-based body language analyst Judi James, seen here told DailyMail.com that there was clear signs of group or herd responses from the First Family Ivanka and Lara look like the first two on the benches behind Trump to smell a problem brewing. Don Jr has a poker face with his chin raised and Eric's pursed, puckered facial expression doesn't seem to register concern or to change at all. But then even Don Jr glances to the side and Tiffany looks at her husband in a tie-sign that hints at some embarrassment or awkwardness. Lara looks like the most politically aware of the family group. She manages to sustain a stoic part-smile but her frequent eye-flick glances to Trump suggest she's wanting to tune into his reaction and display loyalty. After the sermon, Trump spoke with reporters and briefly said that he thought Budde 'could have been much better'. That was hours before a Truth Social post in the middle of the night in which he unleashed on the Bishop. In a scathing rebuke, Trump said: 'The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. 'She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.' President Donald Trump attends the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington Speaking on her comments regarding transgender children and illegal immigrants, the commander-in-chief said her argument ignored reality. He continued: 'She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. 'Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.' Trump added the service was 'very boring and uninspiring', before adding: 'She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!' His post came after Budde admitted live on CNN that she had used the National Prayer Service to berate Trump. She told the outlet: '(I was) reminding us all that the people that are frightened in our country. The two groups that I mentioned, are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign in the harshest of lights. 'I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. 'I was speaking to the president because I felt that he has this moment now where he feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do, and I wanted to say there is room for mercy. There is room for a broader compassion. 'We dont need to portray with a broad cloth in the harshest of terms some of the most vulnerable people in our society, who are in fact our neighbors and our friends.' The bishop, who proudly puts her pronouns in her Instagram biography, is also pro-gay marriage and previously donated to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. In a piece with the Washington Post in 2011, after being installed as the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, she was described as 'unapologetically liberal'. Speaking then, she told the outlet: 'I'm in favor of gay marriage, always have been. At this point it's a no-brainer.' The diocese website boasts that she serves as an advocate of racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform and inclusivity. Budde, who is married with two adult children, had also previously oversaw a convention in the diocese that called for the disuse of gendered pronouns for God. Rachel Reeves today accused Elon Musk of 'trolling' world leaders as she risked re-opening Labour's feud with the world's richest man. The Chancellor made the claim when quizzed about her drive for government efficiency savings and Mr Musk's own cost-cutting taskforce in the US. 'I think, maybe, the comparison might end there,' Ms Reeves told Bloomberg. 'I'm not going to go and troll presidents around the world.' Mr Musk, the tech mogul who has become a key ally of US President Donald Trump, has clashed with a string of global politicians in recent months. This has included his barrage of attacks on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the grooming gangs scandal and the jailing of far-Right thug Tommy Robinson. The multi-billionaire has also been rebuked by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. Mr Scholz suggested Mr Musk was 'supporting extreme Right positions', after the businessman made a one-armed gesture, which was compared to a Nazi salute, on stage before Trumps arrival in Washingtons Capital One arena on Monday. In response to the German Chancellor's comments, Mr Musk posted on his social media site X: 'Shame on Oaf Schitz!' "I'm not going to go and troll presidents around the world" UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves laughs off Elon Musk's criticism of world leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer See more from her exclusive interview in Davos: https://t.co/LzMP9n4U0N pic.twitter.com/1762wbDFnz Bloomberg UK (@BloombergUK) January 22, 2025 Elon Musk made a one-armed gesture, which was compared to a Nazi salute, on stage before Trumps arrival in Washingtons Capital One arena on Monday The tech mogul, who has become a key ally of the US President, has clashed with a string of politicians across the globe in recent months Mr Macron previously attacked Musk for 'directly intervening' in foreign elections, after he expressed support for the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos this morning, Ms Reeves outlined her efforts to reduce Whitehall spending. 'The more costs we can take out, the less we have to do on the tax side, the better services we will deliver for citizens, and the more we can free up to invest in those capital projects that can help transform our economy,' she said. Asked if she was going down the same route as Musk, who has been appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) in the US by Mr Trump, the Chancellor replied: 'We want to root out waste in government spending. 'I think, maybe, the comparison might end there. I'm not going to go and troll presidents around the world.' Downing Street later said it was for Mr Musk to 'defend' his actions after his gesture at the Trump event on Monday. No 10 refused to explicitly say whether the PM would be happy with a member of his own Government performing the same gesture as Mr Musk. Asked about Sir Keir's view, the PM's official spokesperson said: 'It is clearly for the individual to defend his own actions. 'When it comes to the Government's position on these issues, you have heard the PM speak passionately about his visit to Auschwitz and all our plans ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day.' Asked whether Sir Keir would be happy for a member of his Government to perform the salute, the spokesperson said: 'Would the PM be happy for a member of the Government to do a Nazi salute? No.' Asked again whether he would be content with a minister copying the gesture done by Mr Musk, he said: 'The PM would not be happy with a member of the Government doing a Nazi salute.' Lighting ceremony of 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival held in Nanjing Xinhua) 14:37, January 22, 2025 This photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows a light decoration displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) This photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations at Confucius Temple during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) This photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows light decorations displayed at the Bailuzhou Park during a lantern festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. The lighting ceremony of the 39th Qinhuai Lantern Festival was held at the Bailuzhou Park on Tuesday. The festival can be visited in several exhibition areas near the Qinhuai river in the city of Nanjing. (Xinhua/Li Bo) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A boy, aged two, and a man, 41, have been stabbed to death in a horror attack in Germany after a suspected asylum seeker armed with a knife ambushed a nursery group. The child, who was reportedly Moroccan, and adult were slain in Schontal Park, located in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg, Germany, at around 11:45am. Local police said: 'A 28-year-old man from Afghanistan was arrested close to the crime scene'. According to Spiegel, the suspected perpetrator is a male asylum seeker who is said to have had mental health problems. The news outlet reported the Afghan's name is Enamullah O., and said he was born in 1997 and lives in an asylum accommodation in the region. Investigators say he had already shown psychological problems in the past. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday he would demand to know why the Afghan suspect in a deadly knife attack had been able to stay in the country. 'The authorities must explain as quickly as possible why the attacker was even still in Germany,' Scholz said in a statement reacting to the devastating attack. Rescue and security worker are seen near the crime scene in Aschaffenburg, Germany Police and ambulances were pictured near the scene in Schontal Park, Aschaffenburg An eyewitness told the Main-Echo newspaper that the arrested man was taken away 'in a headlock' The knife attacker was also was required to leave the country, authorities said at a press conference on Wednesday. Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said: 'On December 4, the suspect himself announced his voluntary departure. 'As a result, on December 11, the BAMF finally closed the asylum procedure and asked the person concerned to leave the country.' The suspect had allegedly been following a day care group of five young children before launching the attack, according to Main-Echo. An eyewitness told the Main-Echo newspaper that the arrested man was taken away 'in a headlock.' Cops confirmed that two people had died while two others were seriously injured in the attack, and are now being treated in hospital. According to Bild, one of the seriously injured is also a child. 'Two people were fatally injured,' police said, while 'two seriously injured people are receiving treatment in hospital. 'The suspect was arrested in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene.' A second person arrested was a witness and was being questioned, police said. 'There are no indications of other suspects' and no further danger to the public, they added. Police also said investigations into the 'background of the crime' were ongoing. Main-Echo reported that teachers from an Aschaffenburg daycare center were out on a local trip to Schontal with five small children. 'The attacker is said to have followed this group. The teachers noticed this and they wanted to leave Schontal,' the news site said. 'When they wanted to leave, the man is said to have attacked the group with a knife. He was apparently specifically targeting the children. 'One teacher suffered injuries and is now in hospital, another is receiving psychological care. 'The other children have now been picked up by their parents and are receiving psychological care'. In a press release following the incident, Lower Franconia Police confirmed: 'The Aschaffenburg police, with the support of surrounding departments, launched a large-scale search for the suspect immediately after the incident became known. 'The 28-year-old was arrested in the immediate vicinity. The suspected weapon used in the crime, a knife, was confiscated'. The motive for the attack remains unclear and police have asked that people refrain from speculation. German police secures a park, where earlier today two people were killed in a knife attack, one of them a child, in Aschaffenburg Rescue vehicles are seen near the crime scene in Aschaffenburg A large area was cordoned off covering Schontal Park, police said, and rail traffic in the area was temporarily suspended. Train services in the town were temporarily interrupted as the suspect tried to flee along the tracks, German news agency dpa reported. However, he was quickly detained, police wrote on the social media platform X. They also declined to give details about how the attack took place. The governor of Bavaria condemned the attack and called it 'a terrible day for all of Bavaria.' 'We mourn the victims of a cowardly and despicable act. We mourn the loss of a small, innocent child who was fatally injured,' Markus Soder wrote on X. 'We mourn the loss of a helper who paid for his civil courage with his own life.' 'The circumstances of this inconceivable act must be fully clarified,' he added. 'But now is the time to pause for thought. It simply hurts. We pray for the victims and their families. We hope that all those injured recover quickly and fully.' Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her compassion for the families of the victims and vowed that 'the investigation will shed light on the background to this terrible act of violence.' 'My thoughts and heartfelt sympathy are with the parents of the child who was killed, for whom there could be no more terrible news,' she said. 'My deepest sympathy also goes to the family of the man who lost his life as a result of this brutal act.' The suspect is believed to have tried to escape by running across nearby railway tracks, German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. In November, police classified parts of the city centre park as a 'dangerous place' due to an increase in 'drug-related crimes', which reportedly included robbery and assault. There were reported to be regular patrols of the area, which is potentially why the suspect was apprehended so quickly. Police have asked for witnesses to come forward and share any relevant pictures or videos as the investigation into the attack continues. A man has won a 5k payout from police after being wrongly accused of masturbating at a woman on a London bus. Brent Naylor, from Finsbury Park, north London, was arrested over the incident after he was 'identified' following a Metropolitan Police appeal. But, despite officers soon realising he wasn't their man, the damage was done - as neighbours saw him being nicked. The 56-year-old says the police's incompetence in arresting him for an indecent exposure he did not commit has made him the subject of verbal and physical attacks ever since. Brent, who is disabled, has been assaulted, evicted from his home and even banned from his favourite pub since being handcuffed by six officers at his front door, he claims. Just before this Christmas, he was hospitalised after being struck over the head with what's believed to have been a bottle by someone who still thought he was the perpetrator. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, Mr Naylor says he is still routinely heckled and threatened in the street. 'It's not nice, getting called a nonce,' said Mr Naylor. 'It's embarrassing. I know everyone around here. There are still people after me. I was assaulted just before Christmas.' Brent Naylor, from Finsbury Park, north London, was arrested over the incident after he was 'identified' following a Metropolitan Police appeal CCTV image released by Met police of the suspect in the flashing incident which led to Brent Naylor being wrongly identified He continued: 'They pinned it all on me without actually investigating at all. It was disgusting. The description of the guy was six foot. 'I'm 5'8. I'm the slimmest person alive and this guy was fat. Now I don't trust the police. They have put my life in danger. They are horrible people.' Mr Naylor's ordeal began after someone claimed he was the man in a witness appeal for indecent exposure on a 393 bus towards Kentish Town in May 2021. The man - who was over six feet tall and described as being 'chubby' with dark brown hair - was reported as having got off in Islington. When police released a CCTV image, someone called up and gave Mr Naylor's name. Despite looking nothing like the man in the shared image, officers arrived unannounced and arrested him in front of his neighbours. Just before this Christmas, he was hospitalised after being struck over the head with what's believed to have been a bottle by someone who still thought he was the perpetrator. After he was reported, police researched Mr Naylor, revealing he had short greying hair and was significantly shorter and thinner than the offender. But they listed him as a 'viable suspect' anyway. Even after being cleared of any wrongdoing, Mr Naylor says he is still routinely heckled and threatened in the street. Just before this Christmas, he was hospitalised after being struck over the head with what's believed to have been a bottle Then, in November 2021, he was paid a visit by arresting officers. 'Six police officers turned up on my doorstep,' Mr Naylor explained. 'They said they had a search warrant for my place. It was a complete shock.' Mr Naylor is registered as disabled due to nail-patella syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes constant problems with his bones and joints. 'I can't straighten my arms,' he said, adding that being handcuffed had caused long-lasting pain. 'They knew I was disabled. Why handcuff me at all? There were six of them and one of me.' It was only after he'd been in custody for more than seven hours that a more senior officer looked at him and realised he didn't resemble the suspect at all. Police documents said the suspect was of 'large build, with a rotund beer belly stomach'. Whereas, officers recorded Mr Naylor as being 'very slim, with a 26 to 28-inch waist'. 'It took [the senior officer] two seconds to realise it wasn't me,' Mr Naylor said. 'How could the others think it was me?' He was immediately released. However, his ordeal was far from over, as neighbours had witnessed his arrest. 'It's not nice, getting called a nonce,' said Mr Naylor. 'It's embarrassing. I know everyone around here. There are still people after me. I was assaulted just before Christmas' Mr Naylor says that following his arrest, his landlord served him with an eviction notice, and he was also later threatened by a gang of men who 'frog-marched' him out of his favourite pub. After that, he said, he was barred from the boozer - not because staff thought he was guilty, but because they said they 'couldn't guarantee my safety'. Mr Naylor admitted the injustice still upsets him. 'Why should I leave?' he said. 'If they cause trouble, they should be barred. Why me? I've been stalked. People followed me home, calling me a nonce - and I had done nothing wrong.' Just a few weeks ago, he was cracked over the head with what is believed to have been a bottle in an attack in the street. 'I can't remember getting hit,' Mr Naylor explained. 'I just woke up in the hospital and saw blood on the bed.' Despite the serious assault, Mr Naylor says he didn't bother calling the police. 'I have no faith in their ability to investigate it properly,' he said. Mr Naylor later took legal action against the Met Police, hiring lawyers from MK Law to fight his case. MK Law caseworker Duncan Burtwell said: '[Mr Naylor] is an absolutely lovely guy and, at the time this all happened, was clearly also a vulnerable person. 'There was a clear and obvious way of distinguishing him from the suspect, such that he shouldn't have been arrested if the police had conducted their task with due diligence.' The lawsuit also revealed that police officers had failed to secure blood and semen samples left on the bus by the actual offender, which will make it harder to catch him going forward. The Met recently settled Mr Naylor's case out of court, paying him 5,000 in damages as well as his legal costs. But he says it was 'never about the money', adding: 'It was more of a cause.. In my opinion, it's abuse. The police abused me. 'I still get nightmares and panic attacks. I hear police sirens go by and I think they're coming for me.' Meanwhile, the offender remains at large and Mr Naylor worries his offending could escalate as a result of him getting away with the 2021 incident. He fears the flasher will graduate to rape or murder, all because the police 'didn't do their jobs properly'. The Met said it had paid damages 'without admission of liability'. 'There was no evidence of any officer wrongdoing or misconduct,' a spokesman said. The force press office said it was not aware of any further arrests over the bus incident. JD Vance's kids have captured the nation's hearts after their appearance at Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, while his eldest was dubbed 'America's Prince Louis' thanks to his cheeky antics. The vice president and his wife Usha Vance share three children - sons Ewan Blaine, seven, and Vivek, four, as well as daughter Mirabel Rose, three. Vance's family made multiple appearances during the day of the swearing in, with their little ones consistently stealing the show. But one moment in particular has captured the hearts of many Americans, after JD and Usha's eldest son Ewan appeared restless and started stroking his parents' heads. In the clip showing the endearing interaction, Usha can be seen overlooking young Ewan's restlessness when he brushed his mom's hair the first time. But when he did it for a second time, she appeared to give her son a stern talking to before turning her attention back to the service and smiling. Several have been quick to compare the vice president's son to Prince Louis, who is known for his cheeky and playful behavior, often amusing royal fans at events by either dancing, yawning or pulling silly faces. 'America has its own Prince Louis', one X user wrote. Another said: 'America's version of Prince Louis - ADORABLE'. JD and Usha Vance's son has stolen the hearts of Americans after his cheeky antics at the presidential inauguration on Monday Kate Middleton and Prince Louis attend Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Pageant on the final day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022 The sweet exchange has earned him the title of 'America's Prince Louis' The youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales famously upstaged his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London back in 2022. The then-four-year-old showcased several amusing expressions as he sat next to his mother Kate in the royal box during the fourth day of the celebrations. At times, he was seen clenching his fists, sticking out his tongue, waving his arms in the air, putting his hands over his mother's mouth and standing in his seat for a better view of the spectacle. He later moved across to his other relatives and sat on his grandfather Prince Charles' lap, who pointed out various interesting parts of the parade to try and keep the prince entertained. Social media users were delighted by Louis' antics, with one writing: 'Prince Louis' facial expressions are as legendary as ever.' Kate stroked Louis's shoulder before he got out of his seat and walked to his left. Ewan Blaine Vance, seven, was filmed stroking his parents' heads in an endearing clip Prince Louis is known for his cheeky and playful behavior, often amusing royal fans at events by either dancing, yawning or pulling silly faces The prince also delighted royal fans during the Jubilee by stealing the show on the balcony after Trooping the Colour by letting out a howl and covered his ears during the flypast. Another precious moment involving Vance's second son Vivek was captured on Monday, when the four-year-old was pictured resting his head on a barrier while fiddling with the presidential seal during the Inauguration Parade. One X user commented on the moment, saying: 'stealing the spotlight, one adorable moment at a time, VP JD Vance's son brings charm and humor to a historic day'. The sweet moment was reminiscent of when Prince Louis was pictured resting his elbows on the balcony on Buckingham Palace in London during the Trooping of the Color in June 2022. The Vance kids were first seen on Monday arriving in style to their father's swearing in at the United States Capitol Rotunda alongside Vance's mother, Beverly Aikins. Many viewers agreed that Vance children stole the show, with people gushing over them on social media. 'The Vance kids are so cute', one X post read. Another said: 'Vance s kids have been a breath of fresh air today.' Vice President JD Vance, from left, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, along with Vance's son Vivek, in foreground, attend at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 The Queen stands with Catherine Duchess of Cambridge as she leans down to talk to Prince Louis as Princess Charlotte looks on while members of the royal family stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the first day of celebrations for the Queen's Platinum jubilee Trooping The Colour U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his son Vivek attend the inaugural parade The Royal family including King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William The Prince of Wales, Catherine The Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis attending the Trooping of the Color 2024 Ewan and Vivek wore matching blue suits for the grand occasion. While Vance was being sworn in, Usha stood beside him, carrying Mirabel in her arms. In an adorable moment, the youngster stuck her thumb in her mouth as her dad was taking the oath. At age 40, Vance will be the youngest vice president since the 40-year-old Richard Nixon entered office in 1953. Following Monday's inauguration, the Vances will assume residency on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory, a luxury 33-room home with a wraparound porch, grand staircases and elegant turrets. Usha has revealed that while her husband is serving the country as vice president, her primary focus will be on her family and young children. 'Giving them a stable, normal, and happy life and upbringing is the most important thing to us,' she told Fox and Friends in a rare interview in July, saying it would be a priority to 'let them have their lives as children and let them spend lots of time with their father.' A small group of Republican lawmakers met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on his first full day as they plan to rocket launch the MAGA agenda. The huddle with Trump, Vice President JD Vance and all the top GOP congressional leaders was both a pep rally and strategy session, DailyMail.com has learned. 'I would say it was more of a rah-rah speech after all of the executive orders,' House Republican Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told reporters after the meeting. Earlier in the day the president signed a sweeping number of actions to undo many Biden-era policies. At the meeting the president handed out huge golden challenge coins as gifts to the lawmakers in attendance. The blue and gold coin features the presidential seal on one side and '45th and 47th' under 'President of the United States' on the other. 'President Trump handed out his new challenge coin,' Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., posted on X alongside a picture of the large golden medallion. 'Hes ready to bring America into a new golden age!' Specifically, Trump discussed his initiative to cut tax on tips, though the broad ranging conversation did not yield much in details on how to accomplish this campaign promise, a source familiar with the meeting revealed to DailyMail.com. Trump also urged lawmakers to confirm his Cabinet nominees as quickly as possible, warning that he could potentially use the controversial 'recess appointments' process as a way to help his most at-risk selections avoid Senate scrutiny. But lawmakers have pushed back on using that maneuver, saying they can push through the Cabinet picks through official channels. Sen. Lankford showing off the challenge coin he received from President Trump at a White House meeting with some GOP lawmakers on Tuesday Donald Trump sitting at his desk in the Oval Office President Donald Trump speaks with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his wife Kimberley Thune, as he departs at the end of inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., after the meeting noted that Trump mentioned recess appointments but he did not appear eager to embrace them. Trump, however, is set on getting his selections like Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel and Robert Kennedy Jr. quickly confirmed. And that could mean that senators will have to stay in D.C. this weekend to vote on confirmations. Thune said Senate Democrats are holding up the process for three nominees: John Ratcliffe for CIA Director, Kristi Noem for DHS Secretary, and Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary - in light of new bombshell allegations this week he was 'abusive' to his ex-wife. Hegseth has denied the allegations along with the ex-wife who said the allegations are untrue. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise shared that the Oval Office meeting focused moving forward with the agenda to get the economy moving, lower energy costs and secure the border. GOP leaders discussed moving forward with one giant bill that addresses all of their priorities despite some, including Thune, previously calling for two bills to move forward. The goal is to get their massive MAGA bill passed by Easter as they use a process called budget reconciliation, so they do not need any support from Democrats to get it done. U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he is working on a bicameral approach to getting Trump's agenda through Congress Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed distaste in recess appointments. Still, Trump brought up the controversial idea again on Tuesday Speaking Wednesday House Speaker Mike Johnson said the meetings with Trump and Vance reinforced the need for both the House and Senate to come together on a plan. 'What came out of the meetings at the house yesterday was that we're going to do this in a bicameral manner,' he said. 'You're going to have the Senate Republicans and House Republicans working together to advance the America first agenda.' Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., also showed off her coin calling it 'big and beautiful,' and noted House and Senate Republicans are 'on the same page' on the massive GOP bill's strategy. 'We're ready to move forward with the president's agenda,' Capito declared after returning from the gathering, adding the two chambers are on the 'same team.' Two unrelated teenagers mysteriously vanished from the same Los Angeles block less than two hours apart. Ethan Villa, 14, and Andrew Estevez, 18, both disappeared on the 4800 block of Live Oak Street in Cudahy, California, a suburb of LA, on January 2, authorities said. Estevez, who is autistic, was last seen in the area at 11:13am, according to a bulletin from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Villa was last seen there at 1pm. The families of the teens, who were both described as Hispanic, are concerned for their well-being. The Sheriff's Department did not reveal whether the teens knew each other when contacted for comment. Villa has been described as 5-foot-2 and 117 pounds with brown eyes, black hair, and an 'Ethan' tattoo on his left hand. He was last seen wearing a black shirt and black and white pants. Estevez was described as 5-foot-11 and 106 pounds with brown curly hair and a goatee. He was last seen wearing a black shirt and shorts. No other details about their disappearance have been released. Ethan Villa, 14, (pictured) and Andrew Estevez, 18, both disappeared on the 4800 block of Live Oak Street in Cudahy, California , a suburb of LA, on January 2 Estevez (pictured), was last seen in the area at 11:13am. Villa was last seen there at 1pm In May, a boy with the same name and height as Villa disappeared in the same city and was later found safe. He was found one day after a missing person bulletin was released by police. The Sherriff's Department would not confirm whether they were the same person. In 2023, a total of 66,705 children went missing in Los Angeles. Of those, 30,000 were male, according to the California Department of Justice. That number was up from the 62,200 who went missing in 2022. The majority of juvenile missing persons cases deal with runaways, with more than 63,000 cases involving a youth leaving the home without a parent's consent or knowledge. The next highest category was parental/family abduction, with 1,148 cases in 2023. Figures from 2024 have not yet been released. Both boys have been described as Hispanic and both families are concerned for their well-being (pictured: Live Oak Street) In late November, the family of 18-year-old Mai Sai Vue confirmed her body was found by divers after she disappeared on Halloween in San Francisco. Mai Sai was last spotted in a pirate costume seemingly celebrating the holiday before she abruptly vanished. Her family began frantically searching for her near the Golden Gate Bridge in November with the belief that she was somewhere in the area before disappearing. Her body was found in San Pablo Bay. JD Wetherspoon is considering opening its first pubs abroad in some of Britons' favourite European holiday hotspots, chairman Sir Tim Martin revealed today. The pub chain is eyeing up resorts popular with UK tourists such as Alicante, Benidorm and Majorca but confirmed it would not be considering China. Sir Tim said a decision on the first location is likely to be made within six months as he looks at franchises abroad after a series of successful partnerships in Britain. The Watford-based business is likely to target hot locations where the Wetherspoon brand is already well-known, but could also look at winter sun destinations. Sir Tim told The Sun: 'We are looking at it. We think there are probably 100 to 200 franchise partnerships in the UK. Now it's a question of going abroad and it's a possibility. There is now an opportunity for franchises abroad, but not in China.' The company has already formed a franchise partnership with Haven, with its first pub opening at a holiday park last March and four more on the way this spring. The chain also has a franchise with the universities of Hull and Newcastle for their student union bars, but has never opened a pub outside the UK and Ireland. However, there is a copycat bar in Pattaya city in Thailand called 'Witherspoons' serving English breakfasts and cheap beer to Brits looking for a slice of home. Wetherspoon could open up a new pub in a resort popular with UK tourists such as Benidorm English pubs already exist in Benidorm for UK tourists, such as this one called The Crown JD Wetherspoon chairman Sir Tim Martin said the chain is considering opening pubs abroad A copycat bar in Pattaya in Thailand called 'Witherspoons' already serves English breakfasts Separately, Sir Tim is also looking at whether a pub could open in any of the 115 Post Office branches which are at risk of closure as part of a postal service shake-up. Wetherspoon pubs opening in 2025 London Bridge station Fulham Broadway Underground station Manchester Airport Terminal 2 Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire Wetherby, West Yorkshire Bath, Somerset Fareham, Hampshire HAVEN Devon Cliffs in Exmouth Kent Coast in Allhallows Cleethorpes Beach in Lincolnshire Haggerston Castle in Northumberland Advertisement It comes as Wetherspoon today confirmed the locations of 11 new pubs in England set to open this year including two at London railway stations and another at an airport. New sites at London Bridge station and Fulham Broadway Underground station in West London are planned as well as one at Manchester Airport 's Terminal 2. The chain also confirmed new venues at Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, Wetherby in West Yorkshire, Bath in Somerset and Fareham in Hampshire. This takes its total pub openings in its financial year to nine - after two new venues opened last September, at London Waterloo station and Marlow in Buckinghamshire. Separately, the chain is also opening four new pubs at Haven holiday parks in England this spring in a 6.7million investment as the duo expand their partnership. The new sites will be located at Devon Cliffs in Exmouth, Kent Coast in Allhallows, Cleethorpes Beach in Lincolnshire and Haggerston Castle in Northumberland. This will take the total pub openings to 11 in 2025, and 13 over the financial year. Wetherspoon is also planning to open a pub in Farnham, Surrey, after purchasing the site of a former Slug & Lettuce venue - but no opening date has yet been set. The business also confirmed today that six pubs have been sold over the year, generating 4.1million - and the firm now has a trading estate of 796 pubs. Your browser does not support iframes. The announcements were made as the hospitality giant, which employs 42,000 people, revealed stronger sales for the half-year so far. Sir Tim also claimed today that pubs are suffering from higher taxes because politicians spend more time at dinner parties. He said: 'Government-mandated wage increases have a significantly bigger impact on pub and restaurant companies than supermarkets. 'Given the public's love of pubs, the only possible explanation for this tax discrepancy is that prime ministers and other legislators, in the 45 years since Wetherspoons started trading, have been dinner party-goers, rather than pub-goers. 'Food at dinner parties is VAT-free, subsidised by the legendary 'man on the Clapham omnibus' who has fish and chips at his local pub.' Wetherspoon opened The Lion & The Unicorn pub at London Waterloo station last September The Grand Assembly in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was also opened in September last year Sir Tim called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to cut pub food taxes ahead of a jump in costs linked to the Budget. He said it faces a 60million jump in labour-related costs in April, amid rises in employers' national insurance contributions and the minimum wage. Sir Tim said the business is in a 'reasonable' position but that forecasting is 'difficult' in the face of impending tax and wage increases. As a result, he renewed calls to equalise the VAT paid on food by pub and restaurant businesses with that of supermarkets. Most food and drink in shops has zero VAT whereas restaurants and pubs have a standard rate of 20 per cent. 'This tax advantage allows supermarkets to subsidise the price of beer they sell,' Mr Martin said. 'The VAT distortions that exist today will inevitably create more supermarkets and less pubs. An artist's impression of the Wetherspoon pub planned for Cleethorpes Beach in Lincolnshire Wetherspoon opened the Five Stones pub at Primrose Valley Holiday Park in Filey last March 'Wetherspoon therefore calls upon Sir Keir Starmer to redress this imbalance, thereby striking a blow for tax equality and ending discrimination in favour of dull dinner parties.' It came as the pub company reported higher sales over recent months. It said like-for-like sales rose by 5.1 per cent over the 25 weeks to January 19 compared with a year earlier. The firm added that rising food sales were a key driver, increasing by 5.6 per cent year on year, while bar sales were up 4.5 per cent. This helped to offset a 6.5 per cent slump in the sale of its hotel rooms. Wetherspoon also highlighted that sales accelerated around Christmas, with a 6.1 per cent increase over the three weeks from December 16 to January 5. However, this was weaker growth than reported by pub rivals such as Marston's and Young's over the festive period. The expansion of the Haven partnership comes after Wetherspoon opened its first site at one of its holiday parks at Primrose Valley in Filey, North Yorkshire, last March. Local governments that seek to shield illegal immigrants from detection or deportation by federal authorities could now face criminal prosecution. President Donald Trump is directing federal prosecutors to investigate state and city officials who resist his immigration enforcement efforts, a Justice Department memo instructs. At the same time, Trump's border czar Tom Homan announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement already arrested 308 illegal migrants on Tuesday this includes some who have been charged with murder and child rape. 'ICE is doing their job,' Homan said of the swiftly enacted operations. He also vowed to restart immigration raids, including in the so-called sanctuary cities. Examples of these cities include San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, New York City and many others that are run by Democrat leaders who don't want to comply with crackdowns on federal immigration law. Multiple reports detail the new directive and the Justice Department memo, written by Trump appointee and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. It states: 'Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing or otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests.' Migrants were deported from the U.S. back to Tijuana, Mexico on Tuesday, January 21 just 24 hours after Donald Trump took his oath office Trump signed 10 executive orders related to the border and immigration policy on Monday this includes one that will crack down on sanctuary cities and criminally prosecute officials if they obstruct federal immigration enforcement Trump issued 10 executive orders on day one of his second term on Monday related to the southern border and the illegal immigration crisis. He vowed during the 2024 election he would carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Homan told Fox News there have been no CBP One App releases since Trump took office and claims that total apprehensions at the southern border dropped to 766 on Tuesday. This compared to the thousands per day that were crossing under Biden's leadership is a drastic change from one day to the next. Migrants found themselves deported or sent straight back to Mexico as they sought to gain entry into the U.S. at the border between Tijuana and California on Tuesday Trump's first full day back in office. Hundreds were seen on Tuesday walking back over the El Chaparral pedestrian border bridge after being deported back to Mexico. The Justice Department now warns that any officials who resist or obstruct the federal immigration enforcement could now be charged with defrauding the U.S. or even harboring illegal aliens. If their investigations find local officials to be in violation of this directive but the prosecution opts not to bring criminal charges, they must notify the Justice Department of such a decision. Border czar Tom Homan said 308 migrants were already arrested by ICE on Tuesday, which was Trump's first full day back in office Migrants walk back into Mexico after being deported from California on Tuesday, January 21 A migrant waves as they are transported from a shelter to the foot bridge back into Mexico as they are deported from the U.S. into Tijuana late on January 21, 2025 Bove's memo notes this is an additional way in which to enforce the flurry of executive orders Trump signed on illegal immigration already. He also cited threats posed by international gangs and drug cartels, writing: 'It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to defend the Constitution and, accordingly, to lawfully executive the policies that the American people elected President Trump to implement.' Meanwhile, thousands of active duty troops are on their way to the border as they were ordered to provide reinforcements to immigration officials. Trump promised to have the military help with securing the southern border. And even more forces are expected to be deployed there in coming weeks and months, according to a CNN report. Trump signed an executive order on Monday ordering troops to respond to the crisis and clarified their task at the border. There are already approximately 2,200 active duty troops at the border assisting Customs andBorder Protection as part of Joint Task Force-North, US Northern Command's border mission based out of El Paso, Texas. They perform logistics and bureaucratic tasks such as data entry, detection, monitoring and vehicle maintenance. It is not yet clear which additional units are being ordered to the border or what their role will be. The manager of a luxury watch store took his own life the day after he was robbed of 1.4 million worth of designer timepieces, a court heard today. Salesman Oliver White, 27, was held in a chokehold and bound with cable ties while two men stole the very high-value watches, as well as precious gems and 155,000 in cash takings from the 247 Kettles Store in Richmond, west London, in May last year. And he was so horrified at being caught up in the theft of the uninsured watches including a 30,000 Rolex Sky Dweller, that he killed himself the following day, Woolwich Crown Court heard. Junior Kuku, 29, from Mitcham, south London, and Mannix Pedro, 37, from Cobham, Surrey, were among at least five men who conspired to carry out the 1.4 million heist of designer watches that have never been recovered. Three of their accomplices fled the country shortly after the raid as police sought their arrest and remain at large abroad, the court heard. Opening the case, prosecuting counsel Edward Brown KC said: The conspiracy alleged against the two defendants culminated in a robbery that took place on 25 May 2024 at a premises in Richmond known as 247 Kettles, during which a large number of very high value watches were taken. The total value of the watches that were taken is approximately 1,384,000. None of the watches have been recovered and for reasons that will become clear they were not insured. Shortly before 3pm on the day of the robbery Kunu entered the 247 Kettles store with another man, posing as prospective customers. Salesman Oliver White, 27, pictured, was held in a chokehold and bound with cable ties while two men stole the very high-value watches He was so horrified at being caught up in the theft of the uninsured watches including a 30,000 Rolex Sky Dweller, that he took his own life the following day, Woolwich Crown Court heard. Pictured: Oliver with his girlfriend, Alana Dredge Manager Oliver White had prepared trays of watches for them to view, before they lunged at him and started grabbing watches. Shocking CCTV footage of the raid unfolding was shown to the jury. It revealed how Kunu calmly surveyed the highly valuable watches before his accomplice reached over a desk to attack Mr White. The film showed how the managers wrists and ankles were bound with cable ties, before the robbers filled to the gunwales with watches calmly walked out of the store. One member Mr Whites family who was watching proceedings in court wiped away tears as the film was played to the court. Mr Brown told the jury: Kunu can be seen filling a backpack with watch after watch after watch. Each watch was worth thousands of pounds, so each one was grabbed. Some 80 watches were taken. The prosecutor told the court: 'The total value of the watches that were taken is approximately 1,384,000. None of the watches have been recovered and for reasons that will become clear they were not insured' Manager Oliver White was able to make two statements to police about the raid, the court heard. Still in shock, he told officers how he was put in a headlock and tied up with cable ties after his prospective customers suddenly lunged at him and began to steal the valuable watches, saying to each other Grab the watches. Minutes after the robbery was completed Pedro was in contact with the gang who had fled the scene in a getaway car. Mr Brown KC told the court: None of this was an accident. This was therefore a well planned and well coordinated robbery of a large number of very valuable watches. The 1.38m worth of watches and the robbers from Kettles had left the premises, got into the stolen Audi, driven to the preplanned changeover location, transferred into the changeover car that had got by then to the prearranged location. Watch dealer Oliver White (pictured) took his own life after robbers claiming to be clients raided his shop Mr Brown continued: The person managing and in charge of the oce at that time was a man called Oliver White. He was tied up during the robbery and the robbers filled what they had with them with as many of those watches as they could in the time. There is a postscript to this robbery and a truly tragic postscript. The following day, therefore 26 May, Oliver White as a direct result of the robbery - took his own life. His body was found in a wood near Shepperton, West London. The jury were told that Kunu and Pedro played important roles in the 1.5 million robbery. Mr Brown told the court: They came into the conspiracy with dierent roles to play Kunu inside the premises to help out [another man] there in the robbery itself with Pedro helping plan and organise the robbery and the spiriting away of the stolen watches afterwards. It is of course only once the watches have been spirited away that they can be sold and the proceeds distributed. That after all is the whole purpose of a robbery. You will wish not to lose sight of the value of the robbery of the watches - 1.38m. You may be surprised by the value of some of the individual watches but this was on any account a very large cache of very valuable watches that was not just going to be given over. The jury was told that the name of the shop 247 Kettles referred to the cockney rhyming slang word for watch which is derived from the term kettle and hob which rhymes with fob, an old-fashioned word for pocket watch. By the end of February Oliver White, right, had been working at 247 Kettles for five months Ms Dredge has posted online tributes to Oli after he was found dead on Sunday evening after police were called to Shepperton in Surrey The court heard that the gang began plotting the raid three months before the heist. By the end of February Oliver White had been working at 247 Kettles for five months. He was then contacted by Instagram and WhatsApp by accounts linked to a conspirator - one of the men that was to later rob the shop. The pair discussed watches that were on sale at the shop for in excess of 50,000 and the man asked to be sent photos of the time pieces, some of which were inlaid with diamonds, records of their conversations revealed. Meanwhile defendeant Mannix Pedro was in communication with other conspirators. And in one phone conversation recording, they were told not to play with any of the items on display, adding; all the money [] 155k, bare jewels, Cartier bracelet, the [Rolex] dweller, [Rolex] sky dweller, I want everything. Mr Brown told the jury: I repeat, such an enterprise that involves millions of pounds worth of watches does not happen by chance or without planning. The robbers travelled across the country for planning meetings in Rotterham, Sheffield, London, Wolverhampton and Torquay in Devon in the weeks leading up to the robbery. The jury was told that the name of the shop 247 Kettles referred to the cockney rhyming slang word for watch which is derived from the term kettle and hob which rhymes with fob, an old-fashioned word for pocket watch The gang bought an Audi A5 car to be used as a changeover car and stole an Audi A3 to be used as the initial getaway vehicle following the raid. They also carried out a an aborted robbery or at least a recce of the shop in Richmond, west London, two days before the robbery, on 23rd May, the court heard. Mr Brown told the jury: This was planned, no accident or coincidence and was repeated on the day of the successful robbery just two days later. You can see conspirators at work and the conspiracy at work. On the day of the heist, Saturday 25 May, Kettles manager Oliver White was contacted via WhatsApp by one of the conspirators to arrange a further visit later that day. The jury were shown CCTV footage of Kunu and a co-conspirator park the A3 getaway car in the street close to the Richmond store. Junior Kunu, 29, from Mitcham, and Mannix Pedro, 37, from Cobham, Surrey both deny conspiracy to commit robbery. The trial continues. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas and Poland's prime minister have joined calls for the bloc to heed President Trump's demands and spend much more on defence - as Europe faces the 'existential threat' posed by Russia. The rallying cries were the latest in a slew of increasingly alarming warnings from European officials, who have been urging a 'wake-up call' on defence since Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022. They also came as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed at a meeting in Paris today that both countries must act for a 'strong' Europe. 'Europe will not cower and hide, but instead be a constructive and assertive partner,' Scholz said, adding that this will be 'the basis for good cooperation with the new American president'. Trump has ramped up the pressure by warning Washington's European allies that he could withhold US protection, calling for NATO to more than double its defence spending target. 'President Trump is right to say that we don't spend enough. It's time to invest,' EU foreign policy chief Kallas said in a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels. 'The United States, they are our strongest ally, and must remain so.' 'The EU's message to the US is clear, we must do more for our own defence and shoulder a fair share of responsibility for Europe's security,' she added. EU countries have increased their military budgets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But politicians acknowledge they will have to go further as they struggle to match Moscow's vast military output. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made the comments in a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels today Trump has ramped up the pressure by warning Washington's European allies that he could withhold US protection, calling for NATO to more than double its defence spending target 'Russia poses an existential threat to our security today, tomorrow and for as long as we under-invest in our defence,' said Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia. 'Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test EU's readiness to defend itself in three to five years. Who else are we listening to?' Chancellor Scholz, who next month faces a general election in Germany, warned that Europe 'must be strong and resilient in a world that is, to put it mildly, in motion.' 'The only possible response for Europeans to the period that we are entering is more unity, more ambition, more audacity and more independence,' Macron said. 'This is our momentum, and this is the direction in which we are going.' Macron said Europe needed not only to spend more for its own defence, 'but must also develop its own industrial base, its own capacities, its own industry'. Speaking separately at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Polish Prime Minister Donald Trump insisted that 'if Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed'. The leader of Poland, which spends proportionally more on defence than any NATO ally, urged fellow EU states to take seriously Trump's call to up the spending target to five percent of GDP from two percent. 'This is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security,' said Tusk, whose country took over the EU's rotating presidency this month. Kallas meanwhile said Europe's first priority must be helping Ukraine's fatigued forces fight back against the Kremlin's invasion as Russian President Vladimir Putin's war nears the three year mark. 'There is absolutely no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine. With our help, they can also win the war,' she said. 'The only language that Putin speaks is the language of strength.' French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed at a meeting in Paris today that both countries must act for a 'strong' Europe Ukrainian servicemen of Khartya brigade operate a D-30 howitzer in the direction of Lyptsi, Ukraine on January 10, 2025 Trump has sparked fears in Europe that he could force Kyiv into painful concessions in search of a quick deal with Moscow to end the conflict. 'Aggression as a foreign policy tool can never, never pay off,' Kallas said, warning the United States that its key rival China was watching for any signs of weakness. 'Ukraine's security against Russia is security for us all.' She said she wanted 'to look into doing even more' with over 200 billion euros ($208 billion) of Russian state assets frozen in the bloc. So far the EU and its international partners have used the interest on the money to give Kyiv a $50 billion loan, but they have refused to touch the main assets. Beyond the United States, Kallas said the EU needed to strengthen security bonds with former member and 'key partner' Britain. 'We need a mutually beneficial relationship on security and defence,' Kallas said. 'A new agreement on this is a logical next step.' A Russian soldier fires a self-propelled gun "Malka" toward Ukrainian positions in an undisclosed location in Ukraine EU leaders are set to meet next month in Brussels with the British prime minister and the head of NATO for a discussion on bolstering Europe's defences. Last month, NATO chief Mark Rutte said Europe must 'turbo-charge' defence spending and production if it is to deter Russia from launching a bigger war in the future. Kallas and EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius are set to put forward new proposals for bolstering the bloc's industry in March. Despite a raft of existing initiatives, officials admit the EU has so far struggled to turn the rhetoric into reality and step up to the scale of the threat. 'The storm clouds of war are gathering over Europe,' Kubilius said. 'We can outspend, outproduce - and outgun Russia.' President Donald Trump's controversial decision to pardon those involved in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was made with an expletive at the last minute. As his team wrestled with the top issues to tackle on Inauguration Day, during their first hours in office, Trump weighed in, saying: 'F **k it: Release 'em all,' a source told Axios. His decision to sign a blanket pardon for at least 1,500 people charged over the riot in Washington D.C. rankled many on his team and some officials in the Republican Party. While Trump had talked about pardons for some of the rioters, the blanket dispensation - including those who used violence and attacked police officers - came as a surprise to many. The former leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy, were both released from prison hours after Trump signed the clemency order. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, of Granbury, Texas, was serving an 18-year prison sentence. Enrique Tarrio, of Miami, the former Proud Boys leader, was serving a 22-year sentence. Donald Trump defended his decision to issue a blanket pardon to the Jan. 6th participants Isabella Maria DeLuca was charged with storming the Capitol and passing a stolen table out of a broken window, allowing other rioters to use it as a weapon against police, according to court records Trump supporters, meanwhile, shrugged off his decision to pardon all those involved. 'He is who he is,' a Trump official told NBC News. 'Expectations are sometimes set as best as can be expected, and sometimes they change quickly.' With a simple swipe of his pen, Trump released from prison his followers who were caught on camera breaking into the Capitol and fighting with police as they attempted to overthrow Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. His pardon proclamation on Monday offered 'a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.' The federal Bureau of Prisons, by Tuesday morning, had released all of the more than 200 people in its custody for January 6 crimes, officials told The Associated Press. Some critics pounced on Trump's decision. More than 150 police officers were injured on the day of insurrection and many blasted Trump for issuing the blanket get-out-jail-free card to his supporters. Michael Fanone, a former police officer who was among those badly injured during the January 6 attacks, told NBC News the pardons were 'outrageous' but 'shouldn't come as a surprise to any American.' 'The rule of law is dead in this country. We are now in the age of government lawlessness,' Fanone said. But the president defended his decision. He called the prosecutions 'ridiculous and excessive.' Trump said he issued the pardons because in many cases, 'these people have already served a long period of time, and I made a decision to give a pardon.' He also blasted former President Joe Biden, who pardoned his son Hunter and other family members before he left office. Biden also offered pre-emptive pardons to those who served on the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection. 'Joe Biden gave a pardon yesterday to a lot of criminals. These are criminals that he gave a pardon to, and you should be asking that question,' Trump said. DeLuca said after her pardon: ''Last March, I was arrested by seven armed FBI agents, my apartment was raided, and my phone was seized. Tonight, I am honored to have received a pardon from President Trump' January 6 defendants Gregory Purdy (C), Edward Jacob Lang (2nd L) and Robert Turner (R), celebrate their release with friends and well wishers outside the DC Central Detention Facility Edward 'Jake' Lang, one of the defendants who was released after being pardoned, holds a Bible while hugging his girlfriend, Rachel Myers, outside of the DC Central Detention Facility Trump offered a blanket pardon to more than 1,500 supporters who stormed the Capitol Trump's team is playing down concerns about fallout from the decision. Officials told Axios the issue was decided with Trump's win in the election, and voters care more about other matters. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly vowed to pardon those in the Capitol that day. But he also indicated he'd look at cases individually. 'I'm going to do case-by-case, and if they were non-violent, I think they've been greatly punished,' he told Time magazine during the campaign. 'And the answer is, I will be doing that, yeah, I'm going to look if there's some that really were out of control.' The man who raped and murdered a 17-year-old spring breaker in South Carolina has given chilling details about how he and his girlfriend hunted her down after fantasizing about it in text messages. Raymond Moody, now 64, was sentenced to life behind bars after leading authorities to Brittanee Drexel's body in May 2022, ending the decades-long cold case. He recently gave a jailhouse interview about the night he lured the teenager into his car with the help of his lover, Angel Cooper Vause, 57, before the horrors unfolded. Speaking with FBI agents at the Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville where he is being held, Moody also described the role of his girlfriend, ahead of her sentencing next month. Moody recalled driving up and down Myrtle Beach's main drag on the night of April 25, 2009, when they spotted Drexel, who was on spring break, walking alone. Before the trip, he texted Vause: 'So you want to go hunting with me, huh?', to which she replied: 'Yeah.' Brittanee Drexel was picked up by Raymond Moody and his girlfriend Angel Cooper Vause during a break with friends in April 2022 A break in the case came in May 2022 when Raymond Drexel was arrested on an obstruction of justice charge. According to police, that's when he admitted to raping and killing Drexel Police said Drexel and her group of friends, from upstate New York, had been staying in different hotels nearly two miles apart and she was walking between them when Vause and Moody pounced. She had borrowed clothing from a friend and was on her way from The Blue Water Resort to return the garments at the Bar Harbor when Moody's car rolled past. 'We were hunting,' Moody explained in a synopsis of the interview as part of Vause's sentencing memorandum seen by Law & Crime. 'I had my eye on her and thought she was the one.' Moody also revealed to FBI agents that Vause was attracted to him because of his criminal past. He was previously convicted of kidnapping and raping a nine-year-old girl in California. Vause said she wanted to join him on a twisted quest. Authorities saw text messages between the two demonstrating how they planned their attack. Angel Cooper Vause Moody recalled how Vause got out of the car to speak with Drexel. He said they believed that since Vause was a woman, Drexel would 'trust us'. They pretended to be tourists like Drexel and offered her a lift to her hotel. Drexel accepted, and once inside the car Moody pretended to get lost and Vause took over the driving. It was at this point that Moody launched his sordid attack. He handcuffed Drexel, telling her he was a kidnapper while demanding $5,000 in ransom fees. Vause drove them to a tent beside the Santee River, and got out of the car with Drexel. Moody left them momentarily to drive to his apartment where he retrieved a briefcase full of 'sex toys'. He then raped and sodomized Drexel before strangling her to death with a rope, he said. He then stabbed her with an ice pick to ensure she had died. Vause was not involved in the rape or murder, but she sat inside the tent watching, before Moody buried the teenager's body in a shallow grave at a construction site. They first attempted the abduction on April 24, 2009, the night before Drexel was taken, but Moody said they had 'some phone activity' and Moody was concerned about leaving an electronic footprint. Surveillance footage on April 25, 2009, caught Drexel leaving the Blue Water Resort, after visiting a friend wearing a teal and black shirt she had texted her friends about Brittanee Drexel was killed by Raymond Moody in Myrtle Beach on the night of April 25, 2009 Moody was arrested for murder, kidnap and rape in May 2022, and he previously served two decades behind bars for the California child rape. 'I served 20 years and I thought it was enough, but it wasn't,' Moody said during his sentencing for Drexel's death. 'I was a monster then, and I was a monster when I took Brittanee Drexel's life.' Vause was arrested in on charges in connection to the rape and murder of Drexel, and pleaded guilty to all three counts of making false statements to the FBI in 2024. Investigators said Vause initially gave a fake alibi to police - telling them she was traveling home to get keys while Moody killed Drexel. Vause also said Drexel joined them to use marijuana and cocaine, when she was really abducted after they tricked her. She had been allowed to walk free on bail until September 9, 2024, when she entered the plea, and has been held in custody ever since, the South Carolina Attorney's Office said. Drexel's mother, Dawn Pleckan, said Vause's plea brought her one step closer to justice for her daughter. 'I don't think you ever get closure with losing a child,' Pleckan said at the time, per ABC13. 'I think it's a resolution to what happened, and she will pay dearly for what she did to my daughter.' Moody's interview came after he agreed to provide the 'complete and truthful information about the abduction, rape, and murder of Brittanee' in exchange for the Drexel family's allowance of a portion of Moody's property to remain in a trust for Vause's grandchildren. In November 2022, chilling texts Drexel had sent to her boyfriend the night she vanished were revealed. She had texted her friends throughout the day, court documents revealed at the time, reaching out to her boyfriend in her hometown of Rochester, New York, to complain about something less than one hour before she was reported missing. 'I'll tell you later when you call me,' Drexel told her boyfriend, adding: 'I'm so heated.' Bar Harbor Resort on Myrtle Beach, where Drexel was staying at the time of her disappearance A memorial tree honoring Drexel was planted in Grand Park near Myrtle Beach in 2012 Drexel later told him she was planning to just stay in that night and pack before going to sleep. Throughout the day, the teen sent text messages to her boyfriend, the friends she traveled to Myrtle Beach with, as well as people she met while on vacation there. In one text, Drexel told a friend she had borrowed a pair of shorts and made plans to meet at their hotel later in the day to return them. And in another, she tells a friend she 'went for [a] walk' and asked 'what's going on tonite?' Drexel also spoke about her outfit, describing the teal and black shirt she was later seen wearing in surveillance footage at the Blue Water Resort. By 8:58 pm, Drexel sent her boyfriend one last text message reading: 'I'm staying in packing and going to sleep probably.' Although the phone records show no other messages from the teen, her boyfriend and her friends grew increasingly worried about her lack of a response. One texted, 'Send me something, we think ur missing.' Another told Drexel to 'stop playing games,' while her boyfriend simply wrote: 'Babe im concerned.' Throughout the night, the court documents say, Drexel's phone continued to ping off different locations in the Myrtle Beach area before it died at 11:57 pm. Her body was found buried in a shallow grave on the property of Moody's Georgetown home. Her remains were positively identified using dental records and DNA. A coroner later determined that Drexel died from strangulation. The private bar for MPs in the Commons should reopen despite a reporting spiking because it is too dangerous for politicians to frequent Westminster's pubs, a senior minister said today. Lucy Powell said she was in favour of reopening the Palace of Westminster's most famous bar, the Stranger's Bar, which is temporarily closed as police investigate a claim that a date-rape drug was put in researcher's drink. The Commons Leader said MPs would face security risks frequenting pubs outside Parliament if all bars on the estate were closed permanently. The bar, which has a much-admired riverside terrace, was closed last week after a complaint was made to the Metropolitan Police. She suggested the perpetrator was wearing a security pass with a lanyard showing they were an MP, and the Mail on Sunday revealed a politician is under investigation. Yesterday it was confirmed there are plans to reopen it, possibly with CCTV installed as a security measure. Speaking to Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live, Ms Powell said there was no 'groundswell of opinion calling for it to close permanently. 'One thing I would worry about is because what does that mean young staffers going to bars just off the estate and would be less well protected from some of these things,' she said. 'And MPs and others would be less protected at The Red Lion off the estate where they don't have the security protection, the police around, and wouldn't be covered by the ICGS (The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme - which allows staff to report behaviour).' Lucy Powell said she was in favour of reopening the Palace of Westminster's most famous bar, the Stranger's Bar, which is temporarily closed as police investigate a claim that a date-rape drug was put in researcher's drink. The bar, which has a much-admired riverside terrace, was closed last week after a complaint was made to the Metropolitan Police by a researcher. While Westminster is a workplace, some areas of the estate are not, she said. Ms Powell added: 'We spend a lot of money keeping the whole estate secure and everybody on the estate secure. 'With good reason, because there are a lot of people trying to attack MPs and attack Parliament. And we've had incidents of that too. So that's why we provide services on the estate.' The issue of CCTV is a difficult one for the home of politics. Cameras are already in place in public areas and private areas 'considered vulnerable to intrusion'. But their use is regulated so they do not 'become intrusive and a limitation on the freedom or legitimate activities of those visiting or working within Parliament'. The cross-party House of Commons Commission has discussed reopening the bar, but with tighter security, with cameras an option being examined. A House of Commons spokesperson said: 'Strangers' Bar is closed while security and safety arrangements are reviewed. 'The review process is underway, with more information to be provided once it has concluded. No decisions have been made. The safety of everyone on the estate remains a key priority of both Houses.' The Parliamentary researcher who said she had been spiked recognised the alleged perpetrator's lanyard as that of an MP but did not see his name or party affiliation. She alerted bar staff and security to the incident on January 7, the second day of Parliament after the festive break. It is the latest in a series of incidents in the bar, which has been at the centre of a debate over the sale of alcohol in the Palace of Westminster. Parliament's official complaints authority, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, said the drinking culture in Westminster was a 'frequent factor' fuelling inappropriate behaviour such as sexual harassment. Sir Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, Sue Gray, had asked Sir Lindsay to shut the bars because she feared the disciplinary implications of hordes of new-entry Labour MPs becoming sucked into Westminster's drinking culture. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Vladimir Putin that he faces taxes, tariffs and sanctions if Russia did not sign up to a deal to end the war in Ukraine. He delivered the threat on his Truth Social platform. 'If we dont make a "deal," and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries,' Trump posted with his usual mix of idiosyncratic capitalization. 'Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with!' Trump frequently claimed he would end the war in Ukraine in his first 24 hours at the White House. He may have missed that deadline but he has made clear that the conflict must come to a halt with a mix of incentives and threats aimed at both sides. Trump has hinted that he could intensify the supply of arms to Ukraine if Moscow does not come to the negotiating table, yet at the same time has signaled the supply could be shut off if Kyiv refuses to countenance a deal. On Tuesday, he was asked by reporters about the possibility of choking off arms to Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky. President Donald Trump said he was speaking to Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky and planned to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin soon as he took questions from journalists in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Tuesday Trump set out his thoughts on ending the war in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning 'Well, we'll look into that. We're talking to Zelensky,' he said. 'We're going to be talking with President Putin very soon, and we'll see what, how it all happens. We're going to look at it.' The war began three years ago when Russian forces swept into Ukraine. But their hopes of a rapid victory were dashed by dogged Ukrainian resistance. Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to do a deal to end the war so long as Russia keeps hold of about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. Now the conflict stands at a pivotal moment as Ukraine waits to see what its biggest ally does after the inauguration of a new president. Trump's message shows that he is ready to use economic force against Moscow in the same way that he has with allies. 'Im not looking to hurt Russia,' he posted. 'I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin - and this despite the Radical Lefts Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. Rubble and debris lie on the ground next to an apartment block that was damaged in a Russian attack two days ago, on January 22, 2025 in Kostyantynivka, Ukraine A top Russian official said Moscow was preparing for contacts between Putin and Trump 'We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.' That number is about double the accepted number of Russian military and civilian losses. Meanwhile, a senior Russian official said Moscow sees a small window of opportunity to deals with Trump, Reuters reported. 'Compared to the hopelessness in every aspect of the previous White House chief (President Joe Biden), there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies in Moscow. 'It's therefore important to understand with what and whom we will have to deal, how best to build relations with Washington, how best to maximise opportunities and minimise risks.' He was later quoted by the Tass state news agency saying Russia was preparing for contacts between Putin and Trump. The moment a Romanian builder was fatally shot within the confines of a police station car park was today shown at the opening of his inquest. Marius Ciolac, 35, had entered the secure compound of Ascot Drive police station in Derby carrying a knife in one hand and a bag containing a cat in the other. The footage from body worn cameras and mobile phones showed Mr Ciolac walking towards the doors of the station where officers ordered him to put down his knife. He then walked away from the doors before being seen to attack the back window of one of six police cars in the car park. Mr Ciolac, who lived in Osmaston Road just yards away from the police station, then appeared to walk back towards the automatic gate through which he had arrived. But by then numerous officers were in the car park trying to subdue him with a multi-bang stun grenade, a plastic baton round and a Taser, which did not connect, being used. Still holding a knife, Mr Ciolac is seen to lunge forward towards a firearms officer who shot him in the stomach. Several officers, one with Mr Ciolac's blood visible on his hands, then restrained him by sitting on his legs, kneeling on his side and holding his shoulders down before cuffing his hands behind his back. Marius Ciolac, 35, had entered the secure compound of Ascot Drive police station in Derby carrying a knife in one hand and a bag containing a cat in the other Officers searching Mr Ciolac's house which is just yards away from the police station where he was shot dead The moment the Romanian builder was fatally shot within the confines of a police station car park was shown at the opening of his inquest A second small knife was pulled from Mr Ciolac's trouser pocket. Paramedics arrived at 10.06am, three minutes after the shooting, but Mr Ciolac suffered a cardiac arrest at 10.23. He was pronounced dead an hour later at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre. The footage was shown at Derby Coroner's Court to a jury of 11 people who will hear up to four weeks of evidence into the death, including the testimony of 20 police officers. Mr Ciolac's brother Alain and sister Andrea, were watching proceedings on a link from Romania. Previously, Mr Ciolac's brother, Alin Ciolac, had travelled to England from his home in Cernavoda, Romania, to identify his brother's body at Leicester Royal Infirmary on October 16, 2022. The first witness, forensic pathologist Dr Frances Hollingbury said Mr Ciolac was shot at close range through the lower, right abdomen. The bullet passed into his buttock, splitting his small bowel and injuring his appendix on its way. Officers tried to stop Mr Ciolac by using a stun grenade, baton round and Taser before an armed officer shot him in the stomach Mr Ciolac died after one shot was fired into his abdomen from a police issue firearm Paramedics arrived at 10.06am, three minutes after the shooting, but Mr Ciolac suffered a cardiac arrest at 10.23. He was pronounced dead an hour later at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre Dr Hollingbury said he was initially marked as scoring 14 out of 15 on the Glasgow Coma Score and was alert and responding in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. 'His condition deteriorated rapidly,' she said. 'He went into cardiac arrest at 10.23 and resuscitation efforts began. 'They got his heart beating again on the way to Queen's Medical Centre but he did not wake up and on arrival his Glasgow Coma score was 3 out of 15 and his abdomen was rigid.' She said that no traces of drugs or alcohol, besides caffeine, were found in his system and he was suffering from no natural diseases. Dr Hollingbury added that she had found 22 numerous grazes and bruises on Mr Ciolac's body, which she said was 'consistent' with what had happened to him, but she couldn't be sure if they had all taken place at that time or previously. Inspector Dave Mason, chief firearms instructor for Derbyshire Constabulary, told the jury that officers were taught to aim for the torso when discharging a ballistic weapon because their ability to aim at small muscle masses, such as arms and legs, was 'severely limited' when they were under pressure. Mr Mason also told the jury about the less lethal weapons used by officers to stop a person, such as the ones used before Mr Ciolac was fatally shot. He told the jury: 'As much as possible, we try to avoid confrontation with subjects. If confrontation escalates, we will be looking to use these devices. 'They (the officers) are trained to try and enter negotiations with the subject ... to give space and time to allow the subject to make a decision but equally they have a duty to protect others. 'There has to be a balance between trying to negotiate with the subject and achieve a resolution and securing the safety of people in the area, including colleagues.' Derby's Assistant Coroner Sabyta Kaushal had earlier told the jury of six men and five women, that their job was not to find blame but to establish who had died as well as when, where and how he had come by his death. The inquest, which is expected to last up to four weeks, continues. A state Supreme Court has ruled that the only way a group of distressed elephants locked up in a zoo can legally free themselves is if they become human. Animal rights group Nonhuman Rights Project made the request to the Colorado Supreme Court on the five African elephants' behalf, pleading that they be allowed to leave Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. The Colorado Supreme Court said that while the animals may be 'majestic' the animals do not have any standing to bring a habeas corpus claim because they are not 'persons.' The herd, named Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou and Jambo, are said to have shown signs of brain damage inside the 'prison' zoo, according to the group. They wanted the animals released to one of the two accredited sanctuaries in the US, because the group does not think they can no longer live in the wild. In a 21-page opinion, the court said that the state's habeas corpus statute, which grants relief to civil detainees, only applies to humans and not other creatures. Because Colorado's habeas corpus statute does not define the term 'person,' the advocacy group attempted to use the ambiguity to argue that it can include elephants. However, the court declined this argument, 'no matter how cognitively, psychologically, or socially sophisticated they may be.' This undated photo provided by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo shows elephants Kimba, front, and Lucky, back, at the Zoo in Colorado Springs Animal rights group the Nonhuman Rights Project had brought the case arguing that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs was a prison Justice Maria Berkenkotter wrote, 'because an elephant is not a person, the elephants here do not have standing to bring a habeas corpus claim'. The zoo had argued that moving the elephants and placing them with new animals could be cruel at their age, causing them stress. It said they aren't used to being in larger herds and based on staff observations the elephants don't have the skills or desire to join one. They also hit back at allegations by the group that the elephants weren't being properly cared for. After the court's ruling was handed down, the zoo said they were disappointed there had to be a legal fight over the issue. They accused the Nonhuman Rights Project of 'abusing court systems' to help in their fundraising efforts. In a statement, they said: 'It seems their real goal is to manipulate people into donating to their cause by incessantly publicizing sensational court cases with relentless calls for supporters to donate.' The Nonhuman Rights Project said the latest ruling 'perpetuates a clear injustice' and predicted future courts would reject the idea that only humans have a right to liberty. In a statement, they said: ' As with other social justice movements, early losses are expected as we challenge an entrenched status quo that has allowed Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo to be relegated to a lifetime of mental and physical suffering.' The zoo had argued that moving the elephants and placing them with new animals could be cruel at their age, causing them stress The group had originally petitioned the El Paso County District Court who also dismissed the petition. They noted that no courts had extended habeas corpus rights to animals and that the elephants lacked standing. This was echoed by Berkenkotter, who added: 'Simply put, no Colorado court, nor any other court in any other jurisdiction in the United States has ever recognized the legal 'personhood' of any nonhuman species. 'Habeas protections flow from the status of being a person, not from a being's ability to pass some type of autonomous capacity test.' Justin Marceau, animal law professor and director of the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, told Courthouse News it was an 'injustice'. Marceau said: 'In affirming a ruling that all non-human animals are categorically excluded from habeas corpus, the court has arbitrarily prohibited them from exercising their rights to be free of unlawful captivity, simply because of who they are. History will look upon this ruling as a grave injustice.' Supporters of President Donald Trump ridiculed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cartez for suggesting that billionaire Elon Musk get deported for what she described as a 'Nazi salute' at the inauguration ceremonies on Monday. Ocasio-Cortez singled out Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia for suggesting that Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde should be 'deported' for her sermon lecturing Trump on the need to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. 'What about the guy who did a Nazi salute behind the presidential seal?' she asked, choosing to focus on Musk as the primary political villain. Trump supporters called out Ocasio-Cortez for 'faux outrage' over Musk's gesture, where he pounded his chest and said, 'My heart goes out to you' before extending his arm to the crowd. The left predictably accused Musk of offering a 'Nazi salute' to Trump supporters. 'Stop with the faux outrage you disingenuous clod,' wrote social media profile Jayroo on X. 'What a dangerous and destructive narrative you try to spin,' wrote 1stInspect on X. 'You know that is not what was going on with Elon. Try to be more constructive and bring unity not division. This is why you are not liked FYI.' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. attacks Elon Musk for delivering a 'Nazi salute' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reacts to Trump's first days in office Ocasio-Cortez doubled down on her criticism on a video posted to her Instagram account. 'I don't care what Elon Musk is doing behind a presidential seal. In this country we hate Nazis, kind of a foundational defining thing,' she said, adding, 'We beat the confederates and we beat the Nazis.' 'I still am not rocking with anyone sympathetic to Nazis and I'll do that until I'm six feet under the ground,' she said. She excoriated people for 'defending' acts such as 'Nazi salutes' instead of condemning them. 'I'm not with the Nazis. How 'bout that?' she concluded. Others on social media share videos of AOC repeatedly thrusting out her arm at an angle during a political rally, accusing her of doing the same thing. 'AOC is literally Hitler. I'm shaking,' wrote social media user Sara Rose on X sarcastically. AOC is literally Hitler. I'm shaking. pic.twitter.com/VmvVMtxEzS Sara Rose (@saras76) January 21, 2025 Ocasio-Cortez has tried to rally disappointed leftists after President Donald Trump's reelection and inauguration. She condemned Trump for allowing billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos to enjoy prominent seats at the inauguration while other elected officials were 'kicked to the curb.' 'They were unelected billionaires,' she said. 'That pretty much is the story of the Trump administration in a nutshell, you're getting ripped off.' Ocasio-Cortez pushed back against Trump's attempt to sign an executive order doing away with birthright citizenship, arguing it was unconstitutional. 'We don't have to listen to him. We don't have to treat this seriously, this is a joke,' she said. 'Don't let these people's bulls**t get you down,' she concluded. She also lashed out at the conservative activist 'LibsOfTikTok' for criticizing her for describing Trump as a rapist. 'F-you. Cry more,' she said. Outrage is brewing after Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the arrival of refugees, which could impact U.S. partners who risked their lives in Afghanistan. This week, Trump signed the order suspending the Refugee Admission Program, effectively stranding refugees who had flights booked to the U.S. Trump said that due to the country being 'inundated with record levels of migration' the order is necessary to 'manage the burden' of more migrant arrivals. According to the order, the U.S. 'lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants' in a manner that won't compromise resources for Americans and that 'protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.' The move immediately paused all refugee processing, leaving tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who have already been vetted with uncertain futures including individuals still in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Qatar. DailyMail.com obtained a memo sent from the State Department to U.S. partners saying that the suspension of flights takes place immediately, five days earlier than outlined in the executive order. There was immediate confusion among the U.S. partners the memo was directed toward. Lawmakers also lamented to DailyMail.com they don't have many details and are worried that it could impact Afghan allies. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was among those who expressed concerns and signaled it would be discussed with the Trump administration. 'If you're associated with helping us, I want you to be liberated from the Taliban,' Graham said. When asked about the concerns over Afghan refugees being in limbo, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who has worked on legislation to support Afghans who aided the U.S., said he would make calls, but DailyMail.com was the first to bring the issue to his attention. President Trump signing executive orders on January 20. One of the orders he signed on day one suspended the U.S. refugee program. It was set to go into effect January 27, but the State Department sent out a memo five days early that the program had already been suspended and flights were being cancelled. The move put thousands around the world including U.S. allies in Afghanistan in limbo An image of Afghans being evacuated and flown from Kabul to Qatar on August 15, 2021 (FILE) 'Afghans who supported the U.S. and saved the lives of American troops are still in danger in Afghanistan,' wrote Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) on X. 'We must keep our promise to bring them and their families to safety. Keeping our word matters. We won't have partners unless our word means something,' he posted on Wednesday. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) responded to a report that 1,600 Afghans had flights cancelled on Tuesday. He said he was 'incredibly disheartened' that the Trump administration was canceling flights for those who were allies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan face a dire risk. 'Our nation has a sacred promise that we've made to do right by the men and women who risk their lives for our freedoms and democracy and do right for their families,' he said. The State Department memo states that 'all previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being cancelled, and not new travel bookings will be made.' 'Additionally, all refugee case processing and pre-departure activities are also suspended,' it continues. They were also directed not to move any refugees to transit centers in anticipation of travel. The memo indicated that Special Immigration Visa (SIV) holders would not be impacted, but other U.S. partners were still waiting for guidance on the matter. It remains unclear just how many refugees are impacted by the move, but all refugee bookings are being cancelled regardless of nationality. A person familiar told DailyMail.com there have been fight cancellations for any refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program including flights for Afghans, Ethiopians, Congolese, Egyptians and others. The move impacts at least 40,000 confirmed Afghan refugees including 25,000 already vetted and ready or nearly ready to travel. 'There are people who have travel documents in hand that cannot now travel,' said Shawn VanDiver from the organization AfghanEvac. An image of a child being assisted during the evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 20, 2021 (FILE) Afghans who supported the U.S. and saved the lives of American troops are still in danger in Afghanistan. We must keep our promise to bring them and their families to safety. Keeping our word matters. We won't have partners unless our word means something. https://t.co/iMzLy9h78i Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) January 22, 2025 Among those impacted by the pause are at least 200 service member families who have been waiting to be reunited with with Afghan allies. The pause puts at risk thousands who stood up for America warned AfghanEvac. Among them are Afghan partner forces and women pilots who trained alongside the U.S. troops; prosecutors, judges and human rights advocates and the families of U.S. service members and interpreters. 'These are family in many cases. These are family of U.S. service members. These are our partner forces who fought, trained, fought and bled, alongside our service members,' said VanDiver. 'These are lawyers and judges and prosecutors who put the Taliban into jail, so they're now at risk,' he said. VanDiver noted that many of the Afghans who are impacted have already been in limbo since the U.S. chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. He pointed out that some of the families still desperate to be reunited were parents whose children and babies were handed over the gate more than three years ago and have been living with family or foster families ever since. Before the Trump administration came in, advocates sent transition officials a letter urging them to keep in mind U.S. Afghan partners as they set their sights on immigration action, but for now, it appears to have fallen on deaf ears. The order and ensuing chaos, however, does not just impact refugees from Afghanistan but thousands around the world. DailyMail.com has reached out to the State Department for comment. Police were quick to shut down an Antifa mob in Portland protesting President Donald Trump's return to the White House, arresting at least five people. Hundreds of anti-Trumpers marched through the streets of downtown Portland on Tuesday night, with some spray-painting buildings along the route, KOIN 6 reported. At least five protesters - Harmony Adcox, 31; Julia Jacobson, 22; Andrew Bolen, 29; William John Leahy, 21; and Alistair Macfarlane Sidener, 19 - were taken into custody by the Portland Police and Oregon State Police. The group heralded itself as the People's Inauguration Day and begun the march at McCall Waterfront Park around 7pm. Organizers said the action was held to 'resist Trump's fascist agenda,' according to KOIN 6. 'So that's why were here today, and really hope folks who come out are able to see that taking action,' one of the organizers, Carolyn Pavlovic, told the crowd. 'Community is where we can really make real gains, you know, and where we're able to change the culture and society that we're in.' Officers monitoring the protest quickly spotted 'multiple' people 'apply graffiti' to buildings, the Portland Police Bureau said. Some of the members had spray paint, markers, bear spray, and bandages in their backpacks, a photo released by state police showed. Hundreds of anti-Trumpers marched through the streets of downtown Portland on Tuesday evening, with protesters spray-painting buildings along the route (pictured: police) At least five people were taken into custody by the Portland Police and Oregon State Police Police also found items that read 'No Trump/No KKK/No Fascist USA' and a pamphlet about 'anarchist politics,' according to The Oregonian. Crews were sent immediately to clean the graffiti, according to KOIN 6. A day earlier, groups of hooded and masked people broke dozens of windows and spray painted antigovernmental graffiti on the Multnomah County Elections building in what Portland police called an 'orchestrated attack.' The attack happened just before 2am on Monday and suspects fled as police arrived at the office, which was not occupied at the time, authorities said. 'It indicates, or demonstrates, what I would consider to be an orchestrated attack on this building,' Portland Police Chief Bob Day told reporters at a press conference. 'Its about eight to 10 folks. They were on scene for probably two minutes. So they definitely showed up with a plan...and were gone just as quickly just after they did the damage.' The graffiti contained anti-establishment and anti-government messages, he said. 'At this point we are not suggesting that this was directly related to the inauguration,' he said, referring to President Donald Trump's swearing-in on Monday as the 47th president of the United States. Some of the members had spray paint, markers, bear spray, and bandages in their backpacks, a photo released by state police showed Police also found items that read 'No Trump/No KKK/No Fascist USA' and a pamphlet about 'anarchist politics' 'It's important to remember that we have seen these types of attacks regardless of who's in office.' In one video, about eight people seen wearing gray hoodies, face masks, and carrying backpacks walked up, pulled cans of spray paint out of bags and wrote on the building. Others seen carrying plastic bags that appear to contain heavy objects slammed them against the windows, causing them to shatter. In another video, four people seen wearing the same clothing approached the outside of the building. Three were carrying plastic bags and a fourth appeared to have some sort of hammer. They were seen walking along the sidewalk and smashing window after window before running back down the street. The damaged windows were boarded up as of 9am on Monday and the office was open for business as usual on Tuesday, Denis Theriault, spokesperson with the Multnomah County Communications Office, told the Associated Press. A mother whose daughter was brutally raped and murdered on Christmas Day almost 30 years ago says she fears for the safety of women after her killer is released. Doreen Soulsby's daughter, Joanne Tulip, 29, was stabbed 60 times by farm labourer Steven Ling at his home in Stamfordham, Northumberland, in 1997. Ling was jailed for at least 20 years in 1998 at Newcastle Crown Court but this was reduced to 18 at the High Court. Ling, who was 23 at the time of the murder, admitted rape but the charge was left to lie on file meaning he has not been classed as a sex offender. Mrs Soulsby, who lives in Wall, near Hexham, Northumberland says she fears for the safety of women after sadistic Ling was released today. She worries he will go undetected as he is not on the Sex Offences Register as he was not convicted of rape. Doreen said: 'I always thought that the attack on Joanne was so bad and so sadistic that he would never be released. 'The driving force for the attack on Joanne was purely sexual. He wanted sex that night. 'The terrible sexual violence that he did to get that is very worrying. He is still preoccupied with sex in prison. Doreen Soulsby's daughter, Joanne Tulip, 29, (above) was stabbed 60 times by farm labourer Steven Ling at his home in Stamfordham, Northumberland, in 1997 Ling (above) was jailed for at least 20 years in 1998 at Newcastle Crown Court but this was reduced to 18 at the High Court Doreen Soulsby, who lives in Wall, near Hexham, Northumberland says she fears for the safety of women after sadistic Ling was released today 'He feels an entitlement to sex. He is still a danger. He's only 50 and he's been locked up since he was 23 - he is craving for the real thing. 'He is not on the sex offenders register, it is insane that he is not a convicted sex offender. He will be tagged but nobody can monitor him 24/7. 'There isn't enough in place to protect women from him. He has a lot of licence conditions but I still think he will break them because of the driving force of sex with him. 'I'm just scared for the safety of all women now he is out. It's different when he's locked up but I don't know where he is when he's out. 'He's not a convicted sex offender so no-one will know if they are living near him.' Joanne had never met Ling until Christmas Eve in a Stamfordham pub when she was out with her friends. She returned to her father's flat but was persuaded by the killer to go to his house, under the premise of him having a party. Joanne had never met Ling until Christmas Eve in a Stamfordham pub when she was out with her friends Doreen said: 'I'm just scared for the safety of all women now he is out. It's different when he's locked up but I don't know where he is when he's out' Ling stabbed her with a kitchen knife and attempted to suffocate her with a pillow and duvet But when she got to his house, there was no one else there. He started kissing Joanne and she tried to get away, so then he punched her and later raped her. The brute stabbed her with a kitchen knife and attempted to suffocate her with a pillow and duvet. Horrifyingly, the knife he used broke, so he obtained a second one to continue the attack. Joanne sustained a total of 60 injuries - 31 of which were knife wounds, including an attempted cross or swastika in her skin. After the horror attack, Ling got into his car and was arrested later that night for driving under the influence of alcohol - when he admitted to killing Joanne. Mr Justice Potts told Ling: 'You inflicted appalling injuries on (Ms Tulip) while you were having sexual relations with her. I'm also satisfied that there was in your motivation an aspiration of sadism.' He added: 'You will never be released so long as it is thought you constitute a danger to women.' Doreen claims she has not seen a picture of Ling since 1997 - and fears she will not recognise the killer. She added: 'I have asked for a photograph of him but it's been turned down. 'It's been 27 years since I have seen him. I don't know what he looks like now. 'I knew what he looked like then.' Joanne sustained a total of 60 injuries - 31 of which were knife wounds, including an attempted cross or swastika in her skin The devastated mum fears that Ling will reoffend after his release and has slammed the parole board's decision. She added: 'They say he has done all the treatments and courses in prison and he has ticked all the boxes. But he has done them as a tick box. 'It's the way his head is, it's the way he is made. He is high risk of reoffending. He will break his licence conditions and sex will be the driving force. 'I have been given a life sentence. He is a bad person. They have stuck him straight into the community which shocked us all. We expected an open prison recommendation. 'It's scary that he has been let out after 27 years. It's going to be hard for him to integrate back into society.' A Tennessee student has opened fire inside his school cafeteria killing one girl and injuring another before turning the gun on himself. A survivor recalled how the hoodie-clad 'monster' rampaged through Antioch High School at around 11am on Wednesday. A female student was killed and another injured before the 17-year-old male shooter fatally shot himself. The injured student was rushed to Vanderbilt University Hospital with a graze wound to her arm, but is in a stable condition. No further identifying details have been released. Police said a fourth boy was being treated for an injury to the face caused during the commotion, but they were not shot, Channel 5 reports. 'There was a lot of screaming, a lot of terror,' a 12th grade survivor named Ahmadsallah told WZTV. 'People were scared to die, there was running not like regular running, like someone was chasing them, like he was a monster just killing people.' Terrifying footage showed the shooting unfold inside the cafeteria, with gunshots and screams echoing through the lunch room. Terrifying video footage shot inside the cafeteria of Antioch High School in Tennessee where a student shot two others before turning the gun on himself A 12th grade student who survived the ordeal recounted how he turned around to see the hoodie-clad shooter opening fire The shooter and one of his victims died during the incident while the second victim was transported Vanderbilt University Hospital and is in a stable condition Buses will be transporting students to 3754 Murfreesboro Pk where their anxious parents have been instructed to meet them An unidentified cameraman can be seen edging closer to the scene of the shooting then saying: 'Oh, he shot himself.' The edge of what appears to be a person lying down on the tiled floor is visible for a moment before the clip ends. 'Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building. Metro Police are on the scene,' a statement from Metro Nashville Public Schools said. 'The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. 'This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available.' A student in the cafeteria at the time of the incident described the terrifying scene. 'People in the cafeteria they use chip bags to make it sound like a gun, but it was repeatedly going off and I turned around and I saw the shooter shooting people I knew,' 12th grade student Ahmadsallah told WZTV. 'The shooter was kind of covered, he had a hoodie on. It was just a rush, it made me want to do something crazy I was trying to run out there and help people, but my mind was so cluttered, I didn't know what to do. The school was placed on lockdown amid the incident but authorities say there is no longer a threat Metro Nashville Police are pictured outside the school following Wednesday's shooting A fourth student is also being treated for a face injury but was not shot, police said 'There was a lot of screaming, a lot of terror. People were scared to die, there was running like someone was chasing them, like he was a monster just killing people. 'I feel relieved and safe but I feel bad for the victims who lost their lives,' he added. Chante Frye, whose daughter is in ninth grade at the school, says she got a text from the youngster to say she'd been locked down inside her classroom. 'But it's almost not surprising because it's getting worse with the fights and the violence at school,' Frye told The Tennessean. Local lawmaker John Ray Clemmons, whose district includes the school, called the shooting an 'unspeakable tragedy.' The Metro Nashville Police Department said that the incident is under investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said it is also investigating. Antioch High School caters to around 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve. Buses will be transporting students to 3754 Murfreesboro Pk where their parents have been instructed to meet them. Antioch High School caters to around 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve Parents needing information regarding reunification can call 615-401-1712. Students told local media that the school used to have metal detectors but these were no longer present. In October last year, a student was charged after bringing a loaded gun to the school. The Afghan migrant who stabbed a two-year-old boy and a passerby to death in a German park was supposed to have left the country. The knifeman, aged 28, ambushed a nursery group and killed the boy of Moroccan descent as well as the 41-year-old German man who tried to protect the children in Schoental Park, in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg at around 11.45am. According to Spiegel, the perpetrator is a male asylum seeker called Enamullah O. who reportedly lives in an asylum accommodation in the region and is said to have mental problems. Enamullah O. came to Germany in November 2022, but was not granted asylum and announced on December 4, 2024, that he would voluntary leave the country, tabloid Bild reports. 'As a result, on December 11, the [ministry for immigration and asylum] finally closed the asylum procedure and asked the person concerned to leave the country,' Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told a press conference. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday he would demand to know why the Afghan suspect in a deadly knife attack had been able to stay in the country. 'The authorities must explain as quickly as possible why the attacker was even still in Germany,' Scholz said in a statement reacting to the devastating attack. The knifeman was arrested near the scene and the kitchen knife allegedly used in the attack has been seized. Candles and flowers are placed in a park, where earlier today two people were killed in a knife attack, one of them a child, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, January 22, 2025 Rescue and security worker are seen near the crime scene in Aschaffenburg, Germany An eyewitness told the Main-Echo newspaper that the arrested man was taken away 'in a headlock' People light candles during a protest after earlier today two people, one a child, were killed in a knife attack, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, January 22, 2025 Investigators say he had already shown psychological problems in the past and had been 'noticed for violent crimes at least three times in the past', according to Herrmann. The suspect had allegedly been following a day care group of five young children before launching the attack, according to Main-Echo. An eyewitness told the Main-Echo newspaper that the arrested man was taken away 'in a headlock.' Cops confirmed that two people had died while three others were injured in the attack, and are now being treated in hospital. The knifeman also stabbed a two-year-old Syrian girl in the neck three times and stabbed another passerby aged 61 in the chest several times. A teacher also broke her arm while fleeing, according to Bild. 'Two people were fatally injured,' police said, while 'two seriously injured people are receiving treatment in hospital. The suspect was arrested in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene.' A second person arrested was a witness and was being questioned, police said, adding that there were no indications of other suspects as well as no further danger to the public. Police also said investigations into the 'background of the crime' were ongoing. Police and ambulances were pictured near the scene in Schoental Park, Aschaffenburg Enamullah O. came to Germany in November 2022, but was not granted asylum and announced last month that he would voluntary leave the country, tabloid Bild reports. 'As a result, on December 11, the [ministry for immigration and asylum] finally closed the asylum procedure and asked the person concerned to leave the country,' Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told a press conference Main-Echo reported that teachers from an Aschaffenburg daycare center were out on a local trip to Schoental with five small children. 'The attacker is said to have followed this group. The teachers noticed this and they wanted to leave Schoental,' the news site said. 'When they wanted to leave, the man is said to have attacked the group with a knife. He was apparently specifically targeting the children. 'One teacher suffered injuries and is now in hospital, another is receiving psychological care. The other children have now been picked up by their parents and are receiving psychological care'. In a press release following the incident, Lower Franconia Police confirmed: 'The Aschaffenburg police, with the support of surrounding departments, launched a large-scale search for the suspect immediately after the incident became known. 'The suspected weapon used in the crime, a knife, was confiscated,' police said. The motive for the attack remains unclear and police have asked that people refrain from speculation. A large area was cordoned off covering Schoental Park, police said, and rail traffic in the area was temporarily suspended. German police secures a park, where earlier today two people were killed in a knife attack, one of them a child, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, January 22, 2025 German police secures a park, where earlier today two people were killed in a knife attack, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, 22 January 2025 German police secures a park, where on Wednesday two people were killed in a knife attack Train services in the town were temporarily interrupted as the suspect tried to flee along the tracks, German news agency dpa reported. However, he was quickly detained, police wrote on the social media platform X. They also declined to give details about how the attack took place. The governor of Bavaria condemned the attack and called it 'a terrible day for all of Bavaria.' 'We mourn the victims of a cowardly and despicable act. We mourn the loss of a small, innocent child who was fatally injured,' Markus Soder wrote on X. 'We mourn the loss of a helper who paid for his civil courage with his own life.' 'The circumstances of this inconceivable act must be fully clarified,' he added. 'But now is the time to pause for thought. It simply hurts. We pray for the victims and their families. We hope that all those injured recover quickly and fully.' Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her compassion for the families of the victims and vowed that 'the investigation will shed light on the background to this terrible act of violence.' 'My thoughts and heartfelt sympathy are with the parents of the child who was killed, for whom there could be no more terrible news,' she said. 'My deepest sympathy also goes to the family of the man who lost his life as a result of this brutal act.' Rescue vehicles are seen near the crime scene in Aschaffenburg Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann arrives near the park for a press conference this afternoon People light candles during a protest after earlier today two people, one a child, were killed in a knife attack, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, January 22, 2025 The suspect is believed to have tried to escape by running across nearby railway tracks, German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. In November, police classified parts of the city centre park as a 'dangerous place' due to an increase in 'drug-related crimes', which reportedly included robbery and assault. There were reported to be regular patrols of the area, which is potentially why the suspect was apprehended so quickly. Police have asked for witnesses to come forward and share any relevant pictures or videos as the investigation into the attack continues. On Monday, President Donald Trump teased reporters by waving a letter left for him by President Joe Biden in a drawer of the Oval Office's Resolute Desk. It is part of a tradition of one president leaving a welcome note to his successor. Now its contents can be revealed. 'As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years,' Biden wrote, according to Fox News. 'The American people and people around the world look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation. 'May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding.' It was signed Joe Biden and dated Jan. 20, the day he left office. And its contents reflect a warmer tone between the two than their bitter partisan attacks during the campaign, when Biden warned that Trump was a threat to democracy and the Republican portrayed his opponent as the head of a criminal family. President Donald Trump pulled the note from the Resolute Desk drawer on Monday On his first day in office, Trump was asked by reporters whether Biden had left the traditional letter. 'He may have. Dont they leave it in the desk? I dont know,' he said before rooting around in the drawers and pulling out a white envelope addressed to the 47th president. He thanked Fox News reporter Peter Doocy for asking the question. 'It could have been years before we found this thing,' he said. Trump described the contents of the letter a day later. 'It was a very nice letter,' he told reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. 'It was a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it, do a good job. Important, very important. How important the job is.' President Ronald Reagan is thought to have started the tradition in 1989 when he left a note for George H.W. Bush, his former vice president. It was addressed to '47'. Trump is the 47th president (and the 45th) to have held the office Biden was following a tradition dating back to Ronald Reagan in 1989 The Trumps saw the Bidens to their helicopter after Monday's inauguration He delivered it with a light touch on stationery decorated with turkeys climbing on an elephant and the legend: 'Don't let the turkeys get you down.' 'I treasure the memories we share and I wish you all the very best,' he wrote. 'Youll be in my prayers.' He added that he would miss their lunches together Trump refused to attend Biden's 2021 inauguration as he pursued unfounded claims that the election was rigged. But he did still leave a letter. 'The president wrote a very generous letter,' Biden said. 'Because it was private, I will not talk about it until I talk to him, but it was generous.' Its contents have never been released. The 'anti-woke' reckoning rages on. On Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump's administration ordered all government DEI offices shuttered no later than Wednesday at 5 pm. The employees of these federal departments and agencies are to be put on paid leave with the expectation that many will eventually be let go. It's all part of a Trump Team assault on former President Joe Biden's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, branded 'forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs' in Trump's executive order signed Monday. White House staffers are now 'in the process of identifying and removing' over 1,000 presidential appointees from the Biden administration, who Trump views as obstacles to his DEI reforms and others. And the culling hasn't stopped with only 'the woke.' Trump insiders say this is just the start of a renewed mission to 'drain the swamp.' Here, the Daily Mail rounds up the top current and former officials fired, forced out, or punished by the new administration... Admiral Linda Fagan - Fired Among the first to go under the new regime was Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, 61, commandant of the Coast Guard, relieved of her duties two years into her four-year term. Fagan was reportedly sacked for her 'excessive focus' on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and 'non-mission-critical' efforts, while neglecting key responsibilities and even allegedly covering up for sexual predators in the Coast Guard. President Donald Trump's administration has ordered all government DEI offices be shut down. The employees of these federal departments and agencies are to be put on paid leave with the expectation that many will eventually be let go. Among the first to go under the new regime was Admiral Linda Lee Fagan (pictured), 61, commandant of the Coast Guard, relieved of her duties two years into her four-year term. Fagan is the first woman to ever lead a U.S. military service. Praised during her 2022 Senate confirmation for inspiring, 'generations of American women to strive to serve at the highest level in the Armed Force,' Fagan leaves under a cloud. In June 2024, she was admonished by a bipartisan chorus of senators for her mishandling of an investigation into sexual assaults and misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy from the late 1980s through until 2006. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal accused her of fostering a deep moral rot' and 'culture of concealment' in the Coast Guard that prioritized, 'cronyism over accountability, silence over survivors.' 50 Ex-Intel Officials Punished Trump signed an executive order Monday to strip access to sensitive government information for more than four dozen former intelligence officials, who signed a letter suggesting Hunter Biden's infamous 'Laptop From Hell' was Russian propaganda. In October 2020, reports first emerged that Hunter had abandoned several devices at a Delaware computer repair shop. The hard drives contained proof of his drug-addled debauchery, evidence of inappropriate foreign business connections and more. The letter's signatories, including ex-Obama Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and ex-Obama CIA Director John Brennan, wrote that the laptop's contents had 'all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.' Amid hysteria over possible Russian interference in the 2020 election and reported FBI warnings, Facebook and other social media platforms censored reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop. A 2022 poll showed that 67 percent of adults believe the intelligence community misled them about the provenance of the laptop. Trump signed an executive order to strip access to sensitive government information for more than four dozen former intelligence officials, who signed a letter suggesting Hunter Biden's infamous 'Laptop From Hell' was Russian propaganda. (Pictured: Hunter Biden). General Mark Milley Fired Next on the chopping block: General Mark Milley former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Within two hours of Trump taking office on Monday, the White House reportedly ordered the Pentagon to remove Milley's official portrait from its walls. Milley, 66, had served on President Biden's National Infrastructure Advisory Council, which advises the chief executive on risk to critical public networks and systems, like electricity grids. Ironically, it was Trump who nominated Milley to lead the Joint Chiefs in 2019. But in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020, Milley controversially split with then-President Trump to decry 'manifestations or symbols of racism, bias or discrimination' in the military. Against Trump's wishes, Milley proposed changing the names of US military bases associated with Confederate officers. Milley also defended the teaching of critical race theory (which has been criticized for casting white people as oppressors and black as victims) at West Point Military Academy. The final nail in the coffin for Milley came in September 2021, when it emerged, that he had communicated with his Chinese military counterpart in the aftermath of the Jan 6 riots to reassure them that the 'American government is stable' and was not planning to invade China. Trump claimed he wasn't informed of the call and the breach of protocol was 'so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.' Next on the chopping block: General Mark Milley former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (pictured). Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms - Fired Trump claimed on Tuesday to have sacked former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from her role on the President's Export Council, which advises the White House on international trade, but Bottoms, 55, said she beat the president to the punch. 'A day late and a dollar short' Bottoms posted on Instagram on Tuesday. 'My resignation from the President's Export Council was submitted January 4, effective yesterday. You can't fire someone who has already resigned.' Perhaps, she read the writing on the wall. Bottoms was one of the nation's most vocal DEI advocates among city leaders, who once described Trump as 'a madman in the White House.' She established Atlanta's first-ever Mayor's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and once declared 'equity is at the core of our Administration's vision and priorities' and that Atlanta's economic development be 'facilitated through the lens of equality for all Atlantans.' Bottoms was harshly criticized for a COVID-era crime wave in the city that saw homicides spike 58 percent in 2020. Democratic political opponents accused her of spending too much time focused on national political aspirations and not city issues. Bottoms decided not to run for re-election as mayor in 2021 and was helpfully gifted a role in the Biden administration as senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, from June 2022 to February 2023, before she was then appointed to the Export Council in July 2023. Trump claimed to have sacked former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (pictured) from her role on the President's Export Council, which advises the White House on international trade, but Bottoms, 55, said she beat the president to the punch. Transgender troops - Barred On Monday, Trump rescinded 78 executive actions implemented by Biden. Among them was the order which was signed in 2021. The Biden-era measure allowed transgender individuals to serve openly in the US military. Today, there are an estimated 9,000 to 14,000 transgender service members. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to reinstate a ban on transgender troops that he signed during his first term. The president also said that under his administration the federal government will only formally recognize two genders: male and female. It's unclear what all the implications of that move will be, but it's expected to impact the ability of the federal government to allocate taxpayers monies to so-called 'transgender care' treatment and surgeries. Chef Jose Andres - Quit Celebrity chef Jose Andres had served as co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition for two years after he was appointed by Biden to lead the group in March 2022. Trump and Andres were once friendly, but the pair fell out after Trump announced his 2016 presidential run in a speech saying that some illegal immigrants are, 'bringing drugs [into the United States]. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.' In retaliation, Andres pulled out of deal to build a restaurant in one of Trump's buildings. Trump sued Andres for $10 million claiming breach of contract and Andres counter-sued for $8 million, sparking a two-year legal battle. They settled the case in 2017 for undisclosed terms. Andres also pointed out that he had quit his position before Trump fired him early Tuesday, writing on X: 'I submitted my resignation last week my 2 year term was already up.' Three weeks ago, Andres was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Biden. Celebrity chef Jose Andres (pictured) had served as co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition for two years after he was appointed by Biden to lead the group in March 2022. The most perplexing firing was of Brian Hook (pictured), the former special envoy for Iran during Trump's first term. Welcome to MAGALAND: Insider Trump's Second 100 Days - The podcast bringing you the latest news and gossip from the White House. Listen here. Envoy Brian Hook Fired The most perplexing firing on Tuesday was of Brian Hook, the former special envoy for Iran during Trump's first term. Hook was also reportedly leading Trump's transition team in the State Department. It's not entirely clear why Trump fired Hook, but in a Trump Social missive posted Tuesday the president claimed that Hook was 'not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again'. Hook had previously backed Trump's the 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran that introduced new sanctions on the regime in an effort to force Tehran to end its nuclear weapons program. Several individuals close with the incoming national security team told Daily Mail that they do not understand why Hook was targeted. The search for a teenage girl and boy who mysteriously vanished off the Hawaii coast has been suspended. Samantha Chun, 17, and Joseph 'Joey' Fujioka, 18, were reported missing on Friday after they failed to return home following a night on the North Shore together. The multiagency search was called off at sunset on Tuesday after human remains were found on Saturday afternoon about 200 yards off Ke Iki Beach on the North Shore. The remains were confirmed to be human, but the identity of the remains and if they belong to one or more individuals has not yet been determined, Fire Captain Jaimie Song with the Honolulu Fire Department said. Song said that the community is hopeful Samantha and Joey might still be out there as it also remains unclear if the remains are related to the case. 'We do not have confirmation, though, that those remains are related to this search effort, so we still hold that hope,' she said. Their families have been notified of the findings. U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Rice said that the decision to suspend the search was 'very complex and difficult.' 'We have a lot of discussion with our partner agencies to make sure that we are making the best decisions that we can as a group and collectively, and just given the situation surrounding the case, as well as our search efforts to this point,' Rice said. Samantha Chun (pictured), 17,and Joseph 'Joey' Fujioka, 18, were reported missing on Friday after they failed to return home following a night on the North Shore together The multiagency search for the pair was called off on Tuesday after officials found human remains just off of Ke Iki Beach on the North Shore. (Pictured: Joseph 'Joey' Fujioka) 'Unless anything new comes up, weve come to that very difficult decision to suspend the case tonight at sunset.' The pair were last seen on camera around 9.45pm local time Friday buying items at a convenience store in Mililani - the city both Samantha and Joey are from. The U.S. Coast Guard were officially notified about the missing teens around 11am Saturday morning after Samantha's mother found their belongings on the beach. 'Keys, wallet and clothing - everything that indicated they had relaxed at the beach, and that's what started our search efforts,' Rice said. Joey's family were also able to track his phone's location to the beach, Lt. Deena Thoemmes with the Honolulu Police Department said. 'Based on Josephs phone location, his family was able to determine that his phone ran out of battery at 11:06 p.m. His last location was at the beach. All the items have been recovered,' Thoemmes said. Although the search has been suspended, the Honolulu Police Department said they will continue to look for Samantha and Joey, who according to Thoemmes, are boyfriend and girlfriend. 'On Friday, Jan. 17, just after 9 p.m., Joseph left his home to pick up his girlfriend, Samantha, from her home in Mililani. At about 9:47 p.m., they went to Aloha Gas on Kipapa Drive and then they arrived at Ke Iki Beach at about 10:30 p.m.,' Thoemmes detailed. The U.S. Coast Guard were officially notified about the missing teens around 11am Saturday morning after Samantha's mother found their belongings on the beach. (Pictured: Ke Iki Beach) She said that Joey then parked his 2012 silver Toyota Corolla on Ke Iki Road. It 'was later found locked and secured,' Hawaii News Now reported. The department is still interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage to learn more about what happened to them. Thoemmes said the department has not ruled out foul play. On Saturday evening, Samantha's mother, Kiyomi Chun took to Facebook asking the public to help find her daughter and Joey. 'Please help find my daughter Samantha Sammy Chun and her friend Joseph! Last known location is ke iki beach north shore last night. Any info regarding either of their locations greatly appreciated!,' she wrote alongside images of them. Samantha's coworkers from the McDonald's she works at near Waipio Acres described her as someone with 'good energy.' 'She was always positive when she would come to work, she'd put a smile on peoples faces,' they told the outlet. Prior to being called off, the Coast Guard and other agencies spent more than '54 combined hours' searching for the missing teenagers across 2,321 square-nautical miles. The Honolulu Police Department said they will continue to search for Samantha and Joey, who according to Thoemmes, are boyfriend and girlfriend Their families have thanked the public for their efforts and have urged them to keep looking for Joey and Samantha. 'All organizations have been amazing during this impossible time; Police, Fire, Coast Guard, Lifeguards, Ocean Safety, Civil Air Patrol, the Guard and Active Duty members, as well as the volunteers who have searched the surrounding areas, around neighborhoods and into the mountains all who are working to help bring our children home,' they said. 'Please keep looking. If anyone saw them that night or has any information that might help us find them, please contact the authorities. We dont know what happened that night. We dont know for sure that they went into the water. The waves were huge and both kids were born and raised in Hawaii and know and love the ocean.' From Friday night into Saturday morning, the water conditions were dangerous with waves ranging from 30-40 feet-tall, according to Ocean Safety Lt. Jesse King. Samantha has been described as five-feet tall with long brown hair, freckles and brown eyes. Joey is five-feet, 10 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes. A British-Israeli woman whose father was taken hostage from Israel by Hamas said it would be a 'miracle' if he was released alive. Sharone Lifschitz, 53, said she thought a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas meant there was a 'good chance' hostages would be released, but added that she had no knowledge of her father's condition. Ms Lifschitz's mother, Yocheved, was among the first hostages to be freed by Hamas, but her 84-year-old father, Oded, remains in captivity. They were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel following the attacks on October 7, 2023. Discussing the hostages, Ms Lifschitz, who has lived in London for more than 30 years, said: 'We're so desperate to have them back that it feels in so many ways we remain on fight or flight.' Asked if she thought the ceasefire would lead to the release of her father, the filmmaker said: 'I think there is a good chance that it would, I hope so. 'Our focus at the moment is on making sure that the deal doesn't get sabotaged by the fanatics on both sides. 'My father coming back would be the closing of a circle. If he is alive, that would be a miracle and if he's not then at least we will have him to bury him and understand where we are.' Sharone Lifschitz, 53, said she thought a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas meant there was a 'good chance' hostages her father Yocheved Lifshitz, 84, would be released Mr Lifshitz, pictured with his daughter, was taken against his will from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas' incursion into Israel on October 7 Ms Lifschitz's mother, Yocheved (right), was among the first hostages to be freed by Hamas, but her 84-year-old father, Oded, remains in captivity She added: 'This weekend, we have two women from my kibbutz and two children that are due to be released. 'And as my mother said, if my father is alive, he is more concerned about their return than anything else.' Ms Lifschitz was on a train to York to pick up a puppy when she first learned of the October 7 attacks. 'We arrived in York, and I called that woman, the breeder, and I said something like: 'I think there's a war in Israel. I don't know if my parents are dead or alive. I can't get hold of them. There are terrorists in my community and I can't pick up a puppy'. 'We went back and the rest of the day is really in a haze for me, but I was just here in London trying desperately to figure out what's happening in Israel. 'Looking at all the videos and trying to see who is alive and who is dead. And seeing people I knew all my life being taken hostage.' Ms Lifschitz said she was told by hostages released in the first deal that her father was alive and had been shot in his safe room during the attacks. She added: 'We know that he survived in Gaza for the first few weeks and was in the same place with another hostage that returned to us since on the 48th day. Sharone Lifschitz holds a photograph of herself with her father, Mr Lifshitz, who was abducted by Hamas militants Ms Lifschitz said she was told by hostages released in the first deal that her father was alive and had been shot in his safe room during the attacks Ms Lifschitz said her mother (pictured centre), who was released on October 23, 2023, returned 'very much herself' and was 'determined to fight for the other hostages' 'So we have this knowledge that he did survive, that he was alive, but that's almost 440 days ago.' Ms Lifschitz said her mother, who was released on October 23, 2023, returned 'very much herself' and was 'determined to fight for the other hostages'. Discussing her mother, the filmmaker said: 'I think that when the last hostage comes back, all the hostages will come back. 'My mum always says that when she closes her eyes, she's back in the tunnels and that she's there with the children of her friends and with her friends that are still there. 'She came back to find that so many people she loved are no longer with us.' Ms Lifschitz said her father, who worked as a journalist, was 'very loving' and that his family 'misses him devastatingly'. She added: 'He caught the heart of so many over the last 15 months. 'I think it's because he's a warm person that really fought for a better future for the region. 'He really believed in our capacity as human beings to build bridges and work for a greater good.' Ms Lifschitz said she did not think the ceasefire could bring a lasting peace, but should be the 'first step' to a 'sustainable future and a deal that sustains life'. A man has been found guilty of murdering his wife in a fit of rage after she accused him of cheating. Walter Buchanan killed Darrell Buchanan at their upmarket flat near Hamilton racecourse in Lanarkshire in February 2023. The 66-year-old chartered surveyor choked his 37-year-old spouse after she earlier accused him of being a cheater. Buchanan had denied murdering Darrel, who was originally from Kenya. However, he was found guilty yesterday following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Buchanan will learn the minimum he will spend behind bars when he returns to the dock next month. The court heard how the couple had met in 2015 while Buchanan was on holiday in Thailand. They married two years later. The trial had earlier heard that Darrel had confided in elderly neighbours John and Violet Fisher that Buchanan was physically abusive towards her. Darrell Buchanan was murdered by her husband, Walter at their home in Hamilton, Lanarkshire Walter Buchanan was found guilty of murdering his wife Mrs Fisher, 82, stated that Mrs Buchanan said her husband took her into a room to beat her and had taken her passport. Jurors heard Buchanan had been out with friends in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, the night before the killing. Darrel was said to have been unhappy about this and Buchanan told the trial he got a text which read: I guess you are having fun in Bothwell without your wife, cheater. He said she then again accused him of infidelity when got home. In his evidence, Buchanan claimed she lunged at him before he connected with Darrel, grabbed her hair and they both fell. She was then dragged across the floor. Buchanan said Darrel got up and left the room. He was then in bed when his wife came in. He told his lawyer Iain McSporran KC she called him a cheater once more. He grabbed her wrists, pushed her onto the bed and got on top of her. Kenya-born Darrell met Walter Buchanan in 2015 whilst he was on holiday in Thailand Buchanan added: She was still flailing her arms - I was defending myself with one arm and I remember putting my hand on her face and pushed her. Mr McSporran put to him: We know there were marks identified on her neck which identifies strangulation - the prosecution say there was strangulation. There was a thumb mark and bruises - did you cause them? Buchanan said: Yes I did, I had her by the neck - it was seconds - and it was with one hand. He further admitted pushing Darrel into a pillow before she rolled over onto her side. It was Buchanan who made a 999 call that morning claiming he had woke up and found his wife cold to the touch. The court heard she had suffered significant compression of her neck. She also had a brain injury, bruising and a rib fracture. After the verdict, prosecutor David McLean said Buchanan only had one minor conviction. Judge Lord Cubie told Buchanan: February 18 2023 was a tragic day - there was the loss of a daughter, sister and mother. The loss was exacerbated that the person who took the life was you, her husband, who should have protected and looked out for her. This has consequences for you too. The reality is it was in your control to avoid this The jury has found that you acted in a way that caused her death and you must take the consequences. Sentencing was adjourned for reports. A border patrol agent was murdered by a masked woman and an accomplice along the US-Canada border just hours after Donald Trump began a second term, according to police. Swanton Sector Border Patrol agent David Maland, 44, was killed in a mysterious shooting in Vermont while on duty Monday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Maland, an Air Force veteran, was fatally shot in the neck after he stopped a small car on Interstate 91, about 20 miles south of the US-Canada border, and the two occupants began firing at him. A male suspect was also shot dead in the gunfire exchange, and the female suspect was injured before she was arrested, officials said. The female and male suspects were reportedly already in the radar of authorities and had been looking to buy real estate in Vermont. They had been staying at the Newport City Inn and Suites for five days; An employee at the hotel told WCAX the female suspect never took off her face mask and was uncooperative with their identification process. 'I did ask her to lower it so I could check her ID, and she refused to. But we dont push the issue when it comes to stuff like that. We just do the best we can,' the employee told the local news outlet. The employee said she never saw the female suspect's male accomplice. A female suspect is seen wearing a mask before she and a male accomplice killed a border patrol agent in Vermont on Monday Swanton Sector Border Patrol agent David Maland, 44, was killed in a mysterious shootout while on the line of duty The alleged killers had been staying at the Newport City Inn and Suites for five days Police have not named the suspects but said the man is a German national in the US on a current visa and the woman is an American. It's not clear what led to the shooting, and the lack of information combined with federal involvement has led Toronto Sun columnist Brad Hunter to question whether the two suspects were planning a terror attack. 'The silence from cops seems to indicate something nefarious,' Hunter wrote. 'When more facts emerge, Im certain that this wasnt a matter of hunting for real estate or smuggling economic refugees into America. No, it was something sinister and Canada may be lined up for yet another black eye on the immigration file.' A bomb squad was called in as a precaution to the scene after the shooting but no bomb or hazardous materials were found. Remote-controlled robots were also seen examining a backpack and other items near the male suspect's body. The couple's room at the Newport Inn was also scoured by a bomb squad but nothing was found. 'A Border Patrol agent assigned to the US Border Patrols Swanton Sector was fatally shot in the line of duty,' said acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman said. 'Every single day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harms way so that Americans and our homeland are safe and secure.' Vermont Governor Phil Scott addressed the shooting at his weekly press briefing and sent condolences to Maland's family. The Republican added: 'The FBI is leading this investigation and the Vermont State Police will continue to assist in any way they can,' he said. Maland lived in Newport and had worked for Border Patrol for about a decade. He had survived the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, where he had been working security. 'He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery,' a family statement provided to The Associated Press late Tuesday said. 'He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self.' Maland also was a K-9 handler who he served in Texas, near the border with Mexico, before heading to the northern border. His aunt, Joan Maland, said he was about to propose marriage to his partner. Maland is the first Border Patrol agent to be killed in the line of duty since Javier Vega Jr. was shot and killed near Santa Monica, Texas, in 2014, according to records provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods fro February 1 over the porous northern border. He says Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's lax attitude to immigration has worsened the US's border crisis and put national security at risk. Trudeau, who announced plans to resign earlier this month, has finally started to crack down on immigration after previously inviting the world to move to his country. Donald Trump is further ramping up his immigration crackdown with an extra 10,000 extra troops expected to join those already helping to tackle illegal crossings at the southern border. Just 48 hours after taking office, the president has accelerated his plans to secure the border and deport millions of illegal migrants nationwide. He ordered the deployment of more than 1,500 troops to the border yesterday, adding to the more than 2,000 already there, who will help with the instalment of physical barriers. Potentially adding to that number further, an internal government memo, seen by CBS, indicated that he plans to send up to 10,000 service personnel to assist the Customs and Border Protection agency. The memo also reportedly suggests that US Department of Defense bases could be converted into 'holding facilities' for migrants who are waiting to be deported. He ordered the Pentagon to send the military in to help border agents who have been overwhelmed by the surge in crossings from Mexico under Joe Biden. The new deployment of troops comes after CBP One asylum appointments were canceled and the Biden-era app was shut down. Migrants waiting in Mexico broke down in tears as they looked at the app on their phones to see their eagerly-anticipated meetings with U.S. immigration officials no longer existed. In his latest executive order Trump reiterated the importance of installing troops at the border and emphasizing their role in securing America's defense and national security. There are roughly 2,200 active duty troops at the southern border assisting with immigration operations and thousands more are now ordered to report at the border in Donald Trump's crackdown on the migrant crisis Mexican immigration officials and police receive deportees after they were sent back to Mexico on Wednesday, January 22 from Nogales, Arizona Members of the Mexican Navy and municipal employees set up a temporary shelter in Matamoros, Mexico on Wednesday, January 22 Already, there are around 2,500 troops at the border helping Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as part of Joint Task Force-North, US Northern Command's border mission based out of El Paso, Texas. Trump's order will mean 1,500 more get there by the end of January. There is also a National Guard contingent called Operation Lonestar, headed by the Texas National Guard and directed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Roughly 4,500 National Guardsmen are currently assigned to that mission. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the latest troops are preparing to deploy, or are already on their way to the border. She said it is part of Trump's mission to 'direct the Department of Defense to make homeland security a core mission of the agency' and for the Pentagon to finally 'take homeland security seriously.' As the U.S. prepares to deport potentially millions of illegal immigrants, the Mexican government is erecting a temporary shelter near the very southern tip of the border with Texas in Matamoros, Mexico. The shelter is being set up by members of the Mexican Navy and municipal employees to be able to handle the influx of possible mass deportations from the U.S. in coming months. Images were captured on Wednesday of U.S. CBP transport vehicles unloading migrants as they were forced back over the border. Mexican police and immigration officials received the deportees crossing back to Mexico from Nogales, Arizona. Trump is reinstating his remain in Mexico policy, which requires migrants who are seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait for their court date in the country from which they crossed. The troops already at the border perform mostly logistics and bureaucratic tasks such as data entry, detection, monitoring and vehicle maintenance. And those being ordered there now are likely to assist in more of the same. Even more forces are expected to be deployed there in coming weeks and months. It is not yet clear which additional units are being ordered south. Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) already arrested 308 illegal migrants on Tuesday including some charged with murder and child rape. 'ICE is doing their job,' Homan said of the swiftly enacted operations. Members of the Mexican Navy prepare for potential mass deportations from the U.S. by erecting a shelter near the very southern tip of the border with Texas Trump signed 10 executive orders related to immigration policy on Monday this includes one cracking down on sanctuary cities and another that clarifies the military's role at the border Aerial footage shows migrants being unloaded from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle as they are deported back to Mexico from Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday, January 22 Trump has not ruled out using the military within America's borders to help round up illegal immigrants for his massive deportation operation. But the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also creating task forces to work with local and state law enforcement authorities to have them enforce federal immigration laws. A memo dated Tuesday warns local governments that if they seek to shield illegal immigrants from detection or deportation by federal authorities they could now face criminal prosecution. This is an obvious crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities a moniker given to usually Democratic jurisdictions that seek to prevent or circumvent federal authorities whose job it is to detect, arrest or deport illegal immigrants. Migrants were deported from the U.S. back to Tijuana, Mexico on Tuesday, January 21 just 24 hours after Donald Trump took his oath office Margelis Tinoco, a migrant from Colombia, sobbed on arriving at the U.S. Border just as Trump was inaugurated to discover the CBP One App had been shut down and her appointment with officials canceled President Trump is directing federal prosecutors to investigate state and city officials who resist his immigration enforcement efforts, a Justice Department memo instructs. He vowed to restart immigration raids, including in sanctuary cities like San Francisco, Chicago , Detroit, New York City and many others. Multiple reports detail the new directive and the Justice Department memo, written by Trump appointee and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. It states: 'Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing or otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests.' Trump issued 10 executive orders on day one of his second term on Monday related to the southern border and the illegal immigration crisis. He vowed during the 2024 election he would carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Homan told Fox News there have been no CBP One App releases since Trump took office and claims that total apprehensions at the southern border dropped to 766 on Tuesday. This compared to the thousands per day that were crossing under Biden's leadership is a drastic change from one day to the next. Migrants found themselves deported or sent straight back to Mexico as they sought to gain entry into the U.S. at the border between Tijuana and California on Tuesday Trump's first full day back in office. Hundreds were seen on Tuesday walking back over the El Chaparral pedestrian border bridge after being deported back to Mexico. Border czar Tom Homan said 308 migrants were already arrested by ICE on Tuesday, which was Trump's first full day back in office Migrants walk back into Mexico after being deported from California on Tuesday, January 21 The Justice Department now warns that any officials who resist or obstruct the federal immigration enforcement could now be charged with defrauding the U.S. or even harboring illegal aliens. If their investigations find local officials to be in violation of this directive but the prosecution opts not to bring criminal charges, they must notify the Justice Department of such a decision. Bove's memo notes this is an additional way in which to enforce the flurry of executive orders Trump signed on illegal immigration already. He also cited threats posed by international gangs and drug cartels, writing: 'It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to defend the Constitution and, accordingly, to lawfully executive the policies that the American people elected President Trump to implement.' A stunning city along the Southern California coast declared itself a 'non-sanctuary city' in a show of support for President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. Huntington Beach, located southeast of Los Angeles, approved the designation Tuesday following a unanimous vote from the city council to back Mayor Pat Burns' resolution. The move came just two days into Trump's presidency. Burns said he is ready to back any efforts by the Trump administration to enforce immigration law. California is a sanctuary state, meaning it limits is cooperation with federal immigration officials. 'We need every law enforcement effort, whenever called upon, whether it be fighting terrorists, whether it be fighting purse snatchers, or whatever it is, we have to have every law enforcement tool to best serve our citizens,' Burn told ABC 7. Despite the declaration, Burns said he would not instruct his police officers to go hunting for illegal aliens. 'It's not meaning that our police are going to go out and look for, patrol, and pull over people for being illegal,' he said. 'That's not our capacity. That's a federal job.' Mayor Pat Burns declared that Huntington Beach 'non-sanctuary city' in a show of support for President Donald Trump 's crackdown on illegal immigration Burns said he is ready to back any efforts the Trump administration makes to enforce immigration laws (pictured: Huntington Beach) Burns believes that California's sanctuary laws make it more difficult for state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities. 'It's taking out a link of a chain that we can't afford,' he told ABC 7. 'We're weakening the law enforcement efforts to the city to make it the safest place.' He also said his new designation was not meant to fight the state, but to put 'Huntington Beach first.' 'It's nothing to fight the state on. If it does, so be it, but it's really to serve Huntington Beach,' he said. In a statement, the city accused California Governor Gavin Newsom's office of trying to 'subvert the good work of federal immigration authorities,' including the Trump Administration and his new 'border czar' Tom Homan. Within hours of his inauguration, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, which allows for further mobilization in the area. Trump directed the Armed Forces to 'take all appropriate action to assist the Department of Homeland Security in obtaining full operational control of the southern border.' He also allowed for the construction of a physical barrier on the southern border. Within hours of his inauguration, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border Mayor Burns said the declaration was not meant to fight the state of California, but to put 'Huntington Beach first.' In a statement , the city accused Governor Gavin Newsom of trying to 'subvert the good work of federal immigration authorities' 'To protect the security and safety of the United States citizens, to protect each of the United States against invasion, and to uphold my duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, it is my responsibility as the President to ensure that the illegal entry of aliens into the United States via the southern border be immediately and entirely stopped,' he said. Homan said Tuesday that Trump's mass deportation has begun as ICE officers can now arrest illegal immigrants in churches and schools. Fox News reported Tuesday morning that Trump's Department of Homeland Security rescinded a 2021 policy from President Joe Biden's DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that limited ICE enforcement in 'sensitive' areas. Those areas were outlined as churches, schools and hospitals, among others. The Day One Trump order recommended that ICE officers simply use 'common sense.' Homan confirmed Tuesday afternoon that deportations are happening but didn't divulge details. 'As I've said numerous times, we're concentrating on public safety threats. That will be our priority out of the gate,' he told CNN. 'So ICE officers are back to doing their job.' Homan said the 'target of this operation' is illegal immigrants who have a criminal record. Despite the declaration, Mayor Burns said he would not instruct his police officers to go hunting for illegal aliens (pictured: migrants at the Mexican border) The border czar then outlined how sanctuary cities won't even allow ICE officials to take illegal immigrants from jails, which will force officers into immigrant communities. 'When you release a public safety threat out of a sanctuary jail and they wont give us access to him, that means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him, and we will find him, but when we find him, he may be with others,' he said. 'There's nothing in the INA - Immigration and Nationality Act - says you've got to be convicted of a serious crime in order to be removed from this country,' Homan explained. 'So there could be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities because they forced us to go into the community and find the guy we're looking for.' President Donald Trump is stamping his authority on America's presence around the world with a sweeping new order that only the Stars and Stripes will be flown from diplomatic buildings. The order comes from his State Department, banning Pride and Black Lives Matter flags. 'Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content,' it states, according to the Washington Free Beacon, which obtained the text. 'The flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. 'These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present.' There are exceptions, however, to the order issued by new Secretary of State Marco Rubio. State Department facilities will still be allowed to fly the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag and the Wrongful Detainees flag. Rainbow flags have long been a point of contention for Republicans. The US national flag and an LGBT pride flag on the front facade of the US Embassy in Moscow in June 2020. The new order prohibits such displays A 'Black Lives Matter' banner marking the one-year anniversary of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis USA police officer, hangs from the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain, in 2021 In 2021, after the flags were flown above U.S. embassies to recognize Pride month, Republicans moved to try to ensure it would neve happen again. They introduced the 'Old Glory Only Act,' to ban any flags other than the U.S. flag but it failed to pass. And the Biden White House last year agreed to include a similar provision allowing only U.S. flags in a mammoth spending bill as part of a compromise with conservatives to avert a shutdown. The Biden administration said it would move quickly to repeal it. This time around, prominent Trump allies welcomed the move. 'I'm not tired of winning!!' Rep. Marjorie Taylor posted to X, echoing an old line of Trump's. Travelers flying to and from Mexico could receive a hefty fine from airport officials depending on what's in their bag. Electronics such as laptops and iPads are common items that fliers bring with them on a flight. However, the number of electronics in a bag could determine whether a traveler will walk away with a fine or not. A little-known travel rule when flying to or out of a Mexican airport is to only bring a specific amount of electronics. For example, a passenger hoping to bring a laptop and iPad on the trip will have to choose between one or the other before entering customs. Passengers who decide to pack both may suffer the consequences of paying a fine or losing a gadget forever. Laptops and iPads are not the only electronics that could pose a risk for fines in Mexico. The Mexican customs office limits the overall number of electronic items that each passenger is allowed to bring into the country. Travelers will be fined if they pack an iPad and laptop in their bag they bring to customs Fliers who don't wish to pay the fine will be required to leave one gadget behind Passengers can pack two cameras, three cellular devices, and one 'portable computing device' in their bags. Laptops and iPads are considered computing devices, which is why a traveler would be fined if they packed both items. Officials would usually fine travelers 19 percent of what they believe the disallowed item's value is. This would mean that fliers could potentially be fined $200 for a new iPad Pro or $300 to $400 on a Macbook Pro, depending on how much a customs officer believes they're worth, according to Joni Sweet from Forbes. Officers who find an additional electronic will decide what it's worth in another room and 'return with a bill' once they're finished. Officials would usually fine travelers 19 percent of what they believe the disallowed item's value is What may sound like a new policy to fliers is actually a policy implemented at Mexico airports for quite some time. 'This has actually been in effect for a very, very long time,' travel agent Michael Boguslavskiy from Caballeros Vacations told USA Today. 'It's a massively outdated list at this point but it's still there.' The rule has found its way back into the minds of travelers due to a recent uptick from customs, according to the Riviera Maya News. 'It was never strongly enforced but now they are enforcing it worse than they ever have before,' Boguslavskiy said. The travel agent explained that he believes the reasons behind the rules are to increase tax revenue from visitor arrival or the increase of passengers with the intention of selling multiple devices. 'Obviously, that's not the case with 99 percent of people bringing a laptop and an iPad, but it's up to customs as they choose to view it," Boguslavskiy said. The rule regarding the amount of electronic devices one brings on a flight to and from Mexico has been in affect for a 'very long time' Traveler Karen Bishop explained her experience at Cancun International Airport (CUN) after being fined $100 for bringing two iPads. 'As you enter the customs area, there is a sign detailing this law,' Bishop told The Points Guy. 'It is well hidden from most of the arriving customers so, at this point, you're trapped.' Sweet discussed a story about her friend who had a customs incident at CUN in 2024. Officials searched her friend's bag and gave her two choices after discovering multiple computing devices. 'After finding an iPad and MacBook Pro in her luggage, the agent demanded that she pay 3,690 Mexican pesos (or about $190 USD) in duty for the laptop - or kiss it goodbye,' Sweet wrote. 'She signed an official form in Spanish acknowledging the duty and promptly paid it by credit card, but was shaken up by the experience.' Flier Tammy Levent was fined $200 after she brought her laptop and iPad through security while at CUN in June 2024. 'This was wrong. At the end of the day, you want tourism but you're driving people away,' Levent told USA Today. Multiple fliers were fined between $100 and $200 at Cancun International Airport for having two computing devices in 2024 Multiple experts have insisted that it is not worth breaking little-known rules when flying to or out of Mexico. Boguslavskiy sends a customs list to his clients flying to Mexico and tells every traveler to 'please be up to date with what the local rules of customs are.' Sweet insisted fliers leave an additional laptop at home or 'enjoy a break from screens altogether.' 'The customs officers don't search every traveler's bag, so there's a chance your extra iPad might get through customs without a hitch,' Sweet wrote. 'But unless your idea of a dream vacation to Mexico involves customs drama and surprise tax bills before you even reach your hotel, your best bet is to know the restrictions and pack light on gadgets.' A group of migrant workers in Canada on the brink of illegally overstaying their welcome have gathered for a press conference to demand that they remain in the country. Just weeks after embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the government would be cracking down on immigration, members of the Naujawan Support Network shared a video insisting they will not back down. The group - which is made up of people from South Asian countries - are brazenly fighting against 'unfair immigration policies' after being 'exploited' by being granted work visas in Canada. Members of the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) group within the network have been sitting out in an encampment 24-hours a day for 143 days to 'protest against Canadas exploitative immigration policies.' The group took to social media on Monday to share that the PGWP committee made the 'difficult decision' to shut down the encampment in Brampton due to Trudeau's resignation and the suspension of the country's parliament until March. Despite closing the door on the encampment and many of their visas expiring, the group said they are 'shifting their strategy', but their 'fight is far from over.' Once their visas end and a 90-day grace period is over, they will be classed as illegal immigrants in Canada. 'We are changing the strategy for our protest. While we are changing the strategy, and we are no longer going to hold a 24/7 encampment, we want to remind you that our fight is far from over,' one unnamed woman with the group said as her peers gathered around. Members of the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) group within the Naujawan Support Network shared a video announcing that they will close their 24/7 encampment to focus on obtaining work visa extensions for its members The group said the PGWP committee made the 'difficult decision' to shut down the encampment in Brampton due to Trudeau's resignation and the suspension of the country's parliament until March. (Pictured: Justin Trudeau on Tuesday) 'We are just changing our methods. We will continue to fight against unfair immigration policies. 'Our whole PGWT committee team is committed for this cause and we will keep fighting until all our demands are met,' she continued, adding that they will now be focusing more on obtaining work permit extensions for international students and immigrant workers. 'At this point, we believe that we are spending a lot of energy and resources to maintain this 24/7 encampment,' she continued, adding that they know it's 'going to be a long fight.' 'We believe we need to work in the background a lot to mobilize,' the woman added. The reason for protesting in the first place, according to the group, is because the country 'has long marketed itself as a land of opportunity for international studies,' but in recent times, that has changed. 'Many of us have been caught in a system that is designed to make colleges rich, while leaving international students in a difficult situation,' the group said on its GoFundMe page that has raised more than $14,700 CAD ($10,230 USD). The group has demanded 'fair and transparent immigration pathways' from the country, 'extensions of work permits for PGWP holders' that have either expired or about to, a five-year work permit for international students 'to give us a real chance to succeed,' and for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) 'exploitation' to end. Before Trudeau dramatically announced his resignation on January 6 - just days before President Donald Trump entered office - he announced a crackdown on immigration in the country. Canada's newly appointed Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced on December 17 that the $1.3 billion CAD ($930m USD) slate of new measures 'will secure our border against the flow of illegal drugs and irregular migration.' The new measures will include 24/7 surveillance of the border using 'helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers', and upgraded detection tools to catch drugs slipping over the border. The legislation is based on five pillars: Slowing the trade of fentanyl, improving border patrols' coordination, providing new tools for law enforcement, easing information sharing among departments and slowing migrant crossings, reports TNC. The reason for protesting in the first place, according to the group, it because the country 'has long marketed itself as a land of opportunity for international studies,' but in recent times, that has changed The group has demanded a five-year work permit for international students 'to give us a real chance to succeed,' among other requests Trudeau was previously famed for his progressive policies and urged migrants to flock to Canada - but has changed his tune in recent weeks as his polls tanked. It came weeks after Trump threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all imports from Canada, citing Trudeau's struggles in ensuring border security. Less than a month later, Trudeau announced that he would be stepping down as Prime Minister capping a spectacular fall from grace for the liberal standard-bearer. In emotional remarks Trudeau said: 'Last night over dinner I told my kids about the decision that I'm sharing with you today. I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister.' The scion of one of Canada's most famous political families had become deeply unpopular in recent years over a range of issues including the soaring cost of food and housing, and surging immigration. Despite closing the door on the encampment and many of their visas expiring, the group said they are 'shifting their strategy' and there 'fight is far from over' Trump has repeatedly mocked the Canadian leader by suggesting his country would be better off as the 51st U.S. state. The day after Trump took to social media to announce that he would introduce the new tariff on goods from Canada, Trudeau immediately flew down to Mar-a-Lago to do damage control. During that meeting, reports emerged detailing how Trudeau pleaded with Trump not to impose the tariffs and claimed it would kill Canada's economy. The reason Trump wants to impose tariffs on Canada is to pressure Ottawa to do more to secure the border and stop leaking illegal immigrants into the U.S. Trump took credit for the resignation, claiming he approach to dealing with Canada is what led to Trudeau's move. Before Trudeau dramatically announced his resignation on January 6, announced a crackdown on immigration in Canada. He also met with President Donald Trump, who threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all imports from the country to the US 'The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned.' During his remarks, delivered in both English and French, at the Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa, Trudeau said: 'I intend to resign as Party Leader, as Prime Minister, after the Party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process.' Trudeau will remain in power until his party selects a new leader, which they will need to do before general elections in the fall, which polls indicate conservatives will win with Pierre Poilievre as their leader. The father-of-three served as Prime Minister since November 2015 and resided at Rideau Cottage with his family. He and wife Sophie announced in August 2023 their separation. President Donald Trump has given a cryptic warning that Joe Biden should have pardoned himself before he left office. Trump made the ominous comment in his first Oval Office interview since his swearing-in on Monday. Fox News star Sean Hannity asked Trump his thoughts on Biden's decision to give last-minute preemptive pardons to members of his own family, and some of the Republican president's political enemies. 'And you know what the funny thing, maybe the sad thing is - he didn't give himself a pardon,' Trump pointed out. 'And you look at it, it all had to do with him,' Trump added. Trump has previously said he wants 'retribution' and that he believes Biden's Justice Department was weaponized against him and other Republicans. He was charged in four separate criminal cases in the years following his first term. The Justice Department is supposed to act independently of the White House. During the sit-down, Trump noted that he didn't give blanket pardons to himself or any of his allies at the end of his first stint in the White House. President Donald Trump gave a cryptic warning Wednesday telling Sean Hannity that President Joe Biden should have pardoned himself 'I was given the option, they said sir would you like to pardon everybody, including yourself. I said I'm not going to pardon anybody, we didn't do anything wrong,' Trump said. He said that a number of his people then 'suffered.' 'You had Bannon put in jail, you had Peter Navarro put in jail, you had people who suffered', Trump said. Steve Bannon, Trump's longtime political strategist who briefly worked in the White House during his first term, was released after a four month stint in prison just days before the 2024 election. Bannon was behind bars for defying a Congressional subpeona as his testimony was wanted about the January 6 Capitol attack. Navarro was the first former Trump White House official to be imprisoned for a contempt of Congress conviction. He was released from prison in July, after also serving a four month term. Prior to leaving office Trump did pardon a number of his political allies including Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. President Joe Biden gave blanket pardons to his siblings and their spouses along with a number of President Donald Trump's political enemies before he walked out the White House door on Monday House Speaker Mike Johnson has already said that House Republicans would investigate Biden's pardons, which included members of the House select January 6 committee. While the two Republicans who served on that committee no longer serve in Congress - ex-Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger - a number of Democrats are still in the House. Biden's blanket pardons were also given to his siblings and their spouses, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Sen. Adam Schiff and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci ran the COVID-19 response in both the Trump and Biden administrations, and who has since been hammered by the political right for COVID-era lockdowns. The full interview with Hannity will air Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET. An off-duty officer was knocked unconscious and had to be revived after he was allegedly kicked and punched in the head in a popular nightlife precinct in Sydney's inner west. Three men are on the run after allegedly seriously assaulting the officer and another off-duty policeman during the late-night incident in Enmore Rd in Newtown. Police said two 25-year-old off-duty officers were strolling along the road after attending Alec Benjamin's concert at the Enmore Theatre when they witnessed a heated argument between three men. The officers tried to step in and break up the altercation but were attacked, with one of the officers being knocked to the ground and viciously punched and kicked in the head. Officers arrived to find one of the off-duty officers unconscious on Enmore Rd. An off-duty nurse performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The officer was taken to the nearby Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he is in a serious but stable condition. The second officer suffered injuries to his face, received medical treatment at the hospital, and has since been discharged. The three men ran from the scene before police arrived. Paramedics are seen treating a young man at the scene of a king-hit attack in Sydney Members of the public performed CPR on the man before paramedics arrived on Enmore Street Investigators are looking for two men of Maori or Pacific Islander appearance, and a third man of Caucasian appearance, all between 20 and 30 years old. 'We will be hunting down those persons of interest, we will be knocking on your door,' Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald said. 'If you have anything that you want to say, hand yourself in to police. 'The CCTV shows a group of men attacking an officer that is on the ground and another officer, and it is very violent.' Investigators were yet to determine if they had identified themselves as officers. Police Minister Yasmin Catley condemned the 'violent assalt'. 'These types of violent crimes are not what we want to see on our streets,' Ms Catley said. A man is seen in the back of a car following the horror incident on Wednesday night Paramedics are seen treating one of the victims at the scene in Sydney's inner-west 'This is a despicable act on two officers who were out enjoying themselves in this very vibrant part of the city.' Premier Chris Minns said 'all of NSW will be thinking of these brave men and their families'. 'I'm devastated to hear that two off-duty police officers were seriously assaulted last night in the Inner West,' he said in a statement. 'These two men saw an incident, went to assist those involved, and were brutally attacked, this is sickening. A single black slide is seen at the crime scene on Enmore Street in Newtown 'Every day our police force put their lives on the line to keep us safe even when they're not in uniform. Enmore Rd was designated as the first 'special entertainment precinct' in NSW in late 2023, recognising the inner-city area's popularity as a late-night music and hospitality hub. The designation allows extended trading hours for certain venues and looser noise controls for businesses. A primary school in Manchester was put into 'lockdown' today after a man allegedly pulled out a knife during an altercation in the playground. Armed police rushed to Lily Lane Primary School, in the Moston area of Manchester, at around 3pm after the suspect reportedly attempted to attack a parent. Parents claimed that the terrifying incident led to pupils being locked indoors for over 40 minutes. A man, 20, has since been detained and arrested on suspicion of attempted assault. Shocking pictures and videos shared online showed multiple police cars with flashing lights close to the school alongside dozens of parents stuck outside the locked school gate. 'I got there and there were armed police and everything. The gates were locked, the school was on lockdown and they weren't letting anyone in or out,' one mother told the Manchester Evening News. 'There were hundreds of parents all waiting outside and we were all locked out. I was panicking and asking what was going on, and that I wanted my daughter. I was screaming that my child was locked in, and they just kept telling us all the children were safe.' It was allegedly 45 minutes before the children were finally allowed out of the school. A primary school in Manchester was put into 'lockdown' today after a man allegedly pulled out a knife during an altercation in the playground Shocking pictures and videos shared online showed multiple police cars with flashing lights close to the school alongside dozens of parents stuck outside the locked school gate Another parent who described the incident as 'terrifying' said they were told a man 'chased another man through the playground with a knife'. They claimed to have seen armed police in the reception. No injuries were reported at the incident. In a statement Greater Manchester Police said: 'Officers were called to reports of a man with a knife at a primary school on Kenyon Lane in Moston at around 3pm this afternoon (Wednesday January 22 2025). 'Armed officers quickly attended the school and as a precaution, the school was put into lockdown. Thankfully, no one was injured A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted assault. Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing.' Western officials say about 1,000 'elite' North Korean troops who were reportedly led by Russian officers they 'don't understand' have been slaughtered in just three months while fighting Ukraine. North Korea sent around 11,000 troops and 4,000 have been killed, wounded, are missing or captured. Officials who spoke anonymously said that an estimated 1,000 of these were killed by mid-January. The North Korean troops, reportedly from an 'elite' unit called the Storm Corps, appear to have been thrown into the war with little training or protection. Former British Army tank commander, Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said they are 'barely trained' and led by 'Russian officers who they don't understand'. He said the troops don't 'stand a chance and are being used as 'cannon fodder'. These losses are unsustainable by the North Koreans and point to a very high cost to the ally of Vladimir Putin. He is trying to get rid of Ukrainian forces from in Russia ahead of any possible ceasefire negotiations later in the year. Vladimir Putin talks with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un on Putin's arrival at the Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, in June 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, hugging last year North Korean troops in eastern Russia undergoing training ahead of deployment with Vladimir Putin's forces North Korean troops in Russia being kitted out with military equipment It came after Ukraine launched a surprise thrust into the Russian oblast of Kursk last August, taking Russian border guards by surprise. Ukraine still holds several hundred square kilometres of Russian territory and is inflicting huge losses on Putin's forces. Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told the BBC that the North Korean troops face little chance of survival. 'Quite frankly they don't stand a chance. They are being thrown into the meat grinder with little chance of survival. They are cannon fodder, and the Russian officers care even less for them than they do for their own men.' Earlier, Ukraine's top military commander Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi warned that North Korean soldiers are posing a significant problem for Ukrainian fighters. He told Ukraine's TSN Tyzhden news programme: 'They are numerous. An additional 11,000-12,000 highly motivated and well-prepared soldiers who are conducting offensive actions. They operate based on Soviet tactics. They act in platoons, companies. They rely on their numbers.' Analysts also claimed this week that the North Korean forces sent to bolster Putin's dwindling forces may be killed or wounded in the next three months. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which has been tracking developments on the frontlines of the invasion of Ukraine since it started in February 2022, said in an assessment on January 16 that 'the entirety of this North Korean contingent in Kursk Oblast may be killed or wounded in roughly 12 weeks.' In early January, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said 3,800 North Korean soldiers have so far been killed or wounded in Kursk. They were first reported to be on the battlefield in early November, with significant fighting taking place from December. The ISW estimates that the North Korean contingent is suffering losses of around 92 personnel a day, and will be completely gone by mid-April if they 'continue to suffer similarly high casualty rates in the future.' Western officials say about 1,000 'elite' North Korean troops who were reportedly led by Russian officers they 'don't understand' have been slaughtered in just three months North Korean troops seen in Russia ahead of deployment The group added: 'North Korean forces will likely continue to suffer a larger ratio of wounded to killed in action - as is typical for armed conflict - and it is unclear if or when injured North Korean soldiers return to combat.' Fighting has intensified in the Russian region of Kursk, with Ukrainian forces taking out whole columns of tanks and the battlefield littered with the corpses of Russian and North Korean soldiers, chilling pictures purportedly show. Desperate to reclaim the region, part of which was first seized by Kyiv's forces back in August and has been defended by Ukraine since, Putin has sent wave after wave of troops to die. So exhausted by the rate with which they have been killing their enemies, Ukrainian machine gunners are being replaced regularly, according to reports. One soldier likened the onslaught to the bloody sieges of eastern Ukrainian cities like Bakhmut, saying that 'after two hours [gun operators] couldn't take it anymore.' 'Here, the Russians need to take this territory at any cost, and are pouring all their strength into it, while we are giving everything we have to hold it,' Sergeant Oleksandr, 46, a Ukrainian infantry platoon leader, told the New York Times. 'We're holding on, destroying, destroying, destroying - so much that it's hard to even comprehend.' Aiming to retake the town of Malaya Loknya, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the region, Putin's forces reportedly launched a series of massive combined assaults involving some 50 armoured vehicles and hundreds of soldiers. Ukrainian forces reportedly decimated the columns by disabling the lead vehicles with landmines and drone strikes, forcing those behind them to stop in their tracks. A rapidly growing wildfire has broken out north of Los Angeles, sparking fears from experts that the blaze 'could go nuclear.' The Hughes Fire ignited late morning Wednesday in the Castaic Lake area of Los Angeles County, quickly scorching 3,407 acres. Evacuations with warnings of 'immediate threat to life' are underway, while much of Southern California remained under a red flag warning for extreme fire risk due to strong, dry winds. The number of people under evacuation orders was not specified. About 18,600 people live in the community of Castaic. Firefighters from Angeles National Forest were responding, the U.S. Forest Service said, announcing that the entire 700,000-acre park in the San Gabriel Mountains was closed to visitors. The cause of the fire in under investigation. Photos show plumes of smoke rising from the area as firefighters battle the blaze. That initial request indicated a fire that was already nearly out of control, Jacob Weigler, Wildfire Coordinator for Central Pierce County, Washington, told the New York Post. 'That one's gonna go nuclear. It's big. You know what the fuels are capable of doing in that area right now, and what the wind does is going to be a big deal for this,' he said. Photos show plumes of smoke rising from the area as firefighters battle the blaze The fire quickly ripped through nearly 8 square miles of trees and brush, sending up an enormous plume of dark smoke near Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area about 40 miles from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week. Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft tried to prevent the wind-driven fire from moving south toward more populated foothill communities in Castaic, home to about 18,000 people. At least three schools were evacuated as a precaution, the California Highway Patrol said. Meanwhile, to the south, Los Angeles officials were preparing for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday. 'We're going to see another round of critical fire conditions across Southern California,' Todd Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Wednesday morning. 'At this point, it sounds like a broken record.' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. The Eaton Fire that scorched 14,021 acres east of Los Angeles was 91 percent contained, while the larger Palisades Fire, which has consumed 23,448 acres on the west side of Los Angeles, stood at 68 percent contained on Wednesday. Smoke and flames rise as firefighters and aircraft battle the Hughes Fire A large plume of smoke caused by the Hughes Fire rises from Castaic Lake as seen from a neighborhood of Santa Clarita A fire truck drives past flames caused by the Hughes Fire Since the two fires broke out on January 7, they have burned an area nearly the size of Washington, D.C., killed 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures, Cal Fire said. Private forecaster AccuWeather projects damage and economic losses at more than $250 billion. President Donald Trump said California officials could have stopped the LA wildfires by turning on a water 'valve' to release gallons while the city burned. Trump, 78, told a press conference on Tuesday that 'Los Angeles has massive amounts of water available to it' and 'all they have to do is turn the valve.' 'Think of a sink but multiply it by many thousands of times the size of it, it's massive,' he said. California Governor Gavin Newsom disputed the claims, telling DailyMail.com in a statement that 'Trump is either unaware of how water is stored in California or is deliberately misleading the public.' Trump said the 'valve' directs water from the Pacific north-west where 'millions of gallons of water a week and a day even, in many cases, pours into California (and) goes all through California down into Los Angeles'. It's unclear which 'valve' Trump is referring to, however, one of the executive actions he issued on his first day in office directed staff to find ways to reroute more water from Northern California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the rest of the state. Sir Keir Starmer was in retreat today as the Conservatives blasted his proposed education reforms as a tragedy in the making. The Prime Minister was accused of presiding over the worst of socialism with legislation that curbs academy school freedoms. The Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill labelled an act of vandalism by Kemi Badenoch makes a series of changes to the independence of academies. But Sir Keir failed to defend the most controversial parts of the legislation during Prime Ministers Questions yesterday. Tory leader Mrs Badenoch challenged him repeatedly over the impact of changes to academy freedoms, including on teacher recruitment and on pay. She labelled the Bill an attack on excellence... on higher standards... on aspiration and told the Commons: This is the worst of socialism and isnt it deprived children in England who will pay the price? Sir Keir insisted it would benefit children and parents with its support for free breakfast clubs in every state-funded primary school in England, making uniforms more affordable and introducing safeguarding measures. Academies, which are independent of local authorities, currently have the freedom to set their own pay and conditions for staff with some academies exceeding the national pay scales for teachers. The Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill labelled an act of vandalism by Kemi Badenoch (pictured during PMQs) makes a series of changes to the independence of academies Sir Keir (pictured during PMQs) insisted the bill would benefit children and parents with its support for free breakfast clubs in every state-funded primary school in England, making uniforms more affordable and introducing safeguarding measures But the new Bill would ensure all teachers will be part of the same core pay and conditions framework whether they work in a local authority-run school or an academy. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has insisted there would be no ceiling to what academy leaders can pay their teachers. And the Department for Education this week claimed an amendment will be tabled to make it clear that there will be a floor on pay with no upper limit for all state schools. Other measures contained in the Bill include allowing councils to open new schools that are not academies and it will end the forced academisation of schools, run by local authorities, that are identified as a concern by Ofsted. But the Mail can today reveal that Labour will hand the power to turn around failing schools to just 35 civil servants. If the school has capacity to improve with help, the Education Secretary will be able to deploy regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams. But only 35 civil servants are working in the RISE teams. Last year, almost 180 schools required intervention in England and Wales equivalent to five failing schools per civil servant. Laura Trott, Tory spokeswoman for education, said: Labour thinks that just 35 civil servants know better than hard-working academy teachers. Forced academisation has contributed to the rising of school standards with 90 per cent rated good or outstanding, up from 68 per cent when the Conservatives entered office in 2010. Yet again, Labour are putting ideology in the way of what works, and it is the poorest students that will suffer the most. Laura Trott (pictured), Tory spokeswoman for education, said: Labour thinks that just 35 civil servants know better than hard-working academy teachers' Education Minister Bridget Phillipson. The Department for Education this week claimed an amendment to the bill will be tabled to make it clear that there will be a floor on pay with no upper limit for all state schools Neil OBrien MP, shadow education minister, added: Schools in England have improved, while schools in Labour-run Wales have worsened. This is because in England, failing schools were put under new management and joined up with teams of people who already had a track record of turning around failing schools. But Labour have axed this approach and cut the funding, all in the name of ideology. The centralised approach of trying to turn around failing schools, using just a handful of civil servants in Whitehall, has been tried and failed. Government sources last night stressed they are recruiting more people to work in RISE teams, which are still being established. A Labour source claimed: The Tories have nothing positive to offer the hundreds of thousands of children theyve left trapped in failing schools this Government is getting on and delivering improvement with RISE teams. Despite this Government being in office for only six months, it has done more to get to grips with standards in failing schools than the Tories did in 14 years. The school shooter who opened fire in a Tennessee cafeteria, killing one girl and injuring another, has been named. Nashville Police Department confirmed that Solomon Henderson - who was an active student at Antioch High School at the time of the massacre - was the gunman. Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, was also identified as the young girl who was killed. Police said in a statement: 'The 17-year-old shooter who killed himself is identified as Solomon Henderson, who was an active student at Antioch High School.' Henderson, 17, unleashed bullets inside Antioch High School, killing Escalante - before he turned the gun on himself. Another injured student was rushed to Vanderbilt University Hospital with a graze wound to her arm, but is in a stable condition. Terrifying footage showed the shooting unfold inside the cafeteria, with gunshots and screams echoing through the lunch room. An unidentified cameraman can be seen edging closer to the scene of the shooting then saying: 'Oh, he shot himself.' The shooter, Solomon Henderson, and one of his victims died during the incident while the second victim was transported Vanderbilt University Hospital and is in a stable condition The edge of what appears to be a person lying down on the tiled floor is visible for a moment before the clip ends. 'Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building. Metro Police are on the scene,' a statement from Metro Nashville Public Schools said at the time. 'The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. 'This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available.' A student in the cafeteria at the time of the incident described the terrifying scene. 'People in the cafeteria they use chip bags to make it sound like a gun, but it was repeatedly going off and I turned around and I saw the shooter shooting people I knew,' 12th grade student Ahmadsallah told WZTV. 'The shooter was kind of covered, he had a hoodie on. It was just a rush, it made me want to do something crazy I was trying to run out there and help people, but my mind was so cluttered, I didn't know what to do. 'There was a lot of screaming, a lot of terror. People were scared to die, there was running like someone was chasing them, like he was a monster just killing people. 'I feel relieved and safe but I feel bad for the victims who lost their lives,' he added. Chante Frye, whose daughter is in ninth grade at the school, says she got a text from the youngster to say she'd been locked down inside her classroom. 'But it's almost not surprising because it's getting worse with the fights and the violence at school,' Frye told The Tennessean. Local lawmaker John Ray Clemmons, whose district includes the school, called the shooting an 'unspeakable tragedy.' The Metro Nashville Police Department said that the incident is under investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said it is also investigating. Antioch High School caters to around 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve. Rachel Reeves today put Britains army of more than 100 regulators on notice saying they were getting in the way of growth. It came as she took a swipe at the ousted head of the competition watchdog saying he would make way for someone who does share the mission of boosting the economy. Marcus Bokkerink, chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will step down just three years into his five-year term. And the Chancellor, speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, signalled that the more than 100 regulators in the UK was too many. I think it adds to the problems and the overlapping burdens that businesses face, Ms Reeves said. Ministers have demanded that UK regulators come up with ways of helping deliver growth after businesses complained of delays. The departure of Mr Bokkerink appears calculated to send a signal that those who do not fall in line will face the axe. He will be replaced by Doug Gurr, the former UK boss of online retail giant Amazon. Rachel Reeves speaks during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Today she put Britains army of more than 100 regulators on notice saying they were getting in the way of growth Marcus Bokkerink (pictured), chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will step down just three years into his five-year term Sceptics including Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson complain that the governments efforts are farcical at a time when Labour is burdening firms with higher taxes and thickets of red tape. Mr Bokkerinks ousting comes after the CMA was among watchdogs summoned to meet the Chancellor and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds last week and urged to tear down regulatory barriers that hold back growth. Ms Reeves told a Bloomberg event in Davos yesterday: The regulators are independent and the chair of the CMA decided to step down. But he recognised that this government have got a different strategic approach when it comes to regulation and he recognised that it was time for him to move on and make way for somebody who does share the mission and the strategic direction this government are taking. Ms Reeves later told reporters: The balance has moved too far in regulating for risk. Obviously youve got to be able to protect consumers but people should be able to take risks as well. And theres been a lack of regulation for growth. Some regulators have already been given a secondary objective to encourage growth but that was never really followed through, Ms Reeves said. Were saying all regulators need to be part of that growth mission. Weve written to all of them - more than 100 regulators we now have in the UK - to say, what can you do to help meet this governments number one mission to grow the economy? Sceptics including Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson (pictured) complain that the governments efforts are farcical at a time when Labour is burdening firms with higher taxes and thickets of red tape Attendees take part in the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos There is a step change in the way that we interact with the regulators. We want them to be partners in our government mission. But Luke Johnson, also chairman of Gails Bakery, said the contrast with Donald Trumps pro-business America could not be more stark. He told the BBC: Regulation overall is the single biggest obstacle to growth in this country. But its regulation across everything from the planning system to employment legislation, health and safety, the tax system. Sacking one chair of one regulator is hardly going to move the dial. The idea the government is asking regulators how they can generate growth is sort of farcical. They have just put forward a 125-page employment rights bill which is going to add significant cost and regulation to anyone who hires people. Do they really think thats the right signal? Tommaso Valletti, professor of economics at Imperial College Business School, said it was delusional to believe the removal of the CMA chairman would help the economy. We are concentrating on something that is just going to please big businesses but we need instead to scale up the small and medium sized enterprises in the UK and this is nothing that the CMA was an impediment to, he said. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith (pictured) said asking regulators to boost growth is a bit like asking the village speedwatch to organise the next British Grand Prix The problem is the government is lacking ideas. Regulators are always an easy target. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said asking regulators to boost growth is a bit like asking the village speedwatch to organise the next British Grand Prix. He told the Commons: What a desperate state we are in when the Business Secretary has to phone up the regulators to beg them for ideas to fix the lack of growth his own Government policies have created. 'I hope that when the regulators attended that roundtable last week, including the chairman of the CMA, they had the courage to put at the top of their list scrapping his job-destroying trade union-inspired Employment Bill, or to point out the jobs tax in the Chancellors Budget, or their socialist attack on inheritance, non-doms and the family business death tax thats causing one wealth creator to leave this country every 45 minutes. Or even to point out that one of the best opportunities this country has for growth is to get on our plane to our closest trading partner the United States and secure a trade deal, rather than lob juvenile insults at President Trump, or fail to invite Elon Musk to the Governments UK investment summit. A Royal Navy submarine surfaced just yards from a Russian spy ship in a dramatic show of force to protect British waters. The nuclear-powered HMS Astute emerged from the depths after the Kremlin shadow fleet vessel was caught close to UK undersea cables. Defence Secretary John Healey revealed the incident for the first time today and, in remarks directed at Vladimir Putin, warned we see you, we know what you are doing. He told the House of Commons that the Yantar - a purpose-built spy vessel - was being used to gather intelligence and study this countrys underwater communications infrastructure. The standoff between the hunter killer submarine and the Russian surveillance ship came as Donald Trump told Vladimir Putin to stop this ridiculous war in Ukraine, as well as threatening him with sanctions and tariffs. Mr Healey said: Today, I want to confirm I authorised a Royal Navy submarine strictly as a deterrent measure to surface close to Yantar to make clear we had been covertly monitoring its every move. As colleagues will understand, I wont comment further for reasons of operational security. But I want to thank all the personnel involved for the dedication and professionalism. I also want President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action. This graphic shows where a Royal Navy submarine surfaced yards from a Russian spy ship in a show of force to protect British waters Defence Secretary John Healey (pictured) revealed the incident for the first time today and, in remarks directed at Vladimir Putin, warned we see you, we know what you are doing HMS Somerset flanking Russian ship Yantar near UK waters. The Yantar caught on Monday was close to underwater sea cables This is yet another example of growing Russian aggression, targeting our allies abroad and us at home. The incident involving HMS Astute and the Yantar happened in November, but only emerged for the first time today. It is understood to have occurred in the vicinity of Widemouth Bay on the north Cornish coastline. An RAF maritime patrol aircraft, alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus, shadowed her every move. The Yantars crew eventually complied with a polite warning issued by the submarines crew - which included the phrase good morning - and headed towards the Mediterranean. The Mail understands a second Royal Navy submarine may have then secretly followed the Yantar on that jouney south. But the Kremlin spy ship returned to UK waters earlier this week, raising further concerns about this countrys maritime security and transatlantic seabed cables. On Monday she entered the UK Exclusive Economic Zone and was tracked by the warships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne. Mr Healey told the Commons he amended the Royal Navys Rules of Engagement so the warships could get closer to her. She then sailed into Dutch waters. A Royal Navy ship with the Russian Yantar in November 2024. The Mail understands Yantar may have been surveying the Cornish coastline. A large number of transatlantic cables make landfall in Widemouth Bay, a popular spot for swimmers and surfers Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin spy ship raises further concerns about this countrys maritime security and transatlantic seabed cables Speaking about this weeks incident, HMS Somersets Commanding Officer, Commander Matthew Teare, said: The Royal Navy is always there when the nation needs, protecting our home and the waters that surround it. This is routine business for HMS Somersets ships company and the Royal Navy, but it is nonetheless vital work for the UKs security and I am proud of the professionalism of my crew. Somerset covertly launched her Merlin helicopter, which used its powerful sensors to locate the Russian ship as it made its way north towards the English Channel. The Type 23 frigate closed in on Yantars location and intercepted it in the entrance to the Channel south of the traffic separation scheme at Ushant, near France. The Plymouth-based warship took over monitoring duties from NATO allies after they shadowed Yantar in waters close to France. Somerset used her cutting-edge radars and sensors to report on every move during the operation, as she maintained a close distance to Yantar through the Channel and the Strait of Dover. In recent months, the 354ft-long Yantar has been operating in northern European waters as part of a surge of Russian maritime activity. The vessel entered service in 2015 as part of the Russian Navys top secret Underwater Research Directorate. She belongs to the Northern fleet and her home port is Severomorsk. President Trump with Putin in 2019. The standoff between the hunter killer submarine and the Russian surveillance ship came as Trump told Putin to stop this ridiculous war in Ukraine, as well as threatening him with sanctions and tariffs Mr Healey told MPs today: 'Today, I want to confirm I authorised a Royal Navy submarine strictly as a deterrent measure to surface close to Yantar to make clear we had been covertly monitoring its every move' Yantar, which as a displacement of 5,736 tons, has been equipped with surveillance and interception equipment and can operate submersible drones capable of reaching the Atlantic Ocean floor. Powered by a diesel-electric engine and with a top speed of 15 knots. Yantar has a complement of 60 sailors - many of them trained in espionage and electronic warfare. The Mail understands Yantar may have been surveying the Cornish coastline. A large number of transatlantic cables make landfall in Widemouth Bay, a popular spot for swimmers and surfers. The beach is also six miles from a GCHQ listening station. The facility, known for its giant white satellite dishes, celebrated its 50th year of operation in 2024. According to official government websites, teams at GCHQ Bude engage in the full breadth of GCHQs operational work, but with a key focus on maintaining and managing the collection of data. Much of this data, and much of this countrys internet traffic flows through the cables, which explains its interest to the Russians. The UK and its NATO allies are increasingly concerned about the risk Russia poses to offshore cables and pipelines. Underwater cables on an ocean floor. The UK and its NATO allies are increasingly concerned about the risk Russia poses to offshore cables and pipelines (file image) Increasing fears of Kremlin sabotage triggered a military response today as the Ministry of Defence announced a P-8 Poseidon and a Rivet Joint spy planes will join the new Baltic Sentry NATO deployment to protect critical undersea infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Proteus has been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure. Mr Healey added: Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain. I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve. The heads of MI6 and the CIA recently issued a joint statement condemning Russias reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe. On Christmas Day, the Estlink2 undersea cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged. Many analysts believe this was caused by a Russian shadow fleet vessel. A family member of a 12-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Birmingham on his way home from school has paid tribute to the youngster as a 'golden kid'. Leo Ross was found by a member of the public with a stab wound to the stomach on the banks of the River Cole in the Hall Green area on Tuesday afternoon. He was treated at the scene but died later that night. A 14-year-old teenager arrested on suspicion of murder has also now been arrested over an assault on a woman in her 80s, police have said. Tributes have been pouring in for the youngster, who attended Christ Church Secondary Academy, with friends having left flowers at the scene near Scribers Lane on Wednesday. A family member of Leo, who asked not to be named, told the Mail: 'He was a really good lad, a really nice lad, cheerful, not a bad bone in his body. He's a golden kid.' Parents have been told the alleged assailant did not attend the same school as Leo. It is thought he was targeted on the way home from school, just a 10-minute journey, as many pupils use the path as a cut through. The member of the public who found Leo went banging on nearby doors, asking for the postcode to guide the emergency services to the scene. Neighbours claimed that the previous assault on the elderly woman had been by someone she had not known, raising the prospect that both attacks might have been random. Leo Ross, 12, died after being stabbed in the stomach in the Hall Green area of Birmingham on Tuesday A forensics officer works at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham Chief Superintendent Richard North speaking to the media at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham where Leo was stabbed on Tuesday afternoon Devastated schoolmates of Leo visited the police cordon next to Trittiford Mill Park, on Wednesday where they left flowers, candles and tributes. Riley, 13, was in the same class as Leo. He said: 'He was a really nice lad. Never gets in trouble, he always attended lessons, he's always in school. He had some friends. He's just a quiet kid.' Riley's mother Christine Barton, 42, said: 'What happened to him is really, really sad. My kids were up most of the night crying over it. 'They said what a sweet boy he was never ever in trouble. It's definitely frightened my children. 'If they feel uncomfortable going to and from school, I'm happy to drive them for a while and pick them up, because I'm worried about their safety at the moment. 'It's just so raw, it's horrible. Something really, really needs to change - so many young lives have been taken. I just really feel for the little boy's mother.' Friends of Leo were said to have taken to social media to post 'LLL' which stands for 'Long Live Leo'. Christ Church School held a special assembly for pupils on Wednesday to give them space to grieve for their lost friend. Devastated school friends left flowers and handwritten notes for Leo Tributes named Leo Ross as the victim of the attack as dozens of bouquets were laid Dozens of bouquets were laid at the scene by Wednesday evening Flowers have been laid at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham A 12-year-old boy was stabbed near a primary school in Birmingham on Tuesday Speaking after laying flowers, one emotional school pal said: 'He was a really good kid. He was nice, always a good kid. 'We had an assembly and we did a little worship about Leo and how he was kind and all that stuff. And we prayed for him. 'He was a good kid, he'd always do his work. He always liked Science. And he was so nice to everyone and was always welcoming. 'These boys, his close friends, told us what happened and he got stabbed, and I was really upset. Everyone was really upset and teachers I know were really upset too.' A mother, whose child goes to the same school, added: 'It's just really shocking isn't it, because you hear about these things and then when it happens on your own doorstep in your children's school, it's heartbreaking.' One note left at the scene read: 'Rest easy, you were taken too soon. Hope you're having fun up there, you will be missed and we will get justice.' Another wrote: 'Rest in peace Leo Ross. You were loved by many people and your killer's one sicko. I am thinking you are in a better place. I hope you are enjoying the afterlife.' Another said: 'RIP Leo Ross. We will miss you loads. Our lives won't be the same without you. You will always be the kindest. Fly high Leo. You never deserved this, ever.' A member of the public leaves flowers at the crime scene on Wednesday morning Police officers at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham A police dog handler was spotted at the scene of the fatal stabbing this morning Chief Superintendent Richard North told a press conference today that a member of the public tried to help the boy at the scene, near Scribers Lane, before emergency services arrived. He said a passer-by had attempted to administer aid amid the 'chaotic and absolutely traumatic scene', adding: 'Sadly, despite the best efforts of police officers and paramedics who treated him at the scene, he lost his life later that day at about 7.30pm.' Mr North told reporters: 'As a result of urgent inquiries, a boy aged 14 has been arrested. That happened at 7pm yesterday at an address in Birmingham. 'He remains in custody and has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The same 14-year-old has also been arrested for another assault, for an unrelated matter. He is also in custody for that.' Mr North added: 'This is an absolutely appalling incident. We have got specialist detectives working on the inquiry, but also supporting the loved ones of the 12-year-old that has very, very sadly and tragically lost his life.' 'I would ask the public not to speculate about what happened - this is a very early stage of the inquiry. We are obviously dealing with it with a tremendous amount of priority. 'Detectives are working around the clock to get to the truth of what happened.' He added: 'What I would urge is that anyone who was in the area of Scribers Lane at around that time - the incident happened at 3.40pm - get in touch with us and let us know where they were, if they saw anything unusual or suspicious. Chief Superintendent Richard North speaking to the media at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham A police officer at the scene on Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham where a 12-year-old boy was stabbed The boy was attacked near Scribers Lane in Hall Green, Birmingham, yesterday West Midlands Police hold a crime scene on Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area 'We have set up a major incident public portal, which can be found on our website. People can find that and they can upload information directly on to that. It might be CCTV they have, phone footage or dashcam footage.' Answering media questions near a passageway beneath a railway bridge leading to the country park where the boy was stabbed, Chief Spt North described the 14-year-old in custody as 'a key line of inquiry' and his arrest as 'significant'. Questioned about the scale of knife crime in the Birmingham area, Mr North said anyone who is found carrying a knife over the age of criminal responsibility faced a 'very high chance' of being arrested and brought into custody. He continued: 'On a day like today it's really difficult to talk about the progress that we have made about knife crime. Because it's always going to look weak against the fact of what's happened to this 12-year-old. 'I don't want to cause any additional stress to the people that knew him and loved him.' Residents living near a riverside path leading into a wooded area of the park spoke of their shock at discovering the victim's age and that he had died from his injuries. One resident, who declined to give her name, said a member of the public had knocked on her door after 3pm on Tuesday asking for the area's postcode to assist emergency services in reaching the scene. She told reporters: 'The first thing I knew was a gentleman came and asked for the postcode as somebody had been injured. He just came and knocked the door. Police continued to attend the crime scene on Wednesday following the stabbing Police officers searched the park where Leo was found throughout Wednesday 'We had two police cars and then a helicopter. I found out somebody had been stabbed last night but it wasn't till this morning that I realised the poor little soul had died.' The area close to the scene of the killing has been blighted by antisocial behaviour in recent weeks - with a woman being pushed off her bike on Monday and reports of a separate indecent exposure incident. We have many drug dealers hanging around where the police car is now, I try to keep out of the way, one neighbour said, gesturing in the direction of the nearby police cordon. You see groups of them late at night, you can tell they are up to no good. Its definitely got worse recently. It happens on at least a weekly basis. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called to reports of a stabbing on Scribers Park Lane at 3.31pm yesterday. 'One ambulance, a paramedic officer and a MERIT trauma doctor with a Critical Care Paramedic attended the scene. On arrival we discovered one patient, a boy. 'Ambulance staff administered emergency treatment at the scene before transporting the boy to hospital.' Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy in Yardley Wood shared a statement on its website following the death of a 12-year-old pupil near Scribers Lane in Hall Green on Tuesday. The statement said: 'Our condolences and deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of one of our CCSA students. 'This is a very sad time for our school community and we are focusing on supporting our students, staff and families with professional support. 'As this is a live police investigation, we are unable to share any further details with you. 'At this difficult time, we would urge parents and carers not to contact the school office unless it is for an emergency.' Police are asking anyone with information to use the major incident public portal or call 101 quoting log 3324 of January 21. A tornado warning has been issued for parts of England today as the UK and Ireland braces for 125mph winds from Storm Eowyn. A level two alert has been issued by the European Storm Forecast Experiment, warning of the possibility of 'severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible' in the south of England on Thursday. The forecaster, which is formed of European meteorologists, added that the development of a tornado 'cannot be ruled out', with areas between Bristol and London most at risk. There is also a level one tornado warning in place across wider parts of southern England and much of Wales, which states there is 'similar risk but lower probabilities' of a tornado forming. Experts warned of 'off-the-scale winds' and said it has the 'potential to become a one-in-100-year' storm. Amid the prospect of tornados, Storm Eowyn is also expected to batter the country with gusts of up to 90mph forecast from around 6am on Friday. In Ireland, gusts could reach 125mph near the coast. High speed winds are expected to cause power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings, as well as a potential danger to life caused by flying debris. An amber weather warning for wind has been issued in the East Midlands, Grampian, Yorkshire and the Humber, Strathclyde, north Wales, Northern Ireland, North West and North East England as well as swathes of Central Scotland. They are issued when weather is highly likely to cause widespread disruption - with Brits advised to take action to protect themselves and their properties where possible from the threat of weather damage. A tornado warning has been issued for parts of England as the country braces for 90mph winds from Storm Eowyn High winds are expected across all of the UK on Friday - with weather alerts in place for every part of the country Brits are being warned to expect gusts of up to 90mph today when Storm Eowyn touches down (File image) Forecasters have warned travel conditions are likely to be treacherous with wind speeds of more than 90mph in coastal and more exposed areas as Storm Eowyn makes its landfall. Even inland, disruption is inevitable with up to 70mph gusts expected 'fairly widely'. There are also yellow warnings for wind covering every area of the country, a yellow rain alert for much of Wales, Somerset and Cornwall, and a yellow alert for snow, with as much as 25cm of snow expected at heights above 300metres. The Met Office said the 'high impact' storm means travellers can expect dangerous conditions and delays with many services cancelled and warned there was a possibility for a second named storm 'at some point' next week. 'Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties,' it said. Homeowners have been urged to prepare for widespread power cuts with engineers on standby to reconnect households as soon as conditions allow. Oli Claydon, of the Met Office, said: 'We don't need to look that far back to see similar strength winds, with Storm Darroch just a few weeks ago. And while most people don't know the [Beaufort] scale, the gusts do fall in the hurricane speed category. 'Certainly, winds of this strength, especially in the amber warning areas, have potential for disruptions and danger to life.' Ahead of Storm Eowyn, a seperate period of wet and windy weather will spread east across many areas on Thursday The strongest winds will be in coastal parts of Wales and southern England but many places will have a few hours of heavy rain and blustery winds pic.twitter.com/88oinhYUvp Met Office (@metoffice) January 22, 2025 Dramatic weather maps show a cyclonic formation passing over Britain at the height of Friday Grave concern, when UK Met Office model has off the scale winds. Hard to believe not coming from a hurricane. This has potential to be a one-in-a-hundred-year storm for parts of Ireland's west coast. #StormEowyn https://t.co/K3aWS2CVzr pic.twitter.com/wFXnqoJ9QB London & Southeast (@TheSnowDreamer) January 23, 2025 High winds are expected across all of the UK on Friday, with wind speeds of more than 90mph in coastal and more exposed areas as Storm Eowyn makes its landfall The Jet Stream will develop above the North Atlantic this week, with the Met Office expecting 'perhaps the strongest winds of the winter so far' by Friday (Stock image) Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: 'The Met Office warnings show high winds will impact all of the country, so it's vital people plan ahead if they have to travel, particularly in the areas in south and central Scotland covered by the amber warning.' The storm is expected undergo explosive cyclogenesis a term more commonly known as a 'weather bomb' in the Atlantic on Thursday. Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: 'Storm Eowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption on Friday. 'There are currently a number of weather warnings in place, with all parts of the UK covered by one warning at some point on Friday. 'Storm Eowyn is expected to cross Northern Ireland early on Friday morning. It will then continue northeast across the northern half of Scotland during Friday afternoon and is expected to be centred near Shetland during Friday evening. 'The strongest wind gusts are likely to be felt across parts of Northern Ireland, southern and central Scotland, northern England and northwest Wales, where exposed sites could get gusts in excess of 80mph, possibly 90mph, which has the potential to cause impacts for those in these areas. 'The focus for the highest winds shifts to Scotland on Friday night into Saturday. 'An Amber weather warning for wind has been issued and covers Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and northern England for most of the day on Friday before winds gradually ease later in the day.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been mercilessly mocked for cosying up to senior figures in President Donald Trump's new White House team. The long-serving Labor senator, who is a member of the party's left faction, has been in Washington DC as the Australian government's representative at Trump's inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda. It was a major coup given Senator Wong was the first Australian Foreign Minister to ever be invited to a Presidential inauguration and leaders from economic powerhouses such as France and Germany did not score an invitation. She told the ABC it was an 'honour and a privilege' to be there, adding on X that the initiation 'reflects the steadfast alliance between our nations'. 'The United States is Australias closest ally,' she wrote on X. 'I look forward to working together with the new Administration to deliver on our shared interests.' But Senator Wong's attendance was criticised by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who questioned her suitability as Australia's representative in the US. 'Shes there as the best friend that Donald Trump has ever had. I mean, is that credible?' Mr Dutton told a Liberal Party rally on Tuesday. The long-serving Labor senator, who is a member of the party's left faction, has been in Washington DC as the Australian government's representative at Trump's inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda (pictured: Foreign Minister Penny Wong shaking Marco Rubio's hand, the new US secretary of state) But Senator Wong's attendance was criticised by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured), who questioned her suitability as Australia's representative in the US 'Have I missed something or was Penny Wong always a strong opponent and hater of Donald Trump - and now somehow shes a great champion of the Trump administration? 'Its a government of incompetence and frauds.' However Labor supporters have praised the high level of access she has achieved in the President's first few days. Ms Wong was pictured pressing the flesh with Marco Rubio, who was confirmed as President Trump's Secretary of State on Monday. She told reporters in Washington that the meeting was 'very warm and constructive'. 'We spoke about our shared interest and ambition, the strength of our alliance, the importance of our economic partnership, the work we're doing together with the United Kingdom through AUKUS, and of course critical minerals which has been an issue that he and the President have spoken about,' she said. The Foreign Minister also linked up with Australia's controversial Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, to meet the new President's national security advisor, Mike Waltz where they discussed 'our shared interests when it comes to security and economic prosperity'. In addition to meeting Mr Rubio, Senator Wong has also met with other leaders of 'the Quad': India's external Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi (pictured) 'I was really pleased to meet him so early. In fact, we had such an early meeting, the moving van was still in the driveway at the West Wing when we came out of our meeting,' Senator Wong added. Senator Wong was asked if Ambassador Rudd's tenure was discussed in her meeting with Mr Rubio but she said it 'did not come up'. Mr Rudd has been heavily criticised for past critical comments about Trump, with one of the new President's top aides suggesting that he would not last long in the role. 'It's high level access on day one of a new administration,' commented the ABC's Global Affairs Editor John Lyons. 'It flies in face of those who said Australia and Rudd would be frozen out.' Sky News host Rita Panahi claimed she saw 'Leftie fools Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong trying to cosy up to Vivek Ramaswamy at the Starlight Ball', the official inaugural ball after Trump was sworn in. Mr Ramaswamy was lined up to co-lead President Trump's red-tape busting 'Department of Government Efficiency' with Elon Musk but bowed out. It has been reported that Mr Ramaswamy intends to run for Ohio governor instead. Disability advocate and Head of Policy at Advocacy for Inclusion, Craig Wallace, was critical of Senator Wong's inroads with the new administration. 'I don't know about you but there is something especially small and egregious about the way Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong are trying so hard to grovel and bend the knee to Trump while all this is happening - Labor have lost their moral compass,' he wrote on X. In addition to meeting Mr Rubio, Senator Wong has also met with other leaders of 'the Quad', India's external Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. EXCLUSIVE Lidia Thorpe says the outspoken defence of Australia Day by some politicians is a backlash because 'white people are becoming the minority' in Australia and are scared of that prospect. The independent senator, who achieved global notoriety last year when she screamed 'f*** the colony' at King Charles, said that 'black and brown people are rising up' and that invoked fear among whites. Senator Thorpe, speaking on a left-wing podcast, was asked about Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's 'Trumpian tactics' over 'Invasion Day'. Mr Dutton earlier this month said the Coalition, if elected in the upcoming federal poll, would force councils to hold traditional citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, January 26. 'Dutton is a racist. Dutton is a violent person,' Senator Thorpe told the Green Left Show on Monday. 'Dutton used to be a Queensland police officer who caused damage to a lot of blackfellas on the street, wheeling his power around the streets.' Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Dutton is a racist or violent person. 'It's what we need to eradicate in this country. We see his mates like Pauline Hanson and Ralph Babet continue to perpetrate this racist regime that hurts people,' she said. Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe, who achieved global notoriety last year when she screamed 'f*** the colony' at King Charles (pictured), claimed ''white people are becoming the minority' before suggesting that 'black and brown people are rising up' Senator Thorpe's claim does not appear to stack up against Australian population statistics (pictured: beachgoers soak up the sun at Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs) The former Greens senator said Australia Day was being used by conservatives as a rallying point as the white population's cultural dominance came under threat due to the slide toward minority status. 'White people are becoming the minority in this country and they are really scared of that,' Sen Thorpe said. 'Black and brown people are rising up and they are getting more and more desperate in their messaging. 'And that's because they are scared and they want to put that fear into others.' Prominent No campaigner and former Liberal candidate Warren Mundine branded Senator Thorpe's comments 'nonsense' and called her a 'waste of space'. 'This is what makes me laugh about the people on the far left, they call Peter Dutton a racist and the Liberal Party a racist party but look at the candidates across the country,' Mr Mundine told Daily Mail Australia. 'We have candidates with Chinese, Indian, Aboriginal heritage... all proud Australians of different races and faiths.' Mr Mundine pointed to Sam Kayal, a Muslim father-of-two who is the Liberal Party candidate for Werriwa in south west Sydney at the forthcoming federal election, which must be held before May. Senator Thorpe claimed that 'Dutton used to be a Queensland police officer who caused damage to a lot of blackfellas on the street, wheeling his power around the streets. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Dutton is a racist or violent person (pictured: Mr Dutton as a Queensland cop) The businessman, who was overlooked in pre-selection for the seat of Bradfield despite being endorsed by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, said Senator Thorpe's comments had no basis in reality. 'They are just throwaway lines designed to keep her name in the paper - and to some extent it works,' Mr Mundine said. Senator Thorpe's claim that 'white people are becoming the minority' has not happened yet according to demographic statistics. While the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not collect date on race, it asks each respondent to nominate up to two ancestries. At the 2021 census, 57 per cent of people said their ancestry was European, while 30 per cent said Australian and 17.4 per cent said Asian. Just over three per cent of people identified as being Indigenous. Of the 26.6 million people living in Australia in June 2023, an estimated 8.2 million people were born overseas. Within that figure, those born in England were the largest group at 962,000, while those born in India were second (846,000) and those born in China third (656,000). Australia has a relatively low birth rate and record high levels of immigration, meaning the demographic balance is changing rapidly. Senator Thorpe repeated her line that Australia is a racist country Mr Mundine asked: 'If we are such a racist country then why are millions of people trying to move to Australia?' Despite this, Senator Thorpe - who has a white father and indigenous heritage on her mother's side - said there was high levels of racism directed toward Aboriginal people. 'We do live in a racist country, unfortunately. And we saw again that coming out during the (Voice) referendum,' she said. 'But what my people face on the streets every day going into shops and using public transport or trying to live their daily life, racism is real and racism is everywhere.' Senator Thorpe also took aim at the Labor government, branding Anthony Albanese's administration 'disappointing'. 'I thought we could get some wins on the board with a Labor government but we haven't been able to achieve that at all,' she said. 'I'll keep holding them to account, calling for a treaty, truth-telling and an end to the many injustices my people face.' Prominent No campaigner and former Liberal party candidate Warren Mundine (pictured) branded Senator Thorpe's comments 'nonsense' and called her a 'waste of space' She also drew a parallel between the treatment of Indigenous people in Australia with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. 'What's happening in Palestine is genocide and ecocide, which my people certainly are all too familiar with,' she said. 'It's happening in Palestine in the name of Zionism so we have to stand in solidarity against a genocide.' The host of the podcast thanked Senator Thorpe for 'yelling at Charles' at the end of their discussion. 'That was one of the highlights of 2024,' the host gushed. Daily Mail Australia approached Senator Thorpe for comment. EXCLUSIVE Riddled with shotgun pellets, Melbourne underworld figure Mahmoud Karam refused to go down. The 60-year old's bloody demise on the streets of Campbellfield last month, in Melbourne's north, have quickly been turned into legend. Underworld sources have told Daily Mail Australia Karam was armed and ready when his alleged killers came at him with shotguns. They allegedly opened fire at Karam on a nature stripabout 10pm on December 20. Two men were later charged by detectives after turning up at hospital with serious gunshot wounds. Daily Mail Australia is unable to name the alleged killers due to a court-imposed gag order made to protect them from feared reprisals. Karam's attackers were lucky to have made it out alive going by the accounts of underworld sources. One source told Daily Mail Australia Karam gave as good as he got in his last stand. Mahmoud Karam, 60, went down 'all guns blazing' in his last stand on the mean streets of Melbourne 'He never went down. He was still standing and talking when police arrived,' the source said. Witnesses at the scene told police they believed no less than 15 shots were allegedly fired in the gun battle. Many of those are understood to have come from Karam himself, who allegedly returned fire in a gun battle reminiscent of a Hollywood movie. 'This bloke wouldn't go down. He was like Tony Montana in Scarface or the Kelly Gang,' a source said. 'Can you imagine the damage after being blasted with shotguns at close range 'When the cops got him he was still on his feet talking.' In the movie Scarface, Montana - played by Al Pacino - dies in a cocaine-fuelled gun battle in his mansion that see him take down scores of opponents. The Kelly Gang, who shot dead three policeman in 1878, went into Australian folklore two years later when they took on cops dressed in body armour outside the Glenrowan Inn. Ned Kelly was captured the next morning and later hanged. For all his adrenaline-pumped stubborn bravado, medics could not keep Karam alive and he finally succumbed to his massive injuries. Underworld sources say Karam went down like 'Tony Montana' from the movie Scarface. Picture: Al Pacino in his final stand as Tony Montana Ned Kelly became infamous for his last stand in 1880 Ned Kelly's armour, which he wore during his last stand in Glenrowan in 1880 A 20-year-old Yarraville man and a 22-year-old man from Westmeadows are now accused of the attack. CCTV from a nearby home captured the shots being fired, with a speeding Porsche captured driving away before a burnt-out car was found dumped on Northbourne Rd about 11pm. Karam's dramatic demise came as no surprise to those who knew the respected criminal. Despite his obvious flaws, Karam was regarded as an honourable crook among fellow rebrobates. Homicide detectives found what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun, possibly belonging to Karam, under a car outside the Gentles Ave home where he was alleged ly ambushed about 10.10pm. CCTV captured this vehicle making a fast escape from the area where Karam was allegedly murdered Police at the scene are believed to have found Karam still on his feet despite sustaining injuries he could not survive Two men have been charged over the Campbellfield shooting Victoria Polices VIPER Taskforce, which monitors organised crime in Victoria, questioned nearby residents that weekend. Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Kelly Walker said detectives would remain open-minded about the motives behind Karams killing. 'Homicide Squad will canvas all avenues available to them, extensive CCTV in the area, weve got the vehicles and obviously witnesses,' Ms Walker said then. 'We want to provide the reassurance that we believe that (it was) targeted and provide the community the reassurance that we are exhausting all investigative avenues.' A young couple who launched their own skincare brand were given the shock of their lives after realising the name they used had already been taken by a porn website. Talia Jackson and Salvatori Agostino invested $80,000 they had saved for their house deposit on buying stock and setting up their online store and had even registered the business name 'Mr Skin' with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. 'One mistake choosing our brand nearly got us cancelled,' Ms Jackson said in a recently shared post on Instagram. The couple began the business in 2022 and had double-checked the name was available and scoured social media to make sure they could use the handles. What they didn't do was a plain old fashioned Google search. It was only a few days before they went live with their business that Ms Jackson typed the name into a search engine to see if they had been picked up on SEO. That's when the couple received the rude shock. 'Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw next,' Ms Jackson said. 'It's every business owner's worst nightmare. It was a famous ''corn'' site in America.' Corn is an online euphemism to get around censoring of references to porn. All their products had already been branded with their own 'Mr Skin' logo and they were told it would cost $15,000 to get the name changed to 'Mr Skincare' on their future orders. The couple in the end had to fork over the cash to update their product labels and had to go through the tedious process of lodging paperwork to change the name of their business and then scramble to get the new social media handles. Mr Agostino also had to pay $1,000 to change his personalised Mr Skin number plate on his beloved Audi, so people wouldn't get the wrong idea. Their business is now known as Mr Skincare. The couple believe that despite the highly competitive landscape of the cosmetics industry and going up against international giants in the sector with mammoth budgets, they have found a gap in the market. The couple spent a full year testing and formulating their products with a professional chemist to find their own simple and effective formula for male skin to treat multiple concerns, such as acne, scarring, and dehydration. Mr Agostino suffered from acne throughout childhood and found many products already out there either did not help or made the condition worse. Talia Jackson and Salvatori Agostino excitedly thought they had managed to snag a brilliant name for their men's focused skincare business - until they found out it was an X-rated site The couple have now re-branded to Mr Skincare and are hoping to make $10,000 in sales a month to make the business viable and help them move out from their parent's home Ms Jackson meanwhile previously worked at makeup retailer Mecca for a number of years and grew to know the ins-and-outs of not only cosmetic ingredients, but how the industry worked. She said many wives, girlfriends, mothers and sisters would come in looking for products for the men in their lives but there wasn't any that fit the bill. The company focuses on men's skincare by providing no-nonsense products that they say work for many skin issues, which their customers love. Ms Jackson said often the skincare routines she sold at Mecca required six or seven steps and they wanted to simplify that for males. It focuses on a three step approach that provides a combined solution they said no other companies were offering. After formulating their skincare line, the couple designed packaging with step numbers and abbreviations for which time of day they should be used, which is a first in the market for men. Mr Agostino battled with acne his whole life and the pair spent a year coming up with their own formula (pictured: before and after) The pair hit their first 1,000 orders in a week during Black Friday and are hoping to get their products stocked in Mecca They system includes a face & beard wash for the morning, a deep pore exfoliant for the evening and a hydrating moisturiser that can be used at both times. They are also vegan, free of nasties like parabens and are manufactured in Australia. According to research firm Inkwood, the Australian skincare industry alone was worth about $3billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to about $4.4billion by 2028. It said the growth in the sector is largely expected to be around the trend of natural, 'minimalist' and vegan formulas. After Queen Victoria's beloved husband passed away in 1861, the monarch was bereft with grief. The void Prince Albert left was soon filled, however, by an unexpected figure which shocked courtiers and her family. John Brown, a Scottish gillie who had previously accompanied Victoria when horse riding at Balmoral before she was widowed, managed to break through societal boundaries and befriend the Queen. Victoria, who was known to be difficult and snobbish, was unexpectedly taken by the 'refreshingly different' and 'masculine' servant, Tom Quinn wrote in his book, Scandals of the Royal Palaces. John was often blunt towards the Queen and would even lose his temper with her. As such, he behaved towards her in ways others usually would not. Victoria came to see the strapping servant as Albert's 'replacement', Mr Quinn detailed. The monarch thought so highly of John that she even had precious mementoes of him placed in her coffin after she passed away - 124 years ago today - on January 22, 1901. Here MailOnline looks into Victoria's relationship with John Brown and how he managed to fill the space in her heart that Albert left. Scottish gillie John Brown with Queen Victoria mounted on a horse Queen Victoria's coffin being carried into St George's Chapel 124 years ago After Queen Victoria passed away in 1901, items relating to her beloved servant were placed in her coffin, by her request. She wore John Brown's mother's wedding ring on her right hand and held a photograph of him in her left. There was also a lock of the Scotsman's hair and some of his letters he had written to her. The unexpected friendship began when Victoria and Albert first leased Balmoral in 1848 and John worked as a gillie - an outdoor servant. John became an increasingly important part of Victoria's life after her husband passed away. He was even present during an attempted attack against the monarch in 1872. He spotted Arthur O'Connor lurking with a shotgun near Buckingham Palace while Victoria rode in a carriage. The servant managed to intervene and stop 17-year-old O'Connor from causing any harm. This event only furthered John's presence in Victoria's life and he was awarded the Devoted Service Medal. His personality charmed her as well as him possessing values that were just as 'traditional' as Albert's, Mr Quinn wrote. John accompanying Victoria and her daughter, Princess Louise, at Balmoral John Brown photographed as he poses in a kilt, with ceremonial pistols on his hip John Brown (seen centre in a kilt) standing next to Queen Victoria's carriage as she prepares to step off it at Windsor to review 52,000 volunteers, 1881. To the left is her son, the future King Edward VII John would treat Victoria in ways other people would never do and was often blunt towards her. 'Brown often treated her with disdain; he would scold her and lose his temper and she loved it,' Mr Quinn revealed in his book. The Scottish servant wore full Highland dress, after Victoria insisted on it, and was often seen in photographs wearing a kilt and full-length kilt socks. The relationship developed so much that Victoria even began to see the servant as her late husband. She was convinced 'he was a human figure in which the spirit of her late husband had taken up residence,' the author wrote. It was also claimed that John was sleeping in a room adjoining the Queen's bedroom. John even got away with joking around and teasing Victoria, which only made her more fond of him. Some senior figures were willing to resign over the pair but if anyone expressed views against their unlikely companionship, the monarch would rage against them. Queen Victoria mounted on her horse while her beloved servant stands nearby Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and Billy Connolly as John Brown in the 1997 drama Mrs Brown Victoria would respond to any warnings about the relationship being inappropriate with anger and would purposely have John accompany her. She did, however, listen to the advice of courtiers when it came to the publication of a book about her feelings towards John. According to Mr Quinn, who described it as a 'great love letter to Brown', its contents shocked her family and advisors and in the end it was not published. The exact nature of their relationship has always been subject to speculation, though never officially confirmed. In 1885, it was claimed that Victoria's chaplain, Reverend Norman Macleod, had made a startling revelation on his deathbed about the pair. He claimed that he presided over the marriage of Victoria and Mr Brown at Crathie Kirk - where Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence would wed a century later - in Scotland. The alleged marriage of a monarch to a servant has been disputed but some historians, such as biographer A.N. Wilson, believe the ceremony did take place. The strapping Scottish gillie, John Brown, photographed The grave of Queen Victoria's faithful servant John Brown, at Crathie Kirkyard near Balmoral When John passed away in March 1883 after falling ill with an infection, the monarch was devastated. She was already addicted to opium, according to Mr Quinn, but after her loyal servant's death became even more dependent on the drug. John was buried in Crathie Kirkyard and his tombstone included a touching tribute from Victoria. It read: 'This stone is erected in affectionate and grateful remembrance of John Brown, the devoted and faithful personal attendant and beloved friend of Queen Victoria in whose service he had been for 34 years.' The Princess of Wales made a heartfelt visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London on Tuesday, where she had previously received cancer treatment. Kate, effortlessly stylish in a bespoke Blaze Milano coat and Russell & Bromley pumps, earned widespread praise for her warm and compassionate interactions with current patients. Reflecting her commitment to the Royal Family, she carried a handbag with deep ties to the monarchy. The impeccably designed Asprey 'Morgan' bag combines timeless elegance with contemporary style. Priced at 2,995, it's aimed towards those who value both luxury and practicality. Asprey's connection to British royalty dates back to the 1800s, when Queen Victoria awarded the brand its first royal warrant. The company also runs a philanthropy programme that supports various charities, which is likely another aspect that appeals to Kate. Her appearance marked another success for the brand. 'Asprey is incredibly honoured that the Princess of Wales wore the Morgan leather handbag on her outing to the Royal Marsden Hospital,' Bobby Gill, director of VIP sales, told MailOnline. 'She's a loyal supporter of British brands and in the case of Asprey embodies the future of that special historical tie that the brand holds with the royal family.' The Princess of Wales' recent outfit held significant meaning, featuring a handbag from a brand with deep ties to the Royal Family, reflecting her dedication to the Firm The 'Morgan' design boasts a sleek silhouette, expertly crafted from soft grain leather with a sumptuous suede interior, providing enough space to hold essentials. 'It effortlessly transitions from day to evening, making it an ideal companion for any occasion,' Mr Gill proudly said. Kate owns an earlier version of the bag, which remains available for purchase in-store. The updated version, offered both online and in-store, features a chain shoulder strap instead of the royal's preferred top-handle style. 'Every element is thoughtfully designed to merge style with functionality, reflecting the brand's heritage and attention to detail,' Mr Gill continued. The Princess has been a long-time admirer of Asprey's jewellery and leather collections, having showcased five pairs of earrings, two necklaces and, now, two bags. However, the brand's ties to royalty stretch much further back, to 1862, when Queen Victoria granted the company a royal warrant for dressing cases, travelling bags and writing cases. Since then, Asprey has held a royal warrant from every British monarch, up to and including Queen Elizabeth II, along with several foreign heads of state. In 1925, Queen Mary commissioned a five-strand pearl necklace, which was later gifted to Princess Margaret on her 18th birthday. The Princess of Wales has been a long-time admirer of Asprey's jewellery collections, having showcased five pairs of earrings (pictured wearing the Emerald and Diamond Halo Earrings in 2022 and Daisy Heritage Diamond Earrings in 2023) Kate has worn the dazzling Asprey London Oak Leaf Small Hoop Earrings on 14 occasions In 1925, Queen Mary commissioned Asprey to create a pearl necklace, which was later gifted to Princess Margaret on her 18th birthday King George VI gifted the Asprey Maple Leaf Brooch to his wife, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) in 1939, ahead of their royal tour of Canada Asprey's vintage and contemporary collections continue to be favoured by British royalty, as seen in the iconic Maple Leaf Brooch During the fourth year of his reign, King George VI became the first British monarch to grant Asprey a royal warrant as jewellers and silversmiths. Queen Elizabeth II renewed these warrants, extending them to include goldsmiths. Although Asprey originally specialised in silk scarves, the brand expanded into luggage and dressing cases in response to the rise of rail travel for the wealthy class in the early 1800s. Now renowned for its exquisite jewellery, Asprey's vintage and contemporary collections continue to be favoured by royalty, as seen in the Maple Leaf Brooch. King George VI gifted the brooch to his wife, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) in 1939, ahead of their royal tour of Canada. It was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II, who wore it frequently during trips to Canada and for events in Britain connected to the country. Following in her mother's footsteps, the Queen loaned the brooch to Kate, who wore it on several visits to Canada in 2011 and 2016. Federal immigration agents have started rounding up illegal immigrants in the Denver area, following through on a campaign promise by the Trump Administration to deport migrants who have broken the law, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Arrests began on Monday, when President Donald Trump took the oath of office, and have spread throughout the state. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in the Rocky Mountain state has been detaining migrants with pending criminals cases, police sources confirmed. 'ICE agents are doing their job-- the job they should have been doing for the last four years,' former Colorado Immigration Enforcement director John Fabbricatore told DailyMail.com. 'This is an all-hands-on-deck situation where they are using all the agents they have at their disposal.' Trump's border czar Tom Homan confirmed Tuesday afternoon that deportations are happening but didn't give any details about where they were happening. 'These cases were already in the hopper. They've done the surveillance on them, they have good case notes, and they're just hitting those cases that they were not allowed to hit prior,' the former ICE director added. Fabbricatore explained the Biden Administration had handcuffed agents from making arrests like this. ICE agents started making arrests in Colorado on Jan. 20 'There were these priorities that were put out that limited you, like you couldn't go after DUIs. You couldn't go after a basic drug possession. The Biden Administration made these priorities that kept you from going after criminals,' he shared. Non-criminal migrants who have a final order from a judge to leave the country are also being picked up, although at least 85% of those being sought have criminal records. 'Potentially, that person may not be a criminal but they still have gone through the immigration process, seen an immigration judge and refused to leave,' Fabbricatore stated. Law enforcement cautioned that these are not raids, meaning they aren't fishing for any person who might be in the US illegally. Instead, they're calling this 'targeted enforcement' meaning agents have already done homework on who these people are and why they are being detained. They also explained similar arrests are happening across the country, but they don't look like the raids everyone expected. Even though ICE is only going after people who have pending cases at this time, it's possible other migrants may be caught up in the dragnet. 'Any collaterals that they come across while targeting a criminal alien is on the table right now,' Fabbricatore admitted. 'If they go into an apartment looking for a gang member who's wanted, and he's got two buddies in there and they're both illegal, they may pick them up as well.' ICE in Colorado is going after criminal migrants and those who skipped out on deportation orders by a judge, law enforcement sources tell DailyMail.com Pictured above: The ICE detention center in Aurora, Colorado Former ICE Field Office Director John Fabbricatore, testifies before a House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing on restoring immigration enforcement in America, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday They also appear to be cramming people into one-bedroom apartments, she added. At a different property, a maintenance worker said they believe TdA members are living there because he has seen Venezuelans walking around shamelessly showing off well-known Tren de Aragua tattoos President Trump traveled to Aurora, a suburb of Denver, in October to launch 'Operation Aurora'-- what he billed as the largest deportation plan in the nation's history meant to eject millions of migrants from the US. Then-presidential candidate Trump picked Aurora because it has become a stronghold for Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, known as TdA to police. After slipping across the southern border posing as asylum-seekers, gang members infiltrated at least three apartment complexes in the area. TdA thugs took over vacant apartment units to use a drug and prostitution dens-- pimping out migrant women and even children. Other migrants who lived in those properties were forced to pay the gangsters 'rent' or face violence. In August, a video of armed gang members storming a unit at the Edge of Lowry surfaced and made national headlines. TdA has also been linked to many high-profile crimes across the country, including murders, rapes, police beatings and extortions. To outsiders, it might seem like the perfect place to live. It's only eight kilometres from the CBD and, at a glance, appears as if it should be one of the city's priciest postcodes. But look a little closer and you'll find out this suburb is riddled with problems - from high crime rates and cockroach-infested apartments to sinking land and a homelessness crisis. A quick search online shows more than 900 properties for sale in the area in December alone, with prices starting at $385,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and $680,000 for a two-bedroom house. One street in particular, Eldridge Street, has six apartments for sale, while Joseph Road has a staggering 15 apartments available in one building. Neighbouring streets also have between 10 and 15 apartments for sale on each. The suburb in question? Footscray, in Melbourne's inner west. Median prices in Footscray are $527,000 for units and $960,000 for houses, but just one suburb over in 'blue chip' Yarraville they jump to $561,000 for units and $1.15million for houses. Footscray in Melbourne's inner west seems like an ideal place to live, only 8km from the CBD One 33-year-old woman who lived in Footscray for four years and owned a wine bar often felt unsafe at night (stock image) One 33-year-old woman, who lived in Footscray for four years and owned a wine bar before fleeing the blighted suburb, tells us she often felt in danger at night. While she adored the 'community' aspect, she said it was not a safe place to live or raise children. 'Footscray has a real community feel, which I loved, but the late-night stragglers, homeless people and drug users make it unsafe. A lot of the time when I was closing the bar late at night I would feel uncomfortable,' she says. 'The businesses there want the area to thrive but there are lots of ongoing issues. It's got a long way to go.' While running her business she claimed the building had a 'bad moisture' problem, which is common for the area due to an ongoing 'sinking' issue with the land. But she insists it wasn't all bad, with Footscray's eclectic, tight-knit community being its one positive. 'You find friends really quickly. A lot of the shops have been owned by the same family for the last 40 years. There's a great mix of cultures there too,' she said. 'There's lots of funky bars and great coffee bringing a new atmosphere to the suburb. If the major issues were fixed I'd definitely move back.' Footscray Park (pictured) is popular among locals and the CBD skyline can be viewed in the distance. But the picturesque view can't persuade Aussies to live there Another male resident described it as 'pretty trendy' and said it was much improved from the 'danger drug zone it was in the 90s'. But that's where the positive feedback ends. Last year alone Footscray was home to multiple stabbings, a body found in the Maribyrnong River and an out-of-control fire. Although Melbourne property is cheaper than it's been in a long time, it's still strange to see so many listings in the one suburb, property experts say. Realtor Adam Flynn tells us Footscray had a bad reputation historically for crime and has a stigma associated to it that will be difficult to break. The 43-year-old Melbourne native described the suburb as a built-up area with lots of apartments and pockets of government housing nearby. Mr Flynn says from a selling perspective, Footscray has 'bucked the trend of capital growth'. 'Footscray has come a long way but there's still a while to go before the stigma associated to it is washed away,' Mr Flynn explains. 'It's rare to have properties selling for such an affordable value for money within 10km of the Melbourne CBD. 'Over the last 12 months Footscray has had 10 per cent capital growth, which is astronomical. Other suburbs in Melbourne have decreased 20 per cent, which suggests prices were too high during Covid. 'At the moment in Melbourne buyers have lots of options to choose from and are pickier when it comes to mass-produced suburbs like this.' Cam McLellan, founder of property investment firm OpenCorp, believes the suburb is going through a 'gentrification phase'. 'Gentrification is when a working-class suburb gets a facelift,' he tells us. Reporter Wayne Flower shares his terrifying experience in Footscray: 'All hell broke loose' Footscray has always been regarded among those that live in the west of Melbourne as the 'mean streets'. On July 8, 2011, I got up close and personal with the violence there when a man pulled a gun on me and my photographer. Working then for the Herald Sun, we'd been staking out a house in the shadow of Footscray's Whitten Oval - the home of the AFL's Western Bulldogs. The person we wanted to speak with was a man who had been released from jail after murdering his wife. The home was a halfway house for ex-convicts - one of whom took offence at seeing a fellow ex-con questioned by reporters so soon after release. While questioning neighbours, the man produced a handgun and pointed it at our heads. In that moment my life flashed before my eyes as I contemplated running the gunman over or copping a bullet through my brain. My colleague never recovered and now drives a school bus for a living, forever tormented by the mean streets of Footscray. Advertisement 'Initially this comes in the form of higher-density apartments, often targeting investors, but eventually as the number of people living in the area increases and the shopping district starts to cater to a different mix of residents, then developers may shift towards mid-market buildings. 'Through these transitions, which can take a few decades, there will be periods of oversupply, increasing the vacancy rate, as it is hard for developers to perfectly balance the supply of new housing with demand. 'Eventually, a higher quality of amenities will be available for locals. This then lifts the standard and cost of living, which makes it harder for low-income earners to stay in the suburb.' Realtor and self-made millionaire Adam Flynn (pictured) said Footscray has a bad reputation historically for crime and has a stigma associated to it that will be difficult to break Mr McLellan says Footscray will be a good place to live in future as it's a 'cultural melting pot', is close to the CBD and has great access to public transport. 'Footscray is undoubtedly going to lift in appeal in the years ahead,' he adds. Pradeep Tiwari, Mayor of Maribyrnong City Council, describes Footscray as a 'vibrant and culturally-diverse suburb with a long history' but admits it faces certain challenges. Council has also recently repaired a sinkhole that appeared in the centre of Footscray, the result of an insecure commercial drainage solution. There's been no reports of a 'sinking land' issue. 'Footscray is not immune to the challenges other areas face with cost of living and mental health issues for vulnerable people,' Mr Tiwari tells Daily Mail Australia. 'Council understands the impact homelessness and addiction can have on the broader community, including small businesses and social carers. 'We continue to work closely with the State Government and local organisations to improve outreach services in Footscray, ensuring those in need receive the right care and support.' Despite these difficulties, the community is growing with more than 7,000 new home projects completed, underway or approved since 2015. A rarely seen 'doomsday' fish was found ashore on a Mexico beach, sparking fears of a looming disaster. Surfers spotted the creature, known as an oarfish, on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. The massive fish, about as long as a surfboard, featured a silvery-blue body with a stunning red fin trailing down its back but had an injured tail. They can measure up to 36 feet in length and weigh over 441 pounds. Legend has it that the fish are harbingers of earthquakes and other natural disasters. A local who witnessed the scene in Mexico said: 'They say those fish appear when there is going to be a very strong tsunami.' While scientists have not proven a correlation, 20 oarfishes washed up ashore months before Japan was hit with a devastating tsunami that left over 15,000 people dead and led to a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March 2011. While the fish in Mexico was the first to be seen in 2025, one was spotted in California a month before it was rocked by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake last year. A rarely seen 'doomsday' fish was found ashore on a Mexico beach, sparking fears of a looming disaster. Surfers spotted the creature, known as an oarfish, on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula The young surfers quickly ran to the fish, scooped it up using their boards and moved it back into the ocean. Due to their size and shape, oarfish resemble sea serpents and are seen as a sign of things to come in Japanese mythology where it is known as 'the messenger from the sea dragon gods palace.' The legend says that oarfish live under the islands of Japan, and they come to the surface to warn people about a coming earthquake. But the creatures are found worldwide, living at depths ranging from 656 feet to 3,280 feet below the surface. Their body is scaleless and the skin has a slimy, silvery protective coating known as guanine. The Japanese myth was rekindled in 2011 after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. On March 11, a catastrophic 9.1 magnitude megathrust earthquake just 45 miles east of Japan rumbled for six minutes, pushing waves of up to 133 feet nearly 440 miles per hour as it hit the country. The waves had enough energy to travel six miles inland, taking out critical infrastructure, homes and offices on the eastern coast. Legend has it that the fish are harbingers of earthquakes and other natural disasters. A local who witnessed the scene in Mexico said: 'They say those fish appear when there is going to be a very strong tsunami' More recently, an oarfish washed ashore in California last November. Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography released pictures of a dead oarfish lying onshore of the Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas. Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography released pictures of a dead oarfish lying onshore of the Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas. And in December, the state was rocked by a major earthquake that triggered a tsunami warning. The earthquake struck at 10.44am, 45 miles off the coast of Eureka, with an aftershock felt in San Francisco shortly afterwards. The ensuing tsunami warning was blasted to Californians phones, telling them to seek higher ground immediately. 'You are in danger!' it warned. By 12pm PST, the tsunami warning had been canceled. But the initial impact rocked households and churned waves in backyard swimming pools. California is bisected by the San Andreas Fault, the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, which is prone to earthquakes. If we want to rely on nuclear fusion to power the world's homes, the first step is making reactors that can run as hot and as long as possible. Now, China's 'artificial sun' reactor officially called 'Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak' (EAST) has set a new world record, bringing the goal of limitless clean energy ever closer. The reactor, located in Hefei in Anhui province, generated a steady loop of plasma for 1,066 seconds at 180millionF (100millionC) seven times hotter than the sun's core. It surpasses the previous world record of 403 seconds, also set by EAST in 2023. EAST could be a precursor to the first ever fusion power plants that supply power directly to the grid and electricity to people's homes. These power plants could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power-generation sector by diverting away from the use of fossil fuels like coal and gas. Fusion differs from fission (the technique currently used in nuclear power plants), because the former fuses two atomic nuclei instead of splitting one (fission). Unlike fission, fusion carries no risk of catastrophic nuclear accidents like that seen in Fukushima in Japan in 2011 and produces far less radioactive waste than current power plants, its exponents say. China's 'artificial sun' reactor - officially called 'Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak' (EAST) - has set a new world record, bringing the goal of limitless clean energy ever closer. The reactor, located in Hefei in Anhui province, generated a steady loop of plasma for 1,066 seconds at 180millionF (100millionC) - seven times hotter than the sun's core If nuclear fusion experiments can be harnessed on a much larger scale, reactors hotter than anything else in the solar system will provide limitless clean energy. Tokamak Energy is a private company based at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire China's 'artificial sun' is operated by the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) at Hefei Institutes of Physical Science on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The new world record, achieved on Monday, marks a critical step toward a functional fusion reactor, according to ASIPP director Professor Song Yuntao. 'A fusion device must achieve stable operation at high efficiency for thousands of seconds to enable the self-sustaining circulation of plasma, which is essential for the continuous power generation of future fusion plants,' he said. Global scientists have worked for more than 70 years on trying to achieve this feat, according to a release from State Council Information Office, central propaganda department of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Gong Xianzu, head of the division of EAST physics and experimental operations, said they have upgraded several EAST systems since the last round of experiments. For example, the heating system, which previously operated at the equivalent of nearly 70,000 household microwave ovens, has now doubled its power output. 'The ultimate goal of an artificial sun is to create nuclear fusion like the sun, providing humanity with an endless, clean energy source,' the release says. Fusion generally considered the holy grail of energy could also enable 'space exploration beyond the solar system', by providing rockets with more powerful propulsion systems. China's self-designed 'artificial sun' - a device to harness the energy of fusion, has made an important advance by achieving a temperature of 180 million F (100 million C) in plasma This photo shows the control center of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, January 20, 2025 A staff member performs an upgrade to the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on April 28, 2021 Nuclear fusion vs. nuclear fission Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are nuclear processes, in that they involve nuclear forces to change the nucleus of atoms. Fusion joins two light elements (with a low atomic mass number), forming a heavier element. For fusion to occur, hydrogen atoms are placed under high heat and pressure until they fuse together. Meanwhile, fission splits a heavy element (with a high atomic mass number) into fragments. In both cases, energy is freed because the mass of the remaining nucleus is smaller than the mass of the reacting nuclei. Both reactions release energy which, in a power plant, would be used to boil water to drive a steam generator, thus producing electricity. Source: International Atomic Energy Agency Advertisement At the heart of EAST and other fusion reactors around the world is a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped device initially conceptualised in the 1950s by Soviet physicists. Inside, under the influence of extreme heat and pressure, gaseous hydrogen fuel becomes a plasma a hot, electrically charged gas. Plasma is often referred to as the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gas, and comprises over 99 per cent of the visible universe, including most of our sun. In the tokamak, the plasma is trapped and pressurised by magnetic fields until the energised plasma particles start to collide. As the particles fuse into helium, they release enormous amounts of energy, mimicking the process that occurs naturally in the centre of stars like our sun. The only by-products of fusion reactions are small amounts of helium, an inert gas which can be safely released without harming the environment. As a result, fusion reactors have long been touted as the best clean energy source although the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists claims they are 'far from perfect'. As yet, the energy input required to produce the temperatures and pressures that enable significant fusion reactions in hydrogen isotopes don't justify the fusion energy that's actually being generated, the nonprofit organization points out. At the heart of EAST and other fusion reactors around the world is the tokamak, a doughnut-shaped device initially conceptualised in the 1950s by Soviet physicists. Inside, under the influence of extreme heat and pressure, gaseous hydrogen fuel becomes a plasma a hot, electrically charged gas Gong Xianzu, head of division of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) Physics and Experimental Operations, watches the experimental data on January 15, 2025 in Hefei, Anhui Province of China Nuclear fusion is still in the research and development phase - while nuclear fission is already making electricity. Pictured, nuclear power plant in Wuhan, China Fusion power works by colliding heavy hydrogen atoms to form helium - releasing vast amounts of energy in the process, as occurs naturally in the centre of stars Why are there no nuclear fusion plants yet? Unlike nuclear fission, the nuclear fusion reaction in a tokamak is an inherently safe reaction. But fusion is a finely balanced reaction which is very sensitive to the conditions. The reaction will die if the plasma is too cold or too hot, or if there is too much fuel or not enough, or too many contaminants, or if the magnetic fields are not set up just right to control the turbulence of the hot plasma. This is why fusion is still in the research and development phase - and fission is already making electricity. Source: EUROfusion Advertisement It's worth bearing in mind that EAST, as the name suggests, is China's 'experimental' reactor project and may yet pave the way for the first nuclear fusion power plants. Chinese experts say: 'The mission of the EAST project is to develop an advanced fully superconducting tokamak so as to establish solid scientific and technological bases for the future continuous operation of tokamak fusion devices.' Of course there are already nuclear power plants around the world, but they use nuclear fission, which has the disadvantage of generating unstable nuclei, some of which are radioactive for millions of years. Fusion, on the other hand, does not create any long-lived radioactive nuclear waste but instead helium, which is an inert gas. Fusion fuel is made up of deuterium and tritium, which are isotopes of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, giving scientists hopes of 'unlimited energy'. The Chinese team plan to use the nuclear fusion reactor in collaboration with scientists in France working on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The Provence-based ITER project is expected to begin delivering power in 2035, and will become the world's biggest reactor once completed. Meanwhile, the SPARC nuclear fusion reactor, a US project involving MIT, is currently in development in Devens, Massachusetts and scheduled to start operations in 2026. Construction of ITER, the world's largest nuclear fusion project that will replicate the reactions that power the sun in pursuit of clean power In 2024, Korea's artificial sun' (pictured) ran at 100 millionC (180 millionF) for 48 seconds - seven times hotter than the sun's core South Korea also has its own 'artificial sun', the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR), which has run at 180millionF (100millionC) for 48 seconds. Japan's reactor, called JT-60SA and switched on in Naka north of Tokyo late 2023, is a six-storey-high machine measuring 50 feet high and 44 feet wide. Built and operated jointly by Europe and Japan, JT-60SA will be the world's largest fusion reactor until the completion of ITER in France. Other smaller reactors are being built and tested including the ST40 in Oxfordshire, which is more squashed-up and compact compared with other 'doughnut-shaped' reactors. The Joint European Torus (JET), also located in Oxfordshire, released a total of 69 megajoules of energy over five seconds before being decommissioned. They could all be precursors to fusion power plants that supply power directly to the grid and electricity to people's homes. Instagram and Facebook users claim their accounts have automatically followed Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Melania Trump after the inauguration. Across social media, users have complained that Meta is 'forcing' them to follow the new US President. On X (formerly Twitter), one furious commenter wrote: 'Really Meta y'all forcing people to follow Trump and JD Vance in Instagram??' Fears of interference grew after users reported that Instagram appeared to be blocking searches for '#Democrat' while '#Republican' returned millions of results. Searching for 'Democrat' or for Democratic political figures like Bernie Sanders brought up a message stating: 'We've hidden these results. 'Results for the term you've searched may contain sensitive content.' However, Meta has hit back against claims of bias and maintains that these changes are all part of standard procedure. Here's what's really going on. Instagram and Facebook users claim their accounts have automatically followed Donald Trump (pictured), JD Vance, and Melania Trump after the inauguration On X, many users complained that Instagram was 'making everyone' follow Donald Trump's new account One commenter said that Meta was 'forcing' people to follow Donald Trump and JD Vance after the President's inauguration this Monday Concerns over political interference began after Trump's return to the Oval Office on Monday. Instagram and Facebook users were particularly concerned that they appeared to be following the official accounts of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump. It appeared to many that Meta had forced them to follow these accounts without the user having a choice. Another added: 'Hey, if you have an Instagram account, go and check to see if you are following these two Vance and Trump accounts. Somehow they are making you follow them without you actually hitting that follow button.' Likewise, in a post on X, Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen wrote: 'This morning, @facebook starting serving me all kinds of right wing stuff in my feed. 'When I went to manage content preferences, I see they automatically made me follow Trump yesterday. Am I the only one?' Thankfully, there's a simple explanation for the change. The accounts users reported following were not the personal accounts of Trump, Vance, and Melania, but the official President, Vice President, and First Lady accounts. Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen said that he was seeing 'all kinds of right wing stuff' on Facebook after being made to follow Trump Why are Instagram accounts automatically following Donald Trump? Instagram accounts appear to be automatically following Donald Trump because of a regular update to the official White House accounts. The accounts for the President, Vice President, and First Lady are controlled by the White House. When a new President enters the Oval Office, the official social media accounts are updated to reflect this. That means anyone who was following the Joe Biden official 'potus' account will now be automatically following the Donald Trump account. This does not mean Instagram users are being forced to follow Donald Trump's separate personal account. Advertisement These accounts are controlled by the White House and are passed on to the new President and his team after an election. That means anyone who had been following the official Joe Biden potus (President of the United States) account would automatically be following the Donald Trump potus account. However, this is not the same as being automatically forced to follow Donald Trump's personal Instagram or Facebook accounts. Looking at the account data for these accounts shows that they are clearly identified as 'potus', 'vp', and 'flotus'. Likewise, all three accounts are listed as being created in January 2025 while Trump and Vance's personal accounts date back to 2013 and 2021 respectively. The same is true of the Facebook accounts associated with Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Melania Trump. In a post on Threads, Meta's communications director Andy Stone explained: 'The Facebook.com/POTUS and Facebook.com/WhiteHouse accounts are managed by the White House and they change when the occupant of the White House changes.' Users also reported finding that certain search terms associated with left-wing politics appeared to be blocked by Instagram following the inauguration. However, Meta communications director Andy Stone says that these accounts are the official President, Vice President, and First Lady accounts which are controlled by the White House and handed over to the the new incumbent after an election When Trump became president he was given the official potus (President of the United States) Instagram account (left), which is distinct from his personal account (right) Looking at JD Vance's accounts there is a clear difference between his personal account (right) and the account people complained about following (left) Searches for terms including '#voteblue', '#obama', '#biden', and '#democrats' yielded no results throughout Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, some users pointed out that right-wing-associated terms such as '#republican' were still showing search results. While the terms are searchable again, this apparent restriction sparked furious accusations of political bias. On X, one Instagram user wrote: 'Instagram is currently hiding content for #democrat while #republican is unscathed. I'm curious how the new content policy is doing!'. Meta maintains that this issue was not the product of political bias but rather an unspecified technical issue. Mr Stone said in a post on Threads: 'There's an issue affecting people's ability to search for a number of different hashtags on Instagram - not just those on the left. We're working quickly to resolve this.' A Meta spokesperson confirmed that both '#conservative' and '#republicans' were blocked - although they did not provide an explanation why. Meta told the Mail it was investigating how the hashtag error or bug happened in the first place. A large number of Instagram users also complained that search terms related to left-wing political topics were being blocked Meta says that this is due to an unspecified technical issue which has affected both left-wing and right-wing hashtags The accusations of political bias come at a sensitive time for Meta as CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg publicly pivots towards supporting Trump. Mr Zuckerberg donated $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration fund and was a guest at the new president's inauguration earlier this week (pictured) Earlier this month, Instagram made a similar mistake when the hashtag for Meghan Markle's new Netflix show was accidentally blocked. The social media site refused to show search results for '#WithLoveMeghan' and warned that it could be linked to child sexual abuse. Instead of photos and videos related to the upcoming show, people were given a message that links them to resources about helping victims of abuse. 'We think that your search might be associated with child sexual abuse,' the message read. A Meta spokesperson said that the 'search term was restricted by mistake and has now been fixed.' These accusations of bias come at a particularly sensitive time for Meta as founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes a pronounced shift towards support for Trump's policies. While Zuckerberg had previously championed a system of human and automated fact-checkers, he recently announced that this would be replaced with an X-style community notes system. The use of fact-checkers had been heavily criticised by Trump and his allies over a disputed claim that right-wing content was being disproportionately targetted. In response to pressure from Trump and his allies, Mr Zuckerberg has announced the end of fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram. In a video, Mr Zuckerberg repeated Trump's claim that the fact-checkers had been 'too politically biased' In a video, Mr Zuckerberg said: 'Governments and legacy media have pushed to censor more and more. 'The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritising speech. So we're going to get back to our roots and focussing on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms.' Mr Zuckerberg added that the fact-checkers on his platform had been 'too politically biased'. Likewise, Meta has updated its harmful content policies on topics like gender and immigration as well as specifically allowing posts which call homosexuality a mental illness. Mr Zuckerberg also donated $1 million (808,000) to Donald Trump's inauguration fund and was a prominent guest at the new president's inauguration earlier this week. Nearly 2,000 flights in and out of states impacted by a historic snowstorm in the South that has killed at least eight people overnight. Winter Storm Enzo swept into Texas and Louisiana early Tuesday morning and then tracked eastward across the Gulf Coast, bringing severe winter weather to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas and Virginia. As of Wednesday morning, one to 10 inches of snow have fallen across the Southeast. Flight disruptions began Monday night. As of Wednesday morning, 999 flights departing from affected states have been cancelled today, as well as 940 flights landing in these states, according to FlightAware.com. Travelers have been urged to check with their airlines about the status of their flights even if they are not flying to or from an airport in the Southeast, as delays could have a ripple effect across the country. The casualties were cause traffic accidents and the deadly cold as some regions saw temperatures in the single digits. Enzo's impact on the Southeast has been historic and record-breaking. Measurable snow has only fallen south of Interstate 10 along the shores of the Gulf Coast a handful of times in recorded history. Snow fell in New Orleans for the first time in over a decade, with some areas seeing up to 10 inches. The record-breaking accumulation toppled the previous in 1963 when 2.7 inches blanketed the city. George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas shut down all flight operations Tuesday as Winter Storm Enzo moved into the Southeast. January 21, 2025 As of Wednesday, nearly 2,000 flights into and out of states impacted by the storm are cancelled, including at Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana, January 21, 2025 All-time snow records were also broken in Mobile, Alabama, which saw 7.5 inches of snow, and in Pensacola, Florida, which also received 7.5 inches. Flight disruptions are expected to continue into Thursday even as most of the storm's impact should taper off today. 'This is a white-out in New Orleans, this is a snow-a-cane,' David Delio, a high school teacher from The Big Easy, told CBS. 'We've had tons of hurricane days but never a snow day.' Photos and videos taken across the Southeast show snow blanketing highly unusual places, such as the beaches of coastal Alabama, palm-tree-lined yards in Florida and the iconic French Quarter of New Orleans. Houston, Texas was a 'ghost town' early Tuesday morning as residents hunkered down for the storm, but people ventured out later in the day to experience the rare snowfall, Storm Chaser Aaron Jayjack told AccuWeather. 'I've talked to several people, this is the first time they've ever seen snow,' Jayjack said. 'This is a lifetime [event], something they'll probably remember for the rest of their lives.' But while many see this storm as a rare treat, it has also brought dangerous conditions to states that are largely underprepared for this kind of weather. Enzo has led to at least eight fatalities, including a traffic accident In Zavala County, Texas caused by icy road conditions that killed at least five people, CNN reported. Others have reportedly succumbed to the deadly cold, as this storm moved into the region at the same time as a frigid polar vortex that sent temperatures plummeting into the single-digits in some parts of Southeastern states. Photos and videos taken across the Southeast show snow blanketing highly unusual places, including palm-tree-lined yards in Florida The storm has created dangerous road conditions across the Southeast. Paxton, Florida; January 21, 2025 Widespread delays and cancellations caused by the storm are creating travel mayhem, as disruptions ripple have a ripple effect across the country. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston TX; January 20, 2025 Two deaths in Austin, Texas are suspected to be cold-related, according to the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, though the official cause of death has not yet been determined. Georgia officials reported one death from hypothermia at a Tuesday news conference, saying the victim was outside the night before. What's more, damages and economic losses related to this storm may total $14 to $17 billion, according to AccuWeather. 'This has been the worst winter storm to hit the Gulf Coast in decades,' AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. 'Businesses have been forced to shut down. Supply chain and shipping logistics have been severely disrupted.' Multiple states declared a state of emergency ahead of Winter Storm Enzo, including Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Officials closed schools, roadways and airports as dangerous winter weather moved into the region earlier this week. Both of Houston's major airports George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport will reopen today after all flight operations were suspended Tuesday. Damages and economic losses related to this storm may total $14 to $17 billion, according to AccuWeather. Galveston, Texas; January 21, 2025 Multiple states declared a state of emergency ahead of Winter Storm Enzo, including Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. New Orleans, Louisiana; January 21, 2025 Officials closed schools, roadways and airports as dangerous winter weather moved into the region earlier this week. New Orleans, Louisiana; January 21, 2025 Residents of affected states continue to face treacherous driving conditions today, with many major roadways remaining closed. That including a section of Interstate 10 that runs from the Texas-Louisiana border to New Orleans, according to The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. As of Wednesday morning, the NWS has lifted winter storm warnings across the Southeast as the storm dies down, but much of the region is still at risk of life-threatening low temperatures today. Southeast Georgia and northeast Florida are under a freeze warning that will remain in effect until 10am Thursday in some areas, with wind chill temperatures sinking as low as 15F. The agency has also issued a freeze warning for the southern tip of Texas, warning of similarly low wind chill temperatures in cities such as Corpus Christi. This advisory will remain in effect until 11am CST. Extreme cold warnings have been issued in New Orleans, southern Mississippi and Alabama, the Florida panhandle, the southwestern corner of Georgia, upstate South Carolina and western Virginia. Wind-chill temperatures are expected to plummet as low as -15F in some areas, and the warnings will remain in effect until 12pm ET at the latest. 'With the cold remaining in place, the impacts and interruptions from this winter storm will be felt for days to come,' AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Porter said. It's the family holiday conundrum that just wont go away: how to avoid swingeing price increases to half-term getaways. The travel industry swears blind theres nothing that can be done about the problem, blaming supply and demand. But thats not particularly helpful, especially when the cost of holidays can shoot up by as much as 479 per cent during half-term breaks. Here weve assembled the ultimate guide to trying to get round the costly bi-annual problem. GO ON SUNDAY Its natural instinct to want to head off at the first possible opportunity but wait until Sunday and flight prices often dip. For example, BA fares from Gatwick to Orlando departing on Saturday February 15, at the beginning of half-term, is from 1,246. However, go Sunday-to-Sunday (February 16-23) and the price is from 710 a reduction of 75 per cent. SIX NIGHTS CHEAPER Going for one fewer night away will mean that your return flights will be markedly less. Looking at fares from Manchester to Tenerife for the upcoming February half-term, Saturday-to-Saturday fares are from 393 on Ryanair, or 333 for Saturday-to-Friday. A saving of 240 for a family of four. MONITOR AIRLINE SALES To know about best half-term fares in advance, work out which airline travels on the route you want and sign up to its newsletters well in advance of departure. This way you can pounce on the cheapest tickets as they are announced. USE A SEARCH ENGINE Sign up to price alerts at sky scanner.net when checking a routes price on specific dates; for Google Flights, click on the tab that says Track Prices. With Skyscanner, you can also add your dates of travel and select Explore Everywhere for your destination. This gave us Luton-Dublin returns from 111 for a family of four, with two children aged eight and ten, for February 15-22. THINK A YEAR AHEAD If you enjoyed a holiday in a particular accommodation and would like to go back, dont beat about the bush. Act quickly and make a reservation for next year even, while youre out there when you may be able to negotiate a price. CENTER PARCS IN EUROPE Center Parcs, which has five UK locations, has expanded into Europe Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Given Continental school holiday times differ, bargains are to be had at the latter. For example, four nights this half-term in a Comfort Lodge sleeping four is from 788 at Villages Nature Paris, close to Disneyland Paris (centerparcs.eu). Back in the UK, the price for four nights at a New Style Woodland Lodge in Longleat Forest, Wiltshire is from 1,699 more than double. Yes, you will have to get to France, but ferry prices are from 204 (directferries.co.uk), and its a three-hour drive from Calais so youll still be quids in. CONSIDER A VILLA Book a villa or holiday home over half-term and you may be surprised by both the availability and reasonable prices. This is because supply exists to cover families as well as non-families during summer holidays, but at half-term theres less non-family demand. The result can be bargains such as pretty Knights Rest cottage in Leyburn within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It comes with a wood-burning stove and costs from 590 for seven nights from February 15, sleeping four in three bedrooms (ruralretreats.co.uk). Or, further afield, seven nights at the smart, whitewashed Villa El Ranchito in Torremolinos, sleeping two adults and two children, costs from 1,007 for a week from February 15. It comes with a lovely little pool (solmarvillas.com). Return Luton-Malaga flights currently from 186 (ryanair.com). TRY A CITY BREAK Flight availability tends to be better for a city break than for traditional bucket-and-spade destinations. They can be educational and less crowded at half-term than at other times. A six-night trip to Rome with 135pp return flights from Stansted departing on February 17 (ryanair.com). Book an Airbnb such as Apartment in Aurelio from 879 for six nights, sleeping four (airbnb.co.uk). Put the two together and it comes to 1,419 letting you see the Colosseum and the Vatican in style, without the crowds. Or try three nights in Prague staying in a junior suite with room for a family of four from 1,032 including flights from Luton on February 18 (easyjet.com). Its a great chance to visit Prague Castle, see the splendid Charles Bridge and explore the medieval lanes of the Czech capital when its not so busy. GO A DAY OR TWO EARLY You are not meant to take children out of school unless authorised. However, if you ask permission of a sympathetic head teacher it might be possible to cut term short a day or two without a fine. This is it must be stressed usually in exceptional circumstances, possibly where the difference in travel costs is particularly high. Bear in mind that if permission is not granted, you face a fine of 80 per child, rising to 160 per child for a second offence within a three-year period, after which prosecution is possible. See educationhub.blog.gov.uk for the full lowdown. FLY FROM SCOTLAND Mid-term holidays, as half-term breaks are called in Scotland, are from February 10-14 this year. If you fly out of Edinburgh Airport you can bag a good deal (such as 121 return to Tenerife from February 15-22, ryanair.com), although this travel hack is usually better, for those who live close to the Scottish border, during the summer as many Scottish schools return to classes around August 14. Checking school term dates can also work to the advantage of Scottish families when English and Welsh schools are still running classes. Friends fans have been left baffled after noticing a different version of an iconic scene featuring Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry. A clip has been circulating around the internet of Kudrow's character Phoebe dancing for Perry's character Chandler comparing the scene from the original footage uploaded onto YouTube and the one uploaded on streaming service Max. There are very noticeable differences between the two scenes including when the cuts are made and even in some of the movement. There is also obvious upscaling for HDTV purposes as both actors skin appears differently. It was posted on Instagram with the caption: 'Why are they not the same?' There has been no explanation given for why the two clips are so different. Friends fans have been left baffled after noticing a different version of an iconic scene featuring Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry The clip comes from season 5 episode 14 - titled The One Where Everybody Finds Out - which aired on February 11, 1999. The episode is one of the most iconic in Friends lore as it is the one where the group finds out that Chandler is dating Monica Gellar (played by Courteney Cox). The scene comes at the climax of the episode as Phoebe seductively dances to try to lure Chandler into admitting he was dating Monica, however, the couple are on to her as they attempt to turn the tables in an entertaining game of chicken. This comes weeks after Kudrow recently said that she has discovered a note from the late Perry, which he had stuffed inside the 'Cookie Time' jar from the Burbank set of the hit NBC sitcom. 'Matthew gave that to me at the end of our last episode,' the 61-year-old Emmy winner recalled on Tuesday's Drew Barrymore Show. 'I had recently found the note that he had in it for me. I hadn't opened it up or looked inside of it. But yeah, he did. He had a note in there and I forgot about it.' Without revealing what Perry wrote, Lisa emotionally remarked: 'Timing is everything.' Kudrow had previously told Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2020 that the five-time Emmy nominee gifted her the prop when they wrapped, because he found it hilarious that she thought it was a working clock while shooting a scene. A clip has been circulating around the internet of Kudrow's character Phoebe dancing for Perry's character Chandler comparing the scene from the original footage uploaded onto YouTube and the one uploaded on streaming service Max There are very noticeable differences between the two scenes including when the cuts are made and even in some of the movement There is also obvious upscaling for HDTV purposes as both actors skin appears differently. It was posted on Instagram with the caption: 'Why are they not the same?' There has been no explanation given for why the two clips are so different The clip comes from season 5 episode 14 - titled The One Where Everybody Finds Out - which aired on February 11, 1999 'I think the first thing I asked was, "This was so nice - did you get permission?"' the No Good Deed star said. 'I mean, my car used to get searched every night when I left.' Lisa also held on to her security badges and her character Phoebe Buffay's rings after Friends concluded in 2004 following 10 seasons. Matthew passed away, age 54, in 2023 from acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine and five people have since been indicted and charged as part of the LAPD's ensuing investigation. A couple weeks later, Kudrow posted a Polaroid of them attending the 1994 NBC Upfronts and thanked him for trusting her, teaching her about grace and love, and making her laugh to the point of tears 'every day.' The San Fernando Valley Girl previously revealed last month on the Dinner's on Me podcast that the Friends cast only reunited twice since their show ended - for an intimate dinner in 2014 at someone's house and HBO Max's 2021 Friends: The Reunion special. The 49-year-old talk show host begged Lisa for an update on the follow-up to her 1997 cult classic comedy, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, co-starring Mira Sorvino. '[Mira] said it perfectly. We're as close as we have ever been. There's a script that's really good. [Original screenwriter] Robin Schiff wrote it,' Kudrow beamed. 'So it'll happen! I mean, we'll see. Because having a close friend it's about you know friends that love each other - which is funny because I was on a show that was like that too - but but that is basically what it is.' This comes weeks after Kudrow recently said that she has discovered a note from the late Perry, which he had stuffed inside the 'Cookie Time' jar from the Burbank set of the hit NBC sitcom (pictured in red circle) The 61-year-old Emmy winner (R) recalled on Tuesday's Drew Barrymore Show: 'Matthew gave that to me at the end of our last episode. I had recently found the note that he had in it for me. I hadn't opened it up or looked inside of it. But yeah, he did. He had a note in there and I forgot about it' Without revealing what Perry wrote, Lisa emotionally remarked: 'Timing is everything' Kudrow had previously told Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2020 that the five-time Emmy nominee gifted her the prop when they wrapped, because he found it hilarious that she thought it was a working clock while shooting a scene The No Good Deed star said: 'I think the first thing I asked was, "This was so nice - did you get permission?" I mean, my car used to get searched every night when I left' Lisa also held on to her security badges and her character Phoebe Buffay's rings after Friends concluded in 2004 following 10 seasons (final curtain call pictured) Matthew passed away, age 54, in 2023 from acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine and five people have since been indicted and charged as part of the LAPD's ensuing investigation (pictured in 2015) A couple weeks later, Kudrow posted a Polaroid of them attending the 1994 NBC Upfronts and thanked him for trusting her, teaching her about grace and love, and making her laugh to the point of tears 'every day' The San Fernando Valley Girl previously revealed last month on the Dinner's on Me podcast that the Friends cast only reunited twice since their show ended - for an intimate dinner in 2014 at someone's house and HBO Max's 2021 Friends: The Reunion special (pictured) The 49-year-old talk show host (L) begged Lisa for an update on the follow-up to her 1997 cult classic comedy, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, co-starring Mira Sorvino Kudrow beamed: '[Mira] said it perfectly. We're as close as we have ever been. There's a script that's really good. [Original screenwriter] Robin Schiff wrote it' She continued: 'So it'll happen! I mean, we'll see. Because having a close friend it's about you know friends that love each other - which is funny because I was on a show that was like that too - but but that is basically what it is' (pictured in 1997) The 57-year-old Oscar winner (R, pictured in 2022) told People last November that they both signed their deals to executive produce and reprise their roles in the sequel, which is rumored to start shooting in the 'second quarter' of this year The 57-year-old Oscar winner told People last November that they both signed their deals to executive produce and reprise their roles as Romy White and Michele Weinberger in the sequel, which is rumored to start shooting in the 'second quarter' of this year. On the personal front, Lisa and her husband - French advertising executive Michael Stern - are proud parents of 26-year-old son Julian and they'll impressively celebrate 30 years of marriage on May 27. 'You know, it's not a romance. It's even more than a family member. I mean, it's the most intimate relationship you can have,' Kudrow told Barrymore. 'It's different from kids but, by 30 years, I'm not going anywhere, no way. That's how I feel about it.' A new documentary about disgraced rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs is reportedly in the works. The music mogul is currently behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York awaiting trial after being jailed on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September. And Channel 4 are said to have joined forced with Lion TV to commission a new 'in-depth' show, called Diddy: In Plain Sight, exploring the alleged crimes. A source told The Sun: 'As the clock ticks towards Diddys trial, it gives an opportunity for those yet to have their voices heard in this case to speak up and give their testimony. 'This in-depth programme will dive into all the charges, the highs and lows of Diddys success and what went on behind the scenes at his infamous White Parties. 'It will no doubt produce some very shocking revelations.' A new documentary about disgraced rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs is reportedly in the works [pictured in 2018] The music mogul is currently behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York awaiting trial after being jailed on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September The new programme is expected to air later this year. MailOnline have contacted Channel 4 representatives for comment. The news follows an announcement by Netflix that they too are making a documentary about the shamed hitmaker, called Diddy Do It? While other shows about the rapper include discovery+s The Fall Of Diddy, Peacocks The Making of a Bad Boy and TMZs The Downfall Of Diddy. Diddy has remained incarcerated, awaiting a May 5 trial, after bail was rejected following bail hearings before three different judges. Diddy was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024 and indicted on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is facing life in prison of he is found guilty of the racketeering charges. The federal indictment was brought after investigators swooped on the rap star's Miami and LA homes where prosecutors say they found, '1,000 bottles' of baby oil and lubricant allegedly used in 'freak offs'. Channel 4 are said to have joined forced with Lion TV to commission a new 'in-depth' show, called Diddy: In Plain Sight, exploring the alleged crimes [pictured in 2023] 'This in-depth programme will dive into all the charges, the highs and lows of Diddys success and what went on behind the scenes at his infamous White Parties' Attorneys for Diddy are demanding to access a cache of videos they say will prove ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura had consensual sex with the Bad Boy mogul. In the latest episode of DailyMail.com's podcast The Trial of Diddy, criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor David Gelman, said the the rapper's legal team could use the tapes to undermine Cassie's credibility or possibly get a better plea deal for himself. 'Let's just say that [Cassie's] participating in things and looks like she's having a really good time,' Gelman said. 'That obviously won't look good for her and her claims of what he did. Diddy has remained incarcerated, awaiting a May 5 trial, after bail was rejected following bail hearings before three different judges Speaking on the podcast, he continued: 'If I'm in Diddy's [legal] team, that's how I'm going to be looking at it and that's going to the my theme at the trial. "Look, it's disgusting. It's not for everybody, but this is what Diddy was into. And the other individual, Cassie, she was into it as well. They're two consenting adults."' Combs attorneys said they haven't been able to have full and unrestricted access to the nine videos because of a protective order was placed on the materials. Under the protective order, the videos are held by federal prosecutors and are only available to Combs' team for inspection with law enforcement supervision. However, defense attorneys said they have only been able to access the footage twice since Combs was sent to jail. A 'provocative' drama likened to British hit Skins has been cancelled by ITV after just two seasons. Tell Me Everything will not return for a third series after executives decided to 'shelve' the programme 'for now.' Tell Me Everything was created by Mark O'Sullivan and follows 16-year-old Jonny Murphy as he explores life growing up in the 2020s, touching on topics including mental health. Originally, a deal had been agreed with production company Noho Film and Television and ITVX to commission two series, an insider told The Sun. The second was broadcast last June on ITV2. The source added: 'It was a great achievement for cast and crew that its popularity resulted in it getting a place in the linear TV schedules on ITV2. Two-series show, Tell Me Everything, will not be seeing a third after executives decided to 'shelve' the programme 'for now', The Sun reported Tell Me Everything was created by Mark O'Sullivan and follows 16-year old Jonny Murphy and explores life growing up in the 2020s, touching on topics including mental health 'There was the opportunity to renew the show, but a decision was made to shelve the format for now.' Tell Me Everything starred Eden H. Davies, Mark Quartley, Spike Fearn, Sophie Albett, Daisy Jacob, Liz White and Ben Jones. A spokesperson for ITV said: 'After two brilliant series of Tell Me Everything, there are no further plans for the show to return at present.' Produced by the same company as Skins, a popular series which first aired in 2007, Tell Me Everything has often been compared to the E4 show. Skins followed the lives of a group of Bristol-based sixth formers in the mid noughties and captivated its audience with gritty and realistic story lines. The seven series ran from 2007 to 2013 and shone a spotlight on the antics of adolescents as they experimented with drugs, sex and partying. It also tackled issues such as mental illness, eating disorders and substance abuse. Produced by the same company as Skins, a popular series that first aired in 2007, the teen drama Tell Me Everything has often been compared to the E4 show. Pictured: The cast of Skins Skins followed the lives of a group of Bristol-based sixth formers in the mid noughties and captivated its audience with gritty and realistic story lines Actress Kaya Scodelario playing teen runaway Effy Stonem on Skins However, last year Skins actress Kaya Scedlario, who played teen runaway Effy Stonem, revealed there was a lack of safeguarding for young actors when she was rising to fame on the E4 drama. Speaking on the Dish from Waitrose podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Harnett, Kaya recalled being interviewed by Nick when she was 15 and 'really drunk' at an underage festival. She said: 'You encapsulate that time for me. You were a safe place for us because back then there wasn't the same amount of safeguarding with young actors, there wasn't anyone checking if we were okay. 'Whenever we worked with you, you were always kind and gentle and lovely funny and talented.' She then jokingly added: 'That's enough a** licking for now.' Netflix has confirmed the return of the beloved legal drama The Lincoln Lawyer. The hit drama, which follows idealistic lawyer Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) as he runs his practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car, dropped it's third run in October, leaving fans desperate for more. Now, to the delight of its fans, the global streaming platform has greenlit a fourth season of the hit legal drama. In a statement, co-showrunners Humphrey and Dailyn Rodriguez said: 'We are so excited to tell more stories with Mickey Haller, and especially thrilled to once again be shooting The Lincoln Lawyer in Los Angeles at this time. 'The show is in many ways a love letter to our city and an homage to the great tradition of LA noir, and after the tragedy of the fires we are so grateful and honored to be able to provide some stability and hope to the community.' While there is no confirmed release date for The Lincoln Lawyer's fourth season, it could be sooner than fans expected. Netflix has confirmed the return of the beloved legal drama The Lincoln Lawyer The hit smash drama, which follows idealistic lawyer Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) as he runs his practise out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car, dropped it's third run in October, leaving fans desperate for more According to Deadline, the 10-episode series has reportedly been in development for some time, with production set to commence next month in Los Angeles. Garcia-Rulfo will once again return as lawyer Mickey Haller, while actress Becki Newton will play Lorna, Jazz Raycole as Izzy and Angus Sampson as Cisco. Actress Neve Campbell is also set to reprise her role as Maggie McPherson after appearing in a guest role for two episodes in the third series. Since landing on Netflix in May 2022, The Lincoln Lawyer has proved popular with fans, spending 12 consecutive weeks in the Netflix Global Top 10. Season three was also popular, enjoying a six-week run in Netflix's Global Top 10 and scoring an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The latest season of the show saw Mickey and his second-in-command Lorna Crane (Becki Newton) seek justice for the murder of a former client. Last year fans of the smash hit drama begged Netflix to renew it for a fourth season. Racing to X fans wrote: 'I LOVE Lincoln Lawyer please renew for season 4': 'Netflix don't you dare cancel The Lincoln Lawyer, better renew it for season 4': 'The Lincoln Lawyer, chef's kiss! Netflix better renew it for Season 4!' It comes after fans of the smash hit drama begged Netflix to renew it for a fourth season (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo pictured) Racing to X fans wrote: 'I LOVE Lincoln Lawyer please renew for season 4': 'Netflix don't you dare cancel The Lincoln Lawyer, better renew it for season 4' 'Renew Lincoln Lawyer for a 4th season': 'Netflix if you don't renew The Lincoln Lawyer for another season I will revolt'. The show's shocking finale left fans divided after they binged the new series in a matter of days. Holy f***ing s**t I just finished season 3 of Lincoln lawyer the ending was insane...,' one user on X user posted. Another viewer called the ending 'suspicious,' while another trashed it completely. 'I enjoy The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix. I absolutely hated the ending of Season 3, it felt like an overused, tired plot device and now I don't know if I can watch Season 4,' the user posted. On Reddit, users said the finale left them 'confused' with 'so many questions,' while others insisted the final scene was lackluster. 'I thought the cliffhanger was lazy,' one viewer wrote. Fans' opinions did not stop critics from praising the show. One critic from Decider wrote: 'It's always personal with The Lincoln Lawyer, and in Season 3, Mickey Haller seems to have become embroiled in yet another case that blurs the line between the phrases "professional conduct" and "conflict of interest."' 'If you were a fan of the first two seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer, you will love this season,' a reviewer wrote for FandomWire. 'The writers have found the best parts of Michael Connelly's books and brought them to the small screen to develop a courtroom drama worthy of binging.' Riotus' Sherin Nicole noted: 'Its clear why Netflix was quick to renew The Lincoln Lawyer(its) ability to deliver headline-inspired cases and cracked-up but comforting characters, upended by pathos-laced arcs, makes it one to look forward to.' Iain Dale has announced his return to Good Morning Britain after a massive career change and an emergency health scare. The broadcaster, 62, announced the exciting news on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. Sharing a snap of himself at the GMB studios with Caroline Flint, he penned: 'This week is getting better and better. I've been asked to return to GMB on Friday! I'll be alongside the wonderful Caroline Flint!' The big announcement comes after a turbulent year for Iain, who went on to become a Conservative Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells after stepping down from his role at LBC radio in May. However, his political aspirations quickly hit a wall after a distasteful comment about the Kent town resurfaced - leading him to withdraw his candidacy just four days after the launch of his campaign. During the 2022 episode of his podcast For The Many, Iain said: 'I have lived in Tunbridge Wells since 1997, slightly against my will. Iain Dale has announced his return to Good Morning Britain after a massive career change and an emergency health scare (pictured in May 2021) The broadcaster, 62, announced the exciting news on X, formerly Twitter , on Wednesday 'I've never liked the place. Still don't, and would happily live somewhere else.' It is not the first time Iain suffered a political mishap - nine years ago, he lost the election when he stood as a Conservative candidate in North Norfolk. Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari last June, the presenter for the radio channel said he would be taking time 'to reflect' on matters after his comments on an episode of his For The Many podcast in 2022 came to light. Iain claimed he 'instantly recognised' the problem posed by his statement, adding that he could not be sure he hadn't said 'something else' that would be damaging. When asked why he hadn't decided to simply 'tough it out', he said: 'Several people have said I should be doing that. 'I decided on Wednesday evening that I would ask them not to put my name on the shortlist. 'That was a decision I took. I could have gone to the selection meeting tomorrow. I could have done a ra ra ra speech and I could have won. 'But what if they've got something else that I've said. I wasn't willing to suffer death by a thousand cuts.' The big announcement comes after a turbulent year for Iain, who went on to become a Conservative Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells after stepping down from his role at LBC radio in May In a lengthy post on X/Twitter, he thanked his supporters who helped him through a 'brutal 48 hours' Following his withdrawal from the political race, Iains focus shifted to his health after he was rushed to A&E in July for emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder. He initially thought he was suffering from 'a nasty bout of food poisoning,' but his symptoms soon worsened and he realised his condition was more serious. The GMB regular took to social media to update fans, praising the NHS for their exceptional care during his ordeal. He wrote: 'Firstly, thanks for all the good wishes. I went to A&E last night at 9pm with acute pain on the right hand side of my chest. 'I am now in intensive care awaiting an operation to remove my gall bladder. Not ideal. Following his withdrawal from the political race, Iains focus shifted to his health after he was rushed to A&E in July for emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder 'In fact, its a nightmare. NHS care at Tunbridge Wells hospital is so far outstanding.' Iain joined LBC back in 2010 and the broadcaster's career has seen him present two American presidential election programmes, four general election night shows, and the station's Brexit referendum result programme. He fronted the Evening Show on LBC Radio Mondays through to Thursdays from 7pm-10pm before quitting in May 2024. As well as GMB, he is a regular contributor to Newsnight and Channel 5s Jeremy Vine Show and a regular columnist for the Telegraph, Evening Standard and The I Paper. Hollyoaks star Garcia Brown has revealed she's left the soap after three years, and her final scenes have already aired. The Channel 4 soap has undergone a number of cast changes, joining its TV rival Corrie, which has also seen a string of stars depart in recent months. Garcia, played Zoe, the granddaughter of Pearl Anderson, for three years, but she has now taken to Instagram to reveal she's departed the show. She re-shared a post from one of the directors of the show, which read: 'Saying goodbye to the fab @garciaabrown this week. 'Always a pleasure to work with such a positive and genuinely lovely person.' She replied under his post: 'Thank you for always being amazing, appreciated every scene we worked on! Our paths shall cross again Sean, God bless.' Hollyoaks star Garcia Brown has revealed she's left the soap after three years, and her final scenes have already aired The actress played Zoe, the granddaughter of Pearl Anderson, for three years, but she has now taken to Instagram to reveal she's departed the show. In another post, Garcia posed with her adorable on-screen son, writing: 'I had thee cutest on screen son! 'Loved the little time we shared on set, thank you for trusting me with little Roman' before tagging in the tots mum. 'Playing a mommy on screen was fun, and so was running around on set with this little one inbetween takes.' It comes after Hollyoaks producers made a huge 'cast cull' in 2023, after Channel 4 cut the number of weekly episodes. Stars including Stephanie Waring, Jamie Lomas, Owen Warner, Jamelia, Gregory Finnegan and Annie Wallace said goodbye to the soap. A source said at the time: 'Losing 20 cast members in one fell swoop is eye-watering and devastating news for soapland. In the past, Hollyoaks has seen shock stunts claim up to five lives in a single episode. 'But the days of soaps having a big cast clear-out with a devastating stunt are long gone, especially on Hollyoaks where the budget has been dramatically cut. 'The necessary death toll would make almost any stunt idea totally unbelievable.' In an Instagram post, Garcia posed with her adorable on-screen son, writing: 'I had thee cutest on screen son!' with the star the latest to leave the soap after a huge cast cull last year Last year, Kieron Richardson, who plays Ste Hay, and Jorgie Porter, who plays Theresa McQueen defended the execs' decision to cut down the cast. Kieron said: 'I think it must be hard as a show writer to think of two and a half hours of TV each week its like a full film, whereas now if you shorten that down a little bit youre going to get the best of the best in terms of quality.' He added that with the reduction in air time, it would be 'all killer and no filler', adding that whoever gets to stay will have a 'really exciting time' ahead of them. Meanwhile, Jorgie added: 'I say were still giving the same drama, effort and energy and stuff so I think were safe.' Hollyoaks is not the only soap that has been hit by a string of cast exits, with seven Coronation Street stars revealing they're set to leave the show over the past month. It appears the ITV soap is in trouble due to an alleged cash crisis and a revolt from the cast over poor working conditions and low salaries. Since November, Charlotte Jordan, Sue Cleaver, Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, and Luca Toolan have all announced they will be leaving the show. New boss Kate had previously warned that multiple characters face the axe as she told of several 'unexpected exits' coming up this year. The producer, who previously took the helm at Emmerdale, recently opened up about her plans for Weatherfield and its residents in 2025. And while there's plenty of sizzling storylines and drama to come, there are several cast members who won't get to see this as their characters are set to leave the show in a move that is tipped to send 'shockwaves' throughout the show. Speaking to The Sun and other press, Kate explained of the upcoming plans: 'There are a few exits this year, and some unexpected ones that will send shockwaves. People might not expect the exits, but there are a few.' It comes after it was reported that stars are set to be offered shorter contracts amid the soap's declining viewing figures and financial woes. It comes as Hollyoaks' rival Coronation Street has also been hit by a string of cast exits, with Colson Smith (pictured as Craig Tinker) set to leave the soap All is not well in Weatherfield as some mid-ranking actors and younger stars are said to be worried they'll be axed in a bid to save money (Charlotte Jordan recently left the show) Corrie only pulled in 2.6million viewers for its Christmas Day special which saw Gail Platt (Helen Worth) leave after 50 years on the show. And last week, The Sun claimed that producers may now only guarantee contracts until the end of 2025 amid tightened budgets. A source told the publication: 'The cast of Corrie is huge and some aren't getting enough episodes. 'A few paid per episode are struggling to pay mortgages are having to supplement income with personal appearances and ads on Instagram. 'A lot of cast members are now on 'guest contracts' like Maureen Lipman and Kate Ford. These are short term, so they can come and go and take extended breaks. The cast have been told they can't guarantee any contracts beyond the end of 2025.' Best friends from the age of ten, Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson were inseparable growing up. At a performing arts school in North London in the 1970s, both girls dreamed of leaving behind their working-class roots and becoming stars. And they achieved that dream when they were cast in 1989 in the hit comedy series Birds Of A Feather, the perfect choice as the bickering sisters whose husbands were both in prison for armed robbery. With Pauline playing Sharon Theodopolopodous and Linda playing Tracey Stubbs, they soon become one of the nation's best-loved double acts. Yet behind the scenes there were vicious rows between the pair going back as far as 1997. Matters came to a head with a huge fallout in 2019, when Pauline declined to reprise her role for a planned 2020 Christmas special, insisting instead that she wanted to focus on her own acting school, the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Friends of the women feared their relationship was 'irreparable' and the chances they would speak again were slim. Pauline Quirke with co-stars Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph in 1989 in the hit comedy series Birds Of A Feather But now it can be revealed that Linda, 66, and Pauline, 65, have settled their differences amid a tough three years for Pauline. In the early hours of yesterday morning, her husband and agent Steve Sheen issued a heartbreaking statement: 'It is with a heavy heart that I announce my wife Pauline's decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties due to her diagnosis of dementia in 2021.' That she was suffering from the degenerative disease had not been made public at the time of her diagnosis. The statement, sent through a PR company at 1am, also paid tribute to her achievements. 'Pauline has been an inspiration through her work in the film and TV industry. Her charity endeavour as the founder of the very successful Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA). Her talent, dedication and vision have touched countless lives and will continue to do so.' She launched the eponymous acting school with her husband in 2007. Sheen added that Pauline now 'just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchild' (she has a daughter, Emily, 40, from her first marriage, and son, Charlie, 30, with Sheen) and he listed her many achievements. 'It was important to Steve that he paid a proper tribute. He is so, so proud of her,' said one source. 'Pauline didn't just appear in Birds Of A Feather, she has done so much.' The announcement prompted an outpouring of affection, including from TV host Lorraine Kelly. Speaking on her show yesterday morning, Lorraine sent her 'love' to Pauline, praised her achievements and applauded the 'good' she has done in raising awareness of dementia. As well as Birds Of A Feather, her starring performance in the 1996 psychological thriller The Sculptress, as a woman convicted of the killing of her mother and sister, won her a Bafta nomination. Pauline with husband and agent Steve Sheen, who was an executive producer in Birds Of A Feather in its earlier days Pauline played Sharon Theodopolopodous and Linda played Tracey Stubbs in the programme Fans of ITV whodunnit drama Broadchurch, meanwhile, will recognise her turn as murder suspect Susan Wright. But it is inevitably for her role alongside Linda that she is best-known, and best-loved. And today the details of the childhood friends' reconciliation can be reveaed in full. The two actresses along with Lesley Joseph, who played the sisters' next-door neighbour and had remained close with Linda had met up for lunch in 2022 and shared a photo of themselves on social media in an attempt to dispel rumours of a feud. The following year Linda admitted on an episode of ITV talkshow Loose Women that she had been 'envious' of Pauline when she had started to win acting roles in more serious dramas. And there had been claims that Pauline could be 'demanding' and 'difficult' on the show's set. I'm told it took some time for relations to thaw. 'Pauline and Linda had a really tempestuous relationship at times,' recalled a former colleague. 'There were rows in toilets and disagreements over contracts but things are now much better. But, the colleague adds, the depth of their ties to each other was never in doubt: 'Very few people know Pauline as well as Linda does, they have literally known one another for 55 years.' 'Surely at a time like this having your best childhood friend around will be very comforting. They started out together and they share a very rare bond.' Indeed, both women have spoken warmly of one another in the past and have been each other's rock as they navigated the showbusiness industry as young women, with Pauline first finding fame on a sketch show called Pauline's Quirkes in 1976. 'We went to the same primary school,' said Linda shortly before the pair fell out. 'We were known as the real kids, or the Cockney kids off the street.' As Steve made his devastating announcement yesterday, Linda was on a Caribbean cruise near the island of Grenada. It is understood she was unaware that the statement was to be released. The Loose Women star posted a snap of herself with a friend on Monday and wrote: 'Having the time of our lives!' Pauline's sad news comes two years after she received her MBE from Prince William, in recognition of her services to acting. It was her last public appearance. Her final performance as Sharon came in 2017, 28 years after she, Linda and Lesley had been catapulted to fame with Birds Of A Feather attracting 18 million viewers on BBC1. The pair's fallout marked an end to Pauline's character, whose absence from the 2020 Christmas special was explained by Sharon having gone on a cruise and married a Costa Rican hunk. In a bid to secure the future of the show, a new character called Jordan dubbed a 'mini-me' of Sharon was introduced. Pauline's real-life son Charlie also featured on the show as her nephew Travis Stubbs, the youngest son of her sister; joining in the tenth of the show's 12 series. Meanwhile, her husband Steve was an executive producer in the programme's earlier days. 'Birds of Feather had a real family feel to it,' says a source close to the timeless sitcom. 'Now, at a time when Pauline needs it most, it will be there to show her huge love.' My Unorthodox Life star Julia Haart beamed as she was pictured Tuesday in New York City after landing a massive divorce win in a bitter court battle with her ex-husband Silvio Scaglia. Haart, 53, was seen speaking with reporters after a New York judge awarded her control of the business she ran with Scaglia, 66, during the marriage, the $65 million Tribeca apartment they lived in, and nearly $10 million in cash, according to Page Six. The Moscow-born designer and TV personality was clad in an all-black ensemble of a black fur coat with platform zip-up leather boots. She donned a red top with a black shorts and lace pantyhose. Haart wore a light layer of makeup as she had her dark locks parted and accessorized with hoop earrings and toted a black leather purse on the winter day. Haart's daughter Batsheva posted a TikTok of her mother celebrating the win, dancing to All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaled and drinking champagne. Haart and Scaglia had been duking it out through the courts across multiple lawsuits for nearly three years. My Unorthodox Life star Julia Haart, 53, beamed as she was pictured Tuesday in NYC after landing a massive divorce win in a bitter court battle with her ex-husband Silvio Scaglia, 66 The Moscow-born designer and TV personality was clad in an all-black ensemble of a black fur coat with platform leather boots During their marriage, Haart worked as the creative director of luxury lingerie brand La Perla and co-owner of Elite World Group (EWG), which represents the largest number of modeling agencies in the world. However, when Haart told Scaglia she was divorcing him in 2022, he fired her from EWG. Haart said Scaglia had given her half of Freedom Holding - which owns EWG and their luxury apartment - in return for running the firm. Scaglia claimed Haart only owned a fraction of the company and accused her of misappropriating millions of dollars from EWG, for which he failed to offer proof in court. Judge Jeffrey Pearlman granted Haart a default judgment in the divorce last week after Scaglia stopped engaging in the proceedings. Haart received a 50 percent interest in Freedom Holding and power of attorney over Scaglia's 50 percent. The judge ruled she now owns the 16-room Tribeca triplex penthouse they lived in during their marriage. She was also given $7,400,000 in unpaid management fees for 2019 through 2021 and half the proceeds of a Kees Van Dongen painting owned by Freedom Holding that Scaglia sold for $2,972,632. Haart wore a light layer of makeup as she had her dark locks parted and accessorized with hoop earrings and toted a black leather purse on the winter day Haart's daughter Batsheva posted a TikTok of her mother celebrating the win, dancing to All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaled and drinking champagne A judge awarded Haart, 53, control of the business she ran with Silvio Scaglia, 66, during their marriage, the $65 million Tribeca apartment they lived in and nearly $10 million in cash 'Words cannot fully express the immense joy and gratitude I feel in my heart,' Haart told Page Six. 'Throughout this journey, I held steadfast to my belief in truth and justice, deeply trusting that if I stayed the course, the truth would ultimately prevail and the wrongs done to me would be made right. 'I am profoundly grateful to God for granting me the strength to persevere and to Judge Pearlman for holding Silvio accountable and ensuring that justice was served.' In June, Scaglia was found in contempt after he failed to appear at an appointed court date. A judge ruled that Scaglia owed Haart $300,000 in legal fees which he ordered should be paid by January 2024. However, Scaglia appeared to have no intention of honoring the order and fled to Milan. My Unorthodox Life star Julia Haart landed a massive divorce win in the bitter court battle with her ex-husband. Pictured in April of 2023 When Haart told Scaglia she was divorcing him in 2022, he fired her from Elite World Group In 2023, Scaglia tried to evict Haart from the $70 million Tribeca penthouse and force the sale of the home to support his floundering company. Haart is the star of the Netflix series My Unorthodox Life, which documents her life after leaving an incredibly strict Orthodox Jewish community. She has since established herself as a key figure in the fashion industry and is the owner of the shapewear brand +Body. 'I have a very personal and emotional feeling about this because my entire life my body hasn't been my own,' Hart in September 2023 told DailyMail.com. She added, 'I was just another human that was supposed to have babies and take care of people and be this quiet, obedient and silent wife... that was my job.' Rebel Wilson says she has patched up her relationship with former best friend Hugh Sheridan and the two are on good terms. The Australian actress, 44, told KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O show on Wednesday the pair have buried the hatchet after he was not invited to her Italian wedding, and even celebrated New Year's Eve together. Host Kyle Sandilands asked Rebel about Hugh after he previously revealed they were no longer speaking. 'He was in here last year and it felt like there's some sh*t going down. He said he wasn't invited to your wedding,' Kyle said. Rebel responded: 'We were all on a boat on New Year's Eve at Sydney Harbour with Robbie Williams and his family.' 'It was great. It was good to see him.' Rebel Wilson (pictured) has broken her silence after falling out with her former best friend Hugh Sheridan Kyle then asked Rebel why Hugh was not invited to her wedding to Ramona Agruma despite having introduced them to one another. 'We had a very small, intimate wedding. We only had, like, 50 people,' the Pitch Perfect star explained. 'It was going to be just family because I hadn't met Ramona's family because they're Eastern European and they had some issues with the (same-sex) relationship. We were a bit nervous about that. 'And then we invited some friends. It was very last minute.' Hugh told The Kyle and Jackie O show in September he no longer speaks to Rebel and her wife Ramona, despite setting the couple up. During the interview, host Kyle asked Hugh whether he was travelling to Italy to attend Rebel and Ramona's wedding. 'No, I wasn't even told about it. I've actually messaged them [but I didn't hear back],' the actor responded. 'Look, I don't even really know them anymore.' The actress told KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O show on Wednesday the pair have buried the hatchet and even celebrated New Year's Eve together. Pictured Ramona, Hugh and Rebel 'Did you do something wrong?' a surprised Kyle asked before Hugh admitted he had 'no idea what has happened'. 'On their first date, I even gave them both little Tiffany necklaces and they still wear them,' Hugh continued. 'I just hope that everything goes well for Rebel. I do worry about it though because I went to court for her here and we were really great mates. 'I did introduce her to Ramona and all that sort of thing. I just want her to have good people around. 'And I worry because I feel like back in the day, I was probably one of the only people that would be there for her and now with the silence and stuff, I just want to make sure she's all right, but I'm sure she's all right.' Hugh also revealed how he introduced Rebel to his assistant and now 'she doesn't talk to me either'. Hugh was friends with both Rebel and Ramona individually before realising the two would be great for each other. He 'played Cupid' by setting them up in 2021. It comes after Hugh told The Kyle and Jackie O show in September that he no longer speaks to Rebel and her wife Ramona despite setting the couple up Hugh said in April last year he had not met Rebel's daughter Royce Lillian, who she welcomed via surrogate. 'I've been going hard since the end of last year we did Solitary Man, we shot Five Bedrooms, we put out Back to the Rafters it's been really busy but really fulfilling,' the star told The Daily Telegraph at the time. 'I'll be going back to LA after this Sydney run and will finally get to meet Royce. 'When I was back there, they were away so I haven't seen them yet but I'm looking forward to connecting to all my friends over there.' Cheryl Burke felt 'disgusted' when she had 'nice' dance partners after being abused as a child. The former Dancing with the Stars professional - who testified against her abuser when she was nine years old - admitted she found comfort in being treated badly in her personal life. And those feelings also spread to her professional life because she 'hated' herself. Burke also felt that she didn't think she deserved to have people be kind to her. Speaking to Randy Spelling, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess on their Oldish podcast, Cheryl said: 'Sharna, you were saying, "People must think that you have this life, this perfect life, and it's so beautiful how you went from all this child abuse," you know, me getting sexually molested when I was a little girl.' 'In my brain, this is home, unfortunately,' said the professional tango dancer. Cheryl Burke felt 'disgusted' when she had 'nice' dance partners after being abused as a child. The former Dancing with the Stars professional - who testified against her abuser when she was nine years old - admitted she found comfort in being treated badly in her personal life; seen in 2017 Burke is in great shape thanks to her career as a dancer; she is also not dating at the moment Cheryl said she struggled in her youth. '[It] was not having a father figure and turning to men who weren't, I guess, healthy, but also I was attracting physical and mental abuse because this is all I knew, so it felt like home. 'I remember feeling so disgusted when I would have a nice dance partner, let's say, who would treat me with respect,' added the beauty. 'Now that's how much I hated myself, to the point where I was disgusted by people who were nice to me because, obviously, which I didn't know back then, but I didn't think I deserved that type of treatment.' Cheryl, who seems very self aware, said, 'It was so foreign to me, it was like it gave me the ick.' The 40-year-old dancer has spoken in the past about being celibate in the wake of her 2022 split from Matthew Lawrence and she admitted her feelings of trauma is the reason why she hasn't felt ready to date again. She said: 'This is why I've been single, and I choose to be single until I can well there's no magic switch but I know I'm not ready to date yet.' Here she is seen with her ex, Matthew Lawrence, in LA in 2018 After the abuse she 'hated' herself. Burke also felt that she didn't think she deserved to have people be kind to her Speaking to Randy Spelling, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess on their Oldish podcast, Cheryl said: 'Sharna, you were saying, "People must think that you have this life, this perfect life, and it's so beautiful how you went from all this child abuse," you know, me getting sexually molested when I was a little girl.' 'In my brain, this is home, unfortunately,' she said; seen with Cody Rigsby on DWTS 'I remember feeling so disgusted when I would have a nice dance partner, let's say, who would treat me with respect,' added the beauty. Seen with one of her partners As well as being abused, Cheryl also attributes the fact her earliest memory is witnessing her father getting intimate with another woman when she was just a toddler as another reason why she sought unsuitable relationships. She said: 'My first memory as a kid was seeing my father with another woman, like literally as if it was yesterday. 'It's so funny because I always ask my guests this, like, "What's your first memory as a kid?" 'For the most part, it's all like, "My grandma picked me out of the crib." But I'm like, "Great, I saw my father literally be intimate with another Filipino woman," which was his secretary. 'And [her parents] were already separated, mind you, but still I was like freaking two years old. 'So right then and there is like an imprint in my brain, I would say, on what my life unfolded to be as far as the choices and the men and not stable men I had in my life until my stepfather came into my life, who I call dad to this day.' Patricia Arquette revealed that she is looking for love online after quietly ending her longtime relationship with Eric White. While appearing on Tuesday's episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the actress, 56, confirmed that she is currently single and using dating apps. When asked by Clarkson if she gets 'scared' of meeting up with her matches, the Oscar winner, who was previously married to Nicolas Cage and Thomas Jane, explained that the app she uses is one that 'kind of screens people.' Still, she admitted to feeling 'scared' about online dating and joked, at times, that Wikipedia has thrown a wrench into her search for her next relationship. Arquette went on to tell the host, 42, that her Wikipedia still said she was in a relationship with White, who she dated for nearly nine years between 2014 to 2023. 'Part of the problem for me is like, Wikipedia,' she said of her challenges with online dating. 'On there, I still have the same boyfriend I had a couple of years ago. And, I've been single for two years!' Patricia Arquette revealed that she is looking for love online after quietly ending her longtime relationship with Eric White The Boyhood star mused that some of her matches thought that she was 'just running around town' since she never publicly announced her split from White. After hearing Arquette is looking for love, Clarkson turned to the cameras and said: 'So we're gonna get the word out now. She's single and mingling!' 'How is it on the apps?' Clarkson asked. 'Cause I'm single and I'm afraid.' 'I go very, very, slowly. I also do check up with people that know that person. And I go very slowly,' Arquette explained of her approach. The performer noted that she doesn't mind talking to someone 'for six months' before 'ever' having coffee with them. 'I believe in going very slow!' Arquette insisted. Back in 2022, Arquette spoke highly of her then-boyfriend, Eric, as she raved that they 'laugh and play' a lot. The couple was first photographed together in 2014 while she was promoting her film Boyhood. While appearing on Tuesday's episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the actress, 56, confirmed that she is currently single and using dating apps When asked by Clarkson if she is 'scared' of meeting up with her matches, the Oscar winner explained that the app she uses is one that 'kind of screens people' Arquette went on to tell the host, 42, that her Wikipedia still said she was in a relationship with White, who she began dating in 2014 Over the years, Arquette has not been shy about talking about both her good and bad dating experiences. In 2021, she joined in on a popular Twitter prompt about bad dates to reveal that her date became an infamous murderer years later. The star initially shared what sounded like a run-of-the-mill bad date with a 'pro skateboarder' who turned out to be a bad kisser. But, she later revealed that her disastrous second date was with former professional skateboarder Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, who would later confess to brutally raping and murdering his acquaintance Jessica Bergsten in 1991 when she was only 22 years old. Patricia shared her horrifying date in response to the prompt: 'Whats the most awkward date yall ever been on?' After hearing Arquette is looking for love, Clarkson turned to the cameras and said: 'So we're gonna get the word out now. She's single and mingling!' She specified that it was a 'second date,' writing, 'Pro skateboarder. Really cute. Friends with my friends. 'We made out but something about how he kissed me freaked me out,' she continued, adding that she 'gave him a fake number' at the conclusion of the date. 'Years later he killed his girlfriend,' she concluded starkly. 'Moral to the story Trust your instincts,' she wrote in a follow-up tweet, before adding, 'And my daughter thinks Im overprotective.' Arquette and White dated for nearly nine years between 2014 to 2023 (seen together in 2019) Back in 2022, Arquette spoke highly of her then-boyfriend, Eric, as she raved that they 'laugh and play' a lot; seen in 2022 Naturally, other users were fascinated by her eerie story and pressed her for more details, with one person guessing that she was referring to Rogowski. 'Yes right,' replied Arquette. 'He raped and killed. His girl friend who was best friends with his x girlfriend.' One user suggested that the influence of religion on Rogowski had led to his confession. 'I think without religion it never would have been solved. He told his priest,' the actress replied, though Rogowski's eventual confession was instead to a born-again Christian friend. Another person mentioned having a similarly bad experience with a scarily aggressive kisser. Arquette wrote back: 'Another guy was like that one other time he bot [sic] me hard while kissing and I started choking him and told him don't ever f***ing do that to a woman again.' The same person then queried her about how Rogowski kissed her before scaring her away, which she described as 'aggressive.' 'Like pushing me back hard with his jaw and it felt like it was angry,' she clarified. Over the years, Arquette has not been shy about talking about both her good and bad dating experiences In 2021, she joined in on a popular Twitter prompt about bad dates to reveal that her date became an infamous murderer years later At the time, the star revealed that her disastrous date was with former professional skateboarder Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, who would later confess to brutally raping and murdering his acquaintance Jessica Bergsten in 1991 when she was only 22 years old. Taking a stand: She recalled fighting back at another date who bit her while kissing too hard Rogowski is currently in prison on a 31-year to life sentence for raping and murdering Jessica Bergsten in 1991. Bergsten was a good friend of his ex Brandi McClain, though the two aren't thought to have been in a relationship, contrary to what Arquette said. Rogowski was a popular skateboarder throughout the 1980s, but his career suffered as the 1990s rolled along due to his worsening addiction to alcohol and the sport's diminishing commercial prospects. After the athlete ended his relationship with McClain whom he had subjected to domestic violence throughout their relationship he began to threaten her and her boyfriend and even broke into her home when she was out. In 1991, McClain's friend Bergsten asked Rogowski to give her a tour of San Diego, after which she was reported missing. Arquette was previously married to Nicolas Cage and Thomas Jane; seen in January 2024 The skater later confessed that he hit Bergsten in the back of the head with a metal car steering wheel lock and tied her to his bed before raping her. He said he covered her mouth out of fear that the neighbors would hear her until she stopped breathing. Afterward, he buried her body in the desert, where it was discovered in an advanced state of decay that initially made it impossible to identify. Rogowski then confessed his crime to a born-again Christian friend, who urged him to confess to the police, which he did. The convicted murderer initially faced the death penalty on a charge of murdering Bergsten while raping her, though he was eventually convicted of separate murder and rape charges. He was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 31 years. Samantha Armytage has hinted that there might be love coming into her life after her split from Richard Lavender. The Channel Nine star, 48, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to remark that the universe was sending her a poignant 'sign' about love. She shared a photograph of her finished coffee cup, with the latte milk art having formed the shape of a love heart at the bottom of her mug. In a caption, she penned: 'When there's a lovely little sign from the universe,' alongside side eye and white love heart emojis. Her cheeky remark comes just weeks after Samantha and her husband Richard, 61, went their separate ways on the eve of their fourth wedding anniversary. The couple first started dating in April 2019 and went on to tie the knot at Richard's 40-hectare Southern Highlands property on New Year's Eve in 2020. Samantha Armytage has hinted that there might be love coming into her life after her split from Richard Lavender The Channel Nine star, 48, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to remark that the universe was sending her a poignant 'sign' about love through her coffee cup But last month, sources revealed their split exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, with Samantha then confirming that they had 'amicably' parted ways. 'Yes Richard and I have separated. All breakups are hard, but it's somewhat lessened by the fact it's amicable and we wish the best for each other,' Samantha told the media. 'I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I won't be making any further comment.' It is understood that Samantha's television presenter friends had been comforting the star behind the scenes for some time before news of their split was first made public. Samantha and equestrian businessman Richard had been last sighted together on September 5, when they arrived back at Sydney Airport following a trip to Noosa. Samantha is no longer followed on Instagram by Richard's two daughters, Sascha and Grace, although the former couple still follow each other. Before news of their separation emerged, Samantha had penned a candid column for Stellar in which she referenced the many changes in her life she was dealing with. 'All of a sudden, everything is changing: hair colour, waistlines, sleep patterns, pelvic floors, skin texture, friends, colleagues, houses, jargon, clothing styles,' she wrote. Samantha and her husband Richard (pictured in 2021), 61, went their separate ways on the eve of their fourth wedding anniversary, with news of their split emerging publicly in December Though she was talking about her major career change, Samantha went on to speak about 'loving' and 'losing' in a poignant segment. 'I've loved and lost. I've laughed and cried,' she penned. 'I'm stronger, yet more vulnerable. I have learnt discernment, acceptance and patience (to a degree).' Samantha quit Channel Seven after 21 years with the network late last year in a huge career shake-up. The former Farmer Wants A Wife host then sensationally moved over to rival network Nine and has taken on duties as a summer stand-in host on the Today Show. She will also be the host of Nine's brand new dating series The Golden Bachelor when it comes to air later this year. The upcoming series is based on a popular American show of the same name and features people over 60 looking to find their second chance at love. An upcoming Star Wars film that has been long in development is getting a big boost with the potential casting of star Ryan Gosling. The 44-year-old actor is in talks to star in the untitled Star Wars movie project that is being directed by Deadpool and Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy, via THR. Levy first signed on to direct and develop the project back in 2022, with Johnathan Tropper, who wrote Levy's The Adam Project - coming aboard to write the script. The project had been put on the back burner while Levy completed work on the final season of Stranger Things, but now that filming is complete, this is moving ahead. There is no word on what character Gosling may be playing, or if it has already been established within the Star Wars universe or if it's a brand new character. The project is said to be a stand alone movie though it's still possible that there could be some connection to the immersive Star Wars franchise. An upcoming Star Wars film that has been long in development is getting a big boost with the potential casting of star Ryan Gosling The 44-year-old actor is in talks to star in the untitled Star Wars movie project that is being directed by Deadpool and Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy , via THR . Levy first signed on to direct and develop the project back in 2022, with Johnathan Tropper, who wrote Levy's The Adam Project - coming aboard to write the script. Levy was said to be eyeing a boy band film at Paramount that would reunite him with Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. However, now Gosling's interest has pushed the Star Wars project forward quickly, likely making it the next Star Wars movie to go into production. If Gosling's deal is finalized promptly, production could begin this fall, which would likely open the door for a 2027 release. The news comes roughly 12 years after Gosling was rumored - along with Zac Efron - for a role in J.J. Abrams' 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, which is believed to have been Adam Driver's Kylo Ren. Tropper was announced as the screenwriter back in July 2024, though it's been said that he's been working on the script for over a year. No story details have been released yet, though Levy did talk a bit about the development process back in October 2023, which was paused due to the writers strike earlier that year. 'When Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a Star Wars movie, her central mandate to me was I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies with a Star Wars story,"' Levy began. 'So I have felt extremely empowered. We are in early days, unfortunately, because the development process was abruptly paused [due to the WGA strike], but I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie,' he added. Levy was said to be eyeing a boy band film at Paramount that would reunite him with Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman However, now Gosling's interest has pushed the Star Wars project forward quickly, likely making it the next Star Wars movie to go into production No story details have been released yet, though Levy did talk a bit about the development process back in October 2023, which was paused due to the writers strike earlier that year He added that his experience working with Marvel on Deadpool & Wolverine was proof it was, 'really possible to feel empowered and personal about making a movie within a universe that is bigger than any one film.' 'My Deadpool movie is turning out to be exactly what Ryan (Reynolds) and I had hoped when we started off,' he added. 'So Im going into the development of my Star Wars movie with a similar optimism, and faith that my instincts will be allowed to lead the way,' Levy continued. Levy will produce the film through his 21 Laps production company, alongside Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. David Schwimmer has revealed how he celebrated the 30th anniversary of iconic sitcom Friends. The legendary series celebrated the auspicious milestone in September last year, almost 12 months after the tragic death of star Mathew Perry. Schwimmer, 58, who played Ross Geller in the long-running sitcom, made his revelation while chatting with NOVA's Kent 'Smallzy' Small on his Smallzy's Surgery show this week With a Friends exhibition, featuring the instantly recognisable orange couch from the show's coffee shop Central Perk, currently touring Australia, the radio host asked Schwimmer for his recollections of his time on the show. 'I don't want to make you feel old, but the Friend's couch is in Australia. It's celebrating 30 years,' Smallzy said. 'Do you reflect on when you hit a milestone like 30 years? Do you think: how did that happen?' David Schwimmer has revealed how he celebrated the 30th anniversary of iconic sitcom Friends The legendary series celebrated the auspicious milestone in September last year, almost 12 months after the tragic death of star Mathew Perry 'Do you think: "wow, what a great run. I don't even know." Or do you go: "God, I feel really old. Like, don't say that?" Responding with: 'All of the above,' Schwimmer then revealed the low-key way he celebrated the auspicious milestone. 'I happened to be back in Los Angeles around the day that marked the 30th year of when we aired, and I took [Matt] LeBlanc out to dinner, actually, and we reminisced and we toasted to the 30 years,' he said. 'I mean, it's amazing. It's amazing to me that people are still watching and find it funny and comforting, and I feel nothing but gratitude, really.' The 30th anniversary of Friends, in September 2024, was overshadowed by the death of star Matthew Perry almost a year prior. Perry, who played the affable Chandler Bing on the sitcom, died, aged 54, from a ketamine overdose and drowning on October 28, 2023 at his Pacific Palisades home. Following the star's death, five people including two doctors, a live-in assistant and the alleged 'Ketamine Queen' dealer have been arrested in connection with the tragedy. Doctors Salvador Plasencia, 42, and Mark Chavez, 54, alleged drug dealers Jasveen 'Ketamine Queen' Sangha, 41, and Eric Fleming, 54, and Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, have all been charged. Chatting to NOVA's Kent 'Smallzy' Small this week, Schwimmer revealed how he celebrated the auspicious milestone 'I happened to be back in Los Angeles around the day that marked the 30th year of when we aired, and I took [Matt] LeBlanc out to dinner, actually, and we reminisced and we toasted to the 30 years,' he said. Schwimmer is pictured with Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28 by Iwamasa, with his cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine'. The live-in assistant Iwamasa has since admitted being the one who administered the fatal doses to the actor, after being trained how to deliver them by Plasencia. Appearing on the US today show at the time of the series anniversary, creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and executive producer Kevin S Bright, revealed they were aware the pall the star's death had placed over the celebrations. 'Its a huge loss and it does make the 30th a little fraught,' Kauffman said before Bright added: 'He made us laugh every day.' Bright also revealed that Perry, whose struggles with addiction had been heavily publicised, had been 'doing better' in the lead up to his death. 'Hed been fighting the good fight for so long, and it really did feel like, from the [2021 cast] reunion on, that he had finally found some peace.' he said. Widely regarded as being one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, Friends ran on NBC for ten seasons. The show made household names of the principal cast - David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow. The 30th anniversary of Friends, in September 2024, was overshadowed by the death of star Matthew Perry (pictured right) almost a year prior Perry, who played the affable Chandler Bing on the sitcom, died, aged 54, from a ketamine overdose and drowning on October 28, 2023 at his Pacific Palisades home It also made them some of the richest actors working in television, with the final two seasons netting them an eye watering $1million per episode for the final two seasons. Like the show that preceded it, the series' finale was a cultural phenomenon , attracting a formidable 52.5 million viewers in the US. That made it the most-watched show on television since the Seinfeld finale six years prior. In fact, the finale was the fifth most-watched last episode in history behind M*A*S*H, Cheers, The Fugitive and Seinfeld. She's in the midst of a promotional campaign for her highly anticipated new horror thriller Presence. And Julia Fox perfectly captured the film's dark mood with her stunning all-black ensemble when she stepped out in Manhattan on Tuesday evening. The 34-year-old actress and model who debuted an unmissable new hairstyle days earlier sizzled in a leather zip-up top that put the spotlight on her cleavage as she arrived at an event being held at Bravo Studios. She matched the thick, textured stop with a midi skirt that was ruched down the middle. It featured a row of lustrous black button running up the center, culminating with a modest slit that showcased her toned legs, which were done up in black stockings. The Uncut Gems star contrasted the sleek black look by boasting an eye-catching silver bob. Julia Fox, 34, looked effortlessly stylish in an all-black ensemble as she arrived at an event at Bravo Studios in Manhattan on Tuesday The Uncut Gems actress and model who debuted an unmissable new hairstyle days earlier sizzled in a leather zip-up top that put the spotlight on her cleavage She wore her hair swept to one side and tucked behind her ears, with a side part that revealed her darker roots for a carefree touch. The striking hairdo perfectly framed her impeccably made-up face, which featured striking white eyeshadow filled in under significantly arched eyebrows for an otherworldly effect. Even though her new hair was getting plenty of attention, Julia admitted to having mixed feelings about it last week. 'I was going for Ace Ventura, like sleazy guy, I dont know, Im just into that right now,' she joked to Page Six. 'I like cut off all of my hair the other day, and then I just kept going. And now were here.' Although she sounded pleased with the results in the interview, shortly before the Presence premiere last week she admitted in a TikTok video that she 'instantly regretted' chopping off her hair. She mouthed along to the video's audio: 'Girl, dont do it. Its not worth it. Im not going to do it, girl. I was just thinking about it. Im not going to do it.' Then she showed her newly cut hair, mouthing, 'I did it.' However, even if she wasn't feeling the results, her fans offered plenty of praise for the edgy look in the comments. She wore her hair swept to one side and tucked behind her ears, with a side part that revealed her darker roots for a carefree touch The hairdo perfectly framed her impeccably made-up face, which featured striking white eyeshadow filled in under =arched eyebrows for an otherworldly effect. Even though her new hair was getting plenty of attention, Julia admitted to having mixed feelings about it last week 'I was going for Ace Ventura, like sleazy guy, I dont know, Im just into that right now,' she joked to Page Six. 'I like cut off all of my hair the other day, and then I just kept going. And now were here' But shortly before the Presence premiere last week she admitted in a TikTok video that she 'instantly regretted' chopping off her hair. However, even if she wasn't feeling the results, her fans offered plenty of praise for the edgy look in the comments Julia added a touch of elegance to her monochrome ensemble with classic black stilettos that elevated her stature and featured extra-long pointy toes She also covered up against the chilly New York evening with a puffy black down jacket, and she accessorized with a boxy black handbag The bag perfectly matched her outfit, and it also featured an intriguing detail: what looked like modest black leather flats held to the front of the bag with a strap Julia stars with Lucy Liu in Steven Soderbergh's new supernatural horror thriller Presence, which comes out on January 24; pictured at there NYC premiere on January 16 Julia added a touch of elegance to her monochrome ensemble with classic black stilettos that elevated her stature and featured extra-long pointy toes. She also covered up against the chilly New York evening with a puffy black down jacket, and she accessorized with a boxy black handbag. The bag perfectly matched her outfit, and it also featured an intriguing detail: what looked like modest black leather flats held to the front of the bag with a strap. It wasn't clear if the footwear was purely a decorative touch, or if it could serve as a functional change of shoes if Julia got tired of her heels. The model rocketed to fame when she appeared in the acclaimed 2019 crime thriller Uncut Gems and the girlfriend of a jeweler and gambling addict played by Adam Sandler. One of her biggest films in the wake of the acclaimed box-office success was in Steven Soderbergh's period crime thriller No Sudden Move, which starred Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro as Detroit criminals who get roped into a murderous plot after a blackmail scheme goes wrong. Now Fox is working with Soderbergh again on his new film Presence, which also stars Lucy Liu and This Is Us actor Chris Sullivan. Julia Fox plays a realtor in the movie, which follows a family that moves into a new home, only to fear that that it is haunted. So far, the film has received stellar reviews from critics. Presence will be released in theaters on Friday, January 24. Kendall Gilding is recovering after undergoing major surgery this week. The former Channel Seven star, 32, revealed on Wednesday she had endometriosis surgery after suffering under the painful condition for two years. She shared a candid video to her Instagram which captured her before and after the procedure. 'It can be so hard to put yourself first. Yesterday I had endometriosis surgery, removal of severe adenomyosis and treatment of varicose veins,' she explained. 'This was the best laparoscopy I've ever had! Get yourself a surgeon who holds your hand while you fall asleep, but is also one of the best doctors in the country! Thank you.' Kendall went on to explain endometriosis refers to 'the endometrial tissue growing outside the uterus' while adenomyosis is 'the tissue growing into the muscle of the uterus' and varicose veins are a result of having 'babies and vaginal delivery.' Kendall Gilding (pictured) is recovering after undergoing endometriosis surgery this week 'As a proud @endometriosisaustralia ambassador I know too well that there is no cure for this hideous disease and that it does not discriminate!' she continued. 'It has crippled me over the last two years. People mistakenly say pregnancy can improve it - that's not true! In my case it was worse after babies! 'If you want to know more or to donate - visit the Endometriosis Australia website. A link is in my bio! Now time to recover.' Endometriosis is a disease in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus - often on ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder or intestines. Many of Kendall's friends and followers were quick to send well wishes to the former Seven star. 'Big hugs. I cant even imagine how painful endo must be,' one person wrote. 'Wow hell of a month or so for you and the family! Heres to a quick recovery,' another said. 'I'm so glad you had a positive experience and good doctor. It can be a truly challenging time! Hoping you heal quickly and spend a life without too much residual pain,' a third wrote. She shared a candid video to her Instagram which captured her before and after the procedure It comes after Kendall's husband Timothy was seriously injured after being dumped by a rough wave into a sandbar at Burleigh Beach in Queensland last month. He was rushed to hospital by paramedics in a neck brace and doctors initially feared that he wouldn't walk again. Kendall later shared her relief that Tim will make a full recovery and be able to walk again but didn't confirm how much longer he will be in hospital for. 'Praise the Lord that he can walk because lots of people that come in here with this kind of injury don't walk out and he will walk and go on to live a normal life once his bones heal.' Kendall also revealed that Tim wasn't able to shower or sit up for days on end and had to be given sponge baths because he had to remain stationary. 'Let's talk about the funny things, Tim hates sand, hates it with a passion. How do I even get the family to do a beach holiday every year because he hates the sand so much,' she said. 'He brought most of Burleigh Beach into the hospital with him. When I entered emergency, you could follow a sand trail to his bed. 'He had a bed covered in sand, he couldn't shower for days, sit or stand or be in an upright position. He did get some sponge baths.' 'It has crippled me over the last two years. People mistakenly say pregnancy can improve it - that's not true! In my case it was worse after babies!' she wrote Kendall is best known for having worked as a newsreader for Channel Seven for 12 years, but she stepped down from the network in December 2023. She is now self-employed and has worked with Seven's rival Channel Nine, reporting about a Brisbane crime spree on the Today show earlier this year. Following her exit from Seven, Kendall has also been very active on social media, promoting brands as well as her column for QWeekend magazine. Kendall began her journalism career in 2011 as a presenter on Brisbane radio station 96five Family Radio and later that year, she began working for Seven. Bhad Bhabie revealed she recently had a nose job, amid her battle with cancer. The 21-year-old Mommy Mode rapper shared candid images of her new nose to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, revealing she was, 'So swollen.' The photos showed the star born Danielle Bregoli on 'day 6' after the procedure, with drastic bruises around her eyes. 'Nose jobs are not for the weak!!' she wrote on another photo, which featured her in a tank top and shorts. The musician who recently bought a massive $5M mansion later hit back at critics who questioned why she'd undergo plastic surgery while battling with cancer. 'I don't know who told yall you cant get surgery when you have cancer. I was cleared by my dr mind the business that pays you,' she wrote. Bhad Bhabie, 21, revealed she recently had a nose job, amid her battle with cancer Photos on her Instagram showed the star born Danielle Bregoli on 'day 6' after the procedure, with drastic bruises around her eyes. She also shared a photo of her nose before 'Y'all it doesn't matter if you liked my nose before.. this is my face. I didn't like it so I fixed it,' she wrote in response to the negative comments. 'Lying about plastic surgery is a problem and clearly so is telling the truth about having it. I choose to b[sic] open with yall about what I have done and mfs [sic] still make s**t a problem. Yall are crazy,' she added. She also addressed rumors about her diagnosis: 'Yall mfs[sic] so worried about me and y'all don't even know what kind of cancer I have! Its not breast cancer that is a rumor.' The internet personality also shared a profile of her nose before, writing, 'I just wanted to remove the hump.' In November, she gave her first health update since revealing her cancer diagnosis after sparking concern among her fans over her very thin and frail appearance. She admitted that she was 'not prepared' to speak about her health battle just yet, but shared that she was doing 'okay.' It was the first time she was seen out in public since informing fans that her sudden weight loss was due to her 'cancer medicine' on Instagram. Bhabie's sighting came after her mother, Barbara Ann Bregoli, confirmed that her daughter is battling cancer. The Mommy Mode rapper shared candid images of her new nose to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, revealing she was, 'So swollen' 'I don't know who told yall you cant get surgery when you have cancer. I was cleared by my dr mind the business that pays you' 'Lying about plastic surgery is a problem and clearly so is telling the truth about having it. I choose to b[sic] open with yall about what I have done and mfs [sic] still make s**t a problem. Yall are crazy,' she added In November, she gave her first health update since revealing her cancer diagnosis, sharing that she was doing 'okay'; pictured in 2018 Bhabie previously addressed concerns over her weight following her recent weight loss, which she said was the result of her 'cancer medicine' In an expletive-ridden video uploaded to her Instagram, Barbara said she was feeling 'pretty heated right now at Maria, AKA Perez Hilton for going on YouTube and talking about my daughter releasing on her Instagram Story about her having cancer and saying he wouldn't pass it by her that she was making it up.' 'How dare you, you little vile piece of s**t say my daughter would lie about something like that. Okay? You're a dad!' the star's mom stated. She went on to suggest the American blogger (born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.), 46, needs to focus on his two children, and not hers. 'Go find another way to make some money beside talking s**t about other people,' she fired. 'How dare you. And, I pray to God that none of your children never get cancer, okay? I've had it twice. How dare you say my daughter is faking this.' According to Barbara's Instagram bio, she has personally survived breast cancer twice. At this time, it is unknown what cancer Bhabie has or what treatments she has undergone. Bhabie previously addressed concerns over her weight following her recent weight loss, which she said was the result of her 'cancer medicine.' Bhabie shared her shocking news after recently reposting a photo of herself posing with boyfriend Le Vaughn, despite accusing him of domestic violence earlier last year. She welcomed her first child, a baby daughter she shared with Le Vaughn, in March. Bregoli seemed to launch her Instagram Stories post in response to concerned comments fans have made about her significantly slimmed-down figure. In December, Bhad Bhabie revealed she was back with her allegedly abusive baby daddy Le Vaughn 'I'm Sorry my cancer medicine made me loose weight. Im slowly gaining it back,' she wrote. 'So stop running w the worst narratives [sic].' In December, she revealed she was back with her babydaddy Le Vaughn, less than two weeks after ending their four-year relationship. She captioned her Instastory: 'Forever my baby.' One person outraged about Bhad Bhabie rekindling her romance with the 26-year-old father of her nine-month-old daughter Kali Love was her own mother, Barbara. 'This is what LV texted me last night letting me know he has control over her but we know it's trauma bonding,' she said via Instastory. Barbara previously called Le Vaughn a 'piece of s*** who beat my daughter, almost killing her, on more than one occasion' and she wrote on Monday: 'Imagine playing the victim in a situation you created.' Jennifer Garner was seen amidst an act of kindness as she gave a special care package to a homeless man while driving through Beverly Hills over the past weekend on Sunday. The Hollywood actress, 52 - who was recently praised for her efforts to help victims of the devastating L.A. fires - was later spotted filming a scene for the upcoming second season of the Apple TV+ drama, The Last Thing He Told Me. The star was driving in a sleek, black BMW when she was approached by a man who was carrying a red Santa hat. Garner rolled down her window and placed a small package into the hat before heading to her next destination. Afterwards, she was spotted arriving to a hotel while sporting a pair of classic, denim jeans as well as a patterned sweater. Jennifer carried a large, brown bag over her right shoulder and opted for a pair of stylish shades to complete the ensemble. Jennifer Garner, 52, was seen in an act of kindness as she gave a special care package to a homeless man while driving through Beverly Hills over the past weekend on Sunday Her brunette locks were parted in the middle, and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders in natural waves. Before making her way inside, Garner was seen stepping out of her car while holding a conversation on the phone. The 13 Going On 30 actress recently added to her philanthropic efforts as she volunteered to aid victims and first responders following the catastrophic wildfires throughout Southern California. She was seen lending support to World Central Kitchen (WCK) which is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that provides food relief. Garner also served food with World Central Kitchen in the neighborhood of Altadena which was gravely affected by the Eaton Fire. Celebrity chef, Jose Andres - who owns the nonprofit - opened up about Jennifer's assistance in the wake of the blazes during an interview with People. 'She lost a friend [and] she was there like one more,' he expressed to the outlet. 'It feels like she was my friend since childhood - and we just met, we barely met - and there she was.' 'I did not have to tell her what to do, because she'll always find something to do on her own.' Garner rolled down her window and placed a small package into the hat before heading to her next destination Celebrity chef, Jose Andres - who owns the nonprofit - opened up about Jennifer's assistance in the wake of the blazes during an interview with People; Andres and Garner seen on January 10 with MSNBC While handing out food to residents who lost their homes, Andres revealed how she gave 'hugs to so many people.' Jose added, 'I think that's almost like a psychology worry that I don't think anybody realizes, but that's so deep and so important.' He then gave a shout out to those who 'showed up even for [even] an hour' even though 'they don't have to.' 'Some of them are suffering the consequences of the fire, but there [here] they are. And they don't do it where there are cameras, they're doing it where there is nobody, and that makes it very special.' And this week on Tuesday, Jennifer was spotted returning to filming the upcoming season of her Apple TV+ series, The Last Thing He Told Me. The star was dressed casually in a pair of denim jeans as well as a black shirt and brown jacket. A dark navy cap was placed over her hair and she carried a black, crossbody bag over her shoulder. Garner shot a tense scene outside of the Los Angeles City Hall in the heart of downtown - after she was last seen shooting the drama late last year. And this week on Tuesday, Jennifer was spotted returning to filming the upcoming season of her Apple TV+ series, The Last Thing He Told Me Garner shot a tense scene outside of the Los Angeles City Hall in the heart of downtown - after she was last seen shooting the drama late last year The first season of the show premiered in April 2023 - and became the streaming site's most-watched limited series, despite having a score of only 41% on Rotten Tomatoes. The show is also notably based on the novel of the same name written by Laura Dave. The premise of season one followed, 'A woman (Garner) who forms an unexpected relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared,' per IMDB. Along with Garner, other cast members such as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice and David Morse, will reprise their roles. The second season will based on a sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me - which was also written by Laura Dave. Last week, Jennifer's awkward exchange with a fellow A-list actress resurfaced after being blasted for 'acting' during an interview amid the L.A. wildfires. A TikToker reposted a snippet of an NBC interview with Garner who visited areas that were destroyed by the blazes and called the star 'a terrible actress.' The social media user also referenced to a 2017 interview with Jennifer as she made an appearance for Chelsea Handler's Dinner Party: My American Experience. Last week, Jennifer's awkward exchange with a fellow A-list actress resurfaced after being blasted for 'acting' during an interview amid the L.A. wildfires At one point, Regina was talking about being born in Los Angeles when Jennifer interrupted to question about her ancestry The comedian sat down with a number of celebrities for a lowkey meal, with Garner and Regina King being two of the guests sitting at the circular table. At one point, Regina was talking about being born in Los Angeles when Jennifer interrupted to question about her ancestry. 'But do you know where your ancestors are from?' the actress had cut in to ask King. After a quick laugh, Regina answered, 'Well, yeahThey were part of the triangle slave trade. From Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Senegal.' 'But my parents are both from the South. Met each other here. To this day, I'm totally grateful my mom left.' She added, 'My mom was the one that was like, "I am f**king out of this b***h and I'm going to see what else is out there," and she came to L.A.' Back in 2023, the conversation went viral and was brought up once again in the since-deleted TikTok uploaded last week. The TikToker also shared her opinion on Garner's NBC interview as she talked about the flames and briefly mentioned losing a friend The TikToker also shared her opinion on Garner's NBC interview as she talked about the flames and briefly mentioned losing a friend. She questioned if the star's sincerity was just acting or 'truthful.' The influencer also added, 'That woman's a terrible actress first of all. Second of all, there's no reason that if you are a celebrity, you can't just quietly write a check.' 'There's no reason that you need to run and find the nearest camera to somehow make this about yourself...' Social media users jumped to the comment section of the clip - with some agreeing with the TikToker, and others not. Ricki Lake took to Instagram on Thursday, apparently vowing to rebuild her home in Malibu after it was burned down in the recent Los Angeles fires. 'My home in Malibu was a sanctuary, a hub for so many friends and loved ones,' said the one-time talk show host, 56. 'Too many gatherings to count. Endless areas on the property to hang, dance and play.' She added, 'It is exhausting and paralyzing right now to try and wrap my head around how I will do it all again.. but I will.' Lake, who has been seen in John Waters films such as 1988's Hairspray and 1990's Cry-Baby, added emojis of folded hands, a heart and a broken heart into the post. Lake posted a series of photos in an adjacent photo carousel documenting her times at the home, showcasing the immaculate landscape amid different times of day. She was seen posed with her spouse Ross Burningham, 57, in multiple images relaxing both in the home and in the backyard. The couple wed at the home in January of 2022. Ricki Lake, 56, took to Instagram on Thursday, apparently vowing to rebuild her home in Malibu after it was burned down in the recent Los Angeles fires The photoset also included an image of a visit at the home from friends such as Robin Ruzan, Pamela Adlon and Rosie O'Donnell The photoset also included an image of a visit at the home from friends such as Rosie O'Donnell, Pamela Adlon and Robin Ruzan. Lake also shared a series of images of her pet canine Mama, as it posed near a fireplace and overlooking a cliff at sunset. Lake took to Instagram on January 9 with a detailed series of posts chronicling the destruction of her Malibu home amid the ongoing California wildfires. Lake said that January 9 was the day she and Burningham lost their home in the blazes, documenting the timeline of events. 'If I am anything at all, I am a f'ing survivor,' Lake said in text on a somber selfie. Lake said that 11:24 a.m. January 7, she saw 'early signs of smoke in Temescal Canyon,' leading her and Burningham to set up a fire defense system they had on hand which included sprinklers. By 4:10 p.m. January 7, Lake said Burningham used a hose to extinguish a blaze on a palm tree on their neighbors' property. The Hastings-on-Hudson, New York-born star said that two hours later, Burningham tried to 'siphon gas for the fire defense system motor,' which 'didnt work.' Lake said her 'home in Malibu was a sanctuary, a hub for so many friends and loved ones' Lake posted a series of photos in an adjacent photo carousel documenting her times at the home, showcasing the immaculate landscape amid different times of day Lake said of the rebuilding process, 'It is exhausting and paralyzing right now to try and wrap my head around how I will do it all again.. but I will' Lake also shared images of her pet canine Mama, as it posed near a cliff at sunset Lake said that by 6:55 p.m., she and Burningham faced the question 'Do we stay or do we go?' Lake said she and her spouse judged the merits of trying to save the home against their physical safety amid the windy night fires. Lake said, 'We finally surrendered our efforts and left our home at 8:02 p.m.,' and were 'grateful to have made it out alive and uninjured.' She added, 'No doubt had we stayed, we would not have survived.' Lake shared dashcam footage of her exit down Malibu's curvy roads at night. She was seen posed with her spouse Ross Burningham, 57, in multiple images relaxing both in the home and in the backyard Lake noted a 'huge fire over in the Palisades' early January 7 before it spread to Malibu Lake and her spouse exhausted all efforts to stave off the flames and evacuated the home The Hastings-on-Hudson, New York-born star said that two hours later, Burningham tried to 'siphon gas for the fire defense system motor,' which 'didnt work' Lake said she was 'praying' for the local people and their homes amid the carnage caused by the fires. 'I think I might have just said goodbye to my house,' Lake said. Lake described friend Kirby Kotler as 'our absolute angel' who she would be 'forever grateful to,' adding, 'He did everything to try to save our precious property.' Lake said she was 'sharing' the post 'for all who have been asking,' thanking her 397,000 followers 'for the love and well wishes' amid the trying times. She concluded in saying, 'Again, please pray for those impacted by this catastrophic event and help if you are able. 'Bless our brave firefighters and first responders. May they stay safe.' Lake was one of a number of celebrities whose homes were destroyed by the blazes, aa list that included names such as Anthony Hopkins, Tina Knowles, Candy Spelling, Paris Hilton, Spencer Pratt and John Goodman. Mary Cosby revealed that Rihanna personally reached out after her son Robert Jr. admitted to drug use in an emotional RHOSLC episode that aired late last year in November. The TV personality, 52, learned that her son, 21, had been using drugs since he was 16 in a raw moment, and he also told his mother that she was the only reason he didn't kill himself. During a recent interview with Vulture, Cosby reflected on the episode and how her castmates also got in touch after the episode premiered. 'I heard from all of [the cast] - I even heard from Britani [Bateman]. Lisa [Barlow] was the only one that didn't reach out, and that's why I said I felt she's kind of the person that is a little bit happy when other people are going through something.' 'But everyone else and even other Housewives reached out to me. Even Rihanna reached out to me!' the reality star continued. Mary further told the outlet, 'I was happy I did it after I received the way the people accepted it and loved it.' Mary Cosby, 52, revealed that Rihanna, 36, personally reached out after her son Robert Jr. admitted to drug use in an emotional RHOSLC episode that aired late last year in November; seen in December 2024 in NYC The RHOSLC star also shared that the Grammy winner had reached out to her on other occasions as well. 'She reached out to us when the show aired and told us she loved us,' Cosby expressed. 'And then on Christmas Day, she said, "Merry Christmas, and I love you and Robert Jr." I feel like if you can reach people of that caliber, you're doing something right, you know what I mean?' During the November episode, Mary had approached her son who was living with her at home along with his wife, Alexiana. He admitted to taking a number of different drugs - including cocaine and Xanax -since he was 16 and revealed he also suffered with suicidal thoughts. Towards the end of the heartbreaking conversation, Robert Jr. said, 'I just barely started being happy again,' to which his mother replied with, 'Please, baby, recognize it, own it, and change it. Because you can.' In regards to the moment in the episode, Cosby gave an update to Vulture and expressed, 'I'm actually doing great. I'm getting a lot of love.' Her son went to rehab, which she revealed as she appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen last month in December. The TV personality learned that her son, 21, had been using drugs since he was 16 in a raw moment, and he also told his mother that she was the only reason he didn't kill himself; seen in 2021 Towards the end of the heartbreaking conversations, Robert Jr. said, 'I just barely started being happy again,' to which his mother replied with, 'Please, baby, recognize it, own it, and change it. Because you can' In regards to the moment in the episode, Cosby gave an update to Vulture and expressed, 'I'm actually doing great. I'm getting a lot of love' 'He did go to rehab. He stayed for a month. He completed it. He did an excellent job. He came out a new person.' The reality star further gushed that Robert Jr. 'is doing so good. I am so proud of him. So proud of him.' Rihanna previously revealed that she was a big fan of the Real Housewives franchise while talking to E! News last year in October 2024. 'Always Salt Lake City. They had such a swinging opening season that knocked me off my feet,' the Diamonds hitmaker shared. 'Because it takes a while to get used to or know who the characters are really, truly. They just knocked it out of the park. You never know what's coming wit them.' The mother-of-two also told the publication that her favorite housewife was RHONJ star Jenna Lyons. 'I don't want to be generalized, but I love her!' Rihanna has been keeping busy and over the past weekend, she sparked new music rumors when she was seen heading to a recording studio in NYC at 2:30 a.m. The performer bundled up in the chilly weather wearing a blue hoodie as well as a pair of dark gray trousers. She layered the look with a brown coat that contained a fuzzy trim and also slipped into a pair of blue sneakers. Rihanna revealed that she was a big fan of the Real Housewives franchise while talking to E! News last year in October 2024; seen in L.A. in 2024 The star showed off her new braids which she debuted last week and draped a Louis Vuitton purse over her right arm. Rihanna's last album, Anti, was released in 2016 and the most recent single she dropped was Lift Me Up back in 2022. And this week on Tuesday, her partner A$AP Rocky kicked off his criminal trial in L.A. on charges of firing a gun at a former friend outside of a hotel in Hollywood in 2021. The rapper and his legal team rejected a second plea deal, with his lawyer Joe Tacopina claiming that the gun involved in the incident was actually a 'prop gun.' A separate plea deal had been presented last week, which was also rejected by Rocky and his legal team. At the time, Tacopina told DailyMail.com that the music artist 'did not commit a crime' and said the LA District Attorney's case against Rocky was 'fundamentally weak.' Judge Mark S. Arnold, who has been assigned to the case, recently made an attempt to determine if Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were married. And this week on Tuesday, her partner A$AP Rocky kicked off his criminal trial in L.A. on charges of firing a gun at a former friend outside of a hotel in Hollywood in 2021; seen in June 2024 in Paris A separate insider also told DailyMail.com that Rihanna is 'terrified' that the rapper could possibly be facing prison time When the judge questioned, 'Are they legally married somewhere then?,' Tacopina answered, 'I don't know.' Due to the unknown marriage status, the judge said that the prosecution will call them 'partners or significant others.' A separate insider also told DailyMail.com that Rihanna is 'terrified' that the rapper could possibly be facing prison time. 'Rihanna and A$AP have been on a serious do-good / be-loved PR mission recently, which is completely opposite of how they like to live their lives...' 'She is terrified of him going to prison. She has two kids at home that she does not want to raise on her own,' the source added. Veteran Australian actor Nicholas Eadie died in Sydney on Wednesday aged 67. The beloved actor was born in Sydney in 1958 and worked extensively in Australian film and television for over three decades. His tragic passing was announced by fellow actor Will Conyers on social media: 'Vale, Nicholas Eadie, 1958 - 2025. 'I send my deepest sympathy to all those that were touched by this very special artist and human being.' No cause of death was given and it was revealed he was found at his home in Sydney. Eadie was a 1980 graduate of Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Arts. Veteran Australian actor Nicholas Eadie (pictured) has died in Sydney aged 67 He began his celebrated acting career in 1981 with a two-year stint on Channel Seven's Cop Shop series, where he played Constable Sam Phillips. His long-career saw him appear on many renowned Australians productions, including A Country Practice, Return to Snowy River and Halifax FP. He was also an accomplished stage actor and performed across Australia in productions of A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Taming of the Shrew and much more. Eadie's final acting role was in the 2011 TV movie Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away, opposite Boy Swallows Universe star Toby Schmitz. Many of Eadie's friends and fans quickly took to social media to share their heartbreak over his passing. 'Vale the magnificent Nicholas Eadie - one of Australia's finest actors,' wrote theatre manager Les Solomon. 'One of my most enduring memories is of his thrilling, heart-breaking performances. Vale Nicholas,' added theatre director Robert Jarman. 'Oh no, darling Nicholas. Such sad news. Loved this gorgeous man so much,' wrote a third person. The beloved actor was born in Sydney in 1958 and worked extensively in Australian film and television for over three decades In 1987, Eadie won Best Actor in a Miniseries for his performance in the show Vietnam, opposite Nicole Kidman 'Adored his company and friendship at NIDA. RIP gorgeous soul,' they continued. 'Oh dear Nic.... too soon. I will always remember him saying backstage during Holding the Man "Dolly did it" in a baby voice. I still say it to this day and think of him. He blamed Dolly for anything that went wrong. Dolly did a lot of naughty things. Nic was sweet and funny and a wonderful actor. Love to his friends and family. He will be missed,' wrote another. 'Oh my goodness x Vale Nicholas gone too too soon x thoughts with his loved ones,' commented one more. His incredible performances were often recognised at the Australian Film Institute Awards. In 1987, Eadie won Best Actor in a Miniseries for his performance in the show Vietnam, opposite Nicole Kidman. He was also nominated in 2000 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Mini-Series for his work on Halifax FP. Eadie worked with many of Australia's most celebrated actors throughout his career, including Nicole Kidman, Barry Otto and Cornelia Frances. He was a notoriously private individual in real life and it is not known if he is survived by a partner or children. Kendall and Kylie Jenner continued their luxury ski getaway in Aspen as they shared sweet Instagram snaps on Tuesday. The two youngest Kardashian-Jenner siblings wrapped up warm in massive faux fur coats as they larked around in the show. Wearing a statement fur bucket hat, Kendall, 29, looked effortlessly chic in her wintery ensemble. She teamed her look with an oversized black blazer while younger sister Kylie, 27, opted for a cropped fur jacket. In one snap Kendall promoted her 818 Tequila brand by sharing a snap of the bottle covered in snow and ice. The stunning reality stars have taken over the chic Colorado ski town for a glamorous family getaway. Kendall (pictured), 29, and Kylie Jenner, 27, continued their luxury ski getaway in Aspen as they shared sweet Instagram snaps on Tuesday The two youngest Kardashian-Jenner siblings wrapped up warm in massive faux fur coats as they larked around in the show (Kendall, right, Kylie, left) Wearing a statement fur bucket hat, Kendall looked effortlessly chic in her wintery ensemble In previous snaps she shared, Kendall and Kylie kept it sporty in a yellow and black jacket paired with matching ski pants, while Kylie exuded all-black chic in her warm yet fashionable outerwear. The night before their snowy adventure, Kendall and Kylie dressed to impress for a dinner at the trendy Casa Tua, treating Kylies adorable daughter, Stormi, to a night out. The trio was joined by Hailey Bieber, completing the ultimate girls night out in the picturesque mountain town. It comes after Kylie was labelled a 'climate criminal' after she posted a statement about relief efforts amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles just hours after her private jet made its 11th flight since January 1. Despite the growing backlash against stars including her sister Kim Kardashian over excessive flying, the reality star-turned-business woman appears to have made no plans to minimise her usage in 2025. In fact, her luxury 70 million aircraft has flown 11 times since the start of the year, with the jet making three flights in one day on January 16. Based on statistics tracked by CelebrityJets, the flights have emitted around 162 tons of CO2 emissions to date. It is the equivalent of the electricity use of 33 homes for one year, according to the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. She teamed her look with an oversized black blazer while younger sister Kylie opted for a cropped fur jacket In one snap Kendall subtly promoted her 818 Tequila brand by sharing a snap of the bottle covered in snow and ice The stunning reality stars have taken over the chic Colorado ski town for a glamorous family getaway In previous snaps she shared, Kendall and Kylie kept it sporty as they hit the slopes Four out of 11 flights were under one hour, with the jet spending a shockingly short 15 minutes in the air on one of those journeys. The jet has also flown eight times since the catastrophic wildfires broke out on January 7. It made one of its shortest trips on January 9 when it was in the air for 15 minutes, flying between Los Angeles and Camarillo, both in California. Three days later it took off again, this time for a slightly longer 36 minute flight to Palm Springs, emitting a further three tonnes of CO2 at a cost of $1,555. Hours later, Kylie took off for London to support boyfriend Timothee Chalamet at the premiere of his new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, where ironically the actor appeared to swerve a car in favour of a Lime bike for his red carpet arrival. Making the most of their time in Europe, the loved-up couple then jumped back on the jet for a 47 minute flight across the Channel to Paris, France. The journey emitted four tonnes of CO2 and 361 gallons of jet fuel at a cost of $2,000, nearly six times the price of a single premier ticket for the Eurostar which takes just under three hours. On her way back to America, the jet stopped at Fargo, North Dakota, then Rifle, Colorado, before finishing in Teterboro, New Jersey, tallying up three flights in 24 hours. The night before their snowy adventure, Kendall and Kylie dressed to impress for a dinner at the trendy Casa Tua, treating Kylies adorable daughter, Stormi, to a night out It comes after Kylie was labelled a 'climate criminal' after she posted a statement about relief efforts amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles just hours after her private jet made its 11th flight since January 1; (seen in 2023) Her arrival coincided with a post from her Kylie Cosmetics Instagram account, promising to donate 'skincare, body, hair and makeup products' to 'help provide items that help teens in Altadena feel confident and like themselves again.' The statement read: 'We are truly heartbroken to see the devastation caused by the fires in Los Angeles. Watching so many people forced to evacuate and hearing the stories of those who have lost everything is deeply saddening and difficult to comprehend.' The post, which garnered 21,000 likes, sparked a backlash over her jet use, with one follower telling her to 'use your power accordingly'. 'Taking a private jet to Paris, which contributes to the warmer weather and wild fires in LA, and we know you do this many times a year, and then put a bandaid on middle class LA fire victims with your lotion, is horrific,' they wrote. The billionaire mum-of-two purchased the Bombardier Global 7500 jet in 2020 for a rumoured $72.8 million and fashioned every seat with Hermes blankets. She took 195 flights in 2024, according to Celebrity Private Jet Tracker. Fury around her jet use has been exacerbated in the face of multiple fires which have turned huge swathes of Southern California into an inferno, with 40,000 acres reduced to ash and 27 people dead. 'They don't care. They will never care. Kylie sharing donation links is performative,' wrote one furious person on Reddit. 'Kylie is so fake how is she going to share things about the LA fires when she's a big contributor towards the fires starting in the first place with the overuse of her private jet and she's been using her jet for days while the fires are still happening. Worms for brains.' Julia Fox displayed her unique style as she stepped out in a huge hat at a film event in New York City on Tuesday night. Promoting her latest movie Presence, Julia looked every inch the horror actress, wearing an all-black ensemble imitating the film's supernatural villain. The Italian-American star, 34, arrived at Bravo Studios in a thick, leather zip-up top which accentuated her jaw-dropping figure during the glitzy event. She paired the item with a midi skirt, which featured a slit and a row of black buttons up the middle, a boxy black handbag and the bold oversized hat. The Uncut Gems actress added classic black stilettos that elevated her stature and featured extra-long pointy toes. Julia kept warm with a black down puffer jacket and black stockings and wore her hair in a silver bob, opting for striking white eyeshadow filled in under heavily arched eyebrows. Julia Fox displayed her unique style as she stepped out in a huge bow hat at a film event in New York City on Tuesday night Promoting her latest movie Presence, Julia looked every inch the horror actress, wearing an all-black ensemble imitating the film's supernatural villain The Italian-American star, 34, arrived at Bravo Studios in a thick, leather zip-up top which accentuated her jaw-dropping figure at the glitzy event Thriller horror Presence, which also stars Lucy Liu premieres in cinemas in the UK and the US on Friday and tracks a family who become convinced their new suburban home is haunted. Julia confidently debuted her brand new hairdo last week but has since expressed mixed feelings about the unusual choice. She told Page Six: 'I was going for Ace Ventura, like sleazy guy, I don't know, I'm just into that right now. I like cut off all of my hair the other day, and then I just kept going. And now we're here.' Shortly before the Presence premiere last week she admitted in a TikTok video that she 'instantly regretted' chopping off her hair. She mouthed along to the video's audio: 'Girl, don't do it. It's not worth it. I'm not going to do it, girl. I was just thinking about it. I'm not going to do it.' Then she showed her newly cut hair, mouthing, 'I did it.' The model rocketed to fame when she appeared in the acclaimed 2019 crime thriller Uncut Gems and the girlfriend of a jeweller and gambling addict played by Adam Sandler. One of her biggest films in the wake of the acclaimed box-office success was Steven Soderbergh's period crime thriller No Sudden Move, which starred Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro as Detroit criminals who get roped into a murderous plot after a blackmail scheme goes wrong. The Uncut Gems actress added classic black stilettos that elevated her stature and featured extra-long pointy toes Julia confidently debuted her brand new hairdo last week but has since expressed mixed feelings about the unusual choice She posed up with co-star Lucy Liu inside AMC Lincoln Square last week in a black long-tail tuxedo jacket over a colorful floral button-up blouse and white T-shirt Now Julia is working with Steven again on Presence, playing a realtor in the movie which has so far been a hit among the critics. She is known for her daring style, whether it's going braless in a Victorian era corset frock or strutting her stuff in head-to-toe, and last week the Hollywood it-girl embraced her masculine side at the film's premiere in New York City. Julia posed up inside AMC Lincoln Square in a black long-tail tuxedo jacket over a colorful floral button-up blouse and white T-shirt. She threw on baggy black slacks and brown leather platform loafers to complete the quirky outfit, while also rocking her new shorter haircut. The fashion weeks are back for 2025. And Paris Men's Fashion Week kicked off on Wednesday with the Louis Vuitton show which attracted the likes of Adrien Brody and his girlfriend Georgina Chapman. As one of the favourites to be nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars, Adrien took a break from promoting his film The Brutalist to attend the event. The actor, 51, looked suave in a black jacket and smart trousers from the luxury brand. Meanwhile designer and actress Georgina, 48, cut a chic figure in a black dress and accessorised with a statement gold neck. Paris Men's Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday, and will continue until Sunday, January 26, before being immediately followed by the French city's Haute Couture Fashion Week. Paris Men's Fashion Week kicked off on Wednesday with the Louis Vuitton show which attracted the likes of Adrien Brody and his girlfriend Georgina Chapman As one of the favourites to be nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars, Adrien took a break from promoting his film The Brutalist to attend the event Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina were also among the stylish arrivals for the Louis Vuitton show. The couple caught the eye in matching leather ensembles as they posed for snaps together ahead of the runway show. Showing off her incredible physique, Sabrina, 35, set pulses racing in tiny black leather shorts teamed with a matching top and one of Louis Vuitton's famous bags. The Canadian model finished her look with matching black stilettos as she posed up a storm with her spouse, 52, who cut a suave figure in a black leather overcoat. Bradley Cooper was also in attendance for the fashion show, with the actor opting for a smart brown tweed coat. It comes after earlier this month Adrien made headlines after winning Best Performance in a Motion Picture for The Brutalist at the 2025 Golden Globes. Brody stars in The Brutalist as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who escapes the Holocaust by emigrating to the U.S. Previously nominated for a Golden Globe for his iconic role in The Pianist (2002), for which he also won the Best Actor Oscar, Brody's latest project is a historical drama directed and co-written by Brady Corbet. The actor, 51, looked suave in a black jacket and smart trousers from the luxury brand Meanwhile designer and actress Georgina, 48, cut a chic figure in a black dress and accessorised with a statement gold neck Paris Men's Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday, and will continue until Sunday, January 26, before being immediately followed by the French city's Haute Couture Fashion Week It comes after earlier this month Adrien made headlines after winning Best Performance in a Motion Picture for The Brutalist at the 2025 Golden Globes Adrien became emotional while paying tribute to his girlfriend Georgina after winning Taking to the stage to accept his award, the Oscar winner expressed gratitude for his designer partner, acknowledging her support 'To my beautiful and amazing partner Georgina, your generosity of spirit, your own resilience, your immense creativity are a daily reminder of how to be,' Brody said, visibly emotional He posed with Callum Turner at the event too Callum is rumoured to be engaged to partner Dua Lipa The movie arrived at the Golden Globes with seven nominations, including nods for supporting stars Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce. Brody catapulted to international fame with his Oscar-winning performance in The Pianist (2002), where he portrayed the Polish-Jewish pianist Wadysaw Szpilman, earning critical acclaim and a Best Actor Academy Award. Following his breakout role, Brody continued to build an eclectic career, starring in films like King Kong (2005), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Predators (2010). Adrien became emotional while paying tribute to his girlfriend Georgina after winning. Taking to the stage to accept his award, the Oscar winner expressed gratitude for his designer partner acknowledging her support, as well as the tough competition in his category, which included heavyweights like Timothee Chalamet, Daniel Craig, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan. 'To my beautiful and amazing partner Georgina, your generosity of spirit, your own resilience, your immense creativity are a daily reminder of how to be,' Brody said, visibly emotional. 'I would not be standing here before you if it wasn't for you. There was a time not too long ago that I felt this may never be a moment afforded to me again, so thank you.' Brody and Chapman first became romantically linked in 2019, marking her first relationship since her 2017 split from disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein. The former couple, who married in 2007, finalized their divorce in 2021 and share two children. Weinstein, convicted of rape and sexual assault in 2020, was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Travis Scott and Adrien Brody at the Louis Vuitton fashion show during Paris Fashion Week Georgina Chapman, Adrien Brody, Pietro Beccari, Elisabetta Beccari, Callum Turner sat on the front row Travis wore a fur trimmed black coat Slick Rick was also in attendance He wore a smart black suit He posed on the front row He later received an additional 16-year sentence for further charges in California, bringing his total prison term to 39 years. Chapman, the British fashion designer and co-founder of the label Marchesa, left Weinstein in October 2017, shortly after The New York Times published a bombshell investigation detailing decades of sexual harassment and assault allegations against Weinstein. Chapman publicly announced their separation in a statement, saying she was 'heartbroken' by the accusations, but it was clear she wanted to distance herself from the scandal. She has largely kept a low profile since then and focused on her work, including her fashion career. Claudia Winkleman enjoyed a night out with husband Kris Thykier on Tuesday as they attended the UK Premiere of Posso Entrare? An Ode to Naples. The couple looked in good spirits as they posed for snaps before watching Trudie Styler's documentary about the Italian city at London's Regent Street Cinema. Claudia, 52, looked effortlessly chic in a black velvet blazer and skinny jeans that she paired with a crisp white shirt and ankle boots. By her side was film producer Kris, 53, who was casually clad in a khaki jacket as he pulled his wife in for a hug. She also posed for snaps with Trudie - married to musician Sting - who looked glamorous in a metallic midi skirt and glittering boucle jacket. Claudia Winkleman enjoyed a night out with husband Kris Thykier on Tuesday as they attended the UK Premiere of Posso Entrare? An Ode to Naples in London Claudia looked in good spirits as she posed for snaps before watching Trudie Styler's documentary about the Italian city at London's Regent Street Cinema Claudia and Kris tied the knot in June 2000 and went on to welcome children, Jake, 21, Matilda, 18, and Arthur, 13. Ahead of their silver wedding anniversary this year, Claudia recently opened up about the pair's longstanding romance as she admitted she was 'incredibly lucky', The Strictly Come Dancing host also described how Kris' Danish heritage influences their relationship, describing him as 'a bit of a Viking'. Speaking to The Sunday Times about the secret to the longevity of their marriage, she quoted Gwyneth Paltrows director father, Bruce Danner. Claudia said: 'Bruce Danner was asked, "Youve had a long marriage, didnt you want to get divorced?" And he went, "Sure, but never at the same time." Best. Line. Ever. I feel incredibly lucky.' She went on: 'I cant talk much about Kris or hell be sick but hes incredibly Scandi. None of its my job, its always our job. 'Hes never said, "Whats for dinner?" It would be, "What are we having for dinner? Should I make something?" Its a tiny inflection, but it is different. 'Or, "What day do the kids go back to school?" He doesnt ask me that. He looks it up. His whole familys the same.' Claudia, 52, looked effortlessly chic in a black velvet blazer and skinny jeans that she paired with a crisp white shirt and ankle boots The couple have also recently begun working more closely together, after Claudia quit under fire talent agency YMU in July to join Little Arrow, a company founded by Kris. Claudia currently juggles hosting duties on Strictly Come Dancing, popular series The Traitors and music show The Piano. She previously explained how she manages to balance her career with her home life, quipping 'my husband is a better parent than me.' 'We share, and when one of us is snowed under, the other person will help. He knows that in the lead-up to the Strictly final, for example, I'm useless, so he might be in charge of getting Christmas presents for our nephews and nieces She added that between the two of them, Kris is definitely more lovey-dovey, saying: 'I'm not a romantic person, he's much more romantic than me, the poor guy!' Posso Entrare? An Ode to Naples is streaming on Disney+ from Jan 24 Kanye West shared sweet clips where he is 'training' his daughter North in the recording studio on Tuesday, after revealing she made him 'love music again'. The rapper, 47, who prefers to be known as Ye, shares North, 11, with Kim Kardashian, who he was married to until their divorce in 2022. He took to Instagram to post snippets of what's going on behind the scenes with his 20.5 million followers, as he brought the youngster along to help while he worked on his 11th studio album BULLY. In one black and white video, North was being shown around a huge warehouse, before sitting down at a table with a microphone and speakers. A second clip saw the rapper's daughter get stuck in as she played around on a sampling keyboard. He captioned the videos: 'Training' and 'TRAINING 2.0'. Kanye West shared sweet clips where he is 'training' his daughter North in the recording studio on Tuesday, after revealing she made him 'love music again' In one black and white video, North was being shown around a huge warehouse while Kanye filmed from behind, before sitting down at a table with a microphone and speakers Kanye made sure to praise on his eldest child in the update, as he completed the trio of posts with a black-and-white picture of her in the recording studio. Ye captioned the post, which is one of just three on his account all added on Tuesday after he wiped his Instagram last year, with: 'This little girl made me love music again. 'She asked me to make beats for her I got back on the ASR Chopped up beats for her album and chopped every beats with my bare hand for BULLY.' The Grammy-award winning rapper revealed in September 24 that his 11th studio album would be called BULLY, uploading official cover art for the project the next month. In March 2024, North announced she was releasing her debut album, breaking the news that she would be releasing new music at her father's Vultures 2 listening party. North took to the spotlight on the Footprint Center stage in Phoenix, Arizona, with Kanye standing nearby as she dropped the bombshell. 'Hi, it's Northie, and I've been working on an album. And it's called Elementary School Drop Out, as the crowd erupted into roaring cheers. As the loud applause continued, a proud Kanye guided his daughter off stage with his hands placed protectively on her shoulders. North's album title - Elementary School Drop Out - is a nod to her father's critically acclaimed debut The College Dropout hasn't sat well with many. He captioned the videos: 'Training' and 'TRAINING 2.0' He brought the youngster along to help while he worked on his 11th studio album BULLY Kanye made sure to praise on his eldest child in the update, as he completed the trio of posts with a black-and-white picture of her in the recording studio Ye captioned the post, which is one of just three on his account all added on Tuesday after he wiped his Instagram last year, with: 'This little girl made me love music again' The rapper, 47, shares North, 11, (pictured in 2015) with Kim Kardashian, who he was married to until their divorce in 2022 Many took to X to express their discontent with the album name. They wrote: 'Im praying she didnt actually drop out of elementary school.' 'So North West dropping an album called Elementary School Drop-Out! 'Hey I think its cool she wanna do music. Its just how is this a good idea to call an album that?' 'Did she actually drop out of elementary school?' 'A kid with Elementary School Dropout as the title is wild.' 'Well, most elementary school students will think dropping out is cool while North West lives in luxury.' Although many weren't big fans of the name, others were extremely excited about the album drop. The Grammy-award winning musician revealed in September 24 that his 11th studio album would be called BULLY North and younger sister Chicago, seven, joined their father last year on the song Bomb, for which a video was released in November The children are both pictured driving Mad Maxstyle vehicles while being chased by cartoonish monsters in the music video. In March, 2024, North announced she was releasing her debut album, breaking the news that she would be releasing new music at her father's Vultures 2 listening party 'North West's debut album bout to have the hardest beats in child star history.' 'There is no way North West gonna drop an album before Playboi Carti.' 'COMING FOR THAT YOUNGEST GRAMMY WINNER TITLE OH IKTR!' It won't be her first time in the spotlight as North and younger sister Chicago, seven, joined their father last year on the song Bomb, for which a video was released in November. The children are both pictured driving Mad Maxstyle vehicles while being chased by cartoonish monsters in the music video. The song, which is credited to his $ duo with Ty Dolla Sign, was originally released on their critically reviled album Vultures 2, which was released in August last year. Kanye's album The College Dropout, which serves as inspiration for North's debut, sold over four million copies worldwide when it first hit shelves in 2004. The four time platinum album also bagged Kanye three Grammy's including Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song (Jesus Walks) and Best R&B song (You Don't Know My Name). Elementary School Dropout won't be North's musical debut, as the tween has previously featured on Kanye's collaboration album with Ty Dolla $ign, Vultures. Elementary School Dropout is a nod to Kanye's Grammy award winning debut album The College Dropout (pictured) Elementary School Dropout won't be North's musical debut, as the tween has previously featured on Kanye's collaboration album with Ty Dolla $ign, Vultures On the Talking/Once Again track, she can be heard rapping: 'It's your bestie. Miss, Miss Westy!' 'Don't tryna test me. It's gonna get messy. Just, just bless me. Bless me!' North starred in the music video which was released on February 7 last year, alongside the two famous rappers. Kanye reuined with his children a week ago after reportedly spending 118 days apart as he continues life overseas, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed. The controversial rapper, who has been traveling with Australian wife Bianca Censori, for much of the last six months, was spotted in Japan with his three youngest children by ex-wife Kim Kardashian earlier on Tuesday. Exclusive DailyMail.com photos and video show West visiting a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo's Ginza district with Saint, nine, Chicago , six, and Psalm, five. Dressed entirely in black, the dad-of-four left the store with his kids clutching huge bags of snacks, following a 10-minute visit. Censori and eldest daughter North, 11, were not part of the group outing and it is not clear whether the preteen traveled to Japan to visit her dad with her siblings. Kanye reuined with his children a week ago after reportedly spending 118 days apart as he continues life overseas, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed The controversial rapper, who has been traveling with Australian wife Bianca Censori (pictured), for much of the last six months, was spotted in Japan with his three youngest An onlooker told DailyMail.com that the Yeezy boss arrived in a black van with his bodyguards and declined selfies with passers-by. 'A black van pulled out the front and all of a sudden the kids have gone running in and Kanye followed behind, trying to hide in the 7-Eleven with his hood up,' said the witness. 'The kids were buying up the store - they had two carrier bags full of random lollipops and snacks. 'Myself and a couple of other families noticed him.' Kanye was last seen with his children in public in September when they performed together at the Vultures 2 listening event in Haikou, China. It's a legal battle which has set social media alight as people debate who was really in the wrong. But after DailyMail.com released exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us, it's the Gossip Girl actress who seems to be coming off worst as fans dissect the footage. While many viewers admit that Blake looks 'uncomfortable, it hasn't stopped them calling her out for making 'mean girl' comments to her co-star and director while filming romantic montage - during which she claimed that Justin went off-script while microphones were off. However footage obtained by DailyMail.com revealed the actors' microphones were switched on and they filled the silent scene with improvised chatter. The clips show Blake joking to Justin that should 'address' his big nose and call his medical insurance to 'deal with that'. Later the pair are seen speaking about their respective spouses and Blake brands him a 'sociopath' for enjoying long periods of silence with his wife where they simply look into each others' eyes. Others have pointed out that Justin was the director and that Blake constantly interrupted him by coming out of charcater and going against his vision for the scene by saying they should just talk instead of kissing. It's a legal battle which has set social media alight as people debate who was really in the wrong - but after DailyMail.com released exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us, it's the Gossip Girl actress once again in the hot seat The clips show Justin saying that he has a big nose at which point Blake jokes that he should 'address it' and call his medical insurance to 'deal with that' Fans also raged at Blake's insistence to drive the narrative of the unscripted scene, as Justin wanted it to be intimate and silent while she wanted them to be seen talking. This same argument is made in Baldoni's lawsuit against the actress, which describes her as 'consistently unable to take direction'. According to the suit, she 'really liked the idea of the characters constantly talking' even though 'Baldoni, her director, and the films assistant director (who was directing the scene) disagreed'. According to the filing: 'Lively continued arguing and tried to direct him for the scene. while they were supposed to be in character filming the scene. 'At some point Heath and another producer, irritated, called Baldoni aside to express they cant capture the intended shot because Lively wouldnt stop talking. 'He was instructed to somehow get her to stop. While there was a brief verbal exchange, Baldoni, heeding the instruction of their Assistant Director and producers, continued to try to bring them back into character. In one scene, Blake mentions Justin's nose, something the actor says in his lawsuit he has long been insecure about 'As they were acting in this montage scene, Lively continued to break character and speak as herself rather than as Lily, which was extremely confusing for Baldoni, who was trying to balance directing the scene within his artistic vision while also acting in character while filming and trying to get Lively to do the same.' Clips of the montage also show how Blake mentions Justin's nose, something the actor says in his lawsuit he has long been insecure about. The scene begins with the pair nuzzling noses for the romantic montage, which is seen in the film in slow motion, before she pulls away and says: 'I feel so nosey, I mean it's just like noses.' 'I know - and my nose is so big,' Justin replies, laughing, to which Blake jokes: 'Yes I was hoping that we could address this, it's not too late. 'Just gotta shut it down, gotta call an insurance month and just deal with that... and then um - Just kidding.' Fans felt the comment about Justin's nose was uncalled for as they said: 'She told him to have a nose job ( rhinoplasty) because his nose is so big ! Thats rude,'; Fans felt the comment about Justin's nose was uncalled for as they said: 'She told him to have a nose job ( rhinoplasty) because his nose is so big ! Thats rude' In the latest filing, Justin alleged that Blake got one of her famous pals involved after he told her that he wasn't sure he would use some of the changes she had made to the movie 'They got Blake lively in 4K telling Justin Baldoni he needs a nose job but she cited body shaming in her complaint cuz he asked how much she weighed for a scene he had to lift her in.. yikes,'; 'Nose jobs need to become illegal Justin Baldoni's nose isnt even that bad? But apparently hes been insecure about it his whole life and Blake is on footage taking a dig at his nose & telling him to getting it done? bruh ppl are meant to have the noses they are born with.' 'The nose comment was so rude. He was so uncomfortable by that,'; 'Blake Lively is a mean girl. She love to mock others.' Later in DailyMail.com's exclusive clip, Blake and Justin embark on a conversation about their respective spouses Ryan Reynolds and Emily Baldoni. Blake suggests that the pair talk to each other as they film a slow-motion clip of them slow dancing in a bar, while Justin thinks not talking and being closer physically is more intimate. 'I think it's nice to talk,' Blake says. 'No I think's more romantic because then you're like what are they saying?' Later the pair are seen speaking about their respective spouses and Justin reveals that he and his wife stare at each other intensely for long periods of time, something he says would 'terrify' Blake The actress then jokes that she would think 'Oh I've found a sociopath' if her partner did that 'Well we have no issue talking most of the time,' Justin adds, to which Blake remarks: 'Yeah and you're like "What are they saying? I must know... I must know what they're saying".' Justin turns the conversation to Blake's husband as he says: 'They'll never know in slow motion. They're never gonna find out. I know you and Ryan talk all the time.' 'Oh my gosh we don't shut up,' Blake says laughing, as Justin adds: 'And Emily and I have like... we have these moments where...' 'Staring? You're just staring?' Blake asks. Justin continues: 'For ten... literally we've done it for like five minutes. It's like, I think you would find it terrifying. It's like literally, we just look at each other... and then time stops.' In response to Justin saying she would find it terrifying, Blake says: 'Yeah I'd be like "Oh no I found a sociopath".' Blake was again called out by a fan for the comment, as they wrote: 'I see @blakelively trying to direct the director, calling him a sociopath for looking into his wife's eyes while slow dancing, & telling him to get a nose job.' Other fans were confused that Blake appeared to be taking direction of the scene and asking for them to be talking, despite Justin being the director. They said: 'It seemed like she couldnt stop herself from directing even though that wasn't her job. 'Without knowing too much about this whole fiasco - on purpose - am I out of line to ask why Blake Lively is directing her co-stars in the middle of a scene? That comes across as entirely unprofessional. Its an insult to the actual director whose job it is to, you know, direct the actors.' Fans also raged at Blake's insistence to drive the narrative of the unscripted scene, as Justin wanted it to be intimate and silent while she wanted them to be seen talking Other fans were confused that Blake appeared to be taking direction of the scene and asking for them to be talking, despite Justin being the director But supporters of the actress were quick to point out the context of the so-called 'mean girl' comments, as they jumped to Blake's defence. They said: 'HE was the one who said he had a big nose after she said what they were doing felt nosey ... and she made a joke once he said that.. to me it looks like he was improvising again without her knowing and she was uncomfortable and said it felt nosey to stop it,'; 'He said that she would find it terrifying how him and his wife stare at each other; she laughed and said "Yah, I'd be like, 'Oh no, I found a sociopath!'!" But his complaint claims Justin told her how he and his wife stare at each other, and Blake responded "like sociopaths," which Justin "laughed off",'; 'His complaint says she said "like sociopaths" when he said him and his wife love to stare, which he "brushed off." what actually happened was that he said she would find it terrifying how him and his wife stare, and she said "It's like, 'Oh no, I found a sociopath'",'; 'Justin Baldoni continues to divert the focus from Blake Lively's accusation, he has not denied it and has chosen to discredit her by claiming she is a mean girl. Seeing women on social media doing the dirty campaign against her is disgusting. Once again, dragging the victim,'; 'Justin Baldoni saying nothing about the sexual harassment claims, but trying to shift the narrative back to "Blake Lively is a mean girl" tells me a lot actually.' 'At first I thought they were just acting and Blake was giving herself tons of self importance... But then I read the intimacy towards the end wasn't agreed, and you can notice he tries to kiss her but she doesn't go for it. She makes the nose comment to get him away from her,'; 'Blake cited this scene as one example of him going off-script, not an example of sexual misconduct (but his lawyer is telling the public otherwise),'; 'By mislabelling this as an accusation, Freedman convinces the public that this is the worst thing mentioned and therefore there is no reason for someone to read the actual lawsuit.' But supporters of the actress were quick to point out the context of the so-called 'mean girl' comments, as they jumped to Blake's defence They said: 'HE was the one who said he had a big nose after she said what they were doing felt nosey ... and she made a joke once he said that.. to me it looks like he was improvising again without her knowing and she was uncomfortable and said it felt nosey to stop it' Blake broke her silence on the recent footage where she claimed it proves that she was uncomfortable during the scene. 'Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning,' her legal team shared in a statement with DailyMail.com. Her team claims the video 'shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character.' 'Every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described in Paragraph 48 of her Complaint.' Blake's lawyer also added that none of the intimacy shown in the video from the film was choreographed. 'Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present. Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Livelys co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms. Livelys boss.' Blake's legal team claims that her 'leaning away' from Justin during the scene was not acting, and that the clips shows her 'repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk.' Blake broke her silence on the recent footage where she claimed it proves that she was uncomfortable during the scene Her team claimed the video 'shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character' 'Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively's discomfort.' 'They will recognize her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching. No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent.' DailyMail.com's exclusive footage is the latest revelation in a lengthy saga that began with rumours of rancour behind the scenes of It Ends With Us when it was released last August. It then exploded into a legal fight just before Christmas when Blake sued Justin for sexual harassment. At the same time, the New York Times released a story based on Blake's legal filing that accused him of orchestrating a negative publicity campaign against her and put the smell claim front and centre. In turn, Justin sued the Times for defamation and, last week, launched a $400m lawsuit against Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds that accused her of using her celebrity power to hijack his film and attempt to torpedo his career. Montana Brown has shared the first snap of her newborn baby and revealed the little one's adorable name after having a breech birth at the weekend. The former Love Island star, 29, who is already mother to 17-month-old Jude, announced on Saturday she had welcomed a baby girl with her fiance Mark O'Connor. And on Wednesday she took to her Instagram to share the first proper photo of her daughter and revealed they had decided to name her Miley. The heartwarming shot saw the tot curled up and dressed in a sweet white baby-grow as she gazed around curiously. In the accompanying caption, Montana explained how the birth had been a slight challenge as Miley had been breeched and arrived earlier than expected. She wrote: 'Miley OConnor - no surprises you came storming into the world unapologetically and making an entrance. Montana Brown has shared the first snap of her newborn baby and revealed the little one's adorable name after having a breech birth at the weekend The former Love Island star, 29, who is already mother to 17-month-old Jude, announced on Saturday she had welcomed a baby girl with her fiance Mark O'Connor (trio pictured) On Wednesday she took to her Instagram to share the first photo of her daughter and revealed they had decided to name her Miley, while explaining how the birth had been a slight challenge 'I am going to do a birth vlog to share how she arrived into the world. Miley was breeched my whole pregnancy and she did not turn which meant I had a bit of a task on my hands to try and have my home birth as it was quite difficult to get the support to have a physiological v. birth with her being flexed.' She concluded: 'Most importantly shes here safe and sound and we couldnt be happier'. The reality star announced Miley's arrival on Saturday by sharing a photo of her and Mark cradling their bundle of joy right after her birth. She wrote: 'Look who decided to show up early. Bigger than expected and a bit of a rollercoaster. 'We're over the moon and taking it all in but just glad she's healthy and happy.' Earlier this month Montana had told her fans she planned to give birth to her breech baby at home, despite being advised to have a C-section. The star was exploring giving birth privately after criticising her 'inexperienced' NHS midwives, who she claims 'lacks training'. Montana said she was advised by her NHS midwives to give birth in hospital but she has insisted she wants to follow her head and heart and stay at home. The reality star announced Miley's arrival on Saturday by sharing a photo of her and Mark cradling their bundle of joy right after her birth Earlier this month Montana had told her fans she planned to give birth to her breech baby at home, despite being advised to have a C-section (pictured in November) She claimed the reason her midwives aren't advising a home birth is because they haven't been trained to give birth to breech babies - and said that her private midwife is confident she will be able to give birth naturally, despite being breech. What happens if your baby is breech? If your baby is lying bottom or feet first, they are in the breech position. If they're still breech at around 36 weeks' gestation, the obstetrician and midwife will discuss your options for a safe delivery, according to the NHS. If your baby is in a breech position at 36 weeks, you'll usually be offered an external cephalic version (ECV). This is when a healthcare professional, such as an obstetrician, tries to turn the baby into a head-down position by applying pressure on your abdomen. It's a safe procedure, although it can be a bit uncomfortable. If an ECV does not work, you'll need to discuss your options for a vaginal birth or caesarean section with your midwife and obstetrician. If you plan a caesarean and then go into labour before the operation, your obstetrician will assess whether it's safe to proceed with the caesarean delivery. If the baby is close to being born, it may be safer for you to have a vaginal breech birth. Advertisement In a TikTok video, she said: 'So we are obviously nearing D-Day and she is still breech and for me, my mindset is on a home birth and It's really hard to find people who are supportive of a home birth especially in my position of having a breech baby. 'Which has been really really tricky because if you speak to midwives who are a little bit older and have had their training, they are quite confident at birthing breech babies because from what I've heard it's just a different form of vaginal delivery. 'Yes there are risks but as there are with any birth and there are certain things you look out for and certain positions that are better in order to make sure that the baby is delivered in a safe environment. 'The hospital I am with, who have been incredibly supportive and have given me a lot of different options, are very against me giving birth at home and also if she continues to stay in the same positions that she has been which is footling breech, they have completely advised me to not give birth vaginally and have given me the option to book in for an elliptical [C-section]. 'But a lot of the midwives that have been trained a lot more and have a lot of experience in delivery vaginal breach birth are not concerned about me giving birth at home so yeah there is a lot of conflict.' She added: 'A lot of midwives at the hospital have never delivered a vaginal breech birth which is obviously concerning for me. 'But I can completely see that the hospital are cautious about me giving birth vaginally and on the birth centre if I don't have an experienced time without me, so we are now diving into the private midwife route. 'And I spoke to two amazing private midwives and they both feel really confident delivery breech babies. 'My partner and my mum are a bit like "Can we just go to hospital, it seems safer" and my instincts and my heart is just worried that I am going to get pigeon holed to make decisions on the day when I am trying to remain really focused. 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 Montana and Mark welcomed their first child Jude in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later 'I'm worried on the day I'm going to be pushed into making certain decisions or not being listened too based on fear and lack of experience as opposed to being the right thing. 'And I'm not slating the midwives or the care that I am receiving but I want all the decisions made on the day to be based on facts and what physiologically is going on in my body rather than people not knowing certain situations because of the lack of training.' She captioned her post: 'This is a birth update. Feeling a bit scrambled but my head and heart are wanting home birth and to listen to my body as much as possible #homebirth #maternity' 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. 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. 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. Their stepdad Joe Swash made his return to EastEnders last month after 13 years away from Albert Square. And now Stacey Solomon's nepo baby sons are following in his footsteps and have bagged roles of their own in Hollyoaks. Fans were shocked to see that Stacey's eldest sons Zachary, 16, who she shares with ex Dean Cox, and Leighton, 12, whose dad is her ex fiance Aaron Barham, made their acting debut on the Channel 4 soap. The official Instagram account for the show announced the exciting news on Tuesday by posting a snap of the youngsters alongside fellow castmates Charlie Clapham and Charlie Wernham, alongside stills of them acting. A video showed a snippet of the scenes they starred in, with Zachary playing a Parcel Patrons worker who was delviering a fruit package and bumped into Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe). And Leighton took on the role of a paperboy, who also got told off by Price Slice employee Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope) after he was late to delivering his papers. Stacey Solomon's nepo baby sons are following in his footsteps and have bagged roles of their own in Hollyoaks (Zachary, 16, pictured right and Leighton, 12, pictured left) The official Instagram account for the show announced the exciting news on Tuesday by posting a snap of the youngsters (Stacey Solomon pictured) She quipped: 'Oh late Leighton, what time do you call this to be collecting papers? I'll be having a word with your mother. Go on.' Meanwhile, she told Zachary: 'My papayas I presume. I was expecting them first thing this morning. Round the back, please.' The duo seemed to keep their own names for the brief appearance and it's yet to be revealed whether it's a one-off or they will be playing returning roles. Hollyoaks simply posted the eyes emoji for the caption, which sent fans wild in the comments as they begged to find out whether they new additions were there to stay. Viewers quipped: 'Thought I recognised them did they just visit the set or are they joining?' 'Stacey Solomons eldest boy omg.' 'Are these two not Stacey Solomons eldest boys? Im sure they are.' 'I thought I knew their faces. I had to rewind it to make sure hahahah.' '@staceysolomon love it, Zachery and Leighton in Hollyoaks is it a one off??' The official Instagram account for the show announced the exciting news on Tuesday by posting stills of them acting on set, as well as a video Zachary (LEFT) played a Parcel Patrons worker who was delviering a package and bumped into Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Leighton took on the role of a paperboy (RIGHT) In the scene, she quipped: 'Oh Leighton, what time do you call this to be collecting papers? I'll be having a word with your mother. Go on' Hollyoaks simply posted the eyes emoji for the caption, which sent fans wild in the comments as they begged to find out whether they new additions were there to stay Viewers quipped: 'Thought I recognised them did they just visit the set or are they joining?' '@staceysolomon well you kept this one quiet! But why are the boys there? Lol' 'I wasnt expecting Stacey Solomons kids on here.' And Zachary and Leighton aren't the first well-known faces to make a debut into acting by turning to Hollyoaks. Love Island star Curtis Pritchard and his brother AJ had a widely-panned cameo on the soap back in 2021. In 2021, the twins played twins Marco and Jacob; but their scenes soon went viral due to their 'wooden' acting. In particular, Curtis's delivery of the line, 'How's Trish?', was mocked by viewers unsure whether the brothers were plotting to murder long-time character Trish Minniver or throw her a surprise party. Other soap stars - such as former EastEnders regular Michael Greco and Hollyoaks' own Parry Glasspool - hit out at the Pritchards and slammed casting directors for hiring them, when there were trained actors looking for roles. Gerard McCarthy, 43 who is best known for playing Hollyoaks' Kris Fisher for four years penned: 'The next time a producer/casting director says the words "but they have a big social media following". Just point them in the direction of this absolute car crash!' Love Island star Curtis Pritchard and his brother AJ had a widely-panned cameo on the soap back in 2021 In 2021, the twins played twins Marco and Jacob in Hollyoaks; but their scenes soon went viral due to their 'wooden' acting Elsewhere, Zachary and Leighton's actor-turned-presenter step-dad Joe Swash, 42, played the role of Mickey Miller on EastEnders from 2003 until 2008. He made a one-off appearance in December but has admitted that a full-time comeback would depend on his family. Joe is married to Loose Women star Stacey and has Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, 23 months, with her. He told The Mirror: 'If they wanted me to go back in, that would be something I would think about. 'I've got a big family so it would have to suit me and the family ultimately. Soaps are quite full on and I have quite a young family.' Joe won I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! the same year he left EastEnders, and has since gone on to a major career as a personality. He has appeared as a contestant on numerous celebrity game shows, won Dancing on Ice in 2020 and regularly fronts daytime competitions for ITV. But he was keen to stress that he 'really enjoyed' his stint on the soap and is looking forward to seeing in the 40th anniversary in February next year as a fan. Zachary has previously appeared on Sort Your Life Out alongside his mum Stacey Their actor-turned-presenter step-dad Joe Swash, 42, played the role of Mickey Miller on EastEnders from 2003 until 2008 The couple have son Rex, four, and daughters Rose, two, and 16-month-old Belle together, while Stacey has Leighton, 12, and Zachary, 16, and Joe has Harry, 16, from previous relationships He said: 'I really enjoyed my time. The people that worked there, the directors and the writers and the bosses all were just such amazing people. I loved it there, I really did. 'So yeah, I'll be celebrating the anniversary with everyone else. 'As much as I was in it, I'm a fan of the show as well. 40 years they've done really well. It's a real milestone.' In his recent cameo in Albert Square, Joe appeared completely naked with only a Christmas present to hide his modesty. It comes just after Stacey confirmed that she and Joe have filmed a reality show focused on their family life. Following reports that they were filming a 'Kardashian-style' series at their beloved Pickle Cottage, the Sort Your Life Out star, 35, took to Instagram on New Year's Day to officially announce the news. Sharing a sweet trailer to promote the series, the clip featured Stacey and Joe's children playing in the garden of their 1.2 million Essex home, alongside their dogs Teddy and Peanut, and her ducks Daisy and Delilah. The show, titled Stacey & Joe, will air on the BBC later this year, with an air date yet to be announced. Captioning the post, Stacey wrote: 'A new year. A very new adventure. Coming Spring 2025. Weve been so nervous & excited to share this. Here is us. All of us. It comes just after Stacey confirmed that she and Joe have filmed a reality show focused on their family life The Sort Your Life Out star took to Instagram on New Year's Day to officially announce the news, following reports she and Joe were filming the fly-on-the-wall series Sharing a sweet trailer to promote the series, the clip featured Stacey and Joe's five children playing in the garden of their 1.2 million Essex home 'In 2024 we opened up our home & made a series about our lives, family, work & everything in between. 'It was a huge leap into the unknown & its been an absolute whirlwind making it. But last year as a family we decided to say yes to more & do things wed never done. 'We have spoken about making a documentary for a long time, lots of you have asked too. So here we go. A journey with us every second of the way. 'Through the laughter the tears & the craziness We hope it makes you smile, feel good & hopefully enjoy getting to know us all a little more.' Stacey and Joe have signed a lucrative deal with the BBC after chiefs there realised just how popular the Loose Women star has become. They are also thrilled with the success of her show Sort Your Life Out which sees her and her team help families transform their homes. Insiders at the network say that bosses view her as their 'new golden girl' due to her 'relatability.' She also has a huge following, particularly of young viewers which the BBC are so keen to attract. Sir Michael Parkinson left a six-figure sum to widowed wife Lady Mary following his death aged 88 in 2023. The TV personality enjoyed a decades long career as one of Britain's most distinguished broadcasters thanks to his legendary, self-titled chat show. Probate records disclose that the father-of-three left 308,985 reduced to a net estate of 292,512 after payment of liabilities. His will left everything in trust for his family after funeral and legal expenses, with the income going to his wife of 59 years Lady Mary Parkinson for her lifetime. It is believed that she also inherited his share of their family home in Bray, Berkshire, without it featuring in his estate. The couple's sons Andrew, Nick and Mike had previously been appointed as executors of the will by Parkinson in 2020, three years before his death. Sir Michael Parkinson left a six-figure sum to widowed wife Lady Mary following his death aged 88 in 2023 Probate records disclose that the father-of-three left 308,985 reduced to a net estate of 292,512 after payment of liabilities The presenter died at his family home in Bray, Berkshire on August 16, 2023 following a brief illness - eight years after beating prostate cancer. He married Lady Mary, a journalist and TV personality in her own right, in 1959, long before establishing himself as a presenter with the launch of his chat show. He presented the show from 1971 until 1982 and again from 1998 to 2004 on the BBC before it switched to ITV, where it remained until it was taken off air in 2007. By then, the genial presenter had interviewed more than 2,000 celebrities across four decades. Some of his best known interviewees include boxer Muhammed Ali, legendary actor Orson Welles and former Beatle John Lennon, who appeared with his wife Yoko Ono. Parkinson was also memorably attacked while interviewing puppeteer Rod Hull and his anarchic feathered hand puppet, Emu. Former guest Dame Helen Mirren once called the presenter a 'sexist old fart' following their notorious interview in 1975 - her first ever chat show appearance - during which he remarked on the then 30-year old's bosoms by asking if they 'distracted' audiences. Looking back at the disastrous interview during a later appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Parkinson admitted: 'I feel it's of its time, and of its time it's embarrassing. Some of his best known interviewees include boxer Muhammed Ali, who appeared as a guest on his show in 1974 Parkinson was also memorably attacked while interviewing puppeteer Rod Hull and his anarchic feathered hand puppet, Em Former guest Dame Helen Mirren once called the presenter a 'sexist old fart' following their notorious interview in 1975 - her first ever chat show appearance 'It was over the top, absolutely so.' Another car crash moment came in 2003, when the veteran presenter interviewed awkward Hollywood actress Meg Ryan. The Sleepless in Seattle star gave a series of short answers whilst promoting her film In the Cut on his BBC talk show. During the icy discussion, Parkinson asked if her apprehension of journalists gives her insight into what they want, Ryan defensively replied: 'Now that I am wary of them?' Parkinson answered: 'Yes, you are wary of journalists, you are wary of me, you are wary of the interview. You don't like being interviewed. He later asked: 'If you were me, what would you do now?', to which Ryan ordered him to 'Just wrap it up.' Parkinson branded 'beautiful Meg' as an 'unhappy woman', while she hit back labelling him a 'nut'. Following his death, a statement from Parkinson's family read: 'After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family. 'The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.' Zoe Saldana is the latest Harper's Bazaar cover star. In the accompanying interview she revealed that she initially turned down her role in the hit show Special Ops: Lioness, which also stars Hollywood heavyweight Nicole Kidman. The 46-year-old Golden Globe-winning actress plays head spy Joe McNamara in the thriller, which first aired in July 2023. Zoe confessed that she was initially opposed to portraying her character, chief of the CIA's Lioness sector, due to their opposing temperaments. 'I didn't feel I was cut out for it,' she explained of McNamara's routine behavior, which is in contrast to Saldana's free spirit. 'I was convinced that I was going to fail.' One year later she changed her mind and circled back to series creator Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone). 'He responded immediately, and he was like, "We're f*****g waiting on you,"' she recalled. Zoe Saldana is the latest Harper's Bazaar cover star In the accompanying magazine interview Zoe revealed that she initially turned down her role in the hit show Special Ops: Lioness, which also stars Hollywood heavyweight Nicole Kidman The 46-year-old Golden Globe-winning actress plays head spy Joe McNamara in the thriller, which first aired in July 2023 In conversation with journalist Kaitlyn Greenidge, Zoe spoke of her struggle with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which she says has contributed to a lifetime of what she described as 'restlessness.' 'I was always off,' Saldana said about her neurodiversity. 'When you have a child that has ADHD and is dyslexic and has a lot of energy and doesnt sit still and is unable to listen, you think that its on purpose. I just remember asking myself, "Why dont I fit in? Why do I do this?" 'It would make me really sad, and it would make me feel really isolated,' she explained. Inside the pages of the glossy, for which she modeled a series of stunning designer looks, Zoe also discussed feeling isolated as a child after becoming a New York transplant in the Dominican Republic. Following her father's premature death when she was just nine-years-old, her grieving mother sent her and her two sisters to live with family on the island. 'You cant speak English; you have to speak only Spanish. You cant code-switch,' the star recalled of the culture shock. She added, 'And then you get bullied because kids dont understand you. And we werent little victims. We pushed back, but then they pushed harder, because they all understood each other.' The 46-year-old Golden Globe-winning actress revealed her pert chest in a sheer dress by Saint Laurent, baring her nipples Inside the pages of the glossy, Zoe opened up about feeling isolated as a child after becoming a New York transplant in the Dominican Republic. Following her father's premature death when she was just nine-years-old, her grieving mother sent her and her two sisters to live with family on the island. The Hollywood veteran posed in a Dolce & Gabbana trench coat and Wolford tights Zoe found solace in the performing arts, studying ballet and describing it as 'exactly what I needed to settle my restless mind.' Engaging in performing arts brought her peace, she told the outlet. 'I learned in a very innocent, unconscious way when I was very young that I need to live in art, because I find peace,' she detailed. 'I can rest when Im creating.' In the story's photo spread, the dark-haired beauty showed off her pert chest in sheer dresses by Saint Laurent and LaQuan Smith, baring her nipples in each. One image sees the statuesque mother-of-two in a soft brown lace gown with a long keyhole slit at the bodice. Saldana posed with conviction against a pale, lime-colored background, standing tall in a pair of glossy, merlot-hued Larroude x Altuzarra heels. Other outtakes from the Larissa Hofmann photo shoot show the silver screen siren lying on a magenta carpet in a nude Anthony Vaccarello-designed mini frock with ruffled red trim accents. The Hollywood vet is fresh off her Golden Globe win for her role in the genre-defying film Emilia Perez. When thinking about buying your partner something for Valentines Day, most would settle with chocolates and flowers. But according to Gwyneth Paltrow's gift guide those eager to please will have to dig deep, as only a 26,000 necklace or a two-person sauna will suffice. Releasing her annual Goop Valentines Day gift guide, Gwyneth Paltrow claims 'nothing says I love you' like some overpriced and outlandish gifts. This year her list features a 7,000 two person Infared sauna, which as of Wednesday, had just one remaining in stock. A 24,000 18karat diamond necklace was also a suggestion for those stuck for ideas. As was a 17,000 yellow gold bangle which also only had one left in stock. According to Gwyneth Paltrow 's gift guide those eager to please will have to dig deep, as only a 26,000 necklace or a two-person sauna will suffice This year her list features a 7,000 two person Infared sauna, which as of Wednesday, had just one remaining in stock. A 125g tin of Russian Osetra Caviar was suggested for 600. Other food includes a box of four dates for 50 and a 250 Matcha making kit. A crossbody bag that holds a bottle of champagne for 120 is also on the list, as is 500 Goop jumper, a 400 hairbrush and a 170 'sex pillow'. Pyjamas, underwear and perfume were also on the list. Gwyneth also promoted some of her own Goop beauty products including lip balm for 80, body cream for 55, a vibrator for 80 and sex oil for 40. The actress founded Goop 17 years ago in 2008 with what began as a newsletter to her family and closest friends. Now growing to a website, podcast, brand and shop, it's generated criticism over the years for being too expensive and promoting eyebrow raising products such as sex dust and vampire repellent. She had also previously advised readers to purchase a 12,000 24k gold vibrator and vaginal jade eggs. But Gwyneth has seemingly had no trouble pulling in the big bucks having raised more than 113 million in capital from blue-chip firms. Releasing her annual Goop Valentines Day gift guide, Gwyneth Paltrow claims 'nothing says I love you' like some overpriced and outlandish gifts A 24,000 18karat diamond necklace was also a suggestion for those stuck for ideas. As was a 17,000 yellow gold bangle (left) which also only had one left in stock, meanwhile a 125g tin of Russian Osetra Caviar was suggested for 600 (right) A crossbody bag that holds a bottle of champagne for 120 is also on the list, as is 500 Goop jumper, a 400 hairbrush (above) and a 170 'sex pillow' Gwyneth also promoted some of her own Goop beauty products including lip balm for 80, body cream for 55, a vibrator for 80 and sex oil for 40 (above) In recent months the company is said it has shifted its focus into beauty, food and fashion (Gwyneth pictured in September) In October last year she laid off ten of her staff after laying off 40 in September from the 216 person strong team. In recent months the company is said it has shifted its focus into beauty, food and fashion. It includes the in-house clothing brand G. Label, beauty lines Goop Beauty and Good Clean Goop, and the start up of Goop Kitchen, a restaurant that only delivers takeout. Earlier this month, Goop announced a massive donation for victims of the LA fires. Gwyneth revealed Goop will be donating more than $2 million worth of products to charities assisting those afflicted by the disaster. The CEO said the donation has been sent to charities including Baby2Baby, a nonprofit supporting children living in poverty, and Altadena Girls, a donation drive for teenage girls impacted by the Eaton fire. Goop's Brentwood store is also sending care packages consisting of beauty and skin care products to goop clients impacted by the blaze. Timothee Chalamet was spotted carrying yet another Chanel purse in New York this week - fueling rumors he has been raiding his girlfriend Kylie Jenner's closet. The speculation went into overdrive earlier this month when Timothee was seen in Paris modeling a different handbag from the same brand. During his outing in the French capital, Timothee had on a small blue cross-body purse with the classic double-C logo as he signed autographs for fans. Meanwhile, when the Franco-American actor returned stateside this week, he was seen with an iridescent pink and silver metallic lambskin Chanel mini-flap bag. He teamed the accessory with a hot pink puffer jacket and a complementary scarf, keeping extra warm in a brown knit cap with a green embroidery. The 29-year-old's outfit included a baggy pair of faded jeans and a trendily sagging cloth belt, as well as a brown set of low-top boots. Timothee Chalamet was spotted carrying yet another Chanel purse in New York this week - fueling rumors he has been raiding his girlfriend Kylie Jenner's closet When Timothee was glimpsed with his previous Chanel bag in Paris last week, fans quickly started sharing theories that he borrowed the item from Kylie. 'Borrowing from Kylies collection. So real,' wrote one observer on X, formerly Twitter, adding a black heart emoji for good measure. 'Borrowing from Kylies closet I see,' wrote another, as others joked that he had swiped the item from his girlfriend's six-year-old daughter Stormi Webster. Earlier this month, Kylie and Timothee attended the Golden Globes together - though she refrained from walking the red carpet with him. Timothee was nominated for Best Performance In A Motion Picture - Drama for his role as Bob Dylan in the musical biopic A Complete Unknown. Inside the ceremony, Kylie, 27, was seated right next to Timothee, 29, and the pair were even seen kissing on camera at their table. However, in spite of being one of the highest-profile couples in Hollywood, they did not pose together on the red carpet earlier that evening. Timothee hit the carpet solo, wearing a scarf in place of a tie in a tribute to the boho chic that became an indelible part of Bob Dylan's image. When the Franco-American actor returned stateside this week, he was seen with an iridescent pink and silver metallic lambskin Chanel mini-flap bag He teamed the accessory with a hot pink puffer jacket and a complementary scarf, keeping extra warm in a brown knit cap with a green embroidery Shortly after the ceremony, an insider has shared the real reason that Kylie waited until after the red carpet to materialize at Timothee's side that night. 'Kylie didnt want to make it about them. She wanted this night to be all about Timothee, how it was intended to be,' the source told Page Six. However Timothee 'made sure to invite' Kylie, whom he was first linked to in April 2023 and whom he went public with that September. Timothee is said to have 'felt a sense of comfort having Kylie there with him' at the Golden Globes, where he ultimately lost to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist. The couple were the picture of romance in the audience of the awards show, kissing on camera and laughing at host Nikki Glaser's jokes. They were even seen chuckling when Nikki mocked Timothee's singing voice and his mustache, which she called 'the most gorgeous eyelashes on your upper lip.' Kylie served up a generous helping of cleavage in a plunging silver sequined Versace gown - a vintage piece from 1999, as she noted on Instagram. While at the event at The Beverly Hilton, the lip kit mogul could be seen mingling with Timothee's A Complete Unknown co-stars Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning. Earlier this month, Kylie and Timothee attended the Golden Globes together - though she refrained from walking the red carpet with him Inside the ceremony, Kylie, 27, was seated right next to Timothee, 29, and the pair were even seen kissing on camera at their table Timothee hit the carpet solo, wearing a scarf in place of a tie in a tribute to the boho chic that became an indelible part of Bob Dylan's image Directed by James Mangold, who made Ford v Ferrari, the movie covers both Bob Dylan's early folk success and his controversial decision to go electric in 1965. A Complete Unknown began its wide release on Christmas Day and received a respectable response from the critics to the tune of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. In her Instagram album showcasing her Golden Globes look, Kylie made no mention of Timothee, in keeping with the rule they both appear to have by which neither of them posts pictures of the other one to social media. The last public event they appeared at together was the 2024 Golden Globes, in which they went viral for sharing a kiss on camera. Directed by James Mangold, who made Ford v Ferrari, the movie covers both Bob Dylan's early folk success and his controversial decision to go electric in 1965 Timothee and Kylie have studiously kept their relationship out of the public eye, to the point that they ignited breakup rumors last year. The pair took their romance public in the audience of a Beyonce show in early September 2023, after being trailed by dating rumors for months. In spite of the performance below, Kylie and Timothee appeared to have eyes only for each other, kissing passionately while wrapped in one another's arms. Timothee later confessed to MTV that he found it 'hard to be present' at a Beyonce concert while indulging in the steamy make-out session. Kylie is a mother of two, sharing her son Aire, two, and her daughter Stormi, six, with her rapper ex Travis Scott, whom she dated on and off from 2017 to 2022. Ricky Gervais has paid tribute to his canine co-star Anti on Wednesday after her death aged 13. The Vislor Antilly, known to most people as Brandy, the comedian's loyal sidekick in Netflix's After Life, passed away peacefully at her home in Oxfordshire. Ricky uploaded a photo of himself and Anti sat on a park bench, from the series, to share the news with fans on X. He wrote: 'Sad News. 'Anti', who played 'Brandy' in AfterLife, has died. She was 13 and a very good girl.' The actor later added in a statement: 'This is such sad news. Anti was a beautiful soul. We hit it off straight away and she helped make After Life my favourite filming experience of all time. 'Im so glad that I told her a hundred times a day that she was a very good girl.' Ricky Gervais has paid tribute to his canine co-star Anti on Wednesday after her death aged 13 The Vislor Antilly, known to most people as Brandy, the comedian's loyal sidekick in Netflix 's After Life, passed away peacefully at her home in Oxfordshire In 2018, Anti was cast personally by Ricky as Brandy, Tony Johnsons (Ricky) trusty companion. The black comedy-drama, which premiered in 2019, follows the story of newspaper journalist Tony who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife Lisa (played by Kerry Godliman). The show hit the Number 1 spot on Netflixs most-watched programmes around the globe. Anti gained worldwide fame, causing Ricky to have to repeatedly promise fans on social media that 'the dog does not die' in the run-up to every season, earning the title of 'The Worlds Most Famous Dog' for her role as a faithful friend to Tony and helping him deal with the grief of the loss of Lisa. In 2022, Anti's owner revealed she is showered with the same levels of affection at home where she is treated as the 'queen of the family'. Owner and trainer Ash Foster, who has had her since the day she was born, told the Daily Mail, that Anti remained dedicated to her work on film sets where she has impressed the likes of George Clooney, Tom Cruise and Martin Clunes. But when at home the dog loves nothing more than settling down on the sofa to watch Netflix, snacking on cheese and sipping tea with oat milk. Mr Foster said of Anti: 'I delivered her into the world. I had her mum and I was there when she was born. She's lived with me my whole life.' Ricky uploaded a photo of himself and Anti from the series and wrote: 'Sad News. 'Anti', who played 'Brandy' in AfterLife, has died. She was 13 and a very good girl' The actor later added in a statement: 'This is such sad news. Anti was a beautiful soul. We hit it off straight away and she helped make After Life my favourite filming experience of all time' In 2022, Anti's owner revealed she is showered with the same levels of affection at home where she is treated as the 'queen of the family' He added: 'She's as much a part of my identity as my wife at the minute. She is very special to me. She is basically the queen of the family. Almost worshipped in our house. 'At home she just wants to get on the sofa and watch Netflix with you. 'She is very active when we take her out, she likes to swim, we go cycling on our bikes and she'll run alongside the bikes. You can take her to the pub. 'She's always been a perfect dog. How she is on After Life is how she is at home.' Ricky, who has written, starred in, directed and edited all seasons, struck up a friendship with Anti after picking her off a website to be his character Tony's beloved pet dog. Speaking about the pair's relationship during filming, Mr Foster said: 'It's been quite a beautiful thing. 'Recently they've released a lot of trailers of just him [Gervais] and her [Anti] together with Queen's Your My Best Friend song, when you look at things like that it's quite sad. 'I like to think of it as the perfect time capsule of her, I know she's never going to die in After Life but when she does go that's going to be the thing I remember her by.' Anti whose full name is Antilly is well practised in appearing on screen, having started her career aged just two. Anti was born in April 2011 in Herefordshire, at the home of Vislor Dog Training Centre. The canine has enjoyed a varied career starring in film and TV hits and starred alongside Martin Clunes in series seven of Doc Martin She became part of a four-legged family that had already appeared on the silver screen both of Antis parents, also raised by Vislor trainers Travis and Ashley Foster, appeared together with Bane's henchmen in Christopher Nolan's $1bn blockbuster Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. She earned her first taste of fame alongside Tom Cruise in Doug Limans Edge of Tomorrow in 2014, going on to appear with Michael Fassbender in Trespass Against Us and George Clooney in The Midnight Sky, who then went on to cast Anti in his 2023 release The Boys in the Boat. Her work in TV included BBCs The Capture alongside Holliday Grainger and Ron Perlman, ITVs Doc Martin, where she performed stunts with Martin Clunes, Britains Got More Talent with David Walliams, and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Her final stunt on camera was released in July 2024, season 23, episode 2 of Midsomer Murders, The Debt of Lies, playing a retired police dog who detains the murderer before retiring in real life from film and TV at 11 years old. Audrey Hepburns eldest son has said he was not surprised at Ivanka Trumps tribute to his late mother at the inauguration but implied the late actress' politics would have aligned more with the 'woke' bishop than the President. The First Daughter, 43, took to the stage with her husband, Jared Kushner, 44, for a romantic dance during her father Donald's Liberty Ball in Washington, D.C. on Monday evening, wearing a recreation of a Hubert de Givenchy gown that was originally designed for Audrey in the 1954 film Sabrina. The strapless black-and-white number was complete with floral motifs and a bodice. But unlike Audrey, who fashioned the gown with minimal jewellery and long, white satin gloves for her turn alongside William Holden, Ivanka opted for black gloves and a Leviev floral diamond necklace. In a statement, the White House said Ivanka was 'honored' to pay homage to Audrey who has long been a personal inspiration to Ivanka. Audreys son Sean Hepburn Ferrer, 64, said it was no wonder Donald's daughter opted to give a nod to his late mother due to their decades-long family ties. Audrey Hepburns son has told DailyMail.com that he was not surprised at Ivanka Trumps tribute to his late mother at the inauguration (pictured with her husband Jared Kushner) Ivanka, 43, wore a recreation of a Hubert de Givenchy gown that was originally designed for Audrey in the 1954 film Sabrina (pictured) It is no wonder that growing up in a family which knew our mother as a household name she chose to draw inspiration from her, to seek the ultimate elegance and class reference, for an occasion such as this one - the inauguration and the 32nd anniversary of our mother's passing and, most of all, Martin Luther King's day, he told DailyMail.com exclusively. What a cocktail! He recalled how Donald and Ivankas stepmother Marla Ann Maples sat on the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund advisory board in the early 1990s. The Fund once held a charitable event for Ivanka's stepsister Tiffany to mark her first birthday, dubbed 'Breakfast with Tiffany' in a nod to Audreys 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffanys. Ivankas mother Ivana, Donalds first wife, was also in a long relationship with Rofredo Gaetani, the eldest son of Lorian Gaetani, one of Audreys childhood and lifetime friends of the Hepburn family. Sean said Ivankas decision to pay tribute to his mother highlights how she is an anchor for many celebrities. Over the past 71 years her legacy has grown to become transgenerational and transnational, he said. Her elegance, which has its roots in her inner beauty and spirit, is often a reference point, an anchor, for many celebrities, actresses and models in these times in which we appear to have somewhat lost our way. But when pushed on the backlash to Ivankas choice of attire, he said his mother, who was a UNICEF ambassador, fought on behalf of the disenfranchised children worldwide regardless of the ideological environment in which they were born in. The First Daughter took to the stage with her husband, Jared, 44, for a romantic dance during the Liberty Ball in Washington, D.C. on Monday evening Audrey's son Sean Hepburn Ferrer implied his late mother would not have aligned with Donalds politics He suggested her outlook was more in line with Marianne Budde, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, who claimed trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to Donald being in the Oval Office. Donald sat stony-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the prelate told him illegal immigrants were not criminals and he shouldn't deport those with children, before asking him to 'have mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now.' Ivanka, who previously served as senior adviser in President Trump's first administration, sparked fury among fans of the late British icon, who claimed the recreation of the gown was gross and insulting to [Audreys] memory. Im a big Audrey fan and this is 100 percent insulting to her memory, wrote one person on Reddit. Before she was a glamorous, famous actress, she was a rebel against the very political movement Ivankas father emulates. Another wrote: Yep everything Audrey fans have said is true. She witnessed first-hand the devastation of the Nazis, and it stayed with her for the rest of her life and inspired her work with UNICEF. That is why she is remembered as an icon. She wasnt American, but I can only imagine what she would think of Trump. Ivanka is not a fashion icon or role model in any way. She [Audrey] is the complete opposite of Ivankas silver spoon life, commented a third. In a statement, the White House said Ivanka was 'honored' to pay homage to Audrey who has long been a personal inspiration to Ivanka Audrey pictured with her then husband Mel Ferrer and their son Sean Born to a Dutch baroness, Ella van Heemstra, and a British-Austrian businessman, Joseph Hepburn-Ruston, Audrey bravely carried messages for the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation and was never able to accept her mothers early affiliation with the Nazis. Detailing her experiences during World War II in his biography Dutch Girl, Robert Matzen said she feared Ellas Nazi past would kill her career, but still, they remained close. Audrey, who was nominated for five Oscars and won the best actress award in 1953 for her performance in Roman Holiday, dedicated her life to advocating for children living in poverty. In December 1992 she received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Audrey had son Sean with her first husband Mel Ferrer. She also has son Luca Dotti, now 54, with her second husband, Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti. She died in 1993 from abdominal cancer. Longtime couple Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg have opened up about the secret to their 10-year marriage. Sitting down for a chat with Us Weekly, the 52-year-old actress and 55-year-old actor dished on what has kept their union strong and 'hot.' For the outlet's 'real relationship' issue, Jenny spilled the racy thing they like to do at parties. 'We like to sneak off at parties,' the blond bombshell revealed. 'If someone has a Christmas party, were going to find the basement bathroom, take advantage of the moment.' The lovebirds also admitted to hooking up at weddings and in their car to 'keep it fun and spicy.' Longtime couple Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg have opened up about the secret to their 10-year marriage; pictured in November Sitting down for a chat with Us Weekly, the 52-year-old actress and 55-year-old actor dished on what has kept their union strong and 'hot' Wahlberg recalled a funny moment when a well-known actor spotted them in a public display of affection at the 2014 Creative Arts Emmys. 'We hear this voice say, "Get a room." I was like, "That sounded like the voice of God." It was Morgan Freeman. He walked by and winked at us.' The Boston-bred entertainer added, 'We work at keeping it hot. Of course we love each other and were attracted to each other, but we also give it care.' He explained, 'Thats how you keep [the spark] alive. We dont take for granted that its been 10 years and we dont have to do that stuff anymore. Keep doing it.' Donnie also emphasized, 'If we're not taking care of ourselves as individuals, we can't treat the marriage with the respect and commitment that it deserves.' 'That allows us to be even stronger as a team,' the Blue Bloods alum explained. Dressed in matching black outfits during their virtual conversation with the publication, the couple agreed that after meeting they 'almost immediately' knew they would tie the knot. 'When we met we kind of knew we were gonna be married almost immediately. We just fell in love instantly. 'I knew when we started dating there was no turning back, and she said the same,' the proud husband said of their instantaneous connection. For the outlet's 'real relationship' issue, Jenny spilled the racy thing they like to do at parties, sharing, 'We like to sneak off. If someone has a Christmas party, were going to find the basement bathroom, take advantage of the moment'; pictured in February 2024 Sparks first flew between the television personality and the New Kids On The Block star during a joint appearance on Watch What Happens Live in 2012 Sparks first flew between the television personality and the New Kids On The Block star during a joint appearance on Watch What Happens Live in 2012. Then, in March 2013, Wahlberg appeared on McCarthy's eponymous VH1 talk show. A few months later, they were officially dating and making red carpet appearances together. In April 2014, Wahlberg proposed. They tied the knot that August in a ceremony featured on their A&E reality show Donnie Loves Jenny. Real Housewives of New York City fans are calling for a cast member to be fired from the series over the show's 'dark' finale, which involved a rape storyline. Brynn Whitfield, 39, was accused of 'weaponizing' a past incident of sexual assault against co-star Ubah Hassan, 41, after the pair got into a fight during an all-cast trip to Puerto Rico. Speaking to Rolling Stone after the finale aired, Brynn confirmed that she hasn't quit the hit Bravo series and that she's already managed to make amends with some of her castmates. The drama started when Brynn and Ubah started exchanging insults following a disastrous cast dinner, which ended with Ubah accusing Brynn of sleeping with somebody to get hired on RHONY. As tensions continued to rise, Brynn told some of her other castmates that she had been raped in the past and that Ubah was aware of it, and therefore shouldn't have accused her of sleeping with somebody to get a job. 'I'm in support groups trying to deal with s**t that happened to me. You want to go there? And Ubah knows this. Ubah knows this,' she told her stunned castmates. 'Before Bravocon, I f***ing called Ubah and was like, "You know, I was f***ing raped and I'm still dealing with this s**t." Ubah knows this s**t,' she continued. 'So no, I don't need random f***ing six-foot petulant toddlers being like, "She sucks d**k for work." Brynn Whitfield (pictured) has broken her silence following Tuesday's explosive Real Housewives of New York City finale 'It's not just an insult. It's because of the fact I'm still dealing with something so I don't want any f***ing low blows that aren't true, let alone about something that is still something where I wake up in the middle of the night that I can't breathe over.' The women rallied around Brynn to support her, but the mood soon changed when Jessel Tank confronted Ubah over the incident - and Ubah denied ever knowing that Brynn had been assaulted. A furious Ubah then confronted Brynn, saying, 'Brynn! You said on camera you were raped? And I knew about it?' A producer then came between the women, with a furious Ubah snapping, 'This b***h! Are you kidding me?' She continued to scream, 'This b***h is lying! You son of a b***h. You f***ing psycho b***h.' The rest of the women quickly decided that Ubah was telling the truth, and that Brynn may have twisted the situation to cause drama and to make the Somalian model look bad. Producers separated the two women and the cameras went down for the night. And then according to Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, Racquel Chevremont, and Jenna Lyons, Brynn then came into their room and admitted that 'maybe' Ubah wasn't aware of her past assault after all. Brynn, 39, was accused of 'weaponizing' a past incident of sexual assault against her co-star Ubah Hassan, 41, after the pair got into a fight during an all-cast trip to Puerto Rico Ubah was accused of knowing that Brynn had been raped in the past and attacking her over her sexuality, but Ubah denied ever knowing about Brynn's tragic past A furious Ubah confronted Brynn, her castmates and production, saying, 'Brynn! You said on camera you were raped? And I knew about it?' Brynn later admitted that 'maybe' Ubah hadn't been aware of her past assault 'I realized [Brynn] was lying,' Racquel later told producers, while Erin said, 'I will bet my life on the fact that Ubah did not know.' The episode drew a strong reaction on social media, with many viewers calling it 'too dark' and pushing for Brynn to be sacked from the series. 'Brynn is a dark human. The way she weaponizes the most vulnerable things a person can experience strategically and methodically is scary. Not fun. Not good TV either,' one viewer posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. 'Honestly, #RHONY went from boring to meh to dark so quickly. We need to just pause, take a moment, and come back like way later or something,' posted another. 'Brynn needs to pack it up. This was so dark and gross. To weaponize your trauma in this way is sick #RHONY,' wrote a third. A fourth wrote, 'The #RHONY finale is truly unfathomable and NOT in a good way. Yes, this show finally gave us something to work with, but it's so unspeakably dark it's hard to imagine them moving forward at ALL.' Brynn spoke to Rolling Stone following the finale and responded to her castmates for accusing her of intentionally 'lying' about Ubah knowing about her assault. 'That was shocking. You're telling me that in the three minutes from when I'm called horrible names [by Ubah] and I'm obviously upset that I somehow devised a plan?' she said. 'It's disgusting that I'm talking about two things that I would hope that no woman or person would have to experience suicide and sexual assault and everyone's like, "Brynn, we feel taken advantage of." Maybe don't use those words to describe the situation. I just feel like I wasn't shown much [respect],' she continued. 'These are difficult, serious things we're talking about. That's how it felt for me the whole season, like I was always being attacked. I would go into filming a lot of the time and I would feel dread and despair. I was just like, every single thing is going to turn into something. It was weird energy from the very first scene.' Brynn also said that she was able to make amends with Jenna, Erin, and Racquel at the reunion, and that she was even confident that she could repair her friendship with Ubah. She also shut down rumors that she was quitting the series, but admitted that she didn't know if she'd be asked back for another season or not. Furious viewers slammed the series, claiming that it's gone too 'dark' Viewers flocked to social media to demand that Brynn be fired from the long-running show This is not the first time that the reboot of RHONY has received backlash from viewers. The series previously came under fire for casting Scientologist Rebecca Minkoff. There was also a controversial scene in which Erin showed a photo of her husband's penis to her castmates. 'Wanna see his d**k?' Erin asked Jenna and Brynn as they shopped inside a clothing boutique. 'It's beautiful. I'm proud of it,' she gushed as she searched through her phone. After finding the image and showing it to both Jenna and Brynn, the pair were visibly shocked and stunned. Viewers were equally by shocked by Erin's antics, with many taking to social media after the episode aired to voice their disdain. 'It's so high school. Why would you ever show someone body part without permission?' wrote one. 'Showing your husband's nudes!! That's weird [as f**k] not funny, not cute, not a thing girls do,' commented another. 'Ummm, absolutely not. Lol. Showing your man's meat to a woman who's constantly flirting with your man is insane. Next thing you know Erin is crying about an affair. (Hopefully not),' wrote a third. Benedict Cumberbatch shared his bewilderment at being branded a sex symbol as he admitted to 'worrying about ageing' in a candid new interview with Variety. The actor, 48, who became admired after his role as Sherlock Holmes, said that he doesn't consider himself to be a 'typical movie star.' The series, which is set in London, ran four seasons for a total of 15 episodes between 20102017, and also featured Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. Following the conclusion of Sherlock, Benedict has been seen in many high-profile projects, notably starring as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speaking in his cover story for the latest edition of Variety, he said: 'Im not Brad, Im not Leonardo, Im not a typical movie star. People were scrambling for "Why is he at all attractive to us?" 'But for me to guess and try to understand that is so f***ing weirdly navel-gazing. Im not sitting around thinking, Why am I sexy? I worry about myself in the mirror as I age, like every other f***er does.' Benedict Cumberbatch shared his bewilderment at being branded a sex symbol as he admitted to 'worrying about ageing' in a candid new interview with Variety The actor, 48, who became admired after his role as Sherlock Holmes, said that he doesn't consider himself to be a 'typical movie star' Addressing if Sherlock could return in the future, he continued: 'It would take it to be better than it ever was. You leave them or yourselves wanting more. 'Theres always that itch to scratch, but I think it would have to be the superlative version of what weve already achieved.' Benedict recently stripped down to a towel to play a chief executive named Benedict Lumberjack for an advert highlighting the role of pension funds in fossil fuel projects. The Sherlock actor can be heard saying 'I'm so hot right now' while he sits in a sauna and watches the world's forests burn in a campaign video created on behalf of the group Make My Money Matter. Lumberjack encourages people to not 'change a thing' and to 'keep your pension cash pouring in' because it will benefit people like him and 'keep the fires of profit burning'. 'The business of deforestation is on fire and it's all thanks to you,' the character says. 'We've taken billions of your hard-earned pounds and used them to fuel our exploits through the Amazon and beyond. 'The money from your pension has helped scorch, slash and burn entire rainforests, and our profits are growing like, well, wildfire. Speaking in his cover story for the latest edition of Variety , he said: 'Im not Brad, Im not Leonardo. People were scrambling for "Why is he at all attractive to us?" He added: 'Im not sitting around thinking, Why am I sexy? I worry about myself in the mirror as I age, like every other f***er does' Sherlock, which is set in London, ran four seasons for a total of 15 episodes between 20102017, and also featured Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson Addressing if Sherlock could return in the future, he continued: 'It would take it to be better than it ever was. You leave them or yourselves wanting more' 'Theres always that itch to scratch, but I think it would have to be the superlative version of what weve already achieved,' the actor concluded 'Some parts of the world are literally burning, but you know, it's just the bits that nobody cares about. 'Look, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the rainforest.' The advert, created by agency Lucky Generals and directed by Sophia Ray, aims to increase public awareness of the role of the UK pensions industry in financing companies that help to drive the climate crisis. Research from the campaign group found UK pension schemes invest around 88 billion in fossil fuel companies. Scarlett Johansson made a rare comment about her twin brother Hunter during an appearance on Wednesday's Today With Jenna & Friends. While the actress, 40, is a bonafide Hollywood superstar, her brother has largely shunned the spotlight, founding the nonprofit organization Solar Responders in 2018. The pair - whose parents are Karsten Johansson and Melanie Sloan - have two older siblings Adrian Johansson and Vanessa Johansson, older half brother Christian Johansson from Karsten's first marriage and a younger sister Fenan Sloan, who was adopted by Melanie in 2010. Discussing how hard it is to find souvenirs with their names on as children, the Lost In Translation star said: 'A couple of years ago, we were in Montauk out in Long Island and we were at one of those surf shop places, and there were two mini keychain surfboards. 'One said Scarlett, and then we found Hunter, and I legit think we cried. 'We bought them and we looked at each other and it was like, "They see us, before quipping the reaction was an 'overaction.' Scarlett Johansson made a rare comment about her twin brother Hunter during an appearance on Wednesday's Today With Jenna & Friends - pictured 2014 In 2016 Johansson teamed up with her sister Vanessa to voice an audio book. The actress, worked on the adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland with her sibling. She narrated the classic tale for Audible. Vanessa, who is a voice actress and has worked with the company before, this time sat in the director's chair. She told People it was a 'no-brainer.' She added: 'We're very close and, as you can imagine, have been playing around and doing funny voices since we were little so it was great project for the two of us because we're so used to inventing together.' The pair worked in the studio together on the project, which led to much sisterly bonding. Vanessa said: 'There was a lot of laughter, a lot of goofiness happening. The story certainly warrants a lot of that. It's a total wacky, crazy story. 'We were like, "Oh my god, that was written for children?!" It's so out-there, really!' While the actress, 40, is a bonafide Hollywood superstar , her brother has largely shunned the spotlight, founding the nonprofit organization Solar Responders in 2018 - pictured 2005 Discussing how hard it is to find souvenirs with their names on as children, the Lost In Translation star said: 'There were two mini keychain surfboards. 'One said Scarlett, and then we found Hunter, and I legit think we cried' - pictured 2011 In 2016 Johansson teamed up with her sister Vanessa to voice an audio book - pictured 2006 Scarlett is married to Colin Jost and the pair share a son, Cosmo, three. She also shares daughter Rose , 10, with ex husband Roman Dauriac - pictured with Jost in July 2024 Scarlett is married to Colin Jost and the pair share a son, Cosmo, three. She also shares daughter Rose , 10, with ex husband Roman Dauriac. Taylor Swift was just lauded for her burlesque performance in her October 2022 Bejeweled music video. Swift, 35, directed the visual for the two-year-old track featured on her Midnights album which included cameos from Laura Dern, Haim, and Pat McGrath. Dita Von Teese also made an appearance in the sensual clip, and she reflected on the moment while promoting her upcoming London show Diamonds and Dust. The 52-year-old professional dancer appeared alongside media personality Lorraine on her eponymous talk show on Wednesday, where she praised Swift's talents. She credited the Tortured Poets Department music artist with the idea for them to perform side-by-side, mentioning that other entertainers don't bother consulting with her and instead steal her signature moves. 'The approach that she gave me was a side-by-side. Certainly, people approach me all the time like, "Oh, can I use your glass?" or they don't even ask me, they just copy as best they can,' the show business vet explained. Taylor Swift was just lauded for her burlesque performance in her October 2022 Bejeweled music video; pictured in February 2024 'She knew everything about burlesque and what I do, which is really amazing. And she's so smart, and professional, and funny,' Dita gushed about the Eras artist. Swift, 35, directed the visual for the two-year-old track - featured on her Midnights album -which included cameos from Laura Dern, Haim, and Pat McGrath She also described Taylor as 'amazing,' noting, 'I just love that she [was] like, "I wanna showcase what you do."' The video sees the pop star transform from Cinderella to a dancer clad in a stone-covered corset and red lipstick. Von Teese is widely credited with giving burlesque which originated in the 1800s a modern refresh. Her appearance on Lorraine comes ahead of her new burlesque show, Diamonds and Dust, which she announced in 2023. Dita began teasing out information on Instagram as early as March 2023. It wasn't until this month that she began reaching out to talent with casting call alerts to perform in London's West End. And finally, on Wednesday, it was announced that the sexy show will begin this summer on June 16, 2025. The production is described as 'a tale of the Good, the Bad and the Lucky' on the show's website. Professional burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, 52, appeared alongside media personality Lorraine on her eponymous talk show on Wednesday, where she praised Swift's talents Dita made a showstopping appearance in Taylor's clip, creating a crossover moment for the two entertainers Teese is known for her jet black hair, pinup style, and sultry burlesque moves Dita will star as Lady Luck and will don her trademark glitzy and skimpy outfits, plus her notable props. The theatrical production will take place at the Emerald Theatre in the heart of the West End. Previews for the show start on June 16 and the show will officially open on July 3, according to the site. An Instagram post shared on Wednesday teased, 'Dont leave it to chanceSIGN UP NOW to unlock exclusive priority ticket access on 10 Feb through the link in our bio.' Eternal stars Vernie and Easther Bennett have revealed they are set to release new music for the first time in 27 years, after welcoming a new member to the band. The sisters are preparing to return to the spotlight with a stellar comeback show at Scala in London on April 30, and are hoping to put together a new album in the coming months. Speaking to The Sun, Vernie and Easther shared that they will be taking to the stage with new member Christel Lakhdar, but the reunion is noticeably missing members Kelle Bryan and Louise Redknapp. Vernie said: 'New music definitely excites us. That's where we feel at home. We've started requesting songs. If we get that hit early on, if we write a hit early on, brilliant. 'It's got to be a great song like the ones we made before.' Easther said: 'I think the last album was cut short. There's some massive songs which could be re-recorded and re-released, like How Many Tears. Eternal stars Vernie and Easther Bennett have revealed they are set to release new music for the first time in 27 years, after welcoming a new member to the band (pictured with Louise Redknapp and Kelle Bryan) There had been talks for the band to reunite back in 2023, but Louise and Kelle pulled out over a trans rights row 'Sunday Morning is my favourite. I don't know if it's a single, but it's my favourite.' Despite a change to their lineup, Vernie and Easther hope that Christels vocals will perfecty fit on their 1997 chart-topper I Wanna Be The Only One, as well as Stay and Just A Step From Heaven. There had been talks for the band to reunite back in 2023, but Louise and Kelle pulled out because Vernie and Easther had refused to play any of the LBGTQ+ gigs they had scheduled over claims the community is being 'hijacked' by the trans movement. Shortly afterwards Louise was accused of trying to get her former bandmates cancelled by 'misrepresenting' their views. Yet in a telling statement, Louise said on Loose Women: 'I would have always loved to have done a reunion with the girls. I have a lot of love for what we have done together and me and Kelle are still the best of friends.' Vernie seemingly refuted the claims made by Louise's team as she released a statement about how she has been 'blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career.' Vernie released a statement which read: 'I am "Eternally" grateful for the family, friends, and amazing fans who have and continue to support our incredible journey and artistry. 'I've been blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career. You all have a piece of my heart. Speaking to The Sun, Vernie and Easther (pictured with Kelle in 2014) shared that they will be taking to the stage with new member Christel Lakhdar 'Though it is impossible and counterproductive to respond to the overwhelming number of statements and allegations made online recently, I place this moment in God's hands. 'I truly appreciate all who continue to express love and support for my family and Eternal.' Eternal's original manager Denis Ingoldsby furiously defended Easther and Vernie, who remain his clients, previously insisting they are 'devastated' and accusing Louise's team of misrepresenting details of a private email. He told Sky News: 'Louise and her team have thrown them under the bus and everyone is totally appalled at their bullying behaviour by totally misrepresenting the situation to suit their own agenda. 'The girls sent an email to Louise's camp saying they loved playing Pride, and they loved the ethos of the event. 'For her camp to go on the record suggesting they are homophobic is utterly outrageous. This is nothing about gay rights.' Speaking to The Mirror, Denis also claimed there were no confirmed, or contracted dates, in place for the reunion. Louise's team have denied this to the publication. He claimed that the sisters sent an email to Louise's camp saying they 'loved' playing Pride and the 'ethos of the event.' Louise and Kelle pulled out of the reunion because Vernie and Easther had refused to play any of the LBGTQ+ gigs, over claims the community is being 'hijacked' by the trans movement Shortly afterwards Louise was accused of trying to get her former bandmates cancelled by 'misrepresenting' their views Denis added that the dispute is 'nothing about gay rights,' and that the sisters have played 'numerous LGBTQ+ gigs.' He added: 'Vernie said she had some concerns about the Pride movement being hijacked - and she is not alone - but this has now been weaponized against her, with Louise's team trying to get her cancelled.' Louise's publicist Simon Jones has stated that they stand by their previous comments, telling the publication: 'Denis Ingoldsby was not involved in the discussions about the Eternal reunion including all four members over the last two years. Easther and Vernie can try and dress this up however they wish. 'The fact remains that the duo said they would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included. 'Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from their touring plans. We as a team absolutely do not agree with dividing the LGBTQ+ community or excluding trans people.' He added: 'Absolutely nothing has been misrepresented. 'We have simply explained the reason why the Eternal reunion is not going ahead with Louise and Kelle. 'It is a fact that an email was sent saying that Vernie and Easther would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included in the plan. 'Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from the band's touring plans, and as such notified the duo that she would not be taking part.' Louise addressed her decision to step down from the tour by sharing the Progress Pride Flag on her Instagram Stories, writing: 'Always and forever'. The flag was created in 2018 by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, and is largely based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. The stripes of black and brown represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of colour and the triad of blue, pink, and white are from the trans flag. Eternal, who shot to stardom in the nineties, were planning a huge reunion tour next year, with the highlights including performances at Pride and Mighty Hoopla. Both festivals celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, however the tour dates apparently did not go down well with band members Easther and Vernie Bennett. It was revealed that Louise and her team received a message from Vernie and Easther, stating they would not be involved in any Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals. Louise's publicist said: 'A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals. Louise addressed her decision to step down from the tour by sharing the Progress Pride Flag on her Instagram Stories, writing: 'Always and forever' 'This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this. 'Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kelle told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead. 'The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.' Louise, who recently confirmed she is dating new boyfriend Drew Michael, has performed as a solo artist at many Pride events over the years. Earlier this summer she took to the stage alone at Brighton Pride in August. The Eternal tour was set to be the first time the original line-up had performed together since Louise quit in 1995 to pursue a solo career. They soared to stardom in the early nineties with hits such as Stay and I Wanna Be The Only One. The band stayed together for another five years after Louise quit, before splitting and reuniting in 2014 on ITV's The Big Reunion without her. ITV has confirmed that Jonathan Ross will return as the host of Oscars LIVE on Sunday 2nd March. For a second year running, ITV will premiere the 97th Oscars ceremony and this year will include exciting red carpet coverage hosted by Ross King from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. A host of stars will join Jonathan in the London studio while Ross chats to A-listers on the red carpet ahead of ceremony which will begin in the UK at midnight. This year Conan O'Brien is taking over the reigns of Hollywood's biggest night from 2024 and 2023 host Jimmy Kimmel. After having huge success covering the awards ceremony last year in the UK with a staggering 5.2 million viewers tuning in, ITV have promised added behind-the-scenes extras this year. It comes after Sky pulled out of broadcasting the Oscars ceremony last year after 20 years, following viewing figures falling. ITV has confirmed that Jonathan Ross will return as the host Oscars LIVE on Sunday 2nd March This year Conan O'Brien is taking over the reigns of Hollywood's biggest night from 2024 and 2023 host Jimmy Kimmel Prior to the night ITVX will also broadcast the 97th Oscars Nominations Announcement show live on Thursday, January 23 at 1:10pm. The show will be hosted by broadcaster Lucrezia Millarini with Nina Nannar who will delve into the nominations. It comes just a week after Oscar bosses refused to cancel Hollywood's biggest night amid the LA fires - despite a report claiming the show could be axed. It had been claimed a secret 'contingency strategy' was in place for the March 2 awards ceremony to be called off, per the U.S. Sun, over fears the glitzy ceremony could be seen as 'tone deaf' after thousands lost their homes and 25 died. Official Academy Award committees, led by A-listers including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, and Emma Stone were said to be monitoring the wildfires situation daily. However, film academy sources have hit back at the 'false' claims via THR, and 'categorically deny' that any advisory committee exists. The body assessing how the Academy should proceed is the organizations 55-person board of governors and not actors named by the publication - with the consensus being the ceremony's date will not be moving. The board includes four people who lost their homes in the fires. For a second year running, ITV will premiere the 97th Oscars ceremony and this year will include exciting red carpet coverage hosted by Ross King from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood After having huge success covering the awards ceremony last year in the UK with a staggering 5.2 million viewers tuning in, ITV have promised added behind-the-scenes extras this year They have decided to push back the Oscar nominees announcement and extend the nominations voting window. The Oscar Nominees Luncheon was cancelled while the Scientific and Technical Awards have been postponed. It was revealed the 'prevailing sentiment within the Academys leadership' is 'that the show should go on - in a dignified manner that would help to raise funds for and celebrate fire relief efforts.' An insider had told the US Sun that there was a growing concern that proceeding with the glitzy Oscars 2025 bash could be seen as tone-deaf given the recent destruction. 'The boards main concern at this time is to not look like they are celebrating while many Los Angelenos are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable loss,' an insider told the publication. 'And certainly, even if the fires went out in the next week, the reality is that the city is still hurting and will be dealing with that pain for months,' the insider added. 'So the hierarchy decided that the focus will be support and fundraising when the right opportunities present themselves.' The insider added that 'the very thought of having a waiter, a poorly paid innocent who has lost their home, serving delicate Wagyu burgers and sliced cucumber sandwiches to multi-millionaire movie stars doesnt exactly sit right.' There are 17 separate branches of the Oscars' committees who realize 'that in a worst case situation, the fires could continue for weeks, prompting disastrous and cataclysmic issues for LA and Hollywood, where the awards are staged.' It comes just a week after Oscar bosses refused to cancel Hollywood's biggest night amid the LA fires - despite a report claiming the show could be axed; the Palisades Fire pictured as it ravages an LA neighborhood on January 7th Many social media users have shared their thoughts on the event, and suggested that the ceremony itself be changed to a telethon fundraiser to help raise money for the victims of the fires that began last week; pictured Emma Stone accepting her Oscar in 2024 The source added that the situation is being monitored with 'some well-known faces consulted' and that 'everything is so up in the air that anything could happen.' Even if the awards ceremony proceeds, the extravagant $171,000 goody bags will be eliminated, as they have been deemed in 'bad taste' by board members. These lavish gifts included a three-night stay in the Swiss Alps, beauty treatments, exquisite jewellery, and a $1,220 barbecue grill. Many social media users have shared their thoughts on the event, and suggested that the ceremony itself be changed to a telethon fundraiser to help raise money for the victims of the fires that began last week. The first Oscars ceremony was held in 1929. The Oscars have never been completely cancelled, only delayed. The ceremony was last delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. At the time the show was postponed for two months, from February to April. The show has been moved a few times throughout history, including after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and due to historic flooding in Los Angeles in 1938. Four members of the Academy's board of governors as well as the former CEO additionally lost their houses in the fires, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Noel Fielding's The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is reportedly set for a return to screens, despite being axed midway through production due to the star's mystery health fears. After a successful first series, which he co-wrote and starred in, filming for a second series took place at the end of last year. But when filming was set to resume after the Christmas holidays, cast and crew were told it had been axed three-quarters of the way into the shoot. Now, it's been reported that Apple TV+ bosses are considering an hour-long special to salvage footage that's already been filmed, with a possible air date of Halloween. A source told The Sun: 'It's now considered to be something of a salvage operation, although its not clear whether they have enough to do anything with. 'But the creators sank millions into making the show and it was around 70 to 80 per cent filmed by the time the axe fell. Noel Fielding 's The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is reportedly set for a return to screens, despite being axed midway through production 'So it would now be galling to see what they have go entirely to waste. Its not clear whether any of the sections theyd filmed included the guest stars, who are said to have included Jason Isaacs, Dawn French and Miranda Richardson.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Noel Fielding and Apple TV+ for comment. It was reported earlier this month that Noel did not show up for Dick Turpin filming after the Christmas holidays, despite two thirds of the series already filmed. Dick Turpin insiders said Noel, who played the lead role of the legendary highwayman, was unavailable for scheduled and rescheduled filming dates. Cast and crew were told this week it has been scrapped due to 'the illness of a key cast member'. A spokesperson for Noel told the Mail: 'This is a private and confidential matter regarding our client's health. 'We are saddened by the decision to cease production but we cannot make any further comment on this matter.' It is understood that the presenter is recuperating in France. The second series was axed midway through production after star Noel failed to return to filming following the Christmas holidays Now, it's been reported that Apple TV+ bosses are considering an hour-long special to salvage footage that's already been filmed, with a possible air date around Halloween A source close to the show told The Times: 'Noel has said that he can't film any more and so there was no choice but to stop. 'It's not a decision that was taken lightly and they wouldn't have got to this extreme result if every possible solution hadn't been exhausted. 'People have been very concerned about Noel's wellbeing and given him time to recover but there are also significant repercussions. Some people are furious.' It's thought that cast and crew from the show are reportedly planning to sue the show's makers after it was axed. It was reported by The Sun that more than 100 are considering a class action lawsuit against the makers of the Apple TV+ comedy. They report that because Noel - who plays the character of Turpin - is also a co-writer and executive producer he is likely to be sued too. Cast and crew were told the series has been scrapped due to 'the illness of a key cast member', with Noel now thought to be recuperating in France A source said: 'Axing a show halfway through production is virtually unheard of plus there's a mystery over just what has happened. It's left bosses of other shows he is on feeling extremely nervous. 'Plus he'll have to contend with any legal action. It will be a difficult few months for him.' The comedy series sees Noel play the infamous highwayman who lived from 1705 to 1739, in a fictional take on his life. Along with his gang of loveable rogues, Dick experiences the highs and lows of celebrity, and does what he can to escape the clutches of the Thief Taker General. It's written and created by Claire Downes, Stuart Lane, Ian Jarvis of The Outlaws and The Job Lot, with Noel and Jeremy Dyson of League Of Gentleman as script consultants. Love Productions, the makers of The Great British Bake Off, which begins filming its next series in April, were also said to be concerned for the star's future and are drawing up contingency plans if Noel is forced to withdraw from the series also. An insider said: 'Everyone at Love Productions was, of course, worried to learn about Noel's ill health, and will do everything they can to support him. 'Nothing is set in stone, but they are preparing for every possible outcome and have plans in place if Noel is unable to continue as host on series 16.' Mob Wives star Natalie DiDonato has been found safe and well after going missing earlier this week. A police report was filed Tuesday morning in Las Vegas after DiDonato, 44, who appeared on season five of the hit show, sparked fears for her safety after failing to board two flights home to Florida. DiDonato has now contacted her mother Denise Fuoco via phone on Wednesday and revealed her identification was stolen and that she is safe in Nevada, per TMZ. The star is not injured but claims her handbag and all of her ID documents were stolen. Fuoco said it is not clear what happened to her daughter but that the family are helping her to fly home. DiDonato's concerned family spoke with police in Philadelphia - where the star visited earlier this month - after she missed a January 5 flight home to Florida. Mob Wives star Natalie DiDonato has been reported missing after failing to board two flights home - pictured 2019 A police report was filed Tuesday morning in Las Vegas after DiDonato, 44, who appeared on season five of the hit show, sparked fears for her safety after failing to board two flights home to Florida - pictured 2015 DiDonato also failed to board another flight home to Florida that was booked by a friend and her current whereabouts are unknown. Fuoco previously told the publication she last spoke to her daughter a week ago on FaceTime and that DiDonato appeared 'nervous and distressed.' Denise says they had a 'brief conversation', but Natalie 'rushed off the phone' and didn't say where she was, telling her she had to go. She says she has 'repeatedly' tried to contact her daughter but failed to reach her, leading her to contact police in Philadelphia. Denise says one of DiDonato's friends named Ben updated her on Monday that her daughter was in Las Vegas and had 'reached out to him for help getting back home to Florida.' She said Ben claims DiDonato contacted him four days prior on WhatsApp, where she sounded 'distressed' and asked for money for a flight. Denise adds Ben bought a ticket for DiDonato but that she never boarded the flight to Florida. Ben is believed to be the last person to have spoken to DiDonato and he filed the missing person report. Denise says she is 'sick' over her daughter's whereabouts and claimed she had 'not been right for the past month' and had been 'distant' but that she does not know what is going on with her. DiDonato's most recent Instagram post from December 2024 showed her reflecting on turning 44. She wrote: 'Not bad for 44. I love me some me. 44 sitting on 24s still. (its not my bdayIm just feelin myself, dropped 10 lbshit that goal weight) DiDonato has now contacted her mother Denise Fuoco via phone and revealed her identification was stolen and that she is safe in Nevada, per TMZ Her mother Denise Fuoco told the publication she last spoke to her daughter a week ago on FaceTime and that DiDonato appeared 'nervous and distressed' - she is pictured right in 2016 with Gina Marie Zimmerman 'Getting older is a blessing, can't believe I made it this far. I'm embracing my age because to me it's a badge of honor to have made it to 44.' She shot to fame on the VH1 series' fifth season in 2014, titled Mob Wives: Trust No One. She is the cousin of deceased mobster Frankie Flowers. The show ended in 2016 with final season Mob Wives: The Last Stand. Scale of knife and scissor industry exceeds 55 billion yuan in Yangjiang, S China's Guangdong People's Daily Online) 14:49, January 22, 2025 Common tools like knives and scissors are familiar to every household. In China, there's a city where the knife and scissors production accounts for 75 percent of the national output and 85 percent of the national export volume. With an industry scale exceeding 55 billion yuan (about $7.52 billion), this city is Yangjiang city, south China's Guangdong Province. Thanks to years of efforts, Yangjiang has established a complete industrial chain in the knife and scissor industry. The city now houses over 2,000 hardware knife and scissor manufacturers and more than 8,500 related business entities. These manufacturers produce over 5,000 types of products, which are sold to more than 130 countries and regions. In recent years, knife and scissor companies in Yangjiang have embraced innovation to meet market demands. Yangjiang Smart Wife Kitchenware Manufacturing Co., Ltd. developed a smart disinfection set combining chopping boards, knives, scissors, and knife sharpeners with one-touch drying and sterilization features. The company also incorporated Chinese design elements to meet customer preferences. The city has established two industry-academia-research alliances, several new-type research and development institutions, and multiple research centers for the hardware knife and scissor industry to support technological innovation. As a result, the total output value of the city's hardware knife and scissor industry exceeded 55 billion yuan in 2024, and 200,000 people were directly or indirectly involved in the sector. Many knife and scissor firms in Yangjiang have pursued digital transformation. For instance, Yangjiang Shibazi Group Co., Ltd., a leading kitchen knife brand in the city, has developed automated heat treatment and polishing equipment. The company has comprehensive technical improvement plans and collaborates with research institutions and suppliers to overcome technical challenges. "Digital transformation has helped us reduce costs and improve efficiency. It has become the prevailing trend," said Li Zexin, production director of the company. Guangdong Tuobituo Technology Co., Ltd. has attached great importance to independent research and development to improve product quality, conducted market research overseas to seek new opportunities, and explored suitable models to go global. The company has also signed contracts with over 100 designers across the world, boosting product innovation. "The collaborative effort of our diverse design team has helped meet consumers' personalized needs, making our products popular both at home and abroad," said Zhou Hongfeng, founder of Guangdong Tuobituo Technology Co., Ltd. Zhou added that greater achievements in brand building can be made by staying market-oriented and creating globally competitive core products. Since 2002, Yangjiang has hosted 23 sessions of the China (Yangjiang) International Hardware Knives and Scissors Fair, creating opportunities for brand building and cooperation in the industry. According to statistics, exports of Yangjiang's hardware knives and scissors surged by 10.6 percent in the first 11 months of 2024. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Miriam Margolyes has taken a swipe at Australia and revealed the few things she dislikes about the country she now considers a second home. The British actress, 83, has held a longtime love of Australia and has filmed many programs Down Under, the most recent being her 2024 documentary Impossibly Australian. Her partner of 57 years Heather Sunderland is Australian and Miriam has become a citizen of the country, and has a home in the NSW Southern Highlands. However, Miriam has revealed what she really thinks about Australia and why her 'allegiance' to the country has changed recently. Speaking on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show, she shared: 'I love Australia, I think it's a fabulous country. I think it's going a bit wonky at the moment, like the rest of the world. 'But no, I do care about it. And I am an Australian citizen. I became a citizen because my partner is Australian, and I wanted to be ever closer to Australia. Miriam Margolyes has taken a swipe at Australia and revealed the one thing she doesn't like about the country 'But now I think my allegiance has slipped slightly and gone to New Zealand.' Miriam also revealed the one thing she doesn't like about Australia, saying that the manners are 'f**king terrible'. The Harry Potter star, famed for playing Professor Sprout, also got in a political row with Kyle Sandilands as she shared her thoughts on US President Donald Trump. Responding to her remarks about New Zealand, Kyle replied: 'It's like Trump says about Canada. 'New Zealand's pretty much another state of Australia anyway, so I totally get it. I get what you love about it.' However, Miriam passionately hit back with: 'Don't ''let's talk'' about lumps of orange turd. I can't bear it,' as she made her feelings about Trump very clear. Shock jock Kyle then replied: 'Oh, don't tell me you're one of these fools that don't understand he's going to bring greatness. You're not. 'Oh, you've been you've been twisted by the Whoopi Goldberg's of the world. What a shame.' The British actress, 83, has held a longtime love of Australia and is a citizen of the country as her partner of 57 years, Heather Sutherland, is Australian To which Miriam hilariously replied: 'I wouldn't mind being twisted by Whoopi Goldberg!' Elsewhere in the interview, Miriam also gave a very rare insight into her 57-year relationship with her historian partner Heather, who keeps out of the public eye. Kyle asked Miriam what the secret is to a long and lasting relationship and how they don't 'grow tired' of each other. The Call the Midwife star replied that not living together keeps their romance alive, with the couple instead speaking on the phone every day. 'You have to be honourable and have integrity and not just want to f**k,' she explained. 'You concentrate on the person. And after a lifetime together, you realise how lucky you are to have found somebody so special. And I really do feel that.' Miriam became an Australian citizen in 2013 and shares a holiday home with Heather called Yarrawa Hill in the Southern Highlands, which they rent out when not in use. They independently travel between their respective homes in London, Tuscany and Australia, and see each other about eight times a year. However, Miriam (pictured in August) has revealed that her relationship with Australia has not been plain-sailing and said she believes the country has gone 'wonky' recently The couple first met in 1967 while working together on a BBC radio drama after Miriam graduated from her studies at the University of Cambridge. They have been together ever since and Miriam gushed over their partnership in her 2021 autobiography, This Much Is True. 'We have been together for 53 years. It is a big achievement,' she penned at the time. 'An academic and a scholar, Heather is my polar opposite: reticent, incredibly private and reserved.' Heather is an Australian historian and former professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Another high profile store has abandoned the San Francisco Centre shopping mall in the city's downtown. Designer handbag retailer Michael Kors this week closed its store in the struggling mall, which has turned into a ghost mall as retailers flee it amid rising crime. 'We've loved sharing the best with you at Michael Kors San Francisco' a sign on the store's Market Street door read on Tuesday. Customers are directed to its nearest location in Santa Clara. The closure is a blow to the mall, since Michael Kors was among its most high profile retailers still left. Around half of shops are now empty. Yesterday, Bloomingdale's said it will shut its flagship store in the mall in March. That leaves the embattled center without its last major anchor tenant. The exodus has been ongoing for years, with Adidas and American Eagle closing their doors in January and May of last year, respectively. Other high-profile departures include LOccitane, Sephora, J. Crew, Hollister, and the Lego Store. Nordstrom left last year after 40 years While the center still has a few remaining brands such as Rolex and Aritzia, it appears to have become the victim of dwindling foot traffic and increased crime in the city's downtown. Michael Kors has closed its store in the struggling San Francisco Centre downtown mall Bloomingdale's has announced that it will shut its flagship store in the struggling San Francisco Centre Mall Other chain's have also leased space, including A&S Cell Accessories and Repairs, Hey Hi Toys, Merkado and Paw Box. The mall, previously known as the Westfield San Francisco Centre, was renamed last year in an effort to rejuvenate its tired image. 'During the Centre's 128-year history, it has evolved with the times to sustain and reinvent itself as a community gathering place,' its owner Trident Pacific said in a release at the time. Trident took over the running of the mall from Westfield in the summer of 2023 after it defaulted on its loans. The mall had also faced legal action from American Eagle which claimed that mismanagement and 'neglect' from the mall has left its employees to 'suffer and respond to gun violence, physical assaults, burglaries, and robberies.' 'We're committed to working with our existing retailers and restaurants, the City, and the community to ensure that this historic location has a new foundation to succeed.' The latest closures come after Sephora also shuttered its Laurel Heights location in the city, and Macy's announced the closure of its stores in Newark and Corte Madera. Walgreens is also set to close a bunch of its underperforming Bay Area pharmacies. Trident took over the running of the mall from Westfield in 2023 after it defaulted on its loans The sign on the Michael Kors store door announced the closure on Tuesday Tara Button, who was on a shopping trip with her daughter to celebrate her admission to college, told DailyMail.com she was 'sad' about the mall's decline and had no plans to return Downtown San Francisco retail continues to suffer as a result of the area's rampant crime and shoplifting epidemic. Market Street, where the mall is located, has become a haven for open drug use and homeless encampments. Last January, DailyMail.com visited the mall amid a raft of retailers leaving it. The visit tied with the closure of several stores inside the mall - Adidas, Aldo, J.Cew and Lucky Brand closed in a ten day period at the end of that month. 'Five years ago, this place was thriving,' Tara Button, who was on a shopping trip with her daughter to celebrate her admission to college, told DailyMail.com at the time. Button, a 49-year-old business owner who lives an hour's drive away in San Jose, last visited the center in 2019. But on seeing the tired shell it's become, she and her daughter said they'd cut their visit short with no plans to return again. 'It's a bit of a shock, it's very sad,' Button said, before her daughter described the 'dodgy' downtown streets they had to walk through to arrive at the mall. 'We were scared, which bothers me,' Button added. Across America, stores are being closed as the ongoing 'retail apocalypse' forces brick-and-mortar locations to grapple with rising theft and shrinking profit margins. Up until mid-December, US retailers have shut 7,300 stores - up nearly 60 percent from 2023. The most recent big retail bankruptcy was Container Store, which filed for Chapter 11 protection on December 22. Earlier that month, Big Lots said it was beginning 'going out of business' sales at all its stores across the US, after filing for bankruptcy in September. Burger King has been forced to apologize to a woman who was served marijuana with her meal at an Ohio drive-thru. Ohio mother, Janna Michelle Baker, recently reported receiving a bag of marijuana with a meal she ordered for her eleven-year-old daughter at the Burger King drive-thru on Main Street in Hamilton, Ohio. Baker documented her experience on TikTok, telling her followers 'I went to Burger King tonight, got my kid some chicken fries...with a side of Mary Jane.' The horrified mother, who showed the alleged drug on a plate near the Burger King Food, said she 'didn't ask for a side of this.' The viral video has now been viewed more than 1.6 million times and has prompted swift action from the burger giant. 'We contacted the franchisee of this restaurant immediately upon learning of this incident and can confirm that the employee in question has been terminated,' Burger King said in a statement to WTAE news. 'We were very disappointed to learn of the incident and do not take incidents that put our guests in danger lightly.' Hamilton police are now actively investigating the incident, according to local news reports. Ohio mother Janna Michelle Baker reported receiving a bag of marijuana with her meal An attorney for Baker told Newsweek that the mother 'seeks not only answers but also accountability for the emotional trauma she and her family have endured. 'No family should ever face such a shocking and dangerous experience,' the attorney added. She is gravely concerned about the apparent lack of quality control at this Burger King location and fears the devastating consequences that could have occurred if her daughter or her friend had consumed the contaminated food. 'Adding to her distress, Ms. Baker had to confront an unimaginable situationexplaining the concept of drugs to her innocent 11-year-old child.' Management of the Burger King franchise have not responded to requests for comment. In a recent survey 38.4 percent of individuals aged 12 or older reported using marijuana or hashes at least once in their lifetimes, a report by the US Department of Justice found. Burger King recently slipped down the list of best fast food meal deals, according to a new survey. FinanceBuzz broke down how much each value meal costs, how much it would cost to buy the items in the bundle individually, and the savings difference between those costs. The incident occurred at the Burger King drive-thru on Main Street in Hamilton, Ohio Burger King recently slipped down the list of best fast food meal deals The raft of deals were all rushed out in June after McDonald's fired the starting gun on a the price war with its $5 meal over. Burger King's $5 Your Way Meal - choice of one of three sandwiches plus four chicken nuggets, fries and a soft drink - hit restaurants in June but has slipped to fifth place in the rankings. India must transition from top-down governance to a model where community leadership is the driving force behind sustainable development Indias development trajectory has been shaped by significant contributions contribution from the office of Prime Minister (PM), Chief Minister (CM) and District Magistrate (DM). To achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 empowering Panchayat leadership, headed by Village Mukhiya (VM) is a critical strategy. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 mandated the transfer of authority of 29 functions, underscoring their vital role in delivering services directly to the communities. Despite this mandate, Gram Panchayats (GP) lack functionaries and have limited infrastructure and capacity for planning and implementation. This often leads to either underutilisation of allocated funds or prioritising local infrastructural projects decided by either the district or state. Addressing these challenges is crucial for India to meet its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improve its Human Development Index (HDI) ranking. It requires building the capacity of GPs to adeptly identify, plan, and implement projects that align with the needs established through Gram Sabha. The Panchayat Raj System established panchayats as the foundation of decentralised power, emphasising that sustainable development must begin with our smallest unit of democracy: the Panchayat, led by the VM (Sarpanch). Elevating the role of the VM akin to the PM and CM at the centre and state, supported by a strong administrative structure, can drive effective grassroots decision-making. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has grouped the 17 SDGs into nine themes, demonstrating Indias commitment to achieving these goals through the implementation of Localised SDGs (SDGs) by Panchayats. GPs across India, are tasked with creating Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) that align with LSDG priorities. However, a survey of 800 panchayats revealed that only 7 per cent of Sarpanches independently chose their LSDG themes using the Gram Panchayat Planning Facilitation Tool (GPPFT), while 34 per cent of themes were decided by Block officials, 22 per cent by Sarpanches or Sachivs, and 16 per cent were directed by the state, reflecting a need for strengthening planning at the panchayat level. To develop Viksit Panchayats, four key actions are proposed: Support panchayat for last-mile convergence: When a 13-year-old girl drops out of school, the responsibility extends beyond the education department, requiring collaborative efforts across health, social welfare, and community development. A central coordinating body at the village level, led by the VM can drive such convergence. For instance, Anita Devi, Village Mukhiya of Bhetaura Panchayat in Gaya, Bihar has embraced the Healthy Panchayat LSDG theme. Collaborating with ASHAs, Anganwadi Didis, and Gandhi Fellows to achieve Zero Home Delivery eventually boosting institutional delivery rates from 25 per cent to nearly 90 per cent in just one year. Replicating such successes requires empowering panchayat through convergence of funds, and functionary and administrative support. Reimagine development of Panchayat Leaders: India has 2.6 lakh elected VMs, dedicated to strengthening panchayat governance. Prime Ministers call to bring 1 lakh youth into politics is a great encouragement for local youths. To unlock their full potential, we need to reimagine the institutional framework that focuses on capacity building for elected VM and Ward Members. For example, Jyoti Behar Devi, Mukhiya in Gumla, Jharkhand, banned alcohol in her panchayat, focused on livelihood opportunities and also started the Siti Bajo aur School Aao campaign to boost school attendance, effectively transforming her community. Democratise data through Panchayat: Village Mukhiyas, as key information providers of government schemes, need real-time access to comprehensive beneficiary data and scheme details. Implementing technology solutions that provide such access is paramount for informed decision-making and efficient governance. The Ministry of Panchayat Raj and the Ministry of Rural Development has taken some initiatives which need further integration with planning and execution at the panchayat level. Revitalise Village Committees Village-level committees such as School Management Committees, Village Health and Sanitation Committees, Jan Arogya Samitis, and Village Water and Sanitation Committees, play a pivotal role in fostering decentralised governance and community participation in development efforts. To achieve Viksit Bharat, these committees need to align to avoid duplication of efforts and promote community ownership. (The writer is Co-Founder and CEO Aspirational Bharat Collaborative; views are personal) Conceived over half a century ago on Giri River in Himachal Pradesh, the Renuka Ji Dam is finally set to redefine water and energy security across six Indian states The visionary Renuka Ji Dam project, conceived 58 years ago on Himachal Pradeshs serene Giri River, is finally transcending decades of delays to emerge as a game-changer. This landmark initiative promises to alleviate Delhis chronic water scarcity while energising Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh with sustainable power generation. Beyond its functional benefits, the dam exemplifies federal cooperation and political resolve. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone of this Rs 6,946-crore project on December 27, 2021. Now, with 95 per cent of procedural hurdles cleared, global tenders will soon be floated, paving the way for construction. Cost estimates have surged to Rs 8,262 crore, factoring a 5 per cent annual escalation. Targeted for completion by 2030, with operations commencing in 2032, this projects progress is critical for Delhi and beyond. For Delhiites, the dam symbolises the realisation of a 58-year-old aspiration. The stored water will be routed to Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana through the Hathnikund Barrage, further reaching the Wazirabad and Okhla Barrages. Delhis water demand exceeds 1,200 million gallons daily (MGD), with severe shortages during summer. The Renuka Ji Dam, promising 275 MGD, will bridge this deficit, bolstering domestic supply, industrial growth, and infrastructure development. Haryana leads with a 5.73 BCM share (47.82 per cent), contributing Rs 555.95 crore. Uttar Pradeshs 3.721 BCM (31.05 per cent) follows with Rs 361.04 crore. Rajasthan holds 1.119 BCM (9.34 per cent), contributing Rs108.58 crore. Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Delhi contribute Rs 36.67 crore, Rs 30.17 crore, and Rs 70.25 crore, respectively. Uttarakhands share of water in the upper Yamuna basin is 0.311 BCM, which constitutes 2.60Rs30.17 crore of the total share. Together, the states allocate Rs 1,162.66 crore for this critical project. Originally slated to showcase progress before Delhis 2025 Assembly elections, the dam faced delays, pushing construction timelines by 5-6 months. Intervention by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) could expedite design approvals and tendering. Local tensions remain high. The Jan Sangharsh Samiti criticised project authorities for inadequate rehabilitation efforts, including compensation gaps for displaced families. Activists demand higher pay-outs aligned with Public Works Department estimates, claiming the current compensation is insufficient. Harikesh Meena, Managing Director of HP Power Corporation, refutes these allegations, stating Rs 1,573 crore has been disbursed, with 90 houseless families offered relocation options. Himachal Pradesh is set to gain 200 million units of electricity annually, worth Rs 66 crore. Delhi has already transferred Rs 270 crore, funding 90 per cent of the Rs 300-crore power machinery cost, underscoring the projects importance. Renuka ji, nestled in Himachals Sirmaur district, is ideal for the dam due to its geographical and hydrological advantages. The Giri River, a Yamuna tributary, ensures a steady water flow. The site also holds immense cultural significance. Named after Goddess Renuka, the mother of Parashurama (an avatar of Lord Vishnu), the area is steeped in mythology. Renuka Lake, Indias largest natural lake, draws pilgrims year-round. Ancient temples dedicated to Goddess Renuka and Lord Parashurama further enhance its spiritual and historical value. The project blends technological ambition with religious reverence, ready to address Delhis water woes and power needs for generations. The Rs 8,262.28-crore Renuka Ji Dam project, a 148-meter-high rock-filled structure, will transform water and power availability across six states. Submerging 1,508 hectares and displacing 7,000 residents, including 346 houseless families, the project spans 41 villages across 25 panchayats. Proposed in 1976, the dam faced decades of procedural hurdles. Initially estimated at Rs 4,596 crore in 2015, costs have ballooned. A significant milestone was achieved in January 2019, when a MoU among the six beneficiary states, brokered by then Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, resolved water-sharing disputes. In 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Modi, approved financial support, pushing the project into execution mode. Located near Dadahu village, the dam will store 498 million cubic meters of water, routed to Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan via key barrages. As part of the PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, it will deliver 23,000 litres per second to Delhi. Additionally, incidental hydroelectric power generation (40 MW) will earn Himachal Rs120 crore annually. Technical Experts predict a 110 per cent increase in the Giri Rivers flow, ensuring reliable water supplies during lean periods. Despite challenges faced by displaced communities, the Renuka Ji Dam promises long-term benefits: improved water security for Delhi, agricultural irrigation, and energy generation marking it a milestone in cooperative federalism and infrastructure development. Despite its potential, the projects journey was fraught with challenges. Environmental concerns, inter-state disputes, land acquisition hurdles, and funding delays plagued progress. Securing environmental clearances was a monumental task. Forested landscapes raised alarms over wildlife displacement and green cover submergence. Years of negotiations and compensatory afforestation plans eventually paved the way. Inter-state discord over water-sharing ratios and financial contributions delayed progress. Himachal Pradesh had to acquire 1,477 hectares of land, including 909 hectares of forest. Protests and legal battles over compensation and rehabilitation compounded delays until enhanced packages and livelihood restoration initiatives placated affected communities. The projects escalating cost was another sticking point. Initially pegged at Rs 3,600 crore, delays ballooned the budget to Rs 6,946 crore by 2021. Financial deadlock broke when the central government agreed to fund 90 per cent of the cost under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). This eased the financial burden on states, with Delhi swiftly sanctioning Rs 1,066 crore as its share. The central government played a crucial role in reviving the project. Integrating it into initiatives like the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), underscored the dams importance. Accelerated clearances, robust mediation, and funding commitments demonstrated political resolve. With construction set to commence by mid-2025 and completion targeted for 2032, strict oversight will ensure timely execution. The Renuka Ji Dam epitomises cooperative federalism at its finest-where the centre and states unite to tackle shared challenges. For Himachal Pradesh, it heralds economic growth, energy self-sufficiency, and enhanced infrastructure. For Delhi, it is a lifeline, promising a reliable solution to its chronic water crisis. Beyond immediate benefits, the dams capacity to regulate river flow and mitigate downstream flooding enhances its value as a climate-resilient infrastructure. As a testament to sustainable development, the Renuka Ji Dam underscores the synergy of political will, inter-state collaboration, and community engagement in overcoming complex challenges. By transforming Himachal Pradesh into a green energy hub and securing Delhis water needs, the project exemplifies inclusive growth and environmental stewardship. (Writer is a senior political analyst and strategic affairs columnist based in Shimla; views are personal) Initiatives promoting media literacy, particularly among youth, can help bridge the gap between traditional journalism and contemporary audiences In 1780, James Augustus Hicky published Indias first printed newspaper, Hickys Bengal Gazette, also known as the Calcutta General Adv, normative power of print media. It was the printing press that propelled humanity into a new era of knowledge dissemination. In India, newspapers have become an essential pillar of democracy, freedom of expression, and public discourse. The celebration of Indian Newspaper Day reminds us of the transfer of a potent tool in the freedom struggle, awakening the masses to issues of injustice and fostering a collective national consciousness. The legacy of stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, who wielded publications like Young India and Harijan as instruments of change, underscores the unparalleled influence of newspapers in shaping society. Historically, the press has been a mirror reflecting societal truths, a watchdog ensuring accountability, and a platform amplifying diverse voices. Newspapers have been central to the articulation of ideas, the dissemination of information, and the fostering of debate and dialogue. The printed word has held power, credibility, and a permanence unmatched by fleeting digital narratives. Yet, the world of print media today faces an existential crisis. In an era dominated by smartphones, the internet, and instant news apps, the relevance of traditional newspapers is being questioned. Circulation and readership have declined sharply. Advertisements, which once constituted the backbone of newspaper revenue, have shifted to digital platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this decline, as lockdowns disrupted distribution networks and readers turned to online alternatives. The Fourth Estate, embodied by traditional media, has paved the way for the Fifth Estate, represented by social media, as youth increasingly gravitate toward digital platforms for their news and engagement. India, despite its rich newspaper history, has not been immune to these global trends. While the country boasts a vibrant linguistic diversity in its presswith publications in Hindi, English and regional languageseven stalwarts like Dainik Bhaskar and Malayala Manorama are grappling with reduced readership. Legacy newspapers such as Deepika, Indias oldest surviving Malayalam publication, and Mumbai Samachar, the nations longest-running newspaper, now struggle to adapt to the digital age. The shift is not merely technological but also cultural. The younger generations preference for quick, digestible content over in-depth reporting signals a change in information consumption patterns. Traditional newspapers, with their rich investigative journalism and nuanced storytelling, are increasingly viewed as slow and outdated. The immediacy of apps like Daily Hunt and platforms offering free e-papers has made paying for physical newspapers seem redundant. This decline, however, should not overshadow the irreplaceable value of print media. Unlike digital platforms prone to misinformation and algorithmic biases, newspapers have long been trusted for their credibility and editorial rigour. They offer a depth of coverage that ensures stories are not just told but examined and contextualised. Newspapers are archives of history, recording events with an accuracy and permanence that digital platforms, with their ephemeral nature, cannot replicate. Japan provides a remarkable case study in media literacy and the enduring power of print. Despite being at the forefront of technological innovation, Japan boasts the worlds largest-circulated dailies, such as Yomiuri Shimbun with a circulation nearing 10 million and Asahi Shimbun not far behind. High literacy rates and a culture of respect for well-researched journalism have enabled newspapers to thrive even in a digital age. This example underscores the potential for print media to coexist with digital platforms when supported by an informed and engaged readership. Indian Newspaper Day is a reminder to recognise and preserve this legacy. While print media must innovate to survive, readers, too, bear a responsibility to support credible journalism. The rise of e-papers and hybrid modelscombining print and digitaloffers hope for the industrys evolution rather than extinction. Newspapers continue to play a vital role in fostering democracy. They provide a platform for marginalised voices, hold power to account, and offer citizens the information they need to make informed decisions. At a time when digital echo chambers threaten the very fabric of public discourse, newspapers serve as a counterbalance, offering diverse perspectives and challenging groupthink. The theme of survival is intrinsic to the narrative of Indian newspapers. Just as Hickys Bengal Gazette persevered despite colonial censorship and competition, todays publications must navigate the challenges of the digital age. The story of newspapers is one of resilience and adaptation. From the handwritten Acta Diurna of Julius Caesars Rome to Gutenbergs printing revolution, and from Hickeys modest four-pager to modern broadsheets like The Times of India, the medium has continually evolved to meet the needs of its time. As we celebrate Indian Newspaper Day 2025, it is an opportunity to reflect on the enduring significance of the printed word. While the medium may change, the principles of journalismtruth, accountability, and the public goodremain timeless. It is up to readers, journalists, and policymakers to ensure that these principles continue to thrive in an age of rapid technological change. (The writer is an associate professor; views are personal) Terming the middle class a victim of tax terrorism and has been reduced to the governments ATM, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday unveiled his partys manifesto for the upcoming Delhi elections and Union Budget-2025, listing seven Budget demands from the Centre that AAP MPs will raise in Parliament for the interests of the middle class. Kejriwal accused other political parties of treating the middle class as just an ATM for the government saying the middle class is the real superpower of the Indian economy but has long been ignored and exploited solely for tax collection. The partys key demands from the Centre include increasing the education budget from 2% to 10%, providing scholarships for higher studies, enhancing the health budget, removing taxes on essential commodities, introducing a pension scheme for senior citizens, and offering a 50% concession on railway tickets for senior citizens. This is the first time that a political party in Delhi has tried to address issues of middle class. Delhis middle class, which comprises a significant 45 percent of its population and could provide to be a key deciding factor in the upcoming polls. The poor account for 35 per cent, the middle class 45 per cent, and the upper class around 20 per cent of Delhis population. Tax should be removed from health insurance. Fourth, income tax exemption limit should be increased to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 7 lakh. GST should be removed from essential commodities. Sixth, a strong retirement plan and pension schemes for senior citizens. Free medical services for senior citizens in all government and private hospitals across the country and seventh, senior citizens should get a 50% concession in rail travel, the former Delhi CM said. Reacting to Kejriwals demand, BJP MP from South Delhi and Chairman of the Assembly Election Manifesto Committee, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the AAP convener is shedding crocodile tears for the middle class is just a political gimmick for the assembly polls. Kejriwal should tell the people what he has done for the middle class in Delhi in the last 10 years, he added. In a joint statement, BJP MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Praveen Khandelwal have said that every word Kejriwal spoke showed how cunning and manipulative he is. Punjab Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla on Wednesday launched a campaign against the deadly Chinese Kite String, also known as 'manjha'. Shukla accompanied by Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma in Jalandhar and CP Kuldeep Singh Chahal in Ludhiana visited local market areas in both the cities and interacted with kite seller vendors, and encouraged them to refrain from selling Chinese plastic kite strings. He also urged shopkeepers to report any illegal sale or use of manjha, warning of strict action against those involved. The Special DGP said that the police have taken swift action against sellers trading in the Chinese Kite string. In the last 20 days, police teams have recovered 80,879 Chinese dor bundles and registered 90 First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals involved in selling these fatal kite flying strings across the state. Apart from launching a campaign against the Chinese string, he also supervised the security arrangements and ongoing special operations in Jalandhar and Ludhiana in the run up to Republic Day-2025. He also conducted well-planned, and strategic raids at key locations across both the cities. He issued directions to bolster police presence at public venues and intensify surveillance and patrolling across critical areas in the jurisdictions of Jalandhar and Ludhiana Commissionerates. Shuka also launched a series of extensive security operations, with a special focus on the heightened surveillance of crowded market areas, malls, and other public spaces. He has directed all the CPs/SSPs to increase the number of police checkpoints in their respective jurisdictions. Police personnel will conduct thorough inspections of vehicles passing through these checkpoints, ensuring that a maximum number of vehicles are checked, he added. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, on Wednesday, slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for holding a cabinet meeting at Mahakumbh Nagar in Prayagraj district. All ministers in the Yogi Adityanath council of ministers led by by the chief minister met at Mahakumbh Nagar on Wednesday. Kumbh or Prayagraj is not a place where politics or political decisions should be taken, Akhilesh Yadav said after paying floral tributes to veteran socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra here on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, he said, Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken. To organise a cabinet meeting at Kumbh is political. Many of us (Samajwadi Party people) must have gone to take a holy dip but did not post pictures on social media or shared the details with the media, Expressing his apprehensions on free and fair elections in bypoll in Milkipur assembly constituency in Ayodhya district, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government was misusing the state machinery and police for influencing the election. He also questioned the proceedings of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Bill, which was held in Lucknow on Tuesday and met representatives of Muslim religious organisations and the state government. The BJP government is sowing the seeds of dissensions in society by creating new disputes on Waqf properties as their sole agenda is to spread hatred. The BJP leaders want to capture the Waqf properties in the state, the SP chief alleged. This is not the first time that Chief Minister Yogi has led his cabinet to the Sangam. During the Kumbh in 2019, the meeting of the council of ministers was held in Prayagraj. During the Narayan Dutt Tewari-led Congress government in 1988, the cabinet meeting was held at Kumbh, then Allahabad district. BJP leaders and party workers on more than 12,000 booths on Wednesday participated in the Mera Booth Sabse Majboot program with the Delhi party President Virendra Sachdeva calling the interaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with booth level workers as a source of energy for the party ahead of the high-octane Delhi assembly elections. PM Modi addressed the people of Delhi and virtually interacted with Delhi BJP workers under the program. Led by Sachdeva, around 12,600 booths across Delhi participated as local people and workers gathered to hear Primes address. Addressing the media, Sachdeva remarked, Todays message from Prime Minister Modi will act as a significant source of energy for BJP workers during the upcoming Assembly elections. PM Modi appreciated the work of booth workers and set a goal to ensure more than 50 per cent voter turnout at every booth and win every booth. He added, PM Modis conversation with an auto driver, assuring the establishment of an e-rickshaw driver welfare board, reflects his commitment to addressing grassroots issues, inspiring more than one lakh workers connected to the program. Highlighting his vision, PM Modi repeatedly criticized the AAP-da (Aap Party), accusing it of halting Delhis development and causing significant setbacks to the citys progress. This time, Delhi must elect a double-engine government to connect the capital with the Central Governments welfare schemes, which were hindered by Arvind Kejriwals political enmity, Sachdeva said. BJP leader Kuljeet Singh Chahal, after PM Modi's interaction with BJP workers ahead of Delhi elections, said, "When the PM directly interacts with party workers it shows the work efficiency of BJP. It also fills enthusiasm in party workers." "The second name of politics of abusing and accusing is Aam Aadmi Party. The ability of the party's leader to make decisions has become zero now. AAP and Arvind Kejriwal are now known for liquor scam, Sheesh Mahal leader. On 5th February, 'Lotus' symbol will be pressed to form BJP government and defeat the most corrupt Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," he added. Delhi BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also said that when the BJP government is formed in Delhi, the Prime Minister has assured that he will personally look into the priorities of the BJP government. We have discussed what the government did not do in 10 years. We have resolved that we will leave no stone unturned to make the BJP win," he said. A party leader said Through audio-video conferencing, PM Modi interacted with BJP workers from Delhi, listened to their concerns, and noted the citys readiness for transformationsomething evident from todays discussions. BJP leaders, along with the public, gathered at various locations to listen to PM Modis message during the Mera Booth Sabse Majboot program. Senior leaders and office bearers, including Delhi BJP Co-incharge Dr. Alka Gurjar (Kasturba Nagar Assembly), Election Co-incharge Shri Atul Garg (New Delhi Assembly), BJP President Virendra Sachdeva (Delhi Cantonment Assembly), Organization General Secretary Pawan Rana (Matia Mahal Assembly), and others actively participated. Ministers, MPs, and senior leaders like Union Minister Harsh Malhotra (Jangpura), MP Manoj Tiwari (Seemapuri), MP Ramesh Bidhuri (Tughlakabad), and others were also present at different locations. Mobile laboratories for water & soil testing to be started for farmers: Hry Agri Minister Chandigarh: To facilitate the fish farmers, Haryana Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Shyam Singh Rana on Wednesday said that the state government has decided to start three mobile water testing laboratories. This laboratory will be in a van and will go to the farmers and test the water and soil quality of their ponds. Rana said that due to saline water in some places in the state, farming has become difficult there, due to which it has become impossible for farmers to get produce from their land. In view of this problem, farmers are being encouraged to rear prawns in saline water. This will not only make good use of their land, it will also give them a good income from prawn farming. Diamond Jubilee Jamboree of Bharat Scouts and Guides to begin from January 28 Chandigarh: The Diamond Jubilee Jamboree of Bharat Scouts and Guides will be held from January 28 to February 3 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. This programme is a major part of the year-long events celebrating 75 years of Bharat Scouts and Guides. About 20,000 Scouts and Guides from across the country as well as 1,000 international participants from the Asia-Pacific region and other countries will participate in it. Chief National Commissioner, Bharat Scouts and Guides and State Chief Commissioner, Haryana KK Khandelwal, said this organization is a major national movement dedicated to youth empowerment and community service. He informed that 875 Scouts and Guides from Haryana will participate in this Jamboree. Haryana State Data Centre to undergo planned downtime for 2 days Chandigarh: The Haryana State Data Centre (HSDC) will undergo a planned downtime from 12.01 am on January 25 (Saturday) to 11.59 pm on January 26 (Sunday) as part of its ongoing efforts to upgrade and maintain its IT infrastructure. A spokesperson of the Citizen Resources Information Department said during this period, citizens may experience temporary disruptions to certain online services, including Saral Services, PPP related services, Aadhaar authentication services etc. These online services will remain affected and shall not be accessible directly or through Common Service Centres (CSC) from 12:01 am on January 25 to 11:59 pm on January 26. The team will work diligently to minimize the impact and ensure that all services will be restored as soon as possible. The department said it apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates the understanding of the users as it works to improve its systems. Chandigarh Admn decides to hold mayoral polls on January 30 Chandigarh: A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Courts decision on deferral, the Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday scheduled the Chandigarh Mayoral polls for January 30. Earlier the elections for the post of mayor, deputy mayor and senior deputy mayor were scheduled for January 24, against which the AAP filed a petition. The plea by Mayor Kuldeep Kumar of the AAP sought to allow him to continue until February 20, in a bid to give him a full one-year run. In pursuance to the order pronounced by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the order is being passed, the order issued by Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav said. The order also mentioned that councillor Ramneek Singh Bedi will act as presiding authority for the elections. I nominate Ramneek Singh Bedi, councillor as presiding authority for the meeting to be held on January 30 for election to the post of mayor, it added. As the last polls were held on January 30, the high court ordered that the mayoral elections be held after January 29. In a historic cabinet meeting held on Wednesday along the Triveni banks during Maha Kumbh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths government approved transformative projects to boost development in Uttar Pradesh. These include development of two new regions modeled after the State Capital Region, along with two new expressways and major bridges over the Ganga and Yamuna to improve connectivity and infrastructure. Addressing the media after the meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak as well as other ministers, shared details of the key decisions. The chief minister highlighted the approval of several projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure and boosting economic development in districts such as Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Chandauli and Sonbhadra. The chief minister said that the cabinet approved the development of the Prayagraj-Chitrakoot Development Region on the lines of the State Capital Region (SCR). This region, significant from religious, cultural and tourism perspectives, is expected to generate new employment opportunities and drive growth. He further stated that the proposal to prioritise the development of the Varanasi-Vindhya Development Region has also been approved. Special schemes will be formulated to transform this area into a hub for religious tourism, cultural heritage and economic activities, the chief minister noted. These initiatives aim to strengthen infrastructure and elevate economic, social and cultural development across the state. Highlighting major connectivity projects, Chief Minister Yogi announced the extension of the Ganga Expressway from Prayagraj to Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Chandauli and Ghazipur. This extended route will connect to the Purvanchal Expressway, enhancing regional connectivity. Additionally, a new link expressway will be developed to connect Varanasi, Chandauli and Sonbhadra. Both projects will be collectively named the Prayagraj-Vindhya-Kashi Expressway, symbolising integrated progress across the region. Chief Minister Yogi announced the approval of a proposal to construct a new six-lane bridge parallel to the Signature Bridge over the Yamuna River. Additionally, a four-lane bridge has been approved to connect Salori-Hetapatti-Jhunsi, enhancing connectivity between Prayagraj and Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Varanasi, Azamgarh and Gorakhpur. The cabinet also approved the proposal to link the Bundelkhand Expressway with the Ganga Expressway and the action plan for connectivity to the Rewa National Highway. Other key proposals approved by the cabinet included Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defense Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024, establishment of prosecution directorate under Section 20 of the Indian Civil Defense Code, 2023, issuance of municipal bonds for Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, Varanasi Municipal Corporation and Agra Municipal Corporation and approval for providing funds for credit rating enhancement from Infrastructure Development Fund, upgradation of 62 government industrial training institutes of the state and establishment of five Centers for Innovation, Invention, Incubation and Training with the cooperation of Tata Technology Limited, selection of successful bidders for running medical colleges on PPP mode under viability gap funding of the Government of India in the unserved districts of Hathras, Baghpat and Kasganj of the state. The cabinet also approved the proposals for the establishment of an autonomous state medical college in Balrampur and regarding the final bid document under the scheme for free distribution of smartphones under Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana. Approval was granted for the proposal to provide special facilities and concessions for mega-category industrial units in the state under the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2022. The recommendations made during the meeting of the high-level empowered committee chaired by the chief secretary were also approved. In a significant step toward realising the vision of a crime-free Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has approved the establishment of an independent prosecution directorate. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held at Triveni Sankul in Arail, Mahakumbh Nagar on Wednesday. The move aligns with the implementation of the Indian Civil Defence Code, 2023, aiming to ensure effective and impartial prosecution in the state. The prosecution directorate will function independently, with a director of prosecution and deputy directors appointed as per the state governments directives. The existing staff of the prosecution department will be integrated into the new directorate under Section 20 of the Indian Civil Defence Code, 2023. Additionally, separate funding will be allocated for the directorates future operations, ensuring its effective functioning. As part of the new proposal, each district will have its own prosecution directorate. The prosecution directorate will be led by a director of prosecution, who will work under the administrative control of the Home Department. To qualify for the role of director, a candidate must have at least 15 years of experience as an advocate or prosecutor or must have served as a session judge. The state government will have the authority to remove the director from their position before completing their three-year tenure if they are found involved in criminal, or corruption cases, or deemed unable to perform their duties effectively. The selection and appointment of the director of prosecution will be carried out by a search committee led by the additional chief secretary or principal secretary of the Home Department. Other members of the committee will include the principal secretary of justice and legal counsel, the director general of police, and the secretary of the Home Department. The committee will decide the selection process independently. The minimum tenure for the director of prosecution will be three years. The state government will create permanent and temporary positions for the directorates headquarters, regional offices and district offices to ensure its smooth operation. At the district level, the district magistrate will play a key role in overseeing and reviewing the prosecution activities and the work of the prosecution office to ensure the effective implementation of this new system. TTL to upgrade 62 ITIs, establish 5 CIIITs The UP government has approved an agreement with Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) to upgrade 62 industrial training institutes (ITIs) and establish five centres for innovation, invention, incubation, and training (CIIITs). The project, with a total cost exceeding Rs 3,634 crore, will see TTL contribute Rs 2,851 crore and the government over Rs 783 crore. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) has a duration of 11 years, with the first year dedicated to project implementation preparation. After 10 years, the project may be renewed based on mutual consent. Under the MoU, TTL will introduce 11 long-term and 23 short-term courses across the 62 ITIs, aligned with industry 4.0 demands. TTLs trainers will also train ITI instructors and students, enhancing their skills. Successful trainees will receive apprenticeship and job opportunities with TTLs partner companies. The project aims to train around 12,500 candidates annually, with approximately 6,000 in long-term courses and 6,500 in short-term courses. New residential project for Agra approved The Yogi government has approved a new residential project in Agra. Additionally, the Agra Development Authoritys proposal for a 100-metre-wide inner ring road and land parcel scheme has also been approved. The cabinet has also approved an ex gratia amount of Rs 204.34 crore to cover the difference between the 2010 circle rate and the current circle rate for 442.4412 hectares of land in Agra. Furthermore, the proposal to amend the notification by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) to separate the industrial development areas of villages Rahankala and Raipur has been agreed upon. This amendment will enable the Agra Development Authority to create a land bank for residential planning, ensuring the planned development of the area. Municipal bonds The Yogi government has approved the issuance of municipal bonds for the municipal corporations of Prayagraj, Varanasi and Agra, along with the provision of funds for infrastructure development. Through these municipal bonds, the funds will be raised from the market, with a grant of Rs 13 crore provided for every Rs 100 crore raised. The Government of India will deposit the incentive amount into an escrow account. Municipal bonds of up to Rs 50 crore each will be issued for Agra, Prayagraj and Varanasi. This initiative aims to bolster the infrastructure development in these key cities. To address the alarming rise in drug abuse in Punjab and its devastating impact on women, the National Commission for Women (NCW) is set to launch a series of awareness campaigns across the state. The effort, in collaboration with Panjab University, Chandigarh, will focus on empowering women, providing support services, and creating community resilience against substance abuse. The inaugural program will take place on January 24 (Friday) at Panjab University, with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar leading the event. This marks a significant step toward combating a crisis that has deeply affected families, with women often bearing the brunt of the fallout through domestic violence, economic instability, and health challenges. NCW chairperson Rahatkar emphasized the critical need for a gender-sensitive approach to tackle drug abuse. The drug menace is not just a health issue it is a social crisis that disproportionately affects women. We must come together to empower and support women who are enduring the repercussions of this crisis in their homes and communities, she said. The campaign will initially target eight districts in Punjab, identified as high-risk areas for drug abuse. Through a combination of educational programs, support services, and community engagement, the NCW aims to raise awareness, provide resources, and foster resilience among women impacted by substance abuse. Following the inauguration, the NCW will host a Jan Sunwai (public hearing) at the UT Guest House, Chandigarh allowing women complainants to voice their grievances directly to the chairperson and seek support from the Commission. This open dialogue is designed to address issues ranging from domestic violence to social stigma, offering a lifeline to women in distress. In addition, Rahatkar will visit the Model Jail in Chandigarh to gain insight into the challenges faced by incarcerated women, many of whom are victims of substance abuse or related crimes. The NCWs partnership with Panjab University will leverage academic expertise and local networks to create impactful campaigns. These programs will include workshops, counseling sessions, and resource distribution, equipping women with the tools they need to combat the challenges posed by drug abuse. The growing drug abuse crisis in Punjab has become a pressing issue that requires urgent intervention. By addressing the intersection of drug addiction and womens well-being, the NCWs initiative underscored the importance of a collective response to a problem that transcends health, impacting the social and economic fabric of communities. K. N. Govindacharya, the soft-spoken RSS pracharak who was in 90s the media face of the BJP and RSS has still not faded his Charisma. One of the most towering personalities of RSS in the last four decades who entered the political group BJP from the parent organization RSS, Govindacharya had largely succeeded in pulling the support of the people for his party by his persuasive oratory, intellect and simplicity in public appearances which paved the way for the party to come to power at the Centre. That was the time when the BJP leaders were not known for their designer clothes and facial make over before making public appearances. As a matter of fact, a person who once gets to his credit public appreciation by dint of sheer intelligence, profound knowledge, unparallel oratory and simplicity of life-style never loses his charisma without any reason. And, this fits for Govindacharya. People had queued to take a photo or selfie with him during a recent Makar-Sankranti get-together, an annual event which is organized in the Arya-Samaj Mandir in Rajendra Nagar, in New Delhi. The chilling cold of Delhi, couple with drizzling rain did not desist a moderately large crowd to celebrate the Sankranti with their beloved Govindji or Guruji, as he is normally called by his nears and dears . Many towering personalities made their appearance during the celebration, including some of the famous media faces of today associated with BJP. Clearly, Govindacharya still carries his Charisma with him. The idea of Govindacharyss Swadeshi which very well mingles with the current requirements of remaining Globally relevant needs to be given a serious try, remarked one of the prominent Supreme Court advocates who is also known for his political and social activism. Actually this is the same idea which Gandhiji had once promulgated, i.e., self-reliant and self-sufficient village economy coupled with modern technology- driven big industries of large towns, he further remarked. A village based Swadeshi economy would have also given way to skill development with much ease. The late Prime Minister and great economist Manmohan Singh read this writing on the wall and started MANREGA for development of village infrastructure two decades ago, which even the staunch critique of Congress led UPA PM Naredra Modi has also not dared to give a halt. The industrialist-friendly BJP leaders havent got as clear idea of this polito-economic strategy of development of Indian economy which Mr. Govindacharya has also conceptualized, and about which he is repeatedly making appeals for the government to follow. The Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan, Bharat Vikash Sangam are the concepts which speak volumes as to how this one time great strategist of Bhartiya Janta Party is actively involved in after aliening himself from BJP and the mainstream politics. He advocates reforms in socio-economic fields by gearing up the traditional Indian economic and social concepts. It may be pointed out that Govindacharya had himself distanced himself from BJP in the year 2000 and went on a sabbatical after some differences with some senior party leaders. Govindacharya is not only busy in promoting swadeshi model of growth for the Country, but at the same time he is a tech-savvy and well informed tech-influencer. This was more than obvious when he dragged facebook in the Court for matters relating to licence to upload contents in India and submitted before the Delhi Court that facebook had failed to tackle illegal content. He had also filed letter petition on Whats App NSO matters to Supreme Court. His petition to Supreme Court to seek NIC-based infrastructure for video-conferencing by judiciary and government departments was considered a very far-sighted concept, which has partly taken shape also in different forms after the Corona pandemic. It would be incorrect to write him off from the political activism totally. Every now and then he has been vocal in both appreciating and criticizing the governments on different counts. If one the one hand he once praised the Modi government for taking a U-turn on land bill, and appreciated PM Naredra Modis stand on WTO on food, on the other hand he had criticized the government on several counts like demonetization, alliance with PDP in J&K and several other issues. He remains a straight-forward talker, come what may, with intending to build the institutions morally and intellectually strong to deliver for the public good. "Still much has to come out from Guruji despite his advanced age, was the comment of a RSS connected lawyer of Supreme Court who hails from Samastipur, Bihar. Govindacharya himself told this writer that he is busy now in creating a group of devoted and dedicated group of individuals across the country who would propagate his swadeshi model of growth in the country coupled with strengthening Indian culture and value system in the institutions. As a matter of fact there is no retirement age for a social and political activist, and octogenarian politicians and social activists are widely active both in India, and abroad. The only consideration being they keep good health. And, a disciplined RSS pracharak usually defies age. Rightly remarked in this famous couplet about Govindacharyaji, a lady teacher of DAV who was present in the Makar Sankranti celebration, Jaane Kitini Udan Baaki hai, Eis Parinde Mei Jaan Baaki Hai ( Who knows how much flight this bird will cover, as much life is left in it). The writer is an advocate in Jharkhand High Court and a social & political activist. Views expressed are personal. To ensure seamless coordination with the Delhi Police during the Republic Day celebrations and the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the Punjab Police has appointed an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) as a nodal officer. The move came after a request from Delhi Police to share tour plans and security details of Punjab protectees traveling to the national capital, amid heightened security measures. The Punjab Police has issued directives to its protectees, including Ministers and MLAs, to provide their tour details to the AIG to facilitate coordination. The decision was taken after Delhi Polices security division highlighted concerns regarding the movement of Punjab officials and their security teams in a letter addressed to Punjabs Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Security. The letter underscored the importance of enhanced vigilance due to the dual security challenges of the Republic Day celebrations and the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 5. It requested Punjab Police to share comprehensive information about the protectees travel itineraries and accompanying security arrangements. In response, Punjab Police assured full cooperation and outlined measures to address these concerns. They have directed the ADGP (Security) to liaise with Delhi Polices Protective Security Division and ensure briefing and sensitization of officers responsible for the security of Punjabs dignitaries. Punjabs security apparatus has highlighted the unique challenges of being a border state with a history of terrorism and recent attempts to revive militancy. Incidents such as grenade attacks on police stations have raised concerns about anti-national elements attempting to disrupt peace. These factors make the safety of Punjab protectees a matter of national importance. The Punjab Police, while appointing the AIG as the nodal officer, reiterated its commitment to adhere to all security protocols and cooperate with Delhi Police to prevent any untoward incident that could adversely impact internal security. The coordination efforts come against the backdrop of a fierce political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). BJP candidate Parvesh Verma, contesting against AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, accused the Punjab Government of misusing official resources to bolster AAPs campaign. Verma alleged that Chinese-made CCTV cameras were hastily installed in slums within his constituency using AAP-led Punjab Government resources. He also claimed that these installations posed security risks and were merely a publicity stunt by Kejriwal, who he said fears an imminent defeat. He further alleged that Punjab Government teachers and employees were being transported to Delhi under the guise of AAP workers, and that trucks bearing Punjab registration plates were delivering campaign materials. Verma claimed that two teachers from Amritsar had already been detained in Delhi for their involvement in election activities. Reacting to the allegations, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had dismissed BJPs accusations as baseless. AAP also termed the BJPs remarks as an attempt to divert attention from their own shortcomings and impending electoral defeat. AAP leaders argued that the BJP was resorting to smear tactics to undermine the partys credibility ahead of the elections. Chief Minister Mann, who has been addressing multiple rallies in Delhi for three consecutive day now, asserted that his Governments focus remained on governance and peoples welfare, both in Punjab and beyond. As Delhi gears up for the Assembly elections, with results expected on February 8, the BJP and AAP are locked in an intense war of words. The AAP is aiming for a third consecutive term after a landslide victory in 2020, while the BJP is seeking to make significant inroads into Kejriwals stronghold. Punjabs commitment to revolutionizing primary education took another leap as the School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Wednesday announced that the state government will send a second batch of 72 primary school teachers to Finland for training in March. The announcement was made during the Ministers visit to the School of Eminence in Phase XI, SAS Nagar (Mohali), where he was accompanied by education experts from the University of Turku, Finland. Highlighting the states efforts to elevate educational standards, Bains revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been signed with the University of Turku. The program, designed to refine teaching methodologies, will consist of three weeks of training one week in Punjab followed by two weeks in Finland. The delegation from Finland included Ari Kioski, Joel, Mirjami Einola, and Sari Isokyto-Sinjoi, whose expertise and collaboration were lauded by the Minister. This partnership underscores our commitment to learning from global best practices and adapting them to meet the needs of our students, said Bains. The initiative aims to equip teachers with innovative techniques and methodologies that align with modern educational standards, said Bains while emphasizing that the programs ultimate goal is to improve student outcomes by preparing teachers to meet the diverse needs of their classrooms. During the visit, the students and staff of the School of Eminence showcased their creativity. National Award-winning Art and Craft Teacher Gurpreet Singh Namdhari led a live painting session, where students crafted an intricate artwork featuring the Finnish flag outlined by a map of Finland. The Finnish delegation was deeply impressed by the artistic talents of the students, symbolizing the rich cultural exchange between Punjab and Finland. The Minister also presented the Finnish experts with the students paintings as a token of appreciation. He expressed gratitude for their guidance in shaping the training curriculum and fostering an exchange of educational knowledge. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday did not attend the public meeting in Sadar Bazar assembly constituency due to being sick. However, he sent a message asking people to make Congress win in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections with a big majority. Delhi Congress President Devendra Yadav informed the public about him not being able to make it to the meeting, which Gandhi was supposed to address. I have to inform you all about something with deep regret that due to illness Rahul Gandhi wont be able to join us here today. However, he has told me to give you a message he has given for you, he said. In the message, Gandhi said, I have a lot of regret that I couldnt be here in the public meeting in the Sadar assembly but I know a lot of people that love me have come here in huge numbers. I extend you all my best wishes. I feel that the hardwork of my brother Anil Bharadwaj, who has a different stature in the politics of Delhi, and the other candidates from the Congress party who are working hard in this elections, will be rewarded. I appeal to you to make Congress win with big majority. As soon as I am well again, I will try to come to Sadar and meet you. Jai Hind! Addressing the public, Yadav slammed both the AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Delhi's river, Delhi's water, Delhi's intentions and Delhi's leader, Kejriwal has ruined everything in the last 10 years. On one hand Kejriwal has become happier and on the other people have become sadder, he said. When in covid time, we were trying to catch our breath and find oxygen cylinders, remember what Kejriwal and Modi were doing. Kejriwal was making his sheeshmahal and Modi was making his rajmahal. They didnt thing about the people of Delhi? They crossed all levels of shame. Shouldnt they think about the young people, poor people? he alleged. Congress Sadar Bazar candidate Anil Bharawaj said, No name has been registered for ration cards in the past 11 years. We had made 59,000 houses under Rajiv Ratan Yojana for the poor in 2013 in different parts of Delhi but Kejriwal couldnt give even one to the poor. Kejriwal only had to allot them but he couldnt even do that. Our government has done over all development of Delhi. Residents across Jharkhand experienced a slight respite from the biting cold as minimum temperatures witnessed a rise today, consistent with the predictions of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)s Ranchi Meteorological Centre. Most districts across the state enjoyed fair and bright weather, providing much-needed relief after a prolonged spell of chilly conditions. According to the IMD, Jamshedpur recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, a marginal increase that contributed to improved outdoor conditions. Ranchi, the state capital, registered 13.3 degrees Celsius, while Daltonganj, one of the colder pockets in Jharkhand, recorded 11.4 degrees Celsius. Other prominent cities in the state also showed a warming trend. Bokaro Steel City recorded a minimum temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius, Hazaribagh saw a slightly higher 13.7 degrees Celsius, and Deoghar matched Jamshedpur at 11 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists have observed that the minimum temperature across several other parts of the state has been steadily rising. This upward trend is expected to continue over the next 72 hours, with forecasts indicating a further increase of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures. Weather conditions in Jharkhand are currently stable, with no significant synoptic systems influencing the state, an official from the Ranchi Meteorological Centre stated. However, the IMD highlighted the presence of an induced cyclonic circulation over West Rajasthan and Pakistan at 1.5 kilometers above mean sea level. While this system persists, it is not expected to have any immediate impact on the weather in Jharkhand. The fair and bright weather today was a welcome reprieve for residents who have endured weeks of chilly mornings and evenings. Farmers in rural areas, especially those dependent on stable weather for their crops, expressed relief at the slight warming trend. Urban centers like Ranchi and Jamshedpur also saw increased outdoor activity as people took advantage of the pleasant weather conditions. Looking ahead, meteorologists suggest that residents can expect milder mornings and nights in the coming days. However, they have advised caution during early mornings and late evenings, as temperatures may still dip slightly during these times. With the mercury climbing gradually, Jharkhand seems poised to move towards more comfortable weather, marking the transition from peak winter conditions to milder days ahead, said an official. In a high-stakes political move, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday announced its decision to approach the Gurdwara Election Commission over alleged large-scale irregularities in ensuing the voter lists for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. Convening a crucial meeting at its Chandigarh headquarters, SADs working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former president Sukhbir Singh Badal, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, and senior leaders strategized to counter what they termed a deliberate attempt by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to manipulate the elections. The party resolved to demand a thorough scrutiny of voter lists, an extension of the voter registration period, and the removal of ineligible voters. A delegation led by Sukhbir Badal will present evidence of these discrepancies to the Chief Commissioner for Gurdwara Elections, Justice (retired) SS Saron, on Thursday. Sukhbir, addressing the media after the meeting, accused the AAP Government of inflating voter rolls by registering bogus entries and including individuals from other religions to influence the SGPC elections. The sanctity of these elections is being compromised through deliberate manipulation of voter lists. Non-Sikhs and en-masse names from assembly voter rolls have been added, he alleged. We will apprise the Chief Commissioner that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is trying to rig the gurdwara elections by inflating the voter lists by registering bogus voters and even voters from other religions. The AAP government is trying every trick in the trade to include ineligible voters with the purpose of influencing the elections, he said. He further stressed that the SGPC, as the apex body managing Sikh religious affairs, must remain free from political interference. He emphasized the urgency of addressing these irregularities, calling the situation a threat to Sikh identity and autonomy. The meeting, attended by a majority of SGPC members, saw extensive discussions on the anomalies in the voter lists. Senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema outlined the key decisions taken, including filing a formal complaint with the Gurdwara Election Commission; demanding an extension of the deadline for voter registration to ensure all eligible voters are included; submitting evidence of ineligible voters and appealing for their deletion from the rolls; and engaging sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) to address discrepancies at the local level. SGPC president Dhami expressed his concern over the involvement of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who, he claimed, had added names without proper verification. In many cases, names of non-Sikhs have been registered, and voter lists lack essential details such as photographs, Dhami said. The meeting concluded with a rallying call to SAD members and workers to unite against what was described as anti-panthic forces. Party leaders vowed to protect the sanctity of the SGPC elections and secure a decisive victory. They also pledged to intensify their membership drive and counter any attempts to weaken the panthic vote base. Tensions escalated between the medical team deployed at Khanauri border and the protesting farmers after accusations of negligence in treating farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on the 58th day of his fast-unto-death. The conflict deepened when doctors from Patialas Rajindra Hospital refused to continue Dallewals treatment, citing harassment and misbehaviour by some protesting farmers. The standoff emerged after farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar accused the on-duty medical staff of mishandling an intravenous (IV) drip on Tuesday night, resulting in swelling in Dallewals hand. Kohar alleged that an inexperienced junior doctor increased the drips speed, causing severe discomfort to the farmer leader. This act of negligence reflects the apathy towards Dallewals critical health condition, said Kohar, adding that no senior doctor was present at that time. The medical team, however, refuted these claims and alleged harassment by the protesting farmers. In a letter to the hospitals medical superintendent, they expressed concerns over their safety and announced their decision to withdraw from treating Dallewal. The farmers behaviour has been unacceptable. We cannot work under such hostile conditions, the letter stated. Following the escalation, a team led by Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Jagpalinder Singh visited the protest site to address the grievances. They assured the farmers that experienced doctors would now be available round-the-clock to monitor Dallewals condition. Senior officials also apologized for any lapses. Farmers, in turn, denied allegations of misbehaviour, accusing the medical team of trying to deflect blame. As a result, Dallewal resumed medical treatment after a 15-hour hiatus, but only in the presence of administrative officials. A specially-modified tractor trolley, equipped with sunlight access and modern facilities, was also prepared for him, where he spent three hours in fresh air for the first time in 58 days. Farmer leaders are now urging the Central Government to advance their meeting, currently scheduled for February 14, to avoid further risks to Dallewals life. US-based cardiologist Dr Swaiman Singh, overseeing his treatment, warned that the farmer leaders recovery would require immediate intervention and adequate nutrition. SC Monitoring Dallewals Health The Supreme Court also weighed in on Dallewals health during a hearing on Wednesday. Punjab Advocate-General Gurminder Singh informed the Court that the farmer leaders health had shown improvement after receiving medical aid. The Court urged Dallewal to prioritize his health, with Justice KM Joseph expressing hope that he would remain mentally and physically strong to fight for his cause. The Apex Court also advised Dallewal to travel to Chandigarh for a thorough medical check-up at the PGIMER a couple of days before the February 14 meeting with the Central Government. We urge Dallewal to prioritize his health and take the necessary medical aid to ensure his effective participation in the upcoming discussions, the Court stated. The Court, however, raised objections to the Punjab Governments claim that Dallewal was out of danger and directed the statement to be amended to reflect only improvement in his condition. Farmers Gear Up for Jan 26 Tractor March: One Protest, Two Calls, One Target This Republic Day, Punjabs roads will witness an extraordinary show of unity as farmers gear up for a massive tractor march, with more than 80,000 tractors set to take part in protests at more than 200 locations across the State. The demonstration is being organized by two farmer bodies the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) a pan-India farmers body which led 2020 agitation; and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and SKM (non-political) two factions leading the ongoing Delhi Chalo agitation at Punjab borders with each calling for a separate march but united in their target the BJP-led Central Government. The SKM, known for leading the year-long protests against the now-repealed farm laws at Delhi borders, has called for an all-India protest against the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing a draft policy aiming to improve the agricultural marketing system in India arguing that it is an effort to bring back farm laws through the back door. In Punjab, tractor marches will be held at tehsil level, with farmers from villages converging in organized routes to key protest points within each tehsil. At least 250 tractors are expected to gather in over 100 tehsils, making it one of the largest mobilizations in recent history. Farmers will return to their villages after the protest, which will run from noon to 3 pm on January 26. Meanwhile, the KMM and SKM (NP), who have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders for almost a year now, are calling for tractor marches to demand a legal guarantee for MSP. These outfits plan to target over 50 toll plazas, corporate silos, BJP leaders residences, and malls across the state. Over 65,000 tractors are expected to participate in these protests, all to be carried out peacefully, said KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher. The ongoing fast-unto-death by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, now in its 58th day, has further fueled support for the cause, with farmers rallying behind his demands. Farmers associated with these unions also plan to hold additional marches towards the Shambhu border on January 29-30 to reinforce their position, ahead of the scheduled February 14 meeting with Centre. In a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Prayagraj on Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh government approved 10 key proposals aimed at accelerating the states development. Among these, the groundbreaking Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024 was introduced to position Uttar Pradesh as a leader in the sector. The policy sets an ambitious target of attracting Rs 50,000 crore in investments, with the potential to generate direct employment for one lakh youth across the state. The cabinet meeting was held at the Triveni Complex in Prayagraj. The Yogi cabinet also approved the new FDI Policy to boost the setting up of foreign industries in UP in order to propel industrial and economic growth. Under this policy, the state government will offer up to 80 per cent subsidy on land to the foreign firms investing in the state. Additionally, major reforms have been introduced in the UP Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy to further boost industrial development. The Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024 aims to position the state as a leading aerospace and defence hub, accelerating indigenous capabilities, fostering innovation and promoting global collaboration to enhance national security and economic prosperity. The policy aims to strengthen the aerospace and defence (A&D) sector in UP by creating a robust, hi-tech and efficient A&D manufacturing ecosystem within the UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). It also seeks to attract startups and investments for the development of state-of-the-art facilities in the sector. A&D-based common facility centres are planned to enhance the skills and capacities of startups, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the UPDIC. The policy further aims to attract large A&D manufacturing projects and DPSUs, while promoting research and innovation, ensuring that Uttar Pradesh becomes a pivotal contributor to Indias defence and aerospace landscape. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath aims to drive the growth of companies that align with Indias vision of self-reliance in the aerospace and defence (A&D) sector. The new policy encourages establishment of artificial intelligence and software development centers in A&D. It targets an investment of Rs 50,000 crore over the next five years and promises employment opportunities for one lakh youth. The policy offers significant incentives, including front-end subsidies for A&D units, land subsidies, stamp duty exemptions and capital subsidies. Additionally, the Yogi government will provide benefits like exemptions on transportation charges, with special provisions for women entrepreneurs to encourage their participation in the sector. The Defence Ministry has set an ambitious target to double the countrys A&D production to $25 billion and exports to $5 billion by 2025-26. By 2047, the A&D manufacturing sector is expected to contribute 25 per cent to the nations gross domestic product (GDP). To achieve these goals, two defence industrial manufacturing corridors have been established in India in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu positioning UP as a key player in this transformative vision. Combined Hospital in Balrampur to be transferred for medical education The cabinet has approved the transfer of the 166-bed Government Combined Hospital in Balrampur to the Medical Education Department. This move aims to establish the Autonomous State Medical College, Balrampur, by converting the Balrampur satellite centre of King George Medical University (KGMU). The establishment of this medical college is intended to provide specialised healthcare to the public and create medical education opportunities for youth. Additionally, 1,394 academic and non-academic posts have been created in line with MCI/NMC standards to facilitate the conversion and operation of the medical college. The Yogi government has approved the subsidy payment to UPSIDA for the land allotted to Ashok Leyland Limited under the front-ended land subsidy provision of the Incentive Policy 2023, aimed at encouraging FDI and investments from Fortune 500 companies. The empowered committees recommendation from September 27 regarding this subsidy payment has been accepted. As per the FDI Policy 2023, 75 per cent of the land cost, amounting to Rs 106.51 crore, is payable to UPSIDA for the land provided to Ashok Leyland. The proposed project will initially establish a facility with a production capacity of 2,500 buses per year, along with a centre of excellence. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 186 crore. The Yogi cabinet has also approved the recommendations of the high-level authorised committee chaired by the chief secretary during its meetings in August and September 2024. Under the Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2022, special facilities and concessions have been sanctioned for mega-category industrial units in the state. As part of this initiative, Rs 250 crore has been approved as a capital subsidy for Triveni Engineering and Industries Ltd. in Moradabad, and Rs 10,749 crore as SGST reimbursement for Gallantt Ispat Ltd. in Mirzapur. The cabinet also gave nod to final bid document for purchase of 25L smartphones Under the Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana, the Yogi government will procure 25 lakh smartphones for free distribution to empower the youth technologically. The cabinet has granted approval for the final bid document, and the scheme will be applicable for five years. A budget of Rs 4,000 crore has been allocated for the financial year 2024-25. This innovative initiative aims to provide smartphones to skilled youth enrolled in higher education, technical education, health education, skill development training, and ITI programmes, ensuring they become technically empowered and future-ready. The cabinet has approved selection of successful bidders to operate medical colleges in public-private partnership (PPP) mode with viability gap funding from the Government of India. This initiative targets unserved districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Hathras, Baghpat and Kasganj, where no medical colleges currently exist in the government or private sector. Following technical and financial evaluations of received tenders, Rajshree Educational Trust was selected as the lowest bidder (L-1) for Hathras and Kasganj, while Jaipal Singh Sharma Trust was chosen for Baghpat. This step aligns with the states policy to establish medical colleges in underserved districts through PPP mode, ensuring equitable access to medical education and healthcare facilities. At least 13 persons were killed and and about 19 others sustained injuries in two early morning road accidents occurred in separate parts of Karnataka on Wednesday, police sources said. A truck carrying fruit vendors, fell in a 50-metre-deep valley in a forested section of Savanur - Hubballi Road killing at least 9 persons and injuring nine others, police said. The victims were transporting fruits to a local fair being organised in a place called Yellapura. The driver of the truck swerved to the extreme left in a bid to allow a vehicle that was trying to overtake from behind around 5:30 a.m., the Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana told PTI. "As the road in the section doesn't have barrier walls on the edge, the truck fell in about 50-metre-deep valley, killing at least nine persons. The injured have been shifted to the KIMS Hospital in Hubballi," the officer said. In a different accident, at least four persons including three students were killed and ten others were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned near Araginamara Camp in Sindhanur, Raichur district. These students of Mantralaya Sanskrit Pathashala were on a pilgrimage to Hampi to offer prayers at Narahari Temple. Deceased students have been identified as Aryavandan (18), Sucheendra (22) and Abhilash (20). Driver Shiva (24) too died in this accident. The 10 injured people have been admitted to a local hospital. Sindhanur Traffic Police Station registered a case. A fire broke out at the office of a car dealing firm in Mumbai's Kalina area on Wednesday morning, officials said. No casualty was reported, they said. The blaze erupted at 7.44 am on the first-floor office of Navnit Motors, a BMW car dealer, located on CST road in Kalina area, the officials said. The fire was confined to the materials kept in the office and thick smoke emanated from there, a fire brigade official said. Seven fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot, he said. After hectic efforts for about two hours, the blaze was doused by 9.51 am, a civic official said. "No one was injured in the fire," the official said. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday campaigned for the BJP in Delhi's Karawal Nagar constituency and accused AAP of corruption and unfulfilled promises. The BJP fielded Kapil Mishra from Karawal Nagar, replacing sitting MLA Mohan Singh Bisht, while AAP nominated Manoj Tyagi for the seat. Addressing the electorate, Dhami alleged, "For the past 10 years, AAP has done nothing but indulge in corruption. They committed irregularities in hospitals, schools and liquor policies. They promised to open 500 new schools but did not establish a single one, instead opening liquor shops on every street in the national capital." Dhami also criticised AAP over the unclean state of the Yamuna River and rising pollution levels in Delhi. "The Yamuna which flows clean and pure in Uttarakhand turns into a drain as soon as it reaches Delhi. The water of Mother Yamuna in Delhi is not fit for irrigation, let alone drinking." Highlighting the BJP's promises, he emphasised the commitments outlined in the party's Sankalp Patra (manifesto). "The states that have double-engine governments under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are rapidly progressing today. There has not been a single rupee of corruption in those states, whereas in Delhi, from the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Minister to MLAs, everyone has had to go to jail on charges of corruption." He added further that it is up to the public to decide whether they want a double-engine government that will take Delhi to new heights or a government involved in corruption. Earlier in the day, Dhami campaigned in the Wazirpur constituency, where the BJP has fielded Poonam Sharma against AAP's Rajesh Gupta. Elections for the Delhi Assembly are scheduled for February 5 and results will be announced on February 8. US President Donald Trump has said he likes both sides of the argument on the H-1B foreign guest workers' visa, noting that the country needs "very competent" and "great" people which is possible through this visa programme. Trump also said that he has also used the H-1B visa programme. 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. "I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people who may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop -- and I'm not just talking about engineers, I'm talking about people at all levels," Trump said on Tuesday. He made these remarks while talking to reporters at the White House during a joint news conference with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. The president was responding to a question on the ongoing debate on H-1B visas within his support base. Indians are the main beneficiaries of the H-1B visas, which bring in the best of the talent and brains from across the world. Highly skilled professionals from India walk away with the overwhelming number of H-1B visas - which is Congressional mandated 65,0000 every year and another 20,000 for those who received higher education from the US. While his close confidants like Elon Musk, the Tesla owner, support H-1B visas as they bring in qualified tech professionals, many of his supporters oppose it arguing that it takes away jobs from Americans. "We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the programme very well. I use the programme. Maitre d', wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters -- you've got to get the best people. People like Larry, he needs engineers, Masa also needs... they need engineers like nobody's ever needed them," Trump said. "So, we have to have quality people coming in. Now by doing that, we're expanding businesses and that takes care of everybody. So I'm sort of on both sides of the argument, but what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country. And we do that through the H-1B programme," Trump said. Since December, the debate on foreign guest workers visas for highly skilled professionals, the H-1B, has intensified which has literally created divisions in both the Democratic and the Republican parties. Such a backlash initially came from the supporters of Trump who argued that this is eating away at the jobs of Americans. Both Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy immediately weighed in and supported the H-1B visas. However, influential Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders asserted that the two close confidants of Trump are wrong. The debate appeared to originate from a suggestion last month from Sriram Krishnan, Trumps pick for White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence, that Musk examines removing caps on green cards for skilled immigrants. In a significant stride towards modernizing its defense capabilities, Sweden has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative involving swarms of aerial drones designed to augment the operational effectiveness of its armed forces. This development, announced by Swedish Minister for Defense Pal Jonson on January 15, marks a pivotal shift in the nations approach to battlefield intelligence and surveillance. These drone swarms, working in unison, promise to provide an unprecedented level of situational awareness, revolutionizing how the Swedish military gathers and processes information in real time. Get alerts: The Technology Behind the Swarm At the heart of this innovative project lies a sophisticated network of quadcopter drones, demonstrated in a recent video released by the Swedish Government. The footage showcases a formation of ten drones taking flight, transmitting high-resolution imagery of their surroundings to ground operators. This visual data, coupled with artificial intelligence-driven analysis, allows military commanders to gain immediate insights into the operational environment. The drones AI capabilities enable it to process and interpret data, offering actionable intelligence that can significantly speed up decision-making processes. This eyes and ears capability in the sky is poised to be a game-changer for securing perimeters and conducting reconnaissance missions. Saabs Contribution: Software and System Integration While Saab does not manufacture drones, its contribution has been pivotal in developing the command and control software that orchestrates the swarms operations. A spokesperson from Saab detailed the versatility of drone swarms, explaining that individual UAVs within the swarm are equipped with varying capabilities, including different sensors, payloads, and communication capacities. A single operator controls these swarms, assigning tasks to one or more groups via a mobile device, demonstrating the systems user-friendly interface and operational flexibility. Global Context: The Rise of Drone Swarms in Modern Warfare This seamless integration of diverse drone capabilities under a unified control system highlights Saabs expertise in system integration and software development. The development of this technology, achieved in a remarkably short period, has already garnered interest from other NATO countries, indicating the potential for widespread adoption and international collaboration in this domain. The rapid development and deployment of this technology underscore the urgency and importance placed on advanced drone capabilities in modern military strategies. The interest in drone swarm technology extends beyond Sweden and NATO. Militaries around the world are exploring both the opportunities and challenges presented by these systems. The head of Ukraines defense-technology hub, Brave1, recently identified drone swarms as a top priority for Kyiv in 2025, highlighting their growing importance in modern warfare. Ukrainian drone units are reportedly moving beyond the traditional one drone, one operator model and are looking to transition towards drone swarms this year. This shift underscores the evolving nature of aerial warfare, where swarms of interconnected drones can offer a tactical advantage over conventional methods. However, the use of drone swarms is not without its challenges. One of the key limitations is the relatively short flight time of the small, short-range drones typically used in swarms, which is often limited to around 30 minutes. Despite these limitations, the strategic advantages offered by drone swarms, such as enhanced surveillance capabilities and the ability to overwhelm enemy defenses, make them a valuable asset in modern military arsenals. A Glimpse into the Future of Warfare Swedens unveiling of its drone swarm technology is a significant milestone in the evolution of modern warfare. The collaborative effort behind this initiative, coupled with the rapid development and deployment of the technology, underscores the countrys commitment to embracing cutting-edge solutions for defense. As drone swarms become increasingly prevalent on the battlefield, they are poised to reshape military strategies and operations around the world. The interest from other NATO countries and the ongoing developments in Ukraine further highlight the global significance of this technology. While challenges remain, particularly in extending the operational range and endurance of these systems, the potential benefits of drone swarms are undeniable. Swedens initiative offers a glimpse into the future of warfare, where intelligent, interconnected systems play a crucial role in securing national and international security. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Around 400 tractors are expected to travel through Derry city this Saturday in protest against the Inheritance Tax changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief. The tractor run, which is organised by the Ulster Farmers Union, will take place on Saturday, January 25. It will involve a convoy of tractors travelling into the city, and starts at 2pm from Temple Road/Lisahally. After following a route from there, into and through the Waterside and cityside, its planned to make its way back to Temple Road/Lisahally for 4pm. According to the application made to the Parades Commission, 400 tractors are expected to take part. Similar tractor runs will be held in Omagh, Enniskillen, Armagh, Lisburn and Ballymena on the same day. The event is part of a UK wide day of action in protest against the Inheritance Tax changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief. This activity is part of a wider plan to highlight the detrimental damage that the family farm tax will have in the lead up to the UK governments spring statement in March 2025, and the UK farming unions are demanding formal changes to their plans. While the activity taking place across all parts of the UK is likely to differ slightly, the key unified message is the same: unless the UK government halts its deeply flawed family farm tax proposals, they will damage and threaten family farms and, in turn, undermine UK food production. The UFU say this is a day for all farmers, their families, and supporters to come together, make their voices heard, and demand change. UFU President William Irvine said: This is more than just a protest its an opportunity for people to come together, show their support, and contribute to this challenge. It is also an opportunity to raise money for charities and we encourage everyone attending to bring cash for charity donations on the day. Lets make this a day of action, solidarity, and generosity! The UFU is proud to stand alongside our colleagues in the NFU, NFU Scotland, and NFU Cymru as we demand immediate changes to the governments proposed tax plans. Together, we will make sure this issue is front and centre in the lead-up to the UK governments spring statement in March 2025. Farmers are the backbone of this nation, and we will not be silenced. Join us on 25th January for a day of unity, action, and change. The PSNI has advised motorists to plan for possible delays ahead of Saturday's event in Derry. A spokesperson said: Motorists are advised to plan for possible delays, and drive with extra care if in an area as the convoy passes through. Police will be on duty and deal with any traffic-related issues that arise. The route is from Lisahally market, Temple Road, Maydown Road, Clooney carriageway, Crescent Link, Dungiven Road, Glendermott Road towards Duke Street and onto Craigavon Bridge, Carlisle Road into The Diamond, Shipquay Street, Foyle Embankment, Strand Road, Culmore Road, Foyle Bridge and back towards Temple Road/Lisahally. For more information, farmers should contact their local UFU group office. Farmers from across Derry are being encouraged to join this weekends protest against the British governments farm inheritance tax proposals which will damage family farms. The Ulster Farmers Union has planned seven tractor runs throughout the north on Saturday, 25 January to voice concerns about these plans. One of which takes place in Derry, with around 400 tractors expected to travel through the city centre. Speaking ahead of the protest, Sinn Fein councillor Alex Duffy said: I am encouraging all farmers across the north to attend the protest this Saturday against the British governments proposed changes to inheritance tax, which threaten the future of family farms and rural communities. These plans would place an unbearable financial burden on farming families, forcing the sale of inherited land to cover tax bills and jeopardising the generational transfer of farms that are the backbone of our agricultural industry. Family farms are not only vital to our economy but also to our way of life, heritage, and food security. This protest is a chance for us to send a strong, united message that these proposals are unacceptable and will have devastating consequences for our rural economy. I stand firmly with the farming community in opposition to the British governments tax on family farms and we encourage everyone who cares about the future of agriculture to make their voice heard this Saturday. Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton met with representatives from Dogs Trust at an event hosted by the charity in Stormont this week, with the aim of improving welfare for dogs and their owners. The charity held the event in Parliament Buildings on Tuesday, January 21 to raise awareness of the need for responsible dog breeding and rehoming, and how current legislation could be improved within Northern Ireland. At the event, representatives from Dogs Trust spoke to MLAs from across the political spectrum about the need for regulation of Animal Welfare Establishments, including rehoming organisations. As there is currently no specific legislation in place this means there is little protection to ensure high animal welfare standards are being met. Dogs Trust wants to see the introduction of legislation which would regulate Animal Welfare Establishments, protecting the animals, the families adopting them and the organisations themselves. Dogs Trust Public Affairs Manager, Alex Findlow said: We were delighted to visit the Northern Ireland Assembly this week to meet with MLAs to discuss the regulation of dog breeding and the rehoming sector. Thank you to Gary Middleton MLA who attended and spoke to us about our four-legged friends. We are grateful to have their interest and support. We look forward to continuing to work with MLAs on a range of issues to improve dog welfare within Northern Ireland, including the review of dog breeding regulations, which is due to be introduced by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA. We continue our calls on the Northern Ireland Assembly to introduce and improve legislation which will ensure that puppies, dogs, and their owners are given the best possible start for a healthy and happy life. Gary Middleton said: I am pleased to support Dogs Trust in raising awareness of key dog welfare related issues, including improving current breeding legislation. I want the Northern Ireland Assembly to prioritise this to ensure we have a system of breeding and selling that has total traceability. We need to suitably protect the dogs and the buyer and hold breeders to a high standard of animal welfare. Dogs Trust has a rehoming centre in Ballymena which this month will be officially reopened after major redevelopment transforming the facilities, originally opened in 1970, into a world-class centre incorporating the latest advances in kennel design and dog welfare. Last year the charity rehomed 335 dogs in Northern Ireland. It also provides Dog School training classes within Northern Ireland. For more information visit: www.dogstrust.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/our-views As many Northern Ireland families and businesses shiver their way through January, a local energy provider has announced a freeze on winter prices. Locally owned energy provider, Share Energy says it will freeze its prices, despite price hikes by other power companies. Share Energy, owned and managed by three local entrepreneurs, said the decision was made following an era of fluctuating energy costs where many households and companies were struggling to stay financially afloat. Despite the economic challenges in the energy market, Share Energy has maintained the lowest standard rate in the market and pledged to share 50% of its profits with domestic and commercial customers - a bold step that the company claims redefines fairness in energy pricing. This latest price freeze guarantees that customers will pay the same standard tariff until April. CEO Damian Wilson emphasized the companys commitment to supporting households amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis: At Share Energy, we understand the immense pressure families and businesses are under. "We were built on the promise of fairness and transparency, and our price freeze is a testament to that commitment. We want our customers to feel protected from the unpredictability of the market. READ NEXT: Farmers encouraged to join Derry protest against farm inheritance tax He added, The past few years have been turbulent for the industry with increasing costs meaning many families struggle to pay their bills, yet energy companies are reporting record-breaking profits. At Share Energy we want to be different. Our decision to freeze prices will hopefully reassure our customers of our commitment to deliver affordable energy to the businesses and communities we serve. For more information, visit www.share-energy.com Devolved governments face years of inertia, delay and uncertainty without reforms being made to a key piece of post-Brexit legislation, campaigners have claimed. A new report for Scottish Environment LINK a charity which brings together more than 40 different environmental groups said the Internal Market Act had radically undermined the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The legislation, introduced by the Tories at Westminster in the wake of the UKs exit from the European Union, set out to create a single market across the UK. It caused difficulties for the Scottish Government when it attempted to introduce a deposit return scheme for empty cans and bottles ahead of the rest of the UK. The reports author James Mackenzie has called for there to be legislative keyhole surgery' on the Act, saying this could help the devolved institutions flourish again. Scottish Environment LINK chief executive Deborah Long said one of the key ideas behind devolution was to make space for each of the four nations to innovate, to develop local solutions to shared problems and to learn from each others experiences. This has been particularly true of environmental and public health policy, she said, resulting in measures like the carrier bag charge being adopted by the devolved institutions first. However, Ms Long said this approach which she described as part democracy, part testbed had come to a grinding halt under the Internal Market Act. She stated: Devolved governments and parliaments are now wary of prolonged tussles over measures which had been well within their power for two decades. If the changes proposed in our report today are not adopted, we face years of inertia, delay and uncertainty, just as all the indicators show we should be acting more urgently than ever before. Branding the Act a a mechanism unfit for the governance of four nations, the report said: Changes to it can and should be made. One of its suggestions is that a qualified automatic exemption be introduced to the legislation for environmental and public health policy. Such a system could be implemented simply though the regulatory powers contained within the Act itself, the report noted. An alternative to that would be for the UK Government to consider a package of wider changes to the Act via primary legislation. Mr Mackenzie said that while devolution had been introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with great fanfare, the introduction of the Act more than 20 years later meant that those devolved institutions were radically undermined in a way many people are still not aware of. He said: Many have called for the Acts abolition, or its complete replacement with something which fully respects the devolution settlement. A comprehensive replacement might indeed be better in the long-term, but the relatively modest measures set out today would restore a level playing field along the lines of the EU single market. This kind of legislative keyhole surgery could also be done very quickly, if UK ministers have the desire to see the devolved institutions flourish again. Speaking about the impact the legislation had on plans for a deposit return scheme in Scotland, Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, said: We campaigned for 10 years for a simple deposit return system for Scotland, something Scottish ministers could have brought in at any point since 1999, thanks to the devolution of environmental policy. Right at the last minute the plug got pulled by UK ministers, wasting years of work and vast sums of money, and ensuring millions of cans and bottles end up in landfill or littered in our towns and countryside. The Internal Market Act is entirely unfit for purpose. It works directly against the principles of devolution, which had been operating happily for nearly two decades before the Internal Market Act. I would urge UK ministers to consider these proposed changes for the benefit of both democracy and the environment. A UK Government spokesperson said: We are committed to working closely with the devolved nations to ensure governments at all levels are making decisions that support the economic success of our communities. We are beginning a broad review of the UK Internal Market Act this month and will be consulting widely, which will allow us to quickly decide on next steps to make processes work better and bring growth and shared prosperity to all parts of the UK. Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: We know that the UK Government intends to launch a statutory review of the Internal Market Act. The Act was imposed on the Scottish Parliament without its consent and radically undermines the devolution settlement. The Scottish Government is clear that the statutory review must lead to the Acts repeal, with the powers of the Scottish Parliament fully restored. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a recruitment campaign, with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warning that a failure to recover officer numbers would be unimaginable. Amid an ongoing budget crisis, the force currently has 6,300 officers, the lowest number in its history. Mr Boutcher said he needed more officers to ensure people in Northern Ireland were given the same level of protection as in the rest of the UK. This is the first recruitment campaign to shortlist candidates to the PSNI merit pool since 2021. There will be a three-week advertising campaign aimed at attracting new recruits to embark on a 22-week training programme. Starting officers would have a salary of 34,000. Mr Boutcher has said he wants to grow the force to 7,000 officers in three years. This, along with the recruitment of additional civilian staff, would require an additional 200 million in funding. This money would have to be agreed by Northern Irelands powersharing Executive. Mr Boutcher said what he was doing was responsible planning. He added: We last went out for recruitment in 2021. That pool of people that was successful in being selected has now almost run dry. When I became chief constable we had not been recruiting for a while because of financial challenges. We started recruiting in April last year. We recruited because we are in such a challenging position with our numbers. We cant go below what we are currently at, which is 6,300. We lose about 350 police officers a year through retirement and normal reasons for leaving. This is about getting a pool of police officers that we have selected to join this organisation. Additionally to that, it is only right and proper that I plan to put this organisation back onto a footing where it needs to be with regards numbers. Our workforce are exhausted. They are doing remarkable things every day. The Chief Constable said: What I want to do, with the support of the Executive and the Department of Justice, is to plan for the next three years, to get back to 7,000 police officers. To be clear, 7,000 police officers is not nearly enough for this organisation. But it is a recovery plan to get us back into a position to provide the policing service that we want to provide. Mr Boutcher said it would not be a resigning matter for him if he did not get the funding he requires. He said: I will do everything in my power, with every breath I have, to show the arguments as to why we need to be funded to 7,000 officers. Anything below that is almost unimaginable. The chief constable said the current funding pressures mean victims of crime are currently being failed. He said: Already in my time here we have had to get assistance from colleagues in Scotland to help deal with some of the challenges in Northern Ireland. If you have less police officers, you get less of a service, less policing. If we dont get the numbers, the reality for Northern Ireland is you will not have the safer communities the programme for government requires, we wont be able to end violence against women and girls. Citizens in Northern Ireland should be protected the same as elsewhere in the United Kingdom and in the island of Ireland. Mr Boutcher said he also wanted the force to continue to grow among groups currently under represented in policing. He said: We must be reflective of the communities we serve if we want our communities to have confidence in us as a police service. The application process for student officer recruitment will close at 3pm on February 12. The PSNI will also launch recruitment for call handler staff next week. Policing Board chairman Mukesh Sharma said: We encourage people from all walks of life and community backgrounds to consider policing as a career of choice as we want policing to be reflective and representative of the diversity of the community it serves. The PSNIs recruitment partner Deloitte manages the initial assessment stages of the recruitment process which include an online application form, online initial selection test and assessment. Applicants can be between the ages of 17 and 57. The Police Federation for Northern Ireland said the recruitment drive is an essential first step towards re-building officer numbers. Chairman Liam Kelly said: Our hope is that this is a turning point. We have to halt the decline in officer numbers and work towards bringing the size of the service up to where it needs to be. Reaching a headcount of 7,000 within three years is the ambition but it is all heavily conditional on the PSNI receiving a budget that allows it to go out and recruit. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the need to recover police officer numbers in Northern Ireland is widely accepted. She said: I will continue to seek the best possible financial package for justice in Northern Ireland. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Samsung Electro-Mechanics, SoulBrain to develop next-gen glass substrates, mass production set for 2027 Samsung Electro-Mechanics is teaming up with South Korean semiconductor materials company SoulBrain to develop materials for glass substrates, with plans for mass production by 2027. This partnership aims to enhance Samsung's supply chain ecosystem and boost the development of next-generation semiconductor technology. Seoul Economic Daily and Korea Economic Daily reveal that the two companies have started collaborating on the development of etching solutions, which are vital in the manufacturing of glass substrates. SoulBrain previously provided etching solutions to Samsung Display for OLED panel production, sparking interest in their potential application in the glass substrate sector. Glass substrates offer significant advantages over traditional plastic substrates. They enable the creation of more intricate circuits, reduce thickness, and potentially decrease power consumption by over 30%. Additionally, glass substrates can be produced in larger sizes, marking them as a key technology for future semiconductor developments. MarketsandMarkets predicts that the glass substrate market will grow from US$7.1 billion in 2023 to US$8.4 billion by 2028, an 18% increase. In response to this growing demand, Samsung Electro-Mechanics is accelerating its efforts to commercialize glass substrates. The company has already begun constructing a pilot production line at its Sejong factory in South Korea, with plans to start sample production in 2025. During CES 2025, the company confirmed that negotiations are underway with several clients, expecting to supply samples to two to three customers by the end of 2025. Industry experts suggest that SoulBrain's expertise extends beyond etching solutions, with experience producing deposition materials and polishing liquids crucial for semiconductor and display panel processes. This expertise gives SoulBrain a competitive edge as it collaborates with Samsung Electro-Mechanics. Additionally, Samsung Electro-Mechanics is working with Chemtronics and LPKF, a German glass processing company, to explore various manufacturing processes. These efforts are supported by technical expertise shared with Samsung Display, also part of the Samsung Group. South Korean companies, including Samsung Electro-Mechanics, are not the only ones eyeing the glass substrate market. Absolics, a subsidiary of SK Group, is building its first glass substrate factory in Covington, Georgia, US, with support from the CHIPS Act. LG Innotek is also planning investments in this space, with trial production of glass substrates expected to begin by the end of 2025. Jensen Huang's low-key China visit: Nvidia's strategic maneuver through US-Sino tensions Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's recent low-profile visit to China has reaffirmed the company's strategic focus on this crucial market amid tightening US restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports. During his multi-city tour, Huang connected with employees and reinforced the country's critical role in Nvidia's growth. He highlighted China's pivotal contribution to the company's success, emphasizing its importance amid escalating geopolitical tensions. His visit, which took place shortly before the January 20, 2025, inauguration of US President Donald Trump, underscores Nvidia's strategic focus on the region, according to Chosun Biz. As reported by Sina and Jiemian on January 20, 2025, Huang attended Nvidia's Lunar New Year celebration at Beijing's Peninsula Hotel on January 19, marking his first visit to China since January 2024. Though initially planning to travel from Shenzhen to Beijing on January 15, he made an unscheduled stop in Taiwan before arriving in Beijing. Huang is expected to visit Shanghai next. Strengthening regional presence Despite withholding details of his itinerary, media reports and footage showed Huang, a Taiwan-born American, meeting clients and employees in Shenzhen and Beijing. Speaking at Nvidia's annual gathering in Beijing, he reiterated the company's significant contributions to China's technological advancements. Huang highlighted that 1.5 million developers in China use CUDA, Nvidia's proprietary computing platform and that the company collaborates with over 3,000 startups to strengthen the local tech ecosystem. "Over the past two decades, we have significantly contributed to the modernization of one of the world's most dynamic markets, and we take immense pride in our role within this ecosystem," Huang said. He also celebrated Nvidia's workforce growth in China, which has expanded by over 50% to nearly 4,000 employees. He noted that the region's attrition rate is just 0.9%, the lowest in Nvidia's global operations, compared to the 2% worldwide average. "If you join Nvidia, you're here for the long haul," he said. Huang's visit occurs amid rising US-China tech tensions, with Washington tightening AI chip export controls and Beijing initiating an antitrust probe into Nvidia. These developments cast uncertainty over the company's future in the region. Strategic priorities and challenges 1. Market dynamics under geopolitical pressure As US-China tech competition escalates, Huang's visit aims to reassure Nvidia's workforce amid growing challenges. The US has tightened AI chip export controls, while China has launched an antitrust probe, impacting employee morale. Huang emphasized that his visit focuses on celebrating the Lunar New Year with staff, without confirming any meetings with government officials, as noted by the South China Morning Post. 2. China market significance According to Tech Nice, Nvidia's latest financial report reveals that revenue from mainland China and Hong Kong reached US$5.4 billion in the three months ending October 27, 2024a 34% increase compared to the same period last year. China, ranking just behind the US and Singapore, remains one of Nvidia's most vital markets. 3. Regulatory and supply chain considerations VOA reports that Huang's visit seeks to reassure both the Chinese and Taiwanese governments while solidifying Nvidia's supply chain ties with customers and assembly plants. Nvidia faces a twofold challenge: securing regulatory approvals for global acquisitions, including China's, and maintaining positive relationships with key stakeholders. 4. Production capacity optimization With rivals like AMD leveraging Taiwanese and Asian suppliers for chip production, Huang's visit aims to secure Nvidia's priority access to production capacity, ensuring a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving semiconductor market. Balancing business and geopolitical interests Huang's low-profile visit to China reflects Nvidia's strategic effort to strengthen relationships with employees and clients while navigating the complexities of US-China geopolitical tensions. By focusing on internal engagements, he reinforces Nvidia's commitment to the Chinese market while avoiding potential political controversies, as per GT Voice. The visit demonstrates Nvidia's careful balancing actadvancing its business priorities in China while adapting to evolving regulatory challenges and geopolitical pressures. A life-saving 4,000 km journey! 7 yr-old girl returns to Xinjiang after record-breaking heart transplant in Hangzhou People's Daily Online) 14:52, January 22, 2025 A 7-year-old Uygur girl who suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) got a new heart and three "new moms" during her 137 days of treatment at a children's hospital in east China's Zhejiang Province. Mayire Ailiximu (Yiyi), the lucky little girl from Baicheng county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has recovered well from a successful heart transplant operation performed on Dec. 2, 2024. She was discharged from the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on Jan. 15, 2025. During her hospitalization over the past months, Yiyi overcame numerous medical challenges. She became the first patient ever to receive a Jarvik 2015 pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation in China, setting new records for the youngest and lightest patient to receive the device. The treatment journey, though difficult and arduous, was filled with love and heartwarming moments, thanks to strong financial and humanitarian support from the hospital and the Zhejiang Women and Children's Foundation. In particular, three medical workers at the hospital, Doctor Zhao Wenting, Doctor Yang Lijun, and Head Nurse Shan Jiani, are affectionately called "moms" by Yiyi due to their immense care and compassion for the patient. Yiyi's connection with the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine began with an exchange event involving Yang. In May 2024, Yang, as the assistant director of the heart failure and mechanical circulatory support department of the hospital, visited Xinjiang for an exchange event. The event featured free medical consultations and promotional activities for the hospital's heart failure treatment program for children. This exchange event helped local hospitals and families learn about the hospital's heart failure treatment program for children, ultimately providing Yiyi, who had been diagnosed with DCM at a local hospital in June 2024, with a vital lifeline. "Doctors from the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were here not long ago. The hospital was the first children's hospital in China to perform artificial heart implantations. You should try taking her to the hospital," local doctors advised Yiyi's parents, encouraging them to take her to Hangzhou for a heart transplant. On Aug. 27, 2024, Yiyi, accompanied by her parents, embarked on a nearly 4,000-kilometer journey to Hangzhou as their "last hope." When the family arrived at the hospital on Sept. 1, 2024, Yiyi was already in the late stages of heart failure, and her situation was critical. The hospital opened a green channel for her and immediately gathered all the experts in relevant fields for consultation, in an effort to begin her treatment as soon as possible. Yiyi's treatment began with intensive efforts to stabilize her condition, including the use of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) for heart-lung support. "Her condition was unstable, and every emergency felt like our hearts were in our throats," Yang recalled. On Sept. 13, a team led by Shu Qiang, a professor with the hospital, performed a groundbreaking surgery, implanting the Jarvik 2015 pediatric VAD. "The VAD was used to temporarily replace ECMO, buying precious time for a heart transplant," said Yang, who participated in the entire surgery. However, Yiyi's condition soon deteriorated due to severe pulmonary hypertension, and ECMO was reinserted. Yang and the rest of the medical team worked around the clock, closely monitoring Yiyi's vital signs. Three days after the surgery, they successfully removed the ECMO. On the tenth day after the surgery, Yiyi was able to breathe on her own and moved to a general ward. The recovery process was arduous but rewarding. A nursing team led by Shan, head nurse of the heart failure and mechanical circulatory support department, helped her regain the ability to eat independently, a critical part of her rehabilitation. The girl was so weak that she could hardly swallow, Shan recalled, "We fed her milk with a spoon. We had to be very patient, feeding her spoonful by spoonful, making sure she didn't choke." As Yiyi's condition improved, Shan continued to help her build physical strength, teaching her to walk again. Zhao, a key member of Yiyi's postoperative rehabilitation team, guided her through physical rehabilitation, encouraging her to take small steps each day. About 20 days after her surgery to implant the VAD, Yiyi tried to get out of bed and walk on her own. After succeeding, she excitedly asked her father to go to the duty room and inform Zhao of the good news. "Zhao Mama, look, I'm not holding onto anything," Yiyi said proudly. "Great job!" Zhao replied, offering her praise with surprise. While helping her build physical capabilities, Zhao also paid close attention to Yiyi's emotional well-being. When Yiyi felt down about being unable to play outside, Zhao would take her in a wheelchair to the corridor to see the sky, and talked with her to offer emotional comfort during difficult times. "My daughter is usually shy, but she would talk to her three 'new moms' openly, sharing her thoughts and feelings freely," said Yiyi's mother, Zaitu'niguli Yibulayin. On Dec. 2, 2024, Yiyi finally received her heart transplant, which was very successful. During the days following the surgery, Yang visited her daily to check on her recovery. "Sometimes, I would approach the door of her room and find her peeking out, eagerly waiting for me," Yang recalled, with a happy smile on her face. As the days passed, Yiyi regained her strength and began exploring the hospital independently, looking for her "moms" at places like the duty room and nurses' station. "Sometimes, when we were busy, she would stay beside us, curious and full of questions," Zhao said. "The child has been doing so well; she's gained several kilograms during this time," Shan said, feeling a great sense of accomplishment as she saw the little girl's complexion brighten and her weight steadily increase. On Jan. 15, 2025, as Yiyi was discharged from the hospital, many doctors and nurses came to see her off. Her three "new moms" repeated instructions and handed over medicines to Yiyi's parents, reassuring them not to worry when they got home, as the hospital had arranged everything for them. "Xinjiang is our hometown, but Hangzhou is our second home," said Yiyi's father, Ailiximu Wusiman. "The government, the hospital, and everyone here have made everything so much easier for us. We are so grateful!" The family's return to their hometown was met with joy, as relatives and well-wishers gathered to visit Yiyi. "The people's hospital of Baicheng county has sent several doctors to conduct check-ups for my daughter, and they said she's doing great. Now we just need to make sure she takes her medicines on time and bring her to follow-up visits," Yiyi's mother said happily. During Yiyi's treatment journey, staff members of the hospital voluntarily donated money to her, and the hospital applied a special fund of 150,000 yuan ($20,507.77) for her. The Zhejiang Women and Children's Foundation established a special account for Yiyi, raising over 820,000 yuan in social donations. Moreover, the hospital provided free temporary accommodation and arranged for a Uygur-speaking volunteer to assist with communication for the family. Mayire Ailiximu, a 7-year-old girl from Baicheng county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, gently holds the face of her beloved Doctor Zhao Wenting in her hands as they are about to part. Yiyi, who used to suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), received a heart transplant and developed a deep affection for medical workers who took good care of her during her 137 days of treatment at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Luxun) Photo shows Mayire Ailiximu, a 7-year-old girl from Baicheng county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, shortly after she was hospitalized for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) Mayire Ailiximu, a 7-year-old girl from Baicheng county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, her mother (middle), and Shan Jiani, head nurse of the heart failure and mechanical circulatory support department of the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, interact in a ward. (Photo courtesy of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) Mayire Ailiximu (middle), a 7-year-old girl from Baicheng county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, enjoys her birthday cake in a ward at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) Thanks to meticulous care of a medical team at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, the condition of Mayire Ailiximu, a 7-year-old girl from Baicheng county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, continues to improve. The girl, who used to suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), received a heart transplant at the hospital and developed a deep affection for medical workers who took good care of her during her treatment at the hospital. (Photo courtesy of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Du Mingming) 'When chips are down, India chips in': PSMC-Tata fab milestone signals strengthening supply chain ties with Taiwan Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) Chairman Frank Huang made a rare public appearance at the India Republic Day reception hosted by Manharsinh Yadav, Director General of the India Taipei Association, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. His attendance underscored the strategic importance of PSMC's collaboration with India's Tata Group and the Indian government to establish a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication facility in Gujarat, India. The event, which celebrated both India's 75th Republic Day and the 30th anniversary of the India Taipei Association, highlighted the growing synergy between the two democracies. In his remarks, Yadav praised the deepening India-Taiwan partnership, emphasizing the importance of their supply chain collaboration in addressing global challenges. "Taiwan can rely on one constant, and that would be its partnership with India," Yadav said. "When chips are down, India shall always chip in with Taiwan, and we can rely on our supply chain partnership." Strategic semiconductor venture A key highlight of the growing bilateral relationship is Tata Electronics' semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat, with PSMC's assistance in construction, technology transfer, and talent training. The project, announced in March 2024, is India's first commercial semiconductor fab in 30 years and represents a significant step in its quest to establish a domestic chipmaking ecosystem. The US$11 billion project, backed by India's Semiconductor Mission (ISM), is heavily subsidized, with 50% of the funding coming from India's central government and an additional 20% from local governments. The 12-inch wafer fab will utilize 28nm processing technology and is expected to achieve a monthly capacity of 50,000 wafers by the end of 2026. The project will create over 20,000 skilled jobs, contributing to India's goal of becoming a global semiconductor hub. Technology transfer and expertise sharing PSMC plays a critical role by transferring its manufacturing technology and training Indian personnel, rather than directly investing in the facility. This approach aligns with PSMC's "Fab IP" strategy, which leverages its expertise to help partner countries develop their semiconductor capabilities. Building momentum through partnership PSMC's collaboration with Tata Electronics represents a new chapter in India-Taiwan relations. Following the launch of the Dholera project, PSMC has trained Tata engineering teams in Taiwan and deployed personnel to assist with facility design and construction in India. The first installment of payments from Tata Electronics was received in late 2024, marking a significant milestone in the partnership. Huang has described the collaboration with Tata Electronics as a strategic fit, citing Tata's expertise in electronics manufacturing and its robust workforce of 50,000 employees. The partnership aims to address India's critical need for a 12-inch wafer fab, with Tata's executivesmany of whom are returnees from major global semiconductor firmsleading the charge. PSMC anticipates earning over NT$20 billion (approx. US$620 million) in revenue from consulting fees, technology transfers, and training services over the project's lifecycle. As the Dholera fab progresses, it stands as a testament to the shared vision of India and Taiwan in addressing global supply chain challenges and building a resilient semiconductor ecosystem. Expanding bilateral cooperation Yadav's speech also celebrated a range of joint achievements, including Taiwan's significant contributions to India's electronics manufacturing sector and the signing of a memorandum of understanding on labor cooperation. These efforts aim to deepen collaboration across industries such as traditional medicine, culture, education, and skills development. The groundbreaking of the Dholera fab was one of several technological milestones in 2024, including India's historic space docking experiment and Taiwan's launch of its first lunar probe. Yadav highlighted India's rapid economic growth and its expanding electronics sector, which is projected to grow from US$150 billion to US$500 billion by 2030 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Yadav also emphasized the importance of AI collaboration, citing India's strengths in software, design, and data. He framed the India-Taiwan partnership as pivotal in advancing technological innovation and ensuring global supply chain resilience. In addition to Huang, the reception was attended by Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung-kwang Tien, General Secretary of the National Security Council, Joseph Wu, and Minister of Labor, Sun-han Hung. Notable attendees included representatives from major Taiwanese firms with a steady presence in India including Foxconn(Bob Chen, General Manager, S Business Group, James Wu, Spokesperson, Chairman Office), Innolux, Wistron, Phison Electronics, AUO, Delta Electronics and Eric Wu, Chairman of Shinkong Synthetic Fibers. Credit: ITA Two men have been arrested in Derry in connection with a savage assault that left a Lifford man fighting for his life. Charles Dooher, a 26-year-old, was brutally beaten in his home on the Conneyburrow Road on Monday morning and underwent emergency surgery after being airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. His father, Charles Dooher senior, who is in his 60s, also received injuries in the attack and received treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital. A major cross-border manhunt was launched as authorities on both sides of the border sought information on the masked gang. On Tuesday night, two men were arrested by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Irelands Serious Crime Branch. The two men, lifted in the Derry area, are being held in police custody. As officers from the PSNI conducted a probe across the border, Garda detectives carried out door-to-door enquiries in the Lifford area. As Mr Dooher fought for his life in Belfast, his mother, Annmarie, issued a plea for prayers for her son. I am asking for prayers for my beautiful, brave son, Ms Dooher wrote on social media. My poor son is fighting for his life and needs your prayers. Please pray for my son please pray for his recovery. Ms Dooher said the gang, armed with what she said were steel batons, broke into her home after 10am and left him laying for dead. She said: I sit here desperate with my sons life in Gods hands. I am asking you to join your hands together for my son and pray for his recovery. Pray for his healing. Pray for my son my beautiful son my wonderful son. Emergency services rushed to the scene, on the N15 road on the way into the border town, with multiple Garda units, including the Armed Response Unit, involved. The scene remains sealed off with Gardai remaining at the scene. Gardai issued a fresh appeal for any witnesses to the incident or anyone with any information to come forward. A spokesperson said: Any persons who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) from Coneyburrow Road, Lifford, between 10am and 11am, are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardai. Read next: Sliabh Liag murder accused said she 'battered' deceased man's face and liked it Anyone with any information is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on 074 9167100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. As Micheal Martin becomes Taoiseach again and Simon Harris prepares for a stint at the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence brief, here are some TDs who could be in line for a ministerial role. Jack Chambers, who was first elected as a TD for Dublin West in 2016, is set to become the Minister for Public Expenditure. The 34-year-old was touted as a talent within the coalition from early on. He had a good 2024 when he became the deputy leader of Fianna Fail and the youngest finance minister since revolutionary Michael Collins. Among his political achievements are reform of road rules including reduced speed limits and a revamped penalty points system and delivering a 10.5 billion euro budgetary package. Darragh OBrien, a Malahide native, has served as the Minister for Housing since June 2020, and will look to alleviate housing crisis pressures during his second term in office. Since he became housing minister, the number of people accessing emergency accommodation has increased by 50% to 15,000 people, and house prices have ballooned by 37% since the start of 2020. Mr OBriens Housing for All plan aims to build an average of 33,000 homes a year until 2030, a target that has increased to an average of 60,000 homes a year under the programme for Government. He has introduced cost rental schemes, which offer below-market rents based on the cost of building and maintaining the property, and the government shared equity First Home scheme. Norma Foley, who is in line to become the Minister for Social Protection and Rural Affairs, is a Tralee teacher who comes from a staunchly Fianna Fail family. Ms Foley used to canvass for her father who served as a TD for Kerry North for 18 years. Elected as a first-time TD in 2020, Ms Foley was appointed Education Minister where she faced school closures and State exam disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A controversial measure to spend 9 million euros on phone pouches for secondary schools drew significant criticism in the last budget. Dublin Bay South TD Jim OCallaghan is in the running to become the next Minister for Justice. The practising barrister was appointed Fianna Fails spokesman for justice by party leader Micheal Martin in May 2016. James Browne is a barrister who practised for 11 years and was first elected as a TD for Wexford in 2016, taking on the mantle from his father John who served as a TD for more than 30 years. His name is also in the ring to become the next Minister for Justice and Integration. He has been credited with passing the Gambling Regulation Act, which aims to prevent children from starting to gamble and aims to tackle gambling addictions. Mary Butler, who is tipped to become the next Minister for Children, Equality and Disability, ran the family grocery shop in Portlaw, Co Waterford before entering politics, becoming a councillor in 2014. She has served as a TD since 2016 and has served as a minister of state with responsibility for mental health and older people since 2020. She called for a no vote in the Eighth amendment referendum and in 2018 proposed a bill banning intimate piercings and tattoos for under 18s. James Lawless was a prominent government spokesperson in the media during the last government. The Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North, who is set to become the next Minister for Transport, Climate and Energy, was rewarded for his loyalty with a junior ministerial role at the Department of Transport when Simon Harris took over as taoiseach in April. During that short stint he met with Ryanair boss Michael OLeary who has called for the lifting of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, and with the Welsh transport minister over ferry disruptions at Holyhead. Limerick TD Patrick ODonovan was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works in 2020, and elevated to Cabinet as Higher Education minister after Simon Harris became Taoiseach. He is tipped to become the Minister for Communications, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport. A politician known for blunt retorts and commentary, one of the biggest challenges he will grapple with will be funding for RTE. Two-term Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe is set to move back to the Finance portfolio for his seventh budget in the role. Described as a prudent politician, he has served as a minister in three different portfolios for the past 10 years. He brushed past questions raised around undeclared election poster services and was considered a possible Fine Gael leadership contender when Leo Varadkar stood down, but stated his focus remained on serving as a minister and Eurogroup president. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is a rising star within the Fine Gael party. Carroll MacNeill, who is to become the next Minister for Health, has been a robust debater for the government. The barrister served as a former adviser in the Department of Children and the Department of Justice. She has served as Minister of State for European Affairs since April when Harris became Taoiseach. Helen McEntee is the deputy Fine Gael leader who had been suggested for Enterprise but instead is to move from the senior role of Justice to Minister for Education. Ms McEntee dealt with charged and complex issues such as the aftermath of the Parnell Square knife attack and Dublin riots; push back against hate incitement legislation, which was subsequently scrapped; the introduction of facial recognition technology for gardai; and how to tackle violence against women. Fianna Fail figures have been critical of her tenure in Justice, with Willie ODea branding her the worst Minister for Justice in the history of the State and Jim OCallaghan stating Justice needed a new energy after 14 years with Fine Gael. Simon Harris said there had been an undertone of sexism in relation to criticism of Ms McEntee, and said she had highlighted domestic, sexual and gender-based violence more than any other justice minister. Westmeath native Peter Burke got his election campaign off to the wrong start with an endorsement by Michael OLeary where the Ryanair boss made controversial comments about teachers not being people who get things done. A chartered accountant, he previously served as minister of state for European affairs before being appointed Enterprise minister in April after Simon Coveney announced his resignation shortly after Leo Varadkar stood down. He is set to retain the role in Enterprise and Tourism. Martin Heydon is a junior minister at the Department of Agriculture. The Kildare South TD is set to move up to the senior Agriculture role. The entire island of Ireland will be under a wind warning due to Storm Eowyn, which is predicted to bring powerful and disruptive winds along with some snowfall. The Republic of Irelands forecasting agency issued a nationwide Status Orange wind warning for between 2am and 5pm on Friday. Met Eireann said: Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds with gusts of up to 130kmh (80mph) widely, with even higher gusts for a time. The expected impacts include fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage, very difficult travelling conditions, disruption and cancellations to transport, and wave overtopping. An Orange Wind Warning has been issued for Ireland, due to Storm Eowyn, beginning 02:00 Friday 24th, valid until 17:00 Friday 24th. Please check the details below. https://t.co/XIjOm8VbJ1#stormEowyn pic.twitter.com/MKA99rqqkQ Met Eireann (@MetEireann) January 22, 2025 There are also warnings in place for all coasts off the island of Ireland and the Irish sea. A Status Yellow gale warning applies between 9pm Thursday and 2am on Friday, immediately followed by a Status Orange storm warning until 5pm. The latter warning comes with the expectation that south-west winds veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all coastal waters and the Irish sea. Met Eireann said: Storm Eowyn will bring powerful and disruptive winds over Ireland on Thursday night and during Friday along with some transient snowfall in the north west. It will start to become very stormy on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Eowyn tracks just off the north-west coast on Friday morning. Met Eireann said this will be followed by a swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country bringing disruption. It will start to become very stormy on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Eowyn tracks just off the northwest coast on Friday morning. Met Eireann said this will be followed by a swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country bringing disruption. The UK Met Office has issued a Yellow Wind warning for Northern Ireland due to Storm Eowyn. It said: Storm Eowyn is expected to pass close to or across the north west of the UK on Friday before clearing to the north east on Saturday. Whilst there is some uncertainty in the track of Eowyn, a spell of very strong winds is likely, initially south-easterly before turning westerly, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph inland and 80-90 mph along some coasts and hills perhaps even higher in a few locations. The warning for Northern Ireland is in place for all of Friday, and comes with the advisory that power cuts are likely to occur. It is also likely to affect road, rail, air and ferry services. The Met Office said there is a chance that there could be some damage to buildings or that power lines may come down. It added: Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties. Earlier this month, tens of thousands of people were left without access to electricity and power amid a cold snap on the island of Ireland. Plummeting temperatures and icy travel conditions resulted in transport disruption, the closure of some schools, and curtailment of certain healthcare services. A MMA fighter who pleaded guilty to a series of offences against his former partner including serious assault and coercive control, has been jailed for five and a half years at Dundalk Circuit Court. The 32 year old, a Latvian national with no previous convictions, also admitted causing criminal damage, the theft of the womans mobile phone, two counts of assault and animal cruelty. The court had previously heard how the victim and the defendant were in her apartment in County Louth on August 10th 2022, when her dog urinated on the floor. The accused kicked her pet, sending it flying across the room and when she begged him not to do it again, he kicked her hand as she protected the dog, breaking her left ring finger. On October 15th the same year, he choked her and kicked her on the right leg and the court heard she attributed his aggression to his weight loss while preparing for a Mixed Martial Arts fight. Thirteen days later he re-entered her apartment and attacked her again, punching her arms and legs. He produced a knife and tried to stab her on November 11th 2022 and three days later when they met in a car park, she tried to get him to take his belongings, but instead he snapped her car key in half and stole her mobile phone, before punching her to the side of her face. The next month, the woman decided to give him another chance as she was pregnant, but he started verbally abusing her, suggested she have an abortion, slapped her in the face and held a knife to her throat as he poured cans of beer over her and her dog. The victim had a miscarriage and in January 2023 gardai investigating a breach of a safety order, found the defendant hiding under the womans bed. After being allowed out on bail in the CCJ, he broke into her apartment and told her I can kill you now and the guards cannot protect you. Sentencing was adjourned in November for the preparation of a Probation report, urinalysis and a governors report. The court heard last Friday that the defendant on his release from prison intends to return to Latvia and rekindle his relationship with his daughter. Judge Dara Hayes, in finalising the matter, said the Probation report found the defendant had minimized the level of harm involved and justified and rationalized his actions including victim blaming in the context of domestic violence. He noted the aggravating factors included the serious nature of the offending, which was male violence against a woman and the disparity in size and strength between the defendant and the injured party. He noted the offending occurred in the womans own home and a knife had been held to her throat. There was disregard for court orders and what remorse there isis, at best, minimal. Judge Hayes imposed sentences totalling six years, backdated to January second 2023 to take into account time spent in custody. He suspended the final six months for two years, on the 32 year old entering a good behaviour bond and subject to him engaging with the Probation Service for two years post-release. He was also ordered to complete offence-focused work like Men Overcoming Violent Emotions (MOVE), Men Ending Domestic Violence or another anger management program and was further directed to have no future contact with the victim. Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) recently hosted the annual RiVeR Project Community of Practice event on the DkIT campus. The theme of this years conference was Keeping the spotlight on Coercive Control: A multi-agency approach. The RiVeR Project, DkIT's response to the impacts of Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence, is a collaborative initiative funded by the Higher Education Authoritys Performance Funding Scheme. Based at DkIT, the project focuses on addressing the challenges of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence through a combination of research, education, and training. The event brought together stakeholders from a wide range of organisations from all across Ireland, with the aim of maximising education and support and further building a community of practice for those who currently work in this field. DkITs Dr. Edel Healy welcomed almost 200 attendees to the conference, where they heard from a range of experts regarding the latest research and developments in relation to coercive control. Dr. Kathleen Nallen, the RiVeR Project Lead, provided an update on recent projects and progress of the RiVeR Project. Keynote speaker Dr. Stephanie OKeeffe, CEO of CUAN, the statutory agency set up to tackle Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV), provided the opening address. Dr. OKeeffe spoke of some of the very significant and profound challenges which impact people across Ireland including the impact of technology on new and emerging threats in the context of coercive control. In highlighting the importance of the Conference theme Dr. OKeeffe said that, it is only through a collaborative multi-agency approach and sharing of the latest research, knowledge and practices that a spotlight can be truly kept on Coercive Control and its detrimental effects on individuals and the whole of society. Other keynote speakers included Davina James-Hanman OBE, Independent Violence Against Women Consultant, Dr. Susan Lagdon, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Ulster University and Detective Superintendent Sinead Greene, from the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, who addressed a range of issues and practices around coercive control and the importance of collective action for moving forward and making changes in this area. Speaking after the conference Detective Superintendent Greene said: An Garda Siochana are delighted to work in partnership with the RiVeR Project, to avail of meaningful opportunities in education, research and training in the area of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. "The annual RiVeR Project conference held on Friday supported fellow practitioners to meet in person and identify how we must understand and promote a shared responsibility of tackling Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence in our society. Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to visit the stands of various organisations to learn more about their vital work. Short oral presentations showcasing a range of key developments in relation to Education, Training and Research in the context of DSGBV were provided to delegates. A wide range of topics were covered including information on male perpetrator programmes, mental health services, a focus on the experience of survivors of domestic abuse, and empowerment of domestic violence survivors through sport and physical activity. To close the event, Dr. Edel Healy, Dr. Kathleen Nallen and Lisa Marmion, RiVeR Project Research Assistant, took the opportunity to reflect on the key messages from the Conference in an interactive session with delegates and discussed what actions could be considered to make changes in this area. Dr Edel Healy, DkIT said: I was truly inspired by our community of practice in the field of Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-based Violence coming together to share a wealth of research, insights and experiences. Events like today provide a valuable opportunity for us to collectively envision the future and identify impactful solutions through education, research and trainingsolutions that have the potential to transform the landscape of this critical area." Dr. Kathleen Nallen Project Lead for the DkIT RiVeR Project said: It was fantastic to see such a large turnout at todays event. It is essential for our community of practice to come together to discuss the critical area of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and to provide support and guidance to one another to raise awareness and build further capacity in this field. "I want to say a huge thank you to all our inspirational speakers today. Their insight into this area is invaluable and I look forward to continuing our collaboration to share research, deepen knowledge and strengthen efforts in combating Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence. Sharon Horgan says the production of the second season of Bad Sisters had to be shut down for a time, because she found it difficult to deal with her grief after the death of her father. The London-born Irish actress and writer, who created the Bafta-winning comedy shows Catastrophe and Bad Sisters, revealed last year her father, John Horgan, had died at Christmas 2023. Horgan, 54, told the podcast How To Fail With Elizabeth Day how Bad Sisters dealt with grief, and her younger brother, podcast host Mark Horgan, sent her a message about a scene that was filmed after dad died. She added: Mark, he said that he loved the episode, but (I) found it really difficult to watch. And I was saying, well, because everything I was feeling went into those scenes, you know? So in some ways its great and its cathartic and you can connect with your feelings and you can express them. But in other ways, it feels so weird because essentially, youre using your emotions and it feels strange and a bit wrong. She also said that she has this weird muscle memory from being an actor where youre experiencing, youre playing heart, heartache, grief, all these extreme emotions, and youre living them in that moment, youre putting your body under this incredible strain, and thats what I was feeling at the funeral. I sat with an actor playing my dads dying before, and that really blew my mind, Horgan added. This can be a bit unhealthy this job. It was weird going back to work. In the end we had to shut down the production because I couldnt. She also spoke about how more confident she feels after reaching her 50s. I think hormones are driving me, Im on everything so, but I hate the visual representation of aging, it really bothers me because of natural vanity, but also because I dont feel like that, and Im sure everyone says this, but its why the number feels weird because inside I have puppy dog levels of energy, she said. I would say scary as well, theres a weird connection with your mortality when you lose a parent, and you start thinking about things in a different way, and thats why Im very kind of particular about what I work on and who I work with and how I spend my time. She also said it really is very, very recent that Ive allowed myself to feel like I know what Im doing. Horgan added: Theres a confidence there that I really appreciate actually, because its not great to be walking around feeling like youve sort of snuck in and no-ones noticed so far that Im winging it. Its exhausting. Its much better to feel like you should be in those rooms. She also confirmed she is seeing someone, after her separation from her husband, the businessman Jeremy Rainbird, in 2019, during the interview. In Bad Sisters, siblings try to help their sister Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), who is in a controlling marriage. Graces husband is played by Danish actor and Dracula star Claes Bang. He dies mysteriously, and the sisters, played by Horgan, Eva Birthistle and Sarah Greene, are among the suspects. At the 2023 Bafta TV awards, the Apple TV+ series won Duff the supporting actress gong, and the best drama series prize. Horgan is also the creator of HBO comedy-drama Divorce, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church, and the comedies Motherland and Pulling. How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is out now. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code An MEP has written to the chief executive of Cork City Council, Valerie OSullivan, asking her to consider commissioning a report to identify possible measures to alleviate traffic gridlock in the city. The local authority has been urged to commission the expert report by Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu, who said she has written to the council to voice support for the implementation of a new city-wide traffic management plan. The Fianna Fail MEP said that several people have complained to her office recently about gridlock traffic, with one constituent saying it took them 90 minutes to get from Glanmire to Bishopstown, and an hour and 45 minutes to go from Glanmire to Cork University Hospital (CUH). As part of this plan, Ms Ni Mhurchu has suggested the implementation of increased traffic policing and enforcement, speedier removal of cars after minor accidents and the introduction of new smart junction technologies. Chairman of the Blarney Street and Surrounding Areas Community Association, Tom Coleman, who has been campaigning for measures to alleviate traffic across the city for more than two decades, said that he would welcome such a report, but would be wary of the length of time it would take to implement change. We have gridlock as it stands, and something dramatically has to happen in consultation with resident associations and businesses, said Mr Coleman. Its when the commissioning of the report would commence is the problem its more communication and co-operation thats needed at this stage. Frank Crowley, who is a professor of economics at University College Cork, said that investment into sustainable transport options is what is needed. Time after time, data reports inform us that Cork is one of the most congested small cities in Europe, said Mr Crowley. Theres plenty of past and live data to inform the council its action that is needed and most of the required action is investment in our public transport system, BusConnects and walking and cycling infrastructure. Minor tweaks with traffic lights and yellow box junctions are welcome, but they will not address the significant sustainable infrastructure deficits that are causing the problem. A spokesperson for AA Ireland said that the traffic experienced by road users driving in Cork each day has gotten out of control and that a combination of short-term and long-term solutions are essential to tackle the issue effectively. Cork City Council was contacted for comment. 5pm The Dail has failed to nominate a new taoiseach, following a row on speaking time. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had been poised to become the next taoiseach after agreeing a Programme for Government with the Fine Gael party and a selection of independents. However, a dispute over whether some of those independents would be allocated opposition speaking time ended Wednesdays proceedings without a new Taoiseach. The Dail sitting to nominate a new taoiseach was delayed for hours to allow for talks on resolving the dispute. Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton addressed the chamber after 4.25pm and said the nomination process should proceed. Fianna Fail TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach. Members of Sinn Fein including leader Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn continued to interrupt the sitting. Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairles attempts to proceed as a disgrace, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was outrageous. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy adjourned the Dail until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of chaos inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments. 4pm The Dail looks set to resume shortly, with the process to appoint Micheal Martin Taoiseach likely to take approximately two hours. It comes as Aontu leader Peadar Toibin has confirmed that he and his partys other TD, Paul Lawless, have left the Regional Technical Group. This leaves the group with six members: the four Regional Independent Group TDs, plus Carol Nolan from Offaly and Mattie McGrath from Tipperary South. Technical groups need to have a minimum of five members. Once Mr Martin is elected Taoiseach, he will be driven to the Aras to receive his seal of office from President Higgins. Then it is customary that a four-hour lull would then follow as the new Taoiseach returns to Leinster House to inform his new Cabinet of their appointments, and then they will go to the Aras to receive their seals of office. 3pm No deal is the phrase currently doing the rounds in and around the Dail chamber, which is still suspended almost an hour after a meeting of the Dail business committee had been due to end. It is understood that a stalemate about where the four Independent TDS will sit is no closer to resolution, with the whips now going back into a meeting. The incoming Taoiseachs family resumed their seats in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery at 2pm, when the Dail had been expected to resume, but the house remains suspended. Whenever the Dail does resume, if the row can be resolved, it will likely take two hours before Mr Martin would be appointed, at which point he will be driven to the Aras to receive his seal of office from President Higgins. Then it is customary that a four-hour lull would follow as the new Taoiseach returns to Leinster House to inform his new Cabinet of their appointments, and then they will go to the Aras to receive their seals of office. At the current rate, with Government TDs looking cranky and opposition members openly jubilant, the day in Leinster House will likely drag on well past midnight. More to follow. Earlier The Dail has been suspended for the third time today, with Micheal Martins approval as Taoiseach and the subsequent appointment of Cabinet ministers now looking likely to be delayed until later this afternoon. The latest suspension has come as a meeting of the Dails business committee is taking place to attempt to hammer out a deal on Dail speaking time and the Governments proposal that the Dail take a two-week break after todays sitting. This mornings Dail sitting was initially suspended as a shouting match erupted as opposition TDs heckled new Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy over speaking rights. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald branded as cynical and unprecedented an attempt by Independent TDs who had helped draft the programme for government to have speaking rights during opposition time. I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in past governments but this takes the biscuit, she said. Independent Ireland leader, Cork South West TD Michael Collins, told members of the Regional Independents Group who have joined a new technical group in a bid to gain speaking time at leaders question time: You cannot be on the inside and on the outside. Richard ODonoghue, also of Independent Ireland, said there was a conflict of interest with the Ceann Comhairle adjudicating on the matter, pointing out that Ms Murphy had been a member of the Regional Independents Group and was recommended for the job by Michael Lowry. Ms Murphy is yet to rule on where the Regional Independents who are not serving in Government will sit, with temporary arrangements for today seeing them remain on the opposition benches. As chaos broke out, the Ceann Comhairle suspended the Dail, and when it returned, the shouting quickly resumed, with Thomas Gould, Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central attempting to speak on a point of order. The people of Cork North Central elected me to represent them, Mr Gould began, before being drowned out as bedlam erupted. The Ceann Comhairle again suspended the Dail, this time for half an hour, which then dragged on for over an hour, before Government chief whip Hildegard Naughton read a brief statement saying the Dail would adjourn after today until February 5, and party whips on the Dail business committee would now meet with the Ceann Comhairle to attempt to resolve the question of speaking rights. That meeting is due to take 30 minutes, and with a further 15 minutes for a meeting of the whips with their respective party leaders, the Dail is expected to resume just after 2pm. Assuming the row can be resolved, the opposition has succeeded in upscuttling the presumptive Taoiseachs schedule, with Mr Martin not expected now to go to the Aras for his seal of office until at least 4pm, and the announcement of the new Cabinet until at least 8pm. More to follow. Work is ongoing to twin Cork city with a city in Palestine, as a motion was approved at Cork City Councils International Relations and Tourism Strategic Policy Committee. Labour Party councillor Laura Harmon had proposed: That this council will seek the establishment of a twinning mechanism with a city in Palestine and Cork city. Rebecca Loughry, the councils director of corporate and community affairs, explained that pursuant to previous motions concerning Cork twinning with a city in Palestine, a council official met with the ambassador of the State of Palestine, H.E. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, twice in 2023. The ambassador noted her interest at the time in exploring a project between Cork and the city of Nablus in Palestine. Her rationale for the selection of Nablus as a candidate for a project was its status as the centre of commerce in Palestine and it being a university town, she said. Further council engagement in the months ahead added the possibility of a heritage and conservation link between the two historic cities, and the ambassador was keen to develop other projects including the visit of a Palestinian youth orchestra to Cork. Ms Loughry explained: The outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, put a pause to these initiatives. However, pursuant to motions brought to council, opportunities for continued engagement have been secured. The ambassador has twice visited Cork since to brief elected members on the situation in Palestine, the first visit coinciding with the initial ruling of the International Court of Justice on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories in February 2024. The second visit took place in September 2024, with the emphasis in both briefings being on the role that elected members could play as advocates for Palestine. The Lord Mayor Dan Boyle, has also had a phonecall with the ambassador since, she added. Ms Loughry explained: The current approach of council with respect to twinning is to develop timebound programmes of mutual benefit with prospective partners before entering into formal twinning arrangements. Both the Embassy of the State of Palestine and Cork City Council have emphasised the need for a project to be both practical and meaningful. Council will continue to engage positively with the Palestinian embassy and engage with the Palestinian community locally, on how best to advance a project, and will continue to secure periodic opportunities for the ambassador to brief elected members. Ms Harmons motion passed at the committee level and will now go forward to full council. She told The Echo: I welcome progress being made on deepening Corks relationship with Palestine and I commend the council and the Lord Mayor for the continued work on this. Further meaningful connections and twinning would be beneficial to Cork and Palestine, and there is huge support and affinity in Cork for the people of Palestine. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has said that demand from hospitals continues to be very high as the organisation issued an urgent call for blood donations across Cork. According to the service, the current levels of blood supply nationwide are very poor due to a lack of donations in recent weeks. As a result, four blood types, including O+, O, A and B, are at the two-day mark, meaning that without further donations via upcoming clinics, the supply will run dry before the end of this week. Additionally, supply of A+ and AB are also low, with only four days remaining, and only six days remaining for type B+. Sickness Speaking to The Echo, a spokesperson for the IBTS said that sickness is a major factor in preventing donations to the service. They added: Its been very challenging with Christmas holidays, then straight into the bad weather, and then the flu season, its really having a big impact on peoples ability to donate. Weve had some [filler] clinics on to try to make up for the shortfall but were not quite [there] yet because demand is so high across all blood groups. Normally our biggest challenge would be the negative blood groups but actually its impacting all of them. Across today and tomorrow, there will be three clinics open for donations in Cork, including at St Finbarrs Hospital in Douglas, from 11.15am today and from 3.15pm tomorrow; at the Cullen Community Centre in Millstreet, from 3.20pm tomorrow, and at the Cobh GAA Hall, from 2.30pm today. For further information, visit https://www.giveblood.ie. Here are the main headlines on Wednesday's newspaper front pages. The Irish Times reports that Ireland faces a fresh threat to its income from American multinationals operating here after US president Donald Trump moved to pull his country out of a landmark global corporate tax deal. The HSE has admitted it is years behind schedule in creating surgical hubs in Limerick and Cork that would help ease pressure on hospitals, according to the Irish Examiner. The Irish Independent speculates on who will be in Micheal Martin's Cabinet after he is voted in as taoiseach. The Irish Daily Mail highlights that the Dail will take a two-week break after the vote to elect a new taoiseach. A woman who was found not guilty of murdering her three children by reason of insanity has been granted unaccompanied days out of the Central Mental Hospital, the Irish Daily Mirror reveals. The Irish Daily Star reports that gardai have uncovered a suspected horrific child sexual abuse case. An autopsy carried out on murdered Belfast man John George prior to his body being returned home showed he was stabbed before being shot, the Belfast Telegraph reports. Revelations about the man who admitted the killing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport and the UK prime ministers pledge to overhaul online terror laws dominate the front pages of the British newspapers. The Times is one of several papers to concentrate on Axel Rudakubana ordering a knife from Amazon when he was under the legal age of 18. Wednesday's TIMES: Southport killer got knife on Amazon#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/ioCtQ7Tr2T Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) January 21, 2025 Rudakubana is labelled The Amazon Killer in The Sun, while the Daily Mirror says a terror guide found at his home is still available online and echoes British home secretary Yvette Coopers words that the purchase was a total disgrace. Wednesday's front page: Total disgrace he was able to buy knife on Amazon https://t.co/Qn4Bs6Yqwa#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/KTc88bKEKM The Mirror (@DailyMirror) January 21, 2025 Keir Starmers promise to overhaul terrorism laws to remove the tidal wave of online violence features on the front of The Guardian, above a picture of a man released from prison after being pardoned for his part in the January 6th Capitol riots by US president Donald Trump. Wednesday's GUARDIAN: PM's pledge to overhaul terror laws amid 'tidal wave' of online violence#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/DPx2WUB2J8 Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) January 21, 2025 The i paper concentrates on the same story, saying the British government has put tech giants on notice of further regulation. Wednesday's i: Labour makes new threats to tackle tech moguls over harmful content#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/QVYed9FUib Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) January 21, 2025 The Metro calls the steps a war on misfits, the Daily Express using the same word to describe a new threat to the country. Tomorrow's Papers Today WAR ON 'MISFITS' Southport stabbings inquiry launched#tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/tpnCrZUonu Metro (@MetroUK) January 21, 2025 Mr Trumps plans also feature prominently on the front pages, The Independent saying the new president holds all the cards in trade talks with the UK, while the Financial Times says he was widened his economic war to taxes with fresh trade tariffs on the way. Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Wednesday 22 January https://t.co/ii9Eof9QjC pic.twitter.com/VdovTOCJHu Financial Times (@FT) January 21, 2025 The Daily Telegraph says people who owe more than 1,000 (1,180) in wrongly claimed benefit payments and have ignored requests to return the money face a two-year ban from driving. Wednesday's DAILY TELEGRAPH: Benefit cheats to be banned from roads#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/94rGaPhOw2 Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) January 21, 2025 Jobs occupy the front of the Daily Mail, which says British finance minister Rachel Reeves is heading to a World Economic Forum meeting in Davos on the back of more bad news, including a slump in jobs. Wednesday's DAILY MAIL: Reeves hit by biggest jobs slump since Covid#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/cKBfPhV1bw Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) January 21, 2025 And the Daily Star warns of the arrival of Storm Eowyn at the end of the week. By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA As Micheal Martin becomes Taoiseach again and Simon Harris prepares for a stint at the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence brief, here are some TDs who could be in line for a ministerial role. Jack Chambers, who was first elected as a TD for Dublin West in 2016, is set to become the Minister for Public Expenditure. The 34-year-old was touted as a talent within the coalition from early on. He had a good 2024 when he became the deputy leader of Fianna Fail and the youngest finance minister since revolutionary Michael Collins. Among his political achievements are reform of road rules including reduced speed limits and a revamped penalty points system and delivering a 10.5 billion budgetary package. Darragh OBrien is set for a second term as Minister for Housing (Brian Lawless/PA) Darragh OBrien, a Malahide native, has served as the Minister for Housing since June 2020, and will look to alleviate housing crisis pressures during his second term in office. Since he became housing minister, the number of people accessing emergency accommodation has increased by 50 per cent to 15,000 people, and house prices have ballooned by 37 per cent since the start of 2020. Mr OBriens Housing for All plan aims to build an average of 33,000 homes a year until 2030, a target that has increased to an average of 60,000 homes a year under the programme for Government. He has introduced cost rental schemes, which offer below-market rents based on the cost of building and maintaining the property, and the government shared equity First Home scheme. Norma Foley, who is in line to become the Minister for Social Protection and Rural Affairs, is a Tralee teacher who comes from a staunchly Fianna Fail family. Ms Foley used to canvass for her father who served as a TD for Kerry North for 18 years. Elected as a first-time TD in 2020, Ms Foley was appointed Education Minister where she faced school closures and State exam disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A controversial measure to spend 9 million on phone pouches for secondary schools drew significant criticism in the last budget. Fianna Fails Jim OCallaghan is one of the names in the ring for Minister for Justice. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Dublin Bay South TD Jim OCallaghan is in the running to become the next Minister for Justice. The practising barrister was appointed Fianna Fails spokesman for justice by party leader Micheal Martin in May 2016. James Browne is a barrister who practised for 11 years and was first elected as a TD for Wexford in 2016, taking on the mantle from his father John who served as a TD for more than 30 years. His name is also in the ring to become the next Minister for Justice and Integration. He has been credited with passing the Gambling Regulation Act, which aims to prevent children from starting to gamble and aims to tackle gambling addictions. Mary Butler, who is tipped to become the next Minister for Children, Equality and Disability, ran the family grocery shop in Portlaw, Co Waterford before entering politics, becoming a councillor in 2014. She has served as a TD since 2016 and has served as a minister of state with responsibility for mental health and older people since 2020. She called for a no vote in the Eighth Amendment referendum and in 2018 proposed a bill banning intimate piercings and tattoos for under 18s. Patrick ODonovan, known for blunt retorts, is tipped for the Communications, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport Cabinet position. Photo: Niall Carson/PA James Lawless was a prominent government spokesperson in the media during the last government. The Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North, who is set to become the next Minister for Transport, Climate and Energy, was rewarded for his loyalty with a junior ministerial role at the Department of Transport when Simon Harris took over as taoiseach in April. During that short stint he met with Ryanair boss Michael OLeary who has called for the lifting of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, and with the Welsh transport minister over ferry disruptions at Holyhead. Limerick TD Patrick ODonovan was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works in 2020, and elevated to Cabinet as Higher Education minister after Simon Harris became Taoiseach. He is tipped to become the Minister for Communications, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport. A politician known for blunt retorts and commentary, one of the biggest challenges he will grapple with will be funding for RTE. Two-term Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe is set to move back to the Finance portfolio for his seventh budget in the role. Described as a prudent politician, he has served as a minister in three different portfolios for the past 10 years. Rising star Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is to become the next Minister for Health (Brian Lawless/PA) He brushed past questions raised around undeclared election poster services and was considered a possible Fine Gael leadership contender when Leo Varadkar stood down, but stated his focus remained on serving as a minister and Eurogroup president. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is a rising star within the Fine Gael party. Carroll MacNeill, who is to become the next Minister for Health, has been a robust debater for the government. The barrister served as a former adviser in the Department of Children and the Department of Justice. She has served as Minister of State for European Affairs since April when Harris became Taoiseach. Helen McEntee is the deputy Fine Gael leader who had been suggested for Enterprise but instead is to move from the senior role of Justice to Minister for Education. Ms McEntee dealt with charged and complex issues such as the aftermath of the Parnell Square knife attack and Dublin riots; push back against hate incitement legislation, which was subsequently scrapped; the introduction of facial recognition technology for gardai; and how to tackle violence against women. Deputy Fine Gael leader Helen McEntee will be moving away from the justice department into a role as Minister for Education. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Fianna Fail figures have been critical of her tenure in Justice, with Willie ODea branding her the worst Minister for Justice in the history of the State and Jim OCallaghan stating Justice needed a new energy after 14 years with Fine Gael. Simon Harris said there had been an undertone of sexism in relation to criticism of Ms McEntee, and said she had highlighted domestic, sexual and gender-based violence more than any other justice minister. Westmeath native Peter Burke got his election campaign off to the wrong start with an endorsement by Michael OLeary where the Ryanair boss made controversial comments about teachers not being people who get things done. A chartered accountant, he previously served as minister of state for European affairs before being appointed Enterprise minister in April after Simon Coveney announced his resignation shortly after Leo Varadkar stood down. He is set to retain the role in Enterprise and Tourism. Martin Heydon is a junior minister at the Department of Agriculture. The Kildare South TD is set to move up to the senior Agriculture role. By Jonathan McCambridge, PA The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a recruitment campaign, with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warning that a failure to recover officer numbers would be unimaginable. Amid an ongoing budget crisis, the force currently has 6,300 officers, the lowest number in its history. Mr Boutcher said he needed more officers to ensure people in Northern Ireland were given the same level of protection as in the rest of the UK. This is the first recruitment campaign to shortlist candidates to the PSNI merit pool since 2021. There will be a three-week advertising campaign aimed at attracting new recruits to embark on a 22-week training programme. Starting officers would have a salary of 34,000 (40,251). Mr Boutcher has said he wants to grow the force to 7,000 officers in three years. This, along with the recruitment of additional civilian staff, would require an additional 200 million (236 million) in funding. This money would have to be agreed by Northern Irelands powersharing Executive. Mr Boutcher said what he was doing was responsible planning. He added: We last went out for recruitment in 2021. That pool of people that was successful in being selected has now almost run dry. When I became chief constable we had not been recruiting for a while because of financial challenges. We started recruiting in April last year. We recruited because we are in such a challenging position with our numbers. We cant go below what we are currently at, which is 6,300. We lose about 350 police officers a year through retirement and normal reasons for leaving. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher launched the new recruitment drive at PSNI HQ in Belfast on Wednesday (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) This is about getting a pool of police officers that we have selected to join this organisation. Additionally to that, it is only right and proper that I plan to put this organisation back onto a footing where it needs to be with regards numbers. Our workforce are exhausted. They are doing remarkable things every day. The Chief Constable said: What I want to do, with the support of the Executive and the Department of Justice, is to plan for the next three years, to get back to 7,000 police officers. To be clear, 7,000 police officers is not nearly enough for this organisation. But it is a recovery plan to get us back into a position to provide the policing service that we want to provide. Mr Boutcher said it would not be a resigning matter for him if he did not get the funding he requires. He said: I will do everything in my power, with every breath I have, to show the arguments as to why we need to be funded to 7,000 officers. Anything below that is almost unimaginable. The chief constable said the current funding pressures mean victims of crime are currently being failed. He said: Already in my time here we have had to get assistance from colleagues in Scotland to help deal with some of the challenges in Northern Ireland. If you have less police officers, you get less of a service, less policing. If we dont get the numbers, the reality for Northern Ireland is you will not have the safer communities the programme for government requires, we wont be able to end violence against women and girls. Citizens in Northern Ireland should be protected the same as elsewhere in the United Kingdom and in the island of Ireland. Mr Boutcher and the PSNIs chief operating officer Pamela McCreedy launch the recruitment drive (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) Mr Boutcher said he also wanted the force to continue to grow among groups currently under represented in policing. He said: We must be reflective of the communities we serve if we want our communities to have confidence in us as a police service. The application process for student officer recruitment will close at 3pm on February 12th. The PSNI will also launch recruitment for call handler staff next week. Policing Board chairman Mukesh Sharma said: We encourage people from all walks of life and community backgrounds to consider policing as a career of choice as we want policing to be reflective and representative of the diversity of the community it serves. The PSNIs recruitment partner Deloitte manages the initial assessment stages of the recruitment process which include an online application form, online initial selection test and assessment. Applicants can be between the ages of 17 and 57. The Police Federation for Northern Ireland said the recruitment drive is an essential first step towards re-building officer numbers. Chairman Liam Kelly said: Our hope is that this is a turning point. We have to halt the decline in officer numbers and work towards bringing the size of the service up to where it needs to be. Reaching a headcount of 7,000 within three years is the ambition but it is all heavily conditional on the PSNI receiving a budget that allows it to go out and recruit. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the need to recover police officer numbers in Northern Ireland is widely accepted. She said: I will continue to seek the best possible financial package for justice in Northern Ireland. 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. Alaska will resume the barbaric practice of shooting bears and wolves from helicopters to reduce their numbers with the hope that it will boost moose and caribou herds. The renewed program would permit hunters to kill as many as 80 percent of the natural predators across 2,000 acres of state lands, reported The Guardian. Alaskas practice of indiscriminately strafing predators is both inhumane and inane, said Rick Steiner, an ecologist with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), in a press release from PEER. There is no scientific evidence that this carnage will boost populations of moose and caribou, and there is a growing body of evidence that it disrupts a healthy predator/prey balance in the wild. Environmental groups opposed the practice, which they said has more to do with increasing caribou populations as trophy animals to be killed by hunters than it does with science-based wildlife management, The Guardian reported. The states report on the program followed the Biden administrations upholding of rules set during President Donald Trumps first term that allowed other inhumane hunting practices, such as killing cubs in their dens, on Alaska federal lands. On some state lands in Alaska, intensive management practices allow game agents to indiscriminately kill any black bear, brown bear or wolf. In 2023, almost 100 bears were killed by helicopter, including 20 cubs. The newest plan would allow 80 percent of wolves to be killed by aerial hunters until their numbers are reduced to 35; cutting down the black bear population by 80 percent to 700 individuals; and bringing the number of brown bears down 60 percent to a population of 375. An Arctic wolf family in Alaska. 4FR / E+ / Getty Images Critics of the states predator control methods said the state admitted in the report that it did not know the full impact of the practices on bear populations, since estimates of brown bear numbers were not known before the kills were allowed. Over half of brown bears killed last year were adult females, which raises additional concerns about the ability of the population to rebound. With a desire to avoid delaying the initiation of bear removal; the Department did not have an opportunity to estimate brown bear densities within the IM areas prior to removals, the states report from October 2024 said. A grizzly bear sow and cub grazing in Denali National Park. Wolfgang Kaehler / LightRocket via Getty Images The goal of the project was to increase caribou calf survival by removing all bears and wolves from the calving grounds during the spring period when calves are highly susceptible to predation, the report went on to say. Data does not exist to evaluate whether the goal was achieved. Alaska officials refused to allow photographs to be taken of the killings, to subject the states program to federal scientific review or to permit independent observers to witness the slaughter, reported The Guardian. The mass killing of wildlife in close proximity to national parks leads to major declines in predator numbers on federal lands, PEER said in the press release. Due to state predator control practices on adjacent lands, the ability of visitors to see intact wolf packs inside Denali National Park, one of the states major tourist draws, has plummeted, PEER explained. The National Park Service ended a study of wolf behavior in Yukon-Charley National Preserve that lasted more than 20 years because the same types of practices led to the collapse of the resident wolf population. Alaskas predator control policies are cruel and the epitome of penny wise and pound foolish. The amount of tourist dollars from people seeking to view these predators in the wild dwarfs any incremental increase in hunting fee revenue the state hopes to realize, said Tim Whitehouse, executive director of PEER, whose organization is circulating a national petition in protest of the most recent aerial gunning operation, in the press release. Unfortunately, given its prior track record, we do not expect a Trump administration to protect wildlife on federal lands from state predator removal operations no matter how devastating or barbaric. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. An operational wind turbine at the South Fork Wind Farm in the Atlantic Ocean off of Long Island, New York on Dec. 7, 2023. Steve Pfost / Newsday RM via Getty Images One of the many executive orders President Donald Trump signed on his first day back in office temporarily stopped the United States sale of offshore wind leases in federal waters. It also paused permits, approvals and loans for offshore and onshore wind projects. On day one, the Trump administration is putting dirty fossil fuels front and center while delaying progress on renewable energy projects. This is as harmful as it is wrong headed. Putting the brakes on homegrown wind energy is not only bad for clean air, public health, and national security it cuts short a promising source of additional power at a time when our electricity grid needs it most, said Kit Kennedy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)s managing director for power, in a press release from NRDC. Wind energy is currently the largest renewable energy source in the United States, providing more than 10 percent of the countrys power. Ninety-nine percent of onshore wind projects are on private lands and cannot be stopped by federal action. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa are the top four states for wind power production. More than 131,000 Americans are employed by the wind industry. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior will review practices for wind leasing and permitting for federal lands and waters, reported The Associated Press. The order states that the assessment will consider factors such as wind projects impacts on wildlife, the effect subsidies have on the wind industrys viability and the economic costs of intermittent electricity generation. When asked about committing to continuing already issued offshore wind leases during recent confirmation hearings, Doug Burgum, whom Trump selected to be the next interior secretary, said projects that are already established by law and those that make sense will continue. Im not familiar with every project that the Interior has underway, but Ill certainly be taking a look at all of those, and if they make sense and theyre already in law, then theyll continue, Burgum said during the hearings, as The Washington Post reported. According to the American Clean Power Association, 73 gigawatts of offshore capacity are currently under development, enough to provide wind-generated power for 30 million homes, reported The Associated Press. Trumps executive order also temporarily halts the development of Magic Valley Energys Lava Ridge Wind Project, located in Idaho. A scaled-down version of the wind farm was approved by the U.S. government in December after local groups opposed it due to its proximity to a World War II site where thousands of Japanese Americans were incarcerated. We think the EO is likely to significantly curtail the U.S. offshore wind industry over at least the next four years, said Timothy Fox, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners, in an email to The Washington Post. The EO could have negative implications beyond Trumps term because project developers may be wary of investing in a sector that faces demonstrable high election risk. CEO of the American Clean Power Association Jason Grumet warned that the order could have a detrimental effect on states like Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa that supported Trump in the last election. States voting for President Trump are eight of the top ten states in terms of reliance on wind power with many depending on wind for a significant share of their electricity use, Grumet said, as The Washington Post reported. It is not clear how much authority Trump has to shut down wind projects, especially those that already have federal permits, and the executive order will likely face legal challenges, reported The Associated Press. Onshore wind is one of the least expensive power sources, with an average cost of roughly $31 per megawatt hour for new projects. Estimates from the Energy Information Administration say new natural gas plants will likely cost almost $43 per megawatt hour. During his campaign, Trump promised to stop offshore wind and ramp up production of fossil fuels, with a plan to make U.S. energy the cheapest in the world. This is bad for American workers, as well. The growing U.S. wind industry and its manufacturing supply chain are creating quality jobs and growing local economies along our coasts and across the Midwest. This announcement put those investments and the jobs that go with them at mortal risk, Kennedy said in the press release. Good afternoon, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) officials are closely monitoring the winter weather event expected to impact Elizabeth City and surrounding areas. ECSU will operate under Condition 1 (reduced operations) of the Adverse Weather Policy starting Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 2:30 pm through Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Condition 1 is appropriate when an event has significant potential to or is already negatively impacting local area commuting, important campus services, or the efficient functioning of campus buildings and grounds. Staff meetings will continue to be held. However, it is important to add Zoom or Microsoft Teams options as needed. Essential Employees: Will be required to report to work onsite unless otherwise advised by management. Non-Essential Employees: Will be required to report to work remotely unless otherwise advised by management. Employees may also work remotely with supervisor's approval. For any work time missed, employees must use leave time per leave-keeping policies. For your convenience, we have provided below a copy of the Adverse Weather Policy. (Adverse Weather Policy) Students and Faculty All in-person classes for Tuesday, January 21, 2025, have been suspended starting at 2:30 p.m. All in-person classes for Wednesday, January 22, 2025, should be moved to online instruction or respective faculty members should identify an alternative equivalent learning experience to replace missed class time. Information regarding shuttle transportation services will be sent out via the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Bedell Hall will be operating on its normal schedule today, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, and will close at 8:00 p.m. Retail dining locations (TLC, Viking Grill, and Greens To Go) will remain open until 9:00 p.m. tonight. Please refer to the table below for updated hours of operation for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Dining Locations Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Bedell Dining Hall 7:00AM - 10:30AM (breakfast) 9:30AM 11:00AM (breakfast) 11:30AM - 1:30PM (Lunch/Light Lunch) 11:30 AM 1:30PM (lunch) 4:30PM - 8:00PM (Dinner) 4:30PM - 8:00PM (Dinner) POD Express 10:00AM - 8:00PM 9:30AM 8:00PM Tender, Love & Chicken (TLC) 11:00AM 9:00PM 2:00PM 8:00PM Viking Grill 11:00AM 9:00PM 2:00PM 8:00PM Greens To Go 11:00AM 9:00PM Closed Please continue to monitor ECSU social media, website, and your email for additional updates. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (MCA), a watchdog agency which has repeatedly probed Amazon's business dealings, will now be run by former Amazon executive Doug Gurr. that makes sense, right? Gurr will serve as interim chair "in a bid to boost growth and support the economy. "The decision comes alongside reports that the UK government ousted former chair, Marcus Bokkerink, whose resignation was simultaneously announced. Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, explained the appointment in a statement. "This Government has a clear Plan for Change to boost growth for businesses and communities across the UK. As weve set out, we want to see regulators including the CMA supercharging the economy with pro-business decisions that will drive prosperity and growth, putting more money in peoples pockets." The CMA is responsible for investigating any potential breaches of antitrust regulations, vetting mergers and protecting consumers from any unfair trading practices. It has taken action against Amazon multiple times, including the period Gurr worked there. Recently, the CMA has probed Amazon for not protecting customers from fake reviews and whether Amazon gives its own brands preference over third-party products in its marketplace the latter resolved with agreed upon changes from the tech giant. Last year, the CMA looked at Amazon's $4 billion investment into Anthropic, ruling it didn't qualify as a merger. The CMA is currently investigating Google for antitrust practices in regards to its search services. Gurr joined Amazon in 2011, serving as the President of Amazon China from 2014 to 2016 and finally as Country Manager of Amazon UK until he left the company in 2020. Most recently, he served as director of the Natural History Museum in London. OpenAI will build and open AI infrastructure worth $500 billion in the United States over the next four years in partnership with SoftBank. The two entities have teamed up to establish a new company called the Stargate Project to build AI data centers for the ChatGPT maker, and according to their announcement, it will "secure American leadership in AI" as well as "create hundreds of thousands of American jobs." SoftBank will finance the project, while OpenAI will be in charge of its operations. Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, will serve as its chairman. While OpenAI and SoftBank will serve as the Stargate Project's lead partners, there are several other companies involved in the initiative. In addition to OpenAI, Arm, NVIDIA, Oracle and, of course, Microsoft will be its key initial technology partners. The company's official announcement says OpenAI, NVIDIA and Oracle will work together to "build and operate this computing system," though it didn't expound on what that means. As for Microsoft, the company has posted an announcement about its involvement in the project and said that it will continue its "strategic partnership" with OpenAI. Microsoft will still have the right to use OpenAI IP on its products, and the OpenAI API will still exclusively run on Azure. However, it will no longer be OpenAI's exclusive provider for computing capacity. Whenever OpenAI needs additional capacity as its needs grow, Microsoft will have the "right of first refusal," which means the ChatGPT-maker has to check with it first before working with other parties. The Stargate Project is releasing $100 billion immediately for its first data center buildouts, starting with one in Texas. As TechCrunch notes, it was previously reported that OpenAI was in talks with Oracle to lease a data center in Abilene, Texas that can reach almost a gigawatt of electricity by 2026. It didn't mention any other sites, but it did say that it's "evaluating potential" locations across the country. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Google has been a much larger facilitator of tools to Israel during its war with Hamas than previously disclosed. A new report from The Washington Post found that Google employees have repeatedly worked with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israels Defense Ministry (IDM) to expand the government's access to AI tools. In 2021, Google entered into a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, titled Nimbus, alongside Amazon. Internal documents show that Google employees repeatedly requested greater access to the company's AI technology on behalf of Israel starting shortly after the October 7 attacks. An employee in Google's cloud division reportedly escalated appeals from the IDM for greater access to Vertex. In one document, an employee allegedly warned the IDM could turn to Amazon instead, losing Google business. A November document then allegedly shows the employee thanking their co-worker for assisting with the request. Additional documents from 2024 reportedly show further requests which continued to as recently as November 2024, with an employee requesting the IDF receive access to Gemini AI technology in order to develop its own AI assistant. The request was for improved processing of audio and documents, but its unclear what earlier access pushes were used for in regards to military operations. The news sheds a fresh light on employees' protests over Google's cloud computing contract with Israel's government. Google employees have spoken out against the company's dealings with Israel since the contract began. However, the war brought renewed calls from its employees for Google to drop out of Nimbus. Instead, Google has fired over 50 employees for protesting the contract due to what it called "disruptive behavior." In mid-2024, over 100 Google employees made up of managers and members of its human rights group reportedly emailed the company to review the Nimbus contract, but Google ignored it. Alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25 series today, Samsung also made a slew of software updates that might not have gotten much attention during the keynote. Specifically, two updates are coming to Samsung Wallet that not only sound very similar to existing features on iPhones, but might also be better. The new features are called "Instant Installment," which is the company's take on "buy now pay later," as well as peer-to-peer payments, which it's named "Tap to Transfer." The latter is basically Apple's Tap to Cash, which allows iPhone owners to hold their phones together to send money to each other. Crucially, though, Samsung's method would support work with third-party digital wallets. At a recent briefing with members of the media, Samsung's reps said that Tap to Transfer "is not going to be limited to just Samsung Wallet." Instead of being tied to specific digital wallets, it will be linked to the associated debit card or account, and works via Mastercard and Visa. As for Instant Installment, it's not that Samsung is pivoting to becoming a credit provider and taking on loans. Instead, it facilitates your purchases and turns your payments into what the company's rep said is "the first offline payment plan experience." It's available at brick-and-mortar stores or online, with Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Samsung Wallet just helps you manage the payment plan on your device. Both of these features aren't launching with the Galaxy S25, but Samsung said at the briefing that they would be available "shortly thereafter." A spokesperson I talked to at the event indicated it would be closer to the second quarter of the year, and that the features would be backward compatible and work on older Galaxy phones, too. Details are scarce, though, and with seemingly months to go before launch, things could change. But if Samsung actually makes it possible to tap to transfer cash between friends with different devices and digital wallets, it could truly be a better, more seamless approach than Apple's version right now. The Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra have been officially unveiled. Preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S25 models are already open, and they will ship on February 7. Want to relive the event as it unfolded? Watch the livestream of the Galaxy S25 launch and look back at the Samsung Unpacked liveblog. Alternately, check out Everything Samsung announced at the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event for a complete recap. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Samsung unveiled a bunch of new gadgets at its Unpacked event, but the baddest of the bunch were likely those Galaxy S25 smartphones. Smartphones are only as good as the chips that power them, and the S25 series features a custom version of Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-a-chip (SoC.) Qualcomm is calling it the worlds fastest mobile system-on-a-chip and it powers every Galaxy S25 version across the world, from the standard release to the Plus and the Ultra. This is only the second time the same chipset has been used to power Galaxy S-series handsets globally. Typically, North America gets a Qualcomm SoC and the rest of the world gets Samsung's proprietary Exynos system. This SoC features the second-gen custom Qualcomm Oryon CPU, along with the Adreno GPU and the Hexagon NPU for AI tasks. The system includes a Snapdragon X80 5G modem and the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 Mobile Connectivity System. The company promises ultra-fast cellular and Wi-Fi 7 speeds. The system also allows users to send and receive messages via satellite, via the Snapdragon Satellite service. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The two companies worked closely together to create this custom version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite to reduce power consumption on Galaxy devices. Galaxy S25 handsets can even access Qualcomms Spatio-Temporal Filter (STF.) This allows for sharper-than-ever low light video capture capabilities, even at 8K 30fps, all while maintaining world-class power consumption efficiency. Of course, the SoC was also customized to take full advantage of Samsungs Gemini suite of AI tools. The Galaxy S25 isnt the only smartphone to use Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Xiaomi 15, Honor Magic 7 Pro, Asus ROG Phone 9 and Realme GT 7 Pro are expected to utilize the SoC, albeit not the custom version co-designed by Samsung. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have an S Pen onboard, as is tradition for all Galaxy S Ultra smartphones since the 2022's Galaxy S22 Ultra. What that S Pen won't have anymore is Air Commands, because it turns out barely anyone bothered with them. Air Commands are a feature that allows Galaxy owners to assign various actions to pen gestures made, as the name implies, in the air rather than on the phone's screen. In a briefing, Samsung representatives told members of the media that less than one percent of customers with an S Pen bothered using Air Commands. Those who did mostly used them to trigger camera captures, a thing that can be done pretty easily without the S Pen. For those one percent of users perhaps sad to see Air Commands go, Samsung claims removing support for the gestures as well as Bluetooth LE will increase the pens durability and eliminate some weight. The Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra have been officially unveiled. Preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S25 models are already open, and they will ship on February 7. Want to relive the event as it unfolded? Watch the livestream of the Galaxy S25 launch and look back at the Samsung Unpacked liveblog. Alternately, check out Everything Samsung announced at the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event for a complete recap. Last year, none of Samsung's phones offered support for Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. However, there was hope that would change after Samsung said it would launch compatible devices in 2025. Unfortunately, it seems the world's largest phone maker still isn't fully committed as the new Galaxy S25 line is said to be "Qi2 ready" instead of fully Qi2 compliant. So what does that actually mean? Similar to previous models, the Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra can charge wirelessly at up to 15 watts. That falls neatly within the Wireless Power Consortium's (the governing body in charge of the protocol) specifications for Qi2. But what the Galaxy S25 lacks in order to offer true compatibility are magnets inside the phone itself designed to help attach and align related peripherals. This is why Samsung says the S25 is merely "Qi2 ready" instead of 100 percent compliant. That means if you want to use Qi2 accessories with the S25, you'll need to pair the phone with a supported case that provides a built-in magnetic mounting system (like the one pictured above), with Samsung saying there will be a range of first and third-party options available at launch. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For people who always put their phone in a case, this might not be a big deal. You'll just want to make sure you buy one with magnets inside designed to work with other Qi2 peripherals. However, for people who prefer their phones to be caseless or simply want something a bit less bulky, there may fewer alternatives. Some manufacturers have created skins that come with included magnets to help out older phones that also lack full Qi2 support, so it's likely we'll see some variation of that for the S25. Sadly, despite claiming that the company would release devices with Qi2 support in 2025, Samsung hasn't fully delivered on that promise with the new S25 family, which makes things a bit more complicated than they ought to be. The Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra have been officially unveiled. Preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S25 models are already open, and they will ship on February 7. Want to relive the event as it unfolded? Watch the livestream of the Galaxy S25 launch and look back at the Samsung Unpacked liveblog. Alternately, check out Everything Samsung announced at the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event for a complete recap. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Samsung has announced the latest version of its flagship device, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it will come with more AI-focused features than its predecessors like the other phones in its lineup. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite that was customized specifically for Galaxy devices and comes with a RAM that starts at 12GB. Samsung says the new chip will enable the phone to process AI experiences on-device, including tasks that previously had to be processed on the cloud like Generative Edit, which can reframe shots, delete subjects in the photo and fill in backgrounds. Samsung designed a new heat dissipation structure for the phone, as well, so that on-device AI processes can run smoothly. The new Galaxy S25 devices run One UI 7 on top of Android 15, which Samsung says can turn the phones into a true AI companion. It enables the new phones to understand text, speech, images and videos in a way that allows you to interact with your phone using natural language. You can ask your phone to find a photo or a video by describing certain elements you can remember, for instance, or tell it to change specific settings without having to manually navigate the device. There's also an AI feature called the Now Brief that sends you alerts throughout the day based on your schedule and pattern of activity. Those notifications will be visible on the Now Bar, the devices' new notification system. If you want to access Google's Gemini AI assistant, you can simply press on the phone's side button. And, of course, the phones can use Google AI features, such as Circle to Search. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25+, in particular, come with ProScaler. That's a real-time AI upscaling feature that Samsung says can achieve "a 40 percent improvement in image quality" for what's shown the screen, as long as the display is set to QHD+ resolution. When it comes to AI tools for sounds, there's Audio Eraser, which you can use to isolate and erase certain sounds from your recordings, whether it's music, background noise or voices. Samsung says the new phones' Galaxy AI features will be "free through 2025," after which you may have to pay to be able to access some of them. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Like the previous Ultra devices, the new Ultra is still bigger than the Galaxy S25 and S25+ with a 6.9-inch display, but it now comes with a more rounded edge for a "comfortable grip." The company describes it as the "slimmest, lightest, and most durable Galaxy Ultra device ever," with a body made of titanium and Corning's Gorilla Armor 2. Corning's new material is composed of a glass ceramic that's treated with a proprietary anti-reflective that can help "ensure advanced drop protection" and scratch resistance. And while the Galaxy S25 Ultra still has a 200MP main camera sensor like the S24 Ultra before it, it has a 50MP ultrawide camera instead of a 12MP one. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variants in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray and Titanium Black. You can also get Titanium Pinkgold, Titanium Jetblack or Titanium Jadegreen from Samsung's official website. Its prices begin at $1,300, and it's now available for pre-order. The wait is over: The first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event of the year kicks off at 1PM ET today and you'll be able to watch it all right here. If you've been following the long series of credible leaks over the past few weeks, you'll know we can expect Samsung's usual January release: An updated lineup of Galaxy S25 phones (including Ultra, Plus and regular models). The event begins at 1PM ET / 10AM PT in-person in San Jose and online everywhere else. If you plan on watching, you can find a stream on Samsung.com, in Samsung's Newsroom, or watch along right here in the YouTube video embedded below. Engadget is also liveblogging the event. The new phones are more or less guaranteed to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and sport some amount of design tweaks, and new colors. And Samsung's recent blog post effectively confirmed that its new One UI 7 announced at a Samsung developer event in 2024 will be part of today's reveal, so expect more details on how the operating system revamp will actually impact using the company's new devices. Beyond that, Galaxy AI will be featured prominently, based on Samsung's original announcement of the event. The bigger unknown is what or if we'll see beyond the presumed new phones. Perhaps the company could include an update on its wearables, or more information about Project Moohan, the headset it's developing for Google's Android XR platform. Maybe the Ballie robot will make a cameo. Stay tuned here for complete coverage. The Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra have been officially unveiled. Preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S25 models are already open, and they will ship on February 7. Want to relive the event as it unfolded? Watch the livestream of the Galaxy S25 launch and look back at the Samsung Unpacked liveblog. Alternately, check out Everything Samsung announced at the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event for a complete recap. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . The S25 series and perhaps some other goodies are on the way. Get ready for new Samsung Galaxy phones. That's the safe bet for the headliner today at the company's Galaxy Unpacked event which kicks off today at 1PM ET in San Jose, CA. Engadget will offer you two ways to follow the launch in real-time: our Galaxy S25 livestream (live video of the event) and our Galaxy Unpacked liveblog (commentary from our resident phone experts). While the event is imminent, this story collects the full list of leaks, rumors and assumptions as to what we can reasonably expect from the presumed Galaxy S25 phones. Before we detail everything we know, take note: If you're enough of a Samsung fan to preorder sight unseen, it's your last chance to do so. Reserving "the next evolution of Galaxy AI" at Samsung.com will get you a $50 credit and up to $1,250 in additional savings (both of which must be applied to other Samsung products, alas). The reservation window ends exactly as the event begins. Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra Galaxy S24 Ultra (Sam Rutherford for Engadget) Much like Apple reveals its latest iPhones at its first fall event, Samsung typically launches its mainline Galaxy S flagships at its first Unpacked shindig of the year. You can bet the farm that there will be Galaxy S25 phones at this event. And given Samsungs recent trend of launching three tiers of flagships standard, Plus and Ultra you can bet well see that again. (Samsung could technically change the brand names, but the three-layered lineup is practically guaranteed.) Theres even an FCC certification (first spotted by 91Mobiles) to dispel any doubts. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The degree of certainty falls sharply once we dig into the phones features. A subtle redesign with rounded corners, flatter edges and thinner bezels appears likely based on a leaked video posted to Reddit and images from reputable tipster Ice Universe. But this isnt expected to be the generation where Samsungs hiring of a former Mercedes-Benz designer will lead to drastic aesthetic changes. Android Headlines also posted plenty of pictures of the purported Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra that confirm the relatively minor redesign. The site also claims the screen size for the Galaxy S25 and S25+ are unchanged from last year at 6.2 and 6.7 inches, respectively. The Ultra gets an ever-so-slightly bigger display at 6.9 inches. Qualcomm At least in the US, the phone is practically guaranteed to use Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which the chip-maker revealed in October. (Qualcomm even listed Samsung among the companies launching devices with that processor in the coming weeks.) Like just about every flagship processor these days, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is built for on-device generative AI, which aligns with Samsungs Galaxy AI blitz in recent models. We dont know whether the company will split its S25 processors between Snapdragon (US and other markets) and Exynos (everywhere else), but Ice Universe has claimed it will be all Snapdragon this generation. That would be a good thing, given whats often a glaring performance and battery life disparity favoring Qualcomm. There would be precedence, too: although the vast majority of Galaxy S generations have had different processors regionally, the S23 had the same "Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy" chip globally. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Samsung is rumored to stick with last-generation OLED displays (made with M13 organic materials) instead of the brighter and more efficient M14 OLED panels used in the iPhone 16 Pro and Google Pixel 9. Logic suggests Samsung would want its best homemade screen in its best phones especially when its competitors are already using it. But it could stick with the cheaper panels to keep the bill of materials down. Perhaps it calculated that better displays dont make for better generative AI (the obsession of nearly every tech company right now), while the latest Qualcomm chip does. Speaking of AI, expect Samsung to devote a perhaps agonizingly long portion of the event to generative AI features. The hit-or-miss DigiTimes reported last month that the Galaxy S25 series will include an AI Agent that provides personalized clothing suggestions and transport information. What that would look like in practice is anyones guess, but Im not sure I want to know. Samsung The phones will run Samsungs One UI 7 on top of Android 15. We know this because Samsung said in October that its user experience (based on Android 15) will launch on the next Galaxy S flagships. Its already available in beta for Galaxy S24 phones. Samsung has said that One UI 7 will be its "first integrated AI platform." It added that Galaxy phones "will become true AI companions" that are able to understand natural language derived from speech, images and text. And to drive things home, Samsung reaffirmed that the "One UI 7 will be officially released with the upcoming Galaxy S series devices." On the camera front, Ice Universe claims (via Android Headlines) its confirmed that only the ultra-wide sensor will see an upgrade in the Galaxy S25 Ultra to 50MP from 12MP in last years model. The leaker says the S25 Ultra will stick with a 200MP main sensor, 10MP 3x zoom and 50MP 5x zoom. Galaxy S24 Ultra (Sam Rutherford for Engadget) Samsung will add the Qi2 wireless charging standard to its new flagships and that comes straight from the horses (aka, the Wireless Power Consortiums) mouth. However, leaker chunvn8888 (aka yawn) says Samsungs phones wont have built-in magnets for Qi2s native MagSafe in everything but name charging. Given that's the main benefit of Qi2, this would be disappointing news. Instead, the leaker says Samsung will sell a first-party case with a Qi2 magnetic ring to enable that. (Gotta move those accessories, baby!) Is it really Qi2 if you need a case? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Rumors have buzzed about an alleged Galaxy S25 Slim with a you guessed it slimmer design joining the trio at some point this year. Thats something Apple is also rumored to be working on. Leakers have posted numerous renders this past week comparing how the different size options may compare to each other. A post from Ice Universe puts the S25 Slim at 6.4mm. However, given the FCC certifications only appear to cover the familiar trio of flagships, that phone (if its in the pipeline at all) may not arrive until later in the year. Galaxy Ring 2, Samsung XR and AR glasses Galaxy Ring (Sam Rutherford for Engadget) DigiTimes reported in December that Samsung would show off (or maybe just tease) the Galaxy Ring 2 and augmented reality (AR) glasses during its January Unpacked event. The Taiwanese publication says the Galaxy Ring 2 will add two more sizes to the nine from the original model, which only launched in July. The second-gen wearable health tracker is said to add new AI features (surprise!) and updated sensors for more accurate measurements. The Galaxy Ring 2 is also rumored to last longer than the current models maximum of seven days. Google DigiTimes also claims Samsungs AR glasses which the company has confirmed its working on will look like regular prescription glasses and weigh around 50g. It says the futuristic glasses would use Googles Gemini AI, which aligns with what we already know about Samsungs partnership with Google and Qualcomm on Android XR. But given the lack of supply chain rumors surrounding the glasses, its likely that any mention at the event would amount to little more than a teaser, a la its grand reveal of... a stinkin render for the first Galaxy Ring at Unpacked 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We also know Samsung is co-developing an Android XR (extended reality) headset codenamed Project Moohan alongside Google and Qualcomm. The lightweight and ergonomically designed headset will have a state-of-the-art display, passthrough video and natural multi-modal input. Googles renderings show a wearable reminiscent of Apples $3,500 Vision Pro. Project Moohan (Google / Samsung) Since Google only recently began offering a developer kit and API for the platform, any glimpse of it at Unpacked wouldnt likely include an imminent release or deep dive into its hardware. Engadget will have full coverage of Samsungs first Unpacked event of 2025. More to come on January 22! Update, January 13 2025, 12:58PM ET: This story has been updated with purported images and more details on the Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra from Android Headlines. Update, January 14 2025, 3:20PM ET: This story has been updated with some more information about One UI 7. Update, January 17 2025, 12:45PM ET: This story has been updated with more details on the Galaxy S25's processor and the history of processors in the Galaxy S series. Update, January 19, 2025, 12:15PM ET: This story has been updated with more information about the rumored Galaxy S25 Slim. Update, January 20, 2025, 3:35PM ET: This story has been updated to include Samsung's recent affirmation that the One UI 7 interface will be present on new Galaxy devices. Update, January 21, 2025, 2:29PM ET: This story has been updated to include reservation details for the new (as yet unannounced) Samsung products. Update, January 22, 2025, 9:45AM ET: This story has been updated to add the link to our liveblog. The Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra have been officially unveiled. Preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S25 models are already open, and they will ship on February 7. Want to relive the event as it unfolded? Watch the livestream of the Galaxy S25 launch and look back at the Samsung Unpacked liveblog. Alternately, check out Everything Samsung announced at the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event for a complete recap. Jeff Bezos' fiancee Lauren Sanchez has subtly fired back at critics after her outfit at Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration sparked mixed reactions online. Her response? Well, so far, it's a series of strategic Instagram likes on the comments that are praising her bold fashion choice. Sanchez, engaged to the Amazon founder since 2019, wore a white bustier paired with a matching blazer and pants to the event, which drew all sorts of reactions. And while the ensemble indeed caught some heat, Sanchez's social media activity suggested she wasn't fazed by the backlash in any way, shape or form. #LaurenSanchez is dressed so inappropriate. Hey #JeffBezos why are you with her. There are genuinely beautiful and smart women out there! The plastic on her face and the plastic twins and her lingerie on full display . Wow just horrible ! pic.twitter.com/xypo2b9GRA Girls Got This (@GirlsGotThisUSA) January 20, 2025 On her recent Instagram posts, she liked comments from fans applauding her style, as E! News reported. "Girl, you ate that inaugural look. Don't pay attention to no haters," one fan wrote, earning a like from Sanchez. Another assured her, "The only opinion that matters is Jeff's. THAT GIRL." Sanchez also liked a comment that read, "You are truly an inspiration to me and I'm sure to many women." Her subtle clapback wasn't limited to fan support. Celebrities also weighed in, with Kris Jenner commenting "STUNNING!!!" alongside orange heart emojis. Model Brooks Nader added, "Belle of the ball!" Lauren Sanchez inauguration outfit 10/10 pic.twitter.com/pusyDiwmDa Kira Mengistu (@KiraMengistu) January 20, 2025 Sanchez's quiet but pointed response in liking several positive comments about her made it clear she appreciated the love over the noise. Criticism of Lauren Sanchez's Outfit But not everyone was thrilled with her inaugural look. Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly criticized Sanchez on her SiriusXM show. Proving yet again that even billions of dollars can't buy classhttps://t.co/lLDCxqdpU1 JC (@YadaYada646) January 20, 2025 "Have some dignity and respect for your setting," Kelly said. "No one should be talking about your t**s. They should be talking about the inauguration." While Sanchez's outfit drew eyes, another moment at the event turned heads. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was caught on video seemingly sneaking a glance at Sanchez's chest while seated next to her. The clip went viral, with social media users mocking Zuckerberg's behavior and joking about his robotic reputation. See more of Sanchez's outfit below. New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo is reviving efforts to reform guardianship laws in response to Wendy Williams' highly publicized conservatorship battle. The move comes after Williams recently expressed feeling imprisoned by her current guardianship arrangement during interviews in mid-January. Palumbo is reintroducing Karilyn's Law, a bill that aims to establish clearer legal pathways for families to visit loved ones under guardianship. The proposed legislation would implement a structured process where families can file formal motions requesting visitation. Under the new system, guardians would have 10 days to present evidence of any inappropriate behavior, and visitation would be granted if no misconduct is proven. The senator introduced the bill in 2022 but failed to gather sufficient support for passage. However, Williams' case has brought renewed attention to guardianship issues, with Palumbo describing her reported confinement and family separation as "tragic." Several of Williams' friends and family members have gone on record purporting that the conditions Williams is living in are less than stellar and she herself has claimed she has to have permission for the smallest of monetary purchases. Since reintroducing the legislation, Palumbo's office reports receiving numerous messages from citizens expressing concerns about current guardianship laws. The senator believes the increased public attention surrounding Williams' situation may help generate the support needed to enact meaningful reform in guardianship procedures. A GoFundMe campaign seeking $50,000 to help free Williams from her guardianship was created in mid-January, titled "Support Wendy Williams' Fight for Independence." As of this writing, the GoFundMe has received over $33,000 in donations. A$AP Rocky rejected a plea agreement on Tuesday that would have included 180 days in jail, choosing instead to face trial on felony assault charges. The 36-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, could now face up to 24 years in prison according to the Associated Press if convicted of the charges stemming from a 2021 shooting incident. The prosecution's final plea offer included pleading guilty to one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation, and six months in jail. Rocky declined the offer before Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold, setting the stage for what could be a high-profile trial. Defense attorney Joe Tacopina revealed a new strategy during Tuesday's proceedings, announcing plans to call witnesses who will testify that the weapon seen in security footage was actually a "starter pistol" used as a security prop. This approach had not been mentioned in previous pretrial hearings. The case centers on a November 6, 2021 incident where Rocky allegedly fired at former friend Terell Ephron near a Hollywood hotel. During preliminary hearings, Ephron testified that their longtime friendship had deteriorated, leading to a confrontation where bullets reportedly grazed his knuckles. Over 100 prospective jurors filled the Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday. Judge Arnold emphasized to the potential jurors that Rocky's celebrity status, including his relationship with Rihanna, with whom he shares two children, should not influence their judgment. "Because Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a celebrity, that cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him," Arnold stated. The trial moves forward as Rocky maintains significant professional commitments, including his role as a celebrity chair at the upcoming Met Gala in May and an anticipated appearance in a Spike Lee-directed film alongside Denzel Washington. While Rihanna's attendance at the trial remains uncertain, Rocky's attorney has suggested she is unlikely to appear in court. She was not present for Tuesday's proceedings. Judge Arnold has indicated his intention to move quickly through jury selection, placing strict limits on attorney questioning of potential jurors. The court will allow media cameras throughout the trial once the jury is seated, with opening statements expected to begin Wednesday or later this week. Jack Schlossberg, the 32-year-old grandson of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis, has sparked controversy with a social media post comparing his grandmother's attractiveness to that of new Second Lady Usha Vance during Trump's second inauguration on Monday. The 'Vogue' political correspondent took to X (formerly Twitter) asking followers, "True or false: Usha Vance is way hotter than Jackie O," prompting immediate backlash from users who found the comparison inappropriate, particularly given the family connection. True or false: Usha Vance is way hotter than Jackie O Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) January 20, 2025 Responses ranged from bewildered ("That's your grandmother!!!!") to critical ("Are you that desperate for engagement?"). Schlossberg, known for his unfiltered social media presence, later addressed the controversy with characteristic self-deprecation. "I'm a literal pervert," he posted. "I called my grandmother hot... have I totally lost it? Jesus... this kid will do anything for attention. Your grandfather would be ashamed. Seriously. Time to get a job." This incident is the latest in a series of social media moments from the Kennedy heir. Earlier this month, he created confusion by falsely claiming to represent actor Justin Baldoni in a supposed legal battle against Blake Lively. The post, which referenced John Adams' defense of British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, was widely circulated and even reported as fact by some media outlets before being revealed as another of Schlossberg's social media pranks. Since gaining prominence through viral TikTok and Instagram content last year, Schlossberg has cultivated a unique public persona that often walks the line between provocative humor and controversy. In July, he joined Vogue as a political correspondent covering the 2024 presidential election, adding professional media credentials to his growing public profile. In a recent interview with 'Vogue', Schlossberg embraced his unconventional approach, describing himself as "a fun, wacky guy" and "a silly goose who's trying, just trying, to get the truth out there." Ivanka Trump is receiving criticism for wearing a replica of an iconic gown at the 2025 Liberty Ball on Monday night. The gown is a replica of the one Hubert de Givenchy created for the actress Audrey Hepburn in the 1954 movie "Sabrina." Fans of the late actress are livid over the black and white gown that Trump wore for the occasion, which featured a strapless fitted bodice with a floral print within the overskirt. Ivanka paired the dress with black opera gloves, elegant pumps, a Leviev floral diamond necklace, and matching earrings. Her hair was done in a smooth French roll-up, and she opted for a glamorous makeup look. According to the Daily Mail, a White House spokesman said Trump had been "honored" to wear the Givenchy item and thanked the Arnault family and the Givenchy atelier for the wonderful work. The statement highlighted Hepburn's influence on Trump, noting that "she views it as a great privilege to honor her legacy in this way, and is incredibly grateful to the team at Givenchy for bringing this moment to life." Social media users have criticized Trump, and many took to Reddit to share their thoughts. In the comments, someone said that the gown Trump wore was a "2015 White House Black Market" creation, while another said, "Its [sic] giving the David's Bridal knockoff." Hepburn's fans have pointed out the differences between the original gown and the version recreated for Trump. "It's another case of the original looking so much better than the copy," one user noted. Another added, "The original is one of my favorite classic gowns, and I will not let some stubby-fingered dilettante in ill-fitting clothes take it from me." Others brought up Hepburn's experience during World War II, particularly how she was always a humanitarian and a person who embodied grace during her lifetime. One fan commented, "Before she was a glamorous actress, she was a rebel against the very political movement Ivanka's father emulates." Some critics also took issue with a Hepburn tweet posted by Trump. In the tweet featured a video of the actress talking about kindness. A user wrote: "The absolute gall to post that while fully supporting her absolutely disgusting father is unfathomable to me." Here's what other Hepburn fans are saying on Reddit: Trump stunned in another daring look earlier that day during her father's presidential swearing-in ceremony. The president's daughter wore a monochrome forest green skirted suit, which consisted of an asymmetrical belted jacket and a pencil skirt with pleats. She finished her look with a matching green hat and a black Lady Dior bag. Prince Harry has reportedly accused the CEO of The Washington Post, Will Lewis, of orchestrating a "cover-up" in the phone hacking scandal. The Daily Beast reported that Harry's lawyers are allegedly planning to file legal documents which claim that Lewis, who dealt with the phone hacking scandal for News Group Newspapers, conspired with James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks to cover up illegal means of gathering information. Among these practices was alleged bugging of cars and phones in order to get information on Prince Harry and former lawmaker Tom Watson. The complaint also claims that NGN owner Rupert Murdoch misled a Parliamentary Committee. It has also been alleged that 30 million emails were deleted to hide this alleged misconduct, according to the Byline Times. While Prince Harry has previously insisted that he wants to see the trial through, it has been reportedly that a "massive offer" was made by NGN's team to the Duke of Sussex. Because of this, both parties have decided to delay the formal start of the legal proceedings while negotiations take place. 10 Philadelphia reported that Judge Timothy Fancourt has declined to grant an additional delay until Wednesday. Attorneys for both parties have indicated they would appeal his ruling. Under U.K. legal rules, Harry risks incurring substantial legal costs if the court awards him less than NGN's settlement offer. Finally, some accountability for the tabloids! #PrinceHarry's taking a stand against Newsgroup Newspapers and their shady dealings. 101 payments to private investigators for private info? That's not journalism, that's harassment! #GMB pic.twitter.com/zT7EBwn9UK Candice Holmes (@hol40900) January 21, 2025 Prince Harry, one of the final plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed against Murdoch's newspapers, is expected to travel to London in February to give evidence and be cross-examined. The Duke of Sussex's battle against the press has been well-documented through the years. He has previously blamed the press for his mother Princess Diana's death in a 1997 car crash. He also cited the media's attacks on his wife, Meghan Markle, as the reason for their departure from royal life in 2020. It can be recalled that the Prince was victorious in a comparable case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper in 2023. He currently has another case pending against the publisher of the Daily Mail. Prince Harry has received a massive payday and a full apology from Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers after settling a legal battle with U.K. tabloid, The Sun. In addition to the monumental victory, the prince has also received an apology from the group regarding invading the privacy of his late mother, Princess Diana, and the impact their actions may have had on their family and friendships. The unprecedented apology and victory comes after a long-running legal battle in which the court ruled on the unlawful actions related to The Sun from 1996 to 2011, per Reuters. Prince Harry accused News Group Newspapers of unlawful information gathering by journalists and investigators claims repeatedly denied by Rupert Murdoch's U.K. media empire. "After endless resistance, denials and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs (as well as paying off those in the know) to prevent the full picture from coming out, News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law," Harry's attorney, David Sherborne explained, per PEOPLE. "It has also specifically admitted wrongdoing against Tom Watson, and admitted unlawful acts by The Sun, as well as by the News of the World, against Prince Harry," Sherborne continued. "The truth that has now been exposed is that NGN unlawfully engaged more than 100 private investigators over at least 16 years on more than 35,000 occasions. This happened as much at The Sun as it did at the News of the World, with the knowledge of all the editors and executives, going to the very top of the company," Sherborne added, reading on behalf of Prince Harry. Although NGN had previously denied any wrongdoing on the prince's behalf, Harry is set to receive a whopping 8-figure sum likely over $12 million in damages, per PEOPLE. NGN offered a lengthy statement Tuesday, January 21, finally admitting their wrongdoings in a detailed apology to him and his late mother Princess Diana. "NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun." The statement continued: "NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World." "NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years," the statement specified. "We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages." Buckingham Palace has not commented on the groundbreaking settlement. Jamie Foxx recently shared a humorous story about enlisting his friend Snoop Dogg to intimidate his daughter's boyfriend. The anecdote came during a promotional interview for his latest film, Back In Action, on Capital XTRA's Breakfast Show with Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie. Foxx, 57, was joined by co-star Cameron Diaz as the duo discussed their new Netflix release. When asked about his parenting style, Foxx described himself as sometimes "in your face" when it comes to his daughters. Recalling a specific incident, he said: "My oldest daughter, who's married now, but when she was dating another guy, he comes over. I'd already done the background check on the dude, but Snoop happened to be there at my crib. I was like, 'Snoop, there he is, right there. Shake him up!' And Snoop walks over with, 'Hey, what's up? What's happening with it? You know, if she hurt, you hurt, homie.' " Foxx explained that while he can be protective, he also recognizes the importance of allowing his children to live their own lives. "You got to let them, you know, live a life," he said, balancing humor with sincerity. Foxx's eldest daughter, Corinne, married Joe Hooten in September 2024 at Jamie's home in Thousand Oaks, California. The actor's pride was evident as he walked her down the aisle, a moment made even more significant after recovering from a brain bleed he suffered the previous year. Diaz, reflecting on her parenting experiences, shared her perspective on raising young children. "I talk to my kids like, 'You know, that's not available. I know you really, really want it. I understand. It's not available.' But my husband always says I go from zero to 100, so I definitely have to work on that," she said with a laugh. Barron Trump's tailor, Nathan Pearce, shared glowing remarks about the youngest son of President Donald Trump, describing the 18-year-old as intelligent, witty, and exceptionally polite. Pearce, the founder and CEO of Pearce Bespoke, recounted his experience working with Barron in an interview with Women's Wear Daily. "He's this super-bright kid. He's well beyond his years in terms of experience, knowledge, history. He's just very fascinating to talk to," Pearce said. The tailor explained that his relationship with Barron began through social media influencer Justin Waller, who introduced the two. "Justin said he wanted to introduce me to Barron. Literally a week later I was on a flight down to Mar-a-Lago," Pearce shared. For his father's recent inauguration, Barron collaborated closely with Pearce to design a bespoke suit. Pearce recalled that Barron even traveled to Louisiana, where the company is based, to personally select fabrics, linings, and buttons for his outfit. At the swearing-in ceremony, Barron stood next to his mother, Melania Trump, and watched as his father took the oath of office, wearing a tailored dark blue suit and matching tie. Pearce highlighted Barron's personality, calling him "hilarious" and praising his dry sense of humor. "He's super-sharp. You put him in a room with star businessmen and he will hold his own. He can talk to them all day because he's witty, smart, and has a dry sense of humor," Pearce said. He also described Barron as down-to-earth and remarkably gracious, noting that he constantly thanked him throughout the tailoring process. "He is nice as can be and hospitable," Pearce added. Pearce expressed his gratitude for being chosen by Barron. "I recognize that Barron Trump could be choosing from tailors all over the world, and he chose me and Pearce Bespoke. I'm super-grateful and super-proud of that," he said. One of the most interesting tables at the Inauguration luncheon is Barron Trump's (red arrow). For the last 30 minutes, Jeff Bezos, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio have been locked into conversation with Trump's youngest. pic.twitter.com/zACsm56X7t Bo Erickson Reuters (@BoKnowsNews) January 20, 2025 At the inauguration's luncheon, Barron reportedly mingled comfortably with influential figures, including Jeff Bezos, Marco Rubio, and John Thune. However, his contrasting demeanor with his seat mate Elon Musk during the event became a talking point online. Social media users remarked on the distinct energy between Musk and Barron, with one noting, "Who decided to put @elonmusk and Barron Trump beside each other? The difference in energy is hilarious." Donald Trump demanded an apology from the Bishop of the Washington National Cathedral after she urged him to protect immigrants and respect gay rights. The Great Seal of the State of Montana in the Supreme Court (Photo by Eric Seidle/ For the Daily Montanan). The Montana Supreme Court has upheld a Billings lawmakers right to review a child-neglect-and-abuse case that the Gianforte administration had denied, citing attorney-client privilege. On Friday, the Montana Supreme Court unanimously sided with Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, and aligned with the Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Michael McMahons order to turn over the documents related to the case. The case focuses on a provision in Montana that allows lawmakers to review otherwise confidential cases of child abuse or neglect handled by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The privilege is narrow and only pertains to members of the Montana Legislature or Congress, and only applies when a family member asks in writing for the lawmaker to review the case. The purpose is part of the checks and balances in Montana, allowing the legislative branch to check the executive, but also serves the function of helping lawmakers craft better guidelines and law during the legislative session, which the justices on the Montana Supreme Court affirmed. Lawmakers who review the documents and cases pertaining to the otherwise confidential information that the DPHHS has must keep it confidential, and, according to the case, Mercer signed an agreement to keep any information private. Because all other information pertaining to the case is confidential, its not known specifically what case Mercer was seeking, but it is identified as a case that came from Valley County, and believed to be a high-profile case where a transgender teenager was sent out of state to a Wyoming facility and was later transferred to the care of a biological parent in Canada. The case drew outrage from some members of the Republican legislature and was even reviewed by Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras because of allegations by the family that state officials from DPHHS were interfering with their religious rights, which included not recognizing transgender therapy or medicine. Juras concluded DPHHS followed state policy in the matter. However, the Montana Supreme Court case focused on the file that was turned over, in part, to Mercer. However, Mercer contends in court filings that documents, text messages and other communications that the department had were not included in the case file. Upon review of the documents provided, Rep. Mercer requested additional records that he believed were required to be produced including emails, text messages, case notes, memorandums, and all other communications, the opinion said. The department denied the request, maintaining the statute required production only of the more formal case record, which it had additionally provided to Rep. Mercer. The open-record privilege that Mercer and other lawmakers can use is only valid for six months, so Mercer was forced to ask to the courts for additional help because the window of time was narrowing. In August, McMahon granted Mercers mandatory injunction, which the state then appealed to the Supreme Court. The DPHHS didnt dispute that it had withheld other documents from Mercer, but argued it did so because of an attorney-client privilege. The court sided with Mercer, saying that as a lawmaker, he was already bound to confidentiality for anything that was in the file, and furthermore, McMahon had ordered at least three documents in the case off-limits due to the attorney-client exception. The justices went one step further saying that he had already suffered possibly irreparable damage because the Gianforte administration had not turned over the documents, and the Legislature has already begun its biennial session, with a transmittal deadline looming. Transmittal is roughly the half-way point of the Legislature, and all bills that do not involve major budget implications must make it through one chamber of the lawmaking body to survive. Thus, irreparable injury without the issue of the mandatory injunction is clear the legislative session is now underway, and the review must occur, the opinion said. Even with this courts imposition of the stay of time limit, the same harm Rep. Mercer alleged in his briefing remains and legislation that is not drafted in January or February of 2025 will not survive the transmittal deadline for general bills. A five-member panel unanimously upheld the decision, including Rice, the opinions author. The other justices who signed the opinion are Laurie McKinnon, Beth Baker, Ingrid Gustafson and James Jeremiah Shea. Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire has been chosen to host next year's Cereals Event, organisers have confirmed. Hosting the arable show at the high-profile farm in Chipping Norton will help to draw attention to the ongoing issues that farmers face, organisers said. Over two days, 10-11 June 2026, the larger site will see an estimated 550 exhibitors and upwards of 25,000 visitors call the famed farm home. Speaking about the news, Mr Clarkson said that farmers across the country were facing some of the toughest conditions seen in decades. He said: We wanted to be involved in something positive, and hosting Cereals was an opportunity for us to run a large-scale, practical event for UK food producers. It will be interesting to see how the events crop plots perform on our Cotswold brash land, and of course there will be the pop-up Farmers Dog bar to enjoy. Helping to curate this key date is Cereals agronomy partner Ceres Rural, led by the farms agronomist, Charlie Ireland, managing partner at Ceres Rural, known as 'Cheerful Charlie' in Clarkson's Farm. There are a lot of conversations that happen every day on any given farm, explained Mr Ireland. Now more than ever the industry needs solutions to meet the challenges and priorities on both sides of the farm gate. "Diddly Squat Farm is much like any other arable and diversified farm, despite the cameras; it is still subject to the vagaries of the weather, volatility of markets, and navigation of industry transition and policy. The event will be a great platform for conversation, demonstration, and exploration of how farm businesses can best deliver sustainable food production while achieving profitability because the two should not be separated. With a global reach, the goings-on at Diddly Squat Farm have been shared with viewers as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa captivating a broad audience worldwide. Visitors to Cereals at the farm will have access to informational and technical features like the crop plots and agronomy zone, KWS Seed to Shelf stage, BASE-UK Regenerative Ag seminars, and the Syngenta Sprays & Sprayers Arena. A new central networking area will include stands from the farm shop, Hawkstone beer, the Farmers Dog, Hops & Chops, the Farmers Puppy and the Hawkstone Filling Station. Mr Ireland concluded: Another consideration for the future of the sector is how we can attract the best and brightest into the industry and I think that is where the farms popularity will be advantageous." Defra has announced that the UK is now in a 'very low risk' period for bluetongue virus following the confirmation of 200 cases over the past year. Midge activity is now lower due to a decrease in temperature, with midges not actively feeding, meaning the UK is now in a seasonally vector low period. As a result, some restrictions currently in place to mitigate disease spread have now been removed, confirmed Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief vet. Bluetongue, which affects sheep, cattle and other ruminants. is a viral disease spread by biting midges, which affects all ruminants. Since November 2023, the UK has recorded nearly 200 cases, the majority of them being the strain 'BTV-3', which is a relatively new strain first reported in the Netherlands. Cases have since been reported in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland. Ms Middlemiss confirmed that restrictions have now been removed, including rules for post-movement testing of animals out of the bluetongue 'restricted zone', which covers vast swathes of England. The use of insecticide on transport vehicles has also been removed, as well as the need to send animals moving outside of the restricted zone for slaughter to designated abattoirs. However, as a precautionary measure, the restricted zone currently in place across affected regions along the east and south coast of England will remain. All animals moving out of the zone will still require a pre-movement test unless going direct to slaughter or to a dedicated slaughter market. Ms Middlemiss said discussions are still continuing with the farming industry on the next steps for this. She said: "We are now in a seasonally vector low period when midge activity is lower with a significantly reduced risk of disease from biting midges, meaning we can ease some of the measures in place to mitigate disease spread. "However, I would urge farmers to remain vigilant and report any livestock they suspect have the disease to APHA. "We are committed to working with everyone affected and will continue to keep the restricted zone under review." Bluetongue virus is a notifiable disease, and suspicion of it in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301. Farmers on NFU Cymru's Council have sent a strong message to the UK government that the Welsh farming industry remains strongly opposed to the IHT proposals. Members of council - the unions governing body made up of farmers - gathered in Cardiff for a meeting to discuss issues affecting the industry. Top of the agenda was the UK governments planned changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) announced in the October budget. Dame Nia Griffiths MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, attended the meeting, giving farmers the chance to voice fears over the impact the proposals will have. Concern was centred at the huge disparity between the UK government financial data, upon which its APR policy figures are based, and the true value of the average farm, its infrastructure and the reality of the situation facing families. Government estimates that only 500 UK farms a year will be affected by the changes, however union data provided by independent third party analysis indicates around 75% of farms will be affected. During the session, many farmers expressed their inability to meet the costly tax burden brought about by the inheritance tax proposals. They cited the new Welsh government farm business income figures as an example of the challenging financial margins many farms are working within. These figures, farmers say, provide further evidence that many businesses simply do not have the capital to pay the incoming tax burden without selling land and/or reducing their productive capacity. Speaking after the meeting, NFU Cymru President Aled Jones warned that farmers will be put in the 'invidious position' of having to choose between selling assets, reducing productive capacity or finishing farming altogether. "During the session the minister heard a long list of practical concerns and worrying ramifications that these businesses have had imposed on them as a result of the October budget proposals. "At a time when the challenges around feeding a growing population could not be more pertinent, the UK simply cannot afford to see food security jeopardised." Of the 40 members in attendance at the meeting, at least 80% said they were going to be affected by the inheritance tax changes. As a representative sample, this brings into question the UK governments assertion that only 500 UK farms are going to be affected each year. NFU Cymru Deputy President Abi Reader said: Its imperative that these changes are based on robust, reliable data and for that reason government needs to revisit this policy and restore some much-needed confidence. On Saturday 25 January, towns and cities across the UK will be hosting protests as part of the industry's next steps in raising attention to the issue. All four UK farming unions NFU Scotland, NFU, NFU Cymru and Ulster Farmers Union - are organising the action and will participate directly in it. A mental health nurse hopes to offer helpful insights into what more can be done to prevent suicides in British farming by embarking on an international study tour. Lucia Slack, who lives on a farm in Cumbria, has been awarded a prestigious Nuffield Farming Scholarship to study the pressing issue. Her studies, sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, will take her to countries where there are high suicide rates within agriculture, such as India and China. She will scrutinise successful programs that have tackled mental health and wellbeing, focusing on peer support, community engagement, and reducing stigma around mental health. Ms Slack works as an NHS mental health nurse in rural Cumbria and lives on a farm where her husband Johnny is a first-generation dairy farmer in the Eden Valley. She said: I have both personal and professional experience of how stressful the agricultural industry can be. I wanted my Nuffield Scholarship to focus on suicide in agriculture because its such a big problem. Three people a week die by suicide in agriculture. With my background, I really hope to be able to positively influence the industry by exploring effective ways to prevent suicide and promote mental health in agriculture. Ms Slack also hopes to visit Australia where a Minister for Mental Health has been appointed and Japan where psychological therapy is not covered by health insurance. She will visit the USA where a rural mental health conference takes place in Alaska, and New Zealand where the industry is supported by a large number of farming charities. She believes that the UKs key challenges to addressing suicide in agriculture include raising awareness of support to the 'hardest to reach'. Allied industry professionals also need to be better equipped to support farmers they are in direct contact with, and the stigma around talking about mental health should be better tackled. There are lots of amazing services out there," Ms Slack said, "I want to understand what the UK is already doing well and highlight it, but also explore how we can target the market that we arent reaching? "How can we make people more aware of the support that is out there? I want to learn what approaches are being used to achieve this. Since 1980, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has sponsored Nuffield Farming Scholarships which provide the opportunity to study and travel abroad. Allister Nixon, CEO of the society, said supporting the health and wellbeing of the farming community was a key priority. "I am delighted that the society is sponsoring Lucia to study such an important topic that I hope the wider industry will benefit from. Tesco and Lidl have become the latest retailers to announce their support for farmers as backlash continues against the government's inheritance tax changes. Their interventions come after Morrisons and Asda both waded into the ongoing row, which has seen farmers protest in London and across the UK. Ashwin Prasad, Tesco's chief commercial officer, joined growing calls for a 'pause' in the government's implementation of the controversial budget measures. He said he 'fully understood' farmers' fears about the changes - announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves - which have been dubbed the 'family farm tax'. From April 2026, a 20 percent tax on inherited agricultural assets worth over 1 million will be rolled out. It comes after hundreds of tractors visited supermarket car parks across the UK on 17 January as part of a plea urging for more support from retailers. In a statement, Mr Prasad firmly backed the nation's farmers, saying: "This is not just a debate about individual policies the UKs future food security is at stake." In a separate statement, Lidl said providing security and long-term investment for British agriculture was key to helping ensure that farmers could continue to produce food. "We are concerned that changes to the IHT regime will impact farmer confidence and hold back the investment needed to build a resilient, productive and sustainable British food system," the discounter said. "We support the call by the farming community to pause the implementation of those changes and to consult with industry to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. "We will be raising our concerns with the government at any opportunity we get." The Countryside Alliance, one industry group campaigning for a reversal of the proposal, said retailers "benefit from a buoyant family farming sector". Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the alliance said: It is becoming almost impossible to find anyone that supports this policy. "Rachel Reeves refuses to consult relevant rural stakeholders to find a way forward out of the unnecessary fall out created by her department. "If the government wants to avoid a long-running battle with countryside, they need to rethink this policy urgently. Shortly after October's budget, Sainsbury's urged ministers to 'listen to the concerns' of farmers about the tax changes. Earlier this month, Morrisons told farmers 'we're with you' in their fight against the Labour government's action. Asda also offered their public backing for farmers recently by supporting a demand for a pause in the implementation of the budget measures. A$AP Rocky could face a "significant prison sentence" after rejecting a plea deal. ASAP Rocky rejected a plea deal The 36-year-old rapper - whose real name is Rakim Mayers - appeared in court in Los Angeles on Tuesday (21.01.25) to plead not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in connection with an incident that took place in November 2021, when he said to have allegedly assaulted former friend A$AP Relli aka Terell Ephron. During the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec told Judge Mark S. Arnold his office had offered a plea deal with 180 days in county jail if the 'Multiply' hitmaker pleaded guilty to the first count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, with the agreement also including three years probation, a seven-year suspended jail term, 480 hours of community service and a 52-week anger management scheme, but with the maximum possible sentence being 24 years in prison if he was found guilty, he planned to push for at least 10 to 12 if the star was found guilty. According to Rolling Stone, when asked if he had reviewed the deal with his team, Rocky - who has two sons with partner Rihanna - said: Yeah, they spoke to me about it detail, Your Honour. I respectfully decline, thank you. The judge told him: Youre not going to get any special treatment. Your status as an entertainer, your status as the significant other of Rihanna, thats not going to inure to your benefit, and its not going to inure to your harm. You are aware that if convicted, you will go into custody and its very likely you will get a significant prison sentence? Rocky confirmed: Yes, Your Honour, Im well aware." During the hearing, the 'Praise the Lord' hitmaker's lawyer insisted he was only carrying a "prop gun", not a loaded pistol on the night of the incident and insisted Terell - who claimed they were fighting over Rocky allegedly reneging on a promise to pay for another friend's funeral - had fabricated the shooting and a grazing injury to extort the rapper for money. The defence planned to bring in A$AP Twelvyy, aka Jamel Da'Shawn Phillips - who was present on the night of the altercation - and a tour manager of Rocky, with both expected to tell jurors the rapper often carried a prop gun after being "the victim of prior violence and stalker home invasions". But prosecutors only claimed they had been told about the "fake gun" defence the night before the trial. Deputy District Attorney John Lewin told the court: Its a brand-new defence thats never been mentioned.. This is a straight ambush. This is not a minor witness [account]. This is their whole case. Their whole case is based on this witnesses statement. The judge declined to strike the witnesses but noted: I dont think its fair that you waited this long to disclose the starter pistol, if thats central to your defence." Benedict Cumberbatch is "not a typical movie star". Benedict Cumberbatch isn't a typical movie star The 48-year-old actor has enjoyed huge success in Hollywood, starring in films such as 'Star Trek Into Darkness' and 'Doctor Strange' - but Bennedict insists he's not an archetypal movie star. Reflecting on his own fame and success, Benedict told Variety: "Im not Brad [Pitt], Im not Leonardo [DiCaprio], Im not a typical movie star. "People were scrambling for Why is he at all attractive to us? But for me to guess and try to understand that is so f****** weirdly navel-gazing. Im not sitting around thinking, Why am I sexy? I worry about myself in the mirror as I age, like every other f***** does." Bennedict insists he's "still discovering" himself as a person. And as a result, he doesn't expect the public to fully understand him, either. The London-born actor reflected: "The older I get, the less of a s*** I give. "Theres this whole other audience that have these expectations of you, feelings about you, judgements of you. Thats theirs, and you cant change that or shape it. Im still discovering who I am. So how the f*** are they supposed to know me?" Bennedict has also confessed to being confused by the concept of "celebrity". The movie star is baffled by the idea that all celebrities, regardless of how they've achieved their fame, are grouped together. Bennedict - who studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art - explained: "Its so derogatory, and just lumps anyone famous together. "Am I a celebrated person? Well, for what? For selling cheese? For being on a reality show? For doing something outrageous? For being an actor? Naomi Watts "spent so much money" trying to get pregnant. Naomi Wattts struggled to conceive The 56-year-old actress - who has Sasha, 17, and Kai, 16, with former partner Liev Schreiber - admitted she was "determined to get pregnant as soon as possible" when she started dating the actor, now 57, but after struggling to conceive, she would have done anything if she thought it would help. In an extract from her book 'Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause' shared by People magazine, the 'Gypsy' star wrote: "Because of my hormone levels, I wasnt a candidate for IVF, but I tried fertility drugs like Clomid and procedures like intrauterine insemination (IUI). "I would have eaten my dogs toenails if someone told me it would help. "I tracked my ovulation and checked my temperature on the regular. I even got scans to see the follicles and the eggs forming, and wed have sex at the exact optimal moment for conception. None of it worked." The 'Infinite Storm' star admitted her "obsession" with getting pregnant caused a strain on her relationship with the 'Perfect Couple' actor but she refused to give up. She added: "I was peeing on sticks constantly, both to track my ovulation and to check for pregnancy if my period was even an hour late. I was monitoring the pH of my vagina because Id heard that sperm do better in an alkaline environment than an acidic one. "I spent so much money, but I would have mortgaged my house to try to solve this problem." Naomi eventually conceived while shooting 'Eastern Promises' but felt it was "too early" to tell anyone she was pregnant after previously miscarrying, so she continued to perform her own stunts. She wrote: "I also didnt want to tell anyone yet, because it was so early, and because I didnt want to be difficult, so I just kept going. It was yet another example of how as women we often do things that put us at risk in order to be team players." But a few weeks later, while filming a scene with co-star Sinead Cusack, Naomi - who split from Liev in 2016 and is now married to Billy Crudup - felt the baby moving inside her for the first time. She wrote: "It was a sensation Id never had in my life, but I knew instantly what it meant: the baby was moving around. "The baby was real. The baby was fighting and strong. My eyes welled with tears." Pope Francis will take part in a new documentary with global artists about the power of pop culture. Pope Francis is working on a new pop culture documentary The 88-year-old pontiff - who has been leader of the Catholic Church since 2013 - is due to start filming for 'Preacher of Beauty: A Spiritual Journey Through Art and Faith' in March. The film - which is being made by Andrea Iervolino and the Vitae Foundation founder Luis Quinelli - will be shot entirely at the Sistine Chapel, described by producers as "one of the most iconic and spiritually significant locations in the world". Iervolino - known for his work on 'Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend' - said in a statement: "'Preachers of Beauty' is not just a documentary film; it is a spiritual call to embrace the transformative power of art." And Quinelli commented on how "art can reflect the greatness of creation", and the project is being made to "deliver a message of universal love". He added: "This project stems from a profound desire to show how art can reflect the greatness of creation and bring souls closer together. Pope Francis inspires us to see art as a vehicle for unity, a bridge between heaven and earth, capable of sparking positive change in the hearts of all. With Preachers of Beauty, we aim to deliver a message of universal love and renewed hope. The documentary's title comes from a 2022 summit in Rome which was organised by the Vitae Foundation. Various celebrities - including the likes of Denzel Washington, Andrea Bocelli and Patricia Heaton - took part in the gathering. According to the Vatican at the time, they met with the pope to discuss their role "in triggering a cultural transformation that promotes the common good, universal values and a culture of encounter". Francis encouraged those at the summit to be "preachers of beauty". Celebrities are yet to be specified for the documentary, while the team haven't settled on a director. In an exciting announcement, Times Music has unveiled its collaboration with the talented duo, Antara and Ankita Nandy, popularly known as the Nandy Sisters. These classically trained vocalists have created a placefor themselves in the music industry, captivating audiences with their versatile performances across platforms and genres.From lending their voices to television jingles and shows to making remarkable entries in Indian cinema, the Nandy Sisters have proven their mettle. Antaras Bollywood debut in Mani Ratnams Ponniyin Selvan series, with compositions by A.R. Rahman, and the duos venture into Tollywood with Raktabeej, directed by Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy, are testament to their rising stardom.The turning point in their career came with The Balcony Concert in 2019, where their unique blend of regional and contemporary music gained them worldwide recognition. Garnering praise from legends like A.R. Rahman and Sonu Nigam, the Nandy Sisters became an internet sensation, performing over 170 virtual concerts and delivering viral hits that showcased their ability to innovate.In 2024, their debut projects with Times Music further solidified their reputation as versatile artists. Hits like the reimagined Bengali folk track Fagunero Mononaye 2.0, the celebratory O Menoka O Menoka, the devotional Maa Kali Mahakali, and the upbeat dance number Mera Ghoongta highlighted their artistic range, amassing millions of views online.Commenting on the collaboration, Mandar Thakur, CEO of Times Music, expressed enthusiasm about welcoming the duo to the label. He emphasized the potential for creating groundbreaking music with the Nandy Sisters as part of the Times Music family.The Nandy Sisters shared their happiness for Times Musics support since their early days of recording videos from their Pune balcony. They credited the label with propelling their career, from their first music video to their most recent chart-topping hits.With this renewed partnership, fans can look forward to more innovative and soulful creations from Times Music and the Nandy Sisters, promising to redefine musical experiences and create moments to cherish. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member country Oman expressed hope for the early finalisation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and China. In the textile sector, Oman is an importing and consuming country for finished products like apparel. Chinas apparel exports to the country have consistently declined in recent years. The exports could reach $80.590 million in January-November 2024, compared to shipments of $99.445 million in 2023. Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Oman's Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, recently stated that Oman is looking forward to enhancing economic and trade cooperation with China. At an event in Muscat, the minister expressed hope that the GCC and China would finalise FTA negotiations soon, paving the way for a GCC-China Free Trade Zone. Trade data obtained from Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro shows a downward trend in textile trade between the two nations. Chinas apparel exports to the nation peaked at $242.050 million in 2021, surging 36.95 per cent from shipments of $176.737 million in 2020. Earlier, China had exported apparel worth $181.033 million in 2019. Oman seeks enhanced trade ties with China and hopes for a swift GCC-China FTA finalisation. China's apparel exports to Oman have declined steadily, from $242.050 million in 2021 to $99.445 million in 2023, with 2024 unlikely to match prior years. Fabric exports also dropped, from $46.397 million in 2021 to $34.290 million in Jan-Nov 2024, reflecting a downward trend in textile trade. Chinas apparel exports to the partner country halved to $112.587 million in 2022 and further dipped to $99.445 million in 2023. It is unlikely that the shipments in 2024 will reach the figures of the preceding year, 2023. As per TexPro, Chinas fabric exports to Oman were recorded at $34.290 million during January-November 2024. The countrys shipments were noted at $35.588 million in 2023, $27.421 million in 2022, $46.397 million in 2021, $30.589 million in 2020, and $34.934 million in 2019. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Vietnams ministry of industry and trade recently proposed a new e-commerce regulation to improve oversight of online sellers, requiring detailed identification and tax information to address regulatory gaps. The countrys business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce market reached $25 billion last year, it noted. A new e-commerce regulation has been proposed in Vietnam to improve oversight of online sellers, requiring detailed identification and tax information. Probing online violations is complex, and tracing warehouses or sellers is a challenge. The proposal includes defining business models, clarifying the rights and obligations of participants, and further decentralising oversight responsibilities. However, probing and addressing violations in online transactions are complex, and it is a challenge for authorities to trace warehouses or sellers in cases of misconduct due to insufficient electronic identification mechanisms and lack of comprehensive oversight, domestic media outlets reported. E-commerce platforms are sometimes exploited for fraudulent activities or tax evasion; there is lack of transparency about products, services and seller information; the online dispute resolution process is ineffective; and customers are unable to resolve disputes with sellers and find it challenging to directly contact platform operators. The ministrys proposal to address these issues includes defining e-commerce business models, clarifying the rights and obligations of participants, and enhancing the decentralisation of oversight responsibilities. The draft law also specifies requirements for individuals engaged in activities such as livestream sales or advisory services for goods and services in regulated industries, a domestic media outlet reported. Sellers using intermediary e-commerce platforms will need to verify their identities according to electronic identification regulations before offering goods or services. They will also have to provide information like names, addresses, identification numbers and personal income tax codes to intermediary platforms. For cross-border e-commerce activities, businesses must obtain permits from the ministry, establish representative offices in Vietnam, or designate authorised local legal representatives. Many cross-border e-commerce platforms operate in Vietnam without completing official legal procedures. Regulations for cross-border e-commerce are generally less stringent now than those applied to entities with official investments in the domestic market, creating an uneven competitive environment. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) The film will play on Netflix sometime later this year. While other details of the project are being kept under wraps, we've found out that the subject deals with a relationship between two women. The story has some really progressive themes. Last year in October, Filmfare was the first to tell you that Pratibha Ranta and Konkona Sen Sharma were heading to Poland to shoot for a new OTT film. Now we've got the latest update from the project. Pratibha and Konkona have wrapped up the shoot in Warsaw and other Polish locations and are back in the bay.Pratibha is still soaking in the love and adulation for Laapataa Ladies and Heeramandi. Konkona recently celebrated 20 years of her film Page 3 with a social media post that read, I can hardly believe PAGE 3 released 20 years ago! My first experience of filming in Bombay. This was 2005, the year of the flood and the year I moved to this city which has now been my home for over two decades! At the time I was young, full of abandon and free of expectations but today I look back with so much gratitude. Thank you Madhur Bhandarkar for Madhvi Sharma, a character I received so much love for. Thank you Tara Sharma Saluja and Sandhya Mridul for the lifelong friendships." Saif Ali Khan sustained multiple injuries after he was stabbed by an intruder in his Bandra home. As new details about the case emerge, the Mumbai police have shared that the attacker is allegedly from Bangladesh. He reportedly tried breaking into Shah Rukh Khans Mannat as well.As per reports on a leading news portal, Saif Ali Khans attacker who is being identified as Shariful, tried scaling the walls of Shah Rukh Khans home Mannat. He reportedly tried catching a glimpse of the Bollywood star before heading to Saifs home.The accused reportedly told the police that his friends and family told him he looked like Shah Rukh Khan. An investigation to determine all details of the case is currently underway.Shariful reportedly arrived in India through the Dawki River in Meghalaya. He paid an agent Rs 10,000 for the journey to Assam. He went to Kolkata by bus before taking a train to Mumbai.Police have also shared that Shariful walked for 90 minutes to reach Saifs home. He carried several tools including a hammer, hacksaw blade and more. He used a knife that he stole from a restaurant where he worked. Critic's rating 4.0 /5 The filming of The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, co-produced and directed by the fearless Mohammad Rasoulof, took place in secrecy over 70 days, from December 2023 to March 2024. The footage was smuggled out of Iran and edited in Hamburg by Andrew Bird, blending the fictional scenes with raw footage of the political protests ignited by the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022. This courageous act of defiance in the face of oppression underscores Rasoulof's determination to expose the truth. The final 168-minute cut presents a harrowing blend of real-life images from the protests and subsequent brutal crackdowns, underscoring the film's powerful political message. The plot follows Iman (Missagh Zareh), his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and their two daughters, 21-year-old Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and her teenage sister, Sana (Setareh Maleki). Iman has just been made an investigating judge in Tehran's Revolutionary Court, as he becomes engulfed by paranoia amidst the mounting protests. His gun mysteriously disappears, leaving him to mistrust even his wife and daughters. The film's first half serves as a gripping political commentary, exploring themes of fear, control, and surveillance in a fractured society. As the narrative unfolds, it transitions into a deeply emotional family drama, showcasing Imans strained relationships with his wife and daughters. By the final act, the film shifts into an intense thriller, culminating in a suspense-filled journey to Imans home village. Rasoulof masterfully handles this dramatic shift, maintaining an electrifying pace and elevating the stakes to new heights. The actors' performances are exceptional, with each member of the cast contributing a nuanced portrayal that brings the film's political and personal layers to life. Sohelia Golestani, in her portrayal of Najmeh, stands out with a powerful and courageous performance. As Najmeh, she transitions from being a staunch defender of her husbands moral choices to an ally of her daughters. Her most poignant moment comes when she tenderly tends to a wounded young woman from the protests, a haunting scene that speaks to her growing awareness of the political reality surrounding her. Golestanis subtle evolution as Najmeh is nothing short of mesmerizing. The title of the film, referencing the sacred fig tree that spreads by choking another, serves as a potent metaphor for the suffocating theocratic regime in Iran. Rasoulofs bold decision to show the familys home scenes without the mandatory hijab is a brave defiance of Iranian regulations, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to truth and artistic integrity. Kudos to the three women who dared be bareheaded despite knowing the consequences. Their willingness to take this stand reflects a deep courage that resonates throughout the film. In its final act, the film becomes a relentless thriller, building suspense with a tension that leaves the audience breathless. The family embarks on a tense road trip, and the mystery of the missing gun propels the narrative forward. Iman becomes obsessed, jailing his family and making them confess their crime on camera. Rasoulofs direction is masterful, turning the film into a deeply affecting, genre-defying experience. The closing image of the film, a powerful call for the overthrow of patriarchy, speaks volumes, resonating with global audiences who continue to struggle against authoritarian regimes. Given the growth of radical Islam in Europe, its no surprise that the film was selected as Germanys entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist. At its heart, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is not only a political commentary but also a powerful tale of resistance against the patriarchy, a universal issue that transcends borders. Rasoulofs unflinching courage and the outstanding performances of his cast, especially Sohelia Golestani, make this film a monumental achievement that will leave an indelible mark on the world stage. TRAILER : The Seed Of The Sacred Fig MedMira Inc. (MedMira) (TSXV:MIR) announced today that it has received Investigational Testing Authorizations (ITAs) from Health Canada to begin clinical trials for new label claim applications of its recently Health Canada approved Multiplo TP/HIV rapid test. These applications include use as a self-test and for non-professional administration, expanding access to testing for syphilis and HIV in Canada. More testing options are urgently needed amid soaring cases of syphilis and HIV in Canada, particularly in the Prairies. The upcoming trials for MedMira's self and non-profession test will be led by REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The ITA approval is an important step towards getting the Multiplo TP/HIV rapid self-test and non-professional testslicensed and into the Canadian market. One version would enable a person to self-administer a test for syphilis/HIV in their own home or in a place that suits them and will allow people to safely discover their status in minutes. MedMira's non-professional device allows for a peer or non-professional healthcare worker to administer the test providing yet another option for people who experience barriers to accessing healthcare. These easy-to-use, accurate tests detect both HIV-1/2 and syphilis antibodies using one blood sample from a single finger prick that delivers results immediately. If positive, the person can then have their results confirmed by a lab-based test and get connected to treatment. "These ITAs are significant steps toward making the Multiplo TP/HIV rapid test available for self-testing and non-professional use in Canada," said Hermes Chan, CEO of MedMira. "With these applications, individuals can safely and quickly determine their status in a setting that works best for them, whether at home or in community-based environments, helping to remove barriers to care and address rising infection rates." The approved Multiplo TP/HIV rapid test is easy to use, providing immediate results from a single finger-prick blood sample. It detects both syphilis and HIV antibodies, and if positive, individuals can confirm their results through lab-based testing and connect to treatment. The latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows that new HIV diagnoses have risen more than 35 per cent from 2022 to 2023, with rates in Manitoba rising by more than 40 per cent. In Saskatchewan, the rate of HIV was 19.4 per 100,000 people, more than three times the national rate. Infectious and congenital syphilis rates have also seen a significant rise in recent years. In 2022, there were 13,953 reported syphilis cases, with rates increasing by 109 per cent compared to 2018. Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother has untreated or inadequately treated syphilis before giving birth, and can lead to stillbirths in some cases. Congenital syphilis cases have seen a 7 per cent increase from 2021 and a nearly 600 per cent increase from 2018, with 15 stillbirth deaths in 2022, according to the latest data. Amid these soaring cases, particularly in underserved and remote communities in the Prairies, the Multiplo TP/HIV rapid self-test and non-professional tests provides a "missing key" to help reach the undiagnosed living with HIV and/or syphilis. "HIV self-testing can help open the door to reach the more than 8,000 people in Canada who have HIV and don't know it," said Dr. Sean B. Rourke, the director of REACH Nexus and a scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions. "We still don't have exact numbers of how many people have current infectious syphilis that is still undiagnosed, but we know the numbers are very high, and need immediate interventions". "Many people from vulnerable communities do not come forward for testing because of stigma or negative experiences with traditional healthcare systems. Having more accessible tests, like MedMira's, create low barrier options for people to get tested so they know their status, and to start getting connecting to treatment and care." With funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Dr. Rourke and his team at REACH Nexus are launching its "test, treat, and connect" community-based clinical trials that will involve roughly 1,700 participants in Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. REACH will work closely with researchers, doctors, registered nurses and healthcare partners, and peers at organizations like Women's Health In Women's Hands in Toronto, Nine Circles Community Health Centre in Winnipeg, and The Victoria Cool Aid Society in B.C. About REACH Nexus at St. Michael's Hospital's MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions REACH Nexus is an ambitious national research group working on how to address HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in Canada. Their focus is on reaching the undiagnosed, implementing and scaling up new testing options, strengthening connections to care, improving access to options for prevention (PrEP and PEP) and ending stigma. We work in collaboration and partnership with people living with HIV, community-based organizations, front-line service providers, healthcare providers and decision makers, public health agencies, researchers, business leaders, industry partners, and federal, provincial and regional policymakers.Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. About MedMira MedMira is a leading developer and manufacturer of Rapid Vertical Flow diagnostics. The Company's tests provide hospitals, labs, clinics, and individuals with instant disease diagnosis, such as HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis, and SARS-CoV-2, in just three easy steps. The Company's tests are sold globally under the REVEAL, REVEALCOVID-19, Multiploand Miriad brands. Based on its patented Rapid Vertical Flow Technology, MedMira's rapid HIV test is the only one inthe world to achieve regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, China and the European Union. MedMira's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For more information visit medmira.com . Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. This news release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties and reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events, including statements regarding possible regulatory approval, product launch, future growth, and new business opportunities. Actual events could materially differ from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, changing market conditions, successful and timely completion of clinical studies, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process, establishment of corporate alliances and other risks detailed from time to time in the company quarterly filings. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. MedMira Contact Markus Meile Chief Financial Officer MedMira Inc. ir@medmira.com Phone 902-450-1588 REACH Nexus Contact Andrew Russell Senior Communications Specialist REACH Nexus - MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions andrew.russell@unityhealth.to Phone 647-237-2912 SOURCE: MedMira, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2025) - Aquitaine Metals Corp. (the "Company" or "Aquitaine") is pleased to announce that Chris Taylor has been appointed to the role of CEO of the Company. Chris has been a board member of Aquitaine since May 2024 and will also remain in that role. Aquitaine Metals' Limousin project is located in the prolific Limousin Mining District in the Region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwest France, 40 kilometres south of the city of Limoges. The project consists of 40 km2 of exploration licenses with exclusivity granted over a total of 330 km2. An application for expanding the exploration license over the full 330 km2 area of exclusivity has been submitted and drill permission is expected later this year. A Phase 1, 8,800 metre diamond drill program will begin in February 2025. Chris Taylor, CEO of Aquitaine, said, "The potential of Aquitaine's Limousin project to host a Tier 1 gold asset is the best I've seen since Great Bear's sale in 2022. The French government has recently advanced serious initiatives to revive domestic mining and secure economic benefits and reliable mineral supplies for its citizens and industries. In addition to the district-scale gold system, significant critical metal mineralization also positions Aquitaine to potentially help satisfy EU domestic production mandates for key commodities like antimony and copper. We look forward to building on the excellent relationships our French team at Compagnie des Mines Arediennes has built with local people and all levels of government to revive this historical mining district with the highest environmental and social standards." Yves Guise, President of Compagnie des Mines Arediennes, said, "We first identified the enormous opportunity of this project over five years ago, and began the process of finding the best partners to help us revive mining in this area. We are very pleased to have Aquitaine Metals and now Chris involved as partners as we look forward to benefitting from their broad exploration and corporate experience. The Limousin's deep mining history has benefited generations of its people extending back to ancient times, and its potential revival comes at a critical time for France as it aims to rebuild this industry." John Robins, Chairman of the Board of Aquitaine, said, "Our vision for Aquitaine Metals is to combine the very best of Canadian mineral exploration expertise with French talent and experience. The gold system at our project has comparable potential to major gold districts like the Abitibi or the Red Lake camp, so we needed a CEO with the ability to manage something of this scale. Chris' success at Great Bear complements the in-country talents of our CMA team, with their deep understanding of French mining culture and local economic and social priorities. We aim to be the best partners for the Limousin people, and the opportunity to bring modern exploration and mining technologies and techniques to this district could provide significant benefits to the region and the French State, while minimizing environmental impacts." Service Providers Aquitaine has selected Gexplore ( www.gexplore.fr ), a French exploration service company based in Nancy, to provide services for drill core logging, sampling and other logistical and staffing support. Gexplore has extensive gold and critical metals exploration experience in Europe, South America and Africa where they have various international mineral exploration companies as clients. Gexplore is composed of a professional EurGeol team who have participated in numerous compliant data collection and reporting programs. Diamond drilling will be conducted by French drill service provider FORACO, who have nearby offices in Lunel and Marseille. Figure 1: CMA and Aquitaine Metals team members in December 2024, celebrating the feast of Saint Barabara, patron Saint of miners in the village of Le Chalard, France, with local representatives and community members. From left to right: Yves Guise, President of CMA, Annick Huchet, Mayor of Le Chalard, Chris Taylor, CEO of Aquitaine Metals, Thomas Poitrenaud, Exploration manager of CMA, Michele Morillon, Corporate Secretary of CMA, and Pierre-Christian Guiollard, author and past COGEMA archivist and manager. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11279/238017_e0eb3d03443dcb8c_003full.jpg About the Limousin Project 40 km 2 of exploration licenses with exclusivity granted over a total of 330 km 2 . The area of exclusivity includes 23 past producing gold mines which operated during the 20 th to 21 st century and over 900 ancient high-grade gold mining sites along over 200 kilometres aggregate strike length of gold-bearing structures Recent production by French mining company COGEMA from 1988 - 2002 of approximately one million ounces of gold with average underground production grades of 12.5 g/t gold with a 10 g/t gold cutoff and mining widths of 3 - 10 m. Average open pit production grades of 7 - 8 g/t gold with a cutoff grade of 6 g/t gold Production and exploration records with an estimated replacement value of $430 million Critical metal potential including a district-scale antimony exploration target as the accessory mineral stibnite within the high-grade gold system, and precious-metal rich polymetallic massive sulphides as lenses locally within and adjacent to the gold system. About Aquitaine Metals Corp. Aquitaine Metals Corp. is a Vancouver-based gold and strategic metals exploration company focused on advancing its 100% owned Limousin project in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. A significant exploration Phase 1 diamond drill program has been authorized and is currently planned to begin in February. This work program will confirm historical datasets, and test extensions of the Pierrepinet and Douillac high-grade gold ore zones at the Laurieras and Moulin de Cheni mines. Aquitaine Metals Corp. is a committed partner to all stakeholders, with a long-term vision of sustainable exploration to advance the Limousin project in a manner that demonstrates good stewardship of land, operational excellence and accountability. Records of work activities, permitting timelines and environmental monitoring progress are available at Compagnie des Mines Arediennes' website at: https://www.minesarediennes.fr/ Investor Inquiries Note on Historical Data All information related to COGEMA's mining and exploration activities is believed to be accurate, but has not yet been verified by a Qualified Person according to the standards of National Instrument 43-101. Verification sampling is being undertaken at historical mine sites where exposures are available, and verification drilling will be included in the Phase 1 drill program beginning in February. Other historical production data is taken from public records, publications such as Bouchot et al., 2005, and past verification work by COGEMA. It is considered generally reliable for exploration purposes but cannot be verified. Information related to ancient gold production including estimates of historical production grades and total gold produced is taken from archaeological publications, particularly Cauuet et al., 2018, and Baron et al., 2019. Gallic gold mining sites are readily apparent on airborne LIDAR data, from which Aquitaine and CMA's geologists have reproduced locations and outlines of sites verified and interpreted by archaeologists, and by Aquitaine's field crews and past explorers at COGEMA. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238017 SOURCE: Aquitaine Metals Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2025) - Synex Renewable Energy Corporation (TSX: SXI) (the "Company" or "Synex") announced today that Adarsh Mehta has resigned as director of the Company effective January 20, 2025. Ms. Mehta joined the board of directors of the Company in 2020, and also served on the audit committee of the Company. The board of directors of the Company wish to thank Ms. Mehta for her contributions to the Company. About Synex Renewable Energy Corporation Synex is a Vancouver, British Columbia based company engaged in the development, acquisition, ownership, and operation of renewable energy projects in Canada. It has ownership interests in 12 MW of operating hydro projects in British Columbia and owns a Vancouver Island grid connection and utility carrying on business as Kyuquot Power Ltd. The Company also has 9.4 MW of construction ready run-of-river projects, applications, and land tenures on another 24 potential hydroelectric sites totaling over 150 MW of capacity, and approximately 16 wind development sites that could provide up to 4,700 MW of clean power in British Columbia. For further information, visit www.synex.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238027 SOURCE: Synex Renewable Energy Corporation Reception held to mark upcoming Chinese Spring Festival in Davos, Switzerland Xinhua) 15:49, January 22, 2025 A staff member holds a plush toy snake at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) Participants attend a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants attend a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants try dumplings at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants attend a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) A participant shows Yangliuqing woodblock paintings at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) A participant tries to print Yangliuqing woodblock paintings at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants try Tianjin crepe at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2025) - Valleyview Resources Ltd. (TSXV: VVR) ("Valleyview" or the "Company") and Shift Rare Metals Inc. ("Shift") are pleased to announce the closing of a second and final tranche (the "Second Tranche") of the private placement offering (the "Offering") of subscription receipts of Shift (each, a "Subscription Receipt") at a price of $0.30 per Subscription Receipt. The Offering was conducted in connection with Valleyview's proposed acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of Shift (the "Acquisition") by way of the three-cornered amalgamation pursuant to an amalgamation agreement among Valleyview, Shift and1496946 B.C. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Valleyview, dated August 16, 2024 (as amended on December 23, 2024, the "Amalgamation Agreement"). Please see Valleyview's news releases dated August 27, 2024 and November 10, 2024 under Valleyview's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca for further details on the Acquisition. Pursuant to the Second Tranche, a total of 2,361,500 Subscription Receipts were issued for gross proceeds of $708,450, pursuant to (i) a brokered private placement (the "Brokered Offering") of 1,161,000 Subscription Receipts pursuant to an agency agreement among Shift, Valleyview and SCP Resource Finance LP and Canaccord Genuity Corp., as agents (together, the "Agents"), dated December 23, 2024, as amended (the "Agency Agreement"); and (ii) a non-brokered private placement (the "Non-Brokered Offering") of 1,200,500 Subscription Receipts. Each Subscription Receipt will entitle the holder thereof to receive, without payment of additional consideration or further action on the part of the holder thereof, and subject to adjustment, one unit of Shift (each, an "Underlying Unit") upon the satisfaction or waiver (to the extent such waiver is permitted) of the Escrow Release Conditions (as defined below) at or before the Release Deadline (as defined below). Each Underlying Unit will be comprised of one Class D Common share in the capital of Shift (each, an "Underlying Share") and one-half of one Class D Common share purchase warrant (each whole purchase warrant, an "Underlying Warrant"). Each Underlying Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Class D Common share in the capital of Shift (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of two years from the date that the Escrowed Funds are released from escrow (the "Escrow Release Date"). The first tranche of the Offering completed on December 23, 2024. In aggregate, 53,688,300 Subscription Receipts were issued for gross proceeds of $16,104,409 pursuant to both tranches of the Offering. Pursuant to the Agency Agreement and in connection with the Second Tranche, Shift will pay the Agents a commission of 6% of the gross proceeds raised as part of the Brokered Offering (the "Agents' Fee") and a corporate finance fee of $4,069 (the "Corporate Finance Fee") and will also issue to the Agents 69,660 broker warrants (each, a "Broker Warrant") and 12,005 corporate finance options (the "Corporate Finance Options"). Each Broker Warrant and each Corporate Finance Options will be exercisable for one Class D Common share in the capital of Shift at an exercise price of $0.30 for a period of five years from the Escrow Release Date. Pursuant to certain finder's agreements, on the Escrow Release Date, Shift will also pay to certain finders a finder's fee equivalent to an agreed upon percentage of the gross proceeds raised from certain purchasers introduced to Shift by such finder in connection with the Non-Brokered Offering and will also issue to such finders that number of finder's warrants (each, a "Finder's Warrant") equal to an agreed upon percentage of the total number of Subscription Receipts sold to the applicable purchasers. The Finder's Warrants will have the same terms as the Broker Warrants. The gross proceeds of the Second Tranche, less 50% of the Agents' Fee and 50% of the Corporate Finance Fee, have been placed in escrow with Endeavor Trust Corporation, as subscription receipt agent and will be released upon satisfaction of the escrow release conditions set out in the Agency Agreement (the "Escrow Release Conditions"). On the Escrow Release Date, in accordance with the terms of the Amalgamation Agreement, the Underlying Shares, the Underlying Warrants, the Broker Warrants, the Corporate Finance Options and the Finder's Warrants will be exchangeable on a one-to-one basis into an equivalent security of Valleyview with the same share price, exercise price and exercise term, as applicable, attached to the applicable security of Shift. In the event the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied by March 8, 2025 (the "Release Deadline") or the Acquisition is otherwise terminated, the escrowed funds, together with accrued interest earned thereon, will be returned to the holders of the Subscription Receipts and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled. To the extent that the escrowed funds are insufficient to refund 100% of the purchase price of the Subscription Receipts to the holders thereof, the Valleyview and Shift will be jointly and severally responsible for any shortfall. Following release of the escrowed funds from escrow and completion of the Acquisition, the net proceeds of the Offering will be used for exploration on the Coyote Basin and Red Wash Uranium Properties and general corporate and working capital purposes. About Valleyview Resources Ltd. Valleyview Resources Ltd. is a mineral exploration company focused on becoming a premier US-focused and resource-bearing uranium explorer and developer. The Company is in the process of acquiring the Coyote Basin and Red Wash uranium projects in northwestern Colorado. Valleyview also has an ownership stake in the Fraser Lake Au-Ag-Cu project in British Columbia. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this news release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: the Acquisition; the Offering; the securities underlying the Subscription Receipts and the securities exchangeable for the securities underlying the Subscription Receipts; the issuance of the Broker Warrants, the Corporate Finance Options and the Finder's Warrants; the release of the escrowed funds from escrow; the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions; the return of the escrowed funds to the holders of Subscription Receipts and the use of the net proceeds from the Offering. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that future metal prices and the demand and market outlook for metals will remain stable or improve. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, the risks that: the Acquisition is not completed on the terms disclosed or at all; the escrowed funds are not released from escrow on the terms disclosed or at all; the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied on the terms disclosed or at all; the return of the escrowed funds to the holders of Subscription Receipts is not completed on the terms disclosed or at all; the net proceeds from the Offering are not used on the terms disclosed or at all, as well as the general risk factors related to exploration and development as are set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's documents filed under Valleyview's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238028 SOURCE: Valleyview Resources Ltd. The technology corporation has achieved remarkable success in the past fiscal year, marking significant growth in both revenue and earnings. Preliminary calculations show the company surpassing its 2024 forecast, with operating earnings (EBITDA) exceeding the targeted 190 million. Revenue climbed to more than 1.7 billion, representing an impressive growth of over 40% compared to the previous year. This positive development was substantially supported by the integration of a German electronics company. The market responded favorably to these results, with the stock price rising by more than 4.5% to 19.24 during Tuesday morning trading. Strategic Outlook for 2025 Looking ahead, the company has set ambitious targets for 2025, aiming to achieve organic revenue growth to reach between 1.9 and 2.0 billion. The operational earnings are projected to grow even more dynamically, with a target of at least 220 million. As a pioneer in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, the corporation is increasingly focusing on forward-looking technologies such as ultra-fast 5G data communication and artificial intelligence. The significantly increased order backlog reinforces these positive growth prospects. Ad Fresh S&T information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends. Read our updated S&T analysis... At a ceremony held at the Port of Hueneme, Jess J. Ramirez was sworn in as president of the Oxnard Harbor District. Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez administered the oath of office. Ramirez, a long-serving member of the International Longshoreman's and Warehouse Union Local #46, has dedicated over 51 years to the port, starting as a casual longshoreman and rising through the ranks to a respected leader. Ramirez was sworn in alongside Commissioner Celina L. Zacarias who just completed a successful year at the helm as board president. The presidential baton for 2025 has now been passed to Ramirez. President Jess J. Ramirez Ramirez's career at the port is marked by his steadfast commitment to community service, education, and economic prosperity. A passionate advocate for the disadvantaged and underserved, he has supported various groups and initiatives, from aiding the Tarahumara Indians of Chihuahua, Mexico to championing youth education in Oxnard, always emphasizing the importance of education. He supports the Oxnard Film Society Summer Film Series, the Boys and Girls Club, and humanitarian efforts for school children in Guatemala. As a proud Vietnam veteran, Ramirez is also deeply committed to supporting fellow service members. The Port of Hueneme's Banana Festival is a part of his visionary legacy, through which he wanted to open the Port to the community. Today, the festival hosts over 10,000 people annually and is one of the few festivals completely free to the public. (Left to Right) Commissioner Celina L. Zacarias, President Jess J. Ramirez, and Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez His dedication to environmental stewardship is evident through his focus on green initiatives, including an urban tree project. His leadership has been instrumental in striking a balance between maintaining the port's status as a thriving economic engine and minimizing its environmental footprint. As a key asset to the district, Ramirez's unwavering commitment to both commerce and community is evident through his active engagement in major industry conferences, including Trans-Pacific Maritime (TPM), Finished Vehicle Logistics, and FuturePorts, along with countless customer meetings and events. Oxnard Harbor District Board of Commissioners with Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez Commissioner Ramirez has consistently championed not just business growth, but the strategic development of the port by attracting the right partnerships and fostering opportunities that drive both economic and social value. As he stated, "It is this attentiveness that has enabled the Port of Hueneme to create opportunities that not only spur economic development but also build social capital and investment in the community." "I am very proud to serve the people of the Oxnard Harbor District for one last term. During this term, I look forward to continuing to build community. I want to retire as a lifelong public servant and my legacy belongs to those I've served and to my daughters and grandchildren," said Jess Ramirez. President Jess J. Ramirez Ramirez's term as President marks the culmination of a distinguished career dedicated to public service and community engagement. His legacy will be remembered for his tireless efforts to improve the lives of those around him and his unwavering commitment to the port and its community. About the Port of Hueneme The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateways for niche cargo on the West Coast. Five locally elected Port Commissioners govern the Port. The Port consistently ranks among the top ten U.S. ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating 24,997 trade-related jobs. Trade through the Port of Hueneme generates more than $236 million in direct and related state and local taxes, which fund vital community services. In 2017, the Port of Hueneme became the first port in California to become Green Marine certified and was voted the Greenest Port in the U.S. at the Green Shipping Summit. www.portofh.org. PRESS CONTACT Letitia Austin Public & Government Relations Manager laustin@portofh.org Cell: (805) 816-8324 SOURCE: Port of Hueneme View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2025) - Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley has been included in Franchise Business Review's list of the Top 200 Franchises to Own for 2025. The recognition is based on a survey of over 34,000 franchise owners, evaluating satisfaction in key areas such as training, support, operations, and financial opportunities. The survey conducted by Franchise Business Review (FBR) is unique in the franchising industry because it relies entirely on independent feedback from franchise owners. Participants represent over 350 leading franchise brands, and the rankings reflect the voices of actual franchisees on important operational areas as identified by franchisees. Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley's inclusion in this list highlights the company's strong performance in delivering effective training, robust operational support, and sustainable financial opportunities to its franchise owners. Being named among the Top 200 Franchises to Own for 2025 demonstrates Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley's unwavering commitment to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for its franchisees. The recognition reinforces the company's mission to support franchisees in achieving operational goals while contributing to the overall strength of the Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley brand nationwide. The survey results also reflect the franchise's focus on long-term growth and innovation. By providing a structured framework and leveraging national resources, Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley enables its franchisees to deliver superior services to customers while managing thriving local businesses. This approach ensures that franchise owners have the tools they need to meet the evolving demands of the home improvement industry. This recognition further underscores Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley's ability to balance customer satisfaction with operational efficiency. By combining innovative remodeling solutions with a proven franchise model, the Phoenix cabinet refacing company continues to build its reputation for excellence and reliability, supported by the strength of its national network. As part of the Top 200 Franchises to Own for 2025, the company remains committed to upholding strong performance across its franchise operations and providing resources and systems that promote collaboration and franchisee success. About Kitchen Tune-Up Phoenix Central Valley: To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238025 SOURCE: GetFeatured Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2025) - AnalytixInsight Inc. (TSXV: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF) ("AnalytixInsight", or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, subject to regulatory approval, it has agreed to settle a total of C$316,881.4 of accrued directors' fees and consulting fees owed to certain directors and arms-length consultants of the Company (the "Creditors"). The Company will settle the accrued fees by issuing a total of 7,041,809 Common Shares at a price of C$0.045 per Common Share to the Creditors (the "Shares for Debt"). The Shares for Debt is intended to improve the financial condition of the Company. No new Control Persons (as defined under the applicable policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) will be created pursuant to the Shares for Debt transaction, and the consultants are all arm's length parties to the Company. The Shares for Debt is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The common shares issued pursuant to the Shares for Debt will be subject to a statutory four-month hold period from the date of issuance. The Shares for Debt with each of the certain directors will be a "related party transaction" under Policy 5.9 of the TSX Venture Exchange and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Security Based Compensation with each of these individuals is exempt from the minority approval and formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to subsections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the debt, nor the fair market value of the shares to be issued in settlement of the debt, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization. ABOUT ANALYTIXINSIGHT AnalytixInsight is a data analytics and enterprise software solutions provider. AnalytixInsight develops and markets cloud-based platforms providing financial content, company analysis and stock research solutions to the financial services industry. AnalytixInsight holds a 49% interest in MarketWall S.R.L., a developer of fintech solutions for financial institutions in Italy. Neither The TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the respective policies, regulations and rules under such laws ("forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "will" and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Shares for debt transaction with certain individuals and Exchange acceptance of the Shares for Debt. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release including, without limitation, general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the Company's technology and revenue generation; risks associated with operation in the technology sector; the Company's ability to successfully develop a go-forward strategy, raise capital, and extract value from MarketWall; foreign operations risks; the risk that funding options are not available to the Company, on reasonable terms or at all, to address its funding needs; the receipt of necessary regulatory, court, and corporate approvals to pursue funding options; the risk that the previously disclosed court-ordered inspector may uncover unexpected issues and/or the investigation may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, the risk that the issues to be addressed by the previously disclosed interim orders and the court-ordered inspector are not resolved in a timely manner or at all, and other risks inherent in the technology industry. Additionally, there are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary note. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable laws. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. 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/238046 SOURCE: AnalytixInsight Inc. CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday.The yen fell to 1-week lows of 162.39 against the euro, 192.37 against the pound and 171.96 against the Swiss franc, from yesterday's closing quotes of 162.07, 192.16 and 171.77, respectively.Against the U.S., Australia, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the yen edged down to 155.96, 97.70, 88.23 and 108.79 from Tuesday's closing quotes of 155.75, 97.53, 88.16 and 108.60, respectively.If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 165.00 against the euro, 198.00 against the pound, 175.00 against the franc, 159.00 against the greenback, 99.00 against the aussie, 90.00 against the kiwi and 111.00 against the loonie.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Public sector finance from the UK is due on Wednesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.At 2.00 am ET, the Office for National Statistics releases UK government borrowing data for December. The budget deficit is forecast to widen to GBP 13.7 billion from GBP 11.25 billion in November.At 4.00 am ET, industrial production, producer prices and corporate sector wages are due from Poland. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 1.8 percent on year in December, following a 1.5 percent fall in November. Producer prices are expected to drop 2.4 percent annually after a 3.7 percent fall in the previous month.At 6.00 am ET, the Central Statistics Office is slated to publish Ireland's property price data for November. In the meantime, producer price figures are due from Latvia.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Lakestar leads round with participation from existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners and 83North LONDON and NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertice, the spend optimization platform, today announced $50 million in Series C funding led by Lakestar. This investment brings the total raised to over $100 million. Additional participants include Perpetual Growth and CF Private Equity, alongside existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners and 83North. This oversubscribed round is the latest milestone in Vertice's 2.5 year growth journey, exponentially scaling its worldwide revenue and customer base whilst maintaining best in class capital efficiency. The company has grown revenue 13x over the past 2 years. The Series C investment will further accelerate Vertice's mission to create the go-to unified backbone for modern procurement teams. In 2025, Vertice will open several new regional offices and drive product development by tripling its engineering team. New automated product capabilities and integrations will help enterprise procurement and finance teams improve visibility, streamline processes, reduce costs, and make better decisions. Procurement teams struggle every day with opaque approval processes, rising prices, compliance threats and a lack of clarity over best pricing. The market's current response is disparate and disconnected point solutions, including procurement workflow builders, contract negotiation, benchmarking data and SaaS spend optimization. Vertice has seized a recognised leadership position in procuretech by delivering all of this within a single, unified platform. Vertice offers fully customizable procurement workflows that deliver AI-supported insights into spend optimization, usage and risk management directly within the workflow itself. These insights are based on Vertice's negotiation experience across $3.4bn of SaaS and cloud spend on behalf of hundreds of enterprise customers globally, plus the unmatched benchmarking data Vertice has on 16,000+ software vendors. Vertice workflows have consistently more than halved purchasing cycles, curtailed maverick spending, while reducing SaaS and cloud costs by as much as 30%. "We created our own unfair advantage," commentedRoy Tuvey, Founder and CEO at Vertice. "After spending two years perfecting our SaaS and cloud spend optimization, achieving product-market fit and taking market share from established players, we've brought all of our data and insights directly into the workflow experience. All employees can now initiate any purchase, quickly, transparently and at the best price, while procurement can fully customize the workflows to their needs and embed granular approvals." Vertice's proposition has been eagerly adopted by hundreds of finance and procurement leaders including the teams at ASML, Euronext, Grant Thornton, and Santander. In the last 12 months, Vertice has significantly grown its enterprise customers in the US, EMEA and APAC - the only spend optimization platform to have significant presence and customer base in all three regions. Stephen Day, CPO at Kantar and a member of Vertice's Advisory Board, commented, "The curse and the blessing of procurement is that it is the only business process that any employee could perform - with or without authorization. Control and visibility of every purchase therefore becomes essential, but it can be painfully difficult when data and intelligence is disparate. Unifying these data sources and processes into a single platform that is built with the stakeholder experience in mind, as much as for procurement leaders, solves so many challenges - and is a huge opportunity for Vertice." Georgia Watson, Partner at Lakestar, said "Vertice has consistently demonstrated its ability to execute, innovate, and drive key growth metrics year after year, all at scale. We firmly believe there is no organization better positioned to become the unified platform of choice for the modern procurement team." Vertice was founded by serial entrepreneurs Roy and Eldar Tuvey. The brothers have two decades of experience running enterprise SaaS companies, most notably founding ScanSafe and Wandera, which exited for $200 million (Cisco) and $400 million (JAMF). About Vertice: Vertice is the spend optimization platform enabling businesses to simplify their procurement workflows, gain granular control and visibility of their spend, and realize cost savings of as much as 30%. Vertice manages $3.4 billion in spend worldwide for hundreds of enterprise customers in over 30 countries and is headquartered in London with additional offices in New York, Sydney, Brno and Johannesburg. Learn more at www.vertice.one. Media contact: press@vertice.one About Lakestar Lakestar is one of the leading pan-European venture capital firms. Lakestar's mission is to find, fund and grow disruptive businesses that are enabled by technology and founded by exceptional entrepreneurs in Europe and beyond. Founded by Klaus Hommels in 2012, Lakestar manages an aggregated volume of over 2bn across four early stage funds and two growth funds. The team actively advises and supports portfolio companies in marketing, recruitment, technology, product development and regulatory insight, accompanying founders from seed to early stage, growth stage or exit. Lakestar currently has the privilege of holding investments in Aleph Alpha, Auterion, Blockchain, Builder.ai, Colossyan, GetYourGuide, HomeToGo, IsarAerospace, Neko Health, Revolut, sennder and Terra Quantum to name a few. A long-standing champion for Europe's digital sovereignty, Lakestar has a presence in London, Berlin and Zurich with a team of 40 talented individuals from 18 countries. Visit us on LinkedIn and our website www.lakestar.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2602629/Roy_and_Eldar_Tuvey_Vertice_Founders.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603579/Vertice_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vertice-raises-50-million-series-c-to-simplify-procurement-302357176.html Funding will accelerate the company's anti-amyloid treatment for rare and common forms of dementia. As well as bringing forward a new class of treatment for inflammatory skin diseases. Sanos Group CEO Jeppe Ragnar Andersen joins the board. REYKJAVIK, Iceland and PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Icelandic drug discovery and development company Arctic Therapeutics (ATx) today announced the successful closing of a 26.5 million oversubscribed Series A financing from a broad syndicate of international investors. The syndicate includes the EIC Fund, Iceland's largest privately-held investment firm Kaldbakur, Investcorp-backed Sanos Group, Swiss-based Cerebrum DAO, The Lurie Family Foundation - established by US billionaire Jeffery Lurie - as well as a consortium led by early investors and co-founders of Icelandic unicorn, Kerecis, and Copenhagen-listed Chemometec. Icelandic institutional investors and family offices also participated in the round. "This funding represents a critical milestone in our journey to address significant unmet medical needs, from familial forms of dementia and Alzheimer's to novel treatments for inflammatory skin diseases. The new investors bring expertise and strategic value to the table, enabling us to accelerate the development of groundbreaking treatments," said Ivar Hakonarson, ATx co-founder and CEO. The proceeds from the Series A financing will be used to advance ATx's two frontrunners, AT-001 and AT-004, further into the clinic. Last year, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a pivotal phase IIb/III clinical trial evaluating AT-001 for the treatment of Hereditary Cystatin C Amyloid Angiopathy (HCCAA), a rare form of familial dementia. The new funding will allow ATx to explore the potential of AT-001, an oral treatment designed to prevent the aggregation of harmful amyloid proteins in the brain, in other forms of familial dementia, and eventually Alzheimer's disease. "Recent advances in understanding the role of amyloid proteins and the critical importance of preventing and dissolving plaque formation in the brain underscore the transformative potential of our approach to significantly slow or even prevent these devastating diseases," Hakonarson added. In addition to the AT-001 clinical trial, ATx is also planning to launch a phase IIa clinical trial for AT-004 in Europe post-financing. The therapeutic goal of this approach is to demonstrate safety and efficacy in acne vulgaris before expanding into other inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, rosacea and psoriasis. Additionally, ATx announced the appointment of Jeppe Ragnar Andersen, CEO of Sanos Group, to its board of directors. "Sanos Group's proven expertise in dermatology and recent acquisition of NeuroScios, a CRO specialized in clinical studies in Alzheimer's, strengthens our alignment with ATx's therapeutic focus even further," Andersen said. "We look forward to supporting the ATx team on achieving its goal of bringing forward innovative treatments for dementia and skin diseases to millions of patients," he added. Last year, ATx was selected to join the prestigious EIC Scaling Club, an exclusive community of Europe's most promising scaleups. The Club aims to accelerate the growth of its members, with a goal of scaling 20% of them into unicorns. This aligns with the EIC Fund's investment mandate to provide funding to European companies, which have the potential to meet the world's most pressing challenges. "Investing in innovative solutions to address the global healthcare challenge of dementia is both a responsibility and an opportunity," said Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board. "In Europe alone, dementia affects over ten million people - placing immense strain on families, healthcare systems, and economies. By providing an equity investment in Arctic Therapeutics, the EIC Fund is supporting groundbreaking preventive treatments that have the potential to change the trajectory of this crisis, improve quality of life, and alleviate the burden on healthcare infrastructure worldwide," Georgieva added. About Arctic Therapeutics Arctic Therapeutics is an Icelandic drug discovery and development company established in 2015 as a spin-off from the US-based Center for Applied Genomics (CAG), a research center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia led by ATx founder Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD. ATx leverages the transformative power of applied genomics, steering the course of drug development towards safer, more effective treatments for some of the world's most challenging diseases. The company has operations in Iceland, the US and multiple collaborations across Europe. For more information, please visit: www.arctictherapeutics.com and follow us on LinkedIn. About Sanos Group Sanos Group is a leading specialist provider of clinical study services in the global pharma and biotech industry. The group consists of around 200 employees, mainly in Denmark and the United States, but also in Europe and Hong Kong. Last year, Sanos acquired Austrian NeuroScios, which is a contract research organization (CRO) focusing on Alzheimer's and other diseases of the central nervous system. The acquisition is part of the group's strategic development as a multi-niche CRO, adding a third specialist area to the two current scientific areas of osteoarthritis and dermatology. About EIC Fund The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is an agnostic fund: it invests across all technologies and verticals, and all EU countries and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It provides the investment component of the EIC Accelerator blended finance. The European Investment Bank acts as investment adviser to the EIC Fund. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialization of disruptive technologies, bridging with and crowding in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding. The fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries. For media inquires Gulli Arnason, Chief Strategy Officer gulli@arctictherapeutics.com +354 660 0053 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com. https://news.cision.com/arctic-therapeutics/r/arctic-therapeutics-announces--26-5m-oversubscribed-series-a-financing,c4093542 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/23541/4093542/3212437.pdf Press release (PDF) https://news.cision.com/arctic-therapeutics/i/logo,c3369482 Logo View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/arctic-therapeutics-announces-26-5m-oversubscribed-series-a-financing-302357182.html First-ever corporation to top Corporate Knights Global 100 twice14th consecutive year in Global 100 index, 7th top 10 ranking Follows strong 2024 performance in other key ESG ratings Rueil-Malmaison, France, Jan. 22, 2025, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has been named the World's Most Sustainable Corporation 2025 by Corporate Knightsand is the only company to rank first in the Global 100 twice. Schneider Electric previously topped this annual list of the most sustainable publicly listed companies, generating annual revenues of over $1bn in 2021. This unique achievement underlines Schneider's long-standing commitment and holistic approach to delivering the best environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance possible. "For many years now, sustainability has been at the heart of what Schneider Electric does. For an IMPACT company it's more than just a corporate goal, it's the driving force that shapes our business decisions and inspires our employees," said Olivier Blum, Schneider Electric's Chief Executive Officer. "This second title as the World's Most Sustainable Corporation from Corporate Knights, alongside other key ESG recognitions, is testimony to the valuable, long-term positive impact we have." This year, Schneider Electric's number one position reflects the company's leadership in sustainable development practices, such as the gender diversity of its executivesand board directors, and its innovative solutions to facilitate energy efficiency, electrification and decarbonization. Schneider also obtained strong scores for efforts to decouple its energy consumption and carbon emissions from its business growth, and its strong investment in sustainable research and development. Corporate Knights also called out the link between executive pay incentives and Schneider Electric's sustainability performance and ESG ratings. "Schneider Electric's position at the top of the Global 100 index is remarkable. No other company has accomplished this twice," said Toby Heaps, Corporate Knights' CEO. "This success stems from Schneider's broad impact that goes beyond its own sustainability efforts. Schneider provides the technology to enhance energy efficiency, support decarbonization and help other companies in their sustainable transitions." Compiled by the Canadian media and research company, Corporate Knights, the annual Global 100 index is based on publicly disclosed, quantitative data related to resources, employees, suppliers, sustainable revenues, and investment. The Global 100 methodology uses fixed and variable key performance indicators to rank companies among their peers. Schneider Electric has been part of the Global 100 every year for the past 14 years and in the top 10 seven times - a record for its electrical equipment manufacturing peer group. Being awarded this title in both 2021 and 2025 coincides with the beginning and end of the five-year period of the latest Schneider Sustainability Impact program.This program measures the company's progress across a range of transformative ESG targets set for the end of 2025 and helps maintain an unwavering focus on achieving both its global and local ambitions. Schneider's sustainability leadership is further affirmed with these latest scores from prominent ESG rating providers: SustainabilityExternal ratings 2024 score Highlights Assessed universe (# companies) S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) 86/100 Industry leader Included in the DJSI World index for the 14th consecutive year and in the DJSI Europe index 13,000 EcoVadis(1) 85/100 Outstanding level for the 2nd consecutive year Platinum medal (top 1% of all companies assessed) for 5th year 130,000 Moody's Analytics (Vigeo Eiris) 73/100 Included in the Euronext Vigeo World 120, Europe 120, Euro 120, France 20, and CAC40 ESG indices 4,800 MSCI ESG rating AAA Leader among 165 companies in its peer group AAA for 14th year Included in the World ESG leaders and Socially Responsible indices 8,500 Sustainalytics ESG Risk rating Low risk Industry Top-Rated ESG Performer 1st out of 301 companies in its peer group 16,000 (1) 2025 score For media inquiries, please contact: global.pr@se.com Attachment TEESSIDE, England, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LanzaJet, a leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)1 technology and producer of SAF, today announced the selection of the site for their next production facility, Project Speedbird, in Teesside's Wilton International. LanzaJet has partnered with Sembcorp Utilities (UK) Limited, a wholly-owned entity of Sembcorp Industries Ltd, to develop an ethanol-to-SAF facility at Wilton International in Teesside, UK. Through a collaboration with British Airways, Project Speedbird will produce over 90,000 tonnes (30 million gallons) of SAF and renewable diesel annually. Project Speedbird, a recipient of grant funding by the UK government under the Advanced Fuels Fund, is likely to generate significant regional benefits and create around 30 highly skilled, long-term roles within LanzaJet's operations. The fuel produced is expected to reduce the net carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 230,000 tonnes per year - equivalent to 26,000 British Airways UK domestic flights. "Wilton International was selected for its strategic location and advanced infrastructure, essential for SAF production. This selection underscores Teesside's pivotal role in the UK's energy transition and industrial decarbonisation efforts. By leveraging Wilton International's capabilities, the project enhances the region's status as a leader in alternative energy initiatives, contributing significantly to the UK's clean energy objectives," said Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet. "Through our collaboration with British Airways, we are building a local supply chain for SAF - a critical solution for reducing lifecycle net carbon emissions in aviation - while supporting the UK's ambition to lead the energy transition. Project Speedbird demonstrates the potential of aligning technology, investment, and partnerships to address the aviation industry's carbon emissions." The facility will utilise LanzaJet's proprietary alcohol-to-jet technology, deployed at its Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, USA, the world's first commercial ethanol-to-SAF production plant. Project Speedbird will produce SAF from sustainably sourced ethanol. Project Speedbird will also establish key collaborations across the region to further bolster the local economy. Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability at British Airways, said: "We are delighted that LanzaJet has selected Wilton International in Teesside as the site for Project Speedbird. This milestone paves the way for the next stage of this innovative project, which is an important step towards scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production in the UK. SAF will be crucial in helping us reach our net zero goals by 2050, and this development marks significant progress towards producing UK SAF, whilst also supporting local communities and creating green jobs." "We are pleased to welcome LanzaJet to our Wilton International site in Teesside. By providing ready-to-go infrastructure, energy and utilities services, we support their efforts in developing sustainable and low-carbon solutions. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to accelerating the UK's energy transition and industrial decarbonisation. We look forward to partnering with LanzaJet as they play a pivotal role in transforming the aviation sector towards net zero," said Mike Patrick, Chief Executive Officer of Sembcorp Energy UK. ABOUT LANZAJET LanzaJet is a leading alternative fuels technology and engineering company dedicated to accelerating the transition in aviation. As a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology provider and producer with patented ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, LanzaJet is creating an opportunity for future generations by accelerating the deployment of SAF and other technologies critical to transforming the aviation fuel market. LanzaJet was named TIME100 Most Influential Companies for 2024. Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com/ . 1Defined in the Refuel EU Aviation Regulation as aviation fuels that are either synthetic aviation fuels, aviation biofuels or recycled carbon aviation fuels. SAF produces similar levels of carbon dioxide to conventional aviation fuels when burned, but the carbon dioxide generated is already part of the carbon cycle and is not extracted from the ground specifically for creating aviation fuel. This means that using SAF results in a reduction in carbon emissions compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces over the lifecycle of the fuel. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2410446/LJ_black_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lanzajet-selects-teessides-wilton-international-for-its-next-sustainable-aviation-fuel-production-facility--project-speedbird-302356752.html Majority of HR leaders predict a surge in the need for new leadership capabilities, but less than one-quarter have prioritised addressing critical leadership skills. Less than one fifth (19%) of leaders have sufficient time to fulfil their responsibilities at work, highlighting a critical failure in European organisations to effectively manage and protect leaders' time and support their development. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leadership today demands more than meeting current quarterly goals - it requires shaping the future of both the business and its people against the backdrop of an often challenging environment. Yet, there are striking gaps between the skills that leaders need and the development organisations are providing. Leaders feel ill-quipped to deal with the demands of their role while facing an increasingly challenging environment, as highlighted in DDI's Europe Leadership Report 2025, a comprehensive research study from leadership consultancy DDI, based on insights from 428 leaders and 250 HR professionals, across 18+ countries. Eighty percent of HR organisations in Europe are predicting a surge in the need for new leadership capabilities in the next five years. However, only 22% of HR organisations have prioritised addressing the top four most critical skill gaps within current development plans. Setting strategy: 55% of leaders identify it as essential, yet only 13% have received training. 55% of leaders identify it as essential, yet only 13% have received training. Engaging employees: 55% see it as critical, but just 15% have been developed in this area. 55% see it as critical, but just 15% have been developed in this area. Identifying and developing future talent: 48% cite it as crucial, yet only 8% have had relevant development. 48% cite it as crucial, yet only 8% have had relevant development. Decision making: 51% of leaders believe it is crucial, but just 14% have received training A lack of adequate training and support for existing and new leaders could be having an even more worrying effect on Europe's leadership talent, as the DDI data also highlights the increasing risk of stress and burnout among leaders in Europe. Lack of time leads to burnout amongst Europe's leaders According to the report, less than one fifth (19%) of leaders said they have sufficient time to fulfil their responsibilities at work, highlighting a critical failure in European organisations to effectively manage and protect leaders' time and support their development. In fact, further data from the report shows that over half (54%) of Europe's leaders experienced significant increase in stress since stepping into their current roles. Of these leaders, 72% are concerned about burnout and 40% have considered abandoning leadership roles entirely as a result. "The report highlights a critical threat to Europe's leadership pipeline," explains Bruce Watt, Ph.D, Senior Vice President at DDI. "When leaders are stressed and burning out, it creates a dangerous ripple effect throughout organisations. The solution lies in how we develop and support our leaders. Organisations that invest in targeted skill development and give their leaders the time and tools to succeed don't just prevent burnout - they create resilient leadership teams that drive sustainable business performance. The choice is clear: invest in protecting and developing leaders today, or risk compromising organisational health and performance tomorrow." This latest report from DDI serves as a reminder that balancing economic pressures with long-term leadership development is essential for sustainable success in today's volatile global landscape. The Europe Leadership report forms part of DDI's Global Leadership Forecast series, the largest and longest-running leadership study of its kind, based on insights from nearly 13,000 leaders and HR professionals, across 50 countries, including 223 CEOs. For more information, including the full Global Leadership Forecast report series, visit ddiworld.com/research/global-leadership-forecast-2025 About DDI DDI is a global leadership consulting firm that helps organisations hire, promote and develop exceptional leaders. From first-time managers to C-suite executives, DDI is by leaders' sides, supporting them in every critical moment of leadership. Built on five decades of research and experience in the science of leadership, DDI's evidence-based assessment and development solutions enable millions of leaders around the world to succeed, propelling their organisations to new heights. For more information, visit ddiworld.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603137/DDI_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hr-organisations-brace-for-leadership-exodus-in-europe-fuelled-by-rising-stress-and-burnout-ddi-report-finds-302357189.html ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeadCoverage, the premier supply chain go-to-market (GTM) consulting group, announces its expansion into Europe with the opening of a new office in London, United Kingdom. This milestone marks another step in LeadCoverage's global growth, establishing a presence to continue serving the supply chain industry throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). LeadCoverage is headquartered in Atlanta and opened an office in Panama in 2024. The UK-based office will provide localised support for the company's growing customer base with global marketing needs. LeadCoverage's expertise in executing data-led GTM strategies tailored to supply chain and logistics organisations ensures that companies across the EMEA region can achieve measurable pipeline growth and sustained business success. "Establishing a physical presence in Europe is a pivotal moment for us," said Kara Smith Brown , CEO of LeadCoverage. "While we've been supporting clients in this region for years, opening a UK office demonstrates our commitment to providing in-region expertise and support. We're excited to engage businesses in Europe and beyond to unlock their growth potential through our proven methodologies." David Emerson joins LeadCoverage as a board member, where he will facilitate the UK global office and oversee global expansion. Emerson brings over 30 years of experience in the supply chain and logistics industries, including his tenure as a co-founder of SEKO Logistics and a senior leadership role at Eagle Global Logistics, where he successfully drove global commercial growth and market expansion. "When I learned about what Kara and the LeadCoverage team were building, I knew I wanted to be part of bringing their services and demonstrating their value to supply chain organisations outside the US and in the UK and EU," said Emerson. "The growth of the EMEA supply chain presents a significant opportunity, and I'm delighted to help businesses in this region leverage the LeadCoverage model and expertise to achieve their goals." This expansion comes at a time when the supply chain sector in Europe is experiencing significant growth, driven by advancements in technology, sustainability initiatives, and transatlantic trade partnerships. According to Grand View Research , the European supply chain market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% from 2024 to 2030. By strengthening its presence in the EMEA market, LeadCoverage is well-positioned to support companies navigating this dynamic environment. With its three offices in the United States, Panama, and now the UK, LeadCoverage continues to set the bar for supply chain go-to-market, thought leadership, and execution. The company's innovative GTM strategies, grounded in data and tailored for measurable success, have made it a trusted partner for organisations worldwide. Find Kara Smith Brown and the LeadCoverage team at the Manifest trade show from 10-12 February 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, for more details regarding LeadCoverage and its global marketing services. ABOUT LEADCOVERAGE LeadCoverage is the premier supply chain go-to-market consulting group, dedicated to driving revenue growth for their clients. It specialises in crafting GTM strategies that are grounded in data-backed insights and sophisticated mathematical models. Their proven expertise transforms businesses into market leaders, ensuring they stay ahead of the competition and achieve sustained success. LeadCoverage was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for the third consecutive year, highlighting the fastest-growing privately-held companies in the United States. CEO, Kara Brown recently released The Revenue Engine: Fueling a B2B High Octane Pipeline , which has attained Amazon Bestseller status and offers readers effective revenue-generating strategies. LeadCoverage's headquarters is located in the CODA building in Midtown Atlanta, adjacent to the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institutes. Media Contact: Erika Belezarian LeadCoverage erika@leadcoverage.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e28fd5ee-f922-4a32-928e-fe41ad10db52 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c524e4d9-5fbc-451b-8a09-2dae317e6888 Egg-quity Index Calls Out Costa Coffee, Associated British Foods, and Best Western's Cage-Free Shortcomings LONDON, Jan. 22, 2025. The Index categorises 29 companies based on the equity of their cage-free commitments and progress across regions, focusing on the often overlooked Global South. The Egg-quity Index was developed by 14 organisations across 15 countries spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America; all united in their aim to end the cruel cage-confinement of hens. Globally, 84% of hens raised for eggs are confined to wire battery cages-cramped enclosures that often pack six to ten birds per cage. This extreme confinement not only causes immense suffering but is also potentially linked to higher rates of salmonella in hens , which could pose serious food safety risks. Twenty years ago, fewer than five food companies committed to banning cages in their egg supply chains. Since then, the cage-free movement has grown rapidly. As of April 2024, the 2024 Open Wing Alliance cage-free fulfilment report shows 89% of cage-free egg commitments with deadlines of 2023 or earlier were fulfilled, sparing hundreds of millions of hens from cruel confinement. While much remains to be accomplished, the shift toward cage-free egg production is becoming increasingly evident. Among the companies ranked in the Index, Unilever, JM Smucker, and Danone lead in implementing equitable practices, having published roadmaps and reported progress for each region, or having fulfilled their commitments. Companies like Sodexo, Accor, and LSG rank mid-range; while they have reported regional progress, their reports are not as transparent as those of leading companies, and they have not published roadmaps for all regions. However, companies such as Costa Coffee, Associated British Foods, and Best Western are currently lagging as they only report progress at a global level, for some regions, or not at all. "Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable as we step into this pivotal year, 2025," said Marbella Fernandez, Global Corporate Project Specialist at Mercy For Animals. "Up to 75% of hens used for eggs in the UK are now out of the cages , but food companies have the responsibility to demonstrate progress in every region, especially the Global South, to show that their commitments are sincere and equitable." The Egg-quity report emphasizes prioritizing direct sourcing whenever feasible to meet cage-free commitments by the end of 2025. However, it also acknowledges the use of cage-free credits by several major food companies in parts of Asia, where direct sourcing is challenging. Over 140 companies have banned caging hens in their global supply chains, with more than 2,000 following suit at national or regional levels. As the 2025 deadline approaches, the Egg-quity Index underscores the importance of equitable and transparent cage-free commitments. Mercy For Animals urges companies to fulfill their promises, particularly in regions where progress has been slow. The future of animal welfare-and the trust of consumers-depends on it. Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies, and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org . Media Contact: Marbella Fernandez marbellaf@mercyforanimals.org +52 1 (55) 8950 5376 extension 107 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices were subdued on Wednesday, adding to the previous session's steep losses after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency to ramp up energy production.Benchmark Brent crude futures dipped 0.3 percent to $79.60 in European trade while WTI crude futures were marginally lower at $75.78.Trump's plan to maximize oil and gas production has raised concerns of higher U.S. output in a market widely expected to be oversupplied this year.Focus also turned towards Trump's trade policy and its potential impact on crude supply and demand.On Tuesday, Trump said that his team was discussing a 10 percent tariff on China from February 1 to curb the flow of deadly drug fentanyl that is being sent from China to the U.S. via Mexico and Canada.China, one of the major consumers of crude oil in the world market, has been facing uncertainties and weak demand in post-pandemic recovery.The Chinese Vice Premier, Ding Xuexiang, who addressed the World Economic Forum, said that there are no winners in a trade war and there is need for greater international economic cooperation.Trump had earlier said that he plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico with effect from February 1.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The World Health Organization has urged the United States to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Organization.Expressing regrets over President Donald Trump's announcement within hours of beginning his second term, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said, 'We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.'In one of the dozens of executive orders he signed on Monday, Trump cited the 'organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states,' as reasons for his decision, which drew criticism by public health experts.The executive order will bring U.S. involvement in WHO to an end in 12 months, preventing the flow of a large amount of funding from Washington to the cash-strapped UN health agency to carry out its multiple global obligations.The U.S. joined WHO in 1948 after a joint resolution was passed by both chambers of Congress. The resolution requires the country to provide one year's notice to leave the organization.President Trump took steps to withdraw from the WHO in 2020 during his first term - but the move was reversed by the Biden administration.Responding to journalists' questions in Geneva, Mr. Jasarevic insisted that WHO 'plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go.'The United States was WHO's largest single donor, accounting for 18 per cent of the agency's budget in 2023.According to Trump, the U.S. Government was paying too much money to WHO compared to other donors.The World Health Organization last week had called for $ 1.5 billion for its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal, to support life-saving health interventions worldwide.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX SRDB Law Firm has entered into a strategic partnership with the Libyan law firm Abdou Law Firm (ALF) as of October 15, 2024. This partnership marks a unique alliance between a French law firm and a Libyan counterpart. Together, SRDB and ALF aim to provide comprehensive and reliable legal support to economic operators seeking expertise in cross-border transactions, infrastructure projects, and international arbitration for dispute resolution. Beyond the significant synergies, the two firms have solid experience in key sectors in the region, including energy, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. ALF is one of the leading business law firms in Libya. With a team of about twenty lawyers and legal experts, the firm provides both advisory and litigation services for Libyan and foreign companies. It offers a wide range of services, including establishment support in Libya, joint venture agreements and market entry strategies, investments, governance, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and taxation. ALF combines technical expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of the Libyan regulatory landscape with a strong international outlook. The team works in French, English, and Arabic. ALF is ranked among the top business law firms in Libya in the 2024 Legal 500 EMEA guide. SRDB coordinates a team of lawyers within the SRDB Worldwide Network, present in numerous countries across the African continent. The team works on transaction structuring, contract negotiations, upstream strategy and public affairs management, as well as dispute management and litigation proceedings. The firm is recognized in Africa and internationally in several specialized legal directories. Georges Sioufi, Managing Partner of SRDB, expresses his confidence in this new partnership: "Libya... It is an exciting step aligned with our strategy to expand our activities in Africa. By joining forces with ALF, we expand our service offerings to meet the needs of economic operators looking to invest and operate in Libya. Together, we aim to actively contribute to energizing the business environment of this key market in the region Dr. Majdi Abdou, Founding Partner of ALF, and Mohanad Hussein, Managing Partner of ALF, also highlight "the commitment of both firms to foster economic development in Libya by leveraging their combined legal expertise to support projects that contribute to the country's infrastructure reconstruction and expansion About SRDB Law Firmand Abdou Law Firm https://srdb-lawfirm.com/fr/ https://abdoulawfirm.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250121511176/en/ Contacts: cassandre.martinez@srdb-lawfirm.com HANGZHOU, China, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent years, Hikvision has explored the evolving trends in the security landscape. As technology has advanced, the focus has broadened from merely securing our world-to making it smarter. AIoT (AI-powered Internet of Things) is leading this transformation, revolutionizing industries beyond security. This year, Hikvision dives deeper into the trends driving AIoT, showing how they are reshaping industries and fostering a more efficient, secure, and sustainable future. 1. Perception technologies are adapting to varied environments and situational needs Perception technologies are continuing to evolve to operate efficiently in diverse conditions. AI Image Signal Processing (AI-ISP) technology, for example, has already set a high bar on image quality performance in low-light conditions by significantly reducing image noise and addressing motion blur. Beyond the visible light spectrum, millimeter-wave radars see through smoke, dust, and obstacles, providing precise speed and direction measurements widely used in traffic management. In noisy, harsh industrial settings with continuous operations, meanwhile, sound wave sensing enables non-invasive equipment monitoring for early fault detection, reducing downtime. 2. AIoT is bringing digitalization to life in diverse industrial applications Companies are increasingly adopting AIoT technologies to address specific operational challenges and speed up digital transformation. In retail, where loss prevention and maintaining a competitive edge is crucial, AIoT devices now provide valuable data such as inventory tracking, foot traffic, queue lengths, and area density. In the energy sector, meanwhile, safety is a non-negotiable requirement. AIoT solutions, such as automated personal protective equipment (PPE) checks, now use AI to streamline the inspection of proper safety gears, reducing manual oversight and enhancing workplace safety. Furthermore, the development of large vision, audio, and fiber-optic models is being tailored with industry-specific designs, algorithm optimization, and model simplification. This trend aims to create lightweight, vertical-specific AIoT deployments that are practical and effective in real-world scenarios. 3. There is a significant move towards open and collaborative ecosystems As the demand for tailored AIoT solutions in fragmented industrial scenarios has increased, no single company can meet all the user demands on their own. Open platforms and tools are therefore becoming essential. These enable solution providers to seamlessly integrate third-party applications in order to accelerate digital transformation across industries. This collaborative environment helps developers and integrators create flexible and effective AIoT solutions. Simple to use AI training platforms are now becoming widely available, which allow non-specialist systems integrators to train and deploy their own custom AI models. 4. Building cybersecurity trust through proactive strategies and cross-industry partnerships Cybersecurity remains a critical concern in the expanding AIoT landscape. Increasingly, companies are adopting proactive, yet responsive, cybersecurity approaches, which focus on rapid threat detection and effective response. Again, close collaboration is key to this trend, with installers, system integrators, and customers all working together to ensure secure deployment and use, leading to a more resilient and trusted operational framework. 5. AIoT becoming a game-changing catalyst for sustainability Organizations worldwide are seeking more sustainable ways to operate and conduct business, and many are turning to AIoT technologies to do this. By augmenting connected sensors with AI algorithms, AIoT is helping to optimize resource use, cut energy consumption, improve waste management, and boost operational efficiency in numerous industries. In building management, for example, AIoT systems are being used to automatically adjust energy use based on occupancy and weather conditions, leading to significant cost savings and lower carbon emissions. Find out more To discover more about Hikvision's insights and the latest trends in AIoT, please visit Hikvision Blog. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603634/Top_5_trends_AIoT_industry_2025.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/top-5-trends-for-the-aiot-industry-in-2025-302357272.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is pleased to announce that its Heal Wellness brand has signed its 47th franchise agreement for the Danforth neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario. The franchise agreement was signed by an existing multi-unit franchisee, bringing his total up to four units in the Toronto area, with his third location on Avenue set to open in just a few short weeks. Heal Wellness ("Heal") is a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies quick serve restaurant ("QSR"). Heal 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/238054_a0382f4e84cdd99e_001full.jpg "With the signing of our 47th franchise, our Heal Wellness brand continues to grow our development pipeline and deliver predictable growth going forward," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "The consistent signing of franchise agreements and real estate locations across Canada validates our growth model as we create incremental value for our shareholders. We look forward to organically growing Heal Wellness into Canada's leading Acai Bowl brand." "Happy Belly is focused on accelerating organic and inorganic growth in 2025, so this is just the beginning. With our first M&A transaction of the year set to close shortly, we look forward to leveraging our brand portfolio to access great real estate across North America. With a significant number of restaurants currently under construction, we anticipate announcing new openings throughout the year as we increase our footprint across Canada." Heal 2 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/238054_a0382f4e84cdd99e_002full.jpg "The Danforth area in Toronto is known for its vibrant and diverse community, health-conscious demographic, and high foot traffic. Known for its eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes, and shops, the Danforth attracts locals and visitors alike, creating a steady stream of potential customers throughout the day. The combination of these factors makes Danforth a promising market for Heal, catering to the demand for nutritious and convenient food options." "We currently have 421 retail locations contractually committed by area developers across all emerging brands in the Happy Belly portfolio, spanning stores in development, under construction, and already operational. With each new store opening, the Happy Belly footprint continues to expand. Our dedicated team remains focused on sourcing and evaluating prime real estate, reviewing franchisee applications, and working closely with area developers to support our asset-light franchising model. By prioritizing high-quality franchise partnerships and strategically located properties across Canada, we are well-positioned to accelerate our growth and strengthen our market presence." We are just getting started About Heal Wellness Heal Wellness was founded with a passion and mission to provide quick, fresh wellness foods that support a busy and active lifestyle. We currently offer a diverse range of smoothie bowls and smoothies. We take pride in meticulously selecting every superfood ingredient on our menu to fuel the body, including acai smoothie bowls, smoothies, and super-seed grain bowls. Our smoothie bowls are crafted with real fruit and enriched with superfoods like acai, pitaya, goji berries, chia seeds, and more. Franchising For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com. About Happy Belly Food Group Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leading consolidator of emerging food brands. Happy Belly To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/238054_a0382f4e84cdd99e_003full.jpg Sean Black Chief Executive Officer Shawn Moniz Chief Operating Officer Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-Looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include the future performance of Happy Belly and her subsidiaries. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedarplus.ca. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238054 SOURCE: Happy Belly Food Group Inc. Climate change is intensifying water scarcity globally, with projections indicating that by 2050, three out of four people worldwide could face drought impacts, especially in the Global South, where water demand will surpass supply in the coming years. These water scarcity challenges are exacerbated by non-revenue water (NRW) losses, where 30 to 40% of treated drinking water is lost due to pipe leaks and other reasons. These issues are already affecting many cities where communities are experiencing water shortages on a regular basis. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122122017/en/ In the context of this year's World Economic Forum in Davos/Switzerland, GWF and Microsoft today proudly announce a collaboration to implement GWF BALANCE, an innovative AI water technology solution for reducing water losses in water distribution networks and enhancing water access in the community. This technology employs advanced data analytics and AI to assess leakage conditions within water distribution networks and determines optimal zone pressure to maximize water loss reduction while ensuring customer satisfaction and safety standards. Benefits of the solution include a detailed overview of the current non-revenue water volume, an immediate reduction of pressure-related leakage by approximately 35%, and without the need for replacing water pipes or installing other capital-intensive equipment. The GWF BALANCE approach has already demonstrated impressive results in cities in South Africa, Europe, the UK, and the US. This collaboration aligns with Microsoft's goal to be water positive by 2030, which includes addressing global water challenges through innovative partnerships and supporting locally relevant projects that offer environmental and social co-benefits, particularly in the Global South. As cities worldwide grapple with similar challenges, this initiative will serve as a scalable model for effective water conservation and management strategies in urban areas facing increasing water stress. The collaboration welcomes collective action from other corporations aiming to positively impact water access in local communities and cities in high-risk water basins. Eliza Roberts, Water Lead at Microsoft, commented: "We are excited to partner with GWF, to leverage AI to minimize water loss and increase water availability in water stressed regions." Florian Strasser, CEO at GWF, stated: "The collaboration with Microsoft is a great opportunity to scale our GWF BALANCE solution globally to positively impact water resiliency. We look forward to work with utilities and support their ongoing non-revenue water optimizations with our fast to implement and high-impact approach." The project has benefited from strategic advice from James Rees of Noverram, a consultancy delivering innovative and impactful projects in the water and sustainability sectors. Additionally, LimnoTech, a water science and environmental engineering firm dedicated to advancing sustainable water access and stewardship will independently assess the volumetric water benefits of GWF BALANCE using the Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) framework. About GWF GWF is a private company founded in 1899, with its headquarters based in Switzerland, and offices in the UK, US, and Europe. The company specializes in delivering high-quality mechanical, ultrasonic, and radar metering and measurement devices catering to the water sector, encompassing wastewater, water supply, desalination, irrigation, hydrology, and hydropower. GWF customers are leading utilities/municipalities, industrial companies, building managers, and providers of critical infrastructure. GWF assists clients to make intelligent decisions resulting in revenue enhancement, cost reduction, non-revenue-water identification, and critical asset life optimization. More information about GWF BALANCE can be found under www.gwf-balance.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122122017/en/ Contacts: James Rees Noverram Inc GWF Strategic Advisor james@noverram.com Brynn Williams GWF AG Head of Digital Water Solutions Design brynn.williams@gwf.ch Innovative National Sales and Distribution Platform Joins Forces with Leading Cannabis Brand Platinum Vape Petalfast, a leading national sales and distribution platform for the cannabis industry, announced a strategic partnership with Platinum Vape, one of the industry's most trusted and innovative vape brands operating under the Red White & Bloom Brands Group of companies. With Platinum Vape's reputation for producing clean, safe and powerful products, this new partnership will enhance Petalfast's portfolio of top-tier brands. Petalfast's connections in the market will help advance Platinum Vape's growth and distribution nationwide. A commitment to producing the highest-quality product and ensuring consumer satisfaction has helped Platinum Vape gain a loyal customer base across the United States, including California. By joining forces with Petalfast, Platinum Vape gains an established distribution infrastructure and comprehensive sales force that will expand its business, streamline processes and increase its presence in the California market. "Platinum Vape has delivered exciting, clean and high potency products to their consumers for a number of years," said Jason Vegotsky, CEO at Petalfast. "The Petalfast team is thrilled to bring their innovation and impactful range of cannabis products to our trusted retail partners. Platinum Vape's line of vape cartridges, disposables, live resin concentrates, and live rosin solventless concentrates is produced with high-quality, pesticide-free, high-potency flower. This partnership will allow us to explore new opportunities and bring this exceptional product line to even more customers." Petalfast's expertise, proven track record, and extensive network in the cannabis space make them an excellent partner for us," said Allison Bachan, Commercial Director at Platinum Vape. "This partnership represents a significant step forward in our growth journey, and we are excited to collaborate with their talented team to achieve our ambitious goals." This announcement marks another milestone for Petalfast as it continues to build a robust ecosystem of industry-leading brands. For more information about Petalfast and Platinum Vape, visit [ https://petalfast.com/ ] and [ https://www.houseofplatinum.com/california ]. About Petalfast Petalfast is a leading national sales, marketing and distribution platform for the cannabis industry. The Company represents emerging and established cannabis brands, selling into and through retail channels in California, Arizona and Massachusetts. Notable cannabis brands already engaged in the Petalfast platform include Stiiizy, Wana, Lime, Bloom Brands, Humo and Yada Yada. Through its comprehensive agency of services, Petalfast provides brands with direct access to leading retailers and valuable buyer feedback. The Company is expanding its high-performing sales team and retail engagement services into additional adult-use recreational cannabis legal markets, extending its geographic footprint into the West, Midwest and Eastern United States. Petalfast Media Contact pr@petalfast.com About Red White & Bloom Brands Inc. Red White & Bloom Brands is a multi-jurisdictional cannabis operator and house of premium brands operating in the United States, Canada and select international jurisdictions. The Company is predominantly focusing its investments on major U.S. markets, including California, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, and Ohio, in addition to Canadian and international markets. Red White & Bloom Brands Inc. Investor and Media Relations IR@RedWhiteBloom.com SOURCE: https://petalfast.com/ View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 22, 2025 / Camino Minerals Corporation (TSXV:COR)(OTC PINK:CAMZF) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of its exploration campaign at the Los Chapitos Copper Project ("Los Chapitos" or the "Project") in Peru. The campaign is fully funded through a CAD$1.5 million earn-in payment by Camino's exploration partner at Los Chapitos, Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. ("Nittetsu") (see news release dated December 12, 2024). "The Pampero drilling target lies along the major La Estancia fault that extends for over 12km at the Los Chapitos copper project. We are drilling newly identified copper breccias and copper mantos that have been mapped at surface to determine their extension at depth" said Camino's partner at Los Chapitos, Nittetsu geologist, Yoshikazu Fujimoto. "Our goal is to intersect bulk tonnages of near-surface copper oxide, with the possibility for copper sulphide extensions at depth." The drilling campaign will focus on copper oxide zones and explore potential copper sulphide mineralization. The campaign is planned as 11 drill holes and approximately 1,200 meters in total to be drilled. The campaign will focus on copper mineralization targets along the La Estancia fault that extends for over 12km NW-SE, one of several mineralized trends at Los Chapitos (Figure 2 and Figure 3) (see news release dated October 22, 2024). Geochemical sampling in trench channels show copper oxides grades up to 3.8% Cu and 4.0 ppm Ag. Figure 1. Hydrothermal breccia at Pampero with copper oxides az. 340 and dip 36 East and thickness of 1.5m Figure 2. Location of the main exploration targets. The main goal of the drilling campaign at the Pampero target is to intercept the projected bodies of breccias (Figure 1) or mantos at depth with the copper oxide and sulfide mineralization observed at surface. Surface mineralization observed during mapping includes malachite/atacamite, chrysocolla, chalcopyrite, and specularite (Figure 3), with strong chloritic-sericitic-silice alteration on the surface at the contact of the intrusive bodies of monzonite composition in contact with the Chocolate Formation. The intersection of major structures, such as the La Estancia fault, with other minor structures allows for the opening for feeders and feeder-type mineralization conduits and lentiform mantos that are similar to those mapped in previous years along the Diva Trend. Figure 3. Geological map of the Pampero target and the location of the proposed drillings. Option Grants and Issuance of Shares The Company has granted incentive stock options to its directors, officers, and employees to purchase 675,000 shares of the Company on or before January 20, 2030, at an exercise price of $0.36 in accordance with its Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan. In addition, the Company is issuing 147,059 common shares to a non-related third-party, Resource Play (the "Finder") as finder's fees in connection with the Earn-in Agreement with Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd ("Nittetsu") for the Los Chapitos Property. The issue of 147,059 common shares to the Finder has been adjusted for the 6:1 Share consolidation the Company completed on January 20, 2025. The TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") previously provided approval for the issuance of 2,235,295 pre-consolidation common shares to the Finder which was completed in April 2024 (see news release dated April 3, 2024). The TSXV also provided conditional approval for the issuance of further common shares to the Finder if Nittetsu exercised their right under the agreement to contribute their 3rd option instalment payment of CDN$1,500,000 to Camino, a contribution which Nittetsu made in May 2024. The finder's fee agreement was previously announced on February 1, 2023, and June 14, 2023, and the issue of stock to satisfy the finder's fee was announced on January 10, 2023. About Camino Camino is a discovery and development stage copper exploration company. On October 7, 2024, Camino signed a Definitive Agreement to purchase the construction-ready Puquios copper mine in Chile. Camino is focused on developing copper producing assets such as Puquios, and advancing its IOCG Los Chapitos copper project located in Peru through to resource delineation and development, and to add new discoveries. Camino has also permitted the Maria Cecilia copper porphyry project for exploration discovery drilling to add to its NI43-101 resources. In addition, Camino has increased its land position at its copper and silver Plata Dorada project. Camino seeks to acquire a portfolio of advanced copper assets that have the potential to deliver copper into an electrifying copper intensive global economy. For more information, please refer to Camino's website at www.caminocorp.com. Jose A. Bassan, MSc. Geologist, an independent geologist FAusIMM (CP) 227922, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this document. Mr. Bassan has reviewed and verified relevant data supporting the technical disclosure, including sampling and analytical test data. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD For further information, please contact: /S/ "Jay Chmelauskas" Camino Investor Relations President and CEO info@caminocorp.com Tel: (604) 493-2058 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking disclosures in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information in the release includes, without limitation, statements with respect to the prospectivity of future exploration work at Los Chapitos, future planned drilling programs, and prospectivity for copper exploration in new targets. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release is subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risk factors include, among others, that actual results of the Company's exploration activities may be different than those expected by management, that the Company may not realize the benefits of joint ventures and/or strategic partnerships with respect to the Company's properties, that the Company may be unable to obtain or may experience delays in obtaining any required authorizations and approvals and the state of equity and commodity markets. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Camino Minerals Corp View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire -Global eyecare and hearing specialist switches from Oracle to Spinnaker for improved support- -Significant savings achieved over the next three years will be invested in customer facing retail technologies designed to improve the customer experience- Spinnaker Support (Spinnaker), trusted by companies worldwide to support their essential Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announces that it will enable global eyecare and hearing specialist Specsavers to achieve significant savings over the next three years by moving its support from Oracle to Spinnaker. Founded in 1983, Specsavers provides affordable eyecare and hearing services to customers worldwide, aiming to transform lives through accessible healthcare. With over 2,293 stores across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, Specsavers employs more than 46,000 people working in stores, support offices, and throughout the supply chain. In 2012, Specsavers went on a journey to transform its legacy IT estate, with Oracle forming the foundation of its supply chain, finance systems, and customer marketing. However, as Oracle shifted toward cloud solutions and perpetual licensing, Specsavers decided to reassess its support function. Specsavers was also eager to maintain its relationship with Oracle and continue using its product suite, including Oracle E-Business Suite, Siebel, Oracle Customer Hub, and Hyperion. Kieran Mazur, Head of Information Technology, Group and People Organization, Specsavers said: "After an in-depth RFP process that allowed us to ensure that any change to our Oracle support function wouldn't affect our supply chain, and after a recommendation from Gartner, we decided to engage Spinnaker to provide support for our Oracle applications. Spinnaker Support took the time to explain how they would respond if something went wrong, but more importantly how quickly an issue would be solved and this target resolution time is critical for Specsavers. Spinnaker's Ultimate Support Guarantee then provided the reassurance many in our team required in the event we needed to ask Oracle for specific support to address an issue, which means we weren't alone." Mazur continued: "We will save a significant amount over the next three years because of the decision to move our support function from Oracle to Spinnaker Support. These savings will be reinvested in our retail-facing technology and improve the customer service we provide. In addition, the switch to Spinnaker has delivered improved support and eliminated our support ticket backlog, which has then allowed us to resolve supply chain and retailer system issues in rapid time." Since making the switch to Spinnaker Support, the relationship between Specsavers and Oracle has remained unchanged and both are engaging about future strategy. Matt Stava, CEO, Spinnaker Support said: "Our partnership with Specsavers demonstrates how organizations can free themselves from support contracts that no longer meet their needs, while still maintaining a relationship with the software vendor and continuing to use their products. For Specsavers, the significant cost savings will be reinvested to improve other areas of their business." For more information about Spinnaker Support, visit www.spinnakersupport.com. About Spinnaker Support Spinnaker Support delivers global, independent third-party software support for Oracle, SAP, and VMware, along with managed services and cloud solutions for Oracle and SAP. Trusted by companies worldwide, including those in highly regulated industries, Spinnaker empowers organizations to take control of their IT strategy. By breaking free from vendor-imposed roadmaps, aligning software management with business objectives, reducing costs, and maximizing ROI, Spinnaker provides customers with the power of choice. With a strategic approach to security, performance, resource allocation, and managed services, Spinnaker Support ensures long-term IT efficiency and success. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122284786/en/ Contacts: Media contact Dan Walsh dan@mustardpr.com +44 (0) 7828 816 971 Joe Lennerz, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer to Present on Machine-Driven Genomics and High-Complexity Testing for Transforming Precision Oncology BostonGene, a leading provider of AI-driven molecular and immune profiling solutions, announced its participation in The Festival of Genomics Biodata 2025, held January 29 30, at ExCel in London, UK. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Festival is the UK's largest life sciences event, offering an expanded lineup of topics including biodata, diagnostics, cancer research, AI and multiomics. Joe Lennerz, MD, PhD, BostonGene's Chief Scientific Officer, will deliver a presentation, "Genomics at Machine Speed," highlighting the transformative role of machine-driven advancements in genomics and high-complexity testing for healthcare. His talk will cover key themes such as AI-driven genomic analysis, integrated diagnostics, scaling precision medicine, operationalizing genomics and the future of multiomics and automation in precision oncology. Date time: Thursday, January 30 11:50 AM 12:20 PM Location: Live Lounge BostonGene will also showcase its innovative solutions at booth 89A. To schedule a meeting during the event, please contact Erin Keleher at erin.keleher@bostongene.com. For more details about the event, visit The Festival of Genomics Biodata website. About BostonGene Corporation BostonGene is a biotechnology company specializing in advanced computational biology and precision medicine. Founded in 2015, BostonGene has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation to improve patient care and accelerate drug development. Our AI-powered multiomics platform decodes cancer patients' molecular profiles, including their immune system and tumor microenvironment, to uncover key disease drivers, identify novel drug targets and recommend the most effective treatments. With advanced bioanalytics, an indication-specific cancer library and a next-generation CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited high-complexity laboratory, we deliver precise, clinically validated insights that drive precision medicine and advance oncology research. For more information, visit www.BostonGene.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122766343/en/ Contacts: Media: BostonGene Erin Keleher +1-617-283-2285 Erin.Keleher@BostonGene.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Carolina Rush Corporation (TSXV: RUSH) (OTCQB: PUCCF) ("Carolina Rush," "Rush" or the "Company") is pleased to report results for the final and deepest drill hole of its recently completed phase IV drill program at the Brewer gold-copper project, South Carolina. Hole B24C-016x was an extension of a pre-existing hole (B21C-016) initially drilled in 2021 to a depth of 381m. The hole was collared approximately 500 meters north-northwest of the former mine (Figure 2) and was extended to a final depth of 658 meters. The hole was designed to evaluate the Company's working exploration model that targets a deep copper-gold porphyry system. Results indicate elevated molybdenum (Table 1, Figure 1), a critical pathfinder metal, and provides further evidence that supports the Company's porphyry exploration model. Key Highlights: Broad Zones of Anomalous Molybdenum Mineralization : Hole B24C-016x returned 87 parts per million (ppm) Mo over the final 185 meters (473-658m). Higher Grade Molybdenum: Occurs in discrete zones (e.g. 7.5 meters @276 ppm Mo from 479 - 486.5m) associated with intense quartz-topaz dominated alteration, indicating potential fluid pathways. Strategic Insight: Geochemical and mineralogical data are consistent with high-temperature alteration, suggesting proximity to a potential porphyry system. Exploration Model: As the deepest hole ever drilled at Brewer, this marks a critical step in testing the Company's exploration model for porphyry style mineralization and provides useful vectors for further exploration. "Molybdenum often acts as a valuable guide in porphyry exploration, and these results are highly encouraging as we advance our understanding of Brewer's deep potential," said Layton Croft, President and CEO of Carolina Rush. "We decided to extend hole 16 as a cost-effective way to explore the Brewer system at depth and hole 16x is an important milestone in our journey to understand the potential porphyry copper-gold target. To that end, we plan to conduct a deep-sensing geophysical survey that is designed to provide useful information down to approximately 1,000 meters below surface." Table 1. Composited Assay Results for Hole B24C-016x BHID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Mo (ppm) B24C-016x 473.00 658.00 185.00 87 Incl. 479.00 486.50 7.50 276 And 601.00 602.00 1.00 1,320 And 628.00 634.00 6.00 285 Figure 1. Vertical Cross Section (looking West). A) Section displaying downhole molybdenum values. B) Section displaying downhole MDRU Porphyry Index (MPIx) values. Refer to text for discussion and figure two for section location. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5156/238019_c9e3fb0c84a8e8dc_003full.jpg Geologic Discussion The extension of hole 16 marks the first targeted drill hole aimed at evaluating the potential for Brewer to host a porphyry Cu (Mo-Au) deposit. The decision to re-enter hole 16 was a result of a property-wide compilation of geochemical and geophysical datasets and the recent evaluation of Brewer by renowned porphyry copper expert, Dr. Richard Sillitoe. The results of this work suggests that the Brewer magmatic-hydrothermal system has been rotated and inclined 30-50 degrees to the north-northwest. The results of hole 16x give confidence to this exploration model and suggest that additional drilling to target a potential porphyry will need to explore deeper and further north than our current drill coverage. A brief discussion of the vectors being used to help refine the Company's exploration model are provided below. Molybdenum Anomalism Molybdenum commonly acts as a useful vector to porphyry copper mineralization and can be concentrated in the proximal parts of lithocaps, above source intrusions, as well as forming halos overlying deeper copper +/- gold mineralization. The presence of elevated molybdenum in hole 16x (Figure 1A) suggests a deeper part of the mineral system has been intersected. This, coupled with the presence of minor chalcopyrite and bornite, further indicates a higher temperature, lower sulfidation phase of the system as would be expected as you transition from the advanced argillic lithocap environment to underlying low sulfidation mineralization in the porphyry environment. MPIx Geochemical Index The MDRU Porphyry Index (MPIx) developed by the Mineral Deposit Research Unit at University of British Colombia is used to discriminate between porphyry/proximal from more distal/shallow mineralizing environments. Specifically, elements Cu, Mo, W, and Sn that are enriched at the core of porphyry deposits are ratioed against elements formed in shallow or distal environments, namely As, Sb, Ag, Tl, and Li. The index is defined as Cu/10 + Mo +(10*W) + (20*Sn)/ (5*Sb) + (20*Tl) + Ag + As + Li. Hole 16x shows a pronounced increase in MPIx values towards the bottom of the hole, correlating with increased Mo, and is in sharp contrast to the lower MPIx values associated with the Au-Cu mineralization in the higher-level Brewer and Tanyard breccia zones (Figure 1B). Taken together, the mineralogic and geochemical indicators give the Company confidence that we are vectoring closer to a potential porphyry system to the north-northwest of the historic Brewer gold mine. Figure 2. Brewer Project Plan Map Showing Drill Hole Locations and Cross Section Location To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5156/238019_c9e3fb0c84a8e8dc_004full.jpg Quality Assurance and Quality Control Statement The Company's 2023-2024 exploration diamond core drilling was HQ and/or NQ size. The core was logged and marked for sampling and assaying by geologists contracted by Rush. Samples, typically 1.5 meters in length, were sawn in half using a diamond core saw and one-half of the core was placed in sample bags and tagged with unique sample numbers, while the remaining half was kept in the core box for storage. Each bagged core sample was shipped to ALS Laboratory in Twin Falls, ID where it was dried, crushed and pulverized to >80% passing -200 mesh. Gold was analyzed by fire assay (30 g) with an AA (atomic absorption) finish (method Au-AA23) with detection limits of 0.005 g/t gold. Samples containing greater than 10.0 g/t gold are analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish (method Au-GRA21). Multielement analyses were analyzed with ICP-MS following a four-acid digestion (method ME-MS61) and samples containing >1.0% copper are reanalyzed using method Cu-OG62. ALS Minerals is accredited in accordance with International Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and also inserts its own certified reference materials plus blanks and duplicates. Strict sampling and QA/QC protocols are followed, and assay integrity is monitored internally with a quality control program including the insertion of standards and blanks every 10th sample within the sample stream. Assay results are reviewed, and discrepancies are investigated prior to incorporation into the Company's database. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Patrick Quigley, MSc, CPG-12116, the Company's Senior Geologist and Exploration Manager and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. About Carolina Rush Carolina Rush Corporation (TSXV: RUSH) (OTCQB: PUCCF) is exploring the Carolina Terrane in the southeastern USA. Its flagship Brewer Gold-Copper Project is located at the past-producing, 397-hectare Brewer Gold Mine property in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 17 kilometers along trend from the producing Haile Gold Mine. In January 2023, the Company signed exclusive mineral exploration lease and purchase option agreements for both the 246.6-hectare New Sawyer Gold Mine Property and the 54.6-hectare Sawyer Gold Mine Property, both located on the Sawyer Gold Trend and in Randolph County, North Carolina. For additional information please visit our new website at http://www.TheCarolinaRush.com/ and our X feed: https://twitter.com/TheCarolinaRush. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238019 SOURCE: Carolina Rush Corporation JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - The United Nations has expressed concern over escalating violence in the West Bank as the crisis in Gaza continues to remain acute, with UN humanitarians reporting critical shortages of water, food and efforts to deliver vital aid to the war-torn region.The ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which took effect on Sunday allowed some displaced residents to return, but hundreds of thousands across the Gaza Strip remain dependent on humanitarian aid, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said at press briefing in New York.'With the ceasefire in place, displaced Palestinians have been making their way back home, with many returning to find mountains of rubble,' he told reporters.He added that over 90 per cent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months, according to partner organizations.'Given the scale of destruction and needs in Gaza, we are working to get vital aid to people as fast as humanly possible. We also urge Member States and partners to ensure that our aid operations are funded to meet the overwhelming needs'.According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on Tuesday, 897 trucks entered Gaza, based on the information obtained through interactions with the Israeli authorities and other interlocutors.Haq also expressed deep concerns over the situation in the West Bank, in particular the safety of Palestinians in Jenin city and its refugee camp, where 10 people were killed and many others injured in Israeli military operations on Tuesday.'According to initial reports, air strikes, heavy bulldozing and the operation of undercover forces have resulted in several fatalities and dozens of injuries - including among medical personnel,' he said.Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the attacks with the mission of 'eradicating terrorism.'The operation follows weeks of clashes between Israeli forces and armed Palestinians. Earlier violence had displaced approximately 2,000 families from Jenin camp.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX HELSINKI (dpa-AFX) - Finland has signed the Artemis Accords on Tuesday, bringing the number of nations committing to the safe and responsible exploration of space to 53.At a signing ceremony on the margins of the Aalto University's Winter Satellite Workshop in the Finnish city of Espoo, Finland's minister of economic affairs Wille Rydman signed the Artemis Accords.NASA and Finland have a long history of collaboration, and most recently, Finland is contributing to the upcoming Intuitive Machines-2 delivery to the Moon under NASA's Artemis campaign and CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. Intuitive Machines will deliver a lunar LTE/4G communications system developed by Finnish company, Nokia. Its U.S. subsidiary, Nokia of America, was selected to advance a lunar surface communications system that could help humans and robots explore more of the Moon than before.In 2020, the United States and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity.The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices for responsible behavior, including the public release of scientific data.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Vancouver, Kelowna, and Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Investorideas.com, a go-to investing platform covering renewable energy and crypto stocks releases a snapshot of public companies increasing their digital holdings, featuring KULR Technology Group, Inc (NYSE American: KULR), a leader in advanced energy management platforms. Read the full article at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/News/2025/renewable-energy/01210KULR-Digital-Currency-Revolution.asp As the legitimacy of Bitcoin builds under a new Trump administration, several public companies have joined the digital currency revolution. KULR Technology Group, Inc (NYSE American: KULR) adding on to its previous investments, just announced it has increased the Company's Bitcoin purchases for its Bitcoin Treasury by an additional $8 million, reaching a total of $50 million in bitcoin acquisitions. The additional purchases were made at a weighted average price of $101,695 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. The Company now holds 510 BTC. From the news: This strategic move aligns with KULR's Bitcoin Treasury Strategy announced on December 4, 2024, wherein the Company committed up to 90% of its surplus cash reserves to be held in bitcoin. BTC Yield as a Key Performance Indicator: Year to date, KULR has achieved a BTC Yield of 127%, leveraging a combination of surplus cash and its At-The-Market (ATM) equity program to fund purchases. KULR uses "BTC Yield" as a key performance indicator (KPI) for its Bitcoin Treasury strategy. BTC Yield is calculated as the percentage change period-to-period in the ratio of the Company's bitcoin holdings to its Assumed Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding. This KPI helps assess the effectiveness of KULR's bitcoin acquisition strategy in a manner KULR believes drives shareholder value. Important Considerations Regarding BTC Yield: BTC Yield is intended to provide insights into KULR's bitcoin acquisition strategy but should not be interpreted as a measure of operating performance, financial return, or liquidity. It is not equivalent to traditional yield metrics, nor does it account for the Company's liabilities or broader financial position. The trading price of KULR's common stock is influenced by multiple factors beyond bitcoin holdings, and BTC Yield does not predict or reflect the stock's market value. Investors should consider this metric as a supplementary tool and refer to the Company's financial statements and SEC filings for additional information about the Company's financial position. KULR remains committed to its strategic goals of advancing shareholder value while adhering to disciplined financial management. According to GuruFocus, "MicroStrategy could soon boost its Bitcoin (BTC) holdings if shareholders approve a proposal to increase the company's authorized Class A common shares from 330 million to 10.3 billion. The vote, set for Jan. 21, aims to raise $2 billion through a preferred stock offering to support the company's Bitcoin acquisition strategy." From the article: "CEO Michael Saylor, a longtime Bitcoin advocate, hinted at further purchases, sharing a cryptic post on X that read, Things will be different tomorrow, alongside a company portfolio tracker graph. As of Jan. 19, MicroStrategy's Bitcoin holdings stand at 450,000 BTC, valued at $47.2 billion, according to Bitcoin.com. Despite concerns about dilution, analysts expect the proposal to pass, with Saylor controlling 47% of the voting power. If approved, MicroStrategy could have more shares outstanding than NVIDIA (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon (AMZN)." On January 3rd, MARA Holdings, Inc., a global leader in leveraging digital asset compute to support the energy transformation, published unaudited BTC production and miner installation updates for December 2024. From the news: Management Commentary: "In December, we surpassed our year-end hash rate target of 50 EH/s while improving our fleet efficiency to 20 J/TH," said Fred Thiel, MARA's chairman and CEO. "We mined 249 blocks, the second most blocks in a month on record. "Our energized hash rate increased to 53.2 EH/s, a 15% improvement over November, while BTC production declined 2% to 890 BTC, primarily due to a slight decrease in luck. While some of our bitcoin and hash rate was acquired outside of our own pool, MARAPool achieved an impressive annual hash rate growth of 168% in 2024, exceeding bitcoin's network growth rate of 49%. These results underscore the substantial progress we've achieved in expanding our operations and enhancing performance, further solidifying our leadership within the industry. "In 2024, we acquired 22,065 BTC at an average price of $87,205 and mined an additional 9,457 BTC. Our year-end BTC yield per diluted share was 62.7%. Overall, we now own a total of 44,893 BTC, valued at $4.2 billion based on a spot price of $93,354 per BTC. Of note, as of December 31, 2024, we had 7,377 BTC loaned to third parties generating additional return for our stakeholders." In mid-December, Hut 8 Corp.,a leading, vertically integrated operator of large-scale energy infrastructure and one of North America's largest Bitcoin miners, announced the purchase of approximately 990 Bitcoin. The aggregate purchase price of the acquired Bitcoin was approximately $100 million, or an average of approximately $101,710 per Bitcoin. From the news: Combined with the Bitcoin held prior to this purchase, Hut 8's strategic Bitcoin reserve now totals 10,096 Bitcoin with a market value of more than $1 billion as of December 18, 2024. Based on publicly available information, the Company believes this positions it as one of the ten largest corporate owners of Bitcoin in the world. The 10,096 Bitcoin held in reserve were acquired through low-cost production and the strategic at-market purchase announced today for a realized average cost of $24,484 per Bitcoin. The purchased Bitcoin will play a central role in an innovative financing model for the Company's previously announced fleet upgrade. On January 6th, Riot Platforms, Inc., an industry leader in vertically integrated Bitcoin ("BTC") mining, announced unaudited production and operations updates for December 2024. From the news: "Riot mined 516 bitcoin in December, a 4% increase over the previous month, as we continue increasing operational hash rate," said Jason Les, CEO of Riot. "We are pleased to share that we have finished installation of the final systems at the Corsicana Facility, completing the first 400 MW development phase. While all systems have been completed with miners installed, we are undertaking a measured commissioning process to ensure power quality as part of our commitment to being good stewards of the electrical grid, which has delayed some hash rate from coming online. "During the year 2024, we increased our deployed hash rate by 155%, exceeding the growth of the network hash rate which increased by 52% over the same period. As a result, we mined, on an unaudited basis, a total of 4,828 bitcoin during 2024 at an all-in net power cost of 3.4c/kWh. Our mining operations and strategic purchases made during the year resulted in Riot holding 17,722 bitcoin at the end of 2024, representing a 141% increase in bitcoin held compared to the end of 2023. This has led to a 39% increase in bitcoin held per fully-diluted Riot share, or 'bitcoin yield', and represents a metric we will look to continuously improve upon for the benefit of our shareholders going forward." With Bitcoin prices reaching new highs, this corporate financial strategy is paying off for the forward-looking companies willing to take the risk of betting on the digital currency revolution. KULR Technology Group, Inc (NYSE American: KULR) with its long history of sustainability may have the potential for a deeper relationship in the future of digital currency, as bitcoin miners look to more energy efficient solutions. For KULR, it's a win-win! Research battery stocks at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/Companies/RenewableEnergy/Stock_List.aspBattery-Energy-Storage-Backup-Stocks Research crypto stocks https://www.investorideas.com/Bitcoin-Cryptocurrency/Stocks_List.asp About Investorideas.com - Big Investing Ideas Investorideas.com is the go-to platform for big investing ideas. From breaking stock news to top-rated investing podcasts, we cover it all. Disclaimer/Disclosure: Disclosure: this news article featuring KULR is a paid for news release on Investorideas.com -Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. This is not investment opinion: Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp. Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/. Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp. Follow us on X @investorideas Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Investorideas Follow us on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/Investorideas To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/237960 SOURCE: Econ Corp Services DBA Investorideas.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - PTX Metals Inc. (CSE: PTX) (OTCQB: PANXF, Frankfurt: 9PX) ("PTX" or the "Company"), a mineral exploration company focused on high-quality Cu-Ni-PGE and gold projects in northern Ontario, is pleased to announce that it has recently completed a property-wide high resolution airborne magnetic survey on its W2 CU Ni PGE project ("W2 Project"). Scott Hogg & Associates ("SHA") were commissioned to fly a 3,191 line-km Heli-GT survey covering the entire property at 75-meter line spacing. The Heli-GT system records triaxial magnetic gradient data flown at low altitude and tight-line spacing to provide industry-leading magnetic data which will be used to target the subtle magnetic anomalies associated with Cu-Ni-PGE mineralized gabbro bodies at W2 Project. The infrastructure and equipment used for the survey was based out of Webequie First Nations and was completed ahead of schedule. Delivery of final magnetic products from SHA is expected by the end of the month. Ryan Weston, P. Geo, and head of PTX's W2 Project Technical Committee, states, "The Heli-GT airborne magnetic survey coupled with SHA's proprietary GT-Grid gridding software is widely regarded as one of the best airborne magnetic products on the market. We are excited to receive the final product from SHA, which will provide PTX with detailed information and high-quality magnetic data needed to identify many of the subtle, yet important, magnetic features on the W2 Project and ultimately will form the basis of our property-wide geological interpretation and 3D modelling efforts in the central area as we advance drill targets." Financing: In addition to the financing that closed in December raising total combined gross proceeds of $3,419,834 (see press release dated December 11, 2024), the Company is also pleased to inform the closing of the previously announced $180,000 Quebec Flow Through Private Placement at C$0.15 per share of PTX resulting in the issuance of 1,200,000 common shares (please see press release dated December 30. 2024). All securities issued in connection with this Private Placement will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws. Stock Options Granted: PTX Metals announces that it has granted an aggregate of 1,375,000 incentive stock options of the Company (the "Options") to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company in accordance with the Company's stock option plan. Each Option is exercisable to acquire one (1) common share of the Company (a "Common Share") at an exercise price of $0.15 per Common Share for three years. The Options are subject to vesting conditions. Further, in November 2024, 937,500 stock options expired. Qualified Person: The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ryan Weston, P. Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About PTX Metals Inc.: PTX is a mineral exploration company focused on high-quality critical minerals projects, including two flagship projects situated in northern Ontario, renowned as a world-class mining jurisdiction for its abundance of mineral resources and investment opportunities. Our corporate objective is to advance the exploration programs towards proving the potential of each asset, which includes the W2 Cu-Ni-PGE and Gold Project and South Timmins Gold Joint Venture Project. PTX's portfolio of assets offers investors exposure to some of the world's most valuable metals including gold, as well as essential critical minerals for the clean energy transition: copper, nickel, PGE, uranium and rare metals. PTX's portfolio of assets was strategically acquired for their geologically favorable attributes, and proximity to established mining companies. PTX's mineral exploration programs are designed by a team of expert geologists with extensive career knowledge gained from their tenure working for global mining companies in northern Ontario and around the world. PTX is based in Toronto, Canada, with a primary listing on the CSE under the symbol PTX. The Company is also listed in Frankfurt under the symbol 9PF and on the OTCQB in the United States as PANXF. For additional information on PTX, please visit the Company's website at https://ptxmetals.com/. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including statements regarding the ability of the Company to satisfy the regulatory, stock exchange and commercial closing conditions of Private Placement, and the potential development of mineral resources and mineral reserves which may or may not occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and general economic and political conditions. Forward looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary approvals, including governmental and regulatory approvals, will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable laws. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ from current expectations, please refer to the Company's public filings available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238007 SOURCE: PTX Metals Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Hayasa Metals Inc. (TSXV: HAY) (OTCQB: HAYAF) ("Hayasa" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced sale (see Company news release dated January 7, 2025) of a 1.25% Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty covering all minerals produced from the Urasar gold-copper project in northern Armenia to Franco-Nevada Corporation ("FNV") and EMX Royalty Corporation ("EMX"). The NSR was sold for an aggregate cash purchase price of US$1,000,000, with Franco-Nevada contributing US$550,000 and EMX contributing US$450,000. Additionally, each of FNV and EMX were issued 250,000 share purchase warrants, each of which can be exercised to acquire one common share of Hayasa within 18 months following issuance at an exercise price of CAD 0.22. Each of FNV and EMX acquired a 0.625% NSR royalty interest. As part of the transaction, FNV and EMX will have a right of first refusal in respect of any future royalty, stream or similar interest on Urasar. CEO Joel Sutherland comments: "Thank you to EMX and Franco-Nevada for deploying capital into the Urasar project. The royalty sale proceeds ensure a robust 2025 drilling program at Urasar; which benefits from our 2024 program that consisted of 2,100 meters over 9 holes that will be released to market over the coming weeks. Assays from holes 1 and 2 at Copper Creek and holes 3 and 6 at Golden Vein are expected to be released first week February. Hayasa management is now focused on securing a partner on our other property, Vardenis. As we have no immediate funding needs, we look forward to delivering news of a Vardenis partnership over the coming months." Chairman Dennis Moore comments: "The company thanks EMX and Franco-Nevada for believing in the project. We are in a great position now that Urasar's 2025 drill program is fully funded. We continue to add exceptional partners to our bench and we are deeply appreciative of their support." Investors can look forward to assay results on 9 drill holes at Urasar being released over February and March. Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan The Company's omnibus equity compensation plan (the "Omnibus Plan") was approved at the AGM. As part of the plan the Company has granted a total of 4,800,000 performance share units ("PSUs") under its omnibus equity incentive compensation plan to certain directors, officers, and employees. The PSUs will expire if certain performance criteria have not been met within three years following the grant date. If the performance conditions are met, each vested PSU entitles the holder to receive one common share of the Company or, at the discretion of the board of directors of the Company, may be settled in cash. Qualified person The content of this news release was reviewed by Dennis Moore, Hayasa's President and Chairman, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward looking statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements including, without limitation, statements regarding future exploration programs at Vardenis. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations including the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by Canadian securities law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238031 SOURCE: Hayasa Metals Inc. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is now available, offering seamless integration with Amazon Web Services to support cloud computing needs for applications built using Delphi. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Appercept is pleased to announce the launch of its Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi, designed to bridge the gap between Delphi applications and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The SDK provides Delphi developers with extensive tools to build, deploy, and manage cloud-based applications on AWS, making it easier than ever for Delphi users to leverage the cloud's full potential. Delphi, a longstanding player in the software development industry, maintains a firm foothold in the TIOBE Index, where it is currently ranked at No. 10. Known for its rapid application development capabilities and cross-platform support, Delphi has been used in applications across industries ranging from finance and healthcare to manufacturing and logistics. However, Delphi's proprietary nature and the perception of it as a "legacy" technology have previously created challenges in adopting cloud infrastructure. With Appercept's AWS SDK for Delphi, developers can now integrate Delphi applications directly with core AWS services, eliminating the need to choose between powerful cloud capabilities and Delphi's native strengths. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi has all of the core features expected of Amazon's own SDKs including common configuration, credential resolution, automatic retries and core services. It currently supports 12 of the most popular AWS services, including Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS), and Amazon Polly. More are in development, with plans to continue expanding the SDK's reach. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is available now in two editions, Standard and Professional, starting at 149, and can be bought from www.appercept.com. Addressing Cloud Integration Needs for Delphi Applications When asked about the motivation behind creating the SDK, Appercept founder and chief executive, Richard Hatherall, said: "Amazon supports a vast range of developer tools, but until now, Delphi had been largely excluded from that ecosystem. I realised there would be other companies with Delphi solutions in business that have been working away happily for years only to be put in the trash can when a company decided to adopt cloud technology. Our SDK changes that, providing a modern solution that empowers Delphi developers to tap into the full range of AWS capabilities." Key Features of the Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is a comprehensive toolkit, covering all the core features of an AWS SDK and more. It includes 12 essential services like Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), AWS Key Management Service (KMS), Amazon Translate, and Amazon Cognito, providing developers with the flexibility to build diverse, cloud-powered applications. The SDK also features: IDE Integration for RAD Studio (Delphi) : The SDK is integrated directly into RAD Studio, offering context-sensitive help and native RAD-style components for both FireMonkey (FMX) and Visual Component Library (VCL) applications. : The SDK is integrated directly into RAD Studio, offering context-sensitive help and native RAD-style components for both FireMonkey (FMX) and Visual Component Library (VCL) applications. Easy API Access and Usability: With a design focused on simplicity and usability, the SDK allows for straightforward integration into existing Delphi applications, with drag-and-drop components and utilities that simplify complex interactions. Empowering Delphi Developers in the Cloud Era As the largest cloud provider, AWS empowers organisations of all sizes to innovate and scale. By delivering a dedicated AWS SDK for Delphi, Appercept opens up new opportunities for businesses using Delphi to adopt modern cloud infrastructure without abandoning the simplicity, speed, and cross-platform power that Delphi offers. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi will be available for all Delphi developers, starting at 149 for Standard Edition providing everything you need including 12 months of updates and basic support directly from Appercept. For developers requiring source code and priority support, Professional Edition is available for 349. Both editions can now be bought from www.appercept.com. This release marks a significant milestone for both Delphi developers and the broader tech community, ensuring Delphi's relevance and value in an increasingly cloud-dependent world. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2602864/RichardHatherall_Chiefexecutive_Appercept.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2602863/Appercept_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/appercept-announces-groundbreaking-aws-sdk-for-delphi-expanding-cloud-integration-capabilities-for-delphi-developers-302357342.html Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, today said the Middle East has an opportunity to shape a prosperous future following the Gaza ceasefire deal which came into effect at the start of the week. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250121797711/en/ Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, addressed a panel session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos on 'Diplomacy amid Disorder', where he spoke about an opportunity for the region "to turn a page" (Photo: AETOSWire) "We are certainly in a region that is abundant with risk factors. But we are also in a region that has huge potential. Even with a very difficult year behind us, we have shown we can be resilient as a region and we can look to the future, whether it's the Kingdom, the GCC countries and their ability to stay on track with their economic agendas. But also, as we see now with Syria, Lebanon, and possibly now in Gaza there is positivity there. "The opportunity to turn a page exists in the whole region. I choose to be optimistic," the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs said. His Excellency Ahmed A. Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, in a session titled 'Travel and Tourism's Role in Building Trust,' commented: "Since opening our doors back in 2019, we've been blessed to receive millions of international arrivals. We started with 10 million tourists in 2019, and last year hit almost 30 million. Travel and tourism is contributing to building a diversified and more resilient economy." During a Saudi House panel session on 'New Approaches to Measuring Growth Beyond GDP', His Excellency Mohammed A. Aljadaan, Minister of Finance, emphasized that growth should not be limited to GDP alone. He highlighted the importance of monitoring additional indicators to ensure that growth is both inclusive and sustainable across various dimensions. Speaking in a panel on 'The Future of Growth', His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, highlighted the Kingdom's long-term approach to growth: "Saudi Vision 2030 is an example of bold leadership that has led us to plan with confidence, deliver with optimism, but also manage with prudence." The WEF released a briefing paper with expert input from HE Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, on 'The Future of Travel and Tourism: Embracing Sustainable and Inclusive Growth' exploring trends in the sector and the importance of cross-sector collaboration. The Ministry of Tourism also released an Investor White Paper highlighting initiatives transforming the Kingdom's tourism sector under Vision 2030. During a Saudi House session hosted by the Ministry of Investment and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Salesforce announced plans to open a new regional headquarters in Riyadh, pledging to provide upskilling opportunities to 30,000 Saudi citizens by 2030. The firm also announced a partnership agreement with IBM to open an AI Innovation Center in the Kingdom. Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250121797711/en/ Contacts: Wooud Alquaied walquaied@mep.gov.sa Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SIC)(OTCQB:SICNF) ("Sokoman" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following results from the ongoing Western Trend diamond drilling program at the 100%-owned Moosehead Project. A total of 19 holes (1,325 m) were completed immediately before the Christmas break, with this release including assays for 13 holes, highlighted by the following: MH-24-649 69.48 g/t Au over 4.85m incl. 176.47 g/t Au over 1.90 m from 41.60 m MH-24-648 40.89 g/t Au over 4.30m incl. 74.08 g/t Au over 2.35 m from 47.20 m MH-24-646 26.72 g/t Au over 3.10m incl. 40.56 g/t Au over 1.90 m from 28.30 m Assays are uncut with core lengths shown; the estimated true thickness is believed to be 80 to 90% of the reported length. Assays are total pulp metallics from Eastern Analytical in Springdale, Newfoundland. Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President and CEO, states, "This is a great way to start the year! We are incredibly pleased with the high grades, with visible gold (including abundant visible gold) in 9 of 13 holes from the Western Trend (Photo 1). The success of the drilling was the result of using what we learned from the Western Trend trenching program last November, which included input from structural consultant Dr. David Coller, who mapped the trench. The Western Trend drilling is scheduled to resume on January 27 with a minimum 10-hole program to further expand the high-grade mineralization in the trench (Figure 1), the site of the planned conventional (drill and blast) bulk sample. We are also in discussions with Novamera to finalize an agreement for a surgical bulk sample at the adjacent Footwall Splay utilizing their proprietary technology in Q3 2025, so it will be a pivotal and very busy 2025 at Moosehead." The recent Western Trend drilling has tested 100 m of strike to 80 m down dip, with the zone remaining open. The remaining assays are expected in 3-4 weeks. The next phase of drilling will be mainly deeper holes targeting the high-grade plunge of the intersection point between the east-west trending splay and the main north-trending vein system (down plunge from MH-24-648 and 649) to a depth of 165 m down plunge and 100 m vertically. This area is a key target as it is a location where rock preparation is ideal for gold deposition with the potential to be where there is dilation zone. We will also be testing to the south of the trench (south of MH-24-646) to extend the strike to 145 m. Table of Results - Western Trend Drill Program Photo 1: Visible gold in quartz - DDH MH-24-649 Western Trend Trench area 69.48 g/t Au over 4.85 m (41.60 - 46.45 m) Figure 1: Drill Hole Location Map QP This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp. Analytical Techniques/QA/QC Samples, including duplicates, blanks, and standards, are submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd. in Springdale, Newfoundland, for gold analysis. All core samples submitted for assay are saw cut by Sokoman personnel, with one-half submitted for assay and one-half retained for reference. Samples are delivered in sealed bags directly to the lab by Sokoman personnel. Eastern Analytical Ltd. is an accredited assay lab that conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. Samples with visible gold are submitted for total pulp metallics with a gravimetric finish. All other samples are analyzed by standard fire assay methods. Total pulp metallic analysis includes the entire sample being crushed to -10 mesh and then pulverized to 95% -150 mesh. The total sample is weighed and screened to 150 mesh; the +150-mesh fraction is fire-assayed for Au, and a 30 g subsample of the -150-mesh fraction is fire-assayed for Au, with a calculated weighted average of total Au in the sample reported as well. One blank and one industry-approved standard for every twenty samples submitted is included in the sample stream. Random duplicates of selected samples are analyzed in addition to the in-house standard and duplicate policies of Eastern Analytical Ltd. All reported assays are uncut. About Sokoman Minerals Corp. Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company and one of the largest landholders in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's emerging gold district. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects; the 100%-owned flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, Crippleback Lake, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project near Baie Verte in northwestern Newfoundland, targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. The Company entered a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale, joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. In October 2023, Sokoman and Benton completed an agreement with Piedmont Lithium Inc., a major developer of lithium projects and processing plants in the USA, and exactly the right partner to have to advance the lithium project. For full details of the agreement please refer to the Company's press release dated October 11, 2023. Projects optioned with optionee fully vested are: East Alder Project optioned to Canterra Minerals Inc. (SIC retains shares of CTM plus 1% NSR) Startrek Project optioned to Thunder Gold (SIC retains shares of TGOL plus 1% NSR) The Company would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for the financial support of the Moosehead and Fleur de Lys Projects through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program during the past few years. For more information, please contact: Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO T: 709-765-1726 E: tim@sokomanmineralscorp.com Cathy Hume, VP Corporate Development, Director T: 416-868-1079 x 251 E: cathy@chfir.com Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com Twitter: @SokomanMinerals Facebook: @SokomanMinerals LinkedIn: @SokomanMineralsCorp 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. Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp. SOURCE: Sokoman Minerals Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 22, 2025 / BeMetals Corp. (TSXV:BMET)(OTCQB:BMTLF)(Frankfurt:1OI.F) (the "Company" or "BeMetals") is pleased to announce the recently completed core drilling program has confirmed the significantly expanded footprint of the D-Prospect copper mineralization and its related target zones at the Pangeni Copper Project ("Pangeni" or the "Project" or the "Property") in Zambia. These new drilling results include an anomalous core intersection of copper mineralization, strongly motivating follow-up drilling, at hole F4-C3 some 1.3-kilometres southwest and along trend of the D-Prospect's Nkala Zone. To date, the Company has discovered and traced copper mineralization with core drilling from immediately under the sand cover for some 1.7 kilometres, and the combined trend extent of the D-Prospect, including the new F4-C3 target mineralization, is now approximately 3 kilometres. Within the D-Prospect the higher-grade Nkala Zone has multiple drill intersections with copper grades and mineralized widths that meet or exceed those of certain large-scale copper mines in the Domes Region of the Zambian Copperbelt (1) (2) (3). In addition, this recent core drilling has intersected a relatively lower-grade but wide zone of 31.50 metres at the Central Target, approximately 8 kilometres to the southeast of the D-Prospect, motivating follow up drilling at this satellite prospect. Highlights OF RECENT H2 AND H1 2024 CORE DRILLING PROGRAM: Nkala Zone : D12-C1 intersected 21.52 metres grading 0.30% copper ("Cu"), including 7.70 metres grading 0.35% Cu and including 6.96 metres grading 0.34% Cu. Nkala Zone Extension Target : Some 1.3 kilometres along trend from the main Nkala Zone, drill hole F4-C3 intersected a zone of 9.10 metres grading 0.11% Cu with associated kyanite and scapolite alteration similar to the D-Prospect's Nkala Zone. Central Target : CT4 intersected 31.50 metres grading 0.10% Cu with additional anomalous zones above and below this intersection. D-Prospect Nkala Zone (H1 2024 Drilling*): Hole D24-C1 intersected 16.16 metres grading 0.74% Cu with 533 parts per million "ppm" cobalt ("Co"), including 5.50 metres grading 0.93% Cu with 701ppm Co. Hole D11-C3 intersected 23.20 metres grading 0.54% Cu with 263ppm Co, including 7.90 metres 0.92% Cu with 453ppm Co. Hole D22-C2 intersected 14.78 metres grading 0.42% Cu, including 4.88 metres grading 0.65% Cu and D22-C1 intersected 18.10 metres grading 0.70% Cu. (*Previously reported) John Wilton, President and CEO of BeMetals, stated "We are pleased to report the latest core drilling program has returned results indicating that the discovered D-Prospect copper mineralization and its target zones, at the Pangeni Copper Project have been significantly expanded. Following the recent drilling, the overall scale of the D-Prospect copper mineralization and its target footprint are now comparable to that of the Lumwana Copper Mine's Chimiwungo Deposit. The mineralization is now interpreted to extend for some 3 kilometres along trend for the Nkala and Nkala Zone Extension with the additional target zones of Nkala Northwest and R Target in close proximity. These recent H2 2024 results combined with the H1 2024 drill intersections of the Nkala Zone, advance and reinforce the potential for the Pangeni project to deliver a large-scale copper discovery. Furthermore, a wide zone of over 30 metres of anomalous copper mineralization has been intersected in drill hole CT4 at the Central Target, some 8 kilometres to the southeast of the D-Prospect area. This new interval with its associated alteration indicates that further exploration of the Central Target is motivated, and the Company's geological team will compile its existing data since 2016 for this prospect with the new drill information to guide future targeting. The Company expects to update its detailed geological interpretation of both the D-Prospect and Central Target with the recent drilling results shortly and plans to conduct a fully funded follow-up phase of core drilling to commence in Q1, 2025. Overall, the 2024 results have increased the scale potential and improved our understanding of the discovered copper mineralization at the Pangeni Project, and we look forward to commencing drilling shortly." PANGENI COPPER PROJECT: RECENT CORE DRILLING RESULTS AND D-PROSPECT BACKGROUND Figure 1 illustrates the comparable footprint scale of the drilled D-Prospect copper mineralization that includes the Nkala Zone, and its related target zones, to that of the Lumwana Mine's Chimiwungo Deposit. The distribution of these targets zones and the core drilled copper mineralization bears spatial similarity to that of the Barrick Gold's Lumwana Copper Mine with its mineralized shoots (zones) at the Chimiwungo Deposit. Within the D-Prospect the higher-grade Nkala Zone has multiple drill intersections (such as previously reported D24-C1, D22-C1, D22-C2, D11-C3) with copper grades and mineralized widths that meet or exceed those of certain large-scale copper mines in the Domes Region of the Zambian Copperbelt (1) (2) (3). In addition to these similarities the copper mineralization at the D-Prospect-Nkala Zone bears many of the geological hallmarks of the Lumwana Mine deposits in terms of mineralization style, alteration, structure and host rocks. Figure 1: Same Footprint Scale of Expanded D-Prospect Mineralization & Target Zones Compared to the Lumwana Copper Mine Chimiwungo Deposit with Selected H2 2024 Drilling Results (*Equinox Lumwana Project, Technical Report, Zambia, May 2011 and Geology of Lumwana Mine, Porter Geo-consultancy Field Guide 2014, Barrick) Drillhole F4-C3 with its important anomalous intersection of 9.10 metres at 0.1% copper appears to follow an extension of the currently interpreted trend of the D-Prospect mineralization some 1.3 kilometres southwest of the Nkala Zone. This new target zone will be further tested in the next drilling program in 2025. In addition, both the Nkala Northwest and R target zones have thus far only been tested by single core drill holes (see Figure 2) and merit further priority investigation. These compelling targets in close proximity to the Nkala Zone will be tested in the next phase of core drilling. It is currently thought that the D27 line drill holes (D27-C1 & C2) have been influenced by a structure feature causing an offset or local disruption to the mineralization, as seen in the magnetic data in this specific area (see Figure 1 and Figure 2). Such potentially similar features are also observed at the Lumwana Mine locally disrupting the mineralized shoots such as the 'South Fault Zone' (see inset map of Figure 1). Figure 1 also shows the location of new drillhole CT4 which was completed at the Central Target and returned an interval of 31.50 metres grading 0.1% copper. This wide zone of anomalous copper mineralization adds significant value to the limited amount of previous drilling completed by the Company at the Central Target. CT4 and the previous drilling at this target are reminiscent of the geological and grade interval results initially found at the D-Prospect. Which with subsequent interpretation led to the drilling of the Nkala Zone, with its copper grades and mineralized widths that meet or exceed those of certain large-scale copper mines in the Domes Region of the Zambian Copperbelt (1) (2) (3). The project team will review this new intersection with the other geological data at the Central Target to determine optimum targets for further testing at this compelling prospect. Figure 2 provides in more detail the core drilling results from the H1 and H2, 2024 drilling at the D-Prospect with previous drilling by the Company on the projects magnetic survey data. Recently completed drillhole D12-C1 has confirmed the development of the Nkala Zone in its northeastern sector with its interval of 21.52 metres grading 0.30% copper, including 7.70 metres grading 0.35% Copper and including 6.96 metres grading 0.34% copper. Figure 2: Locations of Core Drill Holes with Target Zones, D-Prospect-Nkala Zone and Aircore Drilling The results of core drilling at the D-Prospect to date have identified copper mineralization over 1.7 kilometres along trend, and show the higher-grade Nkala Zone, developed within the overall 1.7 kilometres envelope, for some 1.2 kilometres. Some of these previously reported Nkala Zone intercepts include: D24-C1: 16.16m grading 0.74% Cu with 533 ppm Co, including 5.50m grading 0.93% Cu with 701ppm Co D22-C1: 18.10m grading 0.70% Cu, with 285 ppm Co, including 4.00m, grading 1.04% Cu and 4.60m grading 0.89% Cu D22-C2: 14.78m grading 0.42% Cu, including 4.88m grading 0.65% Cu D11-C3: 23.20m grading 0.54% Cu with 263ppm Co, including 7.90m 0.92% Cu with 453ppm Co D14-C2: 31.50m grading 0.33% Cu, including 17.10m grading 0.40% Cu Table 1 below provides the recent H2 2024 phase core hole results with depth, sample interval, and copper grades. Table 2 below provides azimuth, dip, end of hole depth and collar coordinates for the new core drill holes. (1) First Quantum Minerals Ltd. website, Mineral Reserves - as at December 31, 2023, and reported based on a long-term $3.00/lb Cu price. The current depleted in-pit Mineral Reserve as at December 31, 2023 for Sentinel. (2) Barrick Gold Corporation website, Mineral Reserves - December 31, 2013, Technical Report on the Lumwana Mine, North-Western Province, Republic of Zambia, Barrick Gold Corporation, Report for NI 43-101, March 27, 2014. (3) Bernau, R., Roberts, S., Richards, M., Nisbet, B., Boyce, A., Nowecki, J. (2013) The geology and geochemistry of the Lumwana Cu ( Co U) deposits, NW Zambia. Mineralium Deposita, 48:137-153. PANGENI COPPER PROJECT: OVERVIEW The Pangeni Project copper mineralization, discovered by the Company, is a westerly extension of the Copperbelt concealed under relatively thin but extensive Kalahari sand cover. Importantly, the copper mineralization bears many of the hallmarks in terms of style, width, grade, and geology to deposits that are mined in the Domes Region of the Zambian Copperbelt, specifically the basement hosted, large scale Lumwana Copper Mine (see Figure 3). The open pit Sentinel Copper Mine, operated by First Quantum Minerals Ltd., is located approximately 130 kilometres northeast of the Pangeni Project and currently represents the westernmost copper mine of the Domes Region within the prolific Zambian Copperbelt (see Figure 3). Figure 3: Map Showing Selected Large Scale Copper Mines and Projects in Zambia and DRC Source: Modified after MacIntyre, T., Gysi, A., Hitzman, M., (2018). Geology and Geochemistry of the Kansanshi Cu-Au deposit, Zambia. Table 1: H2 2024 Core Drill Hole Results with Depth, Sample Interval, and Copper Grade Target/Line, Borehole ID & Interval From (m) To (m) Core Interval (m) Cu% F4-C3 Interval 151.50 160.60 9.10 0.11 Including 151.50 154.20 2.70 0.20 D12-C1 Interval 164.20 170.20 6.00 0.29 Nkala Zone 264.88 286.40 21.52* 0.30 Including 265.50 273.30 7.80 0.35 And including 279.44 286.40 6.96 0.34 D17-C1 Interval 218.23 220.47 2.24 0.39 Interval 227.55 237.40 9.85 0.18 D11-C4 269.35 281.57 12.22 0.12 D27-C2 Interval 284.41 286.83 2.42 0.30 Interval 299.00 304.74 5.74 0.19 Including 299.80 303.10 3.30 0.25 CT4 Interval 12.32 23.10 10.78 0.11 Interval 68.11 72.00 3.89 0.14 Interval 86.50 118.00 31.50 0.10 Including 103.70 105.70 2.00 0.25 Interval 128.10 132.10 4.00 0.19 Interval 174.00 177.20 3.20 0.20 Table 1 Notes: Intertek Genalysis completed the analytical work with the core samples processed at their preparation facility in Kitwe, Zambia.All analytical procedures were conducted in an Intertek Genalysis laboratory in Perth, Australia. Reported widths are drilled core lengths as true widths are unknown at this time. Based upon current data it is estimated true widths range between 85 and 90% of the drilled intersections. A nominal cut-off grade of 0.10% Cu has been used to determine the boundaries of these intersections with no more than 15.80 metres of internal dilution of the intercepts. *A nominal cut-off grade of 0.25% Cu has been used to determine the boundaries of these intersections with no more than 7.81 metres of internal dilution of the intercept. Table 2: Pangeni Project: H2 2024 Core Drill Holes ID, Azimuth, Dip, End of Hole Depth, Collar Coordinates and Comments Drill Hole ID Azimuth Degree Dip Degree End of hole Depth (m) Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Comments F4-C3 300 -60 362.00 175825 8600182 1330 Nkala Extension target anomalous Cu intersection D12-C1 300 -60 324.40 177359 8601110 1315 Nkala Zone intersection in northeast of D-Prospect D17-C1 300 -60 334.50 178029 8601452 1301 Interpreted as anomalous zone at margin of Nkala Zone D11-C4 300 -70 379.50 176696 8601372 1330 Nkala Northwest target anomalous Cu intersection D27-C1 300 -70 346.20 176395 8600960 1340 Did not intersect target zone. No significant results D27-C2 300 -70 387.20 176633 8600811 1327 Did not intersect main target zone. Anomalous zone intersected CT4 320 -60 225.40 182948 8597928 1209 Central target wide anomalous Cu zone interval QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL The results from the 2024 core drilling program were completed by Remote Exploration Services ("RES") who managed all aspects of the field operations in-line with the standard operating procedures as previously and consistently implemented at this project. The samples were analyzed by Intertek Genalysis, an independent and accredited laboratory. Samples were prepared at their facility in Kitwe, Zambia and analytical work conducted in Australia. The results were determined using multi-acid, near total digest, and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma ("ICP") Optical (Atomic) Emission Spectrometry ("OES"). The core sampling was conducted with a robust sampling protocol that included the appropriate insertion of standard reference material, duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream. Field operations and management have been provided by RES an independent geological consulting and contracting company. The core drilling was conducted by Blurock Mining Services, of Kitwe, Zambia. QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT The technical information in this news release for BeMetals has been reviewed and approved by John Wilton, CGeol FGS, CEO and President of BeMetals, and a "Qualified Person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF BEMETALS CORP. "John Wilton" John Wilton President, CEO and Director For further information about BeMetals please visit our website at bemetalscorp.com and sign-up to our email list to receive timely updates, or contact: Derek Iwanaka Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development Telephone: 604-928-2797 Email: diwanaka@bemetalscorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), based on management's best estimates, assumptions and current expectations. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements with respect to future exploration, development and advancement of the Kazan Projects in Japan and the Pangeni Project in Zambia, and the acquisition of additional base and/or precious metal projects. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", "anticipates", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the actual results of exploration activities, the availability of financing and/or cash flow to fund the current and future plans and expenditures, the ability of the Company to satisfy the conditions of the option agreement for the Pangeni Project, and changes in the world commodity markets or equity markets. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are made as of the date hereof and are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as require by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Please refer to the Company's most recent filings under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca for further information respecting the risks affecting the Company and its business. SOURCE: BeMetals Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQB: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") is excited to announce the geochemical assay results of its diamond drilling program on the high grade carbonatitic breccia located on the PCH project in the State of Goias, Brazil. The three drillholes (see Map 1) intercepted substantial Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO), Niobium Oxide (Nb2O5) and Phosphate Oxide (P2O5) from the brecciated carbonatite intrusion identified in the Southwest Extension Zone of Target IV. Tom Drivas, CEO stated: "The results from the first diamond drill holes are exceptional and would rank 2nd, 3rd, and 4th on the list of the best intercepts of the past year when compared to the recently reported results by MinerDeck, which highlighted the top REE intercepts of 2024. (Please Click Here) For all 3 drill holes to be mineralized with high grade rare earths from top to bottom highlights the enormous potential of the SW Extension zone. There is a strong case to be made that these results indicate that the PCH project could contain substantial high grade carbonatitic style rare earths in addition to Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) rare earth deposits. Mineralization is open at depth, northeast, northwest and southwest. We are currently developing plans for an expansion/resource-definition drilling program, and preliminary mineralogical-metallurgical test work on the diamond drill core from this program. These results exceed our expectations and increase our confidence in the success of our project." Highlights: Hole PCH-DDH-002 150 metres@1.14% TREO; 0.12% Nb2O5; 2.76% P2O5 from Surface including 12 metres@2.54% TREO; 0.21% Nb2O5; 9.52% P2O5 from 37 metres including 20 metres@1.75% TREO; 0.13% Nb2O5; 2.8% P2O5 from 81 metres including 18 metres@2.03% TREO; 0.14% Nb2O5; 2.29% P2O5 from 132 metres PCH-DDH-003 147.7 metres@1.69% TREO; 0.18% Nb2O5; 3.26% P2O5 from Surface including 58 metres@2.19% TREO; 0.26% Nb2O5; 5.18% P2O5 from Surface including 17 metres@1.87% TREO; 0.11% Nb2O5; 1.44% P2O5 from 117 metres PCH-DDH-004 153 metres@1.08% TREO; 0.15% Nb2O5; 2.31% P2O5 from Surface including 10 metres@2.16% TREO; 0.24% Nb2O5; 3.22% P2O5 from 10 metres including 9 metres@3.08% TREO; 0.24% Nb2O5; 7.37% P2O5 from 42 metres including 18 metres@1.01% TREO; 0.26% Nb2O5; 3.15% P2O5 from 135 metres 97 intervals from the total of 516 presented samples resulted in 'overlimit readings' for La, and/or Ce, and/or Pr, and/or Nd, and/or Nb. These samples will go through new analysis methods and are likely to improve the overall results already achieved to date. All three (3) Diamond Drillholes (DDH) ended in mineralization indicating a potential to extend the zone at depth, northeast, northwest and southwest. The full set of results are available through this LINK. The diamond drillhole coordinates are available using this LINK. Drivas continued: "When Appia's team originally identified the SW Extension zone boasting exceptionally high grade assay results (See press release dated November 28, 2023 - Click Here), we were operating under the assumption that the clay material we were sampling was similar to the mineralization found across the rest of Target IV's Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) zone. Upon further analysis and following the review of the hard rock assay results from our recent diamond drilling campaign released today, we are now confident that we are dealing with a separate style of mineralization akin to a high grade carbonatitic breccia and the results are stellar." The location of the PCH project is extremely favorable with easy access to road and power infrastructure, and the Company enjoys a very friendly and supportive relationship with the local cattle farming community. Map 1 - Location of drillholes PCH-DDH-002, PCH-DDH-003 and PCH-DDH-004. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/238032_635df7c114d3bb30_001full.jpg The grades by interval of TREO and Nb2O5 - P2O5 for the three drillholes are presented in Figures 2 and 3 below, respectively. Tracking Niobium and Phosphate is important because they represent key pathfinders in the identification of carbonatites. Figure 1 - Section showing drillholes TREO grades, in percentage. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/238032_635df7c114d3bb30_002full.jpg Figure 2 - Section showing drillholes Nb2O5 (left) and P2O5 (right) grades, in percentage. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/238032_635df7c114d3bb30_003full.jpg QAQC Drillholes are inclined and reported intervals are apparent thickness. The material produced from the diamond drillholes are sampled at one metre intervals splitting the core in half, resulting in average sample sizes of 2-3 kg. The other Half core is kept in storage for further tests. The original core was logged and photographed. The bagged samples are sent to the ALS laboratory in Goiania, Goias for initial preparation and sent to Lima Peru for final analysis. In addition to the internal QA/QC of the ALS Lab, Appia includes its own control samples in each batch of samples sent to the laboratory. Quality control samples, such as blanks, duplicates, and standards (CRM) were inserted into each analytical run. For all analysis methods, the minimum number of QA/QC samples is three standard, one duplicate and one blank, introduced in each batch. Several batches were used to comprises the full-length hole. The rigorous procedures are implemented during the sample collection, preparation, and analytical stages to insure the robustness and reliability of the analytical results. All analytical results reported herein have passed internal QA/QC review and compilation. All assay results of DDH samples were provided by ALS, a Certified Laboratory, which performed their measure of the concentration of rare earth elements (REE) with the ME-MS81 analytical method that uses lithium borate fusion prior acid dissolution and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Major Element Oxides were done using ME_ICP06 analytical method using lithium borate fusion and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Au, Pt and Pd samples were analysed using the fire assay method PGM-ICP27. Desorption analysis with ME-MS19 analytical method was executed for the initial 35 metres of each drillholes with samples being leached with a solution of Ammonium Sulphate at 0.5 molar, pH 4, room temperature for 20 minutes. The leached solution content was analysed using ICP-AES/ICP-MS. The technical information in this news release, including the information related to geology, drilling, and mineralization, has been reviewed and approved by Andre L. L. Costa, Appia's VP Exploration for Brazil. Mr. Costa is a APEGS Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) and a Fellow of Australian Institute of Geoscientists (FAIG), a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia) Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 42,932.24 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario. Appia has 153 million common shares outstanding, 177 million shares fully diluted. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information, visit www.appiareu.com As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages. To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238032 SOURCE: Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Big Red Mining Corp. (CSE: RED) (FSE: K8J) (the "Company" or "Big Red") is pleased to provide an update on our expanding antimony portfolio. The company has signed an agreement to acquire the Bald Hill Antimony Project in southern New Brunswick. Highlights Bald Hill is a known high-grade antimony deposit in southern New Brunswick Past work including drilling has outlined an antimony deposit over 500 m long Widths average over 3 meters and grades average 3% to 4% antimony. NI-43-101 Technical Report: Potential quantity and grade of the drilled area, which is the target of further exploration, is in the 725,000 to 1,000,000 tonne range grading 4.11% to 5.32% Sb (~30,000 to 40,000 tonnes contained antimony) Potential to expand based on additional known targets The Property The property is located approximately equal distance from Sussex, Fredericton and St John in southern New Brunswick in Queens County New Brunswick. Access is very good with Provincial and regional highways crossing and adjacent to the property. Total of 25 drill holes have been completed on the property since discovery in 2008. The deposit consists of at least three antimony-bearing breccias and hydrothermal veins zones trending northwesterly. Mineralization has been defined over 700 meter strike length to a vertical depth of 300 meters and is open in all directions and to depth. High Grade antimony has been encountered in drilling including the discovery Hole DDH08-03 which intersect ed 4.51m @ 11.7% Sb including 2.29m grading 20.9% Sb. 2010 Trenching ~ 450 meters south of DDH08-03 returned 2.90% Sb over 8.18m, which included 5.79% Sb over 1.75m and 8.47% over 1.53m. The Option Agreement Big Red Mining Corp. can exercise the Option and earn a 100% interest in the Property by making aggregate cash payments of $2,000,000 to Globex Mining Enterprises Inc., issuing an aggregate of 1,100,000 common shares to Globex and incurring aggregate exploration expenditures of $5,000,000 on the Property as follows: (a) Paying $2,000,000 in cash to Globex as follows: (i) $25,000 paid on or before the tenth business day after Exchange acceptance of this Option Agreement; (ii) $75,000 paid on or before the 3 months from of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; (iii) $125,000 paid on or before the 1st anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; (iv) $150,000 paid on or before the 2nd anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; (v) $500,000 paid on or before the 3rd anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; and (vi) $1,125,000 paid on or before the 4th anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; Note: First 2 year payments are firm obligations. Figure 1: Sample of Antimony Baring Breccia from Surface Trench. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8411/238059_7f76a68874a46bb0_002full.jpg The Bald Hill Property is subject of a NI43-101 Technical Report by CRA dated May 2010. (Reference: NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-10 TECHNICAL REPORT BALD HILL ANTIMONY PROJECT SOUTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA NTS MAP SHEET 21G/09 AND 21H/12 Prepared For: Rockport Mining Corp.) While noting that the report does not describe a resource, that report does present the Potential for the Bald Hill Project based on work to that date. The report states: "Potential Quantity and Grade Ranges" Between March 2008 and June 2008, Rockport Mining Corp completed 16 diamond drill holes totaling 3454 meters on the Bald Hill Property. A total of 609 samples (including QA/QC) were assayed from the drill program. The drilling has outlined a northwest-southeast trending antimony-rich mineralized zone over a strike length of 450 metres. Significant antimony mineralization intersected by the drilling includes 11.7% Sb over 4.51 metres (core width) in diamond drill hole BH-08-03. A summary of significant drill hole assay results is shown in Table 3. Surface mineralization assayed 43% Sb over 2.0 metres. The mineralized zone remains open in all directions and is felt to have significant potential for expansion. The potential tonnage and grade of a potential mineral deposit at the Bald Hill Property, which is the target of further exploration, is expressed as ranges in the Table 6 below. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. POTENTIAL QUANTITY AND GRADE RANGES* Zone Metric Tonnage Grade (%Sb) Main Zone 700,000 to 900,000 4.33% to 5.40 Parallel Zone 25000 to 100,000 2.13% to 3.19% Total 725,000 to 1,000,000 4.11% to 5.32% -Note: * The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and that it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. Estimation Methodology The Bald Hill potential quantity and grade estimates were completed using a manual polygonal method to estimate antimony grades and tonnages for each composited interval block ("block"). Composited intervals were calculated for each drill hole and surface outcrop in an excel spreadsheet. Each interval had to meet the criteria of being greater than or equal to the minimum true thickness of 1.0 metres, and to be greater than or equal to the cut-off grade of 1% or 2% antimony. The current antimony metal price is US $8,800 to $9,300 /tonne (Metal Bulletin: April 22, 2010)." Figure 2: Bald Hill Mineralized Zones To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8411/238059_7f76a68874a46bb0_003full.jpg Figure 3: Example Cross Section of Bald Hill Mineralized Zone To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8411/238059_bigredimg3.jpg Discussion Jim Atkinson, CEO of Big Red, commented, "We are very excited to have an opportunity to acquire the Bald Hill Antimony Property in Southern New Brunswick. The property has a series of excellent drill holes with high-grade antimony intersections in a vein-breccia system that has been drilled over 500 meters and is open for expansion. Our staff is currently finalizing plans for an exploration program that will include up to 2000 meters of diamond Drilling along with other field work." The technical contents of this news release were reviewed and approved by Jim Atkinson, MSc., P.Geo., who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Big Red also announces a private placement financing (the "Offering") of up to 13,000,000 Common Shares of the Company at a price of C$0.11 per Common Share for gross proceeds to the Company of up to $1,430,000. The net proceeds received from the Offering will be used by the Company for exploration and development activities and general working capital. About Big Red Mining Corp. Big Red holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Antimony 2.0 Property, which is located approximately 25 kilometers west of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and approximately 15 kilometers northeast of the historic Lake George antimony mine. The Lake George antimony mine operated for various periods from the 1860s to 1998 and produced as much as 4 per cent of the world's demand of antimony from 1970 through 1992. The Antimony 2.0 Property comprises over 35 square kilometers of relatively unexplored ground with excellent access via provincial and logging roads, and hydro power. Big Red's management team possess extensive experience in financing, exploration, development and mining. Big Red intends to conduct exploration campaigns on each of its optioned properties with a goal of finding one or more minable resources. WWW.BIGREDMINING.COM To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238059 SOURCE: Big Red Mining Corp. Toronto, Ontario and New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - TMX Group today announced the launch of AlphaX US, a new US Alternative Trading System (ATS) venue, that is designed to create a trading environment with a focus on enhanced execution quality. AlphaX US is the first venue expansion outside of Canada for TMX Group's Markets division and it will trade US-listed securities only (Reg NMS). Participants will be FINRA-registered broker dealers. "After continuous consultation with our clients, we are proud to introduce AlphaX US, a venue that is focused on execution performance, and provides innovation and ease to the broker dealer community," said Heidi Fischer, President, TSX Alpha US. "There are several unique offerings within AlphaX US, and we have combined that functionality with a model that provides easy implementation, customization, and strong analytics for our partners. It's through feedback and collaboration with our stakeholders that we are able to deliver solutions that make markets better." "One of our top priorities is solving for the business needs of our clients," said Luc Fortin, Global Head of Trading, TMX Group. "We are excited to embark on this next chapter of growth for TMX to build upon." AlphaX US offers trading in all Regulation NMS common stock, exchange-traded funds and American depository receipts. The venue follows the U.S. equity market holiday calendar, and matches trades during regular U.S. market hours. AlphaX US allows order entry starting 60 minutes prior to the open and continuing throughout the trading day. For more information about AlphaX US, please visit: us.tmxalphax.com. About TMX Group (TSX: X) TMX Group operates global markets, and builds digital communities and analytic solutions that facilitate the funding, growth and success of businesses, traders and investors. TMX Group's key operations include Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, TSX Alpha Exchange, The Canadian Depository for Securities, Montreal Exchange, Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation, TSX Trust, TMX Trayport and TMX VettaFi, which provide listing markets, trading markets, clearing facilities, depository services, technology solutions, data products and other services to the global financial community. TMX Group is headquartered in Toronto and operates offices across North America (Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and New York), as well as in key international markets including London, Singapore and Vienna. For more information about TMX Group, visit www.tmx.com. Follow TMX Group on X: @TMXGroup. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/237995 SOURCE: TMX Group Limited Not for dissemination in the United States or through U.S. newswires All dollars are Canadian unless otherwise noted Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Ridgeline Minerals Corp. ("Ridgeline" or the "Company") (TSXV: RDG) (OTCQB: RDGMF) (FSE: 0GC0) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") to raise gross proceeds of up to $3,500,000 through the sale of up to 23,333,333 units ("the Units") at the price of $0.15 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") of the Company and one-half of one non-transferable share purchase warrant (each a whole warrant a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Share of the Company at a price of $0.25 per share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. The proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement will be used to fund exploration activities at the Company's Nevada projects and for general working capital. Certain directors and officers of the Company may acquire securities under the Private Placement. Any such participation would be considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The transaction will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any shares issued to or the consideration paid by such persons will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company may pay 6% cash finder's fee in connection with the Private Placement. All securities to be issued in the Private Placement will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period from the closing date under applicable securities laws in Canada. The Company anticipates closing of the private placement as soon as practicable and is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Ridgeline Minerals Corp. Ridgeline Minerals is a discovery focused precious and base metal explorer with a proven management team and a 200 km2 exploration portfolio across seven projects in Nevada, USA. The Company is a hybrid explorer with a mix of 100%-owned exploration assets (Big Blue, Atlas, Bell Creek & Coyote) as well as two earn-in exploration agreements with Nevada Gold Mines at its Swift and Black Ridge projects and a third earn-in with South32 at its Selena project. More information about Ridgeline can be found at www.ridgelineminerals.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking statements in this release, for example include but are not limited to: the general use of proceeds, that the Company will complete the Financing that the Company will carry out exploration on its Nevada properties. The words "potential", "anticipate", "meaningful", "discovery", "forecast", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "plan", "historical", "historic" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Ridgeline has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that TSX Venture Exchange approval will be granted in a timely manner subject only to standard conditions; that all conditions precedent to completion of the Private Placement will be satisfied in a timely manner; the current objectives concerning the Company's projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Ridgeline to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to dependence on key personnel; risks related to unforeseen delays; risks related to historical data that has not been verified by the Company; as well as those factors discussed in Ridgeline's public disclosure record. Although Ridgeline has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Ridgeline and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Ridgeline does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238037 SOURCE: Ridgeline Minerals Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Sol Strategies Inc. (CSE: HODL) (OTC Pink: CYFRF) ("Sol Strategies" or the "Company"), a publicly traded Canadian company dedicated to investing in and providing infrastructure for the Solana blockchain ecosystem, wishes to announce updated terms to its previously announced second tranche private placement of CAD $2.5 million (the "Private Placement"). The second tranche will bring the total gross proceeds received pursuant to private placement financings to CAD $30 million, with the proceeds being paid in SOL, which will increase the Company's SOL treasury holdings. The Private Placement will consist of unsecured convertible debenture units ("CD Units") for gross proceeds of CAD $2.5 million. Each CD Unit consists of one debenture ("Debenture") with a principal amount of CAD $1,000, and 214 warrants (updated from 400 warrants). Interest on the Debentures accrues at a rate of 2.5% per annum, payable semi-annually in cash or common shares of the Company (each, a "Share"), and the Debentures are convertible at any time into Shares of the Company at CAD $4.66 per Share (updated from $2.50 per Share). Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) Share of the Company at an exercise price of CAD $4.66 per Share (updated from $2.50 per Share), exercisable at any time on or before the five-year anniversary of the closing of the Private Placement. The debentures are redeemable in cash after the three-year anniversary of the closing of the Private Placement at 112% of the principal value, plus accrued and unpaid interest. Any Shares issued on the conversion of the Debentures, the interest thereon, or upon exercise of the warrants will be subject to restrictions on trading until the date that is four months and a day following closing. The closing of the Private Placement is expected on or about January 24, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. No finder's fees will be paid in connection with the Private Placement. About Sol Strategies Sol Strategies is a publicly traded Canadian company actively investing in, supporting, and providing infrastructure for the Solana blockchain and ecosystem. The Company focuses on leveraging investment opportunities in staking rewards and Solana-based projects, enabling shareholders to indirectly participate in the decentralized finance landscape. Sol Strategies is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and is publicly listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker "HODL" and on the OTC market under the ticker "CYFRF". To learn more about Sol Strategies, please visit www.solstrategies.io. A copy of this news release and all the Company's related material documents regarding the Company may be obtained under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements and information. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company's or the Company's management team's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, and expectations regarding the characteristics, value drivers, and anticipated benefits of the Company's business plans and operations related thereto. Forward-looking information can also be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or indicates that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the completion of the Private Placement and its impact on the Company. There is no assurance that the Private Placement will close or that the Company's plans or objectives will be implemented as set out herein, or at all. Forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates, and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates, and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Disclaimer: Sol Strategies is an independent organization in the Solana ecosystem. Sol Strategies is not affiliated with, owned by, or under common control with Solana Foundation (the "Foundation"), and the Foundation has not entered into any association, partnership, joint venture, employee, or agency relationship with Sol Strategies. None of the Foundation or its council members, officers, agents or make any representations or warranties, recommendations, endorsements or promises with respect to the accuracy of any statements made, information provided, or action taken by Sol Strategies and expressly disclaim any and all liability arising from or related to any such statements, information or action. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238013 SOURCE: Sol Strategies Inc. Green Leaf Innovations, Inc. (OTC PINK:GRLF), a leading distributor of premium handmade cigars & accessories, today announces significant progress in its 2025 expansion strategy, securing partnerships with 12 new key independent cigar retailers carrying some of our brands. This strategic move positions the company for substantial growth and enhanced profitability, aligning with our commitment to maximizing shareholder value. Green Leaf Innovations' curated portfolio of premium brands, including EL MAGO, MAL.CRI.AO, EL CUBANO, COCOA (MGE Antalya), CUBANACAN, MEDEROS, TABACALERA SERRANO are known for its exceptional quality and craftsmanship. This expansion into select independent cigar shops across the United States represents a direct-to-consumer strategy, enhancing brand visibility and maximizing the reach of our high-quality Nicaraguan cigars to a broader and more engaged enthusiast base. "These strategic partnerships reflect our commitment to driving sustainable growth and enhancing shareholder value," stated Roberto Mederos, CEO. "These 11 key retailers represent a prime distribution channel for our premium brands and provide us with a crucial opportunity for market penetration. Strong sales growth through these partnerships is a key factor in our projected Q1 2025 financial performance." The 12 partner stores are strategically located and are recognized for their high standards of customer service and expertise in the cigar industry. This network will provide critical distribution channels, contributing to enhanced market penetration and sales growth in the upcoming quarter. Details on the individual store locations and anticipated financial contributions are available below. Cigar Room II & Bar 52 cigarroom2.com Leaf & Bean leafandbean.com Knights Cigar Lounge kingpalm.com/stores/knigh Casa Havana Cigar Lounge casahavanacigarlounge.com Orange Cigar Lounge orangecigarlounge.com Essex Cigars essexcigarlounge.com La Cultura laculturacigars.com White Ash Cigar River Oaks whiteashcigar.com Churchills Cigar Lounge churchillscigarlounge.com Tinder Box Charlotte tinderboxcigars.com The Black River Tobacco Company blackrivertobacco.com David's Fine Tobaccos davidsfinetobaccos.com The successful execution of this expansion initiative reinforces Green Leaf Innovations' focus on building strong, long-term partnerships with premium retailers. This approach is expected to drive significant revenue growth and operational efficiencies, ultimately improving profitability and creating greater shareholder value in the coming months. Preliminary projections for Q1 2025 revenue are expected to reflect a strong positive trend driven by this new partnership initiative. A detailed financial outlook will be provided in the upcoming quarterly shareholder report. About Green Leaf Innovations, Inc. Green Leaf Innovations, Inc., a Florida corporation, is an emerging growth company engaged in the Marketing and Distribution of handmade premium cigars. The company strategically imports and exclusively distributes some of the best known premium cigar brands in the Market created by the Mederos family a Third generation Cigar maker with Robert Mederos at the helm who has owned and operated handmade cigar operation in Nicaragua and the US for over 20 years with a rich family history in the craft dating back to the 1800s Cuba, brands such as CUBANACAN, MEDEROS and TABACALERA SERRANO. In addition to it the company also distributes packaged whole leaf Tobacco to cigar lounges, smoke shops, C-stores and vape shops across the United States and soon International Markets. Additional information can be found on our websites http://www.greenleafinnovation.com or follow us on Twitter For more information, press only: Phone number: (800) 303-6268 Email: info@greenleafinnovation.com Safe Harbor Statement: The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, and various other factors beyond the Company's control. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Contact Information RYAN MEDICO MARKETING MANAGER info@greenleafinnovation.com 8003036268 SOURCE: Green Leaf Innovations, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Company Announces GovX Integration, 30% Discount, and Ongoing Support for Service Communities MIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / January 22, 2025 / Nitches Inc. (OTC PINK:NICH) - InTheZoneLabs today announced its growing impact within the veteran and first-responder communities, highlighting testimonials from service members who have experienced improved mental clarity, focus, and restorative sleep through the company's nootropic supplements. The brand, which features scientifically backed ingredients like L-theanine, lion's mane mushroom, alpha-GPC, and phosphatidylserine, is dedicated to providing an alternative that may help reduce reliance on certain prescription drugs. Empowering Service Members, One Capsule at a Time Sgt. Erik Wacker (Bronze Star, 2017-Present) offered a powerful testimonial reflecting on his 22 years of active-duty service in the Army, including seven combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq: "Once I got out, everything was in slow motion and I was getting a lot of brain fog. I was then given the opportunity to get InTheZone Focused Extreme. InTheZone has really worked for me and my brain fog is gone-I feel like I am back to myself again. I am focused on my current work in law enforcement and now I am zeroed in again! Thank you InTheZone, you have a lifelong customer!" GovX Partnership & Discount Acknowledging the exceptional dedication of veterans, first responders, and teachers, InTheZoneLabs has integrated with GovX to provide a 30% discount to all members who visit inthezonelabs.com and verify their status. GovX-known for its broad reach across military, law enforcement, firefighter, EMS, and related communities-serves millions of verified members. InTheZoneLabs invites all eligible individuals to take advantage of this exclusive offer on its homepage, while also making products available via Amazon and the TikTok Shop. Better Brain Health, Rest, and Performance Backed by a carefully curated formula, InTheZoneLabs products are designed to help individuals stay sharp at work, tackle demanding schedules, and unwind more effectively at the end of the day. The brand's commitment to holistic well-being aligns with mounting evidence that natural nootropic ingredients can enhance cognitive performance without the downsides often associated with prescription stimulants. About InTheZoneLabs Dedicated to helping everyday heroes and high-achievers alike optimize mental clarity, focus, and resilience, InTheZoneLabs provides an array of supplements formulated with proven natural ingredients. By blending science and innovation, the company aims to offer unparalleled support for those who serve our nation and communities. FDA Disclaimer These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. InTheZoneLabs products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about Nitches Corp's industry, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by management. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Nitches Corp undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Highlights: Surface Sample Results Yield More Targets in Southern Expansion Block Four New Target Areas Identified Rock Chips Up to 3.1 g/t Au, 64 g/t Ag, 0.67% Cu and 0.92% Pb Core Drilling Ongoing at Pilar's Main Zone, Four (4) Holes Completed to Date Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the "Company") (CSE:TOC)(OTCQB:TCVNF)(WKN:TV3/A2PE64), is pleased to announce new surface exploration results from its Gran Pilar Gold Silver Project in mine-friendly Sonora, Mexico. A total of 188 rock samples and 9 infill soil samples were analyzed from the Southern Block of the 100% controlled Expansion Area. Four new target areas have been identified spanning an area 1.8-kilometers long and 1.0-kilometer wide. A summary of the top surface results is provided in Table 1 and Figure 1. An additional area 2.1-kilometers by 1.4-kilometers remains unsampled to the east. Five kilometers to the north in an area referred to as the North Alteration Zone, early geochemical sampling, alteration mapping and satellite data interpretation suggests a separate large scale (3.2-kilometers long by 1.5-kilometers wide) epithermal target exists. The Company plans to continue the steady advancement of these areas as they present significant exploration targets. Core drilling continues at Pilar's Main Zone where four drillholes have been completed so far totaling over 408-meters. As drilling continues logging and sample preparation is underway to evaluate the core results for incorporation into a resource model. The aim of the core program is to build out a more robust geological model across the area. Each hole completed has successfully intersected lithologies and structures (vein zones, breccia zones and/or large fault gouges) known to host and control gold - silver mineralization at Pilar that will aid in modelling. The Company cautions these are visual indications, assay results are pending to verify the grade of mineralization. RC drilling will recommence shortly on the expansion area to continue to test the northern extension of mineralization. "The latest surface exploration results are adding to our list of targets across the Southern Block." commented, CEO Brodie Sutherland. "Given how early we are in development of this area, it has yielded encouraging results across a large footprint that extends two kilometers east and 900-meters north of our Main Zone. What excites us about these targets is the fact that back at our Main Zone historic sampling yielded similar results where there is significant exposure across roadcuts and trenches. Here in the Expansion Area, we are only seeing naturally exposed windows into the subsurface, we will look to advance these through trenching and drilling this year. Much of the southern area now has road access, speeding up the advancement of the area. The Southern Block has kept us occupied, we have not yet begun to detail sample and evaluate the potential of the Northern Block. Early recon sampling has shown significant potential for a large-scale epithermal system, we think is separate to what is observed to the south proximal to our Main Zone. Field observations lead us to believe the two areas represent potential for two separate mineralized systems across the project area greatly expanding our resource potential." Figure 1. Surface Rock Sampling Results from Gran Pilar Southern Block. Figure 2. Soil Sampling Results from Gran Pilar Southern Block. Table 1. Summary of Top Rock Sample Results from Latest Exploration Work across Gran Pilar. Table 2. Summary of new infill soil sample results from Gran Pilar. Figure 3. Gran Pilar Project Overview, > 22km2 of prospective ground. Pilar Drill Highlights: 2024 RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 42.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 10.9 g/t Au 56.4m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 14.7 g/t Au 16.8m @ 0.8 g/t Au and 19 g/t Ag 2022 Phase III Diamond Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 116.9m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 10.2m @ 12 g/t Au and 23 g/t Ag 108.9m @ 0.8 g/t Au, including 9.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag 63.4m @ 0.6 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag, including 29.9m @ 0.9 g/t Au and 18 g/t Ag 2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 39.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14.6 g/t Au 47.7m @ 0.7 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag 29m @ 0.7 g/t Au 35.1m @ 0.7 g/t Au 2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag; 41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ; 24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag 15,000m of Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include: 61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au 21.0m @ 38.3 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag 13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au 9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag Pilar Bulk Sample Summary: 62% Recovery of Gold Achieved Over 46-day Leaching Period Head Grade Calculated at 1.9 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag; Extracted Grade Calculated at 1.2 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag Bulk Sample Only Included Coarse Fraction of Material (+3/4" to +1/8") Fine Fraction (-1/8") Indicates Rapid Recovery with Agitated Leach Agitated Bottle Roll Test Returned Rapid and High Recovery Results: 80% Recovery of Gold and 94% Recovery of Silver after Rapid 24-hour Retention Time Additional Metallurgical Studies: Gravity Recovery with Agitated Leach Results of Five Composite Samples Returned 95 to 99% Recovery of Gold 73 to 97% Recovery of Silver Includes the Recovery of 99% Au and 73% Ag from Drill Core Composite at 120-meter depth. Based on management's strong belief in the project's potential, the Company is outlining a permitting and operations strategy for a pilot facility at Pilar. The facility would underpin a robust test mine scenario with aims to process up to 50,000 tonnes of material. Timelines and budget are being prepared with the aim of moving forward with the development early in 2025. With gold prices hitting all-time highs, the Company believes the onsite test mine will provide key economic parameters and showcase the mineral potential of the area. In 2023, the Company completed an offsite bulk sample that produced important data showcasing the potential to recover both gold and silver through a variety of methods including heap leach, gravity and agitated leach (see August 22, 2023, news release for more details). About Tocvan Ventures Corp. Tocvan's advancing gold-silver projects are located in the mine-friendly jurisdiction of Sonora, Mexico. Through ongoing exploration programs, Company is unveiling the high-potential at its Gran Pilar Gold-Silver Project where it holds 100% interests in over 21 square kilometers of prospective area and a majority ownership (51%) in a one square kilometer area shared with Colibri Resources. The Company also holds 100% interest in the Picacho Gold-Silver project in the Caborca Trend of northern Sonora, a trend host to some of the major gold deposits of the region. Management feels both projects represent tremendous opportunity to create shareholder value. Tocvan has approximately 56 million shares outstanding. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Rock samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was analyzed using 50-gram nominal weight fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Over limits for gold (>10 g/t), were analyzed using fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver and other elements were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol. Soil Samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold and multi-element analysis of soils was completed by aqua regia digestion and ICP-MS finish using a 50-gram nominal weight. Over limit gold values greater than 1 g/t were re-assayed with a more robust aqua regia digestion ad ICP-MS finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising blank samples and certified reference materials were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol. Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO for Tocvan Ventures Corp. and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Offering. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to the speculative nature of the Company's business, the Company's formative stage of development and the Company's financial position. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For more information, please contact: TOCVAN VENTURES CORP. Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO 820-1130 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC V6E 4A4 Telephone: 1 888 772 2452 Email: ir@tocvan.ca STAY CONNECTED: LinkedIn: TOC LinkedIn X: TOC X Facebook: TOC Facebook YouTube: TOC YouTube Web: tocvan.com SOURCE: Tocvan Ventures Corp View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV: DYG) (FSE: D5G1) (OTC Pink: DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") is pleased to release additional drill results for its 2,673 meters drill program completed in 2024 at the Thundercloud property, located in the Archean Manitou-Stormy Lakes Greenstone belt, 47 kilometers southeast of Dryden in northwestern Ontario. The July drilling has successfully tested the extensions for the eastern limits of the defined mineralization in the Pelham Zone. Additional assays for 19.5 meters (120 to 139.5 meters) in hole DP24-02 were received, which combined with previous assays, returned 42m of 3.03 g/t Au within a broader zone of 94.5m of 1.61 g/t Au, 45m from surface, with consistent high-grade running between 5 to 8+ g/t Au and to up to 24.53 g/t Au (press release of September 23, 2024). See Table 1. Drilling in 2023 and 2024 confirmed an extension of gold mineralization to the east of the previously reported discovery hole (8.4 g/t of 73.5m) drilled in 2022 at Pelham. DP24-06 is a new discovery hole drilled in October 2024 in a new area, about 1 km south of the Pelham Resource (NI43-101 Resource Estimates published in January 2022) at the boundary of chargeability and magnetic highs. This significant step-out hole intersected 4.5 meters of 2.1 g/t Au and 1.5 meters at 3.02 g/t Au within a broader zone of 22.5m of 0.80 g/t Au, starting at 6 meters from surface, indicating the presence of shallow mineralization in the Contact Zone. See Figure 1. The nature of the intersected mineralization comprises strong structurally controlled pyrite veining similar to the early intercepts at Pelham Resource. "Dynasty is pleased to expand its footprint by 1 km to the south of the Pelham Resource and intersected encouraging near surface mineralization (6 meters) of up to 3.02 g/t. The Contact Zone appears to host similar mineralization as the Pelham Zone. The Pelham Zone has returned exceptional high-grade and long intercepts during 2022 to 2024 drilling. These initial results will aid in further investigative drilling in this new area. We are confident that this shallow mineralization can be considerably expanded with additional drilling," commented Roman Shklanka, a Director. "Dynasty continues to deliver impressive broad zones with high-grade intervals three years in a row at the Pelham Zone. This new mineralization discovery in the Contact Zone is an exciting new chapter for the Company. It opens up a large new mineralized area for exploration and resource expansion. The mineralization could be further expanded in all directions. We expect to launch a surface exploration program as soon as weather permits to follow up the targeted area for additional drilling to expand mineralization along strike in the Contact Zone," added Ivy Chong, President and CEO. Dynasty has completed approximately 7,400 meters of drilling at the Pelham Zone since 2022. The mineralization at Pelham is associated with pyritic veining within an east-west trending structural zone, surrounded by a halo of +1% disseminated and veinlet pyritic mineralization with associated gold grades of 1+ g/t Au extending along strike for several hundred meters to the east and west of the main mineralized zone, with a width of over 150 meters. The purpose of the three drill holes designed in the Contact Zone was to test for additional east-west trending structures associated with anomalous IP chargeability and surface rock chip assay results, which are potential repeats of the mineralization defined at Pelham. Similar pyritic vein mineralization to Pelham was intersected in all three of the holes with two of the holes returning intercepts with similar gold grades intersected in the extensive mineralized halo zones surrounding the high-grade mineralization at Pelham. The 2025 spring exploration program will consist of detailed surface mapping, soil and rock-chip sampling in the Contact Zone to better delineate the trend and extent of mineralization prior to initiating an exploration drill program to explore this target area. Table 1. Drill Intercepts Highlights from 2024 Phase 2 Drilling Hole Number East_NAD83 North_NAD83 From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) TC24-02 534280 5471386 45.0 139.5 94.5 1.61 Including: 97.5 139.5 42.0 3.03 109.5 114.0 4.5 9.28 TC24-06 534138 5470459 6.0 28.5 22.5 0.80 Including: 6.0 15.0 9.0 1.20 12.0 16.5 4.5 2.10 And 27.0 28.5 1.5 3.02 Core recovery was close to 100%. True width is unknown Figure 1. October 2024 and 2023 Drill Hole Locations To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7227/238062_209b886094484b9d_001full.jpg Quality Assurance & Quality Control Core was logged and sample intervals selected in Dynasty's core shack in Dryden, Ontario. It was securely transported and diamond sawed in the presence of the Company's consulting geologist, and personally delivered to the ALS Global Geochemistry Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dynasty used ALS Global for Au-AA23 gold fire assays and the ME-ICP61 33 multi-elements packages for the minor element analyses. OREAS standards, blanks and duplicates were inserted into the sample stream to check on the comparative accuracy of the gold assays received. Gold fire assays and 4-acid-dissolution geochem analyses were conducted on the samples at the ALS Global Geochemistry Laboratory in Vancouver, B.C., and all gold values higher than 10 g/t were re-assayed by using Au-GRA21 gravimetric fire assays. The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by E. Max Baker Ph.D. (F.AusIMM), Technical Director of the Company and a "Qualified Person" ("QP") as defined in National Instrument 43- 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Company has engaged Velocity Trade Capital Ltd. ("Velocity Trade") to provide market-making services to the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange"). Velocity Trade will manage trading of the Company's shares from time to time for the purposes of maintaining an orderly market and to reduce trading volatility and improving the liquidity of the Company's shares. The funding and securities required for these services undertaken will be provided by Velocity. In consideration for the services, Dynasty has agreed to pay Velocity Trade a monthly fee of $5,000 per month, and the agreement is from month to month, either party may terminate the agreement by providing the other with 30 days prior written notice of termination. Velocity Trade is a private and independent investment dealer headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It is registered for trading in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba. It is a member of the TMX, and of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). Velocity Trade and Dynasty are not related parties and have no other agreements other than the aforesaid. This engagement is subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Dynasty Gold Corp. Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America with projects located in the Manitou-Stormy Lake greenstone belt in Ontario and in the Midas gold camp in Nevada. The Company is currently advancing its Thundercloud gold resource in northwest Ontario. A NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report, dated Sept. 27, 2021, can be found on the Company's and SEDAR websites. The 100% owned Golden Repeat gold project in the Midas gold camp in Elko County, Nevada, is surrounded by a number of large-scale operating mines. For more information, please visit the Company's website www.dynastygoldcorp.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP. "Ivy Chong" _____________ Ivy Chong, President & CEO This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238062 SOURCE: Dynasty Gold Corp. BOSTON, MA and OXFORD, UK / ACCESS Newswire / January 22, 2025 / Preservica , a pioneer of Active Digital Preservation archiving, which applies intelligent, embedded and automated preservation to ensure always readable and trusted long-term data, is excited to announce the launch of the Preservica Academy . Delivering a flexible and comprehensive learning program, the Academy is designed to equip both newcomers and seasoned professionals with the skills and expertise needed to safeguard the accessibility and integrity of digital records into the future. The Academy focuses on practical, transferable skills in Active Digital Preservation , including how to automate preservation actions and how to make Digital Preservation an embedded part of everyday workflows. The aim is to empower participants to enhance their professional development, unlock new career opportunities and master the art of preserving digital records for the long-term. "Preservica Academy is designed for Digital Preservation professionals and newcomers to create tailored learning journeys that fit their schedules and career goals. It provides an accessible way to gain the expertise and the certification needed to thrive in a digital world, and hone the skills needed to ensure future-proofing & continued access to critical digital records," said Ben Crees, VP of Customer Success. Seasoned Digital Preservation & Librarian professional Joan Zwagerman, University Archivist at Buena Vista University welcomes the Academy with open arms, stating, "Preservica has been a lifesaver for my institution. I'm excited about the prospect of honing my digital skills in the Preservica Academy." Why Join the Preservica Academy? There are many benefits to joining the Preservica Academy, here are just a few of them: Accelerate Career Goals: Upskill in Digital Preservation and stand out in the field Develop Practical Expertise: Gain hands-on techniques that can be immediately applied Flexible Learning: Fit education around busy schedules with a self-paced approach Achieve Certification: Validate knowledge with certifications to enhance career prospects Tailored Certification Paths The Preservica Academy offers three certification paths, enabling participants to select a program that aligns with their experience and objectives: Preservica Academy - Fundamentals A certified, self-paced course introducing essential workflows and the fundamentals of Digital Preservation using Preservica's New Generation tools. Perfect for professionals building foundational skills or looking to standardize their approach. Preservica Academy - Associate This program expands on the Fundamentals course, offering training in advanced features like assigning security permissions, managing users, and setting up preservation policies. Ideal for professionals ready to accelerate their use of Preservica. Preservica Academy - Expert Designed for experienced users, this advanced course enables participants to master complex functionalities, including metadata management and automated workflows. Graduates of this track will be equipped to tackle large-scale preservation challenges with confidence. Preservica Mentor For anyone who achieves all three Academy programs and would like to share professional insights and experiences with your fellow archivist and Information Managers. In the coming months, Preservica will also be launching a new Academy program dedicated to Students studying towards their MA in History or Museums, or working towards an archival & records management certification. Take the Next Step in Your Digital Preservation Journey The Preservica Academy makes professional development flexible, accessible and helps you make a real impact. Whether you are just starting out in Digital Preservation or looking to deepen your expertise, the Academy provides the tools and knowledge needed to succeed. Enroll today in the Preservica Academy to accelerate your Digital Preservation skills and unlock new career opportunities with flexible, expert-led learning and certification tracks! About Preservica Preservica is changing the way thousands of organizations around the world protect and reuse long-term digital information. Preservica's unique Active Digital Preservation archiving software automatically keeps every file alive in future-friendly formats over decades to ensure that critical, high-value information can always be quickly found and actioned for FOI, compliance, legal, brand, knowledge reuse and cultural needs. The UK National Archives, Texas State Library and Archives, MoMA, Yale and HSBC are some of the leading corporations, archives, libraries, museums and government organizations around the world that trust their data protection and future-proofing to Preservica. For more information, visit https://preservica.com/ . Twitter: @Preservica LinkedIn: @Preservica Media Contact: Meg Fornataro York IE meg@york.ie SOURCE: Preservica View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire After an incredible debut in 2024, Ma Folie is heading into 2025 redefining what it means to create a one-of-a-kind engagement ring. Unlike big-name jewellery brands that only allow minimal customization, Ma Folie takes personalization to the next level. Clients have the opportunity to sit down with the founder herself, Cathy, to design a ring as unique as their love. Cathy's journey began with her own unique engagement ring - an oval pink sapphire that sparked a passion for gemstones. Inspired to celebrate individuality through jewellery, she left her corporate career, earned a GIA diploma, and founded Ma Folie to help others craft their perfect ring. A Truly Custom Experience At Ma Folie, the customization process goes beyond choosing a band or a gemstone. Cathy works closely with clients to craft every detail of their ring, from the shape and setting to the overall design. "Each ring we create is more than just jewellery; it's a reflection of the individual's style, story, and values," says Cathy. "It's an experience unlike any other." Clients can choose to meet with Cathy in her Vancouver studio or virtually. These consultations are intimate and collaborative, allowing clients to play an active role in bringing their dream ring to life. From selecting ethically sourced gemstones to approving design sketches, every step of the process is tailored to the client's vision. Milestones and Momentum 2024 marked Ma Folie's first official year of business, growing from selling out of cafes to hosting pop-ups in cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Victoria, and establishing a leased studio. The year also saw the launch of a Ready-to-Ship collection and over 300 client consultations. "The support and love we've received from our clients in 2024 have been incredible," Cathy shares. Rave Reviews and Happy Customers Despite being a new business, Ma Folie has already received dozens of glowing 5-star reviews. From the first consultation to the final reveal, customers describe the process as warm, collaborative, and stress-free. Cathy's knack for understanding each client's unique style and vision turns what could be an overwhelming process into something enjoyable and memorable. A Break from Tradition In an industry dominated by mass production, Ma Folie offers a boutique experience. Instead of a traditional showroom, each client is met with a personalized consultation, even if they're just browsing. Cathy caters to individual needs, showcasing specific stones requested and tailoring every interaction. Each ring is handcrafted in Vancouver by Ma Folie's goldsmith with over 25 years of experience, ensuring exceptional quality and attention to detail. Cathy's approach to design is a breath of fresh air for those seeking something truly unique and personal. Experience the Difference Ready to design your dream ring? Visit Ma Folie at www.mafoliegems.com to learn more or book a consultation. Discover why so many clients call their experience with Ma Folie "unforgettable." About Ma Folie Founded by Cathy in Vancouver, Ma Folie specializes in custom engagement rings with a focus on quality, uniqueness, and design. SOURCE: Ma Folie View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Data intelligence leader completes $10B Series J and closes additional $5.25B debt financing SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Databricks , the Data and AI company, today announced the final closing of its Series J funding. Existing investor QIA, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, along with new investors including Temasek and entities administered by Macquarie Capital, participated in the funding round, which values the company at $62 billion. In addition, Meta has joined as a new strategic investor. Databricks plans to invest this capital toward new AI products, acquisitions, and expansion of its international go-to-market operations. This capital is also expected to be used toward providing liquidity for current and former employees and paying related taxes. In addition to raising the $10 billion equity financing from some of the most well-known investors, Databricks closed a $5.25 billion credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase alongside Barclays, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, with participation from other leading financial institutions and alternative asset managers. The credit facility includes a $2.5 billion unfunded revolver and a $2.75 billion term loan. "We received overwhelming interest in this round from both new and existing investors and strategic partners who believe in our vision and market impact. These partners are focused on the long-term success of Databricks and our rapidly growing customer base," said Ali Ghodsi, Co-Founder and CEO of Databricks. "Organizations are modernizing their data and AI infrastructure because they recognize the immense potential of generative AI. Data intelligence is critical to both unlocking this potential and to helping enterprises reach their business goals." The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform democratizes access to data and AI, making it easier for organizations to harness the power of their data for analytics, machine learning, and AI applications. Built on an open source foundation, the platform enables organizations to drive innovation to increase revenue, lower costs, and reduce risk. Customers use the Data Intelligence Platform to find and treat diseases and cancer earlier, identify new ways to combat climate change, detect financial fraud, develop pharmaceuticals faster, reduce time to mental health intervention, decrease local financial inequality and much more. "We are excited to deepen our commitment to Databricks through this follow-on investment, underscoring our strong conviction in the company's leadership and strategic positioning," said Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QIA. "At QIA, we are expanding our exposure across the AI ecosystem and believe Databricks has become the leading platform within the AI infrastructure software space." About Databricks Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide - including Block, Comcast, Conde Nast, Rivian, Shell and over 60% of the Fortune 500 - rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to take control of their data and put it to work with AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark, Delta Lake and MLflow. To learn more, follow Databricks on X, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Press@databricks.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160675/Databricks_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/databricks-announces-15b-in-financing-to-attract-top-ai-talent-and-accelerate-global-expansion-302356899.html SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elegoo, a rapidly developing brand in global smart manufacturing, announces today the launch of the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, the latest addition to its line of advanced resin 3D printers. This new model builds on the success of the original Saturn 4 Ultra, Elegoo's best-selling resin printer of 2024, with even higher levels of precision and user-friendly features. Equipped with a 10-inch 16K Mono LCD screen, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K offers a 14 x 19 m XY resolution and 0.02 mm Z-axis accuracy, making it the perfect choice for industries and applications that demand exceptional accuracy, such as gaming, dentistry, and other sectors where fine detail is crucial. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K also combines excellent performance with user-friendly features, including a quick-release, non-slip design and a smart tank heating system that keeps resin at 30C for consistent print quality, even in low temperatures. These upgrades, based on user feedback, offer both ease of use and professional-grade capabilities. "This model represents the culmination of our latest innovations," says Chris Hong, Founder and CEO of Elegoo. "As a leader in resin 3D printing, our goal is to enhance the user experience and continue advancing our mission of making 3D printing technology accessible and beneficial for everyone." Faster, smarter printing with optimized performance The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K offers a printing speed of up to 150 mm/h and a build volume of 211.68 mm x 118.37 mm x 220 mm, ideal for both small and larger prints with remarkable accuracy. Like the original Saturn 4 Ultra, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K incorporates Elegoo's Tilt Release Technology. By tilting the resin tank, the model is peeled off from the release film rapidly, further enhancing the overall printing speed. For the first time, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K features a smart tank heating system that keeps the resin at a precise 30C. This ensures optimal fluidity and enhanced layer adhesion, minimizing defects such as bubbles and separation. The system improves print quality and significantly boosts success rates, particularly in low-temperature environments. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K also features smart sensors that detect residue and alert users to resin shortages or leveling issues, minimizing waste and ensuring a smoother printing experience. The integrated AI camera provides real-time monitoring and failure detection, while Wi-Fi cluster printing enables easy control of multiple printers, boosting productivity for large projects. Enhanced slicing experience with SatelLite The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is fully compatible with SatelLite, Elegoo's first slicing solution offering seamless resin printing with universal compatibility, supporting both Elegoo and other brands. With advanced EVO Support, SatelLite achieves over 90% success for support structures, operates twice as fast as other slicers, and provides free pro features like model repair and Boolean operations without ads or paywalls. Currently available for Windows, SatelLite ensures efficient, pro-grade slicing for any user. Mac compatibility is coming soon. For additional flexibility, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K also supports ChituBox, giving users the freedom to choose their preferred slicing software. Price and availability The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is available on the Elegoo's official store, priced at $519.99 USD in the US. For pricing information in the UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan, please visit our regional stores. About Elegoo Founded in 2015, Elegoo is a rapidly developing brand in the global smart manufacturing industry, specializing in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of consumer-grade 3D printers, laser engravers, STEM kits, and other smart technology products. Located in Shenzhen, the Silicon Valley of China, the company has sold millions of products across more than 90 countries and regions. In 2023, the company's total sales revenue reached approximately 200 million USD, with close to 700 employees and nearly 30,000 square meters of office and manufacturing area. With a focus on programming and 3D printing technology, Elegoo provides unique and smart creation spaces for diverse consumers to enhance personalized experiences. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603666/Elegoo_unveils_Saturn_4_Ultra_16K_marking_a_major_leap.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2461229/5128822/ELEGOO__1_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/elegoo-unveils-saturn-4-ultra-16k-a-major-leap-in-accuracy-and-user-experience-302357343.html Caregiver Leave Benefit to offer financially protected 10-day minimum leave to employees globally Primarily aimed to support the care of critically and terminally ill immediate family members Program to be introduced starting in 2025 on a market-by-market basis Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced the introduction of a Caregiver Leave Benefit as an additional family-friendly offering for employees of the company and its affiliates. The new global benefit includes a minimum of ten days of financially protected leave.1 This initiative builds on the recent rollout of the global Fertility Benefit at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and its affiliates, and advances the company's journey to provide an inclusive suite of benefits that support employees' holistic well-being. "At our company, we recognize the vital role that caregivers play and understand what is required of those who take this on, alongside the day-to-day care of their families and work responsibilities. We can't always anticipate when a loved one needs extraordinary care. Any of us could find ourselves in such a situation at a moment's notice, and we want to take at least one worry off our employees by giving them the opportunity to focus on their family during this challenging time. Our employees who become caregivers live our values, exhibiting courage, respect, and a strong sense of duty. It is critical, and part of our commitment as an employer, to ensure that employees are supported, together, with the loved ones they care for," said Belen Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "Our new Caregiver Leave Benefit is one more example of how we, at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and its affiliates, look holistically at our benefits offering to ensure the health and well-being of our employees no matter what stage they are in life," said Khadija Ben Hammada, Chief Human Resources Officer at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "I am proud that we are further expanding our range of benefits. This way, we can give employees more time, space, and financial support for moments that matter." The Caregiver Leave Benefit is intended for use by those caring for immediate family members who are critically or terminally ill. This includes but is not limited to parents, children, and partners. The new benefit is expected to be rolled out globally over the next twelve months on a market-by-market basis, designed locally to include and integrate with any existing leave benefits or regulatory requirements that support employees in their individual situation. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has a longstanding commitment to supporting caregivers and a close connection to this community through its Healthcare business. The 2017 launch of "Embracing Carers" for caregivers around the world opened an avenue to enhance support and resources, including training and upskilling to benefit caregivers and their loved ones. The award-winning global initiative, led by the Healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in collaboration with leading carer organizations around the world, seeks to increase awareness, discussion, and action about the often-overlooked needs of carers. The introduction of the global Caregiver Leave Benefit for the employees of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and its affiliates further reinforces the company's unwavering dedication to addressing the unmet needs of carers, placing a greater focus on improving carer health and wellness, and increasing awareness and support for them within healthcare systems around the globe. All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada, please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. Around 63,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices the company is everywhere. In 2023, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of 21 billion in 65 countries. The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark "Merck" internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company's technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. About Embracing Carers Embracing Carers is a global initiative founded by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates its businesses in the U.S. as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Electronics, in collaboration with leading carer organizations around the world, designed to increase awareness, discussion, and action about the often-overlooked needs of carers. Given that carers need support and often do not know where to turn for help, Embracing Carerswas created to fill that void. www.embracingcarers.com _________________________ 1 The local implementation of the Caregiver Leave Benefit will vary and will be carried out in accordance with the applicable, individual market regulations and legal requirements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122225006/en/ Contacts: Media Relations rachel.bloom-baglin@milliporesigma.com Phone: +1 978 436 1725 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Tenet Fintech Group Inc. (CSE: PKK) (OTCQB: PKKFF) ("Tenet" or the "Company"), an innovative analytics service provider, owner and operator of the Cubeler Business Hub, today announced that it has signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Bankeo ("Bankeo"), a platform that connects businesses and entrepreneurs with accounting specialists. Whether it's for tax reports, advice or catching up on bookkeeping, Bankeo's network of accounting specialists are available to help businesses find the right partner for their accounting needs. "This new alliance with Bankeo (https://www.bankeo.ca) is yet another example of our commitment to continue to bring value-added services to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) through the Cubeler Business Hub," commented Fredi Tasciyan, Director of Business Development at Cubeler. "With over 1,500 accounting specialists as part of its network, Bankeo has a proven track record of brining value to SMEs by helping thousands of them find the right professionals for all their accounting needs. We look forward to working with Bankeo to promote the virtues of the Business Hub to its network of accounting professionals and their thousands of SME clients," concluded Mr. Tasciyan. "Bankeo is all about bringing efficiency to help SMEs focus on what they do best, and so is the Cubeler Business Hub. That's why this partnership couldn't be a better fit," said Brian Bergeron, President of Bankeo. "Whether they land on the Bankeo platform or the Cubeler Business Hub, SMEs will instantly know that they have the ability to quickly be matched with the right accounting professionals and access a host of value-added services to help take their businesses to new heights, all without having to spend a dime. Everyone wins with this alliance, especially Canadian SMEs," added Mr. Bergeron. About Tenet Fintech Group Inc.: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. is the parent company of a group of innovative financial technology (Fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. All references to Tenet in this news release, unless explicitly specified, include Tenet and all its subsidiaries. Tenet's subsidiaries offer various analytics and AI-based products and services to businesses, capital markets professionals, government agencies and financial institutions either through or leveraging data gathered by the Cubeler Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. Please visit our website at: https://www.tenetfintech.com/. Follow Tenet Fintech Group Inc. on social media: X: @Tenet_Fintech Facebook: @Tenet LinkedIn: Tenet YouTube: Tenet Fintech Forward-looking information Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tenet to be materially different from the outlook or any future results, performance or achievements implied by such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, holding company with significant operations in China; general economic and business conditions, including factors impacting the Company's business in China such as pandemics and COVID-19; legislative and/or regulatory developments; Global Financial conditions, repatriation of profits or transfer of funds from China to Canada, operations in foreign jurisdictions and possible exposure to corruption, bribery or civil unrest; actions by regulators; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; timing and completion of capital programs; liquidity and capital resources, negative operating cash flow and additional funding, dilution from further financing; financial performance and timing of capital; and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by Tenet with securities regulators in Canada. Reference should also be made to Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) in Tenet's annual and interim reports, Annual Information Form, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available via the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) under Tenet's profile at www.sedarplus.ca, for a description of major risk factors relating to Tenet. Although Tenet has attempted to identify certain factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238074 SOURCE: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Quantum eMotion Corp. (TSXV: QNC) (OTCQB: QNCCF) (FSE: 34Q0) ("QeM" or the "Corporation"), announces groundbreaking results for its state-of-the-art quantum-based hardware wallet, designed to revolutionize security in blockchain and cryptocurrency transactions. Recent studies highlight that this innovative solution reduces the risk of monetary loss by up to 98% compared to conventional hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets. Announced last July, the wallet leverages Quantum eMotion's proprietary Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG) technology and an intelligent key generation scheme, ensuring optimal performance for commercial blockchain applications. It provides a cost-effective and compact solution by reusing hardware components for generating both parent and child keys, thus reducing costs and complexity. An advanced resetting mechanism enhances protection against brute-force attacks and privilege escalation by regenerating master private keys with new quantum random numbers. In collaboration with ETS (Ecole de technologie superieure, Montreal, Canada) researchers M. Shabir, K. Zhang, G. Gagnon, and Bertrand Reulet from the University of Sherbrooke, QeM's design has been rigorously evaluated and published in Springer Nature: Qaas: hybrid cryptocurrency wallet-as-a-service based on Quantum RNG*. The hybrid Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) wallet integrates QRNG-powered key generation with deep learning algorithms to optimize key scheme selection based on user behavior. This approach ensures robust security and balances efficiency and memory utilization. Successfully implemented for Ethereum transactions, the QaaS wallet demonstrates outstanding enhanced security and operational performance without additional memory demands. Our QaaS wallet represents a significant leap forward in blockchain security and usability," said Francis Bellido, CEO of Quantum eMotion. "By combining quantum technology with intelligent system design, we are setting new standards for protecting digital assets." *https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10586-024-04885-7 About QeM The Company's mission is to address the growing demand for affordable hardware and software security for connected devices. QeM has become a pioneering force in classical and quantum cybersecurity solutions thanks to its patented Quantum Random Number Generator, a security solution that exploits the built-in unpredictability of quantum mechanics and promises to provide enhanced protection for high-value assets and critical systems. The Company intends to target highly valued Financial Services, Healthcare, Blockchain Applications, Cloud-Based IT Security Infrastructure, Classified Government Networks and Communication Systems, Secure Device Keying (IOT, Automotive, Consumer Electronics) and Quantum Cryptography. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in the Corporation's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Quantum from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238071 SOURCE: Quantum eMotion Corp. Czechia installed 967 MW of solar in 2024, driven by residential and commercial and industrial (C&I) projects, which accounted for 930 MW of the total, says the Czech Solar Association (Solarni Asociace). Czechia added at least 967 MW of solar in 2024, according to data from Solarni Asociace. The result builds on the 484 MW that were installed in Czechia during the first six months of 2024 and falls in line with installation figures from 2023, when 970 MW were deployed. Jan Krcmar, executive director of the association, told pv magazine the final figure could be around 1 GW when off-grid systems ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Launched with a $15 million grant, the Catholic Sisters' Elder Care Fund will support a global approach to address the needs of aging Catholic sisters The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced the creation of The Anna Trust, a new nonprofit organization in Rome that supports a healthy, dignified aging process for Catholic sisters worldwide. A $15 million grant will establish the trust, with an emphasis on aging sisters living in underserved communities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122474870/en/ Sister Consolata Matilda Mwewa and Sister Rose Nyondo at the elderly care facility in Kasisi, Lusaka, Zambia. (Photo: Business Wire) The announcement comes as the Hilton Foundation's board of directors visits the Vatican during the start of the Holy Year of Jubilee. The board also met with Pope Francis to commend him for his support of Catholic sisters' ministry and leadership. Pope Francis' commitment to the most vulnerable and concern for the elderly were motivating forces to create The Anna Trust: Catholic Sisters' Elder Care Fund. In May 2024, the Hilton Foundation collaborated with the International Union of Superiors General an organization of women Superiors General in the Catholic Church to create The Anna Trust. This grant will make the goals of the trust a reality, with increased capacity to build infrastructure, make sub-grants, conduct workshops, and engage in research and evaluation of the effort. "My grandfather, Conrad N. Hilton, had profound respect and admiration for the Catholic sisters, who work tirelessly to transform the lives of children, youth and families living in disadvantaged conditions," said Linda Hilton, chair of the board of directors at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. "The Hilton Foundation's Catholic Sisters initiative enthusiastically continues his legacy by supporting strong and sustainable congregations, effective services and collaboration among Catholic sisters worldwide. We have also taken to heart Pope Francis' encouragement to honor the wisdom of elderly people. The Hilton Foundation is proud to announce the launch of The Anna Trust, which is dedicated to the goal of sisters aging with dignity after a lifetime of service to others." Other funding partners in The Anna Trust include the Hilton Fund for Sisters and the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Anna Trust will support solutions for aging Catholic sisters Around the world, Catholic sisters are aging, with most congregations lacking financial, mental and physical preparedness to support elderly members. Research supported by the Hilton Foundation shows that in the United States, where 80% of sisters are over 70 years old, the vast majority of congregations are not prepared to care for their aging sisters. In Asia, Latin America and Africa, the Foundation supported the creation of three research centers and six elder care networks. The lessons from these grants highlight the urgency of significantly increasing support to care for the holistic needs of elderly sisters across the globe. The Hilton Foundation is the largest financial supporter of the Catholic sisters' work globally. Since its inception in 1944, the Foundation has approved over $614 million in grants through its Catholic Sisters initiative to more than 300 organizations in 30 countries. A primary focus is on programs that support sisters and their congregations to ensure sisters age with dignity and have a high-quality life after a lifetime of service. "Sisters spend their whole lives faithfully serving others. As sisters enter their twilight years, they should be cared for with the utmost dignity and compassion," said Sister Jane Wakahiu, associate vice president, program operations and head of the Catholic Sisters initiative at the Hilton Foundation. "The Anna Trust has been a labor of love and my vision for the last decade. I am filled with joy that this entity has finally come into fruition." "Creation of The Anna Trust plants a global exclamation point on the importance of guaranteeing dignity as sisters age," said Sister Patricia Murray, executive secretary of the International Union of Superiors General and chair of the board of The Anna Trust. "It also underscores the broader commitment of the Church and of consecrated life to the elderly in an aging world." Recognizing the depth of the challenges and the lack of a coordinated funding response, the Hilton Foundation laid the groundwork for the development of a collaborative grantmaking entity. In its first five years, The Anna Trust will: Develop and implement a robust operational framework that supports its mission; Fund 100 grants that support 10,000 sisters, with an emphasis on underserved geographies; Educate 5,000 sisters in training modules that address the needs of congregations in elder care; Launch a longitudinal study to document the impact of grantmaking on sisters' mental health, physical health and spirituality; and Raise an additional $15 million in co-funding to support an endowment and operational costs. The Anna Trust will be led by Executive Director Susan Raymond, Ph.D., who has led nonprofits and foundations globally and is widely published on the health system and finance issues associated with global demographic aging. "We have taken the first steps on a long road," Raymond said. "The Anna Trust is focused on solutions that will ensure dignity for elderly sisters who have given their lives to the poor. It is our sacred trust to give back to them our very best efforts to protect their futures and the future of all elderly persons." About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grantmaking foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Today, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to ensure healthy early childhood development and sustainable livelihoods for youth and refugee populations, support young people transitioning out of foster care, improve access to housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness, identify solutions to safe water access, and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world's largest, with approximately $7 billion in assets. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $3.2 billion worldwide, and $290 million in 2023. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122474870/en/ Contacts: Flavia Draganus, 347-556-5973 TraceLink recognized for advancing digitalization and orchestration in the pharmacy supply chain, ensuring safe and timely access to medications BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink , the largest end-to-end digital network platform for intelligent supply chain orchestration, is honored to be named to the Pharmacy500 list for the second year in a row, recognizing 500 organizations that have made a significant impact on the U.S. pharmacy industry over the past year. "As regulations like the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) reshape the industry, our focus remains on empowering our customers with transformative solutions that ensure compliance, enhance safety, and drive operational excellence," said Shabbir Dahod, President and CEO of TraceLink. "This recognition reflects the trust that our growing digital network community places in TraceLink to help navigate the complexities of the modern supply chain while delivering impactful results to patients." TraceLink specializes in a comprehensive suite of platform services that address key challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, including DSCSA compliance, track-and-trace orchestration, pharmacy and supply chain inventory visibility, and targeted product recall identification. Furthermore, with the recent launch of OPUS, the Orchestration Platform for Universal Solutions, democratized access to end-to-end supply chain integration and orchestration is finally available for customers and trading partners that wish to propel their supply chain management function to new heights of innovation and efficiency. Gregory Cianfarani, RPh, Founder and CEO of RXinsider, established the Pharmacy500 to honor companies and organizations that are making a meaningful impact on the pharmaceutical industry. According to Cianfarani, the award "celebrates those companies that are transforming the pharmacy landscape - whether by driving operational efficiencies or advancing exceptional patient care." In 2024, TraceLink welcomed more than 75 new pharmacy logos to its network, bringing the total number of pharmacy customers to more than 410. This growth reflects a strong demand for TraceLink's innovative solutions, which are helping pharmacies streamline operations and ensure compliance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. This impressive expansion showcases the widespread adoption of TraceLink's solutions, as customers in the pharmaceutical supply chain industry continue to turn to the platform to enhance efficiency and navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. With the Magnum release of the OPUS platform earlier this year, TraceLink set a new standard for compliance, supply chain integrity, and process optimization. This milestone innovation solidified TraceLink's position as a leader in the industry, earning its well-deserved recognition among the top organizations driving transformation in the pharmacy supply chain. To learn more about TraceLink solutions, visit: https://www.tracelink.com/ . About Rxinsider: Headquartered in West Warwick, Rhode Island, RXinsider is a pharmacist-founded marketing/communications (MARCOM) and market intelligence (INTEL) company focused on pharmacy operations and the companies supporting dispensing pharmacies. Through our publications, digital platforms, market research, and training resources, RXinsider educates pharmacy management and industry professionals on the products, services, and trends that impact pharmacy operations across the supply chain. About TraceLink TraceLink Inc. is the largest end-to-end intelligent supply chain platform for life sciences and healthcare, enabling end-to-end orchestration by connecting more than 291,000 healthcare and life sciences entities through its B2N Integrate-Once network. Leading businesses trust TraceLink to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility, and traceability of healthcare products, ensuring that every patient gets the medicines they need when needed, safely and securely. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1004729/TraceLink_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tracelink-named-to-the-2025-rxinsider-pharmacy500-list-for-excellence-in-pharmacy-supply-chain-innovation-302356574.html Unprecedented Milestones and Industry Recognition Define 2024 GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- inCruises celebrated its 9th anniversary this month by highlighting extraordinary, record-breaking achievements in 2024. Cementing its position as the world's fastest-growing subscription-based travel membership club, the company proudly announced that over 108,000 passengers booked cruises through inCruises in 2024-an all-time high. Additionally, Members collectively saved more than $33 million USD this year on cruises and hotels compared to publicly available prices, further solidifying the club's value proposition. "These results are a testament to the dedication of our Partners, the trust of our Members, and the passion of our entire corporate team," said Michael Hutchison, CEO and Co-Founder of inGroup. "This year's accomplishments have set a new benchmark, paving the way for even greater impact in the years to come." In 2024, inCruises welcomed over 260,000 new Members and onboarded more than 55,000 new Partners. The community of referring Partners also earned record-breaking income, reflecting the strength of inCruises' business model. "We continue to innovate and deliver unparalleled value to our Members and Partners while exceeding our financial targets," said Anthony Varvaro, COO and CFO of inGroup. "In addition, we introduced transformative upgrades to our Membership and Partnership programs, fueling exciting momentum and positioning us for sustained growth." inCruises continued to earn recognition across the industry, receiving multiple Magellan Awards in 2024. The company also strengthened its role as a valuable partner for cruise lines seeking to expand in global markets. MSC Cruises honored inCruises by naming it the "Best Producer in Central Asia" and awarding the "Over the Top FIT in New Emerging Markets" distinction. Costa Cruises similarly recognized inCruises with the prestigious "Over the Top Award in International Markets." "Our long-standing collaboration with inCruises has been a cornerstone of our mission to bring the joy of cruising to life and connect people with the beauty and culture the world has to offer," said Dario Rustica, General Manager, North and South America, Costa Cruises. "Together, we've built a partnership that exceeds expectations, creating unique value that only inCruises can deliver." With record-breaking results, enhanced programs, and growing industry recognition, inCruises' 9th anniversary celebrates a remarkable year of progress and sets the stage for even greater achievements ahead. About inGroup International and inCruises inCruises is a division of inGroup International and one of the world's largest subscription-based travel clubs. Since launching in 2016, inCruises has added more than one million Members and Partners from more than 200 countries and territories. inStays was added in 2022, giving Members access to nearly 200,000 cruises, hotels, and resort offers. inCruises Club Members can earn Reward Points, which they can use to book cruises, hotels, and resorts through the inCruises website, which supports 17 languages. inGroup is making a measurable difference in its Club Members' lives and provides a world-class business to its growing Partner team. inCruises Club Membership grows exclusively through independent referring Partners who can earn compensation by sharing the exclusive Membership advantages with others. At the World Economic Forum (WEF), Jeff Rowe, CEO of Syngenta Group, presented the five key trends in AI that will define agriculture in 2025. During a panel discussion at Bloomberg House on the topic "From Soil to Silicon: How Advanced Technologies are Cultivating the Future of Sustainable Ag", he outlined how 2025 will mark the first year AI truly revolutionizes agriculture from lab to field. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122202039/en/ Syngenta Group CEO Jeff Rowe discusses the key trends in AI set to revolutionize agriculture with Salesforce Executive Vice President Chief Impact Officer Suzanne DiBianca in Davos. (Photo: Business Wire) The five key trends in AI identified by Syngenta are: AI in R&D: Today at Syngenta, all research projects utilize machine learning models to identify novel active ingredients for synthetic and biological products. AI in the Field: The introduction of AI-driven systems for reliably monitoring and predicting soil health, enabling high-resolution soil nutrient, texture, and carbon maps for growers. AI in Farmers' Hands: GenAI-enabled digital tools acting as agronomic advisors to help farmers determine optimal crop management practices. AI in Pest Management: Precision agriculture and data-driven decision-making solutions supporting farmers by targeting crop protection products only to infested areas. AI in Supply Chain Management: Demand forecasting, market prediction, and the reduction of overproduction and waste to optimize logistics and improve efficiency. Jeff Rowe, CEO of Syngenta Group, stated: "AI and digital tools are revolutionizing farming and sustainable practices. Advanced monitoring systems integrate satellite imagery, drones, and soil maps to enable precise crop management. Predictive analytics, powered by AI and machine learning, provide farmers with actionable insights, transforming reactive practices into proactive strategies." The global AgriTech market, valued at $24.19 billion in 2023, is expected to reach $54.17 billion by 2029 according to a recent report by AgriTech Market analysis. The global market for AI in agriculture is projected to grow from $1.7 billion in 2023 to $4.7 billion by 2028 as estimated in a recent market analysis, underscoring the significant economic potential of these technologies. A WEF report estimates that digital agriculture could boost the agricultural GDP of low- and middle-income countries by $450 billion annually. During the panel discussion with Suzanne DiBianca, Executive Vice President Chief Impact Officer at Salesforce, both panelists emphasized the critical need for collaboration among policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders to reduce financial and technical barriers for farmers adopting technology. The synergy between digital technologies and sustainable farming empowers farmers to tackle climate change while improving productivity. By integrating regenerative practices with cutting-edge technology, the agricultural sector is paving the way for a resilient food system that benefits both people and the planet, the speakers concluded. *Please visit Bloomberg Live to view a recording of the session. About Syngenta Group Syngenta Group is one of the world's biggest agricultural innovation companies, employing 60,000 people in more than 100 countries. Syngenta Group is focused on developing technologies and farming practices that empower farmers, so they can make the transformation required to feed the world's population while preserving our planet. Syngenta Group's bold scientific discoveries deliver better benefits for farmers and society on a bigger scale than ever before. Guided by its Sustainability Priorities, Syngenta Group supports farmers to grow healthier plants in healthier soil with a higher yield. Syngenta Group, which is registered in Shanghai, China, and has its management headquarters in Switzerland, draws strength from its four business units: Syngenta Crop Protection, headquartered in Switzerland; Syngenta Seeds, headquartered in the United States; ADAMA, headquartered in Israel; and Syngenta Group China. To find out more about how our innovation is empowering farmers around the world, read our articles on the Stories section of our Syngenta Group website. For Syngenta Group photos and videos, please visit the Syngenta Group Media Library. Data protection is important to us. You are receiving this publication on the legal basis of Article 6 para 1 lit. f GDPR ("legitimate interest"). However, if you do not wish to receive further information about Syngenta Group, just send us a brief informal message and we will no longer process your details for this purpose. You can also find further details in our privacy statement. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as "expect," "would," "will," "potential," "plans," "prospects," "estimated," "aiming," "on track" and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta Group, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or grain prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta Group assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122202039/en/ Contacts: Media Relations media@syngentagroup.com REDDING, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report titled, 'Risk Management Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Offering (Solutions, Services), Deployment Mode (Cloud-based, On-premises), Organization Size (Large, Small & Medium-sized), Application, End-use Industry, Geography - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast to 2031. The risk management market is expected to reach $52.7 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2024 to 2031. Download FREE PDF Brochure Of Risk Management Market - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=6091 Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential threats or uncertainties that could impact an organization's objectives. It involves analyzing risks, prioritizing them based on their likelihood and potential impact, and implementing strategies to minimize, monitor, or transfer these risks. The growth of this market is driven by increasing cybersecurity concerns and data breaches, as well as the rising adoption of risk management solutions among financial institutions. However, the high cost of risk management solutions restrain the market's growth. Additionally, the digital transformation of businesses and the growing demand for real-time risk assessment and monitoring present significant growth opportunities for market players. However, the shortage of skilled professionals and increasing concerns about data privacy and protection are some of the challenges affecting market growth. Get Insightful Data On Regions, Market Segments, Customer Landscape, And Top Companies (Charts, Tables, Figures And More) - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-sample-report/cp_id=6091 Furthermore, the integration of AI and machine learning (ML) in risk management software, along with the rising demand for customized risk management solutions tailored to specific industries, are key trends in this market. Key Players: Some of the major players studied in this report are International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Verisk Analytics, Inc. (U.S.), SAS Institute Inc. (U.S.), Moody's Analytics, Inc. (A Part of Moody's Corporation) (U.S.), AxiomSL, Inc. (U.S.), LexisNexis Risk Solutions (A Part of RELX Group plc) (U.S.), Provenir Inc. (U.S.), Fidelity National Information Services Inc (U.S.), RSA Security LLC (U.S.), Qualys, Inc. (U.S.), Thomson Reuters Corporation (Canada), LogicManager, Inc. (U.S.). The global Risk Management market is segmented by offering (solutions (extract, transform & load (ETL) tools, governance, risk, and compliance software, risk calculation engine, scorecard and visualization tools, risk monitoring and strategic planning, and other solutions), services (professional services, managed services), deployment mode (cloud-based, on-premises), organization size (large enterprises, small & medium-sized enterprises), application (financial risk management, compliance risk management, cybersecurity risk management, enterprise risk management, operational risk management, other applications), and end-use industry (BFSI, IT & telecommunications, healthcare, retail & e-commerce, government & defense, energy & utilities, aerospace, manufacturing, transport & logistics, other end-use industries). This study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes the regional and country-level markets. Key Findings in the Risk Management Market Study: Among the offerings studied in this report, the services segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Managed risk management services involve outsourcing tasks such as continuous risk monitoring, threat detection, compliance management, and strategic risk planning to specialized providers. This segment's growth is driven by several factors, including the growing adoption of outsourcing to reduce operational costs, rising demand for 24/7 monitoring and expertise, limited in-house risk management capabilities, and the need for scalability and flexibility in managing diverse risks. Have Specific Research Needs? Request a Customized Research Report - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-customization/cp_id=6091 Key Findings in the Risk Management Market By Offering: In 2024, the Solutions Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the Solutions Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Deployment Mode: In 2024, the Cloud-based Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the Cloud-based Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Organization Size: In 2024, the Large Enterprises Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the Large Enterprises Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Application: In 2024, the Financial Risk Management Segment is Expected to Dominate the Global Risk Management Market In 2024, the Financial Risk Management Segment is Expected to Dominate the Global Risk Management Market By End-use Industry: In 2024, the BFSI Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the BFSI Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Geography: North America to Dominate Risk Management in 2024 Risk Management Industry Overview: Latest Developments from Key Industry Players In June 2024, USI Insurance Services (U.S.) launched PATH, a proprietary technology-enabled risk control platform. The new platform leverages industry-specific benchmark data to generate tailored risk control solutions. With PATH, businesses can access a leading-edge technology platform designed to address gaps in their risk management programs through a guided, analytics-driven experience that pairs risk management solutions with individual loss drivers to enable a streamlined, cost-effective decision-making process. In October 2023, IBM Corporation (U.S.) launched the next evolution of its managed detection and response service offerings with new AI technologies, including the ability to automatically escalate, helping to accelerate security response timelines for clients. The new threat detection and response services (TDR) provide 24x7 monitoring, investigation, and automated remediation of security alerts from all relevant technologies across the client's hybrid cloud environments. In June 2022, SAS Institute Inc. (U.S.), a global leader in AI and analytics, acquired Kamakura Corporation (U.S.), a global financial software company that specializes in software and data for risk management in banking, insurance, and investment businesses. Among the deployment modes studied in this report, the cloud-based segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Cloud-based risk management solutions offer scalability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, making them ideal for businesses of all sizes. This segment's growth is fueled by factors such as the increasing adoption of cloud technologies, demand for remote accessibility, cost efficiency compared to on-premises solutions, growth of SaaS platforms, and improved data security features provided by cloud providers. Among the organization sizes studied in this report, the small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's growth is driven by factors including greater awareness of the importance of risk management, the affordability of cloud-based solutions, rising cybersecurity threats, government initiatives promoting SME digitization, and competitive pressures to enhance business resilience. Among the applications studied in this report, the cybersecurity risk management segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's growth is driven by factors such as the rising frequency of cyberattacks, increased adoption of IoT and connected devices, stringent data protection regulations, the growth of remote work environments, and the ongoing digitalization across industries. Among the end-use industries studied in this report, the BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's growth is driven by increasing regulatory mandates, rising cases of financial fraud, growing use of advanced analytics in risk assessment, expansion of digital banking, and a strong focus on maintaining customer trust and data security. Among the regions studied in this report, Asia-Pacific is poised to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this regional market is driven by rising awareness of risk management practices across industries, the increasing adoption of risk management solutions in response to the rising sophistication of cyberattacks, and the rapid digitalization of businesses in the region. These trends are driving the need for advanced risk management strategies to address evolving threats and ensure operational continuity. IMMEDIATE DELIVERY AVAILABLE | BUY THIS RESEARCH REPORT (Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures and More) - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/15757101 Scope of the Report: Risk Management Market Assessment-by Offering Solutions Extract, Transform & Load (ETL) Tools Governance, Risk, and Compliance Software Risk Calculation Engine Scorecard and Visualization Tools Risk Monitoring and Strategic Planning Other Solutions Services Professional Services Managed Services Risk Management Market Assessment-by Deployment Mode Cloud-based On-premises Risk Management Market Assessment-by Organization Size Large Enterprises Small & Medium-sized Enterprises Risk Management Market Assessment-by Application Financial Risk Management Compliance Risk Management Cybersecurity Risk Management Enterprise Risk Management Operational Risk Management Other Applications Risk Management Market Assessment-by End-use Industry BFSI IT & Telecommunications Healthcare Retail & E-commerce Government & Defense Energy & Utilities Aerospace Manufacturing Transport & Logistics Other End-use Industries Risk Management Market Assessment-by Geography North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Netherlands Sweden Switzerland Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Switzerland Indonesia Singapore Rest of Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC) Latin America Mexico Brazil Rest of Latin America (RoLATAM) Middle East & Africa Israel UAE Saudi Arabia Rest of Middle East & Africa (RoMEA) Related Reports: Cybersecurity Market by Offering (Solutions, Services), Security Type (Network Security, Cloud Security, Endpoint Security), Organization Size, Deployment Mode, Sector (BFSI, Retail & E-commerce, Healthcare) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2031 - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/cybersecurity-market-5069 Cybersecurity-as-a-Service Market by Application (Network Security, Cloud Security, Endpoint Security, Application Security), Organization Size, Sector (BFSI, IT & Telecommunications, Retail, Healthcare), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030 - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/cybersecurity-as-a-service-market-5506 Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Market by Component (Solutions, Services), Organization Size, Deployment Mode, Business Function (Legal & Compliance, Operation Management), Sector (Healthcare) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030 - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/enterprise-governance-risk-and-compliance-market-5702 Patient Safety And Risk Management Software Market - Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast (2017-2022) - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/patient-safety-and-risk-management-software-market-global-forecast-to-2022-2375 Risk Management Market Research Summary Particulars Details Number of Pages 300 Format PDF Forecast Period 2024-2031 Base Year 2023 CAGR (Value) 14.3 % Market Size (Value) USD 52.7 Billion by 2031 Segments Covered By Offering Solutions Extract, Transform & Load (ETL) Tools Governance, Risk, and Compliance Software Risk Calculation Engine Scorecard and Visualization Tools Risk Monitoring and Strategic Planning Other Solutions Services Professional Services Managed Services By Deployment Mode Cloud-based On-premises By Organization Size Large Enterprises Small & Medium-sized Enterprises By Application Financial Risk Management Compliance Risk Management Cybersecurity Risk Management Enterprise Risk Management Operational Risk Management Other Applications By End-use Industry BFSI IT & Telecommunications Healthcare Retail & E-commerce Government & Defense Energy & Utilities Aerospace Manufacturing Transport & Logistics Other End-use Industries Countries Covered North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia & New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, and Rest of Latin America), and Middle East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Rest of Middle East & Africa) Key Companies IBM Corporation (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Verisk Analytics (U.S.), SAS Institute Inc (U.S.), Moody's Analytics, Inc. (U.S.), AxiomSL, Inc. (U.S.), LexisNexis Risk Solutions (U.S.), Provenir (U.S.), Fidelity National Information Services Inc (U.S.), RSA Security LLC (U.S.), Qualys, Inc. (U.S.), Thomson Reuters (Canada), LogicManager, Inc. (U.S.) About Meticulous Research Pvt. Ltd. We are a trusted research partner for leading businesses worldwide, empowering Fortune 500 organizations and emerging enterprises with market intelligence designed to drive revenue transformation and strategic growth. Our insights reveal future growth opportunities, equipping clients with a competitive edge through a versatile suite of research solutions-including syndicated reports, custom research, and direct analyst engagement. Each year, we conduct over 300 syndicated studies and manage 60+ consulting engagements across eight major sectors and 20+ geographic markets, all to deliver targeted business insights that help our clients lead in a rapidly evolving global market. With a strong focus on problem-solving for complex business challenges, our research enables organizations to navigate change with assertion, aligning it with strategic pathways for sustainable growth. By identifying innovative and effective solutions, we empower leaders to make impactful decisions that drive operational excellence and fuel innovation. We are committed to crafting insights that enhance business performance and help our clients unlock new revenue opportunities, positioning them for long-term success in the competitive global marketplace. Contact: Meticulous Market Research Pvt.Ltd. 1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S. USA: +1-646-781-8004 Europe: +44-203-868-8738 APAC: +91 744-7780008 Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Meticulousblog.org | Top Market Research Reports Blog - https://meticulousblog.org/ Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/1327/risk-management-market Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1757980/Meticulous_Research_Logo_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/risk-management-market-to-reach-52-7-billion-by-2031---exclusive-report-by-meticulous-research-302357172.html DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Oligonucleotide CDMO Market, valued at US$2.33 billion in 2023, is forecasted to grow at a robust CAGR of 21.8%, reaching US$2.51 billion in 2024 and an impressive US$6.73 billion by 2029. Rising outsourcing of development and manufacturing to CDMOs and growing focus on precision/personalized medicine are some of the factors driving the market's growth. Furthermore, the rising focus on the development and commercialization of oligo-based therapeutics are increasing the demand for oligonucleotide CDMO, further boosting the market's growth in coming years. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=227700087 Browse in-depth TOC on "Oligonucleotide CDMO Market" 270 - Tables 56 - Figures 254 - Pages Based on the service types, the global oligonucleotide CDMO market is divided into contract development, contract manufacturing, and other services. The contract manufacturing segment is expected to dominate the oligonucleotide CDMO market, fueled by the increasing need for large-scale, cGMP-compliant production of oligonucleotide APIs for clinical and commercial applications. CDMOs equipped with advanced solid-phase synthesis platforms, high-throughput purification technologies, and automated fill-finish systems are critical to meeting the growing demand for ASOs, siRNAs, and mRNA-based therapeutics. Moreover, stringent regulatory requirements and the complexity of scaling production ensure that pharmaceutical companies rely heavily on CDMOs to deliver high-purity, scalable, and globally compliant manufacturing solutions, solidifying this segment's market leadership. Contract manufacturing is further segmented into clinical and commercial stages. The commercial segment is estimated to dominate the oligonucleotide CDMO market, driven by the growing number of FDA-approved oligonucleotide-based therapeutics and expanding indications across chronic diseases and oncology. This segment benefits from large-scale manufacturing demand for late-phase clinical trials and market-ready APIs, necessitating robust cGMP production capabilities. Advanced delivery systems, such as lipid nanoparticles for mRNA-based therapies, further drive commercial adoption. CDMOs offering scalable synthesis platforms, high-purity purification processes, and regulatory expertise are increasingly critical for supporting commercial supply chains and ensuring global compliance, solidifying the segment's leadership. Based on applications, the global oligonucleotide CDMO market is segmented into therapeutic applications, diagnostic applications, and research applications. The therapeutic applications segment dominated the oligonucleotide CDMO market in 2023, driven by the surge in oligonucleotide-based drug approvals targeting genetic disorders, oncology, and rare diseases. Advances in delivery platforms, such as lipid nanoparticle encapsulation, enhance the clinical efficacy of these molecules, while cGMP-compliant manufacturing ensures regulatory adherence. The rising adoption of oligonucleotides in personalized medicine further cements this segment's leading role in the market. The market is segmented by region into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. In the year 2023, the Asia Pacific region registered the highest CAGR in the oligonucleotide CDMO market. North America dominated the oligonucleotide CDMO market, driven by its advanced pharmaceutical infrastructure, high concentration of biotechnology firms, and substantial R&D investments in oligonucleotide therapeutics. The region benefits from a robust regulatory framework supporting innovation and expedited drug approvals for antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), siRNAs, and mRNA-based therapies. Additionally, the presence of leading CDMOs offering cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, such as automated synthesis and high-throughput purification, enables North America to meet the growing demand for clinical and commercial-scale production. Strategic collaborations and government funding further solidify the region's leadership in this market. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=227700087 The market for oligonucleotide CDMO market is consolidated, with key players strategizing to capture most of the market. Prominent players in the oligonucleotide CDMO market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), Lonza (Switzerland), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), Kaneka Eurogentec S.A. (Belgium), Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Japan), Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services Ltd. (India), Bachem (Switzerland), Syngene International Limited (India), PolyPeptide Group (Switzerland), WuXi AppTec (China), EUROAPI (France), Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg), GenScript (US), and Danaher Corporation (US) among others. The market players have adopted various strategies such as the development of advanced products, partnerships, contracts, expansions, and acquisitions to strengthen their position in the oligonucleotide CDMO market. Bachem is one of key players and well-established companies operating in the Oligo CDMO market. The company is mainly focused on commercial manufacturing of oligonucleotide API and is expected to grow in the oligonucleotide contract manufacturing market. The company focuses on oligonucleotides and peptides molecules. This makes the company a specialized CDMO in oligonucleotide manufacturing. Bachem collaborates with major pharma biotech companies focusing on oligonucleotide and peptide-based therapeutics development to maintain and enhance its position in the market. The company's manufacturing capabilities, technologically advanced facilities, and regulatory compliance attract end users. For example, in April 2022, Bachem and Lilly signed a collaboration to develop and manufacture oligonucleotide-based drug substances. Agilent Technologies, Inc. is one of the key players operating in the oligonucleotide Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) market. Agilent offers a wide range of CDMO services for oligonucleotides, such as custom oligonucleotide synthesis, process development and optimization, analytical method development and validation, and large-scale manufacturing for clinical and commercial applications. The company's comprehensive service portfolio, manufacturing capabilities, strong brand recognition and geographic presence are some of the key factors for its strong strategic position in the market. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is one of the top key players operating in the oligonucleotide Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) market, leveraging its advanced capabilities in scalable oligonucleotide synthesis and end-to-end manufacturing solutions. Its integration of solid-phase synthesis, proprietary purification technologies, and automated high-throughput systems ensures production consistency for therapeutic oligonucleotides such as siRNAs, and ASOs, among others. Thermo Fisher Scientific leads the oligonucleotide CDMO market through its comprehensive service portfolio and robust technological infrastructure. The company's OligoPerfect Primer Designer platform enables customized oligonucleotide design, accelerating development timelines for antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and siRNA therapeutics. Additionally, its deep expertise in analytical development, including advanced HPLC, LC-MS, and CE technologies, ensures precise characterization and stringent quality control of oligonucleotides at every production stage. Additionally, the company's strong geographic reach allows it to maintain its position in the market. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Injectable Drug Delivery Market Clinical Trials Market Biomarkers Market Microfluidics Market Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Get access to the latest updates on Oligonucleotide CDMO Companies and Oligonucleotide CDMO Market Size About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. 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The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/oligonucleotide-cdmo-market-to-hit-us6-73-billion-by-2029-with-21-8-cagr--marketsandmarkets-302356975.html What's it like to build the software in a brand-new sequencer? Illumina's Aneesh Natarajan takes us on the journey Originally published on Illumina News Center Illumina recently launched the MiSeq i100 and MiSeq i100 Plus Systems, two powerful, compact benchtop sequencers that incorporate more than 140 invention disclosures and 60 patent families. Through a series of News Center articles, we are celebrating outstanding employees who helped develop this breakthrough technology. The Illumina MiSeq i100 Series, announced last fall, is the company's first customer-installable instrument since the iSeq. Illumina's latest offering was a brand-new challenge for Staff Software Technical Product Manager Aneesh Natarajan. When Natarajan began work on the confidential project in September 2021, only a select handful of employees knew about it. His manager, Bret Langham, asked him to represent the entire software department and serve as the software project lead. "To be on the core team of a new instrument project is a really good opportunity, and I jumped on it," he says. Inside Illumina Illumina's software organization is responsible for a portfolio that includes cutting-edge AI algorithms like PrimateAI-3D and industry-leading software solutions such as DRAGEN, winner of the PrecisionFDA Truth Challenge V2. The software department itself is divided into three disciplines: developers, testers, and technical product managers. Natarajan is part of the third category and works on the software that users interface with when operating an instrument. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Natarajan always liked math and science. He landed at the University of California, San Diego, for college-less than two miles from Illumina's global headquarters. He majored in bioengineering, not computer science, specializing in bioinformatics (a discipline used heavily in genomics, which produces a large volume of data). In his final year of college, Natarajan's teaching assistant mentioned that a friend working at Illumina was asking him to recommend people for a job. He encouraged him to apply, and that friend at Illumina became Natarajan's current boss. Now, as a staff software technical product manager, his daily responsibilities involve working with all kinds of teams with varying levels of technical expertise. A hardware engineer might ask him to build software that can run a calibration routine. A product management director might suggest that low-throughput customers could use a feature in their software to reanalyze their data. Every day holds a new opportunity to collaborate and solve problems. Behind the MiSeq i100 For a project like the MiSeq i100, a hardware team begins building what they call the "prototype one," or P1, instruments and consumables. Natarajan's initial goal was to construct the bare-bones software that would allow the hardware teams to manufacture the P1 instruments and test them as they build. This first version is called the service software, and it's used not only in manufacturing but also when field service engineers are troubleshooting an instrument. Very soon after the initial service software gets off the ground, the team splits into two groups-one continues to create manufacturing tests for the service software while a second group begins to work on the customer-facing application, called the control software. They start importing all the sequencing functionality and building in some of the features that users will need. One of the major efforts for the MiSeq i100 was developing the first-time setup for the user, which needed to be as easy as possible for users. The software guides the user step by step so they can install it independently without an Illumina field service engineer. Building this detailed workflow was extra challenging: Illumina's last customer-installable instrument, the iSeq System, was built on Windows, and the user had access to the underlying operating system. Natarajan's team would be building the MiSeq i100 on Linux, which would require a far more sophisticated setup workflow since the user would not have access to the underlying operating systems to configure their instrument. Natarajan's team wanted to provide instead a simple and intuitive workflow within the software user interface itself that would allow a customer to apply all their necessary configurations. Through analysis of many customer use cases and potential failure modes, they worked out what information they'd need and what screens they'd require to connect the instrument to a customer's network. "Companies sometimes have massive IT departments because they have very unique networking requirements," Natarajan explains. "Our instruments need to be able to connect to any type of network, no matter how complicated or simple." They had to prepare different workflows based on a wide range of potential network configurations. Writing these steps and accounting for all the possibilities, during setup and beyond, requires deep collaboration across the business. "Imagine the software detects some sort of hardware failure," Natarajan says. "What error message should we show to the user in that scenario? We have to work with the subject matter expert of that piece of hardware, because they would know the corrective action and what we should recommend to the customer. And then with the technical writing and experience design (XD) teams, we figure out how to craft that message before we put it into the software." An XD team within a larger user experience team makes high-fidelity mockups of how the software should look in terms of font sizes, button sizes, color schemes, and so on. When they have the detailed requirements, they deliver them to the UI developers and software testers so they know what screens to build, and how to test that the software does what the stakeholders intended it to do. Beyond setup, calibration, and other maintenance considerations, there is-of course-the actual sequencing. MiSeq i100 can run up to 384 samples in a span of four to 16 hours, depending on run configuration. All of this requires a sleek and streamlined user interface. "The customers don't want to spend a lot of time setting up a run," Natarajan says. "They often want to be able to plan the details of their runs ahead of time, so when it comes time to start sequencing, the workflow is quick and simple. They subsequently want a streamlined way to get their secondary and tertiary analysis results. To support these needs, we have features across our run management software, our instrument software, our cloud software, and our bioinformatics pipelines that allow the user to plan their runs and analysis, stream data to our cloud platform, BaseSpace Sequence Hub, and auto-launch analysis either on instrument or in the cloud." At this point, the software team is ready to bring in other software components. They start with Real-Time Analysis, which is needed for sequencing. They add Illumina Run Manager, which handles a lot of the run planning, run management analysis, and execution. They start bringing DRAGEN on board, which will analyze the data. They begin doing the cloud integration. They compile all the features they need to build a full digital package and launch the product; then they begin testing the software, cleaning it up, and making it completely customer-ready. Natarajan is most proud of the effort the team put into embracing and building what the company calls "universal software"-meaning that the MiSeq i100 and NovaSeq X leverage many of the same software components, even though the instruments are very different. Many Illumina systems launch in staggered years but are built in parallel. Universal software allows everyone to work more efficiently and benefit from previous upgrades, improvements, and new features. "If we build new features on top of what NovaSeq X has, then theoretically NovaSeq X can pull those features into their subsequent software releases," Natarajan says. Best of all, universal software gives the customer a more consistent experience across all instruments in the Illumina portfolio. The final stretch Late summer 2024 was crunch time. Natarajan flew to Singapore to work with some of his software colleagues (the last two or three years of MiSeq i100 software development occurred mostly in Singapore while much of NovaSeq X was being built in San Diego). It was time to get the product ready for customers. "We want to make sure the product is as bulletproof as possible," he says. "No one wants the user to make an error because the software workflow itself was not intuitive enough." The Illumina MiSeq i100 Series was introduced to the market in October 2024. Natarajan says, "There are so many exciting features in MiSeq i100. And I'm thrilled when I hear users say the software is extremely easy to use." Illumina software project lead Aneesh Natarajan in a lab at the San Diego headquarters. | Photo: Kristy Walker View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Illumina on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Illumina Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/illumina Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Illumina View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Santa Fe Springs, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - PRO-TECH Design & Manufacturing, Inc., a full-service FDA- and ISO-registered medical device contract manufacturing and packaging company, is celebrating its 45-year anniversary in 2025. The family-owned and -operated firm was founded in Southern California in 1980, expanded its presence with a new manufacturing site in Arlington, Texas, in 2012, and acquired Surgical Technologies, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2022. Pro-Tech Design & Manufacturing Banner Celebrating 45 Years as a Women-Founded, and Independently Led Business Begun by Pamela McMaster in 1980, PRO-TECH has grown to include over 250 employees across three locations and assembles, packages, and sterilizes over 156 million units annually for its customers. The company has achieved consistent revenue growth every year for the past 15 years, successfully navigating the pandemic and supply chain challenges. "PRO-TECH began as a vision in my family room. I thought I could deliver better service to my medical device customers on my own. And, 45 years later, it worked out, and our first customer is still a customer today. I am so proud of the company we have built. Together with my late husband, Dave, and sons, Aaron and Jeff, we have always believed that if you go the extra mile for customers, charge a fair price, and take care of your employees, you will be successful, and that is how we have run the company for 45 years," says CEO and founder Pamela McMaster. Initially focused on corrugated products, the company soon set itself apart by becoming one of the few to deliver sewn products compliant with ISO 13485 standards. In 2001, PRO-TECH expanded into the biomedical industry with sterile cleanroom assembly and production. The woman-owned business was joined by Pamela McMaster's late husband in 1985 and is currently led by McMaster and her two sons, Aaron and Jeff Swanson. Aaron Swanson, president of PRO-TECH, joined the company in 2001. With a background in microbiology, he established PRO-TECH's biomedical packaging division and oversees all aspects of medical device assembly, packaging, and sterilization. Jeff Swanson, a Navy veteran, joined the family venture in 1995 and now serves as the executive vice president, overseeing operations in the Midwest region. With a presence in key industry markets across California, Minnesota, and Texas, PRO-TECH maximizes its ability to deliver exceptional service, high-quality products, and fair pricing to clients nationwide. PRO-TECH distinguishes itself by remaining independent and prioritizing long-term partnerships with customers. This approach allows the company to focus on mutual success by collaborating closely with clients, adapting quickly to changing market conditions, and investing in new capabilities. By staying true to its commitment to personalized service, PRO-TECH ensures its customers receive dedicated support and innovative solutions tailored to their needs. Today, PRO-TECH operates with over 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, including more than 15,000 square feet of certified Class 10,000/ISO 7-rated cleanroom space. The company provides comprehensive medical device assembly, packaging, laboratory, and sterilization services for the medical device market. PRO-TECH offers custom and pre- validated packaging solutions utilizing a wide range of materials and configurations, proudly serving over 120 customers. This year, for the 21st consecutive time, PRO-TECH will attend MD&M West, the world's largest medical design and manufacturing event, held in February at the Anaheim Convention Center. During the show, PRO-TECH will be available at Booth #2242 to showcase its services and conduct interviews. To learn more about PRO-TECH Design & Manufacturing, Inc., visit https://protechdesign.com/. To schedule interviews with the experts from PRO-TECH during the MD&M West tradeshow, please email ron.imus@protechdesign.com or call 562.207.1680. Phone and email interviews pre- and post-event are also available. Pro-Tech Design & Manufacturing Logo About Pro-Tech Design & Manufacturing Pro-Tech Design & Manufacturing is a family-owned leader in medical device contract packaging, assembly, and custom sewn solutions. Woman founded, with over 40 years of experience and FDA registration, Pro-Tech provides ISO 13485-certified, end-to-end solutions tailored to meet the highest regulatory and quality standards. Operating state-of-the-art Class 10,000/ISO 7 cleanroom facilities across California, Minnesota, and Texas, Pro-Tech partners with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, ensuring precision, reliability, and compliance in every project. To learn more about PRO-TECH Design & Manufacturing, visit https://protechdesign.com/. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/237983 SOURCE: Pro-Tech Design & Manufacturing Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Dear Shareholders and Investors, In the recent past, NAT has carried through several transactions, reflecting a very active period. NAT has declared the purchase option for a 2018-built Suezmax tanker on favorable terms from a close financing partner. Furthermore, we have also sold a 2003-built vessel to a UK based owner. This sale which is expected to close in the second half of February, will produce a cash injection of USD 22.5 million. NAT is in a very solid position and the transactions above reflect our financial flexibility. Going forward, we see expansion on the horizon. We wish to assure shareholders that dividend always will be a priority. Please also see our home page www.nat.bm Sincerely, Herbjorn Hansson Founder, Chairman & CEO Nordic American Tankers Ltd. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "will," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K. Contacts: Bjrn Giver, CFO Nordic American Tankers Ltd Tel: +1 888 755 8391 Alexander Kihle, Finance Manager Nordic American Tankers Ltd Tel: +47 91 724 171 Carl Jordan and Grady Rorie act and collaborate to raise diverse voices and nurture a pipeline of talent at Henkel. They have demonstrated the ripples of impact that intentional action can have on community and business success. Tapping into different voices, perspectives, and experiences helps businesses solve problems, reveals new opportunities to grow, and encourages contributions that better support people and communities. At Henkel North America, diversity is a path to progress, innovation, and impact. Our employees and partners are united by our purpose: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. They collaborate to tackle challenges, find solutions and open new perspectives - allowing us to deliver products, services, and innovations that enrich and improve everyday life. We invite you to "meet" our pioneers in our series, "Pioneers for Good." Introducing Carl and Grady Carl Jordan, Global Quality Key Account Manager, and Grady Rorie, Application Engineering Manager, exemplify Henkel's commitment to building diverse teams and fostering an inclusive culture to drive Henkel's success. As past Co-Presidents and long-time members of the Madison Heights, MI chapter of the Henkel Black Alliance (HBA) Employee Resource Group (ERG), Carl and Grady supported the development of equity and education-focused initiatives to uplift Black voices within Henkel and the community to better connect us all as allies for each other. The positive impact they made has created a ripple that continues to expand today. Building connection and understanding through stories History is full of unsung heroes and stories that can serve as inspiration for challenges and circumstances we face today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many needed to feel a sense of connection and hope, Carl and Grady spearheaded a virtual museum tour for their Henkel colleagues with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, MI. The museum explores and celebrates African American history and culture with an eye toward greater understanding, acceptance, and unity. Reinforcing the power of storytelling, Carl and Grady also created "Little Known Heroes in Black History," an initiative highlighting the untold stories of innovations and contributions of Black individuals in American history. It was a team effort to share these stories to uncover the details and moments that connect us and the invisible ripples made throughout history that benefit all. Creating opportunities and building a diverse pipeline of talent Understanding the importance of attracting and retaining diverse voices in the workplace, Carl and Grady worked through HBA to help remove barriers to educational resources and opportunities for Black talent. Together, they nurtured a decade-plus-long relationship with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), which includes extensive fundraising for UNCF's Walk for Education and an internship program connecting students at HBCUs with Henkel. A key part of the UNCF fundraising organized by the HBA team is an annual Burger Cook-Off when executives and employees showcase their cooking skills. The burgers are paired with various dishes, often inspired by traditional African American cuisine. Carl and Grady help shape Henkel's diverse workforce by attending career fairs and supporting opportunities for professional growth. Grady has worked extensively with a rotational program at Henkel designed to attract, develop, and retain high-potential, diverse talent for Henkel Adhesive Technologies. "I want to serve as a credible reference and raise awareness of career opportunities for other people of color. At a recent college career fair, I met students who were surprised to learn I was a chemist, saying they did not know there were black chemists. It was exciting to open that avenue and show them they can do anything. I hope for the day when color is not a roadblock." Grady Rorie, Application Engineering Manager In line with Carl's and Grady's commitment to education and uplifting the next generation, they joined Henkel colleagues in supporting Math Corps, a mathematics enrichment and mentoring program for middle and high school students. The program is run by Wayne State University and Detroit Public Schools and has created a lasting impact for the students, with 90% of the students enrolled attending college. Inspiring more ripples of impact in the community Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the first official National Day of Service in the U.S., designed to encourage people to volunteer and engage in their communities in honor of Dr. King's teachings. The idea of being of service to others - to their families, communities and at Henkel - is something Carl and Grady take to heart. Those small actions are part of the ripples they cast into their communities and Dr. King's birthday is a special opportunity to join the "day on" by celebrating Black culture and giving back to those in need. "We harness the teachings, activism, and sacrifices of civil rights predecessors like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to expand our impact and create lasting momentum to serve future generations." Carl Jordan, Global Quality Key Account Manager Carl and Grady take steps every day to elevate diverse voices in pursuit of inclusivity, understanding, and growth, setting a strong example for the next generation of leaders to carry on. They proudly handed the role of HBA co-presidents to Malik Johnson and Jada Simpson to make their own ripples of impact. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Henkel on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Henkel Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/henkel Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Henkel View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Medexus will target a commercial launch in 1H CY2025; potential for annual product-level revenue to exceed US$100 million within five years after commercial launch Toronto, Ontario and Chicago, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Medexus Pharmaceuticals (TSX: MDP) (OTCQX: MEDXF) is pleased to provide a business update regarding the successful completion of the regulatory review process for GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection with the US Food and Drug Administration and, in addition, to announce preliminary estimates of the company's operating and financial results for the company's third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024 (which remain subject to completion of Medexus's financial closing procedures). All dollar amounts in this news release are in US dollars unless specified otherwise. FDA approval of GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection On January 22, 2025, Medexus was informed that the FDA approved GRAFAPEX, an alkylating agent, with fludarabine as a preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) in adult and pediatric patients one year of age and older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). GRAFAPEX holds Orphan Drug Designation under the Orphan Drug Act, meaning that the product will benefit from up to seven-and-a-half years of regulatory exclusivity in the FDA-approved indication. Medexus holds exclusive commercial rights to GRAFAPEX in the United States under a February 2021 exclusive license agreement with medac GmbH. "We are pleased to report this positive development, which marks a strategically important step forward for our business and, importantly, will now benefit eligible patients across the United States," commented Ken d'Entremont, Medexus's Chief Executive Officer. "Not only will GRAFAPEX make a substantial contribution to alloHSCT in the United States, but it also solidifies Medexus's leadership position in this therapeutic field." "We are targeting a commercial launch in the first half of calendar year 2025, and given our recent experience in Canada we are very optimistic about the potential of GRAFAPEX in the US market," added Richard Labelle, Medexus's Chief Operating Officer. "We anticipate that GRAFAPEX will have a meaningful impact on Medexus's total revenue and believe that annual product-level revenue in the United States has the potential to exceed US$100 million within five years after commercial launch." "This FDA approval provides a useful option for adult and pediatric patients, with the potential to enhance overall survival while minimizing side effects," said Dr Filippo Milano, a stem cell transplant physician-scientist and principal investigator in clinical trials using treosulfan as part of a conditioning regimen. As previously announced, the regulatory milestone amount payable to medac under the fourth amendment to the February 2021 exclusive license agreement between the parties is based on the language of the product label approved by the FDA. Based on the terms of the approval, including the FDA-approved product label, Medexus has determined that medac will earn a $15 million regulatory milestone amount. The final amount is subject to review and confirmation by the parties in light of the terms of the agreement. The regulatory milestone amount will be payable in installments, subject to Medexus's right to temporarily defer installment amounts, on terms described in Medexus's December 2, 2024 press release, available via the Investors section of Medexus's corporate website. For a $15 million regulatory milestone amount, this installment schedule will result in payments of US$2.5 million by June 30, 2025, US$5 million by October 1, 2025, and US$7.5 million by January 1, 2026 - subject to Medexus's temporary deferral option in respect of the second and/or third such payments. Also as previously announced, given the FDA approval of GRAFAPEX, Medexus will now promptly repay a US$2.5 million credit received from medac in September 2021. Additional information about the terms of the license agreement, including copies of the relevant documents, is included in the company's filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The summary in this news release is qualified by reference to the terms of each such document as applicable. Preliminary estimates for fiscal Q3 2025 Medexus remains focused on delivering strong revenue growth and overall performance across the company's entire portfolio of products in both the United States and Canada. This important new development for Medexus regarding GRAFAPEX arrives on the heels of what is expected to be a solid fiscal Q3 2025, and includes an estimated $1.9 million in fiscal Q3 2025 investments in personnel and infrastructure that were made to prepare for this recent positive FDA decision. Medexus currently expects key selected highlights for fiscal Q3 2025 to include the following - Revenue between $29.5 million and $30.5 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of at least 17% over $25.2 million for fiscal Q3 2024, attributable in part to continuing growth in net sales of Rupall, and an approximately $2.0 million beneficial impact of customer buying patterns and related timing of orders of IXINITY relative to patient unit demand in fiscal Q3 2025. Adjusted EBITDA between $5.5 million and $6.0 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of at least 70% over $3.2 million for fiscal Q3 2024, primarily attributable to the effects of the company's ongoing financial discipline efforts, together with the effect of customer buying patterns mentioned above, and partially offset by the estimated $1.9 million of GRAFAPEX personnel and infrastructure investments mentioned above. (Refer to "Non-GAAP measures" at the end of this press release for information about Adjusted EBITDA.) Available liquidity of approximately $8.5 million (December 31, 2024), consisting of cash and cash equivalents, compared to $5.3 million (March 31, 2024). Operating income between $3.5 million and $4.0 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of at least 123% over $1.6 million for fiscal Q3 2024. Net income between $(0.5) million and $2.0 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2024, compared to $(0.5) million for fiscal Q3 2024. Final reported net income for fiscal Q3 2025 will depend on completion of Medexus's financial closing procedures, including in respect of current and deferred income tax expense amounts. The expected results discussed in this news release are preliminary estimates only, as Medexus's financial closing procedures remain subject to completion, and have not been reviewed or audited by the company's auditors. All such figures are based on information currently available to Medexus management and are subject to change and adjustment as Medexus's financial results for fiscal Q3 2025 are finalized. Accordingly, final reported results may differ, and may differ materially, from these preliminary estimates, and investors therefore should not place undue reliance on any such preliminary estimates. All such preliminary estimates constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For more information, see "Forward-looking statements" below. Medexus currently expects to file its financial statements and MD&A for fiscal Q3 2025 after markets close on February 5, 2025. Medexus expects key operational highlights for fiscal Q3 2025 to include the following - IXINITY (US): Continuing slight decline in unit demand, reflecting the continued effect of previously disclosed trends and factors. Rupall (Canada): Continuing strong unit demand growth, reflecting successful execution of the company's initiatives in advance of the expiration of Rupall's market exclusivity in late January 2025. Rasuvo (US) and Metoject (Canada): Continuing strong unit demand in the face of sustained competition and the continued effect of previously disclosed trends and factors. Gleolan (US): Continuing slightly positive trend in US unit demand growth, reflecting the response to the company's commercialization efforts and successful execution of the company's commercial plan to date. There nevertheless continue to be disagreements with the licensor regarding the terms of the US Gleolan agreement, which Medexus continues to seek to resolve through mutual negotiation and pursuant to the terms of the US Gleolan agreement, including its dispute resolution process. Medexus is confident that it has performed its obligations under the US Gleolan agreement and, pending resolution of the US Gleolan agreement, whether by mutually acceptable agreement or otherwise in accordance with its existing terms, currently intends to continue commercializing Gleolan in the United States through to at least March 31, 2025 in accordance with and subject to the terms of the US Gleolan agreement. (See also "Risk Factors and Risk Management-Commercial contract disputes" in Medexus's most recent MD&A.) Trecondyv (treosulfan) (Canada): Continuing strong unit demand growth, reflecting successful execution of the company's initiatives in support of the product, but which does not yet include the effect of the successful completion of the negotiation process with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and any subsequent decisions by participating government organizations on public reimbursement of Trecondyv for their regions and jurisdictions. About GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection, an alkylating agent, is indicated in combination with fludarabine as a preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) in adult and pediatric patients one year of age and older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). GRAFAPEX holds Orphan Drug Designation under the Orphan Drug Act, meaning that the product will benefit from a seven-year period of regulatory exclusivity in the FDA-approved indication. Full prescribing information for GRAFAPEX will be available on the Drugs@FDA drug database at www.fda.gov. Efficacy was evaluated in MC-FludT.14/L Trial II (NCT00822393), a randomized active-controlled trial comparing treosulfan to busulfan with fludarabine as a preparative regimen for allogeneic transplantation. Eligible patients included adults 18 to 70 years old with AML or MDS, Karnofsky performance status >=60%, and age >=50 years or hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index [HCTCI] score >2. There were 570 patients randomized to treosulfan (n=280) or busulfan (n=290). The major efficacy outcome measure was overall survival (OS), defined as the time from randomization until death from any cause. The hazard ratio for OS (stratified by donor type and risk group) compared to busulfan was 0.67 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.90) in the randomized population, 0.73 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.06) in patients with AML, and 0.64 (95% CI: 0.40, 1.02) in patients with MDS. The most common adverse reactions (>=20%) were musculoskeletal pain, stomatitis, pyrexia, nausea, edema, infection, and vomiting. Selected Grade 3 or 4 nonhematological laboratory abnormalities were increased GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase), increased bilirubin, increased ALT (alanine aminotransferase), increased AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and increased creatinine. The recommended treosulfan dose is 10 g/m2 daily on days -4, -3, and -2 in combination with fludarabine 30 mg/m2 daily on days -6, -5, -4, -3, and -2, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell infusion on day 0. For more information about GRAFAPEX, including important safety information, see the full prescribing information, which will be available on the Drugs@FDA drug database at www.fda.gov. For more information about the pivotal phase 3 clinical trial of treosulfan conducted by medac GmbH, including its methods, results, and conclusions, and about the publication of the study in the American Journal of Hematology, including a link to the full publication, see Medexus's June 6, 2022 press release, including the section entitled "About the study", available on the Investors-News & Events section of Medexus's corporate website. GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection is approved by the FDA for sale and use in the United States only and is not intended for export outside the United States. Medexus makes no representation that GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection is appropriate for, or authorized for sale to or use by, persons who are not located in the United States. About Medexus Medexus is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company with a strong North American commercial platform and a growing portfolio of innovative and rare disease treatment solutions. Medexus's current focus is on the therapeutic areas of oncology, hematology, rheumatology, auto-immune diseases, allergy, and dermatology. For more information about Medexus and its product portfolio, please see the company's corporate website at www.medexus.com and its filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-Looking statements Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, also known and/or referred to as "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements." The words "anticipates", "believes", "expects", "will", "plans", "potential", "prospects", and similar words, phrases, or expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words, phrases, or expressions. Specific forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, information contained in statements regarding any of the following: Medexus's expectations and plans regarding future growth, revenues, and expenses (including in respect of the commercialization of GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection and the product-level revenue to be generated from its commercialization in the United States); the potential benefits of GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection; the expected timing of any commercial launch of the product in the United States and related expectations regarding GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection and the product's prospects and performance, including in respect of its potential adoption and use in the United States and any related product-level revenue, and including the potential competitive position of the product and anticipated trends and potential challenges in the market in which the product is expected to compete; the expected outcome of Medexus's and medac's ongoing evaluation of the milestone amount payable under the US treosulfan agreement; Medexus's capital allocation strategy, including expectations regarding availability of cash on hand and funds from operations, cash flow generation, and capital allocation and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, and needs for and ability to secure additional financing (in particular any expectations regarding payment of the regulatory milestone payment that became payable under the company's GRAFAPEX agreement upon the occurrence of, and which depends on the terms of, the FDA's approval); and the preliminary estimates of, and any commentary regarding, Medexus's operating and financial results for the company's fiscal Q3 2025 (which remain subject to completion of Medexus's financial closing and other procedures). Finally, forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the occurrence, timing, and expected outcome, and any related consequences for the product and Medexus, of Medexus's ongoing negotiations and disagreements with the licensor of Medexus's commercialization rights to Gleolan with respect to the US Gleolan agreement, including any informal and/or formal dispute resolution processes that the parties are currently pursuing and will continue to pursue in future, and otherwise regarding the business relationship of the parties in the United States and Canada. These statements and information are based on Medexus's current expectations and assumptions, including factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, and including assumptions based on regulatory guidelines, historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Medexus's estimate of product-level revenue from commercialization of GRAFAPEX (treosulfan) for injection in the United States is based on a number of such factors and assumptions, as described in Medexus's most recent annual information form and management's discussion and analysis, and including Medexus's planned commercial, market access, and medical strategies, the success of which will depend in part on the US regulatory landscape and related dynamics, including potential future changes to each, and can introduce and affect exposure to commercial, legal, and regulatory risk. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Medexus cautions that, although the assumptions are believed to be reasonable in the circumstances, these risks and uncertainties mean that actual results could differ, and could differ materially, from the expectations contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Material risk factors include, but are not limited to, those set out in Medexus's materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time, including Medexus's most recent annual information form and management's discussion and analysis. In addition, specific risks and uncertainties relevant to the content of this news release include, among other things: the uncertainties inherent in research initiatives (including the possibility of unfavorable new data and further analyses of existing data); the risk that data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by relevant third parties; and whether relevant third parties will be satisfied with the design and methodology of and results from the relevant study, which will depend on many factors, including determinations as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determinations of the product's efficacy and cost-effectiveness in the context of a given facility (which varies by facility type). Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this news release. Other than as specifically required by law, Medexus undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. Additional notes Solely for convenience, trademarks and other protected names and marks referred to in this news release sometimes appear without the "", "", or other similar symbols. Each such reference should be read as though it appears with the relevant symbol. Any such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the holder or holders will not assert those rights to the fullest extent under applicable law. The information in this news release is provided for informational purposes to investors in Medexus securities. Uniform resource locators, or website addresses, that appear in this news release are intended to be provided as inactive textual references only. Information contained on or accessible through these website addresses is not a part of this news release and is not incorporated by reference into this news release or any of Medexus's public filings. Non-GAAP measures Company management uses, and this news release refers to, financial measures that are not recognized under IFRS and do not have a standard meaning prescribed by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in accordance with IFRS or other financial or accounting authorities (non-GAAP measures). These non-GAAP measures may include "non-GAAP financial measures" and "non-GAAP ratios" (each defined in National Instrument 52-112, Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure). Medexus's method for calculating these measures may differ from methods used by other companies and therefore these measures are unlikely to be comparable to similarly-designated measures used or presented by other companies. In particular, management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of Medexus's performance. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. An explanation and discussion of each of these non-GAAP measures, including their limitations, is set out under the heading "Preliminary Notes-Non-GAAP measures" in Medexus's most recent management's discussion and analysis, and are hereby incorporated by reference. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable IFRS measure can be found under the heading "Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income (Loss)" below. Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income (Loss) The following table is derived from and should be read together with Medexus's interim condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three- and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2023. This supplementary disclosure is intended to more fully explain disclosures related to Adjusted EBITDA and provides additional information related to Medexus's operating performance. However, Medexus's non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of Medexus's financial information as reported under IFRS. (Amounts in $ '000s) Three-month periods ended December 31 2023 2022 Net loss (534) (1,507) Add back: Depreciation and amortization (property, equipment, intangible assets) 1,448 1,515 Interest expense 2,656 3,552 Income tax expense (recovery) (261) 547 EBITDA 3,309 4,107 Add back: Share-based compensation 211 436 Transaction-related fees - - Termination benefits - 372 Foreign exchange loss (gain) (293) (338) Unrealized gain (loss) on fair value of derivatives - 646 Adjusted EBITDA 3,227 5,223 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238084 SOURCE: Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc. Black Book Research Shares Key Insights and Recognizes Top 21 Vendors Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Black Book Research's latest 2025 study, Innovation for Equity: The Transformative Role of DEI in Healthcare IT Success, underscores the critical importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in driving innovation, operational excellence, and social accountability within the healthcare IT sector. The report emphasizes that embedding DEI principles into technology, leadership, and organizational culture is no longer optional but a strategic necessity for healthcare IT vendors seeking to enhance patient outcomes and operational fairness. The full 19-page report is available for download after a simple registration at https://blackbookmarketresearch.com/the-transformational-role-of-dei-in-healthcare-it-success "Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles into healthcare IT is essential for building a system that treats all patients equitably and fosters inclusive care delivery," said Doug Brown, founder of Black Book Research. "Healthcare technology serves as a vital tool in addressing disparities by enabling features like multilingual communication, culturally responsive care plans, and accessibility tools that ensure every patient, regardless of their background, can engage with their care seamlessly." This approach underscores the transformative potential of DEI when applied through vendor-agnostic solutions. By prioritizing fairness and accessibility, healthcare IT can create platforms that support equal treatment for all patients, streamline communication between diverse populations and providers, and improve adherence to care plans. These advancements not only help address systemic inequities but also position technology as a bridge toward a more inclusive and effective healthcare system. Research Key Findings and Industry Benchmarks Workplace Culture and Leadership Impact: Organizations with robust DEI frameworks report significant improvements in employee satisfaction, client relationships, and financial outcomes. Black Book's 2025 DEI survey found: A 20% increase in employee retention in DEI-focused organizations responding. A 17% rise in general IT client satisfaction across KPIs since 2020 for top rated vendors, far surpassing industry norms. These metrics reflect the positive effects of fostering inclusive leadership and prioritizing equity in workforce strategies. Technology as a Lever for Equity: Vendors embedding DEI into EHR systems, analytics platforms, and interoperability tools are tackling systemic disparities head-on. 84% of surveyed providers reported measurable enhancements in patient outcomes and communication, driven by features like multilingual interfaces, culturally tailored care pathways, and accessibility tools. Supplier Diversity and Systemic Inclusion: 100% of the 21 healthcare IT vendors honored actively collaborate with minority-owned suppliers, contributing to more inclusive supply chains and equitable business practices. These efforts not only expand access to diverse perspectives but also strengthen the foundation for sustainable equity. These advancements highlight the critical role of DEI-integrated healthcare IT systems in fostering inclusivity and equitable care delivery. Furthermore, 68% of healthcare organizations participating in the Black Book survey reported enhanced patient satisfaction and engagement as a direct result of implementing DEI-focused technologies. "These findings underscore the transformative potential of healthcare IT in addressing systemic disparities and ensuring all patients, regardless of background, receive fair and effective treatment," adds Brown. This study synthesized data from 760 respondents across 124 organizations, including HR leaders, compliance officers, union representatives, employee group leads, and C-suite executives. By gathering insights from diverse stakeholders, the report presents a holistic view of how DEI permeates organizational layers, driving impactful outcomes. Leading Vendors Setting the Standard The report identifies 21 top-performing healthcare IT vendors for their exceptional DEI initiatives. These vendors scored above 90 on Black Book Research's 100-point DEI scale, assessed across six performance indicators: Workplace inclusivity. Leadership diversity. Effectiveness of DEI training programs. Support for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Retention of diverse talent. Stakeholder engagement. Top Vendors Recognized for DEI Excellence: Waystar, Vizient, Oracle Health, Epic Systems, Altera Digital Health, GE Healthcare, NextGen Healthcare, athenahealth, Philips Healthcare, IBM Watson Health, Cisco Healthcare, Salesforce Health Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Healthcare, Google Health, CureMetrix, Health Catalyst, ELLKAY, Bamboo Health, Inovalon, MEDITECH, and Optum/Change Healthcare. "The integration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles in healthcare IT has far-reaching implications for advancing health equity, accessibility, and leadership. By embedding Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) into IT solutions, healthcare organizations can address critical challenges such as food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers, promoting equitable care. Additionally, inclusive design features like multilingual interfaces, screen-reader compatibility, and culturally adaptive tools are enhancing access to healthcare technology for underserved populations. Fostering diversity in leadership roles strengthens decision-making and drives innovation, paving the way for systemic progress in the healthcare IT landscape." About Black Book Research Renowned for its independent and vendor-neutral evaluations, Black Book Research is deeply committed to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within healthcare IT technology, software, and managed services that support U.S. providers and payers. By spotlighting vendors that excel in promoting DEI initiatives, Black Book emphasizes the transformative potential of equitable and inclusive healthcare IT solutions. Their comprehensive studies set industry benchmarks by highlighting strategies that foster equity, inclusivity, and innovation, helping healthcare organizations address systemic disparities. Through this dedication, Black Book advocates for vendors to integrate DEI as a foundational principle, championing equitable access and fairness across diverse demographics, including race, age, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, and more. By doing so, they underscore the vital role healthcare IT plays in creating a more just and effective healthcare ecosystem, ensuring technology and services meet the needs of all individuals and communities. SOURCE: Black Book Research View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire LAS VEGAS, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Olight, a leading portable lighting brand, showcased its unwavering spirit of innovation at SHOT Show 2025 in Las Vegas. This event is renowned worldwide, focuses on the shooting sports, hunting, law enforcement, and related industries. Olight continues to leverage professional trade shows to engage with global audiences and showcase its cutting-edge technologies and brand vision. Following a successful debut at CES 2025, where Olight introduced the Ostation X-the world's first and smartest 3-in-1 battery charger-the brand seamlessly transitioned to the SHOT Show. At this event, the Baldr Series, Seeker Series, Warrior Series, and other popular products representing Olight's most well-received shooting and Everyday Carry (EDC) lights will be prominently featured. This is also the first time Olight has showcased its latest developed material, OAL, also known as O-Aluminum, at SHOT Show. Invented by Olight, it is nearly twice as hard as standard 6061 aluminum alloy and has been highly praised by customers for its robustness and sophisticated feel. This innovative material, featured in the new Arkfeld Ultra, not only ensures exceptional durability but also elevates the user experience, meeting the high standards demanded by EDC enthusiasts and professionals alike. SHOT Show 2025 also became a vital hub for Olight to engage with B2B partners worldwide. The event attracted attendees from across Europe as well as regions in the Asia-Pacific, such as South Africa and Argentina, allowing Olight to connect with customers, exchange insights, and build stronger relationships. Furthermore, SHOT Show 2025 marked a breakthrough in expanding Olight's top offline sales channels in the U.S., setting the stage for future growth and collaboration. "SHOT Show is a crucial platform for us to connect with industry leaders and end-users alike," said Mavis Xiao, Olight's Chief Marketing Officer. "By introducing innovative products like the Arkfeld Ultra and Ostation X, we aim to showcase how cutting-edge materials and thoughtful design can elevate the performance and experience for our customers." As the curtains close on another successful SHOT Show, Olight look forward to continuing their journey of innovation and customer-centric excellence, ensuring their products not only meet but exceed the expectations of a global audience. About Olight: Founded in 2007, Olight is a global leader in providing innovative portable lighting products trusted by outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Olight pushes the boundaries of lighting technology to meet diverse customer needs. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603490/A_lot_exhibitors_gathered_Olight_booth_SHOT_Show.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/olight-lights-the-way-at-shot-show-2025-with-pioneering-innovations-302357152.html Small businesses worldwide face common hurdles: scaling operations, staying innovative, and earning customer trust in competitive industries. Leaky Roof, a family-founded roofing company based in Canberra, proves these challenges can be overcome. The company is redefining what small businesses can achieve by leveraging a groundbreaking approach rooted in sustainability, innovation, and community engagement. Recognized as Australia's Best Roofing Company by Riotact and a recipient of the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Award, Leaky Roof exemplifies how independent businesses can succeed while staying true to their values. With a growing reputation for reliability and customer-first solutions, the company is making waves far beyond Australian shores and positioning itself as a leader in the global roofing industry. Addressing Global Industry Challenges The roofing industry in Australia and internationally has long been plagued by challenges such as rising costs, extreme weather-driven demand, and unreliable service providers. According to industry reports, the U.S. roofing market alone is worth $56 billion, yet homeowners frequently report frustrations with inflated pricing, opaque quoting systems, and subpar workmanship. These pain points echo those Australian homeowners face, particularly during severe weather events like hailstorms and flooding. "In both Australia and the U.S., homeowners are seeking the same thing: trustworthy service at a fair price," explains Justin Vetsavong, CEO of Leaky Roof and winner of the Small Business Champion Entrepreneur Award. "At Leaky Roof, we've created systems and practices that not only meet these needs but anticipate them, offering peace of mind to our customers." Innovation as the Cornerstone of Success To address these challenges, Leaky Roof has embraced innovation as the cornerstone of its approach. Drone-powered roof inspections, for instance, allow the company to provide precise and efficient assessments, cutting labor costs and minimizing disruption for homeowners. Their Roof Care Subscription Packages-a first for the Australian market-offer proactive maintenance solutions, helping homeowners avoid costly emergency repairs by detecting issues early. Leaky Roof has also tackled a long-standing issue in the industry: lack of transparency. The company empowers customers to access instant, accurate quotes online with its soon-to-launch self-service quoting platform. This streamlined process addresses modern homeowners' demand for convenience and transparency, particularly in the U.S., where digital-first service experiences are increasingly expected. Sustainability as a Business Imperative With environmental concerns taking center stage globally, consumers demand eco-friendly practices even in resource-intensive industries like construction. Leaky Roof meets this demand by incorporating sustainable materials, reducing waste, and adopting eco-conscious practices across all operations. These efforts resonate with environmentally conscious homeowners in Australia, the U.S., and beyond. "Sustainability isn't just part of our business-it's a promise we make to our customers and the planet," Vetsavong emphasizes. "We're showing that small businesses can catalyze positive environmental change while maintaining profitability." A Values-Driven Growth Model Leaky Roof's success goes beyond its innovations; its community-first ethos is central to its growth. The company has significantly contributed to local initiatives, including a $50,000 charity giveaway supporting organizations like Roundabout Canberra and Kids in Care ACT. These initiatives strengthen community ties and bolster Leaky Roof's reputation as a socially responsible business. The company's expansion plans include entering major Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Despite scaling operations, Leaky Roof remains committed to its principles of integrity, innovation, and community impact. Inspiring Small Businesses Globally Leaky Roof's journey from a family-owned Canberra business to a recognized industry leader offers valuable lessons for small businesses worldwide. The company's ability to tackle industry challenges-such as reliability, affordability, and sustainability-demonstrates how independent businesses can thrive and compete with more prominent players in dynamic markets like the United States. "Under Vetsavong's leadership, Leaky Roof aims to redefine roofing not just as a service but as a trusted partnership with homeowners worldwide," notes the company's mission statement. Setting a Global Standard Leaky Roof's success story highlights how small businesses can achieve extraordinary impact when driven by purpose, innovation, and a commitment to their communities. As the company continues to expand and influence industry standards, it sets a precedent for how independent companies can thrive while making a difference. To learn more about Leaky Roof's innovative solutions or to arrange an interview with CEO Justin Vetsavong, contact Nadya Rousseau at nadya@alternewmedia.com or visit Leaky Roof's website. SOURCE: Leaky Roof View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Regulatory News: Groupe SEB (Paris:SK), the world leader in small domestic equipment and a major player in professional equipment, announces the acquisition of La Brigade de Buyer, an international group that notably owns the de Buyer, Sabatier and 32 Dumas brands, symbols of excellence and expertise in the cookware, pastry and cutlery sectors. La Brigade de Buyer enjoys strong positions in the professional culinary sector and premium consumer markets. The company has been able to establish a close relationship with chefs and cooking schools around the world, with whom it collaborates for the continuous development of innovative and sustainable products. This operation is therefore part of Groupe SEB's strategy to strengthen its position in the professional and premium segments while promoting an exceptional industrial and culinary heritage. La Brigade de Buyer has been owned since 2015 by Edify, an industrial holding company whose portfolio consists of majority and minority stakes in European industrial mid-caps and SMEs. La Brigade de Buyer: Brands serving culinary excellence With a total turnover of 66 million euros, a workforce of 290 employees and three production sites in France, La Brigade de Buyer brings together the following activities: de Buyer: Labeled Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, this company from the Vosges region founded in 1830 is aimed at professionals and those passionate about cooking and baking. Its product range helps everyone achieve the best recipes in more than 95 countries. Many are emblematic, like cookware (steel, stainless steel, copper, etc.), mandolins or even pressure pistons (Le Tube). Rousselon Dumas-Sabatier: Located in Thiers, the birthplace of French cutlery, the brand embodies the art of the forged knife, synonymous with precision and durability for demanding professionals and enlightened consumers. Scaritech: Manufacturer of small appliances for bakeries-patisseries with its flagship product the Grignette, an essential utensil for artisanal bakers and N2J, creator of environmentally friendly utensils under the Pebbly brand. Thierry de La Tour d'Artaise, Chairman of Groupe SEB, said: "The acquisition of La Brigade de Buyer is part of our ambition to strengthen our leadership in the professional and premium segments, in France and internationally, while preserving and promoting the unique know-how of these iconic brands. They represent French excellence and enrich our portfolio of exceptional products, aimed at professionals and gastronomy enthusiasts alike. La Brigade de Buyer now benefits from the strength of Groupe SEB to accelerate its development." About La Brigade de Buyer: - Company founded in 1830 (de Buyer), in the Vosges (FR) Acquisition of Rousselon Dumas-Sabatier and Scaritech in 2021 and Pebbly in 2022 - Present in 95 countries around the world - 290 employees - 66 million euros in revenue in 2024, half of which will be generated internationally - 3 production sites in France - Wide range of products: Cookware (copper, steel, stainless steel, etc.), mandolins, pressure pistons, forged knives, grignettes (bakery equipment), environmentally friendly kitchen accessories, etc. Next key dates 2025 23 January after market closes Provisional sales 2024 27 February before market open 2024 Results 24 April after market closes Q1 2025 sales and financial data 20 May 2:30 p.m. Annual General Meeting 23 July after market closes First-half 2025 sales and results 23 October after market closes 2025 Nine-month sales and financial data Find us on www.groupeseb.com World reference in small domestic equipment and professional coffee machines, Groupe SEB operates with a unique portfolio of 40 top brands including Tefal, Seb, Rowenta, Moulinex, Krups, Lagostina, All-Clad, WMF, Emsa, Supor, marketed through multi-format retailing. Selling more than 350 million products a year, it deploys a long-term strategy focused on innovation, international development, competitiveness, and client service. Present in over 150 countries, Groupe SEB generated sales 8 billion in 2023 and has more than 31,000 employees worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122933289/en/ Contacts: Investor/Analyst Relations Groupe SEB Financial Communication and IR Dept Raphael Hoffstetter Guillaume Baron comfin@groupeseb.com Tel. +33 (0) 4 72 18 16 04 Media Relations Groupe SEB Corporate Communication Dept Cathy Pianon Florence Candianides Marie Leroy presse@groupeseb.com Tel. 33 (0) 6 33 13 02 00 Tel. 33 (0) 6 88 20 98 60 Tel. 33 (0) 6 76 98 87 53 Image Sept Caroline Simon Claire Doligez Isabelle Dunoyer de Segonzac seb@image7.fr Phone +33 (0) 1 53 70 74 70 Regulatory News: Elior Group S.A. (Paris:ELIOR): NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, OR TO OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES. Elior Group S.A. (the "Company"), announced today the success of its offering (the "New Notes Offering") of 500 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.625% senior notes due 2030 (the "New Notes"). The offering was oversubscribed, demonstrating strong momentum and significant buy-in from the debt investor market, reflecting confidence in the new Elior story. The New Notes will bear interest at an annual rate of 5.625% and will be issued at a price of 100% of their par value. The New Notes will rank pari passu with the Company's senior debt, including its new revolving credit facility. The Company will also enter into a new revolving credit facility agreement for an amount of 430 million upon the completion of the New Notes Offering and cancel its existing senior facilities agreement. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds from the New Notes Offering, together with cash on hand and amounts drawn under the new revolving credit facility agreement, to (i) repurchase its outstanding senior notes due 2026 (the "Existing Notes") in its previously announced tender offer (the "Tender Offer" and, collectively with the New Notes Offering, the "Transactions"), (ii) repay the drawing under its existing revolving credit facility, and pay certain fees and expenses in connection with the Transactions. If not all the Existing Notes are repurchased in the Tender Offer, the Company intends to redeem them at or prior to their maturity in accordance with the terms of the indenture governing the Existing Notes. The issuance of the New Notes is expected to take place on February 4, 2025, subject to customary conditions. Important notice This press release constitutes a public disclosure of inside information under Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (16 April 2014) and Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2016/1055 (10 June 2016). The New Notes will be offered only in offshore transactions outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), subject to prevailing market and other conditions. There is no assurance that the Transactions will be completed or, if completed, as to the terms on which it is completed. The New Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or unless pursuant to an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor (as defined above) in the United Kingdom. The expression "retail investor" in relation to the United Kingdom means a person who is one (or more) of the following: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA"); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and any rules or regulations made thereunder to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. This announcement does not constitute and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute a public offering nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation or otherwise. The offer and sale of the New Notes will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities. In the United Kingdom, this announcement is directed only at (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to(d) of the Order, or (iii) persons to whom it would otherwise be lawful to distribute them, all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons." The New Notes are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such New Notes will be engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. MiFID II professionals/ECPs-only/ No PRIIPs KID Manufacturer target market (MIFID II product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels). No PRIIPs key information document (KID) has been prepared as not available to retail investors in EEA. UK MIFIR professionals/ECPs-only/ No UK PRIIPS KID Manufacturer target market (UK MIFIR product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels). No UK PRIIPs key information document (KID) has been prepared as not available to retail investors in the United Kingdom. Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this announcement. The distribution of this announcement into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Forward-looking statements This press release may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", ?estimates", ?anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative, or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and include statements regarding the Company's or its affiliates' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the Company's or its affiliates' results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industries in which they operate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that the Company's or its affiliates' actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industries in which they operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if the Company's or its affiliates' results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industries in which they operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. About Elior Group Founded in 1991, Elior Group is a world leader in contract catering and multiservices, and a benchmark player in the business industry, local authority, education and health welfare markets. With strong positions in eleven countries, the Group generated 6.053 million in pro forma revenue in fiscal 2023-2024. Our 133,000 employees cater for 3.2 million people every day at 20,200 restaurants and points of sale on three continents. The Group's business model is built on both innovation and social responsibility. Elior Group has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2004, reaching advanced level in 2015. To find out more, visit www.eliorgroup.com Follow Elior Group on Twitter: @Elior_Group View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122367499/en/ Contacts: Investors Didier Grandpre investor@eliorgroup.com Driving Innovation in Global Health: Affordable Medicines, Sustainability, and Impact Davos, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Sapphire Pharma, a global leader in pharmaceutical innovation, proudly announces that its Chairman and CEO, Ramu Veerappan, will be a featured speaker at the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. Veerappan will participate in the high-profile panel discussion, "Advancing Malaria Solutions: Enhancing Drug Development, Access, and Global Health Equity." Chairman and CEO Ramu Veerappan To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11013/238018_c2dbff9444c278a6_001full.jpg Addressing a Global Crisis: Sapphire Pharma's Mission to Improve Access to Life-Saving Medicines Sapphire Pharma, a leader in pharmaceutical innovation, is poised to significantly impact the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025. Chairman and CEO Ramu Veerappan will represent the company's vision to improve healthcare equity and access during the panel discussion, "Advancing Malaria Solutions: Enhancing Drug Development, Access, and Global Health Equity," scheduled for Monday, January 20, at 2:15 PM Davos time. Malaria remains a devastating public health challenge, with 263 million cases reported globally in 2023, an increase of 11 million cases from the previous year. Nearly 600,000 lives are lost annually to the disease, with 94% of cases concentrated in the WHO African Region. These stark statistics underscore the urgent need for solutions that advance drug development and ensure equitable access to life-saving treatments. The panel will bring together world leaders, visionary thinkers, and public health innovators to explore transformative approaches to combating malaria, which continues to affect millions. Veerappan will spotlight Sapphire Pharma's groundbreaking advancements in sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing and affordable drug access, reshaping the future of global healthcare. Revolutionizing Global Healthcare Key themes of Veerappan's discussion include: Affordable Medicines at Scale: Unlocking access to essential treatments for underserved populations. Sustainable Manufacturing: Leveraging patented processes to reduce costs, waste, and the environmental footprint of pharmaceutical production. Resilient Supply Chains: Integrating cutting-edge methodologies to increase efficiency and reliability in drug delivery systems. "At Sapphire Pharma, our mission is to ensure that affordability and sustainability are at the forefront of life-saving innovation," said Veerappan. "Davos provides an unparalleled platform to drive meaningful dialogue and foster collaborations that can transform global health equity." Sapphire Pharma: A Catalyst for Change Sapphire Pharma is redefining pharmaceutical innovation through a pioneering three-pronged strategy focused on research, manufacturing excellence, and global distribution. The company collaborates with industry leaders such as Dr. Frank Gupton, the Medicines for All Institute (M4ALL) founder, to create scalable, cost-effective solutions for critical health challenges. Dr. Frank Gupton's pioneering work through the Medicines for All Institute has had a transformative impact on global healthcare by addressing essential challenges of drug affordability and accessibility. Under his leadership, the institute has redesigned the manufacturing processes of crucial drugs, including those for treating HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, significantly reducing their production costs. By implementing innovative continuous manufacturing techniques and applying principles of green chemistry, Dr. Gupton has enabled the production of life-saving medications at a fraction of their original cost. These advancements have had a profound impact, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where access to affordable medicines is vital for improving public health outcomes. B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11013/238018_c2dbff9444c278a6_004full.jpg In addition to his contributions to global health, Dr. Gupton has been at the forefront of strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities in the United States. Collaborating with key partners such as Phlow Corporation, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, and CiviaRx has spearheaded initiatives to produce essential medicines onshore. This effort, supported by the Department of Health and Human Services, aims to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure a stable supply of critical medications. Dr. Gupton's work exemplifies a seamless integration of scientific innovation, industrial application, and a commitment to improving environmental sustainability and equitable access to healthcare. Read more about Sapphire Pharma's mission and impact in the Worth Magazine article. About Ramu Veerappan Ramu Veerappan is a trailblazing entrepreneur and strategic leader, guiding Sapphire Pharma to the forefront of global health innovation. With over two decades of cross-sector expertise, Veerappan has earned a reputation for transforming complex challenges into scalable, impactful solutions. His visionary approach combines cutting-edge science, sustainability, and strategic partnerships to revolutionize healthcare access. About the World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is the foremost international institution for public-private collaboration. It brings political, business, academic, and societal leaders together to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. Through its annual meeting in Davos, the WEF fosters dialogue and action on the world's critical issues, from climate change to global health, making it a beacon for thought leadership and transformative change. Follow Sapphire Pharma's Davos journey at www.sapphirepharma.us and on social media. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238018 SOURCE: Cygalle Dias Lifestyle Marketing Inc. Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - The Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) and the Actuarial Students' National Association (ASNA) are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ASNA-CIA diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships. Valued at $3,000 each, the scholarships recognize and celebrate the importance of diversity and inclusion in the actuarial profession and the broader community. Aadesh Warren Nunkoo and Rachel Barak were each awarded the 2025 Inclusive Culture Scholarship for their outstanding commitment to creating a more inclusive actuarial community. Justin Zhou was awarded the 2025 Academic Achievement Scholarship, which acknowledges exemplary academic excellence. "We are proud to empower future leaders from diverse backgrounds to achieve their career aspirations," says Conrad Ferguson, FCIA and CIA President. "These scholarships play a crucial role in fostering equitable representation and diversity within Canada's actuarial community." ASNA's VP Business Relations, Vishal Aggarwal adds: "Being part of ASNA and helping organize this year's convention has been incredibly rewarding. It's inspiring to see how the CIA, through initiatives like the DEI scholarships, creates equal opportunities for growth, learning, and networking for all, regardless of background. These initiatives have deepened my appreciation for the actuarial community and the ways in which we support one another." The scholarships were awarded at the CIA gala dinner at the 35th ANEA-ASNA Convention, in Niagara Falls, on January 18. CIA offers new entry-level membership options The CIA has expanded opportunities for individuals to engage with the Institute and the actuarial profession through two new membership options: Student membership : Open to those actively enrolled in an actuarial science degree with a CIA-accredited university program and pursuing an Associate designation with the Institute. Candidate membership: Open to those who are pursuing Associate or Fellow designation with the Institute but are not enrolled in a CIA-accredited university program. Visit the CIA's website to read more about the 2025 scholarship winners and for more information on becoming a Student or Candidate member. Subscribe to the CIA's mailing list for news and updates. The Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) is the qualifying and governing body of the actuarial profession in Canada. We develop and uphold rigorous standards, share our risk management expertise and advance actuarial science to improve lives in Canada and around the world. Our more than 6,000 members apply their knowledge of math, statistics, data analytics and business in providing services and advice of the highest quality to help Canadian people and organizations face the future with confidence. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238095 SOURCE: Canadian Institute of Actuaries / FR: Institut canadien des actuaires New World Solutions Inc. (CSE:NEWS)(OTC PINK:REGRF)(FSE:RT5) ("New World" or the "Company") wishes to provide an update on the trading halt and CSE suspension. As a follow-up to our December 19, 2024 press release, the Company has been advised that the hearing scheduled for January between the Canadian Securities Exchange and an affected person which has resulted in the Company being suspended has been postponed by the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company has been informed that the hearing was postponed three days before it was supposed to take place by outside counsel to the Canadian Securities Exchange. The postponement will be for at least two weeks. The Company will provide further updates as they become available. About: dialMKT is addressing the digital transformation of the global luxury wrist watch enthusiast market by developing a blockchain-powered digital ecosystem that integrates content, e-commerce, and community. The company's video-first content platform WatchReporter.com is produced by watch enthusiasts - for watch enthusiasts and features the latest relevant articles, and videos on: watch auction news, collector interviews, watch reviews, and growing database on buyer guides on vintage and modern watches from the top brands. The newly launched dialMKT.com plans to offer rare and hard-to-find vintage and modern watches at the most competitive prices, with a high level of transparency, and concierge-style service for serious watch enthusiasts. About New World New World Solutions is an innovative technology company, driving innovative solutions to new world problems. Through our blockchain and technology experience, we are leveraging solutions in the decentralized finance space as well as the electric vehicle area. We look to acquire and launch a balanced spectrum of solutions to become a leader in this dynamic tech landscape. For additional information on New World and other corporate information, please visit the company website at https://www.newworldinc.io/. For further information, please contact: Paul Haber, C.P.A., C.A., C.Dir Chief Executive Officer New World Solutions Inc. Phone: (416) 318- 6501 Email: phaber@newworldinc.io Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; the risks associated with the blockchain in general, the risk that the Transaction will not be completed as contemplated or at all. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions, or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results, or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. The Canadian Stock Exchange (the "CSE") does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: New World Solutions Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire South San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Hauslane, a rapidly-growing name in the home appliance industry, announces new set of standards for its kitchen ventilation system. The company has solidified its reputation as a trusted provider of premium kitchen range hoods that combine functionality, durability, and sleek design with affordability. Since 2018, it has captured the attention of homeowners and design enthusiasts. Hauslane Range Hoods UC-PS38 with Automatic Steam Cleaning To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10926/237835_98e84b8064d8f97a_001full.jpg The company's approach to innovation, customer satisfaction, and affordability sets it apart in the kitchen ventilation market. With consistent recognition from respected sources such as Food & Wine, Bob Vila, and Forbes, Hauslane has been celebrated for its commitment to quality and for bridging the gap between professional-grade performance and the everyday needs of homeowners. Innovating for Modern Kitchens As kitchens evolve into multifunctional spaces, Hauslane has positioned itself at the forefront of addressing modern ventilation needs. Its products offer a balance of advanced technology and user-friendly features, catering to both seasoned chefs and casual cooks. The company's growing lineup of range hoods includes under-cabinet, wall-mounted, island, and built-in models designed to enhance air quality, minimize lingering odors, and provide seamless integration into diverse kitchen aesthetics. Notable features include: HauSMART Technology : This innovative suite includes app-based controls, voice and gesture operation, and intuitive cleaning reminders. Customizable Suction Power : Hauslane's range hoods adapt to various cooking styles, from light simmering to high-heat frying. Energy-Efficient LED Lighting : Bright, eco-friendly illumination designed to reduce maintenance costs. Dishwasher-Safe Filters : Durable, easy-to-clean baffle filters simplify upkeep. Automatic Self-Cleaning and Automatic Delay Shut-Off: A time-saving feature that helps clean and clear the air after cooking. For self-cleaning, oil tray is replaced with water tray full of clean water and auto clean function is then activated allowing the water to run through the system. The company's flagship models, including the PRO500-its first ADA-compliant range hood-highlight Hauslane's ongoing efforts to prioritize accessibility without compromising on performance or design. Recognition Backed by Results Hauslane's efforts have not gone unnoticed. In addition to its widespread customer approval, the brand has received the prestigious GOOD DESIGN Award in 2022 and 2023, recognizing its achievements in product design and innovation. Media coverage from reputable outlets has further bolstered Hauslane's reputation, drawing attention to its ability to meet customer needs with well-engineered, attractive solutions. "Our goal has always been to bring professional-grade kitchen ventilation into more homes," said Hauslane CEO Calvin Ruan. "The positive feedback from our customers and recognition from the industry validates our mission and motivates us to keep innovating." Meeting Customer Needs with Precision Hauslane attributes much of its success to its customer-centric design process. The company actively incorporates feedback into product development, resulting in features that directly address the pain points of everyday cooking. Whether it's reducing noise levels, improving ease of cleaning, or adding smart controls, Hauslane has shown a keen understanding of its audience. This philosophy is reflected in the variety of options available in the product range. For homeowners seeking compact solutions, the brand's under-cabinet range hoods offer high performance without dominating kitchen space. For those desiring a statement piece, the wall-mounted models deliver both style and substance, with sleek finishes and cutting-edge functionality. Sustained Growth and Future Prospects Between 2018 and 2021, the company reported significant year-over-year increases in market share. This momentum has continued as the brand expands its reach, fueled by word-of-mouth referrals, repeat customers, and strong online presence. Looking to 2025 and beyond, Hauslane plans to further diversify its product offerings while maintaining its commitment to quality and affordability. The introduction of advanced technologies, such as AI-driven enhancements and greater integration with smart home ecosystems, signals the brand's readiness to meet the demands of the future kitchen. Trusted by Homeowners and Professionals Alike Hauslane's unique value proposition-blending professional-grade performance with competitive pricing-has made it a trusted partner for both homeowners and industry professionals. Designers, contractors, and builders frequently recommend the brand for its versatility and dependability. Additionally, the brand's affordability appeals to budget-conscious homeowners seeking to enhance their kitchen's functionality without overspending. From energy efficiency to long-lasting components, Hauslane ensures customers receive long-term value with every purchase. Hauslane invites homeowners to explore its innovative range hoods by visiting www.hauslane.com. The website provides detailed information on product specifications, customer reviews, and helpful resources for selecting the right ventilation solution for any kitchen. About Hauslane Founded in 2018, Hauslane is a leading kitchen appliance company. Specializing in high-performance, user-friendly kitchen range hoods, the company is on a mission to make professional-grade ventilation accessible to every home. With a focus on innovative technology, sleek design, and customer satisfaction, it has earned recognition as one of the most trusted names in the kitchen appliance industry. Hauslane To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10926/237835_98e84b8064d8f97a_002full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/237835 SOURCE: Brand Featured Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - THS Maple Holdings Ltd. (TSXV: YAY) ("THS Maple" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Oak Hill Financial Inc. ("Oak Hill"), a Toronto-based investor relations and capital markets advisory firm, to enhance its investor communications and shareholder engagement strategies. Under the agreement, Oak Hill will provide comprehensive investor relations and capital markets advisory services, including communication with the investment community, strategic advice on shareholder engagement, and initiatives to increase the Company's visibility within the capital markets. "We are delighted to partner with Oak Hill Financial to strengthen our relationships with investors and broaden our capital markets presence," said Tom Zaffis, CEO of THS Maple Holdings Ltd. "This engagement marks a step forward in aligning our investor relations strategy with the Company's long-term vision." The agreement with Oak Hill is effective as of January 1, 2025 (the "Effective Date") and has an initial term of three months. As compensation for its services, Oak Hill will receive a monthly advisory fee of CAD $10,000 plus applicable taxes. The agreement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The Company also announces that its Board of Directors has approved the grant of stock options under the Company's Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). A total of 337,000 stock options have been granted to directors, senior management, and employees, with key allocations as follows: Tom Zaffis, Chief Executive Officer: 150,000 options Claude Lambert, Chief Financial Officer: 102,000 options Jaana Tornikoski, Vice President: 55,000 options Connie Kirchberger, Director of Business Development: 20,000 options Helder Valente, Financial Controller (upon hire): 10,000 options The options have been granted in accordance with the terms of the Plan and are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. About THS Maple Holdings Ltd. THS Maple Holdings Ltd. (TSXV: YAY) (the "Company" or "THS"), through its operating company Turkey Hill Sugarbush Ltd., is a leading packager and global distributor of maple syrup and maple-flavoured products. About Oak Hill Financial Inc. Oak Hill Financial is a leading investor relations and capital markets advisory firm based in Toronto, Ontario. Specializing in tailored IR strategies, Oak Hill supports public companies across various sectors, enhancing shareholder engagement and market presence. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected" "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts". "estimates", "believes" or intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could, "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this press release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the expectation that the Company's margins will improve; the benefits associated with becoming a publicly traded company and having access to broader capital markets; the benefits of acquiring a retail kiosk in the Old Port of Montreal; the viability of the Company opening its first US warehouse; and the Company's ability to optimize production and expand distribution. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, THS assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/238114 SOURCE: Turkey Hill Sugarbush Ltd. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices drifted down on Wednesday, extending recent weakness, as tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, and concerns about possible excess supply in the market due to the Trump administration's plan to maximize oil and gas production.West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for March ended down by $0.39 or about 0.5% at $75.44 a barrel, extending losses to a fifth straight session.Brent crude futures closed lower by $0.29 or 0.37% at $79.00 a barrel.On Tuesday, Trump said that his team was discussing a 10% tariff on China from February 1 to curb the flow of deadly drug fentanyl that is being sent from China to the U.S. via Mexico and Canada.China, one of the major consumers of crude oil in the world market, has been facing uncertainties and weak demand in post-pandemic recovery.The Chinese Vice Premier, Ding Xuexiang, who addressed the World Economic Forum, said that there are no winners in a trade war and there is need for greater international economic cooperation.Trump also said that his administration would 'probably' stop buying oil from Venezuela, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries under U.S. sanctions.According to a recent report from the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. imported about 200,000 barrels per day of oil from Venezuela during the first 10 months of 2024, up from an average of 100,000 bpd in 2023.Markets now await weekly oil reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and EIA. The API report is due later today, while the EIA will release its inventory data Thursday morning.Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The international community must prioritize cooperation and dialogue to overcome the challenges of a fragmented world, the Saudi delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 said today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122231862/en/ Saudi delegates to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos participate in a panel session at the Saudi House pavilion, stressing the need to foster global dialogue and shape a prosperous future (Photo: AETOSWire) Calling for global collaboration to shape a prosperous future, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, said: "When we prioritize the greater good over narrow interests, we can work towards something that delivers for all of us. And although we will face difficult challenges this year, and in the years to come, I have to hope that we will all, as the global community, focus on working together on solving problems." Discussing global trade, His Excellency Dr. Majid A. Alkassabi, Minister of Commerce, said: "We need to have a new global trade book, we need to find alternative sources of supply to reduce the risk from high-risk regions." Turning to travel, His Excellency Ahmed A. Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, commented: "With Saudi Vision 2030, we decided to unlock all sectors, including travel and tourism. We are building destinations, airports and new airlines, and we are looking into the tourism experience, end-to-end." On today's environmental imperatives, His Excellency Adel A. Aljubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Council of Ministers and Envoy for Climate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said: "Saudi Arabia launched the Middle East Green Initiative to bring together 22 countries in our region, to help them adopt a circular carbon economy approach to deal with critical environmental issues." His Excellency Mohammed A. Aljadaan, Minister of Finance, said: "Saudi Arabia has focused on de-escalating in the region with real actions to strengthen stability and growth, and that paid off, and will continue to do so." Discussing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), His Excellency Abdullah A. Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: "The Kingdom has put the foundations for the AI development we are witnessing today, and we are working with global partners to create inclusive, innovative, and impactful AI for all." Outlining Saudi Arabia's immense industrial potential, His Excellency Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, said: "We have been able to convert a desert into the largest industrial city that exports petrochemicals globally." Discussing the importance of diversifying sources of growth, His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, said: "For the economy to detach itself from relying on oil inflows, the most efficient way to do that in the long-term is to create the space for the private sector to grow more dynamically." Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250122231862/en/ Contacts: Wooud Alquaied walquaied@mep.gov.sa Bedrock Energy, an Austin, TX-based geothermal heating and cooling startup, raised $12M in Series A funding. The round was led by Titanium Ventures with participation from Energy Impact Partners and Sustainable Future Ventures joined alongside existing investors Wireframe Ventures, Overture Ventures, Toba Capital, Elemental Impact, First Star Ventures, and Cantos. The company intends to use the funds for continued advancement of its technologies, as well as expanded deployment in Colorado, Utah, and neighboring states. Led by Joselyn Lai, co-founder and CEO, Bedrock Energy has pioneered geothermal design and installation technologies, including advanced subsurface thermal simulation capabilities and an intelligent construction platform for geothermal borefield construction. The companys deployment teams use these innovations to install geothermal heat pump systems for real estate owners at faster schedule, higher accuracy and performance, and stronger cost efficiencies. These systems can range from single-structure commercial buildings to connected district systems serving multiple lots. In 2025, Bedrock plans to deploy new geothermal systems across Colorado, Utah, and other Mountain West states. This expansion builds upon the companys recently completed project in Morgan County, Utah, and ongoing work on a district geothermal system coming online in 2025 for a new business park in Hayden, Colorado. The latter project is supported by the Colorado Energy Office, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Northwest Colorado Business District, and Town of Hayden. FinSMEs 22/01/2025 Databricks, a San Francisco, CA-based data and AI company, received a USD5.25 billion credity facility and closed its Series J funding. The credit facility, led by JPMorgan Chase alongside Barclays, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, included a $2.5 billion unfunded revolver and a $2.75 billion term loan. It added to the previously announced $10 Billion in equity financing. Existing investor QIA, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, along with new investors including Temasek and entities administered by Macquarie Capital, participated in the funding round, which valued the company at $62 Billion. In addition, Meta has joined as a new strategic investor. Databricks plans to invest this capital toward new AI products, acquisitions, and expansion of its international go-to-market operations. This capital is also expected to be used toward providing liquidity for current and former employees and paying related taxes. Led by CEO Ali Ghodsi, Databricks provides data intelligence solutions which are used by more than 10,000 organizations worldwide, including Block, Comcast, Conde Nast, Rivian, Shell and over 60% of the Fortune 500 to take control of their data and allow them to work with AI. The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform makes it easier for organizations to leverage data for analytics, machine learning, and AI applications. Built on an open source foundation, the platform enables organizations to drive innovation to increase revenue, lower costs, and reduce risk. Customers use the Data Intelligence Platform to find and treat diseases and cancer earlier, identify new ways to combat climate change, detect financial fraud, develop pharmaceuticals faster, reduce time to mental health intervention, decrease local financial inequality and more. FinSMEs 22/01/2025 Percipio Health, a Dallas, TX-based population health monitoring and management platform, raised $20M in funding. Backers included UPMC Enterprises, WAVE Ventures, Labcorp, and First Trust Capital Partners. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts. Led by CEO Eric Rock, Percipio provides a platform collecting whole-person health signals for real-time assessments that identify current and predictive health risks. It uses vision-based AI biomarkers for vitals and medication monitoring, and vocal AI biomarkers for brain health assessments, among others. Providers and payers can use these insights as a shared source of truth to manage growing populations and move value-based care contracting forward. Percipios clinical portal enables predictive, proactive, and personalized care, and provides clinicians with predictive insights to assist in earlier diagnosis and inform next best actions. FinSMEs 22/01/2025 In 2024, Indias civil aviation industry recorded tremendous growth via an increase in fleets, the development of new airports and an unprecedented growth in passenger footfalls. In 2025, the launch of two new airports is on the anvil Jewar and Navi Mumbai airport with a capacity to handle 12 million and 20 million passengers, respectively. Several new airlines from Kerala and Lucknow are anticipated to begin operations, boosting facilities and vibrant competition in the sector. Advertisement While this year holds much hope, challenges remain that require the governments prompt attention if the ambitious goals of Indian aviation are to be attained. Data indicates service delays impacted 224,000 passengers last November, nudging airlines to spend Rs2.90 crore on facilitation. Meanwhile, flight cancellations affected more than 27,500 passengers, with Rs36.79 lakh paid as compensation. Therefore, two major hurdles hurting Indian aviation are highlighted below along with recommended solutions: Supply chain issues: Global supply chain issues are affecting aircraft and engine deliveries to India. In 2024, domestic airlines augmented their fleet with 120 to 130 aircraft. In 2025, however, achieving this target may not be possible due to supply chain problems faced by both global aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus. Out of the capped production per month of 38 Boeing 737 Max planes, the manufacturer can deliver 25 to 30 aircraft only, leading to an overall reduction of more than 15 to 25 per cent in the targeted domestic fleet numbers. Imposed by US regulators on Boeing 737 MAX planes, this cap is meant to facilitate faster resolution of quality issues detected in its previous deliveries. As a result, IATA (International Air Transport Association) predicts severe supply chain issues will continue hurting the performance of airlines well into 2025, inflating costs and limiting growth. Supply chain problems in engines have also affected maintenance operations of existing planes, leading to more grounding of aircraft. Engine manufacturers Pratt & Whitney and CFM International have admitted challenges in meeting delivery schedules, with a global backlog of thousands of aircraft orders. Till December 2024, 102 aircraft were grounded because of supply chain issues linked to spare parts and consumables from OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) manufacturers that are crucial for keeping aircraft airworthy. Budget 2025 recommendations: Any delay in aircraft delivery and its grounding adversely affects the financial standing of airlines. Typically, aircraft acquisitions are backed by debt facilities that put perennial pressure on airlines. For aircraft leased from foreign owners, the airlines continue bearing the burden of high lease rentals although the planes remain grounded due to technical problems with the engines. Accordingly, the government may consider offering financial solutions such as low-interest loans and measures that address this dilemma to help keep the airline companies operational. Advertisement At the global level, the government should consider strict implementation of foreign conventions such as the Cape Town Convention (CTC), thereby demonstrating compliance with global standards while creating a conducive environment for global lessors to offer higher discounts and amenable means of resolution. According to the Aviation Working Group report, Indias CTC compliance index rating has come down from 69 in December 2022 to 61 in December 2024. Indias position was also downgraded from positive to negative after lessors failed to repossess their aircraft in the GoAir insolvency case in May 2023. 2. Passenger safety and comfort: Between August 2022 and 13 November 2024, a total of 1,143 hoax bomb threats were reported by domestic airlines with 666 reported in October 2024, which soared to 999 in November. These threats caused huge disruptions to airline operations. Advertisement To address this, the Civil Aviation Ministry revised the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023, adding two new provisions Rules 29A and 30A. These rules allow authorities to refuse admission to any person or group of persons on the aircraft (Rule 29A) and mandate penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore (depending on whether the offender is an individual or a large organisation with up to 300 employees) for circulation of false information that could cause panic among passengers, crew, ground personnel, or the public, or disrupt civil aviation operations (Rule 30A). Budget 2025 recommendations: Despite legislation being in place, the investigative authorities have failed to properly handle the hoax bomb threats. A more proactive approach is necessary to resolve such issues. One recommends the laws be made more stringent to act as a deterrent against practices that compromise the safety of thousands of passengers. Advertisement The government should also note that the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Act, 2024, which has replaced the Aircraft Act of 1934, fails to classify most offences as cognisable, limiting the registration of any FIR without court approval and restricting jail terms to under two years. Consequently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation must introduce the proposed amendment in the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act (SUASCA), 1982, which takes note of cognisable offences. If these steps are taken, it will make air travel in India more comfortable, convenient and safer. The author is Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Advertisement Veers journey to bring authenticity to his character was no less rigorous than a real-life cadets read more Every aspiring actor dreams of a perfect Bollywood launch, but few get the kind of larger-than-life debut that Veer Pahariya is making with Sky Force. Sharing the screen with Bollywood icon Akshay Kumar, Veer is set to captivate audiences with his portrayal of an Air Force officer in this patriotic action-drama. Directed by Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, the film is slated for a Republic Day release, adding to the patriotic fervor surrounding the project. Advertisement For Veer, stepping into Bollywood with Sky Force is more than just a debutits a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Making my debut as an Air Force officer, in a film that releases on Republic Day, feels like a dream come true. Its an honor to play a role that showcases the courage and sacrifices of our real-life heroes. Sharing the screen with Akshay Kumar sir only adds to the magic of this experience, Veer shares. Veers journey to bring authenticity to his character was no less rigorous than a real-life cadets. Over six months, he underwent intense training, which included combat drills, endurance exercises, and even flying lessons. The young actor immersed himself completely in the role, ensuring that every aspect of his portrayal resonates with the audience. The film, directed by Kapur and Kewlani, revolves around untold stories of the Indian Air Force, combining thrilling aerial combat scenes with an emotional narrative. While Akshay Kumars seasoned presence adds gravitas to the film, Sky Force puts a spotlight on Veer Pahariya, showcasing his raw talent and passion for his craft. Veers striking debut has already created a buzz in the industry. Insiders are praising his commitment to the role and his ability to hold his own alongside a superstar like Akshay Kumar. Veers energy and dedication are infectious, says a source close to the production. Hes bringing a fresh perspective and has the potential to be Bollywoods next big name. Advertisement With Sky Force poised to release on a day as significant as Republic Day, Veer Pahariya is ready to take his first flight into Bollywood in style. The film is not just a tribute to the valor of the Indian Air Force but also a launchpad for a star who is set to make his mark in the industry. As the countdown begins, all eyes are on Veer, who is preparing to soar high and leave an indelible mark on Indian cinema. Sky Force is more than a debut for Veerits a statement that Bollywoods newest star is here, and hes ready to shine. Advertisement US President Donald Trumps proposal to end birthright citizenship has led to questions about its potential implications for Usha Vance, the wife of US Vice President JD Vance and the first Indian-origin Second Lady of the United States. Could the new policy impact her citizenship status? read more JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance appear on stage during his rally in Scottsdale, Arizona. Reuters/File Photo Usha Vance, the wife of US Vice President JD Vance, is the first Indian-origin Second Lady of the United States. But, will this status stay? President Donald Trumps proposed plan to end birthright citizenship has raised questions about its potential impact on her citizenship status. Why are there concerns about her losing it? ALSO READ | Trump vows to end birthright citizenship and shut down the border: Will he actually be able to do it? Advertisement With millions of Indian Americans currently living in the United States, ending birthright citizenship could create several hurdles for their long-term aspirations of securing permanent residency. What exactly is birthright citizenship? Could Trumps decision to revoke it impact the status of Indian-American Second Lady Usha Vance? Lets look into this: Trump to put an end to birthright citizenship: What is it? Birthright citizenship ensures that anyone born in the United States automatically becomes an American citizen. This long-standing policy applies to children born to individuals in the country illegally, as well as to those on tourist or student visas who intend to return to their home country. The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1868, states: All persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. AP This practice is not universal, and Trump and his supporters argue that the system is being exploited and that stricter requirements for citizenship are necessary. However, others view this as a constitutional right protected under the 14th Amendment. They claim that overturning it would be extremely challenging and, even if feasible, would be a misguided decision. Advertisement What Trumps order states Trumps 700-word executive order, issued late Monday, directs US agencies to refuse recognition of the citizenship of children born in the country if neither parent is a US citizen or legal permanent resident. President Donald Trump signs an executive order at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington. AP This move aligns with Trumps broader immigration crackdown. If upheld, the order would, for the first time, strip over 150,000 children born annually in the United States of their citizenship rights, to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said President Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights, Campbell added. Will Usha Vance lose her citizenship? Some social media users have claimed that Vice President JD Vances wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, will have her citizenship revoked under President Trumps immigration plan. Advertisement A post on X alleges that Trumps plan to end birthright citizenship would create a major issue for Second Lady Usha Vance. NEW: JD Vances wife, Usha Vance, will have her citizenship revoked if Trump signs his executive order banning birthright citizenship, the post reads. Her parents were not US citizens at the time of her birth. NEW: JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance, will have her citizenship revoked if Trump signs his executive order banning birthright citizenship. Her parents were not US citizens at the time of her birth. Oops. pic.twitter.com/UFjGw7KlCl Protect Kamala Harris (@DisavowTrump20) January 20, 2025 Advertisement The post has garnered over 66,000 likes within a day and over 2.9 million views. According to USA Today, Second Lady Usha Vance is a US citizen, and Trumps birthright citizenship order will not impact her status. Usha Chilukuri Vance on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Reuters/File Photo The text of the order specifies that it applies only to individuals born more than 30 days after the order is issued. A Community Guideline accompanying the viral X post clarified: The text of the EO states clearly that it applies only to those born more than 30 days after the order issue date - which was 1/20/2025. Usha Vance was born on 1/6/86. Advertisement On a similar Threads post, a community guideline provided the official link to the order and cited its text: (b) Subsection (a) of this section shall apply only to persons who are born within the United States after 30 days from the date of this order. Trumps birthright citizenship order is not retroactive. It only applies to those born after February 19, 2025, as the order, issued on January 20, takes effect 30 days after being signed. The order has sparked multiple legal challenges. However, even if upheld, it would have no impact on the citizenship status of the vice presidents wife. Usha Vance was born 39 years ago in San Diego to Hindu Indian parents who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. Publicly available information does not confirm when her parents acquired US citizenship. READ | Donald Trump signs executive order to end birthright citizenship. How will it affect Indians? How Trumps order will impact Indians The Indian-American community, one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the US, will be severely affected by this policy change. As of 2024, Indian Americans number over 5.4 million, making up 1.47% of the US population. Approximately two-thirds of this group are immigrants, while 34% are US-born, according to official data. Under Trumps executive order, children born to Indian nationals on temporary work visas, such as the H-1B visa, or those awaiting green cards, would no longer automatically acquire US citizenship. This change would impact hundreds of thousands of children born annually to Indian immigrants in the US. Such a policy shift could deter Indian professionals, students, and families from pursuing opportunities in the US, favouring immigration-friendly countries like Canada or Australia instead. It may also negatively impact the US economy, given the Indian communitys substantial contributions to sectors like technology, healthcare, and education, Varun Singh, Managing Director of Bengaluru-based immigration and citizenship firm XIPHIAS Immigration, told The Indian Express. Although an executive order will face immediate legal challenges, changing constitutional provisions requires a lengthy, challenging process involving a constitutional amendment. The legal challenges Several Democratic-led states and civil rights organisations have filed lawsuits to challenge Trumps attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship. On Tuesday, 22 Democratic-led states, along with the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco, filed lawsuits in federal courts in Boston and Seattle, arguing that Trumps order violates the US Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union, immigrant organisations, and an expectant mother also filed cases within hours of Trump signing the executive order, initiating the first major legal battle of his administration. The lawsuits argue that stripping citizenship would deny individuals access to federal programmes like Medicaid, lawful employment, and voting rights. Todays immediate lawsuit sends a clear message to the Trump administration that we will stand up for our residents and their basic constitutional rights, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement. Further lawsuits challenging other elements of Trumps agenda are anticipated, with cases already filed against the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and another executive order weakening civil service job protections. With inputs from agencies As the WHOs largest donor, the US departure raises critical concerns about funding, global health initiatives, and pandemic preparedness. Experts warn that this move could weaken international health collaboration, while others see it as a push for much-needed reforms read more A logo is pictured at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, December 14, 2022. File Image/Reuters US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the second time in less than five terms. Ooh," Trump reacted as he was handed the action to sign. Thats a big one! World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. Its not going to happen anymore, Trump said. This move has elicited strong reactions from scientists, public health experts, and world leaders. Advertisement Why is the US withdrawing from WHO? Trumps justification for leaving the WHO hinges on claims of mismanagement, lack of autonomy, and unequal financial burdens on the US. His executive order criticised the organisations response to the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged political influence from member states such as China, and its perceived resistance to reforms. The US, historically the WHOs largest donor, has contributed roughly 18 per cent of its annual budget. The executive order also aims to redirect US funds to other global health initiatives and reassess priorities. However, the withdrawal requires a one-year notice period and fulfillment of financial obligations before becoming final. What can be the potential fallout for WHO? The US withdrawal is expected to significantly impact WHO financially and operationally. Over the past decade, US contributions have ranged from $160 million to $815 million annually, supporting programmes like polio eradication, maternal and child health, and infectious disease surveillance. With a $2-3 billion annual budget, the WHOs reliance on US funding cannot be overstated. A US withdrawal from WHO would make the world far less healthy and safe, warned Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Global Health Law at Georgetown University. He highlighted the risk of undermining epidemic responses, vaccine development, and disease research. WHO officials expressed regret over the decision, citing decades of successful collaborations with the US on eradicating smallpox, combating polio, and addressing other health crises. We hope the United States will reconsider and look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership, the organisation said in a statement. Programmes targeting diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, which have seen considerable progress, now face uncertainty. Experts warn that reduced funding and cooperation could weaken global defenses against future outbreaks, increasing the likelihood of pandemics. New Zealands former Prime Minister Helen Clark described the move as disruptive, cautioning that it could create a substantial dent in WHOs capacity to respond to health crises. She highlighted the risk of a bird flu pandemic, underscoring the importance of global collaboration. What is US history with WHO? The United States has been a pivotal player in the WHO since its inception in 1948, with American funding and expertise supporting major health initiatives. From eradicating smallpox in the 20th century to advancing maternal health and fighting polio, the US has been integral to the WHOs mission. The World Health Organisation (WHO) logo is seen near its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. File Image/Reuters During the 1980s, for instance, US efforts to strengthen global immunisation programmes significantly reduced child mortality rates. Similarly, initiatives like the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) were spearheaded with strong American participation. Advertisement However, tensions have surfaced over the years regarding WHOs autonomy, governance, and transparency. Critics, including the Trump administration, have argued that the organisation has become overly bureaucratic and influenced by major powers like China, leading to inefficiencies in addressing global health crises. What comes next? The withdrawal process will take a year to complete, during which the US must honor its financial commitments. In the meantime, other nations and organisations may need to step up to fill the funding gap. Germany, which temporarily became WHOs largest donor during Trumps previous withdrawal attempt in 2020, has expressed hopes for a reversal but has not committed to covering the shortfall. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHOs second-largest donor, has reaffirmed its support for the agency. However, experts caution that even increased contributions from other donors might not fully compensate for the loss of US funding. Advertisement While some experts advocate for reforms within the WHO to address criticisms, they stress that disengagement is not a viable solution. This is the darkest day for global health Ive ever experienced, said Lawrence Gostin, reflecting fears about the long-term consequences. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies On January 22, 1973, the landmark judgment on the Roe v Wade case was passed by the United States Supreme Court. The judgment decriminalised abortion in the country and recognised right to privacy as a constitutional right read more January 22 is a historic day as several important events took place across the world. In 1973, the landmark Roe v Wade legal decision was issued where the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion, thus legalising the procedure in the United States. A massacre took place in Russia in 1905 known as the Bloody Sunday Massacre. Hundreds of protesters, demonstrating for better working conditions, were killed when Winter Palace guards opened fire on them. Advertisement In 1998, Ted Kaczynski pleaded guilty to a 17-year campaign of package bombings accredited to the Unabomber. As part of the Firstpost Explainers History Today series, we look into defining moments of this day and their impact on the world. Let us take a closer look at what happened today. Roe v Wade decision issued Roe v Wade was a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court on January 22, 1973. The court recognised a womans constitutional right to privacy, extending to her decision to have an abortion. This decision invalidated many state laws that restricted abortion access, reshaping reproductive rights in America. Abortion was a legal process in the United States during the 19th century. However, the American Medical Association (AMA) began calling for the criminalisation of abortion in the late 1850s. In 1873, Congress passed the Comstock law making it illegal to distribute contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs through the US mail. By the 1880s, abortion was outlawed across the country. Norma McCorvey, formally known as Jane Roe, with attorney Gloria Allred (right), in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington DC, on April 25, 1989. Wikimedia Commons Norma McCorvey, formally known as Jane Roe during the proceedings, was a woman in her early 20s seeking to terminate her pregnancy due to financial restraints. She filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade, then district attorney of Dallas County. The case was presented before the US Supreme Court and in a landmark 7-2 decision the top court struck down the Texas law banning abortion, thus legalising the procedure. Bloody Sunday Massacre in Russia In 1905, the Bloody Sunday Massacre occurred in St. Petersburg marking a turning point in Russian history. Peaceful protesters marched to the Winter Palace to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II, demanding better working conditions, fair wages and political reforms. Around 150,000 workers and their families joined the march, carrying religious icons and portraits of the Tsar, believing he would address their grievances. Astonishingly, imperial troops opened fire on the unarmed crowd near the palace, killing and wounding hundreds. The estimate of casualties ranges from 200 to over 1,000. This massacre shattered public trust in the Tsar and fuelled widespread anger which led to strikes, protests and unrest across the Russian Empire. Advertisement Bloody Sunday is often seen as the catalyst for the 1905 Russian Revolution, which forced the Tsar to implement limited reforms, including the creation of the Duma (parliament). Ted Kaczynski pleads guilty to bombings Theodore Ted Kaczynski, infamously known as the Unabomber guilty of carrying out a series of bombings that spanned nearly two decades. In one of the most prolonged criminal investigations in US history, Kaczynski mailed 16 bombs, killing three people and injuring 23 others between 1978 and 1995. The primary targets included universities but some airlines also received threats. In 1995, the Washington Post in collaboration with the New York Times published a 35,000-word anti-technology manifesto written by a person claiming to be the Unabomber. Reading this, David Kaczynski went to authorities with his suspicions of his brother Ted Kaczynski being the culprit. Following this Ted Kaczynski was arrested in April 1996 from his remote cabin in Montana. Ted Kaczynski is flanked by federal agents as he is led to a car from federal courthouse in Helena, Montana in April 1996. File image/AP Kaczynski admitted to his actions as part of his campaign against technological advancements, which he believed were eroding human freedom and the environment. He pleaded guilty to all charges, avoiding the death penalty in exchange for life imprisonment without parole. Advertisement This Day, That Year In 2003, Hispanics were officially declared the largest minority group in the US. Apples iconic 1984 commercial aired during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. Queen Victoria passed away in 1901. British colonists reached New Zealand in 1840. French authorities have warned against consuming a purported love honey that is becoming trendy among young men, cautioning it comes with serious side effects. This adulterated honey is packaged as sticks or shots under names like Black Horse, Jaguar Power or Bio Max, and sold discreetly in nightclubs and other nightlife venues read more Officials warn that if this illegal 'love honey' is consumed without proper regulation, can lead to serious and dangerous health complications. Image for Representation. Pixabay French authorities are raising red flags over a growing trend: aphrodisiac honey, which has become increasingly popular among men across the country. Promoted as a natural solution to boost sexual performance, this honey is far from harmless. Officials warn that if this illegal love honey is consumed without proper regulation, can lead to serious and dangerous health complications. Customs officials on Monday warned they had noticed a huge surge in the illegal import of banned love honey which is being sold online and in corner shops for recreational purposes. Advertisement Heres everything you need to know about it. What is aphrodisiac honey? Aphrodisiac honey is a form of adulterated honey thats marketed as a natural way to enhance sexual performance. However, it actually contains the active ingredients of drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction, a common condition affecting many men, is defined as the inability to get or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual activity. According to Frances customs agency, tests carried out by the Joint Laboratory Service (Customs and DGCCRF) have detected substances like Sildenafil and Tadalafilboth of which are prescribed for erectile dysfunction and are tightly regulated. However, this adulterated honey and gels, often packaged as sticks or shots under misleading names like Black Horse, Jaguar Power or Bio Max, is frequently sold discreetly in nightclubs and other nightlife venues. What many consumers may not realise is the potential danger hidden in these products, as the exact amount of the active ingredient remains unknown. Adulterated honey and gels, often packaged as sticks or shots under misleading names like Black Horse, Jaguar Power or Bio Max, are frequently sold discreetly in nightclubs and other nightlife venues. AFP As the amount of adulteration is unknown, and the doses consumed are neither recommended nor quantified, consumers are taking considerable risks by taking this type of adulterated honey, especially as there is no mention of dosage, contra-indications or adverse effects on the sachets, the statement warns. Also read: After testicles, microplastics found in penises: Can it cause erectile dysfunction? What are the health risks? The hidden presence of powerful drugs in aphrodisiac honey poses serious health risks. Since 2021, the French authorities have warned that the unregulated dosages in these products can lead to severe adverse reactions, such as convulsions, cerebral oedema, and acute kidney injuries. Advertisement In one notable case, a 36-year-old man had to undergo emergency surgery after being hospitalised with penile necrosis in Lyons in 2022. Juliette Bloch, head of alerts at the National Health Safety Agency, explained Le Parisien, There is no reliable dosage in these products. You can sometimes find the equivalent of several medications in just a few millilitres or grams. French authorities have warned that the unregulated dosages in these products can lead to severe adverse reactions, such as convulsions, cerebral oedema, and acute kidney injuries. Image for Representation Dr Alain Ducardonnet, a cardiologist quoted by French broadcaster BFMTV, added, There is a risk of very serious or even fatal accidents if taken simultaneously with other medications. He also warned of the dangers of overdose, stating, If you take too much, you risk epileptic seizures, haemorrhages, or kidney problems. Advertisement An unnamed doctor cited by Le Parisien bluntly said, Its simple. Something that makes you hard instantly does not just contain plants. Also read: Hypertension medications dont cause erectile dysfunction, may improve penile blood flow, claims new research Skyrocketing demand Despite government bans and warnings, demand for aphrodisiac honey has surged, with young men increasingly turning to it in large numbers. Following a trend, a younger public are going for this in a big way, thinking they can match the performances to be found on porn sites, a police officer told Le Figaro newspaper. Customs officials have reported a sharp rise in the quantities seized across France. While only 18 cases of illegal imports were documented in 2019, that number skyrocketed to 131 by 2023. Advertisement Last year marked a record high, both in terms of the number of cases and the quantities confiscated. Frances customs office revealed that it had seized a staggering 31,000 tonnes of the illicit product, mostly imported from countries like Malaysia, Turkey, Tunisia, and Thailand. Frances customs office revealed that it had seized a staggering 31,000 tonnes of the illicit product, mostly imported from countries like Malaysia, Turkey, Tunisia, and Thailand. AFP These products arrive by sea in large containers or by express freight in smaller volumes, following online purchases, the customs office explained. The largest single seizure occurred in November 2023 at the port of Marseille, where customs officers confiscated more than 13 tonnesnearly 860,000 sticksof aphrodisiac honey. In June, officials in Lyon and Clermont-Ferrand also seized nearly 25,000 doses of the honey from a storage box. Advertisement With input from agencies India is reportedly planning to take back 18,000 illegal immigrants in the US amid President Donald Trumps crackdown on immigration. While the total number is unclear, some 220,000 unauthorised Indian immigrants were living in America as of 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security read more Migrants seeking asylum in the US mostly from India are transported by the US border patrol after crossing the border from Mexico at Yuma, Arizona, US, January 23, 2022. File Photo/Reuters United States President Donald Trump launched a crackdown on immigration, soon after assuming office on Monday (January 20). From his bid to end birthright citizenship to mobilising troops along the US-Mexico border, he took a hardline approach to illegal immigration on Day 1. Amid Trumps sweeping immigration clampdown, reports have emerged that India is planning to take back all its nationals living illegally in the US. New Delhi is eager to engage and comply with the US president to avoid a trade war. Advertisement Lets take a closer look. How many illegal Indians are in the US? The exact number of illegal Indian migrants in the US is not certain. There are varying figures. According to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as many as 11 million (1.1 crore) illegal migrants were residing in America as of January 2022. Some 220,000 unauthorised Indian immigrants lived in the US as of 2022, as per the DHS report released last year. At 725,000, Indians were the third largest group of undocumented immigrants in the US, after those from Mexico and El Salvador, as per the Pew Research Center. Over six million (60 lakh) deportations are pending or paused in legal proceedings in the US. With Trump in power, many prospective deportees are turning to attorneys specialising in pro-bono work and churches for protection, reported Times of India (TOI). If Trump moves on with his plan to deport illegal immigrants, it could affect 20,407 undocumented Indians who are either in detention centres of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or are facing final removal orders, reported Indian Express. Of these, 17,940 paperless Indians are under final removal orders, while another 2,467 are in detention under the ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). India to take back citizens Bloomberg reports that India is preparing to collaborate with Trumps administration to identify and take back its citizens living illegally in the US. America plans to send some 18,000 illegal Indian migrants back home. India will verify and start the deportation process, people familiar with the matter told the outlet. The figure could be higher due to uncertainty about how many illegal Indian migrants live in the US. Advertisement Migrants seeking asylum in the US from India, walk to turn themselves in to the US border patrol after crossing the border from Mexico at Yuma, Arizona, US, January 23, 2022. File Photo/Reuters Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: As part of India-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration. This is being done to create more avenues for legal migration from India to the US. He pointed out that the process has already started, adding that over 1,000 undocumented Indians were brought back over the past year. India previously worked with the Biden administration to take back undocumented nationals. About 1,100 Indians were repatriated from the US through charter and commercial flights between October 2023 and September 2024. As per ICEs 2024 Annual Report, the number of Indians deported from the US has seen a five-fold increase in four years from 292 in 2021 to 1,529 last year. Advertisement Bloombergs report comes as Trump takes stringent measures to curb immigration. In the latest move, the US administration has announced a new directive allowing federal immigration officers to arrest migrants at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals, which were previously off-limits. Critics worry this could deter migrants from seeking medical care and sending their children to school. The US president also signed an executive order to take down an app that eased the process of applying for asylum. Whats behind Indias move? By taking back its nationals, India is trying to continue friendly terms with the US under Trump. It is hoping that the new American administration will protect student visas and the H-1B programme for skilled workers. Indians accounted for nearly 75 per cent of all 386,000 H-1B visas granted in 2023. Some Republicans have opposed H-1B visas, often used in technology and engineering sectors, claiming foreigners get prestigious jobs that should go to Americans. Advertisement After initially calling them very, very bad for US workers, Trump changed track and called it a great programme. Sources told Bloomberg that the Indian governments efforts to work with the Trump administration on migration could also be to deter secessionist movements overseas, including the Khalistan movement. India is also avoiding a trade war with the US. Trump has earlier complained about Indias high import taxes and threatened reciprocal taxes. With inputs from agencies Shortly after becoming the first member of Donald Trumps Cabinet to be confirmed, Marco Rubio, the new US secretary of state, held a bilateral with Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This meeting assumes significance as traditionally any new administration in Washington has chosen to hold a sit-down with its neighbours Canada or Mexico or any other Nato ally read more India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, The meet with Jaishankar was Rubio's first as secretary of state. Image Courtesy: @DrSJaishankar/X Just a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, his Cabinet started to take shape with the confirmation of his first nominee Marco Rubio for secretary of state. The Florida senator took the oath of office on Tuesday after the Senate voted his confirmation. Soon after his confirmation and his swearing-in as the US chief diplomat, Rubio began his duties holding his very first bilateral with Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, indicating the importance that Washington under Trump is giving to New Delhi. Following their talks, Rubio and Jaishankar also joined their Quad counterparts Penny Wong from Australia and Iwaya Takeshi from Japan to discuss issues and focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Advertisement Many foreign relations experts note that Rubios meet with Jaishankar and the external affairs ministers front-row seat at the inauguration are signs of the importance that New Delhi is for Washington. Rubio and Jaishankars sit down An hour after Marco Rubio was sworn in as US secretary of state, he sat down with Indias S Jaishankar to discuss the state of the India-US partnership. Notably, the sit-down between the two came against the backdrop of Washington identifying around 18,000 illegal Indians to be sent home, for which New Delhi will start the deportation process, according to a Bloomberg report. The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions for over an hour, delving into the entire gamut of the India-US strategic partnership. According to a readout from the US side, Rubio and Jaishankar discussed opportunities to further deepen the US-India relationship, in particular on critical and emerging technologies, defence cooperation, energy, and on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Moreover, Secretary Rubio emphasised the Trump Administrations desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration. Following their discussions, they made a joint appearance and S Jaishankar posted on X, Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State. Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate. Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look forward to closely working with him to advance our strategic cooperation. Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State. Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate. Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look pic.twitter.com/NVpBUEAyHK Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025 Advertisement This meeting between Rubio and Jaishankar is of particular significance: Not only was it Rubios first as secretary of state, but also the fact that he chose to meet his Indian counterpart over other countries. Traditionally, an incoming US administration has met with its neighbours Canada and Mexico or with one of its Nato allies. Rubios Quad meet After holding over an hour-long meet with Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a sit-down with Quad leaders; this collective is made up of the US, India, Australia and Japan. Rubio met with his counterparts Penny Wong, S Jaishankar and Takeshi Iwaya in Washington. In a joint statement, the four nations restated their shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended. Advertisement Indias S Jaishankar with Quad foreign ministers in Washington, DC. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/X We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion, the statement said an apparent reference to the threat that China will act on its claim to sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan. Speaking on the same, Indias Foreign Minister S Jaishankar wrote on X: Significant that the Quad (foreign ministers meeting) took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states. Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong & Takeshi Iwaya for their participation. Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This pic.twitter.com/uGa4rjg1Bw Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025 Advertisement For the unaware, the Quad is a strategic collective aimed at addressing Chinas increased aggression in the South China Sea as well as the Indo-Pacific region. Jaishankars seating at inauguration Geopolitical experts also note that if one is looking for signs that Trump values the US-India partnership, then they should take a look at Jaishankars seating at the US presidential inauguration at the Capitol Rotunda. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the inauguration ceremony of US President Donald Trump in Washington DC. ANI Indias foreign minister was accorded a front-row seat alongside Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa during the inauguration event of US President Donald Trump on Monday (January 20). This is a significant upgrade in protocol, as stated by an India TV report. In contrast, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya was seated two rows behind. Advertisement Jaishankar said it was a great honour to attend the ceremony as Indias special envoy, which entitled him to a place of honour. India-US partnership under Trump Many experts note that with Donald Trump now in the White House, there will be a change in the US-India relationship. Many foreign policy experts anticipate a strong momentum in India-US ties under Trumps second administration. However, there will be challenges along the way, namely in the sector of trade and on the issue of migration. Most note that Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis friendship will boost ties further. However, Trumps focus on countering China will be one of the biggest factors working in Indias favour. As an ORF report noted, The United States, under Donald Trumps second presidential term, is expected to maintain a focus on strengthening security and defence ties with India, leveraging the countrys strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific region, and in countering Chinas influence. However, it may not be all smooth sailing. Some thinkers note that Trumps unpredictable style of working and his America First thinking may pose some troubles. As Brig Rahul Bhonsle (retired), a strategic affairs expert, told PTI, We will have to look for giving greater concessions to the Americans, in economic relations, trade in particular, tariffs. He further added that the America First and Make in India policies of the two governments display an inherent contradiction that could have an impact on defence ties between the two countries and projects in the pipeline, both in terms of the extent of manufacturing in India and the aspect of the transfer of technology. We will have to wait and see what comes next but as reports state one can expect the US president to make a visit to India in the first 100 days of his term. With inputs from agencies Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan could lose the Pataudi family properties in Bhopal worth Rs 15,000 crore. The Centre has declared them as enemy property, which means it can claim them. But why has the government deemed them as such? read more The Centre declared Pataudi family's historical property in Bhopal as 'enemy property'. Actor Saif Ali Khan was directed to approach appellate authority against the government's order. PTI Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan is in the spotlight these days. After an intruder attacked him with a knife at his home in Mumbai, reports have come to light that the actor could lose family property worth Rs 15,000 crore. The Central government had declared the historical properties of the Pataudi family as enemy property, which could bring them under its control. Now, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted a stay on these properties imposed in 2015 that could result in their acquisition under the Enemy Property Act, 1968. Advertisement What is this act and whats the case? We will explain. What is Enemy Property Act, 1968? The Enemy Property Act, 1968, empowers the government to claim properties owned by those who migrated to Pakistan after Partition. Following the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, people migrated from India to Pakistan. The Defence of India Act, 1962, defines rules that state that the Indian government can take over properties and companies of individuals who took Pakistani nationality. The Central government vested these enemy properties in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India. This was also done with the properties left by those who migrated to China after the 1962 Sino-Indian war, as per the Indian Express report. The Enemy Property Act, 1968, was amended in 2017 to expand the definition of enemy subject to include the enemys legal heir and successor whether or not a citizen of India or the citizen of a country which is not an enemy or the enemy, enemy subject or his legal heir and successor who has changed his nationality. The definition of an enemy firm included its succeeding firm whether or not partners or members of such succeeding firm are citizen of India or the citizen of a country which is not an enemy or such firm which has changed its nationality. The amended law stipulates that enemy property shall continue to vest in the Custodian even if the enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm stops to be an enemy due to death, extinction, winding up of business or change of nationality or that the legal heir and successor is a citizen of India or the citizen of a country which is not an enemy. Advertisement As per the Custodian, India has 13,252 enemy properties, valued at over Rs1 lakh crore. Why is Pataudi familys property enemey property? Bhopal was a princely state at the time of Indias independence in 1947 and its last Nawab was Hamidullah Khan. He had three daughters. His eldest, Abida Sultan, migrated to Pakistan in 1950. The second daughter, Sajida Sultan, remained in India, married Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, and became the legal heir. Saif Ali Khan, the grandson of Sajida, inherited a share of the properties. In 2014, the Custodian of Enemy Property Department declared the Pataudi familys properties in Bhopal as enemy property. Abida Sultans migration to Pakistan was the governments basis for claiming the properties as enemy property. The dispute over the Pataudi family property was fuelled further after a 2016 ordinance by the Indian government stated that heirs would not have any right over the property. Important properties such as the Flag Staff House, where Saif spent his childhood, Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Bungalow of Habibi, Ahmedabad Palace, Dar-Us-Salam and Kohefiza Property are under the scanner. Advertisement The Pataudi family moved the MP High Court in 2015 against the Custodians notice declaring the Pataudi familys properties as enemy property. The HC put a stay on the property at the time. In 2019, the court recognised Sajida Sultan as the legal heir. However, last month, the High Court dismissed Saifs petition and lifted the stay. As per Indian Express, during a hearing on December 13, Deputy Solicitor General Pushpendra Yadav told the court that an appellate authority has been constituted for adjudication of disputes in regard to enemy property. While announcing the order, Justice Vivek Agarwal said the amended Enemy Property Act, 2017 provides a statutory remedy and the parties concerned could file a representation within 30 days. Advertisement It is directed that if representation is filed within 30 days from today (December 13), then the appellate authority shall not advert to the aspect of limitation and shall deal with the appeal on its own merits, the court said. Saif was to approach the tribunal by January 12, as per the court order. However, it is unclear whether he did or not. With inputs from agencies Former Thailand PM Thaksin Shinawatra said he has asked British supermodel Naomi Campbell to visit the country and help him guide Thais on how to follow her footsteps. The 75-year-old revealed that under a new campaign, young Thais, who are born beautiful, without surgery will be screened and trained as supermodels to represent the nation on a global scale read more As part of a bid to promote the countrys soft power and create wealth for its citizens, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has invited Campbell to mentor aspiring Thai talent. File image/ Reuters Thailand is making waves with an ambitious initiative to transform its young men and women into world-class models, and legendary British supermodel Naomi Campbell is set to take centre stage. As part of a bid to promote the countrys soft power and create wealth for its citizens, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has invited Campbell to mentor aspiring Thai talent. According to The Bangkok Post, she is expected to visit the country next month to offer her expertise in training and preparing Thais for success in the global fashion industry. Advertisement Heres everything we know about this exciting endeavour. Will screen Thais who are born beautiful, without beauty surgery Speaking at Nakhon Phanom University last week, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that Naomi Campbell will visit Thailand from February 8 to 10 to provide him with guidance on how Thais can follow in her footsteps as a supermodel. The British model, however, is yet to confirm the news. We will screen Thais who are born beautiful by nature, without beauty surgery, Thaksin said during the event. Anyone inspired to become a world-class model can come out of their small hut to join the scheme. The talent-scouting programme will seek candidates from local villages to the national level, embracing individuals of all genders. Thaksin emphasised that the goal is to train these aspirants to achieve global success in the fashion industry. The 75-year-old further explained that this initiative is part of a broader campaign to promote Thailands soft power, boost the economy, and create better earning opportunities for citizens. The talent-scouting programme will seek candidates from local villages to the national level. We will screen Thais who are born beautiful by nature, without beauty surgery, Thaksin said during the event. Image for Representation. Pixabay The prime minister announced that this year is a year of opportunity. I would like to offer opportunities in all aspects, Thaksin said, referencing a New Year wish from his daughter, Paetongtarn. To ensure the programmes success, Pheu Thai de facto leader has committed to personally fund the project alongside sponsorships, estimating a total budget of 20 million Thai Baht. This campaign aligns with Thailands larger soft power objectives, which are being overseen by the National Soft Power Development Committee led by Surapong Suebwonglee. Advertisement Racism allegations During his speech, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra faced backlash for remarks about African models, which have drawn accusations of racism. African people, who have black skin and flat noses that make it difficult to breathe, are hired for millions of baht to be models, Thaksin said. Thai people look much better. Theres no need for [our people to get] nose, jaw or breast augmentation. He further stated, Its time to encourage more Thais, including those from ethnic groups like the Karen, who possess natural beauty, to become international models, as quoted by The Bangkok Times. The comments quickly sparked outrage, prompting his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to step in and defend him. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra faced backlash for remarks about African models, which have drawn accusations of racism. His daughter and current PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, stepped in and defended him. File image/Reuters She clarified that her fathers intentions were not to discriminate but to promote natural beauty among Thais. Advertisement He actually meant to say that he did not want Thai women to undergo surgery but rather maintain their natural beauty and take part in beauty contests, she explained. They should be encouraged to do so. There is no way he is racist People in other countries are beautiful in their own ways, she added, seeking to address the growing criticism. Thailands soft power push Since assuming office in August 2023, the Pheu Thai Party has been actively collaborating with cultural industry leaders to amplify Thailands soft power on the global stage. Soft power has no shortcut. There is no ready-made formula, so we need to start working seriously, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra stated in her inaugural address. Soft power, as defined by US political scientist Joseph Nye, relates to a countrys ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction, rather than coercion. Advertisement Thailands standing in this area remains modest. The country ranked 40th in Brand Finances Global Soft Power Index 2024, a significant drop from its 29th position in 2021. Perhaps most notably, the governments global promotion of Thai food since the early 2000s has been hailed as a leading example of gastro-diplomacy. The Thailand governments global promotion of Thai food since the early 2000s has been hailed as a leading example of gastro-diplomacy. The Pheu Thai Party has been actively collaborating with cultural industry leaders to amplify Thailands soft power on the global stage. Image for Representation. Pixabay Building on this achievement, the Thai government aims to replicate such success across other industries. According to The Bangkok Post, the government has proposed an annual soft power budget of 5 billion Thai baht ($147 million) and is targeting 4 trillion baht in annual revenue from this initiative. I will make every inch of Thailand a space where Thai people can dare to be creative and dare to determine their own future, Paetongtarn reaffirmed in a statement last year. Advertisement With input from agencies US President Donald Trump has unveiled Stargate, an ambitious $500 billion AI project led by SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle. Aimed at building cutting-edge data centres across the US, the initiative promises to create 100,000 jobs and revolutionise industries. However, critics warn of potential risks tied to deregulation and power supply challenges read more US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on AI infrastructure, next to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. File Image/Reuters US President Donald Trump has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative aimed at solidifying the United States leadership in artificial intelligence. The Stargate Project, a $500 billion endeavour, represents the largest AI infrastructure investment in history. Spearheaded by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, the initiative seeks to create a robust network of data centres designed to meet the ever-growing demands of AI development. This ambitious undertaking is expected to generate over 100,000 jobs. This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in Americas potential, Trump stated during the announcement, which was attended by tech leaders, including OpenAIs Sam Altman, SoftBanks Masayoshi Son, and Oracles Larry Ellison. Advertisement US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on AI infrastructure, next to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. File Image/Reuters The initiative reflects Trumps broader strategy to attract private sector investments into critical US infrastructure, a goal that dates back to his first presidential term. What is Stargate? The Stargate Projects primary objective is to build the physical and virtual infrastructure necessary to power the next generation of artificial intelligence. Central to this mission are colossal data centres, with plans to construct 20 facilities across the United States. Each centre will span approximately half a million square feet, providing the computational power required for advanced AI systems. We wouldnt be able to do this without you, Mr. President, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remarked. Announcing The Stargate Project The Stargate Project is a new company which intends to invest $500 billion over the next four years building new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States. We will begin deploying $100 billion immediately. This infrastructure will secure OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 21, 2025 Construction is already underway in Texas, with the first $100 billion investment allocated to building these data centres and their associated power infrastructure. The remaining $400 billion will be deployed over the next four years. These facilities are expected to support transformative technologies, including artificial general intelligence (AGI), which Altman described as a revolutionary step forward. Oracles Larry Ellison stated that these data centres could also revolutionise healthcare by integrating advanced AI with electronic health records. This integration could lead to customised treatments and vaccines, offering new hope in the fight against diseases like cancer. Advertisement Who is behind Stargate? Leading this monumental initiative are Sam Altman (OpenAI), Masayoshi Son (SoftBank), and Larry Ellison (Oracle), who collectively represent over $401 billion in net worth, according to Forbes. All three expressed gratitude to President Trump for facilitating the project. Sons commitment to US investments predates this project; in December 2024, he pledged $100 billion for various initiatives, further solidifying his companys role in Americas AI development. In addition to these key figures, the Stargate initiative has attracted other major stakeholders, including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Arm, and Blackstone. These companies are well-positioned to benefit from the trillion-dollar global expansion of AI infrastructure, as the technologys rapid growth continues to reshape industries worldwide. What is the controversy? While Stargate promises unparalleled economic and technological advancements, it has also sparked controversy. Trumps recent repeal of an executive order introduced by his predecessor, Joe Biden, has raised concerns about the ethical and societal implications of AI. Bidens order had established safety standards to mitigate risks such as biased decision-making, privacy violations, and other potential harms. Critics argue that removing these safeguards could disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Associate Professor Dana McKay from RMITs School of Computing Technologies, quoted by ABC News, expressed concerns about the rapid pace of AI development. The removal of protections against AI harms means its likely to benefit only a small segment of society, she warned. Advertisement Another pressing issue is the logistical challenge of securing the energy needed to power such large-scale operations. AI data centres are notoriously energy-intensive, and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has cautioned that about half of the US could face power shortages within the next decade. To address this, President Trump has proposed facilitating on-site power generation for these facilities, ensuring a steady supply of electricity to support their operations. Will this usher in a new era of AI investment? The origins of Stargate trace back to 2024, during the Biden administration, which initiated preliminary plans for AI supercomputers. However, Trumps administration has accelerated these efforts, framing Stargate as a cornerstone of Americas technological resurgence. This is the beginning of a golden age, Masayoshi Son declared, echoing Trumps vision of a prosperous future. The projects timing is crucial, as competition with China intensifies. Stargate aims to secure Americas dominance in AI, ensuring that the nation remains at the forefront of innovation. The initiative has already drawn significant attention from global markets, with Oracles shares surging alongside other tech companies following the announcement. Advertisement Stargate also represents a broader shift in the AI landscape. The launch of OpenAIs ChatGPT in 2022 captivated the public and demonstrated the transformative potential of AI. Since then, investment in AI has surged, with companies across sectors racing to integrate the technology into their products and services. Blackstones estimate of a $1 trillion investment in US data centres over the next five years underscores the scale of this transformation. Also Watch: With input from agencies Harvard University has embraced the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as part of a historic settlement addressing campus discrimination. This move aims to protect Jewish students and combat harassment. While welcomed by many, the decision has been criticised over its impact on academic freedom and free speech read more Harvard University has officially adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, marking a significant shift in its approach to addressing discrimination complaints. This move follows the resolution of two lawsuits filed by Jewish advocacy groups and students who alleged that the university failed to adequately protect Jewish students from harassment and antisemitism on campus. The lawsuits, led by organisations such as the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, and Students Against Antisemitism, culminated in a settlement designed to foster a safer and more inclusive environment for Jewish students at the institution. Advertisement What is the new definition adopted by Harvard? The IHRA defines antisemitism as a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Specific examples include claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour and applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. Proponents state that the definition is a necessary tool to identify and combat antisemitism effectively, while critics caution that it could conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitic behaviour. Under the terms of the settlement, Harvard has agreed to apply this definition in investigating complaints of discrimination or harassment. The university will also publish a Frequently Asked Questions section to clarify that harassment of Zionists or individuals targeted for their Jewish identity violates its anti-discrimination policies. Recognising that Zionism is an integral aspect of identity for many Jewish individuals, Harvard has committed to treating discriminatory actions against Zionists as breaches of its policies. How else is Harvard planning to combat antisemitism? In addition to adopting the IHRA definition, Harvard has outlined a comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism: Annual reporting : The university will publish a yearly public report on Title VI violations related to antisemitism for five consecutive years. Dedicated oversight : A new official within the Office for Community Conduct will be appointed to handle complaints of antisemitism. Collaborative outreach : Harvard plans to partner with an Israeli university to foster academic and cultural collaboration. Awareness initiatives: The university will organise campus events to promote dialogue and raise awareness about antisemitism and Jewish identity. The settlement also includes a provision allowing the Brandeis Center to host events and discussions on campus, further underscoring Harvards commitment to open and constructive engagement on these issues. What is behind Harvards decision? The universitys decision has been shaped by recent events, including the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent nationwide campus protests. During this period, Jewish students at Harvard reported incidents of harassment and threats, with some accusing the universitys leadership of failing to act decisively. These concerns were magnified during Congressional hearings, where university administrators, including Harvards former president Claudine Gay, faced criticism for their handling of antisemitic incidents. The challenges Harvard faces are not unique. The US Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights and members of Congress have intensified their scrutiny of antisemitism in higher education, pressing universities to adopt robust measures against hate and discrimination. Is this the right step forward for Harvard? While many have applauded the settlement as a significant step forward, the decision has also provoked debate within the academic and Jewish communities. Advocates like Kenneth L Marcus, founder of the Brandeis Center and former US assistant secretary of education, described the move as one that ensures Jewish students can learn and thrive in an environment free from antisemitic hate. Advertisement Zionist is often a code word for Jews, he said, adding, Harvard is making clear that rules against Zionists are as objectionable as rules against Jews. Conversely, critics such as Kenneth Stern, a primary drafter of the IHRA definition, have voiced concerns about its application in academic settings, warning that it might stifle open debate and infringe on academic freedom, particularly concerning discussions about Israel and West Asia. I would much rather universities make clear that nobody is going to be harassed for any reason and avoid these types of issues on speech, said Stern, who is now the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, according to The New York Times. Advertisement Also Watch: With inputs from agencies The Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia murder victim, proposes sweeping changes to US immigration enforcement, including mandatory detention for accused immigrants and visa bans for uncooperative nations. India is on that list. With bipartisan support, it promises to reshape immigration policy but raises concerns about economic, humanitarian, and diplomatic repercussions read more The exterior of the US Capitol is seen in Washington, DC, US, September 10, 2024. File Image/Reuters The recent inauguration of United States President Donald Trump has set the stage for a sweeping overhaul of US immigration policy, with the Laken Riley Act emerging as a central piece of legislation. The Laken Riley Act was named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was murdered in 2024 by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant in the US unlawfully. Rileys death became a focal point of then-presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign, as he called for stricter immigration policies to prevent such incidents. Ibarra, who had previously been detained by Border Patrol and later released, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Advertisement The case highlighted gaps in immigration enforcement, prompting lawmakers to draft the legislation in Rileys name. The bill seeks to mandate the detention of immigrants accused of crimes and grants states increased power to influence federal immigration decisions. What is the Laken Riley Act? The Laken Riley Act is a proposed federal law that mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of theft or violent crimes. It grants significant powers to state attorneys general, enabling them to challenge federal immigration decisions and even sue the federal government to enforce stricter detention measures. Notably, it also allows states to demand visa bans for countries that fail to accept deported nationals, a provision that could impact nations like India, China, and others. Under the bill, federal immigration authorities would be required to detain individuals accused of theft involving $100 or more, regardless of their immigration status. Critics argue that this could divert resources from addressing violent criminals, as current practices prioritise the detention of individuals with significant criminal records. Jason Houser, former chief of staff for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), warned that the law could strain resources. If passed, you will see fewer individuals in detention who are violent convicted criminals than you see today, he said, highlighting concerns over the bills operational impact. What does that mean vis a vis visa bans? One of the most controversial aspects of the bill is its provision allowing state attorneys general to influence US foreign policy. If a country refuses to accept deportees, states could demand that the federal government suspend visa issuance for nationals of that country. This could significantly impact nations like India, which has a substantial number of undocumented immigrants in the US. According to Pew Research, approximately 725,000 undocumented Indians reside in the United States. While India has cooperated with past deportations, experts warn that strained diplomatic relations or logistical hurdles could complicate compliance, potentially leading to visa restrictions. Advertisement Miriam Feldblum, co-founder of the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, expressed concerns about the bills broad implications for international students and professionals. Those individuals who are coming in legally through established processes should not be harmed, she told Inside Higher Ed, highlighting the need to balance immigration enforcement with the recruitment of global talent. Why has the bill received bipartisan support? Despite its polarising nature, the Laken Riley Act has garnered bipartisan support in Congress. The House passed the bill with backing from 216 Republicans and 48 Democrats, while the Senate advanced it with votes from 31 Democrats alongside their Republican counterparts. Senators like John Fetterman and Ruben Gallego have co-sponsored the legislation, arguing that border security and humane immigration policies are not mutually exclusive. A secure border and support for immigration are fully compatible, Fetterman said. However, critics, including Senator Patty Murray, warn of the bills financial and humanitarian costs. Advertisement Thats a lot of money to spend on a bill that will cause chaos, punish legal immigrants, and undermine due process in America, Murray said, referencing estimates that the legislation would cost $83 billion over three years. The bills implementation would require a significant expansion of detention facilities and deportation flights, raising concerns about resource allocation and feasibility. How the Act could impact India India, which has historically been a vital source of international students and skilled professionals for the US, could face significant challenges if the bills provisions are enacted. Universities and industries reliant on talent from India and other nations could suffer if visa bans disrupt established pathways for legal immigration. The Migration Policy Institute has noted that deportations require cooperation from the immigrants home country, including confirmation of nationality and acceptance of returnees. Countries designated as recalcitrant by the US government, including India, China, and Russia, could face diplomatic and economic consequences if they fail to comply. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Targeting the Delhi government for failing to provide basic needs like water to people, PM Modi said while interacting with a BJP member that liquor is available but water is not read more Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched fresh attacks against the Aam Aadmi Party, saying that residents of Delhi are openly expressing their anger against the Delhi government for not fulfilling its promises. In a virtual interaction with BJP booth-level workers, PM Modi said, The aapda is making new announcements everyday as it is daily receiving information of losing ground in various parts of Delhi. AAP did not fulfil even one of their responsibilities in Delhi. They kept moving ahead with the belief that they could govern with lies. The people of Delhi have understood their game, they are fed up with the partys lies and deceit, he added. Advertisement The battle for Delhi is on with assembly elections slated in the national capital for February 5. As the voting day inches close, the face-off is between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) the BJP and the Congress. The prime minister urged Delhi BJP leaders to achieve a target of winning over 50 per cent of the booths in the upcoming assembly elections. Targeting the Delhi government for failing to provide basic needs like water to people, he said while interacting with a BJP member that liquor is available but water is not. The BJP will run a massive campaign to ensure that drinking water reaches everyone once it is elected to power here, he said. While the AAP has released all of its candidate lists with 70 candidates, the Bharatiya Janata Party has announced candidates for 68 out of the 70 assembly seats. Both parties have released their manifestos. AAP releases middle class manifesto Meanwhile, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has announced a seven-point manifesto for the countrys middle class, saying they have been neglected by successive governments and are a victim of tax terrorism. In a video message, he said the middle class is the real superpower of the Indian economy but has long been ignored and exploited solely for tax collection. Kejriwal announced the seven-point charter aimed at addressing the concerns of the middle class. The demands included raising the education budget from the current 2 per cent to 10 per cent and capping private school fees. He also proposed subsidies and scholarships for higher education to make quality education accessible to all. Advertisement With inputs from PTI While Greenlands Prime Minister claims the territory is not for sale, any future trajectory of Trumps proposition could have serious ramifications on the transatlantic partnership read more Greenland's flag flies in the Igaliku settlement, on July 5, 2024. In recent weeks, Donald Trump has said time and again that we want to acquire Greenland, the world's largest island. Reuters US President Donald Trump has been sending shockwaves across the Atlantic. In this context, Europe finds itself in the eye of the storm. From tariff threats and intimidation to increase defence spending, to the possibility of withdrawal from NATO and other multilateral institutions, retribution for increasing market engagement with China, claiming he could end the war in Ukraine in under 24 hours, and expressing a desire to purchase Greenland, Trump is here to show that he means business. Advertisement The worlds largest island, located in the resource-rich Arctic region, Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which is an active member of both the EU and NATO. The island is home to a number of critical raw materials, including rare earth minerals, graphite, lithium, uranium, and iron, which are increasingly in demand due to the growing battery requirements for electric vehicles. These resources, however, remain underdeveloped, as 80 per cent of its territory is covered by ice, and progress in infrastructure development has been slow. Greenland occupies a unique geopolitical position, located between the US and Europe. With the North-West Passage shipping lane running along its coast, the island forms part of a strategic maritime region known as the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap. Acquiring Greenland would provide the US not only with exclusive access to resources but also a base closer to the Arctic, which could be leveraged for defence and ballistic missile warning systems. This makes the island all the more critical for the US in the context of Russian and Chinese aspirations to establish a presence in the regiona potential flashpoint for future contention. As the ice cover in the Arctic melts faster than in any other part of the planet, a renewed Great Game is brewing among the worlds superpowers, vying to exploit the regions resources and the emerging commercial shipping and military sea routes through the ice-free waters. Historically, US Presidents Andrew Johnson and Harry Truman also attempted to acquire or purchase Greenland, citing strategic concerns in 1867 and 1946, respectively. However, Trump, with his unpredictable policymaking, has taken a step further by introducing a bill in the US House of Representatives called the Make Greenland Great Again Act, authorising talks for the islands purchase as soon as he takes office. Trump claims that taking control of Greenland is an absolute necessity for US national security and has not ruled out the possibility of escalating military aggression or economic conflict with Denmark to achieve it. His supporters in the US believe this could be one of the greatest real estate deals ever, surpassing the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Will this become yet another feather in Trumps metaphorical capor rather, crownof transactional diplomacy? Advertisement Although Greenland is a self-governing territory with the right to secede through a referendum, the Greenlandic Prime Minister has clarified that Greenland is not for sale, while the Danish Prime Minister reaffirmed that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. In 2019, Denmark firmly rejected a similar offer made during Trumps first term, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling it absurd. This followed Trumps social media claim that, according to polls, 68 per cent of Greenlanders supported independence from Denmark. Extrapolating these trends to his upcoming second term, Trump has been threatening Denmark with tariffs if they refuse to relinquish Greenland. Trumps threats of using military force and other aggressive measures to acquire the island have naturally been met with unease and scepticism in Europe. Key EU Member States, France and Germany, have criticised Trumps Greenland rhetoric, reiterating that the EU will not tolerate threats against its sovereign borders, emphasising that the inviolability of borders is a fundamental tenet of international law. If force is used to alter borders, US relations with its European allies would be fundamentally damaged. Moreover, any future instances of US encroachment into European borderswhether through economic or political pressure to cede controlcannot be ruled out, strategically exposing Europe to conflicts across the Atlantic. Advertisement It is also important to note that for the US, using military force against Denmark would mean attacking a weaker NATO ally to seize territory, thereby severely and permanently weakening the alliance. The major problem with Trumps proposition lies in his perceived approach that Europeans can be easily overridden. He seems to believe that Europes level of dependency on the US is so high that he can simply demand any potentially strategic territory he desires. He is unlikely to relent unless European leaders stand up to this geopolitical bullying. In this context, Europe needs to strengthen its security posture in the Arctic to demonstrate that it can defend Greenland and the region independently. This could be achieved by increasing investment in Arctic defence, working closely with Greenland to bolster maritime defence capabilities, and ensuring economic security in the region. Advertisement Transatlantic cooperation dates back to the Second World War, in the aftermath of which a liberal world order was established. Since then, the American and European allies have built a relationship of trust and cooperation, which now risks an untimely demise at the hands of Trump in exchange for compromised regional security. The EU and the US share the worlds largest bilateral trade and investment relationship, accounting for 42 per cent of the global GDP, and supporting over 16 million jobs. Not only would Europe lose its biggest ally in terms of military, trade and investment, and security cooemperation, but the long-standing transatlantic partnershipwhich is all the more critical in enhancing security and growth in a contested and geopolitically volatile global landscapewould have to say goodbye to its glorious past. Advertisement The question remains: Does Trump see this as a trade-off worth making? Shreya Sinha is a Research Associate (Europe Desk) at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), New Delhi, India. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. In this image posted by @DrSJaishankar via X on January 22, 2025, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting, in Washington DC. @DrSJaishankar via PTI In the flurry of executive orders, actions, and appointments rapidly unfolding on Donald J Trumps return to power, one of the most important for India and, indeed, for the rest of the world, is the confirmation of Marco Rubio as Americas new Secretary of State. This position, the equivalent of Indias External Affairs Minister, is of critical importance in shaping and executing US foreign policy. Traditionally, but especially during Democratic party presidencies, the US Department of State has been perceived as critical of, if not openly, against India. This is quite different, if not opposed, to the Department of Defense or the US Defense Ministry, which has usually advocated security closer ties to India. On the Indian side too, the defence establishment has tended to trust the US much more than China. In Trumps second presidential term, the different arms and departments of the US government are expected to have much greater coherence and focus than earlier, when they were often at sixes and sevens. Advertisement This change was clearly signalled in Rubios acceptance speech this morning. He said that US foreign policy would be governed strictly by US self-interests. And, furthermore, the three principles that would determine US interests as outlined by President Trump were: 1) Does it make the US stronger? 2) Does it make it more secure? And 3) Does it add to its prosperity? Of course, how these three principles are to be operationalised and deployed on the ground is another matter. Yet, they should serve as a clear wake up call to India and its mandarins. One of the foremost of whom, Dr S Jaishankar, Indias External Affairs Minister, was in the front row inside the Capitol rotunda during Trumps swearing in on January 20. But lets make no mistake: Marco Rubio as Secretary of State under President Trump marks a pivotal shift in US foreign policy, with implications that extend across global relations, domestic politics, and international security. Rubio, known for his hawkish foreign policy views and his Cuban-American heritage, brings a unique perspective to the role, potentially reshaping Americas diplomatic stance in several key areas. Lets begin with Rubios Latin America connection. Rubios background as the son of Cuban immigrants has long influenced his policy focus on Latin America, particularly Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. His appointment suggests a renewed emphasis on US involvement, and dominance, in the region. Rubio has been a vehement critic of Cubas communist regime, advocating for stringent sanctions and opposing any normalization of relations. His stance could lead to a more aggressive policy towards Cuba, reversing some of the diplomatic openings made by previous administrations. But Cuba or Venezuela, where Rubio has supported opposition movements and economic sanctions against the Nicolas Maduro Moros government, are less important than Mexico, Americas immediate southern neighbour. While US policy might intensify efforts to undermine leftist governments in Latin America, Rubios focus will be on controlling illegal immigration and criminal cartels entering the US through Mexico. Trumps renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America is more cosmetic than really significant. Advertisement On the other hand, the announced takeover by the US of the Panama Canal, more by persuasion than force, will probably be Rubios top priority. In Americas own backyard, his brief will be to counterbalance the influence of China and Russia and further US strategic interests. Far more important to India is Rubios approach to China. As a long-standing critic of China, Rubios role as Secretary of State could herald a more confrontational US approach towards Beijing. His past actions, like advocating sanctions against Chinese companies and highlighting concerns over Chinese espionage via tech platforms, suggest a continuation or even an escalation of the trade and technological wars initiated under the previous Trump administration. Rubios hawkishness on China might lead to stricter policies on technology transfers, investment scrutiny, and a push for more robust alliances with countries wary of Chinese expansionism. This could potentially strain US-China relations further but might also solidify alliances like the Quad (US, Japan, Australia, and India) aimed at countering Chinas influence in the Indo-Pacific region. This may well be Indias chance to take relations with US to a new level. Advertisement Similarly, Rubios unwavering support for Israel and his criticism of the Biden administrations Middle East policy suggest that under his stewardship, US policy might lean towards stronger military and diplomatic backing for Israel, especially in light of ongoing conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah. Rubios statements, including his desire for Israel to destroy every element of Hamas, indicate a policy less inclined towards peace negotiations and more towards supporting Israels security measures. Rubios views on Russia have shown a pragmatic shift, aligning more with Trumps recent attitudes towards the conflict in Ukraine. Previously a staunch supporter of Ukraine, Rubio has suggested a negotiated settlement over continued military engagement, which might align US policy with a less interventionist approach in Eastern Europe. This could mean a focus on diplomacy to de-escalate tensions rather than military support, although Rubios history of advocating for NATOs strength might continue to support the alliance, albeit with a focus on burden-sharing among members. Advertisement Rubios appointment might also signal a broader shift in how US diplomacy is conducted. His experience and visibility in international relations, coupled with his media presence, could lead to a more assertive diplomatic tone. Internationally, Rubios appointment might be viewed with caution, even disappointment, by Latin American countries. Domestically, Rubios rise will help consolidate Latino support for the Republican Party, given his historic appointment as the first Latino Secretary of State, potentially influencing the political landscape in states like Florida during future elections. Rubio, we must not forget, is ambitious, having himself run for president during the primaries. It is in Indias interests to build close and lasting ties with him. His appointment is, undoubtedly, a great opportunity for India to consolidate ties with the United States. Advertisement The writer is an author and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The agreement should put a stop to the bloodshed, allow people to return to their homes, and get much-needed aid to more than a million people read more Just five days before Donald Trumps inauguration and after a little more than 15 months of war, a ceasefire in Gaza has been agreed to. Trump has been a major factor in facilitating this. The deal, struck on January 15 in Doha, Qatar, is essentially the same proposal that Joe Biden extracted from Israel in May. It took eight months of mediation and the joint efforts of both old and new US administrations, alongside those of Egypt and Qatar, to get Israel and Hamas to commit. Advertisement The Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it was approved by the Israeli cabinet. Biden stated, This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration. While Trump said the epic agreement could have only happened as a result of his historic election victory. The Deal The deal, which began on January 19, will last for 42 days and entails the exchange of hostages detained by Hamas and Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons. Hamas and its allies still hold 94 people taken from Israel, though about 34 are presumed to be dead. As part of the first phase of the deal, 33 hostages are expected to be released, including female soldiers, children, the elderly, and the sick, in exchange for an undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners. On the seventh day, Wednesday, Hamas is set to release four more. Following that, Hamas will release three Israeli detainees every seven days, starting with women (civilians and soldiers), the document states. During the sixth week, Hamas will release all remaining detainees included in this stage, and in return, Israel will release the agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, based on lists provided by Hamas, the document continues. The second phase of the agreement is expected to see a permanent cessation of military and hostile operations and the release of all remaining Israeli male detainees who are alive (civilians and soldiers) in exchange for a number of prisoners in Israeli prisons and detainees in Israeli detention centres, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Advertisement The third phase of the agreement is expected to see the exchange of all bodies/remains of the dead, the document says. This phase will also see the start of a three- to five-year reconstruction plan for Gaza, according to the document. The deal will also see the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the east, away from densely populated areas of Gaza; displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes. It will also facilitate the travel of people wounded by Israeli attacks and sick people in order to receive treatment, as well as the positioning of Israeli forces across the Gaza border. Advertisement According to the terms, the Rafah border crossing connecting Gaza with Egypt is expected to be reopened. The deal also requires Israel to allow 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid each day into the shattered territory, half of which would be allocated to Northern Gaza. The US, Qatar, and Egypt, who also helped broker the deal, and the United Nations are the guarantors of the agreement and would work together to ensure Israel and Hamas fulfilled their obligations. Hopefully this should be the last page of the war. Reactions Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Donald Trump and Joe Biden for advancing the ceasefire agreement but did not explicitly say whether he has accepted it, saying he would issue a formal response only after the final details of the agreement, which are currently being worked on, are completed. Israels former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, on January 15, welcomed the ceasefire and hostage release deal, saying that national and security considerations prevailed over political interest in a post on X. European leaders have expressed hope that the first phase of the deal reached between Hamas and Israel on Wednesday could lead to prolonged peace. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the deal must now be implemented to the letter, adding: This ceasefire opens the door to a permanent end to the war and to the improvement of the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun hoped that relevant parties would take the ceasefire in Gaza as an opportunity to promote the easing of regional tensions. India has welcomed the deal, and the MEA in a statement said, We welcome the announcement of the agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. We hope this will lead to a safe and sustained supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We have consistently called for the release of all hostages, a ceasefire, and a return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy. While many Palestinians and Israeli hostages families celebrated the news, there was no letup in the war on the ground in Gaza. The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency reported Israeli airstrikes killed more than 20 people following the Qatari announcement. They included 12 people who were living in a residential block in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City. Analysis In every country sucked into the Israel-Gaza warLebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, and in Israel itselfthe balance of forces has been changed by the war, but not irreversibly transformed. That is true of Gaza itself, where even if a full ceasefire holds, the future remains deliberately clouded. Antony Blinken, now former US Secretary of State, implicitly criticised this in his Atlantic Council speech this week when he said he recognised the need for Israels war but could not support what may be its plan for peace. Israel, by broadening the war with intensified attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian targets, changed its course and character. This eventually led to the annihilation of the Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon and then to the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which is clearly discernible. Indeed, the weakening of Iran is probably the biggest regional impact of the war in Gaza. But as Blinken had stated, security for Israel had to include a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, or else Hamas or something equally abhorrent will grow back. He said Israel must abandon the myth they can carry out de facto annexation without cost and consequence to Israels democracy, to its standing, to its security. Yet, he complained, Israels government has systematically undermined the capacity and legitimacy of the only viable alternative to Hamas: the Palestinian Authority. If Israel wanted the prize of greater security, he said, that lay through forging greater integration across the region, specifically through normalisation with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel for committing genocide in Gaza and will not normalise relations without a pathway to a Palestinian state. While Trumps return to the White House may have helped pressurise Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a ceasefire, it did not lead to a particular peace. The incoming US President is unlikely to pick up Blinkens plan for a reformed and UN-monitored Palestinian Authority (PA) to oversee governance of a unified Gaza and West Bank. Israel, for its part, will risk a bigger vacuum by acting on its commitment not to cooperate with UNRWA, the UN agency for the Palestinians, and other NGOs. Unfortunately, there is a larger question that has not been addressed that has been brought out in lucid detail by Rashid Khalidi, the Palestinian-American historian, in his book The Hundred Years War on Palestine: There are now two peoples in Palestine irrespective of how they came into being, and the conflict between them cannot be resolved as long as the national existence of each is denied by the other. Apparently, the sticking point in the deal was the fact that Hamas insisted that the deal must lead to a permanent end to war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said repeatedly that he is not willing to fully end the war until he has achieved total victory and the complete destruction of Hamas. But did Trumps statement that all hell will break out if Hamas does not release the hostages and the visit of his Middle East envoy, Steven Witkoff, to Israel on January 11 break the deadlock and create a path forward? More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to Hamas. Most of the 2.3 million population in Gaza has also been displaced; there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter due to a struggle to get aid to those in need. What is urgently required as far as Gaza is concerned, apart from bringing the hostilities to an end, is humanitarian assistance. Egypt is preparing to bring in the largest possible amount of aid to the Gaza Strip, according to state media reports. Coordination was under way to open the Palestinian Rafah crossing to allow the entry of international aid into Gaza, Egyptian state media reported. Conclusion The agreement should put a stop to the bloodshed, allow people to return to their homes, and get much-needed aid to more than a million people. For the hostages and their families and for the people of Gaza, it is no doubt a huge relief after so much unbearable pain and misery. This ceasefire is essential and overdue. The sacrifice in the Gaza Conflict has been great, the misery so complete, and the ultimate future for Gaza so uncertain that few can claim with certainty that this was all worthwhile or likely to benefit Israels security in the long term. There has also been damage to Israels reputation, as its image as a victim has been inverted in the minds of many. But it is too soon to say the war is over. For the world, lasting peace and stability in what is one of the most volatile regions in the world is important, and this, along with justice in the region, will enable a new trajectory other than one of violence. The foundation may have been laid, but it will take even harder work to ensure its implementation as well as development and peace. The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Samsungs JB Park believes that consumer electronics in India will experience substantial growth in the coming years, which will help the South Korean giant increase its revenue from this category read more Samsung's efforts to boost its consumer electronics business are already showing results. In the fiscal year 2024, Samsung Indias total income crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, with its mobile handset business accounting for around 70% of that revenue. Image Credit: Reuter Samsung is setting its sights on significantly growing its appliances and display business in India, with plans to make these categories contribute half of its total revenue in the next three years, as per a report by PTI. JB Park, President & CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia, shared that despite the current low penetration of consumer electronics in the Indian market, the company expects major growth, thanks to the rising Indian economy and an expanding middle class. Advertisement Consumer electronics set for strong growth Park believes that consumer electronics in India will experience substantial growth in the coming years, which will help Samsung increase its revenue from this category. He pointed out, The consumer electronic penetration in the Indian market is still very low.I think consumer electronics will have much bigger growth, which will increase our revenue portion of the category against mobile phones. Samsung is focused on bringing cutting-edge technologies like AI to its appliances and premium display segments, including QLED and OLED TVs, to stay ahead of the curve and capture a bigger share of the premium market. Shifting balance between mobile and electronics While Samsungs mobile phone business has been a major contributor to its revenue, Park told PTI that the Indian smartphone market is beginning to mature, lagging behind more developed nations where people often carry multiple devices. He foresees that the balance between mobile and consumer electronics could soon shift, predicting that in the future, the two categories could contribute equally to Samsungs business. Maybe the portion of consumer electronics versus mobile will be 50:50 in the future, Park said. He added that he expects this shift to happen within the next three years. Expansion plans Samsungs efforts to boost its consumer electronics business are already showing results. In the fiscal year 2024, Samsung Indias total income crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, with its mobile handset business accounting for around 70% of that revenue. The company also has ambitious plans for expansion, including doubling the number of its Samsung Experience Stores (Economy) by the end of 2025. These smaller stores, aimed at reaching customers in smaller Tier III, IV, and V markets, will help Samsung increase its presence in untapped regions. Currently, Samsung operates 400 such stores, and Park revealed that the number will grow significantly. To further support its sales, Samsung is leveraging its Samsung Finance+ platform, which works with non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to make purchases more accessible, particularly in states with lower per capita incomes. Park highlighted the success of this strategy in regions like Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, and the Northeastern states, where Samsung Finance+ has a high attachment rate, helping the company push sales even further. Advertisement Chinese citizens look forward to Spring Festival 15:52, January 22, 2025 By Tian Yi, Kou Jie, Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan ( People's Daily Online The Spring Festival is almost here! Spring Festival and the Beijing Central Axis were added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and World Heritage List, respectively, in 2024. In honor of these two UNESCO additions, we visited the Beijing Central Axis to talk to people about the upcoming Spring Festival. Listen as they share their hopes for the upcoming year, the special foods they enjoy during the festival, and some of the unique traditions they practice to celebrate the holiday! (Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chengliang) While JB Park, President & CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia acknowledged that Chinese brands have quickly adapted to AI technology, Park highlighted the risks involved in sharing personal data with these companies read more Currently, Samsung is seeing intense rivalry from Apple in the super-premium smartphone segment (priced over USD 800) and from Chinese handset makers in the USD 400-600 range. Image Credit: Reuters Samsung is diving deep into the development of AI technology and is eager to face off against its competitors in India, one of its most important markets. JB Park, President & CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia, expressed that the company is not just focusing on smartphones but is aiming to provide an entire ecosystem for its users. Speaking to PTI before the launch of its next flagship, the Galaxy S25 series, he mentioned that Samsung is gearing up for what they expect to be a bigger year for the Indian smartphone industry in 2025, and the company is ready to rise to the occasion. Advertisement Competition is part of the fun, says Samsung When asked about the fierce competition Samsung faces in India, Park made it clear that the company welcomes it. We enjoy the challenge, he said, adding, To be honest, life is so boring without having a strong opponent or competition. Currently, Samsung is seeing intense rivalry from Apple in the super-premium smartphone segment (priced over USD 800) and from Chinese handset makers in the USD 400-600 range. While he acknowledged that Chinese brands have quickly adapted to AI technology, Park highlighted the risks involved in sharing personal data with these companies. He noted, The thing is, are these brands (Chinese) trusted that you can give your private information to them to help your AI assist needs? Focussing on innovation and customer experience Park explained that while competition is fierce, Samsungs focus remains on creating a strong consumer experience and building a unique offering. He stated, Do we win in every battle and every price segment, we dont but our focus and importance is on the consumer experience and needs and to develop differentiation factors for the future. This strategy has helped Samsung not only consolidate its leadership in the market but also expand its premium segment share, with more consumers in smaller Indian towns now opting for its high-end phones. 2025 to be a massive year for Indian Smartphone tech Samsungs efforts to expand into smaller towns have been pivotal, with the company opening new stores designed to serve as the ultimate AI destination, offering immersive experiences and top-notch customer service. Park expressed optimism about 2025, stating, We hope 2025 will be a bigger year for India smartphone industry. We are all well prepared. With a solid plan in place, Samsung is confident it will continue to thrive in the competitive Indian smartphone market. US President Donald Trump has said he intends to impose 10% tariff on China on February 1 for the supply of fentanyl that enters the United States via Mexico and Canada read more These early executive orders highlight the stark contrast between Trumps and Bidens approaches to major policy issues. From AI regulations to climate change, the revocations underscore the significant shift in the US governments priorities. Image Credit: Reuters US President Donald Trump has said that he intends to impose 10 per cent tariff on China on February 1. In remarks at the White House, Trump on Tuesday said that he intends to impose 10 per cent tariff on China over the countrys role in driving the fentanyl crisis. Trump said, Were talking about a tariff of 10 percent on China based on the fact that theyre sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada. Advertisement Fentanyl is an opioid that is used in pain medication. However, it has long been used as a synthetic drug in the United States and has driven an addiction epidemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans lately. A lot of fentanyl is made in China and supplied to the United States via Mexico. Previously, Trump on Monday had said that he would impose tariff of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada for their failure to check the flow of drugs like fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the United States. However, shortly after winning the 2020 presidential election, he had said that he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10 per cent tariff on China on the first day of his second term. Trump said he mentioned the issue in his conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. I had that talk with President Xi the other day too, of China. I said, we dont want that crap in our country. We got to stop it. Were talking about a tariff of 10% on China based on the fact that theyre sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada, said Trump. The 10 per cent tariff would be on top of any existing levies on Chinese imports. The tariffs that Trump imposed on his first term were followed by a slew of tariffs and trade restrictions by previous President Joe Biden, such as steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), metals, solar panels, etc., and trade restrictions on Chinese semiconductor and other high-tech industries. Advertisement Even though Trump has threatened China, the principal US adversary, with tariff, it is considerably less than what he has threatened allies with. While Canada and Mexico, US neighbours and allies, are threatened with 25 per cent tariffs, China faces just 10 per cent tariff. It is even lower than the 60 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports that Trump had promised on the campaign trail. Trump has long used tariffs as a negotiation tactic with nations to reach a favourable deal. It appears he is now using tariffs threats now to renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) and the trade deal with China that he signed in his first term. The deal with China turned into an absolute failure. Advertisement Trump on Monday ordered the commerce and treasury departments along with the trade representative to review US trade deficits with nations, identify nations unfair practices in trade with the United States, and review existing trade deals like the USMCA and Phase One Trade Agreement of 2020 with China. In one of his first executive orders of second term, US President Donald Trump ended US citizenship for children born in the United States to mothers who are in the country illegally or are staying temporarily, such as on work visa, and whose fathers are not citizens or legal permanent residents read more Will Scharf assists as President Donald Trump signs an executive order at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. AP Democratic-led states and civil rights groups filed a slew of lawsuits challenging US President Donald Trumps bid to roll back birthright citizenship on Tuesday in an early bid by his opponents to block his agenda in court. After his inauguration on Monday, Trump, a Republican, ordered US agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of children born in the US if neither their mother or father is a US citizen or legal permanent resident. Advertisement Twenty-two Democratic-led states along with the District of Columbia and city of San Francisco filed a pair of lawsuits in federal courts in Boston and Seattle asserting Trump had violated the US Constitution. Two similar cases were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, immigrant organizations and an expectant mother in the hours after Trump signed the executive order, kicking off the first major court fight of his administration. The lawsuits take aim at a central piece of Trumps sweeping immigration crackdown. If allowed to stand, Trumps order would for the first time deny more than 150,000 children born annually in the United States the right to citizenship, said the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. President Trump does not have the authority to take away constitutional rights, she said in a statement. Losing out on citizenship would prevent those individuals from having access to federal programs like Medicaid health insurance and, when they become older, from working lawfully or voting, the states say. Todays immediate lawsuit sends a clear message to the Trump administration that we will stand up for our residents and their basic constitutional rights, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. More lawsuits by Democratic-led states and advocacy groups challenging other aspects of Trumps agenda are expected, with cases already on file challenging the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and an order Trump signed weakening job protections for civil servants. Advertisement 1989 US Supreme Court precedent Three of the four lawsuits were filed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Any rulings from judges in those New England states would be reviewed by the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals, the only federal appeals court whose active judges are all Democratic appointees. Four states filed a separate case in Washington state, which the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle has scheduled a Thursday hearing on whether he should issue a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of Trumps order. A fifth lawsuit was filed in federal court in Maryland by a group of pregnant women and immigrant rights groups including CASA. The various lawsuits argue that Trumps executive order violated the right enshrined in the Citizenship Clause of the US Constitutions 14th Amendment that provides that anyone born in the United States is considered a citizen. Advertisement The complaints cite the US Supreme Courts 1898 ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, a decision holding that children born in the United States to non-citizen parents are entitled to US citizenship. The plaintiffs challenging the order include a woman living in Massachusetts identified only as O. Doe who is in the country through temporary protected status and is due to give birth in March. Temporary protected status is available to people whose home countries have experienced natural disasters, armed conflicts or other extraordinary events and currently covers more than 1 million people from 17 nations. Several other lawsuits challenging aspects of Trumps other early executive actions are pending. Advertisement The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents federal government employees in 37 agencies and departments, late on Monday filed a lawsuit challenging an order Trump signed that makes it easier to fire thousands of federal agency employees and replace them with political loyalists. In the first such meeting in US President Donald Trumps second term, the foreign ministers of Quad member-states United States, India, Japan, and Australia met on the sidelines of the inauguration at Washington DC read more Putting a united stand on the Indo-Pacific region, the Quad foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the inauguration of US President Donald Trump at Washington DC and pledged to keep the region a top priority. In an apparent message to China, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong pledged the groups commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended. Advertisement Over the years, Quad has emerged as the principal forum to counter Chinas muscle-flexing and hegemonic designs in the Indo-Pacific regions. The group has engaged with countries in the region on developmental, humanitarian assistance, and other issues, and has offered an alternative to China. Though Quad is not a security alliance, through other overlapping mechanisms such as Malabar Exercise and Aukus, the Quad member-states have also stepped up their security presence in the region. In an apparent aim at Chineses military coercion in the region, the joint statement read, Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. Highlighting that Quad goes much beyond checking Chinas muscle-flexing and engages with the region on a wide range of issues, the foreign ministers said that their countries are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. The Quad foreign ministers meet is the first meeting that Rubio attended as the Secretary of State. Moreover, Quad is also the first group to hold a meeting in the second term of Trump. Noting the significance of the moment, Jaishankar in a post on X said that this underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states. He went on to say that the meeting sends a message to the world that Quad remains a force for global good. Advertisement Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration. The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good, said Jaishankar. Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong & Takeshi Iwaya for their participation. Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This pic.twitter.com/uGa4rjg1Bw Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025 Advertisement In a post on X, Australian Foreign Minister Wong said that holding the meeting so early in the term demonstrates our shared determination to work together for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Todays meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers, so early in the Trump Administrations term, demonstrates our shared determination to work together for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. pic.twitter.com/TPdV8CCM4d Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) January 22, 2025 Chinese policymakers are intensifying efforts to stimulate a faltering economy in the face of concerns over potential U.S. tariff hikes following President Donald Trumps inauguration on Monday read more China is not seeking a trade surplus and is willing to import more competitive and high-quality products and services to balance trade, Ding Xuexiang, the countrys vice premier, said on Tuesday. Addressing the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Ding said economic globalisation was a process of mutual benefit and shared progress. Protectionism leads to nowhere, and there are no winners in a trade war, Ding said, calling multilateralism the right path for maintaining world peace and promoting human development. Advertisement Chinese policymakers are intensifying efforts to stimulate a faltering economy in the face of concerns over potential U.S. tariff hikes following President Donald Trumps inauguration on Monday. Trump unexpectedly held off from imposing tariffs on China on his first day back in the White House. China welcomed more investment by foreign companies in the country, Ding said, adding that China was willing to solve problems encountered by domestic and foreign firms. Ding is leading an official government delegation at this weeks WEF, making him the second-highest-ranking Chinese official to rub shoulders with global business and political elites at the Davos summit since President Xi Jinpings attendance in 2017. Economic openness Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the forum last year when he delivered a keynote speech that also highlighted Chinas economic openness and potential for foreign investment. In his speech this year, Ding said the stable and healthy development of Chinas economy would provide impetus for global economic development. A prolonged property crisis, high local government debt and weak consumer demand has slowed Chinas economic growth, and the countrys exports - one of the few bright spots - could soon face U.S. tariffs in excess of 60% if Trump delivers on his campaign pledges. Advertisement Chinas GDP grew 5% in 2024, matching the governments target, but in a lopsided fashion, with many people complaining of worsening living standards and raising concerns of deepening structural problems in 2025. Although the country is expected to maintain a roughly 5% GDP growth target in 2025, analysts forecast growth to slow to 4.5% this year and 4.2% in 2026. In addition, businesses and investors have longstanding worries about geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties. Foreign direct investment into China fell 27.1% in 2024 from the previous year to 826.3 billion yuan ($112.75 billion), official data showed. Ding, 62, is the sixth highest-ranked leader in the Politburo Standing Committee, the top governing body led by President Xi Jinping. He was Xis chief of staff before being promoted to his current position in 2022 when Xi unveiled a leadership line-up stacked with loyalists. Advertisement Beyond the message on the Chinese economy, investors will be watching for any closed-door meetings on the sidelines of the event, notably between Chinas official delegation and global investors and business executives. WEF President and CEO Borge Brende said last week that Trump, who has twice previously attended Davos, will join digitally on Jan. 23, without giving further details. He said it would be a very special moment to learn about the Trump administrations policy priorities. Topics on the Davos agenda range from mounting global geopolitical and economic uncertainty to trade tensions, climate goals and how AI can help make lives better. A group called the National Mobilization Front claimed responsibility for the killing and said its fighters had targeted the Chinese mans vehicle. It alleged the Chinese man was training Taliban intelligence in monitoring social media platforms, without providing evidence read more A Chinese man was killed in northeastern Afghanistan, a Taliban police spokesman said Wednesday. The killing of foreigners is rare in the country, especially since the withdrawal of foreign troops in 2021. Police spokesman Mohammed Akbar, in Takhar province, said the man was killed Tuesday night by unknown people while he was on his way to Dasht-e-Qala district. Akbar said the foreigner, surnamed Li, had been travelling to an unknown destination with his interpreter and without informing security authorities. The interpreter was not harmed in the incident, according to Akbar. Advertisement The police have started their initial investigation. Stay tuned for more details," added Akbar. He did not provide further information. A group called the National Mobilization Front claimed responsibility for the killing and said its fighters had targeted the Chinese mans vehicle. It alleged the Chinese man was training Taliban intelligence in monitoring social media platforms, without providing evidence. Asked about the incident at a daily briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she was not familiar with it. I believe that the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan will do its utmost to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and we will follow the situation, she said. China is of particular importance to the Taliban, who are courting foreign investment and regional alliances amid their continued isolation on the international stage because of their restrictions on women and girls. In December 2022, China urged its citizens to leave Afghanistan following a coordinated attack by Islamic State militants on a Chinese-owned hotel in the heart of Kabul. Chinese firms, with Beijing backing, have sought to pursue opportunities in exploiting Afghanistans vast, undeveloped resource deposits, especially the Mes Aynak mine that is believed to hold the worlds largest copper deposit. Advertisement Yoon is under criminal investigation and will face an impeachment trial for allegedly issuing improper commands to high-ranking military and police personnel read more Oh Dong-woon, chairman of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking staff, said Wednesday that his staff will try to force President Yoon Suk Yeol to comply with interrogation over his Dec. 3 martial law proclamation and subsequent directives. Oh stated that the CIO will try again to get Yoon to comply with a summons. The impeached president has refused to appear for interrogation since his detention on January 15. The CIO questioned Yoon on the day of his detention, but he remained mute for more than ten hours. Advertisement Addressing the reporters at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, he stated that President Yoon must respect the decision of the court. (Yoon) is refusing the summons, so we have no choice but to forcibly bring him in. He also added that If (Yoons side) has objections, they can appeal within the boundaries of the law. Yoon is under criminal investigation and will face an impeachment trial for allegedly issuing improper commands to high-ranking military and police personnel. The purported directives include blocking the National Assembly from meeting and arresting significant political personalities, such as the heads of both the government and key opposition parties and Parliamentary Speaker Woo Shik. Yoon testified at his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, denying that he issued such arrest orders and claiming that the martial law commands deployment of troops to the National Assembly was not meant to disrupt the legislative vote to abolish the law. He maintained that he never meant to carry out the martial law declaration, describing it as merely a formal procedure designed to appeal to the public. The next hearing in the current impeachment trial will take conducted on Thursday, with testimony from Yoons long-time confidant, Kim Yong-hyun, who served as defence minister under the martial regime. Kim has been arrested and is being probed for his role in the suspected insurgency, as are numerous high-ranking military officers and National Police Agency Chief Cho Ji-ho. Advertisement The hearing on February 4 will contain testimony from Capital Defence Command commander Lee Jin-woo and Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyeong, both of whom are suspected adherents of Yoons purported uprising. Both have been arrested. Hong Jang-won, who resigned as the National Intelligence Agencys first deputy director, is also scheduled to attend at the February hearing. In a conversation with a politician, he was the first to report that Yoon had ordered the arrests of prominent political individuals. The mountainous northeastern Catatumbo region has been the epicentre of a sudden surge in fighting between armed leftist groups vying for territory and control of lucrative coca plantations and trafficking routes read more An Army soldier patrols in Tibu, Norte de Santander province, Colombia, on January 21, 2025, after recent clashes between rival left-wing guerrillas. AFP Colombian special forces edged into guerrilla-controlled territory near the border with Venezuela Tuesday, trying to reassert state control amid violence that has forced 20,000 people to flee their homes. The mountainous northeastern Catatumbo region has been the epicentre of a sudden surge in fighting between armed leftist groups vying for territory and control of lucrative coca plantations and trafficking routes. Over six days, the bloodshed has killed more than 100 people across three regions. Advertisement But it is the situation near the border that prompted the government to declare a state of emergency and deploy some 5,000 troops. Special forces deployed to the town of Tibu on Tuesday pushed out from urban strongpoints in a convoy of camouflaged armoured personnel carriers. It was a tentative show of force, designed to convince sceptical locals that the government is back in charge and that some of the worst violence Colombia had seen in years was being contained. For many Colombians, the recent bloodshed carries echoes of a civil war that killed 450,000 over more than half a century and made the country a byword for armed violence. In addition to the 20,000 people displaced, the United Nations on Tuesday reported about 30 people had been kidnapped and 1,000 trapped in their homes by the violence. On the outskirts of Tibu, government soldiers set up temporary posts on crumbling asphalt roads flanked by thick vegetation. Troops warned by commanding officers to remember, someone is waiting for you back home nervously eyed the occasional rumbling truck or van that broke the jungle silence. Others, with fingers close to the trigger, practised manoeuvrers or carried out foot patrols on empty lanes partially reclaimed by the equatorial forest. Advertisement Factions Security officials say this spasm of bloodshed was caused by rivalry between Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissidents and the National Liberation Army (ELN). In empty settlements around Tibu, soldiers found ample evidence of who is usually in charge and of the rivalries between the two armed groups. Stickers on sheds and shops celebrated late commanders of the once powerful FARC a Marxist group that signed a peace accord almost a decade ago. On the same empty streets, scores of buildings were daubed with graffiti declaring the ELN is present or vowing to seek liberty or death. Most FARC members laid down arms from 2016, but dissident factions have continued to thrive in pockets of the country, enmeshing themselves in organised crime and the lucrative drug trade. Advertisement The ELN believed to number 6,000 fighters, has occasionally flirted with peace talks before walking away. Experts say the ELNs leadership has been troubled by the FARC factions growth in the region. UN chief Antonio Guterres called Tuesday for Colombian non-combatants to be protected amid the fighting, urging an immediate cessation of acts of violence against the civilian population. On the day of US President Donald Trumps inauguration earlier this week, the Tesla CEO got up on the stage and made a gesture that perplexed viewers from across the world as it look dangerously close to how Nazis used to salute read more Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20. The billionaire has been receiving flak for the gesture that many have compared with the Nazi salute. Elon Musks apparent Nazi salute has invoked strong reactions from people in Germany with some branding it as an outreach of support to the countrys far-right groups that have lately earned his appreciation. On the day of US President Donald Trumps inauguration earlier this week, the Tesla CEO got up on the stage and made a gesture that perplexed viewers from across the world as it look dangerously close to how Nazis used to salute. Advertisement Upon thanking the crowd for returning Trump to the White House, Musk tapped the left side of his chest with his right hand and then extended his arm with his palm open, repeating the gesture to the crowd seated behind him. Claire Aubin, a historian who specializes in Nazism within the United States, said Musks gesture was a sieg heil, or Nazi salute. Dangerous point for the free world A prominent German-French publicist and former deputy chair of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Michel Friedman said that Musks action was a disgrace and that he had shown that a dangerous point for the entire free world has now emerged. I thought to myself, the breaking of taboos is reaching a point that is dangerous for the entire free world. The brutalisation, the dehumanisation, Auschwitz, all of that is Hitler. A mass murderer, a warmonger, a person for whom people were nothing more than numbers fair game, not worth mentioning, Friedman told the German daily Tagesspiegel. Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, called the gesture deeply troubling. However, she noted that it pales in comparison to Musks recent involvement in German politics, including his public support for the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party ahead of next months federal election. She said, Far more worrying are Elon Musks political positions, his offensive interference in the German parliamentary election campaign and his support for a party whose anti-democratic aims should be under no illusions. Need better dirty tricks As his Nazi salute went viral on his own microblogging site X, Musk said that his opponents needed better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired, he added. US President Donald Trump has revoked Secret Service detail of former National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton who faced threats to life from Iran read more Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks during his lecture at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, U.S. February 17, 2020. (Photo: Reuters) Despite threats to his life from Iran, US President Donald Trump has withdrawn Secret Service security detail of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Bolton served as the NSA from April 2018 to September 2019 in the first Trump administration. After weeks of reports of disagreements over US security and foreign policies, Trump fired him and the two have since continued to exchange barbs. Bolton, a lifelong security and foreign policy hawk, has been an enemy of Iran for long over his policy positions. In 2022, the Department of Justice charged an Iranian official from Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Shahram Poursafi, with a plot to assassinate Bolton in retaliation to the assassination of IRGCs Quds Force chief Qassim Suleimani in 2020 at the orders of Trump. After charges were filed, the then-President Joe Biden granted him Secret Service protection. Advertisement As part of retribution against critics and those who dont toe his life, Trump withdrew Boltons Secret Service security detail in one of his first orders in his second term. Bolton confirmed the revocation of security detail in a statement and said that he was disappointed but not surprised. Bolton, who has been a critic both Biden and Trump over their policy positions, said that even though he criticised Biden, he never revoked his security detail. Bolton said on X: Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Bidens national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend that protection to me in 2021. The Justice Department filed criminal charges against an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official in 2022 for attempting to hire a hit man to target me. That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trumps own assassination. The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call. I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret Service. Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden's national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 21, 2025 The threats from Iran are continuing as was seen during the election campaign. The US intelligence community had foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. Bolton is not the only person to receive protection over threats from Iran. The Biden administration also extended protection to Trumps last NSA, Robert OBrien; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and senior aide Brian Hook. Advertisement Rejecting security concerns over the revocation of Boltons security detail, Trump said, Were not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives. Why should we? A 90-day suspension of all aid, no new grants, no new transfer of funding, will have disastrous consequences immediately for an already starved aid operation for very poor and vulnerable girls and women and civilians in Afghanistan, said Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council read more Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), speaks during an interview with Reuters in Sin El Fil, Lebanon on April 26, 2024. Reuters File Two days after US President Donald Trump ordered halt in foreign aid for 90 days, the head of a major humanitarian organisation on Wednesday said that the presidents order would have disastrous consequences immediately in Afghanistan where relief operations are already stretched thin. Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Reuters that the decision had left agencies reeling as they braced for further cuts from the biggest donor to Afghanistan. Advertisement A 90-day suspension of all aid, no new grants, no new transfer of funding, will have disastrous consequences immediately for an already starved aid operation for very poor and vulnerable girls and women and civilians in Afghanistan, Reuters quoted him as saying during a video interview from Kabul late on Tuesday. As he took office on Monday, Trump ordered a temporary pause in foreign development aid pending assessments of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy. The scope of the order was not clear, including whether it applied to Afghanistans humanitarian funding, which is channelled through NGOs and United Nations agencies. Afghanistan is home to more than 23 million people requiring humanitarian assistance - more than half the countrys population - but aid has shrunk as donors face competing global crises and diplomats raise concerns about the Talibans restrictions on women in most areas of public life, including education and health. Development funding that formed the backbone of government finances was cut after the Taliban took over and foreign forces left in 2021. Reuters reported last year that non-governmental groups played a critical role in filling the humanitarian void. If you go back in time it was a well funded operation, we got development assistance, then we could have perhaps have lived through three months of suspension, we cannot any more, Egeland was quoted as saying. Trump told a rally shortly before taking office that aid to Afghanistan would be contingent on getting back billions of dollars of military equipment that US forces left behind. Advertisement Egeland said he had raised the issue of female education with Taliban leaders in his four visits to Kabul since they took control of the country. In his last trip he said he told them they must open schools and universities to all girls and women. You cannot not educate half your population, he said. The Taliban have also banned Afghan women from working at NGOs since 2022, reiterating that position in a second announcement late last year. Egeland said that in practice his organisation and others were able to work around the restrictions. But that a lack of funding put that at risk. What is not understood in Western capitals is that recently, laying off female staff, laying off girls and women (recipients) is not the Taliban ban it is the cutting of aid, he said. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The Uyghurs fled China which has been accused of grave human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region against Uyghurs more than a decade ago and live in constant fear of being sent back read more This photo shows an immigration detention center where Uyghur detainees are held in Bangkok, Thailand. AP Thai authorities denied Wednesday there was an immediate plan to send back to China 48 Uyghurs held in the countrys detention centres, after UN experts warned the group could face torture if they return. The Uyghurs fled China which has been accused of grave human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region against Uyghurs more than a decade ago and live in constant fear of being sent back. Rights groups have said the Thai government plans to return them imminently, and on Tuesday United Nations experts urged authorities to to immediately halt the possible transfer. Advertisement Thai authorities have repeatedly denied such a plan. The decision will be made by the national security council, so far there is no order (to send them back), a senior official from the immigration department, who declined to be named, told AFP on Wednesday. An official from the national security council also told AFP there was no order. That followed remarks on Monday by national police chief Kitrat Phanphet who said Thai police and the immigration department have not received any reports about the deportation. Asked about the detained Uyghurs on Wednesday, Chinas foreign ministry said it was not aware of the specific situation. We resolutely crack down on any form of illegal migration and oppose any indulgence of or even support for illegal migrant behaviour, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing in Beijing. Decade in detention The group of 48 Uyghurs, arrested in 2013 and 2014, are being held in immigration centres around Thailand. UN experts say they were detained after crossing the Thai border to seek protection, and they have allegedly been held in de facto incommunicado detention for more than a decade, with no access to lawyers or family members. Advertisement Urging Thailand to help them access asylum procedures and humanitarian assistance, the experts said: It is our view that these persons should not be returned to China We are concerned they are at risk of suffering irreparable harm. Human Rights Watch said last week that Thai immigration officials had asked the Uyghurs to complete new paperwork and had photographed them, steps the group believes are in preparation for their forcible transfer. The rights group says the Uyghurs are on hunger strike, although Thai authorities have denied this. The United States has branded Chinas treatment of the mostly Muslim minority a genocide. A damning UN report released in 2022 detailed violations including torture and forced labour and large-scale arbitrary detention in what Beijing calls vocational training centres. Advertisement Beijing denies allegations of abuse and insists its actions in Xinjiang have helped to combat extremism. Many Uyghurs have fled China over the years, with some travelling through Myanmar to Thailand, but dozens have ended up stuck in detention there the apparent victims of what observers say is the kingdoms desire to avoid angering either Beijing or Washington. The UN experts, who were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations, said 23 of the 48 Uyghurs suffer from serious health conditions. Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday said that Hamass attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 destroyed the opportunity for negotiations with the US to revive a landmark nuclear agreement read more Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif looks on during a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, Iran on February 21, 2021. Reuters File Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday said that Hamass attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 destroyed the opportunity for negotiations with the US to revive a landmark nuclear agreement. The unprecedented assault by the Palestinian militant group led to a devastating conflict in Gaza, involving Tehran-aligned militants throughout the Middle East and resulting in rare direct confrontations between Iran and Israel. While Iran, which provides financial and military support to Hamas, praised the attack, it denied any direct involvement. Advertisement We did not know about October 7 We were supposed to have a meeting with the Americans on JCPOA renewal on October 9, which was undermined and destroyed by this operation, AFP quoted Zarif as saying at the World Economic Forum in Davos, using an acronym for the official name of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated in 2015. Tehrans allies in the region, including Hamas, have always worked for their own cause, even at our expense, Zarif said. We never tried to cash (in on) our investment in the region, he added. Zarif, currently Irans vice president for strategic affairs, previously served as the foreign minister who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In 2018, during Donald Trumps first term as U.S. President, Washington withdrew from the agreement, which had placed restrictions on Irans nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran maintained its commitments under the deal until the U.S. exit, after which it began to roll back its obligations. Iran has consistently expressed its willingness to revive the agreement. Earlier this month, before Trump officially returned to the White House, Iranian officials engaged in nuclear talks with their counterparts from Britain, France, and Germany, with both sides describing the discussions as frank and constructive. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Just hours after taking office of the White House, Donald Trump dismissed four senior officials from the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review. This office is responsible for overseeing US immigration courts. read more US President Donald Trump fired four top officials at the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review on Monday, which oversees US immigration courts, NBC news reported. The move came just hours after he assumed office after the swearing-in ceremony. The officials are Chief Immigration Judge Sheila McNulty, Acting Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review Mary Cheng, General Counsel Jill Anderson, and Head of Policy Lauren Alder Reid. Alder Reid emphasised that they are civil servants, not political appointees. Advertisement My career Senior Executive Service colleagues and I are shocked and deeply disappointed by the decision to remove us from our positions without notice or cause," she said to NBC news. Reid stated that they have dedicated their careers to upholding the rule of law, regardless of the administration. The sudden removals show that the Trump administration wants to reshape the immigration court system as part of a larger crackdown on immigration, The New York Times reported. Immigration judges play a key role in the system. They make important decisions about illegal migrants, such as whether to grant asylum to those with valid claims and order deportation for those whose cases fail. Immigration was a key issue for Trump during the campaign, and he vowed to take strict actions to stop illegal immigration. Trump ends birthright citizenship Trump issued an executive order on the first day in office to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. The order will challenge the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. This policy is set to take effect in 30 days, though it will not be applied retroactively. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already filed a lawsuit against the order, emphasising that birthright citizenship is a fundamental promise of equality in the United States. Trump Plans to deploy Federal Troops at the US-Mexico Border Trump plans to create a panic-like situation at the Mexico border, where he intends to deploy federal troops to secure the border against drug traffickers and migrants. This shift in military roles faces challenges related to adherence to laws like the Posse Comitatus Act. This Act limits involvement of forces in domestic law enforcement. Immigration was a key issue during the presidential election. During his campaign, Trump adopted a tough stance on immigration. He promised to start the largest deportation program in US history to remove undocumented immigrants and prevent the flow of migrants. The opposition strongly objected to the government-aligned independents being allocated speaking time usually reserved for opposition members, triggering heated exchanges and halting parliamentary business read more The Irish parliament was unable to elect Micheal Martin (pictured) as the Prime Minister due to disruptions by the opposition. AP Irelands parliament failed to elect Micheal Martin as prime minister on Wednesday (January 22) after opposition parties disrupted proceedings in protest over speaking rights, forcing a delay in the vote. Martin, the 64-year-old leader of the center-right Fianna Fail, was poised to make a comeback as the taoiseach (prime minister) following his partys victory in Novembers general election, where it secured the most seats. He previously served as prime minister from 2020 to 2022. Advertisement Simon Harris, the 38-year-old outgoing taoiseach of Ireland and the leader of the center-right Fine Gael, which finished third in the election, was also set to be appointed as deputy prime minister. Opposition blocks efforts to elect PM However, the leftist-nationalist Sinn Fein, the second-largest party, led opposition efforts to block the vote in the Dail (parliament). Citing a dispute over speaking rights for independent lawmakers who support the government, Sinn Fein and other opposition parties forced the sessions adjournment until Thursday (January 23) after two suspensions by the speaker. Sinn Fein has won 38 seats in the elections. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, two parties that have alternated in power since Ireland gained independence from Britain more than a century ago, fell two seats short of a majority in the 174-seat Dail, the results of the November 29 elections had revealed. Still, despite this shortcoming, they secured support from a group of independent lawmakers last week to form a coalition majority. The opposition strongly objected to the government-aligned independents being allocated speaking time usually reserved for opposition members, triggering heated exchanges and halting parliamentary business. Martin is now expected to be formally elected taoiseach on Thursday. The issue of speaking rights is also set to be addressed then. The most fundamental obligation of the Dail is to elect a taoiseach and, indeed, to elect a government, BBC cited Martin as saying. With inputs from agencies After 15 months of devastating conflict in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire has brought a momentary pause to the violence. The agreement has shifted the focus to rebuilding the enclave and navigating the complex political and humanitarian challenges that lie ahead in Gaza read more After a devastating war for 15 months in the neighborhood of Gaza, Hamas officials are clearing debris after Sundays ceasefire with Israel. Hamass armed fighters are guarding aid convoys, and police in blue uniforms are patrolling the streets. This signals that the Palestinian armed group has taken control of Gaza. Israeli officials said that the parade held by cheering Hamas fighters to celebrate the ceasefire was a staged display meant to exaggerate the groups strength. Advertisement Since the ceasefire began, Gazas Hamas-led administration has acted quickly to restore security, prevent looting, and begin repairing basic services in areas devastated by the Israeli offensive in the west bank. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen residents, officials, regional diplomats and security experts who said that, despite Israels vow to destroy it, Hamas remains deeply entrenched in Gaza and its hold on power represents a challenge to implementing a permanent ceasefire. The Islamist group not only controls Gazas security forces, but its administrators run ministries and government agencies, paying salaries for employees and coordinating with international NGOs, they said. On Tuesday, its police and gunmen who for months were kept off the streets by Israeli airstrikes were stationed in neighbourhoods through the Strip. We want to prevent any kind of security vacuum, said Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office. He said that some 700 police were protecting aid convoys and not a single truck had been looted since Sunday a contrast to the massive theft of food by criminal gangs during the conflict. Advertisement A spokesperson for the United Nations in Geneva confirmed on Tuesday there had been no reports of looting or attacks on aid workers since the ceasefire took effect. In recent weeks, Israeli airstrikes have targeted lower-ranking administrators in Gaza, in an apparent bid to break Hamas grip on government. Israel had already eliminated Hamas leadership, including political chief Ismail Haniyeh and the architects of the Oct. 7 attack, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. Despite the losses, Al-Thawabta said the Hamas-run administration continued to function. Currently, we have 18,000 employees working daily to provide services to citizens, he said. The Hamas-run municipalities had begun on Sunday clearing the rubble from some roads to vehicles to pass, while workers repaired pipes and infrastructure to restore running water to neighbourhoods. On Tuesday, dozens of heavy trucks ferried debris from destroyed buildings along the enclaves dusty main arteries. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not articulated a vision for Gazas postwar future beyond insisting the Islamist group can play no role and stating that the Palestinian Authority a body set up under the Oslo peace accords three decades ago that partially administers the occupied West Bank - also cannot be trusted under its current leadership. The Israeli government did not respond to Reuters questions. Joost Hiltermann, of the International Crisis Group, said Hamas firm grip on Gaza presented Israel with a dilemma. Israel has a choice, to continue fighting in the future and killing people - and that hasnt worked in the past 15 months - or it can allow an arrangement where the Palestinian Authority takes control with Hamas acquiescence, Hiltermann said. Advertisement Hamas military capability is hard to assess because its rocket arsenal remains hidden and many of its best trained fighters may have been killed, Hiltermann said, but it remains by far the dominant armed group in Gaza: Nobody is talking about the PA taking over Gaza without Hamas consent. While senior Hamas officials have expressed support for a unity government, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority and a longtime adversary of Hamas, has not given his assent. Abbass office and the Palestinian Authority did not respond to a request for comment. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel must withdraw its troops from central Gaza and permit the return of Palestinians to the north during an initial six-week phase, in which some hostages will be released. Starting from the 16th day of the ceasefire, the two sides should negotiate a second phase, expected to include a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. Advertisement Reconstruction, expected to cost billions of dollars and last for years, would only begin in a third and final phase. The deal has divided opinion in Israel. While there was widespread celebration of the return of the first three hostages on Sunday, many Israelis want to see Hamas destroyed for its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Even before the ceasefire took effect, members of Netanyahus cabinet said they favoured returning to war to remove Hamas from power, once hostages have returned home. Three far-right ministers resigned. There is no future of peace, stability and security for both sides if Hamas stays in power in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday. A spokesman for Hamas armed wing, Abu Ubaida, told Reuters the militant group would honour the terms of the ceasefire and urged Israel to do the same. Fifteen months of war have left Gaza a wasteland of rubble, bombed-out buildings and makeshift encampments, with hundreds of thousands of desperate people sheltering from the winter cold and living on whatever aid can reach them. More than 46,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities. The ceasefire deal calls for 600 trucks of aid per day to reach Gaza. Al-Thawabta, the spokesman for the Hamas-run administration, said it was liaising with UN bodies and international relief organizations about security for aid routes and warehouses, but the agencies were handling the distribution of aid. A UN damage assessment released this month showed that just clearing away the more than 50 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israels bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion. On Sunday, as Hamas security forces paraded on the streets, some residents had expressed pride that it had survived the onslaught. Name me one country that could withstand Israels war-machine for 15 months, said Salah Abu Rezik, a 58-year-old factory worker. He praised Hamas for helping to distribute aid to hungry Gazans during the conflict and trying to enforce a measure of security. Hamas is an idea and you cant kill an idea, Abu Rezik said, predicting the group would rebuild. Others voiced anger that Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack had brought destruction to Gaza. We had homes and hotels and restaurants. We had a life. Today we have nothing, so what kind of a victory is this? said Ameen, 30, a Gaza City civil engineer, displaced in Khan Younis. When the war stops, Hamas must not rule Gaza alone. While the Palestinian Authority says it is the only authority with the legitimacy to govern post-war Gaza, it has no presence in the enclave and little popular support, polls show. Since 2007, when Hamas drove out the Palestinian Authority dominated by the rival faction Fatah after a brief civil war, it has crushed opposition in Gaza. Supported by funds from Iran, it built a feared security apparatus and a military organization based around a vast network of tunnels - much of which Israel says it destroyed during the war. Israel floated tentative ideas for post-war Gaza, including coopting local clan leaders - a number of whom were immediately assassinated by Hamas - or using members of Gazan civil society with no militant ties to run the enclave. But none has gained any traction. Key donors, including the United Arab Emirates and U.S. President Donald Trumps new administration, have stressed that Hamas - which is designated as a terrorist organization by many Western countries - cannot remain in power in Gaza after the war. Diplomats have been discussing models involving international peacekeepers, including one that would see the United Arab Emirates and the United States, along with other nations, temporarily overseeing governance, security and reconstruction of Gaza until a reformed Palestinian Authority is able to take charge. Another model, supported by Egypt, would see a joint committee made up of both Fatah and Hamas run Gaza under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority. Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer now at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies in Tel Aviv, described Hamas public willingness to discuss a unity government as cosmetic. As long as they are behind the scenes, handling matters, they dont care that there will be a committee as a front, he said. On Monday, shortly after taking office, Trump expressed skepticism about the Gaza ceasefire deal, when asked if he was confident that all three phases of the agreement would be implemented. He didnt elaborate further. A spokesperson for the Trump camp did not respond to a request for comment. With inputs from Reuters Despite a long history of mediation, the Vatican grapples with the volatile political climate testing its capacity to broker peace amid shifting US policies and deepening tensions within Cuba read more Papal diplomacy, celebrated for its fairness and moral influence, faces growing challenges in dealing with the complex relationship between the US and Cuba. The Vatican has historically acted as a mediator during key geopolitical moments, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and the US-Cuba reconciliation in 2014. However, recent changes under the Trump and Biden administrations, along with Cubas internal issues, reveal the difficulties and limits of this unique approach to diplomacy. Advertisement Shifting sands of US-Cuba policy President Donald Trumps decision to reverse the Biden administrations late-term move to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism shows how fragile diplomatic progress can be. By re-designating Cuba as a terrorism-sponsoring state, Trump overturned a significant gesture by his predecessor aimed at building goodwill. This decision reinstated strict sanctions on Cuba, which was already struggling economically and erased substantial progress achieved through papal intervention. The Biden administrations earlier decision was motivated by Cubas agreement to release 553 prisoners, seen as a step toward easing long-standing economic and political tensions. However, Trumps reversal undermined these efforts and raised concerns about the consistency of US foreign policy. The Catholic Church, which played a key role in negotiating the prisoner release, found its influence diminished as the broader diplomatic efforts unravelled. This shift showed the challenges the Vatican faces in mediating conflicts where domestic politics in major powers take precedence over international agreements. Cubas response and the role of the Vatican According to Reuters, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticised Trumps decision as an act of mockery and abuse, reflecting the deep frustration in Havana over US policies. The release of prisoners, intended as a gesture of goodwill and reform, was suspended amid growing uncertainty, weakening the moral and political impact of papal diplomacy. Despite these challenges, the Vatican continued to advocate for clemency and reconciliation. Pope Francis praised the initial prisoner release as a gesture of great hope, tying it to the spirit of the 2025 Holy Year, a time often used by popes to call for mercy and unity. Behind-the-scenes efforts by Cardinal Sean OMalley also highlighted the Vaticans dedication to fostering dialogue. However, the absence of significant results from these interventions has raised questions about the effectiveness of papal diplomacy in such a highly polarised situation. Advertisement Papal diplomacy and the US-Cuba dialogue The Vaticans involvement in US-Cuba relations has a long history, going back to the Cuban Missile Crisis. According to the Associated Press, Pope John XXIIIs appeals for peace during the 1962 standoff between the US and the Soviet Union are widely credited with helping to prevent a nuclear disaster. By sending identical messages to John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev, Pope John XXIII positioned the Holy See as a neutral mediator, using its moral authority to reduce tensions. This tradition continued with Pope Francis significant role in the 2014 detente, which led to the restoration of diplomatic ties under the Obama administration. Advertisement However, the current situation is a sharp contrast to these past successes. The deeply divided political climate in the US, combined with Cubas internal struggles, has made it difficult for papal efforts to achieve meaningful progress. Unlike the clear moral urgency of preventing nuclear war or reopening diplomatic channels, todays challengessuch as economic sanctions, human rights issues and political dissentare more complex, limiting the Vaticans ability to mediate effectively. Domestic politics and the erosion of diplomatic gains The shifting US policies toward Cubafrom Obamas detente to Trumps hardline approach, followed by Bidens partial reversalhave heavily influenced the Vaticans ability to mediate. These policy changes often reflect the impact of domestic political dynamics, especially the influence of Cuban American lawmakers and voters in Florida, who strongly oppose the Cuban government. Advertisement As per an NBC News report, politicians like Senator Ted Cruz and Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez have consistently resisted any easing of sanctions, viewing such actions as betrayals of Cuban dissidents and exiles. This domestic political focus weakens the Vaticans efforts to promote a unified moral appeal for reconciliation. The Churchs advocacy for lifting the economic embargo and encouraging dialogue is frequently overshadowed by partisan disputes limiting its role in shaping US policy toward Cuba. Broader implications for papal diplomacy The challenges facing papal diplomacy in the US-Cuba conflict highlight broader limitations in the Vaticans approach to international mediation. The Holy Sees reliance on moral authority and soft power often falls short when dealing with conflicts rooted in hard power dynamics and deep political divides. The Vaticans history of securing prisoner clemency, such as past releases during papal visits to Cuba, risks being seen as merely symbolic when larger political issues remain unresolved. Advertisement Figures like Cardinal Sean OMalley, as noted by the Associated Press, have played key roles in papal diplomacy by delivering messages between Pope Francis and leaders in Washington and Havana. These efforts emphasise the Vaticans dedication but also expose its vulnerability to changes in leadership and policies in other nations. Similarly, now-disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was involved in the Vatican-brokered US-Cuba detente of 2014, which led to the restoration of diplomatic ties. Such examples reveal the personal and sometimes precarious nature of the Vaticans mediation efforts. A test of resilience The ongoing challenges in US-Cuba relations test the resilience and flexibility of papal diplomacy. The Vatican must wade through this complex situation by balancing its moral commitments with the practical realities of international politics. Pope Franciss focus on hope and reconciliation provides direction, but achieving these goals depends on the Holy Sees ability to address the obstacles posed by polarised politics and deep-rooted interests. Papal diplomacys greatest challenge in this context is turning symbolic gestures into meaningful progress. Moving forward will require not just patience and persistence but also a clear emphasis on peace, justice and human dignityvalues central to the Vaticans efforts. The parties pointed out that so-called transitional period after the 2020 coup had now lasted ;for nearly five years, or as long as an electoral mandate in our country. Expressions of opposition have become the rare under the junta read more Eleven political parties in Mali on Wednesday urged the ruling junta to confirm a timetable for elections and a return to civilian rule, in a rare display of dissent. The troubled west African state has been ruled by the military since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, with the junta initially committing under international pressure to restoring civilian rule by March 2024. But the military leaders reneged on that promise without setting a new deadline for a vote. Advertisement In their statement, the parties said the authorities should set a detailed and precise timetable for elections before the end of the first quarter of 2025. The people are deliberately being kept in the dark regarding the timetable for new elections, they said. The statement criticised a New Years message from junta chief General Assimi Goita in which he made no mention of elections, noting it with great astonishment. The parties pointed out that so-called transitional period after the 2020 coup had now lasted for nearly five years, or as long as an electoral mandate in our country. And they called on the junta to guarantee respect for democratic freedoms and the rule of law, the release of prisoners of conscience, the return of political exiles and to put an end to arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances. Expressions of opposition have become the rare under the junta, stifled by calls for national unity and repressive measures. Mali has been embroiled in a political, security and economic crisis for more than a decade. In her first comments following Trumps inauguration, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that some of his initial announcements closely resemble actions he took in his previous term, as she also sought to reassure Mexicans that she will strenuously defend their interests read more Mexicos president emphasized on Tuesday that she will defend her nations sovereignty and independence but also pursue dialogue with U.S. President Donald Trump, a day after he began his new term with a flurry of orders, including measures to curb immigration. In her first comments following Trumps inauguration, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that some of his initial announcements closely resemble actions he took in his previous term, as she also sought to reassure Mexicans that she will strenuously defend their interests. Advertisement Regarding the decrees that President Donald Trump signed yesterday, I would like to say the following: The people of Mexico can be sure that we will always defend our sovereignty and our independence, she said, flanked by her foreign and interior ministers. Its always important to have a cool head, added Sheinbaum. The leftist leader, who took office last October, notably refrained from issuing her own tariff threats on imports from the United States in response to Trumps suggestion a day earlier that he could apply an across-the-board 25% duty on Mexican goods beginning in February. Sheinbaum limited her response to saying she will respond step by step. In the past, Sheinbaum and her economy minister have suggested Mexico would have to retaliate in kind if the new U.S. government slapped duties on its exports. Around 80% of Mexican exports go to the United States, the worlds biggest economy. In a response to Trumps initial moves to halt unlawful migration, Sheinbaum said her government will attend to the needs of migrants in a humanitarian way, even as she also pledged to repatriate foreign migrants to their home nations. Advertisement She said negotiations, including with Washington, will determine who foots the bill. Trump is expected to sign more executive orders in his second day in office, following measures issued on Monday to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. At her regular morning press conference, Sheinbaum noted that while Trump signed an executive order declaring illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border as a national emergency, she will insist on respectful relations and avoid confrontations. She also reiterated that her government would seek coordination on security and other matters with its northern neighbor, and that the USMCA North American trade pact is set for review in 2026, not before then. Advertisement The peso briefly reduced its losses during Sheinbaums much-anticipated remarks to reporters, although the currency later returned to earlier levels, performing the worst in a basket of global reference currencies. Julio Ruiz, chief economist for Mexico with multinational investment bank Citigroup, described Sheinbaums initial reaction to the start of Trumps new term as an attempt to separate concrete actions from political rhetoric. What Sheinbaum is trying to do is try to calm things down, he said. One thing is whats already signed, and another is these casual comments. You have to distinguish between those two things, and I think what shes trying to do is give that message to the market and to the population in general. Advertisement India, a strategic partner of the United States in countering Chinas influence, is eager to strengthen trade relations with the US and facilitate access to skilled worker visas for its citizens read more Diplomats from India and the US are working to set up a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump in February. Reuters, citing two Indian sources familiar with the discussions, reported that the officials are trying to arrange the meeting in Washington. India, a strategic partner of the United States in countering Chinas influence, is eager to strengthen trade relations with the US. This is expected to be on the agenda when the two leaders meet. Advertisement Since Trump has pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration but has said he is open to legal migration of skilled workers, migration would be another area of discussion. India accounts for the bulk of the skilled worker H-1B visas issued by the US. India concerned over Trumps tariff threats Since Trumps election, there have been among officials in New Delhi about his policies once he returns to the White House. He has identified India as one of the countries with high tariffs on US products and has suggested that he favours imposing reciprocal tariffs in response. However, sources said that New Delhi was willing to offer some concessions to Washington although it has not been officially informed of any plans by US to impose reciprocal tariffs. India is also open to offer incentives to attract more US investment into the country. Presently, the US is Indias largest trading partner. In 2023-24, the bilateral trade between the nations crossed $118 billion. That year, India had posted a trade surplus of $32 billion a figure that may not be sitting well with Trumps America first rhetoric. An early meeting between PM Modi and President Trump, officials hope, will help get ties off to a positive start. With inputs from agencies With Trumps return to power and Chinas growing influence, Pakistan faces the daunting challenge of redefining its foreign policy amid rising global uncertainties read more The calculation in Pakistan is going to change significantly with Donald Trumps return to power, bringing uncertainty to Islamabads foreign policy. Pakistan is facing a US administration that has been both a partner and a rival in the past, and this time, the relationship may become even more unpredictable. After the US withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the relationship between Washington DC and Islamabad has undergone many changes. Now, with Trump back in office, Pakistan may need to adjust its diplomatic priorities even more. Advertisement A shift in priorities The departure of the Biden administration and the return of Trump brings a shift in US foreign policy priorities leaving Pakistan on the sidelines. Under Biden, US-Pakistan relations were marked by cautious engagement, focussing on regional stability and counterterrorism, but the relationship never returned to the prominence it had in earlier decades. Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistans former ambassador to the US, described this period to Geo TV as one of benign disengagement. Pakistan was no longer a key player in US foreign policy, especially after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Pakistans role in US counterterrorism operations decreased, leaving the country struggling to redefine its position in the world. With Trump back in power, Pakistan may face a more unpredictable diplomatic relationship. Trumps America First policy, which focussed on US interests over multilateral engagement, could complicate Pakistans foreign policy decisions. Without a structured and cooperative relationship, Pakistan may need to make more concessions for little diplomatic gain. This disengagement could also reduce Pakistans ability to influence US policies on important regional issues like counterterrorism and South Asian security. The Trump factor Trumps foreign policy was previously known for being unpredictable, relying on personal diplomacy, and focussing more on bilateral agreements than multilateral ones. For Pakistan, this could mean that its relationship with the US might depend more on the personal connection between leaders than on formal diplomatic channels or long-term strategic partnerships. Advertisement While Trumps views on global issues might not change much from his first term, his approach to Pakistan could be influenced by personal gestures. During Trumps first term, he and the then-Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, had a working relationship. However, that was in the past and therefore Pakistans foreign policy under a second Trump administration could be one of waiting for signals from Washington, trying to figure out how its interests align with Trumps unpredictable decisions. Balancing US and China One of the most important parts of Pakistans foreign policy after Trumps second inauguration is managing the delicate balance between the US and China. While Pakistan has traditionally been aligned with the US, it is becoming more connected to China through its strategic partnership and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Advertisement The growing rivalry between the US and China, especially over trade and technological dominance, puts Pakistan in a tough spot. In this situation, Pakistan has a slippery road ahead needing to manage the tensions between these two powerful nations while avoiding getting caught in their conflict. If the US adopts a more aggressive foreign policy under Trump to curb Chinas rise, it could affect Pakistan, particularly concerning the future of CPEC. While Pakistans relationship with China is vital for economic growth and infrastructure development, there are risks involved in getting too close to Beijing, especially if the US imposes sanctions or trade restrictions because of Pakistans growing ties with China. Advertisement The India factor According to Munazza Siddiqui in Geo TV, another big challenge for Pakistan in managing its foreign policy under Trump will be the growing strategic partnership between India and the US. Over the last decade, India-US relations have become stronger, marked by increased defence cooperation, intelligence sharing and joint military exercises. Under Trump, this trend is expected to continue, with India seen as a key partner in the USs strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. For Pakistan, the strengthening of India-US ties presents a major challenge given the pressure from Washington on Islamabad to align more closely with India on counterterrorism efforts and countering Chinas influence in the region. Advertisement Opportunities and challenges Pakistans foreign policy under President Trumps second administration is likely to face a mix of challenges and opportunities. Pakistan might aim to position itself as a bridge between the US and China, a strategy that could help it avoid antagonising either side. Strengthening economic ties with both nations could serve as an additional safeguard, ensuring Pakistan remains relevant in the region. Siddiqui suggests that Pakistan will also likely leverage its relationships with Iran, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to demonstrate its diplomatic influence amid global power struggles. Road ahead Trumps return to the White House marks a new chapter in US-Pakistan relations bringing both risks and opportunities. Pakistan faces major challenges in shaping its foreign policy in this changing geopolitical scenario, but there are also chances for strategic engagement with both the US and China. In the end, Pakistans success in handling these shifting dynamics will determine where it stands in the global order. Amid US President Donald Trumps threats to annex Panama Canal, the country has approached the United Nations (UN) by invoking the UN Charter that bars the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of a nation read more Panama has approached the United Nations (UN) regarding US President Donald Trumps threats of annexing Panama Canal with the use of force. In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Panama referred to an article of the UN Charter that bars the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of a nation and said worrying threats from Trump should be discussed at the UN Security Council (UNSC). Advertisement The letter, however, did not call for a meeting of the UNSC to be convened. In a related development, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has rejected Trumps assertion that the United States had gifted the canal to Panama. We reject in its entirety everything that Mr Trump has said. First because it is false and second because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama. The Panama Canal was not a concession or a gift from the United States, said Mulino at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In rhetoric that rivals the revanchist agenda of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump has continually threatened Western countries with invasions and annexations in recent weeks. He has threatened to attack Greenland to annex it, use force against Panama to annex Panama Canal, and has called for Canadas annexation as well. In his inauguration speech, Trump invoked the annexation of Panama and said that we are taking it back. He said that the US ships transiting the canal are charged more than the others and falsely said China is operating the canal, not Panama. We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made. And Panamas promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didnt give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and were taking it back, said Trump. Advertisement Panamanian President Mulino was quick to respond. Shortly after Trumps speech, he issued a statement rejecting Trumps call for annexation and said the canal is and will continue to be Panamas and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect to its permanent neutrality. Even as Panama has rejected Trumps remarks and has approached the UN, it has announced an exhaustive audit aimed at ensuring the efficient and transparent use of public resources at the Panama Ports Company that manages the canal, according to AFP. While China does not manage the canal, a Chinese company manages two ports on the canal and the audit would determine whether the company was complying with its concession agreements, including adequate reporting of income, payments, and contributions to the state, as per the news agency. Advertisement The moves follow an executive order Trump signed on his first day ordering a sweeping dismantling of the federal governments diversity and inclusion programs that could touch on everything from anti-bias training to funding for minority farmers and homeowners read more Will Scharf assists as President Donald Trump signs an executive order at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. AP President Donald Trump s administration moved Tuesday to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off. The moves follow an executive order Trump signed on his first day ordering a sweeping dismantling of the federal governments diversity and inclusion programs that could touch on everything from anti-bias training to funding for minority farmers and homeowners. Trump has called the programs discrimination and insisted on restoring strictly merit-based hiring. Advertisement The executive order on affirmative action revokes an order issued by President Lyndon Johnson, and curtails DEI programs by federal contractors and grant recipients. Its using one of the key tools utilized by the Biden administration to promote DEI programs across the private sector pushing their use by federal contractors to now eradicate them. The Office of Personnel Management in a Tuesday memo directed agencies to place DEI office staffers on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday and take down all public DEI-focused webpages by the same deadline. Several federal departments had removed the webpages even before the memorandum. Agencies must also cancel any DEI-related training and end any related contracts, and federal workers are being asked to report to Trumps Office of Personnel Management if they suspect any DEI-related program has been renamed to obfuscate its purpose within 10 days or face adverse consequences. By Thursday, federal agencies are directed to compile a list of federal DEI offices and workers as of Election Day. By next Friday, they are expected to develop a plan to execute a reduction-in-force action against those federal workers. The memo was first reported by CBS News. The move comes after Mondays executive order accused former President Joe Biden of forcing discrimination programs into virtually all aspects of the federal government through diversity, equity and inclusion programs, known as DEI. That step is the first salvo in an aggressive campaign to upend DEI efforts nationwide, including leveraging the Justice Department and other agencies to investigate private companies pursuing training and hiring practices that conservative critics consider discriminatory against non-minority groups such as white men. Advertisement The executive order picks up where Trumps first administration left off: One of Trumps final acts during his first term was an executive order banning federal agency contractors and recipients of federal funding from conducting anti-bias training that addressed concepts like systemic racism. Biden promptly rescinded that order on his first day in office and issued a pair of executive orders now rescinded outlining a plan to promote DEI throughout the federal government. While many changes may take months or even years to implement, Trumps new anti-DEI agenda is more aggressive than his first and comes amid far more amenable terrain in the corporate world. Prominent companies from Walmart to Facebook have already scaled back or ended some of their diversity practices in response to Trumps election and conservative-backed lawsuits against them. Advertisement Heres a look at some of the policies and programs that Trump will aim to dismantle: Diversity offices, training and accountability Trumps order will immediately gut Bidens wide-ranging effort to embed diversity and inclusion practices in the federal workforce, the nations largest at about 2.4 million people. Biden had mandated all agencies to develop a diversity plan, issue yearly progress reports, and contribute data for a government-wide dashboard to track demographic trends in hiring and promotions. The administration also set up a Chief Diversity Officers Council to oversee the implementation of the DEI plan. The government released its first DEI progress report in 2022 that included demographic data for the federal workforce, which is about 60% white and 55% male overall, and more than 75% white and more than 60% male at the senior executive level. Advertisement Trumps executive order will toss out equity plans developed by federal agencies and terminate any roles or offices dedicated to promoting diversity. It will include eliminating initiatives such as DEI-related training or diversity goals in performance reviews. Federal grant and benefits programs Trumps order paves the way for an aggressive but bureaucratically complicated overhaul of billions of dollars in federal spending that conservative activists claim unfairly carve out preference for racial minorities and women. The order does not specify which programs it will target but mandates a government-wide review to ensure that contracts and grants are compliant with the Trump administrations anti-DEI stance. It also proposes that the federal government settle ongoing lawsuits against federal programs that benefit historically underserved communities, including some that date back decades. Advertisement Trumps executive order is a seismic shift and a complete change in the focus and direction of the federal government, said Dan Lennington, deputy council for the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, which has pursued several lawsuits against federal programs. The institute recently released an influential report listing dozens of programs the Trump administration should consider dismantling, such as credits for minority farmers or emergency relief assistance for majority-Black neighborhoods. He acknowledged that unwinding some entrenched programs may be difficult. For example, the Treasury Department implements housing and other assistance programs through block grants to states that have their own methods for implementing diversity criteria. Pay equity and hiring practices Its not clear whether the Trump administration will target every initiative that stemmed from Bidens DEI executive order. For example, the Biden administration banned federal agencies from asking about an applicants salary history when setting compensation, a practice many civil rights activists say perpetuates pay disparities for women and people of color. It took three years for the Biden administration to issue the final regulations, and Trump would have to embark on a similar rule-making process, including a notice and comment period, to rescind it, said Chiraag Bains, former deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Biden and now a nonresident senior fellow with Brookings Metro. Noreen Farrell, executive director of gender rights group Equal Rights Advocates, said that she was hopeful that the Trump administration will not go out of its way to undo the rule, which she said has proved popular in some state and cities that have enacted similar policies. And Bidens DEI plan encompassed some initiatives with bipartisan support, said Bains. For example, he tasked the Chief Diversity Officers Executive Council with expanding federal employment opportunities for those with criminal records. That initiative stems from the Fair Chance Act, which Trump signed into law in 2019 and bans federal agencies and contractors from asking about an applicants criminal history before a conditional job offer is made. Bains said thats what Bidens DEI policies were about: ensuring that the federal government was structured to include historically marginalized communities, not institute reverse discrimination against white men. Despite the sweeping language of Trumps order, Farrell said, the reality of implementing such massive structural changes is far more complex. Federal agencies have deeply embedded policies and procedures that cant simply be switched off overnight, she added. Calling Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde nasty and her service very boring, POTUS said, She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people read more U.S. President Donald Trump stands near Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde as he attends the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. Reuters US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called a Washington bishop nasty and demanded an apology from her after she gave an earful to him on LGBTQ rights at a prayer service. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. Advertisement Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde pleaded with the president to show mercy on people who were scared of what was to come, referring to people from the LGBTQ community and immigrants. This comes just a day after the president signed executive orders to crack down on immigrants and said in his inaugural speech that there were only two genders in America. Calling Budde nasty and her service very boring, POTUS said, She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. During the service, Budde made a case for immigrants saying, The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labour in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy. Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, she added. Advertisement The call for a strike comes amid mounting public outrage and near-daily protests following the collapse of a newly restored train station roof in Novi Sad in November. The incident killed 15 people and has been widely blamed on corruption read more A protestor holds an orthodox icon as a thousands of students attend a protest on New Year's Eve to demand accountability for the November train station roof collapse that killed 15 people in Belgrade, Serbia. AFP Student organisers in Serbia have called for a general strike this week, escalating pressure on officials over the fatal collapse of a train station roof last year. The announcement, made Wednesday (January 22) on social media by a prominent student group, urged Serbians to engage in general civil disobedience on Friday (January 24). The group called for citizens to abstain from work, shopping, and other daily activities. Lets take freedom into our own hands! Your participation makes a difference, the statement said. Advertisement Growing public frustration and protests The call for a strike comes amid mounting public outrage and near-daily protests following the collapse of a newly restored train station roof in Novi Sad in November. The incident killed 15 people and has been widely blamed on corruption and poor oversight of construction projects. University students, who have led the movement, have blockaded campuses nationwide for months. Public demonstrations, including road blockades, have become frequent. A big one happened on January 18 when Serbians, led by university students, protested in front of the public broadcaster in the capital Belgrade. Under the slogan Our right to know everything, the students denounced what they said were smear campaigns against them on the public broadcaster Radio Television Serbia, demanding objective reporting for the demonstrations. What is the govt doing? The government has charged more than a dozen individuals in connection with the tragedy, including former Transport Minister Goran Vesic, who resigned shortly after the incident. Under pressure from the protests, officials released documents related to the stations renovation, claiming they have met demands for transparency. They have also accused protesters of being backed by foreign powers. However, demonstrators are demanding a more thorough investigation into the tragedy. They are also denouncing the governments handling of the protests and alleging that authorities have orchestrated physical attacks on student activists through hired hooligans. With inputs from agencies Military police fired into the air while pursuing the escapees and recaptured 410 of them, Kassara said. Efforts are ongoing to locate and detain the remaining 190 individuals read more Nearly 200 people remain on the run after breaking out of a military detention facility in South Sudan following arrests linked to recent looting during protests, police said Wednesday (January 22). Protests erupted in the capital, Juba, last week after reports that clashes in neighbouring Sudan had killed 29 South Sudanese nationals. Demonstrators targeted Sudanese-owned businesses, sparking violence that spread across the country. Police opened fire to disperse crowds and arrested scores of people, though the exact number detained was not disclosed. Advertisement John Kassara, a police spokesperson, said 600 detainees broke out of the facility in the Juba district around 9:30 am (local time) on Wednesday. Among those who escaped were 550 civilians and 50 members of the armed forces or police. Military police fired into the air while pursuing the escapees and recaptured 410 of them, Kassara said. Efforts are ongoing to locate and detain the remaining 190 individuals. Last weeks unrest left at least 16 Sudanese nationals dead, dozens wounded, and hundreds seeking shelter with police. In response, South Sudans government declared a nighttime curfew. The countrys President Salva Kiir has called for calm and restraint, and the situation in Juba has since stabilised, even though the curfew remains in place. South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, continues to grapple with political instability, economic hardships, and environmental crises. The civil war in Sudan, which began in 2023, has driven an estimated one million people southward, including returning South Sudanese and thousands of Sudanese refugees, according to the United Nations. The violence in Sudan has left tens of thousands dead and forced many South Sudanese who had fled north during their countrys own conflicts to return home. With inputs from agencies Trump said Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI, including the construction of colossal data centers read more President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a large investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure backed by Japanese conglomerate Softbank, cloud behemoth Oracle, and ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The company, known as Stargate, will invest $500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States, Trump said in comments at the White House. This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in Americas potential, he remarked one day after being sworn in for a second term. Advertisement OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison attended the event. According to Son, their initiative is dedicated to investing $100 billion initially and up to $500 billion over the following four years. The venture comes as big tech players are scrambling to meet AIs voracious computing needs, as well as find the electric power necessary to expand the new technology. Trump said Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI, including the construction of colossal data centers. OpenAI later said in an X post that the project will not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies. It added that SoftBank and OpenAI were the lead partners for Stargate, with SoftBank having financial responsibility and OpenAI having operational responsibility. The post also said that MGX, a technology fund from the United Arab Emirates, was a fourth investor, while Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI are the key initial technology partners. Advertisement Buildout is currently underway, starting in Texas, and we are evaluating potential sites across the country for more campuses as we finalize definitive agreements, it added. Texas is fast becoming an alternative to California for US big tech investments. In turn, the three bosses thanked Trump. We couldnt have done this without you, said Altman. Ellison, in brief remarks at the White House, underlined the medical innovations promised by AI such as early cancer detection with a blood test. SoftBank shares soared more than eight percent in Tokyo after the announcement. News of the project comes a day after Trumps inauguration ceremony was attended by prominent tech chiefs, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon leader Jeff Bezos. Advertisement Later on Monday, Trump rescinded an executive order from his predecessor Joe Biden that established oversight measures for companies developing powerful AI models. Its repeal leaves the United States, home to most of the worlds most impactful AI technology, without nationwide AI development guidelines, even if individual states are pursuing their own measures. Trump, hours after being sworn in on Monday, granted the pardons to more than 1,500 people who stormed the Capitol including those convicted of assaulting police officers read more US President Donald Trump holds a document on the day he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. File Image/Reuters US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his decision to pardon people who were charged and convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, despite having run as an ally of law enforcement. Trump, hours after being sworn in on Monday, granted the pardons to more than 1,500 people who stormed the Capitol including those convicted of assaulting police officers. He described them as hostages and ordered that all pending criminal cases against Capitol riot defendants be dropped. Advertisement I am the friend of police, more than any president whos ever been in this office, he said. Trump told reporters at the White House that those he pardoned have already served years in prison, claiming murderers often arent charged for their crimes. We pardoned people who were treated unbelievably poorly, he said. Trumps sweeping pardons of Capitol rioters drew starkly contrasting reactions on Tuesday, largely embraced by his Republican supporters and vehemently condemned by Democrats. Former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi denounced as shameful Trumps pardons of participants in the January 6, 2021 attack on the congressional session held to certify Joe Bidens 2020 election victory. The presidents actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution, Pelosi said. Michael Fanone, a former Washington police officer who was repeatedly shocked with a Taser and badly beaten by members of the pro-Trump mob, said he has been betrayed by my country. And Ive been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump, Fanone told CNN. The leader of the Republican Party pardoned hundreds of violent cop assaulters. Six individuals who assaulted me as I did my job on January 6 will now walk free. Advertisement But the pardons were welcomed by January 6 defendants and their Republican backers. Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman who became one of the faces of the Capitol riot because of his red, white and blue face paint, bare chest and unusual horned headgear, welcomed the pardon in a post on X. I GOT A PARDON BABY! THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!! said Chansley. J6ers are getting released & JUSTICE HAS COME God bless President Trump!!! said far-right Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene. Its finally over. J6ers are being released, Greene said on X. Never forget what the Democrats did. Other Republicans who had advised against pardoning those convicted of assaulting police officers were silent, including Vice President JD Vance, who just a week ago told Fox News if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. Advertisement With inputs from agencies President Donald Trump dismissed Admiral Linda Lee Fagan from her duties as Chief of the US Coast Guard just a day after taking office of the White House. Fagan made history as the first woman to lead a branch of the US armed forces. read more The Donald Trump administration fired the chief of the US Coast Guard Admiral Linda Lee Fagan on Tuesday, just 24 hours after taking charge, a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official confirmed to Fox News. Admiral Linda was the first female officer to lead a branch of US armed forces. She was sworn in as the chief of the Coast Guard on June 1, 2022, during former President Bidens term. She had a long and distinguished career, and I thank her for her service to our country, said acting DHS Secretary Benjamin Huffman in a message to the Coast Guard. Advertisement She worked on all seven continents, from the snowy Ross Island in Antarctica to the heart of Africa, and from Tokyo to Geneva, with many stops in between, according to a biography post on the Coast Guard website. But, the post is now removed from the official website. A spokesperson for the DHS told Newsweek that Admiral Kevin Lunday will serve as the acting commandant of the Coast Guard. Lunday was Fagans deputy and was serving as vice commandant under her. Fagan is accused of failing to properly use the assets Coast Guard to help secure national borders to stop illegal immigration and drugs. The swearing-in ceremony of the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, was held on Monday (January 20). Trump assumes office in an aggressive mood. President Donald Trump began his second term with a series of aggressive actions. He signed multiple executive orders aimed at reversing policies from the previous Biden administration. Notably, he withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation, aligning with his America First agenda. Just hours after his inauguration, Trump announced plans to pardon about 1,500 US Capitol rioters who stormed the building to challenge the 2020 election results. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that Donald Trump could help end the Russia-Ukraine war. After the inauguration ceremony, Trump also said that he would impose sanctions on Russia if Kremlin does not come to the negotiating table for ceasefire. read more Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the US President Donald Trump could help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and secure a ceasefire. Zelenskyy said Trump is a businessman and can pressure Russias President Vladimir Putin to the negotiation table to end the almost three-year war. Zelenskyy, speaking after a fiery speech at the World Economic Forum in Switzerlands Davos, said, Trump is a businessman. He knows how to apply pressure. Zelenskyy further said to the reporters that he is hopeful about the new administration in the US. Advertisement Putin is destroying Russia: Trump After assuming office, Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was destroying Russia by not negotiating a deal to end the war with Ukraine. He also warned of imposing sanctions on Russia if Putin does not come to the negotiation table to bring an end to the conflict. Zelenskyy says Trump is strong, has enough power to pressure Putin Earlier, in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelenskyy emphasised that Trump could help secure a ceasefire with Russia. Zelenskyy said, Trump is strong and has enough power to pressure Putin into stopping Russias war on Ukraine. Zelenskyy told Fridman that he would first sit down with Trump to reach an understanding about the ceasefire and then they would approach the question of ceasefire with Putin. Trumps opposition for aid to Ukraine Trump was seen as a pro-Russia contender during his campaign for the race to the white house. Trump also opposed military aid to Ukraine during the campaign, maintaining his America First stance. He argued that Europe should take more responsibility for Ukraines defense and raised admiration for Putin in the past. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Putin has said he is willing to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine. However, his demands are firm. Among them, he wants Ukraine to promise not to join NATO or the European Union and to limit its military. In 2022, Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of ceasefire talks in Turkey, but no conclusion was achieved. Prior to his inauguration on Monday, Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war immediately upon taking office, raising expectations he would leverage aid to force Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, which invaded in February 2022 read more US President Donald Trump on Tuesday indicated he may impose fresh sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Sounds like it, Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked if the United States would apply additional sanctions on Moscow if the Russian president did not come to the table. Prior to his inauguration on Monday, Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war immediately upon taking office, raising expectations he would leverage aid to force Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, which invaded in February 2022. Advertisement In unusually critical remarks of Putin, Trump said on Monday that the Russian president should make a deal. I think hes destroying Russia by not making a deal. Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had told him that he wanted a peace agreement to end the war. Its really unprecedented to see violent felons, convicted by juries for crimes witnessed by the entire world, walk free, Officer Winston Pingeon of the Capitol Police, who was assaulted during the riots said read more People attack the US Capitol in Washington, on January 6, 2021. File image/AP President Donald Trump, in one of his first actions upon resuming office, signed an executive order granting a blanket pardon to those convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. The decision resulted in the release of hundreds of individuals, including some serving lengthy sentences for violent offences. These people have already served years in prison, and theyve served them viciously, Trump said during a press conference at the White House on Monday (January 20). Its a disgusting prison. Its been horrible. Its inhumane. Its been a terrible, terrible thing. Advertisement While the move sparked jubilation among Trump supporters, Capitol security officials and lawmakers sharply criticised the pardons. The sweeping measure effectively cleared criminal records for nearly all rioters but stopped short of offering financial compensation. A slap in the face For many Capitol security personnel, Trumps decision was a painful setback. Officer Winston Pingeon of the Capitol Police, who was assaulted during the riots, called the pardons a slap in the face. Its really unprecedented to see violent felons, convicted by juries for crimes witnessed by the entire world, walk free, Pingeon told the BBC. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who had to hide from rioters during the insurrection, also condemned the move. The presidents actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical and emotional trauma while protecting the Capitol, the Congress, and the Constitution, she said in a statement. Pelosi added, It is shameful that the president has decided to prioritise the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who risked their lives to stop an attack on the peaceful transfer of power. Celebration among supporters Outside federal facilities, families and supporters gathered to cheer the release of the rioters. Chants of freedom echoed as former inmates emerged, many expressing gratitude toward Trump. High-profile individuals such as Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, were among those pardoned. Tarrios mother, Zuny, celebrated the decision on social media, writing, Our president gave my son and all the J6ers their lives back! They can live again! Breathe fresh air again! Advertisement Rachel Powell, who gained notoriety for using an ice axe to smash Capitol windows, said, Thank you, Mr Trump, as she left prison. Hes a bigger blessing to me than I could ever imagine. Jacob Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman, walked free after serving four years, expressing no regrets for his actions. I regret nothing, he told the BBC, adding that he plans to purchase firearms now that his record is clear. Not all accept the pardon While many embraced their release, some distanced themselves from Trumps decision. Pam Hemphill, who served 60 days for her involvement in the riot, refused the pardon. We were wrong that day, Hemphill said. Accepting a pardon would insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law, and our nation. Hemphill, who pleaded guilty, said accountability should prevail. We broke the lawthere should be no pardons, she added. Advertisement Trumps decision to pardon nearly 1,500 individuals has reignited debate over accountability and justice in one of the most tumultuous episodes in recent US history. For some, its a victory for freedom; for others, a painful reminder of the attack on democracy. With inputs from agencies The Pentagon plans to deploy up to 1,500 active-duty troops to bolster security at the southern border in the coming days, according to a report, citing US officials on Wednesday read more Dogs are seen near a border wall separating Mexico from the United States in San Diego on Wednesday. AP The Pentagon plans to deploy up to 1,500 active-duty troops to bolster security at the southern border in the coming days, according to the Associated Press report_,_ citing US officials on Wednesday. The active-duty forces will join around 2,500 National Guard and Reserve personnel already stationed at the southern border, where currently no active-duty troops are deployed_,_ added the report. The move aligns with President Donald Trumps executive orders aimed at tightening immigration controls shortly after he took office. Advertisement Acting Defence Secretary Robert Salesses was scheduled to sign the deployment orders on Wednesday, though it is still unclear which specific troops or units will be involved, and the total number may change. It remains uncertain whether these troops will take on law enforcement roles, which would represent a significant shift in their traditional duties not seen in recent history, added the report, adding, the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made. These troops are expected to assist border patrol agents with logistics, transportation, and the construction of barriers, tasks they have performed in the past during deployments under both President Trump and former President Joe Biden. While troops are legally prohibited from engaging in law enforcement activities at the border, this may change, added the report. Trump has instructed the incoming Secretary of Defence and Homeland Security chief to evaluate within 90 days whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 should be invoked, which would permit military personnel to participate in civilian law enforcement on US soil. This anticipated deployment marks an early step in Trumps long-promised strategy to increase military presence along the border during his first week in office. In one of his initial orders on Monday, Trump directed the Defense Secretary to devise a plan to seal the borders and counter unlawful mass migration. On Tuesday, just as Trump fired the Coast Guard commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, the service announced it was surging more cutter ships, aircraft and personnel to the Gulf of America another nod to the presidents directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Trump said during his inaugural address on Monday that I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came. In his first term, Trump also ordered active duty troops to the border to help the Department of Homeland Security and border control agents, in response to a caravan of migrants slowly making its way through Mexico toward the United States in 2018. Advertisement In executive orders signed Monday, Trump suggested the military would help DHS with detention space, transportation (including aircraft), and other logistics services. US active duty troops are forbidden from doing law enforcement duties under the Posse Comitatus Act, a 19th century federal law. So they cant arrest or detain people at the border, unless the president acts to invoke the Insurrection Act. The Insurrection Act allows presidents to call on reserve or active duty military units to respond to unrest in the states, an authority that is not reviewable by the courts. During the 2018 deployment, more than 7,000 active duty troops were sent to Texas, Arizona and California, including military police, an assault helicopter battalion, various communications, medical and headquarters units, combat engineers, planners and public affairs units. Advertisement At the time, the Pentagon was adamant that active duty troops would not do law enforcement. So they spent much of their time transporting border patrol agents to and along the border, helping them erect additional vehicle barriers and fencing along the border, assisting them with communications and providing some security for border agent camps. The military also provided border patrol agents with medical care, pre-packaged meals and temporary housing. Normally, in deployments to the border in support of the Department of Homeland Security, Pentagon officials request specifics from DHS on what needs to be accomplished, and military leaders then decide what troops should go and how many. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The arson attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very, very serious matter, and it is something [for which] we expect accountability, Jaishankar said read more External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pressed for accountability over the 2023 attack on Indias consulate in San Francisco during a meeting Wednesday (January 22) with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, his first bilateral engagement under the Trump 2.0 administration. The talks took place on the sidelines of a Quad meeting. Jaishankar described the incident as a very serious matter and called for those responsible to be held to account. The arson attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very, very serious matter, and it is something [for which] we expect accountability, Jaishankar said. We would like to see that people who did it are held responsible. Advertisement #WATCH | Washington DC | EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "...The attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very serious matter and it is something for which we expect accountability. We would like to see that people who did it are held responsible." pic.twitter.com/qmsV3b7Nu4 ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2025 The attack, which occurred in July 2023, was an apparent act of vandalism and arson linked to pro-Khalistan extremists. It followed the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canada-based leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force, who was one of Indias most-wanted terrorists. Nijjar, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada in June 2024. Shortly after Nijjars killing, a video was circulated on social media showing the arson at the San Francisco consulate. The video, emblazoned with the words violence begets violence, included news clips referencing Nijjars death. At the time, Jaishankar urged countries, including the US, Canada, the U.K., and Australia, to prevent Khalistani activities. Their radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations, he said. The US condemned the attack, and Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti recently noted that the FBI had prioritised the investigation. However, more than 1.5 years later, little information has emerged about the perpetrators or any actions taken against them. Advertisement The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio underscores the importance of addressing such incidents in bilateral relations as India continues to push for accountability. With inputs from agencies British Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament Wednesday the Royal Navy tracked a Russian spy ship that passed through UK waters, warning Russias President Vladimir Putin: We know what youre doing read more British Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament Wednesday the Royal Navy tracked a Russian spy ship that passed through UK waters, warning Russias President Vladimir Putin: We know what youre doing. Healey said the Yantar (Amber) vessel was being used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure. I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: We see you, we know what youre doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country, he told MPs. Advertisement The ship entered British waters on Monday about 45 miles (72 kilometres) off the countrys coast, with the Royal Navy dispatching two vessels to monitor it, Healy said. It was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure, the defence minister said. He added the ship was now in the North Sea, having passed through British waters. A French official told AFP that French military resources had also been mobilised to monitor Yantar but the ship had no proven hostile intent. It happens regularly that a Russian vessel passes through and there is always close surveillance that is put in place, the official added. Healy said it was the second time the Yantar had been detected in British waters recently, after it was also spotted in November. British warships have tracked Russian navy vessels on several occasions in recent months. Earlier this month, the Royal Navy revealed that in late December the frigate HMS Somerset had tracked a Russian naval group as it sailed from the North Sea to the English Channel, although the group had stayed in international waters. In September last year, Royal Navy warships spent a week closely shadowing four Russian vessels in UK waters, while two Royal Air Force jets scrambled to intercept two Russian aircraft operating near the UK, the navy said in a press release. Advertisement The RAF is to provide aircraft for a new Nato deployment designed to strengthen the protection of offshore infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. It comes after the suspected sabotage of several undersea telecom and power cables in recent months with experts and politicians accusing Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against the West as the two sides square off over Ukraine. Even as Israel and Palestinian Authority (PA) both ramp up counter-terrorism operations in West Bank, Palestinian terrorists as well as violent Israeli setters are posing a challenge to peace in the West Bank read more Israeli soldiers operate during a raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp near the Palestinian city of Tulkarem in the West Bank. (Photo: AFP) Even as the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is still nascent, Israel has launched a new security operation in West Banks Jenin. The operation comes as Israels Tel Aviv witnessed two stabbing attacks in four days one on Tuesday and another on Saturday. The operation, comprising Israeli military, its special forces units, and intelligence services personnel, appears to have been in the making for a while and is not a result of these two attacks. Advertisement Jenin has long been a hub of Palestinian terrorist organisations. In the past three years, Israel has conducted major operations in the city at least twice. The last operation was just months before the October 7 attack led by Hamas which was the largest Israeli operation in the city in nearly two decades. The Israeli operation, dubbed The Iron Wall, comes shortly after the Palestinian Authority (PA), the de facto Palestinian government that partially governs West Bank under overall Israeli occupation, concluded a major counter-terrorism operation in the city in which several terrorists and at least one PA officer was killed. While there are serious security concerns regarding West Banks, where Hamas and other groups have expanded presence lately, the Israeli operation is also being looked at way by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to placate the far-right ministers who are threatening to topple his government over the signing of a peace deal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Such concerns, along with the possibility of protracted battles in Jenin and elsewhere, have led to concerns whether peace in Gaza would mean increased unrest in West Bank. Jenin operation to thwart ticking bomb, says Israeli military The Israeli military has said that the operation in Jenin is essential to thwart ticking bomb threats, according to The Jerusalem Post. The Israeli operation in Jenin is expected to last for several days and ground personal from the military, including special forces, and intelligence service Shin Bet, have been joined by helicopters and drones, as per The Post. While the newspaper reported that several terrorists have been killed, the BBC News reported that nine Palestinians have been killed. The report did not specify whether they were combatants or non-combatants. In reporting deaths, Palestinian terrorist groups or even authorities do not usually distinguish the two. Netanyahu in a statement said that the operation was an additional step in achieving the objective we have set: bolstering security. Advertisement Netanyahu further said, We are acting methodically and with determination against the Iranian axis wherever it reaches: in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Judea and Samaria and we are still active. Separately, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation was also a show of force against Palestinian terrorist groups in West Bank that is intended to deter them from fomenting trouble in West Bank after ceasefires have been reached in Gaza and Lebanon. In response to the Israeli operation, Hamas has called for complete mobilisation in Gaza. Israel believes PAs operation was good but more needs to be done: Report The Israeli operation in Jenin comes days after PA wrapped a rare weekslong counter-terrorism drive in Jenin where it killed several terrorists, including a local commander affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). PA Spokesperson Brigadier General Anwar Rajab told the media that the operation was able to thwart a disaster in Jenin. Advertisement Even as the Israeli military considers PAs recent performance against terrorists in Jenin stronger than usual marks for going deeper into Jenin even into the Jenin refugee camp and getting its hands dirtier than usual against local terror, the Israeli defence establishment is convinced that more needs to be done to tackle the security threats there and that reasoning went into launching the ongoing operation in Jenin, according to The Jerusalem Post. Just one day before the operation was launched, Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said on Monday that alongside enhanced defensive preparations in the Gaza Strip, we must be ready for significant counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria in the coming days to preempt and apprehend the terrorists before they reach our civilians. Advertisement Writing for The Post, Israeli analyst Seth J Frantzman noted that the evidence pointed to an important operation in the making in Jenin, but one that would not be easy as terrorists groups have made a stronghold in a vast stretch of West Bank. Highlighting why any crackdown on terrorism would be a difficult nut to crack, Frantzman said, The terrorists are active in Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Nablus and many villages in the northern West Bank such as around Tubas and areas that overlook the Ghor al-Faria, a valley that spills out from the West Bank toward the Jordan River valley. Another site of threats has been the small Fara camp near Tubas. The overall picture that is being drawn over the last year is that Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups are setting down larger roots. Advertisement Rising settlers violence in West Bank and Trumps support While terrorists have entrenched themselves in the West Bank lately, attracting increased operations from both Israel and the PA, the Israeli extremist settlers have also become more aggressive over the past year. They have went on several rounds of rampage in West Bank in which they have attacked Palestinians villages, burning houses, vehicles, and attacking civilians. Netanyahus government has taken little action against them. While the previous Joe Biden administration of the United States pushed the Netanyahu government to act against settlers and imposed sanctions on them, President Donald Trump has now revoked those sanctions. As settlers have found themselves more emboldened under Trump, their violent activities are also set to rise in coming months, further raising tensions in West Bank. With Trump in the White House, Jewish settlers are also hoping to get the approval for major expansion of settlements deemed illegal in international law in West Bank and even complete annexation of West Bank. With US President Donald Trumps blessings, Israeli Jews in West Bank are hopeful that not just the opportunity to expand settlements but the possibility of annexing the West Bank in its entirely is also on the table read more With the blessing of US President Donald Trump, Jewish settlers are hopeful of expanding their settlements in West Bank and even annexing in entirely. Israeli settlers in West Bank are among some of the most extremist sections of the population who often go on violent rampages in the West Bank, attacking Palestinians and setting their houses and vehicles on fire. Shortly after Trump revoked US sanctions on some settlers for violence against Palestinians imposed under the previous Joe Biden administration, Israel Ganz, the leader of a group of settler communities in the West Bank, told The Jerusalem Post that settlers are hopeful of Trumps support in the expansion of settlements and even the annexation of West Bank. Advertisement Ganzs statement comes around the time the United Nations (UN) has warned that even partial annexation of West Bank by Israel would constitute a most serious violation of international law. Referring to the actions of the Israels far-right in West Bank, including attacks on Palestinians, UN chief Antonio Guterres said the situation in the West Bank continues to worsen even as the ceasefire in Gaza offered a ray of hope. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 when it won control of the area after defeating Arab nations in a war. Even though the Palestinian Authority (PA), the de facto government of the Palestinians, governs West Bank partially under the Oslo Accords of 1993, Israel has the overall control and has more than 200 settlements in which hundreds of thousands of Jews live squeezing the space of any Palestinian state in the future and encroaching upon Palestinians lands. Thers are 132 Israeli settlements in West Banks where nearly half a million Israelis live, according to Israel Policy Forum (IPF). While Israeli law recognises these settlements, there are more than 100 settlements of Israelis in the West Bank that even the Israeli law considers illegal, which are called outposts, as per the IPF. Both the settlements and outposts are deemed illegal in international law. Ganz, the Chairman of Yesha Council in West Bank, told The Post that with Trump in the United States, Israel not just has the opportunity to expand settlements but the possibility of annexing the West Bank in its entirely is also on the tablebut it will take time. Advertisement The Yesha Council is an association of municipal bodies of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Ganz attended Trumps inauguration and met officials of the Trump administration. Ganz told The Post that US officials he spoke to told him that Israeli settlements in West Bank must be strengthened. Ganz, who stands emboldened from Trumps revocation of sanctions on settlers, said there were commitments and promises [from Trump administration] that this would happen. He further said that the Biden administrations decision to sanction settlers was disconnected from all logic. Ganz further said, The fact that the president did it [revocation of sanctions] in the first few hours in his new job shows a deep commitment and an understanding of how great the injustice was. Advertisement Indicating that the Yesha Council remains committed to lobbying for the expansion of settlements and annexation of West Bank in the United States, Ganz said that the PA needs to be done with in Gaza and the US governments needs to be brought to the settlers side for the Israeli government to make any move. Ganz told The Post However, the understanding that the current situation cannot continue is shared by everyone. We have learned in recent years that policy carried out by the State of Israel requires the support of the United States, which is a true friend. We dont want to surprise them. Every Israeli decision requires preparation in the United States and the goals of the Yesha Council are very clear: preparing the ground in the US for the moment the Israeli government will choose to go forward with bigger plans. Advertisement Ganzs comments come at a time when UN chief Guterres has expressed deep concerns about an existential threat to the integrity and contiguity of the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza and the West Bank while talking about the expansion of Israeli settlements in West Bank. In an apparent reference to Israels far-right minister Smotrichs race to annex the West Bank at the earliest, Guterres said, Senior Israeli officials openly speak of formally annexing all or part of the West Bank in the coming months. Any such annexation would constitute a most serious violation of international law. Smotrich has declared 2025 as the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The Judea and Samaria are the biblical names for West Banks territories often used by Jews in Israel. Advertisement Human Mobile Devices (HMD) has announced new service initiatives for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj. These initiatives are designed to enhance the experience of pilgrims by providing advanced technology and customer support services. Through these efforts, HMD aims to offer valuable assistance during the spiritual journey, demonstrating a commitment to integrating technology with cultural experiences. Key Features of HMDs Initiatives at Maha Kumbh Mela: Comprehensive Mobile Care Services: HMD has set up the HMD Care Camp, offering mobile diagnostics and repairs for HMD smartphones, feature phones, and Nokia feature phones. Customers whose feature phones are under a one-year replacement guarantee will receive a replacement unit. The company is also running a Loaner Phone Program, providing temporary devices while repairs are ongoing. Local Travel Information Feature: In partnership with Radioline, HMD offers a real-time local travel information service. This feature includes essential details for pilgrims, such as key event dates, travel guides, and important updates related to the Maha Kumbh Mela. Tourism Partnership: HMD supports the Dekho Apna Desh campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Uttar Pradesh government. This initiative promotes domestic tourism and encourages visitors to explore India through both digital and on-ground activities at the Maha Kumbh Mela. Regional Integration with Uttar Pradesh Tourism: HMD has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department to establish several branded touchpoints across Prayagraj. These touchpoints are located in retail stores and other key locations throughout the Mela grounds, providing additional support for attendees. In addition to these services, HMD has launched a 360-degree campaign across Out-Of-Home (OOH), social media, and digital platforms. This campaign extends HMDs Khoob Chalega initiative, promoting the HMD 105 and HMD 110 models. HMDs Commitment The campaign highlights the focus on providing longer battery life, larger screens, and secure UPI applications, enabling pilgrims to conduct financial transactions safely, even without a smartphone. The company emphasizes that these initiatives align with HMDs broader mission of offering technology solutions that meet real human needs while enhancing both cultural and spiritual experiences. Commenting on the new initiative, Ravi Kunwar, CEO & VP, India & APAC, HMD, stated: Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. This screenshot shows the Washington Posts website with its former slogan Democracy Dies in Darkness. The Post debuted a new slogan earlier this week: Riveting Storytelling for All of America. Jacob Chansley, a Trump supporter who joined in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was among those pardoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Meets with Special Envoy Zhai Jun of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue People's Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Updated: January 19, 2025 19:46 On January 18, 2025, Special Envoy Zhai Jun of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue visited Palestine. President Mahmoud Abbas met with Zhai Jun at the Presidential Office in Ramallah, and the two sides had an exchange of views on China-Palestine relations, the ceasefire in Gaza, and other issues of common interest and concern. President Mahmoud Abbas said that he and the entire Palestinian people are deeply proud of the respect and support that President Xi Jinping and the friendly Chinese people have given to Palestine. He thanked China for its steadfast support to Palestine on the Palestinian question, and expressed that Palestine also always supports China's core concerns. Palestine supports a ceasefire in Gaza and calls for an immediate end to the fighting. The Palestinian side has made preparations for post-conflict governance in Gaza. Zhai Jun said that China and Palestine enjoy a traditional friendship, mutual trust and mutual support. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Mahmoud Abbas, China-Palestine relations have achieved leapfrog development in recent years. China welcomes the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and hopes that the agreement will be implemented effectively to achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible. No matter how the situation changes, China will, as always, firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, support Palestine in achieving national reconciliation and strengthening unity, support Palestine's bid for full UN membership as soon as possible, and promote an early, comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question based on the two-State solution. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Strategic security partnership of Poland and Sweden Poland - Ministry of National Defence 20.01.2025 "Our meeting is a very important event in european and global politics. I believe that the world, Poland, Sweden - all of us will rise to the challenge not just through increased spending, cooperation of our industries, shared training, being joned in alliances, but also through appropriate support for Ukraine, so that we can lead the world towards a just peace, a peace for future generations. This unites us - many years of cooperation with Sweden and many years of our friendship's future" - deputy prime minister Wadysaw Kosiniak - Kamysz said after a meeting with the minister of defence from Sweden. On January 20th the deputy prime minister W. Kosiniak - Kamysz paid an official visit to Sweden. Sweden, which recently became a NATO member, styrengthens cooperation with Poland in many areas. The strategic partnership agreement signed in November 2024 has resulted in initiatives such as the Combined Task Force Baltic or the NATO mission "Baltic Sentry", which are key for security of the Baltic Sea region. - There are three countries that excercise command in the Baltic region. (...) It is an important initiative, which entails the creation of a new command centre. Poland is a very important partner in this. Likewise, Sweden is also crucial in this proces. We are putting into practice that which happened near the end of November - the signing of a strategic partnership agreement by our prime ministers. That i salso when a declaration was made to create a mission to defend the Baltic Sea, "Baltic Sentry". The Baltic states, and others, are joining this mission. We are also hoping for many other accessions. We have discussed that, as well as the promoton of this mission among the other NATO members. We will also want to take up this issue at the cclosest meeting of ministers of NATO countries in Brussels. This mission on the Baltic Sea is important given the trade routes, critical infrastructure, supply chains - primarily of energy. All of that has to be properly protected - the head of the Polish ministry of defence noted after the meeting. The main topics of discussion with the Swedish minister of defence Pal Jonson were the cooperation of defence industries, security in the Baltic Sea and protection of critical infrastructure, among others. During their press conference, the ministers underscored the importance of cooperation within NATO and the continuation of support for Ukraine. - All that we have discussed is tied with an increase in spending. Poland and Sweden are an example of those countries that not only meet the 2% defence spending threshold, but surpass it, showing they are stweadfast allies, with their own ideas and determination and know that without security everything is nothing. If there are those for whom security is not the most important, then Iwish to say that everything becomes nothing without security. There is no education, healthcare, economical progres without security. It is a necessity for us to increase defence spending. I am glad that Poland, Sweden, the Baltic states - these northern countries of the European Union, among which we can count ourselves in this case - meet this requirement and show how to uphold good transatlantic relations. - deputy prime minister W. Kosiniak - Kamysz noted. A session with representatives of both countries' defence industries was another part of the visit. The discussions touched on shared projects and the possibility of greater support for Ukraine facing Russian aggression, among other topics. - The cooperation of Poland and Sweden, as well as support for Ukraine are the issues that tied us together in recent years. The donations, equipment, training - we have discussed all that today during our meeting. We are ready to help Ukraine further. And nothing can be decided for Ukraine without Ukraine's involvement. All the political discussions we hold always take into account the agency of Ukraine, its freedom and independence. It is crucial to be prepared for even the most difficult scenarios. That can only be done through coordinating all actions - said the Polish minister of defence during the coference As the deputy prime minister Wadysaw Kosiniak - Kamysz announced, the ministries of defence of both countries will soon prepare the following documents: The plan for bilateral military cooperation The list of shared initiatives for the development of the defence industries The plan of action for the ministeires of defence of Poland and Sweden for the years 2026 - 2027 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As Trump takes power, defense pick's ASEAN fumble raises concerns Southeast Asian leaders, analysts express hope mixed with concern as US president returns to office. By BenarNews Staff 2025.01.20 JAKARTA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR and MANILA -- Southeast Asia is greeting Donald Trump's return to the White House with a mix of hope and hesitation as he embarks on his second term as U.S. president. Trump took the oath of office on Monday inside the Capitol after the ceremony was moved indoors because of weather reports that a polar vortex would bring frigid temperatures to the nation's capital. Even as regional leaders anticipate greater engagement with the United States, a controversial moment involving his defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, has raised concerns about how the administration will treat relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and television commentator, was unable to name ASEAN member states or identify the bloc's size during his confirmation hearing last week, drawing criticism both in Washington and across Southeast Asia. "He doesn't understand that the Defense Department's work in the South China Sea, where the U.S. plays a major role, involves many ASEAN countries," Isa Gharti, a public policy researcher at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, told RFA affiliate BenarNews. "This lack of understanding could bring problems to ASEAN countries in the long term." ASEAN has been central to Washington's strategy in the Indo-Pacific. The bloc, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore among its 10 members, represents more than 680 million people and collectively forms the world's fifth-largest economy. The United States counts two other ASEAN nations, Thailand and the Philippines, as treaty allies and has sought to deepen ties with the group to counter China's growing influence in the region. The U.S. military has access to nine Philippine bases. China has made significant inroads in Southeast Asia, investing in infrastructure projects and using its economic clout to build partnerships. The South China Sea, where Beijing's territorial claims overlap with those of several ASEAN nations, remains a key flashpoint in the region. While Hegseth fumbled in responding to questions from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who was born in Bangkok and injured in combat while serving in the U.S. military, regional leaders have expressed optimism about U.S. engagement under Trump's leadership. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has congratulated Trump on his victory and expressed his desire for a personal meeting. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hailed Trump's election a "remarkable political comeback" and voiced optimism about the potential for a deeper partnership with the United States. Analysts react Raden Mokhamad Luthfi, a defense analyst at Universitas Al Azhar Indonesia, said he is skeptical about future defense relations between the United States and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, citing what he described as Hegseth's and Trump's unfavorable views of Muslims. Cristina Palabay, secretary general of the Philippine rights group Karapatan, accused Washington of using allies including the Philippines to further its strategic goals. "Trump's hostility toward China certainly matches, if not surpasses, that of Biden," Palabay said. In Bangkok, Phumtham Wechayachai, Thai deputy prime minister and defense minister, struck a cautious tone. "After Trump's inauguration as U.S. president, we need to see what adjustments may be needed," Phumtham told reporters. "Overall, the foundation of U.S.-Thai relations is already good. We will consider any proposals according to Thai principles and make any adjustments that benefit the nation." Other analysts suggested that Hegseth's misstep might not significantly impact U.S. engagement with the region. "It would be folly to assume that just because the secretary of defense may not be familiar with ASEAN, that is tantamount to weaker U.S. engagement," said Julio Amador, a geopolitical analyst based in Manila. "The Pentagon is a huge bureaucracy and Hegseth's deputies are well-versed in the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific." Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, argued that ASEAN is not strategically significant to the United States. "Perhaps some ASEAN member states are, but ASEAN as an institution isn't, especially in an era when enthusiasm for multilateral organizations has waned," Waffaa told BenarNews. He added that Trump's first term as president was "not particularly enthusiastic" about ASEAN. "They came up with initiatives which were seen as undermining ASEAN, including the Quad," he said, referring to a security dialogue among the United States, Japan, India and Australia. 'Limited awareness' Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, a partner at ADA Southeast Asia, a regional consultancy firm, said Hegseth's "gaffe underscores the limited awareness of ASEAN in American political circles." Still, concerns remain about the Trump administration's long-term priorities. "We will need to plan for a worst-case scenario in which Trump and Xi will reach a modus vivendi that sacrifices the Philippines' national interests," Rommel Jude Ong, a retired Philippine Navy rear admiral, told BenarNews while calling for stronger ties with other regional powers such as Japan and Australia. Xi is Xi Jinping, China's president. Meanwhile, a social media user in Southeast Asia questioned Hegseth's comments. "Not having heard of ASEAN doesn't mean it doesn't exist. All of us here in the ASEAN are cringing over what's happening over there in the West," a Filipina who goes by the username @tessgarcia wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Geography-challenged people like Hegseth are probably the reason the U.S. lost in Vietnam (an ASEAN country)." Jason Gutierrez and Gerard Carreon in Manila, Jon Preechawong in Bangkok, Iman Muttaqin Yusof and Iskandar Zulkarnain in Kuala Lumpur, Pizaro Gozali Idrus and Tria Dianti in Jakarta contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Following Gaza Ceasefire, Formation of New Governments in Lebanon, Syria, Speakers in Security Council Discuss Ways to Ensure Steps Bring Positive Change for Region Meetings Coverage Security Council 9841st Meeting (AM & PM) SC/15970 20 January 2025 Greater Stability Requires Irreversible Action towards Two-State Solution, Secretary-General Stresses In the wake of profound changes across the Middle East including new Governments in Lebanon and Syria and a recent agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza speakers in the Security Council today, during a day-long debate, offered their visions for how to ensure that these developments usher in positive changes for the region. "It is clear the region is being re-shaped but it is far from clear what will emerge," observed Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Recalling his recent visit to Lebanon where "a new dawn is rising" he reported that, while the cessation of hostilities is fragile, it is holding. "It is vital that the Israeli presence in the south ends as defined in the agreement, and that the Lebanese Armed Forces are present in the totality of Lebanon," he stressed. On this, he spotlighted the efforts of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has carried out over 730 missions in cooperation with such Forces. He went on to state: "In Gaza, at long last, the ceasefire and hostage-release deal offer a ray of hope." Underscoring that nothing justifies either the "appalling 7 October terror attacks by Hamas" or the "dramatic levels of death and destruction inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza", he urged the Council and all Member States to support all efforts to implement the ceasefire, ensure accountability and create conditions for recovery and reconstruction. Nevertheless, he stressed: "It is clear that greater stability in the Middle East requires irreversible action toward a two-State solution." State of Palestine's Speaker Hopes New Deal Will Lead to Full Final Ceasefire Yet, the occupation Government's actions and laws aim to undermine the official institutions of the State of Palestine, said Varsen Aghabekian, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine. "The Palestine Liberation Organization is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," she said, noting its readiness to assume responsibility for governing Gaza and the West Bank, provide basic services, guarantee the return of the displaced to their homes and prepare for reconstruction. "The glimmer of hope we see today allowed us to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," she continued, commending mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. She expressed hope that "this ceasefire will hold", leading to "a full and final ceasefire without any return to aggression" and a full withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza. Underscoring the need to implement relevant Council resolutions, she rejected any attempt to annex Palestinian land. Israel's Representative Calls Hostage Deal 'Step in a Demanding Journey' The representative of Israel, however, noted that Hamas violated Council resolutions with impunity, emphasizing: "And, yet, it is Israel who has been scrutinized in this room." For 472 days, hostages have been subjected to "unimaginable suffering", she said, adding that "the joy of their return is shadowed by the immense pain". It was unity, she stressed, that drove Israel's determination to bring them home, dismantle Hamas' military capability and ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat. "We now stand at a turning point for the entire region," she added, stating that Israel has fundamentally altered the strategic landscape in the Middle East. Israel will continue to enforce the ceasefire in Lebanon, and she stressed that her Government has no interest in a conflict with Syria. Adding that the hostage deal is not a "conclusion" but a "step in a demanding journey to ensure the return of every single hostage" she emphasized: "We will not rest until every one of them is back home." Underscoring that such deal "was long overdue", the representative of the United States spotlighted the diplomatic efforts of Qatar, Egypt and her own country that led to this agreement. This will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinians and reunite hostages with their families. "It is the result not only of the extreme pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran, but also of dogged and painstaking diplomacy," she stated. Calls for Security Council to Adopt Binding Resolution on Ceasefire's Implementation, Accountability for Crimes Committed against Palestinians Qatar's representative also pointed to the diplomatic efforts of her country and its partners to reach an agreement to "end the war and give hope to the region". For its part, the Council must now shoulder its responsibility to monitor the ceasefire and "pass a binding resolution on the implementation of this agreement". Further, regional and international efforts to deliver humanitarian aid must continue, and she joined others in warning against actions hindering the "essential" activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The representative of Egypt speaking for the Arab Group concurred, also calling for accountability "for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people". The starvation and killing of civilians broadcast all over the world cannot pass without accountability, and Israel is solely responsible for the destruction of Gaza. Also calling for accountability, South Africa's representative joining others urging respect for the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice stressed: "We cannot allow the Palestinian people to be decimated through bombs, starvation and displacement while the world is seemingly unable to act." "The Palestinian population that has, for decades, experienced the horror of war today confronts a genocide," said Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia. Israel must pay reparations to Palestine for the death and destruction of the last 15 months, stressed Ahmed Shiaan, Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives. Peya Mushelenga, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, added: "The toll on human life and infrastructure have set a new precedent for violence and destruction in an ugly chapter in human history." Building on that, Iran's representative said that the tragedy in Gaza "exposed double standards, moral failures and inaction from the international community and the Security Council." Yet, while the Council was unable to end the "true genocide in the Gaza Strip", Eltaher Salem Elbaour, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Libya, said that, today, "Gazans are finally going to be able to spend a night calmly and at peace". However, a ceasefire alone cannot end the suffering of those in the Gaza Strip. For that, he pointed out that urgent international action is required to improve the devastating humanitarian situation there "because it is just a scene of debris and rubble at the moment". United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Must Be Allowed to Continue Vital Work Unhindered In that vein, Musa Timothy Kabba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, urged Israel to allow UNRWA "the only organization with the logistical and human resources to address the severe needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza" to continue its vital work unhindered. However, Israeli legislation "means that UNRWA faces a cliff-edge in its ability to support Palestinian refugees", observed Hamish Falconer, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, who also urged Israel "not to endanger UNRWA's ability to operate". "We must hold Israel accountable to its commitments, including establishing a permanent ceasefire, withdrawing forces from Gaza and enabling unimpeded humanitarian aid," stressed the representative of Turkiye. Adding to the voices of support for UNRWA, she said that Israeli legislation seeking to ban the Agency's operations in the Occupied Palestine Territory contravene its legal obligations under the Charter of the United Nations. She therefore urged the Council to "shield and support UNRWA until a just and lasting two-State solution is achieved". Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia, similarly pointed out that UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of refugees. He also emphasized that the challenge lies not in stabilizing the recent ceasefire agreement; rather, it is in addressing the root causes by lifting the "inhumane" blockade of Gaza and rebuilding the Strip. Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, also underlined the need to recognize the conflict's root causes. "Without security for Israel, peace will be unachievable but there also needs to be justice and dignity for the Palestinian people," he said. Speakers for Lebanon and Syria Stress Israel Must Withdraw from Their Territories For her part, Lebanon's representative described the situation in the region as "a Middle East earthquake that saw coalitions cracking and regimes falling". Spotlighting the drastic changes in her country, she pointed to the election of a new President and Prime Minister after two years of institutional vacuum. At the same time, she condemned Israel's ongoing land and air violations, calling on that country to respect its obligations under resolution 1701 (2006) and withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories within the 60-day framework timeline. Meanwhile, the representative of Syria observed that a "historic map of Israel" shows parts of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank as part of its alleged borders, stressing that sharing similar maps will not contribute to peace. Rather, it reflects Israel's intention to continue its occupation and its hostile approach. While Syria does not intend to engage in any new conflicts, it will not abandon its rights to the occupied Syrian Golan, he said. He added: "Our region is witnessing a major political transformation that will have repercussions on the countries of the region for decades to come." "History will judge whether this Council rose to the occasion or faded into irrelevance," observed Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. While the ceasefire agreement in Gaza which came at the "devastating cost of tens of thousands of innocent lives", he noted was a vital first step towards peace in the Middle East, the Council must safeguard the deal and help break the cycle of violence. Stakes are Too High for Inaction Underscoring that "the stakes are too high for inaction", Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, observed: "After yesterday's silence of the guns and first exchange of hostages and prisoners, we feel a relief and a sense of hope that a different future is possible for the Middle East." However, the region "will never truly turn a new page" so long as the suffering, hatred and fear persist, she stated, calling for leadership for people, peace and multilateralism. "Gaza is no longer Gaza after the vast destruction that has levelled the entire area," said Ahmed Attaf, Minister for Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs of Algeria, Council President for January, as he spoke in his national capacity. Yet, people in Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the ceasefire, he noted "asserting to the entire world that oppression will not hijack the will of the Palestinian people". Urging the Council to strengthen and monitor the deal which "represents precious hope" he said: "The future [of Gaza] must be determined by the Palestinians, without foreign intervention." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Illinois Guard Unit to Support U.S. Army Europe and Africa By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton, Joint Force Headquarters - Illinois National Guard Public Affairs January 21, 2025 SULLIVAN, Ill. -- The Illinois Army National Guard's 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element was activated Jan. 20 for deployment to Africa and Europe. A forward logistics element is a diverse team comprising an assortment of military occupation specialties to support the forward-deployed warfighter. The Sullivan-based unit only has about a dozen Soldiers, but it will play a vital role supporting U.S. forces in Africa and Europe, Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, the assistant adjutant general - Army of the Illinois National Guard and the commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, said during a mobilization ceremony at the Illinois Army National Guard's Readiness Center. The unit is "small but mighty," Williams said. "Your mission is critical." The general thanked the unit's families for their support and challenged the Soldiers to care for each other and think about their legacy. "What will your legacy be? What will they say about you at the welcome home ceremony?" Williams said. Lt. Col. Allison Jacobs, commander of the 634th Brigade Support Battalion, said the element's Soldiers were hand-selected for the deployment. "I have no doubt you will make us extremely proud." She said the Soldiers can be proud of their role supporting logistics. "Logistics win wars." Capt. Donald Tucker will command the unit overseas. The Soldiers will likely move around to different areas to support U.S. military units in Africa and Europe. It will initially be divided, with Tucker taking a team to Africa and 1st Sgt. Colton Love taking another team to Germany. Tucker stressed the importance of remaining "flexible to overcome obstacles" and meeting U.S. forces' logistical needs with "precision and adaptation, anticipating needs steps ahead." The Soldiers are to return next autumn. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address European Peace Facility: Council adopts the third assistance measure in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 21 January 2025 12:42 The Council today adopted a third assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth 60 million to the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). This assistance measure will contribute to strengthening the capacities of the LAF to enable them - in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 - to redeploy, secure and maintain stability in the South of Litani Sector of the country. The measure will therefore contribute to the protection of the civilian population in the region. The assistance measure will also enhance the LAF's operational capabilities and effectiveness to contribute to national and regional security and stability, thereby allowing displaced civilians on both sides to return to their homes. This new assistance marks a significant uptake in the EU's support to the Lebanese Armed Forces under the European Peace Facility, at a critical juncture for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The LAF are essential to regional and domestic stability, and deserve all our support in performing their critical mission. The EU and its member states are strongly committed to supporting Lebanese state institutions and to renewing the EU-Lebanon partnership. - Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy The decision demonstrates the EU's commitment to support the LAFs' capacities to redeploy in the South of Litani Sector, in particular in the wake of the 60-day ceasefire agreement of 27 November 2024. The LAF plan to redeploy in the South of Litani Sector is crucial to keep pace with international efforts aimed at achieving a lasting ceasefire and implementing UNSCR 1701. The LAF are the main guarantor, along with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), for establishing the necessary security conditions to restore stability and security for populations on both sides of the border. Background The European Peace Facility was established in March 2021 for the financing of actions under the common foreign and security policy to prevent conflicts, preserve peace and strengthen international security and stability. In particular, the European Peace Facility allows the EU to finance actions designed to strengthen the capacities of third States and regional and international organisations relating to military and defence matters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Tsahkna: Rubio's clear foreign policy positions are the basis for successful cooperation Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 21.01.2025 Foreign Minister Tsahkna: Rubio's clear foreign policy positions are the basis for successful cooperation "I am looking forward to close cooperation with my new US counterpart Marco Rubio. I met Mr Rubio when I was serving as Defence Minister and I am convinced we will have a good relationship bilaterally and as NATO Allies. Mr Rubio is an experienced politician who has clearly expressed his foreign policy positions. Europe and the USA are aligned with largely the same values, views, and strategic goals. History has shown repeatedly that we are most successful when facing shared challenges together. Estonia is ready to work comprehensively towards meeting the current challenges of Europe and the USA together. Right now, the most serious shared concern is the increasingly strategic cooperation between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Without their support, Russia would not be able to wage war in Europe, and expand its spheres of influence at the expense of the United States elsewhere and grow its war machine. I believe the existing strong alliance between the United States and Estonia is the basis for very close and successful cooperation with the new US administration." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It is hoped that US will act as an effective guarantor for comprehensive implementation of Gaza ceasefire agreement: Chinese envoy Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 21, 2025 11:18 AM The three-phase ceasefire agreement should be implemented continuously and comprehensively, and we hope that the US, as a guarantor, will provide effective support for this, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, during the Security Council's open debate on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Monday. China welcomes the achievement of a ceasefire in Gaza. We hope that the situation in the Middle East will take this opportunity to move in the right direction toward de-escalation, said Fu, according to a statement released on the website of China's Permanent Mission to the UN. In the past 15 months, Gaza has endured relentless bombardment, leading to over 46,000 deaths and leaving 2 million people in a dire humanitarian crisis, deepening instability in the region, Fu said. Regarding the achievement of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, it is crucial that once a ceasefire is established, hostilities must not resume. We have noted that Israel has claimed it may resume military actions against Gaza if the second phase of ceasefire negotiations fails, and this has received assurances from certain countries, which is deeply concerning, said Fu. The current ceasefire should serve as the foundation for a permanent ceasefire and must not be merely a pause before a new offensive. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has escalated to catastrophic proportions, necessitating immediate action to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. Israel, as an occupying power, must fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law by lifting restrictions on humanitarian aid, ensuring the safe and orderly distribution of humanitarian supplies within Gaza, and ensuring displaced individuals can safely return to their homes, the Chinese envoy noted. Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestine, and the post-war arrangements for Gaza should be determined through internal negotiations among the Palestinians, Fu said. The prolonged conflict lasting 15 months has once again demonstrated that only by implementing the two-state solution, ensuring peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel as two neighboring states, can peace in the Middle East be achieved, Fu said. The international community should urgently work to revive and strongly support the two-state solution. China welcomes the efforts made by Saudi Arabia, the European Union, Norway, and others to revive the two-state solution. China supports holding a larger-scale, more authoritative, and more effective international conference to establish a clear timetable and actionable roadmap for its implementation, Fu said. Israel's long-term occupation of Palestinian territories, including settlement activities and settler violence in the West Bank, violates international law and Security Council resolutions while eroding the foundation of the two-state solution, said the Chinese envoy. The Chinese envoy reiterated that the long-overdue ceasefire must not serve as a prelude to renewed conflict. The international community must urgently intensify its coordination efforts to facilitate the resumption and progress of the political process for achieving the two-state solution. China is ready to continue playing a constructive role and work tirelessly toward a fair, comprehensive, and lasting resolution to the Palestinian question, Fu said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas leader in West Bank: Netanyahu wants to continue war to stay in power IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Zaher Jabarin, chairman of Hamas Political Bureau in the West Bank, said that Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of the Zionist regime, wants the war to continue in order to remain in power. "We are facing an occupying and fascist regime that does not want to recognize the Palestinian nation and its rights," Jabarin said. "Our nation has a steel will and sacrifice and has no option but to resist," he added. Jabarin pointed out that Netanyahu's only goal is to kill and destroy in order to remain in power. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas, Islamic Jihad call for mobilization against Israel in West Bank IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have called for the mobilization of the Palestinian people to counter the ongoing Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank. In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas hailed the steadfastness of the Palestinian fighters in the face of Israeli aggression, calling on the youth in the West Bank to join forces and intensify clashes with Israeli forces. Hamas reiterated that the Palestinian people will never succumb to pressure, adding that this new invasion will ultimately be defeated, just like past Israeli operations. The Islamic Jihad also issued a statement, condemning the so-called "Iron Wall Operation" in the West Bank as a continuation of Israeli brutality against the Palestinian nation. It stated that the new raid resulted from the Israeli regime's setbacks in Gaza and its failure to achieve its stated goals in the besieged Palestinian territory. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured as Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, health officials said. 9341**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 8 Palestinians killed, 35 injured in Israeli raid on Jenin: Health officials IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- At least eight Palestinians have been killed and dozens more injured as Israeli military forces raided the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, health officials said. According to Palestine's Wafa news agency, 35 people with various injuries were transported to three local hospitals for treatment. The report also said that the death toll may rise as the violent raid continues. The raid in the West Bank follows a decision by Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet on Friday to designate the occupied area as a target in their military operations. The Israeli regime has dubbed its offensive in Jenin the "Iron Wall" operation. 9341**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza truce must turn into sustainable solution: Iran's envoy IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 New York, IRNA -- The ceasefire agreement in Gaza must be transformed into a permanent and sustainable solution, Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN says. Amir-Saeed Iravani made the remarks on Tuesday at the United Nations Security Council on "the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question". "While a welcome step, the ceasefire must be transformed into a permanent and sustainable solution," he said. This demands the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and a robust, comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza, he added. The full text of Iravani's statement is as follows: Mr. President, We thank Algeria for convening this important meeting. The Islamic Republic of Iran congratulates the courageous people of Palestine, especially in Gaza, and all supporters of the Palestinian resistance worldwide, on the achievement of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. This victory reflects the bravery, unity, and resilience of the Palestinian people, who have endured immense suffering, including genocide, and forced displacement. In this context, I want to make the following points: First, Gaza remains the center of a deep humanitarian crisis. This tragedy exposed double standards, moral failures, and inaction from the international community and the Security Council. The atrocities committed by the Israeli apartheid regime are shocking. Families have been wiped out, hospitals and schools destroyed, and critical infrastructure demolished. The blockade on Gaza has turned life for over two million people into a daily struggle, depriving them of food, water, medicine, and electricity. These actions are collective punishment on an unimaginable scale. Second, while a welcome step, the ceasefire must be transformed into a permanent and sustainable solution. This demands the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and a robust, comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza. Israel's unwillingness to fully withdraw and its insistence on maintaining control over Gaza's security undermines these efforts and perpetuates instability. The Council must take a united and strong position in defending Gaza's territorial integrity. Moreover, the international community must prioritize safeguarding UNRWA's mandate and ensure predictable, sustained funding to support Palestinian refugees. Equally critical is addressing the escalating violence in the West Bank, including the surge in settler attacks, which poses a serious threat to peace and security and requires immediate, decisive action. Third, Israel's heinous crimes in Gaza including mass killings of civilians, the destruction of vital infrastructure, and the forced displacement of entire communities constitute acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Such crimes cannot be overlooked after the ceasefire; accountability and prosecution must be pursued. An uncompromising accountability is crucial for justice and preventing further atrocities. It is imperative that the Security Council remains objective and does not succumb to the propaganda of the terrorist regime of Israel that seeks to deflect attention from these underlying issues. Fourth, the Israeli regime must honor its commitment to the ceasefire with Lebanon, immediately halt its violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon after 60 days of the ceasefire agreement. The Security Council must adopt a firm position to ensure the full and precise implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Likewise, Israel's occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights violates the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement and UN Resolution 497, which declared its annexation illegal. Finally, resistance movements across the region are a legitimate response to decades of Israeli occupation, aggression, and expansionist policies. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its steadfast support of the Palestinian right to self-defense and resistance under international law. Thank you. 7129**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees thank Iran for supporting Palestine IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- The spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza has expressed his gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its unwavering support for the Palestinian people. In an interview with IRNA on Tuesday, Mohammed al-Barim (Abu Mujahid) said that the historical stand of the resistance movement by the Palestinians will not be forgotten, and this nation once again recognized its friend from its enemy. He added that the True Promise operations and the diplomatic presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah's operations since the second day of the war on October 7, 2023, Iraqi resistance drones and missiles and Yemen's missiles and drones and the ban on shipping in the Red Sea for the supporters of the Zionist regime are supports for the Resistance Movement and stability of the Palestinian nation. Some Islamic and Arab countries and nations left us alone in this war, although some nations provided support, but all their support is not equal to a weekly presence of the Yemeni nation, Abu Mujahid said. The Palestinian Resistance Committees on January 20, 2025, in a statement expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its unwavering support for the Palestinian people, after a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into force. The committees honored the memory of resistance leaders and commanders who sacrificed their lives for the cause, emphasizing Iran's pivotal role in backing Palestine. 6125**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gov't forces kill 2 Naxals in India's Chhattisgarh People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:08, January 21, 2025 NEW DELHI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two Naxals were killed and a paramilitary trooper wounded on Monday in a fierce gunfight in central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said. The gunfight between Naxals and the joint contingents of police and paramilitary forces broke out in the forest area of Manipur of Gariaband district, about 174 km southeast of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh. Police said the gunfight broke out after the joint contingents cordoned off the area on specific intelligence information suggesting the presence of Naxals. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More funds for facilities underscore gov't protection of territories Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno January 21, 2025, 2:03 pm MANILA -- The allocation of PHP3.03 billion in funds to beef up the country's infrastructure in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) highlights government efforts to protect the country's vast territories, a ranking naval official said on Tuesday. "The appropriations allocated by the national government for our island features in the WPS is a manifestation of the government's thrust to ensure our forces are secured and sustained as they implement the CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept)," Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in a message to the Philippine News Agency. He said it highlights the Marcos administration's guarantee that "not one square inch" of Philippine territory will be given up. Earlier, Surigao 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said Congress has earmarked PHP1.65 billion to develop the Pag-asa Island airport and PHP300 million for the shelter port. An extra PHP1.08 billion will be for the second phase of the Lawak Island shelter port. With a land area of 37.2 hectares, Pag-asa is the largest in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG). Lawak, with a land area of 7.93 hectares, is the fourth largest in the KIG and lies 169 km east of Pag-asa. With an aggregate land area of 83.89 hectares, the KIG also includes the islets of Likas, Parola, Kota, Patag and Panata. The island group also covers Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), Balagtas Reef (Irving Reef) and Rizal Shoal (Commodore Reef). The Municipality of Kalayaan was created in the KIG under Palawan province by virtue of a presidential decree issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. in 1978. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Denmark dismisses Trump's latest Greenland claims Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 6:35 PM Denmark has dismissed President Donald Trump's latest remarks about the US acquiring Greenland through economic or military intervention. Denmark's Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said on Tuesday that no country should be able to simply help themselves to another country. "We cannot have a world order where countries, if they are big enough, no matter what they are called, can just help themselves to what they want." Commenting on Trump's second term as US president, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also emphasized the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination. Frederiksen also noted that Europe needs to "navigate a new reality" and that "the next four years would be difficult." Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said on Tuesday, "Greenland is not for sale" and the island wanted to stake out its own future and did not want to become American. "We want to be clear: we do not want to be Americans. We do not want to be part of the United States." "We do not want to be Americans. We do not even want to be Danes," he reiterated. After entering the Oval Office on Monday, Trump repeated his claims about the island. "Greenland is a wonderful place; we need it for international security." "I am sure that Denmark will come along ... It is costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it," he added. With a population of around 55,000, Greenland is an autonomous part of Denmark. The island is rich in fossil fuels and minerals. Trump first proposed to acquire Greenland from Denmark in 2019. His offer made waves around the international community. The world did not have to grapple with a sudden and unexpected American Arctic territorial expansion because he did not win the US election for a second time. However, his victory in November and his claims about Greenland being an "absolute necessity" for US security has put the issue at the forefront of international affairs for a second time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu assures Smotrich of extensive attacks on West Bank if he doesn't resign: Reports Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 6:25 PM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured his Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that attacks on the Palestinians in the West Bank will continue. According to multiple Israeli reports on Tuesday, Netanyahu assured Smotrich of extensive attacks on West Bank cities in exchange for Smotrich agreeing not to resign over a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip. "After Gaza and Lebanon, today, with God's help, we have begun changing the security perception in Judea and Samaria (in the occupied West Bank) and in the campaign to eradicate terrorism in the region. This is part of the war goals that were added to the cabinet's demand for religious Zionism on Friday," Smotrich said. Smotrich, who is the leader of a far-right party forming Netanyahu's ruling coalition regime, has been among the loudest opponents of the ceasefire deal, which he has described as Tel Aviv's "surrender" to Hamas. In a statement on January 18, Smotrich had criticized the deal between Tel Aviv and Hamas approved by Netanyahu's cabinet a day earlier. He claimed Netanyahu had "decided to give the green light to a bad, catastrophic deal." The extremist finance minister and his lackeys had voted against the Gaza ceasefire deal but remained as ministers in the Tel Aviv regime after Netanyahu reportedly agreed to a number of their demands. Smotrich said while they could not prevent the deal, his faction had demanded and "received a commitment" that the method of war would be completely changed. The minister said that his party was able "to ensure" through the cabinet and "other ways" that the war would not end without achieving the objectives, foremost of which is "the complete destruction of Hamas in Gaza." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas says 4 Israeli women to be released in return for 200 Palestinians Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 4:14 PM Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinians in exchange for four female Israeli soldiers, a Hamas media official says. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Nader Fakhouri, an official with the Prisoners Media Office affiliated with Hamas. Fakhouri said, "The second part of the first phase of the Palestinian resistance factions' agreement with the Israeli occupation will begin on January 25." "On Saturday, the resistance will announce the names of Israeli prisoners to be released, and in return, the (Israeli) occupation will provide a list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed." "Based on these two lists, the actual implementation will take place on Sunday, January 26, with the release of Palestinian prisoners and the handing over of Israeli prisoners." Taher al-Nunu, another Hamas official confirmed that four Israeli women will be freed in exchange for a second group of Palestinians. The ceasefire took effect on January 19. Israel released 90 Palestinian abductees as part of the first phase of the ceasefire. All the Palestinians were freed from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank on Monday. Hamas says it is committed to the Gaza ceasefire deal. Trump 'not confident' Israel-Gaza ceasefire will hold US President Donald Trump, who claimed credit for the hard-won ceasefire agreement, now says he is "not confident" that the Gaza ceasefire will hold as it enters the third day. Responding to questions from a reporter, Trump said: "That's not our war, it's their war. But I'm not confident." Trump has made clear he would support Israel, and in one of his first acts as president, he revoked sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank imposed by the Biden administration over attacks against Palestinians. But Qatar, which helped mediate the ceasefire, has called for a UN resolution on the full implementation of the ceasefire deal. Qatar's representative to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, called on the international body to help ensure the success of the deal, including by passing a binding resolution to that end. Addressing the UN Security Council, Al Thani reiterated Qatar's opposition to any attempts to "undermine a sustainable resolution to the Palestinian issue, including attempts to annex Palestinian territory and violate religious sanctities." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel launches deadly attack on Jenin; Hamas calls for 'mobilization' Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 2:42 PM Israeli forces have killed at least eight Palestinians and injured 35 others in an attack on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, prompting Hamas to call for full mobilization of Palestinian youths against the occupation forces. Palestinian media reported that the regime's forces, backed by helicopters, raided Jenin and its refugee camp on Tuesday morning following several drone strikes. The spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, Anwar Rajab, said in a statement that Israeli forces had "opened fire on civilians and security forces, resulting in injuries to several civilians and a number of security personnel, one of whom is in critical condition". Israel's military also confirmed that its soldiers, police and intelligence services had begun an operation, which Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, described as a "large and significant" operation to "eradicate terrorism." The attack on Jenin, where the regime's forces have carried out multiple raids and large-scale incursions over the past year, comes only two days after the start of a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. Hamas said in a statement that people in Gaza "mourn the martyrs of Jenin who fell to the fire and bombardment of the occupation." The resistance group also urged Jenin's "rebellious youth to mobilize and escalate confrontations with the Israeli army." Hamas said that the offensive "launched by the occupation in Jenin will fail, just like all its previous military operations against our people," in Gaza. The resistance group, which fought Israeli forces for 741 days in the besieged Gaza Strip, said its unprecedented operation against the occupied territories in October 2023, was "the final nail in the coffin of the collapsing Israeli regime." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey may resume trade with Israel if Gaza ceasefire 'permanent': Turkish official Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 11:25 AM Turkey may resume trade with Israel if a lasting peace is established in Gaza, says a Turkish economic official, following the truce agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. Nail Olpak, president of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), said on Tuesday that Turkey is open to restarting trade with Israel "if peace is permanent" in Gaza. This comes after Turkey claimed to have severed ties with Israel in May, citing the genocide in Gaza, and its support for the Palestinian cause. In November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that his government had cut all ties with Israel due to genocide in Gaza and Israel's military actions in Lebanon. Erdogan has been vocal in holding Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu accountable, asserting that as long as arms shipments to Israel continue, the situation in Palestine and Lebanon will further deteriorate. Despite Turkey's claims of severing relations, trade data shows a stark contrast. While Turkey's exports to Israel have reportedly dropped to zero, exports to Palestine have surged significantly. Additionally, reports indicate that Turkish arms were sold to Israel as recently as January 2024, coinciding with heightened conflict in the region. Erdogan previously asserted that he had ended Turkey's trade with Israel, which was reportedly valued at $10 billion annually. However, investigations suggest that Turkish vessels have continued to transport goods to Israel under the guise of heading to Port Said in Egypt, with some ships switching off their transponders to dock at Israeli ports. The Turkish parliament has also seen members like Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu challenge the government's narrative, revealing that Turkey remains a key oil supplier to Israel. "Ships reportedly simulated deactivating their locators and signaled a course toward Italy; however, satellite imagery analysis revealed that the Nissos Delos and Seavigor were actually en route to the ports of Haifa and Ashdod in the occupied territories, transporting oil," Gergerlioglu said on Monday. Earlier, he revealed that the Turkish government was attempting to conceal its trade activities with Israel, noting that oil from Azerbaijan was being sold to Israel through Turkey, with Turkey profiting from the transaction. Earlier this year, Turkey intervened in a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in support of Palestine and advocated for an arms embargo against Tel Aviv. As these developments unfold, the Turkish government's stance on trade with Israel continues to raise questions, especially in light of its political rhetoric surrounding the Palestinian cause. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'An awful lot of time': UN warns long road ahead to rebuild life in Gaza Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 9:48 AM The United Nations says the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza will demand "an awful lot of time," even as humanitarian aid begins to flow into the region following a truce agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. Acting director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, Sam Rose said on Tuesday underscored the urgent need to address the broader humanitarian, social, and economic challenges facing Gaza's residents. "We're not just talking about food, healthcare, buildings, roads, and infrastructure. We've got individuals, families, communities that need to be rebuilt," Rose told the BBC. Following a ceasefire and a prisoner release agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Sunday, the UN reported that over 1,545 aid trucks have entered Gaza. Rose noted that the cessation of active conflict has allowed for smoother aid distribution, eliminating the need for coordination with Israeli authorities. "We've not today... faced any major problems with looting and criminality," he stated. He cautioned against viewing the situation in Gaza solely through the lens of aid volume, noting that the scale of destruction is staggering. According to a UN damage assessment, clearing more than 50 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel's bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2bn. A UN report from October had said rebuilding Gaza's shattered homes could take at least until 2040 but drag on for many decades. The debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos because some refugee camps struck during the war are known to have been built with the material. Data from the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) revealed that two-thirds of Gaza's pre-war structuresover 170,000 buildingshave been damaged or destroyed, representing about 69% of all structures in the territory. Currently, over 1.8 million people are in urgent need of emergency shelter. In terms of infrastructure damage, a UN/World Bank report estimated that as of end-January 2024, the total cost of destruction across residential, commercial, and essential service sectors had reached $18.5 billion, with damage continuing to escalate since that time. According to Palestinian sources, the conflict has devastated more than 200 government facilities, 136 educational institutions, 823 mosques, and three churches. Israel's brutal onslaught on Gaza, which started on October 7, 2023, has killed at least 47,035 Palestinians and wounded 111,091 others. The toll continues to climb as families return to the ruins of their former homes following the ceasefire, searching for the bodies of loved ones left in the aftermath. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that around 10,000 bodies are still unaccounted for beneath the rubble. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump lifts sanctions on violent settlers as Israelis attack West Bank towns Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 6:58 AM US President Donald Trump has canceled an executive order that slapped sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers involved in violent attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. On Monday, Trump revoked February 2024's Executive Order 14115, which was signed by his predecessor Joe Biden to authorize the imposition of sanctions "on Persons Undermining Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank," the White House announced. Biden's executive order designated 17 far-right Israeli settlers and 16 entities, blocking them from accessing all US property, assets and the American financial system. Trump's move, which is expected to intensify attacks against Palestinians, came hours after armed Israeli settlers, shielded by the occupation troops, went on a rampage in several West Bank areas. They torched Palestinian homes and shops in the villages of al-Funduq, Jinsafut, and Masafer Yatta, and vandalized vehicles near the town of Dura and the Fawwar refugee camp, calling for the murder and the forced displacement of Palestinian people. Settler violence has escalated significantly since October 7, 2023, when Israel unleashed a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. The usurping regime failed to achieve its declared objectives of freeing captives and eliminating the Hamas resistance group despite killing more than 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza. Israel was forced to agree to a Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on Sunday morning, accepting Hamas' longstanding negotiation terms. Far-right Israelis rejected the truce deal, insisting instead that the bloody onslaught on Gaza must continue. UN rights office raises alarm at settler violence Additionally on Monday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Palestine said it was "alarmed" by a new wave of violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers and forces in the occupied West Bank following the Gaza ceasefire. In a statement, it said the settler violence was accompanied by reinforced Israeli restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza ceasefire deal must become sustainable solution: Iran's UN envoy Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 6:28 AM Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN has commended the Palestinian nation and their resistance against Israel after the ceasefire agreement came into effect in Gaza, emphasizing, however, that the deal must be converted into a permanent solution. "While a welcome step, the ceasefire must be transformed into a permanent and sustainable solution. This demands the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and a robust, comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza," Amir Saeid Iravani said on Monday as he addressed the Security Council during a session to discuss the Israeli regime's war crimes against Palestinians. "Israel's unwillingness to fully withdraw and its insistence on maintaining control over Gaza's security undermines these efforts and perpetuates instability," he added. The Iranian diplomat called on the Security Council to take a united and strong position in "defending Gaza's territorial integrity." He also urged the international community to prioritize safeguarding the mandate of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), and ensure predictable, sustained funding to support displaced Palestinians. "Equally critical is addressing the escalating violence in the West Bank, including the surge in settler attacks, which poses a serious threat to peace and security and requires immediate, decisive action," Iravani pointed out. The Iranian diplomat noted that Gaza remains the center of a deep humanitarian crisis, noting that the tragedy has exposed double standards, moral failures, and inaction from the international community and the Security Council. "The atrocities committed by the Israeli apartheid regime are shocking. Families have been wiped out, hospitals and schools destroyed, and critical infrastructure demolished. The blockade on Gaza has turned life for over two million people into a daily struggle, depriving them of food, water, medicine, and electricity. These actions are collective punishment on an unimaginable scale," Iravani stated. Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN emphasized that Israel's heinous crimes in Gaza, including mass killings of civilians, the destruction of vital infrastructure and the forced displacement of entire communities, constitute acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. "Such crimes cannot be overlooked after the ceasefire; accountability and prosecution must be pursued." Iravani continued that "an uncompromising accountability is crucial for justice and preventing further atrocities," saying, it is imperative that the Security Council should remain "objective and does not succumb to the propaganda of the terrorist regime of Israel that seeks to deflect attention from these underlying issues." Iran's UN ambassador also stressed that the Israeli regime must honor its commitment to the ceasefire with Lebanon, immediately halt its violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon after 60 days of the ceasefire agreement. "The Security Council must adopt a firm position to ensure the full and precise implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Likewise, Israel's occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights violates the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement and UN Resolution 497, which declared its annexation illegal." Iravani finally described resistance movements across the West Asia region as a legitimate response to decades of Israeli occupation, aggression and expansionist policies. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its steadfast support of the Palestinian right to self-defense and resistance under international law, he concluded. Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday after 15 months of bloody war on the Gaza Strip. The long-awaited Gaza ceasefire agreement went into effect on Sunday. The ceasefire deal consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days. Negotiations for the second and third phases will begin on the 16th day of the implementation of the deal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We Are China Couplet hung on ancient city wall to greet Spring Festival Ecns.cn) 15:56, January 22, 2025 A large couplet is hung on the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to greet the upcoming Spring Festival, Jan. 21, 2025. (China News Service/Zhang Yuan) Hanging couplets on door frames is a traditional way for Chinese to celebrate the Spring Festival. A large couplet is hung on the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to greet the upcoming Spring Festival, Jan. 21, 2025. (China News Service/Zhang Yuan) A large couplet is hung on the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to greet the upcoming Spring Festival, Jan. 21, 2025. (China News Service/Zhang Yuan) A large couplet is hung on the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to greet the upcoming Spring Festival, Jan. 21, 2025. (China News Service/Zhang Yuan) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Rubio hosts 'Quad' foreign ministers after being sworn in The partnership between Australia, India, the US and Japan was a key plank in Biden's strategy against China. By Alex Willemyns 2025.01.21 WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio hit the ground running in his new job on Tuesday, hosting the foreign affairs ministers of Australia, Japan and India only hours after being sworn-in as America's new top diplomat by Vice President J.D. Vance. Along with the United States, the three countries form the "Quad" grouping, which was revived under the first Trump presidency and was a pillar of the Biden administration's efforts to counter China. Rubio, a former senator from Florida, was confirmed by his erstwhile Senate colleagues in a unanimous vote Monday evening after Donald Trump's inauguration as president earlier in the day, with Vance making the appointment official at the White House on Tuesday morning. He then headed to the State Department in Washington's Foggy Bottom to greet staff members, promising to make changes to the department. But he said the changes would not prove "destructive" or "punitive" to those who worked for the Biden administration. "In our republic, the voters decide the course of our nation - both domestically and abroad - and they have elected Donald J. Trump as our president," Rubio said, adding that the new president had laid out "a very clear mission" on foreign policy during his campaign. "That mission," he said, "is to ensure that our foreign policy is centered on one thing, and that is the advancement of our national interest." Repeating a line he used multiple times during his confirmation hearing, America's new top diplomat defined such a foreign policy as "anything that makes us stronger or safer or more prosperous." The more things change... One area where U.S. foreign policy does not look destined to diverge too sharply from that of the Biden administration is in the priority given to the "Quad," a grouping formally convened in 2007 but which largely laid dormant until being revived under Trump a decade later. Led by former U.S. President Joe Biden's "Asia czar," Kurt Campbell, the informal security grouping turned into one of the centerpieces of the Biden administration's strategic approach to China's military rise. Rubio signaled the high priority on Quad is set to continue under the Trump administration, hosting Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya only an hour after greeting his new staff. After a meeting that lasted about a half-hour, the four officials posed for photographers in front of a display of their countries' flags at the State Department, but Rubio declined to respond to questions shouted from reporters before ushering the group away for further meetings. It was a new look for the grouping, with Rubio not the only fresh face. Iwaya - who previously served as Japan's defense minister - only took on his new role in early October as part of a change in government in Tokyo caused by Fumio Kishida's resignation as prime minister. Top priority Despite the officials' silence at the photoshoot, leaders of the Quad countries have recently appeared at pains to highlight the importance of the grouping going forward, even as their governments change. China has derided the Quad as a relic of what it calls a U.S.-driven "Cold War" mindset and insisted that it has no designs for territorial expansion or aggression in the vast Indo-Pacific region. But concerns remain in Washington, Tokyo and New Delhi about China's plans for parts of the South China Sea it claims - contra to international court rulings - as its territory, as well as for the democratic island of Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a rogue province. Showing the importance placed on the grouping in Washington's efforts to counter China's military rise, the three other Quad foreign ministers each also attended Trump's inauguration on Monday. Wong told reporters in Washington on Sunday that Australia's relationship with the United States was its "most important strategic relationship," with the Quad grouping at the forefront of ties. "It's a demonstration of the collective commitment of all countries to the Quad, an iron-clad commitment in this time where close cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is so important," Wong said of the invitations extended to the foreign ministers by both Trump and Rubio this week. Speaking in Canberra hours before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, India's Jaishankar also said he believed Washington would continue to prioritize the Quad no matter who won the vote. "I remind you that actually the Quad was revived under a Trump presidency in 2017," Jaishankar said at the time, noting the group even held in-person talks in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. "That should tell you something about the prospects of it." Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Asian leaders congratulate Trump, though talk of tariffs has some worried Others called for US support to maintain peace in the region. By RFA Staff 2025.01.21 BANGKOK -- Asian leaders sent their congratulations to Donald Trump on Tuesday, the day after his inauguration as the 47th U.S. president, though some expressed concern over a vow in his inauguration address to use tariffs to benefit Americans. South Korea's Acting President Choi Sang-Mok said he wanted a telephone conversation with the new U.S. president in the near future. "We will work to arrange a call with President Trump soon and actively engage in high-level communication between the two nations' foreign and industry ministers," said Choi during a meeting to discuss economic issues. Choi added he was concerned about the impact of tariffs on the South Korean economy after Trump said at his inauguration speech he planned to "tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens." "A working-level delegation has already been dispatched to Washington, D.C., to assess the background and specific details of upcoming measures," Choi said. U.S. ally South Korea will also be keen to sound Trump out about his plans for North Korea after his unprecedented but ultimately unsuccessful effort to engage with its leader, Kim Jong Un, during his first term. Other Asian leaders voiced geopolitical concerns, particularly after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Trump on Friday that the "Taiwan issue" - or Beijing's belief that the island is an integral part of China to be reunited by force if necessary - was a "red line" not to be crossed. "Taiwan eagerly looks forward to working hand in hand with the new administration and Congress to further strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations on the existing foundation, jointly safeguarding democracy and freedom, and promoting global prosperity and development!" Taiwan President Lai Ching-te wrote on Facebook. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also talked of the need for an alliance with the U.S. in order to maintain peace in the region. "I look forward to collaborating with you to reinforce the enduring Japan-US partnership and jointly pursue our shared goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Ishiba wrote on social media platform X. Vietnam's Communist Party general secretary, president and prime minister all sent their congratulations to Trump as the two nations mark 30 years of diplomatic ties, state media reported. To Lam, Luong Cuong and Pham Minh Chinh "expressed their belief that with the leadership and support from Trump, Vietnam-U.S. relations will continue developing steadily based on the principle of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, and political regimes for regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development," the Vietnam News Agency said. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Lives Are In Danger': Afghans Devastated By Trump's Refugee Resettlement Suspension By Firuza Azizi January 21, 2025 Humayun Bayat was looking forward to moving to the United States in early February to begin a new chapter in his life. The young Afghan man, who worked for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, was happy to leave Pakistan, where he has lived for the past three years after fleeing the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. "Our lives are in danger," he told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi after his flight to the United States was canceled due to U.S. President Donald Trump's suspension of U.S. refugee programs on January 20. "We won't be able to go to Afghanistan either because I worked against the Taliban," Bayat said. Jamshid Azizi, who also worked for U.S. forces during the nearly 20-year U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, also voiced distress after his planned flight to the United States early next month was canceled. "We face death in Afghanistan," Azizi said. "We want President Donald Trump not to leave us in limbo." Bayat and Azizi are among some 1,660 Afghans who were chosen to move to the United States over the next three months after Washington cleared them for resettlement. But their flights were canceled after Trump, soon after taking the oath of office on January 20, suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) "until the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States." "Afghans and advocates are panicking," Shawn VanDiver, a member of the Afghan Evacuation Association, a coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups, told Reuters. "We hope they will reconsider," VanDiver said of his organization's attempts to persuade the new administration to change its views on the issue. "We are very sad," an Afghan physician who worked for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul told Radio Azadi. The doctor said his case was "pending" days before his previously planned departure to the United States on January 15. "We are facing a lot of problems here," he added. The United States resettled more than 200,000 Afghans in the country following its final withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Most of them worked with the U.S.-led international military coalition or were involved in projects funded by Washington and its allies. Fears Of Deadly Retribution But thousands of Afghans are still waiting in Pakistan, Gulf states, and Europe for their cases to be resolved. "I don't care much about myself. It is my children and wife I am more worried about," one Afghan man living in Pakistan told Radio Azadi. He requested anonymity, citing security concerns. He said he fears deadly retribution from the Taliban because the Islamist group ruling Afghanistan considers anyone who supported the U.S. invasion of the country an "infidel." An Afghan woman also living in Pakistan said refugees there were facing tremendous pressure. Pakistani authorities have frequently harassed Afghans in apparent retaliation for the Taliban's refusal to help Islamabad against its Pakistani Taliban allies. "I hope we receive international support for a safe and stable future," she said. Written by RFE/RL's Abubakar Siddique based on reporting by Radio Azadi correspondent Firuza Azizi Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-us- trump-refugee-resettlement/33283854.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address From Ukraine To The Pacific, Trump Administration Faces New Threats From China-Russia Partnership By Reid Standish and Sashko Shevchenko January 21, 2025 TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Attacks on strategic undersea telecom cables off the coast of Taiwan are not new, but when one was suspected of being severed off its northern coast by a Chinese-owned ship in early January, it fit a growing pattern. Just a few weeks earlier, a Russian-flagged ship had cut an electricity cable running between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. That followed several similar developments in the Baltic involving Chinese-flagged ships harming undersea infrastructure, including severing fiber-optic cables in November and damaging a gas pipeline in October 2023. For Gabrielius Landsbergis, who served as Lithuania's foreign minister until December, the string of incidents highlights how the dividing lines between simmering tensions with the West and Russia over the war in Ukraine are blurring with China's aggression in the South China Sea as it claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own. "There shouldn't be any doubt that Russia is behind these incidents in the Baltic," Landsbergis told RFE/RL in an interview as he visited Taiwan. "For China, there is no clear attribution, but if it wanted to build up pressure on Taiwan through a shadow war by cutting cables, there are lessons to learn about that from Moscow." While China has supported Russia diplomatically since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, helped its economy, and bolstered its war effort by supplying dual-use technology for the battlefield, the prospect of growing coordination between Beijing and Moscow represents a new challenge for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. "China is trying to create a new normal around Taiwan," Chiu Chui-cheng, the minister of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the body that spearheads relations with Beijing, told RFE/RL. "Beijing's goal is to shrink the buffer zone between us and make it that much easier for it to escalate, if it decides to." The recent cable incident is the latest of what Chiu says has been a steady uptick in such events -- ranging from new military exercises intended to simulate a blockade of the island to a threefold increase in suspected Chinese espionage cases -- meant to lay the groundwork for future moves against Taiwan. "We don't see these as accidents, we see them as strategy," he said, referring to an increase in incidents targeting undersea infrastructure around Taiwan in recent years. Living In The 'Gray Zone' Fears over a potential Chinese invasion are far from the surface of everyday life in Taiwan's lush, urban capital. But the realities of these shifting dynamics are also setting in. During his campaign, Trump said that Taiwan doesn't pay enough for its own defense and raised doubts over the level of U.S. support in the event of a Chinese invasion. For the island's policymakers, that's raised concerns that severing underseas cables as part of so-called "gray zone" operations -- the term often used by Taiwanese officials to refer to the hybrid tactics used to intimidate the island but which remain below the threshold for war -- will make it harder to defend against Chinese aggression should it escalate to an outright attack. China has denied involvement in the January cable damage in Taiwan and investigations into the incidents in the Baltic Sea are still under way. While these cable episodes highlight the vulnerability of crucial offshore infrastructure and the difficulties in prosecuting sabotage, analysts say that they are part of a worrying new security climate in frontline areas near Ukraine and Taiwan that could easily escalate in the coming years as Trump takes office. "These hybrid tactics that we're seeing from China and Russia are meant to create favorable conditions for them if an opening presents itself to carry out a larger move," Sari Arho Havren, an associate fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute, told RFE/RL. "It seems there is also a desire to signal some red lines to Washington as Trump comes into office." A New Normal While Trump has vowed to quickly end the war in Ukraine, the risk of tensions between Beijing and Taipei escalating into a conflict appears to be rising. U.S. officials have warned in recent years that China is preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan, a call echoed by Senator Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for secretary of state, during his January 15 U.S. Senate confirmation hearing. "We need to wrap our head around the fact that unless something dramatic changes, like an equilibrium [between China and Taiwan], where they conclude that the costs of intervening in Taiwan are too high, we're going to have to deal with this before the end of this decade," Rubio said. Added to the rise in hybrid encounters and growing tensions is stepped-up military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. Recently, Chinese and Russian bombers have flown exercises near Alaska, conducted naval drills together off the coast of South Africa, and carried out live fire exercises in the South China Sea. The joint war games are part of a pattern of more than a decade of enhanced military coordination and one of the more visible expressions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's alignment, which is held together by a shared desire to counterbalance the United States. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, has recorded 102 joint war games, multilateral military drills, or patrols from 2003 to the end of July 2024. Since then, an additional four exercises involving China and Russia have occurred. According to CSIS data, their militaries held at least four and as many as 10 joint drills each year between 2014 and 2023. The two countries carried out 11 exercises together in 2024. U.S. policymakers have repeatedly warned in recent years about the risks posed by China and Russia's growing partnership -- from economic support to growing military cooperation -- with one congressionally mandated report describing China and Russia's deepening alignment as "the most significant strategic development in recent years." "As a military planner, you need to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which is Russia and China teaming up in a major way," said Elizabeth Wishnick, a senior researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses who studies Chinese foreign policy. Taken together, the trend raises difficult questions for the Trump administration and other U.S. policymakers who have long factored how to deal with each nuclear-armed power separately, but now must plan for the risk of dealing with both, especially how China and Russia could act together in any potential future conflict in Europe or the Asia-Pacific. "It's still unclear how this would all play out and this isn't a true military alliance," said Wishnick. "But within the contours of where Beijing and Moscow like their cooperation to be, it's growing." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taiwan-trump-xi-putin- undersea-cable-invasion/33279406.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ceasefire in Gaza brings hope, but West Bank faces escalating violence 21 January 2025 - The crisis in Gaza continues to remain acute, with UN humanitarians reporting critical shortages of water, food and efforts to deliver vital aid to the war-torn region. Meanwhile, escalating violence in the West Bank has further deepened concerns over civilian safety and access to assistance. The ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which took effect on Sunday allowed some displaced residents to return, but hundreds of thousands across the Gaza Strip remain dependent on humanitarian aid, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York on Tuesday. "With the ceasefire in place, displaced Palestinians have been making their way back home, with many returning to find mountains of rubble," he said. He added that over 90 per cent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months, according to partner organizations. "Given the scale of destruction and needs in Gaza, we are working to get vital aid to people as fast as humanly possible. We also urge Member States and partners to ensure that our aid operations are funded to meet the overwhelming needs," he said. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on Tuesday, 897 trucks entered Gaza, based on the information obtained through interactions with the Israeli authorities and other interlocutors. West Bank violence intensifies Mr. Haq also expressed deep concerns over the situation in the West Bank, in particular the safety of Palestinians in Jenin city and its refugee camp, where Israeli military operations on Tuesday resulted in fatalities and injuries. "According to initial reports, air strikes, heavy bulldozing and the operation of undercover forces have resulted in several fatalities and dozens of injuries - including among medical personnel," he said. The operation follows weeks of clashes between Israeli forces and armed Palestinians. Earlier violence had displaced approximately 2,000 families from Jenin camp, with basic services like water and electricity severely disrupted. Humanitarians have struggled to access the area safely, limiting aid distribution such as mattresses and blankets. A glimmer of hope in Gaza Also on Tuesday, Muhannad Hadi, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, shared his impressions after visiting Gaza, describing it as one of the most hopeful moments in his 35-year humanitarian career. He said that for the first time in months, he saw people in the streets, beginning to clean roads and trying to rebuild their lives. "It made me very happy to see that people already started moving back to their places of origin," he said. While acknowledging the ongoing suffering, Mr. Hadi noted a shift in attitude among Gazans, many of whom expressed a strong desire to return to work and rebuild rather than depend on aid. Women and children he spoke to highlighted urgent needs such as education, blankets for winter and basic clothing after months of deprivation. Mr. Hadi also visited the logistics cluster and milling facilities, where operators were eager to restart operations but faced barriers such as fuel shortages and a lack of spare parts. He also emphasised the need for international media to return to Gaza and report firsthand on the situation. UNRWA committed to staying and delivering The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) also underscored that it remains committed to staying in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and providing vital assistance and services to people in need. That message was reinforced by Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communication, in an interview with UN News. She spoke against the backdrop of the looming implementation of the legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset in late October, which would make it impossible for Agency to continue operating in the occupied Palestinian territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Hostilities in northeast Syria, response plan in Mali, Uyghur deportations in Thailand 21 January 2025 - The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued an alert on Tuesday over intensifying hostilities in the northeast in recent days. Between 16 and 18 January, at least three civilians were killed and 14 injured in shelling and other attacks impacting Manbij, Ain al-Arab and other villages near the Tishreen Dam in the eastern Aleppo region. UN partners also reported that shops in the main market were damaged when an improvised bomb detonated inside a car in Manbij. These incidents have forced people from their homes and obstructed aid access, OCHA reported after sending a mission to the city on Monday. The mission visited the Manbij National Hospital and met with local officials, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and local non-governmental organizations to identify and address the issues at stake, according to Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General. OCHA and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) also completed a monitoring mission on Monday to the Ain Al Bayda water station in eastern Aleppo. Deadly remains UN partners have recorded 69 explosive ordnance incidents over the first two weeks of January due to contamination, in which 45 people were killed and 60 others wounded. "Since 26 November, a total of 134 new areas with explosive remnants of war have been identified by partners across five governorates - Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Latakia," said Mr. Haq. As people continue to move and return to their communities, UN partners are calling for increased and flexible funding for mine action, including risk education and emergency clearance. Meanwhile, with water and sanitation services suspended in many displacement camps due to funding gaps affecting more than 635,000 people, OCHA asked for increased funding to ensure the continuation of its services. $770 million response plan launched in Mali On Tuesday, the UN in collaboration with Mali's transitional authorities, launched a $770 million humanitarian needs and response plan in the capital Bamako to support millions of people across the country this year. The plan aims to address the urgent needs of 4.7 million people affected by conflict, displacement, health emergencies and climate shocks, according to the Deputy Spokesperson. Mostly women and children Nearly 80 per cent of the people to be reached with aid are women and children who are in need of food, water, healthcare and protection support. Last year, UN partners mobilised nearly 40 per cent of what was required - just over $270 million - enabling lifesaving assistance and protection to reach 1.8 million people. The Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator on the ground, Khassim Diagne, said it is urgent that the entire humanitarian community and donors renew their commitment to addressing essential needs in the region. UN rights experts urge Thailand to halt Uyghur deportations Independent UN human rights experts have called on Thailand to immediately stop the deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China, citing serious concerns over potential torture and inhumane treatment. "The treatment of the Uyghur minority in China is well-documented," the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated. "We are concerned they are at risk of suffering irreparable harm." The experts emphasised the international prohibition on refoulement, which forbids returning individuals to countries where they face real risks of torture or cruel treatment. They urged Thailand to provide urgent medical care to the mostly Muslim Uyghurs being held. The 48 individuals are part of a larger group of around 350 Uyghurs detained in Thailand since 2014 after crossing the border irregularly. They have reportedly been held incommunicado for over a decade, without access to legal representation, family members or UN officials. No return "It is our view that these persons should not be returned to China," the experts said. "They must be provided with access to asylum procedures and humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social support." The experts highlighted that 23 of the 48 Uyghurs held suffer from severe health conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction and paralysis. "It is essential they receive appropriate medical care," the experts added. Thai authorities were reminded of their obligation to treat all detainees humanely and with dignity, ensuring access to legal representation, medical assistance and the ability to communicate with lawyers and family members. The plea underscores the urgent need for Thailand to uphold international human rights standards and protect the Uyghur detainees from potential harm. Special Rapporteurs and other experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and are fully independent of any government or organization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Launch of the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Mali - $771.3 million required to provide life-saving assistance and protection services to 4.7 million people UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Bamako, 21 January 2025 -- The Government of Mali and humanitarian partners have announced the launch of the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Mali. This plan aims to address the urgent and vital needs of the most vulnerable people affected by armed conflict, displacement, health emergencies, and climate shocks. The Government of Mali and humanitarian partners are calling for the mobilization of $771.3 million to provide emergency assistance to 4.7 million people, 78% of whom are women and children. The humanitarian context in Mali is characterized by a volatile security situation that has persisted for over a decade, compounded by structural vulnerability, socio-economic challenges, and the climate crisis. The situation is particularly dire in conflict-affected areas in northern and central Mali, where access constraints and mass displacement threaten the survival and dignity of the most vulnerable. This plan has been developed in a fully inclusive and participatory manner, in line with the vision and strategic choices of Malian authorities for partnerships and prioritizing the interests of affected populations. Through this plan, the humanitarian community reaffirms its collective commitment to a response based on humanitarian principles. It supports national efforts to give communities a chance for recovery and hope. Humanitarian Response in 2025 focuses on populations with critical needs in key sectors, such as protection, education, food security, health, nutrition, shelter and basic household items, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene. "There is an urgent need for the entire humanitarian community and donors to renew their commitment to addressing basic humanitarian needs. We should also explore innovative and sustainable solutions, in partnership with development actors, to maintain progress and strengthen the resilience of communities facing the impacts of climate shocks and protracted displacement," states the Acting Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Khassim Diagne. Mr. Diagne commended the Malian government's leadership and efforts in the humanitarian response. He also thanked donors for supporting humanitarian response in Mali in 2024, particularly following the severe flooding that hit the country. In 2024, merely 38% of funding required for the Humanitarian Response Plan was mobilized. Despite this shortfall and access constraints, humanitarian partners provided lifesaving assistance to 1.8 million vulnerable people, including those in the most remote areas. 21 January 2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines, U.S. Partner in Maritime Cooperative Activity in South China Sea US Navy 21 January 2025 From Courtesy Story SOUTH CHINA SEA -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. Navy conducted a bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) in the South China Sea, Jan. 17-18, 2025. MCAs demonstrate a collective commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. This MCA is designed to emphasize our longstanding partnership between the two militaries in the maritime domain. "Professional engagement with allies, partners, and friends in the region allows us to build upon our existing, strong relationships and continue to learn from each other," said Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander, Carrier Strike Group 1 (CSG-1). "The U.S. and the Philippines are ironclad allies. As fellow maritime nations, we share the common goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific, assuring access to the seas." Each subsequent MCA builds upon the last, enabling added levels of complexity and interoperability which advance and strengthen combined capabilities, tactics, techniques and procedures. "Bilateral exercises in the region have grown in scale, scope and complexity, and we are proud to participate in combined operations that maintain stability in the region and reinforce deterrence," said Capt. Matthew Thomas, commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). "As the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 1, Carl Vinson is both excited and honored to conduct maritime exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines." MCAs are conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states. Participating units include the U.S. Navy Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and a U.S. Navy P-8A assigned to Commander, Task Force 72, alongside Gregorio del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS 17) and Jose Rizal-class guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF 151) from the Philippine Navy. CSG-1 consists of Carl Vinson, embarked staffs of CSG-1 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) one, Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). CVW-2 is composed of nine squadrons flying the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, CMV-22 Osprey and MH-60R/S Seahawks. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rubio meets Quad ministers on first day as US secretary of state, signals focus on China By Nike Ching January 21, 2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the State Department on Tuesday to a warm reception, marking his first visit since being sworn in as the United States' top diplomat. Rubio wasted no time hosting his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan a move analysts say signals a focus on China. Addressing hundreds gathered at the department's formal entrance, Rubio emphasized his commitment to a foreign policy centered on U.S. national interests. "Anything that makes us stronger, or safer or more prosperous" will be our mission, Rubio said, adding that the U.S. will strive to avoid conflicts, while never compromising national security or sacrificing core values. Rubio acknowledged that changes are inevitable but assured the crowd that "there will be changes, but the changes are not meant to be destructive. They're not meant to be punitive." The new secretary of state expressed gratitude to the American foreign service workforce and his desire to do something special in his new role. "I want to thank you - all those who are serving overseas and abroad, some in places that are strong and stable, and others that are more tenuous and dangerous. ... I want to also thank the locally employed staff, the nationals of those countries who work with us," Rubio said. Following his debut at the State Department, Rubio met in the afternoon with foreign ministers from the Indo-Pacific Quad on Tuesday afternoon, including Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. The foreign ministers of Japan, Australia and India were in Washington to attend President Donald Trump's inauguration. Later, Rubio and his counterparts released a statement. "Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," it said. "We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains," it added. Some analysts say that while there are concerns about the perceived "retrenchment" from international affairs and "isolationism" in U.S. foreign policy under Trump, there is also some confidence that the U.S. will remain committed to regional frameworks with its allies and partners. "I think this meeting among the four ministers of the Quad countries is a clear signal that the U.S. is not abandoning its regional coalition of allies and partners in countering China's rise," Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, told VOA on Tuesday. Others noted that Rubio's views on China differ from Trump's expectations. They said that, as secretary of state, Rubio will need to navigate how to engage with the Beijing government. "Marco Rubio has a much larger track record of opposing China, not dealing with China and supporting human rights around the world," William Pomeranz, a senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center, told VOA. "I think that China will basically try to reengage with Donald Trump, but not with Marco Rubio." Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video call in which they discussed how to foster ties with Trump, prospects for a deal to end the war in Ukraine, and Moscow's support for Beijing's stance on Taiwan further solidifying a strategic partnership between Russia and China that continues to raise concerns in the West. Neither Rubio nor his Quad counterparts responded to shouted questions about China or the virtual call between Putin and Xi. Rubio was unanimously confirmed as secretary of state on Monday, becoming the first member of Trump's Cabinet in his second administration. During his confirmation hearing last Wednesday, Rubio outlined key foreign policy challenges, including threats from the Chinese Communist Party, along with mass migration, fentanyl and violent criminals in the Western Hemisphere. He also warned of dictators in Moscow, Tehran and Pyongyang spreading instability, while aligning with and funding radical terror groups. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump's UN nominee touts peace through strength on world stage By Margaret Besheer January 21, 2025 President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations told senators at her confirmation hearing Tuesday that she will promote his doctrine of "peace through strength" on the world stage if she is confirmed. "It is imperative to ensure strong American leadership at the United Nations," Elise Stefanik told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I share President Trump's vision of a U.N. reformed by strong America First peace through strength and return to this founding mission of promoting peace and security around the world." Stefanik, 40, from a rural New York district, has been in Congress for a decade and has served on national security related committees. As chair of the Republican Conference since 2021, she is the fourth-ranking House Republican but will have to step down if she is approved. She appeared to have bipartisan support, with Democratic legislators largely posing standard foreign policy questions and avoiding partisan attacks. China's influence China's growing influence within the United Nations was at the top of lawmakers' concerns. "China has used its malign influence to block attempts to discuss the Chinese government-sponsored genocide against the Uyghurs, and they have blocked our ally Taiwan from fully participating in the U.N.," committee chair Jim Risch of Idaho said. He also criticized Beijing for pushing its nationals into U.N. system jobs to serve its national interests. Stefanik agreed that Beijing has made "significant inroads" at the world body and said Washington needs to push back on it with a "long-term strategy." "Working closely with our allies and our partners, both at the most junior levels and at the more senior levels within the U.N., we need to make sure that we are running candidates - either American or allied nations - in the election process for key leadership posts within the U.N. system," she said. Stefanik said efforts should focus on technical organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - both organizations that until recently had been under the leadership of international civil servants from China. And she warned that the United States must be vigilant in protecting its ethical standards related to the use of artificial intelligence. The United States is the single largest financial contributor to the United Nations, and several senators questioned whether U.S. taxpayers are still getting their money's worth from the organization. The nominee said she would seek to do an agency-by-agency audit of what U.S. funds are spent on and press for reforms including more transparency and accountability. She also had praise for agencies led by U.S. appointees, including the World Food Program and the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF. "Stefanik's remarks signaled that the U.S. is going to be tough on the U.N., but not walk away from the organization altogether," said Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group. "I actually think that quite a lot of her lines about the need to ensure the U.N. offers value for money will play well with other big donors to the organization, who are keen to control costs." One of Trump's first executive orders on Monday was to notify the World Health Organization of his intention to withdraw the United States from the body - and with it the hundreds of millions of dollars it contributes to WHO's budget. Stefanik said she supported the move. "WHO failed on a global stage in the COVID pandemic for all the world to see," she said. Stefanik was most passionate about "our most precious ally" Israel and defending it from what she called "antisemitic rot" and bias at the United Nations. "We need to be a voice of moral clarity on the U.N. Security Council and at the United Nations at large, for the world to hear the importance of standing with Israel, and I intend to do that," she said. Asked by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen about her vision for "the day after" in Gaza, she said Trump is "uniquely positioned" to bring peace to the region, to eradicate Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, and protect Israel's national security. Van Hollen pressed further, asking if she supports the view of far-right Israeli legislators who say Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank. Stefanik replied "yes." Crisis Group's Gowan said that last comment might fuel "nervousness" among U.N. members that Trump could endorse an Israeli effort to annex parts of the Palestinian territories. But overall, he thinks international diplomats will have found her testimony reassuring. "Especially after the whiplash effect of Trump disowning the Paris [climate] deal and World Health Organization during his first afternoon in office," he said. No vote has been scheduled yet in the committee on her nomination. If Stefanik passes that hurdle, and she is widely expected to, then her nomination would go to the full Senate for a final vote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US withdrawals from WHO, Paris Agreement met with regret, calls for reversal By Lisa Schlein January 21, 2025 United Nations agencies say the imminent U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement will have serious consequences for global health and efforts to slow down climate change. "The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the organization," the WHO said Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration Monday that he intends to quit the U.N. health agency. "WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go," it stated. In explaining his decision, Trump accused the agency of being subject to "inappropriate political influence" from other member states. "World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It's not going to happen anymore," he said in signing an executive order Monday, hours after his inauguration. In responding to the allegations, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told journalists at a briefing in Geneva Tuesday that the United States, which was one of the founding members of WHO in 1948, had over seven decades together with the WHO, "saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats." "Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication," he said. The United States is the WHO's single largest donor. It contributed $1.284 billion or 18 percent of the agency's 2022-2023 budget. Jasaravic said the U.S. decision was not unexpected and the WHO was now analyzing the exact details of Trump's executive order "to see how this will play out and to see what will be the consequences." He noted that the United States can formally leave the WHO and stop financing the organization one year after the United Nations receives official written notice of U.S. withdrawal. He said the WHO hopes the United States will reconsider its decision and maintain the U.S.-WHO partnership "for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe." "At the same time, we will continue to work in the world's most difficult places," including countries in conflict, "so we can protect the most vulnerable and be where people need us the most," he said. "The world lives longer, healthier, perhaps a little bit happier because of WHO, which goes to places where others cannot go, including Gaza, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Sudan," Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, said in support of the beleaguered agency. In the meantime, U.N. officials have called the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement "a major disappointment," noting that the world's nations had adopted the accord because they recognized "the immense harm that climate change is already causing and the enormous opportunity that climate action presents." Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, said that it was "crucial that the United States remains a leader on environmental issues" in this critical decade for climate action. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that "climate change is playing out, on an almost daily basis, through more extreme weather." A recent WMO report finds the last 10 years have been the hottest in recorded history, and that 2024 was the hottest year on record, with temperatures at about 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era. "Every fraction of a degree of global warming has an impact on our economies and our lives," Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson said, adding that "The U.S. accounts for the lion's share of global economic losses from weather, climate and water-related hazards." According to the non-profit USAFacts, "nearly 40 percent of the billion-dollar climate events that have hit the U.S. since 1980 happened between 2017 and the present day." The data-gathering organization says that "2023 had the most billion-dollar natural disaster events of any year to date." Nullis pointed out Tuesday that the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires are "estimated to be the most costly U.S. disaster on record." "Not all of these weather-related disasters, you know, have a connection with climate change. We are not saying that...but climate change is an aggravating factor. It is making our weather much more, much more extreme," she said. "So, you know, the need for the Paris Agreement is pretty obvious." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump orders include withdrawing from WHO, halting US foreign aid By VOA News January 21, 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump issued a series of executive actions after taking office Monday, including moving to withdraw from international health and climate bodies and directing a suspension of U.S. foreign aid. A set of orders focused on immigration, such as declaring an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, ending asylum and halting birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States. Trump also ordered vetting and screening "to the maximum degree possible" all those who want to enter the United States, and for the government to identify countries that may have screening procedures deficient enough to warrant blocking their nationals from entering the United States. In his first term in office, Trump pursued an "America First" form of foreign policy, and an order he signed Monday directs new Secretary of State Marco Rubio to focus State Department efforts on that mission. "From this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first," the order said. Trump ordered the United States to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord, a repeat of a move he also made in his first term. Trump said the U.S. has a successful record of "advancing both economic and environmental objectives" that should be a model to other countries. Nearly 200 countries signed the agreement aimed at limiting global warming with each country providing its own plan for limiting greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. In another repeat from his first time in office, Trump ordered the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization due to complaints that the agency mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic and gets too much funding from the U.S. WHO said in a statement Tuesday it "regrets" Trump's announcement and that it looks forward to constructive talks to maintain a partnership with the United States "for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe." "For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats," WHO said. "Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO." Calling U.S. foreign aid "not aligned with American interests," Trump issued an order to pause foreign development assistance for 90 days and for the programs to undergo reviews. Funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress, so it was not clear how much aid would be initially affected by the order. Trump also reversed an order signed by former President Joe Biden last week that had removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terror. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded to Trump's move Monday by calling it "an act of arrogance and disregard for the truth." On trade, Trump issued an order calling for a review of a number of trade agreements, including one with China and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He also specifically called for an assessment of "unlawful migration and fentanyl flows" from Canada, Mexico and China. Ahead of taking office, Trump said those countries would need to act on those areas in order to avoid tariffs on goods sent to the United States. In response to a law passed during Biden's term that would have blocked TikTok in the United States in connection with national security concerns, Trump signed an order telling the Justice Department not to enforce that ban until his administration can "determine the appropriate course forward." The law directed a TikTok ban unless its China-based parent company sold it to an approved buyer. U.S. officials promoting the ban expressed concerns that the Chinese government could obtain Americans' digital data. Trump himself tried to carry out a similar ban during his first term, but in recent weeks has championed keeping TikTok available to U.S. users, including the potential for the U.S. government to acquire a stake in the company. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban free 2 Americans in prisoner swap with US By Ayaz Gul January 21, 2025 Taliban authorities in Afghanistan announced Tuesday the release of two American nationals as part of a prisoner exchange for one of their members, who was held in the United States on narcotics-terrorism charges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul identified the freed Afghan as Khan Mohammad and described him as a "mujahid," a term the Taliban use for their fighters. The statement said that the man was arrested nearly two decades ago in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar and subsequently extradited to the U.S., where a federal court convicted him, resulting in his imprisonment for life in California. The de facto Afghan government did not name the two freed American citizens or specify how many had been freed, but U.S. officials and relatives identified them as Ryan Corbett, 42, and William Wallace McKenty, 69. "We celebrate the release of Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who will soon be reunited with their families and loved ones, and also thank the government of Qatar for their assistance," National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in Washington. "The Trump Administration will continue to demand the release of all Americans held by the Taliban, especially in light of the billions of dollars in U.S. aid they've received in recent years," Hughes said. "Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan's life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives," his family stated Tuesday. Limited public information is available about McKenty as his family reportedly requested U.S. authorities to maintain his anonymity. The prisoner exchange was in the making for many months and reportedly occurred during Democratic President Joe Biden's final hours in office before Republican President Donald Trump was inaugurated on Monday. Corbett's family statement praised both the Trump and Biden administrations for their efforts to facilitate the prisoner exchange. A Trump administration official said that it was informed by the Biden administration of the prisoner exchange deal. The Taliban said Tuesday that Qatar played an "effective role" in facilitating the agreement. U.S. officials and relatives have reported that two other American captives, George Glezmann, a former airline mechanic, and Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized American, remain in Taliban custody in Afghanistan. Habibi and Glezmann were apprehended shortly after a U.S. drone strike in July 2022 killed fugitive al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in his hideout in an affluent Afghan capital neighborhood. Glezmann, 65, was lawfully visiting Kabul as a tourist when he was seized by the Taliban's intelligence services without charge, his relatives said. Habibi's family says he was arrested by the Taliban, along with 30 other employees of the company he worked at, following the U.S. drone strike. While his co-workers were released, Habibi's whereabouts remain unknown, and Taliban officials have refuted claims that he is in their custody. "It was our hope that Ryan, George, and Mahmoud would be returned to their families together, and we cannot imagine the pain that our good fortune will bring them," Corbett's family stated Tuesday. Habibi's relatives welcomed the reunion of Corbett and McKenty with their families, confident the Trump administration will intensify efforts to secure his freedom from his "wrongful" detention. "We have reason to be confident Mahmood is alive and in Taliban custody, despite their hollow denials of holding him," his brother Ahmad Habibi said. Global Reach, a nonprofit organization working with the family of Mahmood Habibi since his arrest, shared the family statement with VOA via email. "While we are happy for Ryan and William, we are disappointed that Mahmood was not included in the deal," said the organization's CEO, Mickey Bergman. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Over 20 killed in clash between security forces, Islamic State fighters in Somalia By Mohamed Olad Hassan January 21, 2025 Over 20 people were killed and more than 10 others wounded during two days of fighting between Islamic State fighters and security forces from Somalia's Puntland region, officials said Tuesday. In an interview with VOA's Somali Service, a spokesperson for Puntland security operations, Brigadier General Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed, said that 15 Islamic State militants and seven Puntland soldiers were killed in the clashes Sunday and Monday. Ahmed said IS fighters used improvised explosive devices to protect their hideouts near the Ufeyn area. As soldiers were clearing landmines, one of the devices exploded, killing six soldiers and wounding three, he said. The spokesperson said that during the operation, soldiers killed eight Islamic State militants. Ahmed said the latest military operation, which centered around the Cal Miskat mountains in the Bari region, continued through Monday. "On Monday, our soldiers encountered the terrorist fighters around Laba-Afle area, killing seven of them. One of our soldiers was also killed and four others injured," he said. Residents, who requested anonymity fearing for their lives, told VOA they saw the bodies of militants strewn along the roads leading into the Cal Miskat mountains. Puntland began a military offensive last month against extremist groups in the region following months of preparations. The region's leader, Said Abdullahi Deni, appealed to the public to support the operation, which he said is aimed at dislodging the Islamic State militants from their hideouts in mountainous areas. Puntland has endured terrorist attacks perpetrated by al-Shabab and Islamic State militants, but the ongoing military operation appears to be focused on IS. The group has a relatively small presence in Somalia compared to the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, but experts have warned of growing activity. U.S. military officials and Somali security experts reported that IS increased its membership numbers in Somalia last year. The group was previously estimated to have between 100 and 400 fighters, but Somali security and intelligence experts estimate their current numbers to be 500 to 600 militants. Most of the newcomers are said to be from the Middle East and eastern and northern Africa. IS in Somalia was formed in October 2015 by a group of former al-Shabab fighters led by the cleric Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin, who reportedly pledged allegiance to the late IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Mumin appears to have survived a U.S. airstrike on May 31, 2024. A United Nations counterterrorism official last year warned of increased attacks by Islamic State affiliates in Somalia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indonesia seeks to counter global rivalries as full BRICS member, pushes for UN reform By Devianti Faridz January 21, 2025 Indonesia's admission this month to the BRICS developing-country bloc, started by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, marks an expansion of the group to Southeast Asia. Jakarta's admission, which follows last year's addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, was announced January 6 by Brazil, the group's presiding member. In October, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam became partner countries - meaning they are interested in becoming BRICS members but have not yet been accepted for full membership. Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian country that has been accepted as a full member. Teuku Rezasyah, a professor of diplomacy and foreign policy at Indonesia's Universitas Padjajaran, said membership will allow Indonesia to work with other influential countries with substantial populations to reform multilateral organizations such as the United Nations. "Currently, Russia and China are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. However, BRICS has become a strong foundation for Indonesia to generate support from countries like India, Brazil and South Africa in order to push through reforms of the U.N. Security Council," he told VOA January 15. Rezasyah said there have not been significant structural changes in the United Nations for 80 years. The Security Council's five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - have veto power and they are "mostly Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian civilizations," he said. "The world's first and fourth largest country by population which is India and Indonesia, who represent large Hindu and Muslim populations, are not always represented well in the Security Council," he said. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat pointed to areas in which Jakarta would like to see changes at the U.N. "Indonesia continues to push for revitalizing the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. There need to be changes in the working methods, limited use of veto power, and improve the issue of representation at the Security Council. The Security Council was last expanded from 11 to 15 countries in the 1970s. As more countries join the United Nations, the composition of the Security Council needs to change," he told VOA January 18. He added that Indonesia has been active in U.N. working groups on U.N. reforms, particularly as a nonpermanent Security Council member from 2019 to 2020. The United Nations unanimously agreed to push for improving regulations on using veto power in 2015. Along with France and Mexico, Indonesia has urged Security Council countries to be more transparent and voluntarily explain their reasons for a veto, Roy added. Aspirations to reform the United Nations Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono, in his annual address January 10, cited a lack of respect for international law and the U.N. Charter, saying the global economic architecture does not meet the modern challenges and needs most countries face. Indonesia was one of the first countries to call for U.N. reforms, in a 1960 speech to the General Assembly by then-President Sukarno. Mohammad Faisal, executive director of the Center of Reform on Economics, a Jakarta research group, said it will "still be a long way to truly reform the United Nations," but that "the growing power of the emerging countries, including those under BRICS, will at least, make it more balanced." "So, the voices of the emerging and developing countries can be heard more optimally in the global arena," he said. Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, a foreign Spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, was quoted by Antara wire service that he believes that the U.N. Security Council reform is essential because can make decisions that all member states must follow. However, there is no agreement among U.N. member states on a system for change. Some member states propose changing the veto right, while others propose permanent or semipermanent member status. Dinna Prapto Raharja, senior policy advisor at Synergy Policies - a public policy consulting firm - and a tenured Associate Professor in international relations noted developing countries' various positions on U.N. reform. "Everybody has their own champion of who should be the new permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, for instance. How the U.N. Security Council veto can be ended and who should get veto power. That's why I think Indonesia has to come up with an idea for U.N. reform that is really feasible to achieve," she said. The foreign affairs ministry emphasized the importance of BRICS as a platform for voices of the Global South. "BRICS is an important platform for Indonesia to strengthen South-South cooperation, ensuring that the voices and aspirations of Global South countries are heard and represented in the global decision-making process. We are fully dedicated to working together with all BRICS members, or with other parties, to create a just, peaceful, and prosperous world." the ministry said in a January 7 press statement. There are also concerns among members of the House of Representatives, Indonesia's unicameral national legislature, and international relations analysts, that by joining BRICS, Indonesia is drawing closer to Russia and China while distancing itself from Western powers such as the United States and the European Union. Vinsensio Dugis, head of the ASEAN Studies Research Center at Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia, said he is concerned that Western countries consider BRICS to be a forum led by China and Russia to oppose Western political and economic interests, which could cause Western countries to withhold future investment in Indonesia. Combined, BRICS has a population of 3.5 billion people or 45% of the global population. Not including Indonesia, the economies of BRICS countries account for around 28% of the global economy. It is often perceived as challenging the political and economic dominance of rich and powerful countries in North America and western Europe. Apart from reforming the United Nations, Indonesia said it is ready to send more peacekeeping forces to Gaza. Soemirat, speaking before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect Sunday, called the prolonged conflict in Gaza "an example of the U.N. Security Council's failure to quickly fulfil its mandate to maintain international peace and security based on the U.N. Charter." Sugiono, in a January 16 posting on X, expressed hope that the ceasefire agreement that had been reached could be "a momentum to push for peace in Palestine." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 21 January 2025 - Day 1063 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that uncertainty concerning the future of Russia's presence and capability in the Eastern Mediterranean remains high. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Russia's former Syrian ally, Russia's Permanent Mediterranean Task Group (PMTG) does not currently have access to its Tartus naval base for maintenance and logistical support. There is no comparable alternative base for the PMTG in the region. The future of Russia's bases in Syria remains unclear whilst there is political uncertainty in the country. However, Russia is almost certainly seeking to retain a presence in the Mediterranean. Its ability to logistically support both its military and its Private Military Contractors in Africa, as well as limiting the reputational damage incurred through the fall of the Assad regime, will almost certainly be priorities for the Russian government. Russia's intent to redeploy any forces or equipment to potential alternative locations in North Africa remains unclear. The Russian leadership almost certainly considers the Ukraine conflict to be their primary concern. Russia's prioritisation of the Ukraine conflict likely degraded Russia's ability and capacity to keep the Assad regime in power. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that since the beginning of the day, there have been 109 combat clashes, the Russian enemy launched two missiles and 52 air strikes using four missiles and 64 AB, 1051 kamikaze drones strikes and almost 5,000 shells to positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons. In the Kharkiv direction, there was one combat with Russian zagarbnikami in the area of vovchanska. The Russian enemy caused an air strike on Vovchans ki farms. In the Kupians komu direction, Russian forces tried ten times to push Ukrainian units out of occupied positions near Dvoricnoi, Petropavlivka, Lozova, Kutkivka and Nova Kruglyakivka. One battle is going on. Under the air strike was Glushkivka. Thirteen times Russian forces attacked in the Lyman direction, trying to move near Kopanok, Terniv and Kolodaziv. Also the aviation of the enemy caused narama strikes on hope. In the Siver komu direction, the Russian occupiers tried to advance in the direction of Ivano-Daryivka, Ukrainian soldiers repelled the attack. In the Kramatorsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled six Russian attempts to advance near the settlements of Times of Yar and Fedorivka. The two clashes are still ongoing. Majske and Stupocki were under air strikes. Russian forces tried to infiltrate Ukrainian defense six times in the Toretsky direction. Since the beginning of the day, the Russian occupiers in the Toretsk area have received a hard cut from Ukrainian defenders five times. One attack is still going on. Also Russian forces carried out air strikes on Friendship and Konstantinivka. Intensely attacks Russian forces of Ukrainian defenders in the Pokrovsky direction. Here, during the day, the Russian aggressor committed 54 assault and offensive actions. The largest activity of the Russian occupiers is in the areas of the settlements Vodyane Second, Green Field, Elizabethtivka, Grishine, Novosergiyivka, Ppetropavlivka, Mirolubivka, Ray, Mirnograd, New Labor, Pokrovsk, Zvirove, Uspenivka, Slovyanka, Silver, Shevchenko, Andriyivka, Ulakly, Amber, Dachne. Forty-seven attacks in the direction of Ukrainian defenders have already repelled, seven more boezitknen continue. According to the information available at this time, for today the Russian aggressor's losses in this direction amounted to 239, of which 112 are irreparable. 13 cars, two REB vehicles, one cannon were destroyed. In addition, two Russian invaders' cannons were damaged. In the Novopavlovsk direction, three Russian offensive actions were stopped, the zagarbniki tried to go to the position of Ukrainian units in the area of Konstantinopol and Velika Novosilka. Three more clashes are underway. In the Orihiv direction, Russian forces once attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the direction of Kamiansky. The opponent caused an air strike in the area of novoandrivki. Ukrainian soldiers twice repelled the attacks of Russian zagarbnikiv in the Pridniprovsk direction. Seven combat clashes took place today in the Kursk direction, in addition, Russian forces launched 21 aviation strikes (27 KAB) and carried out 434 artillery shelling (including 16 from the RSV). In the gulyajpils komu direction since the beginning of the day, the Russian enemy has not been active. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces hit formations of a motorised infantry brigade of the AFU close to Volchansk (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns. The Zapad Group's units captured more advantageous lines and positions, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades and one infantry brigade of the AFU close to Novoyegorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Drobyshevo, Kolodezi, Seversk, Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic), Dvurechnaya, Glushkovka, Zeleny Gai, and Lozovaya (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to more than 510 troops, seven armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier. Seventeen motor vehicles, ten field artillery guns, including five Western-made guns, and two field ammunition depots of the enemy were eliminated. The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and engaged the units of two mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, and one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka, Izhevka, Predtechino, Belogorovka, Verkhnekamenskoye, Ivano-Daryevka, Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Yantarnoye, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy sustained losses of up to 290 troops, two motor vehicles, seven field artillery guns, with four of them made by NATO countries. One ammunition depot and one electronic warfare station were destroyed. The Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing to the depths of the enemy's defence and liberated Volkovo (Donetsk People's Republic). Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one National Guard brigade, two territorial defence brigades close to Shcherbinovka, Petrovka, Dzerzhinsk, Lysovka, Baranovka, Slavyanka, Novoyelizavetovka, Solenoye, Novoaleksandrovka, and Novovasilevka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 580 troops, seven armoured fighting vehicles, including one French-made VAB armoured personnel carrier, six motor vehicles, and nine artillery guns. The Vostok Group of Forces advanced into the depths of the enemy's defence, defeated units of two mechanised brigades of the AFU, one marine brigade, and one National Guard brigade close to Otradnoye, Novopol, Zeleny Kut, Velikaya Novoselka, Konstantinopol, Novy Komar, and Bogatyr (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 120 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, one motor vehicle, and three artillery guns, including a UK-made FH-70 howitzer. The Dnepr Group of Forces has engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, and one territorial defence brigade near Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region), Daryevka, Mylovoye, Pridneprovskoye, and Antonovka (Kherson region). The enemy losses amounted to up to 100 troops, 11 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns. One electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot have been neutralised. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck a power facility ensuring operation of a Ukrainian defence industry enterprise, infrastructure of military airfields, fixed-wing UAV workshops, as well as engaged manpower and armoured hardware clusters of the enemy in 148 areas. Air defence systems shot down four Hammer guided aerial bombs, six U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 156 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, with 55 of them out of the special military operation area. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 41,034 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,702 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,510 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,845 field artillery guns and mortars, and 30,540 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. During the offensive actions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on formations of one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, four mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one marine brigade, and three territorial defence brigades of the AFU close to Gogolevka, Guyevo, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Staraya Sorochina, and Sverdlikovo. One AFU counter-attack was repelled. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Viktorovka, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Kositsa, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Mirny, Mikhaylovka, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Miropolye, and Yunakovka in Sumy region. During the day, the enemy has suffered losses of more than 270 troops, an Abrams tank, a U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, three artillery guns, one mortar, and two electronic warfare stations. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 53,600 troops, 309 tanks, 237 infantry fighting vehicles, 178 armoured personnel carriers, 1,590 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,574 motor vehicles, 381 artillery guns, 44 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 16 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 96 EW stations, 14 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 31 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, nine armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address National Guard continues LA wildfire response By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, National Guard Bureau January 21, 2025 LOS ANGELES -- U.S. Army Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez watched from a cross street as sporadic traffic passed on the Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades. The late afternoon sun glinted off his sunglasses as a man on a bicycle rode up to his location. A light-wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 149th Chemical Company, California Army National Guard, Hernandez's duty staffing a traffic control point was different than his normal duties under the hood. The man on the bike, a resident looking for updated information on wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area, was like many who approached Hernandez at the checkpoint. "I referred him to a website where he could find that information," he said. Hernandez was one of the roughly 600 Soldiers of Task Force 49, made up primarily of Soldiers with the California Army Guard's 49th Military Police Brigade and responsible for safety and security in many areas impacted by the wildfires. "We currently have two missions: traffic control points and we also have roving patrols," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Manny Arino, commander of TF 49. Both missions are designed to prevent both looting and people coming back into areas that local authorities haven't yet cleared, he said. "Because of the damage that they have in these areas, it's just not safe for the public to come in right now," said Arino. More than 2,700 National Guard members have responded to the wildfires. In addition to security operations, Guard members have assisted in firefighting efforts on the ground and in the air. Ground efforts were undertaken by Task Force Rattlesnake, a joint task force that integrates California Army and Air National Guard members with CALFIRE, the state agency responsible for wildfire response. "CALFIRE offers us facilities, training, captains and stuff like that, while the California National Guard offers the Soldiers who volunteer to go out there and fight wildfires," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Deng Deng, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, California Army Guard and a member of TF Rattlesnake. Air National Guard aircrews flew C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System. Nestled in the cargo area of the aircraft, MAFFS can drop 3,200 gallons of fire retardant or water in seconds. "Basically, we provide an aerial firefighting capability, again, in support of civil assets," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Schwegel, a C-130 pilot with the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard. Four units three Air Guard and one Air Force Reserve fly the MAFFS mission with eight aircraft. The Air Guard units include Schwegel's unit and the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, and the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing. All eight aircraft and crews were called in to support wildfire response efforts in the Los Angeles area. For Schwegel, it's been a rewarding mission. "It's our opportunity to actually make a difference and help out," he said. "It's gratifying to be a part of that, to be able to do something and not stay in Nevada and just watch it transpire when you know you have a capability and a skill set to help." It's also a challenging and exciting mission to fly. "It's a rush," said Schwegel. "Our performance envelope is extremely tight. On this, we're within 10 to 20 knots of our stall speed, we're max gross weight, and on the drop, we're 150 feet-ish off the terrain, which is about half of the altitude of a normal tactical airdrop that we do as part of our combat airlift mission set." Schwegel said flying the MAFFS mission is a direct application of skills used to fly combat missions, and it hones the pilots' abilities. "It brings the best out of our pilots' flying in that you're really focused on flying tight parameters because there's not a lot of slop, not a lot of forgiveness," he said. Guard members also participated in mop-up efforts after the fires, ensuring burning embers were extinguished and repairing damage from initial firefighting efforts. "The goal is to clean up the mess that was made by initial attack efforts," said CALFIRE Capt. Albert Galli, who led a clean-up crew consisting of California Army Guard Soldiers and CALFIRE personnel. During firefighting, firebreaks, or lines, were built using bulldozers and hand crews to stop the fire's progress. Those lines are no longer needed in areas where the fire is out; remediation prevents further damage. "What we don't want to have happen is when the rains come, we get a large water flow down these dozer lines and these hand lines," said Galli. "We can mitigate any flooding issues or mud flows by diverting it with water bars or completely covering up these dozer lines and hand lines." The integration between CALFIRE and the Guard is "almost seamless," said Galli. "Because CALFIRE is a paramilitary organization, working with the military just seems to work," he said. "Some of the lingo and the jargon is different, but as far as forming up and performing a mission, we all are good at our job, which is just achieving a common goal." Galli said he loves working with Guard Soldiers and Airmen. "I know that just a few days after training and meeting them I can give them a simple task and they're going to perform it well," he said, adding that Guard members don't need a lot of training. "They already have a lot of the knowledge and the experience, not in firefighting, but in life experience and combat training," said Galli. "And so, they just are ready to work and I think that's impressive." Some Guard members were also personally affected by the wildfires. "I have two Soldiers that were impacted, directly impacted, by this fire. One of them lost his house," said Arino, adding he told them they didn't need to be part of the response mission. "They wanted to come out," he said. "They wanted to come out here and be part of the mission. Because, again, these are Soldiers from your community and they, they're personally invested in making sure their communities are safe." Deng, who was part of Galli's clean-up crew, agreed. "It's been amazing, honestly, not just helping people out of fires, but preventing fires from happening," he said. "Being in the National Guard, you feel like, hey, California is my home. California is what I want to protect most. And anything that's going on here, I am willing to volunteer and help out as much as I can." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The UK is committed to working with African partners to build resilience against threats from terrorism: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Counterterrorism in Africa. 21 January 2025 First, as the DSG said, the threat to African states and societies from terrorism is increasing. Terrorist groups control swathes of territory across the Sahel, wreaking havoc on local communities. Despite the heroic efforts against them, Al Shabaab continue to disrupt the lives of Somali and Kenyan citizens, and Daesh affiliates remain the deadliest actors in eastern DRC. While hard security interventions are one vital component of counter-terrorism work, they will not solve the problem alone. Instead, counter-terrorism work must be embedded in a broader political approach to reduce the likelihood of recruitment into terrorist groups. Second, improving governance, reducing poverty and tackling climate change are critical to addressing the underlying drivers of terrorism. To be effective, these efforts must involve the full participation of women, youth and marginalised groups. The UK is committed to working with African partners to build resilience against threats from terrorism, as well as addressing the root causes that drive conflict and instability. This support includes a $60m package of support in East Africa to regional and Somali-led efforts to counter terrorist groups including Al-Shabaab and Daesh affiliates. Third, addressing the global nature of terrorism requires a multi-dimensional approach with the support of all relevant UN agencies, regional organisations, governments and civil society partners. The UK welcomes the continued efforts of UNOWAS to facilitate dialogue between states in West Africa and the Sahel. The UN's Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy places an important priority on promoting human rights and inclusive governance. We encourage regional organisations, including the AU, to continue deepening coordination, including through renewing the mandate of the Multinational Joint Task Force. The UK also welcomes resolution 2767 authorising the deployment of the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, AUSSOM, to tackle al-Shabaab and Daesh. We must all now come together to implement that resolution and ensure that the mission is fully funded to fulfill its vital mandate. In conclusion, the UK is committed to working with African partners to strengthen resilience against terrorism and ensure security and prosperity across the continent. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Council debates growing terrorism threat in Africa 21 January 2025 - Africa tragically remains the epicentre of global terrorism, and more action is required to implement international commitments to combat this scourge, the UN Deputy Secretary-General told the Security Council on Tuesday. Amina Mohammed was speaking at a meeting focused on strengthening counter-terrorism on the continent, convened by Algeria, the Council president for January. She emphasized that the Council has a critical role in supporting African Union (AU) counter-terrorism initiatives, grounded in African leadership and solutions. Deadly spread Ms. Mohammed said terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across Africa today, and presented sobering statistics outlining its devastating toll. Despite continued efforts by Member States, sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for nearly 59 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths globally. The Sahel is "ground zero" for one of the most brutal crises in the world. Terrorism-related deaths in the region have soared past 6,000 for three consecutive years, making up more than half of all global fatalities. In this surge, Burkina Faso now leads the world in terrorism deaths, with a staggering 68 per cent increase. At the same time, Al-Qaeda and ISIL affiliates have spread to coastal countries in West Africa, with violent attacks soaring by more than 250 per cent in two years. Old and emerging threats "Meanwhile, a new group known as 'Lakurawa' is conducting cross-border attacks in northwest Nigeria, Niger, and Chad," she said. "There are also growing risks of infiltration and radicalization along Ghana's northern regions, as well as in Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria." The threat persists elsewhere as groups such as Al- Shabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama in Mozambique, continue to unleash horrific violence. Ms. Mohammed recalled that these groups are not only terrorizing communities but also committing sexual and gender-based violence, as well as assaulting children and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks. West Africa warning "Let us make no mistake. At this rate, in West Africa, the future is at stake. The marginalization of youth, coupled with soaring unemployment, has left an entire generation vulnerable to extremist groups," she warned. "If we don't act, we risk losing this generation to the horrors of terrorism, their futures stolen before they even have a chance to begin." While acknowledging the complexity of the issue, Ms. Mohammed stressed that "as terrorism evolves, so must we". Innovation and action She said effectively countering terrorism in Africa must involve innovation - with an approach centred on respect for human rights and rule of law. She pointed to the Pact for the Future, adopted last September by UN Member States, which gives renewed momentum to global efforts against terrorism. "Now it's time to meet unmet commitments and implement the promises made in the Pact with determined action," she said. She listed three areas that must be prioritized, beginning with addressing the drivers of terrorism, which "thrives on fragility and feeds off poverty, inequality and disillusionment". She also emphasized the need for "human rights-based approaches to counter-terrorism, grounded in accountable and inclusive institutions." Finally, she highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and ensuring that these efforts are "in lockstep, unified in purpose, and aligned in strategy." Flexible funding crucial The African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, was among the speakers at the meeting. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye said that last year, the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUTUC), recorded over 3,400 terrorist attacks on the continent which resulted in over 13,900 fatalities. He said the AU "has recalibrated its strategic approach to the dynamics of terrorism" in addition to "re-tooling" policy instruments, especially given projections of a 10 to 15 per cent escalation in terrorism this year. He added that the AU and the UN should jointly support predictable, sustainable, and flexible funding for peace enforcement in counter-terrorism contexts. Therefore, the "swift activation" of Council Resolution 2719 (2023) - which opens the door for African-led peace support missions to access UN funding - "would be a significant step forward for the African Union in its in its efforts to combat terrorism across the continent." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'African-led, African-owned Solutions Must Take Lead in Tackling Terrorism across Continent', Deputy Secretary-General Tells Security Council Debate Press Release Deputy Secretary-General DSG/SM/1957 21 January 2025 Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed's remarks to the Security Council open debate on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Countering Terrorism in Africa", in New York today: Africa has tragically remained the epicentre of global terrorism. In all its forms and manifestations, terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the continent today. For this reason, I would like to begin by commending the Algerian presidency for focusing today's discussions on the nexus of security, development and human rights-based policies in African counter-terrorism efforts. I want to acknowledge and commend the dedication and the sacrifices of the Member States on the front lines of counter-terrorism efforts your commitment to protecting civilians, upholding human rights, and fostering resilience in affected communities is integral to our collective pursuit of lasting peace. Let me first present a stock-take of where we find ourselves. Despite continued counter-terrorism efforts by Member States, Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for nearly 59 per cent of all terrorism related deaths globally. The Sahel is ground zero for one of the world's most brutal crises. For three straight years, terrorism-related deaths have soared past 6,000, making up more than half of all global fatalities. In this deadly surge, Burkina Faso is now leading the world in terrorism deaths with a staggering 68 per cent increase, and with little support to help reverse this trend. Al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates have spread their deadly tentacles to West Africa's coastal countries, with violent attacks soaring by more than 250 per cent in just two years. The statistics tell a chilling story, but recent attacks bring the horrifying reality into sharp focus. On 8 January this year, Benin endured its deadliest attack since 2021, near its borders with Burkina Faso and Niger. The assault, claimed by JNIM [Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin], claimed the lives of at least 28 Beninese soldiers. Just days earlier, on 4 January, extremists launched a brutal attack on a military base in Sabon Gida, Damboa, Nigeria, leaving six soldiers dead. These attacks are a grim reminder that the violence continues to escalate with deadly force. Meanwhile, a little-known group as "Lakurawa" is conducting cross-border attacks in north-west Nigeria, Niger and Chad. There are also growing risks of infiltration and radicalization along Ghana's northern regions, as well as in Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. In other parts of Africa, terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic Forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama in Mozambique continue to unleash horrific violence. They are not only terrorizing communities but also inflicting unspeakable acts of sexual and gender-based violence, assaulting children and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks. Let us make no mistake. At this rate, West Africa's future hangs in the balance. The marginalization of youth, coupled with soaring unemployment, has left an entire generation vulnerable to extremist groups. If we don't act, we risk losing this generation to the horrors of terrorism, their futures stolen before they even have a chance to begin. The impact on women and families is particularly devastating. Terrorists frequently exploit and brutalize women through sexual and gender-based violence, including forced marriages and abductions, causing profound trauma that reverberates through entire communities. Families are displaced, livelihoods are destroyed, and the social fabric necessary for resilience and recovery is torn apart. Most terrifyingly, the tactics of these groups are evolving at a rapid and alarming pace. Terrorist networks are now pooling resources finances, fighters, and expertise while sharpening their capabilities with new technologies, including unmanned aerial systems. This bleak picture I have just painted is a reminder of the complexity of this threat. As terrorism evolves, so must we. Countering terrorism must continue to innovate with an approach that holds the respect for human rights and the rule of law at its core. And an outcome that addresses the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. African Member States, with the full backing of the international community, must forge cohesive and conducted responses grounded in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and aligned with the guiding principles of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The Pact for the Future, agreed last September by Member States, gives a renewed momentum to global efforts against terrorism. The Pact along with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations commit to building a world free of terrorism, online and offline. It reaffirms the commitment of Member States to building the capacity of States to prevent and combat terrorism and strengthen the role of the United Nations system. Now is the time to meet these unmet commitments and to implement the promises made in the Pact with determined action. Three areas should be prioritized. First, we need to continue to address the drivers of terrorism. Terrorism thrives on fragility and feeds off poverty, inequality and disillusionment. When financing development regresses, when fragile institutions are matched with weak governance, when women and youth are excluded from decision-making, when public services are scarce or unequal, these conditions create fertile ground for radicalization and recruitment. When it comes to organized crime specifically, terrorist networks have a ready source of youth financing, weaponry and logistical support. Building inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies must be our goal. And we have a road map to get there: the 2030 Agenda, and Agenda 2063 for Africa. We need to implement them. Second, we need human rights-based approaches to counter-terrorism, grounded in accountable and inclusive institutions. Too often counter-terrorism measures result in avoidable human rights violations. This will put countries on a fragile path risking further instability and insecurity and erode confidence in State institutions. Investing in robust local security institutions is critical to sustain peace and stability. We must equip law enforcement and judicial bodies with the training, resources, and accountability frameworks, necessary to confront terrorism effectively, while safeguarding human rights. Counter-terrorism responses need to be fully inclusive, involving civil society, including women, young people, minorities and marginalized groups. Third, regional cooperation is the linchpin of any effective counter-terrorism strategy. Fragmenting our efforts only plays into the hands of the perpetrators. Fragmenting our counter-terrorism efforts only serves the perpetrators. As terrorists thrive by exploiting and sowing divisions, our responses must be united, coherent and urgent focused on fostering dialogue, trust and coordinated action. The African Union and its Counter-Terrorism Centre have a leading role to play, but we must go further. Regional initiatives across Africa have a critical role to play. These include the support to the African Union and Regional Economic Communities, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, as well as the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Standby Force must also be strengthened to act now. The Accra Initiative should be fully operationalized to tackle cross-border issues and prevent youth radicalization. And in West Africa and the Sahel, existing frameworks must be prioritized. Above all, we must ensure that regional efforts are in lockstep, unified in purpose, and aligned in strategy. This is the only way we believe that we can ensure facing down the threat of terrorism together. Ultimately, African-led and African-owned solutions must take the lead in tackling terrorism across the continent. The High-level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting organized by the Government of Nigeria in April 2024 reinforced and amplified this message. The joint African Union-UN Road Map endorsed in October and the adoption of resolution 2767 (2024) are important milestones building on the commitments to support African Union counter-terrorism efforts in Somalia and in the region. Commitments alone are not enough adequate resources must be in place, and so I am pleased that Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) responds to the longstanding call from African Member States for adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for African Union-led peace support operations. We must remain vigilant to the constantly changing nature of terrorism and continuously rethink our approaches both on how we work and how we work together. Our efforts must be coordinated, they must be intentional and context-specific, and above all, centred on prevention. The Security Council has a critical role in supporting African Union counter-terrorism initiatives, grounded in African leadership and solutions. Together, let us commit to eradicating terrorism, both in Africa and across the globe. Our shared responsibility is clear: to secure a future free from the scourge of terrorism, a future where peace, prosperity, and most importantly human dignity are within reach for all. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With Terrorism at 'Tipping Point' in Africa, Security Council Speakers Call for Development-Driven Solutions Meetings Coverage Security Council 9842nd Meeting (AM & PM) SC/15971 21 January 2025 Region's Ownership, International Support Also Key to Tackling Scourge Africa remains the epicentre of global terrorism, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 59 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide, the Security Council heard today, as speakers engaged in a day-long open debate to outline counter-terrorism initiatives that address the interconnected relationship among security, development and human rights. "Terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the African continent today," stated Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Describing the Sahel as "ground zero" for one of the world's most brutal crises, she said that for three years, terrorism-related deaths have soared past 6,000, making up more than half of all global fatalities. In this deadly surge, Burkina Faso is now leading the world in terrorism deaths with a staggering 68 per cent increase and "little support to help reverse the trend". Painting a bleak picture of the threat's complexity, she said Al-Qaida and Da'esh affiliates have spread their deadly tentacles to West Africa's coastal countries, with violent attacks soaring by 250 per cent in two years. Terrorist groups, such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic Forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama in Mozambique, continue to unleash horrific violence. They are not only terrorizing communities, but also inflicting unspeakable acts of sexual and gender-based violence, assaulting children and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks. "At this rate, in West Africa, the future is at stake," she warned, stressing that the marginalization of youth, coupled with soaring unemployment, has left an entire generation vulnerable to extremist groups. "If we don't act, we risk losing this generation to the horrors of terrorism," she added. However, she continued, "as terrorism evolves, so must we". Calling for innovative approaches to counter the scourge, she underscored that "regional cooperation is the linchpin of any effective counter-terrorism strategy". Fragmentation of counter-terrorism efforts only serves the perpetrators who thrive by sowing divisions, she pointed out, calling for united and urgent responses focused on fostering dialogue, trust and coordinated action. African Solutions to African Problems "The gravity of the threat caused by the exponential growth of terrorism in Africa is overwhelming and startling," observed Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. In 2024 alone, the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre recorded over 3,400 attacks on the continent, which resulted in over 13,900 fatalities. Africa is "facing a damning challenge", he said, stressing: "We have reached a tipping point, and we must act together." For their part, he said that "our leaders in Africa continue to demonstrate the spirit of African solutions to African problems that works for all". As an example, he pointed to the Multinational Joint Task Force in Chad and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which form strategic pathways to peacebuilding and promoting socioeconomic development in post-conflict settings. "These models are not merely beneficial, but essential for Africa's future," he said. Outlining the African Union's efforts to promote "development-focused counter-terrorism", he stressed that swift activation of resolution 2719 (2023) "would be a significant step forward for the African Union in its counter-terrorism initiatives". Crucial Role of Civil Society in Fight against Terrorism Also briefing the Council was Said Djinnit, Senior Adviser at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Conflicts, who said that Africa's security has been severely weakened by various conflicts, resulting in grave human rights violations. "Over the years, terrorism in Africa has grown in scale," he added. Civilian populations particularly women and young people remain the primary victims. A strong State presence is crucial to enable local authorities to play a more active role in preventing extremism. "Their proximity to community places them in a unique position to address local grievances and foster resilience," he added. He emphasized that counter-terrorism efforts are much more successful when civilians can resist terrorism and feel protected. Despite limited resources and restricted access, civil society organizations have actively contributed to facilitating community rehabilitation and ensuring that all sectors of society contribute to counterterrorism efforts. The African Union has developed strategies to this end; however, insufficient resources and political instability hinder such efforts. In the ensuing discussion, delegates echoed the alarming assessment about the mounting and ever-increasing threat of terrorism in Africa, calling for responses tailored to local contexts with essential roles for regional and subregional institutions. Terrorism is a global threat that "knows no border" and "to which no one is immune", stated Ahmed Attaf, Minister for Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs of Algeria, Council President for January, speaking in his national capacity. A revitalized global engagement is needed "before it is too late", he said, urging the international community not to accept a future where the continent's rich potential "remains hostage to fear and violence". Need to Address Poverty, Youth Unemployment Musa Timothy Kabba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, noted that terrorist groups are "increasingly adept at forming alliances and exploiting existing grievances, conflicts, poverty and unemployment". He, therefore, stressed that the international community must address the pressing issues of poverty, youth unemployment, transnational crime and corruption. The representative of Egypt, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, warned against the increased cooperation between terrorists and transnational organized crime across Africa, including human, arms and drug trafficking. Calling for intensified cooperation, information-exchange and border control, he added that donor countries must cooperate with African States to address these challenges through technology transfer. Use of Dark Web by Terrorists His counterpart from Namibia highlighted new challenges that have emerged in the global fight against terrorism, including the use of cyberspace by terrorist organizations to recruit, radicalize and disseminate propaganda. The dark web and encrypted communications give anonymity, making it harder for Governments and law enforcement agencies to track their activities, he cautioned. "Effective counter-terrorism hinges on robust information exchange and analysis", said Dominique Bahorera, Deputy Special Representative of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). The organization's secure network enabling real-time information exchange is "at the heart of global police cooperation". With 132,000 terrorist profiles, it transforms data into investigative leads. In 2024 alone, INTERPOL coordinated several operations in the continent, resulting in 121 arrests for terrorism and poly-criminal offences, he noted. However, Nigeria's delegate pointed out that counter-terrorism capabilities in most African countries suffer from critical gaps a point echoed by several other speakers. The international community must unite to confront terrorism and ensure a safer and more secure Africa, he said, declaring: "The time to act is now." Among those sharing national experience in tackling terrorism was Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia, who laid out various ways his Government was fighting terrorism, including closing any legal loopholes used to support terrorist activities and finance operations. His country liberated half of the territory that was under the control of Al-Shabaab. "Our experience proves that terrorism does not recognize any national borders, making multilateral cooperation an absolute necessity," he said. However, he warned against foreign interference in internal affairs. Rejecting Imposition of External Solutions "Africa does not need solutions imposed from outside, but partnerships that recognize and support our capability to solve our own challenges," concurred Ramadhan Abdalla Mohamed Goc, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan. Accordingly, he urged the Council to reinforce its partnership with the African Union, stating that this means "not only endorsing African-led peace operations, but also ensuring these missions are guided by African expertise and local knowledge". Adding that African States must also be "given the tools and the freedom to fulfil their mandates to protect their citizens", he called on the Council to lift the arms embargo and sanctions imposed on his country. However, cautioned the United States' representative, "terrorists only stand to benefit from the Council's inaction, particularly since money continues to be the lifeblood of terrorists". She urged Council members to agree to list more Africa-based Da'esh and Al-Qaida affiliates in the 1267 Sanctions Committee, making them subject to a worldwide asset freeze. Concurrently, States should support the designation of additional individuals in the Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee. "We should bolster our efforts to stem the flow of funds to terrorists and avoid politicizing sanctions listing proposals," she added. The representative of France said that "African capacities to combat terrorism are essential", urging the international community to help strengthen the resilience of regional communities and States. However, he warned, the "purported security efforts put forward by some private military companies are counterproductive and will only fuel terrorism". Western Countries Accused of Creating Conditions Conducive to Terrorism The Russian Federation's delegate observed that the swift expansion of international terrorism began in Africa following the West's military aggression against Libya in 2011. "Western States are holding forth about so-called 'conditions conducive to terrorism in Africa', hushing up the fact that high up on the list of such conditions are their own illicit actions and failures," he said. He also stressed that Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso who are combating international terrorism in the Sahel "practically single-handedly" deserve support from the international community and regional organizations. For her part, the Permanent Observer for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), detailing the Community's current counter-terrorism action plan, said that it includes programmes to address the root causes of terrorism, such as promoting cultures and morals through religious and traditional institutions. She added: "Strengthening African leadership and counter-terrorism initiatives on the continent guarantees the required ownership by beneficiary Member States and ensures the necessary political coherence for sustainability and success." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Shenzhou-19 crew successfully completes second series of extravehicular activities Global Times CAS scientists achieve great results from China Space Station experiments By Deng Xiaoci Published: Jan 21, 2025 12:36 PM Taikonauts of the Shenzhou-19 manned spaceflight mission crew successfully completed their second series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) at 1:12 am on Tuesday, which lasted approximately 8.5 hours, the Global Times learned from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA.) The agency also outlined plans consisting of three major missions for 2025. The Chinese Academy of Sciences also disclosed to the Global Times on Tuesday as the China Space Station enters the third year of becoming fully operational, abundant research results have been achieved in multiple disciplines including the space biology and new materials science, laying foundations for future applications. Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and the third member of the crew Wang Haoze, collaborated to install space debris protection devices and perform an extravehicular inspection. with support from the China Space Station's robotic arm and a team on Earth, the CMSA revealed in a press release it provided to the Global Times on Tuesday. Cai, the mission commander and Song, who performed the spacewalk duties, safely returned to the Wentian lab module, marking a full success of the mission. The Shenzhou-19 mission is nearing its halfway point, the CMSA said, as the crew continues to conduct numerous scientific experiments and technical tests in orbit. A few days later, despite their busy schedule, the Shenzhou-19 crew will celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Snake in space, safeguarding China's "space home" and observing the Earth illuminated by the lights of thousands of families, the CMSA said. The China Space Station is now in its third year of full operation. Over 180 scientific and application projects have been conducted, with nearly 2 tons of experimental modules, units, and samples sent to space, while almost 100 types of experimental samples returned to Earth. A series of original scientific results have been achieved, Global Times learned from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Tuesday. In recent days, researchers at the Institute of Biophysics, CAS, have been analyzing recent in-orbit monitoring footage of fruit flies from the China Space Station, examining their growth, reproduction, and behavioral patterns. The fruit fly, a small insect that feeds on fruit, is a well-established model organism with over a century of research history. On November 15, 2024, fruit flies were sent to the space station aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft for experiments. Li Yan, a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that fruit flies in space exhibit mating, reproduction, and other behaviors similar to those on Earth. However, during these behaviors, scientists have observed unique behavioral patterns that differ significantly from those on Earth. On Earth, fruit flies crawl and fly, while in space, fruit flies display behaviors like floating and flipping upside down, the scientist told the Global Times. Currently, advanced video processing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are utilized on Earth to support the analysis. CAS scientists revealed that the fruit fly research platform aboard the Chinese space station is set up with very strict conditions for temperature, humidity, lighting cycles, and gas circulation. Over two months of orbital cultivation have resulted in the fruit flies producing a third generation. Through continuous video monitoring, researchers have gathered over 4TB of in-orbit video footage of the fruit flies. These recordings are vital for studying the growth, development, and behavioral traits of fruit flies in space, including sleep, mating, and activity patterns. Also, research has been conducted on refractory alloys in orbit, focusing on alloy materials and multi-metal compositions that are challenging to melt under Earth's conditions, utilizing the unique containerless material experimentation environment in space. This research lays the foundation for the development of important alloy materials, such as those for future aircraft engine blades, according to the CAS. Zhang Wei, a researcher at the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center of the CAS, said that in the field of new materials research, future research aims to develop high-entropy alloys, which are created by combining over five different metals, as well as functional crystals such as scintillation crystals and semiconductor crystals. Efforts will focus on material research and preparation in the space environment, he said. In the field of space astronomy, China plans to deploy flagship instruments, including the Xuntian space telescope and advanced high-energy cosmic radiation detection systems. The CMSA revealed mission logos on Monday for three pivotal projects in China's manned space program for 2025, including the launches of the crewed Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 spacecrafts, as well as the Tianzhou-9 cargo mission. According to the CMSA, both Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 missions will feature three-member astronaut crews. Shenzhou-20 is set to dock with the radial port of the space station's core module, while Shenzhou-21 will dock with its front port. The main tasks of the astronauts will include extravehicular activities, cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module, and the conducting of space science experiments and technology tests. In the second half of 2025, China plans to launch the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in its southern Hainan Province. This mission will deliver astronaut supplies, propellants, and a variety of payloads necessary for station operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Supporting Australian Industry to join AUKUS submarine supply chains The Hon Richard Marles MP Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Defence 21 January 2025 The Albanese Labor Government is investing an additional $262 million to support local defence industry uplift and develop Australia's AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine supply chain. This will be one of the greatest industrial endeavours in Australian history. Australian industry and jobs are at the forefront of the build and sustainment of our next generation conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. They will also play a vital role in growing more robust and resilient supply chains between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Over the next two years the Albanese Government will fund a range of initiatives to uplift our local defence industry, supporting around 125 businesses across Australia to invest in their own capabilities to meet the high standards of submarine build and sustainment activities in AUKUS nations. This includes new initiatives and boost support for existing programs. The first tranche of funding will support industry through: The Defence Industry Development Grants Program: further investment into eligible Australian businesses intending to participate in the AUKUS submarine supply chain to receive timely uplift funding for security, skills, international accreditations and manufacturing capital equipment for defence domestic or export supply chains. further investment into eligible Australian businesses intending to participate in the AUKUS submarine supply chain to receive timely uplift funding for security, skills, international accreditations and manufacturing capital equipment for defence domestic or export supply chains. The Global Supply Chain Program: expanding the program to support major UK and US submarine industry suppliers to provide commercial opportunities for Australian suppliers and increase Australian participation in trilateral supply chains. expanding the program to support major UK and US submarine industry suppliers to provide commercial opportunities for Australian suppliers and increase Australian participation in trilateral supply chains. The Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program: expanding and accelerating the qualification of Australian products (including, mechanical assemblies, castings, forgings, electro-mechanical components) into US submarine supply chains. This includes working with AUKUS partners to streamline processes and reduce regulatory friction for Australian business. This investment comes as the AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement, signed last August, enters into force. The Agreement will enable the transfer of Virginia-class submarines from the US to Australia from the 2030s, as well as the transfer of information and equipment from the UK for use in Australia's SSN-AUKUS submarines. Importantly, it also reinforces the AUKUS partners' commitment to setting the highest non-proliferation standard, and is consistent with Australia's international non-proliferation obligations. The Albanese Government's commitment to the AUKUS pathway will offer significant opportunities and investment into Australian industry and infrastructure, and support local jobs. Further information for Australian business to access these opportunities will be available on the Australian Submarine Agency website. Register interest at https://www.asa.gov.au/business-industry. Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP: "We are continuing to build and invest in an Australian submarine industrial base capable of supporting our future nuclear-powered submarine fleet and underpinning a strong local economy over the coming decades. "This new AUKUS agreement now in effect will further bolster the strong continued progress the Australian Government is making with AUKUS partners to deliver Australia this vital capability. This is a further demonstration that AUKUS is happening now. "The momentum we are building for Australia's conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine program is exemplified by the workforce we continue to build and the growing opportunities for Australian industry." Quotes attributable to the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, the Hon Pat Conroy MP: "The Australian Government continues to work in a targeted way with our AUKUS partners and Australian industry to get Australian products into UK and US supply chains. "These additional investments by the Albanese Government are further supporting Australian industry by enhancing access, building skills and bolstering commercial opportunities. "Our commitments highlight the pivotal role of Australian industry in driving progress not just for our own conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines, but for the fleets of our AUKUS partners as well." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US should heed 'voice of reason', says Chinese FM on TikTok tariff threat Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 21, 2025 11:18 PM In response to a question about US President Donald Trump telling ByteDance it must hand over half of TikTok to a US company or Trump will levy 100 percent tariffs on China, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the US should earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries. TikTok has operated in the US for years and been very popular with American users. It has played a positive role in boosting US employment and consumption, Guo said. When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, China's laws and regulations should be observed, Guo noted. Trump on Monday (US time) signed an executive order to delay the TikTok ban by 75 days "to permit my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok," the Xinhua News Agency reported. TikTok began restoring its services on Sunday (US time) after some 14 hours of shutdown. The executive order directs the Justice Department to issue letters to companies like Apple, Alphabet's Google and Oracle that work with TikTok, "stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period," the Reuters report said. TikTok chief executive Chew Shou Zi attended Trump's inaugural events in Washington, the Straits Times reported. According to a live update by ABC News, Trump signaled at the White House that he thinks the US should own "half" of the social media app. He said to stay in operation in the US, TikTok would need to relinquish 50 percent of its earnings to the US. The president did not detail how this deal would work, but said it would be a "joint venture," the report said. Chinese analysts said that how the Trump administration handles the case of TikTok, which connects 170 million American users and more than 7 million businesses that thrive on the internet, along with a massive number of upstream and downstream service providers, would be a bellwether for the US business environment. "What Trump said may not be an ideal solution, but it gives the popular short video platform a temporary reprieve from the ban," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times. Though uncertainties could persist and there may be more changes, the 75-day extension of the TikTok ban obviously aligns with the will and interests of the American people, the expert said. TikTok may need some time to assess Trump's true intentions and evaluate any potential deal, Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US should listen to rational voices, provide a fair business environment, Chinese FM says on 75-day extension of TikTok ban Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 21, 2025 04:18 PM In response to a question on US President Donald Trump's signing an executive order to delay the TikTok ban by 75 days, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that TikTok has been operating in the US for many years and is very popular among American users. It has played a positive role in promoting domestic employment and boosting consumption in the US. "We hope the US will seriously listen to rational voices and provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries operating in the US," Guo said. As for business operations and acquisitions, they should be independently decided based on market principles. If Chinese companies are involved, such actions should comply with Chinese laws and regulations, Guo noted. Trump on Monday (US time) signed an executive order to delay the TikTok ban by 75 days "to permit my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok," the Xinhua News Agency reported. TikTok began restoring its services on Sunday (US time) after about 14 hours of shutdown. According to a live update by ABC News, Trump signaled at the White House that he thinks the US should own "half" of the social media app. He said to stay in operation in the US, TikTok would need to relinquish 50 percent of its earnings to the US. The president did not detail how this deal would work, but said it would be a "joint venture," the report said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Xi Jinping Has Virtual Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: January 21, 2025 21:20 On the afternoon of January 21, President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two presidents exchanged New Year greetings. President Xi expressed his pleasure in having a virtual meeting with President Putin just a few days before the Chinese Spring Festival, and shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead. President Putin responded by expressing his pleasure to talk to President Xi via video link at the beginning of the New Year. He wished President Xi and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival and all the best. President Xi recalled the three meetings he had with President Putin in 2024 and the many important common understandings they reached. In 2024, the two countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The bilateral relationship, centering on the spirit of lasting good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation, demonstrated renewed vitality. The China-Russia Years of Culture had many highlights. Practical cooperation made steady progress. Two-way trade maintained growth momentum. Close coordination in such multilateral fora as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS provided more positive energy to the reform and development of the global governance system. President Xi stressed his readiness to work with President Putin and guide China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025, to respond to external uncertainties with the stability and resilience of China-Russia ties, to boost the development and prosperity of both countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice. He underscored the need for the two countries to deepen strategic coordination, firmly support each other, and defend their legitimate interests. He also noted the need to cement and expand bilateral relations with a view to deepening practical cooperation. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. It also marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. China and Russia should take the opportunities presented by the anniversaries to jointly safeguard the U.N.-centered international system and the fruits of victory in World War II, and to call on all countries to observe the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, uphold universally recognized basic norms of international relations, and follow true multilateralism. As the rotating president of the SCO, China will work with Russia and other member states to take the organization to a new stage featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility and contribution. China and Russia should also work together to advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of the Global South pursuing strength through unity. President Putin noted that Russia and China always trust each other, support each other, and treat each other as equals, and that the bilateral cooperation, which serves the interests of both peoples, has remained impervious to shifts in the international landscape. It is good to see that bilateral trade and energy cooperation keeps sound momentum, mutual visits by tourists are on the rise, and the two sides have close communication and collaboration in multilateral arena. Russia firmly supports the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and firmly opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. Eighty years ago, Russia and China fought against aggressors at the cost of blood and life, thus safeguarding national sovereignty and dignity. This year, the two countries should jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia will work with China to strengthen cooperation in multilateral affairs and play a positive role for world peace and development. The two presidents also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in 2025. Wang Yi attended the meeting. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun's Regular Press Conference on January 21, 2025 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: January 21, 2025 21:45 CCTV: It was reported that in a speech on January 18, Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said that India-China ties bear on the larger prospects of both nations and of the global order. More thought needs to be given to the longer-term evolution of ties and India's approach can be summed up in terms of the three mutuals, i.e., mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests. He also said that the emergence of a multi-polar Asia is an essential pre-requisite for a multi-polar world. Right now, India-China relationship is trying to disentangle itself from the complications arising from the post-2020 border situation. Clearly, India has to prepare for expressions of China's growing capabilities, and a more rapid development of India's comprehensive national power is necessary. What is China's comment? Guo Jiakun: As two major time-honored civilizations, developing countries and emerging economies, China and India need to focus on development and engage in cooperation. This serves the fundamental interests of over 2.8 billion people of the two countries, meets the common aspiration of regional countries and peoples, goes along with the historical trend of the Global South growing stronger, and is conducive to peace and prosperity of the region and the wider world. The two sides need to earnestly deliver on the important common understandings reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their meeting in Kazan, including that China and India are each other's development opportunity rather than threat, and cooperation partner rather than competitor. We need to view and handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, bring the relations back to the track of healthy and stable development, and find the right path for big, neighboring countries to live in harmony and develop side by side. In global affairs, the two sides need to remain committed to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, practice true multilateralism, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and make greater contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity. NBC: Marco Rubio has been confirmed as the next secretary of state under the Trump administration. Mr. Rubio was sanctioned by China in 2020. Given the obvious complications or impediment that this could pose to a meaningful US-China bilateral relationship, will China consider dropping the sanctions against Secretary of State Rubio? Guo Jiakun: China will firmly defend national interests. In the meantime, it's necessary for high-level Chinese and American officials to maintain contact in an appropriate way. Prensa Latina: US President Donald Trump returned Cuba to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism just hours after taking office. What is your opinion? Guo Jiakun: We've noted that. Repeatedly using the so-called list of "state sponsors of terrorism" to impose unilateral sanctions against Cuba is completely groundless. It fully exposes the US's hegemonic, domineering and bullying nature. The US removed Cuba's designation and then reinstated it just six days later, as if it were something to be toyed with. It makes people question the credibility of the US as a country. The US's full blockade on Cuba over the past six decades or so seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, and has wreaked havoc on Cuba's economy and people's livelihood. China opposes the US interfering in Cuba's internal affairs in the name of freedom, democracy and counterterrorism, and once again urges the US to lift its blockade against Cuba at once, remove Cuba from the list of "state sponsors of terrorism" and act in the interest of improving US-Cuba relations and keeping the Western Hemisphere peaceful and stable. The New York Times: President Trump said that he would order federal agencies to conduct a study of trade issues, but he has not immediately imposed any new tariffs on trade with China. What is China's reaction? Guo Jiakun: Economic cooperation and trade between China and the United States benefit both sides. Keeping business ties sound and stable serves the fundamental interests of both countries and both peoples, it is also conducive to global economic growth. China stands ready to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, strengthen dialogue and communication with the US, properly manage differences, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. We hope the US will work with us to promote the steady, sound and sustainable growth of bilateral trade and economic ties. Financial Times: Trump has told ByteDance it must hand over half of TikTok to US company or Trump will levy 100 percent tariffs on China. What is your response to that? Guo Jiakun: TikTok has operated in the US for years and been very popular with American users. It has played a positive role in boosting US employment and consumption. We hope the US will earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries. When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, China's laws and regulations should be observed. Reuters: Has China invited Trump for a visit, as he said earlier today? And secondly, how important would such a visit by Trump be? Guo Jiakun: Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, China is ready to work with the new US government to maintain communication, strengthen cooperation, properly manage differences and achieve greater progress in China-US relationship from a new starting point. RT TV: On Saturday, Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar mentioned three principles of India's approach for a balanced and constructive relationship with China: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. What does China think about this approach? Guo Jiakun: Your question is the same as the first question, which I answered just now. The New York Times: The White House said today that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. What is China's response? Guo Jiakun: China is concerned over the US's announcement of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate change is a challenge facing all humanity, and no country can stay insulated. China's resolve and actions to actively respond to climate change will remain unchanged. China will work with all parties to actively address the climate challenge and promote a global green and low-carbon transition for the shared future of humanity. The New York Times: The White House also said today that the United States will withdraw from the World Health Organization. With that withdrawal, the United States also complained that China is not paying nearly as much in contributions to the World Health Organization. What is China's response on the US withdrawal and also on Trump administration stating that China is making a disproportionately small contribution to the World Health Organization budget? Guo Jiakun: As the authoritative and professional international organization in global public health, WHO plays a central role in coordinating global public health governance. Its role should only be strengthened rather than weakened. China will, as always, support WHO in fulfilling its duty, deepen international cooperation in public health, advance global public health governance, and promote the building of a global community of health for all. AFP: Trump also talked about the Panama Canal recently. He said that China was effectively operating the canal and he vowed to take it back into US ownership. Does the Ministry have a response to Donald Trump's comments about China with regard to the Panama Canal? Guo Jiakun: China's position is consistent and clear on questions related to the issue of the Panama Canal and I have nothing more to add. Bloomberg: I'm wondering what the Chinese Foreign Ministry's reaction to the investigation by Trump on whether China complied with the phase-one trade deal and does China see the fact that Trump refrains from threatening China with tariffs by February 1 as a positive sign? Guo Jiakun: I answered relevant question. China-US economic and trade cooperation benefits both sides. It is also an important issue of our mutual interest. Despite all the differences and frictions, the two countries enjoy tremendous common interests and space for cooperation. The two sides can strengthen dialogue and coordination to this end. The New York Times: As a follow-up on the TikTok question, does China believe that a sale of TikTok to an American company or to a joint venture could be allowed to include the specific algorithms of TikTok, the transfer of these algorithms, to a joint-venture American company? Guo Jiakun: When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, China's laws and regulations should be observed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN experts urge Thailand to halt deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China The experts say nearly half of the group's members are suffering from 'serious health conditions.' By Josh Lipes 2025.01.21 -- U.N. experts on Tuesday urged Thailand to halt the deportation of 48 Uyghurs held on immigration charges to China, where they would likely face torture, and treat nearly half of the group's members for "serious health conditions." The four dozen Uyghurs have been detained at Thailand's Immigration Detention Center since 2014 after attempting to use the Southeast Asian nation to escape persecution in China. "The treatment of the Uyghur minority in China is well-documented," said the experts, collectively known as the Special Procedures of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council. "We are concerned they are at risk of suffering irreparable harm, in violation of the international prohibition on refoulement to torture." The prohibition on refoulement prevents returning detainees to a country "where there is real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Uyghurs in northwestern China's vast Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have been subjected to widespread human rights abuses, including detention in massive concentration camps. The experts also called on Thailand to provide access to asylum procedures and medical care for the group of Uyghurs "without delay." "We are informed that 23 of the 48 individuals suffer from serious health conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction, paralysis of the lower body, skin diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, and heart and lung conditions," they said. "It is essential they be provided with the necessary and appropriate medical care." Call for probe The group of refugees is part of an originally larger cohort of over 350 Uyghur men, women and children, 172 of whom were resettled in Turkey, 109 deported back to China, and five who died because of inadequate medical conditions. In 2015, Thailand, Washington's longest-standing treaty ally in Asia, faced stiff international criticism for those it did deport back to China. Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, and therefore does not recognize refugees. The U.N. experts noted that inadequate conditions of detention, including lack of access to medical care, can contribute to deaths and serious injury. "Loss of life occurring in custody creates a presumption of arbitrary deprivation of life by State authorities, which can only be rebutted through proper investigation, which complies with international standards," the experts said, calling on authorities to launch a probe into the circumstances of the group's arrest and detention. "Should it be found that they are being arbitrarily deprived of liberty, or in a manner inconsistent with international human rights standards, they should be released without delay," they said. Still undecided The experts' statement comes less than a week after Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said he would lobby Thailand against deporting the 48 Uyghurs to China during a hearing on his nomination for the post of U.S. secretary of state, which he was confirmed for on Monday. But there were also signs this week that Thailand was listening to the human rights concerns. Turgunjan Alawdun, president of the World Uyghur Congress, or WUC, told RFA that it "received news" from a Thai official that the Uyghurs were no longer at immediate risk of being returned. The WUC, a group established to represent Uyghurs around the globe, said that because of the confidential nature of their communication, the Thai official cannot be identified. The WUC's claim appeared to have been corroborated by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, which told RFA last week that, after hearing unconfirmed reports the Uyghurs were to be deported, it checked with Thai authorities, who assured the agency to the contrary. Thailand has not officially indicated whether the Uyghurs will be protected from deportation and the WUC's claim could not be independently confirmed. Police Col. Kathatorn Kaomteang, Thailand's deputy commander of Immigration Division 3 and spokesperson for the country's Immigration Bureau, said last week that the matter was still undecided. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China seeks more cooperation with US as Trump takes office By William Yang January 21, 2025 China has urged the United States to focus on managing bilateral relationships through cooperation instead of confrontation as U.S. President Donald Trump kicks off his second term in office. "China is willing to work with the new U.S. government to maintain communication, strengthen cooperation, properly manage differences, and push China-U.S. relations to make greater progress from a new starting point," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during the regular press conference on Tuesday in Beijing. Analysts say Beijing hopes to reduce misunderstandings between both sides through engagement and exchanges in the early stage of the second Trump presidency. "The Chinese government hopes China and the U.S. could understand each other's needs through communication," said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar. "Beijing believes China and the U.S. can still reach a consensus and avoid many misunderstandings that have arisen during the first Trump presidency" if both sides prioritize efforts to stabilize bilateral relations, he told VOA by phone. Ahead of Trump's inauguration on Monday, China and Trump's team conducted several top-level exchanges, including a call between the new U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping last Friday. Trump said he and Xi would "solve many problems together" while the Chinese president said the key to handling bilateral relations was to "respect each other's core interests and major concerns and to find a proper solution to the problem." On Sunday, China's Vice President Han Zheng, who was in Washington, D.C., to attend Trump's inauguration ceremony, met with his American counterpart JD Vance, and a group of American business leaders, including Tesla founder Elon Musk. He said China and the U.S. could "contribute to each other's progress, bring benefits to the two countries, and make important contributions to world peace and development" as long as they "uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation." Additionally, Han urged U.S. businesses to "play an active role as a bridge and make greater contribution to the development of China-U.S. relations" by continuing to "invest and take root in China." Experts say Beijing wants to seize the opportunity to improve bilateral relations with Washington through these initial engagements with the Trump administration. Beijing "would not only prefer to avoid increased sanctions but also the potential for greater limitations on tech exports to China," said Timothy Rich, a political scientist at Western Kentucky University. While the Chinese government has expressed willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration, the U.S. president has also held off the imposition of tariffs on imported goods from China, Mexico, and Canada. Instead, he released a broad trade memo that urged the United States Trade Representative to assess China's compliance with the "Phase 1" trade deal that his administration signed with Beijing in 2020, which required Beijing to increase purchases of U.S. exports by $200 billion over two years. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order that would delay the ban on the popular social media app TikTok for 75 days but threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese products if Beijing didn't approve a potential deal with TikTok. "And if we said, well, 'You're not going to approve it', then that's a certain hostility, and we'll put tariffs of 25, 30,40, 50%, even 100%," Trump said on Monday, after signing the executive order for TikTok. Rich said Trump's decision to delay imposing tariffs on Chinese products shows the U.S. president's desire to "pressure China to make some concessions" that he can declare as a victory. "I suspect the talk of sticking it to China will return in the absence of some face-saving concession or if other policies start to falter, as a perceived tough-on-China stance taps into the broader concern among many Americans," he told VOA in a written response. Some Chinese merchants said Trump's decision to delay the imposition of tariffs on Chinese products allows them to be better prepared for similar scenarios in the future. "I am finding other ways to export products to my American customers by shifting operations to Southeast Asia," a Chinese apparel exporter surnamed Yuan in Shanghai, who asked to be identified only by his last name due to security concerns, told VOA in a written response. While Trump's incoming cabinet includes several politicians known for their hawkish stance on China, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, analysts say it's unclear how the Trump administration's China policies will shape up. "The ultimate decision-maker is Trump, and if China gives Trump what he thinks he needs, those hawkish people and their beliefs will quickly be sidelined and they may not have influence on U.S.-China policy," Dexter Roberts, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, told VOA by phone. Despite the lack of clarity on the Trump administration's China policies, Shen in Shanghai said official comments from Beijing and Washington suggest their initial exchanges have been "quite positive." "This might mean there would be less misunderstandings and I think both sides won't waste this new opportunity to engage with each other," he told VOA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi holds talks with Putin, calls for guiding China-Russia ties toward greater heights Global Times Mutual trust, close strategic coordination highlighted in 1st interaction in 2025 By Wang Qi Published: Jan 22, 2025 12:02 AM Chinese President Xi Jinping talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video meeting on Tuesday, as the two leaders hailed bilateral ties in their first interaction in 2025. Xi called on the two sides to consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation. Chinese experts believe that the virtual meeting underscores a high degree of strategic mutual trust and close strategic coordination between the two countries. Unlike some Western countries which define their strategic relations in terms of external rivals and alliances, cooperation between China and Russia is not directed against any third party, and the deepening of China-Russia ties has a solid endogenous momentum. Toward greater heights The video meeting between the two leaders comes a few days ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Xi and Putin exchanged greetings for the Spring Festival. Xi stressed that in the new year, he is willing to work with Putin to continue guiding China-Russia relations toward greater heights, to cope with the uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations, to jointly promote the development and revitalization of the two countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice. Xi called on the two sides to continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries, saying that China and Russia should consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation. The video meeting between Xi and Putin came three weeks after the two leaders exchanged New Year greetings on December 31, 2024. There were frequent exchanges between the leaders of China and Russia in 2024, which marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The two leaders exchanged congratulatory messages on October 2 to warmly celebrate the 75th anniversary of ties. On May 16, 2024, Xi held talks with Putin in Beijing during the latter's state visit to China. The two leaders met again on July 3 in Astana, Kazakhstan, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit. On October 22, 2024, Xi held a meeting with President Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the frequent interactions between the Russian and Chinese leaders underline the high level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries, and they highlight that the strategic coordination between the two countries when dealing with regional and global issues is close and fruitful. Echoing Li, Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, said that the frequent interactions between the leaders of China and Russia in recent years have been a regular feature, which plays a pivotal role in guiding bilateral ties. The interactions between the Chinese and Russian leaders amid the US power transition show that both Beijing and Moscow hope to ensure that their ties remain stable and positive, Cui said. According to Russian news agency Tass, Putin said that ties between Russia and China are self-sufficient and do not depend on the global political environment or domestic politics. "Their comprehensive strengthening fully meets the objective of Russia's and China's comprehensive development and improving the well-being of people in both countries," he said. According to Xinhua, Putin said that Russia firmly supports Taiwan as an inalienable part of China's territory and firmly opposes any form of "Taiwan independence." Li stressed that cooperation between China and Russia is not directed against third parties, and the strategic basis of relations is not defined in terms of "external rivals" and developing alliances, as is the case with some in the West. On the contrary, China-Russia relations are truly consolidated and deepened on the basis of universal and common interests. The development of China-Russia relations has a strong endogenous impetus and is based on a solid common strategic foundation. Such a relationship stems from the consensus over the international system and rules, as well as from the reality of strong mutual support for each other's core interests, Li said. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2024, the trade volume between China and Russia reached a record high of $244.8 billion, a 1.9 percent increase year-on-year. Jointly defend UN-centered system The two heads of state also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common interest and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year, according to Xinhua. During their dialogue, Xi noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. China and Russia should jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, Xi noted. Putin mentioned the shared determination of Russia and China to avert a revival of Nazism, fascism and militarism, Tass reported. China and Russia should use this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and victory in WWII, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the security situation in Eurasia has witnessed serious security challenges and trust among major powers is declining, Cui said. "As the global governance has fallen into regression amid the declining role of multilateral mechanisms, the dealing of global affairs is increasingly dependent on collaboration among the major powers," Cui said. As two major countries of vital importance on the Eurasian continent, the strengthening of cooperation and coordination between China and Russia is positive for the maintenance of security and stability in Eurasia, Cui said. In terms of global governance, Xi stressed that as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of the SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility. The Chinese leader called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South. "There is no doubt that China and Russia are positive, stable and constructive forces in the transformation of the international system and order," Li said, noting that significant influence exerted by China and Russia would help to make the world more balanced. Coordination and cooperation between China and Russia, with joint efforts from other Global South countries, would have a broader and more positive impact, Li said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump calls North Korea 'nuclear power,' Seoul disagrees South Korea said North Korea's denuclearization is vital for global peace. By Taejun Kang for RFA 2025.01.21 TAIPEI, Taiwan -- U.S. President Donald Trump described North Korea as a "nuclear power," raising the prospect of a change in the long-held U.S. policy of denying North Korea recognition as a nuclear weapons state and insisting that it abandon its weapons program. Trump, who was inaugurated for a second term as U.S. president on Monday, has hinted at the possibility of reviving his unprecedented, but ultimately unsuccessful, diplomatic effort that he pursued in his first term to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief. North Korea has tested nuclear devices six times since 2006 and says it will never give up its bombs. It insists on being recognized as a nuclear power, a demand both the U.S. and its ally South Korea have dismissed, insisting instead that North Korea agree to its "denuclearization." The term "nuclear power" is normally taken to refer to five nuclear-weapon states - U.S., China, Britain, France and Russia - that are officially recognized as possessing nuclear weapons in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, otherwise known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT. Trump, speaking to reporters at the Oval Office after being sworn in as the 47th U.S. president in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington earlier in the day, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who he met three times during his first term. "He is a nuclear power. We got along. I think he'll be happy to see I'm coming back," said Trump. "I was very friendly with him. He liked me. I liked him. We got along very well. They thought that was a tremendous threat," Trump told reporters without elaborating. It was not clear to whom he was referring to when he said they thought it was a threat. During a Senate confirmation hearing last week, Trump's nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, also called the North a "nuclear power." South Korea rejected the term, stressing that North Korea could never be recognized as a nuclear power because to do so would imply abandoning the goal of denuclearization. In response to Trump's remarks on Monday, the South Korean defense ministry said it would continue to push for North Korea's denuclearization. "Denuclearization of not only the Korean peninsula but also North Korea should be continually pursued as a prerequisite for permanent peace and stability in the world," Jeon Ha-kyou, the ministry's spokesperson, said in a regular briefing. If Trump is intent on reviving diplomatic efforts with North Korea, he might find Kim has less appetite for engaging with the U.S. because of the development of ties with Russia over recent years. Russia has been forging a closer relationship with North Korea since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to invade Ukraine in 2022. North Korea has sent large volumes of weapons and some 12,000 troops to help Russia with its war, the United States and its allies say. In exchange, analysts and Western officials suspect that North Korea is receiving various Russian support including technological aid for its space program. 'Tough cookie' Separately, Trump held a brief talk over a video-link with American troops stationed in South Korea and asked them how the North Korean leader has been doing. "How are we doing over there? How's Kim Jong Un doing?" Trump said, while talking to the U.S. Forces Korea personnel based in Camp Humphreys. In an apparent reference to the North Korean leader, Trump said the troops face "somebody with pretty bad intentions." "You would say that, although I developed a pretty good relationship with him, but he's a tough cookie," he added. Trump raised his engagement with North Korea during his election campaign and in a sign that he might have an eye on reviving the effort, he has picked an aide - William Beau Harrison - who was involved in planning the summit with Kim in Singapore in 2018 and in Vietnam in 2019. Trump met Kim for a third time on the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea later in 2019 when Trump became the first U.S. president to set foot on North Korean soil. But the meetings led to no progress on efforts to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programs. Last September, North Korea revealed details of its uranium enrichment facility, with Kim calling for more centrifuges to help increase the country's nuclear arsenal. A month later Pyongyang said the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile gave it the "irreversible" means of delivering nuclear weapons. Kim had appeared to rule out the prospect of improving relations with the U.S. under a second incoming Trump presidency, saying in November that negotiations with the U.S. had in the past only confirmed its unwavering hostility. Kim did not refer to Trump by name but said that given U.S. policy towards North Korea, his country's only option was to achieve the "most powerful military capabilities," North Korean state media reported. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea grants party membership to its fallen soldiers in Ukraine war The membership will improve life for their families, but some parents did not even know their sons had gone off to war. By Ahn Chang Gyu for RFA Korean 2025.01.21 -- North Korea is posthumously granting membership in the Korean Workers' Party to its soldiers killed in action in Russia's war with Ukraine -- a perk that will benefit their surviving families, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia. Party membership is a special privilege in North Korea that improves the social status of families related to the member, giving them access to better education, jobs, housing and food rations. It may also give them the right to live in the capital Pyongyang, which has a far better standard of living than the rest of the country. But some parents who are notified that their sons have died in battle did not even know they had been sent to Russia, a resident in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The Pentagon and South Korean intelligence estimate that around 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia since October. According to South Korean intelligence, at least 300 of these have been killed and 2,700 injured. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has acknowledged North Korea's participation in the conflict. The North Korean people have not been informed, either, but many seem to have heard about it through word of mouth, the resident said. "In early January, a couple living in Myonggan county, relatives of my close friend, were told to go to Pyongyang without knowing the reason," the resident said. A senior local official -- the county secretary -- took them to the station in his car and and provided train tickets and lunch boxes to eat on the train -- a rarity in North Korea, where most people cannot freely travel, especially not at government expense. Once in Pyongyang, the couple was given a certificate informing them of their son's death and a party membership card -- but were told nothing about the nature of his mission or where he died, the resident said. Authorities urged them to keep quiet. "They did not even allow the bereaved families to cry out loud," he said. "They repeatedly urged them not to share information with other relatives or anyone around them." Special treatment Upon their return, the special treatment for the couple continued. The county secretary picked them up and delivered them to their home, and ordered the factory where the man works to give him a special 10-day vacation, the resident said. But even though the family is already getting the perks, they would rather have their son alive, he said. "According to my friend, his relative believes his son was killed while deployed to fight in the war with Ukraine," he said. "The couple spends each day in tears, mourning the loss of their only son." Posthumous membership in the party is usually only given in combat situations, not to soldiers who die while performing their usual peacetime duties. Promised homes Another resident of the same province said that the authorities have promised to allow the family members of the soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine to live in Pyongyang as soon as there are available homes for them. Since 2021, the country's leader Kim Jong Un has been pushing his pet development project -- to build 10,000 homes per year and 50,000 by the end of 2025 -- in the capital. According to the second resident, his wife's relatives traveled to Pyongyang and received their dead son's party membership card and death certificate at a ceremony where an official informed them that they would be able to live in the new homes. "The party has decided that when Hwasong Street, which is currently under construction, is completed, the bereaved families will be called to Pyongyang and live there as Pyongyang citizens," he said. In previous reports about the housing project, Pyongyang residents told RFA that their homes were being demolished to build the new apartments. Although they were promised the right to live there once the homes were completed, they were concerned that there would not be enough new apartments to accommodate everyone. The second resident said that the authorities asked all the bereaved families to not reveal too much information to the outside world, regarding why they are allowed to move to Pyongyang. "Among the family members from my wife's side, there are some who envy the relatives who will be living in Pyongyang in the future," he said. "But the parents who lost their son are expressing their anger, saying, 'What good is it when we lost our son? He was only 21 years old." Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Rs 1,561 crore contract inked with Heavy Vehicles Factory, AVNL for 47 T-72 Bridge Laying Tanks for Indian Army India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 21 JAN 2025 5:32PM by PIB Delhi Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory, a unit of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, for the procurement of 47 Tank-72 Bridge Laying Tanks (BLT) for the Indian Army at a total cost of Rs 1,560.52 crore. The contract was inked by the senior officials of MoD and HVF/AVNL in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi on January 21, 2025. The BLT is a critical equipment which is employed to launch bridges during offensive/defensive operations by Mechanised Forces. It provides integral bridging capability to the Tank and Armoured Vehicle fleet enhancing the battlefield mobility and offensive capability. The present case being a Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) will give impetus to the Make-in-India initiative in defence. This project will also play a pivotal role in boosting the overall economy and increasing employment avenues in the country. **** VK/Savvy (Release ID: 2094857) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Army employs Cobra helicopters, Fajr-5 missiles in northeast drill IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 Taybad, IRNA -- The Iranian Army's Ground Forces have showcased their operational capabilities during a large-scale military exercise held in the northeastern city of Taybad. The military drill featured various units of the Army Ground Forces, including artillery, armored divisions, airborne units, drone squads, electronic warfare units, and missile groups, all participating to enhance their operational readiness and effectiveness in potential combat scenarios. Brigadier General Karim Cheshak, deputy commander for Army's Ground Forces for Operations, said on Tuesday that the exercise involved the use of Fajr-5 missiles and precision-guided artillery, supported by heavy fire from Cobra helicopters targeting simulated terrorist group locations. Speaking to IRNA, General Cheshak said the primary objective of the war game was to enhance the combat readiness of the Army Ground Forces. "This exercise prepares our forces for response and counter-operations against any aggressive action," he said. He further noted that the drill aimed to demonstrate Iran's military edge and power in the face of psychological operations by the enemy while boosting national morale, unity, and cohesion. The commander said that the exercise also sought to promote deterrence and disrupt enemy calculations. "We rehearsed pre-planned strategies using the latest weapons and equipment of the Army Ground Forces," he added. Brigadier General Nozar Nemati, deputy commander of the Ground Forces, said an "integrated system for countering all types of UAVs", which had previously been in the testing phase, has now been operationally assessed during this exercise. Iranian forces successfully destroyed hostile targets with Fajr-5 missiles, displaying their ability to deploy UAVs directly from their bases to target and eliminate simulated enemy fortifications and equipment. In addition, Second Brigadier General Qassem Khamoushi, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation (IRIAA), reported the successful completion of the 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade's first nighttime heliborne operation. This operation used night vision equipment installed on the helicopters, he said. 3266**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IAEA chief urges Iran, Trump admin. to reach 'understanding' over nuclear issue IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 London, IRNA -- Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has said Iran and the Donald Trump administration need to reach "an understanding" regarding Tehran's nuclear program. "There was an agreement that existed before President Trump decided that it was not the path he wanted to follow," Grossi said on Tuesday in Davos, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal from which the U.S. unilaterally withdrew during Trump's first term in office. "Now we need to come to terms with how we deal with this, excluding, of course, a war. We don't want more wars," he added. The IAEA chief further claimed that "Iran continues producing large quantities of highly enriched uranium." "We are engaging with Russia, China, and the European countries, but it's clear to everyone that the U.S. is indispensable," Grossi said. "What we need is to find an understanding. This is going to be our mission in the next few weeks." Iran honored its commitments under the nuclear deal for a year following the U.S. withdrawal, giving the European signatories time to fulfill their promises to mitigate the impacts of Washington's unilateral exit. However, Iran began to scale back its obligations under the JCPOA in several stages as the Europeans failed to keep their end of the bargain. Earlier this month, the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami stated that objections from the West have not hindered the Islamic Republic's progress in its peaceful nuclear activities. He noted that the persistent opposition from European countries and the United States has not succeeded in hindering Iran's progress on this issue. "We have begun implementing a 20,000-megawatt electricity generation project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2024 as per the agreement. The projects are actively progressing and will continue to advance according to our planned timeline," Eslami added. 2050**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to join Pakistan-hosted upcoming AMAN-25 naval exercise IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jan 21, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- The Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, has said that Iranian naval forces have been invited to the Pakistani-hosted upcoming AMAN-25 naval exercise, and Iran will participate. After he met with Pakistan's Federal Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday evening, General Bagheri mentioned in an interview with IRNA that Iran's military delegation had held meetings with Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Prime Minister, the President, and the Federal Minister of Defence during their visit to Pakistan. In his remarks, Bagheri noted that many issues were discussed and useful results were obtained, with the most important being improvement of border security between the two countries, transforming these borders into the pathways for trade, prosperity, and peace of both neighbors. The armed forces of Iran and Pakistan deliberated on border security and combating terrorism in detail, and the development of relations between the two armed forces was also discussed in various dimensions, General Bagheri said. 6125**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Army ready to thwart terrorist threats, will crush enemy's delusion of grandeur: Cmdr. Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 7:23 AM A senior commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army says the country's armed forces are fully ready to thwart any hostile actions against the country "at any scale or level." "The country's Armed Forces will shatter the enemy's delusion of grandeur," Commander of the Army's Ground Force, Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari said on Monday, on the sidelines of two-day drills in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Heidari noted that "a very large number of troops and weapons" were taking part in the anti-terrorism drills. "The Armed Forces have exemplary strength and readiness, and will cut off the hands and feet of those who breach the country's security," he warned. Stressing the importance of regional and international counter-terrorism efforts, Heidari called on friendly and neighboring countries in the region to cooperate with each other to protect the security of the region. On Monday, the Iranian Army's Ground Force launched extensive security, offensive and counter-terrorism drills near the country's borders and beyond. The forces enlisted a vast array of military hardware. The drills have featured successful nabbing of ringleaders and senior members of presumed terrorist outfits, and preemptive attack against terror groups' positions across the country's borders. The Islamic Republic's Armed Forces, including the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), have been continuously enhancing their military hardware and combat readiness in line with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei's directives. The forces have vowed to defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of the threats that are posed by the Iranian nation's enemies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to participate in intl. naval drills hosted by Pakistan: Military chief Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 2:32 AM Iran's top military official has said the country would participate in international naval exercises that would be hosted by the Pakistani Navy and is scheduled to go underway next month. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks on Monday concerning the AMAN (Peace)-25 multinational naval drills that would take place in the Pakistani port city of Karachi from February 7 to 11. "Iran has been invited to partake in the international drills in Pakistan, and we will participate in this event," he said. The event has garnered significant international attention, especially with expectations of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) of China actively participating in the drills. Bagheri made the remarks after meeting with Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, to which the former has traveled at the head of a high-ranking military delegation. The officials underlined that the countries had to pursue a serious fight against terrorism to protect sustainable security in common border areas. Baqeri also said the nations had succeeded in enabling remarkable growth in bilateral consultations, particularly in the military and defensive sectors. He added that "fundamental" measures had been taken to close borders so that traffic between the countries could take place only through formal crossings. The official pointed to Pakistan's firm determination to battle the Pakistan-based Jaish al-Zulm (Army of Brutality) terrorist group and noted that coordination in border areas and swift exchange of intelligence would help the countries conduct swift operations against terrorists. The top Iranian general, meanwhile, welcomed the activation of Iran-Pakistan border markets, which would be a step towards ending smuggling and supporting trade activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu Speaks with IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi Israel - Prime Minister's Office Media Statements The 37th Government 21.01.2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon, spoke with IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, and thanked him for his many years of service as well as for commanding the IDF in the War of Redemption on seven fronts, which has led to major achievements for the State of Israel. The two agreed to meet in the coming days. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu Speaks with British PM Keir Starmer Israel - Prime Minister's Office Media Statements The 37th Government 21.01.2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon, spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who thanked him for the release of British citizen Emily Damari, and congratulated him on his actions for the release of the other hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu raised the issue of the weapons export licenses to Israel that have been frozen in the UK. Prime Minister Starmer said that an evaluation of the issue is being carried out. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli military chief of staff resigns over October 7 failures Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 4:38 PM The Israeli army's chief of staff has announced his resignation over the military's failure to prevent Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupied territories in October 2023. In his resignation letter released on Tuesday, Herzi Halevi, said he was leaving in keeping with his promise to take responsibility for the failure of the military, under his command, that allowed Hamas to carry out the attack on October 7. "My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me every day and every hour. This will continue for the rest of my life," he wrote in his letter sent to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the regime's war minister Israel Katz, adding that he will resign effective March 6, after two years and two months in office. Halevi went on to say that he made this decision long ago, adding that given the recent ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of captives being underway, "the time is ripe." Shortly after, Major General Yaron Finkelman, the head of Israeli military operations in Gaza, also announced his resignation. Israel's former minister of military affairs and opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman called on Netanyahu and the rest of the cabinet ministers "to take responsibility and follow in the footsteps of Halevi." The latest resignations came after Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire, accepting Hamas' longstanding negotiation terms. The ceasefire went into effect on Sunday. The ceasefire deal consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days. Negotiations for the second and third phases will begin 16 days after the implementation of the first phase. The first phase will see the release of some 1,900 Palestinian abductees in exchange for 33 Israeli captives held in Gaza. More than 240 Israelis were taken captive by the resistance groups last October, following which the regime launched the war. A large number of them have been killed as a result of the Israeli military's indiscriminate assaults on Gaza amid Tel Aviv's insistence on keeping up the war until Hamas' "elimination." The regime approved the deal after coming under monumental pressure from the families of the captives and despite far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatening that he and his party colleagues would resign from the cabinet and cause it to collapse if the agreement was approved. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel: 21 January 2025 The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. 21 January 2025 The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu today. The Prime Minister began by offering the UK's support for the hard-fought and long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which has now entered its third day. He offered his personal thanks for the work done by the Israeli government to secure the release of the hostages, including British hostage Emily Damari. To see the pictures of Emily finally back in her family's arms was a wonderful moment but a reminder of the human cost of the conflict, he added. The leaders moved on to discuss the need to see the next stages of the ceasefire deal implemented in full and on schedule, including the release of the remaining hostages. The Prime Minister reiterated that it was vital to ensure humanitarian aid can now flow uninterrupted into Gaza, to support the Palestinians who desperately need it. Both agreed that we must work towards a permanent and peaceful solution that guarantees Israel's security and stability. The Prime Minister added that the UK stands ready to do everything it can to support a political process, which should also lead to a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. They agreed to continue their close co-operation on defence and security matters in support of wider stability in the region - particularly in the face of the ongoing threat posed by Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli army chief to quit, taking responsibility for Oct. 7, 2023, security failure By VOA News January 21, 2025 Israel's army chief Herzi Halevi said Tuesday he would resign on March 6, accepting responsibility for the massive security failure on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants from Gaza carried out a cross-border terror attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 250 hostages. Halevi, in a letter to Israel's defense minister, said he would complete the Israel Defense Forces' inquiries into the shock attack that led to 15 months of fighting and help strengthen the IDF's readiness for future security challenges. "I will transfer command of the IDF in a high-quality and thorough manner to my successor," wrote Halevi, who is chief of the general staff of Israel's armed forces. A six-week truce is now in effect, but Halevi said, "The objectives of the war have not all been achieved. The army will continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas and its governing capabilities, ensure the return of the hostages" and enable Israelis displaced by militant attacks to return home. Ever since the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to answer questions about assigning blame for the attack, saying that such an inquiry could wait for the war to end. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 47,000, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, although Israel, without evidence, says it has killed 17,000 militants. A six-week truce is now in effect. Hamas says it will release another round of hostages on Saturday, as a ceasefire with Israel held into a third day and U.N. humanitarian agencies moved aid into Gaza to help Palestinian civilians. A Hamas official told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that the next group of hostages would be four Israeli women, who would be set free in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. With the ceasefire holding Tuesday, but more than five weeks remaining before a second phase would begin, questions remained about how quickly and successfully Israel and Hamas will negotiate the terms of the next phase. U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office Monday after officials from his team and former president Joe Biden's administration pushed to achieve a ceasefire before the change in power, expressed some doubts about the truce. "I'm not confident," Trump told reporters Monday. "That's not our war. It's their war." Trump said his administration "might" help with reconstruction efforts in Gaza and compared the territory to a "massive demolition site." Fifteen months of war has devastated the Gaza Strip, destroying many of the homes that Palestinians who fled in search of safety hoped to return to with the halt in fighting. The ceasefire has so far included the return of three hostages who had been held in Gaza as well as 90 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 915 aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday. The current conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group, attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 47,000, with most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar junta and insurgents sign ceasefire brokered by China After months of shortages, cross-border trade has resumed at some gates, residents say. By RFA Burmese 2025.01.21 -- A rebel army in northeastern Myanmar has agreed to a ceasefire with the junta after talks mediated by neighboring China, which is keen to see an end to Myanmar's turbulence, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Myanmar's junta has suffered unprecedented setbacks at the hands of different insurgent groups over the past year, raising questions about the sustainability of military rule over the ethnically diverse country, where China has considerable economic interests. China has been putting pressure on some insurgents, particularly those operating in Myanmar regions on the Chinese border, such as the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, to press them into negotiations with the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup. "With China's mediation and effort to drive progress ... the two sides reached and signed a formal ceasefire agreement, and stopped fighting at 12 a.m. on January 18, 2025," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a briefing in Beijing on Monday, referring to the MNDAA and the Myanmar military. The talks were held in China's southwest city of Kunming, Mao said but she gave no details of the agreement. "China stands ready to actively promote talks for peace and provide support and help for the peace process in northern Myanmar," she said. Neither the MNDAA nor the junta had released any information about a ceasefire at time of publication and Radio Free Asia was not able to contact their spokespeople for comment. The MNDAA, based in the Kokang region of Myanmar's Shan state, was one of three allied insurgent groups that launched a stunning offensive in October 2023, pushing the military out of swathes of territory, numerous military camps and towns, despite China's efforts to broker peace. The MNDAA captured the major town of Lashio and the army's regional command headquarters there in early August. China later closed the border with the MNDAA zone, cutting off vital supplies. In October, MNDAA leader Peng Daxun traveled to China for medical treatment and to meet a senior Chinese official. Sources close to the MNDAA later told RFA that he was prevented from returning to Myanmar as a way of pressing the group to make peace. China denied that. ASEAN urges nationwide truce Meanwhile, ASEAN member states on Sunday urged the military junta to cease all fighting against the country's various rebel factions and begin a dialogue with the groups instead of prioritizing holding elections next year. The generals who seized power in 2021 are hoping that an election will legitimize their rule and please neighbors, including China. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamed Hassan also said he had suggested to a junta representative that unhindered humanitarian access be allowed throughout the country, according to Reuters. Hassan made the comments to reporters following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat, which was held over the weekend on Langkawi Island, Malaysia. "We believe ASEAN leaders are well aware that the junta is attempting to find a political solution through fake elections," said Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the shadow National Unity Government, which was formed by officials deposed in the 2021 coup. "We welcome ASEAN's call to the military regime, emphasizing that the election is not a priority; the priority now is to cease fire," he said. Hassan also announced on Sunday that Othman Hashim, Malaysia's former foreign minister, has been appointed as the special envoy of the ASEAN chair for Myanmar. Malaysia will assume the rotating ASEAN chairmanship for 2025. Othman will travel to Myanmar soon, Hassan said. He'll be tasked with implementing ASEAN's proposed five-point peace plan, which includes a ceasefire and talks. The plan was formulated by the bloc just after the coup in 2021, but Myanmar's generals have ignored it and have battled on against a loose alliance of ethnic minority forces and pro-democracy fighters who have made significant battlefield gains over the last year. Questions over Lashio It wasn't immediately clear what the weekend ceasefire with the MNDAA would mean for Lashio, a major trade gateway with China. Earlier, the MNDAA said it would agree to a ceasefire if it could retain control of Lashio. A resident said there had been no major changes there this week. "Transport is running as usual," said the resident, who declined to be identified for safety reasons. "According to what we can see, it doesn't look like the Kokang Army is withdrawing," he said, referring to the MNDAA. "I get the sense they have a firm foothold here." A political analyst in the region said he had heard that the main issues the two sides discussed in recent talks were border trade and returning prisoners of war, not a rebel withdrawal from Lashio. He said he did not expect the region's status to be determined until after the junta holds an election, expected later this year, which it hopes will bolster its legitimacy. "We'll have to wait and see if the government and the MNDAA can discuss issues related to territory," said the analyst, who declined to be identified for safety reasons. Another analyst, who is also a former army officer, said both sides would initially be cautious. "The agreement has only just been made ... the next thing is to wait and see if each side is committed," said the second analyst, who also declined to be identified as talking to the media. The progress toward peace has led to China re-opening some of its border crossings, to the relief of communities deprived of Chinese trade for weeks, sources in the region said. "Food products can be sent and received normally," Nyi Yan, a liaison officer with the United Wa State Army, another militia force based in Shan state, told RFA. "China also eased restrictions on the import of fuel into Wa administrative regions on Sunday night." Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by RFA staff and Matt Reed. This story has been updated to include details from the ASEAN meeting. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yoon attends constitutional court hearing of impeachment trial in person Global Times By Liu Xin Published: Jan 21, 2025 11:59 PM South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the constitutional court's hearing of his impeachment trial on Tuesday, denying all charges relevant to his martial law imposition. It marked the first time in the country's modern history that an impeached president attended the court hearing in person, Xinhua reported. Yoon arrived at the court in a convoy escorted by the Presidential Security Service from the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, where he has been held in custody since last Wednesday. At 2 pm, he entered the courtroom, dressed in a suit and red tie, and sat waiting for the eight justices to arrive for the third hearing of the trial deliberating his impeachment over his December 3 declaration of martial law, according to Yonhap News. Yoon told the hearing that special forces troops sent to parliament on December 3 were not there to disable the legislature or prevent it from blocking his martial law because he knew such an action would have led to an indefensible crisis. His lawyers outlined arguments in defense of Yoon's martial law declaration, saying it was meant to sound the alarm over abuses committed by the opposition Democratic Party, Reuters reported. Yoon appeared in court because continuing to remain silent is no longer a viable option, Lu Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula issue at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. Court appearance on Tuesday may be just an initial step, with several more rounds of legal back-and-forth to come in the impeachment proceedings. Given Yoon's legal background, he and his defense team will likely make utmost efforts to secure a relatively favorable outcome in court, Lu said. As Yoon's impeachment trial progresses, tensions between the ruling and opposition parties are likely to escalate. Political fragmentation is expected to deepen, making the situation more complex and unpredictable, Zheng Jiyong, director of the Center for Korean Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times. The Korean Times reported on Monday that far-right YouTubers and media outlets have amplified conspiracy theories about Chinese interference in Korea's elections, even citing baseless claims to support President Yoon's narrative. The reported said that during the impeachment trial on January 16, Bae Jin-han, a lawyer representing the president, claimed, "The National Election Commission's (NEC) password '12345' for its electronic system appears to be a connection code between China's central and local governments, as if it were designed to grant access through China." Zheng said that hyping up the China factor for political manipulation is a typical tactic of South Korea's far-right forces, who often use such rhetoric to justify their actions. However, this approach is unwise and outdated. The expert said that China has already expressed its clear opposition to hyping Chinese elements in South Korea's domestic politics. Yet, some in South Korea continue to make sensational narratives on topics related to China with far-fetched reasons, unjustly dragging China into their affairs and tarnishing its image. This behavior is irresponsible and detrimental to bilateral relations. In response to Yoon's address to the nation on December 12, 2024, in which he mentioned the cases of Chinese nationals threatening South Korea's national security, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that "We will not comment on the ROK's domestic affairs, but we absolutely oppose the ROK side associating its domestic affairs with Chinese elements." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Telephone conversation with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. January 21, 2025 19:20 The situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone was discussed in light of the recent agreement reached between Israel and the HAMAS movement. In this context, Vladimir Putin praised the mediation efforts of Egypt and several other nations in facilitating the agreement. The leaders also exchanged perspectives on the situation in Syria, underscoring the necessity for unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, and ensuring the legitimate rights of all its citizens, irrespective of their political beliefs and ethnic or religious affiliations. The presidents had a comprehensive discussion of pertinent issues of bilateral cooperation in trade, the economy, agriculture, and culture, as well as the progress in significant joint projects. This includes the construction of El Dabaa, Egypt's first nuclear power plant, and the establishment of the Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal region. Mutual interest in further strengthening the friendly Russian-Egyptian relations was highlighted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia: Special Rapporteur appalled by prison sentences to punish Navalny lawyers Press releases Special Procedures 21 January 2025 GENEVA -- The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, today urged authorities to end the severe crackdown on the legal profession in Russia and stop endangering the lives and safety of lawyers. "I call for the immediate release of lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin, and for the verdict against them to be annulled," Katzarova said. "This week, when we mark the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer on 24 January, the Russian government continues reprisals against lawyers for carrying out their professional duties, such as this latest case of the lawyers defending late opposition politician Alexei Navalny." On 17 January 2025, Kobzev, Liptser, and Sergunin were sentenced on "extremism" charges, under part 2 of article 282.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, after a sham trial in the Petushki district court of Vladimir region. The expert condemned the sentencing on "extremism" charges of the three lawyers. "This serves as a chilling warning to all lawyers considering taking on politically sensitive cases, especially those defending clients facing political persecution," she said. "The term 'extremism' has no basis in international law, and constitutes a violation of human rights when it triggers criminal liability." There was no public information about the trial of Kobzev, Liptser and Sergunin, as such hearings are closed to the public. When the verdict was announced on 17 January 2025, the hearing was opened and about 50 people, including journalists and lawyers, were allowed to enter the courtroom. Five others, four of them journalists, were arbitrarily detained, apparently to prevent them from attending the hearing, and later released. "The persecution of lawyers and journalists is part of an alarming pattern of targeted repression and State control that is silencing independent media and the legal profession throughout Russia," Katzarova said. In her 2024 report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur documented the continuing attacks on the legal profession in Russia. "Lawyers have been imprisoned, prosecuted, disbarred and intimidated simply for carrying out their professional duties," she said. "Widespread use of vague legal definitions and unpredictable, often abusive, interpretations, as well as closed trials, have allowed Russian authorities to misuse and instrumentalise counter-extremism, counter-terrorism and national security legislation to stifle critics, ban anti-war speech, imprison legitimate political opponents and punish and endanger their defence lawyers," Katzarova said. "This practice must end." The Special Rapporteur has been calling for the release of the three lawyers since their detention in 2023. "Even more lawyers, including Alexandr Fedulov and Olga Mikhailova, two other former lawyers of Alexei Navalny, have had to flee the country and remain in exile facing similar charges," she said. "Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of lawyers convicted and imprisoned in Russia has reached an all-time high," the Special Rapporteur said. *The expert: Mariana Katzarova, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation Endorsed by: Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin vows to consolidate China ties after Trump inauguration Iran Press TV Tuesday, 21 January 2025 5:03 PM Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to strengthen relations and develop strategic partnership with China. Just hours after Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday as the 47th president of the United States, Putin held a meeting over a video call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Putin addressed Xi in video footage of the meeting released by the Kremlin as his "dear friend." "We build our ties on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support, equality and mutual benefit. These connections are self-sufficient, independent of domestic political factors and the current global situation." The two leaders have met over 42 times and in their meeting they have developed a close personal bond, making repeated efforts in past years to build deeper and stronger ties in military and economic fields between the two major powers. "I agree with you that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is based on a broad commonality of national interests and a convergence of views on what relations between major powers should be," Putin said to Xi. Putin called for "new plans for developing the Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation". The two leaders' personal ties strengthened by their shared view of the West as their common enemy, seeing it as a decadent force facing imminent collapse, have helped boost relations between Moscow and Beijing. Trump, who in his inaugural speech on Monday vowed to make America "greater, stronger and more exceptional than ever before", could definitely be on a collision course with the two due to their conflict of interests. Washington views Beijing as its biggest economic competitor and Moscow as its biggest military rival. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions following talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Moscow, January 21, 2025 21 January 2025 16:18 51-21-01-2025 Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's been a while since we last discussed bilateral matters substantively. While we have met on the sidelines of various events, we haven't had the opportunity to look into nearly all bilateral issues in such great detail. I'm glad we were able to bridge that gap today. I would like to particularly emphasise the fact that these talks held as agreed by the respective leaders of Russia and Armenia were particularly fulfilling and productive. They built upon the ideas discussed during contacts between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. We had a candid discussion covering nearly the full scope of our relations, as well as regional and international issues. We managed to reach mutually acceptable solutions with regard to a number of issues. Regular dialogue at the top level between our countries continues unabated. The President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Armenia have met many times, including last autumn and this winter. On January 17, they held a telephone conversation. Ararat Mirzoyan and I share the view that this kind of trust-based communication between our leaders sets the tone for further development of cooperation between our two countries, including at the level of our respective foreign ministries. We reaffirmed our commitment to the entire range of agreements with Yerevan, including in the military-political sphere. These agreements exist both on a bilateral level and within the framework of integration associations. We don't want our relations to be adversely affected by out-of-the-region players who have no interest in seeing the Russian-Armenian alliance strengthen. We look forward to seeing the entire array of mutually beneficial bilateral ties which it took many years to cultivate put to good use, and we will continue to cooperate in a mutually beneficial manner across all of the above - military-political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian - areas. Our bilateral mechanisms are operating smoothly. In late 2024, we held the 38th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission for Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the National Assembly (Parliament) of the Republic of Armenia and the 23rd meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia. We are preparing for a visit of Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko to Armenia. We hope to be able to hold the 10th Russian-Armenian Interregional Forum at the same time, which we discussed today. It is necessary to build up interaction between out ministries. I will certainly take the invitation to visit Yerevan, which Ararat Mirzoyan has reaffirmed today. We will also resume and maintain a regular dialogue between our deputy ministers. We have agreed to prepare the next two-year plan of consultations between our foreign policy departments soon. We talked about the possibility of expanding our mutual presence at the level of consultations, in particular, Russia's presence in the Syunik Region of Armenia. It is a strategically important region. We believe that expanding our diplomatic missions and increasing their number will meet the interests of both countries. We have made specific mention of the record-high growth of our trade, which is expected to reach and possibly even exceed $12 billion in 2024, or $1 billion per month. It is a really good pace. Russia remains the key foreign trade and investment partner for Armenia. Russian companies keep the lead in the amount of taxes paid to the republican budget and are among the largest employers. We know and see that Russian business is interested in a continued build-up of its operations in the Armenian market. We appreciate the Armenian leaders' attitude to our businesspeople. We also discussed our cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union, which continues to play a largely positive role in attaining the results in mutual trade I have mentioned. Statistics show that the EAEU has become a pillar of socioeconomic development in both Russia and Armenia and a factor of sustainable growth of our economies in what is now described as a turbulent international situation. We appreciate the results of Armenia's successful chairmanship of EAEU bodies in 2024. We also talked about practical interaction within other associations where Russia and Armenia are members, as well as about the importance of the South Caucasus for fulfilling the task of strengthening security on the Eurasian continent. Traditionally, the cultural and humanitarian dimension of our relations remains highly popular with our citizens. We discussed plans to prepare for celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. I would like to note once again that we will be happy to see the leadership of Armenia during the May celebrations in Moscow at the invitation of President of Russia Vladimir Putin. We noted the need to preserve historical truth and memory of glorious pages of our common history. We discussed the status of the Russian language and education in Armenia and in the CIS region. We noted with satisfaction the signing, in December 2024, of intergovernmental agreements on the work of Russian-Armenian University and an academic and sport facility of Gazprom Armenia. We talked about our plans to build a school for the Russian Embassy in Yerevan. We are mutually interested in resuming the Days of Armenian Culture in Russia (that the people of Russia like so much) as soon as possible. I believe that we will be able to coordinate a mutually acceptable date throughout 2025. We discussed our collaboration at international platforms. We voice either coinciding or similar approaches to most issues, including those on which we closely cooperate, while coordinating our actions. This includes the protection of our traditional spiritual and moral values, efforts to combat the glorification of Nazism, the preservation of historical memory, upholding human rights, cutting-edge technologies, including space exploration, enhancing the arms control system, and many others. We traditionally support the candidacies of our countries' representatives during elections at international organisations. We discussed regional affairs, including issues of normalising Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. We reaffirmed our invariable readiness to assist Yerevan and Baku (in case they are interested) in all aspects of this normalisation, including assistance in drafting the provisions of a peace treaty, the delimitation and demarcation of borders, unblocking transport routes, as well as cultural and humanitarian issues. We have reaffirmed our further interest in the 3+3 regional consultative format, which includes the three countries of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and their three neighbours (Russia, Iran and Turkiye). We consider this platform to be very promising. In general, I think that we have had a useful discussion today, and I am sure that this exchange of views will contribute to the settlement of certain recent issues in our relations. Some of them caused disproportionate reactions in the media, and we exchanged our candid and honest assessments on this today as well. Both sides are in favour of expanding ties for the benefit of the fundamental, practical interests of the Russian and Armenian people, and want bilateral relations to be resistant to any momentary influence. Question: You often note that Russia is making efforts to promote peace and stability in the South Caucasus; you mentioned this in today's remarks as well. However, Russia's stance is often in accord with Azerbaijan's approaches, in both official and media rhetoric. Sometimes they even coincide. How can stability be promoted in this situation? Sergey Lavrov: I do not quite see what makes you think that Russia's and Azerbaijan's respective stances coincide, in the context of the reasons for our problems in relations with Armenia. From your question, you seem to have the impression that Russia is taking sides on the South Caucasus agenda and ways to normalise Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. This is not true. We are addressing issues that we view as critical, pertaining to the normalisation of relations between Yerevan and Baku. We are deeply interested in our brothers living in peace as good neighbours. We have strategic partnerships and allied relationships with Armenia as well as with Azerbaijan. We have a vested interest in [a normalisation], unlike certain countries located far away from the South Caucasus that promote a completely different agenda aimed at maintaining tension here as long as possible, expecting to use it to promote their geostrategic interests more effectively. Russia is guided by the trilateral agreements reached by our leaders in 2020-2022, with the consent of both Yerevan and Baku. A whole series (1,2,3,4) of trilateral agreements has been concluded on the general normalisation, the peace treaty, unblocking of economic and transport ties in the region, and the delimitation and demarcation of the borders in the future. Our involvement in these processes exactly aligns with the extent that our participation is required by Yerevan and Baku. No more and no less. Question: At the news conference regarding the outcomes of 2024, you described relations with Armenia as difficult. However, three years ago, the situation was notably different. Could you elucidate on why these relations have become more complex and under what circumstances, in your view, might it be feasible to restore the dialogue with Yerevan to its previous state? Sergey Lavrov: I am not aware of any country with which I would describe our relations as simple. Consider this: having simple relations with country 'X' is an implausible notion. In any relationship, there are matters that require resolution. The closer nations and their peoples are, the richer their interaction across all spheres - be it political, security, economic, humanitarian, or cultural. And with richer relations, more activities are organised, which leads to more practical issues emerging. Moreover, there are political matters that certain factions have deliberately exacerbated within our relations. President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have addressed this during their meetings over the past few months, which included two meetings and a telephone conversation. Today, Ararat Mirzoyan and I agreed that going forward, as in our previous meetings, we will candidly and honestly express any concerns that arise between Armenia and Russia. We will endeavour to ensure that the media space is not exploited by those ill-wishers aiming to transform our normal working relations into strained ones. Once again, I will reiterate our complete understanding of the necessity for open and honest dialogue. Our leaders exemplify this approach. I am convinced it is the correct path to take, and I believe my colleague and comrade Ararat Mirzoyan concurs with this sentiment. Question: How would you comment on US President Donald Trump's initial statements on foreign policy - ranging from the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation to the intention to impose tariffs on BRICS countries and renaming the Gulf of Mexico? Marco Rubio has recently been appointed as the US Secretary of State. Is it conceivable to anticipate a resumption of contacts between Moscow and Washington? Sergey Lavrov: I can offer a commentary on the decisions announced by President Trump. Numerous political analysts are addressing these matters. In brief, it is evident that this signals the methods by which President Trump and his administration aim to advance the interests of the United States on the global stage. The interests of the United States have remained unchanged, irrespective of whether Democrats or Republicans occupy the White House. The goal has always been to maintain supremacy over any competitor. The previous administration operated with the same objective. President Donald Trump has demonstrated the methods he intends to use to achieve this goal. We respect the choice of the American people. As I understand it, the US leadership under President Trump has also repeatedly indicated that they respect the choices made by the Russian people. Regarding contacts, President Vladimir Putin, when addressing this question, responded positively. Subsequently, President Trump also indicated his intention to engage with the President of the Russian Federation in the near future. The answer has long been known. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, Moscow, January 21, 2025 21 January 2025 13:43 49-21-01-2025 Mr Mirzoyan, Friends, We are delighted to welcome you to Moscow as the year 2025 begins. The year 2024 was quite challenging as far as our bilateral relations were concerned. Today, we would like to have a frank conversation with you and to do that in the same spirit as our respective leaders - President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - have been maintaining when discussing items on our agenda that matter for you and for the Russian Federation. I am convinced that we will be able to tackle all the challenges we face in a constructive manner, as we have just said in our face-to-face conversation. Russia has always appreciated and continues to treasure its brotherly ties with the people of Armenia and with Armenia, our natural strategic partner and ally. We are interested in reinforcing and building on these centuries-old traditions of friendship and neighbourly relations. Holding regular meetings at the highest level, our contacts with you, as well as meetings between our respective economic agencies offer a solid foundation for moving forward. In 2024, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan visited Moscow two times. He took part in a CIS meeting and attended the BRICS Summit in Kazan where he took part in the BRICS Outreach / BRICS Plus meeting. Apart from the meetings at the highest level, we also had the regular 23rd meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation. It is co-chaired by our deputy prime ministers. Several important agreements were signed on the sidelines of this event. In just a couple of months, we will come together to mark 80 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War by our nations, together with other nations of the Soviet Union. You and I have just discussed trade and economic relations and the positive momentum we are witnessing in this domain. According to statistics, our trade reached an all-time high of almost $12 billion in 2024. These are truly impressive results which are attributable to our bilateral cooperation, as well as within the Eurasian Economic Union. It is our hope that all this facilitates socioeconomic development and helps Armenia achieve the objectives it pursues. We appreciate efforts to expand our shared cultural and humanitarian space, promote educational and region-to-region ties. All these undertakings enrich our relations and matter greatly for our people and nations. Today, we will discuss our bilateral relations in all their aspects. Of course, we cannot fail to mention the situation in the region and international developments. Regional security is a major component of what we do in South Caucasus. Russia stands ready to provide the necessary assistance in bringing the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan back to normal across the board by building on the agreements which were reached by the leaders of our three countries in 2020-2022. We believe that these agreements remain relevant, especially considering the current situation in the region. We have a busy agenda for today's meeting, and I am looking forward to a productive conversation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia and China Working to Ensure Indivisible Security in Eurasia - Putin Sputnik News 20250121 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a video conference with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss Eurasian security and bilateral relations. Russia and China are working to develop Eurasian security, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. "We are working in the interests of ensuring indivisible security in the Eurasian space and the world as a whole," he said in a video conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Moscow has also become Beijing's principal gas supplier, he stated. "Five years ago, together with you, we launched the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. Today, Russia has become the number one supplier of natural gas to China," Putin said. Moscow and Beijing build relations based on friendship and mutual trust, he added. "I agree with you that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is based on a broad commonality of national interests and a convergence of views on what relations between major powers should be like. We build our ties on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support, equality and mutual benefit," Putin stressed to Xi. During the conversation, Putin suggested summarizing work over the past year and outlining new plans to develop relations. "Successful joint projects are being implemented in industry, transport, agriculture and other areas," Putin said, adding that the bilateral ties do not depend on the political situation. The comprehensive strengthening of relations between Russia and China meets the objectives of their development, Putin said. On Xi-Trump Conversation and Taiwanese Issue Chinese President Xi Jinping briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin about his phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday. "President Xi Jinping gave an outline of the contents of his January 17 phone call with president Trump," Ushakov told reporters. Putin and Xi also discussed issues related to the development of possible contacts with the US administration, the official said, noting that the talks were not related to Trump's inauguration. The leaders traditionally hold either a telephone conversation or an exchange of views via video conference at the beginning of the year. The agreement on the date of January 21 was reached back in December, Ushakov said. "The topic of relations between both countries and the US was touched upon and, I mentioned, president Xi Jinping even shared his assessments of his telephone conversation with President Trump," the official said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the problem of Taiwan, Kremlin aide added. "Among the regional topics, the leaders dealt with the situation in the Asia-Pacific region... I would like to emphasize that on the Taiwan issue, our country has confirmed its unwavering position of support for the 'one China' principle, Ushakov told reporters. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed the situation around Ukraine and the relations of both countries with the United States, taking into account the coming to power of the new US leader Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov added. "Naturally, the situation around Ukraine and the relations of our two countries with the United States were discussed, taking into account the Trump administration coming to power in Washington," Ushakov told reporters. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN rights expert calls for end to Russia's crackdown on lawyers 21 January 2025 - A UN independent human rights expert on Tuesday called for an end to Russia's severe crackdown on the legal profession, condemning the prison sentences handed down to three lawyers last week who defended the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Mariana Katzarova, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, urged Russian authorities to release lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser and Igor Sergunin, who were sentenced on 17 January to prison terms on "extremism" charges. Their trial, held in the Petushki district court of the Vladimir region, was criticized as a sham. "This week, when we mark the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, the Russian Government continues reprisals against lawyers for carrying out their professional duties," Ms. Katzarova said. She called for the immediate release of three lawyers, and for the verdict against them to be annulled. Chilling effect The sentencing of Mr. Kobzev, Mr. Liptser and Mr. Sergunin serves as a "chilling warning" to lawyers considering politically sensitive cases in Russia, Ms. Katzarova said, describing the charges as baseless under international law. "The term 'extremism' has no foundation in international law and constitutes a violation of human rights when used to trigger criminal liability," she said. The trial took place behind closed doors, although around 50 people were allowed into the courtroom as the verdict was handed down, including journalists and lawyers, according to a news release issued by the Special Rapporteur. Five others, four of them journalists, were arbitrarily detained, apparently to prevent them from attending the hearing. They were later released. "The persecution of lawyers and journalists is part of an alarming pattern of targeted repression and State control that is silencing independent media and the legal profession throughout Russia," Ms. Katzarova added. Escalating repressions The Special Rapporteur's 2024 report to the UN Human Rights Council documented continuing attacks on the legal profession in Russia. "Lawyers have been imprisoned, prosecuted, disbarred and intimidated simply for carrying out their professional duties," Ms. Katzarova said. She noted "widespread use" of vague legal definitions and unpredictable, often abusive, interpretations, as well as closed trials which have allowed Russian authorities to misuse and instrumentalise counter-extremism, counter-terrorism and national security legislation to stifle critics, ban anti-war speech, imprison legitimate political opponents and punish and endanger their defence lawyers. "This practice must end," she added. Independent expert The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was established by the Human Rights Council in October 2022, and subsequently extended. Ms. Katzarova was appointed as the Special Rapporteur by the Council in April 2023 and assumed her function on 1 May 2023. She is not a UN staff member, does not draw a salary, and serves in her individual capacity, independent of the UN Secretariat. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Kurds look for continued US support under Trump By Sirwan Kajjo January 21, 2025 Kurdish groups in Syria are expressing hope for continued support from the United States as President Donald Trump begins his second term in office. Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have been a key U.S. partner in the fight against the Islamic State terror group, also known as IS or ISIS. Supported by a U.S.-led global coalition, the SDF runs a large territory once controlled by IS in northeastern Syria. Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the SDF, congratulated Trump on Monday after he was sworn in. "We look forward to continuing cooperation in achieving stability, defeating terrorism, and supporting peace in Northeast Syria," Abdi said in a post on the social media platform X. Following the fall of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad last month, U.S.-backed Kurdish forces have been under mounting pressure by both the new authorities in Damascus and the Turkish government to disarm. Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups also have been in daily clashes with the SDF in parts of northern Syria. Ankara views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, considered to be a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. The U.S. has about 2,000 troops in Syria as part of the anti-IS mission, according to the Pentagon. Asked during a Jan. 7 press conference whether he would keep the same troop capacity in Syria, Trump said he wouldn't comment on a military strategy. With regards to tensions between the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian Kurds, Trump said he is friends with Erdogan. "He's a guy I like and respect. I think he respects me also," Trump said during the same press conference. "He's the one that didn't go after certain people after I requested that he not, you know what I'm talking about, the Kurds. I don't know how long that's going to [hold] because they're natural enemies. They hate each other, but he didn't do that yet, and he didn't do it in the past also. He started, and I said please don't do that, and he didn't do it," Trump added. Trump was referring to discussions he had with the Turkish president in 2019 during the former's first term in office. Following a partial U.S. troop withdrawal from northeast Syria in October 2019, the Turkish military and their Syrian proxies carried out a major ground offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces. Turkey ended its campaign after several ceasefire agreements brokered separately by the U.S. and Russia. Newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his Senate confirmation hearing last week that it was important to continue supporting Syrian Kurdish forces. "We need to recognize that there are implications to abandoning partners who have a great sacrifice and threat, actually jailed the ISIS fighters," Rubio said, referring to the thousands of IS foreign fighters who are held in Kurdish-run prisons and camps in northeast Syria. "One of the reasons why we were able to dismantle ISIS, because they [Syrian Kurds] were willing to host them in jails, a great personal threat to them, and obviously that situation is very tenuous," he said. Rubio noted that it was in the U.S. national interest "to have a Syria that is no longer a playground for ISIS, that respects religious minorities, ranging from Alawites all the way to Christians, that protects the Kurds, and at the same time it is not a vehicle through which Iran can spread its terrorism to Hezbollah and destabilize Lebanon." The new authorities in Syria are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group that is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Some experts, like Brussels-based Kurdish affairs analyst Hosheng Ossi, argue that the U.S. and its regional partners, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, should view the SDF and Syrian Kurds as a strategic safeguard to prevent Syria from being entirely controlled by a radical group like the HTS. "Washington has invested in the SDF for more than a decade, and it would be a strategic blunder to let the SDF in the eastern Euphrates area face an enemy that is even more dangerous than Daesh," Ossi told VOA, using an Arabic acronym for IS. He said for the Trump administration to have a successful approach toward the Kurdish situation in Syria, it "could seriously and firmly seek to separate the SDF from the PKK." Suleyman Ozeren, a professorial lecturer at American University in Washington, said the U.S. remains the only viable mediator between Turkey and the SDF. "If President Trump intends to fully withdraw from Syria, he may need to apply pressure on both Turkey and the SDF to find a resolution," he told VOA. "However, the SDF will likely face significant pressure to make concessions, while Ankara may achieve favorable compromises." "Any agreement would also need to involve HTS, which presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Ankara, as HTS itself seeks improved relations with the United States," he said. This story originated in VOA's Kurdish service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan's Legislature passes 2025 government budget with 7% cuts ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2025 09:05 PM Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Taiwan's 2025 central government budget cleared the legislative floor with cuts of nearly 7 percent on Tuesday, after months of political wrangling between ruling party and opposition lawmakers. The Legislature approved the budget of NT$2.92 trillion (US$89.15 billion) for fiscal year 2025 after slashing and freezing an unprecedented NT$207.5 billion from the original Cabinet-proposed plan. At a news conference earlier the same day, Premier Cho Jung-tai () criticized the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) for making "extremely absurd" proposals to cut the budgets of various agencies. The premier accused the opposition parties, which hold a majority in the Legislature, of trying to disrupt the operations of the government, which is led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), by significantly reducing budgets. The Cabinet submitted its NT$3.13 trillion budget plan to the Legislature for approval in August 2024, but ruling party and opposition lawmakers did not begin formally discussing it until two months later due to disagreement between the two sides. The cuts of NT$207.5 billion passed on Tuesday include reductions of NT$93.98 billion that were adopted on Jan. 17, when the Legislature began voting on a raft of budget downsizing proposals driven by the KMT and TPP. They also include the Legislature's freezing of half of the planned NT$2 billion funding for Taiwan's fleet of indigenous defense submarines (IDS) on Monday. The freeze means Taiwan's Navy will not be able to spend the NT$1 billion until the IDS prototype, the Narwhal, completes its sea acceptance tests (SAT) and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) briefs lawmakers about it. The cuts of NT$207.5 billion also include a reduction of NT$100 billion in funding for state-owned Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), which has sustained huge losses due to rising global oil prices and the government's reluctance to raise utility prices. At Tuesday's news conference, Cho suggested the move could have an "incalculable" impact since the funds subsidize energy costs for consumers, though he added the government was "unwilling to pass on electricity costs [to consumers] at this time." After the budget plan cleared the Legislature, KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi () defended the cuts to Taipower's budget by saying that the DPP government's "wrong energy policy" had undermined the public interest. He criticized the government's proposal to increase spending by 10 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, since the country's GDP was projected to grow by only about 3 percent this year. It is the Legislature's duty to oppose "inflated" budget plans put forth by the government, Fu added. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun () said on Monday that the opposition-endorsed budget cuts would be "unprecedented," noting that the average budget cuts over the past three years were 1.17 percent, and between 1.1 and 1.3 percent over the past 10 years. In a social media post on Tuesday evening, President Lai Ching-te () criticized the budget cuts, which he said would "affect the fundamental functioning of the nation." Lai added that he would ask the Cabinet to identify public services that might be disrupted due to the cuts and report to the public as soon as possible. (By Wang Cheng-chung and Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/JT NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Despite change in venue, Taiwan present at Trump's inauguration ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2025 01:53 PM Washington, Jan. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's delegation of lawmakers to U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration did not attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Capital Rotunda due to space limitations, but it was still present at nearby locations to be part of the event. Taiwan's Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu () and Taiwanese representative to the U.S. Alexander Yui () joined other guests at the Capitol Visitor Center, called Emancipation Hall, watching the inauguration on a large screen. The other seven lawmakers in the delegation watched a livestream of the ceremony from a VIP area of the Capital One Arena, just over a mile away from the Capitol Building. Those arrangements were made after the outdoor event was canceled due to the cold weather and moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, leaving only a few hundred seats for U.S. big tech and businesses moguls, senior American politicians, and other world leaders. The final arrangements differed from what one of the lawmakers in Washington, ruling Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (), told CNA would happen on Monday morning U.S. time. He said Han would join the other lawmakers at the arena, with four sitting in a VIP area and four others in the arena. Following the event, however, he defended his earlier statement by telling CNA a different story, that the "itinerary had to be kept totally confidential due to concerns about pressure from China." Speaking to reporters after the event, Han acknowledged that Trump emphasized "America First" in his inaugural speech. But the legislative speaker called for more collaboration in the future between the U.S. and Taiwan, which has a global advantage in semiconductors and high-tech industries, as it would be mutually beneficial. Yui, meanwhile, said the Taiwanese delegation's participation at Trump's inauguration went well and demonstrated that "Taiwan was not absent." According to Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), the delegation had an invitation from the inauguration's organizers prior to the venue change, marking the second time Taiwan has been invited to the U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony, the first time coming in 2021. Taiwan will continue to build on the existing foundation to promote exchanges and collaborations with the Trump administration across various fields, the representative office said. TECRO, which represents Taipei's interest in Washington in the absence of formal diplomatic ties between the two sides, also thanked the U.S. for its arrangements for the Taiwanese delegation. (By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tariffs, defense demands keys for Taiwan in Trump's new term: Experts ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2025 01:27 PM Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Now that Donald Trump has begun a new term as America's president, analysts highlighted his policies on tariffs, trade, and defense and general disdain for allies as things to watch for Taiwan in the coming year. Trump, who assumed office on Monday (Washington time) for his second nonconsecutive term, has said he would impose tariffs "indiscriminately" on both allies and non-allies, said Yen Chen-shen (), a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University. Whether he follows through on these pledges and their potential impact on Taiwan could be a cause for concern in the short term in relations between Taipei and Washington, Yen added. "His approach, let's put it this way, shows no leniency toward allies," Yen told CNA, pointing to Trump's campaign promises to impose a 10 percent tariff on all global imports and a significantly higher 60 percent tariff on Chinese goods entering the United States. In late November 2024, he promised to implement a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico upon taking office, sparking concerns and criticism from both nations, which have a free trade agreement with the U.S. Yen said it was uncertain whether Trump would fully implement his economic sanctions, but he took note of the 10 to 25 percent tariffs Trump imposed in his first term from 2017 to 2021 on steel and aluminum derivatives from Taiwan and other countries. Taiwan's National Development Council head Liu Chin-ching () has said the 10 percent tariff, if implemented, would not have a significant impact on Taiwan. According to Liu, the possible U.S. measures could instead encourage Taiwanese companies operating in China to relocate in order to avoid the much higher tariffs on Chinese exports. On the other hand, Wen-Ti Sung (), a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, expressed less concern over what he described as "primarily electoral language," casting doubt on whether those tariff pledges would materialize consistently across the board. Whether the new U.S. government will create exemption clauses for partnered countries, including Taiwan, will "give us an indicator or two about how high Taiwan is on the administration's [list of priorities]," he told CNA. Also on Sung's radar will be negotiations between the two sides on the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade -- a framework covering 11 trade issues that Taipei hopes will eventually morph into a free trade agreement. "I'll be keenly watching for whether there's still progress [on bilateral negotiations under the trade initiative]," particularly the "harder-going" trade issues, he said. He was likely referring to thorny labor, environmental and agricultural issues on which talks began in April 2024 under the previous Joe Biden administration. They were started following the signing of a first agreement under the trade initiative, which focused on streamlining customs clearance rules and creating other conveniences for smoother trade. Sung acknowledged, however, that he was "not so optimistic" about significant breakthroughs in bilateral economic ties moving forward, arguing that Trump's "protectionist" policy might conflict with Taiwan's heavy reliance on global trade. Another issue that analysts and observers are eager to monitor is whether the Trump administration will push Taiwan to increase its defense spending to well above the NT$647 billion (US$19.76 billion) pledged by Taiwan for fiscal 2025, which would account for 2.45 percent of Taiwan's GDP. During his election campaign, Trump criticized Taiwan for not doing enough to defend itself against potential Chinese aggression, suggesting that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for protection from Beijing. In an interview with The Washington Post in September 2024, Trump said Taiwan should increase its defense budget to 10 percent of its national income, a figure far higher than Poland's 4.12 percent for 2024, the highest among NATO members, or the U.S.' 3.38 percent. NCCU's Yen cautioned, however, that there was no knowing whether the U.S. president was serious about his words or he was just trying to "intimidate" Taiwan. "If we respond to [Trump's urges for increased spending], it does not guarantee he will help us...If we do not, it will probably give him a convenient excuse to avoid intervening in the event of a conflict across the Taiwan Strait," he said. Sung questioned whether Trump would follow through on such a demand made during his election campaign. Instead, he suggested that Taiwan continue its current policy of gradually increasing defense budgets, as it would "show good faith" to the new U.S. administration and demonstrate that its "assistance is genuinely helping Taiwan to stand on its own two feet." At the same time, he said, it also serves Taiwan's need to build up its own defense capabilities in the face of growing military threats from China. (By Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan eyes further trade, economic ties with U.S. under Trump: FM ROC Central News Agency 01/21/2025 11:52 AM Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung () on Tuesday congratulated United States President Donald Trump on his inauguration, and expressed the hope that the existing bilateral partnership based on shared values and interests would stay strong. In a Facebook post, Lin said Taipei and Washington are "allied partners" that share democratic values, and he also "looked forward to opening a new chapter in our economic and trade relations." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) hopes to continue deepening and expanding bilateral cooperation based on the foundation laid by "mutually beneficial mechanisms" such as the CHIPS and Science Act and Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD), Lin said. "We look forward to further collaboration between Taiwan and the U.S. to enhance our economic and trade partnership to create more fruitful results from bilateral cooperation and jointly contribute to regional and global economic prosperity," he said. The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law by then President Joe Biden on Aug. 9, 2022 to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in America and to strengthen American supply chain resilience. Trump criticized the CHIPS Act in October 2024 during the campaign, but his advisers have since said they expected it to be carried forward. The EPPD, meanwhile, was launched in November 2020 during Trump's first term. The dialogue has focused on issues of mutual concern including economic coercion, supply chain resilience and investment, tax-related barriers and ways to ensure a secure energy transition in order to advance Taiwan's net-zero 2050 goals, according to MOFA. Due to sub-zero temperatures forecast for Washington, the inauguration ceremony was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, instead of being held on the Capitol steps. This adjustment significantly reduced the number of attendees, and seven of Taiwan's delegation of eight lawmakers were among many who ended up watching a livestream of the inauguration at Capital One Arena on Monday (Washington time). Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (), who headed the delegation, followed the ceremony with Taiwan's representative to the United States Alexander Yui () from the Capitol Visitor Center in the Capitol complex. In a separate statement released Tuesday, MOFA congratulated Trump on behalf of Taiwan's government and echoed Lin in expressing its hopes for the future. "Our government looks forward to continuing to enhance close bilateral partnerships with the new Trump administration on security, trade, technology and education for the well-being of the two peoples and to further strengthen the Indo-Pacific region and peace, stability, and prosperity around the world," MOFA said. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025/01/21 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Date 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Monday to Tuesday, Jan. 20-21 2.PLA activities 9 PLA aircraft and 6 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 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. 1140121_Diagram of PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry Opening Speech at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference The Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, Opening Speech at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference, Farnborough 21 January 2025 Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. Let me begin by thanking everyone at Defence IQ for bringing the sector together, and for this chance to address you. It's good to see so many of you here. In December the Prime Minister outlined the Government's Plan for Change. It is a plan to unlock the pride and potential of every nation and region, underpinned by economic growth, with the State as an engine of innovation, in partnership with businesses, civil society and the British people. Now, three weeks ago, I saw what that type of collaboration can achieve when I had the pleasure of touring the RBSL factory in Telford, and meeting some of the workers who have crafted the UK's next generation of Boxer armoured vehicles and Challenger 3 tanks. And I told them that the vehicles and the ingenuity and skill of the workforce that produced them should be a source of great pride for Rheinmetall, for BAE Systems and for the people of Telford and the surrounding area. Because Boxer and Challenger 3 are much more than state of the art combat vehicles, and a launchpad for the British Army to be a more integrated and lethal fighting force. They are a boost for deterrence and our national security. They are helping to galvanise the UK defence industrial sector. They are a testament to the strength of the partnership between the UK and Germany, which we've reinforced through our Trinity House Agreement. And they're a stimulant for the economy, jobs and opportunities, in the West Midlands, and right across the supply chain. And today, it will soon be my great pleasure to unveil one of the phenomenal products of their hard work here to you all in public for the first time, our very own British built Boxer. And the good news for all our foreign visitors, is that it can be yours too. I'd like to thank our German partners Rheinmetall. I'd like to thank KNDS as well as BAE Systems for their collaboration on this programme. And thank Rheinmetall for their investment which is enabling us to onshore gun barrel manufacture, after a decade long hiatus. The Boxer programme demonstrates the power of effective international cooperation. The UK variant benefits from the lessons learnt by our partners in Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Australia. Resulting in a vehicle, and I appreciate I might be biased, that can credibly be seen as the leading Boxer variant on the market and the best-in-class 8x8 vehicle in production anywhere in the world. Its modular design can be adapted to different roles, from infantry carrier to command vehicle to specialist carrier to ambulance. And there are new variants on the way, including Artillery, Bridging and Mortar models. Its digital architecture, which will enable continuous upgrade as technology evolves, ensures it will remain cutting-edge for decades to come. This flexibility and futureproofing combined with its mobility protection, reliability and performance makes it an attractive proposition for any army. A protective backbone for any fighting force so that it's fit to fight and able to pack a punch on any terrain for decades to come. The Boxer Programme is in the mould of the type of Defence Partnerships that we plan to build across the Defence sector, through our forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy. Because as we use our Strategic Defence Review, to plot a path towards spending 2.5% of GDP on Defence, encouraging Defence partners to manufacture here in the UK is a win-win. It bolsters our armed forces and enhances our industrial resilience, deterring potential enemies in an increasingly dangerous world, and unleashing our Defence sector to be an engine for jobs and growth. We are currently consulting industry and Trade Unions across our United Kingdom, so they can help shape our Defence Industrial Strategy. And I hope that any of you here with an interest will get involved in that process. The Boxer programme, alongside our new Ajax vehicles and Challenger 3s, will provide a huge boost to the British Army. And we are developing new variants of Boxer to strengthen the industrial base that underpins it. The programme has pumped more than 1.6 billion into the UK economy so far. And secured around 400 jobs in Telford and Stockport, and a thousand across the supply chain. And I can tell you, having spoken to some of those people, they're all very pleased to be working on the Boxer and the Challenger 3s. As a government elected with a mandate to align the UK's security and economic priorities, I want to send a clear message to industry partners, that we will use our Defence Industrial Strategy to replicate this British based blueprint, where it is in our national interest to do so. We'll also use it to strengthen our partnerships with Defence firms - primes, mid-tiers and SMEs. So that together we can accelerate innovation and delivery... strengthen interoperability with our allies and grow skills, jobs and exports. Building not just the next-generation of capabilities for the dedicated men and women of our Armed Forces, but also by delivering economic growth across the country building a brighter and more secure future for Britain. Thank you very much. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address First British-made Boxer vehicles ready for Army British soldiers are set to benefit from 623 new state-of-the-art Boxer armoured vehicles, as the first fully British-made Boxer was unveiled at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference today in Farnborough. 21 January 2025 First fully British-made Boxer armoured vehicle unveiled at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference Boxer production supports 400 jobs in the West Midlands and North East and 1,000 across the UK supply chain. Army equipment programme will create and sustain more than 6,000 jobs nationally, delivering on the government's Plan for Change. British soldiers are set to benefit from 623 new state-of-the-art Boxer armoured vehicles, as the first fully British-made Boxer was unveiled at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference today in Farnborough. The Boxer programme provides a huge boost to British industry, supporting around 400 jobs in Telford and Stockport, and a thousand across the UK supply chain, supporting the Government's growth mission. Delivering on the government's Plan for Change, the Ministry of Defence is also developing a Defence Industrial Strategy to grow defence jobs in every region and nation. The Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, unveiled the vehicle today at the International Armoured Vehicle conference. Around 75% of Boxer's components are sourced domestically, ensuring a resilient domestic supply. Some initial UK Boxer production is underway in Germany, whilst the manufacture transfers to the UK in parallel with the Government's drive to increase the UK's role in manufacturing more new vehicles. The production of Boxer builds on the Trinity House agreement, which fosters a common interest to better meet the defence challenges of the 21st Century. 5 billion is being invested in equipping the British Army with 623 Boxer armoured vehicles, alongside 148 Challenger 3 tanks, which are expected to be in service by the end of 2030. These investments continue to solidify the UK's position as a global leader in defence innovation and manufacturing and deliver on the government's Plan for Change. The production of the Army's three new platforms - Ajax, Boxer and Challenger 3 combined - will create and sustain more than 6,000 jobs nationally. It will also help UK troops move more rapidly by transporting soldiers, to and around the battlefield, enabling them to conduct their special-to-arm roles. Boxers can be rapidly adapted to suit various military missions, roles and scenarios across many theatres of operations globally. Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said: It was a pleasure to unveil the first fully British-made Boxer - a testament to the expertise and innovation of Britain's growing Defence Industry. The home-grown production of this world-class vehicle exemplifies our Government's Plan for Change, deepening our partnership with industry to deliver thousands of highly skilled jobs and drive growth across the UK. The vehicle unveiled today was manufactured entirely in the UK by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land in Telford, with collaboration from KNDS UK Stockport and national supply chains. The UK played a major role in the original design, development and testing of the Boxer, and the vehicle can be built and exported from the UK. Boxer is an eight-by-eight wheel, all terrain, highly protected armoured fighting vehicle that can be rapidly adapted to suit various military missions, roles and scenarios across many theatres of operations. The purpose of Boxer is to rapidly transport soldiers and mission systems to and around the battlefield, enabling them to conduct their special-to-arm roles. In addition, Boxers can be rapidly reconfigured, meaning that through its life, its capabilities can evolve. Speaking at the conference, Minister Eagle emphasised how Boxer and Challenger 3 are the launchpad for the British Army to be a more lethal fighting force, as well as helping to grow the UK defence industrial sector. Defence procurement contracts such as these are a key part of the UK Government's Plan for Change, safeguarding national security whilst raising living standards across the UK with good, skilled, productive jobs. John Abunassar, CEO of Rheinmetall in the UK, added: The unveiling of the first British-made Boxer is a historic moment for UK defence manufacturing. It not only symbolises the return of armoured vehicle production to British soil but also underscores Rheinmetall's commitment to delivering sovereign capability, innovation, and economic prosperity for the UK. Boxer is more than a vehicle - it's a Future Force Enabler, ensuring the British Army is ready to meet tomorrow's challenges while delivering real benefits today. Boxer showcases the wide-sweeping benefits that come as a result of investment in our defence sector as well as the power of effective international cooperation. The UK variant benefits from the lessons learnt by our partners in Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Australia. Continuing the strong relationship between the government and industry is crucial for economic growth, regional prosperity, and resilience by supporting skilled jobs and apprenticeships. Consultation on the Defence Industrial Strategy will run until end of February and will be published in late Spring 2025, with a remit extending to 2035. It will be a sector plan as part of the wider Government's Industrial Strategy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine says he 'didn't know' who he was fighting Ukraine announced in early January it captured two North Korean soldiers in Kursk. By Taejun Kang for RFA 2025.01.20 TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine in Kursk said he came to Russia without knowing who he was fighting, according to footage of an interrogation released by the Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelenskyy. Ukraine said earlier its forces captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk in January. Both were wounded and are in custody in Kyiv, reportedly receiving medical attention. "Even when I came out here, I didn't know that I was going to Russia, or that our enemy was the Ukrainian people," said the North Korean soldier. In the five-minute and 30-second clip released on Monday, the soldier can be seen lying on a bed, while listening to and answering questions from a Ukrainian investigator through a Korean interpreter. "There were many of them among the colleagues who came with me, but I don't know how many in total," he added. The soldier, who said he joined the army at the age of 17, said his mother didn't know about his mission. The soldier explained that he arrived in Russia by ship from North Korea and then travelled by train, adding just more than 100 North Korean soldiers were aboard the ship, and the same number boarded the train. As for the type of ship, the soldier said that it seemed to be a Russian ship and that it was a general ship, such as a cargo ship, rather than a warship. South Korea's National Intelligence Service, or NIS, released detailed satellite images in October, which it said showed the first deployment of North Korean troops. The spy agency said it spotted the North transporting its special forces troops to Russian territory on a Russian naval transport ship between Oct. 8 and 13. At that time, about 1,500 North Korean soldiers were transported during the first phase, using four amphibious landing ships and three escort vessels owned by Russia, according to NIS. When asked whether he had been trained in the use of Russian-made weapons and military equipment, the soldier said a few people were "selected" to receive such a training, but not him. Radio Free Asia has not been able to independently verify the video. "The North Korean soldier who was taken prisoner and the Ukrainian security service investigator are continuing to communicate," Zelenskyy said on his X account in a message in Korean. "The fact that these soldiers were moved to Russian territory, trained, and that such information was completely cut off was confirmed through the prisoners' statements ... All the facts about North Korea's involvement in this war will be confirmed," the Ukrainian leader added. Zelenskyy said in early January that Ukraine was prepared to swap captured North Korean troops for its soldiers being held prisoner by Russia, after releasing a video of the two captured soldiers. He added at that time that there would "undoubtedly be more" captured North Koreans and suggested that they could help Ukraine get out information about the war to help end it. Since December, North Korean soldiers have been actively fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk according to Ukraine and the United States. They say as many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia to support its war against Ukraine - although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has acknowledged this. Despite gaps in knowledge and experience, reports suggest that the North Koreans have proven willing to continue attacking no matter how many casualties they suffer. Ukraine reported on Jan. 4 an estimated 3,800 casualties among North Korean soldiers, saying they proved to be easy targets for Ukrainian drones since they were unfamiliar with the difficulties of drone warfare and were struggling to adapt. South Korea estimated on Jan. 13 that more than 300 North Koreans had been killed and about 2,700 wounded. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Presses Attacks, Ukraine Shows New Video Of North Korean Soldier By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service January 20, 2025 Russia pressed its attacks near the eastern cities of Pokrovsk and Lyman, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a new video purportedly showing a captured North Korean soldier speaking of heavy losses fighting alongside Russian forces. The developments on January 20 came as U.S. President Donald Trump, in his first day back in office, said President Vladimir Putin was "destroying Russia" by not seeking a peace deal with Ukraine and that he expected to speak to the Kremlin leader soon, although he didn't give a time frame. Zelenskiy released the new video purporting to show a wounded North Korean soldier following a similar release on January 11. The latest video showed a young man lying in bed and speaking Korean saying that North Korean troops had suffered serious losses fighting alongside Kremlin forces in Russia's Kursk region. Moscow and Pyongyang have not commented on the deployment of North Korean troops in the Kursk region. Kyiv and Western leaders say some 11,000 troops have been sent there and have suffered substantial casualties. Separately, the Ukrainian military said in its evening update on January 20 that "the enemy is intensively attacking Ukrainian defenders in the Pokrovsk direction." It said 65 of the attacks had been repulsed while seven more clashes were still under way. Pokrovsk has been the target of a long, brutal offensive by Russian forces as they attempt to capture the vital logistics hub in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The DeepState open-source intelligence resource, meanwhile, said Russian forces appear to have broken through another defensive line in the Donbas region that had otherwise been stable in recent months. A sustained breakthrough there could pose a threat to Lyman, a strategic city with a prewar population of around 20,000. With its closeness to the front line, the area has been regularly bombarded by Russian forces and been left mostly in ruins. Russia's Kazan airport said for the second day in a row on January 21 that it was suspending all traffic to "ensure the safety of flights," without providing details. A day earlier, authorities reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the city, the capital of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan. Local officials said drones had targeted a defense industrial facility, but they said there were no casualties or significant damage. The Kazan Aviation Plant, which manufactures strategic bombers used in Russia's war against Ukraine, was reportedly the main target, which if hit, could cause a major disruption to Russia's military operations in Ukraine. Russia's Voronezh regional government said a falling Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an oil depot in the Liski district, where a similar incident caused a blaze on January 16, as Kyiv maintains its campaign of attacks against Russian oil-storage sites. And early on January 21, authorities in Russia's Smolensk region reported an ongoing attack of Ukrainian drones. Hours after Trump's inauguration and his remarks of a quick pace deal, French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that the war was not likely to end anytime soon. "Let us not delude ourselves," Macron said in an address to the French military in northwestern France. "This conflict will not be resolved tomorrow or the day after." Macron said Western partners must give Ukraine "the means to last and to enter any future negotiations from a position of strength." Macron said that regardless of the outcome of the war, Russia will pose a security challenge for Europe and the wider world for the foreseeable future, and he urged Europe to bolster its defenses amid uncertainty coming out of the United States. On January 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his embattled nation had been struck by more than 1,000 Russian projectiles over the past week, prompting him to renew his urgent plea for additional air defense weapons, particularly the U.S.-made Patriot missile system. "More Patriots for Ukraine means more protection of life. More range for Ukraine means more guarantees that the Russian war can be stopped," he added. Ukraine is thought to have at least five of the $1 billion Patriot systems, although details have been kept mostly secret. Zelenskiy is expected to speak at 2:30 p.m. at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21 as he presses his calls for additional economic and military aid. With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/macron-france-ukraine-russia-trump- war/33282661.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Counting On Trump For Peace Deal, Welcomes Call To Hike NATO Spending By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service January 21, 2025 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he hopes U.S. President Donald Trump will bring about a "just" end to Russia's war against his country and that he supports the new administration's push for increased defense spending by NATO nations. "Trump, he told me, and he later publicly stated it, that he will be doing everything to end the war this year," Zelenskiy told gathered leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21. "We want to end the war this year. But not only with the word 'rapidly,' but also 'justly,'" Zelenskiy stressed, adding that Ukrainians deserved the right to live in "security." Trump is expected to speak at the WEF by video on January 23, one of his first major foreign policy discussions since resuming the presidency on January 20, although he may focus on trade issues, such as potential tarrifs. Organizers said the Davos event brings together some 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries, including 350 governmental officials and 60 heads of states and governments. Zelenskiy, in his speech to the Forum, also offered support for Trump's call that NATO members should increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), despite complaints from many members that it would destroy their national budgets. Most nations struggled to reach the current stated goal of 2 percent of GDP, although 23 alliance members reached that level in 2024. "They can all afford it, but they should be at 5 percent not 2 percent," Trump said prior to taking office for his second term. The United States spends 3.38 percent of GDP on defense. Given the size of the U.S. economy, that accounts for more than 60 percent of NATO's total. Zelenskiy told the Davos gathering that if 5 percent of GDP is the level needed for proper security, countries should commit to it without speculating on what they might have to give up regarding health care or pensions. He warned that Europe cannot afford to fall behind its allies, saying, "If this happens, the world will move forward without Europe." Zelenskiy's called for real energy independence for Europe, stressing the urgent need for nations to wean themselves from Russian gas while they seek guarantees of security from Washington. "Europe must step up with long-term strategies for energy independence. It's wrong to keep buying gas from Moscow while expecting security from the Americans." Zelenskiy called for the joint production of military technologies, including drones and air defense systems, citing the successful examples of cooperation between Ukraine and European partners in producing drones. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-davos-nato- spending-energy-russia-ukraine/33283784.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defence Ministry reports on repelling AFU attempt to invade Russian territory in Kursk region (21 January 2025) 21.01.2025 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region. During the offensive actions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on formations of one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, four mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one marine brigade, and three territorial defence brigades of the AFU close to Gogolevka, Guyevo, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Staraya Sorochina, and Sverdlikovo. One AFU counter-attack was repelled. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Viktorovka, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Kositsa, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Mirny, Mikhaylovka, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Miropolye, and Yunakovka in Sumy region. During the day, the enemy has suffered losses of more than 270 troops, an Abrams tank, a U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, three artillery guns, one mortar, and two electronic warfare stations. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 53,600 troops, 309 tanks, 237 infantry fighting vehicles, 178 armoured personnel carriers, 1,590 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,574 motor vehicles, 381 artillery guns, 44 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 16 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 96 EW stations, 14 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 31 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, nine armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address General of the Army Valery Gerasimov inspects Tsentr Group of Forces in special military operation zone 21.01.2025 Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation / First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation General of the Army Valery Gerasimov has visited a tank division and a motorised rifle brigade of the Tsentr Group of Forces, which perform missions in Krasnoarmeysk direction in the special military operation zone. At the forward control points of these formations, the Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces presented state awards to the servicemen, who operated in the most distinguished way during the liberation of the settlements of the Donetsk People's Republic, and thanked them for their courage and valour demonstrated in the combat missions. General of the Army Valery Gerasimov received reports from the Commander of the Tsentr Group, commanders of formations, and other officers on the progress of tasks in the area of responsibility. At the end of the inspection, the Chief of General Staff summed up intermediate results with the command of the Tsentr Group of Forces and set tasks for further actions. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Liberates Volkovo in Donetsk as Ukraine's Losses Mount Sputnik News 20250121 Russia's Ministry of Defense reported on the progress ot the special military operation and they key achievements of the Russian Armed Forces. Russian troops have liberated the settlement of Volkovo in the Donetsk People's Republic, the ministry announced. Russia's Tsentr group of forces has eliminated over 580 Ukrainian military personnel over the past 24 hours, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. Russia's Zapad group has eliminated over 510 Ukrainian soldiers, while the Yug group of forces has eliminated up to 290 Ukrainian soldiers, the ministry said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Vietnam Discussed Economic Cooperation President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 23:19 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh. The Head of State highlighted improvements in trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. "Over the years, trade between our states has been growing. I am glad that we have such strong economic ties," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The key topics of the meeting were further development of trade and strengthening of economic cooperation. Among other things, according to the President, Ukraine is ready to increase the supply of agricultural products to Vietnam. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pham Minh Chinh separately discussed the possibility of holding a meeting of the sectoral intergovernmental commission in the near future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine and Albania Concluded Bilateral Security Agreement President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 21:13 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama in Davos, where they signed the Agreement on Security Cooperation and Long-Term Support Between Ukraine and the Republic of Albania. Albania has been providing military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and it will continue its support throughout the ten-year term of the document. In particular, the country will contribute to the fighter jet coalition by providing language training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians. Additionally, both states will work on deepening their defense cooperation. This includes joint production with localization in Ukraine. Specific sections address economic partnership, security cooperation, accountability for Russia, compensation for damages, sanctions against the Russian Federation, and assistance in Ukraine's reconstruction. Albania also reiterated its support for Ukraine's future membership in the EU and NATO, as well as for the Peace Formula. During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Edi Rama also discussed concrete areas of defense support - things that can help Ukraine strengthen its positions on the battlefield in order to achieve a just and lasting peace. Special attention was paid to the future membership of Ukraine and Albania in the EU. Both countries aspire to become full members of the European Union. Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the official opening of the Embassy of Albania in Ukraine, which took place during last week's visit of the Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Humanitarian Cooperation and Exploring Ways to Achieve a Just Peace: The President of Ukraine Met with the President of Switzerland President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 20:54 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of Switzerland Karin Keller-Sutter in Davos. The Head of State expressed gratitude to Switzerland for its humanitarian and political support of Ukraine, particularly for hosting the first Peace Summit and participating in most thematic conferences based on the Peace Formula following its outcomes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Karin Keller-Sutter discussed exploring ways to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and all of Europe, as well as the importance of coordination with partners. One of the key topics of the meeting was Switzerland's participation in humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine. The presidents addressed financial mechanisms for implementing projects to construct bomb shelters in Ukrainian schools and other recovery assistance packages. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President and the Chancellor of Germany Discussed Strengthening Ukraine's Air Defense and Establishing Unity Centers President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 20:32 On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz to discuss further support for Ukraine and coordination with partners in pursuit of a just peace. The Head of State thanked Germany for its assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Germany is the second largest provider of support to our state. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the Federal Republic of Germany has provided assistance worth more than EUR 37 billion. The President particularly highlighted the country's leadership in strengthening Ukraine's air defense. Germany has made a significant contribution to saving Ukrainians and helped protect thousands of lives. During the meeting, special attention was paid to continued support for Ukraine, including further provision of air defense equipment, and coordination of steps with all allies. This will help strengthen Ukrainian warriors at the front, bolster Ukraine's position and bring a just and lasting peace closer. Another topic discussed was Germany's cooperation with the Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine. The sides explored concrete steps for establishing unity centers in Berlin. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between Ukraine and the Republic of Albania President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 20:14 Preamble Ukraine and the Republic of Albania (hereinafter referred to as "the Participants", or "Ukraine" and "Albania"), reiterate their condemnation in the strongest possible terms of the unprovoked, unjustified and illegal Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of international law, including the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris. Albania reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders as of 1991, including the territorial sea, and acknowledges Ukraine's inherent right of self-defence as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. The Participants recognise that Ukraine and the whole of Europe will not be secure until there is a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine's rights under international law and the UN Charter. The cooperation between the Participants is underpinned by a set of shared values, inter alia democracy, rule of law, respect for and safeguarding of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and gender equality. The Participants recall that Ukraine will continue to implement an ambitious reform programme and that Albania is dedicated to supporting Ukraine's reforms efforts. These are essential for its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The Participants reaffirm that membership of Ukraine in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation are in the strategic interest of Ukraine and Albania. Albania supported the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine of July 12, 2023 (hereinafter the "G7 Declaration"), adopted by the Group of Seven (G7) and the EU on the margins of the NATO Summit in Vilnius and the Ukraine Compact launched and endorsed on July 11, 2024 on the margins of the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. The Participants underline that this Agreement is not a substitute for Ukraine's future membership in NATO. Therefore, the Participants have jointly agreed to strengthen their security cooperation by pursuing the following bilateral long-term security commitments and activities. Part I. Security and Defence Albania will seek any possibilities and offer further security and defence-related support to Ukraine across all domains, with the focus on Ukraine's most urgent needs by promoting increased interoperability with Euro-Atlantic partners. Albania supports Ukraine's Future Force Concept and will continue to take part, bilaterally, multilaterally and with partners (e.g. within the European Union, NATO and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group) in the international endeavour to support the modernization of the Defence Forces of Ukraine to ensure their greater interoperability with NATO. It is the policy of Albania to assist Ukraine, on a bilateral basis and through cooperation with Allies and partners, with preservation of its qualitative defence and military edge amid rapid, uncertain and challenging regional political and security transformation. Albania will work on its training support to Ukraine in a multilateral framework and bilateral support in any other form of training that may be agreed, including train-the-trainer programmes. Albania reaffirms its continuous support to Ukraine through NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP). Albania will remain engaged in multinational efforts to support, improve and strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities, as well as ensure greater interoperability with NATO and its partners. Recalling the significance of civil-military cooperation, Albania will search for any substantial opportunity to implement civil-military projects with civilian capabilities in support of Ukraine, with emphasis on assistance to the civilian population. From the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, Albania has comprehensively supported Ukraine with its contributions in different areas, including military and humanitarian aid. Albania has made important military contributions to Ukraine, both bilaterally and via multilateral forums, and will continue to support Ukraine in the same way as in 2022-2024, addressing the most urgent and immediate needs of Ukraine to strengthen its security capabilities and taking into account Albanian capabilities. Albania will continue its support to Ukraine for the ten-year duration of this Agreement. The Participants will hold senior-level Strategic Defence and Security Policy Dialogue. The Participants will work together to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities, with an aim to reach a level that, in the event of external aggression against Albania during the period preceding Ukraine's accession to NATO, enables Ukraine to reciprocate with effective military assistance. Albania will make its contribution to the fighter jet coalition by providing English language training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians. Defence Industry Cooperation Albania welcomes Ukraine's endeavours to integrate its defence industry into NATO and EU efforts for promotion and enhancement of defence production capacities. Albania and Ukraine will cooperate on their defence industries integration into the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB), considering also the opportunities provided by the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). The Participants will seek further potential possibilities and opportunities for defence industry and its research, while developing efforts for the implementation of joint projects with common interest. The Participants will identify opportunities for closer defence industrial partnerships and cooperation, joint defence production, including with localization in Ukraine, aimed at mutual commercial and political benefit. Albania will work with Ukraine to identify potential funding sources for support of Ukraine's defence industry projects. Albania will work with Ukraine to strengthen protection of the transferred technologies and intellectual property rights. Intelligence and Security Cooperation The Participants will continue to deepen their intelligence and security cooperation in accordance with the framework based on bilateral and multilateral mechanisms. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Safety and Security Recognizing the risks to CBRN safety and security, in particular in armed conflict situations, Ukraine and Albania are committed to sustain and strengthen the existing global nuclear security framework based on the IAEA principles, approaches, conventions, norms and standards as well as other relevant international legal norms and instruments. Albania will support Ukraine's endeavours towards CBRN security, its sustainability and improvement, in particular through the sharing of good practices in strengthening the security of high-activity sealed radioactive sources (INFCIRC/910) and countering nuclear smuggling (INFCIRC/918), and exploring options to also address other challenges related to CBRN incidents. Maritime Security The Participants will seek to coordinate their efforts on strengthening international cooperation in the domain of maritime security in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, other international legal instruments, and their national maritime security acts. Albania will carry on its support to Ukraine aiming at building modern and resilient maritime security capabilities, including enhancing interoperability and standardisation with NATO. Cyber Security Ukraine and Albania will aim to prevent, detect, deter and disrupt any cyber aggression, cyber espionage and hybrid warfare. The Participants will also aim to identify and deter the malicious use of cyber capabilities by any state and non-state actors against the Participants. The Participants will support each other by sharing expertise and engaging in practical cooperation in the areas of cybersecurity and other advanced communications and information technologies (including, but not limited to, capacity building, norm development, legal frameworks, incident response and crisis management, critical infrastructure resilience, capacity building in emerging technologies, etc.). Ukraine and Albania will continue to exchange information, share experiences, and cooperate in the development of cyber security and cyber defence capabilities, including through increased cooperation on cyber diplomacy, providing technical assistance to Ukraine, as well as enhancing its cyber resilience. Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference The Participants will cooperate in the area of countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, including Russian or any other state-sponsored information manipulation, malign propaganda and disinformation campaigns affecting national security. The Participants will regularly exchange experience and best practices in countering disinformation, strategic communication and public diplomacy. Cooperation in the Fight against Crime The Participants will continue their cooperation under the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Albania, signed in Tirana on 28 February 2024. The Participants recognise that serious and organised crime (SOC) poses a threat to their societies. In order to counter all types of activities of SOC, terrorism and other crimes, competent authorities of the Participants shall, in accordance with the national legislation of the Participants, cooperate in combating and effectively preventing SOC and other crimes. To this end, the Participants will take measures to conduct joint operations, exchange the criminal information and identify the main risks, create joint working groups for police cooperation, and facilitate the provision of training and sharing of best practices. The above measures are not intended to be exhaustive, and the Participants may pursue other forms of cooperation to achieve their goals in combating SOC. Cooperation in Combating Drug Trafficking and Human Trafficking The Participants will cooperate in countering drug trafficking and human trafficking, enhance information sharing on transnational criminal networks, their operational methods, financial flows to identify and disrupt trafficking routes. Part II. Political Cooperation and Promoting Accountability Just Peace Albania will continue to support Ukraine's efforts to establish a just and lasting peace based on the key principles and objectives set out in Ukraine's Peace Formula. Albania will continue its diplomatic efforts to ensure broad global support for its implementation, including involvement of the Global South countries to implement Ukraine's Peace Formula and participate at the relevant Peace Summits and working groups. Accountability The Participants shall contribute to maintaining international legal order based on the UN Charter principles with regard to ensuring accountability of the Russian Federation and other states that commit gross violations of international law. The Participants reaffirm their commitment to ensuring accountability for international crimes committed in or against Ukraine, including the crime of aggression. The Participants will seek to hold to account those responsible for war crimes and other international crimes, committed in or against Ukraine in the context of Russian aggression, consistent with international law, including by supporting the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court to ensure allegations of war crimes and other international crimes, including sexual violence in conflict, are fully and fairly investigated by independent, effective and robust legal mechanisms. The Participants will work together in the "Core Group on options for the establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine", to establish a tribunal to ensure accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. As members of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, the Participants commit to bolster their efforts for the safe return of all illegally deported and forcibly relocated Ukrainian children and the reunification with their families, as well as to support the international endeavours aimed at ensuring accountability of those responsible. Compensation for Damage, Loss and Injury Caused by Russian Aggression The Participants reaffirm their commitment to holding the Russian Federation accountable for causing damage, loss and injury to individuals and entities, as well as to the state of Ukraine, as a result of its internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine, including its aggression in violation of the UN Charter, and that the Russian Federation bears financial responsibility for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. Russian sovereign assets should remain immobilised until the Russian Federation has paid for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. Albania, working with its partners in the European Union, will continue to explore lawful routes consistent with applicable contractual obligations and in accordance with EU and international law through which Russian assets could be used for the benefit of Ukraine. As a priority, the Participants will continue to work together with other partners towards the establishment of an international compensation mechanism to provide compensation for damage, loss or injury caused by Russian aggression, as envisaged by the Statute of the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine adopted by the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe CM/Res(2023)3. In this regard, the Participants will explore appropriate options for the financing of an international compensation mechanism to provide prompt and adequate compensation to victims of aggression. Restrictive Measures (Sanctions) The Participants recognise the value of restrictive measures (sanctions) in restricting the Russian Federation's access to the finance, goods, technology and services it is utilising in its aggression, in bearing down on Russia's revenue streams, and in deterring future attacks. The Participants recall that the European Union has imposed unprecedented restrictive measures (sanctions) against the Russian Federation in response to the war of aggression against Ukraine and aimed at imposing severe consequences on the Russian Federation for its actions and thwarting Russian abilities to continue the aggression. Albania supports these restrictive measures (sanctions) and will continue to impose sanctions on Russia. The Participants will continue working to ensure that the costs to Russia for its aggression continue to rise, including through restrictive measures (sanctions) and export controls. Albania will remain committed, in the European framework, to pursuing robust restrictive measures (sanctions) against sectors of the Russian economy and those who are supporting or profiting from the war, or assisting in sanctions circumvention in third countries. Albania will also take determined action with partners to tackle all forms of sanctions circumvention. Albania will consider the possibility of closing seaports for Russian vessels until the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored and a just and lasting peace is established. The Participants will provide each other with up-to-date information on the grounds for restrictive measures (sanctions) and other relevant information, in compliance with relevant obligations taking into account national legislation. Support to Participants' Reform Agenda, European and Euro-Atlantic Integration The Participants reaffirm that inclusive reform is indispensable for their future security, prosperity, their democracies and the resilience of their institutions and society, as well as for their European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The Participants reaffirm that both Ukraine and Albania are part of the European family and have a future within the EU. The Participants recall the merit-based nature of the EU accession process. Ukraine and Albania, in cooperation with the EU and its Member States, will continue to support each other in their accession path. Ukraine commits to continue to implement the necessary reforms with particular focus on areas such as justice, law enforcement, fight against corruption, preventing illegal trafficking, decentralisation, public administration, business environment, security and defence sector that underscore Ukraine's commitments to democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and media freedoms. Ukraine and Albania will support each other's efforts to integrate into the EU and adopt EU standards and norms by extending expert technical assistance to each other through their ministries, associated agencies, government offices, and foundations. The Participants reaffirm their positions that Ukraine's future is in NATO. Albania supports Ukraine's efforts to implement the necessary reforms on its path to future NATO membership. The Participants reaffirm that the security of Ukraine is an integral part of the security of the Euro-Atlantic region. Albania will continue to support Ukraine politically and practically also through NATO - Ukraine Council, Multiyear Comprehensive Assistance Package and through Annual National Programme and other formats. Ukraine commits to continue to implement the necessary reforms in line with its Annual National Programme. Any form of bilateral security commitments or guarantees provided to Ukraine by its partners cannot constitute an alternative for full NATO's membership. Enhanced Diplomatic Representation In order to foster deeper and more regular contact between the Participants, their government offices, parliaments, civil societies, non- governmental and private sector, Albania will enhance its diplomatic representation in Ukraine to provide comprehensive insights into Ukraine's needs for support in the context of Russia's aggression and to further develop bilateral relations. Part III. Humanitarian Assistance, Development Cooperation and Reconstruction Humanitarian Assistance and Development Cooperation From the very beginning of the full-scale war, the Government of Albania took measures to support Ukrainians who were forced to flee the war. These measures include the provision of temporary protection to Ukrainians, provision of educational needs, health care services and treatment, and access to the labor market. Albania will continue to support the citizens of Ukraine until the end of the war. Albania will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as it has done since the first day of the Russian full-scale invasion, and will explore further possibilities to provide support to Ukraine, ranging from established projects to building new partnerships, including by attracting the private sector and institutions. To meet the immediate needs of the Ukrainian population, Albania will continue to provide humanitarian aid and civil protection support for the war-affected population, delivered through its trusted Albanian and international partners, along with in-kind assistance. In the field of development partnership, Albania will seek to strengthen the support underway for Ukraine, including in the areas of decentralisation, transport, energy, agriculture, water, critical infrastructure, housing and the health sectors. Recognizing that many members of Ukraine's security and defence forces, along with their families, will continue to suffer from the impacts of injuries and illnesses resulting from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the Participants will expand cooperation in medical care by sharing expertise, standards, frameworks, and best practices for supporting veterans of war and their families. This includes facilitating their transition to civilian life and successful reintegration into the social and economic fabric of society. The cooperation will encompass mutual implementation of programs and services for veterans and their families, including physical, psychological and vocational rehabilitation, health care services and treatment, financial support, and commemoration initiatives to ensure comprehensive well-being. Humanitarian Demining The Participants recognise the need to unite efforts aimed at protecting the Ukrainian population from the devastating consequences of mines. Demining and clearing Ukraine of explosive devices, victim assistance and mine risk education are the basis for reconstruction and development. Given the extraordinary scale of the challenge posed by the massive contamination of Ukrainian land by mines, ammunition and other explosive ordnance, Albania will provide support to humanitarian demining actions in Ukraine, including at sea, in cooperation with other partner countries. This support will include the explosive device clearance, assistance to victims, mine risk education, exchange of expertise and knowledge, provision of machinery and equipment, and support for the institutional capacity of government humanitarian demining units. Recovery, Reconstruction, Sustainable Development Albania supports Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction and its modernisation in particular in the areas of green transition, digitalization, telecommunications, energy efficiency, technical assistance, education and knowledge sharing, public financial management and central banking, waste processing, water treatment, restoration of natural environment, construction, planning and infrastructure, using innovative and gender sensitive based approaches. Ukraine and Albania acknowledge that the non-governmental actors will play a fundamental role in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. This includes the engagement of the private sector, civil society and local governments as drivers of ambitious processes. With this in mind, Ukraine and Albania will promote business-to-business and civil society approaches. Albania will use the economic and financial instruments at its disposal in cooperation with all relevant international organisations and partners. Albania will work together with Ukraine to encourage Albanian enterprises, foundations and institutions to actively participate in projects aimed at rebuilding the Ukrainian economy, as strengthening the private sector is one of the priorities of its recovery. The Participants will work together to strengthen cooperation between municipalities of Ukraine and Albania at the local government level, based on existing and future partnership agreements within the framework of reconstruction projects. Albania will take all necessary measures for the practical implementation of the Balkan quarter construction project. Albania recognises Kharkiv as a city of special interest within the framework of twinning relations between Tirana and Kharkiv, and will prioritize its support for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. Ukraine recognises that the recovery process should be transparent and accountable to the people of Ukraine and to the international community. Resilience of Critical Infrastructure The Participants intend to explore possibilities for enhancing resilience, restoration, and improving the protection of the critical infrastructure by sharing knowledge and best practices, and providing any possible equipment. Culture, Art, and Cultural Heritage Albania, acknowledging the significance of culture and art for democratic societies and the preservation of Ukrainian identity and traditions, will continue to collaborate with Ukraine in supporting artists and cultural professionals. With a shared commitment to upholding freedom of expression as a fundamental European value, Albania endeavours to assist in restoring and strengthening cultural and artistic activities in Ukraine, pledging support to initiatives within UNESCO, the European Union, and the Council of Europe aimed at addressing the impact of Russia's aggression against Ukraine on its cultural and creative sectors, and accompanying Ukraine in its recovery. Part IV. Cooperation in the Event of Future Armed Attack or Significant Escalation In the event of future Russian armed attack against Ukraine or in the event of significant escalation of the current aggression, at the request of either Participant, the Participants will consult bilaterally or through other mutually acceptable channels within 24 hours to determine appropriate next steps. In those circumstances and acting within its means and capabilities, in accordance with its respective legal, constitutional requirements and with international rules and law, Albania would provide Ukraine, as appropriate, with swift and sustained political, security and defence, humanitarian and economic assistance; support agreement with international partners to impose economic and other costs on the Russian Federation and consult with Ukraine on its needs as it exercises its inherent right of individual self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. In order to ensure the widest and most effective collective response to future armed attack, the Participants may amend these provisions so as to align them with any mechanism that they may subsequently agree with other international partners, including the participants of the G7 Declaration. Part V. Final Provisions The cooperation between the Participants within the framework of this Agreement will be implemented in accordance with the national laws, regulations and international obligations and standards. The Participants will, if necessary, designate authorised bodies for the development and implementation of bilateral agreements in accordance with the areas of cooperation specified in this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended and supplemented, including by adding annexes thereto, at any time through mutual written arrangement between the Participants. Any differences between the Participants arising from the interpretation and/or implementation of this Agreement will be settled amicably through negotiation or consultation between the Participants. This Agreement shall enter into effect on the date of receipt of the second notification by which the Participants shall inform each other, in writing through diplomatic channels, of the completion of their internal legal procedures required for its entry into force. This Agreement will remain in effect for a period of ten years. The Participants can jointly decide to extend this Agreement through notification no later than 6 (six) months prior to the lapse of the ten-year period. At the same time and in accordance with the G7 Declaration, the Participants share the opinion that this Agreement is without prejudice to Ukraine pursuing a pathway toward future membership in NATO. In the event that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO before the expiry of this Agreement, the Participants will decide on its future status. This Agreement may be terminated by either Participant by giving written notice to the other Participant. This Agreement will be terminated 6 (six) months from the date of receipt of such notice. The termination will not affect the implementation of ongoing activities or projects, which have been decided prior to the date of its termination, unless the Participants decide otherwise. Signed in Davos on 21 January 2025 in duplicate in the Ukrainian, Albanian and English language, all texts being equally authentic. The English text shall prevail in the event of any discrepancy. For Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President For the Republic of Albania: Edi Rama, Prime Minister NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We Need a United European Security and Defense Policy - President at the Forum in Davos President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 17:07 Europe must maintain unity, increase defense spending, ensure energy independence and be able to guarantee security. This was stated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his speech to the participants of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Head of State noted that even though Russia's overall economic potential is way smaller than Europe's, the Russian Federation produces several times more ammo and military equipment than all of Europe combined. In addition, Russia is increasing its cooperation with Iran and North Korea. That is why it is vital to maintain unity in Europe. "We need a united European security and defense policy, and all European countries must be willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed, not just as much as they've gotten used to during years of neglect. If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defense, then so be it, 5% it is," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The President emphasized that Ukraine had set up models of defense cooperation that can make all of Europe stronger. This refers to the joint production of artillery and drones, including unique ones that have no analogues in the world. In addition, the Head of State called for joint production of air defense systems capable of intercepting all types of cruise and ballistic missiles. "Europe needs its own version of Iron Dome, something that can deal with any kind of threat. We can't rely on goodwill from a few capitals when it comes to Europe's security," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He also stressed that no European country should be dependent on a single energy supplier, especially on Russia, and the policy of U.S. President Donald Trump could help in this regard. Moreover, the Head of State noted that Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security for itself and for others. "Europe deserves to be strong. And for this, Europe needs the EU and NATO. Is this possible without Ukraine and without a just end to Russia's war against Ukraine? I'm certain the answer is no. Only real security guarantees for us will serve as real security guarantees for everyone in Europe. And we must ensure that America also sees us as essential," Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Europe Needs to Compete for the Top Spot in Priorities, Alliances, and Technological Development - Speech by the President at the World Economic Forum President of Ukraine 21 January 2025 - 16:57 Ladies and gentlemen, I want to talk about the future of Europe with you - which basically means the future of most people here. Right now, all eyes are on Washington. But who's actually watching Europe at the moment? That's the key question for Europe. And it's not just about ideas. It's about people first of all. About how they'll live in a world that's constantly changing. 20 hours ago, President Trump's inauguration took place in Washington. And now everyone is waiting to see what he'll do next. His first executive orders have already shown clear priorities. Most of the world's now thinking - so, what's gonna happen to their relationship with America? What will happen to alliances? To support? To trade? How does President Trump plan to end wars? But no one is asking these kinds of questions about Europe. And we need to be honest about that. When we in Europe look at the United States as our ally, it's clear - they are an indispensable ally. In times of war, everyone worries - will the United States stay with them? Every ally worries about that. But does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might abandon them someday - might stop being their ally? The answer is no. Washington does not believe Europe can bring them something that is really substantial. I remember last year's Asia Security Summit in Singapore - the Shangri-La Dialogue. There, representatives of the U.S. delegation openly said - their top security priority is the Indo-Pacific region, the second is the Middle East and the Gulf, and only the third is Europe. And that was under the previous Administration. Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see NATO as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions? Ladies and gentlemen, Europe can't afford to be second or third in line for its allies. If that happens, the world will start moving forward without Europe, and that's a world that won't be comfortable or beneficial for all Europeans. Europe needs to compete for the top spot in priorities, alliances, and technological development. We're at yet another turning point, which some see as a problem for Europe, but others call a chance. Europe must establish itself as a strong global player. As an indispensable player. Let's not forget - there's no ocean separating European countries from Russia. And European leaders should remember this - battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than to Pyongyang. Russia is turning into a version of North Korea - a country where human life means nothing, but they have nuclear weapons and a burning desire to make their neighbors' lives miserable. Even though Russia's overall economic potential is way smaller than Europe's, it produces several times more ammo and military equipment than all of Europe combined. That's exactly the path of wars Moscow chooses to take. Putin signed the new strategic deal with Iran. He already has the comprehensive treaty with North Korea. Whom do they make such deals against? Against you, against us. Against Europe, against America. We must not forget about it. It is not by chance. These are their strategic priorities, and our priorities must match the challenge - in politics and in defense and in economy. Such threats can only be countered together. Even when it comes to army size. Russia can field about 1.3, maybe 1.5 million troops. We've got more than 800,000 in our military. Second after us comes France, with over 200,000. Then Germany, Italy, and the UK. Everyone else has less. This isn't a situation where one country can secure itself alone. It's about all of us standing together to mean something. For now, thankfully, the influence of Iran's regime is weakening. This gives hope for Syria and Lebanon. And they should too become examples of how life can recover after war. Ukraine's already stepping in to support the new Syria. Our ministers have been to Damascus, we've launched a food aid program for Syria called 'Food from Ukraine,' and we're getting our partners involved to invest in these deliveries and in building food production facilities. Europe could totally step in as a security donor for Syria - time to stop getting headaches from that direction. And Europe together with America should put paid to the Iranian threat. Next. Right now, it's not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against our country ends. We see how much influence China has on Russia. We're deeply grateful to Europe for all the support it's given our country during this war. But will President Trump listen to Europe, or will he negotiate with Russia and China without Europe? Europe needs to learn how to fully take care of itself, so that the world can't afford to ignore it. It's vital to maintain unity in Europe, because the world doesn't care about just Budapest or Brussels - it cares about Europe as a whole. We need a united European security and defense policy, and all European countries must be willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed, not just as much as they've gotten used to during years of neglect. If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defense, then so be it, 5% it is. And there is no need to play with people's emotions that defense should be compensated at the expense of medicine or pensions or something else - that's really not fair. We've already set up models of cooperation for Ukraine's defense that can make all of Europe stronger. We're building drones together - including some totally unique ones that no one else in the world has. We're producing artillery together - and in Ukraine, it's much cheaper and faster than in any other country in the world. And investing now in Ukrainian drones' production is investing not only in the security of Europe but the ability of Europe to be a security guarantor for other vital regions. And we need to start building air defense systems together - ones that can actually handle all types of cruise and ballistic missiles. Europe needs its own version of the Iron Dome, something that can deal with any kind of threat. We can't rely on goodwill from a few capitals when it comes to Europe's security - whether it's Washington, Berlin, Paris, London, Rome, or - after Putin kicks the bucket - some imaginary democrat in Moscow someday. And we need to make sure no European country is dependent on a single energy supplier - especially not Russia. Right now, things are on our side - President Trump is going to export more energy. But Europe needs to step up and do more long-term work to secure real energy independence. You can't keep buying gas from Moscow while also expecting security guarantees, help, and backup from the Americans. That's just wrong. For example, the Prime Minister of Slovakia is not seeking access to the US gas but does not lose hope to enjoy the US security umbrella. Europe must have a seat at the table when deals about war and peace are made. And I'm not just talking about Ukraine here. This should be the standard. Europe deserves to be more than just a bystander, with its leaders reduced to posting on X after an agreement has already been made. Europe needs to shape the terms of those deals. Next. We need a completely new, bolder approach to tech companies and technological development. If we waste time, Europe will lose this century. Now, Europe is falling behind in the development of artificial intelligence. Already, TikTok's algorithms are more powerful than some governments. Already, the fate of small countries depends more on the owners of tech companies than on their laws. Already, Europe is not leading in the global tech race, falling behind both America and China. This isn't some minor issue - it's about weakness, first technological and economic, then political. Europe is often more focused on regulation than on freedom, but when smart regulation is needed, Brussels hesitates. We should ensure maximum tech development in Europe and together make all significant decisions - for the whole Europe. From weapons production to tech development - Europe must lead. Europe must become the most attractive market in the world - and that's achievable. And finally, Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security - for everybody, for itself and for others, for those in the world who matter to Europe. Europe deserves to be strong. And for this, Europe needs the EU and NATO. Is this possible without Ukraine and without a just end to Russia's war against Ukraine? I'm certain the answer is no. Only real security guarantees for us will serve as real security guarantees for everyone in Europe. And we must ensure that America also sees us as essential. For that to happen, America's focus must shift to Europe. So that one day, in Washington, they'll say - all eyes on Europe. And not because of war. But because of the opportunities in Europe. Europe needs to know how to defend itself. Hundreds of millions of people visit Europe to see its landmarks, to learn from its cultural heritage. Millions in the world dream of living like the Europeans do. Will we be able to keep it and pass it to our children? If we in Europe can answer positively America will need Europe as well as other global players. Europe must shape history for itself and its allies to remain not just relevant, but alive and great. Thank you. ! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskyy: Ukraine would need at least 200,000 peacekeepers for ceasefire By VOA News January 21, 2025 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that if a ceasefire deal were enacted with Russia, "at least 200,000 European peacekeepers" would need to be on the ground in Ukraine to defend the Eastern European country against a possible attack by Russia. Zelenskyy, speaking a day after Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency, said Europe must "take care of itself." He said 200,000 peacekeepers from European countries would be the minimum number of peacekeepers required, "Otherwise, it's nothing." "Let's not forget, there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia," Zelenskyy said in his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ukraine's president said Russia's demand that Ukraine reduce its army to one-fifth of its current size of 800,000 is not an option. Ukraine's best defense during a ceasefire deal, Zelenskyy said, would be its membership into NATO. While most European countries support Ukraine's entry into the alliance, Germany and the U.S. oppose it. Hungary and Slovakia, which are pro-Russia governments, also oppose Ukraine's entry into NATO. Zelenskyy also called on European nations to consider Trump's recent call for NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. "If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defense, then so be it, 5% it is." Zelenskyy said Europe needs to create a united security and defense policy. Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking a meeting with Trump, who had promised before the U.S. election that he would bring a swift end to the war between Russia and Ukraine if he won the American presidency. It has never been clear, though, how he would accomplish that. Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that Russian drone attacks damaged residential buildings in several parts of central and southern Ukraine. The attacks were part of an assault that Ukraine's military said involved 131 Russian drones and four ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 of the drones, the air force said. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysask said on Telegram that Russian attacks damaged houses and a warehouse, injuring one person. Cherkasy Governor Ihor Taburets reported Tuesday that falling drone fragments damaged four residential buildings, a school, a shop and a power line. Poltava Governor Filip Pronin said on Telegram that a drone fell on a house in his region, sparking a fire, while pieces of destroyed drones damaged six residential buildings. Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it destroyed 55 Ukrainian aerial drones, mostly in regions along the Russia-Ukraine border. Russian air defenses knocked down 22 of the drones over Bryansk, 12 drones over Rostov and 10 over the Smolensk region, the ministry said. Other intercepts took place over Voronezh, Saratov and Kursk. Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram that drone debris damaged several residential buildings, while Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a drone attack on a car injured two people. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian officials say Russian drones damaged residential buildings By VOA News January 21, 2025 Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that Russian drone attacks damaged residential buildings in several parts of central and southern Ukraine. The attacks were part of an assault that Ukraine's military said involved 131 Russian drones and four ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 of the drones, the air force said. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysask said on Telegram that Russian attacks damaged houses and a warehouse, injuring one person. Cherkasy Governor Ihor Taburets reported Tuesday that falling drone fragments damaged four residential buildings, a school, a shop and a power line. Poltava Governor Filip Pronin said on Telegram that a drone fell on a house in his region, sparking a fire, while pieces of destroyed drones damaged six residential buildings. Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it destroyed 55 Ukrainian aerial drones, mostly in regions along the Russia-Ukraine border. Russian air defenses knocked down 22 of the drones over Bryansk, 12 drones over Rostov and 10 over the Smolensk region, the ministry said. Other intercepts took place over Voronezh, Saratov and Kursk. Smolensk Govenror Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram that drone debris damaged several residential buildings, while Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a drone attack on a car injured two people. Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Presidents of Ukraine and Finland Discussed Steps Toward a Just Peace President of Ukraine 22 January 2025 - 00:08 On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of Finland Alexander Stubb to discuss steps towards a just peace and security guarantees. "Thank you for the latest package of sanctions against the shadow fleet, for many of your concrete steps, for all the aid packages and support for our people," the Ukrainian leader said. The key topics of the meeting were the strengthening of Ukraine's defense capabilities, security guarantees, and increased sanctions against Russia. All these steps are necessary to achieve a just and lasting peace, which is a shared goal of Ukraine and Finland; and an invitation to join NATO for our state is a major and most effective security guarantee. "We will continue supporting Ukraine. There are no questions about it. This is about your independence, your sovereignty and your territorial integrity. We admire your efforts," the President of Finland emphasized. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Alexander Stubb discussed the preparation of the 27th aid package and Ukraine's current military needs. Special attention was paid to investments in the domestic production of drones, particularly according to the Danish model, and the development of defense cooperation. The Presidents also agreed on the dates of their next meetings. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Carlsbad, CA , Jan. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- True I/O, a leading blockchain security firm specializing in real-time, tamper-evident solutions, IoT authentication, and Web3 naming technology for secure supply chains, and OroBit, an innovative platform utilizing Bitcoin Layer 2 technology to enable tokenized private market access, today announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming blockchain-powered financial and asset management solutions. This collaboration brings together True I/Os cutting-edge security infrastructure and OroBits pioneering tokenization capabilities to address the burgeoning $12 trillion real-world asset (RWA) tokenization market. Together, the companies aim to provide unparalleled security, transparency, and efficiency in tokenized markets while enabling businesses to unlock new opportunities in asset digitization. Partnership Highlights Enhanced Blockchain Security: True I/Os proprietary real-time blockchain integrity tools will provide OroBits ecosystem with secure, tamper-proof validation mechanisms, ensuring confidence and trust for participants in tokenized asset transactions. Expanded Market Access: OroBits expertise in Bitcoin Layer 2 technology and tokenized private market access will integrate with True I/Os solutions to offer a seamless, secure pathway for enterprises seeking to tokenize and transact in high-value real-world assets. Commitment to Innovation: Both companies are committed to advancing the adoption of blockchain in real-world applications by bridging security, scalability, and user-centric solutions. Partnering with OroBit aligns perfectly with our mission to redefine blockchain security and scalability for enterprise-grade applications, said Vincent Maher, CEO of True I/O. With our technology and OroBits innovative approach to unlocking the Bitcoin ecosystem, were creating a secure and efficient environment for the future of asset digitization. OroBits leadership echoed this sentiment. True I/Os industry-leading expertise and proven track record in blockchain security make them the ideal partner as we drive the next wave of decentralized finance through Bitcoin-native smart contracts, said Warwick Denman, Managing Director of OroBit. This partnership enables us to ensure unmatched security while scaling our solutions for enterprises across industries. The partnership is well-timed, as both companies are strategically positioned to drive innovation in the tokenization of real-world assets. With the increasing adoption of blockchain technology across finance, IoT supply chains, and other industries, this collaboration ensures that enterprises can securely and efficiently transition into the next era of asset digitization. True I/O, who successfully closed their tokenized $10 million Series A round, has solidified its position as a blockchain security leader, delivering real-time, tamper-evident solutions for critical applications and advanced web3 blockchain naming technology. OroBit, in collaboration with Deal Box, has already made waves in the Bitcoin Layer 2 space, creating groundbreaking solutions that merge traditional finance with blockchain innovation. About True I/O True I/O is a blockchain security firm specializing in real-time, tamper-evident solutions, secure supply chains, and authentication for IoT devices. Leveraging Web3 blockchain naming technology, True I/O ensures robust identity management and product authentication, safeguarding data integrity while enabling scalable blockchain implementations. By delivering trust, transparency, and cutting-edge solutions, True I/O empowers businesses to thrive in a connected world. Learn more at www.trueio.io. About OroBit OroBit is at the forefront of decentralizing finance with its Bitcoin-native smart contracts and tokenized assets. Anchored by real gold, OroBit blends blockchain innovation with tangible security. Discover more at orobit.ai. For additional information, visit https://orobit.ai. Media Inquiries Thomas Carter Email: thomas@dealbox.io Warwick Denman Managing Director, OroBit, Inc. Email: invest@orobit.ai New York, United States, Jan. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) is a compound of indium, gallium, zinc, and oxygen (O) that exhibits semiconducting properties. IGZO thin-film transistors are contained in the TFT backplane of flat-panel displays (FPDs). The electron mobility of IGZO-TFT is between 20 and 50 times that of amorphous silicon, which is commonly used in liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) and e-papers. Thus, IGZO-TFT can enhance the speed, resolution, and dimensions of displays on flat panels. It is the thin-film transistor in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) television displays. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/indium-gallium-zinc-oxide-market/request-sample Market Dynamics Advancements in High-Resolution Technologies Drive the Global Market The rising trend of smart homes and buildings and the rising demand for connected technologies are major factors propelling the adoption of low-consumption and high-end displays in the consumer electronics industry. As more consumers consume media via OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, the need to store data efficiently becomes crucial. According to Bitmovin, the market is evolving toward a new generation of video codecs that provide 30% to 70% superior compression to H.264. Several market participants have made strategic investments to advance high-resolution display products. For instance, in March 2021, Samsung Electronics released its line of high-resolution monitors to capitalize on the work-from-home norms prevalent in many countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company released 12 distinct monitors across three series, the S8, S7, and S6, with each model offering more than one billion colors, a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees, and enhanced high resolution and dynamic range ten technology. As a result, these innovations are anticipated to stimulate market expansion. Increasing Investment and R&D by Key Players Creates Tremendous Opportunities The market is witnessing product innovation due to heightened research and development endeavors in the indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) domain. For instance, in February 2022, BOE developed a new technology that created the world's first 500Hz gaming monitor, providing players with a more fluid gaming experience. A growing emphasis on increasing production capacity among key participants is anticipated to generate substantial growth opportunities. China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), a TCL Group-affiliated display panel manufacturer based in China, will construct an 8.6G oxide TFT-LCD production line in December 2021, with production beginning in early 2022. Regional Analysis Asia-Pacific is the most significant global indium gallium zinc oxide market shareholder and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.42% during the forecast period. Increased penetration of consumer electronic devices, such as wearables, smartphones, televisions, laptops, etc., contributes to the region's rapid expansion. IGZO-TFT and its implementations are licensed to Sharp by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Sharp was the first company to commence manufacturing LCD panels using IGZO-TFT. Sharp's use of IGZO-TFT in 32-inch LCDs, tablets, and smartphones dominates the market. Due to favorable government regulations associated with FDI, foreign companies consistently offer premium televisions at competitive prices. For instance, in February of 2018, the Chinese company Xiaomi released a 55-inch LED television that was in high demand among consumers and increased the demand for display panels, thereby boosting the growth of the indium gallium zinc oxide market. North America is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 11.49% over the forecast period. The demand for consumer electronics is surging in the region. Wearables like devices have increased in recent years and are expected to continue over the forecast period. Google stated that it views the introduction of Google-made wearable devices as a tremendous opportunity and will increase its investment in wearable technology. For instance, Google acquired Fitbit for USD 2.1 billion in January 2021. The acquisition of Fitbit will strengthen the company's position in the wearables market. The acquisition followed a distinct transaction in which the company committed to acquire Fossil Group's smartwatch-related intellectual property. Such investments offer opportunities for IGZO displays as well. To Gather Additional Insights on the Regional Analysis of the Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Market @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/indium-gallium-zinc-oxide-market/request-sample Key Highlights The global indium gallium zinc oxide market size was valued at USD 2.53 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach from USD 2.83 billion in 2025 to USD 7.07 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 12.11% during the forecast period (2025-2033). Based on application, the global indium gallium zinc oxide market is bifurcated into smartphones, wearable devices, wall-mounted displays, televisions, tablets, notebooks, and laptops, and other applications. The smartphone segment dominates the global market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.14% over the forecast period. Based on the end-user, the global indium gallium zinc oxide market is segmented into automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, industrial, and other end-user industries. The consumer electronics segment owns the highest market share and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 10.89% during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is the most significant global indium gallium zinc oxide market shareholder and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.42% during the forecast period. Competitive Players Harp Corporation Apple Inc. Sony Corporation LG Electronics ASUSTEK Computer Inc. AU Optronics Samsung Group Fujitsu Limited Recent Developments In August 2022, Sharp Electronics Corporation Device Division (SECD) announced that its new 5.0-inch Class (diagonal) Reflective IGZO (R-IGZO) display for handheld applications is now available with backlighting. This update adds flexibility for achieving excellent sunlight readability with exceptionally low power consumption. Market Segmentation By Applications Smartphones Wearable Devices Wall-Mounted Displays Televisions Tablets, Notebook, and Laptops Other Applications By End-User Automotive Consumer Electronics Healthcare Industrial Other End-users industries By Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the World Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/indium-gallium-zinc-oxide-market/segmentation About Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. Straits Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision-makers. Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. provides actionable market research data, especially designed and presented for decision-making and ROI.s Whether you are looking at business sectors in the next town or crosswise over continents, we understand the significance of being acquainted with the clients purchase. We overcome our clients issues by recognizing and deciphering the target group and generating leads with utmost precision. We seek to collaborate with our clients to deliver a broad spectrum of results through market and business research approaches. Phone: +1 646 905 0080 (U.S.) +44 203 695 0070 (U.K.) Email: sales@straitsresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Sun Communities, Inc. ("Sun Communities, Inc." or the "Company") (NYSE: SUI) investors of a class action representing investors that bought securities between February 28, 2019 and September 24, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Sun Communities, Inc. investors have until February 10, 2025 to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 310-692-8883 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. According to the complaint, the defendants provided investors with critical information regarding SUIs accounting practices and internal controls over financial reporting. On September 24, 2024, after the market closed, an investment research report raised concerns about the integrity of SUIs Board, as well as the companys governance, controls, and financial disclosures. This revelation prompted an immediate reaction from investors and analysts. As a result, SUIs stock price experienced a sharp decline. From a closing price of $139.10 per share on September 24, 2024, the stock dropped to a low of $137.48 per share on September 25, 2024. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Indianapolis, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Complete College America (CCA), a national nonprofit on a mission to raise postsecondary attainment in the United States, today announced the selection of five open-access institutions to participate in an ambitious new multi-year initiative designed to prepare students with critical artificial intelligence (AI) skills and hands-on experience. Built in collaboration with Riipen, the CCA AI Readiness Consortium will assist institutions with embedding AI competencies into their academic programs through experiential learning, ensuring students are ready to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven job market. This new consortium reflects our collective commitment to ensuring students graduate not just with a degree but with the skills and experiences they need to thrive in a workforce and in an economy that will be powerfully influenced by AI," said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America. "This is about giving students particularly those from historically excluded communities and institutions the opportunity to learn, understand and put into practice the kind of AI skills that will be essential to long-term career success." Both students and employers expect higher education to prepare learners to use AI in the workplace. Recent research from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse's Student Voice found that nearly three-quarters of currently enrolled college students think that their institutions should be preparing them for AI in the workplace. A 2024 survey of U.S. professionals revealed a majority believe today's college graduates should be prepared to use AI upon their entry into the workforce (83%) and see a critical role for higher education in preparing future graduates to use AI. Powered by Riipen's work-based learning platform, the CCA AI Readiness Consortium unites educators, career services professionals and employers in a shared mission to expand equitable access to AI skills-building and experiential learning. Through project-based learning that directly involves industry partners, the program enables students to gain practical, in-demand skills that are especially critical for those in industries most vulnerable to AI-driven disruption. This initiative, funded by Axim Collaborative, seeks to make a lasting impact by enhancing economic and social mobility for students nationwide. Each institution will participate through a dynamic team of faculty members from diverse disciplines, career services professionals and senior academic leaders. These teams will receive extensive support and training on the Riipen platform to facilitate the design and integration of real-world AI applications into courses, giving students practical experience that aligns with industry needs. Students will benefit from learning in real-world contexts and acquiring the skills necessary for meaningful careers in the AI-driven economy. "We're thrilled to welcome an exceptional group of institutions to the Complete College America AI Readiness Consortium," said Dave Savory, co-founder of Riipen. "The selection of these colleges marks a powerful commitment to preparing students for a future where AI is integral to every industry. We're proud to support these forward-thinking institutions as they lead the way in integrating AI readiness into higher education." The CCA AI Readiness Consortium includes five open-access institutions committed to reshaping the future of AI education and skills development: Atlanta Metropolitan State College: Known for its dedication to providing accessible, high-quality education, Atlanta Metropolitan State College is focused on expanding students' opportunities through innovative programs. The college's involvement in the consortium underscores its commitment to delivering career-aligned learning experiences that meet the demands of a technology-centric workforce. City Colleges of Chicago: As one of the largest community college systems in the U.S., City Colleges of Chicago serves a diverse student body, emphasizing accessibility and academic excellence. By joining the consortium, City Colleges is enhancing its capacity to offer cutting-edge AI-focused courses that help students develop industry-relevant skills to thrive in the digital economy. City University of New York (CUNY): A leader in urban public education, CUNY is renowned for its commitment to advancing economic and social mobility. Its participation in the consortium will enable CUNY to incorporate AI-driven work-based learning projects into its curriculum, furthering its mission to equip students with the tools to succeed in a rapidly changing workforce. Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C): Serving Northeast Ohio, Tri-C has long been recognized for its focus on workforce development and its partnerships with local employers. As a member of the CCA AI Readiness Consortium, Tri-C will expand its support for students entering AI-related fields, aligning academic programs with the skills sought by employers in emerging technologies. Pikes Peak State College: With a strong emphasis on career-focused education, Colorado's Pikes Peak State College is committed to preparing students for meaningful careers in their local communities and beyond. Through its participation in the consortium, Pikes Peak aims to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that build essential AI competencies, helping them stay competitive in an AI-enhanced job market. Each of these institutions will lead the integration of AI competencies into academic programs, creating a scalable model for higher education. By partnering with Riipen and CCA, these colleges are taking proactive steps to ensure students are not only learning about AI but also applying it in real-world contexts to enhance their employability and future career options. For more information on the CCA AI Readiness Consortium, visit www.riipen.com/cca ### About Complete College America Complete College America (CCA) is a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success. To learn more about CCA, visit www.completecollege.org About Riipen Riipen is the world's leading online work-based learning platform and ecosystem, aiming to end underemployment and close the skills gap. Riipen partners with governments, colleges, universities, and short-cycle training providers to provide authentic, accessible online training for employment-focused skills and technical/professional proficiency. Riipen has successfully and proudly implemented 16.2 million hours of learning hours through over 242,000 learner experiences with more than 41,000 employers and 680+ academic partnerships, portals, and training providers in 9 countries, in both English and French. To learn more about Riipen, visit www.riipen.com. ICG Enterprise Trust plc (the Company) 22 January 2025 Transaction in Own Shares The Company announces that on 21 January 2025 it bought back 5,000 of its own shares, to be held as treasury shares, at an average price of 1315 pence per share. Further details are set out below: Number of shares held as treasury shares following settlement of this purchase: 8,602,808. Total shares in issue excluding treasury shares following settlement of this purchase: 64,310,192. The Company has bought back these shares under the authority granted by shareholders at its Annual General Meeting in June 2024, which permits the Company to repurchase a maximum of 14.99% of its ordinary shares. The actual number of shares repurchased by the Company will depend on market conditions. This authority lasts until the next shareholder authority granted (expected to be at the Annual General Meeting in 2025), or until expressly revoked by shareholders. No maximum consideration payable has been determined by the Company, but the Company is unable to pay a price for any shares pursuant to the buyback which would equate to a premium to the net asset value. It is the Companys current intention to hold any shares bought back in treasury. The Company has instructed Numis Securities Limited (trading for these purposes as Deutsche Numis) as its broker in respect of its buyback transactions. This arrangement is in accordance with the UKLA Listing Rules and the Companys general authority to repurchase shares. Analyst / Investor enquiries: Chris Hunt Shareholder Relations, ICG +44 (0) 20 3545 2020 Andrew Lewis Company Secretary, ICG +44 (0) 20 3545 1344 Media: Catherine Armstrong Corporate Communications, ICG +44 (0) 20 3545 1850 Dublin, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "India Water Purifier Market Forecast Report by Technology, Distribution Channel, End User, Region, Top Cities and Company 2025-2033" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The India Water Purifier Market is set to grow significantly, expanding from US$ 3.86 billion in 2024 to US$ 7.83 billion by 2033. With increasing concerns over water contamination and rising health awareness, the market is projected to grow at a robust CAGR of 8.18% during 2025-2033. This growth is driven by demand for clean drinking water, technological advancements, and increased adoption of water purifiers across urban and rural areas. In recent times, growing awareness of the health hazards linked to contaminated water has created increased demand for water purifiers, especially in urban areas. The increasing availability of affordable models, advanced filtration systems, and the growing trend of health-conscious consumers has further accelerated the market's growth. Water purifiers are now necessary in Indian homes, contributing to healthier lifestyles. Growth Driver in the India Water Purifier Market Rising Water Contamination and Health Concerns Water contamination is a highly significant issue in India, with a high percentage of regions having unsafe drinking water. This is due to a lot of dissolved solids, bacteria, and industrial pollutants. Therefore, the increasing concern about water-borne diseases has led to increased demand for water purifiers. Consumers are increasingly health-conscious and seek purification solutions to ensure safe, clean drinking water. Growing awareness of the need for quality water and its direct association with health has become a significant growth driver for the water purifier market in India. According to the 2023 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, around 37.7 million Indians are afflicted with water-borne diseases every year, and approximately 1.5 million children die from diarrhea. This has increased consumer concerns about the safety of drinking water, thereby encouraging the widespread adoption of water purifiers in households. Increased Urbanization and Changing Lifestyles Urbanization in India has led to more nuclear families along with a shift towards modern lifestyle. With the increasing number of urban households, the demand for water purifiers is on an exponential high. People are more willing to invest in health-related appliances, including water purifiers, ensuring that they have clean and safe drinking water. Since urban consumers prefer to be convenient, compact, and advanced water purifiers such as RO and UV systems have become indispensable in many Indian households. By 2036, its Indian towns and cities will have a population of 600 million people, or 40 percent of the population, as against 31 percent in 2011; urban areas would contribute nearly 70 percent to GDP. Government Initiatives and Awareness Campaigns This is complemented by the government initiatives in providing clean drinking water. For example, through NRDWP and general support for the village water treatment systems, the government has been a driving force behind water purifiers. Concurrently, national government-backed campaigns on ill health effects of polluted water have catalysed the market for domestic use of water purifiers. With more initiatives and educational programs, consumers are becoming more aware of the need for water filtration, resulting in the growth of this market. The India Water Purifier Market is, to a large extent, fueled by the government's inclusive policies and programs to promote the quality and availability of water across the country. As a pilot program, the government's Common Service Centres (CSCs) initiative seeks to introduce clean and safe drinking water for 50 villages. This also meets the vision of the Prime Minister that water be safe to drink for every citizen by 2024. CSC has tied up with VLEs and is establishing water filtration plants in over 1 lakh villages. They are using filtration technologies developed at BARC for desalination of brackish water and detection of fluoride. Difficulties in the India Water Purifier Market Costly Initial Installation and Operating Cost Advanced products include RO and UV water purifiers which still command a high entry-level cost as much of the Indian water purifier market is still hesitant and more averse to spending too much for a product with some pretty complex technology. Recharge cost like filter replacement, and servicing also add to expenses of owners in some regions of India. Many consumers in rural and semi-urban areas cannot afford these products and services, which limits market penetration in these regions. Lack of Awareness in Rural Areas Although urban areas have started to see an uptake in the adoption of water purifiers, rural regions of India still require more awareness about the need for clean drinking water. Many people here either need to be educated about the benefits of water purifiers or cannot afford it. Therefore, water-borne diseases continue to be common in rural areas and thus affect the growth of the market. The manufacturers need some exposure as the distribution network and awareness programs are limited. Key Players Analysis Eureka Forbes Ltd KENT RO Systems Ltd. Hindustan Unilever Limited A.O. Smith India Water Products Pvt. Ltd. Livpure Smart Homes Private Limited Aquafresh RO System Havells India Limited Blue Star Limited BRITA India Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 3M India Limited Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 110 Forecast Period 2024 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $3.86 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $7.83 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.1% Regions Covered India Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research & Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Growth Drivers 4.2 Challenges 5. India Water Purifier Market 6. Market Share Analysis 6.1 By Technology 6.2 By Distribution Channel 6.3 By End User 6.4 By Region 6.5 By City 7. Technology 7.1 RO Purifier 7.2 UV Purifier 7.3 Gravity Purifier 7.4 Sediment Filter 7.5 Water Softener 7.6 Others 8. Distribution Channel 8.1 Retail Stores 8.2 Direct Sales 8.3 Online 9. End User 9.1 Residential 9.2 Commercial 9.3 Industrial 10. Region 10.1 North & Central region 10.2 Southern region 10.3 Western region 10.4 Eastern region 11. Cities 11.1 Pune 11.2 Delhi NCR 11.3 Mumbai 11.4 Hyderabad 11.5 Ahmedabad 11.6 Bengaluru 11.7 Chennai 11.8 Jaipur 11.9 Kolkata 11.10 Ludhiana 11.11 Chandigarh 11.12 Cochin 11.13 Coimbatore 11.14 Others 12. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 12.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 12.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 12.3 Degree of Rivalry 12.4 Threat of New Entrants 12.5 Threat of Substitutes 13. SWOT Analysis 13.1 Strength 13.2 Weakness 13.3 Opportunity 13.4 Threat 14. Key Players Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k8uvcx About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Breakfast Cereals Market Global Report by Product Types, Nature, Distribution Channels, Countries and Company Analysis 2025-2033" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Breakfast Cereal market is expected to grow from US$ 65.25 billion in 2024 to US$ 95.32 billion in 2033 at a CAGR of 4.30% from 2025 to 2033 This growth is propelled by the growing demand from consumers for convenience, nutritious, and quick-to-consume breakfast options. Health-conscious trends, innovation in the product offerings, and rising awareness of the benefits associated with breakfast cereals contribute to the expansion of this market globally. There is demand for healthier alternatives, such as whole grain, low sugar, and high-fiber cereals, to fulfill the needs of healthy foodies. With globalization and urbanization around the world, more individuals today consume breakfast cereals and look for easy nutrition which families also do for faster mornings with families, which boosts this market because the consumption increases because consumers require different aspects related to these foods such as new flavors, and how products are created. Increasing Demand for Convenient and On-the-Go Meals Convenience-driven food products are increasing demand in the breakfast cereal market. The busier lifestyles of the consumers drive them to consume quicker and easy meal options, such as cereals, that take less preparation time. Ready-to-eat, instant, or even grab-and-go bars form breakfast cereals. Such demands are witnessed more among working professionals, students, and families, thus increasing the growth of the market. Rising Health Consciousness Among Consumers In parallel with the health and wellness focus of consumers, sales for healthier breakfast cereals are on the rise. Fiber-enriched, low in sugar content, and abundant with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants - there's a preference for healthier and more nutrient-dense cereal choices. Increased demand for health-oriented trends has triggered growth in whole-grain, gluten-free, organic cereal products and stimulated manufacturer competition to produce healthier alternatives based on consumer demands. Innovation in Product Offerings and Flavors Product innovation is the driving force of the breakfast cereal market. The manufacturers are launching numerous new flavors, textures, and formulations to meet the changing taste and preferences of consumers. Examples include gluten-free, high-protein, vegan, and sugar-free options and the inclusion of superfoods such as chia seeds, quinoa, and oats in cereals. Challenges in the Breakfast Cereal Market Health Issues due to Sugar Content One of the primary challenges facing the breakfast cereal market is the high sugar content in many popular products. While cereals are often marketed as a convenient and healthy breakfast option, many contain significant amounts of added sugars, which can contribute to health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. With increasing consumer awareness of the harmful effects of excessive sugar consumption, there is a growing demand for low-sugar and healthier cereal alternatives. Manufacturers must adapt by reducing sugar content, which can affect taste and consumer appeal. Intense Competition and Price Sensitivity The breakfast cereal market suffers from intense competition from branded players and new entrants with alternative products such as granola, muesli, and plant-based options. This competition, along with consumer price sensitivity, puts manufacturers under pressure to keep prices affordable while maintaining quality. Further, private-label cereals available in supermarkets provide cheaper alternatives, making it difficult for branded products to maintain a market share. Companies should innovate and differentiate their product offerings to align with the preferences of the consumers while not compromising cost-effectiveness. Ready-to-eat Breakfast Cereal Market The Ready-to-eat Breakfast Cereal Market is increasing fast due to growing demand for convenient, time-saving breakfast options. These no-cook, no-preparation cereals cater to busy consumers seeking quick and nutritious meals. The popularity of convenient foods drives the market, the rise in health-conscious consumers seeking balanced nutrition, and innovation in product offerings. Ready-to-eat cereals come in various forms, including flakes, puffs, and bars, and also have healthier options like low-sugar, high-fiber, and gluten-free, catering to different consumer needs. Organic Cereals Market The Organic Cereals Market is on the rise as consumers seek healthier, more eco-friendly, and sustainable food choices. Organic cereals are produced without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and are, therefore, much more appealing to health-conscious consumers and those who are concerned by the environmental impact of conventionally farmed products. Thus, demand for organic cereals is driven by rising awareness of organic food benefits, such as better nutrition, fewer chemicals, and lower pesticide exposure. With increasing demand for clean-label and non-GMO products, the market is increasing, with alternatives like whole grains, gluten-free, and high-protein cereals. In March 2023, Bagrrys India, a health food and breakfast cereals brand headquartered in New Delhi, announced the launch of Bagrry's Organic Wild Honey. Online Retail Breakfast Cereal Market The Online Retail Breakfast Cereal Market is growing rapidly because consumers increasingly seek the convenience and variety of grocery shopping on e-commerce platforms. Online retailers offer a wide range of breakfast cereals, from traditional options to health-conscious and specialty products, such as organic, gluten-free, and high-protein cereals. The convenience of shopping from home, along with discounts, home delivery, and ample information about the product drives consumer preference for online grocery shopping. As e-commerce continues to grow, the online retail part of the breakfast cereal market is expected to expand rapidly. General Mills launched six new cereals in January 2024. Companies Analysis: Overview, Recent Developments, Revenue Analysis General Mills, Inc. Nestle S.A. Kellogg Company Pepsico, Inc. B&G Foods Inc. Post Holdings, Inc. Calbee, Inc. Migros Associated British Foods plc Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 175 Forecast Period 2024 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $65.25 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $95.32 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.3% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Growth Drivers 4.2 Challenges 5. Global Breakfast Cereals Market 6. Market Share 6.1 By Products Types 6.2 By Nature 6.3 By Distribution Channels 6.4 By Countries 7. Products Types 7.1 Ready-to-eat 7.2 Hot Cereals 8. Nature 8.1 Conventional 8.2 Organic 9. Distribution Channels 9.1 Supermarkets/hypermarkets 9.2 Specialty Store 9.3 Online Retail 9.4 Others 10. Countries 10.1 North America 10.1.1 United States 10.1.2 Canada 10.2 Europe 10.2.1 Germany 10.2.2 United Kingdom 10.2.3 France 10.2.4 Italy 10.2.5 Spain 10.2.6 Switzerland 10.3 Asia Pacific 10.3.1 Japan 10.3.2 China 10.3.3 India 10.3.4 South Korea 10.3.5 Indonesia 10.3.6 Australia 10.4 Latin America 10.4.1 Mexico 10.4.2 Brazil 10.4.3 Argentina 10.5 Middle East & Africa 10.5.1 Saudi Arabia 10.5.2 United Arab Emirates 10.5.3 South Africa 10.6 Rest of world 11. Porter's Five Forces 12. SWOT Analysis 13. Key Players Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7148w4 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Ice Cream Market Global Report by Products, Category, Type, Flavor, Distribution Channel, Countries and Company Analysis 2025-2033" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Ice Cream Market is expected to reach US$ 125.62 billion in 2033 from US$ 80.03 billion in 2024, with a CAGR of 5.14% from 2025 to 2033 Rising disposable incomes, increased customer demand for high-end and inventive flavors, health-conscious trends like dairy-free and low-sugar alternatives, and the growing acceptance of online shopping and delivery services, particularly in cities, are the main factors propelling the ice cream market's expansion. Ice cream sales are significantly influenced by limited-edition and seasonal products. Holidays and seasonal themes are used by manufacturers to launch unique flavors and promotions. Fruity and refreshing flavors, for example, are more prevalent in the summer, while decadent and celebratory ones are more prevalent in the winter. This tactic boosts sales all year long by building consumer anticipation and promoting repeat business. Shifting Customer Preferences The ice cream market is significantly influenced by consumer tastes. Customers are looking for ice cream options with less sugar, fat, and calories as they grow more health conscious. Healthy substitutes including dairy-free, low-fat, and low-sugar ice creams are becoming more and more popular as a result of this trend. In response, producers are introducing novel components like plant-based milk and natural sweeteners to appeal to a wider range of consumers and broaden their product lines. Novel Tastes and Selections In order to satisfy consumer demands for novel and intriguing flavors, the ice cream industry is always changing. Adventuresome palates are drawn to novel and unusual flavor combinations, which are becoming more and more popular. The variety of product choices is enhanced by unusual inclusions and textures, such as fruit swirls, cookie dough bits, or even surprising savory components. This tendency keeps customers interested and encourages brand loyalty, which propels market expansion. Challenges in the Ice Cream Market Seasonality and Short Shelf Life Will Affect Performance As a frozen dairy product, ice cream will eventually go bad (typically within two to three months), but improper storage can cause it to go bad in as little as a few days. A product kept in a stale storage environment will typically grow germs and a bad odor. Additionally, it may detect volatile flavors that have been absorbed from the storage environment, such paint and ammonia. Therefore, it is anticipated that the product's high storage costs will impede market expansion. Additionally, the product's demand often peaks in the summer, but market participants may observe a steep decline in demand during the winter and monsoon seasons, which could further impede market expansion. Health Concerns As consumers grow more health-conscious and look for alternatives to conventional high-sugar, high-fat goods, health issues present a big barrier in the ice cream sector. A move toward healthy lifestyles is reflected in the rising demand for low-fat, low-sugar, and dairy-free alternatives. Because of this, ice cream companies are spending more on healthier recipes, such those that use plant-based ingredients or natural sweeteners, which may raise production costs. Further pressing manufacturers to innovate and provide products that meet consumer health expectations while preserving taste and quality is the increased regulatory scrutiny brought on by growing awareness of obesity and related health issues. Tubs and bricks dominate the ice cream market due to their versatility and suitability for at-home consumption. Paraffin wax is the dominant force in the international candle market, holding sway because of its Tubs and bricks cater to purchasers seeking value and extended leisure, aligning with the trend of shared experiences. Tubs also accommodate a wider variety of flavors and mix-ins, offering variety in a single purchase. Their freezer-friendly storage makes them convenient for households, promoting repeat purchases. Additionally, the packaging allows effective branding and marketing strategies, enhancing product visibility on store shelves. The popularity of tubs and bricks reflects a consumer preference for flexibility, diverse options, and the convenience of enjoying ice cream at their own pace. The segment with the biggest market share for ice cream is dairy-based. The traditional appeal, rich and creamy texture, and substantial familiarity of ice cream to customers globally may be attributed to the dominance of the dairy-based category in the worldwide ice cream market. Dairy ice creams, generally made with milk and cream, provide a comforting and extravagant experience that resonates with a broad target market. Also, the versatile nature of dairy ingredients permits a vast range of flavor profiles and innovations, attracting clients searching for traditional and novel alternatives. Despite the rise of non-dairy options, conventional dairy ice cream's inherent recognition and sensory satisfaction maintain their stronghold, making them a preferred desire for plenty of customers globally. Impulse ice cream leads the global market due to its convenience and appeal for immediate consumption Positioned strategically in retail areas, these single-serve treats capitalize on customers' spontaneous cravings, prompting impulse purchases. The grab-and-go nature of impulse ice creams aligns with contemporary, fast-paced life, making them popular amongst on-the-go consumers. Also, the impulse class often functions in quite a few flavors and novelty items, enhancing its beauty. The strategic placement close to checkout counters and in excessive-traffic areas further boosts income, contributing to the overall prominence of impulse-type ice creams in the international market. Vanilla ice cream's popularity stems from its timeless, universally loved flavor. Serving as a bendy base, vanilla enhances various toppings and blend-ins, making it a canvas for personalisation. Its subtle sweetness appeals to a wide consumer base and people with numerous taste options. Moreover, vanilla serves as a complementary flavor in countless dessert combos. With its familiarity and great recognition, vanilla transcends cultural obstacles, making it a secure desire for manufacturers searching for huge market reputation. The enduring attraction of vanilla within the ice cream marketplace presentations it's potential to face a conventional, comforting choice for consumers across the globe. Specialty shops have gained dominance in the ice cream market due to their focused, immersive consumer experience. The specialty expertise establishments provide a curated choice of brilliant, artisanal ice creams, often with specific flavors and top-class elements, catering to discerning buyers seeking an additional indulgent and personalized treat. The environment and expertly crafted offerings create a memorable and a fun ecosystem, enhancing consumer loyalty. Also, specialty stores regularly embody creativity and experimentation, introducing innovative flavors and serving patterns that set them apart from industrially produced alternatives. This emphasis on excellent range and a greater appropriate purchaser establish specialty stores as a dominant pressure inside the evolving ice cream market. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 23 Forecast Period 2024 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $80.03 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $125.62 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.1% Regions Covered Global Company Analysis: Meiji CO. Ltd General Mills Inc. Yili Group Unilever Group Mondelez International Nestle S.A. Bright Dairy & Food Co. Ltd Danone S.A. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Growth Drivers 4.2 Challenges 5. Global Ice Cream Market 6. Market Share 6.1 By Product 6.2 By Category 6.3 By Type 6.4 By Flavours 6.5 By Distribution Channel 6.6 By Countries 7. Product 7.1 Sticks/Bars 7.2 Cones & Cups 7.3 Tubs & Bricks 7.4 Others 8. Category 8.1 Dairy Based 8.2 Non-Dairy Based 9. Type 9.1 Impulse 9.2 Take home 9.3 Artisanal 10. Flavours 10.1 Chocolate 10.2 Vanilla 10.3 Fruit 10.4 Others 11. Distribution Channel 11.1 Supermarkets and Hypermarkets 11.2 Convenience Stores 11.3 Specialty Stores 11.4 Online Sales Channel 12. Countries 12.1 North America 12.1.1 United States 12.1.2 Canada 12.2 Europe 12.2.1 France 12.2.2 Germany 12.2.3 Italy 12.2.4 Spain 12.2.5 United Kingdom 12.2.6 Belgium 12.2.7 Netherland 12.2.8 Turkey 12.3 Asia Pacific 12.3.1 China 12.3.2 Japan 12.3.3 India 12.3.4 South Korea 12.3.5 Thailand 12.3.6 Malaysia 12.3.7 Indonesia 12.3.8 Australia 12.3.9 New Zealand 12.4 Latin America 12.4.1 Brazil 12.4.2 Mexico 12.4.3 Argentina 12.5 Middle East & Africa 12.5.1 Saudi Arabia 12.5.2 UAE 12.5.3 South Africa 13 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 14 SWOT Analysis 15 Key Players Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a7t0oi About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment BEIJING, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The new Postcards from Europe video dedicated to the kiwi is online, a small journey that tells the values of this extraordinary fruit through some photographic shots of the Mediterranean reality. Thus The European project The European Art of Taste wants to enhance the peculiarities of this fruit, a symbol of European excellence but not only! From the bright green of its pulp, which recalls the strength of chlorophyll and the energy of nature, a message of rebirth and harmony emerges. In Chinese culture, from which the kiwi draws its origins, this color represents spring awakening, the life force that permeates the earth and the universe. For the Maori, people of New Zealand, the green of the kiwi evokes a deep connection to the earth and spirituality, a celebration of life being renewed. And in Christian traditions and yoga practices, green symbolizes hope, love, and regeneration, making the kiwi an emblem of balance and well-being in and out of the kitchen. The video reveals the kiwi in all its essence, showing it as an ambassador of vitality and a protagonist in the kitchen. Each scene captures the vibrancy of its color, the freshness of its taste, and its ability to enrich any dish. In the kitchen, the kiwi brings this energy with it, turning every dish into a celebration of flavor and creativity. Sweet and slightly tart, it is a versatile ally that lends itself to innovative recipes, from energizing smoothies to gourmet salads and refined desserts. But it doesn't stop there: the kiwi is also a wellness powerhouse, rich in vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber, a fruit that nourishes body and soul. Be inspired by the kiwi: a fruit that is not just food, but an invitation to rediscover vitality, creativity, and connection with our surroundings. Check out the video and be transported on a short journey that celebrates the kiwi as a symbol of life and regeneration, a small masterpiece to bring to the table every day. Press Office: Renato Pagani Renato.pagani@secnewgate.it - + 39 335 6939561 Giorgia Rizzi giorgia.rizzi@secnewgate.it News about The European Art of Taste and CSO Italy The project The European Art of Taste Fruit & Veg Masterpieces aims to promote and inform about high-quality European fruits and vegetables and is financed by CSO Italy and the European Union. The following Italian companies also participate in the project: RK Growers, Mazzoni Group, Apofruit, Origine Group e Oranfrizer. CSO Italy, founded in 1998, is a unique entity in Italy that associates many of Italy's leading companies in the production and marketing of domestic fruit and vegetables. Completing the range of members are important companies specializing in different areas of the fruit and vegetable supply chain, from packaging, logistics, processing, machinery, and distribution. CSO Italy's mission is to provide useful services to members to improve and make the Italian fruit and vegetable industry more efficient and competitive. A technical table at the service of the entire Italian fruit and vegetable supply chain to increase its competitiveness through synergy among operators. CSO ITALY, has 73 members, distributed as follows: 51 producer members, 14 supply chain members, 3 subsidizing members and 5 supporting bodies. Funded by the European Union. However, the views expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the awarding administration can be held responsible for them. Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0l5qGgdyvA A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d60fb17b-3704-4079-b7c5-9be816d46029 Dublin, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Concrete Contractor Market 2024-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The concrete contractor market is forecasted to grow by USD 536 million during 2023-2028, accelerating at a CAGR of 0.7% during the forecast period. The market is driven by increasing urbanization and industrial development, increasing disposable income of people, and investment in infrastructure and real estate development. This study identifies the eco-friendly buildings and construction as one of the prime reasons driving the concrete contractor market growth during the next few years. Also, increase in government expenditure and technological innovations will lead to sizable demand in the market. The report on the concrete contractor market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as key vendor analysis. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The report on the concrete contractor market covers the following areas: Concrete Contractor Market sizing Concrete Contractor Market forecast Concrete Contractor Market industry analysis The concrete contractor market is segmented as below: By End-user Building construction Building renovation Others By Geographical Landscape North America Europe APAC South America Middle East and Africa The report provides a detailed analysis of several leading concrete contractor market vendors that include ARL Construction, Base Construction, Blue Wolf Performance Solutions, CEMEX, CRH, CRM Construction, First Davis Corp., Forterra Building Products, Four Square Industrial Constructors, HeidelbergCement, Holcim, Shay Murtagh Precast, Sika, The Wells Companies, Votorantim and Weckenmann Anlagentechnik. Also, the concrete contractor market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities. Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview 2 Market Analysis 2.1 Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 2.2 Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 2.3 Factors of disruption 2.4 Impact of drivers and challenges 3 Market Landscape 3.1 Market ecosystem 3.2 Market characteristics 3.3 Value chain analysis 4 Market Sizing 4.1 Market definition 4.2 Market segment analysis 4.3 Market size 2023 4.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2023-2028 5 Historic Market Size 5.1 Global Concrete Contractor Market 2018 - 2022 5.2 End-user segment analysis 2018 - 2022 5.3 Geography segment analysis 2018 - 2022 5.4 Country segment analysis 2018 - 2022 6 Qualitative Analysis 6.1 Impact of AI on the Global Concrete Contractor Market 7 Five Forces Analysis 8 Market Segmentation by End-user 8.1 Market segments 8.2 Comparison by End-user 8.3 Building construction - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 8.4 Building renovation - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 8.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 8.6 Market opportunity by End-user 9 Customer Landscape 9.1 Customer landscape overview 10 Geographic Landscape 10.1 Geographic segmentation 10.2 Geographic comparison 10.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.8 US - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.9 China - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.12 Japan - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.13 Canada - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.14 France - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.15 Brazil - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.16 India - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.17 Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2023-2028 10.18 Market opportunity By Geographical Landscape 11 Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunity/Restraints 11.1 Market drivers 11.2 Market challenges 11.3 Impact of drivers and challenges 11.4 Market opportunities/restraints 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Overview 12.2 Competitive Landscape 12.3 Landscape disruption 12.4 Industry risks 13 Competitive Analysis 13.1 Companies profiled 13.2 Company ranking index 13.3 Market positioning of companies ARL Construction Base Construction Blue Wolf Performance Solutions CEMEX CRM Construction First Davis Corp. Forterra Building Products Four Square Industrial Constructors HeidelbergCement Sika For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kc1rc5 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market, By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2020-2030F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market was valued at USD 512.79 Million in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 723.70 Million by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 5.91%. Kuwait's truck leasing and rental market is experiencing significant growth, primarily driven by the increasing demand for logistics and transportation services. With the country positioning itself as a regional trade hub, the need for an efficient and flexible transportation system has become more apparent. Companies are looking to optimize fleet management while minimizing upfront capital expenditure, creating a higher demand for leased and rental trucks. The expansion of infrastructure projects in Kuwait, such as new roads, bridges, and the development of new commercial and industrial zones, further stimulates the need for reliable and scalable transportation solutions, thus contributing to market growth. Kuwait's high mobile and internet penetration, exceeding 90%, combined with a youthful population 56% of which is under the age of 35 forms a significant driver for the country's e-commerce growth, particularly in the truck leasing and rental market. This demographic is highly tech-savvy and increasingly reliant on digital platforms for convenience and efficiency, making online truck leasing and rental services more appealing. The widespread use of mobile devices and the internet enables seamless access to online platforms, facilitating easy browsing, booking, and payment for truck rental services. Several trends are shaping the truck leasing and rental sector in Kuwait. A noticeable shift is the growing preference for long-term lease agreements over outright truck purchases. Companies are increasingly focusing on reducing operational cost, and leasing offers them the flexibility to upgrade or replace trucks as needed, while avoiding the burden of maintenance and depreciation cost. Another trend is the integration of technology in fleet management, allowing for better tracking, scheduling, and route optimization. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also helps businesses ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. The growing interest in electric trucks and environmentally friendly alternatives is also becoming evident, as businesses seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint and align with global sustainability goals. The truck leasing and rental market in Kuwait also presents a range of opportunities, especially for players who can cater to specific sectors such as construction, retail, and e-commerce. With the rapid growth of e-commerce and online retail platforms in the region, demand for reliable, timely delivery services is skyrocketing, creating new opportunities for fleet leasing. However, the market faces several challenges, including fluctuating fuel prices, which can impact operational cost, and regulatory constraints related to transportation and vehicle standards. Furthermore, competition is intensifying as more companies enter the market, making it crucial for players to offer value-added services such as fleet maintenance, insurance, and tech-enabled solutions to stay competitive. Despite these challenges, the evolving market dynamics and increasing demand for transportation services offer promising prospects for growth. Key Market Trends Increasing Demand for Flexible Leasing Models The Kuwait truck leasing and rental market is witnessing a shift toward flexible leasing options tailored to diverse customer needs. Businesses now prefer short-term leases and customizable contracts that allow them to scale operations efficiently. Seasonal industries and SMEs benefit from these models, reducing long-term financial commitments. This trend has prompted leasing companies to expand their service offerings, including pay-as-you-go and on-demand rentals. Flexible leasing solutions also align with the growing demand for cost-effective logistics, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to market changes. The adoption of these innovative leasing models is reshaping market dynamics and driving competition. For example, in May 2024 Kia partnered with Orix to launch a new vehicle leasing program aimed at enhancing customer access to its models. The initiative offers flexible leasing options tailored to diverse customer needs. The collaboration strengthens Kia's presence in the leasing sector, with a focus on providing convenience and cost-effective solutions. This move is expected to boost Kia's market share in the region. Integration of Advanced Telematics The adoption of telematics in truck leasing and rental services is a key trend in Kuwait. Companies are incorporating GPS tracking, real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance systems to enhance operational efficiency. These technologies improve fleet management, reduce downtime, and ensure timely deliveries. Customers also benefit from enhanced transparency, as they can track vehicle performance and location. Telematics helps optimize fuel consumption and minimize maintenance costs, creating a competitive edge for service providers. As digitalization grows, the integration of telematics solutions is expected to transform the market further. Focus on Eco-Friendly Fleet Options The demand for environmentally sustainable trucking solutions is gaining momentum in Kuwait's leasing and rental market. Companies are increasingly adding electric and hybrid trucks to their fleets to meet emissions regulations and cater to eco-conscious customers. This trend reflects global shifts toward sustainability and aligns with Kuwait's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. Green vehicles not only enhance brand reputation but also lower operating costs over time. The focus on eco-friendly fleets positions leasing companies to attract a broader customer base and maintain long-term relevance in the market. For instance, in May 2024 Penske Truck Leasing announced its partnership to offer REE electric trucks to its fleet customers. The collaboration aims to provide sustainable, zero-emission solutions for businesses. This move supports the growing demand for eco-friendly commercial vehicles. Penske's initiative aligns with the industry's shift towards electric mobility. Regional Insights The Capital Governorate in Kuwait has emerged as the dominant region in the truck leasing and rental market due to its strategic location, economic activity, and infrastructure development. As the economic and administrative heart of the country, the Capital Governorate houses key commercial, industrial, and logistics hubs. This makes it a primary area for businesses that require transportation solutions, including trucks for various sectors like construction, logistics, retail, and manufacturing. The strong demand for trucks in this region can be attributed to the dense concentration of businesses that require efficient transportation options to meet their operational needs. The region's developed infrastructure, which includes roads, ports, and warehouses, further supports the growth of the truck leasing and rental market. The proximity to major seaports like the Shuwaikh Port facilitates the import and export of goods, making it essential for businesses in the Capital Governorate to have reliable truck fleets. Furthermore, with numerous construction projects and industrial zones in the area, the demand for trucks, particularly for heavy-duty and construction vehicles, remains high. These industries typically prefer leasing trucks to manage their fleets more cost-effectively, avoiding the financial burden of ownership while ensuring they have the necessary vehicles to meet project demands. The population density and the presence of commercial offices, retail chains, and distribution centres in the Capital Governorate also contribute to the region's dominant role in the truck leasing and rental market. Many companies in the Capital Governorate Favor leasing options to provide flexibility and scalability for their growing transportation needs. As the region continues to develop economically, the demand for truck leasing and rental services is expected to remain strong, further solidifying the Capital Governorate's position as a key player in the Kuwait truck leasing and rental market. Key Market Players Al Mulla Group. Al-AJmi General Trading & Contracting Company The Bridge Co. Al Jameh Group Mahatta Trading Company JTC Logistics Transportation & Stevedoring Co. Unitec International Alghanim International APEX Group International Al Mutahidoon International General Trading Co. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 85 Forecast Period 2024 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $512.79 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $723.7 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.9% Regions Covered Kuwait Report Scope: In this report, the Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market, By Lease Type: Finance Lease Full Rental Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market, By Truck Type: Heavy Duty Medium Duty Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market, By End-User Industry: Oil & Gas FMCG Construction Mining E-Commerce Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market, By Booking: Online Offline Kuwait Truck Leasing & Rental Market, By Region: Capital Governorate Hawalli Governorate Ahmadi Governorate Rest of Kuwait For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sarot4 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blockchain technology is revolutionizing the energy sector by enhancing transparency, security, and efficiency in energy transactions. As of 2024, the blockchain in energy market is valued at USD 3.1 billion, with projections indicating a significant growth, reaching approximately USD 103.4 billion by 2034. This growth reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.7%. Blockchain technology holds transformative potential for the energy sector by offering a secure, transparent platform for managing transactions and data. Its application in the energy market spans several key areas, including peer-to-peer energy trading, renewable energy certificates (RECs), grid management, supply chain tracking, and smart contracts. Access PDF Sample Report (Including Graphs, Charts & Figures) @ https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45548/blockchain-in-energy-Market#request-a-sample Decentralized Energy Marketplaces : Blockchain can facilitate the creation of decentralized platforms where individuals and businesses can buy and sell energy directly. This shift from centralized utilities can enhance efficiency and create a more resilient energy system. : Blockchain can facilitate the creation of decentralized platforms where individuals and businesses can buy and sell energy directly. This shift from centralized utilities can enhance efficiency and create a more resilient energy system. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) : Blockchain provides a secure and transparent method for tracking the ownership and transfer of RECs, which represent the environmental attributes of renewable energy. This can boost the value of RECs and stimulate greater investment in renewable energy projects. : Blockchain provides a secure and transparent method for tracking the ownership and transfer of RECs, which represent the environmental attributes of renewable energy. This can boost the value of RECs and stimulate greater investment in renewable energy projects. Grid Management : By enabling real-time monitoring and control of energy transactions, blockchain technology can enhance grid management, reducing energy waste and ensuring a more stable, reliable grid. : By enabling real-time monitoring and control of energy transactions, blockchain technology can enhance grid management, reducing energy waste and ensuring a more stable, reliable grid. Supply Chain Management : Blockchain can track the origin and movement of energy resources such as oil, gas, and minerals, helping to prevent fraud, increase transparency, and promote sustainability within the energy supply chain. : Blockchain can track the origin and movement of energy resources such as oil, gas, and minerals, helping to prevent fraud, increase transparency, and promote sustainability within the energy supply chain. Smart Contracts: These self-executing contracts automate processes like billing, payment, and energy trading. In the energy sector, smart contracts can streamline operations and ensure seamless execution of energy transactions. Growth in Renewable Energy Generation Supporting Sustainability Goals Blockchain technology is poised for rapid adoption in the energy and utilities sectors, largely driven by the increase in renewable energy generation aimed at supporting sustainability initiatives. This is further supported by efforts from oil and gas companies to enhance operational efficiency and security. As the reliance on fossil fuels decreases and energy independence grows, blockchain demand within the energy utilities industry is expected to rise during the forecast period. The increasing interest in blockchain from start-ups, both at the enterprise and consumer levels, contributes to its growing presence in the market. In Europe, utilities are launching green purchase programs that allow customers to buy renewable energy and bundled energy credits from specific projects. Blockchain solutions optimize electricity generation, distribution, and consumption, driving efficiency in the sector. Blockchain-enabled infrastructure for electricity grids, combined with decentralized renewable energy producers, generates massive data streams that provide valuable insights for energy companies. Rising Automation in Energy Utilities The increasing automation in energy utilities is prompting infrastructure changes to reduce ownership costs and embrace blockchain-powered software solutions. Blockchain-based infrastructure and solutions are enhancing the operational output and efficiency of energy utilities. The surge in new electricity consumerssuch as connected homes and electric vehiclesalong with the rise of smart meters, sensors, and remote-control devices, is producing vast data that energy companies can analyze to make more informed decisions. Blockchain technologies are integral in ensuring higher reliability and efficiency for power utilities, maintaining a delicate balance between energy production and consumption in a rapidly evolving landscape. Decentralization of the Energy Market: Unlocking Blockchains Potential Blockchain technology presents a significant opportunity to decentralize the traditionally centralized energy market. Historically, a few large utility companies have controlled energy generation, distribution, and sales. However, blockchain enables a shift toward a more decentralized and efficient system through: Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading : Blockchain facilitates direct transactions between individuals and businesses for buying and selling electricity, eliminating the need for centralized utility companies. This decentralized approach creates new revenue opportunities for both energy producers and consumers, while enhancing the system's reliability and resilience. : Blockchain facilitates direct transactions between individuals and businesses for buying and selling electricity, eliminating the need for centralized utility companies. This decentralized approach creates new revenue opportunities for both energy producers and consumers, while enhancing the system's reliability and resilience. Microgrids : Small-scale, self-sustaining energy systems that operate independently from the main grid. Microgrids typically integrate renewable energy sources and energy storage solutions. Blockchain can support peer-to-peer energy trading within these systems, making them more resilient and reducing the reliance on large, centralized power plants. : Small-scale, self-sustaining energy systems that operate independently from the main grid. Microgrids typically integrate renewable energy sources and energy storage solutions. Blockchain can support peer-to-peer energy trading within these systems, making them more resilient and reducing the reliance on large, centralized power plants. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs): VPPs aggregate distributed energy resources such as solar panels, energy storage systems, and electric vehicles into a unified network. Blockchain technology helps VPPs operate efficiently by enabling secure, transparent energy trading and better coordination between energy supply and demand. Type Insights: Public vs. Private Blockchain Public Blockchain : Dominating the market due to its decentralized nature, public blockchain offers broader usability and scalability. It allows for transparent transactions and incentive-based models, attracting more users and expanding platform awareness. : Dominating the market due to its decentralized nature, public blockchain offers broader usability and scalability. It allows for transparent transactions and incentive-based models, attracting more users and expanding platform awareness. Private Blockchain: Expected to see substantial growth, driven by the demand for enhanced security, improved speed, and regulatory optimization. Private blockchains are increasingly used for internal business operations, with lower latency and simplified authentication processes. Application Insights: Peer-to-Peer and Grid Transactions Peer-to-Peer Transactions : Set to lead the market, driven by the growing focus on renewable energy production (wind, solar, and ocean) and the rise of energy systems with high standardization. Blockchain supports the efficient trading of renewable energy, improving market access and transparency. : Set to lead the market, driven by the growing focus on renewable energy production (wind, solar, and ocean) and the rise of energy systems with high standardization. Blockchain supports the efficient trading of renewable energy, improving market access and transparency. Grid Transactions: Expected to grow due to the increasing demand for low-cost, efficient energy transactions facilitated by blockchain platforms. Smart grid technologies are helping improve transaction efficiency and accommodate numerous small household and business transactions, further promoting blockchain adoption. End-User Insights: Power Sector and Oil & Gas Power Sector : Blockchains ability to manage distributed energy sources and monitor energy consumption is expected to make this sector the largest contributor to the blockchain energy market. : Blockchains ability to manage distributed energy sources and monitor energy consumption is expected to make this sector the largest contributor to the blockchain energy market. Oil & Gas: Rapid growth is anticipated in the oil and gas sector, driven by blockchains capacity to streamline payments, manage financial transactions, and reduce processing time, especially with sensor technologies integrated into the industry. Browse full Report - https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45548/blockchain-in-energy-Market Blockchain in Energy Market Dynamics Key Drivers Efficiency and Cost Reduction : Blockchain eliminates intermediaries in grid management and energy trading, reducing costs and improving transaction speed. : Blockchain eliminates intermediaries in grid management and energy trading, reducing costs and improving transaction speed. Transparency and Trust : Blockchain provides immutable transaction records, ensuring accurate energy data, fair billing, and reducing fraud. : Blockchain provides immutable transaction records, ensuring accurate energy data, fair billing, and reducing fraud. Decentralization : Blockchain enables peer-to-peer energy trading, allowing prosumers to sell excess energy directly, leading to more resilient energy markets. : Blockchain enables peer-to-peer energy trading, allowing prosumers to sell excess energy directly, leading to more resilient energy markets. Integration of Renewable Energy : Blockchain helps track and verify renewable energy transactions, supporting sustainability goals. : Blockchain helps track and verify renewable energy transactions, supporting sustainability goals. Regulatory Support: Governments are increasingly exploring blockchain for energy trading and distribution, creating a supportive regulatory environment. Challenges Scalability : Traditional blockchains may struggle to handle the high transaction volumes required for large-scale energy systems. : Traditional blockchains may struggle to handle the high transaction volumes required for large-scale energy systems. Energy Consumption : The high energy consumption of blockchain networks, especially those using proof-of-work, raises concerns about their sustainability. : The high energy consumption of blockchain networks, especially those using proof-of-work, raises concerns about their sustainability. Regulatory Issues : The decentralized nature of blockchain may conflict with existing regulatory frameworks in energy markets. : The decentralized nature of blockchain may conflict with existing regulatory frameworks in energy markets. Technology Adoption : Energy companies may resist adopting blockchain due to the need for significant infrastructure changes and investment. : Energy companies may resist adopting blockchain due to the need for significant infrastructure changes and investment. Cybersecurity Risks: Blockchain networks, though secure, remain vulnerable to cyberattacks and require robust security protocols. Opportunities Decentralized Energy Trading : Blockchain enables peer-to-peer energy exchanges, creating competitive and efficient energy markets. : Blockchain enables peer-to-peer energy exchanges, creating competitive and efficient energy markets. Grid Management and Automation : Blockchain can optimize energy distribution and balance supply and demand in real-time through smart contracts. : Blockchain can optimize energy distribution and balance supply and demand in real-time through smart contracts. Energy Data and Provenance Tracking : Blockchain ensures secure and transparent tracking of energy production and consumption, improving data integrity and trust. : Blockchain ensures secure and transparent tracking of energy production and consumption, improving data integrity and trust. Cross-Border Energy Trading : Blockchain could simplify international energy trading, reducing reliance on intermediaries and ensuring faster transactions. : Blockchain could simplify international energy trading, reducing reliance on intermediaries and ensuring faster transactions. Smart Cities Integration: Blockchain supports the integration of smart energy systems, such as solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations, in urban environments. Key Players in the Blockchain in Energy Market: Power Ledger WePower LO3 Energy Grid+ Electron Conjoule GmbH Energi Mine Sun Exchange Acciona FlexiDAO Greeneum GridBeyond SunContract UrbanChain IBM Corporation SAP SE Oracle Corporation Microsoft Corporation Accenture PLC Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Recent Developments (2024-2025): UrbanChain: In January 2025, secured 10.5 million to expand blockchain-based energy services to the US and Ireland. Net Zero Company: Raised $5.5 million in June 2024 to launch digital carbon removal tokens. MARA Holdings Inc.: Launched a pilot project in October 2024 to generate 25 MW of power using excess natural gas. TP ICAP: Announced plans in September 2024 to trade carbon offsets using blockchain technology for enhanced transparency. Uranium.io: In December 2024, launched a blockchain-based platform for tokenized uranium trading. Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF): Updated its Sustainability Index in August 2023 to track Ethereums environmental impact. WePower: Launched a blockchain-based renewable energy certificate platform in January 2024. LO3 Energy: Initiated a pilot microgrid project in January 2024 using blockchain for energy distribution. IBM and WElink Energy: Launched a blockchain solution for tracking wind farm power generation in January 2024. European Commission: Published draft guidelines in January 2024 to regulate blockchain in energy applications. Regional Analysis: Dominant Region: North America Early adoption, substantial investment in R&D, and supportive regulatory frameworks make North America the leading region in blockchain adoption for energy. Other Significant Regions: Europe: Strong regulatory support and initiatives aimed at improving energy efficiency and integrating renewable sources. Strong regulatory support and initiatives aimed at improving energy efficiency and integrating renewable sources. Asia-Pacific: Rapid growth driven by increasing energy demand and blockchain-based platforms like the Sun Share Project in Thailand. Emerging Regions: Latin America & Middle East & Africa: Experiencing growth due to government initiatives and pilot projects, despite infrastructural and regulatory challenges. Market Segmentation of Blockchain in Energy By Type of Blockchain: Private Blockchain Public Blockchain Consortium/Hybrid Blockchain By Component: Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) Platform/Solution By Application: Energy Trading and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Transactions Grid Management and Optimization Supply Chain Management Billing and Settlement Asset Financing and Tokenization By End-User: Power Sector Oil and Gas Sector By Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa This report is also available in the following languages: Japanese (), Korea ( ), china (), French (La blockchain dans le marche de l'energie), German (Blockchain im Energiemarkt), and Italy (Blockchain nel mercato energetico), etc. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45548/blockchain-in-energy-Market#request-a-sample More Related Reports: Blockchain AI Market The global blockchain AI market was valued at approximately USD 550.70 million in 2024 and is projected to reach around USD 4,597.36 million by 2034, indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.64% over the forecast period. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45535/blockchain-ai-market#request-a-sample Blockchain Security Software Market The global blockchain security software market is anticipated to grow from USD 6.72 Billion in 2025 to USD 156.73 Billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 68.04 % during the forecast period. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/36603/blockchain-security-software-market Blockchain in Supply Chain Finance Market The global Blockchain in Supply Chain Finance market is anticipated to grow from USD 2.98 Billion in 2024 to USD 12.88 Billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 12.49% during the forecast period. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/34805/blockchain-in-supply-chain-finance-market Blockchain Devices Market The blockchain devices market is expected to grow at 12.7% CAGR from 2021 to 2029. It is expected to reach above USD 3.12 Billion by 2029 from USD 1.06 Billion in 2020. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/23260/blockchain-devices-market Web 3.0 Market The web 3.0 market is expected to grow at 44% CAGR from 2021 to 2029. It is expected to reach above USD 46.08 Billion by 2029 from USD 1.74 Billion in 2020. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/20229/web-3-0-market Homeland Security and Emergency Management Market The global homeland security and emergency management market is projected to reach USD 947.90 billion by 2029 from USD 600.65 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 6.69 % from 2022 to 2029. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/20117/homeland-security-and-emergency-management-market Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Market The global Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for real-time communication in industrial automation, automotive, and aerospace sectors. In 2024, the market is valued at approximately USD 453.88 million. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45553/time-sensitive-networking-market Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Market The global enterprise content management (ECM) market was valued at approximately USD 42.93 billion in 2024. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45540/enterprise-content-management-ecm-market Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions Market The global Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions market was valued at approximately USD 3.6 billion in 2024. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45534/privileged-access-management-solutions-market DevOps Market The global DevOps market was valued at approximately USD 14.43 billion in 2024. It is projected to reach around USD 139.86 billion by 2034, indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 25.5% over the forecast period from 2025 to 2034. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45525/devops-market Facility Management Services Market The global facility management services market was valued at approximately USD 1,453.1 billion in 2024. Projections indicate that the market will reach around USD 2,413.6 billion by 2034, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% over the forecast period. https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/45522/facility-management-services-market Dallas, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bonchon, a global leader in Korean fried chicken, is ringing in the Lunar New Year with a limited edition tote bag giveaway for its guests. The brand, which originated in Busan, South Korea, is honoring its roots with this Bonchon branded tote, designed to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Snake. Additionally, guests who want to be extra lucky this year can try Bonchons Lucky 3 meals, featuring flavorful combinations of the menu items they love for a great value. GIVEAWAY: To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the first 50 guests who dine in on Wednesday, January 29, will receive a free limited edition Bonchon tote!* Bonchons Lucky 3 meal options include the Chicken Strip Stash, Drumstick Dream, or Fried Rice Roundup, for just $13.99. Each special includes a main entree plus two potstickers brushed in a choice of sauce and a Korean donut for a sweet ending. The Lucky 3 meals feature a selection of our fan-favorite Korean menu offerings, says Bonchon Chef Jae Park. Now, our guests have an easy way to experience the perfect balance of sweet and savory Korean flavors, guaranteed to satisfy every craving. Lunar New Year or Seollal is celebrated in Korean culture to mark the beginning of a new year with traditions such as gathering with family and friends, paying respects to ancestors, and enjoying great food and fun with those closest to you. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake, which represents a year filled with growth, creativity, and introspection. This special serpent, pictured on the new limited edition tote bag in the brands signature red and yellow colors, reminds guests to reflect on the previous year and embrace the opportunities ahead. We wanted to ring in 2025 with a fun gift for our guests as a way to thank them for their support and wish them good luck in the new year, says Bonchon CEO Suzie Tsai. We look forward to another year of growing our brand and continuing to create innovative, authentic Korean-style dishes for our guests to enjoy. Bonchons Lucky 3 meals are available for a limited time for dine-in, pick-up, and delivery at participating restaurants. *The Lunar New Year tote bag giveaway is only available in-person with purchase, limited to one per person, and while supplies last. To find a location, go to www.bonchon.com. # # # About Bonchon South Korea-born Bonchon, which translates as my hometown, was established in the United States in 2006. Known for its hand-battered, double-fried, crazy crispy Korean fried chicken, Bonchon sets out to have its fans around the world Crunch Out Loud. The brand continues to grow in popularity and has earned several accolades including Fast Casual Magazines 2024 Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Bonchon has more than 400 restaurants across eight countries. For more information, visit bonchon.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit franchising.bonchon.com. Follow Bonchon on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, X, and YouTube. Attachments Dublin, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market, By Country, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2020-2030F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market was valued at USD 30.98 Billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 62.33 Billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 12.19%. The Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel market encompasses the supply and distribution of specialized fuels, primarily Jet A1, Jet A, Avgas, and biojet fuels, used to power aircraft across the region. Aviation fuel is a high-quality, refined petroleum product designed to meet stringent safety and performance standards for aircraft engines, ensuring optimal efficiency and reliability during flights. This market is experiencing steady growth, driven by an increase in air traffic, particularly due to the region's strategic importance as a global travel hub. Major cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha serve as key transit points for international flights, leading to significant fuel consumption by airlines. Additionally, several countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are heavily investing in expanding their aviation infrastructure to boost tourism and economic diversification away from oil dependency. In Africa, the surge in air travel is being fueled by growing regional connectivity, increased foreign investments, and rising business activities, particularly in key markets like South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt. As governments across both regions prioritize the modernization of airports and airline fleets, the demand for aviation fuel is set to rise. Furthermore, the market is also poised to benefit from the growing focus on sustainability, with airlines gradually adopting biojet fuel blends to reduce carbon emissions. This shift is likely to be supported by government initiatives encouraging greener aviation practices. The expanding military aviation sector, driven by rising defense budgets in the Middle East, also contributes to fuel demand. Overall, as economic growth accelerates, particularly in the wake of recovering global travel post-pandemic, the Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel market is expected to expand, driven by infrastructure development, increasing passenger numbers, and a strategic focus on becoming key aviation hubs, thereby ensuring a steady rise in fuel consumption over the coming years. Increasing Adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) One of the prominent trends shaping the Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market is the increasing adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). As global pressure mounts for the aviation industry to reduce its environmental impact, airlines in the region are exploring alternative fuel sources to meet sustainability targets. SAFs, derived from renewable feedstocks such as waste oils, algae, and other organic materials, offer a viable solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional aviation fuels. Leading airlines in the Middle East, including Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways, have announced their commitment to incorporating SAFs into their operations to align with global sustainability goals. Expanding Infrastructure for Aviation Fuel Storage and Distribution The Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market is witnessing a trend towards expanding infrastructure for fuel storage and distribution. Recognizing the need to enhance the efficiency of fuel supply chains, several countries in the region are investing in modernizing airport infrastructure, constructing new storage facilities, and upgrading fueling systems. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in particular, are focusing on expanding their aviation fuel infrastructure to support their growing status as global air transit hubs. For instance, the expansion of Dubai International Airport and the new developments at Abu Dhabi International Airport include state-of-the-art fuel storage and supply systems to cater to rising air traffic. Growing Focus on Digitalization and Fuel Management Technologies Another significant trend in the Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market is the growing focus on digitalization and the adoption of advanced fuel management technologies. To optimize fuel consumption, reduce costs, and enhance operational efficiency, airlines and airport operators are increasingly turning to digital solutions. Technologies such as data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and artificial intelligence are being utilized to monitor fuel usage in real-time, forecast demand, and streamline refueling processes. These technologies help airlines optimize flight routes, reduce fuel wastage, and lower overall operational expenses. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 133 Forecast Period 2024 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $30.98 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $62.33 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 12.1% Regions Covered Africa, Middle East Report Scope: Key Market Players Exxon Mobil Corporation BP p.l.c Shell International B.V Chevron Corporation TotalEnergies SE. Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) ENOC Company QatarEnergy Kuwait Petroleum Corporation National Iranian Oil Company. Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market, By Fuel Type: Jet A1 Jet A Avgas Biojet Fuel Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market, By Aircraft Type: Commercial Aviation Military Aviation Business & General Aviation Helicopters Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market, By Application: Domestic Flights International Flights Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market, By End-User: Airlines Airports Military & Defense Others Middle East and Africa Aviation Fuel Market, By Country: Saudi Arabia UAE Kuwait Iran Qatar Egypt South Africa Bahrain Nigeria Turkey Rest of Middle East and Africa For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rts5hv About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment LORIGNAL, Ontario, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Members of United Steelworkers (USW) locals 7940 and 8794 have achieved significant improvements in new agreements with Ivaco Rolling Mills (IRM). The new five-year collective agreements for the approximately 435 workers provide substantial improvements in wages, pensions, benefits and working conditions. Melt Shop members of Local 8794 ratified their new deal by 89%, and Rod Mill members of Local 7940 ratified with a vote of 94% in favour. IRM is an eastern Ontario steelmaking facility. USW members working at the Melt Shop transform scrap metal into billets, while Rod Mill workers reheat billets to produce high-quality steel coils. "This tremendous achievement highlights the USWs strength and the bargaining committees' effectiveness. These agreements deliver real progress for workers and their families, ensuring stability and fairness while strengthening the foundation for future growth at Ivaco," said Kevon Stewart, USW District 6 Director. The agreement includes a 21% general wage increase over five years, with an 8% increase front-loaded in the first year and additional adjustments for trade classifications and eliminates wage progression, ensuring all employees reach top pay rates. Pension contributions will begin earlier, upon completion of probation, with employer matches of up to 4% for voluntary contributions. This will bring the total employer contributions to 6%, ensuring stronger retirement security for workers. Life insurance enhancements, vision care, long-term disability and prescription drug coverage further demonstrate the commitment to members well-being. Negotiating these agreements required professionalism and dedication on all sides. The results reflect a shared commitment to creating opportunities for workers while ensuring the long-term success of the operations. said Richard Leblanc, the USWs Eastern Ontario Co-ordinator. The agreements also created 30 additional job postings per unit and introduced training premiums, providing opportunities for growth and development. These new agreements reinforce the commitment of USW Local 7940 and 8794 to securing fair and progressive outcomes for their members. About the United Steelworkers union The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the unions strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation including good wages, benefits and pensions. Contacts: Richard Leblanc, USW Area Co-ordinator Eastern Ontario, 613-632-2995, rjleblanc@usw.ca Arushana Sunderaeson, USW Communications, 416-243-8792 ext. 1233, asunderaeson@usw.ca Shannon Devine, USW Communications, 416-938-4402, sdevine@usw.ca A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f86a45aa-c894-4565-9e81-a74e4ee90368 Engineering and Operations Unite Under COO Role Launch of Chief Commercial Officer with Focus on Client Service Strategic Moves Emphasize Collaboration & Product Innovation Raja Bhatia Joins as CTO of Clear Street Active, Trading and Risk NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Street Group Inc. , (Clear Street, the Company) a cloud-native financial technology firm on a mission to modernize the brokerage ecosystem, today announced key organizational changes designed to further align its technology focus, operational excellence and client service. Effective immediately, the firm has appointed Jonathan Jon Daplyn as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Daplyn joined Clear Street in 2023 as Chief Information Officer, and succeeds the Companys former COO, Andy Volz, who takes on the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer, created to prioritize all things related to clients. The pre-existing role of Chief Information Officer becomes three Chief Technology Officer (CTO) roles across Clear Streets business divisions. Ed Tilly, CEO of Clear Street, commented, "As we begin 2025, which we expect will be another banner year for Clear Street, weve re-organized with a focused approach to innovation and client service. These leadership changes optimally align our organization for collaboration across technology, engineering, operations and sales. We have a winning combination of world-class client service and technology, and by listening intently to our clients' needs and responding with innovative solutions, we will continue to deliver exceptional value to our clients as they navigate the capital markets. The appointment of Andy Volz as Chief Commercial Officer marks a key step in Clear Street's continued focus on delivering value to an increasing array of clients. In this role, Volz will lead the firm's commercial strategy, overseeing the cultivation of deeper client relationships and spearheading efforts to identify new market opportunities. Volz will maintain his position as CEO of Clear Street LLC, the Companys regulated broker dealer. Andy Volz, Chief Commercial Officer of Clear Street, commented, I'm excited to increase my impact at Clear Street as the Chief Commercial Officer. Clear Street has always put clients at the center of everything we do, and I look forward to building on that foundation as we enter our next phase of growth. In his expanded role as COO, Daplyn will report directly to Ed Tilly, CEO of Clear Street, and oversee the firm's global operations while leading a newly structured technology organization, comprising three new departmental Chief Technology Officers (CTOs). Each CTO will lead specialized technology teams focused on key business verticals, ensuring deep domain expertise and targeted innovation across the Company's core offerings. This transformation reflects Clear Street's vision to structurally align technology and engineering capabilities that will foster greater efficiency across the organization and reflects its commitment to modernizing the brokerage ecosystem. Jon Daplyn, Chief Operating Officer of Clear Street, commented, This new structure allows us to better leverage our technological capabilities across the firm, further ensuring technology is at the heart of everything we do. By more closely aligning our technology and operations teams we enable more collaboration and ultimately, innovation. I am excited to congratulate the two new CTOs we have promoted from within the Clear Street talent pool, Hari Godbole and Mike Mallahan, and also welcome Raja Bhatia to Clear Street as he takes on one of the three new CTO roles. I could not be prouder to be part of this exceptional Clear Street team. We have accomplished a huge amount in a short span of time and Im excited to demonstrate what we can do in 2025 and beyond." New Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Structure As part of this new structure, Clear Street has appointed Raja Bhatia as CTO of Clear Street Active, Trading and Risk, where he'll spearhead technology initiatives across Execution and Risk as we look to dramatically grow our Active business. A veteran in financial technology, Bhatia brings 17+ years of experience building high-performance trading infrastructure and scaling engineering teams. Most recently at Alpaca Markets as CTO, Bhatia revolutionized stock and crypto investing through API infrastructure. His track record includes developing proprietary self-clearing platforms, algorithmic trading systems and FIX gateways for institutional clients. He also ran a successful algorithmic crypto trading operation and led engineering at Validere, where he pioneered IoT solutions for commodity trading. His expertise spans the full spectrum of modern trading technology from sensitive execution systems to robust risk management frameworks and complex clearing operations. Bhatia has consistently built and led high-performing engineering teams that have delivered critical trading infrastructure for both institutions and professional traders. Bhatia will work alongside two other CTOs, both of whom were promoted from within Clear Street. Mike Mallahan has been promoted to CTO for Corporate and Infrastructure Engineering and Hari Godbole has been promoted to CTO for Institutional Securities. Raja Bhatia, CTO of Clear Street Active, Trading and Risk, commented, Im thrilled to join Clear Street at this pivotal moment. The opportunity to lead technology initiatives aligns perfectly with my passion for architecting industry-leading trading infrastructure that drives real market evolution. Clear Streets commitment to modernizing the capital markets ecosystem resonates deeply with what sophisticated market participants demand today. I look forward to working alongside our exceptional team to deliver on innovative solutions that will fundamentally transform how our clients navigate and succeed in the markets. About Clear Street: Clear Street is modernizing the brokerage ecosystem with financial technology and services that empower market participants with real-time data and best-in-class products, tools and teams, to navigate capital markets around the world. Complemented by white-glove service, Clear Street's cloud-native, proprietary product suite delivers financing, derivatives, execution and more to power client success, adding efficiency to the market and enabling clients to minimize risk, redundancy and cost. Clear Streets goal is to create a single platform for every asset class, in every country and in any currency. For more information, visit https://clearstreet.io . Press Contact: press@clearstreet.io Clear Street does not provide investment, legal, regulatory, tax, or compliance advice. Consult professionals in these fields to address your specific circumstances. These materials are: (i) solely an overview of Clear Streets products and services; (ii) provided for informational purposes only; and (iii) subject to change without notice or obligation to replace any information contained therein. Plano, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Plano, Texas - OVTLYR has announced a strategic partnership with Tradier, a recognized provider of trading platforms and financial technology solutions, to advance trading capabilities and inform investors. This collaboration highlights the potential of an AI app for stock trading to simplify market analyses and execution. Mahesh Kashyap, CEO and Co-founder of OVTLYR, shared his enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasizing its alignment with OVTLYR's mission to provide actionable insights for investors. "Integrating Tradier's trading tools with our behavioral analytics platform enables us to offer a more streamlined experience for users, helping them make well-informed trading decisions," Kashyap stated. Dan Raju, CEO of Tradier, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of data-driven tools in modern trading. "Our collaboration with OVTLYR reflects a shared commitment to empowering investors through accessible and reliable solutions. By combining our trading infrastructure with OVTLYR's behavioral insights, we aim to enhance the user experience and support smarter trading strategies," Raju explained. The partnership integrates OVTLYR's behavioral analytics platform with Tradier's trading capabilities, providing a comprehensive system for market trend analysis and trade execution. OVTLYR serves as an AI-based stock trading app, combining advanced behavioral insights with direct trading functionality. By integrating these processes, the collaboration is designed to equip investors with tools that support informed decision-making in a dynamic trading environment. Tradier's trading platform integrates with OVTLYR's analytics to enable direct trade execution, simplifying workflows for users. This integration is designed to simplify the trading experience, allowing users to act on insights efficiently and navigate complex market behaviors. Tradier's platform brings several key benefits to OVTLYR users, including commission-free trading, direct trading capabilities integrated within OVTLYR's analytics platform, accessible APIs that simplify workflows, and comprehensive tools that enhance decision-making through data-driven insights. This partnership underscores both companies' dedication to providing tools that cater to the needs of modern investors, particularly those who value data-backed trading strategies. The integration between OVTLYR and Tradier allows users to access a cohesive platform that bridges behavioral analytics with practical trading tools. By leveraging Tradier's trading infrastructure, OVTLYR users can execute trades based on their analyses, reducing the complexity of moving between multiple platforms. Initial feedback from users, as gathered through platform engagement metrics, indicates that the integration simplifies trading routines and supports improved decision-making. Investors have expressed optimism about the ability to analyze data and act on insights within a single environment. The collaboration reflects a broader industry trend of integrating analytics and execution capabilities to support informed decision-making. OVTLYR and Tradier's combined efforts aim to empower investors with actionable tools and insights, contributing to a more accessible and efficient trading experience. OVTLYR is an AI stock app behavioral analytics platform that leverages AI to provide insights into market trends and investor behavior. By delivering actionable data, OVTLYR helps users navigate the complexities of the financial markets with confidence. Tradier is a leading provider of financial technology solutions, offering a comprehensive platform for trading and investing. With features such as commission-free trading and accessible APIs, Tradier supports traders and developers in achieving their financial goals. For more information about the partnership or to explore the integrated platform, visit OVTLYR's website or Tradier's website. In conclusion, the partnership between OVTLYR and Tradier marks a significant step forward in the evolution of data-driven trading. By merging advanced behavioral analytics with robust trading capabilities, both companies are poised to offer investors an enhanced, seamless trading experience that prioritizes informed decision-making. As the financial landscape continues to evolve, collaborations like this underscore the importance of innovative, integrated solutions that empower traders and investors alike. For those interested in exploring the benefits of this collaboration, further information can be found on OVTLYR and Tradier's websites. ### For more information about OVTLYR, contact the company here: OVTLYR Kylee Smith 252-513-9661 pr@medialunchbox.com 5830 Granite Pkwy Ste 100, Plano, TX 75024 NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renowned Wall Street financier and philanthropist Benjamin Wey has announced the launch of the Benjamin Wey Grant for Finance Students, a one-time award of $1,000 designed to support the next generation of finance professionals. Open to undergraduate students pursuing careers in finance or related fields, this prestigious initiative reflects Benjamin Weys lifelong commitment to education, innovation, and fostering excellence in the global finance industry. Benjamin Wey, CEO of New York Global Group and a prominent figure in private equity investment, has made significant contributions to capital markets and corporate finance throughout his illustrious 25-year career. Recognized globally for his expertise, he is celebrated for his dedication to advancing financial education and empowering aspiring professionals. Through the Benjamin Wey Grant for Finance Students, he aims to inspire and support undergraduate students as they prepare to shape the future of the finance industry. Grant Overview and Eligibility Criteria The Benjamin Wey Grant offers a one-time award of $1,000 to undergraduate students who meet the following criteria: Eligibility: Applicants must currently be enrolled in a college or university and pursuing or planning to pursue a career in finance or a related field. Applicants must currently be enrolled in a college or university and pursuing or planning to pursue a career in finance or a related field. Essay Submission: Applicants are required to submit a 1,000-word essay addressing the following prompt: The financial world is constantly evolving due to technological innovations, global trends, and economic shifts. Discuss a recent financial innovation or development that you believe will shape the future of the finance industry, and explain how you plan to contribute to this transformation as a future finance professional. Submissions must include the applicants full name, contact information, and current academic institution and should be emailed to apply@benjaminweygrant.com. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2025, and the grant winner will be announced on August 15, 2025. A Legacy of Financial Leadership and Philanthropy Benjamin Weys unparalleled expertise in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity has earned him global recognition. As CEO of New York Global Group, he has successfully managed multibillion-dollar projects, advised Fortune 1000 companies, and collaborated with governments worldwide. His achievements have been featured in esteemed publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times. A graduate of Columbia Business School, Benjamin Wey also holds an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma and has guided over 1,000 projects throughout his career. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Benjamin Wey is deeply committed to philanthropic efforts. His passion for nurturing the next generation of finance professionals is evident in initiatives like the Benjamin Wey Grant, which underscores his belief in the transformative power of education and mentorship. A Platform to Shape the Future of Finance The Benjamin Wey Grant for Finance Students encourages applicants to delve into the dynamic landscape of the financial world and explore how technological advancements, global trends, and economic shifts are shaping the industry. By supporting ambitious and talented students, Benjamin Wey hopes to inspire innovative thinking and bold leadership in a field that is constantly evolving. Benjamin Weys dedication to education and his strategic leadership in finance make this grant a unique opportunity for students to gain recognition and financial support while contributing to the industry's future, a spokesperson for the grant remarked. Application Details and Deadline Students interested in applying for the Benjamin Wey Grant are encouraged to submit their applications by July 15, 2025. The winner will be announced on August 15, 2025, receiving $1,000 to support their educational and professional aspirations. For more information about the Benjamin Wey Grant, visit the official website at www.benjaminweygrant.com. About Benjamin Wey Benjamin Wey is a seasoned Wall Street financier and the CEO of New York Global Group, a leading private equity investment firm. With over two decades of experience, his work spans advising governments, Fortune 1000 companies, and high-profile clients globally. He is recognized as a global financier, expert, and philanthropist, with features in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and other renowned publications. Beyond his professional endeavors, Benjamin Wey actively supports education and charitable initiatives, emphasizing the importance of nurturing future leaders in finance. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Benjamin Wey Organization: Benjamin Wey Grant Website: https://benjaminweygrant.com Email: apply@benjaminweygrant.com NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Charles Eitel Grant for Finance and Accounting is now accepting applications from undergraduate students nationwide who are pursuing degrees in finance or accounting. Renowned business leader and visionary Charles Eitel, with over 40 years of experience in transforming organizations and driving sustainable growth, established this grant to inspire and support the next generation of leaders. The one-time award of $1,000 seeks to recognize students who demonstrate both academic excellence and an innovative mindset capable of addressing the ever-evolving challenges of finance and organizational management. The grant is open to all undergraduate students, irrespective of their location in the United States, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Eligibility and Submission Guidelines Applicants for the Charles Eitel Grant for Finance and Accounting must meet the following criteria: Current Enrollment : Be an undergraduate student majoring in finance or accounting. : Be an undergraduate student majoring in finance or accounting. Academic Excellence : Maintain a strong academic record. : Maintain a strong academic record. Essay Submission: Submit an essay addressing the following prompt: In a world where financial and operational challenges are ever-evolving, how would you apply innovative solutions to drive growth and success in a complex organization? Share your vision and strategies for balancing human and financial aspects to achieve transformative results. Submissions must be sent to apply@charleseitelgrant.com before the application deadline of June 15, 2025. The winner will be announced on July 15, 2025. About Charles Eitel A prominent figure in the business world, Charles Eitel has built a remarkable career through his strategic leadership and commitment to excellence. With over four decades of experience revitalizing struggling companies and enhancing operational efficiency, Eitel is recognized as a transformative leader. His career began with a small manufacturing company where his leadership propelled significant growth and led to a successful public offering. Later, at a global manufacturing company, he doubled revenue and tripled operating income by pioneering innovative product designs and fostering a positive corporate culture. Charles Eitel also led a major bedding company, achieving groundbreaking product innovations and financial turnarounds, earning widespread acclaim for his leadership. Throughout his career, Charles Eitel has held positions as CEO, COO, and board member across various industries, demonstrating his adaptability and expertise in navigating diverse organizational challenges. His achievements have earned him awards and recognition for his contributions to the business community. An accomplished author and keynote speaker, he continues to influence the world of finance and management while residing in Naples, Florida. Inspiring Future Leaders in Finance and Accounting The Charles Eitel Grant for Finance and Accounting is an extension of Eitels dedication to fostering innovation and excellence. By supporting students who show exceptional potential in finance and accounting, the grant aims to cultivate forward-thinking professionals who can create transformative solutions for complex organizational challenges. "Charles Eitel believes that todays students have the power to shape the future of business and finance. Through this grant, he hopes to inspire aspiring leaders to bring innovative strategies to the table, balancing the human and financial aspects necessary to achieve long-term success," said a spokesperson for the grant. Application Process and Timeline Undergraduate students are encouraged to take this opportunity to showcase their creativity and strategic thinking by submitting a thoughtful essay. Applications and essays must be sent to apply@charleseitelgrant.com no later than June 15, 2025. The winner will be selected based on the quality and originality of their essay, as well as their academic achievements. The recipient of the Charles Eitel Grant for Finance and Accounting will be announced on July 15, 2025, receiving $1,000 to further their education and career aspirations. Building a Legacy of Excellence Through this grant, Charles Eitel continues his legacy of fostering innovation and excellence in finance and accounting. His extensive experience as a leader and strategist serves as a source of inspiration for students aiming to make meaningful contributions to their fields. For more information about the Charles Eitel Grant for Finance and Accounting, visit https://charleseitelgrant.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Charles Eitel Organization: Charles Eitel Grant Website: https://charleseitelgrant.com Email: apply@charleseitelgrant.com Mount Olive, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mount Olive, Alabama - Bloomin' Blinds of Birmingham has announced a new partnership with Eclipse Shading Systems to add retractable awnings to its product offerings. This new collaboration highlights Bloomin' Blinds' aim to provide high-quality, practical solutions for customers. Eclipse Shading Systems is renowned for its durable and versatile shading products, and their retractable awnings are a perfect match for Bloomin' Blinds' customers. To learn more about the types of retractable awnings available at Bloomin' Blinds, visit the website. Mark Tant, the owner of Bloomin' Blinds, shared his excitement about teaming up with Eclipse Shading Systems. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Eclipse Shading Systems to offer our clients top-notch retractable awnings," Tant said. "These awnings provide effective sun protection and add aesthetic value to any outdoor space." These retractable awnings are crafted to blend well with different types of architecture and personal styles. They give homeowners the flexibility to enhance their outdoor living spaces. By adding these products, Bloomin' Blinds hopes to better meet a variety of household needs, allowing customers to find the perfect shading solution with additional options like motorized systems for ease of use and patio solutions that enhance the look of any outdoor area. The inclusion of retractable awnings broadens Bloomin' Blinds' service offerings. This complements their existing lineup of custom blinds, shades, and shutters. The strategic partnership with Eclipse Shading Systems allows them to appeal to a growing segment of homeowners who want more functionality from their outdoor spaces. These new products are expected to attract a diverse group of customers, especially those looking to invest in home improvement and outdoor upgrades. Mark Tant also pointed out the practical benefits of these retractable awnings. "These awnings are not just about style; they provide practical benefits," he said. "By reducing sun exposure, they help in maintaining cooler indoor temperatures, which can lead to energy savings. It's a valuable addition for homeowners seeking both comfort and efficiency." Bloomin' Blinds of Birmingham continues to innovate by updating its product lineup based on customer feedback and market trends. Now that retractable awnings are part of their offerings, customers can look forward to more opportunities for personalization and functionality in their outdoor spaces. Shoppers interested in these new offerings can visit the website for more details or check out the Facebook page for updates and promotions. Focusing on quality and customer satisfaction, Bloomin' Blinds of Birmingham remains a trusted name in window treatment solutions. They are now ready to serve the Birmingham area with this new shading option. Through this venture, the company reaffirms its commitment to meeting the specific needs of the community and enhancing the home improvement experience. For those wanting to upgrade their outdoor areas, Bloomin' Blinds offers a mix of style and practicality, making their new retractable awnings an attractive choice. The partnership with Eclipse Shading Systems is a forward-thinking move for Bloomin' Blinds, supporting their existing products and strengthening their position in the industry. To learn more about these new retractable awnings or to explore all that Bloomin' Blinds of Birmingham has to offer, customers are encouraged to visit the website or check out the Facebook page. As Bloomin' Blinds expands its range of services, homeowners throughout the Birmingham area can expect more tailored solutions for their window and outdoor shading needs, thoroughly serving the Birmingham area. Explore the full range of services, including motorization and on-site repair options, on their website today. ### For more information about Bloomin' Blinds of Birmingham, contact the company here: Bloomin' Blinds of Birmingham Mark Tant - Owner 205-649-5746 mark.tant@bloominblinds.com Mailing Address Only: 1670 Kelly Loop Rd, Mount Olive, AL 35117 The new video in the series A Mediterranean Story is dedicated to the most regal of fruits, the European blood orange. It is live the story of the undisputed queen of winter that with its flavor and nutritional benefits has become an ally against winter stress. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The video series created by the European project FRESH UP YOUR LIFE! TOP-QUALITY EUROPEAN FRUIT & VEG continues with an episode entirely dedicated to the European blood orange. Moro, Tarocco or Sanguinello, the varieties of this fruit are many, but all characterized by its incredible flavor, made even more irresistible by the juicy texture of its pulp and the incredible nutritional properties it holds. In fact, the orange is typically a winter fruit, although some varieties manage to bear fruit until early summer. With its bright orange and balanced sweet-sour flavor, the orange is the ideal fruit to accompany us in any recipe and at any time of day: it goes perfectly with every type of cuisine, from breakfast to dessert to the most sophisticated gourmet dishes. It is in Sicily the heart of the European orange kingdom. Its throne? Mount Etna, which with the particular temperature of its slopes gives the sweet flavor and beautiful red pulp that so characterize this fruit. The presence of significant temperature ranges between day and night during the ripening period stimulates the production of anthocyanins, the natural pigments that give the pulp its typical ruby-red hue. But it's not just a matter of aesthetics: the Etna blood orange is a real concentrate of health, rich in vitamin C, antioxidants and beneficial substances that protect the body and promote well-being. The activity is part of the project FRESH UP YOUR LIFE! TOP-QUALITY EUROPEAN FRUIT & VEG, a communication campaign co-financed by the European Union and CSO Italy and also involving leading companies in the sector such as Apofruit, Cico-Mazzoni, Conserve Italia, Lagnasco Group, Oranfrizer, Origine Group and Salvi-Unacoa. The campaign aims to celebrate European agricultural tradition and excellence in the U.S. and UAE, a symbol of this excellence being the blood orange, the queen of oranges, grown according to the highest EU quality standards, a European symbol of taste and tradition. For information: SEC Newgate Italia Renato Pagani renato.pagani@secnewgate.it +39 335 6839561 Giorgia Rizzi giorgia.rizzi@secnewgate.it News about CSOItaly CSOItaly, founded in 1998, is a unique entity in Italy that associates many of Italy's leading companies in the production and marketing of domestic fruit and vegetables. Completing the range of members are important companies specializing in different areas of the fruit and vegetable supply chain, from packaging, logistics, processing, machinery, and distribution. CSOItaly's mission is to provide useful services to members to improve and make the Italian fruit and vegetable industry more efficient and competitive. A technical table at the service of the entire Italian fruit and vegetable supply chain to increase its competitiveness through synergy among operators. CSOItaly, has 73 members, distributed as follows: 51 producer members, 14 supply chain members, 3 subsidizing members and 5 supporting bodies. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d527ca1-6a95-4c55-aa6f-7bdda6b99bed Tempe, AZ, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gen4 Dental Partners, a Thurston Group portfolio company, has announced another year of strong growth in 2024, as the company significantly outperformed market growth again in 2024. Based in Tempe, Arizona, the innovative Dental Service Organization (DSO) reached major milestones in 2024, including two new acquisitions, appointing new key leadership roles, centralizing technology, closing on a $315 million credit facility, and continuing strong growth with new doctors and hygienists. 2024 was a strategically impactful year for Gen4 Dental Partners, said Dan Davis, Managing Partner of Thurston Group. With these milestones reached, Gen4 Dental Partners is looking forward to an impressive 2025 and has set itself up for continued growth. New Partnerships Create a Strong Foundation Gen4 completed two high-impact acquisitions in 2024, including: NOVA Dental: The McLean, Virginia, operation expands periodontics and implantology in the Gen4 portfolio. The McLean, Virginia, operation expands periodontics and implantology in the Gen4 portfolio. White Family Dental: With more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Ed White serves central Pennsylvania communities with compassionate, patient-centered care. In addition, Gen4 brought on nine dentists in 2024, bringing the total number of dentists to 230. All told, by years end Gen4s footprint spanned 107 locations across 16 states. Financial, Technological and Operational Strength In 2024, Gen4 secured a $315 million credit facility while also streamlining technology through the centralization of phones, patient communication, revenue cycle management, and treatment planning. The Individual Growth Engine (IGE), Gen4s unique professional development program, achieved 15% growth in 2024. Further, four new key executive appointments were made: Karen Flug, Chief Operating Officer. Flug has over 30 years of leadership, operations and P&L experience, with 20 of those years focused in healthcare. Flug has over 30 years of leadership, operations and P&L experience, with 20 of those years focused in healthcare. Barb Kendall, VP of Operations West. At Perfect Teeth Arizona, Kendall rose from Regional Operations Manager in 2014 to the Senior Vice President of Operations, overseeing multiple locations across different states by 2022. At Perfect Teeth Arizona, Kendall rose from Regional Operations Manager in 2014 to the Senior Vice President of Operations, overseeing multiple locations across different states by 2022. Brendan Pool, VP of Operations East. Pool has over two decades of leadership experience across healthcare operations, manufacturing, and military service. Pool has over two decades of leadership experience across healthcare operations, manufacturing, and military service. Michelle Kosier, VP of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM). Kosiers diverse experience spans DSOs, Management Service Organizations (MSOs), hospital systems, ambulatory care, and multi-specialty/multi-location physician group practices. With patients at the forefront of their minds, Gen4 also implemented strong hygiene processes to cultivate lasting relationships, further putting their founding principles in action. At Gen4, the patients and doctors come first. Continued Success in 2025 From its founding, CEO Lamonte Jensen said, Gen4 has had a distinctively collaborative business model that combines the best ideas of all its dentist partners to form a doctor-centric, patient-obsessed organization. The best traits of individual practices are preserved, with each practice maintaining its own way of caring for patients. And the best traits of large businesses are added robust IT platform, HR, accounting, marketing support, and most of all a cadre of highly skilled, motivated, and collaborative dentists. Gen4 is primed for exponential growth, Jensen said. Its a testament to our uniquely collaborative business model that we are able to gather the best in the business together. Our momentum cant be stopped, he declared. About Gen4 Dental Partners Gen4 Dental Partners, led by CEO Lamonte Jensen and CCO Dr. Mitch Ellingson, is one of the fastest-growing and highly innovative Dental Service Organizations, providing world-class support to leading providers of dental services. Gen4 was created to challenge the status quo in the consolidation space. The Gen4 Platform is designed to allow dentists and their teams the ability to practice dentistry their way while experiencing the benefits of financial and operational support. gen4dental.com About Thurston Group Thurston Group is a private equity firm that focuses on building industry-leading companies in the healthcare services sector. Founded by its Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Haynes III in 1986, Thurston Group has returned more than $4 billion of invested capital in its 38-year history. Thurston has an extensive track record of partnering with physicians and building fast-growing businesses, including Smile Doctors, US Endodontics Partners, US Oral Surgery Management, SGA Dental Partners, US Orthopaedic Partners, Gen4 Dental Partners, ARC Health, Options Medical Weight Loss, Alpha Aesthetics Partners, and Modis Dental Partners, among others. ThurstonGroup.com Attachment SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sciens Building Solutions (Sciens) today announced it has welcomed Latham, New York-based Fire Security & Sound Systems (FS&S) to its growing portfolio of companies. This is the latest acquisition announcement from Sciens, which expands their Northeast presence where it has 10 existing Divisions. FS&S will add to their customer base resources, expertise, and the ability to leverage Sciens North American growth. We are so proud of the organization weve built here at Fire Security & Sound Systems, said Sean Reilly, president of FS&S. We chose Sciens to partner with as they are best suited to honor the commitment to our customers and provide extended opportunities to our employees. Their experience and professionalism in the life safety industry, as well as their thoughtful selection of acquisitions matches the values of FS&S. FS&S was established in 2008 to provide best-in-class service for life safety and security integration services, specializing in K-12, commercial office, healthcare, higher education, and industrial government with expertise in fire alarm, security integration, nurse call, and sound systems. According to Terry Heath, Sciens CEO, The addition of Fire Security & Sound Systems helps us continue our growth trajectory in the important Northeast region. With customer satisfaction as their guiding principle, FS&S will certainly add value to our nationwide presence and offerings. We continue to look for companies like FS&S to become part of our portfolio, while we expand into existing and new markets. About Sciens Building Solutions Headquartered in San Francisco, California, and backed by The Carlyle Group, Sciens Building Solutions is a fire and life safety company focused on protecting lives and reducing business risk. This includes the design, installation, and provision of maintenance and inspection services for fire detection, fire sprinkler and security systems across a variety of commercial vertical markets. For more information, please visit: www.sciensbuildingsolutions.com. About Fire Security & Sound Since its inception in 2008 in Latham, NY, FS&S has evolved into a leading force in electronic systems integration. Their expansion to New Windsor and beyond reflects their commitment to innovative, client-focused solutions. With a mission to deliver top-tier, innovative safety and security solutions, integrity, collaboration, and customer satisfaction are their guiding principles, ensuring every project meets the companys high standards. To learn more, visit: https://www.firesecuritysound.com/. Contact: Jil Shingledecker jshingledecker@sciensbuildingsolutions.com 407-221-6785 MATAWAN, N.J., Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dr. Fazal Panezai Grant for Healthcare Students is now accepting applications from undergraduate students pursuing healthcare-related degrees across the United States. Founded by Dr. Fazal Panezai, a renowned physician with a distinguished career spanning over four decades, this grant aims to inspire and nurture aspiring healthcare leaders who are committed to advancing the field with compassion and innovation. The grant, which awards $1,000 to one deserving recipient, seeks to honor Dr. Fazal Panezais lifelong dedication to medical excellence and patient care. His journey from Quetta, Pakistan, to prominent medical institutions in the United States and Canada reflects his deep commitment to fostering healthcare professionals who prioritize empathy and innovation in their practice. Eligibility and Application Details To be eligible for the Dr. Fazal Panezai Grant for Healthcare Students, applicants must meet the following criteria: Be an undergraduate student enrolled in a healthcare-related program at an accredited U.S. college or university. Demonstrate a clear intent to pursue a career in healthcare, with aspirations in fields such as internal medicine, cardiology, geriatrics, or other healthcare disciplines. Submit an original essay responding to the contest prompt. Be a legal resident of the United States. The essay prompt for this years grant is: "In healthcare, compassion and innovation go hand in hand to create a lasting impact. Reflect on a moment or experience that solidified your desire to pursue a career in healthcare. How did it shape your perspective on patient care, and how do you envision using your skills and education to address current and future challenges in the healthcare field?" The deadline to apply is September 15, 2025, and the winner will be announced on October 15, 2025. Applications can be submitted through the official grant website: https://drfazalpanezaigrant.com/. About Dr. Fazal Panezai Dr. Fazal Panezai has dedicated his career to advancing the field of medicine through both practice and education. Born in 1948 in Quetta, Pakistan, he earned his MBBS degree from DOW Medical College in 1973 before pursuing residency and fellowship training in internal medicine and cardiology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). His certifications from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in cardiovascular disease further underscore his expertise. During his illustrious career, Dr. Fazal Panezai served at prestigious institutions such as Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, NJ, and collaborated with esteemed organizations, including the American College of Cardiology and the Royal College of Physicians. Known for his compassionate approach and unwavering dedication, Dr. Fazal Panezai has left an indelible mark on the medical community. Through this grant, Dr. Fazal Panezai continues to support the next generation of healthcare professionals by providing financial assistance and encouraging students to pursue their dreams of creating meaningful change in the field of healthcare. A Commitment to the Future of Healthcare The Dr. Fazal Panezai Grant for Healthcare Students serves as a beacon of opportunity for undergraduate students who are passionate about addressing the challenges of modern healthcare. By offering this $1,000 grant, Dr. Fazal Panezai emphasizes the importance of combining compassion and innovation to create a lasting impact on patient care. This initiative not only reflects Dr. Fazal Panezais commitment to medical excellence but also underscores the belief that the future of healthcare lies in the hands of dedicated individuals driven to make a difference. For more information on the Dr. Fazal Panezai Grant for Healthcare Students and to apply, visit the official website at https://drfazalpanezaigrant.com/. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Dr. Fazal Panezai Organization: Dr. Fazal Panezai Grant Website: https://drfazalpanezaigrant.com Email: apply@drfazalpanezaigrant.com Chinese official calls for closer ties with Algeria, Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire Xinhua) 16:22, January 22, 2025 ABIDJAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, called for promoting bilateral ties with Algeria, Tunisia and Cote d'Ivoire during his visit to these African countries. Yang, who led a delegation to visit these African countries from Jan. 13 to 22, met and exchanged views with political leaders and people committed to friendship with China, including Vice-President of the National People's Assembly of Algeria Munther Boden, Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ben Ayed, and President of the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council of Cote d'Ivoire Eugene Aka Adouele. During the visit, Yang also attended and delivered a speech at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Algeria, which aimed to promote friendship between China and Algeria. The various parties expressed their commitment to jointly implementing the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the three countries, as well as the guiding principles of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. They pledged to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, foster mutual learning between civilizations, promote cooperation at sub-national levels and between sister cities, enhance exchanges and friendship among youths, and deepen pragmatic cooperation, so as to contribute to the continuous development of China-Arab and China-Africa relations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Reno, Nevada, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Canyon Gold Corp. (OTCQX: NGLD) (The Company or Nevada Canyon) announces it has been requested by OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTC Markets") to issue this statement about promotional activity concerning its common shares (the "Common Shares") traded on the OTCQX Market (operated by OTC Markets). On January 17, 2025, OTC Markets informed the Company that it became aware of certain promotional activities concerning the Company and the Common Shares traded on the OTCQX Marketplace, including the distribution of two promotional newsletter e-mails published by Sideways Frequency LLC (SFL) and distributed through SFLs subsidiaries, Trading Wire and Huge Alerts (together with SFL, the service providers) discussing the Company, its business, Nevadas mining industry and the worlds gold market in general. The publications also contained publicly available sources of information and summaries of recent news releases issued by the Company. SFL is an arm's length third-party digital marketing firm retained by the Company, whereby SFL, along with its subsidiaries, would provide digital corporate marketing and advertising services to raise public awareness of the Company. The Company provided the service providers with publicly available sources of information for the newsletters, and the only editorial control the Company exercised over the materials involved reviewing the materials for accuracy regarding the Company prior to their dissemination by the service providers. The Company does not believe the statements in the marketing materials and newsletter emails were materially false or misleading. However, the Company notes in its news releases that investing in the Companys securities involves certain risks and uncertainties which investors should review prior to making any investment decision and encourages all investors to undertake proper due diligence. The Company understands this promotional activity coincided with increased trading activity in the Common Shares beginning on January 10, 2025. The Company has no opinion as to whether or not and/or the extent to which the promotional activity affected trading activity because of the many factors that affect trading activity generally, which may include promotional activities, the recent increase in the world gold price, the volatile nature of the industry in which the Company is involved and the prior issuance of the Companys public news releases, such as the most recent news release dated 01-10-2025. After an inquiry by management, other than SFL and the third-party service providers noted below, no directors, officers or control persons have been involved with the creation, distribution or payment of promotional materials related to the Company and its securities. To the best of the Company's knowledge after due inquiry, no directors or officers of the Company nor third-party service providers have purchased or sold securities in the marketplace within the past 90 days. Investors are reminded that the Company's officers and directors are required to file insider reports under applicable securities laws disclosing any transactions in the Company's Common Shares, and that these reports can be viewed on the EDGAR website and the Companys profile on OTC Markets. The Company has engaged the following third-party service providers to provide corporate marketing and investor awareness services, digital marketing and advertising, or other related services within the last twelve months: i2i Marketing Group, Sideways Frequency LLC, Gold Standard Media, LLC. Other than as previously disclosed in the Company's public EDGAR filings and listed below, the Company has not issued common shares or convertible instruments allowing conversion to equity securities at prices constituting a discount to the current market rate at the time of the issuance: On December 30, 2021, the Company issued a total of 6,005,000 shares of restricted common stock to the Companys directors, subject to a 36-month Lock-up and Vesting Agreement. These shares were issued at par value for a total cash consideration of $601. Specifically, 1,000,000 shares were issued to the List Family Trust, (beneficially owned by Robert List) 3,000,000 shares were issued to Alan Day, and 2,005,000 shares were issued to 071663 BC Ltd (beneficially owned by Jeffrey Cocks). The shares to directors who were U.S. persons or to entities controlled by U.S. persons, as that term is defined in Rule 902(k) of Regulation S of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), were issued pursuant to the provisions of Rule 506(b) of Regulation D of the Act to the persons who qualified as accredited investors as that term is defined under Regulation D of the Act; the shares issued to an entity controlled by a non-U.S. person were issued pursuant to provisions of Regulation S of the Act. On November 7, 2022, the Company issued a total of 2,392,301 shares of its common stock at $0.375 per share on conversion of the notes issued by the Company payable to certain of its converting debt holders as part of a $1,000,000 financing the Company announced on September 13, 2021. (see Form 8-K filed on 09-13-2021) Specifically, 313,132 shares were issued to CPB Enterprises Ltd., 154,813 shares were issued to The Lilenquest Irrevocable Trust, 1,600,000 shares were issued to NGLD Convertible Note, LLC, 77,324 shares were issued to Michael Speakman, 61,837 shares were issued to Paul Mehl, 30,875 shares were issued to Jeff Ng, and 154,320 shares were issued to Swell Holdings, LLC. The Shares were issued pursuant to the provisions of Rule 506(b) of Regulation D of the Act, as the note holders confirmed their qualification as accredited investors as that term is defined under Regulation D of the Act. About Nevada Canyon Gold Corp. Nevada Canyon Gold Corp. is a US-based natural resource company headquartered in Reno, Nevada. The Company has a large, strategic land position and royalties in multiple projects, within some of Nevadas highest-grade historical mining districts, offering year-round access and good infrastructure in proven and active mining districts. The Company has a three-fold business model; i) mineral royalty creation and acquisition; ii) precious-metals and exploration streaming & financing; and iii) exploration project accelerator. For further information please contact: Corporate Communications Larry Heuchert Tel: 1-888-909-5548 Ext. 2 Email: ir@nevadacanyongold.com Web: www.nevadacanyongold.com Forward-Looking Statements The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of exploration, delays in completing various engineering and exploration programs, and any potential results from such programs. Specifically, forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the potential mineralization and geological merits of the Company properties, its royalties owned on properties and various other factors beyond the Nevada Canyon Gold Corp.'s control. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events except as required by applicable securities legislation. Investors are advised to carefully review the reports and documents that Nevada Canyon Gold Corp. files from time to time with the SEC, including its Annual Form 10K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, Quarterly Reports and Current Reports. VANCOUVER, BC and KIBBUTZ YIFAT, Israel, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Oil Ltd. (CSE: BOIL) (OTCQB: BEOLF) (Frankfurt: UH9) (Beyond Oil or the Company), a food-tech innovation company dedicated to reducing health risks associated with fried food while lowering operational costs, minimizing waste and enhancing sustainability, is pleased to announce the signing of a Distribution Agreement with T&J Oil Pty Ltd. (T&J Oil), based in Perth, Australia. The agreement has a term of five years and marks Beyond Oils entry into the Australian market and includes the granting to T&J Oil of exclusivity, subject to T&J Oil, fulfilling its annual minimum quantity purchase commitments, for specific restaurant sectors in Australia. Under the terms of the agreement, which became effective on January 22, 2025, T&J Oil will serve as the distributor of Beyond Oils proprietary oil treatment products for non-chain restaurants and local chains that do not utilize filter machines across Australia. The partnership is expected to help restaurants extend oil life, improve food quality, and reduce waste, aligning with Australias push for more sustainable practices in the food service industry. The agreement includes a aggregate minimum purchase commitments of US$4,947,600 over its five-year term*. For the first year of the agreement, T&J Oil has committed to purchasing a minimum of USD $243,600 worth of Beyond Oils products, with subsequent minimum commitments for the following four years increasing substantially. On top of the minimum commitments, the agreement also includes an annual licensing fee, amounting to a total of AUD$100,000 per year. Additionally, as part of the agreement, Beyond Oil will provide certified training sessions, with T&J Oil establishing a dedicated training center to support regional clients in optimizing their use of the Beyond Oil product. *This aggregate figure is contingent on T&J Oil fulfilling its annual minimum purchase obligations. Beyond Oil retains the right to terminate the agreement or revoke T&J Oils exclusivity arrangement if the annual minimum commitments are not met, something which cannot be guaranteed. Additionally, projected revenues do not reflect profits, as they are subject to variable factors, including operational costs, licensing fees, market conditions, and other factors in the Forward-Looking Statement below. Readers should take note of the fact that significant differces may ocurr in any future potential bottom-line figures as such. Jonathan Or, CEO of Beyond Oil, commented: We are excited to partner with T&J Oil to introduce our innovative oil treatment technology to the Australian market. This agreement underscores our commitment to expanding globally and bringing healthier, more sustainable frying solutions to commercial kitchens worldwide. With T&J Oils extensive distribution network and experience in the food service industry, we are confident in their ability to drive adoption and maximize the impact of our product across Australia. Oren Haas, CEO of TJ Oil, remarked: We are very excited to take on this new opportunity. We have been exploring and researching Beyond Oils revolutionary product for some time now. We are confident in our ability to take on this challenge and help change the oil market. Beyond Oil is at a turning point, with its product being recognized in more and more global markets, and we are very happy to be the chosen team to lead its penetration in Australia. We aim to take on large market share and pursue the rare opportunity to bring change and value to our customers. About Beyond Oil Ltd. Beyond Oil Ltd. is a food tech company in the health sector, with over 15 years dedicated to innovative solutions and registered patents in Israel, the USA and Europe, as well as clearance from the FDA, the Ministry of Health in Israel and Health Canada. The Beyond Oil product mitigates cancer and cardiovascular risks in fried and processed foods consumed in our day-to-day lives. Beyond Oil provides a unique solution for food-processing and food-service companies striving to produce & serve healthier food, increase sustainability, while improving food quality and saving their costs. For more information, visit our website at: www.beyondoil.co . About T&J Oil Pty Ltd. T&J Oil Pty Ltd is an Australian-based company specializing in the distribution, marketing, and sale of products related to cooking and frying for restaurants and industrial kitchens. With a deep understanding of the regional food service landscape, T&J Oil provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of local establishments. Contacts Jonathan Or CEO and Co-founder Phone: +972 52-601-0680 info@beyondoil.co ARX | Capital Markets Advisors North American Equities Desk beyondoil@arxadvisory.com TJ Oil Pty Ltd Oren Haas, CEO Email: beyondoilau@gmail.com Phone: +61 457 686 607 CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund (NYSE: MCN) (the Fund) today announced that it plans to host a webinar on February 4, 2025, at 11:00 am (Eastern Time). MCN employs a covered call equity strategy that seeks to generate income and gains. On the webinar, the Funds management team will review the benefits and risks of a hedged equity approach to investing. Jared Hagen, Vice President at XA Investments (XAI) will moderate the webinar with Kimberly Flynn, President at XAI, and Ray Di Bernardo, Portfolio Manager at Madison Investments (Madison). Webinar participants are encouraged to ask questions of the Funds management team. TO JOIN VIA WEB: Please click here to find the online registration link. TO USE YOUR TELEPHONE: After joining via internet, if you prefer to use your phone for audio, you must select that option and call in using a number below, based on your current location. Dial: US: +1 (720) 928-9299 or +1 (213) 338-8477 or +1 (646) 558-8656 or +1 (267) 831-0333 or +1 (312) 626-6799 Webinar ID: 857 3713 3843 REPLAY: A replay of the webinar will be available at www.xainvestments.com. The Funds objective is to achieve a high level of current income and current capital gains, with long-term capital appreciation as a secondary objective. The Fund pursues its objective investing primarily in large and mid-capitalization common stocks that are, in the view of Madison, selling at a reasonable price in relation to their long-term earnings growth rates. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to generate current earnings from option premiums by writing (selling) covered call options on a substantial portion of its portfolio securities. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund provides additional information on its website at www.xainvestments.com. About XA Investments XA Investments LLC (XAI) serves as the Funds investment adviser. XAI is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI has approximately $950mm in AUM as of 12/31/2024 and serves as the investment adviser for two listed closed-end funds and an interval closed-end fund. The listed closed-end funds, the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (NYSE: XFLT) and Madison Covered Call & Equity Strategy Fund (NYSE: MCN) both trade on the New York Stock Exchange. The interval closed-end fund, Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund (OCTIX), is newly launched. In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including development and market research, sales, marketing, and fund management. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com. About XMS Capital Partners XMS Capital Partners, LLC, established in 2006, is a global, independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients. It has offices in Chicago, Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com. About Madison Investments Madison Investments is an independent investment management firm based in Madison, WI. The firm was founded in 1974, has approximately $28 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2024, and is recognized as one of the nations top investment firms. Madison offers domestic fixed income, U.S. and international equity, covered call, multi-asset, insurance and credit union investment management strategies. For more information, please visit www.madisoninvestments.com. Madison and/or Madison Investments is the unifying tradename of Madison Investment Holdings, Inc., Madison Asset Management, LLC, and Madison Investment Advisors, LLC. Madison is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. MFD Distributor, LLC is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority www.finra.org. XAI does not provide tax advice; please consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax. Investors should consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. For more information on the Fund, please visit the Funds webpage at www.xainvestments.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction. NOT FDIC INSURED NO BANK GUARANTEE MAY LOSE VALUE Media Contact: Kimberly Flynn, President XA Investments LLC Phone: 888-903-3358 Email: KFlynn@XAInvestments.com www.xainvestments.com Denver, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denver, Colorado - SplitSimple is thrilled to continue their annual scholarship program, which aims to support students pursuing higher education who have faced the challenges of family divorce. With locations around the Denver area, SplitSimple offers specialized divorce mediation services, providing essential support for families experiencing transitions. Since starting this initiative, SplitSimple has shown its dedication to helping individuals deal with significant family transitions while needing financial aid to reach their academic goals. Students who are eligible for this scholarship are invited to apply by submitting an application at this link. This application should describe how divorce has impacted their lives and explain how the scholarship would support their educational goals. By sharing these personal stories, applicants highlight the connection between family experiences and their educational dreams, helping others understand their journeys better. "We strongly believe in supporting students who have navigated family transitions," said Chris Griffith, founder of SplitSimple. Through services like divorce mediation and guidance in creating parenting plans, SplitSimple understands the complexities families face and aims to alleviate some burdens. "Our scholarship program is a small step towards recognizing their resilience and determination to continue their educational paths despite the challenges they've faced." The scholarship, renewed every year, continues to demonstrate SplitSimple's dedication to helping communities by advocating for education as an essential part of future growth. The program asks applicants to share how changes in their family have influenced their educational goals, offering a space for students to tell their stories and dreams openly. A representative from SplitSimple emphasized the importance of educational access, saying, "Education shapes futures, and we want to ensure that students who have faced familial challenges like divorce have the resources they need to succeed in their academic paths. Our aim is to be a source of support and encouragement, acknowledging their strength and potential." Besides providing financial help, this scholarship program also promotes self-reflection among its applicants. By asking students to share their personal experiences and future plans, the process helps the selection committee understand each person's unique situation. This not only benefits the applicants in thinking about their journeys but also helps the scholarship committee make well-informed decisions about who receives the awards. By offering this yearly scholarship, SplitSimple stays committed to encouraging and supporting financially challenged students from diverse family backgrounds. Their comprehensive services, including equitable division of assets and assistance with alimony and childcare issues, reflect their broader mission of community support. The program ensures education remains within reach for those who may face financial hurdles due to changing family dynamics. For many applicants, this scholarship is a key opportunity to broaden their educational prospects and find success in their studies. This effort aligns with SplitSimple's larger mission to positively impact the community by helping students dealing with family challenges. It serves as an essential avenue for overcoming both financial and emotional barriers related to family transitions, allowing students to focus more on their studies and personal development. It's important for prospective applicants to pay attention to the deadline, encouraging them to prepare their materials early. Being ready well ahead of time means students can smoothly meet all requirements and improve their chances of receiving the scholarship. Past recipients of the scholarship have shown a strong commitment to their academic and personal aspirations. SplitSimple is proud to assist these students in overcoming obstacles and turning them into opportunities for growth. Through this ongoing scholarship program, and their dedication to offering support through services like prenuptial agreements and document completion, SplitSimple renews its support for educational accessibility and community engagement, honoring the dedication and ambition of students across the nation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVFBgjhfss8 Recent News: Split Simple Awards 2024 Social Work Scholarship to University of Louisville's Daydrianna Jeffries ### For more information about SplitSimple, contact the company here: SplitSimple Chris Griffith (855)665-9920 Chris@SplitSimple.com 1624 Market St #202 Denver, CO 80202 Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an exceptional head-to-head tasting, the 2018 Chateau La Croix Younan, a Grand Cru from Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, decisively surpassed the highly acclaimed 1997 Tignanello, a renowned Super Tuscan, in every category of evaluation: color, aroma, taste, and structure. This remarkable comparison highlights the technical and sensory superiority of Bordeaux winemaking, particularly given the dramatic difference in price$200 for Chateau La Croix Younan versus $1,200 for the 1997 Tignanelloand the age gap of over two decades. A Visual Feast: Depth and Clarity At first glance, the contrast was striking. The 1997 Tignanello exhibited a lighter, slightly cloudy appearancea reflection of its age and natural oxidation, as well as a less precise filtration process typical of its era. In contrast, Chateau La Croix Younan dazzled with its deep, vibrant ruby hue, a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship and superior tannin preservation of Bordeaux winemaking. The clarity and brilliance of the wine immediately conveyed its youth, vitality, and exceptional quality. Aromatic Complexity: Bordeauxs Superior Bouquet On the nose, Chateau La Croix Younan 2018 demonstrated a stunning aromatic complexity. Layers of ripe blackberries, red currants, violets, and earthy minerality unfolded harmoniously, with subtle undertones of vanilla and spice from its aging in premium French oak barrels. In comparison, the 1997 Tignanello presented a restrained bouquet, dominated by tertiary notes of leather, dried fruits, and forest floorhallmarks of its age but lacking the vibrancy and precision of its French rival. The aromatic superiority of Chateau La Croix Younan underscores Bordeauxs renowned expertise in crafting wines with multilayered complexity and an unmistakable sense of terroir. Taste and Structure: Elegance Meets Power The palate confirmed the triumph of Chateau La Croix Younan. The wine delivered a seamless balance of refined tannins, bright acidity, and a rich, round mouthfeel. Fresh berries, plum, and subtle earthy notes mingled with hints of cedar and cocoa, showcasing the influence of Saint-Emilions unique clay-limestone terroir. Despite being a younger vintage, it exhibited remarkable maturity and a clear capacity for aging. The 1997 Tignanello, by contrast, displayed a flatter, more linear structure. While it offered pleasant flavors of dried cherry, tobacco, and spice, its tannins had softened excessively, and the wine lacked the vibrancy and layered complexity that characterized the Bordeaux contender. Technical Mastery: Why Bordeaux Prevails The clear superiority of Chateau La Croix Younan reflects the technical and climatic advantages of Bordeaux winemaking: Blending Expertise: Chateau La Croix Younans masterful blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc creates a wine that balances lush fruit, elegant structure, and aromatic depth. Tignanello, while innovative as a Sangiovese-based Super Tuscan, relies heavily on a single varietals expression, resulting in a less complex profile. Terroir and Climate: The maritime climate of Saint-Emilion allows for slow, even ripening, preserving acidity and phenolic balance. Tuscanys warmer Mediterranean climate accelerates ripening, often resulting in overripe fruit and less vibrant acidity if not expertly managed. Soil Composition: Saint-Emilions clay-limestone soils contribute to the wines distinctive minerality and refined tannins. Tuscanys soils, while varied, do not consistently provide the same level of complexity and freshness. Winemaking Techniques: Chateau La Croix Younan benefits from advanced practices, including precise yield control, extended maceration, and aging in premium oak barrels, which enhance its structure and longevity. History and Heritage: Bordeaux vs. Tuscany The history of Bordeaux winemaking spans centuries, with the region renowned for its meticulous blending and scientific approach. Chateau La Croix Younans Grand Cru designation reflects generations of expertise and a deep understanding of terroir. Tuscany, though celebrated for its ancient traditions, only introduced Super Tuscans in the 1970s as a modern twist on Italian winemaking. While groundbreaking, this movement lacks the refinement and depth of Bordeauxs legacy. Conclusion: Chateau La Croix Younan Reigns Supreme In this comparison, the 2018 Chateau La Croix Younan demonstrated why Bordeaux remains the gold standard in winemaking. Its vibrant color, complex bouquet, and perfectly balanced palate unequivocally surpassed the 1997 Tignanello, despite the latters age and higher price point. This victory is a testament to the artistry, precision, and heritage of Bordeaux winemaking and solidifies Chateau La Croix Younans position as one of the finest wines in the world. For more information about Chateau La Croix Younan and other offerings from Younan Wine Estates, please visit www.younanwineestates.com. This press release celebrates the exceptional craftsmanship and technical brilliance of Chateau La Croix Younan, reaffirming its position as a global leader in luxury wines. Attachments HALIFAX, Jan. 21, 2025 - Elcora Advanced Materials Corp. (TSX.V:ERA | Frankfurt:ELM | OTCQB - ECORF), (the "Company" or "Elcora"), is pleased to report that all resolutions (the "AGSM Resolutions") presented to shareholders at its recent Annual General and Special Meeting held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in Belford, Nova Scotia (the "Meeting"), were duly passed and put into effect. The Company elected three directors to its board, namely, Troy Grant, Johannes (Theo) van der Linde and Denis Choquette. At the Meeting, shareholders of the Company approved the adoption of the Company's amended and restated restricted share unit plan (the "RSU Plan"). The maximum number of restricted share units ("RSUs") issuable under the RSU Plan has increased to 17,037,701 RSUs from 16,837,701 RSUs, such number being 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the record date of the Meeting and permitted by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). The RSU Plan is subject to final acceptance from the Exchange. Shareholders also approved and ratified the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan and appointed Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton LaBonte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year. Share Consolidation On May 23, 2024, the Company announced a proposed share consolidation, whereby shareholders will receive one (1) post-consolidation voting common share for every ten (10) pre-consolidation voting common shares held (the "Share Consolidation"). At the Meeting, shareholders approved a special resolution to authorize and implement the Share Consolidation as outlined in the Company's information circular dated November 22, 2024. The resolution was passed by a majority of votes cast by shareholders present or represented by proxy. With the requisite shareholder approval now obtained, the Company will proceed with the Share Consolidation, subject to Exchange approval. Following the proposed Share Consolidation, the number of issued and outstanding Common Shares will be reduced from 170,377,013 pre-Consolidation Shares to approximately 17,037,701 post-Consolidation Shares. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the proposed Share Consolidation. All fractions of Common Shares will be rounded down to the next lowest whole number. No cash consideration will be paid in respect of fractional shares. The exercise or conversion price and the number of Common Shares issuable under any of the Company's outstanding convertible securities will be proportionately adjusted upon the Share Consolidation. New ISIN: CA2844452029 New CUSIP: 284445202 The effective date of the Share Consolidation will be announced in a subsequent news release. The Company does not plan to change its name or trading symbol in connection with the Share Consolidation. Management believes this action will enhance the Company's attractiveness for financing opportunities. About Elcora Advanced Materials Corp. Elcora was founded in 2011 and has been structured to become a vertically integrated battery material company. Elcora can process, refine, and produce battery related minerals and metals. As part of the vertical integration strategy Elcora has developed a cost-effective process to purify high-quality battery metals and minerals that are commercially scalable. This combination means that Elcora has the tools and resources for vertical integration of the battery minerals and metals industry. For further information please visit the company's website at: http://www.elcoracorp.com For further information please contact: Troy Grant, Director, President & CEO, Elcora Advanced Materials Corp., T: +1 902 802-8847 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock Exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and reserves, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of Elcora, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Elcora's expectations are exploration risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Elcora with securities regulators. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the filing statement prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2025 - First Nordic Metals Corp. (the "Company" or "FNM") (TSXV: FNM) (OTC: FNMCF) (FRA: HEG0) announces that Mr. Henrik Lundin has been appointed to the Company's board of directors. Mr. Lundin has 19 years of technical and business experience in the natural resource sector and has held various executive and board roles with both private and public companies in the mining and oil and gas sectors. He previously served as Chairman of Gold Line Resources Ltd. ("Gold Line"), one of the predecessor companies to FNM. At Gold Line Henrik was involved in the initial consolidation of its belt-scale project package in Sweden, as well as the acquisition of the Oijarvi greenstone belt project in Finland from Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. Mr. Lundin was also Chief Operating Officer of TAG Oil Ltd., responsible for global operations. He also worked for Lundin Energy AB in Norway prior to moving over to Aker BP ASA where he currently serves as an Advanced Reservoir Engineer. Henrik is a Swedish citizen and has a B.Sc. Petroleum Engineering degree from the Colorado School of Mines in Colorado, USA. Taj Singh, FNM CEO comment: "On behalf of the board and management team, I am thrilled to welcome Henrik to FNM. His European experience and expertise will no doubt be very important to FNM as we advance our projects in the Nordics. Additionally, Henrik's networks and connections in Europe will be particularly useful in the near-term, with our planned exchange listing in Sweden.'' Henrik Lundin remarks: "I am excited to be joining the FNM board. FNM has done a great job in consolidating and launching one of the most meaningful European gold stories in the sector. It seems to be the right place and the right time for FNM, as both Sweden and Finland, with long-standing and impressive histories in mining, seem determined to increase their current relevance in the minerals industry." The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to Mr. Lundin to acquire an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.42 (the "Options"), in accordance with its 10% rolling Incentive Stock Option Plan. The Options vest upon the date of the grant and are exercisable for five years. ABOUT FIRST NORDIC METALS First Nordic Metals Corp. (FNM) is a Canadian-based gold exploration company, consolidating assets in Sweden and Finland to create Europe's next gold camp. The Company's flagship asset in northern Sweden is the Barsele Gold Project, a joint venture project with senior gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. Immediately surrounding the Barsele project, FNM is 100%-owner of a district-scale license position comprised of three additional projects (Paubacken, Storjuktan, Klippen), which combined with the Barsele Project, total 104,000 hectares on the Gold Line Belt. Additionally, in northern Finland, FNM is the 100%-owner of a district-scale position covering the entire underexplored Oijarvi Greenstone Belt, including the Kylmakangas Au-Ag deposit, the largest known gold occurrence this belt. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Taj Singh, M.Eng, P.Eng, CPA CEO & Director Follow First Nordic Metals: Twitter: @fnmetals Youtube: @firstnordicmetalscorp LinkedIn: @firstnordicmetals Facebook: @FirstNordicMetals Instagram: @firstnordicmetals Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although First Nordic believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. SOURCE First Nordic Metals Corp. For further information contact: Alicia Ford, Director, Corporate Development, Phone: 604-687-8566, Email: info@fnmetals.com January 22 - Beauce Gold Fields (Champs D'Or en Beauce) (TSX Venture: "BGF"), referred to as "BGF" or the "Company," is pleased to announce its planned diamond drilling campaign and bulk sampling program targeting high-priority zones along the antiform Saddle Reef structure. This structure is identified as the likely source of historical placer gold deposits on the Beauce Gold property, located in southern Quebec. Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO of Beauce Gold Fields, stated: "Past drill results, combined with the newly identified anomalies, justify a focused drilling and bulk sampling program to explore the structure believed to be the source of the region's historical placer gold deposits." Click Image To View Full Size High-Priority Drill and Bulk Sampling Targets The Company has selected targets based on its 2023 drilling and trenching program, which confirmed gold mineralization within the axis of a domed outcrop. Subsequent IP and geological studies have identified an 8 km-long antiform Saddle Reef structure. Geochemical studies suggest that this structure is the likely source of historical placer gold deposits in Saint-Simon-les-Mines to the southwest. In this first phase, Beauce Gold Fields plans to drill seven holes, totaling 500 meters, across two key zones: the Giroux Zone and the Grondin Zone. Additional drilling phases will be planned based on results from these zones, as well as from IP Anomalies Three and Four (see BGF press release dated December 10, 2024). Giroux Zone Location: At the headwaters of Giroux Brook, a tributary of the Gilbert River. This brook was central to 19th-century industrial-scale placer gold mining. Planned Activities: A trench, 150 meters in length, will be excavated to expose mineralized zones where overlapping soil and IP anomalies suggest antiform structure signatures. Two exploratory drill holes will be conducted, with additional holes planned based on on-site results. Grondin Zone Location: In the northwest corner of the Beauce Gold property in Beauceville, Quebec. Details: This 600-meter-long section of the structure lies above drill hole GR 23-01, drilled in 2023 (BGF press releases: November 1, 2023, and January 18, 2024). Findings from GR 23-01: The drill hole crossed a 36-meter-long mineralized zone and intersected three distinct gold zones between depths of 11 and 24 meters. One of the zones returned assays of 1 meter at 8.5 g/t and 5.4 g/t Au over 2.2 meters. Mineralization is associated with stockwork containing sulfides and shows strong deformation, which led to core loss, particularly toward the end of drilling. Planned Activities: New holes will verify gold mineralization beyond a depth of 40 meters and test areas along the structure's strike on either side of hole GR 23-01. The Company has submitted an "Autorisation pour travaux a impact" (ATI) application to Quebec's Ministry of Natural Resources to secure drilling authorization. A drill rig will be mobilized promptly upon approval. Jean Bernard, BSc, Geo, a qualified independent person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. About Beauce Gold Fields Beauce Gold Fields is focused on exploring and developing the largest placer gold district in eastern North America. The Company's objective is the trace old placer gold workings back to a bedrock source to uncover economic lode gold deposits. The Company's flagship property is the Saint-Simon-les-Mines Gold project, site of Canada's first gold rush that pre-dates the Yukon Klondike. The Beauce region hosted some of the largest historical placer gold mines in Eastern North America that were active from 1860s to the 1960s It produced some of the largest gold nuggets in Canadian mining history (50oz to 71oz). (Source Sedar: 43-101 Report - Beauce July 4th 2018, Author B. Violette) Beauce Gold Fields is currently drilling recently discovered antiform systems that is believed to have contributed to the development of extensive auriferous placer deposits in Beauce. The Company's geological model suggests that placer gold within the Beauce Gold paleochannel, including the renowned large nuggets from the 19th century, formed in stressed quartz pockets within layered domed Axis of Antiforms, exemplified by Saddle Reef formations. Notable global Saddle Reef formations include the Bendigo gold fields in Australia (over 60 million ounces) and the high-grade Dufferin deposit in Nova Scotia. Beauce Gold Fields website www.beaucegold.com Disclaimers: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding mineral exploration. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO Tel: (514) 262-9239 www.beaucegold.com Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Vancouver - Atco Mining Inc. (the "Company" or "Atco") (CSE: ATCM; OTC: ATMGF; Frankfurt: QP9) is pleased to announce that it intends to conduct a non-brokered private placement of up to 77,000,000 common shares (the "Common Shares") at a price of $0.015 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to $1,155,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering is not subject to any minimum aggregate subscription. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds for general working capital purposes, although there may be circumstances where for sound business reasons, a reallocation of funds may be necessary. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay finders' fees to eligible third parties who have assisted in introducing subscribers to the Company. 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 January 21, 2025, held Common Shares of the Company (and who continue to hold such Common Shares as of the closing date of the Offering), pursuant to the prospectus exemption set out in BC Instrument 45-534 - Exemption from Prospectus Requirement Certain Trades to Existing Security Holders and in similar instruments in other jurisdictions in Canada (the "Existing Shareholder Exemption"). If the Company receives subscriptions from investors relying on the Existing Shareholder Exemption exceeding the maximum amount of the Offering, 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 BC Instrument 45-536 - Exemption from Prospectus Requirement for Certain Distributions through an Investment Dealer (the "Investment Dealer Exemption"). 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. About Atco Mining (CSE: ATCM): Atco is a junior exploration mining company focused on exploring for green energy metals throughout Canada. Atco is also exploring salt opportunities in Western Newfoundland. Investors are encouraged to visit the company's website here: www.atcomining.com For further information contact: Atco Mining Inc. Email: info@atcomining.com Telephone: (604) 681-0084 www.atcomining.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law. Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Vancouver, Jan. 22, 2025 - Indico Resources Ltd. (TSXV: IDI.H) (the "Company") announces that it will implement the consolidation of its common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") on the basis of ten (10) pre-consolidation Shares for every one (1) post-consolidation Share (the "Consolidation") effective as of January 24, 2025. The Company name will remain unchanged after the Consolidation. The new CUSIP number will be 455937201 and the new ISIN number will be CA4559372012 for the post-Consolidation Shares. The total issued and outstanding number of Shares post-Consolidation will be approximately 1,131,490, subject to rounding for fractional Shares. No fractional Shares will be issued in connection with the Consolidation. In the event a holder of Shares would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional Share in connection with the Consolidation, the fractional Share will be cancelled if it is less than one-half (1/2) of a Share, and will be changed to one whole Share if that fractional Share is equal to or greater than one-half (1/2) of a Share. The exercise or conversion price, and the number of Shares issuable under any of the Company's outstanding convertible securities, if any, will be proportionately adjusted upon the effectiveness of the Consolidation. Registered shareholders who hold physical Share certificates will receive a letter of transmittal requesting that they forward pre-Consolidation Share certificates to the Company's transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc. in exchange for new Share certificates representing Shares on a post-Consolidation basis. Shareholders who hold their Shares through a broker or other intermediary and do not have Shares registered in their own name will not be required to complete a letter of transmittal. About Indico Resources Ltd. Indico is a mineral resource exploration company focused on the discovery and exploration of porphyry copper gold deposits. On behalf of Indico Resources Ltd., Brian Kerzner Chief Executive Officer "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" which reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "might", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "indicate", "seek", "believe", "estimates", "predicts" or "likely", or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Company's expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including without limitation, those risks and uncertainties discussed elsewhere in the Company's filings on SEDAR+. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date hereof and is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, Jan. 22, 2025 - CMC Metals Ltd. (TSX-V: CMB) (Frankfurt: ZM5P) ("CMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into a share purchase agreement with North Bay Resources Inc. (OTC-US: NBRI, "NBRI") to acquire an additional 14.5% of the Bishop Gold Mill (the "Mill"). This brings NBRI's total ownership to 70%. The remaining 30 % of the mill will be owned by 1436132 B.C. Ltd, a privately held corporation. The 96 ton per day mill is located north of Bishop, California. NBRI has recently acquired and installed additional gold extraction equipment including a centrifuge in the gravity circuit (see NBRI press release dated January 10, 2025). Based on a December 2024 metallurgical study (see NBRI press release dated December 16, 2024) NBRI has estimated a 97% recovery of gold from their Fran Gold Project at the Bishop mill. NBRI has estimated material from the Fran Gold Project to have a head grade of 0.9 ounces of gold per ton. Material from the Fran Project has been recently transported to the Bishop mill for test processing. The Company has entered into an agreement with NBRI and the current minority owner 1436132 BC Ltd., a private Canadian company, for NBRI to acquire an additional 14.5% of 0877887 BC Ltd. ("087"), a former subsidiary of the Company. The primary asset of 087 is the Bishop Gold Mill. Within this transaction, North Bay acquires a total interest of 70% of 087, in addition to prior payments and issuances to date, by assuming the amended cash payments and common share transfers to CMC as follows: Cash Payments*: $12,500 payable on signing $12,500 payable on February 15, 2025 $12,500 payable on April 1, 2025 $50,000 payable on July 7, 2025 $25,000 payable August 15, 2025 $50,000 payable September 25, 2025 (*all cash payments are in USD) Share Payment: $200,000 CAD in common shares of North Bay to be delivered on signing at a foreign exchange rate CAD/USD of $0.70 and share price of $0.0009 totaling 155,555,556 Restricted Common Shares of NBRI subject to a minimum hold period of 1 year and representing approximately 2% of NBRI common shares outstanding. Kevin Brewer, President and CEO of CMC notes "We are very pleased to have completed this transaction. This is generating further value from the divesting of the Bishop Mill that we expect will provide us with a significant return in the foreseeable future. We look forward to NBRI's continued success with this project." As a result of this final arrangement between the parties, upon completion of the cash and share payments CMC will no longer hold a security interest in the Mill. After this acquisition, CMC will hold a total of 1,275,555,556 common shares of NBRI. NBRI remains the Operator of the Mill. Qualified Person Qualified Person Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company's President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information pertaining reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data. About CMC Metals Ltd. CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on the exploration of high-grade silver-lead-zinc critical mineral carbonate replacement and skarn deposits in the Rancheria Silver District in Northern British Columbia and Yukon. Their properties include their flagship Silverknife project which is immediately adjacent to Coeur Mining's Silvertip deposit, one of the highest-grade underground CRD-vein deposits in the world, the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (Yukon) and the Amy claims (north-central British Columbia). Other projects include the Bridal Veil (Newfoundland) - an orogenic gold target, and Logjam (Yukon) a silver-gold target with porphyritic association. On behalf of the Board: "Kevin Brewer" Kevin Brewer, President, CEO and Director CMC METALS LTD. For Further Information and Investor Inquiries: Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc. (Hons), Dip. Mine Eng. President, CEO and Director Tel: (709) 327 8013 kbrewer80@hotmail.com Suite 1000-409 Granville St., Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2 To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email to info@cmcmetals.ca or contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. "This news release may contain certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, the impact of the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for information on these and other risk factors, available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation." VANCOUVER, Jan. 22, 2025 - Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ("Wheaton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has today been named to Corporate Knights' 2025 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list. With Corporate Knights' stated focus on responsible behaviour and sustainable revenue generation, a significant component of determining the Global 100 score considers the impact of Wheaton's streaming business on the clean economy and the responsible business practices of Wheaton's mining partners. Corporate Knights rated Wheaton highly for a range of key performance indicators at the corporate level, including pay linked to sustainability, CEO-average worker pay and gender and ethnic diversity on the board of directors. "We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to excellence in ESG practices both in our own offices and alongside our mining partners, who have a strong track record in responsible mining," said Randy Smallwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wheaton. "We have an incredible team at Wheaton and are advancing our work with mining partners to deliver the commodities our society needs. Although we do not manage mining operations, ESG is an important factor in our due diligence process for new streaming opportunities and once a stream is in place, we collaborate with our mining partners on a number of sustainability-related initiatives." "As the leading precious metals streaming company, Wheaton is committed to financially supporting climate solutions and clean technology for mining operations," continued Smallwood. In September 2024, Wheaton announced the launch of its inaugural Future of Mining Challenge, an initiative that seeks to support the mining industry to become more efficient while minimizing its environmental impact. Through the Future of Mining Challenge, Wheaton has invited cleantech companies from around the world to submit and propose industry solutions. The winner of the challenge will be awarded US$1,000,000 to continue to advance their technology and will be announced during the PDAC Convention in Toronto, the world's largest annual mining conference. Corporate Knights' 2025 ranking of the world's 100 most sustainable corporations is based on a rigorous assessment of over more than 8,300 public companies with revenue over US$1 billion. Wheaton will be included in the Global 100 Index, which represents a benchmark for sustainability excellence. The company was also recently named by Corporate Knights as one of the 2024 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. To learn more about Wheaton's sustainability approach and commitments, visit the website at: www.wheatonpm.com/Sustainability. About Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. Wheaton Precious Metals is the world's premier precious metals streaming company, providing shareholders with access to a high-quality portfolio of low-cost, long-life mines around the world. Through strategic streaming agreements, Wheaton partners with mining companies to secure a portion of their future precious metals production. Committed to responsible mining practices, Wheaton employs industry-leading due diligence practices with a goal of unlocking long-term value for shareholders while supporting the broader mining industry to deliver the commodities society needs through access to capital. Wheaton's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange under the symbol WPM. Learn more about Wheaton Precious Metals at www.wheatonpm.com or follow us on social media. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking-Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance of Wheaton. Forward-looking statements, which are all statements other than statements of historical fact, include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to sustainability commitments and targets by Wheaton and at mineral stream interests currently owned by Wheaton (the "Mining Operations"). Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Wheaton to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including (without limitation) risks related to the ability to achieve sustainability commitments and targets at both Wheaton and the Mining Operations and other risks discussed in the section entitled "Description of the Business - Risk Factors" in Wheaton's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the risks identified under "Risks and Uncertainties" in Wheaton's Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2023, both available on SEDAR+ and in Wheaton's Form 6-K filed March 14, 2024, all available on EDGAR. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management currently believes to be reasonable, including (without limitation) that sustainability commitments and targets at both Wheaton and the Mining Operations will be achieved, there will be no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, that estimations of future production from the Mining Operations and mineral reserves and resources are accurate, that the mining operations from which Wheaton purchases precious metals will continue to operate, that each party will satisfy their obligations in accordance with the precious metals purchase agreements, and that Wheaton's application of the CRA Settlement is accurate (including the Company's assessment that there will be no material change in the Company's facts or change in law or jurisprudence for years subsequent to 2010) and possible domestic audits for taxation years subsequent to 2016 and international audits. SOURCE Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. Encore will be drilling and producing in five (5) areas of Lawrence County by 2026. In 2024, Encore successfully drilled two (2) horizontal Berea oil well discoveries in Lawrence County with plans to drill three (3) additional horizontal wells near the Levisa Fork River. The Company has also recently performed a multi-stage Frack treatment in the Northern Field with plans to Frack a very prolific well of the East Field early Spring. The Company has plans to be drilling and producing in five (5) lease areas of Lawrence County. Lawrence County is the #1 oil producing county in Kentucky, and the horizontal Berea development is the most active and prolific oil play in Kentucky.BOWLING GREEN, Jan. 22, 2025 - Encore Energy, Inc. is the lease owner, well operator, and developer of multiple horizontal well projects targeting the productive Berea Sandstone of Lawrence County, which is the #1 oil producing county in Kentucky. There have been over 100 horizontal wells permitted, drilled and/or produced in Lawrence County. The horizontal Berea play is the most active and prolific oil and gas field operations in Kentucky that is being driven by the most advanced horizontal well technologies including but not limited to plug and perf multi-stage Frack completions and MWD drilling with the potential to sustain hundreds of highly skilled, highly paid jobs to East Kentucky along with much needed tax revenue for the state. This smaller tight oil play along with other prospective plays in deep Appalachia represent a near billion-dollar secret industry that has the potential to possibly grow exponentially in the future. Today's oil and gas industry is cleaner and more environmentally friendly than ever before primarily because of the improvements in horizontal well technology and multi-stage Fracking along with the regulatory compliance and business practices of the oil and gas industry. Encore Energy, Inc. has previously turned three (3) horizontal Berea well projects into early production and completed a nearly seven (7) mile gas transmission system that is now also in production. Encore has recently drilled a new oil discovery well in the northern field of Lawrence County and the East Field while preparing to drill three (3) additional horizontal wells in the eastern field of Lawrence County. The Company is currently shipping oil from multiple wells and selling gas via a gathering system (i.e. pipeline) in Lawrence County. The primary product is crude oil that represents ~90% of each project. "We are scheduled to begin drilling and Fracking in two (2) areas with our primary target as the East Field of Lawrence County", said Steve Stengell, Encore's President and CEO. "Oil prices are anticipated to be strong in the short and long-term while advancements in horizontal well technology increase the productivity of each well drilled", added Stengell. "We are also very pleased with our results from horizontal drilling in the northern field and are excited about moving forward with oil production operations in the East Field that reports some of the highest production volumes on record," said Steve Stengell. "As a good faith measure to obtain permits and prepare for horizontal well operations, Encore is currently plugging and abandoning multiple orphan wells at no cost to US or state taxpayers", Stengell further explains. "Soon Encore will be drilling and producing in five (5) areas of Lawrence County", added Stengell. Oil and gas investments involve a high degree of risk, uncertainty, and are only suitable for qualified SEC defined accredited investors who can afford the loss of his or her investment and understand the volatility of oil and gas drilling and production along with the challenging terrain in which the Company operators. No assurances can be made as it relates to production, reserves, profitability, income, timelines, commodity prices, and other estimates that are beyond the control of management. Horizontal drilling, multi-stage Frac treatments, well completion, and production operations are capital intensive, complex and extremely challenging in the mountainous terrain of East Kentucky. For more information, please contact Steve Stengell at (270) 438-9956 or via email at info@encore-energy.com Investment Risk, Disclaimer and Cautionary Statement: The information herein may contain forward-looking statements, and actual results may vary. Words such as "estimate", "will," "intend," "continue," "target," "expect," "achieve," "strategy," "future," "may," "goal," or other comparable words or phrases or the negative of those words, and other words of similar meaning indicate forward-looking statements and important factors which could affect actual results. Forward-looking statements are made based upon Management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon Encore Energy, Inc. Oil and gas investments involve an extremely high degree of risk, uncertainty and are only suitable for qualified Accredited (SEC Definition) investors who are sophisticated in making business decisions and can bear the financial loss of their entire investment, while delivering a turnkey profit to the Company for providing the prospect development, lease acquisition, drilling, completion, engineering, ongoing production operations and other services. The Company does not provide tax advice and investors should seek the advice of their tax professional. Any tax and/or other information herein is provided for illustration purposes only and may include estimates that are uncertain and subject to change. It is impossible to accurately forecast profitability, production, reserves, income, expenses and timelines for any project. No assurances can be made as it relates to reserves, production, income, profit, prices, timelines and/or other estimates. Actual production and results are beyond the control of management. In the event that commercial production is achieved, it may take many years for the investor to recoup his or her investment. The Company's lease acreage position under is subject to change and includes acreage under lease, Farmout agreement, verbal agreement, renewals, expired terms and any other prospective acreage in which the Company has communicated and/or negotiated with the landowner the leasing of oil and gas rights, now or in the future, and the lease / mineral owner has leased or communicated their intent to lease there mineral lease rights to the Company. The Company's well operations is located primarily in the extremely remote, mountainous and challenging terrain of East Kentucky. This extremely challenging terrain may result in indefinite project delays and escalating costs beyond the control of management. It is important for qualified SEC defined accredited investors to acknowledge the fact that the US government provides them with tax savings (100% IDC tax deduction) to mitigate or at least off-set some of the financial risk associated with domestic oil and gas investments. This is not an offer to sell or buy a security. An offer shall only be made pursuant to SEC Regulation D, Rule 506(c) by a private placement offering memorandum, and this is not a private placement offering memorandum. Investor privacy is protected by state and federal laws and Encore's privacy policy. Media Contact Steve Stengell, Encore Energy, Inc., 1 2704389956, steve.stengell@encore-energy.com, www.encore-energy.com< SOURCE Encore Energy, Inc. Haas confirms Magnussen's F1 roles for 2025 The Formula 1 team Haas has confirmed reports that Kevin Magnussen will remain involved in 2025. Kevin Magnussen, Las Vegas GP 2024 Haas This week, as he prepared for the Daytona 24 hours as a factory BMW driver, the Dane admitted he is perfectly happy to be stepping away from the lower end of the F1 grid. I knew I wasn't super keen on continuing in Formula 1, he told sportscar365.com. I wasn't really actively looking for another contract in Formula 1. However, even before the end of the 2024 season, the 32-year-old driver and Haas boss Ayao Komatsu were exploring ways to remain affiliated in 2025. In recent days, it was rumoured Magnussen would serve as a part-time Haas reserve this season, and as an experienced 'benchmark' driver for the team's new Toyota-backed TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) program and in the Toyota driver simulator in Cologne. Komatsu confirmed the news during a news conference from Haas' Banbury base. He will drive in TPC and in the simulator, the Japanese said, according to France's Auto Hebdo. Komatsu did not declare who Haas' reserve drivers will be in 2025, but the duties are likely to be spread between Magnussen, Toyota junior Ritomo Miyata, and even Toyota's Ryo Hirakawa - despite the latter actually signing up as Alpine's reserve. In Abu Dhabi, Komatsu said, referring to Hirakawa's post-season Haas test, he impressed us a lot on all levels, but I think the guys at Toyota already expected that. Finally, Komatsu announced that Esteban Ocon's race engineer this year will be the newly-promoted German Laura Muller - the first female race engineer in F1 history. I didn't choose Laura because she is a woman, Komatsu insisted. "We don't look at nationality or gender. That really doesn't matter, the work is what counts. When I knew that Esteban was coming to us, I thought that it was the right match. (GMM) Haas confirms Magnussen's F1 roles for 2025 The Formula 1 team Haas has confirmed reports that Kevin Magnussen will remain involved in 2025. Kevin Magnussen, Hungarian GP 2024 This week, as he prepared for the Daytona 24 hours as a factory BMW driver, the Dane admitted he is perfectly happy to be stepping away from the lower end of the F1 grid. I knew I wasn't super keen on continuing in Formula 1, he told sportscar365.com. I wasn't really actively looking for another contract in Formula 1. However, even before the end of the 2024 season, the 32-year-old driver and Haas boss Ayao Komatsu were exploring ways to remain affiliated in 2025. In recent days, it was rumoured Magnussen would serve as a part-time Haas reserve this season, and as an experienced 'benchmark' driver for the team's new Toyota-backed TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) program and in the Toyota driver simulator in Cologne. Komatsu confirmed the news during a news conference from Haas' Banbury base. He will drive in TPC and in the simulator, the Japanese said, according to France's Auto Hebdo. Komatsu did not declare who Haas' reserve drivers will be in 2025, but the duties are likely to be spread between Magnussen, Toyota junior Ritomo Miyata, and even Toyota's Ryo Hirakawa - despite the latter actually signing up as Alpine's reserve. In Abu Dhabi, Komatsu said, referring to Hirakawa's post-season Haas test, he impressed us a lot on all levels, but I think the guys at Toyota already expected that. Finally, Komatsu announced that Esteban Ocon's race engineer this year will be the newly-promoted German Laura Muller - the first female race engineer in F1 history. I didn't choose Laura because she is a woman, Komatsu insisted. "We don't look at nationality or gender. That really doesn't matter, the work is what counts. When I knew that Esteban was coming to us, I thought that it was the right match. (GMM) Komatsu announces big changes at Haas Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has announced big changes in his team, particularly in the structure of the race team. As it was anticipated, Esteban Ocon will be working closely with Laura Mueller, who will become Formula 1s first female Race Engineer, but there are other changes in the team, as veteran Francesco Nenci returns to Formula 1 after ten years in other categories of motor racing. Ayao Komatsu, Brazilian GP 2024 Haas The former Toyota, Sauber and Marussia man has taken over the role of Chief Race Engineer and will bring valuable support for Mueller in her new role, as she steps up after a couple of years as Performance Engineer for the American team. In fact, both cars will have new Race Engineers, as former performance engineer Ronan OHare will be working directly with rookie Oliver Bearman, after Mark Slade and Gary Gannon left the team at the end of last year. Another chance will come in the strategy group, as former AlphaTauri strategist Carine Cridelich joins Haas immediately after the Bahrain test, as Head of Strategy. And, finally, Mark Lowe, who was previously team manager at Haas, rejoins as sporting director, replacing Peter Crolla, who has left the team. Speaking to a restricted number of journalists, Komatsu made it clear that Muellers promotion was based on her qualities alone and had nothing to do with a PR-inspired move for gender equality. The Japanes engineer explained that, she's very hardworking, and her work ethic is really, really good. So, she's going to be Esteban's race engineer. He then added that, she's a pretty determined character and in terms of looking at it, personality-wise, Esteban is a pretty determined character as well. SoI think that personality matches pretty well. Komatsu admitted that, if you look at how many female engineers we have in the office, it's definitely more than before, but it's not like I chose Laura because she's female. We don't care about nationality, gender, it really doesn't matter because what matters is work. How you can fit into the team, how you can maximise the performance. Explaining all the changes hes implementing in the race team for this year, the Haas Team Principal admitted that, I felt it was one of the weakest areas last year. The more the car became competitive, it kind of exposed it more, if you like. In terms of race execution, we should have finished P6, but we didn't. Part of it was we left too many points on the table from the trackside operation. So, we really needed to step up on that one. There were so many times that under pressure we don't seem to function as well as we should do. But it's not just about the people, it is also the amount of training we can give." Komatsu also revealed that, the new VF-25 will make its track debut on February 16th, with a filming day in Silverstone, before the team will join its competitors in London, for the general livery reveal Formula 1 is trying this year. The second filming day will already be held in Bahrain, a couple of days before the start of the pre-season test and while it will be Ocon in action in the first track test, Bearman will run his 200 kilometers in Bahrain, in more representative weather conditions. Featured Anthony Sarpong appointed Acting Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority GraphicOnline Business News Jan - 21 - 2025 , 21:02 President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Anthony Sarpong, a Senior Partner at KPMG, as the Acting Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The appointment, which takes immediate effect, follows the resignation of Julie Essiam, who stepped down from the role on 20 January 2025. The appointment was confirmed in a letter from the Office of the President, stating: His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana in accordance with 195 (1) of the Constitution and Section 13(1) of the Ghana Revenue Act, 2009 (Act 791) has appointed you as the Acting Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority pending receipt of the Constitutionally required advice of the government Board, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission. Profile: Anthony Sarpong Anthony Sarpong is a financial expert with over 22 years of professional experience across Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. As a Senior Partner at KPMG Ghana, he has provided strategic direction and oversight, contributing to the firms corporate objectives. Advertisement Anthony Sarpong is a member of several professional bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and the Ghana Association of Restructuring and Insolvency Advisors (GARIA). His academic credentials include an MSc in Financial Risk Management from London Metropolitan University, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Manchester, and a First-Class Honours degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Ghana. Featured Cassius Mining successfully challenges arbitrator in $277million International Arbitration case against Ghana Kweku Zurek Business News Jan - 22 - 2025 , 09:02 Cassius Mining Ltd, through its wholly owned Ghanaian subsidiary, has successfully challenged the appointment of Professor Richard Oppong as Ghanas party-appointed arbitrator in an ongoing international arbitration case. The case, which involves claims of approximately US$277 million in damages for alleged breaches of contract and statute by the Government of Ghana, is the latest development in the arbitration proceedings. The challenge, filed on October 23, 2024, was based on concerns over Prof. Oppongs independence and impartiality. The grounds for the challenge were that Prof. Oppong had been nominated to the Supreme Court of Ghana and failed to disclose this nomination, raising reasonable doubts about his impartiality. Ghana contested the challenge, and the parties exchanged submissions on its admissibility and merits. Although Prof. Oppong recused himself from deciding on the challenge, he initially declined to resign from the Tribunal. However, on 17 January 2025, the remaining Tribunal members found that Cassiuss challenge was both justified and admissible. They noted that the overall circumstances relied upon by [Cassius] in support of its Challenge do give rise to reasonable cause to doubt as to the arbitrators independence or impartiality. In response to the Tribunals invitation to step aside voluntarily, Prof. Oppong agreed to resign, with the Tribunal subsequently inviting the parties to confer on the procedure and timelines for appointing a replacement arbitrator. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cassius Mining Ltd, James Arkoudis, commented in a statement, The resignation of Prof. Oppong is a significant step in maintaining the integrity of the Arbitral proceedings, and we welcome Prof. Oppongs offer to resign as a Tribunal member. The arbitration case stems from a Memorial filed by Cassius on December 23, 2024, outlining claims supported by witness statements and expert reports. The company is seeking damages of approximately US$277 million for what it alleges are breaches of contract and statutory obligations by Ghana. Cassius and its legal counsel are now considering the next steps, including the appointment of a replacement arbitrator and the potential implications of the successful challenge for the case. Featured Tourism Minister designate, Dzifa Gomashie to be vetted today; what you need to know about her Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Jan - 22 - 2025 , 05:30 2 minutes read Mahama's ministerial nominees today, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, after kicking off the process on Monday, January 13, 2025. One of the likely nominees likely to vetted is Dzifa Abla Gomashie, the minister designate for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts. The vetting sessions are part of Parliaments constitutional duty to assess the qualifications and suitability of individuals selected to lead various ministries. (Read Schedule: See the nominees to be vetted by Parliament today) See Dzifa Gomashies credentials below: Advertisement Abla Dzifa Gomashie is a renowned actress, film producer, scriptwriter and a revered politician. She served as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts in the National Democratic Congress during their tenure between 2013 and 2017 when John Mahama first created the ministry. Currently, she is the Member of Parliament for the NDC in the Ketu South Constituency and also a Queen Mother in the Aflao Traditional Area. Dzifa Gomashie holds a Master of Philosophy (2005-2008) in African Studies from the University of Ghana, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2000-2003) with a First-Class Honors from the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, and a Diploma in Theatre Arts (1994-1998) from the same University. Dzifa Gomashie is a true champion of the arts, with a passion for culture and heritage that knows no bounds. Her dedication to advancing these causes is evident in her impressive track record, particularly during her tenure as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts. In this role, she played a pivotal part in shaping the country's cultural landscape, laying the groundwork for landmark initiatives like the Ghana Culture Policy and the Creative Arts Industry Bill. Her commitment to promoting Ghana's rich cultural heritage has earned her recognition both locally and internationally. With her extensive experience in the creative arts industry, Gomashie is well-equipped to drive growth and development in the sector. (Read I promise to do my best to justify your faith in me- Dzifa Gomashie pledges) She brought her wealth of experience in the industry to the appointment both within Ghana and internationally. She serves on the committee in FEPACI, the Film Federation of the African Union. She is also a member and rapporteur of the ECOWAS committee for the Reparation of Stolen Artefacts of Africa. Dzifa Gomashie also played a key role in establishing the Creative Arts Council, now known as the Creative Arts Agency. This regulatory body is tasked with overseeing and coordinating the activities of the culture and creative industries, which encompass thirteen distinct sub-sectors. Featured Ghanas new Space Policy requires effective public engagement for lift-off Julia Selman Ayetey and Kobina Hughes Opinion Jan - 22 - 2025 , 15:22 5 minutes read The Ghana Space Policy was officially launched by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) on November 5, 2024. The policy aims to build on Ghanas experience and capabilities and harness Space Science and Technology (SST) for national advancement. It also provides for the establishment of a Ghana Space Agency, which is considered an essential step towards meaningfully positioning Ghana in the existing continental and global space ecosystem. The global space industry was valued at $630 billion in 2023 and is predicted to grow into a whopping $1.8 trillion industry by 2035, according to a report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company. Advertisement The African space economy is also on a strong growth trajectory, projected to reach $22.64 billion by 2026. Ghana could become a key contributor to the African space economy. Yet, many of its citizens remain broadly unaware of the economic and social benefits that could come with a thriving space sector. A significant part of the global space industry is devoted to launching satellites into orbits around Earth for multiple activities. Important uses include generating images or data for environmental monitoring and disaster management, which helps improve responses to challenges such as deforestation, flooding and drought. Enhanced satellite communication networks allow internet connectivity in remote and underserved areas. Satellite data can also help with agricultural programmes by providing farmers with precise data on weather patterns, soil health and crop management, boosting productivity and food security. Additionally, satellites play a critical role in navigation systems to enhance transportation, logistics and resource management. Furthermore, a rapidly growing, innovation-driven new space economy has emerged over the past decade, focused on commercial and private sector led activities in space. By prioritising space utilisation, Ghana could unlock new industries, create high-skilled jobs and drive innovation, ultimately boosting Ghanas competitiveness. While the adoption of the newly published policy is a welcome development, public support will be necessary to justify public expenditure on its implementation. The government must effectively communicate the benefits of space-derived services and convince the public that investing in the space industry is a worthwhile investment in the nations future prosperity. The backdrop The Ghana Space Policy was launched against a somewhat bleak economic outlook. In such tough times, the public can be expected to harshly criticise the policy and its implementation if they are not adequately informed of the benefits of space utilisation. Participation in the space industry is expensive and returns are usually only realised in the medium to long term. Additionally, the soon-to-be Ghana Space Agency will likely have to spend its first year or two mainly in intelligence-gathering mode to assess how best to position Ghana in a complex continental and global space ecosystem. Tangible outcomes from the early period of operation could be limited, while at the same time the expenses of the Agency (i.e. travel and consultancy services) could be high. Economic justification A thriving private sector drives national prosperity and contributes to GDP by enabling investment in social infrastructure and public welfare. By developing a robust and sustainable space industry, Ghana can achieve greater economic resilience. The new policy commits the government to allocate at least 0.1% of GDP to SST activities, provide adequate annual budgetary support to the Agency and establish an SST development fund to attract local and international investment. These are all to be applauded. However, public support will be stronger if the Agency demonstrates its ability to attract significant private sector investment. Ensuring that public funds are complemented and exceeded by external financing should be a core performance metric for the Agency. Accountability Responsibility for the implementation of the policy is unclear. The policy says in one place that it will be coordinated by MESTI through the Agency, as owners of the policy, and explains that the policy will guide the Agencys operations. However, MESTI is also tasked with monitoring the policy with the support of the Agency (Section 7). This suggests that those responsible for implementation will also be responsible for monitoring their own performance. Such arrangements raise a concern regarding a conflict of interest. MESTI and the Agency should both be accountable to an independent body for implementing the policy, allowing for public scrutiny. Plans for public engagement The policy does not appear to have given public engagement the attention it merits. The policy document explains that the Ghana Space Agency will establish a unit that will focus on Citizen Science and reach out to citizens, schools and universities. Public engagement on the policy and its implementation will need to go beyond the promotion of STEM education to also justify the policy and expenditure. Unless the public is supportive of the programme, the new government - due to come into power in January 2025 - can expect harsh questions about why a percentage of the public purse is being spent on unnecessary and wasteful foreign travel for Agency staff (international travel is likely to be an essential component of the early stages of a space programme), when members of the public are struggling to obtain employment, pay school fees and access medical facilities. Expectations will need to be carefully managed if the policy is to avoid ending up as a lead balloon. Conclusion In conclusion, the adoption of the Ghana Space Policy is a positive step forward for Ghana. Effective and continuous public engagement to garner acceptance and support will be a necessary part of its implementation. Space is often perceived as a luxury that cannot be afforded by less developed nations. However, its potential benefits to such nations seeking to transform their societies and spur the growth of their economies are clear. The Ghanaian public will need to be convinced that active participation in the space industry will prove beneficial in socio-economic terms in the long run. The writers, Julia Selman Ayetey is the Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Cape Coast and Kobina Hughes is a senior lawyer, previously with the VRA but currently with National Grid Ventures in the UK. Next article: The future of colleges of education in a new government From humble beginnings to educational excellence: The inspirational story of Theophilus Konadu Taylor and Metro Gold Schools Kweku Zurek Education Jan - 22 - 2025 , 09:03 4 minutes read What began as a boyhood dream in the village of Assin-Damang has blossomed into a beacon of educational excellence in Ghana. Theophilus Konadu Taylor, founder and president of Metro Gold Schools (MGS), has turned his lifes challenges into a source of inspiration, establishing an institution that embodies resilience, innovation, and an unyielding belief in the transformative power of education. Born in Accra, Mr Taylors early education was far from ideal. Growing up in a rural village, he faced significant obstacles, including the lack of electricity and long hours assisting his guardian on the farm. During the day, I worked on the farm, and at night, there was no electricity to study, he recounted during a recent interview with GraphicOnline. These challenges made it hard for me to take my studies seriously, and by the time I realised its importance, it was a bit late. After completing senior high school, Taylor worked with elders in his community, only to realise that his lack of formal education limited his prospects for advancement. Advertisement This experience instilled in me the conviction to invest in education. I told myself that if I made it in life, I would build a school, he said. That dream became a reality on 17 September 2024, with the official opening of Metro Gold Schools, located at Ablekuma Abase Road, Ablekuma New Town, Accra. The school offers the globally recognised Cambridge Curriculum from creche (three months) to Grade 7, with plans to expand as the school grows. Vision for excellence Taylors vision for MGS was clear from the outset: to build a school that would rival the best institutions in Africa, offering students a comprehensive and world-class education. I want this school to be mentioned among the best in Africa. It should serve as a motivation to anyone with a background like mine that you can achieve greatness, he said. Despite its recent establishment, Metro Gold Schools has already set itself apart with a state-of-the-art campus that includes spacious classrooms, a well-stocked library, modern science and computer laboratories, and recreational facilities that promote holistic development. Taylor is particularly proud of the school's emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and innovation. MGS aims to nurture young minds to think critically and creatively while equipping them with the skills to thrive in a globalised world. The values of responsibility, integrity, and resilience are at the core of our educational philosophy, he said. Built on perseverance The journey to establish MGS was not without challenges. Taylor used funds from his personal businesses to finance the project over a 10-year period, ensuring the school was built to the highest standards. I didnt want to build the school in phases because I wanted it to stand out from day one. I used every cedi I earned from my businesses and avoided loans or government contracts. Its all my hard work, he explained. He credits the involvement of education professionals, such as Professor Watson and the Regional Education Director, for helping recruit competent staff to maintain high academic standards. A school with a mission Metro Gold Schools mission goes beyond academic excellence. Taylor envisions the institution as a tool for breaking the cycle of poverty in Ghana by empowering students through education. I believe formal education is the key to ending poverty in families. With the right education, people can achieve anything, he asserted. He hopes that MGS will produce future leaders in various fields. My hope is that Metro Gold will create presidents, doctors, diplomats, and teachers who will bring pride to Ghana and Africa as a whole. A message to the youth Taylors story and the establishment of Metro Gold Schools serve as an inspiration for young people, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. I want to let everyone know that no matter where you start, you can achieve greatness if you work hard and stay focused. A positive mindset, discipline, and avoiding distractions are crucial, he advised. In addition to academics, MGS offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, music, drama, and coding clubs, to ensure students develop well-rounded skills. Looking Ahead Metro Gold Schools, though young, has the foundation to become one of the leading institutions in Ghana and beyond. Taylor is determined to make the school a household name in African education. With Gods grace and hard work, Metro Gold Schools will be a shining light in this community and across the continent. Its proof that with resilience and a clear vision, anything is possible, he concluded. As Metro Gold Schools embarks on its journey, it stands as a testament to Taylors unwavering determination, a beacon of hope for future generations, and a reminder that even the most modest beginnings can lead to extraordinary achievements. Featured 7 steps to take in buying a litigation-free land in Ghana Richard Osei Boateng Jan - 22 - 2025 , 10:55 3 minutes read A legal practitioner and a real estate expert, Victor Owusu Asante has advised the public to do the necessary due diligence when acquiring lands in Ghana to free themselves from the numerous litigation bedeviling the sector. He, however, advised prospective buyers to consult real estate lawyers to conduct the necessary searches for them while cautioning against the use of goro boys. In an interview with Graphic Online, he outlined seven (7) steps to be taken in this regard. Firstly, one has to identify the seller, who he is to ensure that his or her identity is not in doubt. Advertisement One has to know whether its a natural person, a company, a foreigner, a Ghanaian, etc. Secondly, one has to go with a licensed surveyor to the land. He noted that usually, the seller will have a site plan of the land already but as a prudent person, a buyer has to go to the land with his or her own surveyor. The buyer has to make the seller point to the actual coordinates of the land for the surveyor to take the same and generate a site plan. He noted that the site plan is the main document used in conducting legal due diligence. Next is to conduct official searches. Depending on the location of the land, for instance Accra is a land title registration zone so one can conduct a search here using the current consolidated search system of the various divisions of the Lands Commission. Mr Owusu Asante said that previously, one would have been required to do individual searches at the various divisions but today, whether is public land, family land, or stool land, one wouldnt have to search individually. Also, he advised purchasers to conduct a litigation search at the area where the land is situated as well as a search on the seller at the Court (High Court, Circuit, or District Court) to ensure that the land is not a subject of litigation before the court. After this, the real estate lawyer advised that one should proceed to search for the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) as well to ascertain the zoning plan of the area. He noted that sometimes an area might have been zoned as a school, hospital, etc. by the LUPSA formerly called Town and Country Planning, and thus it would be in the best interest of a prospective purchaser to know if it can be used for his or her intended purpose. Mr Owusu Asante mentioned that there are exceptional instances where one can apply for re-zoning if the zoning plan does not align with ones purpose of acquiring land. Further, the various search reports would be studied by a real estate lawyer and upon being satisfied he does a sale and purchase agreement between the seller and purchaser. This agreement will spell out the terms of the agreement and will form the basis for drafting the deed of transfer. After the buyer has paid the required amount, the sellers lawyer prepares the deed and properly executes same for the buyer to take it to the Lands Commission to stamp and register it. He mentioned that per the law, a land title gives a purchaser of land an indefeasible title to the land. Featured Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare outlines plans to revamp 1D1F with Mahamas 24-Hour Economy policy GraphicOnline Jan - 22 - 2025 , 13:00 2 minutes read The Minister-Designate for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare has highlighted how President John Dramani Mahamas 24-hour economy policy will address the challenges hindering the success of the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative introduced by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Speaking during her vetting before Parliaments Appointments Committee today, Ofosu-Agyare noted that the lack of adequate raw materials has been a key obstacle to the effectiveness of the 1D1F initiative. She explained that the implementation of the 24-hour economy policy would provide solutions to these issues, particularly through the promotion of commercial contract farming. I see the solution in the 24-hour economy because in the policy businesses are going to receive economy, agribusiness will play a key role where there will be commercial contract farming which will solve the raw material problem to a very large extent, she stated. Advertisement The minister-designate added that factories under the 1D1F initiative could benefit significantly from the 24-hour economy policy, which would provide not only raw materials but also incentives such as tax holidays. These factories Im sure will sign on the 24-hour economy and get the benefit of raw materials, tax holidays, etc., she emphasised. The 1D1F initiative, introduced in 2017 by former President Akufo-Addo, aimed to transform Ghanas economy from one reliant on raw material exports and finished goods imports to one focused on manufacturing, value addition, and processed goods exports. While the initiative has led to the establishment of some factories, it has faced several challenges that have limited its success. Featured Dansoman Beach Road residents plead for sea defence completion Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Jan - 22 - 2025 , 09:57 2 minutes read Residents along Beach Road at Dansoman in the Ablekuma West Municipality in Accra have called on the government to extend the sea defence project to the area, as coastal erosion and tidal waves continue to destroy property along that coast. The community has faced unrelenting destruction of property and homes, with some losing everything they had worked for over the years. According to some residents, the situation was caused by the partial completion of a sea defence project at the neighbouring Glefe community before the close of 2016. Causes The residents alleged that the incomplete project had directed the force of the waves to their area, worsening the erosion. Advertisement When there was no sea defence at Glefe, the sea wasnt this aggressive here. But now, the defence built there has directed the water, putting more pressure on us, Hasiaye Neequaye, a resident who lost her home to the erosion, said. I had just built my house on my fathers land when the sea defence work began, and my building was destroyed. Its heartbreaking, she said. Challenges However, the impact of the erosion extends beyond property damage. High winds and salty air have led to accelerated rusting of household items, creating additional challenges for residents. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, another resident, Daniel Lamptey, revealed a site where there used to be 12 buildings where the waves had now taken over. He emphasised that they had spent millions of cedis constructing concrete stones to block the advancing sea, but their efforts had proven futile so far. "After building the concrete stones, we still couldn't survive. The sea broke all our buildings, and the concrete stones cost us millions of cedis," he said. Mr Lamptey also emphasised that in desperation, the community had begun dumping refuse along the shoreline to shield their homes from further encroachment. We are not dumping rubbish out of neglect, but to protect ourselves. Once the sea defence is completed, we will stop dumping, he said. Call for action The residents consequently appealed to the government to resume and extend the sea defence project to cover their stretch of the coastline, which they believed would provide long-term protection against erosion. They emphasised that without intervention, the seas relentless advancement would leave their community uninhabitable. The sea is nature, and we cant fight it alone. This is natural and we need the governments help before its too late. If nothing is done, a time will come when there will be nothing left to save, Mr Lamptey said. Featured Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd valid owner of 2,911.53-acre Katamanso land Supreme Court Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Jan - 22 - 2025 , 06:43 5 minutes read The Supreme Court has brought finality to the ownership of 2,911.53 acres of land at Katamanso in the Greater Accra Region, ruling that the land belongs to real estate giant, Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Limited. In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, ruled that Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate was the legal owner of the land, which it had legally registered and had a valid title to in accordance with the law. The court consequently held that a sale of 0.29 acre of the portion of the land by Lakeside Estate to one Ibrahim Hudu and Suwayba Adam, two other appellants in the case, was valid and lawful. Miscarriage of justice The apex court gave the judgment after it upheld an appeal by Lakeside Estate and the other appellants, overturning a decision by the Court of Appeal, which had earlier ruled in favour of Tassah Tapha Tassah, the respondent, as the lawful owner of the land. Advertisement The decision by the Supreme Court restored a decision by the High Court, which had ruled in favour of Lakeside Estate. It was the considered view of the Supreme Court that the Court of Appeals decision constituted a grave miscarriage of justice because at the time Tassah acquired the land in 2004, Lakeside Estate was already the original owner as far back as 1974, which the respondent (Tassah) was fully aware of. The evidence on record confirms that the 5th appellant (Lakeside Estate) has a good title to the land in dispute, and importantly, that at the time, Lands and Housing Ltd, the respondent's grantor, registered an interest in the land, the 5th appellant had a validly registered and subsisting adverse interest in the disputed land, notice of which was brought to the Respondent, the court held. The unanimous decision of the court was authored by Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, with Justices Mariama Owusu, Yaw Darko Asare and Richard Adjei-Frimpong as members. Background In December 2007, Tassah sued Lakeside Estate and the two other parties at the Accra High Court, seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration of title and recovery of possession of the 0.29 acre of land, which formed part of the 2,900 acres of land. It was the case of Tassah that he acquired the parcel of land in 2004 by lease from the Kpen We Family of La for a term of 99 years, but the land was registered in the name of one Land and Housing Limited and, therefore, he went ahead to regularise the acquisition by attorning tenancy to the said company. He further averred that in 2013, he became aware that Lakeside Estate held the legal title to the said land, but moves to attorn tenancy to Lakeside proved futile as it had already sold the land to Ibrahim Hudu and Suwayba Adam. However, Tassah was of the contention that despite the new development, he was a bona fide purchaser for value without notice of Lakeside Estates adverse interest and, therefore, title to the land should be declared in his favour. On November 13, 2020, the High Court dismissed the case on the basis that Tassah failed to conduct proper investigation to ascertain the root of the title of the land; therefore, he could seek protection under bona fide purchaser for value without notice, the equity principle that protects buyers who are not aware that what they bought was already for another person. Dissatisfied with the decision of the High Court, Tassah filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal. On March 30, 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld his appeal and reversed the decision of the High Court. The second highest court of the land held that the evidence on record showed that the appellant took substantive and satisfactory steps to investigate the title of the land and, therefore, he had acquired vested interests under the equity principle of bona fide purchaser for value without notice, and should therefore be protected. Appeal Lakeside Estate and the other parties were also dissatisfied by the decision of the Court of Appeal and further appealed to the Supreme Court. In upholding the appeal, the Supreme Court held that evidence on record showed that a search conducted by Tassah in 2008 at the Lands Commission revealed that Agric Cattle Limited, which later became Lakeside Estate Limited, had title to the land from 1974. The apex court held that the Court of Appeal wrongly made an inference that Lakeside Estate had no title to the land, which was probably due to the fact that the name on the search was Agric Cattle Limited. However, the court further held that evidence on record also showed that Agric Cattle Limited changed its name to Agric Cattle Lakeside Estate in 1995. In view of that, the Supreme Court held that Tassah had no basis to assume that Lakeside Estate had no title to the land during his search. Exhibit D (the search) revealed the 5th appellants prior registered interest in the disputed land. This constituted sufficient notice to the respondent. The respondent cannot remain in deliberate ignorance of the presence and possession of the 5th appellant (Lakeside Estate) on the land in question since 1970 as shown by his own search reports, the court added Writers email : emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh Featured President Mahama to begin nationwide Thank You Tour in Volta Region Kweku Zurek Jan - 22 - 2025 , 07:58 2 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama is set to commence a nationwide Thank You Tour, beginning with a visit to the Volta Region on Friday, January 24, 2025. The tour is designed to express his heartfelt appreciation to Ghanaians for their overwhelming support and trust during the 2024 elections. The Presidents visit will be marked by a grand durbar, bringing together chiefs, queen mothers, opinion leaders, religious leaders, labour union representatives, and key figures from the informal sector. This event is expected to strengthen the bond between the President and citizens while celebrating their vital contributions to Ghanas progress. In a statement, Acting Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu highlighted the significance of the tour, stating, The Presidency invites all Ghanaians to come together in unity, pride, and celebration during this special occasion. We look forward to a vibrant and successful event in the Volta Region as we recognise and honour our fellow citizens invaluable support and trust. Advertisement President Mahamas administration has hit the ground running, setting a historic precedent by announcing a full cabinet within two weeks of assuming office. This swift action underscores his commitment to fulfilling campaign promises and addressing pressing national issues. The Thank You Tour represents not only an opportunity for gratitude but also a platform for dialogue and engagement with citizens, fostering unity and shared vision for the future. The Presidency has called on all Ghanaians to join in this significant event, uniting in celebration and optimism as the nation moves forward under President Mahamas leadership. Together, we will build the Ghana we want, the statement concluded. Next article: Agbodza, Iddrisu and Opoku: Three more of President Mahama's nominees approved as Ministers Featured Tamale: Zoomlion/YEA worker returns GHS GH20,000 to owner GraphicOnline Jan - 21 - 2025 , 21:31 1 minute read In a remarkable display of honesty and integrity, Mr Salifu Ibrahim, a worker with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) under Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZL), has been widely praised for returning a staggering GH20,000 to its rightful owner in Tamale, Northern Region. The incident, which has been lauded as a shining example of moral rectitude, occurred when Salifu Ibrahim found the large sum of money. Instead of keeping it for himself, he chose to track down the owner and return the funds. When asked about his decision, Salifu Ibrahim stated, It was against my religion to take something which is not mine. The owner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, expressed profound gratitude for this exceptional act of honesty. Advertisement I am overwhelmed with joy and appreciation for this selfless act, the owner said. Salifu Ibrahims noble action has earned him widespread acclaim, with many calling for him to be rewarded for his integrity and exemplary character. Next article: LIST of 20 names appointed by President Mahama to work in his office after 15 days in charge Featured Ho Central NDC office torched Alberto Mario Noretti Politics Jan - 22 - 2025 , 07:51 2 minutes read Some persons, suspected to be disgruntled supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ho, on Tuesday evening set fire to the Ho Central constituency office in what was said to be a protest over why the President has not appointed anyone from the constituency into a ministerial position. The perpetrators broke into the office, threw out furniture, office equipment, documents, and other items, and set them ablaze using lorry tyres in the forecourt of the office. The incident occurred around 7:00 p.m. and caused fear and alarm among motorists and residents along the road between the Ho Central Market and Ho-Dome. Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived promptly at the scene and managed to extinguish the fire. Advertisement Some eyewitnesses told Graphic Online's Alberto Mario Noretti that the people responsible for the arson were masked. Some members of the NDC, who rushed to the scene, attributed the attack to disgruntled party members allegedly upset that President John Dramani Mahama had not appointed anyone from the constituency to a ministerial position. Police investigations into the incident are currently underway. Meanwhile, the Regional Youth Wing of the NDC has condemned the act of arson and urged party supporters to remain calm and allow the appointment process to proceed without interference. In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 22, and signed by the Regional Youth Organiser, Mathias Alagbo Kabila, the group emphasised that appointments are an ongoing process. We are confident President Mahama acknowledges the Volta Regions significance to the NDCs electoral success and will reward local Voltarians accordingly, the statement read. It further stressed that such irresponsible actions are inconsistent with the values of the NDC and would not be tolerated. Previous article: Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo is Minister of Labour, Jobs, and Employment-designate Featured Mahama appoints Emmanuel Kofi Buah as Lands and Natural Resources minister-designate Gertrude Ankah Politics Jan - 21 - 2025 , 16:28 2 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources-designate in his latest round of ministerial appointments. The announcement, signed by presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, was released on Tuesday, January 21. Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah is a politician with experience in governance and resource management. He previously served as Minister for Energy and Petroleum from 2013 to 2016 during Mahamas first administration, where he oversaw reforms in Ghanas energy sector. Advertisement Mr Buah has represented the Ellembelle constituency in the Western Region as a Member of Parliament since 2009. Education and early life Born in Atuabo in the Western Region in 1966, he holds a law degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and a Master of Science degree in Management from the University of Maryland, University College, in the United States. His academic background has bolstered his expertise in both governance and strategic management. Political career Mr Buahs political journey began in 2009 when the late President John Atta Mills appointed him as Deputy Minister of Energy. He was later promoted to Minister for Energy and Petroleum in 2013, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the sector, particularly in ensuring energy security and sustainable petroleum management. In Parliament, he has contributed as a member of several committees, including Trade, Industry, and Tourism; Members Holding Offices of Profit; Privileges; and the Committee of Selection. A vision for sustainable development As Minister of Lands and Natural Resources-designate, Mr. Buah will oversee critical sectors such as mining, forestry, and land management. His role will include formulating policies for sustainable natural resource development, addressing illegal mining (galamsey), and ensuring efficient land administration practices. If approved by Parliament, he is expected to bring his wealth of experience and expertise to this vital portfolio, ensuring the responsible management of Ghanas natural resources for economic growth and environmental sustainability. Featured LIST of 20 names appointed by President Mahama to work in his office after 15 days in charge Jemima Okang Addae Politics Jan - 21 - 2025 , 17:57 3 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has made 20 key appointments to the Office of the President in three phases, with the first set announced on January 6, the second on January 15 and the third set on January 21, 2025. These appointments aim to strengthen governance and enhance operational efficiency within the presidency. First set of appointments January 6, 2025 The initial announcement included seven key figures to serve in various high-level roles. The appointments were announced a day before the official inauguration of President Mahama. Advertisement The appointees were: Julius Debrah Chief of Staff Dr Callistus Mahama Executive Secretary to the President Prosper Douglas Bani Head of Interim Security Taskforce Dr Valerie Sawyerr Senior Presidential Adviser, Governmental Affairs Augustus Goosie Tannoh Presidential Adviser Responsible for 24-hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Marietta Agyeiwaa Brew Legal Counsel to the President of Ghana Felix Kwakye Ofosu Acting Spokesperson to the President The appointments took effect from January 7, 2025, according to a statement signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Acting Spokesperson to the President. Second set of appointments In another statement on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, the Presidency also confirmed appointments for former Chief of Staff, Prosper Douglas Bani as National Security Advisor to the President, DCOP Abdul-Osman Razak as National Security Coordinator and COP Nathan Kofi Boakye (Rtd) as Director of Operations at the Presidency to oversee operational effectiveness in Security matters. Prosper Bani - National Security Adviser to the President Nathan Kofi Boakye - Director of Operations at the Presidency DCOP Abdul-Osman Razak - National Security Coordinator Charles Kipo - Director General of NIB (National Investigations Bureau formerly BNI) Third set of Appointments January 21, 2025 In the third announcement, President Mahama expanded his team with 10 additional appointments to bolster the administrations operational and advisory capabilities. These appointees are: Mrs Joyce Bawah Mogtari Presidential Adviser & Special Aide to the President Stanislav Xoese Dogbe Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) Nana Oye Bampoe Addo Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) Seth Emmanuel Terkper Presidential Adviser on the Economy Professor Francis Dodoo Presidential Adviser, National Anti-Corruption Programme Larry Gbevlo-Lartey Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States Nana Yaa Jantuah Presidential Staffer Beatrice Annangfio Presidential Staffer Shamima Muslim Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo Cabinet Secretary Out of the 21 names appointed as of now, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who was initially appointed as acting Spokesperson to the President has been re-assigned the responsibility of Minister of State in charge of Government Communications. His name has since been forwarded to Parliament for approval before his appointment can be confirmed. He doubles as Member of Parliament for Abura Asebu-Kwamankese. Also on the list is the Director General of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) formerly the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI). Charles Kipo has been assigned that responsibility as Director General of NIB. Presidents confidence in the appointees The President expressed confidence in the abilities of the appointees to bring expertise and dedication to their respective roles, contributing to the nations development. These appointments are intended to strengthen governance and enhance operational efficiency within the Presidency, the Acting Spokesperson reiterated. UPDATED: This story has been updated to reflect the appointments made on January 15 Last week Canalys released its 2024 smartphone shipment numbers for China, and today Counterpoint Research (CR) has done the same. The numbers are quite different, though. While vivo led with a 17.8% market share for the year, and Huawei was in second place with 16.3%, the third place in CR's report is occupied by Xiaomi with 15.7% of the pie, not Apple. Apple is fourth with 15.5%, followed by Honor with 15% and Oppo with 14.3%. Xiaomi wasn't even in Canalys' Top 5, so we're not sure what's going on here. Either way, vivo led in shipments for the full year - that's pretty much a given at this point. Also, Huawei was in second place and even the percentages of the pie are similar. According to CR, Huawei grew the most compared to 2023 at 36.4%, followed by Xiaomi with 10.2% and vivo with 7%. All the other brands shipped less units than in 2023, with Apple falling the hardest (12.6%), followed by Oppo (10.4%) and Honor (2.8%). If we look at just Q4 (October to December), CR says Huawei took the lead with 18.1%, followed by Xiaomi with 17.2%, Apple with 17.1%, vivo with 16.3%, Honor with 13.6%, and Oppo with 12.5%. In Q4, compared to Q4 of 2023, Huawei grew the most (15.5%), followed by vivo (8%) and Xiaomi (3.9%), while Apple lost the most (18.2%), followed by Honor (12.8%) and Oppo (9.3%). Source These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Affordable spay and neuter services for pet dogs and cats kicked off on Tuesday in Sinajana, and the program continues through Jan. 29. Surgeries are by appointment only, with a $50 fee per animal. They are free if the pet owners are receiving SNAP benefits. Guam Animals In Need and the Department of Agriculture have teamed up once again to host the seventh community Spay and Neuter Island Pets, SNIP, Program in Sinajana. Were lucky to have three amazing veterinarians volunteering their time for this clinic, said Stephanie DeForge, community liaison for GAIN and SNIP. They are Guams territorial veterinarian Dr. Mariana Turner, Dr. Brenda Smith, a SNIP vet who helps at both the clinic and the GAIN shelter, and Dr. Gabrielle Finley, a visiting veterinarian from California who came to Guam specifically for this clinic. When asked about the decision to bring the clinic to the central part of Guam, DeForge said SNIP program volunteers recognize their Yigo location isnt convenient for everyone on the island. So quarterly, we do our best to move our clinic for at least a week or two somewhere else on the island, DeForge said. Weve been to Sinajana before, and we really love the mayors layout here. Its conducive for our clinic, and we have the space we need to have multiple vets operating at the same time. The SNIP clinic has also been to Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Inalahan, Hagat and even Chalan Pago to provide much-needed spay and neuter services. We try to make sure our services are available to as many residents as possible, especially those who find it difficult to get to Yigo, DeForge said. Having the clinic at Sinajanas central location appears to be ideal for SNIP services and within the first two weeks of opening up appointments, the clinic was almost fully booked. Its easy for many residents to get to, which is reflected in our appointments, DeForge said. People really need spay and neuter services, and having this clinic centrally located makes it more accessible to them. Dozens of animals a day While the SNIP clinic expects to see 35 or more animals every day for the next two weeks, they only took in 25 dogs and cats on Tuesday due to new volunteers and staff members still undergoing training. She spoke about how crucial volunteers are to the success of the Sinajana clinic. We have about seven volunteers a day, and were so grateful for their help. We dont have a large staff, and we cant manage this number of animals without their support, DeForge said. Volunteers help with recovery, monitoring animals post-surgery, doing things like nail trims and cleaning ears. Volunteers also assist with surgery prep, including shaving bellies and cleaning stomachs, and help with tool sterilization at their Auto Clean station. Regarding volunteer availability over the next two weeks, DeForge said the response has been excellent. Yes, some of the volunteers here today will be helping throughout the next two weeks, and were also bringing in new volunteers, she said. Some are returning to help us again. Every day well have about seven volunteers, with a mix of new and repeat helpers. We are very thankful for the community stepping up to help make this happen. However, the clinic wont be permanent. Unfortunately, we do not have the funding or staffing to man two separate locations, DeForge said. The program is always looking for new ways to bring services to areas outside of their Yigo location. Our goal is to offer community clinics once a quarter, DeForge said. There have been talks of offering a bus service to pick up pets from across the island and bring them to Yigo and then back. There are also discussions about having a mobile clinic, trailer, or a bus, but those options also require significant funding. Most of our money goes into keeping our service costs low. For now, the community clinics are the best way to bring our services to the south without increasing costs, she said. Dogs and cats are welcome, and residents should bring their own carriers. Rabies vaccinations and Elizabethan collars (cones) are available for an additional cost. A spay or neuter surgery here is much more affordable than emergency procedures at private clinics, DeForge said. The cost of raising a litter of puppies is more than the cost of sterilizing one animal, so its a cost-effective choice that saves money and prevents future problems. The program covers the full cost of the surgery with proof of the SNAP/EBT card at registration. We are fortunate to receive sponsorships from companies like SPCP, Shell, and Triple J to help cover the cost of surgeries for families who are on government assistance, DeForge said. Animal population control DeForge also noted the high demand for SNIPs services on the island and discussed SNIPs role in addressing Guams pet overpopulation issue. The number of stray animals is breeding faster than we can remove them. Spay and neuter is the key to addressing this issue, she said. Within the past six years, DeForge said SNIP has sterilized over 6,000 animals. Since we started, and we aim to keep increasing that number, she said. Its about responsible pet ownershippeople need to spay and neuter their pets, and we also need to sterilize strays. Irresponsible pet ownership is also one of the biggest contributors to Guams growing stray overpopulation. Animal dumping is a big problem on the island. We see it often, especially with animals that are microchipped. People surrender or abandon their pets, and we cant find the owners even though their information is on the microchip, DeForge said. Its disheartening when we cant track down the owner, especially when we know someone cared enough to chip the animal. People need to take responsibility for their petsget them sterilized and keep them contained. At the Sinajana clinic, they see about 35 animals a day and are trying to open up as many slots as possible, based on vet availability and space. Just that we love the community of Guam, and were so grateful for them bringing their pets to us, she said. This shows that the services are needed. We will continue offering them as long as the community continues to support us. Cybersecurity concerns and a lack of American manufacturers continue to be challenges in getting and funding new gantry cranes for the Port Authority of Guam, according to Port General Manager Rory Respicio. And a breakdown of those cranes could have a big impact on the flow of supplies needed for the ongoing military buildup. The Ports three aging gantry cranes were at work unloading thousands of tons of products off the Aloha Class Matson containership Daniel K. Inouye on Tuesday afternoon. But each of three cranes, bought secondhand by the Port, is already over 40 years old, Respicio said, with their service lives expected to end by 2028, 2030, and 2032. Getting those cranes replacedand getting money for the replacementwas one of the main talking points during a Tuesday tour of Port facilities for newly minted PAG oversight chairman Sen. Jesse Lujan and Sen. Vince Borja. Respicio said Port teams can finish unloading cargo from a Matson vessel in an average of 24 hours. Some 90% of all cargo to Guam comes through the Jose D. Leon Guerrero Commercial Port, and around a third of that cargo is for the military, Respicio shared with Lujan and his team. Respicio said an assessment commissioned by the Port estimated that a breakdown of one of the cranes could set back military readiness programs by as much as four years. If the Ports not ready, the militarys not ready, he told Lujan. Port Deputy General Manager Dominic Muna, during a drive around the facility, pointed out various trucks hauling cement for inside-the-fence construction. But past efforts to get the U.S. Maritime Administration, MARAD, to fund the purchase have hit roadblocks over requirements to buy American-made products. They dont manufacture these gantry cranes in the United States, but they still require us to buy American, Respicio said. Recently, MARAD waived the Buy American requirements for a large number of equipmentbut cranes did not get the waiver, the general manager said. The Port board in November authorized a bid for replacements, but Respicio said the process has met with hiccups. Executive orders from the outgoing Biden administration ramped up cybersecurity requirements for Port activity, and now, any software or equipment the Port installs has to be cleared by the local head of the Coast Guard. Crane equipment also comes with a cybersecurity risk, according to Respicio, but the Coast Guard wont give the Port anything in writing, saying they wont allow equipment to be bought from China upfront. That issue has held up the issuance of a bid, according to Respicio. Cyberattacks from China, specifically Chinese government-backed hacking group Volt Typhoon, have been identified in local telecommunications companies by Microsoft. Respicio said the Port could award a crane bid to a country outside of China, like Japan. But any bid the Port puts out for new cranes will have to go to the lowest bidder, and a Chinese crane will likely come in the lowest, and get rejected. According to Port legal counsel James Canto, Chinese state-sponsored manufacturing company ZPMC owns about 80% of the market for gantry cranes. Now were stuck because were one of the only...public owned and public courts that had to call these procurement laws that force us to take the lowest responsive bidder, Canto said. Respicio said the Port has met with Department of Defense authorities to push for them to fund the project, and prohibit any award to Chinese manufacturers outright. Lujan said hes been speaking with both the governor and Del. James Moylan about the need to speak with one voice in advocating for federal issues. He said he did plan to push for federal officials to address many of the issues related to regulations on Guam. We got to spend some time with them and tell them our story that, you know, this is not a one-size-fits-all thing, Lujan said. In the meantime, Respicio said the governor has directed the Guam Economic Development Authority to look at the Ports bond borrowing capacity, with money for new cranes at the forefront. The new gantry cranes are part of over $600 million worth of capital improvement projects the Port estimates it needs to keep pace with the military buildup. Wheels have started turning on infrastructure installation for a new hospital in Mangilao, with the Guam Waterworks Authority looking to spend $750,000 to begin survey and planning work at the hospital site. GWA General Manager Miguel Bordallo shared the plans with the Consolidated Commission on Utilities during a Tuesday work session. Bordallo said the project will be funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act money allocated by the Office of the Governor. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has locked in some $104.8 million worth of ARP money for infrastructure installation at the hospital site, which is located roughly across from the utility headquarters at the Gloria B. Nelson Public Service Building in Mangilao. GWA wants to add on survey and planning work for the site to an existing indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract that the utility has with an engineering firm, according to Bordallo. The extra $750,000 for the hospital site work will bring the total contract value to $2.596 million, he said. Archeological and biological surveys will be done at the hospital site, along with engineering planning for water and sewer infrastructure needed, Bordallo told the CCU. GWA will determine where sewer pump stations and other equipment can be installed in the area, he said. When the work is done, GWA will have a better idea how much it will cost to complete infrastructure at the site, Bordallo added. Costs for infrastructure in Mangilao have been one of the main talking points raised by opponents of moving the hospital out of Tamuning. Theres no definite cost associated with the current property for the hospital, but the Guam Power Authority estimated power infrastructure installation at nearby Eagles Field would cost upwards of $20 million in a 2023 medical campus master plan completed by Matrix Design. CCU Chairman Francis Santos on Tuesday also raised some concern about GWA moving forward with ARP-funded survey work, given the attorney generals position on the hospital land. Attorney General Douglas Moylan in December filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to stop the governor from using ARP money for the hospital project. He alleged that the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority violated the law when it accepted money from Adelup to pay for the land, and when it moved to condemn some 42 acres of land in Mangilao for the hospital. GHURA and Adelup have denied the allegations, and moved to have the case dismissed. I dont want our agencies to be subject to whatever he decides to do, CCU Chairman Santos said Tuesday about the AG. Santos said he would not support GWA moving on the project until they had a signed memorandum of agreement from the governors office and the Guam Economic Development Authority about the terms of the ARP grant. An alleged lack of documentation when Adelup transferred $12.5 million in ARP money to GHURA for the hospital land is now a key argument the attorney general has raised in court. Santos told Bordallo he hoped some documentation will be ready by CCUs next meeting. You must stress the urgency to the legal team, to governor and GEDA: nothing is going to move forward until we have a complete (memorandum of agreement), Santos said. Nicolas Paul Andersen Pinaula, who pleaded guilty to federal charges that he sent death threats to federal and local law enforcement agencies, including one to Attorney General Douglas Moylan, was sentenced to time served on Jan. 21, 2025. Appearing Tuesday in front of District Court of Guam Designated Judge Ramona V. Manglona, Pinaulas attorney, assistant public defender Briana Kottke, told the judge that her client is no longer the man that once heard voices in his head. Pinaula was deemed competent to sign a plea agreement, though an expert noted that Pinaula could potentially decompensate without medication and treatment. After great efforts to get Pinaula seen at the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, her client is much better, under regular medical care and prescription medicine. Since his last release, he has not violated any conditions, said Kottke. Its a far cry from his condition when he was arrested about four and a half years ago. Pinaula believed that the government had placed a satellite in his brain, controlled by various agencies. He suffered from delusions for several years prior, and was frustrated with the disruptions they caused in his life. He sent his first set of e-mails long before those for which he was charged in the case. He continued to send emails, and their tone went from angry and frustrated to threatening, and thats when he got arrested, according to court documents. He was convinced that the auditory and visual hallucinations were real. It was only after extreme effort that he got the mental health he needed. Pinaulas family was ready to relocate to Arizona when he was arrested, but they stayed behind to support. They hoped to continue with relocation plans following the sentencing. You appear to be on the right path, said Manglona after delivering her decision. I wish you the best. Pinaula had served about five months in jail already. As part of his sentence, he is not allowed to possess or use illegal drugs, make no contact or visit any of the victims, be available for search by probation officers, and he also agreed to have his electronic devices searched for reasonable cause. He was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment fee to the court, or $100 for each of the three charges he pleaded guilty to. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The number of jobs in the confectionery division could be reduced by 14 and that in the milling division by 9. FAZER on Tuesday announced it will launch consultative negotiations over the fate of roughly two dozen jobs in its confectionery and million divisions, citing a significant rise in raw material prices particularly cocoa as well as the general economic uncertainty and changing consumer behaviour. The negotiations will concern 153 maintenance and production workers in the confectionery division across its three sites in Finland, Lahti, Lappeenranta and Vantaa, as well as 191 employees in the milling division in Finland and Sweden. While Fazer stated that the cost-cutting measures in the milling division will be implemented primarily in Joutsa and Lahti, Finland, it did not rule out the possibility of changes to its headcount in Lidkoping, Sweden. The milling division produces flour and baking products for industrial use, along with muesli, cereals and porridge for consumers. Its competitiveness has been affected negatively by profitability challenges and rising fixed costs. In both divisions, the negotiations can also lead to changes in job descriptions, responsibilities, working methods and work arrangements. The confectionery business has been hit by record-high cocoa prices, wrote Helsingin Sanomat. Future prices for what is the key ingredient of chocolate have hovered around 11,000 US dollars per tonne in the first weeks of this year, signalling an almost 200-per-cent surge from the start of last year. The prices are expected to remain high, according to an analyst who spoke to Reuters. The root causes are complex: the climate crisis has complicated production, cocoa farms have not been modernised, and the volatile prices have attracted speculative activity in the financial markets. Fazer is presently engaged in several consultative negotiations. Earlier this month the company announced the start of talks at its xylitol factory in Lahti, saying it is considering temporarily laying off employees for up to 90 days during the course of this year. In December, it terminated 30 positions in its support functions, including finance, human resources and sustainability, in Finland. About half of the affected were offered new roles within the organisation. Aleksi Teivainen HT Mykkanen instead argued that the government should both guarantee the loans required to construct nuclear power plants and introduce a price corridor for nuclear power. MINISTER of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkanen (NCP) expressed his support for a new support mechanism for nuclear power at a press briefing held ostensibly to provide an update on energy-related projects laid out in the government programme, writes Helsingin Sanomat. The corridor would introduce additional fees for electricity consumers at times when market prices dip below a certain threshold, as well as obligate the producer to pay compensation to consumers when market prices exceed a certain threshold. As it would simply transfer funds between consumers and producers, it would create no additional costs for the central administration. Helsingin Sanomat wrote on 18 January that while it is not unusual for the nature of a briefing to change abruptly, the briefing left reporters asking whether the proposals reflected the views of the entire government or only the minister, who is stepping down to assume the duties of the mayor of Espoo in February. The timing of the proposals was also curious in light of reporting about lobbying by Fortum. STT on 13 January reported that the majority state-owned energy company has lobbied for a price corridor for nuclear power to the permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Representing Fortum in the meeting were CEO Markus Rauramo, head of corporate customers and markets Simon-Erik Ollus, and head of the chief executives office Esa Hyvarinen. After Mykkanen floated the idea of a price corridor for new nuclear power on 14 January, Helsingin Sanomat received messages that called attention to his long-standing friendship with Ollus. It raised questions, the newspaper wrote, about why the minister was echoing an idea of the state-owned energy producer particularly given that the rest of the energy industry seems opposed to supporting nuclear energy generation. Mykkanen confirmed the friendship but added that the idea was not pitched to him by Ollus. These measures were my own thoughts. As I noted, guarantees for the financing period and limiting cash-flow risks with some kind of a price corridor would be necessary if we were serious about satisfying the energy needs created by the green transition, he argued to Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday. Jukka Leskela, the managing director of Finnish Energy, told Helsingin Sanomat on 15 January that the interest group has reservations about supporting a mature form of energy by steering prices. The subsidy could be relatively long-lasting and unpredictable in terms of its costs, he remarked. He acknowledged that it is difficult to build nuclear power capacity without any government support in the current circumstances, given the volatility associated with electricity rices, nuclear power projects and long construction projects. If you wanted to politically promote nuclear power build-up, it should be done by making it easier to secure financing for the construction period, said Leskela. Anders Adlercreutz, the chairperson of the Swedish Peoples Party, welcomed Mykkanens musings as an opportunity to discuss the issue but added that they do not align with the views of the ruling coalition. Im not rejecting it, but we have to be cautious about new support mechanisms, he said to Helsingin Sanomat on 16 January. Although he recognised the need for a steady source of electricity amid the green transition, he argued that the government should refrain from interfering excessively in electricity price formation on the market. Whats key is that we arent creating obstacles to other necessary things, such as electricity consumption flexibilities or electricity storage solution development, with some kind of a support arrangement, Adlercreutz said to Helsingin Sanomat. Oras Tynkkynen, the chairperson of the Green Parliamentary Group, said the proposal is outdated and would distort competition. Instead of ineffective, expensive and competition-distorting business subsidies, we have to let companies make their investments, he argued in a press release on 14 January. Building entirely new public business subsidies exclusively for one technology is energy policy from the 1900s. He also voiced his bemusement at the justification offered by Mykkanen. Traditionally in Finland nuclear power has been contrastively justified by saying it does not necessitate state subsidies. Aleksi Teivainen HT Wille Rydman , Finlands Minister of Economic Affairs, signed the accords on behalf of the country, highlighting Finlands decades-long contributions to space technology and research. Finland has officially signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the 53rd nation to commit to peaceful and cooperative space exploration. The signing took place during the Winter Satellite Workshop 2025 in Espoo, marking a significant step in Finland's engagement with global space initiatives. Finnish companies and institutions, known for innovations in Earth observation and navigation, are set to benefit from expanded international partnerships under the Artemis framework. By joining the Artemis Accords, we strengthen our ties with the United States and other allies, Rydman stated. This partnership will unlock new opportunities for Finlands space sector in the Artemis program and beyond. The Artemis Accords, established in 2020 by NASA and the US Department of State, outline principles for peaceful and transparent space exploration, including the Moon and other celestial bodies. They build upon existing international space treaties and promote collaboration among member states. NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free praised Finlands commitment. Finlands expertise in science and technology, especially in navigation and Earth observation, makes it a valuable partner. Together, we can advance our shared goals for the Artemis Generation, Free said in a virtual address. Finland has a history of collaboration with NASA, including providing pressure and humidity sensors for the Curiosity Rover on Mars. Finnish company Nokia is also contributing to the Artemis program by developing a lunar LTE/4G communication system set to be deployed under NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The Winter Satellite Workshop, where the signing took place, is Scandinavias largest space industry event, drawing over 1,000 participants from across the region. It served as a platform for Finland to showcase its space capabilities and commitment to fostering ethical and sustainable exploration. Alongside the signing, Finland reaffirmed its dedication to international space law, considering the United Nations the primary forum for legal development in this area. Officials noted that the Artemis Accords align with Finlands space strategy, focusing on collaboration and adherence to international norms. HT Postal service offers $100,000 reward for mail theft here Police are asking for the publics help in locating the person who broke into the Hendersonville Post Office. The U.S. Postal Service is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who broke into the Hendersonville Post Office at the Blue Ridge Mall early Monday and stole 50 mail packages. View the Slideshow Postal workers called the Hendersonville police at 6:23 a.m. Tuesday after discovering the break-in that investigators believe occurred around 5 a.m. Monday, according to a police report and statement from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Charlotte. Post offices across the country were closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said Wednesday it was offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects who broke into the post office. Investigators cautioned that anyone with information about the break-in take no action to apprehend the suspect. Postal Inspectors ask that anyone with information about the break-in or anyone who can identify the person pictured in surveillance photographs of the incident contact them at 1-877-876-2455. Callers should say "Law Enforcement" and reference case no. 4453670-BURG. All information will be kept strictly confidential. Anyone with information about the incident can also call the Hendersonville Police Department at 828-697-3025. Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint here or calling 877-876-2455. Wednesday January 22, 2025 Mogadishu (HOL) Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received the African Presidential Leadership Award on Tuesday at a ceremony hosted by Africa House in Davos, Switzerland. The award recognizes President Mohamud's leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing state-building efforts in Somalia. Africa House commended his role in guiding the nation through critical reforms and milestones. Under President Mohamud's leadership, Somalia has achieved significant milestones, including the historic lifting of a decades-long arms embargo, the completion of the debt relief process, and the country's accession to the East African Community (EAC).During his address, the president reiterated his dedication to enhancing Somalia's regional role and emphasized the importance of African unity in tackling shared challenges. He called on African leaders to prioritize peace, unity, and sustainable development for the continent.The African Presidential Leadership Award highlights President Mohamud's contributions as Somalia continues rebuilding and engaging with the international community. Type-054A guided missile frigate in maritime training China Military Online) 16:27, January 22, 2025 Two tugboats attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the Chinese PLA Northern Theater Command assist the Type-054A guided missile frigate Wuhu (Hull 539) in unberthing operation during a maritime training exercise on January 2, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Ma Yubin) Two tugboats attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the Chinese PLA Northern Theater Command assist the Type-054A guided missile frigate Wuhu (Hull 539) in unberthing operation during a maritime training exercise on January 2, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Ma Yubin) Type-054A guided missile frigate Wuhu (Hull 539) attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the Chinese PLA Northern Theater Command sails to the designated area during a maritime training exercise on January 3, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Ma Yubin) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) China's largest tunnel boring machine enters testing phase for world's longest underwater highway tunnel construction Global Times) 16:56, January 22, 2025 China's largest tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutter head, with a record-breaking diameter of 16.64 meters, descended at the construction site of the Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel in East China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday, signaling the start of its initial testing phase. The TBM, named "Jianghai," was independently designed and developed by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corp in collaboration with China Railway 14th Bureau Group Corp. Measuring 145 meters in length and weighing about 5,000 tons, the TBM represents a significant engineering achievement. The cutter head, measuring 16.64 meters in diameter and weighing 460 tons, was precisely lowered into place at the site, highlighting one of the most intricate and challenging stages of the TBM's assembly, according to a CCTV report. The Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel, a key component of the world's longest underwater highway tunnel, will stretch 39.07 kilometers, including an 11.185-kilometer underwater section. The tunnel will feature a six-lane design, utilizing the TBM to navigate challenging geological conditions, including high water pressure and intricate operational demands. The project is expected to progress rapidly, as more than 200 workers remain on-site during the coming Spring Festival holidays to assemble TBM components and finalize adjustments. By the end of March, the machine is slated to begin tunneling work, setting the stage for the tunnel's eventual groundbreaking excavation. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his first full day in office Tuesday warned jointly with Japan, India and Australia against coercive actions in Asia, in a veiled but clear warning to China over its actions at sea. Rubio met in Washington with his counterparts from the so-called Quad a day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has vowed to push back against a rising China. But the gathering also marks a contrast with Trump's frequent dismissal of US allies and partners, with the returning US president on Tuesday threatening tariffs against the European Union. Rubio and his counterparts in a joint statement promised to work toward a "free and open Indo-Pacific," deploying a codeword against Chinese assertiveness that has been utilized by US administrations from both major political parties. The four said they support a region "where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended." "We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the statement said. The ministers confirmed they would work to hold a Quad summit previously scheduled for this year in India, which would mean an early trip by Trump to the growing US partner often viewed in Washington as a bulwark against China. Rubio also met separately with each minister. With Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Rubio discussed North Korea and "joint efforts against China's destabilizing actions," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. China has had rising friction with the Philippines, a US ally, as it stakes claims in territorial disputes. Rubio in his confirmation hearing also vowed to deter China against an invasion of Taiwan, the self-governing democracy it claims as its own. Trump during the campaign rattled Taiwan by saying it needed to pay the United States protection money, and Trump's nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, made headlines at his confirmation hearing by not being able to name a member of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Quad was envisioned by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and expanded into a leaders' summit by former president Joe Biden. China has repeatedly lashed out at the Quad, saying it is a US plot to encircle the rising Asian power. Rubio, a three-term senator who a day earlier was unanimously confirmed by his peers, arrived at the State Department with a promise to defend US diplomats -- often maligned by his Republican Party -- while also pursuing Trump's belief in "America First." "I expect every nation on earth to advance their national interests. And in those instances -- and I hope there will be many -- in which our national interests and theirs align, we look forward to working with them," Rubio said. "We recognize that there will be those times unfortunately as humans interact with one another because of our nature that there will be conflict," Rubio said. "We will seek to prevent them and avoid them, but never at the expense of our national security," he said. With Trump's return, a slew of senior career diplomats quit their posts at the State Department as the new administration pushes to bring in political appointees it sees as loyal. Addressing employees with his wife and four children by his side, Rubio said: "There will be changes." "But the changes are not meant to be destructive, they're not meant to be punitive," he said. "But we need to move faster than we ever have because the world is changing faster than we ever have." Designed in collaboration with interiors firm Post Company and architecture firm Lake|Flato, the new-build hotel brings a highly anticipated destination to the Museum District, complete with a destination restaurant helmed by James Beard nominated chef Aaron Bludorn. Hotel Saint Augustine, the newest boutique hotel from the acclaimed hospitality brand, Bunkhouse Hotels and from developer, The Marchbanks Company, is now officially open in Houston's beloved Montrose neighborhood. Dotted across 2.2 acres, the hotel features 71 hotel rooms and suites, a Gulf Coast-inspired restaurant, an intimate event space, all-day lobby lounge and listening room, and circular heated pool. Located in the cultural epicenter of the city's art, food, and nightlife scenes, Hotel Saint Augustine is the Bunkhouse brand's inaugural hotel in Houston. In keeping with the brand's tradition of naming hotels after patron saints, Hotel Saint Augustine's origin is inspired by several references the patron saint of printing, given its proximity to the Menil Drawing Institute; one of the cofounders of Houston, Augustus Chapman Allen; the abundance of Saint Augustine grass found throughout the city; and a nod to the month of August for the hazy, late summer nostalgia it brings. The interior design was led by Post Company, the esteemed New York- and Wyoming-based design studio, who set out to create an inviting retreat that feels both unexpected and thoughtfully designed with moments of subtle surrealist whimsy in collaboration with Bunkhouse Hotels. The design honors Houston's rich artistic heritage, drawing inspiration from the spirit of the museum district and of Houston itself, resulting in a design that reflects Bunkhouse's signature style while embracing the essence and culture of the dynamic city. While Hotel Saint Augustine is not affiliated with the Menil Collection, one of the country's finest arts institutions, the property does seek to engender the ethos of the Menil family and the museum, drawing inspiration from the spirit of the museum collection and Houston itself. To complement the hotel's location adjacent to the Menil Collection campus, the artwork throughout the property has intentionally been kept minimal to create a serene environment through artful elements found in the hotel, such as furniture, textures, lighting, objects, and landscaping choices. The lobby, which fronts Loretto Drive, sits in the main building behind a quaint entry courtyard. Designed to mimic a curator's private home, the space feels like a layered living room with rich interiors and saturated colors. The reception desk is wrapped in burled walnut with Calacatta Viola marble accents, while dramatic theatrical drapery in sheer linens divide the adjacent open parlors and seating areas, creating various nooks for gatherings throughout the day. Deep blue walls and ceilings in the lobby and bar add to the sense of otherworldliness, pulling the space into an immersive, moody palette, while large, framed windows peak out to the courtyard and screened porches to bring the outdoors in. At the bar, antique mirror panels reflect the hotel's surrounding landscape, while a listening room complete with a refurbished Otari MX5050 BII-2 Restored Tape Recorder and reel to reel player, alongside a record player, provides a constant flow of music with plans for special activations in the future. The property's food & beverage concepts are helmed by the hotel's restaurant partners: Houston's well-known chef and restaurateur Aaron Bludorn, and Bludorn Director of Operations Cherif Mbodji, who have successfully opened three restaurants in Houston, including Bludorn, which was a semifinalist in the 2024 James Beard Awards and recently recommended by the Michelin Guide, Navy Blue, and most recently, Bar Bludorn. Perseid (per-see-id), the hotel's premiere all-day restaurant, is a take on the quintessential neighborhood bistro, with a menu that celebrates the diverse global influences shaping Houston's food and culture. The cuisine, which blends Texas Gulf Coast flavors with French-inspired touches, combines elements of refined comfort with traditional techniques, all while emphasizing bold, distinctive flavor. On the beverage side, expect a seasonal blend of classic and creative cocktails, named after icons from Houston and the Montrose neighborhood, alongside classic French wines from small producers and eclectic wines sourced from family-owned wineries across the globe. The restaurant's interiors are a vibrant space, nodding to the surrealist landscape created for the entire property. Ombre dipped wall treatments and hand painted textural abstract murals create a sense of intimacy across the rooms. An eclectic range of furniture, including custom Art Deco inspired pendants hang from the modeled ceiling to complete the space. Houstonians and hotel guests alike can also enjoy the day to night concept, Augustine Lounge and Listening Room, situated within the hotel's lobby in the main building. Serving breakfast and an all-day menu alongside a full bar, visitors can expect sweet and savory options to start their day, in addition to a handful of sharable bites, sandwiches, and dessert. At the bar, cocktails coincide with a selection of draft beer and wine, including non-alcoholic options. Additionally, Saint Augustine's flexible event space that sits on top of Perseid is designed to accommodate events both grand and intimate for up to 250 guests with porches overlooking the courtyard and pool, and a food and beverage program from the Bludorn team. Across multiple buildings, Saint Augustine features 71 varied room types, from 200-sq-ft "Petite Queen" rooms to "Atelier" suites complete with private outdoor living space, ensuring that local art and culture are accessible for all. Each of the suites and guestrooms boast playful furnishings and finish details to lend a surrealist edge to the composed decor. Monochromatic hues of blue, deep red, sage, and mustard envelope each bed with ceramic wall tiles to emphasize a true color study, while drapes and velvet textures add a level of indulgence into the space. Oversized sculptural lighting and surrealist fixtures such as the amoebic-shaped wall mirrors disrupt the expected proportions of the space, and nickel and chrome finishes add moments of modern texture. With architecture by renowned Texas firm Lake|Flato, and landscape architecture by lauded Texas studio Ten Eyck, the indoor/outdoor hotel is comprised of five small two-story buildings that blend seamlessly into the neighborhood's residential character, intersected by four lushly landscaped courtyards and winding outdoor pathways featuring complementary plants including mature heritage oak trees, eyelash sage, dwarf rock palm, and blue rabbit's foot fern. Each building is connected by open air bridges and porches to create a residential feeling, with gray elongated brick and combed wood siding to complement the area's lush natural landscape, which is a central element of the design. Hotel Saint Augustine maintains its connections to the Montrose neighborhood via multiple entry points throughout the city block. As Bunkhouse Hotels expands their brand presence throughout Texas and beyond, Hotel Saint Augustine plans to uphold the Bunkhouse Hotels' ethos of creating community-driven experiences. The property will celebrate Houston's history of unexpected pairings and cutting-edge culture through programming and partnerships. Bunkhouse Hotels will continue their growth in Houston this year with the opening of Hotel Daphne in the historic Houston Heights neighborhood and the first Jo's Coffee to open outside of Austin. The term "Hyatt" is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. SNAPSHOT Operator: Bunkhouse Hotels Developer: The Marchbanks Company Chef: Aaron Bludorn Interior design: Post Company Architect of record: Lake|Flato Landscape architect: Ten Eyck Address: 4110 Loretto Drive, Houston, TX 77006 Hotel website: www.saintaugustinehouston.com Perseid website: www.bunkhousehotels.com/hotel-saint-augustine/eat-drink/perseid Instagram: @hotelsaintaugustine and @perseidhtx Hotel website Red Cliffs Lodge Zion, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel has appointed Ron Carter as the new General Manager for the recently rebranded and reimagined hotel. In this role, Carter will be responsible for ensuring seamless daily operations, developing and leading the management team, and driving initiatives to elevate the guest experience through engaging events. Red Cliffs Lodge Zion, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, is a 132-room boutique hotel that stands as the gateway to Zion National Park, designed for the adventure traveler who seeks exploration and relaxation. Boasting more than 25 years in the hospitality industry, Ron Carter joins Red Cliffs Lodge Zion from Heritage Senior Communities in Hurricane, UT, where he served as Owner and Administrator. Prior to that, Carter was General Manager at Embassy Suites Palmdale, in California. His extensive hospitality career includes the role of opening General Manager at Hyatt Place in downtown Glendale, CA, and General Manager at Embassy Suites Valencia, CA. Carter has held key roles across several brands and regions, including General Manager of Residence Inn by Marriott in Ontario, CA; Regional Director of Operations for Campbell Lodging, overseeing ten hotels; and Director of Revenue Management for Campbell Lodging. He also opened TownPlace Suites by Marriott in Ontario, CA, as General Manager and was General Manager at Residence Inn by Marriott and Hampton Inn by Hilton in Rancho Cordova, CA, marking his first dual property management role. Early in his career, Carter gained experience in sales and food and beverage management at Provo Marriott & Conference Center in Provo, UT. His career has taken him to diverse locations and allowed him to build a reputation for fostering high-performance teams and driving exceptional guest experiences. Outside of his professional accomplishments, Carter is a family man who loves spending time with his wife of 25 years and their four children. An avid skier, Carter is excited to return to Utah, where he can enjoy the great outdoors. His daughter is also following in his hospitality footsteps, currently serving as the front office manager at a Fairfield Inn in Wyoming. Lea Vaksman is a bilingual Associate based in the Montreal office. She graduated with a Master of Science in Hospitality Management (Institut de Management Hotelier International) from ESSEC Business School in Paris, France, with concentrations in Hotel Real Estate and Sustainability, showcasing her interests in both topics. Before joining HVS, Lea gained valuable experience in hotel development all across France, enhancing her expertise in real estate and supporting her analytical career. She also held various positions in F&B and Rooms operations in France, Luxembourg, and China, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of hotel operations. Lea is a member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada and is actively working towards her AACI designation. Contact Lea at 1 (514) 543-6736 or [email protected]. CHICAGO Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that Hyatts current pipeline across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (EAME) is set to expand its brand presence in 13 new markets where there are no Hyatt hotels currently between 2025 and 2028. These significant expansion plans follow a strong year for Hyatt in the EAME region. According to Hyatts Q3 2024 earnings, Hyatt hotels in Europe reported growth across key metrics: RevPAR (+12.1%), ADR (+5.8%), and occupancy (+3.8%). In the resort segment, Net Package RevPAR grew by more than 14%, fueled by Hyatts Inclusive Collection properties in Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Bulgaria, underscoring Hyatts strength in the category. Since 2017, we have strategically expanded our global portfolio by nearly 90% to over 1,350 properties. It is inspiring to see the EAME region continue to thoughtfully add hotels in markets that matter most to our guests, World of Hyatt members, customers, owners, and investors. Our accelerated expansion is a testament to Hyatts strength in luxury, lifestyle, and all-inclusive hospitality. As we continue to deliver on our promise of intentional growth, we are confident in the continued bright future ahead across the EAME region. Mark Hoplamazian, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyatt Hyatts pipeline in EAME includes projects set to debut in new European and African markets like Estonia, Iceland, Romania, Cape Verde, and Mauritius, alongside previously revealed luxury and lifestyle properties such as Park Hyatt Johannesburg, Miraval The Red Sea, Andaz Doha, and Andaz Lisbon all part of Hyatts plans to add 50 new hotels in these segments globally by 2026. As of September 30, 2024, Hyatts portfolio in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East spans over 200 properties and 45,000+ rooms across 40+ countries, having tripled its room count in Europe since 2017. Spain: A Key Growth Market for Hyatt Hyatts portfolio in Spain has expanded significantly over the last five years, growing from four hotels with just over 1,000 rooms in 2020 to 55 hotels spanning more than 14,500 rooms as of December 31, 2024. Hyatts success can largely be attributed to inorganic growth through strategic acquisitions, including all-inclusive pioneer Apple Leisure Group in 2021, lifestyle hospitality company Standard International in 2024 which brought The Standard, Ibiza to Hyatt and the strategic joint venture with Spanish Grupo Pinero completed last month, which added five Bahia Principe branded properties to Hyatts Inclusive Collection in Europe. Spain represents our largest market in EAME, and Hyatt is committed to expanding its portfolio in leisure, luxury, and lifestyle segments, across coastal destinations, islands and major and secondary cities. Javier Aguila, Group President EAME, Hyatt According to the May 2024 UNWTO World Tourism Barometer[1], Spain remains the second-largest market globally for international tourist arrivals, with 85.2 million visitors in 2023, and for tourism receipts, generating $92 billion in revenue from inbound international tourists. Hyatts pipeline in Spain includes the highly anticipated Thompson Sevilla, which will bring one of Hyatts most iconic lifestyle brands to Spains fourth-largest city by 2026. For more information or to book a stay, please visit hyatt.com. The term Hyatt is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. [1] World Tourism Barometer (May 2024) [United Nations World Tourism Organization's Market Intelligence, Policies and Competitiveness Department] About Hyatt Hotels Corporation Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose to care for people so they can be their best. As of June 30, 2024, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 78 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Vacation Club, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Studios, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval, Alila, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Dream Hotels, Hyatt Centric, and Caption by Hyatt; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, and JdV by Hyatt; and the Inclusive Collection, including Impression by Secrets, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Mr & Mrs Smith, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable when made, are inherently uncertain, and are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Kiraku, Inc. or Hyatt's control, which could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made only as of the date of their initial publication and neither party undertakes an obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements as actual events unfold, except to the extent required by applicable law. If one or more forward-looking statements is updated, no inference should be drawn that any additional updates will be made with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Minor Hotels is stepping into 2025 on a strong growth trajectory, underpinned by a robust pipeline of almost 300 new hotels slated to open over the next three years. This expansion puts the international hotel owner and operator on track to pass a milestone of 850 properties by the end of 2027, positioning it among the worlds largest hospitality groups. With more than 560 properties and 81,000 keys already in operation worldwide, Minors latest figures show a three-year pipeline of over 285 new hotels and almost 47,000 keys, underscoring the groups ambitious global strategy and revealing a focus on global market diversification. While more than 50% of Minors existing portfolio is currently concentrated in Europe, the addition of more than 100 properties in Asia, more than 60 in the Middle East & Africa, and 40 in Australia and New Zealand will lead to a more balanced global portfolio distribution. Minor Hotels is also looking to expand its presence in several priority markets, especially in North America and North Asia. Markets such as Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey have also been identified as priority destinations for entry, while efforts continue to accelerate momentum in the priority market of India following the recent opening of Anantara Jewel Bagh Jaipur Hotel. LEVERAGING GLOBAL BRAND STRENGTH Luxury and upscale remains a driving force in Minor Hotels expansion, with one-third of the three-year pipeline categorised in the Luxury segment, encompassing the Anantara, Tivoli, and Elewana Collection brands, and a further third in the Premium segment across NH Collection, Avani and nhow. The group is also investing heavily in uplifting many of its luxury properties, including significant renovation works at the original Anantara property in Hua Hin, Thailand. Minor Hotels has also been undertaking an in-depth optimisation of its brand architecture as part of a new-look masterbrand strategy, with the outcomes set to roll out in 2025. These include the upcoming planned launch of two new hotel brands, broadening the groups scope and creating fresh opportunities for owners seeking distinctive brand optionsparticularly for conversion properties. Conversions and brownfield developments make up a significant portion of the pipeline at 38%, with the remainder consisting of greenfield projects. Minor is also focusing on wellbeing as a cross-brand strategic priority, highlighted by the recent opening of destinations such as Layan Life by Anantara in Phuket. It will continue to emphasise hotel projects that take an integrative approach to wellbeing that combines medical technology and local cultural insight to deliver maximum benefits to guests. We remain committed to strategic growth across a diverse range of regions, always striving to provide innovative hospitality experiences that deliver value for our owners and partners. As well as leveraging our experiential luxury expertise, our evolving brand architecture, asset-right strategy, and focus on branded residence opportunities are the mainstays of our ambitious plans, and we look forward to bringing them to life in the coming years. Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of parent company Minor International BRANDED RESIDENCES IN FOCUS Branded residences will also be an important element of the groups future, with pipeline projects in more than a dozen countries featuring a residential component. Having been an early pioneer of branded residences in the late 1990s with developments such as Layan Residences by Anantara in Phuket, Thailandwell before many other operators entered this spaceMinor Hotels plans to accelerate residential growth across both resort and urban destinations, including the potential for standalone branded residence projects in major cities. The recent opening of Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, which includes an upcoming residential component, demonstrates the appeal of integrated living experiences that blend upscale hospitality with private ownership. Upcoming residential projects in Europe, Asia as well as Middle East & Africa where projects are confirmed in Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Oman, and Tanzania will further strengthen Minor Hotels presence in those regions. Globally, the group sees strong growth prospects for residential property under the Anantara and NH Collection brands in the Middle East and Europe in particular. 2025 OPENING HIGHLIGHTS The year ahead is already shaping up to be an exciting one for Minor Hotels, with a range of new openings across the globe. A small selection of highlights include: Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel. Photo by Minor As we chart new pathways for global expansion, preserving the integrity of our brands remains paramount. Were committed to elevating our luxury portfolio while ensuring each brands unique identity delivers authentic, experience-led stays. Our pipeline showcases confidence in both established and emerging markets, grounded in the understanding that robust brand resonance and uncompromising quality are central to our successand to our promise of exceptional value for guests and owners alike. Omar Romero, Chief Development and Luxury Officer at Minor Hotels The latest pipeline figures underscore Minor Hotels ambitious global strategy. A core element of this vision is the groups asset-right approach, balancing owned, leased, managed, and franchised properties to ensure sustainable and diversified growth. While approximately 70% of the current portfolio is owned or leased, the group aims to bring this ratio closer to 50-50 by 2027. Out of the pipeline projects, more than 90% will be under hotel management agreements (HMAs) or franchise deals, placing the group on track to meet that goal. Note: Pipeline figures are projections based on internal analysis and considered accurate at the time of publication. They are subject to fluctuation over time. About Minor Hotels Minor Hotels is a global hospitality group operating over 560 hotels, resorts and residences in 58 countries, pursuing its vision of crafting a more passionate and interconnected world. As a hotel owner, operator and investor, Minor Hotels fulfils the needs and desires of today's global travellers through its diverse portfolio of eight hotel brands Anantara, Avani, Elewana Collection, NH, NH Collection, nhow, Oaks and Tivoli and a collection of related businesses. Minor Hotels is rapidly accelerating its global growth ambitions, aiming to add more than 280 hotels by the end of 2027. Minor Hotels is a proud member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, and participates in the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme. For more information, please visit minorhotels.com and connect with Minor Hotels on Facebook and LinkedIn. Marion Walsh-Hedouin Minor The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) proudly welcomes Troy Haas, CEO of Brownell to its distinguished membership, bringing unparalleled expertise in global luxury travel. Founded in 1887, Brownell is North Americas oldest travel agency, rooted in innovation since its inception. What started as a bold venture with 10 intrepid travellers aboard the SS Devonia to Switzerland, has grown into one of the most prestigious travel agencies in the world. Under the leadership of Troy Haas, who joined Brownell in 1993 and risen to become Chairman & CEO, the agency and its advisors have shattered milestones and redefined luxury travel for hundreds of thousands of travellers. Recognised by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top three travel agencies in the U.S., Brownell Travel achieved $200 million in sales in 2023 and ranked #35 on Travel Weeklys Power List in 2022. Before joining Brownell, Haas earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He spent several years at consulting firm Bain & Company where he worked in the travel and leisure industry and dreamed of the potential for an agency with a strong advisor community. Haas then returned to Birmingham, Alabama, to become an owner of the then 100-year-old Brownell. Eager to transition to lead in role that better aligned with his personality, passion for travel, and strengths in strategy, big-picture thinking, and networking, Haas has enjoyed an exiting 31-year run fulfilling his vision. WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson said: Troy carries forward the pioneering spirit that began with Walter Brownell nearly 140 years ago. His experience and leadership will be invaluable to WTTC as we continue shaping the future of Travel & Tourism. Troy Haas said: Joining WTTC is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with leaders who share my vision for a thriving and sustainable future for Travel & Tourism. Together, we can inspire travellers and elevate the industry to new heights. For more on WTTC, visit www.wttc.org. To explore Brownell, visit www.brownelltravel.com. About WTTC The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector. CHICAGO - First Hospitality, a national hotel operating and development company, grew into Oklahoma, Georgia, and Bahamas, while continuing growth in its existing markets, plus opened three new development lifestyle properties. This growth reflects First Hospitalitys continued focus on upscale, soft brand and lifestyle properties which now accounts for nearly 45% of its portfolio. This brings its diverse portfolio to more than 70 lifestyle, independent, and branded properties, with over 10,000 keys, and 3,500 world-class associates. The successes of First Hospitality in 2024 can be attributed directly to the exceptional talents of our associates, a strong culture, and our superior operating platform. Our expansion into new markets has strengthened our team and strategically broadened our geographic footprint. This growth also enabled us to welcome new sophisticated owners and enhance our offerings of restaurants and bars. David Duncan, president and CEO of First Hospitality First Hospitality expanded its business into Atlanta, GA, by assuming management of the Atlanta Airport DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Oklahoma City, OK, with the opening of a new development, the Lively Hotel on OAK Tapestry by Hilton, and internationally with the opening of Carnivale Bahamas in Nassau, Bahamas, located on Paradise Island. First Hospitality also grew in its current markets including the opening of a new development, the Tempo by Hilton Louisville Downtown Nulu while growing its footprint in Wisconsin by assuming management of The Abbey Resort & Avani Spa in Fontana on Geneva Lake, WI. Coming soon, First Hospitality will open new development, Hotel Ardent Tapestry by Hilton in Dayton, OH in February 2025. With this growth, First Hospitality is proud to announce the launch of two new company verticalsFull Service and Lifestyle Hotels and Premium Select Service Hotelsmarking a significant step in the companys continued evolution. The Full Service and Lifestyle Hotels vertical will focus on curating unique, experiential properties that cater to travelers seeking distinctive and immersive stays, blending exceptional design, personalized service, and innovation. Meanwhile, the Premium Select Service Hotels vertical will emphasize delivering elevated hospitality experiences in the select-service segment, combining efficiency with high-quality amenities to meet the needs of modern and value-focused travelers. These new verticals position First Hospitality to better serve a broader range of guests and owners, reinforcing the companys commitment to innovation and excellence in hospitality management. Duncan added, The strategic steps and actions in 2024 have positioned First Hospitality extremely well to drive strong performance for all our ownership groups in 2025 and beyond. As we continue to grow, we will reach new communities, strengthening our bench of resources and offering more opportunities to our talented team. In 2024, First Hospitality also announced the launch of First Analytics, an innovative suite of forward-looking analytics and reporting. Customized to the individual hotel and tailored to First Hospitalitys owners specific needs, First Analytics, provides owners with real-time access to critical insights and benchmarks. This proprietary business analytics platform empowers company leaders to make data-driven decisions that drive revenue growth, optimize financial performance, enhance guest satisfaction, and boost employee engagement. Customized to the individual hotel and tailored to First Hospitalitys owners specific needs, First Analytics is updated daily, providing partners with real-time access to critical insights and benchmarks, delivered seamlessly through Microsoft Power BI, which provides full transparency with property ownership. For more information about First Hospitality and its portfolio of hotels, please visit: firsthospitality.com. About First Hospitality First Hospitality is a top-ranking development, investment, and third-party operating company with a portfolio of branded, lifestyle and independent properties along with a portfolio of restaurants & bars located throughout the United States. Founded 40 years ago, the organization fosters opportunities for associates, investors, owners, and partners to prosper together. The foundation of First Hospitality's success is built on an individualized approach that puts people first, encourages a strong ownership culture, and consistently demonstrates astute business acumen. The company and its hotels are frequently recognized by the industry and media for high guest service and associate satisfaction, including accolades from Forbes, Conde Nast, TripAdvisor, and AAA. For more information, visit www.firsthospitality.com. Miramar Group Acquires Hong Kongs Champagne Court for Hotel Redevelopment Mira HK Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Miramar Hotel and Investment Company Limited (Miramar Group) has acquired Solution Right Limited including the ten-storey Champagne Court in Kowloon for HKD3.12 billion from Kinsford International Limited, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Henderson Land Development Company Limited. The group plans to redevelop the site into a 23-storey hotel and commercial complex with a total gross floor area of approximately 12,809 square metres. Located next to the 492-key The Mira Hong Kong, the new hotel will feature 99 rooms, along with shops, restaurants, and banquet halls. Miramar Group anticipates that the new development will align with the Mira Moon standard - the groups 89-key high-end hotel, attracting luxury clientele and helping to ease demand for guestrooms at The Mira Hong Kong. Billbergia and MCP to Develop Mixed-Use Development at Sydney, Australia Australia-based property developer Billbergia Group (Billbergia) is collaborating with Australia-based non-bank leader, Metrics Credit Partners (MCP) to acquire 338 Pitt Street in Sydney from China-based private developer, Han's Holdings Group Ltd., for approximately AUD500 million. The site will be transformed into a mixed-use development featuring luxury apartments, a hotel and retail spaces, with an estimated end value of around AUD3 billion. Overlooking Hyde Park and sitting adjacent across World Square shopping mall, the location is just a two-minute walk from Museum Station and Gadigal Metro Station. Star Hotel Group Acquired Rydges Mackay Suites in Queensland, Australia Australia-based independent hospitality group Star Management Group Pty Ltd (Star Hotel Group) has acquired the 90-key Rydges Mackay Suites, along with the adjoining Mackay Central Retail Centre. The two properties span a total of 2,148 square metres. While the purchase price has not been officially disclosed, sources suggest the deal is valued at AUD30 million for both properties. Completed in 2007, the hotel features two bars, a restaurant, a gaming room, an indoor swimming pool, and three conference and meeting spaces. This acquisition expands Star Hotel Groups portfolio to eight accommodation venues, following its purchase of the 192-key Rydges Gold Coast Airport Hotel last year. Hoshino Acquiring Kai Poroto for JPY3.06 Billion in Hokkaido, Japan Japan-based Hoshino Resorts REIT, Inc. (Hoshino) is set to acquire the 42-key KAI Poroto in Hokkaido, Japan, from Japan-based K.K. Shiraoi Hotel Management (KKSHM) for JPY3.06 billion, translating to approximately JPY72.8 million per key. The four-storey hotel, with a total floor area of 4,920 square metres, is situated on the shores of Lake Poroto and offers convenient accessa 40-minute drive from New Chitose Airport or a 10-minute walk from JR Shiraoi Station. The property achieved an occupancy rate of over 90% from May 2024 to October 2024. A 20-year lease agreement will be signed between Hoshino and KKSHM, with an annual fixed rent of JPY 72,055,200, along with a floating rent component. Singapore has Established New Route to Labuan Bajo, Indonesia Singapore-based carrier Jetstar Asia, a subsidiary of Australia-based Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd., will launch direct flights between Singapore and Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, starting 20 March 2025. With two flights a week, this new route marks the first direct connection between Singapore and Labuan Bajo. Currently, travellers must fly to Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and then take a 1.5-hour domestic flight to reach Labuan Bajo. The city is renowned as the gateway to the UNESCO-listed Komodo National Park, home to the iconic Komodo dragons. About HVS With over 35 offices in the United States, HVS' hospitality intelligence and extensive expertise will help you achieve the results you want. HVS experts are regarded as the leading professionals in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of 50 offices staffed by more than 250 experienced industry professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and details about our services, please visit hvs.com. Tokyo, Japan - IHG Hotels & Resorts continues the rapid international growth of its newest midscale conversion brand, Garner hotels, with the opening of its first three hotels in Japan, marking a significant milestone as Garner expands into the Asia Pacific region. The three new hotels - Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Station, Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Midosuji, and Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Kita Semba, are now open to guests in Japans second largest metropolitan city, Osaka. Guests can immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of the city, all while experiencing the brands ethos of easy going stays that get you on your way. Garner hotels are designed to offer quality, relaxed stays at an affordable price. The brand offers the all-important things that guests value most - a central location, convenient breakfast, and a great nights sleep. The 24/7 Garner Shop also offers snacks, drinks, and other items to ensure guests have everything they need during their stay. At the newly opened Garner hotels in Japan, self-check-in stations offer an easy arrival experience, alongside local refreshments to welcome guests. At reception, a signature Garner feature wall showcases Sketches of Humanity, creating a distinctive welcome moment that reflects the diversity of the brands guests, and how Garner hotels brings people together. Source: IHG Were thrilled to bring another new brand to Japan with the opening of our first Garner hotels in Osaka. Affordable, easy-going hotels are an increasingly popular choice for travellers in and outside of Japan and our Garner brand is perfect for those looking for a relaxed stay thats full of character. We look forward to continuing the growth of this exciting new brand in Japan. Abhijay Sandilya, Managing Director Japan & Micronesia for IHG Hotels & Resorts, and CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan The brand hallmark Made with Character underpins the design of Garner hotels. Each hotel is purposefully different, celebrating the diversity of the brands guests and properties. This approach is evident at the new Garner hotels in Japan, each showcasing its own personality, keeping its existing identity, and celebrating a different era of Osakas history past, present, and future. In the guestrooms, Osaka-themed illustrations feature on the walls and guests can get comfortable in Garner-branded sleepwear during their stay. Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Station sees contemporary style meets the energy of Osaka. This modern hotel captures the lively spirit of Osaka, blending a fun atmosphere with cozy spaces that celebrate the present through a modern, colorful design. Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Station Photo by IHG Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Midosuji is a fusion of tradition and modernity, incorporating natural materials and a soothing colour palette based on Zen philosophy. Guests will be able to take advantage of the self-check in. Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Midosuji Photo by IHG Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Kita Semba is an urban tribute to the vibrant spirit of Osaka as a historic merchant town and the connections that bind its people. The green-toned design embodies harmony with nature and a commitment to sustainability. Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Kita Semba Photo by IHG As part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, guests of Garner hotels can enjoy the perks of the industry-leading IHG One Rewards loyalty programme, including the ability to earn and use points toward Rewards Nights and Milestone Rewards such as late check out and food and drink. For more information about Garner hotels, or to book a stay, visit www.garnerhotels.com or use the IHG One Rewards mobile app. About IHG IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. The Nova Scotia lodging market, particularly in Halifax, has experienced rapid growth in the years following the pandemic. With welcoming immigration policies and a perceived lower cost of housing, the province has seen substantial population growth and increased capital investment, fueling lodging demand. In 2024, provincial RevPAR levels are projected to reach 128% of their 2019 benchmark, driven by rising ADR and an enhanced hotel supply. Major Capital Influx and Hotel Inventory Improvement Support Market Growth Nova Scotia is experiencing a record population boom after years of limited growth and has set an ambitious goal of reaching 2 million residents by 2060. Thanks to the new facilitated immigration policies, the welcoming environment for refugees, and interprovincial migration (particularly from Ontario), Nova Scotia has gained 111,000 new residents over the past nine yearsa remarkable turnaround for a province once facing population decline. This growth is largely driven by the perceived lower cost of housing, which attracts migration, capital, and jobs to the region. As a result, the province now benefits from a significant influx of capital investment, leading to major construction projects and expansions of cities across the provincedriving hotel demand growth and new hotel developments. Source: STR/HVS Source: HVS Nova Scotia experienced steady RevPAR growth from 2015 to 2018 due to economic expansion and an increase in the number of overnight travellers. Despite a slight drop in occupancy in 2018, ADR rose, pushing RevPAR to a record high. In 2019, RevPAR dipped slightly due to a normalization in rates from the significant growth registered in the preceding years. Additionally, two downtown Halifax hotels (Hotel Halifax and Barrington Hotel) were de-flagged from the Delta Hotels brand, which placed further downward pressure on rates that year. In 2020, Nova Scotia experienced a significant decline in all performance metrics due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The establishment of the 'Atlantic Bubble' in July 2020a travel-restricted zone encompassing Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Islandfurther delayed recovery, as it limited inbound travel from provinces outside the bubble. Halifax, which accounts for a large part of the Nova Scotian market, follows the same trends as the province. The pandemic losses were slightly more pronounced, but recovery was faster by way of greater ADR increases. The ADR rebound registered in 2022 was bolstered by the ramp-up of new high-end supply such as the Muir Halifax, Autograph Collection Hotels and the Sutton Place Hotel Halifax, as well as renovations of existing products which had opened in Halifax just before the onset of the pandemic. The near-term outlook for the Nova Scotia market is favourable when considering the various major projects and ongoing hotel supply improvements taking place across the province. Moreover, potential investments in green energy projectsincluding hydrogen production and wind farmscould bring substantial long-term economic benefits. On the government spending front, the 2024 budget features a $1.6-billion capital plan, exceeding the previous record set in 2023 by $8 million. Key major projects are outlined below: Source: HVS Source: HVS The major projects outlined above are central to a positive outlook for the Nova Scotian economy. In the travel and accommodation sector, these initiatives also underscore the upcoming hotel room supply shortages around Halifax. For example, the proponent for the QEII Infirmary expansion is considering using hotels to house the workers. Based on our market interviews, the QEII expansion will command 200 to 300 rooms per day for workers during its peak period in August 2026welcoming roughly 5,000 workers by 2026 and will seek at least one hotel buyout. Based on this, the Halifax market is expected to experience significant compression from the reduction in room inventory, which would allow hoteliers to elevate room rates. This, combined with the ramp-up of new high-quality supply, should drive average rate growth rates higher in the near term. Furthermore, the QEII project is projected to occupy a fixed number of guestrooms on a fixed-term basis, resulting in substantial unaccommodated demand in the Halifax market. While this compression will support higher average rates, it will also limit the market's ability to meet peak-season demand, possibly leaving travellers without accommodations and limiting Halifaxs ability to host city wide events. Consequently, this could create opportunities for the short-term rental market to benefit from the insufficient hotel supply. Supply Improvement The quality of hotel supply in Halifax is improving, which in turn has driven significant rate increases across the market. Moreover, market-wide demand has surpassed the pre-pandemic price benchmark, indicating that this is a relatively price-insensitive markettravellers are willing to pay high prices for high-quality products and have accepted the rate increases. However, in the 2024 year-to-date period, rates across the province have begun to normalize, a trend we are seeing across the country in the post-Covid era. The simultaneous opening of high-end supply induced the high-end demand mentioned above: the opening of the Muir Halifax, Autograph Collection Hotels, in 2021, illustrates this trend well. This property has achieved record-high ADRs and the new supply was quickly absorbed into the market, creating a new tier of product in Halifax. The Sutton Place Hotel Halifax is another luxury hotel that opened in 2020, and has also induced demand thanks to its convention centre location. Currently, these are the only two luxury properties in the market, both of which opened during the pandemic. Another addition to new supply is the Moxy Halifax Downtown, which opened in 2024 and is a new lifestyle property designed with a trendy vibe, featuring attractive social spaces, weekend DJ sets, and a vibrant bar. This property is aimed at attracting younger travellers while still achieving high rates, reflecting a shift in demand in the Halifax market, which had previously catered to a more traditional client base. Such new players are redefining the citys hospitality offerings. In addition to these newcomers, supply is improving with the upcoming renovations of the Westin Nova Scotian (2027), the Barrington Hotel (2025), and the Prince George Hotel Halifax (2025); the Hotel Halifax will also be renovated and rebranded to the Delta by Marriott affiliation following five years of independent operations after losing its flag. These renovations, and the implied reduction of rooms for a certain period, will further increase the compression in the market caused by the QEII Expansion Project workers, and cause growth in demand. Once those renovations are complete, however, it is expected that a higher-quality supply will result in increased ADR in the city. Airport Expansion The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is the main access point to the province by air. Its future expansion is therefore critical for the development of the tourism industry in the province. The Halifax Stanfield International Airport Master Plan 2041, which was released in 2021, focuses on the coming growth in passenger numbers and on the development of additional amenities to serve them, such as the expansion of ParkNFly, the construction of a new taxiway, extra gates that can be used peak hours, the addition of more security-check lanes, a luggage claim area, and the addition of retail stores. The Master Plan also contains an $8.3-million project aimed at providing the infrastructure necessary for facilitating intra-airport connections. Thanks to this initiative, international passengers arriving in Halifax and connecting to a final Canadian destination will be able to get through customs and domestic departures without having to pick up their luggage or pass through security again, shortening the layover duration. This initiative will further result in the addition of one floor at the airport and is expected to bring an increase in passenger numbers through greater flow efficiencies. The Airports goal is to reach 5.2 million passengers per year in 2030; by comparison, in 2024, this number was estimated to reach 4,052,065 passengers. The number of passengers is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2025, as the airport is actively working towards the addition and reinstatement of flights. For instance, Pascan Airlines now offers daily direct flights to Sydney, Nova Scotia, after not having this connection since November 2022 due to the pandemic. Halifax Convention Centre The Halifax Convention Centre is the primary conference venue in the area. It opened on December 15, 2017, in Downtown Halifax, replacing the former World Trade and Convention Centre, which could not compete with other cities in the country for major events. The convention centre is part of the $500-million Nova Centre project, which encompasses 1 million square feet of mixed-use space, making it the largest integrated development project in Nova Scotia's history. In its inaugural year, the Halifax Convention Centre hosted 90 events including tradeshows, conventions and conferences, galas, and other social events, which brought in total 75,000 delegates. The convention centre hosted the CanadaKorea Conference in September 2021; this was the first in-person international event since the pandemic began. In 2023/24, approximately 140 events took place at the Halifax Convention Centre, with 80,000 delegates participating. Conclusion The Nova Scotian hotel market is poised for sustained growth and success, propelled by a forward-looking approach adopted by the province, the business community, and various other stakeholders. Major infrastructure projects, the rise of green businesses, and significant investments are driving population growth, increased tourism, therefore boosting hotel demand and development. Leveraging its strong geographical advantages, new infrastructure, and improved hotel supply, the province is positioning itself as a key destination in Canada. View source The business travel industrys evolution demands more efficient, dynamic, and customer-focused travel distribution systems. Advanced distribution capabilities, often referred to as New Distribution Capability (NDC), present a transformative opportunity for stakeholdersfrom travel management companies (TMCs) to hoteliersto address persistent challenges and unlock new potential. These innovations are reshaping the travel distribution landscape, enabling greater efficiency, personalization, and flexibility across the ecosystem. The Demand for Seamless Travel Distribution Corporate travelers today expect a frictionless booking experience, characterized by extensive inventory access, dynamic pricing options, and tailored customizations. Whether its loyalty-based promotions, specific room attributes, or diverse payment options, corporate buyers and travelers alike demand a comprehensive and intuitive platform. For travel management companies, addressing these expectations is critical. Leakagebookings made outside preferred channelsremains a significant issue, with some programs reporting rates as high as 50%. Common causes include insufficient inventory, poor booking experiences, and limited payment options. Reducing these friction points is essential for TMCs to enhance traveler trust and compliance with corporate policies. The Role of Advanced Distribution Capabilities Modern distribution capabilities redefine how inventory is accessed and utilized throughout the business travel ecosystem. Through direct connections to hotel central reservation systems (CRS) and enhanced content aggregation platforms, TMCs can now provide a streamlined shopping experience that overcomes traditional limitations. 1. Expanded Inventory Access Advanced systems allow TMCs to display comprehensive inventory, from standard corporate rates to promotional and loyalty-based rates, all within a single platform. This ensures travelers can access the full range of options without resorting to external consumer platforms, reinforcing trust in preferred booking channels. 2. Enhanced Personalization Travelers increasingly expect tailored booking options, such as preferred room types, add-ons like breakfast, and loyalty-based benefits. Attribute-based shopping empowers hoteliers to offer these personalized experiences at the booking stage, boosting satisfaction and revenue. 3. Seamless Payment Solutions Payment remains a pain point in business travel. New distribution systems incorporate virtual payment options and global strategies, simplifying transactions and minimizing administrative burdens for travelers and TMCs alike. 4. Centralized Multi-Sourcing By aggregating content from GDS, OTAs, and direct hotel connections, advanced systems provide corporate buyers with a single source of truth for rates and availability. This not only streamlines reporting and compliance but also reduces booking fragmentation. Opportunities for Hoteliers For hoteliers, these advancements create pathways to optimize revenue and enhance competitiveness. Revenue Optimization Through Attribute-Based Selling Dynamic pricing for room attributes and bundled services enables hotels to drive incremental revenue. Whether offering specific room types or loyalty-based promotions, these features create a more engaging booking experience while boosting profitability. Reduced Distribution Costs By connecting directly to intermediaries like DerbySoft, hotels can reduce reliance on costly third-party distribution channels, maintain control over inventory, and strategically manage rate strategies. Loyalty Integration Modern distribution tools allow hotels to engage travelers earlier in the booking process, extending loyalty benefits at the point of sale. This strengthens customer relationships and enhances loyalty program enrollment. Challenges and Lessons from Other Industries While the potential of advanced distribution capabilities is significant, the path to full adoption requires navigating industry-specific hurdles. Fragmented Hotel Technology The fragmented nature of the hotel industrys technology stack poses challenges. Many property management systems (PMS) and CRSs lack the capabilities to support modern distribution requirements, leading to inconsistencies in the booking experience. The Need for Standardization Unlike the airline industry, where NDC has progressed through standardization, the hotel sector remains highly fragmented. Achieving consensus on implementation strategies and definitions will require industry-wide collaboration. Insights from Airlines The airline industrys adoption of NDC highlights the importance of simplicity and partnership. Hotels can leverage these insights to prioritize streamlined technology solutions and partnerships that deliver clear benefits for all stakeholders. Collaboration as the Path Forward The future of business travel distribution lies in partnership. Stakeholders across the ecosystemTMCs, hoteliers, and technology providersmust work together to prioritize traveler-centric experiences, optimize operations, and reduce costs. Key Priorities for Success: Traveler-Centric Design: Deliver seamless booking experiences with dynamic pricing, personalization, and transparency. Technology Investments: Embrace platforms that support multi-sourcing, attribute-based selling, and robust data reporting. Collaborative Frameworks: Develop partnerships that align operational goals with traveler needs and streamline content delivery. Sustainability and Duty of Care: Integrate sustainability initiatives and ensure compliance with corporate safety standards and tracking needs. Advanced distribution capabilities offer the business travel industry a unique opportunity to address long-standing inefficiencies and deliver unparalleled value. By adopting these innovations, stakeholders can redefine the traveler experience, optimize revenue, and navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving market. DerbySoft is proud to support this evolution by providing cutting-edge solutions that empower travel brands to thrive. Together, we can shape the future of travel distribution and unlock its full potential. About DerbySoft DerbySoft is the Travel Commerce Accelerator, with a mission to converge the diverse elements of travel, creating a unified and efficient ecosystem of connectivity services, high-performing AI-driven marketing services, and an end-to-end content platform. Our world-class services are designed to deliver seamless, frictionless commerce, accelerating the pace at which properties can connect, grow, and optimize profit. DerbySoft consistently pushes the boundaries of innovation to unlock new opportunities and accelerate travel commerce. Our team of travel industry experts is passionate about uniting people and technology and committed to enhancing every aspect of travel, making it more accessible, efficient, and enjoyable for all. Our approach is centered on making travel better - not just for today, but for years to come. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA, DerbySoft's cutting-edge technology is trusted by the world's leading online travel distribution partners and hotel companies in 197 countries. To learn more, visit DerbySoft.com. With six offices around the globe and over 300 employees in over 11 countries, DerbySoft continues to grow and develop the next generation of online hotel distribution infrastructure. DerbySoft.com. Image Credit Sunborn International Holding Finnish hotel developer Sunborn International Holding (SBIH) has proposed a 250-room floating hotel for Vancouver's waterfront. The project, in collaboration with the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (VHFC), aims to create new jobs, stimulate economic growth, and introduce a new destination on the water. Graham Clarke, Chairman of VHFC, states that the floating hotel will address the pressing need for hotel rooms in Vancouver. The project is planned in a way that will not affect the environment, will not leave a permanent footprint, and will add new public spaces, viewpoints, cafes, and restaurants to Vancouver's waterfront. The proposal aims to create 250 new hotel rooms without using valuable city real estate. If approved, the off-site construction of Sunborn Vancouver will minimize disruption and use renewable energy, reducing its power consumption by 60-70%. The hotel will connect directly to the Vancouver Convention Centre's existing infrastructure and function like a regular on-land building without discharging waste into the water. It will not use fossil fuels and will not create emissions from engines or generators. Hans Niemi, CEO of Sunborn International, expressed enthusiasm about the project and asserted that the hotel will be a beautiful addition to the Vancouver waterfront. The floating hotel and its amenities and services are expected to create over 200 direct new jobs. This privately funded development project is currently undergoing a rezoning process with the City of Vancouver. If approved, the hotel is scheduled to open in 2027. The Standard, Ibiza - Image Credit Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced its intent to broaden its brand presence across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (EAME) by 2028. The company plans to add hotels in 13 new markets with no existing Hyatt hotels. This decision follows a robust year for the hotel chain in the EAME region. Hyatt's 2024 Q3 earnings report showed growth in key metrics, with an increase in Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) by 12.1%, Average Daily Rate (ADR) by 5.8%, and occupancy by 3.8%. The resort segment also saw a 14% growth in Net Package RevPAR, primarily driven by Hyatt's Inclusive Collection properties in Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Bulgaria. Hyatts EAME expansion includes projects in new European and African markets like Estonia, Iceland, Romania, Cape Verde, and Mauritius. The plan also includes luxury and lifestyle properties such as Park Hyatt Johannesburg, Miraval The Red Sea, Andaz Doha, and Andaz Lisbon. These are all part of Hyatt's goal to add 50 new hotels globally by 2026. As of September 2024, Hyatts portfolio in the EAME region includes over 200 properties and more than 45,000 rooms across 40+ countries. The room count in Europe has tripled since 2017. Spain remains a key growth market for Hyatt, with the hotel's portfolio growing significantly over the last five years. As of December 2024, Hyatt has expanded from four hotels with just over 1,000 rooms in 2020 to 55 hotels with more than 14,500 rooms. This growth is largely due to strategic acquisitions, including Apple Leisure Group in 2021, Standard International in 2024, and a joint venture with Spanish Grupo Pinero. Spain is the second-largest market globally for international tourist arrivals. In 2023, it had 85.2 million visitors and generated $92 billion in revenue from inbound international tourists. Hyatt's expansion plans in Spain include the anticipated Thompson Sevilla by 2026. In addition to EAME, Hyatt plans to grow in Latin America and the Caribbean, with expansion fueled by leisure travel. A joint venture with Grupo Pinero resulted in 21 Bahia Principe branded resorts across the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Spain and added approximately 12,000 rooms to Hyatt's all-inclusive rooms portfolio, representing a 30% increase. Hyatt's plans in the Caribbean include openings scheduled for the first half of 2025, such as Hyatt Regency Panama City, Hotel La Compania del Valle, Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo del Sol, and Secrets Baby Beach Aruba. Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands - Image Credit Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation has officially opened its first hotel in Kenya, the Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands. The 219-room property is in Nairobi Westlands, a business hub and popular tourist destination. The hotel seeks to provide a unique hospitality experience, blending aspects of local Kenyan culture with Hyatt's signature service. Amenities include modern rooms, various dining options and a range of premium services. Stephen Ansell, Hyatt's Managing Director for Middle East and Africa, hailed the opening as a key milestone for Hyatt in the African market. General Manager Igor Jovovic echoed this sentiment, highlighting the hotel's design, which reflects Kenya's vibrant landscape and culinary offerings that offer a taste of Kenya's diverse flavors. The Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands offers 147 guestrooms and suites and 72 apartments. Each room has a 65-inch flat-screen smart TV, high-speed Wi-Fi, and deluxe bath amenities. Additional features such as an in-room coffee maker and tea station, a minifridge and a workspace contribute to guests' comfort and convenience. The hotel's culinary offerings celebrate local flavors and international cuisine. Dining options include the District 6 Bar, which offers cocktails and a menu of international and local favorites; E.A.T, an all-day restaurant serving diverse cuisines; and The Atrium, which offers fine Kenyan coffees and teas. For fitness enthusiasts, the hotel offers a comprehensive fitness center and an aerobic studio with varied classes. An indoor pool with city views is also available. The Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands also provides meeting spaces suitable for various events, from boardroom discussions to large conferences. The top floor features a ballroom, one of the largest in East Africa, with views across the city. Rendering of Courtyard by Marriott Makkah Al Naseem - Image Credit Marriott International Marriott International has revealed plans to open a 2,179-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The company has signed an agreement with Al Qimmah Hospitality Company and Amwaj Real Estate Company, both subsidiaries of BinDawood Trading, for the project. The Courtyard by Marriott Makkah Al Naseem is expected to open in 2026 and will become the largest hotel under the brand globally. Dr. Abdul Razzaq BinDawood, Chairman of Al Qimmah, stated that this agreement aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 framework. This initiative aims to position the country as a global religious and cultural tourism hub. Developing high-quality towers in the Al Naseem District is part of the commitment to serve guests and travelers to the Holy Mosque. Chadi Hauch, Regional Vice President, Lodging Development, Middle East, Marriott International, expressed satisfaction with expanding their relationship with Al Qimmah Hospitality and BinDawood Trading. He noted that the agreement represents Marriott's commitment to supporting the growth of Saudi Arabia's tourism sector. The Courtyard by Marriott brand is recognized for its sophisticated design elements and amenities, offering travelers an enhanced experience. The Makkah Al Naseem establishment will feature guest rooms across seven interconnected towers. It will also include a restaurant with a capacity of more than 1,800 guests, a lobby lounge, and The Market, the brand's signature grab-and-go market. The design plans reflect the brand's timeless, classic style with inviting spaces and excellent service. The Courtyard by Marriott Al Naseem signing aligns with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 framework, which promotes the country as a global hub for religious and cultural tourism. By 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hopes to host 30 million religious tourists. Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Adams Chair Blames Public 'Beratement' for Employee Exodus ADAMS, Mass. The town's dealing with an exodus in leadership that the chair of the Selectmen attributed to constant beratement, particularly at meetings. Since last fall, the town's lost its finance director, town administrator, community development director and community development program director. "There's several employees, especially the ones at the top, have left because of the public comments that have been made to them over months, and they decided it's not worth it," Chair John Duval said at last week's Selectmen's meeting. "Being being berated every week, every two weeks, is not something that they signed up for, and they've gone to a community that doesn't do that, and now we have to try to find somebody to replace these positions." His remarks came after a discussion over funding for training requested on the agenda by Selectman Joseph Nowak, who said he had been told if they "pay the people good. They're going to stay with us." "You've got to pay them good, because they're hard to come by, and people are leaving, and they had good salaries," he said. "I wish I could make that much. So that theory doesn't seem to be working." Duval said the town doesn't have a good reputation now "because of all of the negative comments going on against our employees, which they shouldn't have to deal with. They should just be able to come here and work." The town administrator, Jay Green, left after being attacked for so long, he said, and the employees decided "the heck with Adams, we're out of here, we're gone." Nowak had taken aim at the Massachusetts Municipal Association's local government leadership program at Suffolk University that two departed employees had been scheduled to attend at a cost of $2,800 each. "We're not gaining anything from it. They're gaining something. So I recommend that this money should be given back to the town of Adams. We get no benefit whatsoever from it, and whoever allowed that to happen," Nowak said as Duval responded "you did." "And Mister Duval. And all due respect, I never voted for that." Duval pulled out the minutes of the joint budget meeting last spring during which the town administrator and the finance director both requested an increase of $2,800 in their budget to attend the program. "It was approved by the board members. It was all of us approved that section," he said. "I have the minutes that describe that they raised it by $2,800 to attend this course, and we agreed to it, and we voted for it, and it went to town meeting, and it was contained in the budget." He agreed with Nowak that there should be a town policy on reimbursements or time spent in the positions to offset losses should an employee leave during or shortly after taking a town-paid training. But, he said, the town had already reached an agreement with Lenox, which hired the town administrator, over reimbursement and had received a check for $1,680 that day. "We paid for when he was here and the town of Lenox is going to pay for the courses while he's town administrator in Lenox," Duval said. The finance director left before the course started and the program manager went instead. He's leaving to practice law so the town is speaking with MMA about getting the tuition back for the remaining modules. "We should discuss the policy that, going forward, that the employees are responsible to pay if they do leave us," he said. "We'll figure it all out." Selectwoman Christine Hoyt had recused herself from the discussion and sat in the audience as she is a director on the MMA board. In other business, the board heard an update on the term sheet for the sale of the Memorial Building. Town meeting authorized the sale last year and the Select Board approved an initial term sheet on leasing a portion of the building back to the town for community use. Lee Smith of KP Law, the town counsel, said an agreement had been reached with the buyer, Michael Mackin of Mackin Construction, that anything over $2 million in grants provided by the town would reduce the rent by the same amount. The town currently has an agreement of $50,000 a year for 20 years for a fully renovated space, however, the first year would be free and the second $25,000. Smith said the town so far has put in nearly $1 million in funding, including $500,000 pending in a state bond bill, a brownfields grant for $100,000 and a state One Stop grant for $330,000. He anticipated having a purchase and sale agreement for the property by the next meeting. Mackin plan on refurbishing the classrooms into residential units and renovating the cafeteria for commercial space. The town will use the gym, auditorium and offices in the southwest corner. Stephanie Melito was hired as assistant town accountant at an annual salary of $50,023. "We have a new finance director who's doing double duty and double time," said interim Town Administrator Kenneth Walto said. "Stephanie rose to the top of who's qualified for the position." Melito has worked in more than one department in the town over last 18 months. She holds a bachelor's degree and has 15 years of banking experience. Walto said there were numerous applications but he and former town treasurer Mary Beverly only interviewed three internal candidates as best qualified. Nowak questioned that, saying internal promotion and didn't think Beverly should be sitting on so many interview panels as she's getting a stipend for training finance people in Town Hall. "It's been my preference if there are qualified candidates internally because it promotes morale and retention in town government," said Walto. He also assured Nowak that the auditors for fiscal 2024 know about the changes in the finance office. Nowak has pushed for an audit after the departure of the last finance director. "I spoke with our finance director this afternoon, and she says that our auditors are aware of the changes, and they will be scrutinizing the transactions respective of the people," he said. Duval pointed out that the town has not done audits in the past when someone left and Hoyt said any audit comes with a cost. "Do we want to spend over $40,000 every time somebody leaves to do a special audit? That's the cost," she said. Nowak countered that the town's spending money on the solicitor. "Where's that money coming from," he said. Hoyt responded that it was a budgeted retainer. Nowak also questioned the length of time Adelson & Co. had been doing audits for the town, noting best practice recommends rebidding every five to eight years. Adams has been using this firm for eight. "I can tell you experience that the firms that can do these governmental audits are few and far between and that's one of the reasons towns hold on to them for a long time," said Walto. Chinese company unveils supersonic plane prototype that can fly at Mach-4 Global Times) 16:57, January 22, 2025 A Chinese company working on a commercial transport plane capable of flying at Mach-4, twice the speed of the Concorde - unveiled the prototype of its next-generation supersonic aircraft, the Global Times learned on Wednesday. The supersonic aircraft, named Cuantianhouor Soaring Monkey from the Yunxing series, was revealed on Monday in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology Co said in a statement sent to the Global Times. The plane is scheduled for its maiden flight in 2026 to test key metrics such as aerodynamics, heat-resistant materials, and power systems, according to the company. "Supersonic passenger aircraft is making significant breakthroughs and a strong comeback... it has great potential to provide more economical and reliable high-speed flight services in the coming years," said Deng Fan, chief engineer of Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology Co. The aircraft is designed to operate in near space, approximately 20-100 kilometers above the Earth. The company said it aims to conduct the maiden flight of its supersonic passenger plane, Dashengor Monkey King, in 2030. In October, the company conducted successful tests of its Yunxing prototype supersonic plane, achieving a flight speed of over Mach-4, as the development entered the engineering phase. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Wednesday 22 January 2025, 10:54 - Last updated: 19:50 Prince Harry's lawyers have reached an out-of-court settlement (with unspecified compensation) with Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN), thus avoiding the risk of a public conviction in the High Court trial in London for the lawsuit filed by King Charles's second son against the tabloid Sun's publishing group for privacy violations and illegal information gathering. This was achieved after an immediate adjournment of the first hearing yesterday, following discussions initiated between the parties. The publishing company's lawyer, Anthony Hudson, had mentioned a 'very close' agreement between the parties. This was reached after repeated postponements in the afternoon at the opening of the first hearing in the London court to allow negotiations. Postponements that, as some media pointed out, irritated Judge Timothy Fancourt, who was forced to adjourn the hearing to tomorrow. This morning, Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, stated that the parties had 'reached an agreement' and that NGN had issued an apology to the Duke and would pay 'substantial damages.' As Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, explained, Murdoch agreed to compensate the prince for the 'significant damages' caused. Murdoch's News Group Newspapers offered 'full and unequivocal apologies' to the prince 'for phone hacking, surveillance, and the misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators they hired,' Sherborne stated. 'Today the lies have been exposed. Today it is shown that no one is above the law. It is time for accountability,' Harry's lawyer added. It is a 'huge' victory that also represents a 'vindication' for others who have been 'forced' to give up going against the publishing group, the lawyer added. 'News Group Newspapers has finally been held accountable for its illegal actions and blatant disregard for the law,' Sherborne continued, while praising Harry's 'resilience.' Sherborne explained that News Group Newspapers illegally hired more than 100 private investigators on 35,000 occasions over at least 16 years. This happened at both The Sun and The News of the World, and all editors and executives were aware 'up to the top of the company.' 'What is even worse is that following the arrest of a royal correspondent in 2006, a vast conspiracy developed to hide what was really happening and who knew about it,' he said. Sherborne added that senior executives of News Group Newspapers obstructed justice by deleting 'over 30 million emails' and 'issuing false denials.' They also 'repeatedly lied under oath' in court. Prince Harry's decision to take News Group Newspapers to court allowed a 'historic admission of guilt' by the group, Sherborne continued. 'As a direct consequence of his stance, since he began his compensation claim five years ago, Prince Harry and his family have had to repeatedly endure aggressive and retaliatory coverage,' Sherborne stated. The lawyer then called on Parliament and the police to investigate these illegal activities, as well as 'perjury and cover-ups.' Fullerton Health Philippines has chosen Dugenia, Marayan, and Associates, Co. (DM&A Co.) as its new social media partner, ushering in a new era of strategic and creative engagement for its digital assets. Known for their innovative Challenge the Usual approach, DM&A Co. is set to revolutionize how Fullerton Health connects with its audience in the fast-paced world of social media. (L-R) DM&A Co. Jr. PR Associate Martin Alcantara, DM&A Co. External Relations Director and Partner Alvin Marayan, DM&A Co. Client Servicing Lead and Account Supervisor Maika De Castro, RadLink Philippines Corp. Sales and Marketing Associate Julia Domingo, Country General Manager of RadLink Philippines Corp. and Executive Health Screening Lead PH at Fullerton Health Carmie de Leon, DM&A Co. Managing Partner Michael Dugenia, and DM&A Co. Head of Content and Strategic Planning Officer JJ Ibarreta. DM&A Co. brings years of expertise in crafting compelling social media content tailored to the unique needs of its clients. For Fullerton Health Philippines, this partnership signifies an opportunity to highlight the brands advocacy for preventive care and its executive health screening services in a way that resonates with Filipinos. Our philosophy is simple yet bold: we challenge the usual, said Michael Dugenia, Managing Partner of DM&A Co. For Fullerton Health, this means creating content that not only informs but also inspires conversations about health and wellness. Were excited to help amplify their message and bring a fresh perspective to their social media platforms. DM&A Co. aims to align its strategies with Fullerton Health Philippines mission of promoting preventive care and healthier lifestyle while leveraging digital channels to build trust and engagement with their audience. A Partnership Built on Shared Vision According to Carmie de Leon, Country General Manager of RadLink Philippines Corp. and Executive Health Screening Lead PH at Fullerton Health, the decision to partner with DM&A Co. was rooted in their ability to deliver creative yet purposeful campaigns. Fullerton Health is committed to delivering personalized care and embracing technology to connect with people, de Leon explained. We believe DM&A Co.s out-of-the-box approach will help us communicate our mission in ways that are both impactful and relatable to Filipinos. Crafting Content That Resonates DM&A Co. External Relations Director and Partner Alvin Marayan expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, emphasizing the role of storytelling in the success of digital campaigns. Health is a deeply personal matter, and through this collaboration, we want to tell stories that resonate with people on a human level, Marayan shared. By blending Fullerton Healths expertise in healthcare with our passion for strategic creativity, were looking to foster meaningful connections through social media. The firm will manage Fullerton Health Philippines digital content, ensuring consistency in tone and messaging across platforms. From educational posts to dynamic campaigns, the content will be designed to reflect Fullerton Health Philippines dedication to proactive and preventive care. DM&A Co. has assembled a talented team to manage this significant account. DM&A Co. Client Servicing Lead and Account Supervisor Maika De Castro, Head of Content and Strategic Planning Officer JJ Ibarreta, Junior PR Associate Martin Alcantara will oversee the project. They are joined by Content Writer Aira Revilla and Graphic Artist Joma Unabia, who will ensure that every piece of content aligns with Fullerton Health Philippines vision and goals. A Commitment to Comprehensive Care The Fullerton Health Philippines center collaborates with trusted specialists and hospitals outside its network, ensuring continuity of care for clients requiring specialized consultations. By blending convenience, affordability, and high-quality service, the center aims to make preventive care accessible to more Filipinos. As it embraces global healthcare standards while incorporating the warmth of Filipino culture, the Fullerton Health Philippines executive health screening center is poised to become a vital part of the countrys healthcare system. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy It is funny that in the same week that the Oscar-tipped epic The Brutalist was engulfed in a controversy about its (relatively minor) use of AI, audiences were presented with the first entirely AI-generated movie! Or at least what you imagine an entirely AI-generated movie would be: Netflixs shiny, sterile Back in Action, a film so dismayingly soulless that it could mark a new low in Hollywood creativity. Why Cameron Diaz chose this to be her first film in a decade is just one of the many mysteries kicked up by Back in Action, which is currently sitting atop Netflixs Top 10 list. Others include: When did Andrew Scott forget how to act?; What karmic debt does Glenn Close owe Netflix on the heels of this, The Deliverance and Hillbilly Elegy?; and What is the rate of return for a straight-to-streaming blockbuster that rented out the Tate Modern for an action setpiece, then staged a combined speedboat and motorbike chase along the Thames? Mainly, though, youre left wondering why any real sense of style or creative vigour has dropped out of films like these, with their devotion to standard action genre plot tropes and faint duplication of older, better movies. Back in Action casts Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a spy couple who unexpectedly get pregnant and decide to go off-grid, only for their past to catch up with them and their clueless-to-their-parents-old-jobs children 15 years later. A rotation of nondescript bad guys wants hold of The Key, a MacGuffin of such criminal vagueness that it may as well have been called The Object or The Thingamajig. See, in the wrong hands The Key can drain entire city blocks of power, and only Foxxs character knows where The Key is hidden. Diaz and Foxx, with kids in tow, hightail it to London to seek protection from Diazs mother, a wealthy ex-spy played with a curiously erratic English accent by Close. She, meanwhile, is in a relationship with an eccentric Brit played in peak Jack Whitehall-coded comic relief mode by Stath Lets Flatss Jamie Demetriou. And all of these characters soon find themselves pursued not only by an MI6 spy (Scott, crushingly vacant) but also by a CIA operative played by Friday Night Lightss Kyle Chandler, one of the greatest American TV stars of the Noughties, here reduced to delivering stern reams of exposition in between gunfights. Typically, the combined star power in Back in Action should be able to compensate for everything else. But there is no crackle between Foxx and Diaz, two charismatic, dependable movie stars who nonetheless operate on different comic wavelengths he the cocky smart alec, she the sunny free spirit. And its debatable whether the pair were even together most of the time. Foxx was hospitalised during filming after experiencing a near-fatal stroke, meaning a body double was used in a number of scenes that he was unable to shoot. That might explain why the camera so consistently cuts between static shots of his and Diazs individual heads, as if to paper over the fact that they werent in the same place. Its all depressingly tossed together, crudely edited and almost impressively unfunny. But maybe thats the point. A recent report in the arts magazine n+1 claimed that Netflix bosses have been asking screenwriters to make sure their characters announce what theyre doing so that viewers who have [the] programme on in the background can follow along. They allegedly want casual viewing content, meaning things you dont really have to pay attention to. Back in Action is more or less this in practice: a collection of sounds, images and explosions, stripped of characters or jokes. Its a vague approximation of moviemaking, to be watched between swipes of your phone, or while untangling plug cables in your living room. Send it back: Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in Back in Action ( Netflix ) Back in Action certainly isnt the first of its kind to feel like this between Netflix, Prime and Apple TV+, there is now an entire subgenre of speedily forgotten movies in which Ryan Reynolds types tangle with beautiful women armed with pistols and sass, from the Chris Evans/Ana de Armas flop Ghosted to the Mark Wahlberg/Halle Berry actioner The Union. But Back in Action feels the most egregious, perhaps because it stars an actor quite literally beamed in from a very different era in film production. Even Diazs worst movies had a sense of style to them, or a feeling that people were actively trying to make something halfway decent. Knight & Day, her Back in Action-style globetrotting caper with Tom Cruise, was released 15 years ago, and its gags, stuntwork and general spectacle feel almost herculean in comparison to the thrifty nothingness of her new film. The biggest worry here, though, is not that a film like Back in Action is phoning it in, but that it and films like it are rewiring our understanding of what these kinds of movies are. An era of casual viewing shouldnt mean lowered expectations, or cut corners, or rote storytelling. Action movies can be better. Should be better. And, up until very recently, really were better. If films are to survive amid a deluge of content fighting for our collective attention span, effort must be made. All Back in Action does is twist the knife in further. Back in Action is streaming on Netflix Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy 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. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free 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. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A$AP Rocky turned down a plea deal of 180 days in prison as jury selection began at his trial Tuesday where the rapper is accused of firing a gun at a former friend and collaborator. The Pretty Flacko musician (real name Rakim Mayers) could face decades in prison if convicted. The 36-year-old has already pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and his attorney says the rapper committed no crime. The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor is the longtime partner of Rihanna, and the two have two young sons together. It has not been confirmed whether Rihanna will appear to support him in court, but his attorney has suggested its unlikely. Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after. But his life could be upended with a conviction that could lead to a sentence of up to 24 years if jurors find him guilty of shooting at his former friend in Hollywood in 2021. A$AP Rocky in Beverly Hills in 2019 ( AFP/Getty ) Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold said he intends to seat a jury quickly and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors. I will let the jurors know that regardless of who a defendant is, whether theyre the richest person in the world or the poorest person, everybody is to be treated the same, he said at a pretrial hearing. Opening statements could come Wednesday. Arnold is allowing media cameras in court for the entire trial after a jury is selected. In 2023, another judge ruled after a preliminary hearing that Rocky should stand trial for allegedly firing a gun at Terell Ephron (also known as A$AP Relli), a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of November 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up At a hearing in November 2023, Rockys attorney Joe Tacopina established while questioning a police detective that seven officers who searched a sidewalk and street about 20 minutes after the shots were allegedly fired found no evidence of the shooting, and that a pair of 9 mm shell casings in police possession were recovered by Ephron, who returned to the scene about an hour after the standoff. Tacopina played body camera video of the officers, who searched the ground for about 10 minutes. Ephron, who first went to police to report the incident two days later, turned over the shell casings, which the detective said had no recoverable fingerprints on them. Prosecutors showed a separate video from near the scene where no people are initially visible, but what sounds like two gunshots can be heard. Then a man comes running around a corner, then slows to a walk. The mans identity is not clear in the video, but LAPD Detective Frank Flores testified they have established it is Rocky. A verdict is expected to be delivered in around 15 days. Additional reporting by Associated Press. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Green Day have taken lyrical aim at Elon Musk while performing in his home country of South Africa. The bands frontman Billie Joe Armstrong reportedly switched a line in their 2004 hit American Idiot from Im not a part of the redneck agenda to Im not a part of the Elon agenda. According to Billboard, the California punk band were making their first appearance in the country when they performed at Johannesburgs FNB Stadium on January 19. The show was part of the Calabash 2025 festival, which saw Green Day headline alongside The Offspring and local group Fokofpolisiekar. The Independent has approached Green Day for comment. The day after Green Days performance, Musk made headlines around the world when he was accused of giving a Nazi salute during an inauguration celebration for Donald Trump. In response, his former partner, the Canadian musician Grimes, said she was happy to denounce Nazi-ism. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Elon Musk ( Getty ) This is not the first time Green Day have made a lyrical change to American Idiot. At a New Years Eve performance in 2023, the band took the stage at Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve and changed the line to: Im not part of the MAGA agenda. The change upset Musk at the time, who tweeted: Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it. In response, Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt told Rolling Stone: Elon Musk actually is the machine. I cant take anything else from that. Hes not shy about saying stupid s*** on the internet. Whatever. Dirnt continued: The songs twenty years old, and were Green Day. What did you expect? The bassist added that the group was glad the switch-up ignited a conversation among those who watched the performance, explaining how the band have previously wanted to release political songs but chose not to do so during the first Trump administration. First it was rhetorical, and then it got into conversation. Anytime you can get people talking, youre always going to have the loudest voices [heard first], and then everyone else in the room is going to figure out what it really means, he said. Musk has not yet responded to Green Days most recent lyrical change, although he has spoken out about the controversy over his Nazi salute. While the worlds richest man did not outright deny that he was emulating a fascist salute when he twice shot his right arm in an angular direction with the palm facing down, he said his critics needed better dirty tricks because attacking their political opponents as Adolf Hitler is sooo tired. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pop star Jade Thirlwall has opened up about the grief she experienced when her former bandmate, Jesy Nelson, quit their group Little Mix. Formed on ITV reality show The X Factor in 2011, Little Mix went on to become one of the most successful British pop groups of all time, releasing hit singles and chart-topping albums including Shout Out to My Ex, Black Magic and Break Up Song. Nelson departed in 2020, citing the toll being in Little Mix had taken on her mental health. Thirlwall remained in the group with bandmates Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock before they announced a hiatus in 2022. All four members have since been pursuing solo careers. Appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast on Spotify, Thirlwall, who released her latest single IT Girl this month, said she bore no ill feeling towards Nelson for her decision, but admitted that she struggled to process her abrupt departure. I think that's why I struggled with it, because we didn't all get a chance to just sit together like we've done for so many years just hash it out, she said. There's no hate there from me or from any of us I think. She recalled a time not long after Nelson quit, when she had begun dating fellow musician and author Jordan Stephens: It was very early days at the time. And so I was scared to show him what this meant for me, she said. Because I think in his head, he was like, Oh, you know, someone left that happens all the time. Thirlwall said she and Stephens were driving north to visit her family and she was being really short with him because of her feelings surrounding Nelson leaving. He kept probing like, What's wrong, what's wrong, she said. Honestly, out of nowhere, I literally, like, bellowed, like, a f***ing whale or something. You know, like, when you have so much grief that you feel like you've been, winded, and you start, like, wailing? And I'd, I'd never cried like that since my grandad died when I was 13. And I think it was all the years of the love and the everything we'd been through together, the good things, the bad things, you know. So much of it was brushed under the rug and then it just f***ing exploded. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up open image in gallery Little Mix winning their first Brit Award in 2017 ( YouTube/BRITs ) Thirlwall said she knew Stephens was a keeper when he checked if shed be alright in the car on her own, then returned with a pasty from Greggs for her. I will never begrudge Jesy wanting to leave, because if she needed to do that for herself, no matter what happened behind the scenes or, you know, anything that unfolded, she said. I'll never discredit or invalidate the struggles that she had in the group, particularly at the beginning. She really did suffer the most in terms of, like, trolling, the press being really mean, all of that stuff. And it really did some lasting damage. And we always tried our best to support her in that. Sometimes you get it wrong, sometimes you get it right. Like, again, like I said before, we're not qualified to, especially at 18 years old, to help someone with that. Nelson who announced this month that she is expecting twins with her partner, musician Zion Foster released a BBC documentary in 2019, in which she revealed she had attempted suicide as a result of the online bullying she received over her appearance. I had a routine of waking up, going on Twitter, searching for the worst things I could about myself, she said in the programme. Id type in the search bar, Jesy fat, or Jesy ugly, and see what would come up. Sometimes I didnt even need to do that, Id just write Jesy and then Id see all the horrible things. Everyone told me to ignore it but it was like an addiction. open image in gallery Jesy Nelson opened up about the effect of the online bullying she received while in Little Mix for a 2019 BBC documentary ( BBC ) Thirlwall said she, Edwards and Pinnock had tried to be there for Nelson as best they could: I think she gradually clocked out and that's fair enough. I feel like I can't and I don't want to talk about it in depth because it isn't just my story to tell, she continued. I'd be speaking for people and I don't think that's right. But for myself, I will say that I'm still getting over it now, quite truthfully. open image in gallery Jade said she felt intense grief after Jesy Nelsons departure from Little Mix ( Getty ) She and her fellow bandmates had a lot of group therapy, while she also had therapy as an individual, to cope with the traumatic effects of Nelson leaving the band, she added. Asked by Theroux if she was back in touch with Nelson, she responded: No. The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify now. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jools Holland has opened up about a hobby he shares with his longtime friend Rod Stewart, which he says helps with both his physical and mental health. The popular TV host and musician will return with his show Later with Jools Holland on BBC2 this spring. A spin-off of The Late Show, the programme has been running since 1992 and stars a number of established and emerging artists performing in front of a live audience. Over the years, Holland has welcomed guests including Foals, Skepta, Amy Winehouse, Hozier, Paul McCartney, St Vincent and FKA twigs. In a first-person piece forThe Times, Holland revealed that one of the things he enjoys most in his downtime is visiting his model railway sets. On work mornings theres no time to visit my little studio at home or indulge in my passion for model railways, he wrote. Rod Stewart and I are both enthusiasts but I dont know whose is bigger. Anyway, its not always about size, its what you do with it. Jools Holland shares an unlikely hobby with Rod Stewart ( Getty ) He continued: When I do have the time for my model railway, I relax. Rod and I both agree that, like music, they are incredibly good for mental and physical health. That was especially true in 2014 when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a routine blood test. Id no symptoms; the news came out of the blue. I soon learnt that worrying can be worse than the problem itself, and my treatment was a success. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Stewart is a known model railway enthusiast and last year announced plans to upgrade his world-class set, which he has been working on for decades. The 156 sq metre (1,674 sq ft) model features skyscrapers, bridgers, traffic scenes and a 900 ft mainline train track that runs through a detailed cityscape. The Do Ya Think Im Sexy star built the set over a period of 23 years before unveiling it in 2019. Speaking to Railway Modeller magazine last year, he said he plans to develop the scene by adding lights to some of the buildings and skyscrapers, as well as thunder and lightning effects. He famously called Jeremy Vines radio show in 2019 after the presenter suggested he did not make the set himself, insisting he had built 90 per cent of it with the exception of the electrical elements: So I had someone else do that. Stewart and Holland released a new swing album, Swing Fever, in February last year. Stewart recently celebrated his 80th birthday with his wife, Penny Lancaster, and their friends Ronnie Wood and his wife, Sally Humphreys Wood. Really fun night celebrating Rods 80th! Wood, 77, wrote in the caption of his Instagram post. Stewart is preparing to perform at this years Glastonbury Festival, after he was announced for the Legends Slot on the Pyramid Stage on Sunday 29 June. The veteran rocker shared the news from his social media in November, writing: Im absolutely thrilled to announce that Ill be playing Glastonbury 2025! After all these years, Im proud and ready and more than able to take the stage again to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June. Ill see you there! Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Robert Pattinson has revealed he almost gave up on Hollywood due to the types of films released in the wake of COVID-19. The Twilight star, 38, who is set to star in Parasite director Bong Joon-hos forthcoming sci-fi Mickey 17, admitted he was almost turned off by the film industry in recent years. Pattinson told Vanity Fair: The last few years for the film industry, starting with COVID and then the [SAG-AFTRA] strikes, everyone was constantly saying cinema is dying. And quite convincingly. He added: I was literally almost turned off. It actually started to get a little worrying. The Batman actor continued: In terms of scripts, I mean, every actor for two years was saying, What is happening? Nothings cool. Pattinson added films made during this period were very studio but in more recent months there have been really cool parts everywhere. The Twilight said there has been a flurry of very ambitious movies released of late, adding he enjoyed Halfdan Ullmann Tndels thriller Armand, Brady Corbets The Brutalist and Sean Bakers Anora. open image in gallery Robert Pattinson has revealed he almost gave up on Hollywood due to influx of studio movies ( AFP via Getty Images ) It seems like theres suddenly a new batch of directors who the audience is excited about as well, he said. Hopefully Mickey will come out in a period of enthusiasm for cinema. Back in September, the release of the Mickey 17 trailer left Pattinson fans excited for the films release this April due to the actors notably high-pitched voice. Mickey 17 sees Pattinson play Mickey Barnes who, in a dystopian future, signs up for a space mission to colonise an alien planet covered in ice. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up However, Barnes has agreed to be an expendable who will work on dangerous jobs on the planet, with the catch being that when he dies he will be regenerated with all his memories intact to continue the work. open image in gallery Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17 ( Warner Bros ) Things appear to go awry when Pattinson meets another version of himself, or a multiple that has been simultaneously created, leading to a campaign to destroy all versions of that individual. One of my favourite things is when Robert Pattinson does a silly voice, said one fan in response to the preview. A second person wrote: Robert Pattinson doing another freaky little voice. We won. A third praised the 38-year-old, writing: No one can convince that Robert Pattinson is not one of the most versatile actors working today. An actor who is not only fantastic in his physical performance, but emotionally, and also vocally. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy LBC Radio host James OBrien has issued a sarcastic challenge to supporters of Elon Musk after he was accused of making a controversial Nazi gesture. On Monday (January 20), Musk was one of the many famous faces to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, having played a key role in helping him win the 2024 election. The 53-year-old tech billionaire later gave an excitable speech at a celebration event where he pounded his chest and shot his right arm in an angular motion toward the sky. He also turned his back to the audience and repeated the gesture towards the American flag hanging over the stage. The hand gesture, which has been identified by Musks right-wing fans as a Roman salute, has been widely condemned by many, including his former partner, Canadian pop star Grimes. On his radio show on Tuesday (21 January), OBrien sarcastically told listeners who didnt believe that the salute had a fascist nature to it to try it in public and see what the results are. Anybody minded to tell me that thats not what Elon Musk was doing must encourage him to go and do it in Germany and see what happens, he said. And in fact, if you dont think it was a Nazi salute, why dont you do it at parent night next time youre at your kids school or or just do it now if youre at work and see what happens. Elon Musk's most bizarre moments from Donald Trump's inauguration. ( Tesla Owners Silicon Valley ) I think probably the best way to test it is to make sure you do it twice as well and make sure you hit your chest first before you throw your arm in there, just in case theres any confusion about whats actually going on. Just go do it next time youre on telly, if youre the kind of person that appears on [BBC] Question Time and see how you get on. Continuing, OBrien pointed out that Musk has expressed support for the far right German political party, AfD. I mean, it could be an extraordinary coincidence that he did two salutes identical to the Nazi salute shortly after expressing his belief that the party born from the ashes of the Nazi party, where they are currently adapting Nazi slogans to avoid criminality, could all be a complete coincidence. Musk, who is now the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has since responded to the accusations that his salute to Trump was fascist. Rather than outright deny that he was emulating a fascist salute, the South African-born businessman and first buddy instead said his critics needed better dirty tricks because attacking their political opponents as Adolf Hitler is sooo tired. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fans of Silent Witness were brought to tears by the shows latest episode and have demanded a major change to forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexanders storyline. The long-running BBC drama, which began in 1996, aired an emotional episode this week as the Lyell squad searched for the remains of a woman whose hand was discovered in a waterway. It quickly emerged that the woman was Faith, a missing barrister, who had previously been troubled by a man called Stefan who later became the lead suspect in her death. Dr Alexander (Emilia Fox) then visited Faiths partner, Lucy, and revealed that there was some hope the barrister may still be alive. After discovering unknown DNA on Faiths hand while looking for clues, Dr Alexander suggested the barristers son, Josh, undergo DNA testing. Lucy then tearfully asked the forensic pathologist: What do I say to him? How on earth do I tell him? to which Dr Alexander assured her: I promise were doing everything we can to find Faith. Silent Witness fans were moved by Dr Alexanders subsequent interaction with Faiths son, Josh, and argued the pathologist should have children of her own in forthcoming seasons. open image in gallery Emilia Fox in Silent Witness as Dr Nikki Alexander ( BBC ) Nikki and another child. Please make this woman a Mum, one viewer wrote on X/Twitter. And one again we see Nikkis maternal nature and love of children in dealing with Josh. Surely this must be pointing to something another person speculated. "They way Nikki looks at the kid and makes him feel so comfortable with her in an instant. Shes so maternal, a third person added alongside a crying emoji. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free She would make the sweetest mom, another fan added. Although Dr Alexanders character has always been portrayed to have a caring nature and empathy for children, the pathologist has never had children of her own. Back in season 25, Nikki revealed to her fiance Jack Hodgson that she and her ex-husband Tom Faulker had a child who was stillborn at eight months when she was 21 years old. We were having a baby and I lost it. It was a stillbirth at eight months. It was devastating, I spent my 21st birthday in hospital, she said. When I got out, I knew it was over with Tom, I just wanted to be on my own and start again. Wipe the slate. He lost his child and then he lost me, and I barely looked around to see if he was still standing. open image in gallery David Caves and Emilia Fox as Jack Hodgson and Nikki Alexander on Silent Witness' ( BBC ) Speaking to press about her characters forthcoming nuptials, Fox said she thinks Dr Alexander is in denial about wedding planning. Theyre two people whove been great friends and who have loved each other and supported each other in different ways, she said. Then theyve admitted their love for each other and come together and now theyre seeing whether they can work together and have a relationship. This is the next stage of commitment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A solitary sunfish has been brought back from the brink with the help of fake humans. The rare fish at an aquarium in southwestern Japan lost its appetite, began banging into the side of the fish tank and appeared unwell days after the attraction closed for renovations. The large sunfish arrived at the aquarium in February 2024 from the southern coast of Kochi in the Pacific Ocean. The sunfish, a member of the blowfish family known for its unique shape and big eyes, became one of the most popular attractions at the facility. As a last-ditch measure to save the popular fish, its keepers hung their uniforms and set up human cutouts outside the tank. The next morning, the sunfish ate for the first time in about a week and has been steadily recovering, said Moe Miyazawa, an aquarist at the Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki. When the sunfish began looking unwell days after the aquarium closed on December 1 for a six-month renovation, its keepers suspected digestive problems, gave it less food and visited the fish tank to comfort the sunfish when there was construction noise, but to no avail. open image in gallery In this photo released by Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum "Kaikyokan," a sunfish swims near cardboard cutouts of people in uniforms at Kaikyukan in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture, southern Japan Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 ( AP ) Then at a staff meeting, one person suggested that the sunfish might have been affected by the sudden absence of an audience. We were skeptical but decided to do anything we could, Miyazawa said. They hung their uniforms and placed human-shaped cutouts with photos of smiling faces outside the tank to cheer on the fish, Miyazawa said. I knew (the sunfish) was looking at us when we were placing them, but I never thought it would start eating the next day, Miyazawa said, beaming. The staff now visit more often and wave at the sunfish. The aquarium keepers say they hope many fans will return to see the sunfish when the aquarium reopens in the summer. In 2013 the rare and bizarre-looking sunfish was spotted for the first time this year off the British coast. Two of the gigantic fish were sighted in the waters off Polzeath and St Agnes, in Cornwall. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 41-year-old Air Force officer in Taiwan died on 21 January after allegedly being sucked into the engine of a fighter jet during a routine inspection. The incident occurred at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Force Base in Taichung. The officer, identified by her surname Hu, was inspecting an Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) aircraft shortly after it landed. According to the Air Force Command Headquarters, the inspection began before the jets engines were turned off, leading to the fatal accident. Sergeant Hu was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at 11.40am. Her mother reportedly collapsed in tears upon hearing the news. The circumstances leading to the fatal incident remain unclear and are under investigation. Hu had served in the Taiwanese military for 18 years and was transferred from an office role to a field unit in 2024, local media reported. The Air Force has pledged a thorough investigation and a review of protocols to prevent such incidents in the future. "We will cooperate fully with investigative authorities and provide complete support to the officers family," the Air Force Command stated. The command also dismissed media speculation that an instructor stepping on the planes throttle caused the accident, urging the public not to spread unverified information. As a precaution, the central airbase has temporarily suspended operations of IDF fighter jets. The IDF, developed by Taiwans Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, is a twin-engine, all-weather, multipurpose combat aircraft designed for high performance at a lower cost. Aimed to replace aging US-designed F-104 and F-5 jets, the IDF is a locally-developed fighter aircraft built during the 1980s, reported Newsweek. It is routinely used in military drills, to counter and prepare against Chinese aggression. Earlier last month, the Taiwanese Air Force organised emergency takeoff and nighttime training exercises at the Ching Chuan Kang base to the combat readiness of the IDF fighter aircraft. In December last year, the IDF jets were included in the air forces joint exercises with French pilots as well. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwans southern Chiayi county on Tuesday, causing minor injuries and damage to houses and prompting evacuations at a prominent chipmakers factories. The earthquake struck near the Dapu township at 12.17am local time, with its epicentre located 38km southeast of Chiayi County Hall, at a depth of 10km, according to Taiwans Central Weather Administration. The quake shook buildings as far as Taipei and prompted evacuations at chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) factories, local media reported. TSMC confirmed in a statement that evacuations were conducted at its facilities in the Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung and the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan as part of its emergency response protocols. Rescuers reported no major casualties, but 27 people sustained minor injuries, including six rescued from a collapsed house in Tainan city. TSMC said all of its employees were safe. Nikkei Asia reported that workers returned to their job sites hours after the quake. The earthquake struck near Chiayi where TSMC operates clusters of its cutting-edge chip plants that supply AI and mobile processors to global companies such as Nvidia, Apple, and Advanced Micro Devices. A video shared on Facebook showed local fire authorities rescuing three individuals, including a child, from a house that had collapsed in the nearby Nanxi district. open image in gallery In this image from a video, a store worker cleans the floor in Tainan, Taiwan on Tuesday, 21 January 2025 after an earthquake ( TVBS via AP ) In Nanxi district, the ceilings of several houses caved in. Elsewhere, one person sustained injuries from falling debris, and two others were reported trapped in elevators, according to authorities. The health ministry confirmed a total of 27 injuries, while the Nanxi district fire brigade stated that no major damage had been reported. The earthquake triggered a fire at a printing factory in Chiayi, but it was quickly extinguished, and no injuries were reported Taiwan, situated near the junction of two tectonic plates, is highly prone to earthquakes. The Meishan earthquake near Chiayi in 1906 claimed over 1,200 lives. The islands most recent major earthquake occurred in April, when a 7.2-magnitude tremor struck Hualien on the east coast, resulting in 13 deaths. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Taiwans president Lai Ching-te said it was impossible for mainland China to become the self-governing islands motherland, claiming that Taiwan had older political roots. In terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for the Peoples Republic of China to become the motherland of the Republic of Chinas people, Mr Lai said. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) governs mainland China, whereas the Republic of China (ROC) administers Taiwan and several smaller islands. On the contrary, the Republic of China may be the motherland of the people of the Peoples Republic of China who are over 75 years old, Mr Lai said. In a speech at a concert before Taiwans national day celebrations on 10 October, Mr Lai highlighted that the Peoples Republic of China marked its 75th anniversary on 1 October, while the Republic of China will celebrate its 113th birthday shortly after. One of the most important meanings of these celebrations is that we must remember that we are a sovereign and independent country, the Taiwanese president said. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and Chinese president Xi Jinping has threatened to reunite the island with the mainland, while the democratically elected government of Taiwan says only the islands people can choose their future. Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949 following a civil war after which the losing nationalist government fled to the island. Many countries recognise Chinas One China policy which does not consider Taiwan a sovereign entity. open image in gallery Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te visits Republic of China Military Academy ( REUTERS ) In recent years, tensions have soared between China and Taiwan, with Beijing conducting military drills and ramping up political pressure near the island territory. On Sunday, Taiwans ministry of national defence (MND) reported that four Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels were detected operating around the island. While Beijing has vowed to take Taiwan, by force if necessary, Mr Xi has also promised to make utmost efforts to do so peacefully. open image in gallery Mr Lai gives a speech at his inauguration ceremony in Taipei earlier this year ( Getty Images ) Mr Lai, who took office in May, has also warned that any conflict in the Taiwan Strait could have a more profound economic impact on the world than the Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19. Taiwan Soldiers Train in Michigan, Former US Envoy Confirms - TaiwanPlus News Taiwans closest ally, the US, has also warned that Beijing could wage an economic and cyberwar to force Taiwans surrender. open image in gallery Soldiers stand beside a M1167 HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) anti-tank missile carrier during military drills in Taiwan ( AP ) Recently, the Chinese premier reiterated in a speech on the eve of the countrys national day that Taiwan was its territory. China has not yet commented on the Taiwanese presidents remarks. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy India has expressed readiness to collaborate with the US to identify and repatriate thousands of its citizens reportedly living illegally in America. US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Indias foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed irregular migration on Tuesday after president Donald Trump took office, according to the US State Department. India has committed to helping repatriate as many as 18,000 Indians living illegally in the US, Bloomberg News reported, a move which is being interpreted as an attempt by India to placate the new US president and avoid a trade war. In one his first actions as president, Mr Trump said he would prioritise tackling illegal immigration and issued an executive order to declare an emergency and station troops along the US-Mexico border. India hopes the Trump administration will safeguard legal immigration pathways for its citizens, including student visas and the H-1B programme for skilled workers. H-1B visas are for highly skilled immigrants typically working in tech, healthcare, engineering and finance. Official data shows that Indian citizens made up nearly three quarters of the 386,000 H-1B visas issued in the US in 2023. On Tuesday, Mr Trump weighed in on the H-1B visa issue saying: I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. India is also keen to preserve avenues for student visas, which allow a large number of its nationals to pursue higher education in the US. Sources told Bloomberg that 18,000 people of Indian origin living in the US illegally have been identified, though the actual number is likely to be much higher. The Pew Research Center estimates there are approximately 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US, making them the third-largest group after migrants from Mexico and El Salvador. The Indian government has not confirmed any figures but Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for Indias foreign ministry, said that as part of India-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration. He added: This is being done to create more avenues for legal migration from India to the US. The latest deportation of Indian nationals from the US by a chartered flight is a result of this cooperation, he added, referring to a flight in October. Indias concerns over the prospect of a trade war with the new US administration are not unfounded. Mr Trump has repeatedly singled out India for criticism of its high import taxes, claiming they harm American businesses, and has pledged to impose reciprocal duties on India. Nonetheless, Mr Trump enjoyed good personal relations with Indias prime minister Narendra Modi during the Republicans first term in office, with the two hosting rallies for each other in Ahmedabad and Houston respectively. Trade issues aside, Indias ruling BJP has talked up Mr Trumps November victory as being good news for the two countries ties. Relations between the US and India continued to deepen during the Biden administration, despite India being accused of organising the attempted assassination of a separatist leader on American soil and its refusal to sever ties with Russia over the Ukraine war. The US sees India as an important counterbalance to China in the Asia-Pacific region, and both are members of the four-country Quad grouping. It was also reported that repatriating illegal migrants could play into Mr Modis objective of curbing secessionist movements abroad, such as the Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh state in India. India has been cracking down on this movement, and officials have indicated that some of its supporters in the US and Canada could be residing there illegally. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Pakistani man was mauled by a lion, leaving him severely injured, after he entered its cage reportedly to shoot a TikTok video. The man, identified as Muhammad Azeem, was attempting to film the video with the lion at a breeding farm in the nations Punjab province, reported the Tribune Express News newspaper. The incident happened as Mr Azeem, reported to be in his late 20s, entered the cage without the permission of the farm owner in Lahore and attempted to approach the lion, phone in hand, reports said. However, the lion charged, causing him severe injuries to his face, shoulder, and arm. The farm owner swiftly rescued him and rushed him to the nearby Jinnah Hospital, where he was receiving treatment. The incident has prompted the Punjab Wildlife Department to order action against the farm owner. The Director General of Wildlife said it has initiated legal proceedings against the farm owner and directed the cancellation of the farms license. Keeping wild cats as pets is not uncommon in Pakistan, where wealthy businessmen have been known to operate private zoos and sometimes parade the animals for the public. It comes a week after the Punjab government made amendments to the Wildlife Act 1974 to regulate the ownership and management of wild animals, such as lions and tigers. The amendments include a ban on keeping such animals in urban areas and prohibiting shooting TikTok or other videos with the wild animals. Violators of wildlife protection laws will face fines of up to PKR500,000 (1450). Senior Punjab government minister Marryum Aurangzeb said the law now covers five species of big cats lions, cheetahs, tigers, pumas, and jaguars. "There had been no legislation for the past 70 years regarding the keeping of these animals, leading to their presence in homes," she said. "A strict ban has been imposed on displaying these animals on TikTok or other social media platforms. Minimum standards have been established for keeping them, and they must be housed outside city limits. Owners will be given time to relocate these animals; failure to comply will result in legal action and FIRs," she added. Wild and exotic animals such as snakes and rare birds are kept as pets by rich Pakistanis as many see it as a symbol of power and wealth. They are usually imported from countries like South Africa or bred within the country, raising concerns over animal safety and animal cruelty. According to animal activists, while there are certain procedural requirements for importing wild animals into Pakistan there are no laws once they are inside the country. The laws which protect the rights of local animals did not extend to animals that were imported. They say the trend of keeping wild animals as pets has only increased with the rise in the use of social media in the country in a race to increase followers. In 2023, a pet leopard escaped and ran loose in a residential area in Islamabad, terrorising locals for days. Videos circulated on social media to show the wild cat jumping over walls and running around cars in a panicked frenzy. The animal was captured almost after six hours and three people were injured in the incident. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Dutch government has been ordered to drastically cut nitrogen emissions by 2030 in a move which could impact farmers and construction, following a major court case brought by Greenpeace. Environmental campaigners argued the government was not doing enough to lower nitrogen oxide emissions caused by intensive farming, fertilisers, traffic, and construction sites. A court in The Hague ruled the government had failed to comply with European regulations to cut the excessive emissions, which hurt biodiversity and damage the quality of the water, particularly in vulnerable nature reserves which are protected by EU law. open image in gallery Director Andy Palmen of Greenpeace Netherlands embraces campaigner Hilde-Anna de Vries in the court in The Hague ( EPA ) The government, a fragile coalition of opposing parties led by prime minister Dick Schoof, has now been ordered to cut emissions to legally-permitted levels in 50 per cent of all affected nature reserves by 2030. The court ruled the governmentwill be fined 10 million (8.4 million) if it fails to fulfil its obligation. Agriculture minister Femke Wiersma, a member of the FarmerCitizen Movement (BBB) political party, said she is considering an appeal after the disappointing court ruling. "We take the nitrogen problem very seriously," Ms Wiersma said in a post on X. "But we cant ask the impossible of people and companies." The problem is seen as a possible stumbling block for the Schoof government, which holds together far-right leader Geert Wilders Freedom Party, the recently founded centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the liberal Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) - home of former prime minister and current Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte. open image in gallery Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof is currently visiting the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland ( REUTERS ) Previous court rulings by the European Court of Justice in 2018 and the Netherlands Council of State in 2019 have found that Dutch policies were failing to address the high nitrogen problem. Large protests took place following attempts to reduce emissions by buying out livestock farmers, while the courts have routinely blocked major construction projects until the problem is solved. The previous Dutch government set out targets for nitrogen reduction by up to 70 percent in some areas by 2023 - but the current regime has scrapped many of the policies which sought to reach that goal amid pressure from farmers. "Measures were already largely insufficient to reach the 2030 goal and there is no improvement in sight," the court said, stating that the governments lack of action was unlawful. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In todays hyper-connected world, children are increasingly tethered to their devices. While technology offers undeniable advantages, excessive screen time can negatively impact a childs development and wellbeing. This week, Baroness Beeban Kidron addressed the House of Lords, emphasising the unequal battle children face against the tech giants vying for their attention. Her warning, coupled with the Internet Watch Foundations call for stronger online safety regulations following a record year of online child sexual abuse material, underscores the urgency of this issue. But how can parents tell if their child needs a digital break? Here are six warning signs: 1. Lack of sleep If your child has become noticeably more tired in the mornings, excessive screen time in the evenings could be interfering with their sleep. This could suggest theyre gaining access to their device outside allowable hours or that they need to turn their devices off earlier, says Ghislaine Bombusa, content and digital director at online safety organisation Internet Matters. This could impact their ability to perform in school and other offline activities if theyre not getting enough sleep. Bombusa recommends charging all phones in the house somewhere outside of the bedrooms at night, and to also have open conversations with children about excessive phone use. Think about why they might be staying on their device are they having trouble switching off or feeling left out socially? says Bombusa. Talk it through with them and set clear consequences, like less time on their favourite game or app for a few days. 2. Trouble focusing on other activities open image in gallery Passive scrolling can make it difficult for children to focus on other activities Passive scrolling or consuming short videos, rather than actively, online might make it difficult for children to focus on other activities for longer periods of time, warns Bombusa. Setting screen time limits on the apps they use could help. You can use apps like Google Family Link or Apple Screen Time to set time limits across different apps on the device, says Bombusa. Remember to provide kids with alternative activities for when this time is up. 3. Withdrawal from hobbies and offline activities open image in gallery Children need to spend time offline connecting with friends A lot of kids use the online space to connect with friends, but if they are invited to go out somewhere with friends and say they would prefer to stay home and browse, that could suggest an issue, says Bombusa. Having open conversations around why theyre avoiding these activities can help you better understand their reasoning behind this. If its just over-reliance on screens, thats where screen time limits (both with parental controls and external reminders) can help, says Bombusa. It wont be a quick fix; youll need to introduce a routine and then stick with it for a prolonged period of time before it becomes normal and easy. 4. Emotional outbursts when away from devices This could be indicative of dependence on the device but could also be due to other issues such as FOMO or bullying, suggests Bombusa. If a child is getting worked up because they cant go on their device or youre trying to cut back, avoid getting into an argument. Its important to give them time to cool down before having a calm conversation about their reaction. Involve them in creating a plan around screen time use, advises Bombusa. If youre putting rules in place for your child, you and everyone in your family should abide by them too. 5. Spending long stretches of time sitting down with devices open image in gallery Sitting still for long periods is not good for mental or physical health Sitting still for prolonged periods is not good for physical (or mental) health, stresses Bombusa. If your child is doing this, they may need support in finding other activities. Try and introduce them to games that get them moving around. 6. Being passive rather than active on their devices Passive screen time (such as scrolling, watching and consuming content) rather than active (for learning, connecting and creating) screen time can be an issue. If theyre only consuming content, their mind isnt engaged in something that can support their wellbeing, highlights Bombusa. So, its important to balance small bursts of this passive screen time with more active screen time. Try downloading apps which will help them develop new skills and passions. There are apps and games that teach children how to code and problem solve and other apps can help them create their own videos or animations, says Bombusa. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Australian detectives are investigating whether foreign actors are paying criminals to commit antisemitic attacks in the country, police said on Wednesday. Australia Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw was meeting on Wednesday with state police chiefs to discuss an increase in antisemitic crime in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023. We believe criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents, Kershaw told reporters in the national capital, Canberra. So part of our inquiries include: Who is paying those criminals, where those people are, whether they are in Australia or offshore, and what their motivation is, Kershaw added. He did not take questions from reporters. Kershaw told federal and state government leaders on Tuesday in a briefing on antisemitism that detectives were investigating 15 serious allegations of antisemitic crime. We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs, Kershaw said after Tuesday's meeting. We are looking at if or how they have been paid, for example in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify, he added. Police were also investigating whether young people were involved in antisemitism and if they had been radicalized online and encouraged to commit antisemitic acts, Kershaw said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday declined to comment on who might be paying for antisemitic crime in Australia. It is important that people understand where some of these attacks are coming from and it would appear ... that some of these are being perpetrated by people who dont have a particular issue, arent motivated by an ideology, but are paid actors, Albanese told reporters. An arson and graffiti attack on a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue on Tuesday is the latest in a spate of targeted attacks in Australias largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which are home to 85% of the country's Jewish population. The fires and other attacks have targeted buildings, businesses and cars. One person suffered burn injuries in a fire that was set at a Melbourne synagogue in December. After the childcare center fire, New South Wales Police said the number of detectives working for Strike Force Pearl, which was formed to investigate antisemitic crime, had been doubled from 20 to 40. Strike Force Pearl detectives arrested a 33-year-old man on Tuesday night and charged him with attempting to burn down a synagogue in the inner-Sydney suburb of Newtown on Jan. 11. A liquid accelerant burned out without the building catching fire. Red swastikas were also painted on an exterior wall. Police say the mans alleged accomplice was expected to be arrested soon. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The M23 rebel group's advance toward eastern Congo's largest city has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks, the United Nations said, as the fighters closed in on Goma on the border with Rwanda. The M23 has been making significant advances, though it was unclear whether the rebels will try to capture Goma, which they seized in 2012 and controlled for over a week. Congolese authorities said Tuesday its fighters seized the town of Minova, on a key supply route for Goma, a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced. Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago. Rwanda's government denies the claim. The U.N. humanitarian agency said Tuesday the new mass displacement was caused by fighting around Minova in South Kivu province. Thousands of people spilled out of packed wooden boats in Goma on Wednesday, some with bundles of belongings strapped around their foreheads. Displaced people have filled the Nzulo camp on the outskirts of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and home to around 2 million people. But some people were already leaving the camp as rebels approached. David Kasereka fled on a motorbike with a child, barely stopping to speak. We dont know where we are going, because everywhere, the bombs are following us, he told The Associated Press. Nadege Bauma, like many in Nzulo, was first displaced due to intense fighting in the town of Sake. Inside the camp, the mother of six gathered what she could of her belongings and piled them into a minibus to flee again. We just learned that the M23 have arrived in Ngwiro (about 19 miles or 30 kilometers west of Goma) and we decided to leave the area because bullets and bombs are falling, she said. The provincial governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi, confirmed the capture of Minova, adding that the rebels have also taken the mining towns of Lumbishi, Numbi and Shanje along with the town of Bweremana in North Kivu province. Congos military said in a statement Tuesday that the rebels made breakthroughs in Minova and Bweremana. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy People are to be sent from Oxford to the Netherlands to be deliberately infected with a form of malaria so scientists can study its effects. Plasmodium vivax is a type of malaria that can remain dormant in the liver. It can reactivate months or even years after a person was first infected, causing relapsing infections. This could transform how we combat this challenging disease Professor Angela Minassian Scientists from the Oxford Vaccine Group want to understand more about this relapsing infection in the months after a person is initially infected through the bite of a mosquito. In order to do so, they are sending five healthy people to be bitten by infected mosquitoes at a lab in the Netherlands. They will then return to Oxford where they can be monitored before being treated to stop the potential relapses. Human challenge studies involve researchers deliberately exposing healthy volunteers to infectious diseases. This allows them to monitor how the body responds to the disease. Professor Angela Minassian, chief investigator for the trial from the University of Oxford, said: This proof-of-concept study is the first of its kind to safely introduce relapsing vivax malaria infections in healthy volunteers under controlled research conditions. By doing so, we aim to answer key questions about relapses and how the immune system responds to them. We know that more than 80% of vivax malaria globally is due to relapsing infections and they cause significant illness in both adults and children in many parts of the world. Our work, if successful, aims to provide a model for testing novel vaccines or drugs which can eliminate it from the liver and stop relapses altogether. This could transform how we combat this challenging disease. The new study, a malaria challenge study, has been launched by the University of Oxford in partnership with the Draper Lab with a view to transform understanding about this form of malaria. The study, known as BIO-006, will see five healthy people aged 18 to 45 travel to the Radboud University Medical Centre in Nijmegen, to be bitten by mosquitoes carrying the Plasmodium vivax parasite. Following the mosquito bite, participants will return to the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine in Oxford. Those involved with the study will be monitored daily for the first six days over the phone and in person from day seven onwards. When malaria is detected in the blood, people will be promptly given anti-malarial medication. But this treatment will not eliminate dormant parasites in the liver. This means that scientists can study relapsing malaria infections over the next six months. During this period, people involved with the study will have fortnightly check-ups and will have 24/7 medical support to address any symptoms which suggest a relapse. Any relapse infections will be treated with anti-malarial medication. At the end of the six-month period, all those involved in the study will be given anti-malarial tablets with an additional medication called Primaquine that clears dormant parasites from the liver. They will then be followed up for five more years to monitor for any unexpected relapses. For more information about the study visit: www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/studies/bio006 For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy At least one sheriff's deputy fatally shot a person suspected of driving a stolen car on Tuesday in Memphis, authorities said. Shelby County Sheriff's Office deputies came across the person in a stolen car and tried to take them into custody near a cluster of businesses in east Memphis, said Kim Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The situation escalated, and at least one deputy shot the person, who died at the scene, Wheeler said. No deputies were hurt. No other details were immediately provided, including how the situation escalated and the names, ages, sexes and races of the deputy and the person who was killed. Agents were collecting evidence and conducting interviews to put together the series of events that led to the shooting, Wheeler said. The TBI is the state's police agency. It conducts investigations of shootings involving law enforcement and then gives its report to the local district attorney, who decides whether to pursue charges. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The family of a schoolboy killed on his walk home from school have paid tribute to the funny, sweet boy who had not one aggressive bone in his body. Leo Ross, 12, suffered a fatal knife wound to his stomach at Trittiford Mil Park near Scribers Lane, Hall Green, shortly after 3pm on Tuesday, West Midlands Police said. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of his murder. open image in gallery Police search the country park ( PA ) Leo was taken to hospital but died from his injuries, according to the force, which described it as a chaotic and traumatic scene. In a written statement issued to BBC News, a member of the victims family described Leo as the most beautiful, kind child, and the nicest kid you would meet. open image in gallery Tributes have been paid to Leo Ross, who died in Scribers Lane in Hall Green on Tuesday afternoon ( West Midlands Police/PA ) The family member added that the boy was funny, sweet and had not one aggressive bone in his body, and had been walking a ten-minute route home. Leo was a pupil at Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy. Executive headteacher Diane Henson described his death as a tragedy. open image in gallery Officers sweep the woodland for clues ( PA ) She said: Leo was a lively and happy young man. He had many very good friends who he absolutely adored, and they adored him. He was just a lovely and bright member of the school community. Were supporting the children at school and are opening a book of condolence with the familys permission. Are thoughts are with Leos family and all his friends today. The mother of a boy in the same form as the Leo visited a gate to the country park, near the River Cole, to place flowers at the police cordon. She said: He was a gentle, really kind-hearted boy that was never horrible to anyone. That was my sons words. He said he didnt have a bad bone in his body. She said of the stabbing and the victims age: Its shocking its a horrible world. I worry for my son. Hes really upset and distressed and hes scared. Him and his friends used to hang around here. Its affected all of them, she added. Its just horrible and its hard to believe. My son said the boy was proper gentle, just walking home. The 14-year-old suspect is also accused of an assault on an 80-year-old woman in the same area on Sunday, the Chief Superintendent Richard North said. He added: This is an appalling and senseless attack. We are doing everything we can to support the loved ones of the young boy who lost his life in such an appalling way, but we know that nothing we say or do will diminish their agony. Parents around the country will hear this news and be unable to comprehend the pain they must be feeling. Our hearts go out to the young boys family today. We will be carrying out reassurance patrols locally and if any of the community have any information or concerns, we would urge them to come forward. open image in gallery Tributes left in Hall Green ( PA ) Dozens of school friends of the 12-year-old victim visited the entrance to Birminghams The Shire Country Park to lay floral and other tributes in his memory. The friends, whose messages named the victim as Leo Ross, also placed candles on the ground spelling out his first name. A hand-written note attached to one tribute read: RIP Leo Ross. We will miss you loads. Our lives wont be the same without you. You will always be the kindest. Fly High Leo. You never deserved this ever. Another tribute read: Fly high Leo. You will be deeply missed. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy When one drug dealer couldnt resist sending a cute picture of his French Bulldog to another gangster he had no idea he would be sealing his gangs fate. National Crime Agency detectives intercepted a message on a social media platform used by drug gangs and zoomed in on tiny Bobs nametag. Upon magnification, they could make out trafficker Danny Browns partners phone number proving an undeniable link to the dealers looking to send 448kg of amphetamine worth 45m to Australia. Bobs accidental role helped unravel his owners sophisticated plan to hide Class As in the arm of an excavator that led to the entire gang being jailed for a combined 163 years. Gangsters Stefan Baldauf, 64, and Philip Lawson, 63, had even rigged an auction to ensure the drugs went to the correct customer in Australia. But Baldauf, of Midhurst Road, Ealing dobbed himself in by sending an accidental selfie on EncroChat, revealing his reflection in a brass door sign. open image in gallery Cute: Bob the Frenchie played his role in bringing his master down ( NCA ) open image in gallery The accidental selfie gave the gig away ( NCA ) Baldauf, who was jailed for 28 years in December 2022, was ordered to repay 1,007,637 on Monday at Kingston Crown Court. He has given three months to pay or will receive an extra seven years in jail. Lawson who arranged a welder to cut the digger open and then seal it up again was sentenced to 23 years and ordered to pay 182,476. He also has three months to pay with failure resulting in the imposition of another three years on his sentence. open image in gallery Stefan Baldauf was jailed for 28 years and has had to repay 1million ( NCA ) open image in gallery Philip Lawson, 63, was jailed for 23 years and ordered to pay 182,476 ( NCA ) Bobs owner Danny Brown of Kings Hall Road, Bromley, Kent was jailed for 26 years and will face a confiscation hearing later in the year. William Sartin, 63, of Timberlog Lane, Basildon, Essex who hid the excavator in his industrial unit was sentenced to 23 years. Chris Hill, who led the NCA investigation, said: These criminals did not care about the misery and exploitation that the supply of illegal drugs bring to UK and Australian communities. All they cared about was money. So these proceedings are immensely painful for them, hitting them in their pockets and are a crucial way of showing other organised criminals that the consequences do not end when the prison door slams shut. The NCA continues to do everything possible, working at home and abroad, to protect the public from the threat of illegal drugs supply. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is understood to have researched car bombs, detonators and nitric acid as his fascination with violence flourished unchecked online. Searches of his devices have revealed an obsession with massacres, torture and a wide range of brutal conflicts, including the genocide in Rwanda, where his parents are from. Written material discovered by police after his knife rampage, which saw three girls murdered, also reportedly included documents on Nazi Germany, clan cleansing in Somalia, an uprising in Kenya and a treatise on combat in Chechnya. The 18-year-old is also believed to have had a cache of weapons stashed at his home, including a machete, scabbard, arrows, castor beans and a 20cm kitchen knife identical to one used in the rampage. open image in gallery Axel Rudakubana, 18, is understood to have researched car bombs, detonators and nitric acid leading up to the Southport attack ( PA Media ) Before he left in a taxi to launch his attack on unsuspecting children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Merseyside on 29 July last year, it is understood he searched social media for the Mar Mari Emmanuel stabbing, when a bishop and five others were attacked in a Sydney church in April 2024. Officers also discovered a Tupperware container under his bed containing an unknown substance, which was later found to be homemade biological toxin ricin. One PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual resulted in him being charged with a terror offence. Although the documents show a clear fascination with extreme violence, the attack has not been classed as terrorism because police can find no evidence he subscribed to any particular ideology or religion. Details of his fixation emerged after the prime minister, who has announced a public inquiry into the atrocity, warned Britain is facing a new threat from young men in their bedrooms accessing radical materials online. open image in gallery From left to right: Bebe King, six; Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; died following the attack ( PA Media ) Laying the groundwork for an overhaul of terrorism laws to guard against the new threat of loners and misfits driven to acts of extreme violence, Sir Keir Starmer said: Terrorism has changed. In the past, the predominant threat was highly organised groups with clear political intent. Groups like al-Qaeda. That threat of course remains. But now, alongside that we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom, accessing all manner of material online, desperate for notoriety. However security experts have warned against expanding terror laws to encompass atrocities carried out by lone attackers. Neil Basu, a former national head of counter-terrorism, told LBC it would be a mistake to label something as terrorism if it is not terrorism, as this could lead some to seek out a day of infamy. He added: I would be wary of expanding terrorism law to cover lone actors... that isnt what terrorism law is about, but it would be for politicians to debate whether the law needs to be expanded. open image in gallery Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a public inquiry into the atrocity on Tuesday ( PA Wire ) Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior Home Office official, meanwhile told The Times newspaper that people who are mobilised by hatred and contempt for others into committing lone wolf attacks have been with us for years. The government has also promised to crack down on online retailers after it emerged the then 17-year-old Rudakubana purchased his weapon on Amazon. Home secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs it is a total disgrace that Rudakubana, who had admitted to carrying a knife ten times, was able to buy a weapon online and promised new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill this spring. Writing in The Sun, Sir Keir said: It remains shockingly easy for our children to get their hands on deadly knives. The lessons of this case could not be clearer. Time and again, as a child, the Southport murderer carried knives. Time and again, he showed clear intent to use them. And yet, tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon off of the internet without any checks or barriers. A two-click killer. This cannot continue. Rudakubana pleaded guilty on Monday to 16 offences, including three counts of murder, ten of attempted murder, producing the deadly poison ricin and possession of a document which contained al-Qaeda training material. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; died following the attack at the dance class in The Hart Space. He is due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Inside Liverpool Crown Court, a tense silence descended as victims families gathered in the public gallery, anxiously waiting for Southport killer Axel Rudakubana to enter the dock. The sentencing hearing, scheduled for 11am, had already started late as police, legal teams, families and journalists had made their way through enhanced security amid heightened tensions over the shocking case. Every seat was taken, with some choosing to sit in parts of the public gallery with no view of the dock. A piece of frosted glass obscured any chance of catching even a fleeting glimpse of the remorseless killer, described by his own lawyer as having a total lack of empathy. Others, including the grief-stricken parents of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Alexandra and Sergio, had a clear view of the daughters murderer. open image in gallery 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana was not in court to hear the judge sentence him to life in prison with a minimum term of 52 years ( PA Media ) They watched as Rudakubana, tall and slight, finally entered the glass-screened dock wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit and a surgical facemask like the one he wore on the day he targeted 26 defenceless girls at a Taylor Swift themed holiday class in Southport last July. He refused to speak when asked to confirm his identity and sat slumped in the dock with his head bowed accompanied by five dock officers. The sentencing hearing had come more rapidly than anyone had anticipated. They had all been braced for a harrowing four-week trial which they were spared after the 18-year-old changed his plea without warning on Monday. However, any hope the families had that Rudakubana would accept his punishment with dignity were soon dashed. Within minutes of prosecutor Deanna Heer KC launching her address, Rudakubana who had refused to speak entirely at several previous hearings started to shout over her. I need to speak to a paramedic, he shouted. I need to speak to paramedic I feel ill. Reports published that morning, later contested by police, claimed he had been taken to hospital from prison before the hearing. Rudakubanas lawyer Stan Reiz KC revealed prison staff had raised concerns over his wellbeing and his ability to be in a high-pressure situation. He has not eaten for a number of days and hes drunk very little over a period of time, the lawyer said. open image in gallery Police officers line the streets outside Liverpool Crown Court prior to the departure of Axel Rudakubana ( Peter Byrne/PA Wire ) However judge Mr Justice Goose said he had been examined by healthcare professionals before the hearing, who determined he was fit to attend, and told him to stay quiet. I cant remain quiet because I am ill judge, he protested. I havent eaten for ten days and Im not going to remain quiet. Despite attempts to carry on, he continued to shout over Ms Heer and then told his lawyer he was experiencing chest pains. The judge, determined to continue, warned him shouting from the dock is not going to make this happen any quicker, but the killer refused to stop interrupting. He was ordered from the dock. A family member shouted coward as he was led to the cells by dock officers, while others shook their heads in disgust. The evidence that followed as Ms Heer recounted the horrifying details of the brutal knife attack was harrowing. Families broke down in the public gallery, with many leaving the court before distressing CCTV footage of the screaming girls fleeing in terror from the knifeman was played. One clip showed Rudakubana grabbing a girl as she tried to escape and pulling her back into the Hart Space. Moments later, the seven-year-old dressed in summer shorts emerged stumbling and disoriented with visible injuries. She clung to a wall for a few seconds, looking for her route to safety, but collapsed on the floor. Miraculously, she survived her injuries. After lunch Rudakubana returned to court, having been seen again by healthcare professionals. He had told his lawyer he would be quiet, but within minutes the interruptions resumed. Judge, judge I feel really ill, he continued. I need to be seen by a paramedic. The judge responded: He has been seen by a paramedic two teams of paramedics who deem hes fit, before he was ordered from the dock for a second time. open image in gallery From left to right: Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed in the mass stabbing ( PA Media ) His absence meant he was not in court to listen to a string of devastating victim personal statements, some of which were delivered in person. One brave survivor, aged just 14, who was stabbed in the back and arm delivered her own victim statement via videolink. She demanded give me a reason for what you did as she told her attacker: I hope you spend your whole life knowing that we think youre a coward. Jailing him life with a minimum of 52 years, Mr Justice Goose said it was highly unlikely Rudakubana would ever be released. Some family members could be heard to take an audible breath as the sentence was announced. Outside court, they held hands and hugged. Later, police lined the street as Rudakubanas prison van was set to leave the court. The killer, who will likely serve his sentence in a maximum security jail, will not be eligible to apply for parole until 2077. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The former head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK has branded the governments proposal to extend the definition of terrorism to encompass atrocities carried out by lone attackers like the Southport killer a mistake. Former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu warned violent individuals could revel in being called terrorists as he also warned against the use of the term lone wolf due to the risk of glorifying perpetrators. Sir Keir Starmer announced a review of terror laws to address extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms after Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July. The attacks sparked widespread riots across the UK last summer, fuelled by online misinformation that Rudakubana was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat. open image in gallery Former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu explained that violent individuals could revel in being called terrorists ( PA Archive ) Crime journalists have criticised significant overreach by the Crown Prosecution Service after police forces involved in the Southport case said they had been advised against sharing more details. The teenager pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on the date of the attack, production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism. After Sir Keir claimed in a Downing Street statement that this was evidence of a new threat a different kind of terrorism but experts have pushed back. Mr Basu, who also served as Met assistant commissioner of specialist operations, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday: Bad legislation is made in haste in response to shocking incidents, and my view about whether we should be extending the terrorist definition we need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences, my opinion is it would be a mistake. open image in gallery Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July ( PA Media ) Describing the incident as one of the most shocking and horrific things any of us have ever seen, he backed the public inquiry announced by the government but stopped short at a review of terror laws, even though he said an expansion was something he had previously pushed for. Mr Basu said: We were looking then, and this was in 2019/2020. Wed already seen a growth of what we were seeing as people with no ideologies, so theyre not terrorists, theyre violent individuals. And weve always had violent people doing violent things, but theyre using any ideology as an excuse for their violent actions. And we were seeing an increase in that number and they were getting younger and it wouldve been easier to charge them under counter-terrorism [laws]. When we asked for it then, I dont think we were thinking about the consequences of what that might be. open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer announced a review of terror laws to address extreme violence carried out by loners, misfits, young men in their bedrooms ( PA Wire ) When asked to explain why he changed his mind on the issue, he said: One of the main things is, these are violent people often with violent or sociopathic or psychopathic thoughts if we are going to include a definition of terrorism to include them, some of these people are going to revel in that. It took us a long time to ask the media not to use the expression lone wolves, because lone-actor terrorists/self-initiating terrorists, as we tried to change the language, really love that it glorifies them, and thats what a lot of them are looking for. Mr Basu also called for an urgent increase in resources for counter-terrorism or feared lone attackers like Rudakubana will continue to slip through the net. The public inquiry into Rudakubana was announced on Monday after it emerged the killer had contact with a range of different state agencies throughout his teenage years, according to the home secretary, including three referrals to government anti-extremism scheme Prevent due to concerns about his obsession with violence. Mr Basu described these agencies as unfunded, untrained, [and] largely staffed by frontline staff who are overwhelmed by demand, warning: This will come with a big bill, but that bill has got to be paid if we want to be safe. Writing in The Sun, Sir Keir said: Whatever shortcomings are holding back Britains ability to protect its citizens and its children, I will find them I will root them out. No matter who it upsets, I will act. Southport must become a line in the sand for Britain. There are deep wounds in our society politics now has a responsibility to heal. But that starts by holding up the mirror and facing what we see. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The criminal investigation into the alleged abduction of Alex Batty, who returned to the UK after six years abroad, has been discontinued because he and his family would not support a prosecution. Greater Manchester Police said the inquiry into his disappearance between September 30 2017 and December 13 2023 has officially concluded because there is no realistic chance of criminal prosecution. Mr Batty and his grandmother Susan Caruana have been informed that case has been discontinued, police said. He went missing at the age of 11 after his mother, who was not his legal guardian, took him on a pre-arranged trip to Spain with his grandfather. Mr Batty was found by a chiropody student near the French city of Toulouse in December 2023 after walking across the Pyrenees. Detective Superintendent Matt Walker, who led the investigation said: Alex and his safety has been at the forefront of our minds and actions since he was found in Toulouse, France, in 2023. In our commitment to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alexs disappearance be properly and thoroughly investigated. I led a dedicated team to do exactly that when Alex was first found, and this has continued since. We have consulted with various partners, such as a complex case CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded there would be no realistic chance of criminal prosecution. Given this, the right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his familys lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for. Alex is now an adult, safe, and reintegrated with life back in Greater Manchester surrounded by those who love him, which ultimately is the priority. open image in gallery The criminal investigation into the alleged abduction of Alex Batty, who returned to the UK after six years abroad, has been discontinued (Family handout/PA) ( PA Media ) Officers in the UK interviewed Mr Batty when he returned from France and a criminal investigation was subsequently launched. He left his mother for a better future, telling The Sun newspaper she was a great person but not a great mum. The teenager, who is now under the legal guardianship of his grandmother, in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said his mother was anti-government, anti-vax, whose catchphrase was becoming a slave to the system. He had become fed up with his nomadic lifestyle, with no friends and no social life. It is thought Mr Batty had previously been living with his mother and grandfather, who had taken him to Spain in September 2017, across Spain, Morocco and France while he was missing. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Benefits cheats face being banned from driving as part of a new crackdown on fraud across the UK. Fraudsters could be stripped of their driving licence for up to two years if they refuse to pay back debts of over 1,000, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has said. It comes after the DWP revealed up to 35billion in benefits had been incorrectly paid to those not entitled to the money. In November, Sir Keir Starmer promised a zero tolerance approach on benefit cheats amid a rising welfare bill. We are turning off the tap to criminals who cheat the system and steal law-abiding taxpayers money, work and pensions minister Liz Kendall said. This means greater consequences for fraudsters who cheat and evade the system, including as a last resort in the most serious cases removing their driving licence. Backed up by new and important safeguards including reporting mechanisms and independent oversight to ensure the powers are used proportionately and safely. The move, to be introduced under the New Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Bill, will also give the government powers to directly recover money from the bank accounts of those in debt. Organised crime investigators will also be able to accompany police to search properties, with authority to seize expensive items like computers and smartphones as evidence. The DWP said: Staff will be trained to the highest standards on the appropriate use of any new powers, and we will introduce new oversight and reporting mechanisms, to monitor these new powers. This legislation delivers on the governments manifesto commitment to safeguard taxpayers money and demonstrates the governments commitment to not tolerate fraud, error or waste anywhere in public services, including the social security system. Labour last year said it will stick by a Tory commitment to slash the cost of the welfare bill by 3bn over five years, although Sir Keir also promised not to call people shirkers or go down the road of division a dig at previous Conservative governments. On the latest move, the Tories said the government was trying to distract voters from negative headlines. Helen Whately MP, shadow work and pensions secretary, said: The chancellor is clearly desperate to find any savings ahead of what may in fact be a mini-budget because she needs to repair the damage she has inflicted with her disastrous budget last year. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A London mother-of-three has received an 8,500 settlement after a routine tooth extraction resulted in a fractured jaw, haemorrhage and a stay in intensive care. Saira Malik, 54, a civil servant from Surbiton, endured a traumatic ordeal following a procedure at a local dental practice in September 2019. Malik, a long-standing patient, was initially referred to a different practice for the extraction of an upper right molar in March 2019 due to persistent toothache. However, the pain continued in her upper mouth. Upon returning to her regular dentist in August 2019, she was advised to have her upper left molar removed. Malik said there was difficulty during the extraction leading to pulling and shoving, which caused her to suffer a haemorrhage and pass out. She woke up in hospital in the intensive care unit, later finding out her upper jaw had fractured during the extraction and a large chunk of bone was pulled out with the tooth, meaning she could only consume liquids through a straw for months afterwards. open image in gallery X-ray showing untreated decay in Malik's upper left back molar ( The Dental Law Partnership/PA Real Life ) All you could see was just blood and blood and blood it was continuous buckets of blood, gushing through. When I woke up in hospital, I was in the intensive care unit. I was on machines to stop the bleeding and I was told my jaw was fractured. Im still traumatised, I still havent been able to walk into a dentist since then. Specialist dental negligence solicitors, the Dental Law Partnership, took on Maliks case in 2019, and it was successfully settled in May 2024 when she was paid 8,500 in an out-of-court settlement although the dental practice owners who paid it did not admit liability. In a statement, the practice said it does not agree with the facts as conveyed by the Dental Law Partnership but it takes pride in providing the highest standards of treatment and care to all (its) patients. Malik said she was able to use some of this money to pay for a family trip to Egypt in November 2024 to celebrate her grandsons first birthday and make happy memories. open image in gallery Malik said she was able to use some of the settlement money to pay for a family trip to Egypt ( Collect/PA Real Life ) Malik is now encouraging others to seek a second opinion if they are unsure of the advice and treatment they are receiving, and to trust their gut instinct. Dont be afraid to question the professionals and take a second opinion if you need to be 100 per cent sure, she said. I feel that by receiving the settlement, it shows that something has been done and I wasnt just forgotten about. In a statement, the practice said: We would like to make it clear that we do not agree with the facts as conveyed by the Dental Law Partnership, but we cannot provide details of this patients treatment and management because of our professional duty to protect the confidentiality of our patients. This claim was resolved by way of an out-of-court settlement, with no admission of liability on our part. We take pride in providing the highest standards of treatment and care to all our patients. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Duke of Sussex has settled his legal action against News Group Newspapers as it offered a full and unequivocal apology for serious intrusion by The Sun and for phone hacking by private investigators working for the News of the World. Harry, 40, alleged he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN), which also published the now-defunct News Of The World. An up-to-10-week trial was set to begin at the High Court in London on Tuesday, but three requests for adjournments and a Court of Appeal bid meant that the case remained unopened. On Wednesday morning, Harrys barrister David Sherborne said that the parties had reached an agreement and that NGN had offered an apology to the duke and would pay substantial damages. He said: I am pleased to announce to the court that the parties have reached an agreement. As a result of the parties reaching an agreement, I would ask formally that the trial is vacated. (Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leaves the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on June 7, 2023 ( AFP via Getty Images ) In a statement read outside court on behalf of the Duke of Sussex and Lord Watson, Harrys lawyer David Sherborne said: In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdochs UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them. After endless resistance, denials and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs (as well as paying-off those in the know) to prevent the full picture from coming out, News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law. It has also specifically admitted wrongdoing against Tom Watson, and admitted unlawful acts by The Sun, as well as by the News of the World, against Prince Harry. The truth that has now been exposed is that NGN unlawfully engaged more than 100 private investigators over at least 16 years on more than 35,000 occasions. This happened as much at The Sun as it did at the News of the World, with the knowledge of all the Editors and executives, going to the very top of the company. Whats even worse is that in the wake of the 2006 arrest of a Royal correspondent, there was an extensive conspiracy to cover up what really had been going on and who knew about it. Senior executives deliberately obstructed justice by deleting over 30 million emails, destroying back-up tapes, and making false denials all in the face of an on-going police investigation. They then repeatedly lied under oath to cover their tracks both in Court and at the Leveson Public Inquiry. At her trial, in 2014 Rebekah Brooks, said when I was Editor of The Sun we ran a clean ship. Now, 10 years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was Editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise. Far from being relics of a distant past, many of those behind these unlawful practices remain firmly entrenched in senior positions today, both within News UK and other media outlets across the world, wielding editorial power and perpetuating the toxic culture in which they continue to thrive. Its perhaps no surprise that all of their senior executives and editors refused to turn up to court to give evidence. The failure of each of these key individuals to come and answer questions under oath spoke volumes in itself, but their collective silence is deafening. Todays result has been achieved only through the sheer resilience of Prince Harry and Lord Watson, whose willingness to take NGN to trial has led directly to this historic admission of unlawfulness at The Sun. It has only been by taking NGN - not just to the steps of court but inside the court room itself - that these Claimants have finally managed to extract this historic admission of guilt. As a direct result of him taking a stand, Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago. This has created serious concerns for the security of him and his family. The rule of law must now run its full course. Prince Harry & Tom Watson join others in calling for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover ups along the way. Its clear now this has occurred throughout this process, including through sworn evidence in inquiries and court hearings, and in testimony to Parliament, until todays final collapse of NGNs defence. Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Watch outside of court as Prince Harry today (22 January) agreed a settlement with Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers. The Duke of Sussex finally agreed to settle his claim against the publishers of The Sun after eleventh-hour talks on the opening day of his trial went late into the night. Prince Harrys high-stakes trial was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but both his and News Group Newspapers (NGN) legal teams made several bids to delay legal proceedings in order to continue discussions. The proceedings were due to begin again at 10am on Wednesday, but the High Court was told the two sides had broken the deadlock with Harry agreeing to drop claims against Murdochs News Group Newspapers. As the dukes lawyer David Sherborne told the court an agreement had been reached, he read out an apology issued by NGN to Prince Harry. The publishers offered a full and unequivocal apology to the duke for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them. It added that the Sun and will pay substantial damages as the two sides settled their legal claim, Harrys barrister has told the High Court. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Prince Harry has secured a full apology and substantial damages from the publisher of The Sun after settling his claim over allegations of unlawful information-gathering. The Duke of Sussex, 40, alleged that journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN) which also published the now-defunct News of the World had unlawfully targeted him. On Wednesday, his barrister confirmed that the parties had reached an agreement, with NGN offering an unequivocal apology and agreeing to pay substantial damages, reportedly an eight-figure sum. Delivering a scathing rebuke on the steps of the High Court, Harrys barrister, David Sherborne, described the settlement as a monumental victory. He declared: The lies are laid bare, the cover-ups are exposed, and today proves that no one is above the law. Mr Sherborne excoriated NGN for its illegal actions and blatant disregard for the law, claiming that the publisher had resisted accountability for years. A trial of up to 10 weeks was set to begin on Tuesday, but three requests for adjournments and a Court of Appeal bid meant that the case remained unopened. open image in gallery Tom Watson, former deputy leader of the Labour Party, was also engaged in legal action against the publisher, but he too has settled his claim ( Reuters ) This morning, Mr Sherborne said: I am pleased to announce to the court that the parties have reached an agreement. As a result of the parties reaching an agreement I would ask formally that the trial is vacated. NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone-hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. NGN further apologises to the duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. open image in gallery Barrister David Sherborne stands next to Watson as he speaks to the media outside the High Court on Wednesday ( Getty ) He continued: It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGNs response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions was regrettable. Tom Watson, former deputy leader of the Labour Party, was also engaged in legal action against the publisher, but he too has settled his claim. After two earlier requests for adjournments on Tuesday, thought to be related to settlement discussions, Mr Justice Fancourt refused a third request to delay as he said both sides had had ample time to seek to resolve their differences. Following a short break, lawyers for both sides asked for the green light to challenge the judges decision not to provide a further delay at the Court of Appeal. While Mr Justice Fancourt denied the request, the lawyers sought permission to go to the Court of Appeal itself, meaning Tuesdays hearing was adjourned in any event. open image in gallery Sherborne, the Duke of Sussexs barrister, arrives at the Rolls Building on Tuesday ( PA Wire ) Several other high-profile figures have settled their cases against NGN, with 39 people settling claims between July and December last year. Harry had been expected to return to the UK in February to give evidence over several days in support of his claim that journalists and private investigators working for The Sun had targeted him. He and Lord Watson were the final remaining claimants in the case against NGN, which denied the allegations, after a number of high-profile figures including actor Hugh Grant had already settled similar claims. In April last year, the High Court heard that Grant had settled his case against NGN because of the risk of a 10m legal bill if his case went to trial. Mr Sherborne said at that hearing that the Duke of Sussex is subject to the same issues that Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant have been subject to, which is that the offers are made that make it impossible for them to go ahead. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Downing Street has rebuked Elon Musk over a gesture he made during a rally for new US president Donald Trump, with the prime ministers official spokesperson saying he would not be happy if a member of the government did similar. On Monday, the tech billionaire gave a speech at a rally following the new presidents inauguration, in which he thanked Mr Trumps supporters. He then slapped his hand on his chest and extended his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards. The Tesla mogul then turned around and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. open image in gallery Elon Musk's extended his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing down ( Tesla Owners Silicon Valley ) Mr Musk has not explicitly denied claims the gesture looked like a Nazi salute, but hit out at his critics, writing on his X social media site that the everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired. Asked about the gesture, the prime ministers spokesman replied: It is clearly for the individual to defend his own actions. When it comes to the governments position on these issues, you have heard the prime minister speak passionately about his visit to Auschwitz and our plans ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day. Asked if Sir Keir would be happy if a member of his government gave a similar gesture, the spokesman replied: Would he be happy if a member of the Government did a Nazi salute? No. He added: The prime minister would not be happy with a member of the government doing a Nazi salute. open image in gallery Mr Musk has repeatedly taken aim at the prime minister ( PA Wire ) When pressed whether this meant the government believed Mr Musks gesture was a Nazi salute, the spokesman replied: I am saying it is up to Elon Musk obviously to respond to that. The billionaire - who will lead a US federal government cost cutting exercise in Mr Trumps new administration - has had an uneasy relationship with Downing Street in recent months. Mr Musk has repeatedly attacked ministers over the historical handling of the grooming gangs scandal in the UK. In a slew of social media posts criticising the Labour government, Mr Musk attacked safeguarding minister Jess Phillips on social media after she declined a request from Oldham Council for a Whitehall-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in the town. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Keir Starmer must intervene and strengthen incoming online safety rules after a record amount of child sexual abuse material was found on the internet in 2024, a leading online safety organisation has said. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which proactively searches for and helps remove child sexual abuse imagery from the internet, has written to the Prime Minister warning that without his input, platforms will have a blatant get-out clause to evade compliance with parts of the Online Safety Act, which is due to begin coming into force this year. The IWF said the wording of codes of practice within the Act allows firms to remove illegal content only when it is technically feasible, and warns that this will incentivise platforms to avoid finding ways to remove illegal content in order to evade compliance. The charity said Sir Keir was in a unique position to intervene because it was the Prime Minster, when previously head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who had first authorised the IWF to start proactively hunting down abuse imagery on the internet. We call on your Government to remove the safe harbour inadvertently offered to platforms including those that facilitate the sharing of child sexual abuse material - by the Act Catherine Brown, IWF Writing to the Prime Minister, IWF chairwoman Catherine Brown said: We are deeply concerned that the codes allow services to remove illegal content only when it is technically feasible, which will incentivise platforms to avoid finding ways to remove illegal content in order to evade compliance. This undermines the Acts effectiveness in combatting online child sexual abuse. We urge you to instruct Ofcom to urgently review and mitigate this blatant get-out clause. The publication of the codes also highlighted the weaknesses within the legislation itself. For example, the Act does not mandate companies to moderate content uploaded in private communications. As a result, illegal content that is blocked elsewhere on the internet can still be freely shared in private online spaces. We call on your Government to remove the safe harbour inadvertently offered to platforms including those that facilitate the sharing of child sexual abuse material by the Act. Additional legislation should be introduced to ensure there are no safe havens for criminals in private communications. In response, a spokesperson for online safety regulator Ofcom said: The law says that measures in our codes of practice must be technically feasible. However, we expect the vast majority of platforms will be able to take content down and we will hold them to account if they dont. Therell be measures all platforms will need to take to protect children, such as reviewing child sexual abuse material when they become aware of it and reporting it to law enforcement. The IWF said that in 2024, the charity acted to remove images or videos of children suffering sexual abuse, or links to such content, from more than 291,000 webpages. It said this was the highest number of such webpages it had discovered in its history. The solutions are here, now. They arent pie-in-the-sky solutions for the future. They exist, and they are trusted. Big tech just needs to be instructed to switch them on Derek Ray-Hill, IWF Derek Ray-Hill, interim chief executive of the IWF said: Ten years ago Keir Starmer, as director of public prosecutions, took a stand, giving the IWF unprecedented powers to proactively hunt down child sexual abuse imagery online. Now we need him to act decisively again. The new regulations weve all worked so hard to bring in threaten to leave gaping loopholes for criminals to exploit. The Online Safety Act can be revolutionary in protecting our children if the political and regulatory will is there. Or it can be a monument to ineffectiveness in the face of a solvable problem. The solutions are here, now. They arent pie-in-the-sky solutions for the future. They exist, and they are trusted. Big tech just needs to be instructed to switch them on. Sir Keir has it in his gift to take the wheel and make a real difference that children in the UK, and all around the world, will benefit from. Its their safety that is at stake. A Government spokesperson said: Child sexual exploitation and abuse is despicable and has a devastating impact on victims. UK law is clear child sexual abuse is illegal and social media is no exception. Companies must ensure criminal activity cannot proliferate on their sites. From March, under the Online Safety Act, companies will need to take robust action to tackle this material when they become aware of it, training moderating teams to spot child exploitation, and testing whether their algorithms are promoting this material putting safety by design into their products from the outset. If companies fail to act, Ofcom has robust enforcement powers including the ability to issue significant fines. This Government is committed to using all available levers, such as the Online Safety Act, to ensure children are protected online, and we will not hesitate to go further if necessary. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Allies of former prime minister Rishi Sunak have denied he is planning to quit as an MP after he accepted a new role in California. The ex-Tory leader, who suffered a thumping defeat at last years general election, has long been the subject of rumours he will relocate to the Sunshine State. He met his wife there while he was studying as a student and the couple still own a luxury penthouse apartment there, worth an estimated 5 million. Now, he has announced he will be taking up a visiting fellowship at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution in California, as well as joining Oxford Universitys Blavatnik School of Government as a member of its World Leaders Circle. open image in gallery Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has returned to the Commons as a backbench MP ( PA Wire ) Mr Sunak said he had huge affection for both which had shaped my life and career. But allies denied that his new role in California would lead to him quitting as an MP, which would trigger a by-election for his seat. The positions are Mr Sunaks first since he returned to the backbenches in July, where he sits as the MP for Richmond and Northallerton, in North Yorkshire. Mr Sunak said: Both Blavatnik and Hoover do superb work on how we can rise to the economic and security challenges we face and seize the technological opportunities of our time. I have huge affection for both Oxford and Stanford. I was fortunate enough to study at both, they shaped my life and career, and I look forward to contributing to their world-leading research in the months and years ahead. open image in gallery Mr Sunak with his family on holiday in California while he was PM ( Getty Images ) Intense speculation about what Mr Sunaks post-Downing Street life would look like began even before he entered No 10 when it was revealed he once held a US green card. In fact, he returned it only after he became chancellor, ahead of his first trip to America as a serving UK government minister. During the resulting row, he was forced to deny that he had kept the card which allows the holder to live and work permanently in the US to return there. Despite this, there remains speculation in Whitehall that Mr Sunak will at some point relocate to California. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Russian spy ship is being tracked by the Royal Navy after sailing through the English Channel, John Healey revealed on Wednesday, issuing a stark warning to Vladimir Putin that the government is watching Russian activity in UK waters. We see you, the defence secretary warned, promising robust action to protect Britain. The ship, Yantar, is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters. Mr Healey said this is the second time the Russian spy vessel had entered UK waters in recent months, noting the ship was also closely watched in November. Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure, the defence secretary warned. open image in gallery HMS Somerset flanks the Russian ship Yanter near UK waters in November ( PA Media ) In November, the government authorised a Royal Navy submarine to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move, Mr Healey said. Addressing the House of Commons on Wednesday, he said: Yantar entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday. For the last two days, the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters. I changed the Royal Navys rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation. Referring to the incident in November, Mr Healey said: It was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps then as part of a clear direct response to the Russian vessel. RAF maritime patrol aircraft alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus were deployed to shadow Yantars every movement. Today, I also wanted to confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean. He added: I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what youre doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country. Mr Healey told the Commons that Russia is the biggest external threat to Britain, warning that aggression from Putin will not be tolerated at home or in Ukraine. The defence secretary said Russia was dangerous but fundamentally weak, as he referenced the casualties the country had suffered during the war in Ukraine and its decision to draft in troops from North Korea. open image in gallery Defence secretary John Healey said a submarine had been ordered to surface near the Yantar ( PA Wire ) Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve. Mr Healey said P8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint aircraft would join the Nato operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea. RFA Proteus has also been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure. He added: Russian aggression will not be tolerated at home or in Ukraine. Its why one of the first acts of this government was for the prime minister to launch the strategic defence review. Its why the government has increased defence spending next year by almost 3bn and why we will set a path to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP in the spring. This new era of the threat demands a new era for defence. Change is essential, not optional, and the government is determined to meet the challenge, determined to deliver for defence. We will protect the homeland and our critical national infrastructure, and we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad. His remarks come a week after Sir Keir Starmer declared Mr Putins invasion of Ukraine a monumental strategic failure, as he travelled to Kyiv to sign a new long-term partnership deal with Volodymyr Zelensky. The prime minister visited Ukraine for the first time since entering No 10 just days before Donald Trump returned to the White House, potentially signalling a shift in US support for Ukraines war effort in favour of a push for a peace deal. The UK and Ukraine signed a 100-year partnership, which includes defence and scientific collaboration but will also forge new community links between the UK and Ukraine. Sir Keir said the agreement, which will bolster military collaboration on maritime security and bring together experts in areas including drone technology, showed Mr Putins attempts to pull Ukraine away from the West had backfired. Responding to the defence secretarys statement, his opposite number James Cartlidge said the Conservative Party stood shoulder to shoulder with Labour over its approach, welcoming the governments openness over how it was tackling the Russian naval threat. We welcome that transparency because it is critical for our war readiness that as far as we are able, and without compromising our national security and operational security, we tell the British public the truth about the serious nature of the Russian threat and what that will inevitably mean for public expenditure on defence, he said. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rachel Reevess plans for a family farm tax have suffered a major blow after the supermarket giant Tesco called on her to halt the policy. In a highly unusual move, the retailer backed farmers in their fight against the inheritance tax raid, with its chief commercial officer warning the UKs future food security is at stake. In a triple blow to the chancellor as she seeks to woo business investment to the UK at the World Economic Forum in Davos two more huge supermarkets, Lidl and the Co-Op, also called on her to pause the policy. The interventions mean Tesco, British agricultures biggest customer, Lidl and the Co-Op have joined other major supermarket chains Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons in backing farmers. open image in gallery Farmers protest in London against inheritance tax changes and Budget impacts on farming ( PA Wire ) To add to her woes, a new report by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned the policy may raise less than the Treasury hopes, with the 500m-a year-revenue forecast given a high uncertainty rating and likely to fall after seven years as families use tax planning to avoid the charge. Tescos chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad said that ensuring farms remained economically sustainable was essential not just to food security but so customers can continue to get the great quality food they want, at a price they can afford. The calls will increase pressure on Ms Reeves to U-turn on her controversial tax raid. The chancellor has faced a furious backlash to her Budget decision to extend inheritance tax to family farms, which critics warn could sound the death knell for family farms in England. The changes mean that farms valued at 1m or more would be liable for 20 per cent inheritance tax. The Treasury says that, with tax allowances, in reality, only farms worth 3m would be affected, just 28 per cent of family farms. But official Defra figures appear to suggest as many as 66 per cent could be hit. Thousands of farmers brought Westminster to a standstill in November when they descended on the capital to voice their opposition to the change. open image in gallery Tesco warned the UKs future food security is at stake ( PA Wire ) Mr Prasad said: One message is loud and clear: farmers desperately need more certainty. After years of policy change, it has been harder than ever for them to plan ahead or to invest in their farms. One current area of uncertainty is the proposed change to inheritance tax relief. With many smaller farms relying on APR [agricultural property relief] and BPR [business property relief], we fully understand their concerns. Its why well be supporting the NFUs calls for a pause in the implementation of the policy, while a full consultation is carried out. Lidl said in a statement: Providing security and long-term investment for British agriculture is key to helping ensure that farmers can continue to produce affordable and increasingly sustainable food for generations to come. We are concerned that the recent changes to the inheritance tax regime will impact farmer and grower confidence and hold back the investment needed to build a resilient, productive and sustainable British food system. We, therefore, support the call by the farming community to pause the implementation of those changes and to consult with industry to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. We will be raising our concerns with government at any opportunity we get. The Co-Op said that while it was aware ministers had tough choices to make we have directly contacted relevant government departments to communicate our hope that they will look again at the impact of the ... changes. We have also agreed to sign the UK farming unions letter going to the government imminently, to call for a reconsideration of the proposed tax changes. Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said that the supermarket giants understand that they benefit from a buoyant family farming sector, something the Treasurys tax hike threatens to completely undermine. It is becoming almost impossible to find anyone that supports this policy, yet Rachel Reeves refuses to consult relevant rural stakeholders to find a way forward out of the unnecessary fallout created by her department. If the government wants to avoid a long-running battle with [Countryside Alliance], they need to rethink this policy urgently. On Friday, Asda also offered its public support for farmers by backing the NFUs demand for a pause in implementing the changes. And earlier this month, Morrisons told farmers were with you in the fight. Environment secretary Steve Reed recently offered an apology for having shocked farmers with the Budget measures. But he and other cabinet ministers blame the tax raid on a 22bn black hole in the public finances left by the previous Tory government. Separately, a new report by the OBR casts doubt on how much money the raid will raise. The expected revenue, 500m a year by 2029, has been given a high uncertainty rating by the spending watchdog. The OBR also warned it was likely to fall after seven years as families use tax planning to avoid the levy. Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said ministers still cant tell us how many businesses will be affected. They have chosen to destroy British family farming for little return. The OBR is clear that it will be near impossible for older farmers to restructure their affairs quickly in response to this vindictive tax. "Farmers up and down the country are worried sick about their families futures and Labours tax bills. Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron said the report confirms that the governments misguided family farm tax is mired in problems and will penalise British farmers for practically no benefit. It is deeply concerning that older farmers will be hit hardest from this tax, with the rug pulled from under them before they can change their plans. And with tax revenue expected to be highly uncertain and unstable for two decades, the chancellors excuses simply dont stack up. The government must do the right thing and scrap the family farm tax before its too late. A government spokesperson said: Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast we have committed 5 billion 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 Reliefs will mean estates will pay a reduced effective inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than standard 40%, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates next year. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy High winds are threatening to fuel more Southern California wildfires, even as Los Angeles works to recover from the blazes that devastated neighborhoods earlier this month. On Tuesday, wind speeds eased to around 60mph (96kph), but National Weather Service forecasters believe that will pick up in Los Angeles Wednesday. The high winds, paired with the extremely dry conditions in Los Angeles, provide the perfect fuel for another round of massive wildfires. The conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start, Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard in Ventura County, told The Associated Press. The fires in LA earlier this month killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since January 7. Red flag warnings a National Weather Service's alert issued when the chances of a wildfire developing are high are in effect for LA and Ventura counties until 8 p.m. on Thursday, according to the NWS. A firefighter stands on top of a fire truck to battle the Palisades Fire while it burns homes on the Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. ( Getty Images ) On Monday, LA Mayor Karen Bass said that the city was prepared to respond to any new fires, but warned that the Santa Ana winds could kick up ash from previous fires. The airborne ash could not only make the air in some areas toxic, but the high winds could also carry that ash to other communities in Southern California. In the meantime, Cal Fire the state's fire service has pre-positioned trucks, water-dumping aircraft, and responders across the threatened region in the event that another wildfire breaks out over the next two days. One of those crews put out a fire already; a small brush fire broke out on January 20 near the Griffith Observatory, but firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames before they had the chance to spread. Police reportedly arrested a man they believe started that blaze, according to the LAPD. US: Wildfires Spread Across San Diego County, Forcing Evacuations Smaller fires have been cropping up all over Southern California this week, and firefighters have been quick to put them out, or at least to begin containment measures. On Monday a small fire sparked in the city of Poway, just north of San Diego, but firefighters fought it and stalled its progress. Several other smaller blazes cropped up across San Diego County, some of which prompted fire crews to call for local evacuations. The 50-acre Lilac fire and the Pala fire were both being battled as of Tuesday. The Lilac fire prompted some evacuation orders, as did the Friars fire. Firefighters are working to contain both. Residents in LA, Ventura and San Diego Counties have been instructed to check in with local authorities for instructions and information in the event of a fire. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school. In many districts, educators have sought to reassure immigrant parents that schools are safe places for their kids, despite the president's campaign pledge to carry out mass deportations. But fears intensified for some when the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a decades-old policy. Oh, dear God! I cant imagine why they would do that, said Carmen, an immigrant from Mexico, after hearing that the Trump administration had rescinded the policy against arrests in sensitive locations. She plans to take her two grandchildren, ages 6 and 4, to their school Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay Area unless she hears from school officials it is not safe. What has helped calm my nerves is knowing that the school stands with us and promised to inform us if its not safe at school, said Carmen, who spoke on condition that only her first name be used, out of fear she could be targeted by immigration officials. Immigrants across the country have been anxious about Trump's pledge to deport millions of people. While fears of raids did not come to pass on the administration's first day, rapid changes on immigration policy have left many confused and uncertain about their future. At a time when many migrant families even those in the country legally are assessing whether and how to go about in public, many school systems are watching for effects on student attendance. Several schools said they were fielding calls from worried parents about rumors that immigration agents would try to enter schools, but it was too early to tell whether large numbers of families are keeping their children home. Tuesdays move to clear the way for arrests at schools reverses guidance that restricted two federal agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from carrying out enforcement in sensitive locations. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. Daniela Anello, who heads D.C. Bilingual Public Charter School in the nations capital, said she was shocked by the announcement. Its horrific, Anello said. Theres no such thing as hiding anyone. It doesnt happen, hasnt happened. ... Its ridiculous. An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many more have U.S. citizenship but have parents who are in the country illegally. Schools work to reassure parents Education officials in some states and districts have vowed to stand up for immigrant students, including their right to a public education. In California, for one, officials have offered guidance to schools on state law limiting local participation in immigration enforcement. A resolution passed by Chicago Public Schools Board of Education in November said schools would not assist ICE in enforcing immigration law. Agents would not be allowed into schools without a criminal warrant, it said. And New York City principals last month were reminded by the district of policies including one against collecting information on a students immigration status. That's not the case everywhere. Many districts have not offered any reassurances for immigrant families. Educators at Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School have learned even students and families in the country legally are intimidated by Trumps wide-ranging proposals to deport millions of immigrants and roll back non-citizens' rights. Theyre not even at risk of deportation and theyre still scared, Chief Operating Officer Luma Mufleh said. Officials at the small Atlanta charter school focused on serving refugees and immigrants expected so many students to miss school the day after Trump took office that educators accelerated the schools exam schedule so students wouldnt miss important tests. Asked on Tuesday for attendance data, school officials did not feel comfortable sharing it. We dont want our school to be targeted, Mufleh said. The new policy on immigration enforcement at schools likely will prompt some immigrant parents who fear deportation to keep their children home, even if they face little risk, said Michael Lukens, executive director for the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. He said he believes it's part of the administrations goal to make life so untenable that immigrants eventually leave the United States on their own. Some parents see school as one of the last safe places For Iris Gonzalez in Boston, schools seem like just about the only safe place for her to go as someone in the country illegally. Shes had children in Boston schools for nearly a decade and she doesnt expect anyone there to bother her or her daughters for proof theyre here legally. So her children will keep going to school. Education is important, she said in Spanish. Gonzalez, who came to the U.S. from Guatemala illegally 14 years ago, does worry about entering a courthouse or driving, even though she has a license. What if they stop me? she wonders. I dont sleep, she said. Theres a lot of uncertainty about how to look for work, whether to keep driving and whats going to change." Carmen, the Mexican grandmother who now lives in California, said returning home is not an option for her family, which faced threats after her son-in-law was kidnapped two years from their home in Michoacan state, an area overrun with drug trafficking gangs. Her family arrived two years ago under former President Joe Bidens program allowing asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. and then apply for permission to stay. Following his inauguration Monday, Trump promptly shut down the CBP One app that processed these and other arrivals and has promised to end asylum during his presidency. Carmen has had several hearings on her asylum request, which has not yet been granted. My biggest fear is that we dont have anywhere to go back to," she said. "Its about saving our lives. And protecting our children. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chicagos Little Village neighborhood, home to a large population of Latin American immigrants, has reportedly gone quiet, as the city waits to see whether it becomes the first target of Donald Trumps plan to carry out mass deportations immediately upon taking office. Immigration czar Tom Homan said Monday that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement had pulled back a reported Chicago operation, after news of the potential plan leaked over the weekend, but that Americans will see the agency in action real soon. The looming threat of an ICE raid, whenever it comes, has already impacted the Little Village area, according to local business owners and officials. The owner of multiple Mexican restaurants in the area told Bloomberg that worried employees have already begun not showing up for work. Ive been here for 25 years and Ive seen many things, but nothing like this, he said. This is about how we are going to survive this, and Im not just talking about my employees, Im talking about the whole customer base. "Now that we are on the first day or second day of the Trump administration, God knows what the enforcement is going to look like. It is that unknown that really has people worried," 22nd Ward Alderman Michael Rodriguez told ABC7 Chicago. Local leaders offered know your rights trainings and support ahead of expected ICE raids in Chicago ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Local business leaders, meanwhile, said foot traffic in the area appeared to be around 50 percent of its usual level. On Tuesday, officials with the Little Village Community Council passed out fliers educating constituents about their rights in the case of an ICE stop. "One of the main things is letting them know not to sign anything, not to say anything, not to answer questions, and stay quiet," Little Village Community Council president Baltazar Enriquez told CBS News. "The flyer that were giving out, it has phone numbers for the consulate the Mexican consulate, the Honduran consulate, the Guatemalan consulate, and attorneys that are willing to help them out for free." Chicago Public Schools, meanwhile, has said it has a dedicated legal team ready to assist students and their families in the face of deportation attempts. In his first moments in office, Trump made several important immigration-related actions and executive orders, including attempting to rescind birthright, declaring an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program, freezing asylum claims, and shutting down a Border Patrol app regulating entry appointments to cross into the U.S. Illinois was one of 22 states that sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over the birthright citizenship executive order. "The language in the 14th Amendment is clear, and not ambiguous," Attorney General Kwame Raoul told CBS Chicago. "If you are born in this country, you are a citizen of this country. " The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 17-year-old gunman opened fire inside a Nashville high school cafeteria, killing one student and injuring another in the latest school shooting to plague America. Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, was killed in the incident at Antioch High School. The tragedy unraveled around 11 a.m. Wednesday, when the 17-year-old went to the bathroom to grab a pistol before making his way to the schools cafeteria, where he confronted Escalante. The armed student then fired multiple rounds, striking and killing his classmate, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at an afternoon press conference. Panic and screams erupted in the 2,000-student school. Two other students were injured amid the chaos. One student was taken to the hospital after suffering a graze wound to the arm; he has been treated and released, Drake said. A third student suffered a facial injury, which was not a gunshot wound, police said. This student fell in the incident, officials said. The teen shooter turned the gun on themself, authorities said. His identity has not yet been released. open image in gallery Police outside Antioch High School in Nashville after a shooting left one person dead and one hurt. Police say the shooter turned the gun on themselves after injuring two ( Nashville Metro police ) Its not immediately clear if the shooting was targeted, Drake said. Authorities are investigating the motive, Drake said, noting that police are looking into materials on the internet as part of the probe. Hours after the incident, the school, which had been on lockdown in the morning, had been cleared and authorities said there was no longer a danger at the school. In the wake of the incident, a mother of an Antioch High School student said shes apprehensive to send her child back to school, telling WSMV 4: You should be sending your kids to school so they can get an education and not have to worry if theyll get a bullet in them. Rather than focusing on taking away phones, the school needs to take away guns, she added. The president and his team are monitoring the news out of Nashville, a White House official told The Independent, adding that the White House offers its thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the tragedy. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he has been briefed on the incident. He praised the swift efforts of first responders and offered his condolences to victims and their families in a post on X: As we await more information, I join Tennesseans in praying for the victims, their families & the school community. Just three weeks into the new year, there have already been 10 school shootings, according to K-12 School Shooting Database. open image in gallery Just three weeks into the new year, there have already been 10 school shootings ( AP ) In 2024, there were 205 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across the U.S., the most incidents in one year in the 11-year period tracked by Everytown. In mid-December, a 15-year-old girl opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School, a private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a student and a teacher. The shooter also died in the incident due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Months earlier, in September, two students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. The 14-year-old suspected shooter has been indicted on 55 counts, including four counts of felony and malice murder, while his father, Colin Gray, was indicted on 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Both have pleaded not guilty. Wednesdays shooting in Nashville occurred almost two years after the Covenant School mass shooting that devastated the city in 2023. A former student fatally shot six victims, including students and staff. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A man who was convicted of killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel told investigators that he and his girlfriend went out hunting for girls on the night of the 2009 murder and that she watched as he raped and strangled the teen. Raymond Moody, now 64, was sentenced to life in prison five months after he led authorities to Drexels body in May 2022, ending a decades-long cold case. The New York teen went missing in April 2009 while on a spring break trip in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Moodys longtime girlfriend, Angel Cooper Vause, 56, was arrested in 2023 on charges in connection to the rape and murder of Drexel. She pleaded guilty to all three counts of making false statements to the FBI, according to The Post and Courier. Now, ahead of Vauses sentencing next month, Moody has claimed that she was not only there with him, watching as he killed Drexel, but that she was part of the plot to abduct and rape the teen, according to a federal sentencing memorandum obtained by WMBF. The claim comes from an interview Moody gave to the FBI in November 2024, in which he had agreed to provide the complete and truthful information about the abduction, rape, and murder of Brittanee. open image in gallery Brittanee Drexel who went missing during her visit to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina in 2009 was found after 13 years when Raymond Moody led the FBI to her body ( Georgetown County Sheriff's Office ) Moody told investigators that he and Vause were hunting for girls the night they abducted Drexel. He claimed that Vause had sent him a text before the hunt in which she allegedly told him that she had always fantasized about snatching some girl. According to the memorandum, MOODY said to Vause, So you want to go hunting with me, huh? She replied, Yeah. They first attempted their hunt on April 24, 2009, the night before Drexel was taken, but he said they had some phone activity and Moody was concerned about leaving an electronic footprint that would be more easily identified by the authorities. The next night, Moody deliberately stopped using his phone before the hunt and they came across Drexel walking alone from The Blue Water resort north to the Bar Harbor in Myrtle Beach. After driving past Drexel twice, determining she was alone, Moody said it was Vause who helped lure the teen to their car by claiming they were also tourists and offering her a ride back to her hotel. Moody said he pulled the car up near Drexel so that Vause could talk to her to soften her up and maybe even earn her trust. he said. open image in gallery Raymond Moody revealed new details in a November 2024 interview with the FBI ahead of his girlfriends sentencing for her role in the rape and murder ( Charleston County Jail ) Once in the car, Moody had Vause take the wheel at one point so he could restrain Drexel in the backseat. He claims he told Drexel not to panic, and that he kidnapped girls and demanded a $5,000 ransom from the city Chamber of Commerce, before returning the girls. The couple then took Drexel to a tent they already had set up at the Pole Yard Boat Landing in Georgetown, Moody told investigators. While left alone with the victimVause had time to release Drexel while Moody was away, but did not. Moody said that after raping Drexel he strangled her with a rope, according to the memo. Moody told investigators that he does not recall Vause taking part in the killing and said that she was unaware of his intentions to kill Drexel after the rape. But he remembered that she was in the tent during the murder and that she did not try to stop him. open image in gallery Angel Cooper Vause, now 56, will be sentenced in February. Moody claims she watched as he raped and Killed Brittanee Drexel in 2009 and that she was part of the plan to kidnap her ( Charleston County Jail ) After strangling her, Moody said he stabbed her with an ice pick and put her body in the trunk of the car. The couple went back to their apartment and slept before Moody went out alone to bury the victim at a construction site. He did not take Vause because he was concerned about her keeping the murder a secret and never returned to the location until he led the FBI there in 2022. When the FBI interviewed Vause in 2022, Moody said she was coming apart from all the stress, which concerned him, he said, according to the memorandum. open image in gallery Drexels mother, Dawn Drexel, listens during a news conference in 2016 ( AP ) He added that it was too late to kill her now, which led to him giving Vause a false story to tell investigators, telling her to say that when she returned to the tent that night, Drexel was already gone. Moody said he provided the information to investigators in the November interview not out of spite to Vause, but to ensure part of his property remained in trust for Vauses grandchildren, WCIV reported Vause is set to be sentenced in Charleston on February 13 and could face up to 24 years in prison. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Illinois man will spend several decades in prison for decapitating his pregnant girlfriend and then tossing her head in the trash outside her apartment. Deundrea Holloway, 25, was sentenced to 60 years in a state correctional facility for what police described as the savage slaying of 22-year-old Liese Dodd and her unborn child, the Madison County States Attorneys Office announced in a news release on Monday. Dodd, who was found dead on June 9, 2022, was nearly eight months pregnant. Holloway was not the father of her unborn baby, according to the states attorney, who said the pair had an on-and-off relationship for about two years before the murder. open image in gallery Dodd, 22, was nearly eight months pregnant when she was found decapitated in 2022 ( GoFundMe ) Her mother, Heidi Noel, of Jerseyville, made the gruesome discovery when she went to Dodds apartment because she had not heard from her and was worried, the Alton Telegraph reported. Inside, she found her daughters headless body. Alton police officers responded to the home on Bolivar Street around 12:59 p.m. They later found Dodds head in the dumpster outside the apartment building. She was savagely, savagely killed, then-Alton Police Chief Marcus Pulido said at the time. She was decapitated. Decapitated by a freaking savage monster. Her unborn child was also killed as a result of this. So she was brutally murdered as well as her unborn child. This daughter, this mother-to-be, and her family were in the planning stages of a baby shower that was supposed to be at the end of June. Holloway was quickly taken into custody and later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child and concealment of a homicidal death. What was observed, what was learned, what was found, was absolutely terrible, Pulido said after Holloways arrest. Every murder is absolutely terrible. I will never take that away. But what happened to 22-year-old Liese Dodd, who had just moved to Alton, is beyond reprehensible. Its abominable. It is completely terrible what happened to her. The sentencing last week finally put an end to the case after several years of delays in legal proceedings. open image in gallery Holloway, 25, was sentenced to 60 years in a state correctional facility ( Madison County Jail ) On that night I received a life sentence, Dodds mother said at the sentencing hearing, according to First Alert 4. To live the remainder of my life without my beautiful, loving, sassy daughter. A life without knowing the joy of watching Liese raise my granddaughter. A GoFundMe created for Dodds family has raised nearly $16,000. In an update on January 8, 2023, the family wrote that with the communitys generous donations, they were able to pay for funeral expenses. They then donated $5,000 to the Oasis Womens Center-Alton, an organization that helps domestic violence victims and $2,000 to the Riverbend Humane Society. In a statement regarding the sentence, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine said the ordeal has been traumatic for the family, and believes that this outcome has spared any additional trauma associated with a trial. For the family and loved ones of Liese, these types of issues have caused continued angst and uncertainty., Haine said. This guilty conviction ends that. Our hope is that this conviction and sentence provide the family and loved ones some assurance and will be a step toward healing. This case has been difficult for everyone, he continued. Obviously, it has been traumatic for Lieses family. With this resolution, they were spared the additional trauma associated with a trial. My heart goes out to the family, whose strength, courage and resiliency during this process have been truly remarkable. Holloway is required to serve at least 52 years of his sentence before he is eligible to be released, Law & Crime reported. The states attorney said that it is unlikely Holloway will ever see the light of day. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A violent predator, who became known as the Bolder Than Most rapist in California, has been released back into the community after a court order, officials said. Alvin Quarles, 62, gained his heinous reputation in the 1980s after he terrorized women by breaking into motels and sexually assaulting them at knifepoint, often forcing their husbands or boyfriends to watch the harrowing ordeal, according to San Diego District Attorney records. Quarles was conditionally released from Coalinga State Hospital Tuesday and is now back out in society under tight conditions. He is registered as a Sexually Violent Predator with the California Department of Justice and the County of San Diego, and has a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender, according to a San Diego County Sheriffs Office press statement. Quarles will also be under 24-hour supervision by Liberty Health Care, a private company which runs the states conditions release program for sexially violent predators. This includes GPS monitoring and a security official who will accompany him at all times. open image in gallery Alvin Quarles, 62, pleaded guilty in 1989 to four counts of forcible rape for incidents that occurred between 1987 and 1988 and admitted to being armed during the attacks ( San Diego County Sheriffs Office ) The Bolder Than Most rapist, who suffers from multiple disorders, was granted a conditional release earlier this year, following a state evaluation that determined he could be successfully treated, according to the DA records. The 62-year-old pleaded guilty in 1989 to four counts of forcible rape incidents that occurred between 1987 and 1988 and admitted to being armed during the attacks, as per DA records. Quarles was originally sentenced to 50 years in state prison in 1989 for his atrocious crimes before being sent to a state mental hospital for sex offenders to receive involuntary treatment and confinement following a DA petition in 2013, said San Diego DA records. Police stated that under Megans Law, law enforcement agencies will warn the community about Qarles release so they can protect themselves and their family. Among those who pushed back his release during a court hearing in December was the husband of one of Qarles victims, Mark Taylor. Despite him being older now, I think the potential is still there that he can perpetrate [more crimes], he said after the hearing, according to NBC San Diego. Im really concerned about members of the community who could be at risk. A statement from the Sheriffs Office read: This notification is not intended to induce fear; rather, we believe that an informed community is a safer community. Use of this information to threaten, intimidate, or harass the subject or any other person will not be tolerated and may result in prosecution. If a home becomes available, Quarles will be subject to rehousing. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump has directed his Justice Department to pause enforcement of the TikTok ban until early April, but a host of questions remain - including whether Trump has the authority to issue such an order and if TikToks China-based parent would be amenable to selling the popular social media platform. In an executive order signed on Monday, Trump instructed the U.S. attorney general to not enforce the ban for 75 days while his administration determines the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of TikTok. Under a federal law that was upheld by the Supreme Court last week, TikToks parent company ByteDance was required to sell the platform to an approved buyer by Sunday or face a nationwide ban. On Saturday evening, a few hours before the ban took effect, TikTok became unusable for U.S. users. But it came back online on Sunday, with TikTok crediting Trump for helping the platform after he vowed on social media to stall the ban. The federal law, passed with bipartisan support in Congress last year, provides a 90-day extension if progress has been made toward a sale. But Trumps executive order now complicates matters for companies who could be liable for delivering TikToks service to U.S. users. Some at least as of now appear to be taking a cautious approach. On Tuesday, Apple and Google, which operate the two most prominent app stores, did not offer TikTok or any other ByteDance-affiliated apps, such as Lemon8 or the video editing app CapCut, on their digital marketplaces. Heres what we know: Can Trump put a pause on the TikTok ban? The Justice Department is generally tasked with enforcing the laws of the federal government. But Trump does not have the power to overturn a law that Congress passed and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. The law does give the sitting president latitude on certain details, such as what would count as a qualified divesture of TikTok. But since an extension on a ban can only occur if significant progress has been made towards a sale of TikToks U.S. platform, its possible that Trumps order could face legal challenges. On Tuesday, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights organization that filed amicus briefs in support of TikToks legal challenge against the statute, said it believed it would be unconstitutional to ignore the law. There are no winners here, unless Congress repeals this law, David Greene, the organizations Civil Liberties Director, said in a statement. On Sunday, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas posted a message on X listing a number of state and federal agencies, and private entities, that might be willing to go to court to get the ban enforced. However, its unclear if anyone is planning to challenge Trump's order. The order also warns possible challengers that because of the national security interests at stake, attempts by parties to enforce the law represents an encroachment on the powers of the executive branch. Is TikTok going to be sold? Even if an extension faces and fails to withstand legal scrutiny, it will buy time for ByteDance and TikTok to figure out their next move. Trump on Monday said he is looking to have the U.S. government broker a deal for 50% control of TikTok, adding that every rich person has called him about acquiring the social media platform. A day prior, he proposed terms in which the U.S. would have a 50% stake in a joint venture that would be set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose. But the details remain murky, and it was unclear whether Trump was proposing control of the app by the government or another U.S. entity. According to TikTok, roughly 60% of the privately-held ByteDance is owned by global investors, such as General Atlantic and Susquehanna International Group. ByteDance employees and the companys founder, Zhang Yiming, also each have a 20% stake. The technology company has not disclosed financial details for its subsidiaries, including TikToks global or U.S. operation. Even if an American company can acquire a 50% stake in TikTok, its unclear how a Trump-orchestrated transaction would address some of the national security concerns that led lawmakers and the Biden administration to push for a divestment. For example, Trump has not addressed whether he will allow ByteDance to keep controlling the TikTok algorithm that fuels what users see on the platform. The algorithm, which is updated and maintained by ByteDance engineers in China, has been one of the main concerns among supporters of the law. Trump's executive order notes the administration must have a review period to assess government intelligence and the steps TikTok has taken to address Washington's concerns. What happens next? Most likely, lots of negotiations about the future of TikTok. Last year, Beijing called the push in Washington to require a divestment of TikTok a robbers act. But on Monday, China signaled a possible softening of its stance. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that business operations and acquisitions should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, Chinas laws and regulations should be observed, Mao said on Monday. Trump has threatened to slap tariffs as high as 100% on Chinese goods if Beijing refuses to allow a sale of TikTok. If China doesn't approve the deal, Trump said on Monday he would consider it somewhat of a hostile act. After the law was passed last year, ByteDance said it did not have any plans to sell TikTok and then fought a legal battle against the statute for months. Representatives for the company and TikTok did not immediately respond Tuesday on whether they are willing to cut ties with each other within the new 75-day extension period. In a note, Gabriel Wildau, a managing director of the Teneo consultancy, wrote that if amicable negotiations happen, Beijing might ultimately approve the export of TikToks algorithm. However, a sale that excludes that technology might be more feasible legally and technically, Wildau wrote. Previously, Teneo had made a case that Beijing would not allow ByteDance to sell TikTok because of its concern for national dignity. This is all a game of high-stakes poker, said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. TikTok is a chip on the table in broader U.S.-China negotiations. On Tuesday, Trump was asked whether hes installed the app on his phone. The U.S. government has banned it from federal devices due to concerns it could lead to spying by Chinese intelligence agencies. No but I think I might put it there, said Trump, who credits the platform with helping him win more youth votes during last year's presidential election. During his first term, he tried to ban TikTok, calling it a national security threat. _________________________ Associated Press writer Didi Tang contributed to this story. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Harvard University on Tuesday settled Title VI lawsuits civil rights accusing the Ivy League school of responding insufficiently to antisemitism on campus. Todays settlement reflects Harvards enduring commitment to ensuring our Jewish students, faculty, and staff are embraced, respected, and supported, a Harvard spokesperson told the Harvard Crimson university paper. The settlement, for an undisclosed sum, closes two lawsuits citing Title VI, which bars discrimination at federally funded educational institutions on the basis of race, color, or national origin. One filed in January 2024, from a coalition of students, alleged an atmosphere of severe and pervasive antisemitism on campus, citing a student groups who wrote in a much-viewed statement that Israel was entirely responsible for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that started the present conflict. It also pointed to what it called mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty staging protests and occupying campus buildings after the war broke out. One of the plaintiffs from that suit did not accept the settlement and plans to continue litigation. Another suit, from the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, filed in May 2024, made similar claims, arguing Harvard didnt do enough to quickly respond to the Hamas attack, and pointed to allegations of antisemitism in a Harvard Kennedy School classroom and a viral confrontation between an Israel Harvard Business School Student and pro-Palestinian demonstrators the previous October. Under the terms of the settlement, Harvard will adopt a widely used but controversial definition of antisemitism from the International Holocuast Remembrance Association, which labels some criticisms of Zionism and Israel as inherently antisemitic, including arguments which claim the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour and apply double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. The definition is already in use at places like the U.S. State Department and in some European governments, but speech advocates have warned that further applying it will chill legitimate criticism of Israel and its war in Gaza, which has been accused in international court of being a genocide. In November, the ACLU warned Congress against a bill that would see the Department of Education adopt the definition for future civil rights investigations. Instead of addressing antisemitism on campus, this misguided legislation would punish protected political speech, Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, said in a statement at the time. At a time when civil rights enforcement on campus could not be more critical, this bill risks politicizing these vital protections by censoring legitimate political speech that criticizes the Israeli government. The bill eventually passed the House last Congress, and was reintroduced today. In the weeks leading up to the Trump inauguration, multiple high-profile universities accused of antisemitism have settled lawsuits, including the University of California system and Brown University. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump threatened to pull funding and accreditation from schools that allow what he called antisemitic propaganda, and to deport foreign student protesters. He has also nominated New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be his UN ambassador, who aggressively questioned university presidents, including the then-president of Harvard Claudine Gay, about antisemitism during a hearing in the House in 2023. Gay later resigned, in part over allegations she didnt do enough to combat antisemitism on campus. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new fire in Southern California has exploded from 500 acres to more than 8,000 in just a few hours, prompting new evacuation orders for an area already reeling from blazes that have raged and destroyed thousands of homes. The Hughes Fire grew rapidly near Castaic Lake, after it sparked around 10:53 a.m. PST Wednesday. Crews on the ground and in the sky attacked the flames, which were spreading over 23 football fields every minute, according to ABC 7. It is 0 percent contained. That ones gonna go nuclear. Its big, wildfire expert Jacob Weigler told The New York Post. Weigler said he had been in contact with colleagues near the scene and that an initial equipment request from fire services indicated a potentially massive disaster. open image in gallery Vehicles drive on a highway and a cloud of smoke rises in the background as firefighters battle the Hughes Fire north of Santa Clarita, California, on Wednesday. The blaze quickly grew to more than 5,000 acres amid critical fire weather ( REUTERS ) Roughly 19,000 people were being evacuated south and west of the fire, officials told KTLA, with thousands more under evacuation warnings. Home to more than 18,000 people, Castaic is located near Castaic Lake, a 12,658-acre reservoir that supplies water to the Los Angeles area. The nearby city of Santa Clarita has more than 224,000 residents. It is known for its Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park. Several schools were forced to close. As many of you may know, a vegetation fire is currently burning on the east side of Castaic Lake, an alert sent by the William S. Hart Union High School District to Castaic High families read, according to The Signal. We have been reassured by our law enforcement and fire partners that the school is currently not in any danger. Out of an abundance of caution, and as a result of poor air conditions, we will be ceasing all school activities for the day immediately. Students will be dismissed to leave at 11:40 a.m. open image in gallery A map shows the Hughes Fire and affected communities near Santa Clarita, California. The wildfire has rapidly grown amid windy and dry conditions ( Cal Fire ) I-5 was affected by thick smoke, and offramps along the artery were shut down. Drivers looking to escape the fire were met with gridlock traffic, Fox 11 said. Images from Oxnard showed yellow-tinged skies and a blood-orange sun. The urgency is definitely there. You think youre ready, but youre never ready. Youre never really ready to go, resident David Monroe told ABC 7. ...It hits you fast. Gov. Gavin Newsom said that state resources had been deployed to assist in the federal response. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire, he wrote in a post on social media. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but forecasters had warned of more critical fire weather affecting the region through Thursday. The Hughes Fire was not the first fire start of the day. The seven-acre Bernardo Fire in San Diego County also forced evacuations. It is now 25 percent contained, according to CBS 8. open image in gallery Plumes of smoke rise as the Hughes Fire burns in Castaic, California, on Wednesday. The fire is at 0 percent containment ( AP ) The new fires come as progress continues to be made to contain the deadly and devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires that tore through parts of Los Angeles last week. The Eaton Fire is now 91 percent contained, and the Palisades is nearly 70 percent contained. The early January fires resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people, with entireneighborhoods burned to the ground. Recovery and relief efforts in affected areas are still underway. After months without precipitation, local officials warned weekend rain could cause debris flows in burn scar areas, with hazardous consequences to human health. As the fires have settled, new challenges lie ahead, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday news conference. Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real. With reporting from The Associated Press The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Have an online side hustle? Making thousands on eBay or Etsy? Be careful this filing season: the Internal Revenue Service is cracking down on unreported online income. Any person who earned more than $5,000 on selling tickets, instruments and other goods and services online in 2023 will receive a 1099-K tax form this month. Online platforms including Etsy and eBay typically only sent these forms to users who earned more than $20,000 in previous years, The Wall Street Journal reports. open image in gallery When selling personal items on sites like eBay, you will only pay taxes if you sell items for more than you bought them ( Getty Images ) Now, millions more Americans will receive the form compared to previous years, the paper reports. While taxpayers are always required to report income, many underreported their online income when no forms were sent, according to the Journal. Now, the IRS is cracking down in an effort to keep people honest about their online income. The IRS wants to get the message out that theyre enforcing it, Bryan Skarlatos, a criminal tax lawyer, told the outlet. Even if youre below this years threshold, youre still not in the clear. It will only go down from here, as the IRS will implement a $2,500 threshold in 2025 and a final $600 threshold in 2026. There are also different rules for those running a business online and those selling personal items on platforms like e-Bay. All business owners must report their income, regardless of whether your earnings come from online platforms or not. But if youre selling personal items for less than you paid for them, you wouldnt owe tax, even if you receive a 1099-K you would only be required to disclose the sales, the Journal reports. However, if you sell personal items and make a profit, you must report it as a capital gain on Form 8949 and Schedule D. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump issued an indefinite hiring freeze for the IRS Monday, which will remain in place until his administration determines that it is in the national interest to hire again. Taxpayers shouldnt be immediately concerned about this having an outsized impact on their filing, Dr. Steven Hamilton, an economics professor at George Washington University who specializes in public finance, previously told The Independent. But Hamilton noted that the hiring freeze could impact wealthier individuals, because the agency may have fewer resources for auditing. A hiring freeze on the IRS is like reducing enforcement on high income individuals, he added. If you dont hire the people who could audit their returns more intensively...then they get away with more tax evasion. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A French-German author who lost family members in the Holocaust said he was shocked to see Elon Musks straight-arm gesture, which many have compared to a Nazi salute, at Donald Trumps inauguration. Mr Musk has drawn outrage from across Europe for delivering back-to-back gestures as he got on to the stage during his speech at Mr Trumps inauguration celebration. Mr Musk has not explicitly rejected those comparisons in social media posts since, though he tried to downplay it and lashed out at people making that interpretation. Michel Friedman, author and former deputy chair of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told the German newspaper Tagesspiegel that he saw the inauguration live on television and according to him, Mr Musk had unambiguously emulated the fascist salute when he shot his right arm in an angular direction with the palm facing down. I thought to myself, the breaking of taboos is reaching a point that is dangerous for the entire free world. The brutalisation, the dehumanisation, Auschwitz, all of that is Hitler, said Mr Friedman, who belongs to a family of Polish Jews. Most of his family, exluding his parents and grandmother, died in a Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade in Washington, DC, on 20 January, 2025 ( Getty Images ) A mass murderer, a warmonger, a person for whom people were nothing more than numbers fair game, not worth mentioning, Mr Friedman said, referring to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Mr Musk, who provided significant funding to the new US presidents successful campaign and is tasked with running a meme-based government efficiency council, addressed supporters of the president from the stage at Washingtons Capitol One Arena. While the crowd roared in approval, the worlds richest man told MAGA supporters he wanted to say thank you for making it happen before emphatically slapping his right hand into his chest. At that point, he threw his right arm diagonally into the air, fingers together, and his palm down. The Tesla CEO then turned around and repeated the gesture, this time towards the back of the stage where an American flag was hanging. My heart goes out to you, he added, putting his hand on his chest again. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you! Rather than outright denying that he meant to deploy the salute, Mr Musk said his critics needed better dirty tricks because attacking their political opponents as Nazis was sooo tired. The Anti-Defamation League, an antisemitism and human rights watchdog, also downplayed the inscident, calling it an awkward gesture and urging caution in jumping to conclusions. Mr Musk got into a social media feud with German chancellor Olaf Scholz after the latter said he does not support freedom of speech when it is used to air extreme-right views. "We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany. Everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire. And what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme-right positions," Mr Scholz said in Davos when asked about the incident. "Shame on Oaf Schitz," Mr Musk posted on X, the platform he owns. Kurt Braddock, a professor of communication at American University who studies extremism, radicalisation and terrorism, claimed the gesture was a fascist salute and people shouldnt doubt what they saw. I know what I saw, I know what the response to it was among elements of the extreme right including neo-Nazis, Mr Braddock said. And none of it is a laughing matter. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A former Tesla executive says he agreed to take a job working remotely for the electric carmaker, which then almost immediately went back on its word and threatened to fire him if he didnt relocate from his home in Southern California allegedly prompting the recurrence of an agonizing medical condition and threatening his marriage. In a lawsuit filed last month in state court and moved to federal court on Wednesday, compliance and operational risk specialist Mike Tully accuses Tesla of a heartless bait-and-switch after being promised and assured he wouldnt be required to move. The Irvine resident only accepted the position because of this guarantee, which came via his new boss, Associate General Counsel Charles Lee, according to the previously unreported complaint. Tesla lured the 55-year-old Tully away from Bank of America, where he had worked for 16 years, to join its corporate offices in Fremont, about 400 miles north of Irvine, the complaint states. It says Tully informed Tesla senior leadership that part of the deal for him to leave BofA was the promise that his role would remain remote. He made it patently clear to everyone at Tesla that [leaving] Irvine was not negotiable, and the relevant higher-ups vowed this would not be an issue, according to the complaint. When they subsequently reneged on the pledge, Tully, whose wife threatened to divorce him if he insisted on uprooting her and their two children, felt completely blindsided and misled by Tesla and its leadership team, the complaint says. open image in gallery Mike Tully was ordered to work out of Teslas massive Fremont, California location (above), roughly 400 miles from home, or move to Texas ( Getty Images ) Although Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk is not mentioned by name in the complaint, the billionaire MAGA disciple tasked by President-elect Donald Trump to slash massive portions of the federal budget has advocated loudly for government workers to return to the office five days a week. If federal employees dont want to show up, American taxpayers shouldnt pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home, Musk wrote in a recent op-ed for The Wall Street Journal. Only about 10 percent of federal workers are fully remote, according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Tesla officials, along with the in-house employment litigation attorney handling the companys defense, did not respond on Thursday to requests for comment. In a January 10 court filing responding to Tullys complaint, the company moved to dismiss the case and have it ordered to binding arbitration, citing the terms of Tullys employment agreement. Tesla also argued that all purportedly wrongful conduct alleged by [Tully] was necessitated due to business necessity. Tully started at Tesla on April 11, 2022, providing legal support services to Lee and the companys board, assisting with international audits, and ensuring compliance with state regulations for the EV makers insurance offerings, according to the complaint. Things were going well, and Tully received excellent performance reviews, the complaint contends. open image in gallery Teslas return-to-office policy is similar to the one co-founder and CEO Elon Musk wishes to impose on federal workers, as an adviser and major financial backer of incoming President Donald Trump ( Getty Images ) However, two months into the job, Tully was informed that his position was no longer permitted to be remote, and he was required under a return-to-office mandate to relocate to a Tesla-approved Finance site, which was either the Fremont office or a Texas location, the complaint states. He was informed that if he failed to relocate, he would be terminated. Alarmed, Tully, who had been given a December 2022 deadline to move, went directly to Lee and reminded him of their arrangement. He explained that his family owned a business in Irvine, which his wife managed, and that his children attended college locally, the complaint continues. It says he told Lee he would evaluate his options and try to work out a plan with his family, but that, in all candor, relocating was unlikely. Convincing his wife to start over in Texas was a virtual nonstarter, and renting a second home in the extremely costly San Francisco Bay Area while commuting home on weekends was financially untenable, the complaint goes on. Around this time, Tully learned that other staffers in the department had been granted exceptions to the return-to-office mandate, and would be permitted to work from offices closer to home, according to the complaint. As a compromise, Tully suggested he work out of an office Tesla kept in the Irvine area, but, [w]ithout explanation, he was told this was not an option and he would have to move hundreds of miles away, the complaint states. It says Tullys family did not support the relocation, and his wife threatened him with divorce if he did so. open image in gallery Mike Tully claims he was forced to choose between his marriage and his job ( Getty Images ) The stress of the situation exacerbated Tullys Crohns and Irritable Bowel Disease, which had rarely acted up during his tenure at BofA, according to the complaint. Flareups were now becoming increasingly common, causing inflammation and intestinal blockage that led to septic attacks and toxic buildup in his system, and leaving Tully bedridden, in agonizing pain, for days on end, the complaint says. When December rolled around, Tully and his Tesla overlords were still at loggerheads, the complaint alleges, describing Lee as inflexible about the relocation issue. Painted into a corner, Tully went to HR and filled them in on his medical condition, according to the complaint. In a last-ditch effort to save his job, Tully asked for an accommodation that would allow him to remain at Tesla while minimizing stress to keep his Crohns and IBD under control, the complaint states. They discussed various options, such as a nearby office or moving [Tully] to another division within the company that was within an easier commute distance, it says. [The HR exec] stated he understood the concern, and he would get back to him. The next day, Tully was summarily fired, according to the complaint. At noon, he was invited to a video conference call with [HR] and Mr. Lee, who stated they could not work out the logistics to allow him to remain in Irvine and therefore, since he had failed to relocate, he was terminated, it says. Tully is asking a jury to award him punitive, economic, and special damages, along with injunctive relief enjoining Tesla from engaging in the unlawful, fraudulent and/or unfair practices, policies and patterns alleged in his complaint, plus attorneys fees. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump on Tuesday is announcing investments worth up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out projects needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. Joining Trump for the announcement fresh off his inauguration will be Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. Son, a billionaire based in Japan, already committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. The head of SoftBank previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trump's first term, which included a large stake in the troubled office-sharing company WeWork. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout in data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work but also the risk of displacing jobs if poorly implemented. Last October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. Those estimates for investments suggest that much of the new capital will go through Stargate as OpenAI has established itself as a sector leader with the 2022 launch of its ChaptGPT, a chatbot that captivated the public imagination with its ability to answer complex questions and perform basic business tasks. The White House has put an emphasis on making it easier to build out new electricity generation in anticipation of AI's expansion, knowing that the United States is in a competitive race against China to develop a technology increasingly being adopted by businesses. Still, the regulatory outlook for AI remains somewhat uncertain as Trump on Monday overturned the 2023 order signed by then-President Joe Biden to create safety standards and watermarking of AI-generated content, among other goals, in hopes of putting guardrails on the technology's possible risks to national security and economic well-being. CBS News first reported that Trump would be announcing the AI investment. Trump supporter Elon Musk, worth more than $400 billion, was an early investor in OpenAI but has since challenged its move to for-profit status and has started his own AI company, xAI. Musk is also in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency created formally on Monday by Trump with the goal of reducing government spending. Trump previously in January announced a $20 billion investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates to build data centers tied to AI. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Barron Trumps tailor praised the 18-year-olds smarts, personality and fashion knowledge as he gushed about the presidents youngest son who has become a favorite among the MAGA following. Hes this super-bright kid. Hes well beyond his years in terms of experience, knowledge, history. Hes just very fascinating to talk to, tailor Nathan Pearce said. Barron was cheered loudly during a rally on Monday when introduced and was featured prominently in his fathers swearing-in. At the Capitol ceremony he wore a Bespoke suit as he stood next to his mother, Melania, near Donald as he took the oath of office. The New York University freshman worked with Pearce Bespoke founder and CEO Nathan Pearce to find the perfect suit for the special occasion. The duo connected through social media influencer Justin Waller. Justin said he wanted to introduce me to Barron. Literally a week later I was on a flight down to Mar-a-Lago, Nathan Pearce told Womens Wear Daily. Barron also flew down to Louisiana, where Pearces company is based, and reviewed linings, fabrics and buttons for his clothes, according to the outlet. open image in gallery Barron Trump arrives before his fathers second inauguration. The NYU student has a dry sense of humor and is quite intelligent, according to his tailor ( AP ) The NYU student boasted a dark blue suit and a matching tie at Mondays ceremony. Hair slicked back above a blank expression, Barron stood out next to his seatmate, the overly-animated First Buddy Elon Musk. The custom suitmaker said he has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Barron over the last year or two. Hes hilarious. But as I said, hes super-sharp. You put him in a room with star businessmen and he will hold his own. He can talk to them all day because hes witty, smart and has a dry sense of humor, Pearce added. You know what is another word I would say [about Barron]? Hospitable. He is down-to-earth, nice as can be and hospitable, Pearce said about Barron who constantly thanked him. Pearce expressed gratitude that the presidents youngest son wanted to work with him. I recognize that Barron Trump could be choosing from tailors all over the world, and he chose me and Pearce Bespoke. Im super-grateful and super-proud of that, Pearce said. open image in gallery Social media users have pointed out that Barron Trump and Elon Musk brought very different energy to the inauguration proceedings ( MSNBC ) At the inauguration in his new suit, Barron seemed to have no trouble talking to some of the worlds most influential people, having chatted with billionaire Jeff Bezos, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for half an hour at Trumps Inauguration Day Luncheon, Reuters reported. But it was Musk and Barrons interactions that captured the attention of many. Some social media users pointed out how the pair exuded drastically different vibes during the event. Who decided to put @elonmusk and Barron Trump beside of each other. The difference in energy is hilarious, one social media user wrote. Barron looked incredibly uncomfortable the entire time. This is what cringe looks like, another remarked. As an introvert, completely relatable. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The White House has sent more than 150 civil service experts home from key roles at the National Security Council while Trump administration officials decide whether they are sufficiently loyal to the president and supportive of his agenda. Trump National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, a former Florida congressman who resigned from the House of Representatives to take up his White House post on Monday, ordered the 160 detainees federal workers from agencies such as the State Department, CIA, and Defense Department to work from home and be available for consultations with political appointees if needed while the new administration decides who, if anyone, will be asked to remain. The career employees who serve at the NSC typically do so for several years at a time and are meant to provide expertise and institutional knowledge at the White House office responsible for foreign policy and national security advice to the president and his top aides. Waltz had previously indicated a desire to purge the NSC of so-called holdovers who served during the previous Biden administration, citing a desire to ensure that those working there are loyal to Trumps agenda. During Trumps first term, two serving Army officers detailed to the NSC from the Pentagon twin brothers Alexander and Eugene Vindman became embroiled in the House investigation that led to Trumps first impeachment after Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert, listened to Trump threaten to withhold military aid to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unless the Ukrainian leader announced sham investigations into then-former vice president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Eugene Vindman, left, and his brother Alexander, right, were central figures in the 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump. Eugene Vindman is now a congressman representing a district in Virginia ( Getty Images ) After he was acquitted in his first impeachment trial, Trump ordered both Vindmans to be fired and escorted from the White House. The incident hardened Trumps distrust for career government workers, who he has often derided as a deep state. But a National Security Council official told The Independent that the NSC will continue to be staffed by a combination of career experts and political appointees. In a statement, NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes confirmed that Waltz had promised and authorized a full review of NSC personnel and called it entirely appropriate for him to ensure NSC personnel are committed to implementing President Trumps America First agenda to protect our national security and wisely use the tax dollars of Americas working men and women. Waltzs predecessor, Jake Sullvan, told reporters last month that he considered the career staff at the NSC to be patriots who are dedicated to the national interests of this country and have served without fear or favor for both Democratic and Republican administrations. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that Trump transition officials had questioned career NSC staff about their political affiliation and voting history. But Hughes, the Trump NSC spokesperson, flatly denied that any such questioning was taking place when asked by The Independent. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Georgia Congressman Mike Collins has called for the deportation of the bishop who urged Donald Trump to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants. Trumpworld has erupted in the wake of Episcopal Bishop Mariann Buddes direct appeal to the president in the inaugural prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C on Tuesday, just two days into his second term. Sharing a clip of the sermon on X, Collins called for Budde to be added to the deportation list, a day after Trump began signing a deluge of executive orders related to immigration. The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list, the GOP congressman wrote on Tuesday. Budde was born in New Jersey in 1959 and is a U.S. citizen therefore, she cannot be deported. It is not clear how Collins plans for Budde to be deported, nor where she should be deported to. The Independent has contacted his press office for clarification. open image in gallery Mike Collins, photographed in Georgia's 10th Congressional District republican primary election runoff debatein June 2022, has lashed out at Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde on Tuesdsay ( Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The Trump and Vance clans sat stony-faced in the front rows of the nave, as the softly-spoken bishop issued her warning. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now, Budde said. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. She continued: The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Upon finishing her sermon, Trump said something to Vance which caused him to shake his head. Leaving the cathedral, reporters asked the president what he made of the service. Not too exciting, was it. I didnt think it was a good service. No, they can do much better, he was recorded saying. open image in gallery Trump stands near Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde as he attends the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington on January 21 ( REUTERS ) Meanwhile, in a fiery rant on TruthSocial late on Tuesday, Trump wrote that Budde owes the public an apology. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump wrote on Truth Social. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.... She and her church owe the public an apology! Vice President JD Vance is yet to comment on Buddes remarks. Trumps attack followed harsh criticism of the bishop from his MAGA faithful earlier in the day. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville condemned Buddes speech in a Newsmax interview Tuesday. For this Bishop to do this to President Trump after a weekend of talking about God more than ever, talking about how he was spared to give an opportunity maybe to change this country back to something that should be it just absolutely amazes me how far these people go, he said on On Newsmaxs The Todd Starnes Show. open image in gallery Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service attended by President Donald Trump on Tuesday ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Fox News hosts also lashed out at Buddes comments and swooped to the defence of the president. She made the service about her very own deranged political beliefs with a disgraceful prayer full of fear-mongering and division, longtime Trump ally and Hannity host, Sean Hannity said. While Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham, added: But rather than a Christian service about God and country, they were forced to listen to the rantings of a lunatic. Budde later addressed the controversy in an appearance on CNN, claiming that she was reminding us all that in the people that are frightened in our country. She continued: The two groups of people that I mentioned are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign, in the harshest of lights. Its not the first time Budde has spoken out about Trump. During the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C in June 2020, she lambasted against the National Guard and polices use tear gas to disperse crowds at the St. Johns Episcopal Church. It was to allow for Trump to have a photo op, which the bishop described as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Furious MAGA supporters have inundated the Episcopal Diocese of Washingtons social media after Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde stood up to Donald Trump at a National Prayer Service. MAGA faithful have overwhelmed the churchs Facebook page by leaving over 100 negative reviews in the last 24 hours and angrily commenting on posts, which have been limited by admins. On Tuesday, Budde called on Trump to have mercy for the scared LGBT+ children and immigrant families across the country when the president and his family attended the service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Trump hit back in an unhinged rant on Truth Social where he branded the bishop as a nasty and Radical Left hard line Trump hater. His supporters have called for Budde to resign on the churchs Facebook page and branded the place of worship a fake church. open image in gallery The president branded Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde as a nasty and Radical Left hard line Trump hater ( REUTERS ) This church is a fake church, one person wrote in a review. Never have I heard a sermon that is so political. This church is one of example of cults they use the name of God and Jesus Christ for other agendas. Beware of false prophets. I dont who this bishop thought they were. You dont reprimand a sitting President of the United States, another person vented. She used a church service to vent her political views. She should be removed from the Diocese. I find this Bishop a disgrace after the stunt she pulled in front of President Trump, someone else posted. You clearly dont know the word of God by your teachings and should resign in disgrace! This church does not teach from the Bible, but instead spreads its own woke agenda, charged another. One supporter simply referred to the bishop as BISHOP SATAN. open image in gallery Trump supporters left angry reviews on the church Facebook page ( Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook ) open image in gallery People are calling for the bishop to resign ( Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook ) But the page has also received positive comments countering the hateful reviews. Thank you for restoring some faith in Christian leadership, someone wrote, while another said: Thank you for standing up to a bully. Just turn off the comments. MAGA is full of hate and only want to bring you down, someone else said, while another added: Warm, inclusive, doing the work of Christ in the World. The Independent has contacted the Episcopal Diocese of Washington for comment. The church yesterday shared a letter from Episcopal leaders on the new administrations immigration executive orders. open image in gallery There were over 100 angry reviews left in the last 24 hours ( Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook ) open image in gallery A person accuses the church of being pure evil ( Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook ) Hours before Buddes service, Trump signed a slew of executive orders, many of which included hard-line immigration policies such as ending birthright citizenship while another denied the existence of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people throughout the government. Even as we gave thanks for a peaceful transfer of power, we learned from news reports that the new presidential administration has issued a series of executive orders that are a harbinger of President Trumps pledge to deport undocumented immigrants at a historic scale, restrict asylum, and direct other immigration actions, the church leaders responded in the letter. We read this news with concern and urge our new president and congressional leaders to exercise mercy and compassion, especially toward law-abiding, long-term members of our congregations and communities; parents and children who are under threat of separation in the name of immigration enforcement; and women and children who are vulnerable to abuse in detention and who fear reporting abuse to law enforcement, it added. Budde said at the service, addressing Trump: There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families some who fear for their lives. She added: I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Trump did not immediately respond to Buddes comment in anger. During the service, he merely looked on awkwardly. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy With President Donald Trumps return to the White House, there may be some changes made to the child tax credit. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the child tax credit has been capped at $2,000 per eligible child, double that of the 2016 tax year. During the pandemic, that figure was up to $3,600. With Trumps tax legislation set to expire at the end of this year, what will happen to the child tax credit remains unclear. Tax attorney Adam Brewer told Nexstar that Congressional action is required or the child tax credit will revert to $1,000 per child. There is bipartisan support to keep the Child Tax Credit at $2,000, so that provision will most likely be extended, he added. Should that not occur, then as 2025 winds [down] taxpayers with children should evaluate whether to increase income tax withholding or estimated tax payments. The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing this month, where Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick noted that the credit helps about 40 million families each year. He also invited Virginia mother Margaret Maple to speak at the hearing. As a stay-at-home mom and raising kids at home, theres a lot of pressure at every angle, and a big one is financial, she said, according to Nexstar. It influences your marriage. It influences all your decisions, especially grocery shopping and trying to meet [the] needs [of] your growing family. The child tax credit is a powerful form of communication, where the government communicates to people like me working behind the scenes, that my job raising kids is important to the stability and the prosperity of our country, she added. Trumps 2017 tax legislation capped the child tax credit at $2,000, but it remains to be seen if he reverts it to a previously lower amount. ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) During the 2024 campaign, both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, supported the tax credit but differed on who should receive it. Childhood poverty remains a significant issue in the U.S., with the group most likely to face poverty and eviction being children under the age of five. More than one in six people under 18 live below the federal poverty line, according to government figures. At the same time, the cost of groceries, childcare, and housing are on the rise, making it more expensive to raise children. At this time, the child tax credit hands families a $2,000 discount on their tax bill for every child under the age of 17 that they care for. For families who pay less than $2,000 in income taxes, they get a smaller benefit, while parents who arent working get no benefit. Harris noted her support for a plan that would incorporate monthly payments instead of a tax refund, which would include benefits for non-working parents and those who paid no income taxes. While some Republicans backed the child tax credit, they pushed back against the notion of handing payments to non-working parents. Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said it would amount to cash welfare instead of relief for working taxpayers. The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, said during a hearing earlier this month that The last thing families need is to see Washington slashing their child tax credit in half, according to CNBC. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 restricted the refundable part of the child tax credit, which led to a reduction in the benefits for lower-income families with no taxes to pay. The vice president for federal tax policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Chuck Marr, told CNBC, The child tax credit is upside down because it gives more benefits to higher-income people than lower-income people. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The stock price of Trump Media & Technology Group plummeted during the first full day of President Donald Trumps second term, dropping more than 11 percent in a single day. A share of Trump Media, which sells under the ticker DJT, was worth just over $35 on Tuesday afternoon. On Friday, it was worth more than $40, about the same as after the assassination attempt that saw Trump get shot in the ear in July last year. The share price has dropped more than 28 percent over the course of the last year. Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, isnt the only Trump-connected entity seeing its price drop. Trump launched a crypto coin just days before taking office, the price of which dropped on Tuesday after initially rallying. Trumps meme coin, going under the name $TRUMP, fell 29 percent Tuesday. Memecoins are a kind of digital currency whose value is unconnected to financial metrics, instead depending on investors feelings or cultural trends. Investing in meme coins tends to be a highly volatile option. First Lady Melania Trump also launched a meme coin on January 17, the same day as Trump. Her meme coin had a more dramatic drop on Tuesday, 51 percent, according to Fortune. The president and the first lady launched their coins on the blockchain Solana. Donald Trump signs numerous executive orders, including pardons for defendants from the January 6th riots and a delay on the TikTok ban, on the first day of his presidency in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 20 January 2025. The stock price of Trump media plummeted during his first full day back in office ( EPA ) Former Trump Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, now a vocal Trump critic, wrote on X that the most dangerous thing for [the] country about [the] Trump coin is what comes next. Now anyone in [the] world can essentially deposit money into [the] bank account of [the] President of [the] USA with a couple [of] clicks. Every favor - geopolitical, corporate or personal - is now on sale, right out in the open. Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna argued on X that Elected officials must be barred from having meme coins by law. Meme coins are highly speculative and like gambling must be regulated by the SEC. They are neither neutral money (not controlled by insiders) nor platforms for innovation. A founding partner at the crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures, Nic Carter, told Politico that hes an avowed and explicit Trump supporter but added that Its absolutely preposterous that he would do this. Theyre plumbing new depths of idiocy with the memecoin launch, he added. The share price of Trump Media shot up following Trumps election victory, only to come straight back down. The president owns about 114.5 million shares in Trump Media, which is valued at about $4 billion, Fortune noted. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump has suggested that far-right militias such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers may have a role to play in public life. Trump was asked during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room on Tuesday if theres room for the leaders of such groups in the political conversation. Well have to see, Trump said. I thought the sentences for them were ridiculous and excessive, he added. Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was just released from his 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy following Trumps pardons and commutations for January 6 rioters. At least [in] the cases we looked at, these were people that actually love our country, Trump added. Tarrio appeared on Alex Joness InfoWars last night, just hours after leaving prison. We went through hell and Im gonna tell you, it was worth it, said Tarrio. Because what we stood for was what weve been fighting for, and what we saw yesterday on the inauguration stage. open image in gallery Trump issued roughly 1,500 sweeping pardons for January 6 rioters - and commuted the sentences of 14. ( Getty Images ) He suggested that people like Pam Bondi, the nominee for attorney general, and Kash Patel, the nominee to lead the FBI, and the rest of Trumps cabinet should right all these wrongs The people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars. Several Republican senators attempted to avoid answering questions about the January 6 pardons and blamed former President Joe Biden for using the pardon power excessively. Were not looking backward were looking forwards, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, according to CBS. Ive said this before Biden laid forth the most massive use of the pardon power that weve seen in history. Both Bidens and Trumps use of the clemency power has done significant damage to public trust. I think the expectation now is that a departing president in the last hour of serving in office pardons every family member, hanger-on, et cetera, for whatever they did, St. Johns University constitutional scholar John Barrett told Politico. This kind of green-lights going for it as a crook. Trump issued pardons on Monday for almost all of the defendants charged with taking part in the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump issued about 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 defendants. open image in gallery Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio had his 22-year sentence commuted by Trump - and has now called for retribution. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The president faced an indictment for his role in the riot as part of Special Counsel Jack Smiths investigation into his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. However, the case was dismissed after Trump won the election. Smith stated in his final report that Trump had inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence. Tarrio was one of the most well-known figures to be pardoned on Monday. The former leader of the right-wing extremist group, the Proud Boys, received the longest sentence in the January 6 cases. Tarrio wasnt at the Capitol, but prosecutors argued that he retained control over the Proud Boys at the time and that he took credit for what they did. Meanwhile, Trump commuted the sentence of the founder of the far-right militia the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2023 for seditious conspiracy following his actions helping to lead a plot to stop the certification of the 2020 election results. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Elon Musk is now responding to the controversy he sparked when he delivered back-to-back gestures during his speech at Donald Trumps inauguration celebration, which many saw as him performing a Nazi salute. Rather than outright deny that he was emulating a fascist salute when he shot his right arm in an angular direction with the palm facing down, the Tesla CEO and first buddy instead said his critics needed better dirty tricks because attacking their political opponents as Adolf Hitler is sooo tired. Following Trumps swearing-in ceremony, Musk who provided significant funding to the presidents successful campaign and is tasked with running a meme-based government efficiency council took the stage at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., to sing Trumps praises in a short and excitable speech. While the crowd roared in approval, the worlds richest man told the MAGA supporters he wanted to say thank you for making it happen before emphatically slapping his right hand into his chest. At that point, he threw his right arm diagonally into the air, fingers together, and his palm down. With the audience going wild, the Tesla CEO turned around and repeated the salute, this time towards the back of the stage where an American flag was hanging above. My heart goes out to you, he added, putting his hand on his chest again. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you! open image in gallery Elon Musk is now responding to accusations that he gave a Nazi salute during a speech at Donald Trumps inauguration celebration. ( AFP via Getty Images ) With the Anti-Defamation League defining a Nazi salute as raising an outstretched right arm with the palm down, and Musk having already come under fire for sympathizing with extremists and far-right political parties with neo-Nazi ties, the reaction to the gesture was swift and severe. On top of that, the backlash comes after Democrats repeatedly warned during the campaign that a Trump victory would lead to fascism. During CNNs inaugural coverage, anchors Erin Burnett and Kasie Hunt noted that Musk had given an odd-looking salute that was evocative of things that we have seen through history and not something you typically see at American rallies. The network also immediately replayed the moment, saying their viewers are smart and can take a look at it. Others, however, felt what they had just seen was explicitly clear. Our new co-president Elon Musk gives a Nazi salute on day one of Trump presidency, Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett tweeted while sharing a clip of the X (formerly Twitter) owner. Yeah Elon gave a Sieg Heil, another user posted on Bluesky. Spains deputy prime minister even quit X over the salute. Additionally, other observers noted that Musk was performing a Roman salute and that far-right extremists were excited over the gesture being aired to a television audience of millions. While the Roman salute was initially performed by soldiers in the ancient empire as a greeting to commanders to show loyalty and respect, it was later adopted by the Italian fascist regime and a form of it was eventually used by Nazi Germany. Historians of fascism and neo-Nazism also weighed in following Musks speech, saying that they believed Musks gesture was a sieg heil and that viewers should believe your eyes. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, added: "Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too." open image in gallery Musk was hardly the only tech billionaire to enjoy a choice seat at Trumps inauguration on Monday ( AP ) Defenders of Musk pushed back, however, suggesting that the gesture was just another example of the tech billionaire exhibiting social awkwardness on a big stage. As a person with a *strong* track record of criticizing Elon Musk, I feel extremely confident asserting that this was not a Nazi salute. Elon Musk is a friend to the Jews, Newsweek opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon claimed. This is a man with Aspergers exuberantly throwing his heart to the crowd. We dont need to invent outrage. The ADL, which Musk had previously threatened to sue for accusing him of platforming antisemitism, also ran to the tech moguls defense. The organization and its chief, Jonathan Greenblatt, have been criticized for flip-flopping on Musk following the October 7 Hamas attacks and subsequently praising his leadership in fighting hate. This is a delicate moment. Its a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge, the ADL said in a statement. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Lets hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead. The organization waving off Musks gesture only sparked more backlash, prompting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to blast the group for defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity. This resulted in Musks top acolytes on X pushing back against the progressive lawmaker, leading to Musk finally weighing in on the outcry. She had just 100% lost her marbles, Musk posted after far-right influencer Ian Miles Cheong claimed Ocasio-Cortez was Jewsplaining hate speech to the league. open image in gallery The worlds richest man spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help Trump get re-elected ( REUTERS ) After another sympathetic account claimed that the salute hoax was part of the Democrats dirty tricks campaign, Musk replied: Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired. In addition, Musk also agreed with another pro-Musk account that stated: Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing? It didnt work during the election, its not working now, its tired, boring, and old material, youve burned out its effect, people dont feel shocked by it anymore, the wolf has been cried too many times. Meanwhile, the outrage over the salute comes amid a continued backlash over the mega-billlionaire endorsing the far-right Alternative for Deutschland, a German political party with ties to neo-Nazis and whose youth wing has been described as extremist by German intelligence agencies. Musk has also hosted the AfD leader for a sympathetic conversation on X. Furthermore, Musk recently changed his X username to Kekius Maximus and updated his profile to an edited picture of Pepe the Frog, a meme that had been co-opted by the alt-right and white supremacists in online spaces such as 4chan. And earlier this month, Musk who has backed far-right criminal Tommy Robinson while injecting himself into British politics criticized the U.K. judge who sentenced a man to seven years in prison for inciting anti-immigrant riots. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Elon Musk is not happy that his Wikipedia page now refers to the infamous gesture he demonstrated on Monday as a Nazi Salute . On Tuesday, the billionaire father of 12 called out the online encyclopedia site on X after the gesticulation he made at a rally at the Capital One Arena was referred to as a Nazi salute or fascist salute on his Wikipedia page something the Tesla/X CEO vehemently denies. Taking aim at Wikipedia co-founders Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Musk argued that the site had become an extension of left-wing media or the legacy media, a term that has been adopted as a derogatory way to refer to traditional media sources by the MAGA movement. Since legacy media propaganda is considered a valid source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!, he wrote on X . The worlds richest man, who has managed to become part of President Donald Trumps circle, went on in his diatribe to state: Defund Wikipedia until [the] balance is restored! But the South African tech boss, who has had online spats with Wales in the past , was met with a fierce response from the Wikipedia co-founder. Elon Musk's most bizarre moments from Donald Trump's inauguration. ( Tesla Owners Silicon Valley ) I think Elon is unhappy that Wikipedia is not for sale. I hope his campaign to defund us results in lots of donations from people who care about the truth. If Elon wanted to help, hed be encouraging kind and thoughtful intellectual people he agrees with to engage., Wales wrote on X Tuesday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also accused Musk of supporting extreme Right positions following the shocking signal, while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, reported The Telegraph . Musk has previously endorsed Germanys far-Right AfD party. On Musks page, the first mention of the derogatory term Nazi does not appear until at least halfway down where he is cited as a propagandist for spreading misinformation and right-wing conspiracy theories, a statement taken from the heavily fact-checked news outlet The Associated Press. The second reference to Musk and Nazism falls further down and Mondays gesticulation along with the disgusted response it received is mentioned alongside a gif of the incident. In the surreal clip, Musk is seen fiercely slapping his right hand over his heart, with a gritted facial expression. His fingers are spread wide and he extends his right arm out, diagonally and emphatically. He then does it again, this time at the same upward angle, with his palm down and fingers together to the crowds behind him. Musk then tells his audience "My heart goes out to you. It was not the only surprise on Monday as the world was left speechless at Trumps cataclysmic executive orders, which he ruled just hours after taking office. The Spectators Brendan ONeil called Musks gritted facial expression a synesthetic odd blend of love and anger in an op-ed Tuesday and asked readers to re-consider relating his behavior to Nazism as a little far-fetched. He insisted, however, that Musk is a complicated and not entirely sane character. Look, none of us knows whats going on in Musks mind. Im not convinced he himself knows half the time., he stated. At the other end of the debate, Charlie Warzel from The Atlantic spoke on behalf of the majority of the shocked world, asking Did He Actually Do That? Warzel was skeptical of labeling it as what the gesticulation appeared to be but cited Musks sinister track record as adequate justification. Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In the latest of his culture war attacks, new President Donald Trump has now put all federal DEI workers on paid leave - with the intention of firing them soon. The workers - its unclear how many there are in total - were put on leave immediately, according to the executive order signed on Tueday night. Employees are ordered to be notified about the leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The order also asks federal agencies for a plan by January 31 to dismiss the employees. llegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system, Trumps order read. The move is the latest from Trump to attack Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs that were started under former president Joe Biden. President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin. This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. open image in gallery President Donald Trump has signed new orders that end DEI employees in the federal government ( EPA ) The move revoked President Lyndon Johnsons decades-old protection of workers against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. The executive order also accused Biden of forcing discrimination programs into virtually all aspects of the federal government through diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Civil rights advocates have argued such programs are necessary to address longstanding inequities and structural racism. Trump has called the programs discrimination and insisted on restoring strictly merit-based hiring. Several federal departments had removed the webpages even before the memorandum. Trumps executive order also seeks to dissuade private companies that receive government contracts from hiring employees from marginalised backgrounds - what the order called illegal DEI discrimination and preferences - and asked government agencies to identify private companies that might be subject to civil investigation. Full details on how the Trump administration would enforce civil compliance investigations were not immediately available. open image in gallery Trump has signed several executive orders targeting former President Joe Bidens DEI policies since taking over the Oval Office earlier this week ( AP ) Prominent companies from Walmart to Facebook have already scaled back or ended some of their diversity practices in response to Trumps election and conservative-backed lawsuits against them. While many changes may take months or even years to implement, Trumps new anti-DEI agenda is more aggressive than his first. The executive order picks up where Trumps first administration left off: One of Trumps final acts during his first term was an executive order banning federal agency contractors and recipients of federal funding from conducting anti-bias training that addressed concepts like systemic racism. Biden promptly rescinded that order on his first day in office and issued a pair of executive orders outlining a plan to promote DEI throughout the federal government. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump followed through on his promise to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." Trump issued an executive order shortly after taking office to rename the gulf, and in February, the federal Board on Geographic Names formally changed the name of the body of water to the Gulf of America. Trump also ordered Denali the highest mountain in North America to return to its previous moniker, Mount McKinley. On Super Bowl Sunday, Trump flew over the gulf in Air Force One and declared it the first-ever Gulf of America Day. Trumps announcement comes at the same time as Republican Representative Buddy Carters new bill aiming to change the name of Greenland which is not under the authority of the U.S. to Red, White and Blueland. open image in gallery President Donald Trump, from right, speaks to reporters accompanied by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Burgum's wife Kathryn Burgum, aboard Air Force One where Trump signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 9 Gulf of America Day, as he travels from West Palm Beach, Fla. to New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Google Maps has already adjusted the name of the gulf for American users. The name of the gulf is now the Gulf of America on the app. Apple Maps has done the same. The Trump White House is reportedly punishing media outlets who dont recognize his executive order to change the name; the Associated Press claims one of its reporters was barred from a Trump event on Tuesday because the wire service did not refer to the gulf as the Gulf of America in one of its stories. Trump insisted earlier this year that the gulfs name should celebrate the U.S. rather than Mexico. The nations with the most "control" over the gulf are the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba, and for years have shared the body of water. The gulf serves as an important center of economic activity, including fishing, electricity generation, and shipping. Why does the gulf bear Mexico's name? It's actually not a reference to the modern state of Mexico, but rather to a Native American city bearing the same moniker, and it has borne that name for more than 400 years. Despite the fact that the gulf is shared by multiple nations, Trump recently said that the U.S. does the "most work" on the gulf, and insisted that the body of water should bear America's name "because it's ours." While ownership is up for debate, it's true that the U.S. has claimed control over much of the gulf. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea determined that U.S. territorial waters expand for 12 nautical miles from its shores, and the U.S. federal government manages the seas and the submerged parts of the Outer Continental Shelf as well. open image in gallery President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America because its ours ( AP ) Trump ally Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene previously said she planned to introduce legislation to change the name of the gulf, though it ultimately wasnt necessary due to Trumps executive order. The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted. Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats from foreign countries, she said at the time. Its our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and its what the entire world should refer to it as. Despite Trumps executive order requiring a name change in state and federal language, there is nothing forcing other nations to adhere to that decision. Trumps decision to rename the gulf may be part of a broader offensive against Mexico, which hes called "very dangerous" and "in a lot of trouble," citing drug trafficking and illegal immigration. However, most drug trafficking from Mexico is aimed at fulfilling consumer demand from Americans. Trump also proposed imposing tariffs on both Mexico and Canada if the nations do not meet his demands for stopping illegal immigration and curbing drug trafficking. He claimed that America's neighbors are responsible for significant amounts of drug and illegal immigrant crossings, but did not provide data or evidence for his claims. The president eventually backed off his tariff promises after his initial threats. If Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said she would ignore Trumps executive order, and urged other world leaders to do the same. She has, however, responded to his threats to impose tariffs, telling the former president that the cartel violence in Mexico and the instability it causes is fueled by American demand for illegal drugs and US-made weapons being smuggled into the country. Trump has proposed potential U.S. military incursions into Mexico to engage drug cartels, said he would name Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations, and elsewhere in Central America has accused Panama of overcharging U.S. shipping vessels for use of the Panama Canal. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Lawmakers in Huntington Beach voted unanimously to declare the city a non-sanctuary city while also issuing a fawning statement, pledging fealty to the Trump administration. In the 7-0 vote brought on by Mayor Pat Burns, city council members opted to take up a more stringent and hostile immigration policy in line with the federal government, the Trump Administration, and Border Czar Tom Homans work, a press release issued Wednesday read. Sanctuary cities are typically seen as more accessible to immigrants because they do not honor U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) detainer requests to hold criminal aliens who are already in their custody, according to the DHS and therefore view immigration as a benefit to the community. The surfers paradise has gradually become more conservative since 2023 after the city tried to replace Black History Month and Pride with the holidays Black Gold Jubilee to celebrate oil in the citys history, and Revolutionary and Civil War month, to pay homage by holding an re-enactment of the civil war in a public park. open image in gallery The Huntington Beach City council voted to declare the a non-sanctuary city with immediate effect ( Getty/iStock ) According to the US government census for the City of Huntington Beach, people who were born outside of the U.S. made up 16.4 percent of the population between 2019 to 2023. In the statement, Mayor Burns said: I am pleased the City Council unanimously supported my initiative. This will be another effective tool to combat crime and it will be a signal to would-be criminals, do not come to Huntington Beach. The band of councilors have taken the community by surprise and declared the citys new status with immediate effect . City Attorney Michael Gates praised the vote stating: In California in particular, fighting crime is difficult enough with the relaxed criminal laws and lack of enforcement. The State should get out of the way of local law enforcement, stop handcuffing our police officers and Californias cities, and get back to the business of protecting innocent citizens. open image in gallery Donald Trump signed a slew of controversial executive orders as soon as he was signed into office Mondau ( AP ) Emphatically, the State should not take a position of violating federal immigration laws or encouraging cities to violate federal immigration laws. Between 2021 and 2023, immigrants and children of immigrants represented over half of Californias workforce, according to the University of Southern Californias Equity Research Institute (ERI). In Huntington Beach City, 76% of immigrants were employed in 2021, according to the ERI. In the U.S. Election in November 2024, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won the Orange County vote by just over 2.5 percent winning 49.72 percent compared to Trump at 47.06%. However, Huntington Beach City voters opted for Republican candidate Lisa Lane Barnes who won 57.8 percent of the vote. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy CNN anchor Jim Acosta accused Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) on Wednesday of engaging in a game of whataboutism and refusing to take a stand on President Donald Trumps blanket pardons of January 6 rioters, all while wondering if Republicans were now betraying the blue. After months of flirting with the idea of releasing what he called the J6 hostages, Trump returned to the White House and decided to issue sweeping pardons to nearly 1,600 defendants who were convicted of crimes related to the violent Capitol riots, which were sparked by Trumps efforts to overturn his 2020 electoral loss. Among those given clemency included over 600 people who were charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers. Additionally, Trump either pardoned or commuted the sentences of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and 13 of their acolytes who were convicted of seditious conspiracy or other violent crimes related to the January 6 attack. This was despite Vice President JD Vance assuring the public that nobody who committed violence that day should receive a pardon. With Republicans struggling to defend the presidents unpopular decision, Acosta brought on Burchett and immediately began grilling him on whether he supported Trump pardoning far-right militia leaders convicted of assaulting police and planning an insurrectionist attack. Noting that he recently spoke to former Capitol police officer Harry Dunn and Rhodes ex-wife, who said they both now worried for their safety, the CNN anchor asked the congressman whether he agreed with Trumps decision to pardon violent people. open image in gallery CNN anchor Jim Acosta grills GOP Rep. Tim Burchett on whether he supports Donald Trumps pardons of violent January 6 rioters. ( CNN ) If they were truly violent, no. But do I know that they were? I dont know that, Burchett replied, prompting Acosta to fire back: What do you mean you dont know?! Were showing the footage on the air right now. You were there that day! The Tennessee lawmaker, meanwhile, instantly dodged that question by wondering why Acosta wasnt condemning the commutations Joe Biden gave to death row inmates before leaving office. This would set the stage for how the rest of the contentious interview would play out. With the CNN host repeatedly pressing Burchett to take a stand, the congressman falsely claimed that Trump didnt actually issue blanket pardons and instead refused to release several convicted felons who were charged with violent crimes. It appeared that Burchett was confused by the fact that the president commuted the sentences of Rhodes and other Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, which resulted in them being immediately released from prison. Trump has said he will continue to review those cases and decide if they deserve pardons. Were talking about the leader of the Oath Keepers, the leader of the Proud Boys. They should be released from prison?! Acosta wondered. What about the leader of the FBI? What about the FBI agents who were on the grounds who were in that mess? Burchett retorted, peddling the conspiracy theory that the insurrection was a false flag orchestrated by the feds to entrap MAGA supporters. Eventually, an exasperated Acosta pressed the far-right lawmaker on how Republicans can continue to claim they are champions of law enforcement in the face of Trump giving clemency to people who attacked police. What happened to Back the Blue? What happened to backing police officers? Your party has time and again said: We back the blue. It sounds like you let down the blue! It sounds like youre betraying the blue, Acosta emphatically declared. open image in gallery Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder, was released this week after spending the past three years in Cumberland, Maryland, at the Federal Correctional Institution ( Getty Images ) After Burchett deflected by bringing up the violent protests following the murder of George Floyd, falsely claiming that no one went to jail amid the riots that resulted in burned buildings and police cars. Wheres your crocodile tears for that, he huffed. Youre engaging in a game of whataboutism. People were obviously prosecuted, Acosta replied, only for the congressman to prove him right. Well, what about what you do at CNN every day! Burchett groused. What are you talking about what we do at CNN every day?! Acosta shot back. We didnt storm the Capitol. These people did! And President Trump let them out of jail! Why not just say: You were wrong, Mr. President? Why cant you say it? The back-and-forth would continue for several more minutes, with Burchett waving off Acostas questions about whether hes concerned if any of these pardoned criminals would re-offend by insisting theyll go back to jail unless Joe Biden appointed judges or Soros-backed district attorneys oversaw the cases. Meanwhile, when Burchett wasnt dodging Acostas questions, he insulted the anchor and his network with ad hominem attacks. This is not Fox, Congressman. You cant just spin a tale and pull the wool over peoples eyes. This is CNN. This is the news. We are asking you to come on and tell the truth, Acosta stated. And thats why more people are watching the Cartoon Network and Spongebob reruns right now, Jim, Burchett sneered. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has revealed the stark truth over a flurry of rumors that claimed he was planning to defect to the Republican party. Fetterman told Semafor Monday evening that the speculation was amateur hour ****. The Pennsylvania Democratic senator has enticed the rumors after several people were under the impression he was cozying up to Donald Trump. Its not gonna happen. And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to switch. I would make a pretty bad Republican, he said. Instead, he said, it was quite the opposite as he was merely trying to stir up positive relations with the opposition to facilitate progressive policy discussions. He went on to tell Semafor If they think, oh, its going to be like a Manchin or a Sinema play, thats just not true, and thats not going to happen, in reference to previous senators who left the Democratic Party but did not caucus meaning he did not attend a meeting with Republicans. open image in gallery Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has put several party-switch rumors to bed following Trump ally speculation ( ABC News ) Earlier this month, Fetterman took to X to state: Im not just a Senator for Democrats Im a Senator for all Pennsylvanians. His response came after he made a controversial visit to Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to work with Republicans on the Laken Riley Act a bill that requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting as well as his support for the Israeli government. During the height of the war on Gaza , Fetterman called out South Africa for bringing a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), calling it an appalling move. open image in gallery Fetterman was seen wearing a casual outfit at Trumps decadent inaugeration Monday ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images ) He also declared his support for Israel in September 2024, when he spoke on the war to NBC News : I want to be very clear, I thought what Israel chose to do about blowing up pagers and then walkie-talkies, and then after targeting and eliminating membership and leadership of Hezbollah I absolutely support that. In fact, if anything, I love it. Fetterman also maintained that people need to chill out in the wake of the 2.0 Trump era Democrat supporters specifically, he said, needed to stop freaking out, as expressed to ABC News in December 2024. Im not rooting against him, he said ahead of Trump taking office. If youre rooting against the President, you are rooting against the nation, adding that he never wished for any U.S. President to fail. On Monday, the Democrat known for his relaxed and informal style was spotted showing up to Trumps inauguration wearing a casual ensemble of shorts and a hoodie . Ultimately, the senator said his party affiliation would not waiver stressing he was not going to change a feeling he privately disclosed to colleagues in leadership, reported Semafor. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Flyers spread by members of the Ku Klux Klan are telling immigrants in Kentucky and other states to "leave now" in order to "avoid deportation," according to authorities. The original flyer was posted in Ludlow, Kentucky, on January 20 both Donald Trumps inauguration day and the Martin Luther King Jr holiday and its authors claim connection with the KKK. After the flyer caused a stir locally, police in Ludlow took to Facebook to issue a message that the flyer had been taken down. "After some discussion we have decided to take down the flyer because it serves no real purpose, but we will keep this post up. We are aware and have already taken one report for this disturbing and disgusting propaganda that is being passed around our community," the department said in the Facebook post. "This hateful garbage has been turning up in other cities as well." The department went on to say that it does not "support or condone this type of behavior" and that anyone who feels harassed or threatened should call and file a police report. Officials in Fort Wright and Bellevue, Kentucky both confirmed that they had received reports of the same flyer. "While other communities have also been targeted with this type of material in the past, to our knowledge, this is the first time our community has had this type of disgusting material distributed," Fort Wright Mayor Dave Hatter said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Council, staff, and I are outraged and dismayed that this has occurred in our community. It is especially appalling that it happened on Dr. Martin Luther King Day." The flyer comes in the wake of Trump's extreme immigration rhetoric. He has declared a national emergency at the border, vowed to use the military to police the border, and has promised to resume mass deportations. The president is going so far as to challenge the U.S. Constitution and attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship, which is protected by the nation's founding laws. Police in Ludlow said they will seek criminal charges against those responsible for distributing the flyers, assuming they can find a suspect, but also noted that unless the flyers can be shown to have violated a law, they are protected speech under the First Amendment. The flyer features a cartoon image of Uncle Sam kicking a family of four away from the U.S., holding a declaration that reads "mass deportation in 2025" and "report them all." Under the cartoon is a call from the alleged KKK group responsible for the flyer calling for more members, which can be purchased for a single dollar. The flyer lists its "realms" its areas of operation as being Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Each of the "realms" has separate phone numbers listed. The Cincinnati Enquirer called the Ohio number and was directed to a voicemail that said "in January, the world's going to change for a lot of people, especially the immigrants in Springfield, Ohio." Springfield, Ohio is where Trump and other Republicans lied about immigrants stealing and eating household pets. The Kentucky phone number implores callers to join them in their fight against immigrants and LGBT+ people. "Come stand with us and help fight against illegal immigration, homosexuality and every other form of wickedness and lawlessness," the recording says. "We hope to hear from you soon. You have a great white day of white power." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump signed a batch of executive orders on inauguration day to begin implementing his conservative agenda but some of his most ambitious revoking birthright citizenship and denying the identity of transgender people are likely to face legal challenges. Executive orders are mandatory declarations from the president to federal agencies or the military about how they should use resources given to them by Congress or operate within the limits of the U.S. Constitution. It is typical for presidents to sign executive orders upon taking office to display an eagerness to begin working. But Trump has made it clear, he plans to utilize his presidential authority to carry out his agenda to the fullest extent possible. Already, he has set the record for most executive orders signed on the first day in office. However, some of his executive orders face legal challenges with lawmakers disputing Trumps scope of authority. Now, many are left wondering if there is any way to stop or challenge an executive order. open image in gallery President Donald Trump signed 26 executive orders on inauguration day - but is there any way to stop them? ( Getty Images ) Can executive orders be blocked? Like all laws, executive orders are subject to judicial review and may be blocked if they violate the Constitution or if Congress passes legislation that directly interferes with them. Executive orders do not require congressional approval but Congress can pass laws refusing to fund the order - thus thwarting its impact. For example, Congress could refuse to fund Trumps newly formed Department of Government Efficiency to stifle its authority. Congress can also pass legislation that invalidates an executive order, however, if the president vetoes the law, then the House and Senate need a two-thirds majority to override that veto. It is unlikely this will occur under Trump, though, because the House of Representatives and Senate are both Republican-dominated. Courts may also temporarily block executive orders from taking effect if they feel the order needs to be reviewed for constitutionality. open image in gallery As part of his anti-immigration plan, Trump issued a swath of executive orders that makes it difficult for those seeking asylum to come into the U.S. ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Can executive orders be overturned? A president can revoke an executive order and courts can overturn an order if they find it violates the Constitution. Trump revoked several of former president Joe Bidens executive orders upon taking office on Monday including pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, removing protections for transgender people and lifting requirements for federal agencies to promote voter registration. Courts may also overturn an executive order if they determine it violates the Constitution. Trumps executive order revoking birthright citizenship for those born to immigrant parents appears to be a direct violation of the 14th Amendment that gives any person born in the U.S. citizenship status. open image in gallery Trumps executive orders aimed at restricting transgender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion programs are likely to face lawsuits ( Getty Images ) How likely will Trumps executive orders hold up? Many of Trumps executive orders particularly those aimed at restricting immigration are likely to face legal challenges from states, individuals and advocacy groups. His remain in Mexico policy faced lawsuits when it was first enacted in 2019 with federal courts pausing its enforcement while they reviewed its legality. Ultimately, Biden rescinded the policy during his administration but with Trump reinstating it it is likely to face more lawsuits. Trumps executive order determining the government may only identiy two genders is also likely to face legal pushback. Federal judges around the U.S. have determined that prejudice against trans people is a form of discrimination per Supreme Court precdent. Another gray legal area is around the order that pauses the TikTok ban from taking effect for 75 days. Congress passed the legislation that bans TikTok with the provision that the president could delay the ban 90 days so long as a viable deal was being worked out. The Supreme Court upheld the legislation making it unclear if Trump has the authority to pause the ban. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Enrique Tarrio, the now-former leader of the extremist Proud Boys gang who was just granted clemency by President Donald Trump, celebrated his release from prison on Tuesday by calling into conspiracy theorist Alex Jones show and calling for retribution. Up until this week, Tarrio was serving a 22-year prison term after being convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in organizing the January 6 Capitol attack. The far-right streetfighters sentence was the longest among the nearly 1,600 people who were charged in connection with the insurrection, which was ignited by Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election. However, in one of his first acts after returning to the White House, Trump announced that he was issuing blanket pardons to almost every January 6 defendant, including Tarrio. Trump also commuted the sentences of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes who was also convicted of seditious conspiracy and serving 18 years in jail and 13 other members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. The sweeping pardons, which included at least 600 people charged with assaulting or resisting law enforcement, came after Vice President JD Vance assured the public that if you committed violence that day, clemency wouldnt be given. open image in gallery Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio told Alex Jones that anyone involved in convicting or investigating January 6 rioters need to pay for what they did. ( AFP via Getty Images ) These are the hostages, Trump said in issuing the pardons. These people have been destroyed. What theyve done to these people is outrageous. Theres rarely been anything like in the history of our country. Speaking to Jones, a Proud Boys sympathizer who was a key figure in planning the January 6 rally, Tarrio heaped praise on Trump for freeing him and other Proud Boy members from jail. He also expressed no regrets about the Capitol riots, even though he previously apologized for his role in the events. Id like to thank again President Donald J. Trump for helping us through these difficult times and releasing me, Joe Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola. Right? And all the J6ers, he declared. Biggs, Rehl and Nordean were all convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to at least 15 years in prison. Pezzola was the only co-defendant who did not receive a seditious conspiracy conviction and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. All of them had their sentences commuted by Trump, who said he would continue to review their cases to see if they also deserved full pardons. We went through hell, and Im gonna tell you, it was worth it, because what we stood for and what those guys stood for was what weve been fighting for and what we saw yesterday on the inauguration stage, Tarrio continued. I cant tell you its been easy, but I will tell you its been worth it. Echoing Trump, Tarrio went on to complain about how this system could be weaponized before saying Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi and Trumps FBI pick Kash Patel who literally published a Deep State enemies list in his recent book would right all these wrongs. Despite saying at his sentencing hearing that he was not a political zealot and was sorry for his role on January 6, calling it a national embarrassment, Tarrio told Jones that he wanted those who convicted him to pay a price. open image in gallery arrio heaped praise on Trump for freeing him and other Proud Boy members from jail ( Getty Images ) Im happy that the presidents focusing not on retribution and focusing on success, but I will tell you that Im not gonna play by those rules, he exclaimed. The people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars, and they need to be prosecuted! Fuming over Joe Bidens last-minute preemptive pardon of the member of the January 6 House select committee, Tarrio insisted that they need to be imprisoned for their participation in the congressional investigation. We need to find and put them behind bars for what they did. They need to pay for what they did, he concluded, prompting Jones to nod in agreement. Well, I mean, lets be clear. Trump talked about getting the economy going and success. Thats key to keeping his support to do the rest, the Infowars host responded. But to have our success, we have to put the deep state in prison. Fauci, the traitor Milley, the J6 people. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an underground website for selling illegal drugs and other contraband goods like hacking equipment and stolen passports. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 after a high-profile prosecution that highlighted the role of the internet in black markets and ended with him being convicted on seven counts, including conspiracy and money laundering. The president posted on his Truth Social platform that he had spoken to Ulbrichts mother on his first full day in office at the White House to deliver the news. It was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, he wrote. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me. Trump called Ulbrichts prison sentence ridiculous. Ulbricht created Silk Road in 2011 under the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, a reference to Rob Reiners popular fantasy film The Princess Bride (1987), and ran it for two years on the dark web, its services available anywhere in the world and typically accessed via an anonymity-protecting Tor browser, until it was shut down by the authorities. Prosecutors at Ubrichts trial said more than $200m in drug deals had taken place on his site and alleged that he had also solicited six murders-for-hire, including one against a former Silk Road employee, although they said they had found no evidence that any of the killings were actually carried out. Transactions on the platform were made using bitcoin, with Ulbricht hailed in some quarters as a pioneer in the use of cryptocurrency, according to The Washington Post. Brandon Sample, Ulrbichts lawyer, told the Post that Ulbricht and his family were deeply and eternally grateful to the commander-in-chief, calling the pardon an extraordinary act of grace. This decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society, he said. Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the website Silk Road, in a photograph presented as an exhibit during his 2015 criminal trial in New York federal court ( US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York/Reuters ) Ulbricht has been serving time in federal prison in Arizona since his conviction and it is not immediately clear when he will be released. Trump had promised to help Ulbricht during the speech he gave to the Libertarian Party National Convention last May. Libertarian activists, who generally oppose criminal drug policies, have long believed that government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road. Many held up Free Ross signs at that event. Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade, said a statement from Libertarian National Committee chair Angela McArdle in response to his release. Im proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off. Trump has been eagerly using his pardon power since beginning his second term. On Monday, hours after taking office, he also wiped clean the records of roughly 1,500 people who participated in the January 6 2021 riot at the US Capitol. The decision, which applied to some people who were convicted of attacking police, upended the justice departments sweeping investigation into the attack. Additional reporting by agencies. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Just hours after taking the oath of office, President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders, including one directing the attorney general to take all necessary and lawful action to help states obtain lethal injection drugs to carry out executions. The executive order titled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety directs the attorney general to ensure pro-death penalty states have a sufficient supply of drugs needed to carry out lethal injection. But those drugs are notoriously difficult to get, and states with lethal injection executions have turned to other methods as a result. Eleven states use pentobarbital for their executions, including Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for executions. State and federal governments typically rely on pharmacies to obtain the drugs. Over the years, the medications have become nearly impossible to obtain as the names of supplying pharmacies become public and created a significant backlash, making fewer pharmacies willing to produce them. The European Union has banned the sale of pentobarbital to the U.S. for executions. In 2017, the ban prompted Arizona officials to allow inmates to bring their own execution drugs to prison. Given this, it remains unclear how the order will be implemented. open image in gallery Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, and other death penalty opponents hold a demonstration outside the Alabama Capitol in September ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Trump extensively spoke about expanding capital punishment while on the campaign trail. Hes advocated for an increase in federal executions and making more people eligible for the death penalty. Only three people remain on federal death row after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 offenders to life in prison. The U.S. Department of Justice had paused federal executions until Monday. The DOJ had conducted a review of pentobarbital and found the drug may cause unnecessary pain and suffering. In past executions, death row inmates have experienced a flash pulmonary edema, causing their stomachs to roll and shake, the DOJ determined. The condition produces feelings of suffocating or drowning. The department withdrew the federal governments lethal injection protocol, which the administration could rescind. Speaking about the executive order, Robin M Maher, executive of the non-partisan Death Penalty Information Center, said: It reads more like campaign rhetoric than a practical plan. A lot of what this executive order wants to do will require congressional action or dramatic changes to well-settled laws and procedures. She anticipates the order will meet resistance in court since some of Trumps proposals would require congressional action, like expanding the number of capital crimes. These are a lot of just broad statements about what he would like to see happen without us understanding what the mechanisms are going to be. The executive order also lays bare logistical challenges. Several of Trumps demands, including modifying the conditions of prisoners, seeking to charge prisoners with capital crimes in state courts, and encouraging states to bring forward more capital cases will likely be met with immediate injunctive relief. Trump cannot impose punishments or ask states to reopen cases that wouldve been eligible for the death penalty. open image in gallery Alabamas lethal injection facility ( Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The president cannot use executive orders to act in areas in which the executive lacks authority, said Robert Dunham, special counsel to Phillips Black, a nonprofit dedicated to incarcerated individuals. This is nothing but a rampant politicization of the judicial process. In the short term, Dunham thinks the U.S. could see more executions as pro-death-penalty states become emboldened to carry out death sentences. In the long run, data shows millennials and younger generations staunchly oppose the death penalty leading to lower death penalty sentences. 2024 saw more people come off of death row in the U.S. than any year in more than two decades, Phillips Black found. Still, Trumps executive order is being seen as a positive sign from death penalty proponents. In a statement to The Independent, Steve Marshall, the attorney general of Alabama, which executed the most people in 2024, said: Alabama leads the nation in our zero-tolerance approach to violent crime, aggressive capital litigation, and successful executions. We hope the presidents executive order will encourage more states to follow Alabamas lead. The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fox News was the top destination for those who wanted to see President Donald Trump sworn into office for the second time, according to ratings released by Nielsen. On the flip side, though, the numbers show that Trumps ceremony drew significantly fewer viewers than Joe Bidens inauguration back in 2021 pulling in an audience of just 24.6 million for the day. Between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, which encompassed Trumps swearing-in ceremony and first address as president, Fox News drew 10.3 million total viewers and 2 million in the coveted advertising demographic of adults aged 25-54. That total represents the second-highest-rated inauguration in the channels history. CNN pulled in just 1.7 million viewers overall and a demo audience of 534,000, which is the second-lowest inauguration in the networks history. MSNBC, meanwhile, delivered its lowest-rated inauguration day, averaging just 848,000 total viewers and 104,000 in the key demographic group. Among the broadcast networks, ABC led in total viewers with 4.7 million, with NBC (4.4 million) and CBS (4.1 million) close behind. NBC pulled ahead in the demographic with 1.2 million. During the heart of the inauguration ceremony, 26.3 million viewers watched Trump take the oath of office across seven different networks, including Fox Business Network. Roughly 5.9 million from the key demographic group tuned in between 11:30 and 1 p.m. According to Nielsen, the actual swearing-in ceremony which took place between 11:45 and 12:15 peaked with a total audience of 34.4 million viewers across 15 networks. President-elect Donald Trump, from left, takes the oath of office (Kevin Lamarque/AP) ( AP ) Nearly 40 million people watched Biden deliver his first address as president in 2021 across the broadcast and cable news networks, which was up slightly from the 38.3 million who watched Trump give his first speech after being sworn into office in 2017. That year, Fox News with a Republican entering office was in its natural top spot and led the charge with 12 million viewers. Nielsen estimated that an average of 33.8 million people across 17 networks tuned into the entire presidential inauguration in 2021, which was aired on television from 10 a.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET. That was nearly three million more than watched in 2017, when Nielsen determined that about 31 million viewed Trumps inaugural festivities throughout the whole day. Trumps second inauguration, on the other hand, only averaged 24.6 million viewers across 15 networks for the full day of coverage, which was between 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET. All in all, the ratings-obsessed president attracted a television audience of nearly 10 million fewer viewers than Biden did four years ago. Neither of Trumps ceremonies nor Bidens could hold a candle to Barack Obamas first inauguration in 2009, when over 51 million people watched the nations first Black president take the oath of office. Nielsen also said that the household rating, which measures the percentage of American households watching a particular program, was only 14.1 for Trumps inauguration, which would be the lowest for an incoming president since 1969. In this instance, though, this is actually Trumps second inaugural as he returns to office following Bidens single term. In general, presidents usually draw much smaller inaugural audiences if they win reelection, which has been the case since the 1980s. Compared to other presidents second-term inaugurations, Trumps HH rating is slightly above that of Obamas second ceremony which notched a 14.0 and easily surpasses George W. Bushs 11.8 in 2005. Ronald Reagan, who held an indoor ceremony in 1985 like Trump due to cold weather, pulled in a 22.8 HH rating for his second inauguration. The MAGA channels lead is hardly surprising, as Fox has completely obliterated its competition since Trumps victory in November. Ratings at the other news networks have been in freefall following Kamala Harris defeat, with CNN and MSNBC seeing roughly half of their audiences flee. Foxs stranglehold on cable news ratings has become so impressive that, since the election, 500 of the most-watched telecasts have been on the network. Fox News return to dominance comes four years after the conservative cable giant saw a sharp reversal of fortune. The ratings tables were flipped following Joe Bidens presidential victory and Trumps efforts to overturn his electoral loss. Anger over the right-wing networks early but accurate call of Arizona for Biden prompted disgruntled MAGA viewers to briefly ditch the channel, putting the network in the unusual position of placing behind its rivals CNN and MSNBC. During the peak of the inauguration pandemic-era festivities in 2021, those ratings trends continued as only 2.7 million viewers tuned in to Fox News to witness Bidens inauguration, the lowest of all the major networks. CNN finished as the ratings leader, drawing an audience of 10 million when Biden took the stage. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump used his predecessors decision to grant preemptive pardons to his family members and others to deflect criticism for releasing violent January 6 rioters, including those who assaulted police officers at the Capitol four years ago. Speaking at a media availability with a trio of technology executives who were announcing a half-billion dollar investment in AI data centers, Trump was asked about the release from custody of DJ Rodriguez, who during the January 6, 2021 riot drove a stun gun into the neck of Washington, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone. After initially suggesting that Rodriguez was not among those who were pardoned, he pivoted to a non sequitur claiming that progressive prosecutors in cities with Black mayors are refusing to charge murder suspects. Take a look at whats gone on in Philadelphia. Take a look at whats gone off in L.A. where people murder people and they dont get charged, Trump said. Donald Trump speaks to reporters on January 21 ( Getty Images ) Turning the subject back to the violent criminals who assaulted police and sacked the U.S. Capitol in a futile effort to stop certification of former president Joe Bidens 2020 election win, Trump continued: These people have already served years in prison and theyve served them viciously. Its a disgusting prison. Its been horrible. Its inhumane. Its been a terrible, terrible thing ... so these people have already served a long period of time, and I made a decision to give a pardon. The president also suggested that Bidens decision to grant preemptive pardons to members of his family whom Trumps allies had accused of crimes was equivalent to his granting of clemency to violent criminals. Joe Biden gave a pardon yesterday to a lot of criminals. These are criminals that he gave a pardon to, and you should be asking that question, why did he give a pardon to all of these people that committed crimes? Trump noted. The president also complained that Biden had granted pardons to members and staff of the House January 6 select committee, whom he has falsely accused of destroying federal records in violation of law. A short time later, the president defended the decision to commute the sentence of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted last year of seditious conspiracy for his role in the riot and sentenced to 22 years in prison. Trump falsely claimed Tarrio was imprisoned for defacing a Black Lives Matter flag rather than on seditious conspiracy charges One of the guys took down a flag that was an anti-American flag, and he was given years in jail. I dont know the exact number, but he was given many years in jail. I thought it was very excessive, and at least the cases that we looked at, these were people that actually love our country, so we thought a pardon would be appropriate, he said. More than 1,500 people were criminally charged in connection with a mobs assault on the Capitol, fuelled by Trumps bogus narrative that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen from him. According to the Justice Department, approximately 608 defendants charged in connection with the riot faced charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 174 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As of Tuesday evening, the Federal Bureau of Prisons stated that all individuals who had their sentence pardoned or commuted, and were under BOP custody have been released. That number includes 211 pardoned or commuted convicts who were released over a 12-hour period. That number included Stewart Rhodes founder of the far-right Oath Keepers anti-government militia who was similarly convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Alex Woodward contributed reporting from New York Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A federal judge revived a lawsuit challenging access to the abortion drug mifepristone just days before the 52nd anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, anti-abortion advocates launched a barrage of litigation, including a federal suit in Texas aimed at mifepristone, one drug in a two-drug regimen used in medication abortions. Months after the Supreme Court threw out a challenge to mifepristones FDA approval, a federal judge in Texas on Thursday allowed a 2022 lawsuit to be revived, potentially opening the floodgates for restricted access. The widely-used drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration 25 years ago. However, the FDA has eased restrictions on the drug. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, ruled last Thursday that three states Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho can resurrect the case. The states had requested to amend the complaint in October. They argue that eased restrictions on the drug impact abortion restrictions in their states. The defendants the FDA and mifepristone distributor Danco Laboratories had argued that the case should be dismissed because the plaintiffs lacked venue in the Northern District of Texas. open image in gallery An abortion-rights activist holds a box of mifepristone pills as demonstrators rally outside Supreme Court. A federal judge in Texas allowed for a 2022 case concerning the approval of the abortion drug less than a week before the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade ( AP ) Kacsmaryk wrote in his order: Venue remains disputed here and should be properly dealt with at a phase where each party may fully argue the issue. The move comes six months after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the original plaintiffs, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and other anti-abortion groups, lacked standing months after Kacsmaryk suspended the approval of mifepristone. Although the groups have sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to elective abortion and to FDAs relaxed regulation of mifepristone, those objections arent enough to establish a justiciable case or controversy in federal court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the decision. The groups voluntarily dismissed their claims in November. This revived lawsuit accuses the FDA of making capricious, arbitrary and unlawful changes in 2016 when the federal agency approved the drug to be used to terminate a pregnancy up to 70 days of gestation. The plaintiffs also took issue with the federal agencys 2021 decision to lift the in-person dispensing requirement in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing for the drug to be prescribed by telehealth providers. Citing the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law that prohibits substances intended for producing abortion from being mailed, the suit accused this FDA rule of violating federal law. This decision also seeks to enable the violation of state laws restricting abortion, the plaintiff argued. All three states have some abortion restrictions in place. If the three states successfully argue their case, that access could be even more restricted across every state for not only abortion patients but also for those suffering from miscarriages, which the pill is also prescribed to treat. open image in gallery Demonstrators march in Texas to protest a lawsuit to ban the abortion drug mifepristone in 2023. A judge recently revived the lawsuit, allowing three states to challenge the FDAs approval of the drug after the original plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed its suit ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Without access to medication abortions, patients would likely have to undergo surgical abortions, advocates have said. Not only are in-clinic abortions more expensive but they are also not available in every state, meaning patients would be forced to travel, adding more financial expenses and other complications to the already-burdensome procedure. Kacsmaryks ruling comes less than a week before the 52nd anniversary of Roe on Wednesday. It also comes days before Trump took office for the second time. Mere hours into his second presidency, reproductiverights.gov, the governments website containing information about reproductive health care, was removed. For years, Trump has bragged about killing Roe v. Wade. Since the Supreme Courts 2022 ruling to end federal abortion protections, the reproductive health landscape has become a dire patchwork of care. Roughly 25 million women are living under abortion bans, according to Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Despite the proliferation of state abortion bans, the number of terminations has increased since Roe was overturned, according to Guttmacher Institute. Some women have suffered severe injury or have died due to confusion over how to treat patients due to these restrictive laws. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The federal government will only recognize a persons gender as it is defined by their biological sex at birth per an executive order signed by President Donald Trump a policy that is expected to have consequences on all people and faces major legal challenges Reversing several Biden administration policies, Trump has directed federal agencies to define gender as only male or female and reject a persons preferred gender identity or pronouns. Federal agencies have 120 days to implement the new policy meaning there could be big changes to protections in education, healthcare, the military and more. open image in gallery Trump signed 26 executive orders just hours after being sworn in ( AP ) Their appalling approach denies science and will make life immeasurably harder for intersex, nonbinary, and of course, transgender people, Kevin Jennings, the CEO of Lambda Legal said in a statement. While the exact scope of the new policy is unclear, it will face legal challenges from advocacy groups. Here is how the executive order will change current policies. Re-defining sex Trumps executive order broadly rejects gender identity and requires the government to only define gender as sex at birth which will revoke protections for nonbinary, transgender, intersex and cisgender people. Though the executive order is framed as a means to protect women, one section deliberately states women are biologically distinct from men which could have far-reaching consequences for cisgender women too. Attacks on nondiscrimination protections would not only be in direct conflict with the Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) decision, but could erode important protections that many Americans now take for granted including that a non-transgender woman in the workplace who is perceived to be violating gender norms in terms of her dress, decision to work outside the home, affect or other presentation is protected from discrimination under Title VII, Cathryn Oakley, the senior director of legal policy at Human Rights Campaign told The Independent. open image in gallery Conservatives have aggressively targeted gender-affirming care for minors over the last few years ( Getty Images ) If you think about all of the things women have been denied being able to do, based on these ideas-- for example, serving on juries, joining the military-- this executive order is bad for everyone, Jess Braverman, an attorney and the legal director at the nonprofit Gender Justice told Minnesota Now. Government documents People who identify with a gender that is different from their sex at birth can no longer obtain government-issued documents reflecting their gender identity. That includes passports, visas, and Global Entry cards. However, anyone with a government-issued document that does currently reflect their gender is permitted to keep it. The executive order is not retroactive. The executive order does not apply to state-issued documents such as drivers licenses or birth certificates. However, since state and federal documents often must match to confirm a persons identity, it is unclear how the executive order will work with state laws. Oakley said having mismatched documents that do not reflect who a person is, could subject them to travel disruptions, harassment, and humiliation. Bathrooms Bathrooms located on federal properties, such as at national parks or in federal buildings, may be required to define restrooms as male or female under the new executive order due to its language. Under the order, Trump has asked federal agencies to ignore the precedent set in the Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) which prevents a person from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Executive orders do not override Supreme Court precedents or the U.S. Constitution. It is unclear if that directive will remain. But if upheld, it could mean federal employees are required to use the bathroom consistent with their sex at birth rather than gender identity. This could open a transgender or nonbinary person up to misgendering, harassment, and humiliation at work simply for being themselves, Brandon Wolf, the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign said in a press release. open image in gallery Republican lawmakers have issued anti-trans bills under the guise of protecting women ( Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Prisons Trumps order directly asks the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to separate those detained in federal prisons based on their sex at birth rather than gender identity, but this can open the door to more violence against nonbinary or transgender people. Violence against [transgender and gendernonconforming] people tends to be worse in places that are separated by sex such as county jails, immigration facilities and prisons, a statement from Lambda Legal said. The civil rights organization said policies like this make transgender people more vulnerable to harassment or attacks. A California study found that transgender people were 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than non-transgender people in prison, Lambda Legal continues. Military Transgender or nonbinary members of the military are no longer protected by laws that allow them to serve. It does not immediately impact transgender people in the military. Trump has rescinded a Biden administration policy that provided protections, which could open the door for a ban on transgender military personnel a move that Trump executed in 2017. Trump Administration efforts to mandate sex stereotypes and attack nondiscrimination protections will have sweeping consequences for the American people, whether you are transgender or not, Oakley added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Episcopal bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is being celebrated as fearless and bold after pleading with Donald Trump to show Christian mercy to the immigrants he wants to ban from the nation and members of the LGBT+ community he aims to punish. But in an unhinged rant on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Budde owes the public an apology. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump wrote on the platform. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart ... She and her church owe the public an apology! Trumps attack followed harsh criticism of the bishop by allies of the president earlier in the day. Liberal commentators on X (formerly Twitter) were outspoken in their support for Budde. Today, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde boldly called out Donald Trump for his hatred and bigotry at the National Cathedral Prayer Service. Now, the GOP is attacking her for speaking truth to power, wrote an account by the name of Protect Kamala Harris. Pundit Art Candee tweeted a photo of Trump, first lady Melania Trump and vice-president JD Vance looking perturbed during the sermon, with the caption: The looks you make when youre called out by a Bishop in church at the National Prayer Service for essentially being fake Christians. Bishop Budde addressed the controversy in an appearance on CNN with Erin Burnett, saying she wanted to [remind] us all that the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups of people that I mentioned, are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed in all, throughout the political campaign, in the harshest of lights. She added: I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. She also explained her comments in an appearance on The View, saying: I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarising. open image in gallery Donald Trump, vice-president J.D. Vance and their families attend the National Prayer Service ( Getty ) Budde called on Trump to have mercy on the scared LGBT+ children and immigrant families across the country when the president and his family attended the National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Hours earlier Trump had signed a slew of executive orders, many of which included hardline immigration policies such as ending birthright citizenship. One order sought to deny the existence of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people throughout the government. Budde said at the service, in remarks aimed at Trump: There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families some who fear for their lives. She added: I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. She also implored the president to reconsider the way he treats and talks about migrants living in the US. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she told the service. Trump did not immediately respond with anger to Buddes comments. During the service, he merely looked on awkwardly. He later criticized the service, saying to a reporter: Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a great service. Trumps allies, however, were quick to criticize the bishop. Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, condemned Buddes speech in a Newsmax interview Tuesday. For this bishop to do this to President Trump after a weekend of, as you said, talking about God more than ever, talking about how he was spared to give an opportunity maybe to change this country back to something that it should be, it just absolutely amazes me how far these people go, said Tuberville. Representative Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican, inexplicably called for Budde to be deported: The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. Budde was born in New Jersey in 1959 and is a U.S. citizen therefore, she cannot be deported. open image in gallery Budde and Trump speak at the National Prayer Service. The president later said he did not think the service was good, adding that they can do much better ( Reuters ) Trumps friend and informal faith adviser Robert Jeffress, who attended the service, also criticized Budde and claimed that the audience experienced palpable disgust at her words. Attended national prayer service today at the Washington National Cathedral during which Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde insulted rather than encouraged our great president @realDonaldTrump, he wrote on X. Trump was asked about the service as he left the event. Did you like it? Trump asked, speaking to reporters. Did you find it exciting? Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service, no, he continued. They can do much better. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After ascending to the top of the GOP ticket in March 2024, Donald Trump made a promise. My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned, he wrote at the time on his Truth Social platform. On his first day back in office on Monday, Trump stayed true to his word on the rioters and granted clemency to more than 1,500 supporters charged with crimes connected to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol building. While an overwhelming majority of defendants were issued full pardons, five members of the far-right Proud Boys and nine members of the Oath Keepers militia had their sentences commuted. Trump has also issued full pardons for two Proud Boys members. Here are the highest-profile Proud Boys and Oath Keeper members and most memorable insurgents who received clemency from Trump, and a reminder of the crimes they committed: Enrique Tarrio former Proud Boys leader open image in gallery Enrique Tarrio counter-protesting people gathered to commemorate the one year anniversary of the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2021 ( Getty Images ) The former leader of the all-male group of proud Western chauvinists which is listed as a terrorist entity by the Canadian government was issued a full presidential pardon on Monday, his family told CBS News. Tarrio, 42, was serving a 22-year sentence after being convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Unlike many others on this list, Tarrio was not physically present at the Capitol during the riot. However, prosecutors argued that he played a central role in orchestrating the events from outside Washington, D.C. He is belived to have touched down at Miami International Airport on Tuesday evening after flying from Dallas Love Field airport, a family spokesperson said. Gabriel Garcia open image in gallery Garcia was accused of participating in aggressive confrontations with police ( via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock ) Garcia, a former US Army captain, has also been issued a full pardon from Trump. The 43-year-old was allegedly hand-picked by Tarrio to join a national rally planning chapter of the Proud Boys called the Ministry of Self Defense before the riot. Garcia, who joined a later wave of rioters in the afternoon, was accused of participating in aggressive confrontations with police and helping others storm the Capitol. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison in December 2024 after being convicted on charges of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. I was facing up to 27 years, 27 years for walking in a building with a flag. I didnt hurt anybody, I didnt destroy anything, I didnt burn down a city, and I sure as hell didnt go in there to stop any process or kill anybody, Garcia told CBS News. Ethan Nordean open image in gallery Ethan Nordean walks toward the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 ( AP ) A Proud Boy leader and recruiter from Auburn, Washington, Nordean received a commuted sentence. Nordean, who also goes by Rufio Panman, was arrested four weeks after the Capitol riot and in May 2023, was one of four Proud Boys leaders found guilty of seditious conspiracy among other charges. Prosecutor Jason McCullough said that Nordean was the undisputed leader on the ground on Jan. 6. The neo-fascist activist was sentenced to 18 years in prison in September 2023, before his sentence was commuted to time served by Trump on Monday. Joseph Biggs open image in gallery Proud Boys organizer Joseph Biggs walks from the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse in Orlando on January 20, 2021 ( Sam Thomas/Orlando Sentinel via AP ) Biggs was another of four Proud Boys leaders serving a prison sentence after he was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in August 2023 and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Last month, the attorney for Volusia County chapter leader, Norm Pattis, requested that Trump grant his client a complete pardon. On Monday, Biggs had his sentence commuted by Trump, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons shows that hes since been released. Zachary Rehl open image in gallery Zachary Rehl walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Janaury 6, 2021 ( AP ) The leader of the Proud Boys Philadelphia chapter was arrested after a video showed him spraying a chemical irritant at police officers during the riot. Rehl, another of the four leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy, was serving a 15-year term in medium-security federal prison at FCI Petersburg in Hopewell, Virginia, when his sentence was commuted. He was also part of the Ministry of Self Defense, according to prosecutors. He later told the group that he was proud as f*** [of] what we accomplished. Dominic Pezzola open image in gallery Dominic Pezzola, center with police shield, confronts Capitol Police officers outside the Senate chamber at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 ( AP ) Pezzola, the fourth Proud Boy found guilty of seditious conspiracy, was almost a year and a half into a 10-year prison term when his sentence was commuted by Trump on Monday. Touted as an enthusiastic foot soldier by prosecutors, he exclaimed, Trump won! upon being escorted out of the courtroom. The New Yorker is believed to have breached the Capitol building by smashing a window with a police riot shield and later filmed a celebratory video with a cigar, prosecutors said. Jeremy Bertino open image in gallery Jeremy Bertino, second from left, joins Proud Boys members at a rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington on December 12, 2020 ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Bertino was the governments star witness in the Proud Boys sedition trial after himself pleading guilty to seditious conspiracy in October 2022 and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. He hadnt been serving prison time when Trump extended an olive branch. The North Carolina member, who had his sentence commuted Monday, testified in March 2023 that the group wanted to act as the tip of the spear in the attack on the Capitol. Bertino was not physically present at the attack because he was recovering from being stabbed at another Proud Boys riot in December 2020. Elmer Stewart Rhodes III Oath Keepers founder open image in gallery Elmer Stewart Rhodes III was sentenced to 18 years behind bars ( Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Founder and former head of the Oath Keepers, Rhodes was serving an 18-year prison stint when his sentence was commuted. The far-right extremist group, which was founded in 2009, is comprised of roughly 5,000 members many of whom are military veterans or former law enforcement officers. Several Oath Keepers were seen sporting paramilitary gear outside the Capitol, moving in an organized and practiced fashion, according to an indictment. Prosecutors showed jurors encrypted messages and recordings where Rhodes, a former paratrooper who wears an eyepatch after accidentally shooting himself in the face, spoke of commenting on a bloody civil war and calling members to rise up in insurrection to defeat Biden. Before Jan. 6, Rhodes told members on his website: It is CRITICAL that all patriots who can be in D.C. get to D.C. to stand tall in support of President Trumps fight to defeat the enemies foreign and domestic who are attempting a coup, through the massive voter fraud and related attacks on our Republic. Kelly Meggs open image in gallery Oath Keeper leader and organizer Kelly Meggs mugshot ( US Marshall Orlando Office ) The leader of the Oath Keepers Florida chapter was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in November 2022. Kelly was serving a 12-year sentence when his punishment was commuted by the president on Monday. Weeks before the insurrection, prosecutors said that Meggs wrote in a group chat that Trump called us all to the Capitol and wants us to make it wild Sir Yes Sir! He is said to have added: Im gonna go on a killing spree. Meggs contested that he was sitting on the steps outside the front of the Capitol building and unintentionally got sucked in, he told New 6 in January 2022. Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins open image in gallery Jessica Watkins (left) stands among Trump supporters outside the Capitol buildong on January 6, 2021 ( REUTERS ) Two more U.S. Army veterans and Oath Keepers who stormed the Capitol had their sentences commuted on Monday. Both Watkins and Harrelson were handed prison time in May 2023, eight and half years and four years, respectively. They were both acquitted of seditious conspiracy charges but were convicted of other Jan. 6-related charges, including obstructing Congress certification of Bidens victory. Watkins, an Oath Keeper recruiter, and Harrelson, the so-called ground team lead, were among the group that marched towards the Capitol in stack formation. Watkins is said to have communicated over a channel called Stop the Steal J6, while Harrison screamed treason as he stormed the chamber, prosecutors said. Five other Oath Keepers commuted open image in gallery Photograph of Roberto Minuta sporting his Oath Keeper body armor ( FBI ) Several other high-ranking Oath Keeper members also had their sentences commuted by Trump on Monday. They include U.S. Navy veteran Thomas Caldwell, tattoo artist Roberto Minuta, a member in charge of stockpiling weapons Edward Vallejo, Sarasota Chapter leader Joseph Hackett and former neuroscientist David Moerschel. Jacob Chansley QAnon Shaman open image in gallery Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman, pictured in the Capitol building the Jan 6 Capitol riot ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The spear-wielding, bare-chested Jan. 6 rioter known as the Qanon Shaman was issued a full pardon by Trump. Jacob Chansley from Phoenix, Arizona, was one of the first Trump supporters to descend on the Capitol building. In November 2021, Chansley pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official and was ordered to serve 41 months in prison one of the longest sentences received by a rioter but was released after 27 months in May 2023 He became a worldwide symbol for the insurrection sporting a horned fur hat made from raccoon fur, his red, white and blue face paint and use of a bullhorn to rile up the mob. Our rights are given to us by God not government. Freedom is our natural state of being. My spirit is free, I was born to be wild [and] I am gonna travel around the country now that I finally can!, Chansley told The Independent when reached for comment. Doug Jensen open image in gallery Capitol Riot Trial ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Prosecutors pitted Doug Jensen as a leader of the mob. Supporters hailed him as a patriot and donated money via GiveSendGo in their droves. The QAnon T-shirt-wearing rioter went viral as he was filmed pursuing a Capitol Police officer up a stairway near the Senate chamber. Jensen was the rioter who would not back down, proseuctors argued. If it wasnt all recorded from at least 10 different angles, itd be pretty hard to believe. In September 2022, Jensen was found guilty of obstruction of a law enforcement officer during civil disorder, among six other felony charges. In December that year, he was sentenced to five years in prison, with three years of supervised release. Jensen was issued a full presidential pardon on Monday. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year-old war Russia launched against Ukraine, and is threatening to impose further sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader does not acquiesce. In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was not looking to hurt Russia and expressed love for the Russian people while boasting of his very good relationship with Putin who in 2016 ordered what the Department of Justice called a sweeping and systematic effort to interfere in the presidential election on Trumps behalf. Trump also noted that the former Soviet Union lost 60 million people when it allied itself against Nazi Germany and with the U.S. and the U.K. during the Second World War. All of that being said, Im going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE, Trump said. open image in gallery Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin have not yet spoken since the 47th US president was sworn in on Monday. Trump is now calling on Putin to end the war with Ukraine ( AFP/Getty ) The president added a threat that if a deal was not reached soon, he would have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Trump added: Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way and the easy way is always better. Its time to MAKE A DEAL. NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!! Trump has long promised that he would bring the war in Ukraine to an end when he returned to the White House. He frequently said he would end it on his first day, but the war is ongoing. So far, the U.S. has given more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since 2022. Its unclear what, if any, Russian goods would be subject to Trumps tariffs, as a series of increasingly restrictive sanctions levied by the Biden administration in concert with dozens of other countries has crippled Russias economy and cut Moscow off from much of the international banking and finance system. A series of sanctions imposed by Joe Biden earlier this month targeted Russias energy sector. They covered two major Russian petroleum producers and exporters Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas both of which are involved in the export of liquified natural gas and efforts to expand the Russian energy sector into the Arctic. Trump has not spoken to Putin since he was sworn in on Monday, though the two leaders have reportedly spoken during the transition period following last years presidential election. open image in gallery Trump met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the run-up to the election. The new president has promised to end the war between Ukraine and Russia ( AP ) But the newly-minted 47th president said he and his aides are working to arrange a conversation. On Monday, he told reporters that Putin cant be thrilled about how the war is going and said Russia is not doing so well against Kyivs forces. I mean, hes grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in one week, and now were into three years. So he cant be thrilled, [its] not making him look very good, Trump said before adding that roughly 1 million Russian soldiers and 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died during the war. Trump also said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had told him that he wants to make a deal to end the war. Zelensky wants to make a deal. I dont know if Putin does ... He should make a deal. I think hes destroying Russia by not making a deal, he said. In response to Trumps threat, Russias deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow would need to see what Trumps definition of a deal would look like before coming to the negotiating table. Its not merely the question of ending the war its first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis, he said. So we have to see what does the deal mean in President Trumps understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it anti-Russia and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy, Polyanskiy added. For his part, Zelensky told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday that a sit-down with Trump was in the works. The teams have been working on a meeting; they are currently in the process, he said. We are your partner. We know all the sore spots; we have lost our people we want to end the war this year, he continued, adding that Ukrainians want an end to the three-year-old conflict not just quickly, but fairly and, above all, reliably for us. The Ukrainian leader met with Trump last September in New York while the president was in the midst of his campaign against then-Vice President Kamala Harris. At the time, Zelensky said he believed he and Trump shared a common view that the war has to be stopped and Putin cant win. Trump later told Fox News that hed learned a lot from the sit-down and said both he and Zelensky want to see this end and want to see a fair deal made. The two leaders have a checkered history dating back to July 2019, when Zelensky and Trump spoke on the phone just after the Ukrainian leader was sworn in as his countrys head of state. At the time, Trump attempted to use the threat of withholding needed American military aid a a coveted White House visit to pressure Zelensky into announcing a sham investigation into Joe Biden, who was then a former vice president looking to challenge Trump in the 2020 election. Fallout from the now-infamous phone call led to the first of Trumps two impeachment trials before the US Senate. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur turned failed presidential candidate, reportedly backed away from co-chairing the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency due to deep philosophical differences over how the advisory board should function. Ramaswamy was tapped to co-chair DOGE with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. They aimed to slash federal spending by trillions of dollars through budget cuts and mass firings. In November, Ramaswamy wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal explaining how DOGE would dismantle the administrative state using current laws and Supreme Court precedents. This includes reducing the federal workforce, stripping agency regulations via executive orders and re-examining the budgeting process within each agency to reduce costs. That, stood in contrast to Musks approach which reportedly focused on technology and data mining to achieve DOGEs aim to cut federal spending, those familiar with the plan told the Washington Post. open image in gallery Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer co-charing the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency after deep philosophical differences, according to a report ( Getty Images ) On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing DOGE. Much of its layout mirrored policies that fell in line with Musk. Hours later, the White House confirmed Ramaswamy would depart as a co-chair. Speculation about Ramaswamys position leading DOGE has been circulating for days. Though Musk and Ramaswamy appear to have a good relationship publicly, those familiar with the matter told CBS News there had been tension behind closed doors. According to the Post, Musk believed DOGE should operate as a small team within the government that can access highly sensitive information. With that information, Musk could draw on his business experience and use AI to achieve the cuts. With the two different approaches, it led to a break, sources told the Post. These were competing visions, the person said. Musk used his Tesla and SpaceX empires to find people to work for DOGE, the Post reported. He also used SpaceXs Washington, D.C., headquarters for a DOGE command center. Ramaswamy, instead, had a small team of staff who worked from his home state in Ohio, without a set schedule. They looked for constitutional measures where costs could be trimmed. open image in gallery Musk and Ramaswamy met with lawmakers on the Hill last month to discuss DOGEs plans ( Getty Images ) The two also battled over who the true leader of DOGE was, the Post noted, given Musks large presence. Sources told the outlet the partnership was probably doomed from the start. I dont think Vivek would have signed up under any sense on paper he wouldnt be co-lead, said one person with knowledge of DOGEs structure. All the assurances were they were going to be coequal leaders. Tensions between the two bubbled after Ramaswamy earned the ire of some Trump allies by claiming the U.S. does not produce the best engineers in a post supporting H-1B visas. The icing on the cake was Ramaswamys desire to pursue political ambitions. By co-chairing DOGE, Ramaswamy likely would not be able to focus his attention on fulfilling those. The tech entrepreneur has teased a possible political campaign in Ohio rumored to be a gubernatorial run. Now, Musk will lead DOGE which, despite its name, is not an official department. It seems apparent that Trump was convinced of Musks DOGE plan from the executive order establishing it. Much of it focuses on the technology portion of the government, dictating that agency heads should allow DOGE to have full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems and IT systems. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More air travel chaos was expected on Tuesday, just after a deadly winter storm brought dangerous weather across much of the eastern U.S., forcing over 12,000 delays and cancellations at airports. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, more than 2,100 delays and cancellations were tracked within, into, or out of the country, according to tracker FlightAware. Of those, the majority were still reported at airports based in major East Coast cities. But flights in the South were also impacted as frigid temperatures and wintry conditions gripped the region. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport where runways reopened after closing overnight reported dozens of cancellations and delays, while flights at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport were also severely impacted. Meanwhile, snow continued to fall near the metros and in the mountains between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., bringing an additional one to two inches. Cold and dry conditions were expected between Tuesday and Thursday before the next system approaches that area on Friday and into the weekend. open image in gallery A man checks a flight information display showing many canceled flights at Virginias Washington Dulles International airport on Monday. After thousands of flight cancellations and delays were reported across states affected by a deadly winter storm in the eastern U.S., wintry weather has its eye on Texas and the South ( Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images ) Many schools across the county remained closed on Tuesday after snow and ice made driving conditions nearly impossible. Hundreds of crashes were reported in Maryland, Virginia, and other states, with a handful of deaths being reported. While the majority of the victims were adults, Illinois officials said a juvenile was killed and another was being treated for life-threatening injuries following a snow tube crash in Macon County, according to WICS. While weather across the eastern U.S. was markedly calmer on Tuesday, forecasters warned that disruptive wintry weather would sweep from Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley and Mid-South, before possibly moving back toward the Mid-Atlantic states. Light snow is forecast in the Lone Star States western region before a more significant storm on Thursday. With cold air already in place, a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain is forecast for the Southern Plains, which may cause hazardous driving conditions, starting late Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday morning, the National Weather Service warned. Its warnings came after an unidentified individual was found dead at a bus stop in Houston. Officials reported the death was tied to the cold weather. A winter storm watch was in effect for north Texas and a cold weather advisory was issued in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. open image in gallery Heavy snow falls as a person walks along U.S. Route 42 in Florence, Kentucky, on Monday. More wintry weather conditions are forecast in Texas this week after storms resulted in hundreds of crashes ( AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File ) In response to the oncoming threat, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he had activated state emergency response resources. As Texas faces snow, ice, and freezing rain, were working around-the-clock to ensure Texans have necessary resources, he wrote in a post on social media. More than 5,000 customers were reported without power in the state, according to tracker PowerOutage.US. Outages continued to plague the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. Virginia still had more than 57,000 on Tuesday. Utility Dominion Energy said it had restored power to more than 70 percent of its customers and was continuing to work on Tuesday. While the lions share of outages were reported in six states from Missouri to Virginia, outages were also shown in California, where a particularly dangerous situation resulting from Santa Ana winds and critical fire weather was unfolding. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists in Australia say a group of unusually large funnel-web spiders is actually a new species in its own right. Researchers say they used anatomical and DNA comparisons to study different populations of the Sydney funnel-web spider one of the worlds deadliest spiders and found there were three species, only two of which were previously known to science. The study revealed the hidden diversity among funnel-web spiders, said arachnologist Stephanie Loria from the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Germany. The classic Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus, is found from the Central Coast to the Sydney Basin; the Southern Sydney funnel-web, Atrax montanus, is common in the Blue Mountains south and west of Sydney; and the Newcastle funnel-web, which has now been dubbed the Big Boy for being the largest of the three, inhabits the city of Newcastle. The Newcastle funnel-web, Atrax christenseni Big Boy is a totally new species. The true Sydney funnel-web, Atrax robustus, centres on the North Shore of Sydney and the Central Coast while the Southern Sydney funnel-web is a resurrected species name from 1914, Dr Loria said. open image in gallery Big Boy funnel-web spider Atrax christenseni ( Kane Christensen ) The Latin name for the Big Boy species is derived from the Newcastle spider enthusiast Kane Christensen, who brought it to the attention of the research team. The study was launched after Mr Christensen, based at the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales, collected a number of unusually large male funnel-web spiders as part of a venom programme, researchers say. Atrax christenseni is a superb and impressive funnel-web. The sheer size of the males, compared to the males of the other Atrax species, is simply astounding, Mr Christensen said. I am very passionate about funnel-webs and there is no greater compliment than to have another scientist name a funnel-web species after me. I am deeply honoured and accept it with great pleasure. open image in gallery New Big Boy funnel-web spider species Atrax christenseni ( Danilo Harms et al, BMC Ecology and Evolution ) In the study, published in the journal BMC Ecology and Evolution, the researchers collected new specimens of funnel-webs from across Sydney and examined their DNA. They then compared the spiders with museum specimens dating back to the early 1900s. None of these insights would have been possible without the use of historical collections and international collaboration, Dr Loria said. 10 Animals You Didnt Know Existed The reclassification may have practical implications for antivenom production. While funnel-web bites are the most severe among spiders, they are not very common. If you are bitten by a funnel-web spider, call an ambulance and go straight to hospital, toxicologist Geoff Isbister from the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital said. Although no human fatalities have occurred since the development of antivenom in the 1980s, the antivenom for Sydney funnel-web spiders might be optimised by considering biological differentiation at the species level, said Danilo Harms, another author of the study. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Yemen's Houthi rebels said Wednesday they released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. The rebels said they released the sailors after mediation by Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that's long been an interlocutor with the Houthis. Oman did not immediately acknowledge the release, though an Omani Royal Air Force jet took a flight to Yemen earlier Wednesday. The Houthis also said Hamas separately requested the Houthis release the ship's crew of 25 who included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Houthis said in a statement on rebel-controlled SABA news agency. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. They then had a campaign targeting ships in international waters, which only stopped with the recent ceasefire in Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A representative for the Galaxy Leader's owners had no immediate comment. The Bahamas-flagged vessel is affiliated with an Israeli billionaire Abraham Rami Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel. The Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader saw the rebels launched a helicopter-borne raid. Propaganda footage of the raid has been played constantly by the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the ship at one point. On Monday, the Houthis signaled they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed. However, it likely wont be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the route thats crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic through the region, cutting deeply into revenues for Egypt, which runs the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, after Hamas surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. Israels military offensive in Gaza has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up more than half the fatalities. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 19-year-old student's persistent knee pain, initially dismissed as a minor ache, turned out to be a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer, leading to a life-saving leg amputation. Alicia Ortstad, a salad shop worker from Uppsala, Sweden first noticed the pain in the summer of 2023. By late August, her leg had dramatically swollen, resembling a bowling ball and making it impossible to bear weight. However, Ortstads complaints were initially brushed off by doctors. They just told me to rest and prescribed paracetamol, she recalled. But it only got worse. She said her pleas for an MRI scan were ignored and, instead, doctors gave her cortisone shots to manage the pain. As her knee continued to swell, she started experiencing frequent colds, blue veins on her knee, extreme fatigue, and trouble concentrating in class. I was falling asleep mid-lesson that wasnt like me, she said. The first thing the doctors said to me was to completely forget school for now. But I was only half a term away from graduation. After finally getting a MRI scan in December 2023 the devastating diagnosis was revealed: osteosarcoma. Doctors informed her that amputation was the only way to prevent the cancer from spreading. In January 2024, with the support of her boyfriend, Simon Pettersson, a 21-year-old who has also had a leg amputation due to osteosarcoma, Ortstad underwent the life-altering surgery. Now that I look back, there are many signs that I completely ignored that I now know were indications that something was wrong with me, Ortstad said. open image in gallery Ortstad was back riding her horse weeks after the amputation ( Collect/PA Real Life ) After a few days she learned to stand up and later walk with crutches in fact Ortstad and her family thought the recovery speed was a miracle. However, just a week later, she had to undergo a second surgery to remove a metastasis, the spread of cancer cells from the original tumour to her lungs. It was another setback, and I could no longer walk again because of the pain in my upper body as well as my lower but a week later, I was back on track, she said. open image in gallery Ortstad has shared her recovery journey on TikTok ( Collect/PA Real Life ) Ortstad would continue to study from hospital and home after her surgery, graduating in June 2024. She said going through such an ordeal in her late teens has shaped who she is today. She urges others in her position to seek professional help as soon as they experience symptoms, adding: I wish that people educated themselves more about the symptoms, especially the pain while resting, since its very common for osteosarcoma. Some doctors are not very informed about this rare disease, and I want them to eliminate the possibility of this disease by doing an MRI at the first symptom. Alicia has spent the past year recovering and getting used to her new prosthetic leg, and she now posts on TikTok, gaining more than 7.5 million likes for her videos so far. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Turkey has arrested nine people, including the owner of the hotel, following a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 76 people and injured dozens at a ski resort in western Turkey. The bodies of 45 victims had been handed over to their families, while DNA tests were being conducted to identify the remaining bodies at the forensic institute, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Wednesday morning. The fire started about 3.30am on Tuesday on the restaurant level of the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu mountains. The fire occurred near the start of a two-week winter break for schools, when hotels in the region are packed. There were 238 registered guests at the hotel, of whom 51 were injured, one of them critically. Survivors described scenes of panic as they fled through smoke-filled corridors and jumped from windows to escape. open image in gallery Tightened bed sheets hand from a window of the hotel ( AP ) Authorities are facing growing criticism over the hotels safety measures, as survivors reported that no fire alarms went off during the incident. Guests said they had to navigate the smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness. My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off, said Atakan Yelkovan, a guest staying on the third floor. We tried to go upstairs but couldnt, there were flames. We went downstairs and came here [outside]. He said it took about an hour for firefighters to arrive. People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... Some tried to jump, he said. They tried to climb down using bedsheets. The bedsheets ripped as one friend tried ... and he unfortunately fell on his head. One father was yelling about his one year-old child: I will throw my child or he will burn. open image in gallery Firefighters and emergency services work in the aftermath of the fire ( AFP via Getty Images ) The government appointed six prosecutors to lead the investigation into the fire. NTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, in a chalet-style design, may have accelerated the spread of the fire. Tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told reporters that the hotel underwent inspections in 2021 and 2024 and that "no negative situation regarding fire competence" was reported by the fire department. open image in gallery The aftermath of the fire ( REUTERS ) The hotel, where the fire broke out, expressed deep sorrow in a statement on Wednesday and pledged full cooperation with the investigation. "We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident," the statement said. "We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts." President Tayyip Erdogan declared a day of national mourning following the tragedy. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ukrainians are using recordings of cat noises to lure Vladimir Putins forces into explosive-rigged traps, a Russian soldier has claimed. With the grit and ingenuity of the Ukrainian army frequently evidenced in its success in defending against Russias vast invading force, it has now been claimed that they are turning to an unusual tactic in appealing to the Russians reported fondness for cats. The tactic has been reported on the frontline of Ukraines Donetsk region, which has seen some of the wars most gruelling fighting in recent months as Mr Putins forces sought to capture as much territory as possible ahead of Donald Trumps return to the White House this week. open image in gallery ( REUTERS ) According to The Times, Leonid Otdelnov, the commander of a mine-clearing unit told state-owned channel TV Zvezda: We go in, we hear meowing, lets say, in the cupboard. When you open it, out of compassion, there is a blast, because it has been rigged with explosives. Mr Otdelnov did not say whether any Russians had been killed by the traps, and it was not possible to verify his claims. The Moscow Times reported last year that Russian soldiers had started bringing cats to deal with rodent infestations on the front lines, while the firm Dalia Research claimed in 2017 that Russia was the only country in the world where the majority of people owned a cat. Analysts have frequently pointed to Ukraines imaginative tactics as bolstering its defence against Russia during nearly three years of brutal war. open image in gallery Ukrainian servicemen of 24th Mechanised brigade train at the polygon not far from frontline in Donetsk region ( AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka ) Writing for Defence News, Philip Wasielewski of the Foreign Policy Institute and former US diplomat William Courtney said last March: Using unorthodox and imaginative tactics, Ukraine's irregular warriors are notching stunning gains. Sea drones sink modern warships in the Black Sea. Aerial drones evade Russias best air defenses to strike oil facilities in St Petersburg. Saboteurs blow up trains and paralyse Russias longest rail tunnel in the Far East. Officials and turncoats in Russian-occupied areas are routinely assassinated. Despite Ukraines staunch defence, Russia has gained ground in eastern Ukraine over the past year, albeit at the cost of heavy casualties as it throws waves of soldiers at Ukraines defensive lines. Ukraines military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed this week that Russian losses now exceed 800,000, with a record 434,000 of Mr Putins killed or wounded in 2024. This year of combat has cost them more than the previous two years of the war combined, Mr Syrskyi told Ukrainian TV channel TSN. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The ceasefire may have brought a fragile peace to Gaza, but for Mahmoud Abu Dalfa, the war's devastation continues. He tirelessly searches for the remains of his wife and five children, buried under the debris of their home since an Israeli airstrike in December. Thirty-five members of Abu Dalfa's extended family perished when their building in Gaza City's Shejaia suburb was hit, he said. Amid the ongoing bombardment, only three bodies were recovered. Now, Abu Dalfa faces the agonising task of retrieving the rest. "My children are still under the rubble," he said. "I am trying to get them out." He described the immense challenges, hampered by the scale of destruction and a lack of necessary equipment. "The civil defence came, they tried, butwe don't have the equipment here We need excavators and a lot of technical tools." Among the lost are his wife and all five of his children three daughters and two sons, including a set of triplets. open image in gallery A Palestinian walks next to a UN vehicle damaged during the Israeli offensive ( REUTERS ) Burials are usually carried out within a few hours of death in Muslim and Arab communities, and failure to retrieve bodies and ensure dignified burials is agonizing for bereaved families. "I hope I can bring them out and make them a grave. That's all I want from this entire world. I dont want them to build me a house or give me anything else. All I want is a grave for them - to get them out and make them a grave," said Abu Dalfa. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service and medical staff have recovered around 200 bodies since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Sunday, halting a 15-month conflict that has killed more than 47,000 Gazans. The war in Gaza was triggered when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. At least 94 of those hostages remain in Gaza. Mahmoud Basal, the head of the service, said extraction operations have been challenged by the lack of earth-moving and heavy machinery, adding that Israel had destroyed several of their vehicles and killed at least 100 of their staff. Basal estimates the bodies of around 10,000 Palestinians killed in the war are yet to be found and buried. A U.N. damage assessment released this month showed that clearing over 50 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel's bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion. open image in gallery Destroyed buildings in Rafah ( REUTERS ) As hundreds of truckloads of aid flowed into Gaza since Sunday, officials from the Palestinian Authority, rivals to Hamas, held meetings with European officials to arrange to assume responsibilities at two vital crossing points with Egypt and Israel. A Palestinian official familiar with the matter said Egypt sent bulldozers and some engineering vehicles to carry out repairs to the road on the Gaza side of the border that had been damaged by Israel's ground offensive. Like Abu Dalfa, thousands of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are searching for the bodies of relatives either missing under the rubble or buried in mass graves during Israeli ground raids. Rabah Abulias, a 68-year-old father who lost his son Ashraf in an Israeli attack, wants to give his son a proper grave. "I know where Ashraf is buried, but his body is with dozens of others, there is no grave for him, there is no tomb stone that carries his name," he said via a chat app from Gaza City. "I want to make him a grave, where I can visit him, talk to him and tell him I am sorry I wasn't there for him." Close Netanyahu thanks Trump for helping free Israeli hostages For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Israels top general has resigned, citing the security failures that allowed Hamas 7 October attack, as at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. The Jenin raid also left at least 40 wounded, Palestinian health officials said, as Israels fragile ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza entered its third dayChief of Staff Lt General Herzi Halevi became the most prominent Israeli official to step down over the militant groups attack when he announced his resignation on Tuesday. In Tel Aviv, four people were wounded in a stabbing attack on Tuesday evening, according to Israeli police, who said the attacker was killed by security forces at the scene. Meanwhile, Hamas official Taher al-Nunu has said four female Israeli hostages will be released on Saturday in return for Palestinian prisoners in the second such exchange under the truce, according to AFP. And US president Donald Trumps pick for ambassador to the UN, Elise Stefanik, has told a Senate confirmation hearing that Israel has a biblical right to dominion over the West Bank. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured in an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, with neighbouring Jordans foreign minister warning that the offensive could lead the West Bank to explode. The raid, in the northern city of Jenin, wounded at least 40 people, Palestinian health officials said, in an operation which Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would be extensive and significant. The Israeli military said the aim of such a large-scale operation was to ensure militant groups are not rearming a few hundred metres from Israeli communities. The raid comes days after the start of a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, triggered by an attack by Hamas on 7 October that killed around 1,200 people and saw another 250 taken hostage. Israels retaliatory offensive inside Gaza has killed 47,000 Palestinians, according to health ministry officials in the enclave. We have to learn from 7 October and not let terror groups regroup, rearm and plan terror attacks a few hundred metres from us, international spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said, calling Jenin one of the main points of terror. Palestinian media reported that on Tuesday, there were several airstrikes as a large number of troops entered the city and its refugee camp, backed by drones, helicopters and armoured bulldozers. On Wednesday, Jenins governor said Israeli forces had bulldozed all the roads leading to Jenin camp, and leading to Jenin Government Hospital. Dr Mahmoud Saadi, the head of the ambulance and emergency centre in Jenin, said that there were nearly 200 people, including the injured and the sick, trapped in Jenins main government hospital, which had been surrounded by military vehicles and soldiers. Speaking to The Independent by phone from inside the complex, he said that the Israeli military was also obstructing ambulances from getting in. Video footage taken by Palestinian residents and shared with The Independent shows mounds of earth surrounding the hospital, which residents said had been dug up by Israeli military bulldozers. Lt Col Shoshani confirmed the military presence around the hospital, saying it had enforced a temporary notice for safety to the people to not get out of the hospital because there was activity outside the hospital in proximity to the hospital with explosives. What is going on at the moment is hard to describe, Dr Saadi told The Independent. There are a lot of military vehicles and soldiers all around the hospital, and since the morning, we have dealt with four injuries. One of them was in critical condition. Snipers are hiding on the top of many buildings. He said the Israeli military appeared to be digging up parts of the roads with armoured bulldozers that were filmed driving into the area. This was making it hard to evacuate the patients who were in the hospital before the raid started. One of my medical colleagues was arrested at the checkpoint near the hospital. He was taken from the ambulance during the job. Dr Wissam Bakr, the head of the hospital, reiterated what Dr Saad said, adding that Israeli soldiers and bulldozers were outside the hospital digging up the streets in the area. He added that 88 patients inside the hospital were stuck, as well as 80 members of staff, and they were coordinating with the Red Cross to try to get them out. open image in gallery At least 10 Palestinians have been killed in the Jenin raid ( Reuters ) Asked about recent events in the occupied West Bank, Jordans foreign minister, Ayman Safadi said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that maintaining the security of the West Bank is of top priority, warning that otherwise it could destabilise the whole region. I think maintaining the security of the West Bank, making sure the West Bank does not explode is something of top priority and it is dangerous what is happening there, he added. And I think the whole world needs to take a deep look at what is happening, and again with the same vigour that were looking at the ceasefire, we should also be working to prevent an explosion on the West Bank. Lt Col Shoshani said the operation was in response to over 2000 attempted attacks in the region since October 2023. He declined to give a timeframe for the length of the operation but said the military would likely be operating in different areas of the West Bank, suggesting that the offensive could expand. An unnamed security source told Israels Channel 14 on Wednesday that the Israeli military operation in the northern occupied West Bank could take months. What we did in Gaza, we will do to them as well; we will leave them in ruins, the source added. open image in gallery A Palestinian stands beside a torched car in the aftermath of an attack by suspected Israeli settlers ( AP ) Harrowing footage shared on Palestinian social media appeared to show a family, including several children, coming under gunfire as they drove through Jenin. In the short clip, terrified women and children in the back of the car can be heard screaming and shouting, Go, go, go! as the crack of bullet fire sounds in the background. The footage ends abruptly after what appears to be a direct hit to the driver of the vehicle. Later, Palestinian medics said the driver was 43-year-old father Ahmed Nimer Al-Shayeb, and said he was killed by Israeli sniper fire. Palestinian journalist Raya Orouq, who attended his funeral, said that she could hear random shooting and see more military vehicles entering the area. The Independent has asked the Israeli military for comment on the killing of Ahmed and the footage of the family under fire in the car. The military did not confirm or deny it was involved but claimed the military follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals. The case mentioned is under review, it said in a statement to the Independent. Elsewhere in the West Bank, dozens of masked men rampaged through two Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank late Monday, hurling stones and setting cars and property ablaze, according to local Palestinian officials. The Red Crescent emergency service said 12 people were beaten and wounded. The Israeli military said the men threw rocks at soldiers who arrived to disperse them and that an investigation had been launched. Israeli forces, meanwhile, carried out a raid elsewhere in the West Bank that the military said was in response to the hurling of firebombs at Israeli vehicles. It said several suspects were detained for questioning, and a video circulating online appeared to show dozens being marched through the streets. Jalal Bashir, the head of Jinsafuts village council, said three houses, a nursery and a carpentry shop had been attacked. The settlers were masked and had incendiary materials, said Bashir. Their numbers were large and unprecedented. Louay Tayem, head of the local council in al-Funduq, said dozens of men had fired shots, thrown stones, burned cars, and attacked homes and shops, the Associated Press reported. Charred shells of cars littered the side of the road in Jinsafut on Tuesday, and residents were seen surveying the damage to a burnt storage space. Smith Sunghay, head of the United Nations Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said Israeli operations in the West Bank are done in a manner that uses military methods and means of warfare when Israel should be using a law enforcement framework. What we are seeing, witnessing, and recording is a breach of this; there is massive destruction of infrastructure in camps like Jenin camp: people being cut off from electricity, water, and other necessities. And then, of course, displacement of people from camps. That has continued even today. He said there was an escalation in the restrictions on movement in the West Bank, with new checkpoints being set up in the aftermath of the ceasefire in Gaza this week. The Israeli military said the checkpoints were part of a tool in fighting terror. Speaking in Davos, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said that the ceasefire in Gaza had so far been successful in allowing in aid to the enclave, but had a warning over any further future action. There is a possibility of Israel feeling emboldened by the military successes to think that this is the moment to do the annexation of the West Bank and to keep Gaza in a kind of a limbo situation, he said. That would be a total violation of international law ... and would mean there will never be peace in the Middle East. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A cat named Mittens has built up its air miles after being forgotten on a plane. Maine coon Mittens, 8, was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand to their new home in Melbourne, Australia on January 13. But owner Margo Neas said Wednesday that as she waited for Mittens to be unloaded from the plane's freight area, three hours passed with no sign of the cat. In total she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia. It was then that ground staff told Neas the plane had returned to New Zealand with Mittens still on board. The return trip involves about 7.5 hours in the air. I said, how can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God, Neas said. The Air New Zealand pilot was told of the extra passenger during the flight and turned on the heating in the cargo hold to keep Mittens comfortable, she added. Neas was told that a stowed wheelchair had obscured a baggage handler's view of Mittens' cage. It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didnt have the family, we werent complete, she said. But the saga had a happy ending. The pet moving company that Neas used to arrange Mittens' travel met the cat on her return to Christchurch and ensured she was back on the plane for another trip to Melbourne this time just one way. open image in gallery Jackson Brow holds their cat, Mittens, in a cat carrier at Melbourne Airport ( Margo Neas ) Mittens had lost weight but was otherwise unharmed. She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time, Neas said. It was just such a relief. Air New Zealand would reimburse all costs associated with Mittens' travel and has apologized for the distress caused, the airline said in a statement. Well work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesnt happen again, said spokesperson Alisha Armstrong. Meanwhile Mittens, not usually an affectionate pet, is the cuddliest she's ever been, said Neas. The cat gets as much attention as she wants right now because we're just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back." A police officer used a drug dealers own bicycle to catch him in Greenwich, London, newly-released footage shows. A video from 2023 published by the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday, 21 January, showed an officer pursuing Justice Oyedokun, 22. While fleeing he left his bike behind, so Sergeant Alan Cooley got on it and pursued him. The officer was forced to ride around a vehicle in circles to chase Oyedokun. Oyedokun, also from Greenwich, was sentenced to eight months on 20 January 2025 after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply a Class B drug. Shocking video footage has been released by police of a car being driven at speeds up to 90mph before causing a three-vehicle crash killing a lorry driver. Ross Neiland, 38, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, has been jailed for nine years and nine months for causing the death of 36-year-old Michal Kaminski, from Salisbury, in the incident on the M27 on February 21 last year. A police spokesman said that Neiland had attempted to flee the scene of the crash which involved the Volkswagen Polo he was driving, a lorry and a Nissan Juke car. He was detained by members of the public, police said. Michael Fanone, a former police officer injured in the January 6 US Capitol riot, told Stewart Rhodes to "go f*** himself" live on CNN after the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers group said he had "no regrets" over the 2021 insurrection. Mr Fanone suffered burns, heart attack and traumatic brain injuries while defending Congress. Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison was released from prison after Trump commuted his sentence. More than 1,500 people were criminally charged in connection with the Capitol riot. Trump issued full pardons for virtually all of them on January 20, and commuted the sentences of 14 convicted members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to time served. Pending cases are being dismissed. The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their families attended the traditional prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. I watched the service, expecting it to be mild, deferential and non-controversial. After all, that seems to be the pattern with Trumps second term; fear has stopped so many from criticizing even his most egregious statements and plans. But Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde took her moment in the spotlight to speak from her heart, directly to the president. She begged him to show compassion for the marginalized people he now has the power to destroy: undocumented immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ+ and trans communities. Speaking from the pulpit of a great edifice dedicated to God, she found her voice and used it to echo the words and teachings of Jesus. I served a Philadelphia area Lutheran church for 20 years as its spiritual formation director. Four of those years took place during Trumps first term. I was appalled at the presidents lies and cruelty and began to write about my feelings. But members of the church leadership at the time cautioned me not to speak out there were Trump supporters in the pews, and it was best not to rock the boat. Instead of standing firm, I stopped writing and speaking on the subject. In the interest of sparing the feelings of church members, many of whom were friends, I neglected to consider the feelings of those being demonized and put in danger. open image in gallery Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde arrives as President Donald Trump looks on during the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral ( Getty Images ) During the 2024 campaign, I foolishly assumed that a message of joyful inclusion would win the day. I relaxed a bit; I would not have to put myself on the line after all, and everything would be OK. As Trumps pronouncements and promises grew bolder and more alarming, I prayed that common decency would prevail in November. Surely Trump had shown the country his true colors, and the electorate would realize that he had no intention of bettering anyones life except his own. Even as I watched many religious leaders line up to support him, I didnt lose hope. Meanwhile, I let others criticize him, safe from putting myself at any risk. Kamala Harriss defeat was deeply upsetting. My love for my country is predicated on a core belief that we are caring and good people a nation of immigrants that welcomes the stranger, feeds the poor, and cares for the least among us. I had retired from church by then, but had still not spoken up, out of a combination of cowardice and complacency and the naive supposition that the worst would not happen. Watching Bishop Budde on Tuesday, I recalled Christs challenging words in the Gospels. I had spent so many years writing and speaking to my congregation about those words. I had taught a generation of children about the call to be Gods loving hands and feet in the world. Why was I cowering in the face of cruelty and injustice? Who was the hypocrite now? In the Old Testament, Queen Esther is told of a plot to kill the Jewish people in her kingdom. The queen is herself a Jew, and has hidden that fact from the king. Her adviser Mordecai encourages her to speak out and save her people, telling her that perhaps she was born for such a time as this. Esther rises to the occasion, and the Jewish people are spared. open image in gallery President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and second lady Usha Vance attend the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral ( Getty Images ) Scripture tells me, quite clearly, that having faith means taking action when others are being harmed. Faith demands we use our voices to advocate for all of our brothers and sisters, no matter the risk to ourselves. Faith and courage should go hand in hand. It is not lost on me that Inauguration Day was also MLK Jr. Day. Dr. King also lived in troubled and turbulent times. As he spoke out for civil and human rights, he was often in great personal danger, imprisoned and, eventually, killed. Difficult as his road was, I believe that King was, indeed, born for his time. The world today is still a deeply divided place, and it is very tempting to keep quiet and keep my peace. But maybe I too was born for such a time as this. Maybe it is my duty, as a person of faith and as a decent human being, to rise to the occasion. To add my small voice to the chorus that is crying out against injustice. I am sorry it has taken me this long, but at last I am ready. With Bishop Budde, and other brave and good people, including many pastors and congregants in my own denomination (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), I ask our nations new leaders to consider the suffering they plan to inflict. I ask them to have a change of heart, and to help save the heart of the world. I believe I was born to be here, right now. I can respond to the great challenges of our time with fear, or with courage. I am making my choice. The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Not since the last time the Duchess of Cambridge wore a coat to a carol concert has a church service been under such scrutiny. The National Prayer Service I assume were all big fans? saw Team Trump in church on Tuesday for the second day in a row... which must be an annual record. There, Bishop Mariann Budde delivered a sermon asking for compassion on LGBT+ people and immigrants, after which Trump ranted that it was nasty and the bishop was a radical left hardline Trump hater. (Apropos of nothing, Nigella Lawson posted Bitter Orange Tart as her recipe of the day this morning.) Its worth emphasising that Bishop Budde is the Bishop of Washington, a position she has held since 2011. Most coverage makes it sound like shes some random unqualified bishop whos just toddled in off a chessboard to cause a ruckus. Headlines described the bishop as ambushing or lecturing Trump to have mercy this last always in inverted commas, much in the way of Nazi salute. By ambushing or lecturing, do we perhaps mean delivering a sermon as is usual in every church service and therefore doing her actual job? There was outrage that the bishop spoke to Trump at a prayer service when, presumably, they should be focusing on the bland thoughts and prayers beloved of social media commentary after a mass shooting, rather than doing any reflecting themselves. For someone who extols the support of God as often as Trump, he seems wholly unacquainted with the church. This might explain why he didnt put his hand on either Bible he had at his swearing-in ceremony. Railing, as he has, about a sermon that preaches compassion is like turning up to a carol service and then complaining about all the songs about snow and babies. Bishop Budde is an Episcopalian, equivalent to an Anglican in the UK. In evangelical Christianity, however, women are not allowed to preach, so the mere existence of the Bishop of Washington is an insult. Trumps responses suggest the bishop came in storming. Rather, she delivered her sermon so gently meek and mild, you might even say that she came across like an unusually brave dormouse. The female canon who joined my familys true-blue Hampshire village congregation in 1995 after the C of E first allowed female priests would have been more forthcoming. Yet for a man with as fragile an ego as Trump, even a dormouse speaking these words must be terrifying. It has certainly rattled a right wing that is unused to any kind of pushback, let alone publicly and shared widely on television and social media. In Aesops fable, The Lion and the Mouse, a lion roars at a mouse for waking it and is later saved by the same mouse. In Trumps case, you suspect he would either imprison or deport it. Rep Mike Collins called for the bishops deportation on X (Twitter) her being born in New Jersey is, of course, an irrelevance. Who needs facts when Trump is in charge? Bishop Mariann Budde addresses Donald Trump during prayer service ( CNN ) I appreciate that Christianity has been overwhelmed by people loudly proclaiming they know best often in extremely wealthy megachurches or hastily assumed baptisms in an apparent attempt to fend off sexual assault investigations but when it comes down to it, basic Christian values are laid out in the New Testament. Love thy neighbour. Cast not the first stone. A saviour is born in the humblest of dwellings. Even Old Testament Leviticus, a book beloved of the pick n choose religious right for its words on homosexuality (they remain strangely silent on its equally strong prohibition of mixing fabrics, or having tattoos) proclaims of immigrants: You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. White evangelicals may bristle yet even the loftiest among them came in as strangers on the Mayflower. As were told in another fable, The Emperors New Clothes, it is on us to point out when we are being told nonsense. There is supposed to be a total separation of Church and state in the US, yet for decades, this has been completely untrue. Evangelical Christianity took a stranglehold over the corporation classes in the 70s through the development of the prosperity gospel beloved by megachurches namely, that God wants to bless you with wealth. This is decidedly against Christs decree, Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God. Note that again even then, people didnt want to hear it. Trump seems to be a man who uses God like some people use their children: useful to show off in public, but ignored in private. As we have seen throughout his political rise and, indeed, through the shaming rise of populism here in the UK, rhetoric is king. If it sounds good and looks impactful, what do the facts matter? Yet, Christian or otherwise, it is on all of us to point out when the emperor is naked with Bishop Buddes quiet, brave sermon leading the way. The strongest words are not always those shouted out with the most force. Survey finds Ireland continues to be the largest data protection enforcer The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) issued fines of 310m against LinkedIn and 251m against Meta last year. The DPC was responsible for more than half of the total 1.2bn in European GDPR fines that were levied in 2024, according to the law firm DLA Piper's GDPR Fines and Data Breach Survey. In 2023, Ireland imposed the largest GDPR fine ever a penalty of 1.2bn on Meta. The total fines reported since the application of GDPR in 2018 now stand at 5.88bn. Since May 2018, Ireland has issued 3.5bn in fines the largest tally in Europe and largely because authorities here are responsible for overseeing US multinationals that have their European Union base here. The Irish fines are more than four times the value of fines issued by the next busiest regulator in Luxembourg its Data Protection Authority issued 746.38m in fines over the same period. GDPR enforcement remains a dynamic and evolving arena with Ireland's DPC remaining at the forefront as Europe's leading data regulator," said John Magee, partner and global co-chair Data of DLA Pipers Privacy and Cybersecurity Group. "It ranges from growing enforcement in sectors away from big tech and social media, to the use of the GDPR as an incumbent guardrail for AI enforcement as AI specific regulation falls into place, and supervisory authorities looking to impose personal liability on company directors. Despite growing numbers, 2024 saw a 33pc decrease in aggregate fines imposed compared to the previous seven years of increasing enforcement. Big tech and social media companies continued to be the primary targets for large fines, with the top 10 largest fines being imposed in this sector since 2018. In August 2024, the Dutch Data Protection Authority issued a fine of 290m against a popular ride-hailing app citing transfers of personal data to a third country. A significant trend from last year was a new focus by authorities on governance and oversight. The Dutch Data Protection Commission investigated the personal liability of the directors of Clearview AI for numerous breaches of the GDPR following a 30.5m fine against the company. Other major sectors impacted include financial services and energy. The Spanish Data Protection Authority issued two fines totalling 6.2m against a large bank and the Italian Data Protection Authority fined a utility provider 5m for using outdated customer data. The UK was an outlier, having issued very few fines. John Magee of the Local Enterprise Office network, Carol Gibbons of Enterprise Ireland, Shane Tiernan of the County & City Management Association and John Larkin of The Black Stuff There were 7,104 new jobs created last year at small domestic businesses supported by Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), the agency reported yesterday. That was up 7pc on the previous year, in a period when jobs growth at multinationals was flat. Food manufacturing, tech and engineering businesses all saw growth during this period. The Local Enterprise Offices network of 31 teams based in local authorities across the country act as local first-stop shops for business owners or founders seeking information and support on starting or growing a business. Figures for 2024 show a net employment gain of 2,459 jobs in businesses supported by LEOs. Of these jobs, 81pc were outside Dublin. The figures show that Local Enterprise Offices financially supported 39,541 jobs in more than 7,000 of their client companies across the country. Competitiveness is the best response to market uncertainties and potential tariff wars Undoubtedly theres progress to be made. These are very small companies starting off and theyre not based on a digital template, so what we needed to do with them is to help them look at what tech or digital improvement they can make to improve efficiency and their capacity to grow, said John Magee, chairman of the Local Enterprise Offices network. He hopes to see similar jobs numbers this year, and said their focus is to help small businesses catch up with digitalisation. This year, we will focus on the new strategy for LEOs in the Programme of Government and focus on export opportunities and digitalisation journeys that businesses have to go on. To help Irish businesses stay competitive, well need to focus on sustainability and opportunities to reduce energy consumption. At a time when the economy is at full employment, companies are at a position where they are looking to hire. So what were trying to do is help companies be more competitive so they can retain and hold on to their staff. Competitiveness is the best response to market uncertainties and to the potential for tariff wars that might come up internationally. Thats what well focus on. Mr Magee was speaking at The Black Stuff, a Local Enterprise Office-supported company in Sandyford that makes handmade soaps for men and which generated a turnover of 4.5m last year, adding 13 new jobs in the process. There are thousands more companies that will have benefited from digitisation training, mentoring and taking those initial steps to becoming more sustainable, said Mr Magee. We saved 15,000 and paid off our credit card debt meet the people who overhauled their finances with a low-spend year Cutting back on everything but the essentials can add up to serious savings, but it isnt for the faint-hearted I did a low-spend year and saved enough for a deposit on a house Gabrielle Monaghan Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 05:00 Nicole Van Hoof is already a budgeting whizz. The 53-year-old grew up in Belgium in a family of frugal bakers but now lives in south Kildare. Multinationals jobs boom stalls with no increase in last two years Government failure to deliver on water, housing and other infrastructure is a threat to growth Ibecs Danny McCoy wants to see new commitments in the Programme for Government. Photo: Shane ONeill Donal O'Donovan Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 03:30 The jobs boom in the multinationals sector has stalled, with no increase in employment in 2024 or 2023. The stark numbers are included in the latest Quarterly Economic Outlook from employers group Ibec. The cryptocurrency exchange founded by the US billionaire Winkelvoss twins claims that the change of headquarters was due to a more proactive industrial climate outside Ireland Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the US billionaire Winklevoss twins, has moved its headquarters from Ireland to Malta, the Irish Independent can reveal. The corporate switch, which is rare for multinational firms, has been described as a blow to confidence in Irelands position as an emerging EU location for financial blockchain and cryptocurrency firms and comes among growing industry unease about delays in regulation here. Malta will now serve as our European HQ, allowing us to continue to grow our European-wide operations, a spokesperson for the company told the Irish Independent. We chose Malta due to its proactive approach to fostering innovation among fintech and digital assets. We considered our options and chose the jurisdiction that best supports our growth plans. But were committed to Ireland and will maintain an office on the ground there. We still have our EMI license in Ireland and maintain a good relationship with the regulator there. Geminis move comes less than two years after it picked Ireland as its EU headquarters, at the time citing a positive view of the Irish regulatory landscape. But the company now views other EU countries as being more proactive than Ireland, with the Irish Central Bank dragging its heels on getting up to speed on key EU regulation applied in other European countries. A spokesperson for Blockchain Ireland, which represents Irish industry in the sector, described the move as deeply concerning for Irelands place in the emerging European crypto industries, adding that jobs in the sector may now be lost. Other Irish industry executives are understood to be concerned that Geminis move might trigger a snowball effect at a formative time for companies establishing European bases of operation. Despite the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (Mica) law being enforceable across the EU since the start of 2025, the Irish Central Bank began a process of recruiting consultants to advise it on how to form an approach on the regulation this month. The institution is not expected to be up to speed until late spring or summer. The Irish Central Banks view of cryptocurrency firms has been critical, with governor Gabriel Makhlouf describing them as Ponzi schemes. Gemini has electronic money institution (EMI) authorisation here, as well as being registered as a virtual asset service provider (Vasp). It recently changed its head of Europe from Gillian Lynch to Mark Jennings. In cinemas; Cert 16 Youll be thankful for the intermission. A remarkable undertaking the biggest of his career, in fact Brady Corbets The Brutalist has kick-started numerous conversations about modern movie run-times. This is understandable. With three hours and 35 minutes on the clock, The Brutalist pushes its luck, and it makes sense for Corbet to include a half-time break. We appreciate the opportunity to rest. There is, after all, much to process here, as Corbets film his third in the directors chair, following 2015s The Childhood of a Leader and 2018s Vox Lux tells of a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor who crosses the Atlantic in search of the American Dream. Along the way, our lonely, tortured protagonist encounters deceitful relatives, temperamental industrialists and pompous gatekeepers. Somewhere in the middle he develops a crippling heroin addiction. Not an easy watch, then, and The Brutalist will probably test your patience. It will also reward your resilience and this intricate, intoxicating picture is one of the most ambitious Ive encountered in a long time. 'The Brutalist' can be a tough watch at times We begin in 1947 on a boat to Ellis Island, New York. Broken and battered, inside and out, Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody) was torn from his wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones) and their niece Zsofia (Raffey Cassidy) in Budapest. He got out, they didnt, and though they continue to correspond through letters, the chances of Laszlo seeing his family again are slim. America is a different world entirely, and it appears Laszlos cousin, Attila (Alessandro Nivola), has created a new life for himself in Philadelphia. He offers Laszlo a place to stay and a good job at his burgeoning furniture business. But Laszlo isnt like other designers, and Attilas clients dismiss his modern, minimalist sculptures. Things take a turn after a wealthy customer (Joe Alwyns Harry Lee Van Buren) hires Laszlo to renovate his millionaire fathers home library. Laszlo does an extraordinary job, but the rich dad, Harrison (Guy Pearce), isnt convinced, and he fires the men and refuses to pay them. Rejected by customers and, indeed, his cousin, Laszlo spends the next few years working on construction sites and living out of charity shelters. Its only after some fancy architecture magazine raves about his new library that Harrison realises the truth: Laszlo is a genius a brilliant architect, too, and his work is celebrated throughout Europe. 'The Brutalist' is gripping but could use a trim He might then be the perfect candidate to design and manage Harrisons dream project. To honour his late mother, Harrison wishes to build a large community centre in the hills overlooking his vast estate. There will be no expense spared, except maybe Laszlos salary and, should he accept the job, Laszlo is free to live on site. As a bonus gesture of kindness, Harrison instructs his lawyer to help bring the architects family to America. Laszlo cannot believe his good fortune, but the reunion is far from a happy one and there are various complications down the road. Has Laszlo sold his soul to the devil? Maybe. Corbet does not hold back here. A challenging, complex account of the immigrant experience, Laszlos tale is fictional, but his quest is truthful his pain is real and The Brutalist punishes its central character with empty promises of a new beginning in the so-called land of the free. How many men and women have been in Laszlos position? Too many to mention. To Harrison and his cronies, Laszlo will always be the outsider, and he must give up his identity and his ideals. A monumental film such as this requires an inspirational cast, and Brody (electrifying) and Pearce (outstanding) do not disappoint. The former fully inhabits the role of a man who slowly loses his way, and with it, his mind; the latter has never been better. Again, Corbet pushes harder than is necessary, and The Brutalist could do with a trim. The absurd finale leaves a sour aftertaste so, too, does the disappointing revelation that Corbet utilised controversial AI tech to enhance Brodys Hungarian dialect. These modern tools have no place in a film like this, but we wont let it spoil our enjoyment. Not today. Elegantly scored and beautifully photographed, this bold, illuminating epic is, by no means, a perfect film but its a damn fine one, and it might just go all the way at the Oscars. Four stars This review was first published on January 22 Dermot Bannon and Julian Benson with their team of diligent workers TV personalities Dermot Bannon and Julian Benson have teamed up to create a home away from home for Cystic Fibrosis patients during their hospital treatments in Dublin. The Julian Benson Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will feature in a Room to Improve special where Benson and Bannon will explore the highs, lows and occasional surprises of renovating a period property. Tranquility House will be Irelands first home away from home for the CF community in Dublin, where a family member can stay while their loved one is receiving treatment in hospital. Many families are doing a daily round trip from all over the country to St Vincents Hospital in Dublin, which is The National Referral Hospital for Cystic Fibrosis, and other Dublin hospitals. This space will be a crucial facility for parents, spouses and siblings at a most vulnerable time of stress and worry. This accommodation will allow family members to be close to the hospital, enabling them to spend precious quality time with their loved ones. Once completed, Tranquility House will have four individual two-bedroom apartments, each fully equipped with kitchen, dining and living spaces. Benson and Bannon will tackle a three-storey Georgian house with a lower ground floor in South Dublin and strip the 162-year-old house to the bare walls. They enlist a number of tradesmen to help retrofitting, regenerating and bringing the building up to modern standards. With conservation a key element in the renovation of Tranquility House, Dermot and his team will ensure as many of the original features of the house are saved and restored. Alongside Dermot, the show will feature interior designer Celine Collins and well-known TV builder Brandon Duarte. This is my Olympic Gold. Dreams really do come true! Bowled over by the love and support of so many people. The CF community now has a very special home away from home, Mr Benson said. Louise Doogan, CEO, Julian Benson Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, added: When we took on the monumental task of renovating a 162-year-old house with no funds in the bank, we knew it wouldnt be easy. But we also knew we had something far more valuable a community of people who believed in our cause. Through our strategic call-outs to businesses across Ireland, we received an outpouring of generosity and support. Their unwavering belief, combined with the skills and dedication of countless tradespeople and volunteers, turned what seemed impossible into reality. Tranquility House is not just a building; it is a powerful symbol of what can be achieved when we come together as a community. This is a lasting legacy for everyone involved and for the CF community, offering hope, comfort and a true home away from home for years to come. According to the charity, the work has only been possible through the generosity of over 130 Irish companies, including Chadwicks, Murphy, Roadstone, Kirby Group, Maylim, Carnehill Joinery and Timeless Sash Windows. Room to Improve special on Julian Benson Cystic Fibrosis Foundations Tranquility House will air on RTE One this Sunday, January 26, at 9.30pm The action comes as the world braces itself for potential trade tariffs under US President Donald Trumps reign. Photo: Getty New Zealand, Australian and US dairy companies are accusing Canada of dumping low-priced milk products on world markets and are asking their governments to intervene. Industry groups from the three nations have written to their trade and agriculture ministers and officials expressing concern over the impact of "Canada's trade delinquency" on dairy protein markets, the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand said. Artificially low-priced Canadian exports are undermining legitimate interests, it said. "Of concern is the purposeful design of Canada's milk pricing mechanisms to under-price the surplus milk protein generated by its domestic supply management system and incentivise disposal onto world markets," DCANZ said in a statement. "Collective and coordinated action is requested to address the mechanisms being used by Canada to enable these exports to be dumped on world markets." The action comes as the world braces itself for potential trade tariffs under US President Donald Trumps reign. Canada is one of the countries that have been singled out by Trump, with Ottawa drawing up a list of C$150 billion ($105 billion) list of US-manufactured items it could hit with retaliatory levies. Global milk supplies, meanwhile, are expected to grow this year, with output increases in all major exporters for the first time since 2020, according to Rabobank. Australian and New Zealand government officials and two Canadian dairy associations weren't immediately available for comment. Wasted Milk Almost 7 billion litres of Canadian milk worth around C$14.9 billion has been wasted since 2012, enough for a year's supply for 4.2 million people, according to a paper published in the Ecological Economics journal in October. Canada exported almost C$500 million in dairy products in 2023, most of which went to the US. New Zealand has a long-running trade dispute with Ottawa over access to the Canadian market. In October, it triggered compulsory negotiations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement both countries are members of New Zealand-based Fonterra Cooperative Group is the world's largest dairy exporter. The Australian Dairy Industry Council's chair Ben Bennett urged coordinated action to prevent surplus dairy products being exported at below-production cost, and called for the respective governments to use all available tools to hold Canada accountable. The industry bodies want their governments to actively pursue the issue, DCANZ said. New Zealand and Australia are signatories, alongside Canada, to the arbitration arrangements designed to maintain the enforceability of World Trade Organization rules, while the US is set to review the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, it said. "It is an ongoing battle to ensure Canada upholds its trade commitments on dairy," DCANZ Executive Director Kimberly Crewther said in the statement. "DCANZ is pleased to be working with industry organisations from other dairy exporting nations who share the objective of holding Canada to account for its dairy trade commitments." The court ordered the government to ensure that it would meet its target by the end of 2030. Photo: A dairy farm in De Lutte, Netherlands in 2023. Image: (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images A Dutch court ordered the government on Wednesday to drastically cut nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands by 2030, in a ruling that could hurt construction and will put pressure on farmers to reduce livestock. The case was brought by Greenpeace, which said the government was not doing enough to lower illegally high levels of nitrogen oxide emissions, caused by intensive farming and heavy use of fertilizers, as well as traffic and construction in the densely-populated Netherlands. The court in The Hague said the government had clearly failed to comply with European regulations to preserve vulnerable nature reserves and cut excessive emissions of nitrogen oxides and ammonia, which hurt biodiversity and damage the quality of water. The country's previous government in 2022 laid out targets for reducing nitrogen pollution in some areas by up to 70% by 2030, but policies to reach that goal have largely been scrapped by the current government as farmers argued they were poorly conceived and unfair. "Measures were already largely insufficient to reach the 2030 goal and there is no improvement in sight," the court said, adding that the government's lack of action was unlawful. It ordered the government to ensure that it would meet its target by the end of 2030, and ruled that it should face a fine of 10 million euros ($10.4 million) if the goal was not met. The nitrogen problem has plagued the Netherlands for years following rulings in 2018 by the European Court of Justice and in 2019 by the Netherlands' Council of State that Dutch policies were failing to address it. Efforts to reduce emissions by buying out livestock farmers triggered large protests, while courts have routinely blocked major construction projects until the problem is solved. Reuters Court told of aggressive altercation three days before pensioner allegedly beaten and thrown off Irelands highest cliffs Robert Wilkin's body was found in the water at Sliabh Liag, Co Donegal Alan Vial (39) and Nikita Burns (22) are both accused of the murder of Robert Wilkin Eoin Reynolds Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 16:46 Three days before a pensioner was allegedly beaten with a rock and thrown off Irelands highest cliffs, he had an aggressive altercation with the man accused of his murder, the Central Criminal Court heard. The Indo Daily: Why is even the mention of water charges like playing with fire for politicians? BOMB disposal officers are set to get an extra day off after working for seven days after the government signed off on measures giving them similar rights to other workers. And defence force members deployed overseas in missions including the Lebanon will get a free return flight home. Previously, they had to pay for it themselves. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke has signed off on better working time entitlements for members of the Defence Forces. These rights included guaranteed rest periods. Previously, the defence forces were excluded from the terms of working time laws that set limits on the working week. Now most personnel will be covered by the legislation and those that are not will get concessions. Bomb disposal officers will get a guaranteed 10.5 day rest period after a seven-day duty. They used to get 9.5 days, according to the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO). Naval service members will get 10 days off after a four week patrol. They got three days previously. Derek Priestley, deputy general secretary at RACO, said defence forces military personnel doing routine duties are now covered by the working time directive. However, individuals in certain jobs like bomb disposal are still exempt, but have won concessions. Lt Col Conor King, general secretary of RACO, said implementation of the new working time arrangements will happen immediately but an electronic time recording system will not be in place until later this year. He said the military authorities will use an interim manual solution until then. All personnel will receive a free return flight home when overseas, he said. Before they had to pay for it themselves. Personnel on long term training courses will receive mandated time off on completion of the courses. Tis was not available before now. The minister signed a statutory instrument to remove the blanket exemption from the European Working Time Directive for the defence forces. The government said in a statement that defence force members will enjoy the protections of the Organisation of Working Time Act, like employees in most other sectors. This sets out statutory rights for employees regarding daily breaks, weekly rest, maximum working time and annual leave. Tanaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin, said the implementation of the directive has long been identified as an important retention measure for serving members. He said the provisions in the act including daily and weekly rest and maximum weekly working time over a 17-week period will now apply to the vast majority of defence force members. This includes members of the reserve who deploy in support of the permanent defence force. Minister Burke said a number of military activities will be exempt from the provisions of the directive. However, the Tanaiste has today implemented appropriate health and safety protections, including prescribed compensatory rest periods, for those involved in such tasks, he said. He said the Tanaiste approved one home reunion flight for personnel deployed for a period of six months overseas, in circumstances where it is not possible to take annual leave there. EU case law showed that exemptions from the working time directive may only apply to specific activities, as opposed to an entire sector. This article was amended on January 22, 2025, to reflect that Defence Force members are set to get an extra day off under the measures. Irish businessman held in Texas jail over alleged bomb threat that led to store evacuation Gerard Hayes has been in custody since January 10 arrest Gerard Hayes is from Galway and moved to the US over 20 years ago Rory Tevlin Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 03:30 An Irish businessman faces a terrorist threat charge in the US after he is alleged to have made a hoax bomb threat in Texas. The Dail has been adjourned until 9am tomorrow morning as a row over speaking rights led to a breakdown in proceedingsGovernment leaders describe situation as subversion of ConstitutionOpposition say Government engaging in farce over speaking time A new taoiseach will not be elected today due to a lengthy row over speaking rights. The 34th Dail sat for just a matter of minutes this morning before outbursts forced new ceann comhairle Verona Murphy to suspend the house. The Dail has now been adjourned until tomorrow morning. Government leaders have accused the Opposition of engaging in a "subversion of the Constitution" by not electing a taoiseach, while Opposition politicians have said the Government is engaging in a "farce" by allowing TDs who support the Government to speak on Opposition time and resources. The Irish Independent is running a live blog to keep you up to speed with all the breaking news of a big day at Leinster House. Children have a high degree of protection due to vaccination and infection, the findings show. Stock image The vast majority of people in Ireland now have some protection against severe cases of Covid-19, according to a new study. Children have been found to have a high degree of protection due to vaccination and infection, the findings show. The blood samples of 2,709 children were looked at as part of the seroprevalence study to measure antibodies to Sars-CoV-2 which are detected after vaccination or natural infection . It found estimates were high, at more than 90pc among children, and particularly among older age groups, from 12 to 17 years, where they were 99pc. This is likely to suggest a high degree of protection against severe disease, the report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre said. These results are generally applicable to the paediatric population in Ireland in terms of sex and age group. The study was carried out between February and June last year. The presence of antibodies was also high in adults last year and comparable to children. The rate in children last year was higher than in January 2022 due to the ongoing transmission of the virus. In the current study, the seroprevalence gap between adults and children has closed, with seroprevalence only marginally higher in adults compared to children. In this study, the high proportion of children who were detected with antibodies to the nucleocapsid protein reflects the extent of natural infection that has occurred among them in this country, it said. As of last June, over 90pc of people in Ireland aged over three were estimated to have detectable antibodies to Sars-CoV-2 demonstrating some level of protection against severe disease. People over the age of 65 remain at higher risk of serious illness from Covid-19 if they have not been vaccinated. Also at higher risk are people with weakened immune systems. The study said that since 2020, when the pandemic started, the rapid evolution of variants associated with increased transmissibility and lower rates of hospitalisations in combination with wide access to Covid-19 vaccination, has likely contributed to high prevalence estimates in the general population. The findings provide important information for deciding which age groups should be offered Covid vaccines. The most recent figures for the spread of Covid this winter show that in the second week of January activity remained at low-moderate levels. There was a fall in people testing positive and hospitalisations compared to the first week of the year. Cases decreased by 17.8pc, from 219 to 180. Hospitalised cases went down by 16.2pc, from 68 to 57. The XEC variant is now the dominant strain circulating. This winter was a particularly bad flu season as cases soared, although they are now continuing to drop. In the second week of January, flu levels remained very high. Over 100 people with the virus were admitted to intensive care over the course of the winter. There had been 56 flu-related deaths reported although that number will increase as more fatalities are notified. (left to right) Government chief whip Hildegarde Naughton TD, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris TD, and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin address the media outside Government Buildings, Dublin, after the Dail was adjourned amid chaotic scenes. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire The Dail will again attempt to elect Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin as Taoiseach tomorrow, but there is a deepening row that must be resolved by morning to avoid further delay and disruption. If there was cross-party consensus on just one thing today, it was that Dail proceedings descended into near unprecedented chaos, resulting in an adjournment of the House rather than the planned election of a new Taoiseach. Here are the things you may have missed today amidst all the noise. (left to right) Government chief whip Hildegarde Naughton TD, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris TD, and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin address the media outside Government Buildings, Dublin, after the Dail was adjourned amid chaotic scenes. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire New Dail suspended after 15 minutes due to Opposition disorder 1. The dramatic moment the Dail was adjourned A 45-minute suspension of proceedings turned into a more than three-hour break as party whips made another attempt as resolving the impasse. The Ceann Comhairle returned just before 4.30pm, with Fine Gael whip Hildegarde Naughton telling the Dail that all parties had agreed to allow the democratic process to proceed and to nominate a Taoiseach. There were shouts of "there was no agreement" and "disgrace" from the Opposition benches, where some TDs rose to their feet in protest, drowning out Fianna Fails Albert Dolan nominating Micheal Martin for Taoiseach. In less than ten dramatic minutes, the Dail was adjourned and no new Taoiseach was elected. 2. How Government leaders reacted to the unseemly scenes Fine Gael leader Simon Harris described the drama in the Dail chamber as "unprecedented" and "unseemly", while Fianna Fail leader said the failure to elect a new taoiseach was a "subversion of the Irish Constitution". Mr Martin accused the Opposition of engaging in a "premeditated, coordinated and choreographed" attempt to undermine proceedings and that they had "no intention ever of reaching agreement". He said the Dail is obligated to elect a government and it marked the first time in over 100 years that the Dail failed to elect a Taoiseach. "They were denied an opportunity to vote, that is a subversion of our Constitution and our democracy." Mr Harris described it as "stunt politics on speed led by Mary Lou McDonald". 3. Opposition leaders unite against patent absurdity Opposition leaders have formed a united front against what Mary Lou McDonald called a patent absurdity of having TDs who support the government sit on opposition benches. She accused the coalition of trying to ride roughshod over the collective opposition and said they would be failing the democratic process if they did not take a firm stance on the row over opposition speaking time. Ms McDonald said they had attempted to ram rod through the Dail opposition speaking time for independent TDs. She called the claim that you can be in government and in opposition at the same time a clear and patent absurdity. This is not simply about speaking time, this is about the definition of the opposition. This is about the capacity and the mechanisms for holding the government to account. "You cannot have government supporting TDs posturing as members of the opposition, that makes a farce of the whole notion of holding a government to account. The opposition parties will send an "agreed text" to the government on the issue. This is an important matter. We would not be standing here collectively but for the fact that this is absolutely fundamental and we have to get it right from the get go. 4. Aontu leaves one technical group and joins another Aontu pulled out of the Regional Technical Group during one suspension of the Dail and it was revealed the party, led by Peadar Toibin, had joined the Independent Technical Group before proceedings even resumed. Five TDs are needed as a minimum to form a technical group in order to receive Dail speaking time, with six members remaining in the Regional Technical Group. TDs Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy Rae entered an agreement to support the incoming government, while TDs Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath did not. 5. Von der Leyen jumps the gun and congratulates Micheal Martin European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had to delete a post on X in which she congratulated Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin on his appointment as Taoiseach. Due to a surprise breakdown in Dail proceedings, Mr Martin was not formally nominated as taoiseach as had been expected ass the House had to be adjourned due to the row over speaking time. Ms von der Leyen had posted a picture of the pair with a caption that included: Looking forward to working with you again. Michael and Danny Healy-Rae. 6. Michael Healy-Rae hangs up on RTEs Sarah McInerney Michael Healy-Rae hung up on RTEs Drivetime presenter Sarah McInerney after accusing her of using a bad tone in her line of questioning. The Kerry TD who is expected to a junior minister in the new government was being quizzed on attempts by some TDs, including his brother, to take Opposition speaking time in the Dail despite backing the coalition. McInerney repeatedly pressed Healy Rae on the arrangement while he accused her of refusing to let him speak. After threatening to hang up on the number of occasions, the politicians line then went dead. Mary Lou McDonald accuses government of trying to 'ride roughshod over the collective opposition' History was made today. No, not the appointment of a new government. In fact it was the complete opposite. This is the first time, I think, in over 100 years, that the Dail has failed to elect a government to fulfill its constitutional obligation, a furious Micheal Martin told the media scrum outside government building this evening. At the heart of the controversy is the issue surrounding government-supporting TDs, Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole and Danny Healy-Rae, joining a technical group and being granted opposition speaking time as a result. Row over speaking time When the Dail convened at 11am this morning, the opposition parties called on the Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to specify when she would make a final ruling on the issue. Yesterday, the Ceann Comhairle told the Oireachtas Business Committee that the Independent TDs in question would be given the speaking rights on a temporary basis, until she could consider a joint submission from opposition parties. It became tense and loud in the chamber, with Sinn Feins Matt Carthy telling Ms Murphy that this was a test of you, Ceann Comhairle, and you are failing. New Dail suspended after 15 minutes due to Opposition disorder Dail suspended multiple times By 11.30, the Dail was suspended after non-government parties angrily protested their opposition to the Independent TDs speaking time. Almost half an hour later, the Dail resumed and so did the chaos, with opposition TDs calling on the Ceann Comhairle to share the legal advice she received in relation to the speaking-time row. And then it was rinse and repeat. The Dail was suspended amid shouting and calls for clarity. Forty minutes later, the Dail returned and the Government chief whip, Hildegarde Naughton, proposed that the party whips meet for 30 minutes to seek a resolution, after which the whips would consult with their parties. The house was suspended for the third time. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy. Photo: Maxwell's Aontu leaves technical group In the meantime, Aontu leader Peadar Toibin announced that the party, consisting of him and Paul Lawless, would leave the controversial technical group. While it was significant, it didnt change things much. For a technical group to be given speaking time, it requires five members. So, without Aontu, there were still six members, which also includes Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin and fellow deputy Paul Lawless speak outside Leinster House. Photo: PA Dail reconvenes Over three hours after the Dail was suspended, a rumour that it would reconvene at 4pm and vote on the nomination for taoiseach flew around Leinster House. And sure enough, that didnt happen. When Ms Murphy took her seat, she immediately attempted to call on Fianna Fails Albert Dolan, to nominate Micheal Martin for Taoiseach. Sure enough, the Opposition protested. Again. With many on the Opposition benches taking to their feet, including Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, they called on the Ceann Comhairle to recognise them and their right to be heard. Ms Murphy continued to try and call on Mr Dolan, but the Opposition dug its heels in. A significant number of opposition TDs took to their feet, with some threatening to walk out of the chamber. Independent TDs Michael Lowry and Barry Heneghan in the Dail today. Photo: PA Dail suspended again until the morning...with no taoiseach elected In the end, the Ceann Comhairle suspended the Dail until 9am tomorrow. Mr Martin said: There was a majority of the people's representatives in Dail Eireann today prepared to elect a government. They were denied the opportunity to vote. That is a fundamental subversion of the Constitution and of our democracy, and it is unacceptable and unprecedented. Row in Dail Eireann a subversion of constitution - says Micheal Martin Mary Lou McDonald accuses government of trying to 'ride roughshod over the collective opposition' Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the government of trying to ride roughshod over the collective opposition and said they would be failing the democratic process if they did not take a firm stance on the row over opposition speaking time. Ms McDonald, Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Social Democrats deputy leader Cian OCallaghan, Independent Irelands Michael Collins, and People Before Profits Richard Boyd Barrett spoke to the media outside Leinster House after the Dail was adjourned without appointing a Taoiseach after a series of chaotic scenes. Ms McDonald accused the government of making comments of bad faith about the row and said the government had attempted to ram rod through the Dail opposition speaking time for independent TDs. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has appointed his Cabinet, with major changes having taken place as Jim OCallaghan received the justice portfolio and James Browne becomes Housing Minister. Ms McEntee will be Minister for Education and Youth, while Paschal Donohoe has been appointed Minister for Finance. Darragh OBrien will be Transport and Energy Minister, passing the housing brief to James Browne. Dara Calleary will take over from Heather Humphreys in Social Protection. The Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy this morning ruled that the Regional Technical Group of Independent TDs would not be permitted to sit in the Opposition benches today. It cleared the way for the formal nomination of Mr Martin, following a day of chaos in Leinster House. Key updates Micheal Martin formally becomes Taoiseach Cabinet tips: who is expected to receive ministerial roles today? Regional Independents not allowed on Opposition benches for today, clearing way for election of taoiseach Dail witnessed 'stunt politics on speed' - Harris Election of a new Taoiseach, take two Maeve McTaggart Here is the full Cabinet: Simon Harris as Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence. as Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence. Paschal Donohoe as Minister for Finance as Minister for Finance Jack Chambers as Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation as Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Helen McEntee as Minister for Education and Youth as Minister for Education and Youth Darragh OBrien as Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport as Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport Norma Foley as Minister for Children, Disability and Equality as Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Peter Burke as Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment as Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Dara Calleary as Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht as Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Patrick ODonovan as Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport as Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport Jennifer Carroll McNeill as Minister for Health as Minister for Health James Browne as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Jim OCallaghan as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Martin Heydon as Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine as Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine James Lawless as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Mary Butler as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Mental Health as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Mental Health Hildegarde Naughton as Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Disability as Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Disability Noel Grealish as Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Food Promotion, New Markets, Research and Development as Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Food Promotion, New Markets, Research and Development Sean Canney as Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports Rossa Fanning will remain as Attorney General. Maeve McTaggart The Cabinet of the 35th Government of Ireland have received their Seals of Office, with their first meeting currently underway at Aras an Uachtarain. It was a day later than was originally anticipated due to unprecedented chaos breaking out in the Dail yesterday, resulting in the adjournment of proceedings and a series of meetings in an attempt to resolve the dramatic dispute over speaking rights. Taoiseach Micheal Martin was elected and, with a number of surprises in the ultimate line-up, named his Cabinet. However, Opposition TDs immediately had some choice words for the government as just three women were appointed to senior ministerial positions. It compares to four in the last government. This liveblog has now ended. Thank you for following the Irish Independent's live political news and analysis. Photograph of newly appointed Taoiseach at the first meeting of the Cabinet of the 35th Government of Ireland, held this evening at Aras an Uachtarain (23/1/2025). Photographed are Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris with (clockwise from left Patrick ODonovan, Peter Burke, Darragh OBrien, Jack Chambers, James Browne, Paschal Donohoe, Helen McEntee, Norma Foley, Dara Calleary, Jennifer Carroll McNeill, Jim OCallaghan, James Lawless, Sean Canney, Mary Butler, Martin Heydon, John Callinan, Rossa Fanning, Noel Grelish, Hildegarde Naughton) Maeve McTaggart President of Ireland on Twitter / X President Higgins this afternoon signed the Warrant of Appointment and presented the Seal of the Taoiseach and Seal of the Government to Taoiseach Micheal Martin at a ceremony in Aras an Uachtarain in accordance with Article 13 of the Constitution pic.twitter.com/Stu41iJ6JW President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) January 23, 2025 External content When displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Maeve McTaggart The new Cabinet will now have their first official meeting at Aras an Uachtarain, as is tradition. Maeve McTaggart The new cabinet has arrived at Aras an Uachtarain, with members now receiving their Seals of Office from President Michael D Higgins. The warrant to officially appoint the Government has been signed. Maeve McTaggart Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Taoiseach Micheal Martin, saying he values the "solidarity, unwavering support, and financial & humanitarian aid provided by the Government of Ireland to Ukraine". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also wished Mr Martin well - second time lucky. Ms von der Leyen had to delete her congratulatory post on X yesterday, when Dail proceedings broke down and no taoiseach was elected due to the dramatic row over speaking rights. Volodymyr Zelenskyy / on Twitter / X I sincerely congratulate @MichealMartinTD on the appointment as Taoiseach of Ireland. I value the solidarity, unwavering support, and financial & humanitarian aid provided by the Government of Ireland to Ukraine.I also appreciate assistance for our citizens who have found Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) January 23, 2025 External content When displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Maeve McTaggart 'Perplexing' and 'concerning' reduction in number of women at Cabinet table - campaigner There has been criticism of the reduction in women in senior cabinet positions both inside and outside the Dail chamber, with Women for Election chair Aldagh McDonagh describing it as "perplexing" and "concerning". Just 22 women have ever served in Cabinet since the foundation of the State, while 213 men have served in the same period. There were four women in senior cabinet positions in the outgoing government. There are now three. She said Taoiseach Micheal Martin had the opportunity to bring a record number of women into Government, "but in an affront to gender equality in politics, has chosen instead to reduce the number of women Ministers compared to the last Government. "This decline in womens representation is concerning. Womens perspectives are critical to shaping policies that reflect the realities of our society and economy, and their exclusion diminishes the strength of this Cabinet," said Ms McDonagh. We of course congratulate the three women who are joining the cabinet, one of whom is joining the Cabinet for the first time and wish them well as they lead out Government policy in their respective areas." Maeve McTaggart Taoiseach Micheal Martin with nominated members of the 35th Government of Ireland in Government Buildings today, 23 January 2025. Maeve McTaggart Michael Lowry, the leader of the Regional Independent Group, was due to give a 10-minute speech during the election of Micheal Martin as Taoiseach, writes Philip Ryan. However, we will never know what he would have said because the opposition forced the Government into a spectacular U-turn on their plan to have the RIG leader address the Dail as an opposition TD, despite being involved in government formation negotiations. Philip Ryan: Pesky opposition dash Micheal Martins dream of Michael Lowry speech during Taoiseach election Micheal Martins original plan for his second go as Taoiseach would have been quite extraordinary. Maeve McTaggart It is a day later than expected, but the Dail has now been suspended until Wednesday 5 February. Cabinet ministers will now travel to receive their Seals of Office and, finally, the new government will officially be in place. Maeve McTaggart The Dail has approved the nomination of the new Cabinet for appointment by the President. Ta - 97 Nil - 72 Maeve McTaggart The atmosphere in the Dail chamber is much more collegial than the unruly chaos of yesterday, with opposition TDs crossing the aisle to shake hands with the incoming Cabinet as voting on their nomination is about to get underway. After this, they are due a trip to the Aras to receive their Seals of Office from President Michael D Higgins. Just a day late. Maeve McTaggart Following speeches by a number of opposition TDs, there is now a vote on the approval of the Cabinet appointed by Taoiseach Micheal Martin. Maeve McTaggart In his maiden speech, 100pc Redress TD Charles Ward said there is an ongoing "humanitarian crisis" in Donegal due to defective concrete blocks, with some families checking into hotels this evening as they cannot stay in their homes as a result of the looming Status Red Warning. He says there are 10,000 people in Donegal who have structurally unsound houses, because of defective concrete, and who are now facing into a major storm. These people, many of whom are tonight moving to hotels, are "stuck in a loop, waiting". Senan Molony Maeve McTaggart Cian O'Callaghan, deputy leader of the Social Democrats, says the Government is already going in the wrong direction. The number of women in Cabinet has fallen. "Do you not see anything wrong with this, Taoiseach? It is 2025." Senan Molony Maeve McTaggart Conor Sheehan of Labour (Limerick City), making his maiden speech, says it is clear in the Programme for Government that the new administration is "intent of ploughing the same failed furrow as the last one." Ciaran Ahern, also of Labour (Dublin South West) says the Programme for Government lacks climate vision and caters to tech billionaires. Senan Molony Maeve McTaggart Sinn Fein finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has made allegations about Michael Lowry TD, mentioning secret burning of documents and cloaked payments from Gibraltar. He made his claims under Dail privilege while Mr Lowry was out of the chamber. The latter was not immediately contactable for comment. Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty accuses Michael Lowry of failing to disclose payments in relation to sale of English soccer club Sinn Fein finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has made allegations about Michael Lowry TD, mentioning secret burning of documents and cloaked payments from Gibraltar. Maeve McTaggart Ivana Bacik offers personal congratulations, but says there are as many men called James in the Cabinet as there are senior women. Senan Molony Maeve McTaggart Cabinet continues 'cosy boys club' in politics - Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore It is deeply disappointing that the number of women in (senior cabinet positions) has reduced by 25 percent to just three," said Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. There are now as many men named James in the cabinet as there are women. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael pay lip service to increasing womens representation in politics. They just dont believe in promoting them when they get elected. The Dail has the worst gender balance of parliaments in western Europe, with women making up only 25 per cent of TDs. Instead of working to address that, by promoting talented women from within their own ranks, the government parties have reverted to type - creating a cosy boys club. Maeve McTaggart The involvement of Michael Lowry in the formation of the new government has again been raised in the Dail, with Mary Lou McDonald accusing Fianna Fail and Fine Gael of doing "anything to attain and hold onto power". "This is a government built on stroke politics," she said, adding that there is a lack of "timeline, specifics, clarity, ambition and any new ideas" in the Programme for Government. "You seek to dress up your failure as a success." Load more Tickaroo Live Blog Software Proceedings were disrupted by the opposition several times over a row about speaking time - whether the independents who agreed the Programme for Government but who do not have ministerial roles should get opposition speaking slots. The Ceann Comhairle halted proceedings four times earlier on Wednesday, without a resolution. Opposition parties want the wording of standing orders to be revised to make it very clear that Independent TDs who support the programme for Government cannot be part of technical groups. If agreed to, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy would be expected to read the revised wording into the Dail record on Thursday morning. But if agreed to by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, this would be viewed as a climbdown by the Government. Mary Lou McDonald accuses government of trying to 'ride roughshod over the collective opposition' Fianna Fail and Fine Gael sources said there has been no agreement reached yet ahead of the Dail reconvening at 10.30am tomorrow to elect the Taoiseach. Party leaders Mr Martin and Mr Harris will meet opposition party leaders at Government buildings on Thursday at 8.30am. Sinn Fein have also extended invites to other party leaders to meet before a vote is held to elect Micheal Martin as Taoiseach. On Wednesday evening Mr Martin called the chaotic scenes in the Dail a "subversion of the Irish Constitution". Mr Harris, who is set to become tanaiste, branded the opposition's actions "farcical" and "stunt politics on speed". "The most fundamental obligation of the Dail is to elect a taoiseach and, indeed, to elect a government," Mr Martin told reporters outside Government Buildings after the Dail was adjourned. "That opportunity was denied today by a premeditated, co-ordinated and choreographed position by the opposition and particularly by Sinn Fein party." Mr Martin said there were numerous attempts to facilitate a resolution to a dispute on speaking time arrangements, but added: "It became very clear to us that there was no intention ever to reach agreement on the nomination of a taoiseach or a government today." Mr Harris, who spoke to the media alongside Mr Martin, said the events were "unprecedented" and "utterly farcical". "There was a clear majority of the people's representatives ready, willing to elect Micheal Martin as taoiseach and to elect the next government and get on with the people's work," he said. "Instead, what we saw was an effort to obstruct, an effort to shout down, an effort to disrespect the Ceann Comhairle and her constitutional office, and ultimately preventing a majority of the democratically elected representatives of Dail Eireann to discharge their duty and their mandate to elect a taoiseach. "Today was unprecedented, unseemly, and tomorrow Dail Eireann must reconvene and must elect a taoiseach and get on with the urgent work of government." However Ms McDonald accused the coalition of trying to ride roughshod over the collective opposition and said they would be failing the democratic process if they did not take a firm stance on the row over opposition speaking time. Labour Leader Ivana Bacik said that while the opposition parties had their differences, they could not accept a situation where TDs that agreed a programme for government were treated as part of the opposition. "We simply cannot stand over a situation where those TDs who are actively engaged in supporting and constructing a programme for government can somehow also be designated as opposition TDs. It's simply not tenable. It's a chaotic situation." Five of the nine independents who entered into negotiations are due to be given junior ministries, with the remainder expressing support for the Programme for Government but not taking up an official post. The four remaining independents are seeking to join a technical group, which is a mechanism designed to allow opposition TDs to sit in groupings of at least five members to gain an allocation of speaking time. This has been widely rejected by opposition parties - including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats - who argue that the independents who supported the incoming government should not be allowed to join technical groups. Designer Aoife McNamara: Ive always been captivated by the bold silhouettes and power suits of the 1980s and 1990s From the wonder of west Cork to dining in Co Clare and the thrill of finding hidden gems, the sustainable fashion brand owner on some of her favourite people, places and things Aoife McNamara's designs for life Orla Neligan Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 03:30 Favourite places: West Cork feels like stepping into another world. Ive only scratched the surface of this stunning region in my camper van, but the pull is undeniable. From wild cliffs to hidden coves, the beauty here feels boundless. The rugged hikes, the locally sourced food, the quirky little villages each day promises a new adventure. Simon Harris and Micheal Martin shaking hands and (from left) Marian Harkin, Michael Lowry and Sean Canney of the Regional Independent Group and Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae Its doubtful that anyone actually imagined our 34th Dail would herald a political renaissance, but voters were entitled to set their hopes higher than the unfolding shenanigans, as a new government is unveiled today. Out there, in the real world, newly installed US president Donald Trump has sent a shot across the bows of Europe by tearing up trade agreements and threatening to wreak economic havoc. He, and he alone, is setting the terms. With international obligations being consigned to the history bin, as the America First juggernaut goes into overdrive, governments around the world are strategising how best to establish an international dialogue to limit the damage. The new Washington administration plans to pile the pressure on US multinationals, to bring jobs back to America. Meanwhile, in Dail Eireann, the dialogue is all about speaking rights for a group of TDs that have signed on for supporting the Government. But they are also insisting on having the rights of the opposition. If these members of the Regional Independent Group expect to be taken seriously, they have a funny way of showing it. As the Social Democrats acting leader Cian OCallaghan put it: Independent TDs that are backing the Government must decide whether they are in or out. The only person in recent history believed to have perfected the phenomenon of bi-location was Padre Pio and even he had his doubters. Sinn Feins Padraig Mac Lochlainn told RTE there was no precedent to allow Independent TDs who negotiated the Programme for Government to speak from the opposition benches. Its absolute nonsense, he added, and many will agree. Yet our new Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, and Tanaiste, Simon Harris, seem to be of one mind in thinking the public is none too perturbed. But, on the day the new Cabinet is to be presented and with so many pressing issues on the national agenda, did they, or indeed the country, really need to be subjected to such a show of parish-pump parochialism? The announcement that the Dail will not meet again until February 5 also caused anger. Given it has not sat for consecutive days since November, the news did little to burnish its image as a model of executive efficiency. As Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said, TDs should be discussing the issues that are affecting people across the country. Anybody who got up this morning to go to work, whether they are working on the factory floor, or in our schools or hospitals, will actually think this is a farce, he said. Undoubtedly our politicians can often get a hard time, for what seems like a thankless job. As one of Mr Trumps predecessors, Lyndon B Johnson, ruefully noted: If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: President Cant Swim. But there are also times when they can give an impression that they are out of touch and out of their depth. Irelands very own bro-ligarchy, the Healy-Rae brothers, are set for a proud and memorable day as they officially become fully-fledged members of Irelands new government on Wednesday. Ascending to previously unscaled heights, Michael Healy-Rae will become a junior minister, while Danny finds himself technically both in the coalition and opposition at the one time. The sons of the late Jackie Healy-Rae not only inherited his political nous and unique turn of phrase, but also his business acumen. From their native Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, the Healy-Rae family have their hands in everything from post offices and pubs to plant hire and petrol stations. Just what is it that makes them endure so strongly as an Irish political mainstay? And are the Healy-Raes a good deal sharper than they would like to let on? On todays episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Sunday Independent journalist Mark Tighe and Radio Kerry broadcaster Jerry OSullivan. They discuss the outspoken Kerry clan, their most memorable controversies and their substantial business portfolio. Politics An excruciating 45 minutes the world reacts to Micheal Martins Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump Taoiseach Micheal Martins visit to the White House has received international coverage as the world watched him meet US President Donald Trump, who accused Ireland of taking advantage of the US and launched fresh attacks on the EU during an Oval San Francisco is one of Cork's twin cities. (Stock image of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge) Individuals or organisations who wish to partake in a project with one of Corks twinned cities have been invited to apply online for the 2025 Twinning Grant Scheme before Friday, February 7. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to develop ties with one of Corks twin cities, which include Cologne, Coventry, Rennes, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Swansea. Projects involving Corks partner cities of Wuxi, Hangzhou and Shenzhen are also eligible for support under this grant. The nature of applicants activity or project may be community-based, voluntary, social, cultural, educational, sporting or of general social and economic benefit. There is no pre-requisite to travel to the twinned cities and virtual interactions will also be considered, according to the city council. Speaking ahead of the launch of the Twinning Grant Scheme, Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle, said that Cork embraces internationalisation to bolster its status as a globally connected, innovative, socially progressive, economically vibrant and culturally rich city. Since the introduction of the twinning grant, it has provided opportunities for Corkonians to develop meaningful connections with our international partner cities, the Lord Mayor said. I would encourage all interested organisations and groups within our community to Think Global and Act Local and consider applying to the scheme. Applications for the scheme must be submitted online before close of business February 7. Those interested can find the Twinning Grants Application form at: https://consult.corkcity.ie/en/content/twinning-grant-application-form-2025 Cork City Councils International Relations Office is available to those interested to answer any questions on the application process, and can be reached at international_relations@corkcity.ie A former dog breeder and her two sons who became involved in a standoff with a veterinary inspector, ISPCA inspector and council officials have pleaded guilty to obstruction in the District Court. Eily OCallaghan and her sons Thomas OCallaghan and Michael OCallaghan of Knockduff Upper, Meelin, Co. Cork pleaded guilty to one count each of obstruction under Section 44 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Giving evidence, Cork County Council veterinary inspector Carol Nolan said that on November 7, 2023 she carried out an inspection at Eily OCallaghans premises accompanied by ISPCA inspector Emma Carroll and two dog wardens from Cork County Council. She told the court that during the inspection a male poodle in very poor condition was found on the premies. The dog was very thin, nervous and smelled of urine and it was decided to seize the dog based on extensive non-compliance with the Animal Health and Welfare Act. Ms Nolan said that the inspection had begun at about 11.45am and she had called Ms OCallaghan to inform her an inspection was taking place and left a voicemail message to that effect. She said that within 10 to 15 minutes of leaving a message Eily OCallaghan and her two sons Thomas and Michael arrived in two separate cars. Ms Nolan told the court that when she advised Eily OCallaghan the dog was being seized she became defensive and claimed the dog was well looked after. She said that Ms OCallaghan refused to allow the dog to be removed and insisted the dog be examined by her own vet. Ms Nolan said that her car and the ISPCA inspectors van were then blocked in on the premises by the OCallaghans own vehicles, preventing them from leaving the premises. Ms Nolan said that Ms OCallaghan began shouting, mentioned Ms Nolans home address and said you can arrest me and described Emma Carroll as ISPCA scum. Thomas OCallaghan also told the officials youre not leaving lads and Ms Nolan called the gardai for assistance. The court heard that two gardai arrived about 20 minutes later but the OCallaghans would still not allow the vehicles to leave. After more than an hour-and-a-half Eily OCallaghan agreed to allow the dog be inspected by her vet a short distance down the road and the officials were allowed to leave. Ms Nolan said at this stage it was more than four hours since she had arrived to carry out the inspection. Defence Barrister Paula McCarthy said that Eily OCallaghan was no longer breeding dogs and also suffered from a heart condition. She said that the defendants could have taken a different course in the proceedings but had opted to plead guilty. She said: Rightly or wrongly she didnt want the dog to leave before her vet had attended to it. She accepts she was wrong and is remorseful. Tempers were high and this was out of character. Ms McCarthy added that her client had since attended an animal welfare course. Judge Colm Roberts said: What about a course in charm and how to deal with people? He said that he could understand how the boys would take their mothers side but they are strapping fellas and that can be intimidating. The physicality of the situation needs to be noted. The judge said that Eily OCallaghan should have calmed down and taken a breath. He added: She needed to address this matter in a manner that is respectful and polite. You cannot expect to be treated with respect if you dont show respect. He said: It is totally unacceptable to describe members of the ISPCA as scum. They have the highest respect in this court. Donnchadh McCarthy acting for Cork County Council said that legal costs of 2,460 had been incurred as a result of the prosecution and the court heard that the OCallaghans had no previous convictions. Eily OCallaghan did receive the benefit of the probation act in 2023 for breeding dogs without a licence the court was told. Judge Roberts said that on the basis Eily OCallaghan was out of the dog breeding business and accepting she was remorseful and somewhat embarrassed he would deal with the matter by way of Section 1.2 of the Probation Act. She was given a conditional discharge and ordered to lodge 500 which will be returned to her in two years if she keeps the peace. She was also ordered to donate 3,500 to the ISPCA. Thomas and Michael OCallaghan were each ordered the donate 1,000 to the ISPCA and given the benefit of the Probation Act. The matter was adjourned to February 17 for finalisation. A driver who performed doughnuts on a public road at a tractor run in Tipperary, was given a two-year driving ban and fined a total of 450 at Cashel District Court. Jonathan Finn, of 20 Linden Hill, Mitchelstown, Co Cork was observed by Garda Kieran Elliott at Boulakennedy, Cahir, Co Tipperary, on September 8, 2024. The site is on the old main Cork to Dublin road. A tractor run had been taking place near Skeheenarinky involving about 120 tractors, vintage cars, jeeps and other vehicles, Sgt Carol OLeary told Judge Brian OShea. Garda Elliott had been following the tractor run when he noticed smoke in the far distance. As he approached, he could see two vehicles doing doughnuts in front of the tractors. One of the cars left the scene, and the other car, driven by Mr Finn, remained. Mr Finn was initially charged with dangerous driving contrary to section 53 of the road traffic act, but this was reduced in court to the less serious charge of careless driving, section 52. He was also charged with having no insurance on the vehicle. During discussions on reducing the charge, Judge OShea asked, where did he even learn that skill set? If he wanted to do doughnuts, he can go into a field or a car park that is not in a public place. Mr Finn was fined 250 and disqualified from driving for six months, in relation to careless driving. He was fined 200 and disqualified from driving for two years in relation to no insurance. The redundancies will be a mix of voluntary and compulsory Glanbia has announced a restructuring of its finance, HR and IT roles at its Irish operations Up to 60 jobs will be made redundant at Glanbia as the Kilkenny-based company begins a restructuring of its Irish operations. The nutrition company have informed their staff in Ireland that Glanbia will be establishing a new Glanbia Enterprise Solutions function that will centralise the delivery of finance, HR and IT services to the business. These changes will result in the reduction of up to 60 roles across finance, HR and IT. A spokesperson for the company has confirmed that the redundancies will be a mix of voluntary and compulsory. It is expected that the job losses will impact all three of the companys locations in Ireland in Kilkenny, Waterford and Dublin. Employees were informed of the restructuring of the company on Monday as Glanbia commenced its consultation period with impacted staff. In a statement to the Irish Independent, a spokesperson for Glanbia said up to 60 roles in Ireland will be made redundant on a phased basis this year. "Glanbia has undergone significant change over the past number of years including the reshaping of our global footprint, said the spokesperson. To ensure that we are prepared for our next stage of growth and to enhance how we serve the needs of our business globally, the company is making some changes to its services functions, through a digital transformation program. As part of these changes, Glanbia is establishing a new Enterprise Solutions function (Glanbia Enterprise Solutions GES), which will centralise and optimise the delivery of finance, HR and IT services to the business. As a result of this, some changes will take place within the business. Regrettably the proposed changes will result in the reduction in a number of roles across finance, HR and IT. Due to the nature of the consultation process and timelines, the exact numbers cannot be confirmed at this stage, however it is anticipated that up to 60 roles in Ireland will be impacted on a phased basis in 2025. Follow Independent Kilkenny on Facebook We will work closely with employees and their representative groups to support everyone over the coming period, providing severance packages and outplacement services. Glanbia currently employs approximately 590 people across its three Irish locations in Kilkenny, Waterford and Dublin. The company is also based in 30 different countries worldwide. Brian Bowler has been appointed as the new General Manager of the five-star Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa in Killarney. Hailing from the Dingle Peninsula and currently residing in Mallow, Brian is a highly experienced hospitality professional with over 20-years in the industry. He has held senior management roles at renowned hotel brands, including The Brehon, Carton House, Choice Hotels Ireland, The Great Southern Hotel Group, and The Montenotte Hotel in Cork. Most recently, Brian served as Regional Manager for Cliste Hospitality. In addition to his extensive hotel management experience, Brian has made significant contributions to the hospitality sector through leadership roles. He was appointed President of the Irish Hospitality Institute in 2019, the professional body representing hospitality and tourism professionals in Ireland. Brian also served as Vice Chair of the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) and as a board member of the Destination Kerry Tourism Forum, where he was instrumental in the creation of the Kerry Tourism Strategy & Action Plan 2016-2022. Furthermore, Brian was the past president of the SKAL Club of Kerry in 2016 and contributed to the founding of the Lets Talk Tourism conference. Speaking about the new role, Brian said Aghadoe has a really strong team that he is looking forward to working with. I have an open door policy, so together we hope to achieve a lot, he said. Brian and hotel owner Mr Roggla also have ambitious plans for further renovation and development of the property. Mr. Charlie Sheil, Group General Manager of Windward Management the hotels hospitality management company said the team at Aghadoe Heights looks forward to Brians leadership and is confident that his wealth of experience and passion for the hospitality industry will continue to drive success. Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa is a luxury 5-star property located just outside Killarney town, offering stunning views over the lakes of Killarney and the surrounding mountains. Known for its exceptional service, world-class spa facilities, and fine dining, the hotel provides a tranquil retreat for guests seeking relaxation, adventure, or a blend of both. Murder accused Nebojsa Pap has been remanded in custody for a further four weeks. (Pic: Paddy Cummins) A man accused of murdering his mother in her home on the outskirts of a midlands town has insisted he is engaging very well with medical professionals in custody ahead of the completion of a psychiatric assessment. Nebojsa Pap (31) of Beechville in Athlone, Westmeath, appeared via video link at a sitting of Athlone District Court on Wednesday afternoon charged with murdering 58-year-old Mirjana Pap at her home on December 28, 2024 contrary to common law. It was Paps third time to come before the District Court following his initial appearance at a special sitting of Mullingar District Court on January 3. Pap, who appeared on camera wearing a grey jumper, last appeared at a sitting of Athlone District Court two weeks ago where he was remanded in custody for a further two weeks. Sgt Paul McNally, for the State, said a further four week adjournment was being sought by the prosecution owing to the fact directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were still outstanding. Mirjana Pap That drew a startled response from defence solicitor Mark Cooney who expressed his surprise at the delay, revealing that a psychiatric assessment on his client was ongoing with an admission to hospital not being ruled out. In directly addressing the accused, Mr Cooney referred to the psychiatric evaluation which was being carried out on Pap, something which led him to reply: I am engaging very well, I am yes. Asked by Mr Cooney if he was consenting to being remanded in custody for a further four weeks, Pap looked into the camera and replied simply: Yes. Judge Bernadette Owens consequently remanded Pap in custody to reappear by video link at a sitting of Athlone District Court on February 19 when DPP directions and a psychiatric report are anticipated. Details surrounding Paps latest court appearance comes just over a week after Ms Pap was laid to rest in Coosan Cemetery in Athlone. The Croatian national, who was a widow, lived and worked in Athlone for several years and previously worked at the Athlone accommodation centre. Her body was found on bogland at Curraghaleen outside the midlands town on December 30 after being reported missing two days earlier. Concerns expressed at monthly council meeting that the consultancy process has opted to put a greenway on sligo to galway rail line but no licence has been applied for this to Irish rail and the proposal will also have to go through the CPO and planning process as Gerry McLaughlin reports There was a lively debate at the January monthly meeting of the County Council on the Sligo Greenway with a number of questions raised by Cllr Donal Gilroy the surrounding the public consultation before Christmas. And opinion was divided on whether the Greenway should be put down on the existing rail track between Collooney and Charlestown or whether it should be put a short safe distance away from the track which the council had recently voted in favour of. Cllr Gliroy s motion stated: Considering that the consultants for The Sligo Greenway following the selection process appears to have selected the unused railway corridor as the preferred route and informed several people who attended the public consultation in Tubbercurry that it would go on the existing railway line. He asked if a written request had been sent to Iarnrod Eireann for permission to remove the unused railway line and place tarmac over it and, if so, when was this request sent to the board of Iarnrod Eireann. He also queried if the council received permission from Iarnrod Eireann to remove the railway infrastructure and if so, when and if a licence to use the railway been applied for or granted. Cllr Gilroy also asked if the consultants had been informed that the council democratically voted on September 9 last year that the position of the council was to welcome the Greenway but at a safe distance from the railway line. In a written reply Acting Director of Services, Emer Concannon said: The Regional Design Office of Sligo County Council, supported by their Technical Advisor Arup, published the Emerging Preferred Route for the Sligo Greenway on November 18 for a period of public consultation until December 20. We are now reviewing the submissions (circa 400) with a view to completing the Options Selection Report in Q 1 this year and selecting the Preferred Route. The Emerging Preferred Route varies in width but in most cases, it is 200m wide. In more constrained locations, the corridor width has been reduced to 50m at minimum. The final design for the proposed Greenway will be significantly less than this (typically in the order of 10m). Accordingly, there is scope within the corridor to design the alignment of the proposed Greenway. This will be investigated in Phase 3 Design and Environmental Evaluation. A written request has not been made to seeking to remove the unused railway line and placing tarmac over it. Sligo County Council has not received permission from Iarnrod Eireann to remove the railway infrastructure. A licence to use the railway has not been applied for or granted. The Technical Advisor has been informed of the Notice of Motion and vote at the councils meeting on September 9. Cllr Gilroy said if one applied for planning permission you have to apply for permission from the property owner. There was a figure mentioned here for consultancy at I dont know how many thousands of euros and but it was enough to build two bike shelters in the Dail. The consultants have told people that the Greenway will be going on the track. There is conflicting information coming from the consultation. Another person who came into Teach Laighne and was told that Sligo County Council had secured a licence from Iarnrod Eireann. People were misled as there is not a licence. When they asked to see the licence, they were referred to a newspaper cutting where a member of this Council had claimed that a licence had been granted. It needs to be cleared up. Cllr Gilroy said he was disappointed that this was allegedly happening at the consultation phase. I think the councillors are being ignored and I am disappointed that no licence has been applied for or granted. I just think this is just a money pit and the proper truth is not being conveyed to the public. I am very concerned, and I think Iarnrod Eireanns answer needs to be got because if they say no to the licence then we are back to other options. I would like to know if Iarnrod Eireann made a submission. Cllr Thomas Healy said the most important thing for the public was that everyone knows whats happening. When are we expecting a meeting about the next phase? We need feedback from the Chief Executive on this. Cllr Gerry Mullaney said this project was being managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and they should be given the time and space to progress. Cllr Michael Clarke said he did not know if the Councillors had the right to be informed of developments. Did we sell off all the rights and have we any input at all? We all want to see the Greenway going ahead and we definitely want to see trains back on tracks but the answers are vague, but do we have the right to ask questions. Cllr Thomas Walsh said the matter was moving through the phases. Cathaoirleach Declan Bree said he could well understand Cllr Gilroy submitting this motion as there has been considerable concern expressed by people that the consultants might attempt to recommend building the greenway on top of the railway infrastructure. As I pointed out at our meeting in November, any child can tell you that the cheapest method of providing a bicycle track/greenway from Collooney to Bellaghy would be to build it on top of the existing railway infrastructure. You dont have to be a genius or you dont have to pay tens of thousands of Euro to consultants for that information. A year ago, the Chief Executive of Irish Rail, Mr Jim Meade, made it very clear that he and Irish Rail were supporting the ambition to keep the Claremorris to Collooney section of the Western Rail Corridor for rail traffic only, and not for anything else. The majority of people in Sligo and the neighbouring counties dont want the rail infrastructure ripped up. They want to see the Sligo to Galway rail service restored and they are happy to have the Greenway built a safe distance from the railway. Indeed, there is no sense or logic in spending millions of euro of taxpayers money building a bicycle track/greenway on top of the existing rail infrastructure and then having to rip up the greenway when the rail service is restored. If public monies are to be spent constructing a Greenway then the Greenway should be permanent. This Council has made it very clear that it wants a Greenway that is constructed a safe distance from the Rail Corridor, The Northern & Western Regional Assembly, which is representative of all the local authorities of this region has identified the reopening of the Galway to Sligo Western Rail Corridor as one of the regions key infrastructure projects. The Board of Ireland West Airport Knock said the development of the Western Rail Corridor onwards from Sligo to Claremorris with sustainable connectivity from Charlestown to the Airport would significantly contribute to the future sustainable development of ground transportation to and from Ireland West Airport. IDA client companies, manufacturers, small and medium sized enterprises and those involved in the agricultural and food production sector, in Sligo and Mayo are all seeking the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor. I note from the response to Cllr Gilroys motion that a request has not been sent to Irish Rail seeking permission to remove the unused railway line and construct a greenway/bicycle track on it. That is the response I would have expected from the Councils Regional Design Office. The management and staff of the Council are very much aware that Irish Rail wants to keep the rail corridor for rail traffic only, and for nothing else. And the management and staff are aware that this Council supports the provision of a greenway that is constructed a safe distance from the Rail Corridor. In response, Director of Services Emer Concannon said that as outlined in the response, they were going through a robust process to determine the preferred route for the Greenway. The public consultation before Christmas had about 400 submissions in two public consultations which ended on the December 20. Our team are going through those submissions and they will all form part of the selection of the route, and we hope to be publishing a report at the end of the first quarter of this year. It is premature to apply for a licence until such time as we have the preferred route. There are many landowners, and we dont approach a CPO process for any type of licence with any type of landowner until such time as we know the route. Once we know the route we will take further steps, and this scheme must go through the planning process. Cllr Paul Taylor said councillors often ask for consultation with the public. If we dont go through the consultation process properly and I agree it is costing a lot of money, if we dont go through it properly then we are not conducting our business properly. Next month we could have a motion here saying the people had not been consulted and that is the process we find ourselves involved in. I just hope that the railway line be used for something, whether it be a Greenway or a railway In the not too distant future. It has been said here that the majority of people in Sligo want a railway. I havent seen that the majority of people want a railway or that the majority of people want a Greenway. So, we dont know that yet. There are two groups involved, we are battering each other in here and they are battering each other out there and it will continue like that. Cllr Dara Mulvey said he lived beside the railway line, and he would be delighted if a railway came in the morning, and he would be delighted if a Greenway came. For the last 50 years, nothing has happened and the people that I represent, they want to see something, and I agree with my colleagues that the N17 is the priority. It need not be one side against the other nobody wants that and the majority of people want something there. The TII have a job of work to do so let them do it and I am not going to pre-empt anything they are going to do. We all want to see infrastructure in our county. Mia Parsons and Susan Howe at the Rathdrum v the Hound Dogs charity rugby game in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation at Rathdrum RFC grounds. Photo: Michael Kelly Parish of Powerscourt with Kilbride Services at Powerscourt with Kilbride: All Services are available on the Parish YouTube Channel. Service of Worship in St. Patricks Church, Powerscourt, for this Sunday, The Third Sunday after the Epiphany: 11.30amHoly Communion 2. Service of Worship in St. Brigids Church, Kilbride, for this Sunday, The Third Sunday after the Epiphany: 9.45am Morning Prayer 1. Bray Churches Together Christian Unity Service: Takes place tonight (Wednesday) at 7pm in St. James Church, Crinken, located on the Dublin Road, between Bray and Shankill beside Shanganagh Cemetery. All are welcome. The Living Room: The next meeting with St. Marys Enniskerry takes place at 11am on Wednesday February 5th in St. Marys. Irish Trefoil GuildGuiding for Life: Calling all former leaders of the Irish Girl Guides in Bray and the surrounding area. There is now a Trefoil Guild in Bray. Contact Anne at braytrefoilguild@gmail.com. St Marys Church Parish Website: www.enniskerryparish.ie is the Parish website of the Immaculate Heart of Marycheck it out for the latest information about our parish. Facebook Page: There is a facebook page for the parish of Enniskerry, incorporating all four churches which facebook users will find under Enniskerry parish with a cover photo of trees and profile picture of a quote from Pope Francis. Please give it a like and feel free to post news from your community. Enniskerry (also Curtlestown & Glencree) Parish Office opening times: Monday to Friday: 10am to 1pm; email: stmarys@enniskerryparish.ie; or call 01-2760030. St. Mochonogs Parish Office opening times: Monday: 9am to 2pm, Tuesday: (by phone) 10am to 1pm, Wednesday: 10am to 2pm, Thursday (by phone) 10am to 1pm. Closed Friday. Parish Churches Schedule of Masses: Enniskerry St. Marys: Saturday evening 6pm and also via parish webcam; Sunday 11am and also via parish webcam. Weekday Mass at Enniskerry is at 10.15am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and also via parish webcam lay-led prayer service on Wednesday; and Saturday at 10.15am, and also available via the parish webcam. Masses in Curtlestown and Kilmacanogue are on Sunday at 10am. Mass in Glencree is at 9am on the first Sunday each month. A Big Thank you Celebration: Breda Tuite has just retired. She has been an absolute stalwart, quietly producing financial statements each month for many years. So much work, time and dedication and expertise has gone into this voluntary position, without any fuss or bother. We need to say a big thank you! We will do so properly this Sunday morning with the 11am Mass in St. Marys, and will be followed by refreshments and a presentation at the back of the church. Please join us to thank and honour Breda for all her years of service to the parish. Please note that there will be no 6pm Mass this Saturday in St. Marys. The Living Room: The next meeting with St. Patricks Powerscourt takes place at 11am on Wednesday February 5th in St Marys. Baptism Requests: Requests for Baptism now take place online at www.enniskerryparish.ie. Downtime Thursday/Adoration: Downtime Thursday has now reverted to the last Thursday of the Month so the next one will take place next Thursday January 30th from 7pm to 8pm so why not pop into the church for some quiet time. You can sit in silence with candlelight and gentle music. Take a few minutes for yourself and just be. Light a candle, say a prayer. Just sit if thats what you need. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place. New Here?: You are very welcome. You can keep up to date with us through the parish webpage at www.enniskerryparish.ie. You can register as a parishioner by mailing us at stmarys@enniskerryparish.ie or stmochonogs@enniskerryparish.ie. If you wish to receive items, or if you would like to receive the Parish Link by email weekly please phone the Parish Office in Enniskerry on 01-2760030 (10am to 1pm Monday to Friday or email: stmarys@enniskerry.ie; and Kilmacanogue on 01-2021882 (10am to 1pm Monday to Thursday) or email:stmochonogs@enniskerryparish.ie. Broadcast List: A broadcast list for the parish is now up and running. This is to keep everyone up to date with what is happening in the parish and for easy communication in relation to building our communities. If you would like to have your name added to the list please contact Aideen at 086 8182 241. History Society Members and supporters of the Enniskerry History Society are asked to note that the following events will take place in the week ahead. Today (Wednesday) Brian Hughes will present Dublin and the Irish Revolution at 6.30pm in the Conference Room of Dublin City Library and Archive, 139-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. All are welcome admission is free and no booking is required. Tomorrow (Thursday) Pat Power will present The Ascendancy in Wicklow at 7pm in Wicklow Town Library. All are welcome admission is free but booking is required to reserve a place email: Wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie or call 0404 67025. Michael Traynor will present Petticoat Pilots at 8pm in St. Lawrences Parish Centre, Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. Members are free visitors 3. Please note that there is a car parking charge of 1 per hour at this venue coin payment only. On Saturday Historian in Residence Dr. Mary Muldowney will present Lost Industries from Dublin 1960s to 1990s: a case study at 3pm in Cabra Library, Navan Road, Dublin 7. Admission is free but booking is required call 01-2228310 or email: cabralibrary@dublincity.ie. Next Tuesday Brian White will present In search of (some) Wicklow Town Families at 8pm to the Wicklow Historical Society in the De La Salle Parish Centre, beside St. Patricks R.C. Church, Wicklow Town. All are welcome voluntary donation. Enniskerry Library Opening hours are Tuesday 10.30am to 12.30pm & 1.30pm to 4.30pm; Wednesday: 2pm to 4.30pm & 6pm to 8pm; Friday: 10.30am to 12.30pm & 1.30pm to 4.30pm; Saturday: 10am to 2.30pm. The Library is closed on Mondays and Thursdays and on the Saturdays of Bank Holiday weekends. The Library can be contacted at 01-2864339 or email: enniskerrylib@wicklowcoco.ie. On-line services including e-books, audio-books, digital magazines and newspapers and e-learning are available from the library website. Tomorrow (Thursday) the first of the 2025 Wicklow Local Studies monthly local history talks will take place in Wicklow Town Library at 7pm when Pat Power will present The Ascendancy in Wicklow in which he will delve into the rise and social dynamics of the ascendancy in the county, tracing its development from the early 1600s through to 1829. The talk will be richly complemented by a variety of rare illustrations and drawings. Key topics include the impact of the Big House, the workings of Wicklows Grand Jury System, cultural life and social themes within the community, as well as the roles of the Established and Roman Catholic Churches. Admission is free but booking is requiredto reserve a place call 0404 67025 or email: Wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie. Bridge Club Enniskerry Bridge Club meets every Tuesday night in the Parochial Hall (beside Poppies) at 7.30pm. New members are very welcome. For more information please contact the Secretary on 085-7112179. The Brigid 2025, Spirit of Kildare Festival was announced before Christmas with an impressive line-up with events taking place in towns and villages across Kildare from January 24 to February 3, 2025. The festival opens with a floating concert Songs on a Boat The Tiny Deck Concert on the banks of the Grand Canal in Sallins from 7.30 p.m. featuring Megan ONeill & Friends. There will also be a Free Concert featuring Sharon Shannon, Lyra, Women in Harmony and more, in The Curragh on Saturday, February 1 starting at 7 p.m. Kilcullen Bridge Cinema, supported by Kildare County Council, will host a film season commencing Wednesday January 29 to celebrate the legacy of Saint Brigid. Now in its second year the Brigid Film Season runs for the month of February and will screen a series of films that depict the values Brigid represented. On opening night Wednesday, January 29 there will be a special reception with refreshments. Guest speaker will be Cllr. Tracey O Dwyer. For a full listing of events log on to spiritofbrigid.ie/events. The Public Holiday in honour of St. Brigid will be on Monday, February 3. Time for Me Baltinglass Further Education Centre is running a course to kickstart their 2025 programmes, on the theme of Time for Me. Participants will take part in a six-week journey to living well. You will be supported in being kind to yourself and others. It will focus on your emotional wellbeing, designing a toolbox to help with your self-care. Other supports include managing your money, how to use your smart phone, exercising, mindfulness and meditation. You will also learn how to eat well and live sustainably. This is a free course run by the KWETB. If you would like to take part in the course contact the Centre at 059 648 2642 or 086 846 2771 or email abebaltinglass@kwetb.ie. Library events Crafting with Olha continues in Baltinglass Library this week. On Friday, January 24 Olha will facilitate an Acrylics session from 3 p.m.4.30 p.m. for adults. On Saturday, January 25 Crafting with Olha will be Quilling for adults from 11 a.m. 1 p. m. English classes continue on a Tuesday from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Volunteers are very welcome to come along and converse with participants to help improve their English. These are free events and booking is essential. Please contact the Library at 059 648 2300 or baltinglasslib@wicklowcoco.ie. Active Retired AGM The Baltinglass & District Active Retired group extends best wishes for a Happy New Year to all its members. They will hold their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, January 29 at 3 p.m. at Germaines. All members are encouraged to attend. Baltinglass Mart Join us for the 50th Annual Show & Sale at Baltinglass Mart. Bullocks and bulls will be showcased on Wednesday, January 29 at 11:30 a.m., followed by heifers and cows on Wednesday, February 5. Entries are invited. While youre there, dont forget to visit Mrs. Madonkeys Cafe, open from Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We look forward to seeing you! Disco Scoil Naomh Iosaf Parents Association will hold a Disco for 3rd to 6th class pupils on this coming Friday, January 7 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Inisfail, Germaines. Admission is 7 and Water and Sweets will be 1. Doors will open at 6.45 p.m. No phones or glowsticks are allowed. The Disco will be fully supervised and parents are advised that this is drop-off and collection only. Yarn Appeal If youre decluttering this New Year and come across any spare balls of yarn, Baltinglass Library would be delighted to take them off your hands. The library is requesting donations of wool to support their upcoming crochet course. You can simply drop off your yarn at Baltinglass Library, where it will be greatly appreciated. This initiative is part of the librarys commitment to the circular economy, promoting sustainability in all their activities. Your donation will help repurpose unused materials while supporting a creative project. Thank you in advance for your generosity. History meeting Rathdangan Local History group will present the topic The Development of Roads, Bridges and Paths In The Rathdangan Area, 1790-1899 Extracts from the Grand Jury Presentments compiled by Jim Whelan, on Wednesday, January 22 in Seamus O Toole Memorial Hall, Rathdangan. All are welcome. Have Your Say Wicklow County Council announce the public display and in-person Public Consultation No. 2 event on the N81 Improvement Scheme Whitestown Lower (Section 1) and Hangmans Bend Tuckmill (Section 2). The public display and in-person Public Consultation event will be held in the Inisfail Germaines on Thursday, January 30 between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Members of the Project Team will be available to provide guidance and to answer questions. The public display documents will also be available to view on the project website www.N81whitestownandtuckmill.ie from 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 30. The closing date for submissions is Thursday, February 27. Tree planting webinar Wicklow County Council have announced a rescheduled showing of their Tree Planting & Care Webinar due to happen this Wednesday, January 22 at 8 p.m. Guest speaker, Colm OCallaghan will present an informative webinar on tree planting, staking, care, and maintenance. He will also focus on the Right tree for the right place concept, sharing insights on planning for native trees and hedgerow planting. You will have the opportunity to ask questions during a dedicated Q&A session. To register for this free event, simply email eao@wicklowcoco.ie. Please note that if you had already registered for the original event last November, then there is no need to register again. Dog control With lambing season upon us farmers are appealing to people to keep their dogs under control. Well over 2 million lambs all over Ireland will be very vulnerable to dog attacks at this time and it is imperative to keep them safe by ensuring that your dogs are in at night and supervised during the day. Mens shed A.G.M. Baltinglass Mens Shed will host their AGM on Wednesday, January 29 at 10.30 a.m. in the Mens Shed, Parish Centre, Baltinglass. All are very welcome to attend. The Mens Shed meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Bally Art Exhibition A group of young local artists will be showcasing their artwork to the public in Baltinglass this month. The Bally Exhibition, which is free to attend, opens on Friday, January 31, and runs until Saturday, February 1. Organisers include artists John Hughes, Jordan Etukudohh from Moone and Adam Fry. It will be curated by Jessica Doyle, a young artist from Wicklow Town. The exhibition will be held at Stratford Lodge Hall on Church Lane and will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday (featuring live music performed by local musicians Kendall Moody and Tadgh Friedel) and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. WWHS AGM The 43rd AGM of West Wicklow Historical Society will take place this coming Thursday, January 23 at 8 p.m. in The Lalor Centre, Baltinglass. Current members (2024) and new members can attend. The group will be accepting applications to join the society or renew memberships on the night. For those wishing to renew or join online, log on to westwicklowhistoricalsociety.ie/membership. Dance Class Jive and Line Dancing classes will take place in Bigstone Community Hall on Tuesdays from 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome. No partner is required. Admission is 10, pay as you go. Text Noeleen at 086 8690332 to book. Credit Union AGM Baltinglass Credit Union is pleased to announce to their members the 2024 Annual General Meeting. The AGM will take place virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, January 29 at 7 p.m. If you wish to attend the Virtual AGM, you must register before 5 p.m. on Sunday, January 26. All members will have received an email with a link to register and a link to the Annual Report. For members who prefer a physical booklet, a number of these are available in their branches. Alternatively, they will post one to you if you request it. To request a booklet, email marketing@baltinglasscu.ie or ring 059 648 1071, and they will arrange this for you. Condolences We were sad to hear of the passing away of Sr. Brigid Morgan from Convent of Mercy, Mater Hospital on Thursday, January 16 in her 101st year, in the care of the staff at the Mater Hospital. She will be sadly missed by her extended family, friends and her Mercy Community and all who knew her in Baltinglass parish. Reposing at the Mater Hospital Chapel last Saturday, January 18. Funeral Mass on Monday, followed by burial in the Community Cemetery, Inchicore. We extend our sympathies to the family of Anthony Quinn from Allendale Lawn, Baltinglass who passed away on Monday, January 13. Anthony was predeceased by his wife Maeve. He will be greatly missed by daughter Elaine and son, Anthony and all his extended family, relatives and friends. Funeral Mass was last Friday followed by cremation at Newlands Cross Crematorium. Our condolences to the family of Ann Halloran (nee Walsh) from Tinoran, Baltinglass, who passed away last Tuesday, January 14 in the care of staff at Baltinglass Hospital. Ann was predeceased by her husband Jim and son, Gay. She will be sadly missed by her children Mary, Martin, Brigid, John and Seamus, brother Tom, and all her relatives and friends. The Funeral Mass was last Thursday in St. Josephs Church followed by burial in Baltinglass Cemetery. Ar dheis De go raibh a n-anam dilis. Childrens Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce has warned that the reading levels of young people are at a crisis point as he pushed the Government to give every child access to books as a health and wellbeing intervention. The 65-year-old screenwriter and author, known for penning three sequels to Ian Flemings Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as writing the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, is set to make a speech at the Reading Rights Summit at Liverpools St Georges Hall on Wednesday. Cottrell-Boyce will tell the event which is organised in partnership with the UKs reading charity, BookTrust that he wants to address the invisible privilege and inequality of more and more children falling further behind from lack of early years reading. The Queen with the new Waterstones Childrens Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce (Aaron Chown/PA) Every child needs the opportunity to begin to build the apparatus of happiness within themselves, he will add. Shared reading especially in early years is an essential component of that apparatus. A child who doesnt have those early reading experiences will have not just a smaller vocabulary, or less cultural capital, but less chance of being happy. That our children seem to be experiencing some kind of happiness recession at the moment is not surprising. Theyve borne the brunt of a series of crises. Austerity, the pandemic, Brexit these all hit children first and hardest. I believe that the decline in reading too has played its part in this. Cottrell-Boyce, also known for the novels Framed and Millions, which have been made into films, will list the ways the issue is crucial and needs urgent change, including saying that it improves education, adds to the UKs cultural heritage, and improves mental health following his visits across the country to reading programmes. He will say early years reading is simple to fix, adding: Its urgent and its under threat. My laureateship began under the baleful light of the burning of a library. Spellow Hub (which was damaged in the summer riots in Liverpool). The people who did that did not know how to make sense of the world. We are facing all kinds of crises. The space weve described that cosy promethean space between child and reader is under threat from all kinds of directions. If a large proportion of our children are never invited into that space, it stands to reason their children wont be either and that will go on and on. A widening circle. If we vacate that space that space where human love slows the world down and makes it a bit more navigable we will cede it to something that is not human, who will not slow down. That gives in place of calm and connection anxiety and fury. Cottrell-Boyce will say there is no excuse for that inequality, and that the infrastructure and the brilliant people exist in health visitors, family centres, and so on. When we started this we did not know who the government would be, he will add. But we know now. We need you. We need your Government, (Prime Minister) Sir Keir Starmer, to stand up and give a visible sign that this country values its children. Writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce (Yui Mok/PA) We need (Health Secretary) Wes Streeting, (Education Secretary) Bridget Phillipson, (Culture Secretary) Lisa Nandy and more to come together and help us make sure that every single child has access to books, reading and the transformative ways in which they improve long-term life chances. Put simply, shared reading is an effective, economic health intervention that should be available to all. The summit led by a childrens laureate brings together experts from across the political, education, literacy, early years, arts and health sectors to recommend action to ensure the life-changing benefits of childrens reading are taken seriously. How To Train Your Dragon series author Cressida Cowell, Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram and childrens author Michael Rosen are among the speakers. The recommendations from the summit will be published by BookTrust in spring 2025. The Government has launched an independent curriculum and assessment review, for ages five to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis, who specialises in education and income inequality. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: High and rising standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and maths, and making sure tens of thousands more children start school ready to learn, are key parts of our Plan for Change to ensure every child can achieve and thrive. Weve invested over 90 million in our English Hubs programme, which supports reading for pleasure, with a further 23 million committed for the 2024-25 academic year and we have extended early language support. Start of red warnings vary from county to county, beginning at 2am in Cork, Kerry and Limerick The entire country will be under a Status Red wind warning on Friday with the arrival of Storm Eowyn expected to cause significant disruption and danger to life, while schools and childcare settings to close. The storm has the potential to be among the most severe Ireland has ever seen, according to the chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG). The Irish Independent is now running a live blog covering all the developments leading up to and during Storm Eowyn, which can be followed here. Keith Leonard told RTE it is likely the numbers without electricity will top the 375,000 when Storm Ophelia hit in 2017. With schools closed, he advised people to also work from home, adding that he hoped the storm would pass by Friday afternoon. All counties will be under a red warning for wind at various stages of Friday in what is expected to one of the strongest storms to hit Ireland in years. Red warnings will be in place from 2am until 3pm on Friday, with gusts in excess of 130kmh expected. Cork, Kerry and Limerick will be under the warning from 2am-10am. A Red wind warning for counties Clare and Galway will come in from 3am on Friday and remain in place until 12pm. Counties Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo will be under a Red wind warning from 4am until 12pm on Friday. Donegal will be under a Status Red warning from 6am until 3pm on Friday. A Status Red wind warning for Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary will run from 6am to 12pm on Friday. Following a meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG), it has been decided that schools, early learning and childcare settings and further and higher education incidents will close in the areas under a Status Red warning. Employers in those areas should facilitate work from home for all who can do so, while only emergency service workers should be leaving home for work, where directed by their employer. Impacts on the counties under a Status Red warning will include: Danger to life Extremely dangerous travelling conditions Unsafe working conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport Many fallen trees Significant and widespread power outages Impacts to communications networks Cancellation of event Structural damage Wave overtopping Coastal flooding in low-lying and exposed areas Met Eireann has also issued a Status Orange wind warning for the whole country. That warning will be in place from 2am on Friday morning and remain in place until 5pm on Friday. Gale-force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds, Met Eireann said, with gusts of up to 130kmh and even higher for a time. Impacts will include fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage, very difficult travelling conditions, disruption and cancellations to transport, and wave overtopping. The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) met today ahead of the Status Red warning and advised those in counties under the warning to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Storm Eowyn is going to be a very dangerous and destructive weather event. The forecasted winds have the capacity to bring severe, damaging winds which will constitute a risk to life and property, NECG chair Keith Leonard said. During the Red Level wind warnings, the public are advised to shelter in place. Where Orange warnings are in place, the public are also advised to limit travel to essential journeys only. "An Orange wind warning should not be underestimated it can bring extremely strong gusts and can also pose a threat to life and property. I would urge people to stay away from coastal areas during this period and to heed the appeal from the Irish Coast Guard for people to Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry. Its also important to remember that even after the storm has passed, there is a strong possibility of fallen trees and other debris so drivers are also urged to take care in the aftermath of the storm. There will also be a Status Yellow warning for rain on Friday for counties Cork, Kerry and Waterford from 9pm on Thursday night until 3am on Friday morning, with heavy rain to lead to localised flooding in those areas. Todays Status Yellow warning for fog for counties Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Tipperary and Waterford lapsed at 10am. Met Eireann has said mist and fog will be stubborn to clear in some parts of the north and northeast but will lift in most areas. It will be cold overnight with more fog and a chance of some frost, though southerly winds will clear any fog and frost. Lows will be between 1C and 4C. On Thursday rain will move eastwards across the country in the morning, with some thunder possible. A mix of sunny spells and showers will come from the west in the afternoon, with some showers turning heavy, including the chance of hail. Highest temperatures will be between 4C and 8C. Storm Eowyn is expected to bring powerful and disruptive winds from Thursday night when it will become very stormy. Outbreaks of rain from the Atlantic will spread across Munster and Connacht before midnight, then spread nationwide. Met Eireann has said it is continuously monitoring the evolving situation and weather warnings will be issued as confidence in the forecast track/intensity of the low-pressure system improves. Structural damage is expected on Friday for Storm Eowyn. Rain will turn to sleet and snow in Connacht and Ulster, potentially causing hazardous travelling conditions. It will be very windy with strong to gale force southeast winds and turn extremely windy in the early hours of Friday morning. Temperatures will range between 0C and 4C. There will be disruption on Friday as extremely strong and damaging winds extend across the country. Gale-force southwest winds will veer westerly in the afternoon and storm force winds are likely in some coastal areas. Scattered showers will turn wintry during the day and the north of the country will see more persistent rain. Highest temperatures will range from 6C to 9C, though it will feel much colder due to wind-chill. Winds will begin to calm from Friday night but it will still be blustery. It will be cold with temperatues of -2C to 3C, bringing the possibility of some frost. Prince Harry could be on the brink of a settlement with the publisher of The Sun newspaper, just as their High Court battle is due to start in London. Europe will need 200,000 peacekeepers to enforce any deal with Putin over Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky tells Davos Ukrainian leader believes 200,000 peacekeepers will be necessary to enforce any deal Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with World Economic Forum president Borge Brende during the 55th annual meeting of the organisation in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters Alessandra Galloni Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 03:30 Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is seeking a meeting with US president Donald Trump, said yesterday that a contingent of at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed as part of any settlement to end the war with Russia. Nine killed in significant and broad Israeli attack on West Bank as Gaza ceasefire holds Militant group condemns operation as a desperate attempt by Benjamin Netanyahu to save his governing coalition Palestinian Fadi Al-Saadi sits next to the body of his brother Abdel-Wahab killed in an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Photo: Reuters James Mackenzie Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 03:30 Israel launched a large military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin yesterday that the Palestinian health ministry said killed at least nine people and wounded 40. The US no longer has a justice system police and families decry Donald Trumps pardon of 1,500 Capitol rioters Republican senator said US presidents decision sent wrong message US president Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the National Day of Prayer Service in Washington yesterday. Photo: Reuters Nathan Layne and Bo Erickson Wed 22 Jan 2025 at 03:30 Donald Trumps pardon of more than 1,500 of his supporters who four years ago stormed the US Capitol drew criticism yesterday from police who battled the mob, their families and lawmakers, including some of the presidents fellow Republicans. Singapore Presidents Visit to India 2025: Strengthening Strategic Ties Singapores President Tharman Shanmugaratnams maiden visit to India marks an important milestone in the diplomatic relationship between India and Singapore. The visit symbolized a deepening partnership as India and Singapore explore new avenues for collaboration in emerging sectors. During his first official visit to India, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam noted the deepening ties between the two countries, which have entered a new phase of collaboration. President Tharmans five-day state visit from January 14-18, 2025, also put the spotlight on Singapores interest in expanding cooperation into emerging areas, such as advanced manufacturing, semiconductor development, and next-generation industrial parks. According to Indias Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), discussions during the visit centered on strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations. The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership (SP), established in 2015, aimed to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations. In September 2024, this relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), reflecting a commitment to deeper collaboration. The CSP focuses on key areas such as trade, defense, technology, and people-to-people connections, building on decades of strong bilateral ties. Singapore, as one of Indias largest trading and investment partners, plays a critical role in driving Indias economic growth. President Tharmans 2025 visit highlighted opportunities for innovation-driven industrial parks and enhanced collaboration in the digital domain, showcasing the partnerships alignment with emerging global trends. Additionally, the CSP also reinforces shared goals in regional stability, aligning with Indias Act East Policy and Singapores strategic role in the Indo-Pacific region. Odisha state partners with Singapore firms to boost innovation On January 17, 2025, the state government of Odisha signed eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Singapore-based companies, focusing on diverse sectors including skill development, semiconductors, sustainable energy, green hydrogen, industrial park development, insure-tech, and urban planning. The MoUs were formalized in the presence of Singapore President Tharman and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Expressing optimism, Majhi anticipated that the collaboration will attract global investments and accelerate Odishas transformation into a hub for technology, education, and renewable energy. Key agreements for skilling and technological advancement In a move to enhance technical education and skilling, the Skill Development and Technical Education (SD&TE) department has partnered with ITE Education Services (ITEES), a subsidiary of Singapores Institute of Technical Education. This collaboration aims to expand the World Skill Centre (WSC) in Bhubaneswar, Odishas capital, and establish a global hub for IT and IT-enabled services in emerging areas like cybersecurity, cloud computing, blockchain, IoT, and data science. The partnership will also introduce semiconductor-related training programs and establish zonal Industrial Training Insitutes (ITIs) across the state, supported by robust industry engagement. The agreement is valid for 5 years. Driving innovation in sustainable energy A tripartite agreement between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, GRIDCO Limited, and IIT-Bhubaneswar was inked to advance research and development (R&D) in sustainable energy technologies. This initiative aims to promote green energy solutions and enhance Odishas renewable energy capacity. Promoting green hydrogen and industrial development Singapore-based energy and urban development company Sembcorp Industries signed two non-binding MoUs with the Odisha state government. One agreement, between Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India Private Limited (SGHIPL) and Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited (Ipicol), focuses on exploring a green hydrogen production facility with a capacity of 720,000 tonnes annually, expected to create over 2,000 jobs during its operational phase. Another MoU between Sembcorp Development Ltd. and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) aims to assess the potential for establishing an industrial park in the state. Building competence in insure-tech and urban planning The Odisha state governments Electronics and IT (E&IT) department signed an agreement with the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), Singapore, to set up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) for the Insure-Tech industry. Additionally, Surbana Jurong Infrastructure Pte Ltd signed two separate MoUs with IDCO and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA). These agreements focus on strategic positioning for the Odisha Petrochemical and Petroleum Investment Region (PCPIR) and creating a new city development plan near the state capital, with implementation planned over the next year. Reinforcing bilateral ties President Tharmans visit highlights Singapores integral role in Indias Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. Tharman and Indian President Draupadi Murmu have emphasized the deep-rooted ties between India and Singapore, built on historical connections and mutual respect. Key areas of long-term cooperation include advanced manufacturing, digitalization, healthcare, and connectivity. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two leaders unveiled a specially designed logo symbolizing the enduring friendship and shared values between the nations. Opportunities in semiconductors India and Singapore are paving the way for enhanced collaboration in critical sectors. During the visit, President Tharman highlighted plans to establish a renewable energy corridor and deepen cooperation in emerging technologies and industries. He also emphasized the potential for a data corridor linking Gujarats GIFT City with Singapore. This initiative would facilitate secure and trusted data exchange between financial institutions in the respective regions, reflecting a broader commitment to strengthening digital and financial sector collaboration. Expanding collaborative horizons Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with President Tharman to review and enhance the CSP. The leaders explored new areas of cooperation, building on momentum from the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) and Prime Minister Modis visit to Singapore in 2024. Additionally, President Tharman engaged with several Indian ministers, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Discussions covered advancements in transport, health, commerce, and digital connectivity, underscoring the expanding scope of bilateral cooperation. A vision for the future As India and Singapore commemorate 6 decades of diplomatic relations, the latest round of diplomatic talks reinforces their shared vision for progress, sustainability, and technological innovation. Now, with a focus on semiconductors, advanced industries, R&D and upskilling, the partnership continues to evolve, adapting to the dynamic global landscape. Shariful Fakir, a Bangladeshi national arrested for stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan, reportedly turned to crime due to dire poverty. According to a Times of India story, Shariful intended to steal and "escape to Bangladesh with the loot to help his ailing mother". The intruder repeatedly stabbed Saif in the early hours of January 16 at his house. The actor was stabbed numerous times during the attack and had emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital. He was discharged on Tuesday. TOI quoted a police officer as saying, "He chose Saif's residence randomly. All he wanted was to steal from someone rich and escape to Bangladesh with the loot to help his ailing mother. The immediate provocation for the crime was that Shariful lost a housekeeping job at a Thane restaurant on December 15 when its contract with the manpower agency owned by Jitendra Pandey ended. He found himself nearly penniless. He said as much." About the attacker Shariful worked at a Worli restaurant before joining the Thane restaurant in September of last year. During interrogation, he admitted to earning 13,000 per month and sending 12,000 to Bangladesh for his mother's medical treatment. He lost his job in August after being found stealing. He subsequently got a menial job at Thane Restaurant. Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das (30) broke into Saif's building in Mumbai's Bandra neighbourhood by scaling its compound wall and discovered the security officers sleeping at the time, police said on Tuesday. Three days after the attack, authorities apprehended the accused in Thane city. On Tuesday, Mumbai Police recreated the crime scene with the accused at the Satguru Sharan building, where the actor lives. According to a police officer, the accused was taken to the actor's building as well as other locations where he may have stopped for food, a change of clothes or to board a train. Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Lingnurkar has been designated as the case's investigation officer, according to the official. Fakir, a native of Bangladesh's Jhalokathi area, has been living in Mumbai for more than five months, working odd jobs and working for a housekeeping service, according to police. A Mumbai court on Sunday remanded the accused in police custody for five days. Also read: Saif Ali Khan attacked: Actor welcomed back to home decked with fairy lights, watch video For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan was greeted warmly as he arrived at his Bandra home after being discharged from Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital. An intruder stabbed the actor last week, prompting his admission. The paparazzi's photos and videos show Saif's home on the 11th and 12th floors of Satguru Sharan, which was decked with fairy lights. Saif Ali Khan walks out of the hospital Pictures and videos posted online on Thursday evening showed his house illuminated with dazzling lights. Earlier in the day, Saif was seen returning home. Dressed in a white shirt and pants, he waved briefly to the media and supporters before walking with his head held high. During his stay in the hospital, the primary culprit in the case was apprehended by police. As Saif approached his building, he waved to the media. The 'Hum Tum' star was in good health and smiled at the paparazzi. Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor were also seen. Security tightened at the residence According to reports, security at Saif's residence has been tightened, and CCTV cameras have been added. He employed people from actor Ronit Roy's agency. Saif Ali Khan was transported to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai after being attacked by an intruder at 2:00 a.m. on January 16. Following the tragedy, Saif's wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan, turned to Instagram to write a note. She wrote, It has been an incredibly challenging day for our family, and we are still trying to process the events that have unfolded. As we navigate this difficult time, I respectfully and humbly request that the media and paparazzi refrain from the relentless speculations and coverage. While we appreciate the concern and support, the constant scrutiny and attention are not only overwhelming but also pose a significant risk to our safety. I kindly request that you respect our boundaries and give us the space we need to heal and cope as a family. I would like to thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation during this sensitive time." Saif Ali Khan's future projects Saif will next appear in the heist thriller Jewel ThiefThe Red Sun Chapter, directed by Robbie Grewal. Jaideep Ahlawat plays a crucial role in the film, which is Grewal's first collaboration with Saif Ali Khan. The plot will reportedly revolve around a thrilling battle between Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat's characters. Also read: From 'miracle, miracle' to 'walking like a lion': Internet stunned as Saif Ali Khan walks back home after discharge For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Following an odd 21-day disappearance, well-known Pakistani YouTubers Sohaib Chaudhry and Sana Amjad came back on Tuesday and shocked everyone. Sohaib said in a video that he was kidnapped and tortured by people from a major political party who wanted him to join them. Heres why Sohaib Chaudhry and Sana Amjad disappeared for 21 days According to ANI, although he did not identify the group, Sohaib stated to reveal more information in upcoming videos. Sohaib Chaudhry described his terrifying experience in his video, including how he lived in continual fear of dying while in captivity. He conveyed his distress, saying he thought he might have died any day. The YouTuber claimed that in an attempt to force him to comply, his kidnappers severely tortured him. Sohaib persevered and resolved to resist his oppressors in the face of extreme bodily and psychological agony. Credit: YT "I will not fear, as all my fear has been removed now. I will continue to say what is true," he added as stated by ANI. Sana Amjad on the other hand went on to say, "The men tortured my mom because of my channel. They want the content to be banned or my channel shut down." Sana defended her remarks by stating that it is not illegal in Pakistan to praise India, citing the Prime Minister and other leaders who have previously done so. She criticised her Pakistani colleagues' silence and thanked Indian media and YouTubers for their support throughout her disappearance. Sana noted that Pakistani media and YouTubers remained mute, whereas Indian media and YouTubers supported her. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Oscar Nominations 2025: Like us, the entire Payal Kapadia fandom is eagerly waiting to see if the exquisitely produced film All We Imagine As Light will make it to the Oscars 2025. The movie received widespread praise for its direction by Payal Kapadia and the incredible performances by the cast when it premiered on OTT. As the nominations event approaches, heres everything you need to know about Payal Kapadia. Who is Payal Kapadia? Awards are nothing new for Payal Kapadia, a graduate of the esteemed Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Her 2021 documentary, A Night of Knowing Nothing, won the Best Documentary Award at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. However, it was her recent film All We Imagine As Light that brought her widespread recognition online. The Protest Payal Kapadia first gained prominence for her protests against the appointment of actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairman. She was among the students who boycotted classes and other academic activities for 139 days, launching one of the longest demonstrations in FTIIs history. Her short film, Afternoon Clouds, was selected for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. During her time at FTII, she received encouragement from the administration, which recognized her growth as a dedicated artist. Payal Kapadia at the Golden Globes Kapadia made history as the first Indian director to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. She collaborated with an exceptional cast, including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon, all of whom were praised by audiences. You can stream All We Imagine As Light on Disney+ Hotstar. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Saif Ali Khan suffered severe injuries a few days ago when an attacker broke into his Mumbai home. After being seriously hurt, the actor was taken to the hospital in an auto, and according to doctors at Lilavati Hospital, Saif entered the hospital soaked in blood. Five days after the surgery, the actor was discharged from the hospital, and in a widely shared video, he was seen walking properly and waving at photographers. People began inquiring how he was able to walk normally after having his spinal cord fluids come out. #WATCH | Actor #SaifAliKhan reached his residence after he was discharged from Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. Saif Ali Khan was admitted there after being stabbed by an intruder at his residence, in the early morning of January 16. pic.twitter.com/QKIfGH1xqq ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2025 Saif Ali Khan walks normally post-surgery, fans have their doubts ANI shared a video in which Saif was spotted walking with people from his security team. He was also seen walking fine and waving at paps. This made fans speculate if the injury was this serious or not since despite having spinal cord fluids come out is walking like nothing happened. He looks fine. Wow! Introvert // (@introvert_hu_ji) January 21, 2025 Taking to the comment section of the video, one wrote, Jhukke chalta kamse kam stabbed in spine wala plot kharab ho jaega. Another added, Wow some stabbed and losing his spinal fluid is back so soon? Even a normal sprain takes a month. A third went on to add, So it was all Bollywood drama in the end. Jhukke chalta kamse kam stabbed in spine wala plot kharab ho jaega Aryan Singh (@Call_mearyan) January 21, 2025 I hope this was not a publicity stunt . a man stab on spinal cord walking like this is in such short period is quite shocking . harsh shah (@harsh_r_shah) January 21, 2025 Why I have a gut feeling that Publicity Stunt has gone terribly wrong Patriotic Indian (@WishMaster2019) January 21, 2025 People are merely wondering how he could have recovered so quickly, leaving this as speculation. Regarding this specifically, neither Saif nor his family have commented. Saif Ali Khans stabbing incident In an unfortante turn of events, an intruder stabbed Saif Ali Khan on Thursday morning. The attack the actor's Bandra house. After arriving at Lilavati Hospital at three in the morning on Thursday, the actor was admitted. At the neighboring Lilavati Hospital, he had a five-hour surgery on Thursday. The actor's body had a portion of the knife removed. A piece of the knife was taken out of Saifs body. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Randeep Hooda is reportedly on his way to Budapest for his next Hollywood project. The actor's first foray into Hollywood was in the 2020 action picture Extraction, which debuted on Netflix. Randeep Hooda's performances have always been praised, as he chooses unorthodox characters. His latest Bollywood film, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, received critical acclaim, and the audience enjoyed his performance. Credit: IG According to an NDTV report, a little information regarding his next Hollywood effort has been out. However, the report quoted a close insider saying, "Randeep is excited about starting filming for the project. While not much is known at this stage, it's a brand new avatar for him. The shoot is set to commence soon in Budapest later this week." Hooda's first Hollywood project gets an Oscar nomination In Extraction, he shared screen space with Chris Hemsworth. Randeep Hooda's action sequences were praised by critics and audiences alike. His most recent Bollywood film, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, was based on the life of the legendary liberation fighter. The film has been officially nominated as an Oscar nominee for 2025. The film will compete against other official Indian film entries at the Oscars 2025, including Kanguva, Santosh, Girls Will Be Girls, All We Imagine As Light, The Goat Life, and Putul. On the job front, Randeep has Jaat opposite Sunny Deol, which is set to be released in theatres in April 2025. Gopichand Malineni directed the film. In 2001, Randeep Hooda made a stunning debut with Monsoon Wedding. His other notable appearances include Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Jannat 2, Jism 2, Sarbjit, and Saheb, Biwi, and Gangster. Also read: Randeep Hooda Reacts To Kangana Ranaut Targeting Alia Bhatt, Here's What He Has To Say For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Dry in Delhi due to Assembly Election 2025: The much-anticipated Delhi Assembly Election 2025 is around the corner, marking a significant event for the National Capital Territory. Scheduled for February 5, this election will determine the leadership of Delhi's 70 assembly constituencies for the next five years. Importance of the Delhi Assembly Election 2025 The Delhi Election 2025 is not just about choosing leaders; its about deciding the future of key issues such as public safety, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. With 58 general seats and 12 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), the elections aim to ensure fair representation across all sections of society. Major political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Indian National Congress (INC), will battle it out alongside independent candidates and smaller regional parties. Dry Days Announced for Delhi Election 2025 To ensure a peaceful election process, the Delhi government has declared specific dry day dates during the election period. This means all liquor shops, hotels, clubs, and restaurants in Delhi will be prohibited from selling or serving alcohol. According to the notification issued by the Delhi Excise Commissioner: February 3 to February 5 (6 PM to 6 PM) Dry days to coincide with the 48-hour period before polling ends. February 8 Dry day on the vote-counting day. This announcement is in line with the Excise Rules-2010, which mandate the closure of liquor-serving establishments during elections to maintain law and order. For more details please click here. Restrictions on Alcohol Sale and Distribution The excise department has clarified that no liquor shall be sold or served during the designated dry days. The restriction applies to all: Liquor shops. Hotels, restaurants, and clubs. Establishments with permits for possession or distribution of alcohol. This rule ensures that the election process remains free from undue influence and disruptions caused by alcohol consumption. Preparing for a Smooth Election Process As Delhi gears up for the 2025 Assembly Election, the measures taken by the government aim to create a conducive environment for voters to make informed decisions. Residents are advised to plan accordingly, keeping the dry day dates in mind. Stay tuned for more updates on the Delhi Election 2025, including candidate profiles, polling details, and result announcements. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. US President Donald Trump has issued an unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the infamous creator of the dark web online marketplace Silk Road. The 40-year-old Ulbricht has been serving life in prison without the possibility of parole since 2015, on charges including distributing narcotics on the internet. Trump parsons Silk Road creator "I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honour of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," Trump wrote on his social media platform, TruthSocial. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross. The scum that worked to convict him were Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 22, 2025 Who is Ross Ulbricht Ulbricht is a highly divisive figure in the discourse about online freedoms. While cryptocurrency enthusiasts and libertarians see him as an icon, for others he is a criminal who enabled all kinds of illegal activities through an online marketplace on the dark web. CREDIT: FREEROSS Silk Road In 2011, Ulbricht, who went by his pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, created Silk Road, the first-of-its-kind online marketplace on the dark web, which allowed users to anonymously buy all kinds of illegal items, including drugs, weapons, and even hire hitmen. All the financial transactions were done using Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that was launched in 2009 and had only started picking up traction. CREDIT: RESEARCH GATE In October 2013, the FBI shut down the Silk Road website, and Ulbricht was arrested. It is believed to have facilitated around 1.5 million transactions in the three years of its existence. Why Ross Ulbricht created Silk Road A graduate from the University of Texas at Dallas and a postgraduate from Pennsylvania State University, Ulbricht was a libertarian who wanted to create a website "where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail whatsoever that could lead back to them." CREDIT: FREEROSS Campaign to free Ross Ulbricht For years, Ulbricht's supporters have argued that his life-in-prison sentence was overly punitive and called for his release online and at industry gatherings. During his election campaign, Trump was the benefactor of generous donations and support from the crypto community. In July 2024, Trump even addressed the crypto community at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim to be available in these countries only: Samsung's eagerly awaited Galaxy S25 Slim is causing a stir among tech fans worldwide. With its stylish look, innovative features, and promise of superior performance, the tablet has already gained popularity. However, Samsung appears to be contemplating a restricted deployment, with the Galaxy S25 Slim only accessible in select markets. This has left Indian enthusiasts wondering if the device will reach India. The question is relevant and critical because India is one of Samsung's top smartphone markets. In this post, we'll look at the latest speculations, likely availability, and if Indian consumers may expect to get their hands on the Galaxy S25 Slim. Stay tuned for all of the details! Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim launch date Credit: YouTube The Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on January 22nd, 2025 at 11:30 PM IST, and we will see the new Galaxy S25 series. There have been rumors of a 'Galaxy S25 Slim' model, which is slated to launch as a new member of the S25 series. However, while the Galaxy S25 Slim may be showcased at Unpacked, it is expected to be launched in May of this year. A new report has revealed the countries where the Galaxy S25 Slim will be marketed. Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim to launch in these countries According to PhoneArena, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will be available in several regions. While the United States is not mentioned, India will be one of the country that receive Samsung's slimmer Galaxy S25. The Galaxy S25 Slim will be sold in the following markets: Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, France, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, Montenegro, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Kenya, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. In addition to the United States, Samsung may eliminate China and major European countries from its list. Surprisingly, Samsung's native market of Korea is not on the rumored list. At the same time, it is uncertain whether Samsung will or will not introduce the Galaxy S25 Slim in South Korea; past rumors have suggested that it will. There is little or no reason why Samsung would limit the rollout. Expected specifications of Galaxy S25 Slim Credit: YouTube The forthcoming smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim, will be exceedingly slim, measuring 159 x 76 x 6.4 mm, similar to the Galaxy S24+ but thinner, as the former is 7.7mm thick. It is said to have a 6.7-inch or 6.8-inch display, identical to the S25+. The smartphone could have a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP5 primary camera, a 50MP ISOCELL JN5 ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. The smartphone includes the Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU and 12GB of RAM. Out of the box, it should also run One UI 7, based on Android 15. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Already the center of attention at Louis Vuitton's FW25 show, BTS rapper J-Hope thrilled fans after a teaser of his latest song, LV Bag was played during the runway. The track, a collaboration with Don Toliver and produced by Pharrell Williams, debuted during the Paris event on Tuesday, January 21. As the song played in the background, Pharrell and his frequent collaborator Nigo took to the stage to greet J-Hope and other notable front-row attendees, including Travis Scott and Bradley Cooper, adding an extra layer of star power to the event. J-Hope teases new music The K-pop star had hinted at upcoming music earlier this year in his Beginning of a New Dream YouTube video. The cryptic caption "2025. 03." suggested that a new release is on the horizon for March. With this teaser out, it will mark J-Hope's first track since completing his mandatory military service in October 2024. It will also follow his six-track EP, Hope On the Street Vol. 1, released in March 2024, which featured collaborations with BTS' Jungkook (I Wonder), Benny Blanco and Nile Rodgers (Lock/Unlock), and Le Sserafim's Huh Yunjin (I Dont Know). ARMY reacts in shock Fans watching the show via Louis Vuitton's YouTube livestream were left stunned when the brand confirmed the song's exclusive debut. The unexpected reveal added to the BTS fandom's amazement at how seamlessly members continue to drop surprises. ARMY took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their excitement to the new song and also trend tags namely "#jhopexLouisVuitton," "#jhope_LVbag_IsComing" and more. "LV Bag" Written & composed by j-hope !! pic.twitter.com/4OPMJz73MF K | BTS YEAR (@tksovers) January 21, 2025 THE LYRICS OF HOBI'S & DON TOLIVER 'LV BAG' OMG?!?!? J-HOPE IS COMING LV BAG WITH DON TOLIVER J-HOPE LV BAG COMING SOON J-HOPE X DON TOLIVER pic.twitter.com/fyfiBZrt6m Carolyne (@mhereonlyforbts) January 21, 2025 Omg new music by J-Hope! Who else is so excited to hear the full song?!#JHOPE #jhopexLouisVuitton @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/SdbNT130I0 BTSX50States (@BTSx50States) January 21, 2025 J-Hope's stylish appearance For the fashion event, J-Hope wore a chic ensemble featuring a black t-shirt, baggy jeans, and a jacket, accessorised with a statement bag and an adorable hat. In a promotional video shared on Louis Vuitton's Instagram, J-Hope expressed his excitement, saying, "I am so excited to be in Paris and looking forward to todays show." Louis Vuitton and J-Hope partnership For those who do not know, J-Hope was named as Louis Vuitton brand ambassador in 2023. In its announcement, the luxury house praised him as "beloved by fans across the world for his upbeat energy, precise choreography, and creative musical direction. With a positive on-and-off-stage presence, J-Hope continues to push artistic boundaries and inspire international audiences." For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Ivanka Trump turned heads at the 2025 Liberty Ball in a stunning Givenchy haute couture gown that was inspired by late Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn's statement piece for the film Sabrina. While Ivanka's attempt at recreating the outfit was viewed as an ode to the late actress by fashion critics, Reddit users are now slamming the former model/nepo baby, citing that Audrey was a rebel against the very political movement Ivankas father emulates. Ivanka Trump recreates Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina gown Ivanka Trump stunned at the inaugural ball as her father, Donald Trump, was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, wearing a show-stopping Givenchy haute couture gown that paid tribute to Audrey Hepburn's iconic Sabrina look. The sophisticated design, featuring a strapless fitted bodice and a flowing overskirt with delicate floral motifs, was paired with black opera gloves and sleek pumps, further complemented with a dazzling necklace and a pair of earrings. Ivanka Trump at the Inaugural Ball in a custom Givenchy couture recreation of Hubert de Givenchys 1954 haute couture gown designed for Audrey Hepburn in the film Sabrina. Ivanka personally thanked the Arnault family ( LVMH ) pic.twitter.com/2QOQE9nAeA Louis Pisano (@LouisPisano) January 21, 2025 Ivanka Trump's attempt to channel old Hollywood glamour at the 2025 Liberty Ball has been met with widespread criticism online, with many Redditors mocking her look and accusing her of trying too hard to emulate Audrey Hepburn's iconic style, with some even calling it a "failed imitation" and a "fashion disaster.". The recreation has also highlighted the political angle, with Redditors noting that Audrey Hepburn escaped the Nazis, while the Trump administration has been accused of pardoning "neo-Nazis." Reddit slams Ivanka Trump for recreating Audrey Hepburn's statement gown Ivanka's recreation has divided Reddit users into two sectionsboth bashing her. On one hand, fashion enthusiasts are trashing the outfit for its allegedly "cheap" and poorly executed design, while on the other hand, many are condemning her for cultural and political insensitivity, arguing that she is co-opting Hepburn's legacy while her father's administration promotes ideologies that are in contrast to the actress's values and experiences. One Redditor wrote, I mean, it's further proof that money = taste. Presumably she paid a lot for that dress, and yet it's still a half-assed recreation of the original." "The original is one of my favorite classic/old Hollywood gowns, and I will not let some stubby-fingered dilettante in ill-fitting clothes take it from me," another fashion enthusiast commented. A third mentioned, "Okay, but why does her version look like it was purchased on clearance from Macy's?"Something about the fabric & embroidery is all wrong. There's more texture in the original, & the embroidery pops more, plus it's done more skillfully; the recreation looks oddly cartoonish with the big loopy flowers. And obviously, Hepburn is incomparable," another individual added. Highlighting the political insensitivity part, one user wrote, "You dont get to emulate a woman who was personally and profoundly impacted by Nazi Germany on the same day your father pardons neo-Nazis from January 6th Their stupidity and ignorance never cease to amaze me." "She also spent her life advocating for refugee children as an ambassador for UNICEF and spoke often about how international aid saved her life after the war," added one person. A third commented, "She visited multiple countries to help women and children. She opposed everything this administration stands for." "Im a big Audrey fan, and this is 100% insulting to her memory. Before she was a glamorous, famous actress, she was a rebel against the very political movement Ivankas father emulates," mentioned another individual. "Yep, everything Audrey fans have said is true. She witnessed first-hand the devastation of the Nazis, and it stayed with her for the rest of her life and inspired her work with UNICEF. That is why she is remembered as an icon. She wasnt American, but I can only imagine what she would think of Trump. Ivanka is not a fashion icon or role model in any way," penned another Redditor. Check out more reactions in the Reddit post below: This is not the first time Ivanka Trump was inspired by Audrey Hepburn. On many occasions, she has previously shared the late actress' videos about the importance of practicing kindness and empathy. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. Saif Ali Khan returned home yesterday, just five days after undergoing major surgery following a stabbing incident last Thursday. The attack left him with six stab wounds, including one dangerously close to his spine that caused spinal fluid leakage. His seemingly normal walk post-surgery as he entered his home left many in disbelief, sparking a wave of skepticism on social media. However, doctors have dismissed claims of fabrication, affirming that such a recovery is indeed medically possible. What doctors are saying about Saif Ali Khan walking normally post surgery Mumbai-based surgeon Amit Thadani weighed in on the controversy surrounding Saif Ali Khan's recovery, explaining how modern medical advancements can facilitate rapid healing even after serious injuries. "Saw the video of Saif walking out of the hospital in good condition. That's the beauty of modern medicine," Thadani wrote on X. Most likely exploration of the neck wound would have been negative for major injury with only suturing needed, no stay required for that too. Neck dressing is visible on the video. I dont see anything fishy as far as treatment is concerned. No comment on the alleged theft. Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) January 21, 2025 Addressing concerns about the spinal fluid leakage caused by a dural puncture, he added, "Dural puncture with CSF leak - close the defect, remove drain in 2-3 days and discharge. Nowadays, major spine surgery itself has become a 1-day stay with no bed rest needed." Thadani also commented on the neck wound visible in the video, suggesting it was likely a minor injury. "Most likely exploration of the neck wound would have been negative for major injury with only suturing needed, no stay required for that too. Neck dressing is visible on the video. I dont see anything fishy as far as treatment is concerned," he clarified, dismissing speculations of any irregularities in the treatment or recovery process. Hyderabad-based neurologist Dr. Sudhir Kumar offered insights into Saif Ali Khan's remarkably swift recovery following his serious injuries, attributing it to a combination of factors. Are you surprised to see Saif Ali Khan recover so fast after having suffered such serious injuries? You shouldn't be! Three factors are responsible: 1. Stab injuries fortunately spared the spinal cord and nerves, and therefore, the actor did not suffer from weakness of legs. 2. https://t.co/YvXblXhIHU Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (@hyderabaddoctor) January 21, 2025 "Are you surprised to see Saif Ali Khan recover so fast after having suffered such serious injuries? You shouldn't be!" Dr. Kumar began in a post on X. He outlined three key reasons for the actor's rapid progress. "First, the stab injuries fortunately spared the spinal cord and nerves, and therefore, the actor did not suffer from weakness of legs," he explained, addressing a major concern about potential long-term damage. Dr. Kumar also credited the surgical team for their excellent care. "Second, surgeons did a great job, and he did not have any complications after the surgery," he noted. Lastly, he highlighted Saif Ali Khan's physical fitness as a significant factor in his recovery. "Saif Ali Khan is known to do regular workouts. Recovery from an illness or after an operation is more rapid and more complete in a physically fit person," he concluded. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order that sought to revoke birthright citizenship, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the country, regardless of their parents' immigration status. This had been enshrined in the US Constitution for over 150 years. One of the most significant groups affected by this change would be individuals in the US on the H-1B visa, which allows employers to hire skilled foreign workers on a temporary basis. With many Indians holding H-1B visas, the hashtag #H1B is currently trending on X, with people expressing their thoughts through memes and humorous comments. Check out some of the reactions below: Mother in laws of H1Bjeets after Trump's inauguration (They sold their ancestral property to pay for dowry for their daughter to settle in US) pic.twitter.com/YVjeLcuX7h Mr Melancholy (@chakravartiin) January 21, 2025 Trump just told half a billion Indian men that the only way they'll get their American dream is by marrying American women. The Wignats are about to witness something they hadn't before. Sumit Mishra (@ChadSumitMishra) January 21, 2025 Indian dream changed from H1B to Male vs female https://t.co/dSg5YPSFG0 pic.twitter.com/17LGf3zfsN Barbarika (@liesofhermit) January 21, 2025 H1B visa holders have already been living a life of uncertainty. Now their children also wont get citizenship by birth coz trump revoked it. Same NRIs used to dance on Modi-Trumps tune. No problems though, they can always come back to enjoy Amrit Kal and Vande Bharat. Nehr_who? (@Nher_who) January 21, 2025 Arey tum log itna khush kyo ho rahe ho, sare H1B candidates India wapas aagaye to tumhare liye jobs nahi bachengi. Aman (@AmanHasNoName_2) January 21, 2025 We dont want the H-1B workers to return because they will saturate our job market and unemployment will increase. pic.twitter.com/luk8ohYeEn Unfiltered Truth (@UnfiltdTruth) January 21, 2025 Who cannot get US citizenship now after Trump birthright citizenship order? On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order titled "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship," which alters the long-standing policy of birthright citizenship. The new rule stipulates that for a child to be eligible for citizenship at birth, at least one of the parents must be a US citizen or a permanent resident with a green card. This change, set to take effect on February 20, will prevent children born in the US to undocumented immigrants, or those in the country on student, work, or tourist visas, from automatically acquiring American citizenship or a passport. Is Donald Trump ending H-1B visa scheme? CREDIT: REUTERS The United States issues 85,000 H-1B visas annually to foreign workers and international students attending US colleges, distributing them via a lottery system. While the H-1B program has been crucial for US tech companies to access top-tier global talent, it has faced backlash for allegedly displacing American workers. President Trump had been a vocal critic of the H-1B visa during his first term, even temporarily halting the program in 2020 to safeguard American employment. Recently, Trump shared his perspective on the issue, saying, "I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop. And I'm not just talking about engineers. I'm talking about people at all levels. Maitre D's, wine, you know, experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters." To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. The internet is abuzz with rumours about Tom Holland's role in Christopher Nolan's star-studded upcoming film, The Odyssey. The speculation that he would be playing the leading man of Odysseus has sparked a wide range of reactions, from disappointment to confusion. In a film that features Oscar-award-winning actor Matt Damon, Holland, whose most noted work is the Spiderman film series, playing the main man has not gone down well with many movie buffs. Amid the backlash surrounding the same, a throwback video of the 28-year-old from when he was a child actor has gone viral, which seems to have shut down critics as fans call it an 'Oscar-level' performance. Why are fans calling out Tom Holland's casting as the leading man in The Odyssey? Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated film is an adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey, the classic Greek epic that narrates Odysseus' perilous journey back home after the Trojan War. Critics have argued that casting Tom Holland as Odysseus may be a rare miscasting on Nolan's part, as they believe Holland lacks the commanding screen presence associated with the character. Additionally, many speculate that Matt Damon, whose role in the film has not been confirmed, may overshadow Holland's performance, further fueling concerns about the leading role. Amid the skepticism, a throwback video of the Holland's impressive performance as a child in the 2012 film The Impossible, which also marked his debut in a feature film, has resurfaced and gone viral. The clip showcases Holland's effortless ability to command the screen, even at a young age, and has left many of his fans convinced that he has the range and talent to bring the iconic character to life. Tom Holland's video as a child actor resurfaces A video of Tom Holland's impressive performance as a child actor in the 2012 film The Impossible has resurfaced, showcasing his early acting talent and screen presence. Fans have now slammed those who are doubting his potential, calling his performance 'Oscar-level' in the disaster drama. Check out the video below: people who havent watched the impossible shouldnt be allowed to speak on tom holland ever actuallypic.twitter.com/agAf25ylT5 https://t.co/kSPTsotqSF gio (@janemargclis) January 21, 2025 The Impossible is based on the true story of a Spanish family, the Belons, who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while on vacation in Thailand. The film stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts as the parents, and Tom Holland, who was just 14 years old during filming, plays their son Lucas. More about The Odyssey The Odyssey will mark Christopher Nolan's first project since the success of his biographical drama Oppenheimer. The upcoming film has an all-star ensemble cast, including Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, and Robert Pattinson. More additions are expected to be made since it's an epic. Filming for the film is reportedly set to begin this month, January 2025, with locations ranging from the UK to Italy and Morocco. As for the release date, The Deadline reported that the film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 17th, 2026. The film will be shot using brand new IMAX technology. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Artificial intelligence is taking centre stage in the US economy, with President Donald Trump unveiling an ambitious $500 billion investment plan to boost the country's AI infrastructure. This initiative, spearheaded by top technology companies, aims to solidify the United States' position as a global leader in AI development and deployment. Major Tech Firms Collaborate to Launch Stargate Three technology giants OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have joined forces to create a new company named Stargate. Announced during a White House event, President Trump described Stargate as the "largest AI infrastructure project in history." The project will initially receive $100 billion in funding, with plans to expand to $500 billion in the coming years. Massive Job Creation and Infrastructure Expansion The Stargate initiative is expected to generate 100,000 jobs across the US, focusing on building cutting-edge physical and virtual AI infrastructure. The first 1-million-square-foot data centre is already under construction in Texas, marking the beginning of a nationwide expansion of data facilities, critical to powering advanced AI systems. Larry Ellison, Chairman of Oracle, emphasised the project's scale and importance, noting that it would provide the resources necessary for the next generation of AI. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, praised President Trumps leadership, stating, "This will be the most important project of this era." Why the Investment in AI Infrastructure Matters The need for robust AI infrastructure has become increasingly urgent as artificial intelligence expands into various industries, from healthcare to national security. AI leaders like Sam Altman have stressed the importance of building data centres, chips, and power systems within the US to maintain a competitive edge over rivals such as China. Altman highlighted this necessity in a recent interview, stating, "AI requires massive amounts of infrastructure. To lead in technology, we need the best AI infrastructure globally, built right here in the US." A Strategic Move to Secure American AI Leadership OpenAI's policy paper published last week outlined the economic and strategic benefits of investing in US-based AI infrastructure. It warned that if the US fails to attract global AI funds, they could flow to China, strengthening its influence on the global stage. Oracle also emphasised the strategic importance of the Stargate project, stating, "This initiative will secure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and bolster national security." SoftBank, with its financial backing, and OpenAI, leading operational efforts, will ensure the project's success. Learning from the Past: Ensuring Success While the Stargate project shows promise, comparisons have been drawn to previous large-scale initiatives, such as the Foxconn deal in Wisconsin. Despite initial high expectations, that project fell short of its goals. However, lessons learned from such experiences will guide this new endeavour to achieve its ambitious objectives. Revised Policies to Support AI Growth In a move to streamline AI development, President Trump recently reversed an executive order from 2023 that sought to monitor and regulate AI risks. This policy shift aims to create a more favourable environment for investment and innovation in the sector. A New Era for AI in the US Stargate represents a historic step toward building the world's leading AI infrastructure. With the combined efforts of OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, and support from the US government, this initiative is poised to reshape the future of AI, creating jobs, driving economic growth, and ensuring national security. This massive investment marks a transformative chapter in the AI industry, making the United States a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence innovation. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here. Minister of Education Kyriakos Pierrakakis participated in the informal meeting of the EU Ministers of Education, which took place in Warsaw on 21 and 22 January 2025 on the topic of inclusion in education. Pierrakakis referred to the Greek state's commitment to an education system that fosters values and offers equal opportunities to all. He also spoke about the digital initiatives planned by the ministry, putting the focus on the student and the teacher. In his social media posts, he pointed out that on the second day of the meeting, he mentioned three digital initiatives. The enhancement of the MySchool information system, which aims to eliminate printing of paper. The Digital Tutoring Centre, which is emerging as an interesting case study at the European level, emphasises the integration of sign language for all subjects. "The digital tutor is an example of technology that empowers the learner," he commented. Pierrakakis also referred to the strengthening of special education with a new digital system for the 80 centres for interdisciplinary assessment, counselling, and support, so that all assessments for children facing developmental challenges are faster and meet the same criteria. iefimerida.gr National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis participated in the recent Eurogroup andmeetings in Brussels .During themeeting, the ministers approved the revised National Plans submitted by Ecofin gives green light to Greeces modified Recovery Plan - Europe can shield itself against the effects of US President Donald Trumps policies by unifying policies and institutions, Bank of Greece (BoG) Governor Yannis Stournaras said in an interview with Stournaras to N: How will Europe protect itself against Trump? - Nikitas Kaklamanis has been elected Speaker of the Greek Parliament, securing 247 votes in favor. Members of Parliament from New Democracy, PASOK, SYRIZA, the Hellenic Solution, Spartans, and 18 independent MPs supported his candidacy. The MPs of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), New Left, NIKI, and Freedom Sailing declared a "present" vote. A total of 297 MPs participated in the voting process, with absentees including Dimitris Natsios and Nikos Vrettos from NIKI, as well as independent MP Rallia Christidou. Nikitas Kaklamanis assumes his role succeeding Constantine Tassoulas, who resigned from the position after being nominated for President of the Republic by the ruling ND party, of which he is a member of parliament. In his brief speech following the vote, the new Speaker described his election as the "culmination" of his parliamentary journey, hinting that he would not seek re-election in the next national elections. He emphasized Parliament's dual role, beyond its formal duties, as a socially significant institution responsible for fostering civic education. He stated: The parliamentary body, in addition to its formal mission, holds a socially charged role: that of education. As a mirror, it reflects the electorate while simultaneously setting an example of virtue and action for the people. This is where our multiplied responsibility lies: shaping individual and collective ethics through our public conduct. Politics, as the greatest art and the noblest virtue, according to Socrates, demands from us today the ethical and intellectual virtues described by Aristotle: courage, temperance, altruism, magnanimity, prudence, justice, and respect. These are the unwavering principles that must define the contemporary parliamentary ethos. Nikitas Kaklamanis called on all MPs to engage in social initiatives beyond their legislative duties, advocating for collective efforts, whether innovative or time-tested, that focus on Greeces broader interests, free from rigid political divisions and petty partisanship. He assured MPs that Parliament would support such actions, adding: Above all, unity is required, as this is the most pressing need in the unusual times we live in, he remarked. He concluded with a message of solidarity and shared purpose: In this chamber, there are no winners or losers, no small or large parties, no blue, green, or red factions. There are simply 300 individuals who can serve as role models for the Greek peopleif they choose to. If they affirm their commitment to genuine democratic ideals, humanity, integrity, and patriotism. #ENGLISH_EDITION #GREEK_PARLIAMENT Operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, in collaboration with other security agencies, have apprehended 94 suspected cybercriminals in Rivers State. The arrest was disclosed in a statement by Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Y.I. Abdulmajeed in Rivers, Abdulmajeed said that they were raided in their hideout following an intelligence report on their activities in the area. Advertisement He added that 90 foreign nationals were arrested, including four Nigerians, 85 Cameroonians, and five Chadians. The statement reads: The Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has arrested 90 illegal immigrants for cybercrimes perpetrated at different levels to swindle innocent Nigerians. READ MORE: Panic In Rivers Community As Suspected Cult Members Kill Local Security Man The cybercriminals were arrested in collaboration with other sister security agencies at their hideout in Rivers State, following credible intelligence. A total of 94 persons were arrested. Their profiling revealed that 85 of them are Cameroonians, five are Chadians, and four are Nigerians. Of the 94 people, 74 are males and 20 are females. It was also gathered that all 90 foreigners entered the country through unauthorised entry points. None of them presented residence cards or any form of travel documents during interrogation. Two other Nigerians from Rivers State, who provided accommodation and served as their landlords, were also arrested. The CG has also mandated the prompt prosecution of all suspects involved. The Nigerian Senate has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the National Population Commissions (NPC) failure to conduct a population census in nearly two decades. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population directed the NPC to ensure that the long-overdue census takes place this year. The committees chairman, Senator Abdul Ningi, and other members, including Senator Diket Plang, voiced their frustration over the lack of credible population data, which has significant implications for national planning and development. Advertisement READ ALSO: Labour Party Accuses FG Of Misusing N234bn National Census Funds To Prosecute 2023 Election Senator Olalere Oyewumi, Deputy Minority Leader and Vice Chairman of the Committee, emphasized the importance of conducting the census this year, stating, 2025 budget of NPC should revolve around population census, which must be done this year. He added, To prevent what happened in 2022 during President Muhammadu Buhari from repeating itself, the population exercise must be held this year because 2026 will be too close to the 2027 general elections. NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra presented the Commissions 2025 budget proposal, which allocates N18.2 billion, with N1.17 billion earmarked for overhead and N17.7 billion for capital votes. Popular disc jockey Ademola Abiodun, better known as DJ Chicken, has reportedly been arrested by the Nigerian Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, Lagos. The news was first shared by entertainer Deeone on his Instagram page on Tuesday, alongside a video showing the DJ being taken into custody. He captioned the post, Dj Chicken has been arrested @adejobimuyiwa @nigerianpoliceforce Advertisement READ MORE: EFCC Being Used To Extort, Abuse Power Skales Reacts To Officers Killing During Operation In Anambra Although the police are yet to release an official statement, reports allege that the arrest is linked to an alleged threat to life made by DJ Chicken against an unidentified individual. All efforts by our correspondents to reach the Lagos State Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, proved abortive, as calls to his phone were unanswered. The incident has since generated mixed reactions on social media, with users expressing their thoughts in the comment sections. See some comments below @Ishow_leck: Good for him. They will learn. But why havent they arent portable for the same reason. @BamigbayeMicha1: Cut it ke werey dey film himself dey disguise like say na someone dey film him. @bangingReloaded: Efcc still collect straight bullet indirectly Mumu agency. @Adejuwon599855: I love dj chicken but sometimes he talks too much for someone his age ,pueh. @iam__temmyyy: Nigerians dont understand the meaning of threat to life. Everything na cruise to them until it affects their family. SEE BELOW https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFGDYOfMBAV/?igsh=a2g2NjM5MHJtamVi Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, has assured the National Assembly that President Bola Tinubus economic reforms are yielding positive results, with the economy now on the path to full recovery. Bagudu who spoke on Tuesday when he appeared before the joint National Assembly Committee on National Planning, President Bola Tinubu has steered the economy in the right direction, and we are determined to stay the course. He further stated, Under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, and with your support, our economy has turned the bend and facing the right direction. Advertisement The Renewed Hope Agenda strategy of once and for all confronting our decades of under-investment is working, and the positive trajectory is being sustained. READ ALSO: Weve Cut Off Funds To Terrorists, Convicted Over 100 Financiers Tinubu The Minister highlighted several positive impacts of the reforms, including GDP growth of over three per cent for three consecutive quarters, recovery of the economy, deficit reduction, and increased liquidity for sub-nationals. Bagudu assured lawmakers that the administration will generate funds to finance the 2025 financial plans through innovative financing and line budget allocation. He also urged legislators to pass tax reform bills, stating that their passage will smoothen governments path to achieving its 18% revenue-to-GDP target. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized the Federal Governments proposal to allocate N8 billion in the 2025 federal budget to sensitise Nigerians on the need to pay electricity bills. NLC President, Joe Ajaero described the allocation as absurd and urged the Power Ministry and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to reinvigorate the sector and save it from total collapse. In a statement signed by Ajaero on Tuesday, the Power sector in Nigeria is on the brink of collapse due to gross incompetence and corruption. Advertisement He noted that despite huge investments in the sector, the leaders have failed to find lasting solutions to power challenges. Ajaero also questioned the Minister of Powers decision to seek N8 billion and to educate Nigerians on how to pay electricity bills while contractors in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are owed over N200 billion. READ ALSO: Ajaero Law-Abiding, Didnt Shun DSS Invite NLC Replies Presidency It is therefore not surprising that power grid collapse is now a constant as it has continued to succumb to greed and crass incompetence, he said. The NLC statement highlighted the need for a comprehensive audit of the entire power sector budget to unearth other potential avenues for corruption and financial recklessness. Ajaero emphasized that the NLC will continue to monitor developments in the sector and will not hesitate to mobilize against any attempt to use the budget process as a vehicle for waste. In a significant move, President Donald Trump has directed the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to shut down all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices across the government by the end of Wednesday. This decision comes on the heels of Trump signing an executive order aimed at eliminating DEI programs from the Federal Government. According to CBS News, Trump has also ordered the OPM to place government workers in DEI offices on paid administrative leave. Advertisement The Acting Director of the OPM, Charles Ezell, sent a memo to department heads on Tuesday, instructing them to inform DEI employees about the paid leave and to issue a notice to all employees about the closure of DEI offices. In one of Trumps Executive Orders, entitled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, he accused former President Joe Biden of encouraging discrimination in virtually all aspects of the federal government by promoting diversity programs. Trumps order, which comes one day after his inauguration, requires all executive agencies and federally funded educational institutions including Harvard to terminate any race or gender-based diversity programs that could be in violation of federal civil rights laws. READ ALSO: Trump Signs Executive Order To End Birthright Citizenship Institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion, Trump wrote in the order. The memo however directed departments to investigate any attempts to disguise DEI programs using coded language and to remove all external-facing media, including websites and social media accounts, associated with DEI offices. Employees must also divulge if they know of any plans to disguise DEI programs by using coded or imprecise language, according to the memo. The memo states the decision to place them on leave is not being done for any disciplinary purpose. Trump signed an order making it the official policy of the U.S. government to recognize only two genders: male and female. This move has sparked concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates, who fear that the policy may lead to discrimination against individuals who identify as non-binary or transgender. The Taraba State Police Command has rescued two kidnapped victims after raiding a kidnappers hideout in Isinyi Forest, Tapga Village, within the Ibi Local Government Area (LGA). A statement released by the commands spokesperson, Abdullahi Usman, on Tuesday revealed that the operation took place in the early hours of January 21, 2025. It was carried out by detectives from the Ibi Division in collaboration with local vigilantes and hunters. Police received reports of suspicious movements by suspected kidnappers around 5:00 a.m. Upon arriving at the scene, the team engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle. Advertisement The suspects were overpowered and fled into the forest, abandoning two victims tied with ropes, the statement said. READ MORE: Akwa Ibom: Police Rescue Four Victims Of Child Trafficking, Arrest Six Suspects The police disclosed that the rescued victims, Alhaji Tafiyanu and Abubakar Isa, are residents of Garin Bashar in the Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State. One of the victims, Alhaji Tafiyanu, sustained a deep cut on his left hand inflicted by the kidnappers. He is currently receiving treatment at the First Referral Hospital in Ibi and is reported to be in stable condition, the statement read. According to the release, preliminary investigations indicated that the victims were kidnapped from Wase, Plateau State, highlighting that efforts are underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects as the investigation continues. The Commissioner of Police for Taraba State, Ukachi P. Opara, praised the joint efforts of the police, hunters, and vigilantes who participated in the operation. He further urged the public to maintain vigilance and adhere to the law, while also encouraging them to notify security agencies about any suspicious activities. He reminded citizens to make use of the Commands control room hotline08030972376to share timely information that could aid in combating crime in the state. Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman, scored one goal and provided an assist in Atalantas 5-0 victory over Austrian club Sturm Graz on Tuesday night. Lookman netted Gian Piero Gasperinis side fourth goal of the night with a beautiful header on the dot of 90 minutes. The 27-year-old then weaved through away from a couple of challenges before setting up fellow substitute Marco Brescianini for the home teams fifth goal in the fourth minute of added time. Advertisement READ MORE: Lookman Scores As Atalanta Take Top Spot In Serie A The current Africa Best player has so far registered four goals and two assists in six outings for his Italian team in the competition this season. Atalanta now have 14 points from seven games and their final fixture is against giants Barcelona. The current UEFA Europa League champions are at least guaranteed a play-off place. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that with a goal and one assist, Lookman bagged the Man Of The Match Award. President Bola Tinubu has revealed that his administration has successfully prosecuted and convicted over 100 individuals involved in financing terrorism in Nigeria over the past two years. This achievement is part of the governments intensified efforts to dismantle the financial networks of terror groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP. Speaking at the 2025 National Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Financing of Terrorism, and Proliferation Summit in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu emphasized the importance of targeting the financial resources sustaining terrorist groups. Advertisement Represented by George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), he said, We have made progress in tackling the threats of terrorism and other violent crimes through the gallant action of our frontline troops and our security agencies. However, in line with the national counter-terrorist financing strategy, we have also enhanced our abilities to identify and pursue those individuals that finance these violent acts. Through the efforts of the office of the national security adviser and the honourable attorney-general of the federation, we have prosecuted and convicted over 100 terrorist financiers in the last two years. READ ALSO: FG Moves To Digitise Visa Applications By March 1 The President highlighted the crucial role of the private sector in combating financial crimes, noting that lawyers, accountants, and financial institutions are the first line of defense in protecting Nigerias commonwealth. He also expressed concern about Nigerias greylisting in February 2023, emphasizing the severe economic and reputational consequences. Tinubu reaffirmed the governments commitment to implementing an action plan to address deficiencies in the national anti-money laundering framework. He noted that the administration has made substantial investments in enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement agencies, resulting in a notable increase in convictions and a more effective response to organized crime. The President said, By taking away the funds, resources, and material support behind Boko Haram and ISWAP, we are denying them the ability to inflict terror on our communities and citizens. We are creating an environment in which our rural areas will thrive once again. The Philadelphia Orchestras postponed concerts with Joe Hisaishi have been rescheduled for June. Hisaishi, who composed the music for the majority of Hayao Miyazakis films (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro) had been slated to lead the orchestra in his own scores at the beginning of January, but postponed due to illness. His concerts are now scheduled for June 26 and 27 in Marian Anderson Hall. Ticket holders for the original dates will be moved to one of the new dates or can exchange tickets for another event this season, a spokesperson said. They will be contacted by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts with the new information. After those ticket holders are accommodated, only a limited number of tickets are expected to remain. Advertisement Hisaishi has conducted orchestras using excerpts from films, but this one of his own works will not feature film clips. He will conduct the Suite from Spirited Away, Symphony No. 2, and, with the orchestras Choong-Jin Chang as soloist, Saga for viola and orchestra. Both the symphony and the effervescent two-movement Saga have been recorded by him with the Vienna Symphony. Hisaishi, 74, began collaborating with Miyazaki in 1984 as the composer for Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. He has also scored films for actor-director Takeshi Kitano. I started my career as a minimal[ist] composer, Hisaishi told the New York Times, and I use more my melodic side in Miyazaki movies and my minimalist side in Kitano movies they are closer to what originally drew me to music, style-wise. Information: www.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999. FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2021, file photo, a nurse prepares a COVID-19 vaccine at a federally qualified health center in Pittsboro, N.C. Read more A Coatesville community health-care provider that served vulnerable Chester County residents for nearly two decades is transitioning out of the region. ChesPenn Health Services, a federally qualified health center that offers primary care, dental care, and behavioral services to low-income residents, those without insurance, and undocumented people, will shutter its Coatesville centers doors in June after 17 years in operation. Advertisement In the semirural city with a population of about 13,000, ChesPenn was the only health-care facility of its kind, according to ChesPenn president and CEO Susan Harris-McGovern. Federally qualified health centers receive funding from Medicare and Medicaid as well as outside grants, and aim to break down barriers to care, offering services on a sliding scale based on a patients ability to pay and allowing those in need the chance to bypass more costly emergency-room visits, according to Harris-McGovern. With the nearest major hospital 15 miles away in West Chester, the facility offered critical care to more than 4,000 people last year, and was a particular boon to those who lacked transportation to visit other facilities, Harris-McGovern said. Union Community Care, another federally qualified health center, is slated to take ChesPenns place at The Alliance for Health Equitys Brandywine Center health-care hub this summer. The transition thrust uncertainty onto ChesPenns 20-member staff, according to Harris-McGovern. Many have forged yearslong relationships with patients, she said, and were eager to retain their jobs under Union Community Services. It was a hard conversation to have with staff, Harris-McGovern said of the closure announcement, though she added that, in her understanding, the incoming organization will retain staff members who wish to stay. ChesPenns closure in Coatesville came down to grant funding, previously a pillar of the organizations success. After opening in the city in 2005, ChesPenn moved to the Brandywine Center in 2008, according to its website. Over 15 years, the organization signed multiple funding agreements with the Chester County-based philanthropic Alliance for Health Equity. But when negotiating a new deal, the Alliance offered ChesPenn shorter funding terms lasting either one or three years, according to Harris-McGovern periods of time she believes would not have been conducive to managing a staff, and contributing to ChesPenns decision to close its center in Coatesville. The group also has locations in Chester and Upper Darby. You cant retain staff for one year, Harris-McGovern said. Its not a good business model. Harris-McGovern added that she believes AHE was not in a position to offer long-term grants anymore. In a statement after publication of this article, AHE president and CEO Kevin Ressler disputed Harris-McGoverns comments. We are disappointed at ChesPenns continued, significant, and varied inaccuracies as well as foundationless claims of AHEs current and future strategies, Ressler said. We hoped for a graceful departure when they made the unilateral decision not to apply to continue our partnership. Ressler pointed to what he described as an overall decrease in ChesPenns patient count in recent years, staffing shortages, and a failure of the organization to diversify revenue streams. AHE provided two part time consultants to identify additional revenue streams through reimbursable services, which ChesPenn qualified for but chose not to pursue, Ressler said. The agreement was followed with a 1-year agreement as ChesPenn failed to meet deliverables." But Harris-McGovern said staffing shortages and patient decreases were due to challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that ChesPenns original deal from the 2000s did not require the group to seek additional revenue streams, and that she believed the suggestions for new income faced regulatory issues. Meanwhile, Harris-McGovern said the incoming primary-care provider, Union Community Care, will offer vulnerable Coatesville patients the same level and quality of care they had become used to. Union Community Care will offer additional services such as school-based clinics, urgent care, chiropractic services, mobile health, on-site pharmacy, and prenatal care, according to Ressler, adding that the company had signed a grant agreement through 2027. We are thrilled to join the Coatesville community as its partner in health, Alisa Maria Jones, president and CEO of Union Community Care, said in a statement. Our first steps will be listening to and learning from the community so that every person feels seen, valued, and supported. The organization was founded in 2021 through a merger between Lancaster Health Center and Welsh Mountain Hill Centers. It offers medical care, dental care, behavioral health services, and social support, according to its website. I look for the silver lining, Harris-McGovern said, and the silver lining is the continuity of care wont stop once ChesPenn is no longer there. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker speaks during an announcement about the new Kensington Neighborhood Wellness Court, which launches Wednesday for people arrested for open drug use and related crimes. Read more The city on Wednesday will officially launch what it is calling a neighborhood wellness court in Kensington, an initiative in which police will arrest people who are openly using drugs, issue them summary citations, and then offer addiction treatment and diversionary services before a judge the same day. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed an executive order on Tuesday establishing the court, which she called an unprecedented step to restore community and a quality of life in a neglected neighborhood overrun by an open-air drug market. Advertisement Well no longer attempt to normalize the challenges that exist there, and continue walking by, closing our eyes real tight, trying to wish what we are seeing in front of our very eyes away. The world doesnt work that way, Parker said. To start, the court will operate solely on Wednesdays, though it will likely expand, said Adam Geer, the citys chief public safety director. Heres how it will work, according to Geer: Philadelphia police are expected to conduct sweeps of Kensington on Wednesdays, and officers will have the discretion to bring anyone before the court for offenses including disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, obstructing highways and other passageways, and criminal trespassing. READ MORE: How Phillys new recovery house will serve hundreds of people with substance use disorder if they can get there Typically, someone arrested for those crimes would be issued a ticket, and asked to appear in court 10 days later. Others charged with more serious offenses, like drug possession, would be charged with a misdemeanor and held in jail while waiting to be arraigned. Under the new initiative, those charged will be taken into custody, and first be transported to a triage center at B Street and Lehigh Avenue, where they will be evaluated physically and mentally. Medical staff from the University of Pennsylvania will be available on site to treat open wounds, offer withdrawal care, and take people to a hospital if necessary. Officials will also work to determine whether there are any open bench warrants for the person in Philadelphia or its surrounding counties. The team will contact officials inside Philadelphias criminal justice center to see if those warrants can be immediately lifted. Many people living in addiction in Kensington have outstanding warrants, typically for low-level offenses like failure to appear during a retail theft or drug possession case. Those often disqualify people from being able to enter diversion programs and treatment, Geer said. What were telling you is, we will take care of those bench warrants for those low-level [crimes] up front, and we will get you directly into the treatment and into beds that day, Geer said. That is big. Those stable enough to appear before a judge will be taken to the court, located inside the 24th Police District at 3901 Whitaker Ave. From there, people will be connected with an attorney contracted by the city to discuss their options and whether they would like to go through diversion, a court-supervised alternative to prosecution. If they accept diversion, they will be evaluated for treatment and a facility bed will be identified for them that day. After successful completion of treatment and the terms of diversion, the charges will be dismissed and the case expunged. What happens if a person declines diversion? People who decline to go through the diversion program will be brought before a judge for a summary trial. The judge will determine the outcome of the case, which could include a fine, community service, or jail time. Geer said there is no limit to how many times a person can go through the court. Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healey, who oversees the departments legal affairs, said he did not know of any other program in the country that was designed to work this way. Still, whether someone is brought to the court is up to the arresting officer. And people who are arrested on a day other than Wednesday will be charged with a misdemeanor and processed as usual. Geer said the city is also expanding the Police Assisted Diversion Program, which offers services to some people in addiction who would otherwise be arrested on charges like drug possession. The police department is expanding the charges that make someone eligible for that program, he said, though he didnt specify which ones, and PAD officials will also work to clear bench warrants. That program, though, is voluntary and there are no repercussions to withdrawing from treatment or services. One of the benefits of the wellness court, Geer said, is ongoing case management. Theres follow-up. Its not just, Youve accepted this program, were done now, he said. While District Attorney Larry Krasner did not attend Tuesdays announcement, he said in a statement that he is hopeful that as the court evolves, it will save lives, reduce addiction, and benefit us all. What do critics say? The program has raised some concerns. Mike Lee, executive director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, sent a letter to Parker and Geer in December, saying the initiative puts drug users constitutional rights at risk. The program will treat people in Kensington differently under the law than similarly situated people in any other part of the City, Lee wrote, adding that because cases would be resolved within 24 hours, it could be difficult for people to gather evidence to prepare a defense. Lee also questioned how people in active addiction, who may be intoxicated or in the throes of withdrawal, could be expected to quickly make critical decisions about their cases. Most individuals who would appear before [the court] would have taken narcotics at some point in the 48 hours preceding their appearance, meaning they would lack the legal capacity to knowingly and intelligently make decisions about their criminal cases, Lee wrote. Geer said various officials, including medical and legal staff, would be on hand to evaluate people and assess their mental capacity before they are brought before a judge. And the judge, he said, will ask them a series of required questions, including whether they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who represents parts of Kensington and has championed stronger enforcement in the neighborhood, lauded the initiative. Its a great day in Kensington, its a great day in Harrowgate, Lozada said. She said she and the Parker administration are not deterred by critics and will not allow the status quo in the neighborhood to continue. We can be compassionate, we can be empathetic, we can connect people with resources, and we also can restore quality of life, she said. Bob Perkins in 2016. The jazz DJ known to loyal listeners on Temple University radio station WRTI-FM by his tagline "BP with the GM" has died it 91. STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer Read more Bob Perkins, 91, of Wyncote, the jazz DJ whose sonorous, deeply relaxing, and reassuring voice on the Philadelphia airwaves entertained and educated music lovers for more than half a century, died Sunday, Jan. 19, at Jefferson Abington Hospital. Mr. Perkins death after a brief illness was confirmed by his wife, Sheila K. Perkins. Mr. Perkins, who suffered a stroke in 2019 and retired from the Temple University radio station WRTI-FM (90.1) in 2023, had been hospitalized since early January. Advertisement Mr. Perkins trademark slogan, known to legions of loyal listeners, was BP with the GM. It stood for Bob Perkins with the Good Music. He reliably delivered just that every evening Monday through Thursday and again on Sunday morning on his Jazz Brunch with Bob Perkins program on WRTI. He exposed an appreciative audience to jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, and Miles Davis, as well as like-minded younger artists. The old stuff, he liked to say, and the new stuff that sounds like the old stuff. Mr. Perkins was a 2003 inductee into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame. In 2016, a plaque with his name went into the concrete on South Broad Street when he was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame. That year, WRTI station manager David Conant spoke for generations of Philadelphia jazz fans when he said: Bob is jazz radio. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and the musicians, and has known many of the greats. Bobs staying power is a testament to his greatness. Mr. Perkins put it simply at the time. Explaining the connection listeners felt to his comforting and authoritative presence on the air, he said with pride: People call and tell me, I didnt like jazz till you played it. His death marks the end of an era in Philadelphia radio. Mr. Perkins was the last of a group of trusted Philadelphia DJs associated with a specific brand of music over the course of careers of staggering duration. That list of legends who have died this decade includes folk DJ Gene Shay; Frank Sinatra-focused Sid Mark, who was an early influence on Mr. Perkins, along with jazz DJ-producer Joel Dorn and TV news anchor John Facenda; and oldies icon Jerry Blavat. With the passing of Mr. Perkins, the last of those voices is gone. Gerald Veasley, the bass player and president of Jazz Philadelphia, said Mr. Perkins was an obvious choice as a recipient of the organizations first Hometown Hero award in 2022. He embodied the spirit of a true hero: putting others first, Veasley said. He used the airwaves to uplift music and musicians. His voice provided a comforting presence like your favorite storytelling uncle. Though he never wanted to be the subject of the story, he became a hero in his own right. Mr. Perkins quietly confident, charismatic presence drew listeners in. I first heard Bob when he was at WDAS and then WHYY. By the time he became a fixture at WRTI, I was already living in New York, but his stature was so big and so respected in the jazz community at large, you didnt have to live in Philly to feel his presence, bassist Christian McBride told The Inquirer. I was honored to be a guest on his podcast just a couple of years ago. We all will forever love, respect, and appreciate his commitment to the city of Philadelphia and this great American art form known as jazz. His passion for music came early. He grew up the youngest of five siblings at 19th and Gerritt Streets in South Philadelphia, on the same block as the illustrious jazz music brothers Jimmy, Percy, and Albert Tootie Heath. Mr. Perkins father, DeForrest, could no longer work after being stricken with arthritis at 39. So he spent his time at home, tinkering with antennas for a small AM radio that could pull in stations from as far away as Chicago. His youngest son listened by his side. I was a radio nut, Mr. Perkins said in 2016. I remember sitting in my parents bedroom when they announced the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. We would listen to the Phillies games, and the As when they were here. His brother Joe schooled him on jazz, taking him to see bandleader Lucky Millinder at the Fays Theatre at 40th and Market Streets when he was 5. We took our coats off and I sat on them so I could see over the ladies with the big hats, he remembered. READ MORE: Talking all that jazz with WRTI legend Bob Perkins Mr. Perkins graduated from South Philadelphia High School and studied radio with Philly legends like Louise Bishop at the American Foundation of Dramatic Arts. In the early 1960s, he sold insurance door-to-door in North Philly. I would always wear a suit and smoke a pipe, he recalled in 2023. I didnt really smoke a pipe, but I figured that would help get me in the door. Like Sherlock Holmes, I looked trustworthy. And that really helped set me up for radio. It taught me to open my mouth to make a living and get people to like me. It got the nervousness out of me. In 1964, he followed his brothers to Detroit, where they worked in the auto industry. By divine or dumb luck, he recalled, the insurance building where he worked also housed a Black-owned radio station. He was soon on the air playing [John] Coltrane and washing it down with B.B. King. Five years later, he came home, taking a job as editorial director at WDAS-FM, known as the voice of the Black community. He bounced around the dial, with a jazz show on WHYY-FM (90.9) in 1977, then a side gig at WDAS-AM (1480) in the 1980s, before settling in at WRTI in 1997. Mr. Perkins enthusiasm for the music never waned and was contagious. He regarded Ellington as the GOAT, and counted Davis, Vaughan, Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita ODay, and Morgana King as favorites. An irreplaceable fount of historical knowledge, Mr. Perkins show educated young jazz musicians, and offered seasoned Philadelphia players a platform. In 2020, after the death of saxophonist Bootsie Barnes, who was a frequent guest on his show, Mr. Perkins said: I always used to say he was as indigenous to Philadelphia as cheesesteaks, hoagies, Philly scrapple, and probably Billy Penn. That same year, Mr. Perkins recalled seeing pianist McCoy Tyner at a West Philly club in the 1980s. There were great musicians in the house, including Grover Washington Jr., who could play jazz like a fiend when he wanted to. And they were all just silent and watched and listened when McCoy played. It was like God was in the house that night. Mr. Perkins sense of wonder at musics power as an avenue of self-expression sustained him throughout his life. I revere the people who play jazz because theyre playing their life, he said in 2023. They must have lived something to produce that sound. Something inward. Some microcosm of themselves coming out. Extemporaneously! I think thats magic. After he retired in 2023, Mr. Perkins, who was a founding board member of Jazz Bridge, the Philly-area nonprofit that supports jazz and blues musicians, launched the Stay Tuned with Bob Perkins podcast, telling stories from his life and featuring interviews with young musicians. Last year, Mr. Perkins was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Montco Jazz Festival, presented by trumpeter and Temple director of jazz studies Terell Stafford. Saxophonist Josh Lee, who performed a tribute after the award presentation, spoke for legions of Philadelphia listeners when he told The Inquirer: His choice of music shaped my taste in jazz. So much of what I love is based on the music that Bob Perkins played every night. Mr. Perkins is survived by his wife, Sheila. A memorial is being planned for spring. The Philadelphia-area semifinalists for James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, Mid-Atlantic, for 2025 are (top row, from left) Yun Fuentes, Jesse Ito, and Anthony Andiario, and (bottom row, from left) Antimo DiMeo, Carlos Aparicio, and Amanda Shulman. Read more Nine Philadelphia-area chefs and six food establishments have made the list of semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Six chefs Anthony Andiario of West Chesters Andiario, Carlos Aparicio of South Philadelphias El Chingon, Antimo DiMeo of Wilmingtons Bardea, Yun Fuentes of Center Citys Bolo, Jesse Ito of South Philadelphias Royal Sushi & Izakaya, and Amanda Shulman of Center Citys Her Place Supper Club are among 20 competing for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic, which covers Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Advertisement Greg Vernick is in the running for Outstanding Chef for his work at Vernick Fish in the Comcast Technology Center. He won in 2017 for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic at Vernick Food & Drink, his flagship. Kalaya , chef Chutatip Nok Suntaranons Thai destination in Fishtown/Kensington, is a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant. Suntaranon won in 2023 for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic. Little Fish, chef Alex Yoons seafood destination in Bella Vista, is a semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality, a not-too-shabby distinction for a 16-seat BYOB. Caphe Roasters, the Vietnamese specialty coffee roastery in Kensington fronted by Thu Pham, is among the semifinalists for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program a bit of a twist, given that its product line is coffee-based. Phila Lorn of the hit South Philadelphia noodle shop Mawn is among the semifinalists for Emerging Chef, which recognizes chefs who are early in their careers. Lorn, 38, and his wife/business partner, Rachel, opened Mawn in 2023. They are planning to open a second restaurant , Sao, this year. Abigail Dahan of Society Hills luxe restaurant Provenance is among the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker semifinalists. Dahan, who trained as a pastry chef in Paris, worked at Le Bec-Fin, spent nearly a decade as executive pastry chef at Parc, and taught pastry classes online during the pandemic. Machine Shop, Emily Riddells boulangerie at the Bok Building in South Philadelphia, is part of the Outstanding Bakery list. Riddell, also a Le Bec-Fin alum, made the semifinals in 2023 in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category. The 13-seat Lovers Bar at Center Citys Friday Saturday Sunday , open for walk-ins only, is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar. FriSatSun was the Outstanding Restaurant in 2023 . Kampar Kongsi, the Malaysian bar at Ange Brancas Kampar in Bella Vista, is on the list for Outstanding New Bar, a new category. This list will be culled after a second round of Beard voting; the nominees will be named April 2. The awards gala will be held June 16 in Chicago. Philadelphia-area contenders were shut out in the 2024 awards, despite fielding 10 semifinalists. A snow goose in West Philadelphias Carroll Park neighborhood is the citys first suspected case of a highly contagious avian flu spreading among birds and cattle across the country, Philadelphia health officials said Wednesday. The goose was found on Jan. 11 on the 1200 block of North 59th Street, officials said in a news release, and preliminary testing from state agriculture officials indicated the bird had avian flu. A person in the neighborhood had noticed a goose behaving oddly, with unusual neurological symptoms, and notified animal health authorities, said Dana Perella, a manager for the city health departments Acute Communicable Disease Program. Neurological symptoms of avian flu, a strain of the H5N1 virus, include dizziness or unstable walking. The goose was assessed, immediately euthanized, and sent to the state Game Commission for testing, Perella said. The potential for transmission is very low to residents of the city, Perella said. The biggest concern is those having close contacts with ill animals. Avian flu cases in humans More than 60 people have tested positive for avian flu nationwide, and one has died, Philadelphia health officials noted. There have been no cases reported in humans in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but last month, Delaware reported a probable case of H5N1 in a person that could not be confirmed by further federal testing. That person has since recovered, Laura Matusheski, a spokesperson for Delawares health department, wrote in an email. The vast majority of cases among humans in the United States were among people who had direct contact with an infected animal. In the case in Delaware, it was unclear how the patient had become exposed to avian flu. Just three of the 67 confirmed cases in the United States have unknown sources of exposure, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said that anyone in Carroll Park who had direct contact with a sick goose around Jan. 11 should call the city health departments Division of Disease Control at 215-685-6741. In general, Philadelphians should stay away from wild birds, especially waterfowl like geese and ducks, and report any sick or dead birds to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Residents can call 833-PGC-HUNT, send an email to pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov, or report the bird through the states online Wildlife Health Survey. The nationwide spread of avian flu Nationwide, the spread of avian flu in livestock since 2022 has prompted states including Pennsylvania to ramp up testing and quarantine efforts. Pennsylvania had a high number of cases in domestic flocks earlier in the outbreak, but has so far seen no cases of bird flu in cattle. About 200 snow geese were found dead in Lehigh and Northampton Counties earlier this month, and health officials said that preliminary testing by the state had confirmed avian flu. The H5N1 virus binds poorly to human respiratory cells, which means it is not able to easily spread from one person to another. The virus could become a bigger threat to humans if it mutates and becomes better able to latch on to receptors in the respiratory system. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have helped to track the virus through a testing program for livestock, and others are developing an mRNA vaccine for avian flu that was in clinical trials late last year. The city is also looking to step up testing efforts in humans. Earlier this month, the CDC recommended that hospitals test for H5N1 in respiratory samples from patients who are positive for influenza A, but negative for seasonal flu subtypes typically found in humans. We are working on the feasibility of doing that with our local institutions, Perella said. Protecting domestic birds in the city Anyone who keeps chickens in the city should also monitor the birds for illness. According to the city health departments website, avian flu symptoms include sudden death without any prior illness; a lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; swelling or discoloration of a birds eyelids, comb, wattle, and shanks; gasping; coughing or sneezing; stumbling or falling; and diarrhea. Residents can also prevent the spread of bird flu from wild to domestic birds by keeping food and water away from wild birds, and changing clothes and shoes after caring for birds and before entering their homes. Residents who believe their backyard chickens may be ill should call the state Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services, which runs a 24-hour hotline at 717-772-2852, option 1. While birds can shed the virus in feces, mucus, and saliva, health officials are more concerned about people who have more prolonged interactions with birds. The concern is more so if you had a backyard flock and were cleaning up after them than if you accidentally touch bird poop, Perella said. The cases weve seen among humans most often had more direct exposures to impacted animals. Public health officials have also cautioned against drinking raw, unpasteurized milk because it can contain the virus. The high-heat pasteurization process deactivates the virus. Residents should avoid cheese made with raw milk as well, the city health department said, and cook poultry, eggs, and other animal products to safe internal temperatures to kill the virus. They also advise handwashing with soap and water after handling raw meat and uncooked eggs. Editors note: This story has been updated with additional detail about the outbreak and comment from the Philadelphia health department. Staff writer Sarah Gantz contributed to this article. Crozer Health has started using emergency ambulances that are supposed to provide EMS services to at least seven Delaware County towns to shuttle nonemergency patients between hospitals and long-term care facilities after an outside transfers vendor quit Friday, saying it hadnt been paid. The decision by Keystone Quality Transport, based in Springfield, is fallout from the Jan. 11 bankruptcy filing by Crozers for-profit owner, Prospect Medical Holdings. The bankruptcy has thrown into question the future of Crozer, which is losing $160 million a year, a bankruptcy attorney said last week. Advertisement And thats without paying vendors such as Keystone, which says Crozer owed it $267,000 from before the bankruptcy claim. A court order last week allowed Crozer to pay vendors that provide essential services, but Keystone was not put on the list of such critical vendors, Todd Strine, the companys chief financial officer, said Tuesday. The loss of Keystone adds pressure to emergency service operations in Delaware County that are already strained by staff and ambulance shortages, and rising 911 call volume. Crozer is the largest EMS provider in Delaware County, covering 60% of the county, including some of its most densely populated communities. Public safety officials have already started planning how they will prop up emergency services if Crozer closes or abandons EMS, such as training firefighters to be EMTs who can provide emergency care until an ambulance arrives. But they worry that short-term solutions arent enough. As this continues and this crisis expands, some lives could be lost that could possibly have been saved, said Brian Boyce, Upper Darbys fire chief. Prospects bankruptcy followed years of turmoil at Crozer, which Los Angeles-based Prospect acquired in 2016 and has reduced substantially its services by closing two hospitals and implementing several rounds of job cuts. Crozer remains an important health-care provider in an area of Delaware County with a high level of poverty and few other nearby options for care. READ MORE: Crozer Health since Prospect acquired it in 2016: A timeline Keystone backs out of transfers contract Before pulling out, Keystone transported about 120 Crozer patients a week in ambulances or wheelchair vans. Typically, these are patients who need to move between Taylor Hospital and Crozer-Keystone Medical Center or from the hospital to a nursing home. Crozer CEO Tony Esposito confirmed in an email that the company started using its EMS vehicles for nonemergency transport after Keystones departure. He said Crozer had offered to pay Keystone. Strine said payment was expected Friday but never arrived. Delaware Countys regional EMS director Pat OConnell, through a spokesperson, declined to discuss Crozers move and how it was impacting residents. County spokesperson Ryan Herlinger did not respond to an email or a voice message asking about the emergency medical services Crozer is supposed to provide. Crozer has EMS contracts for Aston Township, Chester, Marcus Hook, Norwood, Ridley Township, Springfield Township, and Upper Darby Township. Strained emergency services in Delaware County Crozers EMS operators have already been struggling with staffing shortages and ongoing maintenance problems with an aging fleet of ambulances. Many of the vehicles have more than 200,000 miles, and are routinely off the road for repairs, said Kate Denney, union president for the Crozer-Chester Paramedic Association. Earlier this week, operators used $500 worth of Wawa gift cards to fuel up the fleet because Prospect didnt pay the fuel card bill, she said. Denney, a paramedic, didnt know where the Wawa gift cards came from. Reassigning ambulances to cover nonemergency transfers means fewer vehicles available to respond to emergencies, which puts pressure on neighboring EMS fleets, Denney said. Pennsylvania law requires ambulance services to respond wherever they are called even if it is outside their coverage area if closer ambulances are busy. A spokesperson for Main Line Health, which also operates EMS in Delaware County, said the system has had a couple of calls in areas where there may have been a gap in EMS coverage, but there has not been any surge in services required from us so far. Local fire chiefs say they are worried that Keystones departure will mean even longer waits for ambulances in an emergency. Upper Darby, home of Crozers shuttered Delaware County Memorial Hospital, has relied on Crozer for emergency services for decades. Services began to decline after Prospect took over, said Boyce, the fire chief. The whole health system and EMS system is in disarray, and it has been basically since Prospect took over, Boyce said. Ambulance turnaround times the time it takes to respond to a call, drop off a patient at the hospital, and return to service have increased since Delaware County Memorial Hospital closed, he said. Ambulances in Upper Darby used to have a turnaround time of about 40-45 minutes, Boyce said. Now, ambulances must take patients to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, which is farther away and increasingly crowded. Turnaround times are often over an hour. Adding to the strain: Call volume in Upper Darby is up, partly due to a rise in drug overdoses. Boyce said that he worries about safety as Crozers EMS takes on transfers dropped by Keystone. EMS backup plans as Crozer declines Upper Darby and Chester, a low-income community that relies heavily on Crozer for emergency and basic health services, are making contingency plans for if Crozer is no longer able to support emergency services. Upper Darby is conducting a fire and EMS study that will evaluate emergency needs and other models for EMS, aside from contracting with Crozer. Crozer is in such dire financial shape that it would be irresponsible if we didnt look at what we would do if that failed, Boyce said. The city of Chester, which is bankrupt and in state receivership, started looking at alternatives for emergency services in 2023, when Prospect first hinted they may cut back ambulance services, said John-Paul Shirley, Chesters fire commissioner. Almost all of the citys 60 firefighters are now trained as EMTs, and fire trucks are equipped with medical supplies, so that fire teams can provide immediate care until an ambulance arrives. Upper Darbys firefighters are also certified as EMTs. But for trauma patients, theres no substitute for getting to the hospital as soon as possible. The so-called golden hour the first 60 minutes after a traumatic injury is critical for severely injured patients. After that time, damage to the heart, brain, lungs, and other central organs can be much more difficult to repair. There is nothing trauma-wise that EMS can fix. Trauma patients need an operating room, they need a surgeon, Shirley said. We can prolong it, but the longer delays they have in getting to a surgeon, its not going to be a good outcome. Editors note: This story has been updated with comment from the Crozer-Chester Paramedic Association and Main Line Health. George Norcross and several codefendants in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw. From left are five defendants: John ODonnell, Philip Norcross, George Norcross, Sidney Brown, and former Camden Mayor Dana Redd. Read more TRENTON A New Jersey judge on Wednesday quizzed state prosecutors about their racketeering case against George E. Norcross III, asking why the Democratic power brokers alleged threats against a developer strayed beyond acceptable hard bargaining and crossed the line into criminality. This reads like two guys were similarly pugilistic, but one guy may have more juice, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw said of the 111-page indictment handed up by a grand jury in June that accused Norcross and his associates of shaking down developer Carl Dranoff and others to obtain valuable waterfront property in Camden. Advertisement Norcross, 68, and his five codefendants his brother Philip Norcross, former Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd, attorney William Tambussi, businessman Sidney R. Brown, and businessman John J. ODonnell sat quietly in the fourth-floor courtroom in Trenton as their lawyers urged the judge to dismiss the indictment. Prosecutors say Norcross told Dranoff in the summer of 2016 that if he did not agree to sell his property rights under the power brokers preferred terms, Norcross would f you up like youve never been f up before and make sure you never do business in this town again. The judge noted that under New Jersey law, some threats in the context of business negotiations are perfectly legal. Isnt that what this is all about: two guys jockeying for position? Warshaw asked Assistant Attorney General Michael D. Grillo. Somebodys gonna win, somebodys gonna lose? Grillo responded that such threats were lawful only when limited to the businessmens own personal dealings. When Mr. Norcross threatens unrelated projects, they become criminally extortionate, Grillo said, arguing that Norcross threatened Dranoffs broader portfolio in Camden. The indictment says that two years after Norcross extorted Dranoff, the power broker continued to attack the developer by causing city officials to harm his other interests in Camden. Norcross threat communicated to Dranoff that through [Norcross] ability to exercise control over the City of Camdens government, Mr. Dranoff would be prevented from doing business in the city at all with anyone, Grillo said at another point. That is a threat of a completely different animal. Perfectly routine George Norcross and his five codefendants have pleaded not guilty to charges including racketeering, extortion, and official misconduct. Attorneys for Norcross an insurance executive, chair of the board at Cooper University Health Care, and longtime leader of the Democratic Party in South Jersey have argued in court filings that his alleged threats amount to nothing more than hardball business negotiations. Even if the judge ultimately dismisses Norcross motion to dismiss the indictment such a request must meet a high bar the daylong argument that played out Wednesday offered something of a preview of a potential trial. Norcross and his associates, the prosecution said, were bullies who used their control of Camdens government to force their victims to surrender their property lest they face financial and reputational ruin. Rather than suffer the pain his victims submitted to his threats, Grillo said. The defense, for its part, characterized the Norcross-led redevelopment of the waterfront as a renaissance for the city and portrayed Dranoff as a professional victim who was paid millions of dollars for his property rights hardly the typical portrait of an extortion victim. He should be saying, Thank you, Mr. Norcross, said Norcross attorney Michael Critchley. Yaakov Roth, also an attorney for Norcross, said the episode showed two sophisticated businessmen negotiating over a transaction that would be mutually beneficial. Norcross threat was purely economic and closely connected to the underlying deal, he said. Hes saying, If you blow up this plan to rehabilitate this city, dont expect to be getting opportunities in this city again, said Roth, a Washington-based attorney at Jones Day who has successfully represented clients accused of corruption before the U.S. Supreme Court. I think thats a perfectly routine type of statement one would make in a business context. A law reform effort The defense has also argued that the charges are time-barred under the statute of limitations and that the indictment casts a chill over the routine practice of law. Kevin Marino, an attorney for Philip Norcross, told the judge that the indictment criminalizes conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to petition the government. For example, the indictment says one objective of the criminal conspiracy was influencing the New Jersey Legislature to pass economic-development legislation in 2013 in a manner that greatly increased tax credit awards for projects in Camden and was tailor-made to advance the interests of George Norcross and his friends. According to the indictment, once George Norcross and his associates extorted Dranoff and others, they used the property to build an office tower and apartment complex and obtain millions of dollars in tax credits to offset the costs of construction, benefiting from the state economic development program they helped shape. This is a law reform effort, Marino said, describing prosecutors attitude as We dont like the fact that these guys have power. These guys have juice. We dont deny extraordinary access, Marino said at another point. We embrace extraordinary access. Thats how Camden went from being one of the nations most dangerous cities to being a city that President Obama came and visited and called a true renaissance story in the United States. At one point, the judge seemed to share some of the defenses skepticism. The whole idea of people who arent in office being trusted advisers or people who have the ability to be a voice and maybe even the last voice in the room is that in and of itself criminal? Warshaw asked. Prosecutors countered that the defense had mischaracterized the indictment. Even if Philip Norcross was performing legitimate legal work, he can still be charged with crimes if that conduct furthered a criminal objective, Grillo said. For example, the prosecutor said, the indictment alleges that when Camden nonprofit Coopers Ferry Partnership sought to redevelop an office complex known as L-3, Philip Norcross in 2014 demanded that the organization partner with the Norcross brothers preferred investor. In another episode cited in the indictment, Philip Norcross allegedly directed Mayor Redd to ignore Dranoffs phone calls as a means of pressuring the developer to surrender his property. If you accept all those as true in their context, that is sufficient proof for criminal conduct, Grillo said. More broadly, prosecutors said the grand jury had properly charged the crimes alleged in the indictment, adding that many of the defenses arguments were better suited for trial, or at least a separate motion challenging the sufficiency of the evidence. But defense lawyers said it was the judges job, not the jurys, to determine the law and whether the factual allegations described in the indictment violated it. The question for the court is: Does the indictment allege facts that constitute extortion? Roth said. Thats a traditional question of law for the court. Now is the time for the court to decide it. When the Rev. Father Francis Mann read the last benediction at Donald Trumps inaugural ceremony, he ended by saying, Americans kneel to God and to God alone. But in President Trumps second inaugural speech, and in the executive orders hes issued since, it is clear he expects Americans and the world to kneel to him. Advertisement Not since George Washington refused to let Americans make him a king has a president made so clear he intends to rule like one. On Monday, Trump repeated his I was saved [from assassination] by God to make America great again mantra. (Despite his repeated references to God, the president swore his oath without placing his hand on either of the two Bibles Melania Trump held out to him, one a Lincoln Bible and the second a Bible Trumps mother gave him.) But beyond the fake piety and repetition of past grievances, his speech was full of grandiose pledges to annihilate Americas problems (note the word choice). His executive orders, and accompanying actions, were those of an ascendant autocrat, threatening anyone who dares to criticize him during the next four years The president exuded the energy of a man convinced he has nearly absolute power and no one can stop him, backed by a cluster of the worlds richest tech multibillionaires seated close by in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda who had already knelt to his demands. Nothing better illustrates that sense of omnipotence than his immediate pardon of nearly all the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters, and the commutation of sentences for the remaining 14. He did it just after being inaugurated in the same Capitol Rotunda they had defiled. READ MORE: Stacking up Bidens foreign policy vs. Trumps bravado | Trudy Rubin Even Vice President JD Vance had advised the list be culled to exclude the most violent, who had attacked police. These were insurrectionists who tried, on Trumps orders, to stop the certification of the free and fair 2020 election. Trump set free wannabe cop-killers who also threatened to kill Vice President Mike Pence, including the leaders of the dangerous white nationalist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. The first two released, Andrew and Matthew Valentin, brothers from Pennsylvania, had just been sentenced to two and a half years for assaulting uniformed police. King Trump was clarifying that his campaign promises to ultra-MAGA fans meant more than inaugural promises to protect law-abiding citizens. Most terrifying, Trump has just inspired a legion of potential brownshirts, released from jail and listening for their leaders orders, whether expressed directly or not, to threaten anyone in Congress or the media or civil society who criticizes the White House. Consider the moving remarks made on CNN by Michael Fanone, a Washington, D.C., police officer who was beaten and subsequently had a heart attack during the insurrection. Because Fanone had the courage to testify before Congress, MAGA supporters called his wife and threatened her. They threw human feces at his mother as she was raking leaves. Add that to the threats issued against representatives, senators, and governors who have dared to do their jobs correctly, or have acted according to the law in ways that anger Trump, and you can imagine how this menace could metastasize. The Republicans today have a monopoly on hypocrisy because tonight [Trump] pardoned thousands of police assaulters, Fanone said bitterly. Even police or National guardsmen or military leaders are no longer safe if they annoy Trump. King Trump has made no secret he intends to fire generals who do things he dislikes, such as sticking to the Constitution. His past remarks and current executive orders, as well as nominations of Pete Hegseth to head the U.S. Defense Department and Kash Patel to head the FBI, along with Pam Bondi at the U.S. Justice Department, make clear he is bent on revenge. Those appointees were picked in large part because they are ready to use any means to go after former officials of any political persuasion who were considered disloyal. In his book Government Gangsters, Patel declares the need to pursue at least four pages worth of names of past government officials from both parties. So when the new president assured Americans in his inaugural that Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents, he was clearly speaking only about his supporters. READ MORE: Trumps threats to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland sound like Putin on Ukraine | Trudy Rubin King Trump is ready to show that utter loyalty from subordinates, going beyond what he demanded previously, is now required. And the penalty may be more severe than being fired. One particularly insane case of Trump vengeance is his pursuit of former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley whom he appointed. The general ran afoul of Trump when he apologized to Americans for walking beside the president in uniform to Lafayette Square in 2020 and letting himself be used as a photo op prop after peaceful demonstrators had been violently pushed out of the square. Trumps ill will later prompted him to declare Milley guilty of treason and deserving of execution for following the orders of then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in a warning to China. To see how ridiculous Trumps obsession with Milley has become, members of the presidents team, acting on his behalf, had a portrait of Milley removed from a Pentagon wall just after the inaugural. A preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden will spare the general any royal attempt to imprison the former senior officer. But we have already seen within a day of his swearing-in how Americas new leader imagines his unchecked ability to ignore the Constitution and pursue his enemies. He cannot yet send those enemies to prison by fiat or poison them as his pal Vladimir Putin prefers but he is prepared to undermine U.S. security and prosperity with his imperial sense of what is now possible. Our best hope is that some Americans who voted for Trump will soon see they were conned, and that some strong-willed Republicans can convince him his overreach will lead to midterm defeat in 2026. Otherwise, King Trump will rage unchecked as he tears America apart. Trump Supporters and police battle at the doorway of the Capital Building, at 4:19pm, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Read more WASHINGTON Sen. Andy Kim walked into his Senate office in the basement of the U.S. Capitol complex Tuesday with tears in his eyes. The freshman New Jersey Democrat had just gotten off the phone with the brother of Officer Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer from New Jersey who was attacked during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and died the next day after suffering two strokes. Now Sicknicks family was reeling after President Donald J. Trump issued sweeping pardons to Jan. 6 offenders on his first day in office. Advertisement They feel betrayed, and like whatever we called rule of law doesnt exist anymore, Kim said. Were in a country where they wont even have accountability for people who assaulted and ultimately killed a police officer. They felt like Brian died in vain. Trumps decision to pardon nearly all Jan. 6 defendants including those who committed violent offenses against officers defending the Capitol that day had Democrats and even some Republicans fuming Tuesday morning. Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) called it a terrible day for our Justice Department and said there were huge contrasts between nonviolent protesters and those individuals and people who assaulted police officers with sticks or their fists or pepper spray. They have committed violent crimes and, to me, should not be pardoned. What message do you think this sends to the officers who were assaulted? said Collins, one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump for incitement of insurrection four years ago. Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) also criticized the decision in an interview with CNN. And Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican who represents Bucks County, said on Monday before the pardons came down that, as a former FBI agent, he is opposed to pardons generally. Trumps allies swiftly defended him. Some of these people have been in jail for a long time, doing a long time, and January 6 was a long time ago, Rep. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) said at the Capitol. The pardons fulfilled a campaign promise to Trumps most faithful supporters and sent a message to his detractors in the process. The pardon order will affect roughly 1,500 people, including more than 150 people charged in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It represents one of the most expansive uses of pardon power in U.S. history since President Andrew Johnson issued a Christmas Day pardon of ex-Confederates in 1868. Many of the most ardent supporters who flocked to Washington to see Trump inaugurated were rooting for the pardons hours before they came down, but even some of them specified they thought nonviolent incidents should be dismissed. Those J-sixers, many should never have been rounded up and put into prison like they were, Margie Shelps, 72, a former Quakertown resident who now lives in South Carolina. If I was here with the other people then, I would have probably been walking through the Capitol like everybody else was, and I could have easily been put in jail, Shelps said Sunday after taking photos at the Capitol. But on Tuesday, officials started releasing prisoners serving serious time, including ex-Philadelphia Proud Boys leader Zach Rehl, who had been sentenced to 15 years for seditious conspiracy. Trump made no mention of Jan. 6 pardons in his inaugural address, but brought the topic up twice in subsequent speeches on Monday and repeatedly referred to the Capitol riot defendants as hostages. While some pardons were expected, the scope of the pardons and the decision to issue commutations for more violent convictions seemed to shake several representatives, who said they negated mentions of unity earlier in the day. You know, Im not sure what to believe right now, in terms of, you know, if there was any meaning to what he said in his speech in the rotunda, Kim said. Does he really believe that he wants to be a uniter? Because I didnt see it in the last 24 hours. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who previously challenged the Trump administration in court as the state attorney general, called the pardons very, very troubling. The president, in his first few hours as the leader of the free world, made a conscious decision to pardon people who assaulted cops, to pardon people that destroyed pieces of the Capitol, Shapiro told reporters Tuesday at the state Capitol. Statements from Pennsylvania and Delaware Democrats in Washington were even more scathing. U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat who represents parts of Philadelphia, called the action a disgrace to our country and Constitution. These thugs didnt just break the law they attacked the very foundation of our democracy, Boyle said on X. Rep. Dwight Evans, another Philadelphia Democrat, said he was disgusted by the order. The convicted felon president set loose criminals who violently attacked police officers and tried to overturn Pennsylvanians votes, he said. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D., Pa.), an Iraq War veteran who represents Western Pennsylvania, said Trump should never live this betrayal down. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat who was trapped in the House gallery as rioters entered the Capitol, said that with the order, Trump has clearly shown that his focus is political retribution and vindication, not improving the lives of the American people. Others were quieter, an early reminder of how Trumps actions have often put more moderate representatives in difficult situations when asked to respond to him. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.), a freshman who often campaigned with Trump in 2024, declined to talk to a reporter at the Capitol. Sen. John Fettermans office did not respond to questions about his opinion on the pardons, though the office did clarify that the Pennsylvania Democrat did not know whom he was posing with after a picture of him and a Jan 6. offender got attention on X. In Harrisburg, newly sworn Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity had praise for Trumps executive actions around energy independence and securing the border. But when asked about the Jan. 6 pardons, she declined to comment. I dont really have an opinion on that, Garrity said. For Kim, who helped officers clean up debris scattered across the rotunda floor after the riot four years ago, the idea that people who assaulted officers there wont be held accountable is upsetting. So is the reality that some people are celebrating the decision. An officer died protecting lawmakers of both parties, Kim said. And were at a point in America where, like, we cant even agree on that, it just breaks my heart, in like a very fundamental way. Staff writers Gillian McGoldrick and Aliya Schneider contributed to this article. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave W. Sunday speaks to crowd after being sworn into office in Harrisburg. Read more HARRISBURG Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday was sworn in Tuesday as the states top prosecutor, beginning a new period of Republican control of Pennsylvanias three statewide row offices. Sunday, the former York County district attorney and a career prosecutor, took the helm of the powerful attorney generals office Tuesday with a focus on enforcing the states laws but also embracing second chances. Advertisement Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Auditor General Tim DeFoor, both Republicans, were also sworn in Tuesday for their second terms, in separate ceremonies that preceded Sundays swearing-in. The treasurer controls the states coffers and pays its bills, while the auditor general is the states fiscal watchdog. This marks the first time Republicans were elected to hold all three independent row offices. The newly sworn-in Republican attorney general, who previously said he would take a conservative approach to the position and be led by the states existing laws, will now decide how he will lead the office. He will have the chance to represent Pennsylvanias interests nationally in lawsuits against the federal government just as Democratic attorneys general from 18 states filed their first suit Tuesday against President Donald Trumps administration. He will also need to navigate relationships with all 67 county district attorneys with Philadelphias progressive district attorney, Larry Krasner, suggesting during the campaign that he would have a challenging relationship with Sunday. The Pennsylvania attorney general is tasked with investigating corruption and enforcing the states laws, among other duties. The position is also seen as a springboard to higher office, with two of the states last three governors having previously served as attorney general, including Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. Sunday, elected to a four-year term as attorney general, said he is not going to run for governor in 2026 when Shapiro is up for reelection. Sunday ran on a promise of accountability and redemption, an unusual focus for a GOP prosecutor. We absolutely must hold criminals accountable. At the same time, we need to embrace redemption for those who have been held accountable and seek to better their lives, Sunday said in a speech following his swearing-in. Magic happens when people work together to create an increased feeling of self-worth and an understanding that individuals have the power within themselves to change the circumstances of their lives, he added. Sunday is the first Republican elected as attorney general since former Gov. Tom Corbett, who led the attorney generals office from 2005 until 2011, when he began his term as governor. Corbett, whom Sunday chose to chair his transition committee, urged Sunday to take the politics as much as you possibly can out of this and be led by four words: Do the right thing. Shapiro spoke at all three of the row officers swearing-ins and praised them for their commitment to doing good work for residents of the state. At Sundays ceremony, the Democratic governor was sentimental about his time as attorney general and said he has confidence in the Republican prosecutor to face the mental and emotional challenges that come with the role which he said can be exhilarating. Pennsylvania needs someone like Dave who is grounded in integrity and something deeper than just the politics of a particular moment, Shapiro said. Sunday defeated Democrat Eugene DePasquale, a former state auditor general, in a multimillion-dollar election, as presidential and U.S. Senate candidates monopolized the airwaves. Sunday was largely supported by the deep pockets of the national Republican Attorneys General Association, as well as a political action committee mainly funded by Pennsylvanias richest man, Jeff Yass. DePasquale, for his part, was supported by the national Democratic Attorneys General Association and a number of labor unions. The GOP trifecta in row offices was one of many wins by Pennsylvania Republicans in the 2024 election, which also saw the state go to Donald Trump in the presidential race and elect Republican Dave McCormick to the U.S. Senate. Garrity, in an interview, called the Republican control of the row offices super exciting. We now have all three row officers, first time ever in the history since the attorney general has been a voting position, she said, in reference that attorneys general were appointed in Pennsylvania until 1981. Xi speaks with Putin, calling on China, Russia to uphold int'l fairness, justice Xinhua) 08:01, January 22, 2025 Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said he is willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue guiding bilateral relations towards a new height in the new year. Speaking with Putin in a video meeting, Xi called for coping with uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations, jointly promoting the development and revitalization of the two countries, and upholding international fairness and justice. The two heads of state exchanged festive greetings for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. Xi recalled the three meetings he had with Putin last year, which led to a range of important common understandings. He also said last year marked the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations, which feature permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and have become increasingly dynamic. Xi also mentioned various activities held as part of the China-Russia Years of Culture, as well as steadily progressing pragmatic cooperation and growing bilateral trade. The close coordination between the two countries on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS has provided more positive energy for the reform and development of the global governance system, Xi said. He called on the two sides to continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries. China and Russia should consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation, Xi added. He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. He said as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of the SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility. Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South. Putin said that Russia and China have always provided each other with trust and support, and treated each other as equals. Cooperation between the two sides is in the interests of the two peoples and has been unaffected by changes in the international landscape. He expressed satisfaction with the sustained positive momentum in bilateral trade and energy cooperation, the constant increase in mutual visits by people of the two countries, and the close communication and collaboration between the two sides on multilateral arenas. Putin said Russia firmly upholds the principle that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and resolutely opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. He noted that 80 years ago, the Russian and Chinese people resisted aggressors with their blood and lives, safeguarding their national sovereignty and dignity. He said that this year, the two sides will jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on multilateral affairs, and play a positive role in promoting world peace and development, Putin added. The two heads of state also engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year. Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Were thrilled to have NRMA Insurance join us as a partner this year, supporting our community and helping us achieve our mission of becoming the most inclusive festival in the world. Adelaide Fringe is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and the incredible energy that comes from bringing people together through the arts, Adelaide Fringe CEO Heather Croall said. Insurance industry stakeholders in Australia see recruitment as one of the biggest challenges in 2025. This multifaceted obstacle, impacting brokerages and insurers, includes talent acquisition hurdles and upskilling issues. The industrys aging workforce is compounding the problem. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) expects nearly 30% of the current workforce to be at retirement age by 2030. Were thrilled to see Dixon Insurance Services progress into this next phase. Having worked with [McLardy McShane] for the past few years as a corporate authorised representative, we are excited to be partnering with McLardy McShane and continuing to bolster the Queensland operation, Dixon said. This is not a trajectory we want to see continue in 2025. This year, we hope to see a decrease in road fatalities especially involving children, and we're calling on the community to help, White said. "The keys to reducing the Australian road toll are in our hands, which is why we're once again partnering with AAMI to encourage Australians to drive safely in and around schools." Gallagher Re attributed some of the elevated losses to the lingering effects of a strong El Nino, which transitioned to weak La Nina-like conditions later in the year. The company emphasized the ongoing influence of climate change on individual weather events and broader patterns, noting that 2024 became the warmest year on record, with some scientists suggesting it was the warmest in the last 125,000 years. Sarah Sloan of Paragon Insurance Holdings takes over as treasurer, stepping up from her previous role as secretary. Aimee Bernadicou of Wholesure assumes the role of secretary, moving from her position as a director. John Donahue, also of Wholesure, transitions to immediate past president and will remain on the board. Earlier this month, Gino Franco and Luke Redd also joined the companys team. Franco joined the Denver office as a broker, while Redd joined as a property broker in the Chicago office. The company said their appointments are part of its strategic initiative to expand its capabilities and better serve retail agency clients in the US. If such claims become public, they can severely damage the nonprofits reputation. Adding to the difficulty, lawsuits are now revisiting incidents from years past, further straining both the organizations and their insurers, Engle said. Defending these claims has become increasingly costly, especially as almost every claim now involves legal representation, often escalating to class-action lawsuits. Lawley, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, appointed four new partners. Michael Jantzi II has worked in the insurance and business development sectors since 2010. Prior to becoming a partner, he was an employee benefits consultant for over 10 years. Michael Knott is the leader of Lawleys healthcare practice group. Knott specializes in medical malpractice insurance and is a commercial lines coverage specialist. Kevin Ross held a number of positions within Lawley over his more than 10 years in the insurance industry. He is a leader in two of Lawleys largest property and casualty segments, construction and real estate, specializing in affordable housing, construction trades insurance and land and real estate developers insurance. Michael Ross has worked as a property and casualty insurance advisor at Lawley for several years. Before Lawley, he founded a wholesale business, working with various entrepreneurs to the insurance field. XS Brokers Names Burns SVP of New Cyber Unit XS Brokers (XSB), headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, named Scott Burns as senior vice president of its newly created product division for cyber liability. He is responsible for the divisions growth strategy, including expanding sales and ongoing collaborations with key carrier and retail partners. Burns has 12 years of industry experience and joined XSB in 2018 as a cyber liability specialist. He most recently served as a vice president. Before joining XSB, Burns worked as a broker at Tennant Risk Services. Topics Cyber Agencies A federal judge on Tuesday rejected Citigroups bid to dismiss a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James claiming it failed to protect customers from online scammers and refused to reimburse customers who were victimized. U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan said the banks Citibank unit must face James claim it violated a 1978 federal law concerning electronic wire transfers, and parts of three other claims. Oetken said Congress intended the 1978 law, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, to protect consumers from sophisticated frauds involving technologies they may not understand, leaving banks in a better position to shoulder the risks of fraud. In seeking a dismissal of the lawsuit last April, Citigroup argued that the law expressly excluded wire transfers. But in his 62-page decision, Oetken said Citibanks reading would operate in derogation of the statutory purpose. The judge dismissed some claims against New York-based Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. bank. Citigroup said in a statement it was disappointed and was evaluating its next steps. The industry-standard practices we employ have long been recognized as satisfying applicable law, it said. James said the decision would help her office ensure that Citigroup follows the law to protect customers. When New Yorkers deposit their money in a bank, they expect it to be kept safe from scammers and thieves, the attorney general said in a statement. James sued last January, saying scammers stole millions of dollars from Citibank customers because the banks security systems could not investigate red flags such as unrecognized devices, changes in user names and passwords, and phishing. In one instance, a customer allegedly lost $40,000 after clicking a text message link that appeared to be from Citibank. James also accused Citigroup of coercing customers into signing affidavits that limited their ability to recoup losses, and then summarily rejected reimbursement claims. The lawsuit seeks restitution for customers who were denied reimbursement over six years, and a $5,000 civil fine per violation. Citigroup has acknowledged online wire fraud as a real problem, but said its systems stop countless fraudulent transactions every day. The case is New York v Citibank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-00659. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Franklin Paul and Marguerita Choy) Topics Lawsuits Fraud New York The Houthis said they will stop attacking US and UK vessels in the Red Sea area in response to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement after a year-plus campaign thats upended global trade. Ships belonging to US and UK individuals or entities and those sailing under their flags are no longer subject to sanctions as of Jan. 19, according to an email from the rebel group forwarded by the shipping trade organization BIMCO. The Houthis have previously emailed shipping companies, according to a United Nations report. The Houthi aggression prompted many shippers to head around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the threat. While this latest announcement is a step toward normalization, its unlikely to result in an immediate, mass return to the Red Sea trade route. Assuming the ceasefire holds and the US also refrains from using force, shipping companies are expected to gradually resume operations through the Red Sea, said Jakob Larsen, BIMCOs chief safety and security officer. Tramp vessels are likely to be among the first, while liner shipping companies will follow, depending on how quickly they can reorganize their route networks to accommodate the new reality. Ships wholly owned by Israeli individuals or entities, or sailing under the Israeli flag, remain banned from transiting the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, according to the email from the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center in Yemen. Sanctions on these vessels will be stopped upon full implementation of all phases of the agreement, the message said. Re-routing from the Red Sea has tightened capacity amongst all shipping segments, Jefferies wrote in a research report. Suez Canal transits overall are down 56% from 2023. The Houthis also warned that any aggression against Yemen by the US, UK or Israel would lead to restrictions being reinstated. Our prediction is a gradual restoration of shipping operations, which may take several months to stabilize, maritime security company Diaplous wrote in a note to clients. Related: Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics USA An international institute that seeks to improve the safety of reservoirs that store toxic waste from mining known as tailings kicked off Tuesday, six years after the collapse of a dam owned by Vale SA killed 272 people in the Brazilian town of Brumadinho. The Global Tailings Management Institute will oversee independent audits and the certification of member companies facilities based on their safety and public disclosures, the founders said in a statement. The International Council on Mining and Metals, the United Nations Environment Programme and the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment co-founded the organization that will operate from Johannesburg. We were very keen that the institute was based in a country that actually had both active mining operations and signatories to the standard, ICMM Co-Chief Operating Officer Aidan Davy said in an interview. That it was in a country that clearly had tailing facilities as well as its own regulatory structure around it. And equally a country that had expertise. The drive to set up the institute came after the disaster at Brumadinho, which the institutes founders described in the statement as a stark wake-up call. Only four years earlier, a tailings-dam collapse at the Samarco mine in Brazil, co-owned by Vale and BHP Group Ltd., killed 19 and caused what analysts described as that countrys worst environmental disaster to date. In 2022, a dam at the Jagersfontein diamond mine in South Africa burst, smothering almost 200 houses and killing three people. Tailings-dam disasters across Europe, the US and Asia have killed people, destroyed property and caused massive environmental damage over the past seven decades. Theres a large group of investors that recognizes the importance of companies demonstrating good management of tailings facilities, Adam Matthews, chief responsible investment officer at the Church of England Pensions Board, said in an interview. It will be most listed companies that will be engaging with the institute. Thats our expectation. Matthews, who spoke on behalf of the Principles for Responsible Investment, was instrumental in the Church of England selling its stake in Vale after the Brumadinho accident. The three founding groups convened the Global Tailings Review shortly after the Brazilian disaster and in 2020 published the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management. The establishment of the institute is the next transformative step, Davy said. In coming months, the institute will elect a board of directors, drawing from the investment community, mining industry, labor unions, regulatory authorities, environmental experts and potentially affected groups. It will then recruit a chief executive officer and a chief technical officer, followed by appointing and training independent auditors to evaluate and certify tailings dams. Photograph: Residents survey damage after a Vale SA dam burst in Brumadinho, on Jan. 26, 2019. Photo credit: Victor Moriyama/Bloomberg Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics Numbers The European Union is set to scale back its highly contested ESG reporting requirements, as France prepares to unveil a formal proposal seeking to limit the scope of the regulatory framework. The French government is readying a new set of recommendations intended to rein in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and may present its proposal as early as this week, according to a person familiar with the matter whos not authorized to speak publicly on the subject. The development means the EUs two biggest economies are now pressuring the European Commission to make cuts to CSRD, after Germanys government last month urged the blocs executive arm to scale back the directive. Thats as fresh data show Europes largest economy shrank for a second consecutive year in 2024, with many business leaders and lawmakers blaming regulations for a loss of competitiveness. There is a common diagnosis of the need to lighten the burden on businesses to make them commensurate with the challenges we face, Robert Ophele, chair of the French Accounting Standards Authority and a former head of the countrys financial regulator, said by email. Differences are more in the magnitude and timing of what should be done. A French government spokesperson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. A European retreat from its ESG (environmental, social and governance) ambitions coincides with a new political reality in the US, where President Donald Trump has committed to unwind Biden-era climate policies, boost fossil-fuel production and impose tariffs on goods from countries traditionally seen as allies. The European Commission may choose to back significant limits in the scope of CSRD, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Talks are ongoing and the commission continues to take new information into account, the people said. A spokesperson for the commission declined to comment on details of the discussions currently underway. The EUs executive arm is assessing various files for inclusion in the so-called omnibus proposal, the spokesperson said by email, referring to a legislative process that combines more than one proposal. Talks are expected to continue until Feb. 26, when the commission is scheduled to discuss and possibly adopt the omnibus legislation, the commission spokesperson said. The timeline may be subject to change, the person said. In the existing plan, CSRD would affect as many as 50,000 companies doing business in the European Union. Companies with at least 250 employees and annual revenue of 50 million ($52 million) must report hundreds of ESG data points, ranging from the gender diversity of their boards to the biodiversity risks posed by their operations. The first batch of companies started collecting such data last year, with public disclosures due to be published in 2024 annual reports. The French governments proposal is likely to echo recommendations by Ophele, according to the person familiar with the matter. In his capacity as chair of the French Accounting Standards Authority, Ophele has suggested that the EU maintain most of the current deadlines for compliance with CSRD, but make cuts to requirements for companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. Though widely supported in 2022 when it was adopted, CSRD is now drawing criticism from policymakers and businesses alike as deadlines loom to publish the first reports. A separate set of EU-focused ESG rules, called the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, has already seen its scope limited so that it only affects companies with at least 1,000 employees and annual revenue of at least 450 million. Matching CSDDD, which introduces new legal risks for companies that fail to address human rights and environmental breaches in their supply chains, may lower the number of companies obligated to report under existing CSRD rules to as few as 7,000. The European Peoples Party, a coalition of center-right groups in the European Parliament whose members include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is calling for significant reductions in the EUs ESG agenda. In a statement earlier this month, the EPP said the trickle down effects from CSRD and CSDDD to smaller companies are excessive and burdensome, and threaten the blocs economy. CSRD also has been criticized from outside the EU, with lawmakers in the US contending that its scope represents regulatory overreach. And last year, former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi singled out regulations as a key reason why Europe is falling behind the US in competitiveness. Von der Leyen has responded by pledging to cut administrative reporting burdens by as much as 35%. The discussions are likely to hold up development of ESG impact-only requirements for non-EU companies without listings in the bloc, with debate centered on whether those should apply globally. They are now being set for firms that first report in 2029. Photograph: Cooling towers emit vapor at the Niederaussem lignite fueled power station, operated by RWE AG, beyond a wind turbine in Bergheim Niederaussem, Germany, on Friday. April 8, 2022. Photo credit: Alex Kraus /Bloomberg Related: Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics Trends Europe Winter Storm Eowyn is gathering strength, supercharged by the Arctic blast that moved through the US, and has the potential to trigger power outages and travel disruptions across the UK later this week. Authorities have expanded and upgraded warnings, forecasting the storm could bring heavy rain and wind gusts of 80 miles (129 kilometers) per hour to Ireland on Thursday, before moving through Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, Wales and northwest England. Gusts of 90 mph are possible in coastal areas. Thats the zone were most concerned about, said Alex Deakin, a meteorologist with the Met Office, during a briefing Tuesday night. The forecast wind will be strong enough to cause structural damage and bring down branches and power lines, Deakin said, and its expected to disrupt transportation on roads, trains and ferries. National Rail is already warning of possible disruptions over the weekend. Ahead of Storm Eowyn, a seperate period of wet and windy weather will spread east across many areas on Thursday The strongest winds will be in coastal parts of Wales and southern England but many places will have a few hours of heavy rain and blustery winds pic.twitter.com/88oinhYUvp Met Office (@metoffice) January 22, 2025 Ireland on Wednesday expanded red warnings for wind to cover most of the country on Friday as transportation officials warned that services would almost certainly be suspended. The Met Office also issued orange wind warnings for Friday across Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland, and yellow alerts for most of the UK, except for London and parts of the southeast. The current warnings for #StormEowyn are posted below. Please stay up to date with https://t.co/XIjOm8VbJ1 and check your local authority advice for further information. Follow https://t.co/e0QpncNS7O and Met Eireann app for the most recent warnings pic.twitter.com/ryy8oC2lUP Met Eireann (@MetEireann) January 22, 2025 The storm will churn out of a low-pressure system thats getting extra fuel from the same Arctic blast that swept across the US on Tuesday, bringing blizzard conditions to the American South, where it closed roads, airports and schools and threatened energy production. That cold air will likely mean Eowyn brings snow to parts of the UK, with as much as 25 cm (9.8 inches) in the Scottish Highlands, the Met Office said. Snow warnings also cover most of the rest of Scotland and parts of northern England. That snow should be short-lived and quickly turn into rain, the Met Office said. Photograph: Stormy weather in Scotland. Photo credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Italian insurer Societa Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni is looking to expand in Europe through acquisitions and its ready to consider deals of up to 1 billion ($1 billion) to make it happen. Were aiming to develop our international presence through M&A, General Manager Luca Filippone said in an interview in Milan. The company is looking at acquisitions in Iberia and central and eastern Europe, and possibly in South America, the executive said, with a focus on both life and non-life. Spain, where the firm already owns three units, will be the main area of concentration, said Filippone, whos held his job the insurers top position since 2015. The Spanish markets makeup could make it a natural for future moves in the sector. There is room for consolidation in the Spanish insurance market, particularly among smaller firms, Marcos Alvarez, head of Insurance at Morningstar DBRS, and Mario De Cicco, a vice president at the ratings agency, said in a separate interview, noting that potential buyers are likely to be foreign players. Turin-based Reale also recently completed the purchase of an 85% stake in family-run Greek insurer Ydrogios Insurance and Reinsurance SA for about 80 million. It plans to buy the remaining 10% from the founding family in 2026 while working to acquire the other 5% from minority shareholders. Foreign Revenue Reale, which had 3.4 billion in net equity as of the end of June, could use debt to pay for targets above the 1 billion threshold if the right opportunity arises, Filippone said. The company currently has no financial leverage. For the longer term, Reale is looking to maintain its current identity. In 10 years we still want to be a mutual insurance firm, with a focus on sustainability, Filippone said. As part of the insurers plan, Filippone aims to increase foreign revenue to 30% of the total by 2034, compared with 20% last year. The firm is also looking beyond insurance in its home market, where its working to diversify into areas like communal and assisted senior living, and other parts of the health sector. Reale Group, through Italiana Assicurazioni, is currently bidding to become the insurance partner of lender Banco di Desio e della Brianza SpA, Filippone said. The process is expected to be finalized in the next few months. The insurer posted net income of 156.9 million in 2023, 27% more than the previous year. It holds an A rating with a stable outlook from Fitch Ratings, which has highlighted its moderately reduced asset concentration risk as well as improved capitalization and leverage. Founded in 1828 and granted a royal license by King Carlo Felice of Savoy the following year, Reale Mutua is a mutual insurer with policy holders serving as its owners. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics Europe Proposed legislation aimed at protecting South Dakota farmers from potential agro-terrorism activities could have a secondary effect of limiting access to some information about the states largest animal feeding operations. Senate Bill 14 seeks to strengthen a set of existing laws that make it a crime for anyone to steal farm animals, release animals, trespass on farms or interfere with farm operations. As written, the bill also would add criminal penalties for using deception to enter or gain employment at an agricultural operation or to use cameras or other surveillance methods to spy on a farm or agricultural research facility. The bill also would make it a crime to interfere with or destroy crops or structures at farms and agricultural research facilities. Essentially, its a property protection, property rights bill for farmers and ranchers, the bills lead sponsor, Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison), told News Watch. The measure, Crabtree said, is similar to laws passed over roughly the past 15 years in Iowa that sought to prevent animal-rights activists or anyone else from entering or recording activities at farms in order to find evidence of possible animal mistreatment or abuse. Dubbed ag-gag laws by opponents, the laws were challenged in court on First Amendment grounds. Despite some lower court rulings, the Iowa laws most similar to Crabtrees proposal were upheld as constitutional by a federal appeals court in 2024. Crabtree said he hasnt heard of widespread efforts to infiltrate or interfere with South Dakota farm operations, but a mink farm in Arlington has experienced problems in the past. Operators of that farm did not return a call seeking comment. The intent of the bill is to stop bad actors from using deception or technology to possibly paint an unfair picture of what is happening on South Dakota farms, Crabtree said. Weve got reports back about environmentalist groups that are attacking production facilities, or that they might be using drones and cameras, is really where this comes from, he said. Ag groups push for Senate Bill 14 The drafting of SB 14 was aided by a number of farm groups that gathered last summer to identify ways to help agricultural producers in the 2025 legislative session, said Matthew Bogue, public policy director for the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation. South Dakota farmers deserve protection from anyone who may have intent to cause physical or economic harm to a farmer or farm operation, he said. State farm groups have heard concerns from producers that people could break into their farms or trespass with ill intent, Bogue said. Its never a bad time to be proactive, he said. In our opinion, this modernizes the existing statutes. Bill would limit information on CAFOs But the bill also would add a new section to state law that would make it more difficult for the public, the press and even local governments from obtaining information about the states largest animal operations. Concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, are large livestock operations where several hundred or even tens of thousands of cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys are fed within a single farm, often in enclosed structures. CAFOs are heavily regulated in South Dakota, and operators must obtain a permit and undergo inspection of their operations and their records to ensure proper waste management and protection of water resources. Section 6 in SB 14 would bar the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources which oversees CAFO permitting and inspection from releasing a list of permitted CAFOs and their locations in South Dakota to anyone unless required by federal law. The bill also would provide DANR discretion on whether to release a list of CAFOs to any South Dakota state agency or local government for information regarding a permitted operation in the jurisdiction of the agency or local government. Information could be obtained in person Crabtree said an individual or government entity could still obtain a list of CAFOs and their locations by making an in-person request at the offices of DANR in Pierre. The restriction on obtaining information about CAFOs worries Jay Gilbertson, manager of the East Dakota Water Development District, which promotes conservation and management of water resources in eastern South Dakota. The reason CAFOs are permitted in the first place is to maintain oversight of their operations and to allow for the state and others to ensure the large farms are not polluting the land and water, he said. Restricting public access to CAFO permits could make it more likely that large livestock operators would cut corners or avoid expensive waste management or water protection systems without anyone knowing, Gilbertson said. The permits are pretty explicit and contain all sorts of things thou shall or shant do, which makes it easy to adhere to because the operator knows exactly what is expected, he said. At the same time, if Im somebody who is concerned about a facility, I can look at the permit requirements and it will tell me, This is exactly what is supposed to be going on. And if it is, fine. But if it isnt, there isnt any debate that theres a problem. CAFOs expanding in South Dakota State officials said CAFOs are generally well operated and follow state laws. But problems do occur and fines have been levied against permit violators. According to prior research by News Watch, permitted CAFOs in South Dakota violated state regulations 217 times from October 2009 to August 2019. The state received, on average, about two complaints about CAFOS from the public each month, and animal wastes from CAFOs leaked into state waterways on nine occasions during that time period, according to state records. The number of animals raised and fed in CAFOs has increased steadily over the past decade. The state and lawmakers have taken steps in recent years to make it easier for development of CAFOs and harder for residents and local governments to fight them. The state also has offered financial incentives to livestock producers to expedite development of new CAFO operations. Brian Walsh, deputy secretary of DANR, wrote in an email to News Watch that the department already denies release of CAFO information to some who request it. DANR reviews and considers each individual request for information on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) as they are submitted. DANR has received requests for an aggregated listing of all CAFOs including specific location information (addresses, geographic coordinate systems locations, or legal locations) with the express purpose of sharing those locations online, Walsh wrote. DANR has denied such requests in the past due to the issue of biosecurity and agro-terrorism risks. The bill as drafted would not change how DANR currently responds to requests for CAFO records requests. But Gilbertson said it seems odd that language in the bill could prevent the public or local governments from knowing where CAFOs are located. The department (DANR) has the tools to allow people to look things up for all the permits they issue, he said. But when it comes to animal feeding operations, if you really want to know, you have to go to Pierre, and try to get in the DANR building and dig through the paper files? That would just be silly. ___ This story was originally published by South Dakota News Watch and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Agribusiness A federal judge in Manhattan overseeing an insurance brokerage poaching case has blocked three Alliant Insurance Services employees from soliciting or contacting any current Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA) clients or using a spreadsheet of MMA clients that MMA alleges they took when they resigned. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil issued a temporary restraining order on January 8 against Johnny Osborne, a former producer in MMAs Huntsville, Alabama office, and two members of his MMA team, Rachel Murray and Margaux Stone all three of whom simultaneously resigned from MMA on December 16, 2024, without notice, to join Alliant. MMA asked for the emergency order against its former employees in order to stem further loss of business from what it claims has been a scheme orchestrated by Alliant to poach MMAs employees and solicit MMAs clients. New York-headquartered MMA and California-based Alliant are two of the biggest insurance agencies in the country. Alliant has more than 12,000 employees and more than 100 locations across the U.S. MMA has 15,000 colleagues and 300 offices across North America. MMA maintains that Osborne, Stone and Murray each executed a nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreement when joining MMA and each agreed that for two years following the separation of their employment with MMA, they would not, directly or indirectly, solicit or service MMA clients or prospective clients. MMA alleges in its complaint that the three are in breach of their nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements. According to MMAs complaint, Osborne managed a book of business for MMA that generated approximately $1.6 million in annual revenue. Stone and Murray handled the day-to-day servicing for many of the clients for which Osborne was responsible, including the largest and most profitable accounts within his book of business. MMA alleges that from October 2024 onward, Osborne and his team, acting under Alliants direction, systematically disregarded their obligations to MMA. The filing alleges that Osborne collected and duplicated confidential client data, recruited his team, and engaged in pre-resignation client solicitation, which he has been continuing at Alliantin deliberate breach of his obligations under his restrictive covenants with MMA. MMA maintains that within 24 hours of it discovering the resignations, at least four of Osbornes clients had moved their business to Alliant and by the end of that week, at least 16 had moved, and there were no signs of slowing. The restraining order is temporary and does not apply to 38 clients that have already ended their relationship with MMA. Yesterday the judge extended the temporary restraining order until January 28. The judge promised a further order before her temporary directive expires. MMA filed suit against the employees and Alliant on December 23, 2024, claiming it has become the latest victim of a deliberate and destructive scheme by Alliant involving intentional breaches of contractual and fiduciary duties, client solicitation, and concealment efforts that have earned Alliant notoriety in the insurance industry and courts across the country. Alliant Defense Alliant opposed the restraining order as anti-competitive and defended the employees and itself. Alliant noted that, in prior litigation between an affiliate of Marsh and Alliant, which it said involved similar allegations, a court already concluded that the types of restrictive covenants Marsh is seeking to enforce are unenforceable as a matter of law. This is consistent with the overwhelming body of case law holding that post-employment restrictive covenants are strongly disfavored under New York law, Alliant said in its memorandum. Alliant further argued that MMA cannot clearly demonstrate that it faces irreparable harm because New York law recognizes that if MMA ultimately prevails in this litigation, money damages are ascertainable and available. Alliant also told the court that such a restraint extends well beyond what is permissible under New York law and would keep clients from making their own choice of insurance broker. According to MMAs filing, Alliant has deployed the same scheme against other competitors as well, triggering at least 64 lawsuits that in some cases have resulted in injunctions and other adverse rulings. Alliant maintains that the other lawsuits involved different employees, different agreements, different laws, different brokerages, and different facts and have no bearing on MMAs case. In addition to a permanent injunction to keep Alliant from soliciting its clients, MMA is seeking damages, any compensation it paid to Osborne during the period of his disloyalty, and punitive damages. Topics Alliant While the Los Angeles wildfires inch closer toward containment, estimates of insured losses continue to creep higher. CoreLogic said the industry price tag of the Palisades and Eaton fires could land between $35 billion and $45 billion. Moodys RMS, in adding an estimate of insured losses of between $20 billion and $30 billion, said what it called a firestorm will prove the costliest wildfire in U.S. history. As the flames burn, Insurance Journal interviewed leaders of three insurtech companies that specialize in insuring areas prone to wildfire. They shared their perspectives on the peril overall and discussed how the fires could affect insurance moving forward. IJ editor Allen Laman spoke to Delos Insurance Solutions, Kettle, and Faura. This is Part II on Kettle. The interview with Delos can be found here Isaac Espinoza and Brian Espie, Kettle Could parametric insurance become a bigger piece of the wildfire insurance market? Kettle is an insurance and reinsurance managing general agent built around a proprietary wildfire model that was developed using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Company leadership believes these technologies are better suited to predict catastrophic climate risk. The wildfire specialty company launched in 2020 underwrites on behalf of insurers and reinsurers, mostly in Bermuda and London. Much of what Kettle does currently is on a parametric basis. Everything the MGA writes is in a wildfire-prone area. California is far and away our largest state, explained Brain Espie, Kettles chief underwriting officer. Kettle writes across the continental U.S. and has thousands of insureds between its insurance and reinsurance products. Espie said Kettle does have exposure in the areas affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. Because we do play a big part in the parametric side, and the way that product is structured, I think were going to be well-positioned to be one of the fastest to not only know what our losses are in total but also to have them fully paid out, said Isaac Espinoza, Kettles CEO. One of the advantages of parametric products is [they are] pretty straightforward, he added. Theres less dispute about if it is indeed a claim, and its already pre-determined what that amount is upon payout. Kettles parametric coverage triggers if a wildfire crosses the boundary of a covered property. When asked how Kettle can successfully underwrite risk in wildfire-prone areas, Espie pointed to the amount of data that our model is able to ingest and output. That model uses about 130 terabytes of data across 40 or so geospatial, spatial and satellite real estate data sets. It is trained by running millions of simulations in the cloud, allowing Kettle to determine with precision what properties truly have higher exposure. As time goes on, more data will be fed into the model and Espie said he expects it to continue to improve year by year. I think with a peril like wildfire, you really do require a lot of data and a lot of granularity to be able to have that risk precision and manage a balanced portfolio, Espie said. As tragic as the fires have been for those living in the affected areas, Espie said the events provide an opportunity for Kettle to show that the technology it uses in its model can provide advantages in predicting wildfire risk. Espie and Espinoza believe there is also an opportunity to show that parametric coverage for wildfire can provide advantages to insureds who need quick payments following disasters. Kettle is careful not to bill itself as the only solution for insurance needs. It instead views itself as a complimentary part of an overall risk management plan for insureds, particularly on a commercial basis. For example, some of the MGAs policyholders may buy a nonparametric policy for coverage needs other than wildfire and buy a Kettle policy specific to that peril. Only a small percentage of the 7,000 to 10,000 wildfires that burn across California each year cause any damage, Espie said, and catastrophic damage to the extent were seeing now is even a smaller minority. I think that theres an instinctual reaction to run away from the fire and just say theres no way to insure this peril, or the state of California is uninsurable as a whole, he said. With enough data, and enough technology, and enough focus on wildfire you can discern the areas of the state that are more exposed and more vulnerable. And you can provide coverage to a lot of people that otherwise get painted with a broad brush. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters InsurTech Wildfire Tech A historic winter storm threatened natural gas shipments from one the biggest US export plants while heavy snow shut schools and airports in Houston and highways in New Orleans. A low-pressure system is dropping bitter cold from Texas to North Carolina, disrupting rail and air travel as snow sweeps throughout the US South. The ripple effects are being felt as far afield as Europe, where gas prices jumped on concern about weather-driven interruptions to US supplies of the fuel. The system is going to drop a blanket of snow across the entire Gulf south, Donald Jones, a weather service meteorologist. It will be followed by another strong cold front and even more cold temperatures it is very unusual for the Gulf Coast. The Texas grid operator declared a transmission emergency in the heavily populated southeast of the state that lasted roughly seven hours. Meanwhile, the massive Freeport LNG complex shut down, citing intermittent power interruptions. Wind gusts of up to 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour and heavy snow prompted the first blizzard warning ever for the area from Port Arthur, Texas, to Lafayette, Louisiana. Snow fell as far south as Brownsville, Texas, on the border with Mexico. Heavy snow and freezing fog were reported at Lake Charles, Louisiana, where winds reached 16 mph, visibility dropped to a quarter mile and the wind chill made it feel like 12F (-11C), the National Weather Service said. Deteriorating conditions at Lake Charles prompted a halt to pilot services through at least Wednesday. Without those pilots, oceangoing gas-hauling ships cannot approach the Cameron LNG terminal. A wide area from central Texas through the Florida Panhandle is forecast to receive 3 to 6 inches of snow (8 to 15 centimeters), including a record 4 inches in Houston and an all-time high of as much as 8 inches in New Orleans, according to the National Weather Service. More than 50 cold temperature records may be broken or tied, mainly across the Gulf Coast up the Appalachian Mountains and across the Ohio Valley through Thursday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. Therell likely be significant icing across northern Florida. The frigid weather, which will moderate through the week, is expected to drive up electricity demand and may crimp natural gas and oil production due to freezing water in wells and pipelines. As the freeze gripped West Texas, temperatures in Odessa the middle of the oil-rich Permian basin lingered at 13F early Tuesday. Texas Grid Woes The Texas electrical grid has a weather watch in place for Tuesday an early alert that extreme cold driving up heating needs may strain supplies. The state grid operator, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, also issued a transmission emergency alert at 5 a.m. local time for the south and southeastern part of the state for loss of transmission from freezing precipitation, according to a website notice. The declaration was lifted around 1 p.m. Around 12,000 customers, mainly in South Texas, and almost 18,000 customers mostly in North Florida, were without electricity as of midnight Wednesday, according to the PowerOutage.us website. Ercot said peak electricity demand is forecast to climb, hitting about 77.6 gigawatts on Tuesday evening. Projections have been volatile and at times have shown demand may test the winter record of 78.3 gigawatts set last January, though the grid operator expects to have enough supply to meet demand. Snow and ice has snarled transportation throughout the region. Houston airports, including George Bush Intercontinental, William P. Hobby and Ellington, were closed shortly after midnight and will reopen Wednesday morning. Most Tuesday flights at Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans were canceled, but most are expected to resume on Wednesday. Jacksonville International Airport in Florida closed following the last scheduled departure on Tuesday, and will reopen noon Wednesday. Many highways and roads across Louisiana became impassible overnight and were closed, including portions of Interstate 10. Airline tracking service FlightAware reported that 2,319 flights around the US were canceled as of late Tuesday New York time. Another 1,070 flight cancellations are expected on Wednesday. Amtrak had scrubbed multiple trains out of Chicago and throughout the Gulf Coast, the federally funded passenger rail carrier said on its website. The deep freeze will start to dissipate later in the week, with temperatures rising into the 50F range in Houston Friday and near 70F in Lake Charles, Louisiana by Sunday, according to Jones. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics Texas Louisiana As southern California continues to suffer from wildfires, officials in another part of the country fear their area could be next thanks to tons of dry wood left over from Hurricane Helenes wind and flooding. The number one fire threat in western North Carolina seems to be all the trees on the ground, said Joe Stewart, vice president of government affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina. Theres a lot of concern about it. Four months after Helene crushed much of western North Carolina and east Tennessee with unprecedented flooding and left piles and piles of uprooted trees and brush, insurance interests and fire management officials are increasingly worried about wildfires that could rival those seen in California in recent weeks. Helene knocked down or uprooted trees over an estimated 820,000 acres of forestland in Carolina when it slogged through in late September, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. In Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, Helene caused moderate to catastrophic damage to some 187,000 acres, vastly increasing the threat of wildfire, the North Carolina Forest Service said in a bulletin. To help people clear some of the debris left by the unusually destructive storm, the service in October waived the requirement for burn permits in 21 counties. But it warned residents to use caution when burning debris. Adding to the potential fuel for fire are the hundreds of new homes and commercial buildings that have sprung up in the region in the last decade, especially around the popular city of Asheville. As of 2020, more than half of North Carolina residents lived in wildland-urban interface areas shown to be a threat for increased wildfires, the NC Forest Service said. The topography also makes it difficult to reach and repair some places, Stewart added. Few homeowners in the region have considered the risk of fire and many may not be fully insured. A lot of people dont see secondary perils, Stewart said. And although November was slightly wetter than in 2023, December brought less precipitation than it did the year before, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Much of this year so far, especially last week, has been unusually dry in much of the state, raising the fire threat level, authorities said. Experts are now so concerned that they have planned a meeting next week, Jan. 28, to discuss the risk and ways to reduce it. North Carolina State Universitys Institute for Climate Studies in Asheville is hosting the gathering. Compounding the potential risk from fire is a continuing shortage of firefighters in parts of the state, according to news reports. North Carolina saw a decline of almost 5,000 volunteer firefighters, from 2020 to 2023. Thats when the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs put out an urgent call for more volunteers to sign up. But the numbers have changed little since then, the N&O has noted. Another issue: Some in the state have blamed the homebuilders lobby for pushing through legislation last year that limits local governments abilities to heighten fire prevention and other regulations beyond what state building codes already require, news sites have reported. Firefighter organizations raised red flags last fall after the governors veto of the legislation was overridden. Wildfires in parts of the state could exacerbate insurance costs for some property owners in the region, costs that have risen steadily for homes, businesses and mobile homes in recent years. In the most recent increase, North Carolinas insurance commissioner, Mike Causey, announced last week that he had negotiated a 15% average rate increase for homeowner insurance. That came after the North Carolina Rate Bureau, basing its recommendation on data from property insurers, had asked for a 42% average increase. Counties that endured historic flooding from Helene will see smaller increases than other parts of the state. Top photo: North Carolinas Chimney Rock area forest fire in 2016, a year that saw a number of fires in the area. (Adobe Stock images) Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Some wounds suffered by six Hawaii residents flown to Arizona for medical treatment after a deadly illegal fireworks explosion on New Years are comparable to battlefield injuries, the doctor overseeing their care said. Dr. Kevin Foster, the director of the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, said flying particles and debris from the explosion inflicted traumatic injuries. Related: Deadly Accident Has Hawaii Officials Asking to End Amateur Fireworks Shows In addition to the thermal injury that comes from the heat and the flame and the fire, we also have an explosive nature to this with particles moving at very high speeds striking patients, Foster said at a news conference from Phoenix that was streamed online. The blast killed four people, including a 3-year-old boy, and injured about 20 others. The U.S. military flew six of the wounded to Arizona on Jan. 4 because Hawaiis lone burn unit didnt have enough capacity to care for all the victims. Related: Rescuers Describe Scene at a Hawaii Home After Deadly Fireworks Blast Medical staff hadnt realized the magnitude of the injuries from the flying particles until the patients had surgery. But Foster said this was to be expected. You really have to get into the operating room and start operating on these people to really understand that. So its not surprising that nobody picked up on this, Foster said. The traumatic injuries resulted in some unusual infections but Foster said this didnt catch caregivers off guard. Doctors at the center have seen these types of injuries in fireworks patients before and infections in burn patients are almost unavoidable, he said. The blast happened at a three-story home with a bottom-level carport in a Honolulu residential neighborhood. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green earlier this week proposed a range of new penalties to crack down on those who flout the states fireworks laws. The state Department of Law Enforcement has asked the Legislature for $5.2 million to hire eight people and expand a forensic lab to counter rampant smuggling of illegal fireworks. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Hawaii Nestle S.A. is the largest food and beverage company in the world and has made some major strategic deals since the 1970s. These deals include producers of vitamins, baby food, pet food, frozen food, and a meal delivery serviceand even a giant licensing agreement with Starbucks that dwarfs the size of many of its takeovers. It also made no secret of its desire to expand into healthier foods, as obesity becomes a bigger problem. So who are some of these names? Below, well explore the Starbucks licensing deal and six of the most significant acquisitions in the companys history. Nestle does not provide a breakdown of the profits and sales that this licensing deal and these acquisitions contribute to the company. Key Takeaways Nestle is the world's largest food and beverage company. Acquisitions and strategic deals have helped the company expand its offerings and market. The licensing agreement with Starbucks allows Nestle to sell the coffee chain's products in its stores. Other major acquisitions include Gerber, Purina, and Stouffer's. History of Nestle Nestle (NSRGY) began as a producer of infant food in 1867. In 1905, the company merged with the Anglo-Swiss Milk Co. to become Nestle Group. Nestle survived World War I, and its products were a staple for U.S. servicemen in Europe during World War II. Since World War II, the Swiss multinational mounted an aggressive expansion strategy, making a long string of major acquisitions. This helped it expand and strengthen its product portfolio. Nestles total sales in 2023 were roughly 93.0 billion Swiss francs, or CHF, with a trading operating profit of 14.5 billion CHF. As of Jan. 21, 2025, the company's market capitalization was approximately $210.22 billion. Nestle highlighted a shift toward healthier fare when it announced in 2018 the sale of its U.S. candy business to the Ferrero Group, one of the worlds largest chocolate and confectionery companies. It has divested other assets since then: In 2019, it sold its U.S. ice cream business for roughly $4 billion In early 2021, it sold its regional spring water brands, purified water business, and beverage delivery service in the U.S. and Canada for $4.3 billion Nestle has also made acquisitions in organic products, which are increasingly popular with consumers concerned about the environment and their health. Nestle employs more than 2,000 brands that are sold in almost 190 countries. Starbucks Licensing Deal Type of Business: Coffee Coffee Licensing Price: $7.15 billion $7.15 billion Date of Closing: Aug. 28, 2018 One of the most important deals in Nestles history is not an acquisition but a licensing agreement. We include it in this story because it constitutes one of the largestand potentially most lucrativedeals in the companys history. In 2018, Nestle agreed to pay Starbucks (SBUX) $7.15 billion for the rights to sell Starbucks-branded coffee in retail stores outside of Starbucks locations. This deal does not allow Nestle to put its name on Starbucks productsonly to sell those items in retail stores. The deal strengthened Nestles already-strong footprint in the coffee industry, with brands like Nescafe and Nespresso. Within 12 months of the agreement, Nestle launched 29 Starbucks products across 40 countries. The market expanded to nearly 80 countries by 2023. On Jan. 13, 2023, Nestle acquired Seattle's Best Coffee from Starbucks. As of November 2024, Nestle is the top coffee company in the world. Gerber Products Type of Business: Baby food Baby food Acquisition Price: $5.5 billion $5.5 billion Date of Purchase: Sept. 3, 2007 Founded in 1927, Gerber Products was acquired by Nestle in 2007. Gerber had nearly $2 billion in annual sales and was owned by pharmaceutical company Novartis AG before the acquisition. In 2023, Nestles Nutrition and Health Science division, which includes Gerber, accounted for 16.4% of the companys total sales. Before the acquisition, Nestle had no major presence in the U.S. baby food market. Nestle prioritized the development of non-GMO and organic products to expand the Gerber brand. Ralston Purina Type of Business: Pet foods Pet foods Acquisition Price: $10.3 billion $10.3 billion Date of Purchase: Dec. 11, 2001 Nestle Purina PetCare was founded as the Robinson-Danforth Commission Co. in 1894 and later became known as Ralston Purina. Under Nestle, Purina PetCare has dramatically expanded its global sales, with popular brands such as Friskies, Pro Plan, and Felix. In 2023, Nestles PetCare segment represented 20.3% of the companys total sales. Ralston Purina fits well with the companys aggressive growth strategy, as it expands the company's base beyond its traditional focus on food and beverages for consumers. Atrium Innovations Type of Business: Vitamins and supplements Vitamins and supplements Acquisition Price: $2.3 billion $2.3 billion Date of Purchase: March 8, 2018 Atrium Innovations is a maker of vitamins and nutritional supplements. It started as a subsidiary of a Canadian biotech company before being spun off in 2006. It was acquired in 2014 by an investment consortium led by private equity firm Permira Funds. As consumers grew more health-conscious, Nestle moved toward healthier brands and purchased Atrium in 2018. The deal boosts Nestles participation in the vitamin and supplement market and serves a dual purpose: It expands Nestles overall business and helps it to market itself as a healthier company. Stouffers Type of Business: Frozen foods Frozen foods Acquisition Price: $105 million $105 million Date of Purchase: March 5, 1973 Stouffers was founded in 1922 and went on to build a national chain of restaurants over the next several decades. A key development for the company occurred in 1954 when Stouffers began to create frozen meals for sale. Stouffers became best known for its line of frozen food products. Nestle purchased Stouffers in 1973 from Litton Industries, a defense contractor that expanded to offer retail products, including microwave ovens. At the time of the acquisition, frozen meals were popular with consumers and Stouffers was a major brand. Stouffers, one of Nestles earlier deals, provided a template for future forays into healthier foods. In 1981, Stouffers launched its successful Lean Cuisine line of low-calorie frozen entrees. Freshly Type of Business: Meal delivery service Meal delivery service Acquisition Price: up to $1.5 billion up to $1.5 billion Acquisition Date: Oct. 30, 2020 Freshly launched in 2012 as a meal delivery service, providing fresh, fully cooked meals to customers across the United States. The company offered a weekly subscription service, capitalizing on a growing trend of subscription delivery services across a variety of product areas. In 2020, the company delivered more than one million meals per week to about 20,000 U.S. ZIP codes. Nestle acquired Freshly the same year, maintaining it as a stand-alone company with complete control of its products and subscription pricing. Nestles acquisition helped it gain additional exposure to the growing market for healthy foods while also capitalizing on the rise of meal delivery services such as Blue Apron. Freshly ended meal delivery service and Nestle divested a majority stake of Freshly in 2023. The Bountiful Company (Core Brands) Type of Business: Supplements and nutrition Supplements and nutrition Acquisition Price: $5.75 billion $5.75 billion Acquisition Date: Aug. 9, 2021 Launched in 1971, The Bountiful Company is a nutrition company providing vitamins, supplements, and related products. Nestle acquired The Bountiful Companys core brands for $5.75 billion in August 2021, including Natures Bounty, Solgar, Osteo Bi-Flex, and Puritans Pride. Nestle folded these brands into Nestle Health Science, to make it a global leader in nutritional supplements, vitamins, and minerals. Nestle Diversity & Inclusiveness Transparency As part of our effort to improve the awareness of the importance of diversity in companies, we have highlighted the transparency of Nestles commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and social responsibility. The chart below illustrates how Nestle reports the diversity of its management and workforce. This shows if Nestle discloses data about the diversity of its board of directors, C-Suite, general management, and employees overall across a variety of markers. We have indicated that transparency with a . VANCOUVER, British Columbia - January 22, 2025 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Alaska Energy Metals (TSX-V: AEMC, OTCQB: AKEMF) ("AEMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that very positive actions have been taken by the President of the United States concerning Alaska's resource development. The Executive Order is entitled: "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential." This news is paid advertisement/ news disseminated on behalf of/issued on behalf of Alaska Energy Metals AEMC President & CEO Gregory Beischer commented: "A new era has dawned in Alaska. The new administration is aware of the country's vulnerability to metal supply chain disruption and is taking concrete steps to help Alaska achieve its potential to help with economic and national security for the country. AEMC's Nikolai project is already among the largest nickel resources globally and contains four other critical and strategic metals. We believe our project is likely to get strong support and will play a key role in achieving the new administration's long-term goals concerning critical metal onshoring." By an Executive Order the President has made sweeping changes that will positively affect resource development in Alaska. The entire Executive Order can be viewed at this link. The order addresses all Alaska resources including oil, gas, minerals, forestry and fisheries. Highlights for Alaska's mining industry include: Recognition that Alaska contains abundant, untapped mineral resources. USA to fully avail itself of Alaska's vast lands and resources for the benefit of the Nation. Consider building national stockpiles of Critical and Strategic metals. Maximize the development of production on Federal and State lands in Alaska. Promote liquid natural gas production from the North Slope oilfields (potentially providing low cost energy for mining projects). Reopen the regulatory process that would allow construction of the Ambler road, providing access to the rich mineral districts of the northwestern part of Alaska. For additional information, please visit: https://alaskaenergymetals.com/ ABOUT ALASKA ENERGY METALS Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (AEMC) is an Alaska-based corporation with offices in Anchorage and Vancouver working to sustainably deliver the critical materials needed for national security and a bright energy future, while generating superior returns for shareholders. AEMC is focused on delineating and developing the large-scale, bulk tonnage, polymetallic Nikolai Project Eureka deposit containing nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Located in Interior Alaska near existing transportation and power infrastructure, its flagship project, Nikolai, is well-situated to become a significant domestic source of strategic energy-related metals for North America. AEMC also holds a secondary project in western Quebec; the Angliers - Belleterre project. Today, material sourcing demands excellence in environmental performance, technological innovation, carbon mitigation and the responsible management of human and financial capital. AEMC works every day to earn and maintain the respect and confidence of the public and believes that ESG performance is measured by action and led from the top. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Gregory Beischer" Gregory Beischer, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Gregory A. Beischer, President & CEO Toll-Free: 877-217-8978 | Local: 604-638-3164 Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation), including, but not limited to, positive effects on Alaska's mining industry including on Alaska Energy Metals Nikolai project development. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If the Company updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (TSXV: AEMC) (OTCQB: AKEMF) (FRA: V7F) is a featured mining stock on Investorideas.com More info on AEMC at Investorideas.com Visit: https://www.investorideas.com/CO/AEMC/ Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. Disclosure: Alaska Energy Metals is a paid featured mining stock on Investorideas.com effective January 5, 2023, More info https://www.investorideas.com/About/News/Clientspecifics.asp More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ To the outside world, Emmet Kelleher might look like any other city dweller, enjoying the sights and sounds of St Stephens Green bathed in some winter sunshine. However, behind the Cork mans neat dress and thoughtful expression lies a painful reality. The former actor and artist has been homeless for two-and-a-half years now, following the breakdown of his marriage. Emmet had been his wifes full-time carer for around 13 years before their relationship ended. He has been on the housing list for 14 years but harbours little hope of ever securing a permanent roof over his head. He had little option but to couch surf up until March of last year, but then things came to a head after the 59-year-old lost his footing on the stairs of a double decker bus. He had to undergo surgery at St Jamess Hospital as his kneecap had split open, but it was then that doctors diagnosed the 59-year-old with cirrhosis of the liver. Emmets ill health meant he no longer had the energy left to couch surf, leaving him at the mercy of homeless services. When I had to leave hospital in Dublin they basically didnt know what to do with me. I had bust my leg up and had liver problems. "They couldnt throw me out on the street with a heavy disease like that so they put me in a hostel and Ive been there ever since. Emmet said he is extremely grateful to the hostel staff for the kindness they have shown him, but says the stigma of homelessness often weighs heavily on him. Im writing a historical novel at the moment. This is how I normally spend my days when Im out. Just two days ago I was sitting down near some people writing when I overheard them taking the mick out of homeless people. "It wasnt intentional but they were practically sitting next to me so I heard everything. It was so insulting that I was tempted to approach these people to give them a piece of my mind. However, I knew it wouldnt do any good. The most recent figures show a record total of 15,199 homeless people. Advocacy groups say more than 55,000 new homes, including 15,000 social homes, are needed each year to address the crisis. Emmet Kelleher has been homeless for two-and-a-half years now, following the breakdown of his marriage. Photo: Gareth Chaney Like so many other people, Emmet is frustrated by the outgoing governments handling of the homeless crisis. The condition I have is end-stage cirrhosis. This doesnt mean Im going to die tomorrow but at the same time this is a life-threatening illness. "This is supposed to be a republic but they are not treating their people equally. I have a key worker who I speak to every few weeks about trying to find a place. I am prepared to pay bills like anyone else but there is nothing out there. My doctor described it as a transitory life. You have no independence. The hostel Im in is far from a kip. The people there are amazing and have been very good to me, but having a roof over your head doesnt solve the problem. You need to have a place of your own. Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland, Mike Allen, said that more needs to be done to help people who are being discharged from hospital and are at risk of becoming homeless. Hospitals and HSE facilities should be identifying people who are at risk of homelessness on discharge and they do that, Mr Allen said. It isn't that everybody is ignoring this, its just that the answers aren't good enough. "Quite often in psychiatric hospitals in particular, people are not being discharged and are instead being left in beds. Even when patients can be discharged they have nowhere else to go. "The institutions need to identify people who are at risk of homelessness on discharge and then they need to have an interaction with the housing system. Thats the bit thats missing because there are just not enough houses. The only way staff can respond is by delaying the discharge or speaking to a homeless organisation. "What we really need is a better system to move people into housing. It must be very frustrating for a lot of the health workers who care about this and track it. After tracking it and identifying the person who's at risk they haven't got any mechanisms to deal with that risk. Emmet has been on the housing waiting list for 14 years, but says, as a single man, he has little chance of securing a home because of the shortage of accommodation options. Mike Allen agrees. What a single person needs is, by and large, a one-bedroom apartment. However, neither the private sector or local authorities are really offering these. Physically, there's a housing shortage for everybody, but if you're a single person looking for a one-bedroom apartment, it's significantly more of a problem." Emmet Kelleher says the stigma of homelessness often weighs heavily on him. Photo: Gareth Chaney Emmet says while his key worker is pushing to have him prioritised, given his ill health, it doesn't seem to be making any impact. "Nobody seems to be listening. Its like you dont matter or at least thats how it feels. Meanwhile, your confidence is going down weekly, maybe daily. "It's the normal things you miss the most. I was in Blanchardstown recently visiting a friend. He offered me a cup of tea. I couldnt believe I was in a real home. Its been that long since I have had a home of my own. A protection scheme to ensure a tenant receives their deposit at the end of their tenancy is needed in Ireland, according to the national housing charity Threshold. In releasing Thresholds latest Impact Report, covering the final quarter of last year, the charity welcomed the inclusion of a register of rental prices in the Programme for Government. However, it also called for the introduction of a deposit protection scheme, similar to what is in place in the UK. The charity says that 729 renters got in touch with Threshold last year regarding issues with their deposit refunded from their landlord. It now seeks a scheme which would involve deploying a third-party custodial model to ensure a deposit is returned to the tenant at the end of their tenancy. The charity says that where a landlord did need to claim expenses after the tenancy, they could provide a proof of expense to retain some of the deposit, which would ensure greater transparency. Thresholds National Advocacy Manager, Ann-Marie OReilly, said: Such a scheme would alleviate the stress and financial hardship of many renters each year. By introducing a custodial scheme, there would be greater transparency, fairness and efficiency when it comes to deposits, ensuring that tenants can access their funds promptly and without dispute. This is a straightforward solution, and its implementation would mark a significant step forward in bringing stability and security to the private rental sector. Having advocated for the register of rental prices, Threshold says it would allow prospective tenants to see at what price a property was previously let, meaning they could question any significant increases. Ms OReilly said: A rent register will bring greater clarity to renters and will help minimise unlawful rent increases by landlords. The report comes as the new government takes office on Wednesday. The report showed that there were over 8,800 households across the country supported by the charity in the final quarter of 2024, with tenancy termination remaining one of the top concerns for renters. The majority of those cases related to landlords planning to sell their rental properties. Other concerns included withheld deposits and unaffordable rent increases that sometimes breached the 2% limit in rent pressure zones. Threshold says it prevented 1,018 households comprising 1,300 adults and 1,060 children from entering homelessness between October and December. A beloved family dog was stolen from a car parked near Mercy University Hospital in Cork and now one of the men accused of handling the stolen animal has confessed to his part in the crime. Jerry Foleya, aged 49, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to handing stolen property, namely Ruby, a Cavachon dog who is eight years old. Inspector Dave Noonan said the dog was stolen on September 9, 2024, and not found until five days later. Jerry Foley was seen handling the dog when the family pat was handed over to him and this was captured on CCTV. Jerry Foley had 109 previous convictions. When Judge Joanne Carroll was told that the stolen dog was valued at 1,000, she said that the financial value was in a sense neither here nor there and that the real value was its emotional value to the family. Eddie Burke solicitor said there had been a lot of fatalities among the tragic circumstances of Mr Foleys life, and that rather than trying to grieve properly he had instead turned to alcohol and exacerbated his problems. Mr Burke said the defendant was presently serving a five-month prison sentence for another matter and wanted to go into rehabilitation upon his release. Judge Carroll imposed a two-month suspended sentence on him for handling the stolen dog. Two other people involved in either the theft or handling of the stolen dog were previously given jail sentences for their parts in the crime. The theft of the pet resulted in a media campaign for information leading to the safe return of the dog. The dog was being looked after by a relative at the time of the theft She had gone into Mercy University Hospital for a number of minutes with the car window open a little to leave air in. When she returned, the window had been forced open and the dog taken. The dog was recovered by gardai at an apartment in the area on September 14, five days after it had been reported stolen from the car parked outside the Mercy. The Department of Integration has put on hold the decision to relocate up to 400 Ukrainian refugees who had been living in a hotel in East Cork. The group of Ukrainian refugees had been told they would have to vacate their current accommodation at the former Quality Hotel in Youghal by February 7. The letter from the department, which was seen by the Irish Examiner, was unsigned and undated. Local Fianna Fail TD James O'Connor said he had been informed of the temporary suspension of the decision to move the Ukrainian families from the hotel. He said the move would have caused enormous disruption. Many of the refugees are either working or at school in the town and its surrounds. With almost 150 children amongst those poised to be moved elsewhere, the TD said the short-term goal now is to ensure that children can complete their exams. Speaking to the Irish Examiner last week, principal Eoghan Rua O'Neill said he feared many of the 50 Ukrainian pupils in Bunscoil Mhuire would be scattered across the country". He described the treatment of Ukrainian families by the department as both inhumane and unacceptable. On Wednesday he said: The school is happy and the parents are happy. Fingers crossed for the future. Local support Olena Deriy, who has established a beauty salon in Youghal, feared she would have to close if her two Ukrainian staff were unable to secure alternative housing. One staff member, also named Olena, and whose 16-year-old daughter attends school in Youghal, cried when she heard the news. Wiping tears from her eyes, she echoed the sentiments of many Ukrainians in the town by saying: I am extremely grateful to the Irish people who supported us." Local opinion had rallied strongly around the Ukrainians, many of whom are working in the town and who have integrated considerably. Refugees in Limerick The news was not so positive for 54 Ukrainian refugees living in student accommodation in Limerick. They have now been told they will be moved into hotels and accommodation centres across the county on March 4. They had initially been told it would be March 17. The group living in Westbourne Student Accommodation have now received a second letter from the Department of Integration, stating that they will be relocated to Bruff Accommodation, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, The Pier Hotel, as well as Stradbally North Castleconnell. They had received a first letter, which was neither signed or dated, earlier this month, which stated they would have to be moved with 48 hours notice and would not be able to bring their pets. Most of them have been living in student accommodation since 2022, with some having flown from Ukraine with their pets. One of the residents, Anastasiia Lapko, 29, has been living in Limerick for two years with her cat, Martin. She studies in the Limerick College of Further Education. Anastasiia Lapko with her cat Martin at Westbourne Student Accommodation Complex in Limerick City where 54 Ukrainian people have received a letter stating they have to move accommodation. Picture: Brian Arthur Ms Lapko was told that she will be moved to Bruff and that transportation will be arranged for her to go to the accommodation centre. So far, there is no one to negotiate with for other housing except the department. Most are unhappy with these changes, because this decision does not solve the issue many have nowhere to put their pets, she said. Also, its far from Limerick city and people work and study. Some people need to stay in Limerick to keep their jobs, there is also a large family with bedridden elderly people, there are people with PTSD who cannot live in a room with other people. Theres also a family with a newborn. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin will not become Taoiseach until Thursday after the Dail was suspended for the day following a row over speaking rights. Here's how today's events at Leinster House unfolded: 7.35pm A group of opposition leaders - Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Soc Dems deputy leader Cian OCallaghan, Independent Irelands Michael Collins, and People Before Profits Richard Boyd Barrett - have now requested a meeting with Simon Harris and Micheal Martin to to resolve the row over opposition speaking time. Opposition TDs leaving Leinster House on Wednesday evening. Picture: PA 7pm Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Government of trying to ride roughshod over the collective opposition and said they would be failing the democratic process if they did not take a firm stance on the row over opposition speaking time. 6.15pm Asked if the incoming government would compromise with the opposition on the speaking time row, Micheal Martin said he believed it was absurd that a new coalition would intervene in that issue. He said that, on another day, any government trying to involve itself in adjudicating technical groups would be rightly opposed. Its a matter for the Dail and its a matter for the reform of Standing Orders, he said. Mr Martin said that agreement was reached on establishing a Dail reform committee, with a meeting planned for midday on Thursday. However, the Tanaiste said that the issue on speaking time did not justify the failure to fulfill the constitutional obligation. The actions of the opposition, the actions of Sinn Fein were wholly disproportionate to the issue at hand, which could have been resolved through proper [talks]. Simon Harris said Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald went into the Dail with the intention of preventing Mr Martin from becoming Taoiseach. He described the chaos in the chamber as stunt politics on speed. Mr Harris said that it was spin from Sinn Fein to question the incoming coalition on whether Michael Lowry would be considered either a government or opposition TD. The Fine Gael leader said this would need to be resolved by the Ceann Comhairle and the new Dail Reform Committee. The Tanaiste pushed back on assertions that the incoming government was naive for not dealing with the speaking rights issue, saying it is not for the coalition to resolve. Mr Martin said new Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy had been "bullied" by the opposition from the outset. He also criticised language used throughout the day, particularly highlighting the fact that TDs due to support the government were labelled as "cronies". "That kind of language, which was used from the get go today by Sinn Fein, told me what they were at." 5.25pm Speaking to the media outside the Dail, Micheal Martin described the scenes in the chamber as a "subversion of the Irish Constitution", while strongly criticising Sinn Fein in their role. "The most fundamental obligation of the Dail is to elect the Taoiseach and indeed, to elect a Government," he said. "That opportunity was denied today by a premeditated, coordinated, and choreographed position by the opposition, and particularly by Sinn Fein." Mr Martin said there were numerous attempts to facilitate a resolution to a dispute on speaking time arrangements, but added: It became very clear to us that there was no intention ever to reach agreement on the nomination of a taoiseach or a government today. This is the first time, I think, in over 100 years, that the Dail has failed to elect a government, to fulfil its constitutional obligation. Simon Harris said the failure to nominate a new taoiseach is unprecedented. What happened in Dail Eireann was utterly farcical. The peoples representatives gathered to discharge their constitutional duty and obligation to elect a taoiseach and to elect a government. There was a clear majority of the peoples representatives ready, willing to elect Micheal Martin as taoiseach and to elect the next government and get on with the peoples work. There is much work to do. Instead, what we saw was an effort to obstruct, an effort to shout down, an effort to disrespect the Ceann Comhairle and her constitutional office, and ultimately preventing a majority of the democratically elected representatives of Dail Eireann to discharge their duty and their mandate to elect a taoiseach. Today was unprecedented, unseemly, and tomorrow, Dail Eireann must reconvene and must elect a taoiseach and get on with the urgent work of government. 4.28pm The Taoiseach will not be elected today following the adjournment of the Dail by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy. Ms Murphy made the decision after the opposition benches rose to their feet following the decision to begin the process of nominating a Taoiseach. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy suspends the Dail on Wednesday, January 22. Picture: Oireachtas TV The Dail had resumed after five-and-a-half hours of stop-start proceedings with a number of meetings held in the hopes of reaching a resolution regarding the speaking rights row. It had been understood that an agreement had been reached to allow the election of a taoiseach to proceed but this turned out not to be the case. Speaking in the Dail chamber, chief whip Hildegarde Naughton said that all parties had agreed to allow the business of the day to proceed. She then added: "There were a number of agreements and it is my understanding that that is now in dispute." Opposition TDs were heard to say that there was no agreement while Ms Naughton asked the Ceann Comhairle to proceed with the nominations for taoiseach. However, as Ms Murphy called on Fianna Fail TD Albert Dolan to nominate Micheal Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald rose to her feet. As Ms McDonald's calls to be heard did not get a response from Ms Murphy, more opposition TDs stood and voiced their disagreement. Mr Dolan attempted to deliver his speech to nominate his party leader for taoiseach, he could barely be heard over the outraged shouts of opposition TDs. The chaos carried on for a couple of minutes before Ms Murphy made the decision to adjourn until Thursday morning. 3.50pm The Dail will reconvene at 4pm with the Order of Business set to be re-read. A Dail reform committee will be established that will meet tomorrow, but it is understood that Sinn Fein has not changed its position and may try to prevent a vote. TDs are now gathering in the Dail chamber ahead of a resumption. 3.45pm Michael Lowry has placed the blame for today's tumultuous and prolonged proceedings in Leinster House on Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein has decided to disrupt the proceedings today, said the TD who is part of the technical group at the centre of the controversy, labelling today's events at Leinster House "shameful and disgraceful." According to Mr Lowry, the Clerk of the Dail proposed a compromise so that a Taoiseach can be elected and a government formed before the day is out. Mr Lowry said that there had been an understanding that today's Dail business of electing a Taoiseach and naming a Cabinet would go ahead and then the Dail Reform Committee would sit down to discuss the issues. "It had been agreed that we would all sit around in good faith at that committee meeting and find a solution that is politically acceptable both to the Government and opposition," he said. However, Sinn Fein has said it will not participate in today's scheduled business until an agreement has been reached. The standing orders can only be changed by the Dail Reform Committee which can only be reconstituted after a government has been formed, Mr Lowry said. "What we are saying is those issues can be resolved but the only way you can resolve them technically is through the reconstitution of the committee," the Tipperary TD said. It was agreed that a motion would go before the Dail tonight, after business had concluded, and the Dail Reform Committee could then meet at midday tomorrow, he said. Mr Lowry defended the Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy saying that she has correctly interpreted the current standing orders. 3.15pm In another twist, Aontu have confirmed that they have left the Regional Independent Group. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin confirmed the move, saying that his party of two TDs will now move and join the Independent Group - which consists of Independent Ireland and Paul Gogarty. Mr Toibin said that Independent Ireland agreed to let his party join their group, providing Aontu with speaking time in this Dail. 2.50pm In the latest twist in what has been a day of drama, the Business Committee is going back in to yet another meeting after no agreement was reached on how to move forward with todays Dail schedule to appoint Micheal Martin as Taoiseach. It is understood the opposition as a group had been happy to progress on the basis that members of the Regional Independent Group did not get speaking time today in opposition time. The matter would then be dealt with before the next Dail sitting. However, Michael Lowry has refused to agree to this proposal and so the deadlock remains. 2.45pm Having consulted with their parties, the situation remains at a stalemate, according to one TD. The whips are now holding another meeting to see what can be done to reach a satisfactory conclusion. 2.28pm The business committee has ended without agreement this afternoon. The Government's proposal around speaking time was to put it to the Dail Reform Comittee, which was not agreed. The Opposition want Michael Lowry to declare himself part of the new Government. The Irish Examiner have explained the entire situation and why there is an argument here. 2.20pm As of 2.20pm, there is yet to be a breakthrough in the ongoing row around speaking time as meetings continue between government and opposition whips. The Dail remains suspended, with no indication when it might return for Micheal Martin's nomination for Taoiseach. 1.15pm Returning briefly, Government chief whip Hildegarde Naughton confirmed that an emergency meeting of the Business Committee will now be held "to see if we can find a resolution". The Dail has suspended once again for a period of 45 minutes to allow for a 30-minute meeting of the committee and then 15 minutes for the parties to meet afterwards. 12.58pm Movement in the Dail chamber! The Dail is set to have another 45-minute suspension, where there will be an emergency meeting of the Business Committee to deal with the Regional Independents speaking time row. Sources have indicated that the government is willing to work "constructively" with the opposition to resolve the matter and allow the Dail's business to resume. The Dail's main business today is electing a Taoiseach and subsequently a Cabinet, so Micheal Martin will have a wait before his election can take place. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has deleted a post on X in which she congratulated the Fianna Fail leader on his appointment as taoiseach, which has not happened. Ms von der Leyen had posted a picture of the pair with a caption that included: Looking forward to working with you again. Mr Martin has yet to be formally nominated for the position due to the row on speaking time. 12.43pm The Dail remains suspended following the rows over speaking rights. Here's a brief summary of what the issue is: After the Regional Independent Group and the Healy-Raes agreed a programme for government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, four members of the regional group and Michael Healy-Rae were made junior ministers. The four remaining TDs having agreed to support the new government, are now seeking speaking rights as a new technical group in the Dail from the opposition benches. Opposition parties have sharply criticised this saying the independent TDs are part of the government due to their input into the programme for government. The matter is currently with Ceann Comhairle and the technical group which also includes Aontu's two TDs, independent TD Carol Nolan and Mattie McGrath, have been granted temporary opposition speaking rights. 12.25pm Opposition whips have sought a meeting with the Ceann Comhairle over the ongoing row around Regional Independents sitting on the opposition benches. One opposition TD says that interruptions are going to continue unless an emergency meeting is held. A government TD said Verona Murphy must take action to deal with the interruptions, citing that individual suspensions for TDs are on the cards. 11.56am After resuming at 11.55am, there were immediate calls for the new Ceann Comhairle to publish legal advice on Regional Independent TDs sitting on the opposition benches. Amid further disorder, Ms Murphy opted to again suspend the Dail this time for a further 30 minutes. 11.52am The suspension was initially meant to last for 15 minutes but it had not resumed 25 minutes later, with no time specified for its return. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) during the suspension, Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins accused the opposition of "fake anger" and seeking to deny other TDs their place. "This seems to confirm that their model of opposition will be destructive daily aggression. A bad start for them," he said. 11.30am Dail proceedings were forced to be suspended for 15 minutes after the chamber descended into chaos as opposition parties shouted down Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy. Ms Murphy confirmed the suspension amid significant disorder within the Dail chamber, with Sinn Fein TDs heckling the new Ceann Comhairle over her role in the controversy around speaking rights. Mary Lou McDonald was the first to speak as proceedings got underway and began by saying that it is "unacceptable" that the Dail intends to go on a two-week break following today's sitting. The Sinn Fein leader then labelled the attempt of the independent TDs who were involved in drafting the programme for government to have opposition speaking rights as a "cynical and unprecedented ruse". "I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in past governments but this takes the biscuit," Ms McDonald said. Addressing Ms Murphy, she said: "You say that you will be independent and fair in your deliberations. What is proposed today is anything but fair, anything but independent, and is completely unacceptable to those of us in Sinn Fein and, I believe, to the opposition as a whole." Labour TD Duncan Smith said there is deep division and anger among the public over the speaking rights issue. Mr Smith called on Ms Murphy to commit to a deadline as to when a decision will be made. Verona Murphy Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the government is off to "an incredibly bad start" while People Before Profit-Solidarity leader Richard Boyd Barrett called it "farcical". Independent Ireland's Richard O'Donoghue said that there was a "conflict of interest" with Ms Murphy making a decision on the matter, highlighting that she was a TD from the Regional Independents and was recommended for the role by Michael Lowry. Ms Murphy is yet to rule on where the Regional Independents who are not serving in Government will sit, with temporary arrangements for today seeing them remain on the opposition benches. There were calls for Ms Murphy to set a date for when she would make an adjudication on the issue. She earlier said she will act with utmost impartiality to decide whether or not the Regional Independents will sit on the opposition benches. 11.08am Speaking on his way into Leinster House, Michael Lowry addressed the ongoing controversy over speaking rights in the Dail saying that the matter is for the Dail reform committee with a decision expected "in the next couple of weeks". Mr Lowry repeated the claim that there is precedent for Independent TDs who support the government to sit in opposition, something opposition parties have rebuked saying that previously TDs were not involved in drafting the programme for government. "Fianna Fail did that in their supply and confidence arrangement. I have been doing it here for 25 years Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny, Leo Varadkar I supported them all from opposition and I'll do the same in the next government," he said. It was put to first-time TD Barry Heneghan that a TD cannot be involved in the programme for government and still sit in opposition, to which he responded: "I'm Barry Heneghan and I will always do the best for the people who put me in this position." 11.05am Earlier, Kerry TD and incoming junior minister Michael Healy-Rae also pushed back on suggestions that there is controversy over speaking rights amid an ongoing row between the new government and the opposition. There is no controversy because if things were to be different, there would have to be a change made on what was existing already. In 2016, there was a confidence and supply arrangement. So Fianna Fail were supporting the government at that time, but then they were also raising issues on the floor of the Dail. In 2020, you had TDs who were supporting the government and they were also entitled to stand up and raise issues on the floor of the Dail. This whole controversy as far as I can see, what theyre actually looking for is to change things to make them different to what they were because the system that was there allowed for this to happen. I believe what the Ceann Comhairle is doing is allowing that to happen. There is nothing unusual about it. Mr Healy-Rae also pushed back on suggestions the government was taking a two-week break as the Dail does not resume until February 5. He said he would be working for the people of Kerry whether or not the Dail was sitting, adding that he had no clarity on when he would become a junior minister. The idea of secretly filming people is creepy, yet people do it. New father Shane Flynn, who owned and ran the NGS Gym & Rehabilitation Clinic in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, is this week beginning his sentence of two years and four months for, among other things, secretly filming dozens of women topless as he massaged them. It has been reported that Meta, in conjunction with the luxury sunglasses maker Ray-Ban, known for its Wayfarer and Aviator glasses, will launch a new generation of smart sunglasses later this year. Meta recently signed a 10-year deal with Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group, which owns Ray-Ban. The upgraded version of the glasses, launched in 2021, reportedly arrives later this year. They have breathlessly been described as game-changing, with an AI assistant. They certainly will be of interest to voyeurs and would-be new technology stalkers. Some techies congratulated Meta on hitting a home run with the glasses or remarked that the spyglasses made them feel like James Bond. My response to that is, for Gods sake, grow up because reading about what they can do gave me a kind of vertigo at the potentially harmful impacts on all our lives, particularly women's The current Meta Ray-ban glasses allow you to tap a discreet button, and they will instantly take a photo. You can also record three-minute videos and live stream them to Metas social media platforms. A small LED light indicator lets others know the camera is recording, but its a gentle light that can easily be missed in broad daylight. When questioned about the potential for abuse with these glasses, Meta responded that they encourage users to respect peoples privacy preferences and to use voice or a clear gesture to let others know they are being captured. The idea that we can rely on the average stalker or cyber-peeping Tom to uphold privacy norms is ludicrous. Imagine how attractive the current Meta Ray-Ban glasses are to somebody who wants to, say, indecently film a topless female bather on a public beach and then upload it to social media What is more concerning is that the new glasses are said to open the door to photographing or videoing somebody, but also to potentially doxxing them, meaning identifying their names, home addresses and telephone numbers through AI baked into the glasses. If this is true, the implications are terrifying, particularly for women and girls. This is not alarmist. Last year, two Harvard students, in a publicly-minded experiment to highlight the privacy dangers, proved that a technologically-minded person could use the current glasses to dox women. Walking around their campus, they live-streamed videos and photos, got a program to monitor the stream, and used large language models and facial recognition software to identify the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, and even relatives' names of those recorded. Criminal offences We know that sexual harassment in public places is prevalent, which is why we have introduced a range of new offences to protect women from harmful behaviours, including stalking and the sharing of intimate images without consent. And yet, these freely sold smart glasses are shiny new tools for abusers. Last week, my primary thought when considering the offences of upskirting and downblousing for my other job was: What is the ultimate point of introducing new legislation to combat harmful behaviour if we simultaneously allow tech companies to roll out this technology? Upskirting and downblousing are covered under Cocos law, which criminalises recording an intimate image without consent, which would cover these glasses. Upskirting is a form of sexual voyeurism and abuse. Its when somebody covertly uses a camera or mobile phone to take photos or videos under a persons clothes to snap or record their genitals and buttocks without their permission. Often, its hard to detect when it occurs in a crowded public place and predominantly is carried out by men and boys against women and girls. Supermarkets, parks, public transport, and streets are apparently among the most common locations for upskirting. Unsurprisingly, schools and colleges, nightclubs, and festivals also feature in incidents. Devastated victims often fear that their images will be shared. With these glasses, victims are right to be scared because the social sharing of videos and photos is becoming seamless, passive and effortless. Upskirting made headlines during the recent notorious Pelicot case. Serial rapist Dominque Pelicot was arrested in a supermarket when a security guard caught him upskirting women at a French supermarket; this led police to detect his other crimes. Gisele Pelicot, 72, a retired logistics manager, believes she may have been raped more than 200 times by her ex-husband and other men between 2011 and 2020. Pelicot, as you will know, is the ex-husband of the heroic Gisele. One of the up-skirted women commented that afterwards, it took her two years to wear a dress while shopping. Downblousing is when downward-facing photos of a womans top and chest are shared without her consent and is also considered criminal behaviour. These Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses are perfect for downblousing. Its great that we have criminalised both the recording of intimate images without consent and stalking, but we are playing catch-up by introducing well-intentioned legislation; meanwhile, technology is forging ahead and facilitating wholesale spying and a range of predatory behaviours on and offline. Does that make sense to you? Im no techie and held out with a dumb phone until 2019, when I was forced to buy a smartphone to contact a family member who had moved abroad via WhatsApp. Truthfully, I always feel sorry for those willing to queue for hours for the latest iteration of a new smartphone to hand over hard-earned cash for a new phone almost identical to their existing phone, just with added new features, but thats just luddite old me. But even if you love new techie gadgets, it cant be denied that Meta and analogous tech companies are root and branch reshaping socially desirable norms around privacy, creating tolerance for spying on fellow citizens, whether or not that spying has a sexual component. The lucrative wet dreams of tech bros are being given precedence over our privacy and the safety and human rights of women and girls Tech bros: Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington. Saying privacy is dead is a form of privacy nihilism. The fight for privacy is a marathon and a race worth running. We must fight against Zuckerberg and others' desire for a less moderated, more freewheeling, anything-goes internet. This is the clarion call from tech bros cynically cosying up to the new Trump administration.As I discovered this week, to foil this new technology, we should remove ourselves from a list of databases and search engines on which our personal information is stored, including the search engines PimEyes and FastPeopleSearch. I found the process challenging, so Im getting a younger and more tech-savvy relative to help me. Not everyone has that relative. We need clear, easy-to-follow public information from organisations like the Citizens Advice Bureau and other state bodies instructing us on how to remove our private information from databases and protect ourselves, as well as greater awareness of this issue. Otherwise, the crude solution is to wear a mask in every public scenario. One thing is sure: stylish as they may be, if I see Ray-Bans within an inch of me, I will look out for that little light and question if I might be in the presence of a creep. Britain's Prince Harry's High Court case against the publisher of The Sun is set to return to court for a second day amid speculation over potential settlements. Harry, and former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, are bringing legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators between 1996 to 2011. NGN, which also ran the now-defunct News Of The World, denies any unlawful activity took place at The Sun. Tuesday was due to mark the start of the trial, but delays mean that the case remains unopened, amid speculation over whether Harry and Mr Watson will have settled their claims. After two earlier requests for adjournments on Tuesday, thought to be related to settlement discussions, Mr Justice Fancourt refused a third request for a delay as both sides had had ample time to seek to resolve their differences. Lord Tom Watson attended the first day of the hearing on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA) Following a short break, lawyers for both sides asked for the green light to challenge the judges decision to not provide a further delay. Anthony Hudson KC, for NGN, said the parties have been involved in very intense negotiations over the last few days and the reality is we are very close, adding that there were time difference difficulties. Mr Hudson continued: Very unusually, both parties are in complete agreement that this is a very important step. The number of times the parties have been in agreement in this litigation are very few and far between. Mr Justice Fancourt said he would not allow both sides to go to the Court of Appeal himself over his decision, but that he would not stand in the way of access to justice if they wanted to ask appeal judges for the green light. The hearing is now due to resume on Wednesday morning at 10am. Australian detectives are investigating whether foreign actors are paying criminals to commit antisemitic attacks in the country, police said. Australia Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw was meeting on Wednesday with state police chiefs to discuss an increase in antisemitic crime in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 2023. We believe criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents, Mr Kershaw told reporters in the national capital, Canberra. So part of our inquiries include: Who is paying those criminals, where those people are, whether they are in Australia or offshore, and what their motivation is. He did not take questions from reporters. National Cabinet met virtually today to reaffirm that Leaders are united in working together to stamp antisemitism out and keep it out. https://t.co/dlWiPBd0t5 Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 21, 2025 Mr Kershaw told federal and state government leaders on Tuesday in a briefing on antisemitism that detectives were investigating 15 serious allegations of antisemitic crime. We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs, Mr Kershaw said after Tuesdays meeting. We are looking at if or how they have been paid, for example in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify, he added. Police were also investigating whether young people were involved in antisemitism and if they had been radicalised online and encouraged to commit antisemitic acts, Mr Kershaw said. Prime minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday declined to comment on who might be paying for antisemitic crime in Australia. He told reporters: It is important that people understand where some of these attacks are coming from and it would appear that some of these are being perpetrated by people who dont have a particular issue, arent motivated by an ideology, but are paid actors. An arson and graffiti attack on a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue on Tuesday is the latest in a spate of targeted attacks in Australias largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which are home to 85% of the countrys Jewish population. The fires and other attacks have targeted buildings, businesses and cars. One person suffered burn injuries in a fire that was set at a Melbourne synagogue in December. After the childcare centre fire, New South Wales Police said the number of detectives working for Strike Force Pearl, which was formed to investigate antisemitic crime, had been doubled from 20 to 40. Strike Force Pearl detectives arrested a 33-year-old man on Tuesday night and charged him with attempting to burn down a synagogue in the inner-Sydney suburb of Newtown on January 11. A liquid accelerant burned out without the building catching fire. Red swastikas were also painted on an exterior wall. Police say the mans alleged accomplice was expected to be arrested soon. A cat named Mittens became an accidental jetsetter this month when she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia after her cage was overlooked in a plane cargo hold. The eight-year-old Maine coon cat was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand, to their new home in Melbourne, Australia on January 13. But owner Margo Neas said that as she waited for Mittens to be unloaded from the planes freight area, three hours passed with no sign of her cat. It was then that ground staff told Ms Neas the plane had returned to New Zealand with Mittens still on board. The return trip involves about 7.5 hours in the air. Mittens has been unusually cuddlesome since returning home (Margo Neas via AP) I said, how can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God, Ms Neas said. The Air New Zealand pilot was told of the extra passenger during the flight and turned on the heating in the cargo hold to keep Mittens comfortable, she added. Ms Neas was told that a stowed wheelchair had obscured a baggage handlers view of Mittens cage. It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didnt have the family, we werent complete, she said. But the saga had a happy ending. The pet moving company that Ms Neas used to arrange Mittens travel met the cat on her return to Christchurch and ensured she was back on the plane for another trip to Melbourne this time, just one way. Mittens had lost weight but was otherwise unharmed. She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time, Ms Neas said. It was just such a relief. The family got their cat back at Melbourne Airport after an epic journey (Margo Neas via AP) Air New Zealand would reimburse all costs associated with Mittens travel and has apologised for the distress caused, the airline said in a statement. Well work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesnt happen again, said spokesperson Alisha Armstrong. Meanwhile Mittens, not usually an affectionate pet, is the cuddliest shes ever been, said Ms Neas. The cat gets as much attention as she wants right now because were just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back. Yemens Houthi rebels said they have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their campaign in the Red Sea corridor. The rebels said they released the sailors after mediation by Oman. The crew of 25 included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. They then had a campaign targeting ships in international waters, which only stopped with the recent ceasefire in Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader is affiliated with an Israeli billionaire Abraham Rami Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel. The Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader saw the rebels launched a helicopter-borne raid. Propaganda footage of the raid has been played constantly by the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the ship at one point. On Monday, the Houthis signalled they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed. However, it likely will not be enough to encourage global firms to re-enter the route that is crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic through the region, cutting deeply into revenues for Egypt, which runs the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. Today Cloudy and windy with light rain this morning...then becoming partly cloudy. High 64F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Gusty winds during the evening. Low 51F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tomorrow Mostly cloudy. High near 65F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Danish MEP Curses Trump, Asserts Greenland Is Not for Sale Danish politician Anders Vistisen received a reprimand for using vulgar language while discussing the new US administration at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Mr. Vistisen, who is affiliated with the right-wing Patriots for Europe group, referenced President Donald Trumps remarks about controlling Greenland to ensure international security. Since his re-election in November, Mr. Trump has shown interest in acquiring Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark and considering it as part of the US. He has not dismissed the possibility of using military or economic pressure to convince Denmark to relinquish it. Another Member of the European Parliament had a message for tech leaders like Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who have been trying to gain favor with the new administration and held prominent positions during Mr. Trumps inauguration. In Europe, we have a market of millions of users that financially support your companies But we also prioritize protecting our citizens and democracies by enacting laws, stated socialist Laura Ballarin Cereza. If you dont agree, youre free to leave. You can take your Nazi salutes and your masculine energy and go back home. Mr. Musks hand gesture during the celebration of Mr. Trumps inauguration sparked comparisons online to a Nazi salute. Mr. Musk brushed off the criticism as a tired attack. 01/21/2025 In November, a group of Jacksonville State University (Jax State) biology students joined Dr. Lori Hensley, Dr. Jenna Ridlen, and Dean Tim Lindblom on a site visit to Sustainable Alabama, an industry leader holding a state integrated medical cannabis license. The visit provided students with an in-depth look at the processes behind cannabis cultivation and extraction, highlighting the intersection of biology and medical applications. Benjamin Bramlett, chief operations officer of Sustainable Alabama, hosted the group with a comprehensive tour of the facility, followed by a catered lunch-and-learn session. Bramlett detailed the companys innovative cultivation and extraction techniques and fielded questions from the students, offering insights into the growing field of medical cannabis. The trip was the culmination of BY420 Applied Medical Cannabis, one of the first cannabis science microcredential courses offered by Jax State. This cutting-edge course introduces students to the science, industry, and applications of medical cannabis, preparing them for opportunities in this emerging sector. Sustainable Alabama, a proud partner of Jax States cancer and cannabis research, actively collaborates with the universitys biology department to create valuable internship and educational opportunities for students. The following students participated in the site visit: Taja Mathews Gemma Littlejohn Sophia Johnson Bryan Jones Jada Burnes Jacob Gibbons Kyra Parker Bryant Turner Sergio Enrique Guerrero Pacheco Braxton Masters Gavin Anchondo Elizabeth Cortez Hannah Rollins Adara Veiga Ashton Robinson Alexandra Ginn Kimberly Flores Mary Faulkner Alleigh Ward Victoria Moses Logan Pitts Ian Thomas Tamara Garner Ainsley Grimes Alyssa Pope Jax States commitment to advancing cannabis science education aligns with its broader mission to prepare students for impactful careers in evolving industries. For more information about the universitys cannabis science microcredentials and ongoing research, visit this link. 01/21/2025 Jacksonville State Universitys Online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program has climbed to #21 in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs Rankings, reaffirming its position as a national leader in criminal justice education. It marks a significant leap of 15 spots from its #36 ranking in 2024 and an extraordinary rise of 38 spots from #59 in 2023. The ranking solidifies Jax States place as home to the highest-ranked Online Masters in Criminal Justice program in the state of Alabama, showcasing its commitment to academic excellence and innovation in graduate education. The rise in our programs ranking reflects the collective efforts of our faculty and staff, said Dr. Dean Buttram, Department Head and Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice & Forensic Investigation. Over the past two years, weve added new faculty members to our graduate program, further strengthening our already nationally ranked curriculum. Their contributions, along with the dedication of our entire department, have elevated our programs reputation. Were proud of this recognition and remain committed to providing a high-quality education that prepares our students to advance in the field of criminal justice. Jax States Online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program provides a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare students for advanced roles in law enforcement, corrections, homeland security, and other criminal justice fields. The program offers a flexible online format tailored to working professionals, enabling them to balance their studies with career commitments. Students benefit from instruction by experienced faculty with real-world expertise in law enforcement, policy, and research. Graduates of the program have successfully advanced into leadership roles at local, state and federal levels, contributing to the programs stellar reputation. This success is due to our department's continued desire to provide a student-centered approach to learning in an adaptive online learning environment, specifically for those already in the workforce, said Dr. Sheryl Pelletier, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Graduate Coordinator. Additionally, we are continuously reviewing and modifying class offerings to keep up with the needs of the students and the criminal justice community. This latest recognition builds on Jax States continued rise in national rankings. In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings, released in the fall, the university climbed to #55 among Best Regional Universities in the South and #25 among Best Public Universities in the South, marking the fourth consecutive year of improvement in both categories. For more information about Jax States Online Masters in Criminal Justice program, visit the programs website. Musk serves as Trumps ideal dancing partner in the chaotic spectacle of the dismantlement of the last fragile remnants of public welfare, writes Yoav Litvin. ( The New Arab ) Elon Musk, the obscenely wealthy, self-appointed messiah of the digital age, wields influence like a neural network running on overload. Hailed by some as a genius in the pantheon of Western capitalism, his ventures range from interplanetary settler colonialism to audacious plans to transform human brains into glorified USB ports. A serial entrepreneur with a personal life as turbulent as his X feed, Musk has rebooted marriages and ignited controversies. Part appropriator, part provocateur, he seems to thrive at the intersection of technology and spectacle, reshaping industries and stirring debates. Treating the human mind as just another operating system to be optimised for speed, while boldly telling advertisers to go f*ck yourself rather than cave to blackmail, Elon Musks political views are uninformed at best, and dangerously racist at worst. Appointed to lead Trumps concocted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk embraces far-right ideologies and dodgy tactics, including election meddling in the United States, Europe and now Australia to push his crony capitalist agenda of deregulation and tax cuts while consolidating ruling class political and cultural influence. Once upon a time a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist, Musk found himself at odds with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Zionist lobby group and self-styled anti-hate organisation the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), after airing his views in an X space with far-right antisemites and conspiracy theorists Alex Jones and Nick Fuentes, among others. This sparked a backlash from advertisers, which Musk dismissed with typical bravado. Yet this kerfuffle appears to have marked his come-to-Zionism moment. Reminiscent of Yuval Noah Hararis odyssey into a parallel Zionist universe, Musk may well have volunteered as a guinea pig for one of Neuralinks brain implants, with the latest Zionist propaganda manual uploaded directly into his circuitry, perhaps in collaboration with Israels Unit 8200. The sordid romance culminated in his carefully choreographed visit to Israel, where a crib was conspicuously staged amidst the crime scene littered with bullet casings, a theatrical touch to drive Netanyahus atrocity propaganda home. Elon Musks services to Zionism have included a visit to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz and the adoption of far-right, decontextualised interpretations of the October 7 events justifying an acceleration of Zionist genocide of and theft from the Palestinian people. Musks continuous promotion of Zionist narratives seems aimed at rehabilitating his image and ongoing antisemitism, which is often laced with typical white supremacist attacks on George Soros, historical revisionism, misrepresentation of Hitler and apologetics for the Fuhrers ideological heirs in Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) xenophobic far-right party. Unsurprisingly, none of this seems to have troubled Greenblatt, who appears quite content with Musks enthusiastic shilling for Israel as a cure-all-antisemitism panacea alongside his toxic philosemitic statements amongst which Musk has claimed hes Jewish by association. Most strikingly, on Monday at Trumps inauguration celebrations, Musk appeared to have brandished several Nazi salutes to the crowd, raising concern among many non-Nazi people, including its historical victims, Jews. Unsurprisingly, Greenblatt and the ADL were among the first to defend the tech billionaire, exemplifying the Zionism-for-antisemitism, quid pro quo relationship. Capitalism and Zionist white supremacy Musk personifies the dangerous intersection of capitalism, white supremacist Zionism and antisemitism in advancing fascism and global oppression. This dynamic, rooted in a history of white supremacist and Zionist exploitation of antisemitism, serves two interconnected purposes grounded in resource and land theft: sustaining Israels settler colonial project and scapegoating Indigenous, Black, Brown and immigrant populations worldwide as these same populations are robbed of their ancestral assets. Indeed, early Zionists drew heavily from European fascism, white supremacy, colonialism and messianic Evangelism, forging a troubling legacy of collaboration with antisemites, imperialists, and fascists to advance their exclusivist and expansionist agendas. Elons personal supremacy is reminiscent however of the divine right of kings, transmuted to a contemporary doctrine of the divine right of the ruling class. White supremacy, including Zionism, utilises racism historically to uphold colonial and capitalist systems, with devastating consequences for marginalised communities globally. This was also a dynamic exhibited in apartheid South Africa, from where Musk originated. Over the past century, Zionists and antisemites have often aligned in their shared goal of concentrating Jews in Israel; antisemites seeking to scapegoat, disenfranchise and expel an unwanted population and Zionists aiming to address the so-called demographic threat posed by native Palestinians. Both ideologies perpetuate the white supremacist notion of Jews as a distinct biological race, advocating segregation as part of a broader vision of global apartheid. Elon Musk, Project Esther and DOGE Musks collaborator Trump and his ally Netanyahu aim to bolster private capital by fragmenting the working class, pushing for the privatisation of public resources and dismantling workers rights and union protections. They manipulate the concept of a white, Western nation to fuel their nationalist agendas, all while claiming to safeguard the purity and security of their in-groups and Western interests. This enables them to sustain a racist, capitalist system of global apartheid and subjugation to a predatory ruling class. Musk, the embodiment of the type of individual this corrupt system nourishes, is the perfect benefactor and cheerleader to advance a rapacious agenda of deregulation and personal aggrandisement. Courtesy of the Biden administration, the ongoing genocide in Gaza has reshuffled the imperial deck, serving as the USs testing ground for oppression of resistance to its crony capitalist policies which are destroying the planet, rendering expansionism legitimate while disregarding international law. The devastating results of these fascistic ventures provide a feeding ground for Musk who has indeed stated his desire to help rebuild Gaza after a ceasefire is reached, now brokered by the Chicago-Boy-loving Trump. This scenario exemplifies Naomi Kleins concept of disaster capitalism, where crises are exploited for profit and control. Musks trajectory also fits seamlessly into the Heritage Foundations Project Esther , a campaign designed to weaponise the vilification and scapegoating of Palestinians and allies to shift U.S. policy under a second Trump administration. Targeting natural enemies of white supremacy and predatory capitalism, including Indigenous, Black, Brown, immigrant, queer and other marginalised groups, Project Esther unapologetically seeks to erase anticolonial perspectives from US education, limit the spread of dissenting information and restrict advocates access to the public sphere, economy and Congress. Its objectives include prosecuting alleged legal violations by Hamas Support Organisations (HSO) members, disrupting their communications, stifling demonstrations and rallying Jewish communities and the broader public against anticolonial resistance. Musks DOGE precisely resembles the intended setting for what Project Esther calls an opportunity for public-private partnership when a willing administration occupies the White House. Here, Musk serves as Trumps ideal dancing partner in the chaotic spectacle of the dismantlement of the last fragile remnants of public welfare. Cloaked in fearmongering and patriotic rhetoric about American values, the initiative reframes offensive aggression as defence and institutionalises the repression of dissent within a fascistic framework. It casts itself as the last bastion against a fabricated bogeyman of foreign influence, claiming to protect white America from supposed anticapitalist infiltration, whilst shepherding criminal Israel and protecting its actual foreign influence which aligns with US exploitative regional foreign policy in the Middle East. Musk and the ideologues behind Project Esther heroically wage a holy war against liberals and woke culture, echoing the Ku Klux Klans delusional self-portrayal in Birth of a Nation. It appears that Musk has also taken cues from Zionist atrocity propaganda and fabricated narratives, including faux-rape allegations, integrating these Jim Crow-style tactics into his latest fixation on grooming gangs in the UK and the trope of vulnerable white girls. In a gruesome dance macabre, Musks broader ideological framework works in tandem with Trumps, amplifying their shared penchant for fearmongering and divisive cultural narratives, all while they posture as self-proclaimed white saviours. Reprinted from The New Arab with the authors permission. TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2025 /CNW/ - First Nordic Metals Corp. (the "Company" or "FNM") (TSXV: FNM) (OTC: FNMCF) (FRA: HEG0) announces that Mr. Henrik Lundin has been appointed to the Company's board of directors. Mr. Lundin has 19 years of technical and business experience in the natural resource sector and has held various executive and board roles with both private and public companies in the mining and oil and gas sectors. He previously served as Chairman of Gold Line Resources Ltd. ("Gold Line"), one of the predecessor companies to FNM. At Gold Line Henrik was involved in the initial consolidation of its belt-scale project package in Sweden, as well as the acquisition of the Oijarvi greenstone belt project in Finland from Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. Mr. Lundin was also Chief Operating Officer of TAG Oil Ltd., responsible for global operations. He also worked for Lundin Energy AB in Norway prior to moving over to Aker BP ASA where he currently serves as an Advanced Reservoir Engineer. Henrik is a Swedish citizen and has a B.Sc. Petroleum Engineering degree from the Colorado School of Mines in Colorado, USA. Taj Singh, FNM CEO comment: "On behalf of the board and management team, I am thrilled to welcome Henrik to FNM. His European experience and expertise will no doubt be very important to FNM as we advance our projects in the Nordics. Additionally, Henrik's networks and connections in Europe will be particularly useful in the near-term, with our planned exchange listing in Sweden.'' Henrik Lundin remarks: "I am excited to be joining the FNM board. FNM has done a great job in consolidating and launching one of the most meaningful European gold stories in the sector. It seems to be the right place and the right time for FNM, as both Sweden and Finland, with long-standing and impressive histories in mining, seem determined to increase their current relevance in the minerals industry." The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to Mr. Lundin to acquire an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.42 (the "Options"), in accordance with its 10% rolling Incentive Stock Option Plan. The Options vest upon the date of the grant and are exercisable for five years. ABOUT FIRST NORDIC METALS First Nordic Metals Corp. (FNM) is a Canadian-based gold exploration company, consolidating assets in Sweden and Finland to create Europe's next gold camp. The Company's flagship asset in northern Sweden is the Barsele Gold Project, a joint venture project with senior gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. Immediately surrounding the Barsele project, FNM is 100%-owner of a district-scale license position comprised of three additional projects (Paubacken, Storjuktan, Klippen), which combined with the Barsele Project, total 104,000 hectares on the Gold Line Belt. Additionally, in northern Finland, FNM is the 100%-owner of a district-scale position covering the entire underexplored Oijarvi Greenstone Belt, including the Kylmakangas Au-Ag deposit, the largest known gold occurrence this belt. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Taj Singh, M.Eng, P.Eng, CPA CEO & Director Follow First Nordic Metals: Twitter: @fnmetals Youtube: @firstnordicmetalscorp LinkedIn: @firstnordicmetals Facebook: @FirstNordicMetals Instagram: @firstnordicmetals Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although First Nordic believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (FSE: H56) (the "Company" or "Tudor") is pleased to announce that Mr. Joe Ovsenek has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors, effective immediately. As a member of the Board of Tudor Gold, Mr. Ovsenek is expected to play a key role in advancing the Treaty Creek gold, copper and silver property located within the Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia. Ken Konkin, President and CEO, comments: "We welcome Joe Ovsenek to our Board of Directors. Joe, a proven mine builder, will transition from the Advisory Board to join our Board of Directors. I've had the privilege of working alongside Joe for many years during my time at Silver Standard and Pretium Resources, and I am confident that his extensive experience and leadership will greatly benefit the Company. Joe is a highly accomplished professional in our industry, with a proven track record in exploration, development, permitting, financing, mine construction, and production. His expertise will be invaluable as Tudor Gold continues to advance the Treaty Creek gold project." Joe Ovsenek, Director of Tudor Gold, stated: "I am pleased to join Tudor Gold's Board and look forward to working closely with Ken and his team as they continue to explore and advance the Goldstorm Deposit at the Treaty Creek gold, copper, and silver project. The recent discovery of the high-grade SC-1 Zone is a game-changer for Treaty Creek. This high-grade target not only has the potential to enhance the overall grade profile of the project but also opens the door to an accelerated pathway to potential production. This discovery exemplifies the exploration expertise of the Tudor Gold team and highlights the untapped potential of the Treaty Creek property." Mr. Ovsenek continued: "Treaty Creek stands out due to several strategic advantages, including excellent infrastructure access, a substantial and growing resource base, and strong partnerships with local Indigenous communities. These key attributes firmly establish Treaty Creek as a cornerstone asset for Tudor Gold. I am excited to contribute my experience in exploration, development, permitting, and potential mine construction to the Board. I believe the Treaty Creek project has significant potential to deliver value to shareholders while contributing significantly to the economic growth and opportunities within the region." Joe Ovsenek, currently President and CEO of P2 Gold Inc., has over 20 years of international management and legal experience in the precious metals industry. He has been responsible for building teams and leading the growth of public resource companies from early exploration stage to production. Before founding P2 Gold, Mr. Ovsenek was President and CEO of Pretium Resources Inc. where he led the development of the high-grade gold Brucejack Mine which has been operating profitably since commercial start-up in 2017. Mr. Ovsenek began his nine-year tenure at Pretium in 2011 as Chief Development Officer and led the financing of the company from exploration stage to operations and was subsequently appointed President in 2015 and President and CEO in 2017. Prior to Pretium he served for 15 years in senior management roles for Silver Standard Resources Inc., lastly as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development responsible for the sale of the Brucejack and Snowfield assets to the newly created Pretium Resources Inc. Mr. Ovsenek holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto. Mr. Ovsenek is a registered member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, and holds the Chartered Director (C.Dir) designation. Tudor Gold also announces that Daniel Le Dressay will step down from his role as a member of the Board of Directors but will continue to serve as Legal Advisor to the Company. In this capacity, Daniel will lead our legal team to deal with the ongoing issues with Seabridge Gold Inc. (KSM Mining ULC) regarding the License of Occupation and other permits related to the Mitchell Treaty Creek Tunnel (MTT) project. He will continue to collaborate with outside counsel to pursue appropriate legal actions to safeguard Tudor Gold Corp.'s mineral tenures and ensure they remain unimpeded in any way by the proposed MTT Tunnel project or any other permits issued to Seabridge Gold Inc. and its subsidiaries that may adversely impact Tudor Gold Corp.'s lawful rights and interests. About Tudor Gold TUDOR GOLD CORP. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with claims in British Columbia's Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek project (in which TUDOR GOLD has a 60% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM property to the southwest and borders Newmont Corporation's Brucejack property to the southeast. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUDOR GOLD CORP. "Ken Konkin" Ken Konkin President and Chief Executive Officer Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-Looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the completion and anticipated results of planned exploration activities; the Company's intention to construct an exploration ramp to target the Supercell Cell One Zone for infill and expansion drilling at their flagship Treaty Creek Project; that this initiative will substantially reduce both the cost and time required to drill and define the Supercell One Zone from underground drilling stations compared to conventional surface drilling; that once completed the underground infrastructure will provide long-term benefits to the project; the underground development will be important in the selection of optimum material required for a 10,000-tonne test for a pilot process; that the advantages of driving an exploration development ramp are significant and will bring significant value to the Project; once the underground exploration drift is completed, year-round drilling program of approximately 25,000 meters will focus on the Supercell One Zone and peripheral areas; following ramp construction, Tudor Gold will accelerate its drilling program with the goal of fully unlocking this potential multimillion ounce high-grade gold system; that the Supercell One Zone is on its way to becoming a significant asset within the Goldstorm Deposit; that the exploration drill campaign planned for the Supercell One Zone and the remainder of the Goldstorm Deposit will further enhance this potential; that this initiative will assist in attracting a strategic partnership; and that the Company plans to further explore the Supercell-One system and review other gold-dominant sub-domains. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company's planned exploration activities will be completed in a timely manner. The Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, that future gold prices and the demand and market outlook for gold will remain stable or improve, that the exploration ramp will result in the benefits anticipated; that underground development is important in the selection of optimum material required for a pilot process; that the advantages of driving an exploration development ramp will prove to be significant and will bring significant value to the Project; assumptions regarding the Company's exploration plans; the viability of the Supercell One Zone and the impact of the exploration drill program on the same; and that the Company's initiatives will attract strategic partnership. Material assumptions relating to the indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource are contained in the Company's Technical Report filedon SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include the risk that the exploration ramp will not result in the benefits anticipated, increased competition, that management's expectations regarding the viability of the Supercell One Zone will prove to be inaccurate, that the Company will not have the resources required to carry out its exploration plans or complete construction of the exploration ramp,,risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Drill Now Turning to Expand and Upgrade Current Douay Mineral Resource and Test New Property-Wide Discovery Targets Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G) ("Maple Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an exploration update and 2025 outlook for its 100%-owned Douay Gold Project ("Douay") and Joutel Gold Project ("Joutel") (together, "Douay/Joutel" or the "Property") located along the Casa Berardi-Douay Gold Trend in Quebec, Canada (see Figures 1 and 2). A 10,000-metre ("m") Phase I diamond drilling program (the "Program") has now commenced at Douay with an expected duration of three to four months. The location of the Douay mineralized zones and primary targets are shown in Figures 3 and 4. Key objectives of the Program include: Targeting poorly drilled areas within Inferred Resources for conversion to Indicated Resources within the pit-constrained and underground resource domains; Step-out drilling along strike, down-dip, and down-plunge to expand Inferred Resources Step-out drilling from zones of high-grade gold mineralization within the underground Inferred Resources to demonstrate lateral and vertical continuity; Targeting areas between modeled mineralized zones with geological continuity; and Testing new targets developed during the compilation exercise of geological, geochemical and geophysical data. Concurrent development initiatives are anticipated throughout 2025 to advance and de-risk the Douay deposit, including a review of the current Douay mineral resource estimate ("MRE") and an evaluation of potential scenarios to optimize higher grade mineral resources that could be accessible via underground mining methods. An additional 3,000 m of diamond drilling is planned at Joutel in H2 2025 to extend the known high-grade gold mineralization along the past-producing Eagle-Telbel mine trend. "We are excited to be drilling again at Douay with refocused attention on the higher-grade core of the deposit and its possible extensions both within and beyond our current drill pattern up to 500 m vertical depth," stated Kiran Patankar, President and CEO. "Maple Gold's technical team has accomplished a monumental task in compiling over 50 years of exploration data to generate new geological/structural/geochemical 3D models that have vastly improved our drill targeting. This work highlights the excellent exploration potential of Douay/Joutel, the importance of its location along the deep-seated Casa Berardi break, and the opportunity for the Property to host multiple gold deposits within a variety of geological settings. Our focus in 2025 will be executing a comprehensive exploration and development program that is aimed at delivering shareholder value through the drill bit and via project de-risking, while maintaining strict cost discipline across the Company." A total exploration budget of approximately $6.3 million has been established for 2025, including permitting, drilling, assaying, personnel, camp and site support costs. The 2025 work program will be fully funded from Maple Gold's existing treasury. Program Details The Company is currently planning a minimum of 10,000 m of diamond drilling at Douay in 2025. Phase I drilling has now commenced with an expected duration of approximately three to four months (see Figures 3 and 4). The breakdown of the drilling metreage will be approximately: 70% dedicated to de-risking and expanding the Douay MRE through strategic infill and step-out holes (along strike and at depth); and 30% for the testing of new regional geological and geophysical targets along strike from the Douay MRE and north into the Taibi Group sediments along favourable structural breaks and lithologic contacts. The Company plans to complete infill drilling throughout the Douay MRE to convert Inferred Resources to Indicated Resources, potentially add new Inferred Resources within poorly drilled 100-200 m gaps between modeled mineral domains and target the down-plunge extensions of higher-grade zones outside the Douay MRE. The Company plans to utilize all available data from its year-long data compilation exercise to initially target the shallow portions of the Douay mineralizing system (<500 m vertical depth) to fully understand the geometry of the known zones and outline key plunge directions (Phase I on Figure 4) before systematically stepping down-plunge and at depth (>500 m vertical depth) during a proposed second drilling phase (Phase II on Figure 4). This will allow the Company to control exploration risk and maximize exploration success. The initial focus of Phase I drilling will be on the central portions of the Douay MRE targeting higher grade areas within the Porphyry Zone (comprised of West/Central/East portions), which is hosted within the Douay Intrusive Complex and includes some of the highest-grade assays returned on the Property (up to 2,888 grams/tonne ("g/t") of gold ("Au") over 0.5 m in historical drill hole DO-05-04). Other targets include: the 531 Zone which is hosted within mafic volcanic and folded interflow sedimentary rocks and includes one of highest-grade gold intersections reported by the Company in drill hole DO-21-310 which returned 8.8 g/t Au over 28.5 m, including 12.7 g/t Au over 10.0 m and 31.1 g/t Au over 0.5 m (see Company news release dated September 9, 2021); and the Main Zone which lies along the northern edge of the Douay Deformation Zone ("DDZ") with gold mineralization hosted along the sheared graphitic contact between the Taibi Group volcaniclastic and sedimentary rocks to the north and Cartwright Hills Group mafic volcanic rocks to the south. Taibi Group sediments represent a promising new target area for the Company with the potential for sediment-hosted gold deposits along a major lithotectonic boundary similar to the Casa Berardi and Canadian Malartic deposits. Douay/Joutel Exploration Update Since the completion of its last drilling campaign in Spring 2023, the Company has focused on streamlining onsite operations, standardizing procedures, enhancing efficiencies, centralizing data management, optimizing workflow, and reducing overhead site costs. This effort has led to increased productivity from a revamped technical team that has reviewed historical drill core, compiled and digitized data, distinguished new geological and structural controls on gold mineralization, and developed vectors for targeting gold mineralization in the next phases of drilling. Key tasks completed by the Maple Gold technical team include: re-logging of historical diamond drill core (>20,000 m); re-interpretation and preparation of drill hole cross-sections and level plans for all mineralized zones; updating and creating new robust 3D geological and structural models in Leapfrog software; updating of the Property-wide drill hole and geochemical databases with previously unincorporated historical data; layering of geological, structural, geochemical and geophysical data sets to generate new targets; and use of expert geochemical consultants to process multi-element assay data to identify potential pathfinder elements and 'hot' spots. Key findings from the year-long data review and compilation exercise include: The Casa Berardi Deformation Zone (the " CBDZ ") widens around Douay/Joutel resulting in complex zones along the DDZ of brittle and ductile deformation, subsidiary splays, NNE cross-faulting, and potential dextral rotation around the Douay Intrusive Complex resulting in Delta-type pressure shadows and possible structural traps for gold (see Figure 2). A variety of host domains and rock types are favourable for gold mineralization including the Douay Alkaline Intrusion, Taibi Group sediments (including iron formations), Cartwright Hills Group basalts (including Fe-Rich tholeiitic komatiites), Temiskaming-style conglomerates, and structural breaks associated with major lithotectonic (volcanic-sedimentary) contacts. Multiple styles and generations of mineralization are present at Douay/Joutel including Intrusion-Related Gold Systems (" IRGS "), multi-phase breccias, late orogenic gold, and synvolcanic-exhalative gold (Eagle-Telbel). Gold mineralization is commonly associated with broad zones of albitization, Fe-carbonatization, silicification, hematization, fenitization, biotitization, and pyritization and alteration can be used as a key vector for gold mineralization. The twelve (12) main mineralized zones all display a strong plunge geometry to the higher-grade gold mineralization, which varies from shallow to steep, and from southeast to southwest, possibly related to an earlier folding event. There also appears be a periodicity to the mineralized zones within the DDZ spaced 500 m to 1,000 m apart (see Figure 3). There has been very limited drilling below 500 m vertical depth in comparison to other gold deposits in the Abitibi (East Gouldie/Odyssey, LaRonde) (see Figure 4). Planned Douay Development Initiatives The Company plans to review the current Douay MRE for the Project which currently contains both pit-constrained and underground Inferred and Indicated mineral resources to optimize higher grade resources that could be accessible via an underground mining scenario. Initial focus would include the Douay West zone which currently hosts Indicated mineral resources totaling 4.2 million tonnes ("Mt") grading 2.13 g/t Au (containing 286,000 ounces of Au) and Inferred mineral resources totaling 3.7 Mt grading 1.39 g/t Au (containing 169,000 ounces of Au)1. Douay West also includes existing surface infrastructure constructed in 1995 including a headframe and mine hoist. Figure 1: Location of the Douay/Joutel (Eagle-Telbel) Property in the Abitibi Sub-Province, Quebec Figure 2: Plan view map showing generalized geology and mineralized zones at Douay/Joutel Figure 3: Plan view map showing location of Douay Mineralized Zones, 2025 Target Area and Drill Collars Figure 4: Composite longitudinal section showing location of Douay Mineralized Zones and 2025 Target Areas (in red) (note: comparison to other deposits for reference purposes only) 2024 Exploration Work Completed at Joutel and Morris VMS Project In Q2 2024, the Company completed a 525 line-km airborne drone-magnetic geophysical survey over a detailed grid on the western portion of the Joutel gold project to assist in the development of new drill targets along the western strike extent of the Eagle-Telbel stratigraphy. In Q3 2024, the Company completed a lithogeochemical sampling program over its Morris volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") project, located 29 km east of Matagami, Quebec. The program focused on the felsic volcanic rocks of the key Watson Lake formation which is present on the Morris project and is known to host the major VMS deposits within the Matagami mining camp. The Summer 2024 sampling program highlighted several areas of highly altered rhyolite, and the Company is developing plans for follow-up work in 2025. Qualified Person Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng., Vice President, Technical Services of Maple Gold and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information related to exploration and Mineral Resource matters contained in this news release. About the Douay/Joutel Gold Project The Douay/Joutel Gold Project is located adjacent to Highway 109 in the heart of the Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada's premier gold mining jurisdiction (see Figure 1). This large, 100%-owned land package includes the multi-million ounce2 Douay Gold Project and the past-producing, high-grade Joutel Gold Mine Complex3. The Property contains ~400 km2 of highly prospective geology (see Figure 2) within the influence of the major gold-bearing CDBZ. Gold mines in the immediate region include the Casa Berardi Gold Mine operated by Hecla Mining Company and the Detour Lake Gold Mine operated by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (see Figure 1). About Maple Gold Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a Canadian advanced exploration company focused on advancing its 100%-owned, district-scale Douay and Joutel gold projects located in Quebec's prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. The Douay/Joutel projects benefit from exceptional infrastructure access and boast ~400 km2 of highly prospective ground including an established gold mineral resource at Douay with significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Telbel and Eagle West mines at Joutel. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property, a key part of the historical Joutel Mining Complex. Maple Gold's property package also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55-km strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the property ripe for new gold and polymetallic discoveries. The Company is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow mineral resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi. For more information, please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD. "Kiran Patankar" Kiran Patankar, President & CEO NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Notes This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective,", "strategy", "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements about the resource expansion and discovery potential across the Company's gold projects, and its intention to pursue such potential, and the Company's exploration work and results from current and future work programs. Although the Company believes that forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct, as forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events on the date the statements are made and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of additional risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this news release, please refer to the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval Plus (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca or the Company's website at www.maplegoldmines.com. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and/or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any intention to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 1 For additional details, see the technical report for the Douay gold project entitled "Technical Report on the Douay and Joutel Projects Northwestern Quebec, Canada Report for NI 43-101" prepared by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. with an effective date of March 17, 2022, and dated April 29, 2022. 2 The Douay Project contains Indicated Mineral Resources estimated at 10 million tonnes at a grade of 1.59 g/t Au (containing 511,000 ounces of gold), and Inferred Mineral Resources estimated at 76.7 million tonnes at a grade of 1.02 g/t Au (containing 2,527,000 ounces of gold). See the technical report for the Douay Gold Project entitled "Technical Report on the Douay and Joutel Projects Northwestern Quebec, Canada Report for NI 43-101" prepared by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. with an effective date of March 17, 2022, and dated April 29, 2022. 3 The Eagle, Eagle West and Telbel Gold Mines at Joutel were in production from 1974 to 1993 and produced 1.1 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 6.5 g/t Au (Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. website) Highlights: Surface Sample Results Yield More Targets in Southern Expansion Block Four New Target Areas Identified Rock Chips Up to 3.1 g/t Au, 64 g/t Ag, 0.67% Cu and 0.92% Pb Core Drilling Ongoing at Pilar's Main Zone, Four (4) Holes Completed to Date HERMOSILLO, MEXICO / ACCESS Newswire / January 22, 2025 /Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the "Company") (CSE:TOC) (OTCQB:TCVNF) (WKN:TV3/A2PE64), is pleased to announce new surface exploration results from its Gran Pilar Gold Silver Project in mine-friendly Sonora, Mexico. A total of 188 rock samples and 9 infill soil samples were analyzed from the Southern Block of the 100% controlled Expansion Area. Four new target areas have been identified spanning an area 1.8-kilometers long and 1.0-kilometer wide. A summary of the top surface results is provided in Table 1 and Figure 1. An additional area 2.1-kilometers by 1.4-kilometers remains unsampled to the east. Five kilometers to the north in an area referred to as the North Alteration Zone, early geochemical sampling, alteration mapping and satellite data interpretation suggests a separate large scale (3.2-kilometers long by 1.5-kilometers wide) epithermal target exists. The Company plans to continue the steady advancement of these areas as they present significant exploration targets. Core drilling continues at Pilar's Main Zone where four drillholes have been completed so far totaling over 408-meters. As drilling continues logging and sample preparation is underway to evaluate the core results for incorporation into a resource model. The aim of the core program is to build out a more robust geological model across the area. Each hole completed has successfully intersected lithologies and structures (vein zones, breccia zones and/or large fault gouges) known to host and control gold - silver mineralization at Pilar that will aid in modelling. The Company cautions these are visual indications, assay results are pending to verify the grade of mineralization. RC drilling will recommence shortly on the expansion area to continue to test the northern extension of mineralization. "The latest surface exploration results are adding to our list of targets across the Southern Block." commented, CEO Brodie Sutherland. "Given how early we are in development of this area, it has yielded encouraging results across a large footprint that extends two kilometers east and 900-meters north of our Main Zone. What excites us about these targets is the fact that back at our Main Zone historic sampling yielded similar results where there is significant exposure across roadcuts and trenches. Here in the Expansion Area, we are only seeing naturally exposed windows into the subsurface, we will look to advance these through trenching and drilling this year. Much of the southern area now has road access, speeding up the advancement of the area. The Southern Block has kept us occupied, we have not yet begun to detail sample and evaluate the potential of the Northern Block. Early recon sampling has shown significant potential for a large-scale epithermal system, we think is separate to what is observed to the south proximal to our Main Zone. Field observations lead us to believe the two areas represent potential for two separate mineralized systems across the project area greatly expanding our resource potential." Figure 1. Surface Rock Sampling Results from Gran Pilar Southern Block. Figure 2. Soil Sampling Results from Gran Pilar Southern Block. Table 1. Summary of Top Rock Sample Results from Latest Exploration Work across Gran Pilar. Table 2. Summary of new infill soil sample results from Gran Pilar. Figure 3. Gran Pilar Project Overview, > 22km2 of prospective ground. Pilar Drill Highlights: 2024 RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 42.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 10.9 g/t Au 56.4m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 14.7 g/t Au 16.8m @ 0.8 g/t Au and 19 g/t Ag 2022 Phase III Diamond Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 116.9m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 10.2m @ 12 g/t Au and 23 g/t Ag 108.9m @ 0.8 g/t Au, including 9.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag 63.4m @ 0.6 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag, including 29.9m @ 0.9 g/t Au and 18 g/t Ag 2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 39.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14.6 g/t Au 47.7m @ 0.7 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag 29m @ 0.7 g/t Au 35.1m @ 0.7 g/t Au 2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag; 41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ; 24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag 15,000m of Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include: 61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au 21.0m @ 38.3 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag 13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au 9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag Pilar Bulk Sample Summary: 62% Recovery of Gold Achieved Over 46-day Leaching Period Head Grade Calculated at 1.9 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag; Extracted Grade Calculated at 1.2 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag Bulk Sample Only Included Coarse Fraction of Material (+3/4" to +1/8") Fine Fraction (-1/8") Indicates Rapid Recovery with Agitated Leach Agitated Bottle Roll Test Returned Rapid and High Recovery Results: 80% Recovery of Gold and 94% Recovery of Silver after Rapid 24-hour Retention Time Additional Metallurgical Studies: Gravity Recovery with Agitated Leach Results of Five Composite Samples Returned 95 to 99% Recovery of Gold 73 to 97% Recovery of Silver Includes the Recovery of 99% Au and 73% Ag from Drill Core Composite at 120-meter depth. Based on management's strong belief in the project's potential, the Company is outlining a permitting and operations strategy for a pilot facility at Pilar. The facility would underpin a robust test mine scenario with aims to process up to 50,000 tonnes of material. Timelines and budget are being prepared with the aim of moving forward with the development early in 2025. With gold prices hitting all-time highs, the Company believes the onsite test mine will provide key economic parameters and showcase the mineral potential of the area. In 2023, the Company completed an offsite bulk sample that produced important data showcasing the potential to recover both gold and silver through a variety of methods including heap leach, gravity and agitated leach (see August 22, 2023, news release for more details). About Tocvan Ventures Corp. Tocvan's advancing gold-silver projects are located in the mine-friendly jurisdiction of Sonora, Mexico. Through ongoing exploration programs, Company is unveiling the high-potential at its Gran Pilar Gold-Silver Project where it holds 100% interests in over 21 square kilometers of prospective area and a majority ownership (51%) in a one square kilometer area shared with Colibri Resources. The Company also holds 100% interest in the Picacho Gold-Silver project in the Caborca Trend of northern Sonora, a trend host to some of the major gold deposits of the region. Management feels both projects represent tremendous opportunity to create shareholder value. Tocvan has approximately 56 million shares outstanding. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Rock samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was analyzed using 50-gram nominal weight fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Over limits for gold (>10 g/t), were analyzed using fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver and other elements were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol. Soil Samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold and multi-element analysis of soils was completed by aqua regia digestion and ICP-MS finish using a 50-gram nominal weight. Over limit gold values greater than 1 g/t were re-assayed with a more robust aqua regia digestion ad ICP-MS finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising blank samples and certified reference materials were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol. Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO for Tocvan Ventures Corp. and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Offering. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to the speculative nature of the Company's business, the Company's formative stage of development and the Company's financial position. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For more information, please contact: TOCVAN VENTURES CORP. Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO 820-1130 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC V6E 4A4 Telephone: 1 888 772 2452 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. STAY CONNECTED: LinkedIn: TOC LinkedIn X: TOC X Facebook: TOC Facebook YouTube: TOC YouTube Web: tocvan.com All dollars are Canadian unless otherwise noted Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Ridgeline Minerals Corp. ("Ridgeline" or the "Company") (TSXV: RDG) (OTCQB: RDGMF) (FSE: 0GC0) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") to raise gross proceeds of up to $3,500,000 through the sale of up to 23,333,333 units ("the Units") at the price of $0.15 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") of the Company and one-half of one non-transferable share purchase warrant (each a whole warrant a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Share of the Company at a price of $0.25 per share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. The proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement will be used to fund exploration activities at the Company's Nevada projects and for general working capital. Certain directors and officers of the Company may acquire securities under the Private Placement. Any such participation would be considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The transaction will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any shares issued to or the consideration paid by such persons will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company may pay 6% cash finder's fee in connection with the Private Placement. All securities to be issued in the Private Placement will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period from the closing date under applicable securities laws in Canada. The Company anticipates closing of the private placement as soon as practicable and is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Ridgeline Minerals Corp. Ridgeline Minerals is a discovery focused precious and base metal explorer with a proven management team and a 200 km2 exploration portfolio across seven projects in Nevada, USA. The Company is a hybrid explorer with a mix of 100%-owned exploration assets (Big Blue, Atlas, Bell Creek & Coyote) as well as two earn-in exploration agreements with Nevada Gold Mines at its Swift and Black Ridge projects and a third earn-in with South32 at its Selena project. More information about Ridgeline can be found at www.ridgelineminerals.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking statements in this release, for example include but are not limited to: the general use of proceeds, that the Company will complete the Financing that the Company will carry out exploration on its Nevada properties. The words "potential", "anticipate", "meaningful", "discovery", "forecast", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "plan", "historical", "historic" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Ridgeline has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that TSX Venture Exchange approval will be granted in a timely manner subject only to standard conditions; that all conditions precedent to completion of the Private Placement will be satisfied in a timely manner; the current objectives concerning the Company's projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Ridgeline to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to dependence on key personnel; risks related to unforeseen delays; risks related to historical data that has not been verified by the Company; as well as those factors discussed in Ridgeline's public disclosure record. Although Ridgeline has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Ridgeline and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Ridgeline does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Not for dissemination in the United States or through U.S. newswires VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (January 22, 2025) TheNewswire - Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. (CSE: AFX / FSE: O5K) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it has received assay results for its Phase 2 exploration program from ALS Laboratory in Val dOr, Quebec. As previously announced on October 30, 2024 the Phase 2 exploration program lasted nine (9) days in total and consisted of controlled blasting in three (3) areas of interest. The following map shows the three (3) areas of interest along with six (6) primary targets that underwent controlled dynamite blasting to expose fresh rock for description and assaying. The geological team collected eighteen (18) samples, three (3) from each of the six (6) primary targets. The final assay results received from ALS Laboratory in Val dOr, Quebec indicate that all eighteen (18) samples collected were marginally anomalous for lithium (Li). However with the lithium market in general being quite depressed the values indicated are not conducive for the Company to continue further exploratory work at this time. Harry Chew, Chief Executive Officer of Arctic Fox, commented, Our Phase 2 exploration results have highlighted some marginally anomalous results for lithium and other strategic minerals on the Pontax North property. We have gained a lot of information from our Phase 2 exploration program however with the current state of the lithium market the Company will have to assess its current position and explore its options including adding other properties or assets to its portfolio to create shareholder value. Figure 1: Blast preparation target #2 Figure 2: Freshly Exposed rock target #2 About Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral properties containing battery, base and precious metals. The Companys 2,756-hectare Pontax North Lithium Project (Pontax North) is located 12 km south of Allkem Ltd. (ASX/TSX:ALLKEM) (Allkem) James Bay Lithium Project and 12 km north of Stria Lithium Inc.s (CSE:SRA) Pontax Lithium Project, located in northern Quebec, approximately 130 km east of the Eastmain Cree Nations community. The northern portion of Pontax North contains a lithium prospective zone in a similar geological environment to Allkems project. According to the Quebec Ministere de lEnergie et des Ressources Naturelles (MERN) the Causabiscau Suite is characterized by the abundance of S-type pegmatitic granite intrusions, a lithology known for its Be, Li, Cs, Nb, and Ta potential. Beryl (a beryllium silicate mineral) is reported in several outcrops within this zone. The Property is known to contain a 10 km long pegmatite trend as mapped by MERN. This trend appears to be underexplored, despite its recognized lithium potential. Swarms of lithium-bearing granitic dykes are present 12 km north of the Property at Allkems Cyr deposit and at Stria Lithiums Pontax deposit 12 km to the south. References to adjacent properties: 12 km North: Allkem Ltd. James Bay Lithium: The technical report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report Feasibility Study James Bay Lithium Project Quebec, Canada prepared by G Mining Services, SLR Consulting, Wave International and WSP Canada and dated September 29, 2023. 12 km South: Stria Lithium Inc. (Pontax Lithium Project): https://strialithium.com/exploration/pontax-project/ * This news release contains information about adjacent properties on which Arctic Fox has no right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Companys properties. The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Benjamin Mougin, P.Geo, M.Sc. and Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Benjamin Mougin is independent of Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. For further information, please contact: Harry Chew, President, CEO Phone: (604) 689-2646 On behalf of the Board of Directors, Harry Chew Harry Chew President & CEO Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address any activities and events or developments that Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. ("Arctic Fox") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although Arctic Fox believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to: potential benefits of the fieldwork described in this press release; and the future potential of and exploration on the properties described in this press release. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include the failure to complete the fieldwork on the timing and terms as contemplated or at all; uncertainty with respect to the results of future exploration and the ability to conduct any exploration activities on the properties described in this press release; market prices; disruptions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic; and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions; in order to conduct anticipated exploration activities; and that the exploration compilation work described in this press release will be completed as anticipated. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Arctic Fox does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 22, 2025) - Big Red Mining Corp. (CSE: RED) (FSE: K8J) (the "Company" or "Big Red") is pleased to provide an update on our expanding antimony portfolio. The company has signed an agreement to acquire the Bald Hill Antimony Project in southern New Brunswick. Highlights Bald Hill is a known high-grade antimony deposit in southern New Brunswick Past work including drilling has outlined an antimony deposit over 500 m long Widths average over 3 meters and grades average 3% to 4% antimony. NI-43-101 Technical Report: Potential quantity and grade of the drilled area, which is the target of further exploration, is in the 725,000 to 1,000,000 tonne range grading 4.11% to 5.32% Sb (~30,000 to 40,000 tonnes contained antimony) Potential to expand based on additional known targets The Property The property is located approximately equal distance from Sussex, Fredericton and St John in southern New Brunswick in Queens County New Brunswick. Access is very good with Provincial and regional highways crossing and adjacent to the property. Total of 25 drill holes have been completed on the property since discovery in 2008. The deposit consists of at least three antimony-bearing breccias and hydrothermal veins zones trending northwesterly. Mineralization has been defined over 700 meter strike length to a vertical depth of 300 meters and is open in all directions and to depth. High Grade antimony has been encountered in drilling including the discovery Hole DDH08-03 which intersect ed 4.51m @ 11.7% Sb including 2.29m grading 20.9% Sb. 2010 Trenching ~ 450 meters south of DDH08-03 returned 2.90% Sb over 8.18m, which included 5.79% Sb over 1.75m and 8.47% over 1.53m. The Option Agreement Big Red Mining Corp. can exercise the Option and earn a 100% interest in the Property by making aggregate cash payments of $2,000,000 to Globex Mining Enterprises Inc., issuing an aggregate of 1,100,000 common shares to Globex and incurring aggregate exploration expenditures of $5,000,000 on the Property as follows: (a) Paying $2,000,000 in cash to Globex as follows: (i) $25,000 paid on or before the tenth business day after Exchange acceptance of this Option Agreement; (ii) $75,000 paid on or before the 3 months from of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; (iii) $125,000 paid on or before the 1st anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; (iv) $150,000 paid on or before the 2nd anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; (v) $500,000 paid on or before the 3rd anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; and (vi) $1,125,000 paid on or before the 4th anniversary of the Effective Date of this Option Agreement; Note: First 2 year payments are firm obligations. Figure 1: Sample of Antimony Baring Breccia from Surface Trench. The Bald Hill Property is subject of a NI43-101 Technical Report by CRA dated May 2010. (Reference: NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-10 TECHNICAL REPORT BALD HILL ANTIMONY PROJECT SOUTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA NTS MAP SHEET 21G/09 AND 21H/12 Prepared For: Rockport Mining Corp.) While noting that the report does not describe a resource, that report does present the Potential for the Bald Hill Project based on work to that date. The report states: "Potential Quantity and Grade Ranges" Between March 2008 and June 2008, Rockport Mining Corp completed 16 diamond drill holes totaling 3454 meters on the Bald Hill Property. A total of 609 samples (including QA/QC) were assayed from the drill program. The drilling has outlined a northwest-southeast trending antimony-rich mineralized zone over a strike length of 450 metres. Significant antimony mineralization intersected by the drilling includes 11.7% Sb over 4.51 metres (core width) in diamond drill hole BH-08-03. A summary of significant drill hole assay results is shown in Table 3. Surface mineralization assayed 43% Sb over 2.0 metres. The mineralized zone remains open in all directions and is felt to have significant potential for expansion. The potential tonnage and grade of a potential mineral deposit at the Bald Hill Property, which is the target of further exploration, is expressed as ranges in the Table 6 below. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. POTENTIAL QUANTITY AND GRADE RANGES* Zone Metric Tonnage Grade (%Sb) Main Zone 700,000 to 900,000 4.33% to 5.40 Parallel Zone 25000 to 100,000 2.13% to 3.19% Total 725,000 to 1,000,000 4.11% to 5.32% -Note: * The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and that it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. Estimation Methodology The Bald Hill potential quantity and grade estimates were completed using a manual polygonal method to estimate antimony grades and tonnages for each composited interval block ("block"). Composited intervals were calculated for each drill hole and surface outcrop in an excel spreadsheet. Each interval had to meet the criteria of being greater than or equal to the minimum true thickness of 1.0 metres, and to be greater than or equal to the cut-off grade of 1% or 2% antimony. The current antimony metal price is US $8,800 to $9,300 /tonne (Metal Bulletin: April 22, 2010)." Figure 2: Bald Hill Mineralized Zones Figure 3: Example Cross Section of Bald Hill Mineralized Zone Discussion Jim Atkinson, CEO of Big Red, commented, "We are very excited to have an opportunity to acquire the Bald Hill Antimony Property in Southern New Brunswick. The property has a series of excellent drill holes with high-grade antimony intersections in a vein-breccia system that has been drilled over 500 meters and is open for expansion. Our staff is currently finalizing plans for an exploration program that will include up to 2000 meters of diamond Drilling along with other field work." The technical contents of this news release were reviewed and approved by Jim Atkinson, MSc., P.Geo., who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Big Red also announces a private placement financing (the "Offering") of up to 13,000,000 Common Shares of the Company at a price of C$0.11 per Common Share for gross proceeds to the Company of up to $1,430,000. The net proceeds received from the Offering will be used by the Company for exploration and development activities and general working capital. About Big Red Mining Corp. Big Red holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Antimony 2.0 Property, which is located approximately 25 kilometers west of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and approximately 15 kilometers northeast of the historic Lake George antimony mine. The Lake George antimony mine operated for various periods from the 1860s to 1998 and produced as much as 4 per cent of the world's demand of antimony from 1970 through 1992. The Antimony 2.0 Property comprises over 35 square kilometers of relatively unexplored ground with excellent access via provincial and logging roads, and hydro power. Big Red's management team possess extensive experience in financing, exploration, development and mining. Big Red intends to conduct exploration campaigns on each of its optioned properties with a goal of finding one or more minable resources. WWW.BIGREDMINING.COM VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Angel Wing Metals Inc. (TSXV: AWM) ("Angel Wing Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to report the commencement of a phase 1 - 1,500 metre ("m") diamond drill program at the La Reyna Gold Project in Nayarit, Mexico. The first phase of the program will include 10 -12 holes aimed at confirming historical surface sampling grades, on strike continuity, orientation and depth of known mineralization, and artisanal mine workings. Highlights include: La Reyna represents a new greenfields gold project that has never been drill tested. 1,500 metre diamond drill program has commenced. Drilling will test 6 8 target areas with known surface gold mineralization and historic artisanal mining operations. Historic trench results from some of the targets include 5.03 g/t Au gold over 21.0 metres, 1.21 g/t Au over 12.7 metres and 0.92 g/t Au over 15.52 metres. Outcrop assay results collected by the Company also confirms the gold mineralization and include 27.12 g/t Au and 90.0 g/t Ag over a 0.45 metre channel, 6.58 g/t Au and 4.25 g/t Au over 1.0 metre panels, and a grab sample with 2.42 g/t Au and 399 g/t Ag. Drilling will initially be focused on the Dolorosa, Zorrillo, San Ramon, and El Polo targets. (Figure 1) Overall, the Company is optimistic about the potential for new discoveries at La Reyna given it remains currently relatively underexplored yet boasts indications of a significant mineral system located within a prolific gold mining district. STOCK OPTIONS Angel Wing also announces that pursuant to Company's stock option plan, 1,700,000 stock options at an exercise price of C$0.10, were granted to directors of the Company. The stock options granted will vest in two equal instalments over one year and are exercisable for a period of five (5) years from date of grant. The Company relied on sections 5.5 (a) and (b) and 5.7(a) and (b) of MI 61-101 as the exemption from the minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 in respect of the grant of options to the directors of the Company as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the grant of the options to the director of the Company exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization. QUALIFIED PERSON Marc Prefontaine, M.Sc. P.Geo., President and CEO, is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release. ABOUT ANGEL WING METALS Angel Wing Metals (TSXV:AWM) is focused on the exploration and development of its portfolio of precious metals properties in Mexico and Canada . The Company's flagship La Reyna Project covers 106.89 km2 in the southern extension of the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental gold-silver belt in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. Angel Wing Metals is committed to sustainable and responsible exploration and business activities in line with industry best practices, supportive of all stakeholders, including the local communities in which the Company operates. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.angelwingmetals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ANGEL WING METALS INC. Marc Prefontaine President & CEO Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", " expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding: planned drilling and exploration program of the Company. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Angel Wing Metals' current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Angel Wing Metals and on assumptions Angel Wing Metals believes are reasonable. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Angel Wing Metals to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; competition; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting Angel Wing Metals; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. A description of additional assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward- looking information can be found in Angel Wing Metals' disclosure documents on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Angel Wing Metals has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions, or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Angel Wing Metals as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, Angel Wing Metals expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. Italy has released the head of Libya's judicial police who directs Tripoli's Mitiga detention centre, a government source told AFP on Tuesday, just days after he was arrested on an international arrest warrant. Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was arrested Sunday at a Turin hotel on an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after a tip from Interpol, according to local media. But a government source speaking on condition of anonymity said on Tuesday that he had been released and was on a plane to Libya, without providing a reason for the release. International human rights groups have long condemned abuses in Libyan detention centres, citing widespread violence and torture. Rome's controversial deal with Libya -- dating from 2017 and renewed under the hard-right government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni -- involves providing funding and training to the Libyan coastguard. In exchange, Libya is expected to help stem the departure of migrants to Italy, or return those already at sea back to Libya, where they are often taken to such detention centres. glr-ams-gab/yad/sbk X Teruko Nakazawa once intervened in a knife fight between an ex-offender and their mother -- all in a day's unpaid work for Japan's army of volunteer probation officers. The 83-year-old, who jokes she is a "punk" as she puffs on a cigarette, devoted decades to supervising and helping rehabilitate convicted criminals on parole. But she did not take a single yen for her hard work under a long-running but little-known state scheme that some say contributes to the nation's famously low crime rate. Around 47,000 citizen volunteers known as "hogoshi" far outnumber the 1,000 salaried probation officers in Japan. "I never wanted to be thanked or rewarded," said Nakazawa, recalling once going to save a boy "surrounded by 30, 40 bad guys". "I did what I did because I wanted to," she told AFP. "You can't help but try to put out a fire when you spot one, right?" But the altruistic programme faces an uncertain future, with around 80 percent of hogoshi aged 60 or over. The recent murder of a hogoshi by a parolee has also rattled the trust in ex-offenders' good nature underlying the system. For one of Nakazawa's former charges, "she was like a grandma". "I wouldn't dare do anything bad on her watch," he said, declining to be named because he hides his criminal past. "I was scared of ever feeling guilty that I had betrayed her." The 34-year-old said Nakazawa "helped me a great deal" -- especially to apologise to his victims. - Stabbing - A 60-year-old hogoshi was fatally stabbed in Otsu, near Kyoto, by a man under his supervision in May. The incident raised fears that potential hogoshi -- who may already be wary of parolees whose crimes include theft, sex offences and sometimes murder -- could be scared away. Hogoshi have historically rejected proposals to be paid a regular wage. This is because their activity is "a symbol of selflessness" rooted in "love for humanity", legal experts said in an October report. Only some of their expenses are covered, and they must pay a yearly registration fee -- another factor blamed for the struggle to attract younger volunteers. Still, Japan "would be a different country without hogoshi", said Carol Lawson, a comparative criminal justice professor at the University of Tokyo, citing the nation's "extraordinary lack of post-war crime". The system's high "tolerance of risk" is unusual, she said. Hogoshi often invite parolees to their homes to develop a warm, familiar relationship. Countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Kenya have made use of Japan's expertise to introduce similar systems. But "it's hard to even imagine the hogoshi system gaining any traction" in Anglo-American jurisdictions with a more "retributive" mindset, Lawson told AFP. - 'OK to exist' - Nakazawa said her daughter used to worry about her safety and would have urged her to quit had the Otsu homicide occurred before her retirement in 2018. But if society shuns ex-offenders, "they will only proliferate and commit even more heinous crimes," she said. "We have to root for them so they won't reoffend." Hogoshi often recruit other hogoshi based on criteria such as reputability, stable income and sufficient free time. Mieko Kami, a 74-year-old Tokyo flower arrangement teacher, had no experience with criminals before joining the scheme. When first approached, "I thought, 'there's no way I can do this'", Kami told AFP. But after three years she changed her mind and was soon sipping tea with a yakuza gangster, helping a young man in a squalid apartment and hurrying at night to a blood-soaked suicide attempt. "Learning about their upbringing sometimes makes me think it's inevitable they turned out this way," Kami said. "I feel they want to be assured it's OK to exist," she said, describing herself as "sometimes being their mother". "So I praise, acknowledge them... I feel fond of them." - 'Good listener' - Currently on parole in Osaka, Ueko, who only gave his nickname, recalls taking illegal drugs "to be set free of my painful life" trying to fit in as a gay person in Japan. Initially, his hogoshi's life seemed so impeccable "I doubted he could possibly understand the feelings of us ex-prisoners," the 47-year-old told AFP at drug rehab centre DARC. But now "he's a very good listener for me". It is not uncommon for parolees to skip their twice-monthly appointments with hogoshi and fail to bond. Still, Nakazawa's once-rowdy charges sometimes visit her cafe for tearful reunions, or phone her asking about her health. "They even jokingly tell me, 'don't mess around', which is exactly what I used to tell them!" Nakazawa laughed. "I spent my whole life caring about other people. But now I'm old and getting weak, they're caring about me." "They're my hogoshi now." Over one million people have now fled the Sudanese war into neighbouring South Sudan, according to the United Nations, which said the figures illustrated the scale of the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands have been killed and more than 12 million forced from their homes since conflict erupted between Sudan's army and a rival paramilitary group in April 2023. More than 770,000 people have fled through the Joda border crossing in the last 21 months, while tens of thousands more have crossed into South Sudan elsewhere, bringing the total to more than a million, according to new UN data on Tuesday. Most of the million people crossing the border are South Sudanese nationals who had previously fled from civil war in the world's newest country, UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a statement. "The arrival of over a million people into South Sudan is a stark and sobering statistic and truly shows the increasing scale of this crisis," the UNHCR's Sanaa Abdalla Omer said. "The people of South Sudan continue to show extraordinary generosity, welcoming those in need and sharing what little resources they have, but they cannot shoulder this massive responsibility alone." The joint UN statement called for more support for both displaced people and the communities hosting them, warning that resources in South Sudan such as healthcare, water and shelter had become "dangerously overstretched". Two transit centres in Renk county on South Sudan's northern border were designed for fewer than 5,000 people but were now hosting over 16,000, the statement said. Last week, 16 Sudanese nationals were killed in South Sudan after anti-Sudanese protests degenerated into looting and violence, according to police. Sudan is suffering the world's worst internal displacement crisis and famine has been declared in parts of the country. The war has pitted Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and indiscriminately shelling residential areas. The RSF has been specifically accused of ethnic cleansing, systematic sexual violence and laying siege to entire towns. Research in November that took into account deaths from all causes, including disease and starvation, estimated that more than 61,000 people died during the first 14 months of the war. Iranian authorities on Wednesday arrested 10 women members of the Bahai community, a representative group said, warning of escalating repression against one of the country's biggest non-Muslim religious minorities. "Security forces arrested ten Bahai women, without arrest warrants or prior notification, in a series of shocking home raids," the Bahai International Community (BIC), which represents at the United Nations the interests of faith members worldwide, said in a statement. It said security agents scaled walls, coerced neighbours and even posed as utility workers to force entry into the women's homes, "subjecting them to distressing and invasive searches". The women face charges including participation in conducting "deviant" educational and propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law. "The Iranian government has once again shown its true face," said Simin Fahandej, BIC representative at the UN in Geneva, calling the raids "yet another senseless act against women who are completely innocent". "Their so-called 'crime' was to serve their local communities, and now the Iranian government has detained them in violent home raids," she said. The BIC called the arrests "part of a systematic and escalating campaign of persecution against the Bahai". In December, UN experts in a statement voiced concern over "what appears to be an increase in systematic targeting of women" belonging to the Bahai minority throughout Iran. US-based rights group Human Rights Watch said in April that the Iranian authorities' persecution of the Bahais since the Islamic revolution of 1979 constitutes a "crime against humanity of persecution". Unlike other minorities, Bahais do not have their faith recognised by Iran's constitution and have no reserved seats in parliament. How many members of the community remain in Iran is not known, but activists believe there could still be several hundred thousand. The Bahai faith is a relatively young monotheistic religion with spiritual roots dating back to the early 19th century in Iran. Senior community figures Mahvash Sabet, a 71-year-old poet, and Fariba Kamalabadi, 62, were both arrested in July 2022 and are serving 10-year jail sentences. Both women had previously been jailed by the authorities over the past two decades. Sabet risks being sent back to prison after being given leave for open heart surgery, supporters have warned, while Kamalabadi remains in jail. The International Criminal Court on Wednesday confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant for the head of Libya's judicial police on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, a day after Italy released him. The Hague-based court said in a statement that Italian authorities had arrested the suspect in Turin on Sunday, but reportedly released him Tuesday "without prior notice or consultation with the Court". "On 18 January 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court by majority, issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Osama Almasri Najim," the ICC said. Najim, also referred to as Osama Elmasry Njeem, is believed to have been in charge of Tripoli's Mitiga detention centre, and is wanted on charges including murder, rape and sexual violence and torture, committed since February 15, 2015. The alleged crimes were committed against detainees because of their religion, perceived "immoral behaviour" or alleged support or affiliation to other armed groups, the ICC said. Najim was arrested Sunday at a Turin hotel on the ICC warrant after a tip from Interpol, Italian media reported. But on Tuesday "without prior notice or consultation with the Court, Mr Osama Najim was reportedly released from custody and transported back to Libya," the ICC said. "The Court is seeking, and is yet to obtain, verification from the authorities on the steps reportedly taken," it said. The ICC, to which Rome is a state party and whose founding statute bears the Italian capital's name, said it had "deliberately" refrained from commenting on Najim's arrest "at the request of, and acting out of full respect for the Italian authorities". "At the same time, the Court continued to pursue its engagement with the Italian authorities to ensure the effective execution of all steps required by the Rome Statute for the implementation of the Court's request." But on Tuesday, Najim was released and returned to Libya without explanation. - 'Cooperate fully' - The ICC is an independent court capable of prosecuting those accused of the world's worst crimes. Its 125-member states, including Italy, which ratified the Rome Statute in 1999, are legally required to carry out arrest warrants issued by the court's judges. "The Court recalls the duty of all States Parties to cooperate fully with the Court in its investigations and prosecutions of crimes," the ICC said. Italian opposition parties have demanded Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni come to parliament to explain the decision to release Najim, with Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein calling it "very opaque". "Giorgia Meloni wanted to chase human traffickers around the world, a Libyan one was arrested in Italy and instead of following up the request of the ICC... they sent him back unpunished to Libya," the centre-left opposition leader said. Maria Elena Boschi, a lawmaker from the centrist Italia Viva party, said it was "astonishing that a person with an arrest warrant from the ICC feels so safe in our country that he can be a tourist in Turin and even go to see a match at the stadium." "After being arrested, he is released through a legal technicality and then even taken back to Libya on a flight from our air force," she said. International human rights groups have long condemned abuses in Libyan detention centres, citing widespread violence and torture. Rome's controversial deal with Libya -- dating from 2017 and renewed under Meloni's hard-right government, involved providing funding and training to the Libyan coastguard. In exchange, Libya was expected to help stem the departure of migrants to Italy, or return those already at sea back to Libya, where they were often taken to such detention centres. The situation in Libya was first referred to the ICC for investigation by the United Nations in early 2011, a few months before a revolt toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi after four decades of iron-fisted rule. Seven arrest warrants are still pending in the Libya case, the ICC said. burs-jhe/ric/yad Swiss prosecutors said Wednesday they were examining several complaints against visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as reports suggested NGOs were accusing him of "incitement to genocide" in Gaza. The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) confirmed it had received "several criminal complaints" against Herzog, who was at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos this week. "The criminal complaints are now being examined in accordance with the usual procedure," the OAG said in an email sent to AFP, adding that the office was in contact with Switzerland's foreign ministry "to examine the question of the immunity of the person concerned". It provided no details on the specific complaints filed. The Swiss Keystone-ATS news agency reported that one of the complaints came from an NGO called Legal Action Against Genocide. The NGO was calling for Herzog to be prosecuted "for incitement to genocide and crimes against humanity", the news agency said. The complaint, it said, deemed he had played "an active role in the ideological justification of genocide and war crimes in Gaza, by erasing all distinction between the civilian population and combatants". Israeli officials have repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes and genocide, accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields. Herzog spoke at Davos on Tuesday and held meetings on Wednesday morning but it was unclear if he was still in Switzerland. Complaints were also filed against him when he attended the Davos meeting a year ago but the OAG refrained from opening an investigation that time, Keystone-ATS reported. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israeli history, resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. It sparked a war that has levelled much of Gaza and, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, killed more than 47,100, a majority of them civilians, figures the United Nations has said are reliable. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - President William Ruto chaired the first Cabinet meeting of 2025 yesterday at Kakamega State Lodge. The meeting primarily focused on encouraging the Cabinet to leverage the broad-based government to drive transformative change in Kenya. However, conspicuously missing was Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, thus raising speculations on his future as a CS. This comes after Muturi dropped a startling expose implicating National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin Haji in his son Leslie Muturi's abduction during the anti-government protests. Muturi accused Ruto of being an accomplice to his sons abduction. A group photo of President William Ruto, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and the Cabinet Secretaries showed everyone except Muturi. His absence has fueled speculation among Kenyans about his whereabouts and whether he had tendered his resignation after exposing Ruto and his government over the ongoing abductions. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - Three scoundrels are cooling their heels at the Kilimani Police Station after they were arrested by Kilimani detectives while on a mission to defraud an innocent Kenyan. Rafael Ojiambo, Samuel Ayako, and Wilfred Gitongas proverbial 40 days came to an abrupt end along Nyerere Road when the detectives got wind of their mischief. The three, who had already begun counting their luck, were stopped in their tracks while handing over a safe containing 1.2 million fake US Dollars to the victim in an attempt to obtain clean money. The malefactors had previously obtained Kshs. 4.3 million from another honest Kenyan. A Toyota NZE Reg. No. KBN 101D that was ferrying the safe containing the fake Dollars was impounded, and so was the safe and its contents which have been kept as exhibits. The trio was presented before the Chief Magistrates Court Milimani where custodial orders were granted for the detention of the suspects at Kilimani Police Station until 27th January 2025. Members of the public are being cautioned against engaging in such get-rich-quick schemes as they are solely designed to rob them of their hard-earned money. Investigations have revealed that some victims have lost their valuables including houses and vehicles that were placed as collaterals in exchange for hard cash that is eventually lost to the criminals, with victims being left with nothing to show but millions of fake dollars. Meanwhile, the DCI reiterates its resolve to fight all forms of fraudulent activities engineered to rob members of the public of their hard-earned resources and wealth. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has refused to go down without a fight. This is after he moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge three High Court judges over their ruling on his impeachment. In yet another attempt to keep his political life alive, Gachagua named President William Ruto as a respondent as his legal team decried a conflict of interest involving the three-judge bench empaneled to hear and determine his case in October 2024. Amid a battle to retain his DP seat in October 2024, Gachagua was dealt a blow when the High Court ruled that Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) Philomena Mwilu acted within the law in empanelling a three-judge bench comprising justices Anthony Mrima, Eric Ogola, and Fridah Mugambi to hear the impeached DP's case. However, in another appeal, Gachagua's team led by Baragwi Ward MCA David Munyi Mathenge raised concerns over a possible conflict of interest involving the three judge-bench who are said to be close friends with elements involved in the former DP's ouster. The application particularly brought forth ties of Justice Anthony Mrima to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi - citing Kingi's attendance at Justice Mrima's wedding ceremony where the Speaker referred to Mrima as a 'long-time friend'. More controversially, Gachagua's legal team also mentioned that Justice Eric Ogolas spouse holds a prestigious position at a reputable agency, courtesy of the presidency. Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula, who oversaw the MP's overwhelming votes to impeach Gachagua, was also named in the lawsuit as a respondent. The judges are also accused of 'determining the merits of the recusal applications before hearing the parties in the recusal applications. This, according to Gachagua's legal team, was a blatant denial of his right to a fair hearing. Further, the judges were accused of failing to take into consideration Justice Chacha Mwita's orders from October 18 2024 halting the replacement of Gachagua as Deputy President. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - A group of armed bandits stormed the home of Wabera MCA Selasio Kiambi in Isiolo Town on Monday night, stealing livestock in a violent raid that left residents in fear. The attackers, described as heavily armed, reportedly fired gunshots to break into the property before driving away with the animals. Gunfire rang out in Wabera Ward from late evening until midnight, with terrified residents unable to sleep as chaos erupted in the Kiwanjani area. The National Police Service later reported that the multi-agency security team recovered two firearms and 19 stolen animals following a fierce exchange of fire with the bandits. One civilian fatality was confirmed during the operation. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - Police in the UK have launched investigations into the murder of a Kenyan lady identified as Marriane Kilonzi, a senior banker. Marrianes body was found in her apartment Friday afternoon with a fatal head injury. Metropolitan Police working on the case were yet to make any arrests, but they believe the deceaseds killer was known to her. This is a tragic crime, and our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time are with Marianne's loved ones and colleagues, Detective Suzanne Soren told the media. She termed the manhunt for the suspected killer a fast-paced investigation. Forensic detectives searched her house and rubbish bins for evidence that might assist in the investigations. Marianne was Vice President of Trade and Working Capital Sales, Treasury, and Trade Solutions at Citibank, where she had worked for more than 18 years. According to her LinkedIn profile, she studied Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) at Kenyatta University between 2001 and 2004. A postmortem conducted on Saturday indicated Mariannes cause of death as blunt force trauma and a head injury. I know this is a concerning time for the wider community and want to reassure the public that whilst we are in the early stages of this investigation, we believe the suspect was known to Marianne, the detective involved in investigations said. Neighbours said she had lived at the lavish apartment for two years. In more recent months, a man had been seen regularly at the apartment. Neighbours described her as a very bubbly and lovely lady. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - More photos of the two thugs who stabbed to death a single father in Mathare and robbed him have emerged. Reports indicate that the suspected thugs have been unleashing terror on innocent Kenyans in the informal settlement. They attack their victims, rob them of their phones, and sell them at a throw-away price. The middle-aged man was attacked and killed by the hoodlums in front of his son. The incident happened at around 5 am when the father, who worked at a mjengo, was escorting his 3-year-old son to school before reporting to work. According to the neighbors, he was a hardworking father who always wanted the best for his boy. The man had been raising his boy as a single father since the child was 3 months old, only to be killed by the two ruthless youthful gang members. The kid is safe but must be traumatized as he will never forget watching his father writhing in pain on the ground, gasping for air after being stabbed, with his lunchbox scattered on the dusty road. Anyone with information about the two thugs (Govi and Campbell), should report to the nearest police station They are wanted, dead or alive. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Over 30,000 Kenyans are facing a real threat of deportation from the United States of America (USA). This is after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to deport all illegal immigrants from the U.S. after his swearing-in as the 47th President. During his inaugural speech on Monday, Trump announced plans to fulfill his campaign promise of conducting mass deportations upon assuming office. Outlining a series of actions aimed at reshaping his new administrations policies, Trump specifically targeted individuals living in the US without proper documentation. We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came." On the first day of his presidency, Trump vowed to issue nearly 100 executive orders, 10 of which were closely tied to immigrationan issue that was a central focus of his 2024 campaign. Shortly after being sworn into office, Trump announced an executive action aimed at ending birthright citizenship, further increasing the number of individuals affected by the lack of US citizenship. According to Trump, his push for the deportation of undocumented immigrants is intended to bolster national security and ensure that US resources primarily benefit its citizens. According to the International Migrant Stock 2020 dataset by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the US hosts the highest number of Kenyan migrants (157,000), followed by the United Kingdom (139,000). Trumps executive orders have faced criticism from the international community, including lobby groups that have expressed their intention to challenge the directives in court. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - US President, Donald Trump has granted an unconditional pardon to the creator of the notorious dark web page Silk Road in honor of the Libertarian Movement. Ross Ulbricht, 40, was arrested in 2013 because the dark website he founded facilitated the sale of illicit drugs using cryptocurrency. In 2015, he was sentenced to two life terms in prison plus 40 years for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking, operating under the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts. 'Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited peoples addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people,' Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said upon Ulbricht's sentencing. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to commute Ulbricht's sentence 'on day one' if he were re-elected, and garnered enormous support from the convicted criminal's loved ones and fans. And while Ulbricht's clemency was not one of the many tasks Trump completed on Monday, the President revealed on Tuesday evening that Ulbricht had been granted a full and unconditional pardon. 'I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright (sic) to let her know that in honour of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,' Trump revealed on TruthSocial. 'The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous! Prosecutors had described Silk Road as an unprecedented one-stop online shopping mall where the supply of drugs was virtually limitless. At his 2015 sentencing, the judge cited six deaths from drugs bought on Ulbricht's site and five people he tried to have killed. Ulbricht said at the time that he was a changed man. Earlier on Tuesday, Ulbricht's clemency lawyer said he maintained hope Trump would deliver on his promise to commute the sentence. 'We do expect President Trump to grant clemency. The president, when a candidate, said that he would release Ross on his first day in office,' he said. 'We have no doubt the president will follow through on his commitment to release Ross. Ross, his family, and all his supporters are forever grateful to President Trump for his willingness to show mercy to Ross.' Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - Busia senator Okiya Omtatah has expressed dissatisfaction with how former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was impeached from office. Speaking during an interview, Omtatah said he does not strongly align with Gachagua's style of politics but observed that money was paid to orchestrate his impeachment. According to Omtatah, he was offered about KSh 10 million by President William Rutos operatives to support Gachagua's impeachment motion but declined the offer. "The Riggy thing is a tragedy because of how he was impeached. The way the impeachment was choreographed, and I can tell you this without fear of contradiction, that money was paid. They paid a deposit of seven million to people and three million after voting. I rejected the KSh 10 million," Omtatah claimed. He noted that the National Assembly failed to secure the required amendments for Gachagua's impeachment as outlined in Kenya's Constitution. He argued that the Constitution mandates that the procedure for impeaching the president should apply to the deputy president with necessary amendments, which was not followed in Gachagua's ouster. "A lot of the things that were being thrown at Riggy G were matters of law enforcement that needed to be taken to the OCS. We needed to have a clear procedure of how we were going to handle the impeachment of a deputy president. So by the mere fact that we were using the procedure of impeaching the president, it is disobeying the requirement that we amend it," Omtatah alleged. Omtatah stated that, for these reasons, he could not vote in favour of Gachagua's impeachment in the Senate. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - In Oinop Seran, Tambach Ward, tensions are rising over a land dispute that involves multiple communities. Police officers, along with chiefs and assistant chiefs, have been ordered to oversee the fencing of the disputed land under the directives of a powerful local Member of Parliament (MP) and a key figure in the Presidents administration. This development has raised concerns among local residents, who fear the consequences of the ongoing land dispute. According to the Officer in Charge of the Station (OCS), the land in question is claimed to belong to Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi. The OCS shared this information during a meeting with local residents, which was captured in a video. One of the residents, identified as Ngege, has urged the MP to ensure that the proper legal procedures for land acquisition are followed. Ngege cautioned against falling victim to scammers, warning that improper dealings could lead to future complications. The history of this land dispute dates back to 1921, when the Kerio River shifted its course, moving towards the Baringo side. In 1977, the conflict over land ownership between the Keiyo and Tugen communities escalated, resulting in loss of life. The dispute has continued for decades, with both communities claiming ownership of the land. The situation has raised significant concerns in the area, and residents are calling for a peaceful and lawful resolution to the conflict. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - A popular Ugandan preacher moves around with a contingent of heavily armed police officers and chase cars, resembling the entourage of a head of state. The controversial preacher, identified as Pastor Bugingo, was recently filmed arriving at an event in style while being heavily guarded. Armed police officers brandished rifles as they guarded the flamboyant man of God, who has a huge following. The video has since sparked reactions on social media. A social media user wrote, Police are protecting him while he gives his followers olive oil for protection,. Why does a pastor need soldiers to guard him? I thought he had the Holy Spirit looking over him another user wrote. Watch the video. Pastor Bugingo Atuuse Mulumbe lwa Kato Lubwama pic.twitter.com/YrtWkxNd5K ugamusic.biz (@ugamusic_biz) January 18, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has differed with top ODM officials over the position of the party in President William Rutos government. Speaking during an interview with one of the local radio stations, Kaluma maintained that the Orange party is in government and by extension former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. According to the lawmaker, the officials and other members claiming that the ODM party is in opposition are not being honest with Kenyans. He further argued that the 2010 Constitution does not have opposition in the current structure of the government. Kaluma took an issue with Siaya Governor James Orengo, whom he said is singing about the opposition because he comes from the old constitution. Let me clarify a few things. People have been saying ODM is not in government, that ODM is in some imaginary opposition, which I can challenge you to show me that thing you call opposition in our structure of government in our constitution and I will give you Ksh1 million. You will not get it. You must understand people like Orengo coming from the old constitution still singing opposition, Kaluma said. Kalumas remarks come after Orengo and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna urged leaders in the Orange party to uphold the partys core identity and values as an opposition outfit. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, January 22, 2025 The move by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to merge ANC with President William Rutos UDA has landed him in deep trouble. This is after ANC members threatened to withdraw from the party, accusing Mudavadi of betrayal. Speaking to the press yesterday, ANC members criticised Mudavadi for allowing ANCs merger with Rutos UDA without proper consultations. Expressing their dissatisfaction with the controversial decision, the disgruntled members stated that they would cease supporting Mudavadi unless he reversed his move. We note that the top leadership of the party has allowed itself and the party to be swallowed up by our competitors. At first, we thought we were united in a public mission, but this was not the case, the party members remarked. Our brothers and sisters have allowed our party to be swallowed up without even the basic courtesy of consulting us. While we do not know where and why they have gone, we wish them well. While questioning the motive behind the former Vice President's decision, the members also accused him of prioritising self-interest rather than restoring hope for the Luhya community. According to them, Mudavadi was no longer fit to represent Luhyas and his ambitious goal of becoming the countrys next president had been rendered elusive by his decision. Musalia, you have betrayed us, and you are one of the leaders we believed would one day become president. Your only work has been to shift parties and use us for your own benefit, remarked a party member. The latest development came barely four days after Mudavadi's ANC completed a merger with Ruto's UDA. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Kilkennys Sinn Fein TD Natasha Newsome Drennan has called for an urgent review into the removal of the dribble bars from the TAMS 3 scheme. The removal of the dribble bar from low emission slurry spreading TAMS 3 investment will cause huge financial burden on many farmers throughout Carlow and Kilkenny, the newly elected TD said. The dribble bar was included in TAMS 2, and it was proven to reduce emissions from slurry spreading drastically. What has changed that the dribble bar is no longer eligible for funding? Many farmers who have small and medium sized slurry tanks could adapt and fit dribble bars to their existing tanks. This is not possible with the trailing shoe mechanism. It is a far heavier piece of equipment and is only suited to flat ground. It cannot be attached to farmers existing tanks and is considered unsafe on hilly and uneven ground due to its weight. Farmers will be forced to invest in a new slurry tank with a trailing shoe which is a huge financial investment or else they will have to hire a contractor to spread the slurry for them. We seen last year the pressure that contractors were under trying to get slurry spread before the deadline and this is only going to add to that pressure in the future. The minister needs to be practical about this and listen to farmers and farm organisations. There needs to be an urgent review of low emission slurry spreading investments under TAMS 3 and include investment for dribble bars. Plans for a new hotel in Kilkennys Abbey Quarter have taken a significant step forward, while four other city hotel projects remain in limbo. Development Director with Kilkenny Abbey Quarter Development Partnership, Tony Lauhoff, has confirmed that a preferred bidder has now been identified for the site at the Abbey Quarter. Due to commercial sensitivities, the bidders identity remains confidential but they have been described as a leading hotel operator with a proven track record across Ireland and the UK. The hotel development is expected to proceed through legal, planning, and construction phases over the coming years, with completion expected by 2028. READ NEXT: Kilkenny gardai arrest truck driver on busy local road The development sparked lively discussion among council members at the latest plenary meeting of the local authority, with Cllr Joe Malone querying whether Kilkennys market could support five new hotels. Responding to Cllr Malones concerns, Mr Lauhoff emphasised that the preferred bidder is an experienced hotel operator who has conducted thorough market analysis. Also continually cited during the meeting was a recent Failte Ireland accommodation audit, identifying a strong demand for additional hotel beds in Kilkenny. Cllr Maria Dollard raised a question about prioritising hotels over housing, and Mr Lauhoff reassured elected members that the broader Abbey Quarter Masterplan incorporates residential development alongside commercial and community spaces. This latest hotel update comes on foot of another prime Kilkenny City site coming to market with a price tag of 1.7 million. Situated on the junction of Wolfe Tone Street and John's Green, the site has planning permission for a 114 bedroom hotel with bar and restaurant pavilion. Also still on the market is another prime Kilkenny City site situated at the junction of Lower New Street and Walkin Street. Known locally as the site of the former Smithwicks Cash and Carry, it has permission for a 154 bedroom hotel, 37 short let apartments and 12 residential apartments. In addition to these two sites, plans for two other large hotels in Kilkenny City are currently being held-up after being appealed by third parties to An Bord Pleanala. The first of these planned hotels was originally granted planning permission by Kilkenny County Council along with 18 conditions. Envisaged by the Dean Hotel Group, this significant building would occupy a prominent site next to MacDonagh Train Station and MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre, on the Dublin Road. The second planning application awaiting a decision from An Bord Pleanala is seeking to develop a hotel, leisure and conference complex on a large site adjacent to the N10 at Blanchfieldsland on the outskirts of Kilkenny City. This development was also originally granted planning permission by Kilkenny County Council, along with 25 conditions, before being appealed to An Bord Pleanala. Both of these cases remain active and both are also now overdue a decision from the national planning authority. Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr Andrew McGuinness, spoke of the public commentary on hotels at the latest plenary meeting of Kilkenny County Council. Kilkenny needs to facilitate itself to have beds for large scale events, he said. Competition will lower costs of beds, its also positive news for local employment and tourism. Cllr Sean O hArgain also referenced hotel sites being tied up in Kilkenny, as well a bed shortage in the city. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Connectivity between rural and urban Kilkenny has become a little bit easier for commuters this week, as The TFI Local Link's new bus service between Fiddown and Kilkenny City began. This new route is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which is a major national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the Transport for Ireland (TFI) Network. Route 891 operates five daily return services Monday to Saturday, with four daily return services on Sundays and public holidays. READ NEXT: Major development in plans for new tourist attraction in Kilkenny The service provides peak-time and late evening services while enhancing connectivity to regional bus and rail services, Kilmoganny and Stoneyford Health Centres, and Tullahought Community Centre. The route also offers connectivity to the villages and areas of Ormonde Road, College Road, Springhill, Danesfort, Ennisnag, Stoneyford, Kells, Dunnamaggin, Kilmoganny, Tullahought, Carrick-on-Suir, Dunbane Road and Piltown. Green Party councillor Maria Dollard welcomed the announcement earlier this month, stating that the service 'will be a great benefit to Kilkenny people who want and need to go between Kilkenny and South Kilkenny'. "The people of Stoneyford, Kells, Pilltown and Fiddown have been calling for this service for a long time now," she said. "Im delighted that we have it at last and encourage people to use it, even if they are used to their cars up to now. "Replacing some or all of our predictable or regular travel journeys goes a long way to reduce cost of travel. "Young people under 26 can avail of much cheaper travel and everyone has seen fares reduced during the term of the last government thanks to Green Party policy to reduce fare and increase public transport in rural Ireland. "Older people and people with disabilities especially benefit from the introduction of these services because they rightly point out that a free travel pass is only useful if you have access to public transport." FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE The row which led to lengthy delays in electing Irelands next Taoiseach stemmed from a move by Independent politicians to form a technical group, which would give them speaking rights from the opposition benches. There has been pushback from opposition parties to allow members of the Independent Regional Group, who agreed to support the the Government, to be given these rights. Dail rules state that a number of TDs can come together to get similar speaking rights and Dail time to those afforded to political parties. Seven TDs from the Independent Regional Group negotiated with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to agree a Programme for Government and to back the Government throughout its lifetime. Some of those TDs Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole want to join Danny Healy-Rae, Independent TD Carol Nolan and Aontus Peadar Toibin and Paul Lawless to form the technical group. The Ceann Comhairle (House speaker) Verona Murphy has allowed the move for now. That has led to the chaotic scenes that descended on the Dail on Wednesday as TDs clashed over the decision. Ms Murphy was forced to suspend Dail proceedings for almost half an hour, but less than two minutes after it resumed, the chamber was once again interrupted by angry scenes. Several Sinn Fein representatives have objected to Government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. In particular, they noted that Sinn Fein had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election. The partys chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn called for the Dail to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute. As Mr Mac Lochlainns party colleague Matt Carthy continued making objections, Ms Murphy said she would suspend the Dail for 15 minutes. She made the decision after Mr Carthy did not return to his seat and the suspension was not for Sinn Feins request of a meeting of the Business Committee. To justify recognising the fake opposition group, the Ceann Comhairle is relying on legal advice from the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors but has not circulated this advice. Today she refused to say when she would circulate it. She should do so right now. https://t.co/mJ2uz2CYcA Paul Murphy (@paulmurphy_TD) January 22, 2025 Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald criticised the decision on speaking rights, describing it as a cynical and unprecedented ruse from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in past Dails and in past governments, but this takes the biscuit, she added. What is proposed today is anything but fair, anything but independent, and is completely unacceptable to those of us in Sinn Fein and, I believe, to the opposition as a whole. Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have also criticised the decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to be allocated opposition speaking time. Labours Duncan Smith said the public is angry about the arrangement. They are really angry. And I would like you, Cean Comhairle, to commit a deadline as to when you will make an adjudication upon the joint opposition submission on this matter and make a decision that is in the goodness of the entire parliament and every member in this House, he said. Us in opposition believe there is only one answer to that question. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the arrangement was ludicrous. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was a farcical start to the new Dail term. Michael Lowry, who chaired the Regional Independents Group during the negotiations, said the Committee on Standing Orders and Dail Reform will make a decision on the groups request to sit on the parliaments opposition benches. The Ceann Comhairle has been referred for advice and, as of today, we will sit (on the opposition benches) and then it will go to the Reform Committee of the Dail, and the committee will make a decision and we will come back for a full ratification, he told reporters. That will happen in the next couple of weeks. Fianna Fail did that in their confidence-and-supply arrangement. Ive been here for 25 years Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar I supported them all through opposition and I will do the same. It will be an issue for the Dail Reform Committee and when that decision is taken, we will get on with the business. The entire island of Ireland will be under weather warnings due to Storm Eowyn, with forecasters advising high winds will bring a danger to life. The Republic of Irelands forecasting agency has issued a Status Red wind warnings for 22 counties from Dublin, to Louth, Cork, Galway and Donegal from the early hours of Friday with some schools set to close. Status Orange wind warnings are also in place for counties in the south east. Met Eireann said: Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds with gusts of up to 130kmh (80mph) widely, with even higher gusts for a time. The expected impacts include fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage, very difficult travelling conditions, disruption and cancellations to transport, and wave overtopping. The current warnings for #StormEowyn are posted below. Please stay up to date with https://t.co/XIjOm8VbJ1 and check your local authority advice for further information. Follow https://t.co/e0QpncNS7O and Met Eireann app for the most recent warnings pic.twitter.com/ryy8oC2lUP Met Eireann (@MetEireann) January 22, 2025 Status Red is the highest level wind warning issued by the agency and is due to predicted destructive gusts in excess of 130kmh. Met Eireann said this brings a danger to life and extremely dangerous travelling conditions. It is to come into effect in counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick from 2am on Friday, from 3am in Clare and Galway, 4am in Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo and 6am in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary until the afternoon. Meanwhile a Status Red warning for wind has also been issued from 3.30pm on Saturday in counties Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo until 4pm. A nation-wide Orange Wind Warning, in addition to the previous Red Warnings, as well as a Yellow Rain Warning for Cork, Kerry and Waterford are maintained. Please contact the graphic below for additional information.#StormEowyn pic.twitter.com/Gt1OfwNNAF Met Eireann (@MetEireann) January 22, 2025 The National Emergency Co-ordination Group said a red warning means people should shelter in place. It said: People in the areas affected by red warnings should stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and take action to protect themselves and their properties. Schools, early learning and childcare settings and further and higher education institutions in red level warning areas will close for the duration of the red warning. Employers in red warning areas should facilitate working from home for all employees who can do so. Only emergency service workers should be leaving home for work, where directed by their employer. A Status Yellow rain warning for Cork, Kerry, and Waterford has also been issued for between 9pm on Thursday and 3am on Friday, carrying the caution of the potential for localised flooding. There are also warnings in place for all coasts off the island of Ireland and the Irish Sea. A Status Yellow gale warning applies between 9pm Thursday and 2am on Friday, immediately followed by a Status Orange storm warning until 5pm. The latter warning comes with the expectation that south-west winds veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all coastal waters and the Irish Sea. Met Eireann said: Storm Eowyn will bring powerful and disruptive winds over Ireland on Thursday night and during Friday along with some transient snowfall in the north west. It will start to become very stormy on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Eowyn tracks just off the north-west coast on Friday morning. Met Eireann said this will be followed by a swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country, bringing disruption. The UK Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland due to the storm. It said: Storm Eowyn is expected to pass close to or across the north west of the UK on Friday before clearing to the north east on Saturday. Whilst there is some uncertainty in the track of Eowyn, a spell of very strong winds is likely, initially south-easterly before turning westerly, with peak gusts of 60-70mph inland and 80-90mph along some coasts and hills perhaps even higher in a few locations. The warning for Northern Ireland is in place for all of Friday, and comes with the advisory that power cuts are likely to occur. It is also likely to affect road, rail, air and ferry services. The Met Office said there is a chance there could be some damage to buildings and power lines may come down. It added: Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties. Earlier this month, tens of thousands of people were left without electricity amid a cold snap on the island of Ireland. Plummeting temperatures and icy travel conditions resulted in transport disruption, the closure of some schools, and curtailment of certain healthcare services. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick ODonovan has given South East Technological University (SETU) the green light to begin the process of appointing an Executive Management Team. This will kick off the process to begin the open recruitment of senior positions to the executive management team within the university. Speaking on Monday, 21 January, Minister ODonovan said: I am delighted to announce that South East Technological University, can as of today, begin the process of appointing their senior management teams. READ NEXT: ST LACHTAIN'S HURLING HEROES FETED AT COUNTY HALL The successful applicants will emerge from competitive and open recruitment processes to perform the vital functions of managing and developing this important sector. The roles of senior executives will involve working across multiple campuses and will be critical in fulfilling the regional mission of Technological Universities, a mission that the founding TU Presidents have been tirelessly working towards to ensure balanced regional development. Balanced development which will directly benefit regional industries and communities is a goal firmly embedded in the new draft Programme for Government and one that we are fully committed to bringing to fruition through support for this innovative sector. President of SETU, Professor Veronica Campbell said: On behalf of SETU, I am delighted to welcome the approval of SETUs new senior executive team structure. This level of expertise will be vital to support SETU in enhancing the economic, social, and cultural prosperity of the south east region. I join with my colleagues from across the technological university sector in welcoming this news and thanking Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick ODonovan, the department, and the HEA for their ongoing support of our sector. As the only university presence in the south east of the country, SETU is an institution of particular importance for its home regions education landscape and development, and todays announcement is a sign of the Department of Further and Higher Educations ongoing commitment to supporting SETU and the south east region to flourish. Additionally, Minister ODonovan has also announced sanction for similar teams for three of Irelands five Technological Universities including Atlantic Technological University, Technological University of the Shannon and Mid-West and Munster Technological University (MTU). The Bishop of Ossory is honouring a significant milestone in Kilkenny's history - the celebration of the Dominican Order's 800 years of ministry in the city. Kilkenny-based Bishop of Ossory, Bishop Niall Coll said, This week we honour the long and distinguished Dominican presence here in Kilkenny, and in doing so we call on the memory of Saint Dominic, born circa 1170AD in Spain, around whose witness, teaching and ministry the Dominican Order since developed over the centuries. "The Dominicans, 'Order of Friars Preachers', the earliest sources say, were called to the work of 'preaching and the salvation of souls'. I would like to underline that the Dominican charisms of preaching, of reaching out to people where they are, of deep scholarship of the bible, of philosophy and theology, are more important than ever today. Preachers, teachers, evangelisers, as Pope Francis constantly reminds us, are sorely needed to entreat and form the whole people of God anew to open our eyes to the beauty of Christ, to recognise the importance of the Gospel and the faith in Jesus Christ that it points to. On behalf of the people, religious and clergy of the Diocese of Ossory, I congratulate the Dominican priests, brothers and lay members on 800 years of service to the people of Kilkenny. Your prayer, preaching and community service have been an inspiration over the centuries. Your promotion of personal and family prayer, especially the Rosary, has helped to enhance Mary, the Mother of God, as a living presence in the community. Bishop Coll concluded, May the Lord continue to bless the Dominican friars here in the Black Abbey and all the faithful who worship with you. In this, the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope when Catholics around the world are celebrating the faith let us pray with added fervour, that lives committed to the work of 'preaching and the salvation of souls' will endure here for many centuries to come. Weather Alert ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY 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 Friday 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. && By Lee Yeon-woo Mirae Asset Group is striving to become a global investment powerhouse under the leadership of its founder, Chairman Park Hyeon-joo, through active investments in global alternative assets and innovative technologies. Since 2022, the group has invested over 80 billion won ($55.6 million) in SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter) and xAI. These investments have reportedly grown by approximately 1.5 times in market value and are expected to continue increasing. The group has also achieved significant returns from investments in global alternative assets, such as luxury hotels in major tourist destinations. For instance, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney was valued at approximately 610 million Australian dollars ($381.8 million) as of September 2024, marking a 79.3 percent increase since its initial investment in 2013. Similarly, Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii has reached a valuation of 380 million dollars, reflecting a 68.9 percent increase since 2015. Mirae Asset Group is also gaining a competitive edge through bold mergers and acquisitions (M&A). "Korean companies should focus on creating national wealth through overseas operations and actively pursue M&As to establish a strong presence in the global market," Park said. Under Parks leadership as global strategy officer, the group has expanded overseas, acquiring key entities such as Global X, a leading U.S. thematic exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provider, Australian asset management firm Global X Australia, Australian robo-advisory company Stockspot and GHCO, a European ETF market-making specialist. As a result, Mirae Asset Group has built the largest global network among Korean financial firms, operating 47 overseas subsidiaries and offices across 19 regions over 21 years of international expansion. "With 21 trillion won in equity capital and 840 trillion won in global client assets, we aim to evolve from Asias leading investment bank into a top-tier global investment bank," a Mirae Asset Group official said. Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it will closely monitor the global trade environment amid concerns over growing uncertainties at home and abroad following the launch of the second Donald Trump administration. "In January, exports are expected to slow temporarily due to the global slowdown in demand for information technology products, a decline in chip prices and a reduced number of business days," First Vice Industry Minister Park Sung-taek said. The number of business days in January is set to drop by four compared with a year earlier due to the Lunar New Year holiday, which fell in February in 2024. The reduced number of working days is widely expected to contribute to the end of the country's 15-month streak in export growth. Park, however, noted the daily average volume of exports remains relatively robust. "Following the launch of the new U.S. government, the business environment for exports is changing rapidly," Park said. "As Korea faces heightened uncertainties in the first half, the government will spare no effort in devising an emergency export strategy that will include viable plans." On Tuesday, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun noted the country's exports are expected to face difficulties in the first half due to what he called "deteriorating export conditions for key items." (Yonhap) By Lee Yeon-woo Korea's top two virtual asset exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, have agreed to pay a record-high 3 billion won ($2.1 million) in compensation, in response to system glitches and the subsequent service disruptions that occurred on the day of President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law fiasco. According to data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) and the country's five virtual asset exchanges, Wednesday, Upbit agreed to pay 3.1 billion won for 596 system failures that occurred on Dec. 3. Bithumb agreed to compensate 377 million won for 124 cases. The data was retrieved and released by Rep. Kim Hyun-jung from the Democratic Party of Korea. Both exchanges are finalizing discussions with affected investors, meaning the total compensation amount could increase slightly. Other exchanges Coinone, Korbit and GOPAX were not implicated in the incident. The compensation represents the largest number of cases and the highest amount ever related to service disruptions at virtual asset exchanges. Upbit, Korea's largest virtual asset exchange, previously compensated 50 cases with a total payout of 11.4 million won in 2022. Bithumb, the second-largest, paid 94 million to 29 individuals in 2023. The latest compensation issue came as the Dec. 3 incident led to a significant surge in panicked investors. Within hours of Yoon's announcement, Bitcoin's price plummeted from 130 million won to 88 million won. Upbit's concurrent users soared to over 1.1 million, while it typically handles around 100,000 at a time. Similarly, Bithumb and Coinone both experienced surges of over 500,000 users. This influx disrupted access to the exchanges, causing delays and even cancellations of cryptocurrency withdrawals and Korean won deposits. The exchanges' failure to manage this surge has drawn scrutiny over their management practices. In response, the FSS resumed on-site inspections of the exchanges on Monday, continuing its efforts from last month. Reports submitted to the FSS outlined measures being implemented by the exchanges, including server expansions, cloud migrations and enhancements to business continuity plans (BCP). The inspections will assess the effectiveness of these measures. "Despite the rapid growth in cryptocurrency investors, the institutional framework for investor protection remains inadequate," Kim said. "Financial authorities and virtual asset exchanges must develop practical and concrete measures, such as server expansions and BCP enhancements, to prevent system failures and establish a secure and reliable cryptocurrency ecosystem." At the same time, the Financial Intelligence Unit under the Financial Services Commission is also pursuing sanctions against Upbit for alleged violations of customer verification procedures and noncompliance with anti-money laundering obligations. By KTimes The necessity of ever-larger refrigerators is being questioned, as concerns about food waste and environmental sustainability grow. While fridges have long been seen as indispensable, some are challenging this notion, choosing smaller models or even living without one altogether. Yoon Ho-seob, an 81-year-old honorary professor of visual communication design at Kookmin University, recalls the moment 30 years ago that made him ditch his refrigerator for good. I opened the fridge door, and a black plastic bag fell to the floor. Inside were spoiled foods like croaker and ribs, he said. The experience made him reflect on global food inequality. How can there be starving children in the world while my fridge overflows with food waste? Its unacceptable. Since then, Yoon and his wife have lived without a refrigerator. Their meals consist of simple staples like rice, kimchi and salted seafood. When they receive gifts of fresh fish or meat, they eat what they can immediately and share the rest with neighbors. Yoon, who has minimized his energy consumption by forgoing a car and other conveniences, still keeps a TV and air conditioner but sees refrigerators as uniquely energy-intensive. Unlike other appliances, refrigerators run 24/7, he said. It seems strange to heat the house while simultaneously cooling food inside a fridge, especially during freezing weather. Are bigger fridges really necessary? In Korea, refrigerators often supplemented by kimchi fridges are considered essential. The average home refrigerator now has a capacity of 900 liters, capable of holding 450 2-liter water bottles. Critics argue that this size is unnecessary and fueled by marketing from appliance and food companies. Helen Peavitt, curator at the London Science Museum and author of Refrigerator, notes that refrigerators have reshaped modern eating habits. Before refrigeration, frozen foods like ice cream and pre-cut vegetables didnt exist. Fridges transformed food production, leading to bulk shopping and consumption habits that had been unimaginable before, the author points out. However, this has also contributed to massive food waste. Peavitt cites columnist Rose Prince, who described being caught in a "Keeping up with the Joneses" syndrome buying foods not out of necessity but to emulate trends. Downsizing for sustainability With daily food waste in Korea reaching 15,000 tons, some are switching to smaller refrigerators to reduce their environmental impact. Kim Ye-seul, a 36-year-old zero-waste shop owner in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, downsized from an 825-liter fridge to a 205-liter model last November. I started questioning whether relying on a big fridge reflected my true needs and decisions, she said. Though her husband resisted going fridge-free, the smaller model has proven practical. I can see all the ingredients at a glance, which helps me cook more efficiently and avoid waste, she said. Similarly, Jung Da-woon, a 38-year-old in Ulsan, switched from a large four-door fridge to a 344-liter one for her family of four. The previous fridge was so deep that I often didnt know what was inside, she said. Now, she shops more deliberately, keeps ingredients visible and cooks fresh meals, resulting in lower food bills and electricity costs. Id choose a smaller fridge again in a heartbeat. Smarter fridge use for everyone Even without downsizing, adopting better habits can reduce waste. Kim Jin-sun, a firefighter and YouTuber who creates content on organizing, recommends regular fridge cleanouts and using smaller shopping baskets to avoid overbuying. Quarterly deep cleaning helps prevent unnecessary waste, he said. Designer Ryu Ji-hyun, author of Zero Waste Kitchen, advises smarter storage methods, noting that many items dont need refrigeration. Have you ever found a spoiled zucchini or discolored eggplant in your fridge? Many fruit like apples and mandarins dont require refrigeration, Ryu said. Simply removing unnecessary items from the fridge and storing them visibly can drastically cut food waste. As concerns about food waste and energy consumption grow, rethinking refrigerator use whether by downsizing or adopting smarter habits might be a step toward more sustainable living. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. By KTimes TikToks temporary suspension and partial restoration in the U.S. have provided significant relief for Korean beauty brands, which rely heavily on the platform for their marketing activities. The potential banning of TikTok, a key tool for promoting products in the U.S. market, had raised concerns about losing a crucial advertising platform. TikTok expressed its gratitude on Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump for ensuring that no penalties would be imposed on its service providers. This statement followed Trumps executive order, signed on Monday, which delayed the enforcement of a ban on TikTok for 75 days. The ban had previously threatened to shut down TikTok if its parent company, ByteDance, did not sell its U.S. operations. The ban, initiated in April 2024 by the U.S. Congress, aimed to address national security concerns over ByteDance potentially leaking American user data to China. TikTok had ceased operations on Saturday but resumed services the next day after Trumps intervention. With TikTok back in action, K-beauty independent brands such as Beauty of Joseon, Manyo Factory, Skin1004, Anua and TIRTIR key players in the U.S. market breathed a sigh of relief. TikTok has become a crucial platform for reaching its core demographic: females aged 10 to 30. Unlike YouTube, which predominantly features horizontal content, TikTok's vertical short-form videos resonate with younger audiences accustomed to this format, positioning it as a highly effective tool for fostering viral success and driving sales on platforms such as Amazon. An official from an independent K-beauty brand said, "We heavily rely on TikTok for influencer collaborations and marketing. The recent suspension caused significant anxiety, but were relieved by this decision." However, uncertainty persists as Trump has proposed that ByteDance form a U.S. joint venture and transfer more than 50 percent of its ownership to American entities. Another brand spokesperson said, "TikTok accounts for 80 percent of our online marketing. If its banned, users will likely migrate to other platforms, and we are preparing to quickly adapt to any shifts in trends." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. North Korea's state media on Wednesday briefly carried reports on the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, marking its first news reports since he was elected last year. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper catering to domestic readers, and the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, a state-run radio network, reported that Trump was sworn in as the U.S. president earlier this week. "In the United States, Donald Trump has taken office as president. He was elected the 47th president of the U.S. in the election in November last year and the inauguration ceremony was proceeded on Jan. 20 in Washington," the newspaper reported on its sixth page of the external news section. It marked the first time North Korea's state media have published news related to Trump since he won his second term last year. In the past, North Korea reported the election of a U.S. president with a time lag. In November 2016, when Trump was first elected to the presidency, the North published reports of the outcome more than 10 days later. North Korea also remained silent about two months after Joe Biden won the presidential election in 2020 and first reported on the news after he officially took office in January the following year. On Trump's first day in office Monday, he described North Korea as a "nuclear power" and expected North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be "happy" to see his return to the White House. Experts said Trump may want to revive his summit diplomacy with Kim amid expectations he could seek a "small deal," including a freeze of North Korea's nuclear programs or a nuclear disarmament. During his first term, Trump held in-person meetings three times with the North's Kim, including their first summit in Singapore in 2018. But the Hanoi summit ended without a deal in February 2019. (Yonhap) U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to the U.N. underscored the need Tuesday for America to "lead with strength and moral clarity" to address security challenges from North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and others. Elise Stefanik made the remarks during a confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, highlighting her commitment to carry out Trump's America First foreign policy. "If confirmed, I will work to ensure that our mission to the United Nations serves the interests of the American people and represents President Trump's America First peace through strength foreign policy," she said in her opening remarks. "As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including Americans still held in Hamas' captivity, to national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, it has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity," she added. Responding to a question of which countries she considers the U.S.' "best allies" in the U.N. system, she mentioned Britain, Israel, Japan, Australia and France while South Korea was not on her list. Noting that the U.S. is the largest contributor to the U.N., Stefanik stressed that America's tax dollars "should not be complicit" in propping up entities that are counter to American interests as she touched on the issue of U.N. reform. "We must invest in programs that strengthen our national security and deliver results. To increase the efficacy of U.N. programs, we must drive reform," she said. (Yonhap) The top diplomats of the United States and Japan discussed concerns Tuesday over North Korea's military alignment with Russia and joint efforts to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific and beyond during a meeting in Washington, the State Department said. New U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya hours after Rubio took office, reiterating his commitment to President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy agenda. "They discussed plans to deepen ties during the Trump administration, and how the United States and Japan can work together to counter ongoing threats in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, including joint efforts against China's destabilizing actions," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout. "The two also discussed concerns over both the DPRK's political and security alignment with Russia, as well as China's support for Russia's defense industrial base," she added. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Rubio underscored the "enduring" U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance as the "cornerstone of security and prosperity" in the region, according to Bruce. (Yonhap) The chief of the state arms procurement agency visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week to discuss ways to strengthen arms cooperation with key defense and military officials in the Middle Eastern country, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Wednesday. DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun held talks with Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud, minister of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, to discuss Riyadh's bid to modernize its ground equipment and agreed to flesh out detailed ways for cooperation by the end of the year, according to DAPA. Seok also met with Khalid bin Hussein Al-Bayari, assistant minister of defense for executive affairs, for talks on Saudi Arabia's bid to procure ground, maritime and aviation assets, and bilateral cooperation between their arms industries. As part of the talks, they agreed to establish a consultative body comprising the government and defense firms to discuss such cooperation. Seok's visit also involved talks with the top commanders of the Saudi Arabian Air Force and Navy, DAPA said. The DAPA chief vowed to step up efforts to win more arms export deals, saying the latest visit confirmed Saudi Arabia's potential as one of Korea's "biggest arms cooperation partners" going forward, it added. Seok visited Saudi Arabia as part of a two-nation trip, aimed at boosting potential arms exports, that will also take him to Norway. In Norway, the DAPA chief will visit Kongsberg Satellite Services, also known as KSAT, which took part in assessing Korea's military reconnaissance satellite project. (Yonhap) The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Wednesday emphasized the importance of efforts to deepen the alliance between Seoul and Washington as U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term. DPK leader Lee Jae-myung made the remark during his meeting with acting U.S. Ambassador to Korea Joseph Yun at the National Assembly. "We must strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance and firmly uphold our shared responsibilities as part of the free democratic bloc," Lee said. Lee expressed gratitude to Washington for its support in safeguarding Korea's democracy during a period of political instability following President Yoon Suk-yeol's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. As the Trump administration prepares to implement new foreign policy initiatives, Lee voiced hope for closer collaboration between Seoul and Washington to promote global peace, ensure stability in Koreaeast Asia, and deepen bilateral relations. Yun, in response, said he looks forward to working to advance the bilateral alliance and expressed optimism that Korea will overcome its political challenges and emerge stronger in the process. (Yonhap) China's top envoy to Korea, Dai Bing, has described the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit as an important opportunity to engage in high-level exchanges between China and Korea, according to the Chinese Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday. The ambassador made the remarks in his speech delivered during a reception at his embassy the previous day to mark the new year and his recent inauguration, noting Korea and China's scheduled hosting of the APEC leaders' summits this year and in 2026, respectively. The 2025 summit is scheduled for November in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, with Chinese President Xi Jinping widely expected to visit Korea for the occasion. Dai said the summit meetings are an important opportunity to engage in high-rank exchanges between the two countries and promote the development of bilateral ties, according to the embassy. China wishes to strengthen communication and cooperation with Korea to create a favorable environment for that goal, he also said. The envoy noted the world surrounding the countries is not peaceful and various challenges persist in the region, emphasizing that it serves both countries' interests to remove obstacles with firm determination and develop their relationship. Despite the rise of unilateralism and protectionism worldwide, the reciprocity of Korea-China cooperation remains unchanged, he also said, urging joint efforts to find new growth engines and elevate their cooperation to a new level. The top envoy also stated that the level of friendship between the peoples of Korea and China remains low, calling for more active exchanges between their youth, private sectors and regions to strengthen bilateral ties. Around 600 people attended Tuesday's reception, including former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, incumbent Deputy Speaker Lee Hack-young and Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won from the Korean side. (Yonhap) Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with the new top commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Wednesday and discussed the bilateral alliance and North Korea issues, Cho's office said. In the meeting with Gen. Xavier Brunson, Cho highlighted that the commander's role in leading the U.S. troops in Korea is important for maintaining and strengthening the alliance and the allies' combined defense posture, the foreign ministry said in a release. Cho also asked the general to do his part to ensure the key achievements of the alliance, including extended deterrence and the trilateral cooperation with Japan, continue to be implemented and developed. Brunson, in turn, reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to South Korea's defense and maintaining a strong combined defense posture through joint exercises, noting such efforts will ensure the stability of the region, according to the ministry. The two sides also discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region and agreed to bolster communication to maintain a robust alliance, the ministry added. Brunson took office as the USFK commander in December. He also serves as the commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.N. Command that oversees the armistice of the 1950-53 Korean War. (Yonhap) South Korea, Japan and China are in talks to arrange a trilateral meeting of their foreign ministers in late March, a Japanese news report said Wednesday. Japan, the chair for the three-way dialogue platform this year, has shared its plans for the proposed gathering with the governments of its two Asian neighbors, both of which have expressed a positive stance, the Mainichi Shimbun daily reported. If realized, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will meet with his counterparts from Japan and China Takeshi Iwaya and Wang Yi, respectively. Japan had initially planned to hold the foreign ministers' meeting early next month, but reportedly revised the date due to scheduling conflicts on Wang's end. Japan's Kyodo News has also reported that Wang told a Japanese delegation of lawmakers visiting Beijing last week that he was eager to visit Japan in March. Japan had pushed to hold a trilateral summit among the three countries' leaders in spring, but the timeline remains uncertain given the political situation in Korea following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law imposition, the newspaper said. (Yonhap) Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone Wednesday with Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU), and agreed to make joint efforts to stop the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, Cho's office said. It was the first phone talk between Cho and Kallas, the EU's new high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, since Kallas took office on Dec. 1 as the top diplomat for the 27-member bloc. "They strongly condemned the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a threat to global security, including that of Korea and Europe, and agreed to continue working together to halt this military cooperation," the ministry said in a release. Cho and Kallas both noted the relations between South Korea and the EU as a "strategic partnership" that should continue to further advance in various areas, such as politics, the economy and security. They also agreed to meet in person at an early date for further discussions on bilateral cooperation and other issues, the ministry said. (Yonhap) Rep. Yu Yong-weon stresses using nuclear potential as leverage with US By Kwak Yeon-soo Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee and widely recognized as a military affairs expert, was just as stunned as everyone else last month, when President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly declared martial law. "The declaration of martial law in early December was shocking because it exposed the militarys continuing influence on political affairs. I believe it was wrong," Yu, also a former journalist for the Chosun Ilbo daily, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office. Its hard to imagine former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and several top military commanders, who witnessed the nations struggles with military rule in the 1970s and 1980s, would attempt to intervene in political affairs. I agree that the military needs reform, particularly in terms of ethics education and civil-military relations, he said. The lawmaker praised the actions of some mid-ranking officers and soldiers who resisted what they saw as unjust orders issued by the president on Dec. 3. He noted that some young soldiers deployed to enforce martial law at the National Assembly and the National Election Commission showed passive resistance or delayed following orders, with some even taking breaks to visit nearby convenience stores. Their efforts prevented bloodshed and tragedy. We need to revise relevant laws and regulations related to military conduct, he said. An interesting aspect of Yu's background is that he founded one of the largest military-related internet communities in Korea in the early 2000s. Initially called Yu Yong-weon's Military World, the site was later renamed BEMIL Military World after he left his journalistic career and entered politics. The name "Bemil" is derived from the Korean word for secret. The site once attracted legions of arms and military enthusiasts. Yu also shared his views on the potential implications of Donald Trump's return to the White House, outlining the tasks and challenges South Korea will face moving forward. Raising the possibility of the Trump administration demanding increased defense cost sharing, Yu argued that South Korea should secure potential nuclear capabilities as leverage with the U.S. He suggested this would require revising the U.S.-South Korea Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation, signed in 2015. South Koreas nuclear reprocessing is subject to further negotiation with the U.S. We should pursue nuclear latency the condition of possessing the technical capabilities and resources necessary for the development of nuclear weapons, he said. He pointed out that the U.S. had been relying on Russia for about a quarter of its enriched uranium supply. But Russia imposed a ban on exports to the U.S. in recent years amid its invasion of Ukraine. "South Korea has advanced capabilities in nuclear technology, so granting us consent to reprocess spent nuclear reactor fuel could be a win-win for both countries," Yu said. Recent years have seen the South Korean public increasing its support for the country pursuing nuclear capabilities as a means of strengthening deterrence against the escalating nuclear threat posed by the North. The PPP lawmaker also advised South Korea leverage its world-class capabilities in building naval and commercial vessels to persuade its ally, as Trump had emphasized during his phone call with the South Korean president in November. Yu said the likelihood of the U.S. withdrawing its troops from South Korea is slim, as the presence of the U.S. military in the country also serves Washington's national security interests, particularly in restraining China. Withdrawing U.S. troops from South Korea does not align with Washingtons current policies. While reducing ground troops may be considered, if we effectively explain how North Koreas nuclear and missile capabilities pose a threat to regional and global stability, the U.S. may reconsider its stance, he said. Yu said he believes a summit between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea is unlikely to occur in the near future. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's desire for a new summit with Trump may be low because Pyongyang has been receiving financial support and technical assistance from Russia in exchange for ammunition and troops to fight in the war in Ukraine. While the North Korean threat continues to grow and become more dire, it has somewhat slipped down the priority list as the Ukraine war and the crisis in the Middle East are more immediate concerns, he said. The lawmaker, who secured a seat in the National Assembly during the April general elections last year, emphasized that South Korea should "prepare for the worst-case scenario" if a summit does take place. Potential negotiations could involve intercontinental ballistic missiles, which pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland. This could lead to smaller deals such as arms control or a disarmament agreement with Pyongyang. These are the worst-case scenarios for Seoul. We must make every diplomatic effort to achieve complete denuclearization and establish peace on the peninsula, which should also include negotiations on North Korea's short- and medium-range missile systems, he said. Acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday that police officers will be stationed at courts, including the Constitutional Court, on a 24-hour basis to ensure security amid heightened tensions following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The announcement comes after supporters of the impeached president stormed the Seoul Western District Court early Sunday, smashing windows and entering the premises in protest against the court's decision to formally arrest Yoon over his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. "The government strongly regrets the illegal and violent incidents that occurred at the Seoul Western District Court," Choi said during a meeting with ministers, pledging to prevent a recurrence of such acts. Choi added that police task forces will be deployed around the clock at key national institutions, including the Constitutional Court and other courts, to strengthen security measures. On Tuesday, thousands of supporters of Yoon gathered near the Constitutional Court under a heavy police presence as the detained president appeared for his impeachment trial for the first time. Yoon is expected to appear at court hearings every week. Choi further said the government will respond firmly to any illegal actions, such as assaults against police officers and vandalism during assemblies and demonstrations. Earlier in the day, 56 of Yoon's supporters were formally arrested on charges of violently storming the Seoul Western District Court. Choi added that Constitutional Court justices and other judges handling cases related to Yoon's insurrection charges would be placed under police protection. (Yonhap) Fifty-six people were put under arrest Wednesday on charges of being involved in violence in and around the Seoul Western District Court last weekend during their protests against the formal arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol, police said. Police requested arrest warrants for 58 riot suspects Tuesday and the court approved formal arrests for 56 of them, citing the risk of flight. They are accused of breaking into the courthouse complex early Sunday morning, committing vandalism inside the court, blocking a car carrying prosecutors and investigators in charge of Yoon's case, climbing over the walls of the courthouse or assaulting police officers on duty. On Monday, the court issued arrest warrants for two people on charges of attacking police officers during a pro-Yoon rally Saturday. The police have so far apprehended 90 people in connection with violent disorder at the Seoul Western District Court and the Constitutional Court between Saturday and Sunday and requested arrest warrants for 66 of them. Then the prosecution sought arrest warrants for 63 suspects and the court issued warrants for everyone except five. (Yonhap) By Anna J. Park The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) is encountering major difficulties in its investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of insurrection related to his martial law imposition, as the embattled leader continues refusing to undergo questioning. After several failed attempts to question the president over the past few days, the head of the CIO publicly urged Yoon on Wednesday to respect the judiciary's decision and cooperate with the investigation a call which he again rejected on the day. Yoon has repeatedly ignored the CIO's requests to appear for questioning regarding his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, prompting the agency to resort to the alternative measure of forcibly bringing him in. It has up to 10 days to question him, before handing over the case to the prosecution next week. If the president has objections, they should be addressed through legal procedures within the framework of the law. However, due to his refusal to comply with the summons, the CIO has no choice but to initiate compulsory measures, Oh Dong-woon, chief prosecutor of the CIO, told reporters in front of its headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, in the morning. After his first questioning session on Jan. 15, the day he was taken into custody from his official residence, Yoon continued to defy subsequent requests for further investigation. Yoon's side claims neither the CIO nor the prosecution have the authority to investigate an insurrection charge but only the police do, according to the relevant law, while the CIO says it has the right to investigate the abuse of power charge, which is one of two key accusations facing Yoon. In response to his persistent refusal, the CIO has ramped up pressure, considering options to either forcibly bring the president in for questioning or conduct the session at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, where he is currently being held. After Oh's remarks, a CIO vehicle was spotted entering the main gate of the detention center. But CIO officials said they were unable to question him as Yoon refused any interrogation, either at the CIO headquarters or at the center. The CIO said it had prepared an investigation room inside the center, after submitting a formal request to the center. "We'll discuss our next plans," the agency told reporters. However, given that Yoon's stance of refusing to cooperate with the CIO's investigation remains unchanged, the likelihood of the investigation proceeding appears very slim. On Tuesday evening, the CIO also sent six investigators to bring him in or conduct an on-site interview at the detention center. However, they were unable to proceed as planned, as the president visited a hospital after attending a hearing on his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court earlier in the afternoon. The chief prosecutor of the CIO explained that the investigative authority had not been informed of Yoon's hospital visit in advance, and chose not to go to the hospital "out of respect for human dignity." They waited at the detention center until 9 p.m., but the president returned to the center later that night after returning from the hospital. According to human rights protection regulations in the country, investigations after 9 p.m. cannot be conducted without the suspects consent, except under special circumstances. When asked whether such actions could be seen as an attempt to evade investigation, Oh acknowledged that the CIO considers the actions to have had that motive "to some extent." The case will be transferred to prosecutors once the CIO completes its investigation. For up to 20 days of custody guaranteed by the arrest warrant, the CIO and the prosecution agreed that the former uses 10 days and the latter gets the remaining 10 days. While Oh did not provide a projected date, he emphasized that the CIO is closely cooperating with prosecutors and pledged to "handle the matter as swiftly as possible to ensure there are no procedural shortcomings." But he said the CIO will make every effort to transfer the case before Jan. 28, which is the date the office views as its deadline before the prosecutors begin their investigation. "The CIO will thoroughly investigate all individuals involved in the martial law incident, regardless of their rank or status," Oh said. "To ensure smooth indictments and trials, we will collaborate closely with the prosecution and other relevant agencies, fulfilling the CIO's role and responsibilities." President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear before the Constitutional Court for his impeachment trial hearing this week for the second time, an official at Yoon's legal team said Wednesday. Yoon is scheduled to attend the hearing at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, the official told Yonhap News Agency. At the Tuesday hearing, Yoon denied ordering martial law troops to pull out lawmakers from the National Assembly during his short-lived martial law bid. The impeached president's legal team has said that Yoon would be present at all remaining hearings if possible. Thursday's hearing will also feature former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who was arrested last month over his alleged role in the imposition of martial law. Yoon's lawyers have chosen him for witness questioning in the trial. Kim is set to be questioned by Yoon's lawyers first and then by the legal representatives from the National Assembly who act as the prosecutors in the trial. Yoon himself may possibly question Kim if approved by acting court President Moon Hyung-bae. Yoon is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center after a Seoul court granted investigators a warrant for his formal arrest on Sunday as part of a separate probe into his botched attempt to declare martial law on Dec. 3. (Yonhap) On-site drug tests, other measures announced amid surge in offenses By Jung Min-ho The government seeks to legalize undercover drug investigations and introduce on-site testing for drivers suspected to be under the influence of illicit substances as part of its efforts to curb drug abuse, officials said on Wednesday. The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced the antidrug measures, through which all relevant government ministries and agencies aim to curtail the worrying trend and raise awareness regarding the dangers of substance abuse over the next five years. One of the most notable measures is to introduce a team of undercover drug investigators who would use fake identities to pretend to be, for example, potential buyers to apprehend key members of drug cartels. In Korea, undercover investigations are permitted only in digital sex crimes targeting minors. Officials believe this should expand to drug cases through legislation. The government plans to draft a bill in the coming months to permit such investigations. A similar bill was proposed by a group of ruling People Power Party lawmakers in August. The government will also press ahead with revising relevant laws to enable police officers to conduct on-site drug tests on drivers or ship captains suspected of being under the influence of drugs. The present legal basis is weak to penalize those who refuse to be tested, officials said. The announcement comes amid a surge in drug cases. According to data from the prosecution, 27,611 people were apprehended for drug-related offenses in 2023, compared with 18,395 in 2022 and 12,613 in 2018. It is unclear how many people use illegal substances. But officials said the number was estimated to be somewhere between 310,000 and 460,000 in 2023. In recent years, the use of drugs has spread, especially among young people. This threatens peoples daily lives, acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said during a meeting with ministers at Government Complex Seoul. To safely protect the peoples lives and health, the government has mapped out a basic plan. Given that drug dealers have been increasingly using online services as their main platforms, police plan to strengthen monitoring of apps such as Telegram and the dark web, a hidden part of the internet that is not visible to regular search engines. They also plan to further develop their system designed to track cryptocurrency transactions related to criminal activities and enlarge the team dedicated to such tasks. Meanwhile, screening at airports and seaports will be bolstered. For example, travelers who have visited high-risk countries for drug trafficking could be inspected more thoroughly and there would be more random inspections in Koreas territorial waters, in collaboration with other nations. One of the areas the government will focus on is reducing the number of young substance abusers, including teenagers. Officials said they seek to make drug education mandatory for high-risk groups of young students and strengthen partnerships with universities to raise awareness of its adverse effects. The government said it aims to decrease the number of drug offenders in their teens and 20s to fewer than 5,000 in 2029, from about 5,600 today. By KTimes Kim Yu-jin, 46, wept with an IV in her arm at a funeral home in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, on Jan. 5, saying, "God blessed me with such wonderful parents. While having them was an immense blessing, their sudden departure feels like an unbearable punishment." Kim lost her parents and younger brother in the Jeju Air crash on Dec. 29, leaving her as the sole survivor of her immediate family. She shared her story, hoping her pain would serve as a record to prevent similar tragedies. Kims grief is filled with what-ifs: "What if the birds hadnt been there? What if the concrete embankment wasnt built? What if they had flown from a different airport? What if I had stopped them from going on the trip?" These endless questions lead only to profound sorrow. Fathers final message It was a tragedy that left no chance for final words. Miraculously, Her fathers smartphone was discovered intact amid the ashes. When the recovered photo album was opened, the first image Kim saw was a breathtaking sunrise her father had captured that morning from the airplane window. That photo, capturing the rising sun, felt like her fathers final message. Kim felt as though her father was saying, "Dont be too heartbroken without us. Embrace new hope and live strongly, like the rising sun." The photos time stamp revealed it was taken at 7:26 a.m. on Dec. 29, just as the plane approached its destination, with the sun rising above the clouds. Kim looked through the album, reliving moments of joy her family buying gifts, marveling at scenery, laughing at quirky statues and savoring exotic meals. A photo of her parents and brother smiling in front of a temple in Bangkok became their memorial portrait. Pain of identification Kim described the harrowing experience of identifying her familys remains. "People cant imagine what its like to inspect bodies that are burnt and torn apart, or to desperately hope for their recovery," she said with a trembling voice. The intense explosion had left most bodies unrecognizable. Her brothers remains were found first, on Jan. 1, followed by her mother the next day. Each body was assigned a number: her brother was 43, her mother 115 and her father 178. Her fathers body, severely damaged, was recovered last on Jan. 3. When Kim finally identified her father, she gently touched his face, wanting to remember him as the loving father who always embraced their family. She imagined him shielding her mother and brother during the crash, his arm found bent as if in an act of protection. Farewell, moving forward Kims family was laid to rest in a cemetery in Naju, South Jeolla Province, on Jan. 6. At the funeral, Kim clutched white chrysanthemums and sobbed over their caskets. Though consumed by grief, she recalled her mothers favorite Bible verse: "Love your enemies; if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also." This verse stopped her from expressing anger toward Jeju Air representatives who visited the funeral. Instead, Kim expressed gratitude for the airlines support staff who comforted her and the other grieving families. "I couldnt blame them. Their genuine compassion made me hope Jeju Air could recover, so the staff wouldnt lose their jobs." As Kim returned to her daily life, she faced the daunting reality of her familys absence. "Im terrified of encountering the void theyve left behind," she admitted. However, the warmth and kindness of others gave her strength. "Seeing so many people offering hugs and support reminds me that I must keep living." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. Korea was suffocated by thick ultrafine dust for the second day in a row on Wednesday, prompting authorities to regulate the operations of government-owned vehicles, coal power plants and other large-scale dust emission facilities. Due to the continued influx of fine dust from abroad, the density of ultrafine dust particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, known as PM 2.5, is forecast to remain at "bad" levels nationwide throughout the day, excluding the southern Jeju Island and east coastal regions, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. In particular, the PM 2.5 density is expected to soar to the "very bad" level in Seoul, southern Gyeonggi Province, western Gangwon Province, the central city of Sejong and the central province of North Chungcheong in the morning, the KMA noted. As of 8 a.m., an ultrafine dust advisory has been issued nationwide, excluding the southern provinces of South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla. Korea's authorities have classified levels of PM 2.5 above 35 micrograms per cubic meter as "bad" and above 75 micrograms as "very bad," while the World Health Organization recommends keeping levels below 25 micrograms. As many as nine local governments, including ones in the Seoul metropolitan area, took emergency emission reduction measures, such as a mandatory alternate no-driving system for public vehicles, a road ban for old diesel cars and reduced operations of coal power plants and some factories. The air quality levels are expected to be bad across the country until Thursday before tapering off after the onset of a northerly wind, the KMA said. (Yonhap) The government on Wednesday announced a comprehensive plan to address potential risks associated with emergency landings at airports across the country following last month's deadly Jeju Air accident. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will prioritize safety improvements at seven airports where hazardous structures near runways have been identified, including Muan International Airport, where the Jeju Air accident occurred on Dec. 29, claiming 179 lives. An inspection found that adjustments to structures involving the localizer, directional guidance equipment for incoming aircraft, are needed at nine locations across seven airports, including Gimhae International Airport, Jeju International Airport and Muan International Airport. Many experts have suggested the casualty count in the Jeju Air crash could have been much lower had a concrete structure supporting the localizer at the Muan airport not existed. The ministry plans to evaluate options, such as placing the foundation structures for localizers underground, or replacing them with lightweight steel structures. Each airport will adopt a solution that complies with relevant installation regulations and can be implemented quickly. The government aims to simplify related regulations to complete the improvements by the first half of the year and no later than the end of the year. Additionally, the ministry identified seven airports with runway safety areas shorter than the recommended 240 meters and will expand the zones. In case there is insufficient space for such an extension, the ministry plans to introduce engineered material arresting systems (EMAS) to ensure adequate safety measures. EMAS allows aircraft to sink into a lightweight material, which helps planes to rapidly decelerate when overrunning a runway. Beyond facility upgrades, the ministry said it intends to revise airport facility safety standards and prepare an updated plan by the first half of this year. (Yonhap) Acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday the successful hosting of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting will be a pivotal opportunity to showcase the nation's resilience in the face of heightened uncertainties. Korea is set to host the APEC summit in November in the country's southeastern city of Gyeongju, bringing together leaders and top representatives of the 21 APEC member states, including the United States and China. "Despite heightened uncertainties at home and abroad, including domestic political challenges and the launch of the new U.S. administration, global interest in the 2025 APEC meeting remains strong," Choi stated during the fifth APEC preparatory meeting. He described the event as a prime opportunity to demonstrate the normalization and resilience of Korea's political and economic systems to the international community following the political turmoil sparked by now impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition last month. Choi emphasized that successful hosting requires close collaboration and unified efforts from both the government and private sectors, with all parties dedicating themselves fully to their respective roles. He further called for thorough preparations to ensure that the event revitalizes the regional economy and supports local businesses in building international networks. (Yonhap) Former interior minister refuses to testify at Assembly hearing By Kwak Yeon-soo A special committee in the National Assembly investigating insurrection allegations related to President Yoon Suk Yeols martial law declaration on Dec. 3 issued orders on Wednesday to bring in key officials as witnesses to testify at its hearing. In a decision passed by an 11-7 vote, the opposition-led committee ordered testimony from seven officials implicated in the alleged conspiracy to plan martial law. The individuals summoned included the president, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won, Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, the former head of the Army Special Warfare Command, Brig. Gen. Koo Sam-hoe, former commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade, and Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, the former chief of the Defense Intelligence Command. Ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers opposed the order, calling it a politically motivated attempt to publicly humiliate the embattled president. Yoon is currently detained at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, facing charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power. Despite the committee's attempt to have them appear at the National Assembly by 2 p.m., only Kwak showed up later in the afternoon. Opposition lawmakers condemned Yoons statement in his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, in which he denied allegations that he ordered military commanders to drag out lawmakers from the National Assembly after declaring martial law. He also denied giving a note to then-Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, asking him to draw up a budget for an emergency legislative body. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who attended the hearing, said he did not recall seeing the president give a note to Choi at a Cabinet meeting held just before the martial law declaration. "I was in shock, so I dont recall the event," Han said. Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, reiterated his claim on Wednesday, saying the president made a phone call and ordered him to arrest politicians, including then PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung and minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party leader Rep. Cho Kuk. Kwak said the president called him on a secure phone on Dec. 3 and ordered him to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly building during the enforcement of martial law. Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min refused to testify during questioning over allegations that he requested the National Fire Agency (NFA) to cut off electricity and water supplies to several media outlets on Dec. 3. Heo Seok-gon, commissioner of the NFA, confirmed the claim during a parliamentary meeting on Monday. I refuse to testify, Lee said. He also refused to take his oath at the parliamentary hearing. After Rep. Ahn Gyu-back of the DPK, who leads the committee, requested he cooperate with lawmakers, Lee said, If people give testimonies based on their personal experiences and perspectives, they will create more confusion. I think it is desirable to inform the public through fact-finding investigations and trials. Kim Sung-hoon, deputy chief of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), also refused to comment on allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee. Rep. Youn Kun-young of the DPK made assertions based on reports he said he received from undisclosed sources, alleging that the PSS provided the first lady with a secure phone. I cant confirm that, Kim responded. During the hearing, Ahn urged Kim to cooperate with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in their attempt to search the presidential residence and seize the server records of a secure phone used by Yoon. The first lady is also under the protection of the PSS. I will review the relevant laws and determine whether to cooperate with the agencys request accordingly, Kim said. By Sho Chang-young In Korea, Yuksipgapja (sexagenary cycle) is one traditional way of expressing the year, month and day in the lunar calendar. Its basic concepts were originated from the idea of systematic and harmonious movements among 10 Chon-gan (Heavenly stems) and 12 Ji-ji (Earthy branches). The 10 Chon-gan are gap, eul, byeong, jeong, mu, gi, gyeong, shin, im and gye. And the 12 Ji-ji are ja, chuk, in, myo, jin, sa, o, mi, shin, yu, sul and hae. To mark a calendar with these, you pick one element from each part, and make a sequential combination of the two. For example, if one year is described as the year of Gap-ja, then the next year is Eul-chuk and after that is Byeong-in. This order repeats itself every 60 years because the least common multiple of 10 and 12 is 60. The same applies to months and days. But today this rule is often referred to only in the context of the year among most people other than fortune tellers. One thing to note here is that, of the two components of the Yuksipgapja, Ji-ji is symbolizing specific animals. 2025 is the year of Eul-sa, and sa means snake. So this year is the year of the snake. And the animal year for children born this year will be the snake. Our historical narrative was largely written in the Yuksipgapja calendar system. Then, what representative historical events are in the year of Eulsa? There surely is the humiliating Eulsa Treaty of 1905. This treaty resulted in the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty losing its de facto sovereignty to Japan. Ever since I was in elementary school, I have learned it repeatedly in history class and I will never forget it. My grandparents, who passed away in the 1980s, used to say, "Eul-si-nyun-srupda," from time to time in winter when I was a child. I remember they said that when they were in bad physical and mental condition due to the cold and chilly weather. The language came from the word Eul-sa-nyun (the year of Eulsa). I think it is a roundabout way of expressing sad feelings of the citizens at the times. We still have the beautiful custom of wishing one another happiness at the beginning of each year, regardless of the solar or lunar calendar, by referring to the Yuksipgapja and its equivalent animal. However, perhaps because of the childhood experience in history education and the words of my grandparents, my preconceived notions about the year of Eulsa were never good. As if to prove this, from the beginning, this year of Eulsa has been intertwined with very tough political and social events. I have an unsettling premonition there will be historically difficult times again. The whole nation must unite to overcome difficult domestic and international situations. Yet, it is unfortunate that we seem to be going in a totally different direction. We have to realize that consideration and concession to each other are ultimately for everyone's benefit. A social atmosphere in which only one is absolutely right and the other is regarded as the enemy can only mean mutual annihilation. Just a few days ago, while talking to a famous neighboring astrophysicist, I came to know that in our shameful Eulsa year of 1905, Einstein published the basic concepts of the principle of special relativity. He considered all dimensions of time and space relatively and opened up new horizons for modern science. In this year of Eulsa, I am looking forward to the emergence of remarkable figures and events in our society, based on such relativistic thinking. May they shake off our disgraces and worries! Sho Chang-young is a retired high school teacher and former principal of Gunsan Girls' High School. By Shim Jae-yun Dear Mr. President, Congratulations on your inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. Your dynamic leadership has already begun to make a significant impact, and I am optimistic that under your guidance, both the U.S. and the world will continue to thrive in stability and prosperity. However, its clear that your presidency also brings with it a sense of unpredictability, and concerns about rising global uncertainties. While your "Make America Great Again" policies reflect your commitment to American interests, there is no doubt that the increasing trend of protectionism and growing tensions among countries have added a layer of complexity to global relations. Yet, despite these challenges, I believe there are numerous opportunities that can shine a light on the future. One of the most notable opportunities comes in the realm of global conflict resolution. Youve already made it clear that you want to bring an end to the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Your proactive approach could play a key role in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, especially given your leadership and the U.S. global strength. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already extended an offer to meet with you, and its likely you will seriously consider this. The end of this conflict would have a profound impact on the Korean Peninsula as well, particularly with North Koreas involvement in the war. Thousands of North Korean soldiers have reportedly been killed or injured, highlighting the connection between these global conflicts and South Koreas security. If you are successful in bringing about an end to the war, we will enter a period of post-war reconstruction in which South Korea could play a pivotal role. As Russia looks to rebuild, it will likely seek economic cooperation with nations like South Korea, given the technological advancements and economic prowess the country can provide. While Russia has been increasingly isolated from Europe, South Korea offers tremendous potential for mutually beneficial partnerships. This could lead to new opportunities for both countries and strengthen the global order. On the topic of North Korea, it seems you have a unique role to play. Describing North Korea as nuclear power you reiterated hope to meet him. Kim Jong-un is facing growing domestic challenges, particularly following his decision to send soldiers to the front lines under an agreement with Russia. His support for Russia has strained his relationship with China, North Koreas traditional ally. Youve already met with Kim on multiple occasions during your first term, and your ability to maintain open lines of communication with him may provide an avenue for progress. Your recent phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping demonstrates your commitment to direct diplomacy, and I believe this approach could be helpful in resuming inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, ultimately bringing greater stability to the region. That said, I want to make a suggestion that I hope will be taken into consideration. When making significant decisions that directly affect the security of the Korean people, particularly on issues like denuclearization, it would be prudent to ensure that South Korea is consulted in advance. This will help avoid domestic debates about nuclear armament, which could then prompt other neighboring countries, like Japan and Taiwan, to consider similar options. Such a domino effect could undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and disrupt regional stability. Open communication between our countries will ensure that we remain aligned on these important issues. One area where our nations already share significant potential for collaboration is the shipbuilding sector. During your conversation with President Yoon Suk Yeol last November, you highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in this area. The U.S. has long been the leader in naval power, but it is evident that the country has fallen behind in terms of manufacturing and maintaining both combat and commercial vessels. As China has grown its naval capabilities, the U.S. faces increasing pressure to modernize and maintain its edge in the worlds oceans. South Korea, on the other hand, has world-class capabilities in shipbuilding and ship maintenance. With its advanced technologies and expertise in producing both military and commercial vessels, South Korea is well-positioned to help the U.S. enhance its naval strength. By deepening cooperation in this sector, both countries can benefit from strengthened military capabilities, while also improving commercial shipbuilding and repair services. This partnership would serve to elevate our alliance to the same level as other strong relationships the U.S. has with countries like the United Kingdom, Japan and Israel. Mr. President, the bond between the United States and South Korea goes beyond the traditional concept of an alliance. It is a relationship built on shared values such as democracy, freedom and the market economy. The deep trust and affection between our nations are evidenced by the lasting ties between veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and the large Korean American community in the U.S. This bond has only grown stronger over the years, and I believe there is tremendous potential for our two countries to play an even greater role in promoting peace and prosperity on the global stage. The growing threats from North Korea, the challenges posed by China and the ongoing global shifts demand that our two nations work more closely than ever. Whether it is through joint efforts in defense, technology or industry, our collaboration will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future. Mr. President! I know you recently mentioned the political turmoil here, saying "look at South Korea," which you said is more "chaotic" than yourself. Yet I would like to stress that Korea has a strong democratic resilience and will return to normalcy soon. Highly educated and decently sensible Korean people will not allow their country to plunge into chaos under any circumstances. In closing, I respectfully encourage you to continue to focus on upgrading the alliance between our countries. The potential for mutual prosperity and greater regional security is vast, and together, we can create a more stable and peaceful world. Last but not least, I would like to extend my heartfelt grief for those who suffered from the disastrous forest fire that engulfed Los Angeles area. I urge the Korean government, albeit without a president, to provide the necessary relief, although belatedly, in respect of the value of the alliance. I wish you all the best in your leadership, and I look forward to seeing the positive outcomes of the strong partnership between the United States and South Korea. Sincerely, Shim Jae-yun is chief editorial writer of The Korea Times. President Yoon takes flak for even refuting followers' testimonies Impeached Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has appeared for a hearing at the Constitutional Court for the first time, defending his Dec. 3 martial law imposition as necessary to sound the alarm on what he claims are the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's legislative abuses to undermine his agenda and the government budget bill. It is with heavy hearts that we must witness yet another "first for a sitting president" milestone that Yoon's actions have wrought since his declaration of martial law, following his refusal to cooperate in a separate criminal investigation into insurrection allegations and the subsequent detention and arrest warrants carried out against him. As painful as it is to watch these developments unfold, Korean society invariably is reminded that it must remain eternally vigilant to safeguard our democracy. Thus, when the news of his scheduled appearance came out, there was hope for more clarity, although this largely dissipated as the trial proceeded. At his Constitutional Court appearance on deliberating whether his martial law proclamation stood on justifiable grounds, Yoon provided a mix of defense and refutations of what his former minister and senior military officials had testified in the criminal investigation on the insurrection charges. The president remains in extended detention in the same criminal probe, but has remained largely uncooperative. At the adjudicating court, Yoon denied ordering the soldiers to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly to prevent them from voting to reject martial law. Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, who led a special unit to the National Assembly on Dec. 3, said in an Assembly hearing held last month that he had received a direct order from the president over the phone on the matter. The president answered negatively when the court judges asked whether he had given a top official during the martial law chaos a memo on establishing an emergency legislative body, which is under various interpretations. One possibility was that it was meant to supersede the National Assembly. His legal team also seemingly deferred the responsibility of writing up the martial law decree to the now-arrested former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. This division between the president and one of his closest former ministers casts a shadow over the nation's top leader, as he seemingly attempts to shirk responsibility. The claim by his lawyers that martial law was declared to warn against the opposition's overreach regrettably lacks a sensibility with regard to the violent and bloody political context where martial law decrees had figured prominently at critical junctures in Korea's path to achieving democracy. It also stands in jarring disharmony with the statement the president made at the start of the hearing, that he had worked in public service with "a firm commitment to liberal democracy." Asked on the subsequent factor of unproven claims of irregularities at the election commission during last April's general elections, Yoon answered disingenuously by saying he had felt the need to check the facts. Overall, the prevailing sentiment for those who have heard Yoon's comments at the Constitutional Court is disappointment. While he apologized to the Constitutional Court for the trouble caused by his impeachment, he did not render one to the Korean public. There is a thirst from the people, undeniably also from the investigators, to hear more commonsensical explanations on what transpired during the martial law fiasco. Having to stand before the Constitutional Court as well as the separate criminal investigation is no light burden. But if the president cooperates with due process to provide a full picture and answers to the numerous questions, he would be doing some service to the Korean public and leading the way back to normalization and stabilization of our democracy and economy. The state arms procurement agency and the national space agency held talks Wednesday to discuss ways to promote the local drone industry, officials said, as Korea seeks to strengthen its prowess to develop the cost-effective weapons. Officials at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) agreed to cooperate on establishing a domestic drone ecosystem and bolstering the country's drone capabilities in a meeting held at KASA headquarters in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul. They also agreed to push to establish standards for civilian and military drones, and launch joint development and research projects for high-tech drone technology, in what marked the first director general-level talks between the two agencies on drone development. The latest meeting came as part of efforts to advance technology for unmanned aerial vehicles that are increasingly becoming important in modern warfare. (Yonhap) By Nam Hyun-woo Zigbang, the operator of Koreas leading real estate brokerage app, is expanding its portfolio with smart home appliances, releasing a digital door lock without passcodes in the global market. According to the company on Wednesday, it launched its Haven smart door lock in Singapore and Hong Kong as well as Korea. It is the first artificial intelligence (AI)-embedded smart door lock that the company released after acquiring Samsung SDS home Internet of Things business in 2022. Instead of typing passcodes for access, the door lock allows users to open the door by tapping their smartphone to the door lock or through AI-based facial recognition. Unlike conventional digital door locks relying on keys or digital number pads, which face security concerns such as loss or password leaks, Haven removed physical security vulnerabilities by eliminating the number pad. Including Hong Kong and Singapore, the company additionally plans to launch the door lock in China, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia and Thailand. Along with Haven, Zigbang said it plans to roll out a number of smart door lock products and lobby phones for multi-unit homes and apartments, which will feature facial recognition and video call functions. Zigbang plans to focus on promoting its new products set to launch this year in its base markets such as China and Southeast Asia, and aims to expand its presence to Japan, North America and the Middle East in the near future. Zigbang seeks to introduce AI technology into its smart home solutions so that we can provide innovative living experiences to consumers, Zigbang CEO Ahn Sung-woo said. "With our technology and operation know-how, we will make a leap forward as a globally recognized smart home brand. BYD forecast to make bigger splash in Korea than Japan: experts Editors note This article is the second in a three-part series analyzing the impacts of BYDs inroads into the Korean market. Ed. By Lee Min-hyung BYD Korea will ratchet up pressure on overseas carmakers here particularly non-luxury brands with limited electric and hybrid lineups as they are at growing risk of losing their identity as cost-effective carmakers amid the upcoming influx of ultra-cheap Chinese vehicles, experts and industry officials said Tuesday. The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker is set to deliver its flagship Atto 3 electric SUV to Korean customers next month. Customers purchasing the vehicle will pay less than 30 million won ($20,800) after receiving subsidies. The vehicle is lesser-known to local customers, but the model solidifies its position as a well-recognized EV around the world. It secured a strong track record as a top-selling EV in key markets in Europe and Southeast Asia. Experts and officials from the industry expected BYD Korea to pose an immediate threat to mid-tier foreign carmakers here, unless the Chinese vehicle causes quality concerns. The so-called mid-tier three carmakers Renault, General Motors (GM) and KG Mobility will bear the brunt of BYDs arrival, as their position as price-competitive carmakers overlap that of the Chinese firm, Lee Ho-geun, an automotive engineering professor at Daedeok University, said. Lee raised the possibility of BYD gradually engulfing the local business-to-business (B2B) vehicle market, such as rental and corporate cars. If BYD vehicles do not raise any serious quality issues, chances are Koreas B2B vehicle market dominated by two home-grown carmakers, Hyundai Motor and Kia, is also being threatened by the influx of Chinese EVs, he said. The auto expert also rang alarm bells on BYDs inroads here, saying the carmaker is likely to generate bigger success in Korea than Japan. BYD made its Japan debut in 2023, and has since achieved noteworthy outcomes. The carmaker attained solid sales growth of 54 percent there last year from a year earlier, rising to become the countrys fourth-largest EV seller by surpassing Toyota Motor. BYD will be able to make a bigger splash in Korea in that Japanese customers preference for domestic brands remains much more solid than Koreans', Lee said. Other experts also shared similar outlooks, saying that mid-tier imported carmakers will be more vulnerable to BYDs arrival due largely to their scarcity of hybrids. Hybrids gain popularity as an alternative to EVs at this period of the global EV chasm before their mass adoption. For instance, Renault Korea sells only a few hybrid vehicles with a heavy reliance on Grand Koleos, and GM Korea does not even sell any hybrids here, Kim Pil-soo, an automotive technology professor at Daelim University College, said. More and more customers seeking to purchase affordable EVs will consider the Chinese brand, as they have few other choices in a similar price range, according to Kim. This is the case even for Hyundai Motor and Kia, he said. Casper Electric and EV3 are two competitive models for the Atto 3, but in terms of price competitiveness, the BYD vehicle still has more upsides. Other imported carmakers doing business here are also raising their vigilance to the upcoming arrival of BYD's EVs, as their position is being sandwiched between luxury carmakers and Chinese players, according to industry officials. It goes without saying that Korean customers preference on luxury products remains strong, as was shown by solid sales of pricey vehicles from such brands as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, an official from the local automotive industry said. Demand for EVs from those luxury brands will be steadfast, but other import brands, such as Jeep and Peugeot, will have to face tougher competition from Chinese EVs, according to the official. Corporate fines imposed by Korea's antitrust regulator jumped 26 percent in 2024 from a year earlier, with e-commerce giant Coupang receiving the biggest penalty, a corporate data tracker said Wednesday. The Fair Trade Commission imposed fines totaling 550.15 billion won ($384 million) on local companies last year for unfair market practices, up from 434.98 billion won in 2023, according to CEO Score. Coupang and one of its subsidiaries, Coupang Private Label Brands, topped others with a combined fine of 140.1 billion won for using unfair search algorithms and uploading false product reviews to boost sales of their own private-label items. Kakao Mobility, the operator of the country's leading taxi-hailing service, was slapped with a fine of 72.4 billion won. Kakao Mobility was accused of manipulating its algorithm to direct more ride requests received through its mobile taxi application to cabs under its franchise. CJ Freshway as slapped 24.5 billion won for unfairly supporting an affiliate to solidify its market status as a major food distributor for local merchants. There were 11 companies slapped with penalties worth over 10 billion won last year, according to CEO Score. (Yonhap) Measure follows agreement between gov't, platforms, restaurants By Ko Dong-hwan Online food delivery platform operator Baedal Minjok, commonly known as Baemin, said on Wednesday that it would lower commission fees for restaurants using its platform next month to help ease their financial burden. The decision, scheduled to take effect on Feb. 26, follows an agreement involving the government, major delivery platform operators Baemin, Coupang Eats and Yogiyo and an association of local restaurant owners registered with these platforms. Baemin's new system also comes amid a sharp decline in sales within the dine-in industry, driven by surging raw ingredient costs, rising market prices and a growing shift away from dining out. The situation has been further exacerbated by political unrest stemming from President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law imposition in December, which has deepened the nationwide slump in consumer spending. According to Baemin, the new commission rating system will reduce the rate from 9.8 percent to a range of 2 to 7.8 percent. The system applies to business owners subscribed to Baemin 1 Plus, a flexible option the company offers to business owners to make delivery costs more affordable. The improved commission rates are expected to ease the burden of most small business owners using our platform, a Baemin official said. We have introduced the new system amid the long-lasting economic slump. We wanted to implement the new measure early this year to mitigate our member businesses financial burdens as fast as possible. The measure also follows the agreement for a mutual market ecosystem that the tripartite discussion group reached last year. The new system will charge lower commission rates to businesses with lower sales and higher commission rates to those with higher sales. The delivery fee charges have also been adjusted. Businesses that make the highest sales among Baemins member restaurants in the top 35th percentile by sales will be charged a commission rate of 7.8 percent. Additionally, they will incur delivery fees ranging from 2,400 won ($1.68) to 3,400 won. For businesses in the second-highest sales tier those ranked between the top 35th and 50th percentile the commission rate will be 6.8 percent, with delivery fees ranging from 2,100 won to 3,100 won. Similarly, businesses in the third-highest sales tier those ranked between the top 50th and 80th percentile will also be charged a 6.8 percent commission rate but will benefit from lower delivery fees, ranging from 1,900 won to 2,900 won. Businesses in the lowest sales tier, ranked in the bottom 20th percentile, will be subject to a 2 percent commission rate, with delivery fees ranging from 1,900 won to 2,900 won. Under the new system, restaurants with orders worth at least 30,000 won will benefit from cost reductions, compared to the existing structure. Those in the top sales block will save 100 won per order, while those in the second-highest block will save 700 won. Restaurants in the third block will save 900 won, and those in the bottom block will benefit the most, with savings of 2,340 won per order. Coupang Eats, the second-largest food delivery app, plans to announce its new commission rating system in March. Samsung C&T said Wednesday its 2024 net profit gained nearly 2 percent on-year despite challenging business conditions. Net income for 2024 was recorded at 2.77 trillion won ($1.9 billion) on a consolidated basis, up 1.9 percent from a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit came to 2.98 trillion won, up 3.9 percent, while sales inched up 0.5 percent to 42.1 trillion won. Samsung C&T said it managed to improve its bottom line despite the challenging business environment thanks to its diversified business portfolio. While the construction division reported a slowdown in sales, its total order backlog was tallied at 27.7 trillion won on the back of projects from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Guam last year. The trading and investment division also recorded a 16.7 percent fall in operating profit, while the fashion division also experienced a 12.4 percent decline in operating profit. The resorts and food division succeeded in reporting a 10.8 percent gain in operating profit and 9.1 percent increase in sales. "Although uncertainties in the business environment are expected to intensify this year, potentially affecting various segments, we will strive to maintain last year's revenue levels by leveraging our diversified business portfolio," the company said. (Yonhap) Korea has launched a joint public-private initiative to collect biological data from 1 million individuals, aiming to enhance global competitiveness of the country's bio industry, the finance ministry said Wednesday. The project will gather biological samples, such as blood, urine and biopsies from participants, including those with rare and severe diseases, to create a large-scale dataset, the ministry said. The dataset will be shared with the medical community, academia and industries, with long-term plans to make it accessible to the general public. The first phase, supported by 603.9 billion won ($420.6 million) in state investment, aims to collect data from 770,000 people by 2028, the ministry said. The final target is to reach 1 million participants by 2032. "This large biological dataset will enhance public health through personalized medical services and drive innovation in the bio industry," said Shin Sang-hoon, a ministry official, in a meeting with industry officials. The government emphasized its commitment to collaborating with genetic analysis firms participating in the project, as well as helping bio companies strengthen their global competitiveness. (Yonhap) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed on Tuesday how to build ties with Donald Trump, prospects for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine and Moscow's firm support for Beijing's position on Taiwan. Xi and Putin, who spoke for an hour and 35 minutes by video call after Trump was sworn in as U.S. president on Monday, proposed a further deepening of the strategic partnership between their countries which worries the West. China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing, days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Putin has in recent months described China as an "ally". Putin, 72, speaking from his Novo-Ogarevo residency outside Moscow and Xi, 71, speaking from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, called each other "dear friends", and Xi told Putin about a call with Trump on Friday on TikTok, trade and Taiwan. Xi and Putin "have indicated a willingness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial, mutually respectful basis, if the Trump team really shows interest in this," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow. "It was also noted from our side that we are ready for dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukrainian conflict." Ushakov said Putin wanted long-term peace in Ukraine, not a short-term ceasefire, but any deal must take into account Russia's interests. No specific proposals for a call with Trump have been received, he said. Trump has said he will be tough on China and speak to Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. In remarks to reporters after his inauguration, Trump said Putin should make a deal to end the war because the conflict was destroying Russia. Xi has called for talks to end the war in Ukraine and has accused the U.S. of stoking the war with weapons supplies to Kyiv, which says it is ready to seek a negotiated solution that respects its interests. "The relationship between Xis China and Putins Russia is 'the most significant undeclared alliance in the world'," said Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard University, who wrote a 2023 paper of the same title. "Xi will play a decisive role in the early end of the war in Ukraine that Trump has promised - and that Im betting will happen." World view Trump has described Xi as "a good poker player" and said he got along "great" with Putin, but that during his first term he had warned the Russian leader that the U.S. could strike Moscow if Moscow went further in Ukraine. Putin and Xi share a broad world view, which portrays the West as decadent and in decline as China challenges U.S. supremacy in many areas. "We jointly advocate building a more just multi-polar world order, and we are working in the interests of ensuring indivisible security in the Eurasian space and in the world as a whole," Putin said. Ushakov said the Putin-Xi video call had been planned before Trump's inauguration. The U.S. casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its biggest nation-state threat. China is the largest consumer of Russian energy, and the biggest single oil export market for Russia, Putin said, adding that they would push ahead with cooperation on cooperating on fast neutron reactors and reprocessing nuclear fuel. On Taiwan, Ushakov said Russia had "confirmed its unwavering position of support for the one-China principle." China regards democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and Xi said in a New Year's speech that no one could stop China's "reunification" with Taiwan. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's claims. It says only its people can decide their future and Beijing ought to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people. (Reuters) The United States will leave the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the "inappropriate political influence of WHO member states" and required "unfairly onerous payments" from the U.S. that were disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China. "World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It's not going to happen anymore," Trump said at the signing of an executive order on the withdrawal, shortly after his inauguration to a second term. The WHO said on Tuesday that it regretted the move from its top donor country. "We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope that there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world," WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva. The move sets a 12-month notice period for the U.S. to leave the United Nations health agency and stop all financial contributions to its work. The United States is by far the WHO's biggest financial backer, contributing around 18 percent of its overall funding. WHO's most recent two-year budget, for 2024-2025, was $6.8 billion. The U.S. departure is likely to put at risk programs across the organization, according to several experts both inside and outside the WHO, notably those tackling tuberculosis, the worlds biggest infectious disease killer, as well as HIV/AIDS and other health emergencies. "This is the darkest day for global health Ive ever experienced," said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health at Georgetown University in Washington and director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. "Trump could be sowing the seeds for the next pandemic." Trump's order said the administration would cease negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty while the withdrawal is in progress. U.S. government personnel working with the WHO will be recalled and reassigned, and the government will look for partners to take over necessary WHO activities, according to the order. The government will review, rescind, and replace the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy as soon as practicable, the order said. The next-largest donor to the WHO is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, although most of that funding goes to polio eradication. Its chief executive Mark Suzman said on X that the foundation would continue to make the case to strengthen not weaken the WHO. The next-largest state donor in terms of combined mandatory fees and voluntary contributions is Germany, which accounts for around 3 percent of the WHO's funding. Germany's health minister said on Tuesday Berlin hoped to talk Trump out of the move while the European Union voiced concern. When asked about Trump's decision, China's foreign ministry told a regular press briefing on Tuesday that the WHO's role in global health governance should only be strengthened, not weakened. "China will continue to support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities, and deepen international public health cooperation," said Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson. Trump's withdrawal from the WHO is not unexpected. He took steps to quit the body in 2020, during his first term as president, accusing the WHO of aiding China's efforts to "mislead the world" about the origins of COVID. WHO vigorously denies the allegation and says it continues to press Beijing to share data to determine whether COVID emerged from human contact with infected animals or due to research into similar viruses in a local laboratory. Under U.S. law, leaving the WHO requires a one-year notice period, and the payment of any outstanding fees. Before the U.S. withdrawal could be completed last time, Joe Biden won the presidential election and put a stop to it on his first day in office on Jan. 20, 2021. (Reuters) Israel's top general resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for security failures tied to Hamas' surprise attack that triggered the war in Gaza and adding to pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could potentially implicate his leadership. While a fragile new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip held, Israel launched a significant and broad military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least nine people and injuring 40, Palestinian officials said. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security and intelligence breakdown on Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led militants carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities. The attack the single deadliest on Israel in its history killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants abducted another 250. More than 90 captives are still in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead. Halevi's resignation, effective March 6, came days into the ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the 15-month war and the return of remaining captives. Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel's Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also resigned. Their resignations will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the Oct. 7 failures, something Netanyahu has said must wait until the war is over. Halevis resignation letter noted that the militarys investigations into those failures were currently in their final stages. And Halevi made his most explicit call yet for a public inquiry in comments to journalists, saying it would be granted full transparency by the military. Halevi had appeared to be at odds with Israel's new defense minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war. He said Israel had accomplished most of its goals, while Katz echoed Netanyahu's vow to keep fighting until total victory over Hamas. Katz replaced the popular Yoav Gallant, who Netanyahu dismissed in a surprise announcement in November after growing disagreements over the war. The ceasefire that started Sunday does not apply to the West Bank, where Israel announced new operation against Palestinian militants in Jenin. The city has seen repeated Israeli incursions and gun battles with militants in recent years. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on security forces to use maximum restraint in the West Bank, a spokesman said. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek an independent state encompassing all three territories. The West Bank has seen a surge of violence during the war in Gaza. Israeli troops have carried out near-daily raids that often ignite gun battles. There has also been a rise in attacks on Palestinians by Jewish extremists including a rampage in two Palestinian villages overnight Monday and Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Hamas condemned the Israeli operation in Jenin, calling on Palestinians in the West Bank to step up attacks. The smaller and more radical Islamic Jihad militant group called it a desperate attempt by Netanyahu to save his governing coalition. Netanyahu faces criticism from far-right allies over the ceasefire, which requires Israeli troops to pull back from populated areas in Gaza and envisions the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including militants convicted of involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis. Hamas has already returned to the streets , showing that it remains in control of the territory despite the war killing tens of thousands of Palestinians including some Hamas leaders and causing widespread devastation. The ceasefire's first phase is to last for six weeks, with 33 hostages gradually released. Three hostages and 90 prisoners were released Sunday, when it took effect. The next release is Saturday. Talks on the far more difficult second phase begin in two weeks. One of Netanyahu's erstwhile partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir, quit the government on Sunday, weakening the coalition but still leaving Netanyahu with a parliamentary majority. Another far-right leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to leave if Israel does not resume the war after the ceasefire's first phase. Separately on Tuesday evening, Israels emergency rescue service said four people were stabbed and wounded in Tel Aviv in what police described as a terror attack. Police said the attacker, a 28- year old foreign national, was killed by security forces at the scene. With the calm of the ceasefire, emergency responders looked through rubble for bodies they had been unable to reach before. We retrieved 120 decomposed bodies over the past two days, civil defense worker Haitham Hams told The Associated Press in the southern city of Rafah, as colleagues unearthed a thigh bone and a pair of pants. Israels military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Halevi on Tuesday said close to 20,000 militants had been killed, without providing evidence. Gaza's Health Ministry said 72 bodies had been taken to hospitals in the past 24 hours, almost all of them recovered from attacks before the ceasefire. An unknown number of bodies remain unreachable because they are in northern Gaza, where access remains restricted, or in buffer zones where Israeli forces are. Nearly 900 trucks of aid entered Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire Tuesday, the United Nations said significantly higher than the 600 trucks called for in the deal in a rush to supply food, medicines and other needs it has described as staggering" for the population of over 2 million people. Most importantly, we want things that will warm us in winter, one of the many displaced Palestinians, Mounir Abu Seiam, said Tuesday as people gathered in the southern city of Khan Younis to receive food. (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would be open to tech billionaire Elon Musk the owner of social media platform X buying Chinese-owned app TikTok. "I would be if he wanted to buy it," Trump told reporters when asked if he was open to Musk, world's richest man and the head of a budget cutting initiative in the new administration, acquiring the video-sharing platform. TikTok is facing down a U.S. law that ordered the company to divest from its Chinese owner ByteDance or be banned in the United States. In one of his first acts in office, Trump ordered a pause on enforcing the law that should have seen TikTok effectively made illegal in the country on Sunday, a day before he took office for a second term. The executive order directed his attorney general to delay the implementation of the law for 75 days. To save the company's U.S. operations, Trump on Monday also floated the idea of a 50-50 partnership between "the United States" and its Chinese owner ByteDance, though he did not provide details on how this could be achieved. The TikTok ban passed due to concerns that the Chinese government could exploit the app to spy on Americans or covertly influence U.S. public opinion through data collection and content manipulation. Asked on Tuesday if his phone had TikTok, which is banned on U.S. government devices, Trump said: "No, but... I think I'll get it right now." TikTok briefly shut down in the United States late Saturday as the law's sale deadline approached, leaving millions of dismayed users barred from the app. With the tacit cooperation of Oracle, its server provider, TikTok restored service in the United States on Sunday crediting Trump's commitment to save the app for making the reversal possible. But even if existing users can still enjoy TikTok, Apple and Google have still not made the app available in their app stores, therefore denying downloads to new users as well as updates to those who have it. Companies that violate the law, which remains officially in effect, face penalties of up to $5,000 per user if the app is accessed. Last week, a report that Chinese officials were considering selling the company's U.S. operations to Musk's social media platform X was met with a firm denial from TikTok. (AFP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday he does not support freedom of speech when it is used for extreme-right views, a day after a hand gesture by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk caused uproar during Donald Trump's inauguration festivities. "We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany. Everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire. And what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme-right positions," Scholz said in Davos when asked about the incident. Musk's hand gesture during a celebration of President Trump's inauguration drew online comparisons to a Nazi salute. Musk dismissed the criticism as a "tired" attack. "Shame on Oaf Schitz," Musk posted on X, the platform he owns, on Tuesday with a video clip shared by another user that showed Scholz speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort. "Schitz" has no meaning in German. Musk has previously attacked Scholz on X, calling him an "incompetent fool" who should resign after a deadly attack at a German Christmas market. He has also used the platform formerly known as Twitter to signal his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of elections scheduled for next month. Musk's repeated endorsement of the AfD, the party that has embraced the Trump administration most among German parties, has drawn ire in Berlin, but the German government has stopped short of unanimously leaving his platform. The European Commission said this month that it was stepping up its investigation into whether X breached European Union rules on content moderation. Musk's hosting of AfD leader Alice Weidel for a discussion on X this month was watched by the European Commission to check for any spreading of misinformation. (Reuters) Panama has complained to the United Nations over U.S. President Donald Trump's "worrying" threat to seize the Panama Canal, even as it launched an audit of the Hong Kong-linked operator of two ports on the interoceanic waterway. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the government in Panama City referred to an article of the U.N. Charter precluding any member from "the threat or use of force" against the territorial integrity or political independence of another. The missive, distributed to reporters Tuesday, urges Guterres to refer the matter to the UN Security Council, without asking for a meeting to be convened. Trump, in his inaugural address Monday, repeated his complaint that China was effectively "operating" the Panama Canal through its growing presence around the waterway, which the United States handed over at the end of 1999. "We didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we're taking it back," Trump said. Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino hit back that the canal was not a gift from the United States during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "We reject in its entirety everything that Mr Trump has said. First because it is false and second because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama," Mulino said Wednesday. The president has previously denied that any other nation was interfering in the canal, which he said was operated on a principle of neutrality. Asked Wednesday about the spat, Beijing denied it had ever "interfered" in the canal. "China has always respected Panama's sovereignty over the canal and recognized the canal as a permanent neutral international waterway," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. US pressure The Panamanian comptroller's office that oversees public entities announced "an exhaustive audit" would be launched "aimed at ensuring the efficient and transparent use of public resources" at the Panama Ports Company. The company, part of Hutchison Ports, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, operates the ports of Balboa and Cristobal on either end of the canal. The comptroller's office said the aim was to determine whether the company was complying with its concession agreements, including adequate reporting of income, payments and contributions to the state. Hutchison Ports PPC said in a statement that it has "maintained and will continue to maintain a transparent and collaborative relationship" with Panamanian authorities. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to comply with all laws and regulations, fully exercising our contractual responsibilities," the firm said. "Our financial results, audited by an independent external auditor, have been shared annually with our partner, the Panamanian State, ensuring trust and clarity in our management." Trump has been raising pressure for weeks over the canal, through which 40 percent of U.S. container traffic travels. He has refused to rule out using military force to reclaim it. The Panama Ports Company's concession agreement was extended by 25 years in 2021. The United States is the canal's main user, followed by China. Since 2000, the waterway has contributed more than $30 billion to Panama's state coffers, including nearly $2.5 billion in the last fiscal year. (AFP) We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. BTS' J-Hope and Travis Scott stunned music fans with their unexpected meeting at the F/W 2025 Men's Louis Vuitton Fashion Show in France on January 21. With A-list stars in the coveted front row, J-Hope undeniably stole the show with his striking looks, impeccable fashion, and various surprises that mesmerized the crowd. READ ALSO: BTS' J-Hope Announces First Solo Concert 'HOPE ON THE STAGE' in Korea, American Tour To Drop Soon ARMYs, BTS' devoted fans, were stunned after hearing the preview of Don Toliver's new song, "LV Bag" (ft. J-Hope), produced by LV's Creative Director Pharrell Williams exclusively for the fashion show. This marks J-Hope's first music after his discharge from the military in October last year, as per Billboard. Fans hope this will be his ticket to enter the mainstream hip-hop scene beyond K-pop. Catch a sneak peek of the "LV Bag" at the 14:18 mark in the video below: Another standout moment that sent fans buzzing was J-Hope's interaction with American hip-hop icon Travis Scott, who was also seated front row at the show. Their shared energy lit up the atmosphere, quickly drawing attention from the onlookers and fans alike. In a viral video, J-Hope was seen sauntering over Scott, who greeted him with a warm smile. The two music luminaries shared a brief, easy conversation before striking a pose for a quick photo op. Meanwhile, fans raved about their strong impact together, declaring that a collaboration between the two would undoubtedly be powerful. "Cool, now give us a collab," a fan wrote on X. "Just got on my knees at the thought of them making a song together," another chimed in. "Collab when," touted more of their supporters. RELATED ARTICLE: BTS' J-Hope Receives Rave Report Card From Military Superiors For Exemplary Service Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. THE Laois Severe Weather Assessment Team (SWAT) convened today, as the county prepares for a dangerous Status Red wind warning this Friday. Schools and all other educational institutions must close, as destructive Storm Eowyn sweeps across the country. Red warnings will be in place from 2am on Friday until 3pm on Friday, with gusts in excess of 130kmh expected. Laois is under a Red warning from 6am to 12 noon on Friday. In an online notice today, the county council said: Laois County Council's Severe Weather Assessment Team convened a meeting this afternoon, on foot of a Severe Weather Warning for Wind being issued by Met Eireann. 'County Laois is included along with neighbouring counties in a Status Red Wind Warning from 6am on Friday until 12 noon on Friday. 'An Orange Wind Warning will also be in place either side of the Red warning and is valid from 2am and will cease at 5pm. 'The public are requested to be prepared and take any required measures in advance of the weather warnings taking effect. 'Met Eireann Weather Warning is as follows: 'Storm Eowyn: Gale to storm force southwest to west winds will bring severe, damaging and extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h 'Impacts: Danger to life Extremely dangerous travelling conditions Unsafe working conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport Many fallen trees Significant and widespread power outages Impacts to communications networks Cancellation of event Structural damage 'Key public safety advice from Met Eireann: 'Red Warnings: the public are advised to not travel in areas where a red level warning is in place and to shelter in place during these times. Essential services operators will continue to operate services subject to advice from Met Eireann on prevailing local conditions. 'Public are advised to be aware of their local forecast and make decisions accordingly. Please check public transport services in areas where a red or orange level warning is in place, noting that public transport operators may curtail services based on local conditions. Event organisers should monitor updates from Met Eireann for the duration of Red Wind Warning. 'Strong winds can make driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g., cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and high sided vehicles. Road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris. 'People are advised to prepare for the arrival of the storm including ensuring their mobile phone is fully charged to enable communication. 'Driving conditions will be hazardous throughout the period of the weather warnings. Travel is not advised during the Red Wind Warning. Never drive through flooded roads, the depth of the water can be deceiving. Monitor Met Eireann forecasts 'ESB Networks is highlighting the dangers posed by fallen live wires and is advising the public and the emergency services to stay away from these fallen cables and to report such cases to it immediately. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1800 372 999. The public can monitor www.PowerCheck.ie in regard to power restoration times.' Members of the public can contact Laois County Council 057 866 400 during normal office hours, after which calls will be transferred to the councils emergency services number. Emergency services crews will be on standby to respond to 999 calls and the Local Authority roads crews are available and prepared to respond to issues that may arise on the network when it is safe to do so. Note the following emergency contact numbers: Emergency 999/112 Uisce Eireann 1800 278 278 ESB Networks 1800 372 999 Gas Networks Ireland 1800 205 050 A Status Red warning is issued when there are rare and very dangerous weather conditions. Following a meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG), it was announced that schools, early learning and childcare settings and further and higher education institutions will close in the areas under a Status Red warning. Employers in those areas should facilitate work from home for all who can do so, while only emergency service workers should be leaving home for work, where directed by their employer. NECG chairperson Keith Leonard said: Storm Eowyn is going to be a very dangerous and destructive weather event. The forecasted winds have the capacity to bring severe, damaging winds which will constitute a risk to life and property. During the Red Level wind warnings, the public are advised to shelter in place. Davos [Switzerland], January 22 (ANI): Maharashtra government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has signed a total of 54 MoUs worth Rs 15.70 lakh crore as of Wednesday at Davos. These investments are expected to create about 16 lakh jobs. Also Read | RG Kar Doctor Rape-Murder Case: CBI Approaches Calcutta High Court Seeking Death Penalty for Convict Sanjay Roy. Among today's MoUs, the largest investment deal is with Reliance Group, with an investment of Rs 305,000 crore in petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, green chemicals, industrial sector development, retail, data centres, telecommunications, hospitality and real estate. It is estimated that 3 lakh jobs will be created from this one contract with Reliance Group. Also Read | Tamil Nadu Shocker: Married Woman Kidnaps and Sexually Assaults Class XI Boy on Pretext of Romantic Relationship in Tiruvallur, Arrested. "History has been made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Maharashtra under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has signed a total of 54 MoUs worth Rs 15.70 lakh crore till the second day today. This will create 15.95 lakh jobs. Among today's MOUs, the largest investment deal is with Reliance Group, with an investment of Rs 3,05,000 crore in petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, green chemicals, industrial sector development, retail, data centres, telecommunications, hospitality and real estate," CM Fadnavis said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' dream is to make Maharashtra the first state with a USD 1 trillion economy, a statement from the CMO said. In this regard, Anant Ambani of Reliance Group said that they were going to make this investment. The second largest investment will be made by Amazon, which is Rs 71,795 crore, creating 83,100 jobs through this investment through data centers in Mumbai. The MoU that was signed in the last 2 days, investments are being made in all parts of the state and the objective of balanced development will be achieved. Out of these total contracts, Industries Department has awarded contracts worth Rs 11.71 crores, MMRDA has awarded contracts worth Rs 3.44 lakh crores and CIDCO has awarded contracts worth Rs 55,200 crores. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met former British Prime Minister Tony Blair today. The Annual Meeting 2025 of The World Economic Forum is taking place at Davos-Klosters from 20th to 24th January 2025. India Pavilion at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, features eight states, each seeking investment opportunities from executives of companies worldwide. Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal are the states which have established their presence at WEF, 2025. Davos 2025 convenes under 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. More than 350 governmental leaders are expected to participate this year, including 60 heads of state and government. India has sent its largest-ever delegation to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, comprising five union ministers and three state chief ministers. Nearly 100 CEOs and leaders from government, civil society, and the arts are also in attendance at the event. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, Jan 22 (PTI) An 80-year-old woman, who went missing from her home in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district 30 years ago, has been reunited with her family, thanks to efforts made by staff at the Thane Mental Hospital, an official said on Wednesday. Three decades ago, the woman's 13-year-old son tragically died due to an electric shock after climbing a tamarind tree. Also Read | Union Budget 2025 Will Balance Fiscal Consolidation and Growth; Capital Expenditure Likely to Rise to Rs11-11.5 Lakh Crore: Report. Overcome with grief and unable to cope up with the loss, the woman left her home in a distressed state and went missing, Thane Mental Hospital's superintendent Dr Netaji Mulik said. The woman later reached Nashik, where she wandered in the Panchvati locality for years. Also Read | 'Virginity Test' Conducted on Woman Before Her Wedding Night in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, Court Orders FIR Against In-Laws. Two years ago, the Nashik police found her in a deteriorated physical and mental condition. After realising that she had a memory loss, they shifted her to the Thane Mental Hospital for care and treatment, the official said. At the hospital, the medical team provided her a comprehensive treatment. Once she showed signs of improvement, the team began working to establish her identity and locate her family. The process was challenging as the woman's recollections of her past were vague and fragmented, Dr Mulik said. Despite not much success initially, the hospital staff gradually pieced together clues about her hometown, contacted the police in Ahmednagar, located about 250 km from here, and traced her relatives there, he said. After receiving information, the woman's family members, including her daughter-in-law, cousins and nephews, visited the hospital here on January 17 and met her for the first time in 30 years. "We are deeply touched by the extraordinary care and dedication of the medical team," a family member said. The family has taken the woman back to Ahmednagar. "Seeing the family together again is our greatest reward," Dr Mulik said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jan 22 (PTI) Activist Anjali Damania on Wednesday met Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla and demanded that the trial in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case be conducted in Mumbai. She also demanded the shifting of the murder case accused to Arthur Road Jail in the city from other jails. Also Read | Manipur Political Crisis: Nitish Kumars JD(U) Withdraws Support to BJP-Led Biren Singh Government, Inform Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Also Read | Bhopal Shocker: 2-Year-Old Child Attending Engagement Ceremony With Parents Dies After Falling Into Pot of Boiling Oil While Playing in Nishatpura. Damania alleged collusion between police and one of the accused, Vishnu Chate, who she claimed was shifted to Latur jail "of his choice". During her meeting with Shukla in Mumbai, Damania apprised the top police officer of the prevailing atmosphere of "terror" in Beed. The activist told reporters that she also submitted details about two companies owned by Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde and his wife in which the minister's aide and extortion case accused Walmik Karad is a shareholder. Karad is an accused in the extortion case involving a windmill company linked to the sarpanch's murder in December. She claimed Dhananjay Munde may cease to be an MLA over the office of profit. "The (sarpanch murder) trial should be conducted in Mumbai. The accused, Vishnu Chate, was shifted to Latur jail due to his collusion with police. He and other accused in the case should be shifted to Arthur Road Jail to break the association with police," Damania added. She further claimed that a government loan of Rs 62 crore was extended to a sugar mill in which Dhananjay Munde holds a stake, and requested DGP Shukla to order scrutiny by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Earlier in the day, Karad was remanded in 14-day judicial custody. Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in central Maharashtra's Beed district, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9. Preliminary investigation indicated that Deshmukh had tried to resist an extortion attempt targeting an energy company. The Kej police arrested seven persons in the murder case, including Chate, while another accused is on the run. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], January 22 (ANI): Congress leader Ajay Maken on Wednesday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal of committing a health-related scam worth Rs 382 crore. Of the 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports, one report suggests a scam carried out by Kejriwal, which is related to health, he added. "The Delhi CM made his party on the basis that he will fight corruption... At that time, he made corruption allegations against Congress based on CAG reports. Today, there are 14 CAG reports that make serious corruption allegations against Arvind Kejriwal. One such CAG report suggests a scam by Arvind Kejriwal related to health which is worth Rs 382 crore," Maken said in a press conference. Also Read | Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: BJP's Parvesh Verma Files INR 100-Crore Defamation Suit Against AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal. Maken made serious allegations against Kejriwal, claiming that the additional expenditure on three hospitals, which has been revealed in the CAG reports, was the reason they were stopped from being tabled. "The CAG reports suggest that a sum of Rs 382.52 crore more than the tender was spent on three hospitals. This is the reason that Arvind Kejriwal did not let the CAG report be presented in the Vidhan Sabha. I am making a direct allegation that this is the reason that the CAG report was stopped," Maken alleged. Also Read | World Economic Forum 2025: CtrlS Limited To Invest INR 10,000 Crore To Set AI Data Centre Cluster in Hyderabad, Generate Employment and Boost Economic Growth. He highlighted the delays in the hospital construction by the AAP government in Delhi, saying that only three hospitals have been erected in a decade, which started during Congress' tenure. "The CAG report says that three hospitals have been prepared in the last 10 years. All three of them were started in Congress time. The delay in Indira Gandhi Hospital was five years, Burari Hospital was delayed by six years and Maulana Azad Dental Hospital was delayed by three years," Maken said, adding that an additional Rs 314 crore was spent for the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Delhi followed by additional Rs 41 crore spent on Burari Hospital and additional (than the tender) Rs 26 crore on Maulana Azad Dental Hospital. The Congress leader further revealed that Rs 2,623 crore sanctioned for the infrastructure budget lapsed, from 2016-17 to 2021-22, since the money was not spent. Of the Rs 653 crore grant provided by the centre during the COVID-19 crisis, Rs 360 crore was not spent, Maken said, adding that the AAP government merely installed 1,235 medical beds instead of the announced 32,000 beds. "From 2016-17 to 2021-22, Rs 2,623 crore sanctioned for infrastructure budget lapsed because the money was not spent. This was also the Covid period. This is criminal negligence that Rs 2623 crore lapsed. This is the reason why the CAG report was not presented. During Covid, they got a Rs 635 crore grant from the centre. Out of which, Rs 360 crore were not spent at all... People were dying due to lack of medical facilities and 56 per cent of the grant given by the centre remained unused... From 2016-17 to 2021-22, in four different budgets, they announced that they will install 32,000 medical beds... But only 1,235 beds were installed. Only 3.8 per cent achievement... This is also in the CAG report on which they (AAP) are sitting," Maken said. Maken pointed out that shortages of doctors were 50 to 74 per cent while the nursing staff was short by 73 to 96 per cent in Rajiv Gandhi and Janakpuri Super Speciality hospitals. "In Rajiv Gandhi and Janakpuri Super Speciality hospitals, doctor shortage is 50-74 per cent... The nursing staff is short by 73-96 per cent. Paramedic staff is short by 17-62 per cent... This is what the CAG report says... In the Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital, the bed occupancy rate is 20-40% because of a shortage of staff," the Congress leader added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) A Special PMLA court in Nagaland Wednesday declared a Dubai-based man a fugitive economic offender in a money laundering case of the ED related to the 'HPZ Token' which was used allegedly to dupe numerous investors, official sources said. The court's ruling paves way for the federal agency to confiscate assets worth Rs 497 crore which were attached by the Enforcement Directorate as part of this investigation. Also Read | Tamil Nadu Shocker: Married Woman Kidnaps and Sexually Assaults Class XI Boy on Pretext of Romantic Relationship in Tiruvallur, Arrested. The Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Dimapur declared Gulshan Arora a fugitive economic offender under the provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, the sources said. Arora, as per the ED, who left the country in September, 2022, is currently based in Dubai. The agency said the man never deposed before the investigators and even "did not comply" with a Gauhati High Court (Kohima Bench) order to cooperate with the agency. Also Read | Republic Day Tableaux 2025: Uttar Pradesh Showcases Maha Kumbh; Jammu and Kashmir Its Scenic Beauty, Rich Heritage. Arora could not be contacted for a comment. His counsel told the court that his client has been out of the country even since before the prosecution was launched and has not refused to return to India. The special court in Dimapur, after filing the charge sheet, summoned Arora, but as he failed to appear before it, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him in July 2024. The ED filed an application before the court in October last year to get Arora declared a fugitive economic offender. The ED case stems from an FIR of the cyber crimes unit of Kohima Police that booked various people under sections of the IPC and the IT Act for allegedly duping investors by promising astronomical returns through Bitcoin and other crypto mining. Police said an app by the name of 'HPZ Token' was used by the accused to "cheat" the investors. A total of 299 entities, including 76 Chinese-controlled entities with ten Chinese-origin directors and two entities controlled by other foreign nationals, were named as accused in the charge sheet filed by the ED in this case in March last year. The agency informed the court that "huge" funds were collected by the accused by cheating the general public and the money was "diverted" to various shell companies, individuals and businesses through "fraudulent" schemes. Statements recorded by the agency of various people stated that Bhupesh Arora and his close associates were the "persons behind" such "fraudulent" schemes and cheating of the public. "Subsequently at the behest of Bhupesh Arora, the said deposited amount was further transferred to create an untraceable layer of transactions and after several layers, the money was siphoned out of India through hawala route," the ED alleged. The ED has said that the "proceeds of crime" unearthed till now in this case was about Rs 2,200 crore. The agency said bank accounts and merchant IDs were opened by various "shell entities" having "dummy" directors for the purpose of "layering" of the proceeds of crime. These funds were "fraudulently" received for illegal online gaming and betting and investment in Bitcoin mining, it claimed. For an investment of Rs 57,000, returns of Rs 4,000 per day for 3 months were promised but money was paid only once, after which the accused demanded fresh funds from the investors, the ED had said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ranchi, Jan 22 (PTI) The suspension of IAS officer Pooja Singhal, who was in jail for over two years in a money laundering case, was revoked after she secured bail, an official of the Jharkhand government said on Wednesday. Singhal was suspended on May 12, 2022, a day after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case relates to alleged corruption in implementing MGNREGA, the Centre's flagship scheme for rural employment. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi To Address BJP Workers Under 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' Initiative on January 22 ahead of Delhi Assembly Elections 2025. "In light of the recommendations made by the Suspension Review Committee after due consideration, Pooja Singhal, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been reinstated with effect from December 7, 2024, following her release on bail," said a notification issued by the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Raj Bhasa on Tuesday evening. After being relieved from suspension, Singhal will contribute to the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Raj Bhasa, it stated. Also Read | Raichur Road Accident: 3 Students Among 4 Killed After Vehicle Overturns Near Araginamara Camp in Sindhanur. The ED had accused Singhal, a former secretary in the state Mines Department, of money laundering. A special court granted her bail on December 7 last year. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) The BJP on Wednesday released a campaign song 'Jo Ram ko lekar aye unka raj hoga Dilli mein' on the first anniversary of the consecration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Polling for 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place on February 5 and counting of votes will be undertaken on February 8. There are over 1.5 crore voters in the city. Also Read | Jalgaon Train Accident: 8 Injured As Karnataka Express Strikes Passengers of Pushpak Express in Maharashtra (Watch Video). The 2.23-minute video song rendered by Amit Dhull was shared widely on various social media handles of the BJP. The newly built Ram temple in Ayodhya was consecrated with elaborate rituals by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 last year. Also Read | Ludhiana Shocker: Face Blackened, 'Thief' Inscribed, 3 Sisters and Mother Paraded for Stealing Clothes From Factory in Punjab (Watch Video). The song's opening lines 'AAP-da hatani hai, BJP hee lani hai (AAP has to be removed, only BJP has to be brought)' is followed by 'Jo Ram ko lekar aye unka raj hoga Dilli mein (Those who built Ram temple will rule in Delhi)'. "This song is being released today on the anniversary of the Ram temple's consecration as a mark of respect to Modi ji, who realised the dream of millions of people for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya with constitutional and legal means," said senior BJP leader and creative director of the song Neelkant Bakshi. There is also a message in the song for the people of the national capital to pave the way for a better Delhi by rejecting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the coming Assembly elections, he said. "The inspiration for the song came from the word AAP-da (disaster) used by Modi ji for the ruling AAP for its failure and mess created in Delhi under its ten-year rule in BJP's Parivartan Rally recently held in Rohini," Bakshi added. The song says the people of Delhi have made up their minds to remove AAP and bring prosperity and happiness and the BJP to power in Delhi and have a "double engine" government here. In the Lok Sabha polls in April-June last year, "Jo Ram ko laye hain, hum unko layenge" was widely used by the BJP in its campaigns, seeking to cash in on the religious sentiments in the wake of inaugural of the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP is making all-out efforts to come back to power in Delhi after a gap of over 26 years. The party is pitted against the ruling AAP and the Congress in a keen triangular contest. The BJP was routed back-to-back by AAP in the 2015 and 2020 Assembly polls, managing to win just three and eight seats respectively. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) The CBI will file an appeal before the Calcutta High Court, seeking death sentence for Sanjay Roy, who was sentenced to "life imprisonment until death" by a Sealdah court in the rape-cum-murder case of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, officials said Wednesday. The agency received a legal advice suggesting that the case may be categorised as the "rarest of rare", deserving capital punishment, they said. Also Read | Samba Fire: Over 100 Sheep Charred to Death After Cowshed Catches Blaze in Jammu and Kashmir (Watch Videos). The agency is likely to file the appeal against the Sealdah court order as soon as possible with detailed arguments in favour of capital punishment, they said. The agency's plea seeking death penalty for Roy was turned down by the trial court, where Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das said that the crime did not fall under the "rarest of the rare" category. Also Read | Manipur Political Crisis: Nitish Kumars JD(U) Withdraws Support to BJP-Led Biren Singh Government, Inform Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. "The CBI prayed for the death penalty. The defence lawyer prayed that a jail term be given instead of the death penalty. This crime does not fall under the 'rarest of the rare' category," the judge said on Monday while sentencing Roy. "I am sentencing you to life imprisonment, meaning till the last day of your life, for causing injury during the act of committing rape on the victim that led to her death...," he told Roy. The West Bengal government has already approached the high court, challenging the verdict and seeking death penalty for Roy. The CBI has opposed the state's right to file an appeal in the case, claiming that as it was the prosecuting agency, it had the right to appeal on the grounds of inadequacy of the sentence. Appearing for the CBI, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar on Wednesday opposed the state's submission, maintaining that the West Bengal government does not have the right to appeal against the trial court's order on the ground of inadequacy. He submitted that the CBI had prayed for awarding capital punishment to Roy before the trial court. The high court said it would hear the CBI, the victim's family and the convict before deciding on the admission of the state government's appeal. The high court said it will hear the matter on January 27. The trainee doctor was raped and killed in the early hours of August 9 in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when she had gone to have rest during her graveyard shift. Her body with severe injury marks was found inside the hall by a doctor next morning. Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was arrested the next day based on CCTV footage in which he was seen entering the seminar hall at 4.03 am on the day of the incident. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from Kolkata Police to the CBI, which took over the case on August 14. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, Jan 22 (PTI) A 40-year-old labourer died after falling from a seven-storey building in Maharashtra's Thane district while cleaning solar panels, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on Monday evening at the building located at Vaylenagar in Shahapur area, they said. Also Read | Union Budget 2025 Will Balance Fiscal Consolidation and Growth; Capital Expenditure Likely to Rise to Rs11-11.5 Lakh Crore: Report. The victim, identified as Yeshwant Gawari, was cleaning the solar panels atop the building when he slipped and fell on the ground, an official from Khadakpada police station said. The labourer's colleagues rushed him to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead, the police said. Also Read | 'Virginity Test' Conducted on Woman Before Her Wedding Night in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, Court Orders FIR Against In-Laws. The body was sent to a government hospital for post-mortem. The Khadakpada police registered a case of accidental death and were conducting a probe into it, the official said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jan 22 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has signed 54 MoUs of Rs 15.70 lakh crore including one involving over Rs 3 lakh crore with Reliance Industries at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The agreement with RIL will potentially generate 3 lakh jobs, according to the government. Also Read | Pickleball Rules and Regulations: How to Play? All You Need to Know About Sport As India Hosts 4th National Pickleball Tournament. These agreements were signed over the last two days, the government stated on Wednesday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is leading the state delegation, comprising Industries Minister Uday Samant and top bureaucrats. Also Read | Hyderabad Horror: 35-Year-Old Woman Missing in Telangana; Husband Claims To Have Killed, Boiled Body Parts. The statement said another investment will be from Amazon which will invest Rs 71,795 crore in data centres in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and generate 83,100 jobs. In a post on X, the CMO Maharashtra said the government and Reliance Industries inked an MoU of Rs 3,05,000 crore which will generate 3,00,000 jobs. This investment will span sectors ranging from petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, and green hydrogen to industrial area development, retail, data centres and telecommunication, hospitality and real estate. "Massive step for Maharashtra! MoU worth Rs 3,05,000 crore with Reliance Industries, will create about 3,00,000 job opportunities' Thank you so much, Shri Anant Ambani and Reliance Industries!" the CMO stated. MoUs were also signed in the textile, steel and metals, electronics, infrastructure, and defence sectors. The CMO on X said the state government signed an agreement of Rs 42,535 crore with Vardhaan Lithium in the electronics sector which will create 5,000 jobs. It further said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the Government of Maharashtra have inked a MoU with Blackstone which will invest Rs 43,000 crore in the infrastructure sector. The state government signed a MoU with Indorama, which will invest Rs 31,200 crore. This investment in the textile sector will generate 4,000 jobs. A MoU with L&T Defence will see an investment of Rs 10,000 crore in Talegaon and generate 2,500 jobs. Similarly, an agreement with Renaissance Solar & Electronic Materials will see an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in green energy and generate 1,300 jobs. The CMO said an MoU was also inked between the state government and Greta Energy which will see an investment of Rs 10,319 crore in Chandrapur and generate 7,000 jobs. Fadnavis met former British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the World Economic Forum. The discussion focused on energy and public transportation. In addition, Fadnavis also met Hyundai Motors' Executive Vice President Bum Kim, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, President of DP World, along with Rizwan Somar, the Managing Director and CEO of DP World India. They discussed potential cooperation in Maharashtra in sectors like industrial parks and logistics. Fadnavis and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, Ville Tavio, explored the prospects of doing a Magnetic Maharashtra roadshow in Finland and discussed key investment opportunities in renewable energy, green hydrogen and the chemical and fertiliser sectors. The chief minister met Lonza Group Chief Information Officer Jerzy Janeczko at the WEF in Davos. Lonza Group is one of the world's largest healthcare manufacturing organisations. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, January 22: ECI will commemorate 75 years of service to the nation on January 25. President Droupadi Murmu will be attending, with key awards for electoral excellence and a multimedia exhibition on Lok Sabha Elections 2024.India will celebrate the 15th edition of National Voters' Day on January 25. According to a release, the Election Commission of India will also commemorate 75 years of dedicated service to the nation during this celebration. The event will be attended by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu, who will present the Best Electoral Practices Awards to state and district officials who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in ensuring the smooth conduct of elections, the release said. Election Commission Rejects Congress Claims on Voter Turnout Discrepancies, Clarifies Data Process; Stands by Transparency in Maharashtra Assembly Elections. The release noted, "These awards will recognize initiatives that enhanced voter participation, such as the use of technology, innovative outreach campaigns, and making elections more accessible. The theme for this year's celebration, 'Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure,' continues from last year, urging citizens to take pride in exercising their franchise." According to the official release, "As India's electorate approaches the 100 crore mark, with 99.1 crore registered voters, the event will also highlight the significant strides made in creating a youthful and gender-balanced electoral roll. The database now includes 21.7 crore young electors in the 18-29 age group, alongside a 6-point increase in the Electoral Gender Ratio from 948 in 2024 to 954 in 2025." Election Commission Releases Worlds Largest Electoral Dataset for 2024 Lok Sabha and 4 State Assembly Polls. The release said, "The President will receive the first copy of the Election Commission's coffee table book, 'India Votes 2024: A Saga of Democracy,' which chronicles the journey of the 18th Lok Sabha elections. "The book offers a visual and narrative tribute to all those who contributed to the success of the elections, including voters, election officials, and security personnel," said the release. The release mentioned that the event will feature the release of a short clip from the upcoming docu-drama 'India Decides' produced by Warner Bros Discovery, which explores the making of the world's largest elections. Another publication, "Belief in the Ballot: Human Stories Shaping India's 2024 Elections," will also be presented, showcasing human interest stories from the 2024 elections. National Voters' Day, observed annually since 2011, commemorates the foundation of the Election Commission on January 25, 1950. It focuses on voter awareness and encourages participation, with a special emphasis on enrolling new voters, particularly young citizens. Across India, new voters will be presented with their Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) at NVD ceremonies. The day is celebrated nationwide, from national to local levels, emphasizing the importance of voter participation in shaping India's democracy. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], January 22 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh government on a plea seeking a CBI/SIT investigation into the murder of a 20-year-old Dalit woman along with her two family members in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar sought a response from the Madhya Pradesh government and CBI on the plea also seeking immediate and effective police protection for the members of the family of the deceased. Also Read | Suicide Pact Tragedy: Pregnant Teenage Girl Jumps off 3rd Floor of Building in Surat, Lover Who Backs Out at Last Second Booked for Rape. The petition sought direction to constitute a team of officers from outside the State of Madhya Pradesh to take over the investigation and prosecution of the persons engaged in the alleged murder of three members -- Anjana Ahirwar, her younger brother and uncle -- of a family and the criminal intimidation of the entire family. The plea filed by Anjana's mother said three members of her family were killed to sabotage the investigation, which involved members of the village-dominant community headed by the former Home Minister of the State. Also Read | Saif Ali Khan Attack Case: Bollywood Actor, Family Should Narrate Horrific Knife Attack, Says Shiv Sena Leader Sanjay Nirupam (Watch Video). "Former Home Minister, being a politically powerful figure, is currently the MLA for the same district, Sagar. He is influencing and threatening the witnesses. Due to the power and influence of the accused, three family members, who were important witnesses in the criminal conspiracy against the Dalit family, have already been murdered in the span of one year," claimed the petition. No action has been taken by the police authorities against the former Home Minister and current MLA from Sagar, despite numerous complaints and statements made by the deceased's family members against him, it added. The petition filed through advocate Meenesh Dubey and argued by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves sought direction for the transfer of the case and investigations into the alleged murder of Anjana to Delhi. "This request is made in light of the complete failure of the police authorities in Madhya Pradesh to conduct an unbiased and fair investigation, coupled with the ongoing political pressure and threats faced by the family members of the deceased since 2019, as well as to protect the witnesses," submitted the petition. Since Anjana registered an FIR when she was 15 years old against the molestation and violence she endured, her entire family has been subjected to constant pressure and intimidation, her mother said. Anjana's brother Nitin was allegedly beaten to death. As per police, she died on May 26, 2024, after "falling off" an ambulance carrying the body of her uncle. Rajendra, her uncle and a key witness in Nitin's alleged murder case was reportedly beaten to death by the same group of persons the previous day. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's two-day visit to India beginning Saturday is expected to inject a new momentum in bilateral ties with both sides set to firm up several pacts to expand cooperation in a number of areas. Subianto is visiting the national capital primarily to grace the 76th Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest. Also Read | Suicide Pact Tragedy: Pregnant Teenage Girl Jumps off 3rd Floor of Building in Surat, Lover Who Backs Out at Last Second Booked for Rape. Indonesia is keen to procure BrahMos BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India and there could be an announcement to this effect during Subianto's visit. The Indonesian leader will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Also Read | Saif Ali Khan Attack Case: Bollywood Actor, Family Should Narrate Horrific Knife Attack, Says Shiv Sena Leader Sanjay Nirupam (Watch Video). The entire gamut of bilateral cooperation including in areas of defence and security, trade and investment, healthcare, energy, connectivity, tourism and people-to-people relations will be reviewed at the talks, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Several MoUs (Memorandum of Understandings) and announcements are likely to be concluded during the visit, they said. It will be Subianto's first visit to India as the head of State. He will be the fourth Indonesian president to attend India's Republic Day celebrations. Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, was the Chief Guest at India's first Republic Day celebrations in 1950. A 352-member marching and band contingent from Indonesia will be participating at the upcoming Republic Day parade at the Kartavya Path. This will be the first time that an Indonesian marching and band contingent will participate in a national day parade abroad. There has been an upswing in India-Indonesia ties in the last few years. Modi travelled to Indonesia in 2018 during which the India-Indonesia ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also adopted. Modi met Subianto on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 19. India and Indonesia are close maritime neighbours with cultural and trade ties spanning over a millennia. The Southeast Asian nation is also an important pillar in India's Act East Policy. It is one of India's largest trading partners in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. The volume of India-Indonesia trade in 2023 was recorded at USD 29.40 billion. Indian investments in Indonesia amounts to USD 1.56 billion in infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automotive, mining, banking and consumer goods sectors. The bilateral defence and security ties have also witnessed steady expansion after signing of a defence cooperation agreement in 2018. Indonesia is also home to approximately 150,000 persons of Indian-origin whose ancestors had migrated to that country in the 19th and 20th centuries. There are around 14,000 Indian nationals (NRI) living in Indonesia including entrepreneurs, engineers, chartered accountants, IT professionals, consultants, bankers, and other professions, according to official data. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hyderabad, Jan 22 (PTI) Sun Petrochemicals has signed a MoU with the Telangana government for setting up large-scale pumped storage hydro power projects in the state with an investment of Rs 45,000 crore. The projects, "one of the single-largest investment deals ever", will come up in Nagarkurnool, Mancherial, and Mulugu districts of Telangana and are expected to create 7,000 jobs over a period, a release from the state government said. Also Read | Mumbai Auto, Taxi Fares To Rise Soon? Know New Fares of Auto-Rickshaws and Kaali-Peeli Taxis As Transport Department Plans To Hike Fares by INR 3. "These projects will have a combined capacity of 3,400 MW and will be complemented by downstream integrated solar power plants with a capacity of 5,440 MW. With an estimated investment of Rs 45,500 crore, this ambitious venture is expected to create over 7,000 jobs during the construction phase, significantly contributing to the socio-economic development of the State," it said. The pact was signed on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum being held in Davos. Also Read | 'Deeply Distressing': Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Mourns Loss of Lives After 8 Killed, Several Injured in Jalgaon Train Tragedy. "Broadbasing the investment base and scope of Telangana, our government has been giving equal importance to all sectors, from services to manufacturing, from innovation-based to convention-powerhouses. This will create a large number of jobs for my youth and create a highly impactful transformation around Nagarkurnool, Mancherial, and Mulugu," said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The collaboration aims to harness renewable energy resources efficiently, addressing energy demands while supporting the state's green energy transition, it said. Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and MD, Sun Petrochemicals, said, "Telangana is becoming an irresistible force of an investment destination since the last 12 months, under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. "We are sure this landmark agreement will have a huge impact on not only the state but the entire country given the significance of green energy to our economy and society," Shanghvi said. Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu welcomed the agreement, saying it was a result of diligent efforts of nearly a year, involving several rounds of discussions and many meetings. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], January 22 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party's state president K Annamalai called it a historic day for farmers on Thursday as the protesting farmers of Tamil Nadu were assured by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy that Tungsten mining in Nayakkarpatty, Madurai will not be implemented. A group of 10 individuals, including farmers from Arittapatti and Vellalapatti, along with BJP members, departed from Madurai Airport to Delhi to discuss the Tungsten mining project with the Union Minister for Mines, Kishan Reddy. Also Read | Suicide Pact Tragedy: Pregnant Teenage Girl Jumps off 3rd Floor of Building in Surat, Lover Who Backs Out at Last Second Booked for Rape. "Today is such a historic day. When the state government made a lot of mistakes, played politics with respect to the recent Tungsten mining, never wanted the project to get stopped, is only politicising the whole issue, after we brought it to the knowledge of the (union) government, PM stopped the mining and today the farmers and villagers from Vellalapatti, Nayakkarpatti and Arittapatti have come here," Annamalai told ANI. Talking about the meeting with the farmers and the union minister, he said that they were assured that no farmer will be affected in Tamil Nadu. Also Read | Saif Ali Khan Attack Case: Bollywood Actor, Family Should Narrate Horrific Knife Attack, Says Shiv Sena Leader Sanjay Nirupam (Watch Video). "The Minister has assured that the PM always stands with farmers and PM will not make any decision whereby even a single farmer in Tamil Nadu is affected," he said. The state BJP president added that the official announcement on the stoppage of mining will be made tomorrow after the minister Reddy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discuss it. "Minister has given a very positive assurance and a historic news is coming tomorrow because the Minister will take up with PM Narendra Modi and the PM will once against stand with the farmers of Tamil Nadu and tomorrow will be a historic day for all farmers," he added. Earlier the Central Government recommended reassessing the site, suggesting that areas outside the biodiversity zones be considered for further evaluation. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution opposing the tungsten mining project. Despite this, public protests continue. Annamalai also hit out at Congress accusing them of supporting the "gifting" of Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka and playing with India's territorial integrity. "It is very shameful that Tamil Nadu Congress president speaks openly that they are feeling so happy that Katchatheevu is gifted to Sri Lanka, they call this a strategic manoeuvre. This is another example of Congress playing with our territorial integrity, giving Katchatheevu island, after those hundreds of fishermen getting killed in the high sea, thousands of fishermen getting arrested and they call this strategic manoeuvre." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan 22 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday approved a new Aerospace and Defence Unit policy to attract Rs 50,000 crore of investments and generate jobs for 1 lakh people. Also Read | 'Deeply Distressing': Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Mourns Loss of Lives After 8 Killed, Several Injured in Jalgaon Train Tragedy. The state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Prayagraj also approved an FDI policy among 10 key proposals aimed at accelerating the state's development, an official release said. Among these, the groundbreaking Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024 was introduced to position UP as a leader in the sector, the release said. Also Read | Suicide Pact Tragedy: Pregnant Teenage Girl Jumps off 3rd Floor of Building in Surat, Lover Who Backs Out at Last Second Booked for Rape. The policy sets an ambitious target of attracting Rs 50,000 crore in investments, with the potential to generate direct employment for 1 lakh youth across the state. The Cabinet meeting was held at the Triveni Complex in Prayagraj amid ongoing Maha Kumbh. The state Cabinet also approved the new FDI Policy to boost setting up of foreign industries in Uttar Pradesh in order to propel industrial and economic growth. "Under this policy, the state government will offer up to 80 per cent subsidy on land to the foreign firms investing in the state. Additionally, major reforms have been introduced in the UP Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy to further boost industrial development," it said. "The Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2024 aims to position Uttar Pradesh as a leading aerospace and defence hub, accelerating indigenous capabilities, fostering innovation, and promoting global collaboration to enhance national security and economic prosperity," it added. The policy aims to strengthen the aerospace and defence (A&D) sector in Uttar Pradesh by creating a robust, hi-tech, and efficient A&D manufacturing ecosystem within the UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). It also seeks to attract startups and investments for the development of state-of-the-art facilities in the sector, the government said. A&D-based common facility centers are planned to enhance the skills and capacities of startups and MSMEs in the UPDIC. The policy further aims to attract large A&D manufacturing projects and DPSUs, while promoting research and innovation, ensuring UP becomes a pivotal contributor to India's defence and aerospace landscape, it added. Chief Minister Adityanath said the policy aims to drive the growth of companies that align with India's vision of self-reliance in the Aerospace and Defence (A&D) sector. "The new policy encourages establishment of artificial intelligence and software development centres in A&D. It targets an investment of Rs 50,000 crore over the next five years and promises employment opportunities for 1 lakh youth," the statement said. The policy offers significant incentives, including front-end subsidies for A&D units, land subsidies, stamp duty exemptions, and capital subsidies. Additionally, the Yogi government will provide benefits like exemptions on transportation charges, with special provisions for women entrepreneurs to encourage their participation in the sector. The UP government said that the Ministry of Defence has set an ambitious target to double the country's A&D production to USD 25 billion and exports to USD 5 billion by 2025-26. By 2047, the A&D manufacturing sector is expected to contribute 25 per cent to the nation's GDP. "To achieve these goals, two defence industrial corridors have been established in India in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu positioning UP as a key player in this transformative vision," it noted. The Cabinet also approved the subsidy payment to UPSIDA (UP State Industrial Development Authority) for the land allotted to M/s Ashok Leyland Ltd. under the front-ended land subsidy provision of the Incentive Policy 2023, aimed at encouraging FDI and investments from Fortune 500 companies. "The Empowered Committee's recommendation from September 27 regarding this subsidy payment has been accepted," it noted in the statement. As per the FDI Policy 2023, 75 per cent of the land cost, amounting to Rs 106.51 crore, is payable to UPSIDA for the land provided to Ashok Leyland. The proposed project will initially establish a facility with a production capacity of 2,500 buses per year, along with a centre of excellence. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 186 crore, it said. The Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the High-Level Authorized Committee (HLEC), chaired by the Chief Secretary, during its meetings in August and September 2024. Under the Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2022, special facilities and concessions have been sanctioned for mega-category industrial units in the state, it said. "As part of this initiative, Rs 250 crore has been approved as a capital subsidy for Triveni Engineering and Industries Ltd in Moradabad, and Rs 10,749 crore as SGST reimbursement for Gallant Ispat Ltd. in Mirzapur," it added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gurugram/Muzaffarnagar, Jan 22 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) inspector Sunil Kumar, who was seriously injured in an encounter in Shamli district, died on Wednesday during treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram, officials said. Kumar received multiple gunshots in the exchange of fire that took place in the Jhinjhina area of Shamli on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. A wanted criminal and his three associates were gunned down in the encounter with the STF, police had said. Also Read | Ladki Bahin Yojana January 2025 Instalment Date: When Will Women Beneficiaries Receive INR 1,500 in Maharashtra? Know Date and Other Details Here. The inspector, who sustained three bullet wounds to the stomach, was initially admitted to a hospital in Haryana's Karnal before being shifted to Medanta hospital in Gurugram, police said. At Medanta, doctors found that a bullet pierced Kumar's liver and started a surgery. During the operation, he succumbed to injuries on Wednesday, said a senior police officer. Also Read | Jalgaon Train Accident: 8-10 Killed As Pushpak Express Passengers Jump From Train Amid Fire Rumour, Get Hit by Karnataka Express Train (Watch Videos). Kumar's body will be taken to his native village Masuri in Meerut district, the officials said. He is survived by his wife and two children. On the intervening night of January 20-21, Mustafa Kagga gang member Arshad along with three others -- Manjeet, Satish and one unknown accomplice -- were injured in an encounter with STF Meerut team. "Later, they succumbed to injuries," Additional Director General of Police, UP STF, Amitabh Yash had said. "Arshad was wanted in a robbery case in Saharanpur. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was declared on him by the ADG of Meerut Zone. A dozen cases of robbery, dacoity and murder were registered against him," he had said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Barabanki (UP), Jan 22 (PTI) Two men, including a journalist, have been arrested here for allegedly making objectionable social media comments on the Maha Kumbh and Hindu deities, police said on Wednesday. The two were held Tuesday evening after their remarks sparked anger among some members of the Hindu community, prompting the police to issue an alert for enhanced social media monitoring. Also Read | Thane Shocker: 43-Year-Old Man Booked for Peeping Through Window of Woman's House While She Was Taking Bath. City Kotwali SHO Alok Mani Tripathi said, "Kamran Alvi was arrested after he posted a video related to the Maha Kumbh. It offended some people. The higher authorities took note of the video. "The accused was promptly arrested, and a case was registered under section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the BNS Act for insulting religious symbols. He will be presented in the court," Tripathi said. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 18-Year-Old Student Dies by Suicide, Jumps From Ninth Floor of Maharaja Agrasen College. Alvi describes himself as a journalist on Facebook where he has more than 9,000 followers. He runs a news portal. Police said they are investigating others involved in the circulation of the video. In the second case, SHO Amit Pratap Singh said, "Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Boja village near Jaidpur, made objectionable remarks on social media about Hindu deities and the Maha Kumbh. A case has been registered and the accused arrested". Being organised after 12 years, the Maha Kumbh -- one of the most significant Hindu pilgrimages -- kicked off on January 13 in Prayagraj and would continue till February 26. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, Jan 22 (PTI) A Social Welfare Department official has been served a show cause notice for staying in a women's hostel in Dungarpur district, government said on Wednesday. A complaint was made against Assistant Director Ashfaq Khan for staying in Savitribai Phule Girls Hostel in Vasundhara Vihar Colony of Dungarpur. Also Read | Ladki Bahin Yojana January 2025 Instalment Date: When Will Women Beneficiaries Receive INR 1,500 in Maharashtra?. A caller informed the authorities Tuesday night Khan was staying in the women's hostel. District Collector Ankit Kumar Singh said Khan had originally come to Dungarpur on transfer and had been staying at the hostel for three days. Also Read | JioCoin Cryptocurrency: How To Earn Jio Coins for Free? How To Use Them Across Jio Apps and Services? Check Step-by-Step Process Here. He said that after the complaint police were sent to the hostel and a show cause was issued against Khan. The DC said the official was ordered to leave the hostel that very night. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 22 (ANI): A group of 41 Indian fishermen, recently arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, arrived at Chennai Airport on Tuesday. They will now be sent to their respective districts as confirmed by authorities. Of the 41 fishermen, 35 were from Ramanathapuram district and had been detained near Katchatheevu on September 8, 2024. The Sri Lankan Navy alleged that they were engaged in cross-border fishing activities, a recurring issue in the region. Their release marks another step in addressing the frequent detentions of Indian fishermen. Also Read | Donald Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht for Online Drug Scheme. Earlier this month, on January 16, 15 Indian fishermen, also detained by the Sri Lankan Navy, were released and returned to Chennai. These arrests occurred in separate incidents in 2024, with eight fishermen being detained near Mannar Island on September 27, and another 12 from Nagapattinam district arrested on November 11. Following interventions by the Union and Tamil Nadu governments, their release was secured. The Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department ensured their safe return to their native places upon arrival. Also Read | Turkey Fire: 76 Killed, Over 50 Injured As Fire Breaks Out in Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Northwestern Turkey. In a related event on January 5, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) facilitated the repatriation of 95 Indian fishermen and four fishing boats from Bangladesh. This exchange, conducted with the Bangladesh Coast Guard, also saw the return of 90 Bangladeshi fishermen, including 12 rescued from a sunken fishing boat. The repatriation occurred at South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, with the Indian fishermen handed over to state fisheries officials. Recent months have seen numerous incidents of fishermen from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh being detained for crossing international maritime boundaries inadvertently. Officials noted the need for continued diplomatic efforts to address these challenges and protect the livelihoods of fishermen. Initiatives by the Indian government and international coordination have helped expedite repatriation processes, offering a measure of relief to affected families. Earlier in December, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin urged Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic efforts to secure the release of apprehended fishermen and their fishing boats from the Sri Lankan Navy's custody. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ottawa [Canada], January 22 (ANI): Warning that Canada will respond strongly if US President Donald Trump moves forward with his plan to impose tariffs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa is willing to inflict 'economic pain on the US to get Trump to back down,' CBC News reported. Trudeau promised that his country would respond with "robust, rapid" and "very strong" retaliatory measures. Also Read | Donald Trump 2.0: Marco Rubio Sworn In as US Secretary of State by Vice President JD Vance (Watch Video). This came after Trump announced that his administration is planning to impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada from February 1. "We are thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada because they're allowing vast numbers of people ... to come in, and fentanyl to come in." When asked about the timeline, he said, "I think we'll do it February 1." Speaking at a special cabinet meeting in Montebello on Tuesday, Quebec, Trudeau said that he was unfazed by Trump's about-face, saying he's come to expect a great deal of "uncertainty" when dealing with this president. Also Read | WHO Regrets US Exit From Global Cooperation on Health, Climate Change Agreement; Hopes Donald Trump Will Reconsider Decision. Trudeau further said Trump is a skilled negotiator and he will "do what he can to keep his negotiating partners a little off balance." However, he made it clear that Canada is a good negotiator, too, Trudeau said, and it's willing to inflict economic pain on the US to get Trump to back down, as per CBC News. Stating that Canada's main goal is to avoid the proposed US tariffs and foster "a very positive relationship with the US," Trudeau said the country won't roll over in the face of Trump's threats, Despite Trump's rhetoric that he doesn't need anything from Canada, Trudeau said if Trump really wants to usher in a "golden age of America" with a booming economy, he's going to need Canadian natural resources like oil, lumber, steel, aluminium and critical minerals to make that happen. That gives Canada some leverage, Trudeau said. After his inauguration on Monday, Trump held off issuing an executive order to levy tariffs on Canada, only to suggest later in the day he wants a 25 per cent tariff in place in two weeks' time, the CBC News reported. Then, he signed a new "America first" trade policy that directs officials to study unlawful migration and fentanyl flows from Canada and other countries and report back by April 1 on possible trade action to resolve what that policy calls an "emergency," the report said. Even during the final days of the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump had threatened to impose a tariff of 25 per cent on all imports from Mexico, which is the top trade partner with the US, unless the Mexican government reduced the flow of migrants at the southern border, according to The Hill report. He also threatened to impose tariffs on imports from Canada and China. He has indicated that he intends to double down on the use of tariffs, claiming that the US will benefit financially even as experts warn it would amount to a tax on consumers. On January 9 also, Trump highlighted how tariffs on Canada will eventually be imposed and brought to attention the "massive deficits" the US is having from Canada. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India] January 22 (ANI): Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a stand in defending the rights of Indian immigrants in the United States. Surjewala also highlighted the contributions of over 20,000 Indian immigrants and expressed concerns over the government's silence on the deportation orders under President Donald Trump's administration. Also Read | Stripe Layoffs: Global Fintech Firm To Lay Off 300 Employees From Its Total Workforce To Ensure Right People Work in Right Role, Plans To Hire in Future, Says Report. Sharing a detailed post on X Surjewala said, "Dear Prime Minister Modi ji, Pls spare a few moments to watch Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde speaking the truth to President of United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump! Modi ji, please understand that immigrants are not interlopers or intruders or trespassers. Particularly, over 20,000 fellow Indian immigrants have gone to USA by sacrificing their scarce personal resources, family life and at times personal choices in search of jobs, personal growth and a better life. Our immigrants toil tirelessly in a foreign land giving their best... their risk taking capacity, huge guts and immeasurable determination to succeed, come what may, can not be described in words ..." The post added, "We, as a nation, partially failed them when we didn't provide the same jobs, opportunities, respect and assimilation to them as the government and people. By silently bowing down and accepting the diktats of newly elected President of United States to extradite them, our Union Govt is failing them again and all of us as a nation." Also Read | Stargate Project: USD 500 Billion AI Project From OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and Others Presents Golden Opportunity for India, Says Industry. Drawing attention to India's "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" and democratic principles, he called on the Prime Minister to uphold the values of equality, justice, and fraternity while protecting the dreams and aspirations of Indian citizens abroad. "On one hand, you speak of our ancient wisdom enshrined in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and on the other hand, you, as PM, quietly fall in line in front of Mr. Donald Trump, without caring for the shattering of thousands of dreams and draining of hope. Do you forget that like India, USA is also founded upon the tenets of equality, liberty, justice and fraternity and the blanket deportation order of our fellow Indian immigrants negates its essence, spirit and core ideology," Surjewala said. He added, "Do you forget the oath of the Constitution of India that you took to defend and protect every fellow Indian? If so, how can you shy away from speaking for over 20,000 fellow Indian immigrants?...So please, rise up and face the President of the United States and do not be scared of speaking the truth or defending our fellow immigrant Indians or their rights. If nothing else, please learn from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and emulate her moral compass. Let it not matter that she is a christian (before your troll army unleashes their vitriolic for me urging you to emulate a person of different faith)." https://x.com/rssurjewala/status/1882061226986901679 Notably, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, during her sermon for the inaugural service on Tuesday, looked directly at Trump and urged him to have mercy as the "vast majority of immigrants are not criminals," The New York Times reported. She had said, "I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now." She stated, "There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives." "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here," Bishop Budde added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Independence (Kansas), Jan 23 (AP) Two children and two adults were killed on Wednesday when a fire swept through an apartment complex in a Kansas City, Missouri, suburb in freezing temperatures. The fire was reported around 6 am (local time) at the Indy Ridge Apartments in Independence. The victims, including children aged 3 and 8, were found after the flames were extinguished, Independence Fire Chief Jimmy Walker said at a news conference. Also Read | US President Donald Trump-Led Administration Clearly Prioritising Bilateral Ties With India, Says EAM S Jaishankar (Watch Video). "It is a sad day for the community. We will pull together," Walker said, adding that the fire damaged two dozen units. Fire crews spent four hours at the complex battling the blaze and putting out hot spots with winds gusting at speeds up to 39 kmph and temperatures below the freezing point. Also Read | Stripe Layoffs: Global Fintech Firm To Lay Off 300 Employees From Its Total Workforce To Ensure Right People Work in Right Role, Plans To Hire in Future, Says Report. Walker declined to release the names of the victims, saying their relatives are still being notified. He said 32 others were displaced, while two firefighters also suffered burns. The Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter. Carissa Schulke told The Kansas City Star that she was awakened by the sounds of popping before hearing sirens. "All of a sudden, they didn't even knock on my door, they just busted in and said, 'Hey, you need to get out, you need to get out'," Schulke recalled, as she stood outside in the cold with her dog shivering as firefighters battled the blaze. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Davos [Switzerland], January 22 (ANI): Union Minister Smriti Irani engaged in discussions with LIM Seok Hui, CEO of Philanthropy Asia Alliance, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos. The conversation emphasised the transformative role of philanthropy in promoting women-led development across key sectors such as health, education, and enterprise. Sharing insights on X (formerly Twitter), Irani stated, "Engaged in a meaningful conversation with LIM Seok Hui, CEO of Philanthropy Asia Alliance, at WEF 25. Our discussions focused on the transformative potential of philanthropy in advancing women-led development, particularly in the domains of health, education, and enterprise. As we unite global efforts under the Alliance for Global Good, we reinforced the shared vision of building sustainable solutions for gender equity and equality." Also Read | Donald Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht for Online Drug Scheme. https://x.com/smritiirani/status/1881790171927990653 The WEF Summit 2025, held at the Davos Congress Centre, brought together global leaders, policymakers, and industrialists. Andhra Pradesh was prominently represented by State Minister for Education, IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, and State Industries Minister T G Bharat. Also Read | Donald Trump on Russia-Ukraine War: Sanctions on Russia Likely if Vladimir Putin Doesnt Come to Negotiation Table. During the summit, the Andhra Pradesh delegation showcased the state's investment-friendly environment. Minister Nara Lokesh highlighted opportunities for industrial collaboration, urging global industrialists to invest in projects such as the development of Bhavanapadu into a world-class petrochemical hub. Lokesh proposed a 2 GW solar cell manufacturing facility under HMEL, involving an investment of INR 3,500 crore and the creation of 2,000 jobs. Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman of the Mittal Group, also detailed plans for a Greenfield steel plant in Anakapalli, with an investment of INR 1.4 lakh crore in partnership with Japan's Nippon Steel. Renewable energy projects, including 975 MW of solar and wind capacity in collaboration with Greenko and a 1 MT Green Ammonia project in Kakinada, were highlighted. These initiatives aim to align Andhra Pradesh with sustainable energy goals. Minister Lokesh expressed gratitude for the investments, reaffirming Andhra Pradesh's commitment to fostering industrial growth and innovation. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Jan 22 (AP) President Donald Trump is swiftly breaching the traditional boundaries of presidential power as he returns to the White House, bringing to bear a lifetime of bending the limits in courthouses, boardrooms and politics to forge an expansive view of his authority. He's already unleashed an unprecedented wave of executive orders, daring anyone to stop him, with actions intended to clamp down on border crossings, limit the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship and keep the popular Chinese-owned TikTok operational despite a law shutting down the social media platform. Also Read | Stargate Project: Donald Trump Announces USD 500 Billion Investment in AI Infrastructure Backed by Oracle, SoftBank and OpenAI. Democrats and civil rights organisations are rallying to fight Trump in court, but legal battles could drag on before slowing the president down. Meanwhile, Trump is drafting a new blueprint for the presidency, one that demonstrates the primacy of blunt force in a democratic system predicated on checks and balances between the branches of government. He's going to push it to the max, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama. Also Read | Who Is Masahiro Nakai and What Is Fuji TV Sex Scandal That Has Sparked Advertiser Exodus at Japanese TV Giant?. Trump tried to take a similar approach in his first term, with mixed results. This time, there are fewer guardrails. His administration has few of the establishment figures that once tried to curb his penchant for upheaval. The US Supreme Court is stocked with conservative justices, and recently decreed that presidents are broadly immune from prosecution for any official actions taken during their term. Republicans are in complete control on Capitol Hill, where the leaders owe their majority positions to Trump's support or acquiescence. In a striking display of Trump's dominance, almost no one from his party challenged the decision to pardon almost everyone charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. We're not looking backwards, we're looking forward, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota. It's the kind of scenario that Democrats warned about during last year's campaign, when they claimed that Trump would govern as a dictator if elected to another term. Sitting in the Oval Office just hours after being inaugurated on Monday, Trump rejected the characterization. No, no, he said, shaking his head and pursing his lips. I can't imagine even being called that. Then he continued scrawling his signature on executive orders that were laid out across the Resolute Desk. Trump's blitz didn't surprise Barbara Res, who worked for the future president years ago at his namesake company. Politics is about compromise. Business is all about leverage, Res said. He's not a compromiser. Although Trump got his start in the brick-and-mortar field of real estate, he appears to be taking a page from the move fast and break things tactic of technology company executives who spent millions bolstering his presidential bid and attended his inauguration. John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley who helped expand presidential authority while working for George W. Bush, said Trump's executive orders were unprecedented in terms of the sweeping scope of the orders and in the sheer number." Although such orders can be easily reversed by a future president, they could have a profound impact for now. Yoo described as legally shaky Trump's effort to allow TikTok to keep operating even though US officials have described it as a national security threat because of fears that China could access user data or manipulate the content algorithm. A law signed by President Joe Biden required the platform to shut down in the United States unless its Chinese parent company found a new owner by Sunday, the day before Trump took office. But Trump directed his Justice Department not to enforce the ban, which Yoo compared to a student asking for more time on an exam after it was due. Yoo also said Trump is trying to really push the envelope by declaring that migrants who are entering the country constitute an invasion." The president directed the military to help take operational control of the US border, but troops are not allowed to handle law enforcement, whether it's seizing drugs or arresting migrants. This is without historical parallel, Yoo said. This is really an extraordinary claim of presidential power. Nearly two dozen states have already sued Trump over his executive order intended to limit birthright citizenship, part of his sweeping effort to curb immigration. The president's opponents said the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that people born in the US are citizens, including people whose parents were not legally citizens at the time of their birth. Presidents have broad power but they are not kings, said New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Democrat. Depending on how the legal battles play out, Yoo said Trump could set a new standard for his successors. If he's successful with even half the executive orders, every future president is going to want to do the same thing, he said. It's not unusual for presidents to test the limits of presidential authority, said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian. For example, Biden tried to expand the cancellation of federal student loans, only to see his proposal blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. But as with most things, Zelizer said, Trump goes further than the rest to see just how far he can go. Res recalled a similar approach at the Trump Organization, where Trump prided himself on his ability to chisel down contractor costs or lean on local officials for favorable treatment for his properties. No matter what you gave him or offered him, he wanted more, she said. Res said Trump would keep in his desk a black-and-white picture of Roy Cohn, an attorney renowned for his ruthlessness. He would pull that out when he was arguing with a contractor," she said. "'Here's my lawyer, sue me.' Trump's ongoing challenge will be keeping Republicans in line on Capitol Hill, and some have suggested they're still willing to cross him. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican known for an independent streak, said she supports some of Trump's executive orders but others I have real questions about. Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California who has been a political nemesis of Trump, said Trump's actions run the gamut "from the plainly unconstitutional as in the attempt to end birthright citizenship to the draconian, with mass deportations. Others, he said, like the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, are just absurd. Asked if Congress would stand up to the new White House, Schiff said he wasn't sure. We're about to find out," he said. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Jan 23 (AP) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday met with a small contingent of the most politically endangered House Republicans as the party struggles to agree on a strategy for implementing the tax cuts and other priorities that it promised voters. The meeting happened as Trump tried to advance other priorities during the first week of his second term. Also Read | Trumps Executive Orders Target Trans and Nonbinary People. Roughly 160 aides at National Security Council were sent home while they are reviewed to determine if they align with Trump's agenda. "The American people have been waiting for such a time as this," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Also Read | US President Donald Trump-Led Administration Clearly Prioritising Bilateral Ties With India, Says EAM S Jaishankar (Watch Video). Stephen Miller, a top Trump advisor, met with Senate Republicans to update them on plans for deportations and reinstating what's known as Title 42, a policy that was put in place during the coronavirus pandemic to stop border crossings. Although Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, they have only thin majorities on Capitol Hill, and there are disagreements on how to move forward with so many issues on the table. Trump's meeting unfolded amid a series of private "listening sessions" with House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose ability to unite his conference will be sorely tested in the weeks and months ahead. Trump has held his own dinners with Republican lawmakers at Mar-a-Lago, and he's preparing to address them next week at their private retreat in Doral, Florida, where the president owns a resort. "We're working very closely in close coordination with the White House because this is an America First agenda that takes both of those branches of government to work in tandem," Johnson said on Wednesday at a news conference. Referring to Trump's meeting, Johnson said the president "is kick-starting what will ultimately be our legislative agenda". Those attending the meeting included Mike Lawler of New York, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Don Bacon of Nebraska. All three of their congressional districts were won by Democrat Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election. A lengthy first meeting with Trump and Republican leaders at the White House on Tuesday was described as more of a first date than a marriage, said one person granted anonymity to discuss the private session. They've been debating the best strategy for advancing their agenda of tax cuts, deportations and massive reductions to the federal workforce, among other Trump promises. Trump is fond of the idea of "one big, beautiful bill", which House Republican leaders also prefer. Senate Republicans are skeptical of that approach, arguing that it could take months to compile the legislation only to watch it collapse under its own weight. Senate Majority Leader John Thune continues to advocate for a two-step approach that would involve first providing money Trump needs to ramp up border wall construction and mass deportation plans, along with domestic energy development and other resources for the Pentagon. That would save the thorny issue of tax and spending cuts for a second package. It's not just strategy, but substance that divides Republican lawmakers, despite their broad agreement on the need to lower taxes and reduce the size of the federal government. For example, some are prioritising restoring what's known as the SALT deduction, which allows taxpayers to deduct state and local taxes from their federal bill. It's important for lawmakers like Lawler, who hails from the high-tax state of New York. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan] January 22 (ANI): Thailand has announced stringent measures against Pakistanis travelling on forged documents, according to a report by ARY News. The Thai Consulate in Karachi has issued revised guidelines for travellers, stressing the importance of submitting authentic documentation, including valid airline tickets and hotel reservations, for e-visa applications. Any individual or travel agency found submitting falsified documents will face severe penalties, including blacklisting. Also Read | Stripe Layoffs: Global Fintech Firm To Lay Off 300 Employees From Its Total Workforce To Ensure Right People Work in Right Role, Plans To Hire in Future, Says Report. This move follows an October incident where Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended two individuals at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport for attempting to travel abroad with counterfeit visas. During the operation, the FIA immigration team arrested two passengers including a woman, identified as Nazar Abbas and Umme Salma, who were found to have fake visas affixed to their passports. As per the FIA spokesperson, the woman suspect was attempting to travel to Iraq on flight number IA-432, carrying a counterfeit Iraqi visa, while Nazar Abbas was bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands on flight TK-709 with a fraudulent Cuban visa, ARY News reported. Also Read | Stargate Project: USD 500 Billion AI Project From OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and Others Presents Golden Opportunity for India, Says Industry. Also, for the first time in two decades, the FIA has issued a travel advisory aimed at combating human trafficking. The FIA Headquarters has sent a letter to Deputy Directors of Immigration across the country, instructing strict monitoring of passengers from 15 countries, nine cities in Pakistan, and two airlines, The Express Tribune reported. These include Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan, which have been identified as transit hubs for human trafficking to Europe. The advisory mandates enhanced monitoring of passengers aged 15-40 travelling on FlyDubai and Ethiopian Airlines. The movement of passengers with tourist, religious, or educational visas to these countries is being reviewed. The advisory was prepared based on the analysis of the IBMS database from July to December. According to the advisory, passengers from Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Bimber should be closely monitored. Profiling measures for passengers from Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, and Sheikhupura should also be enhanced, according to a report by The Express Tribune. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Indore, January 22: A 28-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city has allegedly committed suicide claiming harassment by his wife and her relatives, and left a note blaming women for misusing the country's laws, police said on Wednesday. In his purported suicide note, Nitin Padiyar also appealed to the Centre to change the laws, without mentioning any one in particular. The incident comes more than a month after a 34-year-old tech executive died by suicide in Bengaluru and left behind a suicide note and a video outlining alleged harassment by his estranged wife and her family. He had also mentioned the legal battles initiated by his wife, including allegations of murder and dowry harassment. Padiyar allegedly hanged himself at his house in Banganga police station area on Monday night, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramsanehi Mishra said. Atul Subhash Suicide Case: Missing Child of Deceased Techie Currently in Haryana Hostel, Bengaluru Police Told. In the note, Padiyar mentioned the names of his wife, mother-in-law and other close relatives of his spouse, accusing them of harassment, the official said. The allegations were being investigated and appropriate legal action will be taken after the probe into them, he said. The post-mortem has been conducted, the police added. Atul Subhash-Like Case in Rajkot: Man Dies by Suicide Alleging Mental Harassment by Estranged Wife in Gujarat, Leaves Behind 2-Page Note. In the note, the deceased stated, "I, Nitin Padiyar, request the Government of India to change the country's law because women are misusing it. If you do not change this legal system, then several men and their families will continue to be ruined every day.' 'I request all the youth of India not to get married and if they do so, then get married after making an agreement,' he stated. The man also said in the note that if anyone realises injustice has been done to him, then seek justice for him after his death, or else "wait for your turn". Chennai, January 22: The Tamil Nadu police recently arrested a 28-year-old woman for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy in Tiruvallur district. Police officials said that the accused woman kidnapped the Class XI boy on the pretext of a romantic relationship. The incident came to light after the minor boy went missing on Saturday, January 18. Soon after the boy went missing, his family members approached the Periyapalayam police and lodged a missing complaint, reports TOI. Acting on the complaint, the police began an inquiry and learned that a woman identified as Vinodhini was close to the boy. They also found that the woman was also missing. West Bengal Shocker: Woman Rapes Nephew Repeatedly, Makes Videos of Sex Abuse and Blackmails Him in Bongaon; Arrested. During the probe, cops traced the woman and the missing boy to her relative's home in the area. While the police rescued the boy, they also found out that the accused woman was married and has two children. Vinodhini has been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Chennai Shocker: Man Switches Identity With Brother, Deceives Police for 20 Years Leading to Wrongful Conviction of Sibling in Tamil Nadu; Accused Finally Caught. After her arrest, she was remanded to judicial custody. In a similar incident that took place last year in June, a woman from Ambattur was arrested for sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy. It was reported that Sathyapriya had stayed at the house of her son's friend for two months and sexually abused the minor boy. Women and Child Helpline Numbers: Childline India 1098; Missing Child and Women 1094; Womens Helpline 181; National Commission for Women Helpline 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline 1091/1291. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 22, 2025 09:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Beijing has pledged to elevate the relationship with Moscow to new heights this year, hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President. Sonu Sood Turns Real-Life Samaritan Again: Fateh Star Raises Awareness for Elderly Fruit-Sellers Struggles, Appeals to Her Family To Visit Her (Watch Video) Aamir Khan Drops Big Updates at Press Meet: Actor Confirms Sitaare Zameen Par Announcement on 60th Birthday, Mahabharat Still in Works (Watch Video) Superboys of Malegaon Box Office Verdict Hit or Flop: 5 Reasons Behind Theatrical Failure of Reema Kagtis Acclaimed Movie and Why It Wasnt Surprising Indian Idol 15: Singer Shreya Ghoshal Breaks Down in Tears As She Sees Her Parents on Singing Reality Show, Says She Felt Like a 5-Year-Old Girl Again (Watch Video) US President Donald Trump expressed openness to Elon Musk purchasing TikTok, as the app faces pressure over national security concerns. TikTok, owned by Chinas ByteDance and used by 170 million Americans, is under threat of a US ban unless sold. A Trump-signed executive order temporarily allows TikToks operation for 75 days, following a Supreme Court decision upholding a law penalising hosting the app without ByteDance divesting. Speaking at an AI investment event, Trump mentioned hed support Musk or Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison acquiring TikTok. ByteDances forced sale reflects broader scrutiny of Chinese tech companies and their access to US user data. TikTok Allowed in US, X Not Allowed in China: Elon Musk Says Something Needs To Change. Trump Open to Elon Musk Buying TikTok Amid National Security Concerns BREAKING: Trump says he is open to Elon Musk buying TikTok The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 22, 2025 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Aden, January 22: A total of 20 Ethiopian migrants, including nine women and 11 men, were killed when their boat capsized off the southern Yemeni coast over the weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. The vessel, carrying 35 Ethiopian migrants along with a Yemeni captain and his assistant, reportedly departed from the Hammarta area in Djibouti and capsized on Saturday night "amid strong seasonal winds" near Al-Hajjajah in Dubab District, Taiz Governorate, the IOM said in a statement, adding that the survivors have successfully reached the shore. "This tragedy is a grim reminder of the treacherous conditions migrants endure in their search for safety and a better life," the statement quoted IOM's Chief of Mission in Yemen Abdusattor Esoev as saying. "The international community must strengthen its resolve to address the root causes of irregular migration and prioritise the protection and dignity of migrants," Esoev said. Yemen's coastal waters are among the world's most dangerous. According to IOM statistics, more than 60,000 migrant arrivals in Yemen were documented in 2024 alone, reports Xinhua news agency. Boat Capsize in Tamil Nadu: Fishing Boat Capsizes Near Nagapattinam Port, 1 Fisherman Missing (Watch Video). Since 2014, 3,435 deaths and disappearances have been recorded along the Eastern Route, including 1,416 lives lost to drowning. On Tuesday, a Yemeni government official, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, confirmed that "the incident occurred days ago" and said that dozens of people had died, without providing specific casualty figures. In another significant development, the IOM commended the Ethiopian Statistical Service (ESS) and 13 government institutions involved in migration data-generating for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and data-sharing protocol on 15 January. Mumbai Boat Crash Video: Clip Shows Exact Moment Speed Boat Rams Into Ferry Sailing to Elephanta Island Near Gateway of India, Killing 2. The Ethiopian Statistical Service, the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission, the Ethiopian National ID Program, the Immigration and Citizenship Service, and the Refugees and Returnees Service were among the key institutions that formalised this agreement with the ESS. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 22, 2025 09:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). If you bought certain Clif Bars, you may be eligible for a cash payout as part of a $12 million class action settlement with the manufacturer. The deadline to file a claim is Saturday, Feb. 1. The lawsuit alleged the company mislabeled Clif Bars and ZBars to make them seem healthy, the settlement website said. The lawsuit claimed the bars were unhealthy due to their added sugar content. Clif Bar & Company did not respond to requests for comment, but the settlement website said the company denies any wrongdoing of any kind and maintains that its products are not unhealthy due to added sugar content and that the statements on its Clif Bars and ZBars labeling are true and not misleading. As part of the settlement, the company agreed not to make certain statements on its labeling for at least two years, the settlement website said. ALSO: Drive a Subaru? Broken windshield? See if youre eligible for this class action settlement. ALSO: Visa/Mastercard ATM update: The deadline for $197.5M settlement is here. People in California and New York who purchased the bars between April 19, 2014 and March 31, 2023 may be eligible, as are those who made purchases in all other states between March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2023, the website said. The eligible products are: Original Clif Bars in labeling or packaging using the phrase Nutrition for Sustained Energy. Clif Kid ZBars in packaging using phrases such as No High Fructose Corn Syrup or Nourishing Kids in Motion. It also includes packaging that said: In raising our family, finding nutritious on-the-go snacks for our kids wasnt easy. Thats why we created Clif Kid wholesome, delicious snacks made with organic ingredients to help keep kids going, growing, and exploring, and Blend of carbs, fiber, protein, and fat gives kids energy so they can keep Zipping and Zooming along Keep Kids Going and Growing and other phrases. Customers whose claims are approved will receive money from a $12 million settlement fund agreed to by Clif Bar, but how much each person receives depends on past purchases. Whether or not you can provide proof of purchase, you may receive: $5 if you purchased up to 30 bars $10 if you purchased between 31 and 60 bars $15 if you purchased more than 60 bars Those who can provide proof of purchase may receive $15 for the first 60 bars, and then 25 cents for each additional bar up to the maximum payout of $50. The settlement website said the amount paid out could increase or decrease depending on the number of people who file approved claims. For more information, you can visit the settlement website at BarsClassAction.com or call the settlement administrator at (844) 537-1156. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on X at @KPMueller. Update: Mob Wives star Natalie DiDonato has been found safe, though details of her disappearance are not currently being reported. Mob Wives star Natalie DiDonato has been reported missing and her mother, Denise Fuoco, noticed something was off the last time they spoke. Fuoco told TMZ on Tuesday, Jan. 21, that shed last spoken to DiDonato a week prior via FaceTime. She said her daughter rushed off the brief call and seemed nervous and distressed. Fucoo said she tried to get in touch with DiDonato several times over the next few days, but couldnt reach her. She then contacted one of DiDonatos friends, who claimed DiDonato had reached out to him via WhatsApp asking for money to get from Las Vegas to Florida. The friend allegedly bought a plane ticket for DiDonato, but she never made it to Florida. TMZ reported that DiDonato has missed two separate flights home. A missing person report has been filed in Las Vegas, according to multiple outlets. Fuoco told TMZ that DiDonato has been distant for the past month, and shes sick with worry about her whereabouts. DiDonatos fellow Mob Wives alum Drita DAvanzo told TMZ on Tuesday that shes hoping for a positive outcome. OMG, This is horrible!!! I really hope its nothing, but missing [two] flights and reported missing seems extremely concerning, she told the outlet. " I really wish they find her safe and sound! I have not seen or spoken to her in a very long time and wish I had answers. While DAvanzo was on Mob Wives for all six seasons of the VH1 reality series, DiDonato appeared only on season 5, which premiered in December 2014. Despite the shows title, DiDonato has never been married. However, shes the cousin of late reputed mobster Frank Frankie Flowers DAlfonso, who was shot to death in 1985. In her last social media post before her reported disappearance, DiDonato celebrated her age. Not bad for 44. I love me some me. (its not my bday Im just feelin myself, dropped 10 lbs hit that goal weight), she captioned a December 2024 Instagram photo of herself. Getting older is a blessing, cant believe I made it this far. Im embracing my age because to me its a badge of honor to have made it to 44. DiDonato also documented a visit to a gun range in June 2024. If you stay ready you never have to get ready. (Its been awhilenot so bad for its being some time, practice makes perfect), she captioned Instagram videos of her practicing her shooting. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/. A reknowned Laois poet has placed an eloquent and chilling "curse" on the newly reelected President of America Donald Trump. Pat Boran from Portlaoise, award winning poet and RTE presenter, made his passionate comment on his Facebook page. He shared a photograph of President Trump meeting US Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde after she pleaded with the president for mercy for others. "This is an impressive woman. Seizing her opportunity, and putting herself in the line of fire, to ask for mercy for others. Trumps description of her as nasty is a word he appears to reserve for women hes afraid of, women whose independence of thought or action have hurt him. "Afterwards he spits on social media, lies in bed, full as a stuffed boar, staring at the ceiling, at the gaudy gold chandelier, a bubble of air moving through his gut, his teeth clenched, his heart racing, sweat on his brow, everything and nothing in his grasp, and this nasty nasty woman The nights are long, little Donnie, though you swat and bully and gurn your way through the days. The nights are long, and the nights will be your undoing." After one supporter praised his "vivid curse", Pat Boran agreed it could be time to bring back curses. "It could be that the time has come for dusting off the curses, of which the Irish canon is replete with impressive examples (let's get our mining helmets on, sisters and brothers)". He spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live further. "I suppose one might well say theres a bit of a curse in what I said today on Facebook, but only because the truth sometimes serves to penetrate the shields and smoke screens of the bullys armour. "Laughing at Trump and his cronies has been a hugely popular occupation of most of us for the past few years, but it has done nothing to stop him or, worse, to dissuade those who are funding his climb to the top of the dungheap of contemporary capitalism. "Trumps own weaponry has long included attacks on the LGBTQ+ community who, in so many ways, are an easy target for his reactionary and recidivist core followers. But we shouldnt confuse the sometimes awkward or ungainly language with the realities were trying to acknowledge and support and protect. "Whether we like or understand it or not, whether we bizarrely think of it as something new under the sun, a whole spectrum of emotional, experiential difference goes into the thing we call identity and, from there, into what we agree to call love, which includes affection, despire, respect, admiration, passion and so much else and, if we know anything about it, in its true and real sense always takes us by surprise, is always powerful and unpredictable and therefore will always scare those wanting to control us and our agency in an unfair world," Pat Boran said. Bishop Budde had preached to the President, Vice president JD Vance and others from the pulpit at an interfaith ceremony they attended, urging him to have mercy on immigrants and on the LGBT community. "In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in democratic, republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives." She also highlighted the menial jobs that asylum seekers work at in the states. "They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. "I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land." Pat Boran praised her brave stance. "The bishop made a valuable and necessary connection too in her sermon. Where Kamala Harris identified, on many occasions, the distinct groups in American society who were being threatened and discriminated against by Trumps reductionist politics (wealth and power over influence and leadership) Bishop Budde recognised all these groups the LGBTQ+ community or communities, immigrants, the low-paid, etc as fundamentally one, what the Bible quaintly used to call the meek. "But it may not be that without courage and bravery the meek will inherit the earth, only whats left of it after the gluttons of venture capitalism have sucked it dry. There is no church worth its name that does not speak out for those in danger, that does not recognise its most basic role to intercede for mercy, to side with the endangered and oppressed," the Laois poet said. A Laois man whose long lost sister helped to save his life through cancer screening, is urging others to get tested. Retired Bank of Ireland official Pat Fahey who lives in Portlaoise has made it his mission to tell people how to find out if they are more susceptable to cancer, and possibly save their lives. He first told the Leinster Express / Laois Live the dramatic tale of how he found out he had a sister, aged in his 40s. My mother never mentioned the fact that we had a sister. His mother became pregnant outside of marriage in the late 1940s and was forced into the Sean Ross Abbey mother and baby home in Tipperary, the same institution featured in the Irish film Philomena. Her father died aged 50 with colon cancer, during her stay at the home. She was not allowed to attend his funeral. Her baby girl was adopted aged 3, possibly against her will, to a childless Irish couple living in New York. Pat's mother then moved to Birr, met his father who was a widow 33 years her senior, married him and had her two sons. She died in 1988 also from colon cancer aged just 63. Out of the blue, in 1993, Pat's brother was contacted by Ann, who had tracked him down with the help of a friend in the FBI and the Gardai. She had her passport with my mother's maiden name, Griffin and knew she was from Tipperary. When my brother told me there was a lady saying she was our sister, it took me only 30 seconds, thinking about how my mother always seemed somewhat sad, and I believed it, Pat said. Pat Fahey with his sister Ann and brother Tom. Pat now keeps in regular contact with his sister. He bears no ill will to the religious order. People blame nuns, but it was the whole of society. Her father disowned her. The church played a role, but I believe the nuns started out thinking they were doing their best, he said. His sister Ann is a nurse, and was diagnosed with colon cancer too, aged 35. In 2002 she developed about five more primary cancers, and she reckoned something was going on. She took a genetic test and it showed this Lynch Syndrome. It's a faulty gene that increases your chance of certain types of cancer and it makes it grow faster. It affects one in 300 people. People associate it with colon cancer, but it's also endometrial, ovarian, kidney and urethrar. Children of a parent with Lynch Syndrome have a 50% chance of having it too. If both parents have it, generally their children will develop cancer early. Myself, my brother and my sister have all now had colon cancer. My sister had no medical history because she was adopted so she really wanted to find out. She is a tenacious lady who was on for us to all get tested. So between herself and my wife, it sunk in, and I started getting annual colonoscopies. On my third one, at Tullamore hospital, cancer was discovered. It had gone to my lymph nodes so I had to get chemotherapy. I had no symptoms. If I had not known, cancer would have spread through me. My brother got cancer a year later. We both weren't tested for the gene until afterwards, Pat said. It is a simple blood or saliva test. Your doctor refers you. Cells constantly divide, and they can have mistakes. In general bodies can handle those mistakes but with Lynch Syndrome, there are more mistakes and they keep multiplying. It is similar to the BRCA gene, for breast and ovarian cancer, where people including Angelina Jolie have had mastectomies to prevent future cancers. They say that 90% of people are unaware of these syndromes. Once you are aware, you can go and get yearly colonoscopies. They remove any polyps or lesions, invariably before they are cancerous, Pat explains. He was so concerned at the lack of knowledge of Lynch Syndrome, both in the public and the medical world, that he set up a website, a blog and a Facebook support page. I felt there was little or no information. I'm no medic but in the past, doctors sort of waited for cancer to develop to fix it, as opposed to being proactive. If you have a family history of cancer, ask your doctor about a test. It's on the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme as an aim, and on their ten year cancer strategy to have it implemented. However it is not properly funded. They have only maybe a quarter of the staff they should have. If you are referred for the test on the public health system, you could be waiting for two years. If you go private it might only be two months. If you don't know what mutation to look for, they could have to check for 70 or 80 of them, and it can cost 1,600. If it is one mutation its about 800, he said. He says that genetic counselling is important. You have to consider how you live with knowing, how your kids and parents will feel. You can ask your doctor to refer you to a genetic counsellor, Pat said. He says men are less inclined to get checked out. In my Facebook group, 90% of members are female, women are generally more proactive, I think men feel they should be strong or probably it's fear of baring all at the doctors, he said. He wants to spread awareness about the tests. If you have a possibility of a genetic disorder, I feel you have a responsibility to your children to get tested. Cancer is no longer taboo, people have gone through it and thousands live with it. There is hope out there, it's not all doom and gloom. There is even advanced research on a vaccine, speeded up by covid vaccine research. I've grandchildren, I hope by the time they are old enough to start tests in their mid 20s, there might be a vaccine. The bottom line is, if this is in your family, you need to know. There needs to be more funding put into prevention rather than waiting for cancer and spending months in treatment, out of work. I'm not an accountant but it's a no brainer, Pat Fahey said. For more information, see www.lynchsyndrome ireland.com , see the Facebook page or or email lynchsyndromeirl@gmail.com Ireland's national emergency response team has confirmed that Status Eowyn will shut schools, early learning, childcare services, and higher and further education institutions will during Status Red wind warning. Employers in Laios and other counties during Red warning times should also facilitate working from home for all employees, where possible, and only emergency service workers should be leaving home for work, where directed by their employer. Public transport does not operate in a red warning. Tansport operators will make an assessment on when services can resume when the red warning is lifted. Laois County Council is part of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) which issued the advice while urging local people people to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and take action to protect both themselves and their properties. Keith Leonard is the Chairperson of the NECG. He said Storm Eowyn will probably be among the "severest storms" that Ireland has ever seen. He said it is likely that the number of people who will lose power will top the 385,000 figure from Storm Ophelia in 2017. READ HIS COMMENTS BELOW PICTURE. Storm Eowyn is going to be a very dangerous and destructive weather event. The forecasted winds have the capacity to bring severe, damaging winds which will constitute a risk to life and property. During the Red Level wind warnings, the public are advised to shelter in place, Where Orange warnings are in place, the public are also advised to limit travel to essential journeys only. An orange wind warning should not be underestimated it can bring extremely strong gusts and can also pose a threat to life and property, "I would urge people to stay away from coastal areas during this period and to heed the appeal from the Irish Coast Guard for people to Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry. Its also important to remember that even after the storm has passed, there is a strong possibility of fallen trees and other debris so drivers are also urged to take care in the aftermath of the storm, he added. The NECG is continuing to liaise with Met Eireann and monitor the situation to coordinate an appropriate response, however, widespread disruption to public and other services is to be anticipated. The public are strongly advised to keep up to date with Met Eireann forecasts, which you can do so here. Laois County Council has also issued advice to the public - READ HERE. Kildare County Council was delighted to host a special reception at Naas Library & Cultural Centre, this morning, in honour of the Italian theatre group, La Rattattuglia. The group hails from Casalattico, which has been twinned with Naas since 1991 and they are visiting Naas to perform E Vissero tutti felici e contenti (forse!) at the Moat Theatre later this evening. Speaking at the event, the Mayor of Casalattico, Ing. Francesco Antonio Di Lucia said: Today there is a large Casalattico community in Ireland, so that there are now more of our people living in Ireland than there are in our town of Casalattico. At events like this, the renewal of the twinning of Naas and Casalattico, we feel at home. The people of Ireland and Naas are very friendly and welcoming. We have integrated very well here and we are very proud of our tied communities. Mayor of Naas, Councillor Fintan Brett said "It is an honor to host La Rattattuglia and witness the vibrant cultural exchange between Naas and Casalattico. This event underscores the importance of fostering international relationships and celebrating our shared heritage." Presentations of framed wooden paintings and a photo, reflecting the ties between the two towns, were made to the Mayor of Naas, Councillor Fintan Brett, Chairperson of the Twinning Liaison Committee, Councillor Carmel Kelly and Executive Librarian, Kildare County Council, Evelyn Cooley. Todays event celebrated the strong bond between Naas and Casalattico, marking a significant moment in the twinning of both towns and the enduring cultural and community ties that unite them. This gathering celebrated not only the artistry and heritage of La Rattattuglia, but also the enduring friendship between both communities. Also in attendance at the reception were Councillor Seamie Moore, Councillor Anne Breen, La Rattattuglia Theatre Group President Annaemilia Centofanti, President of Club Italiano Irlanda Angelo Vecchio, and Director of the Italian Cultural Institute Marco Gioacchini. Will Kildare South TD Martin Heydon get his just rewards this evening for helping to negotiate the Programme for Government on behalf of Fine Gael? The outgoing junior minister for agriculture is tipped to become a senior minister in the same department. If he gets the nod from the new Taoiseach, Heydon will become the first Cabinet minister in Kildare since Charlie McCreevy in 2004. The father of four (46) from Crookstown said that the Programme for Government delivers for Kildare families, businesses, and communities. READ MORE: It's official! Bruce Springsteen's hometown twinned with Rathangan: Read all about it in this week's LEINSTER LEADER He said he spent "many long days and late nights" on hammering out the blueprint. The Fine Gael negotiating team included outgoing Justice Minister Helen McEntee. According to Heydon, the Programme for Government will contain a commitment to implement the conservation management plan for the Curragh Plains. The Adult Literacy For Life (ALL) Programme Office, supported by SOLAS, has announced its call for community partners in counties Kildare and Wicklow to apply for key funding to address local and national unmet literacy needs through its 1 million Collaboration and Innovation Fund 2025. Launched by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick ODonovan (TD), the 1 million fund will enable community partners in Kildare and Wicklow and across Ireland, to access important funding to reach adults with unmet literacy, numeracy, digital and financial literacy needs and help to create literacy-friendly communities. The Minister made the announcement as the latest figures from the Programme for International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC), published by the OECD, were announced recently, with findings from the survey providing an overall picture of current literacy needs across the Irish adult population. READ NEXT: Will Kildare TD be rewarded for "long days and late nights" hammering out programme for government Findings show, that in Ireland: one in four adults struggle with everyday maths, 29% of adults are at Level 1 or below for adaptive problem solving, and; one in five adults aged between 16-65, are at or below Level 1 in literacy, indicating that literacy is an important issue in society. This means that around 700,000 adults in Ireland struggle with reading and understanding everyday text, and may have difficulty completing common daily tasks like filling in a form, reading instructions on medicines, adding up a bill, and helping kids with homework. Over the last number of years, the ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund has supported around 150 innovative projects in communities across Ireland, with 66,000 awarded to support 8 local projects in Counties Kildare and Wicklow in 2024. In Kildare, ALL Collaboration and Innovation funding in 2023 supported the successful rollout of the Health Literacy and Digital Health initiative, which provided essential health literacy and digital skills education to adults with unmet literacy needs, to help them make informed choices about their health. This initiative resulted from the effective collaboration between a local family resource centre and a HSE EVE Clubhouse (community-based recovery service for adults who experience mental health difficulties), with input from a local pharmacy and local library. This health literacy-focused initiative helped adults to understand how to read prescription drug instructions, comprehend doctors orders, and know how to complete consent forms as they navigate an increasingly complex online healthcare system. In a supportive environment, participants were able to learn these new health literacy skills and put into practice what they learned. Participants reported their health and digital literacy improved considerably thanks to the course, with the transformational impact evidenced in participant feedback that stated I now know how to find information, where to go, who to ask and not to be afraid to ask. Deirdre Gallagher, Regional Literacy Coordinator at Kildare and Wicklow ETB said: "The ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund has enabled community stakeholders across counties Kildare and Wicklow to come together to develop innovative projects that support the aims of the ALL Strategy. "Through effective partnership our communities in Kildare and Wicklow are becoming more literacy-aware and literacy friendly. By working together and being innovative, community organisations are more successful in reaching those furthest behind in our communities. Regional initiatives that build confidence with literacy, numeracy, financial and digital literacy skills, and facilitate all to participate meaningfully in our communities are having a transformative impact. "I encourage partners in Kildare and Wicklow to think about a community initiative that could drive positive literacy outcomes, and to apply to the Fund by 5pm on Friday, 7th February." Yvonne McKenna, Director of the ALL Programme Office at SOLAS said: "Through the ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund we can move towards our goal of ensuring that all adults in Ireland have the literacy to meet their needs, and ensure we have a more literacy-aware and literacy-friendly society in Counties Kildare and Wicklow and beyond. "This Collaboration and Innovation Fund will help a range of learners including older adults, Travellers, migrants, lone parents, and early school leavers gain access to key supports to benefit their needs to participate more fully in society. "This year, we are delighted to have the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) provide 250,000 towards the Fund to help support adults with unmet financial literacy across Ireland. We look forward to helping local communities deliver on a diverse range of innovative literacy projects to benefit adults with unmet literacy needs across Ireland." Applications to the ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund 2025 will close on Friday, February 7 2025 at 5pm. Find information on how to apply to the Collaboration and Innovation Fund at www.adultliteracyforlife.ie A meeting is to be organised between engineers of Leitrim County Council and the residents association of Drumlease Housing Estate. Cllr Mary Bohan and Cllr Padraig Fallon proposed similar motions at a meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District seeking issues in the estate to be addressed. Cllr Fallon requested an update on the works, particularly regarding the lighting and footpath, while Cllr Bohan called for upgrades to the road and footpaths, as well as the installation of a ramp or pedestrian crossing, grass cutting, general maintenance and improved traffic control measures. In one case the footpath is level with the road with no distinction which is causing problems, Cllr Bohan said. Eric Gilroy, area engineer, told members he will negotiate with representatives of the estate to address works. He informed Manorhamilton councillors that while Active Travel had provided funding for footpaths within the estate, which were completed, additional works such as the installation of a second ramp didnt proceed as planned. He described the area as challenging for footpath construction due to issues with drainage and the thresholds of nearby houses. The lighting in Drumlease Housing Estate is in charge, and the Council will look into what lights are out. Public lighting is currently being upgraded around the county. A reply from the Roads department issued to both motions stated, Leitrim County Council will liaise with a representative from the estate with a view to developing and addressing the concerns raised where funding and resources allow. READ MORE: Survey conducted on Leitrim road amid speeding concerns Failte Ireland has launched a plan to develop sustainable tourism in key areas, like Leitrim, over the next five years. The Upper Shannon, Shannon-Erne, and Border Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) announced yesterday, aims to create and develop sustainable tourism across Cavan, Leitrim and the northern part of Roscommon. The plan aims to increase awareness of destinations, and the length of stay in the area, expanding the range of activities available while increasing the range and quality of visitors. The statement from Failte Ireland does not highlight how much money has been allocated to the plan. The plan was developed along with stakeholders in each county where it will be implemented, including Cavan County Council, Leitrim County Council, Roscommon County Council, Waterways Ireland, the three County Local Development Companies, local tourism businesses, and local communities. The Upper Shannon, Shannon Erne and Border Region is very rich in nature with an abundance of lakes, rivers and a unique landscape making it essential that the tourism development of this area is done keeping the natural resources of nature and environment at the heart of every action as set out in the plan, Eileen Gibbons of Electric Bike trails and Co-Chair DEDP. The plan includes positioning the Beara Breifne Way as an internationally recognised way-marked walking trail and making use of key destination assets such as the River Shannon and Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Geopark. It will build on a number of existing destination development projects that are bringing local experiences to life, including the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, the Shannon Pot Discovery Centre, and ongoing work at Lough Key Forest and Activity Park. READ MORE: Dr. Mary McAleese to join Carole Coleman for exclusive interview in Carrick-on-Shannon Damaging gusts of wind with a speed of 130km/h and heavy rains are expected in Leitrim and all across Ireland this Friday as a Status Orange Warning has been issued. Storm Eowyn is forecast to be a deep low-pressure system, currently set to track to the northwest of Ireland introducing strong southeasterly winds which will veer west to south-westerly and intensify through Friday morning bringing severe, damaging and destructive winds. The system will also bring spells of heavy rain across different parts of the country and sleet and snow to parts of the west and north in particular. Potential impacts include: Fallen trees Damage to power lines and power outages Structural damage Very difficult travelling conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport The warning is valid from 2am on Friday morning to 5pm Friday evening. Today Lingering mist and fog will clear from most areas today but may be stubborn to clear from parts of the north and northeast. Most parts of the country will be dry with a mix of cloud and sunny spells with just well scattered light showers. Highest temperatures of 4 to 9 degrees, coldest where fog lingers with mostly light southwest or variable breezes. Rather cold overnight with some areas of fog and a slight frost in place. Later in the night, southerly winds will freshen clearing any fog and frost as outbreaks of rain arrive along the Atlantic seaboard. Lowest temperatures of 1 to 4 degrees. READ NEXT: Leitrim County Council to address resident concerns in Drumlease estate Thursday Thursday will be a blustery day as a band of squally and possibly thundery rain pushes eastwards across the country during the morning. Sunny spells and showers will follow from the west through the afternoon, some heavy with hail and isolated thunderstorms. Cool with highest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees with fresh and gusty southerly winds, veering westerly. Becoming very stormy on Thursday night. Largely dry early on Thursday night with clear spells and perhaps a touch of frost. However, outbreaks of rain will move in quickly from the Atlantic, extending across much of Munster and Connacht before midnight, before spreading nationwide. The rain will turn to sleet and snow for a time in Connacht and Ulster with the potential for some temporary accumulations causing hazardous travelling conditions. Turning very windy with strong to gale force southeast winds, veering southerly overnight. It will turn extremely windy by dawn on Friday. Lowest temperatures of zero to +4 degrees. Friday The centre of Storm Eowyn will track just off the northwest coast on Friday morning with a swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country bringing disruption. Gale Force southwest winds over land, will veer westerly by afternoon with Storm Force winds likely in some coastal areas. There'll be scattered squally showers and more persistent rain is likely across the north of the country. Showers will turn increasingly wintry as the day progresses. Maximum afternoon temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees but feeling much colder due to the wind-chill factor. On Friday night, winds will begin to abate but it will stay rather blustery. A cold night with clear spells and scattered showers, some wintry. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +3 degrees with some frost possible towards dawn on Saturday as winds continue to ease. Saturday A cold and frosty start on Saturday with sunny spells and a few wintry showers in the northwest. Later in the morning, an organised band of showers will push in from the Atlantic and extent eastwards across the country giving some wintry falls. Maximum temperatures of 3 to 8 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds. Cold and frosty on Saturday night with lowest temperatures of -3 to +2 degrees. Sunday It looks set to turn wet and windy on Sunday with outbreaks of rain spreading from the south. Maximum temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees in strong and gusty south to southeast winds with gales at the coast. Kiltyclogher, a small village in North Leitrim with significant historical importance, has been described as left behind in recent times. Nestled on the border with County Fermanagh, the village is home to a small yet vibrant population. Nationally, Kiltyclogher is notably the birthplace of Sean MacDiarmada, one of the seven signatories of the Proclamation of Irish Independence. At a recent meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District, calls were made for full Council support for the Kiltyclogher community by Cllr Padraig Fallon. He also requested that the village be included in the 2025 Empowering Communities Programme to help its development and recognition. All of us, particularly in this municipal, have great regard for the community and the historic importance in Kiltyclogher - not just to this municipal but the whole county and country, Cllr Fallon said. Kiltyclogher faces challenges like many rural communities but theirs are compounded by how close they are to the border. Its a community thats suffered for decades, theres no doubt about that, he added. Cllr Fallons motion was supported by all members of Manorhamilton MD. Cllr Justin Warnock remarked that while no expense has been spared north of the border, villages situated along the border in the Republic have been neglected. Every one of our villages along the border have suffered and have been forgotten about. There needs to be some plan put in to keep these villages going, but Kiltyclogher stands out as a special case, Cllr Warnock said. The community in Kiltyclogher have done so much work and the Council have always been supportive where they can be, Cllr Mary Bohan commented. Leitrim County Council have supported a number of initiatives in Kiltyclogher, including the highly regarded annual Sean MacDiarmada Summer School, which celebrated its 16th year in 2024. Following Cllr Fallons motion, representations will be made to the incoming Minister for Rural and Community Development, requesting that the village be considered for inclusion in the Empowering Communities Programme. This programme is a Government initiative that specifically targets area-based deprivation through a community development approach. The programme seeks to empower communities to develop their own solutions to challenges such as area-based poverty and social exclusion. READ MORE: Attracta O'Reilly returns as Secretary of Leitrim GAA Fair Isaac Corporation Announces Date for Reporting of First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results Global analytics software leader, FICO, will announce its first quarter fiscal 2025 results on February 4, 2025, after the market closes and will host a conference call on February 4th at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (4:00 p.m. Central/2:00 p.m. Pacific). This call will be webcast and can be accessed at FICO's website at www.fico.com/investors. A replay of the webcast will be available at our Event Calendar under Past Events through February 4, 2026. About FICO FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 80 countries do everything from protecting four billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency. Learn more at https://www.fico.com/en Join the conversation at https://x.com/FICO_corp & https://www.fico.com/blogs/ For FICO news and media resources, visit https://www.fico.com/en/newsroom FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information Except for historical information contained herein, the statements contained in this news release that relate to FICO or its business are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the impact of COVID-19 on macroeconomic conditions and FICO's business, operations and personnel, the success of the Company's Decision Management strategy and reengineering initiative, the maintenance of its existing relationships and ability to create new relationships with customers and key alliance partners, its ability to continue to develop new and enhanced products and services, its ability to recruit and retain key technical and managerial personnel, competition, regulatory changes applicable to the use of consumer credit and other data, the failure to protect such data, the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions, or divestitures, and material adverse developments in global economic conditions or in the markets we serve. Additional information on these risks and uncertainties and other factors that could affect FICO's future results are described from time to time in FICO's SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024 and its subsequent filings with the SEC. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes, FICO's results could differ materially from its expectations. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. FICO disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 21 january 2025 at 16:20 News published onand distributed by: Gold Resource Corporation Closes $2.5 Million Registered Direct Offering Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American: GORO) (the "Company" or "GRC") is pleased to announce that it has closed on the previously announced registered direct offering of 15,625,000 shares of the Company's common stock at a price of $0.16 per share, resulting in total gross proceeds of approximately $2.5 million. GRC did not retain a placement agent in connection with the offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes. About GRC: Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer, and explorer with its operations centered on the Don David Gold Mine in Oaxaca, Mexico. Under the direction of an experienced board and senior leadership team, the Company's focus is to unlock the significant upside potential of its existing infrastructure and large land position surrounding the mine in Oaxaca, Mexico and to develop the Back Forty Project in Michigan, USA. For more information, please visit the Company's website, located at www.goldresourcecorp.com. 21 january 2025 at 17:50 News published onand distributed by: Bombore Production Expansion Ahead of Schedule and on Budget VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (the "Company" or "Orezone") is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing hard rock expansion at its Bombore Gold Mine. The hard rock expansion, which is scheduled to commence operations in Q4-2025, is forecasted to increase gold production by approximately 50%, to over 170,000 ounces per year. Expansion progress and milestones achieved to date include: Early mobilization of the concrete contractor 3-months ahead of schedule, providing for multiple weeks of flexibility in the project schedule. Foundations are progressing on multiple fronts, with CIL ring beams and pedestals for the ore bin and trash screen now complete. Foundations for the dump pocket and SAG mill are underway. Engineering is ahead of schedule, with all bulk quantities in line with budget. Procurement is at 82% of total supply value awarded with all long lead equipment ordered. SAG mill major components are en route to site, well ahead of schedule for longest lead items. Structural, Mechanical, and Piping ("SMP") contract awarded, with contractor mobilization to begin in March. Tailings Storage Facility ("TSF") expansion earthworks commenced. First batch of contractor's large-capacity mining fleet now in service, with systematic training ongoing. Preparations for hard rock mining advancing, with construction of the explosives magazine complete. Patrick Downey, President and CEO stated, "Following a strong end to 2024, where we achieved production guidance for a second consecutive year since commissioning the oxide plant, I am pleased to report that the hard rock expansion is progressing ahead of schedule and on budget. This is a testament to the experience and dedication of the Orezone team, who was also responsible for constructing the Bombore oxide plant on time and under budget. Completion of this first stage of the hard rock expansion will mark a significant milestone at Bombore, with gold production set to increase approximately 50% from current levels, to over 170,000 ounces per year. With the current strength in the price of gold, the Company continues to evaluate the timing of the Stage II hard rock expansion, which will further increase the gold production profile at Bombore to 225,000-250,000 ounces per year." Engineering and Procurement Lycopodium Minerals Canada ("Lycopodium") was awarded the engineering and procurement contract, and is progressing ahead of schedule on both activities. Lycopodium was selected for their successful track record of designing and constructing numerous gold plants in West Africa, including the Company's oxide plant that is currently in operation and exceeding nameplate design. Engineering to end of December is at 52% versus 39% planned and all bulk quantities, including concrete, structural steel and platework, remain in line with budget. Overall, procurement is progressing better than plan, with 82% of the total supply value now awarded. This includes all mechanical equipment, long lead electrical equipment, and CIL tank/general platework. The mill shells, heads, and ring gear, for the 9MW 26' diameter SAG mill, are en route and scheduled to arrive to site early. Site Construction Activities Construction of the hard rock expansion is ahead of schedule, with the concrete contractor advancing major concrete pours in multiple areas. Overall, concrete installation is three months ahead of schedule, which will serve to provide multi-week schedule flexibility as construction advances. To date, all five CIL tank ring beams have been poured, with the pedestal foundations for the trash screen and ore bin installed. Foundations for the dump pocket and SAG mill are advancing, with rebar installation for the dump pocket underway and set to commence for the SAG mill shortly. The SMP contract was recently awarded, with the contractor scheduled to mobilize to site and commence the installation of the CIL tanks in March. The Company's top priority remains the safety of its employees and contractors. The Company is focused on maintaining its leading safety record, which includes zero lost-time injuries dating back to the start of construction of the oxide plant in 2021. Preparations for Hard Rock Mining The first delivery of the contractor's hard rock fleet, which includes new large-capacity trucks and excavators, was placed into service in Q4-2024. This has allowed for systematic training of operators well ahead of hard rock mining and has facilitated more-cost effective mining of transition material in the near-term. The remaining hard rock fleet will be delivered to site in the coming months, in preparation of the ramp-up in hard rock mining in late Q3-2025. Construction of the explosives magazine is complete and is now subject to final inspections and certifications. Once in service, the Company will purchase and store bulk explosives for mixing and preparation at site, eliminating the need for the more costly pre-mix batch deliveries. A full-service team from AECI, a world leader in the manufacture and supply of explosives, will be onsite to mix and supply the downhole explosives for blasting of transition and hard rock material. Further reducing mining costs are the two grade control drill rigs purchased by the Company last year, which are now fully operational. This eliminates the need for costly contractor drilling, with this skill set now established in-house in advance of the hard rock mining ramp-up later in the year. Hard Rock Plant and Operations Overview The 2.5 million tonnes per annum ("Mtpa") Stage I hard rock expansion is designed to process higher-grade hard rock ore. The expansion is independent of the adjacent 6.0Mtpa oxide plant but will utilize a number of shared services and infrastructure including the TSF, warehouses, administration complex, and technical services. The concentrated scope of the brownfield expansion significantly reduces schedule and budget risk in comparison to a new build, with the ramp-up to benefit from the well-established mining, processing, and maintenance teams onsite. The 2.5Mtpa Stage I hard rock expansion is scheduled for commissioning in Q4-2025, which will see production increase to over 170,000 ounces per year. As with the oxide plant, which had a nameplate capacity of 5.2Mtpa, the Company views the potential to achieve materially higher throughput rates than that of the 2.5Mtpa Stage I design. With the strong price of gold, the Company continues to evaluate the timing of the Stage II hard rock expansion, which will increase the nameplate hard rock throughput to 5.0Mtpa, yielding a forecasted overall production profile of 225,000-250,000 ounces per year. With a 5.0Mtpa crusher to be installed in Stage I, the Stage II expansion will primarily consist of a ball mill, pebble crusher, thickener, four additional CIL tanks and a gold room upgrade. Consideration in the Stage I design and layout has been made to easily accommodate these Stage II additions. Figure 1: Bombore Processing Complex ? Hard Rock Plant Layout (blue labels) Relative to Oxide Plant and Other Established Infrastructure (white labels) Figure 2: Dump Pocket/Jaw Crusher ? Rebar Installation for Raft Foundation Figure 3: Installed CIL Ring Beams and Trash Screen Pedestals Figure 4: SAG Mill ? Start of Raft Foundation About Orezone Gold Corporation Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its flagship Bombore Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bombore mine achieved commercial production on its oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now focused on its staged hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets and M&A. The technical report entitled Bombore Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Company's website. Contact Information Patrick Downey President and Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Pickering Manager, Investor Relations Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663 [email protected] / www.orezone.com For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945-8977 or visit the Company's website at www.orezone.com. The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release. Qualified Persons The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Rob Henderson, P. Eng, Vice-President of Technical Services and Mr. Dale Tweed, P. Eng., Vice-President of Engineering, both of whom are Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "possible" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "will", "could", or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: the construction of the Phase II Hard Rock expansion is ahead of schedule and under budget; the hard rock expansion, which is scheduled to commence operations in Q4-2025, is forecasted to increase gold production by approximately 50%, to over 170,000 ounces per year; the Company continues to evaluate the timing of the Stage II hard rock expansion, which will further increase the gold production profile at Bombore to 225,000-250,000 ounces per year; the remaining hard rock fleet will be delivered to site in the coming months, in preparation of the ramp-up in hard rock mining in late Q3-2025; and the Company views the potential to achieve materially higher throughput rates than that of the 2.5Mtpa Stage I design. All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management and the qualified persons believe are appropriate in the circumstances. All forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, delays caused by pandemics, terrorist or other violent attacks (including cyber security attacks), the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company's most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59bc8c7a-cf26-4f6b-a365-9b85df0243fd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e94a03d1-7871-4059-8154-b6be89da8afc https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a1da1217-e5ea-42ff-87a0-d01fb83ad08d https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ee5da66-53da-46fb-bbc4-e3f84df924f3 21 january 2025 at 19:05 News published onand distributed by: ATS Unveils New Brand Identity and Website to Reflect Growth, Compliance, and Commitment to Excellence DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Aerospace Technical Services (ATS), a leading global distributor of aviation parts and provider of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) solutions, today announced a new brand identity and website, reinforcing its commitment to compliance, transparency, and operational excellence. "Success in aviation is built on more than just technical expertise?it's built on trust, relationships, and an unwavering commitment to our customers," said Mahdi Al-Tahaineh, founder of ATS. "This new brand represents the evolution of ATS while preserving our legacy. It reflects our dedication to compliance and quality while preparing us for the future." With the launch of the new brand and website, www.atsaviation.com, ATS brings together three core businesses under a cohesive brand structure: ATS Aviation , the foundation of ATS Group, the trusted partner for aviation parts and aircraft solutions. Since its founding in 2003, ATS Aviation has been a go-to partner for airlines, MROs, and operators worldwide. From sourcing hard-to-find aircraft components to delivering comprehensive engine and leasing solutions, ATS Aviation is committed to doing what it takes to keep customers' fleets in the air?no matter the challenge. Since its founding in 2003, ATS Aviation has been a go-to partner for airlines, MROs, and operators worldwide. From sourcing hard-to-find aircraft components to delivering comprehensive engine and leasing solutions, ATS Aviation is committed to doing what it takes to keep customers' fleets in the air?no matter the challenge. ATS Technic , the trusted partner for MRO services in Dubai . As the first independent EASA-certified line maintenance organization in the UAE, ATS Technic is dedicated to delivering superior MRO services that prioritize aircraft safety, reliability, and performance. With a new base maintenance hangar under development at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), ATS Technic continues to expand its capabilities to support the region's growing aviation needs. As the first independent EASA-certified line maintenance organization in the UAE, ATS Technic is dedicated to delivering superior MRO services that prioritize aircraft safety, reliability, and performance. With a new base maintenance hangar under development at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), ATS Technic continues to expand its capabilities to support the region's growing aviation needs. ATS Medical, the trusted partner for advanced medical supplies and solutions. Born during the COVID-19 pandemic, ATS Medical delivers high-quality medical devices that meet the highest international standards. ATS Medical's mission is to empower hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers around the world with reliable, cutting-edge products that improve patient outcomes. The new ATS brand preserves the heritage of the original identity while introducing a modern image and digital presence across the company. The colors and iconography tell the story of ATS's core values and commitment to excellence. Core Colors: As the central color of the core and sub-company logos, deep blue represents reliability, precision, and a legacy of trust. As a key accent color across the brand, vibrant orange symbolizes innovation, adaptability, and ATS's commitment to its customers. Sub-Company Colors and Symbols: ATS Aviation: Deep blue remains the defining color, reinforcing the company's role as the foundation of ATS. The lock wire icon reinforces ATS's meticulous attention to safety and detail. Deep blue remains the defining color, reinforcing the company's role as the foundation of ATS. The lock wire icon reinforces ATS's meticulous attention to safety and detail. ATS Technic: Sky blue represents the company's commitment to keeping aircraft flying, while the airplane icon signifies ATS Technic's role in ensuring aircraft safety and performance. Sky blue represents the company's commitment to keeping aircraft flying, while the airplane icon signifies ATS Technic's role in ensuring aircraft safety and performance. ATS Medical: Vibrant orange conveys vitality, innovation, and responsiveness signifying ATS Medical's mission to deliver high-quality healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes. The medical cross is a universal symbol of care and global healthcare standards. At the heart of the ATS Group identity is the falcon, a symbol of strength and resilience. Just as a falcon soars with agility and focus, ATS continues to expand into new markets while maintaining its reputation for quality and reliability. "With this rebrand, ATS is positioned for today and tomorrow. Whether it's sourcing a rare aircraft component, providing world-class MRO services, or delivering life-saving medical supplies, we are more than a supplier?we are a partner to our customers. Our commitment to compliance, sustainability, and operational excellence ensures that ATS will continue to drive innovation in aviation for years to come," said Hasna Fayyad, General Manager of ATS. A Global Company with a Customer-First Approach The ATS rebranding is the result of a comprehensive compliance review launched in July 2024, which strengthened ATS's governance and adherence to international regulatory standards. Since its founding, ATS has grown from a single office into an international group of companies serving the global aviation sector from its headquarters in Dubai. While expanding its expertise, ATS has remained committed to customer service and ethical business practices. The company's existing websites and emails will remain operational to ensure seamless customer service. For more information about ATS and its services, visit www.atsaviation.com. About ATS ATS is an international group of companies providing aviation parts distribution, MRO services, and medical solutions. With headquarters in Dubai, UAE, and offices across the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, ATS is committed to delivering reliable, customer-focused solutions that ensure aircraft safety, efficiency, and compliance with FAA, EASA, and international regulatory authorities. SOURCE ATS Group 22 january 2025 at 06:00 News published onand distributed by: SundaySky Unveils the Next Generation of Its Enterprise Video Platform with AI Avatars, Screen Recording, and More SundaySky, the premier AI-powered video platform built for the needs of modern enterprises, today announced the rollout of the next generation of its video platform, solidifying its position as the go-to business solution for video creation that's AI-powered, data-driven, and creatively limitless. The latest update introduces cutting-edge AI avatars, in-app screen recording, and advanced AI media generation capabilities to deliver a comprehensive suite of video tools for marketers, customer experience professionals, customer success teams, and product managers in a single, unified platform. "Video is not just a tool?it's a core resource for how businesses engage customers and grow," said Marc Zionts, CEO of SundaySky. "Still, the average SundaySky customer uses three or more video tools as part of their workflow. Our goal is to streamline their workflows and empower teams to leverage video effectively at every stage of the customer journey. Whether they're onboarding new customers, driving product adoption, or solving support and service issues, enhancing these moments with video that is personalized to an individual customer and scaled to thousands?even millions?is the future of video for business." A Unified Video Solution for Modern Enterprises A recent survey of SundaySky customers found that 66% of respondents are using more than three video tools to achieve their goals?a fragmented approach that SundaySky simplifies by providing everything teams need to create, personalize, scale, and share video in one place. Unlike point solutions focused on single capabilities like avatars, personalization, screen recording, or video editing, SundaySky unifies these tools into its platform for a more efficient and streamlined workflow. "SundaySky has been a home run for us," said SundaySky customer David Homan, chief marketing officer at McGohan Brabender. "We leverage the platform to personalize targeted messaging to our potential clients, streamline communication, and educate clients about new products available to them. The ability to scale quickly and customize content by industry, person, or background has been a major advantage, helping us compress our sales cycle and enhance client retention. What excites me most, though, is the upcoming avatar feature. Being able to create custom avatars opens up endless possibilities for personalized communications at scale. SundaySky's commitment to innovation has been invaluable, and I'm thrilled to integrate this functionality into our plans for 2025, helping us deliver consistent, high-impact experiences for over 500,000 of our clients' employees across the country." New Features to Drive Efficiency and Scale The latest platform enhancements reflect SundaySky's commitment to bringing virtually all video creation capabilities to business teams within one solution: AI Avatars: Helps businesses maintain brand consistency and scale the human touch without increased production costs while achieving deeper personalization. Helps businesses maintain brand consistency and scale the human touch without increased production costs while achieving deeper personalization. In-App Screen Recorder: Allows users to seamlessly capture and incorporate screen recordings from cameras or desktops into their videos directly within the platform. Allows users to seamlessly capture and incorporate screen recordings from cameras or desktops into their videos directly within the platform. AI Video Generation: Enables the creation of brand-aligned assets tailored to tone, aspect ratio, and other parameters, generated directly from a simple prompt. Enables the creation of brand-aligned assets tailored to tone, aspect ratio, and other parameters, generated directly from a simple prompt. AI-Powered Editing Tools: These tools include features like automatic video trimming, rotating, cropping, and background removal to give users greater creative control. These tools include features like automatic video trimming, rotating, cropping, and background removal to give users greater creative control. Enhanced AI Voices: Offering a new library of text-to-speech/synthetic voices with improved pronunciation and more human-like sound to elevate video quality. Offering a new library of text-to-speech/synthetic voices with improved pronunciation and more human-like sound to elevate video quality. AI-Powered Language Translation: Translate text-to-speech voiceover and captions to multiple languages with the click of a button. "We're proud to be the first enterprise video platform to bring all these capabilities into one place to meet the requests of our customers and the needs of modern businesses," said Jonathon Ben-Haim, vice president of product management at SundaySky. "What's more, our platform is the only solution offering data-driven personalization to tailor narration, media, on-screen text, and CTAs to the audience segment or individual customer?allowing businesses to reach their audience in the most impactful ways." SundaySky's AI-powered video platform is trusted by leading brands like Aetna, Bank of America, Okta, Staples, and ZoomInfo, to revolutionize their customer engagement strategies. Additional Resources: About SundaySky SundaySky is the premier enterprise video platform, empowering teams to create and deliver videos at scale faster, easier, and with personalization. Our AI-powered platform seamlessly connects with existing software, making video creation accessible and efficient across many customer journeys. In a fragmented landscape, SundaySky's comprehensive solution unifies the capabilities and use cases companies require to meet their customers' expectations for video. Fortune 500 businesses and growth brands alike, including 1-800 Contacts, Aetna, Bank of America, Okta, Staples, T. Rowe Price, UnitedHealthcare, ZoomInfo, and many others, have adopted SundaySky to transform the way they engage customers at scale. Learn more at www.sundaysky.com. 22 january 2025 at 08:10 News published onand distributed by: ACEL Power and Gospel Boat Forge Pioneering Agreement to Deliver 1,000 Electric Propulsion Units Over Five Years, Accelerating Marine Industry Innovation. ACEL Power Inc. has signed a landmark agreement with Gospel Boat, a leading Chinese boat manufacturer known for craftsmanship and innovation, to advance electric propulsion solutions in the marine industry. Gospel, producing 1,400 boats annually?including pontoons, pro-fishers, catamarans, and center cabins?takes a significant step toward sustainability with this partnership. Aligned with global zero-emissions initiatives, Gospel has committed to purchasing 1,000 electric propulsion units from ACEL over five years under a binding Letter of Intent. A Clear Roadmap to Sustainability Gospel has outlined a plan to electrify its product line, starting with at least 10% of its boats using electric propulsion in the first year and growing to 20% by the fifth year. This initiative reflects Gospel's commitment to sustainability, meeting the demands of eco-conscious consumers and regulations in Europe, Australia, and North America. The first batch of electric boats is slated for export by mid-2025. A Vision for a Cleaner Future "We are excited to partner with ACEL Power to lead this transformation in the marine industry," said Jack Li, Managing Director of Gospel Boat. "Innovation is the future of boating, and this collaboration is key to redefining sustainable marine experiences worldwide." Anthony Liu, CEO of ACEL Power, added, "This partnership highlights our shared commitment to sustainability and innovation. At ACEL, we're electrifying the marine industry, driving digital transformation, and creating seamless user experiences." ACEL Power's Electric Propulsion Technology ACEL Power's Intelligent Electric Series, launched in 2024, includes the IE50 (50HP) and IE75 (75HP) models. These systems feature Electric Outboards, Battery Packs, Intelligent Power Supply, Smart Chargers, Digital Throttles, and Onboard Computers. With 95.8% powertrain efficiency and AC/DC fast-charging capabilities, the system ensures real-time performance monitoring through proprietary software. About Gospel Boat Builders Founded in Qingdao, China, Gospel Boat Builders specializes in the design, manufacturing, and export of premium aluminum boats. Dedicated to crafting exceptional vessels, Gospel empowers customers worldwide to create unforgettable experiences on the water. About ACEL Power ACEL Power, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is a pioneering manufacturer of electric outboard propulsion systems, leading the marine industry in innovation and sustainability. Noted for introducing the world's first mass-produced 50 and 75 HP electric motors, ACEL Power is committed to shaping a sustainable future through the creation of a smart electric eco-system. With a forward-looking vision, ACEL aims to offer a comprehensive range from 1HP to 650HP, establishing new benchmarks for marine propulsion in performance, safety, and longevity. Leveraging patented technology and integrated software solutions, ACEL Power is driving change towards a cleaner, more efficient boating experience. For more information, visit www.acelpower.com. Watch ACEL's electric outboard motors in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rQU2OeNGXk&ab_channel=TwoGuysandaRide 22 january 2025 at 14:05 News published onand distributed by: Systech Introduces Semi-Automated Aggregation Solution for the Pharmaceutical Industry DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Systech, part of Markem-Imaje and Dover and a leading provider of digital identification and traceability software solutions, today announced the introduction of the ST16 Semi-Automated Multi-Aggregation Station for pharmaceutical manufacturers, marketers, repackagers and distributors. This integrated offering seamlessly combines industry-leading software with robust, flexible hardware to help optimize productivity, improve operational efficiency and streamline processes. "We are thrilled to unveil our newest turnkey offering, the ST16 Semi-Automated Multi-Aggregation Station, which simplifies aggregation implementation," said Sreedhar Patnala, General Manager, Systech. "This unique solution provides dual functionality of aggregation and rework in a compact footprint, empowering our customers with unmatched flexibility and enhanced efficiency." Efficient aggregation is critical in today's fast-paced pharmaceutical supply chain, where typically over one million units leave distribution locations each day. Accurate packaging aggregation data helps reduce bottlenecks and eliminates the need to open every non-aggregated case for manual unit scanning, significantly improving throughput and precision. The ST16 Semi-Automated Multi-Aggregation Station automatically detects when a case is ready and initiates the packing process while inspecting the case label to ensure accuracy. The system provides flexibility with case and pallet label printers, as well as the option for pallet label inspection. The ST16 serves dual purposes for both aggregation and rework tasks at a single station. To simplify machine operation, the system incorporates remote focus technology, which reduces the need for mechanical adjustments and minimizes maintenance requirements. The ST16 was thoughtfully designed for users with its ergonomic set-up, ease of maintenance and intuitive Pack-By-Layer software, which enables rapid aggregation and minimal operator intervention. Systech is unveiling the ST16 Semi-Automated Multi-Aggregation Station at the PharmaPack 2025 event, which is held from January 22-23 at the Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles - Hall 7.2 in Paris, France. About Systech: Systech provides digital identification and traceability solutions that establish essential product data, ensure digital connectivity, and enable real-time insights on the packaging line and throughout the supply chain. With decades of experience in pharmaceutical packaging execution and serialization, Systech offers comprehensive, easily configured, turnkey software solutions with reliable implementation and expert support. Global brands across industries rely on Systech's platform to help them achieve their objectives in compliance, resiliency, sustainability, and digital transformation. Systech is a leading brand of Markem-Imaje, a global product identification, packaging intelligence, and connected product solutions provider and a part of Dover Corporation. Visit www.systechone.com for further information. About Markem-Imaje: Markem-Imaje, a wholly owned subsidiary of the US-based Dover Corporation is a trusted world manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions, offering a full line of reliable and innovative inkjet, thermal transfer, laser, and print and apply label systems. Markem-Imaje provides global reach to over 50,000 customers with 30 subsidiaries, 6 technology centers, several equipment repair centers and manufacturing plants with the most comprehensive marking and coding portfolio available in the marketplace. Visit www.markem-imaje.com for further information. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of over $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 70 years, our team of approximately 24,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com . Systech Contact: Jim Waters (609) 395-8400 [email protected] Dover?Media?Contact: Adrian?Sakowicz, VP, Communications???? (630) 743-5039???? [email protected] ???? Dover Investor Contact: Jack Dickens, VP, Investor Relations (630) 743-2566 jdickens@dovercorp.com SOURCE Dover 22 january 2025 at 16:15 News published onand distributed by: FTG Corporation (FTG) Selected by De Havilland Canada to supply Cockpit Assemblies for the New De Havilland Canadair 515 Firefighting Aircraft TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firan Technology Group Corporation (TSX: FTG) (OTCQX: FTGFF) ("FTG") today announced that De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. has selected FTG to provide updated cockpit control assemblies for the new De Havilland Canadair 515 (DHC-515) aerial firefighting aircraft. Deliveries will commence in 2025 and will support De Havilland Canada's program to produce the DHC-515 aircraft. The design, development, and production of these critical assemblies will be conducted at FTG's Aerospace Toronto facility. "We are incredibly proud to be selected by De Havilland Canada for this important program," said Peter Dimopoulos, Vice President, Business Development at FTG. "This contract highlights FTG's ability to provide high-quality, Canadian-made components for a critical Canadian-built aircraft. We are thrilled to contribute to this important project and support the growth of the aerospace industry in Canada." The DHC-515 is a next-generation amphibious aircraft designed specifically for aerial firefighting operations. FTG's control panel assemblies (CPA) play a crucial role as they provide the interface for pilots to control various aspects of flight. ABOUT FIRAN TECHNOLOGY GROUP CORPORATION FTG is an aerospace and defense electronics product and subsystem supplier to customers around the globe. FTG has two operating units: FTG Circuits is a manufacturer of high technology, high reliability printed circuit boards. Our customers are leaders in the aviation, defense, and high technology industries. FTG Circuits has operations in Toronto, Ontario, Chatsworth, California, Fredericksburg, Virginia, Minnetonka, Minnesota, Haverhill, Massachusetts and a joint venture in Tianjin, China. FTG Aerospace designs, certifies, manufactures and provides in-service support for illuminated cockpit products and electronic assemblies for original equipment manufacturers and operators of aerospace and defense equipment. FTG Aerospace has operations in Toronto, Ontario, Calgary, Alberta, Chatsworth, California and Tianjin, China. The Corporation's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FTG, and on the OTCQX Exchange under the symbol FTGFF. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are related to, but not limited to, FTG's operations, anticipated financial performance, business prospects and strategies. Forward-looking information typically contains words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. Such statements are based on the current expectations of management of the Corporation and inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including economic factors and the Corporation's industry, generally. The preceding list is not exhaustive of all possible factors. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by the Corporation. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully when making decisions with respect to the Corporation and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than as may be required by law, FTG disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information please contact: Bradley C. Bourne, President and CEO Firan Technology Group Corporation Tel: (416) 299-4000 x314 [email protected] Jamie Crichton, Vice President and CFO Firan Technology Group Corporation Tel: (416) 299-4000 x264 [email protected] Additional information can be found at the Corporation's website: www.ftgcorp.com 22 january 2025 at 17:00 News published onand distributed by: MR VASYL Fedoryn of Ballypierce, Charleville, Co Cork, was warned by Judge Colm Roberts, that he may face jail after he pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, at Mallow District Court, last Monday. The court heard evidence from ISPCA Animal Welfare Inspector Caroline Faherty who responded to a complaint from a concerned member of the public on April 21, 2023. Inspector Faherty told the court that she discovered 13 Collies and German Shepherds, 12 of which were pups, living in horrendous conditions in dark, filthy sheds, and without access to water. They had no bedding, and their coats were matted with faeces. It was clear that rats were also living in the shed, having burrowed through piles of dirt. The Inspector told how she had to break padlocks to get into one of the sheds and said the horrific conditions were some of the worst she had faced and would stay with her forever. An immediate decision was made to seize all the dogs and, as they were being removed, the full extent of the conditions became clear. An emotional Inspector Faherty told the court how the smell was so putrid and stomach turning that she repeatedly retched and had to leave the sheds for air. She had to change into rubber boots and oilskins to enter the sheds as there were faeces and sewerage everywhere. Three German Shepherd pups could not walk properly due to being malnourished and confined. They had no muscle mass in their legs and were walking on their back knees. Inspector Faherty described some of the Collies as feral, and extremely nervous which made it very difficult to get near them. READ MORE: Number of applications for XL Bully dog exemptions in Limerick revealed Fresh drinking water was provided for a lactating German Shepherd who was feeding four pups, and she was so thirsty that the water had to be temporarily removed out of fear for the dogs welfare. Videos of the scene were played in court. The court also heard that, although every effort was made to rehabilitate the dogs with veterinary interventions, high-level nutrition, and physiotherapy, four of the dogs had to be euthanised based on veterinary advice. These included a young German Shepherd whose limbs were so deformed he could not bear any weight as he grew, and three of the feral Collie dogs that did not respond to rehabilitation efforts and were in constant fear and distress. After hearing the evidence, Judge Colm Roberts commented to Inspector Faherty that, aside from the animals being traumatised, it appeared clear that the Inspector had been traumatised herself. Inspector Faherty confirmed that was the case. Judge Roberts convicted the defendant but adjourned sentencing until April 1 pending a probation and welfare report. He warned that given the level of cruelty and neglect evident in this case, a custodial sentence was extremely probable. The defendant agreed not to keep any animals until that date. The ISPCA urges the public to report any suspicions of animal cruelty or neglect to its National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515, email helpline@ispca.ie or report online here. A coroner has said he is satisfied he has jurisdiction to hold an inquest into the death of a German backpacker murdered in Northern Ireland in 1988. During a court hearing on Tuesday it emerged that a previous inquest appeared to have been opened in 1990 into Inga Maria Hausers death. But coroner Joe McCrisken said it seemed to have closed without hearing any evidence or providing a verdict, adding that papers from the proceedings simply cant be found. The body of Ms Hauser from Munich was found in a remote forest near Ballycastle in Co Antrim 14 days after she was last seen alive on a ferry from Scotland. The 18-year-olds death in April 1988 remains one of the regions most high-profile unsolved murders. A nephew of Ms Hauser observed proceedings at Belfasts Laganside Courthouse on Wednesday by videolink. Opening the pre-inquest review hearing, counsel for the coroner Philip Henry told the court that a Form 21 had been issued previously over Ms Hausers death. A Form 21 is issued to register a death where an inquest has been held. Mr Henry said: What we suspect has happened and we are exploring this in a little bit of detail what we strongly suspect has happened is a previous coroner in the 1990s has opened an inquest, not heard any evidence, and then issued a Form 21 by mistake. As I understand it, there was no evidence, there was no inquest and no formal proceedings as such. In those circumstances it would very much appear that the court has jurisdiction to proceed. Barrister for the family Malachy McGowan added: I do not have any instructions that there was any evidence called or there was a full and formal inquest. Mr McCrisken said it raised the issue of whether he was permitted to proceed with the inquest. He said: I carried out some preliminary inquiries into the initial inquest. I use that term advisedly at this point, because an inquest has a very clear legal meaning in terms of the process, what it is supposed to do, arrive at a verdict, etc. It seemed to me that what happened in September 1990 was that the then coroner opened an inquest and then closed it without hearing any evidence and without testing any evidence and without, it seems, providing a verdict. In those circumstances that seemed to me to be an administrative exercise given that there was no verdict and and no evidence called and not in keeping with the legal interpretation of an inquest. I made some attempts to obtain the inquest papers, but they simply cant be found. To be frank, that is the position we find ourselves in. At present I am satisfied that I am not functus officio and that I have jurisdiction to hold this long-awaited inquest into Ms Hausers death. Mr McCrisken said it seemed highly unlikely that there had been a full inquest in 1990 with no reporting of the proceedings. He added: I am going to move forward on the basis that I have jurisdiction and we can proceed. Mr Henry said the next step was to begin to process of obtaining documents from the police through the disclosure process. He said: There is quite a lot of work to do in relation to retrieval, examination of that material. It is always a little bit more difficult when it is of a historic nature but those are the challenges we are used to facing. Before her murder, Ms Hauser had travelled through England and Scotland and, according to diary entries, intended to travel south to Dublin after her ferry docked at Larne, Co Antrim. For reasons unknown, she ended up going in the opposite direction and was found dead two weeks later in a remote part of Ballypatrick Forest. Police have a male genetic profile found at the murder scene. A number of years ago, in one of the largest DNA screenings undertaken in the UK, 2,000 samples failed to produce a definitive match. In 2018, a year that marked the 30th anniversary of the murder, police made several arrests. However, two years later prosecutors announced there was insufficient evidence to prosecute a man and a woman investigated in connection with the death. The next review hearing has been listed for May 2. Met Eireann has issued its highest-level weather warning for Limerick as Storm Eowyn is set represent a 'danger to life' as it tracks across Ireland. A status orange wind warning, which was issued this Wednesday morning, has now been upgraded to status red for counties Limerick, Cork, Clare and Kerry. "Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h," states the warning which will be valid between 3am and 10am on Friday. Schools and public services in all four counties are set to be impacted with further details to be confirmed later today and on Thursday. READ ALSO: Body of man found in Limerick following assault and false imprisonment of two female sex workers According to Met Eireann, potential impacts of Storm Eowyn in the worst-affected counties include: * Danger to life * Extremely dangerous travelling conditions * Cancellation of events * Wave overtopping * Coastal flooding in low lying and exposed areas * Unsafe working conditions * Fallen trees * Significant and widespread power outages * Structural damage * Disruption and cancellations to transport Emergency services and local authority crews in Limerick have been placed on standby and the National Emergency Coordination Centre is likely to meet later this Wednesday. Those in counties under a red warning are being urged to remain at home and not travel until the worst of the storm has passed. BENGALURU : Geopolitics continues to dictate global tech policies and strategies. The latest example is the Stargate Project, one of US President Donald Trump's first major business initiatives after returning to office. What is the Stargate Project? Announced on Tuesday, it is a new company that intends to invest $500 billion over the next four years to build new artificial intelligence (AI)-focused data centres across the US. The joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle Corp., SoftBank Group Corp., and MGX, which will begin deploying $100 billion immediately, aims to strengthen the country's AI infrastructure, create 100,000 jobs, and enhance its competitiveness against China in AI development. Masayoshi Son will be the chairman. Why is the US backing it? The US has a good reason to be antsy in the AI space. It currently has the worlds most robust AI ecosystem, leading significantly across key metrics, according to Stanford University's Global AI Vibrancy Tool, which ranks countries on AI research output, economic activity, and infrastructure. Also Read: Five artificial intelligence trends to track in 2025 As of November 2024, the US led in producing high-quality AI research, building notable machine learning (ML) models, private investment, AI-related mergers/acquisitions, job postings, and newly funded AI startups. That said, though China-based Baidu Inc.'s Ernie bot may not hold up to OpenAI's ChatGPT, China ranks second in AI and is providing credible competition, attracting $67.2 billion in AI-related private investment in 2023 compared to a mere $7.8 billion for the US, according to the Stanford report. China also produced more notable ML models (61 vs 15) and led in AI-related patents. Moreover, China continues to innovate in the space, which is worrying the US. Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, for instance, is hitting the headlines with its new DeepSeek-R1, an open-source reasoning model that rivals OpenAI's o1. This model has been trained using reinforcement learning (RL) without supervised fine-tuning (SFT). The innovation is important since it avoids dependence on pre-labelled datasets, allowing the model to explore solutions independently and adapt to new challenges more flexibly. The company claims that using this method, DeepSeek-R1 has achieved performance comparable to OpenAI-o1 across math, code, and reasoning tasks while costing just 5-10% of o1s API (application programming interface) price ($0.14 vs $7.50 per million input tokens). Further, while the US hosts Nvidia Corp., the worlds largest AI company, most of the latter's chips are produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (TSMC). Since China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, navigating these complexities will shape the US semiconductor and AI landscape in the years to come. What are its implications for the global AI race? Governments across the world are sharpening their focus on AI data centres, which are equipped to host advanced AI workloads since the latter guzzle computing power. Sample this: while earlier a 30-megawatt (MW) data centre was considered large, now even a 200-MW is considered normal", according to McKinsey & Co. The consultancy firm estimated that even if all currently known plans are delivered on time, there could still be a data centre supply deficit of more than 15 gigawatts (GW) in the US alone by 2030. McKinsey analysis suggested that demand for AI-ready data centre capacity is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 33% from 2023 to 2030. By that year, approximately 70% of the total data centre capacity demand will be for facilities equipped to handle advanced AI workloads. Generative AI (GenAI), the fastest-growing advanced AI use case, is projected to account for about 40% of this demand. Cloud service providers (CSPs) such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Inc., Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and Baidu are the companies fuelling most of todays incremental demand for AI-ready data centres. What are other countries doing? The UK ranks third in the Global AI Vibrancy Ranking 2023. India ranks fourth, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is heavily investing in AI research through institutions like the Technology Innovation Institute. The UK government has announced a substantial expansion of data centres to attract AI firms. This initiative aims to remove planning obstacles to facilitate private-sector investments in AI infrastructure. Additionally, the European Union (EU) has been actively investing in AI infrastructure. What does India stand? India, too, has initiated several significant plans to bolster its AI infrastructure. RackBank Datacenters Pvt. Ltd has announced its 80MW AI-focused data centre in Madya Pradesh with a 60,000 GPU (graphics processing unit) capacity. The country currently has about 150 data centres, including those from big companiesalso known as hyperscalers due to their sizesuch as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, NTT DATA Group Corp., Sify Technologies Ltd, and CtrlS Datacenters Ltd, and those from newer entrants like Yotta Infrastructure, Digital Connexion, and Lumina CloudInfra Pvt. Ltd. All of them are rapidly expanding their capacities to account for increasing digitalization, demand for AI and GenAI projects, nationwide rollout of 5G, laws mandating certain data be stored locally, and the need for edge computing that allows data processing on devices themselves. Other than that, Microsoft Corp. recently announced a $3 billion investment to expand its cloud and AI services in India over the next two years, aiming to accelerate AI innovation and equip 10 million people with AI skills by 2030. Additionally, the Indian government has launched the IndiaAI Mission, a comprehensive national-level initiative with a budget outlay of 10,371.92 crore (approximately $1.25 billion), which focuses on enhancing computing infrastructure, supporting deep-tech startups, and developing data platforms to foster AI development across various sectors. To be sure, India boasts a strong and cost-effective talent pool in software engineering, integrated circuit (IC) and manufacturing equipment design, with over 2,000 semiconductor chip design engineers. Leading semiconductor firms, including Intel Corp., Texas Instruments Inc., Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., and Qualcomm Technologies Inc., have established design, research and development centres in the country. India is also advancing its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. It has approved four major projects worth over 1.5 trillion, including ventures by Micron Technology Inc. and a partnership between Tata Electronics and Taiwans Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC). These initiatives aim to produce 180,000 wafers monthly upon completion. Besides, the Adani Group, in collaboration with Israels Tower Semiconductor Ltd, is planning a $10 billion fab in Panvel, Maharashtra, establishing a foundation for local chip-making and a full semiconductor value chain, including design, fabrication, and ATMP (assembly, testing, marking, and packaging). India has also set aside a $10 billion fund to attract global chipmakers. India has also forged semiconductor agreements with the US, Singapore, and the EU, signalling its intent to solidify its global position in a sector challenged by raw material shortages and geopolitical tensions. Its focus on producing 28 nm and higher chips is strategic, balancing cost efficiency with longer shelf life. However, swift execution of these projects is essential for success. What challenges does India need to address? The National Mission for AI further underscores Indias ambitions, with plans to build infrastructure using 10,000 GPUs through public-private partnerships, supported by a 10,000 crore investment. However, India must address restrictions on US AI chip exports, tightened under the Joe Biden administration, to ensure access to critical technology. Stargate shows the US' "serious intent" to take control of AI and own all large language models (LLMs), said Ajai Chowdhry, founder of HCL (Hindustan Computers Ltd) and chairman of EPIC Foundation and the National Quantum Mission of India. Dubbing Stargate as the "weaponization of tech", he said India must create its "own AI doctrine" by controlling its data and domestic hardware for data centres. Geopolitics, as we see, again remains a significant factor. Mumbai and Bengaluru: When Mangal Prabhat Lodha embarked upon the division of the real estate empire he founded in 1986, the underlying goal was simple: Avoid acrimony in the second generation, which has plagued Indian business families since forever. Over two years beginning 2015, an arbitrator appointed by the Lodha family crafted multiple family settlement agreements and arbitration awards. Finally, by the end of 2017, family members agreed that the elder brother, Abhishek (45), would take over the reins of the flagship Lodha Developers, while Abhinandan (43), the younger one, would transfer his ownership to his mother, with the assurance that all business would eventually be divided between the two. Abhinandan was also given two businesses, Lodha Ventures and Lodha FinServ, apart from about 500 crore. If the aim was to prevent conflict, the plan was a failure. Less than eight years after what appeared to be succession planning, the two brothers have locked horns. Macrotech Developersthe listed holding company of the Lodha Group under Abhishekmoved the Bombay High Court on Monday (20 January) seeking to restrict The House of Abhinandan Lodha, started by Abhinandan, from using the Lodha name. On Tuesday, the court asked Macrotech Developers to file the case, again, according to lawyers representing the two factions. But the battle over the brand is just the tip of the iceberg; the fault lines run much deeper. Ironically, these can be traced back to the 2017 settlement that was designed precisely to avoid such bickering. The Genesis In a synopsis of the dispute shared on Tuesday, Macrotech Developers argued that a significant increase in debt, between 2008 and 2014, caused stress in the family. Around 2014-15, governance issues were identified in the companys finance department, which was led by Abhinandan Lodha, Macrotech Developers stated. The turmoil soon led to the family settlement agreement, under which both brothers agreed to take some assets and debt, according to Macrotech Developers. However, the company alleges that at a later stage, Abhinandan insisted on not taking any customers, projects or debt and asked for cash as part of the settlement. As a result, Abhishek and his parents were left with 20,000 crore of debt, and Abhinandan separated to start a new business with a payout of ~ 1,000 crores," read a note dated 21 January, shared by Concept Public Relations, the agency hired by Macrotech. Between 2015 and 2020, Mr Abhishek Lodha and the family went through a near-death experience due to this baggage of huge debt," the note added. The other narrative We have just come across an annexure of a press release sent by Concept Public Relations...they have stated that Mr Abhinandan Lodha was given 1,000 crore," said a spokesperson for Abhinandan Lodha. This is a lie," added the spokesperson, which is contradicting their own case in court filed last week, where they have attached the family settlement agreement of 2017, which clarifies that under all the awards and settlement documents, Mr Abhinandan Lodha has received 429 crore and some apartments, all amounting to 500 crore." When contacted, Abhinandan Lodha said that the lawsuit came as a surprise" to him. My elder and only brother Abhishek Lodha asked me to separate from the family business and start something new," he said. Consequently, between 2015 and 2017, multiple family settlement agreements and arbitration awards were passed by a sole arbitrator appointed by the family, despite me being out of Macrotech Developers Ltd. During this process, I was asked to transfer my shareholding in Macrotech Developers Ltd to my mother with the clear understanding between the four of us, and the assurance from each family member, that I was entitled to my share in the family business and that all business assets would eventually be divided equally between my brother Abhishek and I," Abhinandan said in response to a Mint questionnaire. He added he received just 500 crore across all awards and settlement documents, as I was told that Macrotech Developers Ltd is not in a position to pay more then." Abhinandan claims that he repeatedly helped the familys crown jewel, Macrotech Developers, during its debt crisis in 2018-19. Macrotech Developers Ltd has borrowed multiple times from my companyLodhaFinServfrom2017 to 2020.In aggregate, the loans amounted to over 900 crores while the peak outstanding at any given time was 175 crore," said Abhinandan. He added that the elder brother and the company approached him in 2019 when Macrotech Developers was squeezed by spiralling premiums on its London-listed bonds and thinning credit lines.Abhinandan claims that his companies gave corporate guarantees of 250 crore, and he gave personal guarantees of over 2,000 crore. I even mortgaged my flat and raised funds to support Macrotech Developers Ltd.Thisis all a matter of record," he said. All of this was done as a responsible member of the family and in the interest of the family." Since then, Macrotech Developers has managed to turn the corner. In April, the company received a rating upgrade from Crisil Ratings and ICRA. The two agencies rated the companys long-term debt AAcompared to A+ earlier. The companys gross debt narrowed to 7,680 crore on 31 March2024, from 9,050 crore a year prior. The gross debt to cash flow from operations ratio was 1.30 times as of FY24 end compared to 1.80 a year prior. Crisil Ratings expects gross debt, excluding lease rental discounting debt, to be maintained at around 1.0 times the cash flow from operations over the medium term, according to a report dated 31 March 2024. While Macrotechs debt woes have eased since then, Abhinandan claims his elder brother is yet to honour his end of the bargain. (I was to get my) rightful share in the future post the IPO of the real estate business. -Abhinandan "(I was to get my) rightful share in the future post the IPO of the real estate business. Unfortunately, after my exit, the commitments and payments that were to be made to me have not been honoured despite various promises being made until recently," said Abhinandan. He declined to share his rightful share" in Macrotech Developers, in which his elder brother and promoters own 72%. Abhinandan claims that there is a more fundamental rift between the two brothers. We feel the genesis of the dispute is the success of our new generation plotted land business under our company The House of Abhinandan Lodha, which Macrotech Developers is unable to digest," he said. I re-started my real estate journey in 2021 and created House of Abhinandan Lodha from scratch. It appears now thatthey want to throttle the growth of HoABL, which is indeed a matter of great sadness." Macrotech Developers did not respond to these allegations. Kavil Ramachandran, professor of family business and entrepreneurship at the Indian School of Business, says that family settlements must explicitly state all the terms agreed upon and leave nothing to mutual understanding for them to be legally enforceable. Looks like there were unwritten terms herethat were to be honoured based on mutual trust. In this case, it doesnt seem like trust between the parties exists. They have drifted apart a lot," he said, adding that the dispute is unlikely to be settled without court mediation now. The latest dispute This brings us to the latest flashpoint between the two brothersthe Bombay High Court case. On Monday evening, Macrotech Developers asked the Bombay High Court to intervene and stop the House of Abhinandan Lodha from using the Lodha name. Macrotech argued that prospective buyers were confused about whether the two companies were identical. It is evident from the actions of (defendants) that they are attempting to misappropriate the goodwill and reputation garnered by the (plaintiffs) with the sole intention to illegally earn quick money," the complaint alleged. The alleged infringement of Lodhas name had caused Macrotech Developers over 5,000 crore in provisional loss, the company claimed in its petition, a copy of which Mint has seen. It now wants the court to stop the House of Abhinandan Lodha from using the Lodha name. Abhinandan claims there is no non-compete agreement, as of today, between the two brothers in real estate. We are very clear that we are into plotted development and no high-rise buildings and largely operate in locations where Macrotech is not present and this was by choice," he said. Lodha Ventures and Lodha FinServ were given to me as part of the settlement process, and the understanding was that the name Lodha was not to be used on a standalone basis in real estate," said Abhinandan. Hence, the name was being used in conjunction with other terms, such as Lodha Ventures, The House of Abhinandan Lodha, and Lodha FinServ. Whats in a name? While The House of Abhinandan Lodhas operations are modest compared to Macrotech Developers, experts said using the name Lodha, even as part of a more prominent brand name, is likely to have helped the company gain credibility among customers. Brand is one of the biggest drivers of sale in the real estate sector as it is the largest investment that most individuals make in their lifetime," said Pankaj Kapoor, managing director of Liases Foras, a real estate data and analytics firm. Consumers prefer established brands because they can be assured that the project will be delivered on time and that the construction will be of good quality. Hence, established brands like Lodha also command a premium over others, he said. Brand is the biggest drivers of sale in the real estate sector as it's the largest investment that most individuals make. -Pankaj Kapoor The Lodha brand adds a lot of credibility, just like other big-name developers like Godrej or Hiranandani. That could be one of the reasons why the Lodha brothers are fighting over the brand," Kapoor said. The Lodha family isnt the first to see a split in business as a new generation takes over. Earlier, others like the Hiranandani Group and the Raheja Group have also split businesses, with each faction retaining brand usage rights. The latest conglomerate to see such a split was the Godrej Group, where the two factions have demarcated the usage of the brand in the real estate sector. Stock impact Eventually, Macrotech's minority shareholders took the biggest hit after the dispute became public. Since Monday, Macrotech Developers shares have tanked nearly 11%, resulting in an erosion of 12,700 crore in value. The company ended with a market cap of 1.07 trillion on Wednesday. During these two days, the benchmark BSE 30 index was down 1%. Investors tend to be particularly mindful when disputes involve intangible assets like brands, as it is difficult to estimate the value of damages and, thus, the risk involved, said Nirav Karkera, head of research at Fisdom, a wealth management platform. When a company is involved in a dispute like this, it also raises concerns around brand reputation, goodwill, and impact on managementespecially in a promoter-run business, he added. So to err on the side of caution, investors try to wait out the event." Minimalist Hotels, a hotel and dorm management company run by Swashbuckler Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, is looking to expand its footprint by adding new properties across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and the National Capital Region (NCR) by 2026, said its founder Gautam Munjal. The company, which began operations in 2017, runs boutique properties either on management contracts for other owners or signs operational leases to run the properties. "It's somewhere between a hybrid hotel-cum-hostel model with both private hotel rooms as well as dorm-style rooms," Munjal told Mint. At present, the company operates four properties. Its hotels generally combine communal living with large hotel spaces like Marriott International Inc.-run Moxy Hotels. He said the company distinguishes itself from traditional hotels because of the common space that can foster shared experiences. It also has sub-100 rooms in each of its hotels, typically 30-40 rooms and some dorm-style beds. Also read | New-age hotels go light to take on big chains In 2023-24, the company reported a revenue of 7.4 crore, up 7% year-on-year. It made a net profit of 2.2 crore, which declined by about half from 2022-23's 4.2 crore. Munjal said this fiscal, 2024-25, the company will look at a revenue of operations of 12 crore. He said it will aim to grow revenue by 5x in the next two years and have about 120 rooms in its hotel portfolio, of which 90% will be rooms and 10% dormitories. "We'd like to go deeper into each cluster we are already in, like Varanasi, Goa, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. We see a lot of standalone hotel successes but have not seen those models able to be replicated. We're also trying to create a standardized framework for our hotels that can be replicated in most cities," he said. The company attracts various types of hotel users, including millennials and Gen-Z travellers and opened its second hotel in Varanasi in December. Also read | Hotels, travel cos expect domestic tourism to surge in hill stations this winter Last week, Mint reported that several hotel chains are transforming their business strategies by adopting operating leases or management contracts for quicker growth. Under an operating lease, a company rents a property from its owner and runs it as an independent entity. In contrast, a management contract involves a hotel owner outsourcing the operational responsibilities to a third-party company while still retaining ownership of the property. A report from Hotelivate, published in October 2024, showed a broad-based increase across both metro cities and smaller emerging markets, adding 15,231 new rooms to India's total hotel inventory in 2023-24. It added that about 70% of the organized branded hotels in India charge less than 7,500 a night. Minimalist also operates in this segment. Babasaheb Kalyani, the billionaire promoter of the Kalyani group, has said that an application by his sister Sugandha Hiremath seeking expedited hearing of her suit for partition of an alleged Kalyani Family Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) is merely to gain sympathy and publicize family disputes. Hiremath's suit, filed in 2012, had purportedly not seen any efforts to expedite the hearing for the past 13 years, Baba Kalyani said in his reply filed in the Pune Civil Court. Mint has seen the reply, which is not public yet. Sugandha Hiremath was not at all diligent in taking any steps to expedite the said matter for the past 13 years for the reasons best known to her," he said in an affidavit. Claims over Kalyani family assets, HUF details In a recent application with the court, Hiremath laid claim to a third of all Kalyani family assets, including shares of listed group companies such as Bharat Forge and Kalyani Steels, and private assets like land, real estate, and jewellery. She also filed an application seeking expedited hearing of her plea against her brothers Baba Kalyani and Gaurishankar Kalyani, claiming that the three siblings, being senior citizens, would be severely affected if justice is delayed. Pending a decision on her claims, Hiremath sought to appoint a court-appointed officer to administer the Kalyani family wealth. Baba Kalyani alleged that Hiremath's application seeking expedited hearing of her case was merely to gain sympathy and publicise the family disputes". He claimed that Hiremath's family had filed various litigations", including an application to amend her 2012 suit, in Pune and Mumbai courts, which were opposed by him and were pending adjudication. In view of this, he argued that her application for an expedited hearing should not be considered at this stage. In the amendment application filed on 28 September before the Pune court, Hiremath claimed she recently discovered the existence of a Kalyani HUF that funded the creation of all the groups businesses, including the group flagship Bharat Forge. She stated that the Kalyani HUF had existed since the time of her grandfather, Annappa Narayan Kalyani, and argued that all the assets of the Kalyani Group today belong to this HUF, of which she claims a third. Listed Kalyani group companies have a combined market capitalization of over 70,000 crore. Also Read: Hiremath claims a third of Baba Kalyani family fortune including Bharat Forge shares In the 2012 suit against her late father Neelkanth Kalyani and her brother Babasaheb, Hiremath had sought to be made a coparcener of the Neelkanth Annappa Kalyani (NAK) HUF, which she now says she was misled into believing was the only HUF of the family. Sibling dispute expands with probate challenge Apart from this suit, the court was also hearing the application seeking probate on the wills of the late Sulochana Kirloskar, the mother of the three siblings, who passed away in 2023. The first will of January 2012 primarily benefits Baba Kalyani, while the second will of 2022 primarily benefits the youngest sibling, Gaurishankar Kalyani. Hiremath has challenged the validity of both the wills. During the hearing on 21 January, Hiremath's lawyers urged the court to hear the amendment application expeditiously, claiming her brothers may alienate the family wealth. Her lawyers alleged in court that Baba and Gaurishankar had colluded to deny her what is rightfully hers. Both the wills exclude Sugandha. Both the brothers have conspired to keep Sugandha out of her mothers wealth." The court has posted further hearing on the application seeking expedited hearing to 13 February. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed non-residents to open rupee accounts in the overseas branches of India-registered authorized dealer banks to conduct cross-border transactions. Mint explains the significance of this move: What are the new rules? In a circular last week, RBI allowed overseas branches of authorized dealer (AD) banks to open rupee accounts for non-resident Indians for settling current and capital account transactions with Indian residents. AD banks are authorized by RBI to deal in foreign exchange or foreign securities. RBI also allowed non-resident Indians to settle transactions among themselves using their rupee accounts. The guidelines permit non-residents Indians to use rupee accounts for foreign investments in rupee assets. The new rules aim to ease the process of cross-border transactions, particularly for traders and investors. How will this benefit customers? A non-resident Indian (NRI) in the US, for instance, can now open a rupee account with the New York branch of an India-registered AD bank. They will be able to hold rupees received for exports to India and use the rupee balance for business payments to a person resident in India. These accounts can be used for receiving export earnings, handling advance remittances, and making import payments. With this, NRIs will have the option of holding and utilizing the rupee proceeds as per requirements. However, exporters are required to repatriate any remaining funds to India by the end of the following month. Read more: What you need to know about RBI rules when investing abroad What do bankers have to say? While the rules are meant to promote the rupee in global trade, bankers say they are unlikely to see many transactions as the rupee is a non-convertible currency. They say these accounts can be opened only for trade transactions and only in the UAE, Indonesia and Maldives, but Mukul Chand, senior counsel, Economic Law Practise, said it is open to all countries. What does the RBI say? An RBI committee submitted a report in 2023 recommending a roadmap to internationalize the rupee including inclusion in the International Monetary Funds Special Drawing Rights basket. Recommended short-term measures included bilateral and multilateral trade arrangements for invoicing, settlement and payment in INR and local currencies. The panel also encouraged opening of rupee accounts for NRIs (other than vostro accounts of overseas banks) in and outside India. What efforts have been made so far? India has been trying to promote the use of the rupee in foreign trade and transactions. In July 2022, RBI allowed overseas banks to open a special rupee Vostro account with an AD bank in India to facilitate rupee settlement of trade. The RBIs goal was to promote the use of the rupee as an international currency, and to enable trade with Russia and other sanction-hit nations. A Vostro account is held by a domestic bank on behalf of a foreign bank, which can be used to settle forex transactions, etc. Read more: Rupee tantrums: The risk and cost of RBI's approach Donald Trumps criticism of China on the campaign trail and after his election had raised the specter that Day 1 of his second presidency would reignite a trade war between the worlds two largest economies. As he took office this week, President Trump deferred the threat of tariffs and expressed a willingness to talk business with Chinas leader, postponing what appeared to be a looming clashwhile repeating threats to take action against Beijing in matters of trade, technology and security. From Chinas perspective, this is a very positive start," said Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think tank, and an adviser to the Chinese government. Trump directed federal agencies to evaluate the economic relationship with China, rather than impose tariffs immediately as he had threatened. He signed off on giving TikTok more time to figure out how to keep operating in the U.S., after the Chinese-owned app briefly went dark under threat of a permanent ban. Trump also said he might visit China this year, having spoken with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week. Xi had sent his vice president to witness Mondays inauguration, in what was seen as a goodwill gesture after receiving Trumps invitation to the event. Trump, meanwhile, restated allegations that Beijing has behaved unfairly in areas such as trade and climate, called for more Chinese cooperation in ending the Ukraine war and stopping fentanyl flows into the U.S., and warned that he could impose a 10% tariff on imports from China starting February. View Full Image Trump Keeps China Guessing on Tariff Threats Beijing, for its part, expressed willingness to engage the Trump administration, while it continued to criticize what it characterized as American unilateralism. Despite all the differences and frictions, the two countries enjoy tremendous common interests and space for cooperation," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday, adding that China is ready to work with the U.S. to improve ties from a new starting point." Even so, Chinas relationship with Trump has been volatile in the past, and featured a honeymoon period during his first presidency. Trump had been sending mixed signals really since the election campaign," veering between tough rhetoric on tariffs and talking up his personal ties with Xi, said Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore. If the first Trump term is any indication, there is likely to be some negotiation," Chong said. Xi signaled his vigilance against strategic pressure from the U.S. hours after Trumps inauguration, holding a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he promised to strengthen cooperation with Moscowa pointed display of togetherness at a time of uncertainty about how American foreign policy is about to change. Beijing has also tried to make the most of the returning U.S. presidents disdain for multilateral organizations. A day after Trump moved to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accords, China asserted its support for bothcasting itself as a champion of global cooperation. Protectionism leads nowhere. Trade war has no winners," Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos without explicitly mentioning the U.S. We should not only make the pie of economic globalization bigger, but also distribute it better." The U.S. and China share a dissatisfaction over how their relationship evolved in recent years, said Zha Daojiong, a professor at Peking Universitys School of International Studies. The Chinese side will welcome opportunities for direct engagement between the two governments," Zha said. Nevertheless, both sides are cautiousin a general sensein reapproaching each other," he said. In public remarks on Monday during and after his inauguration, Trump criticized China on a number of frontsincluding trade, climate change and global influencewhile suggesting that he is willing to negotiate with Beijing on these issues. Were going to have meetings and calls with President Xi," Trump told reporters. Asked if he plans to visit China this year, he said he might do so, having received an invitation. Trump cited China when discussing his decisions to withdraw from the Paris agreement and the WHO, saying Beijing pollutes with impunity" and hasnt contributed enough funds to the United Nations health agency. He has also accused China of taking control of the Panama Canal, and declared in his inaugural address that were taking it back." Then, on Tuesday, Trump said he had spoken to Xi about how Beijing could do more to help end the war in Ukraine, and said that his administration was considering a 10% tariff on goods imported from China starting Feb. 1, in response to the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Washington has been working to pressure China to shut down a supply chain that is enabling the underground production of fentanyl and other narcotics. Trump has accused China of taking control of the Panama Canal. Beijing has avenues to reach a compromise on some of the issues that Trump has raised, said Wang, the think-tank president. For example, China could offer to buy more American agricultural products, channel investments to support U.S.-based manufacturing, clamp down harder on shipments of fentanyl precursor chemicals, and facilitate talks to end the Ukraine war, Wang said. If Trump does follow through on his threats, China believes it is in a good position to mitigate the damage and even reap some benefits, some experts say. China could navigate the 10% tariff by offering incentives such as tax cuts to exporters, according to Carlos Casanova, senior Asia economist at Union Bancaire Privee in Hong Kong. Deflation in China could keep Chinese goods attractive to U.S. buyers despite additional tariffs. Ten percent will be quite manageable," said Casanova. Some Chinese foreign-policy experts said Beijing should remain cautious about Trumps early overtures, noting that the U.S. president could switch to a more aggressive stance. We must not let our guard down," Jin Canrong, an international-relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said in a video posted on his Weibo social-media account. My sense is that [Trump] still regards China as a strategic rival." Trump is flattering Beijing for now, but in reality, he is also putting the responsibility on China for resolving disputes, Jin said. In the future, should issues not get handled well, he can blame China." Hannah Miao contributed to this article. Write to Chun Han Wong at chunhan.wong@wsj.com Within hours of returning to the White House, President Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship. Most legal experts say the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship, the automatic granting of citizenship to children born in the U.S. Trumps order has already drawn legal challenges, which could eventually be decided by the Supreme Court. Here is what to know about birthright citizenship: What does the Constitution say about birthright citizenship? The first sentence of the Fourteenth Amendment, known as the Citizenship Clause, states: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The Fourteenth Amendment, passed by Congress in 1866 and ratified by the states in 1868, was one of three amendments from the Reconstruction era to abolish slavery. The amendment was meant to supersede Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Supreme Court decision from 1857 that denied citizenship to the descendants of slaves. Most legal scholars say the amendments meaning is clear: People born in the U.S. are citizens, regardless of the citizenship of their parents. The federal government has long operated on an understanding that birthright citizenship is mandated by the Constitution. Trumps move here is flagrantly unconstitutional and no president can rescind birthright citizenship," said Thomas Wolf, a lawyer at New York Universitys Brennan Center for Justice, a public-policy think tank. What does Trumps executive order say? Trumps executive order adopts a different reading of the Constitution than commonly held. The order would end birthright citizenship for children of immigrants where their mother is unlawfully present in the U.S., and their father isnt a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Trumps order, if implemented, would bar federal agencies from recognizing the citizenship of people who dont meet the newly imposed criteria. His order focuses on the second requirement of the Citizenship Clause which says a person be born subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States, saying this clause was meant to limit birthright citizenship to lawful residents. His order, if implemented, would bar federal agencies from recognizing the citizenship of people who dont meet the newly imposed criteria. When will Trumps executive order take effect? The order applies to children born in the U.S. after Feb. 19. He said the heads of federal agencies like the Justice Department have until that date to issue guidance on how the policy will affect their operations. Trumps order doesnt appear to revoke citizenship from existing citizens. What legal challenges will Trumps order face? There are already multiple lawsuits that seek to keep Trumps order from taking effect. In a complaint filed in New Hampshire federal court on Monday evening, lawyers at the American Civil Liberties Union called the executive order a straightforward violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. This is a really seismic attempt to reshape what America means," said Cody Wofsy, the deputy director of the ACLU immigrants rights project. Attorneys general from more than a dozen states filed a similar legal challenge on Tuesday in federal court in Massachusetts. The states backing that lawsuit include New Jersey, California and Massachusetts. What has the Supreme Court said about birthright citizenship? The Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in 1898 that many legal experts say upheld birthright citizenship, though not all. In U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, the high court said the San Francisco-born son of Chinese nationals was a citizen and allowed to re-enter the country after an international trip. According to most legal experts, the Supreme Courts holding in this case is clear: Children born on U.S. soil are citizens (with the exception of children born to diplomats since they arent subject to U.S. law.) In a 2009 article, Lino Graglia, then a University of Texas law professor, argued that because Wong Kim Ark involved a plaintiff whose parents had full legal-resident status, the decision didnt resolve whether the children of undocumented immigrants get citizenship. Whatever the merits (or lack of merit) of Wong Kim Ark as to the children of legal resident aliens, it does not settle the question of birthright citizenship as to children of illegal resident aliens or of children born of legally admitted aliens who have overstayed their visa," Graglia wrote. In a 1985 book, two Yale University law professorsRogers Smith and Peter Schuckargued that, in Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court intended to leave it up to Congress to decide whether the offspring of undocumented immigrants are entitled to citizenship. Write to Alyssa Lukpat at alyssa.lukpat@wsj.com, Jan Wolfe at jan.wolfe@wsj.com and Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com JPMorgan Chase set up a war room. The law firm Fisher Phillips created an immigration hotline to help clients manage potential workplace raids. Manufacturers and retailers have teams working to soften the blow of potential new tariffs. The blitz of executive orders and memos from President Trump left business leaderssome still in the tuxedos they wore to White House inaugural galasscrambling to make sense of sweeping changes to tax, immigration, trade and energy policies. Theres probably some shock and awe on day one," said Nick Studer, chief executive officer of Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm. Trump is at the peak of his power now," and more will become clear as the administration gets into governing, said Studer, who added that few companies fully grasp the impact of potential tariffs. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a law firm focused on corporate clients, launched a Trump executive order tracker Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, the law firm had posted 32 blog posts summarizing what it believed were some of the most important orders and memos. Brian Pomper, co-leader of the firms lobbying practice, said the Trump administrations promise to make major changes in its first 100 days encouraged his firm to launch the tracker. I was very focused on the executive orders this time in a way that I wasnt in 2021 and in 2017," Pomper said, adding that he was fielding calls from clients about the orders. Many of Trumps first-day moves were expected, and there were few details on some of the biggest topics, including deportations. Some of the orders are already being challenged in court. The initial orders didnt impose any tariffs, though Trump told reporters he planned to put 25% duties on imports from Mexico and Canada on Feb. 1. Roughly half of what 3M imports comes from Mexico and Canada. The details of any new tariff policy would be critical for companies including 3M, the American manufacturing company behind everything from Scotch tape to materials used in electric-vehicle batteries. Bill Brown, the chief executive of 3M, said the company exports about $4 billion in products each year, far more than the $1.7 billion of goods it imports. Roughly half of those imports, however, come from Mexico and Canada. Were watching it very, very carefully, but we have a lot of operational levers that we can pull," Brown said. We have a lot of factories in the U.S., and we can flex them and maybe bring some of that product back to the U.S." Some executives will be watching Trumps confrontational turn in long-running global corporate tax negotiations and the new presidents warning of potential retaliation against foreign taxes that the U.S. could deem unfair or discriminatory. In 2021, about 140 countries reached an international tax agreement in two parts, attempting to put a floor under corporate tax rates and create clearer rules for which countries get to tax which income. Companies and Republicans have been objecting in particular to attempts to tax U.S.-based companies that pay below the 15% corporate tax floor in the U.S., which undercut the research tax credit. Trump signed an executive memo on Monday that says Biden administration commitments under the deal have no force within the U.S. without congressional approval and asked administration officials to study potential U.S. actions. The Trump administration will need to decide whether this is bluster thats intended to lead to compromise or the beginning of a tax and trade war," said Itai Grinberg, a Georgetown Law professor who helped negotiate the deal as a Treasury Department official in the Biden administration. I hope and believe this is saber-rattling meant to lead to compromise." Rohit Kumar, a principal in PricewaterhouseCooperss U.S. tax practice and a former Senate GOP aide, said he woke up Tuesday to dozens of emails from executives with questions. Its going to yield a ton of complexity for multinational companies," Kumar said. It may yield double taxation in some or many cases." One of the top executives at JPMorgan Chase, Mary Erdoes, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the bank had set up a war room" to digest the bevy of new policies. Staff members in the banks government-relations department have been studying the executive orders and sending takeaways to top executives including CEO Jamie Dimon. Other banks including Bank of America and Citigroup have been doing the same thing, preparing to help international clients and companies respond. Many companies remain concerned about changes to immigration policies. The law firm Fisher Phillips on Tuesday launched a rapid-response immigration team, made up of attorneys across the firm, to deal with an onslaught of client questions and concerns. Some clients are already panicked about looming immigration policy changes or potential business disruptions, said Shanon Stevenson, co-chair of the firms immigration-practice group. Were already getting calls," she said. Thats only likely to increase." The firm sent clients a 24-hour hotline number that they could call in the event of an unexpected immigration raid. Employees in such industries as construction, hospitality and healthcare have conducted training sessions or posted placards at front desks so receptionists know what to doand whom to callshould immigration officials show up unannounced. Peter Belluomini, a citrus grower in Kern County, Calif., said he temporarily lost about 70% of his harvest crew earlier this month when a local Border Patrol raid prompted many workers to lie low. Basically the word gets out in the community and that part of the labor force gets nervous so theyll stay home," he said. Belluomini added that he expected any disruption would be temporary and short-lived." For weeks, companies have tried to anticipate the new administrations moves. CEOs traveled to Trumps residence at Mar-a-Lago to advocate their views, hired new Republican lobbyists for guidance and changed internal policies on such topics as diversity to better position themselves for another Trump term. The onslaught of new policies, though, makes it nearly impossible for companies to anticipate all that is ahead. They are preparing, but they dont know what to prepare for," said Anna Tavis, chair of the human capital management department at New York Universitys School of Professional Studies, who is in touch with executives across industries. The deluge of executive orders at the start of new presidential administrations has steadily increased over the past two decades, giving corporate government affairs teams more work to do as each new administration comes into office. Executive orders have become an increasingly popular way for presidents to govern outside the control of Congress. According to data from the American Presidency Project, President George W. Bush issued an average of 36 executive orders a year when he was in office, compared with the 46 a year that President Joe Biden averaged. Trump averaged 55 orders a year in his first term. Despite the blur of day-one actions and the risk of surprise twists, many CEOs are optimistic about the Trump administrations pro-business agenda. I do think there is a meaningful amount of optimism," said Christoph Schweizer, the CEO of Boston Consulting Group, who was meeting clients in Davos. While there is still uncertainty, he said there is a sentiment of control what you can control." Emily Glazer, Richard Rubin, Kristina Peterson, Mark Maurer and John Keilman contributed to this article. Write to Chip Cutter at chip.cutter@wsj.com and Alexander Saeedy at alexander.saeedy@wsj.com Just days ahead of his return to the White House, President Trump and his wife Melania launched a pair of meme coins that have skyrocketed in value and earned them billions of dollars, at least on paper. Dubbed $TRUMP and $MELANIA, the tokens are a type of cryptocurrency that doesnt serve any economic purpose and whose value is based largely on the popularity of internet memes. The market cap of the $TRUMP token stood at about $9 billion as of 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday; $MELANIA hovered around $810 million. Trump commented on his meme coin for the first time Tuesday afternoon when asked by a reporter whether he plans to continue selling products that benefit him personally. Well I dont know if it benefitted. I dont know where it is. I dont know much about it other than I launched it," he said. I heard it was very successful. I havent checked it. Where is it today?" The tokens drew swift criticism from ethics watchdog groups that said they create significant conflicts of interest for the president. Heres what you should know about the new meme coins: 1. Its relatively easy to create a meme coin. Meme coins are created based on funny or viral internet memesa joke, an image or a turn of phrase that is often associated with animals or celebrities. Because of their fun and lighthearted nature, the tokens typically serve no purpose other than to bring a few chuckles to an internet community keen on sharing the joke. In the case of the presidents token, the meme is a picture of him holding his fist in the air with the words fight, fight, fight" in the background, a phrase he mouthed after being shot in the upper right ear during a rally in Butler, Pa., last summer. The first ladys meme is an image of her smiling while clasping her hands in a prayer. Trump or any other coin issuer benefits twice when meme coins are sold to the public. They get the proceeds of coin sales and have an ownership stake whose value rises when the price of the coin increases. They can then sell more coins to gain further profits. These days, anyone can create a meme coin within minutes thanks to the proliferation of websites that specialize in one-stop token creation. Users simply need to plug in the desired names, tickers and descriptions of their tokens and pay a fee before launching their very own meme coins. The cost of creating a meme coin varies depending on the blockchain used. On Solana, the network used by the Trumps, low transaction costs and fast speeds have made it a breeding ground for all kinds of meme coins. Millions of tokens have been created on the network, though most have failed to gain traction. The mania over meme coins all started with a Shiba Inu. Dogecoin is the original meme coin that set the internet ablaze. Its popularity exploded after Elon Musk, the Tesla chief and Trump ally, obsessively tweeted about it. Today, it trades at around 37 cents, putting its market cap at $55 billion. That is down from a peak of more than $80 billion in May 2021. 2. Meme coins are easily accessible to buy or sell on crypto exchanges. Once created, meme coins can trade on various exchanges. People can buy and sell them on centralized exchanges such as Coinbase Global and Binance, once they are approved for listing, or on decentralized exchanges like Uniswap that dont require approval from a centralized entity. Regardless of where they trade, a key feature of meme coins is their extreme volatility. Their prices swing wildly based on the hype surrounding the underlying memes. Most meme coins cant be used to buy anything in the real world; their value is assigned by fellow internet users. A prime example: The $TRUMP coin crashed more than 45% on Sunday afternoon following the launch of the $MELANIA token, before recovering some ground. 3. The new meme coins quickly drew criticism on social media. Critics warn the tokens erode any boundaries between the presidents political and business interests. Foreign governments or businesses seeking to influence Washington could be inclined to buy the tokens to curry favor with Trump, they caution. The biggest point of contention: 80% of the $TRUMP tokens supply is owned by Fight Fight Fight and CIC Digital, an affiliate of the Trump Organization that was recently registered in Delaware. Some 200 million of the 1 billion $TRUMP tokens have been released, and the rest will be sold over three years, according to the website associated with the token. Based on the $TRUMP tokens current price of around $44, Trumps stake in the project is worth about $35 billion, a staggering sum that could vanish just as quickly as it grew in the wild market for meme coins. The Wall Street Journal recently pegged Trumps net worth at between $7.5 billion and $10 billion, including debt. 4. The big question: Could Trump pocket $35 billion? In short, no. Trumps meme-coin gains are unrealized profits that exist only on paper. If he were to flood the market with the remaining tokens, it is unlikely he would find enough buyers at the current price. As he unloaded his position, the price would very likely go down, as would the value of his holdings. One of the primary criticisms of meme coins is their susceptibility to pump-and-dump schemes in which large holders cause sharp price declines by selling more tokens than the market can absorb. The sudden drop in price often leaves investors with worthless tokens, an act that is known in crypto parlance as a rug pull. Those who abscond with investor money can face serious legal consequences and reputational damage. Skeptics say the meme-coin frenzy is yet another sign of a frothy market that has become obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes. Without a business model, most meme coins lose momentum and become inactive over time. The staying power of Trumps meme coin will offer an unprecedented test of the market. Write to Vicky Ge Huang at vicky.huang@wsj.com A central bank decision to ease the bad loan settlement process loans of up to 1 crore by asset reconstruction companies has come as a relief for these firms scrambling to secure multiple approvals under the erstwhile guidelines. Given that many of these turnaround companies have started to buy more bad loans in retail and micro finance portfolios, the revised regulations would mean faster resolution of stress, experts said. Settlement is a process of bad debt resolution that allows lenders or asset reconstruction companies to close the account once and for all against a lump-sum payment or in parts. Asset reconstruction companies are seeing a spike in the sale of bad debt in the unsecured retail loan portfolios of banks and non-banks, Mint reported on 6 December. Reports by the Business Standard also pointed out how lenders like IndusInd Bank, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank are looking to sell stressed microloans. Streamlined process to boost bad loan resolution Meanwhile, the primary points of difference between the old regulations from October 2022 and the revised one is around the approval process for settlement of loans. The one from 2022 said that a settlement with the borrower would require the proposal to be looked into by an independent advisory committee comprising professionals with technical, finance or legal background. Following the recommendations of this committee, the proposal would then go to the ARCs board, which, including at least two independent directors, would look at the settlement plan and approve it if it thinks settlement is the best option available. The new guideline has introduced different settlement pathways for bad loans of different sizes, an approach unavailable under the old circular. For loans of up to 1 crore, settlements would happen as per the board-approved policy, with riders. These include that any official who was part of the acquisition of the bad loan cannot be part of approving the settlement of the same loan. In case of loans above 1 crore, while the independent committee will have to take a look, the proposal can be finally approved by a committee of the board, instead of the whole board. The revised circular is a timely one. The flow of retail and microfinance bad loans to ARCs has accelerated in the past year or so and this circular would allow for quicker resolution of small loans through settlements," said Hari Hara Mishra, chief executive of the Association of Asset Reconstruction Companies. Mishra said that settlements are one of the most effective ways to resolve bad debt, not just for ARCs but for lenders too since it comes at a lower cost compared to other methods like sale of assets, restructuring, as these lead to long-drawn legal processes. As on 31 March 2024, 14.2% of all outstanding security receipts were against retail loans, slightly higher than 14.1% in the same period the previous year, according to data from the association cited earlier. The association, he said, has been requesting RBI to take a relook at the original circular issued in 2022 and the changes would give a boost to ARC sales as they would now be keener to acquire bad debt. Industry executives said that most ARCs already have a four-tiered structure for approval of resolution plans depending on the size of the bad loan, not limited to settlements. These are the resolution approval committee that comprises lower and mid management executives; the committee of executives that has senior management; the executive committee which has some board members; and the board. Without the threshold (of 1 crore), the whole settlement exercise sometimes becomes impractical," said Pallav Mohapatra, chief executive officer and managing director of asset reconstruction company Arcil. Following this, most of the retail loans that come up for settlement can be resolved without going through the independent advisory committee." According to Mohapatra, the change in regulation also means that all proposals above 1 crore do not have to be taken to the entire board but a committee of the board can look into it, allowing quicker resolution. Others said that RBIs move streamlines the resolution process, especially for smaller loans, which had previously been hindered by lengthy and complex procedures. Kunal Shah, group chief financial officer and chief executive, Retail Solutions at TruBoard Partners, an asset life cycle management platform, said the policy update has the potential to improve recovery efficiencies, boost the confidence of lenders, and optimize the value for all stakeholders involved in NPA resolution. By introducing a differentiation based on ticket size, the circular addresses a key gap in the earlier guidelines, enabling ARCs to better manage smaller NPAs," said Shah. New Delhi: Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies which rallied sharply on stock markets over the past year before last month's decline have room for growth given the expected rollout of government incentives and the inherent growth potential of homegrown companies, multiple analysts said. Shares of companies such as Dixon Technologies, Amber Enterprises, Kaynes Technology and Syrma SGS Technology may clock strong double-digit growth, they said, outperforming headline indices. Nirransh Jain, India analyst, consumer durables and EMS at brokerage firm BNP Paribas, said that despite valuation concerns, the core business operations of EMS firms remain strong. Concerns around the high valuation of EMS firms are true, especially with the sharp run-up in stock prices that weve seen over the past year. But the high value is also underlined by strong underlying growth and fundamentals. The likes of Dixon and Kaynes have seen strong growth every quarter in the past three quarters. If this momentum can be maintained, such valuations are likely to be sustained in the long rungiving EMS stocks room for good growth. Recent acquisitions, tie-ups and business ramp-ups are also adding to organic growth, which can add further partial support to their valuations," Jain said. Also read | TVS Electronics plans long term EMS play In the past year, shares of Dixon Technologies gained 69.8% to a record 19149.80, before losing 21% as of Tuesday. At a price-to-equity ratio of 145.3, the companys valuation remains high. Similarly, Kaynes Technology rose 121% in a year to 7824.95, before correcting 23% as of Tuesday. Like Dixon, Kaynes has a high valuation of 177.34. Amber Enterprises rose 78% in one year before correcting 25% in the past month, and has a valuation of 123.02. In all three cases, analysts believe there is room for correction, before further gains. Syrma SGS, which tied up with Taiwanese firm MSI on 10 January to assemble laptops, is the only outlier in this regardits share price is down 16% in the past one year, and up 23% in the past month. Projections now suggest a significant upside to this sector through 2025. China-plus-one Harshit Kapadia, vice-president for consumer durables, electronics and capital goods at brokerage firm Elara Securities, added that while revenue growth is assured, margins are in focus. The push for China-plus-one strategies is helping Vietnam, Indonesia and India establish manufacturing as a key economic growth opportunity. This is rising out of a global supply chain diversification strategy. Indias EMS market will obviously grow as more brands come to India and work with domestic firmsto both supply local consumers, and export for abroad. As a result, the key stress will be the margin profile of the EMS firms, even though the topline remains high. This is because assembly operations do not generate high-value yields, be it for Tata Electronics, Dixon Technologies or any other," Kapadia said. Also read | India may tweak customs duties, regulations in budget to back local component manufacturing, ease trade Both Kapadia and BNP Paribas's Jain agree that for the next phase of growth, fresh incentives will be key. On 12 December, Mint reported that the Centre is prepping a $3 billion incentives package to boost creation of product brands, as well as localize component manufacturing to generate greater value for EMS companies in the near term. Noting that these incentives could arrive as early as April, Kapadia said, This will start boosting the value generation of EMS firms, adding optimism to the double-digit growth potential of EMS companies. There are no clear challenges as far as revenue growth is concerned, even as margin expansion remains a touch lower for now. High valuations are essential for EMS companies, and given the challenges in this years market, there could be some rationalization of the valuationleading to corrections before a growth phase." Government scheme Jain also said the growth potential is justified given that component localization will require specialized manufacturing needs. The first leg of growth for EMS firms came on the back of import substitution for mobile phones. The next growth phase will shift to higher valuations, for which a components' PLI scheme will be key. Once that comes through, joint ventures can be expected in this sector to cater to specific components and subcomponents. There would also be room for higher margins, adding to growth," he said. Also read | Manufacturing boost: Clusters near infra hubs, tax reforms likely in Budget 2025 To realize this, all eyes will be on the upcoming Union budget on 1 February. On Monday, Mint reported that alongside import duty rationalization, the Centre has also received proposals to introduce component manufacturing PLIs to boost the domestic electronics sector. Nitin Kunkolienker, chairman of the board of directors of industry body Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (Mait), said that such schemes will be key for Indias technology industry growth. India currently stands at an average value addition of 15% across all electronics categories put together. In the near future, there is opportunity to expand value addition margins to 30%if a component localization move is successfully executed," he said. For EMS firms, achieving this could see them rank among the top bets in domestic equity market for this calendar year. Also read | Good Glamm's Saggi said to be starting new innings in consumer electronics Barking dogs dont bite, but a soft growl or a cute purr may set the cash register ringing for their owners. As the social media express races on, a new set of A-listers is emerging in the form of animalsmostly dogs and catswith large sets of followers. And whos riding this gravy train but pet care brands, which are happy to shell out anything between 4,000 and 20,000 per post for the shenanigans of the adorable influencers on popular social media platforms, strictly based on the number of followers they attract. According to data from Qoruz, an influencer marketing tech platform, there are currently 1,205 active pet influencer accounts in India with more than 1,000 followers each. These accounts garner on average 12,000 likes and more than 130,000 views per post. Its amazing to see how the world of pet influencers has grown; what started as just adorable photos of pets has turned into a powerful way to connect with people," said Aditya Gurwara, co-founder and head of brand alliance at Qoruz. For brands, especially in the pet care space, this is becoming an essential part of their strategy." Mint reported earlier that Indias pet care market is valued at over $1 billion. Also read | Blue collar influencers: An emerging force but their brands are yet to get hot It's not all furry fun, though. Say youre in the mood to shoot a lovely video of your dog on a train, only your pet is in the mood to slink underneath the seat and take a nap. Then you can only, well, wait. Plus, the animal influencer phenomenon is more widespread in the West, the pace of growth is slow in India, content quality is still work in progress, and the money is way less than what human influencers with comparable followers rake in. Who let the dogs out Some animal influencers have impressive numbers of followers. Take Oscar, for instance. The five-year-old golden retriever has more than 249,000 followers on his Instagram handle @oscarwonderpup. Bangalore-based social media marketer Sushil Kumar, 31, who is Oscars pet parent, adopted him during the pandemic and created the Instagram handle in July 2020 to post fun and goofy videos online. When I created Oscars account, there wasnt much content around dogs on Instagram in India. So, I posted regular stories and reels and some of them got viral, after which the media started covering him and brands started offering him collaborations for their promotional activities," said Kumar. In May 2021, Hindustan Times reported on one of Oscars viral reels about him travelling on a train for the first time. Kumar has since brought fame to two more dogsTingu, an indie, and Max, a Labrador. Tingu has more than 45,700 followers on his Instagram handle @tinguthefosterfail and Max, more than 11,000 followers on @maxthefoundlab. Kumar posts fun stuff with his dogs almost every day and collaborates with brands regularly. Also read | How influencers can stay out of legal trouble Ahmedabad-based homemaker Pooja Yadav, 39, and her family adopted Yana, a female Labrador, in February 2020. Yana now has 15,600 followers on her Instagram handle @yana_thelabrador. Yadav initially wanted to secure Yanas pictures and videos as memories on social media, but when her posts started picking up, she began to buckle down on regularly creating content. She told Mint that her latest collaboration with a major pet care brand generated an income of 4,000 per collaboration, which could be a posted photo, reel, story, or a combination as per brand requirement. Another pet influencer, five-year-old golden retriever Pablo, has more than 54,600 followers on his handle @golden_pabloescobark. His parent Parth Pratim, 35, a Hyderabad-based cyber security professional, told Mint that hes invested in professional equipment to shoot content. We always upgrade to the latest iPhone and have bought an Insta360 and GoPro (action cameras) for outdoor shooting," Pratim said. We are also planning to purchase a drone soon." Pratim said. The brand angle Brands are leveraging the passion for content of these pet parents, the pet lovers community spirit, and these pet influencers social media popularity through influencer marketing campaigns. Pet influencers are instrumental in fostering trust and engagement within our community. Their niche focus often leads to deeper connections with our target audience. While human influencers bring broader reach, pet influencers excel in creating authentic narratives that align with our holistic approach to pet care," said Pankaj Poddar, group CEO of Cosmo First, which owns the pet care brand Zigly, in an emailed reply to queries shared by Mint. Also read | Dedicated, faster internet plans for concerts, influencers in the offing? Nisheeth Kumar, co founder of pet food startup PetStrong, said pet influencers with less than 10,000 followers are generally only offered barter collaborationfree products against content instead of cash payment. Influencers with 15,000-50,000 followers charge around 10,000-15,000 for posting one reel and two stories. Beyond a following of 100,000, pet influencers generally charge 25,000-40,000. Pet influencers with 15,000-50,000 followers charge around 10,000-15,000 for posting one reel and two stories. Beyond a following of 100,000, pet influencers generally charge 25,000-40,000. During and after the pandemic, pet adoptions escalated almost fivefold and people started posting their pets content on social media as a hobby. But soon they realised their following grew quickly and they became influencers," Kumar said. According to Kumar, being a new brand, PetStrong spends 25-30% of its marketing budget on influencers, which is higher than the industry average, as it seeks more exposure and visibility. Challenges abound Although the pet influencer industry is growing, it faces some serious challenges. Cost, for instance, is one. Yadav, whose children now go to college, said she sometimes has to hire a professional videographer to shoot the videos. He charges around 3,000, as shooting pet videos is a very extensive job that requires a lot of patience," she said, adding that video editors also charge around 300-500 to edit a reel. There are other issues as well. The pet influencer industry is gradually gaining traction, but its growth is slow-paced. India has a limited number of pet influencers, and the field comes with unique challenges. These include constraints on content quality, posting frequency, return on investment, and the unpredictability of pets' availability and mood," highlighted the marketing lead of a large pet care brand. Also read | Peek time: How influencers are tapping real estate to make their next pile of money Moreover, she added, replicating the quirky, experimental content that works well in Western markets has been difficult in India, resulting in homogenous and monotonous content across accounts. In terms of earnings, pet influencers lag behind their human counterparts. While humans with similar follower bases can command 2-3 lakh per collaboration, pet influencers typically earn between 5,000-20,000. As a result, the pet influencer industry still has a long way to go to prove its mettle," she pointed out. Emails sent to other pet care brands that invest in influencer marketing including Heads up for Tails and Carniwel, did not receive a response. Designers at the recently concluded Milan menswear fashion week offered more comfort, practicality and fun in menswear, using heritage fabrics, classic tailoring and luxe knitwear. One of the key highlights was Tod's collection, the core of which was the brand's Pashmy project"distinguished by the use of soft, silky and lightweight leathers that evoke the refinement of pashmina. For this collection, creative director Matteo Tamburini reinterpreted mens wardrobe classics, such as the bomber and the shirt jacket, in Pashmy leather. Other brands like Zegna, Canali, Brunello Cucinelli, Boglioli, Ralph Lauren, Emporio and Giorgio Armani stayed true to their core essence of fine tailoring and masterful extrapolation of luxurious textiles like tartan, houndstooth and plaid. Here are some of the highlights from the Milan fashion week: View Full Image From the Canali collection Ugly chic Trust Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons to always throw a surprise. Presenting ensembles that mixed high with low, sublime with ridiculous, the collection embodied Prada's core design philosophy of duality and disruptive contrasts. From an asymmetrical shearling and vintage tablecloth florals on shrunken T-shirt, to a pair of narrow dress pants and pyjamas worn with cowboy boots, every element felt chaotic yet charming. MSGM's collection, too, was all about grunge energy, from teddy coats to velvet and washed denims to shirts which one's likely to spot at thrift stores. Faux fur, shearling & brooches View Full Image From the Prada show (AFP) Faux fur and shearling clearly had a moment, though brands styled and designed them with a specific vibe. While Dolce & Gabbana's fur pieces had a #mobhusband energy, Prada and MSGM's take was punkish steeped in rebellion. Dolce's immaculate tuxedos, on the other hand, came with jewel accents. There was plenty of sheen at both Giorgio and Emporio Armani. While the former's velvet layers over suiting felt luxe, the latter's floral and fauna embroidery stood out. Layering it right It's been a season of shawl collared cardigans and evening jackets. They have seen across heritage brands, from Canali to Brunello Cucinelli and Brioni. At Brioni, a shawl collar silk tuxedo in pale lavender with matching shirt and pocket square stood out. One of the highlights of the Ralph Lauren showcase was a waist-low shawl collar jacket in black suede lambskin tailored together via hand-applied whipstitched leather cord, a process that took 60 hours. Another knitwear piece that was seen in various avatars, at Tod's, Armani, Boglioli, Canali and Brioni, was the turtleneck. View Full Image From the Dolce & Gabbana collection (AFP) Keeping it classic Dolce & Gabbana, Brunelllo Cucinelli, Brioni, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani celebrated the old-school tailoring, keeping it relaxed and roomy. However, Dolce's styling with fur accents on the coats and blazers, along with the shearling trimmed denim jackets, stood out for its chicness. This season, lightweight chore jackets have emerged as the new day-to-evening transition separate, as seen at Zegna, Giorgio Armani and Tod's. They were crafted in leather, suede and denim, and as multi-pocketed, utilitarian jackets. Animal prints roar Since last year leopard prints have been visible, both on and off the runway. And it seems they are not going out of fashion anytime soon. They were widely visible during the presentations of Dolce, No 21 and MSGM, reminding the viewer to have fun with prints as well. Manish Mishra is a Delhi-based writer and content creator. Also read: French brand Sandro brings Parisian chic to India Humanitarian supplies are pouring into the Gaza Strip at an unprecedented rate, as foreign governments and aid groups race during a pause in the fighting to bring much needed relief to the beleaguered population. The flows enabled by the cease-fire deal that went into effect Sunday morning are exceeding the 600 trucks a day called for in the agreement. In the first two days, 1,545 trucks have entered the enclave, according to data from the United Nations. That is also up from the 1,460 trucks that entered in the first 10 days of the month combined, according to Cogat, the Israeli military agency responsible for policy in the occupied Palestinian territories. Thousands more trucks are lined up at the Egyptian border to deliver flour, fuel and other basic supplies in the coming days. Aid is also flowing into northern Gaza, which has been largely cut off since October by an Israeli military offensive. With the risk that fighting could resume at any time, aid groups see the pause as an opportunity to get as much assistance to Gazas population as possible. There is definitely a desire to capitalize on the momentum that we have and the window that we have without a guarantee beyond phase one," said Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president for global policy and advocacy at Mercy Corps. Security officials stood guard as trucks entered Gaza after the truce. Prices for food have been falling with the improving outlook for supply, aid organizations and Gaza residents say. Leena Ahmed, 29, a mother of two in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, said the prices of key goods dropped after the cease-fire was announcedwith chicken and sugar down by nearly half, and flour down about 85%. The hundreds, sometimes thousands, of trucks lined up on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border for much of the war became a symbol of the difficulty of getting aid to Gazas population of more than two million Palestinians, most of whom have been displaced and who have struggled with hunger and disease. Those trucks are now being processed faster than any other time since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that sparked the war. Aid workers say they have long been ready to surge in supplies but that Israel often obstructed their efforts by throttling access with delays and security checks and failing to establish order in Gaza after badly weakening Hamas. Israel has said it doesnt limit the amount of aid that can enter Gaza and that the U.N. and other aid groups hadnt sufficiently increased their capacity. For months, Cogat was blaming the U.N. and the humanitarians for failing to deliver aid, but yesterday showed that when we have a proper operating environment, we can scale up and do it," Shaina Low, spokeswoman for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which provides water, food, shelter and sanitation supplies in Gaza. A spokeswoman for Cogat said the cease-fire had made it easier to distribute aid inside Gaza and cited new contributions announced by the U.N. and Arab countries. Everything is the same regarding Israel, but the amount got bigger," she said. Aid coming into the Gaza Strip has long run into bottlenecks once it enters the border terminal, where it is unloaded and then picked up by other trucks for distribution inside the territory. Distribution had been crippled by Israeli permitting, a shortage of trucks on the Gaza side, rubble-strewn roads, the dangers of military activity along the way and extensive looting by criminal gangs. The pause in fighting has reduced those dangers, and the looting has fallen off now that some Hamas-run police have returned to the streets. The cease-fire that began Sunday calls for six weeks of calm and an exchange of 33 hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. It also opens the way to talks to end a 15-month war that has shaken the Middle East and left around 47,000 people dead in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities, who dont say how many were combatants. Besides food, aid groups say whats needed most immediately in Gaza is water, shelter and medicine. Many people live in tents or other makeshift homes. The cold weather adds another stress. Aid groups want Israel to ease restrictions on items needed for shelter such as tentpoles and cement, which it has banned to keep militants from using them to make weapons or shore up their tunnels. Palestinians gathered Tuesday in Khan Younis to receive aid boxes provided by a U.N. agency. The 600 truckloads of daily aid called for in the deal include 50 fuel trucks and are split between Gazas north and south. Most trucks will carry aid from Egypt and Jordan, with the rest from Ashdod and other points inside Israel as well as the occupied West Bank. The new deal stipulates that aid workers be allowed to move between north and south. After the first week, civilians will be permitted to move around the strip as well, giving them the chance to check on their homes and see family members who they have been separated from for months. That is likely to complicate aid distribution. Most people are currently concentrated in central areas, but hundreds of thousands could move to the north and south, widening the area that would need to be supplied. The humanitarian response faces a potential stumbling block next week when two Israeli laws passed last year are to come into force, effectively halting the operations of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the largest aid organization in Gaza and the West Bank. Aid groups say Unrwas wide-ranging responsibilities and infrastructure, including schools, health centers and warehouses, make it irreplaceable. Israel has accused the group of bias and alleges 12 Unrwa workers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks and that hundreds more have links to Hamas. Under a previous cease-fire agreement in late 2023, humanitarian groups were allowed to dispatch 200 trucks a day to the Gaza Strip. But the deal broke down after a week. The volume of imports ebbed and flowed all last year but never approached the prewar average of 500 to 600 trucks a day carrying aid and commercial goods. Beyond immediate needs, Gaza faces the monumental task of rebuilding infrastructureincluding power, roads and sewage systemsthat has been destroyed along with most schools and hospitals. Hundreds of Palestinian teachers, doctors, nurses, first responders and aid workers have been killed, creating a personnel shortage. Rubble, trash and unexploded ordnance present additional hazards. Gaza doesnt just need trucks of flour," said Bushra Khalidi, a policy lead at Oxfam, an antipoverty charity. The destruction of this key infrastructure has made it nearly impossible for delivery of aid at the scale needed." Summer Said and Abeer Ayyoub contributed to this article. Write to Stephen Kalin at stephen.kalin@wsj.com The government laid out a three-tiered system for taxing popcorn depending on if it is packaged or sold loose, carries a brand name or is generic, and is salted or sweet. Caramel popcorn, the government said in December, would be taxed at 18%nearly akin to tax on a luxury product. The people werent pleased. An explanation from Indias finance minister, chair of the tax council, didnt help. I want to explain the whole background of the popcorn taxes to you: Salted popcorn, caramelized popcorn, plain popcorn," said Nirmala Sitharaman at a news conference in late December. When it comes to popcorns tax treatment, as long as it is salty, whether it is with salt, spiced, tangy, chilli powder, thats all 5%. But when it has added caramelized sugar, it is no longer salty." In an accompanying press note, the council explained further that caramel popcorn had effectively transformed into a confectionery and thus merited a correspondingly higher tax rate. The finance ministers office didnt respond to a request for comment. As for popcorn sans the caramel, the 5% tax will apply only if it is sold loose. Put it in a sealed plastic packet and slap a label on it and the rate jumps to 12%. The popcorn tax structure unleashed a flood of mocking memes, heated television debates and frustrated comments from prominent economists, including former advisers to the government. One called the ruling a national tragedy". A cartoon showed Mahatma Gandhi, famous for his march against the British colonial monopoly on the sale of salt, which was heavily taxed, marching against popcorn taxes instead. For critics, the multiplicity of rates on the humble snack was emblematic of why India, despite ongoing efforts to cut red tape, remains a difficult place to do business. Packaged popcorn sold by brands is subject to a higher tax rate than popcorn sold loose. Popcorn is popcorn," said Mohandas Pai, chairman of investment firm Aarin Capital Partners and former chief financial officer of Infosys Ltd, one of Indias biggest technology services firms. This shows the attitude that prevails among officials who try to nitpick and to create complications despite the need for simplicity." Pai said tax officials were making a mockery of a 2017 landmark tax reformthe Goods and Services Taxaimed at simplifying a system in which sales and other taxes varied by state and knit India into a single market. Its backers had hoped for just two tax rates. But the system was introduced with about half a dozen rates, as well as a compensation tax to make up for shortfalls. At regular meetings, the tax council deliberates on how to slot goods and services into these brackets. But the GST structure at times complicates matters. For example, if moviegoers buy salted popcorn at the concession standindependent of their tickettheyll pay 5%, said Nitin Datar, who heads an association for independent cinema operators. But theaters sometimes sell movie tickets and popcorn as a bundle, in which case the tax rate will depend on the type of ticket. So if you are selling popcorn along with tickets, then 18% or 12% will apply," he said, adding that some cinema operators were experiencing confusion. Popcorn is far from the only product that India has carved up into tax brackets. In December, Indias Supreme Court laid to rest a 15-year-tax dispute over whether small packages of coconut oilwidely used in Indian cookingshould be taxed at the low tax rate of 5% as a food product or at a double-digit rate as a beauty product, given many Indian women also apply it to their hair. The dispute arose after tax officials started levying a higher tax rate on small pouches of the oil, reasoning that the oil sold in small quantities could be used on hair and not only in frying pans. But the top court ruled that packaging size alone couldnt be used as a justification for levying a different tax rate. Defenders of the government say the differing rates are an effort to keep the indirect tax progressive, by taxing products likely to be purchased by the poor (like loose popcorn) differently than those likely to be purchased by affluent individuals. India has a per capita income of around $2,500, but is also among the worlds top creators of millionaires and billionaires. Some popcorn manufacturers said they were relieved at the clarification. There was always confusion in this popcorn matter," said Sanjay Vasoya, who co-founded his Oceyan Funfoods business in 2016 to make and sell packaged popcorn. He also sells fox nutsa popular snack with a texture similar to popcorn that is made from the seeds of an aquatic plant. Vasoya said when he was a child popcorn was only available at movies or fairs, and he wanted to make it more widely available. After the rough patch of the pandemic, the business has been flourishing, he said. He offers 19 varieties of popcorn, including peri peri popcorn, sour cream and onion popcorn and strawberry popcorn. However, he had mistakenly thought all his popcorn products fell under the 18% rate. Tax officials in his state had never told him that a lower rate applied to most of his products, which were largely salted. Sitharamans announcement has cleared things up, he said. Whatever madam has said is good in my opinion." The government, for its part, has noted it hasnt imposed new taxes, and was merely laying out the status quo in response to a request for clarity from an Indian state. Pai, the investor, said he wished the government had used the opportunity to replace the various rates with one rate. Putting it like that in the first place itself was wrong," he said. Now when you got a chance to clarify, you reiterate thatthats even worse." Write to Tripti Lahiri at tripti.lahiri@wsj.com President Trumps pledge to upend the federal workforce began rippling through Washington on Tuesday after he moved to force government employees back to the office five days a week and weakened their job protections. Inside a number of federal offices, a sense of anxiety and confusion permeated the atmosphere as employees parsed a flurry of executive orders and memos handed down by the new administration. Federal workers unions rushed to shield employees from the changes, with one filing a lawsuit over an executive order aimed at peeling back civil-service protections. Its leaving a lot of uncertainty that folks have never really had to feel," said Michael Gibbons, 43 years old, a product-support manager for the Navy, adding that the environment undermined one of the key selling points to working in the federal governmentstability. It seems like there is a level of distrust with how things are working." Human-resources managers across the government had to call recent hires with start dates after Feb. 8 to inform them their offers had been rescinded. Managers fielded panicked inquiries from staff over returning to the office and from transgender employees about whether gender-neutral bathrooms would be eliminated from federal offices. Employees expressed concern over whether the Department of Government Efficiency teams dispatched to agencies would have the security clearances to review sensitive information. Members of the Cyber Safety Review Board, which had been probing the Chinese hacking of U.S. telecommunications networks that ensnared Trumps own phone calls, were informed they had been dismissed pursuant to a Department of Homeland Security order disbanding all advisory committees, according to people familiar with the matter. Their review is now in limbo and might be terminated. DHS, which oversees the board, declined to comment. Meetings on diversity, equity and inclusion issues were canceled, some quietly and some with large pronouncements. At the Federal Communications Commission, Chairman Brendan Carr said he was shutting down the agencys diversity, equity and inclusion advisory group, rescinding an action plan promoting DEI, and eliminating the topic from the agencys strategic plan and budget, among other steps. Michael Gibbons says the executive orders are leaving a lot of uncertainty. Later, in a Tuesday memo, the Trump administration said that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff would be placed on paid leave by Wednesday at 5 p.m. because their offices were being shut down in accordance with the order halting DEI programs. At the Food and Drug Administration, employees wondered who was actually in charge of the agency, people familiar with the matter said. Bidens FDA commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, was gone, but there had been no official word from the White House or the transition team on who was supposed to run the show until Trumps pick, Dr. Marty Makary, could be confirmed. Employees there felt nervous about the details of a return to the office five days a week, because the agency was already short on desk and parking space at its White Oak, Md., headquarters even before the pandemic. I guess we will all be sitting cross-legged on the floor," said a federal employee at another agency. At DHS, Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued a memo ordering employees to work in person, calling remote work an important tool" but one that is subject to significant abuse." Last year, he said, nearly a quarter of total hours worked by Coast Guard personnel was done remotely. DHS employees were still waiting on additional directions on when they would be required to return and whether there would be exceptionsfor employees who have moved out of the Washington area, for example. An employee at the Energy Departments Loan Programs Office, which disburses funds to clean-energy projects, estimated that about half of the offices staff work remotely. Many of those people will likely quit or be forced out, the employee said. In a late-night post on Truth Social, Trump said the presidential personnel office was actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees" and singled out four in particular. Among them was the celebrity chef Jose Andres, whom President Joe Biden had appointed to serve on the Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Andres shot back that his two-year term had already expired and that he had resigned. At the Justice Department, several top career officials in the criminal and national-security divisions were removed or reassigned, people familiar with the matter said, the first part of a larger planned shake-up at the agency with which Trump has long sparred. Employees there have been increasingly on edge as Trump and his nominees have attacked the department, with many leaving on their own for law firms and other private sector jobs. More than 15 people have so far moved, one person said. In addition to national security, some of the employees worked in areas such as international affairs. The changes are meant to align the department with the Trump administrations priority of increased immigration enforcement, one person said. The Justice Department declined to comment. Some employees saw wiggle room in the wording of some executive actions. The one on returning to the office, for example, includes the words consistent with applicable law"which some employees took to mean in accordance with the collective-bargaining agreements some agencies have signed, outlining their return-to-office policies. The order says the change must be implemented as soon as practicable." Unions representing federal workers vowed to protect them, arguing there isnt a legitimate reason to slash the workforce, which has remained relatively stable in size in recent decades. The unions take issue with several orders pertaining to the federal workforce, including Mondays reinstatement of a plan Trump issued in October 2020 to eliminate job protections for federal workers, known as Schedule F. It was blocked at the start of the Biden administration in 2021. The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents 150,000 workers at 37 federal agencies and departments, sued the Trump administration late Monday in federal district court for the District of Columbia, saying the order undermined merit-based civil service and took away due-process rights from career civil servants. Doreen Greenwald, the unions national president, said the executive order was a dangerous step backward to a political spoils system that Congress expressly rejected 142 years ago." Another executive order signed by Trump imposes a hiring freeze and requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a plan by mid-April to reduce the size of the Federal Governments workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition." The budget office, along with DOGE, the Elon Musk-led group, will take prominent roles in moves to cut the size and scope of the federal government. Musk, in a post on X, his social-media site, praised the attempt to end remote work, writing, Pretending to work while taking money from taxpayers is no longer acceptable." In a Monday memo from Charles Ezell, acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, agency leaders were asked to identify by Friday all employees on probationary periods, who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment, or who have served less than two years in an expected service appointment." The memo requests that the agencies determine whether the employees, who are much easier to fire under law, should be retained by the agency. The memo also encouraged agencies to put employees on paid administrative leave as they seek to restructure, including in instances when a new agency manager determines that the absence of the employee from the office is in the interest of the agency or of the Government as a whole." Some employees privately said that dispatching unwanted staff to paid administrative leave undercut the administrations pledges to slash federal spending. Scott Patterson, Liz Essley Whyte and Dustin Volz contributed to this article. Write to Ken Thomas at ken.thomas@wsj.com, Rebecca Ballhaus at rebecca.ballhaus@wsj.com and Lindsay Ellis at lindsay.ellis@wsj.com Retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg is a decorated Vietnam-era veteran who rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the army. WASHINGTONPresident Trump has handed retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg the job of ending the Ukraine war in a hundred days. Almost no one thinks he can do itespecially the Russians. Rather, they say Kelloggs role as a special envoy to Ukraine, which comes amid a flurry of such appointments, is an opening gambit in peace talks that Trump is determined to control himself. But dealmaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin will be far more difficult than Trump promised on the campaign trail, when he said he would end the conflict before he took office. That didnt happen, and on Trumps inauguration day, Putin signaled that he was in no rush to settle the war in Ukraine. The goal of any upcoming talks should not be a brief truce, not some kind of respite for the regrouping of forces and rearmament with a view to a subsequent continuation of the conflict, but a long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people, all peoples who live in the region," Putin said in a video released by the Kremlin this week. Trump responded by criticizing Russias invasion, saying Putin is destroying Russia by not making a deal." Asked by a reporter Tuesday whether he would further sanction Russia if Putin refused to negotiate, Trump said sounds likely." As Trumps Ukraine envoy, Kellogg will be advising him on negotiations, but it isnt clear that Trump is seeking much advice. John Bolton, who clashed with Trump while serving as his White House national security adviser in 2018 and 2019, said that he once heard Trump say he liked Kellogg because he never offers his opinion unless I ask for it." Kellogg described himself as a stalwart Trump supporter in 2015, when he said he got into Trumps good graces by contacting him at Trump Tower and volunteering as an unpaid adviser. He served for four years in Trumps White House on the National Security Council where colleagues say he was a constant fixture in the Oval Office, often listening to conversations but seldom partaking in them. Like some of Trumps other special envoys, he appears to have been named despite a lack of relevant expertise. Kelloggs past military experience could be important to the president as he weighs the consequences of extending or withholding aid to Ukraine, former colleagues say. But he has never served as a diplomat, and if his experience in the White House is any indication, he wont partake in any real negotiations with Russia, his former colleagues say. Trump enjoys his company and sees him as a fiercely loyal guy, but he has never exerted any kind of meaningful policy influence," said one former National Security Council staffer who worked with him in the Trump administration. Hes certainly not going to come up with anything that deviates from where Trumps head is." Kellogg, a decorated Vietnam-era veteran who rose to become a lieutenant general in the army, has lately been publicly buttressing the notion that Ukraine can make battlefield gains against Russia with U.S. assistance. He has praised the Biden administrations decision to give more potent weapons to Ukraine, saying it gives Trump leverage in upcoming talks, and suggested that more weaponry to Ukraine might be used as a cudgel to get Moscow to negotiate. Russia, meanwhile, has expressed no interest in engaging Kellogg. The Kremlin has suggested that chemistry between Trump and Putin could lead to better relations with the U.S. under a Trump presidency, but it has also inferred that Trump might fall under the spell of Americas dreaded deep state that he was elected under a promise to uproot. Both Trump and the Kremlin have denied speaking personally for months, but have promised to do so soon. Bolton fears Trump in upcoming talks could force Kyiv into ruinous concessions to Moscow because I think Putin knows how to play Trump," and Kellogg is unlikely to serve as a check against Putins influence. Hell simply do what Trump tells him to do," Bolton said of Kellogg. He might protest briefly, but Trump didnt pick Kellogg for his independent judgment." Former colleagues of Kellogg say that he was appointed as Ukraine envoy on the back of a proposed peace plan that he co-wrote last year that was deeply critical of the Biden administration, blaming it for slow-rolling military aid and simultaneously provoking Moscow by drawing Kyiv toward membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The plan, published by the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, called for a cease-fire and a negotiated settlement, using carrots and sticks to get the Russians and the Ukrainians to negotiate. In a concession to Russia, the plan advised NATO to hold off on accepting Ukraine into its alliance, and offer Russia some sanctions relief in return for it signing a peace agreement. The plan also threatened a cutoff of military aid to Kyiv if the government there didnt pursue peace talks. In Moscow, Kremlin officials have derided the road map as a nonstarter, and the Kremlin-controlled tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda called the plan a combination of gingerbread and whips," neither of which scared or enticed the Russian side much. The paper also lashed out at Kellogg, calling him a Cold War relic of the U.S. military industrial complex. He is Pentagon flesh and blood. Republican flesh and blood. And he loves money," the tabloid opined last month. Russian commentators have suggested that Kelloggs fealty to Ukraine, and hostility toward Russia, might even run in the family. His daughter, Meaghan Mobbs, is a retired career military officer and president of a nongovernment organization that ferries humanitarian aid into Ukraine from a logistics hub in Romania. Russias state-run Tass news agency noted that the NGO, the Weatherman Foundation, has repatriated dead American volunteers killed in Ukraine, and once arranged a visit of Kellogg to Ukraine after which he called on the Senate to send immediate lethal aid to Kyiv. That means there is clearly no hint of impartiality." Seth Jones, a political scientist and defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called Kellogg a serious thinker whose presence in Trumps orbit is meant to give heft to White House decision-making on Ukraine. But he said the Kremlins personal attacks on Kellogg and his plan bode ill for any deal. The negotiations havent even started yet, and theyre already going after the lead American involved in this," he said. That does not sound auspicious for a negotiation or even a cease-fire." Write to Alan Cullison at alan.cullison@wsj.com Steve Bannon, the rumpled bard of MAGA, made a characteristically combative promise when asked about the relationship between Donald Trumps base and Elon Musktech titan, worlds richest man and Trump bestie. I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day. He will not have a blue pass to the White House, he will not have full access to the White House, he will be like any other person," he proclaimed in an interview with an Italian newspaper, where he also suggested that Musk had the maturity of a little boy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down. Before, because he put money in, I was prepared to tolerate it; Im not prepared to...." Well, the inauguration has happened. Musk got prime indoor seating. As the head of Trumps cost-cutting efforts, Musk is also slated to have office space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), part of the White House office complex. Bannon, who speaks and dresses like a man at war, lost this round. More recently, he has sounded less confrontational and a bit defeated, saying Musk, with his billions and his own social media platform, is here to stay. As soon as I can turn Elon Musk from a techno-feudalist to a populist-nationalist we will start making progress," he said in a Politico interview. Still, this will be one of the defining rivalries of the Trump 2.0 era. And Bannon, Trumps former strategist, is relentless. Dont expect Trump to douse the flames; Trump loves a good fight. Even better if its between people on the same side a feud is always good for ratings. The battle pits old MAGA, of which Bannon was an intellectual architect, against new MAGA, of which Musk was the biggest funder and disseminator of ideas via X, the platform he bought in 2022. The immediate spark for the feud was immigration Musk and Trump back H-1B visas, while Bannon doesnt. But its also about who MAGA is for. The wealthy or the working class? The rich tech geeks who have sidled up to Trump as the AI boom looms? Or working-class Americans who disdain globalists and elites? The broader Republican Party coalition includes evangelicals and pro-lifers, presumably with expectations around abortion, as well as business owners who want tax cuts, deregulation and smaller deficits (but not tariffs). More recent additions to the mix include younger Republicans and a larger share of working class African-Americans and Latinos, particularly men. Its an unwieldy coalition held together by Trump, a grip that will be tested, but likely unbroken, as he turns to governing. Trumps movement has always been his id writ largehe was the outsider, ever the aggrieved victim. Now, powered by the working class and funded by the elites, Trump finds himself an insider, flanked by people who once ostracized him. He is at the apex of his political power, with some of his highest favourability ratings and a largely optimistic public, according to a CNN poll. The tableau of faces at the inaugural events and the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars into his coffers speaks of how far he has come. He isnt an accidental president this time. He now sits atop an expanded movement and has unprecedented power, bending the will of corporate America, the media and every wing of his party. But he is also a second-term president who will never again be on the ballot, though Bannon has suggested a third term that would require a constitutional amendment and seems unlikely. And his favourability ratings may be close to a personal best, but they are rather lowjust 46% for a president fresh off a victorious campaign. The grind of governing will likely dampen those ratings over the next weeks and months, ending Trumps brief honeymoon period. In some ways, he has created a movement he no longer needs. The Supreme Court has granted him a sweeping degree of criminal immunity, which gives him a level of power he has long sought. So the MAGA factions will fight, though its not clear it matters much to Trump. He wins no matter what. After his second inauguration, he is at the pinnacle of his power, with hundreds of thousands of MAGA loyalists having flocked to Washington to celebrate. His swearing-in was moved indoors, where there was room for fewer than 100 witnesses, because of the bitter outdoor temperatures expected. The location change was also a useful metaphor for Trumps political ascent, from mocked outsider to flattered insider. Trump has suggested that he would take the American grassroots along on his political journey, elevating their status, economically and culturally. Yet, it could be that theres simply not enough room on the inside. Bloomberg President Trump took the oath of office Monday promising to faithfully execute the duties of his office, which include implementing the laws passed by Congress. Yet in one of his first acts as President, Mr. Trump effectively suspended a law requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner ByteDance by Jan. 19. Mr. Trump issued an executive order on Monday promising not to enforce the laws penalties against tech companies that host the TikTok app for 75 days. He said he needs this time to consult with advisers on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution" that saves the platform. Congress spent years studying the security concerns and resolved them with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which passed with large majorities last spring. The law lets the President grant a one-time 90-day reprieve from a ban if TikTok demonstrates a path to executing a qualified divestiture," evidence of significant progress," and relevant legal agreements to enable" its execution. None of these conditions have been met. Mike Waltz, Mr. Trumps national security adviser, on Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation" cited interest in buying TikTok from investor Kevin OLeary. But there is no formal offer and no interest in such a deal from ByteDance. While challenging the law in court, TikTok rebuffed potential suitors. Beijing effectively blocked a deal by imposing export controls on its algorithms, which it treats as state secrets. After losing at the Supreme Court on Friday, TikTok and Beijing have shown a seeming openness to a deal. And Mr. Trump floated a joint venture" in which the U.S. would have a 50% stake. It isnt clear if he meant the U.S. government or private investors would own the American 50%. But its illegal either way. The law precludes the establishment or maintenance of any operational relationship" between TikToks U.S. operations and any formerly affiliated entities" like ByteDance that are controlled by a foreign adversary, including any cooperation with respect to the operation of a content recommendation algorithm or an agreement with respect to data sharing" (our emphasis). In other words, TikTok must sever all ties with ByteDance and China. Mr. Trump cant suspend laws like an English King before the 1689 Bill of Rights. Its true that Barack Obama and Joe Biden refused to enforce some laws, but Mr. Trump just told the country hes different. Congress is a co-equal branch of government, not a subsidiary of the President. Members passed the law after finding that TikTok was collecting user data that would let Beijing spy on Americans. Yet now hes canoodling with CEO Shou Zi Chew, who was spotted at the inauguration next to Tulsi Gabbard, the Presidents nominee for director of national intelligence, of all people. Talk about a horrible signal. Mr. Trump is relaying that he puts pleasing Chinas Xi Jinping above a law passed by Congress. Mr. Trump also promised not to enforce the laws penalties on tech firms that carry TikTok, which can reach up to $850 billion. He directed his Attorney General to issue a letter" granting broad immunity to providers that continue hosting TikTok. But Mr. Trump cant rewrite the law by decree, and such a letter wouldnt excuse companies like Apple, Google and Oracle from complying. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton warned Sunday that any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law." Hes right. State Attorneys General could sue tech companies for putting their citizens data at risk. Shareholders could sue the companies for risking ruinous penalties if they fail to comply with law. Mr. Trump directed his AG to defend the Executives exclusive authority to enforce the Act." But the Justice Department cant stop others from suing. Mr. Trumps TikTok order shows a Biden-like disdain for limits on his power that doesnt bode well for the next four years. WASHINGTONPentagon officials are planning options for using federal troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border against drug traffickers, human smugglers and migrants, a potentially major shift in military priorities ordered by President Trump, officials said Tuesday. Use of the armed forces in a domestic role is restricted by laws prohibiting troops from engaging in law enforcement functions except in narrow circumstances. But an executive order Trump signed Monday described border threats normally left to law enforcement agencies as an invasion" justifying a military response. A push to expand the militarys domestic responsibilities faces multiple obstacles, including legal restrictions and the Pentagons reluctance to involve itself in what it has long viewed as law enforcement tasks. Officials at the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency in charge of securing the border and enforcing immigration law, scrambled to understand what the new mandate means for their agencies. U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for military operations in North America, was given a month to craft a plan to combat unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling, gang trafficking, and other criminal activities." Trump specified that it should seal" the U.S.-Mexico border and repel forms of invasion." Military planners will need to determine how many troops are required, rules of engagement, as well as the equipment, vehicles and weapons required for a mission that active duty forces dont usually train for, said Peter Feaver, a professor of political science and public policy at Duke University. Trump also signed an executive order designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which could allow the use of military force against these groups. We have started crafting courses of actionswhat we think the mission is and what viable military operations could be used to do that mission," said Marine Col. Kelly Frushour, a spokeswoman for Northern Command. Due to the restrictions of the Posse Comitatus Act, federal troops are generally prohibited from detaining migrants, seizing drugs from smugglers, intercepting or searching vehicles, or having any direct involvement in stopping people from crossing the border. Exceptions to the law permit the president to use troops against insurrection and domestic violence. A separate Trump declaration of a national emergency along the border opens federal funding and allows National Guard troops to be sent to the border under the command of the president instead of governors from the states where the units are based. Shortly after the Inauguration, the administration named Charles Young, who was the top lawyer in the National Guard Bureau, as the principal deputy general counsel for the department, the Pentagon said. By describing migrants, drug traffickers and smugglers as invaders threatening U.S. security, the administration could possibly circumvent the Posse Comitatus law, though whether such a move will survive likely legal challenges is unclear, analysts said. The claim that an invasion is occurring at least plausibly permits the use of the armed forces at or near the border," though judges and legal experts disagree whether mass undocumented immigration constitutes an invasion," said John Dehn, faculty director of Loyola University Chicagos national security and civil rights program. During his first term, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and deployed thousands of troops there. But officials on Tuesday suggested the new administration was taking more aggressive action to expand the militarys role. Trump appeared to be lumping migrants seeking asylum with drug cartels, which he has termed enemy combatants," and treating both as national security threats. When you use the military this way, you take them offline from other high-intensity threats, like China," Feaver said. It isnt clear whether the militarys role on the border would replace or overlap with the existing security operations carried out by DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and border agents. The perception is that troops will be lined up along the border apprehending or stopping people," says Gil Kerlikowske, who headed Customs and Border Protection in the Obama administration. But this isnt their expertise; this isnt their area. They are only there for a short period of time, they dont really understand the border." Despite Trumps sweeping order, federal troops are likely to mostly handle logistical, administrative, and maintenance tasks that free up border patrol agents, he added. As many as 2,500 U.S. troops have been at the border in recent years at the request of DHS. Pentagon officials have long insisted that border security isnt a key mission for them. While most militaries in the world are intended to combat internal threats, the U.S. armed forces are trained and equipped to combat external threats. Involving troops not trained for law enforcement might sully the militarys image, former officials said. The military doesnt want to see photographs of their people in uniform, separating families, dragging mothers out of cars, doing those kinds of enforcement things," said Kerlikowske. Brandon Judd, the then-head of the National Border Patrol Unionwhich represents 15,000 agents and endorsed Trumpsaid at the time the troops presence was a colossal waste of resources." Judd is now Trumps nominee to be ambassador to Chile. Write to Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com, Vera Bergengruen at vera.bergengruen@wsj.com and Gordon Lubold at gordon.lubold@wsj.com Tennessee's Department of Childrens Services continues to investigate after Local 3 News reported on Friday that we sent a viewer's video showing a now former teacher forcefully patting two toddlers to get them to sleep. UPDATE: Former Primrose teacher arrested after viewer video leads to child abuse investigation Viewer video shared with Local 3 led to a state investigation at Primrose School of East Brainerd and ultimately the arrest of the of Tonya Lively. The video sparked concerns over the way the former Primrose School of East Brainerd teacher was patting two toddlers to sleep. Local 3 caught up with a pediatrician to talk about safe ways to put a child to sleep. When it comes to putting a child to sleep, Pediatrician Dr. Angela Smith-Slack says there are many techniques that people can use. Some people prefer to rock their children, some people do pat their children, some people do swaddle for their children and some people do that self-soothing technique to put their children to sleep, Dr. Smith-Slack said. If patting is your way of putting a child to sleep, Dr. Smith-Slack shares the proper way to do it. Of course, you just want to use your hand and you are just gently patting that child to sleep. There are some trains of thought that using that hand patting position or technique can mimic even a mothers heart beat as you are patting that child ever so gently to put them to sleep, Dr. Smith-Slack said. Primrose teacher who recorded video and former teacher speaks out after DCS investigation The teacher who took the video at the center of a state investigation said she started recording because she was concerned. She was told by the teacher, who was eventually fired, that this is how she puts children to sleep. She said it is all about routine, whether it is getting ready for a nap or bed time. If a child isnt over the age of one, they should be placed on their back. A child needs to be on their back, we dont put children to sleep on their tummies because for the first 12 months because we are very concerned about SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. So, the back is the preferred position, Dr. Smith-Slack said. Dr. Smith-Slack said be sure to never shake a baby for any reason. Shaken Baby Syndrome is basically where a baby is shaken to quickly and to forcefully and their head is kind of bobbing back and forth and it actually can lead to brain damage, Dr. Smith-Slack said. A Longford man who was involved in a public order incident in Longford town will be assessed by the probation services to determine if he is suitable for community service. Ronan Nevin (44) 3 Camlin Mews, Longford pleaded guilty in Longford Circuit Court last week in relation to robbery, obstruction of gardai and public order charges following an incident in the county town on May 19, 2022. The defendant was initially charged along with three other individuals who have been dealt with separately. Also Read:Longford allocated 3.5 million for Active Travel projects across the county Mr Nevin appeared in court last Tuesday before Kenneth Connolly in relation to unlawfully obstructing two gardai, assaulting a male and of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour in the Fee Court area. He had 14 previous convictions, including five previous public order convictions. Defence barrister Gerard Groarke BL stated his client wanted to apologise for his behaviour. Also Read: Longford places number 6 for highest unemployment rate per capita nationwide "He cannot say why (he did it), he simply has no recollection, he was so drunk," he said. "He would not say he has a reliance on alcohol but it does not suit him well." Mr Groarke insisted that his client is a law-abiding citizen and he asked Judge Connolly to treat him as leniently as possible. The court heard the defendant had not come to the attention of Gardai since the incident and he had stopped drinking alcohol. Also Read: Longford Student is a leading figure in promoting online safety Judge Connolly remanded Mr Nevin on continuing bail and directed him to attend a community service suitability assessment with the probation services on February 11 next. The new initiative is being trialed by the Court Service in Longford in an attempt to speed up the judiciary process. Judge Connolly indicated if the report is favourable he will sentence Mr Nevin to community service. After 12 months of missing life safety devices on the Longford spur of the Royal Canal, Longford County Council have replaced one of the vandalised lifebuoys. The water safety devices are located on the first 1.5km of the Royal Canal between the starting point behind the old Greyhound track to just beyond Farranyoogan Bridge. The watercourse is home to a considerable number of ducks, moorhens, butterflies and dragon flies. Back in 2014 Longford County Council upgraded the canal path on both sides with a smooth tarmac surface and lighting from the start as far as Churchlands Bridge, a distance of nearly 3km. PICTURES | Excellent BYT panto Alex in Wonderland is a big hit with Longford audiences The vandalism trend has seen lifebuoys thrown away and even burned. In January, 2024 a walker Reynolds noticed the vandalised lifebuoy ring on the Royal Canal. Last September he contacted Waterways Ireland, Longford County Council and watersafety.ie, however further efforts to follow up on the matter received no reply. Two weeks ago, the Longford Leader contacted the local authority, Waterways Ireland, and watersafety.ie about the issue. Last week the local authority responded: Longford County Council can confirm that the ring buoy, together with the housing unit, has been replaced on the Royal Canal spur. The walker who brought the story to our attention welcomed the news, but said only one of the devices has been restored: They replaced one of the lifebuoys and the burned stand, however the second lifebuoy is still missing, he said. Also Read: Firearms and ammunition seized after driver fails roadside drugs test at routine checkpoint The avid walker gave a pictorial timeline of the missing flotation instrument: The first photograph is from January 5, 2024. It shows the stand missing the ring, it's burned and vandalised. In September I decided to do something about it, so I reported it to Longford County Council, Waterways Ireland, watersafety.ie. I got acknowledgements of my emails back and that was all, he said. He says having the safety feature in place is essential: It's recognised as a life safety device. People have to use that to walk to work, walk to school, walk to the train station. It's right beside Prospect Woods and Slashers, there are kids walking up and down all the time. Also Read: Longford places number 6 for highest unemployment rate per capita nationwide In correspondence with the Leader the overseeing body, Waterways Ireland, expressed their concern about the safety and health of people using the canals. When Waterways Ireland received the complainants report we referred them to Longford County Council who have the responsibility for managing ringbuoys in this area, and to Water Safety Ireland. Our staff also contacted Longford County Council and Water Safety Ireland directly and reported the matter to them, they said. They concluded: For further information regarding the maintenance and monitoring of lifebuoys, we recommend directing your questions to Longford County Council, as this falls within their remit. During their first meeting of 2025, Longford County Council members were asked to provide their approval for by-laws that will accompany incoming Road Traffic Legislation. The details was given by Director of Services Barbara Hevlin who has responsibility over Community, Library and Cultural Services, Corporate and Human Resources. Several weeks before, when the legislation was presented to the Municipal Districts the councillors were offered the chance to submit questions or requests to change the incoming by-laws to better suit the county as they saw fit. Also Read: Driver arrested after gardai clock car travelling insane speed on motorway These submissions were under the public consultation that took place in August 2024 and closed in September 2024. The legislation aims to tackle speeding on local roads by reducing speed limits from 80 km to 60km. The legislation follows a review published by the Department of Transport and is being delivered in three phases and Phase One is currently in progress. The Chamber was divided and a lengthy debate ensued regarding every aspect of the new legislation. Proceedings were opened by the Cathaoirleach, Cllr Mark Casey. Also Read: PICTURES: Emotions run high on Room to Improve as seaside bungalow gets stunning makeover I propose we dont reduce them, he said believing that it was a regressive step for rural Ireland. I think bringing the speed limit from 80 to 60 is ridiculous on rural roads. In rural Ireland its just going to be a cash cow for speed vans, say the Cathaoirleach. Cllr Casey was unhappy with the former Minister of Transport Eamon Ryan, who was ousted from his position in the recent general election. Also Read: A Longford Defendant told that his reliance on Alcohol 'does not suit him well' This is coming from a failed minister of transport, he said. We have to stand back and try to limit the damage this man has done to rural Ireland. The Cathaoirleach then called for a meeting to discuss the by-laws further. Leas-Cathaorleach, Cllr Peggy Nolan was one of the first councillors to second the legislation however did agree with the Cathaoirleach's complaints. I concur with most of what you said, she replied. However, she did agree with the reduction of speed saying People are risking their lives just coming out of their drives. Barbara Heslin informed the councillors that the legislation would be effective from February 7. Its the first meeting of the year if my tenure on this council is only to rubber-stamp legislation, Im afraid I wont be doing it, said Cllr Nolan. Also Read: Longford based Director General of Irish Prison Service honoured with DCU Alumni Award Nobody knows an area like the councillors, she continued, We cant keep accepting the dictatorship from the central government. Cllr Seamus Butler then agreed with Cllr Nolan's point on central government saying, Central government is just going over our heads. Its the way it is, its another nail in the functions of local representatives who, as Councillor Nolan pointed out, represent the people and know the area best. Other Councillors did agree with the proposed speed reductions such as Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi. Each of us has gotten requests from our constituents to reduce speed, she said. She acknowledged the fact that they can't dictate the speed limits or guarantee that the limits will be followed. That shouldnt stop us from reviewing the speed limits to make sure as many people will adhere to the limits that are placed. Which will then keep more people in the community safe. Cllr Mick Cahill agreed with this point specifically regarding school areas. I think it would send the wrong message if we dont reduce the speed. Regional roads are, the places around schools are so important. Year in, year out weve had issues with schools and speed limits, he pointed out, I have no doubt we should be reducing speed limits, we shouldnt be apologising for it. Local News, Crime By Long Island Published: January 22 2025 Suffolk County Police arrested a woman for prostitution during a raid at a Smithtown massage parlor following community complaints. Suffolk County Police today arrested a woman for prostitution during a massage parlor raid in Smithtown. In response to numerous community complaints, Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers and Fourth Squad detectives, in conjunction with the Town of Smithtown Fire Marshal, conducted an investigation into First Nature Massage and Day Spa, located at 1025 West Jericho Turnpike, and arrested Feng-Wei Chen. Chen, 50, of Flushing, was charged with two counts of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a Class E felony, Criminal Nuisance 2nd Degree and Prostitution, both misdemeanors. The Town of Smithtown Fire Marshal issued multiple summonses to the business and deemed the location to be unsafe for occupancy. Chen was issued a Desk Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date. A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: January 22 2025 Proposal Will Restrict Smartphone Use in K-12 Schools Throughout Entire School Day; Requires Schools To Give Parents a Way to Contact Students During School Day. Governor Kathy Hochul today stood with students, parents, teachers, social justice advocates and law enforcement officials to launch her push to restrict smartphone use in K-12 schools statewide. The launch of this new effort follows the introduction of this legislative proposal as part of Governor Hochuls FY 2026 Executive Budget Proposal. Additionally, Governor Hochul today released a new report with recommendations gathered from her statewide listening tour this past year with students, parents and teachers regarding excessive smartphone use in schools. This effort continues Governor Hochuls commitment to protecting youth mental health and promoting student success in the digital age, following her action last year to secure and sign a first-in-the-nation law to restrict addictive social media feeds for minors. From parents and teachers, to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when theyre learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling, Governor Hochul said. Using the insights from my statewide listening tour, this comprehensive proposal to restrict smartphone use in schools will ensure that New Yorks statewide standard for distraction-free learning delivers the best results for our kids and educators. Governor Hochuls legislative proposal to create a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in New York can be seen here. This new legislation covers requirements and details including: No unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day, including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods. Allows schools to develop their own plans for storing smartphones during the day giving administrators and teachers the flexibility to do what works best for their buildings and students. Proposes $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free. Requires schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day if needed. The Governors proposal also clarifies that students would still be authorized to have access to simple cell phones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction, such as laptops or tablets used as part of lesson plans. Additionally, the Governors proposal includes several exemptions to smartphone restrictions, including for students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, where required by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), or for other academic purposes, such as translation. This new requirement would be in place starting in the 2025-26 School Year and would apply to all schools in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Governor Hochuls new report More Learning, Less Scrolling: Creating Distraction-Free Schools includes: Findings from the Governors statewide listening tour, including: - Smartphones distract students and inhibit learning and creativity - Phone-free environments do not compromise student safety - Phone-free environments support the mental health of students and teachers Recommendations for how schools can prepare to go distraction-free, including: - Open communication and direct guidance for all stakeholders is key for successful implementation - Schools must address any parent concerns about staying in contact with their children during the day - An effective distraction-free policy must focus on the entire school day, rather than solely on time in the classroom - Schools can strengthen their distraction-free environment by connecting more students with in-person engagement like clubs, sports, arts and other programming An implementation guide for schools to consider throughout this process, with references to resources and best practices published by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Education Technology Continues Governors Commitment To Protecting Youth Mental Health In June 2024, Governor Hochul signed the Safe for Kids Act after strongly advocating for and securing passage of the legislation. That law, the first of its kind to be signed in any state in the nation, requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. Unless parental consent is granted, users under 18 will not receive addictive feeds. Governor Hochul also signed the New York Child Data Protection act, which prohibits online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website. As part of the Governors $1 billion investment in mental health statewide, Governor Hochul has also significantly expanded access to mental health care and resources for students. Last year, the state made available $20 million in start-up funding for more school-based mental health clinics and launched a rolling application, which made it easier for interested schools to establish these satellites than through the previously used state procurement process. Since that announcement in February 2024, the state has funded 71 new clinic satellites including 40 in high-needs districts adding to the more than 1,100 that now exist statewide. Diverse and Growing Support for Distraction-Free Schools Governor Hochul was joined at the launch of her push for distraction-free schools by NYSUT President Melinda Person, NYSPTA Vice President and parent Roberto Rijos, Farnsworth Middle School student Anika Bhupati, New York State Police Superintendent Steven James, NAACP New York City Chapter President Anthony Harmon, State Senator Patricia Fahy, and other stakeholders. NYSUT President Melinda Person said, Today marks a pivotal step in our push to create distraction-free learning environments, ensuring our schools are sanctuaries for learning, growth and genuine connection. This movement is growing larger and stronger every day, and has brought together parents, teachers, law enforcement, and local officials who all recognize the crucial importance of giving children a school day free from the pressures of social media and other distractions. I want to thank Gov. Hochul for keeping student mental health a top priority, and for her clear dedication to the success and well-being of the next generation. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said, The UFT supports a statewide cell phone ban, with safeguards, because educators see the negative impact of cell phones in their classroom every day. The safeguards include ways for parents to reach students; funding for school districts to implement a plan; uniform disciplinary policies; and plans that dont make educators the first and only line of enforcement. We believe Governor Hochul understands these concerns and we look forward to working with her and the legislature to make this happen. NYS PTA Vice President and Parent from Yonkers Roberto Rijos said, As a father of three, my wife and I fully understand the concerns regarding smartphone usage in classrooms and schools. Our classrooms and schools must remain places of learning, collaboration, and cooperation where our students continue to thrive free from unnecessary distractions. We thank Governor Hochul for truly listening to parents, families, educators, students, NYS PTA and other stakeholders in drafting this legislation which balances common sense limitations to support in-class learning and socialization, and includes allowances for necessary usage of devices in certain instances, all while ensuring local control and feedback in development of local policies. The health, wellness, and mental health of our children is of highest priority, and we stand ready to be a partner to Measure our Mission for Every Child, with One Voice. Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) Founder and Executive Director Julie Scelfo said, Many of us thought we could give our kids these tech products and teach them how to use them safely, but there is no 'safe' when they're designed to be addictive. Smartphones distract kids and make it harder for them to focus and learn, and also displace critical real-life experiences and interactions that are essential for healthy development. We applaud Governor Hochuls proposed legislation to provide consistent, statewide restrictions on smartphone use during the school day, safeguarding students and supporting authentic, distraction-free learning in our schools. Eighth Grade Farnsworth Middle School Student Anika Bhupati said, Focusing in school and getting involved in activities is just easier without the constant distraction of apps and phones.I think its great that Governor Hochul is helping more kids to get away from all the scrolling and get back to exploring our real interests and having fun with friends. New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, The use of mobile phones by students during a quickly developing school emergency is a distraction that could compromise the safety of students and school staff. State Police and local law enforcement will support school districts as they implement new cell phone policies as part of their school safety plans. NAACP New York State Conference Education Chair Christine Waters said, The NAACP New York State Conference is supportive of Governor Hochul's initiative to restrict Smartphone use in schools statewide to remove distractions and create an optimal learning environment in our schools that puts New York's children in a position to succeed academically. We look forward to working collectively with parents, students, teachers and school administrators to develop consistently applied policies that follow a statewide standard utilizing Best Practice Models that encourage responsible use of technology and supports the needs of our students and teachers. We believe firmly that we must do so without adding to the Codes of Conduct any additional obstacles to the academic pursuits of students such as the inclusion of zero tolerance policies that would see them removed from the classroom for any amount of time. State Senator Patricia Fahy said, If students are distracted in the classroom, theyre not learning. As we strive to help every student in New York reach their full potential, meaningfully reducing the use of cell phones in classrooms is a critical and long-overdue step. Firm and sensible cellphone restrictions are essential to creating learning environments where students can focus and ultimately thrive. These policy proposals are the careful result of a powerful coalition of parents, teachers, school staff, and experts, delivering tangible strategies for school districts and teachers to begin reducing cell phone use in the classroom. I'm looking forward to working with Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the state legislature to get this done this year for our parents, teachers, and students. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: January 22 2025 Department of Financial Services Proposed New Regulations To Target Exploitative Fee Practices While Preserving Access to Overdraft Services. As part of Governor Hochuls recently unveiled 2025 State of the State, Governor Hochul today announced the Department of Financial Services has posted proposed regulations to enhance consumer protections against unfair overdraft fees. These regulations ensure consumers will no longer be burdened with overdraft fees for minor transactions and require banks to provide timely notifications to consumers about overdraft fees to improve transparency. With hidden fees and unfair practices, it has become increasingly more difficult for hard-working New Yorkers to keep up, Governor Hochul said. It is time that we hold banks accountable and lighten the burden of high overdraft fees for minor transactions to keep New Yorkers hard-earned money in their pockets. New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris said, A healthy market grows when consumers have confidence and trust in the products offered and the providers offering them. Todays proposed regulation ensures that consumers will no longer be taxed with surprising and disproportionate fees for using the overdraft services provided with their bank accounts. The proposed regulations eliminate the most exploitative and deceptive banking fees, cap overdraft fees, strengthen customer communications and establish stricter transaction processing requirements. State-chartered banks would be prohibited from: Charging overdraft fees on overdrafts of less than $20. Charging overdraft fees that exceed the overdrawn amount. Charging more than three overdraft or non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees per consumer account per day. Charging NSF fees for instantaneously declined electronic transactions. Charging multiple NSF or overdraft fees for the same transaction, including when a merchant resubmits a declined transaction. Charging a sustained, continuous, or daily fee for each day an overdraft balance is not repaid. Charging double fees to cover an overdraft, such as one fee for automatically transferring funds from another account and a second fee for the overdraft itself. Processing electronic debit transactions in a manner intended to maximize the number of overdraft and NSF fees. Charging an overdraft fee for an electronic transaction when the consumers account indicates sufficient funds at the time the transaction was initiated. In 2022, the Department of Financial Services took action to alert institutions about its expectations around unfair overdraft and NSF fee practices, often known as junk fees, which disproportionately harm low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. In 2023, the New York State Legislature passed, and Governor Hochul signed into law, legislation granting DFS additional authority to combat unfair bank fee practices. The Governors affordability agenda is focused on easing the financial burden on New Yorkers by addressing unfair practices and ensuring transparency in essential services. From combating exploitative fees to expanding access to affordable housing and child care, she remains committed to creating a more equitable and affordable New York for all residents. These proposed regulations reflect DFSs data-driven approach to policy, taking into account the existing regulatory landscape, market trends, the Departments own overdraft study and robust stakeholder engagement. The Department looks forward to continuing to engage with key stakeholders on this important issue through the public comment period. Governor Hochuls Consumer Protections Proposals As part of her 2025 State of the State, Governor Hochul directed the Department of Financial Services to issue regulations targeting exploitative banking practices while preserving access to high quality banking services. These regulations will prohibit predatory fees, cap the number of daily overdraft charges and improve transparency through timely notifications. These measures will protect consumers and foster accessible and affordable banking services for all New Yorkers. Governor Hochul proposed legislation to require retail sellers to offer a minimum 30-day return window for various products unless otherwise specified. Additionally, Governor Hochul proposed first-in-the-nation legislation that requires businesses to notify online shoppers when prices are set based on their personal data. To further protect consumers, Governor Hochul proposed additional legislation to ensure cancellation processes are simple, transparent, and fair, ensuring that it is just as easy to cancel a subscription as it was to sign up. Governor Hochul also proposed legislation to establish a licensing and supervision framework for Buy Now Pay Later providers. To address Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) not being required to return unclaimed funds to New York residents, Governor Hochul proposed legislation to ensure ESCOs are subject to the same requirements as utility companies. To combat elder financial exploitation, Governor Hochul is seeking legislation to help protect against fraudulent activity, by providing more authority to banks and other institutions to pause certain suspicious transactions and mandate reporting of suspected exploitation and fraud to law enforcement and Adult Protective Services. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: January 22 2025 Samantha Spinel, 20, and Mackenzie Rae Kelly, 18, will be arraigned on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at First District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead. The Third Precinct reports the arrest of two females during a Quality-of-Life initiative. The initiative was conducted on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 9:50 am in Nassau County. According to Officers, the following individuals were arrested at the following establishments with the assistance of Town of Hempstead Code Enforcement: Samantha Spinel, 20, of 56 Dorothy Drive, East Meadow sold tobacco/cannabis products at Exotic Smoke Shop located at 796 Carmen Avenue, Westbury. She is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree and Unlawful Sale of Cannabis. Mackenzie Rae Kelly, 18, of 1299 Dahlia Lane, Wantagh sold tobacco/cannabis products at 2125 Hempstead Convenience located at 2125 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow. She is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree and Unlawful Sale of Cannabis. Defendant Samantha Spinel and Defendant Mackenzie Rae Kelly will be arraigned on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at First District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead. Israeli troops from the Givati Brigade leave northern Gaza in the wake of the ceasefire after completing several months of fighting. (IDF) The Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which was hammered out in Qatar in the first two weeks of January, began on the morning of January 19. The Israeli government scrambled to approve the framework for the deal and was able to get support from most of the governing coalitions members in time for the first hostages to be released. Israel received the list of hostages to be freed on January 19, and Brigadier General (Res) Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing, notified the families. Israel has dubbed the hostage releases Operation Wings of Freedom. Three women were released in the late afternoon, including 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old Emily Damari, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher. Damari holds both Israeli and UK citizenship. The deals first phase is expected to last six weeks and include the release of 33 hostages. Israel has demanded that Hamas free living women hostages first and that other humanitarian cases of elderly male hostages and two children held captive are part of the first phase. In addition, two hostages held by Hamas since 2014, Avera Mengistu and Hisham Sayed, are expected to be released at the end of the deal. Israel is expected to free up to 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hamas is releasing the hostages once a week, and the second release is expected on January 25. In addition, Israel and Hamas are expected to begin discussions, supported by mediators from Doha and Cairo and US envoy Steve Witkoff, in the second phase of the deal. These talks were set to start on February 4. However, they may commence earlier. Witkoff, who US President Donald Trump appointed as his special envoy to the Middle East in November, played a key role in getting the hostage deal signed in the two weeks leading up to Trumps inauguration. Since then, Witkoff has applauded the release of the first three hostages and expressed hopes for wider discussions in the region about countries normalizing ties with Israel. As the ceasefire began, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) started executing its plans to redeploy forces from Gaza. The IDF had the 162nd Division in northern Gaza on the eve of the ceasefire. It withdrew the Kfir Brigade in early January, but the division maintains two deployed infantry brigades and an armored brigade. In addition, the IDF has a division consisting of two brigades in the Netzarim Corridor and forces along the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza along the border with Egypt. The IDF is expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor during the first phase and redeploy forces in northern Gaza back to the Israeli border. The ceasefire provided the opportunity for IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi to submit his resignation on January 21. Halevi said he resigned to take responsibility for the IDFs failures on October 7. He had waited over the last year for this moment because Israeli forces were involved in intense operations on multiple fronts, and the ceasefire and hostage deal provided a window for the defense minister and Israel to select a replacement. It is supposed to happen by March 6, when Halevi expects to end his posting. The IDFs head of Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, also resigned. Several other key IDF officers have also resigned since the October 7 debacle. Additional IDF units began withdrawing due to the ceasefire. On January 20, the Nahal Brigade wrapped up operations in Beit Hanoun. Over the past year and three months, the brigade has operated in dozens of areas in the Gaza Strip, eliminating hundreds of terrorists, dismantling terrorist infrastructure, and locating and confiscating thousands of weapons, the IDF said. The IDF added that the brigade had lost 67 soldiers since October 7. Two days later, the Israeli military said the Givati Brigade had also completed operations in northern Gaza and left Jabaliya, the scene of heavy fighting since early October. The unit had lost 68 soldiers, the IDF said. The Givati Brigade Combat Team operated for approximately one year and three months, during which the troops established control in the area, eliminated many terrorists, located weapons, and dismantled terror infrastructure, the IDF said in a statement. Before leaving northern Gaza, the IDF also recovered the body of Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, a soldier who was killed in 2014 during fighting in Gaza. Hamas had held Shauls body for more than a decade. Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024). Flagship iPhones, iPads, and Macs typically steal the spotlight when it comes to Apple events and announcements, dominating news coverage and customer interest. However, Apple also offers a wide range of lesser-known products that, while not necessarily as popular or powerful, remain important parts of its ecosystem. Based on the rumor calendar, 2025 is set to be a packed year for Apple hardware, and these six forgotten devices could finally be getting some long-overdue upgrades. iPhone SE 4 Despite being the least capable 2025 Apple phone, the iPhone SE 4or iPhone 16Ecould turn out to be a best-seller after it likely launches in March. Compared to its three-year-old predecessor, the fourth-generation budget iPhone is expected to feature an all-new exterior that resembles an iPhone 14 or 15. Thats not to mention supporting Apple Intelligence (thanks to the base A18 chip), adopting Face ID, switching to USB-C, boasting an edge-to-edge OLED panel, and packing a 48MP rear camera. Septembers iPhone 17 phones will undoubtedly intrigue more users with their high-end technical specifications. Nevertheless, given its rumored sub-$500 price, the iPhone SE 4 could convince budget-conscious customers to finally upgrade their worn-out iPhones or mid-range Android phones. After all, it will likely be the first SE model to offer both a modern design and premium internalsand thatll entice numerous undecided buyers to opt for it. Apple Watch SE 3 Another outdated SE product rumored to get an upgrade this year is the Apple Watch. Despite being the companys cheapest smartwatch, this model provides a reliable experiencesans some inessential perks currently exclusive to the Series and Ultra models. So, for just $249, users get the same battery life and main set of watchOS apps, excluding support for ECG, an always-on display, and precision finding. This makes it the perfect pick for those seeking to live a more active life but cant justify paying extra for the bonus sensors. In September, the Apple Watch SE 3 is expected to launch with a fresh design, retiring the aluminum chassis in favor of colorful plastic. Consequently, the wearable could potentially drop its price to better compete against cheap fitness trackers and appeal to youngsters. Beyond that, it could pack a faster S-series chipset, bringing faster performance and unlocking more demanding features. The Apple Watch SE hasnt changed much in 5 years. Foundry AirTag 2 Released in 2021, the AirTag is arguably the most effective Bluetooth tracker for casual item location. Its powered by Apples vast Find My network, making it discoverable by hundreds of millions of iDevices around the planet. At some point this year, Apple is expected to finally release the coin-sized trackers successor, featuring a newer ultra-wideband chip and added privacy measures. Thanks to the upgraded UWB chip, users will reportedly be able to locate the AirTag 2 with more precision. And since many criminals rely on modified AirTags to stalk their victims, Apple could make removing its speaker more challenging. It certainly wont be 2025s most exciting launch, but given the nature of the product, its a welcome upgrade nonetheless. HomePod mini 2 The HomePod mini turns five this year. And, disregarding the superficial color refresh, it has yet to receive its first upgrade. Fortunately, the 2nd-gen model could finally launch in the fall. Based on credible rumors, the HomePod mini 2 will boast a faster processor, Apples in-house wireless connectivity chipset, potential Wi-Fi 6E support, and an enhanced UWB chip for improved Handoff. The speaker could also play a bigger role in Apples HomeKit infrastructure, as the company is about to embrace and take smart home products more seriously. It may not be the most groundbreaking release, but it certainly will maximize the HomePod minis function in peoples houses. Apple TV 4K 4 Speaking of homes, the Apple TV 4K could get its first upgrade in three years this fall, too. The fourth-generation model, like the HomePod mini 2, will likely adopt Apples own networking chip, along with a faster A-series brain. Besides potentially expanding its smart home capabilities, its unclear if the Apple TV 4K 4 will bring any other notable features, but expect it to be positioned as a new smart home device thats more than just a silent home hub. The next-gen Apple TV 4K might be more than just a set-top box. Foundry Studio and Pro displays Launched in 2019 and 2022, respectively, the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display are overdue for an upgrade. Despite starting at $4,999 and packing industry-leading technology, the former screen could use some improvements. For example, its current refresh rate caps out at 60Hz, so supporting ProMotion (120Hz) would be a great start. It could also borrow some Studio Display features, such as the FaceTime camera and spatial audio speakers. This would turn it into a higher-end variant of the Studio Displayand far more enticing for its $4,999 price tagand maybe include a stand this time. Meanwhile, this years Studio Display could finally switch to mini-LED and improve the bundled webcam. It remains to be seen if Apple has other upgrades in store or plans to drop its $1,599 starting price. In with the new Considering Apple doesnt upgrade the devices above as frequently as other products, this year will be the perfect entry point for newcomers. Customers looking to get started with the essentials will be able to own an affordable, up-to-date iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirTag. Meanwhile, users migrating their media streaming setup to Apple will appreciate the equally inexpensive Apple TV 4K and HomePod miniwhich can seamlessly output tvOS audio. And while the first-party displays may be relatively niche, their release could accompany new, M4-powered Mac Studio and Mac Pro machines. These would pair well together for professionals seeking high-end configurations. Of course, beyond these six forgotten products, Apple also has a slew of regular updates on tap. These will likely include an M4 MacBook Air and iPad Air, iPad 11 with Apple Intelligence support, M5 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, and hopefully some surprises along the way. By Mata Press Service Several programs supporting the settlement of immigrants and refugees in British Columbia are facing cuts to federal funding as the Canadian government moves to reduce the number of newcomers permitted into the country. We are shocked at these cuts and the devastating effect they will have on immigrants who are trying to build a life for themselves and their families in this country, said Sandra Lee, Executive Director of Decoda Literacy Solutions. Lee explained that funding for Decodas Immigrant Parents as Literacy Supporters (IPALS) program, along with other immigrant support initiatives across the country, has been eliminated. These cuts affect multiple organizations across B.C. Tens of thousands of new immigrants who settle in the province next year, as well as the hundreds of thousands of recent immigrants already here, will have fewer support services to help them succeed, Lee said in a statement. For the past 10 years, Decodas IPALS program has provided newcomer parents and caregivers with opportunities to improve their language and literacy skills while helping their young children with early literacy activities. These efforts have supported the successful integration of families into Canadian society. The program operates in 19 communities across B.C., partnering with school districts, settlement organizations, local community groups, and libraries. Participating in the IPALS program benefitted my whole family. My children are ready for school, and I am ready to be their teacher at home, said Gudaf Hadera, a parent who immigrated to Canada from Sudan and participated in a Tigrigna-language IPALS program in Burnaby, B.C. I am grateful for the program in our language, which made us comfortable understanding and asking questions. Similarly, Vancouver Community Colleges Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, which has provided free English classes for immigrants and refugees for 30 years, did not have its funding reinstated. Last week, over 100 people gathered at Vancouver Community College (VCC) to protest the impending closure of the program. The LINC program at VCC, the largest in Western Canada, is set to lose funding on April 1. Protesters at the rally warned that the decision would leave vulnerable immigrants without critical support and create a significant enrollment gap that the college would struggle to address. "The government is abandoning the very people who come here seeking opportunity and hope, leaving them unable to access jobs, education, and essential services," said Katie Nguyen, a LINC student, who spoke to CBC. "This decision undermines the values of inclusivity and diversity that define our nation." Nguyen, who moved to Canada from Vietnam six years ago, had planned to complete the Level 8 LINC program to advance her career. However, her second term of classes, scheduled to start in April, will no longer be available. According to Frank Cosco, president of the VCC Faculty Association, the funding cuts will affect over 800 students, resulting in 30 staff receiving layoff notices. "It's an unprofessional and un-Canadian way to treat students," Cosco said. LINC has been one of the foundational programs at VCC, and this move jeopardizes the colleges future." Maureen Kelbert, head of VCCs LINC programs, emphasized the unique college environment the program offers, which other provincial LINC programs cannot replicate. "If this were a gradual cut, it might be more understandable, but these students need support now," she said. Federal NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who attended the rally, highlighted the program's critical role in helping newcomers integrate into the workforce, sharing her fathers experience as an example. "My dad participated in the English language training program here, which enabled him to secure a job. Without that training, he might not have found employment, and who knows what his situation would have been," Kwan told CityNews. Remote communities are not spared either. In Prince Rupert, the Hecate Strait Employment Development Society has lost all federal funding for its settlement services. Prince Rupert has a population of 12,000 people but is as multicultural as Vancouver, said Karen Sawatzky, Executive Director of the Hecate Strait Employment Development Society. The federal government doesn't seem to understand that even though theyve lowered immigration targets, there are still people here who need help and support. We are the only organization in town that offers settlement services. I have no idea where our clients will go for support now. The Toronto Star reported that in B.C., more than 20 organizations have been completely defunded, with others facing funding reductions ranging from 15 percent to 75 percent. In Alberta, some groups faced cuts as deep as 35 percent. In Manitoba, at least 12 agencies have lost their entire funding. In October 2024, the government announced a plan to reduce non-permanent residents by over 900,000 within two yearsa significantly more aggressive target than proposed in March. This policy shift follows an unprecedented population surge in 2023 and 2024, which strained housing, infrastructure, and public services. To curb record-setting population growth triggered by immigration, the government projects that 2.4 million non-permanent residents must either leave or change their status within two years. During this time, Canada expects to welcome 1.5 million new temporary arrivals, resulting in a net loss of approximately 900,000 non-permanent residentsequivalent to about 2% of the countrys population. "The resources for settlement services are adjusted based on the number of expected newcomers. With fewer immigrants anticipated, funding has been reduced, leading to fewer service providers," an IRCC spokesperson explained. However, IRCC noted that $1.2 billion is still earmarked for settlement support in 2024 and 2025, with $155.6 million allocated to British Columbia, including funding for language training programs. Two Boston area bars have been nominated for a James Beard Award in the Best New Bar category this year. The 2025 restaurant and chef award semifinalists for the James Beard Awards were revealed Wednesday. The semifinalists are recognized across 25 categories from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. In honor of the Awards' 35th anniversary, three new categories were added to the 2025 nominations. These categories are Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The two Boston area bars vying for title of Best New Bar are Equal Measure in Fenway and Merai in Brookline. Equal Measure officially opened at The Bower in the Fenway on Oct. 26, 2023, Boston.com reported. The globally inspired cocktail bar is a contemporary bar that features highly innovative cocktails with an emphasis on seasonality and sustainability, Equal Measures website reads. Drink options include the Pretty in Pink (strawberry infused blanc vermouth, blanco tequila, lemon, elderflower tonic), Oopsie Daisy (honey infused cognac, cream, creme de cacao, benedictine and lavender) and Hello Gourd-geous (tanqueray gin, kabocha squash brine chartreuse elixir, orange bitters). The address for Equal Measure is 775 Beacon St., Boston. The bar is open Tuesday from 5 p.m. to midnight and Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The inside of Equal Measure, a globally inspired cocktail bar in Boston, Massachusetts.Rebecca Nottonson Meanwhile the Thai-inspired Merai opened in Brookline Village last spring, Boston Magazine reported. Merai is a restaurant that focuses on utilizing Thai flavors as a means to celebrate different cuisines with creativity and fun in an unpretentious dive bar ambience with elevated crafted cocktails, the bars website reads. Cocktails include the Strawberry Cheesecake (vodka, gin, strawberries, and cheese foam) and the Bori Bori (vodka, Korean barley, and yuzu), which is served in a tea kettle, Eater Boston reported. Merai is located at 14 Harvard St., Brookline. The bar is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Merai is Thai-inspired bar and restaurant located in Brookline.Troy Ali A full list of Best New Bar nominees is below: The Abbey, Brunswick, Maine Agency, Milwaukee, Wisconsin The Bar Beej, Durham, North Carolina Bar Cana, Washington, D.C. Bar Colette, Dallas, Texas Bar Contra, New York City, New York Bisous, Chicago, Illinois Equal Measure, Boston, Massachusetts The Halfway Club, San Francisco, California Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, Puerto Rico Kampar Kongsi, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kid Sister, Phoenix, Arizona Marietta Proper, Marietta, Georgia Merai, Brookline, Massachusetts Roma Norte, San Diego, California Sip & Guzzle, New York City, New York Sophon, Seattle, Washington Traveling Mercies, Aurora, Colorado Truce, Chicago, Illinois ViceVersa, Miami, Florida Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, April 2, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16. In honor of the ames Beard Awards' 35th anniversary, three new categories were added to the 2025 nominations, including Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. Click here for a full list of the 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists. The City of Boston is partnering with Boston University to present A Day of Celebration in Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, the city said. The event starts at noon and will be at Metcalf Hall on the second floor of the George Sherman Union at Boston University, according to the mayors office. It will also be live-streamed and aired on Boston City TV. If you decide to watch this event on your TV, the event will be on channel 26, if you have Comcast/Xfinity; itll be on channel 13 if you have RCN and will be on channel 962 if you have Fios. This years theme is The Darkness at Midnight, according to the online flyer. The chosen theme was based on Kings 1962 speech A Knock at Midnight. The speech describes societys spiritual, moral and psychological state of chaos, the flyer stated. As we reflect on Dr. Kings unwavering commitment to equity, justice, and unity, Boston lifts up our special connection to Dr. King and the tangible impact he left here with a legacy we continue to strive for. His dreams and values set the standard for building a city where every voice is heard and every community is empowered, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. The program will include remarks from Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam, Boston Universitys first Black woman president, according to the mayors office. It will also feature a keynote conversation with New York Times bestselling author Cole Arthur Riley. The conversation will be facilitated by Dr. Shively T.J. Smith, the director of the doctoral program at Boston Universitys School of Theology. The program will also include readings from Boston University students and musical selections from the Hamilton-Garrett Youth Choir. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of Boston Universitys most esteemed alumni, Gilliam said in a statement. Dr. King championed communities rooted in equity and belonging, where conflict is resolved peacefully, through dialogue and reconciliation. These ideals are ones that we aspire to emulate here at Boston University. We are honored to celebrate Dr. Kings legacy with the City of Boston, and we will continue to work closely with Mayor Wu and her office to help further his commitment to human dignity. Leo Lyonnais was a man of many things. He was a husband. A father. A veteran. A businessman. A Pianist. Before he and his wife were killed in an Acushnet house fire on Christmas Day, he was supposed to meet with his family for a gathering, according to WJAR. Heavy smoke and flames were coming from a two-and-a-half-story home at 34 Garfield St. a little before 2 a.m. on Dec. 25, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. The fire caused structural damage to the home and left the roof partially collapsed, the department reported. Inside, Leo Lyonnais and his wife Annette F. Lyonnais were found dead. Leo Lyonnais died at 89. Michael Lyonnais, Leo and Annette Lyonnais' son, told WJAR that his parents were the nicest people. He was a well-known man in town, and he helped a lot of people over the years with many projects, He was in the sales business when he was younger, Michael Lyonnais said. She worked for about 20 years at the old Acushnet Citizens Club in town and she knew a lot of people in town from there. Leo Lyonnais grew up in Fairhaven, according to his obituary. He joined the army for three years after high school and was stationed in Germany. After the army, he bounced between several jobs. He first started working at the Cape Cod Cabinet Shop, according to his obituary. He then worked as a salesman for the Metropolitan Freezer Food Plan where he was a District Manager until the company closed. Leo Lyonnais then became a salesman for John Hancock Insurance for 20 years, according to his obituary. He then started his own carpentry business with his Michael in 1978, his obituary reported. The company was called L+M Lyonnais General Contracting. Leo Lyonnais' eldest son Lawrence joined the family business after he completed his time in the Navy, the obituary said. Leo Lyonnais worked for his familys business for 20 years until he got a job as the Acushnet Building Commissioner. He was the towns building commissioner from 1986 to 2001, when he retired, according to the Boston Globe. He was a true gentleman, Andrew Bobola, the current Acushnet Building Commissioner told the Globe. Very, very astute. He was compassionate... Leo did everything with compassion. Leo also loved playing his baby grand piano and traveling, according to his obituary. A funeral mass will be held for Leo Lyonnais at St. Francis Xavier Church on Main Street in Acushnet on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., according to his obituary. A celebration of life will be held in June. A U.S. Border Patrol agent killed in a shooting on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont, south of the Canadian border, was identified as David Maland by House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, R-Tenn. I am heartbroken by the loss of Agent David Maland, a dedicated Border Patrol agent who was horrifically shot in the line of duty while serving at our northern border, Green said in a statement released Tuesday. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to Agent Maland for nearly a decade of service protecting our communities in the force. Other news outlets, such as VT Digger, confirmed Malands identity from a statement released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Two men were suspected in connection with the shooting, according to the FBI. One suspect was shot and killed, and the other was injured and taken into federal custody. Benjamine Huffman, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, said Malands death would be swiftly investigated. Coventry is close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector. The area includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada. Vermonts Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint sent condolences to the agents family and said Border Patrol agents deserve our full support in terms of staffing, pay and working conditions, according to a joint statement. Material from the Associated Press was used in this article. A Fall River man died following a crash on Interstate 195 in Seekonk Tuesday, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn IIIs office said. Joshua Ponte, 37, was the only man found inside a black GMC pick-up truck involved in the crash, Quinns office said in a statement. At around 5 p.m., Massachusetts State Police troopers and Seekonk firefighters were sent to a single-vehicle crash at mile marker 1.4 on the eastbound side of I-195 in Seekonk, Quinns office said. Troopers found the GMC behind the guardrail, positioned against the bridge support pillar on the medians side of the highway, the statement read. The one person inside it, Ponte, was found inside and was pronounced dead at the crash site by paramedics, Quinns office confirmed. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. An American soldier from Taunton who was a prisoner of war during the Korean War was identified, a military agency announced Tuesday. U.S. Army Pfc. Joseph R. Travers, 24, who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for on June 20, 2024, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said. Travers was a member of Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division in 1951, the agency said. He was reported missing on April 22, 1951, after his unit fought enemy forces near Undam-Jang, in the Republic of Korea on Nov. 30 following the Battle of Chongchon, the agency reported. Several prisoners of war who returned during Operation Big Switch said Travers was also a prisoner of war at Prisoner of War Camp #1, the agency reported. During Operation GLORY, North Korea returned remains found from Changsong in 1954 also known as Prisoner of War Camp #1 to the United Nations Command, the agency reported. One set of remains was designated as Unknown X-14197, the agency said. It was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. In July 2018, the DPAA proposed to dig up 652 Korean War Unknowns from the cemetery, the agency said. The agency said it dug up Unknown X-14197 in August 2019 and sent the remains to a lab for analysis. To identify Traverss remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis, as well as chest radiograph comparison, the agency said. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis." Travers will be buried in Taunton, according to the agency. With the start of tax season just around the corner, the Internal Revenue Service urges filers to gather their important tax documents before filing time. For employees who earn $600 or more in wages, one of those documents is a W-2 form, which outlines all income an employee earned from a given employer, Social Security, Medicare and taxes withheld. But exactly when you receive your W-2 is contingent on your employer. While some employers use apps such as ADP to store important employee documents, others may still prefer the traditional printed paper and mail-in method. Regardless of how employers choose to get you those documents, in Massachusetts, employers are required to provide W-2s to employees by Jan. 31. Employers are also legally obligated to file a copy of each Form W-2 with the Social Security Administration and with the state Department of Revenue by Jan. 31. According to the IRS, employees still must file their tax return on time even if they dont receive a W-2 form. In 2025, the tax filing season for income earned in 2024 is between Jan. 27 and April 15. What to do if you havent received your W-2 from your employer If you do not receive your W-2 forms, Mass.gov suggests contacting your employer, and if they cant be reached, you should call the IRS. The IRS recommends that if you have not received your W-2s by Feb. 16, to call the agency for assistance at 800-829-1040. When calling, be prepared with your employers name, complete address including zip code, employer identification number if you have it and telephone number. Additionally, be prepared to share your name, address, Social Security number, telephone number, estimate of wages earned and federal taxes withheld as well as your employment beginning and end dates. If you misplaced your W-2, ask your employer for a replacement. They may charge a replacement fee. Even if you dont receive your Form W-2 before the filing deadline of April 15, you still must file your return on time and can use Form 4852, a substitute form, though it will delay any refund while the information is verified. Many in immigrant communities across Massachusetts are preparing for mass deportations now that President Trump is in the Oval Office. In his inauguration speech Monday, Trump said that millions and millions of criminal aliens would be returned to their home countries. People are scared for good reason, said Annie Gonzalez, a volunteer with the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN). There has been a lot of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) enforcement in Eastern Massachusetts, even under Biden, and ... we have every reason to believe that it will get much worse. ICE is expected to conduct extensive raids and arrests in Chicago, another sanctuary city, in the days after Mondays inauguration, according to the Associated Press. Sources told the AP the operation will target more than 300 people with violent criminal histories, but that ICE will also arrest spouses, roommates and others they come across who happen to be in the country illegally. The Boston Herald reported over the weekend that after Chicago, Boston is also high on the list of priority targets for ICE raids, along with New York also a sanctuary city and Miami. ICE did not respond to a request for comment from MassLive. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents would be able to make immigration arrests in churches and schools, which was previously against official policies. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense, a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. The threat of raids and deportations has left even immigrants legally living in the country afraid for their futures. Alexandra Weber, chief advancement officer and senior vice president of the International Institute of New England, an organization that works with resettled refugees, said she has been hearing these concerns from clients since November. What people hear is, Millions and millions of people are going to be deported, Weber said. The general sense of rounding up people and cracking down on people who are here makes everybody feel afraid and is almost its own form of terror. Trumps executive order temporarily halts refugee admissions, which has Weber concerned for the work her organization does. Since the November election, IINE has tried to help as many refugees arriving in the country as possible, booking travel for people from Afghanistan and other places before the inauguration whenever it was possible. They have had about 225 people arrive in that period, Weber said. But she worries that those who didnt make it in time will become stranded, as many did during the first Trump administration. We have so many families ... who are booked for travel in February, and theyre just so devastated, Weber said. Theyve been completely vetted and approved and have flights booked, so everythings in place, and all of a sudden the door is going to slam shut with no real sense of when and how it will reopen. One of the biggest challenges for immigrants already in the country and the advocates helping them is confusion and misinformation. Gonzalez said people currently in the process of gaining legal status have wondered if they are at risk, and both documented and undocumented immigrants have discussed whether certain areas are more likely to be targeted by raids. This leads to some being afraid to go to work, court hearings for unrelated cases or just go out in their neighborhood. BIJAN encourages the people they work with to bring a citizen buddy with them if they have a court hearing, an ICE check-in or any other event where they fear they may be targeted. While it may not prevent an arrest, Gonzalez said, it can help to provide a witness or support if the worst does happen. The organization has also been working to distribute information to the community about their rights, as have others who spoke to MassLive. Gonzalez said the organization has encouraged people to have a safety plan in place in case they are separated from family members and emphasized that they are not required to allow ICE or law enforcement agents into their homes or answer any questions unless they provide a warrant. We know that our job is to defend our client communities in court and to go to court when the president oversteps the rule of law, Oren Sellstrom, Lawyers for Civil Rights litigation attorney, said. Gonzalez said it was heartbreaking to see many immigrants described as dangerous criminals. While some have been accused of violent offenses, most of the people she sees in detention have only been charged with minor crimes, such as traffic violations where police have discretion to summon the person to court or arrest them, she said. Once arrested, the immigrants can be detained by ICE. So many people I talk to who are in ICE jail are always trying to convince me that theyre not criminals. And I know, but its such a loud story, she said. The vast majority of people have done things that are pretty innocuous and shouldnt, in my opinion, mean a life sentence of being outside of the U.S. BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said he is willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue guiding bilateral relations towards a new height in the new year. Speaking with Putin in a video meeting, Xi called for coping with uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations, jointly promoting the development and revitalization of the two countries, and upholding international fairness and justice. The two heads of state exchanged festive greetings for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. Xi recalled the three meetings he had with Putin last year, which led to a range of important common understandings. He also said last year marked the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations, which feature permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and have become increasingly dynamic. Xi also mentioned various activities held as part of the China-Russia Years of Culture, as well as steadily progressing pragmatic cooperation and growing bilateral trade. The close coordination between the two countries on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS has provided more positive energy for the reform and development of the global governance system, Xi said. He called on the two sides to continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries. China and Russia should consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation, Xi added. He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. He said as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of the SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility. Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South. Putin said that Russia and China have always provided each other with trust and support, and treated each other as equals. Cooperation between the two sides is in the interests of the two peoples and has been unaffected by changes in the international landscape. He expressed satisfaction with the sustained positive momentum in bilateral trade and energy cooperation, the constant increase in mutual visits by people of the two countries, and the close communication and collaboration between the two sides on multilateral arenas. Putin said Russia firmly upholds the principle that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and resolutely opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. He noted that 80 years ago, the Russian and Chinese people resisted aggressors with their blood and lives, safeguarding their national sovereignty and dignity. He said that this year, the two sides will jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on multilateral affairs, and play a positive role in promoting world peace and development, Putin added. The two heads of state also engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year. Commentary By: Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens As Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on Canadian exports, including oil and natural gas, some Canadian politicians and analysts are calling for greater energy trade diversification. However, these calls highlight a hard truthCanada has repeatedly foregone opportunities to reduce our dependence on the United States by cancelling already approved pipelines and failing to approve new pipeline and LNG projects that could have increased our access to global markets. The U.S. is not just Canadas largest energy customerits nearly our only customer. In 2023, 97 percent of crude oil exports and virtually all natural gas exports were sent south of the border. This dependence on the U.S. for exports leaves Canadian producers and the Canadian economy exposed to policy shifts in Washington and even state capitals. Consider Energy East, a pipeline proposed by TransCanada (now TC Energy) to transport oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries and export terminals in Atlantic Canada. The pipeline would have reduced Atlantic Canadas reliance on imported oil and opened export markets for Canadian oil to Europe. However, in 2017 the Trudeau government introduced new criteria for evaluating and approving major pipeline projects, and for the first time assessments included not only the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from constructing the pipeline but also emissions from producing and using the oil it would transport. Later that year, TransCanada suspended its application for the project, effectively cancelling it. The CEO of TransCanada blamed changed circumstances but many observers recognized it was a combination of the new regulations and opposition from Quebec, particularly the City of Montreal. Consequently, the refineries in Atlantic Canada continue to rely on imported oil. A year earlier in 2016, the Trudeau government cancelled the already-approved Northern Gateway pipeline, which would have connected Alberta oil production with the West Coast and created significant export opportunities to Asian markets. Canada is even more dependent on the U.S. for natural gas exports than oil exports. In 2023, Canada exported approximately 84 billion cubic metres of natural gasall to the U.S.via 39 pipelines, again leaving producers in Canada vulnerable to U.S. policy changes. Meanwhile, Canada currently has no operational infrastructure for exporting liquified natural gas (LNG). While LNG Canada, the countrys first LNG export terminal, is expected to become operational this year in British Columbia, its long overdue. Indeed, several energy companies have cancelled or delayed high-profile LNG projects in Canada due largely to onerous regulations that make approvals uncertain or even unlikely, including the $36 billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project in 2017, the $9 billion Energie Saguenay LNG project in 2020, Kitimat LNG in 2021 and East Coast Canada LNG in 2023. This all adds up to a missed opportunity, as global demand for LNG increases. If governments in Canada allowed or even facilitated more development of LNG facilities, Canadian companies could supply high-demand regions such as Asia and Europe. Indeed, during Europes 2022 energy crisis, Germany and several other countries turned to Canada for reliable LNG supply, but the Trudeau government rejected the requests. The contrast with the U.S. is stark. Since 2011, 18 LNG export facilities have been proposed in Canada but only oneLNG Canada Phase 1is nearing completion, more than 12 years after it was announced. Meanwhile, as of January 2025, the U.S. has built eight LNG export terminals and approved 20 more, securing its position as a global LNG leader. Years of inaction and regulatory roadblocks have left Canadian energy producers overly dependent on a single trading partner and vulnerable to shifting U.S. policies. The looming threat of tariffs should be a wake-up call. To secure its energy future, Canada must address the regulatory barriers that have long hindered progress and prioritize the development of infrastructure to connect our energy resources to global markets. Fraser Institute The superintendent of Uxbridge Public Schools is on paid administrative leave as of Tuesday night in connection with an arrest stemming from an OUI incident last week, the Telegram & Gazette reported. During the Uxbridge School Committee meeting on Tuesday night, the committee chose Assistant Superintendent Karen Dwyer to lead the school district in an interim role, the newspaper wrote. Uxbridge School Committee chair Ben Casper made the announcement during the Tuesday meeting. MassLive has reached out to the Uxbridge School Committee for more information about the Tuesday meeting. Baldassarre, of Concord, was charged with OUI (liquor), negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation and driving at a rate of speed exceeding the posted limit, according to court records. On Tuesday, Baldassarre was released on personal recognizance after his arraignment. Clinton District Court Judge Nicole A. Colby Longton ordered Baldassarre not to drive. A Massachusetts State Police trooper on patrol saw Baldassarre driving at speeds of 100 mph on Interstate 495 in the northbound lane in Bolton at around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to a police report. The trooper saw Baldassarre, in his Toyota Camry, commit multiple lane violations and almost [crashed] with the white vehicle operating adjacent to the subjects vehicle in the left lane, the report read. After turning on his lights, the trooper made a vehicle stop and approached Camrys driver-side window, the report said. Seeing Baldassarre alone in the Camry, the trooper later noted that his eyes were red, glassy and bloodshot. His speech was slurred and the trooper could smell alcohol on his breath as Baldassarre spoke. The superintendent said he had a couple of drinks, specifically wine, about three hours earlier. The trooper asked Baldassarre to get out of the car to perform a field sobriety test, the report said. Baldassarre stepped out and failed or refused several different tests, including being asked to stand with his right foot in front of his left foot. Baldassarre did not listen to the troopers orders on when to start and refused to take the test. He also refused a breath test. After he was read his Miranda Rights, Baldassarre was arrested and taken to the Leominster Barracks. Baldassarre refused to answer if he consented to a breath test and did not sign the rights and consent form stating that he consented to a breath test, the police report said. A receipt was found among the items on his person, which listed two glasses of wine, one glass of liquor and one cigar on it, police said. Baldassarre is expected to next appear in court on March 3, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.s office confirmed with MassLive. It wasnt a shock when President Donald Trump selected Leah Belaire Foley as the next U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts on Monday, who was widely seen as the frontrunner for the job. In doing so, legal observers say, he picked a well-respected longtime federal prosecutor who will be able to deliver on what is likely to be the two biggest priorities of his administration: immigration and drug trafficking. Foley, who was the deputy chief of the Narcotics & Money Laundering unit, has worked in the U.S. Attorneys office in Massachusetts since 2006. She was considered for the top role under the previous Trump administration in 2017 when the job ultimately went to Andrew Lelling. Acting Attorney General James McHenry appointed Foley on Monday. She is still expected to undergo a formal Senate confirmation process. Read more: Leah Foley tapped as new U.S. attorney for Massachusetts By appointing Foley so quickly, the administration is signaling they have a very clear idea about what they want to get accomplished in the time that they have, said Nathaniel Mendell, who served as acting U.S. attorney when Lelling resigned in 2021. Four years goes by quickly, added former federal prosecutor Robert Fisher. It seems like they have some aggressive sweeping policies they want to implement, [they] dont have any time to waste. Under Foleys leadership, the office is expected to make prosecuting drug crimes a top priority, which experts say often involve defendants who are in the country illegally. Theyll be doing a lot more immigration-type cases, and theyll probably take a harder line on a lot of these drug cases, which involve people who are illegally here, Brian T. Kelly, a former federal prosecutor, said in an interview Monday. Mendell called Foley a formidable trial lawyer who has dedicated her career to the pursuit of justice. Read more: US Attorney reflects on W. Mass church arson case and others that hit home The former chief of the drug unit, Mendell worked closely with Foley for the better part of a decade. He said he expects the work of the drug unit, which has been one of the most successful units in the office for years, to be brought into the spotlight. Prosecutors in that unit receive daily and weekly reports from police departments across the state that reflect what Mendell described as a constant stream of overdose deaths. The fact that drug trafficking kills thousands every year and that many of those organizations are operated by people in the U.S. illegally is likely to make that issue a top priority for Foley and the Trump administration. For this district, drug trafficking is actually quite significant and combines a couple of the administrations priorities with really pressing issues in this district, Mendell said. I would expect that area to be kind of ascendant, getting more resources and more attention from the US attorney. While Foley comes from the drug unit, her elevation to the top job does not mean a reduced focus on other areas within the offices purview. Lellings tenure as U.S. Attorney is perhaps best remembered for Operation Varsity Blues, when criminal charges were filed against parents accused of making bribes to get their children admitted into high-end universities. Those white-collar crimes are expected to remain a priority under Foleys leadership. I think things will probably even out, said Fisher, who worked with Foley in the drug unit from 2007 to 2010. Youll see a return to your traditional federal crimes ... even though Im not sure the focus will be on that in the very beginning. Under Rachael Rollins and later Joshua Levy, the two U.S. attorneys nominated by former President Joe Biden for the role, those more blue collar crimes like drug trafficking and immigration enforcement were not as much a focus, Fisher said. Instead, he saw the administration make public corruption a priority. Under Rollins and later Levy, the U.S. attorneys office pursued criminal charges against Matthew Farwell, a Stoughton police officer accused of sexually abusing then killing Sandra Birchmore, who told him she was pregnant with his baby, and Tania Fernandes Anderson, a Boston City Councilor accused of orchestrating a kickback scheme. Typically, a new administration circulates a memo to the U.S. attorneys offices across the country laying out its priorities for the coming term. Under Trump, that memo would likely come from Pam Bondi, his pick for attorney general, should she be confirmed by the Senate. While the individual U.S. attorneys have tremendous control over what cases their office pursues and the resources, experts say they expect a close alignment between Foley and the federal Department of Justice. The match this time around is going to be quite close, Mendell said. I would expect to see a high degree of coincidence between what the Department says it wants and what happens here in the district. But its just as critical for the U.S. attorney to focus on issues critical to their district. Its there that Foleys deep experience working out of the Boston office will come into play. Shell hit the ground running Fisher said, adding he expected a fairly seamless transition between Levys administration and Foleys. She knows everybody in the building. For about an hour Wednesday morning, temperatures were frigidly cold across parts of Massachusetts. Between 6 and 7 a.m., when morning low temperatures usually hit, several Massachusetts communities saw temperatures reach the single-digits or several degrees below zero, according to the National Weather Service in a post on X. Here are the observed low temperatures between 6-7AM today (usual time for the morning low). Many locations west of I-495 fell well below 0. pic.twitter.com/pxJcEB6fuR NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 22, 2025 The coldest low temperatures reached on Wednesday was in Great Barrignton, between minus 20 and minus 15 degrees, the post read. Springfield saw temperatures that were 10 degrees warmer specifically, between minus 10 and minus 5 degrees. Worcester, Fithcburg and Lawrence saw low temperatures between minus 5 degrees and 0 degrees, forecasters said. Further east, Boston, Provincetown, Hyannis, New Bedford and Nantucket saw low temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees. Plymouth reached morning lows between 0 and 5 degrees. Highs on Wednesday largely were below 20 degrees, except for temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees around the Cape and Islands, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing for the rest of the week until the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 26, Weather Service forecaster Rob Megnia previously told MassLive. Editors note: The story has been updated to include a statement from Gov. Maura Healey. UMass Memorial Health announced Wednesday it intends to construct an emergency department in the Nashoba Valley region of the state. Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Rachel Monarrez. (Trea Lavery, MassLive) Editors note: The story was updated to include additional information regarding bus drivers. School bus drivers in Worcester will not be letting students off the bus if there are immigration agents at bus stops as Worcester Public Schools (WPS) is vowing to protect their students, according to a memo shared to staff of the WPS transportation department, MassLive confirmed. The memo follows a recent directive from President Donald Trump allowing federal immigration officials to make arrests at public schools. Previously, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had guidelines that limited arrests related to federal immigration near sensitive locations, such as schools and churches. But on on Jan. 21, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement rescinding those guidelines. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest, the press release reads. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense. The Trump administration has made deportations a top priority, with the president himself vowing in his inauguration speech to deport millions and millions of criminal aliens. The school district shared an internal memo with school staff regarding what to do if ICE agents show up at schools, according to Dan OBrien, chief communications officer for WPS. Additionally, another memo was shared directly to bus drivers. A recent notification has gone out regarding ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents potentially being at bus stops, the memo reads. If you are aware of any agents being at a stop, DO NOT let any student off the bus and contact the transportation department immediately. Superintendent of Schools Rachel H. Monarrez clarified in an email to parents and staff on Wednesday that there have been no sighting of ICE agents at bus stops or schools in Worcester. Department directors or school leaders have shared additional information with their staff based on that memo so that staff know how to handle possible events, the email reads. In an email sent to WPS parents and posted on the schools website on Jan. 21, Monarrez wrote that public schools will not coordinate with ICE and will not allow ICE agents to access WPS facilities unless they have a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge. A free, public education is a cornerstone of our democracy. Worcester Public Schools (WPS) is committed to educating all children, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status, Monarrez said in the email. WPS is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the safety, well-being, and rights of all our children. The email also reads that WPS does not ask for families' immigration statuses and does not share student records with ICE, barring rare instances when a court order or parental and or guardian consent is provided. Monarrez also wrote that WPS will not admit ICE agents into schools based on an administrative warrant, an ICE detainer, or any other document related to civil immigration enforcement. Principals and school-based staff have received detailed guidance on protecting students rights, responding to ICE interactions and supporting students whose parents or guardians may be detained during the school day, the superintendent wrote. WPS is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment where every child can succeed. If you have further questions, please visit mass.gov or speak with your school principal." Jillian Phillips, the director of the Office of New Americans at the Friendly House in Worcester, told MassLive they support the policy and any policy that protects children from refugee and immigrant communities. The goal of the Office of New Americans is to support and coordinate services for new immigrant and refugee arrivals in Worcester. Phillips added that the presidents suggested policy impacts the organizations ability to protect and support refugees and immigrants living in the city. Any policy that WPS recommended to protect immigrant and refugee children, we would support, Phillips said. Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis previously told MassLive that they are happy to cooperate with ICE in any way the law allows, including by providing ICE with a list of people in their custody who are foreign born. Reporting from Susannah Sudborough was used in this story. 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Mrs Fagan was from Kilkelly, Co. Mayo and late of Monasteraden, Co. Sligo. Dympna will be greatly missed by her sons Aidan and Noel, her brother Jarlath, daughters-in-law Spain and Della, her adored grandchildren Charlie, Joseph, Cassie and Grace, nieces, nephews, relatives and many friends. Mrs Fagan received many heartfelt messages on RIP.ie as she will be dearly missed by the people in her community. One message read, "Condolences to Aiden and Noel and your family. I have fond memories of Mrs Fagan in Carrownedan N.S. May she rest in peace." Another said, "Noel we are very sorry to hear of the passing of your Mam Dympna. Sincere sympathy to you, Della, Cassie and Grace. Sympathy also to your brother and his family and the extended Fagan & Grennan families. Thinking of you all at this time. May Dympna rest in peace." Another message said, "God rest her, she was a devoted member of the Legion of Mary. On behalf of the Legion in Achonry we send our condolences to her family. As the concluding prayers say. With the battle of life over our Legion will reassemble without the loss of anyone in the kingdom of Gods love and glory. We will her and her family in our prayers May she rest in peace." Dympna shared a lovely photograph to Facebook a month before her passing of her at a Christmas swim with family. READ NEXT: 'It was lovely to have known him' - Tributes pour in for Mayo father of 13 Funeral Arrangements Reposing at the Marian funeral home, Knock (F12 A726) on Friday evening (Jan 24th) from 5pm. Removal at 7pm to St. Celsus Church, Kilkelly arriving at 7.30pm (approx). Funeral Mass on Saturday morning at 11am followed by burial afterwards in Culmore Cemetery. A long journey home for a Mayo salmon. The Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) picked up a trail of salmon that swam from Greenland back to its native river Eriff. The IFI data suggests that the fish swam an epic journey of more than 2,300km. The State environmental agency has acoustic tracking technology set up at the entrance to Killary Harbour which picks up signals from any tags attached to fish. Glen Wightman, IFI Research Officer, said: We recorded a mystery fish at Killary Harbour that had been tagged near Qaqortoq, in southern Greenland. Although it had not been tagged in fresh water in Ireland, we know that when salmon migrate from the sea, they are using their strong homing instinct and typically returning to their river of origin. The town of Qaqortoq is more than 1,242 nautical miles (2,300km) from Co. Mayo. READ: Report published on escaped fish farm salmon in Mayo IFI sensors traced the fish again in recent weeks as it swam up the River Erriff in Co. Mayo, which is IFIs National Salmonid Index Catchment. Glen added: These tags are pinging a unique code every 60 to 90 seconds. Our acoustic arrays can record them moving into and through monitored rivers when they swim by. READ: Red wind warning issued for Mayo Our salmon research colleagues working in Greenland said this fish weighed 3.3kg and was 64cm long when it was tagged in September 2023. It may be a 5kg salmon now, having spent two winters at sea. We believe this feeding visitor to Greenland has now migrated upstream to spawn in the River Erriff, to pass on its genes to the next generation of salmon. IFI corresponded with overseas organisations, including the USA federal agency NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the Association of Fishermen and Hunters in Greenland, to identify the tag and find out how far the fish had travelled. Tim Sheehan of NOAA Fisheries said: This tagging effort furthers one of our main goals to develop a better understanding of the factors driving salmon abundance and the challenges they face. Commentary By Jay Goldberg No matter who Canadas next prime minister is, its time to lay down a marker: the party with Canadas finances is over. Canadians have had it with the Trudeau governments irresponsible spending. One reason Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus popularity has taken a nosedive is that Canadians are sick and tired of his governments debt and deficits. Canadians are tired of the spending sprees. Were tired of billion-dollar announcements at which politicians congratulate each other for spending money borrowed on our childrens backs. Shockingly, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland might have said it best in her resignation letter last month. Canadians are tired of costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt the gravity of the moment. No doubt those words were ringing through Trudeaus head as he delivered his resignation speech. Freeland resigned as finance minister because Trudeau wanted to borrow and spend even more money on initiatives Freeland saw as gimmicks. If Freeland is the source of sober advice in the fiscal drunk tank, there can be no doubt its time for a reckoning. Freeland didnt resign because Trudeau loves deficits. She resigned because the government crashed through her $40.1 billion fiscal guardrail by some $20 billion and Trudeau wanted to go even further. As finance minister, Freeland is responsible for adding hundreds of billions of dollars to Canadas national debt, a debt which Trudeau has single-handedly doubled in just nine years. Freeland is no fiscal hawk. Her record is not an ode to fiscal responsibility. But if shes calling for restraint, the moment must truly be at hand. Heres the reality: interest charges on the national debt now cost taxpayers $53.7 billion a year. Thats more than the federal government spends on health care. And Canadas debt interest payments now exceed every penny the GST brings in. If ever there was a moment for a political consensus on ending deficit spending, its now. In the coming days, candidates will throw their hats in the ring to succeed Trudeau as Liberal leader and become the next prime minister of Canada. But if those candidates want Canadians to even begin to consider giving the Liberals another mandate, they need to pitch the biggest fiscal U-turn in the history of Canadian politics. There are three key points candidates who want to actually get Canadian taxpayers attention need to speak to. First: Take the mantle of Paul Martin and slay the deficit. Its time to end deficit spending. Not in five years. Not in three years. This year. Candidates need to lay out a plan to balance the budget immediately. Second: No new spending that isnt paid for. Every dollar of new spending should be paired with a spending cut. If candidates want to propose any new spending, there must be a clear offset on exactly what will be scrapped. Not a vague generality of where savings can be found. A specific program must be put on the chopping block. Third: No new taxes. The deficit should be eliminated, but not on the backs of Canadian taxpayers. The Trudeau government has raised taxes left, right, and centre. The Liberals have repeatedly introduced and increased the carbon tax. Just days ago, the government once again hiked payroll taxes. Canadians are stretched to the max. Fifty per cent of Canadians say theyre $200 away from not being able to pay their bills. Its time for the government to tighten its belt, not for Canadians to tighten theirs. Poll after poll has shown that Canadians have tuned the Liberals out. They are sick and tired of debt and deficits. And the more Trudeau tried to fix his popularity problems by borrowing and spending more, the more unpopular he became. If Liberal leadership candidates want to be taken seriously, they need to run as fast as they can away from Trudeaus fiscal record. And the way to do that is to offer a serious plan to immediately balance the budget without raising taxes. If they propose anything less, Canadian taxpayers will tune them, like Trudeau, out. Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. By Catherine A Sas, K.C. Special to The Post Every US presidential election brings renewed interest in Americans seeking to come to Canada. This is not unique to President Trump, but Trump brings some specific Canadian immigration consequences to his being elected President of the United States. Immediately following his election on November 8, 2016, the dramatic interest in Canadian immigration resulted in a crash in our online information system. Many of his proposed policies piqued the interest of many Americans and non-Americans without status seeking residency and/or protection in Canada. However, the Canadian immigration reality is very different from 2016 and Canada is not as welcoming as it has been in the past. Prospective immigrants from the US need to know the current lay of the Canadian immigration landscape. Immigration is a hot political Buzzword! Immigration has been a hot political topic worldwide in all recent elections - Canada, USA, the UK, France, Australia - pretty much everywhere. So prospective immigrants to Canada need to appreciate the current lay of the land. In my 30-plus years of practice as an immigration lawyer, I have never experienced such a restricted immigration program as we have today. Express Entry point scores are so high that applicants with Masters degrees and high language proficiency cant qualify. The business immigration programs are either completely suspended until the end of 2026 (Self Employed - SE) or dramatically limited (Start Up Visa - SUV). Provincial Nominee Programs are experiencing extreme demand so their point scores are at the highest levels ever and most aspiring applicants cant qualify. Spousal work permits for workers and students in Canada have either been eliminated or restricted. There are caps on many standard categories of immigration such as workers and students. The free and easy entry of immigrants from the US to Canada is dramatically affected by this new reality. For our American neighbours accustomed to easy access to Canadian immigration options as workers, students or immigrants, 2025 presents a completely new reality. For a discussion on the immigration options post US election 2024, please see the podcast on our website: www.sasanding.com Refugee Claims in Canada will increase President Trumps inauguration heralded a plethora of Executive Orders including declaring a state of emergency at the US-Mexican border with a view to reducing the number of migrants entering the United States (US) to claim asylum (called refugee status in Canada). President Trump has also indicated that he will crack down on undocumented persons in the US and increase deportations. It is anticipated that many of those already in the US illegally will seek refugee status in Canada. Canadian officials have been preparing for this increased influx and legislative changes are in the works for these expected arrivals. Canada is also facing an election in the coming months and politics, as is usual with immigration matters, will play a big role in determining how Canada will respond to any increase in refugee claimants arriving directly from south of the border. Prospective refugee claimants need to be prepared for a less welcoming experience when arriving in Canada. Working or Studying in Canada Canada and the US have always shared a preferential relationship when it comes to immigration matters. Canadian and US citizens dont require visas to travel to each others countries. We have mutually relaxed opportunities for working pursuant to the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA) and Americans can apply for study permits at the Canadian border rather than at a visa office abroad as is required by other nationals. None of this changes. However, Canada has introduced limits on the numbers of workers and students that it will accept on an annual basis which may affect the typical easy entry of US workers and students into Canada. Also, as mentioned above, the criteria for obtaining Canadian permanent residence have tightened. Many Americans coming to work or study in Canada have the option of obtaining Canadian permanent residence in their minds. This is not as easy as it once was and prospective immigrants should familiarize themselves with the new criteria to determine if these long-term goals are attainable. Considerations for the LGBTQ community One of the Executive Orders President Trump signed was to declare that there are two officially recognized genders in the US - male and female. It is anticipated that this will be a cause of concern for the LGBTQ community and, in reality, our office has seen an increase in inquiries from prospective immigrants in advance of the election. While Canada has been historically welcoming to the LGBTQ community, the majority of our immigration programs make no distinction based upon gender and, therefore, applicants must qualify under standard program criteria. On the other hand, Canadas spousal sponsorship program does recognize LGBTQ relationships, allowing Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses regardless of gender. The re-election of President Trump will no doubt send shock waves throughout the globe but will also have a significant impact on Canadas immigration program. While the US may be tightening her borders in the Trump post re-election era, Canada has already tightened hers over the past year. Free and easy access to Canada is gone for the time being. Americans seeking to come to Canada need to determine a strategy to best achieve their Canadian immigration aspirations. For a historical refresher of President Trumps first election impact on Canadas immigration program please see here: https://canadian-visa-lawyer.com/?s=The+Trump+Effect&id=5902 https://canadian-visa-lawyer.com/immigrating-to-canada-from-the-usa/ Catherine Sas, K.C. has over 30 years of legal experience. She provides a full range of immigration services and is a leading immigration practitioner (Lexpert, Whos Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada). Go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email catherine@sasanding.com. In WA, the state's transport department is still processing some 73,000 traffic infringements, eight months after being handed the responsibility from the police. Thousands of motorists in WA may still be driving despite having lost their licences. Source: Getty/NSW government Thousands of Aussies who may have lost their licences are still driving due to a massive backlog of unprocessed traffic infringements. It's understood Western Australia's Department of Transport (DoT) is battling to sort through a whopping 73,000 notices, meaning some drivers may be blithely unaware theyve accumulated enough penalties to be banned from the road. The problem has emerged due to the responsibility for processing traffic infringements having recently moved from the WA Police Force to the DoT, which was intended to "provide a much better experience" for drivers in the state. Drivers in WA might've attracted enough penalties to have their licences suspended, only they don't know it yet. Source: Getty/Reddit Thousands may be unwittingly on roads despite losing licences It's now been eight months since that handover, with the WA opposition branding the saga "a complete botching of the process". ADVERTISEMENT "To have a backlog of over 70,000 infringements in the system is not indicative of teething problems," Shadow Transport Spokesman Tjorn Sibma told the ABC. "The consequence of this botching of the rollout means there are people in WA who are driving today who should not be driving because they've accumulated that number of demerit points which necessitates their licence be cancelled." Sibma questioned how the DoT would manage with the workload once the grace period for traffic cameras using AI to detect mobile phone usage ends in April meaning even more fines would be issued. He said the government "had an enormous lead time to do it" and though "they're aware of problems" in other jurisdictions, "are still running into [issues]". Transport department weighs in For its part, the DoT said the processing delays were temporary, with the situation expected to improve within weeks. ADVERTISEMENT "Once complete, this transition will provide better, more convenient and more flexible payment options for people paying infringements," a statement given to the ABC read. "The oldest infringement awaiting processing is dated 6 December 2024, and this processing time is similar to that of the previous infringement processing system. "Infringements continue to be processed every day, and new infringements are added to the system each day. Infringements for significant antisocial road safety behaviour, such as hoon offences, are prioritised for action and are not part of the infringements waiting to be processed." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, January 22, 2025 Cape Cod commercial fishermen are sticking it to bluefin tuna in an attempt to make a killing on these valuable creatures of the north Atlantic. Its all captured on the new reality-adventure series Harpoon Hunters premiering Friday (January 24) on Discovery Channel. The show is the second basic-cable series on the derring-do of these intrepid tuna stalkers who use harpoons to land their tuna targets in a manner not unlike the legendary New England whalers of the 19th century. The stakes are high for these 21st-century Ahabs, as they face a heavily regulated fishing season lasting just four weeks. Its a race against time as these fisher kings pursue their prey on small fishing craft, one of which is named Redrum -- murder spelled backwards and a word first introduced into the popular culture in the Stephen King horror novel and Stanley Kubrick movie The Shining. advertisement advertisement The quarry of this Redrum crew is the prized Atlantic bluefin weighing in at an average 550 pounds and worth up to $10,000 apiece, according to Discovery. The weapon of choice in these high-stakes, high-voltage hunts is a 10-foot, electrified spear (photo above) capable of administering shock treatment to these great, delicious fish. Harpoon Hunters is produced by Pilgrim Media Group led by Craig Piligian. The company first got its feet wet in the tuna-hunting space with Gloucester, Massachusetts-based Wicked Tuna, which ran for 12 seasons on NatGeo. Pilgrim Media Group is a mega-producer of wide-ranging reality series on basic cable -- from the Street Outlaws franchise on Discovery to My Big Fat Fabulous Life on TLC. The new Harpoon Hunters is another in a series of manly reality series on Discovery that have included Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs and Bering Sea Gold. The tuna-hunting show joins a pantheon of iconic Discovery series that follow maverick jobs in epic settings, said Discovery Networks President Howard Lee of Harpoon Hunters. Armed with nothing but a spear and raw determination, these elite harpooners put everything on the line and its immensely thrilling to witness, he said in a statement. Immensely thrilling? Not if youre an Atlantic bluefin tuna! by Fern Siegel , January 22, 2025 Tombras has teamed with Attain, a commerce data platform, to optimize its media performance and sales metrics. The alliance, complementing Tombras' existing ad tech, will aid media buying and planning. Brian Mandelbaum, Attain CEO, said: "This partnership highlights both our breakthrough product set that's disrupting status quo measurement solutions, as well as Tombras' leadership position as an agency on the cutting edge." As part of the deal, Tombras has signed a Master Service Agreement for 2025. Attain will include Tombras in exclusive alpha and beta iterations of emerging tools focused on incrementality and brand lift. In addition, Tombras may also integrate Attain's raw data into the agency's internal media mix modeling to better evaluate brand performance. Alex Potts, senior vice president, programmatic media lead at Tombras, said the partnership has strengthened our ability to harness permissioned data and optimize media strategies in real-time. Weve enhanced how we demonstrate clear value to our clients and strengthened our commitment to innovation." In 2024, Tombras acquired Burns Group, a New York-based ad agency, and Nina, a Buenos Aires shop. Its roster includes Spirit Airlines, Sweethearts, RxBar, Gemini and BMW. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 21, 2025 Advocacy groups are urging a federal appellate court to uphold T-Mobile's $92 million fine for sharing wireless customers' location data. The vast majority of American consumers use mobile devices, and nearly three-quarters keep them nearby or on their person wherever they go, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and other watchdogs write in a friend-of-the-court brief filed late last week with the D.C.Circuit Court of Appeals. Those subscribers deserve the privacy protections that the law promises, which can only be secured through broad coverage of the sensitive data about them and robust enforcement, the groups add. They are weighing in on the Federal Communications Commission's April order fining T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T for selling access to customers geolocation data to aggregators that resold the information to outside companies. (The FCC fined AT&T $57 million and Verizon $47 million. T-Mobile's $92 million fine included a $12 million fine for Sprint, which merged with T-Mobile in 2020.) advertisement advertisement All three carriers are challenging the fines in court; T-Mobile brought suit in the D.C. Circuit, while AT&T sued in the 5th Circuit and Verizon sued in the 2nd Circuit. T-Mobile argued in a November filing that the fine should be struck down for several reasons, including that the FCC hadn't previously said all location data should be treated as customary proprietary network information, and therefore subject to confidentiality rules under Section 222 of the Communications Act. Instead, according to T-Mobile, the FCC only required carriers to keep location data confidential when it was directly tied to voice services -- meaning data that would reveal customers' locations when they were talking on the telephone. The location data at the center of the fine came from location-based services connected to non-voice services -- such as the Life Alert program, which sends medical help to people, or roadside assistance company AAA -- T-Mobile says. The Electronic Privacy Information Center and other advocates are asking the appellate court to reject that theory and rule that the phrase customary proprietary network information includes all customer location data collected by a carrier, and not just data collected during an active voice service call. The groups add that T-Mobile's interpretation of the statute would undercut its purpose by exposing extremely sensitive location data to misuse and abuse. Congress tasked the FCC with holding each carrier accountable for protecting the data of its subscribers through Section 222; here, subscriber data was exposed in violation of the statute and ultimately and predictably that data was abused, the groups write. Against this backdrop, it is implausible to argue that Congress did not intend for the FCC to regulate precisely this type of misconduct by telecom companies. The agency initially proposed the fines in 2020, when it was led by Republicans. The move came around two years after it emerged that a Missouri sheriff used geolocation data provided by Securus Technology to track other law enforcement officers, without court orders. Securus obtained the location data from the phone carriers. Around one year later, Vice Media's Motherboard detailed how a journalist was able to pay a bounty hunter $300 to track a phone's location to a neighborhood in Queens. The major U.S. carriers have said they no longer sell location data. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr -- who took over as chairman on Monday -- dissented from the decision to impose fines, arguing that the Federal Trade Commission was the appropriate agency to police the privacy practices at issue. Carr also agreed with the carriers that the location data at the center of the fines hadn't previously been subject to confidentiality rules. Todays FCC orders rest on a newfound definition of customer proprietary network information ... that finds no support in the Communications Act or FCC precedent, he stated in April. And without providing advance notice of the new legal duties expected of carriers (to the extent we could adopt those new duties at all), the FCC retroactively announces eye-popping forfeitures totaling nearly $200,000,000. These actions are inconsistent with the law and basic fairness. by Les Luchter , January 21, 2025 Marking this years 50th anniversary of its Stuck on You jingle and preceding next years centennial of its once-standard tin packaging, Kenvues Band-Aid has brought back the tin box for a limited-edition celebration. Called the Jingle Tin, the front of the box displays special 50th Jingle Anniversary graphics (above), while the back shows the jingle itself: The Jingle Tin may well become a collectable item, as has been true with previous Band-Aid tins. Calling the jingle one of our most distinct marketing assets, Steven Maseda, Kenvues head of U.S. wound care, tells Marketing Daily that Over the years, weve watched consumers proudly repurpose empty tins as canisters, holding everything from more Band-Aid Brand adhesive bandages to marbles and cards. advertisement advertisement While Kenvues predecessor, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, stopped putting Band-Aid in tin packages back in 1994, they have been brought back for other special occasions -- most recently the brands 100th anniversary in 2020. Noting that much of Gen Z likes to dwell in the past, even a past before their own time, Band-Aid is leaning heavily on social media io support the Jingle Tin. (Last years relaunch of the jingle itself garnered over 8 million social views, according to Kenvue.) Were partnering with influencers to share the Jingle Tin with their audiences through trending, relevant content themes like nostalgia, ASMR, comedy and music, Maseda says. Other marketing around the special packaging includes its addition at the end of Band-Aids main :15 video. The Jingle Tin is now being sold on Amazon, and starting to roll out in CVS, Walmart and other retail outlets. Standalone in-store displays, Maseda says, will feature a button that, when pressed, plays the latest version of our iconic jingle. The displays will also include a QR code that brings shoppers to a Golden Jubilee Sweepstakes, running through through April 30 with a grand prize of $25,000. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 21, 2025 Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Khan said Tuesday she will leave the agency at the end of the month. Its been an extraordinary honor to serve the American public as @FTC Chair, she stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. As I wrap up my record-keeping obligations and other administrative requirements, I will depart the Commission by January 31. Commissioner Andrew Ferguson, a Republican, took over as chair of the five-member agency on Monday. Khan was appointed to the FTC in 2021, and named chair by Former President Joe Biden just hours after being confirmed by the Senate. While helming the agency, she frequently expressed concerns about online data collection for ad purposes -- which she referred to as commercial surveillance. advertisement advertisement Under Khan's leadership, the FTC took initial steps toward passing rules that could restrict online data collection by issuing a controversial advance notice of proposed rulemaking, which sought input from the public about whether to regulate companies' ability to collect and monetize consumer data. That advance notice did not result in any specific proposals. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade -- a move that paved the way for states to criminalize abortion -- Khan spearheaded crackdowns on data brokers that share people's locations, as well as on health apps that allegedly share patients' data with tech platforms. In the last three years, the agency settled location-privacy cases against data brokers including Mobilewalla, Gravy Analytics, Outlogic (formerly X-Mode) and InMarket Media. The agency also sued data broker Kochava for allegedly selling smartphone users' precise geolocation data. The agency alleged in an August 2022 complaint that Kochava's data can be used to identify not only "consumers who have visited an abortion clinic and, as a result, may have had or contemplated having an abortion," but also "medical professionals who perform, or assist in the performance, of abortion services. That matter is still pending in federal court in Idaho, and has the support of at least one Republican on the commission -- Melissa Holyoak. When private parties like the defendants disclose precise geolocation information revealing political, medical, or religious activities, without consumers consent to willing purchasers, their conduct breaches that trust and jeopardizes Americans freedom, Holyoak stated last July, when the FTC brought an amended petition against Kochava. The FTC also recently settled privacy cases against prescription discounter GoodRx therapy app BetterHelp for allegedly disclosing people's data for ad targeting after promising to keep the information confidential. Before joining the FTC, Khan was among the counsel to the House Judiciary Committees antitrust subcommittee, which criticized large tech companies in a 2020 report. She also served as legal director at Open Markets Institute, which advocates for aggressive enforcement of anti-monopoly laws. by Teresa Buyikian , January 21, 2025 As most restaurants have already left 2024 behind, Asian spots are just gearing up to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Jan. 29. More than two billion people, according to Wikipedia, celebrate the first new moon with festivals during the two weeks of celebrations, with food always a key component, symbolizing luck and good fortune. Chinese Menu Online, an Asian restaurant marketplace, recently published its insights into 2024 Chinese food consumer preferences leading into the Lunar New Year. The company gathered data from over seven million orders at 3,000 Asian restaurants across the United States late last year. There is a classic Chinese proverb that says, there is no feast without chicken, and that certainly bodes true for Asian restaurants. The survey found that General Tsos chicken was the most-ordered dish in 2024, accounting for 14.8% of orders, an increase of 6.17% from 2023. But other chicken dishes are gaining in popularity, such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, included in 10.05% of orders, and Sesame Chicken, included in 8.5% of all orders. advertisement advertisement The survey also uncovered a shift in consumer preferences toward healthier dishes. Tofu remains popular, serving as a replacement for meat in many favorites such as the aforementioned General Tsos. Vegetable-focused and steamed dishes also gained in popularity, such as Vegetable Low Mein and Vegetable Dumplings. The most-ordered Chinese appetizer (and overall most-ordered item) in 2024 was the ubiquitous egg roll, appearing in 18.23% of all orders. The golden-deep fried rolls symbolize bars of gold. Eating them, especially during Chinese New Year, is supposed to bringwealth and prosperity to the diner, per SeriousEats.com. These were followed by other appetizers, such as Crab Rangoon and Fried Dumplings, which are also said to be shaped as gold ingots, also symbolizing wealth and prosperity. by Ray Schultz , January 21, 2025 The troubled Washington Post staff has been hit with two pieces of employee news this week -- one good and one not so good. The negative news is that Philip Rucker -- a Washington Post national editor and Pulitzer Prize winner -- is leaving the Post after 20 years, to join CNN as senior vice president of editorial strategy and news. Rucker will help shape CNNs coverage of the second Trump administration, the New York Post reports. I look forward to collaborating with the world-class journalists at CNN to help chart a new era of digital transformation, Rucker said in a statement, according to the New York Post. The more positive news is that Rachel Van Dongen, who helped drive the Washington Posts 2024 election coverage, is assuming the title of senior editor for national news and strategy. advertisement advertisement Van Dongen will help oversee daily news coverage on the National desk while working on audience strategy and new storytelling initiatives. She has served two stints at the Post over 15 years. Last week, 400 Washington Post employees sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos, asking for a meeting to address the seeming chaos at the publication. Recent departures have included opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin, who resigned to start a publication called The Contrarian with the so-called White House ethics czar Norm Eisen. IIT Madras' director V Kamakoti claims cow urine (gomutra) has anit-bacterial, anti-fungal properties and linking them to cultural heritage and criticizing reliance on fertilizers. Natural Farming and Biogas for a Healthier World Did you know? About 30,000 cows used to be slaughtered every day in the British era. #medindia About 30,000 cows used to be slaughtered every day in the British era. #medindia Cows: From Colonial Impact to Cultural Heritage Research papers validate cow urines anti-infective properties: IIT-Madras Director - (https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/research-papers-validate-cow-urines-anti-infective-properties-iit-madras-director/article69120154.ece) IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti praised the medicinal value of cow urine (gomutra). He shared his thoughts about the significance of indigenous cows in agriculture and organic farming by saying Go samrakshana (protect cows).The remarks, made during an event in Chennai, went viral on social media, drawing both praise and criticism from various political leaders and organizations. He argued that depending on fertilizers to improve productivity harms the earth and humans. Natural farming is the best solution for a healthy life and world.Kamakoti also discussed the potential of biogas production from cow waste. Projects like the Regenerative Agriculture Stack Architecture at IIT Madras could help advance organic farming. The program includes automation in goshala (cow shelter) operations and the production of biogas and Panchagavyam, an organic product made from cow by-products.He continued his speech with a historical reference, to how the British led by Thomas Babington Macaulay weakened India's economy by eliminating Indigenous cows and increasing the countrys reliance on the colonial system. The slaughterhouses during the British era would butcher about 30,000 cows daily.A 2019 study published inexplored the bioactive properties of gomutra and its possible medicinal uses. The director's speech also connected with Maatu Pongal, a festival in Tamil Nadu dedicated to cows and bulls, recognizing their importance in agriculture. The event is celebrated on the second day of the Tamil month Thai with prayers and celebrations to thank and honor its work in agriculture.Source-Medindia The year 2025 has not started well for Saif Ali Khan, as he first suffered injuries in a scuffle with intruders and now faces the potential loss of his Rs 15000 crore ancestral property. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted the stay on Saifs ancestral properties, paving the way for their potential acquisition under the Enemy Property Act, 1968. According to this Act, the central government can claim properties owned by individuals who migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition. Instagram/Kareena Kapoor Khan The Case According to a report by India Today, in 2015, the Mumbai-based Enemy Property Custodian Office declared the Nawab of Bhopal's land as government property, leading the Pataudi family to file a court case. The High Court began hearings involving Saif Ali Khan, his family, and the Central government. The Pataudi family claims ownership of properties in Bhopal and Raisen, including Kohefiza's Flag House, Ahmedabad Palace, Noor-e-Saba, and forest areas in Chiklod. These properties originally belonged to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last Nawab of Bhopal and maternal grandfather of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Instagram/Noor-Us-Sabah Palace After Partition in 1947, Hamidullah's eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, moved to Pakistan in 1950. His second daughter, Sajida Sultan, stayed in India, married Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, and was recognized as the legal heir in 2019. Saif Ali Khan, her grandson, inherited the properties. However, Abidas migration allowed the government to claim the properties under the Enemy Property Act. The Reactions Fans are sympathising with Saif, who has endured two significant setbacks in the past week. One user commented, Can't even imagine being Saif right now. Dude just got discharged only to get into another quandary. I have long wondered if there's something more to the case than meets the eye. Another user commented, They are definitely going through a bad time right now. Reddit/BollyBlindsNGossip A third user reacted, Ah man nobody deserves losing their ancestral property this way, it's really sad. A venomous snake with the fastest strike in the world was spotted hidden away as people mingled around a swimming hole in the Top End. Among the leaves at this Litchfield Park swimming hole is one of Australia's most deadly snakes. Source: Jesse Campbell Metres away from one of Australias most renowned swimming holes a deadly native creature lies camouflaged under leaves as tourists walk past. The rough-scaled death adder is going about his business waiting for an unsuspecting lizard to come by and offer itself for lunch. The venomous reptile is hard to spot but snake-obsessed adventurer Jesse Campbell with the help of a couple of nature lovers found his hiding spot. People would be freaking out if they knew this snake was here right now, he said in a video of the Top End find shared on social media. The location was the popular swimming spot of Buley Rockhole at Litchfield National Park in the Northern Territory, where Campbell was in December. As usual plenty of people were walking past and swimming at the tourist attraction, oblivious the deadly snake was just off the path. The rough-scaled death adder was seen poking its head out from among the leaves at Litchfield Park (left). Source: Jesse's Wildlife. Why death adders get a bad rap Campbell says death adders get a bad rap because of their name, but he told Yahoo News people really dont have much to worry about despite their venom being highly toxic. ADVERTISEMENT Death adders are one of the most relaxed snakes, Campbell told Yahoo News. They dont want anything to do with people. You really have to rile one up to get bitten by it. Campbell said he didnt point it out to anyone else while he was there because he feared someone would go and kill it, because it is a venomous snake and they are scared of it. If you are watching where you are walking and you are not messing with them, you have absolutely nothing to worry about with death adders, he said. Death adder's 'massive fangs and potent venom' The snakes are excellent sit-and-wait hunters and can stay in the one spot for days. Campbell pointed out in the video you can see it use its tail as a lure to attract the interest of its prey. And any prey that comes by is unlikely to get away. ADVERTISEMENT The death adder is known for having the fastest strike of any snake in the world, Campbell said. They have massive fangs and very potent venom. He estimated this death adder to be only about 30 cm long. During his recent trip to the Top End he spotted an incredible 19 death adders in one night, with the biggest being about 60cm long. He also discovered many other lizards and snakes, including an epic two-metre olive python and a beautiful black-headed python. Jesse Campbell finds an olive python on the road in the Top End. Source: Jesse's Wildlife. Campbells excitement in discovering the snakes is obvious with lots of yahoos and screams of delight in his Youtube videos sharing his reptile discoveries. People watching the videos congratulated him on the finds, but some arent so eager to be in his shoes, describing the death adder as terrifying. There is nothing to worry about, and same goes for all snakes, Campbell stressed. If you leave them alone and are not putting your feet and hands in stupid places, you dont have anything to worry about. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Saif Ali Khan was discharged from Lilawati Hospital yesterday after 5 days of treatment. The Meetup After the discharge, Saif met Bhajan Singh Rana, the autorickshaw driver who saved his life after the intruders attack. According to reports, he was asked to arrive at the hospital at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, where Saifs family members were present and greeted him warmly, expressing their gratitude with a simple Thank you. His mother was there, and I believe his children were as well, though I dont recognise them by face as much.They treated me with respect and clicked pictures with me. Saif Ali Khan also promised to stay in touch and said, let me know if ever you need anythingsaid Bhajan. X/NDTV Explaining the situation where he had to rush Saif to the hospital, Bhajan had earlier stated, They were in such an urgent state that I couldnt think of asking for money. Having such a big actor sit in my auto was satisfaction enough for me. Some reports even suggested that Bhajan Singh Rana received an amount of Rs 11,000 from an institution for his act of humanity. Saifs gesture towards Bhajan Singh is getting lauded by fans and they are also praising the autorickshaw driver. One user commented, That's a good gesture by Saif Ali Khan More than monetary reward the personal thanks note would be helpful for driver. Another user commented, Heroes arent always in the spotlight, sometimes theyre behind the wheel. A third user reacted, Real heroes sometimes won't be in limelight always, they come when time needs them. Another user reacted, He must be in demand now . Ola , Uber , Rapido teams would be looking for him !! Pentagon officials are not offering any explanation as to why they removed the portrait of Gen. Mark Milley, the former Joint Chiefs chairman, on Monday shortly after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. The portrait of Milley hung in an ornate hallway that is dedicated to the history of the Joint Chiefs and displays 19 other paintings of all other prior chairmen going back to Gen. Omar Bradley. Milley's portrait, the latest addition in the historic line, was unveiled Jan. 10. By 2 p.m. Monday, the day of Trump's inauguration, reporters inside the Pentagon noticed that the portrait had been removed from the wall. On Tuesday, reporters observed workers patching the holes and repainting the wall where the portrait had hung. Read Next: He Met Trump After Being Booted from the Space Force. Then, He Was Tapped to Help Lead the Air Force. A spokesman for the current chairman, Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, directed Military.com's questions on the removal to the office of the secretary of defense and the White House. The secretary's office simply said "no comment," while the White House did not respond to the query in time for publication. While an official explanation for the removal of the portrait that had hung in the Pentagon for less than two weeks was not offered by defense officials, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told a group of reporters Tuesday that Trump ordered that the painting be removed. "I guess he's OK with rewriting history," Kaine said in a video posted by reporter Joe Khalil to social media. Milley served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs -- a position that is largely responsible for being the president's top military adviser -- between 2019 and 2023 and advised Trump for the last two years of his first term in office. Before that, Milley had been the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Army. While Milley's tenure was rocky and he was condemned by both Republicans and Democrats at various times, the biggest rift between the Army general and Trump came after the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In the days after the insurrection, Milley made two calls to a Chinese general, Li Zuocheng. "My task at that time was to deescalate," Milley told senators that year, and explained that he was hoping to calm fears in the Chinese top brass that the U.S. might attack China amid the chaos and turmoil of a transition that was being rocked by violence. Milley was "certain" that the former president "did not intend on attacking the Chinese, and it is my directed responsibility to convey presidential orders and intent," he said. Amid his reelection campaign in 2023, Trump claimed Milley would have faced death "in times gone by" for the call and that his retirement was a "time for all citizens of the USA to celebrate!" Katie Miller, the wife of Stephen Miller, one of the key architects of Trump's immigration policies during his first term, claimed that Milley "was a traitor to President Trump who lied to see his name in print and be elevated as a hero to the liberal media" in a social media post the day the portrait was unveiled. The massive military headquarters that sits on the bank of the Potomac River not only displays portraits of the military and civilian heads of the services but also the former secretaries of defense and war. Milley's portrait was part of that tradition, and it was made possible because of a donation to the Army by the "Association of the United States Army" -- a nonprofit organization that acts as an outside advocacy organization for the service. "For at least the last 30 years, we have paid for the portraits of the outgoing chiefs of staff of the Army and secretaries of the Army -- and outgoing chairman when he is an Army general officer -- through a gift proffer," Tom McCuin, a spokesman for the group, told Military.com in an email Tuesday. "We donate the money to the Army, which the Army then uses to pay the artist," he added, before noting that the finished portraits are property of the Department of the Army or, in the case of the chairman, the Department of Defense. Milley's portrait from his time as the Army chief of staff was still hanging among his fellow Army chiefs at the time of publication. In both his Army and chairman portraits, Milley is depicted in a service uniform and included somewhere in the works is a Constitution of the United States, a Princeton University seal, and a photo of his family. In his chairman's portrait, Milley also had the artist include a battle map of Ukraine lying on a table, among other details. Pentagon officials wouldn't say where the portrait was taken. Related: Gen. Mark Milley Says He Has Taken 'Measures' to Protect Family After Trump Suggests He Should be Executed In what appear to be the first steps toward restricting transgender military service, President Donald Trump has rescinded the previous administration's order allowing transgender troops to serve openly and issued his own order requiring all federal agencies to revoke any policies that "promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology." Trump's actions on his first day in office Monday did not in and of themselves ban transgender troops from serving. But lawyers who fought Trump's transgender military ban during his first term in office say the actions signal his second administration's values and lay the groundwork for a follow-up executive order banning transgender troops. "We absolutely expect a more specific order" banning transgender military service, said Shannon Minter, the legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which sued the first Trump administration over its transgender military ban. "Transgender people are still with us and will continue to be part of our society. You can't just disappear them with an executive order. So [Monday's executive order] feels more like a sort of symbolic statement than an offer of any sort of concrete policy or guidance." Read Next: Trailblazing Coast Guard Commandant Fired by Trump Administration As part of an avalanche of executive orders Trump signed hours after taking the oath of office Monday, he rescinded dozens of executive orders issued by former President Joe Biden, including the order Biden issued days into his term that directed the Pentagon to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military. Rescinding Biden's order does not repeal the Pentagon's policies allowing transgender troops to serve, but it is a necessary administrative step should Trump later issue a ban, Minter said. Further, a separate executive order that Trump signed Monday said the federal government will not acknowledge the existence of transgender people and directed all federal agencies to "remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology, and shall cease issuing such statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications or other messages." While a plain reading of the broad anti-transgender executive order would appear to apply to the Pentagon, its practical effect is unclear. The White House did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday on how it expects the order to affect the Pentagon or whether the administration is planning any additional executive action specifically addressing transgender military service. The Pentagon declined to comment Tuesday on how it is interpreting its responsibilities under Monday's executive order. Trump has been widely expected to ban transgender military service following pledges on the campaign trail to roll back protections for transgender people and because he banned transgender troops during his first term. Following Trump's reelection in November, several international news outlets reported that his aides were drafting an executive order to medically discharge all transgender service members. While the Pentagon has said it does not track the number of transgender service members, estimates from outside researchers and advocacy groups put the number anywhere from 1,300 to 15,000. Currently serving transgender troops have said they are just trying to serve their country as they brace for whatever comes next. In 2017, during his first term, Trump posted on social media that he would "not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military." The official Pentagon policy that followed was somewhat narrower, but was still effectively a ban on transgender troops, reversing an open service policy that was first put in place in 2016. The social media posts and subsequent Pentagon policy spurred several lawsuits from transgender troops, transgender people who had hoped to enlist, and their advocates. Despite some early wins in getting courts to block the ban while the lawsuits worked their way through the legal process, the Supreme Court ultimately paved the way for the ban to take effect in 2019. Minter said he and his co-counsel from the lawsuit during Trump's first administration are ready to sue again if and when the president moves to ban transgender troops. He's more hopeful of success this time, he said, because of a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that said federal anti-discrimination laws apply to transgender people. Additionally, there's now a longer track record of transgender people serving in the military without issue. "Back then, the equal service policy had just been adopted," Minter said of the first Trump ban. "Now, we have four years of transgender people serving under an equal service policy, and there have been no problems. No problems. Nothing but a track record of success. This is clearly not in response to any problem with the current policy. It's an expression of bias against transgender people." Other advocacy groups are also previewing lawsuits against any policies that result from Trump's Day One executive orders. "We are exploring every legal avenue to challenge these unlawful and unconstitutional actions," Kevin Jennings, CEO of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Lambda Legal, said in a news release about Trump's anti-transgender executive order. "In the next four years, we may not be able to litigate every odious anti-LGBTQ policy change, but rest assured, attacks on our communities will not go unanswered." Related: Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve Doug Collins, President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, pledged to preserve the VA's health care system but also improve medical services for veterans through community care and other programs. Collins, an Air Force Reserve chaplain and former Republican congressman from Georgia, told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Tuesday that "there will always be a VA health care system for the veteran," with community care providing specialty care and treatment for veterans who don't have ready access to a VA facility. At the same time, Collins added, the department needs to modernize the system for veterans who "deserve every access to finding care where they can." Read Next: Trailblazing Coast Guard Commandant Fired by Trump Administration "We're going to fight for a strong VA," Collins said during his confirmation hearing. "I believe you can have a strong VA as it currently exists and have a community care aspect." Questions have loomed over the size of the VA's community care program since it was expanded under the Mission Act of 2018. Currently, 42% of medical care provided by the VA to veterans is done by the private sector, raising concerns that the cost is undermining the department's budget for in-house treatment. The rising costs of community care in the past few years have spawned debate over veterans' access to private care, with Democrats largely seeking to strengthen the VA's medical infrastructure and staff, which they say are less expensive and provide better care for veterans' unique needs, compared with Republicans who believe the VA should provide quality in-house care but also allow veterans to choose who they want to see, especially if the VA can't accommodate them in a timely fashion or with specialty care. Collins said he supports the community care program as well as VA medical centers that veterans can "come home" to, with improved communications between civilian and government providers through an overhauled electronic health records system. The VA's adoption of the Federal Electronic Health Record system, a $16 billion project that was supposed to be complete by 2028 but is used at only six VA medical facilities, has been on hold for nearly two years as a result of safety concerns. "We're looking forward to the project review," Collins said. "I'm putting on notice today that I'm committed to everyone here -- we're going to bring everyone to the table, that's [the] vendor, that's VA, everybody in the middle, and figure out what this problem is, because it's time to fix it." Collins faced tough questions on female veterans' access to care, including abortions, and replied by saying he would adhere to the law, citing the 1992 Veterans Health Care Act, which "specifically forbids the VA from doing abortions." Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, noted that the VA published an interim rule shortly after the 2022 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court overturning national protections for abortion -- Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization -- to provide abortion counseling and procedures in the case of rape, incest, or when the life or health of the veteran is in danger. Collins said the department would look at the rule and determine whether it complies with the law. "It's a debatable issue," he said. According to a VA report to Congress in October 2023, the department provided 88 abortions in the first year it offered the procedure. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is set to vote on Collins' nomination Thursday. Should the panel approve him, the full Senate is expected to vote next week. Related: VA Secretary Nominee: 'I Will Fight Like Hell' for Veterans Plus a ceiling has collapsed on a packed crowd at a Melbourne concert last night. Australia Post is being used more than ever as Aussies continue to spend despite cost-of-living pressures. Source: Getty Yahoo's live news blog for Thursday, January 23 has now concluded. Australia Post has revealed a record-breaking number of deliveries in recent months despite cost-of-living pressures impacting the country. China has issued a warning to Australia and fellow Quad members after the four countries met following Donald Trump's inauguration. The Quad said it was committed to combating "increased threats" in the Indo-Pacific, with China's foreign ministry telling the four countries to stop targeting them. Alex De Minaur has crashed out of the Australian Open, losing in straight sets to World Number 1 Jannik Sinner. A deflated De Minaur said the defeat felt like a "slap across the face" and promised Australian fans he believes he has what it takes to go further than a Grand Slam quarter-final. See all of the day's updates below. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 15 updates Featured New fire threatens more LA communities Just as Los Angeles thought the worst of its most destructive wildfires in history was over, a new fire has erupted and is now spreading rapidly. The fire has seen thousands flee their homes in the city's north near Castaic with 8,000 hectares quickly charred on Wednesday (local time). Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, said the location of the fire was "not a good place" amid strong winds due to the "almost contiguous, very dense fuel bed all in this region," the Los Angeles Times reported. There was an order for nearly 20,000 people to leave the area. Source: AP Schoolchildren were seen in tears as they were evacuated under smoke-filled skies. "The sky is black and we're getting everyone out," one business employee nearby the fire said. LA County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami said his family, like many others, are experiencing "fire fatigue". "Everybody is on edge. Its a lot. I love California. I love Los Angeles, but this is definitely stressful," he said. "Its hard to go to work when youre worried your house could burn down and your kids are at school, and your wife is out there, and you dont know whats going to happen with her. Hobart icon finally getting replaced The old blue slide was a well-known attraction for Hobart. Source: Pulse Tasmania How's this for a slide? A beloved and iconic slide in Hobart's south used by several generations is finally being replaced after it was closed in 2023 because of safety concerns. The 'big blue slide' will now be replaced by a 15-metre, fully enclosed "snakey" slide and what a beauty it is. Locals hailed the move, reminiscing about their time as kids using the old slide. 10,000 people watching on as corpse flower starts to bloom Well it's happening. Putricia, Sydney's corpse flower that hasn't bloomed in years, is blooming. There's nearly 10,000 people on the livestream of the flower as we speak and a few got a bit upset when a man appeared from behind the curtain and started touching the flower. "We do not touch Putricia," one person declared, while another said looking was done with our eyes. Well that man is John Siemon, Director of Horticulture & Living Collections at the Botanical Gardens of Sydney and he was giving the lucky few in the room witnessing the event a little rundown of what's going on. So we'll let him off. As the Director of Horticulture & Living Collections, John Siemon is well placed to give Putricia a touch. Source: Botanical Gardens of Sydney Man charged after allegedly pretending to be firie A man has been charged in WA after he allegedly posed as a firefighter, where is accused of donning an official uniform and installing sirens and lights to his car. "It will be alleged whilst wearing overalls and a helmet with DFES embroidery, he got into a parked Holden Rodeo utility. The vehicle was marked with reflective signage and stickers which depict a DFES vehicle," WA Police said after the man was seen in Kewdale last week. Police attended a Belmont address where they arrested a 60-year-old man in relation to the incident. The man has been charged with impersonating an officer and is due to front court next month. Four-month-old boy dies in hospital The death of a four-month-old baby at a NSW hospital is under investigation by police. Police on Tuesday were notified about an injured boy at Gunnedah Hospital, west of Tamworth. The boy was transferred to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle where he died later that evening. Police said the child abuse and homicide squads were now assisting with investigations into the circumstances surrounding the boy's death. Fears of 'perfect storm' during Australia Day long weekend Emergency services are bracing for a perfect storm this Australia Day long weekend, with double demerits coming into effect on Friday for millions of motorists. NSW residents are expected to flock to the states beaches and waterways over the holiday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting highs of 30C. The states emergency service heads described the forecast on Thursday as a perfect storm and urged residents to be safe both on the road and in the water. Over the past three years, weve had 50 serious incidents, three fatalities and 11 serious injuries over Australia Day, NSW Maritime executive director Mark Hutchings said. We want to make sure that this doesnt occur again over this Australia Day long weekend, knowing the weather is going to be pretty well perfect for boating. The holiday weekend comes after a spike in drownings over the summer, with residents urged to not drink and drive, wear a life jacket, and know their limits. NSW Police said it was looking at performing record numbers of water-based RBT and drug tests over the weekend as well as targeting road user safety. Read more from NCA NewsWire here. Splendour in the Grass cancelled for second year in a row In bad news for music fans in Australia, Splendour in the Grass will not go ahead for a second year in a row. Organisers said on Thursday the festival "needs a little more time to recharge" and won't be back for 2025. But they stressed they would be returning amid what has been a difficult period for music festivals across the country, which has seen a host of cancellations as struggling ticket sales paired with increasing costs putting the industry's future in serious doubt. Last year the federal government put aside millions in funding in a bid to halt the decline. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Splendour in the Grass (@splendourinthegrass) Trump's immigration crackdown well underway Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is well underway and we bring you images from the US - Mexico border where workers are installing new boundaries to stop illegal migration from happening. The photos are from the Rio Grande river which separates the US's Eagle Pass from Mexico's Piedras Negras. Large buoys have been placed in the water while military personnel have been deployed along the river. New US President Donald Trump is behind the move. Source: Reuters Workers assemble a string of buoys, to deter migrants from crossing the Rio Grande river. Source: Reuters Petrol warning ahead of long weekend Australians have been urged to fill up their cars now, as fuel prices are set to soar to more than $2 per litre ahead of the long weekend. NRMA reported the average price for unleaded petrol in Sydney was $1.84 per litre, with the cost tipped to rise to just more than $2 per litre. About 27 per cent of service stations across Sydney are already charging upwards of $2 for unleaded, with NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury warning there could be further steep rises on the way. If you didnt fill up last week while prices were at the bottom of the cycle, now would be a good time to fill up, as prices are only going to rise and rise quickly, Mr Khoury said. He said prices in Sydney would continue to increase well over the long weekend. For families going away this long weekend, absolutely do your research, he said. They may well be going to a town thats cheaper than where they are right now, so its important to do that little bit of research before getting in the car and heading into the long weekend. Please do not wait. - NCA NewsWire Manhunt after man steals cars with children inside A manhunt is underway after two cars were stolen in WA, both with children in the back seat. WA Police say the man got behind the wheel of a sedan on the Great Eastern Highway in West Kalgoorlie shortly before 4pm before driving off. Two children were in the back of the car and were later located by police. Just 15 minutes, police allege the same man drove off with another car on the same highway, this time with one child in the back. Again, police were able to locate the child a short time later. Both vehicles have also been recovered. Police have released CCTV in their attempt to identify the man they believe is responsible for the two incidents. See the vision below. Couple land $580k with forgotten lottery ticket A Queensland couple who forgot about a lottery ticket in their car have landed $580,000 after finally remembering about it. The Jimboomba pair had a ticket for the Saturday Gold Lotto draw 4537 earlier this month but forgot all about it. And it was only on Wednesday they realised they had the ticket and went and checked if it had won anything. It turns out they were one of 17 division one winners. My daughter started jumping up and down and my wife was just shaking. Shes still shaking this morning!" the husband told lottery officials. Ceiling falls on packed concert Concertgoers were reportedly injured after a ceiling panel fell onto patrons at Melbourne's Festival Hall. Video shared to social media shows a ceiling panel falling onto the crowd during Bad Omens' concert last night. The band appeared unaware of the incident, and occurred when confetti was blasted into the air. A Festival Hall spokesperson said their first aid team responded swiftly to those hurt. "We have conducted an immediate review of the special effects vendor and additional safety checks before tonights show," they said. China hits back at Australia, US China has swiftly responded to Australia and the US after they declared their commitment to fighting "increasing threats" in the Indo-Pacific. The US reiterated its position as a key member of both the Quad and AUKUS, which have been heavily focused on China's rapid military growth and their increased strategic plays on Australia's doorstep. On Wednesday (AEDT), Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with the US's new Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said both governments shared the same vision on the region. While official statements repeatedly avoid naming China directly, Beijing knew exactly who the Quad's latest statement was aimed at. "China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday night. "Engaging in group politics and bloc confrontation will not bring lasting peace and security, and is not conducive to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world as a whole. "Chinas activities in relevant waters are lawful, legitimate and completely justified. We hope that relevant parties will do more things that help enhance mutual trust and cooperation between countries." Australia continues to find itself in a precarious position as a key ally to the US, with Sino-Australian relations improving considerably since Anthony Albanese became prime minister. Wong has previously spoke of Labor's calculated approach with China to ensure differences between the two countries are carefully managed. De Minaur's sad response to tough defeat A deflated Alex de Minaur has promised Australian fans he can make it beyond a Grand Slam quarter final, saying his difficult loss to Jannik Sinner was hard to take with such a strong support behind him. De Minaur lost 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 to Sinner and said the nature of the defeat meant it felt like he was "slapped across the face". "After playing some great tennis on home soil and gaining so much, you feel like you just have been slapped across the face, to finish off like that," he said after the defeat. "I know that whole crowd has got my back. They want me to go out there, make it competitive, try to make it into a match, and I'm trying my best. De Minaur was blown away by Sinner, whose superior game was on full show. Source: Getty "It's frustrating that I can't do it. I'm doing my best, but I can't make it into even a match where the crowd can get behind and start supporting. "It is disappointing. I don't want to leave like this." De Minaur has now lost 10 straight matches to Sinner and has vowed to try and find a way to break the World Number 1 down. De Minaur has now made four consecutive Grand Slam quarter finals, failing to proceed to the last four in all four. Australia Post reveals record-breaking period While we're constantly being told we're in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, we're certainly not cutting back on our spending. Australia Post has revealed data from the end of 2024, saying Australians made 7.6 million online purchases in November and December, a 2.4 per cent rise on the year prior. That equated to 103 million parcels delivered by Australia Post, the most in the national courier's history. Australia Post said there was a "growing appetite for online shopping" and that Australians were capitalising on sale periods like cyber weekend. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Stewart Rhodes, Army veteran and leader of the right-wing militia known as the Oath Keepers, was released from prison Tuesday after President Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons or commutations to more than 1,500 people accused of crimes for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including those who were convicted of assaulting law enforcement. Five of the Oath Keepers who had sentences commuted by the president on Monday -- including Rhodes, who was facing 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy -- were military veterans, some of whom stormed the Capitol in a quasi-military "stack" formation or helped store firearms across the Potomac River in Virginia for a "quick reaction force" amid plots to keep Congress from certifying the 2020 election. Under a commutation, which is a lesser form of clemency compared to a full pardon, the veterans will be released from custody, but their felony convictions will remain on their criminal records, meaning they may face civil restrictions on things such as voting and owning firearms. Read Next: Trailblazing Coast Guard Commandant Fired by Trump Administration Trump issued commutations to the Oath Keepers and members of the far-right militant group the Proud Boys with military backgrounds, including Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola. Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, who was delivered the longest Jan. 6 sentence of 22 years, was granted a full pardon. "Now that some of these folks and the more prominent leaders within the Oath Keepers and other militias are out and no longer under the jurisdiction of federal law enforcement, I think that it will probably provide them an opportunity to reconstitute," Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow with the George Washington University's Program on Extremism, told Military.com on Tuesday. "It gives them almost a blank slate to start over with," he added. Rhodes' lawyers did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, but one of them, James Lee Bright, wrote on social media that he was "thankful for the commutation of our client Stewart Rhodes' sentence for seditious conspiracy," adding that the decision was "better than prison" though they had prayed for a full pardon and will appeal the conviction. In his proclamation issued Monday, Trump made good on a campaign promise to pardon those convicted of crimes for Jan. 6, though even his vice president, Marine veteran J.D. Vance, said just over a week ago that those who "committed violence on that day" should "obviously" not be pardoned. The move drew ire from former law enforcement who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 and lawmakers. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said that those who assaulted police officers at the Capitol that day should not get a pardon. "You make this place less safe if you send the signal that police officers could potentially be assaulted and there is no consequence," he told Reuters. "It's pretty straightforward to me." Craig Sicknick, the brother of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was attacked at the Capitol and died from strokes the following day, also told Reuters that his brother "died in vain." "What Trump did is despicable, and it proves that the United States no longer has anything that resembles a justice system," he said, according to the outlet. Trump also directed the attorney general to dismiss "with prejudice to the government" all pending indictments for those involved in Jan. 6, saying that the overall pardon decision "ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation." After Trump gave a speech nearby on Jan. 6, 2021, hundreds of his supporters marched on the Capitol as Congress was certifying the election results. The supporters, inspired by months of false claims by Trump that the election had been stolen, broke through windows and doors; assaulted and injured 140 police officers; and destroyed property, causing $2.8 million in damage, according to the Justice Department. Now, it appears those dismissals directed by Trump are already rolling in. For example, the government filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss the indictment of former Marine Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, who was arrested while he was on active duty and faced charges involving assaulting law enforcement at the Capitol, according to court records reviewed by Military.com. Some of the services still have troops sentenced for Jan. 6 crimes within their ranks, Military.com previously reported, and did not relay a unified plan on how to handle pardons for veterans or military personnel tied to the Capitol riot. The other military veterans associated with the Oath Keepers on Jan. 6 who had their sentences commuted Monday were Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Edward Vallejo and Thomas Caldwell. They were sentenced for less time than Rhodes and for various lesser offenses, such as obstruction of an official proceeding or interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder. Some of them vilified the militia founder in court, with Vallejo telling a judge in 2023 that "I wish I never associated myself with Stewart Rhodes," for example. Military.com reported in 2022 that Rhodes, who served in the Army for a little over two-and-a-half years, sought to recruit veterans into his organization, taking advantage of those looking for meaning after service to bolster the Oath Keepers' credibility, according to former members, those once close to the founder, and court records. Baumgartner noted generally that those who spoke to law enforcement or testified during court could "have a target on their back from the more faithful and more fervent believers or members" of the extremist groups. Of the pardon, Baumgartner, an Army veteran, said that "it's an amplification of the same sort of rhetoric that led them there in the first place." Related: Convicted Oath Keeper Leader Preyed on Veterans Looking for Meaning After Service The Pentagon is surging approximately 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern U.S. border under orders from President Donald Trump to assist in flying migrants out of the country as well as building barriers, as the commander in chief flexes his new authority and attempts to make good on a campaign promise to curb immigration into the country. Those active-duty forces are made up of 1,000 Army soldiers and approximately 500 Marines. It also includes helicopters with associated crews and intelligence analysts "to support increased detection and monitoring efforts," Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses said in a statement. The Department of Defense is also providing aircraft to transport upward of 5,000 immigrants currently detained in San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, out of the country. Additionally, the Pentagon will be helping to build "temporary and permanent physical barriers to add additional security to curtail illegal border crossings and illicit trafficking," Salesses added. Read Next: Tricare West Region Beneficiaries Get Another Chance to Update Payment Information The announcement comes amid the Trump administration's recent executive actions directing a comprehensive military border mission as well as designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Those soldiers and Marines are assisting in the border missions through Title 10 federal orders and were on standby already, a senior military official said. The soldiers are from the U.S. Northern Command and are typically activated for civil emergencies or natural disasters. The Marines were on standby to respond to wildfires in Los Angeles, California, but had not yet been requested to assist with the blazes before they were reassigned to assist at the southern border. Officials told reporters during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon that the mobilizations were just the initial efforts in a likely growing mission. It marked the Pentagon's first public interaction with reporters since Trump took office, and clearly indicated the military would be playing a large role in the president's aggressive border and immigration policies. In recent years, there has been a constant troop presence at the southern border with Mexico. Throughout both Trump's first term in office and former President Joe Biden's administration, active-duty service members were deployed there, along with National Guard troops sent by many Trump-loyal governors across the country. But the new deployment comes as Trump has promised a historic crackdown on border crossings and the massive deportation of undocumented immigrants, and some of the language in the president's recent executive orders perplexes defense and legal experts. There are two separate operations going on at the southern border that pre-date the current Trump administration: Joint Task Force North and Operation Lone Star. The first is U.S. Northern Command's border mission that is based out of El Paso, Texas, and staffed by around 2,200 active-duty troops who are supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The other is Operation Lone Star, a contingent of National Guard troops stationed at the border that is headed up by the Texas National Guard but supported by several other Republican governors. At its peak, Operation Lone Star included some 10,000 National Guardsmen, but the Texas Guard did not have the personnel to sustain those numbers, and they have since fallen to just several thousand. Military.com has reported on the emotional toll that many Lone Star Guardsmen have experienced while deployed on the southern border mission by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. There have also been reported clusters of suicides and deaths for those who've been on the mission. Trump's executive order the day he took office commanded the defense secretary to make plans in a little more than a week for U.S. Northern Command, which typically is in charge of missile and airspace security for North America, to oversee the mission. "No later than 10 days from the effective date of this order, deliver to the president a revision to the Unified Command Plan that assigns United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities," Trump's order read. Both former defense officials and legal experts questioned the language in Trump's executive order. Retired Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., who served as NORTHCOM commander between 2007 and 2010, told Military.com in an interview Wednesday that, after reading the order, it's unclear to him what role existing border agencies would have in the effort. "While it doesn't specifically say, it alludes to the fact that DoD would be the lead element in this effort but, but doesn't really specify what roles the other more traditional border security organizations -- ICE, Customs and Border Protection, ATF -- those folks who traditionally have had a role there," Renuart said. "It doesn't really specify who's the supporting or supported organization." Renuart said it's common for NORTHCOM to be the overseeing and planning organization as certain National Guard assets are put on federal orders such as law enforcement to assist those traditional border agencies -- like the already existing Joint Task Force North -- and speculated it's possible for the command to comply with the order through those existing and well-established practices. But opening up certain military operations, not just support missions, at the border or in Mexico "poses a whole other set of issues with governments of other countries," Renuart said. That vague language is concerning for legal experts such as Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the nonprofit Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program. Goitein told Military.com in an interview that she "didn't blink an eye"at the development of 1,500 troops heading to the border, saying that's been a common practice for the military to assist Homeland Security or other border agencies. But the language of the NORTHCOM-focused executive order is very different. She said Trump's use of his authority as commander in chief and the use of the phrase "repelling forms of invasion" alludes to something larger than law enforcement duties for the military, even a formal defense operation. "It can be very tough to parse orders that are badly written, because repel invasion is ordinarily not about law enforcement," Goitein said. "What this seems to be doing is not involving the military in either assisting with or conducting law enforcement, but rather anticipating a potential military campaign to be waged at the southern border against migrants." Goitein explained that conducting and planning military campaigns at the border is not something that NORTHCOM does, but added that Trump's executive order may push those norms. "The fact that it isn't a thing, and it is unprecedented and probably illegal, doesn't mean that Trump didn't just try to kind of order it, or at least prepare for it, or do an order sort of teeing it up," she said. Editor's note: This story was updated with additional comments by Pentagon officials. Related: Texas Denying Most Guard Troops at Border Chance to Help Families Suffering Hardships at Home MIAMI The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday night that it will be surging ships, boats and aircraft to South Florida and other areas of the country to bolster anti-maritime migration efforts to comply with President Donald Trumps executive order to use the nations military to defend the border. The announcement comes the same day the acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman fired Adm. Linda Fagan as commandant of the Coast Guard, which is responsible for maritime security. Fagan was not only the first woman to lead the Coast Guard, but also the first woman in uniform to head any branch of the countrys armed forces. Although the Coast Guard is a military branch, it falls under the command of Homeland Security since its also a federal law enforcement agency. Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant, released a statement Tuesday noting the decision to flood South Florida and other U.S. maritime borders with more Coast Guard members and assets is in adherence with Trumps executive order on border security. Lunday said he has directed the agencys operational commanders to surge cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces to the Florida Straits to deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and/or Cuba. Other areas of the U.S. and its territories that will see an increased Coast Guard presence, per the announcement, are the maritime border between the Bahamas and Florida, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Somoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Coast Guard will also be sending personnel and assets to the southwest maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, reads the announcement, which refers to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America renamed by Trump in another executive order Monday. Lunday also directed the Coast Guard to support U.S. Customs and Border Protections anti-migrant efforts in maritime areas of the southwest U.S. border. Maritime migration from both Cuba and Haiti has slowed significantly since both the state of Florida and the Biden administration deployed increased forces to South Florida and the Keys after a surge in landings in late 2022 and early 2023 overwhelmed local law enforcement. So many people from Cuba were arriving during that time that the federal government was forced to close Dry Tortugas National Park, located about 70 miles from Key West, in January 2023. About 300 people from Cuba had landed at the park in the weeks following New Years Day of that year. However, after Florida National Guard soldiers, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Florida Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Commission officers as well as more Coast Guard and Customs personnel sent by the federal government began to bolster patrols in the Keys, arrivals slowed precipitously. While migrant boats are still being stopped along the Florida Straits, arrivals on land went from an almost daily occurrence to barely one per month. Haitian migrant arrivals also increased significantly between 2022 and 2023, but less frequently, albeit in larger boats and groups than those coming from Cuba. However, despite ongoing turmoil and increased violence from armed gangs, maritime migration from Haiti to South Florida has also dropped significantly. The last large arrival of Haitians in South Florida was when a sailboat carrying about 120 people arrived in Key West in June. _____ 2025 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners will soon have an option on the table to formalize a forever chemicals testing agreement with the Air Force over wells at Fountain Creek Regional Park. Todd Marts, El Paso County director of community services, said in an informal meeting with commissioners on Tuesday that the U.S. Air Force has been regularly testing wells for two forever chemical types in "surrounding areas" including the park. The agreement would formalize continued access for the military. PFOS and related PFOA are in a category of man-made chemicals commonly referred to as PFAS or "forever chemicals" for their persistence in the environment and in human bodies. Prolonged exposure to forever chemicals has been linked to adverse health effects including cancer. Residents in and around Fountain and Security-Widefield were previously exposed to elevated levels of forever chemicals from firefighting foams used on Peterson Space Force Base. The communities have since put in systems to treat groundwater. PFAS contamination around military installations has been documented in hundreds of other cases. Air Force officials could not be immediately reached for comment on the proposed agreement. Marts said that the two park wells, both near Fountain Creek and serving irrigation and bathroom facilities respectively, have generally tested under the set acceptable levels. According to a county spokesperson, testing began in 2019, taking place quarterly. Kyle Melvin, county parks operations manager, said that Air Force testing usually generated results under 70 parts per trillion, a safety level based on a 2016 Environmental Protection Agency health advisory for PFOS and and PFOA chemicals. He said that levels have jumped above the threshold "once or twice," triggering the closing of bathroom facilities at the park usually during the offseason when usage is low. The EPA has since issued interim advisories with lower parts per trillion cutoffs for safe values of PFOS and PFOA. As advisories and not regulations, the recommendations are not enforceable. Marts said the county itself was not yet testing for forever chemicals in its other wells aside from data shared from the military. He said that the county was looking at adding forever chemicals to regular tests in the future. The county did not have immediate plans to mitigate forever chemicals in park water, with Melvin pointing out that the chemicals lived up to their name. "In the meantime, there's nothing we can do to remove the PFAS," he said. El Paso County's parks department is considering the addition of a third well to serve the Fountain Creek Nature Center, will would also be subject to testing under the access agreement with the Air Force. The contract will allow military access for testing for one year, with the option to renew for nine years. The El Paso County commissioners will vote on the agreement as an item at an upcoming public meeting. 2025 The Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg, Va.). Visit www.vagazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A Massachusetts man took repeated, deliberate steps to steal from his neighbor a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was in the hospital again and again, federal prosecutors wrote in court documents filed last week. Joseph Smith, 71, and others stole more than $450,000 in disability benefits from the man between roughly 2015 and 2020, when he was hospitalized with ALS, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts. Theres no cure for ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that affects the nervous system and the ability to control ones muscles. After the 20-year Marine Corps veteran was diagnosed with the disease, the Veterans Benefits Administration began mailing him monthly disability checks in September 2015, prosecutors said. Smith and others stole the checks and deposited them into bank accounts, including a bank account Smith opened in the veterans name, according to prosecutors. He cashed the checks for personal expenses, prosecutors said. Now Smith, of New Bedford, has been sentenced to one year and 11 months in prison and ordered to pay $459,550,86 in restitution, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a Jan. 17 news release. Stealing from a Marine Corps veteran who bravely served for 20 years as he battled a devastating illness is about as low as it gets, U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in the news release. A federal public defender who represented Smith didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment Jan. 21. Ahead of sentencing, Levy and Benjamin A. Saltzman wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Smith wouldve continued stealing from the veteran if authorities hadnt discovered the reported theft. Over more than four years, (Smith) took several steps to steal as much money as possible without getting caught, the sentencing memorandum said. Smith pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government benefits and one count of conspiracy to steal government benefits in September, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. In the sentencing memorandum, Levy and Saltzman credited Smith for accepting responsibility for his crimes. Briefcase belonging to the veteran goes missing The U.S. Attorneys Office said Smith was charged in the case in June. According to an affidavit filed that month, Smith was receiving Social Security retirement benefits and lived across the street from the veteran when prosecutors said he stole from him. Before the veteran was hospitalized with ALS, he lived with his brother and one of Smiths family members, the affidavit said. The veterans brother, who died in 2022, and Smiths relative were considered co-conspirators in the case, according to the affidavit, which didnt include their identities. In May 2016, while the veteran was in the hospital, he asked his daughter to retrieve his items from his New Bedford home, including a black briefcase that had his Social Security card, debit card, military paperwork, and Massachusetts identification card, the affidavit said. His daughter repeatedly tried to locate the briefcase, but she never found it, according to the affidavit. She confronted both (her fathers brother) and (Smiths relative) about the briefcase, but neither was cooperative, the affidavit said. The veterans brother and Smiths family member were later found with the veterans Social Security card and ID card in May 2020, when a police officer caught them trying to re-open a bank account in the veterans name, according to the affidavit. An appalling crime Before Smiths sentencing, his federal defender, Joshua Hanye, wrote in court papers that Smith was prepared to accept the consequences of his actions. He said that when Smith stole from his neighbor, he was experiencing drug addiction. Mr. Smith was still in the grips of a crack cocaine addiction that had plagued him for more than 30 years and which at that point had led to daily use, Hanye wrote. That addiction was involuntarily, but fortunately, interrupted in late 2020 when he was arrested for a state cocaine offense. Hanye argued in support of a sentence of one year and six months for Smith, before a judge ultimately sentenced him one year and 11 months in prison, the sentencing memorandum showed. Military veterans deserve our highest reverence and respect, Ketty Larco-Ward, the inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Services Boston division, said in the news release. Joseph Smith egregiously stole a disabled veterans benefits to enrich himself, Larco-Ward said, and added that he was sentenced for his appalling crime. 2025 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The town seemed deserted. The only sounds were our footsteps on the ancient cobblestones. We wandered down the unfamiliar roads, wondering about all the closed doors and shuttered windows, when we suddenly heard rustling up ahead. We hurried forward, hoping it might be someone who could explain why this quaint little Sicilian village was so empty in the middle of a weekday. Rounding the corner, we were startled to see the black faces and wooly bodies of a herd of sheep coming right at us. Laughing and jumping out of the way, we turned and watched as the sheep scampered around a bend. Once they were gone, the eerie silence washed over us again. We continued walking, hoping to find something, anything, to make this spontaneous road trip worth the hours drive from Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy. Trying not to stress over everything I still wanted to do before we arrived in the United Arab Emirates the next day, I wondered what I was even doing here. Everyone else in the group was from the associate Air Force Reserve wing back at McGuire, and, even more disheartening, most were from the Operations Group. I was still relatively new to aircraft maintenance but Id quickly learned Ops doesnt give maintenance the time of day unless they want something; Why in the world would they invite me to spend the day with them? Id be working with them for the next six weeks, so I vowed to just appreciate the unexpected sightseeing. It was certainly better than hanging out at the passenger terminal or alone in my hotel room; especially after I realized Maggie, the other woman in the group, was actually quite nice. My thoughts were interrupted when we finally came upon an open door and sounds of life. As we stepped inside, the men sprinkled around the room looked at us warily. It felt like we had entered a saloon at the Italian version of the O.K. Corral. I was reminded of those scenes when the stranger comes through the swinging doors and the music and talking abruptly cease. The Lieutenant Colonel leading our little group, I think his name was Larry, tried to explain what we were doing there. The local men seemed uninterested, and through hand gestures and simple phrases, we finally caught on that we had stumbled into town during riposo (siesta). The bar was not open for customers. Refusing to squander this opportunity, Larry quickly pulled some papers out of his pocket and handed them to the man behind the bar. Thats when I realized, this wasnt just an impromptu sightseeing trip. Larry must have known beforehand that we would spend the night at Sigonella and would have a full day to explore Sicily before heading on to Al Dhafra Air Base; and he had come with a plan to explore his family history and find his ancestors. Larrys plan included having a personal letter translated into Italian. The letter explained how his ancestors were from this area, presumably this town, and that he was hoping some of the family might still be living nearby. He also had an old black-and-white photo taken before his grandfather moved to the United States. The picture featured several rows of peoplemen and women, young and old, standing in front of a house. Larry was hoping someone might recognize a face in the photograph and point him in the right direction. Studying the photo, the bartender seemed oddly surprised. He read the letter, motioned for us to sit down, and then left the room. With no idea what was happening, we sank into the comfortably worn wooden chairs and waited. Small porcelain cups were placed in front of us with tiny silver spoons on each saucer. A lady with a small silver pitcher poured steaming liquid into the cups, motioning for us to say when. Not being much of a coffee drinker at the time, I put my hand out at half a cup, gently stirred the liquid with the tiny spoon and took a sip. It was toasty warm and slightly sweet. I wondered happily at the lack of expected coffee bitterness and thought perhaps I might be a coffee drinker after all. When she returned with a second pitcher of steaming, fragrant, and dark liquid, I realized that what I had thought was coffee was actually just warm milk. Feeling like a country mouse, I sheepishly stirred a sugar cube into the coffee and sipped again. It was so delicious I barely remember the cannoli or anything that came after. Soon, we heard footsteps moving along the creaking floorboards overhead. The bartender was making his way back with an elderly lady whose white-and-gray streaked hair was pulled back into a tidy bun. As she moved towards us, she removed a flowered apron from atop her house dress. She smiled, let flow a melodic stream of words none of us understood, and smiled again. A second man spoke up in rough, heavily accented, and wonderfully unexpected English to interpret for us. He told us the lady was Larrys great-aunt! The bartender then showed us a framed photograph he had brought downstairs. For as long as he could remember, he told us through the interpreter, this photo had hung on the ladys wall. It was an exact replica of the photo Larry had brought with him from New Jersey. The sweet lady invited the whole group of us to her house. Unbelievably, she still lived in the family home where she and her brother, Larrys grandfather, had grown up. She would host a big dinner to welcome us to Italy so Larry could meet his Italian cousins. I have no recollection of what we did between siesta and dinner time, but at the appointed hour, we were led down the street to a house not far from the bar. We were warmly welcomed as if we were long-lost members of the family. It was such an open and generous welcome that it brought tears to my eyes. The author, right, and Maggie Koller, a now retired US Air Force Reserves senior master sergeant, met on the excursion to find an officers Italian relatives. (Courtesy of Stefanie Cooper) Initially, I felt self-conscious at being part of a family event. I barely even knew Larry or any of the others. Despite that, the self-consciousness faded quickly. There were so many Italian cousins that all of us, the new American friends, were joyfully occupied and entertained. Huge bowls of pasta were brought out as well as limitless warm, crusty bread and strong red wine. The evening flew by, and the language barrier seemed to disappear, as it often does, with the hours and the wine. Eventually, we had to say our goodbyes and make our way back through town to the rental car. Most of the group had enjoyed the free-flowing wine, so that left Maggie and I to figure out the way back to base. As we drove south past Mount Etna, I thought about all that had happened and how grateful I was that I had been there. We made it back to lodging in one piece and were able to get a fair amount of sleep before heading back to the passenger terminal the next morning. As we waited to board the KC-10, we told the others about our adventure. Someone mentioned that there are actually two villages with the exact same name in Sicily. Incredibly, we had driven right past the one relatively close to the base and gone to the village much farther away. Ive never forgotten that day or the amazing feeling of serendipity when so many things seemed to click in place. Twenty-five years later I still enthusiastically chatter about it to anyone who will listen. Despite 10 years on active duty with many memorable assignments, temporary duty trips, and deployments to 8 countries and 15-plus states, that day in Sicily still stands out. And that one unexpected adventure generated a fervent interest in genealogy and a desire to learn everything possible about family history. So much so that when my family and I planned to visit Norway in 2023, I did a lot of research in preparation for the trip. We built our itinerary around a visit to Tvedestrand, a town in southern Norway where my husband Toms grandfather, Carsten Wroldsen, grew up. Along with the family tree, we brought a generational family photo with us much like the one I remembered from that long-ago day in Italy. We wandered around Tvedestrand not sure where exactly to start. After gathering our thoughts with a nice cup of coffee, we came upon an interesting used bookstore. We looked around and introduced ourselves to the bookstore owner, Per, and told him why we were in Tvedestrand. Astonishingly, we learned that Per had grown up next door to the Wroldsen family! Not only did Per remember them, several years ago he had written a biography on one of the cousins. He had family pictures, facts, and stories we would never have found without him. Looking at Toms family picture, Per thought he might have an idea where the house in the photograph might be. He told us he would do some research and the next afternoon he would take us to the most likely locations. We spent the following morning in the Tvedestrand cemetery looking for any Wroldsen family members. We found the family plot on a grassy, raised platform on the back edge of the cemetery. Two of the graves had relatively fresh flowers on them. It was nice to see that someone else, someone who had been here not long before us, still remembered the Wroldsens. We left the cemetery and headed to Pers bookstore unsure what to expect. Per had done his research and narrowed the house down to two possible locations. We piled into his car and headed out, driving for quite a while, past places filled with such peace and beauty that we wondered what could have driven people away from here to an unknown life in America. As we neared the small village of Danielsnes, Per turned off the road and drove down an even smaller road. Seeing the name Danielsnes, I checked the family tree and verified that in 1833, Toms great-great-grandfather, Christen Wrodlsen, was born in a village with the same name. The pieces were clicking into place. With the help of a bookstore owner, the Coopers found the home in the ancestral family photo (inset bottom left) sitting on a slight rise, in the middle of a meadow. (Courtesy of Stefanie Cooper) Per parked the car in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, deep in the woods. We walked up a shady dirt lane to an overgrown gravel path leading to a small green meadow. Looking past the trees, we were startled into an awed silence. Sitting on a slight rise, in the middle of the meadow, was a large white house with a red roof. It had the same wide front stairs, the same windows, and same roofline as the house in the family photo. We had found it on the first try. We stood in silence, astonished that we were looking at the Wroldsen ancestral home. The home where, almost 200 years ago, Christen was likely born. Tom was overcome by emotion; we all were. We had talked about finding this place as if it would be a jolly adventure. The photo and house had been part of family lore for years and now it was right in front of usalmost 4,000 miles from our home. Exploring the grounds around the house, knowing we were literally touching the same earth Toms great-great-grandfather walked with his young children, was almost like what I imagine a religious pilgrimage might be. The feeling of connection to people long gone was so strong. It was surely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The only experience that even came close was on a sunny day in a quiet little Sicilian village during siesta. This War Horse reflection was edited by Mike Frankel, fact-checked by Jess Rohan, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Hrisanthi Pickett wrote the headlines. Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. The Taliban wont return any of the military equipment left behind by the U.S. troops while exiting Afghanistan in 2021, a person familiar with the matter said, as relations between Kabul and the Donald Trump administration start on a wobbly note. Instead of taking back the weapons, the U.S. should provide Taliban with more advanced weapons to fight the Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, an offshoot of the broader Islamic State organization, said the person, who did not want to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media. The response comes after Trumps remarks at a Sunday rally, in which the U.S. President threatened to cut any financial assistance to Afghanistan if the South Asian nation does not return U.S. aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, vehicles and communications equipment. If were going to pay billions of dollars a year, tell them were not going to give them the money unless they give back our military equipment, Trump said. We dont intend to make a comment for now, a Taliban deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fetrat, said in a text message. Military equipment, reportedly worth more than $7 billion, were taken over by the Taliban when U.S. troops made a rushed withdrawal from Afghanistan after more than 20 years in the country. The Taliban each year parade the captured U.S. military equipment at a former American military base next to the capital Kabul to mark their return to power. Last year, Chinese and Iranian diplomats also attended the ceremony. Despite rejecting Trumps demand, the Taliban-led government wants a fresh start with the U.S. under the new president, and gain access to over $9 billion in frozen foreign exchange reserves. Establishing normal relations with the U.S. would help the Talibans efforts to get international recognition for its pariah government, and the funds would provide relief for the cash-strapped Taliban, which has been battling to rebuild an economy devastated by sanctions and the loss of international aid. Meanwhile, the Taliban government on Tuesday said it released American citizens in a prisoner exchange for an Afghan jailed in a U.S. prison. While a handful of countries, including China, Pakistan and Russia, have accepted Taliban diplomats, they dont formally recognize the government, which has been condemned internationally for repeated human rights violations. China was the first nation to grant diplomatic credentials to the Taliban last year. _____ 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Plus Australia's top cop has labelled a rise in anti-Semitic attacks 'a disease in our community'. Qantas will be making big changes to its loyalty program. Source: Getty Yahoo's live news blog for Wednesday, January 22 has now concluded. Qantas is set to overhaul its Frequent Flyers loyalty program as its popularity grows. Elon Musk has offered response to accusations he made a Nazi salute at Donald Trump's inauguration. The Tesla CEO triggered widespread criticism for a provocative salute which has been interpreted as a "belligerent" act. Australia's east is set for a "really hot few days" as temperatures soar to 46C in some areas. Brisbane and Sydney are both expected to top 35C. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 15 updates Featured Australia, US issue key China message after Trump's inauguration Many were anxiously waiting to see just how committed Donald Trump was to US-Australian defence ties, but it turns out there was no need to worry. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has today met new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and hailed their shared vision. In a joint statement with fellow Quad members Japan and India, the US said it was committed to protecting stability in the Indo-Pacific. And while they weren't directly named, China has long been the elephant in the room when it comes to such statements on "increasing threats". "Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains ... underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific," the statement said. "We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains." Thank you @marcorubio for generously hosting me on day one in the job. Through AUKUS, our trade and investment relationship and the sectors that will fuel the future of our economies, our Alliance has never been stronger. We are ambitious for all we can achieve together. pic.twitter.com/4krbsCLYzX Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) January 22, 2025 Todays meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers, so early in the Trump Administrations term, demonstrates our shared determination to work together for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. pic.twitter.com/TPdV8CCM4d Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) January 22, 2025 Senior constable suspended over child abuse material charge A Senior Constable in Brisbane has been charged after they were allegedly found to possess child exploitation material. The 30-year-old has been suspended from Queensland Police and will face court next month on one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material. It will be alleged that the material was obtained whilst off duty. Qantas makes major change to Frequent Flyers program Major changes are coming to the Qantas Frequent Flyers program, with members gaining better access to premium cabin reward seats and partner airlines both domestically and internationally. The loyalty program will be putting an extra million seats on sale, including Classic Plus Reward seats, to members across 100 national routes from this week. Qantas has also strengthened its partnerships with Finnair, Air France, KLM and Iberia in premium cabins, and across the entire Hawaiian Airlines network to provide an additional one million seats for its members. Qantas Loyalty CEO Andrew Glance said Qantas Frequent Flyer has grown significantly over the last four decades. These changes are designed to further enhance the ways our members can book Classic Reward seats and the destinations and cabins they can access when they fly, Mr Glance said. Classic Plus, which represents a $120 million investment in the program, has been a game changer since launching last April. Bookings are up threefold on initial expectations and over the December holiday period we saw an 80 per cent increase in members travelling overseas with their points. Weve also launched nearly 20 sales since Classic Plus was introduced and announced another sale yesterday, discounting millions of reward seats for members across all cabin types. From July, members will also be able to boost the number of points members when travelling on Qantas domestic flights by up to 25 per cent. The earn cap for tiered members travelling in premium cabins will also be removed. Read more from NCA NewsWire here. Joe Biden leaves Donald Trump 'nice' letter US President Donald Trump said former President Joe Biden left him a "nice" letter inside the Resolute Desk at the White House, continuing an inauguration day tradition. Trump told reporters he opened the letter on Monday evening and was thinking of making it publicly available. He said Biden advised him to enjoy his term and emphasized the importance of the role. "It said, 'To Number 47,' Trump said. "It was a very nice one .... just basically a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it. Do a good job. Important, very important how important the job is." Trump, who was inaugurated to his second term in the White House on Monday, said he felt he should let people see the letter because it was "a positive" for Biden. Trump holding up Biden's letter. Source: Getty Aquarium's unlikely move to help lonely sunfish An aquarium in Japan says putting up cardboard people in the window of a lonely sunfish has managed to cheer it up. Kaikyokan Aquarium tried the bizarre tactic after the sunfish appeared unwell when the attraction closed for renovations. One worker suggested the sunfish was missing visitors and despite other staff being skeptical about its chances of success, it actually worked. "The next day, it was in good health again! the aquarium declared on X. Check out the set up below. \\// () pic.twitter.com/SXEtgk304M (@shimonoseki_aq) January 3, 2025 Airport chaos as passengers ordered through security again Gold Coast Airport has been hit with delays after passengers boarding a Sydney-bound flight were sent through security checks again. An isolated security incident was the cause, leaving other flights delayed, the airport confirmed. An Instagram story from BBC radio presenter Joel Mitchell shows huge queues at the airport on Wednesday. The airport said it was working to get flights back on track. There were plenty of restless passengers on Wednesday. Source: Joel Mitchell Guests jump from windows as hotel fire kills 76 We take you to a distressing story now from Turkey where 76 people have died after a fire ripped through a ski resort hotel. Panicked guests desperate to escape were forced to jump from hotel windows to escape the inferno at the Kartalkaya ski resortin the Bolu mountains. "It was like the apocalypse. The flames engulfed the hotel immediately, like in half an hour," witness Mevlut Ozer said. Another witness Omer Sakrak said he saw a guest jump from as high as the 11th floor. "They tried to climb down using bedsheets. The bedsheets ripped as one friend tried... and he unfortunately fell on his head," he said. "One father was yelling about his one year-old child: 'I will throw my child or he will burn'." A view of the area as fire brigades respond to the fire. Source: Getty - With Reuters McDonald's expands popular cost-of-living meal Following the success of its $6.95 McSmart Meal, McDonald's has expanded what customers can get as part of the deal. Previously Aussies were able to select from a cheeseburger or Chicken n Cheese for their two burgers as part of the meal, but now McDonald's has added a regular sundae and three-piece McNuggets to the options. Now, McSmart combines everything you loved about the original including the incredible price and offers our customers even more value by giving them the choice to add one of their favourite sides," Tobi Fukushima, Marketing Manager for McDonalds Australia said. The meal is complete with a small soft drink of your choice and a small fries. Trump gives more freedom to immigration staff Getting tough on immigration was one of Donald Trump's big election plays and he is wasting no time in delivering his promise. On his first day back as US president, Trump has pushed through a change to the Department of Homeland Security's rules which previously prevented immigration officers entering schools and churches. "This action empowers the brave men and women in Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens - including murderers and rapists - who have illegally come into our country," a DHS spokesman said. The spokesman said the Trump administration "will not tie the hands" of law enforcement, and wants them to "use common sense" while performing their duties. Donald Trump is back in the White House. Source: Getty Calls for Woolworths and others to join Coles in ban There are calls for Woolworths and other major retailers to follow Coles' lead in removing kitchen knives from their shelves after a worker was allegedly stabbed on shift. "We put cigarettes behind the counter, we put spray can paints into locked cabinets so that people cannot come up and just grab them off the shelf," Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) Queensland Secretary Justin Power told AAP. "Most major retailers put mobile phones and expensive items into locked cabinets. "It is not too much of an ask to say these items for sale which can be used as a weapon to assault a staff member or a customer should be put under the same lock and key." A 13-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder following the alleged stabbing at a Coles in Ipswich earlier this month and remains in custody to face court in February. Cruise crew 'horrified' fancy dress costumes compared to KKK P&O Cruises has defended staff after a bunch of costumes they wore during a cruise between Melbourne and Hobart were interpreted by shocked passengers as KKK outfits. "No one can seriously think that was their intentions," Lynne Scrivens, communications director of P&O Cruises Australia, told 2GB on Wednesday. Scrivens says the housekeeping workers were unaware their outfits could cause offence and were actually dressed as snow cones as part of a family fun day on the cruise. "They were horrified when management said to them please take those outfits off," she said. Scrivens said crew had limited supplies to create a costume and this is what they were able to come up with using their cleaning uniforms. Take a look at the outfits for yourself below. The outfits that have caused a storm for P&O. Source: 2GB Australia's top cop responds to rise in anti-Semitic attacks Australia's top cop Reece Kershaw says a rise in anti-Semitic attacks is a "disease in our community". "We know this is changing the movements and behaviour of a community that is in fear, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner said. When a community feels they need to self-segregate or hide to stay safe, this has a greater impact on social cohesion and crime in general. Kershaw said officers were investigating whether the acts had been committed by overseas actors, or local criminals which have been paid by individuals. Police are also investigating whether the acts have been committed by young people, and if so whether they have been radicalised online and encouraged to commit anti-Semitic acts. Elon Musk's two-word response to Nazi accusation Elon Musk appears to have responded to accusations he performed a Nazi salute at Donald Trump's inauguration. Responding to an X post criticising the practice of labelling people Nazi's, Musk responded in agreement, saying: 'Yeah exactly'. His brief response was accompanied by a yawning emoji. The gesture with his arm has triggered widespread debate over Musk's intentions. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University who self-identified as a historian of fascism, said the raising of Musk's arm "was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too". The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organisation which fights antisemitism, said it was not a Nazi salute and called it an "awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm". Extreme heat on both sides of the country Temperatures are soaring in Australia's east, with Queensland and NSW to cop the brunt of a "really hot few days". The mercury could rise to 46C in Birdsville near the Queensland - Northern Territory border while plenty of inland communities will top 40. While it'll be cooler closer to the coast, millions in Brisbane and Sydney are still expected to swelter with temperatures set to rise to 36 and 35 respectively. Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Angus Hines said temperatures would rise to 5-8C warmer than usual across southeastern Queensland. [We'll see a] really hot few days ahead really warm nights as well, mid 20s through the night, Hines said. The temperature forecast for Wednesday evening. Source: Windy.com Youve got to look after yourself stay out of the sun, stay hydrated dont forget about your animals, your pets, your livestock. WA is also copping a fair bit of heat from dry easterly winds flowing over the west coast in response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean. "This is causing a severe to extreme heatwave to impact southwestern WA, with Geraldton equalling its highest record temperature of 49.3C on Monday. Meanwhile Perth Airport hit 44.7C and the city 43.6C," Weatherzone explained. There's also been hot nights for the state with temperatures Monday night lingering around 27C in Perth. The state capital could reach 37C on Wednesday. Oz Lotto jackpot now biggest in a year The Oz Lotto jackpot has risen to $70 million after there were no division one winners in Tuesday's draw. While the year is young, this $70 million draw is the biggest prize weve seen from any Australian lottery game in 2025, The Lott spokesman Matt Hart said. It is biggest prize offered by Oz Lotto in over a year and the fourth-biggest jackpot offered by Oz Lotto in the games 31-year history. Despite no-one holding the winning numbers for division one, there were 856,606 wins in division two to seven that collected more than $18.9 million. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. WASHINGTON (AP) Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier will return home nearly half a century after he was imprisoned for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. President Joe Biden commuted Peltiers sentence Monday following decades of community-led advocacy calling his imprisonment an example of the U.S. governments mistreatment of Native Americans. The White House said Peltier, who is now 80 and of declining health, will transition to home confinement. The commutation is not a pardon for crimes committed, a decision some of Peltiers advocates welcomed since he has always maintained his innocence. But the last-minute move as Biden left office angered law enforcement officers who believe he is guilty. The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the historic decision in a statement saying the case has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples. The president commuted Peltier over the objection of former FBI Director Christopher Wray. In a private letter sent to Biden earlier this month and obtained by The Associated Press, Wray reiterated his position that Peltier is a remorseless killer, and urged the president not to act. Granting Peltier any relief from his conviction or sentence is wholly unjustified and would be an affront to the rule of law, Wray wrote. Peltier was active in the American Indian Movement, which has grappled with police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans since the 1960s. The movement grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on Pine Ridge the Oglala Lakota Nations reservation in South Dakota leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. Peltier has long admitted he was present and firing during the June 26, 1975, confrontation with FBI agents who went to Pine Ridge to serve arrest warrants amid battles over Native treaty rights and self-determination. After being injured in a shootout, agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were shot in the head at close range, the FBI said. AIM member Joseph Stuntz also was killed. Peltier fled to Canada but was extradited to the United States and convicted on two counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1977, despite defense claims of falsified evidence. Two other movement members and Peltiers co-defendants, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, were acquitted in the killings. Peltier was denied parole as recently as July, and wasnt eligible for parole again until 2026. Chauncey Peltier, who was 10 when his father was locked up, said Monday he was shocked and thrilled. It means my dad finally gets to go home, Peltier said. One of the biggest rights violation cases in history and one of the longest-held political prisoners in the United States. And he gets to go home finally. Man, I cant explain how I feel. Peltiers tribe, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, has a home ready for him on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota, his son said. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Emery Nelson said Peltier remained incarcerated Monday at USP Coleman, a high-security prison in Florida. Peltiers lawyer said his release date was tentatively set for Feb. 18. The commutation Monday follows decades of lobbying and protests by Native American leaders and others who maintain Peltier was wrongfully convicted. Amnesty International has long considered him a political prisoner. Advocates for his release included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, civil rights icon Coretta Scott King, actor and director Robert Redford, and musicians Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte and Jackson Browne. But law enforcement officers, former FBI agents, their families and prosecutors strongly opposed a pardon or any reduction in Peltiers sentence. Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also rejected Peltiers clemency requests. He was denied parole in 1993, 2009 and 2024. Mike Clark, with the Society of Former Agents of the FBI, condemned the commutation as a cowardly act as Biden was leaving the White House. The FBI Agents Association joined Clark in expressing outrage. To the two agents' families, its just going to be devastating to them. And the guys a remorseless killer. And now hes going home, Clark said. The two agents didnt have a chance to go home. Biden issued a record number of individual pardons and commutations. He announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, and he issued a broad pardon to his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Outgoing Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet member, posted on X that the commutation signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades. I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family, she added. I applaud President Biden for this action and understanding what this means to Indian Country. By COLLEEN LONG, ZEKE MILLER, JOHN HANNA and STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press. Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas, and Karnowski reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Jack Dura, in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed. ROYAL OAK TOWNSHIP, MI A Michigan man is facing charges related to rape and assault after officers responded to reports of a woman and children screaming for help at a Detroit-area motel, authorities said. On Saturday, Michigan State Police troopers responded to American Inn in Royal Oak Township, according to a news release from the Oakland County Prosecutors Office. They found Jacob Macklis, 23, of Detroit, allegedly holding the 35-year-old female victim by her hair. He then allegedly punched the victim in the face in front of the troopers. The defendant is also accused of physically and sexually assaulting the victim, including biting off part of her ear, and physically assaulting her two minor children, the release said. The level of violence in this case is shocking, Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. My heart goes out to this woman and her children for what they had to endure. My office will pursue the maximum charges against this defendant because his victims deserve justice. Macklis is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to maim, assault by strangulation, felonious assault, two counts of third-degree child abuse, and domestic violence. WILLIAMSBURG, MI A rehabilitated snowy owl will be released to its natural habitat on Saturday after two months with a Northern Michigan raptor center. Rescued on Nov. 26 near Acme and Elk Rapids, the owl was severely emaciated and suffering from a fractured wing. After two months of care from the Skegemog Raptor Center, the owl is fully recovered and ready to return to its natural habitat. A snowy owl that was emaciated and suffering from a broken wing when it was rescued on Nov. 26, 2024, will be returned to its natural habitat on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. The owl spent two months recovering with Skegemog Raptor Center in Grand Traverse County, Mich.Skegemog Raptor Center The public is invited to witness the release of the stunning owl at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel, 7741 M-72 in Williamsburg. It will happen behind the casino near the overflow parking area. Guests are encouraged to arrive early. RELATED: Snowy owls traveling south to the Great Lakes in early-season push this winter This winter has brought a significant irruption of snowy owls to our area, said James Manley, executive director of Skegemog. While these migrations are incredible to witness, they can also leave owls vulnerable as they navigate unfamiliar territories. Our team has been working hard to rescue and rehabilitate these magnificent birds, and this release is a testament to whats possible with community support. The event is free, but donations are welcome to help cover the costs of the owls recovery and the ongoing work of the nonprofit raptor rescue. Donate here. RELATED: Winter is the best time to see Michigan owls. Heres where and when. RELATED: Its snowy owl season in Michigan: What you should know to help these Arctic beauties HOUGHTON COUNTY, MI A pickup truck was split in two after it crashed into a plow truck in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan State Police in Calumet responded to the crash, which occurred on M-26 near Junction Road in Houghton Countys Osceola Township at 7:48 p.m. on Jan. 21. Police say the driver of pickup truck lost control and started sliding sideways before it crossed the centerline and struck a northbound pickup truck with a plow. Upon contact, the southbound pickup truck was split into two pieces, police said. The driver of the southbound pickup truck, along with the driver and passenger of the plow, were transported to UP Health Systems Portage by Mercy EMS. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash, police said. The incident remains under investigation. Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Houghton County Sheriffs Department, Hancock City Police Department, Lake Linden Village Police Department, Laurium Village Police Department, Mercy EMS, Tamarack City Fire Department, Hubbell Fire Department, Dollar Bay Fire Department, and Superior Service. (Updated 3:10 p.m., Jan. 22) WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI In the wake of a shooting that left two foster family members dead during an alleged kidnapping of a child they were fostering, lawmakers are looking into ways to prevent this from happening again. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- LEGO fans can find everything from parts to whole sets at one new shop near Ann Arbor. Bricks & Minifigs opened at 5204 Jackson Road, Suite A, in Scio Township in December with the help of husband-and-wife team Evan Borin and Salima Matariyeh. Bricks & Minifigs calls itself a one-stop aftermarket LEGO toy shop that began in 2010. Since then, the franchise has grown to over 100 locations in the U.S. and Canada, according to its website. The shop buys, sells and trades all types of LEGO products from unopened sets to tubs of loose pieces. Theres nothing like Bricks & Minifigs, Borin said. The whole premise behind Bricks and Minifigs is reusing and repurposing LEGO into new and different things. The shop sells retired sets no longer in production, customizable mini figures, thousands of loose parts for builders missing a piece and nearly 4,000 mini figures from films like Harry Potter to Star Wars. Theres also a LEGO flower shop in the store that features around 60 different flowers built with the bricks. Customers can create a customized vase of flowers or build a new flower every time they visit. There is also a section in the store that gives customers inspiration on how to build their own mosaics using small LEGO pieces. Borin and Matariyeh both love mosaics and brought their passion for them into the store. The couple discovered the franchise and opened their first location in Lansing in November. Borin was also interested in running another location near Ann Arbor. In all the years visiting Ann Arbor, Ive always felt like (creativity) is a really big part of the community and I wanted to be able to bring that to town, he said. Borin said his experience purchasing and reselling LEGOs actually began when his twin boys would often drag him to stores that sold LEGOs. As someone with an entrepreneur mind, Borin said he quickly thought about starting an online LEGO store where his twins could keep the LEGOs they want and sell what they didnt. Eventually his twins moved on from LEGOs, and Borin was stuck with a massive amount of the building blocks in his basement. Borin and Matariyeh sorted them all and quickly became busy with business. Bricks and Minifigs was one of companies that had locations buying huge quantities from the couple. This soon prompted them to check out the business even more. It was just such a positive experience walking in and seeing all the kids and people really happy to be there, Borin said. We just thought this was something we wanted to be a part of. Borin said selling LEGOs is something that has brought him closer with his family. Since opening the locations, he realized very quickly that they made the right decision. Dedicated LEGO fans have already found the shop, but Borin said more people are coming in every day to discover the business for the first time. He cant wait to keep helping others be creative, he said. When you see a kid come in and their eyes just light up because theyve never seen so much LEGO in one place before, its just a lot of fun to be able to share that, he said. The business is currently open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Find it online or on social media. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. FLINT, MI A Flint man was convicted of eight criminal counts by a jury on Jan. 17 after being found in possession of a large amount of fentanyl. Waverly Lee Trouser Jr., 46, was found guilty on the following eight charges: delivery or manufacture of a controlled substance, felon in possession of ammunition, two charges of felon in possession of a firearm, and four felony firearms charges. UPDATE: Officials report that six people were injured and hospitalized. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Five people were injured, one critically, in an overnight house fire on the citys Southeast Side. Grand Rapids firefighters rescued three of the victims. Two adults and three children were in the house at 501 Griggs St. SE, just east of College Avenue, when firefighters were called at 3:58 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, for a report of a house fire. Once on scene, firefighters worked to rescue those inside while putting out the fire. Firefighters rescued three of them while one escaped through a ground-floor window and another from a second-floor window. All of the victims were taken to area hospitals. One adult remains in critical condition. Firefighters remain on the scene, looking for hot spots. The West Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross was contacted to help the victims. Grand Rapids Fire Department reminded residents to have working smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide detectors in homes. Those living in their own homes can call 311 or 616-456-3000 to schedule a safety assessment on free installation of smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Damien set out to capture a single shark on camera, but what he got in return was nothing short of amazing. A Queensland man has captured the incredible moment 'hundreds' of sharks fed on a massive bait ball on the Sunshine Coast. Source: Supplied/Damien Lange. An Australian drone pilot has shared his utter disbelief after capturing the moment "hundreds" of sharks fed in a frenzy off the east coast, saying he'd "never seen" such a sight before, "even on a documentary". Sunshine Coast man Damien Lange filmed dozens upon dozens of sharks gorging themselves on a bait ball at Point Cartwright last weekend. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Lange said he set out to capture a single shark on camera, but what he got in return was more than he could have imagined. "I just finished travelling Australia, intending to capture on the drone 'a' shark, but [had] no results even though I visited shark breeding grounds in Western Australia," he told Yahoo. "This was something I have never seen before, even on a documentary." ADVERTISEMENT Staggering video shows a range of different sharks, in addition to mackerel and tuna, all swarming to feed on the huge ball of fish as hundreds of seagulls circle above. Bait balls are primarily created to confuse or evade predators, such as larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Hundreds of sharks are seen here gorging themselves last weekend at Point Cartwright. Source: Supplied/Damien Lange What are bait balls? Bait balls are dense clusters of small fish, often baitfish like sardines or anchovies, that group together in a tight formation. They're formed as a defence mechanism against predators, making it harder for predators to target individual fish. Primarily created to confuse or evade predators, such as larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, bait fish swim in tight, synchronised groups, often in a spherical shape, creating a visual spectacle in the water. ADVERTISEMENT Predators attempt to break apart or scatter the ball to catch individual fish. In response, the baitfish may try to reorganise or split into smaller groups. Bait balls play a role in marine food chains, providing concentrated sources for various predators in the ecosystem. Aussie 'overwhelmed' by incredible scene Lange explained that at first, because he was "looking on a controller screen", he couldn't quite make out the significance of what he'd captured because it is "so small". But once he "downloaded the 4K quality video", he was able to see the "full extent". "Seeing [it] on my large monitor, we were overwhelmed as to how many were actually there," he recalled. "I would have to say hundreds [of sharks], because there were many layers of big and small these are just the top layers close to the surface you can see other larger sharks coming up from below the bait ball as well as others diving below. ADVERTISEMENT "Not only that, there were also two other bait balls about 500 metres apart which I didn't visit, so I would assume these were similar." Lange, who runs Droner.au, added that he had "visited the same area" each morning since, "hoping to capture it again with better weather", but so far has had no luck. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. GRAND RAPIDS, MI An Alabama man pleaded guilty to money laundering tied to a Nigeria-based sextortion scheme that led to a Marquette teens death by suicide. Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama, is among five U.S. residents linked to the scheme. UPDATE: All lanes are open on I-196, U.S. 31 OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A semi-tractor trailer is blocking both westbound lanes of I-196 near Zeeland while separate crashes have closed westbound lanes west of the Hudsonville exit. In Muskegon County, multiple crashes closed southbound U.S. 31 south of M-120 though lanes are being re-opened in the area. Related: Whiteouts, very poor travel conditions expected along U.S. 31, from Holland to Ludington Still very hazardous conditions so be safe and use extra caution, Muskegon County Central Dispatch reported on Facebook. Central Dispatch asked motorists to avoid the area. Police and firefighters throughout West Michigan have responded to multiple collisions with lake-effect snow, strong winds and cold temperatures making road conditions hazardous in some areas. The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids said snow is expected this afternoon on a line from Holland to Reed City. The snow, combined with the gusty winds to 40 mph along the lakeshore will cause significant blowing and drifting snow, the weather service said. CADILLAC, MI The City of Cadillac has canceled a pair of council meetings Tuesday, Jan. 21, following what the city has called credible death threats made against elected and appointed officials, and their families. Council meetings scheduled for 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday were canceled, due to the threats, the city stated in a news release. These threats, fueled in whole or in part by dangerous and hateful online rhetoric from individuals, are a direct attack on the safety and well-being of those who serve our community, the statement reads. The City takes these threats with the utmost seriousness, the statement continues. Such behavior is unacceptable, will not be tolerated, and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. Ensuring the safety and security of our public servants, their families, and community members remains our highest priority. Threats of violence have no place in the city, the statement reads. We urge everyone to engage in thoughtful, respectful, and constructive dialogue as we work together to address the issues that matter to our community, the statement concludes. For further updates, the city asks residents to monitor official city communication channels. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL) has kicked off its 2025 city-wide reading initiative, where 5th-graders across the West Michigan city will read and discuss the same book. Called the One Book, One City reading initiative, the annual program aims to improve literacy and strengthen collaboration between libraries and schools. JACKSON, MI - A Jackson man wont be free from prison until he is at least 93 years old, a judge and assistant prosecutor said Wednesday. Blake Curran, 32, was sentenced Wednesday to at least 675 months - just over 56 years - in prison for the 2020 shooting death of Darold Goodloe Jr. Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain also gave Curran, on parole at the time of the killing, an additional, consecutive five-year sentence for carrying a firearm in the commission of a felony. A jury in November found Curran guilty of second-degree murder. He is also guilty, jurors determined, of the firearm offense and resisting arrest. Related: Jackson man found guilty of slaying childhood friend Goodloe - identified during testimony as a longtime friend of Curran - was found shot about 3 a.m. June 28, 2020, in the 300 block of East Euclid Avenue in Jackson. He was taken to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, where he remained until his death Aug. 13, 2020. He suffered 12 gunshot wounds to the right side of his body. McBain accused Curran of executing his own supposed friend before passing down his sentence. You shot him multiple times with a man-killing gun, a big gun, McBain said. Its easy to be a big, tough man you have a .40-caliber. You shot him down in cold blood. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Hull chastised Curran not only for the killing of his own friend, but for not showing any clear remorse in court. I know Blake Curran thinks hes tough, Hull said. He pulled the trigger several times, and he cant even look the family members in the eye when they talked about it. Curran declined to speak to either the court or the victims family before he was sentenced. Related: It doesnt feel real': Family remembers Jackson man who died 10 weeks after being shot The victims sister Monique Goodloe called Curran a menace to society. She said she found it sad Curran decided to throw his life away after being given another chance from a previous manslaughter conviction. (Curran) took my brother from me. He changed my familys life, Monique Goodloe said. Things have not been the same. I have not been the same since this happened. His children now have to grow up without a father. I hope he rots in there. I hope he never makes it home. Cousin Jermaine Goodloe launched into an expletive-heavy condemnation of Curran for taking the life of someone who trusted him. He said he hopes Curran rots in Hell for what he did. Corine Goodloe, another sister, said her late brothers children - ages 4 and 6 - still do not understand what happened to their father. (Curran) dont ever need to get out, Corine Goodloe said. He never needs to see the light of day or hell get out and do it again to someone else. He will never tell us why he did it. Darold Goodloe Sr., who shared a birthday with his late son, gave the final victim impact statement. He said he knows his sons memory is going to haunt Curran. Goodloe was found sitting in the drivers seat of his GMC Yukon when police responded to the shooting scene. Goodloe told police at the time that Curran shot him. He appeared to be saying this in footage played in court from Lt. Peter Postmas body camera and he said it again in the ambulance as he was taken to the hospital, according to testimony. Police arrested Curran July 10 at Jacksons Westwood Mall after he tried to escape officers by running through the mall and into a wooded area, according to Jackson police. Curran was on parole at the time of the shooting, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records. Curran previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and using a firearm to commit a felony in May 2010. Then 17, Curran told Jackson Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson he knew a revolver was loaded with a single bullet when he played with the gun Dec. 17, 2009, but did not know the round would fire when he pointed it at his friend Michael Devon Adams Jr. He pulled the trigger, fatally shooting the 19-year-old Adams. Curran was sentenced in June 2010 to two years for using a gun in a felony, followed by 4 years and nine months to 15 years for manslaughter. He was paroled Oct. 24, 2019, per the Michigan Department of Corrections. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter. MOORLAND TWP., MI - A construction worker was killed while working at the site of a new solar farm being built in Muskegon County. The 1,900-acre solar farm development is at the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, the countys wastewater plant in Moorland Township. BAY CITY, MI A Bay City father captured on video using his 1-year-old son as a human shield just before he allegedly stabbed two police officers is no longer in jail. The development has been met with disappointment by the Bay City Department of Public Safety. Meanwhile, a special prosecutor is being sought to try the case. SAN ANTONIO, TX Two years ago, a Michigan man vacationing in Texas was arrested and mysteriously died in a jail beset with inmate deaths. The law firm of famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump has now filed a multimillion-dollar federal lawsuit on behalf of the deceased mans family, arguing their loved ones arrest should not have amounted to a death sentence. Attorney Paul A. Grinke with Ben Crump Law on Dec. 19 filed suit against the City of San Antonio and Bexar County on behalf of Amy and Mark Pentkowski and Annette Bleech, the siblings, heirs, and representatives of Midland man Daniel J. Pentkowski. LANSING, MI House Republicans are delaying nine bills passed by the legislature last year from being considered by the governor. Now Senate Democrats are threatening legal action over the move. The last 12 of the remaining brush-tailed rock wallabies have been collected and moved to a purpose-built area in Warrumbungle National Park. A fence covering over 300 hectares of Aussie outback is providing a safe haven for the last remaining population of brush-tailed rock wallabies. Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water A fence covering a 303-hectare area within an outback national park has become integral in securing the future of the entire population of an iconic endangered species, by holding back its most threatening invasive predators. The last 12 of the remaining brush-tailed rock wallabies were collected and moved to the purpose-built safe haven in the northwest of NSW in Warrumbungle National Park near Mount Uringer which was designed to be free of invasive threats including cats and foxes. The Warrumbungle brush-tailed rock wallaby population has "unique genetics" that are important for the survival of the species, according to Atticus Fleming, deputy secretary for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and the key priority is saving the species from extinction. Dr Tiana Pirtle, conservation officer for the Invasive Species Council, told Yahoo News feral predator free-havens are a "proven strategy" for protecting and restoring declining native animal populations. ADVERTISEMENT "Feral cats and foxes have had a devastating impact on native species," she said. "They have driven several native species to extinction and continue to threaten many of our iconic species. "We currently don't have effective landscape-scale control strategies for feral cats or foxes, which is why feral predator-free havens are so important for safeguarding vulnerable wildlife, like the brush-tailed rock wallaby." Endangered wallabies were translocated in an 'emergency' operation so their populations can recover. Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Emergency operation to save species from invasive predators The emergency operation involved moving the last remaining population of wallabies by helicopter to the fenced-off area. Foxes and feral cats are the main predators of the brush-tailed rock wallabies, with feral goats also posing a threat through competition for habitat and food. Feral cats alone are estimated to kill over 1.5 billion native animals annually. ADVERTISEMENT Scientists, park managers, species experts and veterinarians came together to make the move possible. It's expected that the construction of the protected area will offer a secure habitat within which the wild rock-wallaby population can recover. "It has been a huge logistical exercise carried out by dedicated NPWS staff, scientists and vets who are determined to save and rebuild the Warrumbungle population," Fleming said. "The Warrumbungles is one of our great inland national parks and we are determined to ensure this spectacular landscape remains home to its unique population of rock wallabies. The establishment of feral cat and fox-free areas is a critical step towards achieving zero extinctions and restoring ecosystems across our national parks." The last 12 wallabies were released into the wild in the safe predator-free haven. Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water John Whittall, acting director of Northern Inland NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, said it was a "fantastic feeling" to know the animals are in a safe place, free from feral predators as "NPWS manages those threats". ADVERTISEMENT "The brush-tailed rock wallaby used to be found all over NSW, but their populations have become restricted," he said. "We're protecting this species for future generations, and our hope is that once the threats have been managed across the landscape and the brush-tailed rock wallaby populations have grown, we can start to release them back outside the fenced areas so that they can survive and sustain themselves where they came from." Fences keeping predators from country's most threatened species It's not the first time a fence has been used to keep native species safe and threats out. ADVERTISEMENT An 8000-hectare predator-proof safe haven was established near the tiny outback town of Scotia in southwest NSW. A massive 53km fence cuts through the red, sandy landscape to protect a community of bridled nailtail wallabies. It was believed the species was extinct for three decades, but a remnant population was rediscovered in a Queensland national park in the 1970s. Now 20 surviving individuals live in the confines of the predator-free zone after the property was purchased in 2002 by non-profit Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). Conservationists also created an insurance population of koalas within a fenced-off 400-hectare predator-free sanctuary that's bigger than the area of Sydney to protect them from the risks of being infected with chlamydia, a bacteria thought to have been introduced by livestock, which leads to infertility and death. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On January 21, Changan KAICHENG, the commercial vehicle brand of Changan Automobile, held its Series A financing signing ceremony at the Changan Global R&D Center. Photo credit: KAICHENG On January 2, KAICHENG announced that it had successfully raised over 2 billion yuan in its Series A funding round, which marked a significant milestone in its capital market journey. As the cornerstone of Changan Automobile's commercial vehicle strategy, KAICHENG will accelerate its pursuit of electrification, intelligence, pickup development, and globalization strategies. The brand is set to position itself as a leading smart new energy commercial vehicle brand, advancing toward becoming a world-class player in the commercial vehicle sector. With the newly secured capital, Changan KAICHENG plans to launch a series of initiatives. Starting in 2025, the company will introduce over six new energy vehicle (NEV) models within three years, aiming to expand its presence in the light-duty commercial NEV market. For pickup trucks, KAICHENG intends to roll out four NEV models across three product lines by 2028, strengthening its product portfolio. Globally, Changan KAICHENG targets total sales of 600,000 units by 2030, with overseas markets accounting for 50% of the volume, underscoring its ambitions for international growth. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Chinese lithium battery separator film supplier SEMCORP secures order from LG Energy Solution On January 21, Yunnan Energy New Materials Co., Ltd. (SEMCORP), a Chinese lithium-ion battery separator film supplier, announced that its subsidiary Shanghai SEMCORP had signed a supply agreement with South Korea's battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution (LGES). As per the agreement, LGES plans to procure around 3.55 billion-square-meter lithium-ion battery separators from Shanghai SEMCORP and the latter's affiliates between 2025 and 2027. Photo credit: SEMCORP DeepRoute.ai reveals Vision Language Action model at AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2025 On January 22, autonomous driving tech company DeepRoute.ai showcased its Vision Language Action (VLA) model at the 17th AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2025 in Japan. The company also announced a mass-production partnership with a leading automaker. The duo plans to co-launch intelligent vehicles equipped with the VLA model. Chery's Fulwin E06 set to hit market by year-end Chery is set to put its mid-size SUV Fulwin E06 onto the market by the end of 2025. The model, which made its debut at the Auto China 2024, will offer both plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric powertrain options, with estimated prices between 150,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan. JMC boasts 15.7% YoY jump in 2024 revenue On January 21, Chinese automaker Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd. (JMC) released its earnings report for 2024, indicating robust growth across key metrics. JMC achieved a total revenue of 38.374 billion yuan in 2024, marking a 15.7% year-on-year jump. NOVOSENSE launches AMR-based anti-braking sensors to enhance automotive safety NOVOSENSE Microelectronics (NOVOSENSE), a Chinese analog and mixed signal IC design company, recently announced the release of its new wheel speed sensor, which is built on AMR (Anisotropic Magneto Resistance) technology, according to a post on its WeChat account released on January 21. BYD's DENZA sees cumulative deliveries of Z9GT model hit 10,000 units The DENZA, a premium electric vehicle brand under BYD, announced on January 20 that deliveries of its DENGZA Z9GT sedan have already reached 10,000 units. BYD announces foray into Salvadoran passenger vehicle market BYD recently held a brand launch event in El Salvador, marking its official entry into the country's passenger car market, according to a press release BYD issued on Jan. 21 via its WeChat account. Changan KAICHENG completes agreement signing for Series A funding On January 21, Changan KAICHENG, the commercial vehicle brand of Changan Automobile, held its Series A financing signing ceremony at the Changan Global R&D Center. CATL forecasts YoY drop in 2024's revenue, but net profit expected to rise On January 21, CATL announced its 2024 earnings forecast, revealing a year-on-year decline in revenue but an increase in net profit attributable to shareholders. Hesai Technology secures LiDAR supply contract for several Dongfeng Motor's brands LiDAR company Hesai Technology on Jan. 22 announced an exclusive mass-production agreement with Dongfeng Motor for multiple brands and vehicle models, including its premium new energy vehicle brand VOYAH. Chery EXEED rolls off first range-extended STERRA ES vehicles On January 21, Chery's EXEED brand saw the first mass-produced units of its STERRA ES sedan model's range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) version officially roll off the production line. Hesai Technology to supply ATX LiDAR for multiple Chery vehicle models On January 21, LiDAR manufacturer Hesai Technology announced a production agreement with Chery Automobile for several upcoming vehicle models. These models, set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, will feature Hesai's latest compact, ultra-high-definition, long-range LiDAR, the ATX. Beijing (Gasgoo)- LiDAR company Hesai Technology on Jan. 22 announced an exclusive mass-production agreement with Dongfeng Motor for multiple brands and vehicle models, including its premium new energy vehicle brand VOYAH. Photo credit: Hesai Technology Under the agreement, starting in 2025, these vehicles will feature Hesai's compact, ultra-high-definition long-range LiDAR, the ATX, delivering an enhanced intelligent driving experience. VOYAH said its vehicles combine Chinese elegance with modern technology, aiming to create premium vehicles imbued with cultural heritage and innovation. Since September 2024, VOYAH's monthly sales have surpassed 10,000 units for four consecutive months, culminating in a record-breaking volume in December. In the past year, VOYAH's annual vehicle sales exceeded 85,000 units, representing a 70% year-on-year surge, reflecting robust growth momentum. Hesai's ATX, launched in 2024, builds on the proven AT platform with a mature 1D scanning architecture, offering organized point clouds and high reliability. Equipped with Hesai's latest fourth-generation chip architecture, the ATX features upgraded optical and laser transmission-reception modules, achieving a compact form factor and exceptional performance. Its small size, long range, and wide-angle capabilities have earned the ATX production contracts for dozens of car models globally. As of now, Hesai has secured designated factory-installation contracts from 22 automakers for over 100 vehicle models. Adding Dongfeng Motor to its portfolio highlights the company's strong position in the automotive LiDAR market. In December 2024, Hesai achieved a milestone with over 100,000 LiDAR units delivered in a single month, setting an industry record and cementing its global leadership. A container ship leaves Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [YU FANGPING/FOR CHINA DAILY] Global Times-China's foreign trade achieved both steady growth and structural optimization last year. These trends underscore the resilience of the Chinese economy and provide a vivid example of how the interplay between the financial sector and foreign trade has supported the transformation and upgrading of foreign trade. According to the Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank), as of the end of 2024, the bank's outstanding loans to the foreign trade sector stood at 3.36 trillion yuan ($459 billion), up 180 billion yuan from a year earlier, CCTV News reported on Tuesday. China EximBank has mainly stepped up support for the expansion of trade in intermediate goods, trade in services and digital trade, as well as promoting exports of advantageous products such as large-sized equipment sets, according to the CCTV News report. This significant growth reflects the support of financial institutions for the transformation and upgrading of China's foreign trade and its high-quality development. In particular, trade in services and digital trade has been seen as new engines for foreign trade growth, which is also key to promoting the optimization of China's economic structure. In recent years, China has developed a combination of foreign trade policies in response to external shocks. Financial support is an important component of this trend. In addition to financing support, Chinese financial institutions provide comprehensive assistance to foreign trade enterprises by expanding the coverage of export credit insurance, optimizing cross-border trade settlement and helping companies enhance their foreign exchange risk management capabilities. These policy measures provide a robust foundation for stabilizing the fundamentals of foreign trade, especially in the context of increasing global economic uncertainty, thus effectively addressing external risks and ensuring steady trade growth. It is worth noting that in 2024, Chinese financial institutions remarkably increased their support for new business models in foreign trade. For example, China EximBank's loan support for new business models, such as cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouses, reached 38.4 billion yuan, up 56 percent year-on-year. To a certain extent, the substantial growth financial institutions witnessed in new business models exemplified the accelerated pace of China's foreign trade in terms of digital transformation and innovation. According to Liang Ming, director of the Institute of International Trade of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, a think tank with the Ministry of Commerce, currently, there are over 120,000 Chinese enterprises engaged in cross-border e-commerce, of which 16,000 are recognized as high-tech ones. These have become a crucial driving force for foreign trade growth. The proactive support of financial institutions in these areas not only provides funding for foreign trade enterprises but also injects strong momentum into the sustainable development of China's foreign trade through guiding industrial upgrades and promoting technological innovation, fostering a more resilient and competitive economic landscape that can adapt to global market changes. The development of foreign trade has also provided the Chinese financial sector more opportunities for international cooperation and exchange, facilitating the opening and internationalization of China's financial market. Take the internationalization of the yuan as an example. It has always been a key objective of China's financial sector, and the continuous upgrading and optimization of the foreign trade export structure provide solid support for this process. As the added value of China's export products continues to rise, their overall competitiveness in the international market is being increasingly strengthened, leading more countries and companies to be willing to engage in trade with China. This creates more opportunities for the use of the yuan in international settlements. And the increased demand for the yuan could promote its circulation and use in the international market, thereby accelerating the process of the currency's internationalization. As the global trade landscape continues to evolve and China's economy undergoes sustained upgrades, it is still important for China's foreign trade and financial sectors to strengthen policy coordination. A synergy of the two fields will enable a more effective response to external risks and challenges, while also promoting a more proactive role for China in global trade and supply chains. 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I Accept From Trade Facilitation to Trade Promotion: Expectations of EXIM Trade from Budget 2025 Namrata Agarwal USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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What we know Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept 'Need competent, quality people in US': Trump on H-1B visa Deblina Halder USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Apple falls to third place in Chinese smartphone market, Huawei and Xiaomi take lead 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 Ankita Chakravarti USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. 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Turbine Delivering 'Bumblebee' 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' & 'Sing 2' to 3D Blu-ray on December 19th Samsung confirms One UI 7 release timeline for all Galaxy S series smartphones: All the details 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 Ankita Chakravarti USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. 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I Accept WASHINGTON A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges, officials said Tuesday. The deal to release two Americans, Ryan Corbett, from Dansville in Livingston County, and William McKenty, was brokered by Joe Biden's administration before he left office Monday, according to a Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity. The Talibans Foreign Ministry in Kabul said the two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008. Biden, who oversaw the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, on Monday handed power to President Trump. The Taliban praised the swap as a step toward the normalization of ties between the U.S. and Afghanistan. That is likely a tall order, as most countries still dont recognize the Taliban's rule and two other Americans are believed held. The Trump White House cheered the release and thanked Qatar for its assistance with the deal while pressing the Taliban to free other Americans. With WNY man held captive in Afghanistan, his wife fights for his freedom Anna Corbett of Dansville, in Livingston County, has traveled to Washington seven times this year with one goal in mind: winning freedom for her husband, Ryan Corbett, who has been held captive in Afghanistan since August 2022. The Trump Administration will continue to demand the release of all Americans held by the Taliban, especially in light of the billions of dollars in U.S. aid theyve received in recent years," White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement. U.S., Taliban and Qatar involved in the swap Corbett, who had lived in Afghanistan with his family until the U.S.-backed government collapsed in 2021, was detained by the Taliban in August 2022 on a business trip. Our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryans life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives, the family's statement said. They thanked both Trump and Biden. Sen. Charles Schumer, on the floor of the U.S. Senate, praised Corbett's release as "a moment we have all prayed for and hoped for." Schumer added, "When I heard Ryan's story from his family and listened to them as they pushed and pushed for his defense, I saw that even in the darkest moments, even when hope seemed lost, the Corbett family never, never gave up. And they never got angry. They never pointed fingers and called names. They just kept persisting and persisting and persisting. ... We brought attention to his imprisonment, and made dozens of calls to elevate his case to the very highest levels of government." Writing about Corbett in December 2023, after his wife testified before a congressional committee, The Buffalo News noted: "Corbett grew up in Dansville and met his wife at Northland International University, a small Christian school in Wisconsin that has since closed. They moved to Afghanistan with their two young daughters in 2010, driven by their determination to help those less fortunate. "At first, Corbett worked for humanitarian groups aiding the country and the family settled in in Kabul, where their son Caleb was born." In 2017, The News reported, Corbett started Bloom Afghanistan, which offered small loans to startup businesses. The family left the country after an evacuation order in 2021 and returned to Dansville, but Corbett revisited Afghanistan in January 2022 to renew his visa. He was detained along with two associates when he went back to explore business opportunities there in August 2022. He had been held without charges since then in a basement prison cell. Corbett's family also praised Qatari officials for their vital role in facilitating Ryans release, and for their visits to Ryan as the United States Protecting Power in Afghanistan. Qatar has hosted negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban over the years. A Qatar Foreign Ministry statement said those who were traded passed through Doha and that it hopes the deal would pave the way for achieving further understandings to resolve disputes peacefully. It was unclear what McKenty was doing in Afghanistan. Biden administration's effort to get a deal Before Biden left office, his administration had been trying to work out a deal to free Corbett, McKenty as well as George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, in exchange for Muhammad Rahim, one of the remaining detainees at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Taliban had rejected multiple proposals that also would have included Glezmann and Habibi before accepting the deal to release Corbett and McKenty late last week following negotiations in Qatar, according to a former senior Biden administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Senate passes bipartisan resolution demanding Taliban release WNY man The U.S. Senate this week unanimously passed a joint resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Ryan Corbett, the Livingston County man who has been held captive in Afghanistan for more than a year and a half. The official added that Biden officials found in past negotiations for American detainees in Russia that one deal can make it easier to get future ones and that the Trump administration should continue to push the Taliban for Glezmann and Habibi. Russia had rejected proposals to include American Paul Whelan in separate prisoner swaps that freed Americans Trevor Reed and Britney Griner before ultimately including Whelan in a 24-person deal that included Wall Street Journalist Evan Gershkovich and others. Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was taken by the Talibans intelligence services in December 2022 while traveling through the country. Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company, also went missing in 2022. The Taliban have denied they have Habibi. Habibis family welcomed the exchange and said they were confident the Trump administration would make a greater effort to free him, expressing their frustration with the Biden team. We know they have evidence my brother is alive and in Taliban hands and it could have been influential in encouraging the Taliban to admit they have him, Habibis brother Ahmed said in a statement shared by the nonprofit Global Reach. Biden officials refused to use the evidence, he claimed. We know Trump is about results and we have faith he will use every tool available to get Mahmood home. The trade for Corbett and McKenty was originally supposed to take place Sunday night but had to be delayed until Tuesday because of logistical delays, including bad weather, the former Biden administration official said. Taliban prisoner first convicted of narco-terrorism Mohammed, 55, was a prisoner in California after his 2008 conviction. The Bureau of Prisons early Tuesday listed Mohammed as not being in their custody. Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, a Taliban Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson, said Mohammed had arrived in Afghanistan and was with his family. Photos released by the Taliban showed him being welcomed back in his home province of Nangarhar, in the country's east, with multicolored garlands. Mohammed told Taliban-controlled media he had spent time behind bars in Bagram and in Washington. Its a joy seeing your family and coming to your homeland. The greatest joy is to come and join your Muslim brothers, he said. He was detained on the battlefield in Nangarhar and later taken to the U.S. A federal jury convicted him on charges of securing heroin and opium that he knew were bound for the United States and, in doing so, assisting terrorism activity. The Justice Department at the time referred to Mohammed as a violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker who sought to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets. He was the first person to be convicted on U.S. narco-terrorism laws. Ahmed Rashid, the author of several books about Afghanistan and the Taliban, described Mohammed as the biggest drugs smuggler the U.S. had to deal with and key funder of the Taliban. Taliban try to gain international recognition The Taliban called the exchange the result of long and fruitful negotiations with the U.S. and said it was a good example of solving problems through dialogue. The Islamic Emirate looks positively at the actions of the United States of America that help the normalization and development of relations between the two countries, it said. The Taliban have been trying to make inroads in being recognized, in part to escape the economic tailspin caused by their takeover. Billions in international funds were frozen, and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country and took their money with them. However, some nations have welcomed Taliban officials, like the United Arab Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. On Tuesday, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan again welcomed Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who also heads the Haqqani network, a powerful force within the group blamed for some of the bloodiest attacks against Afghanistans former Western-backed government. Haqqani is still wanted by the U.S. on a bounty of up to $10 million over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults. The meeting came even as the UAE maintains a close relationship with the U.S. 2025 CSDA Board President Pete Kampa View Photos Groveland, CA Pete Kampa, General Manager of the Groveland Community Services District (GCSD), has been elected to a statewide leadership role. He is the new board president of the non-profit California Special Districts Association (CSDA). It represents over 1,000 special districts, providing essential services like irrigation, water, sanitation, fire protection, open space, park and recreation, cemetery, electricity, library, resource conservation, port and harbor, veterans memorial, and healthcare to nearly all of Californias 39 million residents. In my three decades of public-sector management, I can attest that special districts are truly the workhorses of our government, stated Kampa at CSDAs first meeting of the year. It is my privilege to represent my peers throughout the state and continue to strengthen the voice of our communities as we work together to provide the most efficient services possible. A Certified Special District Manager, Kampa has over 32 years of experience in special district operations, facilitating over $100 million in water, wastewater, fire protection infrastructure upgrades, and park and train construction. The CSDA held its first meeting of 2025 with Kampa at the helm on January 17. The CSDA Executive Committee also includes Lorenzo Rios of Clovis Veterans Memorial District as Vice President, Antonio Martinez of Contra Costa Water District as Secretary, Don Bartz of Phelan Pinion Hills Community Services District as Treasurer, and Elaine Magner of Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District as Past President. News / International by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zimbabwe, Dr Tamer Almassri has condemned systematic and seismic brutal Israeli aggression on Westbank which target to paralyse mobility, supposed development and peace while calling upon international community to impose sanctions immediately in deterring further aggression.In a statement this Wednesday, Palestine claimed that Netanyahu is trying all means impossible to save his coalition government's deficiencies."We strongly condemn the brutal aggression on Westbank through intensified repressive measures, including the erection of numerous checkpoints which now stands at 898, including 16 newly installed iron gates, thereby paralyzing Palestinian mobility and severe connections between its areas which is a systematic denial of Palestinian rights and an attempt by Netanyahu to save his faltering coalition government," Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zimbabwe, Dr Tamer Almassri said."This escalation of violence is a deliberate attempt by Israel to distract the international community from its recent crimes in Gaza and to consolidate its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. The installation of new iron gates across the West Bank constitutes a further act of collective punishment and a blatant attempt to fragment Palestinian society and impose a full system of apartheid," Tamer Almassri added.Israeli forces have reportedly launched a deadly war in Jenin and its refugee camps and Tamer Almassri describes that the latest episode of violence violates human rights and international laws."This latest act of violence, involving the use of heavy military force, drones, and airstrikes, has resulted in the tragic loss of 10 innocent Palestinian lives, 40 Injured and the destruction of roads surrounding Ibn Sina Hospital," Tamer Almassri said."These actions aim to consolidate Israeli control over the occupied territories and undermine any possibility of a just and lasting peace. The international community must not remain silent in the face of these ongoing Israeli crimes," he added.The state of Palestine called upon international community to condemn unequivocally Israel's aggression against its people and hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and its crimes against humanity; and Impose immediate and effective sanctions on Israel to deter further aggression."The Palestinian people will continue their steadfast struggle against the Israeli occupation and will never relinquish their inalienable right to freedom and self-determination and to an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," Tamer Almassri added. President Emmerson Mnangagwas loyalists are reportedly planning a significant crackdown on diaspora activists providing financial support to opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. This alleged plot comes as Chamisa, currently on a political sabbatical, remains a potential threat to Mnangagwas bid for a third, and arguably unconstitutional, presidential term. Sources within Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) diaspora chapters have revealed increasing risks for opposition members and human rights activists, both within Zimbabwe and abroad. Genius Khatazile Mamwadhu, speaking to New Zimbabwe, detailed the situation. Intelligence sources have made us aware of a plot to cause harm, including murder, forced disappearances and torching of properties belonging to known activists supporting and funding Chamisas bid for a political comeback to challenge Mnangagwa. For some CCC members and human rights activists who fled Zimbabwe and took refuge in the diaspora, the situation is dire as there is an operation targeting those alleged to be bankrolling what is being termed Blue Movement, he said. The alleged targeting of diaspora activists has intensified following the announcement of Mnangagwas extended presidential term, potentially until 2030 or 2033. Mamwadhu noted that several activists, including those residing in the UK, USA, and South Africa, are under surveillance, particularly those believed to be leading online campaigns against the extended presidency. He named several prominent activists, including Greatman Makipa, Clive Biggie Nyaketa, Nobukhosi Dube, Brian Chikukwa, Munyaradzi Zengeni, Evelyn Chigaro, Kevin Dube, Memory Kishindo, Xolisani Masuku, Melody Phylis Magejo, and Sibongile Sibanda, who have been labelled fugitives by the Zimbabwean government but remain committed to their activism. Mamwadhu highlighted the governments actions as a violation of human rights: It is actually shameless to target economic and political refugees. The Government of Zimbabwes actions underscore the deteriorating human rights situation at home. Activists are branded as threats to national security, and state apparatuses such as the police and judiciary are weaponized to suppress dissent. The crackdown extends beyond the diaspora. Mamwadhu cited the case of former Mkoba MP Amos Chibaya as an example of the governments actions against local activists. He stated: Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF are using the laws such as the Patriotic Bill, Cyber Security Act and Maintenance of Public Order Act (MOPA) to silence the opposition and human rights activists in the country. This alleged use of legislation to suppress dissent raises serious concerns about the shrinking space for political opposition and freedom of expression in Zimbabwe. The situation is further complicated by the reported internal power struggles within Zanu-PF, with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly leading a faction opposing Mnangagwas extended term and even contemplating a potential alliance with Chamisa. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News Pin Share Share 0 Shares A convicted rapist serving a twenty-year sentence at Chikurubi Maximum Prison has been found guilty of another sexual offence, this time against a fellow inmate. Brian Shereni, 39, was convicted of aggravated indecent assault following an incident in October 2024. The court heard that on 29 October, at approximately 5am, Shereni sexually abused his 36-year-old cellmate while the victim was asleep and naked in their shared cell, Cell E, at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. Shereni admitted to the act, stating that he took advantage of the complainants deep sleep. The victim awoke to find Shereni strongly abusing him, prompting him to scream for help. Other inmates responded to his cries, intervening and subsequently reporting the incident to prison authorities. The matter was then reported to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, who in turn filed a report with ZRP Highlands. During the victim impact assessment, the complainant testified that the incident had a significant impact on him, both physically and emotionally. Despite this, he stated that he has forgiven Shereni. Prosecutor Zvikomborero Mupasa presented the complainants testimony to the court, highlighting the traumatic effects of the assault. He urged the court to impose a custodial sentence of at least eight years on Shereni. Shereni appeared before Harare regional magistrate Sandra Mupindu. He was remanded until the present day for a pre-sentence hearing and subsequent sentencing. Sodomy is reportedly rampant in Zimbabwean prisons despite the same sex activities being illegal in Zimbabwe. This case is not an isolated incident. Just a few months ago, two inmates at Khami Maximum Prison in Bulawayo, Godwin Dlomo and Gilbert Shonai, faced charges for engaging in consensual anal sex, an act prohibited under Zimbabwean law. The case came to light when Shonai, serving a sentence for rape, reported experiencing anal pain and revealed the consensual sexual act with Dlomo to prison guards. The details of Dlomos sentence were not disclosed in court. Prosecutor Audrey Kufandikamwe outlined the states case, stating, The matter came to light when the second accused experienced anal pain and subsequently disclosed that he had engaged in consensual anal sex with the first accused person. In another case which took place in August last year, three inmates from Harare Central Remand Prisons were facing aggravated indecent assault charges after allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a fellow inmate. Kingswell Ngwerume (32), Kudakwashe Mazorodze (35), and Lazurus Chinobhururuka (40) appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa on August 22nd. The alleged incident occurred on August 11th when the three accused and the 20-year-old complainant were in their cells. Mazorodze allegedly directed the complainant to move to Cell C2, where Ngwerume and Chinobhururuka were among other inmates. According to the States case, the complainant woke up in the middle of the night to find Ngwerume touching him inappropriately. When the complainant refused to comply with Ngwerumes demands, he was allegedly assaulted by Ngwerume, Chinobhururuka, and Mazorodze. Chinobhururuka then produced a bottle and forced the complainant to drink its contents, causing him to feel dizzy. The three accused then allegedly took turns to sexually assault the complainant. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News Pin Share Share 0 Shares Affluent Zimbabwean businessman Isaac Chalumbira has filed a R2.5 million defamation lawsuit against Kenny Kunene, deputy president of South Africas Patriotic Alliance (PA), following comments made during a live television interview. The suit, filed at the Johannesburg High Court on 17 January, stems from allegations made by Kunene on Newzroom Afrika in June 2024. Chalumbira, best known for his work in the financial services industry and his philanthropic endeavours, is a highly respected figure in the business community, renowned for his innovative strategies and ability to identify and capitalise on market opportunities. His career began in the Zimbabwean banking sector, where he rapidly progressed, establishing a reputation as a talented and ambitious financial professional. He later transitioned to the insurance sector, becoming a pioneer of mobile insurance, a product that significantly broadened access to insurance for low-income earners. In 2016, he founded Lionshare Holdings, an investment holding company which runs Lionshare microfinance that provides crucial financial services including savings accounts and loans to individuals and businesses previously excluded from the formal banking system. His commitment to positive social impact extends to his philanthropic work, particularly his advocacy for education and mentorship of young entrepreneurs. During the interview, Kunene, referencing his position as the Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for roads and transport, accused Chalumbira of operating an illegal cross-border bus rank at Park Station. According to court documents, Kunene claimed that Chalumbiras bus company, Powerhouse, was operating illegally without the necessary permits from the City of Johannesburg. The legal papers quote Kunenes statements: So the Zimbabwean government is telling us in South Africa that the bus rank they recognise is Powerhouse, which is owned by a Zimbabwean; now the City of Johannesburg only recognises a bus rank called Fleet Africa. Those are the buses recognised to accommodate or operate buses from SADC and throughout the continent. now the Zimbabwean has opened his own bus rank, which is supposed to be a parking, private parking area. He has burned it into a bus operating rank, that is illegal. Kunenes statements further implied a lack of willingness to engage in discussions with Chalumbira, stating: I am not going to waste my time with negotiations, the law is the law, its very clear. The Zimbabwean government was supposed to have interacted with the City of Johannesburg and established which ranks, bus ranks, are recognised as legal. They did not do that, they just took the word of their own citizen who is here in South Africa, making money in South Africa, illegally operating an illegal bus rank. Chalumbiras legal action alleges that Kunenes comments not only damaged his reputation but also suggested his involvement in organised crime. The claim states: As a result of the publication of these statements, I had my name and reputation injured and suffered damages amounting to R2.5 million. This lawsuit comes amidst other controversies surrounding Kunene. Last week, he faced criticism from various political parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), for comments made on Newzroom Afrika regarding illegal miners in Stilfontein, North West. He reportedly stated that these miners should die like rats, a statement made against the backdrop of a large-scale rescue operation following a court order to remove illegal miners from a disused mine. The operation revealed the extent of illegal mining networks, with rescued miners including significant numbers from Mozambique, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. The South African Police Service reported that Operation Vala Umgodi, launched in August 2023, has since recovered numerous bodies and brought thousands of illegal miners to the surface. City Press contacted Kunene for comment but received no response prior to publication. The outcome of Chalumbiras lawsuit will be closely watched, not only for its financial implications but also for its potential impact on public discourse and the responsibilities of public figures making statements on television. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News Pin Share Share 0 Shares Max the cat was washed at 40 degrees survived Omni via machine translation (Micael T) Dogs Paired With Providers at Hospitals Help Ease Staff and Patient Stress KFF Health News Earths magnetic north pole is on the move, and scientists just updated its position CNN (Kevin W) Scientists Cast Doubt on Atmospheric Methane Removal Technology ScienceBlog Improved radon gas mapping finds nearly 25% of Americans living in highest risk areas PhysOrg (fk) #COVID-19/Pandemics These results imply SARS-CoV-2 mutations can have very different impacts on serum antibody neutralization depending on a persons exposure history. We confirmed this for a subset of mutations as shown below. pic.twitter.com/PEQz9yCPi0 Bloom Lab (@jbloom_lab) January 21, 2025 Stop letting your kids get Covid. Stop letting your kids get Covid. Stop letting your kids get Covid. pic.twitter.com/TB8oJPp5yV OldFashionedAnne (@oldfshndanne) January 20, 2025 Immediately after withdrawing from the WHO, Trump stops CDC, FDA & NIH from giving public health updates. The CDC was scheduled to publish several MMWR reports this week, including 3 about H5N1 outbreak, according to federal health official who spoke on condition of anonymity pic.twitter.com/itopmWAL03 Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) January 22, 2025 Climate/Environment China? European Disunion Old Blighty A New Frontier: Organised Immigration Crime and UK Sanctions RUSI. The money quote is at the end: he history of sanctions is littered with cases of over-promising and under-delivering, where expectations and hopes for impact are misplaced. Israel v. The Resistance New Not-So-Cold War Turkiye Syraqistan Big Brother is Watching You Watch Imperial Collapse Watch Theres reason to be worried about the plethora of pardons from Trump and Biden Politico Trump 2.0 Biden Our No Longer Free Press Major Tech Firms Sign EU Pledge To Tackle Hate Speech The Verge. Note that hate crimes are recognized in US law, but not hate speech. The collective West's facade of freedom of speech, human equality, and human rights has been completely destroyed. Free Palestine https://t.co/u3O1CiWMh5 Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) January 22, 2025 AI Guillotine Watch Class Warfare Inflict massive economic violence on a bunch of VCs out of spite LinkedIn. I cant access LinkedIn but Micael T kindly sent the text: Sometimes when I run into open source software that gates basic auth behind a paywall, it occurs to me that I should collaborate with the blog readership to fork their code, add SSO, and inflict massive economic violence on a bunch of VCs out of spite. Which we 100% should do, we just have to figure out what company has software worth preserving but a business model that isnt. The Black Book of Communism Is a Shoddy Work of History Jacobin Antidote du jour (via): And a bonus: Just a stray puppy having the best time of his life.. pic.twitter.com/U2940KVLUd og (@Yoda4ever) January 21, 2025 A second bonus: Teacher teaching his student pic.twitter.com/vy3V6VB8fD Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) January 20, 2025 See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Last week NATO announced that it is increasing its presence in the Baltic Sea. The pretext is damage in recent months to undersea cables allegedly caused by ships associated with Russias shadow fleet. Anonymous intelligence officials admit to Jeff Bezos Washington Post that theres really nothing nefarious about the incidents; they were just accidents. Nevertheless the West is using it as an opportunity to check off three boxes: push ahead with more military encirclement of Russia, harass Russias oil trade, and gaslight the public in order to sell increased defense budgets with the corresponding social spending cuts. The new NATO operation purportedly in response to the damaged cables involves more ships, surveillance planes, drones in the air and underwater, and other types of intelligence gathering. The U.K. that AI superpower in the North Sea is leading the charge on an AI-based system to track suspicious ships in the Baltic. The Commander Task Force Baltic Command Center in Germanys Baltic port city of Rostock will take a lead role in oversight. The operation is called Baltic Sentry. If the Russians see that we are present there, the likelihood of such sabotage acts immediately decreases, because saboteurs can be caught in the act, and once caught, its much easier to deal with them, Arjen Warnaar, commander of NATOs Standing Naval Maritime Group 1, told the Estonian ERR news outlet. The reason for NATOs beefed up presence is predicated on a lie, however at least according to some anonymous Western intelligence officials. The Washington Post cited several from the US and Europe in a Sunday report highlighting that damage in recent months to underwater power and communications cables in the Baltic was more likely than not the result of simple maritime accidents rather than nefarious actions from Moscow. That would hardly be surprising. According to Telegeography, cables and other underwater infrastructure suffer minor damage all the time: Submarine cables break all the time. On average, two to four break somewhere in the world every week. While damage is more common in some areas than others, these breaksor faultseventually happen to almost every cable Most come from fishing equipment, normal anchoring activity, and natural disasters like undersea earthquakes. Internal component or equipment failure causes another, smaller category of faults. And in none of these cases are we talking about the sophisticated level of destruction like in the case of the Nord Stream pipelines. These are all relatively benign incidents that caused little disruption, were quickly repaired, and likely would have gone mostly unnoticed in absence of NATO hullabaloo and media attention. Instead Western officials have seized on the cable damage to make escalatory statements and float the idea of closing the NATO lake to Russian ships. Some of the NATO Keystone Cops in the Baltics and elsewhere probably are crazy enough to try some funny business to effectively shut down a few of Russias busiest ports on the Baltic (which might help explain Bezos WaPo piece throwing cold water on the allegations of Russian sabotage). Upon the announcement that Finland and Sweden would join NATO, former Secretary General of the military bloc Anders Fogh Rasmussen proclaimed it was a strategic victory because If we wish, we can block all entry and exit to Russia through St. Petersburg. Estonia, which has a population smaller than Russias armed forces, has in the past made noise about causing problems in the Gulf of Finland with Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur talking about how the integration of Estonian and Finnish coastal missile defense the two sides are working on will allow them to close the Gulf of Finland to Russian ships. That would effectively blockade Saint Petersburg, which Russia would consider an act of war. How would that integrated missile defense system handle Russian hypersonic missiles? Roughly 60 percent of Russias total seaborne oil exports pass through the Danish straits on its way to international markets, and Moscows updated version of the Naval Doctrine of the Russian Federation lists the Baltic Sea and and the Danish Straits as important areas, in which the use of force will be available as a last resort after the other options have been exhausted. Its more likely that this is just another point in the tails-we-win, heads-you-lose game the West thinks its playing. On the one hand, ramping up the militarization of the Baltic as well as everywhere else is in line with the overall NATO racket. On the other hand, who knows, maybe this attempt to cause another headache for Moscow will, according to the wishful thinking in the West, finally lead to the implosion of the Putin government. Despite the Washington Post report revealing that intercepted communications and other classified intelligence collected by NATO countries indicate that crews and poorly maintained ships were behind the accidents, I have yet to see NATO recalling its Baltic Sentry. Thats hardly surprising because stopping damage to cables isnt really the point. The Financial Times noted as much after a similar incident in the Fall of 2023 when some NATO states were making noise about UN Convention on the Law of the Sea laws permitting states to to institute proceedings, including detention of the vessel given clear objective evidence that the vessel poses a threat of environmental damage.: But officials briefed on the proposal say it relies on the capacity of Denmarks naval authorities to stop and check the tankers, and raises the question of what Copenhagen would do if a ship refused to stop. Discussions appear to be centred on making life more complicated for Russia and the buyers of its oil, said Henning Gloystein at Eurasia Group. If you can make the bureaucracy and risk associated with trading Russian oil a lot more onerous the expectation is buyers will start to demand larger discounts again for their trouble. There you have it. Its really about going after the ominously-named ghost ships or shadow fleet. NATO, at enormous cost to itself, will try to cause problems for ships transporting Russian oil, which might mean Moscow takes a small hit on revenue. As Alexander Mercouris explains, the so-called shadow fleet are simply ships without Western insurance freighters that are expanding the sale of oil and natural gas to much of the world in spite of Western sanctions and while eluding the insane $60-per-barrel price cap imposed by the West. As even the Associated Press admits: The shadow fleet in fact isnt all that shadowy. The ships dont hide their stops at Russian oil terminals. Some have direct connections to Russia, as with the vessels owned by Sovcomflot. In other cases, its often unclear who exactly is behind the listed owners, and what kind of safety practices and insurance the vessels have. What sets them apart is that they transport Russian oil and operate outside the jurisdictions of the sanctioning G7 countries. The intensifying effort to harass these ships, which are often registered to offshore firms, goes hand in hand with the recent sanctions on 183 shadow fleet vessels an unprecedented number. Its a sign of increasing frustration as nothing has worked so far in choking off Russias oil sales. As Reuters reported last week, Russias oil exports fell in 2024, but revenue climbed by $3.8 billion. By further militarizing the Baltic, however, NATO creates more opportunity for misunderstandings or mishaps that could dramatically escalate the conflict with Russia. Case in point: French Navy Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft has been reported to have been illuminated by the targeting radar of a RussianS-400 long range surface to air missile system on the night of January 15-16, at a time when the aircraft was flying over the Baltic Sea. The system is thought to have been located in Russias westernmost territory of Kaliningrad, where modern air defence systems are heavily concentrated to provide security against NATO forces that encircle it from all directions. The Atlantique 2 was reportedly conducting inspections near Swedish and Baltic waters at the time, and scanning around 200 ships. The aircraft carry heavy surveillance equipment, and can deploy both cruise missiles and torpedoes, providing them with a comparable role to the Russian Tu-142 or the American P-8. The S-400s engagement of the French aircraft was condemned by French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, and occurred at a time of particularly high tensions between Moscow and Paris primarily over the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War. The Narrative Build Up The most recent much ballyhooed damage was to the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and four undersea communications cables between Finland and Estonia by the Eagle S, a 750-foot-long, Cook Island-flagged tanker carrying Russian oil. It isnt the first in the Baltic to receive outsize attention. Weve had a solid couple years now of horror stories over renegade ships and activities in the Baltic not including the US destruction of Nord Stream of course.No, here were talking about nefarious actors like Russia and China. Just a few other recent examples: In October of 2023 The NewNew Polar Bear, a Chinese vessel damaged intentionally, the West alleged the Finnish-Estonian Balticconnector gas pipeline. To add insult to injury in the West, the NewNew was the first Chinese-owned containership to use Russias Northern Sea Route to reach the Russian port in Kaliningrad after a six-week passage. Telecom cables linking Finland, Estonia and Sweden were damaged allegedly inflicted by the Yi Peng 3 bulk carrier in November. These were all relatively minor incidents that along with a few others received quite a bit of attention, and almost all stories didnt question the allegations of some Russia-China plot to destroy Western infrastructure. Yet, the Washington Post now reports that the Estlink 2 incident, as well as those involving the NewNew Polar Bear and Yi Peng 3, have clear explanations, suggesting the damage was accidental. Nonetheless, by using these incidents as an excuse NATO is well on its way to implementing the Center for Strategic and International Studies 2022 plan for NATO near-term actions in the Baltic: Bring Sweden and Finland into NATO. The ratification of these two nations needs to move forward without delay. Elevating them from strong partners to alliance members changes the calculus of a Baltic conflict significantly. The alliance can immediately leverage these two nations to increase strategic depth. Forward stage capabilities. Mines, anti-submarine capabilities, missile defense, and secure supply and logistics infrastructure should be forward staged across all domains, increasing deterrence. Increase patrol. A whole-of-government approach from each Baltic nation and its allies is needed to ensure that energy, communications, and sea routes remain secure. This includes Baltic Air Policing, readiness to shift the balance of A2/AD, and the monitoring and protection of maritime infrastructure. Strengthen command and control. Existing multi-domain command and control should be tested and ready for use. The need for effective command and control will be swift and will require resilient disaggregated nodes, though an eye should also be kept on future capability. Baltic Sentry is a small part of the plan to encircle and pressure Russia. Perhaps more importantly its another piece of the ongoing dramatic overhaul of European society. Its another spot the fear mongers can point to and say more money must be spent on defense, and it comes as Trump and company all push for more military hardware purchases at the expense of all other social programs, which are being starved and privatized. That restructuring and plundering of the social commons is probably a more accurate description of what Baltic Sentry is guarding. Anduril Industries to build $1B hyperscale defense facility in Ohio, creating 4,000 Jobs Anduril Industries is investing $1 billion to build "Arsenal-1," a state-of-the-art weapons production facility in central Ohio, which will create 4,000 direct jobs and is expected to be the largest job-creation initiative in Ohios history. The 5 million square foot facility will specialize in producing autonomous systems and advanced weapons for the U.S. military and its allies, aiming to modernize Americas defense industrial base and enhance national security. Anduril chose Ohio for its robust infrastructure, skilled workforce and historical significance in aerospace and defense, with the facility located near Rickenbacker Airport, providing essential logistical support. Arsenal-1 will use Andurils proprietary "Arsenal" platform, a software-defined system designed for flexible and scalable production of military systems, capable of rapid scaling to meet surging defense demands. The project is projected to create an additional 8,500 jobs in supporting industries and aligns with efforts to revitalize U.S. manufacturing, reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and maintain a strategic edge in global defense. In a significant boost to U.S. defense manufacturing, California-based Anduril Industries announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art hyperscale weapons production facility in central Ohio. The $1 billion project, dubbed Arsenal-1, is set to become the largest single job-creation initiative in Ohios history, with 4,000 direct jobs expected upon completion. The facility, spanning 5 million square feet, will focus on producing autonomous systems and advanced weapons for the U.S. military and its allies, marking a pivotal step in modernizing Americas defense industrial base. The announcement comes at a critical juncture as the U.S. seeks to counter rising global threats and strengthen its military capabilities. Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf emphasized the facilitys importance, stating, Arsenal-1 represents a step forward in how we manufacture the autonomous systems and weapons that our nation and our allies need to remain secure. By harnessing a world-class workforce and a scalable, software-driven approach to manufacturing, Arsenal-1 will set the standard for how we respond to the challenges of the future fight. Ohio: A strategic choice for defense innovation Andurils decision to build Arsenal-1 in Ohio follows a year-long search that evaluated multiple locations across the country. The company cited Ohios robust infrastructure, skilled manufacturing workforce and legacy in aerospace and defense as key factors in its selection. The facility will be located near Rickenbacker Airport, providing direct access to two 12,000-foot runways and a 75-acre private apron capable of supporting military-scale aircraft. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine hailed the project as a continuation of the states storied history in aviation and defense, which dates back to the Wright brothers. At this critical moment in time, our country needs rapid technological innovation, which Anduril will deliver using Ohios skilled, hardworking labor force, DeWine said. The future of American air power will be made in Ohio! The states aerospace sector is already home to major players like GE Aerospace and Joby Aviation, which is preparing to manufacture electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft near Dayton. Ohios strategic investments in workforce development and infrastructure have positioned it as a hub for advanced manufacturing, making it an ideal location for Andurils ambitious project. Arsenal-1: A new era in defense manufacturing At the heart of Arsenal-1 is Andurils proprietary Arsenal platform, a software-defined manufacturing system designed to mass-produce autonomous systems and weapons. The facility will utilize a common set of commercial manufacturing tools and processes, allowing for maximum flexibility in reallocating resources to meet evolving defense needs. This approach enables rapid scaling of production to address surges in demand, ensuring the U.S. military and its allies can maintain a strategic edge. Christian Brose, Andurils chief strategy officer, highlighted the facilitys potential to transform defense manufacturing. Arsenal-1 will redefine the scale and speed at which autonomous systems and weapons can be produced, Brose said. This is a monumental and essential step toward rebuilding Americas defense industrial base and enhancing deterrence amid rising international threats. The facility is expected to produce tens of thousands of military systems annually, with the capacity for future expansion on its 500-acre site. In addition to the 4,000 direct jobs, the project is projected to create an additional 8,500 jobs in supporting industries, further bolstering Ohios economy. A legacy of innovation meets modern defense needs Ohios role in advancing aerospace and defense technology is deeply rooted in its history. The state is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASAs Glenn Research Center, all of which have driven technological breakthroughs in military and space exploration. Andurils investment reinforces Ohios position as a leader in national security innovation. The project also aligns with broader efforts to revitalize U.S. manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. As global tensions rise, the ability to rapidly produce advanced weapons systems domestically is increasingly critical. Arsenal-1 represents a significant step toward achieving that goal, ensuring the U.S. remains prepared to meet the challenges of an uncertain future. Pending state and local approvals, construction on Arsenal-1 is set to begin immediately, with manufacturing operations slated to commence in July 2026. The facility will join Andurils existing production sites in Mississippi, Rhode Island, Georgia, Australia and California, further solidifying the companys role as a leader in defense technology. As Ohio prepares to welcome Anduril, the states leaders are optimistic about the economic and strategic benefits of the project. This investment reinforces Ohios position as a leader in advanced technology and national security, said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. When it comes to Made in America, you cant do it without Made in Ohio. With Arsenal-1, Ohio is poised to play a central role in shaping the future of U.S. defense manufacturing, ensuring the nation remains at the forefront of military innovation for decades to come. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Anduril.com CBSNews.com Bab el-Mandeb Strait: How targeted Houthi attacks and geopolitical tensions helped strangle shipping through this strategic chokepoint The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical 20-mile-wide maritime passage, has become a geopolitical flashpoint, impacting global trade, energy security and regional stability due to Houthi attacks on commercial ships since late 2023. Houthi missile and drone strikes, initially targeting Israel-linked vessels, have expanded to include all Western shipping, forcing major shipping companies to reroute via South Africa, increasing costs and delays. The strait, historically contested and vital for global oil shipments, saw oil traffic drop by over 50 percent in 2024, highlighting its role as a linchpin in global energy markets and maritime trade. The straits strategic importance is amplified by U.S.-China rivalry and intra-Gulf competition, with both nations maintaining military bases in Djibouti, further entangling global powers in the regions instability. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow 20-mile-wide passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, has in recent years become a flashpoint in global geopolitics, with far-reaching implications for international trade, energy security and regional stability. Since November 2023, Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a series of missile and drone attacks on commercial ships traversing this critical waterway. These attacks, initially targeting vessels linked to Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have since expanded to include ships associated with the United States and the United Kingdom. (Related: Red Sea shootdown: Did the Houthis play a role in the U.S. navy's "friendly fire" incident?) The resulting disruption has forced major shipping companies to reroute around South Africas Cape of Good Hope, increasing costs and delivery times while reshaping global trade flows. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been a focal point of global trade for centuries, serving as a gateway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. Its control has been contested by empires and nations alike, from the Ottomans to the British. Today, it remains a critical artery for global commerce, particularly for oil shipments from the Persian Gulf to Europe and Asia. In 2023, an estimated 8.7 million barrels of oil per day flowed through the strait, but by August 2024, that figure had plummeted to 4.0 million barrels per day. The straits importance is magnified by its location in the Horn of Africa, a region historically plagued by instability but increasingly seen as a hub for economic and geopolitical competition. Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with global powers such as China, have invested heavily in ports and infrastructure in the region, seeking to secure their interests in this vital maritime corridor. China, in particular, has established a significant presence in Djibouti, home to its first overseas military base, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Targeted Houthi strikes and threats against shipping successfully choke traffic through Bab el-Mandeb The Houthi attacks have slashed oil traffic through the strait by over 50 percent in the first eight months of 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This decline underscores the strait's role as a linchpin in global energy markets, with 15 percent of global maritime trade passing through it annually. Israel, the U.S. and their allies have responded with military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, aiming to restore freedom of navigation and stabilize energy markets. However, the situation remains precarious. The Houthi attacks are not merely a local conflict but part of a broader proxy war between Iran and its rivals. The Houthis, a Shia rebel group that controls much of western Yemen, have leveraged their position along the strait to disrupt global trade and pressure the U.S. and its allies. Their actions have drawn international condemnation but also exposed the limits of military deterrence. "The inability of oil to transit a major chokepoint, even temporarily, can lead to substantial supply delays and higher shipping costs, resulting in higher world energy prices," the EIA noted in a recent report. The crisis has also highlighted the strait's strategic importance in the broader context of U.S.-China rivalry and intra-Gulf competition, with both nations maintaining military bases in Djibouti, which flanks the strait. "Overtly deterring the Iranian-backed Houthis means the U.S. would need to be willing to engage in a wider military confrontation with Iran," said Joe Macaron, a Middle East Program Global Fellow for the Wilson Center. This dynamic complicates efforts to stabilize the region, particularly as Arab and European allies remain reluctant to join a broader military campaign. Find more stories like this at SupplyChainWarning.com. Watch this video showcasing how Houthi missiles set fire to a Norwegian tanker traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: SABOTAGE? Chinese vessel accused of intentionally severing undersea cables in Europe. Malaysia, which controls 25 percent of the world's sea route trade via the Strait of Malacca, announced it is joining BRICS. Geopolitical analyst warns of economic chaos should Iran shut down Strait of Hormuz. China continues to threaten Taiwanese airspace, deploying WARPLANES to cross Taiwan Strait median line. U.S. warns China about plans to increase military drills in South China Sea region. Sources include: WilsonCenter.org GCaptain.com MEI.edu Brighteon.com Joe Bidens last-minute PARDONS are an attempt to shield family and allies from the law Former President Joe Biden issued sweeping pardons in his final hours, protecting family members and political allies from legal consequences. The pardons covered Joe's sister Valerie; brothers James and Frank; and Valerie and James' spouses for nonviolent offenses committed between 2014 and the date of the pardon. Joe earlier granted his son Hunter a full and unconditional pardon, nullifying his tax evasion and illegal firearm possession convictions. The pardons extended to other high-profile figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley, setting the stage for a legal and political battle particularly as the incoming Trump administration prepares to hold them accountable. Critics view the pardons as an abuse of power and an admission of wrongdoing, raising questions about the justice system's integrity. In a stunning and controversial move, former President Joe Biden issued a series of sweeping pardons in the final hours of his presidency. The pardons shielded not only his family members, but also prominent political allies, from potential legal consequences. The 46th president issued preemptive pardons on Sunday, Jan. 19, to several members of his immediate family, including his sister Valerie Biden Owens; his brothers James and Frank; Sara, James' wife; and John Owens, Valerie's husband. These pardons cover any nonviolent offenses committed between Jan. 1, 2014 and the date of the pardon. Joe defended the move, claiming his family had been subjected to "unrelenting attacks and threats" motivated by partisan politics. However, critics argue that the pardons serve as a tacit admission of wrongdoing, particularly given the Supreme Court's longstanding position that accepting a pardon implies an acknowledgment of guilt. Last month, Biden granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, covering all federal offenses committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024. This pardon effectively nullifies Hunter's convictions for tax evasion and illegal firearm possession, as well as any other potential federal crimes during that period. The move directly contradicts the former president's earlier public assurances that he would not intervene in his son's legal troubles. (Related: Joe Biden PARDONS son Hunter despite repeatedly insisting he wouldn't.) These actions were widely criticized as an abuse of presidential power and reignited accusations of corruption and cronyism. They further tarnished the 46th president's legacy and raised serious questions about the integrity of the justice system. Special Counsel David Weiss, who led the investigation into Hunter, defended the charges brought against him, stating, "The charges brought against Hunter Biden were based on concrete evidence and adhered strictly to federal prosecution standards." The counsel's remarks underscore the gravity of Bidens decision to pardon his son, which many view as a blatant act of nepotism and an affront to the rule of law. Biden's pardons: "A confession of their corruption" But Hunter wasn't the only one who benefited from his father's clemency, as presidential sibling James has been a focal point of Republican scrutiny. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) has accused James of lying to Congress about his involvement in the Biden family's alleged influence-peddling schemes. Comer reacted to the pardons by stating they serve as "a confession of their corruption." In addition to shielding his family, Biden extended clemency to several high-profile political figures, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members and staff of the House Jan. 6 Select Committee. These pardons, ostensibly intended to protect public servants from "politically motivated prosecutions," have been met with skepticism. Critics argue that the move is less about safeguarding democracy and more about insulating Biden's allies from accountability. However, the pardons also carry significant legal implications. By removing the threat of federal prosecution, Biden has effectively stripped these individuals of their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, making them more vulnerable to compelled testimony before Congress. "[The] implication is that they needed the pardons. So let's call them all before Congress and demand the truth," noted Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX). "If they refuse or lie, let's test the constitutional 'reach' of these pardons with regard to their future actions." The former president's actions have set the stage for a contentious legal and political battle as the incoming Trump administration vows to pursue accountability. Joe's pardons are seen as a preemptive strike to shield his family and allies from potential retribution under President Donald Trump's second term. Ultimately, Joe's final act as president has left a dark cloud over his tenure. By prioritizing the protection of his family and political allies over the principles of justice and accountability, the 46th chief executive has reinforced the perception of a double standard in the application of the law. The nation will be watching closely to see whether these pardons will stand, or whether they will be the first chapter in a broader reckoning for the Biden crime family and their associates. Watch former Australian Sen. Steven Loosley explaining why Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter is damaging to the former U.S. president's legacy below. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden may grant PREEMPTIVE PARDONS to people who could be investigated and indicted under Trump. Biden mulls shielding Fauci and Cheney as Trump plans to pardon J6 patriots. Rep. Comer says Joe Biden will pardon his brother James after son Hunter. Sources include: YourNews.com ABCNews.go.com POLITICO.com Brighteon.com Corporate America, including TECH GIANTS and BIG PHARMA, opens wallets wide for Trumps second inauguration contributing over $170 million to shatter previous record Corporate America has contributed unprecedented sums, exceeding $170 million, to Donald Trump's second inauguration, marking a significant shift in business relationships with the president. Major corporations, including tech giants like Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft, as well as auto manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, have increased their donations, some more than tripling their contributions from previous inaugurations. The surge in donations reflects a change in corporate America's view of Trump, moving from initial skepticism to a desire to curry favor with the unpredictable but influential figure. Companies are more transparent in announcing their donations, signaling a shift in attitude towards Trump compared to his first inauguration and the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. The record-breaking fundraising underscores a broader trend of corporations hedging their bets in a polarized political landscape, with businesses seeking influence and access in the new administration. Corporate America has poured unprecedented sums into President Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony and related events, signaling a dramatic shift in the business world's relationship with the polarizing political figure. According to the New York Times, Trump's inaugural committee has raised more than $170 million, shattering the previous record set during his first inauguration in 2017. This surge in donations reflects a calculated effort by major corporations to curry favor with a man known for his unpredictability and penchant for rewarding loyalty or punishing perceived slights. Tech giants like Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft, along with CEOs from Apple and OpenAI, are among the top contributors. Auto manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and financial firms have also opened their checkbooks, with many publicly announcing their donations months before federal disclosure requirements kick in. This marks a stark contrast to Trump's first inauguration, when corporate America approached him with skepticism, and to the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, when many companies distanced themselves from him. The record-breaking fundraising haul underscores a significant change in how corporate America views Trump. During his first campaign and presidency, many companies were hesitant to align themselves with a figure whose rhetoric and policies often sparked controversy. However, eight years later, businesses appear to have adapted to Trump's transactional style of governance. "The stigma of a Trump donation, which was out there to some degree eight years ago, is no longer there," said Brian Ballard, a longtime Trump fundraiser who has helped raise money for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. "Who knows what's going to happen two months from now? But for today, up and down, corporate America is solidly pro-Trump." This shift is evident in the size and transparency of the donations. Microsoft, for example, contributed $1 million doubling its donations for Trump's 2017 and former President Joe Biden's 2021 inaugurations. Google, which gave $285,000 to both Trump's first inauguration and Biden's, more than tripled its contribution to $1 million this time. Big names, big checks The list of donors reads like a who's who of corporate America. Tech giants Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft each contributed at least $1 million, as did the CEOs of Apple and OpenAI. Auto manufacturers Toyota, Ford and General Motors also donated $1 million a piece, alongside pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, telehealth company Hims & Hers, and tax service Intuit. Robinhood, the stock trading app, contributed $2 million. (Related: A strategic investment: Meta donates $1M to Trump inauguration fund.) In a sign of how eager these companies are to publicize their support, spokespeople for many firms quickly confirmed their donations to Politico. Chevron and Bank of America also acknowledged contributions but declined to specify amounts. "Everyone's trying to kiss the ring and curry favor with the new administration," said a healthcare lobbyist granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. "We're hopeful this new administration will be friendlier than the previous one." The surge in donations reflects a broader trend of corporations hedging their bets in an increasingly polarized political landscape. Trump's second inauguration comes amid ongoing legal battles, including felony convictions and promises to pardon participants in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Yet, these controversies have done little to deter corporate America from seeking influence with the incoming administration. The record-breaking fundraising for Trump's second inauguration highlights the evolving relationship between corporate America and the president. Once viewed with skepticism, Trump is now seen as a figure whose favor is worth courting, even at a high price. For businesses, the donations represent a calculated investment in access and influence, as well as an acknowledgment of Trump's enduring impact on American politics. Head over to Trump.news to read updates on the historic inauguration of the 45th and now the 47th president of the United States. Watch the video below that talks about some popular left-wingers deflecting to the "Trump Camp." This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Elon Musk was the top political donor for the 2024 election, having contributed over $250 million to Trump's and other Republicans' campaigns. As Trump prepares to retake the Oval Office, calls for an investigation into the "office"l results of the 2020 election intensify. DNC fundraiser now critical of party's "$1 billion disaster" of a presidential campaign. Trump to sign executive order designating cryptocurrency as a national priority on inauguration day. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Statista.com Politico.com Brighteon.com DOJ sues Walgreens for allegedly filling millions of illegitimate prescriptions for opioids The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Walgreens, accusing the pharmacy chain of knowingly filling millions of illegitimate opioid prescriptions over nearly a decade. The lawsuit claims Walgreens violated the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing opioids and other controlled substances without proper scrutiny. Walgreens pharmacists were reportedly pressured to ignore "clear red flags" in prescriptions and to prioritize profits over public safety in complying with questionable corporate practices. If found guilty, Walgreens could be penalized up to $80,850 per unlawful prescription, potentially amounting to tens of billions of dollars in fines. The Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against pharmacy store chain Walgreens for allegedly knowingly filling millions of prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens violated the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing dangerous opioids and other controlled substances without proper scrutiny. The DOJ claims that Walgreens pharmacists filled prescriptions with "clear red flags," indicating they were likely unlawful, yet the company systematically pressured its staff to ignore these warning signs. (Related: Walgreens to close THOUSANDS more pharmacy stores due to rampant theft, collapsing economy under Biden.) At the heart of the case is the accusation that Walgreens prioritized speed and efficiency over patient safety. The company allegedly implemented policies that forced pharmacists to fill prescriptions within 15 minutes for customers waiting in-store, leaving little time to verify the legitimacy of the orders. Additionally, Walgreens reportedly tracked pharmacists who refused to fill controlled substance prescriptions, labelling them as "underperformers" and pressuring them to comply with questionable practices. The DOJ's complaint also highlights the devastating consequences of these alleged actions. Some patients who received invalid prescriptions from Walgreens died of overdoses shortly after. The lawsuit further claims that Walgreens ignored substantial evidence from its own pharmacists and internal data that illegal prescriptions were being filled. If found guilty, Walgreens could end up owing tens of billions of dollars If found liable, Walgreens could face staggering civil penalties of up to $80,850 for each unlawful prescription. With millions of prescriptions under scrutiny, the financial repercussions could be catastrophic for the pharmacy giant, which operates over 8,000 stores across the country. Walgreens, for its part, has pushed back against the allegations, arguing that the government is attempting to enforce arbitrary rules that do not exist in law or regulation. The company claims it is seeking clarification from the court on the responsibilities of pharmacies and pharmacists, emphasizing its commitment to combating opioid misuse and abuse. However, the DOJ's lawsuit paints a different picture, alleging that Walgreens' actions were not merely negligent but deliberate. The complaint accuses the company of creating a culture that prioritized customer service and profit margins over compliance and patient safety. By allegedly turning a blind eye to red flags and pressuring pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly, Walgreens is accused of enabling the illegal distribution of opioids and other controlled substances. The lawsuit also sheds light on the broader opioid crisis, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States. The DOJ alleges that Walgreens dispensed dangerous combinations of drugs, including the so-called "trinity" of an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant a cocktail known for its high risk of overdose. Watch this report from financial expert John Willians discussing Walgreens' decision to shut down over 1,200 stores nationwide. This video is from the ThisIsJohnWilliams channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Macys and Kohls store closures signal a troubling trend in American retail. Walgreens to shut down underperforming stores and reduce investment in primary-care businesses. Walgreens in San Francisco CHAINING freezers shut to stop thieves from stealing pizza, ice cream 20 times a day. Walgreens to close 150 stores by summer 2024 due to declining demand for COVID-19 products. Walgreens, CVS to sell ABORTION PILLS in states where abortion is still legal. Sources include: Reuters.com FoxBusiness.com CNBC.com Brighteon.com Merrick Garlands departure raises questions about Oklahoma City bombing cover-up and legacy As Attorney General Merrick Garland prepares to leave the DOJ, he faces accusations of concealing evidence in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing case, including the existence of a second suspect, John Doe #2, and suppressing surveillance footage. Garland met with First Lady Hillary Clinton the day before a crucial preliminary hearing in the bombing case, raising questions about the nature of their discussion and its potential impact on the investigation. Critics, including investigative journalists and legal analysts, argue that Garland, who oversaw the prosecution of Timothy McVeigh, minimized the role of a potential accomplice and downplayed evidence suggesting McVeigh did not act alone. While supporters commend Garland for restoring the DOJs independence and morale, critics highlight his alleged mishandling of the Oklahoma City bombing case as a significant stain on his legacy, calling for a re-investigation. The resurgence of questions and new evidence has reignited calls for a fresh investigation into the bombing, with some commentators urging Garland to address white supremacist involvement by re-opening the case. As Attorney General Merrick Garland prepares to leave the Department of Justice (DOJ), his tenure is under intense scrutiny, not only for his handling of politically charged investigations but also for resurfacing allegations tied to his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing case. Garland, who once described his work on the bombing investigation as the most important thing he had ever done, now faces accusations of concealing critical evidence, including the existence of a second suspect, John Doe #2, and suppressing surveillance footage. The Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people and injured hundreds more, remains one of the deadliest acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Timothy McVeigh was convicted and executed for the attack, but questions about a potential accomplice have lingered for decades. Critics, including investigative journalists and legal analysts, allege that Garland, who oversaw the prosecution of McVeigh, played a role in obscuring evidence that pointed to a second individual involved in the bombing. A transcript from the April 27, 1995, preliminary hearing reveals that Garland, then a senior DOJ official, appeared to downplay the possibility of a second suspect. According to the transcript, Garland questioned witnesses in a manner that minimized references to John Doe #2, despite eyewitness accounts and other evidence suggesting McVeigh was not acting alone. Additionally, Garlands handling of surveillance footage from the bombing has been called into question, with critics accusing him of suppressing video evidence that could have shed light on the involvement of others. Clinton meeting raises eyebrows Further fueling speculation is a recently uncovered detail from the Clinton White House visitor logs. On April 26, 1995 the day before the preliminary hearing Garland met with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton in the White House. The purpose of the meeting remains unclear, but critics argue that the timing and sensitivity of the case suggest the discussion may have been related to the bombing investigation. Why did Merrick Garland meet with Hillary Clinton the day before the April 27th, 1995 preliminary hearing, and why did he try to conceal John Doe #2 and the surveillance tapes at that hearing? asked one investigative journalist who has been examining the case for years. This meeting raises serious questions about what was discussed and whether there was an effort to shape the narrative of the investigation. The visitor logs, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, also reveal other curious entries, including individuals checked in under pseudonyms like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. While such practices are not uncommon for high-profile visitors seeking privacy, the lack of transparency has led to further speculation about who may have been involved in discussions related to the bombing. Garlands legacy under fire Garlands departure from the DOJ comes at a time when his legacy is being hotly debated. Supporters praise his efforts to restore the departments independence and morale after the tumultuous Trump years, while critics argue that his tenure was marked by indecision and a failure to address pressing issues with urgency. The allegations surrounding the Oklahoma City bombing case add another layer of complexity to Garlands legacy. For years, conspiracy theories about the bombing have circulated, often dismissed as fringe speculation. However, the emergence of new evidence and the reexamination of old records have reignited calls for a fresh investigation into the attack. Merrick Garland should start a crusade against white supremacists by re-opening the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing case, one commentator wrote. The DOJ should identify and locate additional suspects, including the elusive John Doe #2. Garland has not publicly addressed the allegations, and the DOJ has declined to comment on the matter. However, the timing of these revelations, as Garland exits his role, ensures that the controversy will continue to shadow his career. A legacy of questions Merrick Garlands tenure as attorney general was defined by high-stakes investigations and political polarization. Yet, as he steps down, the focus has shifted to his earlier role in one of the most devastating acts of terrorism in U.S. history. The allegations of a cover-up in the Oklahoma City bombing case, coupled with the mysterious meeting with Hillary Clinton, raise troubling questions about transparency and accountability in the pursuit of justice. Whether these allegations will lead to a renewed investigation remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Garlands legacy, once defined by his reputation as a meticulous and fair-minded prosecutor, is now under a cloud of suspicion that may take years to dispel. For a nation still grappling with the scars of the Oklahoma City bombing, the search for truth and justice continues and with it, the demand for answers about what really happened on that fateful day in 1995. Sources include: Threadreaderapp.com ABCNews.com WBALTV.com Key takeaways from Trumps historic inauguration a true turning point for America and the world On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States , marking a historic moment as he became only the second president to serve non-consecutive terms. In a rousing inaugural address delivered at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, Trump outlined an ambitious vision for a golden age of America, vowing to undo the betrayals of the past four years under Democratic leadership. From energy independence and immigration reform to ending wars, tackling the chronic disease epidemic, and planting the U.S. flag on Mars, Trumps speech signaled a dramatic shift in domestic and foreign policy, promising to restore American exceptionalism and reclaim the nations global dominance. A bold vision for Americas future Trumps inaugural address was a sweeping declaration of his priorities for the next four years, framed as a restoration of American values and power. The golden age of America begins right now, he proclaimed, setting the tone for a presidency focused on reversing the failures of the Biden administration. This entails putting an end to Bidens suppression of speech across social media platform and recommitting the Federal Government to the principles outlined in the Constitution. Undoing the damage also includes pardoning the individuals who were setup and persecuted by Nancy Pelosi, antifa operatives, Capitol Police, FBI informants on January 6, 2021 and over the following four years. Immigration and national security One of the most immediate actions announced was a crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump vowed to halt all illegal entry across the southern border, reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy, and begin the deportation of millions and millions of criminal aliens. He also took aim at Mexican drug cartels, designating them as foreign terrorist organizations, and pledged to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to combat foreign criminal gangs operating in US cities. Energy independence and economic revival Trumps call for a national energy emergency underscored his commitment to fossil fuels, a stark contrast to the environmental policies of his predecessor. We will export American energy all over the world, he said, promising to abolish the Green New Deal and unleash the nations vast natural resources. This, he argued, would not only ensure energy independence but also revive the economy, making the U.S. a rich nation again. Trade and tariffs: Putting America First In a move aimed at protecting American workers, Trump announced plans to overhaul trade policy and establish the External Revenue Service to collect tariffs on imports. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens, he declared, signaling a return to the protectionist policies of his first term. He announced the formation of the "External Revenue Service" to enforce these measures. Gender and social policy Trump also waded into the culture wars, affirming that the U.S. government would recognize only two genders male and female. He criticized what he called radical political theories and social experiments, pledging to create a color-blind and merit-based society. Say goodbye to DEI programs. Military strength and peace While promising to build the strongest military the world has ever seen, Trump emphasized his role as a peacemaker. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into, he said, signaling a shift away from prolonged foreign conflicts. Most notably, Trump said that he will be reinstating and providing back pay for military service members who were kicked out over vaccine mandates and other violations of their conscience. Geopolitical ambitions Trumps speech also included bold geopolitical moves, such as regaining control of the Panama Canal, which he accused Panama of violating by working with China. He also announced the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and the restoration of Mount McKinleys name, reversing a 2015 decision to call it Denali. A new frontier: Mars Perhaps the most audacious promise was Trumps commitment to space exploration. Invoking the doctrine of manifest destiny, he declared, We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars. This vision aligns with the ambitions of his supporter Elon Musk, who has long championed the colonization of Mars. A turning point in history Donald Trumps second inauguration marks a pivotal moment in American history, one that promises to reshape the nations trajectory both at home and abroad. His vision of a golden age is a clarion call to those who believe in American exceptionalism, offering a stark contrast to the policies of the Biden era. Whether through energy independence, immigration reform, or the audacious goal of planting the US flag on Mars, Trumps agenda reflects a profound belief in the nations capacity for renewal and greatness. Sources include: RT.com RT.com FoxNews.com Health Ranger Report: Pastor Steve Cioccolanti reveals how MONEY and FEAR muted the Churchs prophetic voice Pastor Steve Cioccolanti highlights that the modern church is failing to uphold its role as a beacon of truth and justice, succumbing to corruption, fear and financial entanglements that silence pastors and compromise its prophetic voice. Financial contracts and reputation clauses are being used to control pastors, preventing them from speaking out on critical issues like COVID-19 or geopolitical conflicts, leading to a culture of compromise and spiritual lukewarmness. Cioccolanti emphasizes the importance of praying for justice, sharing testimonies of answered prayers and urging the church to stand for biblical truth in a world increasingly defined by lawlessness and moral decay. He warns that humanity is living in the timeline of Revelation, with global conflicts and crises signaling the unfolding of biblical prophecy and calls for spiritual and practical preparation. Despite the church's challenges, Cioccolanti remains hopeful for a remnant of believers who will unite, speak truth and stand for biblical principles, emphasizing the need for unity to combat division and uphold life, freedom and the gospel. In a world increasingly defined by chaos, division and moral decay, the role of the church as a beacon of truth and justice has never been more critical. Yet, according to Pastor Steve Cioccolanti, a globally recognized minister and author, the modern Church is failing in its divine mandate. In a recent "Health Ranger Report" interview with Mike Adams on Brighteon.com, Cioccolanti exposed the corruption, fear and financial entanglements that have silenced pastors and compromised the prophetic voice of the Church. (Related: Pastor Steve Cioccolanti calls on the Christian Church in America to WAKE UP.) Many churches have chosen compliance over conviction, prioritizing reputation and revenue over biblical truth. This alarming trend, according to the pastor, mirrors the lukewarm church of Laodicea described in Revelation a church so consumed by its wealth and comfort that it has lost its spiritual fervor. Cioccolanti revealed that financial contracts and reputation clauses have become tools of control within the church. "When certain preachers are promoted, they're chosen, and they have to abide by certain rules," the Christian social media influencer explained. "It's written in their contracts that they cannot say or do anything that might damage their reputation. If they speak out on issues like COVID-19 or Ukraine, they risk losing their royalties or even having to back-pay them." This contractual silencing, Cioccolanti argues, has created a culture of fear and compromise. Pastors are being muzzled and their prophetic voices are being stifled as a result. He told Adams: "The love of money has gone into the Church, and it's not just emotional it's contractual." The result is a Church that has become lukewarm, more concerned with maintaining its image and financial stability than standing for biblical truth. Adams commented that churches agreed to be shut down during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and refused to challenge government overreach. The fulfillment of prophecy: Humanity is living in the timeline of Revelation Cioccolanti also delved into the prophetic significance of current events, particularly the wars and conflicts unfolding in the Middle East. The pioneer pastor of Discover Church declared that humanity is in the timeline of Revelation and the four horsemen mentioned in the Book of Revelation are already being unleashed. The prolific author of multiple books and hundreds of videos stated that people need to change the way they pray, and they have to leave their lukewarm church that is preaching against the Bible. Despite the challenges, Cioccolanti remains hopeful that there will be a remnant of believers rising up who will be unafraid to speak truth and stand for biblical principles. He urged Christians to prepare spiritually and practically for the challenges ahead. The also emphasized the importance of unity among believers. The sought-after speaker on end time prophecy and biblical justice mentioned that the left is united in their evil agenda, but the Church has been fractured over small issues. Given this, Cioccolanti also stressed the need to come together and fight for what matters life, freedom and the gospel. Follow Awakening.news for more news about the Christian Church in America. Watch the full interview between Pastor Steve Cioccolanti and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Third-wave feminism has influenced the Christian Church, warns Pastor Steve Cioccolanti. Christian leaders abandon faith in Christ, push mental health and trusting medical doctors as solutions for life's problems. Mike Adams Sermon 50: The dangers of CORRUPTION creeping into Christian churches. Sources include: Brighteon.com BibleGateway.com 1 DiscoverChurch.online BibleGateway.com 2 Self-deportations surge as Trump takes office A wave of self-deportations is occurring in the United States as immigrants, both documented and undocumented, leave due to fears of stricter immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. The trend is exemplified by individuals like Michel Berrios, a Nicaraguan activist with legal status, who left the country citing uncertainty and a lack of humanism under the new administration. Local advocacy groups and attorneys in cities like Denver are reporting a surge in calls from migrants seeking advice on self-deportation or asylum in other countries. The U.S. asylum system is experiencing strain, with delays and fraudulent claims complicating the process for legitimate applicants, and some migrants are considering countries with more efficient asylum procedures. Trump's immigration policies, including plans to end temporary protected status and humanitarian parole programs, are already influencing outcomes and affecting over 1.5 million people, such as Berrios, who had to leave the U.S. to avoid uncertainty. As President Donald Trump assumes office, a growing wave of self-deportations is sweeping across the United States, driven by fears of stricter immigration enforcement and a perceived "lack of compassion" under the incoming administration. This phenomenon, which aligns with Trump's long-standing immigration goals, has seen individuals like Michel Berrios, a former Nicaraguan activist, voluntarily leave the country despite holding legal status. Berrios, 31, left the United States just days before the new year, citing uncertainty and a sense of alienation as her primary reasons for departure. (Related: Trump administration plans mass deportations, cuts to sanctuary cities on Day One.) "The reasons I left the United States are not only the uncertainty you're living with as [Trump] returns to power but also because it's a country where people don't have a sense of humanism," Berrios told the Associated Press. Her decision reflects a broader trend among immigrants, both documented and undocumented, who are weighing their options as Trump's administration promises to crack down on illegal immigration. In Denver, local advocacy groups and attorneys have reported a surge in calls from migrants considering self-deportation or seeking asylum in other countries, such as Canada. One Venezuelan man, for example, requested assistance to return to Colombia, highlighting the growing anxiety among immigrant communities. Tom Homan, Trump's pick to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has reinforced this sentiment, stating bluntly, "If you want to self-deport, you should self-deport because we know who you are, and we're gonna come and find you." The rise in self-deportations comes amid ongoing challenges within the U.S. asylum system. A Venezuelan asylum seeker, Alberto Bejarano pointed out that fraudulent claims have created significant delays for legitimate applicants. "Asylum is for people who [are] being personally persecuted by their government not because your country is in bad shape or you have a bad economic situation," Bejarano told the Denver Post. This strain is not unique to the United States. Asylum systems worldwide are grappling with similar issues, prompting some migrants to seek refuge in countries with more efficient processes. For Berrios, Ireland emerged as a viable alternative. "I felt Ireland was a country of opportunity," she said. The European nation's relatively swift resolution of asylum cases and lack of strong anti-immigrant sentiment made it an attractive destination. Temporary protected status and humanitarian parole programs to end soon The current wave of self-deportations echoes historical patterns of public backlash against immigrants. During the Great Depression, for example, mass deportations and voluntary departures of Mexican immigrants were driven by economic hardship and xenophobic policies. Critics argue that unchecked illegal immigration imposes significant financial and social costs on American taxpayers, including expenses related to self-deportation. Images from the U.S.-Mexico border, shared by individuals like Jason Jones, illustrate the strain on resources and the environmental toll of unmanaged migration flows. Trump's immigration policies, which include plans to end temporary protected status and humanitarian parole programs, have already begun shaping outcomes before his inauguration. These programs currently benefit over 1.5 million people, including Berrios, who arrived in the U.S. in 2023 under former President Joe Biden's humanitarian parole initiative for citizens of vulnerable countries like Nicaragua. After fleeing her country to escape President Daniel Ortega's crackdown on dissent, she found herself once again facing uncertainty in the U.S. "I spent five years hiding. I had to change my routine. I had to change my life completely," she said of her time in Nicaragua. With Trump's return to power, she felt compelled to leave. Now settled in Ireland, Berrios shares a room with women from Somalia, Egypt and Pakistan in a government-funded hotel. She looks forward to enrolling in school and eventually obtaining permanent residency. While she does not view her departure as a victory for Trump, she sees it as a reflection of "deeper societal issues." Head over to InvasionUSA.news for updates on Trump's illegal immigration policy. Watch the video below that talks about GOP governors supporting Trump's mass deportation plans. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Mexican president agrees to accept deportees under Trump's immigration crackdown. Trump's bold plan: Military deployment and mass deportations to secure the border. Incoming border czar Tom Homan proposes hotline for reporting criminal migrants, vows to shut down Darien Gap. Honduras threatens to expel U.S. military over Trump's deportation plans. Sources include: YourNews.com APNews.com DenverPost.com Brighteon.com What will you do when you cant buy or sell anything on the internet without your UN-mandated digital identity chip? Imposing mandatory digital identification on every nation on the entire planet has become a primary goal for the global elite. It isnt going to happen tomorrow, but eventually the plan is to get virtually everyone in the world into the system. If the global elite get their way, a time will come when you will not be able to buy or sell anything on the Internet without logging in with your UN-mandated digital identity chip. You wont be able to go to school, get a job or open a bank account without your UN-mandated digital identity chip either. In essence, you will become a complete and utter outcast from society. (Article by Michael republished from TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com) I have been astounded by what I have discovered. Leo Hohmann and a few others have been writing about this, but the general population has no idea what the global elite have planned. All the way back in September 2018, the United Nations established the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force Inspired by the Secretary-Generals determination to tackle the global problem of statelessness (affecting more than 10 million people worldwide), but also noting the wider (and larger) issue of lack of legal identity, the Secretary-Generals Executive Committee, in January 2018, mandated the Deputy Secretary-General to convene UN entities to develop, in collaboration with the World Bank Group, a common approach to the broader issue of registration and legal identity. To operationalize the decision of the Executive Committee, an inter-agency coordination mechanism the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force (UNLIA TF) was established from September 2018, where 13 UN agencies, under the chairmanship of UNDP, UNICEF and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, are working together to try to assist Member States achieve SDG target 16.9. One of the responsibilities of this task force is to oversee the implementation of the UN LIA at the regional and national level. The following comes from the official UN website To oversee the implementation of the UN LIA at the regional and national level; To develop and maintain normative work related to the UN LIA (with UNDESA leading as normative focal point); To fully engage in fund raising, advocacy and communication of the UN LIA; To convoke UN system-wide meetings to advance the implementation of the UN LIA; To brief the DSG and other senior UN principals as required (including the Strategic Results Group on SDG Implementation) on latest developments in the implementation of the UN LIA; To support the UNDP Administrator in his role as member of the WBG ID4D programmes High-Level Advisory Council. The United Nations Development Program is on the ground in 170 different countries and territories, and they have become one of the key UN agencies that is working to advance this agenda. On the UNDP website, they have an entire page that discusses what they intend to do. They argue that embracing digitalization will help to close the global identity gap Legal identity serves as a fundamental gateway to accessing both public and private services. However, a staggering 850 million people worldwide lack the means to establish their identity. Embracing digitalization offers a pathway to bridging this global identity gap, with digital legal identity serving as a cornerstone of digital public infrastructure, fostering interoperability among diverse systems. Whenever they want to sell us on some horrible new thing that they want to do, they make it sound like it is something that is necessary to help the poor and needy. The UNDP has listed five compelling reasons why digital identification must be imposed on the entire planet. The first reason they give is that digital identification will allow them to track all of us Digital legal identities offer a unique means of tracking population movements, facilitating swift access to essential information for each human being. Im sorry, but I dont want the UN to ever track my movements. I am sure that you feel the same way. The second reason they give is that it will allow governments to register people more quickly during major disasters Several countries are adopting digital IDs to register disaster impacts, aiding in the comprehensive understanding of these events. With support from UNDP, countries are establishing tracking systems to collect data from various agencies, including environment, health, public works, transport, agriculture, statistics, and others at national, provincial, and sub-national levels. So what would happen during a long-term global emergency such as a pandemic? Would everyone be required to register for assistance with their national governments? The third reason they give is that digital identification is necessary for identifying vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure Digital IDs aid in identifying vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure, thereby bolstering resilience and guaranteeing a dependable energy supply during adverse events like extreme weather, seismic activity, wildfires, or power grid failures. Utility providers and emergency services can utilize this personal data during disasters to precisely locate individuals in need of special assistance, including those reliant on medical equipment powered by electricity or facing mobility challenges. Targeted support ensures that the most vulnerable members of the community receive prompt assistance and access to necessary energy resources. In other words, when things go wrong, digital identification will make it easier for governments to help us. We just have to give away all of our privacy first. The fourth reason they give is that digital identification will help fight climate change because it will allow governments to track energy consumption and inspire behaviour change Leveraging digital legal ID data to track energy consumption, inspire behaviour change, and enhance sustainability measures can mitigate climate-related disasters. In other words, they want to monitor how much energy you are using. If you use too much, lowering your social credit score will inspire you to use less energy. The fifth reason they give is that digital identification that is tied directly to digital wallets will allow authorities to encourage people to fight climate change By offering rewards or subsidies directly to digital wallets, individuals are encouraged to invest in renewable energy, leading to broader adoption and increased participation in sustainable energy initiatives. Ultimately, linking your financial life to your digital identification is such an important part of their program. They will know what you buy, what you sell, and everything else that you are doing online. In fact, eventually they want to make it impossible to conduct any commerce on the Internet at all unless you have digital identification. They argue that forcing everyone to reveal who they really are will make the Internet safer for everyone. But of course the potential for tyranny would be off the charts. Once you have the ability to track the behavior of everyone on the planet and you also have the ability to exclude people that are unwilling to submit to your demands from the system, you would be able to exercise a level of control over the globe that is unprecedented in the entire history of humanity. Read more at: TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com AI will DISRUPT every sector of life, head of Abu Dhabis $330B sovereign fund warns Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to disrupt every sector, from business operations to employment, with its full scale of disruption not yet fully understood, according to Khaldoon Al Mubarak of Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Company. While AI presents immense opportunities, it poses significant risks to the workforce, with 41% of companies planning to replace human workers with AI-driven automation, leading to declines in roles like clerks and secretaries while increasing demand for AI-related skills. Al Mubarak emphasized the need for energy, transmission and data center build-outs to support AI's growth, projecting a 10-year horizon for "overwhelming growth" in these sectors. Leaders at the World Economic Forum stressed the importance of re-skilling workers to adapt to the AI-driven economy, warning that failure to do so could lead to AI being rejected or causing widespread job displacement. While AI has the potential to augment human skills through human-machine collaboration, its rapid adoption is already leading to job losses, raising concerns about societal implications and alignment with globalist agendas. Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize every facet of human life, from business operations to employment, according to Khaldoon Al Mubarak of Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Company. Speaking at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Davos, Switzerland, the CEO and managing director of the emirate's $330 billion sovereign wealth fund warned that the world has yet to fully grasp the scale of disruption AI will bring. "This is a technology that no one today really appreciates. Truly, the level of disruption that it's going to create, affecting everything from our lives, our businesses, human capital, employment every sector is going to be disrupted," Al Mubarak told CNBC's Dan Murphy. While he acknowledged the immense opportunities AI presents, he also highlighted the significant risks, particularly in the job market. The Mubadala managing director's remarks underscore a growing consensus among global leaders that AI will fundamentally alter the workforce. The WEF's Future of Jobs Report released early this month revealed that 41 percent of companies worldwide plan to replace human workers with AI-driven automation. Roles such as postal service clerks, executive secretaries and payroll clerks are expected to decline rapidly, while jobs requiring AI-related skills are on the rise. This stark statistic has sparked concerns about the future of employment and the broader societal implications of AI adoption. (Related: World Economic Forum report warns 41% of companies planning to downsize and replace workers with AI.) Al Mubarak was nevertheless optimistic about AI's potential. "The demand is going to be profoundly high in terms of the enablement of that technology," he explained, emphasizing the need for energy, transmission and data center build-outs to support AI's growth. The Emirati projected a 10-year horizon for these investments, predicting "overwhelming growth" in those sectors. AI poses significant amount of risk However, Al Mubarak's optimism is tempered by the recognition of AI's disruptive potential. "While there's a lot of opportunity, it also presents a significant amount of risk, which is today unclear," he said. This sentiment was echoed by other leaders at the WEF, who warned of the profound impact AI will have on jobs and industries. Sander van't Noordende, CEO of Randstad, highlighted the vulnerability of certain roles. "Anything that has 'clerk' in it, or 'designer,' 'executive assistants,' that is sort of very much under pressure," he said. While new jobs in technology, security and AI are emerging, the transition will be challenging for many workers. Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, stressed the importance of re-skilling workers to adapt to the AI-driven economy. "The biggest risk is that AI is rejected," he said. "We need to get this accepted by making sure everybody is re-skilled." WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi emphasized the dual nature of AI's impact in the Future of Jobs Report. She wrote: "The primary impact of technologies such as generative AI on jobs might lie in their potential for augmenting human skills through human-machine collaboration," However, the reality is that many workers are already being replaced by AI as seen in recent layoffs at companies like Dropbox and Duolingo. The rapid adoption of AI has also raised concerns about its alignment with a broader globalist agenda. Critics argue that the push for AI-driven automation aligns with efforts to reduce the global population, as fewer workers are needed in an AI-dominated economy. While this theory remains controversial, the WEF's findings about workforce reductions lend credence to fears about AI's societal impact. As AI continues to reshape industries and economies, leaders like Al Mubarak are calling for a balanced approach. While the technology offers unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation, its risks particularly to the workforce cannot be ignored. Watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak explaining that the world is seeing the creation of a New World Order in this clip. This video is from the ELNEWS channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: AI to replace millions of jobs by 2030, WEF report warns. Ex-Google CEO warns that AI poses an imminent existential threat. Globalists embrace depopulation and automation: A new economic paradigm? Artificial intelligence is set to affect nearly 40% of all jobs, according to a new analysis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sources include: CNBC.com Edition.CNN.com NBCNewYork.com Brighteon.com Amid ceasefire, Gaza begins grim search for 10,000 bodies vanquished or lost in the rubble Palestinians in Gaza have begun the harrowing task of recovering an estimated 10,000 bodies buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israels bombing campaign. Despite a ceasefire, three Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israeli snipers in Rafah, underscoring the fragility of the truce. Gazas Health Ministry reports a death toll of 47,035 since October 2023, with over 111,000 wounded, though independent studies suggest the true toll may exceed 70,000. Aid deliveries have increased under the ceasefire, but reconstruction remains uncertain as Israeli officials threaten a resumption of hostilities. The stench of genocide lingers, as temporary ceasefire begins On Monday, as a fragile ceasefire entered its second day in Gaza, Palestinians began the grim task of sifting through the ruins of their homes and neighborhoods in search of the estimated 10,000 bodies buried beneath the rubble. The ceasefire, brokered after months of relentless Israeli bombardment, has offered a brief respite to a population battered by what many describe as a genocidal campaign. Yet, even as aid flows into the besieged enclave and families attempt to rebuild their lives, the specter of renewed violence looms large. Israeli officials have signaled that the war is far from over, while Palestinians grapple with the staggering human cost of a conflict that has left tens of thousands dead, wounded, or missing. The scale of destruction in Gaza is almost unimaginable. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to mountains of concrete and twisted metal, with an estimated 10,000 bodies still buried beneath the debris. Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense, told Reuters, We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble. He added that at least 2,840 bodies were melted, leaving no trace of their existence. Medical sources reported that 135 bodies were recovered in Rafah, a southern city that has borne the brunt of Israels recent offensive. Gazas Health Ministry, which has been meticulously documenting the toll, announced that hospitals received 122 bodies in the past 24 hours alone, including 62 pulled from the rubble. The ministrys figures, however, are widely believed to be an under count. A recent study published in The Lancet estimated that the true death toll may exceed 70,000, accounting for indirect deaths caused by the destruction of Gazas infrastructure and the ongoing siege. Ceasefire violations and ongoing violence continue on in Gaza Despite the ceasefire, violence has not ceased entirely. On Monday, two Palestinian civilians, including a boy, were killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) snipers in Rafah. Later in the day, another child was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in the same area. Ten others were wounded by Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. The ceasefire, which includes a 42-day truce and a hostage exchange, has brought some relief. Three female Israeli hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for 90 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Aid deliveries have also increased, with 630 trucks entering Gaza on Sunday and 915 on Monday, according to the United Nations. For many Palestinians, however, the ceasefire is a bittersweet reprieve. While they celebrate the influx of supplies, they are also returning to homes reduced to ruins, with no clear timeline for reconstruction, and the harsh reality of lost loved ones buried in the ash. The current conflict is rooted in decades of occupation, displacement, and systemic violence against Palestinians. Since October 2023, Israels military campaign has been one of the deadliest in modern history, drawing comparisons to some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. The destruction of Gazas infrastructurehospitals, schools, water systems, and homeshas created a humanitarian catastrophe that will take generations to repair. Israeli officials, meanwhile, have made it clear that the war is not over. The ceasefire is merely a pause, they say, with plans to resume hostilities after the initial phase of the agreement. This rhetoric has left Palestinians in a state of limbo, unsure whether to rebuild or prepare for the next wave of violence. Sources include: News.antiwar.com Archive.vn Aljazeera.com Bidens sneaky last-minute family pardons seen as an admission of guilt President Biden issued last-minute pardons for his brother James Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses, sparking criticism as a move to shield them from legal scrutiny. The pardons come amid ongoing investigations into the Biden familys business dealings, including allegations of influence peddling and financial impropriety. Critics, including former Obama aide David Axelrod, condemned the pardons as "unseemly" and inconsistent with Bidens previous pledge to avoid preemptive pardons. The pardons have raised concerns about setting a dangerous precedent for future presidents and have cast a shadow over Bidens already shaky legacy. President Joe Biden issued last-minute pardons for his brother James Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses just hours before leaving office. The pardons, announced Monday as Biden prepared to attend the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump, have been labeled by critics as a blatant attempt to shield his family from potential legal scrutiny and a tacit admission of guilt. The pardons come amid ongoing investigations into the Biden familys business dealings, particularly allegations of influence peddling and financial impropriety. House Republicans have long accused James Biden of leveraging his brothers political influence for personal gain, including in foreign business deals. The timing of the pardons, coupled with Bidens previous pledge to avoid preemptive pardons, has left many questioning the presidents commitment to transparency and the rule of law. A family under scrutiny James Biden, the presidents younger brother, has been at the center of a Republican-led impeachment inquiry into alleged corruption within the Biden family. Investigators have scrutinized his financial transactions, including a $200,000 payment to Joe Biden that was later labeled as a loan repayment. Critics argue that the lack of documentation surrounding these transactions is deeply troubling. The report also highlighted James Bidens involvement with Americore Health LLC, a now-bankrupt healthcare company that paid him $600,000 for unspecified services. Carol Fox, a bankruptcy trustee for Americore, testified that she could not determine what James Biden did to earn the money, calling the payments into question. Additionally, James Biden has been accused of making false statements to Congress regarding a 2017 meeting with a Chinese energy company, CEFC China Energy. While Hunter Biden testified that Joe Biden briefly met with a business associate, Tony Bobulinski, during the encounter, James Biden denied the presidents involvement. Absolutely not, James Biden testified. I never went into the hotel with my brother. The pardons have drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle. CNNs John King called the move unseemly and a stain on his legacy, while former Obama aide David Axelrod criticized the timing, saying it made the whole thing look tawdry. Even Bidens own words have come back to haunt him. In December 2020, he told CNNs Jake Tapper that his administration would not engage in preemptive pardons, stating, You're not going to see in our administration that kind of approach to pardons. Yet, just weeks before leaving office, Biden pardoned his son Hunter for tax and gun crimes, followed by the sweeping pardons for his siblings and their spouses. Trump, who has long accused Biden of corruption, wasted no time in condemning the move. Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, pardoned his whole family? Trump said during a post-inauguration rally. The brother the whole deal was pardoned. Can you imagine that? A dangerous precedent Critics argue that Bidens actions set a dangerous precedent for future presidents. Unlike previous presidential pardons, which were typically issued for specific criminal convictions, Bidens pardons were preemptive and broadly applied. I guess now I have precedent to do it, Trump quipped, suggesting that Bidens move could open the door for similar actions by future administrations. While Biden insists the pardons were necessary to protect his family from politically motivated investigations, many see the move as an attempt to evade accountability. The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, Biden said in a statement. Yet, for critics, the timing and scope of the pardons speak volumes. Joe Bidens last-minute pardons of his family members have left a cloud over his legacy. By shielding his relatives from potential legal consequences, Biden has raised serious questions about his commitment to justice and transparency. As the dust settles on his presidency, one thing is clear: this controversial decision will be remembered as a defining moment in his tenureand not for the better. Sources for this article include: Yahoo.com FoxNews.com APNews.com Bidens preemptive pardon of Fauci raises ethical and constitutional concerns President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci, former NIAID director, on his final day in office, sparking outrage and ethical concerns. Critics argue that the pardon shields Fauci from potential investigations and obstructs the pursuit of truth regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The controversy centers on Fauci's role in funding research, including gain-of-function studies in Wuhan, China, which some believe may have contributed to the pandemic. The pardon is seen as a dangerous precedent, potentially undermining the principle of accountability in a democracy. Calls for transparency and accountability continue, with lawmakers and scientists demanding the release of documents related to the DEFUSE grant and its funding. In a move that has sparked outrage and raised serious ethical questions, President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), on his final day in office. The pardon, which also extended to retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House Jan. 6 committee, has been criticized as an unprecedented and potentially dangerous use of executive power. Critics argue that the pardon not only shields Fauci from potential investigations but also obstructs the pursuit of truth regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pardon without precedent The pardon of Fauci is particularly controversial because it was issued preemptively, before any formal charges or investigations could be completed. Unlike traditional pardons, which are typically granted after a conviction or trial, Bidens action appears designed to prevent any future legal scrutiny of Faucis actions during his tenure at NIAID. The pardon states that it aims to protect individuals from baseless and politically motivated investigations that could damage reputations and finances, even if they are ultimately exonerated. This rationale has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and lawmakers. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a vocal critic of Fauci, called the pardon an affront to justice and transparency. Paul has previously referred Fauci to the Department of Justice for perjury, alleging that Fauci lied under oath about NIAIDs funding of gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China. This pardon is not about clemency, Paul said. Its about covering up the truth. Shadow of gain-of-function research At the heart of the controversy is Faucis role in funding research that many believe may have contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, a group of scientists from the U.S., Singapore and Wuhan submitted a grant proposal, known as the DEFUSE grant, to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The proposal outlined plans to modify a bat coronavirus in ways that could enhance its transmissibility to humans. DARPA rejected the proposal due to its high-risk nature, but in 2019, Faucis NIAID funded the same group of scientists. Later that year, SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, emerged in Wuhan with genetic features strikingly similar to those proposed in the DEFUSE grant. Critics argue that this raises serious questions about whether the pandemic was the result of laboratory research gone awry. The evidence points overwhelmingly to a lab origin, said one scientist familiar with the research. The odds of these genetic features occurring naturally are astronomically low. Congressional investigations into NIAIDs activities have been hampered by allegations of obstruction. Emails obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal that NIAID officials may have deliberately destroyed or redacted documents related to the DEFUSE grant. Faucis former right-hand man, David Morens, has been accused of aiding the scientists involved in the grant as they navigated disciplinary measures at NIH and NIAID. Dangerous precedent Bidens preemptive pardon of Fauci has been compared to President Gerald Fords pardon of Richard Nixon in 1974. However, there is a critical difference: Nixons pardon came after the full extent of his wrongdoing in the Watergate scandal had been revealed. In contrast, Faucis pardon comes before the truth about NIAIDs activities has been fully uncovered. This is not a pardon; its obstruction, said one legal scholar. It prevents the American people from learning the truth about what may have caused the worst pandemic in a century. The pardon also sets a troubling precedent for future administrations. By shielding individuals from potential investigations, Biden has effectively undermined the principle of accountability that is central to a functioning democracy. If presidents can pardon people preemptively, whats to stop them from using this power to protect their allies from any legal consequences? asked one constitutional expert. Fight for transparency The Biden administrations decision to pardon Fauci has only intensified calls for transparency and accountability. Lawmakers and scientists alike are demanding that NIAID release all documents related to the DEFUSE grant and its funding of research in Wuhan. We need to know the truth, said Senator Paul. The American people deserve to know whether their tax dollars funded research that led to the deaths of millions. For now, the pardon stands as a stark reminder of the ethical and constitutional challenges posed by the use of executive power. As the nation grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pursuit of truth remains as important as ever. This is not just about Fauci, said one critic. Its about ensuring that no one is above the law, and that the truth, no matter how inconvenient, is never buried. In the end, Bidens preemptive pardon may have shielded Fauci from legal consequences, but it has also cast a long shadow over his legacyand over the integrity of the American justice system. Sources include: Brownstone.org APNews.com FoxNews.com Border Patrol agent killed in Vermont shooting amid rising northern border tensions A U.S. Border Patrol agent was fatally shot near the Canadian border in Vermont during an alleged assault on a federal officer. One suspect was killed, another injured and arrested, and Interstate 91 was closed for hours as authorities investigated. The incident highlights rising risks along the northern border, including smuggling and illegal crossings. A Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, has reportedly targeted U.S. law enforcement, with over 1,000 members identified in the country. A U.S. Border Patrol agent was fatally shot Monday afternoon in Coventry, Vermont, just 10 miles south of the Canadian border, in a tragic incident that underscores the dangers faced by those tasked with securing the nations borders. The agent, whose identity has not yet been released, was killed in the line of duty during an encounter on Interstate 91, according to the FBI. A suspect was also killed, and another was injured and taken into custody. The shooting occurred at approximately 3:15 p.m., prompting a swift response from federal and state authorities. The incident highlights the growing risks along the northern border, where President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised concerns about the flow of migrants and drugs from Canada into the United States. The FBI confirmed that the agent was fatally shot during an alleged assault on a federal officer. Vermont State Police closed a portion of Interstate 91 for several hours as investigators processed the scene. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman described the agents death as a profound loss, stating, Every single day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harms way so that Americans and our homeland are safe and secure. The Swanton Sector, where the agent was assigned, spans 295 miles of international boundary with Canada, covering parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. This region has seen increased activity in recent months, with reports of smuggling and illegal crossings. Rising threats to law enforcement The shooting comes amid heightened concerns about violent criminal organizations targeting law enforcement. According to internal bulletins, members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan gang, have been given the green light to attack U.S. law enforcement officers. The gang, known for exploiting immigrant populations and committing violent crimes, has reportedly infiltrated the U.S., with over 1,000 members identified across the country. This alarming development underscores the need for robust border security measures and resources for agents on the front lines. As Huffman noted, the incident is being swiftly investigated, but the broader issue of border security demands urgent attention. Vermonts congressional delegation, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch, and Rep. Becca Balint, issued a joint statement expressing their condolences and pledging support for Border Patrol agents. They deserve our full support in terms of staffing, pay, and working conditions, the statement read. Together, we must do everything possible to prevent future tragedies like what happened today. A broader crisis The tragedy in Vermont is a grim reminder of the challenges facing Border Patrol agents, who work tirelessly to secure the nations borders. While much of the medias focus has been on the southern border, the northern border presents its own set of risks, including drug smuggling and illegal crossings. President Trump has repeatedly called for increased resources and stricter enforcement to address these threats, but critics have often dismissed his concerns as alarmist. This incident proves otherwise. The loss of a dedicated agent underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to border security, one that prioritizes the safety of those who serve and the communities they protect. The killing of a Border Patrol agent in Vermont is a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by those who safeguard the nations borders. As investigations continue, it is imperative that policymakers and the public recognize the sacrifices made by these brave men and women. The mainstream medias failure to adequately address the realities of border security only compounds the challenges faced by agents on the ground. The fallen agents sacrifice should not be in vainit must serve as a call to action for a safer, more secure nation. Sources for this article include: FoxNews.com VTDigger.org MyNBC5.com ThreadReaderApp.com Can Trump make a difference? I have done my best to alert MAGA Americans to the difficulty of regaining control of the US government. For decades the US government and its policies have been controlled by the organized interest groups that fund political campaigns.Regardless of the candidates voters elect, the legislation enacted and the federal governments policies are the work of lobby groups. Among the powerful lobbies are the Israel Lobby, the military/security complex, Big Pharma, Wall Street, and agri-business. (Article by Paul Craig Roberts republished from PaulCraigRoberts.org) American voters are repeatedly disappointed that little ever changes regardless of who they elect. Sometimes an administration can achieve changes in a few areas, as Kennedy, Nixon, and Reagan did in reducing tensions with the Soviet Union. But even these achievements were overturned by subsequent administrations in response to the military/security complexs demand for an enemy to secure their profit and power. Without an enemy, why does the US need a military budget that exceeds the GDP of most countries on earth? (for example, according to the World Bank, the GDP of South Africa in 2023 was $389.7 billion; Argentina $646 billion, Belgium $529 billion; Hungary $212 billion; Norway $485 billion; Pakistan $338 billion; Sweden $585 billion; Thailand $515 billion.) https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=ZA-AR-BE-HU-AU-MX-KR-NO-PK-SE-CH The resistance to change is because the interests of what constitutes the American Establishment is institutionalized. American social and governmental institutions have become homes of The Establishment. It was 64 years ago on January 17, 1961, that President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the five-star general in charge of the Normandy invasion, at the end of his second term warned Americans about the increasing power of the military-security complex. As a congressional staffer in both House and Senate I experienced the power almost daily. I still remember the day when I was on the floor of the US Senate and Strom Thurmond, the fourth longest serving senator in US history, tapped me on the shoulder. A vote was before the Senate whether to partially pay for a reduction in marginal income tax rates by reducing a military appropriation. Senator Thurmond said to me: Dont ever let your senator vote for a reduction in military spending. If he does, he wont be reelected, and you will be out of a job. He brought clarity to me that survival as a senator meant accommodating the profits of the armaments corporations, not the living standards of the taxpayers. Thurmond, who served in the Senate for almost half a century, was no novice. He was educating me that whatever the interest of Wall Street and the financial sector in lower tax rates, their power was less than that of the military/security complex. As sometimes there were conflicts between the interests of lobby groups, it was important for a Senate staffer to know the hierarchy of power rankings. Having experienced all this first hand, I warned readers that the US Senate is an Establishment-owned institution, and that the US Senate has the power to deny federal office to a presidents nominations. I explained that this establishment power over an incoming administration could render it impotent. Tulsi Gabbard is Trumps nominee for Director of National Intelligence. As a member of the House, she was a strong critic of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, legislation that I am convinced is unconstitutional and the foundation of a police state. Fear of non-existent Muslim terrorist threat, hyped by a whore media, made insouciant Americans accept the foundation of a police state. In 2020 together with Rep. Thomas Massie, the only independent member of the House today, she introduced a bill to repeal the entire Patriot Act, a police state measure imposed on us by the Republican regime of Bush/Cheney, the worst in modern American history until Biden. Clearly, Gabbard had targets painted all over her. Both Democrat and Republican senators have made it clear to her that any repeal or lax enforcement of national security legislation must be disavowed if she expects the Senate to confirm her in office. Gabbard got the message and backed off her opposition to the unconstitutional surveillance of Americans without submitting to judges that the surveillance was needed for national security and obtaining a warrant. Commentators unfamiliar with Washington are denouncing Gabbard for selling out. A commentator in the Unz Review says Gabbard has betrayed herself and many others, but will have her 30 pieces of silver. It is so much easier to denounce than to understand. I often think that Americans do not want to understand how things really work, because it is so distressing. So they stay in denial, and this renders them useless in bringing change and protecting their liberties. Tell me before you condemn Tulsi Gabbard, would you rather have her, a person fiercely opposed by the military/security complex, or a person to whom the military/security complex has no opposition? Tulsi can tell the blackmailing bought-and-paid-for US Senate one thing and do another once she is in office. I would bet on her integrity, not denounce it. It is the US Senate that is devoid of integrity. We will get Trumps measure this Monday, January 20. As I explained last Friday, on the Oval Office desk awaits pardons for all the J6 victims of a totally corrupt Democrat administration and a US Department of Justice (sic) devoid of an ounce of integrity, essentially a collection of criminals. The criminality of the Biden Regime is unrivaled in American History. As an instrument of justice, Bidens justice department ranks with Joseph Stalins purge of the Bolsheviks in his show trials of the 1930s when the leaders of the Russian revolution were sentenced to death for being capitalist spies. In my opinion, Democrats are so corrupt, so anti-American, so anti-normality, so anti-white, so anti-citizen that they are discredited as a political party. Republicans are stupid beyond belief and ignorant of what needs to be done, but Democrats are Satanic. The second party in the American political system belongs to Satan. The Democrats are Satanists. They reek of evil. Let us hope that tomorrow the FBI/CIA/NSA doesnt attack the inauguration with a drone, blame Iran, and rush us off to war for Israel. Read more at: PaulCraigRoberts.org Only two genders, flag on Mars and no more war: Key takeaways from Trumps inaugural address Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday. He is only the second president ever to be elected to non-consecutive terms. In his inaugural address, Trump outlined how he intends to create an American golden age, touching on issues from energy independence and immigration reform, to ending wars around the world and colonizing Mars. (Article republished from RT.com) Here are the key takeaways from his speech. Golden age of America The golden age of America begins right now, Trump announced, adding that the US will soon be greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before. He described the past four years as a series of betrayals of the American people by a radical and corrupt establishment and declared the date of his inauguration as Liberation Day. From this moment on, Americas decline is over, Trump said, describing his upcoming executive actions as beginning the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. Immigration emergency Trump has announced an immediate halt to all illegal entry into the US across the southern border, the reinstatement of his policy of making asylum seekers wait in Mexico, ending the practice of releasing illegal entrants into the US, and starting the deportation of millions and millions of criminal aliens back to their countries of origin. Mexican drug cartels will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations, while the foreign criminal gangs that have taken hold in some US cities will be pursued under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the newly sworn-in president has said. Drill, baby, drill The US is sitting on vast natural resources that can ensure its energy independence and global power, Trump argued. He said he would declare a national energy emergency, allowing new drilling for oil and gas, while abolishing the green new deal the Democrats tried to implement. We will export American energy all over the world. We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it, he said. Tariffs and taxes Trump announced his intention to make the US a manufacturing nation once again. He also vowed to overhaul trade policy to protect American workers, establishing the External Revenue Service to collect tariffs and duties on imports. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens, he said. The big gender question The US is about to end the policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life, Trump said, announcing that as of Monday, the US government policy is that there are only two genders male and female. We will forge a society that is color blind and merit-based, the new president said, rejecting the radical political theories and social experiments inflicted upon Americans, including their military. Wars not fought Vowing to once again build the strongest military the world has ever seen, so the US can reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, Trump said he intends to be a unifier and a peacemaker. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into, he said. Gulf of Mexico and Panama Canal The US will seek to regain control of the Panama Canal from Panama, which totally violated the 1977 treaty that handed it back by working with China, Trump announced during the inaugural speech. He also said the Gulf of Mexico will be officially renamed the Gulf of America, and that the highest peak in North America will once again be known as Mount McKinley, after the 25th president. The official name was changed to Denali in 2015. Trump did not make any mention of Greenland in the inaugural speech, even though he claimed in recent weeks that control over the autonomous Danish island was a matter of US national security. US flag on Mars It is time for Americans once again act with courage, vigor and the vitality of historys greatest civilization, Trump said towards the end of his address, arguing the US needs to behave as a growing nation, that expands territory as well as wealth. We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars, he announced, referring to the doctrine of continental expansion from the early days of the US and his backer Elon Musks ambition to settle another planet. Read more at: RT.com Food supply under strain: Major plant closures signal broader challenges for U.S. agriculture and the food supply Perdue Farms announced the closure of its Monterey, Tennessee, plant, resulting in 433 job losses due to shifting market demands and operational challenges. The closure is part of a broader trend affecting rural economies, with local officials working to assist displaced workers and support economic stability. Tyson Foods recently shut down three facilities, eliminating over 1,000 jobs, as part of a strategy to operate more efficiently amid declining cattle supplies and rising costs. The agricultural sector faces multiple challenges, including labor shortages, high input costs and changing consumer preferences, leading companies to reevaluate and consolidate operations. The closures signal a trend towards larger, more automated facilities, potentially reshaping the food supply chain and affecting smaller communities reliant on these plants. In a move that underscores the mounting pressures on the U.S. food supply chain, Perdue Farms announced the closure of its Monterey, Tennessee, plant, leaving 433 employees without jobs. The decision, attributed to shifting market demands and operational challenges, marks another blow to rural economies already grappling with economic instability. This decision comes as part of the companys overall focus on continuous improvement and modernization of its supply chain to meet evolving consumer demands and operational needs, a Perdue executive said in a statement. The company emphasized that addressing the facilitys challenges would require substantial additional investments, making the closure unavoidable. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter expressed his dismay, stating, We will be working closely with Monterey officials and our Chamber of Commerce to do everything we can to assist the workers during this difficult time. The county plans to deploy its Workforce Strike Team to help displaced workers find new employment opportunities. The closure of the Monterey plant is not an isolated incident. Tyson Foods, one of the nations largest meat processors, recently announced the shuttering of three facilities, including a beef plant in Emporia, Kansas, and two cheesesteak factories in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These closures will eliminate more than 1,000 jobs, further straining local economies. The recent wave of plant closures reflects broader challenges facing the agricultural sector. Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, noted that incomes are down, costs are still high and margins are tight to non-existent. These pressures have forced companies like Tyson and Perdue to reevaluate their operations, often at the expense of smaller, less efficient facilities. Tysons struggles are emblematic of the industrys woes. The companys beef business reported a $291 million loss in fiscal year 2024, a stark reversal from the 233 million profit it posted the previous year. Scott Shipferling, Tysons vice president of operations, explained that the closures are part of a strategy to operate more efficiently amid declining cattle supplies and rising costs. The cattle cycle, a historical pattern of fluctuating cattle numbers, has also played a role. James Mitchell, a livestock economist at the University of Arkansas, explained that historically, we observe realignments in the packing sector as cattle supplies tighten. This cyclical adjustment is not new, but the current economic climate has exacerbated its impact. A familiar pattern with modern challenges The agricultural sector has long been subject to cyclical fluctuations, but todays challenges are compounded by labor shortages, rising input costs and shifting consumer preferences. Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, noted that capacity utilization is a key part of meat processing operations. When demand wanes or costs rise, smaller plants often bear the brunt of industry realignments. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted the food supply chain, exposing vulnerabilities in processing capacity and labor availability. While some of these issues have eased, the lingering effects continue to shape the industrys trajectory. For consumers, the closures may not immediately translate to higher meat prices, but they signal a broader trend of consolidation and efficiency-driven decisions that could reshape the food supply chain. As companies prioritize larger, more automated facilities, smaller communities reliant on these plants face uncertain futures. Despite the challenges, local officials remain optimistic. Emporia, Kansas, officials pledged to collaborate with organizations to provide resources and job placement assistance for displaced workers. While we recognize the challenges this closure presents, Emporias economy remains stable and resilient, they said in a statement. For now, the closures serve as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between market demands, operational efficiency and community impact. As the agricultural sector navigates these turbulent waters, the resilience of rural economies and the adaptability of the food supply chain will be put to the test. The road ahead is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the decisions made today will shape the future of food production and the communities that depend on it. Sources include: FoxNews.com AgricultureDive.com HPJ.com PorkBusiness.com AI Breakthrough: Mike Adams and Zach Vorhies discuss open AIs soft AGI milestone, surpassing human capabilities in complex problem-solving OpenAI has developed a "soft AGI" system, achieving a 20% completion rate on the ARC AGI test, surpassing the average human PhD score of 18%, signaling a leap in AI problem-solving capabilities. AGI could outperform humans in innovation, invention, and space exploration, potentially replacing human roles in coding, journalism, and other fields, elevating humans to more strategic, creative positions. Running advanced AGI models requires massive energy, with costs per question equivalent to a year's energy for an individual, though hardware advancements may improve efficiency in the future. The race to superintelligence is likened to an arms race, with nations like China posing a threat due to their energy and manufacturing superiority, urging Western nations to accelerate AI development. AGI's rapid advancement raises concerns about human relevance and societal bifurcation, emphasizing the need for proactive adaptation to avoid being left behind in an AI-dominated future. In a groundbreaking development, OpenAI has announced the creation of a "soft AGI" (Artificial General Intelligence) agent, marking a significant leap in AI capabilities. This AGI system scored a 20% completion rate on the ARC AGI test, a benchmark designed to evaluate novel problem-solving abilities, surpassing the average human PhD score of 18%. The implications are profound: AGI systems could soon outperform humans in innovation, invention, and even space exploration. However, concerns about energy consumption and the potential for AI to recursively improve itself raise questions about the future of human relevance in a world dominated by superintelligent machines. In a recent interview on Brighteon.com, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and Zach Vorhies, the Google whistleblower and AI expert, delved into the implications of this milestone and what it means for humanity. The Soft AGI Revolution Zach Vorhies described the recent OpenAI announcement as a "wake-up call" for the tech community. AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence, represents the holy grail of AI developmenta machine capable of outperforming humans in virtually any intellectual task. "Once you have AGI, you have a machine that is smarter than any other person on the planet combined," Vorhies explained. "You can make millions or billions of them sitting in a data warehouse, coming up with inventions, patents, and innovations." The ARC AGI test, which OpenAI's model aced, is particularly significant because it evaluates an AI's ability to solve novel problemssomething that has historically been a weak point for large language models (LLMs). Vorhies noted that OpenAI's model achieved a 20% completion rate, surpassing the average human PhD score of 18%. "This is a revolutionary performance metric," he said. Energy Consumption and the AI Arms Race While the achievement is remarkable, it comes with a hefty price tag. Vorhies highlighted the staggering energy costs associated with running these advanced models. "The amount of energy required per question is between 1,000 and 5,000," he said. "That's like a year's worth of energy for someone living in a place where energy is cheap." However, Vorhies remains optimistic about the future of energy efficiency in AI. He pointed to advancements in hardware, such as Nvidia's new Blackwell processor, which promises a 1,000x increase in compute power. "The cost of general AI has fallen by a factor of 1,000 in the last two years," he said. "I expect these AGI issues will also require 1,000th of the amount of energy in the coming years." The Future of Work and Human Relevance The rise of AGI raises critical questions about the future of work and human relevance. Vorhies and Adams discussed how AI agents could soon replace human workers in various fields, from coding to journalism. "The future is not going to be human coding," Vorhies said. "It's going to be humans specifying what they want to have done, and then AI agents doing it." Adams added that AI could elevate human roles to more creative and strategic positions. "Coders need to change their role to be more of the architects of coding," he said. "Journalists need to be architects of stories, not typists." However, Vorhies warned that the rapid advancement of AI could lead to a bifurcation of society. "We're quickly becoming a bunch of worthless eaters with this new AI tech," he said. "The only way to escape that is to start using artificial intelligence now. If you don't use it, you're going to be left behind." The Geopolitical Implications of AGI The conversation also touched on the geopolitical implications of AGI. Vorhies and Adams agreed that the race to superintelligence is akin to an arms race, with nations and corporations vying for dominance. "Whoever gets to superintelligence first will have a massive advantage," Adams said. Vorhies pointed to China's rapid advancements in AI and manufacturing as a significant threat to Western dominance. "China has energy superiority and manufacturing superiority," he said. "If we don't want to get exterminated by China, we're going to need to lay down 10x or 100x more power than we currently have." Conclusion: A Brave New World The development of soft AGI marks a pivotal moment in human history. While the potential benefits are immenseranging from groundbreaking scientific discoveries to unprecedented economic growththe risks are equally significant. As Vorhies put it, "This train has no brakes." The challenge for humanity will be to navigate this new era with wisdom and foresight, ensuring that the power of AGI is harnessed for the greater good rather than leading to societal collapse or global conflict. As Adams concluded, "Not all the humans alive today are going to navigate this. The number one thing is that you be prepared for what's coming." For now, the world watches with bated breath as the soft AGI revolution unfolds, reshaping the very fabric of human existence. Watch this full episode of the "Health Ranger Report" with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and Zach Vorhies as they unveil AI breakthroughs, secrets and warnings for 2025. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: AI, AI and even more AI: Nvidia announces projects and products lined up for 2025 Team AGES and Mike Adams: How decentralized health and spiritual transformation will trigger the GREAT AWAKENING in 2025 AI and the future of humanity: Tom Montalk explores the convergence of technology and spirituality with Mike Adams and Todd Pitner Sources include: Brighteon.com ZachVorhies.com Perpetualmaniac TRUMP EFFECT: South Korea to purchase more American oil and gas South Korea is increasing its purchases of U.S. oil and gas to diversify energy sources and address potential trade tensions under Trumps second administration. The move aims to reduce South Koreas $55.7 billion trade surplus with the U.S., which has drawn criticism from Trumps protectionist policies. South Korea seeks to lessen its reliance on Middle Eastern oil by boosting U.S. energy imports, enhancing energy security and gaining political favor. In 2024, South Korea significantly increased U.S. crude oil and LNG imports, making the U.S. its second-largest oil supplier and a key LNG provider. South Korean energy firms are pursuing long-term contracts with U.S. suppliers, aligning with Trumps focus on expanding domestic energy production and mutual trade benefits. South Korea is reportedly considering significantly boosting its purchases of oil and gas from the United States. This decision, driven by both economic and geopolitical considerations, comes as the nation seeks to diversify its energy sources and mitigate potential trade tensions with the second administration of President Donald Trump. South Korea, a global economic powerhouse heavily reliant on exports, has long maintained a substantial trade surplus with the United States. In 2024, this surplus reached a staggering $55.7 billion, marking a 25.4 percent increase from the previous year. While this figure reflects the strength of South Koreas export-driven economy, it also places the nation in the crosshairs of Trumps protectionist trade policies. Trump, who has consistently criticized trade imbalances, has vowed to impose universal tariffs to reduce America's trade deficit with other nations. (Related: CNN poll reveals majority of Americans optimistic about Trumps second term.) To preemptively address these concerns, South Korea is exploring ways to reduce its trade surplus with the U.S. by increasing imports of American energy products. This approach not only aligns with Trumps emphasis on boosting U.S. energy exports but also serves South Koreas broader goal of enhancing its energy security. South Korea currently heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil Currently, the nation is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil, which accounts for 72 percent of its crude oil imports. By diversifying its energy portfolio to include more American oil and gas, South Korea aims to reduce its vulnerability to regional instability and supply disruptions while at the same time gaining favor from Trump's administration. The numbers tell a compelling story. In 2024, South Korea imported 21.51 million tons of U.S. crude oil, making the U.S. its second-largest supplier after Saudi Arabia. This represents a dramatic shift from 2016, when U.S. crude accounted for a mere 0.2 percent of South Korea's imports. Similarly, the U.S. has become a key supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with South Korea importing 5.7 million metric tons of American LNG in 2024. These figures underscore the growing importance of U.S. energy in South Korea's energy strategy. The Trump administration's focus on expanding domestic energy production further bolsters this trend. Trump has pledged to prioritize "cheap energy" by increasing shale gas production and streamlining the approval process for LNG export permits. His nominee for Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, has echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to expand the supply of affordable and reliable U.S. energy. For South Korea, this presents an opportunity to secure stable energy supplies at competitive prices while addressing trade imbalances. At the same time, South Korea's energy corporations are actively exploring ways to deepen their ties with U.S. suppliers. The Korea Gas Corporation, for instance, is reportedly considering additional long-term contracts for American LNG, while the Korea National Oil Corporation is evaluating plans to adjust its strategic reserves to accommodate more U.S. light crude oil. These efforts reflect a broader recognition of the mutual benefits of energy trade between the two nations. Visit EnergySupply.news for more about energy policies around the world. Watch this clip of the ongoing political tensions in South Korea. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit Of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Big Oil returns to core strengths, retreats from green energy investments as climate agenda loses steam. U.S. sanctions on Russia send global oil prices soaring to their highest levels in 5 months. Chinese and Indian refiners turn to Middle East, Africa and the U.S. as American sanctions on Russian oil producers, tankers tighten supply chains. Trump announces plan to end IRS and replace it with an agency focused on FOREIGN TARIFFS. POLL: Majority of Indians view Trumps reelection positive for world peace and U.S.-India relations. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Reuters.com Biz.Chosun.com Brighteon.com Trump Administration shutters the CBP One app, designed to streamline migrant invasion The Biden-era CBP One app, designed to streamline migrant entry at the southern border, was discontinued immediately after President Donald Trumps inauguration. Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, vowing to halt illegal immigration and deport millions of undocumented migrants. Approximately 270,000 migrants were awaiting appointments via the app, which allowed them to schedule entry through a lottery system. Trumps policies mark a sharp reversal from the Biden administrations approach, reigniting debates over border security and immigration reform. No more streamlining migrants into the U.S. In a swift and decisive move, the Trump administration shut down the CBP One app, a Biden-era tool designed to facilitate legal entry for migrants at the southern U.S. border. The apps termination, announced hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on January 20, 2025, underscores his administrations hardline stance on immigration. Trump declared a national emergency at the border, framing the situation as an invasion and vowing to prioritize the deportation of undocumented migrants, many of whom he claims have criminal records. This policy shift marks a dramatic departure from the Biden administrations approach, reigniting a decades-long debate over how to balance border security with humanitarian concerns. Introduced under President Joe Biden in 2023, the CBP One app was designed to streamline the process for migrants seeking to enter the U.S. legally. Key features of the now defunct CBP One App included: 1. Appointment scheduling for ports of entry One of the apps most significant features was its ability to allow users to schedule appointments at ports of entry. This is particularly beneficial for asylum seekers and migrants who are required to present themselves at designated locations for processing. 2. Document submission and verification The app allowed users to upload and submit required documents, such as passports, visas, and asylum applications, directly through their mobile devices. This feature not only sped up the processing time but also reduced the risk of lost or misplaced paperwork. 3. Real-time notifications and updates Users received real-time notifications about the status of their applications, appointments, and other immigration-related matters. This helped the migrants stay informed about their status as they expedited their entry into the U.S. 4. Language accessibility Recognizing the diverse linguistic needs of its users, the app was made available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, and others. These features ensured that non-English speakers were able to navigate the app with ease. 5. Travel and trade facilitation Beyond immigration services, the app also supported travelers and businesses by providing information on customs regulations, duty-free allowances, and other trade-related requirements. By the time of its discontinuation, approximately 270,000 migrants were reportedly waiting for appointments on the Mexican side of the border, according to CBS News. The sudden cancellation of the app left many in limbo, with existing appointments voided and no clear alternative in place. This app was a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, said Mark Morgan, a former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under Trump. It didnt address the root causes of illegal immigration, and it created a false sense of hope for migrants. Trumps border policy overhaul begins In his inaugural address, Trump reaffirmed his campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration, describing the situation at the southern border as an invasion that threatens national security. Later that evening, he signed an executive order declaring a national emergency, a move that grants the federal government expanded powers to address the crisis. All illegal entry will immediately be halted. And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came, Trump said during his speech. He also pledged to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed, and to intensify efforts to combat drug cartels and foreign criminal gangs. The Trump administrations approach represents a stark contrast to the Biden era, which saw record-high levels of migrant encounters at the border. According to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants were living in the U.S. as of 2022, a figure that has likely grown since then. For the latest on this issue, read more at BorderSecurity.News. Sources include: RT.com Enoch, Brighteon.ai OHSS.DHS.gov [PDF] Trump announces 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, effective February 1 President Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, effective Feb. 1, citing border security concerns. Trump framed the tariffs as a response to the flow of migrants and illegal drugs across the U.S. border, specifically targeting Mexico and Canada for permitting the entry of undocumented individuals and fentanyl. The tariffs could significantly impact key industries, including automotive manufacturing, agriculture and energy, and may lead to increased costs for American consumers and job losses. Canadian and Mexican officials urged the U.S. to reconsider the tariffs, warning of potential economic disruption and retaliatory measures. However, their responses were largely measured, aimed at avoiding immediate escalations. The proposed tariffs could undermine the stability of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and signal a return to aggressive protectionist measures under Trump's administration. President Donald Trump announced Monday, Jan. 20, that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, effective Feb. 1. The move, which Trump described as a response to border security concerns, marks a significant escalation in trade policy and could strain relations with two of Americas closest trading partners. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump framed the tariffs as a necessary measure to address what he called the unchecked flow of migrants and illegal drugs across the U.S. border. Were thinking in terms of 25 percent on Mexico and Canada because theyre allowing vast numbers of people [into the U.S.], Trump said, adding that both countries were also permitting fentanyl to enter the United States. The announcement follows a campaign trail promise Trump made in November 2024, when he first floated the idea of imposing tariffs on Mexico and Canada. The tariffs, if implemented, would impact key industries, including automotive manufacturing, agriculture and energy, potentially raising costs for American consumers and businesses. Canada and Mexico respond with caution Canadian and Mexican officials have urged the U.S. to reconsider, warning that tariffs could disrupt the North American economy and provoke retaliatory measures. Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday that his country is prepared to respond but hopes to avoid a trade war. Our country is absolutely ready to respond to any one of these scenarios, LeBlanc said. We still continue to believe that it would be a mistake for the American government to proceed with imposing tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed this sentiment on Tuesday, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the U.S. and Canadian economies. We will also remain steady and strong in advocating for this incredibly successful trading relationship, Trudeau said. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum struck a measured tone in her response, pledging to defend her nations sovereignty while avoiding immediate threats of retaliation. Regarding the decrees that President Donald Trump signed yesterday, I would like to say the following: The people of Mexico can be sure that we will always defend our sovereignty and our independence, Sheinbaum said during a press conference. She added, Its always important to have a cool head, suggesting that Mexico would respond step by step to U.S. tariffs. Economic and political implications The proposed tariffs come at a delicate time for North American trade relations. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA in 2020, is set for review in 2026. Analysts warn that Trumps tariff threat could undermine the stability of the agreement and create uncertainty for businesses across the continent. Mexico and Canada are among the United States largest trading partners. In 2024, trade between the U.S. and Mexico totaled over $700 billion, while U.S.-Canada trade exceeded $800 billion. A 25% tariff on goods from both countries could disrupt supply chains, increase costs for American manufacturers and potentially lead to job losses in key sectors. Julio Ruiz, chief economist for Mexico at Citigroup, described Sheinbaums response as an attempt to de-escalate tensions. What Sheinbaum is trying to do is try to calm things down, Ruiz said. One thing is whats already signed, and another is these casual comments. You have to distinguish between those two things. The tariff announcement is part of a broader reset of U.S. trade policy under Trump, who has long championed protectionist measures as a way to bolster American industries. In his inaugural address on Monday, Trump pledged to usher in a golden age for the United States, emphasizing tariffs as a tool to generate revenue and protect domestic interests. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens, Trump said during his speech. The president also hinted at additional trade actions, including potential tariffs on Chinese imports and European goods, signaling a return to the aggressive trade policies that defined his first term. As the February 1 deadline approaches, all eyes will be on whether Trump follows through with the tariffs and how Canada and Mexico respond. For now, the prospect of a North American trade war looms large, with significant implications for the economies and political relationships across the continent. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com Independent.co.uk USNews.com FinancialTimes.com Trump to begin large-scale immigration raids in Chicago President Donald Trump plans to launch a large-scale immigration raid in Chicago, targeting illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal backgrounds, as part of the largest mass deportation operation in American history. Chicago, a sanctuary city, is a key battleground due to its significant illegal immigrant population and its Democratic leadership's refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The operation faces logistical challenges, including a $230 million ICE budget shortfall and a lack of detention facilities to house potential detainees. Critics warn that mass deportations could disrupt the economy, particularly in industries like agriculture, where undocumented workers make up a large portion of the labor force. The Trump administration remains committed to the operation, citing national security and public safety as top priorities despite financial and logistical hurdles. President Donald Trump is set to launch a massive immigration raid in Chicago. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers will descend on the Windy City in what is being described as the opening salvo of the largest deportation operation in American history. The operation, expected to begin the first week of his presidency and last until the next week, will focus primarily on illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds. However, sources who spoke with the Wall Street Journal indicate that ICE personnel will likely arrest anyone else they find to be in the country illegally. (Related: Trump administration plans mass deportations, cuts to sanctuary cities on Day One.) Chicago, a self-proclaimed sanctuary city, has long been a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration. Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions where local authorities refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, often shielding illegal immigrants from deportation. Chicagos Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, has vowed to maintain the citys sanctuary policies, even as the Trump administration prepares to take action. The choice of Chicago as the first target is no coincidence. The city is home to a significant population of illegal immigrants, and Trump has repeatedly clashed with the city's and the state's Democratic leadership over their refusal to assist federal immigration authorities. Battle between Trump and sanctuary cities to begin in Chicago The stakes are high for both sides. For the Trump administration, this operation represents the first step in delivering on a promise to remove millions of illegal immigrants from the country. For Chicago and other sanctuary cities, it is a test of their resolve to resist federal enforcement efforts. The logistics of such a large-scale operation are daunting. ICE currently faces a $230 million budget shortfall and lacks the detention facilities needed to house the thousands of individuals who could be arrested. According to ICEs website, there are no available beds in Chicagos detention centers, raising questions about where detainees will be held before deportation. Critics of the plan argue that mass deportations would be prohibitively expensive and could disrupt the economy. Undocumented immigrants make up a significant portion of the workforce in industries like agriculture, where they account for 40 percent of laborers. Removing them could lead to labor shortages and higher prices for goods. Despite these challenges, Trump and his team remain undeterred. Border Czar Tom Homan has emphasized that national security and public safety are the administrations top priorities. "I don't put a price on our national security," he said. Watch this Fox News clip featuring Border Czar Tom Homan discussing Trump's week-one deportation operations. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trumps bold plan: Military deployment and mass deportations to secure the border. Biden shields nearly 1 million migrants who invaded the U.S. from deportation, including gang affiliates. Tom Homan calls for weekly White House deportation briefings to update the public. Honduras threatens to expel U.S. military over Trumps deportation plans. Sheriffs gear up to join Trumps MASS DEPORTATION crusade. Sources include: InfoWars.com NBCNews.com Brighteon.com Trump pardons nearly all J6 defendants in sweeping executive order President Trump pardoned nearly 1,500 individuals charged in the January 6 Capitol incident, calling them "J6 hostages" and fulfilling a campaign promise. High-profile pardons included Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes, leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, respectively. Democrats criticized the move as undermining justice and disrespecting injured Capitol officers, while Trump supporters hailed it as overdue justice. The pardons were part of broader executive actions, including withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement and addressing the cost-of-living crisis. The decision deepened political divides, with critics warning it could embolden future political violence. President Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons to nearly all individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol incident. The pardons, which went into effect immediately, were signed on his first day back in office, fulfilling a campaign promise to address what he called the "grave injustice" faced by the so-called "J6 hostages." The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats while being celebrated by Trump's supporters as a long-overdue act of justice. Speaking to a crowd of over 20,000 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Monday evening, Trump announced his intention to pardon the defendants, many of whom he described as "patriots" unfairly targeted by the Justice Department. "Tonight, I'm going to be signing on the J6 hostages pardons to get them out," Trump declared. "And as soon as I leave, we're going to be signing pardons for a lot of people." The order, signed at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, affects more than 1,500 individuals charged with crimes ranging from trespassing to seditious conspiracy. Among those pardoned are Enrique Tarrio, former chairman of the Proud Boys, who was serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, and Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, who was sentenced to 18 years. Many of the pardoned individuals were released from prison within hours of the order being signed. A controversial decision The pardons have sparked outrage among Democrats, who claim that the move undermines the rule of law and disrespects the officers injured during the Capitol incident. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the decision "an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress, and the Constitution." Trump, however, has framed the pardons as a necessary step toward national reconciliation. "This marks a pivotal moment in our client's life, and it symbolizes a turning point for our nation," said Nayib Hassan, an attorney for Enrique Tarrio. The pardons were part of a flurry of executive actions Trump took on his first day in office, including withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, freezing federal hiring, and directing federal workers to return to in-person work immediately. Trump also signed orders aimed at addressing the cost-of-living crisis, restoring free speech, and ending what he called the "weaponization" of government against political opponents. In his inaugural address earlier in the day, Trump vowed to "rebalance the scales of justice" and prioritize an "America First" agenda. "Our sovereignty will be reclaimed, our safety will be restored, the scales of justice will be rebalanced," he said. The pardons have further deepened the political divide in the country. While Trump's supporters view the move as a correction of perceived injustices, critics claim it is a dangerous precedent that could embolden future acts of political violence. As the nation grapples with the implications of Trump's decision, one thing is clear: the debate over January 6 and its aftermath is far from over. For the nearly 1,500 individuals pardoned, however, the nightmare of incarceration has come to an enda moment of relief for them and their families, but a contentious chapter in America's ongoing struggle to find greater unity. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com FoxNews.com APNews.com Trump proposes 50% U.S. ownership of TikTok to save app from ban President Donald Trump has proposed that the U.S. government should own a 50 percent stake in TikTok's U.S. business to keep the app operational in the country. TikTok experienced a brief shutdown on Jan. 18 due to a new bipartisan law requiring the company to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. Trump cited TikTok's "tremendous" audience, potential job losses and ability to help him reach young voters as reasons for wanting to save the app. This decision marks a significant shift from Trump's previous stance during his first term, where he aimed to ban TikTok through an executive order. In December, Trump expressed a "warm spot" for the app, noting its potential to help him connect with young voters in the 2024 election. President Donald Trump has proposed that the U.S. government should own a 50 percent stake in TikTok's U.S. business in return for keeping the popular short-video app alive hours after a brief shutdown across the nation. TikTok stopped working for its 170 million American users late Saturday, Jan. 18. The shutdown, which lasted for a few hours, was a result of the bipartisan law that went into effect the next day, which required TikTok to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. (Related: Trump rescues TikTok, proposes 50% U.S. ownership to avert ban.) "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the United States. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned," a message that notified TikTok users shortly before the shutdown. In line with this, Trump said during his inauguration on Jan. 19 that he would sign an executive order the next day to give TikTok the ability to operate in the U.S. without going into detail. He added that he would let the U.S. own 50 percent of TikTok as a joint venture with the company. According to Trump, he decided to rescue TikTok because of its "tremendous" audience, citing job losses and its ability to help him reach young voters. "We have no choice. We have to save a lot of jobs," Trump said. "We don't want to give our business to China. We don't want to give our business to other people. So I said, very simply, a joint venture. So if TikTok is worth nothing, zero without an approved, you know, you don't approve, they're out of business. I'll approve, but let the United States of America own 50 percent of TikTok. We're going to have a lot of bidders. The United States will do what we call a joint venture." Trump reverses TikTok stance on second administration Trump's decision marks a significant shift from his stance during his first term as president. In 2020, Trump issued an executive order banning U.S. transactions with TikTok and WeChat, two of the most popular Chinese-owned social media platforms. The executive order stated that both TikTok and WeChat "capture vast swaths of information from its users," threatening to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information. The order also noted that reports indicate TikTok censors content deemed politically sensitive, such as protests in Hong Kong and China's treatment of the Uighurs, a Muslim minority. At the time, the Trump administration had already taken steps to delist Chinese firms from U.S. stock markets unless they provided regulators with access to their audited accounts. But he changed his tune during the campaign last year, noting the app's potential to help him connect with young voters. He also hinted in a Jan. 17 post on Truth Social that he is open to give TikTok a chance. "The Supreme Court decision was expected and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned," he wrote. Visit BigTech.news for more stories about TikTok. President Donald Trump pledges to take a look at the looming TikTok ban. Watch this video. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: TikTok ban looms as Dave Portnoy slams U.S. officials: "They don't care about the American people." TikTok set to be banned on Jan. 19 unless it is sold or the Supreme Court intervenes. TikTok challenges U.S. law: A battle over national security and free speech. Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, setting stage for Trump's next move. Chinese officials eye Elon Musk as potential buyer of TikTok's U.S. operations. Sources include: Reuters.com MSN.com USAToday.com BBC.com 1 BBC.com 2 Brighteon.com The family of a 30-year-old Sweet Home woman believed to be killed by her boyfriend last year is raising awareness about domestic violence as they seek justice. Police say what initially appeared to be a suicide later led to the Jan. 13 arrest of 40-year-old Jerod Lloyd Norman on charges of murder and corpse abuse. Norman allegedly killed Mariah Ashley-Winter King at their shared residence in the 2200 block of Nandina Street on July 18. He has been held without bail at the Linn County Jail since he was taken into custody. Investigators arranged for a postmortem examination of King, which revealed a foreign object in her body, according to a Sweet Home Police Department news release. The manner of her death has not been made public and the court has sealed most documents related to the case. Kimberly Lapham, Kings mother, said King was born in Arizona and raised in Albany. A cheerleader and varsity cheer captain at South Albany High School, she enjoyed outdoor activities anything around the water singing and painting rocks. And she loved God. She didnt really attend any churches; she did mostly her own self-worship and prayer, Kings sister Micaela King said. She liked church music a lot too. Micaela King said her sister owned a tree service company with Norman, Bears Tree Care LLC, and had worked on and off at odd jobs, such as ranching and construction. She had two children, ages 8 and 5 years old, from before she met Norman. She never hurt anybody. She was generous. She was helpful, Micaela King said. She had a big heart." Her mom added: She was the type that, even if she was going through something, she would set it aside and help somebody else with what they were going through. The night Mariah King died, Micaela King was getting ready for bed when she got a hysterical Facebook Messenger call from Norman at 11:35 p.m. She said he was crying and told her Mariah had killed herself, saying how sorry he was. I started hyperventilating and screaming, like, 'No, no she didnt, Micaela King said. I was uncontrollably inconsolable, screaming, shaking and vomiting. In later conversations, Norman blamed Mariah Kings family for not being there for her, accusing her mother of disowning her, Micaela King said. My mom cut off contact with her because she wouldnt leave this guy, Micaela King said. He was becoming a huge problem. We had been trying to get her away from him. Mariah King had tried to leave Norman, her sister said, several times, moving her stuff back to her moms house only to later move back in with Norman each time. The last time she heard her sisters voice was when Micaela King called to check on her just six days before she died. The call ended with Mariah King hanging up because Micaela King was pleading with her to leave Norman, she said. She told me that he woke her up shaking the mattress and acting crazy, yelling at her and shaking her, telling her to get the f--- out of his house, and her kids were in the next room over, sleeping, Micaela King. Lapham called in a welfare check that night a request for officials to check on a persons wellness and safety. From what she was told, an officer stopped by, but Mariah King said she was fine and told the officer to go away. Micaela King started a Facebook group called Justice for Mariah to not only share updates about the criminal proceedings against Norman but also photos and memories of her sister. She also wants to raise community awareness about domestic violence and give victims a safe space to share their stories. There is also a GoFundMe campaign, titled Help Mariah's Kids Secure Their Future, to raise college funds for Mariah Kings children. A candlelight vigil in honor and remembrance of Mariah King is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Northside Park in Sweet Home. The public is welcome to attend. We encourage people to come and join us so that we can bring awareness as to how domestic violence is handled in the state of Oregon, Lapham said. Lapham said there needs to be more recognition of coercive control, saying that could be the first and possibly only visible symptom of an abusive relationship. Investigators are seeking to contact Normans father, 65-year-old David Norman, for a secondary interview. He is encouraged to contact Detective Sean Potter by phone or in person at the Sweet Home Police Department. Related story: The PURGE of the top brass: Trump takes aim at woke military leadership President Trump has begun a purge of the military's top brass, targeting leaders focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives rather than national security and operational readiness. Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, the former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, was dismissed due to leadership deficiencies, operational failures and an excessive focus on DEI programs. The Coast Guard's internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy, known as Operation Fouled Anchor, was mishandled by Fagan, leading to a significant erosion of trust in the Coast Guard. The administration plans to crack down on "woke" ideology in the military, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown reportedly next in line for dismissal. The purge has sparked a debate about the role of DEI in the military, with critics warning that politicizing the armed forces could have dire consequences for national security and public trust. In a bold move that has sent shockwaves through the Pentagon, President Donald Trump has begun his promised purge of the militarys top brass, targeting leaders he deems too focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the expense of national security and operational readiness. Just days into his second term, the Trump administration has made it clear that no stone will be left unturned in its mission to restore the militarys focus on its core mission: defending the nation. The first casualty of this sweeping overhaul is Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, the now-former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Fagan was terminated by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman over concerns about her leadership deficiencies, operational failures and an excessive focus on DEI programs. According to a senior DHS official who spoke to Fox News, Fagans tenure was marred by a failure to address border security threats, mismanagement of critical acquisitions like icebreakers and helicopters, and a lack of innovative strategies to tackle recruitment and retention challenges. Perhaps most damning was Fagans mishandling of Operation Fouled Anchor, the Coast Guards internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy. The cover-up of these cases, which spanned from 2014 to 2019, was not disclosed until 2023, leading to a significant erosion of trust in the Coast Guard among the public, Congress and the military itself. Fagans inability to hold anyone accountable for the scandal further underscored her leadership failures. A broader crackdown on woke ideology Fagans dismissal is just the beginning. The Trump administration has signaled that it will not tolerate military leaders who prioritize DEI initiatives over operational readiness. Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is reportedly next on the chopping block. Brown has been a vocal advocate for DEI programs, even signing a memo that called for reducing the number of white officers in the U.S. Air Force. While Brown has insisted he will remain in his post, sources close to the administration suggest his days are numbered. This purge aligns with Trumps campaign promise to rid the military of woke generals and restore its focus on winning wars. During his 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized the militarys embrace of DEI initiatives, arguing that they undermine morale, recruitment and combat effectiveness. Their purpose is to win wars, not to be woke, Trump declared in a televised interview last June. The administrations actions have sparked a heated debate about the role of DEI in the military. Supporters argue that diversity and inclusion are essential for building a cohesive and effective fighting force, while critics contend that these initiatives distract from the militarys primary mission and alienate potential recruits. The Trump administration has made its position clear: DEI has no place in the armed forces. The administrations current purge is likely to deepen the divide between Trump and the militarys top brass. Critics warn that politicizing the military could have dire consequences for national security, eroding public trust in the armed forces and undermining their effectiveness. The Trump administrations purge of the militarys top brass marks a pivotal moment in U.S. civil-military relations. While the president has the legal authority to dismiss senior officers, the broader implications of this crackdown are deeply troubling. By prioritizing ideological loyalty over professional competence, the administration risks undermining the militarys independence and effectiveness at a time when global threats are on the rise. As the purge continues, the nation must grapple with a fundamental question: Should the military remain a nonpartisan institution dedicated to defending the Constitution, or will it become a politicized tool of the executive branch? The answer will shape the future of American democracy and national security for generations to come. Sources include: TownHall.com FoxNews.com Trump set to PARDON pro-life activist sentenced for blocking Manhattan abortion clinic President Donald Trump is set to pardon Bevelyn Williams, a pro-life advocate, who was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison under the Biden administration for blocking access to an abortion clinic. Bevelyn was convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for blocking a Manhattan abortion clinic's entrance in June 2020, causing a staff member's hand injury. Trump's pardon is seen as a challenge to the Biden administration's aggressive enforcement of the FACE Act against pro-life activists and a reaffirmation of his pro-life stance. Bevelyn's case highlights the perceived double standard within the justice system, as the Biden administration aggressively pursues charges against pro-life activists while turning a blind eye to violence against pregnancy resource centers. The pardon represents a moral victory for the pro-life movement as it signifies the continuation of the fight for life and justice and the refusal to be silenced. In a move that underscores his commitment to defending pro-life values and challenging what he views as a biased justice system, President Donald Trump is set to pardon pro-life advocate Bevelyn Williams, who was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison under the Biden administration for blocking access to an abortion clinic. Her husband Rickey confirmed that a pardon from Trump is imminent, though it has not yet been formalized. In an earlier post on X, Rickey said he was in the process of picking Bevelyn up from the Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville in Alabama. "I haven't gotten news that President Trump pardoned my wife just yet," he told LifeNews. "He is going to, but I haven't gotten word. But I know she will be released soon." Bevelyn, a 33-year-old mother and Christian minister, was convicted in July over charges linked to violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She was accused of blocking the entrance of a Manhattan abortion clinic in June 2020. According to court documents, the pro-life activist leaned against a clinic door, trapping a staff member's hand and causing injury. (Related: Pro-life advocate gets 41 months in jail for trying to save babies at Planned Parenthood clinic in NY.) But Bevelyn argues that the FACE Act has been weaponized to target pro-life activists like her. Her sentencing, which separated her from her two-year-old daughter, has been widely criticized as excessive and emblematic of the Biden administration's aggressive enforcement of the FACE Act against pro-life demonstrators. "The concern of being a young mother and a stay-at-home mother was completely disregarded," Bevelyn said in a statement following her sentencing. She also denounced U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, slamming the magistrate for making it "very clear in the courtroom that she was going to make an example out of me." Bevelyn's journey: From abortion to activism, and now a presidential pardon Bevelyn's case is not an isolated incident. Under the Biden administration, the Department of Justice has aggressively pursued charges against pro-life activists under the FACE Act while turning a blind eye to violence against pregnancy resource centers. This perceived double standard has fueled accusations of political bias within the justice system. Trump's decision to pardon Williams is seen as a direct rebuke of these policies and a reaffirmation of his pro-life stance. By intervening in her case, Trump is signaling his opposition not only to the culture of abortion, but also to what he views as the weaponization of federal law against conservative and Christian activists. Bevelyn's journey to pro-life activism is deeply personal. After enduring abuse, dropping out of high school and struggling with addiction, she had three abortions as a young woman. Her life changed after a spiritual awakening in prison, where she was serving time for money laundering. She later co-founded At the Well Ministries, a Christian organization dedicated to evangelism, pro-life advocacy and aiding the homeless. Her ministry's mission statement reflects her unwavering commitment to her faith and her belief in the sanctity of life. Among its mandates is to "speak up, stand for life and demand that abortion be abolished." Bevelyn's activism has taken her across the country, where she has protested outside abortion clinics and engaged in what she describes as "cultural and spiritual agitation" to defend the unborn. For the pro-life activist and her supporters, the pardon represents more than just a legal victory it is a moral one. The pardon Trump is preparing to issue marks the end of a painful chapter and the beginning of a renewed fight for the values Bevelyn holds dear. In pardoning her, the 47th president is not only freeing a mother from an unjust sentence but also sending a powerful message: The pro-life movement will not be silenced, and the fight for life and justice will continue. Visit Infanticide.news for similar stories. Watch this clip of Bevelyn Beatty Williams following her 2020 arrest in Manhattan after blocking the entrance of an abortion clinic there. This video is from The World According to Me channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: DOJ targeting pro-lifers with alleged FACE Act violations. Trump hints at pardon for J6 political prisoners after Joe Biden pardons his son. Pardons and payback: A blueprint for Trump's DOJ to free the patriots and punish the real J6 plotters. Sources include: LifeNews.com CatholicNewsAgency.com Justice.gov Brighteon.com Trump unveils $500 Billion Stargate AI initiative to boost U.S. data centers and compete in global AI race President Trump announced "Project Stargate," a 500 billion investment to build advanced AI data centers across the U.S., aiming to boost AI R&D and counter China's growing AI dominance. Tech Partnerships: Backed by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, the project seeks to accelerate AI advancements, though critics raise concerns about ethical risks and corporate influence over public safety. Ethical Concerns: Critics like Mike Adams warn against AI weaponization and corporate prioritization of profit, advocating for decentralized, open-source AI models to ensure transparency and public benefit. Chinas AI Lead: Chinas open-source AI models, such as DeepSeek, outperform U.S. systems, prompting debates over whether centralized U.S. efforts can close the gap or risk falling further behind. Decentralization Debate: While Project Stargate centralizes AI development, open-source models like Enoch aim to democratize knowledge, offering an alternative to corporate and government-controlled AI systems. A Bold Move in the AI Arms Race President Donald Trump has announced a monumental $500 billion investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, dubbed "Project Stargate," aimed at establishing state-of-the-art data centers across the United States. The initiative, unveiled on January 22, 2025, is designed to accelerate AI research and development, positioning the U.S. as a global leader in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Backed by tech giants such as OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, the project seeks to address the growing concern that the U.S. is falling behind China in the race for artificial general intelligence (AGI). The announcement comes at a critical juncture, as China continues to make significant strides in AI research, releasing open-source models that outperform their U.S. counterparts in reasoning and efficiency. Critics, however, warn that the initiative could be weaponized by future administrations or corporate interests, raising ethical and security concerns. Tech Titans and Ethical Dilemmas The partnership with OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle has sparked both optimism and skepticism. OpenAI, once hailed as a pioneer in open-source AI, has faced criticism for its shift toward closed, proprietary systems. SoftBank, a Japanese investment firm, brings financial muscle to the table, while Oracles involvement has raised eyebrows due to CEO Larry Ellisons controversial vision for AI-driven healthcare. Ellison has claimed that Project Stargate could revolutionize cancer detection and treatment, proposing AI-powered blood tests and personalized mRNA vaccines. However, critics like Mike Adams, a tech maverick and developer of the open-source AI model Enoch, argue that such advancements could lead to dangerous outcomes. Adams warns against the weaponization of AI and the potential for corporate interests to prioritize profit over public safety. Dont inject yourself with AI, Adams cautioned, emphasizing the risks of merging human biology with machine-driven solutions. Decentralization vs. Centralization: The Battle for AI Supremacy While Project Stargate represents a centralized approach to AI development, Adams and others advocate for decentralized, open-source models that empower individuals and bypass corporate and government censorship. Adams Enoch, set to launch on March 1, 2025, is a free, open-source AI model designed to provide uncensored access to knowledge on topics ranging from natural health to emergency preparedness. Chinas open-source AI models, such as DeepSeek, have already demonstrated superior reasoning capabilities compared to U.S. systems, which critics argue are hobbled by political correctness and corporate agendas. Adams contends that the U.S. must embrace decentralization to remain competitive. China is contributing to the democratization of knowledge, he said, while U.S. models are censored to align with woke narratives. A Race Against Time As the U.S. embarks on Project Stargate, the stakes could not be higher. The initiative represents a bold attempt to reclaim Americas position as a global leader in AI, but it also raises profound ethical and strategic questions. Will the U.S. succeed in closing the gap with China, or will centralized control and corporate interests undermine its efforts? For now, the race to AGI continues, with China seemingly in the lead. As Adams put it, Whoever achieves superintelligence first will dominate the world. The question remains: Will that dominance be wielded responsibly, or will it usher in a new era of technological tyranny? Only time will tell. In the meantime, the release of open-source models like Enoch offers a glimmer of hope for those who believe in the power of decentralized knowledge. As the world braces for the AI revolution, one thing is clear: The future of humanity may well depend on who controls the machines. Watch this Jan. 22 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about Trump's STARGATE project to attempt global AI Dominance. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Project Stargate: CIA, DoD had a well-funded secret program aimed at developing psychic abilities Microsoft turning to NUCLEAR ENERGY to power its future data centers and AI projects U.S. must prioritize fossil fuels to secure AI dominance, says Trumps energy chief Sources include: Brighteon.com Forbes.com US departs from the World Health Organization cutting off a predatory, global oligarchy that has destroyed public health for billions The U.S. formally announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), citing mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and disproportionate financial contributions. The move sets a 12-month notice period, during which the U.S. will cease funding and participation in WHO programs. Those who like to be subjugated by unlawful mandates argue the decision undermines international cooperation and public health initiatives. Health freedom advocates view the departure as a necessary step to reclaim national sovereignty and reform global health governance. The Biden administration had previously halted a similar withdrawal attempt in 2021, but the WHOs proposed "pandemic treaty" in 2024 reignited concerns over centralized power and global vaccine mandates. A fractured relationship of coverups and human rights abuses The United States has officially begun its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, marking a significant shift in its approach to global health governance. President Donald Trump announced the decision on Monday, accusing the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and failing to act independently from the influence of member states, particularly China. World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. Its not going to happen anymore, Trump said during the signing of an executive order. The move, which follows years of tension between the U.S. and the WHO, sets a 12-month notice period for the withdrawal to take effect. The WHO, which relies heavily on U.S. fundingcontributing approximately 18% of its $6.8 billion budgetexpressed regret over the decision. We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope that there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevi? said. The U.S. departure threatens to disrupt critical WHO programs, including HPV, polio, and COVID-19 vaccine programs that are set to continue with seasonal boosters and vaccine campaigns that target various age groups. The departure from WHO could put a damper on contact tracing programs and mass PCR testing fraud, which is used to exploit populations and generate fundraising for future engineered public health crises. Furthermore, the WHOs objectives are misguided and do not prioritize the nutritional health needs of vulnerable populations. Instead, WHO pushes more vaccine programs onto vulnerable population groups, neglecting their needs for clean water systems, sewage, and hygiene. WHOs idea of medical care is rapid response teams that stick individuals with tests and experimental vaccines, while promising that these experiments are safe and effective. Meanwhile, efficacious treatments for infections disease are forgotten, and nutritive support is abandoned. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHOs second-largest donor, has pledged to continue its support, primarily to push out more polio vaccines. This is yet another fraud, live polio vaccine campaigns are causing and spreading a new type of vaccine-derived polio, especially in immunocompromnised children. Germany, the next-largest state donor to WHO, has also voiced concerns. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach expressed hope that the U.S. would reverse its decision, stating, We believe in the importance of multilateral cooperation, especially in times of global health crises. Of course, Germany was one of many countries where a large swatch of the population rose up against vaccine passport systems. So, Lauterbach is delusional, to say the least. Restoring national and personal health sovereignty The U.S. withdrawal from WHO comes amid ongoing negotiations over the WHOs proposed pandemic treaty, formally known as the WHO Convention, Agreement or Other International Instrument on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. The treaty aims to centralize pandemic response under the WHO, granting it regulatory powers to declare health emergencies and enforce international public health policies. Health freedom and healthcare reform advocates argue that the treaty could undermine national sovereignty by allowing the WHO to impose measures such as vaccine mandates, digital health certificates, and intellectual property waivers during man-made pandemics. The treaty also includes provisions for the WHO to combat misinformation and disinformation, raising concerns about free speech and government overreach. No sane and independent individual wants a global body of technocrats controlling the internet and hauling people off to camps for dissenting to and expressing the truth about harmful vaccines and other totalitarian government measures. As the world grapples with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 scam and prepares for future manufactured health crises, the debate over the WHOs role and authority is far from over. However, the U.S. decision is not likely to spur meaningful reform, and WHO will continue to exploit populations. Sources include: Reuters.com TimesofIsrael.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com U.S. agrees to prisoner exchange with Taliban, freeing convicted narco-terrorist in exchange for 2 Americans held in Afghanistan The U.S. and the Taliban conducted a prisoner swap, releasing two detained Americans in exchange for a convicted Afghan narco-terrorist serving a life sentence in California. The exchange involved Khan Mohammad, a Taliban figure convicted in 2008 for drug trafficking and terrorism, and Americans Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, detained by the Taliban. The deal, facilitated by Qatar, reflects rare U.S.-Taliban cooperation and the Talibans efforts to gain international legitimacy despite Washington's refusal to recognize its government. Mohammad's release has sparked ethical debates, while Corbett's family expressed relief but concern for two other Americans still held by the Taliban. The swap highlights ongoing challenges in U.S.-Taliban relations, with negotiations continuing for the release of other detained Americans. The United States and Afghanistan's Taliban government have agreed to a prisoner exchange, freeing two American citizens held in Afghanistan for a convicted Afghan narco-terrorist serving a life sentence in California. The deal, confirmed by officials on Tuesday, Jan. 21, marks a rare moment of cooperation between the two nations amid strained relations since the Taliban's ouster of the former Afghan government in 2021. The swap involved the release of Khan Mohammad, a Taliban figure convicted in 2008 on charges of drug trafficking and terrorism, in exchange for Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, two Americans detained by the Taliban. Corbett, a U.S. citizen who ran a social enterprise in Afghanistan, had been held since August 2022, while McKentys circumstances remain unclear. The exchange, described by the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the result of "long and fruitful negotiations," was facilitated by Qatar, a key intermediary in U.S.-Taliban talks. Analysts note that this deal underscores the Taliban's ongoing efforts to gain international legitimacy and normalize relations with major nations, especially Washington, which still refuses to recognize its government. Government released Taliban member who sold heroin and opium to fund terrorist groups Mohammad, now 55, was arrested in 2006 in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province. He was extradited to the U.S. and convicted in 2008 on charges of trafficking heroin and opium to fund terrorism in a landmark first conviction under American narco-terrorism laws. The Department of Justice described him as a violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker who sought to kill U.S. soldiers using rockets purchased from the trafficking of drugs. Mohammads release has sparked debate over the ethics of exchanging convicted terrorists for detained civilians. In a video interview with local media organization Hurriyat, Mohammad expressed gratitude for his freedom, saying, "Thanks to the support and assistance of the Islamic Emirate and, by God's grace, I was freed." For the families of the freed Americans, the swap brought relief after months of uncertainty. In a statement, Corbett's family said they were "overwhelmed with joy" at his release but expressed regret that two other Americans, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, were not included in the deal. Glezmann, an airline mechanic, and Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman, remain in Taliban custody. The prisoner exchange comes at a pivotal moment in U.S.-Afghan relations. The administration of former President Joe Biden, which oversaw the disastrous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, had been negotiating with the Taliban to secure the release of Corbett, Glezmann and Habibi since at least July 2023. (Related: Congressional report: Biden-Harris admin DECEIVED Americans on Afghanistan withdrawal.) In exchange, the White House was offering Muhammad Rahim, a high-profile detainee at Guantanamo Bay. While the deal ultimately excluded Rahim, it highlights the ongoing challenges of engaging with the Taliban, which remains a pariah in the international community. In the meantime, the families of those still detained in Afghanistan continue to hope for their loved ones' safe return. As Corbett's family noted in their statement, "While we celebrate Ryans freedom, our hearts remain heavy for those still waiting." Watch this Jan. 10 episode of "Redacted News" as host Clayton Morris speaks with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) regarding how the previous administration helped fund the Taliban. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for release of some political prisoners. Zelensky says Ukraine is ready to return captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for prisoners of war held by Russia. Controversial clemency: Biden releases Chinese nationals accused of espionage. White House now claims it did not leave American weapons in Afghanistan, calls accusation a "farce." SIGAR: Biden admin has given over $11 billion to Afghanistan since Taliban took over and U.S. withdrew its troops in 2021. Sources include: Reuters.com NPR.org Brighteon.com What is an orphan drug? Understanding rare diseases The role of orphan drug legislation Why are orphan drugs important? Challenges in developing orphan drugs Recent advances and success stories The future of orphan drugs In summary The 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed a profound revolution in medical science, significantly enhancing living standards and extending the life expectancy of billions worldwide. However, certain diseases and medical conditions continue to receive less funding and attention compared to others. Patients with rare medical conditions and diseases are often part of a traditionally underserved population. However, orphan drugs provide hope by offering treatment options that improve their quality of life and potentially extend life expectancy. Image Credit: unoL/Shutterstock.com What is an orphan drug? Orphan diseases affect small patient populations. In the US, to be considered an orphan disease, it must affect under 200,000 patients. Typically, funding for treatment can be difficult to come by, with only 600 orphan drugs approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).1 The terms origin can be found in the 1960s when Dr Harry Shirkey wrote an article called Therapeutic Orphans. Changes in legislation and regulation in that decade led to some drugs being orphaned as they were no longer cost-effective for drug companies due to a lack of market demand. Thus, there has historically been little financial incentive for pharma companies to develop drugs to treat rare diseases.2 Market Report 2025: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Understanding rare diseases Whilst a rare disease is defined as affecting under 200,000 patients in the US, the global patient population living with these types of disease is estimated at 3.5-5.9%. This is in the range of 263 to 446 million people worldwide.3 Rare diseases include well-known types of diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, ALS, and hemophilia, as well as rarer types of cancers. Metabolism disorders, autoimmune diseases, autoinflammatory syndromes, cerebrovascular disorders, degenerative diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (a prion disease) all fall under the umbrella of rare diseases. There are over 10,000 known medical diseases with a significant cumulative burden. Not only patients are affected, but family members and communities can feel the impact of these rare and hard-to-treat conditions. 5 Myths About Orphan Drugs and the Orphan Drug Act Play The role of orphan drug legislation As explained above, the rarer a disease is, the less financial incentive there is for pharma companies to research and develop a drug to treat it. However, whether there is any financial incentive or not, patients still suffer the effects of these diseases. The role of legislation has been critical for the development of drugs for these diseases. It would be the drafting of legislation such as the Orphan Drug Act (1983) in the US and the EU Regulation on orphan medicinal products that would make it easier for orphan drugs to come to market.4,5 The Orphan Drug Act (1983) incentivizes the development of orphan drugs by providing tax incentives, research subsidies, and exclusive marketing rights for companies for 7 years once an orphan drug comes to market. Since the act was introduced, over 880 orphan drugs have been approved for use by the FDA.4 Similarly, in the EU, over 200 orphan drugs have been authorized due to legislation. Why are Orphan Drugs Important? As can be seen, orphan drugs have been historically critically underfunded, and in some cases, even today, they can face financial pressures that limit their release onto the market. However, at the foundation of orphan drug research can be found the patients themselves and their unmet medical needs. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the inequalities and disparities across different patient populations and demographics, and this has parallels in the rare disease sector. The UN has now recognized the importance of addressing these disparities, promoting greater integration of rare and orphan diseases into policies.3 The goals of rare disease research and universal health coverage targets share a commonality. Orphan drugs do not just improve the lives of those suffering from rare diseases, as mentioned previously in this article. Better funding and improved access to therapies also impact the families and communities of patients. These drugs bring social and economic benefits; for example, relieving the symptoms of a rare disease can reduce care needs and burdens on family members. Furthermore, orphan drugs drive advancements in precision medicine and biotechnology. Innovation in this area can have a positive impact on related biomedical fields. Challenges in developing orphan drugs There are still several challenges with orphan drugs, although bringing them to market has been made easier by legislation. High development costs, limited financial returns, difficulty in conducting trials due to small patient populations, and the high price of orphan drugs are all roadblocks to their market adoption. High costs create access issues for patients and healthcare providers. Moreover, insurance companies may be less willing to cover the costs of orphan drugs due to the high costs and perceived lack of financial return associated with them. Drug Delivery: An Overview Recent advances and success stories Since the introduction of legislation such as the Orphan Drug Act, there have been several success stories in the orphan drug and rare disease sector. Ivalfactor and Kalydeco are drugs that treat Cystic Fibrosis, a debilitating condition that affects nearly 200,000 people worldwide. Spinraza is an orphan drug used to treat spinal muscular atrophy. Coagulation factor IX has been developed to prevent bleeding in hemophilia B patients. Rucaparib is a drug that was approved for ovarian cancer. Porphyria can be treated using Haem arginate. Innovations such as targeted therapies and gene therapy are accelerating research into rare diseases and orphan drugs. Personalized medicine is having an impact on areas such as orphan drug designation and pricing strategies.6 The future of orphan drugs The need for orphan drugs and therapeutics options for traditionally underserved patient populations has driven legislation and cooperation between governments, pharma companies, and patient advocacy groups in recent years. This is likely to continue over the coming years and will continue to impact health outcomes for millions of patients worldwide. Furthermore, innovations in areas such as AI-powered drug discovery, machine learning, synthetic biology, and genomics are accelerating orphan drug development. The emerging role of AI, for instance, is a pivotal moment in pharmaceutical research, improving the speed of drug target discovery exponentially. Novel molecules can be designed, and patient response markers can be better identified. Synthetic biology can help target identification. Novel biopharmaceuticals can be designed using these innovations. This can only benefit the development of orphan drugs for rare disease treatment in the future. In summary Millions of patients worldwide suffer from rare diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cancers, neurological disorders, and autoimmune diseases. Orphan drugs offer hope to these historically underserved patient populations, but a lack of funding and research focus makes releasing them to market problematic. However, legislation, innovation, and increasing collaboration between multiple stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, have resulted in more orphan drugs being approved in recent years, improving patients' quality of life and health outcomes. Further innovation and continued focus on advocacy for orphan drugs will be necessary to build on this global medical success story. Referencing Chao, S (2024) What is an Orphan Drug? [online] drugs.com. Available at: https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/orphan-drug-3562491/ (Accessed on 18 January 2025) Mikami, K (2019) Orphans in the Market: The History of Orphan Drug Policy Social History of Medicine 32:3 pp. 609-630 [online] Oxford Academic. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/shm/article/32/3/609/4663001 (Accessed on 18 January 2025) Claudia Ching Yan Chung et al. (2022) Rare disease emerging as a global public health priority Frontiers in Public Health 18:10 [online] National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9632971/ (Accessed on 18 January 2025) National Organization for Rare Disorders (2023) The Orphan Drug Act [online] NORD. Available at: https://rarediseases.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NORD-ODA-Explainer.pdf (Accessed on 18 January 2025) European Commission (2025) Orphan medicinal products [online] Available at: https://health.ec.europa.eu/medicinal-products/orphan-medicinal-products_en (Accessed on 18 January 2025) Degtiar, I (2017) A review of international coverage and pricing strategies for personalized medicine and orphan drugs Health Policy 121: 12 pp. 1240-1248 [online] ScienceDirect. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168851017302336 (Accessed on 18 January 2025) Further Reading New research uncovers how fat hidden in your muscles could be a silent threat to your heart, offering a fresh perspective on cardiovascular risk beyond the scale. Study: Skeletal muscle adiposity, coronary microvascular dysfunction, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Image Credit: KateStudio / Shutterstock A recent study published in the European Heart Journal examined the role of skeletal muscle fat infiltration, termed intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), in coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and cardiovascular events. By analyzing data from 669 adult patients undergoing evaluation at Brigham and Womens Hospital between 2007 and 2014, the researchers explored the influence of IMAT on heart health and its potential as a risk marker. Background Obesity is a widespread health challenge that is linked to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Although body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to classify obesity and predict related risks, it fails to account for individual variations in fat distribution and metabolic impacts. Furthermore, emerging research has highlighted the importance of ectopic fat depots, including IMAT, which accumulate between muscle fibers and are associated with inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndromes. The inflammatory properties of IMAT suggest that it may influence the function and energy regulation of neighboring muscle tissues, potentially affecting cardiovascular health. The study found that nearly 46% of the participants were obese (BMI 30 kg/m), with a median age of 63 years, 70% being female, and 46% identifying as nonwhite, highlighting the demographic diversity of the cohort. Another critical factor in heart disease is CMD, characterized by impaired blood flow despite normal arteries. CMD is strongly linked to inflammation and obesity, but the influence of muscle fat in CMD remains underexplored. Understanding the relationship between IMAT, CMD, and heart disease risk is crucial, as traditional metrics such as BMI may not fully capture cardiovascular risk profiles. The current study IMAT and Inflammation: The study highlights that intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is not just a fat depot but also a source of inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor, which may impair muscle metabolism and contribute to systemic inflammation, a key driver of cardiovascular disease. In the present study, the researchers analyzed the connection between skeletal muscle fat infiltration and cardiovascular health. The study included 669 adult patients undergoing cardiac stress tests using positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. The participants had no prior history of heart attacks or severe heart conditions and displayed normal heart pump function. The patients were evaluated for CMD using coronary flow reserve (CFR), calculated as stress/rest myocardial blood flow, which is a key diagnostic measure. Muscle fat distribution, including subcutaneous adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and IMAT, was assessed from CT images around the 12th thoracic vertebra using semi-automated segmentation software to ensure precision and consistency. Additionally, the researchers used advanced imaging software to quantify tissue areas and ensure consistency across measurements. IMAT, which is a specific fat depot within skeletal muscles, was of particular interest due to its suspected inflammatory and metabolic roles. The study excluded patients with known coronary artery disease or advanced health conditions, including end-stage liver, kidney, or lung diseases, to maintain a focus on non-obstructive cardiovascular risks. Furthermore, the imaging data were supplemented with detailed medical histories, medication records, and laboratory results to support a comprehensive analysis. The researchers also adjusted the statistical models for confounding factors such as age, sex, race, BMI, and pre-existing conditions. A significant finding was the interaction between CFR and IMAT, rather than BMI, highlighting IMAT's role as a more precise risk marker. Associations between muscle fat content, CMD, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes were examined over a median follow-up of nearly six years. Results Fatty Muscle Fraction: Every 1% increase in the fatty muscle fraction (IMAT relative to total muscle mass) was associated with a 2% higher odds of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and a 7% increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), underscoring the importance of muscle quality over quantity. The study reported that skeletal muscle quality and IMAT levels had a significant impact on CMD and cardiovascular outcomes. Lower skeletal muscle mass and higher IMAT were independently linked to reduced CFR, even after adjusting for factors such as BMI and other conventional risk markers. Moreover, unlike BMI or subcutaneous fat, which showed weaker associations, IMAT emerged as a critical determinant of cardiovascular risk. Higher IMAT levels were also strongly correlated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including hospitalizations for heart failure or non-fatal heart attacks, and death. Specifically, each 10 cm increase in IMAT increased the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 53% (95% CI: 1.301.80). Conversely, increased skeletal muscle mass and subcutaneous fat appeared protective, even reducing cardiovascular risks. Importantly, every 1% increase in the fatty muscle fraction (IMAT relative to total muscle mass) was associated with a 2% increased odds of CMD and a 7% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. This relationship was not observed with BMI, which further highlighted IMAT's potential role as a cardiovascular health marker. These findings emphasized IMAT's role as a novel cardiometabolic marker and offered insights into patient risks that BMI or traditional fat measures might miss. This study also highlighted the need for clinical approaches that account for muscle fat distribution, particularly in patients with ischemia and no significant coronary artery blockage. Conclusions To summarize, the study indicated that IMAT is a critical factor influencing coronary microvascular dysfunction and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, independent of BMI and conventional risk factors. Identifying patients with both elevated IMAT and CMD could improve risk stratification and treatment strategies. These findings suggest that traditional obesity measures such as BMI might overlook key risks, reinforcing the need to assess muscle fat composition for more precise cardiovascular risk evaluation. The study introduces a novel at-risk cardiometabolic phenotype, which may pave the way for better-targeted interventions focusing on skeletal muscle health. These findings also suggested the need to prioritize skeletal muscle health and refine cardiovascular risk assessments beyond traditional metrics, offering new pathways for managing cardiometabolic disease. Infertility is a problem that affects between 8% and 12% of couples of reproductive age worldwide for some of them, the problem interrupts a life project, which is the desire to have children and build a family. Advances in technology and medicine have made assisted reproductive treatments possible, but they can be physically and psychologically draining for the couples involved, especially because of expectations of results that may not be achieved. The emotional impact of treatment is well documented in the scientific literature. Frustration with negative results has an impact on the psychological and social well-being of the couple, who may develop symptoms such as depression, anxiety, anger and stress, thus worsening their quality of life. Now, for the first time, a study supported by FAPESP and carried out at the ABC Medical School (FM-ABC) in Santo Andre, a municipality in the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo (MRSP), in Brazil, has examined work-family conflicts in these patients, which can be associated with frequent absences due to medical appointments or tests, for example. The results, published in the journal Psychology, Health & Medicine, indicate that levels of work-family conflict are higher among men, while stress affects women more. A total of 242 couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment at the Ideia Fertil Institute, linked to the FM-ABC, in the MRSP, were studied. Among the participants, the median age was 37 years; 60% were women; 67% had a university degree; 37% had been married for more than ten years, 26% for between five and ten years, and 37% for five years or less. In most cases, assisted reproductive treatments require time and large financial investments, which can be stressful for working patients. However, the scientific literature lacks data on the impact of this procedure on work-family conflicts. Infertile patients undergoing treatment can risk losing their jobs due to frequent absences for medical appointments and tests. For example, it's common for a woman to ask for a medical certificate without the clinic's logo so that her employer doesn't know she's trying to get pregnant." Victor Zaia, professor in the Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences at the FM-ABC and lead author of the study In addition, these patients may also experience reduced productivity, difficulty concentrating, challenges in managing medication side effects, and difficulties with time management. "Work-family conflict occurs when these individuals experience tension as they try to fulfill their professional and personal responsibilities. Many experience stress, fatigue, emotional exhaustion, sleep disturbances, dissatisfaction, marital problems, and decreased productivity. The result can be conflicts between these roles, with physical and psychological consequences." Evaluation scales To arrive at the results, the researchers used online questionnaires to assess the couples. They answered questions from four internationally validated scales: Infertility-Related Stress Scale-Brazil (IRSS); Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10 (CD-RISC 10); Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS); and Work-Family Conflict Scale. On the Infertility-Related Stress Scale, the volunteers answered 12 questions about interpersonal stress (how infertility situations would disrupt the person's daily life with friends, family, spouse) and questions about intrapersonal stress (how much the infertility problem affects their physical and emotional well-being). On the Resilience Scale, the participants answered ten questions about their ability to adapt to life's changes; about overcoming difficulties after illness or other problems; and about being able to think clearly when under pressure, among others. The difference in this case, Zaia explains, is that the research focused on something that was happening at the time the assisted reproductive treatment whereas many studies on resilience ask about something that has already happened in the past, looking for memories. "In our study, people were starting reproductive treatment. So the impact, the risky situation, was being experienced in the now." The third tool used in the survey was the Perceived Social Support Scale, which, as its name suggests, is a 29-question scale designed to understand whether the participant receives and perceives any type of emotional or practical support from their spouse, family, and friends. Finally, the researchers applied the Work-Family Conflict Scale the most important in the study. It aims to assess the interference between the family and work environments within two sub-scales: Work Interference in the Family and Family Interference in Work. In the analyses, the male participants showed greater resilience and lower levels of stress, both intrapersonal and interpersonal, compared to the women undergoing infertility treatment. However, the male patients reported higher levels of work interference in the family. In addition, there were significant differences in work-family conflict based on the couple's income: those with higher incomes reported more interference. On the other hand, the study found that women undergoing infertility treatment had lower levels of resilience and higher levels of stress, which the authors suggest may be explained by societal expectations about motherhood, which is considered a central role for women. The researchers also found significant correlations between resilience and emotional support, intrapersonal stress, and interpersonal stress. "Stress alone doesn't explain work-family conflict. But we concluded that if a person has more stress, little social support and less resilience, they'll most likely have higher levels of conflict. And if they can't manage those conflicts, they'll probably have more stress, leading to a kind of vicious circle," Zaia explains. From a clinical practice standpoint, Zaia says, these findings can guide health professionals in working with couples to reinforce strategies to improve and strengthen aspects of resilience and emotional support. "All the issues are important. This couple is suffering. We need to improve communication and support, as well as working on stress management strategies so that they can better adapt to treatment," the researcher explained. According to Zaia, there are two ways to try to overcome these conflicts: resilience (which is the ability to adapt to significant changes in life) and social support. Resilience is considered a protective factor because it can moderate the relationship between stress and quality of life, reducing the possible negative effects of stress related to infertility. And social support, in turn, helps because being surrounded by people who provide emotional and practical support can reduce the affective burden of infertility and possibly ease the challenges of treatment. Assisted reproduction Infertility is defined as the inability to get pregnant after at least one year of regular unprotected intercourse. Assisted reproductive treatments are available, but they are time-consuming and costly. There are few services in the Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS, Brazil's national public health network) that offer this treatment and they are very restrictive (imposing age limits, for example). A report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Brazil, published in March 2024, points out that Brazil has 192 assisted reproduction clinics, of which only 11 are public (6%). In 2023, the cost of a complete IVF cycle varied between BRL 15,000 and BRL 100,000, depending on the number of attempts, the procedure used and the location of the clinic. The clinic involved in the study is a social organization and the patients treated there pay only the cost of the treatments, which start at BRL 3,000. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) wants to emphasize the importance of global partnerships in addressing health threats that impact all of us, as Americans and global citizens. We urge President Trump to reconsider the decision to terminate the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO). The most effective way to address emerging health threats is through collaborative efforts with international partners. Eliminating U.S. involvement in the WHO would leave our country-and the world-more vulnerable to infectious diseases and less prepared to manage pandemics, fight emerging health threats, respond to chronic diseases, and improve infection prevention resources. It is essential that the United States continues our connection with the WHO to coordinate surveillance, monitoring, detection, prevention, research, and response to public health threats including outbreaks, antimicrobial resistance and high consequence pathogens such as viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg), Mpox, and highly pathogenic avian influenza (e.g., H5N1). SHEA works directly with international organizations, healthcare systems, and experts around the globe to share evidence-based practices, conduct research, and promote innovations in infection prevention. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering global partnerships and as such, SHEA will remain involved in the Global Infection Prevention and Control Network (GIPCN) whose mission is to align global efforts on infection prevention, a critical component of fighting chronic diseases and emerging pathogens. Continued partnership with the WHO is also critical to fighting antimicrobial resistance, a serious threat to domestic and global health. We must stay engaged to protect the effectiveness and efficacy of antibiotics. The United States needs to work with other countries to improve the public health of all global citizens, including Americans. SHEA acknowledges the large contributions that the United States makes to support the WHO and encourages the United States to engage in bilateral discussions with the WHO regarding funding and organization rather than complete withdrawal to support these efforts. Our global collaborations ensure that knowledge and resources transcend borders, benefiting not just healthcare workers and patients in the United States, but also communities worldwide. SHEA remains dedicated to strengthening these relationships to address today's challenges and prepare for future public health threats. If this announcement to withdraw from the WHO is implemented, we urge President Trump to reconsider for the health and safety of American citizens and the global community. SHEA will continue to advocate for science-driven, collaborative approaches to protect and improve public health for everyone. Smartwatches that can collect physical and physiological data on users could be potentially interesting tools in biomedicine to gain a better understanding of brain diseases and behavioral disorders and possible driver mutations related to these pathologies. This is stated in a study published in the journal Cell, and led by the co-author Mark Gerstein, from Yale University (United States). The study includes the participation of Professor Diego Garrido Martin, from the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Barcelona. Using smartwatch data from more than 5,000 adolescents, the research team could train artificial intelligence models to predict whether individuals had different psychiatric illnesses and found genes associated with these illnesses. The results suggest that these wearable sensors may enable a much more detailed understanding and treatment of psychiatric illnesses. In traditional psychiatry, a doctor will assess your symptoms and you'll either be diagnosed with an illness or won't. But in this study, we focused on processing the wearable data in a way that could both be leveraged to predict illnesses more comprehensively, and to better connect them to underlying genetic factors". Professor Mark Gerstein, expert in biochemistry, computer science, statistics and data science Detecting illnesses in such a quantitative way is difficult. But wearable sensors, which collect data continuously over time, may be the answer. For the new study, the team used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, the largest long-term assessment of brain development and child health in the United States. The data used in the study collected from by smartwatches worn by adolescents aged 9-14 included measurements of heart rate, calorie expenditure, physical activity intensity, step count, sleep level and sleep intensity. "When processed correctly, smartwatch data can be used as a 'digital phenotype'", says researcher Jason Liu, a member of Gerstein's lab and co-lead author of the study. The researchers propose using the term digital phenotype to describe traits that can be measured and tracked with digital tools such as smartwatches. "One advantage of doing this is that we can use the digital phenotype almost as a diagnostic tool or a biomarker, and also bridge the gap between disease and genetics", Liu adds. To that end, the researchers also developed a methodology for obtaining the massive amount of smartwatch data and converting the raw data into information that could be used to train an AI model, "a new problem to solve in the research world which is technically challenging", according to Gerstein. The team found that heart rate was the most important measure for predicting ADHD, while sleep quality and stage (the different cycles a body goes through during sleep) were more important for identifying anxiety. "These findings suggest that smartwatch data can provide us with information about how physical and behavioural temporal patterns relate to different psychiatric illnesses", Gerstein said. Moreover, the data could also help differentiate between different subtypes of the disease. "For example, within ADHD there are different forms", said Beatrice Borsari, a postdoctoral associate at Gerstein's lab and co-lead author of the study. "Maybe we can extend this work to help distinguish between forms of inattention and hyperactivity, which typically respond to different pharmacological treatments". Having seen that the digital phenotype could be used to predict psychiatric illnesses, the team investigated whether it could also help identify underlying genetic factors, using a series of multivariate statistical tools developed thanks to the scientific contribution of the University of Barcelona. "Our methodology has made it possible, for the first time, to simultaneously analyse the relationship between genetics and the different measures provided by smartwatches", says Diego Garrido Martin, UB professor and co-author of the study. When they examined whether genetic mutations affected the smartwatch data differently in healthy individuals than in those with ADHD, they were able to identify 37 genes associated with ADHD. But when they ran a similar analysis to determine whether particular genes were associated with an ADHD diagnosis, they found none. This discovery highlights the added value of using continuous smartwatch data, says the team. The findings link psychiatric illnesses, digital phenotypes and genotypes and show how wearable sensors can provide a deeper understanding of psychiatric diseases. "This method holds great promise for addressing long-standing challenges in psychiatry and may ultimately reshape the way we understand the genetics and symptom structure of psychiatric disorders", said Walter Roberts, assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and co-senior author of the study. Although the study focused on ADHD and anxiety, the researchers expect the approach to be widely applicable. For example, it may be useful for understanding neurological diseases or neurodegeneration. In addition, they hope that their findings may serve as inspiration to move beyond traditional clinical diagnostics and adopt quantitative behavioural measurements that may be of greater use in identifying genetic biomarkers. Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease. While Tanzania's Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories. Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera's Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday). "The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera," she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district. Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak. Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths. The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO's alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases. We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO." Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania's President She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO's alert. "The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams," she added. Cross-border transmission The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania's first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda's recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024. The situation is particularly critical given Kagera's position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations. Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required. "We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces." The Kagera region's ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts. The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever. Transparency urged Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania's ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures. "This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread," she said. WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important. "We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response," she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised. The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania's Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced. UK oncology researchers have come together to write the first ever national thought leadership strategy report into cancer vaccine advances and the opportunities these present for those affected by cancer. The strategy report has been published in Cambridge University Press journal Cambridge Prisms: Precision Medicine. Cancer vaccines hold the potential to revolutionise cancer treatment. These vaccines leverage neoantigens to activate the immune system against tumors, offering a personalized approach to combat cancer. This transformative potential is particularly significant in light of recent advancements in oncology, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapies. The backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic has also demonstrated how possible it is to develop vaccines swiftly, setting the stage for a strategic shift towards cancer vaccine trials. The UK, with its substantial contributions to both vaccine development and distribution during the pandemic, is uniquely well-positioned to lead this charge. A central challenge for the UK in developing cancer vaccines lies in harnessing national infrastructure, particularly the country's healthcare system, to facilitate efficient trials. This will require careful coordination and allocation of resources to support local trial delivery centres across the country. Yet the UK is a scientific powerhouse meaning that with continued investment and effort, there is no reason why the UK shouldn't be a pioneer in cancer vaccine development." Lennard Lee, Lead Author, Associate Professor of Cancer Vaccines at the University of Oxford and clinical advisor on the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launchpad The researchers also offered four key recommendations for how the UK can best level-up in cancer vaccine research. These recommendations are: 1. Leverage COVID-19 vaccine success. Insights can be drawn from the rapid development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. Processes were streamlined, pragmatism prevailed over perfections and groups were able to make timely decisions. Cancer vaccine trials should be delivered in a similar fashion. 2. Create shared missions. There is a multitude of pharmaceutical partners with new cancer vaccine technologies across many different subtypes of cancers. Ambitious long-term partnerships between trialists, sites, industry, healthcare leads and patient groups can forge the path for continual iterative improvement of cancer vaccine technologies. 3. Modern trials infrastructure. Cancer vaccines require effective trials infrastructure with seamless integration of genomic data across different platforms and institutions. Trial teams and infrastructure should receive investments to upgrade and be made as effective as possible. 4. Engage public and trialists. Greater attempts can be made at fostering effective public awareness. This includes understanding the potential opportunities and limitations of cancer vaccine technology. It should aim to garner support and increase the momentum of clinical trials at small as well as large cancer centers. Researchers from the University of Turku and Abo Akademi University in Finland and the University of Wisconsin in the United States demonstrated that individuals who had childhood epilepsy have an increased accumulation of brain amyloid later in life, potentially predisposing them to late-onset brain amyloid disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. The accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in the brain is considered an early pathological brain change in Alzheimer's disease, although the exact cause of amyloid accumulation is unknown. The study from the University of Turku, Abo Akademi University, and University of Wisconsin is based on a globally unique population-based cohort, collected by young child neurologist, now Professor Emeritus Matti Sillanpaa, who still leads the cohort. The cohort has monitored the health and social prognosis of individuals who had childhood epilepsy since the early 1960s and their matched controls since 1992. The follow-up is conducted progressively at regular intervals in collaboration with domestic and international researchers (TACOE project). The recent collaborative study examined the brain amyloid accumulation of these individuals, who were on the verge of retirement or already retired, and their controls. In the previous timepoint of the study (2013-2016), after 50 years of follow-up, researchers observed that individuals with childhood epilepsy had more amyloid plaques in their brains than the controls. "The finding was the first of its kind globally, and it was unclear at that point whether the abnormal amyloid accumulation in the brain would continue, further predisposing these individuals to the development of memory disorders. This motivated our current study," explains one of the key figures in the study, Professor of Neurology Juho Joutsa from the University of Turku. Increased probability of abnormal amyloid accumulation in individuals with childhood epilepsy The recent study was conducted approximately seven years after the previous timepoint, with the participants being 60-65 years old. The study included 82 percent of the previous participants, a total of 36 individuals with childhood-onset epilepsy, and 35 controls. In the patient group, abnormal amyloid accumulation was observed in nearly one-third of the participants, whereas only 11 percent of the controls showed this accumulation. During the seven-year follow-up, the patient group accumulated more amyloid in the brain than the controls. The patient group also performed worse in cognitive tests compared to the controls, but this was not linked to the amount of amyloid plaques. This suggests that the amyloid accumulation in the brain has not yet led to memory disorders." Juho Joutsa, Professor of Neurology, University of Turku Unique cohort study enables long-term monitoring of changes The unique cohort utilized in the study has provided extensive information about childhood epilepsy and its prognosis over decades. Modern brain imaging methods, which now enabled the study of brain amyloid pathology, were developed decades after the cohort was established. A recently graduated physician, now Professor of Neurology Juho Joutsa, was recruited for brain imaging analyses in the early 2010s. The study results provide unique new information about the very long-term effects of childhood epilepsy on the brain, and the follow-up continues. "This study is also an excellent example of what can be achieved scientifically through long-term commitment of both participants and researchers, as well as collaboration across disciplines and generations of researchers," says Joutsa. A systematic review of 573,173 individuals with type 2 diabetes found South Asian, Black, and Chinese ethnic groups have significantly lower all-cause mortality risks compared to White populations, while Maori and Indigenous Australians face higher mortality. Study: Comparison of mortality in people with type 2 diabetes between different ethnic groups: Systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Image Credit: PhotoGullak / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers in the United Kingdom compared all-cause mortality risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) across different ethnic groups through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Background Bangladeshi patients show the strongest survival advantage. While South Asians overall had a 32% lower mortality, Bangladeshi individuals stood out with a striking 37% reduction (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.460.86), whereas Pakistani and Indian subgroups showed lower risk trends, but their differences were not statistically significant. T2D is a major global health concern, nearly doubling mortality risk compared to those without diabetes, primarily due to circulatory diseases, but increasingly cancer and neurodegenerative conditions. Ethnicity is a significant risk factor, with South Asian and Black populations experiencing higher prevalence, earlier onset, and differing complication profiles compared to White populations. While advancements in T2D management have reduced vascular-related mortality, ethnic disparities in outcomes remain underexplored, and broad ethnic categories used in studies may mask important subgroup differences. Further research is needed to explore factors driving these differences and to guide targeted interventions for improving outcomes in T2D management across diverse populations. About the study The present systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The protocol was registered in the international Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Articles were searched across nine databases, including Ovid Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Global Health, and others, in March 2023, with updates in May 2024. The search strategy employed a combination of controlled vocabulary (Medical Subject Headings [MeSH]) and keyword searching, using Boolean operators. Searches were finalized through group consensus for terms related to T2D, ethnicity, and longitudinal cohort studies, excluding studies with data collection or follow-up before 2000. Eligible studies included adults aged 18 years or older with T2D from population-based settings. Studies had to compare at least two ethnic groups, with no restrictions on location, language, or health status. Exclusion criteria focused on studies of children, type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, or populations selected based on specific comorbidities. Longitudinal cohort studies and secondary analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, while other designs, such as case series or cross-sectional studies, were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and data analysis included meta-analysis for studies reporting hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the I statistic, and Forest plots were generated using RevMan 5.4. Narrative synthesis was conducted for studies with outcomes not reported as HRs. Minimal adjustment models (age and sex) were preferred for meta-analysis to avoid over-adjustment, though some studies used maximally adjusted models, which could obscure causal relationships. Study results Singapore flips the script on risk hierarchies. In Singapores cohort, Malay individuals faced a significant 42% higher mortality risk than their Chinese peers, while Indian individuals showed a non-significant 26% increased risk, challenging the assumption that White populations universally experience the highest diabetes-related mortality risks. An initial search in March 2023, updated in May 2024, retrieved 33,922 studies from nine databases, with an additional 3,097 studies in the update. After removing duplicates, 16,520 studies underwent title and abstract screening, leading to 292 full-text articles for further review. Ultimately, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria for this analysis, focusing on mortality outcomes in T2D. Of these, seven studies provided sufficient data for meta-analysis, while six were included in a narrative synthesis. The 13 studies, published between 2010 and 2021, included 573,173 participants with T2D and were conducted in various countries: four in the United States of America (USA), three in the United Kingdom (UK), two each in New Zealand and Australia, and one each in Canada and Singapore. Most studies compared ethnic groups against White ethnicity, except for one study that used Chinese ethnicity as the reference group. Follow-up durations ranged from 4 to 18 years. Using the NOS, 12 studies were rated as "Good" for methodological quality, while one was rated "Poor" due to inadequate follow-up. However, the diverse study designs and population characteristics may impact generalizability, particularly outside of North America, the UK, and Australasia. Meta-analysis revealed significant findings regarding all-cause mortality risk. Four studies comparing South Asian ethnicity with White ethnicity reported a lower mortality risk for South Asians, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.68 (95% CI 0.65-0.72). Similarly, five studies examining Black ethnicity demonstrated a reduced mortality risk compared to White ethnicity, HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.77-0.87). For Chinese ethnicity, two studies indicated a lower mortality risk compared to White ethnicity, HR 0.57 (95% CI 0.46-0.70), though with high heterogeneity (I = 90%), suggesting variability in study populations or methodologies. Narrative synthesis highlighted additional findings. Indigenous populations, including Maori in New Zealand and Indigenous Australians, faced higher mortality risks compared to European or Anglo-Celtic groups. Mediterranean and Arabic ethnicities in Australia exhibited lower mortality risks compared to Anglo-Celtic populations. Studies from the USA and the UK reported varying mortality risks among Hispanic, Asian, African, and Caribbean ethnicities, reflecting nuanced patterns of ethnic disparities. One study from Singapore uniquely used a non-White reference group, showing higher mortality risks among Malay and Indian ethnicities compared to Chinese ethnicity. These findings highlight the complexity of ethnicity-related mortality differences and the need for further research to uncover underlying factors. Conclusions To summarize, this study found that individuals with T2D of South Asian, Black, and Chinese ethnicity have significantly lower all-cause mortality risks compared to White ethnicity, with reductions of 32%, 18%, and 43%, respectively. Conversely, Indigenous populations, such as Maori New Zealanders and Indigenous Australians, face higher mortality risks. The review, encompassing 13 studies and over 500,000 participants, demonstrated consistent findings across diverse settings. However, the authors note limitations, including reliance on broad ethnic categories that may mask subgroup differences and potential over-adjustment in statistical models due to variable confounder selection across studies. The life expectancy among Native Americans in the western United States has dropped below 64 years, close to life expectancies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. For many Asian Americans, it's around 84 on par with life expectancies in Japan and Switzerland. Americans' health has long been unequal, but a new study shows that the disparity between the life expectancies of different populations has nearly doubled since 2000. "This is like comparing very different countries," said Tom Bollyky, director of the global health program at the Council on Foreign Relations and an author of the study. Called "Ten Americas," the analysis published late last year in The Lancet found that "one's life expectancy varies dramatically depending on where one lives, the economic conditions in that location, and one's racial and ethnic identity." The worsening health of specific populations is a key reason the country's overall life expectancy at 75 years for men and 80 for women is the shortest among wealthy nations. To deliver on pledges from the new Trump administration to make America healthy again, policymakers will need to fix problems undermining life expectancy across all populations. "As long as we have these really severe disparities, we're going to have this very low life expectancy," said Kathleen Harris, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina. "It should not be that way for a country as rich as the U.S." Since 2000, the average life expectancy of many American Indians and Alaska Natives has been steadily shrinking. The same has been true since 2014 for Black people in low-income counties in the southeastern U.S. "Some groups in the United States are facing a health crisis," Bollyky said, "and we need to respond to that because it's worsening." Heart disease, car fatalities, diabetes, covid-19, and other common causes of death are directly to blame. But research shows that the conditions of people's lives, their behaviors, and their environments heavily influence why some populations are at higher risk than others. Native Americans in the West defined in the "Ten Americas" study as more than a dozen states excluding California, Washington, and Oregon were among the poorest in the analysis, living in counties where a person's annual income averages below about $20,000. Economists have shown that people with low incomes generally live shorter lives. Studies have also linked the stress of poverty, trauma, and discrimination to detrimental coping behaviors like smoking and substance use disorders. And reservations often lack grocery stores and clean, piped water, which makes it hard to buy and cook healthy food. About 1 in 5 Native Americans in the Southwest don't have health insurance, according to a KFF report. Although the Indian Health Service provides coverage, the report says the program is weak due to chronic underfunding. This means people may delay or skip treatments for chronic illnesses. Postponed medical care contributed to the outsize toll of covid among Native Americans: About 1 of every 188 Navajo people died of the disease at the peak of the pandemic. "The combination of limited access to health care and higher health risks has been devastating," Bollyky said. At the other end of the spectrum, the study's category of Asian Americans maintained the longest life expectancies since 2000. As of 2021, it was 84 years. Education may partly underlie the reasons certain groups live longer. "People with more education are more likely to seek out and adhere to health advice," said Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, and an author of the paper. Education also offers more opportunities for full-time jobs with health benefits. "Money allows you to take steps to take care of yourself," Mokdad said. The group with the highest incomes in most years of the analysis was predominantly composed of white people, followed by the mainly Asian group. The latter, however, maintained the highest rates of college graduation, by far. About half finished college, compared with fewer than a third of other populations. The study suggests that education partly accounts for differences among white people living in low-income counties, where the individual income averaged less than $32,363. Since 2000, white people in low-income counties in southeastern states defined as those in Appalachia and the Lower Mississippi Valley had far lower life expectancies than those in upper midwestern states including Montana, Nebraska, and Iowa. (The authors provide details on how the groups were defined and delineated in their report.) Opioid use and HIV rates didn't account for the disparity between these white, low-income groups, Bollyky said. But since 2010, more than 90% of white people in the northern group were high school graduates, compared with around 80% in the southeastern U.S. The education effect didn't hold true for Latino groups compared with others. Latinos saw lower rates of high school graduation than white people but lived longer on average. This long-standing trend recently changed among Latinos in the Southwest because of covid. Hispanic or Latino and Black people were nearly twice as likely to die from the disease. On average, Black people in the U.S. have long experienced worse health than other races and ethnicities in the United States, except for Native Americans. But this analysis reveals a steady improvement in Black people's life expectancy from 2000 to about 2012. During this period, the gap between Black and white life expectancies shrank. This is true for all three groups of Black people in the analysis: Those in low-income counties in southeastern states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama; those in highly segregated and metropolitan counties, such as Queens, New York, and Wayne, Michigan, where many neighborhoods are almost entirely Black or entirely white; and Black people everywhere else. Better drugs to treat high blood pressure and HIV help account for the improvements for many Americans between 2000 to 2010. And Black people, in particular, saw steep rises in high school graduation and gains in college education in that period. However, progress stagnated for Black populations by 2016. Disparities in wealth grew. By 2021, Asian and many white Americans had the highest incomes in the study, living in counties with per capita incomes around $50,000. All three groups of Black people in the analysis remained below $30,000. A wealth gap between Black and white people has historical roots, stretching back to the days of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and policies that prevented Black people from owning property in neighborhoods that are better served by public schools and other services. For Native Americans, a historical wealth gap can be traced to a near annihilation of the population and mass displacement in the 19th and 20th centuries. Inequality has continued to rise for several reasons, such as a widening pay gap between predominantly white corporate leaders and low-wage workers, who are disproportionately people of color. And reporting from KFF Health News shows that decisions not to expand Medicaid have jeopardized the health of hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty. Researchers have studied the potential health benefits of reparation payments to address historical injustices that led to racial wealth gaps. One new study estimates that such payments could reduce premature death among Black Americans by 29%. Less controversial are interventions tailored to communities. Obesity often begins in childhood, for example, so policymakers could invest in after-school programs that give children a place to socialize, be active, and eat healthy food, Harris said. Such programs would need to be free for children whose parents can't afford them and provide transportation. But without policy changes that boost low wages, decrease medical costs, put safe housing and strong public education within reach, and ensure access to reproductive health care including abortion, Harris said, the country's overall life expectancy may grow worse. "If the federal government is really interested in America's health," she said, "they could grade states on their health metrics and give them incentives to improve." Donald Trump Says He Is Considering 10% Tariff On China Starting February 1 Published By : PTI Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:38 IST 'We're talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada,' Donald Trump tells reporters. Donald Trump says he did not talk too much about tariffs when he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. (Photo: AP) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his team is discussing imposing a 10 per cent tariff on China starting February 1 based on the fact that the latter is sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada. Were talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China based on the fact that theyre sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump told reporters at a joint news conference at the White House along with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. related stories In response to a question, Trump said he is looking at February 1 as the date for the tariffs. For Mexico and China, were talking about approximately 25 per cent (tariff)," the president said. Responding to another query, Trump said he did not talk too much about tariffs" when he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. When asked if he has asked Xi Jinping to intervene to stop the war in Ukraine, Trump said China has not done very much on that. Hes got a lot of power. I said you ought to get it settled. I had that talk with President Xi the other day too. I said we dont want that crap in our country. Weve got to stop it. I would have stopped it. I had to deal with him where he was going to give the maximum penalty, which in China is death penalty, for drug dealing and he was all set," Trump said. He was going to give the maximum penalty to fentanyl dealers if they send (the staff) to the United States. And of course, Biden didnt pick that up. I had that deal all done. It was all wrapped up," he added. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all We were going to get it done and then the election went lets put it nicely. It didnt go the proper way. Im trying to be nice about it. It (election) was rigged and we had an incompetent president elected who never followed up on that deal," Trump said. He added that if there was death penalty, they wouldnt be sending fentanyl to Mexico, Canada and other places". First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:38 IST Stocks To Watch: HDFC Bank, HUL, Tata Technologies, RailTel, BPCL, Adani Energy, And Others Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 07:37 IST Stocks to watch: Shares of firms like HDFC Bank, HUL, Tata Technologies, RailTel, BPCL, Adani Energy, and others will be in focus on Wednesday's trade Stocks to Watch Stocks To Watch On January 22: The markets saw a volatile session on Tuesday, ultimately closing down nearly 1.5%. In todays trading, shares of HDFC Bank, HUL, Tata Technologies, JSW Steel, PNB Housing, and others will be in the spotlight following various news updates and third-quarter earnings reports. Quarterly Watch: Key Earnings Announcements on January 22 related stories Around 50 companies are set to announce their Q3 FY25 earnings today, keeping their share prices in focus throughout the trading session. Leading the earnings roster are HDFC Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Polycab India. Other noteworthy names include Pidilite Industries, Tata Communications, Indus Towers, Persistent Systems, and Coforge. Adani Energy Solutions Adani Energy Solutions (AESL) revealed its largest order to datea Rs 25,000 crore HVDC project connecting Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This win brings the companys order book to Rs 54,761 crore, reinforcing its growing influence in Indias energy infrastructure sector. PNB Housing Finance PNB Housing Finance reported a 36% YoY increase in net profit for Q3 FY25, totaling Rs 471.4 crore. Net Interest Income surged by 15% to Rs 1,119 crore. The companys share price closed at Rs 899.00 in the previous session, down 1.47%. ICICI Prudential Life ICICI Prudential Life saw a 43% YoY increase in net profit, reaching Rs 326 crore for Q3 FY25. Net premium income rose to Rs 12,261 crore. The stock closed at Rs 635.90, down 0.84% in the last session. India Cements India Cements reported a net loss of Rs 428.8 crore in Q3 FY25, compared to a loss of Rs 16.5 crore in the same period last year. Revenue declined by 15% YoY to Rs 940 crore, compared to Rs 1,113.06 crore in Q3 FY24. The stock tumbled over 8%, closing at Rs 348.35. Cyient DLM Cyient DLM reported a 38.4% YoY increase in revenue, totaling Rs 444.2 crore. However, net profit dropped sharply by 40.8% to Rs 10.9 crore. The stock ended the previous session down 0.55%. JSW Steel JSW Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Maharashtra government for Rs 3-lakh crore investment in the state. Adani Energy Adani Energys share price will also be in focus today due to the latest developments. UCO Bank UCO Bank reported a 27.05% YoY increase in net profit for Q3 FY25, reaching Rs 638.83 crore, compared to Rs 502.83 crore in the same period last year. Total income surged 15.5% to Rs 7,405.89 crore, while Net Interest Income (NII) grew by 19.6% to Rs 2,377 crore. The stock closed at Rs 44.06, down 1.12%. RailTel Corporation of India RailTel secured a Rs 46.79 crore contract from North Western Railway for railway signalling systems. Dalmia Bharat Dalmia Bharat posted a 75.2% YoY drop in net profit for Q3 FY25, recording Rs 66 crore, down from Rs 266 crore last year. Revenue from operations declined by 11.7% YoY to Rs 3,181 crore. Despite the results, the stock rose by 1.31%, closing at Rs 1,774.95. Tata Technologies Tata Technologies saw a slight 1% YoY decline in net profit, posting Rs 168.6 crore for Q3 FY25, compared to Rs 170.2 crore in the previous year. Revenue from operations grew by 2.2% YoY to Rs 1,317.4 crore. The stock closed 0.44% higher at Rs 816. JK Tyre & Industries JK Tyre secured a $100 million sustainability-linked loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), with Rs 30 million directed to JK Tyre & Industries and the remaining Rs 70 million for Cavendish Industries, a key subsidiary. Indiamart Intermesh top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Indiamart Intermesh reported a strong 47.6% YoY growth in net profit, reaching Rs 121 crore for Q3 FY25. Revenue from operations rose by 16% to Rs 354.3 crore. The stock closed at Rs 2,296, up 1.15%. Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. First Published: January 22, 2025, 07:37 IST General Knowledge: Who Was The Most Educated US President? Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 08:05 IST The 28th US President who led the country through World War 1 is widely considered to be the most-educated occupant of the Oval Office, holding a PhD Do you know who was the most educated US President? With Donald Trump taking oath as the US President for the second time, there is renewed interest in his educational qualifications. As per public records, Trump attended Fordham University in the Bronx for two years, from 1964 to 1966. He then transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his undergraduate studies. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. Before college, Trump attended the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school, from 1959 to 1964, where he finished his high school education. related stories But do you know who was the most educated US President? That honour belongs to Woodrow Wilson, who led the US through the First World War (1914-1918) as the 28th US President from 1913 to 1921. Wilson graduated from Princeton University and the University of Virginia Law School, and is the only US President who had a PhD. Wilsons predecessor William Howard Taft was also well-educated. Taft served as the 27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913. He graduated from Yale University and subsequently pursued law at Cincinnati Law School. Upon completing his Bachelor of Law in 1880, he embarked on a legal career. Franklin Pierce, the 14th US President of America from 1853 to 1857, completed his BA from Bowdoin College. After that, he studied for an LLB from Northampton Law School. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Rutherford B Hayes, the 19th US President, was also considered to be well-educated. Hayes was the President from 1877 to 1881. His early education was in Ohio. After that, he completed BA from Kenyon College and did an LLB from Harvard University. Among US Presidents of the modern era, Bill Clinton did his BSc from Georgetown University and then got a Rhodes Scholarship, through which he went to study at the University of Oxford. Clinton initially studied for a BPhil, which was transferred to a BLitt in Politics. Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 08:05 IST UPSC CSE 2025 Notification Soon: Civil Services Exam Date, Vacancies And Other Details Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 12:21 IST UPSC CSE Prelims 2025: UPSC Civil Services Notification 2025 will be made available on the official website at upsc.gov.in. UPSC CSE Notification 2025: Civil services exam details to be released soon. (News18 Hindi) UPSC Civil Services Exam 2025 Notification: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 notification today, January 22. Along with the notification, the application process will also begin. Candidates can find detailed information, including the syllabus and exam pattern, on the UPSC website at upsc.gov.in. This year, the notification will be released earlier than usual, as it typically comes out in February. However, the exact time of the release is not yet announced, so keep checking for updates. Last year, UPSC announced 1,056 vacancies for CSE and 150 for IFoS. The CSE interview session is currently ongoing and will end in April. The CSE 2025 prelims exam will be held on May 25. Candidates who score above the cut-off in the prelims will be eligible for the UPSC mains exam, which will be held from August 22 for five days. related stories How To Download UPSC CSE 2025 Notification? Heres how you can download the UPSC IAS 2025 notification: Visit the official UPSC website: upsc.gov.in On the homepage, navigate to the Whats New" section. Click on the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2025 Notification" link. A PDF file of the notification will open on the screen. Review the details and download the UPSC IAS notification PDF for future reference. Number Of Attempts For Each Category General category candidates can take up to six attempts to clear the UPSC CSE exam. OBC and PwBD category candidates get up to nine attempts. SC and ST category candidates have a relaxation in the number of attempts. ALSO READ: Exposure To AI, Flexibility For Students Amid Key Curriculum Changes From July 2025: IIT-Delhi Director To News18 Age Limit General category candidates must be at least 21 years old but not older than 32 years on August 1 of the year they are applying. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Exam Structure The UPSC CSE exam consists of three stages: The first stage is the Prelims, which is a screening test. Candidates who qualify the Prelims move on to the Mains, a descriptive exam. Those who pass the Mains are then invited for the final stage, the Interview. First Published: January 22, 2025, 11:36 IST BJP Assembles 'Special 27' In Bid To Break 27-Year Jinx In Delhi Polls Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Pathikrit Sen Gupta Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 01:39 IST Sources say that a team of 27 leaders, including union ministers, party office-bearers, and MPs, has been constituted, which will be supervised by union home minister Amit Shah. Each of these leaders has been assigned two assembly constituencies where they will work over and above... Read More This team had a special meeting with Amit Shah a couple of days ago, and the brainstorming went on for more than four hours. (Representational photo/PTI) After close to three decades, the Bharatiya Janata Party smells an opportunity in the national capital, which will have elections early next month. The saffron party is putting together all its efforts to unseat the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. With the motto of ending aapda" (crisis) rule in the capital, the saffron party has adopted an all-hands-on-deck approach. Not only are campaigns being carried out by BJP candidates and leaders, especially from Delhi, but the party has a more deep-rooted strategy. related stories Sources say that a team of 27 leaders has been constituted, which will be supervised by union home minister Amit Shah. Given his political acumen and proven track record as an organisation person, the saffron party is hopeful that this team will deliver the goods. This team, which consists of union ministers, party office-bearers, and members of Parliament, has been given a very specific assignment. The 27 include union ministers like Mansukh Mandaviya, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bhupender Yadav. BJP general secretaries Vinod Tawde and Sunil Bansal are also in it. Several MPs, including Vivek Thakur, Surendra Nagar, Arvind Dharmapuri, Biplab Deb, etc, are part of this panel. This team had a special meeting with Amit Shah a couple of days ago, and the brainstorming went on for more than four hours. The saffron party is extremely confident that its strategy of strengthening the booths will make all the difference in the upcoming elections. We will be focusing on every booth across the capital. Since we have been able to win all the seats in Delhi in the Lok Sabha polls three times, a detailed study will be done on why the party is not able to convert the results of these booths in the assembly elections," a source aware of the developments told CNN-News18. Each of these leaders has been assigned two assembly constituencies where they will work over and above the task that has been handed to party leaders, star campaigners, and candidates themselves. The job will be to ensure that the gap in the voters who voted for the BJP is closed in favour of the saffron party. There is no need for us to start campaigning aggressively or start delivering lectures or speeches. We will purely be doing much-needed work behind the scenes in each constituency," another source told CNN-News18. Delhi is a confluence of many regions and cultures, and therefore, with the kind of bandwidth that the BJP has, we can bring in leaders from all parts of the country to come in for the management of elections. This is going to be extremely important since this will be an election for the BJP to win and AAP to lose." There are multiple things that a party or a candidate needs to focus on during elections, which takes away a lot of time from the contestant and the supporting personnel around him. This task will be outsourced to the 27 BJP members who will be in charge of the polls. Realistically speaking, there are 51 seats that the party has identified that are viable and where there is a close contest between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party or the Congress and BJP. Therefore, if the BJP is able to win these 51 seats, then the battle is pretty much over for the opposition," a source said. With less than two weeks to go for the high-profile elections in the national capital, this team of 27 will act as backroom boys to aid the candidates and the party in these constituencies. The biggest advantage of having political leaders do the back-end work in a man-to-man marking situation remains that a political leader can be quick enough to find a political solution to an issue and can communicate effectively not just to the party leaders but also to the public concerned," a source said. This team of 27 will report to Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda directly on every issue of concern and also give them updates on the campaign, the way it is progressing on the ground, and whether the message that the saffron party is trying to send through its initiatives, announcements in the manifesto, and the concerns of the public reaches where they need to. Apart from the candidates and the local leaders, including members of Parliament from the national capital, the saffron party has deployed the services of 40 star campaigners for the Delhi election. Leading them is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected to do at least three rallies in the run-up to the Delhi polls. BJP national president JP Nadda will begin the campaign for Delhi on Thursday. Several chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, such as Pushkar Singh Dhami, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Devendra Fadnavis, are part of the star campaigners list. One of the most popular names is that of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is expected to hold 14 public meetings in the run-up to the elections. While the BJP is contesting on 68 out of Delhis 70 assembly seats, it has given one seat each to its alliance partners, Nitish Kumars JD(U) and the LJP (Ram Vilas) party led by union minister Chirag Paswan. Another alliance partner of the BJP in the NDAEknath Shindes Shiv Senadespite having prepared to contest at least 15 seats, has chosen not to put out any candidates. In fact, in a letter, the party has confirmed its unconditional support for the BJP candidates. Observers say this is also a big win for the NDA in comparison to the kind of bickering that has been seen in the opposition parties. The saffron party will also be deploying the services of allies for campaigning in the Delhi elections. Dates have already been sought from the likes of Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his deputy Pawan Kalyan, as well as Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde, among others. Key leaders will be visiting the national capital after the Republic Day celebrations, when the campaigning will be at its peak. Saam, daam, danda, bhed approach needs to be put into practice. Thats the clear-cut message and mantra coming in from union home minister Amit Shah, who is known as the Chanakya of modern-day politics and someone who does not mince words at all," a source said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The national capital has been a jinx for the saffron party, which could form the government here way back in 1993, the only time it came to power. The BJP has now seen a huge resurgence ever since it tasted victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But AAPs Arvind Kejriwal has been the chief minister of Delhi three times. In the wake of recent corruption allegations against him, for which he went to jail, AAP has made Atishi the CM of Delhi on an interim basis. If voted back to power, the return of Kejriwal to the chair of the chief minister seems like a certainty. Delhi will see polling on February 5 to elect MLAs to 70 constituencies, with the votes to be counted on February 8. First Published: January 23, 2025, 01:39 IST Arvind Kejriwal Releases AAP's Middle-Class Manifesto, Raises 7 Demands For Budget 2025 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 14:18 IST AAP has unveiled its 'middle-class manifesto' ahead of the Delhi assembly elections. Party convenor Kejriwal has urged the Centre to dedicate the Union Budget 2025 to the middle class. Arvind Kejriwal address a press conference (Photo: Video screengrab/@ArvindKejriwal) Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday released his partys middle-class manifesto and raised seven demands from the Centre, including those related to education, health, tax rebate, and pension. Kejriwal also demanded that the Union Budget 2025, which is set to be presented on February 1, be dedicated to the middle class. Addressing a press conference, Arvind Kejriwal said, Today, we appeal to the Central government to recognise Indias true superpowerthe middle class. I announce that AAP will be the voice of the middle class from the streets to the Parliament. We demand that the next national budget be dedicated to the middle class." related stories Today, I am making seven demands to the Central government," he added. First, the education budget should be increased to 10 per cent from 2 per cent, and the fee for private schools should be capped. Second, subsidies and scholarships be given for higher education. Third, the health budget should be increased to 10 per cent, and tax should be removed from health insurance," Arvind Kejriwal said. Fourth, the income tax exemption limit should be increased to Rs 10 lakh from the present Rs 7 lakh. Fifth, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) should be removed from essential commodities," the AAP convenor continued. Sixth, a strong retirement plan and pension schemes for senior citizens should be announced, and there should be free medical services for senior citizens in all government and private hospitals across the country. Seventh, senior citizens should get a 50 per cent concession in rail travel," Kejriwal added. Also slamming the Centres tax policies, Arvind Kejriwal termed it tax terrorism", and said, People have to pay taxes while they are alive, but now the government has created a situation where they have to pay even after death. Amid this tax terrorism, how can someone even dare to chase their dreams?" For a married couple, family planning has become a financial decision. Due to such issues, many Indians are leaving the country. In 2020, around 85,000 people left India for foreign nations. This is a matter of great sorrow for our country," he said. VIDEO | AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) criticises the Centres tax policies, calling it tax terrorism.People have to pay taxes while they are alive, but now the government has created a situation where they have to pay even after death. Amid this tax pic.twitter.com/6LreZj30co Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 22, 2025 Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), slammed Arvind Kejriwals party, and said that it makes only fake announcements". top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all AAP makes only fake announcements, the BJP will improve the condition of government schools," the Prime Minister said. Delhi will go to the polls on February 5, with vote counting scheduled for February 8. First Published: January 22, 2025, 12:37 IST 'Will Table CAG Reports On Winning': PM Modis 2 Tasks For Delhi BJP's Booth-Level Workers Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:41 IST PM Modis 80-minute-long message underlined the BJPs strategy to expose the AAP on local issues of Delhi as he said people in the national capital are angry with the Kejriwal-led party The PM has also kept up his attack on AAP on the major issue of corruption. (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adopting a strategy of speaking on local issues with BJP workers regarding the Delhi election campaign, said people in the national capital are angry with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is getting nervous as polls near. PM Modis 80-minute-long message underlined the BJPs strategy to expose the AAP on local issues of Delhi. He has given two big tasks to BJPs workers ensuring the highest turnout in their booth in the last decade, and achieving 50%-plus vote share for the BJP in every booth of Delhi. He said BJPs workers must expose the lies of AAP-Da". related stories Delhis people are sick of AAPs lies, they have duped the people. They do new announcements daily because they hear news of defeat from various areas daily. People of Delhi have seen through AAPs nervousness. AAP says Phir Aayenge and people in the crowd say Yeh Phir Khayenge (they will do more corruption)," the prime minister said. The PM has also kept up his attack on AAP on the major issue of corruption, saying the focus of Arvind Kejriwals party was only on one thing Sheeshmahal Banao". He said every Delhi resident remembers the lies of AAP when he or she sees Sheeshmahal. It is a living symbol of corruption. Money was spent like water on Sheeshmahal," the prime minister said, alluding to a C&AG report. Modi said the people of AAP have no shame despite the Sheeshmahal and liquor scams. No Delhi resident likes this and they are angry with AAP," the PM said. The prime minister said social activist Anna Hazare was also upset with Kejriwal as he established a party on the issue of Jan Lokpal, which does not exist in Delhi or Punjab where AAP has governments. AAP showed CAG reports to expose the Congresss corruption. Today, CAG reports exist but AAP is hiding them for the last four years as they are afraid of the truth and people knowing about their sins. We will table the CAG reports in assembly as soon as we come to power," he said. Modi added that Delhi should have an identity as national capital just like Bengaluru, Gurgaon, or Noida has. AAP just blames others and does not do any work. We need double-engine government in Delhi," he said. Focus on Local Issues The PM said water and tanker mafia is operating in Delhi and people are forced to drink dirty water. He said AAP hates people of Purvanchal as they made migrants leave Delhi during the Covid-19 pandemic". The PM also said AAP does not want to adopt the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi out of ego" as they dont care for the people of Delhi. He said BJP will give safe drinking water to people in Delhi through a mega campaign, like in other states. Sharab toh milti hai, paani nahi milta hai," the prime minister said, referring to the condition of Delhi. He said AAP should have improved roads, sewers, build parks and parking spaces but they did not fulfill any responsibility. He said AAP should also be exposed on the electricity bill issue as peoples bills have increased. The PM said BJP will clean the Yamuna like it had done with the Sabarmati riverfront and at the Kumbh. AAP earlier said if they dont clean Yamuna, then people should not vote for them. Show those videos." He said videos of AAP leaders earlier statements must be shown to people to expose their lies with proof. We will improve Delhis government schools in the true sense with free education from KG to PG," the PM said. He said AAP promised to build houses, but did nothing. But we have pictures of the houses built by BJP in Delhi, show them to the people," the PM said. BJPs Promises The PM said the BJPs promise of Rs 2,500 for women in Delhi will be fulfilled after the win in the national capital. We are giving money under womens scheme in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and other states. We fulfill our promises," he said. The prime minister said AAP is copying the Congress in making promises in Delhi but they have a government in Punjab where they fulfilled no promises like the Rs 1,000 per month to women. People in Delhi dont trust AAPs promises, they have seen what happened in Himachal. AAP is two steps ahead of Congress, they have all the bad qualities of the Congress party. This is AAP-Da model which makes promises in the air. Women are my biggest suraksha-kavach," the prime minister said. He also referred to the Centres decision on the 8th Pay Commission and said there are lakhs of families in Delhi who serve in the government sector or get pension. Their future will change with 8th Pay Commission, do tell this to people," the PM said. He said AAP has duped youth of Delhi who want Delhi to become a start-up hub. Some Tips The PM said BJP had won 1000s of booths during Lok Sabha polls and that he was fully confident that BJPs great organisational strength in Delhi at booths will bring them a big win in the assembly too. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In this election, victory is not enough. Each booth must have two aims have highest turnout in last decade and aim for 50%+ vote share in each booth. We have to build such a strong government in Delhi," the PM said. Modi said people born in the last 25 years or those in the age group of 35-40 have only seen destruction in Delhi. They have lost hope. We need to generate new confidence among such people," the PM said. First Published: January 22, 2025, 15:18 IST Indonesias antitrust watchdog has ordered technology giant Google to pay IDR202.5 billion (US$12.4 million) for monopolistic practices related to payment services on its app store. The Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha (KPPU) stated that, in addition to fining Google, it has directed the company to cease the mandatory use of Google Play Billing (GPB) on the Google Play Store. The agency also ordered Google to reduce service fees for alternative billing platform apps by 5% for a year to promote competition. Currently, app developers are charged service fees ranging from 15% to 30%. App developers are required to use GPB to publish and update apps on the Play Store. The KPPU noted that the exclusive requirement to use GPB had significant impacts on Android users. The agency explained that restricting rival payment platforms led to a decline in app users, reduced transaction volumes, and increased app pricesrising by as much as 30% due to higher service costs. Google plans to appeal the ruling, asserting that its practices foster competition while complying with Indonesian law. Meanwhile, smartphone rival Apple has encountered issues in Indonesia, with its latest iPhone 16 range currently banned from being sold in the country. Was Elon Musks Gesture A Nazi Salute? How It Has Surfaced In Modern Politics | Explained Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 14:15 IST Elon Musks hand gesture at Trumps inauguration has been likened to the Nazi salute, also known as the Heil Hitler salute. After the World War II, Germany banned the salute and any display of Nazi insignia, which are punishable to up three years in prison Elon Musk has said the 'salute hoax' was part of a Democratic 'dirty tricks campaign' against him. (AP Photo) Billionaire Elon Musk made a controversial hand gesture at Donald Trumps January 20 inauguration that has drawn a widespread criticism and fear of the rise of far-right extremism in America. Many have attributed Musks hand movement to the infamous Fascist salute, which was later adopted by the Nazis, while others have likened it to the Roman salute. The tech mogul raised his right arm in a way that many lookers compared to the Nazi salute. The controversy unfolded when Musk made the gesture during the celebrations for Trumps presidential inauguration at the Capital One Arena in Washington on January 20. My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured," Musk said, expressing his gratitude to the supporters. related stories In the midst of his speech, Musk struck a hand gesture, raising his right arm at a diagonal angle with his fingers extended and palm facing down. The gesture was repeated twice, once with his arm raised high and later at a slightly lower angle, after he thumped his chest. Many took to social media to compare Musks hand gesture to the Nazi salute a symbol associated with fascism and Adolf Hitler. How Did People React To Elon Musks Gesture? Masha Pearl, the executive director of the Blue Card, a foundation that supports Holocaust survivors, said she was deeply troubled" by Musks action, which she called a Nazi salute". She added: Elon Musk has been engaged with antisemitic incidents in the past. Because of that, it was an unmistakable symbol of hate, of violence, of genocide," The New York Times quoted her as saying. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian of fascism at New York University, stated on social media, It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too." Similarly, historian Claire Aubin described it as a Sieg Heil" salute, referring to the notorious Nazi greeting. Ben Samuels, a journalist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, also wrote that Musks gesture appeared to conclude his remarks with a Roman salute, fascist salute most commonly associated with Nazi Germany," further strengthening the claim that it mirrored Nazi imagery. However, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has tangled with Musk in the past, said on X that he had made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm" and that it was not a Nazi salute". The organisation added that all sides should give one another a bit of grace," as quoted by The New York Times. Musk late on January 20 took to X and said the salute hoax" was part of a Democratic dirty tricks campaign" against him. Frankly, they need better dirty tricks," Musk added. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired." What Is A Nazi Salute? The Nazi salute, also known as the Heil Hitler salute, consisting of an outstretched right arm with the palm down, was used as an official greeting in Nazi Germany. But the gesture is said to have been used in ancient Rome as well. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who aimed to restore the country to imperial Rome, adopted the gesture in 1925. By 1926, the gesture was being used by members of the Nazi party in Germany, and its use was made compulsory within the party. In Germany between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi salute was often accompanied by chanting or shouting Heil Hitler or Sieg Heil. Since World War 2, neo-Nazis and other white supremacists have continued to use the salute, making it the most common white supremacist hand sign in the world," said the ADL. How Is It Different From The Roman Salute? Although the Nazi salute is the most well-known form of the Roman salute, there is a difference between the two. The Roman salute was originally a sign of respect and loyalty in ancient Rome, far removed from the oppressive connotations of the 20th-century Nazi version. However, the fascist use of the Roman salute by Mussolinis regime in Italy and Hitlers Germany changed its meaning. According to Tales of Hi and Bye by Torbjorn Lundmark, The Nazi salute was not invented by Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini, nor is it limited in time to the Second World War or in place to Europe. The salute dates all the way back to the Roman Empire and is properly known as the Roman salute (Saluto Romano)". In Nazi Germany, the gesture became a social command not only in front of Hitler and military officers but everywhere in administrative, commercial and social settings". The salute became an undeniable symbol of totalitarian control, reinforcing loyalty to the state and its ideologies. How Americas Bellamy Salute Became Unpopular American Christian minister Francis Bellamy wrote the US Pledge of Allegiance in 1892 to boost patriotism. As the pledge became popular quickly, the magazine where Bellamy worked the Youth Companion decided to create salute to go with the words. The Bellamy salute was used across the US and consisted of a straight right arm angled slightly upward and a faced-down palm. The salute became controversial when the US entered the World War II against the axis powers, including Germany and Italy. The Bellamy salute, which was similar to the Nazi salute, was amended by the US Congress in December 1942, changing the salute to placing a right hand over the heart. Where Is Nazi Salute Banned? After the World War II, Germany banned the salute and any display of Nazi insignia, which are punishable to up three years in prison. Austria also passed laws against the Nazi party and insignia shortly after the war. In January 2024, Australia banned the Nazi salute, Nazi swastika and double lightning bolt insignia associated with the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary group under Hitler. Canada, France and Switzerland consider the Nazi gestures as hate speech. While in the US the salutes are not banned due to the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. How Nazi Salute Resurfaced In Modern Politics At a Trump rally in 2022, some attendees raised their hands in gestures reminiscent of the Nazi salute, leading to comparisons to fascist imagery. This is not the first time that the symbol has resurfaced in political discourse. In 2016, far-right activists were seen using the salute to celebrate Trumps victory, further fuelling the debate about the resurgence of fascist symbolism in modern political movements. In recent months, Musk has backed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Februarys general election. In May, AfD leader Bjorn Hocke was fined for saying, Everything for Germany!" in a speech in 2021, a slogan used by Nazi paramilitary forces and now banned in the country. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Musk has also supported the British far-right, anti-immigration party Reform UK. Before the UKs general election in July, a Reform UK candidate came under fire after he claimed that the country would have been far better" if it had taken Hitlers offer of neutrality" and not got involved in World War II. Musk is also a close friend of right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was once a youth leader of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement. First Published: January 22, 2025, 14:11 IST What Is An Oligarchy? Is US Set To Become One With Tech Billionaires Backing Trump? Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 16:38 IST Although the word oligarchy has been associated with Russian oil tycoons. But the analysis of 1,779 recent policy outcomes found that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy Aristotle defined oligarchy as a corrupt form of government when a small group of elites uses power to advance their own interests rather than the common good. (Photo: AP) The United States is seeing the rise of oligarchs, who with extreme power, wealth and influence threaten democracy, warned Joe Biden in his farewell address. His comment is an ominous caution for leaders and policy-makers around the world as Donald Trumps second term as president will have more billionaires and technocrats in the drivers seat. After Trumps 2024 election victory, not just worlds richest man Elon Musk, but billionaire tech moguls Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Apples Tim Cook and Google chief executive Sundar Pichai were seen at his Mar-a-Lago mansion. related stories Though there is nothing unusual about business leaders welcoming an incoming president, but what Biden and other leaders concern is that many of Trumps backers are owners of media platforms and have the ability to sway public opinion. Biden echoed president Dwight Eisenhowers own farewell warning in 1961 about the dangers of an out-of-control military industrial complex, and flagged the potential rise of a tech industrial complex" referring to the Silicon Valley titans behind transformational advances in AI and robots. What Is An Oligarchy? Greek philosopher Aristotle defined oligarchy as a corrupt form of government when a small group of elites uses power to advance their own interests rather than the common good. In Aristotelian terms, democracy is also a corrupt form of government in which the majority uses its power to abuse minorities. While the term democracy has been rehabilitated and is usually seen as a positive, the word oligarchy has retained its negative connotations. When the United States was created, the founders looked back to Aristotle, Polybius, Cicero and other ancient philosophers to try and create the best kind of constitution. So, they tried to design a mixed constitution that is could not be dominated by any one person or a group. Is Oligarchy In The United States New? No, oligarchy has existed in the US in the past. In 1948, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas argued that, Power that controls the economy should be in the hands of elected representatives of the people, not in the hands of an industrial oligarchy". Although the word oligarchy has been associated with Russian oil tycoons. But the analysis of 1,779 recent policy outcomes found that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy". A research done by two political scientists, Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded that America in 2014 matched the oligarchy model. It is well established that organized groups regularly lobby and fraternize with public officials; move through revolving doors between public and private employment; provide self-serving information to officials; draft legislation; and spend a great deal of money on election campaigns", they said. What Are Some Examples Of Oligarchy? After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, former state assets and other institutions came under the control of increasingly wealthy businessmen who became known as billionaire oligarchs. The oligarchy government model flourished under Boris Yeltsin, with a mix of profits and politics. But since Vladimir Putin became president in 2000, Russia has become increasingly authoritarian. While there is still an oligarchic class, their power has been reined in. They must not challenge Putins power or vision for the state. The Philippines has also been accused of being an oligarchy, with its former President Rodrigo Duterte claiming to have dismantled the system. Critics said he simply gave preferences to a different set of oligarchs. Although China is ostensibly a communist state, the Gini index (the measure of social inequality) has blown out in recent years as a small group of elites become increasingly wealthy. Despite the states official commitment to socialist principles, political scientist Ming Xia has argued China is transitioning into a modern oligarchy. Apartheid-era South Africa was also seen by some academics as having a white racial oligarchy. It could be argued that Australia is emerging or has taken hold of oligarchy, as a growing list of billionaires appear to have significant influence over government policy. Who Holds Power In The US Economy? According to a 2024 research by Oxfam, technology, food, and pharmaceuticals industries have become so deeply consolidated by just a handful of corporations giving outsized power to a handful of owners and executives. In 2024, the research found that 7 out of 10 of the worlds largest corporations are owned by a billionaire or have one as a principal shareholder. Around 150 billionaire families spend a total of $1.9 billion in support of presidential and congressional candidates in 2024 elections, the research added. With a lot of billionaires cozying up to Trump to influence policy, there are 13 billionaires already in the new administration whose total wealth is more than $450 billion. Even without Elon Musk, Trumps cabinet would be the richest in history. Billionaires Backing Trump Chief among them is Elon Musk, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes to be $435 billion, and has been named to a high-profile position in DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) in the new rump government. After helping to bankroll the campaign against Kamala Harris, Musk has become a fixture in the inner circle, appearing at more public dinners and other events with Trump than the president-elects wife Melania. As owner of SpaceX, Musk is already one of the biggest US government contractors, and as owner of Tesla, hes at the forefront of the US push to win the e-vehicle race. As owner of social media site X, he has turned the platform into a bullhorn for voices that favour Trump. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos the second on Forbes global rich list vying to rival Musk in the space contracting business, signals his decision to cozy up to Trump just before the election when he killed an endorsement by his newspaper, The Washington Post, of Harris. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Mark Zuckerberg, who once banned Trump from Facebook because of his role in attempts to overthrow the 2020 election, recently dined with him and helped fund $1 million for him. More consequentially, Zuckerberg has recently announced that Facebook and Instagram will get rid of third-party fact checkers in the US long demonized as liberal censorship by Trump and his allies. (with inputs from AFP) First Published: January 22, 2025, 16:29 IST Why Amrit Snan At Maha Kumbh 2025 Is Special, Can It Wash Away Sins? Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 11:57 IST The Maha Kumbh Mela this year has occurred after 144 years due to a rare celestial alignment. And it is believed that taking a dip at the Triveni Sangam on certain days will wash away sins and improve karma A devotee seeks blessings of a 'Naga Sadhu' during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on January 21, 2025. (PTI Photo) Millions have been thronging the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, which began on January 13 and will continue till the Maha Shivratri on February 26, for the sought-after Amrit Snan (Shahi Snan) at the Triveni Sangam. The Maha Kumbh Mela this year has occurred after 144 years due to a rare celestial alignment. And it is believed that taking a dip in the holy Ganges on certain days will wash away a persons sins and improve their karma. related stories Let us understand the significance of the bathing ritual at Maha Kumbh, the important Amrit Snan dates and why this Maha Kumbh is a civilizational marvel". Why Is Maha Kumbh 2025 Unparalleled? Yoga guru Sadhguru has urged every citizen to seize the opportunity to witness once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Even if you can spare just half a day, immerse yourself in this grand celebration. After all, being born in India and skipping an event that occurs once every 144 years? Dont let that be your story?" This years Maha Kumbh is even more significant due to the confluence of rare planetary alignments. According to Pallavi Jambhale, Associate Professor and In-Charge Director at KJ Somaiya Institute of Dharma Studies, Diana Eck, in her exploration of Kumbh Mela, connects its significance to the myth of amrita (nectar of immortality) and the cosmic battle between gods and demons. She stresses how the celestial alignments during Maha Kumbh are seen as a divine moment for spiritual renewal and liberation. Underlining the link between celestial forces and human life, Sadhguru said, When water bodies converge with a certain force at specific latitudes and during certain times of the year, they unlock immense possibilities of life. Two-thirds of the human body is water, and if you immerse yourself in these dynamic waters during Mahakumbh, it can profoundly impact your system". The Kumbh Mela, celebrated every three years in rotation among four sacred sites Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik is deeply connected to celestial configurations, particularly the movements of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter. However, the Maha Kumbh, held exclusively at Prayagraj every 12 years, is considered a more significant spiritual event. The Maha Kumbh revolves around the bathing ritual or the Amrit Snan in the sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati that is believed to cleanse sins and bring people closer to salvation or moksha. Devotees believe participating in the Maha Kumbh during this cosmic alignment brings them closer to the ultimate liberation. How Important Is Amrit Snan Amrit Snan or previously called Shahi Snan means nectar bath. It is a sacred ritual where devotees immerse themselves in holy waters during the Kumbh Mela. According to the Hindu mythology, the act symbolizes purification and pursuit of immortality. According to Acharya Swami Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj, the Peethadheeshwar of Juna Akhara, Amrit Snan occurs when Jupiter enters Taurus, and the Sun and Moon align in Capricorn. This rare cosmic alignment, known as Amrit Yog, happens once every 12 years. Swami Avdheshanand stressed that renaming Shahi Snan to Amrit Snan does not change its essence or significance. Mahant Adittanand Shastri of the Agni Akhada likened taking Amrit Snan to performing a thousand Ashwamedha Yajnas. After the Amrit Snan, sadhus and saints meditate on the deities and engage in discussions about knowledge. Ramesh Kumar Upadhyay, president of the Bhartiya Jyotish Aadhyatm parishad in Jamshedpur, explained Amrit Snan on Makar Sankranti is important for Hindus. With Makar Sankranti, the Sun is moving to north, and thus the Uttarayan period has begun. According to Hindu mythology, this period is the gods daytime, and it is a reason why people celebrate this time. After six months, the Sun will be in the southward phase, which will be the gods night. Also, the Sun has moved out of Sagittarius, marking the end of the kharmas, or the 30-day period in which auspicious activities are not undertaken, he told The Indian Express. The Amrit Snan is marked by the participation of 13 Akharas (religious orders), each following a designated sequence and time for the ritual bath. Important Dates To Remember For Amrit Snan Paush Purnima: The Maha Kumbh began on January 13, the day of Paush Purnima, a full moon day. It is the day when the Kalpavas, a month-long period of spiritual practices, starts for a majority of devotees who visit the grand mela. Taking a holy dip in the Ganges on a full moon day is considered auspicious as the bright light of the moon is a symbol of inner peace and removal of impurities. Makar Sankranti: The second Amrit Snan was held on Makar Sankranti on January 14. Since Makar Sankranti means the end of cold winter, it is believed taking Amrit Snan on Sankranti would remove any darkness or ignorance from the lives of devotees. Mauni Amawasya: The next Amrit Snan will take place on January 29 on the day of Mauni Amawasya, where devotees observe no food fast as well as no speech fast. In Hindi, maun means silence, and on Mauni Amawasya, people decide to keep quiet and contemplate. By taking a bath on this day not just cleanse one of their sins but also improves their speech. Basant Panchami: The Amrit Snan on Basant Panchami on February 3 bless people not just with knowledge but also character and creativity. Basant Panchami is the day of Goddess Saraswati, who endows people with knowledge, creativity, wisdom and wit. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Maghi Purnima: The Amrit Snan on February 12 on the day of Maghi Purnima brings good fortune to those who do charities and donations. It is advised that devotees meditate and help others on this day. Mahashivratri: The last day of Amrit Snan is on February 26. Mahashivratri is considered the great night of Lord Shiva when his energy and vibrations are the most powerful. Taking a bath on this day removes all forms of ignorance from a persons life and bring them closer to Lord Shiva. First Published: January 22, 2025, 11:55 IST 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Achieved Remarkable Milestones': PM Modi Marks 10 Years Of Initiative Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:27 IST PM Modi celebrated 10 years of the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' initiative, highlighting its success in reducing gender biases and improving education and opportunities for girls. PM Narendra Modi (Photo: PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative has been instrumental in overcoming gender biases and has drawn participation from people across all walks of life. In a series of X posts, marking 10 years of the initiative, the Prime Minister wrote, Today we mark 10 years of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao movement. Over the past decade, it has become a transformative, people powered initiative and has drawn participation from people across all walks of life." related stories Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has been instrumental in overcoming gender biases and at the same time it has created the right environment to ensure that the girl child has access to education and opportunities to achieve her dreams," he wrote. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the people and various community service organisations, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has achieved remarkable milestones. Districts with historically low child sex ratios have reported significant improvements and awareness campaigns have instilled a deeper sense of the importance of gender equality," PM Modis X post read. I compliment all stakeholders who have made this movement vibrant at the grassroots level. Let us continue to protect the rights of our daughters, ensure their education and create a society where they can thrive without any discrimination," he wrote. Together, we can ensure that the coming years bring even greater progress and opportunity for Indias daughters," the Prime Minister added. I compliment all stakeholders who have made this movement vibrant at the grassroots level. Let us continue to protect the rights of our daughters, ensure their education and create a society where they can thrive without any discrimination. Together, we can ensure that the coming Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 22, 2025 Launched on January 22, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Haryanas Panipat, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative was created to address the critical issues of gender imbalance and declining child sex ratio. Over the years, the initiative has driven significant progress. The national sex ratio at birth improved from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24, and the gross enrolment ratio of girls at the secondary level rose from 75.51 per cent to 78 per cent during the same period. Institutional deliveries rose from 61 per cent to 97.3 per cent, and first-trimester antenatal care registrations surged from 61 per cent to 80.5 per cent, reflecting the programmes far-reaching impact. The scheme has gone beyond numbers to drive cultural and social change. NATIONWIDE EVENTS TO MARK 10 YEARS OF BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO The government will organise weeks-long celebrations to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative, the Union women and child development ministry said on Tuesday. Beginning on Wednesday, the celebrations will continue till March 8, observed as International Womens Day. The inaugural event in Delhi on Wednesday will feature Union ministers JP Nadda, Annapurna Devi and Savitri Thakur, alongside senior women officers from the armed forces, paramilitary forces and the Delhi Police. Officials from central ministries, Anganwadi workers, student volunteers and representatives from international organisations such as UNICEF, UN Women and the World Bank will also participate. The occasion marks the beginning of nationwide celebrations reflecting the schemes transformative impact over the past decade, according to a ministry statement. The celebrations will include events at the state and district levels. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Special programmes will be held on Wednesday, Sunday (January 26), and March 8, engaging communities through rallies, cultural performances, and felicitation ceremonies for women achievers. The ministry has also announced sustainability initiatives, including a nationwide plantation drive, and will run awareness campaigns across print, digital and social media to further amplify the message of gender equality and empowerment. First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:27 IST 14 Killed, 24 Injured In Two Separate Accidents In Karnataka Published By : PTI Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 20:27 IST Condoling the tragic incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the families would be paid compensation. Two critically wounded persons too died, failing to respond to treatment, sources said. (Representational Image) As many as fourteen people were killed and 24 sustained injuries in two separate road accidents occurred in Uttara Kannada and Raichur districts on Wednesday, police said. The injured are out of danger, but are undergoing treatment in the hospital, they said. related stories Condoling the tragic incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the families would be paid compensation. Its heartbreaking to hear the news that 14 people died in two separate accidents in Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district and Sindhanur in Raichur district. I pray for the souls of the deceased to rest in peace," Siddaramaiah said in a statement. The families of the deceased will be provided appropriate compensation by the government," he added. In the Yellapura incident, a truck carrying 29 fruit sellers fell into a 50-metre-deep valley in the wee hours of Wednesday, police said. The victims from Savanur in Haveri district, were heading towards the Yellapura fair to sell fruits. The accident occurred in a forested section, the Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana said. Around 5.30 am, the truck driver in a bid to give way to another vehicle went to the extreme left and fell into a 50-metre-deep valley," Narayana told PTI. He added that there was no protection wall in the road there. Eight persons were killed on the spot and two got critical injuries. The injured have been shifted to the KIMS Hospital in Hubballi," the officer said. Two critically wounded persons too died, failing to respond to treatment, sources said. Nine victims have been identified as Fayaz Imam Saab Jamakhammadi (40), Wasim Mulla Mudageri (25), Ijaz Mushtaq Mulla (20), Sadiq Bhasha Paras (30), Ghulam Hussain Gudusaab Jawali (40), Imtiaz Ahmed Jafar Mulageri (45), Alfaz Jafar Mandaki (25), Jalani Babdul Ghaffar Zakati (20) and Aslam Babu Benne (24). We shifted the 15 injured persons to the hospital. They are out of danger," a police officer said. A pall of gloom descended on Savanur town after the accident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah too condoled the tragic death of 10 people in Yallapura. Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the accident in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the Prime Minister Office said in a post on X. Deeply saddened by the tragic road accident at Yallapura in Uttara Kannada that took away precious lives. My sincerest condolences to the families that lost their loved ones and my prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured," Shah said on X. In the Raichur incident, at least four persons including three students were killed and nine others injured when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned due to a tyre burst in the wee hours of Wednesday, police said. The vehicle carrying students of Mantralaya Sanskrit Pathashala were on a pilgrimage to Hampi to offer prayers at Narahari Temple. Police said the accident occurred near Araginamara Camp in Sindhanur. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The deceased students have been identified as Aryavandan (18), Sucheendra (22) and Abhilash (20). Driver Shiva (24), too, lost his life in this accident. The injured have been admitted to a local hospital. The Sindhanur police visited the spot, shifted the bodies to the mortuary and the injured to the hospital. Sindhanur Traffic Police Station registered a case. Location : Raichur, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 20:27 IST RG Kar Rape Case: CBI Challenges Bengal Government's Appeal For Death Sentence To Sanjay Roy Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:22 IST The CBI informed the court that the appeal for inadequacy in the sentence can only be made by the central government RG Kar rape and murder case convict Sanjay Roy sent to life imprisonment | Image/ANI RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenged the West Bengal governments appeal for the death penalty for convict Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar rape-murder case in the Calcutta High Court. The state government had approached the High Court to plead against the life imprisonment sentence given to Sanjay Roy and to demand the death penalty for the convict. related stories The plea was heard by a division bench comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi. The court had convicted Roy for a trainee doctors rape and murder at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata last year. The CBI informed the court that only the central government can appeal for inadequacy in the sentence given. The Supreme Court has held the central government alone will be empowered to admit an appeal in cases which are investigated by a central agency the state will not be empowered," said the CBI. Only the prosecuting agency can challenge the sentence on grounds of inadequacy," added CBI and informed the Calcutta High Court that an appeal in the matter cannot be filed by the state since the investigation was being carried out by the CBI. The advocate, who was representing the state, countered the claim of the CBI and said that the initial FIR was filed by the state police in the case and the matter was later transferred to the CBI. Law and order is under the states jurisdiction," said the advocate general. The high court said that the submissions from the victims family, Sanjay Roy and the CBI will be taken into consideration to decide whether they will admit the appeal of the state government or not. The court will now hear the case on Monday (January 27). Kolkata Court Gives Life Imprisonment To Accused On January 20, a Kolkata court sentenced convict Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment until death after finding him guilty of raping and murdering a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roy was also ordered by the court to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. Roy was convicted under Section 64 (rape), Section 66 (punishment for causing death), and Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Reacting to the sentencing, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, When someone is a demon can the society be human? Sometimes they get out after a few years. If someone commits a crime, should we forgive them? If someone commits a crime and gets away, he will do it again. Our job is not to protect them." First Published: January 22, 2025, 14:16 IST CBI Moves High Court Seeking Death Penalty To RG Kar Rape-Murder Accused Sanjay Roy Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 19:01 IST Roy, a former civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sealdah court in Kolkata on Monday Sanjoy Roy has been lodged alone in Cell No 6 and is being kept under 24x7 surveillance. The CBI on Wednesday filed an application in the Calcutta High Court challenging the life sentence of Sanjay Roy, the accused in the RG Kar rape-murder case. This comes after reports that the central investigation agency plans to appeal for the death sentence for Roy. related stories Roy, a former civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sealdah court in Kolkata on Monday. He was convicted for the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August of last year. The appeal filed by the CBI against the Sealdah courts ruling includes detailed arguments in favour of capital punishment. Earlier today, a CBI official stated that the agency had received legal advice suggesting that the case could be classified as rarest of the rare," warranting the death penalty. The agencys request for the death penalty was rejected by the trial court. Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das ruled that the crime did not meet the criteria for the rarest of the rare" category. The CBI prayed for the death penalty. The defence lawyer prayed that a jail term be given instead of the death penalty. This crime does not fall under the rarest of the rare category," the judge had said when delivering the sentence on Monday. I am sentencing you to life imprisonment, meaning till the last day of your life, for causing injury during the act of committing rape on the victim that led to her death," Judge Das told Roy. The West Bengal government has also approached the high court, challenging the verdict and seeking the death penalty for Roy. The CBI has contested the states right to file an appeal in the case, asserting that, as the prosecuting agency, it holds the right to appeal on the grounds of sentence inadequacy. Representing the CBI, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar opposed the states submission, arguing that the West Bengal government does not have the right to appeal against the trial courts decision on the basis of sentence inadequacy. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The high court stated it would hear the CBI, the victims family, and the convict before deciding whether to admit the state governments appeal. The court has scheduled a hearing for January 27. (With inputs from PTI) First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:21 IST How Intel, Drone Surveillance Helped Execute Mega Anti-Naxal Ops In Chhattisgarh Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 10:20 IST The casualty figure --- 25 --- could go up, as per police officials on the ground, but the operation has already made 2025 more successful than 2023 in terms of number of Maoists killed In the first three weeks of 2025, 48 Naxal deaths have already been accounted for. (PTI) In one of the biggest anti-Naxal operations in recent times, a joint force of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the CRPF eliminated more than 25 Maoists on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border in a three-day operation that continued until Tuesday. The casualty figures could go up, as per police officials on the ground, but the operation has already made 2025 more successful than 2023 in terms of number of Maoists killed. As per central agency data, in 2023, 50 Naxals were killed. In 2024, the number increased almost six-fold to 290. In the first three weeks of 2025, 48 Naxal deaths have already been accounted for. Central agency officials said the 2025 numbers could cross the 2023 figure once the search operations in Gariaband-Nuapada area are completed. Fourteen bodies were recovered till Tuesday morning. More bodies can be seen on the ground. The number of casualties could cross 25 once the operation ends," a CRPF official said. related stories Surveillance, Intelligence Key To Success The joint operations by Special Operations Group, Odisha, E30 force of Chhattisgarh, and CRPF saw close to 1000 personnel spread out along the Bhalu Digi Pahadi (hills) on the Gariaband (Chhattisgarh)-Nuapada (Odisha) border. Since the night of January 19, there were intelligence inputs about the presence of a large number of Maoists in the Kularighat Reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, just five kilometres from the border of Nuapada district of Odisha," an Odisha Police statement said. Sources on the ground told CNN-News18 that air surveillance via drones also helped forces get real-time inputs about the presence of Naxals. CPI Maoist cadres have often taken advantage of dense foliage to escape forces. IG Amresh Misha said: We did close monitoring and hence got results. The numbers can increase as search operation is underway." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Maoist With Rs 1 Crore Bounty Killed One of the killed Naxals has been identified as central committee member of CPI Maoist Jairam alias Chalpati. Chalpati, 60, carried a Rs 1 crore reward on him. Two other women Naxals have been identified by the police. A huge cache of arms and ammunitions and at least one SLR has been recovered by the forces. Location : Chhattisgarh, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 10:20 IST India Resilient To US' WHO Shake-Up, But Global Health Plans, Funding Face Uncertainty: Experts Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 10:07 IST Public health experts believe that shortfall in funding due to United States decision to exit the World Health Organization is likely to be compensated by China, European Union and BRICS nations, and the real impact would be visible only after one-two years The move was expected in 2020 as US President Donald Trump had already initiated steps to withdraw from WHO, citing the health agencys biases towards China. (AP) Indias advanced health systems may cushion the impact of the United States decision to exit the World Health Organization (WHO), but it may derail crucial initiatives in vulnerable regions, multiple public health experts told News18. The move was expected in 2020 as US President Donald Trump had already initiated steps to withdraw from WHO, citing the health agencys biases towards China. However, it was subsequently reversed by new President Joe Biden in January 2021. related stories According to Dr K Srinath Reddy, the US withdrawal is extremely unfortunate". In an era where multilateral cooperation is essential for collectively addressing major global health challenges that arise from pandemic threats, climate change catalysed assaults on human health and antimicrobial resistance, USAs withdrawal from WHO is extremely unfortunate," he said. Reddy believes that in an interconnected and interdependent world, it will have adverse consequences not only for other countries but also for the US. Another public health expert, Rajib Dasgupta, professor and chairperson, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, believes that health agenda-setting is now global, as interconnectedness through travel, trade, and technology spreads health challenges across borders. He calls for the need for international collaboration to address shared health issues effectively. Agenda setting in health has increasingly become global and the connectedness of people across politico-administrative boundaries cannot be overemphasised." However, the move may not impact India harshly. Dr Anurag Agrawal, dean, biosciences and health research, Ashoka University, told News18 that the move does not mean much for India since we are past the point where WHO support was essential for our health systems, but it may be a challenge elsewhere in the world where there is dependence on international support via WHO". Possibility Of U-Turn? Trump has authorised a withdrawal from the WHO as well as a cessation of negotiations over a pandemic treaty. These events were anticipated by the global health community and there is a one-year transition time. It is possible that the current administration could be persuaded to reconsider and instead cut their contributions to the WHO," Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, associate fellow at think tank Observer Research Foundation said. Right now, Ramakrishnan believes the rest of the global community needs to understand how to navigate the path ahead and ask some hard questions". For instance: What will be the impact on activities like global infectious disease surveillance networks? And is it time to go back to the drawing board over the negotiations of the pandemic treaty," she said. Ramakrishnan believes that the decision has serious implications for global health security, but the Covid-19 pandemic showed us that transparency and responsible science communication are also essential. Bad News For Weaker Countries The US exit may not impact India majorly, but it will definitely impact smaller and underdeveloped nations. The US contributes about 18-19 per cent of the funding to WHO. Therefore, its decision to pull out can lead to a financial crunch, which could adversely affect various health-related programmes. Reading the scenario, Dr Agrawal who is also ex-director of CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology believes that unless the Trump administration creates a viable alternate path to support global health, this is effectively a decision that undercuts support for valuable programs in low income nations, at a time when we should have learnt that one cannot hide from global pandemic threats". Meanwhile, as WHO will lose its top funder, other countries will need to step up their contributions and increase the level of scientific collaboration amongst themselves. Both international cooperation and self-reliance will now acquire new purpose and fresh forms of functioning," Dr Reddy pointed out. These could include measures to control/treat HIV-AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. Lack of funding could also result in halting some research projects. The US pulling out of WHO may not be much of a negative to the US itself, however, it could have a major impact on African and Asian nations. WHO still has one year left to sort out the funding and streamline its various ongoing projects" said neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar from Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Shortfall in funding is likely to be compensated by China, European Union, and BRICS nations. The real impact would be visible only after one to two years from now." Health expert Dr Rajeev Jayadevan added that the fund cut could open the possibility of seeking funds from wealthy private donors and increased financial contributions from countries such as China, Germany, and France. The US exit would also reduce its influence on global health policies. How this shift might impact global health remains uncertain. First Published: January 22, 2025, 10:07 IST Kerala Lottery Results: Fifty Fifty FF-126 Winners For 22 January, 2025 Announced; Here's Full List! Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 25, 2025, 09:06 IST Kerala Lottery Results: Here's full list of winning numbers for Fifty Fifty FF-126 lucky draw for Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Kerala Lottery Fifty Fifty FF-126 Results: The first prize winner of Fifty Fifty FF-126 will get Rs 1 crore. (Image: Shutterstock) KERALA LOTTERY FIFTY FIFTY FF-126 RESULT ON WEDNESDAY, 22.1.2025, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Fifty Fifty-FF-126 lottery for Wednesday, January 22. The first prize winner will take home Rs 1 crore, while the second prize is worth Rs 10 lakh and the third prize will be Rs 5,000. Check the Full List of Winning Numbers below. ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Results: Karunya KR-690 Winners For 25 January, 2025; First Prize Rs 80 Lakh! related stories FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR FIFTY FIFTY LOTTERY FF-126 LOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE FN 761270 FO 761270 FP 761270 FR 761270 FS 761270 FT 761270 FV 761270 FW 761270 FX 761270 FY 761270 FZ 761270 WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 1 CRORE IS FU 761270 WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 10 LAKH IS FU 235174 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE 1202 1778 1970 2593 3174 3493 3722 4312 4956 5196 5252 5287 5344 6490 6786 6791 7078 7521 7673 8186 8379 8606 8910 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE 0424 2148 2436 2829 3223 4202 4709 5042 6232 7031 7126 8510 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE 0168 0522 1478 2828 3197 3872 3980 4037 4552 5240 5774 6012 6156 6513 6603 6994 7045 7249 7408 7544 8069 8382 8434 8718 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE 0002 0095 0141 0214 0227 0289 0500 0502 0523 0592 0632 0688 0770 0990 1077 1166 1267 1305 1368 1801 1950 2104 2123 2192 2216 2330 2339 2406 2771 2898 2915 3025 3029 3276 3456 3624 3673 3869 3894 4003 4025 4291 4407 4650 4730 4818 4893 4901 4996 5227 5247 5461 6081 6173 6222 6263 6265 6437 6463 6505 6591 6637 6847 7042 7168 7348 7356 7440 7513 7643 8016 8029 8183 8283 8514 8585 8643 8653 8739 9103 9138 9191 9263 9311 9315 9489 9544 9560 9578 9647 9732 9734 9819 9856 9857 9905 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE 0052 0134 0317 0414 0810 0892 0918 1303 1320 1364 1376 1396 1416 1500 1638 1643 1647 1845 1994 2000 2076 2141 2424 2458 2476 2492 2633 2692 2817 3003 3070 3114 3242 3304 3417 3488 3499 3546 3586 3669 3677 3703 3900 3984 4097 4387 4440 4465 4551 4724 4910 4929 4944 4953 5038 5207 5244 5297 5363 5707 5820 5856 5894 6236 6311 6552 6561 6757 6799 6810 6838 6898 6913 6918 7049 7051 7098 7155 7333 7341 7401 7411 7459 7653 7688 7762 7864 7868 7938 8013 8077 8162 8165 8249 8322 8338 8350 8392 8515 8559 8575 8661 8688 8903 8922 8979 9172 9217 9328 9417 9434 9490 9504 9574 9663 9664 9710 9897 9900 9939 9967 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT: FIFTY FIFTY FF-126 PRIZE STRUCTURE 1st Prize: Rs 1 crore 2nd Prize: Rs. 10 lakh 3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000 4th Prize: Rs. 2,000 5th Prize: Rs. 1,000 6th Prize: Rs. 500 7th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 HOW TO CONFIRM KERALA FIFTY-FIFTY FF-126 LOTTERY RESULTS? Visit the official Kerala Lottery Department website at keralalottery.info to view the Kerala Fifty-Fifty FF-126 Lottery results. The winning numbers will be available in PDF format. You can also check the official draw results and verify your ticket numbers at the Kerala Government Gazette office. HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE MONEY? Check the official results to confirm if your ticket number matches the winning numbers. If you win, make sure to claim your prize within 30 days of the draw. To collect your prize, visit the Kerala Lottery offices in Thiruvananthapuram, located at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction. Bring the original, undamaged winning ticket along with a valid photo ID, such as a drivers license, passport, or Aadhaar card, for verification. For higher-value prizes, additional documentation like a claim form and tax compliance may be required. Complete all necessary verification steps to ensure a smooth prize collection process. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY? Submit a photocopy of the winning ticket, clearly showing both the front and back, along with the winners signature. Provide recent passport-sized photographs that are authorized by the Gazette. The winner must sign the PAN card. Ensure you attach a revenue stamp when completing the online prize claim form. Present valid identification, such as a voter ID, PAN card, Aadhaar card or ration card. HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH A FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS? Visit the official Kerala Lottery Department websites at keralalotteries.info or keralalotteryresults.net. Find and click on the link for the Fifty Fifty FF-126 Results. The winning numbers will be displayed on your screen. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Check if the results are available for download. Click the download link to access the lottery results in PDF format. Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:00 IST Officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand have reportedly reached a consensus on eradicating telecommunication fraud centres in Myanmar, a country with a long-standing fraud problem, exacerbated by the ongoing war in that country. The agreement apparently came on Tuesday during a meeting in the Chinese city of Kunming. At the same meeting, says Reuters, authorities from six countries Myanmar, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam agreed to arrest leaders of criminal syndicates, dismantle telecom fraud centres, and "make every effort" to coordinate the rescue of those trapped there. The BBC reported early last year that the Indian government had rescued hundreds of citizens in Cambodia who had been promised jobs but forced to undertake illegal cyber work. Since 2023 Myanmar has deported 53,388 Chinese nationals involved in online fraud, though apparently without taking legal action. Indeed a major instance of this was reported in these pages in November 2023 when Myanmar authorities handed over thousands of telecom fraud suspects to China, after a crackdown on rising scam operations between both countries. As we noted at the time, Myanmar and China had been working since September that year to catch fraudsters who had taken large sums of money from Chinese citizens. Among the 31,000 captured suspects were 63 financiers and ring leaders of crime syndicates. According to the BBC report, while scam centres have popped up across Southeast Asia, they have been particularly prevalent in Myanmar, where they have generated billions of dollars for both Chinese underworld crime syndicates and the various armed groups operating in border towns. Major Anti-Tunneling Operation At Borders With Pakistan As BSF 'Digs Deep' To Counter Infiltration Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Pathikrit Sen Gupta Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 00:01 IST According to a senior BSF official, stretches of the border identified as tunnel-prone are being targeted, and through scientific methods, the force is attempting to detect cross-border tunnels According to a BSF spokesperson, the force is also developing lateral and axial roads for better operational and administrative movement of troops. Representational image In view of intelligence inputs indicating a high number of infiltration attempts, the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a months-long, massive operation to rule out the possibility of tunnels aiding terrorists in entering Indian territory. According to a senior BSF official, stretches of the border identified as tunnel-prone are being targeted, and through scientific methods, the force is attempting to detect cross-border tunnels. related stories In fact, along a 33-km stretch of the International Border (IB) with Pakistan, anti-tunnelling trenches have been dug in a 25-km area to eliminate the possibility of underground infiltration. This method was designed following intelligence inputs suggesting a high likelihood of infiltration this year. According to a senior official, it has been more than six months since work began to eliminate the possibility of tunnels. The project started a couple of months before the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The BSF identified stretches that are prone to tunnelling and finalised the most crucial 33-km stretch along Jammu, Samba, and Kathua. The work was prioritised as the area had previously seen instances of tunnels. Equipped with advanced machinery and technology, BSF personnel began digging anti-tunnelling trenches. These trenches are approximately 4 feet wide and 10 feet deep," a senior official said. In the next couple of months, the BSF will complete this task and begin digging in another area. Importantly, the last tunnel was detected in 2022. India shares a 3,323 km land border with Pakistan, spanning Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Additionally, following the highest-ever recovery of 257 drones last year from the Indo-Pakistan border and in light of suspected increased infiltration attempts, the BSF has deployed anti-drone systems to counter illicit drone activity. Additional battalions in anti-infiltration roles have also been inducted to maintain robust control over the depth areas of the Jammu Frontier. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to a BSF spokesperson, the force is also developing lateral and axial roads for better operational and administrative movement of troops. A press statement detailing the initiatives taken by the BSF said: A New Design Fence (NDF) is proposed for border security. CCTV/ PTZ and bullet cameras have been installed in vulnerable areas for improved surveillance. Two additional battalions in anti-infiltration roles have been inducted to maintain robust control over the depth areas of the Jammu Frontier." First Published: January 22, 2025, 23:58 IST Allies Or Partners? US State Secy Marco Rubio's Quad Gesture Has A Fine Print For India Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Vani Mehrotra Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:19 IST US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to Quad members, including India, as "allies," diverging from India's preference for terms like "partner" or "friend" to emphasise its strategic autonomy. EAM S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar) Soon after being appointed the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in an interview with the US media, called India, Australia and Japan allies". This came a day after Donald Trump took oath as the 47th President of the United States on Monday. It should be noted that India has never referenced the United States as an ally, but has instead used words like partner or friend. related stories Meanwhile, a response by the Ministry of External Affairs to the US using the term ally" was awaited. On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the maiden Quad ministerial of the new Trump administration along with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the United States, besides holding meetings with Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Jaishankar, who visited the US on the invitation of the government to attend the presidential inauguration, also had a meeting with the US National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz at the White House. US DESIRES TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC TIES WITH INDIA: RUBIO TO JAISHANKAR On Tuesday, during his maiden meeting with Jaishankar, Rubio expressed the Trump administrations desire to advance economic ties with India, and address concerns related to irregular migration. Rubio, 53, opted to have his first bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, underlining the importance the Trump administration attaches to strengthening ties with India. He met Jaishankar at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, soon after a Quad ministerial meeting. Rubio emphasised the Trump administrations desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration", State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout after the meeting. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The two top diplomats affirmed a shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the India-US partnership, she said. They discussed a wide range of topics, including regional issues and opportunities to further deepen the US-India relationship, in particular on critical and emerging technologies, defence cooperation, energy, and on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," Bruce said. First Published: January 22, 2025, 15:19 IST 'Must Not Harass Citizens': Bombay HC Slaps Rs 1 Lakh Fine On ED For Filing 'Malafide' Case Published By : PTI Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 07:23 IST The court imposed the fine after the probe agency initiated a money laundering probe against realty developer Rakesh Jain without "proper application of mind". Bombay High Court. (File photo) The Bombay High Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the Enforcement Directorate for initiating a money laundering probe against a realty developer without proper application of mind", noting central agencies must conduct themselves within framework of law. While imposing the fine on the ED, a single bench of Justice Milind Jadhav observed that a strong message" needs to be sent to the law enforcement agencies to ensure citizens are not harassed. related stories The HC quashed process (summons/notice) issued to a Mumbai-based real estate developer, Rakesh Jain, by a special court in August 2014 based on a prosecution complaint filed by the anti-money laundering agency. It was high time that central agencies like the ED stopped taking the law in the own hands and harass citizens", Justice Jadhav maintained. The ED had launched money laundering probe against Jain based on a police complaint lodged against him at the suburban Vile Parle police station by a property purchaser alleging breach of agreement and cheating. Justice Jadhav, in his ruling, noted no case was made out against Jain and hence even the money laundering charges do not stand. The HC said the action of the complainant as well as the ED in putting the criminal system into motion against Jain is clearly malafide and calls for imposition of exemplary costs". I am compelled to levy exemplary costs because a strong message needs to be sent to the law enforcement agencies like ED that they should conduct themselves within the parameters of law and that they cannot take law into their own hands without application of mind and harass citizens," Justice Jadhav said. The court directed the ED to pay the Rs 1 lakh cost to the HC library within four weeks. The bench also imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the original complainant (purchaser) in the case. This cost would be paid to the city-based Kirtikar Law Library. The HC pointed out that an offence of money laundering is committed by an individual with a deliberate design and a motive to enhance his gains, disregarding the interest of the nation and society as a whole. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all It is seen that conspiracy of money laundering is hatched in secrecy and executed in darkness. The present case before me is a classic case of oppression in the garb of implementation of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act)," the judgment noted. On the request of ED advocate Shriram Shirsat, the HC stayed its judgment for one week so that the agency could file an appeal in the Supreme Court. First Published: January 22, 2025, 07:23 IST News18 Afternoon Digest: Nitish Kumar's JD(U) Removes Manipur Unit Chief & Other Top Stories Published By : Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 18:58 IST We are also covering: 8 Killed As Passengers Jump Off Pushpak Express; US State Secy Marco Rubio's Quad Gesture Has A Fine Print For India, among others Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI file photo) In todays afternoon digest, News18 covers the latest updates on the Janata Dal (United) party infighting over partys Manipur unit chief, the CBIs move to the Calcutta High Court over Sanjay Roys life sentence, and other stories. Nitish Kumars JD(U) Removes Manipur Unit Chief, Says Support To BJP Will Continue related stories Shortly after the Manipur unit of the Janata Dal (United) withdrew its support from the N Biren Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Manipur, the party removed the Manipur unit president from his post for not consulting the central leadership before making the decision to break ties with the BJP in the state. READ MORE 8 Killed As Passengers Jump Off Pushpak Express, Hit By Another Train In Maharashtras Jalgaon At least eight people were killed after being run over by the Karnataka Express in Maharashtras Jalgaon on Wednesday. Dozens of people who suffered injuries are being shifted to nearby hospitals. READ MORE CBI Moves High Court Seeking Death Penalty To RG Kar Rape-Murder Accused Sanjay Roy The CBI on Wednesday filed an application in the Calcutta High Court challenging the life sentence of Sanjay Roy, the accused in the RG Kar rape-murder case. READ MORE Allies Or Partners? US State Secy Marco Rubios Quad Gesture Has A Fine Print For India Soon after being appointed the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in an interview with the US media, called India, Australia and Japan allies". This came a day after Donald Trump took oath as the 47th President of the United States on Monday. READ MORE India Vs England 1st T20I LIVE Score: No Mohammed Shami In 11 As India Wins Crucial Toss In Battle Of Sixes India are hosting England for eight white-ball matches including five T20Is and three ODIs in the lead-up to the next months Champions Trophy. India hasnt lost a T20I series at home since January 2019 and the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will look to maintain their supremacy. CHECK LIVE UPDATES top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Saif Ali Khan Reunites With Auto Driver Who Rushed Him To Hospital, Wraps His Arm Around His Shoulders | Photo Actor Saif Ali Khan recently met with Bhajan Singh Rana, the rickshaw driver who once saved his life, to personally thank him for his bravery. Joined by his mother, Sharmila Tagore, Saif expressed heartfelt gratitude and commended Rana for his selflessness. READ MORE First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:58 IST 'Open To Legitimate Return Of Indian Citizens Who Went To US Illegally': Jaishankar In US Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 10:28 IST As Trump has taken a strong stance on illegal immigration, a recent report claimed India has agreed to take back at least 18,000 Indians living illegally in the United States. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressing a media briefing in Washington (MEA) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the Indian government is open to the legitimate return of legitimate return" of Indians who have been illegally in other countries, including the United States. The EAM represented India as the Special Envoy to the PM and participated in the first Quad meeting held after Donald Trump took oath as the countrys 47th president. related stories Jaishankar made the statement in the wake of his bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a press briefing, Jaishankar said, In terms of the irregular migration, we had a discussion on a range of issues and one of the issues which came up was mobility of people. We have a principled position on mobility that applies to all countries as a government, we are very much supportive of legal mobility. We do believe in a global workspace. We want Indian talent and skills to have the maximum opportunity at a global level." At the same time, we are very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and migration because when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined into it. This is not reputationally good. We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens who are not there illegally, if we are sure that they are our citizens we have always been open to their legitimate return to India. It is not a position unique to the US. I also told him (Rubio) that while we understand all of this, it is in our mutual interest to facilitate legal mobility," he added. He cautioned the public about the number of 18,000 Indians reportedly living illegally in the US. At our end, we have to verify if they are really Indians because naturally there are sensitivities involved there," he further said. Is India Taking Back Illegal Immigrants From US? Trump returned to the White House after a campaign centred around reducing illegal immigration and began his second term by ending birthright citizenship and declaring an emergency on the border. A report has surfaced that India has expressed willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration to take back 18,000 Indians living illegally in the US, although the real number could be much higher. Sources told Bloomberg that the Indian government was collaborating with the US authorities to identify undocumented Indian immigrants for deportation after the Trump administration began work on illegal immigration by mobilising troops along the US-Mexico border. According to the Pew Research Center, there are an estimated 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US, making them the third largest group after those from Mexico and El Salvador. The move to identify and deport Indian immigrants was described as an attempt to placate Trump just as he takes office and avoid a trade war, the report said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Trump had previously made threats of steep trade tariffs for India as part of his America-first policy and New Delhi is keen to avoid any trade conflicts as India-US ties have seen an upswing in the last few years. The Ministry of External Affairs earlier confirmed that both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration. The Indian government is also looking to protect the status of the H-1B visa for skilled migrants to the US, as 75% of the H-1B visas are given to Indian employees. Furthermore, a large-scale deportation of Indian migrants can lead to social and economic disruptions in India. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 23:47 IST Bidhuri Accuses Atishi's Parents Of Supporting Afzal Guru, AAP Slaps Charges Of Hooliganism Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 13:12 IST BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri claimed that the parents of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had written to the president asking them to stop Afzal Guru's execution BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri launches fresh attack on Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. (Courtesy: PTI) Launching a fresh attack on Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri accused her parents of supporting terrorist Afzal Guru. Speaking at an election rally in the national capital, Bidhuri who is a candidate of the BJP from the Kalkaji constituency in the Delhi Assembly elections, said that the parents of Atishi had written to the then president, appealing to him to stop terrorist Afzal Gurus execution. related stories The BJP leader made the allegations almost two weeks before the Delhi assembly elections which are scheduled to be held on February 5. The election results will be announced on February 8. Atishis Parents Have Anti-India Mentality: Bidhuri Bidhuri, who is a former BJP MP, said that the parents of the chief minister had an anti-India mentality". He further accused them of becoming the protectors of those who carried out the Parliament attack. Atishis parents were writing letters so that Afzal Guru was not hanged. Atishis mother organised a condolence meeting for Afzal Guru," said Bidhuri. This is not the first time Bhiduri has attacked Atishi, who is running against him from the Kalkaji constituency for AAP. The BJP had earlier said that Atishi has not interacted with people in the last four days and keeps on roaming like a deer" in the city to get votes. He had also said that the AAP leader had changed her father" which sparked a row as Atishi faced the accusation of changing her identity to make political gains. Meanwhile, Atishi accused Bidhuri and his nephew of intimidating and assaulting the workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The chief minister wrote a letter to an Election Commission officer in which she complained that Bidhuris nephew carried out hooliganism in the Kalkaji constituency and tried to influence the electoral process. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Accusing Bidhuri of hooliganism, Atishi said in a press conference, Ramesh Bidhuri and his workers are not contesting elections, they are doing hooliganism. We demand from the Election Commission that action should be taken in this matter." First Published: January 22, 2025, 12:13 IST RG Kar Case: Sanjay Roy Leaves Jail Cell For First Time Since Conviction, Asks For 2 Things Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 14:19 IST With his status changing from an undertrial prisoner to a convict sentenced to life imprisonment, Sanjay Roy was allowed to come out of his closed cell for a few hours for the first time on Tuesday Sanjoy Roy has been lodged alone in Cell No 6 and is being kept under 24x7 surveillance. RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Sanjay Roy was allowed to come out of his closed cell for a few hours for the first time on Tuesday after his status changed to a convict. Following his conviction and life sentence for the rape and murder of an RG Kar hospital doctor, convict Sanjay Roy has been lodged at Kolkatas Presidency Jail where he has made his first demand a notebook and pen. According to a report in News18 Hindi, jail authorities do not know what he wishes to write, but granting Sanjay Roy this facility is within the scope of what the jail administration can grant him. related stories As per jail officials, prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment get more time to stay out of their cells during the day, while undertrial prisoners get less of this facility. But Sanjay Roy may get less time outside his cell in comparison to other inmates serving life terms considering the security risk. With his status changing from an undertrial prisoner to a convict sentenced to life imprisonment, Roy was allowed to come out of his closed cell for a few hours for the first time on Tuesday. Roy has been in Presidency Jail since August 23, 2024. Since then, he had always been kept locked in his cell, except during court appearances, whether virtual or physical. According to sources, Sanjay Roy was allowed to step out of his cell for a few hours, but was not allowed to leave the cell block. Roy has been kept under strict surveillance and all his movements are being monitored. As per sources, each time Roy speaks, he proclaims innocence. He also reportedly told officials that he had to drop out of school after the death of his father so he could help his younger sister complete her education. The West Bengal government has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking death penalty for Roy, challenging the order of the trial court that sentenced him to life imprisonment till death. The Sealdah court had sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until death after he was convicted of raping and murdering the on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, rejecting demands for the death penalty saying it was not a rarest of the rare" crime. Does Sanjoy Roy Have A Cellmate? Sanjoy Roy has been lodged alone in Cell No 6 and is being kept under 247 surveillance. Since cases against Roy are going on in both the Supreme Court and the High Court, jail authorities are averse to taking any risk in securing him. What Will Sanjoy Roy Do In Jail? Life convicts are usually assigned daily work as per the jail code, but in Roys case, he will not be allowed to go out of the jail like other life convicts, considering the security risk. The jail authorities will assign him light work near his cell keeping in mind these security parameters. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Life convicts are also usually allowed to go out of their cell for specific hours of the day and are returned to their cell before sunset. Daily wages are paid for various jobs. Roy, since he came to jail, has been allotted Cell No 6 in the barrack called Poila Bash. This block has 22 cells. The barrack has housed some of the jails high-profile inmates, including former ministers Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Malik. First Published: January 22, 2025, 13:17 IST Saif Ali Khan's Attacker Crossed Meghalaya River To Enter India, Used Local Aadhaar For SIM Card Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 08:49 IST Shehzad, who attacked Saif Ali Khan, entered India via the Dawki River along the Bangladesh border and used a Meghalaya resident's Aadhaar card to obtain a SIM card, reports have suggested. Saif Ali Khan (L)/his attacker (R) (Photos: Social Media) Saif Ali Khans attacker entered India via the Dawki River along the India-Bangladesh border, reports have suggested. The Bangladeshi national, identified as Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das (30), also reportedly used an Aadhaar card of a resident in Meghalaya to obtain a SIM card. In an X post, Shiv Sena UBTs Priyanka Chaturvedi cited a report and wrote, The illegal Bangladeshi immigrant who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan entered India via Meghalaya." related stories Upon entering the country, he changed his name to Bijoy Das and stayed in West Bengal for a few weeks before he moved to Mumbai in search of a job. Quoting sources, the Indian Express reported Shehzad used a SIM card, originally registered in the name of Khukumoni Jahangir Sekh from West Bengal. He also attempted to get an Aadhaar card made in Bijoy Dass name but failed. The report also claimed that Shehzad told the police that he had studied till Class 12 in Bangladesh, has two brothers, and came to India in search of employment. After a few weeks in West Bengal, he came to Mumbai, where he chose to work at places where documents were not required. A labour contractor, Amit Pandey, helped him get housekeeping work in pubs and hotels in Worli and Thane, the report quoted sources as saying. During questioning, Shariful Islam first claimed that he was a resident of Kolkata, police said. On going through his cellphone, police found several calls made on Bangladesh numbers. He had also used mobile apps to make calls to his family members in Bangladesh, according to the report. SAIFs ATTACKER JUMPED BUILDINGs COMPOUND WALL, FOUND GUARDS ASLEEP Shehzad gained entry into Saif Ali Khans building in Mumbais Bandra area by scaling its compound wall and found the security guards sleeping at that time. The revelation was made after the Mumbai police on Tuesday recreated the crime scene with the accused at the Satguru Sharan building, where the actor resides. Both the security guards in the building where actor Saif Ali Khan resides were sleeping when his attacker entered it by crossing over the boundary wall," news agency PTI quoted a police official as saying. As he found both the security guards in deep slumber, the accused entered the building from the main entrance where no CCTV camera had been installed. The accused removed his shoes and kept them in his bag to avoid making any noise and also switched off his phone," he said. During the probe, the police found that there are no CCTV cameras installed in the buildings corridor. The investigation revealed that one of the two security guards was sleeping in the cabin and the other near the gate," he added. To recreate the crime scene, the police took the accused to the actors building as well as at other places that he possibly visited to have food, to change clothes and to board a train, he said. SAIF ALI KHAN ATTACKED Khan (54) was stabbed repeatedly by Shehzad, inside his 12-floor apartment in the wee hours of January 16. The actor suffered multiple stab injuries in the attack and underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital. Three days after the attack, the police arrested the accused from neighbouring Thane city. Saif was discharged from the hospital on January 21. Wearing a white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, he waved to waiting cameras, his hand bandaged, and expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support he received throughout his recovery process. The actor got into a waiting black vehicle, accompanied by security personnel. His wife, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, was also seen at the hospital shortly before he was discharged. Later, a video showed Saif entering his home amid a huge security. #WATCH | Actor #SaifAliKhan reached his residence after he was discharged from Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.Saif Ali Khan was admitted there after being stabbed by an intruder at his residence, in the early morning of January 16. pic.twitter.com/QKIfGH1xqq ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2025 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Presently, Shehzad has been kept in the police lockup either at the Bandra or the Santacruz police stations and no one except the investigation officer has permission to meet him. Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Lingnurkar has been appointed as the investigation officer in the case. First Published: January 22, 2025, 08:41 IST Third Piece Of Knife Used To Stab Saif Ali Khan Recovered, Accused Stole It From Eatery Where He Worked Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 16:44 IST The first part of the 2.5-inch-long knife was recovered from inside the actor's body during his emergency surgery. Police had earlier said the accused (R) had entered the area by scaling its compound wall and found security guards sleeping at the gate. The third piece of the knife used to attack Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra home on January 16 has been recovered. The knife was allegedly stolen from a restaurant in Thane, where the accused had previously worked. Khan was reportedly attacked by Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30), also known as Vijay Das, a Bangladeshi national staying illegally in India. related stories A Bandra police station official said, The third piece of the knife, which comprises the handle and some part of the blade, was recovered from close to Bandra Talao, more than a kilometre away from the actors residence in Satguru Sharan building. We took the accused to the lake on Wednesday evening and recovered this missing part of the knife." The first part of the blade had broken off and lodged near the actors spine during the attack, which had to be surgically removed at Lilavati Hospital. The second part was later found in Khans house during the panchnama process. The police also revealed that the accused walked 1.4 kilometres after the incident and disposed of the knife. He admitted to stealing the knife from the Thane restaurant where he worked," the official added. Earlier, two parts of the knife were recovered: one during Khans emergency surgery and the second in his house after the attack. Police Recreate Crime Scene The Mumbai Police also recreated the crime scene at the actors 12-storey Bandra residence with the accused on Tuesday. It was learnt that the accused had entered Khans younger son Jehs room but was spotted by a domestic help who raised an alarm, prompting the actor to intervene. During the altercation, the actor was attacked with a knife around six times which left him grievously injured. Saif was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where doctors performed immediate surgery to take out the piece of knife that was lodged in his back, as well as to stop leakage of spinal fluid. He was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, five days after the January 16 incident. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Notably, the actor on Tuesday met and thanked the auto-rickshaw driver who had taken him to the hospital following the attack, before he returned home from hospital. Saif also reportedly gave money to the driver for helping him in his tough time. Veteran actress and the actors mother, Sharmila Tagore, also thanked and blessed him. (With inputs from PTI) First Published: January 22, 2025, 22:58 IST What Is Guillain-Barre Syndrome? Over 20 Cases Suspected In Pune Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 16:21 IST Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare immunological nerve disorder typically observed in individuals infected with viruses or bacteria Patients often begin with an unknown fever, followed by weakness and other nervous system-related symptoms. While there is widespread discussion about the HMPV virus globally, 22 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) have been reported in Pune. All these patients are currently admitted to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Nevale Hospital, and Pune Hospital. According to the Pune Municipal Corporation, most of the patients are from areas such as Sinhagad Road and Dhayari. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare immunological nerve disorder typically observed in individuals infected with viruses or bacteria. Punes emergency medical expert, Dr Padmanabh Keskar, provided detailed information about this rare condition. related stories Discussing the condition of the admitted patients, Dr Keskar said, Due to short-term loss of muscle strength and respiratory problems, some patients had to be admitted to the ICU for artificial respiration. Their samples are currently being examined at ICMR-NIV." The patients initially exhibited symptoms like severe diarrhoea, fever, and body pain, which later progressed to weakness in the legs," said Dr Keskar. The Pune Municipal Corporation has sent a team to the affected area to get more information on this matter. What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome? This syndrome was first identified in 1916 by French neurologists Georges Guillain and Jean Alexandre Barre, after whom it was named. Dr Keskar explained that this is not a new disease, as cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome have been reported in India previously. We occasionally see cases of this disease in our hospitals. However, a sudden spike in cases is certainly a cause for concern," he said. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a kind of autoimmune disease, as in this disease, a persons immune system attacks their nervous system, impairing the functioning of nerves and muscles. The exact cause of the disease remains unclear, but it is often observed following a viral or bacterial infection, vaccination, or major surgery. At such times, the immune system becomes hyperactive, leading to this rare condition. Early Symptoms Patients often begin with an unknown fever, followed by weakness and other nervous system-related symptoms. In severe cases, the respiratory muscles become weak, rendering the patient unable to breathe independently. Patients may also experience mild symptoms like tingling, numbness in the hands and feet, or some degree of pain. As the disease progresses, muscle strength in the arms and legs begins to decline. A notable characteristic is that symptoms are symmetrical, meaning both sides of the body are equally affected. GBS is commonly observed in patients who experience severe diarrhoea after a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. A small number of cases have also been reported following vaccination. However, the likelihood of developing GBS after vaccines, such as the swine flu, influenza, or Covid-19 vaccines, is considered very low. The rate of symptom progression varies widely. In some cases, symptoms may develop within half a day, while in others, it could take up to two weeks. In the recent cases observed in Pune, symptoms of GBS appeared rapidly after a viral infection. Advanced Symptoms As muscle weakness progresses, it can affect the upper body, including the neck and facial muscles. Patients may experience difficulty swallowing, and weakness in the eye and facial muscles is common. In about 8% of cases, symptoms are limited to the leg muscles, causing paraplegia or paraparesis. Once the muscle weakness reaches its peak, symptoms tend to stabilise for some time before the patient begins to recover. Respiratory Muscle Weakness Dr Keskar highlighted that the most severe and dangerous symptom of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is the weakness of the respiratory muscles. Approximately one-quarter of patients experience complications related to respiratory distress or respiratory failure, necessitating the use of a ventilator for artificial breathing. He further explained that the autonomic nervous system is affected in about two-thirds of patients, which adversely impacts heart rate and blood pressure regulation. From the overall symptoms so far, we have observed that this disease can range from severe to life-threatening in some patients. Many of them require ICU admission," Dr Keskar said. Despite its severity, the mortality rate of GBS is around 7.5%. Encouragingly, most patients recover over time without any lasting physical disabilities. Diagnosis Guillain-Barre Syndrome is diagnosed primarily based on symptoms and patient history, as no specific tests are required to confirm it. However, tests such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, nerve conduction studies, or MRI scans can aid in the diagnosis. Early detection remains challenging, but the presence of symptoms such as numbness, loss of strength in the legs, and difficulty standing or walking over time increases the likelihood of GBS. Treatment As Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune disease, there is no specific drug treatment available. However, research has shown that immunotherapy methods such as plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) can be effective in managing the condition. Unfortunately, these treatments are not guaranteed cures. Recovery and Timeline top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The stabilisation and recovery period for GBS can vary significantly, lasting from two days to six months. On average, patients begin to show improvement after about a week. However, the duration of recovery depends on the severity of the disease and the patients individual response to treatment. This unpredictable timeline underscores the importance of comprehensive medical care and close monitoring to facilitate a smooth recovery process. First Published: January 22, 2025, 16:21 IST PAIX Data Centres, a leading data centre provider in Africa, has announced plans for the construction of a new state-of-the-art data centre in Dakar, Senegal. This development marks an important strategic milestone, the company says, as it continues to expand its network in West Africa to meet the growing demand for high-quality digital infrastructure. It points out that four submarine cables are already connected to Dakar (ACE, MainOne, SAT3, SHARE) and more cables are currently being installed (including 2Africa), making the data centre a key access point for customers looking to serve the regions emerging markets. The Dakar data centre will, says PAIX, provide essential digital infrastructure to support innovation and economic growth in West Africa. It adds that businesses will benefit from access to reliable connectivity and high-quality colocation services, helping to strengthen their competitiveness and resilience. To set up the infrastructure, PAIX purchased the land to build the buildings to house the data centre equipment. It says its goal is to have a modern facility offering approximately 918 square metres of usable space and critical power of up to 1.2 megawatts. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be operational in 2026. The new Dakar data centre will provide a robust and secure infrastructure to host IT equipment. Its main features are 1.2 MW of IT load, 900 square metres of colocation space, and 330 bays to house a wide range of IT equipment in a secure and controlled environment. Operational strategies aim to optimise the maximum use of local resources, operating at the most efficient temperatures and saving cooling water consumption in water-stressed regions. PAIX Data Centres says it is committed to using 100% renewable energy in the construction of its data centres by 2030. Republic Day Feasts in Mumbai: Celebrate with Flavor and Patriotism! Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 13:44 IST Celebrate Republic Day in Mumbai with delicious tri-colored delights and grand Indian feasts at top restaurants across the city. Peshwa Pavilion at ITC Maratha offers Chakh Le India, an exclusive feast featuring traditional Indian delicacies such as Chaat, Shrikhand Berliner, Chole Kulcha, Mithai Thali, and Biryani Get ready to celebrate the 76th Republic Day with a delicious culinary journey across Mumbai! From tri-colored delights to grand Indian feasts, heres where you can indulge in patriotic flavors. Hyatt Centric Juhu related stories Inclusion BrunchSesame at Hyatt Centric Juhu presents the Inclusion Brunch" on January 26th, celebrating Indias diversity. Guests are encouraged to invite a friend from a different background, earning a complimentary brunch in return. The menu features an exquisite spread of Indian and international flavors, fostering meaningful connections over food. Price: Rs. 3000 plus taxesLocation: Sesame, Hyatt Centric Juhu, Mumbai ITC Maratha Chakh Le India: Peshwa Pavilion at ITC Maratha offers Chakh Le India," an exclusive feast featuring traditional Indian delicacies such as Chaat, Shrikhand Berliner, Chole Kulcha, Mithai Thali, and Biryani. Enjoy a lavish dinner on January 24th and 25th, or a grand brunch on January 26th. Date: January 24th-26th Dinner: 7:00 PM 11:30 PM (Rs. 3000 onwards) Brunch: 12:30 PM 3:30 PM (Rs. 3300 onwards)Address: Sahar, Andheri East, Mumbai Courtyard by Marriott Republic Day Brunch: MoMo Cafe at Courtyard by Marriott is hosting a Republic Day brunch on January 26th from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM, featuring traditional Indian delicacies. Members of the Armed Forces and Civil Services enjoy a 50% discount, while all guests receive 15% off their meal. Amazonia Tricolour MenuAmazonia Khar presents a special Tricolour Menu" featuring the fiery Crab Roll, pristine Salmon Nigri, and deep blue Tuna Nigria true patriotic feast! Bluebop Cafe Tri-Colored Feast Celebrate with Bluebops tri-colored pizza, made with cherry tomatoes, olives, and arugula, alongside their vibrant tri-color spaghetti and a special Republic Day mocktail. Baliboo Republic Day Specials: Head to Baliboo in Goregaon for a Republic Day celebration featuring a diverse menu of flavorful starters, sumptuous main courses, and delectable desserts in a vibrant ambiance. Blabber Flavorful Festivities: Blabber offers an exciting Republic Day menu, including Cheesy Stuffed Mushroom Tikka, Harissa Chicken and Paneer Tikka, and the juicy Dual Chicken Tikka, perfect for celebrating with family and friends. Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport This Republic Day, Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport invites you to honour the spirit of India with a grand culinary celebration showcasing the diversity and richness of our nations heritage. Join us on 26th January 2025, from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM, for a Republic Day Brunch like no other. Curated to commemorate Republic Day, the brunch offers an extraordinary gastronomic journey featuring a lavish Indian buffet and live counters highlighting regional specialties from across the country. Each dish reflects the unique cultural and culinary identity of Indias states, promising an authentic and immersive dining experience. Guests can indulge in delicacies like Honey Chilli Crispy Lotus Stem, a crispy delight with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness; Kalmi Kebab, a succulent Mughlai classic; and Dal Bati Churma, Rajasthans iconic combination of lentils, baked wheat balls, and sweet crumble. South Indian flavours come alive with Paniyaram, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, while the creamy and decadent Paneer Pasanda promises royal flavours. For North Indian food lovers, the brunch features the much-loved Delhi Wala Butter Chicken, the hearty and flavourful Dal Ghost, and the spiced-to-perfection Pindi Chole, making it a feast for the senses. Whether youre celebrating with family, friends, or colleagues, the Republic Day Brunch at Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport is the perfect way to indulge in the flavours of India and honour its vibrant heritage. Date: Friday, 26th January 2025 Time: 12:30 PM 4:00 PM Price: 2999 + Taxes per person Khandani Rajdhani This Republic Day, Khandani Rajdhani invites you to celebrate with a special Tiranga Menu thats as vibrant as our nation. Savor the flavors of Tiranga Pulav, a tri-colored rice dish, Tiranga Bread Pakoda, a crispy snack layered with patriotic hues, and Tiranga Halwa, a sweet treat crafted to perfection. As they proudly bring authentic Gujarati and Rajasthani flavors to your plate, this feast is a tribute to Indias rich culinary heritage. Experience the delight of a meal thats not just delicious but a true celebration of unity, diversity, and tradition. Lets make this Republic Day a flavorful and unforgettable experience! Where Khandani Rajdhani,all outlets When- 24 26 January 2025 Where Sahar, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra When 24 to 26 January 2025 Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport This Republic Day, Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport invites you to honour the spirit of India with a grand culinary celebration showcasing the diversity and richness of our nations heritage. Join us on 26th January 2025, from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM, for a Republic Day Brunch like no other. Curated to commemorate Republic Day, the brunch offers an extraordinary gastronomic journey featuring a lavish Indian buffet and live counters highlighting regional specialties from across the country. Each dish reflects the unique cultural and culinary identity of Indias states, promising an authentic and immersive dining experience. Guests can indulge in delicacies like Honey Chilli Crispy Lotus Stem, a crispy delight with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness; Kalmi Kebab, a succulent Mughlai classic; and Dal Bati Churma, Rajasthans iconic combination of lentils, baked wheat balls, and sweet crumble. South Indian flavours come alive with Paniyaram, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, while the creamy and decadent Paneer Pasanda promises royal flavours. For North Indian food lovers, the brunch features the much-loved Delhi Wala Butter Chicken, the hearty and flavourful Dal Ghost, and the spiced-to-perfection Pindi Chole, making it a feast for the senses. Whether youre celebrating with family, friends, or colleagues, the Republic Day Brunch at Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport is the perfect way to indulge in the flavours of India and honour its vibrant heritage. Date: Friday, 26th January 2025 Time: 12:30 PM 4:00 PM Price: 2999 + Taxes per person Craycraft At Craycraft experience the Republic Day celebrations with a curated selection of handcrafted mocktails and signature Indian dishes that highlight the essence of Indias diverse flavors. This special day offers a culinary adventure, featuring standout dishes like Butter Chicken Pad Kra Pav, paired with their refreshing Moonshine mocktail. The vibrant atmosphere, combined with the exceptional food, makes Craycraft the ideal destination for those seeking to celebrate Republic Day with delicious bites, lively energy, and a true taste of Indias culinary heritage. Where 1, Town Centre, Shop No. 06,106, near Andheri Kurla Rd., next to Marol naka metro station, Marol, Mumbai top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all When 26th January 2025 Raise a fork to the nation and indulge in these delightful Republic Day specials across Mumbai! Happy Republic Day! First Published: January 22, 2025, 07:41 IST Genomic Testing in Cervical Cancer: 6 Ways It Enhances Treatment Outcomes Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 21:27 IST Incorporating genomic testing into the management of cervical cancer allows for the creation of personalized treatment plans that are tailored to each patient's unique genetic profile By identifying high-risk genetic mutations, selecting targeted therapies, predicting drug resistance, optimizing immunotherapy, and improving prognostic predictions, genomic testing significantly enhances treatment outcomes. Precision medicine is reshaping the landscape of cancer treatment by offering targeted approaches tailored to an individuals genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environmental factors. In the fight against cervical cancer, genomic testing is emerging as a powerful tool, enabling healthcare providers to develop personalized treatment strategies that enhance effectiveness while minimizing side effects. By analyzing the genetic profile of cancer cells, genomic testing can uncover critical mutations and biomarkers that influence disease progression and treatment response. This approach allows for: top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all related stories Early Risk Identification: Detecting high-risk genetic mutations that may predispose individuals to cervical cancer, enabling proactive screening and timely intervention. Targeted Treatment Plans: Pinpointing specific genetic alterations to guide the selection of targeted therapies, ensuring more precise and effective treatment outcomes. Personalized Chemotherapy: Helping clinicians tailor chemotherapy regimens based on the genetic characteristics of the tumor, reducing unnecessary side effects and enhancing efficacy. Overcoming Drug Resistance: Identifying genetic markers associated with resistance, allowing for adjustments in treatment strategies to improve long-term success. Advancing Immunotherapy Options: Determining the suitability of immunotherapy by analyzing biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression, leading to better patient-specific outcomes. Enhanced Prognostic Insights: Providing valuable data for predicting disease progression and recurrence risks, allowing for more informed follow-up care and monitoring. As genomic testing becomes more accessible and integrated into routine clinical practice, it holds the potential to revolutionize cervical cancer care. By embracing precision medicine, healthcare providers can offer more personalized and effective solutions, ultimately improving survival rates and enhancing the quality of life for patients. First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:41 IST Amitabh Bachchan Says Women Put Dirt From Rajesh Khanna's Car Tyre On Their Heads: 'He Was The Biggest...' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 13:53 IST Amitabh Bachchan replaced Rajesh Khanna in Zanjeer, written by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna were the biggest stars of the 1970s and 1980s. Amitabh Bachchan received his big break in Bollywood after he was cast in Zanjeer, written by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. The film became a superhit and revived Amitabhs career overnight. However, before Amitabh was cast in the film, Rajesh Khanna was in contention for the role. In a recent episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, Amitabh Bachchan recalled how he was cast for Zanjeer and mentioned that his backup plan was to drive a taxi if his film career failed. Amitabh Bachchan said, I had worked in two or three films, but they failed, discouraging me. Before moving to Mumbai, I worked in Kolkata, earning just 400-500 rupees a month. But when I arrived in Mumbai, I was determined to make it work. I thought I would drive a taxi if I didnt find work in films. I even got my driving license in preparation." related stories He recalled, Eventually, I found work, and Abbas saab gave me my first break. Zanjeer was written by Salim-Javed, and it was a turning point in my career. At the time, Rajesh Khanna was the biggest superstar in India. Kya aura tha, kya following thiHis presence was so powerful that when he arrived, women would take the dirt from his cars tyres and apply it to their foreheads as a blessing. I was a nobody, but then Salim-Javed came to meet me and offered me the story. I didnt expect to get the role, but I did, and thats how I got Zanjeer." As to why Salim-Javed were convinced that Amitabh was right for the role, the veteran actor said, Javed Saab told me that in one of my films, Bombay to Goa, theres a scene where Im sitting in a restaurant when Shatrughan Sinha slaps me. The scene was supposed to lead to a fight, but when I stood up, I was still chewing the sandwich I had been eating. That moment made Javed saab believe I could handle the role in Zanjeer." Despite some initial hurdles, Amitabh Bachchan became a successful actor and a global superstar. He was last seen in Kalki 2898 AD as Ashwatthama, and his role received massive praise from viewers and critics alike. First Published: January 22, 2025, 13:49 IST Anurag Kashyap Reviews Paatal Lok Season 2, Calls It 'Peak Writing And Directing' Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 18:57 IST Praising the team and actors for their authenticity and exceptional performances, Anurag Kashyap began by recalling a quote from South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho. Anurag Kashyap heaped praises on Jaideep Ahlawat. (Photo Credits: Instagram) The recently released season of Paatal Lok has been garnering praise from both fans and critics, especially for its intense screenplay and Jaideep Ahlawats standout performance. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also shared his thoughts on the series in a heartfelt social media post. He lauded the team and the actors for their authenticity and stellar performances, quoting South Korean director Bong Joon-hos Academy Award-winning acceptance speech for Parasite, Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." Anurag Kashyap then applauded Pataal Lok creator Sudip Sharma and director Avinash Arun Dhaware for the beautiful depiction of the depths of human darkness. Many moons ago, when we were all part of the, birth of long-form in India and were proudly displaying the tag of look what we did with Sacred Games" dropped a powerful, bleak, chronicling of our lower depths, Pataal lok created by Sudip Sharma and one of the directors being Avinash Arun Dhaware I always believed it was peak writing, directing, performance and cant be outdone. I couldnt have been more wrong (sic)." related stories View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap10) Moving further, Anurag admitted to being drawn into the world of Hathi Ram Choudhary played to perfection by Jaideep Ahlawat. The opening sequence of Jonathan Thoms body being found just took my remaining sleep away and I got sucked into the world of Hathi Ram Choudhary so fast like it was a quicksand. The depths of human darkness that he dwells into, always looking for some hope that will and wont come by." Its a thriller, a mystery, its dark, set in a region which we know of but dont pay attention to, armed by very poignant writing, no holding back the punches, mirroring or hypocrisy, showing us the darkness that resides collectively within us as a society, like Hathiram says main Pataal Lok ka permanent niwasi hoo (sic)," added the ace director in his caption. Paatal Lok Season 2, directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware and written, created and executive-produced by Sudip Sharma, is now streaming on Prime Video. The new season brings back Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh and Gul Panag in their original roles while adding fresh faces to the cast, including Tillotama Shome, Nagesh Kukunoor and Jahnu Barua. First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:57 IST Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni Clash Over It Ends With Us Leaked Footage: Report Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 18:46 IST This time, leaked behind-the-scenes footage is at the centre of Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni's dispute. The new video captures a pivotal slow-dance scene between the characters. (Photo Credit: Instagram) In a drama fit for Hollywood itself, the feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni surrounding It Ends With Us has taken yet another twist. This time, leaked behind-the-scenes footage is at the centre of the dispute, with both stars claiming it supports their side of the story. The blockbuster adaptation of Colleen Hoovers bestselling novel, produced by Baldonis Wayfarer Studio and distributed by Sony, has been in controversies for quite some time now. On Tuesday, Baldonis legal team, led by attorney Bryan Freedman, provided the Daily Mail with video evidence they argue debunks Livelys accusations. The footage captures a pivotal slow-dance scene between the characters, described as a tender moment of budding romance. Yet, this clip is now a focal point of allegations and counterclaims. related stories The clip, which spans nearly 10 minutes, shows three takes of the dance sequence, set in a dimly lit bar. Freedmans team claims the video proves Baldoni and Lively acted with mutual respect and professionalism" during filming. However, the footage doesnt include audio, leaving room for interpretation. Livelys lawsuit alleges that Baldoni behaved inappropriately during this scene, stepping out of character to engage in unconsented physical actions, including leaning in close and whispering in her ear, It smells so good." Her team asserts that these actions were not part of the script and lacked any prior discussion or consent. When Lively later confronted Baldoni about his behaviour, he allegedly responded dismissively with, Im not even attracted to you," informs The Hollywood Reporter. The legal complaint filed earlier this month by Lively in the Southern District of New York also names Wayfarer CEO Jamie Heath, publicist Jennifer Abel and crisis PR consultant Melissa Nathan as defendants. Baldoni, in turn, has launched a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging they orchestrated a smear campaign against him. According to Baldonis camp, the scene was intended to depict two characters falling deeply in love. However, Livelys attorneys reportedly argue the footage only bolsters their case, describing it as a manufactured media stunt." They claim the video corroborates Livelys discomfort and Baldonis inappropriate conduct, adding that no intimacy coordinator was present during filming, a critical oversight in todays industry standards. The footage does show Lively pulling back slightly and turning her head away multiple times as Baldoni attempts to kiss her. Her lawyers point out that she repeatedly suggested using dialogue instead of physicality to convey the characters romantic connection. No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without consent," her legal team stated, further emphasising that Baldonis dual role as co-star and director put him in a significant position of power over Lively. Freedman, known for his aggressive litigation style, dismissed Livelys claims and accused her of seeking to manipulate public opinion. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, he said, Prior to filing her lawsuit in court, Ms. Lively went to The New York Times in an effort to publicly destroy Justin Baldoni. When Mr. Baldoni exercises his right to publicly defend himself by putting forth actual facts and evidence, for Ms. Lively and her team this instantly becomes morally and ethically wrong. Ms. Lively wants very different standards to apply to her, but fortunately, truth and authenticity apply to everyone and can never be wrong." Livelys legal team, however, remains steadfast, accusing Baldonis camp of using unethical tactics to distract from the real issue. While they are focused on misleading media narratives, we are focused on the legal process. We are continuing our efforts to require Mr. Baldoni and his associates to answer in court, under oath, rather than through manufactured media stunts," the team responded. First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:46 IST BTS' J-Hope Drops First Track LV Bag At Louis Vuitton Show After Military Return; Watch Here Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 04:38 IST J-Hope unveils new music at Louis Vuitton's Paris show with Pharrell Williams, marking his post-military comeback. J-Hope was discharged from the military in October. (Photo Credits: Instagram) BTS J-Hope made a grand return to the music scene with the debut of his latest track, LV Bag, at the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2025 runway show in Paris on January 21. The song, featuring rapper Don Toliver, marked J-Hopes first musical release since completing his military service. It was unveiled as the shows grand finale, solidifying his presence in both the fashion and music industries. The runway show was a landmark event for Louis Vuitton, as it marked Pharrell Williams first major presentation as the brands mens creative director. The event boasted an impressive lineup of music, featuring tracks from Seventeen, The Weeknd, and Playboi Cartiall produced by Pharrell. related stories J-Hope unveiling his new song "LV Bag" with Don Toliver for Louis Vuitton Show pic.twitter.com/g8a3wpVPE6 BTS LINK (@btslinkita) January 21, 2025 As the show concluded, Pharrell, along with his longtime collaborator Nigo, welcomed J-Hope, who was seated among a star-studded audience that included Travis Scott and Bradley Cooper. The BTS star, a global ambassador for Louis Vuitton, was spotted wearing a stylish brown bucket hat, a button-down shirt, jeans, and a Speedy bag adorned with dangling pearlsperfectly blending street style with high fashion. LV Bag marks a significant milestone in J-Hopes career, following his military discharge in October 2024. The track, produced by Pharrell, is his first release since Hope On the Street Vol. 1, a six-track EP that dropped in March 2024. That project included collaborations with BTSs Jungkook, Benny Blanco, Nile Rodgers, and Le Sserafims Huh Yunjin. Ahead of the tracks debut, J-Hope had teased his return to music through a YouTube video titled Beginning of a New Dream, released in December 2024. The video hinted at upcoming projects for 2025, including a cryptic message, 2025. 03.", suggesting that more music could be on the way in March. LV Bag, which blends J-Hopes signature sound with Don Tolivers unique style under Pharrells direction, has already created a buzz among fans and the music industry alike. Location : Seoul, South Korea First Published: January 23, 2025, 04:38 IST Kartik Aaryan Dances His Heart Out At Coldplay Concert: 'Sky Full Of Stars In My College Campus' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 02:16 IST Kartik Aaryan enjoyed Coldplay's concert at his alma mater, DY Patil College, reminiscing about his student days. Kartik Aaryan with his sister Kritika at Coldplay concert. Kartik Aaryan and his sister, Dr. Kritika Tiwari, joined thousands of Coldplay fans at the bands Music of the Spheres World Tour concert in Navi Mumbais DY Patil Stadium. The Bollywood star, who once studied engineering at DY Patil College, danced his heart out and shared his excitement with fans on social media. Taking to Instagram, Kartik posted a video capturing the electric atmosphere of the concert and wrote, Sky Full Of Stars In My College Campus Pure Magic (sic)." The post resonated with his fans, who were thrilled to see the actor enjoying himself at the venue where he once pursued his studies. related stories Just a few days before the concert, on January 11, Kartik returned to DY Patil College for his convocation ceremony, finally receiving his engineering degree after over a decade. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, From sitting on the backbench to standing on the stage for my convocation what a journey its been. DY Patil University, you gave me memories, dreams, and now, finally, my degree (only took over a decade!)." He expressed gratitude to Vijay Patil, his teachers, and students for the warm welcome he received. Before attending the Coldplay concert, Kartik was in Delhi for the Arjuna Award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Indias first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar, was honored with the Arjuna Lifetime Achievement Award. On the professional front, Kartik was last seen in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 in November 2024. He is currently working on Anurag Basus upcoming romantic drama alongside Triptii Dimri. Kartik is also set to star in Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri, a romantic comedy directed by Sameer Vidwans and produced by Karan Johars Dharma Productions and Namah Pictures, slated for release in 2026. Reports suggest that Sharvari Wagh will play the female lead. Kartiks journey from being an engineering student from Gwalior to becoming one of Bollywoods most bankable stars is inspiring. Despite having no film connections, he pursued his dream while sharing an apartment with 12 roommates in Mumbai, proving that hard work and perseverance can lead to success. First Published: January 23, 2025, 02:16 IST Malayalam Director Shafi In Critical Condition After Suffering Stroke Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 17:25 IST Malayalam director Shafi continues to be in critical condition. Director Shafi has suffered a stroke. Renowned Malayalam filmmaker Shafi, known for his contributions to the Malayalam film industry, is reported to be in critical condition after suffering a stroke. The director was rushed to a private hospital in Kochi on January 16 evening, where he is currently undergoing intensive medical care. According to The Hindu, the director is in a critical condition currently and is in the neurosurgical intensive care unit. On January 21, the hospital also shared an update stating that he is critical. A medical team comprising neurologists and other specialists is closely monitoring his condition. More details regarding the directors health are yet to be shared. related stories Hospital authorities have not yet released an official medical bulletin but are expected to provide an update soon. Shafi has carved a niche for himself in the Malayalam film industry with a series of successful films spanning over two decades. He is known for his impeccable sense of humour and storytelling and some of his notable works include Pulival Kalyanam, Thommanum Makkalum, Mayavi and Marykkonduru Kunjaadu, to name a few. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and is celebrated for his ability to deliver commercial hits that resonate with audiences. Shafi, in his career, has worked with many big names in the Malayalam industry including Mammootty, Dileep, Jayaram, Jayasurya, Kunchacko Boban, Kalabhavan Mani, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Bhavna, Mamta Mohandas, Kochin Haneefa, Kavya Madhavan and Navya Nair, among many others. Shafi is known for his collaboration with controversial Malayalam actor Dileep, who was accused in the 2017 assault case. Together, they have worked in films like Kalyanaraman, Marykkundoru Kunjaadu and Two Countries. Shafis elder brother is Rafi who is a part of the popular writer-director duo Rafi Mecartin. Director Siddique is his uncle and his last directorial was Sharafudheens Aanandam Paramanandam (2022). First Published: January 22, 2025, 17:25 IST Saif Ali Khan Reunites With Auto Driver Who Rushed Him To Hospital, Wraps His Arm Around His Shoulders | Photo Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:46 IST Actor Saif Ali Khan met Bhajan Singh Rana, the rickshaw driver who saved his life after a stabbing incident. Saif, joined by his mother Sharmila Tagore, expressed gratitude and promised support. Saif Ali Khan and Bhajan Singh Rana at the hospital. Actor Saif Ali Khan recently met with Bhajan Singh Rana, the rickshaw driver who once saved his life, to personally thank him for his bravery. Joined by his mother, Sharmila Tagore, Saif expressed heartfelt gratitude and commended Rana for his selflessness. The actor promised to settle the unpaid fare and assured Rana of his support, encouraging him to continue being a source of help to others, according to IANS. A photo on X shows actor Saif Ali Khan sitting next to Bhajan Singh Rana, the rickshaw driver who saved his life, in his hospital room. Saif, dressed in a white shirt and sunglasses, ready to be discharged, smiles warmly with his arm around Rana, who is wearing a blue shirt and a mask around his neck. related stories In pictures: Actor Saif Ali Khan met Bhajan Singh Rana, the rickshaw driver who saved his life, and thanked him for his help https://t.co/4zbSQbGh0C pic.twitter.com/QbhrTXo9DR IANS (@ians_india) January 22, 2025 Everyone was left shocked last week when it was reported that the Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked and stabbed by a robber at his Mumbai residence. Saif was rushed to the hospital in an auto following the incident, where he immediately underwent surgery. Days after the incident, it was reported that the auto-driver was rewarded. As reported by News24, Bhajan Singh Rana has been rewarded by an institution. Reportedly, he has been given Rs 11,000 for good deeds. Previously, it was also reported that the auto-driver refused any payment from Saif for this act of service. I was called there (Bandra Police Station) for questioningI did not think about money that nightI have not been contacted by Kareena Kapoor or anyone else so far. I have not had any conversation with them," Bhajan Singh, the auto-rickshaw driver said while speaking to ANI. The auto-rickshaw driver further described the events and narrated his account. His back was hurt. I felt very bad because he was bleeding. I had no idea that Saif Ali Khan was sitting in my rickshaw. I thought that some injured person must have been sitting thereWhen Saif and his son got down from the rickshaw after going to Lilavati Hospital, I realised that the star actor was sitting in the rickshaw," he said. First Published: January 22, 2025, 14:55 IST To 'Incredible' Namrata Shirodkar, A Special Birthday Note From Mahesh Babu Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:37 IST Mahesh Babu posted a heartfelt wish for his doting wife, Namrata Shirodkar, on her birthday. Namrata Shirodkar celebrates her birthday today, on January 22. (Photo Credits: Instagram) Telugu actor Mahesh Babu and his wife Namrata Shirodkar are simply couple goals. Their love story began on the sets of their film Vamsi, and the rest became history. They are doting parents to two kids, Gautham and Sitara. And despite two decades of being in marital bliss, the madly-in-love duo has kept the spark in their relationship alive. On Namratas birthday, her loving husband penned a heartfelt note to express his love and gratitude to the incredible woman in his life. On Instagram, Mahesh Babu posted a picture of his star wife, Namrata Shirodkar. The Mere Do Anmol Ratan fame looked stunning in the frame, which was captured at a snowy location, reportedly from one of their vacations. In the snap, she was wearing a black-hued trench coat teamed with a matching pair of gloves, which looked simply gorgeous. related stories View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mahesh Babu (@urstrulymahesh) The actress also picked a pair of loose-fitted denim pants alongside black leather boots and matching socks. Namrata was seen flaunting her subtle makeup look with middle-parted open tresses. She carried a mini black leather purse to round off her appearance. Sharing the photo, he penned a loving note in the caption, Happy Birthday, NSG! Thank you for making every day brighter and better. Celebrating the incredible woman you are today and always!" Many fans of the couple also extended their warmest wishes to the actress. Deets about Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkars love story often surface on the internet. In one such report, we got to know about the actress one condition before marrying the love of her life. For those unaware, the Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai star was in a relationship for five years with the actor. In an interview a few years ago with the Telugu YouTube channel named Prema the journalist, Namrata revealed that she asked Mahesh Babu to live in an apartment with her in Hyderabad before they move into his bungalow. Explaining her reason, she shared that she was not used to living in big houses and was scared. We were very clear that we will live in an apartment first after marriage because I was from Mumbai, and I didnt know how I would fit into these huge bungalows. I used to get scared so he moved into an apartment with me. That was my condition that if Im going to come to Hyderabad, I will live in an apartment," she stated. In the same interview, Namrata also revealed how her life completely changed after she married the Telugu star. She shared that the whole experience of being married is great. First Published: January 22, 2025, 13:01 IST Malaysias National Water Services Commission (SPAN) has reportedly warned that the countrys data centre boom could create a water crisis in the longer term unless reforms on data centre water usage are enacted in the next few years. Malaysia has been positioning itself as a major data centre hub for Southeast Asia, with everyone from established tech giants to newcomers looking to build a data centre in the country. Close to 5GW of data centre capacity has been announced via various projects. However, data centres typically consume huge amounts of potable water for cooling. According to The Edge Malaysia, SPAN chairman Charles Santiago told a press conference on Tuesday that unchecked usage of potable water for cooling and other operational needs by data centres is unstainable and threatens Malaysias long-term water security. Apart from the amount of water required which can be millions of litres of potable water per day the other problem for Malaysia is its ageing water infrastructure. SPAN has been calling on the government to spend more on repairing pipes and upgrading treatment plants, the report said. Santiago said the federal government needs to establish comprehensive policies in the next three to five years that require data centres to use water efficiently and sustainably, while state governments need regulations that ensure that they have sufficient raw water supplies to support any new data centre project before approving it, the report said. "If water operators do not have sufficient water to supply to the data centres, they should not give the permit, Santiago said. SPAN has also outlined a proposal to transition the data centre sector to sustainable water use, including using alternative water sources to reduce reliance on potable water. They should also be encouraged to adopt new cooling technologies designed to minimise water consumption, such as rainwater harvesting systems and water recirculation systems, the report said. The issue of data centre water consumption has recently come under scrutiny around the world as demand for data centres increases especially in countries that are experiencing water shortages due to droughts exacerbated by climate change. Last year, for example, Google received approval for data centres in Uruguay and Chile both of which have been heavily impacted by drought in recent years after it agreed to redesign the facilities to use air cooling instead of water cooling. Opinion | Netanyahu's Nightmare After Gaza Ceasefire Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 21, 2025, 22:14 IST Trump may be happier dealing with Netanyahus post-election successor. His relationship with the Israeli prime minister has been distinctly cooler than former President Joe Biden enjoyed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gives a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18. (Image: GPO/AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stalled for months a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza. It took intense pressure from the United States and families of Israeli hostages to compel him to sign the multi-phase peace deal brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt. Why was Netanyahu fiercely opposed to a truce with Hamas? There are three principal reasons. related stories One, the 15-month war with Hamas hasnt resulted in its total destruction. That was the non-negotiable objective of the war following the lethal attack on October 7, 2023. Despite Israel assassinating the top leadership of Hamas and killing more than 46,000 people in Gaza, including an estimated 30,000 women and children with many more bodies buried under the rubble, the militant group has reportedly recruited 20,000 new fighters to its ranks. Far from destroying Hamas, Israel has given it a second wind. Two, the ceasefire deal, once all phases are completed, will re-legitimise Hamas, giving it a role in the reconstruction of Gaza. Infrastructure companies in the US, Europe, Middle East and India are eyeing one of the most lucrative rebuilding projects in decades. President Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, a real estate developer, plans to make Gaza a modern, high-tech enclave. That bodes ill for Israels long-term security. Three, once lasting peace breaks out over the region, the issue that haunts Netanyahu and most Israelis is the likely establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. He has gone on record to declare that he will never accept an independent Palestine coexisting side by side with Israel. His party, Likud, makes the point clear in its official manifesto. The Government of Israel will enable the Palestinians to manage their lives freely, within the framework of self-government. However, foreign affairs and defence, and matters which require coordination, will remain the responsibility of the State of Israel," says Likuds Party Platform. Netanyahu, who has long headed Likud, clearly regards a future Palestinian state as an Israeli colony with limited self-government". Defence and foreign affairs will remain with Israel. To ensure its goal is spelled out unambiguously, the clause declares: The government of Israel will oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state." Thats not how the rest of the world sees it. Spain, Norway and Ireland are among 146 countries that recognise Palestine as a sovereign, independent country. The US has consistently used its veto to deny Palestine full membership of the United Nations. In violation of international norms, Israel has meanwhile allowed Israeli settlers to illegally occupy large tracts of land in the West Bank under the nominal control of the toothless Palestinian Authority (PA), which is complicit with violent Israeli settlers. Over 4,50,000 Israelis now illegally occupy land in the West Bank, despite universal global condemnation, launching frequent armed attacks to occupy the homes of the three million Palestinians who live there. Netanyahu is thus faced with an intractable triple problem: a rejuvenated Hamas rather than a defeated Hamas; reconstruction and transformation of Gaza into a modern enclave that could pose a future threat to Israels security; and strong global pressure on Israel to establish an independent Palestine. Netanyahu delayed as long as he could signing the peace deal, which he insists is temporary. He warns that Israel reserves the right to resume the war". For Israel, peace in the region is a poisoned chalice. War is Israels default option. Peace carries the promise of economic prosperity to the whole region from Gaza to the West Bank and further on to Lebanon. Israel loses its monopoly of prosperity in the region. How long, Israelis wonder, before re-armed Hamas and Hezbollah pose an existential threat to Israel while an independent Palestine emerges from the rubble of Gaza? WASHINGTON CONSENSUS? Netanyahus best hope to avoid or delay these outcomes lies in Washington. While Trump is strongly pro-Israel, he is a pragmatist. He knows that an independent Palestine is a geopolitical inevitability. As a real estate developer, he also knows that reconstruction in Gaza represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity. War in the Middle East has long benefited the US military-industrial complex (MIC). Without US weapons and intelligence, Israel would be untenable as an independent state. Netanyahu has tried to prolong the war in Gaza sacrificing the interests of the families of Israeli hostages, many of whom have died in the 15-month captivity even as he stands accused of corruption in the Supreme Court. The war delayed hearings in the case that have only recently begun. Israels best hope of long-term security is to accept an independent Palestine, a rebuilt Gaza, withdrawal from the West Bank and establishment of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia which has made an independent Palestine a precondition to normalising diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel. General elections in Israel have been postponed due to the Gaza war. While the attacks on Hezbollah, Iran and Syria have boosted Netanyahus popularity, a new opinion poll showed that if elections to Israels 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, were held today, Netanyahus Likud and its coalition partners would struggle to win a majority. Trump may be happier dealing with Netanyahus post-election successor. His relationship with the Israeli prime minister has been distinctly cooler than former President Joe Biden enjoyed. India is watching developments closely. If peace holds in the region, the ambitious sea-rail-road India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) can be a trade game-changer. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all An independent Palestine may be the price Israel will have to pay to ensure its security in a post-Netanyahu era. (The writer is an editor, author and publisher. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views) First Published: January 21, 2025, 22:14 IST Opinion | Trump 2.0: Will Donald Be Able To Make A Difference This Time? Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 21, 2025, 16:35 IST In Trumps second term, efforts will be made to curtail the influence of deep state officials who are often hand-in-glove with the military-industrial complex US President Donald Trump cuts a cake at the Commander in Chief Ball, part of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, on January 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP) Donald Trumps second term is being widely discussed globally. In India, though, much of the discourse on him has centered on trade tariffs and H1B visa policies; but a deeper analysis suggests that Trumps return to the White House could have transformative effects not only on the United States but also on the entire world. One of Trumps characteristic achievements in his first term was his focus on deregulating the economy to boost growth. His commitment to cutting red tape and reducing corporate taxes created a more business-friendly environment; this spurred significant job creation and economic expansion. The median income of Americans increased by $5,800 during the first two and a half years of his first termthat is, in the pre-Covid period. This period also saw a secular decline in the unemployment rate. related stories A second Trump term would build upon these policies, further encouraging private enterprise and innovation. Central to this economic agenda is energy independence. Trumps America First energy policies emphasize the exploitation of domestic fossil fuels. The drill-baby-drill mantra is aimed at deregulating the energy sector and transforming the US into a net exporter of energy. This shift will not only bolster the American economy but also bring down the prices of petroleum products all over the world. This will directly benefit India as we import over 85 per cent of crude oil. The Joe Biden administrations policies discouraged fossil fuels, as it was under the influence of climate zealots. This led to a decline in domestic oil production in the US, thus increasing imports and pushing up international crude prices. As an American president, Trump didnt start any war. This didnt stop political and intellectual elites from routinely vilifying him. He is famous for his blunt, often undiplomatic utterances, but he did have a few successes in international affairs. It was during his presidency that the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states, were chalked out. These were widely regarded as a significant step towards peace in the Middle East. The Biden administrations ineffectual policy in the region, which was soft on terrorists, undid the good work Trump had accomplished. But he is capable of completing the unfinished business. Trump has promised to end wars. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus resolute leadership has already minimized the jihadist war machine in his neighborhood. Peace in the Middle East looks imminentespecially because now the jihadist terrorists and their patrons in Teheran know that any more mischief would invite severe retaliation from the US military might. In Ukraine too, there is likely to be a cessation of hostilities, given Trumps aversion to prolonged US military involvement and continuous assistance to Kiev. Trumps criticism of the deep statethe entrenched bureaucracy and intelligence apparatuswas generally, and wrongly, dismissed as a conspiracy theory by the liberal establishment. This was even though deep state functionaries tried hard to stop him from functioning in his first term and returning as President. The Hunter Biden laptop story, for instance, was suppressed by Big Tech companies to help the Democratic Party. In Trumps second term, efforts will be made to curtail the influence of deep state officials who are often hand-in-glove with the military-industrial complex. This will also result in a more restrained American approach to global military interventions. For India, this will mean a less interventionist and nagging America. Given Trumps anti-China stance, the United States may give more impetus to the Quadthe strategic alliance of India, the US, Australia, and Japan. Strengthening the Quad partnership and enhancing defence cooperation with the US would bolster Indias security in the face of regional challenges. Ditto with China Plus policy and friendshoring; the latter refers to the practice of locating supply chains in friendly countries. Domestically, Trump and his conservative supporters hate the woke doctrines and policies like DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), defund the police policy, open borders, transgenderism, and critical race theory. His administration is determined to accomplish a paradigm shift within American academics. For India, the implications of such reforms will be significant. Many Indian academics and professionals educated in the US return with ideas shaped by liberal, progressive ideologiesand cause immense harm to the nation. If American campuses become less dominated by Left-liberals, the ripple effect could positively influence the intellectual discourse in India. This could result in a more diverse ideological spectrum among Indian scholars and policymakers, fostering balanced debates on critical issues. More importantly, Trump and his supporters like Elon Musk seem determined to promote the conservative, libertarian agenda globallynot militarily (like neo-conservatives did) but by engaging in public discourse. They are doing this by opening up public discourse, by eliminating censorship by social media platforms (euphemistically called fact-checking), and by exposing woke lies. Notice how Musk brought the UKs grooming gang scandal into the limelight. We can expect the Left-liberal ideas like Islamophobia, multiculturalism, and social justice to explode in the foreseeable future. That will be a big relief for mankind. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Trump is all set to make America great again and the world a better place. The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: January 21, 2025, 16:35 IST Opinion | Why The Dons First Moves Underline Trump Hai Toh Mumkin Hai Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 11:10 IST India will be watching with great interest how he tackles the Deep State, many of whose shakers and movers are shaking and moving The Golden Age that Trump 2.0 has promised will happen mainly via the sectors they are from: AI, space and their concomitant technological spinoffs. (AP Photo) The Don has trumped and stumped them all. The Beltway elites had barely caught their breaths as news came of Joe Bidens shameless prospective pardon of his crime family in his last minutes as POTUS, that his predecessor and successor announced his intention to make good all his poll promises. Drill Baby Drill. Close borders. Take back the Panama Canal. Only two genders. Tariffs. Gulf of America. Drug cartels as terrorists. Pardons for all J6 hostages". And God. Indeed, for some, the frigid morning of January 20, 2025, was the day their worst nightmares came true. No last-minute pressure, nerves or uncertainty made Trump water down his long-stated objectives that had been reported by the blatantly partisan (read anti-Trump) media with a mixture of scorn and disbelief. Their unspoken refrain was that no one in their right mind would do half the stuff that the Orange Man had promised. But he proved them both right and wrong. related stories Because he did what he said he would do, and not in half-measures. It has been Full-on Don from the get-go. The mood in the media was first scepticism and then offence is the best defence" with the help of flailing Democrats, insisting that his Executive Orders (EO) are the first steps towards dictatorship, never mind that these are a legal part of his powers. Who would fact-check the self-appointed fact-checkers anyway? Wait a minute, what was the EO from Don on that? This is Americas 2014 moment. The man of the moment has squarely stood up for the silent majority whose votes brought him back to the highest officeblue-collar workers, Middle America, Black men, Hispanicswhen the urban liberal elites, mainstream media and even grandees of his own Republican Party had written him off as politically untouchable for, well, instigating a deadly riot and assault on the Idea of America. We Indians are familiar with that narrative. Many have been left breathless by the sheer number of fronts that Trump has decided to open up, from hitting at Chinas rise to supremacy via the liberal advocacy of ESG concerns to the watering down of meritocracy by the insistence on DEI. It has indeed been a bonfire of acronyms, including WFH, BIPOC, CRT and LGBTQIA not to mention WHO, UN and EU. The only abbreviation Trump emphatically reiterated on Monday is the one he invented: MAGA. Trump has called time on the harnessing of the international consensus" thatamazinglyhas served to benefit China. Given the pre-emptive pardon for Hunter Biden who had links with China, a closer look at the USs free pass to that country in the past four bears scrutiny that the media and favourite commentators will probably try to downplay. Instead, the effort is to seek an equivalence of the Bidens actions, covert and overt, with Trump throwing a lifeline to TikTok! Pulling the US out of the World Health Organisation (again) should negate charges of TikTok-related Sinophilia as his EO did not mince words on the reason: due to its mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states". Fauci may have been pardoned, but WHO has not. Talk about missing the wood for the treesand billionaires for the bustiers it seemed to have escaped the commentariat that there was a method in Trumps madness when it came to the $1.2 trillion worth of tech wealth gathered in the Rotunda. The Golden Age that Trump 2.0 has promised will happen mainly via the sectors they are from: AI, space (remember the flag-on-Mars goal) and their concomitant technological spinoffs. Maybe they expected Greta Thunberg. In 2020, tech bros"bosses and employeesoverwhelmingly donated (and voted) for Biden-Harris and were complicit in the egregious censorship of free speech, especially during the pandemic. In 2024 the West Coast liberals beat a path to Mar-a-Lago on the opposite coast instead. Rather than understand what changed, the US media has viciously turned on broligarchs", echoing Bidens dark farewell speech warning about oligarchs. Whose unconscious bias? The Musk behind The Man, of course, continues to be the lightning rod for much of the high-voltage critique of everything Trumpian, real or imaginary. Meanwhile, although wokeness will be an early casualty of his return to the White House, the Trump Derangement Syndrome could be the new pandemiclimited to pockets, including the Beltway. And India will be watching with great interest how he tackles the Deep State, many of whose shakers and movers are shaking and moving. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Impossible is what we do best" asserted Trump on Monday. If managing to kiss First Lady Melanias cheek beneath her forbiddingly brimmed hat was not proof enough of that, making it to the podium instead of languishing in a jail cell as many had conspired to engineer since 2021 certainly was. And too, for more than merely the MAGA faithful. Indians may like to offer Americans an apt desi phrase for this astonishing phoenix effect: Trump hai toh mumkin hai". The writer is an editor, author and publisher. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: January 22, 2025, 11:06 IST Straight Talk | India, US, And Quad In Focus As Donald Trump Takes Aim At China Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 10:53 IST While China is described as a threat, India has been called a critical partner for the US, especially to counter China's rise Donald Trump took oath as the 47th US President on Monday. (Reuters) India And Trump: The Partnership That Could Change Everything Donald Trump is back as the 47th President of the United States. His return, in the words of Indias Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar, has brought the world on the cusp of a new era one where the United States departs from an established tradition of foreign policy and focuses on its own interests, rather than in shaping the world itself." related stories That is why Jaishankar stood out among the invitees to Trumps inauguration on Monday. As Trump took the oath of office and delivered his first address, the Indian foreign minister was seen seated in the front row, right in front of the 47th President. As such, the next four years hold tremendous promise for Indo-US ties, and where both Modi and Trump can take the bilateral relationship forward. A lot is being said about Trumps return to the White House, what it means for the US, and how the world is likely to be impacted. A lot of such conversations are simply the products of an intellectual class of commentators hyperventilating due to Trumps return as President. While it is true that Trumps return has ushered in uncertainty globally, there is nothing to suggest that India, and many other developing countries, have much to worry about. For starters, Trumps first foreign policy act is aimed at China and keeping the Indo-Pacific secure. A day after Trumps inauguration as President, foreign ministers of the Quad countriesIndia, Japan, Australia and the USmet in Washington to discuss China. New to the Quad setup is Trumps Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Considered a stern China hawk," Rubio during his Senate confirmation hearing last week described China as the biggest threat to America. Also in focus is an anticipated visit by Donald Trump to India for the Quad leaders summit which could come as early as April. It is believed that Jaishankars visit to Washington is intended to primarily serve two goals one, represent India at Trumps inauguration ceremony, and two, work out a plan for the 47th Presidents anticipated visit to India within the next two to three months. China And Indo-Pacific In Focus As Trump Takes Charge With Trump back, there is no point in making predictions. At best, we can estimate Washingtons most likely course of action over the next four years. In recent days, there has been growing chatter about Elon Musks growing influence over Donald Trump, particularly when it comes to handling Americas relationship with China. While it is true that Musk would want Trump to be more cautious in how he deals with Beijing, the fact of the matter is that in Donald Trumps mind, China is the most pressing issue that needs to be taken head-on. Mike Waltz, who is the new US National Security Adviser, recently said that the Trump administration will continue to strengthen Joe Bidens Indo-Pacific strategy further, especially while dealing with China and India. While China is described as a threat, India has been called a critical partner" for the US, especially to counter Chinas rise. For India, Donald Trumps return ushers an era of renewed possibilities. It is no secret that Trump was more open and understanding of Indias need to protect itself from a wide array of threats, especially from Pakistan. That being said, while the Biden administration did not nudge New Delhi to openly and aggressively join its campaign to contain China, Donald Trump would want India to do more publicly so. There have been signs that India has been preparing for such a scenario for quite some time now from publicly calling out Chinas growing aggression in the South China Sea to more recently agreeing to initiate joint coast guard patrols across the Indo-Pacific with other Quad nations. Yet, Trump may still want more from India on the China front. Not War, But Containment: Trumps China Strategy And Where The Quad Fits In While all the aggressive rhetoric now emerging from Washington would make many believe that a war between the US and China is a possibility, team Trump does not necessarily seek conflict, but mere leverage over Beijing. Trump is not in favour of wars, as was evident in his first stint as President. Consider how even before his inauguration, Trump facilitated a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, leading to a pause in the conflict raging in West Asia since October 2023. Economy and trade are Trumps top priorities. This includes depriving China of critical and emerging technologies like semiconductors and moving the supply chain further away from Beijings control and bringing back manufacturing to the American mainland. That being said, Trump knows that China is a formidable military challenger, which is why he wants to keep up the pressure on the Chinese Communist Party. This is where the Quad fits in. China has described initiatives like the Quad, Aukus and more recent Biden-era trilateral initiatives between Japan and South Korea, and Japan and the Philippines as a tool the US uses to contain China and perpetuate US hegemony." Evidently, these initiatives have been successful in not just pressuring China, but also demonstrating that democratic countries will not allow the Communist nation to have a free run across the Indo-Pacific. Importantly, Trump is now expected to take up a leadership role within Quad, which will be a first for the 78-year-old President. Quad was only started as a formal initiative in 2021 when former President Biden hosted leaders from India, Japan and Australia for a virtual meeting. Ever since, Quad has evolved into a formal grouping whose leaders meet in person annually. This year, India is set to host the Quad Leaders Summit, which is why Donald Trump is expected to travel to the country soon. With Trump at the helm, Quads future appears more secure. The group can now also be expected to take more concrete steps to counter China and its activities in the Indo-Pacific. Often, Joe Biden was found to be focusing disproportionately on peripheral issues, like the environment and infrastructure within Quad. Trump, on the other hand, would like to steer Quad towards a solid security and strategic paradigm. He will further build on initiatives like joint coast guard patrols. Chinas approach to dealing with Trump will be a game changer. The US is likely to pursue purely transactional deals with Beijing, and the dynamics are already shifting. China has toned down its aggressive wolf-warrior" diplomacy, and communication channels between Trump and Xi Jinping remain open. If Beijing decides to scale back its ambitions of asserting dominance in the Indo-Pacific in exchange for concessions from Trump on trade, economic policies, and critical technologies, the Quads role could shift significantly. Instead of focusing on military and strategic initiatives, the group might pivot to supply chain integration and regional collaboration, adopting a more subdued stance. Trumps presidency signals a shift toward directness and immediacy in addressing geopolitical challenges, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. For India, this era is a chance to solidify its position as a critical player in shaping the regions future. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The road ahead is uncertain, but it is also brimming with potential for bold strategies and new alignments. With the worlds focus on China and the Indo-Pacific, Indias role as a steadfast and strategic partner has never been more vital. What unfolds next will shape not just regional, but global power equations for years to come. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: January 22, 2025, 10:49 IST CNN name, logo and all associated elements and 2024 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, LP LLLP, displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of NEWS18.com does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them. Copyright Network18 Media and Investments Ltd 2024. All rights reserved. Nitish Kumar's JD(U) Removes Manipur Unit Chief, Says Support To BJP Will Continue Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 18:20 IST In an official letter issued by the party's unit president in Manipur, Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, JD(U) announced that it no longer supports the BJP in Manipur Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI file photo) Shortly after the Manipur unit of the Janata Dal (United) withdrew its support from the N Biren Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Manipur, the party removed the Manipur unit president from his post for not consulting the central leadership before making the decision to break ties with the BJP in the state. JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad called the news of the partys decision to sever ties with the BJP in Manipur misleading and baseless". related stories He further clarified that Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, the JD(U) unit president in Manipur, had written the letter independently and not in consultation with the central leadership. This is misleading and baseless. The party has taken cognizance of it and the partys Manipur unit president has been relieved from his post The Manipur unit did not communicate with the central leadership, they were not taken into confidence. He (Manipur JDU chief) himself wrote the letter, Prasad told news agency ANI. The JD(U) national spokesperson reiterated the partys position, stating that JD(U) continues to stand with its NDA partner, the BJP, both at the Centre and in Manipur. We are with the NDA and the state unit will continue to serve the people of Manipur and contribute to the development of the state," he noted. JD(U)s Manipur Unit Chief Letter In an official letter issued by the partys unit president in Manipur, Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, JD(U) announced that it no longer supports the BJP-led state government in Manipur. The letter, addressed to Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh, stated that their lone MLA, Md. Abdul Nasir, would now on be treated as an opposition MLA in the House. It is, hereby, further reiterated that Janata Dal (United), Manipur Unit does not support the BJP led state government in Manipur, and our lone MLA, Md. Abdul Nasir, shall be treated as an opposition MLA in the House," the JD(U)s Manipur unit letter stated. The letter also highlighted the defection of five JD(U) MLAs to the BJP after the 2022 Manipur Assembly elections. In the election to State Assembly of Manipur held in February/March, 2022, six candidates set up by Janata Dal (United) were returned. After a few months, five MLAs of Janata Dal (United) defected to BJP. Trial under Tenth Schedule of Constitution of India of the five MLAs is pending before the Speakers Tribunal," the letter noted. It went on to mention that after JD(U) became a part of the INDIA alliance, the party decided to withdraw its support for the BJP-led government in Manipur. This decision was communicated to the office of the Honble Governor, the Chief Minister (Leader of the House), and the Speaker. As such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of Janata Dal (United) in Manipur, Md. Abdul Nasir is made in the Opposition Bench in the last session of Assembly by the Speaker," the letter said. This latest development comes amid criticism faced by the Biren Singh government over the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, which has been plagued by violence since May last year. Singh has faced criticism not only from opposition parties but also from members of his own party and alliance partners. Congress Reacts Reacting to the news on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised questions about a potential political shift, highlighting JD(U)s recent actions. Today, JD(U) withdrew support to the BJP Govt in Manipur. Yesterday, JD(U) opposed the new UGC Rules which have been announced by the Modi Govt to control top appointments to all universities," the Congress leader wrote. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Today, JD(U) withdrew support to the BJP Govt in Manipur.Yesterday, JD(U) opposed the new UGC Rules which have been announced by the Modi Govt to control top appointments to all universities. Is this heralding political climate change? Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 22, 2025 Ramesh further questioned: Is this heralding political climate change?" Location : Manipur, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 15:36 IST Samsung Galaxy S25 Launch On January 22: Live Event Timings, Where To Watch And More Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 08:30 IST Samsung Galaxy S25 series is launching in a few hours from now and here is a quick round-up of how you can watch the event and what to expect. The Galaxy S25 series will be unveiled in the US later today. The big day is finally here when Samsung unveils its new Galaxy flagship phones in front of the world. The company is hosting the latest edition of the Galaxy Unpacked event later today in the US, where we expect to see phones, smart gadgets and some more. The Galaxy S25 series is one of the biggest launches for the company in years, mostly because of its focus on AI and how it plans to compete with rivals like Google and Apple in this space. Talking about the phones, we could have three new models added to its lineup, including the big Galaxy S25 Ultra which usually gets all the limelight. related stories Samsung Galaxy S25 Launch Event Timings And How To Watch Live Samsung Galaxy S25 series will be launching at the Galaxy Unpacked January 2025 event in San Jose, US, on Wednesday, January 22. The event starts early in the morning in the US but people in India can tune into the live stream at 11:30 PM IST via the Samsung YouTube channel. Samsung Galaxy S25 Launch: What We Expect The new Galaxy S25 series will once again have three models: Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. We have heard rumours about the Galaxy S25 Slim model from the company but that could be reserved for a later date. We could also see a new Galaxy Ring upgrade being announced, and hopefully a new Galaxy SmartTag version. The new phones are most likely going to be powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset across markets. The design leaks have tapered the excitement because they look similar to the previous versions. The Galaxy S25 Ultra should get some camera upgrades but that also seems to be incremental at best. The phones are already confirmed to come with the new Android 15-based One UI 7 version, and a slew of AI features to get people talking. We are hoping that Samsung has all the features available from day one, rather than demo it for a future release, something that its rivals have been doing. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Ahead of the launch, the company announced Galaxy AI features as a true AI companion. Samsung says, with Galaxy AIs multimodal capabilities, you can draw a cat using S Pen and then type a spacesuit" to put that cat in a space suit and send it to outer space." With these upgrades and features, the Galaxy S25 series price this year is expected to start from a higher range compared to its predecessor. Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 08:30 IST Baba Vanga Predictions For 2025: Lives Of People Under These 3 Zodiac Signs Will Change Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:29 IST According to Baba Vanga, three Zodiac signs are set to undergo major transformations, particularly in areas related to finances and employment Baba Vanga's insights for the year 2025 are particularly intriguing, especially regarding three zodiac signs. (News18 Hindi) Baba Vanga, the Bulgarian mystic who died in 1996, is back in the news, this time with predictions of how 2025 will unfold for people under three particular Zodiac signs. Vangelia Pandeva Gushterova, famously known as Baba Vanga, was a blind Bulgarian mystic healer and astrologer who passed away in 1996 at 85. Her predictions continue to captivate people worldwide even after her passing. Referred to as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, Baba Vanga claimed that she acquired the gift of prophecy after losing her sight at 12. Some of her most prominent predictions were the attack on the New York Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Princess Dianas passing. related stories Baba Vanga gave many terrifying forecasts for 2025, many of which called for death and devastation. Her predictions for 2025, which still captivate people, include dire predictions of worldwide catastrophes. The latest of her predictions to come to light involves insights for the year for three Zodiac signs. According to her predictions, the lives of people born under these signs would change unexpectedly this year. These three zodiac signs are Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. According to Baba Vanga, these signs are set to undergo major transformations, particularly in areas related to finances and employment. Aries In 2025, individuals born under the Aries sign can anticipate a year filled with changes and remarkable achievements, as per Baba Vanga. This year, their aspirations and dreams are likely to materialise. Aries individuals are dreamers who persistently work towards their goals, waiting patiently for the desired outcome. With their focus on receiving the recognition and benefits they deserve, Baba Vanga said 2025 would be an ideal time for Aries to take risks and passionately pursue their ambitions. Taurus For Taurus individuals, 2025 promises to be one of the happiest and most prosperous years. According to Baba Vanga, after enduring a long period of hard work, they will finally enjoy the rewards of their labour. Having waited patiently for their efforts to bear fruit over the past two years, this year marks the perfect opportunity to reap the benefits, she had said. Taurus individuals may encounter significant opportunities to achieve long-term financial security and make wise investments. Remaining positive and optimistic will be crucial for them. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Gemini Gemini individuals can expect significant changes and opportunities in 2025, Baba Vanga reportedly said. They are likely to overcome obstacles and establish a stable future using their creativity and problem-solving skills. With financial rewards on the horizon, this is a favourable time for Geminis to trust their instincts and take calculated risks, the mystic believed. Building a strong network will be essential for maximising the opportunities that await them this year. First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:29 IST Did Online Backlash Make Narayana Murthy, L&T Boss Take U-Turn On Long Work Hours? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:16 IST Both Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan, who had previously advocated for longer working hours, have now reversed their stance. Was it the result of public outrage? L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan (left) and Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy (right) both seem to not believe in work-life balance. After sparking a nationwide debate by advocating for a 70-hour work week to make India number one", Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy walked back his stance on extended work hours. Similarly, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan faced a massive backlash online for suggesting employees work 90-hour a week. In response to the criticism, the companys HR defended his comments on LinkedIn. This chain of events begs the question: did public outrage push these industry leaders to rethink their positions on long work hours? related stories Narayana Murthy revisits 70-hour work week remark After delivering the annual Kilachand Memorial Lecture at the IMC, Murthy replied to a question on work-life balance. He not only reflected on his own experience of working long hours throughout his career but stressed that such choices should be personal and introspective. I can say that I used to get to the office at 6:20 am and I used to leave at 8:30 pm. Thats a fact, I have done it. Nobody can say no, thats wrong. I have done it for 40-odd years," Murthy said. He added, I think these are not issues that should be discussed and debated. These are issues that one can introspect on, one can ingest and one can come to some conclusion and do whatever they want. Thats all to it." Theres nobody who can say, you should do it, you should not do it," the Infosys co-founder further emphasised. Read| Narayana Murthys New Remark On 70-Hour Workweek After Row: Nobody Can Say You Should This is in stark contrast with his earlier comments on the inaugural episode of The Record, a podcast by 3one4 Capital. Murthy told former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai that youth should work at least 70 hours a week to compete with global powers like China and Japan. Murthy said, If we want to compete with the fastest growing countries like China and Japan, we need to boost up our work productivity. At the moment, Indias work productivity is very low. The government also must reduce the time it takes for decision-making and curb corruption in bureaucracy." Our youngsters need to work for at least 70 hours a week," he added. I dont believe in work-life balance: Murthy In November last year, he remained unapologetically resolute about his controversial 70-hour workweek remark. I dont believe in work-life balance," Murthy said at the CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit. To underscore his point, Murthy recalled an anecdote involving KV Kamath, Chairman of Jio Financial Services, who once said, India is a poor country with a lot of challenges. We first have to get a life, then we can worry about work-life balance." He even highlighted the work ethic of PM Modi and his cabinet. Prime Minister Modi probably works 100 hours a week. When his cabinet ministers are working very hard, when his bureaucrats are all working very hard, the only way we can show our appreciation for all these wonderful things that are happening is by our work." In 1986, when we moved from a six-day week to a five-day week, I was not very happy with that. I think in this country, we have to work very hard because theres no substitute for hard work. Even if youre the most intelligent, you need to work hard," the billionaire businessman reflected. He concluded, I am sorry. I havent changed my view. I will take this with me to my grave. I am very proud of having worked very hard I worked fourteen hours a day and 6.5 days a week till I retired." Work hard to make India number one: Murthy reiterates his stance In December, Murthy once again defended his stance. Speaking at the ICC Cemetery Celebration in Kolkata, he reiterated his belief that hard work is crucial for Indias progress. At Infosys, I said we will go to the best and compare ourselves with the best global companies. Once we compare ourselves with the best global companies, I can tell you we Indians have a lot to do. We have to set our aspirations high because 800 million Indians get free ration. That means 800 million Indians are in poverty. If we are not in a position to work hard, then who will work hard?" he asked. Despite advocating for long work hours in the past, Murthy has recently softened his stance. This shift comes on the heels of backlash against L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyans proposal of a 90-hour workweek and subsequent public defence by the companys HR. What did L&T chairman say? In a video that went viral on social media, the L&T chairman added 20 more hours to what Murthy suggested earlier. He proposed a 90-hour work week and lamented not being able to mandate working on Sundays. What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife, and how long can the wife stare at the husband? Get to the office and start working If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier because I work on Sundays," the L&T chairman said in an undated video. Also Read| Durex Trolls L&T Chairman Over 90-Hour Work Week Remark: Staring At Wife Is After his remarks ignited fresh debate on work-life balance, the companys HR, Sonica Muraleedharan, said that his comments had been taken out of context, leading to misunderstandings and unnecessary criticism. Its truly disheartening to see how the words of our MD & Chairman, SN Subrahmanyan (SNS) have been taken out of context, leading to misunderstandings and unnecessary criticism. Having been present during the internal address, I can confidently state that SNS never implied or mandated 90-hour work weeks," she wrote in a LinkedIn post. She added, His remarks were casual in nature and have been misinterpreted, fuelling a controversy that doesnt reflect his true intentions." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all But, was that the case? Were his remarks indeed taken out of context, or did the backlash force a reconsideration? While both leaders initially stood firm on their advocacy for long work hours, the backlash appears to have prompted a more nuanced approach. And it appears like public sentiment in India cannot be ignored, even by the most influential voices in business. First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:03 IST 'Doomsday Fish' Spotted At Mexico Beach, Locals Spooked Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 18:07 IST The sighting of the fish, also referred to as the 'catastrophe fish', has heightened fears of potential natural disasters among the locals Oarfish were seen on the beach months before the devastating tsunami in 2011, which claimed more than 15,000 lives. (News18 Hindi) Locals in a Mexican community are spooked after spotting an oarfish, known as the doomsday fish, at a beach in Mexico. The sighting of the fish, also referred to as the catastrophe fish, has heightened fears of potential natural disasters among the locals. The oarfish was first spotted by surfers at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. The fish, as long as a surfboard, was shimmering blue, resembling silver from a distance, with a brilliant red fin on its back. However, its tail appeared to be injured. related stories This fish can grow up to 36 feet in length and weigh as much as 200 kg. It is believed that sighting this fish is a bad omen, thought to herald earthquakes and other natural disasters. According to a report in The Daily Mail, an eyewitness in Mexico stated, It is believed that when this fish is seen, a terrible tsunami is about to come." However, scientists have not been able to provide evidence to support these beliefs. The Fish and its Connection to Destruction Oarfish were seen on the beach months before the devastating tsunami in 2011, which claimed more than 15,000 lives and was followed by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. The oarfish was also spotted before the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in California last year. Surfers who encountered the fish rushed to help, using their surfboards to push it back into the sea. Due to its appearance, the oarfish is often likened to a sea serpent. In Japanese mythology, it is said to be a messenger from the palace of the sea dragon god. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Japanese folklore suggests that oarfish reside beneath the islands of Japan and surface to warn of impending earthquakes. However, these fish are found worldwide, typically at depths ranging from 656 feet to 3,280 feet below the sea surface. An oarfish was also discovered on a California beach last November. According to the report, researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography shared a picture of an oarfish found on the shore. Location : Mexico First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:07 IST From Influencer And Follower, They Became 'Son' And 'Mother'. Then She Lost Rs 66 Lakh Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:34 IST The influencer, identified as Mao, was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison and fined Rs 12 lakh for defrauding the elderly woman of approximately Rs 66 lakh over the course of two years Tang's niece tried to warn her about the man, but she refused to believe her. (News18 Hindi) While the internet offers us convenience, it can sometimes cause significant harm, particularly to children and the elderly who are less familiar with the risks of online fraud. A similar incident happened to an elderly woman from China, who fell victim to online deception. Living alone, the woman formed a bond with someone online who pretended to be like a son to her. Little did she know that this emotional connection would lead to both financial ruin and take a toll on her health. related stories This elderly woman from Shanghai in China, is over 70-years-old and chose to remain unmarried without children. When she found someone who addressed her as mother", she became deeply attached. According to a report by The South China Morning Post, a woman named Tang was highly impressed by a social media influencer from Shanxi province. This influencer, identified as Mao, had 42,000 followers and claimed to help reunite lost individuals with their families. Captivated by his kind persona, Tang initially sent him gifts during his live streams. Later, she purchased an illegal health product he promoted. Over time, their conversations grew more personal, and he began addressing her as mother". He would greet her warmly like a son and even visited her in person. However, he also continuously asked for money on various pretexts. Over two years, Tang gave him approximately Rs 65 lakh. She defended him fiercely whenever anyone criticised him, even clashing with her family members. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Tangs niece tried to warn her about the man, but she refused to believe her. One day, the influencer abruptly cut off all contact, accusing Tang of not trusting him. This left her devastated. The shock of the incident reportedly caused Tang to lose 10kg due to stress. Eventually, after much persuasion, she lodged a complaint with the police. The authorities arrested the influencer. He was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison and fined Rs 12 lakh for defrauding Tang of approximately Rs 66 lakh over the course of two years. Location : China First Published: January 22, 2025, 15:34 IST In 2010, This Man Bought An Old Photo For Rs 173. In 2015, He Resold It For Rs 43 Crore Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 08:17 IST The photo turned out to be that of Billy the Kid, the infamous outlaw and gunfighter from the 19th Century who was accused of nine murders Billy the Kid, whose real name was Henry McCarty alias William H. Bonney, was born in 1859 and died in 1881. Imagine finding an old, vintage item without knowing its value. You keep it with you for years, only to discover one day that it is extremely valuable. How would you react? Something similar happened to a man in the United States in 2015. Years ago, Randy Guijarro bought an old photograph for less than $2 (Rs 173). In 2015, he learned that the person in the photograph was not just anyone but a very famous figure in American history. Later, when he auctioned the photo, it fetched an astounding Rs 43 crore. Recently, this story has resurfaced and gained attention on social media. related stories An Instagram account, @fact, shared the surprising incident involving Randy Guijarro. In 2010, Randy, an avid collector of antiques, stopped at an antique shop in Fresno, California, while on his way home. Intrigued by the shop, he decided to browse and came across three old photo negatives. Initially hesitant to buy them, he finally decided to purchase the photos for $2 with the last bit of money he had. One of the photos particularly caught his attention; it featured a man whose face seemed oddly familiar. Curious, Guijarro took the photo to a photography expert who had previously worked with the National Security Agency in the US. The expert revealed that the photo was that of Billy the Kid, a notorious and iconic American figure from the 19th century. This photograph was only the second officially verified image of Billy the Kid in existence. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Billy the Kid, whose real name was Henry McCarty alias William H. Bonney, was born in 1859 and died in 1881. An infamous outlaw and gunfighter, he was accused of nine murders. Despite his criminal reputation, he had a large fan following and became something of a folk hero in the US. The photo, taken in 1878, was initially valued at $2 million but later increased to $5 million (Rs 43 crore). Eventually, a private collector purchased the photo for the set price and changed the life of Randy Guijarro. Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 08:17 IST 'Message Me Before Parents': Manager's Instruction For Employees In Case Of Plane Crash Leaves Internet Furious Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:37 IST The Gong Cha franchise manager asked his employees to inform at work in case of any plane crash. Gong Cha's owner apologised for the manager's actions. There has been a substantial rise in the debate over work-life balance, which prioritises employees mental health and personal growth to maintain overall job satisfaction instead of simply making them overwork, which can lead to stress and burnout, significantly reducing productivity. With the discussion gaining momentum over the past years, another case shocked the internet after a Korean shop manager instructed his employees to choose their work over personal safety. The incident took place in the wake of the deadly air crash in South Korea when the Jeju Air flight collided on the runway, bursting into flames at the Muan International Airport. Nearly 180 passengers were killed in the plane crash that took place in the morning of December 29, 2024. Following the incident, a manager of the Gong Cha Korea franchise made insensitive remarks towards the employees, sparking a massive outrage among individuals. According to the South China Morning Post, a person who worked as an intern at the Gong Cha shop took to social media to share messages from their manager. related stories Did you see the plane explosion today? There are some people going overseas during the holiday. If a crash happens, send me a message saying, Hire an intern first before contacting mum and dad. Do not be absent," he wrote in the post, directly quoting his manager. KR work culture in a nutshell: A Gong Cha manager in Shinsaege Store jokingly told his employees "Anyone planning to travel, in case your plane crashes first send me a text & then to your family so that I can find a replacement". Clearly it didn't augur well and everyone is angry pic.twitter.com/sApSxcsBmB Notepaid (@Notepaid) December 30, 2024 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The post went instantly viral with social media users bashing the outlet and the employers. A user wrote, Please do not support Gong Cha by spending your money there. Is this really something you should say to a part-time worker? As an adult, dont you feel ashamed? This is so heartless," whereas another added, Is this person even human? Making such remarks right after a national tragedy?" The reactions also prompted Gong Cha Korea to apologise. On December 30, the franchise issued a public apology, also assuring appropriate measures against the staff. While the statement explained that the incident resulted from the inappropriate personal actions of a franchise manager, the old shop owner also expressed his regret in another handwritten letter stating, This entire situation arose from my negligence as the branch owner, and I will deeply reflect and strive to thoroughly improve store operations and staff training to prevent recurrence. We sincerely seek forgiveness from all those who were hurt by this incident and will do our utmost to regain the trust of our customers." Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:27 IST Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Reviews Huawei Mate XT Tri-Fold Phone, Calls It Incredible' Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 11:42 IST Jensen Huang emphasised how the Mate XTs triple-folding feature could revolutionise everyday experiences. As an avid reader, he appreciated the large, foldable screen for making both reading and watching movies more enjoyable. According to Jensen Huang, each visit to Shenzhen offers something new and exciting. (Photo Credits: X) Jensen Huang, the CEO and Founder of Nvidia, recently expressed his admiration for Huaweis Mate XT tri-fold, the worlds first smartphone with a triple-screen folding design. Describing the innovative device as incredible and unbelievable", Huang shared his thoughts after personally handling the phone for a brief time and experiencing its durability and seamless folding mechanism. Huangs praise came during Nvidias Spring Festival Appreciation Party, held in Beijing, China. The festive gathering not only celebrated the Chinese New Year but also gave Huang the chance to connect with Chinese culture, which he openly cherishes. The tech leader revealed his fondness for Chinese cuisine, singling out Spicy Chicken as his favourite dish. He also highlighted the dynamic spirit of Shenzhen, which he referred to as Chinas most vibrant young city." According to Huang, each visit to Shenzhen offers something new and exciting, a testament to the citys rapid innovation and growth, reports Huawei. related stories In his conversation with the media, Huang shared his thoughts on Huaweis Mate XT. He was particularly impressed by its unique design, calling it a testament to human creativity and engineering excellence. Its incredible as well as unbelievable," he said, summing up his admiration for the tri-fold handset. Huang emphasised how the Mate XTs triple-folding feature could revolutionise everyday experiences. As an avid reader, he appreciated the large, foldable screen for making both reading and watching movies more enjoyable. He noted that the expansive display was also ideal for work tasks, offering users a productivity boost without sacrificing portability. Huaweis Mate XT tri-fold debuted in September of the previous year, earning the distinction of being the worlds first triple-foldable smartphone. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Beyond his thoughts on technology, Huang also shared glimpses of his personal life during the Spring Festival celebration. The event featured classical Chinese music, traditional drama performances and other cultural shows. Amid the lively atmosphere, Huang revealed a charming detail about his signature leather jackets: they are gifts from his wife. With a warm smile, he said, Whatever my wife gives me, I love it," reports Huawei. The Huawei Mate XT tri-fold clearly left a lasting impression on Nvidias CEO, further cementing its reputation as a standout innovation in the tech world. Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 11:42 IST Pakistani Actor-Designer Deepak Perwani Faces Flak For Saying 'Indians Have It Better' Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 18:04 IST Deepak Perwani stressed the glaring disparities between the two nations, especially in regard to infrastructure, happiness, and freedom. The statement left Pakistani social media users divided, with some accusing him of being unpatriotic. (Photo Credits: Instagram) Pakistani actor and fashion designer Deepak Perwani has come under fire for acknowledging that India is outperforming his country. Perwani gave his honest opinion on the disparate realities of living in Pakistan and India in an interview with fashion writer and critic, Aamna Haider on her show Something Haute. During the interview, Perwani underlined the enormous contrasts between the two nations, especially concerning infrastructure, freedom, and happiness. In addition, he highlighted how Indian cities seemed more pedestrian-friendly than those in Pakistan. related stories If you see their lives comparatively, Indians have it better. Happiness abounds. People laugh and live their lives. Women walk freely on the streets, ride bicycles and motorbikes. Even rickshaw pullers and cab drivers use UPI," Deepak Perwani said during the conversation with Aamna Haider. The 50-year-old Sindhi Hindu designer also touched upon the standard of living in cities and extended beyond infrastructure. In contrast to Pakistan, Perwani noted that Indian cities felt more pedestrian-friendly. It is far more dynamic. There are pavements and footpaths too. It is not a concrete jungle," he added by drawing a comparison to Karachis roads, which he said were less pedestrian-friendly. Watch the complete video here: The statement left Pakistani social media users divided, with some accusing him of being unpatriotic. However, many also said that his remarks were a representation of reality. A user on YouTube wrote, I have an old picture of Karachi when women were riding motorbikes. And I also have a picture of Mumbai being Bombay, and people were happy to have a mosque beside a temple! Things have changed in both countries, and disappointments are everywhere. But if you like that country more, dont badmouth, MOVE Out!!" Another commented, He needs to move to India and spare us!" top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Running away isnt a solution. Go to India, you would never get the respect you are getting here. Instead of making the country better they are complaining," a user said. Pakistan is a third-world country with a low economy rate. Who is safe in Pakistan? Not even a 4-year-old kid. Wherever you see, Indians are making a name for themselves. Accept reality and do something productive. Get out of the illusion that we are exceptional and there is no one like you," another user stated. Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:03 IST This Supergiant Sea Bug Is Named After Star Wars' Darth Vader Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 15:29 IST This newly identified creature, dubbed Bathynomus vaderi, bears an uncanny resemblance to Darth Vader, the iconic villain from Star Wars. The naming was inspired by the crustaceans unique appearance. (Photo Credits: X) Deep beneath the waters of the South China Sea, scientists have discovered a fascinating new species of crustacean that seems to channel the dark side of the Force. This newly identified creature, dubbed Bathynomus vaderi, bears an uncanny resemblance to Darth Vader, the iconic villain from Star Wars. The discovery, published in the journal ZooKeys, came as researchers explored the thriving popularity of deep-sea isopods in Vietnam. These crustaceans, often referred to as sea bugs, have been a delicacy in the region since 2017, served in restaurants after being fished from the depths. While examining the specimens, scientists stumbled upon an unfamiliar isopod. Isopods are known for their tough, armour-like exoskeletons and their seven pairs of legs. Typically, they are small, measuring about 2.5 centimetres. But this new species is a true supergiant, stretching up to a whopping 30 centimetres. Only 11 supergiant and nine giant species of Bathynomus have been documented so far. This particular find is only the second supergiant species ever discovered in the South China Sea, making it a rare and exciting addition to marine biology, reports CBS News. related stories The naming of Bathynomus vaderi wasnt just a fun nod to pop culture; it was inspired by the crustaceans unique appearance. Its head features a shape that closely resembles Darth Vaders iconic helmet. Beyond its striking headgear, this sea bug also has a distinctive rear leg segment that tapers and curves slightly backward, setting it apart from other known supergiant species. Darth Vader Sea Bug: Vietnams New DelicacyFound in 2018 near Spratly Islands, the giant isopod Bathynomus vaderi due to its Darth Vader-like head. It measures up to 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) & weighs over 2.2 pounds (1 kg). It became popular in 2017 for its lobster-like flavor. pic.twitter.com/YVk6rVH1p6 Intrigue Archive (@IntrigueArchive) January 20, 2025 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to CBS, living at depths of over 3,000 feet, where sunlight never reaches, this mysterious creature thrives in the pitch-black environment of the deep sea. Researchers believe it was caught near the Spratly Islands in Vietnam, but its full habitat range remains unknown. More investigations will be needed to determine if Bathynomus vaderi resides in other parts of the South China Sea or beyond. The growing popularity of sea bugs in Vietnams seafood trade led to the discovery of Bathynomus vaderi, reports Forbes. Researchers from Hanoi University reportedly collected several sea bug specimens from local fishermen and restaurants. While most of these belonged to already known species, the team identified a few that turned out to be previously unrecorded species, now named Bathynomus vaderi. This exciting find brought together a team of crustacean specialists, including Peter Ng from the National University of Singapore, Conni Sidabalok from Indonesias National Research and Innovation Agency and Nguyen Thanh Son from Vietnam National University, who collaborated to thoroughly study and describe the new species. Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 15:07 IST UP Woman Fools Daughter-In-Law's Lover Into Meeting Her, Beats Him With Slippers In Public Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 13:49 IST A woman from Amroha was caught cheating on her husband by her mother-in-law. The elderly woman used her daughter-in-laws Facebook account to lure the man into meeting her and then beat him with a slipper Using her daughter-in-laws account, the mother-in-law arranged a meeting with the man and then confronted him. (News18 Hindi) Trust plays a crucial role in any relationship, especially in marriage. The survival of a relationship becomes nearly impossible if one partner is not loyal. In a recent case, a woman from Amroha was caught cheating on her husband, by her mother-in-law. While her husband was at work, the woman would spend her days chatting with another man from Sambhal on Facebook. When the mother-in-law noticed her daughter-in-law frequently sending messages on her phone while neglecting household chores, she grew suspicious. related stories Eventually, she read the messages exchanged with the man on her daughter-in-laws phone. What the mother-in-law did next was something no one could have predicted. Meeting Proves Costly The daughter-in-law would reportedly talk to the man on Messenger all day but used to delete all the messages before her husband returned home. When the mother-in-law grew suspicious of her behaviour, she checked her phone and found out about the affair. Using her daughter-in-laws account, the mother-in-law arranged a meeting with the man and then confronted him. Disappeared Before the Police Arrived top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all On Sunday, at Indra Chowk in Gajraula, a middle-aged woman was seen beating a young man. This woman was the mother-in-law of the married woman involved in the affair. She had used her daughter-in-laws account to lure the man into meeting her. Upon his arrival, she began hitting him with a slipper. The incident attracted attention, and the police were informed. However, by the time they arrived at the scene, both parties had fled, leaving the authorities unable to gather further details. Location : Uttar Pradesh, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 13:49 IST UP's 'No Helmet, No Fuel' Policy Faces Hurdles As Biker Comes With Creative Solution Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 16:52 IST The Uttar Pradesh government implemented a 'No Helmet, No Fuel' policy to reduce cases of road accidents and create awareness among two-wheeler riders. The viral video shows the rider receiving a helmet tied to a rope. The Uttar Pradesh government recently introduced a strict No Helmet, No Fuel policy aimed to reduce road accidents and fatalities, particularly involving two-wheelers. Transport Commissioner Brajesh Narain Singh issued an official directive instructing fuel station operators to deny fuel to riders not wearing helmets, highlighting the alarming number of accidents. While the initiative was intended to promote safety and awareness, it took an unexpected turn when a petrol pump introduced temporary helmets solely for fueling purposes, sparking unintended consequences. A social media user recently decided to test Uttar Pradeshs No Helmet, No Fuel policy by visiting a petrol pump without wearing a helmet. In a video shared online, he remarked, Its often said that India isnt for beginners. Helmets are now mandatory in our cityyou cant ride without one, and you wont get petrol without it. But the pump officials have come up with a unique workaround." related stories Further in the clip, the man could be seen entering the pump without a helmet. Expecting to be turned down, the staff ended up handing him a temporary helmet tied to a rope to put it on during fuelling. After completing the fuelling process, the man returned the helmet and rode away easily. The video went instantly viral with diverse reactions from social media users while many found the idea very hilarious others criticised the lack of civic sense and moral responsibility. A user wrote, If Customer is God had an example," while another added, Earlier there used to be rope tied on pens in offices and banks; now they have reached the helmet; the country is growing." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This is not good police should take action," a user shared concerns. Another one added, And then people blame govt for not doing their work." The incident came a week after another bizarre incident where a biker was refused fuel for not wearing a helmet and he took revenge by snapping the fuel pumps power supply. The rider who happened to be a staff member of the electricity department was furious after he was refused refuelling. He left the place in anger and later disconnected the power supply. Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 16:52 IST Woman Arrested For Carrying Drugs In Tote With The Message 'Definitely Not A Bag Full Of...' Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 10:22 IST The woman's luggage went under security check when the cops found a huge amount of drugs in her possession. Teryn Acri was arrested for drug possession. (Photo Credits: Facebook) Going through security checks is a common phenomenon across every airport for safety reasons. While such security checks help to prevent the entry of prohibited items and smuggling, simply protecting against any conventional crimes, have you ever imagined getting arrested for carrying a bag with the message Definitely Not a Bag Full of Drugs?" One such incident recently took place after a Florida woman was arrested for possessing drugs in her bag that carried the ironic message. Teryn Acri was booked into the Brevard County jail in connection to several charges including trafficking and possession with intent to sell, stated a report from Fox 35 Orlando. Acris legal troubles came just days after she was released from jail for similar charges. The Brevard County Sheriffs Office took to Facebook and shared a detailed account of the entire incident. related stories According to the post, a K9 unit dog detected something amiss in the few bags belonging to the woman that were inside a vehicle. While the driver willingly let the deputy search the cars believing that nothing illegal should have been in sight, especially with one such quoted bag aboard, he was left shocked after the cops found the womans bag loaded with illegal contraband. Well unfortunately for him, this is the part you just cant make up, as Acri had had a few bags with her and one of them had the words Definitely Not A Bag Full Of Drugs" printed on it!!" the post read. Among the items found inside her van included methamphetamine, needles, Narcan, digital scales, small baggies, cut straws and other items associated with drugs," following which Acri was arrested and charged with trafficking in meth, possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The latest charges are somewhat identical to the ones that she faced earlier this month. Previously, she was arrested on January 6 and was released two days later with a $15,500 bond. A bond is not yet to be made while she remains behind bars. On the other hand, a similar case has been reported from Auckland airport where a US woman was arrested by customs for carrying 31kg of methamphetamine in her luggage. After arriving from San Francisco, she went through the security check when the customs officers found the Class A drugs in vacuum-sealed plastic packages, stuffed amongst new clothing. Location : Delhi, India First Published: January 22, 2025, 10:22 IST 'Bhakt NRI Friends...': Memes Flood Internet As Indian Immigrants' Fate Hang In Balance After Trump's Order Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 22:09 IST Many users playfully advised NRIs to come back following Trump's order affecting US' immigration. Many users playfully advised NRIs to come back following Trump's order affecting US' immigration. (PTI file photo) Amid uncertainty over future of millions of immigrants from various nations, including from India, residing in the United States after Trumps new immigration order, the social media is abuzz with memes. On the first day after assuming Presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order in an attempt to curb the influx of immigrants in the US. This new order also restricts the immigrants children, who are born in America, from getting the automatic citizenship. related stories As per the executive order signed by the US President, a child born in the country will only be granted US citizenship if at least one parent is a US citizen, a green card holder or a member of the US military. As Indians remain concerned over Trumps significant move, netizens back home have various suggestions for the NRIs which they shared via memes on social media platform X. While engaging on social media, some of them highlighted why they should come back to India, pointing to its recent development. Many users playfully advised NRIs to come back following Trumps order affecting US immigration policy. Citing Indias continuous projection of growth, one of X users joked that they should return since India has UPI technology and Vande Bharat. The user tweeted, Dear Indian Americans, aa jao. We have UPI. Also Vande Bharat(sic)." While another tweeted, NRIs should come back to India in protest & contribute in Amritkaal(sic)." An X user claimed that the first thing many NRIs did after moving to the US was giving birth to babies to secure their citizenship. The preparation has started they are going to enjoy the Amritkaal pic.twitter.com/e92yyrGJ3C Mahiyar sharma (@mahiyarsharma) January 21, 2025 The user tweeted, Bhakt NRI friends are not happy that Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship. Ironically, the first thing they did after moving to the USA was have babies, hoping to secure their kids citizenship(sic)." A user even posted a clip from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham movie to compare actor Shah Rukh Khans character, who was returned home from foreign, with the Indian immigrants in US. The preparation has started they are going to enjoy the Amritkaal pic.twitter.com/e92yyrGJ3C Mahiyar sharma (@mahiyarsharma) January 21, 2025 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Video was posted with the caption The preparation has started they are going to enjoy the Amritkaal(sic)." First Published: January 22, 2025, 22:03 IST 'Clearly Prioritising Ties': Jaishankar Says Trump Admin Was Keen To Have India At Inauguration Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 23:39 IST Jaishankar made these comments while sharing his impressions of the Trump administrations approach to India during a press conference in Washington DC External affairs minister S Jaishankar (Reuters file photo) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the new US President Donald Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural, stating that they were clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship" between the two countries. Jaishankar made these comments while sharing his impressions of the Trump administrations approach to India during a press conference in Washington DC. related stories If I were to share my overall impressions, I would say one, it was very keen. It was very clear that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself. Theyre clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship," the foreign minister stated. Speaking to the press in Washington DC.https://t.co/DJsRaAyXAJ Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 22, 2025 Jaishankar further noted that the Trump administration was eager to build on the foundation laid during US President Trumps first term, which saw numerous initiatives between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Secondly, in the meetings, it was also evident that they would like to build on the foundation of the relationship, a foundation which the first Trump administration also contributed a lot to building. President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at that time took a number of initiatives, and we have seen that mature in many ways," he added. Jaishankar also spoke about the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), a group of four countriesIndia, the US, Australia, and Japanfocused on maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He noted that the current US administration was eager to further enhance the activities of the Quad. And the third impression was, with regard to the Quad, a very strong sense that the current administration would reciprocate our desire as well to take the Quad further, to intensify its activities," the minister said. Jaishankar is in Washington at the invitation of the US government. He attended the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States on Monday. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all On Tuesday, the External Affairs Minister also participated in the first Quad ministerial under the new Trump administration, alongside his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the US. During his visit, he met with newly-appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. ALSO READ: Relationship Not Well Served If Visas Take This Late: Jaishankar To Rubio During Bilateral Meeting Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 22:49 IST Crew Of Galaxy Leader, Kidnapped By Houthis A Year Ago, Released Published By : Reuters Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 20:43 IST The Houthi militants handed over the crew to Omani authorities and said the move was in support of the ceasefire agreement. A boat carrying people sails near the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis, off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen. (IMAGE: REUTERS) Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the Bahamas-flagged vessel off the Yemeni Red Sea coast, Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV reported on Wednesday. It said the crew were handed to Oman in coordination" with the three-day-old ceasefire in Gazas war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. related stories The release of the Galaxy Leader crew comes within the framework of our solidarity with Gaza and in support of the ceasefire agreement," it quoted the Houthi Supreme Political Council as saying. The crew is comprised of 25 nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, according to the car carriers owner Galaxy Maritime. The vessel was chartered by Japans Nippon Yusen. The Galaxy Leader was escorted to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Houthi-controlled north Yemen after being boarded by Houthi forces at sea on Nov. 19, 2023, soon after the outbreak of war in Gaza. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Monday the group was ready to act if Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire agreement. We are in constant readiness to intervene immediately at any time the Israeli enemy returns to escalation, genocidal crimes and siege of the Gaza Strip," he said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships plying the Red Sea since November 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israels devastating air and ground war against Hamas in Gaza. They have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers. The attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa for more than a year. Location : Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) First Published: January 22, 2025, 20:43 IST 'Make A Deal': Trump Reaches Out To Russia's Putin Over Ukraine, Then Fires A Sanction Warning Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 22:38 IST Trump said he would have no choice but to impose sanctions on Russian exports if a deal is not finalised to end the Ukraine conflict. The US President had vowed a quick resolution to the war. Trump threatened Russia with sanctions if a Ukraine deal is not finalised. (AP file photo) US President Donald Trump issued a big warning to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday telling him to make a deal to end the grinding war in Ukraine or face tariffs and sanctions. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," Trump said on his Truth Social network. related stories Trump also said he was not looking to hurt Russia, asserting that he loved" the Russian people and had a great relationship with Putin. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, Im going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE," he said. The gruelling war will complete a grim three-year mark next month, when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and no resolution has been achieved despite billions of dollars of Western aid to Ukraine. In unusually critical remarks of Putin on Monday, Trump said the Russian president was destroying Russia by not making a deal." The newly sworn in US president had previously promised a quick resolution to the conflict soon after taking office. Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way and the easy way is always better. Its time to MAKE A DEAL." NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!" he said in his post. Putin On Trumps Promises Over Ukraine War Putin had congratulated Trump ahead of his swearing-in on Monday and said Russia remained open to dialogue" for a lasting peace in Ukraine. Although Russia has been skeptical of Trumps promises, it has expressed willingness to engage with his administration for a resolution. We are also open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict," Putin said in televised remarks, congratulating Trump on his upcoming inauguration. Any settlement should ensure lasting peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people", he added. Last year, Trump said the Russia-Ukraine conflict was dying to be settled" and that he would speak to both Moscow and Kyiv to avoid World War III". Putin said he welcomed" Trumps desire to prevent a third world war. Trump has reaffirmed his intention to broker peace in Ukraine, declaring earlier this month that Putin wants to meet" and that such a meeting is being set up. In the past, he has criticized U.S. military aid for Ukraine and even vowed to end the conflict in a single day if elected. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said US President Donald Trump has told him that he wanted the war to end but wondered whether there was a clear vision as yet for exit from the war. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Our teams have been in the process of organising the meeting with President Trump. Discussions so far have been very atmospheric, these have been very general meetings. So far we dont have a date," Zelenskyy told a select media grouping here during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. Any phone call with Putin was not discussed with me but he said well talk and well work something out." (with inputs from agencies) Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 21:47 IST S Jaishankar Attends First Quad Meet In Trump 2.0, Meets Secretary Of State Rubio Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 08:19 IST Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is on a US visit after receiving an invitation from the US government for Donald Trump's inaugural ceremony as the country's 47th president Foreign Minister S Jaishankar attends Quad meet, holds talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Courtesy: X) Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the first Quad meeting held after Donald Trump took oath as the countrys 47th president and also held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio which continued for more than an hour. This was Rubios first such meeting after taking office which underlined the importance being given to India in the new Trump administration. related stories US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Meets Jaishankar After taking oath as the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio held his first bilateral meeting with Indias foreign minister S Jaishankar. The meeting took place less than an hour after Marco Rubio took the oath and continued for more than an hour. Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State.Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate. Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look pic.twitter.com/NVpBUEAyHK Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025 During the meeting, the two leaders discussed various issues related to India-US strategic partnership. Indias Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra also attended the meeting. After the meeting, Dr Jaishankar wrote on X, Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State. Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate. Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look forward to closely working with him to advance our strategic co-operation." Speaking about the meeting, spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the two leaders affirmed a shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India". They discussed a wide range of topics, including regional issues and opportunities to further deepen the U.S.-India relationship, in particular on critical and emerging technologies, defense cooperation, energy, and on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Secretary Rubio also emphasised the Trump Administrations desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration," he added. S Jaishankar Participates In Quad Meeting S Jaishankar also took part in the first Quad meeting which took place just after the inauguration of the Trump administration. The meeting was also attended by foreign ministers, Takeshi Iwaya from Japan and Penny Wong from Australia. Taking to X after the meeting, Jaishankar said, Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong and Takeshi Iwaya for their participation." Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong & Takeshi Iwaya for their participation.Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This pic.twitter.com/uGa4rjg1Bw Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025 Jaishankar underlined that the meeting of the Quad foreign ministers took place within hours after the Trump administrations inauguration. Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states. Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he said. Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration. The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good," the foreign minister added. After the meeting, the four Quad leaders also posed for a group picture. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Great to meet NSA @michaelgwaltz again this afternoon.Discussed strengthening our friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity. Looking forward to working together on an active and outcome oriented agenda. pic.twitter.com/LUlc1WBbWm Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2025 Jaishankar, who is on a US visit after receiving an invitation from the US government to attend the presidential inauguration, also held talks with US National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz at the White House. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 07:42 IST 'They Don't Actually Have Money': Elon Musk Slams Trump-Backed Mega AI Venture Published By : AFP Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 23:55 IST Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence called Stargate that would be led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. The remarks marked a rare split between Musk and Trump, after the latter contributed significanty to the President's campaign. (File Image/AP) Tech titan Elon Musk cast doubt Wednesday on a $500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying the money promised for the investment actually wasnt there. The comments marked a rare instance of a split between the worlds richest man and Trump, with Musk playing a key role in the newly installed administration after spending $270 million on the election campaign. related stories In his first full day in the White House, Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Trump said the venture, called Stargate, will invest $500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States." But in a post on his social media platform X, Musk said the main investors dont actually have the money." They dont actually have the money Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2025 SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority," Musk added in a subsequent post. OpenAI CEO Hits Back At Musk Musks sideswipe could be particularly targeted at OpenAI, the worlds leading AI startup that Musk helped found, before leaving in 2018. The Tesla boss and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, who was present at the White House on Tuesday, have been mired in a serious feud, with Musk opening repeated lawsuits against the company behind ChatGPT. Wrong, as you surely know. Want to come visit the first site already under way?" Altman replied to Musk on X. This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope youll mostly put (country) first," he added. wrong, as you surely know.want to come visit the first site already under way? this is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope youll mostly put first. Sam Altman (@sama) January 22, 2025 OpenAI is one of the worlds highest valued startups, but loses money on the high costs of turning out its expensive technology. According to the Wall Street Journal, cloud giant Oracle, which is also involved, has about $11 billion in cash and securities. SoftBank has roughly $30 billion of cash on hand. The Stargate project is committed to invest an initial $100 billion in the project, and up to $500 billion over the next four years. Abu Dhabis AI-focused state fund MGX and Oracle are also providing funding for the project, while SoftBank-owned Arm, Microsoft and Nvidia will be technology partners. According to the companies, the project is initially building a data center operation in Texas, where construction is already underway. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Ahead of taking office, Trump this month unveiled a $20 billion Emirati investment in US data centers as well as a previous investment pledge from SoftBank. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 23:55 IST Elon Musks First Public Appearance With Shivon Zilis: All About The Mother Of His 3 Kids Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 13:54 IST In a picture of the high-profile Trump dinner which has been widely shared on social media platform X, Elon Musk is seen interacting with Ivanka as Shivon Zilis looks on Shivon Zilis is the Director of Operations and Special Projects of Neuralink, Musks artificial intelligence company. (X) While SpaceX CEO Elon Musks attendance at US President Donald Trumps dinner at the Building Museum on January 19, a day before his inauguration to the post, was expected, what has caught the attention of the internet is his plus-one at the event Shivon Zilis, the mother of his three children. Amid the intrigue around their relationship, this is the first major public appearance of Zilis with Musk, who is the head of Trumps Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). related stories In a picture of the high-profile event which has been widely shared on Musks social media platform X, Musk is seen interacting with Trumps daughter Ivanka as Zilis looks on. Elon Musk, Ivanka Trump and Shivon Zilis at the dinner hosted by President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/oqLQWp8mim Eva McMillan (@EvasTeslaSPlaid) January 20, 2025 WHO IS SHIVON ZILIS? Born in Canada, Zilis, 38, is the Director of Operations and Special Projects of Neuralink, Musks artificial intelligence company. She joined the company in May 2017 Zilis has worked at multiple of his other companies, including OpenAI and electric car manufacturer Tesla, according to her LinkedIn profile According to her LinkedIn profile, she has completed her Bachelor in Arts, Economics and Philosophy from Yale University Her work at Bloomberg Beta earned her a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the venture-capital category in 2015 She has also been placed in LinkedIns 35 under 35 list. 3 KIDS & THE FIRST TIME ZILIS CAME IN THE NEWS Zilis had twins Strider and Azure with Musk in 2021. This came to light in April 2022, as Musk and Zilis filed a petition to change the name of the twins with the aim of having their fathers last name", while the mothers last name would be their middle name. After a month, a Texas judge approved the petition. A court docket summary on the Westlaw legal research service showed a judge signed an Order Changing the Names Of Multiple Children" on May 11. Musk had another child with Zilis early 2024. The childs name and gender is not known. Walter Isaacson, Musks biographer, described Zilis in his Time cover story as Musks intellectual companion on artificial intelligence since the founding of OpenAI eight years earlier". Isaacson also revealed the names of the twins in the Time cover story and shared a photo of them. Ever since imbibing Isaac Asimov stories as a kid, Musk has worried that our robots could turn on us. This Time excerpt of https://t.co/7JGHd10lOC explains why and what hes doing about it. https://t.co/EiXqmMi3E6 pic.twitter.com/loKKgwYoIx Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) September 6, 2023 THE TIMES ZILIS SPOKE ABOUT MUSK ON X While Zilis has been tight-lipped about her relationship with Musk, she is often seen posting about him on X. On January 21, 2025, she posted Musks speech at the Presidential parade, quoting a line he said: There need to be things that inspire you. There need to be things make you glad to wake up in the morning and say, Im looking forward to the future." There need to be things that inspire you. There need to be things make you glad to wake up in the morning and say, Im looking forward to the future" https://t.co/DpnRvYrjm8 Shivon Zilis (@shivon) January 20, 2025 On December 22, 2024, quoting a thread from Musks timeline, she wrote: When I first encountered Elon, one of the things that struck me was that he was never interested in doing anything for money" it would always boil down to is this of existential relevance to humanity". And, sure, if youre running a business it has to be financially sustainable to scale and be effective through time, but the point is he was never interested in anything, no matter how lucrative, unless it was of existential relevance to our species. It was rare and refreshing and hopefully increasingly common amongst us as time goes forward. So, yes, it may be that hes too expensive to be buyable but in reality it was moot regardless!" When I first encountered Elon, one of the things that struck me was that he was never interested in doing anything for money" it would always boil down to is this of existential relevance to humanity".And, sure, if youre running a business it has to be financially https://t.co/bw1wAK6Osm Shivon Zilis (@shivon) December 22, 2024 In 2020, replying to a tweet of California State Assembly member, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Shivon had defended Musk. This makes me sad. No ones perfect but Ive never met anyone who goes through more personal pain to fight for an inspiring future for humanity and has done so tirelessly for decades. Everyones entitled to their opinion but mine is that theres no one I respect and admire more https://t.co/pkNvYrrX96 Shivon Zilis (@shivon) May 11, 2020 MUSK HAS FATHERED 12 CHILDREN Musk has often spoken about the need to more children to help the underpopulation crisis". He has fathered 12 children with three partners. In 2024, Musk reportedly purchased a 14,400-square-foot mansion in Texas for $35 million (Rs 295 crore), designed for his big family including a tribe of 11 kids and their mothers. Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis.A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2022 The X owner and his ex-wife Justine Wilson had six kids, one of whom died. Nevada, born in 2002, who died as an infant; twins Griffin Musk and Vivian Wilson born in 2004; triplets Kai, Saxon and Damian born in 2006. Hey, I wud prefer to not breathe any more life into this current press cycle but I want to de-escalate the narrative atm.I spoke with Shivon at length finally, which was long overdue. This wasnt her fault, plz dont be angry at her! We respect each other a lot and were (@Grimezsz) September 10, 2023 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Musk has three kids two sons and a daughter with Canadian musician Grimes. Born in in May 2020, the first son was named X A-Xii Musk. The daughter, Exa Dark Siderl, was born in December 2021. Techno Mechanicus Musk, nicknamed Tau, was born in mid-June 2022. He has three kids with Zilis. First Published: January 22, 2025, 12:55 IST Get Armed To Survive, Don't Save On Security Spending: Poland Tells Europe Published By : AFP Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 21:31 IST Donald Tusk, Poland PM, indicated to the European Parliament that they agree to Donald Trumps proposal to increase defence spending. Polish soldiers ride Abrams tanks, as they participate in the military parade on the Polish Armed Forces Day, celebrated annually on August 15 to commemorate Poland's victory over the Soviet Union's Red Army in 1920, in Warsaw, Poland. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE) Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged fellow EU countries on Wednesday to significantly boost defence spending towards targets laid out by US President Donald Trump, saying the blocs survival depended on it. Addressing the European parliament, Tusk, whose government took up the EUs rotating presidency this month, called for action in the face of an aggressive Russia. related stories This is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security," Tusk told European lawmakers in Strasbourg. If Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed". Russias war in Ukraine has jolted NATO to strengthen its eastern flank and ramp up investments on defence. Trump has demanded alliance members increase such expenditure to five percent of GDP, more than double the current minimum of two percent. Last year 23 of NATOs 32 member countries were on course to hit the two-percent threshold with Poland leading the pack on 4.12 percent. Trumps request has been met with scepticism in some European quarters, with some diplomats seeing it as an opening salvo in the volatile billionaires new push to pressure Washingtons allies to do more. But Tusk urged EU members to take security in their own hands. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Dont ask America what it can do for our security. Ask yourselves what we can do for our own security," he said, paraphrasing late US president John F. Kennedy. The only NATO member to share a border with both Russia and Ukraine, Poland sees itself on the front line of Moscows attempts to destabilise the West and has placed security at the top of the EUs agenda. Location : Strasbourg, France First Published: January 22, 2025, 21:31 IST Israel's War Goal Remains Unmet As Hamas Reclaims Gazas Streets Published By : AFP Last Updated: January 23, 2025, 00:07 IST Despite Israel unleashing a fierce bombardment of Gaza that left most of the territory in ruins, Hamas appears to have survived, dealing a blow to Netanyahu's war objectives. Israel's deadly campaign flattened most of Gaza and killed more than 46,000 Palestinians. (AFP) After more than a year hiding in tunnels and dodging air strikes, uniformed Hamas fighters returned to the ruined streets of Gaza hours into a ceasefire, defying Israels vow to crush them. With the world watching on Sunday as Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, dozens of balaclava-wearing fighters in the groups signature green headbands were seen at the packed Gaza City square marshalling the chaotic events. related stories The day after, Hamass deputy interior minister for the territory was out and about in Gaza City, declaring that Gazans were living in a moment of victory". While Hamas was back on the streets, Israeli forces were withdrawing from the territorys densely populated areas. The destruction they left behind was staggering, yet Hamas appears to have survived, in spite of Israels stated objective from the outset of the war of eradicating the group once and for all. When you set yourself complete elimination (as a goal), if there is one man standing it can be regarded as failure," said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at Chatham House. Hamas Experienced Fiercest Bombardment, Still Recruiting This could prove a problem for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who pledged in the aftermath of Hamass October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to destroy the group. They were under the fiercest bombardment that such an organisation could ever sustain and they are still there and they are still recruiting," Mekelberg said. Israel decimated Hamass ranks and killed many of its top leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and his successor Yahya Sinwar. On Tuesday, Israels army chief said its campaign had killed nearly 20,000 Hamas operatives". Mekelberg cautioned that it was too early to assess Hamass overall condition, and acknowledged it had suffered heavy losses, but on your TV, you see that they are still there, with their bandanas and all their masks". Muhammad Shehada, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Israel had specifically targeted civil servants, police and ministers, as part of its efforts to dismantle Hamass governing ability. The continued presence of these officials and forces represents a symbol of defiance, showing they remain operational despite the onslaught," he said. On Monday, Hamas presented itself as triumphant for having survived, saying in a statement that Gaza, with its great people and its resilience, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed and continue on the path of steadfastness until the occupation is defeated". Israel Stuck In Game Of Whack-A-Mole The ceasefire is in its infancy and many questions remain about the future of the Gaza Strip and Hamas. Michael Horowitz, a Middle East analyst at the security consultancy Le Beck, said Hamas had made a show of strength both to deter rivals within the Palestinian ranks and to show Israel that any additional rounds of fighting wont lead anywhere". That Hamas was not defeated was down to one key reason", he said, namely that Israel hasnt tried to replace Hamas as a governing entity in Gaza". Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority have no role in the Gaza Strip. This solely security-focused" vision, said Horowitz, meant Israel has been stuck in a game of whack-a-mole". Eva Koulouriotis, an independent Middle East analyst, said Hamas retained overwhelming popularity" in Gaza, while attempts to provide a popular base for the Palestinian Authority and to reject Hamass rule have failed". The destruction brought by the war did breed resentment towards Hamas among Gazans, said Shehada, but many were conflicted. People also feel a sense of pride" that Hamass armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, defied Israels might, he noted. It revolves around the fact that people have been humiliated And then it brings a source of pride". The humanitarian cost of the war for the people of Gaza has been immense. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory has put the death toll at more than 47,100, the majority civilians, figures the UN considers reliable. That devastation was in retaliation for Hamass October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Horowitz said the scale of destruction was among the worst of any urban battle in recent memory, adding it eclipsed the damage done to Mosul in Iraq during the campaign to dislodge the Islamic State group. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all But ultimately, said Mekelberg, Israels military campaign didnt deal with the root causes of the conflict", echoing a call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for the ceasefire to be a first step" towards a long-term political settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Only in that way, Mekelberg said, can Israel create space between (Hamas) and the rest of the (Palestinian) people". Location : Jerusalem, Israel First Published: January 23, 2025, 00:07 IST Marco Rubio Sends Clear Warning To China Over Its Actions In Sea In First Quad Meet Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:04 IST US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held Quad ministerial meeting with his counterparts India's S Jaishankar, Australia's Penny Wong and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya in Washington DC US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds Quad meeting with his counterparts India's S Jaishankar, Australia's Penny Wong and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya in Washington DC. (Courtesy: X) United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, soon after taking oath on Tuesday, held his first Quad ministerial meeting with India, Japan and Australia. In the meeting, the leaders in a clear warning to China objected to any coercive or forceful actions to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific. related stories The veiled warning was given to China over its actions at the sea amid the threat of China claiming its sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan. The four countries, in a joint statement, restated their shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended." We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the statement added, hinting at the threat of China acting to claim its sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan. The countries also raised their concern regarding the growing power of China and the meeting tried to under that countering Beijing is of utmost priority to the Trump administration, Reuters reported. The ministers further said that they will work towards organising a Quad summit which was scheduled to be held in India this year. Significant that the Quad (foreign ministers meeting) took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states," wrote Jaishankar on X after the meeting. Chinas Opposition To Quad China has time and again criticised the Quad, a group which was envisioned by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and later expanded to a leaders summit by US former President Joe Biden, claiming that it is a plot of the United States to curb any rising Asian power. The Quad had even met earlier during the administration of former President Joe Biden and the focus of the meeting was the military and economic activities of Beijing in the Indo-Pacific, especially South China Sea. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The allies of the US have rejected the territorial claims of Beijing in the South China Sea. In the confirmation hearing, Rubio took the vow of pushing back China against an invasion of Taiwan. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:04 IST 'Flagged Some Concerns': Jaishankar Says He Discussed Visa Delays With US State Secy Rubio Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 23:52 IST Jaishankar was talking to reporters at the Indian embassy in Washington where he briefed them about his meeting with counterpart Rubio and the Quad foreign ministers meeting. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addresses the media at Indian Embassy in Washington DC. (IMAGE: YouTube) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he shared concerns about delay in visa processes with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during his meeting with him on Tuesday. Marco Rubio was appointed the US secretary of state by US President Donald Trump as he made a second return to the White House. Jaishankar was talking to reporters at the Indian embassy in Washington where he briefed them about his meeting with counterpart Rubio and the Quad foreign ministers meeting. related stories The minister said that the issue of delay in processing of visas was discussed where he shared his concerns with his counterpart. He, however, pointed out that the Trump administration was keen to have India at the inauguration". I flagged some concerns which are very widespread in India about delays in visas and the relationship is not well served if it takes that many days to get a visa. They affect business, tourism and constrain people-to-people relationship, which is the foundation of our relationship," Jaishankar said. The incoming Trump administration has announced a slew of measures targeting immigration with an aim to curb illegal immigration. Donald Trump revoked birthright citizenship, which is enshrined in the US Constitution and declared a national emergency along the US-Mexico border. The Trump administrations actions with respect to immigration has also caused concern among Indian-Americans and the Indian diaspora. However, Jaishankar said that there is a lot good" that New Delhi and Washington DC could do together. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all There was an agreement between us that we need to be bolder, bigger and ambitious and that our interactions must be more intensive," Jaishankar said. The minister said that he also met with US House Speaker Mike Johnson and six cabinet members of the Trump administration. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 22:20 IST A year of consumer outrage and federal court action has knocked Woolworths and Coles down by over $4 billion in brand value, exposing the fragility of customer trust. Small businesses can learn a lot from the supermarket giants brand crisis, from reputation management to the importance of transparency and legal compliance. 2024 was a tough year for Australias supermarket giants, Woolworths and Coles. Their image took a major hit after allegations of price gouging and misleading pricing tactics sparked a wave of consumer outrage. The public outcry wasnt just noiseit translated into real consequences, with a staggering 46% of Australians saying they would shop at these supermarkets less due to the controversy. For SMEs, this story is packed with lessons on the importance of trust, reputation, and customer loyalty. The crisis started when both Woolworths and Coles faced federal court action from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The watchdog accused them of inflating product prices by at least 15%, only to later promote these inflated prices as part of their ongoing discount campaigns. The allegations led to a sharp decline in their brand valuedown a combined $4.1 billion in just one year, a 31% drop. Woolworths brand value fell from $15.4 billion to $12.7 billion, while Coles dropped from $9.8 billion to $8.4 billion. Despite the controversy, the supermarkets remained at the top of the food chain, with Woolworths still holding the second spot and Coles coming in fifth in terms of brand value. This might seem like a victory at first glance, but it comes with a warning. Brand Finance Australias managing director, Mark Crowe, explained that the drop in brand value didnt immediately affect the checkout process. Location and market share are still the major drivers for consumer choice. But heres the catchif Woolworths and Coles dont act quickly to repair their reputations, this backlash could eventually hit their bottom line hard. So, what lessons can small businesses take away from this brand crisis? Customer trust is everything Example: Woolworths and Coles price gouging scandal The negative publicity surrounding Woolworths and Coles wasnt just about high prices; it was about customers feeling misled by inflated prices. A survey revealed that nearly half of Australians said they would shop at these supermarkets less because of the allegations. For SMEs, maintaining customer trust is crucial. Small businesses should focus on being transparent with pricing, offering clear communication, and always prioritizing customer satisfaction. A good example comes from Harris Farm Markets, a company focusing on transparency and building trust with their customers. The Australian supermarket chain is known for providing clear and honest communication about their pricing and sourcing. Harris Farm Markets often publishes detailed information on where their produce comes from and how it is sourced, making customers feel more confident in their purchasing decisions. Reputation management matters Example: Woolworths PR crisis Woolworths reputation took a massive hit when accusations of misleading pricing were brought to light, severely affecting customer confidence. Small businesses should stay on top of their reputation. This means actively managing customer reviews and responding to negative feedback. Muffin Break, for instance, uses social media not just to promote new products but to quickly address any concerns customers have, helping them avoid potential PR disasters and show their commitment to service. The power of social media Example: Consumer backlash on social media In the wake of the pricing scandals, social media became the battleground where Woolworths and Coles faced the wrath of angry consumers. Complaints flooded platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. SMEs can learn from this by using social media not just for promotions but also for engagement. Dont rely on one market or product Example: Woolworths New Zealand struggles Woolworths faced major losses in New Zealand, highlighting the risk of putting all your eggs in one basket. When the company was forced to impair its New Zealand supermarkets, it impacted its overall profits. For SMEs, diversifying is key. Legal compliance is non-negotiable Example: ACCC Investigation Against Woolworths and Coles The legal fallout from Woolworths and Coles price-fixing accusations serves as a stark reminder of the importance of staying on top of consumer laws. SMEs must make sure that their business practices comply with relevant regulations. Location isnt enough Example: The convenience vs. brand reputation battle Woolworths and Coles might dominate the market, but customer loyalty was weakened because they relied too much on the convenience of their physical locations. SMEs need to offer more than just proximity. Leverage data to drive success Example: Woolworths Use of Algorithms Woolworths and Coles used data-driven strategies to target customers, but their misuse of trust led to negative consequences. SMEs can take advantage of data to personalize experiences, but only if used ethically. Build meaningful relationships Example: The Fall of Woolworths and Coles Emotional Connection Woolworths and Coles were known for their convenience and competitive prices, but they lacked the emotional connection that could have kept customers loyal during the price hike scandal. For SMEs, creating deeper customer relationships is key. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sikh Youth Killed In Gang-related Shooting In Canada, Cops Say 'Targeted Attack' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 21:29 IST Police identified the victim as Gurvinder Uppal, 29, who they said was killed in a "targeted attack". This came over a month after an Indian-origin man was shot dead in Edmonton. Canada police said they were investigating the incident as a homicide. (Reuters/File Image) A Sikh man has succumbed to his injuries following a gang-related shooting in the city of Delta in Canadas British Columbia province on Monday, according to local police. The Delta Police Department (DPD) said Gurvinder Uppal, a 29-year-old resident of Delta, was killed in a targeted attack". The police said the DPDs major crime unit is now investigating the shooting as a homicide. related stories This was Deltas first recorded homicide in 2025, CBC News reported citing the police, and the city had no recorded homicides last year. The DPD [extends] condolences to the family for their loss," the statement read. ALSO READ: Justin Trudeau Says Canada Will Respond Robustly If Trump Imposes Unfair Tariffs On Monday, police responded to reports of a shooting and a man was taken to hospital. A white Ford pickup truck, which was located on fire shortly afterwards, was reportedly connected to the shooting that killed Uppal. These incidents have the hallmarks [of] other BC gang conflict shootings," the police said. Investigators believe the shooting to be a targeted incident and not directed at the general public." Last month, a 20-year-old Indian-origin man was shot dead in Canadas Edmonton in what the police said was a gang incident. Two persons were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, they added. The victim was reportedly identified Harshandeep Singh, a Sikh security guard. The shooting was captured on CCTV cameras and took place around midnight. A purported video of the incident on social media shows a person pushing the security guard down the stairs as another person shoots him from behind. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The incident took place on December 6, the second such case in the week after a 22-year-old Indian student was stabbed to death by his housemate in Ontario province. The victim was identified as Gurasis Singh, a first-year business management student at Lambton College. The police in Sarnia received an emergency call for a report of a stabbing at 194 Queen Street, where Gurasis and the 36-year-old accused, Crossley Hunter, were residents of a rooming house. In a later statement, police said the victim and Hunter were involved in a physical altercation while in the kitchen, where the latter accessed a knife and stabbed him multiple times, killing him. Location : Ottawa, Canada First Published: January 22, 2025, 21:29 IST Smarter Than AI? Not A Chance, Says OpenAI's Sam Altman About His Future Child Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 11:35 IST Sam Altman reflected on what skills his kid might need to thrive in an AI-driven world as he said that in the time to come raw intelligence will take a backseat. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. (File photo) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that his child will never" be smarter than AI as he asserted that the shift to artificial intelligence will prove to be a boon for generations to come. The entrepreneur, in a podcast, said, My kid is never gonna grow up being smarter than AI. Of course, its smarter than us. Of course, it can do things we cant, but also who really cares?" Sam Altman is preparing to welcome a child with his husband Oliver Mulherin. related stories The entrepreneur also reflected on what skills his kid might need to thrive in an AI-driven world as he said that in the time to come raw intelligence will take a backseat. He said, There will be a kind of ability we still really value, but it will not be raw, intellectual horsepower to the same degree." Instead, what mattered most was figuring out the right questions to ask over simply finding answers. The prompting tricks that a lot of people were using in 2023 are no longer relevant." Will AI take away jobs? Sam Altman answers Sam Altman addressed concerns about layoffs due to AI as he said that the economy will adapt to the change. He said, Eventually, I think the whole economy transforms. We always find new jobs, even though every time we stare at a new technology, we assume theyre all going to go away." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all OpenAIs o3 mini model to be out soon This comes as OpenAI finalised its o3 mini reasoning AI model, which the company will come out with within weeks. The model is an advanced version of OpenAIs o1 models and can handle more complex tasks in areas such as science, coding, and math. Location : San Francisco, California, USA First Published: January 22, 2025, 11:35 IST Top Hezbollah Leader Sheikh Hammadi Gunned Down Outside His Lebanon Residence Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 19:10 IST So far nobody has claimed the responsibility for the killing of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Muhammad Ali Hammadi. Hammadi had been a fugitive on the FBI's most-wanted list for decades. (Image: X) Senior Hezbollah leader Sheikh Muhammad Ali Hammadi, wanted by the FBI, was gunned down in front of his residence in eastern Lebanon on Tuesday night, according to Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. The report suggests that Hammadi was shot dead by miscreants arriving in two vehicles. The Hezbollah leader served as the commander of Hezbollahs western al-Baqaa region. This comes amid its ongoing conflict with Israel. related stories Soon after attack, Hammadi was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The motive behind Hammadis killing is yet to be ascertained. So far, no official statement has been made in this regard. Meanwhile, local reports speculate that the killing may have stemmed from a longstanding family feud. Nobody has claimed the responsibility for the killing. Hammadi had been a fugitive on the FBIs most-wanted list for decades. He was notorious for his involvement in a high-profile terrorist attack. Back in 1985, he hijacked a West German airliner, Lufthansa Flight 847, which was carrying 153 passengers, including several Americans. During the hijacking, an American national was tortured and killed. Hammadis involvement in this and other acts of violence against Western targets earned him a prominent spot on the US law enforcement agencys list of wanted criminals. Middle East Crisis The murder of the Hezbollah leader comes amid a turbulent period for the militant group which has been involved in conflict with Israel. The group was reportedly involved in the 2024 conflict with Israel, alongside Hamas, which witnessed killing of several top Hezbollah commanders. Tensions heightened when Israel launched attacks that targeted Hezbollahs supply chain, including detonating communication equipment across Syria and Israel. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This latest attack on a senior Hezbollah leader comes as the region continues to witness violence and a major IDF military operation in the West Bank. Israeli authorities reported at least nine Palestinians died in a raid on the city of Jenin, with dozens left injured. Despite 15-months conflict with Israel, Hamas continues to control Gaza that has witnessed houses turning into piles of rubble and many displaced amid the chaos. Location : Beirut, Lebanon First Published: January 22, 2025, 18:41 IST Trump Pardons Dark Web 'Silk Road' Creator Ross Ulbricht. Here's Who He Is Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 12:53 IST President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce his decision to grant clemency to 'Silk Road' creator Ross Ulbricht US President Donald Trump granted clemency to 'Silk Road' creator Ross Ulbricht. (Source: Reuters) United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a full and unconditional" pardon to the founder of the notorious dark web site Silk Road Ross Ulbricht. The Republican leader announced his decision to grant clemency to Ulbricht on Truth Social. related stories I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright [sic] to let her know that in honour of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," he said. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponisation of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!" Trump wrote. Who Is Ross Ulbricht? Ross Ulbricht was born on March 27, 1984, in Austin, Texas and was a high achiever as a student. He graduated in physics from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2006 and received a masters degree in materials science and engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Ulbricht started Silk Road, which is a darknet marketplace, in 2011. This was an anonymous and freewheeling platform for trade and was powered by cryptocurrency. It used Bitcoin as its currency and operated on the Tor network. The platform allowed users to carry out transactions without making a revelation of their locations or identities. In a span of two years, the Silk Road became a hub for illegal activities and started generating a revenue of more than $200 million. According to the prosecutors, Ulbricht used to operate under the alias Dread Pirate Roberts and orchestrated the operations of Silk Road. He faced various allegations which even including soliciting murders to save the platform. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In October 2013, Ulbricht was arrested in San Francisco. In February 2015, he was convicted on charges which included drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment. Reacting to his sentencing, Ulbricht had said, I wanted to empower people to make choices in their lives and have privacy and anonymity." Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 12:52 IST What Is Stargate? Unveiled By Trump, A $500 Billion AI Project Backed by OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 17:57 IST The US under Trump is embarking on a $500 billion AI infrastructure project, with Trump unveiling Stargate to secure global leadership in the business-critical technology. US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on AI infrastructure, next to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS) A day after taking office US President Donald Trump announced a private sector investment of up to $500 billion to fund infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) with an aim to outpace rival nations in the technology that is becoming critical for businesses. The venture aims to position the US as a global leader in AI, addressing rising competition from China. related stories The US President said that ChatGPTs creator OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle are planning a joint venture called Stargate. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison appeared at the White House Tuesday afternoon with the Republican to announce the company. WHY IS TRUMP CALLING STARGATE WORLDS LARGEST AI INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT? Trump said Stargate will build data centers and create more than 100,000 jobs in the United States. OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle along with other equity backers of Stargate, have committed $100 billion for immediate deployment, with the remaining investment expected to occur over the next four years. There is a commitment to increase it to $500 billion for Stargate over the coming years. Stargate will build the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of AI," Donald Trump said while speaking to reporters. Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison said the first of the projects data centers are already under construction in Texas. He said the project could power AI that analyzes electronic health records and helps doctors care for their patients. He also said that twenty data centers will be built half a million square feet each, he said. The executives gave Trump credit for the news, according to a report by news agency Reuters. We wouldnt have decided to do this," Son told Trump, unless you won." For AGI to get built here," said Altman, referring to more powerful technology called artificial general intelligence, we wouldnt be able to do this without you, Mr. President." The Reuters report also said that in March 2024, The Information, a technology news website, reported OpenAI and Microsoft were working on plans for a $100 billion data center project that would include an artificial intelligence supercomputer also called Stargate" set to launch in 2028. AI seems to be very hot. It seems to be the thing that a lot of smart people are looking at very strongly. And our country will be prospering like never before. It is going to be the golden age of America," Donald Trump said. Ellison called the most charismatic" application of the AI will be on electronic health records, enabling doctors to observe best practices across distant locations. According to USA Today, a doctor at Indian River reservation could learn how a doctor at Memorial Sloan Kettering treats a patient. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all AI demands vast computing power, driving the need for specialized data centers that enable tech companies to connect thousands of chips in clusters. They have to produce a lot of electricity, and well make it possible for them to get that production done very easily at their own plants if they want," Trump further added. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 17:57 IST Who Is Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop Who Made A Plea To Trump On LGBTQ, Immigrants? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 22, 2025, 09:03 IST Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde On Donald Trump: Mariaan Edgar Budde is the spiritual leader for 86 Episcopal congregations and ten Episcopal schools in the Columbia district and four Maryland counties. US President Donald Trump stands near Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde as he attends the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS) Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde On Donald Trump: Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal bishop of Washington, appealed to US President Donald Trump at his inaugural prayer service as she asked him to have mercy on the people of the LGBTQ community and undocumented migrant workers. In her sermon, Bishop Budde said, Let me make one final plea, Mr President. Million have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now." related stories She added, They are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives." This comes as Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders including roll back of transgender rights and toughening immigration policies in the US. When asked about the sermon, Donald Trump said, Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service. They could do much better." Who is Mariann Edgar Budde? top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Mariaan Edgar Budde is the spiritual leader for 86 Episcopal congregations and ten Episcopal schools in the Columbia district and four Maryland counties. She is the first woman to be elected to this position and also serves as the chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation. She has also served as the rector of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years before moving to Washington. As per her bio, she is an alumna of University of Rochester, New York where she pursued Bachelors in history followed by a Masters in Divinity (1989) and Doctor of Ministry (2008) from the Virginia Theological Seminary. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: January 22, 2025, 09:03 IST The government plans to complete the north-south high-speed rail within 10 years as it prioritizes breakthroughs in infrastructure development, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said. Infrastructure is among Vietnams key pillars in achieving a minimum GDP growth of 8% this year and increasing it to double digits in the coming years, he said at the National Strategy Dialogue at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21. Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the National Strategy Dialogue at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2025. Photo by Nhat Bac So the country plans to complete the railroad within 10 years and begin construction of a key route connecting it with China and other countries in Central Asia and Europe this year, he said at the fourth annual dialogue the WEF held with Vietnam. The National Assembly approved in November the high-speed rail link at an estimated cost of VND1.7 quadrillion (US$67 billion). The 1,541-km line will run between Hanoi and HCMC, passing through 20 localities. It will feature 1,435-mm tracks designed for speeds of 350 kilometers per hour. It will have 23 passenger stations and five freight stations, serve both civilian and military needs. Construction is expected to start in 2027. PM Chinh spoke about ongoing work to complete major airports, seaports and expressways. This year alone at least 3,000 kilometers of expressways are expected to be completed. These works align with Vietnam's three strategic development focuses: infrastructure, institutional reform and human resources. The PM said domestic strengths would be leveraged, including human capital and natural resources, while exploring new opportunities in maritime and space development. "Vietnam is committed to fast yet sustainable development, focusing on people rather than pursuing mere economic growth. "It has been a pioneer in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule." At the dialogue, international business leaders praised Vietnam's commitment to improving its investment environment. They expect incentives for infrastructure investment and liquefied natural gas projects and eased trade restrictions with key markets. Vietnam is set to restart the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project and aims to complete it within five years, Chinh said. He assured that with its diverse energy mix combining nuclear, renewable (wind and solar) and other sources and imports, Vietnam would be able to meet its electricity demand. "There will be no power shortage in Vietnam." To unlock growth potential and achieve strategic goals for 2030 and 2045, his nation is revitalizing traditional growth drivers such as investment, exports and consumption, he said. But new growth engines like the digital, green and sharing economies, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation are also being prioritized, he said. He invited partners and investors to collaborate with Vietnam for institutional improvement, infrastructure development and technology transfer. Also on Wednesday Chinh told Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang that Vietnam prioritizes relations with China. Officials of Vietnam and China meet in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2025. Photo by Nhat Bac He proposed cooperation in finance, technology and human resource training for building a standard-gauge rail link between Lao Cai Province on the China border, Hanoi and the port city of Hai Phong starting this year. Another rail link is planned be built to improve connectivity between the northern province of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong. The PM also sought collaboration in science, technology and innovation, particularly in areas where China excels, such as big data, cloud computing, quantum technology, and microbiology. Separately, in talks with Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, he urged Gulf businesses and funds to strengthen partnerships and share expertise to help Vietnam develop international financial centers. According to government plans, the centers, in HCMC and Da Nang, are set to be operational by 2025, positioning Vietnam as a major region and global financial hub, he added. An agreement to waive visa requirements for Vietnamese and Belarusians holding common passports will be effective starting Jan. 30. The visa exemption agreement was signed on Dec. 8, 2023 by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and her Belarusian counterpart Evgeny Shestakov. The agreement will be implemented at the end of this month, the foreign ministry said in a recent statement. Under the agreement, Vietnamese passport holders can stay in Belarus without a visa for up to 30 days per entry, with a maximum stay of 90 days within a year. Belarusian citizens will benefit from the same conditions when visiting Vietnam. The two countries had previously signed a visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports in 1993. Since 2015, all Belarusian citizens have been allowed to enter Vietnam visa-free. "The visa exemption agreement for common passport holders between Vietnam and Belarus marks a new step in the two countries friendly relations, and opens new opportunities for cooperation in several fields," the foreign ministry said. A science-related comment made by President Trump during an inauguration address on Tuesday sparked online backlash, particularly among New Zealanders. Trump said Americans "crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the Wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted millions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand." The atom assertion is the problematic part, as it contradicts the widely acknowledged achievement of Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander recognized as the father of nuclear physics. In 1917, while at a university in Manchester, UK, Rutherford distinguished himself as the first to artificially induce a nuclear reaction. The milestone is also credited to scientists John Douglas Cockroft and Ernest Walton, who conducted similar research in 1932 in a British laboratory developed by Rutherford. Trump's remarks drew condemnation from several New Zealand citizens and officials, including Nick Smith, the mayor of Rutherford's hometown of Nelson. He emphasized that Rutherford's revolutionary "research on radio communication, radioactivity, the structure of the atom, and ultrasound technology" took place in the UK and Canada, not the US. Smith humorously suggested inviting the next US ambassador to Rutherford's birthplace to ensure historical accuracy is maintained. The US Department of Energy acknowledges Cockroft and Walton for splitting the atom while conceding Rutherford's foundational contributions. Among those who voiced their grievances after the comment: Ben Uffindell, editor of The Civilian, who humorously posted, "Okay, I've gotta call time. Trump just claimed America split the atom. That's THE ONE THING WE DID." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) Billionaires' wealth grew three times faster in 2024 than the year before, a top anti-poverty group reported Monday, as some of the world's political and financial elite prepared for an annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland. Oxfam International, in its latest assessment of global inequality timed to the opening of the World Economic Forum meeting, also predicts at least five trillionaires will crop up over the next decade. A year ago, the group forecast that only one trillionaire would appear during that time, per the AP. OxFam's research adds weight to a warning by outgoing President Biden last week of a "dangerous concentration of power in the hands of very few ultra-wealthy people." The numbers: Many investors racked up strong gains in 2024, with strong performances for top tech companies and stock market indexes like the S&P 500, as well as the price of gold and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. In its report, titled "Takers Not Makers," Oxfam also says the number of people in poverty has barely budged since 1990. The group said billionaire wealth grew by $2 trillion last year, or roughly $5.7 billion a daythree times faster than in 2023. The number of billionaires rose by 204 to 2,769, and the 10 richest men saw their wealth rise nearly $100 million a day on average, it said. In Las Vegas, a judge has rejected Duane "Keffe D" Davis's request to dismiss the murder charges against him in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. In a decision issued Tuesday, Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said he found no evidence supporting Davis's claim of immunity agreements made with local and federal authorities during eitther 1998 or early 2000s interviews, which Davis argued should exempt him from prosecution. Davis, charged with first-degree murder, has pleaded not guilty and contends that the 27-year delay in his indictment is a violation of his constitutional rights. Davis is accused of orchestrating the fatal shooting of Shakur, which occurred near the Las Vegas Strip after an altercation at a casino involving Shakur and Davis's nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson. Davis, once a leader of a Crips gang faction in Compton, allegedly provided the weapon used during the shooting. Prosecutors say the evidence against Davis includes his own account as shared in his 2019 memoir. The trial is set for March 17 in Las Vegas, and Davis remains in custody following his arrest in September 2023. The shooting, which led to Shakur's death at the age of 25, has been shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories for decades. Anderson, who was also suspected but never charged, was killed in a separate shooting in 1998. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) Get the news faster. Tap to install our app. Access Newser even faster. Click here to install our app on your desktop. X Australian authorities are investigating potential foreign involvement in recent antisemitic crimes across the nation, amid rising tensions since the Israel-Hamas conflict began on October 7, 2023. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has suggested that "criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents" and is exploring whether payments to these individuals could be made through hard-to-trace means like cryptocurrency. The inquiry also examines whether these culprits are domestic or overseas, and their underlying motivations remain under scrutiny. The uptick in antisemitic activities has led officials to probe 15 serious allegations, with a spotlight on the possible foreign funding of local criminals to perpetrate these offenses. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has emphasized the importance of understanding the origins of these attacks, suggesting involvement of individuals who lack a personal or ideological motive and instead could be "paid actors." The recent arson attack on a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue underscores the trend of targeted incidents in areas such as Sydney and Melbourne, where 85% of Australia's Jewish population resides. In response, police efforts have intensified, notably through Strike Force Pearl, which focuses on antisemitic crime and which has doubled its investigative team from 20 to 40 detectives. A significant breakthrough occurred with the arrest of a 33-year-old man accused of attempting to set fire to a synagogue in Sydney's Newtown, although the attack did not succeed. Meanwhile, authorities anticipate apprehending another suspect in that attack soon. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) A Nassau County Supreme Court judge has denied the Long Island Roller Rebels' request to halt a local ban on transgender women athletes. This decision prevents the Roller Derby League from temporarily stopping the enforcement of a ban instituted by Nassau County in July, which prohibits transgender women and girls from participating in female sports teams at its parks and recreation facilities. Judge Bruce Cozzens ruled that the law does not exclude transgender women from public facilities, as they can participate in coed sports leagues instead, stating it aims to ensure a safe environment for individuals born female. The Roller Rebels, supported by the New York Civil Liberties Union, expressed disappointment and a plan to appeal, arguing the ruling contradicts other judicial decisions and state laws protecting civil rights. NYCLU attorney Gabriella Larios described the decision as an "outlier." Amanda "Curly Fry" Urena, Roller Rebels president, criticized the ruling as transphobic, adding, "keeping this ban intact is not only cruel, but it is also dangerous." The local law follows the Republican-controlled legislature's passage after a similar executive order by County Executive Bruce Blakeman was previously overturned. Blakeman endorsed the latest ruling as "common sense," citing safety concerns about competitive advantages among transgender athletes. The decision coincides with broader actions on transgender rights, such as an executive order by President Trump on Monday, which redefines federal recognition of gender to only two biological sexes, male and female. The ongoing case also faces a legal challenge from New York Attorney General Letitia James. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) President Trump is revisiting his agenda to relax standards on high-efficiency appliances with an executive order aimed at "unleashing American energy." This order seeks to reduce regulations on various household items such as dishwashers, showerheads, and washing machines. Trump previously criticized efficiency standards for impacting the functionality of certain appliances, saying standards such as low showerhead flow affect his "perfect" hair and claiming such toilets had to be flushed excessively. Federal guidelines have long dictated water and energy consumption limits for appliances, aiming to lower utility bills and conserve resources. The Obama administration tightened these rules, only for Trump's first term to attempt loosening them by creating loopholes favoring higher flow rates. Despite such endeavors, "no manufacturers, to our knowledge, took advantage of those loopholes," according to Andrew deLaski of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. The Natural Resources Defense Council calls energy efficiency a remedy against energy price hikes, while polls show 58% of Americans support stringent appliance regulations, with 26% opposed (the rest were neutral on the subject). In deLaski's view, rating sites like Wirecutter show "we don't need to use unlimited energy and water to do a good job of cleaning clothes, washing dishes, or providing a great shower." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) Chris Brown has filed a $500 million lawsuit over a documentary accusing him of rape and evidence tampering, per the BBC . The R&B star accuses Warner Bros. Discovery and production company Ample Entertainment of defamation over claims made in Chris Brown: A History of Violence , released in October, which also chronicles years of abuse allegations against the singer. He accuses the companies of "promoting and publishing false information in their pursuit of likes, clicks, downloads, and dollars," per the Guardian . The suit also calls out a Jane Doe, who accused Brown of drugging and raping her on Sean "Diddy" Combs' yacht in late 2021. She filed a $20 million lawsuit , which was "dismissed for insufficient evidence," the Guardian reports. While the documentary largely centered on Jane Doe's allegations, it touched on plenty of other cases: Brown was convicted of a 2009 assault on Rihanna, allegedly broke a window at Good Morning America's studio in 2011, was accused of throwing a rock through his mother's car window in 2013, and pleaded guilty to punching a man outside a hotel that same year. In 2016, a woman accused him of assaulting her at a Las Vegas casino, though police said there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges, per the BBC. That same year, Brown's ex-manager accused him of assault, resulting in a 2019 settlement, per the Guardian. And in 2017, ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a restraining order against Brown, whom she said punched her and pushed her down stairs. Brown was twice more accused of sexual assault. In one case, charges were never filed; in the other, the case was settled out of court, per the Guardian. More recently, four concertgoers accused Brown and his entourage of a brutal attack in July, per the outlet. That case is awaiting trail. In his lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Brown slams the documentary for labeling him "a serial rapist and sexual abuser," with his lawyers saying he's "never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime," per the BBC. The defendants' "actions undermine not only Mr. Brown's decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence," a lawyer adds. The suit notes a portion of any damages would be donated to survivors of sexual violence. (More Chris Brown stories.) Shortly after Donald Trump's return to the presidency, the Spanish-language White House website vanished, raising concerns among Hispanic communities. The removal of the site , which now shows an "Error 404" message, has prompted criticism about a lack of communication with the Latino demographic, which played a key role in Trump's electoral success. It also included a "Go Home" button that directed viewers to a page featuring a video montage of Trump in his first term and on the campaign trail. The button was later updated to read "Go To Home Page." Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, assured, "We are committed to bringing back online the Spanish translation section of the website," although specifics were not provided. The elimination of the Spanish White House's X profile and other related resources also drew backlash. Advocates, like Frankie Miranda of the Hispanic Federation, emphasized the importance of providing Spanish content to engage with the country's second-largest demographic group. Census data shows that 43.4 million Americans speak Spanish at home, highlighting the potential isolation caused by this decision. Critics argue the removal signals a political stance that diminishes the significance of Latino constituencies, potentially alienating a crucial voter base. Individuals like Monica Rivera and Anthony Hernandez voiced feelings of exclusion, fearing that such actions suggest the administration's priorities lean away from Latino needs. This step appears to contradict Trump's popularity with certain Hispanic voters. Observers, including historian Kris Klein Hernandez, argue that such moves could marginalize Spanish-speaking citizens and migrants. The decision to target only the Spanish version of the site raises questions about its alignment with broader policy and communication strategies. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) On January 21, Marco Rubio was sworn in as the 72nd United States Secretary of State. Earlier, at his confirmation hearing, soon-to-be Secretary Rubio outlined his vision for United States foreign policy. At the end of the Cold War, he noted, a mistaken consensus emerged that national interest could be replaced by one that served the liberal world order: This wasnt just a fantasy. We now know it was a dangerous delusion. The U.S. industrial capacity collapsed; critical supply chains were pushed into the hands of adversaries; mass migration threatened the stability of societies and governments. While the United States, he said, too often prioritized the global order above our core national interest, other nations ... manipulated it to serve their interests at the expense of ours. We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into the global order, and they took advantage of all of its benefits and they ignored all of its obligations and responsibilities, he said. [N]arco-terrorists and dictators and despots take advantage of open borders to drive mass migration, to traffic in women and children, and to flood our communities with deadly fentanyl and violent criminals. In Moscow, in Tehran, in Pyongyang, dictators - rogue states now sow chaos and instability ... and then they hide behind their veto power at the United Nations Security Council or the threats of nuclear war. To confront the current geopolitical instability, said Mr. Rubio, what is required is a United States strong and confident ... that engages in the world, putting our core national interests once again above all else. Four years ago, Mr. Rubio noted, American strength was a deterrent to our adversaries, and it gave us leverage in diplomacy. Now, tragically, he said, horrifying atrocities and unimaginable human suffering can be found on virtually every continent. Because the United States was founded on the revolutionary truth that all men are created equal and their rights come from God, we will never be indifferent to the suffering of our fellow man, said Mr. Rubio. But ultimately, under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. For in the end, Mr. Rubio declared, how can America promote the cause of peace on Earth if it is not first safe at home? What good is America to our allies if it is not strong? And how can America end the suffering of Gods children across the world if it is not first prosperous here at home? The Italian government is under fire after releasing Libyan warlord Ossama Anjiem, also known as Ossama al-Masri, who was apprehended Sunday on an International Criminal Court warrant for war crimes. Al-Masri was ordered freed on Tuesday due to a procedural glitch that required Italian justice minister Carlo Nordio's prior notification of the arrest. His swift return to Tripoli, facilitated by Italian secret services, has provoked suspicions of political motives behind the release. Footage shows al-Masri arriving at the airport to cheers; at one point, supporters apparently lifted him onto their shoulders. Opposition figures, including ex-Premier Matteo Renzi, have blasted the government, accusing it of hypocrisy by contrasting its anti-human trafficking stance with the decision to send al-Masri back to Libya. The Democratic Party demands that Premier Giorgia Meloni clarify the actions. One senator pointed out the plane sent to collect al-Masri was dispatched to Turin prior to the Rome appeals court making its ruling, suggesting Meloni's office had already decided to send him home. Meanwhile, human rights organizations expressed disbelief at the release, highlighting the notorious abuses in Libyan detention facilities tied to al-Masri. The incident underscores Italy's complex relationship with Libya, particularly its cooperation with the internationally recognized Tripolitanian government and support for the Libyan coast guard, which it has given money to in exchange for it preventing Libyan migrants from leaving. Humanitarian activists emphasize that militias in Libya wield significant control over migration routes to Europe, influencing Italy's actions. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) A man from England, Kyle Clifford, has confessed to the 2022 murder of three women in a violent altercation involving a crossbow and a knife north of London. The victims, who were related to BBC radio commentator John Hunt, included Clifford's 25-year-old ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her sister Hannah, 28, and their mother, Carol, 61. Clifford admitted to murder, false imprisonment, and possessing offensive weapons, but denied raping Louise Hunt. The tragic incident, which occurred in Bushey, saw police and emergency services arrive too late to save the women, who succumbed to their injuries on-site. After the murders, Clifford, a former military member, wounded himself with the crossbow and was found in a cemetery. This case has prompted UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to consider legislative changes surrounding crossbow ownership, highlighting that these weapons currently do not require a license but are prohibited in public without a valid reason. The recent incident is not isolated, as crossbows have been used in multiple crimes, including a notorious 2021 attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. The assailant in that case, Jaswant Singh Chail, was later convicted of treason and received a nine-year prison term. These events underscore the ongoing debate about the regulation and control of crossbows in the UK, as lawmakers grapple with the potential dangers posed by such easily accessible weapons. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) A tragic knife attack unfolded Wednesday night outside the Nagano train station in central Japan, resulting in one fatality and leaving two people injured. Authorities confirmed that a 49-year-old man succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Additionally, a 37-year-old man was wounded but is reported to be conscious. A 46-year-old woman sustained a head injury as a result of a fall during the incident. The assailant, described as an unfamiliar middle-aged man, remains at large. The stabbing occurred in close proximity to a bus terminal, aggravating concerns in a nation known for its stringent gun control and low rates of violent crime. This incident adds to a troubling trend in Japan, where there has been a spate of seemingly random knife attacks and arson cases on public transport systems in recent years. As authorities continue their manhunt, the community grapples with shock and unease. Despite Japan's reputation as one of the safest countries globally, these sporadic acts of violence leave a disquieting mark. Law enforcement officials are appealing for any information that could aid in capturing the suspect and are urging vigilance among the public. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) TDT | Manama Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), today visited the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) pavilion at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 55th Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where HH met with the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, HE Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, and members of the UAEs delegation. The meeting took place on the sidelines of HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman's leadership of a high-level Bahraini delegation at the WEF. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman affirmed the strength of the deep-rooted ties between Bahrain and the UAE, strengthened by the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. His Highness noted that the UAEs pavilion, hosting various events attended by prominent figures, serves as a platform for exchanging expertise and sharing best international practices. The meeting also discussed ways to enahnce the Bahrain-UAE relationship in line with mutual aspirations. The Minister of Finance and National Economy, HE Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and several senior officials also attended the meeting. TDT | Manama Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tamkeen, participated in the session New Approaches to Measuring Growth Beyond GDP held at the Saudi House. The event was part of HHs leadership of a high-level Bahraini delegation at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos. During the session, HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman underscored the exemplary nature of Bahrain-Saudi bilateral relations, attributing their strength and depth to the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. HH Shaikh Isa also praised the dedication of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrains Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabias Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in advancing cooperation and coordination between the two Kingdoms. Highlighting the shared history and deep-rooted ties between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, HH Shaikh Isa noted how this enduring partnership has continuously evolved, fostering stronger collaboration and joint initiatives. HH Shaikh Isa commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its unprecedented achievements across various fields, which have solidified its status as a global leader. He emphasized that Saudi Arabias successes also contribute to Bahrains progress and regional development, reflecting the intertwined prosperity of the two nations. Concluding his remarks, HH Shaikh Isa wished the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continued success and prosperity under its visionary leadership. The session was also attended by Bahrains Minister of Finance and National Economy, HE Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and other senior officials, further highlighting Bahrains commitment to regional and international collaboration. TDT | Manama Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com Bahrains Ministry of Youth Affairs has further solidified its commitment to quality service delivery by receiving the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification. The certification, which recognizes organizations for their exceptional quality management systems, marks a significant achievement in the Ministrys dedication to meeting the needs and aspirations of the nations youth. The certification was officially presented to Her Excellency Ms. Rawan bint Najib Tufeki, the Minister of Youth Affairs, by Mr. Adel Nazeer, Chairman of Thinkprox, a leading global certification body. Minister Tufeki highlighted that the Ministry's ongoing efforts to improve its systems and services align with global best practices, ensuring that youth centers and institutions under the Ministrys jurisdiction maintain high-quality services. We are continually striving to enhance the services we offer, reflecting the rapid changes in the youth sector. The renewal of our ISO 9001:2015 certification demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in all our operations, said Minister Tufeki. By adhering to these standards, we are empowering the youth of Bahrain and strengthening their role in building a sustainable future for the Kingdom. The Minister also praised the collective efforts of the Ministrys team, whose dedication has been essential in securing this milestone. She emphasized that achieving this certification is a responsibility to maintain a high level of service delivery and to continually innovate in support of the youth sector. With this achievement, the Ministry of Youth Affairs continues to pave the way for effective practices and modern solutions that contribute to the growth and development of Bahrains youth, aligning with the Kingdoms broader vision for a prosperous future. TDT | Manama Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com A push to hand over the running of large parks and walkways in the Southern Governorate to private investors has been approved by the municipal council. The proposal, tabled by councillor Ali AbdulHamid Al Shaikh, was endorsed at the councils Wednesday meeting. Under the plan, private firms would take responsibility for the upkeep, security, and day-to-day running of these public spaces, lifting the financial strain from the government. In return, investors would gain the right to develop the parks for commercial purposes, including advertising and other business ventures, generating income for both the municipality and the investors. The councils study argued that the plan would be beneficial to all parties involved. The municipality would receive additional revenue through fees paid by investors, while the public would enjoy better-maintained facilities. Private firms, meanwhile, would be able to profit by improving and managing these spaces. The proposal fits with ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture to upgrade parks and walkways across the kingdom, ensuring they meet contemporary expectations and serve the needs of the public. These initiatives are part of Bahrains long-term development plans and the governments strategy to improve public amenities. The councils committee reviewed the proposal during its 11th meeting and determined it complied with existing laws. Article 19 of the Municipalities Law (Decree No. 35 of 2001) empowers municipal councils to propose and prioritise local projects involving public services, including parks. The plan also follows Article 13 of the executive regulations, which focuses on the creation and improvement of public parks, beautification of spaces, and protection of municipal properties. The committee highlighted that private investment in parks would reduce the financial burden on the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs, and Urban Planning. It would also create new opportunities for businesses and provide better services for the public. The council unanimously agreed to recommend that the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture engage with the relevant authorities to explore how the plan can be implemented. The United States is deeply concerned by the increasing number and lethality of terrorist attacks in Africa, said U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Charge d Affairs ad interim at the United Nations. We urge the members of this Council to take action and agree to listing more Africa-based ISIL and Al-Qaida affiliates in the 1267 Sanctions Committee, so they will be subject to a worldwide assets freeze. We also urge Member States to support the designation of additional individuals in the Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee. Terrorists only stand to benefit from the Councils inaction, particularly since money continues to be the lifeblood of terrorists, said Ambassador Shea. We should bolster our efforts to stem the flow of funds to terrorists and avoid politicizing sanctions listing proposals. The United States calls for action to address the growing relationship between the Houthis in Yemen and Al-Shabaab and other malign actors in Somalia as documented in reporting by the UN sanctions panel of experts. The trade in arms and exchange of tactical and operational expertise between these groups will negatively impact security in Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. We acknowledge the African Unions efforts to strengthen its counterterrorism architecture, said Ambassador Shea. When security efforts respect the rule of law and human rights, it builds trust in the police and military that is vital to undermining terrorist recruitment. Whereas, if a population suffers human rights violations at the hands of security services, and when governments fail to provide services, civilians may turn to violent extremists for protection, mediation of conflicts, and the provision of justice. We must collectively do more to track terrorist recruitment in Africa and the movement of foreign terrorist fighter recruits within, to, and from the African continent, said Ambassador Shea. Moving forward ... business as usual is a failing strategy to address the deep systemic challenges the African continent faces from terrorism, said Ambassador Shea. We look forward to the opportunity to work with willing African partners, the international community, and this Council to develop pragmatic solutions that will effectively counter the growing terrorist threat. TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Across the country, the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe and more frequent with extreme events like floods and wildfires and more gradual changes like thawing permafrost and rising sea levels, affecting the safety and quality of life of our communities. Acting now will help protect our communities from the worst economic and environmental impacts of climate change by improving long-term resilience and reducing costs associated with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson and Parliamentary Secretary Julie Dabrusin announced $4.1 million in funding for two projects based around Ontario's Great Lakes under Natural Resources Canada's Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program. Through the CRCC Program, the two projects respectively led by Conservation Ontario and Zuzek Inc. will aim to support coastal communities around the Great Lakes by completing climate change risk assessments and developing integrated adaptation plans and actions in collaboration with regional stakeholders and Indigenous communities. The Government of Canada is investing in climate change adaptation to proactively support community-led resilience and adaptation efforts. It is essential, now more than ever, that we come together to help communities stay strong in the face of current and future change. Quotes "The impacts associated with climate change including intense wildfires, devastating floods, stronger storms and hurricanes, and permafrost thaw in the north are being felt environmentally and economically in every single region of Canada. That is why this federal government is acting now to help our communities and economy prepare for and protect against the threat of climate change. Today's announcements of two projects based around the Great Lakes support vital, community-based work to keep people safe now and into the future." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Energy and Natural Resources "The impacts of climate change are significant and increasing in frequency and severity. Investments in these important initiatives allow Canada to leverage the expertise and guidance of researchers and experts across the country for the benefit of infrastructure planning and decision-making. This is the kind of whole-of-society approach that's required to better prepare and adapt to the impacts of climate change." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada "We are very pleased to announce funding for these nine projects that will support communities and sectors to develop and implement actions to better adapt to a changing climate. Keeping Canadians safe is a priority, and investments like those announced today go a long way to help mitigate the impacts associated with climate change that are devastating livelihoods, environments and the economy." Julie Dabrusin Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for TorontoDanforth "Climate change is impacting communities in Ontario and across Canada, and that definitely includes our Great Lakes coastal communities. It's exciting to see federal recognition of the area as a distinct ecological area in need of specific types of protection from an adaptation and resilience perspective." Tony Van Bynen Member of Parliament for NewmarketAurora "The federal government's decision to designate 8,400 kilometres of Canadian Great Lakes shorelines as coastal areas underscores the importance of protecting local communities and property. By working together, we advance collaborative solutions to coastal hazards. Promoting a climate-resilient future while reinforcing Ontario's role as a key economic partner and the significance of this freshwater ecosystem are key priorities for Conservation Ontario." Chris White Chair, Conservation Ontario Board of Directors, Mayor of Guelph/Eramosa, and Warden, Wellington County "As the Chair of the Pelee Coastal Resilience Committee, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to NRCan and the CRCC Program for the funding to create a Climate Resilience and Adaptation Action Plan for the north shore of Lake Erie, from Amherstburg to Port Alma. It has galvanized our local partners to work collaboratively with landowners and stakeholders to develop and implement climate change adaptation solutions to increase coastal resilience." Peter Zuzek President, Zuzek Inc. Quick Facts Every $1 spent on climate change adaptation measures saves up to $15 in terms of the long-term costs involved in mitigating climate change impacts and extreme weather events. spent on climate change adaptation measures saves up to in terms of the long-term costs involved in mitigating climate change impacts and extreme weather events. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $6.5 billion in adaptation efforts, including $2.1 billion since fall 2022 to implement the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and other adaptation-related activities. has invested more than in adaptation efforts, including since fall 2022 to implement the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and other adaptation-related activities. The $41 million CRCC Program supports regional-scale pilot projects on Canada's three marine coasts Atlantic, Pacific and North and in the Great LakesSt. Lawrence region. The program aims to enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses and to accelerate adaptation to reduce climate change risks and coordinate innovative actions. CRCC Program supports regional-scale pilot projects on three marine coasts Atlantic, Pacific and North and in the Great LakesSt. Lawrence region. The program aims to enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses and to accelerate adaptation to reduce climate change risks and coordinate innovative actions. In 2021, the Government of Canada launched the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program with an initial investment of $68 .3 million. launched the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program with an initial investment of .3 million. Under the first phase of the FHIMP, NRCan focused on broadening flood mapping in high-risk areas across Canada in collaboration with provinces and territories and cost-shared $52 million in funding for 200 flood mapping projects covering over 800 communities. The flood maps developed through Phase 1 of the FHIMP provide provinces, territories and communities with important tools and information to make informed decisions on flood risk management. in collaboration with provinces and territories and cost-shared $52 million in funding for 200 flood mapping projects covering over 800 communities. The flood maps developed through Phase 1 of the FHIMP provide provinces, territories and communities with important tools and information to make informed decisions on flood risk management. Alongside cost-sharing flood mapping projects with provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has invested $3 million in 12 projects dedicated to further climate and flood modelling science in flood mapping. has invested in 12 projects dedicated to further climate and flood modelling science in flood mapping. In 2023, Phase 2 of the FHIMP was launched and supported with an additional investment of $164.2 million over five years through the NAS. over five years through the NAS. Phase 2 of the FHIMP aims to continue collaboration with provinces and territories to advance flood mapping and provide up-to-date flood hazard information. With funding until 2028, Phase 2 will help ensure more communities have the tools and information needed to better understand and manage flood risks. In Phase 2 of the FHIMP, the Government of Canada is investing an additional $9 million to further support research including two new research streams led by Natural Resources Canada: $4.7 million over five years to advance the science in regional modelling projects that will help improve nation-wide flood hazard information coverage; and, $1 million to support Indigenous traditional knowledge projects related to flood mapping. is investing an additional to further support research including two new research streams led by Natural Resources Canada: Up-to-date flood maps: support safer land use planning and development and inform zoning decisions, such as locating new developments further away from areas likely to flood; help governments assess the likelihood of flood events and their potential impacts on populations and infrastructure, and decide how to allocate resources; and, strengthen public safety and help communities better prepare for floods by improving emergency response plans like evacuation routes or better informing structural flood mitigation options. The NAS provides a whole-of-society plan focused on protecting Canadian lives and building more-resilient and prosperous communities. Canada released its first NAS on June 27, 2023 . Achieving the objectives of the NAS requires whole-of-society action. The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and the private sector to develop innovative technical, financial and operational solutions that will support adaptation action by communities across the economy. Related Products Associated Links Follow us on LinkedIn SOURCE Natural Resources Canada Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6096, [email protected]; Joanna Sivasankaran, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, [email protected] MONTREAL, Jan. 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Sexton Group Ltd, a leading North American buying group for more than 450 independent building materials dealers, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with JRTech Solutions, the foremost supplier of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) in North America. This collaboration aims to provide Sexton Group members with cutting-edge ESL technology, enhancing operational efficiency and customer experience across their retail locations. Since 2008, JRTech Solutions has been at the forefront of digital pricing solutions, specializing in the implementation of Pricer's ESL systems. With over 1,500 store installations and more than 17 million labels deployed, JRTech Solutions has a proven track record of delivering reliable and innovative solutions to the retail sector. A key advantage of this partnership is JRTech Solutions' extensive suite of integrations with virtually all Point of Sale (POS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems within the hardware industry. This ensures a seamless integration of Pricer ESLs into existing store environments, allowing for efficient and accurate pricing management. In addition to ESL technology, JRTech Solutions will introduce advanced retail innovations to Sexton Group members, including: AI Inventory Scanning Robotics : Leveraging artificial intelligence to automate inventory management, reducing both manual labor and out-of-stock occurrences. : Leveraging artificial intelligence to automate inventory management, reducing both manual labor and out-of-stock occurrences. Geopositioning : Automatically determining product location within stores, improving both employee efficiency and customer satisfaction. : Automatically determining product location within stores, improving both employee efficiency and customer satisfaction. Cycle-Counting Application : Streamlining counting process to maintain optimal inventory levels. : Streamlining counting process to maintain optimal inventory levels. Click-and-Collect Application: Facilitating seamless online ordering and in-store picking process for employees. Diego Mazzone, President and CEO of JRTech Solutions, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "Collaborating with Sexton Group Ltd allows us to extend our innovative retail solutions to a broader network of hardware retailers. Our comprehensive integrations and advanced technologies are designed to meet the unique needs of the hardware industry, driving efficiency and enhancing the customer experience." "JRTech Solutions has been a proven leader in the electronic shelf label industry, in particular, they have demonstrated their leadership in supporting hardware retailers like our own," says Jack Cammarata, Program Manager of Sexton Group Ltd.. "We look forward to working with JRTech Solutions to create value and efficiency within our network of stores". About Sexton Group Ltd Sexton Group Ltd is a member-owned buying group for independent building materials dealers, hardware retailers, and specialty dealers in Canada. With a focus on providing competitive purchasing programs and value-added services, Sexton Group supports its members in achieving business success. For further information, please visit: www.sextongroup.com. About JRTech Solutions JRTech Solutions Inc. is a privately held corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. JRTech Solutions Inc. is the leading Canadian Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) provider and the largest worldwide distributor of Pricer Electronic Shelf, involved in over 1,500 store installations since 2008. For further information, please visit www.jrtechsolutions.com. SOURCE JRTECH SOLUTIONS INC. (514) 889-7114, [email protected] TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2025 /CNW/ - York University Staff Association (YUSA) is raising concerns over growing workloads, stagnant wages and proposed benefit reductions, as York University prioritizes management expansion over support staff. After months of bargaining without significant progress, YUSA is prepared to stand firm against concessions that threaten its members and the students they serve. Chart showing number of mangers increasing at a much higher rate than staff at York University over the past 7 years. (CNW Group/York University staff association) YUSA President Sonny Day Statement on Strike Vote YUSA, which represents over 1,600 administrative and technical workers at York University, has received a no-board notice from the Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development: this provides YUSA with the legal ability to call a strike as of 12:01 a.m. on February 7, 2025. The no-board notice comes after YUSA's members voted 96.3% in favour of a strike mandate, with 82.4% of members having voted. This potential labour disruption and the preceding super-majority strike mandate demonstrates member dissatisfaction with current levels of administrative bloat which are impacting York University's ability to offer fair wages, benefits and exceptional student services. "The vote result sends a definitive message to York University: our members are united in defence of decent and stable work," said Sonny Day, President of YUSA. "We will not accept regressive changes that erode the dignity, well-being and job security of the dedicated workers who keep the university running smoothly every single day." Key Issues at Stake: Workload: York University's voluntary exit program has significantly reduced staffing levels through its austerity measures, forcing remaining employees to shoulder excessive workloads. has significantly reduced staffing levels through its austerity measures, forcing remaining employees to shoulder excessive workloads. Benefits Clawback: York University is proposing to reduce and limit existing benefits. is proposing to reduce and limit existing benefits. Fair Wages: Wage increases over the past five years have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living, despite some managers receiving disproportionately higher salary increases than unionized employees at York University . Wage increases over the past five years have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living, despite some managers receiving disproportionately higher salary increases than unionized employees at . Mental Health Benefits: YUSA is seeking expanded coverage for mental health supports. Broader Context YUSA is alarmed by the disproportionate growth of management at York University, now reaching a ratio of one manager for every 1.5 YUSA staff. This bloated management structure, highlighted in the 2023 Auditor General of Ontario's report , undermines staff capacity to provide timely services to students, particularly as enrollment levels do not justify such increases to management. YUSA and its members are resisting concessions that further degrade the bargaining unit. A focus for the union in this round of bargaining has been improvements to health and safety protections, maintaining job security and allowing for greater access to mental health supports. Despite bargaining over more than 20 days since September 2024, York University refuses to take all concessionary proposals off the table: these proposals would have detrimental effects on York University staff, and, in turn, its students. Visuals & Media Assets Trends in Headcount of Managers Compared to YUSA Workers: Next Steps The union urges York University to remove its concessionary proposals and engage in meaningful negotiations to address the urgent concerns of staff. The parties have mutually agreed to engage a mediator to assist in reaching a deal, but without meaningful progress YUSA may be compelled to take labour action to protect its members and the students they serve. About York University Staff Association: York University Staff Association (YUSA) represents over 1,600 workers at York University, including administrative and technical workers. With over 49 years of service, the union advocates for fair, equitable workplaces in the higher education sector. SOURCE York University staff association Media Contact: Sonny Day, President, YUSA, 416-736-5109, [email protected] 100 person China startup DeepSeek just released the first Open Source Reasoning Model that matched the OpenAI o1 reasoning model. OpenAI was charging $200 per month to use the OpenAI o1 pro model. How did an unknown, 100 person startup with $0 VC funding produce a frontier open source model that rivaled OpenAI and Anthropic at 1/10th of the training cost and is 20-50x cheaper during inference? Highlights The success of DeepSeek suggests they need to hire young outsiders. New-grads who are brilliant, passionate and curious over experienced AI Researchers. There needs to be more research and experimentation with different AI approaches. China has caught up in AI. Open Source has caught up in AI The price of AI (million tokens) has collapsed by 50 times. They distilled models. They made other models smaller and better. We can run near Open O1 class models with $1000-2000 worth of hardware. They still needed a decent amount of hardware (10000 A100 but this is about 100 times less than competitors). Story of DeepSeek In 2007, three engineers Xu Jin, Zheng Dawei, and Liang Wenfeng (CEO) met at Zhejiang University and bonded over algorithmic trading. Their idea? Build a quant fund powered by cutting-edge AI. But instead of hiring industry veterans, they prioritized raw talent and curiosity over experience. Liang: Core technical roles are primarily filled by recent grads or those 12 years out. They launched the algorithmic trading in 2015 and by 2021 had made $140 million. They owned 10,000 NVIDIA A100 GPUs and became a top 4 quant fund with $15 billion assets under management. They lost a lot of money in 2022. In 2023, Instead of giving up, they pivoted. They spun out Deepseek, an AI lab fueled by their existing talent and 10k GPUs. No VC funding. They went all-in. The twist? They kept their same hiring philosophy of hiring outsiders: new-grads who are brilliant, passionate and curious over experienced AI Researchers. Frontier Open Source Model On Christmas, they shocked the AI world with Deepseek v3: Trained for just $6M but rivaled ChatGPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Introduced groundbreaking innovations like Multi-Token Prediction, FP8 Mixed Precision Training, Distilled Reasoning Capabilities from R1 and Auxiliary-loss-free Strategy for Load Balancing. API costs that are 20-50x cheaper than the competition: Deepseek: $0.14 / 1M in, $0.28 / 1M out OpenAI: $2.50 / 1M in, $10 / 1M out Anthropic: $3 / 1M in, $15 / 1M out. This week, they were the first to release a fully open source reasoning model that matched OpenAI o1. They shared their learnings publicly and revealed that they were able to train this model through pure Reinforcement Learning without needing Supervised Fine Tuning or Reward Modeling. And the API costs are still 20-50x cheaper than the competition: DeepSeek R1: $0.14~$0.55 / 1M in, $2.19 / 1M out OpenAI o1: $7.50~$15 / 1M in, $60 / 1M out 1. Humble beginnings In 2007, three engineers Xu Jin, Zheng Dawei, and Liang Wenfeng (CEO) met at Zhejiang University and bonded over algorithmic trading . Their idea? Build a quant fund powered by cutting-edge AI. But instead of hiring industry veterans, they prioritized raw Henry Shi (@henrythe9ths) January 21, 2025 Download the research paper here. DeepSeek Process Here's my attempt at visualizing the training pipeline for DeepSeek-R1(-Zero) and the distillation to smaller models. Note they retrain DeepSeek-V3-Base with the new 800k curated data instead of continuing to finetune the checkpoint from the first round of cold-start SFT + RL https://t.co/tARqwQmbSR pic.twitter.com/7pKacsvbNe Harris Chan (@SirrahChan) January 20, 2025 i've run the distilled deepseek r1 32b model on my local RTX4090,the model size only takes up around 20GB, and running the 32B model only requires around 22G VRAM,it's a top rank open source model so far,i love the CoT thinking process pic.twitter.com/TcSBguWPe9 FrankChieng (@kurtqian) January 21, 2025 The distilled models can run on laptops or small hardware like the new Nvidia mini system. Bonus: Open-Source Distilled Models! Distilled from DeepSeek-R1, 6 small models fully open-sourced 32B & 70B models on par with OpenAI-o1-mini Empowering the open-source community Pushing the boundaries of **open AI**! 2/n pic.twitter.com/tfXLM2xtZZ DeepSeek (@deepseek_ai) January 20, 2025 100% Local Deepseek R1 agents The easiest recipe to build your Deepseek R1 agents 100% Local with Distilled models! @huggingface SmolAgents + LLM powered by @lmstudio The below video shows how to do everything ! pic.twitter.com/DKTP2FJtQK 1LittleCoder (@1littlecoder) January 21, 2025 Firefighters work at a fire site in Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, Trkiye, Jan. 21, 2025. The fire broke out at a hotel in the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort around 3:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) on the restaurant floor. So far the fire has killed 66 people. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) ANKARA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the northwestern Turkish ski resort in Kartalkaya, Bolu Province, early Tuesday killed 66 people and injured 51, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. The fire broke out at 3:27 a.m. local time (0027 GMT) in the 12-story hotel, which was hosting more than 230 guests during a busy holiday period. "Firefighting teams had to approach from the sides and front of the building due to the terrain," Yerlikaya told a press briefing at the scene. He added that authorities had detained four individuals following the fire. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed that those responsible for the fire would be held accountable. Initial investigations suggest the fire started in the fourth-floor restaurant area before spreading upwards, according to Bolu Provincial Governor Abdulaziz Aydin. Footage circulating on social media showed what appeared to be guests using bed linen to escape from windows. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said one of the injured remains in critical condition, while the others are expected to be discharged soon. "Medical teams are providing the necessary support, and we are closely monitoring the situation," he said. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the hotel underwent fire safety inspections in both 2021 and 2024 and had all necessary certifications. Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometers east of Istanbul. Firefighters work at a fire site in Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, Trkiye, Jan. 21, 2025. The fire broke out at a hotel in the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort around 3:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) on the restaurant floor. So far the fire has killed 66 people. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) Firefighters work at a fire site in Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, Trkiye, Jan. 21, 2025. The fire broke out at a hotel in the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort around 3:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) on the restaurant floor. So far the fire has killed 66 people. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) Firefighters work at a fire site in Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, Trkiye, Jan. 21, 2025. The fire broke out at a hotel in the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort around 3:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) on the restaurant floor. So far the fire has killed 66 people. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) Editor: Zhang Zhou BAGHDAD, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Iraq welcomes Britain's decision to downgrade its security classification, which reflects the improved security situation in the country, Britain's step is an important achievement that reflects the Iraqi government's ongoing efforts to achieve stability and enhance a safe and encouraging environment for investment, said the ministry in a statement. It noted that lowering the security risk level in Iraq will pave the way for British companies to enter the country's market. The ministry also called on other Western countries to review their security classifications for Iraq, reiterating its commitment to working with international partners to strengthen bilateral relations and provide an appropriate environment for expanding cooperation across various areas. This announcement follows a decision by Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office to ease travel advisories for large parts of Iraq. Editor: Zhang Zhou UPDATE: An earlier version of this story left the Gateway Regional High School District in Gloucester County off the list of districts receiving grants. New Jersey is awarding $1.5 million in grants to fund artificial intelligence education and new AI-related career programs in public schools. The state Department of Education announced the two grants Wednesday, which were appropriated in Gov. Phil Murphys fiscal year 2025 budget. Ten school districts will receive money to use artificial intelligence to tutor students, train teachers and start other AI-related programs. Two county vocational school districts in Mercer and Middlesex counties will receive separate grants to train students for careers related to AI. All of the grants run until Jan. 31, 2026. In New Jersey, we are committed to building up our innovation economy and investing in the next generation of tech leaders, said Murphy. By giving our students the tools necessary to engage with AI, we are ensuring our state will remain a national leader in cutting-edge technological advancements and innovations for years to come. Nine school districts were awarded $75,000 each in Artificial Intelligence Innovation in Education Grant funds. They are: Bergen County: Pascack Valley Regional High School District Burlington County: Burlington City Public School District Camden County: Eastern Camden County Regional School District Gloucester County: Delsea Regional High School District Gloucester County: Gateway Regional High School District Monmouth County: Keyport School District Morris County: West Morris Regional High School District Salem County: Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District Somerset County: Somerville Public School District The tenth district, Lawrence Public School District in Mercer County, received $72,805 in grant funds, less than the other districts. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Education said the grants are based on the amount districts requested. The Mercer County district applied for the lesser amount, said education department spokeswoman Laura Fredrick. The grants will help pay for programs focused on both teaching with AI and teaching about AI. The money will be used to fund pilot programs using generative AI tools for individualized tutoring, data analysis to improve instruction and teacher training. The schools will also focus on creating curricula to promote AI literacy among students, including lessons on ethics and societal impacts. They will also use the funds to establish AI-focused makerspaces and other AI-driven learning opportunities, state officials said. The grant was open to New Jersey school districts with at least one high school and an existing advisory committee overseeing AI integration in the curriculum. The second grant, the Expanding Career Pathways in Artificial Intelligence Grant, was awarded to schools in Mercer and Middlesex counties. Mercer County Vocational District was awarded $338,872 and Middlesex County Vocational School District was awarded $375,000, officials said. The grant will help expand students knowledge and skills on how computers and software mimic human learning, reasoning and motor skills, state officials said. The vocational schools will create cutting-edge AI and robotics curriculum for teaching and learning AI, state officials said. Students will also learn about computing theory, cybernetics, human factors and natural language processing. By thoughtfully integrating AI literacy and tools into our classrooms, were democratizing access to these transformative technologies while preparing our next generation of leaders, said Beth Simone Noveck, the New Jersey Chief Artificial Intelligence Strategist. Together, these grant programs will help us navigate technological AI advancements and support the development of best practices for responsible AI use in education that can benefit schools across our state, ensuring every New Jersey student has the opportunity to shape our AI-enabled future, she said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Robert Smith announced he was leaving X (formerly Twitter) for now this past Sunday. The Cures frontman/guitarist tweeted on Sunday afternoon: 19TH JANUARY 2025. TIME TO GO. ANY OTHER ACCOUNT ON TWITTER CLAIMING TO BE ME IS A LIE. I MAY FROM TIME TO TIME BE HERE. The artist also included links for his BlueSky, Instagram and Mastodon accounts, adding, OTHERWISE I WILL LIKELY BE OUTSIDE. ONWARDS RSX. 19TH JANUARY 2025. TIME TO GO. ANY OTHER ACCOUNT ON TWITTER CLAIMING TO BE ME IS A LIE. I MAY FROM TIME TO TIME BE HERE: https://t.co/wgY0dp14Tr OR HERE: https://t.co/fjXtL5cOJ5 OR HERE: https://t.co/hsBEt2Jof8... OTHERWISE I WILL LIKELY BE OUTSIDE. ONWARDS... RSX ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) January 19, 2025 The departure comes months after The Cure released their first album in 16 years, Songs of a Lost World. Smiths exit from X comes as R.E.M.s frontman Michael Stipe called for a boycott of all Meta platforms from Jan. 19 to 26 because of recent policy changes throughout the companys platforms. In an Instagram post, Stipe asked users to log out of all Meta platforms for the week. As Stipe added, this includes the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Messenger, WhatsApp Ill be logged off for the week. Starting tomorrow, Stipe wrote. Please consider doing the same so corporations like Meta can imagine there might be consequences for helping advance the far right in America and worldwide. Or are we too addicted [that] we cant log off even for one week? Related coverage: Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com. TEHRAN, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday launched a military drill involving border guards from three northwestern provinces of Ardabil, East Azarbaijan, and West Azarbaijan, the official news agency IRNA reported. The exercise is being held at the Jolfa border area, which lies along the borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan, in Iran's East Azarbaijan Province. The drill aims to enhance coordination among the border units of the three provinces and strengthen their military capabilities, said the IRNA. Speaking at the event, Iran's Police Chief Ahmad-Reza Radan emphasized that the exercise was designed to improve operational preparedness at Jolfa's tactical firing range. He further noted that Iranian forces continuously monitored movements near the country's borders using electronic and optical systems and were in full control of the boundaries. The Iranian armed forces have conducted several drills over the past few days and military officials have said that additional exercises will take place in the coming weeks to strengthen their military preparedness against potential threats. Editor: Zhang Zhou Dont expect Weezer and Toto to be swamping friendship bracelets anytime soon. The point of contention centers on Totos 1982 enduring hit, Africa, and Weezers cover of the song. In May 2018, a then-14-year-old Weezer fan built a social media campaign for the band to record their take on the song. Weezer released a cover of Totos Rosanna in May 2018 as a troll and followed up with Africa days later. It was Weezers first song to chart the Billboard Hot 100 since 2009 and would also be included in their 2019 covers collection, Teal Album." It seemed as though the cover was all in fun. Toto even returned the favor by covering Weezers 2001 hit, Hash Pipe that same year. But Toto guitarist Steve Lukather feels otherwise. In an interview with Matt Pinfields radio show New & Approved, the guitarist questioned Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomos affection for Africa. I dont know about him loving the song, man, Lukather said. I dont think thats the case at all. I think he did it to take the piss out of it, and it blew up in his face and how hes got to play it every night. For those uninitiated in British slang, taking the piss essentially means to mock. So Lukather is saying Cuomo made the cover in jest, not because the band actually liked the song. Lukather also mentioned trying to reach out to Cuomo and getting a frosty response. I tried to reach out to this guy and be friendly and then it just got weird, Lukather added. I dont want to get into it, but peace and love. It was good for them; it was good for us. Related coverage: Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com. A senior director for a financial technology company with offices in New Jersey has filed a discrimination lawsuit against her former employers, claiming she was fired after becoming a mother and asking for accommodations while recovering from childbirth. The Monmouth County resident alleges in a civil lawsuit that she was fired in June from her role as a senior director at Broadridge Financial Solutions after years of discrimination and retaliation by management because of her pregnancies, motherhood, and protected accommodations. Chloe Koprucki, who was raising two young kids at the time and still working from home after a difficult pregnancy, said she was shocked. The reason she was given for her termination was that she was viewed as a redundant layer of management, according to the discrimination lawsuit, filed this month in federal court. My six years at Broadridge were successful and accomplished. After three years of mistreatment, there was no doubt in my mind about what my termination was really about, and I felt I had no choice but to hold Broadridge accountable, said Koprucki in a statement provided to NJ Advance Media. A spokesman for Broadridge Financial Solutions said the company does not comment on pending litigation matters. The global financial technology company is headquartered in Lake Success, New York, but also operates two offices in New Jersey, one of which Koprucki worked at. This is an important case with an important principle at stake. While we think the choice to fire Ms. Koprucki was more intentional than Broadridge wants to admit, we are also eager to prove to Broadridge, as well as the tech and finance industries, that it is illegal to ruin a womans career because she is pregnant and then lay her off claiming she is no longer important enough, said attorney John S. Crain. Were proud to be representing Ms. Koprucki against an industryand a mindsetthat still fails to tolerate and protect pregnant women. The lawsuit alleges that from the moment Koprucki first told her employer she was pregnant in February 2021, supervisors placed her on a mommy track, what Koprucki claims is Broadridges way of phasing out pregnant employees by gradually stripping them of responsibilities and stymying their progress. Before announcing her pregnancy, Koprucki felt respected and comfortable in her role managing a team of 12 employees and numerous client relationships, as well as the firms fixed income service desk and client services desk for broker processing services, the lawsuit states. By the time she was two months out from having her first child, Koprucki said she had been effectively stripped of about half of her team, many of her major clients, and her responsibility over the broker processing services desk, according to the lawsuit. In May 2021, Koprucki complained to Human Resources, explicitly expressing fear that she was being mommy tracked, and having employees and duties removed from her responsibility because of her pregnancy, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit alleges a month after that conversation, and mere days of Koprucki giving birth, three more of her direct reports were removed. By the time she returned from maternity leave in late December 2021, Koprucki had only two people working for her, down from 12 before announcing her pregnancy. In August 2022, Koprucki received a negative year-end review that covered the period of her July to December 2021 maternity leave, according to the lawsuit. As a result, Koprucki lodged a second complaint with human resources alleging she was being discriminated against on the basis of pregnancy. A few weeks later, she was informed that the company investigation had not produced any evidence of discrimination or retaliation, and the case was now closed, the suit alleges. In fall 2022, the senior director learned she was pregnant again. Around this time, she told management she would take maternity leave beginning May 2023. Upon her return from maternity leave, Koprucki requested and received an accommodation to work remotely through the summer of 2024, due to complications with her recovery from birth, the suit states. The lawsuit alleges that once Koprucki was back in the office, managements attitude toward her shifted markedly. She was stripped of more responsibilities and closely scrutinized in a way never done previously, and then was terminated in June at one of the most vulnerable moments of her life, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit argues that Koprucki started in the financial technology sector wanting to be a role model for her children. Now, her careers been setback years and her self-esteem has been crushed, the lawsuit claims. The civil lawsuit is seeking monetary and punitive damages for harm to Kopruckis professional and personal reputation and loss of career fulfillment. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. After months of theatrical experimentation and residency at the Jersey City Theater Center, the physical theater company Los Escultores del Aire is preparing to launch its production, Migrants, on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. at JCTC. Migrants explores topics and issues that couldnt be timelier in 2025, including displacement, resilience, prejudice, hope, nostalgia and the universal human search for belonging. The production draws on the experiences of its cast - all immigrants in Spain and the U.S. Migrants features an ensemble of performers from across the globe, including Spain, Chile, the U.S., Ukraine, Poland, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, Costa Rica and England. Migrants is an exceptional work that weaves together the stories of migrants who face the difficult choice of leaving their homes, families, and motherlands in pursuit of a better life, said JCTC Executive Producer Olga Levina. Often, they embark on this journey to escape wars, and political persecution in search of freedom and a better life. This powerful piece is the result of a week-long residency involving 12 immigrant artists from Barcelona and 10 from the USA, who will collaborate to present this work. The company will stage the private performance at Hudson County School of Technology, placing immigrant students center stage to share their stories, she said. While the production begins on March 1, there will be a private performance on Tuesday, Jan. 28, as part of Global Arts Education at Hudson County High Tech High School. We must never forget the humanity behind these narratives as we enter a new, old era in American politics this year, said Levina. The performance marks a five-year milestone in JCTCs collaboration with Los Escultores del Aire, a multi-award-winning physical theater company based in Barcelona, Spain. The company was founded in 2014 and has produced eight productions. It has toured internationally throughout the year. Los Escultores del Aires use of gestures as a language has allowed the company to perform with world-renowned acts such as Cirque du Soleil. It has also appeared on Catalan public television. The company also offers the Lab Project Training, a program for artists exploring the art of movement. Their production of Migrants is supported by the Ramon Llull Institute. Tickets for Migrants are available online at www.JCTCenter.org. The Jersey City Theater Center is at 339 Newark Ave., Jersey City, entrance from Barrow Street. A disbarred Hazlet-based real estate attorney who admitted stealing nearly $1.18 million from dozens of clients was sentenced last week to 10 years in state prison, authorities said. A judge also ordered Steven H. Salami, 49, of Hazlet, to repay the full amount of the stolen funds back to the New Jersey Lawyers Fund for Client Protection, which had previously reimbursed his clients, according to a release from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office. In its initial stages, the investigation focused on four clients who were defrauded out of nearly $300,000 from April through August 2019, the office said. Detectives discovered that Salami accepted money from each client for numerous real estate transactions and would put the money in escrow, investigators said. However, he would not do the work for which he was paid and this resulted in missed closing dates, nullified transactions for the clients and other issues, authorities said. Following his arrest in October of that year, dozens of other victims were found and a grand jury returned a 63-count indictment against Salami in July 2021, the office said. The case was then put on hiatus until the Superior Court Appellate Division in November 2023 granted the States appeal to restore two counts of the indictment that had been previously dismissed by a lower court, the release stated. Ultimately, Salami pleaded guilty in October 2024 to second-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, officials said. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. A New Jersey man and a New York resident accused of creating a phony pest control company to scam a Monmouth County business out of nearly $300,000 were arrested Monday, officials said. Jacob Gindi, 33, of Ocean Township and Jimmy Dabbah, 34, of Brooklyn, were both been charged with second-degree computer theft, second-degree conspiracy to commit theft, second-degree theft by unlawful taking, and two counts of second-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office announced Tuesday. In May 2023, Dabbah opened an account with the unidentified Holmdel business using a company named Rapid Pest Control and over the span of 10 days later that year, the company accessed the businesses' software and credit card payment platform, the office said. Rapid Pest Control then conducted more than 750 fraudulent transactions using stolen credit card information from the Holmdel business, which resulted in $296,000 is losses, investigators said. The pest control company also never performed any services for any clients, authorities said. Instead, most of the stolen funds were transferred from Rapid Pest Controls bank account to two companies controlled by Gindi: PCO Marketing Inc. and Infinity Trading Solutions LLC, the office said. Gindi then used the funds to pay credit card, car, and tuition bills, and for other personal expenses, the release stated. Both Gindi and Dabbah turned themselves in to police this week, and when Dabbah was scanned by a metal detector, he was found to be in possession of a knife concealed in his belt buckle, officials said. This resulted in him being charged with a third- and a fourth-degree weapons offense. Both men were released pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court, the office said. Anyone with additional information about the allegations is asked to contact Detective Michael Acquaviva of the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office at 800-533-7443. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. You might want to rethink your travel plans to this South American nation this winter. The U.S. State Department issued a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution travel advisory for U.S. travelers heading to Chile. The advisory warns travelers heading to certain areas of Chile to be aware of their surroundings due to crime and civil unrest. Street crime is common and violent crime is increasing in the country, according to the State Department. There are also large-scale protests that take place in the capital city of Santiago and other cities with little-to-no notice, and can sometimes cause disruption to public transportation services. The State Department advises those who are traveling to Chile to keep in mind the following precautions: Do not leave luggage or valuables out of your sight, even in locked vehicles. Always carry a copy of your U.S. passport and if you need it, your visa. Keep original documents in a safe location. Avoid demonstrations. Obey local authorities instructions, including restrictions on movement and curfews. During protests, head to a safe location and shelter in place. You can find more information on staying safe in Chile here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. The whacky climate news continues with word that a winter storm has hit Red America, and its expected to dump heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from Texas to Florida, where they have no idea how to cope. Theyre going to need help. So, I have a modest proposal: Democrats should oppose all aid to the affected region, unless the Republicans running those states change their policies. This is the new America. What policy changes? Well, some Republicans are now proposing that aid to the fire victims in Los Angeles should be withheld until they change their fire management policies. Im not sure that the new crew of misfits Trump is installing to run federal agencies knows the first thing about fire management in California, but lets assume Gov. Hollywood embraces all their suggestions. Itll still take time to forge an agreement, so the thousands of homeless families in Los Angeles need to rush out and buy some tents before the supply runs dry. Other Republicans, including our fearless new leader, go way beyond fire management. They see this fire as a perfect opportunity to pressure Democrats on stuff that has nothing to do with the fires. The new president wants to use this moment to force Democrats in Congress to surrender on budget policies. A tax cut for the rich is first up. So, Democrats need to round up a few Republicans to help push back. And for that, this blizzard is a blessing. Officials in Houston and Tallahassee report that they have no snowplows. Perfect! If Red Grandma wants to get the grocery store any time soon, then her Red Governors better start dancing! What demands should Democrats make? Here, I suggest they show a little more class that Republicans and restrict their demands only to those items related to the storm. Start with the snowplows. They need to buy some. Dont miss the best in editorials, opinion columns and commentary from NJ.com writers. Add your email here: But lets not stop there. This freak weather is a symptom of climate change. Its all unfolding pretty much how the scientists warned us that it would, with giants fires and hurricanes and flooding and mass extinctions. Al Gore covered all this about 20 years back in his movie, An Inconvenient Truth. So, buying snowplows alone wont do it. To prevent this from happening every year, Republicans from Florida to Texas need to commit to fighting climate change. Until then, grandma will have to make do on the canned beans in the basement. This, of course, is a joke. At least on my end. To hear Trump say he will use the fire to pressure Democrats on budget policy is another marker that speaks to the decline of decency in America. This is the guy who just won the popular vote, so its not just about him. Its about us. Heres hoping we turn a corner sometime soon. Because decency demands that when your neighbor falls down, you help him up. You dont demand anything. You dont use the moment to your own advantage. So, all joking aside, send in the snowplows. Tell Red Grandma that the cavalry is on the way. Even if shes a climate denier. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or (973) 986-6951. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., has rightly called President Donald Trumps blanket pardon of Jan. 6, 2021, rioters a shameful betrayal. Those pardoned include more than 150 who were convicted of or pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers. The victims included the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, a New Jersey native, who died from two strokes the day after he was assaulted by pro-Trump rioters. These pardons are an insult to Sicknicks memory, and to all courageous law enforcement officers. The Fraternal Order of Police has spoken out against the pardons of the violent offenders, as have some congressional Republicans, including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. As a New Jerseyan, I am glad that many of Democratic members of Congress have denounced these shameful pardons. But, will the New Jersey Republicans in the delegation Reps. Tom Kean Jr., Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew publicly denounce pardons for people who attacked police? Will Jack Ciatarelli, Bill Spadea and Jon Bramnick, all of whom are Republicans seeking to serve as our next governor, speak out forcefully against these pardons? The question I want to hear our top elected Republicans in New Jersey answer is: What matters more to you: standing up against violent attacks on police officers or showing fealty to Donald Trump? The voters of New Jersey await your responses. Deborah Masters, Fort Lee Editors note: After this letter was submitted, Bramnick, a state senator in addition to a gubernatorial candidate, said that he does not support his (Trumps) pardon of the violent participants . Trump suspends foreign aid that is crucial On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump suspended foreign development assistance for 90 days by executive order. This assistance is authorized by Congress. It constitutes less than 1% percent of the federal budget. Across the globe, non-governmental organizations use this assistance to prevent starvation, deliver life-saving medical care, provide clean water, build schools, and assist communities to become self-sufficient, rather than forever be dependent upon this aid. While the executive order states that The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values, it is hard to see how feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and training and educating those in foreign countries is antithetical to American values. American interests lie in breaking cycles of dependency and developing partners we can work with to promote the well being of all, not stand by and watch children starve. In his confirmation hearing for secretary of state, former Sen. Marco Rubio said that all foreign policy and every U.S. dollar spent internationally should be guided by whether or not it makes America safer, stronger, or more prosperous. We are safer, stronger and more prosperous when we have more resilient partners around the world. Carol Olivieri, Pennington Presidents cant do this by fiat President Donald Trump just signed an executive order he said would deny automatic citizenship to every child born on American soil. Cant he and his advisers read? The 14th Amendment guarantees this right. And, an executive order doesnt trump the Constitution. It requires a new amendment to make this change. Allen Edelstein, Highland Park About that Nobel, Mr. President ... In a recent op-ed, former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel suggests that by working toward settling the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, President Donald Trump is shopping for a Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, threatening to attack Panama and Greenland so that the United States can control them negates the prime objective of the Nobel Peace Prize. Shirley Allen, Hopewell Township Where did the drone investigations go? I am 14 years old and a Scout in Troop 1936 of Morristown. I am writing in regard to the drones that have been flying around New Jersey for a couple of months now. I believe that this is extremely unsettling, and its wrong how little information has been provided to the public about this issue. In my opinion, public officials are not providing clarity regarding rules and regulations for drones and how they are enforced. The public is already in fear and now, with the lack of official information, there is a massive amount of misleading information about who is behind the drones and what is being done about them. The public has a right to know because this is happening in public spaces. I would ask that our our community leaders fully investigate and dive deep into what is really happening, and then take the step to inform the public actively in order to put everyones minds at ease. Mia Jones, Morristown Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. If people were as concerned about the erosion of democracy as they are about the potential loss of TikTok, we might be in a better place. Alas, that is apparently not the case. TikTok was banned for the length of several of their namesake videos, until President Trump swooped in to provide the bread and circuses we all crave so much. Technically, the president has only granted the platform a 75-day reprieve, the hope being that the self-proclaimed master dealmaker can somehow convince TenCent and a resolute Chinese Communist Party to relinquish control of the company and its treasured algorithm in whole or in part. Full disclosure: Im not a TikTok user. Im a middle-aged man, I cant dance and have zero desire to share my skin care routine, so I fall outside the target demo. That fact may color my opinion on the matter, but the logic behind the ban seems fairly sound to me. TikTok is owned by Chinese tech giant TenCent, which when faced with the prospect of being shown the door, loudly proclaimed its independence from the Chinese government. It should be fairly obvious to anyone paying attention that there is no such thing as a Chinese tech giant independent of the Chinese government. As such, TikTok and its enormous treasure trove of U.S. user data are a clear national security risk. Not to mention, the company has a pipeline directly into the heads of 170 million American users, it would be almost negligent for a semi-hostile foreign government not to exploit that kind of asset. Its naive to think they arent doing so already. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Responding to a community outcry, the Paterson City Council on Tuesday withdrew a controversial ordinance that would punish homeless people for sleeping outdoors with fines and potential jail time. On a bitterly cold night, residents and homeless activists packed Paterson City Hall to denounce the proposed ordinance they say would criminalize homelessness by making it illegal to sleep on sidewalks, streets, alleyways, under bridges or in parks. Our unhoused population has been traumatized by the system we created for them, said Sharonda Roberts, a Paterson resident. These are human beings. These are fines they cannot pay. Criminalizing homelessness only continues the cycle of poverty. City Council President Alex Mendez, who sponsored the ordinance, removed the bill from the agenda on Tuesday night even before people had a chance to voice their opposition. Mendez said he would send the bill back to workshop meaning the initiative isnt dead and could be revived. Ive been meeting with residents for two weeks, Mendez said. Theyre concerned about the fines. This is going back to workshop and were going to make major changes in this. With homelessness on the rise, tent cities have been popping up in Paterson. But with little money available to construct affordable housing, the Mendez bill proposed punishing homeless squatters with up to 90 days in jail and/or $2,000 fines. The council introduced the ordinance in December by a 5 to 4 vote, sparking an outcry that brought residents and homeless activists from all over the state to City Hall on Tuesday night. Jeffrey Wild, an attorney for the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness, said its a myth that homeless people want to be homeless and prefer living outside. Youve heard they like living in the cold. Thats a lie, Wild said, adding that 99.9% are desperate to have housing. Howard L. Haughton, the CEO of Evas Village, the citys largest shelter, said jail terms and fines wont solve the problem of homelessness. The solution is providing more housing and wrap-around services. These individuals often lack the financial resources to pay fines, and while incarceration might provide temporary relief through access to a warm bed, showers, and meals, it does little to address the root causes of their homelessness, Haughton said in a statement. Most people in the audience agreed with Zellie Thomas, the leader of the Paterson chapter of Black Lives Matter. He said the solution is to build more housing. The real issue is the lack of affordable housing, he said. But instead of giving them resources, we give them jail time. Homelessness has been on the rise across the state since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, when a moratorium on evictions imposed by Gov. Phil Murphy was lifted. According to the annual point-in-time tally conducted by NJCounts, 12,680 people experienced homelessness in 2024, up from 10,267 the year before, an increase of 23%. Passaic Countys homeless tally rose from 408 in 2023 to 710 in 2024 an increase of 74%, highest among the 21 counties. During the same period, Patersons homeless count rose from 248 to 411 an increase of 65%. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com. This undated handout photo shows a hybrid autonomous truck at the Yulong Copper Mine in Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Western Mining Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) by Yi Ling and Li Linhai XINING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- At the Yulong Copper Mine in Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, perched 5,000 meters above sea level on the rugged Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, ore transport trucks glide over gravel roads, winding through snow-dusted mountains and the thinning air. Despite the harsh conditions, these trucks continue their journey unimpeded -- remarkably, without a single driver behind the wheel -- thanks to a groundbreaking autonomous driving project launched just three months ago. The initiative is part of China's ambitious drive for unmanned, eco-friendly smart mines, marking a significant leap forward in modernizing the high-altitude mining industry. By enhancing efficiency and reducing environmental impact, the project paves the way for a new era of mining in one of the world's most challenging environments. Officially launched on Sept. 29, 2024, the autonomous driving project is a collaborative effort between Xizang Yulong Copper Mining Co., Ltd. under the Western Mining Co., Ltd., China Railway 19th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., and Huawei. This is the world's first unmanned transportation system in an open-pit mine with an altitude above 5,000 meters. Zhang Yongli, president of Western Mining based in Qinghai Province, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the project has significantly enhanced operational efficiency and safety in high-altitude open-pit mining. According to the project team, the vehicles are capable of operating on mining paths that stretch for several kilometers, with a minimum width of 20 meters and an impressive maximum road gradient of 8 percent. Designed for the challenging high-altitude environment, these trucks utilize multi-sensor fusion perception technology to maintain stable year-round operations, achieving a 5 percent reduction in failure rate and an online operation rate surpassing 99 percent. The project team expects to achieve full operations for the autonomous vehicles by the first quarter of 2025, with overall efficiency projected to match that of traditional manned driving models. "In the future, we plan to use the Yulong mine as a demonstration base to expand the application scenarios of autonomous driving technology, aiming to create safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly modern intelligent mines," Zhang said. In recent years, fueled by advances in 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence, digitization and intelligent transformation have become critical to the development of the mining industry. The rapid advancement of autonomous driving technology has also emerged as a key trend in the collaborative development of mining and vehicular systems in China. "Autonomous driving technology presents new opportunities for the mining sector, serving as a pivotal step in transforming traditional mining practices into intelligent and modernized operations," Zhang added. Compared to traditional mining trucks, the most notable features of autonomous driving trucks are their high efficiency and enhanced safety, as they can operate autonomously around the clock without any human intervention, explained He Wei, an autonomous driving technology engineer at Huawei. The 90-tonne extended-range hybrid autonomous mining trucks, equipped with LiDAR, cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and integrated navigation systems, are currently deployed in mining areas with an average altitude of over 4,800 meters. By perceiving the environment in real-time and making autonomous decisions, these trucks can maintain their set speeds even at night, ensuring 24/7 uninterrupted, safe operations. This enables full automation across all stages of loading, transportation, and unloading, significantly reducing the need for two drivers per vehicle. "Such harsh natural conditions at the Yulong mine are exactly where technology should demonstrate its capabilities, helping to alleviate the challenges faced by workers," He said. "The multiple sensors function as the eyes and ears of the trucks, enabling them to 'see and hear' their surroundings. The use of algorithm-driven multi-sensor fusion perception technology effectively reduces interference from winter snow to summer dust," he explained. To further ensure safe operations, the vehicles are equipped with dynamic obstacle detection, static obstacle recognition, interference-resistant capabilities, and integrated positioning technology. This enables stable nighttime operations while minimizing human involvement, thus reducing safety risks on-site. "For example, the LiDARs mounted on the trucks can detect humans or wildlife, such as bears, horses, wolves and the iconic plateau animal, yaks. The trucks will automatically stop or navigate around them to ensure safety," He said. By optimizing driving strategies and power management, unnecessary acceleration and braking are minimized. This not only reduces costs related to vehicle maintenance, high fuel consumption, and tire damage from improper operations but also lowers energy consumption and emissions, thereby minimizing the impact on the local ecological environment, he added. To ensure the safety of autonomous driving operations, the project team developed a comprehensive management platform, built on a robust data foundation and an autonomous driving application system. This platform includes vehicle scheduling systems, monitoring systems, high-precision map services, and vehicle terminal systems. Specifically, this platform -- acting as the "brain" of the unmanned driving project -- enables the trucks to navigate dynamic mining scenarios by avoiding obstacles, docking accurately, conducting remote real-time data monitoring, making prompt stops for pedestrians, and planning vehicle paths. These capabilities streamline the processes of loading, transporting, unloading, and parking, explained Leng Ran, project manager at China Railway 19th Bureau Group. This intelligent scheduling system has also reduced the need for road maintenance and lowered vehicle repair frequencies. Compared to traditional operations, two fleets of 10 autonomous mining trucks can save approximately 6 million yuan (about 834,655 U.S. dollars) annually, according to Western Mining. To support the upload and download of various data, images, videos, and commands from onboard sensors and cloud systems, the copper mine installed five additional 5G base stations across the mining area, ensuring full 5G network coverage for both loading equipment and autonomous operating zones. "The project is a starting point, laying the foundation for achieving our goal of fully unmanned production across the entire mine," Zhang said. This undated handout photo shows hybrid autonomous trucks at the Yulong Copper Mine in Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Western Mining Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) This undated handout photo shows hybrid autonomous trucks at the Yulong Copper Mine in Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Western Mining Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) This undated handout photo shows hybrid autonomous trucks at the Yulong Copper Mine in Qamdo, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Western Mining Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) Editor: JYZ A former police officer who helped defend lawmakers and the Capitol in the wake of the violent riots on Jan. 6 had a blunt message for a man who was serving an 18-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy before he was pardoned by Donald Trump. Michael Fanone, formerly of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, had a message so blunt that it took aback the CNN anchor who asked him what he thought of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers. This is what Id say to Stewart Rhodes: Go f--k yourself! Fanone said. Youre a liar. Michael Fanone live on CNN: "This is what I'd say to Stewart Rhodes: Go fuck yourself" pic.twitter.com/mXNqxI5pFB Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 22, 2025 Trump pardoned and commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. Rhodes expressed no regrets when he was released from prison. Most of them went inside, they walked through doors that were already opened by somebody else. They were not told that they were tress passing, he told reporters, adding people were waved inside and that, basically, it was entrapment. Trumps action, just hours after his return to the White House on Monday, paves the way for the release from prison of people found guilty of violent attacks on police, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep the Republican in power after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden. The pardons are a culmination of Trumps yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack, which left more than 100 police officers injured as the angry mob of Trump supporters some armed with poles, bats and bear spray overwhelmed law enforcement, shattered windows and sent lawmakers and aides running into hiding. Rhodes was sentenced in 2023. Before announcing Rhodes sentence, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta described a defiant Rhodes as a continued threat to the United States and democracy. The judge expressed fear that what happened on Jan. 6 could be repeated, saying Americans will now hold our collective breaths every time an election is approaching. You are smart, you are charismatic and compelling and frankly thats what makes you dangerous, the judge told Rhodes. The moment you are released, whenever that may be, you will be ready to take up arms against your government. Rhodes ex-wife said ahead of the election that she feared for her safety and the safety of her child if Trump followed through with his campaign promise to pardon rioters. The Associated Press contributed to this report. There were reportedly plenty of internal discussions within Donald Trumps inner circle on how to handle his campaign promise of pardoning people convicted of crimes after the violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Vice President JD Vance himself said during a TV interview in the days leading up to the inauguration that obviously the incoming president wouldnt pardon violent offenders. But Trump did. Trump pardoned and commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. And according to a new report from Axios, it was a kneejerk decision. Trump just said: F---k it: Release em all, an adviser familiar with the discussions told the outlet. He reportedly was wavering during an internal debate over targeted clemency vs. a blanket decision according to two insiders. More from the report: The case-by-case review was onerous. Trump staffers wondered whom to pardon and who might slip through the cracks. Time was running out heading into Inauguration Day. Trump wanted to pardon as many people as possible and get it over with, so he landed on clemency for everyone. Trumps action, just hours after his return to the White House on Monday, paves the way for the release from prison of people found guilty of violent attacks on police, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep the Republican in power after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden. The pardons are a culmination of Trumps yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack, which left more than 100 police officers injured as the angry mob of Trump supporters some armed with poles, bats and bear spray overwhelmed law enforcement, shattered windows and sent lawmakers and aides running into hiding. While pardons were expected, the speed and the scope of the clemency amounted to a stunning dismantling of the Justice Departments effort to hold participants accountable over what has been described as one of the darkest days in the countrys history. Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek the dismissal of roughly 450 cases that are pending before judges stemming from the largest investigation in Justice Department history. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Tech billionaire Elon Musk is casting doubt on President Donald Trumps latest venture into artificial intelligence. Trump touted an up to $500 billion joint venture for infrastructure connected to artificial intelligence on Tuesday. The partnership including OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank will focus on building data centers for the development of artificial intelligence. But late on Tuesday, Musk raised his eyebrows at the new project that is called Stargate. They dont actually have the money, Musk wrote underneath OpenAIs post on social media platform X announcing the venture. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority. They dont actually have the money Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2025 Musks comment sparked a response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who told Musk that he was wrong. wrong, as you surely know.want to come visit the first site already under way?this is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope youll mostly put [America] first, Altman wrote in his response. wrong, as you surely know. want to come visit the first site already under way? this is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you'll mostly put first. Sam Altman (@sama) January 22, 2025 Musk has emerged as one of Trumps closest allies in recent months and is set to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency to cut down on government spending. He rarely has spoken out against any of Trumps initiatives since endorsing him over the summer. Its not clear why Musk has dismissed the latest venture announced by Trump on Tuesday. But, he filed a lawsuit last year against OpenAI and Altman over antitrust allegations. Two sources familiar with the matter told The New York Times that Stargate already has $100 billion on hand. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout in data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work but also the risk of displacing jobs if poorly implemented. The initial plans for Stargate go back to the Biden administration. Tech news outlet The Information first reported on the project in March 2024. OpenAI has long relied on Microsoft data centers to build its AI systems, but it has increasingly signaled an interest in building its own data centers. OpenAI wrote in a letter to the Biden administrations Commerce Department last fall that planning and permitting for such projects can be lengthy and complex, particularly for energy infrastructure. Other partners in the project include Microsoft, investor MGX and the chipmakers Arm and NVIDIA, according to separate statements by Oracle and OpenAI. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Thanks but no thanks. The so-called MAGA Granny who was sentenced to 60 days in prison for her role in the violent riot at the Capitol in 2021 is passing on a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. I broke the law. Its just that simple, 71 year-old Pam Hemphill told KTVB. I had a choice. Im not a victim. I could have left. Trump pardoned and commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. Hemphill, meanwhile, blamed the president for inciting the violence. Theyre lying about everything. (They) said the doors were opened by the officers, and they were not, she told the outlet. Everything starts with Trump saying the election was stolen. Thats where it all started. It wasnt stolen. She added: Im not going to be a part of them trying to rewrite history. That what they did that day was ok. I broke the law, I pay the price. Hemphill posted on social media that shed like an opportunity to tell her story before Congress in the event Trump invites some people convicted of crimes that day to the White House. Her profile says shes committed to debunking J6 lies and has a photo of a hat with the slogan MAKE LYING WRONG AGAIN at the top of her profile. I heard J6 criminals (Proud Boys) may be invited to the White House, wondering if anyone could ask a member of Congress to read my letter! @RepRaskin @RepJasmine @RepJeffries https://t.co/qH9QyLgGQl Pam Hemphill (@PamHemphill79) January 22, 2025 Trumps action, just hours after his return to the White House on Monday, paves the way for the release from prison of people found guilty of violent attacks on police, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep the Republican in power after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden. The pardons are a culmination of Trumps yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack, which left more than 100 police officers injured as the angry mob of Trump supporters some armed with poles, bats and bear spray overwhelmed law enforcement, shattered windows and sent lawmakers and aides running into hiding. While pardons were expected, the speed and the scope of the clemency amounted to a stunning dismantling of the Justice Departments effort to hold participants accountable over what has been described as one of the darkest days in the countrys history. Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek the dismissal of roughly 450 cases that are pending before judges stemming from the largest investigation in Justice Department history. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Donald Trump wants an apology from Bishop Mariann Budde after she asked him for mercy during the national prayer service on Tuesday. During Tuesdays prayer service, Budde asked Trump to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. Trump did not appreciate being scolded at and demanded an apology from her. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions, he wrote on Truth Social early Wednesday morning. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology! he added. Budde, born in New Jersey, asked him to have mercy on LGBTQ children and undocumented immigrants during the service. Budde is the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and who work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she continued. The sermon sparked backlash from conservatives, including Georgia Rep. Mike Collins. He retweeted the clip with a tweet that read: The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. Budde, a U.S. citizen, previously denounced Trump after police used tear gas on protesters so he could use historic St. Johns Church for a photo op with an upside-down Bible. Trump has been at odds with religious leaders before. Recently, Pope Francis said his plans of mass deportations of immigrants would be a disgrace. During his first campaign for the presidency, in 2016, Francis was asked about Trumps plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Speaking after he celebrated Mass along the border, Francis famously said anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants is not Christian. Many U.S. bishops have firmly opposed Trumps deportation plan, with the incoming archbishop of Washington D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, saying such policies were incompatible with Catholic doctrine. It was a reference to the Biblical call to welcome the stranger. Another cardinal close to Francis, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, said the reports of mass deportations targeting the Chicago areaare not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply. The Associated Press contributed to this report. At least one member of MAGA is denying free speech and calling for religious persecution and its only Day 2 of the Donald Trump administration. Trump was in Washington, D.C., for a national prayer service on Tuesday when Bishop Mariann Budde, who was born in New Jersey, pleaded with him during the service to have mercy on undocumented immigrants and other marginal groups, whom Trump has targeted during his campaign. Budde is the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C. Millions have put their trust in you, Budde said. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. As Trump looked away, she continued from the pulpit: There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and who work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. When Budde was finished her sermon, Trump and Vice President JD Vance sitting in the same row traded looks of disgust. Later, when video of the remarks surfaced on Twitter/X, Georgia Rep. Mike Collins retweeted the clip with a tweet that read: The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. In short, Collins is asking for the deportation of a U.S. citizen and member of the clergy for delivering a sermon in accordance with Jesus teachings, the Episcopal Church and Christianity in general. When asked his reaction to the service, Trump said: What did you think? Did you like it, did you find it exciting? Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service. No. Thank you very much. They could do much better. In 2020, when Trump had police use tear gas on protesters to clear them away so he could use historic St. Johns Church for a photo op with an upside-down Bible, Budde denounced him. The President just used a Bible and one of the churches of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for, Budde said. To do so, he sanctioned the use of tear gas by police officers in riot gear to clear the church yard. I am outraged. The bishop should prepare herself. Immigration authorities soon might be coming to her church. The new Trump administration has thrown out policies limiting where immigration arrests could happen. Officers enforcing immigration laws will now be able to arrest migrants at sensitive locations like schools and churches. The move announced Tuesday reverses guidance that for over a decade has restricted two key federal immigration agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from carrying out immigration enforcement in sensitive locations. The AP contributed to this report. A nasty winter storm in the southern U.S. dumped as much as 8 inches of snow in New Orleans on Tuesday. That not only crushed records for the city, but its more snow than some areas of New Jersey have gotten this entire winter season. The old record was 2.7 inches, on Dec. 31, 1963, and our records date back to 1948, Hannah Lisney, a meteorologist at the National Weather Services New Orleans forecast office, told NJ Advance Media. By comparison, some cities in New Jersey more than 1,200 miles north of southern Louisiana have gotten less snow than The Big Easy this winter. Stats from the National Weather Service show Newark has had only 7.2 inches of snow since Dec. 1, and Atlantic City has gotten only 6 inches. New York City has had just 5.8 inches of snow this season, and Philadelphia has measured only 4.9 inches. So those two major northern cities also have been out-snowed by New Orleans in just one day, from a storm that The Weather Channel called a once-in-a-lifetime snowfall. People walk as snow falls in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP For Lisney, seeing snow pile up in and around New Orleans wasnt as overwhelming as one might expect. Im a northerner. Im from Wisconsin, so Im like, eh, she said. For other folks down south, however, the feeling was different. Lots of people around here were excited, Lisney said. Anybody (in the New Orleans area) under the age of probably 40 has never seen this much snow. New Orleans wasnt the only southern city that got blasted by heavy snow on Tuesday. More than 7 inches of snow was reported in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida. Almost 10 inches of snow was reported in Milton, Florida, 10.5 inches of snow was measured in Rayne and Lafayette in Louisiana and 11 inches fell in Babbie, Alabama, according to AccuWeather. People check out the frozen fountain in Bienville Square in downtown Mobile, Ala. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Mobile experienced record-breaking snow.Margaret Kates In New Orleans, the city thats hosting the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, the snow isnt expected to stick around too long. Warmer temperatures in the upper 40s are forecast for later this week. However, Lisney said overnight temperatures will likely remain below the freezing mark Wednesday night and Thursday night. Were gonna have some melting and refreezing issues the next couple of nights, she said. By the weekend, New Orleans is forecast to warm up to the low 50s on Saturday and low 60s on Sunday. The sphinx covered in snow in front of The Temple Downtown in Mobile, Ala. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Mobile experienced record breaking snowfall on Tuesday.Margaret Kates Current weather radar Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality. New York Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara, have been named in a lawsuit that alleges they covered up the sexual abuse of a minor at a summer camp and their home. In a lawsuit filed on Jan. 16 in the Supreme Court of Westchester County and obtained by the Gainesville Public Information Services (GnvInfo) and the Independent, the Riveras have been accused of being negligent in their supervision and allegedly failing to act upon learning that a young girl from their church was being sexually abused." Theyve also been sued for premises liability at their church and former home, according to GnvInfo. Rivera, who pitched for the Yankees from 1995-2013 and recorded 652 saves while a fan favorite, is a pastor at Refuge of Hope Church in New Rochelle, New York, according to the Independent. Clara oversees the day-to-day operations, and according to both outlets, citing the complaint, she persuaded the young girls mom to send her daughter to the summer camp that was tied to the Riveras church. Via the Independent: According to the filing in the civil case, the plaintiff known as Jane Doe claims she was sexually abused by an older minor girl anonymised as MG during a summer internship in 2018 at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida, which was supported by Riveras church. The abuse allegedly continued at a barbeque hosted at the couples former Brook View property in Rye, New York, in August 2018 before it was sold in June 2022 according to the complaint. The Riveras, Life Center and Ignite Life Center have not responded to the Independents request for comment. According to the lawsuit, after the alleged victims mother became concerned for her daughters well-being after one phone call, she relayed her concerns to Clara Rivera, who promised to investigate the matter. The Riveras traveled to Florida for the summer camp, where they learned or should have learned information about the alleged sexual abuse, the lawsuit states. Rather than take sufficient action to end the sexual abuse of Jane Doe (the victim), the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated Jane Doe to remain silent about her abuse by MG (the suspect) to avoid causing trouble for Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life Summer Internship. The Riveras lied to the minors mother, according to Gainesville Public Information Services, citing the lawsuit. The girl returned to Refuge of Hope after the internship, the Independent wrote, before the alleged abuse continued at Riveras former home during a barbecue that included the churchs children but no parents, according to Gainesville Public Information Services. The Riveras left the minor with MG during the event, according to the lawsuit. Via Gainesville Public Information Services: Upon information and belief, [the] defendants failure to take corrective action in response to the 2018 allegations at the Ignite Summer Internship was consistent with an established and ongoing modus operandi by [the] defendants to handle allegations of sexual abuse internally so to avoid scrutiny, public scandal, and potential financial losses from allegations of child sexual abuse becoming public information. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronaut Song Lingdong performing extravehicular activities outside China's orbiting space station. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Shenzhou-19 crew aboard China's orbiting space station completed their mission's second series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) at 1:12 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Tuesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze worked for 8.5 hours to complete multiple tasks, including the installation of space debris protection devices and an extravehicular inspection. They were assisted by the space station's robotic arm and a team on Earth. Cai and Song, the two crew members assigned to undertake spacewalk duties, have since returned to the Wentian lab module safely. Since completing their first spacewalk on Dec. 17, 2024, the crew members have undertaken a series of tasks, including the inspection and maintenance of the space station's equipment, system-wide pressure emergency drills, and preparations for the second series of EVAs. They have completed nearly half of their space journey and are scheduled to carry out a significant number of in-orbit scientific experiments and technological tests, the agency said. Amid their busy schedule, they will also welcome the upcoming Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese Lunar New Year. This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronaut Cai Xuzhe working inside the airlock cabin of China's orbiting space station. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronaut Wang Haoze working inside China's orbiting space station. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronaut Song Lingdong leaving China's orbiting space station for extravehicular activities. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronaut Song Lingdong performing extravehicular activities outside China's orbiting space station. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Jan. 20, 2025 shows Shenzhou-19 astronauts Cai Xuzhe (R) and Song Lingdong (L) performing extravehicular activities outside China's orbiting space station. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) Editor: JYZ Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. A giant panda from China eats bamboo at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. A new pair of giant pandas made their debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month. At the Adelaide Zoo in the capital of South Australia (SA), an affectionate welcoming ceremony was held for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in a bamboo forest, about 7,500 km from the pandas' hometown, southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended by officials, dignitaries and animal conservationists from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zhang Na/Xinhua) CANBERRA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A new pair of giant pandas made their debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month. At the Adelaide Zoo in the capital of South Australia (SA), an affectionate welcoming ceremony was held for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in a bamboo forest, about 7,500 km from the pandas' hometown, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended by officials, dignitaries and animal conservationists from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said the Chinese values of harmony, inclusiveness and openness could be seen in pandas, which reflect the aspirations of the Chinese and Australian peoples for friendship and exchanges, and symbolize the profound friendship between the peoples. Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations, Xiao said, adding that he hopes the two adorable new pandas will live happily here, grow their family, and become new ambassadors to carry forward the friendship between the two peoples. The pandas will spend the next 10 years at Adelaide Zoo, replacing the previous pair Wangwang and Funi, who returned to China in November after 15 years in Australia, drawing more than 5 million visitors. A giant panda from China eats carrots at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. A new pair of giant pandas made their debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month. At the Adelaide Zoo in the capital of South Australia (SA), an affectionate welcoming ceremony was held for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in a bamboo forest, about 7,500 km from the pandas' hometown, southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended by officials, dignitaries and animal conservationists from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zhang Na/Xinhua) A giant panda from China eats bamboo at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. A new pair of giant pandas made their debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month. At the Adelaide Zoo in the capital of South Australia (SA), an affectionate welcoming ceremony was held for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in a bamboo forest, about 7,500 km from the pandas' hometown, southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended by officials, dignitaries and animal conservationists from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zhang Na/Xinhua) Visitors look at a giant panda from China at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. A new pair of giant pandas made their debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month. At the Adelaide Zoo in the capital of South Australia (SA), an affectionate welcoming ceremony was held for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in a bamboo forest, about 7,500 km from the pandas' hometown, southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended by officials, dignitaries and animal conservationists from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zhang Na/Xinhua) This photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows giant panda-themed souvenirs at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. A new pair of giant pandas made their debut on Tuesday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA), following their arrival from China last month. At the Adelaide Zoo in the capital of South Australia (SA), an affectionate welcoming ceremony was held for the public to meet the black-and-white duo in a bamboo forest, about 7,500 km from the pandas' hometown, southwest China's Sichuan Province, attended by officials, dignitaries and animal conservationists from both China and Australia a week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zhang Na/Xinhua) Editor: JYZ People await the arrival of a tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year in downtown The Hague, the Netherlands, on Jan. 21, 2025. A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year has debuted on the busiest urban tram line in The Hague, the Netherlands, bringing the festive spirit of the Spring Festival to local residents. (Photo by Sun Jingjing/Xinhua) THE HAGUE, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year has debuted on the busiest urban tram line in The Hague, the Netherlands, bringing the festive spirit of the Spring Festival to local residents. Themed for the Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar, the tram operates on The Hague's tram line 1. Its front displays the message "Hello, China," while the body features a vibrant red background adorned with cheerful cartoon snake designs and the phrase "HAPPY YEAR OF THE SNAKE." Line 1, the longest urban tram line in the capital, stretches 24 km from the Scheveningen beach through The Hague's city center to the historic city of Delft, serving nearly 30,000 passengers daily. The festive tram will run until Feb. 20, offering tens of thousands of passengers the opportunity to experience a touch of Chinese culture and the Lunar New Year cheer. This special tram also kicks off the "Happy Chinese New Year" celebrations across The Netherlands, involving a series of events. Highlights of the festivities include the annual Spring Festival Gala hosted by the Chinese community in Rotterdam, a lion dance event at The Hague's ice rink, a New Year concert in Amsterdam, a zodiac-themed paper-cut art installation, and hand-painted fan workshops in Rotterdam. Additionally, Chinese students in the Netherlands will organize a student-led Spring Festival gala. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Spring Festival falls on Jan. 29 this year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. In traditional Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes agility, wisdom, and vitality. A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year is pictured in the center of The Hague, the Netherlands, on Jan. 21, 2025. A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year has debuted on the busiest urban tram line in The Hague, the Netherlands, bringing the festive spirit of the Spring Festival to local residents. (Photo by Sun Jingjing/Xinhua) A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year is pictured in the center of The Hague, the Netherlands, on Jan. 21, 2025. A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year has debuted on the busiest urban tram line in The Hague, the Netherlands, bringing the festive spirit of the Spring Festival to local residents. (Photo by Sun Jingjing/Xinhua) A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year is pictured in the center of The Hague, the Netherlands, on Jan. 21, 2025. A tram decorated to celebrate the 2025 Chinese New Year has debuted on the busiest urban tram line in The Hague, the Netherlands, bringing the festive spirit of the Spring Festival to local residents. (Photo by Sun Jingjing/Xinhua) Editor: JYZ Ukrainian cheese producers are facing the threat of losing a significant part of their domestic sales market due to the very likely growth of imports, the industry analytical agency Infagro reported. "The main reason for the growth of cheese imports is the disparity in prices for Ukrainian and European products. Imported cheese is significantly cheaper than domestic one," the analysts explained. In their opinion, two factors can save the situation: a reduction in prices by Ukrainian cheese makers or a significant devaluation of the hryvnia. The first option is unlikely, producers have already gotten out of the habit of using such a sales promotion tool. Even traditional cheeses will not be sold cheaper than UAH 300/kg in the near future. But the collapse of the hryvnia exchange rate may very well happen, given the war and the current state of the economy, experts believe. "This is an assumption for the future, but now we are seeing a December increase in imports of rennet cheeses (hard, semi-hard, white) by 50% compared to December 2023, to 4,600 tonnes. Supplies of European processed cheeses in a similar comparison increased by 28% to more than 500 tonnes," the analysts stated and added that if the trend of high imports continues, this means that European cheeses will account for half of all cheese sales in Ukraine. According to the industry agency, the overall results of the cheese sector in 2024 were acceptable. Imports of rennet cheeses increased last year by only 11% to 29,000 tonnes, which is almost a third less than in the pre-war 2021. Purchases of processed cheeses in 2024 compared to the previous year increased by 14%, to 4,600 tonnes, which is a quarter less than in 2021. At the same time, Ukrainian producers in 2024 were still able to increase the export of semi-hard cheeses by 9% to almost 7,000 tonnes. At the same time, processed cheeses (along with the curd product) were sold abroad by 4% less, 4,200 tonnes. "In general, domestic cheesemakers have something to think about. Something needs to be done to prevent imports from becoming as significant as they were in 2021. But back then, it was still possible to balance the situation by having a large number of consumers, but now a significant portion of them are abroad, and many under occupation. Producers can, of course, hope for foreign trade, but it will be very difficult to increase cheese exports. Logistics to post-Soviet countries remains quite complex and expensive. In other markets, it will simply be impossible to compete on price with European goods," Infagro summed up. PORTER Sumatra Koperasi coffee. Fresh pastries from an abbey in Chicago. Dinosaurs holding out beef jerky sticks. Anyone popping into the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center this past week was in for a surprise, as the facility played host to the first-ever indoor version of Chestertons popular European Farmers Market. At least one visitor, Becky Hull from Valpo, had been meaning to go to the Chesterton market for a long time, before accidentally stumbling into this one. All my friends have raved about the market, Hull said. I finally got to it, I guess! Theres some really cool things here I never expected. Of the farmer's markets spread throughout The Region, the Chesterton European Market is a true gem, a grand bazaar of food and craft goods sprawled out along Thomas Centennial Park. But its no match for the polar vortex. Nevertheless, vendors have been asking the market organizers about a possible winter or indoor version for some time, market director Cathi Rogers said. The impetus came when the Dunes Visitor Center invited them to use the facility for the market as a way of bringing more awareness to their programs. We wanted to make sure this was successful enough, Rogers said, that there was a continued appetite for it among the community. But weve brought way more vendors (40) than I expected, were completely wall-to-wall. This has been very successful for us. Even at a fraction of the size of the spring and summer versions, I was pleasantly surprised at the different options available within the space, including drinks, pastries and fresh meat. Below are some of the local highlights I found: Triple Chocolate Cookie, Crumbles: A Bake Shop The Crumbles kiosk is the first vendor attendees would have encountered coming into the Dunes Center on Saturday. The Crown Point-based bakery and cookie shop is run by Doug Gutjahr, who said he was fresh off a busy holiday season. The winter is usually a good break to ease back into the full-press summer markets, Gutjhar said, noting that in addition to the Chesterton indoor market, he had six other markets planned between now and May, not including pop-ups. Ive got a lot of loyalty in this particular market, Gutjhar said, but exposure helps. Its good for people to get out, traffics been good here. I tried Crumbles English Toffee, which was the classic jaw-breaking variety. But I really like their triple-chocolate cookie, a large, crumbly (as advertised!) mound filled with three different kinds of chocolate chips. I like the contrast between the white chocolate and the milk chocolate chunks, it adds some novelty (which chocolate is next) and this is no mere morsel. You can break it up and break up the day with this cookie. Sumatran Coffee, Trackside Roasters Porter-based Trackside, which also has a regular tent at the European market, was caffeinating the crowd at the indoor version, serving several different varieties of single-origin specialty coffee as well as whole beans. Im really enjoying the warmth in here, said owner Jeff Baruth, noting that its often difficult to roast in cold weather. The Sumatran blend promised notes of raisin, brown sugar, and honey in the flavor profile. Although an avid drinker of coffee, I wouldnt call myself a connoisseur, and unless its a latte or espresso-based drink, I struggle to necessarily define the flavor beyond bitter versus clean. The Trackside blends I tried were a darker roast. So with the above caveat, Id say that some sweeter notes do come out in the aftertaste, which is preferable to the sourness that follows a lot of conventional brewed coffee. The local roastery also does pour-overs and tastings from time to time at Tethans Candy Shop in Chesterton. Angry Monkey Hot Sauce, Malettas The Region-based hot sauce company boasted over a dozen flavors at the indoor market, including some unusual varieties like pineapple habanero and jalapeno honey agave. The hot sauce company grew out of a dare of sorts, as co-owner Derek Maletta said his dad, Bob, wanted to make the hottest hot sauce he possibly could and started growing reaper peppers. Although they didnt end up going that route, the Malettas gave out homemade hot sauces, with their own colorfully-named labels, as Christmas Gifts back in 2020, and then Maletta said they realized were onto something here. Although hot sauce isnt seasonal, Maletta suggested the serrano ginger garlic as a winter-ish variety, and noted the pineapple habanero went really well on ham. Although they have plenty of mouth-burning, pants-on-fire sauces, including a fun flavor called the green ghost (with ghost peppers), I tried a sauce called the Angry Monkey, which isnt quite as hot but includes the unusual blend of fire-roasted banana peppers. The Angry Monkey is one of two banana pepper sauces they make (the other is the less-palatably named Vomit), and went really well with chorizo tacos when I tried it later on in the weekend (see below). Its a good introductory sauce, Maletta said of the banana pepper blend. Not super hot, but you get a lot of flavor out of it. Homemade Chicken Chorizo, Bennett Farms Bennett Farms was the only vendor selling meat on Saturday, although there were more farmers present in Chesterton during the summer. Owner Tom Bennett noted that while the farm, based out of Edwardsburg, Michigan, is slow in the winter, they do get some online orders, and they raise cattle and beef year-round. The pasture-raised chicken are butchered and flash-frozen at the end of the market season, so that they can meet year-round demand. Among them is Bennetts chicken chorizo blend, which Bennett noted is pre-seasoned and he recommended it to me as a gateway meat for Bennetts offerings, along with cheddar jalapeno brats. I made some tacos with the chorizo and definitely thought it was a good blend, slightly healthier than regular red meat (pork) chorizo, but nicely seasoned as promised, with a little bit of heat but nothing serious. Rex Favorite Smoked Beef Stick, Snackasaurus Heres one for the kiddos: although the Snackasaurus Jurassic-themed table display does not offer actual dinosaur meat, owner Alex Stuckey promised that his jerky blends dont have soy protein or corn syrup solids that most conventional beef snacks contain, making them a healthier alternative for kids. As a kid I really liked dinosaurs, Stuckey said. And I liked meat sticks. I wanted my kids to eat a bit better, so with this, Ive combined the two. The Prairie-Springs-based company sells several varieties of meat sticks including beef, barbecue chicken and beet, and a turkey-beef blend. Perhaps most impressively, Stuckeys mom hand-knits dinosaur dolls, which make for an adorable (if inedible) companion. The rest of the best: Other food and drink vendors at the Saturday market included BAOs Pastry, The Cheese Lady St. Joe, Olivezia, St. Rogers Abbey and BNutty Peanut Butters. Travelin Toms Coffee of the Dunes was also outside the event with a food (coffee) truck. The next Indoor Chesterton Market will take place at the Dune Welcome Center, located at 1215 N State Rd 49, on Feb. 15. For a complete list of vendors participating in that event, please go to https://www.facebook.com/ChestertonsEuropeanMarket/. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/ForestsOfUkraine The Cabinet of Ministers approved candidates for the positions of members of the supervisory board of the state company Forests of Ukraine, the supervisory board includes three independent members and one representative of the state. According to the message published on the government, the candidacies of Markiyan Vytvytsky, Roberts Stripnieks and Janne Risto Samuel Harjunpaa have been approved for the positions of independent members of the supervisory board. Oleksiy Kucher has been appointed as a representative of the state. "The formation of the supervisory board of Forests of Ukraine will allow the introduction of high standards of corporate governance that meet the requirements of the law and the OECD guidelines. The work of an independent supervisory board will increase the level of trust in the company on the part of international partners and potential investors," said First Deputy Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev. Forests of Ukraine is one of the largest forest users in Europe and the largest forest user in Ukraine. The state-owned company specializes in forest management, protection, conservation, use and reproduction of forests; hunting management, protection, reproduction and rational use of the State Hunting Fund on the lands used by the enterprise. The Ministry of Economy recalled that in August 2024, the committee for the appointment of heads of enterprises of particular importance to the economy approved the requirements for candidates for the positions of members of the supervisory board of Forests of Ukraine and announced a competitive selection of independent members. On April 30, 2024, the government included Forests of Ukraine in the list of economic entities of particular importance to the economy, the appointment of heads and members of the supervisory boards of which is carried out with the participation of the appointment committee. Markiyan Vytvytsky previously worked in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry of Canada, is a member of the Board of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce. Roberts Stripnieks was the chairman of the supervisory board and CEO of state-owned Latvian State Forests, a member of the executive board and the audit committee of the European Association of State Forest Managers. He worked in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Latvia. Janne Harjunpaa works as the CEO of the East Office of Finnish Industries. He was a member of the supervisory board of Oschadbank, an expert and consultant for the IMF and the World Bank. Oleksiy Kucher heads the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine. He was the head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration, MP of Ukraine of the ninth convocation. Jerry Davich Metro columnist Follow Jerry Davich Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Todays column is the second in a series on the U.S. healthcare system, its fatal and costly flaws, and a new book, Hospital, Heal Thyself, by Region author, Mark Taylor. Lewis Blackmans death reminded the world that not every patient goes home after their surgery at a hospital. After his elective surgery in 2000, the 15-year-old boy from South Carolina developed peritonitis and lost nearly three-fourths of his blood over the course of 30 hours. After he died, his parents transformed their sons shocking death into a legacy of warnings for other hospital patients who, like the Blackmans, presume that all hospital staffs are properly staffed to avoid such a fatal outcome. Lewis Blackmans death should be a warning to hospital patients, said Eugene Litvak, president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Optimization. And also why you shouldnt schedule a surgery late in the week. In the first column in this series, Litvak suggested for patients to schedule surgeries on Monday or Tuesday, so surgeons can be available during the week if trouble arises, and for better nurse-patient staffing ratios. In Lewis Blackmans case, his surgery was on a Thursday and his surgeon left the hospital that Friday for the weekend. What most patients dont understand is that their surgery doesnt end when they leave the operating room. Their surgery ends when they get discharged from the hospital, said Litvak, whose cost-cutting methodology has been applied by multiple hospital and clinic settings in three countries. Mark Taylor, a veteran healthcare journalist from Munster, recently released a book about Litvak and his eye-opening research. Its title lays out its scope: Hospital, Heal Thyself: One Brilliant Mathematician's Proven Plan for Saving Hospital, Many Lives and Billions of Dollars, published by John Wiley & Sons. (His next book signing and reading is Saturday, Feb. 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Valparaiso at 150 Silhavy Road.) Ever wondered why every hospital has construction cranes permanently dotting their campuses? This book offers another way, said Taylor, who spent seven years writing and researching it. Taylor began looking into the fascinating backstory of Litvak, a 74-year-old Soviet refusenik and emigre who came to the U.S. with $150 in his pocket and no healthcare experience. He was born in the burned out ruins of Kiev, occupied by the Nazis. When his bosses refused him permission to travel abroad because he was a Jew, he applied to emigrate. For the next decade he was persecuted, recruited to spy on fellow scientists by the KGB, and followed by secret police. He and his family finally were allowed to leave for the U.S. in 1988. After Litvaks healthcare system research gained international traction, Taylor interviewed him for the Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and several healthcare business magazines. Eugene has been described as aggravatingly persistent, Taylor told me. But after Taylor finally relented, he realized Litvaks genius. I saw that I had a story that not many other journalists were interested in, which naturally piqued my interest, Taylor said. Taylors book describes Litvak as an enigmatic healthcare visionary whose research and strategies have already been implemented at many top 12-ranked hospitals to save hundreds of millions of dollars and countless thousands of patient lives. He cites a story in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," by Stanford University researcher Arnold Milstein, who wrote that if every U.S. hospital adopted the methods of Litvak, it would save the healthcare system up to $150 billion annually. The answer is to even out the scheduling of patient admissions for elective procedures, Litvak co-wrote for a recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Research shows that this approach has cascading benefits to both hospital finances and healthcare quality. The result would be saving many lives and billions of dollars, benefiting patients, taxpayers, caregivers and employers. As a healthcare journalist for nearly three decades and a co-founder of the Association of Health Care Journalists, Taylor knows our healthcare system is not only dysfunctional, but sickly. There is pain, fear, anger and resentment over its many flaws, he said. It isn't just insurance companies. It's hospitals. It's nursing homes. It's the costs. It's lack of access. It's the plain heartlessness of a Rube Goldberg system that is private, public and pitiless. His book was written for patients to help them advocate for themselves. But patients alone can't transform our wounded healthcare system. So it is also aimed at hospital leaders, physicians, nurses, insurers and government officials at all levels. There are great doctors and nurses out there. But the system itself eats its babies. It makes it difficult for doctors and nurses to care for their patients. Private insurance companies, even public ones like Medicare and Medicaid, can seem heartless and bureaucratic when patients are facing life and death issues, Taylor said. He cited his younger brothers death at just one example. He had a tumor in his lung that needed urgent treatment. But it took months for a Chicago hospital to finally commence chemotherapy and radiation. By then it was too late and the tumor impinged on a pulmonary artery and he bled to death, Taylor said. It was heartbreaking. The doctors and nurses were great caring, compassionate and very professional. But the hospital's bureaucracy was stifling, frustrating and maddening. I felt like going in with a gun and standing over them while they administered what would have been life-saving treatment. Maybe I should have, Taylor said. He knows that such incidents will not humanize this $5 trillion industry. But something has to. This book is a start, he said. Patients need to learn to advocate for themselves and their loved ones. This book helps them on that journey. As Litvak asked me, How many cases are there like Lewis Blackmans fate? I paused for a second. Too many, he said. Trumps opponents started pushing back President Trumps adversaries made their first move yesterday as 22 states sued to block him from denying citizenship rights to the children of unauthorized immigrants. It was the beginning of what was expected to be a long legal battle over immigration. Two of Americas most prominent far-right extremists, Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers militia, left prison. They were freed as part of Trumps sweeping legal reprieves for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. During his first full day in office, Trump was set to meet with top Republican leaders in Congress to discuss the early priorities of his term. Heres what else happened: Tech: Trump was expected to announce a joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to create a $100 billion A.I. initiative. The Trump administration intends to push to renegotiate the U.S. trade deal with Canada and Mexico ahead of a required 2026 review of it, seeking to shore up U.S. auto jobs and counter Chinese firms that are making inroads into the Mexican auto sector, people familiar with the deliberations said. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Mr. Trump signed in 2020, required the three countries to hold a joint review of the deal after six years, on July 1, 2026. But Mr. Trump intends to begin those negotiations sooner, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not been made public. Trump officials particularly want to tighten the pacts rules governing the auto sector, to try to discourage auto factories from leaving the United States, they said. They are also seeking to block Chinese companies making cars and auto parts from being able to export to the United States through factories in Mexico. Mr. Trump has also threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico, saying those countries are allowing drugs and migrants to flow across American borders. Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday night after his inauguration, he said he planned to move forward with the tariffs on Feb. 1. When two longtime business partners established a subsidiary 50 years ago to make zinc out of an industrial complex set up by South Koreas government, they settled on an unusual division of power. The new venture, Korea Zinc, would be managed by the Choi family. The existing parent company, Young Poong, would be run by the other founders household, the Chang family. Both clans agreed to respect each others management. The arrangement came to be known as two families under one roof. Korea Zinc went on to become the worlds largest producer of zinc and an essential cog of South Koreas economy. But now the relationship between the Chois and the Changs has broken down in dramatic fashion. The descendants of the two founders, who died decades ago, are locked in a bare-knuckle fight for control of Korea Zinc. Chinese vice premier calls for multilateralism at Davos Xinhua) 08:18, January 22, 2025 DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, urging the global community to uphold multilateralism and promote open and inclusive development. Ding recalled that eight years ago, in the same venue, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, sending a resounding message that China would support economic globalization, uphold and practice multilateralism, and join the effort to make the world a better place, offering clear answers to the questions of how to improve global governance and build a community with a shared future for mankind, and providing important guidance to the international community. The vice premier emphasized that the world is undergoing rapid and unprecedented changes, with global governance facing profound adjustments. Citing that human society has once again come to a critical crossroads, he urged the international community to draw inspiration from Xi's vision. "We should firm up confidence, uphold solidarity and cooperation, and forge ahead hand in hand despite high winds and choppy waters to build a community with a shared future for mankind. We should provide more stability and certainty for the world, and build a just world of common development," he said. Ding outlined four key recommendations. First, he called for the international community to promote universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and try to find a win-win and all-win solution, one that is based on mutually beneficial cooperation, through communication and coordination. "We should not only make the pie of economic globalization bigger, but also distribute it better," he said. He also called on the global community to uphold and practice true multilateralism, firmly uphold the United Nations-centered international system, pursue the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and ensure equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules for all countries in international affairs, and foster an open, inclusive and nondiscriminatory environment for international economic cooperation. Ding continued to say that the international community should jointly foster new drivers and strengths for global economic development, enhance connectivity in the digital age, promote international cooperation on scientific and technological innovation, uphold the principle of harnessing scientific and technological achievements for the benefit of all humanity, and thus let more countries get on board the fast train of digital economic development. He also called on the international community to jointly tackle major global challenges, such as climate change, food and energy security, and work together to advance the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, thereby gathering formidable strength to overcome difficulties and challenges. Ding also shared insights into the key trends shaping China's economy. He said that the first major trend is that high-quality development is making solid progress in China, and there is evident progress in the transition from traditional growth drivers to new ones, emerging and future industries are booming and new quality productive forces are taking shape at a faster pace. He noted that this year, China will further intensify macro policies, and adopt a more proactive fiscal policy and an appropriately accommodative monetary policy, so as to effectively pursue higher-quality economic growth and appropriately increase economic output. The second major trend is that green and low-carbon transition is accelerating across the board, he said. China has built the world's largest and most complete new energy industrial chain. "No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China's determination and action for proactive climate response will not change," he said. "We will make tireless efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate pollution while expanding green transition and promoting economic growth." He continued to say that the third major trend is that reform and opening up is moving up to a higher level. "We will build a high-standard socialist market economy, foster a fairer and more dynamic market environment, and make resource allocation as efficient and productive as possible," he said, adding that China's door of opening up will not be closed and will only open even wider, and the business environment in China will only get better. He welcomed foreign enterprises to invest and do business in China, and achieve greater success in sharing China's opportunities. Following his speech, Ding engaged in a discussion with Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the WEF Board of Trustees, addressing topics such as the international order and artificial intelligence. During his time at the forum, Ding held bilateral talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Daren Tang. He also participated in discussions with international business leaders from companies including Siemens, ABB Group, and Blackstone. The business leaders spoke highly of China's policies for promoting high-quality development, expressed strong confidence in China's future development, and reaffirmed their intentions to continue investing in China. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Perfect Group has begun construction of the Velmy apart-hotel in Polianytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, the company's press service reported to the Interfax-Ukraine agency. According to the head of projects at Perfect Group, Oleksiy Koval, the goal of the Velmy project is to change the standards of recreation and investment in the region. "We are creating space for emotions and memories, where every detail works for the comfort of our guests. In addition, this is a reliable investment with a projected payback of eight to nine years, which makes the project attractive to investors. We believe that Velmy will become a landmark place in Bukovel," Koval noted. The Velmy apart-hotel is located in Bukovel next to the Molodist lake and ski lifts No. 14 and No. 22. It has 492 apartments ranging from 26 to 80 sq m. The complex is positioned as business class, the proposed infrastructure includes a panoramic pool, Ski-in/Ski-out, a SPA center, a gym, restaurants, a conference hall and a children's center. Investors are offered renovated apartments, while transactions are executed in accordance with the new legislation on future real estate objects with the registration of a special property right in state registers. The declared date of commissioning of the first stage is the third quarter of 2026. At the moment, the price per square meter is from UAH 167,900. Installments with a down payment of 50% are available. It is expected that the tourist season in Velmy will be year-round, the likely rental yield will be up to 12% per annum, and the payback period is eight to nine years. Perfect Group, founded in 1991, has commissioned 42 buildings since 2010, with 21 buildings under construction. After breaking bread with President Trump in Florida and then attending his inauguration in Washington, Mayor Eric Adams would seem especially qualified to opine on Mr. Trumps polarizing first day in office. But upon his return to New York City, Mr. Adams declined on Tuesday to say much of anything about the new president. He had nothing bad to say about the pardons of the Jan. 6 rioters or the move to end federal D.E.I. programs. The mayor of the largest city in the country had not lost his voice. Rather, he had chosen to mute himself. Mr. Adams said that if he had any differences of opinion with the Republican president, he would share them privately with Mr. Trump. President Trump on Tuesday granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road drug marketplace and a cult hero in the cryptocurrency and libertarian worlds. In doing so, Mr. Trump fulfilled a promise that he made repeatedly on the campaign trail as he courted political contributions from the crypto industry, which spent more than $100 million to influence the outcome of the election. A Bitcoin pioneer, Mr. Ulbricht, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2015, after he was convicted on charges that included distributing narcotics on the internet. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know, Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, misspelling Mr. Ulbrichts name and making a reference to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. In its nearly three years of existence, Silk Road, which operated in a shady corner of the internet known as the dark web, became an international drug marketplace, facilitating more than 1.5 million transactions, including sales of heroin, cocaine and other illicit substances. (The site generated over $200 million in revenue, according to authorities.) In court, prosecutors claimed that Mr. Ulbricht had also solicited the murders of people whom he considered threats but acknowledged there was no evidence that the killings took place. Andrea Chavez, who arrived in the United States illegally almost two decades ago, gave birth to a baby girl last year in Maryland. Within days, the child had a Social Security number. Ms. Chavezs cousin Maria Calderas, who is undocumented and just a few months into her own pregnancy, faces the prospect that her child will not be able to secure the same citizenship rights that her niece now has. On his first day in office, President Trump issued an order that seeks to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants. That right has been enshrined in the Constitution for more than 160 years, and experts say that stripping it away would require a constitutional amendment. The incoming administration had made no secret of its intention to attack birthright citizenship, and hours after the order was issued lawsuits were filed by two coalitions of states and the American Civil Liberties Union, saying the directive violated the 14th Amendments citizenship provisions. Many lawyers have said the same thing. President Trumps executive order on birthright citizenship declares that babies born to many temporary residents of the United States not just those in the country illegally must be denied automatic citizenship, a dramatic rejection of rights that have been part of the Constitution for more than 150 years. If the courts do not block the order, babies born to women living legally, but temporarily, in the United States such as people studying on a student visa or workers hired by high-tech companies will not automatically be recognized by the federal government as U.S. citizens if the father is also not a permanent resident. Aides to Mr. Trump had told reporters on Monday morning that the order would apply to children of illegal aliens born in the United States. In fact, the language in the order Mr. Trump signed, titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, goes much further. Its a shocking attack on people in this country who are here lawfully, played by the rules and are benefiting the country, said David Leopold, the chair of the immigration practice at the law firm UB Greensfelder. Were talking about people who are doing cutting-edge research in the United States, researchers, people who are here to help us. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, whose direct appeal to President Trump for mercy on behalf of immigrants and the L.G.B.T.Q. community made headlines on Tuesday, was also publicly critical of Mr. Trump during his first term. Bishop Budde, 65, is the first woman to serve as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and she has led the diocese since 2011. Before moving to Washington, she spent nearly two decades as rector of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. She is an alumna of the University of Rochester in upstate New York, and she grew up partially in New Jersey and partially in Colorado. She enjoys biking around Washington. Since last summer her diocese, which includes the National Cathedral, planned to host a prayer service the day after the inauguration regardless of who won the presidency. No matter the outcome, she intended to preach, she said. Kash Patel, the Trump loyalist tapped to run the F.B.I., has provided fresh details about his life including legal work on behalf of a human trafficker, membership in an exclusive Las Vegas club and participation in a diversity-and-inclusion program, in new documents sent to lawmakers. In a 24-page questionnaire sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee this month, Mr. Patel also downgraded his work as a Justice Department investigator on the 2012 attack in Benghazi after claiming he had been one of those leading the inquiry. The committee could schedule a hearing on Mr. Patels razors-edge nomination as soon as Jan. 29, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. As part of that process, Mr. Patel, 44, responded to a series of standard questions about his personal and professional experiences. Most answers are written in job-application boilerplate, but taken as a whole the questionnaire paints a far more nuanced portrait than the bombastic and combative Mr. Patel projects on right-wing podcasts or as a speaker at Trump rallies. Weather upending routines and causing havoc is nothing new for New Orleans, which has contended with hurricanes, heat waves and the occasional ice storm. But snow? Not so much. The city went 15 years without measurable snow until Tuesday morning. I would call it a poets snow, waxed Kevin Bennett, a writer who pulled a folding chair outside in the French Quarter to smoke a cigarette in the blur of whirling white flakes. I love it. For the vulnerable, though, the bitter cold was a real danger. Its horrible, in its own beautiful way, said Chad Rigsby, 52, after he pulled off the blanket he had slept under on Monday night. Major highways and bridges were closed on Tuesday. Many roadways had become impassable. Classes were canceled in local schools, and many businesses could not open as the snow essentially brought New Orleans to a standstill. Officials warned residents to hunker down, since the snow was expected to continue into Tuesday evening. An estimated 19.8 million Americans over 40 had age-related macular degeneration in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an episode of the podcast Fearless that was released on Jan. 14, Dench spoke about her vision loss with the host, Trinny Woodall, an English television personality known for her work on fashion makeover shows. Woodall asked Dench how she had navigated high-profile theater and film events during her career, and Dench said it was something she had not been good at when she had done it alone, before her vision deteriorated. Nor would I be now, she said. And fortunately, I dont have to be now, she added, laughing, because I pretend to have no eyesight. A representative for Dench did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Dench told The Sunday Mirror in 2023 that she was trying to work as much as she could even though she could no longer see well enough to read. I mean I cant see on a film set anymore, she said. Divvy Homes, a Silicon Valley-backed company that promised an alternative path to homeownership for consumers of modest means, has been acquired by an operator of single-family home rentals, the company said on Wednesday. The so-called rent-to-own company, which at one time was valued at $2 billion, was sold in a deal valued at $1 billion to Maymont Homes, a division of Brookfield Properties, according to a joint news release. The company had told employees of an impending sale a few weeks ago, according to people briefed on the matter. Several workers were laid off ahead of an announcement. News of a potential deal was earlier reported by Fast Company. Divvy, which once operated more than 7,000 homes in 19 metropolitan areas in the United States, had struggled in an era of high-interest rates that made it difficult for consumers of modest means to get a mortgage. The company, founded in 2017, also was plagued by complaints from customers about failures to make home repairs in a timely fashion and the relatively high rents it charged. President Donald J. Trumps plan to return Denali, the Alaska Native name for North Americas tallest peak, to its earlier name, Mount McKinley, has run into opposition from Alaska lawmakers. Shortly after taking the oath of office on Monday, Mr. Trump surprised many in the state when he announced we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent, he said. He was a natural businessman, and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama. But Alaskas two senators, Lisa Murkowsi and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, said they wanted to keep Denali National Park and Preserve as is, calling Denali the rightful name of the awe-inspiring white peaks, 20,310 feet above sea level in the home of the Koyukon people and other Alaska Native groups. The issue of NATO depends on the United States, if President Donald Trump is ready to see Ukraine in NATO, it will be in NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "The issue of NATO depends specifically on the United States and on the position of the President ... If Trump is ready to see Ukraine in NATO, we will be in NATO, and everyone will be in favour. If Trump is not ready to see us in NATO, we will not be in NATO," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with representatives of the international Media Council at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The President also noted that it is difficult to plan when Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will arrive in Kyiv, but admitted that he might not "come by himself." The Trump administration has made a former member of the Navy SEALs who has spoken about the importance of securing the southern border temporary administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to two people familiar with the decision. Cameron Hamilton was named the senior official performing the duties of the administrator, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. He was named associate administrator for the Office of Response and Recovery on Monday and has since been appointed temporary administrator. Mr. Hamilton is an unusual choice to lead the agency, even in a temporary capacity. Since Hurricane Katrina, when the federal response was severely criticized, FEMA has been led by disaster management professionals who have run state or local emergency management agencies, or were regional administrators at FEMA. Mr. Hamilton does not appear to have experience coordinating responses to large scale disasters like the wildfires that are raging in Los Angeles or the hurricanes, floods and earthquakes that FEMA typically manages. FEMA did not respond to requests for comment. Two former New York City police officers. Members of the far-right groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. A man who publicly challenged law enforcement authorities to arrest him. They were among nearly 1,600 criminal defendants who received an extraordinary legal reprieve on Monday when President Trump pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of almost everyone charged with taking part in the riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The sweeping action, according to a White House proclamation, ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, scoffed at that characterization in a statement on Tuesday. Those who invaded the Capitol should not have been pardoned whether they committed violence or not, Mr. Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said. How will we know when a new Cold War has truly begun? There are, lately, plenty of signs to choose from. In the past few months, China undertook the largest military exercises in the waters around Taiwan in almost three decades, and Americans learned about major recent hacks of the Treasury Department and several of the countrys largest telecommunications companies. President Trump announced the nominations of China hawks for secretary of state, ambassador to Beijing and under secretary of defense for policy, among other positions in the new government, having made an escalating tariff war with China as central to his third campaign as a border wall had been to his first. This month in Foreign Affairs, the conservative historian Niall Ferguson suggested Americas second Cold War was already at least five years old. But if we are working through a strict comparison with the first Cold War, one big echo is conspicuously missing. For decades, part of how Americans made sense of their rivalry with the Soviet Union was through popular culture movies and television and novels that dramatized and personalized the conflict, typically simplifying and mythologizing it as well. This time, there has been essentially none of that no real effort in Hollywood to make use of high-stakes global conflict even as a narrative crutch or by more auteurish creators to explore the layered human complexity of such conflicts. Not only is there no Hunt for Red October; there is also no Dr. Strangelove or real heir to John le Carre. That the United States is now engaged in some form of conflict with China has become a kind of commonplace among policy analysts and one of the few areas of consensus between the two political parties. But if there is a Cold War on, you wouldnt know it from simply streaming movies or television, even if you left your favorite platform on auto-play forever. Its not just that you cant yet find a good movie about American rivalry with China on Netflix or Apple TV+. Outside of 3 Body Problem and some historical documentaries, its hard to find anything new about China at all. Just as striking is that we all know the reason and know how craven it is. Simply put, the stuff we watch these days is overwhelmingly produced by large corporations far too dependent on China, in one form or another, to risk offending its audiences or its leaders by even broaching the subject. As the former insurance commissioner of California, I can confirm that private insurance companies cannot continue to provide coverage at anything approaching affordable rates in the face of increasing climate-driven disasters. States, cities and regulators urgently need to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for the devastation that fossil fuels cause. Many Californians whove already lost their homeowners and business coverage because of earlier wildfires ended up in a state-created insurance program of last resort, known as the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements plan. Its already clear that claims to the California FAIR plan from the Los Angeles fires will exceed its reserves and reinsurance. When that happens, under recent policy changes in California, all policyholders in the state will end up footing the bill through an assessment on top of their rising insurance rates. A better model is already emerging. Several states and local governments, including California, are suing oil and gas companies to ensure that these polluters pay for the vast harm their actions have caused. The Supreme Court recently declined to take up an oil industry demand to stop one such case brought by the City and County of Honolulu from proceeding to trial. Just as lawsuits were brought against the tobacco and opioid industries, officials across the country now have a path forward to bring to trial their own claims against oil companies. More cities and states should pursue such lawsuits. State legislatures are also considering laws that would give individuals the right to sue oil and gas companies directly for damages caused by climate-driven extreme weather. There is a growing recognition that small businesses and individuals need access to the courts to recover their losses. Insurance companies can take their own legal action against the fossil fuel industry, too. Instead of just raising rates and declining to renew or write insurance, insurers could exercise their right to bring what are called subrogation claims against fossil fuel companies, in which the insurer files lawsuits against third parties that caused the damage to recover what it paid out to its customers. This will allow insurers to cover their own steep losses from large and growing payouts to homeowners and businesses whose property is destroyed by climate-driven catastrophes. Daniel Reece attended church every Sunday as a child growing up in Connecticut, and he went to a Roman Catholic middle school. His parents are still deeply observant; his mother goes to Mass every day at noon, and his father is part of the church choir. Reece, who is now 37, still finds the moral values he learned through Catholicism to be profound. He feels, he explained to me, a sense of awe of the sheer perfection that God has achieved with this planet. Yet he no longer attends church, and he did not have his daughter, who is now 4, baptized. Thats because he finds the behavior of the Catholic Church, as an institution, to go against its own teachings. The contradiction of the Catholic Churchs actions and scandals and obsession and reliance on wealth is something that simply confuses me, he said. He felt dishonest practicing Catholicism when the institution couldnt live out the values he was taught as a child. He was particularly appalled by the behavior of the church around the sexual abuse of children. It really betrayed my trust just because its not just the scandals themselves but the efforts to cover them up or to not be transparent about them. While the Catholic Churchs sex abuse scandals have been widely publicized, other major denominations have had sex abuse scandals of their own. In 2019, The Houston Chronicle published a blockbuster investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention, finding that 263 church officials and volunteers were convicted of sex abuse crimes over the preceding 20 years in 30 states and the District of Columbia. And last week The Washington Post published another heartbreaker, about an Episcopal Church youth minister named Jeff Taylor who was accused of sexual abuse by children over many years and was not held accountable by several of the organizations that employed him. Ultimately, throughout three decades, Taylor ministered at multiple churches two of them high-profile despite many of those organizations either questioning his honesty, investigating him for possible rules violations or learning that Taylor had been accused of sex abuse, The Posts Ian Shapira wrote. Before examining the pitfalls and weaknesses of the Gaza cease-fire, let us welcome even the least of what it may achieve. Fifteen months after the horrendous Hamas attack on Israel and the launch of Israels retaliatory invasion, Gaza is a moonscape, most of its two million inhabitants homeless, hungry and in despair, and those hostages who are still alive, in the cruel hands of Hamas terrorists, have been torn from their loved ones simply too long. Obtaining even the release of only some of the hostages and even a few weeks of unrestricted humanitarian assistance into Gaza is good news. The deal is a tribute to the many months of relentless efforts by the Biden administration and mediators from Egypt and Qatar, as well as an 11th-hour push from Donald Trump. Debates have already erupted over who deserves credit for finally achieving a cease-fire and who is to blame for delaying it so long, but the incontrovertible fact is that the United States still holds powerful sway over events in the Middle East including the fate of this agreement, which will require huge effort. The agreement calls for three phases, of which only the first is described in detail. The initial stage is to last six weeks, during which 33 hostages women, men over 50, the sick and the wounded and several hundred Palestinian prisoners are to be exchanged. Israel is to allow a surge of aid into Gaza, and Israeli troops are to start withdrawing from population centers. Negotiations on the second, more difficult phase are to begin while the first is being carried out and are supposed to cover the release of all remaining living captives held by Hamas and more Palestinians held by Israel and Israels complete withdrawal. Details of the third phase are unclear, but they presumably will include return of the remaining deceased hostages and prisoners and a reconstruction plan for Gaza. The critical question of who will administer Gaza after the cease-fire also remains unsettled. That leaves plenty of room for either side to back out, as they have again and again in the negotiations. Phased plans have a dismal record in the Israeli-Palestinian struggle because they are conditioned on each side fulfilling the terms of the current phase, effectively giving zealots on both sides ample opportunity to derail the process, as the fates of Oslo, Oslo II, Hebron, Wye River and so many other peace processes bear witness. Donald Trump has long explicitly challenged a foundational myth of American identity: the idea of the United States as a nation of immigrants that welcomes the worlds huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Instead of embracing the narrative of a country shaped by immigration, the again in Mr. Trumps slogan Make America Great Again is often understood as a call to return to an imagined past when native-born white citizens lived safely and prospered without foreign-born people. On Monday in his second Inaugural Address, he vowed that Americas safety will be restored as his administration would rid the country of dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world. His vision includes a locked-down border, a promise to end birthright citizenship and the mass expulsion of immigrants. Neither Mr. Trumps exclusionary historical vision of a safe nation with no immigrants nor the romanticized idea of a welcoming America reflects the nations reality. The United States is a nation to which immigrants have come time and time again, despite systemic racism and restrictive policies. And yet it is not immigrants presence in the United States but the exclusionary measures introduced against them that have eroded the rights and safety of both immigrants and American citizens. Until the 1870s, there were no federal laws enforced to restrict immigration. But rising unemployment in California during that decade led white workers to accuse Chinese immigrants of stealing jobs, depressing wages and bringing women to the United States for prostitution. In 1875, Congress passed the Page Act to curtail Chinese migration and went even further in 1882, passing the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned most Chinese immigrants. These laws, alongside the racist sentiments that led to their passage, effectively legitimized vigilante violence against Chinese communities, including the Wyoming Territorys Rock Springs Massacre of 1885, during which white miners killed 28 Chinese workers, injured 15 more and destroyed the local Chinatown. President Trump said in his Inaugural Address that he had no higher responsibility than to defend our country. So what did Trump do on his first day in office? He made America weaker and more vulnerable. Trumps move to breathe new life into TikTok in the United States is the best example, and Ill come back to that in a moment. But it wasnt the only such move. One of the threats looming over all of us is a viral disease that begins in a distant corner of the globe, as we saw in the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak and in the coronavirus pandemic. A guardrail protecting us from pandemics is the World Health Organization, which works to stop viruses early in foreign countries, before they spread. Yet Trump announced on his first day that the United States will withdraw from the organization, elevating the risk that the next virus goes global and kills large numbers of Americans. Trump is not entirely wrong when he accuses Democrats of sometimes having been too lax about law and order. Yet on assuming the presidency, he sided with domestic terrorists over law enforcement when he moved to free every person incarcerated for attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Santa Fe, N.M. | $850,000 An adobe house built in 1946, on 0.1 acres This two-bedroom, two-bathroom house and one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse were both extensively updated in 2016, with new insulation and new heating, electrical, and plumbing systems. Santa Fe Railyard, home to shops, restaurants, a farmers market, and a movie theater, is five minutes away by car, and Santa Fe Plaza, framed by art, history, and cultural museums, is a 10-minute drive, as is the Georgia OKeeffe Museum. An organic grocery store and a Trader Joes are both within a five-minute drive. Santa Fe National Forest, a 1.6-million acre expanse of protected land, requires a 30-minute drive. Driving south to Albuquerque takes around an hour, while Taos is 90 minutes north. Size: 1,580 square feet Price per square foot: $538 Indoors: From the street, a wood gate opens to the front yard and a red brick path to the front door. Inside is the living room, where a Kiva fireplace is set into one corner. There are wood-paneled ceilings, and between a sitting area and the kitchen is a dining nook with built-in shelving. On Tuesday, the day after the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, many Instagram and Facebook users found themselves following him on the social media apps even though they had not signed up to do so. What gives? Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it was part of a regular process in which White House social media accounts are handed over when a new president takes office. It added that there were some other bugs in the process that may have mucked up the gears of the transition. Lets walk through what happened. Why am I following Donald Trump, Melania Trump and JD Vance on Instagram and Facebook? Just as the federal government has to deal with the transition of power between administrations, Meta has to deal with it, too. For years, companies like Meta and X previously known as Facebook and Twitter, respectively have had to handle the social media accounts held by the office of the president as it changed hands after an election. That ramped up after Barack Obama took office in 2008 and fully embraced social media to garner support from voters digitally. By 2016, the companies needed to figure out how to hand those accounts off between administrations. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/zelenskyy.official President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will not agree to a compromise providing for the recognition of the occupied territories as part of the Russian Federation, even under pressure from all allies. "De jure, we do not recognize, no matter what anyone wants. Even if all the allies of the world unite, we still will not recognize the occupied territories. It's impossible. We do not legally recognize them. For us, they will always remain occupied territories until we return there," Zelenskyy said during a meeting with representatives of the International Media Council. He noted that a dialogue with Russia should take place only from a position of strength, since any attempt to treat the aggressor on equal terms is a defeat for Ukraine. "Putin cannot be subjugated in this story. He broke everything. He is to blame and must realize this. But you can't stop him if you talk to him on equal terms it's a loss for Ukraine," he said. Zelenskyy emphasized that ending the active phase of the war is a top priority for the country. "We must find all the opportunities to end the hot stage of the war. That's the number one question. There may be a lot of negotiations, but the main thing is to stop the active phase. This is the number one security guarantee," the President stressed. A recent Booking.com global survey of 31,000 travelers found that 71 percent of respondents want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived. Eighty-three percent said that sustainable travel is important to them. Now, as travelers wake up to the social effects of tourism, travel businesses are responding in kind, helping visitors maximize the positive and minimize the negative impacts of their trips. The Kind Traveler platform, for example, has started a program in which every guest stay helps fund a local charity. StayAltered offers a community-powered accommodation booking platform that connects travelers with independent hosts in more than 30 countries on six continents. Home-swapping platforms like Kindred offer alternatives for travelers who are looking to avoid some of the negative impacts associated with short-term tourist rentals. Tour operators are also empowering travelers to engage in difficult social issues in the communities they visit. The nonprofit Abara has three-day listening trips along the United States-Mexico border, with a focus on helping visitors understand the social and human dynamics at play in the region. Telos Group offers tours of South Africa, the U.S. South, and Ireland and Northern Ireland, with an eye to helping travelers engage in difficult social histories. Organizations like Unseen Tours, Invisible Cities and Migrant Tour have devised walking tours whose guides offer visitors alternative perspectives on social issues in cities like London, Edinburgh, Paris and Rome. There are also new resources for travelers who want to educate themselves about the social impacts of their travels. The RISE Travel Institute offers online classes on responsible travel and other topics; the organization has also recently released a free e-book on decolonizing travel. The nonprofit Tourism Cares has created a meaningful travel map that features organizations, accommodations and tours that are designed to have a positive impact on communities and the environment. In 2025, travelers who are reluctant to abandon overcrowded hot spots like Barcelona and Lisbon and take advantage of the near euro-dollar parity which makes traveling to Europe more affordable for U.S. visitors are instead striking a balance by booking quieter detour destinations: lesser-known places close enough to take a side-trip from a popular city. Reims, France (near Paris), and Brescia, Italy (near Milan, one of this years 52 Places to Go), were among the most popular detour destinations that are seeing an increase in searches on Expedia. European travel agencies have also seen an uptick in bookings for Montserrat, another 52 Places item, an hours train ride from Barcelona; Normandy from Paris; and Sintra from Lisbon. Following another year of record-shattering heat, the summer coolcations trend continues to rise, with more travelers looking to replace hot southern European destinations like Greece and Portugal with more temperate climates in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Noctourism, or nocturnal travel, is another trend emerging from the desire to escape daytime heat and a growing interest in stargazing and other celestial events like northern lights sightings. Rich Harrington had always wanted to visit Europe, but planning a trip with others felt daunting. Its hard enough coordinating dinner out with friends, he said. Then Mr. Harrington, a 41-year-old animator from Middletown, Conn., discovered group trips that cater to solo travelers, and in 2023, he traveled with the tour operator Exoticca to Italy, where he said he appreciated being able to focus on the experiences and to share them with others in the group. Finding a companion whose budget, time off and interests overlap with yours enough to plan a vacation together can be tough. Tour operators are responding with trips that bring solo travelers together to forge connections with one another, while leaving the itinerary and logistics to the professionals. People are seeking curated trips that turn into multiday friend-finding events, said Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founder of Indagare Journeys, a luxury tour operator that offers group trips to destinations like Thailand, South Africa, Namibia, India and Morocco. The last time Dawn Momoharas mother heard from her daughter, she told her she was going to meet friends at a shopping center in Honolulu. Hours later, after Dawn, 16, didnt return home that Sunday afternoon in 1977, she was reported missing, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser later reported. The next day, March 21, 1977, just before students began Monday morning classes at McKinley High School, Dawn was found dead on the second floor of what was then called the English building. She was partially clothed and an orange cloth was tightly wrapped around her neck. The police determined at the time that she had been strangled and possibly sexually assaulted, but a suspect would not be identified for decades. The authorities in Louisiana on Wednesday closed a 100-mile stretch of Interstate 10 that spans nearly half the state, as a powerful winter storm brought record snowfall to the Gulf Coast and triggered the states first-ever blizzard warning. The announcement shortly after midnight meant that 200 miles of the highway in Louisiana were closed because of deteriorating conditions. The authorities had previously closed a 50-mile stretch between Baton Rouge and Lafayette, and another 50 miles in and around New Orleans since early Tuesday. The eight inches of snow that fell at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Tuesday beat a record of 2.7 inches set in 1963, according to the National Weather Service. Interstate 10 is one of three highways that run coast-to-coast in the United States and a crucial east-west link for the southern Louisiana cities of New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Its span in Louisiana is just under 275 miles, and connects the state with Mississippi and Texas. The slow early pace has drawn the attention of Mr. Trump, who in a meeting on Tuesday with the two top congressional Republicans at the White House resurrected the idea of bypassing the Senate altogether on nominations and trying to install his picks without votes while the Senate is in recess. Senate Republicans balked at the idea when the president first raised it after his election win, but Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, did not rule out the approach if Democrats persist with what his side considers needless delays. Obviously, thats something that, as you know, hes expressed an interest in in the past, Mr. Thune said of Mr. Trump and recess appointments. I think were going to find out here fairly quickly whether or not the Democrats want to help us get through some of these nominations in a way that gets us back on track with the way it was done prior to the last two presidencies. Mr. Thune pointed to the administration of President Barack Obama, who saw a dozen of his Cabinet picks confirmed in about two weeks in 2009. But that was in an era when nominees were generally less contentious and had to be broadly appealing enough to scale a potential 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Under a rules change in 2013, executive branch and judicial nominees can now be confirmed by a simple majority vote. Republicans can ultimately override any Democratic resistance if they remain united. And Mr. Trump selected several provocative and divisive nominees for his cabinet, including Pete Hegseth, his choice for secretary of defense, whose nomination has been buffeted by allegations of personal misconduct. Mr. Thune took steps on Tuesday night to force votes as early as Thursday on both Mr. Ratcliffe and Mr. Hegseth, as well as Kristi Noem, Mr. Trumps nominee to run the Homeland Security Department. Mr. Thune and other top Republicans said they intended to keep the Senate working into the weekend if necessary to win confirmation of Mr. Hegseth if Democrats were determined to run out the clock. Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that House Republicans would establish a new select subcommittee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and counter false narratives about it, continuing the partys efforts to rewrite the history of the riot. Mr. Johnsons announcement came just two days after President Trump pardoned those charged in connection with the assault. It suggested that Republicans planned to use their power over the government to continue promoting their own sanitized version of what had happened when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, disrupting the certification of the 2020 election. Mr. Johnson said the panel, which would be part of the Judiciary Committee, would continue exposing the false narratives peddled by the previous select committee that had investigated the riot and what led to it. He called that committee, which had placed blame for the assault squarely on Mr. Trump and his effort to overturn the 2020 election, politically motivated. We are establishing this select subcommittee to continue our efforts to uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people, Mr. Johnson said in a statement. The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would require the detention and deportation of migrants who enter the country without authorization and are charged with certain crimes, making it the first bill to clear the new Congress and head to President Trumps desk for his signature. The final vote, 263 to 156, capped the opening salvo in a broader Trump-era crackdown on immigration and undocumented migrants that the president has promised, Republicans have championed, and a small but increasing group of Democrats has begun to embrace. Forty-six House Democrats joined all Republicans in backing it, a sign of the growing cross-party consensus around taking a harder line against those who enter the country illegally. The bill is all but certain to be quickly signed by Mr. Trump, who on Monday started his second term by issuing a raft of executive orders that kicked off his immigration crackdown, clamping down on both legal and illegal entries into the United States. Wednesdays measure, titled the Laken Riley Act, is named for a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year by a migrant from Venezuela who crossed into the United States illegally. The man had previously been arrested in a shoplifting case but had not been detained. Many of those convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have celebrated the pardons or commutations that they received this week from President Trump. Not Pamela Hemphill. A retired drug and alcohol counselor who lives in Boise, Idaho, she pleaded guilty in January 2022 to a misdemeanor offense for entering the Capitol during the riot and was sentenced to 60 days in prison and three years of probation. She said she did not want a pardon. Absolutely not, Ms. Hemphill said in an interview on Wednesday. Its an insult to the Capitol Police, to the rule of law and to the nation. If I accept a pardon, Im continuing their propaganda, their gaslighting and all their falsehoods theyre putting out there about Jan. 6. Ms. Hemphill, 71, who was called MAGA Granny in some news headlines, has said that she no longer supports Mr. Trump or believes his lie that the 2020 election was stolen. She said that a therapist had helped change her view of the attack by telling her she was not a victim of Jan. 6; I was a volunteer. The Pentagon said on Wednesday that it would send 1,500 active-duty troops to the southwestern border by the end of the month, the vanguard of what military officials described as a rapidly evolving, high-priority mission that could ultimately number several thousand forces. A senior Defense Department official said 1,000 Army soldiers and 500 Marines, as well as additional intelligence analysts and helicopters and their crews, were being rushed to the border to begin fulfilling one of President Trumps top policy priorities: stemming the flow of migrants into the United States. The first few hundred troops started moving toward the border on Wednesday morning, Pentagon officials said. They include Marines who had been on call to help support firefighting efforts in Southern California until they were released from that duty over the weekend as the blazes eased. Among the troops first missions will be to help build temporary and permanent physical barriers to add additional security to curtail illegal border crossings and illicit trafficking, Robert G. Salesses, the acting defense secretary, said in a statement. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Ukrainians on the Day of Unity, adding that the word "together" contains the hidden strength of Ukrainians. In his video message, the President noted that he was recording an address on Sofia Square, where the Act of Unification of right- and left-bank Ukraine was proclaimed, but the enemy both from outside and inside did not allow independent Ukraine to exist for a long time, and its own freedom was lost for decades. And every year, on this day, we have always recalled these lessons of unity, we formed human chains, we said how important it is to maintain unity and stand shoulder to shoulder. But the day came, and we had to prove it. February 24. The day that became a defining moment. It became a kind of challenge. A kind of test for unity, for maturity, for faith in Ukraine. And we united. All Ukrainians united. Not in a declarative way, not on paper, not by some order, but by an inner calling, Zelenskyy noted. He stressed that millions of Ukrainians are together, and together they were able to stand up, saved Ukraine, rebuffed the occupier and held back this great invasion. This word together holds the hidden strength of Ukrainians. It's about us, about what we are capable of when we choose not our personal ambitions, but Ukraine. When we choose its interests, the President said. The Head of State expressed confidence that all future generations would come to St. Sophia Square, and on the Day of Unity and on all other holidays. Under the blue and yellow flag. In our state. And we will do everything to make it that way. So that we are not ashamed in front of them, so that they know that we did not repeat mistakes of the past. And Ukraine exists. Ukraine is one. Peaceful. United, the President stressed. He wished Ukrainians to be strong, to believe in themselves and in Ukraine to know for sure that Ukrainian unity is not just about the two banks of the Dnipro. It is about our entire world, where Ukrainians are today." The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered that officials overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government be placed on leave on Wednesday and that agencies take steps to close their offices. In a memo from the Office of Personnel Management, the heads of departments and agencies were ordered to purge such officials by placing all D.E.I. staff on paid administrative leave, effective immediately, by 5 p.m. Wednesday, and to make plans for staff reductions by the end of the day on Jan. 31. The memo also directed agencies to take down any language or advertisements about their D.E.I. initiatives and to withdraw any pending documents or directives that would undermine the new orders. It also ordered agency heads to inform D.E.I. officials that their offices would be closed and that employees would be questioned about whether there were any remaining efforts that remained in disguise by using coded or imprecise language. The directive was a swift attempt to carry out elements of President Trumps Day 1 executive order dismantling federal diversity efforts. In a new executive order on Tuesday, Mr. Trump encouraged the private sector to follow the federal governments lead and end illegal D.E.I. discrimination and preferences and comply with all federal civil-rights laws. His order also directed agencies to investigate the compliance of corporations and foundations with those laws. Some agencies, such as the Education Department and the State Department, sent the template to their employees on Wednesday. Other agencies made slight modifications when they sent emails to their workers. The Department of Homeland Security, for example, said failure to report D.E.I. efforts will result in adverse consequences. The warnings were a dramatic escalation of President Trumps war on diversity programs that seek to reverse decades of systemic inequities. They were also part of a broader assault on the federal work force, which the president has long viewed as a bloated bureaucracy. He has pledged to eliminate departments and has ordered remote workers back to the office. In his Inaugural Address, Mr. Trump said he would stop efforts to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based, Mr. Trump declared. On Tuesday night, the Trump administration released a memorandum that employees working in D.E.I. offices across the government would be placed on administrative leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday, the first step toward shutting down the offices and programs altogether. Agencies were ordered to devise plans to lay off the staff members in the offices, which are also tasked with addressing accessibility issues for people with disabilities, by Jan. 31. His vice president, JD Vance, said he obviously wouldnt do it. His nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, agreed there was no way: The president does not like people that abuse police officers, she told senators last week. The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, gave similar assurances that President Trump would not pardon violent criminals the kind who bashed police officers with pieces of broken furniture or stashed an arsenal of weapons in Virginia to be used if their breach of the Capitol failed on Jan. 6, 2021. Even public opinion was against Mr. Trump. Just 34 percent of Americans thought he should pardon the Jan. 6 rioters, according to a Monmouth University poll in December. But on Monday, the first day of the second Trump presidency, he tossed caution aside and did exactly what he wanted: He decreed that every rioter would get some sort of reprieve. It didnt matter what crimes they committed; whether they were convicted of violent acts or even seditious conspiracy, they will all eventually be cleared. Hundreds of convicts got full pardons; 14 members of far-right groups accused of sedition had their sentences commuted; and all others with ongoing cases will eventually have their charges dismissed. As the White House underwent a dramatic remake on Monday, a significant part of its official website fell out entirely: the Spanish-language version. An Espanol button on the websites landing page disappeared in the transition from former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.s administration to President Trumps. The internet address for the Spanish-language White House website now leads to a barren page with a three-word message: Page Not Found. A White House spokesman, Harrison Fields, said in a statement that the Trump administration was committed to bringing back the Spanish-language version of the website. He did not set a time frame for that restoration. Different parts of the White House website regularly go offline and are replaced in the opening days of a presidency. About a dozen states and hundreds of cities across the United States consider themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants, but there is no universal definition for what constitutes a sanctuary jurisdiction. The term typically refers to states, counties or cities that put some limits on how much they are willing to cooperate with federal agencies efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. Local governments first began adopting sanctuary policies in the 1980s when churches offered refuge to people fleeing civil war in El Salvador. The practice has drawn increased attention over the last decade, as immigration became a bigger issue for voters. During Donald J. Trumps first term in office, many Democratic-led jurisdictions affirmed or reinforced their status as sanctuaries. But in recent years, many Democratic-led cities have been overwhelmed with migrants, many of whom were bused there from the southern border by the administration of Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. That has fueled criticism of the cities sanctuary policies, not only from longstanding opponents but also from leaders who once supported the idea. The 613 men had traveled from their native Niger to neighboring Libya, where many of them planned to reach Europe over the Mediterranean Sea, a journey thousands of people from sub-Saharan Africa endeavor to make every year. But late last month, the men were deported by Libyan authorities in one of the countrys largest expulsions in years. The mass deportation is part of a common pattern: North African governments, funded by the European Union to tackle migration, using brutal tactics to block sub-Saharan Africa migrants from heading to Europe. The 613 men reached Nigers closest town to the Libyan border on Jan. 3, disheveled and hungry, some barefoot and sick after months of detention and days of travel across the Sahara. Two of the men died shortly after arriving in Niger. I lived through hell, said Salmana Issoufou, one of the men. Mr. Issoufou, 18, said he had been beaten by Libyan prison guards with wires and weapons throughout his eight-month detention. The latest attack was on the day care in Sydney, which was reported early Tuesday. In a statement Tuesday, the head of Australias federal police said that his agency was investigating whether overseas actors or individuals had paid locals in Australia to carry out some of these acts. But he did not give evidence or further details. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated that investigators were looking into the possibility that some of the perpetrators had acted out of financial incentives rather than ideological motivations. Now, its unclear who or where the payments are coming from, he said. The specter of foreign involvement has added a new dimension to the anxiety that has been brewing in Australias small but deep-rooted Jewish community. The police have not said whether, or how, the more than half a dozen attacks since October are related. In December, the Australian Federal Police set up a task force to investigate violence and threats against the Jewish community. The state police in New South Wales, where most of the attacks have taken place in the greater Sydney area, said they have arrested and charged nine individuals in relation to the crimes. As far as first salvos go, President Donald J. Trumps threat of a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods in retaliation for Chinas role in Americas fentanyl crisis could be interpreted in Beijing as encouraging. Not only is it lower than the 60 percent duties Mr. Trump had said he would impose on key Chinese goods during his campaign, it also reaffirmed signals that the president was in the mood to negotiate with China. In his first two days in office Mr. Trump has also floated the idea of tying tariffs to the fate of TikTok. He has said he expects to be invited to China for a visit. Mr. Trumps apparent willingness to make deals with China could give Beijing much-needed time and space to tackle its most pressing needs. That includes trying to turn around a stagnant economy and ease tensions with trading partners over Chinas record trade surplus of nearly $1 trillion. Beijing has also been working to repair ties with American allies like Japan to try to weaken the security alliances forged by the Biden administration to constrain China. Making headway on those fronts will help China strengthen its position in what has been a punishing superpower rivalry with the United States. Beijing ultimately wants the Trump administration to reset relations. It has argued that the United States should remove restrictions on Chinese imports of U.S. technology, stop supporting Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by Beijing, and accept China as a peer power. On the evening of Jan. 18, a 32-year-old Greek man went to the police with an unusual object that he said he had found in a plastic bag among trash bins near the northern city of Thessaloniki. It was a headless, armless statue depicting a female form in a flowing, draped garment. The police announced on Wednesday that the statue was believed to date from the Hellenistic period, after the death of Alexander the Great, from 323 B.C. to about 31 B.C. The find has prompted an investigation among Greek crime, trafficking, antiquities and heritage protection units into its origins and how it could have wound up in the garbage. The discovery of ancient artifacts in surprising places is not uncommon in a country as rich in history and archaeology as Greece. Relics are often unearthed during construction projects, such as those to prepare for the 2004 Olympics and subway system excavations. Britain on Wednesday warned that it faced a growing threat of aggression from Russia, asserting that a Russian spy ship had passed by the English coast for the second time in three months, in the latest incident that seemed designed to test British military capabilities. John Healey, the British defense secretary, told Parliament that two Royal Navy ships were deployed for two days to monitor the passage of the Yantar, which he described as a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping Britains critical underwater infrastructure. The incident is the latest in a series of incursions by Russian ships and aircraft around Britain and comes amid rising concern in Europe about threats to critical infrastructure and possible sabotage, with Western intelligence services warning of the Kremlins intent to punish Europe for supporting Ukraine. Last year, when the Yantar was first detected in Britains waters, a British submarine nearby was monitoring it, the defense secretary disclosed on Wednesday. While the authorities have linked Russias intelligence services to vandalism, arson and assaults across Europe in recent years, threats at sea have generated the most anxiety and prompted the boldest responses. Last week, NATO announced it was deploying warships, patrol aircraft and drones to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea after several undersea cables were cut, apparently by ships dragging their anchors along the sea floor. Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/11260 On Wednesday night, Russian invaders attacked Ukraine with 99 Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles and various types of imitation drones, 65 of them were shot down, and 30 enemy imitation drones were lost without negative consequences, according to the Telegram channel of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "The air attack was repelled by anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine. As of 10:00, it was confirmed that 65 Shahed-type attack UAVs and other types of drones were shot down in Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions," the report says. According to preliminary estimates, there were no casualties or victims as a result of the nighttime enemy attack. At the same time, institutions, industrial enterprises, commercial buildings, private and apartment buildings in Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Sumy and Khmelnytsky regions were damaged. Special services are eliminating the consequences of damage. The North Korean soldiers fighting for Moscow in Russias Kursk region are assigned their own patches of land to assault. Unlike their Russian counterparts, they advance with almost no armored vehicles in support. When they attack, they do not pause to regroup or retreat, as the Russians often do when they start taking heavy losses, Ukrainian soldiers and American officials say. Instead, they move under heavy fire across fields strewed with mines and will send in a wave of 40 or more troops. If they seize a position, they do not try to secure it. They leave that to Russian reinforcements, while they drop back and prepare for another assault. They have also developed singular tactics and habits. When combating a drone, the North Koreans send out one soldier as a lure so others can shoot it down. If they are gravely wounded, they have been instructed to detonate a grenade to avoid being captured alive, holding it under the neck with one hand on the pin as Ukrainian soldiers approach. Single parents in Spain can request the same total amount of paid parental leave that couples are entitled to, a regional court has ruled, in a case that could be a game changer for the large number of one-parent families in the country. The decision, by a court in the southeastern region of Murcia this month, is the first to stem from a November ruling by Spains constitutional court that barred discrimination against children born into single-parent families. The duration and intensity of the need for care and attention of a newborn is the same regardless of the family model into which they were born, the constitutional court wrote in its decision, which the regional court cited. In practice, it means that solo parents can request the full amount of paid leave that Spanish couples are entitled to six weeks of mandatory leave that must be taken together, plus an additional 10 for each parent, a total of 16 weeks per parent. For a single person serving as both parents, that adds up to 32 weeks of paid leave, according to the regional courts ruling. Yemens Houthi rebels on Wednesday freed the crew of a commercial vessel, the Galaxy Leader, that they hijacked 14 months ago as part of their campaign of attacks in the Red Sea to support Hamas in its war against Israel. The decision is consistent with an announcement made on Sunday by the rebel group, which is backed by Iran, to scale back its attacks, given a cease-fire in the conflict in Gaza that went into effect over the weekend. The Houthis took the Galaxy Leader to the Yemeni port of Al-Hudaydah in November 2023 and since then had held its crew hostage. The World Cargo News website reported in November that its 25-member crew included nationals of the Philippines, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Mexico and Romania. This is a moment of profound relief for all of us, not only for the crew and their families, but also to the wider maritime community, Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, said in a statement that announced the release. The organization had campaigned for the crew to be freed. Jenin has long embodied militant Palestinian resistance in the West Bank to both the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian Authority providing fertile ground for armed groups. Conflict there intensified sharply during the war in Gaza, when local officials say more than 800 Palestinians were killed in West Bank clashes with Israeli forces and settlers. Israel mounted a 10-day raid into the West Bank in August and September that demolished homes, shops and roads, and killed 39 people most of them in Jenin according to Palestinian officials. And last month, Palestinian security forces launched an assault of their own in Jenin against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Now Israeli soldiers are back in Jenin, but this time appears to be different. Israels latest war with Hezbollah in Lebanon ended eight weeks ago, its 15-month war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip reached a cease-fire on Sunday, and some Israeli units have withdrawn from both war zones. That leaves the military free to concentrate on the West Bank, and its leaders say they are determined to do so. On Monday, Israel Katz, Israels defense minister, told military commanders, The battle against Palestinian terrorism in the West Bank is now at the top of the militarys and Israels priorities, according to a statement from his office. The first indication that tragedy had stricken their loved ones came around 5:30 a.m. in urgent messages to the familys WhatsApp group. A brother and sister, trapped inside a ski lodge in Turkey that had caught fire, were pleading for help. Save us, they wrote, their uncle, Ozgur Turkmen, said in a phone interview. We cannot reach our parents. There are no fire brigades. Within hours, the siblings and their parents were dead. They were among the at least 79 people killed on Tuesday when a predawn blaze broke out in the Grand Kartal Hotel at a ski resort 180 miles east of Istanbul. Beijing-based technology company Kuaishou recently sparked outrage on Chinese social media after videos of digital timers over employee toilet stalls went viral online. The photos showed digital timers hanging over each cubicle and small sensors installed on the cubicle doors to trigger the timers. Chinese social media users slammed the company for monitoring and timing its office workers time in the toilet to increase productivity and its profits, with some calling the practice a breach of human rights and privacy. Some on the other hand defended the company, saying that some employees abused bathroom breaks, using it as an opportunity to waste time on their phones. Online feedback was generally negative, and eventually Kuaishou came out with an explanation to try and calm spirits. in an official press release, the online video-sharing platform claimed that the timers werent meant to limit employees toilet usage, but rather a solution to a serious toilet shortage problem. The Kuaishou office building reportedly suffers from a shortage of restrooms, and because of its layout, new facilities cannot be constructed. The company says it decided to install the the timers, which also work as counters, to see how many people used a cubicle and for how long, in order to determine how many portable toilets needed to be installed to accommodate its staff. Although the explanation does make some sense, many social media users were not convinced, with some claiming that the company was only interested in increasing its profits by any means necessary. Employee toilet use monitoring is not unheard of in China. Hong Kong-based Apple Daily reports that one company in Shanghai limits employees toilet use to a total of 10 minutes each day, while others monitor how much time employees spend in the bathroom. A Chinese company has come under fire for fining lazy employees who take more than one toilet break per day. Anpu Electric Science and Technology, a Chinese corporation based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, admitted to enforcing a bizarre once-a-day toilet break policy and fining employees who break it with 20 yuan ($3). According to notices issued by the company and leaked on social media by disgruntled employees, at least seven staff members were penalized on December 20 and 21. The rule has sparked outrage online, but company officials explained managements decision to create the bizarre rule by saying that many employees were lazy and used toilet breaks to smoke and avoid their duties. Photo: Jasmin_Sessler/Pixabay We are helpless. The fact is that the workers are lazy at work, a company manager, surnamed Cao, told Guangdong TV. The management talked with those workers many times, but didnt achieve a positive result yet. Cao added that the toilet break-limiting rule was deemed a better alternative to firing staff, because finding new workers would have been more difficult. He also clarified that offenders had not been asked to pay the 20-yuan fines, instead the amount was deducted from their monthly bonuses. Interestingly, accordingly to company policy, workers wanting to take more than one toilet break a day, have to register with their boss before visiting the restroom, which only enraged Chinese netizens even more. However, there were some people who actually sympathized with the company. Photo: Giorgio Trovato/Unsplash They are forced to do this, one person commented on Chinese website 163.com. Some employees use the toilet for too long and use it frequently. It will no doubt hurt the companys productivity. However, most people blasted Anpu Electric Science and Technology and its management, calling the rule exploitative and humiliating. What era is it? The freedom of going to the toilet has become a luxury, one Weibo user lamented. Photo: Ian Kirkland/Unsplash News of the toilet-break penalty caught the attention of the Dongguan Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. Officials there have started an investigation into the matter, but they have already told Chinese publication The Paper that the rule was illegal. Apparently, toilet breaks are a serious issue in China, with private companies taking all sorts of weird measures to keep the time spent by staff in the restroom to a minimum. Last year, we wrote about a corporation that had installed timers on bathroom stalls, and SCMP reports that in 2018, tech giant NetEase spent 2 million yuan to block internet service in its bathrooms. A Chinese company has come under fire for installing surveillance cameras in the restroom too see which employees spent too much time on bathroom breaks and posting offenders on wall of shame. Many Chinese companies have long been trying to discourage workers from spending too much time in the restroom by various means, like installing countdown timers on bathroom stalls or limiting bathrooms breaks to one per day. A Shenzen-based tech company took things even further by reportedly installing hidden surveillance cameras in its restrooms to monitor employees activity and then shaming those who wasted too much time there by posting screenshots of them for everyone to see. A spokesperson for the Lixun Electro-Acoustic Technology Company admitted that employees were surveilled in the company restroom, but claimed that the measure was meant to discourage time wasting during work hours. Chinese news outlet was the first to report Lixun Electro-Acoustics controversial method of dealing with bathroom breaks, writing that the company not only monitored its staffs restroom activities but also shamed employees who smoked, played video games or simply wasted too much time during their bathroom breaks by posting stills of them on a wall of shame. The staff were spending too much time in the bathroom smoking or playing games, which made other staff uncomfortable, the Chinese company explained. Smoking in the bathroom is prohibited and the purpose is to prevent people from staying in the bathroom for long periods of time due to video games and other activities. The companys behavior sparked outrage on Chinese social media, with many users accusing it of infring ing on its employees privacy and even breaking the law, but the truth is that such practices arent new in China. A few years back, we covered a similar story about a technology company in Xiamen, Fujian Province, which also used surveillance cameras to monitor activity in its restrooms and discourage long bathroom breaks. Citizen Relations signs on with Nespresso Canada as public relations agency of record. The agency is tasked with handling the coffee companys consumer PR, social media work, events and influencer activities. It will focus on amplifying Nespresso's premium positioning and brand ethos through activations and campaigns. Their strategic expertise and deep understanding of the Canadian market will help us connect with more coffee lovers across the country while sharing our commitment to exceptional coffee experiences, said Nespresso Canada VP of marketing Frederic Pasquier. The Chain Collective PR, which specializes in luxury real estate, travel and hospitality clients, is named agency of record for real estate development firm JG Development, which serves the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region. The Chain Collective will lead a strategic public relations campaign to increase the firms visibility and position it as a leader in luxury residential development across the US. Its efforts will highlight the expertise of JG founder and CEO Jake Greenhouse and position him as a thought leader in luxury real estate. Working with The Chain Collective will allow us to share our unique story, showcase our exceptional work, and build deeper connections with clients and industry partners, said Greenhouse. Moontide Agency is named agency of record for Sente, a medical-grade skincare company headquartered in Carlsbad, CA. Moontides scope of work for the client will include tech-driven marketing strategies, digital solutions, and customer engagement programs, with the goal of enhancing Sente's visibility and accelerating its growth. Its effors will work to reach new consumers while strengthening the brands presence with medical providers. "Moontide's expertise in the aesthetics category and proven ability to craft impactful, data-driven campaigns make them the perfect partner to help us connect with our audience and achieve our ambitious growth goals," said Sente president and COO Zubin Meshginpoosh. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of Israel Isaac Herzog to discuss important issues of Ukrainian-Israeli cooperation. Ukraine is glad to see people who were in captivity returning home. Among the main topics of our discussion were shared challenges, collaboration particularly in the security sphere and ways to achieve a just peace for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on X Wednesday. According to the President's press service, during the meeting he also expressed hope for further security and stability in the entire Middle East region. Almost all of Ireland is now under a Status Red Wind Warning from Met Eireann for various times on Friday as the very powerful Storm Eowyn stalks the country. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Storm Eowyn: All of Ireland now under Status Red Warning as country braces for historic storm Met Eireann has issued a series of top level Status Red Weather Warnings for Ireland that start coming into effect at 2am on Friday in the South West of the country and will be in place across the country until much later on Friday. Red Weather Warnings are only issued for rare and very dangerous weather conditions from intense meteorological phenomena and Met Eireann says people should be prepared for 'exceptional measures'. A Status Red Wind warning for Cork, Kerry and Limerick is currently in place from 2am to 10am on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Clare and Galway is in place from 3am on Friday until noon on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo is in place from 4am on Friday until noon on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary is in place from 6am on Friday until noon on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Donegal is in place from 6am on Friday until 3pm on Friday. For each warning Met Eireann is warning that gale to storm force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h Impacts from Storm Eowyn include Danger to life Extremely dangerous travelling conditions Unsafe working conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport Many fallen trees Significant and widespread power outages Impacts to communications networks Cancellation of event Structural damage Wave overtopping Coastal flooding in low-lying and exposed areas There is also Status Orange Wind Warning for all of Ireland from 2am on Friday until 5pm on Friday. Met Eireann is warning that Storm Eowyn will bring gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time. Potential impacts are Fallen trees Damage to power lines and power outages Structural damage Very difficult travelling conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport Wave overtopping Keep up to date with all the latest weather warnings from Met Eireann here All of Ireland now under a Status Red Weather Warning for Storm Eowyn as Ireland braces for what is being described as a potentially historic storm. All of Ireland is now under a Status Red Wind Warning from Met Eireann for various times on Friday as the very powerful Storm Eowyn stalks the country. Met Eireann has issued a series of top level Status Red Weather Warnings for Ireland that start coming into effect at 2am on Friday in the South West of the country and will be in place across the country until much later on Friday. Red Weather Warnings are only issued for rare and very dangerous weather conditions from intense meteorological phenomena and Met Eireann says people should be prepared for 'exceptional measures'. A Status Red Wind warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Kerry and Limerick is currently in place from 2am to 10am on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Clare and Galway is in place from 3am on Friday until noon on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo is in place from 4am on Friday until noon on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary is in place from 6am on Friday until noon on Friday. A Status Red Wind warning for Donegal is in place from 6am on Friday until 3pm on Friday. For each warning Met Eireann is warning that gale to storm force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h Impacts from Storm Eowyn include Danger to life Extremely dangerous travelling conditions Unsafe working conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport Many fallen trees Significant and widespread power outages Impacts to communications networks Cancellation of event Structural damage Wave overtopping Coastal flooding in low-lying and exposed areas There is also Status Orange Wind Warning for all of Ireland from 2am on Friday until 5pm on Friday. Met Eireann is warning that Storm Eowyn will bring gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time. Potential impacts are Fallen trees Damage to power lines and power outages Structural damage Very difficult travelling conditions Disruption and cancellations to transport Wave overtopping Keep up to date with all the latest weather warnings from Met Eireann here Met Eireann has issued first warnings for Storm Eowyn as damaging very strong to gale forces winds and snow are forecast Ireland from Thursday night and through Friday. Met Eireann has this morning issued a Status Yellow Gale Warning for all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea from 5am on Thursday and a more severe Status Orange Strorm Warning for all coasts of Ireland and the Irish Sea from 2am on Friday until 5pm on Friday. It warns that Southwest winds, veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea. READ NEXT: Track the path of powerful Storm Eowyn as it bears down on Ireland READ NEXT: Forecaster warns of possible Status Red Warnings for Ireland as Storm Eowyn set to hit the country A separate Weather Advisory for Storm Eowyn from Met Eireann says that on Thursday night and Friday, a deepening Low-Pressure system, Storm eowyn, is forecast to track across Ireland. Very strong to gale force winds are expected across the country with the potential for damaging wind gusts and disruption in places. Transitory falls of sleet and snow are expected too, especially across west and northwest counties. High seas and spells of heavy rain are expected also. Met Eireann says is continuously monitoring the evolving situation and weather warnings will be issued as confidence in the forecast track/intensity of the Low-Pressure system improves. You can check the www.met.ie website and Met Eireann app for updates to forecasts and warnings in the coming days. JANUARY 24th is a cherished date for the people of Lemanaghan parish. For generations, pilgrims have gathered at the holy well on this day to honour St Manchan, a saint whose legacy has deeply influenced their faith and traditions. This year, the celebration carries special significance as it marks the launch of the Jubilee of Hope in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. The Jubilee of Hope, declared by the Holy Father for 2025, is a sacred year of renewal and grace, celebrated every 25 years. With the theme Pilgrims of Hope, it invites Catholics worldwide to embark on a spiritual journey of faith and resilience. It is particularly fitting that St Manchans Church in Boher has been chosen to host the diocesan launch. Lemanaghans rich history of pilgrimage and devotion makes it the ideal location to begin this sacred journey. Pilgrimage remains alive and vibrant in the area, with the holy well at Lemanaghan continuing to attract visitors seeking spiritual renewal. The day will begin with visits to the holy well in Lemanaghan, followed by a special Mass at 7pm in St Manchans Church, Boher, led by Bishop Paul Connell and Fr Brendan. Boher is home to the 12th-century Shrine of St Manchan, one of Irelands most treasured pieces of medieval ecclesiastical art. The shrine, a stunning reliquary containing the saints relics, serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring faith and craftsmanship of those who have come before us. This Mass will celebrate the extraordinary life of St Manchan and officially inaugurate the Jubilee of Hope within the diocese. It is an opportunity for the faithful to reflect on their shared history, renew their commitment to faith, and embrace the theme of pilgrimage with hope for the future. The Miraculous Cow: A Story of Generosity and Hope Among the many tales associated with St Manchan, none is more beloved than the story of his miraculous cow. As recorded by Tomas OCleirigh in 1935, the story reflects the generosity of the saint and the unique traditions of Lemanaghan. "Thats Leamanaghan, a quare kind of place, decent people, too, the best in the world, people whod give you all the milk you could drink but wouldnt sell a drop of it for all the gold in Ireland, and its all by raison of a cow, Saint Manchans cow." The story tells of a wondrous cow that belonged to St. Manchan - a cow so remarkable that her milk nourished the entire countryside, given freely without charge. Her abundance became a symbol of the saints generosity and the communitys shared blessings. However, envy struck among the people of neighboring Kilmanaghan, who plotted to steal the cow. While St Manchan was away, they seized their chance and drove the cow along the togher - a bog causeway - toward Kilmanaghan. The cow, sensing the theft, resisted fiercely, slipping on stones, lying down, and leaving marks on the togher that can still be seen today. When St Manchan returned and discovered the theft, he followed the trail of hoof marks and arrived just as the cow was about to be boiled. Such were his powers that he miraculously healed the cow. Although left with a slight limp, the cow continued to produce milk, freely shared with the community. This remarkable tradition of generosity endures, with the people of Lemanaghan continuing to honour the saints values by neither selling milk nor engaging in dairy farming. A Day to Celebrate Faith and Community This years St Manchans Day is more than a commemoration of the saints life - it is a celebration of hope, unity, and spiritual renewal. The parishs strong tradition of pilgrimage resonates deeply with the Jubilees theme, reminding all of the strength that comes from faith and community. Following the Mass, the celebrations will continue at 9.30pm with a Social Night in Gussies, featuring live music by Drink Related and a raffle organised by the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage & Conservation Group. This St Manchans Day, the people of Lemanaghan parish invite everyone to join them in this sacred celebration, to reflect on the values of hope and faith that St Manchan embodied, and to ensure his legacy lives on for generations to come. Whether at the holy well, the Mass, or the social gathering, this day is a powerful reminder of the enduring spirit of Lemanaghan and its role as a beacon of hope in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. Trump says new sanctions may be imposed on Russia if Putin refuses to negotiate U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that he would consider imposing additional sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin does not sit down at the negotiating table regarding the war in Ukraine, CNN reports. Asked whether he would put additional sanctions on Russia if Putin fails to come to the negotiating table, Trump said, Sounds likely. Were talking to Zelensky. Were going to be talking with President Putin very soon, and well see what how it all happens, Trump noted. The ezine also noted that Trump would look into whether the U.S. would be sending additional weapons to Ukraine. Trump also confirmed he discussed the war during a recent call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshev discussed the problems of Ukrainian refugees abroad with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Davos, the Ministry of National Unity reports. "In Davos, Chernyshev held a meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. They discussed the current challenges faced by Ukrainians who are forced to seek asylum abroad due to the war and ways to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the UNHCR," the message reads. During the meeting, attention was also paid to a number of topical issues. In particular, ensuring the rights of Ukrainian citizens, access to necessary services, as well as creating conditions for those who plan to return to Ukraine. In turn, Grandi noted the readiness of the United Nations to continue to support Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens. It is noted that this support includes both assistance to Ukrainians abroad and internally displaced persons. "Together, we are doing everything possible to ensure that our citizens find support, regardless of where they are now," Chernyshev concluded. Zelenskyy to PM of Qatar: Ukraine expects to expand Qatar's mediation in return of Ukrainian children In Davos, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Our country greatly values Qatars mediation in bringing home 53 of our children forcibly taken from Ukraine by Russia. We look forward to the expansion of this crucial work, Zelenskyy said on X Wednesday. The Head of the Ukrainian State thanked Qatar for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and joining the General Communique of the First World Summit. According to the presidential press service, the parties discussed humanitarian cooperation and food security separately. "Zelenskyy spoke about the new Ukrainian initiative Food from Ukraine, launched to help the Syrian people and supply food to Syria. In addition, Ukraine is working on ways to support the agricultural sector of this country and train Syrian students," reads a message posted on the president's website. Zelenskyy invited Qatar to join the implementation of these initiatives and provide financial support, which will contribute to restoring stability in the region. The allies will soon discuss security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of the war with the Russian Federation, as well as the issue of maintaining a strong army, "which we can equip together," said German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. "It would be good news if the war in Ukraine came to an end. But even then, we will still have to provide Ukraine with a secure future. Then, we will talk about security guarantees, as well as how Ukraine can maintain a strong army that we can equip together," he said in an interview with the German publication Rheinische Post. "We will discuss this with our allies soon. However, such speculation is currently prohibited. Ultimately, nothing should be decided over the heads of Ukrainians. And we are still far from peace," Scholz believes. As reported, the issue of sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in the future is currently being discussed. According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, 200,000 European peacekeepers are needed to ensure sustainable peace. French President Emmanuel Macron was the first who admitted sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking the death penalty of convict Sanjay Roy, challenging the order of the trial court that sentenced him to life imprisonment till death. The states move came less than 24 hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her disappointment with the verdict on Monday and announced her intent to challenge the judgment before a higher court. Advocate General Kishor Datta moved a division bench comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi on Tuesday morning, seeking the court's leave to file the appeal challenging the order passed by Additional District and Sessions Judge in Sealdah, Anirban Das. The government has moved the high court and secured the court's permission to file the appeal, an official said. The hearings pertaining to the appeal may begin as early as Wednesday since the due process of filing the case was completed by the state by the end of Tuesday, reported PTI. The Sealdah court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until death after he was convicted of raping and murdering a trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, rejecting demands for the death penalty, saying it was not a "rarest of the rare" crime. The court also ordered Roy to pay a Rs 50,000 fine and directed the state government to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the deceased doctor. ADVERTISEMENT Holding that "in the realm of modern justice, we must rise above the primitive instinct of an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth or nail for a nail or a life for a life", Das awarded rigorous imprisonment to Roy, the sole convict in the case, for the remainder of his natural life. Asserting that the RG Kar incident was a "rare, heinous and sensitive crime", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee on Tuesday said if someone gets away after committing a crime, he will again do it and "it is not our job to give him protection." On Monday, she had expressed dissatisfaction with the Sealdah courts verdict, asserting that had the case been handled by the Kolkata Police, the death penalty would have been ensured. Reiterating her dismay at the judgment and voicing her cry for the death penalty, Banerjee, while addressing a public meeting in Malda on Tuesday, said, I have been seeking capital punishment for the accused in the RG Kar rape-murder case. If someone is so demonic and barbaric, how can society remain humane? We passed the Aparajita Bill, but the Centre is sitting on it. We have included the death penalty in the Aparajita Bill. We want this Bill to become a model for the country, she added. The Aparajita Bill passed by the West Bengal Assembly in September 2024 seeks capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state and stipulate a life sentence without parole for other perpetrators. The chief minister said if someone is given life imprisonment, the person can get parole. If someone commits a crime, should we forgive him? We have encountered cases where people have gone out (of prison) within three months. I am really shocked by the judgment. I was once a lawyer and fought several cases. The judge said this was not the rarest of rare cases and could not award capital punishment. If this is not the rarest of rare cases, then what is it? ADVERTISEMENT If someone gets away after committing such acts, he will keep repeating such crimes, she said, adding, It is not our job to give him protection. Responding to the CMs comment, the victims father urged the leader to go slow. The convict was spared the death sentence because there were loopholes in the CBI probe. We are waiting for the copy of judgment to reach our hands and we will decide ourselves what to do next. The CM doesnt need to get so pro-active, he told reporters. He asked, What was she doing when her CP (Commissioner of Kolkata Police) and her police were erasing evidence from the scene of crime? The responses from Banerjees political opposition were equally scathing. The states hurry is suspicious. We also want capital punishment for the guilty but theres a case pending before the Supreme Court to determine who else could be involved. It seems that the government wants to silence Roy as quickly as it can, said Sukanta Majumdar, president of the BJPs Bengal unit. Why did the CM shield the culprits during the initial stages of the investigation? Is she a judge to decide whether this has been a travesty of justice? questioned senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty. If her police were so efficient, why did she fail to secure the death penalty for the convicts in the Kamduni rape and murder case of 2013, he asked. "She is saying such things because it suits her politically, Chakraborty added. woman with BCI (Image by A 'Cecil' I) Details DMCA This article first appeared in The Conversation on March 14, 2023. Most people are familiar with the deluge of artificial intelligence (AI) apps that seem designed to make us more efficient and creative. We've got apps that take text prompts and generate art, and the controversial ChatGPT, which raises serious questions about originality, misinformation and plagiarism. Despite these concerns, AI is becoming ever more pervasive and intrusive. It's the latest technology that will irreversibly change our lives. The internet and smartphones were other examples. But unlike those technologies, many philosophers and scientists think AI could one day reach (or even go beyond) human-style "thinking". This possibility, coupled with our increasing dependence on AI, is at the root of a concept in futurism called "technological singularity". This term has been around for a while, having been popularised by the US science fiction writer Vernor Vinge a few decades ago Today, the "singularity" refers to a hypothetical point in time at which the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) - that is, AI with human-level abilities - becomes so advanced that it will irreversibly change human civilisation. It would mark the dawn of our inseparability from machines. From that moment on, we won't ever be able to live without them without turning our backs on civilisation entirely. But if the singularity comes, will we even notice it? To understand why this isn't the stuff of fairy tales, we need only look as far as recent developments in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). BCIs are a natural beginning to the singularity in the eyes of many futurists, because they meld mind and machine in a way no other technology so far can. Elon Musk's company Neuralink is seeking permission from the US Food and Drug Administration to begin human trials for its BCI technology. This would involve implanting neural connectors into volunteers' brains so they can communicate instructions by thinking them. Neuralink hopes to help paraplegic people walk and blind people see again. But beyond these goals are other ambitions. Musk has long said he believes brain implants will allow telepathic communication, and lead to the co-evolution of humans and machines. He argues that unless we use such technology to augment our intellects, we risk being wiped out by super-intelligent AI. Musk is understandably not everyone's go-to for tech expertise. But he's not alone in predicting a massive growth in AI's capabilities. Surveys show AI researchers overwhelmingly agree AI will achieve human-level "thinking" within this century. What they don't agree on is whether this implies consciousness or not, or whether this necessarily means AI will do us harm once it reaches this level. Read more: Our neurodata can reveal our most private selves. As brain implants become common, how will it be protected? Another BCI technology company, Synchron, has created a minimally invasive implant that allowed a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to send emails and browse the internet using his thoughts. Synchron chief executive Tom Oxley believes brain implants could ultimately go beyond prosthetic rehabilitation and completely transform how humans communicate. Speaking to a TED audience, he said they may one day allow users to "throw" their emotions so others can feel what they're feeling, and "the full potential of the brain would then be unlocked". Early achievements in BCIs could arguably be considered the first stages of a tumbling towards a more concrete singularity, in which human and machine become integrated. This need not imply machines will become "sentient" or control us. But the integration itself, and our ensuing dependency on it, could change us irrevocably. It's also worth mentioning that the start-up funding for Synchron partly came from DARPA, the research and development arm of the US Department of Defense that helped gift the world the internet. It's probably wise to be concerned about where DARPA places its investment monies. Read more: Our neurodata can reveal our most private selves. As brain implants become common, how will it be protected? According to Ray Kurzweil, a futurist and former Google innovations engineer, humans with AI-augmented minds could be thrown onto the autobahn of evolution - hurtling forward without speed limits. In his 2012 book How to Create a Mind, Kurzweil theorises the neocortex - the part of the brain thought to be responsible for "higher functions" such as sensory perception, emotion and cognition - is a hierarchical system of pattern recognisers which, if emulated in a machine, could lead to artificial super-intelligence. He predicts the singularity will be with us by 2045, and thinks it might bring about a world of super-intelligent humans, perhaps even the Nietzschean "??bermensch": someone who surpasses all worldly constraints to realise their full potential. But not everyone sees AGI as a good thing. The late, great theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking warned super-intelligent AI could result in the apocalypse. In 2014, Hawking told the BBC: the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. ["] It would take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete, and would be superseded. Hawking was, however, an advocate for BCIs. Stephen Hawking (Image by Stefan Zaklin/EPA) Details DMCA Stephen Hawking 'spoke' using a computer and voice synthesizer. As a patient of ALS (also called Lou Gehrig's disease and motor neurone disease), he lost his voice during a tracheostomy in 1985. Stefan Zaklin/EPA Another idea that relates to the singularity is that of the AI-enabled "hive mind". Merriam-Webster defines a hive mind as the collective mental activity expressed in the complex, coordinated behaviour of a colony of social insects (such as bees or ants) regarded as comparable to a single mind controlling the behaviour of an individual organism. A theory has been developed by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi around this phenomenon, called Integrated Information Theory (IIT). It suggests we are all heading toward a merge of all minds and all data. Philosopher Philip Goff does a good job of explaining the implications of Tononi's concept in his book Galileo's Error: IIT predicts that if the growth of internet-based connectivity ever resulted in the amount of integrated information in society surpassing the amount of integrated information in a human brain, then not only would society become conscious but human brains would be 'absorbed' into that higher form of consciousness. Brains would cease to be conscious in their own right and would instead become mere cogs in the mega-conscious entity that is the society including its internet-based connectivity. It's worth noting there's little evidence such a thing could ever come to fruition. But the theory raises important ideas about not only the rapid acceleration of technology (not to mention how quantum computing might propel this) - but about the nature of consciousness itself. Hypothetically, if a hive mind were to emerge, one could imagine it would mark the end of individuality and the institutions that rely on it, including democracy. Recently OpenAI (the company that developed ChatGPT) released a blog post reaffirming its commitment to achieving AGI. Others will doubtless follow. Our lives are becoming algorithmically driven in ways we often can't discern, and therefore can't avoid. Many features of a technological singularity promise amazing enhancements to our lives, but it's a worry these AIs are the products of private industry. Read more: Netflix's The Social Dilemma highlights the problem with social media, but what's the solution? They are virtually unregulated, and largely at the whims of impulsive "technopreneurs" with more money than than most of us combined. Regardless of whether we consider them to be crazy, or naive hopefuls, we have a right to know their plans (and to rebut them). If the past few decades are anything to go by, where new technologies are concerned, all of us will be affected. Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/news/all In Davos, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. We discussed the necessity of global efforts by all countries that uphold the principles of the UN Charter to bring about a just peace. We also explored the possibility of South Africa's involvement in the treatment and rehabilitation of our wounded citizens, Zelenskyy on X Wednesday. He invited South Africa to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children Illegally Deported by Russia. According to the presidential press service, during the meeting, Zelenskyy separately noted the South African presidency of the G20 in 2025, and also thanked South African representatives for participating in thematic conferences based on the Peace Formula. Zelenskyy and Ramaphosa instructed the foreign ministers to prepare mutual visits of the leaders. This blog is posted here. Both Netanyahu and Trump have visions of building empires and discarding the remnants of international law and the UN. Will they succeed to lead us to a World War or will we have peace? Trump immediately acted with executive orders to dismantle the US's connection to the world with a triumphalist inaugural speech full of classic colonialist language of manifest destiny, frontiers, pioneers and so on. But this is only more open empire building that was happening under his predecessors. His fascist billionnaire supporters are pardoned or even give Nazi Salute (lie Elon Musk) while common people (inluding Jews) who speak for Palestinian human rights are dubbed "anti-semitic" by Zionist groups like the ADL. The US is completing its second largest so-called "embassy" (in Beirut, the first in Baghdad). Each accommodates tens of thousands of personnel and the world is bullied to submission. The neoconservative zionist plan of toppling seven countries in the Arab world has materialized albeit was delayed a bit because of the resistance. Trump is only verbally more crude as than other "presidents" so he insulted people around the world from Alaskan natives to the Dutch (over Greenland) to Panamanians (wants to take Panama Canal) etc. Even his nearest neighbors (Canada and Mexico) and closest allies in Europe all are in his crosshairs. The world all looks at this stronger push to expand the big genocidal empire (USA) and the small genocidal empire (Israel) with trepidation. But the reaction has been an expansion of the BRICS group of nations and the lineup for a global war is becoming clearer. We in the global South were never in doubt that imperialism is deep state and that the only difference between Genocide Joe and lunatic tRump is style of bluster of character. But since the 1962 assassination of John Kennedy, the transfer power in the USA was from one Zionist puppet to another Zionist puppet. The US system of federal elections has slowly and methodically been consumed by moneyed interests of the billionaires. The democrats and republicans become two sides of the same coin which is a Public Relations campaign to give the illusion of democracy while dragging the world to the abyss in service of moneys interests. Different faces but the essence is the same: making the rich richer and the poor poorer and pardoning criminals wearing different masks. Money flows whether from Edelson and Musk to republicans or Saban, Soros and Streyer to democrats. In all cases indigenous people and people of color are sacrificed on the altar the new Golden calves (and the chief being the Zionist sacred cow). Here in the occupied Palestinian territories, pogroms by Jewish colonial settlers and soldiers accelerated after the "ceasefire" agreements in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The apartheid regime only intensified: lockdown of the cantons/bantustans that we are restricted in. Home demolitions and confiscation of more Palestinian lands, and increase in Jewish colonial settler buildings (squatters on our land). Torching vehicles and homes is now almost a daily occurence supported by the fascist Netanyahu government (a government of settlers). Without going into a detailed analysis, the trends are clear and could lead to catastrophic outcomes (global war combined with climate change). To reverse this direction requires a global uprising, a global unity of all affected people. What the global imperialist elites want us to think is that our interests and causes are separate or even contradictory. But the struggles of immigrants in the US, of Alaskans, of Californians, of Panamanians, of Syrians, of Palestinians, of hundreds of other people are all one struggle against those elites profiting from their hegemony whether they are called Biden, Trump, Modi, or Neneyahu. By realizing the unity of our struggle can we defeat the greed that causes millions misery and that leads us to mass extinction. For all with eyes to see and brains to examine, the data is now available and the choice is clear. We either allow them to destroy humanity and the environement or we reclaim our humanity and our earth. The choice is ours. Religious Rights of Christians and Muslims violated in Jerusalem. The corporate (Zionized) media focused on Israeli prisoners released. Hardly any of them talked about the Palestinian (indigenous) prisoners released as part of the exchange. Here is more on this. Message from Ramzy Baroud, editor of the Palestine Chronicle: Thank you to those who stood by us, fought for us, and died for us unconditionally. Palestine will remember its true comrades and never forgive those who danced on the graves of its children. #Palestine #Solidarity #Lebanon #Yemen #Gaza Qassem Muaddi writes well. You can see his most recent here including on "How Gaza taught us hope" How to engage with Israelis who don't fully support Palestinian rights. On the "ceasefire" Stay Humane and keep hope alive Mazin Qumsiyeh A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine facebook pages Personal Institute French Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator US President Donald J.Trump is now in office, and the Middle East collectively is waiting to see what will the US policy be, and will it help or hurt. Lebanon holds strategic interests for the US, and has a new President and Prime Minister. With so many diverse issues at play in Lebanon, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed well-known Lebanese journalist and writer, Jamal Cheaib, to get his take on the key challenges facing Lebanon. #1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Lebanon has selected the President of the ICJ, Nawaf Salam, as a Prime Minister of Lebanon. In your opinion, will he be able to form a government and why? Jamal Cheaip (JC): The selection of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister may indicate a push towards reform, based on his statements (though experience will reveal the accuracy of this perception). It is clear that he relies heavily on his work with international institutions, his legal expertise, and the support he received to secure his nomination as Prime Minister. However, Lebanon's political system, as structured under the Taif Agreement, and the entrenched interests of various political parties with their sectarian backgrounds (at least in terms of representation), could pose significant obstacles to forming a government. Without broad consensus among these factions, and while attention was focused on the "Shia representation issue", it became evident that the real obstacles lie elsewhere-- particularly in the fragmentation of Christian blocs into two major factions and several smaller ones. Additionally, the distribution of Sunni parliamentary representation among medium-sized blocs adds further complexity to the process of selecting candidates for ministerial positions. This stands in contrast to the situation of the "Shia duo", which has already agreed in advance on the allocation of ministerial portfolios and the criteria for their occupants. These complications are likely to delay Salam's efforts to form a government swiftly, as was the case with previous Prime Ministers. However, Salam may leverage his ability to rally diverse regional and international support to overcome these challenges and move forward with forming the first government under the presidency of Joseph Aoun. #2. SS: President Trump is now in office. In your opinion, what will the relationship between the Lebanon and the US look like? JC: It remains unclear whether the newly elected U.S. President will adopt the same policies implemented during his previous term. In that era, the United States pursued an aggressive "non-military warfare" approach against Hezbollah, escalating sanctions that severely impacted Lebanon's economy. The administration sought to impose a comprehensive ban on dealings with "public and private institutions and companies" linked to Hezbollah's management or operations. It also targeted Hezbollah's political allies, imposing sanctions and travel bans on them. If this policy continues, U.S.-Lebanon relations are likely to remain strained, despite any efforts by the U.S. administration to foster the success of President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam's tenure, maintain American aid, or sustain diplomatic engagement on security, economic, and political matters. The U.S.'s steadfast commitment to "Israel's security" and its overarching goal of isolating Hezbollah will likely perpetuate tensions and instability in bilateral relations. This dynamic may persist unless the Trump administration becomes preoccupied with broader international issues and refrains from interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict with Israel. #3. SS: Lebanon has elected a new President. In your opinion, will he be able to get Lebanon out of the current financial, political and social crisis? JC: The new president will face immense challenges in addressing the financial collapse, widespread corruption, and political paralysis. This is primarily due to the limited decision-making powers granted to the presidency under the Taif Agreement, which shifted executive authority to the Council of Ministers as a collective body. While symbolic leadership may inspire hope among citizens-- whether they support the new president, voted for him, or did not-- there remains a shared aspiration among all Lebanese for positive change that alleviates the severity of the financial and economic crisis. The collective desire is to restore Lebanon's path to development, progress, and prosperity. However, genuine change will require structural reforms, a serious and transparent commitment to combating corruption free of political vendettas or sectarian bias, international support, and an end to sectarian divisions. Achieving these goals will depend on the president's ability to navigate entrenched interests, earn the trust of the Lebanese people, and secure broad national consensus on a comprehensive package of reforms and their implementation. #4. SS: Israel has signed a ceasefire with both Lebanon and Gaza. In your opinion, will it work out, and what is the role of the Arab countries in the future of Gaza? JC: The sustainability of the ceasefire depends on the willingness of all parties to adhere to its terms. In the case of Gaza and Lebanon, with an opposing party like Israel, no analyst or observer can guarantee its full commitment to the agreements it makes. Historically, Israel has often undermined the implementation of agreements with resistance factions or even normalization deals with Arab states. It frequently manipulates the interpretation of these agreements to serve its interests and secure additional advantages. When these benefits cannot be achieved through evasion or manipulation, Israel has resorted to renewed aggression and territorial expansion, particularly through land grabs, settlement construction, and the expropriation of Palestinian land and homes, as witnessed in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, even after the Oslo Accords and the Wadi Araba Agreement. Today, as the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is being implemented, Israel is already issuing threats of launching a military campaign in the West Bank while making promises to hardline groups to encourage and fund the construction of more settlements there. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Police arrested five people suspected of vandalism and related crimes during a political protest in downtown Portland Tuesday night, officials said. A large group began a march, heralded as The Peoples Inauguration Day, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park at about 6:50 p.m., the day after Donald Trumps presidential inauguration in Washington, DC. Officers monitoring the march soon spotted multiple people applying graffiti on buildings and elsewhere, the Portland Police Bureau said. Evidence photos released by police indicate suspects came with backpacks full of spray paint, bear spray, permanent markers and bandages. Other items found on the suspects bore messages such as No Trump/No KKK/No Fascist USA and what looks like a pamphlet called Life Without Law: An Introduction to Anarchist Politics. A protester suspected of "applying graffiti" during a protest march was found with bear spray as well as spray paint and markers.Portland Police Bureau Portland police arrested 22-year-old Julia Jacobson and 29-year-old Andrew Bolen. They were booked on criminal mischief, applying graffiti and attempted harassment charges, according to police. The Oregon State Police arrested and booked three others: 19-year-old Allstair Sidener, 21-year-old William Leahy and Harmony Adcox, 31. They face charges ranging from criminal mischief to resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Police reported no injuries during the march. 46 1 / 46 The People's Inauguration Day 2025 rally and march Mark Graves -- The Oregonian/OregonLive; dperry@oregonian.com Five teenagers including two 14-year-olds went on a burglary spree on Sunday night and early Monday morning across two southwest Washington counties, ending in a car pursuit by sheriffs deputies, the Clark County Sheriffs Office said. The five suspects, all boys, were taken into custody and booked into a juvenile detention facility, officials said. The boys range in age from 14 to 17. A driver died after crashing into a home in a Tigard neighborhood early Wednesday morning, police said. The victim, driving a Subaru, smashed into a house on Southwest Gaarde Street, near 121st Avenue, at about 12:40 a.m., according to Tigard police. Responding officers found the driver, the only person in the car, dead at the scene, officials said. No one was in the house at the time of the crash and no one else was injured. Officials have not yet released the name of the victim. Tigard police said it believed that speed was a factor in the crash. The deadly crash in Tigard happened less than 24 hours after another fatal car crash in the Portland metro area. In the earlier incident, 64-year-old Mark Loren McVicker, of Sandy, drove off Highway 224 near milepost 12 in Clackamas County on Tuesday morning, Oregon State Police said. The car hit a tree and then tumbled down an embankment. McVicker was declared dead at the scene. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Back in the roiling summer of 2020, amid nightly protests over the police murder of George Floyd, board members of Portland Public Schools agreed to seek voter approval to spend $60 million to build a Center for Black Student Excellence. It was a not-so-tacit admission that the decades of lip service Oregons largest school district had paid to improving outcomes for its Black students had failed to yield any lasting dividends. The Portland City Council on Tuesday held a first-of-its-kind work and listening session on Zenith Energy, the controversial crude oil storage company that has promised to transition to renewable fuels. The combined session featured presentations from city staff, Zenith officials and environmentalists who oppose Zenith. It was meant to educate council members about the companys history and land-use policies but also nodded to heightened public interest in the company. On the afternoon of Jan. 27, 2023, an Intel security camera captured Kenneth Fandrich heading home after work. He walked through a turnstile and into a large parking garage, his Honda Civics headlights blinking twice as he unlocked the door. Within 10 minutes, Fandrich was dead, his body lying in the front seat, his neck broken. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha and Chief of the UK Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Richard Moore have held talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. "Always a pleasure to catch up with MI6 Chief Richard Moore, with whom we have known each other since our postings as Ambassadors to Turkiye. Today, we had an important exchange of views about common priorities and current international challenges," Sybiha said on the X social network Wednesday. A woman in Indiana is accused of putting her two-year-old child inside a suitcase to keep the kid "warm" while inside a bus. Ashley Gibson, 29, has been arrested by authorities with the Bloomington Police Department after she put her toddler inside a suitcase and boarded the bus. The incident happened on December 12 around 1:43 p.m. The bus driver hit the brakes and called law enforcement after Gibson stated that she placed her child inside the suitcase. It wasn't immediately clear if she voluntarily made the statement or if the driver overheard her, WAGM TV reported. Video footage from inside the bus showed Gibson later unzipping the luggage and removing the boy. The boy had been inside the suitcase for about 18 minutes, according to Fox 59. Why Did the Mother Keep the Child Inside the Suitcase? In an interview with the responding offer, Gibson said she put him in the suitcase to "keep him warm." It was noted that the child appeared to be appropriately dressed for the cold weather, including a winter jacket and pants. The officer questioned her further on why she placed the child in the suitcase, Gibson told authorities that she ran the idea by her family caseworker, who allegedly gave her approval, per Indiana Public Media. What Charges Will the Mother Face? Gibson was promptly arrested by the police and transported to the Monroe County Jail. She was preliminary charged with a level 6 felony for neglect of a dependent and criminal recklessness. The 29-year-old mother is currently out of jail under the condition that she complies with instructions from the Department of Child Services. She is scheduled for an appearance at the Monroe Circuit Court 9 for a pretrial conference on March 12. She will also be scheduled to appear for a jury trial on April 23. Gibson has pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was also released on her own recognizance, which means she was allowed to leave custody without having to post bail, based on her written promise to appear in court when required. Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday, January 20, after being sworn in as the new president of the United States. His second stint at the presidency will once again put his family back in the spotlight. Trump has a complex family tree. Throughout his life, the president has been married three times, with each marriage bringing new members into his family. He is also now a grandfather to numerous grandchildren. With his inauguration done, here's a look at the Trump family. Donald Trump's Parents Donald Trump's parents were Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. Fred Trump was born in New York City in 1905 to German immigrant parents. He became a successful real estate developer, starting his own construction company at the age of 15 and eventually building a fortune in affordable housing along the US East Coast. Fred was known for his business acumen but also faced investigations for profiteering and racial discrimination in his housing developments. Mary Anne MacLeod Trump was born in 1912 on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. She immigrated to the United States in 1930 at the age of 18, initially working as a maid in New York City. Mary Anne met Fred Trump in the 1930s, and they married in 1936, settling in Queens, New York. Donald Trump's Four Siblings The president has four siblings, though only one is still living today. His oldest sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, was a federal judge who passed away recently. Fred Trump Jr., the eldest brother, died in 1981 due to alcoholism. The youngest brother, Robert Trump, who worked in the family business and was close to Donald, died in 2020. Elizabeth Trump Grau, Donald's older sister, is the only surviving sibling and lives a private life in Florida after retiring from her banking career. Read Also: Head of Oklahoma Public Schools Orders Teachers to Show Students Video of Him Praying for Trump Donald Trump's Three Wives Trump has been married three times. His first wife was Ivana Trump, whom he married in 1977 and divorced in 1992. They had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. Trump's second marriage was to Marla Maples from 1993 to 1999, and they had one daughter, Tiffany. His current wife is Melania Trump, whom he married in 2005. Melania, born in Slovenia, became a U.S. citizen in 2006 and is the mother of Trump's youngest son, Barron. She served as First Lady during Trump's presidency from 2017 to 2021 and is now set to return to that role as Trump begins his second term as the 47th President of the United States. Donald Trump's Five Children He has five children from three marriages. His oldest three children - Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric - are from his first marriage to Ivana Trump. They have been involved in both the Trump Organization and their father's political career. Tiffany, Trump's daughter, and his second wife, Marla Maples, are lawyers who have maintained a lower profile. The youngest, Barron, is Trump's only child with current wife, Melania. At 18 years old, Barron is now a freshman at New York University, focusing on his studies. Donald Trump's 10 Grandchildren As of January, the president has 10 grandchildren, with an 11th on the way. The oldest is Kai Madison Trump, who's 17 and has started to step into the spotlight, even speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Trump's grandkids range in age from 5 to 17 and come from his three oldest children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. Donald Jr. Don Jr. has five kids (Kai, Donald III, Tristan, Spencer, and Chloe), Ivanka has three (Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore), and Eric has two (Luke and Carolina). A veteran police captain has filed a lawsuit against the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for allegedly demoting him and subjecting him to harassment for taking parental leave. In a 16-page lawsuit, Capt. Pau Hrebenak said he applied for paid parental leave on top of time off through the Family Medical Leave Act. The request was approved by the new assistant chief, Andre Wright. Hrebenak alleged that Wright had also told him that his position in the School Safety Division would be filled by another captain during his leave but that he would have his job back upon his return, per The Washington Post. Police Captain Demoted for Taking Parental Leave When Hrebenak returned in January 2024, he expected to work again in the school safety division, which had a relatively stable schedule from Monday through Friday. This allowed him to work without exacerbating his Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. The disease can flare up and worsen at night. However, he was reassigned as a Watch Commander, which required him to work an "undesirable midnight shift" from 8:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. The lawsuit noted that the Watch Commander position is typically given to lieutenants or newly promoted captains and not to more senior captains like Hrebenak, who has been with the department for 18 years, according to the Washington Blade. "Plaintiff's removal as Director of MPD's School Safety Division was a targeted, premeditated punishment for taking statutorily protected leave as a gay man," the lawsuit argued. "There was no operational need by MPD to remove Plaintiff as Director of MPD's School Safety Division, a position in which plaintiff very successfully served for years." Hrebenak's team believes Wright made the decision to reassign him. They also believe the new assistant chief received counseling from other people not to follow through with plans to reassign Hrebenak. What Are They Seeking From the Lawsuit? Hrebenak is now seeking more than $4.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages and a reinstatement as the director of the Division of School Safety or a reassignment to another position with similar dayshift hours. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha has discussed with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi bilateral relations between the countries on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. "I was pleased to have our first contact with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan HE Ayman Al Safadi at WEF2025. We discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations between Ukraine and Jordan," Sybiha said on the X social network on Wednesday. President Donald Trump on Monday signed a slew of executive orders following his inauguration, including one that ends birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants in the United States. Since 1868, people born on American soil were recognized as US citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, regardless of the immigration status of their parents. Trump's order would make it so that children born in the country but without at least one parent who is lawfully a permanent resident or a US citizen would no longer automatically be extended US citizenship. The law applies to undocumented migrants as well as those on temporary visas (foreign students or tourists). The executive order also effectively bars federal agencies from providing or recognizing documents proving US citizenship for such children, per The Guardian. How Would Ending Birthright Citizenship Impact Americans and Immigrants in the United States? Ending birthright citizenship would significantly increase the size of the unauthorized immigrant population, which is contrary to its intended purpose. Washington Atty. Gen. Nick Brown said Trump's new executive order could make 150,000 children born each year undocumented migrants. "It would render them undocumented at birth. It could even render them citizens to no country at all," he said, as quoted by The New York Times. Other estimates suggest that the undocumented population could balloon from 11 million today to 16 million by 2050 if citizenship is denied to children with two unauthorized immigrant parents. It could grow to a further 24 million if birthright citizenship is denied to children with even one unauthorized parent, according to the Migration Policy. Read Also: Federal Appeals Court To Begin Hearing on the Future of DACA Program for Immigrants Brought to the US as Children What Happens Now? Trump's executive order does not take effect for 30 days. However, 22 states have since filed lawsuits challenging the order in the Federal District Court in Massachusetts and the Western District of Washington. They argue that neither Trump nor Congress has any constitutional authority to revise birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. The American Civil Liberties Union has also filed a lawsuit against Trump's order Monday night. Ending birthright citizenship is one of the many executive orders the president signed after being sworn in. He also ordered the mass deportation of undocumented migrants, barred immigrants from staying in the country while their immigration cases played out, and shut down a program that allowed immigrants to make advance appointments with the US Customs and Border Protection. Theres both good news and bad news about the October 14, 2025 security update deadline mentioned above. The good news is that you can continue getting security updates for your Windows 10 PC for another year up to October 2026. The bad news is that you have to pay for the privilege. Microsoft will charge $30 per device for one year of extended security updates (ESU). Microsoft traditionally offers extended updates to businesses and organizations and not to individuals, so thats a big change this time around. However, individuals only get so much. While businesses can pay for up to three extra years of security updates, individuals can only pay for one year. (Who knows if Microsoft will further extend that next year.) Chris Hoffman / IDG That said, businesses will have to pay more and more every year. The price will be $61 for the first year, doubling to $122 for the second year, then doubling again to $244 for the third year. Its designed to apply pressure and push businesses to upgrade to Windows 11 sooner than later. (Thankfully, Microsoft offers a much-discounted deal to schools: $1 for the first year, $2 for the second, and $4 for the third.) Its not a long-term solution, but its a way for Microsoft to express that they dont want to leave Windows 10 users high and dry while also nudging users to upgrade. Why pay that much for extended security when you can put that money towards a new PC? Virtual private networks (VPNs) are growing in popularity among home users for true data privacy, secure internet activity, the ability to circumvent regional content blocks, and more. If you dont have a VPN yet, consider hopping aboard with one of our reputable picks. Unfortunately, scammers and hackers know that people are flocking to VPNs, and they want to exploit that trend as much as possible. For example, it was recently discovered that some VPNs arent as secure as expected due to certain security vulnerabilities. And not long ago, Google itself warned in a blog post that fake VPNs are being used to spread a malware called PLAYFULGHOST. Once this malware lands on your device, it can take control of the system, steal personal data, and cause major damage. How does PLAYFULGHOST spread? According to Googles Managed Defense team, attackers have been distributing fake VPN apps infected with malware, hoping to be downloaded by unsuspecting users. Distribution of these fake VPN apps occurs through two main methods: Phishing: Users receive deceptive emails, text messages, and social media messages that contain malware attachments or links to download malware. In this case, users are urged to download and install a fake VPN app, which then installs the malware. Scammers love to phish, so its important to know how to recognize different phishing scams. Search engine poisoning: When Googles search results are poisoned, malicious sites can masquerade as legitimate sites. You might search for a free VPN and click on a top link for a reputable brand, except its a fake. Youre actually taken to an imposter website and you end up downloading a fake VPN app loaded with malware. How dangerous is PLAYFULGHOST? PLAYFULGHOST is considered highly dangerous. It infects devices immediately and allows attackers to access files, passwords, and other sensitive data. It also enables remote control, granting hackers the ability to perform actions like running software (including other malware, like Boostwave or Terminator). According to the blog post, PLAYFULGHOST is difficult to get rid of once its been introduced. Its persistent against various cleaning measures, so the best protection is to prevent it in the first place, preferably with the protection of reliable antivirus software. Be vigilant when downloading apps If youre considering using a VPN service, thats great! But be careful. Do your research, pick a reputable service, and triple-check before downloading and installing anything. If you ever get unsolicited emails with attachments or links, ignore them and toss them in the trash right away. Only download software from official sites and use independent tests, like our comparison of best VPNs, to determine which services are most trustworthy. Authorities in Washington County say they are investigating after they discovered a family had been living with the decomposing body of a relative for at about six months. Police said they were called to a home along Hayes Avenue in Canton Township on Jan. 16 after someone called 911 to request a wellness check, according to reports from WPXI, WTAE and KDKA. Once there, they discovered the body of Michael Bebout, 64, in his bed. Chief William DeForte said that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and estimated it had been there for around six months. One of Bebouts relatives at the home told police he only noticed Bebout was deceased that day and had called police. Internally, the house was definitely built up with a lot of dog feces, DeForte said to WTAE. There was a lot of hoarding. I dont think that the environment would have been conducive for anybody to live in. DeForte said they do not believe Bebouts death was the result of foul play, but said they are looking into whether anyone might have benefited financially after he died. Were going to be looking into social security checks, retirement checks and his bank accounts, he said to WPXI. JetBlue flyers now have a hopefully new, easier and more efficient way of hitting the skies. In fact, its the first airline to move forward with offering customers this option. According to a company press release, JetBlue customers are now able to use Venmo when booking flights. The press release explains how JetBlue has already launched this option on their website, but will slowly roll out Venmo payment offerings on the JetBlue mobile app over the course of the next few months. For those unfamiliar, Venmo is a payment app that allows people to give and receive money by linking to credit or debit cards as well as bank accounts. And this isnt limited to just individual consumers many businesses, too, offer Venmo payment options in lieu of cash or card. Were continually looking for ways to make it easier to book a JetBlue flight on our website and mobile app, said JetBlue Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Carol Clements, via the release. Adding Venmo offers a seamless payment option for our customers who enjoy the ease and convenience of the Venmo platform. Travel is not just about the destination, but the people you go with and how you share the experience, added Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Group, John Anderson. The added ability to pay with Venmo for flights on JetBlue and manage travel costs during the trip through Groups helps solve the pain points of shared expenses from the time of booking to returning home. By MUNIR AHMED, The Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) Afghans who fled after the Taliban seized power appealed Wednesday to President Donald Trump to exempt them from an order suspending the relocation of refugees to the United States, some saying they risked their lives to support U.S. troops. An estimated 15,000 Afghans are waiting to be relocated to the United States since the Taliban takeover in 2021, when U.S. troops pulled out of the country after two decades. They want to resettle in the U.S. via an American government program set up to help Afghans at risk under the Taliban because of their work with the U.S. government, media, aid agencies and rights groups. But in his first days in office, Trumps administration announced the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program would be suspended from Jan. 27 for at least three months. During that period, the White House said that the secretary of homeland security in consultation with the secretary of state will submit a report to the president whether the resumption of the program is in the U.S. interest. FILE - Taliban fighters stand guard in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)AP Many of us risked our lives to support the U.S. mission as interpreters, contractors, human rights defenders, and allies, an advocacy group called Afghan USRAP Refugees named after the U.S. refugee program said in an open letter to Trump, members of Congress and human rights defenders. The Taliban regards us as traitors, and returning to Afghanistan would expose us to arrest, torture or death, the group said. In Pakistan, the situation is increasingly untenable. Arbitrary arrests, deportations and insecurity compound our distress. Hadisa Bibi, a former student in Kabul who fled to neighboring Pakistan last month, said she read in newspapers that Trump suspended the refugee program. Prior to restrictions on womens education in Afghanistan, I was a university student, she said. Given the risks I face as a womens rights advocate, I was hoping for a swift resettlement to the United States. This would not only allow me to continue my higher education but also offer a safer and brighter future. She said she witnessed several Afghans arrested by Pakistani police, which left her in fear, confined to my room like a prisoner. According to the Afghan USRAP Refugees group, flights to the U.S. for many Afghans had been scheduled for January, February and March after they were interviewed by the International Organization for Migration and U.S. Embassy officials. We seek the reversal of the ban on the refugee program on humanitarian ground, said Ahmad Shah, a member of the group, who was hoping to leave Pakistan for the United States in March after undergoing all interviews and medical tests. By Melina Walling, The Associated Press Toni Boucher threw up the first time she saw the charred remains of her home and neighborhood after this months deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires. Now she wonders if its worth it to go back to sift through the ashes and try to find her grandmothers wedding ring. Its not just that shes worried about the trauma she experienced from seeing the destruction in Altadena, where Boucher, 70, has lived for decades. She is also concerned about possible health risks. They talk about asbestos and theyre talking about lead and theyre talking about all of the things that have burned in the loss of the homes and the danger of that, Boucher said. Experts warn that the blazes unleashed complex chemical reactions on paint, furniture, building materials, cars, electronics and other belongings, turning ordinary objects into potentially toxic ash that requires protective gear to handle safely. The ash could include harmful lead, asbestos or arsenic, as well as newer synthetic materials. Ash is not just ash. Go back to the garage or whats in your home. What is your furniture made out of? What are your appliances made out of? What is your house made out of? asked Scott McLean, a former deputy chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections communications bureau. A lot of its petroleum product and different composites that are extreme hazards due to fire when they combust. That is especially a problem when people start to sift through fire damage. Studies show that people involved in recovery in ash-affected areas could face health risks from breathing in whatever is there. Even safe chemicals commonly found in household materials such as titanium dioxide in paint or copper in pipes can form compounds that are more reactive after a fire, said Mohammed Baalousha, a professor of environmental health sciences at University of South Carolina, who studies ash samples to better understand what materials are present and how they change in the wake of wildfires. Scientists are still trying to understand exactly what those chemical changes do to human health, not just in California but in places such as Maui and other areas scarred by wildfire. Maui residents were kept out of contaminated areas for nearly two months, but they still worry about long-term health impacts. In California, officials arent letting residents return to many locations, likely for at least a week, while they restore utilities, conduct safety operations and search for people, according to Los Angeles Countys recovery website. Some chemicals are linked to cardiovascular disease and reduced lung function. Other adverse health effects might arise from inhaling more mobile and toxic forms of arsenic, chromium and benzene. Exposure to magnetite, which can form when fire burns iron, has been linked to Alzheimers disease, for example. It really could take a long time to tease out all of the potential health effects of these particles because of how many complex chemical reactions are going on and how many substances still remain to be studied, Baalousha said. Researchers point to the variety of health problems potentially linked to dust from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. I always kind of reminded myself of all the people that ran into the World Trade Center on 9/11, and were really there for not that long of a period of time in terms of their total exposure, said Jackson Webster, who studies fire aftermath as a professor of civil engineering at California State University, Chico. But there is increased cases of all kinds of different illness, sickness. Baalousha added that scientists also worry about where all the waste will go. Some potentially hazardous materials could end up in drinking water or even flow into the ocean, adversely affecting marine life. Thats something experts in Hawaii are studying after the deadly fire in Maui last year. FILE - Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)AP While researchers continue their work, people returning to their homes in California should put their safety first, he said. We know its a lot of emotions and feelings going on that you can put down your guard, but you shouldnt do that, Baalousha said. Just be safe. Be careful. Put all the gear you can at least an N95 mask, gloves and stay safe. Because you lost your property. But you dont want to damage also your health in the longer run. Associated Press reporter Alexa St. John contributed from Detroit. Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @melinawalling.bsky.social. Follow Alexa St. John on X @alexa_stjohn and reach her at ast.john@ap.org. The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. By Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times (TNS) Elon Musk, the worlds richest man and a top aide to President Trump, drew and quickly dismissed a raft of condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, left-wing politicians abroad and others across the internet after twice making what to some looked like a Nazi salute from an inauguration stage. Musk who has endorsed antisemitic remarks and aligned himself with far-right factions, including the Alternative for Germany in that country made the gestures during a giddy speech celebrating Trumps return to power at an indoor rally Monday at Capital One Arena in Washington. I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you, Musk said to the crowd. He slapped his chest with his right hand and then shot that hand out and up, open and flat and palm down, with his right arm rigidly extended. He then turned and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. My heart goes out to you, he said. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)AFP via Getty Images Some defended Musk. The Anti-Defamation League, which works against antisemitism, offered Musk a pass with a post on X a platform Musk owns. It seems (Musk) made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge, the group said. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. Others disagreed sharply. Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wrote in response to ADLs post on X. People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., expressed shock at seeing Musks gesture at an inaugural event. I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal, Nadler wrote on X. The concerns were echoed by left-wing politicians across Europe, and sparked a sharp debate online where people compared videos of Musk and Hitler, side by side. Others came to Musks defense. After one account on X called the uproar a hoax and part of what Musk himself had once called a dirty tricks campaign against him by liberals, Musk reposted the comment. Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired, he wrote, before adding a sleeping-face emoji. Musk also suggested on X that debate over his gestures was evidence of legacy media propaganda. On Tuesday, the matter was raised again in Congress. At a confirmation hearing for Trumps nominee for United Nations ambassador, Elise Stefanik, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., asked her what she thought of Musk doing two Heil Hitler salutes last night at the presidents televised rally? No. Elon Musk did not do those salutes, Stefanik said. She said Musk likes to cheer on Trump and is a visionary. It was simply not the case that Musk made Nazi salutes, she said. And to say so, the American people are smart they see through it. They support Elon Musk. Murphy then noted that neo-Nazi and other far-right and white supremacist extremists around the country had made clear online that they believed Musk had made Nazi salutes which they approved of and thanked him for and asked Stefanik what she made of that. Stefanik criticized Murphy for asking the question, and said both she and Trump have strong records of combating antisemitism. By Fallon Roth, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) Sen. John Fetterman inadvertently took a photo Monday with the rioter who grabbed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosis lectern and posed with it during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. RELATED: Ex-Pa. cop pardoned in J6 Capitol riot: Never been happier than today The photo came the same day President Donald Trump took the oath of office and hours before Trump issued an unconditional pardon to most participants in the Capitol riot along with 14 commutations for other offenders, including Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes. In a post on X Monday, Adam Johnson who refers to himself as The Lectern Guy on social media posted a photo with Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has been more open to working with Trump than some in his party, at a Starbucks with the caption Just two dudes living their redemption arcs out. In the photo Fetterman is wearing his classic sweatshirt and shorts ensemble while giving two thumbs up. A spokesperson for the senator said the Democrat had zero clue who the individual was. He took several dozens of photos with people yesterday, the spokesperson said. Washington and the U.S. Capitol were filled with people who had traveled for Trumps inauguration. Some Jan. 6 defendants, including a South Jersey man, were granted permission by the courts to travel to D.C. to attend. However, once the ceremony was moved indoors, only certain individuals were able to get a firsthand look at Trumps swearing-in. Johnsons photo was posted ahead of Trump signing the pardons, eliminating criminal cases for approximately 1,500 people. Johnson said he was one of the individuals pardoned for his actions that day, according to his X profile. Johnson was sentenced in February 2022 to serve more than two months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, NPR reported. The image of Johnson smiling and waving as he held the podium on Jan. 6, 2021, went viral. Prosecutors say he placed the podium in the center of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, posed for photos, and pretended to make a speech at it. Like many of his colleagues in the U.S. House and Senate, Fetterman has lambasted Trumps and his allies efforts to subvert and sow doubt in the 2020 presidential election. The senator had not issued a statement on Trumps pardons as of Tuesday morning. Photo: https://eurosolidarity.org/ Ukrainian MP and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko has announced his readiness to post bail for Brigadier General, former commander of the Kharkiv Operational and Tactical Group Yuriy Halushkin, who detained on January 21 with the right to post bail in the amount of UAH 5 million. "The other day I have been receiving numerous requests from the military asking for help for the general. Therefore, I propose posting bail for Yuriy Halushkin. Just as we pulled generals Marchenko and Pavlovsky out of the pre-trial detention center," he said on Facebook Wednesday. The MP emphasized that "combat officers in handcuffs is something that definitely demotivates frontline commanders." "Brigadier General Halushkin's lawyers can contact our team regarding the necessary information and procedures. Once again, I call on the authorities to stop attacks on internal unity and focus on strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The path to victory is difficult, and we need to unite, not assign blame," Poroshenko said. As reported, Kyiv's Pechersky District Court on January 21 selected a preventive measure for Halushkin, who is suspected of negligence due to which the enemy was able to seize part of the territory of Kharkiv region in May 2024, in the form of detention with the right to post bail in the amount of UAH 5 million, partially satisfying the prosecutor's office's motion. On January 20, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) reported the detention of two generals and a colonel, allegedly due to whose negligence the enemy was able to seize part of Kharkiv region in 2024. Later, information appeared that, in addition to Halushkin, the former commander of the 155th Anne de Kyiv Brigade, Dmytro Riumshyn, and the former commander of the 125th Lviv Territorial Defense Brigade, former deputy commander of the 125th Brigade, Artur Horbenko, were detained. By Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun (TNS) President Donald Trump pardoned the founder of darknet marketplace Silk Road, he said in a post to Truth Social on Tuesday night. FILE - This Feb 4, 2015, file courtroom sketch, shows defendant Ross William Ulbricht as the deputy recites the word guilty multiple times during his trial in New York. Ulbricht has been pardoned by President Donald Trump. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS Ross William Ulbricht, known online as Dread Pirate Roberts, was indicted in the U.S. District Court in Maryland on charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, attempted witness murder and using interstate commerce in the commission of murder for hire in 2013. RELATED: Ex-Pa. cop pardoned in J6 Capitol riot: Never been happier than today The one-time Penn State graduate student was convicted of creating and running an underground Internet drug emporium named the Silk Road essentially the Amazon of illegal narcotics. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous! the president said online. Ulbrichts case has energized some crypto advocates and Libertarian activists, who believe government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road. Ulbrichts pardon comes after Trump issued a pardon to anyone charged or convicted in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection attempt. Supporters of Ross William Ulbricht hold signs during the jury selection for his trial outside of federal court in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, file)AP Silk Road was an illegal marketplace to buy drugs and other contraband using cryptocurrency. Tracing the cryptocurrency transactions, investigators estimated that Silk Road processed $1.2 billion worth of business. PennLive files and The Associated Press contributed to this report. By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, MORIAH BALINGIT, BIANCA VAZQUEZ TONESS and JOCELYN GECKER, The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school. In many districts, educators have sought to reassure immigrant parents that schools are safe places for their kids, despite the presidents campaign pledge to carry out mass deportations. But fears intensified for some when the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a decades-old policy. Oh, dear God! I cant imagine why they would do that, said Carmen, an immigrant from Mexico, after hearing that the Trump administration had rescinded the policy against arrests in sensitive locations. She plans to take her two grandchildren, ages 6 and 4, to their school Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay Area unless she hears from school officials it is not safe. What has helped calm my nerves is knowing that the school stands with us and promised to inform us if its not safe at school, said Carmen, who spoke on condition that only her first name be used, out of fear she could be targeted by immigration officials. Immigrants across the country have been anxious about Trumps pledge to deport millions of people. While fears of raids did not come to pass on the administrations first day, rapid changes on immigration policy have left many confused and uncertain about their future. At a time when many migrant families even those in the country legally are assessing whether and how to go about in public, many school systems are watching for effects on student attendance. Several schools said they were fielding calls from worried parents about rumors that immigration agents would try to enter schools, but it was too early to tell whether large numbers of families are keeping their children home. Tuesdays move to clear the way for arrests at schools reverses guidance that restricted two federal agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from carrying out enforcement in sensitive locations. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. Daniela Anello, who heads D.C. Bilingual Public Charter School in the nations capital, said she was shocked by the announcement. Its horrific, Anello said. Theres no such thing as hiding anyone. It doesnt happen, hasnt happened. ... Its ridiculous. An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many more have U.S. citizenship but have parents who are in the country illegally. Several geese were found dead last weekend near a pond at Gettysburg College, the college confirmed. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials were investigating reports of a dead goose on Saturday at Quarry Pond when they discovered several other dead geese, Gettysburg College said in a letter to the campus community. The college said the geese will be tested for bird flu, a virus that typically spreads among birds and other animals. The results of the tests are not yet available. Humans can also contract bird flu from sick animals or surfaces that sick animals touch. The public health risk for bird flu is low right now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Until further notice, please avoid the Quarry Pond area, and please do not feed or approach birds, the college said. The Lancaster County District Attorneys Office on Tuesday announced its investigation into hundreds of potentially fraudulent voter registrations has been handed over to the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office. The voter registration applications in question were delivered to the Lancaster County Voter Registration Office in October 2024, just before the deadline for Novembers presidential election, the press release said. Detectives with the county DAs office determined 383 of the 1,203 applications were fraudulent and verified 367. An additional 453 applications were unable to be verified and are suspected to be fraudulent. Since launching the investigation, the Lancaster County DAs office said it is clear the issue spans several counties. I want to thank the Lancaster County Detectives who worked diligently on this investigation over the past several months and commend them for the work they did in advancing the investigation, Heather Adams, county DA, said. It is clear, however, based on the information shared between several investigative agencies that the Attorney Generals Office is best suited to handle this multi-county investigation moving forward. I have complete confidence that the Attorney Generals Office will continue to investigate this case and hold those who committed voter registration fraud and other crimes responsible for their actions. Adams also thanked workers at the Lancaster County Voter Registration Office for reporting the suspected fraud. Because of their diligence we were able to announce this discovery and the launch of our investigation to alert other counties to be aware of voter registration fraud as well as to deter those responsible for the applications from any plan of turning fraudulent voter applications into fraudulent votes, she said. With the election fast approaching, this announcement was critical in stopping any plans of future illegal conduct that could have impacted our elections process here in Lancaster County. Indicators of fraud include non-existent addresses, fake names and incorrect SocialSsecurity numbers. In some instances, applications contained accurate information but were determined to be forged. The fraudulent applications are believed to be connected to a large-scale operation dating back to June 2024. By Josh Funk, The Associated Press Residents challenging Norfolk Southerns $600 million settlement for the disastrous East Palestine train crash have asked a court to reject a judges order requiring them to put up an $850,000 bond to continue their appeal for higher compensation and more information about the contamination. Nearly $300 million of the settlement has been on hold because of the appeal even though a judge approved the deal in September. The holdout residents are urging the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop them from having to put up the huge sum to continue with their claims stemming from the February 2023 derailment and fire. Class-action attorneys who negotiated with Norfolk Southern have said the appeal will add significant administrative costs for the firm disbursing person injury payments to people who lived or worked within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the derailment site even though $18 million has already been set aside to cover expenses. The freight train derailment in the Ohio village near the Pennsylvania state line included 11 cars transporting hazardous materials. Area residents evacuated and, days later, officials fearing a possible uncontrolled blast intentionally released and burned toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke into the sky. Attorney David Graham said his clients are pressing ahead with the appeal in the belief that the settlement does not do enough to compensate them for possible future health effects. They worry the contaminants could lead to cancers and other serious ailments in the future, and they want to know what the lawyers uncovered during their investigation so they can better judge the risks. Were not intimidated and were not going anywhere, Graham said. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has said toxic levels of chemicals havent been detected in the community since shortly after the derailment, but residents and some of the doctors conducting research on the health effects of the train derailment say they are concerned about the health impacts of prolonged exposure to low levels of chemicals. FILE - In this photo taken with a drone, portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the previous night in East Palestine, Ohio, remain on fire at mid-day, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)Gene Puskar, AP File Separately, the class action attorneys have refused to disclose what their own testing expert discovered when he visited the community because they agreed to keep that information confidential as part of the settlement. Even while the appeal continues, the company handling the settlement has begun to distribute $120 million for personal injury claims. Many residents have been waiting months to receive official letters advising the amounts they would receive. The class-action lawyers, who received $162 million in fees for their work on the case, promised residents last summer that they would get up to $25,000 per person for personal injuries if they lived within two miles (3 kilometers) of the site. But accepting that money meant that residents were giving up the right to sue later if they do develop health problems. At the time, dozens of railcars careened off the tracks, spilling their toxic contents and catching fire. The disaster was made worse three days later when officials decided to blow open five tank cars of vinyl chloride and burn their contents, a step investigators later determined was unnecessary. The main payments of up to $75,000 per household for property damage have been on hold because of the appeal. The amounts people are to receive from the settlement gradually decrease the further they are from the derailment site down to just a few hundred dollars at the outer edges. Some residents who have received determination letters about the payments have posted online that they are sometimes thousands less than promised last summer. Others posted that the amounts are exactly as advised. The class-action attorneys always emphasized the largest possible payments in their meetings in the community, but the official formula dictating how much each person would receive was not available until after the settlement was approved. The official formula posted online says that to receive a full payment, residents had to have returned to their homes before the evacuation order was lifted on Feb. 8, 2023. If they waited until the next day to return, then they would only be eligible for half the settlement amount they might get otherwise. FILE - Cleanup continues, Feb. 24, 2023, at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3, in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)AP Representatives of the Kroll company that is administering the settlement payments didnt respond Tuesday and a representative of the class-action attorneys said they didnt have anyone available to answer questions before Wednesday. The East Palestine derailment was the worst rail disaster in a decade and prompted calls for reform. A subsequent rail safety bill in Congress stalled and was never approved. The industry promised some changes like adding more trackside detectors to help spot defects before they can cause derailments, but those havent yet made a significant difference in railroads' safety records. While the Jones Act harms Puerto Rico (Repeal the Jones Act for Puerto Ricos future, Dec. 15), the claim that the law forces Puerto Rico to route trade through U.S. ports is inaccurate. The law requires that vessels transporting goods between U.S. ports be U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built, and at least 75 percent U.S.-owned. Ships meeting these requirements are much costlier to build and operate than their internationally-flagged counterparts. Indeed, Jones Act-compliant shipping is so expensive that it deters commerce between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. Instead of buying American products, goods ranging from corn to jet fuel are often purchased from foreign sources to avoid the Jones Acts high costs. But sometimes, buying American isnt even an option. Although liquified propane is regularly exported worldwide from Marcus Hook, Puerto Rico must purchase its supplies from as far away as Chile due to a total lack of Jones Act-compliant tankers to transport it from the U.S. mainland. Pennsylvania natural gas cant make it to Puerto Rico for the same reason. Such facts help explain why a 2024 academic study found that the Jones Act imposes annual costs to Puerto Rico of $203 per citizen. If Congress and the incoming Donald Trump administration seek to help Puerto Rico, few measures would help more than repealing this burdensome and misguided law. Colin Grabow, Washington, D.C. Ukrainian MP and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko traveled to Brussels where he met with EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius to discuss the strengthening of the European Union's role in ensuring Ukraine's victory, the political force has said on its website Wednesday. "I was glad to personally congratulate my old friend on his appointment as a member of the European Commission. I believe in the success and leadership of Andrius Kubilius in strengthening the security component of the united Europe, an integral part of which is an independent democratic Ukraine. [...] We discussed the situation at the front, the urgent political, military, economic needs of our state and the prospects for ending the war," Poroshenko was quoted as saying. He noted the importance of the EU taking on more responsibility for security, peace and stability in Europe. "We must redouble the efforts of the democratic world to ensure Ukraine's victory and the integration of our state into the EU and NATO," Poroshenko said. Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nate Erskine-Smith speaks to reporters following a cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. The federal government had inked deals with nine Ontario municipalities and two Saskatchewan cities to address homelessness.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Groups representing U.S. businesses and big tech companies are warning the CRTC its moves to modernize Canadian content rules could worsen trade relations with the United States. A person navigates to the online social-media pages of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on a cellphone in Ottawa on May 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Health, poses in front of a statue in Geneva, where he is attending WHO meetings this week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Dr. Madhukar Pai **MANDATORY CREDIT** Photo: https://t.me/SBUkr/13878 The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police have exposed six new schemes for evading mobilization, 19 organizers of illegal schemes were detained in different regions of the country, the SBU has said. "The defendants traded in fake medical certificates or transported draft dodgers abroad outside checkpoints for money," the Ukrainian special service said in a statement on its Telegram channel Wednesday. According to the SBU, law enforcement officers stopped four minibuses near the border in Odesa region, in which local criminals were trying to transport 47 draft dodgers to the unrecognized Transnistria. "A car with the organizers of this scheme was traveling along with the 'motorcade' with those liable for military service. In total, the criminal group for transporting draft dodgers consisted of nine people, including two foreigners from the South Caucasus," it said. In Kharkiv region, as reported by the special service, another four organizers of schemes for draft dodgers have been exposed. Among those detained are a local lawyer and a repeat offender convicted of premeditated murder. They recruited more than ten accomplices to the illegal activity the criminals sold fictitious medical certificates of disability to remove them from military registration. "During the searches, about half a million U.S. dollars were found on the detainees," the special service said. It also reported that a former lawyer who helped draft dodgers flee abroad under the guise of humanitarian aid forwarders has been detained "red-handed" in Kyiv. "To implement the criminal mechanism, the defendant registered his clients with a local charity organization," it said. In Poltava region, an official of the Health Department of Poltava Regional Military Administration has been exposed. "To obtain fake disability certificate, she sold fake medical certificates of magnetic resonance imaging examinations," the SBU said. Another scheme in the region was organized by two entrepreneurs who sold fake certificates of employees of the State Emergency Service to draft dodgers. In addition, according to the report, in Khmelnytsky region, the deputy chairman of the medical advisory commission and two local doctors who groundlessly issued medical certificates to conscripts to obtain disability were notified of suspicion. Based on the exposed facts, the defendants were notified of suspicion. WSOPC Victory For Eric Taylor Redeems WSOP Final Table Napping Error Jon Pill Contributor Copy link The World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant ended on Monday, when the Main Event final table ended with all the chips in Eric Taylor's stack. The series saw some other notable stories unfold, including Pamela Belote becoming the most decorated woman on the WSOP Circuit and David Yarbrough of Humble, Texas winning two events back to back. However, the biggest story of the festival was Taylor's $259,721. Taylor Caught Napping Sung Lee came second in the Main Event. The main event of the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant kicked off with two Day 1 flights that attracted 1,070 entries. This turnout generated a prize pool of $1,621,050. Taylor was especially focused on the top prize of $259,721 after falling asleep at his last WSOP final table. The event was a WSOP Mystery Bounty Online event, where his little snooze caused him to come in 6th. This time around, Taylor stayed awake and alert until the final card was dealt at the end of a tough heads up battle with Sung Lee. Taylor gave full credit to his opponent, telling the WSOP, "[Lee] didn't make any mistakes. She played really good. So, I tried to speed some things up in the heads up match." Lee initially gained a big chip lead heads up, but the cards soon began to fall Taylor's way. Lee ran her pair into his two pair multiple times, putting Taylor in the lead. Finally, Lee moved in with 4x5x in the hole and a short stack in front of her. Taylor called with A2 and caught a two on the flop to take the tournament down. Lee earned $173,145 for her second-place finish. WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Main Event Final Table Results Place Player Hometown Prize 1 Eric Taylor Frisco, TX $259,721 2 Sung Lee Argyle, TX $173,145 3 Thomas Romeo Walden, NY $120,563 4 Arthur Morris Plano, TX $85,387 5 Cody Bartlett Lincoln, NE $61,527 6 Kannon McCavit Battle Creek, MI $45,120 7 Chang Liang Deng Mountain House, CA $33,686 8 Alain Raad -, France $25,611 What's Next? WSOP Circuit Ring The WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant is over, but action is already well underway at the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley. Eight of the Thunder Valley events have kicked off, but the series is only halfway through with another eight events still to go. After that, the next WSOPC event will be held at the Horseshoe Tunica in Mississippi. The festival kicks off on January 23 and has combined guarantees of $1.1 million. The last WSOPC festival to kick off in January will be the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Pompano Beach on January 30. The Pompano Beach event is always a big one. The main event alone has a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million. You can also see the full results for the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant below. WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Full Series Results EVENT ENTRANTS PRIZE POOL WINNER HOMETOWN PRIZE WSOPC Event #1: $250 Seniors Event 647 $129,400 Gary Harbison Sherman, TX $22,011 WSOPC Event #2: $400 Monster Stack 324 $106,920 Shawn Rice Lubbock, TX $22,418 WSOPC Event #3: $250 No-Limit Hold'em 152 $30,400 Darrell Savage Pearland, TX $7,621 WSOPC Event #4: $600 Escalating Bounty 246 $84,624 Sims White Dripping Springs, TX $19,000 WSOPC Event #5: $500 No-Limit Hold'em - Gargantuan 1,063 $446,460 Wayne Harmon Portland, OR $66,578 WSOPC Event #6: $250 Ladies Event 115 $23,000 Pamela Belote Edmond, OK $5,920 WSOPC Event #7: $300 No-Limit Hold'em One Day 272 $65,280 Roderick Watson Cedar Park, TX $14,357 WSOPC Event #8: $500 No-Limit Hold'em 117 $50,000 Brian Green Decatur, TX $12,868 WSOPC Event #9: $250 No-Limit Hold'em 180 $36,000 Jason Gantenbein Dripping Springs, TX $8,633 WSOPC Event #10: $400 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed 151 $49,830 Kasey Mills Owasso, OK $12,490 WSOPC Event #11: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 80 $70,000 David Yarbrough Humble, TX $20,079 WSOPC Event #12: $500 No-Limit Hold'em Double Stack 381 $160,020 David Yarbrough Humble, TX $32,055 WSOPC Event #13: $250 No-Limit Hold'em 136 $27,200 Brett Murray Santa Rosa, CA $6,697 WSOPC Event #14: $1,000 Monster Stack 254 $222,250 Peter Park Los Angeles, CA $49,523 WSOPC Event #15: $250 No-Limit Hold'em 263 $52,600 Daniel Lester Lovington, NM $11,644 WSOPC Event #16: $1,700 Main Event 1,070 $1,621,050 Eric Taylor Frisco, TX $259,721 WSOPC Event #17: $300 No-Limit Hold'em - Twilight 350 $84,000 Grea Laffin-Ferrer Plano, TX $16,714 WSOPC Event #18: $250 No-Limit Hold'em - The Finale 227 $45,400 Ben Ross Arlington, TX $10,418 Images courtesy of the WSOP. Share this article John McDermott has been the business editor of The Post and Courier since 2006. He's written about all facets of the South Carolina economy, served in the U.S. Air Force and is a graduate of the University of Hawaii-Manoa journalism program. Charleston, SC (29403) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 72F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some passing clouds. Low 51F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Donald Trump's presidency would be a "challenge" and assured that Germany and France would not weaken their support for Ukraine. "And this week we are dealing with a new U.S. administration. President Trump, it is already clear, will be a challenge," he said in a press statement during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday. At the same time, Scholz noted that Europe and the United States are connected by a "long history" of friendship and partnership. According to him, Europe "will not hide" but will become a "constructive and self-confident partner." "On this basis, we will fruitfully cooperate with the United States and the new American president," Scholz said. After the meeting with Macron, the Chancellor also emphasized that "Ukraine can rely on us." "We will not weaken our support for Ukraine, which has been resisting Russian aggression with great courage for almost three years now. I assured Volodymyr Zelenskyy of this once again yesterday at our meeting in Davos. Of course, we all want to put an end to this terrible war. But this can only be achieved with a strong Ukraine," Scholz said. He added that he and Macron both agree that "Europe must be strong and resilient in a world that is, to put it mildly, in a state of change." Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 71F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 51F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Political Editor Schuyler Kropf is The Post and Courier political editor. He has covered every major political race in South Carolina dating to 1988, including for U.S. Senate, governorship, the Statehouse and Republican and Democratic presidential primaries. Any effective peacekeeping force deployed in Ukraine will need to include U.S. troops, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. The head of state said that his European allies don't have enough soldiers to pose a realistic deterrent to President Vladimir Putin and any other solution would risk opening up divisions within the NATO alliance. He bristled at the idea, floated Tuesday, that the military backing of his European allies would suffice. "It can't be without the United States. [] Even if some European friends think it can be, no it can't be. Nobody will risk without the United States," he told Bloomberg Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Charleston, SC (29403) Today A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 72F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 52F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tourism revenues may increase ten-fold if a new law on tourism is adopted and market transparency is ensured, said Maryana Oleskiv, head of the State Agency for Tourism Development, at a press conference. "Over the five years of the agency's existence, we have been able to achieve significant efficiency in the systemic development and tidying up of the rules of the Ukrainian tourism industry, together with MPs, we have developed the law on tourism, the concept of the first stage of the Unified Tourism Register and harmonized interaction between participants. Despite the war, tourism today brings about UAH 3 billion to the country's budget and creates new niches. These revenues may increase ten-fold after the adoption of the new law on tourism and ensuring the transparency of this market, in particular the submission of statistics on the accommodation of tourists," she said. Oleskiv explained this indicator with calculations based on the example of the Slavske community, based on the break-even level of establishments (30% occupancy). "The better the data the community receives, the better it can manage this area. For example, a certain season is less active, so the community can reduce the tourist tax and make more promotions in order to attract more visitors with promotions," she explained. Over the five years that Oleskiv headed the tourism agency, revenues to the state budget from the tourism industry increased from UAH 1.852 billion in 2020 to UAH 2.938 billion in 2024. According to the forecast of Oxford Economics, made at the request of the agency, in 2034 the country's tourism industry can bring up to UAH 598 billion to the state budget. "We managed to get Russia excluded from the UN World Tourism Organization, we created a whole new niche - memory routes. We reoriented tourism from international to domestic and were able to interest people in new destinations to visit. At present, there is a very real and fully prepared strategy for the development of the industry for the coming years, as well as a professional environment that demonstrates unity and high activity of interaction," she says. Among the systemic steps to create modern rules for managing the industry - a new law on tourism, bills to stimulate investment and develop the industry, a new system of categorization of hotels, the first joint municipal enterprise in the tourism sector has been created. "To date, the first stage of the Unified Tourism Register has been created, an important element of which is the new categorization system developed by the agency specialists, after the adoption of which it makes sense to finalize the second stage of the register in accordance with the new criteria that correspond to European ones," Oleskiv said. Nigerias public debt climbed to N142.3 trillion by 30 September 2024, marking a 5.97 per cent rise (N8.02 trillion) from N134.3 trillion recorded in June 2024. This was disclosed in the latest figures published by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Tuesday. The figure comprises N68.89 trillion in external debt and N73.4 trillion in domestic debt. In dollar terms, the figure saw a slight increase of 0.29 per cent, rising from $42.90 billion in June to $43.03 billion by September. However, in naira terms, the external debt climbed sharply by 9.22 per cent, jumping from N63.07 trillion to N68.89 trillion over the same period. This significant rise in naira value may be attributed to the local currencys depreciation against the US dollar, with the exchange rate weakening from N1,470.19/$ in June to N1,601.03/$ by the end of September. Domestic debt decreased by 5.34 per cent in dollar terms, from $48.45 billion in June to $45.87 billion by September. In naira terms, however, it rose by 3.10 per cent, climbing from N71.22 trillion to N73.43 trillion. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The federal government accounted for the majority of domestic debt, which increased from N66.96 trillion in June to N69.22 trillion in September. Meanwhile, debt owed by states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) saw a slight reduction, dropping from N4.27 trillion to N4.21 trillion within the same period. Nigerias domestic debt composition continued to evolve in the third quarter of 2024, with federal government bonds remaining the dominant component, increasing to N54.65 trillion in September from N52.32 trillion in June. The growth was largely attributed to new naira-denominated issuances and the introduction of the countrys first domestic dollar-denominated bond, which contributed N1.47 trillion to the debt portfolio. Nigerian Treasury Bills, the second-largest segment of domestic debt, recorded a marginal decline, falling from N11.81 trillion in June to N11.73 trillion in September. Meanwhile, promissory notes, deployed to settle government obligations, increased from N1.67 trillion to N1.77 trillion during the same period. The federal government sukuk, a critical instrument for infrastructure financing, saw a notable decline dropping from N1.09 trillion in June to N992.56 billion by September. Conversely, savings bonds recorded a significant rise, reaching N64.09 billion, underscoring the growing participation of retail investors. Green bonds, however, remained unchanged at N15 billion. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian military has announced the killing of the second-in-command to notorious terrorist Bello Turji. PREMIUM TIMES reports that Wednesdays announcement came a few days after the military announced the killing of Mr Turjis son in a separate attack on his hideout. Military spokesperson Edward Buba said Mr Turjis deputy, Aminu Kanawa, was killed in operations conducted on Monday and Tuesday. In his Wednesday statement, Mr Buba, an army major general, said 24 other terrorists were killed in the operations. Mr Buba said the operations were launched on Mr Turjis camps in Sokoto and Zamfara States, between Monday and Tuesday. The spokesperson said several of Mr Turjis key commanders, including Abu Dan Shehu, Jabbi Dogo, Dan Kane, Basiru Yellow, Kabiru Gebe, Bello Buba, and Dan Inna Kahon-Saniya-Yafi-Bahaushe, were killed in the operations. He said troops also inflicted injuries on some of Mr Turjis close allies, including Dosso (Mr Turjis younger brother) and Danbokolo (one of Mr Turjis closest allies). 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 Furthermore, troops neutralised over 24 fleeing terrorists from Turjis camp around Gebe and Isa Local Government Areas of Sokoto State, as well as around Gidan Rijiya in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara. Troops also neutralised another notable terrorist during the onslaught on Turjis enclave around Fakai high ground. He is identified as Suleiman and (is) a loyalist of late notorious terrorists leader, Halilu Sububu. The late Suleiman was leading a reinforcement team to rescue Bello Turjis camp, which was in disarray when he was eliminated during the firefight, he said. Mr Buba said the death of Mr Turjis second-in-command, close allies, commanders and combatants was a significant blow to his network in north-west Nigeria, where he operates. He said Mr Turjis group was responsible for numerous kidnappings and terror attacks across the zone, particularly in Zurmi, Shinkafi, Isa, and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas of Zamfara and Sokoto states. Overall, troops are not relenting until these terrorists are completely destroyed. Troops operations are aimed at creating an atmosphere of safety and security for all citizens, he added. Despite the militarys successes against terrorists in north-west Nigeria, Mr Turji has continued to evade the military. His attacks on communities in north-west Nigeria have caused the deaths of hundreds of people in recent years. However, the military has made killing or capturing him one of its main targets. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ghanas new President John Mahama took over this month from Nana Akufo-Addo following the December 2024 elections. Rising poverty and high living costs were major campaign issues fallouts of an economic crisis that drove the country into an International Monetary Fund bailout in 2022. Illegal mining (galamsey) was also a hot topic, raising concerns about crime, corruption and environmental damage. Today, Ghanas reputed stability is at risk from complex security threats and declining public trust in the police, army and judiciary. Mahama should begin his term by prioritising reform of these key security institutions. This would not only make Ghanaians safer, but build confidence in the new government as a whole. In 2024, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) met with civil society and state security actors in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa to discuss security sector reform. Participants in Ghana said the country faced widespread farmer-herder conflicts, land boundary disputes and historical chieftaincy conflicts, notably in the northwest, where citizens are considered especially susceptible to radicalisation. They also linked galamsey to problems such as military overreach and commercialisation, abuses of political and military power, high-level corruption and gender-based violence. Regional threats must also be considered, with West Africa facing rising instability from violent extremism and governance crises. Ghana shares borders with Burkina Faso and Togo, countries experiencing significant upheavals. Crimes like galamsey with its cross-border dimensions and financing of regional criminal enterprises mean that regional security threats often reinforce each other. Although Ghana has not experienced terror attacks, new evidence and a failed bombing in 2023 signal its vulnerability. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The countrys economic crisis has caused political unrest that could deepen public resentment against the state. High youth unemployment, limited access to services in remote areas, and governance deficits such as poor accountability and lack of responsiveness to citizens needs were major risk factors, the ISS was told. Corruption, harassment and human rights violations by government officials have eroded public confidence in security institutions, compromising Ghanas ability to respond. Although police conduct during Decembers elections was commended, their record since 2017 has been poor. Police have reportedly used excessive force against civilians including students sometimes fatally. They have repeatedly arrested protesters and disrupted peaceful demonstrations. These actions paint the police as insensitive and agents of a police state. The military has been accused of overreach due to its increasing deployment in response to security issues within Ghanas borders. Examples include the 2021 military invasion of Parliament, allegedly to resolve an impasse between opposing parties. And soldiers rather than police provided VIP protection for government officials and security for galamsey concessions. They have also been deployed for law enforcement and during several elections. In the December polls, soldiers were accused of shootings at voting stations in Weija and Obuasi East, resulting in one fatality. Military personnel shot at protesting youth in Ejura in 2021 and brutalised civilians in Taifa-Ashaiman in 2023 following a soldiers killing. The 2021 arrest and torture of children accused of stealing an officers laptop triggered legal action against the army. Ghanas defence force is also considered at high risk for graft, posing a serious threat to the countrys stability and fiscus, considering the dire current economic climate. Ghana stands at a critical juncture in its political trajectory. The new administration must halt further deterioration and prepare for targeted reforms. The first priority is addressing security sector misconduct and the militarisation of security within the countrys borders. This could start with independent investigations into recent excesses, including election-related violence and brutality against civilians by the police and military. Second, the government should review and clearly define the militarys roles and deployment protocols in internal security operations. Oversight mechanisms for VIP protection services and security deployments in mining areas must be strengthened. Clear guidelines are also needed for inter-agency coordination to prevent mandate conflicts. Third, Mahama must rebuild trust between the security sector and civil society. Evidence shows that collaborations between government and citizens are effective in improving safety. Several security actors told ISS that civil society organisations (CSOs) were useful and vital as their independent insights were based on evidence and experience in communities. But CSO participation in security sector reform remains limited and conditional on personal relationships and institutional discretion. Ghanas history of 24 years of military rule (at different times from 1966 to 1993), has left civil society apprehensive about the excessive use of force in todays democratic context. ISS was told that the persistent sense of exclusivity surrounding state security marginalises CSOs and citizens. Mutual distrust between CSOs and the state worsens the problem, as do communication gaps, political interference in security management, and a limited understanding of the institutional cultures of CSOs and government security agencies. This fraught relationship limits collaboration on pressing issues like preventing violent extremism and repairing public trust in the police, courts and army. Decades of effective reforms and stability are at risk if these challenges are not urgently addressed. Mahamas government should establish formal consultation mechanisms between security sector institutions and CSOs, and clearly define the roles and responsibilities for collaboration. The National Security Councils composition must be reformed to include civilian security experts and vetted CSO representatives. A comprehensive security sector communication strategy would improve public engagement and enable inclusive consultations to identify problems and solutions. The government should also consider creating a national funding mechanism for joint security-CSO initiatives. Lastly, concerns that the non-profit organisations draft bill is too restrictive must be addressed to enable CSOs operational independence. To succeed, these reforms would require sustained political will, adequate resourcing and genuine commitment to inclusive security sector reform. Titilope F Ajayi, Senior Researcher, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Nairobi Research for this article is funded by the US Department of State Bureau for African Affairs. (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On Wednesday, College of Medicine students at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, staged a peaceful protest over the persistent blackout affecting the hospital. The protest, supported by the Students Union (SU) of the University of Ibadan (UI), began as early as 7.00 a.m. The SU president, Bolaji Aweda, said the protest became necessary following the expiration of a 7-day ultimatum given to the management of both UI and UCH. Mr Aweda, who alleged a power play among the stakeholders, added that the lack of electricity had lasted over 82 days. According to him, the situation has affected the living conditions of students and their academics, making them unable to function well. Our demand is the immediate restoration of power to UCH and other hospitals currently facing a similar situation. We desire the implementation of the 50 per cent electricity tariff discount announced by the Ministry of Power in August 2024 and the reform of the health sector in Nigeria, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later If UCH, the foremost healthcare hospital in Nigeria, is this bad, one can imagine what other health institutions in the country will look like. Also, the immediate past SU president, Tobiloba Samuel, said they had explored consultative means with the managements of UCH and UI, which yielded nothing. Mr Samuel said the union would issue an ultimatum after the peaceful protest if the relevant stakeholders still fail to act. He attributed the ongoing issue to the new power sector policy, which has made electricity unaffordable for educational and healthcare institutions. He said they were told the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had demanded the payment of half of the N3.78 million owed before reconnecting the hospital. I dont know how they expect them to pay. We are calling on the Ministry of Education, which plays a regulatory role in the sector, to act, he said. We are calling on the Federal Government and other stakeholders, not only to save UCH, but other educational and health institutions in similar situations. NAN reports there was no official of the UCH management to address the protesters, but security officers were present to forestall the breakdown of law and order. READ ALSO: Kogi allocates N7 billion for upgrade of 88 PHCs When contacted, the Chairman, UCH Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Oladayo Olabampe, said the union was unaware of the protest. Mr Olabampe said the organisers have no identity. I have nothing against it, but no union in UCH is involved to the best of my knowledge, he said. NAN reports that the students were dressed in black tops. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Concerned parties in the fight against cancer have stated that Nigeria is receiving a boost as global organisations, national health bodies, and local community leaders unite to address key challenges in cancer care. The stakeholders made this known on Wednesday in Abuja, during a kick-off event of the Leadership Programme for Women in Oncology (LPWO). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LPWO is an initiative of the City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The stakeholders called for an integrated approach to funding, gender equality, and local solutions, in the midst of rise in cancer rates and limited access to diagnosis and treatment. Roche, a global leader in the healthcare industry, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting cancer care initiatives in Nigeria. The Country General Manager, Roche, Ladi Hameed said the companys presence in over 80 countries allows it to leverage global insights and resources to strengthen cancer diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria. Mr Hameed said the company has been working alongside local entities to build capacity, train healthcare providers, and ensure access to life-saving diagnostic tools, including those for breast cancer. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said that Roches focus is not just on providing technology but ensuring that it builds a sustainable healthcare ecosystem in partnership with local stakeholders. With support from global networks, we are seeing the potential for local solutions to make a real difference, he said. This collaboration is vital to addressing the growing cancer burden. The Director of Clinical Services at the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Musa Ali-Gombe said that sustainability remained a critical challenge for cancer care funding in Nigeria. Mr Ali-Gombe said that long-term solutions require additional sources of funding. He said NICRAT has laid out a multi-tiered plan to address this issue, focusing on short, medium, and long-term strategies. The short-term plan relies on government appropriations, while NICRAT is working to attract philanthropic donations from both local and international organisations to ensure more robust and diversified funding streams, he said. The medium-term proposal includes models where wealthier individuals pay higher fees for cancer treatment, helping to subsidise the cost for those who cannot afford it. He, however, said the ultimate goal remains achieving universal health coverage, where cancer care is included in comprehensive insurance plans for all Nigerians. The establishment of a transparent funding mechanism is critical. We need to ensure accountability to attract more donors and, ultimately, achieve a model where cancer treatment is accessible to every Nigerian, regardless of their financial status, he said He noted that gender equality is also a key priority for stakeholders in the fight against cancer. According to him, NICRAT has initiated several programmes aimed at increasing awareness and improving access to cancer care for women who are disproportionately affected by cancers such as breast and cervical cancer. In 2024, NICRAT launched mobile clinics in hard-to-reach areas, offering free screenings and preventive services to women. These mobile units are expected to expand in 2025, providing further access to vital services in underserved regions, he said. He said that NICRAT is also prioritising the training of female healthcare professionals and incorporating them into decision-making processes to ensure that womens voices are heard in cancer care development. The C/Can Research Lead, Meritxell Mallatre-Larross, highlighted significant commitments and ongoing efforts towards gender equity and leadership development in oncology. Ms Mallatre-Larross noted that C/CAN would be implementing a seven-year gender strategy starting in 2025, aimed at addressing gaps in leadership opportunities for women in oncology. She said that the Leadership Award for Women in Oncology is one of the flagship initiatives under this strategy. She said this strategy was designed based on evidence and research, including insights from the Lancet Commission on Women, Power, and Cancer. She explained that it is aimed at fostering leadership among women in the oncology field and amplifying their impact within their communities. To ensure scalability and sustainability, the second cohort of the programme is designed to implement a trainer-to-trainer model, she said. Participants are encouraged to use the knowledge and skills they acquire to train others in their local communities, thereby amplifying the programmes impact. She said that the programmes kick-off in Abuja signified its global nature and its commitment to inclusivity by targeting diverse communities and regions. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Donald J. Trump has laid out his America First Priorities. His second Inaugural Address and ceremony as the 47th President of the United States marks the beginning of a new chapter in US governance. The day was characterised by a series of significant executive actions and Cabinet-level developments, as well as a reinforced commitment to the America First doctrine that underpinned much of Mr Trumps inaugural address. Immigration is a central focus of the new Trump term. President Trump wasted no time in addressing immigration, a cornerstone of his campaign and administration. Among the first executive orders signed on the evening of Inauguration Day was one aimed at reinstating stringent border controls, including the reintroduction of Remain in Mexico policies for asylum seekers. The order also directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expedite the completion of physical border barriers and enhance technological surveillance capabilities. Mr Trumps rhetoric underscored his belief that strong borders are essential to national sovereignty and public safety. Additionally, another executive order outlined plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme within six months, leaving Congress to address the fate of over 600,000 young immigrants brought to the US as children. Critics argue that the move could destabilise families and communities, while proponents see it as a step toward enforcing immigration laws consistently. The administration also acted swiftly to reaffirm its position on international health governance. Following through on campaign promises, Mr Trump signed an order finalising the US withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO), citing perceived failures in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and alleged undue influence by China. Elise Stefanik, during her nomination hearing for Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 21 January, committed to redirecting US health funding to bilateral initiatives and partnerships with allied nations. The hearing also saw Republican senators pressing Ms Stefanik to ensure US foreign policy countered Chinas growing influence at international bodies like the United Nations and addressed anti-Semitism within these organisations. Calls to defund certain UN programmes and reduce support for institutions housing the International Criminal Court (ICC) were also discussed, highlighting the administrations broader scepticism of multilateral institutions. There are new energy and environmental policies. Mr Trumps second term began with decisive action on energy policy. An executive order repealed previous restrictions on oil and gas drilling, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Another order prioritised the development of domestic energy infrastructure projects by streamlining federal approval processes, signalling the administrations commitment to energy independence and economic growth through resource exploitation. Environmental advocacy groups were quick to criticise these measures, warning of long-term ecological harm and potential violations of indigenous rights. Nevertheless, the administration remains firm in its belief that such policies are essential to bolstering American prosperity and reducing dependence on foreign energy. 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 On the morning of Tuesday, 21 January 2025, Marco Rubio was sworn in as the 72nd Secretary of State at 9:15 a.m., addressing State Department staff shortly thereafter. In his remarks, Mr Rubio emphasised the administrations overarching foreign policy goals: the Trump administration was on a very clear mission concerning foreign policy. He said, And that mission is to ensure that our foreign policy is centred on one thing, and that is the advancement of our national interest, which they have clearly defined through his campaign as anything that makes us stronger or safer or more prosperous, and that will be our mission. That will be our job across the world, to ensure that we have a foreign policy that advances the national interest of the United States. Secretary Rubios words set the tone for an assertive approach to global engagement, one that prioritises American interests above multilateral considerations. Monday, 20 January 2025, also marked the ceremonial transfer of power, steeped in historical tradition. Vice President J.D. Vance took his oath of office one minute before noon, administered by Justice Clarence Thomas. At exactly noon, as mandated by the US Constitution, Mr Trump was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts. The oath, consisting of just 35 words, is a solemn pledge to faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States and to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. In his inaugural address, President Trump reaffirmed the America First mantra that defined his first term. He emphasised the administrations commitment to policies that prioritise national strength, economic prosperity, and the welfare of American citizens. Mr Trump called for unity among Americans while reiterating his focus on fair trade agreements, a robust military, and the reduction of US involvement in endless foreign wars. The address also touched on the administrations plans to bolster infrastructure, strengthen law enforcement, and combat woke ideologies that, in Mr Trumps view, threaten traditional American values. With the signing of this series of executive orders on Inauguration Day alone, the administration has laid the groundwork for its policy agenda. Domestically, these orders touch on issues ranging from immigration and energy to healthcare and law enforcement. Internationally, the focus appears to have shifted away from multilateralism, as evidenced by the WHO withdrawal and discussions to defund parts of the UN. The next four years are likely to see heightened debates over the implications of these policies, both at home and abroad. As President Trumps administration doubles down on its America First approach, the world will watch closely to gauge its impact on global stability and US leadership in international affairs. Pearl Matibe is a Washington, D.C.-based geopolitical analyst and correspondent covering Congress, the Pentagon, State Department, and the White House, with expertise in foreign and defence policy. Follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Today, newspapers dominated headlines with reports of President Tinubus plan to restart oil exploitation in Ogoni, a community in Rivers State that has suffered severe land degradation due to extensive oil exploration. Set aside your historical grievances, Tinubu urges Ogonis, Blueprint reported. Tribune reported, Tinubu to Ogoni leaders: Forget historical grievances, reconcile. The Punch reported the news under the headline Tinubu promises fairness as Ogoni oil exploration plan resumes. This Nigeria newspaper reported that Tinubu meets with Ogoni leaders over clean-up and oil exploration. The front page of The Nation newspaper read, Our plan to restart oil production in Ogoni, by Tinubu, Fubara. Ogoniland: At Historic Meeting, Tinubu Pledges Peace, Justice, The Matrix Newspaper reported. 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 Meanwhile, Sahara Energy begins oil exploration in Ondo State, the Hope reported. Report on tariff increase, which would raise the cost of phone calls to N16.5 per minute and data to N431 per GB, is also on the front page of most Nigerian newspapers. The Matrix newspaper reported that Outrage trails FGs 50% telecoms tariff hike, and The leadership newspaper reported that the 50% Telecom Tariff Increase Not Across Board NCC. Last Monday, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved the increase in tariff prices after network operators appealed due to the current market condition. However, the Daily Sun reported that the telecomms tariff hike sparks widespread fury. Liberty Newspaper also reported that SERAP gives Tinubu 48hrs to reverse 50% telecoms tariff hike. Phone calls to cost #16.5/minute, data #431.25/ 1Gb, as NCC increases tariff by 50%, Liberty also reported. President Donald Trumps withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) also made headlines. Blueprint with the headline Trump pulls US out of WHO, world body calls for dialogue reported that the new US President signed several executive orders on Monday after his inauguration, including the removal of the US from WHO. UN regrets U.S. exit from global cooperation on health, climate change pact, This Nigeria reported. Trumps executive orders face legal hurdles, according to The Nations. FG congratulates Trump on inauguration as 47th President, The Hope newspaper reported. According to the Daily Independent, Trump policies may weaken naira, worsen Nigerias debt servicing costs. Other significant headlines are; Over 7m on estimated billing despite N15 tr intervention, free supply, reported by Guardian Newspaper. Japa: Our hospitals will be empty in 2 years CMDs, Daily Trust reported. Bagudu: Tinuba Steering Economy in Right Direction, Determined to Stay Course, This Day newspaper headline read. Punch reported that Amotekun mobilises 2,000 men to comb SWest forests. Again, Tinubu meditates in Wike/Fubara Faceoff, The Daily Times reported. We thank Abiola Ayankunbi, a media management expert, for providing screenshots of the newspapers front pages. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for nearly 59 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths globally in spite of the continued effort by member states to end it, says UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Muhammed. She made this known on Tuesday during a UN Security Council meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security. The discussion was themed,African-led and development-focused counter-terrorism: strengthening African leadership and implementation of counter-terrorism initiatives. According to Ms Muhammed, terrorism-related deaths have soared past 6,000 in the past three years, making up more than half of all global fertilities. She said Burkina Faso now leads the world in terrorism deaths with a staggering 68 per cent increase, and with little support to reverse the trend. Africa has tragically remained the epicentre of global terrorism. In all its forms and manifestations, terrorism is the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the continent today. On her part, the impact of terrorism on women and families is particularly devastating. 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 Ms Muhammed noted that terrorists frequently exploit and brutalise women through sexual and gender-based violence, including forced marriages and abductions, causing profound trauma that reverberates through entire communities. She said terrorist networks are now pooling resources, finances, fighters and expertise, while sharpening their capabilities of new technologies, including unmanned aerial systems. Countering terrorism must continue to innovate with an approach that holds the respect for human rights and the rule of law at its core and an outcome that addresses the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. African member states, with the full backing of the international community, must forge cohesive and conducted responses grounded in humanitarian development peace nexus and aligned with the guiding principles of the global counter-terrorism strategy. She said the pact for the future, agreed in September 2024 by UN member states, gives renewed momentum to global efforts against terrorism, adding that now is the time to implement promises made in the pact with determined action. Ms Muhammed highlighted three priority areas with the first being the need to continually address the drivers of terrorism. She said terrorism thrives on fragility and feeds off poverty, inequality, and disillusionment. When financing development regresses, when fragile institutions are matched with weak governance, and when women and youth are excluded from decision making, when public services are scarce or unequal, these conditions create fertile ground for radicalisation and recruitment. Building inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies must be our goal and we have a road map to get there. The 2030 agenda, and in Africa, the 2063 agenda need to be implemented. She noted that human rights-based approaches to counter-terrorism grounded in accountable and inclusive institutions were needed. Ms Muhammed further said regional cooperation was the linchpin of any effective counter-terrorism strategy, adding that fragmenting efforts would serve perpetrators. Our responses must be united, coherent and urgent, focused on fostering dialogue, trust and coordinated action. READ ALSO: Gov Otti launches remodellig of 200 PHCs in Abia The African Union and its counterterrorism center have a leading role to play, but we must go further. Above all, we must ensure that regional efforts are in lock step, unified in purpose and aligned with the strategy. This is the only way we believe that we can ensure phasing down the threat of terrorism together. Ultimately, African led and African owned solutions must take the lead in tackling terrorism across the continent, she said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has dismissed reports claiming that a contract for the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road project was awarded to an obscure company, Infoquest Nigeria Limited. Mr Umahi, addressing a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, called the report false, misleading, and damaging. He explained that a publication in Daily Trust on 21 January, 2025 wrongly claimed that the Federal Ministry of Works had awarded a section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road dualisation to Infoquest Nigeria Ltd. He said the report also falsely stated that the company had received a No objection approval for N252.89 billion from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for the rehabilitation of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road. Mr Umahi clarified that these claims were inaccurate and that the Ministry had no business relationship with Infoquest Nigeria Ltd. The company involved in the project is Infiouest International Limited, which is fully compliant with all legal requirements and regulations under the Companies and Allied Matters Act. The minister called on Daily Trust to publicly apologise to the Federal Ministry of Works, demanding the apology be published in at least five national dailies for spreading false information. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Umahi also addressed another issue raised in media reports regarding the termination of Julius Berger Plcs contract for a section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road. He explained that the contract was terminated due to the Ministrys insistence on value for money, quality assurance, and best practices in pricing and execution. He noted that the situation was a result of corruption fighting back and urged the public and the media to support the fight against national sabotage by contractors. In his remarks, the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, condemned the inaccurate claims as a deliberate attempt to distract the Ministry and undermine public confidence. He urged the media not to be manipulated by fifth columnists spreading baseless reports. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olufunso Adebiyi, stressed the importance of responsible journalism and urged the media to uphold the truth in their reporting, avoiding becoming tools for negative propaganda. Authorities at Daily Trust have yet to comment on the claims by Minister Umahi and other officials of the works Ministry. The newspapers Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed I. Shekarau, and Editor-in-Chief, Hamza Idris, could not be reached for comments Wednesday morning. Multiple telephone calls to them rang out and were yet to be returned as of the time of publishing this report. NAN Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Saudi Arabia embassy in Abuja has hosted a farewell ceremony for 20 Nigerians selected for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Programme for Umrah 2025. A statement issued by the embassy in Abuja said the ceremony was held under the leadership of Faisal Al-Ghamdi, the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria. It said the initiative highlighted Saudi Arabias commitment to supporting Muslims and fostering spiritual connections through pilgrimage. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme, initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Al Saud, provides Muslims the opportunity to undertake the lesser Hajj with full sponsorship. The statement quoted the ambassador as thanking King Al Saud and the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for their dedication to Islams holy sites. He also praised their exceptional leadership in enhancing the services provided to pilgrims and ensuring that their journey to the sacred sites is both spiritually fulfilling and seamless. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince have prioritised the well-being of pilgrims, viewing it as a sacred duty and an immense honour. 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 Through this programme and other initiatives, Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen bonds of brotherhood among Muslims while ensuring their comfort and safety during their spiritual journey, he said. Mr Al-Ghamdi, according to the statement, said the country had invested over 100 billion dollars in the recent expansion and modernisation of the two holy mosques. According to him, these ambitious projects, encompassing state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced crowd management systems and cutting-edge technology, reflect Saudi Arabias commitment to accommodating the increasing number of pilgrims. He added that Saudi Arabia was sparing no effort in mobilising resources to improve the pilgrimage experience for all Muslims. Mr Al-Ghamdi also emphasised the importance of adhering to the countrys laws and regulations, designed to maintain order and ensure the safety and comfort of all pilgrims. READ ALSO: Nigerian firms shine at sustainability summit in UAE The leadership of Saudi Arabia remains fully committed to serving the guests of God. This is a responsibility we hold dear, and we continuously strive to enhance the spiritual and logistical aspects of the pilgrimage experience, he said. Guests at the occasion expressed appreciation for the opportunity made available through the sponsorship initiative. NAN reports that the programme provides pilgrims with the opportunity to perform the lesser Hajj, covering all costs, including travel, accommodation and other logistics. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha and Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama have met to discuss steps to deepen partnership between the countries, develop defense cooperation, and advance Ukraine's EU and NATO integration. "I was honored to meet with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and inform about the battlefield situation. We discussed steps to deepen our great partnership, develop defense cooperation, and advance Ukraines EU and NATO integration. I am grateful to Albania for its firm support," Sybiha said on the X social network Wednesday. A team of Nigerian scientists has made a significant breakthrough in solving one of the most critical challenges in energy storage technology. Led by Omotayo Salawu, a computational scientist specialising in multi-scale modelling and energy materials, the research team has developed a sophisticated approach to improving lithium-ion battery performance. Other key contributors include Temitayo Ikuerowo, a PhD student in energy engineering, and Olusegun Tomomewo, an assistant professor of energy engineering. Their study, published in the Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics journal, employs advanced computational techniques to enhance the performance and durability of lithium-ion batteries. In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Salawu explained that the collaborative work opens new pathways for developing next-generation energy storage solutions. He noted that these advancements are crucial for emerging technologies such as renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics. Major Findings The research focuses on LiNi0.9Co0.1O2, a material commonly used in battery cathodes. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It revealed that replacing 10% of the materials composition with cobalt enhances lithium mobility and structural stability. The scientists molecular-level investigation uncovered critical mechanisms that have long hindered the optimisation of high-capacity battery materials. Key findings demonstrate a novel strategy for reducing lithium migration barriers and minimising antisite defect formationtwo critical factors that typically degrade battery performance, the statement read in parts. Unlike traditional experimental approaches, this computational method allows researchers to explore material behaviour at an atomic scale, potentially saving years of experimental trial and error. It added that the study represents a quantum leap in materials science, using sophisticated computational techniques to predict and understand material properties with unprecedented precision. Contributions The research team lead further emphasised the research and showcased how computational methods can accelerate materials innovation, offering a blueprint for creating more efficient, stable, and high-capacity batteries that could revolutionise multiple technological sectors. This work represents a significant contribution to our understanding of lithium-ion battery materials, demonstrating the research teams exceptional expertise in advanced computational techniques and innovative problem-solving approaches, he noted. The research not only advances scientific knowledge but also provides a critical framework for future technological developments in energy storage, highlighting the potential of computational modelling to drive technological innovation at the most fundamental level. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 9, Suleiman Yusuf, has warned officers and men of the force, Ebonyi State Command, against extortion. He urged them to maintain a corruption-free work environment. Mr Yusuf gave the warning on Wednesday in Abakaliki during his official visit to the command. Zone 9 comprises Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States. The police chief stressed the importance of promoting a positive image of the force rather than engaging in acts that would tarnish its reputation. He said extortion of civilians by police personnel brings bad image to the force. So be more diligent and professional in your operation. You must know you have your work to do and always do it well, believing your reward will come. 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 While emphasising the importance of responsible social media use among personnel, the AIG urged them to refrain from using social platforms as a channel to air grievances. Instead, maintain a professional online presence and uphold the integrity of the force. This call to action aims to promote a positive image of the police and foster a culture of discipline and responsibility among its ranks. Be disciplined in discharging your duties. Work hand in hand with other security agencies in the efforts to protect lives and property. The AIG commended the personnel for their operation in 2024 and urged them to keep the flag flying. Ebonyi is the least state on crime petition in the zone, he said. Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, Anthonia Uche-Anya, explained that six area commands formed the state command. Shortage of personnel Mrs Uche-Anya listed the area commands as Abakaliki, Onueke, Afikpo, Ohaukwu, Nkalagu, Ohaozara, and the 20 divisions under the state command. She highlighted the prevalent crimes in the state, including murder, cultism, communal clashes, and kidnapping. She said others were rape, boundary disputes, and activities related to the separatist group IPOB. Mrs Uche-Anya, however, said that since her assumption of office in 2024, she had built on existing strategies to address the states security challenges. I visited the 13 Area Councils in the state, engaged with chairpersons and critical stakeholders, and gathered firsthand information about their challenges and effective ways to police their communities. We have successfully addressed various security challenges in the state through stakeholder dialogue. It is important to note that the command faces a shortage of manpower, a common issue affecting the Nigeria Police Force. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your visit, which will undoubtedly boost the morale of the officers in the command. We assure you that we will continue in our efforts to reduce crime to the barest minimum, the commissioner said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has terminated the appointment of a locum radiographer following the death of a patient at the facility. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the radiographer was sacked for negligence of duty. A source, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN on Wednesday in Calabar that the worker was dismissed over failure to provide the key to the emergency X-ray room. The deceased was rushed to the hospital last night and was immediately examined by the emergency team. When they were done with their job, they invited the radiographer to examine the patient lungs at the emergency X-ray room but he could not find the key to the room. After several hours, the patient went into a coma and subsequently died. The sad story is that the dismissed radiographer could not provide any explanation on the X-ray room key. 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 NAN reports that a few hours after the patient died, the hospital management terminated the appointment of the locum radiographer through a letter dated 22 January. In the letter signed by the hospital director of administration, Maria Bassey, no reason was given for the termination of the appointment, though sources were confident that it was connected to the patients death. The letter reads, This is to inform you that your services in the UCTH as a radiographer are no longer required. Consequently, your appointment is hereby terminated with immediate effect. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Oil driller Oando won the bid to operate an oil block in Angola, according to statement by the company on Wednesday, marking its entry into Africas second biggest oil producing nation. Its upstream arm Oando Energy Resources was awarded the operatorship to run the block in Onshore Kwanza Basin after a bidding process arranged by the Angolan National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels, the filing said. Oando is listed on the Nigerian Exchange in Lagos, with a secondary listing in Johannesburg. The company is on a drive to ramp up capacity, which led in August to the full acquisition of Enis local unit, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, for $783 million. The transaction raised Oandos current participating interests in OMLs 60, 61, 62, and 63 from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, helping buck up the energy providers total reserves by 98 per cent. Oil-rich Kwanza Onshore Basin offers substantial exploration potential in both pre-salt and post-salt plays, Oando stated. The estimated prospective resources of the basin range from 770 million to 1.1 billion barrels of crude. 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 Oando will hold a 45 per cent participating interest in the block, and lead its development as operator. Other companies in the joint venture are Effimax with a 30 per cent interest and Sonangol with a 15 per cent holding. This development underscores Oandos relentless commitment to expanding our footprint across Africa and contributing to the continents energy sufficiency goal, said CEO Wale Tinubu. I am confident in our ability to leverage our expertise to develop and maximise the value of this asset, he added. Oando Energy Resources holds interest in fourteen oil and gas assets spanning exploration, development and production onshore and offshore in Nigeria as well as in Sao Tome and Principe. Oando reported a 30.8 per cent slide in net profit to N76.3 billion in the nine months to September. Its revenue for the period surged 35.8 per cent to N3.2 trillion, according to its earnings report. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Despite persistent funding challenges in Nigerias tertiary education sector, the federal government has approved the establishment of a new federal polytechnic in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced in a letter to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, that the new institution would be named after President Bola Tinubu and sited in Gwarinpa, Abuja. Mr Alausa requested that Mr Wike suggest a suitable location for the polytechnics temporary and permanent sites to facilitate its commencement. The letter reads in part: In addition, the technical team from the Federal Ministry of Education and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) would be visiting the sites to review and inspect the recommended locations, and based on the report presented by the team, the approval will be given. Perhaps I should add that the Ministry, at this point, encourages takeover of existing Tertiary institutions if the Minister wishes. Funding challenges Nigerian tertiary institutions, including polytechnics, have suffered years of underfunding by the government, often pitting workers unions against the government. For over a decade, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have embarked on strikes seeking better pay for their members. These industrial actions have repeatedly disrupted academic calendars and affected students, making expensive private tertiary institutions more appealing ASUP is yet to resolve some of its issues with the Nigerian government, which include the non-release of the second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention funds, non-review of the schemes of service for polytechnics and non-conclusion of the FGN/ASUP 2010 agreement renegotiation process, which covers pay for polytechnic lecturers. 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 Declining interest in polytechnic education Meanwhile, polytechnic education in Nigeria appears to be declining as a larger percentage of applicants to Nigerian tertiary institutions shun them for universities, according to applications from the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), which coordinates the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). In 2023, for instance, over 90 per cent of candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions opted for universities, leaving less than 10 per cent vying for a place in polytechnics and colleges of education. In recent years, state governments have also converted some of the polytechnics in their domains to universities. The Lagos State Government, for instance, upgraded the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) to the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH). The Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, has also been upgraded to the Delta State University of Science and Technology. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print US President Donald Trump had said he would be open to Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), acquiring TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government. Mr Trump said this at the White House on Tuesday. I would be (open to it) if he wanted to buy it, the new president said when asked if he was open to Mr Musk buying the video-sharing app. He also indicated his support for a potential acquisition by Larry Ellison, chairman of Oracle Corporation, a multinational tech company. I have the right to make a deal, Mr Trump said. So what Im thinking about saying to somebody is buy it and give half to the United States of America, half, and well give you the permit, and theyll have a great partner. Mr Trump had earlier signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law requiring the platforms sale or ban. In 2024, the US Congress passed a legislation signed by President Joe Biden, which mandated TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations to an approved buyer within nine months. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The law prohibits internet hosting services and mobile app marketplaces from offering TikTok to American users. However, Mr Trump has said that during the extension, the US will not enforce the law. Last week, TikTok suspended and restored its services to users in the United States within 15 hours. This was barely two days after the US Supreme Courts ruling upheld the law forcing ByteDance to sell. The social media platform, which cut off access for about 170 million users nationwide, attributed its return to President-elect Donald Trumps move to save the app by delaying the bans enforcement. In its welcome notification sent to users in the country, TikTok said, Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trumps efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have abducted a medical doctor in Anambra State, Nigerias South-east. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the victim, Cornelius Onuigbo, was abducted on Tuesday evening at the gate of his residence in Nnewi Area of the state. Mr Onuigbo, a urologist, works in the Department of Surgery at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi. Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen ambushed the medical doctor with their vehicle, forced him into it, and zoomed off. The doctor was coming back from work when the kidnappers stopped him and forced him into their car and drove off, one source, who asked not to be named, said. An official of the teaching hospital told this newspaper that the management had been notified of the attack. As an institution, we have been officially notified about the kidnap. We are trying our best, the official, who asked not to be named, said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Police speak When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said police operatives had been mobilised to track down the abductors and rescue the victim. The commissioner, CP Obono Itam, has given orders for this, and men of the command are currently at work, he said. Increased attacks Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. The latest attack occurred days after the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, launched a new security outfit, Agunechemba, and a security operation to tackle insecurity in the state. Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks. IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of a former deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, has been released from the UK prison. A former aide to Mr Ekweremadu confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday. Mr Ekweremadu, his wife, and a doctor were convicted of organ trafficking by a UK court in March 2023. After a six-week trial at the Old Bailey, they were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation. While Mr Ekweremadu was later sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, his wife bagged four years and six months jail term. Release from UK prison Yes. Shes released now. She is currently in Nigeria, the former aide, who asked not to be named, said. Going by the pronouncement of the UK court, Beatrice has not completed her jail term which was four years and six months. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It is unclear for now if she was granted pardon in the European country. I dont have that information. But shes out means shes out finally. She will not go back to the UK, the former aide said. Details later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD- FCTA) has commenced a three-day warning strike over unpaid salaries, allowances, and other demands. The strike has disrupted activities in government hospitals in Abuja. The President of ARD-FCTA, George Ebong, announced the commencement of the strike during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. Mr Ebong decried the neglect of hospitals and doctors welfare in the nations capital. He noted that doctors in Abuja have become abandoned projects, calling on the Minister of FCT, Nyesome Wike, to intervene to avoid an indefinite shutdown of hospital activities. He explained that the strike stemmed from a congress decision held on Tuesday, where the association expressed dissatisfaction with the governments failure to meet previously agreed- upon demands, despite multiple dialogues. The three-day strike is being implemented across all government hospitals in Abuja. From Wuse to Asokoro, Maitama, Kubwa, Zuba, Kwali, Abaji, and Nyanya, and other hospitals in Abuja, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said the association gave the government an ultimatum to meet its demands, after which they met and dialogued on several occasions. He, however, said nothing has been done, not even the minimum thing. The resident doctors comprise the bulk of medical personnel in Nigerias tertiary hospitals; hence health activities are mostly crippled when they are on strike. Key grievances Among other unresolved issues is the six months of unpaid arrears for doctors. We expected them to pay for the six months of unpaid arrears to doctors. Honestly, doctors have been abandoned projects, he said. Mr Ebong said the promises made on accoutrement allowance has not been fulfilled. This allowance, meant for the tools we use daily to serve Nigerians, has also been delayed indefinitely. Management assured us this money can be paid, but to date, nothing has been done, he said. He explained that these broken promises make it harder for doctors to trust the system. The associations president added that doctors who have been promoted are still receiving salaries based on their previous positions, despite having assumed more responsibilities for years. Imagine passing a promotion exam years ago, in our case 2-5 years, taking on the responsibilities of your new role, but still being paid for your old position, he said. This is our reality. Doctors who have earned the title of consultant are still treated as senior registrars, with no formal recognition or financial benefits. It is a slap in the face to our hard work and commitment. He also highlighted the unmet promise of increased hazard allowances, which were approved following the increased risks of diseases like COVID-19 and Lassa fever. He said the doctors in FCT are still owed 13 months of arrears. Mr Ebong noted that if nothing is done regarding the doctors demands after the three-day strike, they will conduct an appraisal. If nothing is done, we will go on an indefinite strike. We want the Minister of FCT to solve this problems to avert an indefinite shutdown of the hospitals in Abuja, he said. Read the full communique: ARD FCTA EMBARKS ON 3-DAY WARNING STRIKEA CALL FOR URGENT ACTION* Good day, ladies and gentlemen of the press, We stand here today, not with joy but with heavy hearts. We, the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD FCTA), have been left with no other choice but to embark on a three-day warning strike. This decision was not made lightly. It comes after countless meetingsformal and informalwith those in positions to resolve these issues. Despite our efforts, these problems remain unresolved, forcing us into this position to draw attention to the plight of doctors and, ultimately, the Nigerian healthcare system. Our story is one of perseverance amidst hardship, but there is only so much one can bear. Unpaid Salaries (16 Months): A Breach of Trust It is painful and deeply disheartening that in the capital city of Nigeria, the heartbeat of our nation, doctors are being owed salaries for up to six months. Think about that. Six months of working tirelessly, day and night, with no pay. Many of our colleagues have resigned, not because they want to leave, but because theyve been pushed to their limits. Theyve left for other countries, seeking dignity and survival. We are already struggling with a manpower shortageone doctor is often forced to do the work of five. Yet, instead of easing our burden, the system keeps pushing us to the brink. Those who remain are mocked for staying. But how can we stay when we cant afford rent, school fees, or even food? Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF): A Right, Not a Favour The MRTF is meant to assist resident doctors with the enormous cost of professional exams, which can run into millions of naira. Yet, here in the FCT, we are still struggling to receive the fund for 2024, while other centres are already preparing to receive their 2025 allocation. This fund is not a luxuryit is a necessity that helps doctors improve their skills for the benefit of their patients. When will we stop treating basic entitlements like privileges? Accoutrement Allowance: Promises Unfulfilled This allowance, meant for the tools we use daily to serve Nigerians, has also been delayed indefinitely. Management assured us this money can be paid, but to date, nothing has been done. These broken promises make it harder for us to trust the system. Conversion: Denying Our Worth Imagine passing a promotion exam years ago, in our case 2-5 years, taking on the responsibilities of your new role, but still being paid for your old position. This is our reality. Doctors who have earned the title of consultant are still treated as senior registrars, with no formal recognition or financial benefits. It is a slap in the face to our hard work and commitment. How do we encourage doctors to stay and train in Nigeria under such conditions? Is it any wonder that so many are leaving for countries where their skills are valued? Unpaid Hazard Allowance: Neglecting Our Sacrifice Since 2021, there was an increase in our hazard allowancean increase approved due to the high risks we face daily. From COVID-19 to Lassa fever, we work on the frontlines, often at great personal risk. Yet, here in the FCT, we are still owed 13 months of arrears. Is this how we show gratitude to those who put their lives on the line? Manpower Shortage: A Recipe for Disaster Doctors are leaving Nigeria in droves, and yet no effort is being made to replace them. This has left the rest of us overworked, burnt out, and struggling to keep the system afloat. We are losing colleagues to stress and exhaustion. We cant continue like this. Replacing doctors as they leave is the bare minimum. Without urgent action, our healthcare system will collapse. THE TRUE STATE OF OUR HOSPITALS AND WHY WE CANT CONTINUE THIS WAY: We have the skills, knowledge, and dedication to deliver excellent healthcare. We have some of the best-trained brains in the medical field. But the truth is, we are working under conditions that are nothing short of appalling. Hospitals in Decay, Working With Outdated Equipment Our hospitals are struggling to function with equipment that should be in museums, not in operating rooms. Many of the tools we use were purchased decades agosome from when I was still in my mothers womb. Theyve seen no updates, no replacements, and minimal maintenance. Doctors have now become technicians. We spend as much time fixing broken operating tables and machines as we do saving lives. Oil is constantly applied to squeaky operating tables to keep them functional. Our theatres are held together by improvisation. Our wards are even worse off, with no BP apparatus, not even little things like thermometers or weighing scales, not to mention ventilators and the like. This is the Federal Capital Territory, yet our hospitals lack basic amenities. Equipment fails mid-procedure, jeopardising lives. How can we offer modern healthcare with tools that belong to a bygone era? Overcrowding and Burnout: A Recipe for Disaster Hospitals built to handle 50 beds are now forced to accommodate hundreds of patients daily. Imagine a facility seeing over 5,000 patients a month, performing more than 100 Caesarean sections monthly, with just one consultant and two to three medical officers in the department. This is beyond capacity, yet doctors are expected to keep pushing. The system is stretched thin, and so are we. When there are no beds, no power for surgeries, no consumables, and no drugs in the pharmacy, patients understandably grow frustrated. But the blame unfairly falls on doctors when it is the governments failure to provide these essentials. Hospitals Without Water: A National Embarrassment Perhaps one of the most shameful realities is that some hospitals in the heart of Abujathe seat of powerhave gone months without water. Yes, you heard that correctly: no water to clean operating rooms, wash hands, or even flush toilets. Members of our association have shared heartbreaking stories of being forced to defecate or urinate in isolated areas of the hospital because there was no other option. This is not just humiliatingit is a public health hazard. How do we protect ourselves and our patients from deadly diseases when we cannot access something as basic as water? Doctors Carrying the Burden of a Broken System Despite these horrendous conditions, we show up every day to do our best. We work long hours, sacrificing our own health and well-being, only to face criticism and blame for systemic failures. When we tell patients theres no bed, no equipment, or no drugs, the response we often hear is, Doctors are wicked. But let me ask: are we the ones who should be providing beds, light, consumables, and medications? Or is it the governments responsibility? The Toll on Our Mental and Physical Health Doctors are humans too. We are tired, burnt out, and demoralised. We work in an environment where the odds are stacked against us, and no one seems to care. We cannot continue like this. A Call for Urgent Action We are striking because we have no other choice. This is not just about salaries or allowancesit is about ensuring that our hospitals can function, that we can work with dignity, and that patients can receive the care they deserve. We Are Not Fighting for Luxuries, but Survival Many believe doctors are always demanding money, but this is not about greedits about survival. No Nigerian can go six months without pay. No professional should work 36-72 hour shifts without rest because there are no replacements. Doctors are human too. We face the same struggles as every Nigerianrising costs of living, school fees, and basic family needs. How can we care for others when we are unable to care for ourselves? A Plea to Nigerians We are not the enemy. This fight is for all of us. A broken healthcare system affects everyone. Before asking us to consider the poor masses, we ask you to consider that we are also part of the poor masses. Our hope is that this warning strike will force the authorities to act. We cannot continue to suffer and smile. To the public, we plead for your understanding and support. To the government, we demand urgent action. The time to act is now, before it is too late. Nigerians deserve better. Doctors deserve better. Thank you. Dr. George Ebong President, ARD FCTA Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Panama has filed a formal complaint with the United Nations regarding US President Donald Trumps worrying threat to take control of the Panama Canal. According to the New York Times, the Panamanian government asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to refer the matter to the UN Security Council in a letter dated Monday, 20 January. The Central American country said it never broke the 1999 agreement and did not hand over control of the canal to China as Donald Trump has claimed. Months before his inauguration, President Trump began declaring his intention to reassert US control over the Panama Canal. He accused Panama of violating commitments made during the final transfer of the strategic waterway in 1999 and also handing over its operations to China. In his inaugural address, Mr Trump reaffirmed this stance, invoking the 19th-century expansionist doctrine of Manifest Destiny as he outlined plans for reclaiming strategic assets and advancing space exploration. We didnt give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and were taking it back, Mr Trump said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Panamas President, however, has said that the country has administered the canal responsibly for world trade, including for the US. President Mulino said on behalf of his country and people, I must reject in its entirety the words expressed by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its Canal in his inaugural address. The canal is and will continue to be Panamas, he was quoted as saying. He also stated that the canal was not a gift from the United States as it originally belonged to Panama. Meanwhile, Panamas Comptrollers Office, which oversees public institutions, announced plans to launch a comprehensive audit of the Panama Canals operations. The audit aims to ensure the efficient and transparent management of public resources by the Panama Ports Company. According to the office, the review will assess whether the company is adhering to its concession agreements, including proper income reporting, payments, and contributions to the state. The Panama Canal is a waterway that allows ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without navigating the southern tip of South America. It is located in central Panama, cutting through the Panama Isthmus, a narrow landmass connecting North and South America. The canal is Panamas primary source of revenue, generating billions of dollars annually through tolls paid by ships passing through. This income supports the countrys economy and public spending. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Photo: https://x.com/MinPres Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday to reaffirm his support. "Russia's horrific war of aggression against Ukraine has now been raging for almost three years, and every day it continues is one day too many. Russia must not be allowed to win this war. At WEF25 I reaffirmed my promise to President Zelenskyy that Ukraine can continue to count on the Netherlands for political, military, financial and moral support, for as long as it takes," Schoof said on the X social network. "Ukraine must be able to emerge from this war in the strongest position possible. The most important principle in this regard is 'Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine'," he added. Nigerias electoral commission, INEC, has fixed Saturday, 21 February 2026, for the next council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The commissions chairperson, Mahmood Yakubu, announced the date during a meeting with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Abuja on Wednesday. Mr Yakubu also announced the timeline of activities leading to the election. The FCT has six area council chairpersons and 62 councillors. INEC conducts its elections unlike those in the 36 states, which the state election commissions conduct. Mr Yakubu, a professor, added that the commission would publish the notice of election next month. Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 requires the Commission to issue the notice for elections not later than 360 days before the date of the election, he said. This applies to the General as well as off-cycle elections. As you are aware, the Commission is responsible for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the only part of the country where INEC conducts local government election, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The INEC chairperson explained that the last council election held in the FCT was held on 12 February 2022, meaning the tenure of the current chairpersons of the six councils ends next year. Consequently, the Commission has approved that the 2026 Area Council election in FCT will hold on Saturday 21st February 2026. Voting will take place in all the designated Polling Units across the 68 constituencies to elect the six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councilors, he added. Timeline of activities Mr Yakubu said primary elections by political parties will be held from 9 30 June while the candidate nomination portal will open from 9.00 a.m. on 21 July to 6.00 p.m. on 11 August. He said the final list of candidates will be published on 22 September. He added that public campaigns by political parties will commence on 24 September and end at midnight on Thursday, 19 February 2026. In compliance with the mandatory legal requirements, the notice for the election will be published next month, i.e. 26th February 2025, he added. The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election as well as the list of constituencies and type of elections in the FCT will be uploaded to our website before the end of this meeting, Mr Yakubu stated. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigeria has recorded 143 confirmed cases and 22 deaths from Lassa fever across seven states between 30 December 2024 and 12 January. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in its latest situation report published on its website. According to NCDC, one healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week two, during which new confirmed cases increased from 54 in week one of 2025 to 89. Annual Lassa fever outbreaks often involve infections and fatalities among healthcare workers. In 2024, NCDC data indicated that 35 healthcare workers were affected by the disease. More details The NCDC noted that the cumulative deaths recorded represent a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 15.4 per cent, lower than the CFR of 16.4 per cent for the same period in 2024. The report revealed that the disease predominantly affects individuals aged 21 to 30. It also noted a decrease in the number of suspected cases compared to the same period in 2024. The report stated that seven states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 32 Local Government Areas (LGAs) 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 The states affected are Ondo, Edo, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Kogi, and Ebonyi. Data also shows that 77 per cent of all the confirmed cases were reported from three states: Ondo, Edo and Bauchi, while 23 per cent were reported from four states with confirmed cases. Of all the 77 per cent of the confirmed cases, Ondo accounted for 38 per cent, Edo, 22 per cent and Bauchi, 17 per cent. Response, challenges The NCDC noted that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral incident Management System has been activated to coordinate response at all levels at the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC). It highlighted some of its challenges in the fight against Lassa fever, which include late presentation of cases leading to increased CFR and poor health-seeking behaviour. Others are poor environmental sanitation conditions and poor awareness observed in high-burden communities. About Lassa Fever Hemorrhagic viral disease, commonly known as Lassa fever, is transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated food or household items that are infected or even direct contact with its patient. Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and, in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print There was outrage on Tuesday when a Nigerian man allegedly set his wife ablaze in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria. The man, simply identified as Mr Nwanna, was said to have accused the victim, Chioma Nwanna, of infidelity. The incident happened in Abagana, a community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state. How it happened Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that an intense argument ensued between the couple when the suspect accused the victim of cheating. The man went inside, brought a gallon of fuel (petrol) and, poured it on the wife and set her ablaze, a neighbour who identified herself as Chika said. Mrs Nwanna, the victim, was quickly rushed to hospital for treatment. Police speak The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a short message forwarded to reporters that the victim later died on Wednesday morning. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We are aware of the matter, but it is sad to announce to you that the woman just died this morning while receiving medical attention, Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said Wednesday morning. Her husband has been arrested, and investigation has commenced, the spokesperson added. Anambra govt wades in Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra State, Ify Obinabo, visited the victims family on Wednesday. Mrs Obinabo, in a video clip uploaded on her ministrys Facebook page on Wednesday, said Mr Nwanna had attempted to stab the victim with a bottle in the past but failed. This time, he waited until the children had gone to school to set the woman ablaze. She died around 3 a.m. this morning, she said in a mixture of Igbo and English languages. The commissioner said the victim had five boys for the husband and that the state government would assist in training the children. She vowed that the suspect would be prosecuted for his actions. Evil spirit possessed me, suspect The suspect, in another video uploaded on Facebook, claimed that the victim often left without informing him and usually came home late in the night. Mr Nwanna claimed that, after setting the wife ablaze out of anger, he tried unsuccessfully to quench it with water. This was out of anger. I dont know when I did it. In fact, there was a spirit that entered into me (and forced me to set her ablaze), he said. I feel so bad that I killed her because I loved her so much, he claimed. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has celebrated Kayode Adewale, a mathematics teacher shortlisted among the top 50 finalists for the prestigious Global Teacher Prize, with significant rewards and recognition. The governor appointed Mr Adewale as the states education ambassador and rewarded him with a N5 million cash prize alongside a bungalow in his preferred location within the state. The governor announced the reward in a statement shared on his X handle. To commemorate this achievement, we will provide him with a bungalow in any part of Ogun State of his choice. Additionally, we will support him with a cash prize of N5,000,000 to further inspire his outstanding work in education, he said. Together, we celebrate Kayode Adewale, a shining light and an inspiration to educators across Ogun State and beyond. Mr Abiodun described the mathematics teacher as a visionary educator who has made extraordinary contributions to transforming lives and communities through education. He praised Mr Adewales dedication, describing his journey as a trajectory built on hard work, dedication, focus and a commitment to excellence. 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 As a state that prides itself on being the education capital of Nigeria, we are immensely proud to celebrate one of our own, a visionary educator who has earned a place among the Top 50 teachers globally in the prestigious Global Teacher Prize, the statement reads in part. From winning the Best Teacher Award in Ogun State in 2020 to this global recognition in 2025, he has exemplified what it means to serve selflessly and resourcefully. His humility and unwavering dedication to uplifting his community through education are truly commendable. Global Teacher Prize PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Adewale, a mathematics teacher at Imagbon/Imaka Comprehensive High School, was recognised for his innovative teaching methods, which include using local languages like Yoruba and Hausa to simplify mathematics concepts for students from low-income families. The Global Teacher Prize, organised by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), celebrates exceptional teachers making transformative impacts in education and their communities. The Prize, now in its 11th edition, offers a $1 million reward to the overall winner and aims to highlight the value of educators worldwide in shaping equitable and sustainable societies. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation has threatened to withhold approval of the allocation to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development unless provisions are made for the N36 billion owed to former workers of the defunct Nigerian Airways. The lawmakers made the resolution when the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Kenyamo, appeared before them to defend his ministrys allocation in the budget. Established in August 1958, the Nigerian Airways was the nations carrier until it ceased operations in 2003 due to issues like mismanagement and accumulated debts. At its peak, the airline operated over 30 aircraft and employed hundreds of people. In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari, approved N22 billion as part payment of the N45 billion owed to the former employees. Despite this, a balance of N36 billion remains unpaid, leading to financial hardships and in some cases, the former aviation workers died while awaiting their entitlements. During the budget defence session, the lawmakers called on the federal government to consider the payment of entitlements to the ex-workers of the defunct national carrier. 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 Niger South Senator, Jiya Ndalikali, called the attention of the government to the non-payment of entitlements to ex-workers of the airline, many of whom have died or are currently battling financial hardship and ill health. Mr Ndalikali, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emphasised that justice must be done for those who dedicated their lives to serving the nations aviation sector. There is an issue that is not in your budget, which is very key and critical. The defunct Nigerian airways. There is a liability of N36 billion being owed. Some have died, many are sick and dying. Yet, the government is refusing to pay them. I think something should be done on that, the senator said. Mr Ndalikali requested the committee to ensure that provisions for the outstanding salaries are included in the 2025 budget of the aviation ministry before it is approved. This budget should not pass without those people being provided for, the senator demanded. Finance ministry responsible In response, Mr Kenyamo acknowledged the outstanding liability and confirmed that the ministry had consistently pursued its settlement. He explained that under the previous administration, discussions were held between aviation sector unions and the government which resulted in an official agreement that N36 billion was due to the workers. He stated that President Bola Tinubu had transferred burden of the payment from the ministry of aviation to the ministry of finance. Under the last administration, both the unions and the ministry sat down and arrived at that figure, about N36 billion. However, there was a presidential directive for the ministry of finance to take over the payment of the liability from the ministry of aviation, because it would have been too much on the envelope of the ministry of aviation. The payment is domiciled in the ministry of finance he said. Mr Kenyamo said he constantly sends reminder to the minister of finance for the payment through letters and official visitations. We have written several letters. We went there to visit, to press for payment. Myself and the union leaders, to show our transparency. I went there with the union leaders in November to meet the minister. They were all satisfied with our efforts. All the union leaders, the joint union aviation leaders, we went there, we appealed to him. He said he is working hard on it. That was in November, just two months ago, sir, the minister said. READ ALSO: Senate panel urges Tinubu to consider conducting census in 2025 Zamfara North Senator, Sahabi Yau, questioned the finance ministers failure to release the outstanding payment to the former aviation workers. Mr Yau emphasised that some of the former employees are in dire need, while others have already died without receiving their rightful entitlements There was still an approval. You cannot say that he doesnt have N36 billion. Some of these people are yearning for what to eat. Some are no more. Please, lets be sympathetic to ourselves, he stated. One week ultimatum The Chairperson of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation, Abdulfatai Buhari, gave the minister of aviation one week to address lawmakers concerns regarding the outstanding payments owed to former aviation workers and other issues on ongoing projects in the ministry before the final budget will be considered. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On Wednesday, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Steel Development raised concerns about the handling of an N2 billion project earmarked for youth training in metal works by the Federal Ministry of Steel Development. The committee raised the concern when the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, appeared before it to defend the ministrys allocation in the 2025 Budget. During the session, the committee members sought to know why the project, which initially appeared in the 2024 budget as Technical Support for SMEs for Training Around Foundry Production in Three Geopolitical Zones, was advertised as Youth Boot Camp Training. The lawmakers expressed worries about the change, arguing that the misrepresentation could be perceived as financial misappropriation. Budget discrepancy raises red flags Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Steel Development, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, asked why a youth training initiative was rebranded in the budget under technical SME support. Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi Central senator, warned that the inconsistency of the project could attract the attention of anti-corruption agencies. Let me note this now. This is already a public record. So, just imagine if anyone here has access to this information, which Im sure they do, and decides to write a petition to EFCC, you and your team could be arrested for this. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I hope you understand because what this means is that you are carrying out an exercise that is not contained in the budget and that leads to misappropriation of funds. I hope you understand because what should have happened is that there should have been a corrigendum and we are giving you a chance, she said. The senator advised the minister to take corrective action before anti-graft agencies come after him. You did say that even though you budgeted N2 billion, you have only had a release of N1.6 billion, but no kobo has been spent out of it yet. So, we are just advising you so that you will not have EFCC running after your necks. You should actually go back to the drawing board and take it that the funds you have spent conducting the little exercise which is an advertisement with the wrong advertisement should be corrected, she said. Demand for immediate correction On her part, Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Steel Development, Zainab Gimba, warned the permanent secretary of the ministry about the inconsistency before the meeting. Mrs Gimba, who represents the Bama/Ngala/Kala Balge federal constituency of Borno State, said the National Assembly was not looking to trap the ministry in a mistake but rather to ensure that due process was followed. Maybe in the procedure there are things that are not done. We are not here in the National Assembly to wait for you to make mistakes and then we say you have done wrong. But it is in the procedure. If I want, I can keep quiet. After doing the whole thing, executing it, I can say you are wrong and then you cannot reverse it. But I feel that I cannot leave the wrong thing to be done. We can still correct it. Thats why we insist, Honourable Minister, you correct that, she said. Ministry pleads for procurement process to continue In defence, Mr Audu informed the committee that the procurement process for the training programme was already at an advanced stage and had been uploaded for execution. The minister appealed for permission to proceed with the project under its current framework. However, the lawmakers rejected this plea and directed the minister to return the project to the appropriate agency under the ministry for proper implementation. They further insisted that all similar projects in the 2025 budget be correctly allocated to their respective agencies to prevent future discrepancies. With the committees directive, the ministry is now under pressure to revise the project description and ensure it aligns with its budget allocation. Lawmakers are expected to continue their oversight to ensure compliance, but failure to make the necessary adjustments could result in further scrutiny from anti-corruption agencies. The committee had earlier uncovered some fraudulent activities in the ministry with claims that there was no evidence of the implementation of several supposedly awarded and funded projects. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The reelection of Donald Trump and his return to the White House on 20 January have spurred debates regarding the consequences this new chapter in the leadership of the United States could have for the state of international relations. Although many analysts are focused on how this change in power would affect trade, security, and environmental policies in the United States, there is also a parallel discussion on the effects on developing continents like Africa. Not surprisingly, officials, academics, and global strategists from many African nations are beginning to examine how a Trump-led new government might either reinterpret long-standing ties, challenge diplomatic norms, or bring fresh accords that redefine present inter-relations. Trumps first term, marked by a foreign policy favouring bilateral treaties over multilateral ones, has already caused cautious expectations among African leaders to be aroused. For decades, many African nations have been fostering a range of security and economic ties to the United States, with many of these alliances undergoing recalibrations that did not always benefit the continent. Trumps one-sided view of trade, framed by the America First notion, deviates from his predecessors traditional approach. African governments have aggressively sought various foreign partners over the past decade to increase the range of commercial and financial investment portfolios. China, Russia, Turkey, and the European Union are among the significant forces leaving their traces over the continent. This broad spectrum of interests has contributed to a crowded field where African states engage in diplomatic balancing acts sometimes using rivalry among international powers to secure favourable agreements. Following Donald Trumps victory, there has been a lot of speculation on how the US government would either choose to intensify its rivalry with China in African nations or pursue selective cooperation to help offset Beijings influence. The uniquely personal approach of the Trump administration, where public comments might overnight alter the tone of a relationship, accentuated this sense of unease. Africans who follow US politics recall remarks referring to various countries on the continent in less than favorable terms that sparked general indignation and questions about whether such rhetoric foretold a more general policy move away from previously friendly connections. Critics claimed it was ready to give more obvious headline issues elsewhere top priority over African challenges. Some African officials responded by deciding to increase their interactions with other partners. China invests significantly in African infrastructure and resource extraction and has been the most apparent gainer of this recalibration. Russia also became more visible, particularly in arms purchases and security training; Turkey and the Gulf countries expanded their commercial presence in specific areas. Analysts hope for consistency in that inclination for one-on-one deals over broad multilateral commitments as the Trump White House prepares to retake the front stage. Initially low on Trumps agenda, the African Growth and Opportunity Act which provides duty-free access for a range of goods is under increasing debate among experts about whether it might be subjected to fresh scrutiny or even a significant overhaul forcing African nations to renegotiate on more reciprocal terms. Few would dispute that such conversations might be intimidating for smaller nations lacking the same negotiating power as more developed governments. Simultaneously, nations with more substantial industrial and resource bases could use this climate to draw attention and investment, hoping to find deals granting them privileged access to American markets. These debates generally centre on how Washington may compromise between lowering its overseas obligations and meeting its desire to compete with China. Although Sino-American competition is now a theater for Africa, Trumps approach thus far has been to attack Beijing more directly rather than devoting significant funds to match Chinese investments in freeways, train lines, or industrial parks throughout the continent. Under Trump, Washington would choose focused projects that support specific American economic or security goals instead of massive infrastructure schemes, maybe emphasising strategic minerals, oil reserves, or technologically driven sectors. African countries that find those industries needing finance, knowledge, or technology support can profit from this strategy. Still, whether the second Trump government will seek to create more appealing frameworks for African growth or try to limit Chinese entry is unclear. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The field of security cooperation generates particularly strong conjecture. While openly expressing an intention to lower the total military presence worldwide, the Pentagon did retain or even increase some operations against terrorist organizations like al-Shabaab in Somalia during Trumps previous term. Increased drone strikes and special operations in various conflict areas sparked discussions on whether such tactics enhanced long-term stability or only served to limit threats for a given period. Though experts advise a closer mix of economic and humanitarian aid to solve the underlying causes of extremism, observers predict that the trend will continue. Some African leaders worry that a laser focus on military action could eclipse important initiatives aiming at social services, government reforms, and young employment. In the middle of this global emphasis, several analysts advise African countries to create a collective strategy that clearly and succinctly outlines their objectives for the next four years and sets their priorities. Depending on the situation, this could mean improving already-existing treaties or rewriting them under fresh conditions needing more African negotiator involvement. Establishing closer cooperation with colleagues from non-Western nations could also help guard against the volatility emanating from Washington. Should the second term of President Trump go in unexpected directions or impose policies on trade and aid that African governments find objectionable, this kind of preparedness could help offer a margin of stability. Critics warn that depending too much on ad hoc solutions would expose African governments to abrupt policy changes or budgetary constraints. Besides, many African analysts believe that a Trump-led White House might inspire Africa to engage in more coordinated initiatives on issues including continental free trade, intra-African tourism, and industrial policy cooperation. These people believe that if African countries see a decline in funding or an unclear commitment from the United States government, it might encourage a stronger push towards self-sufficiency and a stronger integration of the continent. Though the African Union has been pushing for such objectives for a reasonable time, there have been cases when real growth lags behind the rhetoric. Competing national interests, a restricted budget, and ongoing conflicts between neighboring nations have all contributed to this. Still, some believe that a resurrected Trump government known for its unpredictable behaviour and limited approach to involvement would ironically give African leaders the shock they need to express themselves more firmly in their quest for unification. They argue that a more unified Africa would give the continent a stronger voice in international debates and shield it from the outside shocks that could arise whenever a dominant partner changes its course of action or withdraws some advantages. Those focusing on economic alliances believe Africa is at a crossroads. Rapid urbanization, a rising young population, and untapped innovation ecosystems throughout the continent present rich ground for investment in various industries, from technology enterprises to agribusiness. American-based companies have occasionally shown a will to seize these possibilities, especially in countries that have invested in dependable broadband infrastructure and offer legal frameworks supporting global collaboration. The Trump administrations attitude toward lowering foreign aid and emphasizing financial returns over broad-based development may cause investors to prioritize profitable sectors like mining or oil over essential investments in education or healthcare. Critics of such a selective approach worry that it could lead to temporary economic bubbles, mainly benefiting a tiny number of elites while leaving normal people behind. Some critics warn about this danger here. Conversely, many people think that Trumps inclination for haggling over large sums of money could inspire him to search for high-impact initiatives with quick access to clear benefits. Under the former government, President Trump sought symbolic achievements he could support as proof of effective negotiations on a sporadic basis. If there is an apparent political or financial gain, this approach could match Africas significant resources and the appeal of modernizing initiatives. Conversely, people worry that with local businesses playing a secondary role, these agreements might be significantly biased to benefit American companies. Under this situation, many experts are reminded of a time when African countries had to adopt development targets determined by donors and often made significant concessions in return for projects involving industry or infrastructure. There is hope that as African nations keep growing and enhancing their strategic planning, they will become more aggressive and search for alliances with generally positive effects. Utilizing the development of jobs, the dissemination of technology, or the application of local content requirements guaranteeing genuine involvement from African firms, they could try to acquire community buy-in. Beyond these more general policy issues, the African diaspora in the United States has become a powerful economic and cultural link influencing African impressions of American political events. Diaspora groups engage in local businesses, send billions of dollars in remittances to their own countries, and frequently travel back and forth to foster economic relations and entrepreneurial activity. Should Trumps immigration posture tighten, African professionals or students may find it more difficult to sustain these flows, and that disturbance might reverberate throughout fields like healthcare to education. However, if history is anything to go by, the diaspora has shown resiliency despite tight visa policies and has found other paths to stay actively involved with hometowns. Whether the incoming government will recognize the increasing impact of the diaspora or carry on measures some believe to be obstacles to complete integration is yet unknown. In popular culture, Africas deep ties with the United States have created a vibrant exchange of music, film, and digital content. Afro-beat has found devoted fans worldwide, including in American cities. Hollywood, for its part, has begun paying more attention to African audiences and themes. This cultural interplay does not halt when a new president takes office, though it can shift. Creative collaboration may slow if visa restrictions tighten or specific cultural exchange programs lose official support. Yet social media platforms have proven immensely effective in bridging gaps, allowing African creators to reach American fans without extensive institutional backing. As a result, cultural links often flourish despite political differences, and everyday people continue to forge relationships that bypass formal channels. Those who see international diplomacy from a more expansive perspective believe the competitive conflict between the US and China will always influence African leaders stance. Already transforming skylines, port cities, and industrial zones are ambitious infrastructure projects Beijing supports. Should the American administration deepen or hasten its geopolitical challenge to China, it might give African cities a chance to negotiate better terms. Some viewers who see a future in which Africa can use big power rivalry to guarantee infrastructure improvements, technological transfers, and increased trade channels find that prospect exciting. Others warn that depending too much on one side of a geopolitical conflict could backfire should world powers change their approach or achieve compromise among themselves, therefore marginalizing lesser participants. In countries grappling with internal conflicts, there is an immediate question of whether American involvement will remain consistent. Some regions rely on steady injections of US humanitarian aid, delivered through partnerships with international organisations, to keep people fed and to support medical facilities in war-torn zones. Should the new Trump administration decide to reduce these humanitarian allocations, local communities may face devastating resource gaps. Non-governmental organisations would need to seek alternative funders or cut programmes entirely, leaving displaced populations even more vulnerable. Although a few commentators expect that core humanitarian efforts will persist, especially in crises that capture global headlines, they acknowledge that budgets can be reallocated in unpredictable ways. At the same time, confident African entrepreneurs and innovators have expressed hope that the United States might favor building private-sector bonds over traditional development assistance. They argue that a business-driven model, though competitive, could promote self-sufficiency and job creation. If American investors look to Africas technology hubs for robust returns, this might spur the growth of local ecosystems in fields such as financial technology, e-commerce, and agricultural innovations. Cities like Cape Town and Kigali have drawn international attention for their blooming startup scenes. A second Trump presidency that prizes dealmaking might well funnel resources into such areas, especially if they align with emerging US economic interests. Much will depend on whether policymakers in Washington sense an opportunity to nurture the private sector in Africa as an engine of mutual prosperity or whether they decide to clamp down on areas they perceive as less essential. The most critical concern for ordinary people monitoring daily policy changes is ensuring that agreements developed between Washington and African capitals do not compromise local voices. In areas of the continent that are still experiencing epidemics or underfunded educational institutions, civil society organisations expect uphill challenges over sustaining financing for health and education activities. Humanitarian supporters fear what will happen to refugee populations should the government tighten its international assistance policy. Concurrent with this is a clear will among grassroots activists and non-governmental groups to create more resilient paths by looking for alternative funders or advocating for African governments to protect essential services independent of foreign budgetary decisions. Inspired by local accomplishments and an administration in Washington that responds to apparent successes, several observers anticipate that new patterns of cooperation may develop during these next few years. The American government will consider whether African entrepreneurs create vibrant technology clusters or regional economic blocs to show that their markets can manage more manufacturing. That will enable Africa to be regarded as a real partner for substantial, mutually beneficial economic projects instead of seeing just through the prism of charity or security support. Though past efforts at such a rebranding have encountered challenges, the convergence of Africas dynamic demography, digital development, and global awareness of its potential could generate the impetus needed even though these potential are tempered by the understanding that Trumps policies might also hinder progress if they result in sudden limits on travel, if they remove essential money for development efforts, or if they reinforce unfavorable perceptions about the continent. Primarily, if harsh language is used once more in the discourse, this worst-case scenario could create an atmosphere of mistrust between the African public and the United States of America. The continent is keeping a close eye on the situation and is currently engaged in heated conversations over what the next four years will bring and the best way to react. Student organizations think tanks, corporate forums, and media outlets continue to get together to discuss, evaluate, and share new points of view on how to turn uncertainty into opportunity. There is no definitive answer to the question of how to proceed. Africa is not a stage where larger nations merely act out their geopolitical moves; Africa has a lot of activity. There is a patchwork of countries that are resolute in pursuing a fairer share of global prosperity, and the future chapter in the presidency of the United States of America has the potential to either advance or hinder their aspirations. Even though African leaders and populations have developed since then and are now more equipped to deal with the unexpected, Trumps second term will likely be almost identical to his first term regarding unforeseen twists and big announcements. If they successfully present their arguments within the halls of power and maintain their unwavering dedication to the communitys priorities, they may discover that even a turbulent administration can provide expansion opportunities. This options success is contingent on African states capacity to successfully coordinate their efforts, preserve social and political stability within their borders, and keep a watchful eye on the long game of ensuring sustained developmental growth. As the dust settles on the presidential transition in the United States and attention switches to policy announcements from the White House, the ultimate decision regarding Trumps reelection for Africa will be determined by what comes to fruition. It will interest observers to assess whether trade dialogues increase, whether or not security cooperation results in long-term peace rather than short bursts of activity, and whether or not cultural and educational linkages continue to exist despite any changes in regulatory policies. When all is said and done, it will take some time to determine how the reinvigorated leadership of the United States under President Trump affects Africas march toward greater integration, stronger economies, and more resilient societies. On the other hand, Africas trajectory increasingly reflects its vitality and goals, and Washingtons role is simply one piece of the complex puzzle that is Africas overall trajectory. Because of this sense of agency, many people continue to have hope. Visionaries resolute in their pursuit to redefine their continents position in the international arena are the driving force behind Africas success, even in the face of global power maneuvers, local setbacks, or uncertain signals from a new administration. Africa is ready to be not just a beneficiary of decisions about foreign policy but also an influential player influencing worldwide trends. Their voices will shape the discourse as these next four years unfold, reminding the world that Africa is poised to be both receiving and shaping international trends. Any individual who is committed to a global system that is more just and balanced will find this aim to be resonant. The countries that make up the continent should closely monitor the situation, express their opinions, and adjust as required. By acting in this manner, they are reinforcing the fact that the future of Africa is no longer solely dependent on the desires of a foreign superpower, and the stage is set for a new phase in which Africa and the United States will recalibrate their connections within a bigger and more complex global context. Although nothing can be assured, there is ample room for optimism. Please join us for a panel discussion with our distinguished panelists, Professors Christopher Isike, Kingsley Makhubela, Ayisah Osori, and Carl LeVan, who will be sharing their expertise on President Trump and Africa: Sunday, 26 January 10 A.M. Austin // 5 P.M. Nigeria // 6 P.M. South Africa Register Here. Join via Zoom. Toyin Falola is extraordinary professor of Political Science at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda on Tuesday welcomed over 40,000 card-carrying members from various opposition parties into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. The Governor received the mass defectors at the State Government House. Welcoming the new members, Mr Radda pledged inclusive leadership and directed officials at all levels to fully integrate the new members into APC activities. Your decision to join our progressive movement strengthens our resolve to build a greater Katsina state, the governor asserted. He further enjoined the new party members to join the APC-led government in accelerating the development programmes that are already changing the state for the better. Leading the group of defectors were former Deputy Speakers of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Idris Dan Chafa and Hassan Suleiman Rawayau. Other notable figures among the mass defectors included Isah Hamisu Dandume of the All Peoples Party (APP) and Musa Gafai, Chairman of Gafai Communication and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for the Federal House of Representatives, along with several former state legislators and local government chairmen. Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Yau Umar Gwajo Gwajo, explained that the defectors represent a broad coalition from across the political spectrum. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former Chairman of PDP, Rabiu Gambo Bakori, cited internal conflicts within opposition parties and Governor Raddas credible electoral victory in 2023 as key factors that informed their decision to join the APC. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda has declared that his administration will not negotiate with criminals perpetuating evil acts in the state. He made the declaration while hosting the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division and Commander Joint Task Force Northwest Operation, Major-General Ibikunle Ademola Ajose, during a courtesy visit to him at the Government House, Katsina State. Mr Radda said the state government can only go into a peace deal with the bandits on some laid down conditions to ensure lasting peace, adding that the negotiation can only be successful with the full acceptance and involvement of the concerned members of the communities. The governor revealed that a stakeholder engagement committee has been established to ensure community involvement in peace-building initiatives, expressing openness to supporting genuine repentance and reintegration. The bandits are our brothers born within us, but choose to be criminals. Those who sincerely surrender and seek to rebuild their lives will find support from our administrationWe are prepared to provide resources for their reintegration and livestock management, enabling them to become productive members of society, Mr Radda Stated. Governor Radda further reaffirmed Katsina States substantial investment in security infrastructure, surpassing many states in the federation. He pledged continued logistical support to address fuel supply challenges and maintain operational effectiveness. Mr Radda commended the exceptional leadership of the Division and Brigade Commanders, describing it as exemplary by personally leading operations and demonstrating unwavering dedication. He emphasised that these efforts, combined with the collaborative operations of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, and Katsina Community Watch Corps, have yielded significant improvements in the states security. Our farmers can now cultivate their lands and transport their produce to marketThis tangible progress demonstrates the effectiveness of our joint security strategies, the governor stated. Earlier, General Ajose explained that he was in Katsina State as part of his first quarter operational visit to all states under the 8th Division which includes Katsina, to discuss with the state government the newly launched Operation Safe Northwest. This initiative aims to mobilise communities, enhance security operations and foster sustainable peace, he explained. 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 General Ajose also noted the Chief of Defense Staff had written to the four states within the Zone on the recent developments, particularly reports of some bandits expressing interest in negotiating peace. It is important to state categorically that the Nigerian Army does not engage in negotiations with criminals or bandits, we are committed to exploring holistic approaches to address this persistent and wicked challenge, he said. The GOC however, expressed appreciation to Governor Radda over the consistent support to security operations in the state. He cited the release of funds for development of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) as one of such gestures. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor, Faruk Jobe, Chief of Staff, AbdulKadir Mamman Nasir, Principal Private Secretary to the governor, Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji and some members of the State Executive Council. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday assured leaders of Ogoniland that his administration would prioritise peace, justice, and sustainable development in the area. The President, who made the call at a meeting at the State House in Abuja, urged the Ogoni people to set aside historical grievances and work together to achieve peace, development and a clean environment. We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward. We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry, he said. The President directed Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, to coordinate the negotiations as he called for inclusive consultation and mutual understanding. He commended the delegation for embracing the Federal Government-led dialogue and emphasised the need for collaboration, trust, and inclusiveness to resolve lingering issues in the region. We must work together with mutual trust. Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others. We must make this trip worthwhile by bringing peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoniland, Mr Tinubu said. He asked ministers, the NNPCL, and the Rivers State Government to cooperate with the Office of the National Security Adviser to achieve this mandate. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It is a great honour for me to have this meeting, which is an opportunity to dialogue with the people of Ogoniland. It has been many years since your children and myself partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country. No one dreamt I would be in this chair as President, but we thank God. Many of your sons present here were my friends and co-travellers in the streets of Nigeria, Europe, and America. I know what to do in memory of our beloved ones so that their sacrifices will not be in vain, the President said. Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers thanked the President for his support of the Ogoni people and for welcoming an all-inclusive representation of the people to the Presidential Villa. Mr Fubara said the meeting was a follow-up to an assignment the President gave him through the National Security Adviser. Emphasising the importance of resuming oil operations in Ogoniland, the governor pledged the delegations commitment to adhering to the Presidents instructions and providing the necessary support to achieve the governments objectives. What we are doing here today is to concretise the love and respect we have for the President for being behind this meeting. We will go back and continue the consultations with a timeline so that the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland will commence, he said. The National Security Adviser commended the Ogoni people for their trust in President Tinubu and for embracing dialogue as a path to meaningful progress and enduring solutions. Guided by Mr Presidents vision that every voice is heard and every interest is considered, my office, the SSS, the government of Rivers State and the Minister of FCT embarked on a diligent and consultative process to assemble this delegation, Mr Ribadu said. He noted that the over 50-member delegation that met with the President reflected the rich diversity of Ogoni society, representing various constituencies, interests, and viewpoints. The presence of this delegation is a testament to the Ogoni peoples readiness to engage constructively in the pursuit of peace, justice, and sustainable development, he said. King Festus Gberesaako XIII, the Gberemene of Gokana Kingdom, expressed the community leaders willingness to engage in the process of finding lasting solutions to the lingering challenges in Ogoniland. The Federal Government ceased oil production in the area in 1993 due to unrest by Ogoni people who justifiably complained about the environmental, social, and economic injustices they faced. Several past attempts to resume oil production in the oil-rich community failed. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Photo: elements.envato.com In the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and Minister of Justice Olha Stefanishyna, the EU, Denmark and Lithuania reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's accession to the EU by signing "Ukraine2EU EU Integration Support Programme for Ukraine." According to a statement on the website of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, this initiative, co-financed by the EU, Denmark and Lithuania with a total budget of EUR 14 million, will support Ukrainian institutions in managing the EU accession process and implementing the necessary reforms. The programme will provide targeted support to key Ukrainian authorities, in particular the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada and the Committee on European Integration, as well as the Ministry of Justice. These bodies work together on Ukraine's path to the EU. "Today's signature marks the beginning of the next phase of our long-standing support for Ukraine's EU Integration. Ukraine's future lies within the EU, and this programme will serve as an umbrella for both EU and Member State assistance in helping Ukraine achieve this goal," Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said. The Ukraine2EU EU Integration Support Programme for Ukraine aims to strengthen the capacity of key Ukrainian actors in managing EU accession negotiations, improve access to EU legal expertise and raise awareness and understanding of the EU accession process among Ukrainian society and stakeholders. It will also support civil society organisations promoting Ukraine's accession to the EU. The programme will run from 2025 to 2027 and will be implemented by the Lithuanian Central Programme Management Agency. The witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, gave testimonies on how irregularities allegedly marred the 21 September 2024 Edo governorship election in three local government areas of the state. The PDP and its candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)s declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner. Being led in evidence by Abiodun Owonikoko, the PDP counsel in the petition, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents copies of the election results for 76 polling units. The polling units are in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, where he alleged four electoral irregularities. According to him, the irregularities were observed when the agents copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the results of the BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INECs IREV portal. He said that the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to adopt as evidence in the case. Mr Osifo, who said he was the PDP local government collation officer in the poll, alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the elections final result. 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 When cross-examined, Mr Osifo said that his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents. Adebayo Ogedegbe, for his part, alleged irregularities in 45 units across the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state. Mr Ogedegbe, the local government areas party collation officer, testified that INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies in 41 of these units. The witness alleged overvoting in the four other units, seeking to tender the agents copies of the results of these units in evidence to corroborate his claims. For Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye tendered agents copies of results in nine units, where he also alleged overvoting. Mr Aroye said that there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government area and urged the court to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case. When asked if the witness was able to visit all the units in the local government as the collation officer, he said there was no way he could have done that, considering the number. Meanwhile, Messrs Kalu Agabi, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and Ukala, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria and counsels to INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC, objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents. The lawyers, however, reserved their grounds to the final written addresses. In his ruling, Wilfred Kpochi, the tribunals chairperson, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence. Justice Kpochi adjourned the sitting until Wednesday for the continuation of the hearing. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpo Ekpo, has denied the allegation that he has been recruited by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State to sabotage President Bola Tinubus second-term ambition. In a statement on Wednesday, the ministers spokesperson, Louis Ibah, said the allegation is contained in an advert from a faceless group Concerned Members of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State. He said the message in the advert was addressed to the president. And we can categorically deny the allegation that Mr Ekpo is involved in any plot to sabotage President Tinubus re-election efforts, Mr Ibah said. He described the allegations as false and ridiculous, emphasising that Mr Ekpo is a dedicated and loyal member of the APC. According to the minister, Governor Eno is leading a peaceful administration in Akwa Ibom and has no interference with the APC activities in the state. Mr Ibah said the ministers commitment to the APC and its ideals is unwavering and has demonstrated this through his actions and leadership. 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 Without doubt, Mr Ekpo played a pivotal role in the formation of the Akwa Ibom Democratic Forum (ADF), a political platform that served as a rallying point for Akwa Ibom indigenes and contributed significantly to the APCs successes in the 2023 elections. His efforts led to the emergence of the Senate President and two House of Representatives members in the 2023 polls, and a Local Government Chairman (in Essien Udim) and many councillorship seats in Essien Udim and Ika Local Government Areas in the just concluded LGA election in the state. Mr Ekpo hails from Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. He previously served as the council chairperson of Ika and a lawmaker representing Abak Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom. According to the statement, the ministers commitment to peace, unity and progress of Akwa Ibom informed his partnership with Governor Eno, arguing that those profiteering where chaos and anarchy reign are uncomfortable with and are misconstruing it as a plot to sabotage Mr President. The ministers partnership with Akwa Ibom govt The statement said the ministers partnership with Mr Eno has allowed for a peaceful atmosphere in the state and is attracting multinational firms and multimillion-dollar investments, reviving dormant projects in the state. The minister highlighted several projects, including securing the commitment of Jindal Group of India to offtake 450MMscfd of gas for their 15miliom tons per annum High Briquettes Iron Steel Plant in Akwa Ibom State and launching the Presidential CNG Initiative Programme in Akwa Ibom State with two certified conversion centres; approval of MDGIF grant to six beneficiaries from Akwa Ibom State. READ ALSO: Tinubu pledges justice in Ogoniland as negotiation to restart oil production begins Others include a partnership between 3W Alliance Limited and the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority to develop an international industrial park at the Liberty Free Trade Zone in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State. The minister said the park will boast modern amenities, including on-site power and water supply, natural gas pipelines, internal roads, warehouses, and residential estates and imminent groundbreaking ceremonies for Ibaka Industrial Hub Akwa Ibom State and CNG Plants in Akwa Ibom State, within February 2025 and other projects to create jobs for citizens and boost the countrys GDP in line with Mr Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Association formally approves proposal from Kansas State University Olathe CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) membership approved a proposal from Kansas State University's Olathe Innovation Campus (K-State Olathe) to provide the scientific review for a new animal food ingredient submission pathway. The new pathway replaces AAFCO's former Ingredient Definition Request process that ended with the expiration of AAFCO's Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year. "AAFCO's partnership with K-State Olathe begins a new era of innovation and proficiency for the animal feed industry," said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. "This new pathway will offer a regulatory review process that is straightforward and comprehensive to bring ingredients to market safely and more efficiently than our previous process with FDA." The new ingredient approval pathway will be led by Dr. Haley Larson, Ph.D., and will include a scientific review panel comprised of subject matter experts from universities across the U.S. and independent consultants to provide diversity and representation of all animal species. Together, this panel will evaluate potential ingredient submissions from industry and provide recommendations back to AAFCO membership for final approval. Approved ingredients will then be included in AAFCO's Official Publication, which is considered the most comprehensive list of approved feed ingredients in the world, and recognized by state, international regulatory agencies, and the animal food industry. "We're honored to partner with AAFCO and apply our scientific and technical expertise to ensuring the safety and quality of animal food ingredients," said Ben Wolfe, K-State Olathe's dean and CEO. "We look forward to working closely with AAFCO to implement this transformative approach and foster a regulatory environment that benefits producers, consumers and the broader community." The new pathway is intended to complement FDA's current GRAS Notice program and to provide the feed industry with another option to bring new and innovative products to the market. AAFCO and K-State Olathe have outlined procedures to ensure ingredients are not submitted through multiple channels. "We understand the animal feed industry has much to consider when introducing a new proposed ingredient. We're committed to a collaborative process that is safe, scientific and streamlined to meet the industry's demand for new ingredients while upholding AAFCO's unwavering standards for animal and human health," added Therrell. About AAFCO The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been guiding state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards for more than 115 years, while supporting the health and safety of people and animals. Its members are charged by their state or federal laws to regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients. Learn more at aafco.org. About K-State Olathe Located in Greater Kansas City and the heart of the Animal Health Corridor, K-State Olathe is one of the university's three campuses and has focus areas of animal health, food and nutrition, and advanced manufacturing. Its land-grant mission is to provide industry-driven academic programs and professional development offerings, and leverage applied research all to improve wellbeing and drive economic growth. SOURCE AAFCO SAO PAULO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambipar Lux S.a r.l. ("Ambipar Lux") today announces the commencement of an offer to purchase for cash up to the Maximum Amount (as defined below) (the "Offer") of the outstanding 9.875% Senior Notes due 2031 (the "2031 Green Notes" or the "Notes") issued by Ambipar Lux and guaranteed by Ambipar Participacoes e Empreendimentos S.A., Environmental ESG Participacoes S.A. and Ambipar Emergency Response (together, the "Guarantors"). The Offer is made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase dated January 22, 2025 (the "Offer to Purchase"). The Offer is not contingent upon the tender of any minimum principal amount of Notes, but Ambipar Lux will only purchase Notes up to the total purchase price, including any applicable Tender Consideration (as defined below) and Early Tender Premium (as defined below) but excluding any applicable Accrued Interest (as defined below), not to exceed U.S.$200 million (the "Maximum Amount"). Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders made on or prior to the Early Tender Date (as defined below), no Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase, even if validly tendered and not validly withdrawn, and any Notes tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase on the Early Acceptance Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) or the Expiration Date (as defined below), if the Early Settlement Right (as defined below) is not exercised, will be accepted on a prorated basis such that Ambipar Lux purchases an aggregate principal amount of Notes that would result in the total purchase price, including any applicable Tender Consideration and Early Tender Premium but excluding any applicable Accrued Interest, not exceeding the Maximum Amount in the Offer. The following table sets forth certain information relating to the Offer. Title of Security CUSIPs ISINs Principal Amount Outstanding Maximum Amount(3) Tender Consideration(1) Early Tender Premium(1) Total Consideration(1)(2) 9.875% Green Notes due 2031 02319W AA9/ L0183E AA3 US02319WAA99/ USL0183EAA30 U.S.$750,000,000 U.S.$200,000,000 U.S.$985.00 U.S.$30.00 U.S.$1,015.00 _______________ (1) The amount to be paid for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2031 Green Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase, excluding Accrued Interest on the Notes to the applicable Settlement Date (as defined below). (2) The Total Consideration equals the Tender Consideration plus the Early Tender Premium. (3) The Maximum Amount equals a total purchase price, including any applicable Tender Consideration and Early Tender Premium but excluding any applicable Accrued Interest, of U.S.$200.0 million. Indicative Timetable for the Offer: Commencement of the Offer January 22, 2025 Withdrawal Date 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on February 4, 2025, unless extended by Ambipar Lux in its sole discretion. Early Tender Date 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on February 4, 2025, unless extended by Ambipar Lux in its sole discretion. Early Settlement Date Promptly after the acceptance by Ambipar Lux for purchase of the Notes validly tendered before the Early Tender Date and not withdrawn on or prior to the Withdrawal Date (as defined below), upon satisfaction (or waiver by Ambipar Lux) of each and all of the conditions set forth in this Offer to Purchase. Ambipar Lux expects that the Early Settlement Date, will be on or about two Business Days following the Early Tender Date, which would be on February 6, 2025, unless the Early Tender Date is extended by Ambipar Lux in its sole discretion. Expiration Date 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) February 20, 2025, unless extended by Ambipar Lux in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Date"). Final Settlement Date Promptly after the acceptance by Ambipar Lux for purchase of the Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but on or prior to the Expiration Date, upon satisfaction (or waiver by Ambipar Lux) of each and all of the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Ambipar Lux expects that the Final Settlement Date will be on or about two Business Days following the Expiration Date, which would be February 24, 2025, unless the Expiration Date is extended by Ambipar Lux in its sole discretion. Holders of Notes who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Notes on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on February 4, 2025, unless extended (such time and date, as they may be extended, the "Early Tender Date"), will be eligible to receive the total consideration of U.S.$1,015.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered (the "Total Consideration"), which includes an early tender premium of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Date and not validly withdrawn on or prior to the Withdrawal Date (the "Early Tender Premium"). Holders who validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Date, but on or prior to the Expiration Date, will be eligible to receive the tender consideration of U.S.$985.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered (the "Tender Consideration"). The Tender Consideration does not include the Early Tender Premium. Notes tendered may be withdrawn at any time on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on February 4, 2025, unless extended by Ambipar Lux in its sole discretion (such time and date, as they may be extended, the "Withdrawal Date"), but not thereafter. If any Notes are purchased in the Offer, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) on or prior to the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase in priority to any Notes validly tendered in the Offer after the Early Tender Date. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders made on or prior to the Early Tender Date, no Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase, and any Notes tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase on the Early Acceptance Date (or the Expiration Date, if the Early Settlement Right is not exercised) will be accepted on a prorated basis such that we purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes that would result in the total purchase price, including any applicable Tender Consideration and Early Tender Premium but excluding any applicable Accrued Interest, not exceeding the Maximum Amount in the Offer. In addition to the applicable Total Consideration and the applicable Tender Consideration, as applicable, holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase in the Offer will also receive accrued and unpaid interest ("Accrued Interest") from, and including, the last interest payment date to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date (each, a "Settlement Date"), as applicable. Ambipar Lux reserves the right, but is under no obligation, at any point following the Early Tender Date and before the Expiration Date, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered and not subsequently withdrawn on or prior to the Early Tender Date (the "Early Settlement Right"). The date of payment for Notes purchased pursuant to the Early Settlement Right (the "Early Settlement Date") will be determined at Ambipar Lux's option and is currently expected to be February 6, 2025, subject to all conditions of the Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Ambipar Lux. All Notes tendered and accepted for purchase that have not been settled on the Early Settlement Date, if any, will be settled on February 24, 2025, promptly following the Expiration Date. In all cases, the total principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase by Ambipar Lux may be subject to proration based upon the Maximum Amount as described in the Offer to Purchase. Completion of the Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, including the completion of an offering of one or more issuances of debt securities by Ambipar Lux, to be guaranteed by the Guarantors, on terms satisfactory to Ambipar Lux, in its sole discretion, generating net proceeds in an amount of not less than the maximum aggregate amount to be paid for the Consideration for the Notes tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer, plus accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date to, but excluding, the Settlement Date and any applicable additional amounts. Securities will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and will not be offered or sold other than pursuant to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase any such securities. Ambipar Lux has the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or terminate the Offer at any time, subject to applicable law. Ambipar Lux has retained BofA Securities, Inc., Banco Bradesco BBI S.A and UBS Investment Bank to serve as dealer managers and D.F. King & Co., Inc. to serve as information and tender agent for the Offer. The Offer to Purchase and any related supplements are available at the D.F. King & Co., Inc. The full details of the Offer, including complete instructions on how to tender Notes, are included in the Offer to Purchase. Holders of Notes are strongly encouraged to carefully read the Offer to Purchase, because it contains important information. Requests for the Offer to Purchase and any related supplements may also be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. by telephone at +1 (212) 269-5550 or +1 (866) 856-3065 (US toll free) or in writing at [email protected]. Questions about the Offer may be directed to BofA Securities, Inc by telephone at +1 (646) 855-8988 (collect) or +1 (888) 292-0070 (U.S. toll free), Banco Bradesco BBI S.A. by telephone at +1 (646) 432-6642 (collect) and UBS Investment Bank by telephone at +1 (212) 882-5723 (collect), +1 (833) 690-0971 (toll-free) or by email at [email protected]. This press release shall not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of acceptance of the offer to purchase, which are being made only pursuant to the terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase. The Offer is not being made to, nor will Ambipar Lux accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Offer or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction where the laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offer will be made by the dealer managers on behalf of Ambipar Lux. None of Ambipar Lux, the Guarantors, the information and tender agent, the dealer managers or the trustee with respect to the Notes, nor any of their respective affiliates, makes any recommendation as to whether holders should tender or refrain from tendering all or any portion of their Notes in response to the Offer. None of Ambipar Lux, the information and tender agent, the dealer managers or the trustee with respect to the Notes, nor any of their respective affiliates, has authorized any person to give any information or to make any representation in connection with the Offer other than the information and representations contained in the Offer to Purchase. Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any U.S. state securities commission nor any regulatory authority of any other country has approved or disapproved of the Offer, passed upon the merits or fairness of the Offer or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the disclosure in the Offer to Purchase. About Ambipar Lux Ambipar Lux is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ambipar Participacoes e Empreendimentos S.A. and was incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg as a private limited liability company (societe a responsabilite limitee) on July 20, 2023, and is registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies under number B279448. The registered office of the Issuer is at 17, boulevard F.W. Raiffeisen, L-2411, Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Other than statements of historical fact, information regarding activities, events and developments that Ambipar Lux and the Guarantors expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements based on management's estimates, assumptions and projections. Many forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe, "estimate" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are predictions only and actual results could differ materially from management's expectations due to a variety of risk factors. All forward-looking statements attributable to Ambipar Lux or the Guarantors are expressly qualified in their entirety by such risk factors. The forward-looking statements that Ambipar Lux or the Guarantors make in this press release are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events and speak only as of their dates. Ambipar Lux or the Guarantors assume no obligation to update developments of these risk factors or to announce publicly any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements that Ambipar Lux or the Guarantors make, or to make corrections to reflect future events or developments, except as required by the U.S. federal securities laws. DISCLAIMER This press release must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the Offer to Purchase contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Offer. If any holder of Notes is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it is recommended to seek its own legal, tax, accounting and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, immediately from its stockbroker, bank manager, attorney, accountant or other independent financial or legal adviser. Any individual or company whose Notes are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee or intermediary must contact such entity if it wishes to participate in the Offer. None of Ambipar Lux, the Guarantors, the dealer managers, the information and tender agent and any person who controls, or is a director, officer, employee or agent of such persons, or any affiliate of such persons, makes any recommendation as to whether holders of Notes should participate in the Offer. SOURCE Ambipar Lux S.a r.l. Meeting of Ukrainian, US presidents to be preceded by meetings of their teams Zelenskyy The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be preceded by several meetings of their teams, Zelenskyy said during a visit to the exhibition "Your country first Win with us" at the Ukraine House in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. "The teams will work on the meetings, there will be several meetings, different ones, team meetings, first of all. And then we will work on the future meeting with the president," the head of the Ukrainian state told journalists. Responding to a question about whether a reduction in aid from the United States is expected, Zelenskyy replied: "So far, everything is going as it is." Two-hour Global Travel Possible with Investment in New Engine Technology HOUSTON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Venus Aerospace, a trailblazer in hypersonic engine technology, is excited to announce an investment by America's Frontier Fund (AFF), a premier deep-tech investment firm focused on advancing American technological leadership. Americas Frontier Fund Backs Venus Aerospace Founded in 2020, Venus Aerospace has pioneered the world's most efficient hypersonic engines, positioning itself as a leader in the emerging hypersonic economy. Capable of speeds up to 4,600 mph nearly six times the speed of sound Venus' revolutionary VDR2 engine has the potential to enable commercial flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo in under two hours. AFF's investment will accelerate Venus's flight program with hypersonic propulsion and the development of hypersonic propulsion systems, developments that are sure to strengthen U.S. leadership in aerospace, defense, and energy innovation. Later this year, Venus plans to make history with the first atmospheric flight of the RDRE, demonstrating the significant potential for both defense and commercial markets with faster, more efficient, and longer-range vehicles. "We're thrilled to have America's Frontier Fund join us on our journey," said Sassie Duggleby, CEO and Co-Founder of Venus Aerospace. "AFF's commitment to pioneering technological advancements aligns seamlessly with our mission to enhance American competitiveness in hypersonics. Their deep-tech expertise and proven track record in scaling innovative companies will be invaluable as we work to achieve our goals." With this new round of funding, Venus aims to advance its cutting-edge VDR2 engine. By integrating RDRE's efficiency with air-augmentation technology capable of 2,000 pounds of thrust, the VDR2 engine will operate at even wider ranges of speeds and altitudes, a feat previously thought impossible until Mach 3.5. The company has a target to ground test the VDR2 later this year. "AFF's investment in Venus Aerospace underscores our focus on supporting American companies that are revolutionizing industries of the future," said Jordan Blashek, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, AFF. "With recent hypersonic advancements from China and Russia, safeguarding American innovation and securing our industrial base has never been more urgent. Venus Aerospace is poised to redefine hypersonic flight and ensure America's continued leadership in aerospace innovation." About Venus Aerospace Since its founding in 2020, Venus Aerospace has emerged as a trailblazer in the development of advanced propulsion technologies. The company's RDRE and VDR2 engines are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in high-speed flight across aviation, space, defense, and beyond. The Venus RDRE offers unmatched efficiency and compact design, with a variety of applications for both space and defense, while the VDR2 integrates RDRE and ramjet capabilities, delivering the only single-engine solution capable of takeoff to Mach 5+ speeds. Venus's groundbreaking engine technology will eventually power the Stargazer M4, the world's first Mach 4, reusable commercial aircraft. As the pinnacle of Venus's innovation, Stargazer represents the ultimate realization of their advanced propulsion systems. About America's Frontier Fund America's Frontier Fund (AFF) is the leader in building America's innovation capacity for global leadership. Through its venture funds, innovation studios, and strategic partnerships, AFF scales tomorrow's frontier-tech solutions to solve today's global challenges. AFF works in collaboration with the U.S. government and global allies to ensure America remains at the forefront of frontier innovation. Media Contacts: Rachael Yates Brand Marketing Manager [email protected] Jordan Valdes Public Relations America's Frontier Fund [email protected] SOURCE Venus Aerospace The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is now available, offering seamless integration with Amazon Web Services to support cloud computing needs for applications built using Delphi. LONDON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Appercept is pleased to announce the launch of its Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi, designed to bridge the gap between Delphi applications and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The SDK provides Delphi developers with extensive tools to build, deploy, and manage cloud-based applications on AWS, making it easier than ever for Delphi users to leverage the cloud's full potential. Richard Hatherall, founder and chief executive of Appercept (PRNewsfoto/Appercept) Delphi, a longstanding player in the software development industry, maintains a firm foothold in the TIOBE Index, where it is currently ranked at No. 10. Known for its rapid application development capabilities and cross-platform support, Delphi has been used in applications across industries ranging from finance and healthcare to manufacturing and logistics. However, Delphi's proprietary nature and the perception of it as a "legacy" technology have previously created challenges in adopting cloud infrastructure. With Appercept's AWS SDK for Delphi, developers can now integrate Delphi applications directly with core AWS services, eliminating the need to choose between powerful cloud capabilities and Delphi's native strengths. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi has all of the core features expected of Amazon's own SDKs including common configuration, credential resolution, automatic retries and core services. It currently supports 12 of the most popular AWS services, including Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS), and Amazon Polly. More are in development, with plans to continue expanding the SDK's reach. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is available now in two editions, Standard and Professional, starting at 149, and can be bought from www.appercept.com. Addressing Cloud Integration Needs for Delphi Applications When asked about the motivation behind creating the SDK, Appercept founder and chief executive, Richard Hatherall, said: "Amazon supports a vast range of developer tools, but until now, Delphi had been largely excluded from that ecosystem. I realised there would be other companies with Delphi solutions in business that have been working away happily for years only to be put in the trash can when a company decided to adopt cloud technology. Our SDK changes that, providing a modern solution that empowers Delphi developers to tap into the full range of AWS capabilities." Key Features of the Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is a comprehensive toolkit, covering all the core features of an AWS SDK and more. It includes 12 essential services like Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), AWS Key Management Service (KMS), Amazon Translate, and Amazon Cognito, providing developers with the flexibility to build diverse, cloud-powered applications. The SDK also features: IDE Integration for RAD Studio ( Delphi ) : The SDK is integrated directly into RAD Studio, offering context-sensitive help and native RAD-style components for both FireMonkey (FMX) and Visual Component Library (VCL) applications. : The SDK is integrated directly into RAD Studio, offering context-sensitive help and native RAD-style components for both FireMonkey (FMX) and Visual Component Library (VCL) applications. Easy API Access and Usability: With a design focused on simplicity and usability, the SDK allows for straightforward integration into existing Delphi applications, with drag-and-drop components and utilities that simplify complex interactions. Empowering Delphi Developers in the Cloud Era As the largest cloud provider, AWS empowers organisations of all sizes to innovate and scale. By delivering a dedicated AWS SDK for Delphi, Appercept opens up new opportunities for businesses using Delphi to adopt modern cloud infrastructure without abandoning the simplicity, speed, and cross-platform power that Delphi offers. The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi will be available for all Delphi developers, starting at 149 for Standard Edition providing everything you need including 12 months of updates and basic support directly from Appercept. For developers requiring source code and priority support, Professional Edition is available for 349. Both editions can now be bought from www.appercept.com. This release marks a significant milestone for both Delphi developers and the broader tech community, ensuring Delphi's relevance and value in an increasingly cloud-dependent world. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2602864/RichardHatherall_Chiefexecutive_Appercept.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2602863/Appercept_Logo.jpg SOURCE Appercept NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ridge Financial Group LLC ("RFG"), a leading firm specializing in the acquisition of large hardwood timberland assets, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with funds managed by Arena Investors, LP ("Arena"), to form a new strategic joint venture (the "JV") focused on the acquisition, development and restoration of high-quality timberland properties in the United States. The JV is closing its first timber acquisition and is seeking to capitalize on a robust pipeline of proprietary acquisition targets. This joint venture combines Arena's proprietary investment approach and successful track record across the natural resource sectors with RFG's deep expertise in commercial timberland management and unique sourcing capabilities. Arena's Natural Resources platform originates investments within the oil and natural gas, agriculture, chemicals, metals and mining, power and utilities, renewables and timber industries. The joint venture is actively seeking acquisition opportunities within the timber and resource management sectors with an emphasis on mature hardwood species. RFG President and CEO Sage Hirschy stated, "We are excited for this partnership with Arena. This will enable us to bring the opportunity of land ownership to outdoor enthusiasts who share our passion across the United States." Greg White, Managing Director of Natural Resources at Arena said, "The formation of this differentiated platform in the commercial timber markets is a significant milestone for Arena. My colleagues and I are thrilled about the joint venture with Sage Hirschy and his team." Advisors Impact Capital Group LLC acted as financial advisor to RFG. Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP is serving as RFG's legal counsel on the transaction. Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC is serving as Arena's legal counsel on the transaction. About Ridge Financial Group: Ridge Financial Group acquires, develops, and sells timberland properties, producing current cash flows from the harvesting of timber. Harvested properties are subsequently sold in subdivided parcels developed for hunting and other recreational uses. About Arena Investors, LP: Arena Investors, a subsidiary of Arena Investor Group holdings, is an institutional asset manager founded in partnership with The Westaim Corporation (TSXV: WED). With approximately $3.5 billion of invested and committed assets under management as of December 31, 2024, and a team of over 180 employees in offices globally, Arena provides creative solutions for those seeking capital across all corporate, real estate, and structured finance investment areas, at all levels of the capital structure, and in all developed markets, alongside operational capabilities to manage and improve businesses. The firm brings individuals with decades of experience, a track record of comfort with complexity, the ability to deliver within time constraints, and the flexibility to engage in transactions and business operations that cannot be addressed by banks and other conventional financial institutions. See www.arenaco.com for more information. For media inquiries, please contact: Ridge Financial: Sage Hirschy President and Chief Executive Officer 228 N. Park Avenue, Suite Winter Park, Florida 32789 407.353.4819 [email protected] Prosek Partners: Joshua Clarkson [email protected] Arena Investors: Greg White Managing Director, Natural Resources 201 S. Biscayne Blvd, 28th Floor Miami, Florida 33131 212. 257.4187 [email protected] SOURCE Arena Investors Novel breakthrough: first molecule to modulate the fundamental mechanism of T cell activation underlying autoimmune pathology Statistically significant improvements in T cell and psoriasis-related biomarkers in line with PASI improvements in Phase 2a in patients with psoriasis Phase 2a confirms well-tolerated safety profile, with no infections or discontinuations CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Artax Biopharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on transforming the treatment of autoimmune diseases, today announces achievement of clinical validation through its Phase 2a clinical trial in psoriasis with fully proprietary oral agent AX-158. These results confirm the strong Phase 1 and preclinical data package, underscoring the potential breadth and depth of Nck modulation, a completely novel mechanism in autoimmune disease. AX-158 was evaluated in a Phase 2a trial in people with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis in multiple centers in the UK. Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive a single daily dose of 10mg AX-158 or placebo. A total of 30 participants were treated for 28 days and followed for an additional 30 days for safety. The main objectives of the study were safety and proof of mechanism. The Phase 2a study confirmed the well-tolerated safety profile seen in the Phase 1 studies, with no infections reported and no severe adverse events. The few adverse events reported were mild or moderate in nature and resolved without intervention, and there were no trial discontinuations. An extensive psoriasis biomarker analysis was designed, conducted, and analyzed by Dr. James Krueger, Head of Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology at the Rockefeller University and member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Artax Biopharma. His analysis demonstrates statistically significant and consistent effects on both disease and pathway-related genes in participants treated with AX-158. Dr. Kruger commented that "For a novel mechanism of action, it is exciting to see how it can begin to impact disease processes, and I look forward to seeing how the response expands over a longer treatment period in future trials." CEO Rob Armstrong added: "Today's results validate this truly orthogonal, novel mechanism of action in the autoimmune space. We were thoroughly delighted to see that Nck modulation was able to impact relevant biomarkers as well as clinical measurements, particularly in the moderate patient population. We were pleased to observe that PASI 75 responses also progressed in line with biomarker data in this study. We would like to thank the investigative clinicians, their teams, and all participating patients for their valuable contribution to advancing this science. There is so much work left to do in the autoimmune space. With AX-158 and our portfolio of Nck modulators, we see great potential to address the treatment gap for patients." The company intends to report the results at an upcoming medical conference. Given the broad effect of Nck modulation across all T helper cell populations (Th17, Th1/0 and Th2) in pre-clinical and animal models, the team is planning further studies in additional autoimmune diseases such as atopic dermatitis. Clinical results from these studies are anticipated by the end of 2026. About Artax Biopharma, Nck modulation, and AX-158 Artax Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company transforming the treatment of T Cell-driven autoimmune diseases. Artax's first-in-class oral small molecules aim to deliver immune system modulation without immunosuppression, potentially unlocking new treatment options as both monotherapy and in combination with other treatments. We believe there is significant potential for Nck modulation to revolutionize treatment of T Cell-driven diseases. Immunomodulation maintains healthy control of the immune system, while addressing the underlying source of T Cell-driven diseases. Central to a well-functioning immune system is the T Cell Receptor (TCR). When TCR signaling becomes dysregulated, it causes T Cell-driven conditions, including autoimmune diseases. We believe the immunomodulation mechanism offered by our investigational agents holds broad potential to revolutionize how these T Cell-driven autoimmune diseases are addressed, while not impairing the ability of a patient's immune system to function properly. AX-158, our lead Nck modulator, has shown strong, broad cytokine modulation as well as modulation of mixed lymphocyte reactions. Good data on therapeutic efficacy with AX-158 were observed in murine models of self-antigen activation (EAE), with a prolonged pharmacodynamic effect in EAE, suggesting durable immune modulation. AX-158 showed no immunosuppression in models of strong antigen stimulation. Studies with AX-158 showed substantial preclinical evidence of activity in the Th 2 , Th 17 , Th 1 /Th 0 pathways, suggesting that applications could be quite broad across the autoimmune space. Artax Biopharma is based in the Boston area and raised funding from investors including Advent Life Sciences, Sound Bioventures, The Termeer Family Office, the Fuhrer Family Office and Columbus Venture Partners. For more info, see www.artaxbiopharma.com or follow us on LinkedIn . For future clinical study inquiries: [email protected] SOURCE Artax Biopharma NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year, D.F. King & Co., Inc. (D.F. King) celebrates the company's number one ranking among information agents for U.S. markets by Prospect News's 2024 Liability Management Rankings. D.F. King strongly exceeded the market shares of all other information agents for the U.S. market, completing 133 transactions totaling $98.38 billion for a 46.37% market share. With 80 years of experience, D.F. King has solidified its position as the leading information agent in liability management by leveraging technological investments and offering comprehensive services. This sustained investment in resources and capabilities has driven D.F. King's industry-leading performance, as measured by deal volume nationally. Managed by a team of seasoned experts, D.F. King's exceptional technology suite includes an elaborate proprietary database and detailed analytical capabilities. The platform produces sophisticated situational analyses, formulating solutions designed to provide clients with superior outcomes. D.F. King's service portfolio includes strategic advisory services, consulting, proxy solicitation and information agent solutions all designed to help companies succeed in an evolving corporate governance landscape. "We're exceptionally proud to continue to lead the industry in these types of transactions and to provide unparalleled service to our clients and advisors," said Kristian Klein, Senior Managing Director at D.F. King. "Our team takes great pride in being the partner of choice for so many exceptional companies." "The team works tirelessly every day for our clients and we're pleased to see their efforts recognized with this top ranking," added Tom Germinario, Senior Managing Director of D.F. King. "2024 was an exceptional year and we look forward to achieving even greater success with our clients in 2025 and beyond." As trusted advisors, EQ employs high-level strategic analysis, experience-based guidance and customized solutions to provide companies with greater knowledge per share. The team at D.F. King leverages deep industry experience, working closely with clients and its advisors to tailor flexible solutions that meet their specific needs. "The D.F. King team had a tremendous year and their continued success is an inspiration to all of us," said Jo Palmer, EQ U.S.'s President and CEO. "Our clients deserve the best and with the D.F. King team, they receive it every time." About D.F. King At D.F. King, an EQ company, we leverage our unique depth and diversity of experience to deliver high-level advisory services, custom reporting, securityholder outreach programs and educational strategies to each client. D.F. King provides high-level advisory services in contested solicitations and proactive solutions for all corporate governance needs. Services include proxy solicitation; shareholder profile analysis; proxy advisory firm consulting; M&A, information agent services to equity and debt markets; corporate governance and executive compensation consulting; and call center services. Learn more at dfking.com. About EQ EQ are specialists in helping you better understand and manage the ownership of your company through critical events across the corporate lifecycle. As trusted advisors, we provide strategic insight and operations expertise through our core business units in Private Company Services, Transfer Agent Services, Employee Plan Solutions and Proxy Services. Globally we serve 6,700 clients (48% of the FTSE 100 UK and 35% of the S&P 500), with over 30 million shareholders, through 6,500 employees in 5 markets around the world. Learn more at equiniti.com/us. Contact: Sara Walsh, Chief Marketing Officer, EQ [email protected] SOURCE Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. MIAMI, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ASM Capital Group , a trailblazing, new spirits investment fund elevating the newly commissioned American Single Malt Whiskey (ASM) category on a global scale, marks the official category designation from The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) with the announcement of the ASM Capital Whiskey Fund. The only fund 100% dedicated to the growth of the American Single Malt Whiskey category, the ASM Capital Whiskey Fund is on the ground floor with a strategic and proven whiskey barrel investing model. Inspired by the craft renaissance, ASM Capital Group is led by exceptional talent from across the spirits and investment industries. Including, father-son duo, Rob and Hunter Robillard, Scott Sciberras, Ross Duignan and Ryan La Valle. With over 75+ years combined experience in the whiskey space and extensive background in both whiskey investing and asset management, the team has come together to launch the ASM Capital Whiskey Fund. The fund strives to elevate the newly recognized American Single Malt category amidst a consumer push towards premium spirits and provide an uncorrelated, diversification exposure within investment portfolios. Rob, a New Hampshire native, picked up home distilling as a hobby to fill the gap in maple-flavored spirits. The result, Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey, became the first-ever TTB-registered flavored whiskey and sold to Diageo, the world's largest spirits company. With ASM Capital Group, Rob looks to be at the forefront of another newly designated category the fund raised nearly $10M at the close of 2024 and a target raise goal of $250M by 2026 to continue purchasing barrels as the ASM category explodes. "I like to say I prefer the road less traveled," said Rob Robillard, Founder and Manager of ASM Capital Group. "In the early 2000s, when new beer and wine brands were popping up left and right, I created flavored whiskey. I went from making Moonshine in my backyard from a couple of lobster pots welded together with a copper pipe stuffed with stainless-steel wool, to partnering with Diageo. Now, I'm looking to disrupt yet another new space with ASM Capital Group, leading the newly designated ASM category." ASM Capital Group offers the opportunity to boost the allure and export appeal of the category worldwide. In its infancy stage, ASM is set to take market share from Scotch, bourbon and rye. The fund supports the newly defined category to compete with imports such as Scotch and Irish Whiskey as a premium, celebratory distillate. "At ASM Capital Group, we bridge the gap between spirits brands, distilleries, exporters and forward-thinking investors to fuel growth and innovation in the American Single Malt category," said Hunter Robillard, Founder and Managing Partner of ASM Capital Group. "By investing in aged distillate, the one commodity that connects the industry, the fund is well-positioned to leverage the growing demand for mature returns." The venture's barrel investing model is designed to meet and support the growing needs of homegrown brands seeking aged whiskey products in the global market in two to five years. Aged, quality whiskey fetches an impressive premium, though brands do not have the financial means to keep the barrels on their books during the multi-year aging process. This is where ASM Capital Group comes in. The group invests in barrels of American Single Malt Whiskey, storing and insuring them through the aging process, resulting in a valuable finished asset. For investors, this physical commodity is a low-risk asset filling distillation and production gap market needs something that will continue to increase as the category booms. With a strong international partner network overcoming the usual barriers to whiskey investing, ASM Capital Group aims to level the supply imbalance and lead the marketplace with 60% ASM category ownership. For more information on ASM Capital Group, visit their website at www.asm.capital . PR Contact: KLG Public Relations | [email protected] About ASM Capital Group ASM Capital Group is a trailblazing, new spirits investment fund elevating the newly commissioned American Single Malt Whiskey category on a global scale. Led by father-son duo, Rob and Hunter Robillard, alongside exceptional talent in the spirits and investment space, it is the only fund 100% dedicated to the growth of the American Single Malt Whiskey category. Bridging the gap between spirits brands, distilleries, exporters and forward-thinking investors, the fund is designed to meet and support the growing needs of home-grown brands seeking aged whiskey products in the global market. By providing unique inventory capital solutions for distilleries and brands, ASM Capital Group is positioned to be the leading supplier of matured American Single Malt inventory worldwide. Additional information on ASM Capital Group can be found on their website at www.asm.capital . SOURCE ASM Capital Group PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Heinemann today announced that Professional Books author Marilyn Pryle has been named one of the top 50 finalists for the 2025 Global Teacher Prize. The prize, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation organized in collaboration with UNESCO, serves to underline the importance of educators and recognize and celebrate their efforts in every corner of the world by acknowledging the impacts of the very best teachers not only on their students but on the communities around them. Pryle has been recognized for her work as a World Literature teacher in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania where she also founded the Scranton English Conversation Group to support the area's growing refugee population. The top 10 finalists will be chosen later this month and a winner will be announced at the World Governments Summit in Dubai from February 11-13. Past winners have included a Pakastani teacher who founded her own school for underprivileged children in the courtyard of her home at just 13, a primary teacher who transformed education for young girls in a remote village in India, a teacher working with indigenous communities in a fly-in Inuit village in the Canadian Arctic, as well as Heinemann author Nancie Atwell, who was awarded the inaugural Global Teacher Prize in 2015 for her pioneering work with K-8 students in Maine. "Heinemann is delighted to congratulate Marilyn for being recognized as a Top 50 finalist for this year's Global Teacher Prize," said Maggie DeMont, general manager of Heinemann. "Her mission to create classrooms that foster student voice, self-expression and critical thinking is both inspiring and far-reaching in its impact. It's been our privilege to publish Marilyn's most recent professional books and help to share her philosophy with educators across the globe." Pryle is the author of many acclaimed books including Teaching Students to Write Effective Essays, Writing Workshop for Middle School and Reading With Presence: Crafting Meaningful, Evidence-Based Reading Responses. Her latest book, 5 Questions for Any Text: Critical Reading in the Age of Disinformation, was released at the end of 2024. For more information about Heinemann's resources for teachers, please visit Heinemann.com/teacherresources. About Marilyn Pryle Marilyn Pryle is a National Board Certified teacher in secondary English and reading instruction. She has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels, and in several ELL programs. Her first job, after graduating from The University of Scranton, was in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Later, while living in Boston and completing an MFA in Creative Writing, she began teaching a full-time 8th grade writing workshop. Her work with this group creating her own materials and scaffolding them to ensure a progression of learning became her first book, Teaching Students to Write Effective Essays. Pryle has since written many other books about teaching reading and writing, including Writing Workshop for Middle School, 50 Common Core Reading Response Activities, 50 Writing Activities for Meeting Higher Standards, Reading with Presence, and most recently 5 Questions for Any Text. She teaches 10th grade World Literature in Clarks Summit, PA, and was named Pennsylvania's 2019 Teacher of the Year. In 2020, Pryle completed an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on global education; her dissertation examined the effects on high school students after participation in an English language conversation group for local refugee families in Scranton, PA. In 2021, she received a Fulbright Fellowship with the Teachers for Global Classrooms program. She has also served on the Governing Board of the Mid-Atlantic REL since 2019. About Heinemann Heinemann is a publisher of professional resources and a provider of educational services for educators, kindergarten through college. Heinemann supports the professionalism and compassion of teachers as they help children become literate, empathetic, knowledgeable citizens. Heinemann authors are exemplary educators eager to support the practice of other teachers through books, videos, workshops, online courses and most recently through explicit teaching materials. Heinemann is dedicated to teachers. Discover the path to lifelong professional learning at Heinemann.com. Media Contact: Erika McCaffrey Communications Director Heinemann Publishing [email protected] SOURCE Heinemann NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global automotive engine oil market size is estimated to grow by USD 12.5 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. Growing number of vehicles in use is driving market growth, with a trend towards advances in engine oil technology. However, fluctuating crude oil prices poses a challenge. Key market players include AMSOIL Inc., BP Plc, Chevron Corp., China Petrochemical Corp., Eni SpA, Exxon Mobil Corp., FUCHS SE, GS Corp., Hinduja Group Ltd., Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., MOTUL SA, Nandan Group, PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad, PJSC LUKOIL, Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN SA, Repsol SA, Shell plc, TotalEnergies SE, and Valvoline Inc.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Engine Oil Market 2025-2029 Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Automotive Engine Oil Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2024 Historic period 2019 - 2023 Forecast period 2025-2029 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4% Market growth 2025-2029 USD 12.5 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 3.8 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 49% Key countries China, US, Germany, Japan, France, India, UK, Brazil, UAE, and Canada Key companies profiled AMSOIL Inc., BP Plc, Chevron Corp., China Petrochemical Corp., Eni SpA, Exxon Mobil Corp., FUCHS SE, GS Global Corp., Hinduja Group Ltd., Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., MOTUL SA, Nandan Group, PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad, PJSC LUKOIL, Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN SA, Repsol SA, Shell plc, TotalEnergies SE, and Valvoline Inc. Market Driver The global automotive engine oil market is experiencing significant growth due to the adoption of advanced technologies. Vendors are investing in research and development to create superior engine oils using advanced antioxidants, surfactants, high-pressure agents, and superior corrosion inhibitors. The market is witnessing the increasing use of bonded technology, where high-pressure lubricants are formulated through the chemical treatment of hydrocarbons. These advanced lubricants offer improved resistance to high temperatures and pressure, as well as enhanced anti-corrosion properties. Vendors are also minimizing the usage of particles like graphite, molybdenum disulfide, and polytetrafluoroethylene resins to improve engine performance and emissions. These advancements in engine oil technology are anticipated to fuel the growth of the global automotive engine oil market during the forecast period. The automotive engine oil market is witnessing significant trends in motor oil products for various types of vehicle engines. Temperature control is crucial in engine assembly, with transmission chambers requiring high-quality oil to prevent rusting and oxidation. Petroleum-based base oils and additives are key raw materials for conventional and synthetic lubes. Vehicle production is driving demand for motor oil, with electric vehicles also requiring specific types. Transmission and spark plugs benefit from high-performance engine oils. Logistics activities are essential for timely delivery of these products. Temperature management remains a challenge, especially in turbocharged engines. Synthetic engine oils, semi-synthetic, and mineral grade types cater to diverse needs. Fuel types like gasoline, ammonia, CNG, and LNG influence oil selection. Friction reduction and engine protection are primary concerns. Oil grades and additives, such as detergents, dispersants, and anti-wear agents, are essential for optimal engine performance. Crude oil prices impact the cost of base oils, making price fluctuations a significant factor. The market is expected to grow, driven by increasing vehicle production and the shift towards cleaner fuels. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Market Challenges The automotive engine oil market relies on petroleum hydrocarbons derived from crude oil for production. Crude oil price volatility directly impacts engine oil pricing. In 2022, the global crude oil market experienced erratic quarterly averages, with prices ranging from USD83 to USD112.4 per barrel. These fluctuations create uncertainty for the demand of petroleum hydrocarbons in engine oil manufacturing. As a result, the automotive engine oil market growth may face challenges due to the unpredictable crude oil price trends during the forecast period. to per barrel. These fluctuations create uncertainty for the demand of petroleum hydrocarbons in engine oil manufacturing. As a result, the automotive engine oil market growth may face challenges due to the unpredictable crude oil price trends during the forecast period. The automotive engine oil market faces several challenges in the raw materials sector, particularly in the sourcing of base oils and additives. Crude oil prices and availability impact base oil production, while the demand for additives like ammonia, detergents, and dispersants increases due to emissions reduction requirements. Turbochargers in engines generate more heat, necessitating high-performance engine oils that function as insulators for moving parts. Urbanization drives demand for motor oils in passenger vehicles, LCVs, and HCVs, as well as off-highway construction vehicles. OEMs prefer BSIV compliant, light-weight engine oils for gasoline and diesel engines. Alternative fuels like CNG, LNG, and e-commerce platforms influence oil change intervals and automation in oil change services. Market leaders like Castrol innovate with semi-synthetic and mineral grade types to cater to diverse engine types and fuel types. The Marcellus shale and Permian basin contribute to the base oil supply, while OEMs collaborate to develop engine-specific oils. Friction between engine parts and the need for longer oil drain intervals necessitate advanced additives and formulations. The market is witnessing the adoption of robotics and automation in oil production and distribution. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! Segment Overview This automotive engine oil market report extensively covers market segmentation by Application 1.1 Passenger vehicles 1.2 Commercial vehicles Type 2.1 Diesel 2.2 Petrol 2.3 Alternative fuels Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 Europe 3.3 North America 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Passenger vehicles- The global automotive engine oil market is experiencing significant growth due to the high consumption of engine oil in passenger vehicles. Passenger cars, which use passenger car motor oil (PCMO), account for a large portion of vehicles in operation. The consumption of engine oil depends on various factors, including engine type, cylinder displacement, and service intervals. Mineral-based engine oil is commonly used in gasoline, flex-fuel, and utility vehicles, while full synthetic oil is preferred for high-performance engines. Major engine oil manufacturers are investing in advanced technologies to meet evolving Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. These standards apply to gasoline, diesel, and hybrid vehicles. Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are continuously improving engine performance and energy efficiency, leading to increased demand for passenger vehicles with advanced fuel injection systems, variable cylinder displacement, and hybrid powertrains. Key players in the passenger vehicle engine oil market include BP Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp, Chevron Corp., Shell Plc, and Valvoline Inc. They provide a range of engine oil grades and specifications to cater to diverse customer needs. Both conventional (mineral oil-based) and synthetic engine oil (semi and fully synthetic) are available in various viscosity grades. These vendors ensure their products comply with regulatory requirements, such as the new ILSAC GF-6A and GF-6B regulations, which address increased friction levels and enhanced engine protection. These regulations are expected to boost engine oil adoption and fuel the growth of the passenger vehicle segment in the global automotive engine oil market. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Research Analysis The automotive engine oil market is driven by the need for efficient and cleaner lubrication solutions for various engine types, including gasoline and diesel. The market's growth is influenced by several factors, such as the use of advanced base oils derived from crude oil and the addition of additives like dispersants, detergents, and ammonia for emissions reduction. The shift towards light-weight engines and alternative fuels like CNG, LNG, and Marcellus shale is also impacting the market's growth. Turbochargers are increasingly being used to improve engine performance, leading to the demand for high-performance engine oils. The market offers various grade insights, including mineral grade type and semi-synthetic, with the latter gaining popularity due to their extended oil drain intervals. E-commerce platforms are also transforming the way engine oils are sold and distributed. Market Research Overview The automotive engine oil market is driven by the demand for efficient and high-performance lubricants to protect engine parts from friction, heat, rusting, and oxidation. The market utilizes various raw materials, primarily crude oil as the base, and adds various additives such as ammonia, detergents, and dispersant additives to enhance performance. The market caters to different engine types, including gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels like CNG, LNG, and electric vehicles. Urbanization and the increasing use of off-highway construction vehicles have led to a rise in demand for engine oils that meet emissions reduction standards like BSIV compliant. The market also caters to light-weight engines, which require motor oils with shorter oil drain intervals. Advancements in technology, such as automation, robotics, e-commerce, and longer oil change intervals, have transformed the market. The market is segmented into different engine types, including passenger vehicles, LCV, HCV, two-wheelers, and commercial vehicles. The production of vehicle engines requires various motor oil products, including synthetic lubes and conventional oil, during engine assembly and transmission chamber processes. The market is influenced by various factors, including temperature, soot, and the type of fuel used, such as petroleum, LNG fuels from Marcellus shale and the Permian basin, and OEM specifications. The market also caters to different vehicle types, including diesel and petrol engines, and electric vehicles. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Passenger Vehicles Commercial Vehicles Type Diesel Petrol Alternative Fuels Geography APAC Europe North America South America Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aviation fuel Market is estimated in terms of market size to be USD 200.21 billion in 2024 to USD 325.98 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 8.5% and in terms of volume to be 86.20 billion gallons in 2024 to 132.80 billion gallons by 2030 at a CAGR of 7.5%t during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Aviation fuel manufacturers focus on developing high quality fuels that enhance the aircrafts performance and reduce operational costs associated with air travel. Increasing focus on reducing aviations emissions impact on environment have increased the investment in sustainable aviation fuels. Aviation fuel manufacturers play a pivotal role in providing efficient and environmentally responsible fuel to the global aviation industry. Advancements and availability of various fuel producing techniques is also contributing to the aviation fuel market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=231148230 Browse in-depth TOC on "Aviation fuel Market" 350 Tables 60 Figures 600 Pages Aviation fuel Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $ 200.21 billion Estimated Value by 2030 $ 325.98 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% Market Size Available for 20202030 Forecast Period 20242030 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Fuel Type, Aircraft Type, End User Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Supply chain disruptions Key Market Opportunities Surge in demand for renewable and circular solutions Key Market Drivers Rising global air passenger and cargo traffic By Aircraft Type, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) segment for the aviation fuel market is projected to grow at highest market share during the forecast period. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) segment by aircraft type is projected to grow at highest market share due to growing demand for use in defense sector for activities like ISR and tactical operations. Technological development further propels the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market, especially the propulsion system and alternative fuels. Innovations with hybrid-electric and hydrogen power and integration with SAFs address both concerns around the efficiency of operationalization and environment. Regulatory policies promoting Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) inclusion into controlled airspace along with research and development promoted by the governments help expand this market. As the demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) grows across various sectors, the segment is going to drive significant changes in the aviation fuel market and, therefore, will be one of the key contributors to the evolution of the industry during the forecast period. Based on fuel type, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) segment will be dominating the market acting as an ideal form of aviation fuel. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) segment will be dominating the market acting as an ideal form of aviation fuel in terms of environmental concerns. SAF has the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% which helps the global aviation sector to align with the aim of achieving net-zero emissions. Also, airlines are increasingly incorporating SAF to meet regulatory requirements, thereby contributing to the growing demand for Saf aviation fuel. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=231148230 Asia Pacific holds the second highest market share in the regions considered for the aviation fuel market. Asia Pacific is projected to hold the second highest market share in the regions considered for aviation fuel market in the forecast period. Increasing air travel demands in the region both for domestic and international is fuelling the demand for aviation fuel in the region. Also, Governments and aviation sector in the region is actively investing in the production of SAF innovations. The key hubs in Singapore continue to dominate as the global transit points, while in emerging markets, there is rapid construction of airports and expansion of fleets to take care of more passenger traffic. This growth directly correlates with higher consumption of aviation fuel thereby increasing the Asia Pacific region market share. Key Players Key Players in Aviation Fuel companies such as Exxon Mobil Corporation (US), Chevron Corporation (US), BP P.L.C. (U.K.), Shell (U.K.), and TotalEnergies (France) are the major key players in the aviation fuel market. These companies have strong distribution networks across regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=231148230 Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market by Fuel Type (Biofuel, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Power to Liquid, Gas to Liquid), Biofuel Manufacturing Technology, Blending Capacity (Below 30%, 30% to 50%, Above 50%), Platform and Region - Global Forecast to 2030 Urban Air Mobility Market by Mobility Type (Air Taxi, Personal Air Vehicle, Cargo Air Vehicle, Air Shuttles & Metros), Solution (Platform, Charging, Vertiport), Platform Architecture (Multicopters, Lift + Cruise), Range & Region Global Forecast to 2035 Hydrogen Aircraft Market by Power Source (Hydrogen Combustion, Hydrogen Fuel Cell), Platform (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Air Taxis, and Business Jets), Range, Passenger Capacity, Technology, and Region (2020-2030) About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/aviation-fuel-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/aviation-fuel.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets GUIYANG, China, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Guizhou, located in the heart of southwestern China, features a landscape shaped by a mix of plateaus, mountains, hills, and basins. Known as "a Heaven of Myriad Mountains", Guizhou boasts karst peaks, highland lakes, deep gorges, waterfalls, sinkholes, and crevices, making it an ideal destination for mountain tourism and outdoor adventures. Be My Guest: The Peak Episode The short video series "Be My Guest Focus Guizhou", produced by Guizhou Satellite TV and the International Communication Center of Guizhou Radio and Television Station, features international photographers exploring the vibrant and diverse Guizhou. Through their cameras, the series captures their authentic experiences and the rich culture of Guizhou. In this episode, Ivan Mendelevich, a professional photographer and motorcycle enthusiast from Argentina, accepts an invitation from his friend Wang Menghan to embark on a thrilling "peak-chasing" journey across Guizhou. Their adventure begins at the Wanfenglin Scenic Area in Xingyi, where they weave through the karst peaks on motorcycles, feeling the wind roaring in their ears. Over 300 years ago, Xu Xiake, a renowned explorer and travel log writer of the Ming dynasty, praised Wanfenglin, saying, "Peaks abound across the world, but only here do they form a forest." Today, Ivan takes to the skies on a paraglider, embracing the open air and marveling from above at the unique landscape of Wanfenglin, or Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks. Next, Ivan and Wang visit the Xingyi Guizhou Dragon Fossil In-Situ Protection Museum to explore fossils of the Guizhou Ichthyosaur, ancient marine reptiles from over 200 million years ago. They learn about the region's geological history from the museum guide. Their journey concludes at Mount Fanjing, where Ivan captures breathtaking views of a starlit sky and the soft light of dawn with his camera. At the Mount Fanjing Wildlife Rescue Center, he encounters the Guizhou golden monkey, a rare and endangered species listed as China's national first-class protected wild animal and often called the "special, and only child of the Earth," hidden deep within the mountain's pristine forests. "Guizhou has truly amazed me! Next time, I will come back together with my family and friends to discover more landscapes of the region," Ivan says. This exhilarating and adventurous journey gave him a glimpse of Guizhou's distinctive charm, leaving him eager to return for his next exploration. https://youtu.be/Xk-rCuYy7d8 SOURCE Guizhou Satellite TV; International Communication Center of Guizhou Radio and Television Station EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas announced multi-billion dollar aid provided to Ukraine and the EU's preparation of the 16th package of sanctions against Russia. "We have provided well over 130 billion in total. Close to 50 billion in military support. This makes us the biggest international donor of Ukraine. We will have trained 75,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of next month. We have adopted the most wide-sweeping sanctions [against the Russian Federation] we have ever imposed. (...) Now we are working on another a 16th package of sanctions," Kallas said, speaking in Brussels at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency on Wednesday. Speaking about the use of emergency revenues from frozen Russian assets in the interests of Ukraine, the head of European diplomacy explained that this would provide "more ammunition, more air defense and a cash injections in the European Ukrainian defense industry." "I also want to look into doing even more, including on immobilised assets to fight for Ukraine," Kallas said. At the same time, she called for coordinating "capacity planning and European Union defense industrial policy." "Here, we must also learn from past experience. The million rounds initiative for Ukraine was an Estonian idea. And although we have now delivered well over a million rounds, in the end it was too little, too late. We need to make sure that we can ramp up our defense industry and get the products we need on time," the head of EU diplomacy said. Cadence has signed a merger agreement with FCB Financial Corp., the bank holding company for First Chatham Bank HOUSTON and TUPELO, Miss., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement with FCB Financial Corp., the bank holding company for First Chatham Bank, a Savannah, Georgia-based community bank. Founded in 2002 by local business leaders who live and work in the community, First Chatham Bank operates eight branches across the Greater Savannah area. First Chatham Bank became the first community bank chartered in Chatham County since 1989. The merger will expand Cadence Bank's presence in the rapidly growing Savannah, Georgia, market and in coastal Georgia communities. As of September 30, 2024 (unaudited), First Chatham reported total assets of $590 million, total loans of $329 million and total deposits of $510 million. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Cadence Bank will issue 2,300,000 shares of common stock, plus $23.1 million in cash, for all outstanding shares of FCB Financial Corp. stock, subject to certain conditions and potential adjustments. Based on Cadence's 10-day moving average price of $34.98 on January 21, 2025, the transaction is valued at approximately $103.6 million. "First Chatham Bank's deep roots in the local market and its commitment to serving customers align perfectly with our culture as a relationship-driven regional bank. Together, we'll build on shared values of service and trust to deliver meaningful financial solutions," said Dan Rollins, chairman and CEO of Cadence Bank. "Operating within a diverse and dynamic regional economy fueled by robust manufacturing, port operations and logistics, tourism, healthcare and real estate development, as well as an active military presence, this partnership strengthens our ability to support the individuals, families and businesses that drive our communities forward." Chairman of FCB Financial Corp. Steve Green added: "The board of directors is thrilled to join forces with Cadence Bank, marking the culmination of a journey that began over 20 years ago. This union will enable the talented First Chatham team to deepen our commitment to serving customers and communities in Savannah and Coastal Georgia, and enhance our ability to deliver exceptional service and innovative products in a dynamic and rapidly growing market. It will allow us to continue to be a bank of choice for both local families and businesses, now with expanded capabilities and broader expertise." Upon completion of the transaction, First Chatham Bank President & CEO Ken Farrell will serve as Cadence Bank Division President - Southeast Georgia. The merger has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Pending regulatory approval, the approval of FCB Financial Corp. shareholders, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, it is anticipated to close during the third quarter of 2025. FCB Financial Corp. was advised in this transaction by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC as financial advisor and Alston & Bird, LLP as legal counsel. In addition to the information contained within this news release, an investor presentation has been posted on Cadence's Investor Relations site and has been furnished as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Federal Reserve. The presentation contains additional information regarding the merger with FCB Financial Corp. For more information about Cadence Bank, visit CadenceBank.com . About Cadence Bank Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) is a leading regional banking franchise with approximately $50 billion in assets and over 350 branch locations across the South and Texas. Cadence provides consumers, businesses and corporations with a full range of innovative banking and financial solutions. Services and products include consumer banking, consumer loans, mortgages, home equity lines and loans, credit cards, commercial and business banking, treasury management, specialized lending, asset-based lending, commercial real estate, equipment financing, correspondent banking, SBA lending, foreign exchange, wealth management, investment and trust services, financial planning, and retirement plan management. Additional information about Cadence Bank and its products and services can be found at www.cadencebank.com . Cadence Bank, Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may not be based upon historical facts and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may be identified by their reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "seek," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "foresee," "hope," "may," "might," "plan," "should," "predict," "project," "goal," "outlook," "potential," "will," "will result," "will likely result," or "would" or future or conditional verb tenses and variations or negatives of such terms. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those relating to the terms, timing and closing of the merger, the benefits and synergies expected from the merger, and the ability of Cadence Bank to close the merger in a timely manner or at all. Cadence Bank cautions readers not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, in that actual results could differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of Cadence Bank. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the ability of Cadence Bank and FCB Financial Corp. to complete the merger, the ability of Cadence Bank and FCB Financial Corp. to satisfy the conditions to the completion of the merger, including the approval of the merger by FCB Financial Corp.'s shareholders and the receipt of all regulatory approvals required for the merger on the terms expected in the merger agreement, the ability of Cadence Bank and FCB Financial Corp. to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the merger, the potential impact upon Cadence Bank of any delay in the closing of the merger, the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits, cost savings and synergies of the merger will not be realized or will not be realized as expected, the acceptance by customers of FCB Financial Corp. of Cadence Bank's products and services if the merger closes, the failure of the merger to close for any other reason, the effect of the announcement of the merger on Cadence Bank's operating results, the possibility that the merger may be more expensive or time consuming to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events, and the impact of all other factors generally understood to affect the assets, business, cash flows, financial condition, liquidity, prospects and/or results of operations of financial services companies and the other factors described under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by law, Cadence Bank does not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. Additional Information and Participants in the Solicitation This communication is being made in respect of the merger of FCB Financial Corp. discussed in this press release. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. In connection with the merger, Cadence Bank and FCB Financial Corp. will deliver a proxy statement and related offering materials to the shareholders of FCB Financial Corp. seeking approval of the merger and related matters. THE SHAREHOLDERS OF FCB FINANCIAL CORP. ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OFFERING MEMORANDUM CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGER, CADENCE BANK AND FCB FINANCIAL CORP. The proxy statement and related offering memorandum will also be made available without charge from the Corporate Secretary of each of Cadence Bank and FCB Financial Corp. The Corporate Secretary of Cadence Bank may be contacted by mail at Attention: Corporate Secretary, Cadence Bank, 201 South Spring Street, Tupelo, Mississippi 38804. Cadence Bank and FCB Financial Corp., and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of FCB Financial Corp. in respect of the merger. Certain information about the directors and executive officers of Cadence Bank is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC") on Feb 23, 2024 (the "Form 10-K"), and in its proxy statement for its 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the FDIC on March 15, 2024. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the proxy statement and related offering memorandum when they become available. SOURCE Cadence Bank Strong leadership transitions and new appointments highlight CIWA's commitment to excellence SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Insurance Wholesalers Association (CIWA), a leading trade association representing E&S insurance wholesalers, carriers, and supporting entities in California, announces transitions within its Executive Board and welcomes new additions to the Board of Directors. Effective immediately following CIWA's board meeting on January 19th, the following Executive Board transitions have been confirmed: From left to right: Jeff Case, Andrea House, Yana Connors, Sarah Sloan, Aimee Bernadicou, David Klayman, Peter Schifrin, Caleb Whitehouse, Garett Kaneko, and Jack Else Yana Connors of Ck Specialty has been appointed President, transitioning from her previous role as Vice President of Ck Specialty has been appointed President, transitioning from her previous role as Vice President Garett Kaneko of Amwins moves into the position of Vice President, having served as Treasurer of Amwins moves into the position of Vice President, having served as Treasurer Sarah Sloan of Paragon Insurance Holdings steps into the role of Treasurer, previously serving as Secretary of Paragon Insurance Holdings steps into the role of Treasurer, previously serving as Secretary Aimee Bernadicou of Wholesure assumes the position of Secretary, transitioning from her role as a director of Wholesure assumes the position of Secretary, transitioning from her role as a director John Donahue , also of Wholesure, remains on the board and transitions to the role of Immediate Past President Additionally, CIWA welcomes two new esteemed members to its Board of Directors: David Klayman of Seneca, the Association's Platinum Sponsor of Seneca, the Association's Platinum Sponsor Jack Else of Nationwide "These changes reflect CIWA's commitment to strong leadership and strategic direction," said John Donahue, outgoing Immediate Past President. "I am confident that Yana will lead CIWA with excellence, and I am proud to pass the torch to her." Yana Connors, newly appointed President, expressed her enthusiasm for the future: "I am honored and excited to serve as CIWA's President for the coming years. With the support of our dedicated board and members, I look forward to advancing our mission and furthering CIWA's impact in the industry." All new directors were formally installed on January 20th during CIWA's Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, CA. Members of CIWA's board are elected to serve two-year terms, following a structured executive track rotation. For more information about CIWA and its initiatives, please visit ciwa.net . About CIWA The California Insurance Wholesalers Association, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Their vision is to perpetuate the education, advancement and advocacy of wholesale insurance professionals and their affiliated business partners. Visit ciwa.net . Tax ID 95-4369749 Media Contact Anita Nevins, Direct Connection Advertising & Marketing 707-429-0877 | [email protected] SOURCE California Insurance Wholesalers Association, Inc. Company's Connected Platform on Full Display in Booth 1426 at the 2025 NADA Show This Month CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) (d/b/a " Cars Commerce "), an audience-driven technology company empowering automotive, shares new data about the value of its connected platform. Dealer customers taking advantage of more than one of the platform's four core capabilities (Marketplace, Digital Experience, Trade & Appraisal and Media Network) on average receive up to 2x more leads and connections from consumers and sell inventory at least 10% faster than those using only one of the platform's capabilities. "We've built an interoperable platform that helps our customers sell cars plain and simple. Considering the most pressing challenges retailers are facing this year center around used-car acquisition strategies to drive more profit, audience targeting and competitive differentiation, I'm confident the Cars Commerce platform is the solution to drive sales, operational efficiency and profitability for our customers," said Alex Vetter, CEO of Cars Commerce. According to a recent Cars Commerce survey, the top concerns of auto retailers in 2025 mimic challenges faced in 2024 only their concern of acquiring more used cars more profitably grew 20 ppts year over year. The top three 2025 dealer paint points are: Acquiring more used vehicles, more profitability Targeting higher quality in-market shoppers Differentiating our dealership from competitors The Cars Commerce platform offers technology and solutions to advertise inventory and unique dealership brands, target and reach in-market shoppers, manage reputation, efficiently acquire used inventory directly from consumers, promote and differentiate dealerships across marketplace and websites, and, ultimately, operate more efficiently with a single provider. The Cars Commerce platform four core capabilities include: Marketplace : As the No. 1 most recognized automotive marketplace and largest automotive review platform, Cars.com customers have the opportunity to showcase the full value of their inventory and consumer experience beyond just price to approximately 25 million unique, ready-to-buy shoppers each month. Generating the most website referrals per dealer compared to its closest competitors, Cars.com confidently refers shoppers directly to the retail environment, where sales and service is best left to the pros. As the No. 1 most recognized automotive marketplace and largest automotive review platform, Cars.com customers have the opportunity to showcase the full value of their inventory and consumer experience beyond just price to approximately 25 million unique, ready-to-buy shoppers each month. Generating compared to its closest competitors, Cars.com confidently refers shoppers directly to the retail environment, where sales and service is best left to the pros. Digital Experience : Cars Commerce offers a next-generation digital experience through its industry-leading brand Dealer Inspire, with a recently upgraded website platform offering. Importantly, retailers who leverage a Dealer Inspire website and add a Cars.com marketplace package can sell their inventory, on average, four days faster than those leveraging only a Dealer Inspire website, gaining an approximately 10% lift in inventory turn time and seeing 40% more key events (forms, chat, click to call) to their website compared to dealers with only a Dealer Inspire website. Retailers attending NADA can access a new Website Health Report in the Cars Commerce booth to review performance and identify areas for optimization. Cars Commerce offers a next-generation digital experience through its industry-leading brand Dealer Inspire, with a offering. Importantly, retailers who leverage a Dealer Inspire website and add a Cars.com marketplace package can sell their inventory, on average, four days faster than those leveraging only a Dealer Inspire website, gaining an approximately and seeing (forms, chat, click to call) to their website compared to dealers with only a Dealer Inspire website. Retailers attending NADA can access a new in the Cars Commerce booth to review performance and identify areas for optimization. Trade & Appraisal : With AccuTrade, retailers can gain a scalable appraisal profit engine. In 2024, retailers completed more than 2.5 million appraisals through AccuTrade with 45% more used-car acquisitions year over year. These dealers also unlocked new, profitable growth for their business by acquiring inventory directly from their service drives. Pairing AccuTrade's trade and appraisal technology with the Cars.com marketplace delivers a 90% lift in total leads , and those leads convert to double-digit higher sales. For retailers attending NADA, a new personalized Marketplace Inventory Score Report uses data science to determine whether a dealer's inventory could be at risk based on pedigree of the vehicle, supply and demand, and the dealership's ability to sell specific kinds of vehicles. For deeper insights to provide optimal exit / pricing strategies and the technology needed to manage poor or performing inventory, Cars Commerce will offer a sneak peek of their new inventory management system, AccuTrade Inventory Intelligence Platform, at the booth. With AccuTrade, retailers can gain a scalable appraisal profit engine. In 2024, retailers completed more than 2.5 million appraisals through AccuTrade with These dealers also by acquiring inventory directly from their service drives. Pairing AccuTrade's trade and appraisal technology with the Cars.com marketplace , and those leads convert to double-digit higher sales. For retailers attending NADA, a new personalized uses data science to determine whether a dealer's inventory could be at risk based on pedigree of the vehicle, supply and demand, and the dealership's ability to sell specific kinds of vehicles. For deeper insights to provide optimal exit / pricing strategies and the technology needed to manage poor or performing inventory, Cars Commerce will offer a sneak peek of their new inventory management system, AccuTrade Inventory Intelligence Platform, at the booth. Cars Commerce Media Network : In a new, simplified dealer product suite debuting at NADA 2025, the Cars Commerce Media Network offers four performance and brand media solutions powered by Cars.com's powerful audience. The offering aims to deliver on outcomes most important to retailers, including Awareness, Consideration, VDP Traffic and Turn Rate. According to a recent case study of 25 Cars Commerce media customers, it was found that Cars.com shoppers convert 5x higher than Google's audiences and Cars.com's cost-per-click is 32% lower than dealer first-party data. In addition, marketplace and/or website customers who add a media package consistently see double-digit improvements in connections. To follow Cars Commerce platform updates, visit here . To witness the Cars Commerce platform in action, visit booth No. 1426 at the 2025 NADA Show, the largest U.S. automotive event of the year, held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Jan. 23-26. Based on an internal analysis of Cars Commerce ~18,000 customer base, October 2024 Cars.com Internal Data, 309 survey responses from dealers and dealership personnel, November 2024 Cars.com Brand Tracker, Q4 2024 Cars Commerce Internal Data, Dealer Inspire plus Marketplace referral data, Q2 2023 Internal Cars Commerce data and analysis looking at key events from 2,189 Dealer Inspire customers and 1,527 Dealer Inspire plus Cars.com marketplace customers, October 2024 Cars Commerce Internal data, Total Appraisals and Total Appraisals Won, January-December 2024 Cars Commerce internal data, January 2024 Cars Commerce Case Study with 25 Dealer Inspire plus Cars.com marketplace customers, October-December 2024 Cars Commerce internal data and analysis of Marketplace and Website customers plus addition of Media, January 2024 ABOUT CARS COMMERCE Cars Commerce is an audience-driven technology company empowering automotive that simplifies everything about buying and selling cars. The Cars Commerce platform includes the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, innovative digital marketing technology and services from Dealer Inspire, industry-leading trade-in and appraisal technology from AccuTrade, an exclusive in-market media network, and powerful and predictive AI technologies that enable more efficient and profitable retail operations. Cars Commerce is the essential partner to stay one step ahead in automotive. Learn more at www.carscommerce.inc . SOURCE Cars Commerce LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Catholic Hospice, a leader in hospice care throughout South Florida, is proud to announce the appointment of Diana Smith-Lopez as the organization's new Executive Director. With more than 26 years of experience in the hospice and palliative care sector, Diana is a visionary leader committed to excellence in patient care, operational efficiency, and healthcare management. Diana Smith-Lopez (PRNewsfoto/Catholic Hospice) Diana's career is distinguished by her expertise in regulatory compliance, care coordination, and leadership within complex healthcare environments. Her dedication to optimizing workflows and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based practices has earned her a reputation for delivering outstanding results. Her strategic, patient-centered approach to leadership aims to foster growth and elevate the quality of care provided by Catholic Hospice. A registered nurse by training, Diana began her career in oncology, where her innate leadership skills quickly propelled her into roles of greater responsibility. Over the years, her passion for combining compassionate care with effective management led her to hospice care, where she has had a profound impact on both patients and teams. Prior to joining Catholic Hospice in 2023 as Senior Director of Hospice Operations, Diana spent 13 years with Vitas, ultimately rising to Senior General Manager in Palm Beach. During her tenure, she played an instrumental role in the program's expansion and was recognized for her contributions with multiple accolades, including a nomination to the prestigious Circle of Excellence. Since joining Catholic Hospice, Diana has worked diligently to enhance daily operations, integrate policies that improve care quality, and ensure a seamless experience for families. As Executive Director, a position she assumed in October 2024, Diana is committed to advancing the organization's mission and vision of delivering compassionate care at the end of life. She is focused on empowering staff and strengthening community outreach to ensure the organization continues to lead with compassion and excellence. Catholic Hospice is a community-based not-for-profit program, affiliated with Catholic Health Services, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami, serving the South Florida community since 1988. Catholic Hospice provides responsive end-of-life care for patients of all ages and faiths and assists families in caring for a loved one with reverence and dignity at the most vulnerable time in life's journey. Catholic Hospice has ICCs (in-patient care centers) at Holy Cross Hospital, St. Catherine's West, and St. Anne's Nursing Center. For more information- www.catholichospice.org Contact: Linda Lamers CHS, Sr. Director of Marketing/Communications (954) 484-1515 SOURCE Catholic Hospice THE WOODLANDS, Texas and DALLAS, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellipont Bioservices, a leading cell therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), and Secretome Therapeutics, a biotechnology company advancing therapies derived from neonatal cardiac progenitor cells (nCPCs), today announced a partnership for cGMP manufacturing of Secretome Therapeutic's lead asset STM-01. Under this partnership, Cellipont Bioservices will provide technology transfer, analytical method transfer, and cGMP manufacturing for the STM-01 Master Cell Bank. STM-01, a novel nCPC product, is protected under a recently issued composition of matter patent, which also covers STM-21, Secretome's lead secretome-based therapeutic. "We are very excited to collaborate with a company so dedicated to developing innovative solutions..." Post this About STM-01 and STM-21: STM-01 : STM-01 is a novel cellular therapy designed to address severe cardiovascular diseases, particularly dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). nCPCs release a unique set of paracrine factors that reduce inflammation, inhibit fibrosis and support tissue repair. Two multiple-ascending dose Phase 1 clinical trials studying STM-01 in patients with heart failure are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025. : STM-01 is a novel cellular therapy designed to address severe cardiovascular diseases, particularly dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). nCPCs release a unique set of paracrine factors that reduce inflammation, inhibit fibrosis and support tissue repair. Two multiple-ascending dose Phase 1 clinical trials studying STM-01 in patients with heart failure are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025. STM-21: STM-21 is a secretome-based therapeutic comprised of the bioactive molecules secreted by nCPCs, such as cytokines and exosomes, which promote cellular repair and reduce inflammation. STM-21 is in preclinical development for conditions driven by chronic inflammation, including skin wounds and neurodegenerative disease, with additional preclinical data expected in 2025. "This partnership with Secretome Therapeutics represents an exciting opportunity for Cellipont to support the advancement of cutting-edge cell therapies," said Darren Head, CEO of Cellipont Bioservices. "We are very excited to collaborate with a company so dedicated to developing innovative solutions that address significant unmet medical needs and improve patient outcomes." "A key objective for Secretome in 2025 is to produce STM-01 drug product that is suitable for late-stage clinical testing and potential commercial use," said Vinny Jindal, President and CEO of Secretome Therapeutics. "Cellipont's world-class facility and deep expertise in cGMP manufacturing for cell and gene therapies make them an ideal manufacturing partner and align perfectly with our mission to deliver transformative therapies for cardiovascular diseases and beyond." About Cellipont Cellipont Bioservices is a premier Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in the advancement of cell therapies. With a team of industry-leading experts, Cellipont is at the forefront of cell therapy development and manufacturing, offering comprehensive solutions from process development, analytical services, to large-scale commercial manufacturing. Our purpose-built facility, combined with our cutting-edge technology and commitment to quality enable us to support our clients in delivering life-changing cell therapies to patients worldwide. Cellipont Bioservices is dedicated to excellence in all aspects of our operations, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the expectations of our clients and the communities we serve. To learn more, visit www.cellipont.com. About Secretome Therapeutics Secretome Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of therapeutics derived from neonatal cardiac progenitor cells (nCPC) to treat underserved diseases. Our lead product, STM-01, is in clinical development for adult and pediatric forms of heart failure, and our pipeline includes novel secretomes for neurodegenerative and dermatological diseases. Through cutting-edge science and a commitment to innovation, Secretome Therapeutics aims to address critical unmet medical needs and transform patient care. To learn more, visit www.secretometherapeutics.com. SOURCE Cellipont Bioservices ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Strategic Investment Group ("Strategic") is pleased to announce that Christine Kelleher has joined the firm as a Managing Director on the Client Portfolio Management team. Christine joins a distinguished team of senior professionals with extensive industry experience who partner with clients to achieve their investment objectives. Christine Kelleher, Managing Director, Strategic Investment Group "We are delighted to welcome Christine, a seasoned investor with a strong track record of leadership in institutional investment management," said Nikki Kraus, Strategic's CEO. "She has an exemplary background, including sixteen years managing the endowment portfolios of the National Gallery of Art and Georgetown University, where she assisted with the founding of their investment office. All elements of her experience overseeing large endowment portfolios will be invaluable in our work to deliver exceptional investment results to our clients." Most recently, Christine served as Chief of Investments at the National Gallery of Art, where she managed the institution's $1.4 billion endowment portfolio. During her seven-year tenure, she implemented strategic initiatives that significantly enhanced the endowment's performance and sustainability. Prior to that, she held senior investment roles at Georgetown University and Avec Capital, where she was instrumental in developing and managing their alternative asset programs. Christine serves on several investment committees, including Montgomery County's Employee Retirement Plans Board of Investment Trustees and Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust. She is also a member of the American Chemical Society's Pensions and Investments Committee, the National 4-H Council's Investment Sub-committee, and Bucknell University's Humanities Center Alumni Advisory Council. She holds Master of Arts degrees in History and in Russian and East European Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in International Relations and Russian Language from Bucknell University. About Strategic Strategic Investment Group, a pioneer in dedicated Outsourced CIO (OCIO) solutions since 1987, has built enduring partnerships with institutional investors as an outsourced chief investment officer, providing its clients with active portfolio management, rigorous risk management, and open architecture manager selection. Strategic functions as our clients' investment partner and co-fiduciary, effectively becoming an extension of their resources. Clients are then free to focus on their core missions, while we focus on providing the highly specialized portfolio management expertise that clients need to meet their investment goals. Depending on a client's needs and preferences, Strategic can orchestrate the management of an entire portfolio comprising multiple asset classes, focus on specific asset classes, such as alternatives (e.g., venture capital/private equity, real estate, and/or hedge funds) or international investments, or manage strategies with high potential for adding value. Customized liability-driven investing (LDI) solutions, whether through an integrated total portfolio approach or a targeted long-duration strategy, are also available, as are solutions that address mission-related investment objectives. We strive to build enduring partnerships with our clients by strengthening their investment programs through a dynamic, value-enhancing investment process, sound governance framework, and world-class client service. Our mission is to empower clients to achieve transformational impact through inspired investing. Strategic had $30 billion in discretionary assets under management as of September 30, 2024. For further information contact: Ken Shimberg, Managing Director 703-243-4433 [email protected] SOURCE Strategic Investment Group HONG KONG, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883 (HKD Counter) and 80883 (RMB Counter), SSE: 600938) today announces its business strategy and development plan for the year 2025. Maintain stable capital expenditure, with net production set to exceed 2 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per day Annual payout ratio will be no less than 45% over the next three years In 2025, the Company's production will continue to grow and daily net production will exceed 2 million BOE. The net production target for the year is 760 million to 780 million BOE, of which, the production from China and overseas accounts for approximately 69% and 31%, respectively. The net production target is 780 million to 800 million BOE in 2026, and 810 million to 830 million BOE in 2027. In 2024, the net production is estimated to be approximately 720 million BOE, setting record highs for 6 consecutive years. The Company's capital expenditure will remain flat. In 2025, the total capital expenditure is budgeted at RMB125 to RMB135 billion, of which, the capital expenditures for exploration, development and production will account for approximately 16%, 61% and 20% of the total, respectively. The Company's capital expenditure for the year 2024 has been well implemented, which is expected to reach approximately RMB132 billion. The Company endeavors to search for large and medium-sized oil and gas fields, to strengthen the resource base for reserves and production growth. In 2025, the capital expenditure for exploration in China will mainly be directed to sustain crude oil reserves while expand natural gas reserves, led by the construction of the three trillion-cubic-meters-level gas regions. For overseas exploration, the Company will continue to focus on the Atlantic Ocean rim and the "Belt and Road" countries. Drilling will continue in Guyana and rolling exploration is planned in Nigeria. Seismic survey will be conducted in Mozambique and Iraq. At the same time, the Company will continue to seek for high quality acreage, especially operating assets. The Company will promote exploration and development integration, as well as engineering standardization, to accelerate the conversion of reserves into production. In 2025, multiple important new projects will be brought on stream, including Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield Development Project (Phase I) and Kenli 10-2 Oilfields Development Project (Phase I) in China, as well as Yellowtail Project in Guyana and Buzios7 Project in Brazil. While increasing reserves and production, the Company will actively promote technological innovation and green development. In 2025, the Company will continue the researches on key oil and gas exploration and development technologies and build intelligent oil and gas fields. Relying on the "Hi-Energy" artificial intelligence model, the Company will facilitate the in-depth integration of digital intelligence technology with the oil and gas business to promote lean management. The Company will drive the integrated development of hydrocarbon sector and new energy sectors. The scale of offshore wind power will be gradually expanded. Onshore photovoltaic projects will be screened and built. Green power substitution will be expedited. In 2025, the green electricity consumption is expected to exceed 1 billion kWh, with an increase of 30% year-on-year. The Company has incorporated carbon price into investment evaluation process, and has been advancing the regional CCS/CCUS pilot projects. The Company attaches great importance to ESG and improves the Company's development strategy and governance system with ESG concepts. In terms of Environment, the Company has put environmental protection and energy conservation as priorities. Green development and emission reduction policies have been released and measures have been taken to proactively address the challenges of climate change. In terms of Society, the Company has endeavored to serve the society, create harmony, and benefit the people. The Company has been actively participating in public welfare undertakings to respond to social needs. In terms of Governance, the Company adheres to high standards of compliance and governance, strengthens the construction of the board of directors, and continuously improves the corporate governance system to achieve sustainable development. The Company has placed great emphasis on shareholder returns and shared the fruits of development with shareholders. Subject to the approval of the general meeting of shareholders, for the years 2025 to 2027, the expected annual dividend payout ratio will be no less than 45%. By adhering to the principle of returning to shareholders, the Company will adjust the above dividend policy based on changes in the market environment, while taking into account factors such as the shareholders' opinions, strategic planning, and operating results. Mr. Zhou Xinhuai, CEO of the Company, said, "In 2025, CNOOC Limited will solidly push forward the three key programs of increasing reserves and production, technological innovation and green development, to drive the Company's high-quality and steady development. We will actively share the fruits of development with our shareholders while enhancing our capability of value creation." End Notes to Editors: More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com. *** *** *** *** This press release includes forward looking information, including statements regarding the likely future developments in the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, such as expected future events, business prospects or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company as of this date in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company currently believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the current expectations and predictions of the Company is uncertain. Actual results, performance and financial condition may differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with macro-political and economic factors, fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industry, climate change and environmental policies, the Company's price forecast, mergers, acquisitions and divestments activities, HSSE and insurance policies and changes in anti-corruption, anti-fraud, anti-money laundering and corporate governance laws and regulations. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations. *** *** *** *** For further enquiries, please contact: Ms. Cui Liu Media & Public Relations CNOOC Limited Tel: +86-10-8452-6641 Fax: +86-10-8452-1441 E-mail: [email protected] Mr. Bunny Lee Porda Havas International Finance Communications Group Tel: +852 3150 6707 Fax: +852 3150 6728 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE CNOOC Limited SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucas Law established the firm's Legal Leaders Scholarship in 2023 and has since awarded five students with a total of $5,000 in scholarships. The Barrington, Illinois firm is thrilled to name Nariman Shehaiber as the newest recipient of the Legal Leaders Scholarship. Through our scholarship program, Lucas Law provides financial assistance for students who have demonstrated integrity, high ambitions, and passion for what they do. Our team is confident that Nariman exceeds each of those requirements. Legal Leaders Scholarship Winner, Spring 2025 Nariman is a first-generation college graduate and law student. Throughout her life, she has experienced and witnessed serious legal matters firsthand, and she grasps the true significance of having a skillful attorney on your side. Currently attending Loyola University Chicago School of Law, she is already getting a head start on building an impressive resume. As she begins her legal career, Nariman focuses on utilizing her own unique identity and background to connect with and help others. Lucas Law is happy to inform students that this scholarship is offered each semester, and we are currently accepting applications for the Fall 2025 scholarship from current and prospective law students. Eligible students must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and be at least 17 years of age. The scholarship application requires a written essay submission. The deadline for the Fall 2025 Lucas Law Legal Leaders Scholarship is May 14, 2025. For more information about the Lucas Law Legal Leaders Scholarship, please visit https://www.lucaslaw.com/scholarship. About Lucas Law Lucas Law has been representing residents and businesses throughout suburban Chicago since 1984. The firm represents a wide range of clientele, including personal injury victims, businesses, and people who are looking to establish comprehensive estate plans. With nearly four decades of legal experience, Attorney Joseph Lucas believes in providing honest, high-quality legal guidance to Illinois clients, and he has built a strong team of legal professionals in order to achieve this goal. More information about Lucas Law can be found on our website here: https://www.lucaslaw.com/. To schedule an initial consultation, call 847-381-8700. SOURCE Lucas Law HOUSTON, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooper Machinery Services ("Cooper") today announced the acquisition of ACI Services, Inc. ("ACI"), the industry leader in providing engineered solutions for reciprocating compressors. This acquisition further solidifies Cooper's position as the leader in the compression and engine systems market. Founded in 1960, ACI Services, Inc. has been at the forefront of delivering advanced solutions for reciprocating compressors. The company's offerings include engineering services, innovative hardware products, and tailored solutions. ACI has built its reputation on a foundation of customer-centric service, engineering excellence, and innovative problem-solving. "We are thrilled to welcome ACI Services, Inc. into the Cooper family," said Cooper CEO, Scott Buckhout. "ACI's expertise in reciprocating compressors, coupled with their innovative approach to engineering solutions, aligns with our mission to deliver best-in-class products and services to the energy industry. This acquisition enhances our ability to provide robust compressor solutions and underscores our commitment to serving the full breadth of our customers' needs." About Cooper Machinery Services Cooper Machinery Services, is the original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") and supplier of parts and after-sale services, and emissions reduction technologies to a large installed base of highly respected engine-compressor brands. The company's O.E.M. brands include AJAX, Cooper-Bessemer, CSI, Enterprise, Gemini, Superior, TSI, and TXC. They are a major supplier of after-sale support for non-Cooper engine-compressor brands such as CAT G3600 , Clark, Ingersoll Rand, Waukesha VHP, and Worthington. Manufacturing is conducted in its facilities in Houston, Texas, Salina, Kansas, and McPherson, Kansas, while on-site services are delivered through its extensive network of field technicians operating out of fully equipped repair and overhaul shops strategically located around the world. Cooper Machinery Services is a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management. About ACI Services, Inc. ACI Services, Inc. is the industry leader in providing engineered solutions for reciprocating compressors. Built on a foundation of detailed manufacturing of innovative hardware products, and exceptional customer service, ACI specializes in developing and comparing multiple solutions to ensure the best fit for each customer's goals and objectives. For more information, visit www.cooperservices.com. Press Contact: Chioma Eze 713-354-1900 http://www.cooperservices.com SOURCE Cooper Machinery Services - Innovative Multi-Brand Platform Expands to 15 Brands and nearly 200 Locations in Two Years - Restaurant Company & CEO Earn Spots on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers of 2024 - Global Taste Brands Venture with New Summit to Pioneer International Brands in U.S. in 2025 CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Craveworthy Brands ("Craveworthy") the innovative multi-brand restaurant company and franchisor wrapped up another record-breaking year since its inception in 2023. 2024 was marked by new leadership additions, strategic company ventures, pioneered innovative concepts, meaningful community impact and industry-leading recognition. Craveworthy Brands is the parent company of Bds Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Fresh Brothers Pizza, Flat Top Grill, Genghis Grill, Krafted Burger Bar + Tap, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Nomad Dawgs, Pastizza Pizza & Pasta, Scramblin Eds, Sigri Indian BBQ, The Budlong Southern Chicken and Wing It On! With the support of its dedicated team and leadership, Craveworthy stayed true to its mission of leveraging its innovative platform to breathe new life into legacy brands while super charging emerging concepts into world-class experiences. By instilling a hospitality-first approach and operational excellence, the Company fueled incredible brand loyalty and continued to create long-term value for its employees, franchise partners, shareholders and most importantly, its guests. "2024 was a milestone year for Craveworthy Brands," said Craveworthy Founder and CEO, Gregg Majewski. "A year defined by pure growth, innovation, passion, community and purpose, driving us to new heights in the restaurant and franchise industries. Every industry award or glowing guest review is a direct result of our team's relentless drive for excellence in every area of the business." Leadership Appointments Expansive Growth Hospitality Innovation The Company unveiled two of its one-of-a-kind, multi-brand dining concepts, Craveworthy Kitchen, in Chicago which feature its virtual brands like Scramblin' Eds, Pastizza Pizza + Pasta and Lucky Cat Poke Co. which feature its virtual brands like Scramblin' Eds, Pastizza Pizza + Pasta and Lucky Cat Poke Co. Craveworthy launched its newest virtual concept, Nomad Dawgs, in Wing It On! and The Budlong Southern Chicken, offering guests a chance to travel the world, one hot dog at a time. Craveworthy partnered with Budderfly to boost sustainability and drive energy consumption across its restaurant footprint. Community Impact Industry Recognition Looking ahead into the New Year, Craveworthy Brands is committed to building on its momentum from 2024 by continuing to elevate global dining experiences for its guests, opening more doors to entrepreneurship for its franchise partners and achieving its vision of $1B in systemwide sales. With a focus on culinary innovation, operational excellence and a hospitality-first approach, the Company is poised to redefine the future of quick-service and fast casual dining. "As we expand in 2025, we're more determined than ever to fuel our growth, push the limits of flavor and create memorable experiences with every brand in our portfolio," Majewski concluded. For more information about Craveworthy Brands please go to www.craveworthybrands.com. For more about the franchise opportunities, please visit www.craveworthybrands.com/franchising. About Craveworthy Brands Craveworthy Brands, the parent company of Bd's Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Fresh Brothers Pizza, Flat Top Grill, Genghis Grill, Krafted Burger Bar + Tap, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Nomad Dawgs, Pastizza Pizza & Pasta, Scramblin' Ed's, Sigri Indian BBQ, The Budlong Southern Chicken and Wing It On!, is dedicated to invigorating and supercharging legacy brands while nurturing and growing emerging brands. The company brings together diverse, yet complementary brands and an accomplished, veteran leadership team in the growing culinary space. In addition to building and operating leading restaurant brands, Craveworthy Brands is active in the communities it serves and creates exciting career opportunities for its team members. Bridging the distinctive individuality of its concepts with a shared culture and spirit of collaboration, the Company's goal is to create truly unique and craveworthy experiences every day, every shift and at every turn. Learn more about Craveworthy and its brands at CraveworthyBrands.com. SOURCE Craveworthy Brands Photo: Getty Images According to Western officials, as of the middle of January, North Korean forces in Kursk region lost about 4,000 people killed and wounded, including about 1,000 killed, the BBC said on Wednesday. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner states this is a very high figure, given that about 11,000 troops were sent to help Russia in Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces entered in August last year. Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that about 1,000 troops were killed in the battle. Gardner said this is a very high level of losses, and it is unacceptable for the North Korean contingent without significant reinforcements. According to the BBC, it is unclear where the wounded are being treated, and it is also unclear when and to what extent they will be replaced. In mid-January, South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported the deaths of more than 300 North Korean soldiers who fought for Russia. At least 2,700, according to their data, were wounded. Revolutionizing Short-Distance Air Travel: Flewber offers affordable, on-demand air travel, redefining how consumers and businesses approach short-distance travel. Flewber offers affordable, on-demand air travel, redefining how consumers and businesses approach short-distance travel. AI-Powered, On-Demand Air Travel at $199 : Flewber leverages cutting-edge AI to optimize routes, streamline booking, and provide seamless, affordable short-distance flights. Flewber leverages cutting-edge AI to optimize routes, streamline booking, and provide seamless, affordable short-distance flights. Expanding Market Opportunities: Creatd enters the $28.5 billion Regional Air Mobility sector, leveraging Flewber's first-mover advantage. Creatd enters the Regional Air Mobility sector, leveraging Flewber's first-mover advantage. Boosting Financials: The acquisition adds $7.5 million in net equity and is projected to contribute $34 million in annual revenue for fiscal year 2025, with 2026 projections reaching $10 million as Flewber expands into new U.S. markets and global destinations. The acquisition adds in net equity and is projected to contribute $34 million in annual revenue for fiscal year 2025, with 2026 projections reaching as Flewber expands into new U.S. markets and global destinations. Advancing Growth Strategy: This transaction accelerates Creatd's plans to uplist to a national exchange in 2025. This transaction accelerates Creatd's plans to uplist to a national exchange in 2025. Scaling Operations Globally: Starting in NYC, Flewber plans to expand to Florida , Las Vegas , and Dubai , creating a global footprint. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Creatd, Inc. (OTC: CRTD), a diversified holding company driving innovation and growth through strategic acquisitions, will acquire Flewber Global Inc., a leader in short-distance air travel. Valued at $7.5 million, this acquisition positions Flewber to transform the future of regional air mobility by bringing affordable, on-demand flights to consumers and businesses. Making the Future of Air Travel a Reality Today Flewber's innovative platform unlocks the potential of over 5,000 underutilized regional airports in the U.S. alone, offering an alternative to driving, rideshares, and trains. With flights starting at just $199, Flewber's services connect travelers across key regional routes, including NYC to the Hamptons, Hartford to MetLife Stadium, and White Plains to Mohegan Sun. Flewber's fleet utilizes the Cirrus Vision Jet, an eco-friendly aircraft equipped with advanced safety features, including auto-landing capabilities in emergencies and a built-in parachute for the entire plane. These features ensure a safe and sustainable travel experience while revolutionizing short-distance air mobility. "Flewber isn't just about reimagining air travelit's about making it accessible and practical today," said Marc Sellouk, CEO of Flewber. "We're turning the concept of urban air mobility into a reality by leveraging existing infrastructure and cutting-edge technology to save people time and money." Flewber's current operations in the NYC metro area will soon expand to Florida, connecting cities like Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. The company also plans to launch in Las Vegas and Dubai, bringing its revolutionary air mobility model to a global audience. A Game-Changer for Businesses and Consumers With the regional air mobility market projected to grow to $115 billion by 2035, Flewber's acquisition strengthens Creatd's position in this high-growth sector. The deal enhances Creatd's financials and aligns with its strategy to build a portfolio of transformative companies that redefine their industries. "This acquisition is a perfect fit for Creatd's vision of building a portfolio of transformative companies," said Jeremy Frommer, CEO of Creatd. "While companies in the regional mobility space like Joby and Archer already have fancy multi-billion valuations, they are nonetheless years away from commercializing their technology. Flewber is already flying and is becoming a leader in the regional air mobility space. By integrating Flewber's services with Creatd's expertise in media, marketing, and technology, we're setting the stage for unprecedented growth and opportunities in the years ahead." About Creatd, Inc. Creatd, Inc. (OTC: CRTD) is a diversified holding company focused on strategic acquisitions of high-growth companies. Creatd integrates innovative business models to drive long-term value and accelerate growth. The company aims to increase shareholder value by identifying and expanding disruptive technologies across industries. About Flewber Global Inc. Flewber Global Inc. is transforming short-distance air travel with its on-demand, eco-friendly flight service. Using the Cirrus Vision Jet, Flewber offers an affordable, efficient alternative to ground transportation. Operating in the New York metro area with plans to expand to Florida, Las Vegas, and Dubai, Flewber is leading the $28.5 billion regional air mobility sector. Forward Looking Statements Any statements that are not historical facts and that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, indicated through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimated," "intends," "plans," "believes" and "projects") may be forward-looking and may involve estimates and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. We caution that the factors described herein could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we make and that investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of such factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. This press release is qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings. SOURCE Creatd, Inc. Experienced Leader and Proven Visionary Joins Creative Group to Drive Innovation and Strategic Growth SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Group, Inc., a leading full-service meeting, event, and incentive agency, is thrilled to announce the addition of Mark Ledogar to its Senior Leadership Team as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Mark is a seasoned leader renowned for his exceptional ability to drive growth and foster innovation. Over the past year, he has been an invaluable collaborator, contributing to Creative Group's strategic initiatives. This experience positions him to seamlessly step into his new role, bringing immediate value through his deep insights and established relationships. Mark Ledogar "Over the past year, I've had the pleasure of working alongside the brilliant and talented minds at Creative Group, and I couldn't be happier to officially join the team. I'm eager to contribute to this dynamic organization and help drive us toward new milestones and achievements," says Ledogar. "Having known Mark for nearly a decade, I am confident that he embodies our values and culture," says Janet Traphagen, President of Creative Group. "Mark brings a brilliant, strategic mind and exceptional leadership and collaboration skills. He will be a tremendous asset to our Senior Leadership Team and the entire Creative Group organization." With Mark's visionary leadership, Creative Group looks forward to accelerating its mission of delivering transformative experiences and achieving new levels of success. About Mark Ledogar Mark Ledogar is former President of One Smooth Stone, an event and communication agency. Following the agency's acquisition by PRA Events in 2018, Mark launched the organization's Production Services department, serving as Senior Vice President and member of the company's senior leadership team prior to his departure in 2022. Since that time, he has provided consulting services for a variety of associations, corporations, and agencies focused on strategic planning, organizational design, business development, communication strategy, leadership development, creative direction, and project management. Ledogar shares his talents and interests with a variety of nonprofit organizations for which he has served as advisor or board member. He and his wife reside in the Chicagoland area with their two children. About Creative Group Creative Group is a full-service meeting, event, and incentive agency that delivers business results by inspiring people to thrive. An industry leader, Creative Group has been honored with numerous Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) awards and the CMI 25 Award, which recognizes the top 25 most influential meeting and incentive management companies in the U.S. Creative Group was founded in 1970, and has served clients in financial services, life sciences, insurance, manufacturing, retail, technology, automotive, and hospitality. Employing 220+ people, the company is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, and maintains offices in San Francisco, Appleton, Wisconsin, and Toronto, Canada. For more information about Creative Group, visit www.creativegroupinc.com. SOURCE Creative Group, Inc. DALLAS, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyber Defense Labs, a risk management consulting services firm, announced its new brand name, OakTruss Group. The firm's evolution and growth into a broader offering of services drives the new brand. The firm was built on a strong cybersecurity service line, which will remain a pillar in its suite of services. The transition to a new brand name reflects the broadening of the firm's service offerings to include integrated risk advisory and management consulting services in areas such as insider threat/risk and other security programs, tabletop exercises, and a range of additional services. OakTruss Group's expansion of services enhances its ability to deliver outstanding service and reinforces trusted partnerships with its clients. "This evolution reflects our company's growth and dedication to our core values: partnership, expertise, and trust," stated Marla Beckham, President and Chief Financial Officer of OakTruss Group. "Our foundation has always been, and will continue to be, in cybersecurity. Expanding our service offerings beyond just cybersecurity allows us to enhance the value we provide to our clients with our outstanding and experienced team." "What won't change is our commitment to partnership with our clients and our mission of helping them meet their goals securely while allowing them to focus on what they do best: run their business," said OakTruss Group's Managing Partner, Robert Anderson, Jr. "I am excited about this time in our company and very excited about our new brand." ABOUT OAKTRUSS GROUP OakTruss Group is a management services consulting firm that advises organizations on tailored, integrated solutions to mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risks. Their team includes industry professionals with backgrounds from the highest levels of government intelligence, law enforcement, cybersecurity professionals, CISOs, and C-suite executives of billion-dollar companies. OakTruss Group leverages its expertise to provide a steadfast partnership that organizations can trust. Their actionable roadmaps ensure businesses are positioned to protect critical data and maintain business operations ahead of threats. For more information about OakTruss group, visit us at www.oaktrussgroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn. SOURCE Cyber Defense Labs TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiso, the globally renowned retail chain offering affordable and unique products, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its first store in Florida. The new store will open on February 1st, at Northdale Promenade, located at 15702 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. This marks an exciting milestone as Daiso expands its footprint into Florida for the first time. "We are beyond excited to open our first Florida location in Tampa," said Jack Williams, Chief Retail Operations Officer for Daiso USA. "Tampa is a fantastic community, and we've seen growing demand for our distinctive and value-driven offerings. We look forward to offering local customers a wide variety of items at unbeatable prices." The Tampa store spans 12,026 square feet and features an extensive selection of products across multiple categories, including Japanese-inspired home decor, kitchenware, beauty products, stationery, and snacks. Known for its fun, treasure-hunt shopping experience, Daiso delivers unique products at affordable prices, making it a favorite for savvy shoppers. "We're excited to bring the Daiso experience to Florida," said John Clarke, Chief Development Officer for Daiso USA. "We've received strong interest from customers in this region, and we're eager to introduce more customers to our special and budget-friendly items. This opening is part of our broader expansion, with more locations planned across the U.S. in 2025. We invite everyone to come and Discover Daiso." To celebrate the grand opening, Daiso will offer special promotions. On February 1st and 2nd, the first 100 customers who make a minimum purchase of $30 will receive a special Daiso goodie bag as a thank-you for their support and a warm welcome to the Daiso family. The Tampa store will be located at: Northdale Promenade, 15702 N. Dale Mabry Hwy , Tampa, FL 33618 Store hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daiso invites customers to visit the new location and explore the wide range of products. About Daiso: Daiso is a global retail chain founded in Japan, known for its wide selection of affordable, high-quality products. Daiso entered the U.S. market in 2005 and has since expanded into multiple states. The company's U.S. headquarters is in Anaheim, CA. SOURCE Daiso USA WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiso, the globally recognized retail chain known for offering affordable and unique products, is excited to announce the grand opening of its latest store in West Sacramento, California, on February 1st. Located at Riverpoint Marketplace, this store marks a significant milestone in Daiso's U.S. expansion. "We are thrilled to open our new store in West Sacramento," said Jack Williams, Chief Retail Operations Officer for Daiso USA. "This milestone reflects the continued support of our customers, and we're excited to introduce Daiso's budget-friendly offerings to the West Sacramento community. We invite everyone to Discover Daiso and explore the variety of products we offer." The new Daiso store, located at Riverpoint Marketplace, spans 6,428 square feet and features a wide selection of products across multiple categories. Customers can find everything from Japanese-inspired home decor and kitchenware to beauty products, stationery, and snacks. Daiso's commitment to providing affordable and unique merchandise has made it a go-to destination for shoppers seeking unique items at great prices. "Thanks to the enthusiasm of our loyal customers, we're excited to expand in California," said John Clarke, Chief Development Officer for Daiso USA. "We continue to see growing demand in the region, and we're proud to be opening more stores in 2025. With 177 stores now operating across the U.S., we're excited to serve new communities and bring the Daiso experience to even more customers." To celebrate the grand opening, Daiso will offer exclusive promotions at the West Sacramento location. On February 1st and 2nd, the first 100 customers who make a minimum purchase of $30 will receive a special Daiso goodie bag as a thank-you for their support. The new store will be located at: Riverpoint Marketplace, 771 Ikea Center, Suite 120, West Sacramento, CA 95605 Store hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daiso invites customers to visit, explore the latest offerings, and find new favorites. About Daiso: Daiso is a global retail chain founded in Japan, known for its wide selection of unique and affordable products across categories such as household goods, stationery, beauty, and more. Daiso entered the U.S. market in 2005 and has expanded into multiple states. The company's U.S. headquarters is in Anaheim, CA. SOURCE Daiso USA Manufacturing technology innovator DATAMYTE expands its flagship data intelligence solution with the Wrist Revolution, increasing mobile flexibility and operational scalability at a reduced cost. PLYMOUTH, Minn., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ASI DATAMYTE, Inc. ("DATAMYTE"), a leading connected factory solution provider to global clients including Ford, GM, Stellantis, Tesla, Gillette, and Boston Scientific; announced today the launch of the Wrist Revolution, the latest expansion in its long history of data intelligence devices and solutions. The Wrist Revolution is the perfect solution for any business looking to automate plant floor data acquisition, analysis, escalation, and corrective action processes while ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards. The solution provides a mobile, flexible, scalable solution for residual torque, gauging, gap and flush, temperature, error detection, visual inspection, and overall process improvement. DATAMYTE CONTINUES TO REVOLUTIONIZE DATA INTELLIGENCE FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING Post this See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FczGKc5q2c "We continue to deliver technology innovations in the manufacturing space. The Revolution platform empowers front-line teams to analyze, act on, and escalate issues the moment they are discovered," explains Joel Ronning, CEO of DATAMYTE. "The DataMyte ecosystem delivers to management the key operational insights for spec validation and compliance, core SPC, and issue visibility coupled with corrective action and escalations capabilities. This has been a game-changer for our clients." About DATAMYTE For over 50 years, DATAMYTE has been a global pioneer in production and quality management solutions dedicated to improving productivity, compliance, safety, and quality in manufacturing. Originally part of Rockwell International/Allen Bradley, the company introduced the first portable data collector for manufacturing in the 1970s with its iconic 'DataMyte' device. As the most advanced and agnostic data intelligence platform in manufacturing today, the Revolution has been integral in ensuring quality control and data integrity in the Automotive and Aerospace industries. Their offerings enable teams to address issues efficiently, improve data visibility, escalate concerns, and streamline workflows for corrective action. DATAMYTE's product portfolio includes hardware and software solutions for Quality Planning, Mobile and Fixed Station Data Acquisition, Statistical Process Control, Residual Torque Management, and Digital Transformation. To learn more, visit www.datamyte.com. Media Contact: Melissa Andrade DATAMYTE Sr. Director of Marketing 952.210.2628 [email protected] www.datamyte.com SOURCE DATAMYTE Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC, a highly-rated, locally owned and operated real estate company, is proud to announce an enhanced initiative designed to help homeowners sell a house as-is, fast, and for cash. Since 2006, the company has provided reliable solutions to homeowners, purchasing hundreds of houses across the Des Moines metro area. DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Specializing in "we buy houses" services, Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC offers a stress-free alternative to traditional real estate sales. Their proven process allows homeowners to avoid costly repairs, inspections, and the uncertainties of conventional buyer financing. With hundreds of satisfied clients, they've built a reputation for providing fair cash offers and seamless transactions. "For nearly two decades, we've been helping local homeowners overcome the challenges of selling their property," said Levi, owner at Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC. "Whether it's a financial hardship, inherited property, or simply the need to sell a house as-is, our team is here to help with an honest and straightforward solution." Why Choose Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC? Sell a House As-Is : No repairs, cleaning, or staging required. : No repairs, cleaning, or staging required. Cash for Houses : Receive a fair cash offer, eliminating delays from traditional financing or contingencies. : Receive a fair cash offer, eliminating delays from traditional financing or contingencies. Quick Closings : Close in as little as seven days. : Close in as little as seven days. No Commissions : Avoid expensive real estate agent commission expenses associated with listing a house on the market. : Avoid expensive real estate agent commission expenses associated with listing a house on the market. Highly Rated: Google Reviews, Better Business Bureau, Facebook, and others. The company's personalized approach ensures each homeowner's unique needs are met, making it an ideal option for those looking to sell quickly and conveniently. With a commitment to integrity and transparency, Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC continues to serve as a trusted partner in the local real estate market. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation offer, visit www.desmoineshomebuyers.net, call (515) 344-4341, or read their FAQs. About Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC: Since 2006, Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC has been helping homeowners sell their houses quickly and easily. Specializing in "we buy houses" and "cash for houses" services, the company provides hassle-free solutions for property owners the Des Moines metro area. Contact: Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC [email protected] (515) 344-4341 Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/13058064 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Des Moines Home Buyers, LLC Company also shares tips on ways to save energy and money as temperatures drop this week; b-roll of energy-saving tips available here CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As prolonged freezing temperatures continue, Duke Energy continues executing a detailed plan to manage the power grid as customer demand increases. Customer demand is anticipated to peak on Thursday across the Carolinas and Duke Energy is well positioned to meet that demand. "When we have temperatures this cold for this long, it is important for us to use all of the programs that we have available to us based on the demand that we are seeing on the system. These include operating all available generating assets, offering customer energy-saving programs and purchasing available power," said Ben Harrison, Duke Energy vice president of grid operations - planning and operations. "This is the time when we maximize resources to serve our customers." Duke Energy's year-round preparation includes maintaining and investing in the company's power generating assets, real-time analysis, predictive modeling and strengthening the grid to be more resistant to outages during extreme weather events. The company also has a suite of customer programs that include voluntary programs for residential and business customers to reduce energy consumption when needed in exchange for a participation incentive. Duke Energy's robust set of tools also include the ability to ask customers to voluntarily reduce their energy use during times of highest energy demand. However, the company has not made this request this week. In the winter, the peak times are in the early morning hours when it is typically the coldest outside and customers are starting their day. Energy efficiency is also important year-round to save money on your electric bill. When temperatures plummet, it is a key time to make small adjustments to manage energy use to help save and avoid bill surprises. Ways to save energy and money as temperatures drop During the winter, reduce your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting. The longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save. You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees per day. Set your water heater to 120 degrees or less. Water heating is typically the second-biggest user of energy in your home. Leave drapes or blinds open on the sunny side of the home to allow the sun's rays to warm the house, but close them at night to help insulate your home. Operate ceiling fans in a clockwise direction in the winter to push warm air back down into the room. Cover drafty windows. Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of window frames during the cold winter months. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration. Install tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing. For energy-saving tips, check out our Winter Energy Savings webpage at duke-energy.com/WinterEnergySavings. 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. 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy Fan-favorite brands Breyers, Talenti, Good Humor, Popsicle, Magnum and Klondike introduce new innovations to shelves in 2025 ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. , Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New year, new flavors to savor! Unilever's Ice Cream iconslike Talenti, Breyers, Popsicle, Good Humor, Magnum and Klondikeare bringing a variety of sweet innovations to shelves. From bakery-inspired gelato layers to s'mores sundaes to playful spins on nostalgic classics, every bite is a celebration of joy and indulgence. Unilever Ice Cream's 2025 resolution is to "eat dessert first," so they're encouraging fans to do the same this year. Fans can explore and enjoy all the new products, which are hitting shelves throughout this month. Unilever Ice Cream's 2025 New Product Lineup "Our 2025 ice cream collection reflects a tradition of delivering high-quality frozen treats that cater to a wide range of preferences and occasions. We're starting off the year strong with a variety of new products that speak to the creativity, quality, and enduring love for our iconic frozen treats," says Bentley King, U.S. Head of Ice Cream Operations at Unilever. "There are more surprises to come from our ice cream brands throughout the year, and we can't wait to make more memories with our fans." Learn more about the new products below. New Year, New Flavors: Highlights from the 2025 Collection Talenti Gelato Layers expands its extraordinary lineup of deconstructed, decadent desserts with three bakery-inspired varieties. Our signature clear jar features five indulgent layers crafted with premium ingredients and presented in Talenti signature transparent packaging. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter includes five layers of cookie heaven like a chocolate chip cookie gelato, crumbly shortbread cookie, gooey (and edible) cookie batter, vanilla gelato and a chocolate cookie base. includes five layers of cookie heaven like a chocolate chip cookie gelato, crumbly shortbread cookie, gooey (and edible) cookie batter, vanilla gelato and a chocolate cookie base. The Italian Tiramisu flavor comes with mascarpone gelato, sweet vanilla cookies, espresso chocolate fudge, cold brew coffee sorbetto and another base layer of vanilla cookies. flavor comes with mascarpone gelato, sweet vanilla cookies, espresso chocolate fudge, cold brew coffee sorbetto and another base layer of vanilla cookies. The Snickerdoodle Cookie is a cinnamon-spiced symphony with two layers of cinnamon churros topped with Snickerdoodle cookie gelato, edible Snickerdoodle cookie batter and vanilla gelato. Breyers is bringing an abundance of products to one of the most iconic flavors in the American household (and backyard)! Introducing our S'mores Campfire Collection Lineup. Campfire Collection S'mores 48 oz. Tub and Pints : We start with a base of toasted marshmallow and crunchy graham cracker, then add chocolate swirls made with real HERSHEY'S milk chocolate. You won't be able to get enough! : We start with a base of toasted marshmallow and crunchy graham cracker, then add chocolate swirls made with real HERSHEY'S milk chocolate. You won't be able to get enough! Campfire Collection S'mores Bar (in stores and out-of-home): The S'mores Bar has a core of deliciously toasted marshmallow base surrounded by a chocolate layer made with real HERSHEY'S milk chocolate. The bar is then coated in graham cracker crunch. (in stores and out-of-home): The S'mores Bar has a core of deliciously toasted marshmallow base surrounded by a chocolate layer made with real HERSHEY'S milk chocolate. The bar is then coated in graham cracker crunch. Campfire Collection Sandwich: Introducing our S'mores Sandwich. The filling is toasted marshmallow base infused with chocolate swirls made with real HERSHEY'S milk chocolate, all between two graham cracker wafers to provide the classic s'mores experience in a frozen format! Alongside the S'mores Campfire Collection lineup, Breyers is also unveiling four additional products in 2025, including: Non-Dairy Chocolate: Breyers Non-Dairy Chocolate delivers a classic flavor and signature creamy texture with an oat-milk base. It's a frozen treat that's so creamy and delicious, you won't miss the dairy! Breyers Non-Dairy Chocolate delivers a classic flavor and signature creamy texture with an oat-milk base. It's a frozen treat that's so creamy and delicious, you won't miss the dairy! Carb Smart Strawberry Bars: Bringing more flavor to your Carb Smart novelty line up, the Carb Smart Strawberry Bars are a delicious, lower carb frozen bar made for fruit lovers. It's a portion controlled treat you can feel good about eating. Bringing more flavor to your novelty line up, the Carb Smart Strawberry Bars are a delicious, lower carb frozen bar made for fruit lovers. It's a portion controlled treat you can feel good about eating. Carb Smart Rocky Road: Carb Smart Rocky Road delivers Breyers' signature creamy texture in an indulgent, winning flavor made for chocolate lovers. It's a decadent, yet lower carb chocolate and marshmallow base swirled with chocolatey almond pieces a frozen treat you can feel good about eating! Carb Smart Rocky Road delivers Breyers' signature creamy texture in an indulgent, winning flavor made for chocolate lovers. It's a decadent, yet lower carb chocolate and marshmallow base swirled with chocolatey almond pieces a frozen treat you can feel good about eating! Breyers x Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Tub: The perfect combination of two of America's favorites: Breyers and Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake bars come together in Breyers x Good Humor new Strawberry Shortcake tub, featuring vibrant strawberry swirled with creamy vanilla and signature Good Humor cake crumbles. It's a flavor everyone in the family will rave over. Popsicle unveils a playful lineup that reimagines beloved characters and bold flavors, including: Buzz Lightyear Rocket Pop : Explore the new Buzz Lightyear Rocket from Popsicle with layers of flavors. This nostalgic character ice pop has a blend of mixed berry, lime, and lemon flavors that are out of this world! : Explore the new Buzz Lightyear Rocket from Popsicle with layers of flavors. This nostalgic character ice pop has a blend of mixed berry, lime, and lemon flavors that are out of this world! Grogu Frozen Bars : Get ready to embark on a delicious adventure with the new Star Wars Grogu-inspired Frozen Confection Bars from Popsicle ! Made with real milk, these delightful treats feature mint and milk chocolate flavors and are colored from natural sources. Perfect for fans of all ages, these frozen confection bars are a refreshing way to celebrate your love for Star Wars and enjoy a cool treat. : Get ready to embark on a delicious adventure with the new Grogu-inspired Frozen Confection Bars from Popsicle ! Made with real milk, these delightful treats feature mint and milk chocolate flavors and are colored from natural sources. Perfect for fans of all ages, these frozen confection bars are a refreshing way to celebrate your love for and enjoy a cool treat. Olaf: Our new Disney's Frozen Olaf Frozen Confection Bars are made with real milk and feature chocolate, vanilla & caramel flavors and colors from natural sources, making them a treat you can feel good about. Perfect for fans of Disney's Frozen , these Olaf-shaped bars are sure to bring smiles and a touch of magic to any hot day. Our new Disney's Olaf Frozen Confection Bars are made with real milk and feature chocolate, vanilla & caramel flavors and colors from natural sources, making them a treat you can feel good about. Perfect for fans of Disney's , these Olaf-shaped bars are sure to bring smiles and a touch of magic to any hot day. Spider-Man : The iconic Spider-Man from Popsicle is now available at a store near you! Bring the classic flavors you know and love from the ice cream truck to your home. Get your spider-sense and your taste buds tingling with this strawberry, blue raspberry and lime pop shaped like Marvel Super Hero , Spider-Man. : The iconic Spider-Man from Popsicle is now available at a store near you! Bring the classic flavors you know and love from the ice cream truck to your home. Get your spider-sense and your taste buds tingling with this strawberry, blue raspberry and lime pop shaped like , Spider-Man. Jolly Rancher Sours Ice Pops: Enjoy a new experience with these Sour JOLLY RANCHER ice pops your favorite flavors with a sour twist. Magnum introduces a decadent ice cream bar to its portfolio. Made with 39% cacao, the Magnum Chocolate Ice Cream Bar is crafted with creamy vanilla bean ice cream dipped in a delectable, cracking milk chocolate shell for an unforgettable unique taste. Good Humor revived a 90s classic with the updated Candy Center Bar this past October, available exclusively at Walmart. Now, the Candy Center Bar is rolling out to grocery stores nationwide. The Candy Center Bar has a rich chocolatey core with a hint of hazelnut, surrounded by a creamy vanilla frozen dessert and a crispy chocolatey outer shell, creating the ultimate multi-textured eating experience. Good Humor Chemisse Coconut and Pineapple: This bar is a perfect blend of creamy coconut frozen dessert coated in a layer of refreshing pineapple water ice. Good Humor Coconut and Strawberry: This bar is a perfect blend of creamy coconut frozen dessert coated in a layer of refreshing strawberry water ice. A Good Humor Holanda Solero Lime pop is more than just a frozen dessert. It's a refreshing burst of flavor that satisfies your cravings and transports you with a single bite. Made with limes from sustainable farms, each pop is a source of Vitamin C and contains only 60 kcal per serving. Klondike: Treat yourself to a delicious duo of cones with our Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake and Vanilla Chillin' pack. These cones will take you back to chasing the ice cream truck, enjoying the nostalgic taste of Strawberry and Vanilla dessert with strawberry sauce, topped with cake crunchies. Vanilla Chillin' features the classic Vanilla dessert with chocolate sauce. Both cones have crispy wafer shells and rich chocolatey tips. It's the perfect way to chill out with a sweet and crunchy treat! More information on each new flavor can be found on the Talenti, Breyers, Popsicle, Magnum, Good Humor, and Klondike websites. About Unilever North America Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 127,000 employees and generated sales of 59.6 billion in 2023. Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann's, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemme, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula's Choice, and Dermalogica. For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com. For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca. Media Contact: Jessalyn Kieta [email protected] SOURCE Unilever North America NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The education market in UAE size is estimated to grow by USD 5.1 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period. Increasing student enrollments is driving market growth, with a trend towards rising awareness of early education. However, increased education cost in UAE poses a challenge. Key market players include AJMAN UNIVERSITY, American School of Dubai, American University of Sharjah, ASPAM Indian International School, Blackboard Inc., Brighter Prep, British Council, Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, Emirates International Schools, GEMS Group Holdings Ltd., Higher Colleges of Technology, JSS Pvt. School, Liwa International School, Meccademia, Option Training Institute FZ LLC, Regent International School, Taaleem, United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah, and Zayed University. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Education Market in UAE 2025-2029 Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Education Market In UAE Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2024 Historic period 2019 - 2022 Forecast period 2025-2029 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.6% Market growth 2025-2029 USD 5.1 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 7.3 Regional analysis UAE Performing market contribution Middle East and Africa at 100% Key countries UAE Key companies profiled AJMAN UNIVERSITY, American School of Dubai, American University of Sharjah, ASPAM Indian International School, Blackboard Inc., Brighter Prep, British Council, Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, Emirates International Schools, GEMS Group Holdings Ltd., Higher Colleges of Technology, JSS Pvt. School, Liwa International School, Meccademia, Option Training Institute FZ LLC, Regent International School, Taaleem, United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah, and Zayed University Market Driver The UAE's early education sector has experienced significant growth due to the increasing awareness among parents about the importance of childhood education. Traditionally, homeschooling was popular in the UAE, but with the rise of working women and dual-income households, the demand for kindergartens and pre-primary schools has increased dramatically. Pre-primary education was previously unpopular in Arab culture, but the growing expatriate population and changing perceptions have fueled its growth. Government initiatives, such as UAE Vision 2021, support the education of toddlers in competitive settings and provide a foundation for higher studies. This program aims to develop a cohesive, sustainable, and prosperous society through UAE-educated global citizens. The increasing number of working mothers necessitates a professional learning environment for their children, benefiting both the children and the societal and economic development of the UAE. Institutions like Emirates British Nursery offer foundation-stage curriculums, such as Minibeasts, for children aged three and above, fostering curiosity, knowledge, and imagination. These factors are expected to bolster the growth of the education market in the UAE during the forecast period. The Education Market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is thriving, with a focus on executive education, academic programs, and short-term workshops for professionals. Job commitments often limit long-term study, making corporate training, seminars, and upskilling through digital skills essential. Universities and colleges offer scholarships for skilled professionals, fostering a knowledge-based economy. The National Skilling Program and learning and development initiatives prioritize employee engagement. Digital skills are in high demand for the growing digital workforce. Private players dominate the K-12 sector, including primary, intermediate, and Kindergarten levels. Test preparation centers and content services market cater to students' academic needs. Public schools collaborate with private counterparts to improve curriculum design and ownership laws welcome foreign investors. The UAE's education sector continues to evolve, with a strong emphasis on upskilling and preparing the workforce for the future. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Market Challenges The cost of education in the UAE has been rising due to escalating institutional fees and the need to attract and retain skilled teachers with competitive salaries. The Dubai Statistics Center (DSC) set the Education Cost Index (ECI) rate for 2021 at 2.8%, but sudden tuition fee hikes posed challenges for families, who spend a significant portion of their income on housing and education. In response, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KDHA) prevented private schools in Dubai from increasing their fees for the academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23, setting the ECI for 2022 at -1.01%. Despite these measures, schools incurred additional COVID-19-related expenses, such as temperature detection systems, signage, technology investments, and PPE, which reduced their revenues and may impact the education market's growth. Statistics Center (DSC) set the Education Cost Index (ECI) rate for 2021 at 2.8%, but sudden tuition fee hikes posed challenges for families, who spend a significant portion of their income on housing and education. In response, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KDHA) prevented private schools in from increasing their fees for the academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23, setting the ECI for 2022 at -1.01%. Despite these measures, schools incurred additional COVID-19-related expenses, such as temperature detection systems, signage, technology investments, and PPE, which reduced their revenues and may impact the education market's growth. The Education Market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces challenges in providing quality learning and development opportunities in a knowledge-based economy. The demand for skilled professionals is high, making the Education sector a priority. Private players dominate the K-12 sector, including Kindergarten, Primary, Intermediate, and 12th grade, offering specialized tracks and language immersion initiatives. The Content services market is growing, with test preparation centers and privately funded schools catering to students' needs. Higher education institutions also attract foreign investors, with ownership laws allowing private entities to offer educational programs. However, challenges include attrition rates, remote learning, and tuition costs for the expatriate population. Public schools and their private counterparts collaborate on curriculum design, addressing learning disabilities, and implementing e-learning platforms and hybrid learning models. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! Segment Overview This education market in UAE report extensively covers market segmentation by Ownership 1.1 Private education 1.2 Public education End-user 2.1 K -12 -12 2.2 Higher education 2.3 Vocational education Type 3.1 Offline 3.2 Online Geography 4.1 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Private education- The private education market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced significant growth, primarily driven by the demographics and the increasing preference for international curricula among expatriate parents. With more millennials and Generation Z becoming eligible for K-12 and higher education, and the expatriate population's growing inclination towards private schools, the segment has seen an accelerating growth. Expatriate parents value the international learning environment and the opportunity for their children to learn in internationally spoken languages. UAE nationals also recognize the benefits of private education, including stronger skills, easier university entrance, and higher social status. Other factors contributing to the growth include rising disposable incomes, a booming economy, safety offered by private schools, and the increasing presence of international institutions in the UAE. The regulatory body, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), plays a crucial role in regulating and inspecting schools, providing information on their quality to the community. In recent years, around 25 new international private schools have been opened in Dubai, with significant growth in student enrollments. The British curriculum holds the highest share of student enrollments, followed by the Indian and American curricula. The UAE government and educational institutes implemented strict rules for online distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to considerable business growth for vendors offering such services. With the reopening of private schools and higher educational institutions in 2022, the education market in UAE has witnessed growth and is expected to continue during the forecast period. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Research Analysis The Education Market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a thriving sector, catering to the diverse learning needs of students and professionals. The market offers various academic programs, including executive education, short-term workshops, courses, seminars, and corporate training. These initiatives aim to enhance employee engagement, improve job commitments, and provide opportunities for continuous learning. The Education sector in the UAE comprises K-12 schools, higher education institutions, test preparation centers, kindergartens, primary, intermediate, privately funded schools, and educational institutions. The Higher Education sector offers specialized tracks, language immersion initiatives, and specialized programs for students with learning disabilities. Private entities play a significant role in the Education Market, providing innovative educational programs and initiatives. The UAE's commitment to quality education has made it a hub for international students and professionals seeking world-class educational opportunities. Market Research Overview The Education Market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a thriving sector, focused on providing academic programs and professional development opportunities for students, professionals, and corporations. The market encompasses universities and colleges, K-12 schools, test preparation centers, kindergartens, and primary, intermediate, and secondary levels of education. Executive education, short term workshops, seminars, and corporate training are popular choices for upskilling and employee engagement. The UAE's commitment to a knowledge-based economy drives the demand for digital skills and digital workforce development. Scholarships and the National Skilling Program are initiatives to support the education of skilled professionals. Private players, students, and public schools collaborate to provide a diverse range of educational programs, including language immersion initiatives, specialized tracks, and curriculum design. The market also includes privately funded schools, e-learning platforms, and hybrid learning models, catering to the expatriate population and addressing attrition rates through remote learning and flexible schedules. Ownership laws and residency visas attract foreign investors to establish educational institutions in the UAE. Tuition costs and the K-12 sector are significant areas of focus, with ongoing debates about affordability and accessibility. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Ownership Private Education Public Education End-user K-12 Higher Education Vocational Education Type Offline Online Geography Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio In 2024, the pharmaceutical company PrJSC Darnitsa (Kyiv) registered 10 drugs abroad and entered the markets of six new countries. As the company reports in a press release, in particular, the new markets opened last year were the EU countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Darnitsa entered these markets with drugs for the treatment of heart failure, acute and chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, liver diseases and arterial hypertension, treatment and prevention of candidal infections, treatment and prevention of acute inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity and throat, as well as a drug for the systemic treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. As reported, Darnitsa plans to release 62 new brands of drugs by 2029, including 43 brands of its own production and 19 under licensing. During 2024, it launched 13 new drugs on the market. According to the results of 2023, Darnitsa increased its export share to 4%. The company exports products to 17 countries. At the same time, since 2015, Darnitsa stopped exporting to the Russian Federation, and after February 24, 2022 - to Belarus. According to the results of 2023, Darnitsa increased its net income from core activities by 32.8% compared to 2022 - to UAH 6.969 billion. Darnitsa is the leader of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market in physical terms. The company has been present on the market for over 90 years and produces medicines of 180 brands in 15 different forms. Strategic areas of portfolio development are cardiology, neurology, and pain management. According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, the ultimate beneficiary of the company is Hlib Zahoriy. NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Edison International (NYSE: EIX) resulting from allegations that Edison may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Edison securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=33590 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. What is this about: On Sunday, January 12, 2025, the Los Angeles Times published an article entitled "Officials investigating whether Southern California Edison equipment ignited Hurst fire." This article stated that "[f]ire agencies are investigating whether downed Southern California Edison utility equipment played a role in igniting the Hurst fire near Sylmar, company officials said. [. . .] The company said, 'fire agencies are investigating whether SCE equipment was involved in the ignition of' the fire, and that the investigation was ongoing. Utilities are required to report whenever a government entity launches an investigation into whether their equipment caused a wildfire." On this news, Edison International stock fell 11.89% on January 13, 2025. 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. 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 firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. 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 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elegoo, a rapidly developing brand in global smart manufacturing, announces today the launch of the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, the latest addition to its line of advanced resin 3D printers. This new model builds on the success of the original Saturn 4 Ultra, Elegoo's best-selling resin printer of 2024, with even higher levels of precision and user-friendly features. Elegoo unveils the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K, marking a major leap in both accuracy and user experience. Equipped with a 10-inch 16K Mono LCD screen, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K offers a 14 x 19 m XY resolution and 0.02 mm Z-axis accuracy, making it the perfect choice for industries and applications that demand exceptional accuracy, such as gaming, dentistry, and other sectors where fine detail is crucial. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K also combines excellent performance with user-friendly features, including a quick-release, non-slip design and a smart tank heating system that keeps resin at 30C for consistent print quality, even in low temperatures. These upgrades, based on user feedback, offer both ease of use and professional-grade capabilities. "This model represents the culmination of our latest innovations," says Chris Hong, Founder and CEO of Elegoo. "As a leader in resin 3D printing, our goal is to enhance the user experience and continue advancing our mission of making 3D printing technology accessible and beneficial for everyone." Faster, smarter printing with optimized performance The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K offers a printing speed of up to 150 mm/h and a build volume of 211.68 mm x 118.37 mm x 220 mm, ideal for both small and larger prints with remarkable accuracy. Like the original Saturn 4 Ultra, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K incorporates Elegoo's Tilt Release Technology. By tilting the resin tank, the model is peeled off from the release film rapidly, further enhancing the overall printing speed. For the first time, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K features a smart tank heating system that keeps the resin at a precise 30C. This ensures optimal fluidity and enhanced layer adhesion, minimizing defects such as bubbles and separation. The system improves print quality and significantly boosts success rates, particularly in low-temperature environments. The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K also features smart sensors that detect residue and alert users to resin shortages or leveling issues, minimizing waste and ensuring a smoother printing experience. The integrated AI camera provides real-time monitoring and failure detection, while Wi-Fi cluster printing enables easy control of multiple printers, boosting productivity for large projects. Enhanced slicing experience with SatelLite The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is fully compatible with SatelLite, Elegoo's first slicing solution offering seamless resin printing with universal compatibility, supporting both Elegoo and other brands. With advanced EVO Support, SatelLite achieves over 90% success for support structures, operates twice as fast as other slicers, and provides free pro features like model repair and Boolean operations without ads or paywalls. Currently available for Windows, SatelLite ensures efficient, pro-grade slicing for any user. Mac compatibility is coming soon. For additional flexibility, the Saturn 4 Ultra 16K also supports ChituBox, giving users the freedom to choose their preferred slicing software. Price and availability The Saturn 4 Ultra 16K is available on the Elegoo's official store, priced at $519.99 USD in the US. For pricing information in the UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan, please visit our regional stores. About Elegoo Founded in 2015, Elegoo is a rapidly developing brand in the global smart manufacturing industry, specializing in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of consumer-grade 3D printers, laser engravers, STEM kits, and other smart technology products. Located in Shenzhen, the Silicon Valley of China, the company has sold millions of products across more than 90 countries and regions. In 2023, the company's total sales revenue reached approximately 200 million USD, with close to 700 employees and nearly 30,000 square meters of office and manufacturing area. With a focus on programming and 3D printing technology, Elegoo provides unique and smart creation spaces for diverse consumers to enhance personalized experiences. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603666/Elegoo_unveils_Saturn_4_Ultra_16K_marking_a_major_leap.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2461229/5128822/ELEGOO__1_Logo.jpg ELFBAR currently partners with six FMCG retail chains in the UAE. ELFBAR now available at over 6,000 stores across the Middle East and Africa . ELFBAR owes its success to relentless pursuit of flavor innovation and consistency. DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global vape brand ELFBAR announced its steadily growing presence to over 6,000 stores in the Middle East and Africa as of the end of 2024, amid the brand's 6th anniversary celebrations. In 2024, ELFBAR forged and consolidated its partnership with six FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) retail chains in the UAE, hub of the whole Middle East and Africa, in an unwavering dedication to global expansion. FMCG retailers This move underscores the brand's commitment to delivering harm reduction products tailored to adult users in the wider region. Since its inception in 2018, ELFBAR has transformed the global vaping landscape, operating in over 100 markets and serving more than 30 million adult users worldwide. In the Middle East and Africa, ELFBAR has rapidly ascended to become one of the top brands in the market. Channels matter To increase the visibility, ELFBAR has actively focused on partnering with trusted local collaborators and diversifying its distribution system. This approach has enabled the brand to strengthen its foothold in key global markets. A significant milestone was achieved in late 2024, when ELFBAR had a deep collaboration with six FMCG retailers in the UAE, including Carrefour, KP, Enoc, Bluemart, Freshmart, and Speedway. In South Africa, ELFBAR goes deep into various offline channels where the products are available at nearly 4,000 stores, including gas stations, supermarkets and convenience stores. From flavors, beyond flavors Celebrating its 6th anniversary in 2024, ELFBAR showcases how flavors play a key role in product innovations and adult user loyalty. Over the years, ELFBAR has been identified by its authentic delivery of the best vaping experience through unique flavor reproductions and satisfying mouthfeels. Flavors play an effective role in adult users' smoking cessation journey. According to a survey conducted by Opinium, a research body in the UK, in May 2024, among 6,000 UK adult respondents, 67% of ex-smokers agreed flavor is not just a preference, but a core reason for choosing vaping as an alternative. As a leading vaping brand, ELFBAR boasts the industry's largest flavor collection with nearly 1,000 varieties. More efforts are made to localize the product design and flavor adjustment to cater to local preferences, such as Arabic Coffee, a flavor hugely welcome by local users. For more information, please visit ELFBAR's website . ABOUT ELFBAR ELFBAR is a pioneer in the global vape industry. Since its inception in 2018, the brand has been exploring new horizons by providing a diverse vaping experience through its wide range of products. ELFBAR remains committed to compliance, child prevention and sustainable growth. ELFBAR displays the unwavering responsibility inherent in a leading brand that is preferred and recommended by tens of millions of adult users around the world. For more information visit the official website elfbar.ae . For questions, please contact: [email protected] . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603667/FMCG_retailers.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1832287/elf_bar_logo.jpg January 22-28, 2025 | Eataly Store Park MGM 3770 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its participation in the Winter Fancy Food Show, the EU OLIVE OIL project will be featured in another special promotional initiative in Las Vegas, this time at the Eataly store located inside the MGM Resort & Casino Park. From January 22 to 28, 2025, there will be a dedicated corner offering visitors a unique experience of the quality and taste of European extra virgin olive oil. During the week, visitors to the Eataly store will be able to participate in free tastings of extra virgin olive oil, discovering the distinctive characteristics of this product of excellence. It will be the perfect opportunity to learn about the peculiarities of EVO oil, its use in cooking and its versatility in food pairings. Illustrative material will be distributed, useful for answering questions and providing information on the origins, production processes and health benefits of consuming high-quality olive oil. In addition, customers will be able to take part in an exclusive sweepstakes, with a chance to win extra virgin olive oil products. An initiative designed to engage the public and highlight the importance of choosing products of certified origin. The choice of Eataly Las Vegas as a strategic point for this initiative is not accidental. The famous store represents a reference point for lovers of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, welcoming visitors from all over the world every day. Thanks to the collaboration with Eataly, the EU OLIVE OIL project will be able to reach a wide and diverse audience, offering an immersive experience that celebrates the quality and versatility of European extra virgin olive oil. The EU OLIVE OIL project is promoted by the O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina and funded by the European Union to raise international awareness of the unique qualities and tradition that distinguish European extra virgin olive oil. Promoting awareness of European extra virgin olive oil and its unique characteristics, which are the result of an ancient agricultural tradition and production standards of the highest quality, educating the public on the nutritional and health benefits of olive oil, encouraging its conscious and daily use in cooking, and enhancing the European origin of the product, synonymous with excellence and tradition are the main objectives of the project. www.euoliveoil.eu The O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina Soc.Coop.a.r.l. is an organization of Olive Producers in the Province of Cosenza that has been playing an active role in the Cosenza area since 1982, the date of its establishment, through a dense network of actions in support of its members. Gathering within itself the presence of about 7100 member producers, one can easily infer the deep rootedness of the Association with the territory: all this makes it one of the most representative associations in the sector, taking care with scrupulous attention every aspect of the olive-growing activity both from the technical-productive point of view and from the economic-commercial one. The Association, in this sense, acts as an efficient intermediary and bridge between its members and the distribution channels. Its work, in fact, moves in the light of the pursuit of a single relevant macro-objective: to enhance olive production and the careful and conscious consumption of the product, through its protection and promotion. SOURCE EU OLIVE OIL - O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina Findings May Shed Light on Waning Effectiveness of Antipsychotic Drugs NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win. At first, a brain chemical called dopamine is essential for young males to master this behavior. But as they gain experience, the chemical grows less important in promoting aggression, a new study shows. Dopamine has been linked to male aggression for decades. How past experiences might influence this relationship, however, had until now been unclear. In experiments in rodents, a team led by researchers at NYU Langone Health boosted activity in dopamine-releasing cells in a part of the brain called the ventral tegmental area. The findings revealed that in inexperienced male fighters, this led the animals to attack for twice as long as they would have fought naturally. When the cells were blocked, the novice mice would not fight at all. By contrast, this pattern did not hold true in males that had extensive fighting experience. Whether or not dopamine-releasing cells were boosted or blocked, the duration of attack did not change. Notably, though, the more clashes a mouse won, the more fights it would start in the future. "Our findings offer new insight into how both 'nature' and 'nurture' shape aggression in males," said study senior author Dayu Lin, PhD. "While aggression is an innate behavior, dopamine and fighting experience is essential for its maturation during adulthood," added Lin, a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. A report on the findings is publishing online Jan. 22 in the journal Nature. Building on their evidence for the role of dopamine in learning aggression, authors set out to better understand the brain mechanisms that might explain it. To do this, the team prevented cells in the ventral tegmental area of the brain from releasing dopamine into another region called the lateral septum, a site known to regulate aggression. They found that novice males would never learn to fight, but those with previous fighting experience would continue to engage in aggressive behavior. Similarly, promoting dopamine release in this area of the brain boosted hostility in rookies but had no effect on veterans. This suggests that the lateral septum is a key brain site for dopamine to promote "aggression learning" in rodents and likely in other mammals, including people, says Lin, who is also a member of NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Institute for Translational Neuroscience. The team also measured dopamine release in the lateral septum as the animals gained fighting experience. They found that the chemical surges the most on the day they first decide to attack. As the mouse becomes more experienced with fighting, this dopamine spike becomes less dramatic, supporting a central role of the chemical in initial aggression learning. Importantly, the researchers also found that dopamine did not appear to play a similar role in female aggression. In fact, manipulating dopamine levels did not affect aggressive behaviors in female mice in any way. According to Lin, the results may offer new insight into addressing mental health conditions marked by intense shifts in mood and behavior, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Antipsychotic drugs that interfere with dopamine release are commonly used to treat such diseases, as well as to suppress violent behavior in psychiatric patients. "Our results suggest that targeting dopamine may not be an effective tool when treating those with a long history of aggression," said Lin. "As a result, healthcare providers may need to consider a patient's history, as well as their age and sex, when considering which therapy to use." Lin adds that the results may also explain why antipsychotic drugs are known to have a stronger and longer-lasting effect in children than in adults, for whom aggression often returns once they stop receiving medication. That said, Lin cautions that while mice share similar brain chemistry with people and that the current findings echo human clinical results, more research will be needed to demonstrate the impact of past behavior on the effectiveness of antipsychotic medications in humans. Funding for the study was provided by National Institutes of Health grants R01MH101377, R01MH124927, U19NS107616, U01NS11335, U01NS12082, P30DA048736, and R01MH133669. Further study funding was provided by the Vulnerable Brain Project. In addition to Lin, other NYU Langone researchers involved in the study are Bingqin Zheng, MS; Xiuzhi Dai; Xiaoyang Cui, BS; Luping Yin, PhD; Jing Cai, PhD; and Nicolas Tritsch, PhD. Other study investigators include Yizhou Zhuo, PhD, and Yulong Li, PhD, at the Peking University School of Life Sciences in Beijing; and Larry Zweifel, PhD, at the University of Washington in Seattle. Bing Dai, PhD, a former graduate student at NYU Langone and a current postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, served as the study lead author. About NYU Langone Health NYU Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient, Inc., has ranked NYU Langone the No. 1 comprehensive academic medical center in the country for three years in a row, and U.S. News & World Report recently placed nine of its clinical specialties among the top five in the nation. NYU Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across six inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 300 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida. With $14.2 billion in revenue this year, the system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise with over $1 billion in active awards from the National Institutes of Health. Media Inquiries: Shira Polan Phone: 212-404-4279 [email protected] SOURCE NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Langone Health WAUKESHA, Wis., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- First Federal Bank of Wisconsin, a leading community bank that specializes in serving the financial needs of individuals and small businesses, today announced the promotion of Steve Wierschem to President and the appointment of Mr. Wierschem to the Board of Directors. Wierschem joined the bank in 2020 as the Chief Financial Officer and brings extensive financial experience and a deep commitment to the community banking model to his new role. In his new role, Mr. Wierschem will oversee the consumer banking team in addition to current finance and operations responsibilities. "Steve has done a fantastic job developing the necessary skills to help lead our bank," said Edward H. Schaefer, CEO of First Federal Bank of Wisconsin. "Over the last few years, we have expanded his responsibilities, and we continue to add to his duties now with Steve's promotion to Bank President. As our President, I am confident Steve will drive innovation, build on our strong foundation, and continue to profitably grow our bank, providing the 'Community Bank Difference' to our customers, prospects, and the communities we serve." Prior to joining the bank, Wierschem was a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He earned both his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a certified public accountant, bringing valuable financial acumen to his new leadership role. "First Federal Bank of Wisconsin has always stood apart through its commitment to exceptional customer experience, quick local decision-making, and deep community engagement," said Wierschem. "I am honored to lead this outstanding team as we continue to strengthen these commitments while embracing innovation to better serve our customers and communities." About First Federal Bank of Wisconsin The Community Bank Difference is more than a tagline at First Federal Bank of Wisconsinit's our culture. We pride ourselves on our exceptional people, personalized service, and unwavering community support. Through honest and integral business practices, individualized service, and financial expertise, we build lasting relationships with our customers. Our competitive advantage lies in our quick local decision-making, superior customer experience, and significant community commitment. For more information, visit https://www.ffbwi.com/ . SOURCE First Federal Bank of Wisconsin The Giving Pledge 2.0 aims to create more women entrepreneurs. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Frank & Eileen, the 100% woman-owned and led, B Corp certified contemporary apparel brand for women, is proud to announce the second iteration of its Giving Pledge. Originally launched in 2020 with a commitment to donate $10 million over ten years, the brand fulfilled its goal in just four years. Now, Frank & Eileen is now doubling its pledge to $20 million, which will be fulfilled over the original 10-year period. With the initial pledge, Frank & Eileen launched fellowships at top MBA programs including Babson College, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and MIT Sloan School of Management and created the Frank & Eileen Accelerator at a Los Angeles school for girls in grades 7-12, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. The impact: 762 women entrepreneurial leaders engaged annually through our Frank & Eileen Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College (the first major comprehensive center of its kind at a business school in the US) Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College (the first major comprehensive center of its kind at a business school in the US) 9 women MBA scholars funded at the top three entrepreneurial schools* in the country (US News & World Report, 2024) 3 years of running Frank & Eileen Accelerator and Incubator at Marlborough, a girls 7th -12th grade school in Los Angeles Multiple K-12 school scholarships "I'm thrilled and incredibly proud to announce the launch of the second iteration of our Giving Pledge," says Audrey McLoghlin, CEO and Founder, Frank & Eileen. "When I first made this commitment, it was driven by my belief in the transformative power of entrepreneurship, especially for women. In a short time, we've made a significant impact, and I'm confident that this new chapter will be just as impactful, if not more." The announcement coincides with the release of the brand's first Impact Report, underscoring its commitment to corporate responsibility and setting new standards for sustainable and ethical manufacturing in the fashion industry. As a Certified B Corp with the highest impact score among woman-owned apparel brands in the US, Frank & Eileen's Impact Report outlines the brand's dedication to slow fashion, positioning it as a true force for good. The full report, inclusive of the impact of the first Giving Pledge can be found on Frankandeileen.com. About Frank & Eileen Frank & Eileen starts with the world's finest raw materials found in nature to create clothes made to be lived-in and loved. The company was born in 2009 when founder Audrey McLoghlin first sourced responsibly crafted Italian menswear fabrics to reinvent the women's button-upa category previously focused solely on men. Now a global omnichannel retail brand, Frank & Eileen is a certified woman-owned and women-led business that has retained 100 percent ownership while working with the same ethical, sustainable manufacturers for over a decade. We believe women will change the world and are dedicated to using female entrepreneurship as a force for good. To learn more, visit www.frankandeileen.com . MEDIA REQUESTS Jennifer Bett Communications (JBC) [email protected] SOURCE Frank & Eileen See Which States Are Leading the Way to Help the ALS Community ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As state legislatures are beginning their 2025 sessions, the ALS Association has released its latest ALS State Policy Report Cards, offering a detailed snapshot of how effectively all 50 states and Washington, D.C. are using public policy to serve the ALS community. These report cards highlight critical opportunities for improvement while recognizing the states leading the way in enacting legislation that benefits people living with ALS. ALS Association Public Policy State Report Cards The State Report Cards assign letter grades to each state to measure progress on several key policy priorities essential to making ALS a livable disease for everyone, everywhere. These include: Appropriations supporting ALS clinics and care services Legislation ensuring access to affordable Medigap insurance plans Reforms to the insurance prior authorization process to reduce unnecessary delays and denials Elimination of harmful step-therapy or fail-first requirements for people living with ALS Legislation addressing unfair copay accumulator adjustment programs "Governors and state legislators all have the potential to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their constituents living with ALS by enacting public policies designed to help make ALS livable until we can cure it," said Alex Meixner, VP of state policy at the ALS Association. "These report cards not only shine a light on the good work that's already taken place in many states but also serve as a call to action to do more. By working together, we can ensure that all people living with ALS have access to the care and support they need. Among the top-scoring states is New York, the only state to earn straight A's, along with Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, which achieved a B average or better. On the other end of the scale, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming earned a D average or worse and need improvement. The ALS Association remains optimistic that the 2025 legislative sessions provide an opportunity for all states to improve their standing and strengthen their commitment to improving the lives of people living with ALS. The Association's goal of making ALS a livable diseaseand ultimately finding a curerequires bold policy action at every level of government. The ALS Association stands ready to work with lawmakers to deliver real, measurable outcomes for those affected. "The good news is that whether a state is leading the pack, last on the list, or somewhere in between, there's always room to improve," Meixner added. "With continued advocacy and collaboration, we can drive policies that help make ALS livable and support the search for a cure." Find out how your state ranks and sign up to become an advocate. About the ALS Association The ALS Association is the largest ALS organization in the world. The ALS Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about the ALS Association, visit our website at www.als.org. About ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over the course of the disease, people lose the ability to move, to speak, and eventually, to breathe. The disease is always fatal, usually within five years of diagnosis. Few treatment options exist, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression. SOURCE The ALS Association IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Facing an IRS or state income tax audit is often unnerving, stressful, and downright frighteningparticularly if you realize your tax returns may contain a multiyear pattern of serious inaccuracies that could potentially be viewed in their totality as willful tax fraud. Note: Most states investigate and prosecute tax crimes in a very similar manner as California does, so we refer to California and the FTB to explain by way of example the state tax exposure caused by tax fraud. Why you should use an Attorney to represent you in an audit While honest mistakes are typically addressed through civil tax penalties, deliberate acts of noncompliancesuch as intentionally underreporting income or overstating deductionscan quickly trigger a life-changing IRS-CID or state criminal tax investigation. By way of example, if the IRS or California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) believes your income tax returns are fraudulent, jail time becomes a very real possibility. Below, we explain how seemingly simple "errors" can escalate into criminal tax exposure, what red flags prompt referrals to the IRS or State Criminal Investigation departments and how to protect your liberty and net worth during a high-risk audit. Distinguishing Negligent Mistakes from Willful Tax Fraud Mere Negligence as Opposed to Willful Fraud Common oversightslike failing to track certain 1099s or miscalculating small deductionsare typically categorized as negligent mistakes. When the IRS or FTB uncovers these errors, they often assess: Civil tax penalties (e.g., a 20% accuracy-related penalty if the underreporting is more than $5,000 ). (e.g., a 20% accuracy-related penalty if the underreporting is more than ). Interest accruing from the original filing date. Correspondence Audits Minor discrepancies often trigger a correspondence audit conducted by mail. Even though these are considered more straightforward, they can reveal deeper issues if the IRS or FTB agent finds larger "badges of fraud ." Willful Misconduct and Criminal Exposure Willful Fraud / Intentional Underreporting of Taxable Income If you knowingly omit large amounts of income, fabricate deductions, or maintain cooked books, the IRS may view your actions as willful tax fraud . Omitting a single 1099 might seem minor; however, unreported income of $10,000 or more can prompt an auditor to consult a Fraud Technical Advisor (FTA), potentially leading to a life-changing criminal tax referral. Eggshell Audits When you face an audit but know you have intentionally cheated on your taxes, you are in a high-risk "eggshell audit." You want to avoid incriminating yourself while also not lying to a federal agent (itself a felony). False statements can become a "last affirmative act of fraud ," which can support felony tax evasion charges even on tax years outside the 5 or 6 year criminal tax statute at issue. How a Routine Audit Can Escalate into a Criminal Tax Investigation Key Red Flags Significant Underreported Taxable Income The IRS automatically cross-checks 1099s, W-2s, and other third-party reporting of taxable income against the returns you file. For example, when the sum of your 1099s exceeds your reported Schedule C income, or if you fail to report a sizeable amount of cash income, an audit or criminal tax investigation is practically guaranteed. If you are audited or criminally investigated, the IRS and FTB commonly reconcile all deposits into every financial account they can identify against the income you reported looking for unreported taxable income as well. Exaggerated or Fraudulent Deductions Artificially inflating business expenses or writing off personal expenditures disguised as business write-offs are classic "badges of fraud ". Total Tax Loss of $30,000 or greater Under federal sentencing guidelines, $30,000 of tax loss equates to about one year in prison which is precisely the deterrent effect the IRS, at a minimum, seeks. Multiple Year Pattern of Noncompliance Multiple years of suspicious tax returns can lead the auditor to suspect intentional wrongdoingand can expand the tax audit to prior or subsequent years. Referral to IRS CID and Its 90%+ Conviction Rate If a IRS auditor detects firm indications of fraud, they can either consult a Fraud Referral Specialist (FRS) or refer the matter directly to CID. CID then conducts a criminal tax investigation aimed at building a case for criminal tax prosecution. Once CID believes there's enough evidence, the matter can be sent to the IRS District Counsel, forwarded to the Department of Justice Tax Division, and ultimately prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office. CID has a conviction rate exceeding 90%, making it imperative to seek experienced legal representation if your case is under criminal tax investigation. The FTB follows similar procedures but their conviction rate is not quite as high. Potential Penalties for Criminal Tax Violations A Federal conviction for criminal tax evasion, filing a false return, or related offenses can result in: Prison Sentences Up to 5 years per count for felony tax evasion. per count for felony tax evasion. Up to 3 years for filing a false return. for filing a false return. Hefty Fines Up to $250,000 for individuals (or $500,000 for corporations). for individuals (or for corporations). Civil Fraud Penalties Up to a 75% penalty on the tax underpayment, plus accrued interest. penalty on the tax underpayment, plus accrued interest. Restitution Orders Requiring you to pay back taxes, penalties, and interest. Can You Go to Jail for an Honest Mistake? Federal or California Criminal tax charges typically require willful conduct. The IRS / FTB rarely seeks prison time for a simple oversight. However: Misinterpretations can spiral if the IRS or FTB views your "mistakes" as intentional deceit. can spiral if the IRS or FTB views your "mistakes" as intentional deceit. False Statements to an auditoreven if made out of paniccould support a criminal tax referral. to an auditoreven if made out of paniccould support a criminal tax referral. Significant Deficiencies (often $30,000 or greater in total tax understatements) create the appearance of deliberate tax evasion. Even if you believe your situation is purely a "routine" civil tax audit, it would be wise to treat it very seriously. A single mishap, misunderstanding, or slip of the tongue can escalate things dramatically. If you know you cheated and your total multiyear noncompliance is equal to $30,000 or more you would be wise to have a dually licensed Criminal Tax Defense Attorney & CPA at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing represent you in your audit to ensure the best chance of achieving a purely civil resolution of your case and thus protecting your liberty and your net worth and continuing ability to earn a living. Key Questions About Audits, Criminal Tax Exposure, and the Risk of Jail Time Will My California State Returns Also Be Audited? IRS and California state taxing authorities frequently share data. Any adjustments on your federal tax return will require you to amend your state tax returns, compounding your exposure to additional civil and criminal tax penalties and possibly heightening the risk of criminal tax referral if discrepancies are significant. Can They Audit Multiple Entities I Own? Yes. If an auditor identifies non-compliance or red flags on your personal return, they may extend the audit to all entities you control, further increasing your exposure to severe civil and criminal tax penaltiesincluding the potential for jail time if willful misconduct is uncovered. An entity audit, especially where entity tax adjustments and known to flow though to your personal tax return can cause the fire to burn the other direction as well. Will They Visit My Home or Business Unannounced? In high-risk "eggshell/reverse eggshell" audits, agents may unexpectedly inspect your home or business. Such unannounced visits are often aimed at verifying assets or your standard of living, and they can escalate the investigation if discrepancies suggest an intent to defraud. How Long Do Audits Last? While simple correspondence audits might conclude within a few months, complex office or field auditsespecially those involving reconstructive accounting or suspected intentional fraudcan last years. Prolonged investigations not only increase financial liabilities through accumulated penalties and interest but also raise the likelihood of a federal or California criminal tax referral leading to possible jail time. Contact the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing Today if You Are Worried About Your Income Tax Errors Leading to Jail Time If you are concerned that omissions of income, overstatements of expenses or erroneously claimed credits on your federal or California income tax returnswhether negligent or intentionalcould expose you to criminal tax charges or incarceration, prompt and strategic action is essential. At the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, we routinely represent clients in matters ranging from straightforward civil audits to high-risk "eggshell" or "reverse eggshell" audits and suspected criminal tax investigations. In nearly 30 years of practicing civil and criminal tax defense, we have never had an audit client face criminal tax prosecutiona testament to our aggressive advocacy and deep experience in mitigating or altogether preventing criminal tax referrals. Voluntary Disclosure: If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be supported upon an IRS or state tax authority audit, eggshell audit, reverse eggshell audit, or criminal tax investigation, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney to determine your best route back into federal or state tax compliance without facing criminal prosecution. Note: As long as a taxpayer that has willfully committed tax crimes (potentially including non-filed foreign information returns coupled with affirmative evasion of U.S. income t ax on offshore income) self-reports the tax fraud (including a pattern of non-filed returns) through a domestic or offshore voluntary disclosure before the IRS has started an audit or criminal tax investigation / prosecution, the taxpayer can ordinarily be successfully brought back into tax compliance and receive a nearly guaranteed pass on criminal tax prosecution and simultaneously often receive a break on the civil penalties that would otherwise apply. It is imperative that you hire an experienced and reputable criminal tax defense attorney to take you through the voluntary disclosure process. Only an Attorney has the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Privileges that will prevent the very professional that you hire from being potentially being forced to become a witness against you, especially where they prepared the returns that need to be amended, in a subsequent criminal tax audit, investigation or prosecution. Moreover, only an Attorney can enter you into a voluntary disclosure without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (a crime in itself). Only an Attorney trained in Criminal Tax Defense fully understands the risks and rewards involved in voluntary disclosures and how to protect you if you do not qualify for a voluntary disclosure. As uniquely qualified and extensively experienced Criminal Tax Defense Tax Attorneys, Kovel CPAs and EAs, our firm provides a one stop shop to efficiently achieve the optimal and predictable results that simultaneously protect your liberty and your net worth. See our Testimonials to see what our clients have to say about us! Don't Contact Your Original Preparer or Non-Attorney Professionals in a High-Risk Audit or Criminal Tax Investigation Seeking to Avoid Jail Time No Attorney-Client Privilege CPAs, EAs, and CTEC-certified preparers cannot ordinarily provide confidential / privileged communications protection regarding civil or criminal tax issues. Anything you disclose to them can be compelled in court via a subpoena which is enforceable under a federal or California court's contempt power, even if they did not prepare your original tax returns that are ultimately at issue. These non-attorney professionals may very well become government witness number one in a subsequent criminal tax prosecution. The original preparer is also very likely to attempt to shift blame onto you to attempt to protect their own reputations and licenses. Inherent Conflicts of Interest An original preparer who "helped" you file a potentially false or fraudulent return has a strong incentive to cooperate with the government to avoid their own criminal tax liability for aiding and abetting income tax evasion. They retain notes, documents, and interview records that may become incriminating evidence against you. Lack of Persuasive Legal Advocacy Non-attorneys are not trained in legal analysis, the art of persuasion or courtroom procedure. An attorney's skill in negotiation, persuasiveness, skill at building a defense centered on your constitutional protections, and skill at identifying and challenging weaknesses the IRS's case is crucialespecially if your audit is at risk of criminal tax referral or if you "know for a fact you cheated on the returns being audited." By contrast, hiring a dual-licensed Civil and Criminal Tax Attorney and CPA at The Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing ensures your communications remain confidential and legally protected through attorney-client privilege. Our attorneys are also trained in the art of legal persuasion, appeals, and courtroom procedurevital when an audit teeters on the brink of a criminal tax investigation. Even if no criminal issues are immediately apparent, we are uniquely positioned to secure fair civil resolutions, handle tax appeals & litigation if necessary, and identify any potential pitfalls before they escalate into life-altering prosecutions. Your personal freedom, finances, and future earning capacity may be on the line. Our team thoroughly evaluates every angle of your situation, identifies potential red flags, and keeps the taxing authorities guessing about the true nature of your case. We aim, where possible, to demonstrate that any errors made were non-willful, thereby sidestepping accusations of intentional tax fraud to avoid jail time. When we say we protect our clients, we mean it: we spare no effort in safeguarding your liberty and reputation against unwarranted or draconian criminal tax penalties. Call the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing today at (800) 681-1295 or schedule a reduced-rate initial consultation online to review your options in strict confidence. With appointment-only satellite offices, flexible scheduling, and the ability for David W. Klasingan instrument-rated pilotto personally fly to your location at no additional cost (preceded by a one-hour reduced rate initial phone or encrypted go-to-meeting reduced rate initial consultation), we remove the logistical hurdles that often prevent taxpayers from seeking the legal help they desperately need. Let us deliver the unwavering, expert representation you need to halt high-risk tax audits from spiraling out of controland to safeguard your freedom from the threat of jail time. Public Contact: Dave Klasing Esq. M.S.-Tax CPA, [email protected] SOURCE Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, 3Q 2024 was a particularly good quarter for nuclear power, with overall investment in fusion reaching a record US$7 billion and hype beginning to build around the use of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for industrial applications especially data centers, which are increasingly energy-hungry. "Nuclear fusion and SMRs are just one of many energy alternatives enterprises and industries are looking into. The adoption of renewables also continued apace in 2024, with China installing more solar and wind than the rest of the world combined between March 2023 and March 2024. These sources now account for 37% of total Chinese power capacity 758GW with a further 339GW currently in construction stages," explains Daniel Burge, Smart Energy for Enterprises and Industries Analyst at ABI Research. In Europe alone, cheap solar PV units facilitated a YoY growth of 15% in the continent's solar output. Meanwhile, emergent technologies have played an increasingly important role in the wider market, from adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled monitoring for renewable assets to using drones in operations at offshore wind farms. The urgent need for grid expansion a major topic this year has stimulated large global projects. In 3Q, the Commonwealth Government approved the Australian component of the Australia-Asia Powerlink, intended to provide up to 6GW of electricity to clients in Darwin and Singapore. Engie, a French utility firm, began construction on an 800MWh battery park in Belgium, while U.S.-based Intersect Power secured funding for its 1GWh of Texan battery storage projects. Grid types have also diversified, with over 21,000 microgrids now in operation - nearly half of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, some vendors announced innovative new approaches, with Star Catcher, a U.S. start up, securing funding to construct the world's first space-based energy grid. "Agriculture, data center, construction, manufacturing, and mining industries renewed their interest in novel energy approaches, from Enel North America signing the largest U.S. solar grazing contract to Microsoft signing a historic PPA to purchase energy for data centers from the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. Interest in ever 'smarter' approaches to energy remains strong heading into 2025," Burge concludes. These findings are from ABI Research's Smart Energy for Enterprises & Industries Quarterly Update: 3Q 2024 report. This report is part of the company's Smart Energy for Enterprises and Industries research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. About ABI Research ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers. ABI Research For more information about ABI Research's services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com. Contact Info: Global Deborah Petrara Tel: +1.516.624.2558 [email protected] SOURCE ABI Research Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/news/all Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with top managers and owners of large companies, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Davos. "Investment in Ukraine, our defense industry, support for our economy, development of the agricultural sector, energy and education, the importance of continuing pressure on Russia through sanctions and maintaining unity to achieve a fair peace are the topics that formed the basis of our important conversation," he said in a Telegram message on Wednesday. The President thanked the participants of the meeting for their willingness to support Ukraine, in particular through investment, and to continue to facilitate the restoration of the Ukrainian economy after the end of the war. According to the presidential press service, the meeting took place as part a panel session of the World Economic Forum. During the meeting, Zelenskyy spoke about the situation at the front and the results of the Kursk operation. He emphasized the importance of continuing pressure on Russia, since this is the only way to force Russia to establish peace. "This must be a fair peace, and not just peace for the sake of peace. And we must also understand what will happen tomorrow. And this is a problem. Because we do not trust Putin and will not trust him even after the war is over. Therefore, it is very important to maintain unity between the United States of America and Europe," he said. The head of state also informed the participants about the achievements of the Ukrainian defense industry. "We have implemented many correct technological solutions. These are drones, electronic warfare systems. Ukraine has produced millions of drones, kamikaze drones, reconnaissance drones. We are already using drones in logistics in war we transfer water, food, medicine by drones. Many progressive things that civilization can use in peacetime," he said. The participants also discussed cooperation with the agricultural sector, investment in the Ukrainian education, energy and economy. Comprehensive Report Unveils Latest Advances, Market Dynamics, and Practical Applications in the Private 5G Network Sector BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest study from BCC Research, "Global Private 5G Network Market" is projected to reach $22.2 billion by the end of 2029, at a CAGR of 46.8% for the forecast period of 2024-2029. Private 5G networks cover hardware, software, and services. The report breaks down the market into frequency bands (sub-6-GHz and millimeter-wave) and deployment types (on-premises and cloud-based). The report examines how private 5G is used in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, BFSI, energy, automotive, aerospace, media, mining, IT, logistics, and supply chain management. It also provides a regional analysis for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World, which includes Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. The study covers market drivers, trends and profiles of leading companies, with projections from 2024 to 2029 based on 2023 data. The private 5G network market is evolving quickly, with innovations expanding its use across industries. With rising needs for secure, low-latency communications, the drive for industrial automation, and a growing demand for tailored network solutions, it is more important than ever for stakeholders to stay on top of these developments. Understanding the latest in private 5G can help companies seize new opportunities and stay competitive in this fast-changing landscape. Factors driving the global private 5G network market include: Growing Emphasis on Industrial Automation: Private 5G networks enable high-speed, low-latency connectivity for automated machinery and real-time data processing, boosting industrial efficiency. Rising Demand for Low Latency and High Reliability: These networks provide the ultra-low latency and high reliability, needed for mission-critical applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and autonomous vehicles. Increasing Security Concerns: Private 5G networks enhance security by offering better control over data traffic and allowing businesses to implement tailored security protocols. Broadening Scope of Customized Solutions: These networks can be customized to meet specific industry needs, such as supporting high device density, providing remote coverage, or integrating with existing systems. Request a sample copy of the global private 5G network market report. Report Synopsis Report Metric Details Base year considered 2023 Forecast period considered 2024-2029 Base year market size $2.3 billion Market size forecast $22.2 billion Growth rate CAGR of 46.8% for the forecast period of 2024-2029 Segments covered Offering, Frequency Band, Deployment Type, Application Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Market drivers Growing emphasis on industrial automation. Rising demand for low latency and for high reliability. Increasing security concerns. Broadening scope of customized solutions Facts about the global private 5G network market: Network Slicing in Private 5G : Enterprises use network slicing to customize network resources for specific applications, enhancing performance and security beyond traditional networks. Edge Computing Integration : Combining edge computing with private 5G enables real-time data processing at the network edge, reducing latency and enabling new applications such as autonomous vehicles and smart cities. Adoption in Key Sectors: Private 5G networks are increasingly used in manufacturing and healthcare for real-time data processing and high reliability, supporting technologies such as augmented reality and automation. The report addresses the following questions: What is the projected size and growth rate of the market? The market is projected to reach $22.2 billion by the end of 2029, at a CAGR of 46.8%. What factors are driving the growth of the market? These drivers include a growing emphasis on industrial automation, rising demand for low latency and high reliability, and increasing security concerns. What market segments are covered in the report? Offering, frequency band, deployment type, application and region. Which frequency band segment will dominate the market in 2029? The sub-6 GHz spectrum frequency band is expected to dominate the market in 2029. Which region has the largest market share? North America holds the largest share. Market leaders include: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO. LTD. CISCO SYSTEMS INC. CIENA CORP. JUNIPER NETWORKS INC. NEC CORP. NOKIA ORACLE SAMSUNG TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON ZTE CORP. Purchase a copy of the report direct from BCC Research. For further information on any of these reports or to make a purchase, please contact [email protected]. About BCC Research BCC Research market research reports provide objective, unbiased measurement, and assessment of market opportunities. Our experienced industry analysts' goal is to help you make informed business decisions, free of noise and hype. Contact Us Corporate HQ: 50 Milk St. Ste 16, Boston, MA 02109, USA Email: [email protected], Phone: +1 781-489-7301 For media inquiries, email [email protected] or visit our media page for access to our market research library. Any data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2183242/BCC_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE BCC Research LLC 3096 Cardinal Drive, Suite 1A, Vero Beach, Florida 32963 Hours: 10 AM 5 PM, Monday-Saturday VERO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For over two decades, Monkee's has been the go-to boutique of Emily Cate, owner of the newest Monkee's franchise, "Monkee's of Vero Beach." Emily says, "When you walk into a Monkee's you know that you will have a wonderful experience and leave with beautiful pieces. The customer service is impeccable. I have always had the dream of opening my own boutique. So, I decided to make my dream come true." Emily has always been passionate about fashion. In her early teens, she fell in love with fashion and modeling. Upon graduating from high school, Emily had the opportunity to travel overseas to model. Her travels took her to Paris, Greece, Brazil, London, and Japan. Emily combines her knowledge and experience in the fashion industry with her love for serving others, including philanthropic support for underprivileged children. This love of serving children led Emily to foster 13 children over the past decade, and it took her on a year-long mission trip across five continents. Through her world travels in modeling and missions, she learned that, despite cultural differences, fashion is a universal language. As her last foster child transitioned to a therapeutic home, Emily decided to pursue a dream she has had since her early twenties: to own and operate a women's boutique. Monkee's is built on a love of fashion and a focus on personal customer relationships. The franchise has built a reputation on the ability to bring exclusive and luxury brands and a personalized shopping experience to their customers. Owning Monkee's allows Emily to combine her love for fashion with serving clients and the community in Vero Beach. Emily plans to continue her philanthropic efforts through charity events sponsored by Monkee's of Vero Beach. Emily is most excited about meeting and welcoming new friends to Monkee's of Vero Beach. She wants Monkee's to be considered one of the beautiful boutiques joining the Vero Beach community. Like all Monkee's, Emily's Vero Beach location is beautiful and sophisticated, with a calming ambiance. Emily says, "I want my boutique to remind you of a beautiful BIG closet!" Emily is most excited about carrying Alice and Olivia, Anna Cate, Milly, Frances Valentine, and Ripley Rader. She is excited about learning what her clients want and, if possible, bringing those lines to Vero Beach. Join Emily on Friday, January 24th at 10 AM for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, proudly presented by the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce. Then shop the store for the very first time. "Ladies, we know you'll be back. You may even need a bigger closet!" Emily hopes to bring tried and true brands to Vero Beach along with new exquisite brands. She also hopes to bring a personalized customer service experience that turns every client into a friend. As Emily says, "My goal is to make you feel beautiful while providing extraordinary fashion that makes my customers celebrate their unique style!" Vero Beach has a plethora of beautiful boutiques. Monkee's stores have been Emily's go-to boutiques for years. Now, she wants Monkee's of Vero Beach to become your go-to boutique. Emily feels blessed to have the chance to join the Vero Beach community. Emily says, "I can't wait to join the host of other beautiful boutiques and specialty shops. It makes me happy to call Vero Beach my home." For more information about Monkee's Boutique Franchising and the grand opening event, please visit monkeesofverobeach.com and follow @monkeesofverobeach on Instagram. SOURCE Monkees Franchising, LLC SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- H2, Inc., an industry-leading vanadium flow battery (VFB) developer and manufacturer headquartered in South Korea, successfully raised $16 million in recent bridge funding, finalized in the second half of 2024. This brings the company's total accumulated funding to $77 million. The round was led by STIC Investments which is one of the largest and a leading private equity firm in Korea, with participation from KRUN Ventures and Lighthouse Combined Investment. The newly raised capital will be primarily allocated to constructing the company's new, state-of-the-art K2 Plant. This facility will significantly expand H2's manufacturing capacity to 1.2 GWh per annum, marking a major milestone in the global flow battery and long-duration energy storage industry. Scheduled to begin operations in 2026, the K2 Plant will triple the current capacity of the K1 Plant, which stands at 330 MWh per year. The company has already secured the land for the K2 Plant to achieve its target annual production capacity as quickly as possible. The K2 Plant will focus on producing H2's three flagship VFB products: the EnerFLOWTM 500 series, optimized for 4-hour energy storage applications, and the EnerFLOWTM 600 series, engineered for applications lasting 8 hours or more. The EnerFLOW 600 series incorporates H2's proprietary HYPERSTRUCTURETM technology, which significantly reduces system footprint. The first EnerFLOWTM 640 units are scheduled to be deployed in Spain's largest 8.8 MWh VFB project, with installation planned for mid-2025. In addition to the EnerFLOWTM series, the plant will support the mass production of UL-certified, high-performance 5000-series VFB stacks based on H2's proprietary design. These stacks are a key factor for success in the VFB industry. Dr. Shin Han, founder and CEO of H2, Inc. stated, "The successful bridge funding strongly validates H2's commercial readiness in terms of product quality and mass production capability. The forthcoming K2 Plant will be a pivotal asset, enabling us to meet the growing global demand for sustainable long-duration energy storage solutions that enhance grid resilience and support renewable energy adoption" SOURCE H2, Inc. SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Han's Robot, a leader in collaborative robotics, reflects on 2024, a year marked by accolades and recognition. These achievements highlight the company's commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer satisfaction. In July 2024, Han's Robot's Elfin-Pro collaborative robots won both the Red Dot Design Award and the iF DESIGN AWARD, honors from Germany that celebrate design and engineering. Competing against a global array of products, the Elfin-Pro stood out for its design and performance. Red Dot and iF Design Award Winner Elfin-Pro Designed for industrial human-machine collaboration, the Elfin-Pro collaborative robot handles tasks such as welding, spraying, polishing, screwing, and picking. Integrating technologies like end force control and artificial intelligence, the cobot ensures safe and efficient operations. Its aluminium alloy provides high rigidity with reduced weight, while the internal wiring increases interference resistance. The Red Dot Design Award Jury remarked, "The robot Elfin-Pro impresses with a modular design, an elegant, particularly stable surface and high flexibility for a wide range of application scenarios." Beyond design accolades, Han's Robot received industry recognition in November 2024 when it was named to the KPMG China Smart Manufacturing Tech 50 Award list. This designation highlights leaders driving innovation in intelligent manufacturing. Han's Robot demonstrated its expertise at the 2024 KPMG China Industrial Manufacturing Industry Summit, where it showcased its capabilities and approach to automation. Han's Robot received several prestigious honors, including the LeadeRobot 2024 Annual Heavy Payload Collaborative Robot Innovation Product Award, the 2024 Typical Robot Application Case Award, the 2024 Top 100 Most Investment-Worthy Companies Award, the Welding Collaborative Robot User Satisfaction Brand Award, and recognition as one of the 2024 GEI China Potential Unicorn Enterprises. Looking ahead to 2025, Han's Robot CEO Mr. Wang Guangneng expressed confidence in the company's growth and innovation. "Innovation is the cornerstone of our success," Mr. Wang stated. "In the year ahead, Han's Robot will continue to focus on independent development of core technologies, fostering mutual growth with our partners and customers. Together, we aim to shape the future of intelligent manufacturing." About Han's Robot Han's Robot (Shenzhen Han's Robot Co., Ltd.) is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to developing, promoting, and applying intelligent robots in industry, healthcare, logistics, services, etc. For more information about Han's Robot, please visit: Website: https://www.hansrobot.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hansrobot YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/hansrobot Email: [email protected] SOURCE Shenzhen Han's Robot Co., Ltd. BEIJING, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from People's Daily Media Innovation: China's top leaders on Monday reiterated the importance of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin at this year's first meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Photo It was noted at the meeting that special attention will be paid to balance the relationship between water, population, food and energy, and promote a comprehensive green transformation of the development model. The Yellow River, known as China's "mother river" and the cradle of Chinese civilization, supplies water to 12 percent of China's population and irrigates 17 percent of the country's arable land. However, the Yellow River used to suffer from frequent dike breaks and course changes throughout its history. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, unremitting efforts have been made not only to harness the Yellow River, but also to promote ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. How does China manage to make such a river benefit its people? Here are some answers. 1. Establishing a Sustainable Flood Control System for the Yellow River The nation has successfully mitigated 12 major floods in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, each exceeding 10,000 cubic meters per second. This achievement is attributed to a combination of engineering systems, non-engineering flood prevention measures, and the collaborative efforts of people along the river. Consequently, the historical pattern of frequent breaches and course alterations in the lower reaches has been fundamentally transformed. 2. Comprehensive Flood Control Engineering: Upstream Retention and Downstream Drainage A flood control engineering system has been developed, characterized by "upstream retention, downstream drainage, and lateral diversion on both banks." This system incorporates water conservancy multipurpose projects, such as Sanmenxia and Xiaolangdi, standardized downstream levees, and flood retention areas at Dongping Lake and Beijin Dike. 3. Reinforcing Downstream Flood Control Infrastructure The completion of a 1,371-kilometer standardized embankment system in the lower reaches of the Yellow River has significantly enhanced flood defense capabilities, with a flood control capacity of 22,000 cubic meters per second at the Huayuankou section. 4. Environmental Transformation: From Soil Erosion to Ecological Restoration A total area of 268,800 square kilometers of water and soil erosion and 544,900 square kilometers of forest and grassland vegetation have been treated. Both area and intensity of soil and water erosion are "double decreased", and water and wind erosion are "double reduced" as well. 5. Ecosystem Revitalization Ecological water replenishment initiatives in areas such as the Yellow River Delta and Ulansuhai Nur have significantly contributed to the restoration of the Yellow River's ecosystem. The bird species count in the Yellow River Delta has doubled from 187 in 1992 to 373 at present, rejuvenating this vital ecological zone. 6. Ecological Restoration and Water Management Local authorities have carried out a special campaign to regulate illegal riverside occupation, mining, heap and construction, and more than 82,000 cases have been addressed along the shoreline of the Yellow River since 2019, effectively maintaining the order of water affairs. 7. Sustainable Water Regulation Since 1999, the implementation of unified water flow management and scheduling in the Yellow River's main stream has ensured continuous flow for 25 consecutive years through a multifaceted approach incorporating administrative, engineering, technical, economic, and legal measures. 8. Advancements in Hydrological Monitoring With intensified application of new technologies and equipment, hydrological monitoring capabilities continue to improve. Meanwhile, with more hydrological stations and survey bases upgraded, the establishment of a modern rainwater monitoring and forecasting system has been accelerated. 9. Diversion of the Yellow River Water Supply The construction of approximately 54,000 water storage, diversion, and pumping projects has ensured water security for 120 million mu of farmland, over 60 large and medium-sized cities, 340 counties (county-level cities/banners), and numerous energy bases across Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. Despite accounting for only 2% of China's river runoff, the Yellow River supports 12% of the national population and 15% of agricultural water demand. SOURCE People's Daily Media Innovation The 50IU, 100IU and 200IU formulations cover aesthetic and therapeutic indicatons The strong partnership with Medica Group will boost Hugel's expansion in the MENA SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hugel Inc., a leading global medical aesthetics company chaired by Suk Cha, said on Wednesday it received approval for its botulinum toxin Botulax with aesthetic and therapeutic applications from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 20, achieving a significant milestone for the company's global expansion. The approval of Botulax in 50IU, 100IU, and 200IU covers five aesthetic and medical indications: eyelid spasm; crow's feet; glabellar lines; upper extremity muscle spasticity after stroke; and cerebral palsy adduction deformity in children. The company plans to officially release the toxin Botulax in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the end of April. Medica Group, Hugel's aesthetic toxin distribution partner headquartered in the UAE with branches in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, will lead the sales in MENA with its strong regional networks. Hugel will accelerate its market expansion with unique sales and marketing strategies in the region. Building on the success of its hyaluronic acid dermal filler Revolax, which won approval in the UAE in 2023, the company will strengthen its comprehensive medical aesthetic portfolios. The MENA represents one of the fastest-growing markets for medical aesthetics, driven by robust economic growth, favorable demographic trends, increasing social media engagement, and rising demand for aesthetic treatments. Hugel is preparing for the approval process of its toxin in other MENA countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. "We are excited about the growth potential in the MENA market with the approval for Botulax with aesthetic and therapeutic indications. Hugel will expand its business through the high quality of the toxin and Medica Group's comprehensive understanding of the market and its active partnerships combined with the regional networks," a Hugel official said. About Hugel Established in 2001, Hugel is a global leader in medical aesthetics, specializing in the production of injectables for skin rejuvenation, including botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid fillers, and skin boosters, as well as absorbable sutures and cosmetic products. As the market leader in injectable aesthetics in South Korea, Hugel is the only South Korean company with regulatory approvals in the world's three largest botulinum toxin markets: the US, China, and Europe. With a proven track record of safety and quality, Hugel is deeply committed to advancing the industry through robust medical affairs, comprehensive training programs, and dynamic industry forums. Over the past 20 years, the company has built a presence in approximately 70 countries and operates eight global subsidiaries across South Korea, the US, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Leveraging strong industry momentum, Hugel is poised for continued growth and global market expansion. Contact: Jihyun Kim, Manager of the PR Team, Hugel [email protected] SOURCE Hugel TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyde Park Capital announced that its client, RF Investment Partners, a private investment firm providing flexible growth capital solutions to lower middle-market companies across the United States, has made a majority investment in Valley Infusion, LLC and Home Infusion Richmond, LLC (together "Valley Vital") a leading franchisee within the Vital Care Infusion Services ("Vital Care") franchise system. Tombstone of Deal - RF Investment Partners has made a majority investment in Valley Vital Care Valley Vital operates infusion therapy pharmacies across four regions in Virginia and West Virginia, offering comprehensive infusion services that allow patients with chronic and acute conditions to receive exceptional care either at home or in one of its specialized infusion suites. Hyde Park Capital served as the buyside investment banker to RF Investment Partners for this transaction. Vital Care, a leading franchisor of infusion therapy pharmacies, provides high-quality, safe, convenient, and cost-effective infusion therapy services for chronic and acute patients across all of its locations. Vital Care provides a range of infusion and injectable specialty therapies and has more than 160 infusion pharmacy locations across 35 states. This partnership with Valley Vital will allow the company to invest in additional resources, further enhance patient care, offer new infusion therapies, and reach new geographical markets by opening new treatment locations following its recent expansion into West Virginia. RF is partnering with existing management team members Preston Estep, Pharm.D., and Stefan Debski, Pharm.D., who will continue with the company as CEO and COO, respectively. The company has also enhanced the management team with the recent hiring of new team members, industry veterans Missy Coleman and Rafat Ansari. For patients, this investment translates to improved access to critical infusion therapies, expansion of new treatment options, and the comfort of receiving care in their own homes or in an alternative treatment setting outside of the hospital. "We are excited to partner with Vital Care, Preston, and the Valley Vital team to support the next stage of growth," said RF Managing Director Collin Abert. "Valley Vital prioritizes exceptional patient-centric care while delivering a compelling value proposition to referring physicians and payors, which aligns perfectly with RF's investment philosophy." Abert added, "We've had the pleasure of working closely with Hyde Park Capital throughout the years and deeply value the collaboration and expertise of Michael and his team. We look forward to supporting our new partners in achieving their strategic objectives." Michael Johnson, Managing Director at Hyde Park Capital, commented: "It has been a privilege to work with Collin and the RF team on this significant transaction. Their strategic vision and commitment to excellence in the infusion therapy sector, an essential and rapidly expanding area of healthcare, are truly impressive. We are proud to have supported this partnership, which strengthens Valley Vital's ability to deliver innovative, patient-centered infusion therapies and positions the company for sustained growth and market leadership." With RF's partnership, Valley Vital aims to further solidify its market position and continue delivering exceptional care and infusion therapies to better serve patients and referring physicians. The company plans to accelerate its growth organically and through acquisitions of new territories and potentially other franchisees. About Valley Vital Founded in 2014 and 2019, respectively, Valley Infusion, LLC and Home Infusion Richmond, LLC (together "Valley Vital"), two prominent Vital Care franchisees, are at the forefront of providing cutting-edge infusion therapies across Virginia and West Virginia. Specializing in both in-home and clinic-based treatments, these companies focus on delivering acute critical and specialty care infusions to meet the diverse needs of patients in the region. For more information about Valley Vital, please visit https://valleyvitalcare.com/. About RF Investment Partners Headquartered in New York City, RF Investment Partners was founded to provide flexible capital solutions to lower middle-market companies across the United States. Specializing in supporting businesses with strong growth potential, RF Investment Partners offers tailored debt and equity financing to meet the unique needs of its clients. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and management teams across various industries, focusing on creating long-term value and sustainable success. With a commitment to fostering relationships and empowering businesses, RF Investment Partners has established itself as a trusted financial partner in the lower middle market. For more information, please visit https://rfinv.com. About Hyde Park Capital Hyde Park Capital is an institutionally focused boutique investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and focusing on serving the corporate finance needs of successful founder and family-owned companies. Hyde Park's principals have extensive investment banking experience managing merger and acquisition engagements, including executing sell-side and buy-side sales of company assignments, recapitalizations, financial advisory services, fairness opinions, and raising growth capital and acquisition financing for companies, including equity, mezzanine, and senior debt. Hyde Park Capital has extensive experience across numerous industry sectors, including industrial, technology, consumer, healthcare, business, and financial services. Hyde Park Capital is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and is a member of FINRA and SIPC. Hyde Park Capital is also a member of the Geneva Capital Group (GCG) International M&A Alliance (see www.gcg.com). For additional information, please visit www.hydeparkcapital.com. Media Contact: Rebecca Stapp Marketing Manager [email protected] 813-868-5734 SOURCE Hyde Park Capital VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Initio Medical Group marks a significant milestone in Canadian healthcare by being Western Canada's first to purchase and install the innovative GE HealthCare Omni Legend PET/CT system with cardiac capabilities. This advanced technology helps to enhance the region's diagnostic and treatment landscape, particularly in the realm of oncology due to its ability to deliver more than two times the sensitivity of prior GE HealthCare digital scanners1, enabling faster total scan times2 and impressive small lesion detectability3. The addition of the Omni Legend PET/CT will be just the sixth PET/CT scanner in all British Columbia and underscores Initio Medical Group's commitment to pioneering advancements in nuclear medicine and theranostics4. Nuclear medicine is a specialized field employing small amounts of radioactive materials to diagnose and treat diseases, notably cancer. The technology provides impressive precision in tumor visualization and targeting, essential in the fight against cancer. Theranostics, an innovative approach combining therapy and diagnostics, is poised to revolutionize personalized cancer care. This method leverages molecular imaging and targeted treatments to tailor therapy plans to individual patient needs, with the goal of enhancing treatment efficacy while minimizing side effects. Such advancements have the potential to improve the quality of life for patients navigating the daunting cancer landscape. "As we move forward, it is crucial to remember that cancer affects us all," remarked Mina Bechai, CEO at Initio Medical Group. "By investing in nuclear medicine and theranostics, we invest in brighter futures for countless individuals and families touched by this disease." In Canada, access to advanced cancer treatments is limited, with effective therapies often out of reach for many patients who frequently turn to costly alternatives abroad. Currently, Canada ranks 24th out of 32 OECD countries in the number of PET scanners per capita5. Initio Medical Group aims to change this narrative by working alongside provincial authorities to expand healthcare infrastructure, ensuring cutting-edge diagnostics and treatment options are available to all, regardless of financial situation. The installation of the Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is a step towards bridging this gap, helping to support the possibility of improved outcomes for cancer patients with access. "We are proud to see our technology used to improve the experience of clinicians and patients at Initio Medical Group," said Mike Hamilton, President, GE HealthCare Canada. "With more than 30 years of experience in PET, we remain dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with molecular imaging, so clinicians have the tools and quantitative data they need to make more confident and accurate diagnoses for their patients in British Columbia." About Initio Medical Group Initio Medical Group is at the forefront of advancing cancer care through innovative medical solutions like nuclear medicine and theranostics. Our mission is to bridge gaps in healthcare, working collaboratively with provincial authorities to increase access to life-saving technologies in Canada. With the installation of the PET/CT Omni Legend, Initio Medical Group reaffirms its dedication to transforming healthcare and providing hope to those affected by cancer. By joining hands to overcome current limitations, we can ensure that the best possible care is available to all Canadians during their most vulnerable times. ____________________________ 1 Omni Legend 32 cm has up 2.2 times the increase in system sensitivity as compared to Discovery MI 25 cm. Measurement follows NEMA NU 2-2018. 2 Up to 53% reduction of PET scan time on Omni Legend 32 cm compared to Discovery MI 25 cm, as demonstrated in phantom testing. 3 Omni Legend 32 cm increases small lesion detectability 16% on average and up to 20%, as compared to Discovery MI 25 cm with matched scan time/injected dose, as demonstrated in phantom testing using a model observer with 4 mm lesions; average of different reconstruction methods. 4 Omni Legend is capable of imaging the diagnostics portion of Theranostics 5 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. Positron emission tomography (PET) scanners and exams. https://stats.oecd.org/ Accessed 2023 Nov 9. [Reference list] SOURCE Initio Medical Group SAO PAULO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 6, 2025, at 8 a.m. (EST) and 10 a.m. (Brasilia time), we will present our 4Q24 results in Portuguese and English, in an interactive meeting, with a Q&A session at the end. To take part in the interactive meeting, register at the following link: Itau Results 4Q24 The participants in our interactive meeting will be: Milton Maluhy CEO, Gabriel Amado de Moura CFO, Renato Lulia Head of Corporate Strategy, Investor Relations and Corporate Development and Gustavo Lopes Rodrigues IRO. Results will be published on the investor relations website on February 5, 2025, after trading hours. Follow Itau Unibanco's latest news on our Investor Relations website. Contact: Itau Unibanco Comunicacao Corporativa (11) 5019-8880 / 8881 [email protected] SOURCE Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. FAIRFAX CITY, Va., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED) and John Cabot University (JCU) have announced a new partnership aimed at advancing economic collaboration between Italian businesses and Fairfax City, Virginia. The partnership introduces the inaugural International Business Fellowship, a program that will allow three selected JCU students to engage in meaningful, hands-on work to promote Fairfax City as an ideal destination for Italian businesses seeking expansion into the United States market. This collaboration underscores the shared vision of both institutions to foster global connections and economic innovation. The program equips JCU students with practical experience in research, client engagement, and portfolio development, preparing them for careers in American business, government, and economic development. For FCED, the partnership enhances its international reach, opening doors for Italian businesses to explore opportunities in Fairfax City. John Cabot University and Fairfax City Economic Development Announce New Partnership Post this "This partnership between John Cabot University and Fairfax City Economic Development is a testament to the power of international collaboration in creating opportunities for both students and communities," said Franco Pavoncello, President of John Cabot University. "By empowering our students to work at the intersection of education and real-world impact, this fellowship not only enhances their professional readiness but also strengthens the bridge between Italy and the United States. We are proud to contribute to Fairfax City's vision of global connectivity and economic innovation." About the Fellowship The fellowship provides an opportunity for selected JCU students to engage in a four-month program focused on: Performing market analyses to identify Italian businesses ready for U.S. expansion. Developing tailored marketing strategies to promote Fairfax City's business-friendly environment. business-friendly environment. Collaborating with Italian business associations to strengthen relationships and expand FCED's Italian network. The fellows' work will culminate in a visit to Fairfax City in May 2025, where they will present their findings and strategic plan to key stakeholders, including city officials, the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority, and local business leaders. The week-long immersive experience will also include networking opportunities, business site visits, and cultural exchanges, showcasing the benefits of establishing a presence in Fairfax City. "This partnership represents a significant step in Fairfax City's international business strategy," said Christopher Bruno, CEO and director of Fairfax City Economic Development. "With the insight and research provided by these exceptional fellows, FCED will be able to enhance our international landings program and strengthen our outreach efforts in Italy, advancing our city's position as a premier destination for international business expansion." Meet the Fellows The three selected students who will participate in this pioneering fellowship are: Nina Lange ; junior majoring in communications and minoring in entrepreneurship ; junior majoring in communications and minoring in entrepreneurship Samuele Nusca-Dagon ; sophomore majoring in psychology and marketing ; sophomore majoring in psychology and marketing Mario Di Nicola; junior majoring in economics and finance, minoring in mathematics and computer science These students were chosen based on their strong academic performance, demonstrated interest in international business, and their potential to contribute to the success of the project. They will begin their work immediately on their proposed strategic marketing plan. "This partnership with JCU embodies the essence of what it means to be a globally connected community," said Fairfax City Mayor Catherine S. Read. "The JCU fellows' work in Italy not only enhances opportunities for local economic growth but also sets a standard for how cities can foster meaningful international relationships." About Fairfax City Economic Development Fairfax City Economic Development is a collaboration between the Fairfax City Economic Development Department and the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority, an independent agency administered by a commission appointed by the City Council to promote economic development activity within Fairfax. Fairfax City Economic Development helps attract businesses to the city, encourages and develops programs that foster connections between businesses, residents, and visitors of Fairfax City, and spearheads innovative programs and strategies devoted to positioning Fairfax City as an ideal location to start, grow, and scale a business. It is a founding member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance. Learn more at gofairfaxcity.com. About John Cabot University John Cabot University is an American institution of higher education in Rome, Italy. The mission of the University is to provide an educational experience firmly rooted in the American tradition of the liberal arts and solidly international in orientation. The academic programs are designed to use to the fullest extent the special resources of a multicultural faculty, an international student body and the extraordinarily rich culture and history of Rome and the surrounding region. In support of its mission, the University commits to: develop within all students the skills and the learning habits that will make it possible for them to educate themselves throughout their lives; enable students to appreciate, benefit from and contribute to the richness and diversity of other cultures; encourage leaders who will accept responsibility and make positive contributions to an increasingly interdependent and multicultural world; create an academic community composed of full-time, four-year matriculating students and visiting students that fosters intellectual tolerance, freedom and integrity. SOURCE Fairfax City Economic Development BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Azerbaijan seeks to take a competitive place in the rapidly changing global landscape, where digital transformation is becoming a key driver of economic growth, the report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) "Impact Report: Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network 2023-2024" said, Trend reports. The report notes that the Digital FDI project began with a series of strategic meetings to define goals and develop specific strategies. As part of the initiative, surveys and interviews were conducted with local and international companies already operating in Azerbaijan's digital economy. The data collected was analyzed and presented at a workshop on December 4, 2023. The Digital FDI initiative has already started to have a significant impact by fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan. The workshops provided knowledge sharing and strategic support to help local companies adapt to global digital transformation trends. Companies and startups received practical advice on assessing their digital readiness and identifying areas for improvement, which increased their investment attractiveness and scalability, the report says. As noted, one of the key elements of the project was the creation of the InvesTech calculator, a tool designed to simplify investment decisions by providing clear information on the status of digital investments. This tool plays an important role in the strategy of attracting foreign direct investment by increasing transparency and simplifying the investment process, the report reads. Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, whose words are quoted in the report, noted that the "IDEA: Investing in the Digital Economy of Azerbaijan" initiative praised Azerbaijan's significant progress in creating a favorable environment for startups and innovations. The report stresses the importance of attracting foreign investment, activating the private sector, promoting digitalization, and implementing relevant policies to ensure the socio-economic development of the country, he added. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kiehl's, a pioneer in skincare for all, continues to champion inclusivity and body positivity with the launch of a bold new campaign introducing Pubic Display Type. This first-of-its-kind font, crafted entirely from actual human pubic hair, is a creative response to censorship and an unapologetic celebration of self-care for all skin, including intimate areas. Courtesy of Kiehl's Since 1851 In 2024, Kiehl's expanded its skincare expertise to the intimate care category to address the unique needs of sensitive areas. The launch included Ingrown Hair & Tone Corrective Drops and Over & Under Cream-to-Powder Body Deodorant, thoughtfully formulated to address common concerns such as ingrown hairs and irritation while supporting all skin types and tones. As part of this launch, Kiehl's unveiled a bold campaign showcasing authentic imagery of models with visible pubic hair, challenging conventional beauty standards. While this groundbreaking campaign sparked meaningful conversations, some visuals were censored in select store windows. Kiehl's responded with creativity and conviction, turning the challenge into an opportunity to amplify its message. "As trusted skincare experts since 1851, Kiehl's understands that all skin deserves respect and care, including our intimate areas," says Kiehl's Global Brand President Jon Saenz. "Our response to the censorship of our Kiehl's Personals imagery underscores our commitment to honest conversations about body hair, and our private parts, and challenging outdated societal taboos. Pubic hair is a natural part of the human body, and there is no reason to feel uncomfortable with it. We believe in providing solutions for all skincare needs, without exception." On January 22, 2025, Kiehl's introduced the three new striking visuals featuring bold headlines formed entirely from pubic hair: "Our photos of models with pubic hair were censored, so we removed the models." "Pubic hair don't care." "Apologies, we won't show pubic hair ever again." The visuals, shared across the brand's digital platforms, bring attention to the importance of embracing diversity and destigmatizing conversations about our bodies. Kiehl's believes self-care has no boundaries, and no part of the body should be censored. The brand stands by the idea that every skin deserves care and respectfrom head to toe, and everywhere in between. For more information and to shop the Kiehl's intimate care collection, visit Kiehls.com. Join the conversation on @Kiehls social channels and celebrate a world with nothing to hide. About Kiehl's Since 1851 Kiehl's Since 1851, a L'Oreal USA brand, was founded as an old-world apothecary in New York's East Village neighborhood over 170 years ago. The brand's unique and extensive background represents a blend of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal, and medicinal knowledge developed and advanced through the generations. Over the years, longtime customer favorite formulations such as Ultra Facial Cream, Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, Calendula Toner, and new formulations such as Better Screen UV serum, Rare Earth Deep Pore Clay Mask, Truly Targeted Acne Pimple Patch and Dermatologist Solutions have been created with uniquely efficacious, natural ingredients and the education and knowledge culled from generations of rigorous testing, research, and requests from customers. For press inquiries, please contact: Rachel Weinstock [email protected] Alison Brod Marketing & Communications [email protected] SOURCE Kiehl's Since 1851 SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kind Lending is excited to announce the launch of its Top Dog Program, an innovative new initiative designed to reward brokers for their hard work and achievements. The program empowers brokers to "fetch" exclusive benefits, unlock premium rewards, and elevate their businesses to new heights. With a focus on growth, success, and efficiency, the Top Dog Program offers brokers the opportunity to climb the ranks, showcase their skills, and enjoy exclusive treats along the way. For more information on the Kind Lending Top Dog Program or to get started today, visit KindTPO.com/topdogprogram. The program's structure is designed to provide brokers with clear milestones for success. By reaching specific performance thresholds, brokers can unlock exciting rewards and exclusive opportunities. "We believe that strong relationships are the foundation of success, and the Top Dog Program is all about taking those relationships to the next level," said Delfino Aguilar, Chief Production Officer of TPO at Kind Lending. "As brokers engage more with Kind Lending, they unlock exclusive benefits that can help drive their business growth and open doors to new opportunities." Program Tiers and Benefits Here are some of the top-level rewards available as brokers progress through the program. Good Dog Benefits: Pilot participation in new programs. Brokers at this level will gain access to the latest Kind Lending programs, helping them stay ahead of the curve and maximize their potential. Pilot participation in new programs. Brokers at this level will gain access to the latest Kind Lending programs, helping them stay ahead of the curve and maximize their potential. Big Dog Benefits: 1 EPO waiver, private event strategy, pilot participation in new programs. Big Dogs leads the charge, benefiting from waivers and strategies that help them maintain their competitive edge in the market. 1 EPO waiver, private event strategy, pilot participation in new programs. Big Dogs leads the charge, benefiting from waivers and strategies that help them maintain their competitive edge in the market. Alpha Dog Benefits: 2 EPO waivers, private event strategy, pilot participation in new programs. Alpha Dogs sit at the top of the pack, enjoying a premium experience with exclusive waivers and strategies designed to increase their market dominance. How to Move Up The Ranks To move up the ranks in the Top Dog Program, brokers should focus on increasing their submission units by leveraging Kind TPO's streamlined processes, making it easier to submit and close deals quickly. A key component to advancing in the ranks is achieving a 70% or greater pull-through rate from underwriting to funding, ensuring a high level of performance and efficiency. The more brokers engage with Kind Lending's tools and resources, the faster they can ascend through the ranks and enjoy premium rewards. Exclusive perks, including VIP experiences and personalized strategies, await brokers who rise to the top! "The Top Dog Program celebrates our partners who consistently go above and beyond," said Glenn Stearns, Founder and CEO of Kind Lending. "In the challenging world of mortgage lending, collaboration is key to delivering exceptional customer experience. This program honors their dedication while reinforcing our promise to empower them with the tools, resources, and recognition they deserve." For more information on the Kind Lending Top Dog Program or to get started today, visit KindTPO.com/topdogprogram. SOURCE Kind Lending, LLC Texas-Based Chain Continues to be Top Ranked Bakery Opportunity KATY, Texas, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kolache Factory, a unique and rapidly expanding national pastry chain, proudly announces its inclusion in Entrepreneur's prestigious Franchise 500 rankings for the ninth consecutive year. Securing the No. 412 spot in the 2025 rankings, Kolache Factory continues to demonstrate its resilience and appeal in the competitive franchising industry. Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 is regarded as one of the most comprehensive franchise rankings, evaluating brands based on critical criteria such as unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. The 2025 rankings represent the 46th year of this rigorous analysis, solidifying its reputation as a trusted resource for entrepreneurs seeking franchise opportunities. "We are honored to be included in the Franchise 500 for the ninth year in a row," said Dawn Nielsen, Chief Operating Officer of Kolache Factory. "This achievement reflects the dedication of our team, the loyalty of our customers, and the commitment of our franchise partners who continue to drive our success. Kolache Factory remains a brand that people trust and love, and we're excited about the opportunities ahead." Kolache Factory, celebrating over 40 years in business, has carved out a unique niche in the fast-casual dining space. With approximately 60 locations across nine states, the brand has 32 corporate-owned and 28 franchised units. Known for its focus on quality and freshness, Kolache Factory has cultivated a loyal following and remains a compelling choice for franchisees. "Every company on this year's list demonstrates the power of franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurial success," said Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine. "This year's rankings showcase brands that continue to adapt, evolve, and lead in their respective categories." Kolache Factory's consistent presence on this esteemed list highlights its appeal to potential franchisees. With robust support systems, a proven business model, and a brand identity rooted in quality and tradition, the company offers significant opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to join a thriving franchise network. For more information about Kolache Factory and its ranking, please visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500 or find the January/February 2025 issue of Entrepreneur. To learn more about franchising opportunities with Kolache Factory, visit https://kolachefactory.com/fresh-opportunity. About the Kolache Factory Kolache Factory was founded in 1982 in Houston, Texas, by John and Jerri Banks, who identified a need for a fresh, high-quality breakfast that could be eaten "on the run." The Bankses encouraged consumers to try the high-quality, fresh pastries filled with fruits, meats, and cheeses, and soon, they were in high demand for business meetings, family breakfasts, on-the-go lunches, and afternoon snacks. Kolache Factory has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Drive-thrus in America by Food Network, one of the fastest-growing companies in Houston, and one of the top 50 foodservice bakeries in the United States by Modern Baking magazine. In addition, Entrepreneur magazine named it among the top 200+ food-based franchises and the #1 Baked Goods franchise in 2022 and 2024. Kolache Factory is privately owned and operated and headquartered in Katy, Texas. For more information, please visit https://kolachefactory.com/. MEDIA CONTACT: Tammy Delgado [email protected]| Ph: 919.459.7147 SOURCE Kolache Factory TEESSIDE, England, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LanzaJet, a leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)1 technology and producer of SAF, today announced the selection of the site for their next production facility, Project Speedbird, in Teesside's Wilton International. LanzaJet has partnered with Sembcorp Utilities (UK) Limited, a wholly-owned entity of Sembcorp Industries Ltd, to develop an ethanol-to-SAF facility at Wilton International in Teesside, UK. Through a collaboration with British Airways, Project Speedbird will produce over 90,000 tonnes (30 million gallons) of SAF and renewable diesel annually. Project Speedbird, a recipient of grant funding by the UK government under the Advanced Fuels Fund, is likely to generate significant regional benefits and create around 30 highly skilled, long-term roles within LanzaJet's operations. The fuel produced is expected to reduce the net carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 230,000 tonnes per year - equivalent to 26,000 British Airways UK domestic flights. "Wilton International was selected for its strategic location and advanced infrastructure, essential for SAF production. This selection underscores Teesside's pivotal role in the UK's energy transition and industrial decarbonisation efforts. By leveraging Wilton International's capabilities, the project enhances the region's status as a leader in alternative energy initiatives, contributing significantly to the UK's clean energy objectives," said Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet. "Through our collaboration with British Airways, we are building a local supply chain for SAF a critical solution for reducing lifecycle net carbon emissions in aviation while supporting the UK's ambition to lead the energy transition. Project Speedbird demonstrates the potential of aligning technology, investment, and partnerships to address the aviation industry's carbon emissions." The facility will utilise LanzaJet's proprietary alcohol-to-jet technology, deployed at its Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, USA, the world's first commercial ethanol-to-SAF production plant. Project Speedbird will produce SAF from sustainably sourced ethanol. Project Speedbird will also establish key collaborations across the region to further bolster the local economy. Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability at British Airways, said: "We are delighted that LanzaJet has selected Wilton International in Teesside as the site for Project Speedbird. This milestone paves the way for the next stage of this innovative project, which is an important step towards scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production in the UK. SAF will be crucial in helping us reach our net zero goals by 2050, and this development marks significant progress towards producing UK SAF, whilst also supporting local communities and creating green jobs." "We are pleased to welcome LanzaJet to our Wilton International site in Teesside. By providing ready-to-go infrastructure, energy and utilities services, we support their efforts in developing sustainable and low-carbon solutions. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to accelerating the UK's energy transition and industrial decarbonisation. We look forward to partnering with LanzaJet as they play a pivotal role in transforming the aviation sector towards net zero," said Mike Patrick, Chief Executive Officer of Sembcorp Energy UK. ABOUT LANZAJET LanzaJet is a leading alternative fuels technology and engineering company dedicated to accelerating the transition in aviation. As a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology provider and producer with patented ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, LanzaJet is creating an opportunity for future generations by accelerating the deployment of SAF and other technologies critical to transforming the aviation fuel market. LanzaJet was named TIME100 Most Influential Companies for 2024. Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com/ . 1Defined in the Refuel EU Aviation Regulation as aviation fuels that are either synthetic aviation fuels, aviation biofuels or recycled carbon aviation fuels. SAF produces similar levels of carbon dioxide to conventional aviation fuels when burned, but the carbon dioxide generated is already part of the carbon cycle and is not extracted from the ground specifically for creating aviation fuel. This means that using SAF results in a reduction in carbon emissions compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces over the lifecycle of the fuel. SOURCE LanzaJet NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it is investigating potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the directors and officers of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) in connection with Southwest Airlines' information technology infrastructure impacting the Company's business, operations, and stock price. If you currently own shares of Southwest Airlines stock, please visit the firm's website at https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=10716 for more information. You may also contact Phillip Kim of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via email at [email protected]. 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/. 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 firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. 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 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global medical equipment maintenance market size is estimated to grow by USD 51.21 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.64% during the forecast period. Rising focus on preventive maintenance of medical equipment is driving market growth, with a trend towards increasing adoption of advanced medical technologies in emerging countries. However, high cost of medical equipment maintenance poses a challenge. Key market players include Agfa Gevaert NV, AlphaSource Group, Althea Group S.p.A., Aramark, B.Braun SE, Boston Scientific Corp., Canon Inc., Carestream Health Inc., Dragerwerk AG and Co. KGaA, Edwards Lifesciences Corp., FUJIFILM Corp., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., HOYA Corp., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic Plc, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Siemens AG, Stryker Corp., and Terumo Corp.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global medical equipment maintenance market 2024-2028 AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Medical Equipment Maintenance Market Scope Report Coverage Details Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2017 - 2021 Segment Covered Type (Healthcare systems, Pharmaceutical diagnostics, and Others), End-user (Public sector organizations and Private sector organizations), Geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)), Equipment, and Service. Region Covered North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Key companies profiled Agfa Gevaert NV, AlphaSource Group, Althea Group S.p.A., Aramark, B.Braun SE, Boston Scientific Corp., Canon Inc., Carestream Health Inc., Dragerwerk AG and Co. KGaA, Edwards Lifesciences Corp., FUJIFILM Corp., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., HOYA Corp., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic Plc, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Siemens AG, Stryker Corp., and Terumo Corp. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The Medical Equipment Maintenance Market is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the area of diagnostic imaging procedures. OEMs supplying diagnostic imaging equipment, dental devices, endoscopic tools, surgical instruments, laboratory gadgets, ophthalmology devices, medical lasers, electrosurgical equipment, and radiotherapy devices are key players in this market. Preventive maintenance is crucial for patient safety and care quality. Asset management solutions, IoT, and biomedical engineers play essential roles in maintaining precision and accuracy of medical devices. Market trends include the rise of multi-vendor OEMs and single-vendor OEMs, ISOs, in-house maintenance, and various service types like operational and corrective maintenance. Hospitals, dialysis centers, and other healthcare organizations are major consumers. Chronic conditions such as cancer and diabetes, as well as lifestyle disorders, drive demand. Extremadura Health Service and others are adopting advanced medical manufacturing technologies like balloon forming, thermal bonding, folding and pleating, and stent crimping. Market challenges include regulatory frameworks, trade regulations, import-export, and domestic market players' competition. Notable brands include Canon Medical, Agfa solutions, and many more. The medical equipment maintenance market is experiencing significant growth due to the introduction of innovative technologies and devices in healthcare. Regenerative medicine, surgical robots, liquid biopsy, and wearable medical devices are some of the notable advancements. Regenerative medicine, in particular, is gaining prominence for its potential to repair or replace damaged human cells, tissues, and organs using therapeutic stem cells, tissue engineering, and artificial organ production. Three-dimensional bioprinting, or additive manufacturing, is being adopted for producing regenerative medicines due to its ability to control product size, shape, pore size, geometry, and mechanical properties. This technology enables researchers to study the effects of drugs and treatments on human tissues with the actual patient's presence, contributing to improved diagnosis and treatment methods. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges The Medical Equipment Maintenance Market faces several challenges in the healthcare industry. Diagnostic imaging procedures rely heavily on the proper functioning of equipment like MRI, CT, and X-ray machines. OEMs must cater to the needs of various healthcare organizations, requiring preventive maintenance to ensure patient safety and care quality. Asset management solutions, IoT, and biomedical engineers play crucial roles in maintaining precision and accuracy of medical devices. Market ecosystem involves multi-vendor and single-vendor OEMs, service providers, and ISOs. Device types include diagnostic imaging equipment, dental, endoscopic, surgical, laboratory, ophthalmology, medical lasers, electrosurgical, radiotherapy devices, and durable medical equipment. Hospitals, dialysis centers, and other healthcare facilities face pipeline issues due to regulatory frameworks, trade regulations, and import-export restrictions. Chronic conditions such as cancer and diabetes, along with lifestyle disorders, require ongoing maintenance and calibration. Market hindrances include technical service centers, public health systems, and medical manufacturing technologies like balloon forming, thermal bonding, and folding and pleating. Market players include Canon Medical, Agfa solutions, and others. Ventilators, a critical medical device, have gained significant attention during the pandemic. ISO certifications ensure in-house maintenance and adherence to service types like operational and corrective maintenance. Precision, accuracy, and patient epidemiology are key factors driving the market. Medical equipment maintenance programs are essential for healthcare providers to effectively manage and monitor the condition of their equipment, ensuring optimal usage and minimal downtime. Preventive measures and cost pressures call for a focus on these programs. Advanced asset management solutions, which include the use of sophisticated technologies, are part of these maintenance offerings. While these solutions involve initial high installation costs and ongoing maintenance expenses, the annual service contracts for advanced medical equipment add to the overall equipment cost over its lifespan. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This medical equipment maintenance market report extensively covers market segmentation by Type 1.1 Healthcare systems 1.2 Pharmaceutical diagnostics 1.3 Others End-user 2.1 Public sector organizations 2.2 Private sector organizations Geography 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 Asia 3.4 Rest of World (ROW) Equipment Service 1.1 Healthcare systems- The healthcare systems segment is a significant market focusing on maintenance services for medical equipment used in healthcare facilities, including hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). Hospitals require meticulous maintenance for various medical devices such as X-ray machines, CT scanners, MRI machines, life support systems, ventilators, anesthesia machines, and specialized monitoring equipment. ASCs also rely on healthcare systems providers for the maintenance of endoscopy equipment, surgical instruments, and other specialized devices. Regular maintenance is crucial to prevent malfunctions that could compromise patient outcomes. Siemens Healthineers is a leading vendor offering comprehensive maintenance and support services for medical equipment, including diagnostic imaging systems, laboratory diagnostics, and other healthcare systems. Notable collaborations include Anregiomed's ten-year agreement with Siemens Healthineers and Drager for medical equipment supply and management, and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust's 20-year Value Partnership with Siemens Healthineers for cutting-edge technology and healthcare advancements. These collaborations contribute significantly to the growth of the healthcare systems segment in the market. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017 - 2021) Research Analysis The Medical Equipment Maintenance Market is a critical sector in the healthcare industry, focusing on ensuring the optimal performance and longevity of medical devices. OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and healthcare organizations rely on this market to provide preventive maintenance services for various medical equipment, including imaging equipment like Computed Tomography (CT) scanners from Canon Medical and Vantage Fortian, or Agfa solutions. The market's significance is heightened due to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions such as cancer and diabetes, as well as lifestyle-related disorders. Precision and accuracy are paramount in medical equipment maintenance to ensure reliable patient diagnosis and treatment. Regulatory frameworks play a vital role in maintaining the quality and safety of medical devices. The pipeline for medical equipment maintenance includes continuous innovation to cater to the evolving needs of healthcare providers and patients. Market Research Overview The Medical Equipment Maintenance Market encompasses various types of medical equipment, including diagnostic imaging procedures, dental, endoscopic devices, surgical equipment, laboratory equipment, ophthalmology equipment, medical lasers, electrosurgical equipment, radiotherapy devices, durable medical equipment, and more. OEMs and healthcare organizations rely on preventive maintenance to ensure patient safety and care quality. Asset management solutions, IoT, and biomedical engineers play crucial roles in the market ecosystem. Device types range from diagnostic imaging equipment like CT scanners and nuclear imaging machines to dental equipment, endoscopic devices, surgical equipment, and laboratory equipment. Ophthalmology equipment, medical lasers, electrosurgical equipment, radiotherapy devices, and durable medical equipment are also included. The market is segmented into service providers, multi-vendor OEMs, single-vendor OEMs, ISOs, in-house maintenance, operational maintenance, and corrective maintenance. Hospitals, dialysis centers, and other healthcare facilities are major end-users. The patient epidemiology includes chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and lifestyle disorders. The regulatory framework and medical devices' precision and accuracy are essential considerations. The market is hindered by trade regulations, import-export policies, and domestic market players. Medical manufacturing technologies like balloon forming, thermal bonding, folding and pleating, and stent crimping contribute to the production of medical equipment. Ventilators, Canon Medical's Vantage Fortian, Agfa solutions, and imaging equipment like computed tomography are key offerings in the market. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Type Healthcare Systems Pharmaceutical Diagnostics Others End-user Public Sector Organizations Private Sector Organizations Geography North America Europe Asia Rest Of World (ROW) Equipment Service 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recommended Merit Network for a Digital Equity Competitive Grant program award of $11 million to support and promote the expansion of digital upskilling in Michigan communities. According to the NTIA website , "The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recommended for award more than $369 million to 41 organizations to support digital skills and inclusion projects in communities across the country. These investments will empower individuals and communities across the nation with the essential skills they need to thrive in today's connected world. This funding comes from the $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program , one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law." This project, known as IMPACT (Inclusive Michigan Program for Advancing Community and Technology), focuses primarily on digital adoption, education, and community capacity building rather than physical broadband infrastructure deployment. It takes aim at the human and organizational side of the digital divide. The key components of IMPACT focus on helping people and communities make better use of digital resources through: AI powered tools (Large Language Model) to scale the capacity of digital navigators. Community planning and assessment to support local capacity building and empowerment efforts to close the digital divide. Training and education to support workforce development and digital upskilling for users. Development of a real-time capacity and demand tool for statewide resources. Merit will develop a large language model (LLM), a type of tool powered by artificial intelligence. This particular LLM is being trained using data from interactions with existing digital navigators and digital navigator curriculum. The aim is to enhance the abilities of digital navigators who assist people, especially in underserved communities, in gaining essential digital skills and access to technology. The project recognizes the significant challenges that marginalized communities face in accessing technology and aims to tackle these by leveraging generative AI. This approach is expected to broaden the scope and impact of digital skill-building efforts. Furthermore, the pilot phase of this project will identify and address potential hurdles in adopting AI technologies for enhancing digital literacy, ultimately aiming to boost digital proficiency across Michigan's residents. This initiative is about empowering more people with the skills needed to thrive in a digital world, making technology an enabler rather than a barrier. "This grant will enable us to serve more communities in need in Michigan. Merit Network is purpose-built to strengthen connections that advance digital opportunity. Today, online services are essential pathways to health, education, economic prosperity, and thriving, resilient communities. Yet, for many, these vital services remain out of reach. With these federal funds, Merit Network will drive innovations that build digital confidence, promote digital workforce readiness, and establish lasting bridges for people across the digital divide. Our deepest gratitude goes to the NTIA for recognizing our efforts to do this vital work and we look forward to working with the new administration," said Roger Blake, President and CEO, Merit Network. This strategic approach is an expansion on the groundwork Merit Network laid out through the Michigan Moonshot program, which aims to ensure sustainable and comprehensive digital equity across Michigan. ABOUT MERIT NETWORK Merit Network, Inc. is an independent nonprofit corporation governed by Michigan's public universities. Merit owns and operates America's longest-running regional research and education network. In 1966, Michigan's public universities created Merit as a shared resource to help meet their common need for networking assistance. Since its formation, Merit Network has remained at the forefront of research and education networking expertise and services. Merit provides high-performance networking, IT, Security, and community engagement solutions to Michigan's public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare, and other non-profit organizations. Merit Network aims to continue its efforts to promote digital equity and infrastructure expansion in rural communities within the state through the Michigan Moonshot initiative, which has been providing programs and services to facilitate broadband expansion and capacity building within local governments since 2018. For more information: www.merit.edu . MEDIA CONTACT Barnaby Pung [email protected] SOURCE Merit Network WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a small business set-aside contract to Apache Innovations JV of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to provide logistics, and related support services to NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The Glenn Logistics and Metrology (GLAM) contract is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with a maximum potential value of approximately $72.3 million. The contract phase-in begins Monday, Feb. 17 and is followed by a two-year base period beginning April 1, a two-year option, a one-year option, and a potential extension of performance through Sept. 30, 2030. Under this contract, the company will provide NASA Glenn with logistics management, disposal operations, equipment management, lifecycle logistics and supply chain management, mail management, supply and materials management operations, transportation management, and other logistical services. Apache also will perform calibration services, measuring and test equipment procurement, and supply purchases. For information about NASA visit: https://www.nasa.gov SOURCE NASA PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA), the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to blood clot prevention, awareness, and education, proudly announces the launch of its first-ever B.L.A.C.K. Church Bus TourBlack Lives Advocating for Clot Knowledge. This groundbreaking initiative will take place during Blood Clot Awareness Month in March 2025, visiting Black churches in six key cities across the Southern United States, home to over 55% of the Black population: Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC; Houston, TX; Memphis, TN; and New Orleans, LA. The tour aims to address critical health disparities by partnering with trusted local churches to deliver lifesaving blood clot education and awareness directly to Black communities. It is unacceptable that a preventable condition remains a leading cause of mortality among Black Americans. Post this Stop the Clot Wrapped Bus About the Tour Every six minutes, someone in the United States dies from a blood clot. Blood clots claim an estimated 100,000 lives annually and affect an additional 900,000 people, many of whom face long-term health complications. Black Americans have up to a 30% to 60% higher incidence and mortality due to blood clots and this remains a leading cause of Black maternal mortality in the U.S. To combat this public health crisis, NBCA's tour will host education and awareness events at Black churches across the South, providing vital information on the risks, symptoms, and prevention of blood clots. Attendees will gain access to valuable resources, free screenings, expert speakers, and practical tools to protect themselves and their families from blood clots. Why This Matters "It is well known that Black Americans face significantly higher rates of blood clot incidence and mortality, yet information about blood clots is not reaching our communities," said Arshell Brooks Harris, NBCA board member and mother of Leschel Brooks, who tragically lost her life to a blood clot. "Nobody should be dying from blood clots, given how preventable they are. We are taking awareness directly to the people and providing the information they need to protect themselves and their loved ones. NBCA is proud to partner with so many Black Churches across the South, trusted sources of health information in their communities, to raise awareness about blood clots." Shirley Bondon, Executive Director of the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, echoed these sentiments: "We look forward to partnering with the National Blood Clot Alliance and raising awareness about blood clots in the Black community in Memphis. This bus tour is a significant step forward in raising awareness, and we encourage other communities to join forces with us to protect Black lives. Knowledge is power, and with information, we can reduce both the incidence and mortality of those impacted by blood clots in the Black community." The Time is Now "For too long we have waited for the Federal government to address this public health crisis with the urgency it deservessimilar to efforts made for heart attack and stroke," said NBCA Board Member and blood clot survivor Dr. Kakneka Mason. "We are tired of waiting and watching people needlessly die. NBCA's bus tour is the first step toward bringing blood clot awareness to Black communities. It is unacceptable that such a preventable condition remains a leading cause of mortality among Black Americans, especially Black mothers. We call on members of Congress to allocate funding for a national blood clot education and awareness program. Too many people have unnecessarily died from this silent killer. Every year of inaction costs another 100,000 liveslives that could have been saved through education and awareness. Congress must act now," Mason added. Become a Participating Black Church on the Tour Churches located near one of the B.L.A.C.K. Church Bus Tour city stops are invited to register to host an event. Participating churches will receive comprehensive planning support, educational resources, and guidance from NBCA to ensure their event's success. By joining the tour, churches play a critical role in raising awareness, addressing this urgent public health issue, and saving lives within their communities. Learn more and register here. Support the Tour Help expand this life-saving initiative here. Learn more about the tour and stay informed with the latest tour updates here. About the National Blood Clot Alliance The National Blood Clot Alliance is the nation's leading nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to advancing the prevention, early diagnosis and successful treatment of life-threatening blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Each year NBCA serves more than 3 million people with blood clot-related information, resources, and support. For more information about NBCA visit www.stoptheclot.org . SOURCE National Blood Clot Alliance BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The ties between Azerbaijan and Georgia go beyond mere geographical proximity. These connections are rooted in a rich history, shared interests, and a strategic alliance. The partnership between the two countries is crucial, not just within their own dealings but also on the broader stage of regional and global affairs. Azerbaijan and Georgia function as a strategic bridge for the stability and development of the South Caucasus. Both countries are creating a model of regional cooperation by implementing joint projects in the energy, transportation, and logistics spheres. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad, and other strategic projects are just some of the successful results of cooperation. At the same time, the common goals of Azerbaijan and Georgia extend beyond just the economic realm. The two nations are pulling together to keep the peace and maintain security in the region. This cooperation is important for maintaining geopolitical balance in the region. The relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia are a historically proven example of friendship and partnership. These ties give impetus to both the development of the region and the building of a model of mutually beneficial cooperation at the international level. When it comes to the economy and energy, Azerbaijan and Georgia are key players in the region and beyond, thanks to their strategic partnership in the energy sector. The endeavors of the two nations not only cater to their financial aspirations but also bolster the steadiness of the worldwide energy landscape. The important projects I mentioned above, such as BTC and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, play a key role in bringing Azerbaijan's abundant energy resources through Georgia to European markets. This infrastructure is important both regionally and internationally as a reliable energy export route. BTC is considered one of the most important components of the global energy market and plays an invaluable role in bringing Caspian Sea oil resources to the world market. At the same time, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline transports natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe, making a significant contribution to Europe's energy security. Moreover, such large-scale projects as the Southern Gas Corridor have raised the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia in the energy sector to a new level. This corridor not only supplies energy resources of the Caspian region to Southern Europe, but also enhances the energy security of the countries along this route. Georgia occupies an important position in this corridor as a transit country, which further strengthens its geostrategic importance. The cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia in the energy sector is of strategic importance not only in terms of economic interests, but also in terms of regional stability and sustainable development. This partnership strengthens the role of both countries on the global energy map, providing a solid basis for a wider range of projects in the future. Furthermore, regional security is also on the agenda of both countries. The stability and security of the South Caucasus is not only a common interest for Azerbaijan and Georgia, but also one of the fundamental pillars of regional cooperation and partnership. The two neighboring countries are strengthening their positions both bilaterally and internationally, making joint efforts to solve regional problems. Active cooperation in NATO and other international platforms reflects the broad scope of this partnership and mutual trust. Azerbaijan and Georgia not only support each other in international organizations but also share similar positions on regional security issues. Azerbaijan's open support, especially in restoring Georgia's territorial integrity, proves how strong this partnership is both politically and morally. Azerbaijan's principled position on this issue and its approach based on international law demonstrate solidarity. Both countries are actively cooperating in combating terrorism, transnational crime, and other security threats. Joint regional security projects and military exercises show that the partnership is also strengthening in the practical sphere. The strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia is an important element on the path to stability in the South Caucasus. These relations serve not only regional peace and security, but also strengthen the positions of the two countries in the international arena. This cooperation is a vivid example of a long-term partnership based on common interests and values. Relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia, based on historical roots and mutual trust, have now reached a level of strategic cooperation. These relations have a significant impact at regional and international levels, playing an important role in the stability and development of the South Caucasus. The visit of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to Azerbaijan on January 17 should be emphasized as an indicator of the deepening of these ties recently. Thus, after his reelection as Prime Minister, Kobakhidze made his first visit to Azerbaijan. This visit once again confirmed the high level of strategic partnership between the two countries. Looking ahead, it is expected that the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia will deepen, and the formats of mutual cooperation will cover new directions. These relations are of strategic importance for the stability and development not only of the two countries but also of the South Caucasus as a whole. Azer Garayev, political scientist Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the leading global organization supporting and empowering people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie Davidson as Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) and Lauren Hall as Chief Development Officer (CDO). "Stephanie and Lauren bring exceptional knowledge and passion to their roles," said Tim Coetzee, President and CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. "Their leadership will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to create a world free of MS." Lauren Hall, Chief Development Officer Stephanie Davidson, Chief People and Culture Officer As Chief People and Culture Officer, Davidson will oversee all aspects of the Society's human capital and culture strategyleading strategic enterprise change efforts, aligning HR strategies with the Society's mission and supporting talent development to ensure the organization remains ahead of the curve in a dynamic and diverse talent landscape. Davidson brings extensive experience as an HR executive, having led organizational transformations across public, private and nonprofit sectors. With a bachelor's degree from Wayland Baptist University and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification, Davidson also holds multiple industry honors and specialty designations. Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, she remains actively involved in her community alongside her family. Based out of Boston, Hall will lead the Society's fundraising strategy, driving growth to support critical research and programmatic priorities. Hall has over 20 years of experience as a nonprofit executive, having held frontline fundraising roles at Harvard University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the University of Pennsylvania and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Before joining the Society, Hall served as the chief development officer at the V Foundation for Cancer Research and chief strategy and development officer at the National Brain Tumor Society. Hall holds a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Diagnosed with MS in 2017, Hall's connection to the Society's mission drives her commitment to advancing breakthroughs for people affected by MS. About Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. Currently, there is no cure. Symptoms vary from person to person and may include disabling fatigue, mobility challenges, cognitive changes and vision issues. An estimated 1 million people live with MS in the United States. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to minimize disability. Significant progress is being made to achieve a world free of MS. About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society The National MS Society, founded in 1946, is the global leader of a growing movement dedicated to creating a world free of MS. The Society funds cutting-edge research for a cure, drives change through advocacy and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: www.nationalmssociety.org, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867. Contact: Angelika Seaman Phone: (603) 504-8554 Email: [email protected] SOURCE National Multiple Sclerosis Society WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The following event has been cancelled until further notice. Mrs Tice remains in Lebanon and will not be in DC on Friday, January 24. Apologies for the change in schedule and thank you for your interest in the case of Austin Tice. News Briefing with Debra Tice at the National Press Club Friday, January 24 WHAT: The Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club will host a press briefing featuring Debra Tice, mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist detained in Syria since 2012. Debra Tice will share insights from her recent advocacy trip to Syria and Lebanon, where she met with regional leaders and participated in key events aimed at securing her son's release. WHEN: Friday, January 24, 2025, 10:00 AM WHERE: The National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington, D.C. WHO: Debra Tice , mother of detained journalist Austin Tice , mother of detained journalist Emily Wilkins , President, National Press Club DETAILS: The event will begin with a discussion between Emily Wilkins and Debra Tice, followed by an open Q&A session. Debra Tice will provide an update on her advocacy efforts and discuss the outcomes of her trip to Syria, where she engaged in productive discussions with high-level officials, attended Mass in Damascus, and held a press conference in collaboration with Families for Freedom, a Syrian NGO focused on supporting families of detainees. At that news conference in Damascus, Tice also revealed that she has already had discussions with the Trump Administration about Austin's case. This briefing offers a unique opportunity for journalists to hear firsthand about the ongoing efforts to secure Austin Tice's release and the broader implications for press freedom and international diplomacy. RSVP: This event is open only to credentialed journalists and National Press Club members. Advance registration is required. Please RSVP by emailing Bill McCarren at [email protected]. For additional details or interview requests, please contact Bill McCarren at 202-662-7534 or [email protected]. SOURCE National Press Club New Rankings Offering Consumers a Data-Driven Guide to the Most Trusted Brands Across Consumer Products, Services, and Retail NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Newsweek and BrandSpark International are proud to announce the winners of the 2025 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, celebrating the brands that have earned the trust of U.S. shoppers. This year's awards are based on insights from 29,420 U.S. survey participants, encompassing 162,486 brand evaluations across 284 categories (including 102 new categories), offering a comprehensive analysis of consumer trust across America. The BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards set the standard for highly credible consumer-voted awards, and the Program is now in its 12th year in the U.S. and Canada and 3rd for UK results. In a time of economic uncertainty, trust is a critical factor in consumer decision-making. Brands that deliver consistent quality, reliability and value are rising to the top. The 2025 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards winners exemplify these qualities, standing out in categories where competition is fierce and consumer expectations are higher than ever. "At a time when shoppers are being more selective about where they spend their money, trust has never been more important," said Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark. "These brands have earned their place in an exclusive group by consistently meeting and exceeding consumer expectations, which is an achievement worth celebrating." Building Consumer Confidence with the Purple Seal The purple "Most Trusted" seal is a trusted guide for consumers, helping them identify brands that consistently deliver quality, reliability, and value. Seen across store shelves, advertisements, and digital platforms, the seal is a powerful symbol of consumer confidence. "Brands that activate the seal distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace while signaling to shoppers that their products are trusted by others" says Adam Bellisario, Associate Vice President, BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards. This recognition strengthens a brand's connection with consumers, building loyalty and credibility. For shoppers, the seal is reassurance that they're making a reliable choicea quality increasingly valued in today's complex marketplace. The BrandSpark American Trust Study shows that, even in the face of economic challenges, Americans are willing to invest in brands they trust. "New market challengers are emerging, and we see the presence of private label brands continuing to provide a challenge to brands", said Philip Scrutton, Vice President of BrandSpark Shopper Insights, "but consumers continue to gravitate toward trusted brands that communicate their strengths and deliver on their promises". BrandSpark's custom trust research has also revealed that being most trusted has financial value beyond market share, and that consumers are willing to pay a premium, averaging 15% or more, for the brand they trust most in a category. Scott Boyer, EVP BrandSpark, comments: "This premium reflects the perceived value that brand trust adds to each purchase, making consumers less likely to switch to alternatives, even when they're lower-priced." "Trust is the foundation of consumer decision-making, and in today's evolving marketplace, it's more critical than ever. The 2025 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards celebrate the brands that have earned this trust through consistency, quality, and reliability." Josh Smith, Senior Director Growth & Strategic Partnerships at Newsweek. "At Newsweek, we are proud to partner with BrandSpark to highlight these standout companies, helping consumers make informed choices with confidence. This year's winners exemplify excellence across industries, proving that trust isn't just earnedit's maintained through dedication to delivering on promises. Standout Winners from the 2025 BrandSpark Most Trusted List: Baby & Kids: Pampers leads in Diapers, while Huggies follows and Huggies leads in Baby Wipes followed by Pampers . leads in Diapers, while follows and leads in Baby Wipes followed by . Medela dominates in Breast Pumps, reinforcing its position as a trusted name in infant care. Food & Beverage: Chobani demonstrates trust in Greek Yogurt, reflecting its popularity with health-conscious consumers. demonstrates trust in Greek Yogurt, reflecting its popularity with health-conscious consumers. Silk leads in Almond Plant-Based Beverage and Plant-Based Yogurt. leads in Almond Plant-Based Beverage and Plant-Based Yogurt. Eggland's Best has won as the most trusted Eggs brand for multiple years. Health, Beauty & Personal Care: Tylenol earns top trust in Headache Relief and Children's Cough & Cold Relief. earns top trust in Headache Relief and Children's Cough & Cold Relief. P&G brands Olay dominates in Face Moisturizer, while Crest leads in Teeth Whitening. dominates in Face Moisturizer, while leads in Teeth Whitening. OneTouch was voted the Most Trusted Blood Glucose Monitor. Household & Pet: P&G Laundry continues to dominate this segment led by the Tide , Downy , Bounce , Dreft and Gain brands. , , , and brands. SC Johnson brands Raid , OFF! , Ziploc , Shout , and Mrs. Myers were leading household brands. brands , , , , and were leading household brands. Lysol earns trust in Disinfectant Spray and Bathroom Cleaner. Home Goods & Outdoor: Sealy came out on top in the highly competitive mattress category. came out on top in the highly competitive mattress category. Dyson leads in Air Purifiers, showcasing its innovation. leads in Air Purifiers, showcasing its innovation. Ninja dominates in Blenders and Air Fryers, reflecting demand for high-performing kitchen appliances from a brand seen to have grown trust over recent years. Retail & Services: Walmart stands out across categories like Low Prices on Baby Products and Electronics, demonstrating its value leadership. Shoprite continues being most trusted for Conventional Store in the Northeast showing that numerous categories shift loyalties across U.S. regions. stands out across categories like Low Prices on Baby Products and Electronics, demonstrating its value leadership. continues being most trusted for Conventional Store in the Northeast showing that numerous categories shift loyalties across U.S. regions. CarShield is most trusted for Extended Auto Warranty (non-manufacturer). To see the winners on Newsweek.com, visit: www.Newsweek.com/mtb-2025. For more information about the program and to see how brands promote their wins, visit www.BrandSparkMostTrusted.com BABY & KIDS # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 1 Baby & Kids Laundry Detergent Dreft Tide all 2 Baby Monitor Nanit / VTech (TIE) 3 Baby Probiotics Culturelle / Gerber (TIE) 4 Baby Wash & Shampoo Johnson's Baby Baby Dove 5 Baby Wipes Huggies Pampers Parent's Choice 6 Breast Pump Medela Spectra 7 Children's Cough & Cold Relief Children's Tylenol Robitussin 8 Children's Thermometer Braun 9 Diaper Cream Desitin A+D / Boudreaux's Butt Paste (TIE) 10 Diapers Pampers Huggies 11 Dolls Barbie American Girl 12 Educational Toys Fisher-Price LeapFrog / Melissa & Doug (TIE) 13 Infant / Baby Feeding Products Dr. Brown's Gerber Philips Avent 14 Nipple Cream Lansinoh 15 Toy Cars Hot Wheels Matchbox FOOD & BEVERAGE # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 16 Almond Plant-Based Beverage Silk Almond Breeze 17 Artisan Flatbread Stonefire 18 Baked Kids' Cracker Goldfish Cheez-It Ritz 19 Baking Yeast Fleischmann's Red Star 20 Basmati Rice Ben's Original Mahatma Royal 21 Bottled Water Dasani 22 Butter Land O'Lakes 23 Canned Chili Hormel Wolf Brand 24 Canned Fruit Dole Del Monte 25 Canned Luncheon Meat SPAM 26 Canned Seafood Starkist Chicken of the Sea Bumble Bee 27 Canned Vegetables Del Monte Green Giant Great Value 28 Caramel Candy Werther's Original Kraft 29 Chicken Tyson Perdue 30 Cooking Oil Crisco Wesson Great Value 31 Corn Starch Argo Great Value 32 Corn Syrup Karo 33 Cottage Cheese Daisy Great Value 34 Cream Cheese Philadelphia 35 Dairy Free Cheese Daiya Kraft / Violife (TIE) 36 Drinkable Yogurt Danimals / Yoplait (TIE) Chobani / Dannon (TIE) 37 Eggs Eggland's Best Great Value 38 Flour Gold Medal Great Value / Pillsbury (TIE) 39 Fresh Berries Driscoll's Dole 40 Fresh Fruits Dole 41 Frozen Fish Gorton's 42 Frozen Pizza DiGiorno Red Baron 43 Frozen Plant-Based Meat Alternatives MorningStar Farms Beyond Meat Impossible 44 Frozen Potato Products Ore-Ida 45 Fruit Juice Tropicana / Welch's (TIE) Minute Maid / Ocean Spray / Simply (TIE) 46 Gin Seagrams Bombay Sapphire / Tanqueray (TIE) 47 Gluten-Free Bread Canyon Bakehouse / Schar (TIE) Udi's 48 Granola Nature Valley Quaker 49 Greek Yogurt Chobani Oikos / Yoplait (TIE) 50 Hard Seltzer White Claw Truly Mike's Hard 51 Hazelnut Spread Nutella 52 High Protein Milk Fairlife Muscle Milk 53 High Value-for-Money Private Label Food Great Value Private Selection 54 Hummus Sabra 55 Icelandic Yogurt/Skyr Siggi's Icelandic Provisions 56 Innovative Private Label Food Great Value Private Selection 57 Instant Coffee Folgers Nescafe Maxwell House 58 K-Cup Coffee Pods Dunkin / Starbucks (TIE) Green Mountain 59 Ketchup Heinz Hunt's 60 Kombucha GT's Health-Ade 61 Light Beer Bud Light Miller Lite Coors Light 62 Macaroni & Cheese Kraft Dinner 63 Mozzarella Sargento Great Value 64 Non-alcoholic Beer Heineken 0.0 O'Doul's 65 Oat Plant-Based Beverage Oatly! Planet Oat Silk 66 Oatmeal Quaker 67 Olive Oil Bertolli Great Value / Pompeian (TIE) 68 Organic Coffee Starbucks 69 Organic Kids Snacks Annie's 70 Organic Yogurt Chobani / Stonyfield (TIE) 71 Packaged Side Dish Knorr Bob Evans / Stouffer's (TIE) 72 Packaged Soup Mix Lipton Knorr 73 Pasta Barilla Great Value 74 Peanut Butter Jif Skippy Peter Pan 75 Pita Chips Stacy's 76 Plant-Based Yogurt Silk Chobani / Oui by Yoplait (TIE) 77 Pork Smithfield Hormel 78 Premade Garlic Bread Great Value New York Bakery / Pepperidge Farms (TIE) 79 Salad Kit Dole Fresh Express Taylor Farms 80 Sausages Jimmy Dean Johnsonville 81 Single Serve Bottled Milk Nesquik 82 Sour Cream Daisy 83 Sparkling Water (flavored) Sparkling Ice Bubly 84 Sparkling Water (non-flavored) Perrier La Croix / San Pellegrino (TIE) 85 Tea Lipton 86 Tortilla Wraps Mission 87 Vegan Chocolate Hershey Lindt 88 Vodka Smirnoff / Tito's (TIE) Grey Goose 89 White Bread Wonder Sara Lee 90 Whole Grain Bread Nature's Own / Sara Lee (TIE) HEALTH, BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 91 Anti-nauseant Pepto-Bismol Dramamine 92 Beauty Tools Revlon e.l.f. Tweezerman 93 Beets Health Supplement Humann 94 Black Elderberry Products Sambucol 95 Blood Glucose Monitor OneTouch Accu-Chek ReliOn 96 Cold & Flu Relief Vicks DayQuil/NyQuil Tylenol 97 Cold Sore Remedy Abreva Blistex 98 Collagen Powder Vital Proteins 99 Contact Lens Solution Bausch & Lomb Alcon 100 Cough & Cold Medicine Vicks DayQuil/NyQuil Mucinex / Robitussin (TIE) 101 Denture Adhesive Fixodent Poligrip 102 Denture Cleanser Polident Efferdent 103 Electric Razor / Trimmer for Men Gillette / Philips Norelco (TIE) Wahl 104 Electric Toothbrush Oral-B Philips Sonicare Colgate 105 Electrolyte Powder Gatorade / Liquid IV (TIE) 106 Epilator Braun 107 Face Moisturizer Olay CeraVe 108 Face Wipes Neutrogena 109 Fiber Supplement Metamucil 110 Foot Cream Gold Bond Dr. Scholl's 111 Gas & Bloating Relief Gas-X Tums 112 Hair Regrowth Products Rogaine 113 Hair Removal Nair 114 Hair Styling Tools Conair Revlon 115 Headache Relief Tylenol Advil Excedrin 116 Heartburn Relief Tums 117 Hemorrhoid Relief Preparation H 118 Insect Repellent Off! 119 Laxative Dulcolax / MiraLAX (TIE) Ex-Lax 120 Makeup Remover Neutrogena Garnier 121 Memory Support Supplement Neuriva / Prevagen (TIE) 122 Mouthwash Listerine Crest / Scope (TIE) 123 Nasal Allergy Spray Flonase Afrin 124 Nasal Decongestant Spray Afrin / Flonase (TIE) Vicks Sinex 125 Oral Back Pain Relief Tylenol Advil / Aleve (TIE) 126 Ovulation Test Clearblue First Response 127 Pain Relief Patch Salonpas Icy Hot Tylenol 128 Personal EKG Monitor KardiaMobile 129 Pregnancy Test Clearblue First Response 130 Probiotic Supplements Nature Made 131 Protein Powder Muscle Milk / Orgain / Premier (TIE) 132 Self-Tanner Jergens 133 Shampoo & Conditioner (Men) Head & Shoulders Suave 134 Shampoo & Conditioner (Women) Suave Pantene 135 Sleep Aid ZzzQuil Tylenol PM 136 Teeth Whitening Crest Colgate 137 Upset Stomach Relief Pepto-Bismol Tums 138 Vitamin C Powder Emergen-C HOME GOODS & OUTDOOR # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 139 Action Camera GoPro Sony 140 Air Fryer Ninja 141 Air Purifier Dyson 142 Barbecue Grill Weber 143 Beverage Tumbler Stanley / Yeti (TIE) 144 Blender Ninja Hamilton Beach 145 Carpet Cleaner (Machine) Bissell Hoover 146 Clothes Iron Black+Decker Rowenta 147 Clothes Steamer Conair 148 Cookware Cuisinart / T-Fal (TIE) 149 Dashcam Garmin 150 Dehumidifier GE Honeywell 151 Dishwasher Whirlpool Bosch / GE (TIE) 152 Disposable Lighter Bic 153 Drip Coffee Maker Mr. Coffee 154 Electric Fan Lasko GE / Honeywell (TIE) 155 Electric Kettle Hamilton Beach Cuisinart 156 Electric Yard Tools Black+Decker / Ryobi (TIE) Craftsman 157 Fishing Lures Rapala Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's 158 Fishing Rod Ugly Stik Zebco 159 Food Processor Ninja Cuisinart KitchenAid 160 Handheld GPS Garmin 161 Home Generator Generac 162 Humidifier Vicks 163 HVAC (Heating / Air Conditioning) Trane 164 Ice Cream Maker Ninja Cuisinart 165 Kitchen Faucet Moen Delta / Kohler (TIE) 166 Light Bulbs GE Philips 167 Mattress Sealy Serta 168 Mattress-in-a-Box Purple 169 Multi-Tool Leatherman Gerber / Victorinox (TIE) 170 Oven / Range GE Samsung LG 171 Pillow Serta MyPillow 172 Portable Speaker JBL Bose 173 Refrigerator LG / Samsung (TIE) GE / Whirlpool (TIE) 174 Replacement Windows Andersen Pella 175 Single Serve Coffee Maker Keurig 176 Smart Doorbell Ring 177 Space Heater Honeywell / Lasko (TIE) 178 Stand Mixer KitchenAid 179 Tires (Automotive) Goodyear Michelin Firestone 180 Toaster Oven Black+Decker Cuisinart / Hamilton Beach (TIE) 181 Toilet Kohler American Standard 182 Vacuum Shark Bissell / Dyson (TIE) 183 Washer / Dryer Whirlpool Maytag / Samsung (TIE) HOUSEHOLD & PET # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 184 Bathroom Cleaner Lysol Clorox Scrubbing Bubbles 185 Bathroom Tissue Charmin Angel Soft Scott 186 Broom & Dust Pan Libman / O-Cedar (TIE) Mr. Clean 187 Carpet Stain Remover Resolve Bissell 188 Cat Litter Purina Tidy Cats Arm & Hammer / Fresh Step (TIE) 189 Cleaning Products for Wood Floors Murphy / Swiffer (TIE) Bona / Pine Sol (TIE) 190 Dental Chews for Dogs Greenies Pedigree Dentastix 191 Dishwasher Detergent Cascade Finish 192 Dishwasher Rinse Aid Finish Cascade 193 Disinfectant Spray Lysol 194 Dog Treats Milk-Bone Purina 195 Dryer Sheets Bounce Gain Downy / Snuggle (TIE) 196 Dryer Sheets to Repel Pet Hair Bounce Gain 197 Exterior Paint Behr Sherwin-Williams 198 Exterior Stain Behr 199 Fabric Softener Downy Gain / Snuggle (TIE) 200 Flea & Tick Prevention Frontline / Hartz (TIE) Advantage II | K9 Advantix II 201 Food Storage Bags Ziploc Glad 202 Food Storage Containers Rubbermaid Glad Tupperware / Ziploc (TIE) 203 Fresh Dog Food FreshPet 204 Garbage Bags Hefty Glad 205 Household Cleaner with Natural Ingredients Mrs. Meyer's Lysol / Seventh Generation (TIE) 206 Insect Control Raid Ortho 207 Interior Paint Behr Sherwin-Williams 208 Laundry Detergent Tide Gain 209 Laundry Detergent for Cold Water Washing Tide Gain 210 Laundry Detergent for Deep Cleaning Tide Gain 211 Laundry Detergent for Great Scent Gain Tide 212 Laundry Detergent for Overall Value Tide Gain all 213 Laundry Detergent for Sensitive Skin Tide all Arm & Hammer 214 Laundry Disinfectant Lysol 215 Laundry Scent Booster (in-wash) Downy Unstopables Gain 216 Laundry Stain Remover Shout Tide OxiClean 217 Mop & Bucket O-Cedar Mr. Clean 218 Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Wipes Clorox Lysol 219 Odor Fighting Fabric Rinse Downy Gain / Tide (TIE) 220 Painters Tape 3M Scotch Frog Tape 221 Paper Towels Bounty Brawny 222 Pet Food Delivery Chewy Amazon 223 Pet Insurance Lemonade / Nationwide (TIE) 224 Toilet Bowl Cleaner Lysol Clorox RETAIL & RESTAURANTS # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 225 Convenience Store 7-Eleven 226a Conventional Grocery Store (Midwest) Kroger Meijer 226b Conventional Grocery Store (Northeast) ShopRite Stop & Shop 226c Conventional Grocery Store (South) Kroger / Publix (TIE) Food Lion / Walmart (TIE) 226d Conventional Grocery Store (West) Safeway 227 Department Store for Fashion Kohl's / Macy's (TIE) 228 Discount Grocery Store Aldi Walmart 229 Eyewear Retailer LensCrafters 230 Grocery Pickup & Delivery Walmart Instacart 231 Grocery Store for Customer Service Walmart Kroger 232a Grocery Store for Low Prices / Affordability (Midwest) Aldi Walmart Kroger 232b Grocery Store for Low Prices / Affordability (Northeast) Aldi Walmart 232c Grocery Store for Low Prices / Affordability (South) Walmart Aldi 232d Grocery Store for Low Prices / Affordability (West) Walmart Winco Grocery Outlet 233 Grocery Store for Natural / Organic Foods Whole Foods Market Sprouts / Trader Joe's (TIE) 234 Home Improvement Retailer The Home Depot Lowe's 235 Jewelry Store Kay Jewelers 236 Mattress Retailer Mattress Firm 237 Neighborhood Hardware Store Ace Hardware 238 Pharmacy CVS Pharmacy Walgreens Walmart Pharmacy 239 Quick Service Restaurant for Sandwiches Subway McDonald's 240 Retailer for Home Fragrances & Body Care Bath & Body Works 241 Retailer for Hunting & Fishing Gear Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's 242 Retailer for Lower Prices on Baby & Kids Products Walmart 243 Retailer for Lower Prices on Electronics Best Buy Walmart Amazon 244 Retailer for Lower Prices on Health, Beauty & Personal Care Walmart 245 Retailer for Lower Prices on Home Decor & Furnishings HomeGoods / Walmart (TIE) 246 Retailer for Lower Prices on Large Appliances Lowe's The Home Depot 247 Retailer for Lower Prices on Pet Products Chewy / Walmart (TIE) PetSmart 248 Retailer for Lower Prices on Small Appliances Walmart Amazon / Lowe's (TIE) 249 Retailer for Lower Prices on Toys Walmart Amazon 250 Retailer of Camping Gear REI Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's 251 Small Format Grocery Store Aldi SERVICES # CATEGORY RANK #1 RANK #2 RANK #3 252 Auto Insurance Provider State Farm Progressive Allstate / Geico (TIE) 253 Cellular Service Provider T-Mobile / Verizon (TIE) AT&T 254 Cruise Line Carnival / Royal Caribbean (TIE) Norwegian 255 Digital Document Signature DocuSign Adobe 256 DNA Testing Ancestry 23andMe 257 Express Package Delivery FedEx / UPS (TIE) 258 Extended Auto Warranty (non-manufacturer) CarShield Endurance 259 High Speed Internet Provider Spectrum / Xfinity (TIE) AT&T 260 Home Improvement Network Angi The Home Depot Lowe's 261 Home Insurance Provider State Farm Allstate 262 Home Phone Service Provider AT&T Verizon Spectrum / Xfinity (TIE) 263 Home Security Provider ADT Ring 264 Life Insurance Provider State Farm 265 Meal Kit Delivery Service HelloFresh Blue Apron 266 Moving & Storage Company U-Haul 267 No Annual Fee Credit Card Provider Capital One Chase / Discover (TIE) 268 Oil & Lube Change Service Jiffy Lube 269 Online Casino BetMGM / FanDuel (TIE) 270 Prepaid Credit Card for Credit Building Chime Capital One 271 Professional Movers Two Men and a Truck U-Haul 272 Real Estate Agency RE/MAX 273 Retirement Investment Services Fidelity 274 Rewards Credit Card Provider Capital One Chase / Discover (TIE) 275 Roadside Assistance Service AAA 276 Sports Betting Provider DraftKings / FanDuel (TIE) 277 Tire Sales & Service Discount Tire (America's Tire) Goodyear 278 Tool Rental Service The Home Depot 279 Travel Insurance Provider Allianz 280 Travel Price Comparison App Expedia Kayak / Priceline (TIE) 281 Travel Rewards Credit Card Provider Chase American Express / Capital One (TIE) 282 TV Service Provider Spectrum / Xfinity (TIE) 283 Used Car Retailer Carmax 284 Weight Loss Program WW (Weight Watchers) How Winners Are Determined The BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards are based on the 2025 BrandSpark American Trust Study, in which BrandSpark surveyed a nationally representative sample of 29,420 qualified American shoppers to determine the most trusted brands in the U.S. Their top-of-mind unaided responses for categories they actively shop and services they use formed the basis for ranking, with ties declared if the margin of victory was within 3%. To be declared a winner or within the top 3 most trusted brands, a brand had to achieve a minimum 10% trust share in its category. About Newsweek: Newsweek is the global digital news organization built around the iconic 92-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people monthly with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia. About BrandSpark International and Best New Product Awards Inc. Founded in 2001, BrandSpark International is a research and consulting firm dedicated to providing brands with the actionable insights necessary to refine strategic brand positioning, build consumer trust, and enhance the success of new product launches. Best New Product Awards Inc. runs leading credential programs Best New Product Awards and BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, as well as Shopper Army, a product tester community running trusted incentivized ratings and reviews. Permission and authorization from Best New Product Awards Inc. are required to reference the BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards win or use the Most Trusted Logo or winning Claims. For media inquiries, licensing requests, or interview opportunities, please contact: Adam Bellisario Associate Vice-President, BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards [email protected] SOURCE BrandSpark International NAVC to Match Donations Up to $25,000 ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) today announced the launch of a global veterinary industry fundraising drive that will bring together thousands of veterinary professionals from all over the world to donate to the Pasadena Humane Wildfire Relief Fund to help animals impacted by the Southern California wildfires. The campaign will take place during the annual Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) Jan. 25-29, presented by the NAVC at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The NAVC will match donations, up to $25,000, and 100% of the donations will be sent to the Pasadena Humane Wildfire Relief Fund . "Together, we can multiply our impact on the lives of these animals and their families." - NAVC CEO Gene O'Neill Post this The NAVC is the world's leading provider of continuing veterinary education and host of VMX, the world's largest and most comprehensive annual veterinary conference. "So many animals in Southern California have been impacted by the catastrophic fires in Southern California and are in immediate need of homes and medical care. The veterinary community understands how urgent these needs are and is looking for ways to contribute and help now," said NAVC CEO Gene O'Neill. "Nearly 30,000 veterinary professionals from more than 82 countries will be gathered together at VMX 2025 starting this weekend. NAVC will provide easy opportunities for them to make a donation to Pasadena Humane and, together, we can multiply our impact on the lives of these animals, their families and the tireless veterinary staff working to save the animals." Anyone wanting to show support and boost the matching funds can donate through SHOP NAVC . Additionally, VMX attendees will be able to contribute at physical donation bins located in the VMX Registration Booths in the South and North concourses of the Orange County Convention Center. As a "Thank You" for those who donate on-site, the NAVC will provide this One Love sticker to donors at the SHOP NAVC booth. About the NAVC The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. As the world's leading provider of veterinary continuing education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including: educational events, headlined by VMX (Veterinary Meeting & Expo), the world's largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; VetFolio.com, a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; NAVC Media, the veterinary industry's largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and Embrace, an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized annually as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC's products and brands, visit https://navc.com/. To see our schedule of upcoming events, visit https://navc.com/calendar/ . Pasadena Humane, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community-supported animal resource center that has offered lifesaving programs and services for animals and the people who love them in the Greater Los Angeles Area since 1903. You can read more about their mission and how they are helping to rescue the many animals affected by the tragic fires here: https://pasadenahumane.org/ SOURCE North American Veterinary Community Previously a Japan-only brand 35 years ago, this limited-release expression returns to American retailers in February. LAWRENCEBURG, Ky., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The third ultra-premium expression from Old Commonwealth Distillery is Colonel Randolph 16-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. This single barrel offering was personally selected by Gordon Hue, the industry luminary responsible for reviving the Colonel Randolph brand in 1990. At 106 proof, this 16-year whiskeymade with the exact mashbill as Hue's releaseshines brightly, with a depth and flavor profile that emulates and encapsulates vintage whiskey. The Fascinating History of Colonel Randolph Bourbon Previously a Japan-only brand 35 years ago, this limited-release bourbon returns to American retailers in February. Post this The third ultra-premium expression from Old Commonwealth Distillery is Colonel Randolph 16-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. This single barrel offering was personally selected by Gordon Hue, the industry luminary responsible for reviving the Colonel Randolph brand in 1990. At 106 proof, this 16-year whiskeymade with the exact mashbill as Hues releaseshines brightly, with a depth and flavor profile that emulates and encapsulates vintage whiskey. Back in the late Eighties, overseeing an Ohio spirits and wine retail chain, Hue was working to sell a huge parcel of barrels he had acquired from a Pennsylvania distillery. Hue tapped Julian Van Winkle III to bottle those 766 barrels, the majority of which came to the market under the now legendary A.H. Hirsch label. (These were all bottled at the facility that is now Old Commonwealth Distillery.) "Bourbon wasn't selling in America," Hue recalls, "but the Japanese loved it. They kept ordering 300 cases of 12-packs." After buying countless cases of A.H. Hirsch, the importer, Nishimoto Trading, asked Hue for alternative labels. "A.H. Hirsch had exclusive and high-end positioning in a Tokyo department store called Mitsukoshi," says Hue. "There was another department store across the street, and Nishimoto wanted to sell it bourbon without diluting the Hirsch brand. The caveat: they wanted a brand already in existence." In 1990, the Japanese had enormous four-color catalogs of American whiskey brands that were "thicker than phone books," Hue laughs. "These were 400 pages and had bottle shots galore. I hadn't heard of half of these brands." Flipping through this encyclopedia of bourbon, Hue came across a brand he did recognize: Colonel Randolph. "It was a Chicago label that was registered to a liquor distributor I knew: the Leavitt family," says Hue. After calling, Hue was pleasantly surprised to hear that the family wasn't interested in the label: "I was told I could just have it; even the label design." That was vital to the Japanese, who Hue describes as meticulous about copying the original. For Colonel Randolph 16 Year, Hue instructed Van Winkle III to use the same Pennsylvania whiskey employed in A.H. Hirsch, though the proof was left at 116. (A.H. Hirsch proofs vary, but hover in the low- to mid-90s.) The back of the bottle was in Japanese; no bottles were made for the American market. Three shipments of Hue's Colonel Randolph 16 were sent to Japan"It was a tiny quantity, a little more than 50 cases," Hue saysbefore the Japanese economy crashed in 1991, and demand dried up. Old Commonwealth's 2025 Colonel Randolph 16 Year "Our mission is to revive old brands as premium whiskey so you can drink history," says Zachary Joseph, president of operations for Old Commonwealth Distillery. "Colonel Randolph is perfect for our growing portfolio, and we were thrilled when Gordon agreed to partner with us on this single barrel." While searching for befitting 16-year Kentucky straight bourbon, Joseph and the operations team came across a small cadre of barrels made by a renowned heritage distiller that were too exquisite to pass up. "When we learned the mashbill was identical to Colonel Randolph, we knew this was fate," says Joseph. Hue blindly tasted each barrel, at a variety of proofs, before selecting one as the 2025 release. "This whiskey has it all: sweet notes, caramel up front, toffee in the middle, and tremendous length without being overly sweet," Hue says, adding the finish goes on "for minutes." At the end of the selection session, Hue had a final blind tasting: 2025 Colonel Randolph 16 and A.H. Hirsch 16 Year, from Hue's original Pennsylvania barrels. Hue's preference? Colonel Randolph 16. "Now, I'm jazzed," Hue smiles, holding up the dram. "It's so well integrated, and a more complete whiskey all around. The Hirsch is very linear, while the Colonel Randolph blossoms and keeps expanding. This is damn good stuff." Colonel Randolph 16 Year // Tasting Notes Nose: Rich tannins, charred oak, cinnamon, honey, dusty brown sugar, toffee, coffee cake, almond butter, and vanilla. Palate: Baking chocolate, cherry syrup, candied peaches, and pecan pie. It's got an exceptional mouthfeel, and decent heft to the liquid that's pleasing as it coats your mouth. It's softer than you may assume, given the alcohol on the nose. Finish: Dark chocolate note that is extensive, finally trailing off with a light hit of maraschino cherry at the very end. There's enough sweetness to be pleasing, but it never becomes cloying. Colonel Randolph 16 Year // Overview Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Distiller: Undisclosed Age: 16 years Proof: 106 Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley SRP: $349 Release date: Online OC VIP sale begins February 6, 2025, at 11AM EST. To become an OC VIP, sign up on Old Commonwealth's website: https://oldcommonwealth.com/pages/waitlist . For additional information, please email [email protected] For press images, please click here . About Old Commonwealth Distillery Originally built in 1889, in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, the Old Commonwealth Distillery has been home to Hoffman Distillery, Ezra Brooks, and Commonwealth Distilling over the past 135 years. In 2019, it was purchased by Zachary Joseph and Andrew English, a nephew and uncle who bonded over the distillery's history and its venerable products. Along with family friend and partner Troy LeBlanc, the trio are reviving iconic labels once produced there, and preserving the facility's heritage through immersive tour experiences. SOURCE Old Commonwealth Distillery Paige Nerios to Advance IT Strategy, Building on Pam Presswood's Achievements FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Valor, a Fort Worth-based oil and gas asset management provider specializing in mineral management and back-office solutions, is thrilled to announce the hiring of Paige Nerios as Director, IT Governance & Project Management. Nerios brings over a decade of program management expertise, having successfully led large-scale technology and capital projects ranging from $2 million to $15 million. Her background in driving key initiatives for prominent clients like Oxy, NRG, Title Resources Group, and Liberator Medical Supply positions her uniquely to steer Valor's technological and operational strategies. Paige Nerios Joins Valor Team "We are thrilled to welcome Paige to our team," said Joseph DeWoody, CEO & Co-founder of Valor. "Her expertise in program management and IT governance will be invaluable as we build on the strong foundation laid by Pam Presswood, whose guidance has been instrumental to our success. We are deeply grateful to Pam and wish her the best in her retirement." Pam Presswood, Valor's current Chief Information Officer, will be retiring in Q1 2025 after an impactful tenure. Joining Valor in 2022, Presswood left retirement to serve as CIO, where she played a pivotal role in developing the technology infrastructure to support the company's rapid growth. Her efforts ensured that IT systems and processes were well-positioned to meet evolving business demands. Presswood was recently named a finalist in the D CEO's 2025 Innovation Awards in the individual awards category CIO/CTO of the Year, a recognition of her exceptional contributions and leadership in the field. As Presswood transitions into retirement, Nerios will assume many of her responsibilities, continuing to build upon the robust controls and governance foundation established under Presswood's leadership. A graduate of Texas A&M University with dual degrees in Finance and Business Honors, Nerios has extensive experience managing complex technology projects and driving strategic initiatives across multiple industries. Her previous roles at Sendero and Credera included overseeing large-scale projects that enhanced operational efficiencies and customer engagement. In her new role at Valor, Nerios will oversee IT project governance and ensure the alignment of technology strategies with business objectives, positioning the company for continued innovation and success. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Valor has earned a reputation as one of Texas' leading mineral management companies. Key service lines of the company include oil and gas accounting, mineral management, and oil and gas consulting and outsourcing. The company's innovative mineral management software, mineral.tech, is a map-based and data-rich platform that integrates accounting, land management, data analytics, and reporting. Valor provides full mineral management solutions and mineral management software access and support to individuals, family offices, banks, trust and wealth advisors, foundations, and universities. The company is also a leading provider of oil and gas back-office services for operators and investors, partnering with companies to offer owner relations support, oil and gas accounting, regulatory compliance, and other back-office operations. About Valor: Valor, based in Fort Worth, is an oil and gas asset management services provider dedicated to serving mineral rights owners, operators, and investors. We prioritize our clients by offering flexible solutions and leveraging our team of experts to ensure the security, clarity, and optimization of privately owned assets. Valor has been singled out for several prestigious awards, including the Inc. 5000 list (2023 & 2024), Fort Worth Inc.'s Best Companies to Work For (2022, 2023, and 2024), the Inc. Best Workplaces 2024 list, and Most Inspiring Workplaces. Explore the benefits of partnering with Valor to manage mineral rights and outsource accounting and back-office services by visiting www.onevalor.com. Media Contact: Hannah Jones 817-370-0612 [email protected] SOURCE Valor PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Real estate broker Nancy Alperin of Maxwell Realty Co. Inc. announces that leasing is now available at 2301 JFK, Philadelphia's newest luxury residential tower. 2301 JFK now available for leasing. Rising 303 feet across 22 stories in the coveted Logan Square neighborhood, the apartments at 2301 John F. Kennedy Boulevard offer unparalleled views of the Philadelphia skyline, Schuylkill River, and the iconic 30th Street Station. This all-glass architectural masterpiece puts residents minutes from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Schuylkill River Trail. Each thoughtfully designed residence features: Floor-to-ceiling windows flooding homes with natural light Chef-inspired kitchens with marble countertops, waterfall islands, and premium stainless steel appliances Designer bathrooms finished in luxurious marble In-unit washer and dryer Hardwood flooring throughout Soaring ceiling heights Select residences offering private terraces and balconies The building offers world-class amenities, including: Rooftop infinity pool with panoramic city views State-of-the-art fitness center Private dog park Sports courts Secure bike storage On-site parking The prime Logan Square location puts residents steps from Philadelphia's cultural landmarks including the Academy of Natural Sciences, The Franklin Institute, and the renowned Rodin and Barnes Foundation museums. The area seamlessly blends high-end Rittenhouse Square boutiques with convenient retail at Target, Sephora, Nordstrom Rack, Boyd's, Apple, and The Shops at Liberty Place. For a limited time, new residents who sign a 13-month lease will receive one-month free rent and waived application fees. Apartments will become available in March 2025. To learn more about 2301 JFK's luxury residences and limited-time leasing specials, visit our website or call 215-546-6000. About Maxwell Realty Co. Inc. Maxwell Realty Co. Inc. has facilitated over $3 billion in real estate transactions and completed more than 10,000 deals across the Philadelphia region. With extensive expertise in luxury properties, Maxwell Realty's team of accomplished professionals delivers unmatched service. Learn more at maxwellrealty.com . Media Contact: Nancy Alperin (215) 546-6000 [email protected] SOURCE Maxwell Realty Co. Inc. LITTLETON, Colo., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new era of smartphones is here. Starting today, customers can pre-order the all-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Series S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra with the Boost Mobile Infinite Access plan and enjoy up to $1,000 in savings. Samsung Galaxy S25 from Boost Mobile "Boost Mobile is excited to bring Samsung's next generation of smartphones to our customers at an unbeatable value," said Sean Lee, SVP of Consumer Product and Marketing, Boost Mobile. "With the Infinite Access plan at just $65 per month, customers can enjoy significant savings of up to $1,000 without the need for trade-ins or additional lines." New Ways to Get Things Done Powered by Galaxy AI, the Samsung Galaxy S25 series is designed to anticipate your needs, offering insights to help you stay one step ahead. Start the day smarter: The Galaxy S25 delivers helpful tips based on your schedule, ensuring you're prepared before the day even begins. The Galaxy S25 delivers helpful tips based on your schedule, ensuring you're prepared before the day even begins. Smart tips for seamless days: Whether it's a reminder to grab an umbrella before the rain starts or suggestions for navigating your commute, the Galaxy S25 gives you the information you need before you even need it. Whether it's a reminder to grab an umbrella before the rain starts or suggestions for navigating your commute, the Galaxy S25 gives you the information you need before you even need it. Helpful tips throughout your day: From managing appointments to streamlining your to-do list, the Galaxy S25 is designed to support your schedule and keep your day running smoothly. New Ways to Create Powered by Galaxy AI's Photo Assist features, the Galaxy S25 Series each features a Snapdragon 3nm processor and an enhanced camera system that provides consumers with new ways to create, capture and relive life's most meaningful moments: Galaxy S25: Featuring a 50MP main camera, 10MP telephoto lens, and 12MP ultra-wide lens, the Galaxy S25 is perfect for everyday photography, while the 12MP selfie camera ensures vibrant, detail-rich portraits. With a 6.2" FHD+ display and a 4,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S25 delivers a balance of portability and all-day power. Featuring a 50MP main camera, 10MP telephoto lens, and 12MP ultra-wide lens, the Galaxy S25 is perfect for everyday photography, while the 12MP selfie camera ensures vibrant, detail-rich portraits. With a 6.2" FHD+ display and a 4,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S25 delivers a balance of portability and all-day power. Galaxy S25+: Offering the same advanced camera system as the S25, the S25+ adds a beautiful 6.7" QHD+ display along with 4,900mAh battery, making it ideal for multitasking, streaming video, gaming, or creating on the go. Offering the same advanced camera system as the S25, the S25+ adds a beautiful 6.7" QHD+ display along with 4,900mAh battery, making it ideal for multitasking, streaming video, gaming, or creating on the go. Galaxy S25 Ultra: The ultimate tool for creativity, the S25 Ultra features a 200MP main camera for ultra-detailed photos, a 50MP ultra-wide lens with laser autofocus for precision shots, and a 12MP selfie camera for professional-grade portraits. The Best Technology Deserves the Best Connection Boost Mobile's ultra-fast 5G network ensures customers enjoy the best of the Galaxy S25 devices. To showcase its state-of-the-art network, Boost Mobile offers a new 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing new customers to try Boost's 5G network risk-free and experience its speed and reliability firsthand. "With Boost Mobile, consumers can experience the latest smartphones on our modern 5G network that prioritizes speed and reliability without the exorbitant costs or trade-offs of other carriers," said Lee. "The Samsung Galaxy S25 Series not only offers blazing-fast speeds on our nationwide 5G network, but this device also provides Boost subscribers access to four carrier aggregation, supercharging the speed of our already agile Boost Mobile Network." Availability Customers can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S25 Series today, with availability starting February 7 and receive up to $1,000 in savings without a trade-in when they sign up for Boost's $65/mo. Infinite Access plan. Customers who choose to purchase the Galaxy S25 series outright for as low as $799.99, are eligible to receive one year of Boost Mobile service ON US. For complete pricing and availability details, please visit BoostMobile.com . About Boost Mobile Boost Mobile offers the best value in wireless with simple, flexible and transparent plans starting at $25 for unlimited 5G. Boost's nationwide cloud-native O-RAN 5G network delivers lightning-fast speeds, reliability and coverage on the latest 5G devices. Customers enjoy no annual service contracts and the freedom to upgrade their devices anytime without a trade-in. Experience Boost Mobile's risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee and learn more about our services on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Boost Mobile is the nation's newest nationwide mobile carrier in the U.S. and a brand under EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS). SOURCE EchoStar Corporation STOCKHOLM, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After 14 years with the Group, and almost ten years as president and CEO, Magnus Groth has today informed the Board of Directors of Essity Aktiebolag (publ) that he has decided to step down as CEO and from the Board during 2025. A recruitment process for a successor will be initiated immediately. "As President and CEO of first SCA and then Essity, Magnus has successfully listed and led Essity on a significant journey of change over the past 10 years to increase profitability, growth and innovation. Through his leadership and commitment, Magnus has played an important role in creating the platform that Essity has for continued global profitable expansion", said Jan Gurander, Chairman of the Board. "The Board of Directors extends its gratitude for Magnus valuable contributions as President and CEO." "It has been very stimulating to work as President and CEO since 2015, first for SCA and then for Essity, and I especially appreciate the collaboration with colleagues all over the world," says Magnus Groth. "Essity is today a world-leading hygiene and health company with strong brands and market positions, great employees and recognized sustainability work, reflected in profitable growth. After 14 years with the company and ten years as CEO, I consider this a suitable time to embark on a new chapter for me and for Essity." Magnus Groth has a notice period of one year. He will continue as President and CEO of Essity until a successor is appointed. NB: This information is such that Essity Aktiebolag (publ) is obligated to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 19:15 CET on January 22, 2025. Karl Stoltz, Media Relations Director, +46 709 426 338, [email protected] CONTACT: For further information, please contact: Per Lorentz, Vice President Corporate Communications, +46 73 313 30 55, [email protected] Sandra Aberg, Vice President Investor Relations, +46 70 564 96 89, [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/essity/r/president-and-ceo-magnus-groth-will-leave-essity-during-2025,c4094847 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15798/4094847/3218832.pdf President and CEO Magnus Groth will leave Essity during 2025 SOURCE Essity GREENVILLE, S.C., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ProactiveMD, a leader in value-based, employer-sponsored healthcare, continues to disrupt the industry with aggressive growth, leveraging technology and strategic acquisitions to strengthen its national network. The company recently announced the acquisition of two major pathology groups, one in South Carolina and another in Alabama, marking a significant milestone in its mission to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. Enhancing Access and Expertise Pathologists play a critical role in diagnosing and treating complex health issues, particularly in cancer care. With pathologists in high demand and increasingly hard to find, ProactiveMD's strategic move secures access to these essential professionals, providing a significant advantage in delivering timely and accurate diagnoses. These acquisitions enable the company to: Improve Turnaround Times : Accelerating results for biopsies and tissue specimens. : Accelerating results for biopsies and tissue specimens. Lower Employer Costs : Reducing overall healthcare spend for employer-sponsored plans. : Reducing overall healthcare spend for employer-sponsored plans. Enhance Patient Outcomes: Ensuring early diagnosis and effective coordination of care with specialists. "Access to expert pathologists is imperative for high-quality outcomes," said John Collier, CEO of ProactiveMD. "By integrating these well-established pathology teams, we're empowering our network to tackle complex diagnostic challenges head-on, delivering unparalleled care to patients while driving value for employers." A National Vision for Value-Based Care These acquisitions align with ProactiveMD's broader strategy of building a robust, technology-enabled, value-based care network. The company is uniquely positioned to address the healthcare industry's most pressing challenges, including the shortage of specialized medical professionals. "These new partnerships represent a significant step forward in our commitment to providing comprehensive care," Collier added. "We are honored to welcome these accomplished teams into the ProactiveMD family and are inspired by their dedication to solving some of the most complex healthcare challenges." ProactiveMD's aggressive approach to growth underscores its vision of creating a national, employer-sponsored healthcare network capable of delivering better outcomes at lower costs through innovation, expertise, and an unwavering commitment to patients. About ProactiveMD ProactiveMD is a leading value-based care provider dedicated to transforming healthcare for patients, employers, and health plan partners through innovative, integrated solutions. By partnering with employers and health plans, ProactiveMD challenges the limitations of traditional primary care to deliver accessible, affordable, and superior care to patients. Built upon strong provider-patient relationships, ProactiveMD's integrated model includes clinical diagnostics, pathology services, urgent care, pharmacy services, PBM (pharmacy benefit management), and healthcare technologyall under one roof. The company is redefining the healthcare experience by providing comprehensive care that improves outcomes and lowers costs. For more information about ProactiveMD's mission to revolutionize healthcare, visit www.proactive.md. SOURCE ProactiveMD BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The preparatory hearing on the case of Ivan Nikolaevich Svetlichniy, who was arrested in the framework of the criminal case conducted by the State Security Service (SSS), was held in Baku Court for Serious Crimes under the chairmanship of Judge Aygun Gurbanova on January 21, Trend reports. According to the information, Svetlichniy, who is a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is charged under Article 274 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (state treason). Will be updated Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Today's announcement of 'AI Ready Skills' at BETT UK in London (one of the world's largest education technology events) is the latest milestone for the partnership between Prodigy Learning and Minecraft Education announced in May of last year. It is the third product released under this partnership and builds on the successes of the two previous releases: 'Coding in Minecraft' which focuses on developing coding skills, and 'Cyber in Minecraft' which focusses on cyber security education. This collaboration brings together the immersive world of Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time, with the innovative educational solutions of Prodigy Learning, offering new opportunities for educators and students alike. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming workforces and driving an explosive demand for AI skills. PwC 2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer report noted that "Postings for AI jobs are growing 3.5x faster than for all jobs." The 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report by Microsoft and LinkedIn indicates that AI skills may become as important as job experience in the hiring process. 71% of leaders said they'd rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them. The 'AI Ready Skills' product will support education systems worldwide to prepare students for this AI-enriched future. Delivered in Minecraft Education, 'AI Ready Skills' engages young and diverse learners through game-based learning and rewards their learning with credentials. It is an easy to teach solution, empowering educators with a comprehensive, future-focused curriculum that addresses the needs of tomorrow's workforce, today. The 'AI Ready Skills' learning pathway is comprised of four units which cover core AI topics including Understanding AI, Generative AI, Machine Learning, and Responsible AI. At the end of the pathway, the 'AI Ready Skills' capstone credential exam provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate foundational AI skills. If successful, students receive their 'AI Ready Skills' certificate and digital badge. Today's announcement builds on the earlier successful releases of Coding in Minecraft and Cyber in Minecraft in partnership with Minecraft Education. School systems across the globe including in Alaska, North Carolina, Washington State, Northern Ireland and New South Wales (Australia) are already benefitting from introducing these programs to their educators and students. Along with 'Coding in Minecraft' and 'Cyber in Minecraft', 'AI Ready Skills' is now available for licensing through Microsoft and channel resellers worldwide in addition to existing Prodigy Learning channels. Commenting, Andrew Flood, Chief Executive Officer of Prodigy Learning, said: "Today's launch of the 'AI Ready Skills' credential product at BETT UK is a milestone addition to our educational offerings in partnership with Minecraft Education. Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing our world at an ever-increasing pace. Our shared vision for this product is to empower educators with the tools to prepare their students with the skills they need to thrive in this age of AI. Minecraft Education offers a unique learning environment for students to develop and prove these skills to understand and apply AI tools responsibly and safely. 'AI Ready Skills' will help prepare and build the workforce of tomorrow and, with it, economic opportunity." Commenting, Allison Matthews, Head of Minecraft Education at Microsoft, said: "At Minecraft Education, we are committed to empowering educators and students with the tools they need to thrive in the age of AI. The launch of 'AI Ready Skills' is a testament to our dedication to providing innovative and accessible learning solutions. By integrating AI education into the immersive world of Minecraft, we are not only making learning engaging and fun but also preparing the workforce of tomorrow with the essential skills they need to succeed in an AI-driven world." Find out more on aireadyskills.com Disclaimer: this product is designed for educational purposes only. Prodigy Learning Prodigy Learning is an award-winning global EdTech business, providing innovative online platforms that empower learners to develop and prove their skills. These solutions range from skills assessments in education through to job-ready digital skills credentials. Minecraft Education Minecraft Education is a game-based learning platform that inspires creative, inclusive learning through play. Millions of educators and students in 115 countries use Minecraft Education, building future-ready skills like problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. The platform offers standards-aligned STEM curricula, professional development, and fun challenges designed for all types of learners, developed with partners like BBC Earth, the Nobel Peace Center, NASA, UNESCO, World Wildlife Federation, and Code.org. SOURCE Prodigy Learning NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global publishing market size is estimated to grow by USD 18.9 million from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 1.2% during the forecast period. Increase in demand for diversity in content is driving market growth, with a trend towards rise in number of self-published authors. However, decreasing market share of traditional publishing poses a challenge. Key market players include Adobe Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Cambridge University Press, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG, Haufe Lexware GmbH and Co. KG, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Magplus, McGraw Hill LLC, News Corp., Oxford University Press, Pearson Plc, PLANETA CORPORACION Srl, Scholastic Corp., Thomson Reuters Corp., Vivendi SE, White Falcon Publishing Solutions LLP, Wolters Kluwer NV, and YUDU Ltd.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Publishing Market 2025-2029 AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Forecast period 2025-2029 Base Year 2024 Historic Data 2019 - 2023 Segment Covered Platform (Traditional and Digital), Type (Book publishing, Magazine publishing, and Newspaper publishing), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America) Region Covered North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Key companies profiled Adobe Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Bertelsmann SE and Co. KGaA, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Cambridge University Press, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH and Co. KG, Haufe Lexware GmbH and Co. KG, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Magplus, McGraw Hill LLC, News Corp., Oxford University Press, Pearson Plc, PLANETA CORPORACION Srl, Scholastic Corp., Thomson Reuters Corp., Vivendi SE, White Falcon Publishing Solutions LLP, Wolters Kluwer NV, and YUDU Ltd. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The self-publishing trend has significantly increased the number of books in the global publishing market. Aspiring authors now have the opportunity to publish their work independently, retaining full control and earning higher royalties, typically around 60%-80% of the book's listed price. Self-publishing saves time, cost, and eliminates the risk of losing rights to traditional publishers. Digital platforms like Amazon KDP and Smashwords expand reach with minimal upfront costs, leading to an increase in indie and self-published authors and titles, fueling market growth. The publishing market is currently experiencing significant growth in various areas. One trending sector is eBooks, which have become increasingly popular due to their convenience and accessibility. Another trend is the use of chatbots for marketing and customer service in the publishing industry. Additionally, social media is playing a major role in promoting books and reaching new audiences. The use of analytics and data-driven insights is also becoming essential for publishers to make informed decisions. Furthermore, the rise of self-publishing and print-on-demand technology is giving authors more control over their work and reducing inventory costs. Overall, the publishing industry is adapting to new technologies and consumer preferences to stay competitive. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges The publishing market faces challenges from shifting consumer preferences towards digital formats. Declining demand for traditional print publications, due to convenience and environmental concerns, puts pressure on profit margins with significant production and distribution costs. Major US newspapers, like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have seen growth in digital subscriptions, but overall print demand continues to decline. Self-publishing platforms add competition, impacting market share and revenue for traditional publishers in both newspaper and book sectors. In the publishing market, challenges abound for both traditional and digital players. Classics and new releases, sales and marketing, distribution and logistics, and digital transformation are key areas of concern. Diversifying revenue streams through subscriptions, e-books, and audiobooks is essential for staying competitive. The digital shift requires rich content, user-friendly platforms, and security. Localization and globalization add complexity, while regulatory compliance and data privacy are critical concerns. Collaboration and partnerships are vital for success in this dynamic industry. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This publishing market report extensively covers market segmentation by Platform 1.1 Traditional 1.2 Digital Type 2.1 Book publishing 2.2 Magazine publishing 2.3 Newspaper publishing Geography 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 APAC 3.4 Middle East and Africa and 3.5 South America 1.1 Traditional- The traditional publishing market, including print newspapers, books, and magazines, is facing a decline in revenue due to the growing popularity of digital platforms. Print newspapers are losing market share as readers prefer real-time news online. The print book segment is also declining due to the rise of e-reading devices and digital educational content. Print magazines are negatively impacted by their high prices and the affordability of digital alternatives. These trends are expected to decrease the market share of traditional publishing during the forecast period. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2025-2029) and historic data (2019 - 2023) Research Analysis The publishing market encompasses a vast array of genres and formats, catering to the diverse reading preferences of individuals. Notable categories include Mystery, with its intriguing plots and puzzles reminiscent of jigsaws and Rubik's cubes; Educational books, which delve into the realms of Science, as explored by luminaries like Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, and Richard Dawkins; and Fiction, with its captivating narratives in Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, and Classics. The marketplace is populated by local bookshops, such as Kitabay, and online portals, providing access to a multitude of prospects for both physical stores and online businesses. Stock market and housing market books offer insights into potential buyers' interests, while costs vary between formats and genres. Reading enthusiasts seek out these resources, expanding their knowledge and imagination. Market Research Overview The Publishing Market encompasses a wide range of industries and sectors, including print and digital media, educational publishing, scientific, technical and medical (STM) publishing, and academic publishing. This market is driven by various factors such as increasing literacy rates, growing demand for knowledge and information, and the shift towards digital content. The market is also influenced by trends like self-publishing, open access publishing, and subscription models. Publishers are leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance content discovery and personalization. The market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years due to these factors and the increasing adoption of digital content. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Platform Traditional Digital Type Book Publishing Magazine Publishing Newspaper Publishing Geography North America Europe APAC Middle East And Africa South America 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio STERLING, Va., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- REI Systems, a leader in delivering innovative and reliable technology solutions to the federal government for over 35 years, today announced that the company was awarded a position on the Navy SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) contract vehicle. This achievement underscores REI Systems' commitment to helping our customers solve complex challenges, make data-driven decisions, streamline processes and improve citizen services. SeaPort NxG is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract that provides the Navy with an integrated approach to contracting for essential professional support services. Approximately $5 billion worth of services will be procured annually through orders issued under this contract vehicle, which features a four-year performance period. REI Systems achieved this position based on its years of successful collaboration with the Department of Defense and its deep IT expertise. The company looks forward to delivering a range of services to federal customers, including software development and program management support. "This award is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team," said Shyam Salona, CEO of REI Systems. "We are honored to support the Navy's mission by delivering impactful and efficient services. Our inclusion in the SeaPort NxG contract vehicle reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing federal capabilities and achieving mission success." About REI Systems REI Systems delivers innovative, reliable technology solutions that advance government missions. For over 30 years, REI has partnered with federal agencies to overcome complex challenges and improve outcomes for millions of citizens. Through its Mindful Modernization approach, REI provides application modernization, grants management systems, case management systems, data analytics, and advisory services. For more information, visit www.REIsystems.com . Media contact REI Systems Email: [email protected] SOURCE REI Systems REDDING, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report titled, 'Risk Management Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Offering (Solutions, Services), Deployment Mode (Cloud-based, On-premises), Organization Size (Large, Small & Medium-sized), Application, End-use Industry, Geography - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast to 2031. The risk management market is expected to reach $52.7 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2024 to 2031. Download FREE PDF Brochure Of Risk Management Market - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=6091 Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential threats or uncertainties that could impact an organization's objectives. It involves analyzing risks, prioritizing them based on their likelihood and potential impact, and implementing strategies to minimize, monitor, or transfer these risks. The growth of this market is driven by increasing cybersecurity concerns and data breaches, as well as the rising adoption of risk management solutions among financial institutions. However, the high cost of risk management solutions restrain the market's growth. Additionally, the digital transformation of businesses and the growing demand for real-time risk assessment and monitoring present significant growth opportunities for market players. However, the shortage of skilled professionals and increasing concerns about data privacy and protection are some of the challenges affecting market growth. Get Insightful Data On Regions, Market Segments, Customer Landscape, And Top Companies (Charts, Tables, Figures And More) - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-sample-report/cp_id=6091 Furthermore, the integration of AI and machine learning (ML) in risk management software, along with the rising demand for customized risk management solutions tailored to specific industries, are key trends in this market. Key Players: Some of the major players studied in this report are International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Verisk Analytics, Inc. (U.S.), SAS Institute Inc. (U.S.), Moody's Analytics, Inc. (A Part of Moody's Corporation) (U.S.), AxiomSL, Inc. (U.S.), LexisNexis Risk Solutions (A Part of RELX Group plc) (U.S.), Provenir Inc. (U.S.), Fidelity National Information Services Inc (U.S.), RSA Security LLC (U.S.), Qualys, Inc. (U.S.), Thomson Reuters Corporation (Canada), LogicManager, Inc. (U.S.). The global Risk Management market is segmented by offering (solutions (extract, transform & load (ETL) tools, governance, risk, and compliance software, risk calculation engine, scorecard and visualization tools, risk monitoring and strategic planning, and other solutions), services (professional services, managed services), deployment mode (cloud-based, on-premises), organization size (large enterprises, small & medium-sized enterprises), application (financial risk management, compliance risk management, cybersecurity risk management, enterprise risk management, operational risk management, other applications), and end-use industry (BFSI, IT & telecommunications, healthcare, retail & e-commerce, government & defense, energy & utilities, aerospace, manufacturing, transport & logistics, other end-use industries). This study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes the regional and country-level markets. Key Findings in the Risk Management Market Study: Among the offerings studied in this report, the services segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Managed risk management services involve outsourcing tasks such as continuous risk monitoring, threat detection, compliance management, and strategic risk planning to specialized providers. This segment's growth is driven by several factors, including the growing adoption of outsourcing to reduce operational costs, rising demand for 24/7 monitoring and expertise, limited in-house risk management capabilities, and the need for scalability and flexibility in managing diverse risks. Have Specific Research Needs? Request a Customized Research Report - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-customization/cp_id=6091 Key Findings in the Risk Management Market By Offering: In 2024, the Solutions Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the Solutions Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Deployment Mode: In 2024, the Cloud-based Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the Cloud-based Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Organization Size: In 2024, the Large Enterprises Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the Large Enterprises Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Application: In 2024, the Financial Risk Management Segment is Expected to Dominate the Global Risk Management Market In 2024, the Financial Risk Management Segment is Expected to Dominate the Global Risk Management Market By End-use Industry: In 2024, the BFSI Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market In 2024, the BFSI Segment is Expected to Dominate the Risk Management Market By Geography: North America to Dominate Risk Management in 2024 Risk Management Industry Overview: Latest Developments from Key Industry Players In June 2024 , USI Insurance Services (U.S.) launched PATH, a proprietary technology-enabled risk control platform. The new platform leverages industry-specific benchmark data to generate tailored risk control solutions. With PATH, businesses can access a leading-edge technology platform designed to address gaps in their risk management programs through a guided, analytics-driven experience that pairs risk management solutions with individual loss drivers to enable a streamlined, cost-effective decision-making process. , USI Insurance Services (U.S.) launched PATH, a proprietary technology-enabled risk control platform. The new platform leverages industry-specific benchmark data to generate tailored risk control solutions. With PATH, businesses can access a leading-edge technology platform designed to address gaps in their risk management programs through a guided, analytics-driven experience that pairs risk management solutions with individual loss drivers to enable a streamlined, cost-effective decision-making process. In October 2023 , IBM Corporation (U.S.) launched the next evolution of its managed detection and response service offerings with new AI technologies, including the ability to automatically escalate, helping to accelerate security response timelines for clients. The new threat detection and response services (TDR) provide 24x7 monitoring, investigation, and automated remediation of security alerts from all relevant technologies across the client's hybrid cloud environments. , IBM Corporation (U.S.) launched the next evolution of its managed detection and response service offerings with new AI technologies, including the ability to automatically escalate, helping to accelerate security response timelines for clients. The new threat detection and response services (TDR) provide 24x7 monitoring, investigation, and automated remediation of security alerts from all relevant technologies across the client's hybrid cloud environments. In June 2022 , SAS Institute Inc. (U.S.), a global leader in AI and analytics, acquired Kamakura Corporation (U.S.), a global financial software company that specializes in software and data for risk management in banking, insurance, and investment businesses. Among the deployment modes studied in this report, the cloud-based segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Cloud-based risk management solutions offer scalability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, making them ideal for businesses of all sizes. This segment's growth is fueled by factors such as the increasing adoption of cloud technologies, demand for remote accessibility, cost efficiency compared to on-premises solutions, growth of SaaS platforms, and improved data security features provided by cloud providers. Among the organization sizes studied in this report, the small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's growth is driven by factors including greater awareness of the importance of risk management, the affordability of cloud-based solutions, rising cybersecurity threats, government initiatives promoting SME digitization, and competitive pressures to enhance business resilience. Among the applications studied in this report, the cybersecurity risk management segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's growth is driven by factors such as the rising frequency of cyberattacks, increased adoption of IoT and connected devices, stringent data protection regulations, the growth of remote work environments, and the ongoing digitalization across industries. Among the end-use industries studied in this report, the BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's growth is driven by increasing regulatory mandates, rising cases of financial fraud, growing use of advanced analytics in risk assessment, expansion of digital banking, and a strong focus on maintaining customer trust and data security. Among the regions studied in this report, Asia-Pacific is poised to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this regional market is driven by rising awareness of risk management practices across industries, the increasing adoption of risk management solutions in response to the rising sophistication of cyberattacks, and the rapid digitalization of businesses in the region. These trends are driving the need for advanced risk management strategies to address evolving threats and ensure operational continuity. IMMEDIATE DELIVERY AVAILABLE | BUY THIS RESEARCH REPORT (Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures and More) - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/15757101 Scope of the Report: Risk Management Market Assessmentby Offering Solutions Extract, Transform & Load (ETL) Tools Governance, Risk, and Compliance Software Risk Calculation Engine Scorecard and Visualization Tools Risk Monitoring and Strategic Planning Other Solutions Services Professional Services Managed Services Risk Management Market Assessmentby Deployment Mode Cloud-based On-premises Risk Management Market Assessmentby Organization Size Large Enterprises Small & Medium-sized Enterprises Risk Management Market Assessmentby Application Financial Risk Management Compliance Risk Management Cybersecurity Risk Management Enterprise Risk Management Operational Risk Management Other Applications Risk Management Market Assessmentby End-use Industry BFSI IT & Telecommunications Healthcare Retail & E-commerce Government & Defense Energy & Utilities Aerospace Manufacturing Transport & Logistics Other End-use Industries Risk Management Market Assessmentby Geography North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Netherlands Sweden Switzerland Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Switzerland Indonesia Singapore Rest of Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC) (RoAPAC) Latin America Mexico Brazil Rest of Latin America (RoLATAM) (RoLATAM) Middle East & Africa & Israel UAE Saudi Arabia Rest of Middle East & Africa (RoMEA) Related Reports: Cybersecurity Market by Offering (Solutions, Services), Security Type (Network Security, Cloud Security, Endpoint Security), Organization Size, Deployment Mode, Sector (BFSI, Retail & E-commerce, Healthcare) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2031 - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/cybersecurity-market-5069 Cybersecurity-as-a-Service Market by Application (Network Security, Cloud Security, Endpoint Security, Application Security), Organization Size, Sector (BFSI, IT & Telecommunications, Retail, Healthcare), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030 - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/cybersecurity-as-a-service-market-5506 Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Market by Component (Solutions, Services), Organization Size, Deployment Mode, Business Function (Legal & Compliance, Operation Management), Sector (Healthcare) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030 - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/enterprise-governance-risk-and-compliance-market-5702 Patient Safety And Risk Management Software Market - Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast (2017-2022) - https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/patient-safety-and-risk-management-software-market-global-forecast-to-2022-2375 Risk Management Market Research Summary Particulars Details Number of Pages 300 Format PDF Forecast Period 20242031 Base Year 2023 CAGR (Value) 14.3 % Market Size (Value) USD 52.7 Billion by 2031 Segments Covered By Offering Solutions Extract, Transform & Load (ETL) Tools Governance, Risk, and Compliance Software Risk Calculation Engine Scorecard and Visualization Tools Risk Monitoring and Strategic Planning Other Solutions Services Professional Services Managed Services By Deployment Mode Cloud-based On-premises By Organization Size Large Enterprises Small & Medium-sized Enterprises By Application Financial Risk Management Compliance Risk Management Cybersecurity Risk Management Enterprise Risk Management Operational Risk Management Other Applications By End-use Industry BFSI IT & Telecommunications Healthcare Retail & E-commerce Government & Defense Energy & Utilities Aerospace Manufacturing Transport & Logistics Other End-use Industries Countries Covered North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia & New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, and Rest of Latin America), and Middle East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Rest of Middle East & Africa) Key Companies IBM Corporation (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Verisk Analytics (U.S.), SAS Institute Inc (U.S.), Moody's Analytics, Inc. (U.S.), AxiomSL, Inc. (U.S.), LexisNexis Risk Solutions (U.S.), Provenir (U.S.), Fidelity National Information Services Inc (U.S.), RSA Security LLC (U.S.), Qualys, Inc. (U.S.), Thomson Reuters (Canada), LogicManager, Inc. (U.S.) About Meticulous Research Pvt. Ltd. We are a trusted research partner for leading businesses worldwide, empowering Fortune 500 organizations and emerging enterprises with market intelligence designed to drive revenue transformation and strategic growth. Our insights reveal future growth opportunities, equipping clients with a competitive edge through a versatile suite of research solutionsincluding syndicated reports, custom research, and direct analyst engagement. Each year, we conduct over 300 syndicated studies and manage 60+ consulting engagements across eight major sectors and 20+ geographic markets, all to deliver targeted business insights that help our clients lead in a rapidly evolving global market. With a strong focus on problem-solving for complex business challenges, our research enables organizations to navigate change with assertion, aligning it with strategic pathways for sustainable growth. By identifying innovative and effective solutions, we empower leaders to make impactful decisions that drive operational excellence and fuel innovation. We are committed to crafting insights that enhance business performance and help our clients unlock new revenue opportunities, positioning them for long-term success in the competitive global marketplace. Contact: Meticulous Market Research Pvt.Ltd. 1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S. USA: +1-646-781-8004 Europe: +44-203-868-8738 APAC: +91 744-7780008 Email- [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Meticulousblog.org | Top Market Research Reports Blog - https://meticulousblog.org/ Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/1327/risk-management-market Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1757980/Meticulous_Research_Logo_1.jpg SOURCE Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) resulting from allegations that Unisys may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Unisys securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9648 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. What is this about: On October 22, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had charged four companies, including Unisys, with "making materially misleading disclosures regarding cybersecurity risks and intrusions." Further, the SEC also charged Unisys with disclosure controls and procedures violations. On this news, Unisys stock fell 8.6% on October 22, 2024. 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. 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 firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. 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 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. Spigen announces the launch of a new case lineup optimized for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, featuring Qi2-compatible cases created with the help of Samsung through their official accessory partnership program. IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Spigen, a leading global provider of mobile device accessories, announced the launch of a new case lineup for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 series. Through the Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership Program, Spigen has worked closely with Samsung to develop a meticulously tested lineup that ensures seamless compatibility and optimal performance with the S25 series. Qi2 Compatibility: A New Standard Spigen new Ultra Hybrid ZeroOne MagFit and NeoOne MagFit cases for the S25 Ultra, available now. Nano Pop Mag Wallet (left) and Urban Fit Mag Wallet (right), available now. Ultra Hybrid MagFit+ Wallet (center) coming soon. The S25 is one of the first mainstream smartphones to feature Qi2 technology. However, this functionality is not native to the device itself and requires the use of specifically designed Qi2 accessories. To unlock the full potential of the S25 devices, Spigen has developed a new lineup of Qi2-compatible cases. These cases have been extensively tested hands-on with the S25 devices, making sure users are getting the most that Qi2 has to offer. Key Highlights of the New Lineup: Spigen's lineup for the S25 series boasts a range of unique and protective options, which include: ZeroOne MagFit and NeoOne MagFit: Fan favorites, known for their distinctive "teardown" design, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of the Galaxy S25. Fan favorites, known for their distinctive "teardown" design, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of the Galaxy S25. Thin Fit MagFit: Designed for the minimalist, a sleek option provides everyday protection while maintaining an unnoticeable profile. Designed for the minimalist, a sleek option provides everyday protection while maintaining an unnoticeable profile. Parallax MagFit: Previously known from Spigen's sibling company Caseology, making a debut in the lineup with its vibrant splash of color and a mesmerizing geometric pattern. Revamped MagFit for Galaxy The implementation of Qi2 into Spigen's cases further unlocks a new world of functionality through magnetic accessories. Spigen's popular MagFit collection, an ecosystem originally designed for iPhone, has been refined for Galaxy. Spigen re-engineered several MagFit wallets specifically for Samsung, accounting for the vertical camera bar design. Spigen's MagFit for Galaxy lineup offers a diverse range of stylish and functional wallet options. From the sleek Urban Fit to the playful Nano Pop, these wallets accommodate up to 3 cards, featuring easy access slots and a grippy texture on the back to prevent accidental slippage. Availability Spigen's Samsung Galaxy S25 collection is already available on Amazon with more accessories on the way. About Spigen Spigen, a leading global provider of accessories for over 16 years, is dedicated to creating high-quality, innovative products that enhance the mobile experience. We strive to be "Something You Want," offering a diverse range of stylish and functional accessories, from cases, screen protectors, everyday gear, and more, all designed to elevate your lifestyle. For more information about Spigen and our products, please visit our website . Media Contact: Justin Ma 949-502-5121 [email protected] SOURCE Spigen Inc. 500 attendees expected for unique fair combining education exploration with family fun TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsborough families seeking the best educational options for their children can do so in a one-of-a-kind setting at the School Choice Safari, hosted by GuidEd Florida. This unique event combines education exploration with family-friendly fun, creating an engaging experience for parents and students. This family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, at ZooTampa's Saunders Pavilion, offering parents a valuable opportunity to connect directly with representatives from a wide range of K12 schools. Representatives from traditional public, public charter, magnet, private schools, online learning, homeschool, and microschool groups will be available to meet with families. Attendees can ask questions, gather insights, and receive guidance to make informed decisions about their children's education. To ensure all families can access information about their options, GuidEd representatives will provide free, bilingual assistance throughout the event, meeting individually with families to offer personalized support. "This event offers Hillsborough County families a unique opportunity to explore educational options and connect directly with K-12 school representatives," said Kelly Garcia, board chair of GuidEd Florida. "By offering personalized, bilingual assistance and following up after the event, we ensure that every family feels supported throughout their school search journey. Our focus is on helping parents make informed decisions that will have a lasting impact on their children's education and future." The family-friendly celebration will include complimentary food, face painting, magicians, photo booths, and games. Attendees can also participate in exciting giveaways and raffle prizes throughout the day. The event is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week 2025, celebrated nationwide from January 26 to February 1, which will feature more than 27,000 events nationwide celebrating educational opportunity. GuidEd Florida works to help families navigate their educational options and find the best fit for their children's needs. Location Details: ZooTampa at Lowry Park is located at 1101 W. Sligh Avenue, Tampa, FL 33604. The event will take place in the Saunders Pavilion. Families can learn more and RSVP for this free event at tampaschoolchoicesafari.com or schoolchoiceweek.com/events/2025-tampa-safari-de-opciones-escolares/ to access the information in Spanish. The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF) raises broad and positive awareness of school choice through two charitable programs: organizing National School Choice Week each January and the research, development, and promotion of comprehensive and unbiased school navigation resources for parents via School Choice Week, Navigate School Choice, and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares. NSCAF does not advocate for or oppose legislation at any level of government and is steadfastly nonpartisan and nonpolitical. SOURCE National School Choice Week NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Transocean Ltd. ("Transocean" or the "Company") (NYSE: RIG). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Transocean 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 September 3, 2024, Transocean announced that "as part of the Company's effort to dispose of non-strategic assets" it had agreed to sell two of its idle rigs, the Development Driller III and the Discoverer Inspiration, as well as associated assets for an aggregate $342 million. The Company further announced that the sales would result in an estimated third-quarter non-cash charge of up to $645 million associated with the impairment of said assets. Otherwise stated, the Company's expected proceeds from the sale of the Development Driller III and the Discoverer Inspiration was only approximately half the impairment the Company was required to take for the sale. On this news, the Company's share price fell $0.42 per share, or 8.86%, to close at $4.32 per share on September 3, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. 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 numerous multimillion-dollar 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 Enhances Healing and Patient Quality of Life Weight Bearing Occurs at Two Weeks Rather Than Six to Eight Weeks ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia residents in need of ankle surgery will now have access to the innovative Shotel Ankle Arthrodesis Nail System, a new device for treating end-stage ankle arthritis from Shotel Medical. The device was used in a successful procedure for the first time in Georgia by Gary W. Stewart, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon, foot and ankle specialist, at Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta, on January 8, 2025. Patients who have had the Shotel Nail System implanted are able to weight bear using a CAM (Controlled Ankle Motion) walker boot up to two weeks post-surgery, a significant advancement compared to the typical six to eight week non-weight-bearing period associated with traditional ankle arthrodesis techniques. Shotel Ankle Arthrodesis Nail System Enhances Healing, Patient Quality of Life Gary W. Stewart, MD, FAOA, FAAOS, Foot & Ankle Specialist, General Orthopaedics, Resurgens Orthopaedics, Director, Resurgens Foot & Ankle Center, Atlanta, GA The Shotel Nail System, a patented technology manufactured and distributed by BioPro, Inc., revolutionizes ankle arthrodesis with its distinctive curved nail design. This design allows a minimally invasive approach, requiring only small incisions. The system is engineered to fuse the tibiotalar joint while preserving full mobility in surrounding joints, resulting in faster healing, swifter recovery, and earlier weight-bearing capabilities for patients. Estimates suggest that approximately 50,000 new cases of end-stage ankle arthritis emerge annually in the United States.1 With the rising prevalence of end-stage ankle arthritis as baby boomers age and its potential for significant physical impairment, this innovation addresses a critical need. Dr. Stewart, who also is a partner at Resurgens Orthopaedics, and is based in Atlanta, GA, shared his experience: "The patient had previously been injured very badly in an automobile accident and presented with soft tissue damage and bone damage along with severe arthritis. His ankle condition was progressively worsening. The Shotel Nail System's innovative design instilled confidence in me in its long-term stability and durability. "During the operation, the Shotel Nail System was easy to use, required a smaller incision, and employed a far less invasive method compared to traditional ankle fusion techniques," he added. "Being able to operate arthroscopically was especially advantageous since the patient already had multiple incisions. I particularly appreciate its good fixation and multiple compression layers, which are essential for promoting rapid fusion site healing." Dr. Stewart further emphasized, "Because the incision was small, the patient should experience less pain. This groundbreaking technology promises to fundamentally transform medical treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis, offering significant improvements in patient care and healing." About Shotel Medical Shotel Medical is the developer of the Shotel Ankle Arthrodesis Nail System, an entirely novel device that has the potential to transform patient care and significantly impact the healthcare landscape. Developed in conjunction with a team of biomechanical engineers, orthopedic surgeons and industry thought leaders, the device addresses the needs of patients with end-stage ankle arthritis. Its unique design provides patients with faster healing, earlier return to function, and improved quality of life compared to current treatment options. The company, founded in 2017, has offices in New Orleans and Atlanta. Contact Shotel Medical. About BioPro, Inc. For over three decades, BioPro, Inc., has been at the forefront of orthopedic innovation, dedicated to enhancing the lives of patients suffering from orthopedic conditions. The company is committed to developing cutting-edge implants and surgical devices that reduce pain and restore functionality, providing patients and surgeons with a diverse portfolio of established solutions and new technology. To learn more, visit BioPro, Inc. Media Contact: Barbara Bickel 1-305-215-2121 [email protected] 1 Smyth, Niall A. MD; Dawkins, Brody J. BA; Goldstein, Joshua P. BS; Kaplan, Jonathan R. MD; Schon, Lew C. MD; Aiyer, Amiethab A. MD. Consumer Prices for Surgical Management of Ankle Arthritis: Limited Availability and Wide Variability. JAAOS: Global Research and Reviews 3(7):p e011, July 2019. | DOI: 10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-19-00011. SOURCE Shotel Medical "Lanier is a reflection of the resilience and aspirations of the Westside community." -- Federico Cavazos, LPA Post this Lanier was the only project in the state to receive commendations in all six categories of excellence: design, value, wellness, community, planning and transformation. The transformation reimagined a windowless brick fortress built in the 1970s into a vibrant, daylit campus that celebrates the school's Mexican-American heritage and supports next-generation learning. Large windows and strategic openings flood the formerly dark interiors with natural light. Murals representing the community's artistic culture were recreated in painstaking detail and displayed in the main hall. Flexible learning spaces, developed in collaboration with stakeholders, align with SAISD's learning goals, supporting a range of teaching styles and activities. "This award is a testament to the deep collaboration between our team and the district," says Kate Mraw, LPA's Director of K-12. "Every project is an opportunity to create environments that inspire students and reflect the values of the communities we're privileged to work with." The Caudill Award is the latest in a series of recognition for Lanier, including the national AIA Education Facility Design Award and the local Community Impact Award, Design Adaptive Reuse Award and COTE Award from the AIA San Antonio chapter. "This project is a reflection of the resilience and aspirations of the Westside community," said LPA Design Director Federico Cavazos. "The renovation preserved a place that has held incredible meaning for generations while literally shining new light on the community's history and future." Two other LPA projects General Marshall Middle School and Newman Smith High School also earned Stars of Distinction in the annual Exhibit of School Architecture program. General Marshall Middle School in Austin ISD was recognized for its integration of new urbanist principles and flexible learning environments, while Newman Smith High School in Carrollton-Farmer's Branch was celebrated for exceptional planning and doing more with less. The Caudill Award and Stars of Distinction will be formally presented during the 2025 TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin, January 26-29, where the projects will also be on display in the Exhibit of School Architecture. About LPA LPA is a multi-discipline firm focused on collaboration, inclusion and an integrated design process that connects building performance and design excellence. Founded in 1965, the firm's mission is to deliver timeless, sustainable designs that benefit the environment, generate lasting value, enrich the human experience, and ensure a better future. With six studios in California and Texas, LPA's team includes more than 500 in-house architects, master planners, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and research analysts, working across a wide array of sectors. In 2025, LPA was honored with the national AIA Architecture Firm Award, the nation's highest honor for an architectural practice. For more information, visit lpadesignstudios.com. SOURCE LPA, Inc. Photo: Press service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan DAVOS, Switzerland, January 22. On January 22, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, at the latters request in Davos, Trend reports. Andrej Plenkovic congratulated the President of Azerbaijan on the successful hosting of COP29. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to the Croatian Prime Minister for participating in COP29. During the conversation, they highlighted the key decisions made at COP29 aimed at advancing the global climate agenda. The Azerbaijani President and the Croatian Prime Minister praised the current level of relations between the two countries, particularly noting cooperation in the energy sector. The role of Azerbaijan in Croatia's energy security, as well as the export of oil and gas from Azerbaijan to Croatia, was particularly emphasized, and the prospects for increasing the volume of gas exports were discussed. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan currently exports gas to 10 European countries, eight of which are members of the European Union. The head of state emphasized that the European Union recognizes Azerbaijan as a Pan-European energy supplier. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the development of cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, as well as Azerbaijan's relations with the European Union, with particular emphasis on the role of the intergovernmental commission. Prime Minister Plenkovic invited President Ilham Aliyev to make an official visit to Croatia. Providing Protected and Secure Communications for Mission-Critical Operations Achieves National Institute of Standards and Technology Federal Information Processing Standards Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules Unmatched Data Security StreamCaster MANET radios' cryptographic modules meet the NIST's most rigorous cryptographic security standards for protecting sensitive information data, while offering support for advanced encryption standards including AES-256 to safeguard sensitive data against modern threats. International Recognition FIPS 140-3 aligns with ISO/IEC 19790:2012 ensuring global cryptographic consistency with U.S. and allied partner nations' encryption standards, enabling secure and protected communications across multi-national operations. Level 2 Security Features In addition to meeting NIST's advanced cryptographic security requirements, StreamCaster MANET radios provide Level 2: Role-Based Authentication, including physical security measures and ensuring that only authorized users can access cryptographic functions. Future-Proof Encryption Accessible from Silvus' proprietary StreamScape 5 network management software, FIPS 140-3 delivers lifecycle security for users from network design to deployment. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Silvus Technologies ("Silvus"), a global leader in advanced wireless networking solutions, today announced that its StreamCaster MANET radios are the first and only tactical radios with cryptographic modules to receive FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validation. By achieving FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validation, Silvus reinforces its position as a trusted provider of secure, resilient communication solutions that defense, law enforcement agencies, and critical infrastructure operators rely on for mission-critical communications in any operational environment. StreamCaster MANET radios are the first and only tactical radios with cryptographic modules to receive FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validation. StreamCaster MANET radios provide high-fidelity video, voice, and IP data communications delivering actionable intelligence at the speed of relevance. At the heart of every StreamCaster MANET radio is Silvus' battle-proven MN-MIMO waveform, capable of linking hundreds of nodes with unmatched range, data throughput, EW resiliency, and scalability. Applicable radio models now available with FIPS 140-3 Level 2 encryption include SC4200, SC4400, SL4200, and SM4200. "We are proud to achieve FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validation, a milestone that highlights our dedication to providing the most advanced tactical communication solutions," said Weijun Zhu, Vice President of Engineering at Silvus Technologies. "Certification of StreamCaster MANET radios ensures that our customers can operate with confidence, knowing their sensitive communications are safeguarded from compromise in even the most contested environments." Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-3 Level 2 validation, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), ensures that StreamCaster MANET radios meet the U.S. Government's highest security requirements for cryptographic modules to protect sensitive data. This standard provides operators with the confidence that their communications remain secure in high-risk, mission-critical operations. Silvus' achievement of FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validation brings significant advancements over the previous FIPS 140-2 standard, including: Alignment with ISO/IEC 19790:2012 for global interoperability and consistency with global cryptographic security. Enhanced Level 2 Security provides additional protection including physical tamper evidence and role-based authentication, where access to the cryptographic module is controlled by user roles allowing different levels of permission. Lifecycle security evaluations from design to deployment. Mandate for more advanced cryptographic algorithms, including SHA-3 as the primary hashing algorithm and AES as the only approved symmetric encryption algorithm. Governments worldwide are transitioning to FIPS 140-3 to bolster cybersecurity. In the United States, federal agencies are required to use FIPS 140-3 validated modules, with September 2026 set as the sunset date for FIPS 140-2 certificates. Through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), Canada's Communications Security Establishment (CSE) jointly validates FIPS 140 modules with NIST, ensuring compliance across North America. Additionally, FIPS-validated modules are widely adopted by governments and organizations in countries like the UK, Australia, and Japan to ensure robust cryptographic protections for their national security and critical infrastructure. Current Silvus customers are now able to access FIPS 140-3 Level 2 encryption and capability enhancements through a software update in the StreamScape 5 network management software. Learn more about the StreamCaster family of MANET radios and their FIPS 140-3 Level 2 validation (Certificate # 4936) at csrc.nist.gov. Stay connected with Silvus on LinkedIn for the latest updates. About Silvus Technologies, Inc. As the world's leading provider of advanced MANET and MIMO communications systems, Silvus Technologies is reshaping mesh network technology for mission-critical applications on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Its battle proven StreamCaster family of MANET radios and proprietary MN-MIMO waveform provides the vital communications link for defense, law enforcement, and public safety agencies around the world, and in the toughest operational environments. Developed by a team of top PhD scientists and design engineers, Silvus Technologies continues to innovate communications technology for the tactical edge with unmatched range, data throughput, EW resiliency, and scalability. Silvus Technologies is privately held with world headquarters located in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more at https://silvustechnologies.com. Media Contact: Keith Swenson, 310.479.3333, [email protected] SOURCE Silvus Technologies, Inc. Super-Premium Fast-Food Concept Wraps Up the Year with Unprecedented Growth SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Starbird, one of the nation's first super-premium fast-food concepts, is celebrating an extraordinary year of growth and success in 2024. Marked by record-breaking sales, strategic expansion, and a continued emphasis on community engagement, the brand has transitioned from a local California chain to a leading force in the fast-food industry. "Our journey this year has been truly remarkable," said Aaron Noveshen, CEO and Founder of Starbird. "We expanded across the map in California with record-breaking openings and set the foundation for growth in other key markets across the U.S. We're looking forward to continuing the momentum and bringing our unique vision to more communities in 2025." Building on this momentum, Starbird achieved a 60% increase in its corporate footprint in 2024 with the opening of five new locations in Cupertino, Pleasanton, Palo Alto, South San Francisco, and Marina Del Ray. On the franchise development front, the brand signed four agreements totaling over 30 committed locations in major markets, including Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City. This ongoing expansion now has the brand sitting at 491 restaurant employees and 16 corporate employees at the end of 2024 and sets the stage for a robust pipeline of growth in 2025. In a further testament to the brand's growth and innovation over the last 12 months, Starbird experienced double-digit growth in same-store comp restaurant sales in 2024. Additionally, the brand grew its loyalty program by 72,500 new members this year. Same-store catering sales also increased by 60% year-over-year for the super-premium fast-food conceptthanks in part to innovative menu rollouts and community engagement efforts throughout the year. Throughout the year, Starbird featured popular seasonal LTOs like the Cali Gold BBQ Menu, Summer of Salads Menu, and the Banh Mi Lineup, all of which featured Starbird's signature crispy chicken and fresh, high-quality ingredients. Community engagement continued to be at the heart of Starbird's mission in 2024. Through ongoing initiatives like the GiftAMeal and Teacher Appreciation Month programs, the brand donated thousands of meals to local organizations, including the LA Regional Food Bank, SF-Marin Food Bank, and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. Starbird also celebrated educators by donating over 3,500 meals during Teacher Appreciation Month in May. Starbird's hard work resulted in numerous recognitions in 2024. The brand was recognized in Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers for the eighth consecutive year, included in Restaurant Business / Technomics Future 50 Rankings, and additionally garnered national attention by being included in Food & Wine Magazine's "Top 10 Airports for Food and Drink, According to Experts." Additionally, Starbird supported its franchise development efforts with the hiring of Brian Carmichall as Vice President of Business Development. With decades of franchise experience at brands like Dunkin' and El Pollo Loco, Carmichall is playing a pivotal role in advancing Starbird's development pipeline, including help spearhead the brands most recent deals, with more to come in 2025. With franchise opportunities available in key U.S. marketsincluding California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, and FloridaStarbird is actively seeking seasoned multi-unit operators interested in Area Development commitments of five stores over three years. Qualified candidates should possess restaurant and business experience, a minimum net worth of $3 million, and liquid capital of at least $1 million. Investments range from $1,138,074 to $1,588,963 for traditional and non-traditional units. To learn more about franchising with Starbird, please visit www.starbirdfranchising.com, email [email protected] or contact 866-327-4779. About Starbird Starbird is fundamentally changing the future of fast food by delivering feel-good crispy chicken and a positive, tech-driven customer experience. Founded in 2016 by restaurant innovators at The Culinary Edge (TCE), the restaurant consultancy recognized that chicken consumption was on the rise and set out to reimagine fast food to meet the needs of a new America and their tastebuds. Built upon pillars of culinary innovation, a frictionless service model, and operational excellence, Starbird has successfully established a forward-thinking concept, leading the super-premium fast-food marketplace and national brand recognition within the $34 Billion U.S. chicken marketplace. Starbird was named the winner of Nation's Restaurant News' Chicken Showdown in 2023 and earned a spot on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers for the eighth consecutive year in 2024, solidifying its position as an industry leader. See www.starbirdchicken.com for more information. Media Contact: Brendan Maguire Fish Consulting [email protected] 954-893-9150 SOURCE Starbird Chicken Leading Auto Repair Platform Densifies Focus Markets in 2024; Announces Key Executive Appointment CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Straightaway Tire & Auto, a leading independent automotive repair and service platform, concluded 2024 by achieving a significant milestone: its 65th location. Additionally, the company launched a new platform website to share the Straightaway story and enhance its digital presence. Furthermore, Cameron Chernikow was appointed as chief customer officer to oversee strategic marketing efforts and support operational alignment across its expanding portfolio. Throughout the 2024 year, the company strategically acquired 17 additional locations to strengthen its presence Post this Cameron Chernikow Headshot Throughout the 2024 year, the company strategically acquired 17 additional locations to strengthen its presence across existing markets, resulting in 21 locations in Denver, 17 in New England, 20 in Minnesota, and 7 in Florida. The most recent expansion includes shops in Plaistow, NH, Englewood, CO, and Denver, enhancing the company's footprint in key markets. The expansion reflects Straightaway's focus on strengthening its network of locations within the local markets it serves. It also underscores the company's commitment to maintaining the quality of local automotive care, supporting the communities, customers, and associates involved. "At Straightaway Tire & Auto, reaching 65 locations isn't just a milestoneit's a testament to our dedication to independent, community-focused automotive care," said John Teddy, CEO at Straightaway Tire and Auto. "Our mission goes beyond expanding our footprint; it's about strengthening local automotive repair brands that deliver exceptional customer experiences and uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity." While focused on strengthening existing markets, Straightway is also interested in identifying growth minded brands in new markets. "Our investment in densifying existing markets will complement our efforts to identify shops poised for growth in new markets," added Teddy. "We're building a connected network rooted in community stewardship to support our path to accelerated growth in 2025." Straightaway also announced the appointment of Cameron Chernikow as chief customer officer. Chernikow brings over 20 years of experience, most recently serving as vice president of merchandising at American Tire Distributors. Chernikow has a strong background in experiential marketing, where she specialized in launching brands through innovative local and field strategies. In her new role, Chernikow will lead efforts to create a seamless customer journey across all touchpoints, leveraging category management and data-driven insights to drive growth, enhance profitability, and deliver localized, scalable marketing solutions that boost customer acquisition, engagement, and retention. "I am thrilled to join Straightaway during this exciting time of growth," Chernikow said. "With a unique blend of experience in commercial operations, merchandising, and marketing, I am committed to supporting our brands by enhancing their local presence and fostering strong community connections. By harnessing scalable strategies and data-driven insights, we will create meaningful customer experiences that drive growth, foster brand loyalty, and deliver value to our investors and communities." Chernikow will deliver actionable strategies that align with the company's commitment to providing exceptional customer experiences and advancing its strategic growth initiatives. The expansion and leadership appointment reflect Straightaway's commitment to strategic growth while maintaining its focus on exceptional customer service and community engagement. The company continues to seek partnerships with local independent auto repair shops that share its commitment to excellence in customer service. About Straightaway Tire & Auto Straightaway Tire & Auto is a leading independent, full-service aftermarket automotive repair and service platform with 65 locations across Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Straightaway focuses on building strong local brands by partnering with established automotive repair businesses to provide resources and operational expertise that drive growth and long-term success. The company is committed to identifying opportunities to strengthen the markets where it operates and, being good stewards of the communities it serves. Straightaway is actively expanding its footprint in new and existing markets through strategic acquisitions and welcomes inquiries from shop owners interested in exploring a sale or partnership. For more information visit www.gostraightaway.com. SOURCE Straightaway Tire and Auto Premier Assisted Stretching Franchise Opens Newest Location Under Local Leadership CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stretch Zone, the nation's premier assisted stretching brand with a patented strapping system on proprietary tables, announces the opening of its newest location in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This location is Stretch Zone's 380th in the United States and is owned and operated by Doug Allen, a first-time Stretch Zone owner. After struggling to recover from a previous injury through traditional physical therapy alone, Allen found a game-changing solution through Stretch Zone. The significant improvement he experienced in his personal journey to recovery inspired him to open his own studio. Today, Allen is proud to announce the grand opening of his first Stretch Zone studio in his hometown of Cedar Rapids the company's fifth location in Iowa. "My own experience as a Stretch Zone member since March 2024 showed me the incredible benefits of assisted stretching," says Allen. "I saw a real need in my community for a place where people could experience improved flexibility, better posture, and increased range of motion. Opening this studio in Cedar Rapids will allow me to help others achieve their fitness goals and improve their overall well-being." Stretch Zone's scientifically backed, practitioner-assisted stretching method has helped countless individuals enhance their mobility and recovery. Allen is confident that his new studio will further strengthen the brand's reputation as a trusted destination for personalized stretching services, offering residents a pathway to a healthier, more active lifestyle. With a prime location in Cedar Rapids, Allen is excited to introduce the Stretch Zone experience to the local community and help as many people as possible discover the benefits of assisted stretching. Stretch Zone is the only nationally accredited stretch franchise due in large part to its patented equipment and proprietary training and education methodology. Stretch Zone focuses on a scientific approach to stretching and believes in re-educating muscles to establish a more ideal resting muscle tone and range of motion. Stretch Zone Cedar Rapids is located at 4701 1st Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52402. Operating hours are M-F 7am-6pm, Saturday 8am-4pm and closed on Sunday. The studio phone number is (319) 382-3232. The first visit is free for any new Stretch Zone members. For more information, visit www.stretchzone.com. About Stretch Zone Founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, Stretch Zone was created with a deep passion for improving lives. The brand has redefined how we approach stretching, with a mission to enhance the quality of life in communities nationwide. By utilizing our proprietary tables and patented strapping system, Stretch Zone helps individuals achieve long-term results in flexibility and mobility. With over 370 locations across 41 states, the brand has experienced remarkable growth and continues to gain national recognition, ranking on the 2024 Inc. 5000 and Franchise Times' 2024 Top 400 List. Stretch Zone is seeking experienced franchisees who share a passion for health and wellness and are dedicated to making a lasting impact on their communities. To learn more, visit stretchzone.com Media Contact: Stephanie Hall, Pitch Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Stretch Zone NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Sun Communities, Inc. (NYSE: SUI) between February 28, 2019 and September 24, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important February 10, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased Sun Communities 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 Sun Communities class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=32347 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 10, 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 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 firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants created the false impression that they were presenting a complete and accurate picture of Sun Communities' financial reports and accounting pertaining to Sun Communities' projected revenue outlook and anticipated growth. At no point did defendants state or even allude to the DH Bingham Farms LLC mortgage, signed by Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") Gary Shiffman, or the multiple undisclosed loans CEO Gary Shiffman received, including one from Company Board Member Arthur Weiss. Defendants misled investors by providing the public with materially flawed statements of confidence and growth projections throughout the Class Period, which did not account for these variables. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Sun Communities class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=32347 https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=28116 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] 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 investor's 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 or 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 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. BANGKOK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thailand is set to make a grand debut at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, highlighting the country's commitment to becoming one of the global leaders in medical and wellness services. In line with the Expo's theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," Thailand will demonstrate how its unique blend of traditional practices and advanced medical services fosters the greatest happiness and well-being for all. Promoting Thailand as a Preferred Global Medical Hub Thailand Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (April 13 - October 13, 2025) Somsak Thepsutin, Minister of Public Health of Thailand Thailand to Showcase Medical and Wellness Excellence at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan According to Thailand's Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsutin, the World Expo provides an exceptional opportunity for nations to connect and showcase innovations that shape a better future. "We are excited to take part in this global event, where Thailand will share its unmatched expertise in both traditional Thai medicine and modern healthcare," Minister Somsak stated. "Thailand's policies are focused on transforming the country into an international medical hub, and our participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka will highlight our strengths in these areas." Thailand's Medical and Wellness Excellence The Thai Pavilion at Expo 2025 will feature five key areas of excellence that set Thailand apart as a leader in healthcare: Traditional Thai Healthcare: Emphasizing the harmony between humans and nature, traditional Thai medicine has been practiced for centuries and remains integral to the country's identity. Thai Herbs and Culinary Health: Thailand's rich culinary traditions, such as the world-famous Tom Yum Goong , incorporate the healing power of Thai herbs, showcasing their health benefits. Thai Herbal Medicine: Visitors will learn about unique herbal products such as aroma inhalers and therapeutic massage oils, commonly used to promote health and well-being. Thai Massage: Recognized as a UNESCO cultural heritage, Thai massage is world-renowned for its healing properties, combining therapeutic techniques with relaxation. Modern Medical Excellence: Thailand is a recognized leader in modern healthcare, with 62 medical organizations accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), ranking the country 4th globally and No. 1 in Southeast Asia . A Thriving Medical Tourism Industry Thailand's healthcare services and exceptional hospitality have helped the country rank among the world's top five medical tourism destinations. The industry is valued at one trillion baht and is expected to reach 2.2 trillion baht (64.02 billion USD) by 2034, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth. The Thai Experience at Expo 2025 "Thailand's appeal as a medical and wellness hub is not only due to our advanced healthcare system but also our warm hospitality, rich cultural heritage, and stunning natural beauty," Minister Somsak continued. "At Expo 2025, visitors will have the opportunity to experience these elements firsthand, and we hope to inspire them to explore more about Thai medicine and visit Thailand to discover these healing practices in person." A Global Gathering in Osaka Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to October 13, 2025, and is expected to attract 28 million visitors from around the world. Thailand's participation will be a key opportunity to share its medical and wellness excellence on the global stage. For more information, please contact Thailand's Ministry of Public Health Email: [email protected] FACEBOOK: Thailandpavilionworldexpo2025 SOURCE Thailand's Ministry of Public Health ASHBURN, Va., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Pediatric & Maternal Clinical Pharmacology Community, the first initiative in its effort to unite clinical pharmacology professionals with shared interests and objectives. This new Community is committed to promoting the principles of clinical pharmacology within pediatric and maternal healthcare teams, educating healthcare professionals and the public and aligning US practices with global pediatric and maternal clinical pharmacology agendas. Through collaborative research, educational initiatives and public outreach, the Community seeks to enhance understanding and optimize drug therapies for these populations. Open to professionals who are ACCP members across academia, industry, clinical practice and regulatory agenciesincluding MDs, PharmDs, PhDs and Students or Traineesthe Community aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Members will have opportunities to develop and implement impactful initiatives such as webinars, educational proposals and white papers. Regular meetings will be held to facilitate knowledge sharing, research collaboration and the development of resources to support both professionals and the public. By launching the Pediatric & Maternal Clinical Pharmacology Community, ACCP reaffirms its commitment to advancing the field of clinical pharmacology and becoming a trusted voice in the global community. For more information or to join this groundbreaking initiative, please visit our webpage . Drs. Natella Rakhmanina and Jeremiah Momper shared, "We are thrilled to support the newly launched Pediatric & Maternal Clinical Pharmacology Community at ACCP. Significant advancements in the development and dosing of medications for newborns, infants, children and pregnant and lactating women have been achieved in recent years. However, multiple gaps remain which limit our ability to effectively address health, growth and developmental needs in these complex patient populations. Bringing together researchers and the broader community interested in advancing the agenda for pediatric and maternal clinical pharmacology will allow us to strengthen networks and collaborations. We hope this initiative will draw interest among ACCP members and beyond and will link us closer to the populations we serve." About ACCP ACCP is a non-profit association providing accredited Continuing Education, publications and career-enhancing opportunities to clinical pharmacology healthcare professionals. SOURCE American College of Clinical Pharmacology THE MIDLAND HOTEL, Chicago, a Tribute Portfolio blends vintage elegance with modern charm to create a truly unique Chicago boutique experience. CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pyramid Global Hospitality and Tribute Portfolio, part of Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio of more than 30 extraordinary hotel brands, announced the opening of THE MIDLAND HOTEL, Chicago, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel today. Formerly the W Chicago City Center, this refreshed Chicago Loop hotel is embarking on an exciting two-phase reimagination, Tribute Portfolio Debuts in the Chicago Loop with the Opening of THE MIDLAND HOTEL, Chicago Post this The Midland Social Club Owned by Park Hotels & Resorts and managed by Pyramid Global Hospitality, The Midland Hotel is perfectly positioned in the heart of the vibrant Chicago Loop. Steps from iconic landmarks like Millennium Park, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Theatre, it's the ideal base for exploring the city's energy and history. Guests can also enjoy breathtaking views from the Willis Tower Skydeck or unwind along the Chicago Riverwalk, making every stay an unforgettable Chicago adventure. "We are excited to collaborate with Pyramid Global on this exceptional opportunity to reposition this Chicago landmark, which holds strong appeal for both business and leisure travelers," said Thomas J. Baltimore Jr., Chairman and CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts. Revitalization: A Vision in Two Phases The Midland Hotel is undergoing a thoughtfully planned two-phase revitalization, blending its historic roots with a modern vision. Originally built in 1929 as a social club for Chicago's business elite that later evolved into "Chicago's Friendliest Hotel," the first phase focuses on revitalizing public spaces while preserving the timeless Beaux-Arts charm that has defined its legacy. This includes a reimagined lobby and arrival experience designed to celebrate its history as a place for connection and inspiration, while embracing the needs of today's guests. The second phase will transform the hotel's 403 guest rooms and suites into tranquil retreats, featuring plush bedding, skyline views, and a contemporary sophistication that nods to the hotel's storied past. Enhancements to public spaces and the signature restaurant will infuse modern vibrancy, while the 12,589 square feet of versatile meeting and event space will be upgraded to elevate the standard for gatherings in Chicago's Loop. Culinary Experiences At the hotel's signature Midland Social Club & MSC Bar, guests and locals can savor regionally inspired dishes, creative cocktails, and a vibrant social atmosphere. Celebrating Chicago's storied culinary legacy, these dining experiences encourage genuine connections and communal enjoyment, offering an exciting new destination on the city's culinary map. Book Your Stay at The Midland Hotel As part of Marriott Bonvoy's renowned Tribute Portfolio, The Midland Hotel invites Marriott Bonvoy members to earn and redeem points during their stay. With the Marriott Bonvoy app, guests can enjoy contactless check-in, a mobile key, and other digital conveniences that elevate their travel experience. To mark its opening, The Midland Hotel presents a special introductory rate of 15% off for stays through April 30, 2025 for guests to experience Chicago's finest boutique hotel in the Loop. For more information or to follow the hotel's journey, visit or connect with @themidlandchicago on social media. About Pyramid Global Hospitality Pyramid Global Hospitality, headquartered in Boston, MA, is a leading hotel and resort management company delivering exceptional guest experiences and operational excellence. With a diverse portfolio of over 230 properties worldwide, Pyramid's expertise in innovation and hospitality has set industry standards. About Park Hotels & Resorts Park is one of the largest publicly traded lodging REIT with a diverse portfolio of iconic and market-leading hotels and resorts with significant underlying real estate value. Park's portfolio currently consists of 40 premium-branded hotels and resorts with approximately 25,000 rooms located in prime city center and resort locations. Visit www.pkhotelsandresorts.com for more information. About Tribute Portfolio Tribute Portfolio is a growing global family of characterful, independent hotels drawn together by their passion for captivating design and their drive to create vibrant social scenes for guests and locals alike. With over 125 hotels in nearly 30 countries and territories around the world, Tribute Portfolio has struck a chord with those who seek out independent experiences and crave a connection with the community when traveling. From boutique resorts like Ermita in Cartagena and urban hotels such as The Vagabond Club in Singapore; to hotels in indie-spirited locales like Bellyard in Atlanta and Hotel Riomar in Ibiza, each Tribute Portfolio hotel celebrates its individuality, offering travelers a fresh, often colorful, perspective. For more information, please visit www.tributeportfolio.com and stay connected on Instagram, X, and Facebook. Tribute Portfolio is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com. Media Contact: Andi Needham Regional Director of Sales & Marketing Pyramid Global Hospitality [email protected] (216) 410-0280 SOURCE Pyramid Global Hospitality DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Ultrasound Market, The global ultrasound market, valued at US$8.65 billion in 2023, is forecasted to grow at a robust CAGR of 6.8%, reaching US$9.32 billion in 2024 and an impressive US$13.87 billion by 2030. The ultrasound market is experiencing significant growth due to several key factors. One major driver is the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and musculoskeletal disorders, which require advanced diagnostic tools. Additionally, there is increasing demand for non-invasive, real-time imaging techniques and a growing emphasis on the early detection of medical conditions, both of which further propel the market. Technological advancements, including the integration of artificial intelligence, 3D and 4D imaging, and the development of portable ultrasound devices, have enhanced the versatility and accessibility of ultrasound technology. As a result, it is becoming more widely utilized in healthcare institutions. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=467 Browse in-depth TOC on "Ultrasound Market" 478 - Tables 57 - Figures 419 - Pages By display, Color ultrasound segment to command the highest growth rate during the study period. Color ultrasound shows the maximum growth rate in the market for ultrasound as it can easily produce high-resolution, real-time images to improve diagnostic efficacy for diverse applications. As the equipment can be fitted with Doppler technology, thus creating possible images of blood dynamics and other tissue movements and conditions within blood vessels, these ultrasound apparatuses are one of the most important in diagnosis cases related to cardiovascular disorder diagnosis and monitoring pregnancy in obstetrics and examining vascular disease. Increased rates of chronic diseases, particularly heart disease and diabetes that may have complications of the vessels, create the demand for color ultrasound machines. By Application Vascular applications account for highest CAGR in the Ultrasound Market in 2023. Vascular applications account for highest CAGR in 2023. With vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, deep vein thrombosis, and peripheral artery disease increasingly diagnosed, applications for the use of ultrasound have recorded the highest growth rate in this market. Ultrasound presents a non-invasive method to evaluate blood flow in patients, detect blockages and view conditions within vessels in real time; it is an essential diagnostic tool in vascular diagnostics, being cost-effective and very precise. Technological development, such as 3D/4D imaging and Doppler ultrasound, has increased the accuracy and ability of vascular imaging that makes it increasingly popular among clinicians. Furthermore, increased awareness about vascular health due to an aging population combined with the necessity of making an early diagnosis has played a crucial role in enhancing the growth of ultrasound-based vascular applications. By geography, Europe holds the largest market share in the ultrasound business for several key reasons. Strong regulation in Europe ensures that the standards for medical devices are very high and, thus, encourages trust in ultrasound technology. The second factor is that the region focuses much on innovation and research in medical imaging with significant investments in healthcare R&D. It encourages advanced ultrasound technologies. Thirdly, the massive availability of trained healthcare professionals in Europe who can use ultrasound for diagnostics will ensure effective adoption and usage. In addition to this, the demand for portable, point-of-care ultrasound devices for emergency and rural areas also is being fostered in Europe, which is thereby extending the demand for the product. Finally, the growing awareness of the benefits of ultrasound use, such as non-invasive in nature and cost-effective among health care professionals and patients, accelerates its spread throughout the region. Request Sample Pages : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=467 As of 2023, prominent players in the Ultrasound market are Philips Healthcare (Netherlands), GE Healthcare (US), Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Japan), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (Japan), among others. GE Healthcare (US): GE Healthcare is a leader in medical technology, diagnostics, and digital solutions with a wide range in their ultrasound segment portfolio. Their portfolio ranges of ultrasounds include advanced systems specifically tailored for applications like cardiology, radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, musculoskeletal imaging, and point-of-care diagnostics, and so on.. Its state-of-the-art features also include AI-assisted imaging and high-definition resolution as well as portable designs for improvement in diagnostic accuracy and access. Within these areas, such as in women's health with the Voluson series, general imaging with the LOGIQ series, versatile handhelds like the Vscan Air complete the comprehensive offering from the company to satisfy all clinician needs in any healthcare setting. Philips Healthcare (Netherlands): Philips Healthcare, represents the most comprehensive provider in health technology solutions. From improving patient care to health results, Philips delivers innovation throughout its product offerings. Its array of products ranges from medical imaging systems to patient care, connected care, as well as precision diagnosis systems. Under ultrasound, its solutions have specialties related to cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, general imaging, and point-of-care applications. Among those, the EPIQ and Affiniti series include AI-driven enhancements with good image quality, ergonomic design, and empower clinicians to carry out accurate and efficient diagnostics. Portable solutions, such as the Lumify, can provide the versatility and accessibility of ultrasound capabilities in diverse healthcare settings from hospitals to remote ones. Mindray Medical International Limited (China): Mindray is a global company in the medical device and solutions, founded in 1991, with four product categories: In-Vitro Diagnostics, Patient Monitoring and Life Support, Veterinary and Medical Imaging System.Mindray serves healthcare institutions around the world with a comprehensive range of high-quality, cost-effective products, emphasizing research and development on staying at the forefront in medical technology. With R&D centers and subsidiaries in a number of countries, Mindray is dedicated to raising healthcare accessibility and remains one of the trusted partners within the medical community. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Medical Equipment Maintenance Market Diagnostic Imaging Services Market Veterinary Ultrasound Market Electrosurgery Market Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments Market Get access to the latest updates on Ultrasound Companies and Ultrasound Market Size About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Verdagy chosen because of its leading performance, LCOH and design that scales cost-effectively to gigawatt-scale projects MOSS LANDING, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Verdagy, a leading green hydrogen electrolysis company, announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Petron Scientech, a company with over thirty-five years of experience in renewable sustainable chemical and biofuel process technologies. Petron will use 320 MW of Verdagy's eDynamic electrolyzers to produce over 45 kilo tons per annum (KTA) of green hydrogen for integration into its first biorefinery project for production of SAF, renewable diesel and e-Methanol, resulting in a CO2e reduction of 500 KTA or over 15 megatons by green hydrogen alone and combined with biorefinery resulting in reduction of 2 megatons/year or over 60 megatons of CO2e through the project lifetime. "Petron is developing several sustainability focused, low carbon intensity score, biorefineries reducing millions of tons of carbon emissions compared to fossil feed stock-based fuels, chemicals and plastics. The company is engaged with leading airlines for offtake of SAF made using Petron's ethanol and bio-ethylene technologies and with shipping companies for offtake of e-Methanol, produced using green hydrogen. We were seeking a green hydrogen and oxygen solution partner that integrates well with our biorefineries/renewable chemicals, has leading performance and the technology expertise to scale to multiple GWs in a capital efficient manner. Verdagy fits the bill perfectly, and we are pleased and look forward to collaborating with the company on several projects globally," said Petron Scientech's CEO Yogi Sarin. "We're excited to collaborate with Petron to grow the SAF and biofuels markets. Verdagy's mission is to provide green hydrogen at fossil parity costs, without subsidies, within five years, to drive mass adoption and to meaningfully lower carbon emissions. Our electrolyzers pair seamlessly in real-time with renewable intermittent energy sources, and our industry-leading efficiency and operating range maximize asset utilization, leading to the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) in the world today," said Verdagy's CEO Marty Neese. The two companies are collaborating on several biorefinery projects to produce SAF, e-Methanol and bio-chemicals and polymers. Verdagy opened its 1 GW electrolyzer factory in Silicon Valley in 2024 where the electrolyzers will be manufactured. About Verdagy Verdagy manufactures Dynamic AWE electrolyzers that provide the lowest LCOH and highest asset utilization by integrating seamlessly with renewable energy sources, enabling higher hydrogen production, and the smallest footprints through high current densities and market-leading efficiencies. In addition to its Silicon Valley factory, Verdagy operates its hydrogen production plant and R&D facilities in Moss Landing, California where it continues to advance its cutting-edge technologies. www.verdagy.com About Petron Scientech Petron specializes in setting up Cellulosic biomass and non-edible grain processing biorefinery projects to produce ethanol, bio-ethylene, bio-chemicals (ethylene oxide / mono ethylene glycol, Methanol), polymers, and various biofuel with co-products projects worldwide. Petron, along with its affiliates and partners brings technology experience in production and full execution of biorefinery projects. Petron with very low carbon intensity ethylene production technology compared to fossil feed stock Ethylene, commands 90% of the global bio-ethylene technology market which is exceptionally low Capex and Opex option compared to fossil feed stock-based Ethylene and is a base material for SAF and global chemicals and polymer industry. www.petronscientech.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2603416/Verdagy_Logo.jpg Photo: Press service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan DAVOS, Switzerland, January 22. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, on January 22 in Davos at the latters request, Trend reports. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed political, economic, and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. They also exchanged views on cooperation in the energy sector and regional security issues. NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vidrio Financial ("Vidrio"), a provider of integrated software solutions and managed data services for global allocators in alternatives, today announced an expansion to their relationship with Prime Quadrant, a premier global advisory and consulting firm for Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) families. The current Prime Quadrant relationship includes supporting portfolio management, investment valuation, and investment monitoring processes for Prime Quadrant's Access Fund vehicles. Today, under the newly expanded relationship with Prime Quadrant, in addition to the previous integration with Addepar, Vidrio is expanding to integrate with iCapital and Apex Group to cover Prime Quadrant's full range of investment vehicles, including hedge funds and private market fund of funds (consisting of real assets, venture capital, private equity, and private credit). This added integration will further Prime Quadrant's use of Vidrio's integrated software solution for transaction management and execution, performance and valuation, and Vidrio's suite of enhanced hedge fund and private market portfolio monitoring analytics. "Vidrio Financial is thrilled to expand our partnership with Prime Quadrant, continuing to provide an integrated platform solution to meet their complex alternative investing and trade execution requirements. Vidrio continues to prove, through flexible enhancements, that we are a premier partner for our clients who are integrating data providers to actively invest in alternatives across hedge funds and private market vehicles," said Federico De Giorgis, President, Vidrio Financial. "We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Vidrio, as their innovative platform will enhance our ability to provide sophisticated investment strategies and solutions for our client families. This expanded partnership allows us to further optimize our alternative investment portfolio management, ensuring that we continue to deliver exceptional products to our client families in a rapidly evolving market," said Alex Da Costa, Chief Investment Strategist, Prime Quadrant. Vidrio Financial Vidrio Financial ( www.vidrio.com ) provides managed data services and portfolio management software to allocators. Our alternative investment solution empowers investors to take control of their investments. Prime Quadrant Prime Quadrant, recognized as one of the Best Places to Work, proudly serves over 200 affluent families across North America, consulting on assets exceeding USD 18 billion. Our mission is to empower families for the future, addressing their comprehensive financial, social, and human capital needs. Media Inquiries: Craig Allen, Managing Principal Allen & Associates Communications [email protected] SOURCE Vidrio Financial NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global virtual cards market size is estimated to grow by USD 428.6 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17.1% during the forecast period. Focus on high customer satisfaction is driving market growth, with a trend towards emergence of nfc-based payment technology. However, regulations on contactless payment transactions poses a challenge. Key market players include Adyen NV, American Express Co., BTRS Holdings Inc., Caxton FX Ltd., Citigroup Inc., Edenred SE, Green Dot Corp., HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase and Co., Marqeta Inc., Mastercard Inc., Paysafe Ltd., Stripe Inc., Travelex International Ltd., U.S. Bancorp, Visa Inc., Walmart Inc., Western Union Holdings Inc., WEX Inc., and Wise Payments Ltd.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Virtual Cards Market 2025-2029 Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Virtual Cards Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2024 Historic period 2019 - 2023 Forecast period 2025-2029 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17.1% Market growth 2025-2029 USD 428.6 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 14.6 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 29% Key countries US, China, Germany, Canada, and Japan Key companies profiled Adyen NV, American Express Co., BTRS Holdings Inc., Caxton FX Ltd., Citigroup Inc., Edenred SE, Green Dot Corp., HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase and Co., Marqeta Inc., Mastercard Inc., Paysafe Ltd., Stripe Inc., Travelex International Ltd., U.S. Bancorp, Visa Inc., Walmart Inc., Western Union Holdings Inc., WEX Inc., and Wise Payments Ltd. Market Driver NFC (Near Field Communication) technology enables data exchange between devices within a short range, typically a few centimeters. NFC chips are required in both devices for this technology to function. One-way communication involves a reader or powered device, such as a phone or credit card terminal, reading and writing data on the NFC chip. Two-way communication allows both devices to read and write data. Many retailers, including Target, Macy's, and Walgreens, use NFC-based contactless pay terminals for mobile payments. In 2021, over 40% of POS terminals installed globally were NFC-ready. Countries like the US, UK, China, Canada, Brazil, and India have high adoption rates for NFC-based contactless payments. The increasing demand for cashless transactions is driving the growth of the global NFC-based POS terminals market. Verifone's VX 520 countertop POS terminal is an example of an NFC-enabled device. The market is expected to grow due to the rise in contactless payment usage. The Virtual Cards market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing trend of electronic payment systems and online purchases. Cutting-edge features such as touchless payments and biometrics are driving the adoption of virtual cards. With the rise of virtual banks and 5G/4G technology, the use of virtual cards for electronic transactions is becoming more common. However, concerns around data leakage and e-commerce fraud persist, making security a top priority. Millennials and fintech firms are leading the digital transformation in the payment technology industry. The market is also seeing strategic alliances between digital wallets and virtual card providers. The Credit and Debit card segments, as well as the Business use segment, are major contributors to the market. Virtual Card systems are also gaining traction in the Consumer use segment. Incorrect labels and low-quality products are challenges for the market. The MasterCard Payment Index and QR code are other trends shaping the market. Tokenization and contactless payment solutions are expected to further boost growth. Digital currencies are also an emerging trend. Overall, the Virtual Cards market is poised for growth in the B2B transactions space. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Market Challenges Regulations play a significant role in shaping the virtual cards market, particularly in contactless payment transactions. In the European Union, the Revised Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ensure security, privacy, and reliability in digital transactions. The PCI DSS in the US outlines security requirements for handling cardholder information. Regulations often set a limit on single contactless transactions, such as HDFC Bank's USD127 daily cap and ICICI Bank's USD254 daily limit. These regulations may negatively impact the adoption of virtual cards and, consequently, the growth of the market. daily cap and ICICI Bank's daily limit. These regulations may negatively impact the adoption of virtual cards and, consequently, the growth of the market. The Virtual Cards market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing trend of electronic payments and online purchases. With the rise of virtual banks and digital payment systems, consumers and businesses are embracing touchless payments and digital transactions. However, challenges persist, such as data leakage, e-commerce fraud , and incorrect labels on virtual cards. Cutting-edge features like biometrics, tokenization, and QR codes are being adopted to enhance security and user experience. Venture-capital firms and fintech companies are investing heavily in this space, driven by millennials' preference for digital wallets and 5G/4G technology. The market includes various segments like credit card, debit card, business use, and consumer use. MasterCard Payment Index indicates a positive shift towards digital transactions. Despite these advancements, challenges like ACH payments, low-quality products, and strategic alliances remain. Virtual cards offer convenience, but security remains a top priority. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! Segment Overview This virtual cards market report extensively covers market segmentation by Product 1.1 B2B virtual cards 1.2 B2C remote payment virtual cards 1.3 B2C POS virtual cards Service 2.1 Business use 2.2 Consumer use Geography 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 APAC 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 B2B virtual cards- The B2B virtual cards segment led the global virtual cards market in 2023, with significant value and size. This dominance is attributed to the increasing adoption of real-time digital disbursements on mobile platforms due to the widespread internet penetration. Major contributors to market growth include banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), e-commerce, healthcare and life sciences, education, utilities, retail, and other industries. Vendors integrate near-field communication (NFC) chips into devices for contactless payments and applications. Virtual cards offer opportunities for suppliers to generate and track leads, fostering relationships with business clients. Innovations, such as partnerships between OPay and MasterCard, and Mastercard's collaboration with Taulia, introduce advanced features for cash flow optimization and working capital management, fueling B2B virtual cards' demand and expanding the global virtual cards market. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Research Analysis The Virtual Cards market is experiencing exponential growth as digital transactions continue to dominate the economic landscape. The MasterCard Payment Index reveals that contactless payment solutions, QR codes, and biometrics are driving this shift. Digital currencies are also making waves, offering users more convenience and security. Virtual Card systems, a type of electronic payment system, are becoming increasingly popular for online purchases. These cards offer cutting-edge features like tokenization and user-friendly interfaces. However, with the rise of virtual transactions comes the threat of fraud. Data leakage and e-commerce fraud are major concerns for consumers and businesses alike. Virtual banks and fintech firms are addressing these issues with advanced security measures and innovative solutions. ACH payments are another area of focus, offering a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional payment methods. Despite these advancements, it's crucial to avoid incorrect labels and low-quality products in the market. Market Research Overview The Virtual Cards market is experiencing exponential growth due to the increasing trend of digital transactions. The MasterCard Payment Index indicates a significant shift towards electronic payment systems, with virtual cards becoming increasingly popular. Biometrics, digital currencies, QR codes, and tokenization are key features of virtual cards, enhancing user experience and security. However, concerns around fraud, particularly in contactless payment solutions, remain a challenge. The credit card and debit card segments are major contributors to the market, with business use and consumer use segments also showing strong growth. Virtual banks and fintech firms are driving innovation with cutting-edge features, while venture-capital firms invest heavily in this space. Millennials, driven by smartphones and 5G/4G technology, are leading the digital transformation. However, issues around data leakage, e-commerce fraud, and incorrect labels persist, requiring strategic alliances and partnerships to address these challenges. ACH payments and B2B transactions are also expected to fuel market growth. Despite the potential risks, the benefits of virtual cards, including touchless payments and convenience, far outweigh the challenges. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Product B2B Virtual Cards B2C Remote Payment Virtual Cards B2C POS Virtual Cards Service Business Use Consumer Use Geography North America Europe APAC South America Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio New Yorkbased company set to expand facility, advance production methods to meet growing customer demand for its breakthrough vermicomposting products AVON, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Worm Power, the worldwide leader in vermicompost products, announced today that the company has been selected to receive $900,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant, which is part of the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), will provide Worm Power the funds needed to expedite expansion plans at the company's ten-acre vermicomposting fertilizer facility in Avon, N.Y., as well as optimize manufacturing processes to enhance production levels and global product availability. "We're already an established global leader in this space, so we're ready to take on the next phase of Worm Power. There is no denying there is an incredibly high demand for all-natural, organic fertilizers and biostimulants," said Managing CEO, Patrick Burke. "Whether growers are looking to improve food production, increase crop nutrient intake or reduce overall carbon footprint, customers are coming to us because they hear we have an innovative, yet proven solution. Once we increase our production potentially tenfold we'll be able to increase access to our products, meet that customer demand and provide a vital pathway to more sustainable farming practices." The Worm Power team is set to increase production of its signature product, vermicompost, a soil additive that is produced by leveraging the digestive power of earthworms. The company's product, which is considered an industry disruptor for both its production method and results, is helping to improve crop yield and plant performance. The solution has been validated both in the field and in academia, garnering significant interest from investors and a broad spectrum of customers from commercial agriculture, turf management and cannabis and other high-value horticulture crops, as well as hobby farmers. Worm Power boasts the largest process-controlled vermicompost operation in North America, utilizing tens of millions red wigglers on a daily basis throughout its expansive property. With the funding now secured, Worm Power will make a series of facility upgrades including purchasing and modernizing its equipment, constructing additional product and storage buildings, and enhancing site access at the farm to improve on-site loading and shipping processes. The total project is estimated to cost more than $1.8 million and will help Worm Power bring its product to market at an accelerated pace. Burke adds, "Our forward-thinking ownership group is fully committed to the ongoing investment in Worm Power, but with the help of the USDA's grant, we'll be potentially hitting production goals 18 months ahead of schedule. On top of that, we're working hand-in-hand with a family-owned dairy. When our production increases to those higher levels, we're simulatenously changing the economic fortune of that family farm, which we all know family farms play such a critical role in the economy." The FPEP grants, authorized by the CCC Charter Act and administered by USDA's Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS), were made available by the Biden-Harris administration to help increase American-made fertilizer production, spur competition and combat price hikes affecting U.S. farmers. The program aims to support independent suppliers such as Worm Power, which make sustainable, farmer-focused and innovative fertilizer products. Worm Power has committed to match the USDA's grant by the required 40 percent. To learn more about Worm Power, visit www.wormpower.net. About Worm Power Since 2003, Worm Power has been the world leader in organic vermicompost products, helping growers improve crop yield and plant performance through increased root development and plant nutrient uptake. For more information about Worm Power's innovative products visit www.wormpower.net. Media Contact: Jenny LePore PR Director, The Martin Group [email protected] 469-552-4039 SOURCE Worm Power WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yevhenii Berezovskyi, financial advisor for Sends, a London-based financial services provider, took part in the prestigious Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast, held on January 25, 2025, at the iconic Postal Pavilion in the Waldorf Astoria. This event brought together influential leaders from various sectors, united in a shared commitment to pray for the future of the nation and the leadership to come. Yevhenii Berezovskyi (on the left) The breakfast, hosted by Rev. Merrie Turner, was an inspiring occasion featuring a dynamic program of music, prayer, and reflections. Renowned figures such as Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, Dr. Mario Bramnick, Dr. Mike Kingsley, Revivalist Rebecca Macchi, and Ben Bergquam graced the stage, offering their voices in a powerful call for unity and prayer. The event emphasized the importance of collaboration and spiritual reflection in shaping the direction of the nation, with a specific focus on the Office of the Presidency. Yevhenii Berezovskyi, who has been a financial advisor with Sends since 2021, shared his thoughts on the significance of the event: "Participating in this prayer breakfast was a profound moment for me. It was an opportunity to join with leaders from across the world in prayer and reflection, asking for wisdom for our incoming leadership. At Sends, we believe in fostering partnerships that promote positive change, and I was honored to represent our organization at this remarkable event." Sends, headquartered in London, has established itself as a leading provider of electronic payment solutions, holding FCA authorization as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI). Since its inception, Sends has offered a broad range of payment services through its trade name, Smartflow Payments Limited, empowering businesses and individuals with secure and efficient financial tools. In addition to attending the prayer breakfast, Berezovskyi also participated in a rally celebrating President Trump's victory. During this rally, the president emphasized his key policy priorities, including: Economic Growth: Enacting tax cuts, deregulation, and supporting small businesses to stimulate job creation and economic prosperity. Enacting tax cuts, deregulation, and supporting small businesses to stimulate job creation and economic prosperity. Border Security: Implementing stronger measures to protect American sovereignty and ensure community safety. Implementing stronger measures to protect American sovereignty and ensure community safety. Energy Independence: Promoting domestic energy production across oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors to reduce dependence on foreign sources. This gathering was not only a moment for prayer but also for reflection on the critical issues that shape the future of the United States. SOURCE Sends Partnership Introduces the Disclosure of Carbon Emissions Data for Tokens, Supporting Industry-Wide ESG Efforts and Empowering Informed Decision-Making LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- YouHodler , a Swiss and EU-based Web3 fintech platform, proudly joins the MiCA Crypto Alliance ("the Alliance"), an initiative established by the DLT Science Foundation and supported by Exponential Science to advance compliance with the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. This partnership underscores YouHodler's commitment to promoting sustainability, transparency, and standardization within the crypto industry. YouHodler will join forces with the Alliance and its membersincluding L1/L2 protocols and exchangesto integrate carbon emissions data for all the tokens listed on its exchange, enabling customers to make informed decisions based on environmental impact. This step aligns with MiCA's emphasis on sustainability indicators and reflects YouHodler's dedication to environmental responsibility. "We're thrilled to join the MiCA Crypto Alliance and contribute to its mission of promoting sustainability, collaboration and compliance within the crypto industry," said Ilya Volkov, CEO and co-founder of YouHodler. "This partnership and our collaboration with the Alliance's other members ensure that we're not just meeting MiCA standards, but also leading the entire industry in setting practical benchmarks for transparency and responsible growth." YouHodler has long been advocating for responsible environmental practices in crypto as part of its ESG initiatives . The company's new sustainability comparison table, developed together with the Alliance, will further empower customers with clear, actionable data on the carbon footprint of their token portfolios. Juan Ignacio Ibanez, General Secretary of the MiCA Crypto Alliance, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "YouHodler's membership amplifies the MiCA Crypto Alliance's mission to drive clarity, fairness, and sustainability throughout the crypto industry. As facilitators and coordinators between CASPs and exchanges on one side, and crypto projects on another, we're leading all parties in publishing MiCA-compliant whitepapers with our ESG data, which is the largest database currently out in the industry. We're excited to join forces to set new benchmarks in responsible industry practices." A milestone in the EU's regulatory landscape, the MiCA framework protects consumers and investors with comprehensive requirements for crypto asset providers. However, its current version still lacks uniformity in areas such as sustainability reporting. The Alliance aims to address this challenge by fostering collaboration among its members to streamline compliance, reduce costs, and maintain high industry standards. About the MiCA Crypto Alliance The MiCA Crypto Alliance, backed by the DLT Science Foundation and Exponential Science, is a strategic initiative aimed at supporting the industry's transition to compliance with MiCA. Bringing together leading blockchain projects such as Ripple, Hedera and Aptos Foundation, the alliance seeks to streamline compliance and enhance regulatory adherence across the crypto market. This alliance focuses on standardizing compliance efforts among its members, offering exclusive resources like sustainability indicators and white paper elaboration tools tailored to meet MiCA requirements. By leveraging the collective expertise of its members, the MiCA Crypto Alliance will help reduce the complexities and costs associated with compliance, while setting a high standard for transparency, market integrity, and consumer protection. For more details on joining the MiCA Crypto Alliance, visit www.micacryptoalliance.com . For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] . About YouHodler YouHodler is a Swiss and EU-based Web3 platform providing innovative fintech solutions that bridge fiat and crypto financial services with simplicity, efficiency, and transparency. Its comprehensive suite of offerings includes crypto-backed loans, crypto reward accounts, and universal currency exchange. While user-friendly and intuitive for everyday consumers, the full-service platform is also progressive enough to conduct advanced strategic trading in the crypto market. SHANGHAI, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987, "Yum China" or the "Company") today announced, in compliance with the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "HKEX") which require advance notice of board meetings at which a dividend is expected to be declared, that its board of directors (the "Board") will consider the declaration and payment of a quarterly dividend (the "Dividend"). If the Board decides to proceed, the declaration will be adopted by Board resolution on or around February 6, 2025 (Beijing/Hong Kong Time) and will be promptly disclosed by the Company. The Company makes available through the Investor Relations section of its internet website at http://ir.yumchina.com its filings with the HKEX as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such materials with the HKEX. These filings may also be obtained by visiting the HKEX's website at http://www.hkex.com.hk . As no Board resolution in relation to the Dividend has been adopted as of the date of this press release, there is no assurance that the Dividend will be declared. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as "expect," "expectation," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "plan," "estimate," "target," "predict," "project," "likely," "will," "continue," "should," "forecast," "outlook" or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. Numerous factors could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results. About Yum China Holdings, Inc. Yum China is the largest restaurant company in China with a mission to make every life taste beautiful. The Company has approximately 400,000 employees and operates over 15,000 restaurants under six brands across around 2,200 cities in China. KFC and Pizza Hut are the leading brands in the quick-service and casual dining restaurant spaces in China, respectively. In addition, Yum China has partnered with Lavazza to develop the Lavazza coffee concept in China. Little Sheep and Huang Ji Huang specialize in Chinese cuisine. Taco Bell offers innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum China has a world-class, digitalized supply chain which includes an extensive network of logistics centers nationwide and an in-house supply chain management system. Its strong digital capabilities and loyalty program enable the Company to reach customers faster and serve them better. Yum China is a Fortune 500 company with the vision to be the world's most innovative pioneer in the restaurant industry. For more information, please visit http://ir.yumchina.com. Investor Relations Contact Tel: +86 21 2407 7556 E-mail: [email protected] Media Contact Tel: +86 21 2407 8288 / +852 2267 5807 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc. FONTANA, Calif., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ZM Trucks, North America's newest zero-emissions commercial truck brand, proudly announces the establishment of its first North American manufacturing plant in Fontana, California. This significant milestone also marks the relocation of the company's regional headquarters to the Fontana facility, solidifying its commitment to advancing sustainable transportation solutions in the United States. The newly constructed facility spans 9.67 acres with a 210,000-square-foot factory floor and is located about 49 miles from downtown Los Angeles. ZM Trucks Announces New Manufacturing Plant and Regional Headquarters in Fontana, CA at 10271 Almond Avenue. The manufacturing plant will serve as the cornerstone of ZO Motors' U.S. operations through its subsidiary, ZM Trucks, supporting the production of a diverse portfolio of zero-emission products. Initially, this will include electric commercial trucks, terminal tractors, and airport ground service equipment under the ZM Trucks brand. The state-of-the-art facility is expected to begin production in the first half of 2025. "Our new Fontana facility reflects ZO Motors' commitment to the U.S. market and sustainable innovation," said Joost de Vries, CEO of ZO Motors. "This expansion allows us to deliver zero-emission solutions that lower total cost of ownership and drive long-term value for our customers." ZO Motors has already announced its cutting-edge manufacturing plant in Cambodia, which will be instrumental in supplying the Asian Pacific markets. The addition of the Fontana plant underscores the company's strategic commitment to scaling its operations in regional markets and grow its global footprint. The new regional headquarters and manufacturing facility in Fontana are expected to create significant job opportunities in the region while reinforcing ZO Motors' mission to lead the transition to cleaner, more sustainable transportation solutions. For more information about ZO Motors and its ZM Truck commercial vehicle brand, please visit ZMTrucks.com. About ZO Motors ZO Motors is a global leader in zero-emission commercial vehicles, dedicated to delivering sustainable transportation solutions for industries including commercial vehicle, port and aviation ground logistics as well as transit and tourist transportation. With manufacturing facilities in Asia and North America, ZO Motors is at the forefront of innovation, combining cutting-edge technology with a commitment to reducing environmental impact. About ZM Trucks ZM Trucks, a subsidiary of ZO Motors, is a global leader in innovative new-energy commercial vehicles. Originating from Japan, the company specializes in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of intelligent new-energy commercial vehicles with powertrain choices that include Battery Electric, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric and to be announced Hydrogen ICE. ZM Trucks' commercial vehicles are entering the following new markets during 2024: North America, South America, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit ZMTrucks.com. SOURCE ZM Trucks Photo: Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The working group on inter-parliamentary ties between Azerbaijan and Oman is being established, Trend reports. This issue was included in the proposed amendment to the decision of the Azerbaijani Parliament "On the election of heads of working groups on inter-parliamentary relations of the Parliament of Azerbaijan". According to the draft, MP Sabina Salmanova is proposed to the post of the head of the working group on inter-parliamentary relations between Azerbaijan and Oman. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Seoul, Jan 20 : South Korea's police launched another attempt on Monday to search the Presidential Security Service and a presidential safe house as part of their investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. Investigators arrived at the presidential office in the central Seoul district of Yongsan, where the PSS is located, and the safe house in the Samcheong-dong neighbourhood to try to secure surveillance camera footage. The safe house is where Yoon met with the national and Seoul police chiefs to discuss his martial law plans three hours before he announced the decree on December 3. By securing surveillance camera footage from the safe house, the server for which is kept at the PSS office, police plan to identify the people who entered the premises before and after Yoon's declaration of martial law and what instructions they received. The raid comes a day after Yoon was placed under formal arrest on charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power and as senior PSS officials have either resigned or are under investigation in connection with the case. Previous attempts to search the locations largely failed due to resistance from the PSS, Yonhap news agency reported. Earlier in the day, Yoon Suk Yeol was moved to a solitary cell in the Seoul Detention Center's general wing after being formally arrested over the weekend, a correctional official said. Yoon was transferred to a 12-square-meter cell at the detention center in Uiwang, south of Seoul, on Sunday after the Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant for his formal arrest, according to Shin Yong-hae, commissioner general of the Korea Correctional Service. "(Yoon) was moved from a holding room for suspects to the general detention wing, and (I) received a report that he spent the night well," Shin told lawmakers during a session of the National Assembly's legislation and judiciary committee. According to Shin, Yoon's cell, which usually holds five or six people, is similar in size to those where past presidents have been detained. The official told lawmakers that Yoon cooperated with official procedures for his detention, such as taking a mug shot and undergoing a physical exam. He also noted that a personal correctional officer has been designated for Yoon's safety. Shin said his office is working with the police and the Presidential Security Service to ensure security amid concerns that Yoon's supporters might take drastic actions, such as attempting to free the detained president. Melbourne, Jan 20 : No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland swept into the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second time with a win over lucky loser Eva Lys of Germany on Monday. The Pole registered a 6-0, 6-1 win over the German in 59 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. Swiatek has dropped just 11 games in four matches so far in the tournament. This was her fourth successive straight-sets win for Swaitek in this tournament. In the first round, she registered a 6-3, 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova, followed by a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Rebecca Sramkova in the second round, and her third round win over Emma Raducanu was 6-1, 6-0. Since her WTA Tour debut, Swiatek has won 72 sets 6-0 a" a whopping 40 more than next-best Elise Mertens (32) in that timeframe. After win over Lys, her tally of bagels at the Australian Open moved to five. The five-time major champion remains in contention to reclaim the World No.1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka next Monday. Sabalenka will need to defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Tuesday's quarterfinal in order to stay ahead of Swiatek. If Swiatek also wins her quarterfinal, Sabalenka will need to reach the final. If the pair meet in the final, the winner will walk away with the World No.1 ranking. In the men's singles, American youngster Ben Shelton made his return to the Australian Open quarterfinals after French veteran Gael Monfils was forced to retire from the pairas fourth-round clash. The 22-year-old Shelton, who reached the last eight in Melbourne on his debut in 2023, led 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 1-0 after two hours, 56 minutes before Monfils called the match. Monfils, who became the oldest man since 1977 to win an ATP Tour title in Auckland earlier this month, was on an eight-match win streak, but the physical demands of his run began to take their toll in the third set when his movement was significantly hindered. Shelton, on the other hand, will look to go one further than his quarterfinal finish in 2023 when he faces Italy's Lorenzo Sonego for a spot in the semifinals. The Italian earlier overcame American qualifier Learner Tien 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals at a major for the first time. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Iran's Supreme Court has approved the execution of the individual responsible for attacking the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran, Iran's Judiciary spokesperson, Asghar Jahangir said at today's press conference in Tehran, Trend reports. He stated that the criminal case has been referred to court for further consideration. The court will invite the victims' families. If the victims demand the execution of the attacker, the case will be sent to the relevant authorities for enforcement, he added. To note, an armed attack took place at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran on January 27, 2023, at about 8:30 (GMT+4). The gunman turned out to be a man in his 50's, who drove up to the administrative building, armed with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle. During the attack, the embassys head of security, Orkhan Askerov, was killed while two others were injured. Jayapura : , Jan 20 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, reacting to the shocking incident of three laborers in Vijayapura district being brutally assaulted by their employer for returning late to work, stated that strict action would be taken against the wrongdoers. Speaking to media in Bengaluru on Monday, CM Siddaramaiah condemned the incident and assured action. Karnataka police have nabbed two individuals in connection with incident, including Khemu Rathod, owner of the brick factory and his relative, whose identity is yet to be confirmed. Vijayapura SP Laxman Nimbargi briefing the press on the matter said, "The video showing three laborers being brutally assaulted went viral in Vijayapura. A complaint was filed and police identified culprits immediately, arresting two individuals." "There are three other accused involved in the case who will also be arrested soon. The victims had gone to their native villages to celebrate the Sankranti festival. When they returned to work two days late, the owner, Khemu Rathod, and his relatives assaulted them. Strict legal action will be initiated against them," the SP added. The Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil, who hails from Vijayapura, also condemned the assault on the workers and assured action to arrest all the accused. "I am in touch with the SP and receiving updates on the case. The police have registered the complaint," he stated. "All three victims belong to the Dalit community. I have discussed the matter with the Deputy Commissioner as well. The accused, Khemu Rathod, had attempted to reach a compromise with the victims. However, no leniency will be shown, and stringent action will be taken to ensure justice," Minister Patil emphasized. The shocking incident of three laborers being brutally assaulted for returning late to work after festival celebrations came to light on Monday in Vijayapura district. A video showing the labourers being assaulted with iron pipes by three men went viral in the state on Monday, raising widespread concern. According to the police, the incident occurred at a brick factory near Star Chowk in the Gandhinagar locality on the outskirts of Vijayapura city. The victims have been identified as Sadashiva Madara, S. Babaladi, and Umesha Madara, who are from Chakkaliki village in the state's Bagalkot district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the owner of the brick factory, Khemu Rathod, had the labourers punished inhumanely for a trivial reason. Police sources revealed that the labourers had taken an advance payment from the accused owner, Khemu Rathod, after agreeing to work in his brick factory. They had gone to their native village to celebrate the Sankranti festival but returned two days late. The delay enraged Khemu Rathod, who verbally abused them first and questioned their being late. Despite the victims' assurances that they would complete the pending work, the accused became furious. He got all three labourers tied with ropes and then got them assaulted inhumanely. The video shows the three labourers with their hands and legs tied, made to sit with their legs stretched out. While one of the accused's associates holds a victim's hair and stands on their legs, another is seen beating the victim's feet with an iron pipe with full force. Hyderabad, Jan 20 : A 26-year-old student from Hyderabad was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on him in Washington DC. K. Ravi Tejaas family members received the shocking news on Monday. The student died on the spot when he was shot at a gas station. According to the North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS), the incident occurred hours before President Donald Trumpas inauguration for his second term. However, the details of the incident were immediately not known. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are currently under investigation. The authorities were probing the incident from all angles including hate crime. A resident of Green Hills Colony in Chaitanyapuri, Ravi Teja had moved to the United States in March 2022 to pursue a Masteras degree in business administration. After completing his studies, he had been searching for a job. The tragic incident left Ravi Tejaas family in deep shock. A pall of gloom descended on the house as relatives and friends poured in to offer their condolences. Ravi Tejaas father K. Chandramouli was inconsolable. The family has requested the Central and state governments to help in bringing the body home. Ravi Teja is the second youth from Telangana to be shot dead by assailants in the US in the last four months. On September 29, 2024, a youth from the Khammam district of Telangana was shot dead by miscreants at a gas station where he was working. Sai Teja Nukarapu (22) was shot at by the assailants at a gas station near Chicago. According to information received by Nukarapuas family, he was not on duty when the incident happened but was helping a friend who asked him to stay on for some time. Nukarapu completed his BBA in India and was pursuing MBA in the US. The deceased had gone to the US only four months ago and was doing a part-time job. New Delhi, Jan 20 : BJP leaders Manoj Tiwari, Ramesh Bidhuri, and Kapil Mishra launched sharp attacks on former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their alleged support for illegal migrants and infiltrators, following revelations about the nationality of the accused in the superstar Saif Ali Khan stabbing case. Manoj Tiwari alleged that Kejriwal has consistently supported infiltrators and illegal migrants, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, for political gains. "He even approached the Election Commission to safeguard their illegal votes. Now, in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, the accused has been identified as a Bangladeshi. These infiltrators commit heinous crimes, yet AAP supports them. BJP will expose and end AAP on February 5th," Tiwari stated. Echoing similar sentiments, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri accused the INDIA bloc and AAP of favouring illegal migrants. "Kejriwal must answer now that a Bangladeshi has committed such a heinous crime. The BJP will not tolerate this in the national Capital. Once we come to power, we will establish detention centres and take strict action against Rohingyas and other infiltrators," Bidhuri said. Kapil Mishra, the BJPas candidate from Karawal Nagar and a former AAP leader, criticised Kejriwal's silence on the matter. "Kejriwal tweeted about the attack on Saif Ali Khan but has gone silent after learning that the accused is a Bangladeshi. His vote bank is built on these illegal migrants," Mishra claimed. The controversy erupted after Mumbai Police confirmed the arrest of Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national who had illegally entered India. The accused was arrested in connection with the January 16 attack on Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai. While BJP leaders demanded answers from the party, earlier the AAPas chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar blamed the BJP, accusing the central government of failing to curb illegal infiltration in the last decade. She demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to Khan's family. New Delhi, Jan 20 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj on Monday launched a scathing attack on AAP national convenor and ex-CM Arvind Kejriwal over his alleged silence on the Bangladeshi accused in Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan stabbing case. Swarajas critique of AAP and its supremo came during the inauguration of BJPas election office in the Greater Kailash constituency for the upcoming Delhi elections. Speaking to the media, Swaraj remarked, "I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal why he has gone quiet now that it has been revealed the accused is Bangladeshi. Whenever the Election Commission verified and removed illegal Bangladeshi voters from the electoral rolls, AAP always opposed it." Earlier, the AAP and BJP got engaged in verbal duel over the arrest of Bangladeshi nation in Saif assault case. The issue of illegal Bangladeshis taking refuge in the capital has already seen the two parties engaging in onslaught against each other. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva accused the ruling party of harbouring illegal immigrants, saying "BJP has consistently warned about the security threat posed by Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis, not just to Delhi but to the entire country but Kejriwal and his team continues to shelters them." "Kejriwal, who vocally reacted on the day Saif Ali Khan was attacked, has gone silent upon learning that the attacker is a Bangladeshi citizen," Sachdeva said. Though top leadership refrained from giving a rejoinder, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar took to X to slam the Modi government over alleged infiltration of intruders into the country via its porous Bangladeshi borders. "PM Modi and Amit Shah must apologise to Saif Ali Khan and his family. It's because of their failures that Bangladeshi infiltrators have come to different parts of the country in past ten years," she wrote on X. Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, the 30-year-old Bangladeshi national was arrested for allegedly stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan during a failed robbery attempt at his residence. Mumbai, Jan 20 : Maharashtra's opposition slammed the MahaYuti government over its decision to stay the appointments of Girish Mahajan (BJP) and Aditi Tatkare (NCP) as the guardian ministers of Nashik and Raigad districts respectively following a strong objection raised by Shiv Sena. "The chaos and greed in the EVM sarkar. Late last night, a "stay" order was issued suddenly for the Guardian Ministries of Nashik and Raigad, while the Chief Minister is on a foreign tour. It is surprising to see the Chief Minister give in to the pressure tactics of greedy politicians, who are already ministers but also want guardian ministries as per their own whims. Despite having such strong numbers, the Chief Minister has given in to the 'Dadagiri' of the 'Gaddaar gang'. Imagine, their gang burnt tyres and blocked a highway, for an additional post for their gang leaders. This is how the current BJP government is running, being bullied by some," Shiv Sena UBT leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray wrote on X. He further claimed that while citizens in Beed and Parbhani are struggling for justice and the government turns a blind eye, greedy ministers are busy trying to grab more. "This is an insult to the two ministers from whom the responsibility has been snatched away. Should we take care of the district's development or own the district to feed the poor? This is the state of the MahaYuti government today, even after getting a huge majority. After 50 days, this government gave the district a Guardian Minister. Now, the government has the shame of changing the Guardian Minister overnight," he said. He added that the first Cabinet expansion, then the portfolio allocation, now there was a delay in giving the guardian minister responsibility and it was time to change the given guardian minister, this is for only one reason. "Who will get the big prize!? The development of the district and the people remained far away, the Mahayuti is struggling to develop itself first," said Aaditya while taking a swipe at the BJP-led MahaYuti government. On the other hand, former Maharashtra Leader of Opposition and a senior Congress legislator Vinay Wadettiwar taunted the government saying, whether the post of guardian minister is needed to take care district or to make fortunes. "This is the state of the MahaYuti government today even after getting a huge majority. After 50 days, this government appointed the District Guardian Ministers. Now, the government faces the shame of changing the Guardian Minister overnight! First the cabinet expansion, then the portfolio allocation, now there was a delay in giving the guardian minister responsibility and it was time to change the guardian ministers, this is for only one reason. Who will get the big prize? The development of the district and the people remained far away, the MahaYuti government's struggle is underway for its own development," claimed Wadettiwar. The opposition has reacted over the state government's move to stay the appointments of Nashik and Raigad district guardian ministers after Shiv Sena became furious and took up the matter with the chief leader and former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena minister Dadaji Bhuse was keen to become the Nashik district guardian minister while another minister Bharat Gogawale had never hidden his ambition to become the Raigad district guardian minister. Gogawale along with party legislator from Karjat Mahendra Thorwe had opposed giving the post of Raigad district guardian minister's post to NCP. Meanwhile, state BJP chief and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule downplayed the controversy saying that DCM Eknath Shinde is not upset. He, however, scoffed at media reports that he and water resources minister Girish Mahajan will go to meet Shinde at his native village Dare in Satara district. "After Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis returns from Davos, we will sit together and discuss the issue (Shiv Sena's claim over the post of Nashik and Raigad district guardian ministers)," he said. He further stated that the coordination committee comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is meeting regularly and holding discussions on various issues including further increasing the coordination among the ruling partners. Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan 22 : With the arrival of a large number of devotees from India and abroad continuing in the ongoing Mahakumbh 2025 in Sangam city Prayagraj, more than 9.24 crore devotees have taken the sacred bath ('Amrit Snan') in river Ganga during the religious and spiritual event that started on January 13 till 8 p.m. on Tuesday (January 21), according to latest data estimation by the Uttar Pradesh government. Meanwhile, around 43.18 lakh devotees visited the Mahakumbh Nagar on Tuesday (January 21). According to official data, till 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, more than 43.18 lakh devotees took a sacred bath ('Amrit Snan') in Mahakumbh. Apart from this, more than 10 lakh devotees performed 'Kalpavas'. A ritual steeped in ancient scriptures like the Brahma Purana and Padma Purana, the 'Kalpavas' is a sacred observance, a period of penance, and an opportunity to transcend the mundane Earlier in the Mahakumbh, former President Ramnath Kovind and famous poet Kumar Vishwas took a dip in the Ganga along with Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi at the Sangam Ghat. Apart from this, the country's top industrialist Gautam Adani served in the Bhandara being run for the devotees and then offered prayers in the Bade Hanuman Temple. Kumar Vishwas mesmerised everyone with his poem on the greatness of river (Maa) Ganga and said, "The rishis and saints bow to the feet of Lord Ram as a gift, our mother came to the acceptance of our people." He said that this event of Mahakumbh is a rare coincidence that has come after a long gap of 144 years, which will inspire India towards making it a 'Vishwa Guru' (world leader). On the other hand, Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty, expressing respect for her ancestors, has pledged to take the holy bath ('Amrit Snan') and offer prayers for three days. She said, "My maternal grandparents could not come here, so I am offering prayers on their behalf. It is a matter of pride and happiness for me." The Triveni Sangam remains the heart of the Maha Kumbh, where devotees from across the globe gather for a holy dip to cleanse their sins and seek spiritual blessings. Authorities anticipate an even larger influx of devotees on the auspicious day of Mauni Amavasya, scheduled for January 29. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been closely monitoring preparations for the upcoming Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya. His Cabinet is also set to hold an on-site meeting at the Kumbh Mela to discuss significant proposals for the state, followed by a holy dip at the Sangam. -- Syndicated from IANS Washington, Jan 22 : India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met the newly-appointed US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, who is a key Cabinet member of the Trump administration, in Washington D.C and said that "he is looking forward to working together on an active and outcome-oriented agenda". Before he met with US NSA Waltz on Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar met newly-elected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and also attended the maiden Quad ministerial of the new Trump administration along with his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the US. "Great to meet NSA @michaelgwaltz again this afternoon. Discussed strengthening our friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity. Looking forward to working together on an active and outcome oriented agenda," the EAM said on Tuesday on social media platform X after the meeting. EAM Jaishankar, 70, who is here at the invitation of the US government to attend the presidential inauguration, also had a meeting with the US National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz at the White House. EAM Jaishankar joined international and US leaders and tech titans at the inauguration of President Donald Trump at the Capitol, taking a prominent seat. The EAM, who came as India's Special Envoy, was given a place of honour, seated on the first seat on the first righthand row at the swearing-in ceremony on Monday (January 20). Earlier on December 28, 2024, EAM Jaishankar had met Trump's NSA Waltz and said that he was "looking forward" to working with him. Both EAM Jaishankar and Waltz had a wide-ranging conversation on the bilateral partnership between India and the US as well as current global issues. The EAM was on an official visit to the US from December 24-29. This was the first highest-level in-person meeting between the Indian government and the then-incoming Trump administration. "Delighted to meet" Waltz "this evening," EAM Jaishankar had posted on X on December 27, 2024. "Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him," he said.. 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 US President Trump. 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. 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. 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. Washington, Jan 22 : The Quad Foreign Ministers on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to "strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security" in a joint statement issued after the first meeting of the grouping in US President Donald Trump's second term. The meeting was also US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first diplomatic engagement reflecting perhaps the importance the grouping commands with the Trump administration, which, notably, had resurrected it from the dead in 2017 with a meeting of officials on the sidelines of ASEAN in Manila. The group was founded in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami but folded up in 2008 after Australia's withdrawal under pressure from China. Rubio met his Quad counterparts External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya at the US State Department just hours after being administered the oath of office by Vice President J.D. Vance. Rubio's first public engagement after being sworn in was an address to US State Department employees and then the Quad meeting. He met separately with his Quad partners after, starting with EAM Jaishankar. "We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Washington D.C. to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended," the Ministers said in the joint statement. "Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion." "We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India." That summit is also expected to be President Trump's first visit to India in his second term; his first was in 2020, during his first term. Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could, however, meet before. Washington, Jan 22 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that he was delighted to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office". EAM Jaishankar and Rubio met shortly after a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers, which was the first foreign policy engagement not only for Rubio but also for the Trump administration. Rubio also met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya shortly after. Both Australia and Japan are close treaty partners of the US -- Australia is a part of the Five Eyes, the closest intelligence-sharing arrangement in the democratic world, with Canada, Britain, and New Zealand. Japan has a security pact with the US. "Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assuming office as Secretary of State." "Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate." "Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues." "Look forward to working closely with him to advance our strategic cooperation." EAM Jaishankar also posted pictures of his meeting with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, his second. "Discussed strengthening our friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity. Looking forward to working together on an active and outcome oriented agenda," the EAM wrote further on X. The Ministers had this to say about the Quad meeting: "Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong & Takeshi Iwaya for their participation." "Significant that the Quad Foreign Ministerial Meeting took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states." "Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda, and intensifying our collaboration. The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good." New Delhi, Jan 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address through video-conferencing and give tips to the booth-level workers of the Delhi BJP on Wednesday, ahead of the February 5 Assembly polls in the national capital under the party's "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" programme. The national coordinator of the NaMo App and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kuljeet Singh Chahal said PM Modi will interact with the party's booth-level workers at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Under the "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" programme, party workers from 13,033 booths across all 256 wards in Delhi will listen to the Prime Minister's message via video call. Some of them will also get an opportunity to engage with PM Modi in a conversation, Chahal said. BJP's election in-charge for Delhi Baijayant Panda, co-incharge Alka Gurjar and Atul Garg, the party's Delhi unit President Virendra Sachdeva as well as all its MPs, MLAs and councillors from the national capital, among others, will attend the programme. "All the 70 candidates of the BJP and its allies, Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), fielded in the polls and members of the Prime Minister's Mann ki Baat broadcast team will also participate in the programme," Chahal said. The Prime Minister will guide the workers to highlight the public welfare schemes of the Central government to the public and appeal to them to vote for the BJP. PM Modi will also ask the party workers to amp up their attack against the ruling party and highlight its failures and scams it has been involved in including the money laundering linked excise policy scam. Under this programme, workers from nearly 13,033 booths across all 256 wards in Delhi will listen to the Prime Minister's message via video call, and many will also get an opportunity to engage in a conversation. PM Modi also shared a link on X and called for questions and suggestions from the supporters ahead of the interactive session 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboota. "Delhi is determined to give a landslide victory to BJP in the Assembly elections. On January 22 at 1 p.m., there will be a great opportunity to interact with dedicated workers in the program 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot'. For this, you must share your views. I will talk to some of you," he shared in a post on X. In the interactive sessions, he will also answer questions from the few selected booth workers. Ahead of his interaction with party workers and leaders, the BJP on Monday held a meeting of its candidates along with the seven BJP Delhi MPs and senior party leaders including party Vice-President and Delhi BJP Election Incharge Baijyant Panda. The candidates were briefed regarding the 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' programme and asked to ensure maximum participation of booth-level workers in the programme. "We have asked them to ensure that there is maximum participation of booth-level workers in their respective seats," a party leader said. PM Modi will urge BJP booth workers to ensure they reach every household with the message of the party and the vision for the future during the interaction. As part of the 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' initiative, BJP workers are expected to strengthen their outreach efforts at the grassroots level, ensuring that every voter is informed about the party's vision and the accomplishments of the BJP. With the elections just about two weeks away, PM Modi's interaction will galvanize the party's booth workers and boost morale ahead of what is expected to be a closely contested election. The voting for the elections is slated to be held on February 5 and counting will take place on February 8. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia, Police General Vladimir Kolokoltsev met today with Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Rahman Mustafayev, Trend reports. During the meeting, critical matters regarding the bilateral interaction in internal affairs were addressed. The sides expressed satisfaction with the progress of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia in the fight against international terrorism and extremism, transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, as well as in the field of cross-border cooperation. Moreover, the importance of coordination of efforts of the two countries in the migration sphere was also emphasized. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kolkata, Jan 22 : A division bench of the Calcutta High Court will hear on Wednesday the plea by the West Bengal government challenging the verdict of a special court in Kolkata in the rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The special court had foundSnajy Rouy guilty and had sentenced him to life imprisonment. In the plea submitted on Tuesday by the state Advocate General Kishor Datta on behalf of the West Bengal government at the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, the government has sought a "death penalty" for the convict. The division bench admitted the statement and as per the cause-list of the Calcutta High Court for Wednesday, the said division bench will take up the matter for hearing. After the special court pronounced the quantum of sentence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday evening that the state government would approach the Calcutta High Court to challenge the verdict. She also said the state government will be seeking the "death penalty" for the convict. Even on Tuesday afternoon while addressing a state government meeting at Malda district, a couple of hours after the state Advocate General filed the petition at the Calcutta High Court, the Chief Minister gave an explanation on why she and her government had been pressing for the death penalty for the convict. She said that society could not have a "humanitarian" approach towards an "inhuman" individual. "What is the meaning of 'life imprisonment'? Often lifers get released on parole. If a convict is alive there is a chance that he might commit the same crime again. If anyone chooses to be 'inhuman', how can society be 'humanitarian' towards him? That is why we demanded a 'death sentence' for the convict in the R.G. Kar tragedy. It is really the rarest of rare crimes," the Chief Minister said on Tuesday afternoon. Aden, Jan 22 : A total of 20 Ethiopian migrants, including nine women and 11 men, were killed when their boat capsized off the southern Yemeni coast over the weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. The vessel, carrying 35 Ethiopian migrants along with a Yemeni captain and his assistant, reportedly departed from the Hammarta area in Djibouti and capsized on Saturday night "amid strong seasonal winds" near Al-Hajjajah in Dubab District, Taiz Governorate, the IOM said in a statement, adding that the survivors have successfully reached the shore. "This tragedy is a grim reminder of the treacherous conditions migrants endure in their search for safety and a better life," the statement quoted IOM's Chief of Mission in Yemen Abdusattor Esoev as saying. "The international community must strengthen its resolve to address the root causes of irregular migration and prioritise the protection and dignity of migrants," Esoev said. Yemen's coastal waters are among the world's most dangerous. According to IOM statistics, more than 60,000 migrant arrivals in Yemen were documented in 2024 alone, reports Xinhua news agency. Since 2014, 3,435 deaths and disappearances have been recorded along the Eastern Route, including 1,416 lives lost to drowning. On Tuesday, a Yemeni government official, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, confirmed that "the incident occurred days ago" and said that dozens of people had died, without providing specific casualty figures. In another significant development, the IOM commended the Ethiopian Statistical Service (ESS) and 13 government institutions involved in migration data-generating for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and data-sharing protocol on 15 January. The Ethiopian Statistical Service, the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission, the Ethiopian National ID Program, the Immigration and Citizenship Service, and the Refugees and Returnees Service were among the key institutions that formalised this agreement with the ESS. Cairo, Jan 22 : Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed regional developments, especially the situation in the Gaza Strip. During a phone call on Tuesday, Sisi reviewed the efforts made by Egypt since October 2023 in partnership with Qatar and the United States to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement. Sisi emphasised the recently-reached Gaza ceasefire-for-hostage release deal is the main pillar for restoring calm in the region, highlighting ongoing Egyptian efforts to ensure its implementation and facilitate the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza in sufficient quantities, the statement noted. He stressed the importance of concerted international efforts to ensure the implementation of the agreement, leading to the launch of a political path based on the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, which is the only path towards sustainable security and stability in the region, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the statement. For his part, Putin stressed his constant keenness to communicate and coordinate with Sisi, appreciating Egypt's pivotal role in reaching the ceasefire agreement and its constant efforts to maintain regional stability and security, the statement added. According to the statement, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria, where Sisi stressed Egypt's keenness to preserve the unity of Syria, the integrity of its territories and the security of its people, as well as the need for regional and international efforts to restore stability in Syria. They also addressed developments in Lebanon, efforts to restore stability in Sudan and Libya, and developments in the ongoing Ukraine crisis, according to the statement. Nairobi, Jan 22 : Kenya is on high alert after neighbouring Tanzania confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in the northwestern Kagera region, a health official said. While Kenya has no reported cases, the country remains at high risk due to significant cross-border movements from Tanzania and other neighbouring nations, said Mary Muthoni, principal secretary for public health and professional standards in the Ministry of Health, in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Tuesday. "The Ministry of Health remains committed to protecting the health and safety of all Kenyans. Consequently, preparedness is being enhanced in the country through the development of a Marburg virus disease preparedness and response plan," she said. The statement was issued after the Marburg virus outbreak was confirmed in Tanzania's Kagera region on Monday, with one positive case detected during investigations into suspected infections, reports Xinhua news agency. Tanzania reported that a total of 25 suspected cases have been identified as of Monday. All of them have tested negative and are currently under close follow-up. Tanzania previously reported an MVD outbreak in March 2023, the country's first, in the Kagera region, during which a total of nine cases and six deaths were reported, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Muthoni said surveillance has been enhanced countrywide in all counties and at all points of entry to curb the outbreak of the serious disease, which often leads to death. "We strongly advise the general public to follow public health measures and seek medical attention at the nearest public health facility if you experience any Marburg virus disease-like symptoms," Muthoni said. The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials, according to the WHO. In Africa, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Saba Pataudi, sister of Saif Ali Khan, has given a shoutout to the actor's househelp and a staff member. She tagged them as "unsung heroes" Mumbai, Jan 22 (IANS) Saba Pataudi, sister of Saif Ali Khan, has given a shoutout to the actor's househelp and a staff member. She tagged them as "unsung heroes" Saba took to her Instagram stories, where she posted a collage of the actor's two staff members Eliyamma Philip and Geeta, who sustained injuries along with Saif after an intruder attacked during a robbery attempt in the star's home on January 16. Saba wrote: "The unsung heroes who literally pulled their weight when it mattered most! Bless you both n All those who contributed in keeping my brother and his family safe! You are the Best!" The star, who is married to diva Kareena Kapoor Khan, was discharged from the hospital on January 21, after he underwent the medical procedures and made a recovery. He was seen arriving at his house in the Bandra area of Mumbai. The actor was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of denims, and was seen shaking hands with friends and neighbours, as he walked towards his den. The dressing on his neck was also visible through his collar. Last week, a document pertaining to the insurance claim made by the actor went viral. It showed an initial requested amount of Rs 35, 98, 700 against an approved amount of Rs 250, 00, 000. Saif was reportedly attacked by an assailant who barged into his Bandra house through his youngest son, Jeh's room during the wee hours of January 16. The actor reportedly went to the hospital on his own, and was accompanied by his son Taimur. As per media reports, doctors removed the 2.5 inches of knife from his wound. He was stabbed multiple times in an attempt to fight off a burglar during the wee hours of January 16. The actor sustained six stab wounds, two of which are said to be serious as they are closer to his spine. Chennai, Jan 22 : Forty-one fishermen from Tamil Nadu, arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on September 8, 2024, for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), arrived at Chennai Airport, said officials on Wednesday. The fishermen arrived late Tuesday night after being released by Sri Lankan authorities. According to Tamil Nadu coastal police officials, of the 41 fishermen, 35 hail from Ramanathapuram, while the others are from Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts. Upon their arrival, the fishermen underwent citizenship verification, customs checks, and other formalities. Officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department welcomed them and arranged transportation to their respective hometowns in separate vehicles. This release follows the return of another group of 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen who reached Chennai on January 16, after being arrested earlier by the Sri Lankan Navy. The recurring arrests of Indian fishermen have become a major issue. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the matter during discussions with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake during his recent visit to India. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has also repeatedly urged the Union Government to address the ongoing arrests and ensure the safety of Indian fishermen from the state. Fishermen associations across Tamil Nadu have organised large-scale protests in coastal districts, calling for decisive action. They have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to intervene and put an end to the mid-sea arrests and the seizure of mechanised fishing boats, which are critical to their livelihoods. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss also demanded stronger intervention from the Indian government to prevent further detentions. Currently, 504 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu are reportedly in Sri Lankan custody, along with 48 mechanized fishing boats. The Sri Lankan government's decision to nationalise seized boats has sparked additional concern. A. Thajudhin, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Meenavar Peravai, highlighted the growing hardships faced by fishermen and their families. "The livelihood of our fishermen is under threat. Thousands of families dependent on fishing and related activities are struggling. A sense of fear now grips the fishing community about venturing out to sea," he stated. Thajudhin further explained the devastating impact of Sri Lankan authorities nationalising seized boats, noting that many fishermen have taken loans to purchase these expensive vessels. "This decision will ruin the industry and leave many unable to repay their debts," he warned. Fishermen's associations continue to organise protests, urging the government to act swiftly and resolve this escalating issue. Los Angeles, Jan 22 : Veteran Hollywood star Judi Dench has opened up about her long-running health battle with her eyes, and said that her vision loss is now so advanced that she needs someone when she leaves her house. The 90-year-old actress, first revealed in 2012 she is suffering from macular degeneration in her eyes, which can cause permanent and rapid central vision loss and is the number one cause of vision loss in people over 50, reports femalefirst.co.uk. She has now given a bleak update on her condition on the new episode of Trinny Woodall's 'Fearless' podcast. Dench said: "Somebody will always be with me. I have to now because I can't see and I will walk into something or fall over. I'm always nervous before going to something. I have no idea why I'm not good at being on my own at all, nor would I be now. And fortunately, I don't have to now because I pretend to have no eyesight." During a 2021 event for the London-based Vision Foundation, Dench talked about how she has been battling to read scripts due to her rapidly fading vision. She said: "You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult. I've had to find another way of learning lines and things, which is having great friends of mine repeat them to me over and over and over again. "So I have to learn through repetition, and I just hope that people won't notice too much if all the lines are completely hopeless!" Dench also told 'The Graham Norton Show' about how she battles to memorise lines as she used to rely on her photographic memory. She added: "I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines but also tells me where they appear on the page. I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them. I could do the whole of 'Twelfth Night' right now." Kolkata, Jan 22 : The ongoing partial cease-work at a state-run medical college and hospital at Midnapore in West Midnapore district of West Bengal over the suspension of 12 doctors has been lifted from Wednesday morning. The 12 doctors, six seniors and six juniors, were suspended following the death of a woman and a newborn baby allegedly after being administered expired Ringeras Lactate earlier this month. Hospital insiders said that the partial cease-work, which was affecting the normal functioning at the emergency department and outpatient department (OPD) of the hospital, had been lifted following a communique from the office of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting the agitating doctors to withdraw the strike and assuring them of the possibilities of revoking the suspension soon. The 12 suspended doctors included the medical superintendent-cum-vice principal (MSVP) and resident medical officer (RMO) of that hospital. Earlier this month five women had fallen sick at the hospital allegedly after being administered the expired Ringeras Lactate. First Mamoni Ruidas, one of the five women, and thereafter the newborn of Rekha Shaw, another among the five women, also died. When the state was on the boil over allegations of administration of the expired Ringeras Lactate supplied by an entity Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, the Chief Minister at a press conference said the negligence of the attending doctors was the reason behind the mishaps and also announced the suspension of the 12 doctors. On that day she had given a virtually clear chit to the said entity and claimed that had it been the case then there would have been similar mishap reports from other state-run hospitals where Ringeras Lactate supplied by the same entity were being administered. On that day she had also announced a parallel probe in the matter by the Criminal Investigation (CID) of West Bengal Police besides the ongoing probe by the team of clinical experts from the state health department. However, recently a team of clinical experts submitted a report not ruling out the possibility of an adverse impact of injection of essential liquids like Ringersa Lactate and oxytocin triggering the mishaps. The committee also said that the batch of Ringersa Lactate and oxytocin has already been forwarded for more sophisticated clinical examination. The committee, sources added, has also advised that till the report on this count arrives it is advisable to avoid the use of such clinical liquids of the same batch. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka effusively praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and called him the real "Boss" of the world. In a meeting with Rajya Sabha member and Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) Convenor Satnam Singh Sandhu and IMF Co-Founder Himani Sood in Fiji, Rebuka said PM Modi is a top global leader. Heaping praise on PM Modi for his mantra of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' to ensure that everybody develops and prospers together, the Prime Minister of Fiji said, "I believe Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is a great governance model which PM Modi is practising which ensures inclusive development for all. I think the world should adopt it to make it a better place to live." Fiji PM further added, "My friend (PM Modi) was re-elected (as PM) after we met (in 2023), so congratulations again and I would like to make sure that he gets the message that Fiji is still here. We are still committed to our journey of peace, on which, PM Modi has been for long. Oneness' in our development, oneness in our progress and all these are great ideals for all world leaders." Fijian PM further said that PM Modi has become an icon for peace and Hindus all over the world. "Having the confidence of those in India is a big number. So, I congratulate him on that. The oneness in that journey of Hindus in the world will eventually translate into oneness in the peoples of the world," he said. Notably, a 21-member delegation comprising representatives from 10 different countries is currently visiting Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. The international delegation includes representatives from Fiji, Finland, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Earlier in 2023, PM Modi had met Rabuka in Port Moresby, during his visit to Fiji. On behalf of Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, Prime Minister Rabuka bestowed Prime Minister Modi with the highest honour of the Republic of Fiji - the Companion of the Order of Fiji (CF). Notably, this is not the first time that any world leader has praised the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Earlier Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese had called him (Modi) Boss. The President of America had described PM Modi as fantastic and globally powerful leader and expressed the desire to take his autograph. Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni had described PM Modi as the most-loved of all around the world. Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen had said that PM Modi is an inspiration for the world and President of Guyana said that they owe him a debt of gratitude. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan DAVOS, Switzerland, January 22. The Biden-Blinken administration exhibited a biased stance towards Azerbaijan, which resulted in a crisis in bilateral relations, said President Ilham Aliyev as he met with Johnnie Moore, President of the U.S. Congress of Christian Leaders, in Davos, Trend reports. The discussion emphasized Azerbaijan's commitment to religious freedoms, noting with satisfaction that representatives of various nations and religions have historically lived in peace, tranquility, and harmony in the country. The meeting included an exchange of views on the positive prospects for Azerbaijan-U.S. relations during Trumps tenure. President Ilham Aliyev stated that the Biden-Blinken administration exhibited a biased stance towards Azerbaijan, which resulted in a crisis in bilateral relations. The head of state described the reinstatement of Section 907 as an expression of ingratitude by the Biden-Blinken administration. Seoul, Jan 22 : South Korean government on Wednesday announced a comprehensive plan to address potential risks associated with emergency landings at airports across the country following last month's deadly Jeju Air accident. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will prioritise safety improvements at seven airports where hazardous structures near runways have been identified, including Muan International Airport, where the Jeju Air accident occurred on December 29, claiming 179 lives. An inspection found that adjustments to structures involving the localiser, directional guidance equipment for incoming aircraft, are needed at nine locations across seven airports, including Gimhae International Airport, Jeju International Airport and Muan International Airport, reports Yonhap news agency. Many experts have suggested the casualty count in the Jeju Air crash could have been much lower had a concrete structure supporting the localiser at the Muan airport not existed. The ministry plans to evaluate options, such as placing the foundation structures for localisers underground or replacing them with lightweight steel structures. Each airport will adopt a solution that complies with relevant installation regulations and can be implemented quickly. The government aims to simplify related regulations to complete the improvements by the first half of the year and no later than the end of the year. Additionally, the ministry identified seven airports with runway safety areas shorter than the recommended 240 metres and will expand the zones. In case there is insufficient space for such an extension, the ministry plans to introduce engineered material arresting systems (EMAS) to ensure adequate safety measures. EMAS allows aircraft to sink into a lightweight material, which helps planes to rapidly decelerate when overrunning a runway. Beyond facility upgrades, the ministry said it intends to revise airport facility safety standards and prepare an updated plan by the first half of this year. Meanwhile, the black box of a passenger jet that crashed in South Korea's southwestern airport late last month failed to work for the last four minutes Hyderabad, Jan 22 : Asia's leading data centre provider CtrlS Datacenters Limited will invest Rs 10,000 crore to set up an Artificial Intelligence (AI) datacentre cluster in Hyderabad. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana government in this regard during the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. According to the Chief Minister's Office, the data centre cluster will come up with a capacity of 400 MW. The facility is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for 3,600 people and contribute significantly to the stateas economy through incremental tax revenues. This agreement demonstrates Telangana's commitment to fostering innovation, driving investments, and positioning the state as a leading digital infrastructure hub, it said. "This collaboration with CtrlS is a significant milestone in our journey to establish Telangana as a global leader in digital infrastructure and technology. The AI centre cluster will not only enhance the state's IT capabilities but also create substantial employment opportunities, contributing to our vision of inclusive growth," said Minister for Information Technology and Industry D. Sridhar Babu. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Information and Commerce and IT Departments, said the partnership highlights Telangana's proactive approach to supporting large-scale investments in the IT sector. "With our investor-friendly policies, such as the Data Center Policy and TG-iPASS framework, we are confident in the seamless execution of this landmark project," he said. Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder and CEO, CtrlS Datacenters Limited, said that the AI Datacenter Cluster will set new benchmarks in innovation, sustainability, and digital infrastructure. Meanwhile, Minister Sridhar Babu posted on the social media platform 'X' that he had a fruitful discussion with Andrew Byrne, Vice President, Uber, on their expansion plans in Telangana. "Uber is set to scale up operations, launch Uber Green and Uber Shuttle, and create thousands of livelihood opportunities in our state. Hyderabad's status as a tech and mobility hub makes it the perfect partner for Uber's innovations. Together, we're shaping a smarter, greener transportation ecosystem," said the minister. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Essar Renewables Ltd (ERL), Essar's venture into the green energy sector, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The MoU paves the way for Essar Renewables' proposed investment in the state, with plans to develop 2 GW of renewable energy capacity for its green mobility initiative. Under the terms of the agreement, Essar Renewables will invest approximately Rs 8,000 crore in a mix of round-the-clock renewable energy projects, primarily aimed at supporting the Electric Vehicle truck charging ecosystem of Blue Energy Motors and Greenline. This investment is expected to generate direct employment for over 2,000 individuals, contributing to the state's transition to green energy and economic growth. The proposed projects are slated to commence in the fiscal year 2026-27. Commenting on the partnership, Ankur Kumar, CEO, Essar Renewables said, "We are excited to embark on this transformative journey with the Government of Maharashtra. This collaboration represents a crucial milestone in our renewable energy projects and also establish us a formidable player in the sector." Prashant Ruia, Director, Essar, added, "As we navigate the global energy transition, this partnership with the Government of Maharashtra is a critical step in reshaping the future of sustainable energy for green mobility. With our investment in renewable energy and green mobility solutions, we are driving the state's growth while positioning India as a global leader in the green economy." The partnership aligns with Essar Renewables' ambitious goal of surpassing 8 GW of renewable energy capacity over the next five years. Essar Renewables has been at the forefront of India's green energy transition, specialising in solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems. The company focuses on innovation and strategic partnerships to position itself as a leading player in the renewable energy sector. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on a clutch of petitions pertaining to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Masjid dispute. A Bench presided over by CJI Sanjiv Khanna decided to post the matter for further hearing in the week commencing April 1, 2025. In the meantime, CJI Khanna-led Bench extended the operation of the interim order passed on January 16, 2024, whereby the top court had stayed the execution of the commission on a plea filed by the Shahi Idgah Masjid Management Committee against the Allahabad High Court allowing the application filed by Hindu devotees for appointment of a commissioner to inspect the disputed premises. In an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had asked parties to complete the pleadings in the matter and directed the filing of written submissions not exceeding three pages along with the judgments being relied on by them. However, it had clarified that the trial proceedings pending before the Allahabad High Court could continue. The top court is also seized of a plea filed by the mosque committee challenging the transfer of suits by the Allahabad HC to itself. Recently, it remarked that the decision of the Allahabad High Court to consolidate all suits pertaining to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute of Mathura should benefit both sides. "Why should we intervene in the issue of consolidation of suits? It doesn't make a difference. It is to the benefit of both sides, so multiple proceedings are avoided," remarked a bench of CJI Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. The court said this while hearing a plea filed by the management committee of the Shahi Masjid Eidgah against an order passed by the Allahabad High Court in January last year "in the interest of justice" directing that all 15 suits filed by the Hindu side be consolidated. Multiple suits were originally filed before different courts of Mathura, with a common claim that the Eidgah complex was built on the land believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna and where a temple had existed. United Nations, Jan 22 : US Senators and the nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations have raised concerns about China's growing influence at the world body through the use of money to get votes and a strong push to put more of its nationals in key jobs. "Many senators are raising this deep concern about CCP's [Chinese Communist Party] inroads," Elise Stefanik, President Donald Trump's nominee for US Permanent Representative a cabinet-level post said on Tuesday. "It's no question", she said, "that the CCP has made strong inroads. We need to have strong American leadership working with our allies to push back on this". Washington has to make "a significant effort to try to peel off" the votes of the Global South in the General Assembly from China, she said. The China factor came up when Stefanik, a foreign policy hawk who was a Republican member of the House of Representatives, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington for a hearing on her appointment. The Permanent Representative's post, like many senior administration jobs, needs the Senate's approval. Stefanik said she would project Trump's 'America First' policy at the UN. When Senator Pete Ricketts complained about the "mismanagement, corruption, rot" at the UN and the need for reforms, Stefanik agreed with him that US contribution to the UN, which is 22 per cent of its budget, should be a "key tool for us to demand reforms and transparency". Trump laid out the case against China when he made it one of his reasons for the US to leave the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Paris Climate Accord. He said that WHO was under China's influence and was repeating its "talking points" even though the US was its largest contributor. The US paid a heavy price under the Paris agreement to cut carbon emissions despite China being a bigger polluter, he said. Stefanik said, "The President shared with me that he sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security". It has failed in this mission and Trump's vision is for a UN reformed by a "strong. America First, peace through strength leadership", she said. The Senate Committee Chair, James Risch said he was concerned that the US was getting outvoted at the General Assembly. "When you look at these countries that are voting against us, you look and find that you have the Chinese in there spreading money, and they buy their vote", he said. Stefanik said, "We need to have a broader strategy reaching out to countries within the Global South, where China has made significant inroads". "They've done it by building ports, through telecom, a whole government approach" and Beijing leverages these for votes at the UN, she said. Ricketts said that between 2009 and 2021, China has increased the number of its nationals working at the UN by 85 per cent. "It would be naive to think they are not driving Communist China's agenda to the UN, whatever role they have", he said. Stefanik said that there was a problem with China trying to capture key leadership positions at UN agencies and "we need to make sure we are running candidates, either American or allied nations, in the elections process". "We need to pay close attention to technical organisations, whether it is telecommunications, civil aviation", she said. She cited the 2020 defeat of China's candidate to lead the World Intellectual Property Organisation by a Singaporean backed by the US in a tough contest. Democrat Senator Brian Schatz cautioned against the US withdrawing from UN agencies like WHO saying it would only empower China. "We would be cutting off our nose to spite our face if we just go away from these international convenings", he said, "because China is not going away, they are trying to run the meetings and to the extent that we withdraw". New Delhi, Jan 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed booth-level workers of the Delhi BJP through video-conferencing under the "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" programme, energising the cadre ahead of the February 5 Assembly elections. During the interactive session, BJP workers from 13,033 booths across all 256 wards in Delhi listened to the Prime Minister's message, which focused on the importance of grassroots outreach and the party's vision for the capital. "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot is not just a programme, it is the lifeblood of our organisational strength and the mantra that drives our expansion," said PM Modi, underscoring the pivotal role of booth-level workers in the BJP's success. Praising their efforts in securing victories in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, PM Modi said, "This strength of our organisation will also lead us to victory in the Assembly elections. However, victory alone is not enough. Our goal must be twofold: breaking all records of voter turnout and securing over 50 per cent of votes in every booth." The Prime Minister encouraged workers to highlight the welfare schemes of the Central government and appeal to voters to replace the "AAPda" (disaster) of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party with a BJP-led government. He urged them to confront AAP's "failures and scams," including the alleged excise policy scandal. "The people of Delhi are frustrated and openly questioning the unfulfilled promises of AAP. Women, in particular, are leading the charge to bring change and end the reign of AAP," he said. PM Modi emphasised the need to maximise voter turnout despite the cold weather, urging workers to free Delhi from the "destruction" of the past 25 years. "We need to inspire hope and trust among the youth who have grown up witnessing nothing but despair. This is the moment to turn the tide," he said. In an interactive segment, PM Modi engaged with select booth workers. Speaking to Sundar Choudhary from Booth 32 in Shahdara Assembly, Modi inquired about voter feedback. Choudhary shared that slum dwellers were hopeful for change, thanks to the BJP's "Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan" initiative. Responding, the Prime Minister remarked, "The lies and deceit of AAP have exhausted the people. First Congress, and now AAP, have betrayed the trust of Delhi residents. Their new announcements daily signal their fear of defeat." Stressing that even after 11 years in power, the AAP government did not work for the people in the national capital, PM Modi reiterated the BJP's "Sheesh Mahal" jibe. "Today, the people of Delhi, looking at the Sheesh Mahal, remember the lies and deception. This is the living proof of the betrayal of the people. During their reign, millions of rupees were poured into the Sheesh Mahal, yet the same people left Delhi residents struggling for clean water," he said. "The problem of dirty drinking water persists in Delhi. Today, water and tanker mafia are flourishing and the people of Delhi are forced to drink contaminated drinking water...AAPda is not concerned about this," PM Modi said, highlighting that the BJP government has worked towards making clean water accessible to the remotest villages of India and will do this in Delhi if the people give them a chance. PM Modi also said that the AAP "does not care" about the people of Delhi and that is why they are not implementing the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provides health insurance to people. Ravi Kumar, BJP Booth President from Model Town, shared that people in many areas don't have access to clean drinking water at home. "So, alcohol is available, but clean water is not?" PM Modi responded, sarcastically. During this, PM Modi also slammed the "false promises" of the "AAPda" government and asked the booth workers to circulate the videos of these promises to the people in their respective regions. "A major issue in Delhi is the cleaning of the Yamuna. The condition of the Yamuna saddens everyone, and every year, during Chhath Puja, when people see images of the Yamuna, the whole country is shocked, asking, what are they doing? The 'Aapda' leaders had promised earlier that if the Yamuna is not cleaned in five years, don't vote for us. Now they are saying they have cleaned it, but no votes are coming. All their statements are available on your mobile. You must go to every home in your booth and play these videos for them," PM Modi said. "In Delhi, the 'Aapda' that AAP has brought, what they do is, they should have used their share of the money to improve the streets of Delhi, build the sewer system, create parks, focus on cleanliness, and provide parking facilities. But the people of 'Aapda' haven't fulfilled a single responsibility in Delhi," he added. The event was attended by BJP election in-charge for Delhi Baijayant Panda, co-incharges Alka Gurjar and Atul Garg, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, and several MPs, MLAs, and councillors. Under the 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' initiative, BJP workers are tasked with strengthening their grassroots outreach, ensuring that every voter understands the party's vision and achievements. With the Assembly elections around the corner, PM Modi's address has re-energised the BJP cadre, bolstering their morale for what promises to be a keenly contested battle. Voting will take place on February 5, with results declared on February 8. Chennai, Jan 22 : DMK leader and Member of Parliament (MP) from the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency, Kathir Anand, appeared before the officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday at the agency's office on Greams Road, Chennai. Kathir Anand, son of DMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Development S. Duraimurugan, was summoned following extensive searches conducted earlier this month at multiple locations, including his private college, Kengston Engineering College, in Vellore. On January 3, 2025, the ED carried out searches over a period of 44 hours, involving more than 15 officials who arrived in eight vehicles. The searches included scrutiny of CCTV footage, financial records, and other data. Locations raided included the college, the residences of Kathir Anand and S. Duraimurugan, and properties linked to their associates in Katpadi and Vellore. Sources revealed that the ED seized unaccounted cash, documents related to the college's financial transactions, and a hard disk. College authorities, speaking anonymously, claimed the seized money was intended for staff salaries and Pongal festival bonuses, comprising collections from student fees. The ED's actions are reportedly connected to a 2019 Income Tax case against Kathir Anand, involving allegations of cash-for-votes during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During the election, Rs. 11 crore was confiscated from Anand's associates, leading to the cancellation of the Vellore constituency election. In 2019, then-President Ram Nath Kovind, acting on the Election Commission's recommendation, rescinded the Lok Sabha election in Vellore two days before it was scheduled, citing the seizure of unaccounted cash. The election, initially slated for April 18, was rescheduled and held on August 5, 2019, where Kathir Anand, representing the DMK, narrowly defeated A.C. Shanmugham of the AIADMK by a margin of 8,141 votes. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Anand however won decisively, defeating Shanmugham who had since joined the BJP by a significant margin of 2,15,702 votes. The DMK has criticised the ED's actions, calling them "political vendetta." The party alleges that the raids are part of a broader strategy to target Opposition leaders. This is not the first instance of ED raids targeting DMK leaders. Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy and his son, Gautham Sigamani, were previously investigated in connection with a money laundering case. Political analysts suggest that the intensification of ED raids ahead of the upcoming elections raises concerns about the targeting of Opposition figures. Bhopal, Jan 22 : The process to ensure the payment of dues to nearly 8,000 workers of the defunct JC Mill in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior has reached the final stage, the government has said in a statement. The statement was issued following a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Mohan Yadav during his visit to Gwalior on Tuesday. The late night review meeting was attended by Gwalior District in-charge and Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat, Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar, senior officials of district administration, the representatives of Mill workers and others. "The state government has earlier resolved the issues of workers of Hukumchand Mill in Indore and Vinod Mill in Ujjain and dues of JC Mill workers will be cleared at the earliest. The resolution process has reached the final stage," the Chief Minister said in a statement. He also informed that the committee appointed to resolve the JC Mill issue has started the evaluation process of the dues based on old and new claims and presented the assessment before the High Court promptly. The CM also instructed Additional Chief Secretary Rajesh Rajoura and Principal Secretary for Industries Raghvendra Singh to prioritize actions concerning the workersa payments. Notably, following an inspection visit at JC Mills in Gwalior in November 2024, Chief Minister Yadav had said the state government would approach the High Court to provide justice to more than 8,000 labourers, which had been lying closed for the last 40 years. Hukumchand Mill, one of the largest mills in Indore, was closed by its management in 1991 without any prior notice. At that time, about 6,000 workers worked in the mill. These workers fought a long battle for their outstanding salaries, gratuity, and other liabilities. During the Tuesday meeting, Chief Minister Yadav also reviewed the resolution process of the Morena-based Sugar Mill factory, which has been lying defunct since 2011. The Morena sugar factory, also known as the Kailaras sugar mill, was established in 1973 but closed in 2010-2011 due to revenue loss. It is said that the factory was closed due to a shortage of sugarcane and working capital. Notably, the state government has planned to revive the Kailaras Sugar Mill and for this purpose, a revival plan was made, which includes the sale of around 27 hectares of land to clear debt owed to farmers and workers. The task of initiating bids and selling the land has been assigned to the Department of Industry. On Wednesday, the auction process of Kailaras Sugar Mill was stopped following a massive protest organised by farmers of the Morena district. Chennai, Jan 22 : Actor Mahat Raghavendra, who is now looking to make a strong comeback with his upcoming film 'Kadhale Kadhale', has said that the only person who can pull one out of darkness is the person himself. On Wednesday, when the promo of the song 'Ada Vilayaata' from his upcoming film 'Kadhale Kadhale' released, Mahat took to Instagram to post a video of himself training. Along with the video, he penned a lengthy post in which he said, " The hardest truth that I had to swallow for the past one year was realizing I had to learn how to pick myself back up, even when the people I thought would always be there aren't anymore." Stating that this fact hit him hard, Mahat said, "But l had to accept that, sometimes, the only person who can pull you out of the dark is yourself." Stating that this was tough as it made you feel like you were standing alone, Mahat pointed out, "But in that silence, you learn the strength you never knew you had. You realize that no matter how much you wish for things to stay the same, you have to keep going - for yourself." The actor concluded this note, saying, "Always chose love over hate because in the end, only love makes the world a better place." Meanwhile, the promo of the song, 'Ada Vilayatta', which has been set to tune by Vishal Chandrashekhar and rendered by Santhosh Hariharan has released. The song's lyrics have been penned by Viyan Pugazhendhi. Apart from Mahat, Kadhale Kadhale will also feature actors Meenakshi Govindharajan , Bharathiraja, VTV Ganesh , Raveena Ravi , Raj Ayyappa , Sreeja , VJ Ashiq, Akshatha , Parvez , Advaith and Anshitha among others. Directed by R Premnath, the film has cinematography by Sudharshan Govindharaj and editing by Thiyagu. Jammu, Jan 22 : Soldiers on Wednesday fired at a Pakistani drone that had entered the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. Defence sources said a drone from the Pakistan side entered the Indian side of the LoC in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district. "After alert troops of the Army fired at the drone and it was forced to withdraw back into the Pakistani side," sources said. The same sources said the movement of the drone was picked up by the alert troops around 1 a.m. Wednesday. A search operation was launched with the first light of the day to ensure there was no airdropping of weapons or narcotics by the drone. Drones have been used by terrorists with the assistance of the Pakistani Army to drop weapons, drugs or cash for sustaining terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The modus operandi of the terrorists has been to employ over-ground workers (OGWs), who are apparently unarmed civilians, to pick up the payloads dropped by the drones for end use by the terrorists. Security forces, especially, the BSF guarding the International Border in the union territory, have employed special anti-drone systems to detect the movement of drones. Once detected these are then quickly neutralised by the deployed troops. In the past, trans-border tunnels were used for infiltration and movement of weapons into Jammu and Kashmir, but for the last five years, there hasn't been any discovery of such a tunnel along the International Border. The LoC is a natural border and building of trans-border tunnel isn't easy, said officials here. J&K has a 740 km LoC and a 226 km-long International Border with Pakistan. While the Indian Army guards the LoC, the BSF shoulders the responsibility of guarding the border in the Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of the Jammu division. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. A telephone conversation was held between Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs of the UK David Lammy on January 22, 2025, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The phone call covered a wide range of topics, including the two nations' cooperation agenda prospects, the present regional situation, the normalization of relations status, and the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace process. David Lammy, first of all, expressed condolences on the occasion of the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, as well as in connection with the crash of the Baku-Grozny flight on December 25. He also noted that the UK is ready to support the investigation of the causes of the tragedy and the process of investigation. Jeyhun Bayramov thanked for the condolences and solidarity and informed him of the work done to investigate the causes of the plane crash. Moreover, it was noted that relations between Azerbaijan and the UK in political, economic, alternative energy, humanitarian, and other spheres have broad prospects; it is important to intensify mutual visits and political dialogue and deepen partnership ties between the two countries in the development of ties. Congratulating Azerbaijan on the success of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), David Lammy emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation in combating climate change. Jeyhun Bayramov, informing about the current situation in the region and the peace process, noted that despite significant progress in the peace agreement and border delimitation, territorial claims to Azerbaijan, which exist in the Armenian Constitution, are the main obstacle to the process. In the course of the telephone conversation, the sides also exchanged views on other regional and international issues of mutual interest,'' the information notes. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New Delhi, Jan 22 : Maha Kumbh festivities in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj saw a flurry of action on Wednesday as Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath along with his entire cabinet took a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam, a deeply religious ritual widely believed to wash away all the sins. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak along with all 54 ministers including the cabinet and state ministers. As the Yogi Cabinet boarded a motorboat to reach the ghat, the TV cameras followed them closely to capture the "historic" moment. CM Yogi was also seen feeding the migratory birds while on the way to the Ganga ghat. Before the dip of faith, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet met under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister at the Triveni complex in Prayagraj and took significant decisions for enhancing the infrastructure of the pilgrimage city. "Important decisions have been taken in the meeting for the progress and public welfare of the state," said the Chief Minister's office in a post on social media platform X. The cabinet meet was earlier planned at the Mela Authority Auditorium but concerns over VIP security disrupting pilgrims' movement led to the shift in venue. After the meeting, the ministers travelled to the Sangam by motorboats. The Chief Minister and cabinet members performed the worship rituals and took holy dip in the Sangam. Notably, this is the second time after Kumbh 2019 that a historic meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet was held in Sangam city. In 2019 also, during the Kumbh Mela, CM Yogi took a ceremonial dip along with his ministers, Akhada Parishad President Narendra Giri, and other saints. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22 : The Congress-led Opposition on Wednesday accused the Kerala government of graft. Led by veteran Congress legislator, Ramesh Chennithala, the Opposition accused the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led government for engaging in massive corruption deals involving PPE kits and the sanction for a new brewery unit in Palakkad to a controversial liquor company whose director was in jail in the Delhi excise policy case. Chennithala raised this in his speech on the floor of the Assembly and said whatever the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India brought out in its report about the purchase of PPE kits in 2020 (when the Covid pandemic struck hard), is exactly the same issue that they raised a few years ago. The CAG report revealed that PPE kits which were available for Rs 550 per piece were not purchased and instead more expensive ones were purchased at a cost of Rs 1,550 per kit, which caused a loss of Rs 10 crore to the government. "The CAG report has upheld all what we had raised soon after the purchases were done in 2020. At that time the Vijayan government and the Left supporters described us as anti-Kerala people. But now the truth has surfaced and the defence they put up has been proved wrong. It has now surfaced that this was a corrupt deal," said Chennithala. With regards to the brewery scam, which has gathered steam outside the Assembly also, with protests by both the Congress and the BJP, Chennithala said a few years ago they thwarted an attempt by CM Vijayan to give licences to some firms. "The present attempt by Vijayan to give sanction to the controversial firm speaks volumes on the way this government will go to any extent. The licence given to Oasis Commercial Pvt Ltd should be cancelled as it is due to the keen interest taken by Vijayan that this licence was given on the sly," he said. Meanwhile to buttress the findings of the CAG, Leader of Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday released documents pertaining to a PPE kit manufacturing company based in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, stating that they were ready to supply PPE kits at a cost of Rs 550 per piece, but the Vijayan government gave it to San Pharma a company based near Mumbai. "Not only was the Mumbai firm given the full advance payment for the entire purchase, but also, they charged Rs 1,550 for each PPE kit," he said. Meanwhile the then Finance Minister and veteran CPI-M leader Thomas Isaac said the BJP government at the Centre has destroyed every national body and institution and the CAG is one of them. "The CAG report does not mean anything as everyone now knows what they are up to. They tried to play games with the state-supported KIIFB and see what happened. So this report that has come out needs to be seen in that way only," said Isaac. Oasis Commercial Pvt Ltd, whose top official was previously jailed in the Delhi excise policy case, received approval to establish multiple facilities in the water-scarce district of Palakkad. These include an ethanol plant, a multi-feed distillation unit, an Indian-made foreign liquor bottling unit, a brewery, a malt spirit plant, and a brandy/winery plant at Kanjikode on a 26-acre plot purchased two years ago. Ayodhya, Jan 22 : Nripendra Mishra, Chairman of the Ram Mandir Bhavan Nirman Samiti, shared updates about the upcoming Ramkatha Museum at the Ram temple premises. During an interaction with journalists here on Wednesday, Mishra said, "The museum, designed to complement the grandeur of the Ram temple, will feature 12 galleries spread across three floors. It will narrate the divine story of Lord Ram while showcasing the historical and spiritual significance of his life through modern technological innovations. This initiative is poised to give Ayodhya a new identity, elevating it as a global symbol of religious and spiritual unity." He said, "Five of the galleries will leverage state-of-the-art 3D and 7D technology to bring the life and deeds of Lord Ram to life in an immersive way. One gallery will focus on Lord Hanuman, portraying his role and contributions to Lord Ram's life." The project has been given to IIT Chennai, and funds have already been allocated by the Central government. According to Nripendra Mishra, one gallery will be dedicated to chronicling the legal and historical journey of the Ram temple, which will present records and documents spanning 500 years. This will offer insights to visitors into the long and challenging history behind the temple's construction and development. He further said a special section will honour those who sacrificed their lives during the temple movement. Another gallery will explore the global significance of Lord Ram's life and teachings, showcasing Ayodhya's religious, spiritual, and cultural legacy from an international perspective. Mishra told media persons that the script for the museum's galleries is currently being prepared, with technical work likely to begin soon. This process is projected to take nine months, though a completion date has not been announced. The aim is to ensure devotees experience the museum with their pilgrimage to the Ram temple, he said. Meanwhile, Mishra informed that the installation of idols in the temple is progressing rapidly, with plans to complete the placement of all idols by March. The place designated for the statue of Tulsidas has been constructed, and his statue will be installed shortly. Nripendra Mishra said that the Ramkatha Museum is envisioned as a confluence of culture, religion, and history. It will celebrate the life of Lord Ram, the significance of Ayodhya, and India's rich spiritual and cultural traditions. By creating a space that blends ancient heritage with modern technology, the museum will serve as a powerful medium to share India's legacy with the world, offering visitors a profound spiritual journey, he said. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Feroz Abbas Khan is currently busy with 'Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical'. As part of the musical, the iconic love song "Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya" from the movie "Mughal-e-Azam" was staged at the Taj Mahal on 14th Jan 2025 this year. "Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical" will take place till 23rd February, 2025. It will mark the end of the Delhi run for this epic masterpiece. Before performing in Delhi, the musical is expected to be performed in Mumbai at NMACC till 26th January 2025. Talking about the emotional experience, Feroz Abbas Khan revealed, "We wanted to celebrate the enduring legacy of love by performing 'Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya' in front of the Taj Mahal. Incidentally, Shakeel Badayuni who wrote this definitive love anthem also praised the Taj for being a monument to love in another famous song. In a way, our performance was a tribute to Shakeel saab, to Naushad ji who tuned both the songs, to the Taj and to love that transcends all barriers." He further added, "While distilling K Asif's timeless epic into a stage production, we did not anticipate the momentous journey it would go on to undertake across the globe. The fact that we are now all set to stage our 300th performance in Delhi has an enormous personal significance for all of us." Meanwhile, producer Deepesh Salgia was quoted saying, "Shapoorji Pallonji has been associated with the magnificence of 'Mughal-e-Azam' for over 75 years in its cinematic as well as musical form. Be it the luxurious production canvas or the marketing campaign, we have always worked towards setting new benchmarks. In the same spirit, the performance at the Taj is our tribute to the concluding season of the musical in Delhi." The musical features more than 550 exquisite costumes, breathtaking sets, live singing, and stunning Kathak choreography. Directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, 'Mughal-E-Azam: The Musical' has been produced by Deepesh Salgia, under the assistance of Shapoorji Pallonji. Caracas, Jan 21 : The Venezuelan government has expressed its strong rejection of US President Donald Trump's decision to reinclude Cuba in the list of state sponsors of terrorism. "This unfounded and arbitrary measure represents an act of hostility that contradicts the principles of international law and undermines global efforts for peace and cooperation," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Tuesday, local time. "Venezuela firmly condemns this unjust act and calls on the peoples and governments of the world to denounce and clearly reject such decisions, which violate the principles of sovereignty and seek to justify the inhumane blockade against the Cuban people," the statement emphasised. The Venezuelan government reiterated its solidarity with the Caribbean nation and its commitment to defending "the self-determination of peoples against any attempt at imperialist domination," Xinhua news agency reported. In the final days of his administration, Joe Biden removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, but Trump reversed the decision on his first day in office. On January 14, Biden notified Congress that his administration would remove the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House said, as part of a deal to free political prisoners in the Caribbean island country and those determined by Washington as being unjustly detained by the government in Havana. Senior Biden administration officials had said during a press call that the move was made after the administration completed an assessment and concluded there was "no credible evidence" showing Cuba is currently supporting international terrorism. In doing so, Biden revoked the move by his predecessor, Donald Trump, in January 2021 to re-include Cuba in the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Trump did so in the waning days of his first presidential term to reverse the efforts seeking rapprochement with Cuba by former President Barack Obama, during whose second term in office the United States lifted Cuba's terror designation. Senior Biden administration officials said then that they expected Cuba to release "many dozens" of prisoners by the time Trump would be inaugurated again as president on January 20. Biden had also signed a national security memorandum to rescind a 2017 Cuba sanction policy by Trump known as 'National Security Presidential Memorandum 5' effectively ending the restrictions on certain Cuban persons and entities conducting financial transactions with US persons and entities. To further incentivize the Cuban government to release prisoners, the Biden administration issued a waiver for Title III of the Helms Burton Act for a period of six months, according to a statement released by the White House. The move, as a result, blocked US nationals or other individuals to bring claims in US courts over property confiscated by Cuban authorities after the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Hyderabad, Jan 22 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Wednesday that urban mobility is a major focus area for the state government which plans to expand Hyderabad Metro Rail, build a new Regional Ring Road and Ring Rail. Addressing the roundtable on urban mobility at the WEF CII conference in Davos, he mentioned its four aspects - infrastructure, accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability. The Chief Minister invited solutions to move more than 40 million people across Telangana, in the fastest time, in the greenest way, at the lowest cost. "If you want to predict the future of any city over the next 10, 20, 30 or 50 years, calculate the time and cost of moving one person, or one object for a distance. Cities where costs and time to move people and goods are low, will win in the long term and have a great future," he said. Asserting that urban mobility is the foundation for cities' growth and future, he said, "The growth of nations depends on the growth of cities. So urban mobility will, along with sustainability and environmental factors, decide the future of mankind." Sharing his experience in Switzerland, he took a train from Zurich to Davos and it was a beautiful trip. "My challenges back home are slightly more complicated. My capital city Hyderabad has a population of over 12 million. And growing fast. For me, urban mobility is to connect people inside my City, but also connect my city to towns and villages across the state," CM Reddy said. The Chief Minister mentioned that his government is building new lines for Hyderabad Metro, to over 100 km, more than double the existing capacity. Hyderabad has a 160-km-long Outer Ring Road. "Now I am building a Regional Ring Road, of nearly 360 km to connect all my major towns and villages. I am also planning to build a Regional Ring Railway, around the Ring Road. Thus, our people will have 2 circles of roads and 2 circles of railway. We will also have Radial Roads connecting these Rings," he said. Asserting that Telangana is a land-locked state, he said the state government was building a major dry port to become a supply chain and warehousing hub. "We are also connecting this dry port to their closet port, called Machilipatnam port, with a dedicated Highway and a dedicated Railway link," he said. The Chief Minister also revealed that the state government is replacing 3,000 public buses running on petrol and diesel with electric buses. Claiming that electric vehicles are a big focus for his government, he said it removed all road tax and registration charges on all EVs. Telangana has highest growth of sales in EV in entire India. "We are also building a new Future City, a net zero city. We want to have the world's best mobility options in this city," he added. Varanasi, Jan 22 : As the BJP unveiled its new campaign song for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, which invokes the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to appeal to voters, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai criticised the move and accused the party of being in cahoots with the AAP. The BJP's song, "Jo Ram ko lekar aaye, unka raaj hoga Delhi mein (Those who have brought Ram will rule Delhi!)", attempts to address key issues faced by Delhi's residents, including pollution, drinking water, sewage issues, and overflowing landfills. Speaking to IANS, Rai slammed the BJP, stating, "You call yourself good and others thieves. This is the mindset of the BJP. It's the situation of 'Chor Chor Mausere Bhai.' They have ruined Delhi. There has been no development, no work done, and the air is toxic. The BJP should launch the 'Chor Chor Mausere Bhai' song because this applies to them as well." Rai also addressed the allegations against Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who has been accused of wooing Muslim voters during rallies. Rai dismissed these claims, stating, "Dalits are fully backing the Congress party. Rahul Gandhi is not targeting any specific group; he is engaging with every section of society. He is standing with those who are persecuted and suppressed." On Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's concerns over illegal migration, Rai responded, "You are in power, and you're criticising your own government? If this is a challenge, then the government should take action. As Vice President, he should direct the government, but the current leadership has failed to act." Rai also weighed in on a complaint filed by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, accusing BJP workers of threatening AAP members. He said, "The BJP and AAP are in cahoots. When Kejriwal campaigned in Varanasi, BJP and Kejriwal were at odds. Now, they pretend to fight among themselves, but in reality, they are working together. Congress will win the Delhi Assembly elections." As the Delhi Assembly elections draw near, the three leading political adversaries in the capital city have pledged comprehensive welfare schemes to attract voters. The AAP, Congress, and BJP are all vying to appeal to women voters, a demographic that has gained significant attention from political parties in recent polls around the country. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Centre has approved an increase of Rs 315 per quintal in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of raw jute for the marketing season of 2025-26. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fixed the MSP of Raw Jute (TD-3 grade) at Rs 5,650/- per quintal for the 2025-26 season. This would ensure a return of 66.8 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production. The approved MSP of raw jute for Marketing season 2025-26 is in line with the principle of fixing MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times all India's weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19, according to an official statement issued after the CCEA meeting. The MSP of Raw Jute for the marketing season 2025-26 is an increase of Rs.315 per quintal over the previous marketing season 2024-25, the statement said. "The Government of India has increased the MSP of raw jute from Rs.2400 per quintal in 2014-15 to Rs.5,650 per quintal in 2025-26, registering an increase of Rs 3250 per quintal (2.35 times)," the statement highlighted. The MSP amount paid to jute growing farmers, during 2014-15 to 2024-25, was Rs 1300 crore while from 2004-05 to 2013-14, the amount paid was Rs 441 crore, the statement said. The livelihood of 40 lakh farm families directly or indirectly depends on the jute industry. About 4 Lakh workers get direct employment in jute mills and trade in jute. Last year, jute was procured from 1, 70,000 farmers. As many as 82 per cent of jute farmers live in West Bengal while the rest are in Assam and Bihar which have a 9 per cent share each in jute production. The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will continue as the Central Government Nodal Agency to undertake Price Support Operations and the losses incurred, if any, in such operations, will be fully reimbursed by the Central Government, the official statement added. Bhiwani, Jan 22 : Haryana's veteran leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry, during her visit to Bhiwani on Wednesday, once again launched a scathing attack on former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepender Hooda. She accused the father-son duo of betraying the people of Haryana, claiming that the public has already given them a befitting reply. Kiran Choudhry, who switched to the BJP after two decades in the Congress, attributed her departure from the party to differences with the Hoodas. Speaking to the media after addressing public grievances, she criticised not only the Hoodas but also the Congress and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. On the upcoming Delhi elections, Choudhry asserted, "The Congress has lost its foothold in Delhi, much like in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi's voters had given Kejriwal a decade to solve pressing issues, yet problems like filth and mismanagement persist." "Delhi is a mini-India, and Prime Minister Modi's vision of a developed nation requires a double-engine government. The people of Delhi will choose BJP for genuine development," she said. When questioned about the state of Haryana Congress, Choudhry did not mince words. She accused Bhupinder and Deepender Hooda of creating a mess in the state and betraying the trust of the people. She claimed, "The public's response to them was evident in the political landscape." On the issue of allegations of rape against Haryana BJP President Mohanlal Badoli, Choudhry defended him, stating that investigations were still going on. She also called for a thorough probe into the case involving Congress MLA Rajbir Fartia, who has been accused in the suicide case of a Scheduled Caste girl in Loharu. Addressing the concerns of farmers, Choudhary praised the Haryana government for ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) on all crops and credited BJP's policies for benefiting farmers. She suggested that farmers in Punjab should demand similar MSP guarantees from their government as is given in Haryana. On farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who has been on a fast unto death for two months, Choudhry stated that Dallewal has agreed to medical treatment and noted that farmers in Haryana are satisfied with the government's policies. Chennai, Jan 22 : A nine-member team from the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) conducted an inspection near the Tiruchendur coastline in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district to assess the severity of soil erosion. The team's visit follows an earlier inspection by IIT Madras experts on Tuesday. Reports indicate that coastal erosion has damaged approximately 50 feet in length and 9 feet in depth of the beach area. The erosion has raised concerns about its impact on the famous Subramaniya Swamy Temple and the safety of devotees. Social and environmental activists have attributed some of the erosion to human activities, particularly the handling of coal at the offshore jetty for the Udangudi thermal power plant. District Environment Protection Movement Coordinator V. Gunaselan, in a petition, urged the government to halt coal-handling operations at the jetty, claiming it has exacerbated erosion. He stated that the construction of the offshore jetty off Kallamozhi Beach, permitted by the state government, has contributed to the problem. Gunaselan also criticised the construction of groynes and bait arches at Amali Nagar Beach, which he claimed violated National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and negatively impacted the coastline near the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple. He cautioned that further construction in the temple area could worsen erosion along the northern coast. The beach near the Subramaniya Swamy Temple has experienced severe erosion due to rough seas and heavy tidal waves. As a precautionary measure, authorities have restricted devotees from bathing in the affected area. The government, in collaboration with experts, continues to explore measures to protect the coastline and preserve the cultural and environmental significance of the region. Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi, along with Fisheries Minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, recently inspected the site. Kanimozhi interacted with residents and assured them that the Chief Minister is actively working on long-term solutions to prevent further shoreline damage. Speaking to the media, Kanimozhi highlighted that climate change-induced coastal erosion is severely affecting the seaside area of the Subramaniya Swamy Temple, preventing devotees from accessing the shore. "Experts from IIT and other institutions are working to identify a permanent solution. Once consultations are complete, a proposal will be submitted to the Chief Minister for approval and financial allocation," she said. She acknowledged the difficulty of providing permanent solutions across all affected areas but emphasized the state government's commitment to protecting the most vulnerable regions. She also noted that the temple is undergoing renovations, with a consecration ceremony planned soon, and efforts are underway to address the erosion before the event. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The next round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was held in Baku on January 22, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, while the delegation of Luxembourg was headed by Head of Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Veronique Dockendorf. During the consultations, political ties between the two countries were discussed, and the importance of mutual visits and meetings in the framework of international events was emphasized to maintain a permanent political dialogue. The sides also discussed the state and prospects of cooperation in the economic, energy, transport, and humanitarian spheres, as well as within the framework of international organizations. The parties emphasized the importance of developing an appropriate legal framework for expanding cooperation in various spheres. Deputy Minister Rzayev described Azerbaijan's efforts in the field of climate diplomacy, its chairmanship of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), and the achievements made within the framework of the session. The meeting provided detailed information on the situation in the region in the post-conflict period, normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, steps taken by Azerbaijan towards establishing lasting peace in the region, the problem of mines in the territories liberated from occupation, and large-scale reconstruction works carried out there. In addition, the sides exchanged views on regional and international issues, as well as other topics of mutual interest. New Delhi, Jan 22 : January 22 marks the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Abhiyaan, signifying a decade of relentless endeavour to protect, educate and empower the girl child in the country. The ten-year milestone not only aligns with the countryas vision of the Viksit Bharat 2047 goal but also marks a major shift from women-centric development to women-led development, under the Modi government. The path-breaking campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22nd January 2015 from Haryanaas Panipat as a response to the declining Child sex ratio (CSR) and also to address the gender imbalance. The campaign to emancipate and empower women has had a profound impact in the last ten years, in changing the societal attitudes toward gender equality in the country. Over the years, the BBPP has not only helped change societal attitudes towards gender equality but also instilled a sense of pride and confidence among women and their families, thereby encouraging them to pursue their aspirations without fear of discrimination. Today, women entrepreneurs are understood to be owners of 1.4 million Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises (MSMEs). This is a significant achievement that shows the growing opportunities for women in the country. Over the years, the BBPP has transformed into a movement and the government figures document the overwhelming success of the scheme. Among the key achievements, the national sex ratio at birth has risen from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24. The gross enrolment ratio of girls at the secondary level has risen from 75.51 per cent in 2014-15 to 78 per cent in 2023-24. The institutional deliveries have risen from 61 per cent to 97.3 per cent and first-trimester antenatal care registrations improved from 61 per cent to 80.5 per cent, in the past decade. The BBBP has also undertaken impactful initiatives such as the Yashaswini Bike Expedition, showcasing women empowerment, and the Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav re-enrolling over 100,000 out-of-school girls. Other notable events include the National Conference on Skilling: Betiyan Bane Kushal, emphasising workforce participation. The 10-year journey of BBBP underscores the Modi governmentas commitment to building a Viksit Bharat, where women not just remain beneficiaries but also become active leaders of change, thus shaping a brighter and more inclusive future for all girl children. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative was launched with a mission to empower girls by imparting education and making them equal participants in the countryas growth. Today, they are breaking glass ceilings and entering many male-dominated fields like the police force, armed forces, entrepreneurship and more. The BBBP scheme has mobilised government agencies, civil society, media and the public to address gender discrimination and foster a cultural shift toward valuing the girl child and ensuring her rights and opportunities. The transitional shift in policy has created an environment where girls are going for the sky and achieving their dreams. Dhaka, Jan 22 : Four Bangladeshis have been arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York as the local law enforcement agencies have launched a massive crackdown on undocumented illegal immigrants since Donald Trump returned to office as the 47th President of the United States on Monday. The four Bangladeshis were arrested by the ICE from the Fulton area of aathe Brooklyn borough of New York, Bangladesh's leading daily Prothom Alo reported on Wednesday. It revealed further that undocumented illegal immigrants have been living "in fear" since Trump was sworn in and passed a series of executive orders related to immigration. "It has been observed on the ground that the streets and restaurants in Bengali-dominated areas, where there used to be a large crowd of people, are now almost completely empty. Security arrangements have already been strengthened," the newspaper reported. The also report quoted Khadija Muntaha Ruba, a law enforcement officer working with immigrants in New York, as saying that the undocumented Bangladeshis were arrested while they were "hanging out" in the area. "Muntaha advised Bangladeshis to be cautious and said that they should cooperate if questioned by members of any law enforcement agency. They should stop working with someone else's work permit. In these difficult times, they should not get involved in unnecessary police or other disputes or troubles," it added. The US Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday that it would reinstate 'Remain in Mexico', a policy from the first Trump administration, that requires anyone seeking to enter the United States through Mexico to remain in that country. In an Executive Order signed on January 20, immediately after he took office, Trump emphasised that, over the last four years, the prior administration "invited, administered, and oversaw" an unprecedented flood of illegal immigration into the United States. "Millions of illegal aliens crossed our borders or were permitted to fly directly into the United States on commercial flights and allowed to settle in American communities, in violation of longstanding Federal laws," it said. "Many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans. Others are engaged in hostile activities, including espionage, economic espionage, and preparations for terror-related activities," the order stated. The number of Bangladeshis arriving in the United States has been surging at an alarming level over the past couple of decades. Several recent reports have indicated that Bangladeshis are also amongst the fastest-growing Asian ethnic groups in New York City. New Delhi, Jan 22 : As the BJP launched a new campaign song for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, invoking the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to appeal to voters, AAP National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar responded sharply on Wednesday, asserting that the people of Ayodhya had rejected the BJP despite the temple's construction. New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) As the BJP launched a new campaign song for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, invoking the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to appeal to voters, AAP National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar responded sharply on Wednesday, asserting that the people of Ayodhya had rejected the BJP despite the templeas construction. The BJP's song, "Jo Ram ko lekar aaye, unka raaj hoga Delhi mei (Those who have brought Ram will rule Delhi!)", highlights pressing issues in the national Capital, such as pollution, drinking water, inadequate waste management, and overflowing landfills. Speaking with IANS, Kakkar criticised the BJPas narrative, saying, "Look, where the Ram Temple was built, the people there rejected the BJP. Why? Because the BJP took away people's lands without compensation, made them homeless, and bulldozed their homes. After the Ram Temple was built, the roof leaked during the first rain, and even the priest spoke about it. The BJP is a deeply corrupt party, top to bottom. Who are they to bring God? God has brought us all." Kakkar also commented on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhias rallies in Muslim-majority areas, congratulating him for his outreach. Reacting to Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit's accusation that "Punjab police personnel are campaigning in the national Capital," Kakkar urged Dikshit to stop echoing the BJP's rhetoric, stating, "Dikshit should stop speaking the language of the BJP. Union Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise for the insult to Punjabis by BJP members. Otherwise, Punjabis will press the button so hard this time in Delhi that the current will reach BJP." The Delhi Assembly elections are set for February 5, with results to be declared on February 8. Just like the previous elections, the BJP and the AAP are expected to fiercely compete against each other. While the AAP has exercised immense political control over Delhi for over a decade now, the BJP has been exiled to the Opposition's benches. With both parties fighting to capture the seat, it will be interesting to see what Congress decides to do this time around. Tumakuru, Jan 22 : Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said on Wednesday that the Finance Department must act against the microfinance companies operating without licenses in the state. Addressing the media in Tumakuru city after visiting the Siddaganga Mutt, Parameshwara said, "We are not aware of microfinance companies operating without licenses. The Finance Department will have to take necessary action." He further added that if individuals trapped by microfinance companies file complaints, the government will immediately take action and investigate the matter. "There are already several cases registered in this regard," he said. He added that if such activities are happening in Tumakuru district the government will act promptly. "For instance, a woman in Tiptur town of Tumakuru district committed suicide due to harassment by microfinance companies. There were two more similar incidents in and around Tumakuru. We have registered cases and initiated legal action," he said. The state Home Minister is a native of the Tumakuru district. He said that such incidents need to be prevented across the state but the government cannot know about them in advance. "The police will handle cases whenever complaints are lodged; otherwise, they cannot monitor proactively. Guidelines for conducting microfinance businesses exist, but violations of these guidelines cause problems. Many operate without proper authorisation, registration, or licenses. If we become aware of such violations, we will take action. Innocent people often invest money and get trapped," he said. Regarding a statement by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the diminishing "sacrificing nature" in the party, Parameshwara said that even he is unclear about the exact context in which Kharge made such remarks. "During the freedom struggle, Congress members sacrificed their lives and properties. For example, the father of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated all his property to the party. Similarly, many individuals across the country made sacrifices. I believe Kharge was referring to the fact that this mentality of sacrifice has diminished in society as well as within the Congress party," he said. When asked about infighting within the party, Parameshwara remarked, "I will not make political comments." Responding to a question about pending bills, he said, "The clearance of pending bills is often slower before the presentation of the budget, but they will be cleared in at once. I will make efforts to expedite the process." Speaking about the late Shivakumara Seer of Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, Parameshwara praised his contributions, saying: "The seer laid a new path of social service. He ensured that students were fed and educated for free, providing them with a foundation to become responsible citizens by imparting religious and social values. We are considering declaring 'Dasoha Day' (Day of Service) in his memory at the government level. The matter will be discussed with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and a decision will be made accordingly." Chandigarh, Jan 22 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab on Wednesday condemned BJP leader Parvesh Verma for his derogatory and divisive remarks targeting Punjabis. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang, along with spokesperson Neel Garg, lambasted the BJP and its leadership for promoting politics of hatred and polarisation. Kang criticised Verma for insinuating that vehicles with Punjab registration in Delhi could be part of a conspiracy ahead of Republic Day. "BJP leader Parvesh Verma has openly displayed the anti-Punjab mindset of his party. His baseless allegations against Punjabis reflect BJP's deep-seated prejudice against the people of Punjab," he told the media here. Kang highlighted that Punjabis have played a pivotal role in Delhi's development and in India's freedom struggle. "Delhi owes its progress to the sacrifices and contributions of Punjabis. From liberating India to reshaping Delhi's landscape, Punjabis have always stood at the forefront. To label them as terrorists is not only insulting to Punjab but to the entire nation," Kang said. He condemned the timing and intent of Verma's remarks, accusing the BJP of using polarising tactics ahead of elections in Delhi. "When elections are near, the BJP stoops to the politics of fear and division. Punjab-registered vehicles are being vilified, while Delhi is a national capital where every citizen has the right to visit and reside. Such remarks are not only divisive but also unconstitutional," Kang said. Calling Verma's statement a betrayal of national unity, Kang demanded an apology from him and strict action by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I urge the PM to take action against Verma for his shameful remarks. If he fails to do so, the BJP must publicly apologise to Punjabis," Kang said. The AAP MP also appealed to Delhi voters to reject BJP's divisive politics. "Delhi residents must teach these hateful, divisive leaders a lesson on February 5. They have disrespected Punjabis and the nation with their remarks. This is not just Punjab's issue; it concerns every Indian who believes in unity and democracy." "The BJP must clarify its stand or get ready to face the backlash of the people. Punjabis have always been the backbone of this nation, and such statements will not be tolerated," Kang added. Guwahati/Imphal, Jan 22 : In a rare gesture, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has awarded a Commendation Certificate to the Assam Police Director General and eight other police officers for providing training to 1,946 police personnel of Manipur, officials said on Wednesday. A spokesman of Assam police said that the Manipur Chief Minister has awarded the Commendation Certificates to Assam police DGP G.P. Singh, Special DGP Harmeet Singh and seven other officers in recognition of providing training to the Manipur police personnel. The Commendation Certificate was received by Inspector General of Assam Police, Law and Order, Akhilesh Kumar Singh in Imphal at a function on the occasion of Statehood Day on Tuesday. In all, 1,984 recruits of Manipur police took part in training at the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in January last year and 1,946 recruits successfully completed their training on December 23 last year. The Manipur Chief Minister attended the passing out parade of the newly recruited Manipur police personnel at LBPA at Dergaon in Assam's Golaghat district on December 23. Chief Minister Singh had said that since the situation in Manipur is not conducive, he earlier approached Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to provide training to the new recruits of Manipur police personnel and Sarma immediately agreed. "Assam and Manipur's old relationship is once again visible," Singh had said and appreciated the Assam Chief Minister, Assam Police DGP, Special DGP and other Assam police officers for providing training to the newly recruited Manipur police personnel. According to officials, out of the 1,946 recruits, caste distribution is diverse with 62 per cent being non-tribal Meiteis, 12 per cent being tribal Kuki-Zo and the remaining 26 per cent belonging to Naga and other tribes. Manipur Chief Minister earlier said that given the current law and order situation in the state, the newly recruited constables would undergo specialised training. "The specialised training is essential to enhance the strength and readiness of the police force to ensure safety and security across Manipur. We are committed to equipping our police personnel with the best facilities and training to meet any challenges effectively," Singh had said. Chennai, Jan 22 : Well known director Ram Gopal Varma's Satya confession post on X has had an impact on several professionals associated with the film industry including distributor Mahendra Soni, who has now thanked the ace director for being the spark behind so many stories. Responding to RGV's lengthy confession post on X, Mahendra Soni wrote, "Reading your confession about 'Satya' brought back so many memories, Ramu sir. Just like you found your voice with 'Satya', we found ours through a bittersweet experience with 'Rangeela'. Life truly has a strange way of shaping dreams." The distributor then went on to recall what had happened when he wished to distribute Rangeela. He wrote, "I still remember this vividly - @shrikantmohta and I, barely 22 or 23, stepping into Jhamu Sughand sir's office after the massive success of 'Bombay', as two young distributors from Kolkata. You were making 'Rangeela' at the time, and you were there in the office. Seeing young movie distributors for a change, you took us to the edit suite and showed us a rough cut of 'Mangta Hai Kya' and 'Hai Rama' on a small monitor. "We had never seen anything like it - bold, graceful, and elevated by Rahman's sir's groundbreaking sound. Watching our reactions, you knew you had created something extraordinary, something that had already found its audience. "We were ecstatic - confirmed the deal and even took the poster home with dreams of releasing it. But being new in the trade, we were soon outbid by another distributor. The sheer pain of losing 'Rangeela' hit us hard when the poster was taken down from our Chandni Chowk office. It wasn't the only heartbreak, as something similar happened with another film." However, these disappointments turned into turning points, recalled Mahendra Soni. He said, "But those moments became turning points for us. They pushed us to dream bigger, to take control of our own destiny, and to create our own films in Bengali. That heartbreak gave birth to a journey that has now grown to 180 films and counting. Thank you for being the spark behind so many stories, Ramu sir. Moments like these remind us why we love what we do. @SVFsocial" Bhopal, Jan 22 : The Congress targeted the Mohan Yadav government on Wednesday over allegations of irregularities in the purchase of utensils for Anganwadi centres in Madhya Pradesh. Congress MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Hemant Katare alleged that the Women and Child Development Department has spent Rs 5 crore to purchase utensils for 1,500 Anganwadi centres. Citing media reports on this alleged scam, Katare said that 3,100 jugs, 6,200 serving spoons (ladle) and 46,500 spoons were purchased for Rs 5 crore, and has demanded an investigation into it. "It implies that one jug was purchased for Rs 1,250, while one spoon for Rs 810. The matter is related to children and should be investigated," Katare said. Notably, the utensils were purchased following the tender process and the work order was issued to Singrauli-based 'Jai Mata Di' traders. The utensils purchased under the supervision of the Singrauli district administration include jugs, spoons and ladles. The utensils reportedly have no branding by any authorised companies. However, the prices of the utensils were exorbitant. Vice-president of MP Congress media cell, Aabbas Hafeez, talking to IANS said, "Every day a new scam is coming to the fore under the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh." Sources in the state government said the matter was brought to the notice of Chief Minister Yadav who asked the Singrauli district administration to clarify the matter. Meanwhile, responding on the matter, state Women and Child Welfare Minister Nirmala Bhuria, said the issue has been brought to her notice recently by the department and an inquiry has been ordered. "It has happened on the district level and an inquiry has been ordered into the matter. Further action would be initiated based on the report," Bhuria told IANS on Wednesday. Patna, Jan 22 : Aryan Sharma, the co-social media in-charge for Purnea's independent MP, Rajesh Ranjan (alias Pappu Yadav) lost his life in a tragic road accident in Bihar's Buxar district on Wednesday. Three other occupants also sustained critical injuries in the accident. Aryan along with his parents and driver was on the way to Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh. The vehicle they were in, a Scorpio SUV, met in a severe collision with an uncontrolled container truck in Sonvarsha village, under the jurisdiction of Sonvarsha police station in Buxar. The police said the container truck struck Aryan's Scorpio SUV head-on and dragged it for 100 meters as the truck driver attempted to flee. Aryan, who was driving the vehicle at the time, succumbed to his injuries on the spot. Aryan's father, Bambam Vishwakarma, an Assistant Professor at Gorelal Mehta College, Banmankhi in Purnea, his mother, and the vehicle's driver sustained serious injuries. The injured were rushed to Ara Sadar Hospital by local police upon receiving the incident report. Due to their critical condition, the doctor at Ara Sadar Hospital referred them to a hospital in Patna for advanced treatment. Aryan's body was sent to Buxar Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The tragic road accident involving Aryan Sharma has deeply shaken not only his family but also his close associates and the community in Purnea. There was an emotional outpouring from family members, who are inconsolable in grief. Pappu Yadav has expressed profound sorrow over Aryan's demise, describing him as a strong friend and family member in his heartfelt tribute. In his statement on Facebook, Pappu Yadav highlighted the shock and pain he is experiencing, referring to Aryan's death as an "irreparable loss" not just to him personally but also to the Purnea constituency. "Aryan was more than just a colleague; he was my family member. It is a matter of disbelief and immense sorrow due to his sudden demise. It is extremely painful for us," Yadav said. Pappu Yadav emphasised Aryan's unique presence, stating, "Aryan, there is no one like you." Varanasi, Jan 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to provide free food for Sanskrit university students and hospital attendants in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi has received heartfelt appreciation from the students of Rani Padmavati Tara Yog Tantra Mahavidyalaya. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust has been serving free meals to thousands daily, and the students have expressed their gratitude for this thoughtful gesture, which has not only improved their well-being but also helped them focus better on their studies. The initiative launched in October 2024 aims to support students and attendants by providing them with nutritious and easily digestible meals. For many students at the college, this has been a significant boost. Pushpendra Pandey, a Sanskrit student, shared his joy about the initiative: "I am very happy about this. With Baba Vishwanathas grace, we get food every morning, and in the evening, there is a special process after which we eat. The food is not only nutritious but also easy to digest. I would like to thank PM Modi and Baba Vishwanath for this kindness." Another student, Kamal, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the convenience and benefits of the scheme. "Before this, we didnat have such facilities. But now, with easily digestible, pure food, we donat have to spend time cooking. We can focus more on our studies, and for that, we are very grateful to the Prime Minister." Bablu Kumar Jha, who travelled nearly 500 kilometres to study in Varanasi, emphasised how the free food initiative has saved him valuable time. "Earlier, I spent about three to four hours cooking my meals. Now, thanks to the prasad from Kashi Vishwanath, I can save that time and dedicate it to my studies. This initiative is especially helpful for poor students who cannot afford the expenses of cooking and buying ingredients. This free arrangement is truly a blessing." The initiative also provides significant support for students from across India and neighbouring countries. Dr Kamlesh Jha, Principal of Rani Padmavati Tara Yoga Tantra Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, expressed his deep gratitude to PM Modi for his foresight in preserving the cultural heritage of Kashi. "The Prime Minister's efforts have revitalised Sanskrit schools, which have been weakening under the modern system. This initiative ensures that the traditional Gurukuls, which attract students from states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, as well as neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan, continue to thrive." The students and faculty at the college are united in their thanks to Prime Minister Modi, recognising his efforts to ensure that no student, regardless of their background or financial status, is deprived of a nourishing meal while pursuing their education in Varanasi. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan discussed the recent tragic fire in Bolu province's Kartalkaya ski resort, which claimed the lives of dozens of people, a source in the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend. Bayramov expressed condolences, wishing peace for the souls of the victims, patience for their families, and recovery for the injured people. He emphasized that Azerbaijan stands in solidarity with brotherly Turkiye in these difficult days and shares its grief, expressing hope that such a tragedy will never happen again and expressing Azerbaijan's readiness to provide any assistance. Fidan thanked them for the condolences and support provided during these difficult days. To note, the fire took place on the night of January 21, claiming the lives of 66 people, while 51 others have been injured. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Chennai, Jan 22 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin criticised Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) for accusing the DMK government of "wasting money on welfare schemes and projects." Chennai, Jan 22 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin criticised Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) for accusing the DMK government of "wasting money on welfare schemes and projects." Stalin challenged EPS to clarify whether the AIADMK government, during its decade-long tenure, fulfilled any of the promises it made. At a government event in Sivaganga, Stalin listed several unfulfilled promises made by the AIADMK between 2011 and 2016. These included the Chennai-Kanniyakumari coastal road, a 50 per cent subsidy for women buying scooters, mobile phones for all ration card holders, free Wi-Fi in public spaces, and an aeropark in southern Tamil Nadu. Stalin questioned, "Did the AIADMK government fulfil any of these promises during its ten years of governance?" He further demanded that EPS explain which welfare schemes or projects implemented by the DMK were allegedly a waste of funds. The Chief Minister highlighted two major initiatives of his government - the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai scheme and the morning breakfast program for school children - and asked whether these were being criticised as wasteful. Stalin claimed that of the 505 promises made by the DMK during the 2021 Assembly election, around 389 had already been fulfilled. He accused the AIADMK of failing to deliver on its commitments and leaving Tamil Nadu in a revenue-deficit state during its rule, despite being aligned with the BJP-led Union government. "The AIADMK's relationship with the BJP at the Centre was merely to sustain its power and position," Stalin remarked, adding that his government, in contrast, prioritised the welfare of the people. Stalin took a swipe at EPS, saying, "While Palaniswami sits in a dark room counting the number of upcoming new moon days, we focus on the welfare and development of the people." He assured the public that they were capable of evaluating the performance of both governments based on the benefits and facilities they enjoyed. The Chief Minister also criticised the Union government for allegedly attempting to stall Tamil Nadu's initiatives. He said, "Even when the Union government fails to fund its own projects, the State government uses its resources to ensure their implementation." During the event, Stalin inaugurated 46 new projects in Sivaganga district worth 376.49 crore, laid foundation stones for 33 upcoming projects, and distributed welfare measures amounting to 161 crore to benefit 53,039 people. --IANS aal/dan Amaravati, Jan 22 : Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday expressed their profound grief over the death of three students of a Vedic school in a road accident in Karnataka. A vehicle carrying 14 students of the Veda Patasala overturned in Sindhanur of Raichur district late on Tuesday night. The students of the Veda Patasala run by Mantralayam Mutt in the Kurnool district were on their way to Hampi to participate in a spiritual event there. Three students Abhilash, Sucheendra and Aryavandan, all aged between 18 - 22 years, died on the spot. Vehicle driver Shiva too died in the mishap. The injured were shifted to Sindhanur and Raichur government hospitals for treatment. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the death of the three students and assured support to the families of the deceased students and the driver. He asked the officials to extend the best possible medical treatment to the injured students. "I express my deepest condolences to the families of the Veda students who are deeply saddened by the untimely death of their promising future. We will support the Veda students who lost their lives in the accident as well as the driver's family," Naidu said in a post on X. Governor Abdul Nazeer has expressed profound grief over the death of four persons, including three students of Veda Patasala. The Governor offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and directed the officials to provide better treatment to the injured. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has also expressed shock over the death of three students and the driver. "It is learnt that the students of the Veda school in Mantralayam were on their way to Hampi for worship when the accident took place. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. The state government stands by the families of the deceased and the injured," said Pawan Kalyan. YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed deep shock over the death of the three Vedic students and the driver. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and urged the government to provide the best medical treatment for the injured. The unfortunate incident occurred when the victims were travelling from Mantralayam in Kurnool district to Hampi for a religious event. Their vehicle overturned, leading to the loss of four lives. YS Jagan expressed his grief over the tragic accident and prayed for the departed souls to rest in peace. He also appealed to the government to stand by their families during this difficult time. Bengaluru, Jan 22 : Prime Minister Narendra on Wednesday condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Karnataka's Karwar district and announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. PM Modi also announced Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the incident. Taking to social media handle X, Prime Minister Modi said, "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the accident in the Uttara Kannada (Karwar) district of Karnataka. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000." Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said, "Deeply saddened by the tragic road accident at Yallapura in Uttara Kannada that took away precious lives. My sincerest condolences to the families that lost their loved ones and my prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured." At least 10 people were killed on the spot and 15 others injured when a truck carrying them and vegetables overturned on the National Highway 63 near the Gullapura Ghatta region in Yallapura taluk of Karwar district. The injured have been admitted to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi. The deceased were residents of Savanur village in the Haveri district. All of them were vegetable vendors who travelled weekly to the village market. When the truck overturned, all the vegetables loaded on the vehicle fell on them leading to their death. Karwar SP M. Narayana said, "A total of 28 people were travelling in the truck loaded with fruits and vegetables. By the time the authorities managed to extract people from beneath the fruits and vegetables, nine had died of suffocation. Another person succumbed to injuries at the hospital." "The incident occurred due to thick fog. While giving way to an oncoming vehicle, the truck collided with an electric pole and overturned. The victims were sitting on vegetables and fruits," the SP said. Local BJP MLA, Shivaram Hebbar, visited the hospital and enquired about the health of the injured. He also directed the authorities to ensure that the mortal remains of the deceased are handed over to their families as quickly as possible. Islamabad, Jan 22 : US President Donald Trump's executive order to suspend the refugee programme has put a big question mark on the fate of thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan who had fled from the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and have been waiting for years to resettle in the United States. The US refugee programme, that would have eventually resettled in the US over 25,000 Afghan nationals currently residing in Pakistan after fleeing Afghanistan, was quashed by Trump on Monday, his very first day in office. As per the agreement between Pakistan government and the Biden administration, it was agreed between the two countries that over 25,000 Afghans - most of them having served and worked with the US military and its contractors before Taliban's takeover in August 2021 - would later be resettled in the US. Islamabad was initially expecting that the agreement would be for a temporary stay of Afghan nationals in the country. However, no progress was made on it for the last three-and-a-half years. "The Biden administration had assured Pakistan that the Afghans would be resettled through initiatives like the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and the US Refugee Admission Programme (USRAP). But now, after Trump's executive order, the entire process has been disrupted," said senior strategic analyst Kamran Yousaf. It has also been reported that visas of at least 1,660 Afghans, cleared by the US government to resettle in the US along with their families, have been suspended and they are left with no option but to stay put in Pakistan. "This is happening immediately after Trump's order suspending the US refugee programme," said an official. Washington's decision has now put the fate of these Afghan nationals in Pakistan in jeopardy. "These unfortunate Afghans are now faced with multiple problems and severe issues. They are in Pakistan, a country that is repatriating illegal Afghans back to their home country. In Afghanistan, these people are at risk of being arrested and killed because the Afghan Taliban are against all those who had worked with the US forces before August 2021," said Syed Liaqat Banori, Chairman, Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid (SHARP). Sources in the Pakistan government have also expressed serious concerns over the latest development. "We knew that this refugee programme could come under scanner once President Trump takes charge but the fastidious manner with which the new administration has acted has come as a big surprise," said an official. New Delhi, Jan 22 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed January 29 for hearing the matter where it has taken suo moto cognisance of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August 2024. "We will take it up at 2 pm next Wednesday (January 29)," said a bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan as it deferred the hearing due to paucity of time. The CJI Khanna-led Bench asked senior advocate Karuna Nundy, representing the associations of medical professionals, to provide a copy of interlocutory applications filed to the other side. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has approached the Calcutta High Court, challenging the verdict of a Kolkata special court awarding life imprisonment to Sanjay Roy, the sole accused and the convict in the rape and murder case of the woman doctor. As the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday morning before a division bench of Justices Debangshu Basak and Shabbar Rashidi, the CBI challenged the petition filed by the state government and questioned the grounds on which it could make such an appeal. Deputy Solicitor General, Rajdeep Majumdar, argued that it was only the CBI, which is the investigating agency in the case, and the victim's parents who could move such a plea at a higher court, and not the state government, which is not a party in the case. To support his contention, Majumdar referred to a case filed by the CBI against former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, where the state government's plea was not considered by the Patna High Court. Whether the West Bengal government's petition will be admissible or not will be decided by the Calcutta High Court on January 27. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the Bengal government would move the Calcutta High Court challenging the quantum of the sentence and the state government would be seeking the death penalty for the convict. "I am convinced that it is indeed a rarest of rare cases which demands capital punishment. We want to insist upon the death penalty in this most sinister and sensitive case," the Chief Minister said. While pronouncing the quantum of the sentence, special court judge Anirban Das said that the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) contention that Roy's offence in the matter was "the rarest and rare crimes" was not tenable. Hence, the judge observed that instead of the "death penalty", Roy, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, be sentenced to "life imprisonment". Apart from that a fine of Rs 50,000 was also imposed on Roy. The special court, at the same time, directed the West Bengal government to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the deceased victim. It observed that since the victim was raped and murdered at her workplace, which is a state-government entity, the West Bengal government is legally bound to pay compensation to the victim's family. In an earlier hearing held in November 2024, the Supreme Court had remarked that it would not pass any direction to transfer the trial of the ghastly rape and murder case outside West Bengal. A bench, headed by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, turned down the oral prayer made by a lawyer seeking transfer of trial outside West Bengal. "Yes, we have transferred cases (of gender violence) in Manipur. But we are not doing anything like that here," it had remarked. The apex court had noted that the trial would commence on November 11 at a special court in Kolkata after charges were framed against the "sole prime accused" in the case, Sanjay Roy. The process of the framing of charges was completed on November 4, exactly 87 days after the body of the woman junior doctor was discovered at a seminar hall within the state-run R.G. Kar premises on the morning of August 9, 2024. In October, the CBI filed its first charge sheet against Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, in the alleged rape and murder case. In the charge sheet, the CBI did not rule out the possibilities of a larger conspiracy behind the macabre crime that prompted alleged events of tampering and altering of evidence during the initial phase of the investigation which was carried out by Kolkata Police. Besides Roy, two others arrested by the CBI officials in the matter are RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former Principal, Sandip Ghosh, and the former SHO of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal. RG Kar comes under the jurisdiction of Tala Police Station. The main charges against Ghosh and Mondal are for misleading the investigation when the Kolkata Police were probing the matter before it was handed over to CBI by the Calcutta High Court. Both have been accused of tampering with evidence in the case. Taking suo moto cognisance of the rape and murder case of the junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the Supreme Court had termed the incident "horrific," which raises the "systemic issue of safety of doctors across the country". "We are deeply concerned about the fact that there is an absence of safe conditions of work for young doctors across the country, particularly, public hospitals," it had said. The apex court had ordered the formation of the NTF (National Task Force) to suggest measures for the security of medical professionals across the country, observing that the safety of doctors is the "highest national concern". --IANS pds/dan Amritsar, Jan 22 : As part of its 49th Raising Day celebrations, the Indian Coast Guard has launched the 'Samudra Ke Prahari Sarhad Se Samandar' Motorcycle Expedition. The event was officially flagged off at the Attari Border in Amritsar by Inspector General Bhishma Sharma, PTM, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region (West), and Dr Atul Fulzele, Inspector General, BSF Punjab Frontier. Organised by the Indian Coast Guard Air Station in Daman in collaboration with Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, the expedition spans 2,300 km over 10 days. The route traverses significant border towns and coastal cities, including Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Vadodara, and Daman, before culminating at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai on February 1, celebrated as Coast Guard Day. The expedition honours the dedication and bravery of the Indian Coast Guard in safeguarding the nation's maritime borders. It underscores the critical role of the Coast Guard in national security, maritime vigilance, and highlights India's proud maritime heritage. Promoting national integration, environmental awareness, and camaraderie, the rally showcases the collective strength of India's Defence forces. Kalyani Potekar remarked, "This rally aligns with the Government of India's 'Fit India Movement', 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', and 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', which will be prominently highlighted during the journey." The rally aims to foster emotional resilience, teamwork, and well-being among participants. Coast Guard personnel will engage with students at various schools along the route, conducting awareness campaigns to inspire young minds and promote India's rich maritime history. The expedition also emphasises road safety, responsible driving, and environmental stewardship. It offers participants an opportunity to connect with India's diverse landscapes, people, and culture, reinforcing the country's shared values and traditions. Sandeep Shukla of the Indian Coast Guard noted, "This rally begins at the Attari Border and concludes at the Gateway of India. Though the journey spans land rather than sea, it aims to spread awareness of government initiatives and foster a deeper connection with the people." Imphal, Jan 22 : The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) which has a lone MLA in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, in a letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday reiterated that the party would play as an opposition party in the state as it withdraw its support from the BJP government in 2022. JD-U state President Ksh Biren Singh in his letter to the Governor said that his party does not support the BJP-led state government in Manipur and their lone MLA Mohammad Abdul Nasir be treated as an opposition MLA in the house. In the last Assembly elections in Manipur, held in 2022, the JD-U won six seats, but subsequently, five of its MLAs joined BJP leading to the party's strength in the house reduced to just one. "Opposing the five MLAs joining the BJP, a complaint was lodged before the Assembly Speaker's Tribunal and the trial under the Tenth Schedule of India against the five legislators is pending before the Speaker's Tribunal," the JD-U state President told the Governor in his letter. The withdrawal by the JD-U, however, did not have any impact on the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh-led government as the BJP has 37 MLAs' support in the 60-member Assembly and is also supported by five MLAs of Naga People's Front (NPF) and three independents. The JD-U led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA at the Center and various other states. In November last year, the National People's Party (NPP), which has seven MLAs, withdrew support from the BJP-led government in Manipur accusing the state government of its failure to deal with the ethnic violence since May 2023. The NPP is led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. However, after the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 2023, 10 tribal, including seven BJP and two Kuki People's Alliance legislators, have been boycotting the Assembly sessions and demanding a separate administration or Union Territory for the tribals in the state. Of the 10 tribal MLAs, two are ministers -- Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen (lone woman minister) are also not coming to the state capital due to security reasons and not attending the cabinet meeting. The ruling BJP and the Chief Minister did not yet take any action against the party's seven tribal MLAs. --IANS sc/dan Bengaluru, Jan 22 : The Karnataka BJP has announced a month-long campaign from February 15 to celebrate former Prime Minister and veteran leader late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's centenary year. Speaking at a press conference, former deputy Chief Minister and MLA C. N. Ashwath Narayan said that from February 15 to March 15, 'Atal Virasat' Conferences will be held at the district level in the state. These events will feature exhibitions of books about Atal Ji and recognition of individuals who have grown by following Atal Ji's path of struggle and dedication." Describing Vajpayee as a rare leader of the nation, the former CM said, that this initiative will celebrate his contributions and achievements for the youth and the public. He added that exhibitions and sales of the late leader's books and literary works would be held, alongside the felicitation of writers and senior BJP workers. "There will also be exhibitions highlighting Atal Ji's invaluable contributions during the campaign," the leader said. Ashwath Narayan further stated that the birthday of the multifaceted Vajpayee, celebrated on December 25 as "Good Governance Day," saw various programmes organised at booth, mandal, district, state, and national levels. The committee formed to lead the initiative has A. H. Shivayogi Swamy as the head, Jagadeesh Hiremani as state coordinator and Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, N.V. Phaneesh, Bidare Prakash, B.C. Sadashivayya, P.N. Sadashiv, Mamatha Uday, Dayagan Dharwadkar, Narasimhmoorthy, Venkatesh Prasad, and Shankar Biradar as members. Shivayogi Swamy mentioned that similar teams are being formed at district and mandal levels. Efforts are underway to gather information related to the late leader's visits to the state, including photographs and memorabilia. A special exhibition showcasing the collected materials will be held on February 14. Hiremani, state secretary Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, state co-coordinator N.V. Phaneesh, and other members of the campaign's state committee were present during the conference. Ludhiana, Jan 22 : In a distressing incident in Punjab, a garment manufacturing unit owner in this industrial city has allegedly humiliated three sisters, their mother and a youth, blackened their faces with ink, and paraded each with a placard hanging around their necks that read "I am a thief". Ludhiana, Jan 22 (IANS) In a distressing incident in Punjab, a garment manufacturing unit owner in this industrial city has allegedly humiliated three sisters, their mother and a youth, blackened their faces with ink, and paraded each with a placard hanging around their necks that read "I am a thief". They were accused of stealing garments. The incident took place in Ludhiana's Ekjot Nagar area. They were reportedly beaten, had their faces forcibly blackened, and had the words "I am a thief, I admit my guilt" written on the placards. They were then paraded in the area, according to police reports. They were teased by passersby, as some of them recorded the incident on the camera of their mobile phones. One of the victims was a young woman whose marriage is scheduled soon. Following a public outrage on videos of the crime scene circulating on social media, a case was registered on Wednesday under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against garment manufacturing unit, Palwinder Singh, who accused the woman, her daughters, and youth Abhishek of stealing goods from the factory. Taking suo motu cognisance of the crime, Punjab State Women's Commission in a notice to the Commissioner of Police of Ludhiana called for immediate action and a detailed investigation by a senior official. The commission has sought a status report on the crime by January 23 regarding the investigation and the action taken against the perpetrators which comprised the owner and his two employees. "The Punjab State Women's Commission is committed to ensuring the protection and respect of women's rights and dignity. Such incidents are a matter of grave concern and will be dealt with utmost seriousness," the commission said in a statement. Purported videos of the crime show bystanders hooting with slogans like "beat them up". Women Commission Chairperson Raj Lali Gill said that despite public humiliation, no one intervened to stop them from parading in streets or even report the crime to the police immediately. "I am surprised that the people who were witnessing the crime have no humanity," she told the media in Chandigarh. She said the accused took the victims in the streets and the onlookers kept hooting. Some youths made videos and made them viral on social media. After the videos went viral, the police station at Basti Jodhewal registered a case against garment manufacturing owner Palwinder Singh, manager Manpreet Singh and a worker. The police will present the accused in a local court on Thursday. According to the police, after seeing the CCTV footage of the purported theft, the owner got suspicious and called the victims. He accused them of committing the theft. Without informing the police, the owner brought ink and allegedly blackened the faces of all five and made them stand there. After this, they were taken to the street and paraded in the neighbourhood. When they were paraded, people followed them. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Bhajan Singh Rana, the auto-rickshaw driver, who helped Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan to reach the hospital after a knife attack on him, has shared how the events following the attack unfolded. He also shared that his single-point focus was to take the actor to the hospital as early as possible. The auto-rickshaw driver spoke with IANS, and said, "They (Saif's family) gave a time of 3:30 pm. I said, 'Okay, and I will reach'. I was a little late, about 4-5 minutes, and then we met. As we were moving around inside, his family was there too. They were all worried, but everything went well. His mother and children were there, and I was treated with respect". Bhajan Singh Rana was paid Rs 51, 000 for his help on the night of Thursday. He also spoke about his meeting with the actor, as he said, "I was invited today, which felt really good. There was nothing special, it was just a normal meeting. I told him, 'Just get well soon, I had prayed for you earlier, and I will continue to pray'". Saif was reportedly attacked by an assailant who barged into his Bandra house through his youngest son, Jeh's room during the wee hours of Thursday. The actor reportedly went to the hospital on his own, and was accompanied by his son Taimur. As per media reports, doctors removed the 2.5 inches of knife from his wound. The actor was stabbed multiple times in an attempt to fight off the accused during the wee hours of Thursday. The actor sustained six stab wounds, two of which are said to be serious as they are closer to his spine. The incident took place at 2:15 am when the accused allegedly barged into their Bandra home, and attacked their house help and then Saif when he intervened. Saif was woken up by the commotion in his son Jeh's room. He went inside the room to see the culprit arguing with their house help, looking at this, Saif intervened to save the house help with bare hands to fight off the intruder. Photo: Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has met with Turkish Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Cahit Bagci due to the completion of his diplomatic mission in the country, a source in the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend. Asadov thanked the ambassador for his contribution to the development of relations between the two countries. The meeting highly appreciated the level of friendly, fraternal, and strategic allied relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, as well as discussed issues related to the expansion of economic cooperation. To note, the term of Bagci's diplomatic activity ended in December 2024. The President of the Education Foundation, Birol Akgun, will become the new ambassador of Turkiye to Azerbaijan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Bengaluru, Jan 22 : The infighting within the Karnataka BJP has come to the forefront, with former minister B. Sriramulu accusing mining baron and MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy of attempting to undermine his political career. Sriramulu, a prominent leader representing the oppressed classes, has expressed his willingness to resign from the party in response to these tensions. Addressing the media, Sriramulu claimed that BJP Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Agarwal had humiliated him during a recent state core committee meeting. According to Sriramulu, Agarwal blamed him for the party's defeat in the by-election for the Sandur Assembly constituency. "Agarwal alleged that I did not work for BJP candidate Bangaru Hanumantha, leading to the party's loss," Sriramulu said. Countering these allegations, Sriramulu pointed out that the committee led by former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda had not yet submitted its report on the bypoll defeat. "I questioned State President B.Y. Vijayendra's silence on the matter. Vijayendra knows I actively campaigned in the Sandur constituency from day one, as he was present there. I only left for Shiggaon in the final days of the election to support the BJP candidate there," Sriramulu explained. The BJP leader said he was deeply hurt by the accusations and alleged that Janardhana Reddy had been influencing the party leadership against him. "Reddy is acting like a dictator, expecting the party to function according to his whims. I've been a loyal party worker for three decades and have never betrayed the BJP. Yet, conspiracies are being hatched against me," Sriramulu charged. Sriramulu revealed that he had contemplated resigning from the party but was persuaded otherwise by Agarwal, who intervened and urged him not to take such an extreme step. According to sources, Sriramulu has raised his concerns with the BJP's central leadership. The state BJP core committee meeting, held on Tuesday night, has exposed further cracks within the party. The open rebellion by former ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal against State President Vijayendra has already dented the party's image and caused confusion among workers statewide. Meanwhile, the party is gearing up for elections to appoint district and state presidents. Sriramulu and Janardhana Reddy, once known as close allies in Karnataka politics, now find themselves at odds. While Reddy played a key role in Sriramulu's rise in state politics, the two have grown apart. Sriramulu chose not to join Reddy's Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP), launched before the state assembly elections. In March 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Reddy merged the KRPP with the BJP, further complicating their relationship. Kottayam, Jan 22 : Kerala CPI-M lady councillor at the Koothattukulam municipality, Kala Raju, on Wednesday said she has lost trust and faith in her party after the abduction episode that took place last week. The alleged abduction of Raju occurred when she publicly expressed dissatisfaction with her party and indicated her intent to vote against CPI-M directives in a municipal vote. Following this, she was reportedly assaulted and forcibly taken away while she was attempting to participate in the voting process. Later she was hospitalised and on Tuesday she was unable to give her statement before the magistrate due to the injuries suffered in the assault. This issue created a furore in the Assembly on Tuesday and the Pinarayi Vijayan government informed four arrests have been made, but Raju on Wednesday said the police are yet to arrest the people who hurt her the most. "I don't have faith in police as the arrested are not the ones who attacked me. I informed my party of all the issues before itself, but they took no action. I was brutally attacked and my dress was torn. I was threatened in the party office brandishing a knife. Now I fear for my life as they have threatened that my family will be eliminated," Raju told the court while lying on a stretcher. She refuted the claims of her party leaders that she was in the custody of the Congress-led UDF. "I will go forward legally and I have not decided about my future course in politics. I want to ask what my party did to a 56-year-old widow who was brutally attacked. I cannot believe my party that I believed for the past quarter of a century," added Raju, who was later taken back to the hospital where she had been admitted. Meanwhile, with the case gathering momentum and the local police coming under fire, on Wednesday the police took into custody the official vehicle of the Municipal chairman of the municipality as it was in this vehicle that Raju was 'abducted'. --IANS sg/dan Suva, Jan 22 : The first anniversary of the 'Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony)' of Ayodhya's Ram Mandir (inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on January 22 last year) was celebrated by the Hindu diaspora in Fiji in large numbers. The occasion saw the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka and Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Biman Prasad joining in the festivities as part of a special event, 'Harmony in Oneness: Sabme Ram, Sabke Ram', organised by the Indian Minorities Federation in the island country. As 'Jai Shri Ram' chants reverberated in the air, members of the Hindu diaspora of Fiji sent a brick for the grand Ram Mandir. Fiji PM and Deputy PM were also presented with the replica of the sacred idol of Lord Ram from the Ayodhya temple along with holy water of Saryu River by Rajya Sabha MP and Indian Minorities Federation convener Satnam Singh Sandhu. Speaking on the occasion, Fiji's PM Rabuka said, "It is a great venture in the right direction for the world, not only for Hindus and India. I congratulate the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), my friend. He became re-elected (as PM) after we met, so congratulations again and I would like to make sure that he gets the message that Fiji is still here. We are committed to our journey of peace, a journey which he has been on for long." Praising PM Modi's mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' for ensuring everybody develops and prospers together, the Fiji PM said, "I believe 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is a great governance model which PM Modi is practising which ensures inclusive development for all. I think the world should adopt it for making it a better place to live". The Fijian PM said PM Modi has become an icon for peace and Hindus all over the world. "Having the confidence of those in India is a big number. So, I congratulate him for that. The oneness in that journey of Hindus in the world will eventually translate into oneness in the peoples of the world," Rabuka said. In his address, the Deputy PM of Fiji, Biman Prasad said, "On behalf of all the citizens of Fiji, I am very grateful to the popular Prime Minister of India. Last year, I got a golden opportunity to become the first leader to reach there after the consecration of Ram Mandir and the way the temple has been built is a matter of pride for all of us Hindus." "People like us who had come many miles away from India had brought the Ramayan. When this temple was built on the birthplace of Ram, it was a special thing for all of us and for this I am giving special thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His popularity all over the world is a matter of pride for all of us Indians. The temple in Ayodhya is very grand, thousands and lakhs of people are going there for darshan," he added. The Deputy PM further said, "Many people from Fiji are going to visit the Ram temple, because all our Indian people in Fiji have a very old relationship with the country. Every citizen with Indian roots hopes that he could go to India one day. Every year people from here visit India, visit temples. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Fiji in 2014 and recently he met our Prime Minister. The highest honour of Fiji was given to PM Modi by our country. Our Prime Minister has met him and respectfully calls him 'Boss Sahab.'" Members of the Hindu diaspora also expressed joy on the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony and said PM Modi has inspired Sanatan Dharam globally. They said that the ancient Indian culture and Sanatan Dharam is well-imbibed in the lifestyle of PM Modi, who has taken inspiration from Ramayan as well as the Bhagavad Gita. Thanking PM Modi for making Lord Rama's grand temple at his birthplace in Ayodhya a reality and connecting Indians in 122 countries all over the world with the historic and once-in-a-lifetime event after a wait of over 500 years, the Hindu diaspora said the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has become the global capital of Hinduism and it would not have been possible without the visionary leadership of PM Modi. The Indian diaspora said by unifying Hindus all over the world, PM Modi has not only become an icon for Sanatan Dharam, but also an icon for peace and harmony across the world. They said under the leadership of PM Modi, Sanatan Dharam has flourished across the world, giving Hindus in Fiji and beyond a sense of hope and pride. Tumakuru, Jan 22 : Karnataka Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka slammed the state government on Wednesday, saying that it is planning to borrow Rs 1 lakh crore in this budget again. Speaking to reporters, he mentioned that the Secretary of the Finance Department has stated there has been a 20 per cent decline in government revenue. "The government plans to borrow Rs 1 lakh crore in this budget. During the BJP's tenure, surplus budgets were achieved without taking loans. Since Congress has come to power, Karnataka has turned into a debt-ridden state. They are taking the state towards a situation where it will have to beg like Kerala," he claimed. He also claimed that Siddaramaiah is an outgoing Chief Minister who does not have any concerns, adding that some MLAs have threatened suicide due to the lack of grants. "This issue has reportedly led to arguments within Congress meetings," he said. He alleged that no developmental work has taken place under the Congress government, with even Congress MLAs admitting this fact while criminal activities such as bank robberies, slashing udders of cows, and rapes continue unabated. "Despite all this, questions arise about where the money for the Belagavi convention for the Congress government to hold 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' came from," he said. He claimed that funds collected through corruption were used for the convention. "Now, by hiking prices, the government has placed an additional burden on the people. Initially, they said no taxes would be imposed, but later, they placed the burden squarely on the people's shoulders," he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has picked Harvard alumnus Ritesh Kumar Singh to head the Finance Department ahead of the 2025-26 Budget. Sources said that the state government is in a dilemma considering the expenditure on five guarantee schemes considered the flagship programmes of the Congress party at the national level. However, the Congress legislators and ministers are in favour of the allocation of funds for the development, infrastructure spending and development of Bengaluru and major cities in the state. Sources said that Siddaramaiah is all set to present the 2025-26 budget in March is expected to touch Rs 4 lakh crores. It will be Siddaramaiah's 16th budget as the Finance Minister. Siddaramaiah had presented a Rs 3.71 lakh crore budget for 2024-25. The state government is spending Rs 52,000 crore every year for the five guarantee schemes. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22 : The Kerala Tourism Department has partnered with the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at leveraging innovative solutions to enhance the state's tourism experience. State Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, present at the signing ceremony, said that integrating innovative ideas and technology from Kerala's thriving startup ecosystem could significantly accelerate the growth of the tourism sector. "This financial year will see technology-driven innovations dominate the tourism sector, and this MoU will act as a catalyst in that direction," said Riyas. The collaboration is poised to revolutionise Kerala's tourism landscape, offering a seamless travel experience while boosting tourist footfall, particularly among international visitors. The initiative will focus on developing attractive tourism products and showcasing them globally using cutting-edge technologies. The MoU includes plans to establish an innovation centre, marking the first of its kind in India, dedicated to fostering technological advancements in tourism. Modern, well-equipped caravan parks will be developed to provide unique travel experiences aligned with global trends, targeting both domestic and international tourists. Combining scenic accommodations with co-working spaces, Startup Pods will cater to the growing demand for remote work opportunities in picturesque settings. Tourism Director Sikha Surendran highlighted the importance of addressing key challenges through tech-based solutions, such as improving basic amenities, ensuring safety, and enhancing overall tourist experiences. "We are also exploring a literature circuit, where tourists can visit destinations associated with Malayalam literary classics, many of which have been translated into global languages," she added. Anoop Ambika, CEO of KSUM, announced three pilot projects under the initiative. The first is Caravan Trails, a dedicated app to identify and promote lesser-known destinations suitable for caravan tourism, allowing users to share hidden gems with potential tourists. The second is Startup Pods, fully equipped pods in scenic locations designed to attract tech-savvy travelers and foster a superior remote workstation experience. And the third is tech-enabled improvement to public restroom facilities to enhance convenience and hygiene for travelers. Jerusalem, Jan 22 : Israel continued its military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second day, killing at least 10 people, the military said on Wednesday, as Palestinian sources reported that Israeli troops also injured dozens. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that since the operation began on Tuesday, Israeli forces have killed "over 10" people, all of whom were claimed to be militants. "Additionally, aerial strikes on terror infrastructure sites were conducted, and numerous explosives planted on routes by the terrorists were dismantled," read the statement. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the troops killed at least nine people and injured 40 others. Israeli forces destroyed infrastructure and bulldozed roads in Jenin's Al-Hadaf neighbourhood, while drones bombed an empty vehicle in the Jenin refugee camp and Apache helicopters fired into the skies above the camp, Xinhua news agency cited Wafa as reporting. Also on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation represents a shift in the IDF's "security strategy" in the West Bank. In a statement released by his office, Katz suggested that the operation would be large-scale and decisive. "An intense operation to eliminate terrorists and terror infrastructure in the (Jenin) camp -- without the return of terrorism to the camp after the operation ends -- is a key lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza," he said. Katz noted that he had visited the IDF command centre on Tuesday "to closely observe the progress of the operation and reaffirm the policy." The operation, launched Tuesday by the IDF, Shin Bet security agency, and Border Police, is dubbed 'Iron Wall'. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the raid aimed to "eradicate terrorism" in Jenin and claimed Iran was behind anti-Israeli militant activity in the city. Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, is a territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel has kept its control over the land despite international criticism. The operation comes as Israel halted its fighting in Gaza on Sunday, as the truce agreement took effect. Still, the violence escalated in the West Bank with the raid in Jenin and a series of settler attacks on Palestinian villages. Mumbai, Jan 22 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a series of impactful meetings with veteran politicians and corporate leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos. The discussions focused on strengthening collaborations and reinforcing Maharashtra's reputation as a leading destination for investments. Fadnavis met former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for an insightful discussion on public transport and energy transition. Highlighting Maharashtra's progress, Fadnavis stated, "With over 50 per cent of our energy soon to be sourced from renewables, Maharashtra is at the forefront of this transition. Blair expressed eagerness to visit India and discussed India's progress, the Davos agenda, and Maharashtra's role as a powerhouse." He also emphasized the state's ambitious plan to increase energy capacity from 48 GW to 78 GW. In a meeting with Ville Tavio, Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Fadnavis explored opportunities for deeper ties. "We discussed hosting a 'Magnetic Maharashtra' roadshow in Finland and identified key areas for collaboration, including renewable energy, green hydrogen, and the chemical and fertilizer sectors," he said, underlining a shared commitment to sustainable growth. The Chief Minister also engaged with Abhijit Dubey, CEO of NTT DATA, which plays a pivotal role in Maharashtra's data centre ecosystem. "With 1 GW of data centre capacity in the state, NTT is a cornerstone of our technological infrastructure. Our discussions focused on transformative opportunities, and NTT reiterated its commitment to Maharashtra," Fadnavis remarked. An interactive session with Jerzy Janeczko, Chief Information Officer of Lonza Group, shed light on Maharashtra's potential in healthcare manufacturing. "We explored opportunities to accelerate pharmaceutical, biotech, and nutrition innovations while advancing world-class manufacturing and cutting-edge solutions," said Fadnavis. Fadnavis also met Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman, and Rizwan Soomar, MD and CEO (India & Africa) of DP World. The discussions revolved around India's role as a global trade hub and Maharashtra's contribution to trade dynamics. "DP World reaffirmed its commitment to continued investments in Maharashtra, with plans for industrial parks, enhanced logistics, and exploration of Hyperloop technology to boost trade infrastructure," Fadnavis shared. In a meeting with Il Bum Kim, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group, Fadnavis discussed the company's plans to launch 'Made in Maharashtra' cars by October and establish a new plant in Pune. "Hyundai is focused on tailoring products for India and exploring CSR initiatives in collaboration with the state," he noted. The CM congratulated Hyundai on its successful IPO and highlighted Maharashtra's role in the company's expansion. He also met Jeetu Patel, EVP and Chief Product Officer of Cisco, to discuss cybersecurity advancements and Cisco's contributions to Maharashtra's networking solutions. "We deliberated on the Maha-Cyber initiative and the potential application of Splunk, Cisco's latest acquisition, to enhance our cybersecurity framework," he stated. Algiers, Jan 22 : Algerian authorities on Wednesday handed over freed Spanish hostage Gilbert Navarro to Spanish officials in a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Algiers. Fernando Moran Calvo-Sotelo, Spain's Ambassador to Algeria, and the Secretary-General of the Algerian Foreign Ministry, Lounes Magramane, attended the event. In a statement to the media, Navarro expressed his gratitude to Algeria for securing his release, noting that he remains in shock and needs a few days of rest to regain his serenity. The Foreign Ministry's Secretary-General reaffirmed Algeria's condemnation of all acts of violence and terrorism worldwide, stressing that the country spared no effort in securing Navarro's freedom. Magramane also urged the international community to unite against terrorism and cut its financial resources. Navarro, who was on a tourist trip, was abducted on January 14 in the Algerian-Malian border by an armed group of five individuals, Xinhua news agency reported. His release was announced earlier Tuesday by the Azawad Liberation Front, a coalition of Tuareg separatist groups in northern Mali. Following his release, Navarro was flown late Tuesday from Tin Zouatin Airport in southern Algeria on a private aircraft to Boufarik military airbase, 40 km south of Algiers. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune thanked the security services and the cadres of the Ministry of National Defence for their "efficiency and confidentiality" during the operation to free the Spanish citizen. According to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the Azawad Liberation Front, or the Mouvement National pour la Liberation de l'Azawad (MNLA), was founded in October 2011 following meetings held in northern Mali, largely among Tuareg communities. It was initially composed of a mixture of Tuareg returnees from the 2011 rebellion against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and defectors from the Malian defence and security forces. The MNLA began its rebellion against the Malian state in January 2012, quickly spreading throughout northern Mali. New Delhi, Jan 22 : For the upcoming Assembly elections in the capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with top leadership will join the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) high-decibel campaign to bolster its poll pitch and corner the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its failures and failed promises. New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) For the upcoming Assembly elections in the capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with top leadership will join the Bharatiya Janata Partyas (BJP) high-decibel campaign to bolster its poll pitch and corner the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its failures and failed promises. From Home Minister Amit Shah to BJP President JP Nadda and several Union Ministers will join the electoral fray to woo the Delhi electorate over the next 10 days. BJP is keen on carrying the momentum set by the phase-wise release of its poll manifesto and wants to seize the moment by launching its most reliable and credible faces in the Delhi arena. Party insiders say that many Union Ministers have been attributed with the task of canvassing, with each minister being given charge of two Assembly seats each. PM Modi is expected to hold three election rallies while Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda are likely to address more than 18 public rallies and gatherings. The programme has been specially designed to cover all 70 Assembly seats. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath will also add vigour to BJPas poll campaign and is expected to rally support in at least 14 public meetings. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, Piyush Goyal, Mansukh Mandaviya, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will also be seen partaking in the election campaign. BJP national general secretaries Vinod Tawde, Sunil Bansal, Tarun Chugh and Arun Singh have also been deployed. Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Sanjeev Balyan, Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar, and former Rajasthan BJP President Satish Poonia have also been included in the star list of campaigners. Till date, BJP leaders have conducted about 4,500 meetings with the Dalit community, 1,700 public meetings with the Muslim society and 7,500 outreach programmes with women of different sections. Amaravati, Jan 22 : The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday ordered a judicial probe into the January 8 stampede at Tirupati, which had claimed six lives and left over 30 others injured. Retired judge of the High Court, Satyanarayana Murthy will head the judicial inquiry into the stampede, which took place during the distribution of darshan tickets for Tirumala temple. The state government on Wednesday issued orders in this regard. The commission has been asked to submit its report within six months. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced a judicial probe on January 9 after a visit to the spot. The Chief Minister had ordered the suspension of two officials and the transfer of three other officials for the incident. The stampede took place on the night of January 8 at two paces as hundreds of people jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple. After a visit to the site of the stampede, calling on the injured at SVIMS Hospital, and a review meeting with TTD officials, the Chief Minister announced that a judicial inquiry would be ordered. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramana Kumar and Goshala director Harnath Reddy were suspended for dereliction of duty. The Chief Minister also announced the transfer of Superintendent of Police Subbaraidu, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Joint Executive Officer Gautami, and Chief Security Officer Sridhar. The state government also announced Rs 25 lakh compensation each to the families of the deceased through TTD. It was also announced a member of the family of each deceased will be provided a contract job. The Chief Minister announced that two women who were critically injured will be given Rs 5 lakh each. He said 33 other injured will be paid Rs 2 lakh each. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had also visited the stampede spot and called on the injured the same day. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The Azerbaijani Parliament has hosted the second meeting of the chairmen of the health committees of the parliaments of the member countries of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), Trend reports. Representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the TURKPA Secretariat took part in the meeting along with Azerbaijan. The event featured discussions on Climate Change and Health: Responding to the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Legislation". As the Chairman of the Health Committee of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, the Commission on Environment and Natural Resources and Health Protection of TURKPA, Academician Ahliman Amiraslanov said diseases caused by environmental pollution pose a danger to children and the elderly. He noted that the healthcare system today is faced not only with traditional problems but also with the consequences of climate change. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions and developing green technologies are among the main areas of work on this path. Azerbaijan, like other countries, is actively working to eliminate the consequences of climate change. We must take these issues seriously for the sake of the health of our citizens, Amiraslanov added. Chairperson of the Health, Family, Labor, and Social Affairs Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Vedat Bilgin, said that climate change and its effects on health are a global emergency. Addressing the event, Bilgin emphasized that achieving a balance between humans and nature has always led to results that affect not just a single society or country, but potentially all of humanity. The cause of climate change in the modern era is the disruption of the natural interaction between people and nature. We also know that the rise in cancer cases is linked to climate change. This is happening in various countries and poses a threat to all of humanity. The pollution extends beyond the air, affecting the soil as well. Even the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers causes damage to it, Bilgin said. Another speaker at the meeting, Kazakh MP Guldara Nurimova, said that climate change affects ecosystems, leading to the emergence of various diseases. According to her, medical employees must be aware of the health impacts of climate change. We can protect our future from the negative impacts of climate change by acting together, the MP added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Jaipur, Jan 22 : In the national capital, New Delhi, preparations for the selected tableaux featured on the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, as well as those participating in Bharat Parv 2025 from January 26 to 31 at the historic Red Fort, were showcased to the media during a press preview on Wednesday. The event was held at the Republic Day Parade National Stadium Camp located at Delhi Cantt Parade Ground. This year, 31 tableaux from central ministries and various states will participate in the Republic Day parade. Additionally, 43 tableaux, including those from the main parade, will be displayed during Bharat Parv 2025 at the Red Fort. Although Rajasthan's tableau will not feature in the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, it will be part of Bharat Parv 2025. Rajasthan's tableau, titled "Sono Rajasthan," will be a "centre of attraction" at the Red Fort event, drawing public attention. The tableau beautifully combines the state's rich heritage, cultural splendour, and architectural traditions with the concept of a developed India and the state's progress. Rajneesh Harsh of Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy, the tableau's nodal officer, explained during the press conference that this stunning display merges Rajasthan's festive culture, architectural heritage, and handicrafts. Designed by accomplished artist Harshiv Sharma, the tableau features a vibrant depiction of Rajasthan's traditions and modern advancements. The front section showcases a scene from Rajasthan's famous Teej festival procession, a celebration of women and culture. The rear portion highlights the ancient and intricate havelis of Shekhawati, renowned for their murals and architectural beauty. The tableau's lower panel features detailed mural paintings and designs from these havelis, along with representations of Rajasthan's advancements in water conservation and solar energy. Harsh emphasised that the tableau was created under the guidance of Ravi Jain, Secretary of the State's Art and Culture Department, along with contributions from Deputy Secretary Brij Mohan Nogia and Rashmi Gupta, Divisional Commissioner of Jaipur. Recent initiatives by Rajasthan's Tourism Department have focused on preserving these historic havelis and converting them into museums to attract domestic and international tourists. This cultural tableau showcases Rajasthan's festive traditions, such as Teej, alongside its commitment to water conservation, solar energy, and sustainable development. Fabricated by Inventivo Creation Private Limited, the tableau reflects the efforts of a dedicated team, including artists Harshiv Sharma, Vinay Sharma, Samudra Singh, and Preeti Solanki, who worked tirelessly to bring the vision to life. Bharat Parv has been celebrated annually in Delhi since 2014, an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This event aims to highlight India's cultural diversity and encourage artistic expression. Rajasthan's tableau is expected to captivate Delhiites and visitors from across the country and the world during Bharat Parv 2025, along with other impressive displays. Hubballi, Jan 22 : In a shocking incident, a man was stripped and thrashed by a mob for allegedly talking to a married woman in Hubballi city, Karnataka, on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Tipu Nagar, under the jurisdiction of the Kasabapet police station. Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the case. Police said that the victim has been identified as Muzaffar, a resident of Tipu Nagar. Authorities stated that the victim had spoken to a married woman over the phone on Tuesday. Upon learning of this, the womanas relatives, along with a group of 15 individuals, kidnapped Muzaffar on Wednesday, objecting to his act of calling the married woman. The mob stripped and brutally assaulted Muzaffar, slashing his body with blades. After the assault, they dumped him in Tipu Nagar in a naked manner and forced him to walk home in the same condition. The victim is currently admitted to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi. Muzaffaras family and relatives have expressed outrage over the incident and filed a police complaint against 15 individuals. The family stated that the incident has severely damaged their reputation and dignity, making it difficult for them to face people in the locality. The police have taken up further investigation. Earlier, a shocking incident occurred on November 16, 2024, in the Belagavi district of Karnataka, where a woman and a young girl were assaulted in full public view, and the woman was stripped on suspicion of engaging in prostitution, according to reports. On December 10, 2023, a similar incident was reported from Belagavi city, where a 42-year-old woman was dragged out of her home, stripped naked, and paraded. She was then tied to an electric pole and assaulted, reportedly because her son had eloped with a girl from the village. The terror was unleashed on the boy's mother by the girlas family members. --IANS mka/dan Kolkata, Jan 22 : West Bengal government's hyperactive approach in seeking the death penalty for the RG Kar case convict is surely politically motivated, the father of the victim woman doctor said on Wednesday. The state government had moved to Calcutta High Court challenging the verdict of a special court in Kolkata on January 22 sentencing Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment and also seeking the death penalty for the sole convict. On Wednesday, the victim's father said that although they also want the death penalty for Roy, they feel that the state government's hurried approach to seeking the death penalty at the Calcutta High Court is surely backed by any political intention. "I fail to understand such a hyperactive approach on the part of the state government. I fail to understand the real game behind it. But surely there is some sort of political motive behind this hyperactive approach," the victim's father claimed. Incidentally, his observations in the matter come just hours after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenged the state government's plea seeking a death sentence for Roy and questioned the grounds on which the state government could make such an appeal. The contention of the CBI counsel was that it is only the CBI, as the sole investigation agency in the matter and the victim's parents, who could move such a plea at a higher court, and not the state government, which is not a party in the case. Whether the state government's petition on this count will be admissible or not will be heard at the same division bench on January 27. After the body of the doctor was recovered from a seminar hall within the R.G. Kar premises on the morning of August 9, 2024, the initial investigation was carried out by the Kolkata Police. It was the Kolkata Police which first arrested Roy. However, after five days of initial investigation by the city police, the charge of the probe into the matter was handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court. Jammu, Jan 22 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and President of the ruling National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah said on Wednesday that the train to the Valley might be delayed by a few months and could start in April when the tourist season starts. Union Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw said in December 2024 that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project on which work was started in 1997 to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country, has been completed. The railway authorities conducted several trial runs on various sections including the Katra-Srinagar track besides the statutory inspection by Commissioner of Railway Safety, Northern Circle, Dinesh Chand Deshwal in the past month, kindling hopes of early operationalisation of the service. Asked about the criticism of the government functioning allegedly by a Congress leader, Abdullah said the government knows what to do. "Government will function as it wants. Nobody can dictate terms to the government," he said. Responding to the PDP remark that the NC government has changed the goal post from Article 370 to statehood, Abdullah said the rival party needs to go for self-introspection before making any allegations against his party. "Tell PDP that they are the ones who are responsible for the revocation of Article 370. We had told Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, PDP founder, not to join the BJP for government formation. He went ahead, despite repeated requests by us, Congress and other parties," the NC president said. Asked when the statehood was restored to Jammu and Kashmir, he quipped "When it is acceptable to the Almighty." On return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits who completed 35 years in exile on January 19, Abdullah said the BJP ruled J&K over the past 10 years and the question should have been posed to them how many migrant families they have rehabilitated during this period. He said the BJP has also promised 50,000 jobs to the unemployed youth, but nobody will ask them how many jobs they provided in the past 10 years, but will ask the National Conference which only came to power three months ago and has five years to fulfil all its promises including providing jobs to the youth. He also questioned the silence of the media over the alleged misuse of the Central government by the BJP in the elections. "I want to advise the media to remove hatred from their reporting and try to work to spread love. If we continue to spread hatred, we cannot save the country," he said. Asked about the involvement of a Bangladeshi national in the recent attack on Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai, Abdullah said he is against such things and wished him a speedy recovery. "Maharashtra is a rich state where everybody wants to go to earn a living. How many people from our state are earning their livelihood in Mumbai? It is the financial capital of India. If somebody has attacked him, you cannot blame an entire nation for one man's action. "You remember what had happened in Canada and America and they put the blame on India. How can you blame a nation for one person's action(former Prime Minister) Indira Gandhi visioned SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) like the European Union with the aim that all countries in the neighbourhood work together for the betterment of their nations. We need a revival of it," he asserted. Bhubaneswar, Jan 22 : The Odisha Cabinet has approved 10 key proposals during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi here on Wednesday. The Chief Minister in a press briefing later informed about the cabinet nod to the proposal for the upgradation and strengthening of one government-run Primary School in every Gram Panchayat under the Godavarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamik Vidyalaya (GMAPV) Scheme. As many as 6794 Godavarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamik Vidyalayas will be developed in the state under the scheme. Taking a dig at the SMART School scheme launched by the previous BJD government, he said: "The people of Odisha were cheated in the name of SMART school as the programme was launched without any proper planning and not preparing DPR or estimate. So, our government has decided in the cabinet meeting today to transform one primary school in each panchayat as Adarsh Vidyalaya." The state government aims to promote equitable education and holistic student development by enhancing infrastructure, adopting modern pedagogical methods as per the National Education Policy 2020, and encouraging community participation under the GMAPV initiative. The government is estimated to spend around Rs 12000 crore over five years from 2024-25 to 2028-29 for the construction of 6794 model primary schools. Majhi noted that around Rs 4 to 5 crore will be spent to build one model primary school or the Godavarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamik Vidyalaya which will be completed within four years. He further said that the programme will be launched in this financial year and model primary schools will be set up in 144 Gram Panchayats in this financial year while more schools will be developed in the coming years. The state cabinet also approved the memorandum which will be presented to the 16th Finance Commission scheduled to visit Odisha on February 5-7. The Chief Minister also noted that the Odisha government will place a demand for funds to the tune of Rs 12,56,148 crore for five years between 2026 and 2031 before the 16th Finance Commission for various developmental activities in the State. It has also been decided in the Cabinet that the state government will provide a 60 per cent subsidy with a maximum amount of Rs 6.5 crore to SC, ST and transgender, women and persons in scheduled areas for the setting up of cold storage. Other beneficiaries will get a 50 per cent subsidy with a maximum amount of Rs 6 crore. The government also decided to provide interest subvention up to 6 per cent for the new cold storage. The state government aims to establish at least one cold storage in each of the 58 sub-divisions of the state. The Odisha government has also decided to provide a 50 per cent incentive which is around Rs 110 crore in two phases to RIR Power Electronics Limited to set up a Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Manufacturing facility in Bhubaneswar, which is a first in the country. This apart, the cabinet has also approved several other major proposals during the meeting on Wednesday. Kohima, Jan 22 : Nagaland government on Wednesday once again urged the Centre to review its decision on the cross-border movement along the India-Myanmar border and re-imposition of the Protected Area Permit (PAP). Nagaland's Power, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and government spokesperson K. G. Kenye, while talking to the media said that considering the state's ethnic position, tradition and customary system, the government of India must continue the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and re-impose the Protected Area Permit (PAP). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently adopted a new scheme to issue a pass to the border residents of both India and Myanmar living within 10 km on either side of the frontier to regulate cross-border movements. The new scheme would replace the previously suspended FMR, which earlier allowed citizens residing close to both sides of the India-Myanmar border to move 16 km into each other's territory without a passport or visa. Four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km), and Mizoram (510 km) -- share a 1,643 km unfenced border with Myanmar. Kenye expressed the state government's objection to the new cross-border movement system. "We respect the Centre's security concerns, but at the same time Nagaland's ethnic situation is unique and requires a different approach," he said and added that the state has not yet received any official response from the Centre regarding its earlier request for a review of both FMR and PAP. Noting the unique historical and political context of Nagaland, the Minister stressed that the state's demand must be considered by the government of India in light of its diverse history, traditions and people. People belonging to different tribal communities living on either side of the India and Myanmar borders and the Nagaland and Mizoram governments have been demanding to continue the old FMR regime. After the Nagaland cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on January 6 urged the MHA to exclude the state from the purview of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) to promote tourism and to facilitate the visit of foreign tourists in the state. Any foreigner keen to visit certain northeastern states, including Nagaland, has to mandatorily obtain the PAP, also known as the Restricted Area Permit, from the MHA. As part of security measures and considering the northeastern region's strategic location, sensitive nature, and geopolitical issues, the PAP had been in place for foreigners since the 1960s. The travel restriction was temporarily relaxed in 2010-11 in a bid to promote tourism. The relaxation was withdrawn by the MHA last year in the aftermath of the political unrest in Bangladesh and internal turmoil in Myanmar besides the ethnic conflict in Manipur. Besides Nagaland, the PAP is now in force in several other northeastern states. In the January 6 cabinet meeting, the ministers discussed the successful celebration of the famous 10-day long 'Hornbill Festival' from December 1 with around 2,530 foreign tourists attending the iconic event. The 25th edition of the annual Hornbill Festival, at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, 12 km from the state capital Kohima, drew a total of 2,05,968 visitors over the course of 10 days (December 1-10, 2024). According to an official of the Nagaland Tourism Department, last month's festival attracted a diverse crowd, with 2,527 foreign tourists, 56,217 domestic visitors, and 1,47,224 local attendees. --IANS sc/dan New Delhi, Jan 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out extensive searches at multiple locations linked to the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror outfit across several northern regions in connection with the Chandigarh grenade attack case. The searches targeted premises in the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, linked to US-based terrorist Harpreet Singh, also known as Happy Passian. Operations were carried out in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Bathinda, and Ferozepur districts of Punjab, Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur district in Uttarakhand, and in Chandigarh. Incriminating materials, including mobile phones, digital devices, and documents, were seized during the raids. The agency conducted searches at 16 locations across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The raids carried out by the ED on Wednesday included 14 locations in Punjab, along with one each in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The operation was aimed at uncovering crucial evidence and tracking down individuals linked to the blast. In fact, after the initial probe in Punjab, the police had hinted at the involvement of pro-Khalistan leaders operating from Pakistan and the US, the case was transferred to NIA for a broader investigation into the larger criminal conspiracy involving cross-border connections. The case was registered following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs. It pertains to the hand grenade attack on a house in Sector 10/D, Chandigarh, on September 9 last year carried out by the arrested accused Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih. NIA investigations have revealed a conspiracy masterminded by Pakistan-based Harwinder Singh Sandhu, also known as Rinda, and US-based Harpreet Singh (Happy Passian), both members of the BKI. They plotted an attack on a retired police officer. To execute the attack, they recruited India-based operatives and provided funding, weapons, and logistical support. The conspiracy also involved the smuggling of terror hardware into India and its movement via a dead-drop model. Cairo, Jan 22 : A total of 1,114 trucks of humanitarian aid have so far been sent to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing since the border was reopened Sunday, Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel reported on Wednesday. A convoy of 174 trucks of humanitarian aid, including 14 trucks carrying fuel, was sent on Wednesday, the fourth day of a truce between Israel and Hamas, into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing, the report added. The Rafah crossing is a vital entry point for international aid destined for Gaza. Israel has controlled the Palestinian side of the crossing since May 2024 and reopened it under the terms of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, an Egyptian security source and another one with the Egyptian Red Crescent told Xinhua news agency that Egypt has sent dozens of heavy machines to rehabilitate the roads around the crossing, as well as those leading to Palestinian cities nearby, to facilitate the delivery of aid trucks and the reception of wounded Palestinians from Gaza. On Sunday, a long line of trucks, laden with humanitarian aid, snaked its way towards the heavily-guarded Rafah crossing, hours after the ceasefire agreement came into effect. The trucks, carrying food, clothes, medical equipment, tents, mobile toilets, and other relief materials, had been parked in several cities in Egypt's North Sinai Governorate, mainly Arish, Sheikh Zuweid, and Rafah, some of which had been waiting for months to reach Palestinians in need. "I have brought in a lot of aid to the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war in October 2023, until the entry of aid to the Strip became almost non-existent due to the harsh Israeli policies," said 65-year-old truck driver Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed. "Today, I feel happy not only because I will be able to bring in this aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, but also because the people of Gaza will be able to sleep without fear for the first time in more than a year after the ceasefire came into effect this morning," he told Xinhua. Ibrahim said his truck was carrying clothes and blankets, noting that "the residents of the Strip need them greatly due to the bitter winter cold they suffer from while living in tents." The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, with its first stage spanning 42 days, was reached on Wednesday through the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. It began taking effect on Sunday. Patna, Jan 22 : In a swift disciplinary action, the Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday removed its Manipur unit chief, Virendra Singh, from his position after he withdrew support from the BJP-led government in the state. Clarifying the party's stance, JD(U)'s national spokesperson, Rajiv Ranjan, dismissed rumours about the party's withdrawal of support from the NDA government in Manipur. He emphasised that JD(U) remains committed to supporting the ruling coalition in Manipur. Ranjan stated, "Some misleading news is being circulated regarding the JD(U) Manipur unit. I want to clarify that our party will continue to support the NDA government in Manipur. The state president was removed on charges of indiscipline. Our support for the NDA government will continue as before." He further underlined JD(U)'s commitment to strengthening the NDA alliance. "JD(U) has consistently worked to strengthen the NDA, not only in Manipur but also in Bihar and across the country. We will maintain the same dedication moving forward," Ranjan added. The JD(U) spokesperson also addressed concerns about the party's stance in Manipur. He confirmed that the sole JD(U) MLA in the state, Mohammad Abdul Nasir, will continue to support Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's NDA government. "Previously, there were six JD(U) MLAs in Manipur, but five of them joined the BJP. Now, only one MLA, Mohammad Abdul Nasir, remains with JD(U), and his support for the NDA government will continue," the spokesperson emphasised. Neeraj Kumar, JD(U) MLC and spokesperson, has reiterated the party's strong alliance with the BJP-led NDA at both the central and state levels. Speaking on the controversy surrounding the party's Manipur unit, Kumar stated, "JD(U) is an important partner of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. In Bihar, the NDA government is running smoothly under Nitish Kumar's leadership. There is no crack between the BJP and JD(U)." The remarks follow the disciplinary action taken against JD(U)'s Manipur state president, Virendra Singh, after he unauthorisedly submitted a letter to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, withdrawing support from the NDA government. Kumar clarified, "The state president acted without authorisation, and the party has taken strict disciplinary measures against him." The disciplinary action against Virendra Singh highlights JD(U)'s commitment to maintaining party discipline and its alliance with the BJP-led NDA across the country. Sanaa, Jan 22 : Yemen's Houthi group on Wednesday said it had released the crew of Galaxy Leader vessel to support the Gaza ceasefire agreement reached between Hamas and Israel, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. "Based on the directives of leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the crew of the vessel, Galaxy Leader, was released today (Wednesday) in coordination with the Hamas movement and the mediation of the Sultanate of Oman," said the Houthi television. "The crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel was handed over to our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman in coordination with Hamas as part of the ceasefire arrangements," it added. The Houthi Supreme Political Council said in a statement that the seizure of the vessel on November 19, 2023, and the arrest of its crew were "part of the battle to support Hamas in its fighting against Israel in Gaza." Neither the Houthi statement nor the Houthi television mentioned when the commercial vessel would be freed. On November 19, 2023, the Houthi fighters, flying on a military helicopter, landed on the deck of the Galaxy Leader while it was sailing in the international waters off Yemen's Houthi-held Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The Houthi fighters broke the doors of the vessel's control room, took the vessel's 25 crew members hostages, and forced the vessel to Hodeidah. The Houthi rebel group has been controlling much of northern Yemen, including Hodeidah, since late 2014 after the civil war broke out in Yemen, forcing the internationally-recognized Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. Since mid-November 2023, the Houthi group has been launching rocket and drone attacks against Israel and disrupting "Israeli-linked" shipping in the Red Sea to show solidarity with Palestinians amid their war with Israel in Gaza. The Houthi group stopped its attacks against Israeli cities on January 19, when the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement went into effect, Xinhua news agency reported. However, the Houthi group reportedly said in an email to shipping companies on Jan. 19 that it "will continue to launch rocket attacks" against any ship linked to Israel, carrying goods to Israel, or raising the flag of Israel, in the Red Sea. In the message, the Houthi group also threatened the Western shipping companies that any air strike by the United States, Britain, or any European countries against the group in northern Yemen, would be responded to by targeting that country's commercial ships in the Red Sea. According to a recent televised report by the group's al-Masirah TV, the Houthi group has launched attacks against more than 100 commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023, including two vessels sunk in the Red Sea, off Hodeidah. The Houthi attacks forced international shipping companies to change routes to the southern tip of Africa to escape rocket and drone strikes, leading to significant drop in revenues for the Egypt-run Suez Canal. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Irans Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced that a cooperation agreement was signed in Tehran by Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, and Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister, Shahin Mustafayev, Trend reports. The agreement opens new opportunities for collaboration between the two nations in areas such as transport, customs, energy (including oil, gas, and electricity), water resources, preferential trade, and investments. It also aims to strengthen and expand bilateral relations comprehensively. The signing took place as part of the 16th meeting of the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission, held on January 2122 in Tehran. New Delhi, Jan 22 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and took stoke of the train tragedy that occurred in Jalgaon district in Maharashtra. Several passengers were reportedly killed and 30-40 others were injured after passengers of Pushpak Express jumped off the train following rumours of a fire, and were hit by Karnataka Express moving on an adjacent railway track in Jalgaon district. Taking to X, Home Minister Shah wrote, "The train accident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra is very sad. In this regard, I spoke to Chief Minister Shri @Dev_Fadnavis and got information about the accident. The local administration is providing all possible help to the injured. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident and wish the injured a speedy recovery." Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu also condoled the death of passengers in the train tragedy in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district. President Murmu wrote, "The news of the death of many passengers in the railway track accident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra is extremely painful. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray to God that all the injured passengers recover soon." The tragic accident occurred around 5 p.m. on the railway line between Mahiji and Pardhade stations in Maharashtra. Pushpak Express, en route from Lucknow to Mumbai, had come to a halt after passengers pulled the emergency chain. At the same time, the Karnataka Express, travelling from Manmad to Bhusawal, was approaching on the parallel track. Eyewitnesses say that the commotion started when sparks appeared from the wheels of the Pushpak Express as it halted near Paranda station. A rumour of a fire quickly spread among passengers, leading to panic. Some passengers leapt from the train and came into the path of the Karnataka Express. Preliminary reports indicate that 8 to 10 people lost their lives, while 30 to 40 others sustained injuries in the tragic incident. Jalgaon SP confirmed the fatalities and injuries, stating, "Several passengers jumped off the train after rumours of a fire. Unfortunately, they were hit by the Karnataka Express coming from the opposite direction." Railway authorities, including the Divisional Railway Manager of Bhusawal, along with medical teams and local administration, have reached the site to oversee rescue and relief efforts. Senior railway officials and state government teams are coordinating the response to ensure medical attention for the injured and to investigate the incident. Kolkata, Jan 22 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed a petition at the Calcutta High Court seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the case of ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor on the premises of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last year in August. Sources aware of the development said that the CBI's special crime unit office in Kolkata has taken this step following an instruction from the central probe agency's headquarters in Delhi. Notably, earlier on Wednesday morning, the CBI had opposed the petition by the West Bengal government in the Calcutta High Court challenging the verdict of a special court in Kolkata on January 20 sentencing Roy to life imprisonment. The state government in its plea sought the death penalty for the convict. The CBI challenged the state government petition on grounds that it does not have any locus standi to make such an appeal. The contention of the CBI counsel was that it is only CBI, as the sole investigation agency in the matter and the victimas parents, who could move such a plea at a higher court, and not the state government, which is not a party in the case. "Whether the state governmentas petition on this count will be admissible or not will be heard in the Calcutta High Court on January 27," a source said. To recall, after the body of the junior woman doctor was recovered from a seminar hall within the R.G. Kar premises on the morning of August 9, 2024, the initial investigation was carried out by the Kolkata Police. It was the Kolkata Police which first arrested Roy. However, after five days of initial investigation by the city police, the charge of the probe into the matter was handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22 : Highlighting the transformative shift in the industrial landscape of Kerala reinforced by government policies, state Industries Minister P. Rajeeve held more than 30 one-on-one meetings at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, focusing on his state's investment potential in diverse sectors. In interactions held at the Invest Kerala Pavilion at WEF, Rajeeve focused on various verticals ranging from high-tech to MSMEs in the state, which now tops the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) ranking in India. This is for the first time Kerala has been participating in the 'India Pavilion', set up by the Central government at WEF. The Invest Kerala Pavilion featured the state government's New Industrial Policy (NIP) and a slew of other path-breaking initiatives that have transformed the state into a flourishing industrial destination. The India Pavilion has been set up by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, government of India. "We have had a good round of fruitful meetings at WEF. The business leaders showed great interest in the transformation that the state's industrial landscape has undergone on the strength of the government's policies. They also expressed keen interest in the upcoming Invest Kerala Global Summit," said Rajeeve. Apart from highlighting the core strengths of the state like the availability of highly competent professional talent, world-class infrastructure and conducive government policies, the Minister told the business leaders that the state placed emphasis on sustainability and inclusiveness. Rajeeve pointed out that specific segments including IT/ITES, Spacetech, Medical Devices and Healthcare, Maritime infrastructure and Tourism promise attractive investment opportunities. The Invest Kerala pavilion created buzz and is part of the India Pavilion, which highlights its campaign 'We Are Changing the Nature of Business', which focuses on sustainable and responsible industrial goals. The pavilion focuses on the Vizhinjam International Port, the Palakkad Industrial Corridor, and Kerala's sustainable and responsible industrial model. Kerala also introduced the achievements achieved in its MSME sector through the Year of Entrepreneurship initiative in the pavilion that helped start 3,40,202 enterprises in three years. These enterprises have generated investments worth Rs 21,838 crore and created 7,21,000 jobs. Rajeeve is leading a high-level delegation to WEF consisting of high-ranking government officials. Patna, Jan 22 : Former MLA Anant Singh, an influential figure in the Mokama region of Bihar, narrow escaped on Wednesday a shooting attack allegedly carried out by the notorious 'Sonu-Monu gang'. The incident happened at Nauranga village. According to sources, heavy firing took place between "two groups". Anant Singh came under attack when he along with his aides visited Nauranga village under the Panchmahala Panchayat. According to sources, the Sonu-Monu gang had allegedly captured a house in the area, prompting Singh to intervene and hold negotiations to resolve the matter. Upon reaching the house, Sonu and Monu allegedly misbehaved with Singh and his aides. The confrontation escalated, leading to firing from both sides. Following the incident, police personnel from five police stations arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. Confirming the incident, Rakesh Kumar, SDPO of Barh Range, said: "An application has been received, and appropriate action will be taken. The confrontation occurred when Anant Singh visited Nauranga village." Anant Singh, popularly known as "Chote Sarkar", is a controversial leader and former MLA from the Mokama Assembly constituency in Patna district. Singh is known for his influence and his association with crime. He was recently acquitted in an Arms Act case. In August 2024, Singh was released from Beur Jail in Patna due to a lack of evidence. This case had earlier led to a 10-year sentence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Anant Singh's political career spans associations with several parties, including the BJP, JD-U, and RJD. Despite his controversial image, Singh has held significant influence in the region. Currently, his wife, Neelam Devi, serves as the MLA from the Mokama Assembly constituency. Meanwhile, a police investigation into the confrontation at Nauranga village is underway. "Further details about the incident and subsequent actions are awaited," an official said. Mumbai, Jan 22 : The Maharashtra government has signed 54 MoUs for investment proposals worth a record Rs 15.7 lakh crore that will create 15.95 lakh jobs in the state. These MoUs were inked in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior bureaucrats on Tuesday and Wednesday at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos. The Chief Minister's office said that of the Rs 15.7 lakh crore worth of MoUs, the Department of Industries signed MoUs of Rs 11.71 lakh crore, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Rs 3.44 lakh crore and the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) Rs 55,200 crore. "Over the past two days, MoUs have been signed with investments across all regions of the state, aiming for balanced development," the Chief Minister said. The largest investment among Wednesday's MoUs was from the Reliance Group, which will invest Rs 3.05 lakh crore across sectors like petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, green chemicals, industrial development, retail, data centres, telecommunications, hospitality, and real estate. This single agreement is expected to generate three lakh jobs. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mentioned that the agreement with Reliance, which includes significant investment in the service sector, will contribute significantly to job creation. Anant Ambani of Reliance Group stated that this investment is part of their vision to make Maharashtra the first state with a $1 trillion economy, a goal the government is committed to achieving under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Another major investment is from Amazon, which will invest Rs 71,795 crore in data centres in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This investment will create 83,100 jobs. The government signed MoU with Gritta Energy for investment worth Rs 10319 crore in steel and metals to generate 3,200 jobs in Chandrapur, Vardhan Lithium for investment of Rs 42,535 crore in Electronics (Lithium Refinery, Lithium Battery) to generate 5,000 jobs in Nagpur, Indorama for investment of Rs 21,000 crore in textile to create 1,000 jobs in Raigad, Indira in technical textiles for investment of Rs 10,200 crore to create 3,000 jobs in Raigad, Sotefin India to invest Rs 8,641 crore in infrastructure in MMR, Blackstone to invest Rs 43,000 crore in infrastructure in MMR and Ceylon Beverages to invest Rs 1,039 crore in food and beverages to generate 450 jobs in Ahilyanagar. Further, Larsen and Toubro Ltd will invest RS 10,000 crore in defence production to generate 2,500 jobs in Talegaon, Nelson Media Pvt. Ltd to invest Rs 1,100 crore in information technology to generate 1,100 jobs in MMR, Economic Explosives Ltd to invest Rs 12,780 crore in space and defence to create 2,325 jobs in Nagpur, MSN Holdings Ltd to invest Rs 14 652 crore in solar to create 8,760 jobs in Nagpur, Priyam Solutions Pvt. Ltd to invest Rs 300 crore. Drone manufacturing to create 300 jobs in Jalna, Renaissance Solar & Electronic Materials to invest Rs 5,000 crore in green energy to create 1,300 jobs in Vidarbha, Marathwada, or North Maharashtra, Hazero Industries to invest Rs 16,000 crore in two green energy projects to generate 10,000 jobs at Butibori, Toral India to invest Rs 500 crore in Aluminium and Metals to generate 1,200 jobs in Ahilyanagar and Temasek Capital Management to invest Rs 43,000 crore in infrastructure in MMR. moreover, Hiranandani Group will invest Rs 51,600 crore in infrastructure in MMR, Everstone Group to invest Rs 8,600 crore in infrastructure in MMR, Amazon to invest Rs 71,795 crore in data centres to create 83,100 jobs in MMR, University of Birmingham to invest in Infrastructure, especially Sustainable Transport Infrastructure in MMR, MTC Group to invest in Infrastructure, especially Circular Economy Park in MMR and Crossrail International to invest in Infrastructure, especially Transport Infrastructure in MMR. Patna, Jan 22 : Bihar Police on Wednesday arrested two individuals, Rahul Generator and Shubham Kumar alias Chadda, in connection with the Ranjit Yadav alias Dahi Gop murder case. The arrests were made in Nagpur, Maharashtra, as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident, which was linked to a fight for supremacy in the Danapur cantonment area. According to a police official, both Rahul Generator and Shubham Kumar have multiple cases registered against them across various police stations in Patna. They are known to be involved in several criminal activities. So far, police have arrested four individuals in connection with this case, with raids continuing to apprehend other suspects. Police continue to make progress in the case involving Ranjit Yadav alias Dahi Gop, the former vice-president of the Danapur Cantonment Board. The incident, which occurred on December 21, 2024, left Dahi Gop badly injured and his aide Gorakh Rai was gunned down at the crime scene Dahi Gop also sustained five gunshot injuries and succumbed due to injuries two days later. The police said two suspects, Ankit Rajput (19) and Ankit Kumar Gupta (21), were arrested two days ago. Both have confessed to their involvement in the crime during police interrogation. Ankit Kumar Gupta, a resident of the Danapur Cantonment area, has a criminal history, adding weight to the investigation. Based on their confessions, police are conducted raids and apprehended Rahul Generator and Subham Kumar Chadda from Nagpur. The investigation revealed that Rahul Generator, a resident of Danapur, orchestrated the attack on Dahi Gop. Rahul suspected that Dahi Gop was involved in the murder of his father, prompting him to seek revenge. To execute the plan, Rahul hired accomplices and personally led the attack. Those involved included Sonu from Maner, Shubham Kumar alias Chadda from Danapur, Ankit Rajput, and Ankit Gupta at the time of the attack on Dahi Gop. The deadly attack occurred late at night on December 21, 2024, while Dahi Gop was returning home by car after attending a shradh ceremony at Pethiya Bazaar. Rahul Generator and his associates ambushed Dahi Gop and his associate. In light of the seriousness of the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the direction of Patna SSP. The SIT is rigorously investigating all angles of the case and tracking down the remaining suspects. Jaipur, Jan 22 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma emphasised the state government's commitment to strengthening farmers and cattle rearers economically, stating that empowering them is key to building a developed Rajasthan. During the pre-budget dialogue with representatives of farmers, cattle rearers, and dairy associations held at the Chief Minister's Office on Wednesday, Sharma assured that the suggestions received would be incorporated into the 2025-26 state budget wherever feasible. The Chief Minister acknowledged the vital role farmers play in ensuring food security for the nation and the state. With agriculture and allied sectors contributing 30 per cent to the state's GSDP and employing over 85 lakh families, the government's focus remains on their welfare and progress, he added. Sharma further said that water and electricity are priority areas for the state government. "Over the past year, the government has prioritised providing adequate water and electricity to farmers. Projects such as ERCP-PKC, the Yamuna Water Agreement, Mahi Dam, and Dewas Project aim to ensure sufficient water supply," he added. Sharma further said that the state government will send progressive farmers abroad to learn modern farming techniques to encourage innovation. He said that additionally, the implementation of Agristek will address challenges in the agriculture sector through information technology, with farm registry camps set to begin in all gram panchayats on February 5. "Women farmers have also been empowered. Over 32 lakh women farmers have received free seed mini kits. The state is also leading in solar energy-based pump installations," said Sharma. He added that under the Rajasthan Cooperative Gopal Credit Card Loan Scheme, cattle rearers are offered interest-free short-term loans of up to 1 lakh for dairy-related activities. "Grants to registered gaushalas have been increased by 10 per cent, and subsidies are being provided under the Mukhyamantri Dudh Utpadak Sambal Yojana through direct benefit transfers," he said. He reaffirmed his government's commitment to uplifting the state's farming community through innovative solutions, financial support, and infrastructure development, ensuring a sustainable future for Rajasthan's agriculture and dairy sectors. Guwahati, Jan 22 : On the first day of the second leg of the global outreach initiative in Japan for Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday met over 160 Japanese business leaders in Tokyo. He presented stories of Assam's economic success and the ease of doing business by reiterating the northeastern state's increasing role as a catalyst to take the strong economic bond between India and Japan to a greater height. Notably, Sarma, who is on a three-day tour to Japan, after the successful culmination of his South Korea tour, to woo Japanese industrialists and trade bodies, on Wednesday attended a road show in Tokyo where he presented Assamas economy, its investment ecosystem and business-friendly policies. He said that since 2014, Assamas economy is on a robust growth trajectory. The stateas GDP surged from $29 billion in 2013-14 to $68.7 billion in 2023-24, with an impressive annual growth rate of 12.4 per cent making Assam a beacon of peace and development. Sarma inviting the attention of the industrialists and potential investors to Assamas positive and investors' friendly landscape, said that the single window mechanism of $3.2 billion production linked incentives has made Assam a preferred end for investment. Sarma also said that in recent years, Assam has taken giant strides in ensuring large scale investments to the state. The Chief Minister moreover portrayed that Japan is a natural partner in Assam's pursuit of growth and development. Therefore, participation of Japanese industrialists, investors and entrepreneurs in the forthcoming Advantage Assam 2.0, Investment and Infrastructure Summit besides fostering stronger ties with Japan would turn out to be a win-win business interface for mutual benefits of both Assam and Japan. CM Sarma also highlighted Assam's robust infrastructure, seamless connectivity and vibrant academic environment positioning the state as a promising investment destination. Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unstinted support to Assam's ambitions of being a premier industrial state to ensure holistic growth of the state, Sarma highlighted the opportunities created by the Act East Policy of the Central government in Assam. Earlier on Wednesday, the CM held an all-important meeting with Kazuya Nakajo, Executive Vice President of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). It may be noted that JETRO is playing an important role in promoting trade between Japan and global companies. He sought JETROas expertise in enhancing collaboration between Japan and Assam in trade, commerce and industry to enable mutual growth. His discussion with Nakajo focussed on strengthening trade relations and exploring JETROas expertise in fostering collaboration between Assam and Japan in trade, commerce and industry to pave the way for mutual growth. Hyderabad, Jan 22 : In a spine-chilling case, an ex-serviceman murdered his 35-year-old wife, cut her body into pieces and boiled them in a pressure cooker. The heinous crime came to light at Meerpet in Rangareddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Wednesday. According to police, Guru Murthy had lodged a complaint with Meerpet Police Station under Rachakonda Police Commisisonerate on January 18 that his wife Venkata Madhavi was missing. Police had registered a case and took up investigation. During the probe, police came to know that for last few days the husband and wife were have frequent quarrels between them. The investigating officials questioned Guru Murthy, who confessed to the ghastly crime and revealed shocking details. The accused told police that he murdered his wife, cut the body into pieces and boiled them in a pressure cooker. Later, he dumped the boiled body parts into a lake in Jillelaguda. Police recorded his statement and began collecting evidence. The search was on for the victim's body parts in the lake. Guru Murthy had served in Army and after taking retirement, he was working as a security guard at DRDO in Kanchan Bagh on outsourcing basis. He married Madhavi about 13 years ago. They have two children. After killing his wife, the accused approached Meerpet Police Station along with her parents so that no one suspect him. Police said an investigation was on into the case and they would soon reveal all details. In a similar case in Mumbai in 2023, a 32-year-old woman was murdered by her 56-year-old live-in partner. The accused had cut the corpse into pieces with a tree cutter, boiled the pieces in a pressure cooker to ensure there was no foul smell and then filled them in plastic bags to dispose them off. San Jose : , Jan 22 (IANS) Heralding a new AI era, Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its latest Galaxy S series smartphones, featuring more advanced on-device artificial intelligence (AI) with multimodal capabilities and personalised assistance functions. Three models of the Galaxy S25 a" the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra -- were showcased during the Unpacked event at the SAP Center here. Roh Tae-moon, head of the mobile business division at Samsung Electronics, highlighted the new series' focus on integrating AI into the operating system to redefine how users interact with technology. "Galaxy S25 series opens the door to an AI-integrated OS that fundamentally shifts how we use technology and how we live our lives," he said during the event. All three models are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset, a customised version co-developed by Qualcomm Inc. and Samsung. The company said it is the most powerful processor ever in a Galaxy S series, offering up to 40 per cent improved performance in display image scaling quality and power efficiency compared to its previous generation. The Galaxy S25 series runs on One UI 7, Samsung's AI-driven user interface, which enhances multitasking by reducing the need for using multiple apps and enabling seamless interactions across applications. The Galaxy AI agents, equipped with multimodal capabilities, allow the devices to interpret text, speech, images and videos, delivering a more natural user experience. The Galaxy S25 also features enhanced natural language understanding, enabling users to locate specific photos, adjust display font sizes or perform other tasks with verbal commands. Its communication services include, in addition, live translation and interpretation features that support 20 languages, along with new call transcription and summarisation functions. The Galaxy S25 series incorporates new tools developed through Samsung's partnership with Google. A dedicated side button activates Google's Gemini assistant, facilitating stable interactions between Samsung and Google apps. Google's upgraded Circle to Search feature, first introduced in previous Galaxy models, can recognise phone numbers, emails and web addresses directly on the screen, enabling quick actions with a single tap. The Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a 50 million-pixel ultrawide camera, an upgrade from its predecessor's 12 million pixels. The ProVisual Engine, powered by AI, ensures ultra-detailed shots in various lighting conditions. Galaxy AI's Audio Eraser technology helps the user remove unwanted noise in videos or control audio tones for voices, music or environmental sounds. The new Galaxy S25 series will be officially launched on Feb. 7 worldwide, the company said. Samsung Electronics has frozen the prices for the S25 series at the same level as its predecessor. a"IANS na/ Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. A footage dedicated to President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Switzerland was posted on his official social media accounts, Trend reports. The post reads: "President Ilham Aliyevs visit to the Swiss Confederation (22.01.2025)". Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan 22 : A grand Namami Gange Yagna was conducted by the Namami Gange team on the banks of the sacred Sangam at Mahakumbh 2025. This special event has been aimed at raising awareness about the purity, cleanliness, and conservation of the Ganga while fostering a collective commitment to its preservation. During the yagna, devotees and Ganga Sevadoots made offerings, symbolising their dedication to ensuring the uninterrupted and pristine flow of the river. The event took place on National Youth Day, commemorating the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. It saw spirited participation from over 200 Ganga Sevadoots and thousands of devoted attendees. Together, they took a solemn pledge to uphold the purity and continuity of the Ganga. Brimming with youthful energy and resolve, the ceremony became a remarkable confluence of spirituality and environmental consciousness. Under the leadership of the Namami Gange team, participants offered oblations to reaffirm their commitment to a clean and uninterrupted Ganga. The Ganga Sevadoots pledged to maintain the river's sanctity and cleanliness. Addressing the gathering, speakers highlighted the pivotal role of youth -- comprising over 40 per cent of Indiaas population -- in the Ganga Swachhata Abhiyan. They emphasised that the conservation of the Ganga is not merely an environmental concern but also a profound cultural and spiritual responsibility. The event inspired young participants to contribute wholeheartedly to this sacred mission of conservation and sustainability. As part of the campaign, the Namami Gange team distributed jute bags to promote the message of a plastic-free Mahakumbh within the fairgrounds. The attendees were educated on the significance of reducing plastic waste, reinforcing the importance of environmental consciousness. Devotees received the jute bags as a pledge of commitment to a cleaner, greener Kumbh, carrying this message along the Sangam shores. On this occasion, Namami Gange Nodal Officer Atharva Raj and partner organisations distributed Namami Gange T-shirts and caps to amplify the campaignas reach further. Prominent organisations such as the Ganga Task Force (GTF), Ganga Vichar Manch (GVM), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), District Ganga Committees (DGCS), State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCG), and National Book Trust (NBT) actively contributed to the success of the event. Additionally, Ganga Sevadoots intensified the cleanliness drive through regular ghat cleaning, awareness rallies, and community labor efforts. Their initiatives underscored the eventas overarching theme that the Namami Gange Yagna is more than a religious ritual; it is a unifying force of spiritual, social, and environmental consciousness. This yagna, held just before the first Amrit Snan of Mahakumbh, added renewed vigour and inspiration to the Ganga conservation campaign. All devotees, institutions, and citizens were urged to actively participate in this grand initiative to protect and preserve the lifeline of India, the Ganga. Bhubaneswar, Jan 22 : The Odisha government on Wednesday approved 17 significant projects amounting to a combined investment of Rs 3,883.72 crores. These projects were approved during the 134th State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary of Odisha Manoj Ahuja. The state government sources asserted that these approvals highlight the state's unwavering commitment to sustainable growth and employment generation. "This landmark clearance comes ahead of the much-anticipated Utkarsh Odisha 2025 Conclave, showcasing the state's proactive approach to attracting investments and fostering industrial excellence. With a focus on innovation, ease of doing business, and socio-economic development, Odisha continues to cement its position as India's premier investment destination," an official said. The approved projects span 15 high-impact sectors including Steel, Iron & Ferro Alloys, Power & Renewable Energy, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Green Hydrogen, Transportation, Storage, Bio Fuel/Bio Fertilizer, ESDM, Tourism, Green Energy Equipment, and Petroleum & Petrochemicals, represent a collective investment of Rs 3,883.72 crores. These initiatives are expected to generate over 12,280 jobs, providing a significant boost to employment opportunities for the youth of Odisha. The projects will also strengthen the industrial base across eight districts: Sambalpur, Rayagada, Ganjam, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Dhenkanal, and Jharsuguda. "The Government of Odisha's proactive measures and strategic focus on sustainable development underscore its dedication to creating a 'Samrudhha Odisha' that contributes significantly to India's vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047," the official added. The Odisha government will host Utkarsh Odisha Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 in Bhubaneswar between January 28 and 29 to attract investors from across the globe. On January 27, as a precursor to the conclave, five sessions of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Council will be held, with participation from 200 council members. The conclave will highlight the achievements of 60 MSME entrepreneurs under the age of 40. On January 29, the Chief Minister will felicitate two young entrepreneurs from each district as part of the celebration. This year, the conclave will focus on five key sectors: IT, renewable energy, textiles, chemicals, and food processing. Twelve countries, including Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Germany, Poland, and Cuba, have been invited as "Countries of Focus" to participate in the conclave. Over 5,000 industrial delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend. Bhopal, Jan 22 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said after organising over half a dozen Regional Industrial Conclaves (RIC) in different parts of Madhya Pradesh, his government has begun preparations for the Global Investors Summit in Bhopal set to commence on February 24. Chief Minister Yadav said to meet the purpose of the Global Investors Summit, his government has decided to invite all leading business houses in the country. He said he has high expectations from Bhopal's Global Investors Summit. "Global Investors Summit will be organised under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24 in Bhopal, therefore, it is my responsibility to invite all big business houses from the country. I believe that Madhya Pradesh will witness a new growth in the following years," he said before leaving for Pune to attend an interactive session with investors. He said the state government has received investment proposals worth more than Rs. 4.5 lakh crore, which is expected to generate employment opportunities for more than 3.5 lakh youths in Madhya Pradesh. The session, led by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, aims to engage directly with industry leaders and investors while highlighting the stateas investor-friendly environment. On Tuesday, top Madhya Pradesh government officials took stock of arrangements for the Global Investors Summit (GIS) to be held in Bhopal on February 24-25. Led by Chief Secretary Anurag Jain and Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana, senior officials inspected the venue of the summit at Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya and reviewed related arrangements and gave necessary directions. The Chief Secretary was updated on arrangements being made for the visit of the Prime Minister who will inaugurate the two-day summit. Notably, before it, the Madhya Pradesh government has organised as many as seven Regional Industrial Conclaves (RIC) in the past year. The first edition of the RIC was organised in Chief Minister Yadavas home district Ujjain on March 1 and 2, 2024. Later, the second edition was held in Jabalpur on July 20 and the third in Gwalior on August 28. The fourth edition of RIC was organised in the Sagar division on September 27, while the fifth edition was held in Rewa on October 23. The sixth edition was organised in the Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) division on December 7, 2024, while the seventh was in Shahdol on January 16, 2025. --IANS pd/dan Washington, Jan 23 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with key members of the Trump administration on Wednesday. The minister, who attended President Donald Trump's inauguration and related events as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a Quad ministerial and a bilateral interaction on Tuesday and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz for the second time since their first meeting last December. He also met other members of the cabinet, Republican congressional leaders, Speakers Mike Johnson and Senate majority leader John Thune. "I think now you do understand this was the first day of the administration," the External Affairs Minister said of his meeting on Tuesday. "So obviously we had essentially a broad brush conversation. Didn't get too deep into details, but there was, I think, an agreement, a consensus between us that we need to be bolder, we need to be bigger, we need to be more ambitious," he said. Speaking of his broad impressions from the meetings, he said, "Firstly, it was very clear that the Trump administration was keen to have India's presence at the inauguration, and they were "clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship." "Secondly, it was also evident that they would like to build on the foundation of the relationship, the foundation to which the first Trump administration also contributed a lot to the building," he said. He added that President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at that time took a number of initiatives and 'we have seen that matured in many ways'. "Thirdly, it was, with regard to the quote, again, a very strong sense that the current administration would reciprocate our desire as well to take the quad further, to intensify its activities," he said. He noted that it was the first Trump administration that had "restarted" the Quad as a group comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia calls itself in 2017. The group founded after the 2004 Tsunami had essentially fallen apart by 2008 as Australia left it under pressure from China. Jaishankar said that the fact that a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers was held on the first day of the administration at work and within hours of Secretary Rubio assuming office "was the message". -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Gandhinagar, Jan 23 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday attended the 'Ram Ratri' event in Ahmedabad to commemorate the first anniversary of the Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The event organised by Shri Vatsalya Charitable Trust began with the Chief Minister performing the aarti of Lord Ram and seeking his blessings. The event featured folk music and other performances, enthusiastically celebrating the occasion. During the event, CM Patel also interacted with children dressed in Ram Sena attire, encouraging and boosting their enthusiasm, as per an official statement from the Gujarat Chief Minister's office. Taking to his social media account X, the CM said that events like 'Ram Ratri' will be very useful in creating awareness among children and youth about the eternal values and religious life of India. "It was a very joyful occasion to participate in the Ramratri program organised by the Shri Vatsalya Charitable Trust in Ahmedabad to mark the completion of one year of Lord Ramlala's enthronement in Ayodhya. Such programmes will be very useful in creating awareness among children and youth about the eternal values and religious life of the land of India," CM Patel said on X. "Shri Vatsalya Charitable Trust is widely recognised for its commitment to social upliftment, education, environmental awareness, and fostering innovation among the youth through various philanthropic initiatives," the statement said. The event was attended by Bipin Patel, Chairman of the Gujarat Pradesh Cooperation Cell; Nisarg Vyas, President of Vatsalya Charitable Trust; as well as other dignitaries, saints, spiritual leaders, and community members. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Lord Ram was held on January 22, 2024, with the main rituals performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The idol of Ram Lalla was unveiled after the rituals. The ceremony was attended by representatives of all major spiritual and religious sects in the country. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its length (east-west) is 380 feet; width is 250 feet and height is 161 feet; and is supported by a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors. Washington, Jan 23 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, has clarified India's stance, saying that New Delhi is open to the "legitimate return" of Indian nationals living 'illegally' abroad, including in the US. "We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens, who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India. So it's not a position unique to the US," EAM Jaishankar said at a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday (local time). He affirmed that India's position on the issue has been "consistent" and "principled" and he did clearly convey this to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "I understand right now that there is a certain debate going on and a resulting sensitivity which is there. But we have been consistent, we have been very principled about it, and that remains our position, and I conveyed that very clearly to US State Secretary Marco Rubio," he added. EAM Jaishankar, however, also emphasised that India is very much supportive of 'legal mobility' between two countries and wants Indian skills and talent to have great opportunity at the global level. He said that India is firmly opposed to illegal migration, adding it is not "reputationally good" and also leads to several illegal activities. "As a government, we obviously are very much supportive of legal mobility because we do believe in a global workplace. We want Indian talent and Indian skills to have the maximum opportunity at a global level," the EAM said. "At the same time, we are also very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration. because you also know that when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined into it... this is not desirable. It's certainly not reputationally good... So we have with every country, and the US is no exception," he added. The Foreign Minister, during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also pointed out the long waiting period for getting US visas, and said it is not serving the relationship well. "I also told him (Rubio) that, while we understand all of this, and I also accept that these are autonomous processes, it is in our mutual interest to facilitate legal and mutually beneficial mobility. If it takes 400 odd days waiting period to get a visa, I don't think the relationship is well served by this. So I think he also noted that point," he also said. EAM Jaishankar represented India at the US President Donald Trump's inaugural function. He also carried a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for President Trump. Donald Trump took oath as the 47th US President on January 20. An account of the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians October 7, 2023 has been named the National Jewish Book Award Book of the Year by the Jewish Book Council. The council and the Marlen Meyerson JCC Manhattan today announced the award for Lee Yaron's 10/7: 100 Human Stories (St. Martin's), a collection of oral histories of the event coupled with investigative journalism. It was cited for providing "a vital window into the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," according to the council. Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his teaching and writing about Jewish philosophy and theology. The judges described Rabbi Greenberg as a towering figure in Jewish life and education" and called the Modern Orthodox scholar's latest book, The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism (The Jewish Publication Society / University of Nebraska Press), "his magnum opus." Israeli-Canadian author Ayelet Tsabari's novel Songs for the Brokenhearted (Random House) about a Yemeni-Israeli daughter confronting her family history and heritage took top honors for fiction. And the winner for history is Jonathan Marc Gribetz, a Princeton professor of Near Eastern Studies who teaches about religion and nationalism in the Middle East, for Reading Herzl in Beirut: The PLO Effort to Know the Enemy (Princeton Univ.). The 74th annual awards were chosen by more than 120 judges considering 700 submissions for 30 categories. The full list of winners and finalists can be found here. They will be celebrated at a ceremony in Manhattan March 12. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. A total of 29,172 citizens in Azerbaijan will gain the right to vote for the first time in the upcoming municipal election, Rovzat Gasimov, Deputy Chair of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan, told reporters, Trend reports. Speaking at a press briefing at an event marking the distribution of ballots to district commissions for the municipal election, Gasimov also mentioned that special voter cards would be provided to 153 individuals who will turn 18 on Election Day. Scheduled to hold on January 29, this Azerbaijani municipal election will be the first in the country's liberated territories and the sixth overall. The inaugural municipal election in Azerbaijan occurred on December 12, 1999. Consequently, up to 2,660 municipalities (exceeding 21,000 municipal members) were established nationwide. Nineteen members were elected to the largest municipality and five to the smallest municipality. Municipalities in Azerbaijan are elected for a five-year term. Members of municipalities may be elected by Republic of Azerbaijan citizens who are eligible to vote and permanently reside in the appropriate electoral district. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The end of 2024 marked the completion of the fifth full year that Barnes & Noble has been led by James Daunt. The Waterstones CEO took the helm at B&N, the largest bricks-and-mortar bookstore chain in the U.S., following its acquisition by Elliott Management in September 2019. Daunts ambitious plans to revive the ailing retailer were quickly derailed by the onset of the pandemic the next March, which forced B&N and other retailers to close their bricks-and-mortar outlets. In an interview with PW, Daunt divided his time at B&N into three parts: landing, which he said was a bit discombobulating; the pandemic, during which we focused on surviving and finding our feet; and now, changing. Were confident now and marching at a quicker pace. We have a lot more to do and have a pretty clear idea about how to do it. Upgrading the look of B&N stores, and improving the quality of its workforce, are among the reasons Daunt cited as contributing to the booksellers resurgence: We want to have good teams inside nice-looking stores. Daunt believes it takes at least two years for someone to become a good bookseller and understand the sweep of what each store offers. He said that the company has invested heavily in training the staff, noting that more employees now work fulltime, with benefits and a path to grow in their jobs. He noted that when he took over, most B&N managers had come from outside the company, but now nearly all have risen through the company ranks. Still, progress has not come without turbulence. Last week, B&N suffered a major departure, when chief merchandizing officer Jackie De Leo, one of Daunts first hires, left the company. A number of unions have formed at individual stores during Daunts tenure as well. While negotiations are ongoing, no agreements have been signed. We want to get it done, he said, but these types of things take time. While Daunt wants all B&N outlets to have an open, clean, and inviting look, he stressed that he is not interested in opening cookie-cutter stores. Each store is developed to meet the needs of individual communities, he noted, adding that a store set to open in Naples, Fla., on January 29 will be one of the chains largest, at 35,000 sq. ft. Stores in Colorado, California, and Texas will also open on the 29th. Sales in 2024 rose enough to absorb the higher costs associated with a larger payroll and the store rollout, Daunt said. He told PW that, while overall B&N had a fantastic yearwith such departments as gifts and paper, media, and toys and games posting healthy gainsbook sales were average or fine. He somewhat sheepishly lamented the lack of a major hit in 2024 akin to 2023s Spare by Prince Harry, but quickly added that it was nice to see a number of titles sell well. He was particularly pleased to see the sales success of James by Percival Everett, which was named B&Ns 2024 Book or the Year (and one of PWs top 10 books of 2024) and won the National Book Award for Fiction. Fiction continued to be the big sales driver on the books side for B&N, helped in no small part by the publicity given to books backed by BookTok influencers. But Daunt was not overly concerned about what a looming ban on TikTok might mean for sales: It's not like BookTok invented great books, though it does provide a great platform to find them. While Daunt would love for BookTok to continue, he is confident that another social media platform would come along to fill any BookTok-sized hole. He noted that, throughout his bookselling career, young people have always been a core buying group, pointing to the reading hysteria after Harry Potter was first released in the U.K. in 1997 and the enthusiasm for reading that occurred during the pandemic. As for the present, Daunt won't need to worry about a breakout hit in 2025. First-day sales of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, released on January 21, are expected to surpass the record numbers posted by Spare in 2023. The numbers, Daunt said, are huge. Indeed they are. The book sold more than 50,000 copies tied just to the in-store parties B&N held at 633 outlets the evening before the books official release on Tuesday. Parties were held at B&Ns flagship New York City store, for which the 650 available tickets quickly sold out, while the Barnes & Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles hosted the kickoff to Yarross seven-city tour. B&N expected to sell about 250,000 copies when the first day sales are all tallied. Daunt was one of the first in the industry to get behind the books-as-objects trend that has resulted in an explosion of sales of deluxe editions. As with any good bookseller, I am obsessed with the book as a physical object, he said. We intend to make our stores places that enhance the beauty of physical books. Give me a Sarah J. Maas book that has a nice new cover and we will light it up. Barnes & Noble finished a busy 2024 by selling its Union Square and Co. publishing division to Hachette Book Group. The publisher, especially after the huge success of picture book author-illustrator Mo Willems, simply became too big for B&N to properly manage, Daunt said: Were a bookseller, not a publisher. B&N maintains a good relationship with Union Square, which will do some proprietary publishing for the company. Still, Daunt maintained that proprietary publishing, which gives booksellers a better margin, is far from a priority. I am not going to sell one type of book because I can make more money on it, he said. I am going to sell the best book. Proceeds from the Union Square sale, Daunt said, will be pushed right back into opening new stores. At present, he expects to open about 60 new outlets, following the 57 stores B&N opened last year and the four stores added through B&Ns acquisition of Denvers storied Tattered Cover. Including the number of outlets that closed last year and in early January, B&N now has about 650 stores. But simply building more stores, Daunt said, isnt the end goal; its equally important, he explained, that the chain continues to improve them. If I visit 10 stores, five I am happy with, three are okay, and two are horrible, Daunt said. We are by no means done. Penguin Random House Australia has acquired Text Publishing for an undisclosed price. One of Australia's best-known independent publishers, Text's roster includes numerous notable authors, including Nick Cave, J.M. Coetzee, Helen Garner, and Barack Obama. In 2012, the publisher launched Text Classics to bring back approximately 150 out-of-print Australian works. "Text has created an unparalleled space for itself in Australian publishing," Text publisher Michael Heyward said. "Now it's time for a new owner to provide a home for the company's entrepreneurial energies and its family of brilliant authors." Founded in 1990 by Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher as a joint venture between Text Media and Reed Publishing, Text Publishing, based in Melbourne, has established itself as a significant force in global publishing. The company was previously majority-owned by Heyward and Penny Hueston, in partnership with Lonely Planet founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler. The terms of the acquisition guarantee Text's editorial autonomy. "We have agreed on a Charter of Independence that will allow Text to retain full publishing control as we continue our work of acquiring, editing, curating, designing, marketing, publicizing and selling rights in our books," Heyward said. Text's books in Australia and New Zealand will continued to be handled by PRH Australia. Heyward noted that Text "will continue to sell our books in the U.K. and work with our network of agents around the world. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Addressing climate change issues requires focus on collective efforts, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) Mehmet Sureyya Er said at the second meeting of heads of committees on health issues of TURKPA member parliaments today, Trend reports. The official emphasized that humanity is currently facing global challenges. According to him, the consequences of climate change are manifesting in different parts of the world, also affecting the health of people. "Making decisions that ensure the protection of public health plays a key role. We must aim for collective efforts to address the issues caused by climate change. Strengthening close ties between countries in the region is crucial. We need to assess proposals aimed at developing 'green' technologies. Educating the public on environmental regulations can play an important role. I believe that our cooperation in the areas of climate change and health will make a significant contribution to solving these problems," Er added. To note, the TURKPA meeting has brought together representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the TURKPA Secretariat, along with Azerbaijan. The event will feature discussions on Climate Change and Health: Responding to the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Legislation". The Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) was founded through an agreement signed by the Heads of Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkiye on November 21, 2008, at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkiye. On September 29, 2009, the inaugural plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, previously referred to as the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries, convened in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Rules of Procedure of TURKPA, the Regulations of the Secretariat, and the Baku Declaration were ratified during the Plenary Session. The TURKPA Secretariat will be permanently situated in Baku. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate 'We are going step by step. We want the customers to first experience our technology. We are still in that phase of building trust and confidence.' IMAGE: A model poses next to the BYD Seal electric vehicle (EV) showcased during India's five-day auto show in New Delhi, India, January 18, 2025. Photograph: Priyanshu Singh/Reuters Chinese electric carmaker BYD is focusing on launching vehicles in the Rs 25-45 lakh price range in India even as it continues to evaluate customer preferences and demand in more affordable segments, its Head of Electric Passenger Vehicles in India Rajeev Chauhan told Business Standard. Last September, Chauhan told the newspaper that the company was evaluating two extremes Rs 20-25 lakh and Rs 40-45 lakh segments for the launch of its new SUV, and a decision would be taken by 2024-end. BYD unveiled its premium SUV Sealion 7 for the Indian market at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo. While the company will reveal the car price on February 17, it is expected to be around Rs 40-45 lakh. Sealion 7s deliveries to customers will begin from March 7. "At the moment, we are focusing on the bracket of around Rs 25-45 lakh. We are concentrating a little more there. Therefore, this car, the electric premium SUV Sealion 7 has been unveiled... We have products for the sub-Rs 25 lakh segment. We will wait for some more time to enter the segment," he said. Mahindra & Mahindra, and Hyundai recently launched their electric cars in the sub-Rs 25 lakh segment. When asked if being a Chinese company was holding back BYD's future investments in India, Chauhan responded: "It has been said in the media but it has to be a win-win situation for everyone. It has to be a good business case. We are definitely open (to investments)... We are going step by step. We want the customers to first experience our technology. We are still in that phase of building trust and confidence." He also said that the company was not in talks with any potential partner in India for a joint venture. "BYD India sold 3,500 cars in 2024 as compared with 2,500 units in 2023. "In 2025, it will be a double-digit growth for sure," Chauhan said. The company currently imports all its cars from China. According to government regulations, a company is permitted to import no more than 2,500 units of a single model annually. This cap is lifted if the model obtains a homologation certificate from the government-run Automotive Research Association of India (Arai), which certifies that the vehicle meets Indian safety and regulatory standards. "We can sell as many Atto 3 cars as we want because it has got the homologation certificate in India. The company is in the process of getting a homologation certificate for eMax7. We have not applied for this certificate for Seal, we are evaluating if we should apply for it," Chauhan said. The company showcased Sealion 6, which is a plug-in hybrid car, at the Expo. "We are trying to evaluate the customer's enthusiasm around a plug-in hybrid car like Sealion 6. Right now, it is at this evaluation stage," he said. No major car manufacturer in India, except a few luxury carmakers like BMW, has launched plug-in hybrid cars. About 99,165 electric cars were sold in India in 2024, recording a 20 per cent year-on-year growth, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada) data. Tata Motors is the leader in the electric car market with about a 62 per cent share. However, while Splendor's annual sales surged 31.7 per cent to 3.638 million units between 2019 and 2024, Hero's other models suffered sharp drops. Photograph: Kind courtesy Hero MotoCorp/Facebook Hero MotoCorp's Splendor continues its reign as India's best-selling motorcycle for six consecutive years now. However, the company's other mass-market models, including Deluxe, Passion and Glamour, are no longer as popular as they were in 2019, according to Jato Dynamics' data reviewed by Business Standard. The contrast is stark: while Splendor's annual sales surged 31.7 per cent to 3.638 million units between 2019 and 2024, Hero's other models suffered sharp drops. Deluxe's annual sales plunged 62.7 per cent to 1.029 million units, while Passion fell 55.3 per cent to 0.266 million units. Perhaps the most telling is Glamour's fall -- India's fifth bestselling motorcycle in 2019, it has now dropped out of the top-10 list entirely. "It appears that Splendor might be cannibalising the sales of other Hero models. Splendor has always been Hero's top-selling model, and the manufacturer has consistently updated the Splendor lineup to keep up with emerging trends in design and technology," Ravi Bhatia, president, Jato Dynamics India, said. "Currently, the Splendor Plus lineup has seven versions, while Deluxe has five, and Passion has just one version in the 100 CC segment. Splendor remains a favourite due to its affordability, wide range of versions, and the strong brand name it has built over time. These factors suggest that the focus on Splendor's continuous improvement and variety might be drawing customers away from other models," he added. Industry sources mentioned that the company, in the last few years, has been focusing more on the premium segment of the motorcycle market. Photograph: Kind courtesy Hero MotoCorp/Facebook In the list of top-10 bestselling motorcycles, Honda's Shine has recorded the biggest jump in sales. During the last six years, the annual sales of Shine have doubled to 1.904 million units, as per the data. Initially, Honda Shine was available only in the 125 CC segment until mid-2023, when the company launched the Shine 100, a 100 CC version. This launch significantly boosted Shine's sales, with the model seeing up to a 100 per cent increase in sales numbers in some months of 2023 and 2024," Bhatia noted. Honda's Unicorn has gained significant market share between 2019 and 2024, climbing from outside the top-10 list to the ninth position. Similarly, TVS's Raider, launched in 2021, has made a strong entry, ranking sixth among the bestselling motorcycles in 2024. TVS's Apache also improved its position, moving from 10th place in 2019 to seventh in 2024. Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto, and Royal Enfield did not respond to queries about this data. "Both Apache and Raider have received updates, making them more appealing to a younger crowd. The Apache range offers engine options from 160 CC to 310 CC and various body types. TVS focuses on providing the latest and first-in-segment features at an affordable price for their Apache models, which could explain the rise in their popularity in recent years," Bhatia mentioned. Bajaj's Pulsar has shown robust growth with sales surging 61 per cent over the past six years. While Platina also saw overall growth since 2019, its year-on-year (Y-o-Y) sales declined in 2024. The company's CT model has since been discontinued and dropped out of the top-10 list. Bhatia explained: "Pulsar is the bread and butter of Bajaj two-wheelers. There is a Pulsar for every person, with engine capacities ranging from 125 CC to 400 CC in various configurations. The manufacturer is keen on keeping the Pulsar range exciting and updated with the latest technology and designs. In contrast, Platina has not seen many updates recently, and the current trend shows customers moving towards motorcycles with bigger capacities and new designs. As a result, Platina and the discontinued CT model may have lost the charm they once had." Royal Enfield Classic moved up one rank in the list despite recording lower sales in 2024 compared to 2019. Bhatia stated: "Even though there is a decline in numbers, Classic still holds the first position in the Royal Enfield lineup. The decrease in numbers could be due to customers switching to new models like Hunter and Meteor." Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 'The US is strongly placed to expand its crude supplies to India.' IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks at the Commander in Chief Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington, DC, January 20, 2025. Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stressed there is a possibility of more energy exports from the United States heading to India. This comes even as the new Donald Trump administration announced plans to maximise oil and gas production. "The number of India's oil suppliers has already gone up from 27 to 39 and if more oil comes in, this is something that we welcome," Puri said on the sidelines of an auto industry event in New Delhi. On January 21, 2025, Trump declared a national energy emergency, which will give him broad powers to reduce environmental restrictions on energy infrastructure and projects. It will ease permits on new transmission and pipeline infrastructure. He also signed an executive order allowing the US government to resume processing export permit applications for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects. A long-time supporter of fracking and higher crude production, Trump has indicated he wants to raise US oil exports to record levels, and use it to pay off national debt. Trump's win is being seen as a net positive for India's energy security, and crude oil import scenario by petroleum ministry officials. Inbound crude volumes from the US may spike from April onwards as the Trump administration removes barriers to export, and authorises natural gas quotas, officials said. US shale oil would act as an alternative to India's heavy dependency on Russian crude, which is currently facing sanctions, they said. "The US is strongly placed to expand its crude supplies to India. Despite the Joe Biden administration's focus on transitioning to cleaner fuels, the US remained the fifth largest source of crude for India for two straight years, dropping a position since FY22," an official said. The US was the fifth-largest source of crude for India in the first eight months of 2024-2025, according to commerce department data. Asian buyers of US oil are set to witness significant opportunities to import attractively-priced crude from the US, analysts said. America's domestic production has continued to grow rapidly while competition with Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) suppliers has intensified. "With growth in US crude production and exports, the US will continue to compete with Opec exporters in Asia. It is targeting European refiners and developing new markets in Africa and Latin America," said Benjamin Tang, head of liquid bulk at S&P Global Commodities at Sea. Import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US may also rise. In January, last year, the Biden administration had announced a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of LNG to nations with which it doesn't have a free-trade agreement (FTA). India does not have an FTA with the US. The US is the largest LNG exporter worldwide, with shipments expected to double by the end of this decade. Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that LNG shipments to India began rising fast from early-2020 after Covid struck globally. Monthly traded volumes had risen to a high of 28,259 million cubic feet in May 2021, before falling. Volumes had stood at 13,698 million cubic feet as of October, 2023, after which the EIA discontinued publishing monthly data. Sanctions on Russia Discussions on a term deal for crude oil purchase from Russia had come to a halt in the wake of the latest sanctions on Russia, petroleum ministry sources told Business Standard last week. A joint front of State-owned refiners was discussing crude oil purchase from Russia under a term deal. Crude oil from Russia is usually purchased on spot prices, while long-term contracts are usually reserved for crude from India's traditional import sources in West Asia. Spot purchase allows refineries to secure different grades of oil, otherwise unavailable. But sanctions on Russian oil and gas entities by the US earlier this month, has put the talks on hold. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The possibilities for cooperation between the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have been discussed, a source in ANAMA told Trend. According to the source, the agency's chairman, Vugar Suleymanov, met with the UNICEF representative in Azerbaijan, Faruk Abdulla. The meeting saw an exchange of views on projects jointly implemented by the Agency and UNICEF within the "Explosive Hazards Awareness" program, which is one of the main areas of activity in combating the mine threat, expanding cooperation opportunities in this field, as well as other issues of mutual interest. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel 'Sanjay Roy is not alone.' 'If he's kept alive, maybe we will know what happened.' 'Why was he in the chest medicine department that night when he never went there earlier?' 'Nobody will parade in front of a CCTV camera and then go and murder someone.' 'There are several people who are involved in this heinous crime. They have to be identified and punished.' IMAGE: The police produce Sanjay Roy, the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case convict, at the Sealdah court in West Bengal. Photograph: ANI Photo "If you can't find the house from the map location, ask for Tilottama's house," the father says over the phone. Tilottama is the postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, while she was on night duty on the August 9, 2024. Tilottama is not her real name, of course. Indian laws prohibit naming a rape victim. In her home state, West Bengal, she is called Tilottama (one who is made up of the highest qualities) and Abhaya (the fearless one). At the town in West Bengal where she lived, a man is talking on the phone on a narrow road. "Tilottama'r baari? (Tilottama's house?)" "Down that lane, it's the second house," the man says. Paritosh Roy lives a few houses from Tilottama's house. "I know them very well. She used to practice at a pharmacy for a few years; just down the road. She would carry a small haversack on her back and would walk up this road. She was polite and pleasant but always very busy. "When we heard she had committed suicide, everyone in this locality said she is not the kind of person who takes her own life." Tilottama, as she is referred to in West Bengal, means 'one who is made up of the highest qualities'. Her parents say she was a "diamond". Their two-storey house has her name plate and on the wall by the main door. Below the name is her qualification: 'Pulmonary physician'. Her parents have never allowed the media to enter the house. All bytes to the media are given at their door, but they concede and we walk past the stairwell to a room on the ground floor. This is her father's tailoring workshop. Two men measure and cut from a navy blue bolt of cloth. The father makes school uniforms and on the shelves of all the walls in the room are stacked stitched school uniforms in transparent plastic packets, cheek-by-jowl with bolts of the same navy blue cloth. This is not a one-man unit, but a small business. "I work 16 hours a day. I don't fear hard work and neither did my daughter," he says. "But my zeal for working hard is over. Whom do I work so hard for now that she's gone?" On January 20, 2025, Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata police, was found guilty under Sections 64 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death), and 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The judge ruled that it was not the rarest or rare case and therefore could not hand out the death penalty. "We are shocked. My daughter was raped and murdered while she was on duty at the hospital. She was brutalised. Why should Sanjay Roy not hang?" Tilottama's father asks IMAGE: Sanjay Roy, the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case convict, in a police van outside the Sealdah court in West Bengal, November 4, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Her mother, petite and erudite, however, says, she couldn't care less what happened to Roy. "Let him be in jail. How does it matter what happens to him, that's not our headache. He hasn't opened his mouth so far except to say he was framed. "If he's kept alive, maybe we will know what happened. Why was he in the chest medicine department that night when he never went there earlier? Nobody will parade in front of a CCTV camera and then go and murder someone. "We want the others rounded up and brought to justice. We are not unhappy with the sentencing." In conversation with Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com at their home in Bengal, Tilottama's parents speak about the case and August 9, 2024, when life as they knew it, ended for them. The first of a 3-part interview. The incident happened under West Bengal Chief Minister and Health Minister Mamata Banerjee's watch. Do you hold her responsible? RG Kar principal, Sandip Ghosh, West Bengal Health Minister Mamata Banerjee, the doctors who were on duty that night, the commissioner of police -- they are all responsible. Would the law and order in the state improve if Mamata Banerjee stepped down as CM? A resignation won't suffice. The entire party has to be uprooted and thrown out. She monitored everything that happened after my daughter's death. Everything was done under her directions. I'm taking full responsibility for making this remark because it's the truth. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses the media after a meeting with the junior doctors protesting over the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, Kolkata, September 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The West Bengal government has moved the high court seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy. Do you find this ironic? She seems more upset now at Sanjay Roy not getting the death penalty than she was when my daughter was murdered. She keeps saying she is grieved at the sentencing. If Roy should be hanged, so should Vineet Goyal (the Kolkata police commissioner at the time of the incident who was replaced in September). He was there that morning erasing evidence. He knows who killed my daughter. Sanjay Roy has been given a life term. You wanted the death penalty. What next? The judge has seen evidence presented before him over the last two months and on the basis of the charge-sheet has given the verdict. Sanjay is guilty and was found guilty. Everyone did. But we thought he would get the death sentence. But Sanjay is not alone. There are several people who are involved in this heinous crime. They have to be identified and punished. On the day of the sentencing, the judge asked us in court if we would accept the Rs 17 lakh compensation. We refused; we want justice, not money. Will you approach a higher court now? We have asked for the case to be handed over to the high court from the Supreme Court. When we approached the high court, all we wanted was an impartial judgment. The court asked the CBI to take over the case. But the CBI has not been able to answer our questions. So we have asked the high court 54 questions that we want answered. We hope the court will get the questions answered from the CBI. What are the questions? For instance, the CBI did not collect the duty roster from August 9. The CBI did not speak to the staff, who were on duty that night, like nurses, ward boys, doctors. The person who called us from RG Kar that day, the assistant superintendent, Dr Arkoprova Hati, hasn't even been questioned. The local MLA, the commissioner of police, the Trinamool politicians, should be charged with evidence tampering, but the CBI hasn't done anything of the kind. These are just two examples. There are 52 more questions we have asked the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the case in August and the case will be heard in March. IMAGE: Protesting doctors light diyas for the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder victim in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo Who is helping you with the case? We have our own lawyer. The lawyer for the lower court is charging us a small amount, and we are paying both the high court and Supreme Court lawyers. Earlier, Vrinda Grover was handling the case suo motu for us, but she is responsible for putting the case on the back foot. It was she who insisted that there was only one perpetrator despite evidence to the contrary. She does not represent us since December. What happened with Grover? Her chamber provided legal services pro bono to you before all the four courts from September 2024. I was called to the court on day 1 of the trial when witnesses were being called in. But then onwards, the CBI and Vrinda Grover's lawyer did not allow us inside the court. We found it suspicious, but thought it was the norm. Then Sanjay Roy only began appearing virtually. The moment we changed our lawyer we were allowed to be present in court. And we haven't missed a single hearing. We did not like the way the case was being handled by Vrinda Grover. Have you come face-to-face with Sanjay Roy in court? Yes, the way he talks, his demeanour... there is absolutely no doubt in our minds that he is a criminal. He is responsible for my daughter's rape and murder and there is evidence to back it. But there are others involved. You have said over and over again that there are several perpetrators. The MIMB (Multi Institutional Medical Board) was led by Adarsh Kumar [a forensic expert, submitted an eight-page report that contains nine major points, which says it was possible for one person to kill and rape her] . We showed the DNA report to another expert and he said there was enough DNA evidence to point to the presence of other people at the scene of crime. What did Adarsh Kumar base his report on? Either he did not see the DNA report or he pretended not to see it. [The Central Forensic Science Laboratory report found the DNA of at least five individuals on the victim's body with CCTV footage capturing the movements of 68 people in the seminar hall]. The protests that erupted in West Bengal and across the nation have only happened one other time, during the Nirbhaya case. The people of West Bengal stood by you, but the protests have died down. Do you believe the case is losing its momentum? That's normal. People are aware that the case is being heard by the court; they believe justice will be done. So, yes there is a certain amount of silence. But I want people to know that even though the accused has been sentenced, there are several others walking around free and the verdict is just the tip of the iceberg. We have to traverse many miles, fight many battles to get justice and for that we need the people to stand by us. The Central Bureau of Investigation filed an appeal on Wednesday before the Calcutta high court, seeking death sentence for Sanjay Roy, who was sentenced to "life imprisonment until death" by a Sealdah court in the rape-cum-murder case of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, officials said. IMAGE: RG Kar rape-murder convict Sanjay Roy (right). Photograph: ANI file Photo The agency made the move after receiving a legal advice that the brutal rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor comes under the "rarest of rare" category deserving capital punishment, they said. Highly placed officials said the CBI was unanimous that the case deserves nothing but death penalty, seeing the manner in which the doctor was killed in her medical college. The CBI's plea seeking death penalty for Roy was turned down by the trial court, where Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das said the crime did not fall under the "rarest of rare" category. "The CBI prayed for the death penalty. The defence lawyer prayed that a jail term be given instead of the death penalty. This crime does not fall under the 'rarest of the rare' category," the judge said on Monday while sentencing Roy. "I am sentencing you to life imprisonment, meaning till the last day of your life, for causing injury during the act of committing rape on the victim that led to her death...," he told Roy. The West Bengal government has already approached the high court, challenging the verdict and seeking death penalty for Roy, which took up the matter on Wednesday but did not decide on the appeal. The high court said it would hear the CBI, the victim's family and the convict before deciding on the admission of the state government's appeal. The high court said it will hear the matter on January 27. The CBI opposed the state's right to file an appeal in the case during the hearing, saying that it was the prosecuting agency, hence, it had the right to appeal on the grounds of inadequacy of the sentence. Appearing for the CBI, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar opposed the state's submission, maintaining that the West Bengal government does not have the right to appeal against the trial court's order on the ground of inadequacy. He submitted that the CBI had prayed for awarding capital punishment to Roy before the trial court. Within hours of proceedings in the high court, the CBI went ahead and filed the appeal against the order of the Sealdah court and demanded enhancement of "life imprisonment until death" sentence awarded to Roy on the ground that it was a "rarest of rare" case. The trainee doctor was raped and killed in the early hours of August 9 in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when she had gone to have rest during her graveyard shift. Her body with severe injury marks was found inside the hall by a doctor the next morning. Civic volunteer Roy was arrested the next day based on CCTV footage in which he was seen entering the seminar hall at 4.03 am on the day of the incident. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from Kolkata Police to the CBI, which took over the case on August 14. The Sealdah court judgement sparing Roy from death penalty revoked sharp reactions from political parties and parents of the victim doctor. After the verdict was pronounced, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that had the case been handled by Kolkata Police, the death penalty would have been ensured. "All of us have demanded the death sentence, but the court has given a life term until death. The case was forcibly taken from us. Had it been with (Kolkata) police, we would have ensured that he was served a death sentence," she told reporters. BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya, who is also the party's organisational co-incharge for West Bengal, had called for appealing against the judgement and for probe agencies to investigate the role of the then Kolkata Police commissioner and the chief minister for allegedly destroying the evidence. "Life imprisonment and Rs 50,000 fine for Sanjoy Roy, accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, is travesty of justice. The verdict must be appealed," he said on X. The junior doctors, who were at the forefront of the protests following the crime, had called for further investigation into the larger conspiracy allegations raised by the victim's parents. A Dalit groom's baraat was taken out under heavy police protection in Rajasthan's Ajmer district after the bride's family approached the administration apprehending opposition by upper castes to a horse-mounted wedding procession. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Reuters The presence of around 200 police personnel ensured the traditional 'Bindoli' ceremony was incident-free as groom Vijay Regar rode a mare to Aruna's Khorwal's Lavera village to marry her on Tuesday. Aruna Khorwal's family had approached the administration, anticipating potential opposition by upper caste locals in the village. The administration deployed around 200 personnel for the ceremony. "A family had raised concern with the police that they wanted to take out a wedding procession and perhaps there could be some trouble. A meeting was held in the village as a part of preparation. The villagers also cooperated and said there would be no problem. The wedding was procession was taken out under police protection," Ajmer Superintendent of Police Vandita Rana said. Aruna's father Narayan Khorwal had also approached local activists, including Ramesh Chand Bansal, the Secretary of Manav Vikas Avam Adhikar Kendra Sansthan. Bansal wrote to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and also approached the local police for help following which police personnel including officers from multiple police stations were deployed. "If we remain scared then how things will work. We are an educated family. In the past, there have been untoward incidents during wedding processions so we had approached the police and activists," bride's father Narayan said. However, the family skipped DJ and firecrackers. In a move sending a strong signal to China, foreign ministers from Quad countries -- India, Australia, Japan and the United States -- in a joint statement on Tuesday strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. IMAGE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at the State Department in Washington, DC on January 21, 2025. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters US Secretary of State Rubio hosted India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat. At the conclusion of the meeting that lasted for about an hour, the ministers reconfirmed the Quad Leadership Summit in India later this year. "Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the people of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," a joint statement issued by the Quad countries said. "We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. "We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India," it added. The Quad ministers also reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended, the statement said. In a post on X, Jaishankar said the meeting sent a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, Quad will continue to be a force for global good. 'Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states. 'Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration,' Jaishankar said. -- By Lalit K Jha in Washington, DC Allegations against former councillor and February 2020 riots accused Tahir Hussain were grave and reprehensible but as of now they were allegations, Supreme Court judge Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah said on Wednesday. IMAGE: Suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain (right) being taken Karkardooma court, in New Delhi, March 6, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo While opining Hussain should be released on interim bail, Justice Amanullah, who was on a division bench with Justice Pankaj Mithal -- said the petitioner was in custody since March, 2020 and secured bail in majority of cases. The bench delivered a split verdict in the matter. "The allegations against the petitioner are no doubt grave and reprehensible but as of this moment, they are exactly that - allegations. It is settled law that magnitude and gravity of offence are not grounds in itself to deny bail. No court of law has rendered adjudications thereon. The petitioner is in custody since March 2020. He has secured bail in majority of cases," said Justice Amanullah. He observed the Delhi high court had permitted Hussain to file his nomination and consequently stand as a candidate. "On the short point of period already undergone also, bail secured in other cases, I am of the considered opinion that subject to conditions the petitioner can be granted interim bail for a limited period. The petitioner is thus enlarged on interim bail upto noon of February 4, 2025," Justice Amanullah said. Observing the right to contest elections was not a fundamental right, Justice Mithal dismissed Hussain's plea and said allowing interim bail could open a Pandora's box as every undertrial would invoke the same ground. During the hearing, Justice Amanullah questioned Delhi Police for the delay in the case's trial over the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. "This is a matter of life and liberty That is why we have listed day-to-day. Why have you not completed the trial since five years? Why have you just examined four out of five eye-witnesses? Chargesheet was filed on June 2, 2020. All these are not very comfortable questions You don't have unlimited liberty of putting somebody in jail for years. We cannot shut our eyes to this," Justice Amanullah told additional solicitor general S V Raju, appearing for Delhi Police. Raju opposed the interim bail saying the allegations against Hussain were "very serious". He said Hussain's role was not limited to instigating and his house was the "epicentre" from where directions were sent and weapons recovered. The Delhi high court on January 14 granted custody parole to Hussain to file nomination papers from the Mustafabad constituency on an AIMIM ticket. It, however, refused his plea for interim bail from January 14 to February 9 to fight polls, saying the gravity of allegations against Hussain, being the main perpetrator in the violence, which resulted in the death of several persons, could not be overlooked. The high court said about 11 FIRs were registered against him in connection with the riots and he was admittedly in custody in a related money laundering case and UAPA case. Violence broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, leaving 53 dead and several injured. Hussain is accused in a case of February 2020 riots connected to the death of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma. According to the prosecution, on February 26, 2020, complainant Ravinder Kumar informed the Dayalpur Police Station that his son Sharma was missing since February 25, 2020. His mortal remains were reportedly recovered from Khajuri Khas nullah in the riot-affected area and his body bore 51 injuries. The Bangladeshi national arrested for attacking Saif Ali Khan gained entry into the actor's building in Mumbai's Bandra by scaling its compound wall and went inside the main entrance after finding the security guards asleep, police said. Photograph: Sahil Salvi for Rediff.com IMAGE: Police personnel stand outside actor Saif Ali Khan's building 'Satguru Sharan' in Mumbai. The Mumbai police on Tuesday recreated the crime scene with the accused at the Satguru Sharan building in Bandra area, where the actor resides. Khan (54) was stabbed repeatedly by the intruder, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das (30), inside his 12-floor apartment in the wee hours of January 16. The actor suffered multiple stab injuries in the attack and underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital. He returned home on Tuesday. The police arrested the accused from neighbouring Thane city on Sunday. In order to recreate the crime scene, the police took the accused to the actor's building as well as at other places that he possibly visited to have food, change clothes and board a train, the official said on Tuesday. "Both the security guards in the building, where actor Saif Ali Khan resides, were sleeping when his attacker entered it by crossing over the boundary wall," the official said. "As the accused found both the security guards in deep slumber, he entered the building from the main entrance where no CCTV camera has been installed. The accused removed his shoes and kept them in his bag to avoid making any noise and also switched off his phone," he said. During the probe, the police found there are no CCTV cameras installed in the building's corridor, the official said. "The investigation revealed that one of the two security guards was sleeping in the cabin and the other near the gate," he added. The accused is kept in the lockup either at the Bandra or the Santacruz police stations (as per the probe requirement) and no one except the investigation officer has permission to meet him. He is being provided food given to the other accused as well, the official said. Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Lingnurkar has been appointed as the investigation officer in the case, he said. Fakir, a native of Jhalokathi district in Bangladesh, was residing in Mumbai for more than five months, did odd jobs and was associated with a housekeeping agency, according to police. A court in Mumbai on Sunday remanded the accused in five-day police custody. Glimpses of how the National Security Guard would neutralise a terrorist hostage scenario with a chemical agent weapon threat. IMAGE: NSG personnel show how they would take on terrorists in a hostage scenario with a chemical agent weapon threat during a demo at IIT in New Delhi, January 21, 2025, here and below. All photographs: ANI Photo Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com IMAGE: Dr S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. Photograph: SJaishankar/X In a move sending a strong signal to China, foreign ministers from Quad countries -- India, Australia, Japan and the US -- in a joint statement strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. Soon after he was sworn in by Vice President J D Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat. At the conclusion of the meeting which lasted for about an hour, the ministers reconfirmed the Quad Leadership Summit in India later this year. India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders Summit. In 2024, the Quad Leaders Summit was earlier supposed to be held in India, but then US President Joe Biden was keen to hold the event in Wilmington. 'Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the people of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,' a joint statement issued by the Quad countries said on Tuesday. The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. In November 2017, all these four countries gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amid China's growing military presence in the strategic region. China, which has territorial disputes with many countries in the strategic Indo-Pacific region, has been opposing the Quad Alliance since its formation. 'We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. 'We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India,' it added. The Quad ministers also reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended, the statement said. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. In a post on X, Jaishankar said the meeting sent a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, Quad will continue to be a force for global good. 'Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member States. 'Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration,' Jaishankar said. -- PTI IMAGE: Takeshi, Rubio, Wong and Jaishankar on their way to the Quad meeting. Photograph: SJaishankar/X IMAGE: Jaishankar congratulates Rubio on his appointment as secretary of state. Photograph: SJaishankar/X IMAGE: A glimse of the Quad mini-summit. Photograph: SJaishankar/X IMAGE: Jaishankar and Rubio, here and below. Photograph: SJaishankar/X Photograph: SJaishankar/X IMAGE: Earlier, Rubio was sworn in as secretary of state by US Vice President J D Vance at the Eisenhower executive office building in Washington, DC. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters IMAGE: Rubio is the first of Trump's cabinet nominees to be confirmed by the US Senate and House of Representatives. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters IMAGE: Both Vance and he served in the US Senate before their promotion -- Rubio represented Florida since 2011; Vance represented Ohio since 2023. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters IMAGE: Rubio was considered the most hawkish senators on China and will likely bring that same thinking to his job as America's top diplomat -- that is, of course, hos unpredictable boss thinks otherwise. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters IMAGE: While Rubio is a Cuban American, his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio -- a former cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins -- is a Colombian American=. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters IMAGE: The Rubios, who have been married for 26 years (October 27, 1998), are devout Christians and have four children -- Daniella, Amanda, Dominick and Anthony. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com Confusion prevailed on Wednesday over Janata Dal-United's support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Biren Singh government in Manipur with its state unit writing a letter to the governor, informing him of withdrawal of support and the central party leadership dismissing it, asserting the support to National Democratic Alliance. IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Union minister Lalan Singh. Photograph: ANI Photo In the letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, JD-U state president Ksh Biren Singh "reiterates non-support" to the BJP-led government in Manipur. Shortly after Singh's letter, the JD-U central leadership sacked him, in a bid to quell growing speculation about the party's ties with the BJP. Party's national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said Singh's removal was due to indiscipline and asserted that the party would continue to support the BJP-led government in the northeastern state. Ranjan affirmed that the JD-U remains committed to supporting the BJP-led NDA, not just in Manipur but across the country. In his letter, the Manipur unit chief also said the lone JD-U MLA, Mohammed Abdul Nasir, will sit in the opposition benches. Repeated efforts to contact Nasir did not fructify. The withdrawal, however, will not have any impact on the Biren Singh government as the BJP has 37 seats in the 60-member assembly and is also supported by five MLAs of the Naga People's Front and three independents. In the letter to Bhalla, Ksh Biren Singh said, "In the election to state assembly of Manipur held in February/ March 2022, six candidates set up by JD-U were returned. After a few months, five MLAs of JD-U defected to BJP. Trial under tenth schedule of India of the five MLAs is pending before the Speaker's Tribunal." "After JD-U became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP led government was withdrawn by JD-U ...as such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD-U in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the assembly by the Speaker", it said. "JD-U further reiterated that it does not support the BJP-led government in Manipur and that the lone MLA shall be treated as an opposition MLA in the House" it added. Clarifying the party's stand, JD-U secretary general Maisnam Dorendro Singh claimed that the letter sent by Ksh Biren Singh to the new governor was to reiterate the party's earlier position, and there is no mention of any fresh withdrawal from the BJP-led government in the state. "With the coming of the new governor, JD-U Manipur state unit just wanted to reiterate the position of the party. In the letter, there is no mention of any fresh withdrawal of support (to the BJP govt). It has been widely misunderstood," he stated. Asked about the sacking of Ksh Biren Singh, Dorendro Singh said, "We have heard of it from different quarters and many have called to ask about it. However, we are yet to receive any official information." Popular Pakistani YouTubers Sohaib Chaudhry and Sana Amjad resurfaced on Tuesday after a mysterious 21-day disappearance, sparking rumours of abduction or even death. Illustration: Dado Ruvic/Reuters In a video, Sohaib revealed he was abducted and tortured by members of a significant political party who pressured him to join their organisation. While refraining from naming the group, Sohaib promised to disclose further details in future videos. Both YouTubers, known for their content related to India, have often courted controversy. In his video, Sohaib Chaudhry detailed his ordeal, saying he lived in constant fear of death during his captivity. "I was thinking that any day could be the last of my life," he said. The YouTuber alleged he was subjected to severe torture as his captors tried to force him into compliance. Despite the physical and emotional pain, Sohaib vowed to stand firm. "I will not fear, as all my fear has been removed now. I will continue to say what is true," he declared. His statements underscored his defiance in the face of threats. Sana Amjad shared her traumatic experience, revealing how her family was targeted to silence her. She disclosed, "The men tortured my mom because of my channel. They want the content to be banned or my channel shut down." Despite this, Sana's resolve remains unbroken. "They have removed all my fear after torturing my mom. I will continue to make videos," she said. Sana's channel, which has often praised India and advocated for greater cooperation between India and Pakistan, has made her a divisive figure in Pakistan. Defending her content, Sana stated, "Praising India is not a crime in Pakistan. Several politicians, including the Prime Minister, have also praised Indian policies in the past." She thanked Indian media and YouTubers for their support during her disappearance while criticising the silence of her Pakistani peers. "I would like to thank Indian media and YouTubers for standing by us, but Pakistani media and YouTubers chose to remain silent," she remarked. Both YouTubers remain determined to continue their work despite the risks. Sohaib declared, "It's a chance that my death could become a reality in the coming days, but I will continue to tell right from wrong, no matter what." BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Alstom is actively expanding its presence in Central Asia, with a focus on sustainable rail transport solutions tailored to the regions specific needs, said Jerome Boyet, Managing Director of Alstom in Western and Central Asia, in an interview with Trend. "Our presence in any region, including Central Asia, is directly linked to our operational needs and our commitment to meeting the requirements of our customers," Boyet noted. He emphasized that Alstoms growth in Kazakhstan serves as a springboard for exploring opportunities in neighboring markets like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. "Any potential expansion into these territories would be driven by customer needs for support and infrastructure development. We are dedicated to fostering partnerships that create value and enhance the operational capabilities of the railway systems in the region". Highlighting Alstoms commitment to greener rail networks, Boyet pointed to the companys electric locomotives as a cornerstone of its sustainability strategy. "Our electric locomotives deliver the lowest carbon footprint of all transport solutions available today," he said. The locomotives currently operating in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan showcase exceptional environmental performance, achieving emission rates as low as 7.0 gCO2/ton.km. "This commitment aligns with the global push for greener solutions and supports the goals of Central Asian countries to enhance their transportation infrastructure while minimizing their environmental impact," Boyet explained. Alstom is open to collaborating with local stakeholders to support regional modernization efforts. "By understanding the specific requirements of local markets, we can effectively tailor our approach and consider opportunities for establishing manufacturing and maintenance operations where there is significant demand," Boyet said. He stressed the importance of aligning investments with regional development goals: "We believe in collaborating with local stakeholders to ensure that our investments align with the broader goals of regional development." As Alstom continues to innovate, it remains dedicated to providing Central Asia with advanced technologies and environmentally friendly transport options. "We are improving the efficiency of railway transport and contributing to a more sustainable future for the region," Boyet concluded. These transfers can be seen as part of a continuing process on General Asim Munir's part to keep his senior generals happy, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W. IMAGE: General Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief, with then president Arif Alvi, November 24, 2022. Photograph: Press Information Department/Handout/Reuters In a reshuffle of three star generals (January 21), Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir has brought back one of his loyalists, Lieutenant General Syed Aamer Raza, Armoured Corps (6 Lancers) erstwhile Corps Commander, Lahore, as his chief of general staff. Lieutenant General Raza is an officer from the Officer's Training Scheme stream (the chief's own). He had been posted at Lahore immediately after the tumultuous May 9, 2023 violent events vandalising the corps commander's house (Jinnah House) there, when Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf cadres targeted army installations in a countrywide protest after Imran Khan's arrest. IMAGE: Lieutenant General Avais Dastgir. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ikramuddinkamil/wikipedia.org/Creative Commons Lieutenant General Muhd Avais Dastgir, Armd Corps (58 Cavalry), who was serving as the chief of general staff, goes to V Corps, Karachi as the new corps commander, replacing Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar, Armd Corps (6 Lancers). Promoted in November 2023 (83 rd PMA Long Course), Lieutenant General Dastgir was Director General, Military Operations earlier. He is certainly one of the younger officers from the army on a promising professional career graph. IMAGE: Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (Pakistan)/wikipedia.org/Creative Commons Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar goes as president, National Defence University, Islamabad. He had served as director general, Inter Services Public Relations earlier, under then army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Sind regiment, who was serving as inspector general, training & evaluation at General Headquarters, goes as the new IV Corps Commander, Lahore. He is an officer of the 80th PMA course. Earlier also, he had been considered for the Lahore assignment and had been waiting patiently for a corps command. Lieutenant General Aamer Najam, Sind regiment, recently promoted at NDU, Islamabad (84th PMA course) goes as inspector general, training & evaluation, in Fayyaz Shah's slot at GHQ. Only one retirement of a three star general is due, in April, when Lieutenant General Saqib Mahmood Malik, Punjab regiment, GoC, XXXI Corps, Bahawalpur, fades out. These transfers can be seen as part of a continuing process on General Asim Munir's part to keep his senior generals happy while following the normal professional yardsticks for filling up important higher command posts. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet met in the Maha Kumbh Mela area on Wednesday following which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced several key decisions on development projects and policy changes aimed at boosting the state's growth. IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with his Cabinet takes a dip in the Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela. Photographs: @myogiadityanath/X Addressing the media, the chief minister highlighted the wide range of topics discussed at the meeting, including policy matters on incentives in aerospace and defence sectors, and infrastructure development and specific issues related to Prayagraj. He also announced construction of three new medical colleges in Baghpat, Hathras and Kasganj districts. One of the major announcements was related to the state's aerospace and defence policies, which, he said, was initially implemented in 2018, has completed five years and will now be revamped. "The revised policy will include new incentives to attract large investments into the sector," Adityanath said. The cabinet meeting comes on a day that also marked the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and ahead of the February 5 Milkipur bypoll. Adityanath said the cabinet also discussed the distribution of incentives under the Foreign Direct Investment and Fortune 500 investments made in Uttar Pradesh. "New investment proposals were presented, and Letters of Intent will be issued. Among the key investments, a Rs 10,000 crore investment in Mirzapur and additional proposals in Moradabad were discussed. There are two more such projects," he said. Additionally, the chief minister shared details of a scheme to provide smartphones and tablets to youths in the state. The government has allocated funds for this programme and it is expected to roll out in the coming months, he said. After the cabinet meeting held at the Triveni complex located in Arail of Mahakumbh Nagar, Adityanath said the construction of two new bridges in Prayagraj was approved at the meeting. Another important decision was the establishment of a medical college in Balrampur, which will be named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The KGMU Lucknow's Satellite Centre in Balrampur will be converted into a medical college, and it is set to begin operations in the next academic session, he said. The cabinet also approved the construction of three new medical colleges in Baghpat, Hathras and Kasganj districts under the public-private partnership model. In collaboration with Tata Technologies, the state government has also decided to establish 62 Industrial Training Institutes and five centres of innovation, invention, incubation, and training. This initiative aims to provide modern education and skill development to the youth of UP through a hub-and-spoke model. "Furthermore, the cabinet approved the establishment of a Directorate of Prosecution in the state," the chief minister announced. He also spoke about the issuance of bonds by municipal corporations of Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Agra. "This follows the successful issuance of bonds for Lucknow and Ghaziabad, which had yielded positive results. The issuance of bonds is seen as a way to brand these municipalities and boost their development," he said. Highlighting the importance of Prayagraj, the CM spoke about the city's global significance. He praised the record number of pilgrims who visited the Sangam for the holy bath, with over 9.25 crore devotees participating in the event so far. He also said the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation will issue bonds to fund the construction of a super-specialty hospital. In addition to this, bonds will also be issued for Agra to address its specific needs, and for Varanasi, with particular focus on the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the city, he said. Adityanath also announced cabinet's approvals for infrastructure projects related to Prayagraj and eastern UP. "The proposal to build a new bridge over the Ganga between Salori and Hetapatti, and a new bridge parallel to the Signature Bridge over the Yamuna, has been approved," he said. "Prayagraj faces its own internal traffic challenges. A new six-lane bridge is being built over the Ganga, which will be completed on time. I am confident that by the next Kumbh, the benefits of infrastructure development will be enjoyed by devotees who come," he added. "Keeping in mind the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, we will develop a growth corridor combining Prayagraj and Chitrakoot. For this, we will expand the Ganga Expressway, which will connect Prayagraj to Mirzapur and from there to Bhadohi, and further connect to Varanasi, Chandauli, and Ghazipur through the Purvanchal Expressway," the CM said. He said, additionally, this expressway will connect Varanasi and Chandauli to Sonbhadra and link up with the national highway. "This plan for Prayagraj-Chitrakoot growth corridor will be taken forward in collaboration with the NITI Aayog, just as we are advancing the Varanasi-Vindhya growth corridor. "These growth corridors will play a significant role not only from a tourism perspective but also in terms of economic development and job creation," Adityanath said. "Approval has also been given for a proposal to connect the Bundelkhand Expressway with the Ganga Expressway to link Chitrakoot with Prayagraj," he added. Pune on Wednesday reported 35 suspected fresh cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an immunological nerve disorder, taking the count to 59, officials said. Image used for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo The state health department formed a team to investigate the sudden rise in this disease after 24 suspected cases were reported a day before. Doctors said that GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms like severe weakness in the limbs. "The total number of GBS cases increased to 59 on Wednesday including 38 men and 21 women. 12 patients are currently on ventilator support," said a health official. The state health department on Tuesday formed a Rapid Response Team team to investigate the sudden rise in this disease. Dr Babasaheb Tandale, a scientist from the National Institute of Virology, Dr Premchand Kambale, joint director of health services, Dr Rajesh Karyekarte, HOD of the department of microbiology of B J Medical College, Dr Bhalchandra Pradhan, state epidemiologist and others are part of the RRT. Most suspected patients are within the age group of 30 years. "RRT members visited the affected areas where a majority of these cases were reported and instructed surveillance in Pune city and rural areas. Samples of stool and blood of patients have been sent to NIV. The samples of water from the affected areas are being investigated," said the official. Doctors explained that bacterial and viral infections generally lead to GBS as they weaken patients' immunity. "It is prevalent in both paediatric and young-age groups. However, GBS will not lead to an epidemic or pandemic," said the official adding that with treatment, most people recover fully from the condition. Britain's former prime minister Rishi Sunak has taken on new academic roles at the University of Oxford in the UK and University of Stanford in the US -- both alma maters of the Conservative Party member of Parliament for Richmond and Northallerton in northern England. IMAGE: Britain's ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London, Britain, October 30, 2024. . Photograph: House of Commons/Handout via Reuters Sunak, 44, has joined Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government as a member of the World Leaders Circle and a Distinguished Fellow, the UK's premier university announced on Monday. Meanwhile, Stanford named him the William C Edwards Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he will be working on a wide array of issues, including trans-Atlantic relations, economic policy, technology, and global security challenges. Both Blavatnik and Hoover do superb work on how we can rise to the economic and security challenges we face and seize the technological opportunities of our time, Sunak said in a statement. "I have huge affection for both Oxford and Stanford. I was fortunate enough to study at both, they shaped my life and career, and I look forward to contributing to their world-leading research in the months and years ahead, the British Indian politician, who read Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at Oxford," he said. The Blavatnik School's World Leaders Circle is described as a global network of former heads of government, a forum to exchange ideas, foster international collaboration among leaders and enhance efforts to promote more effective governments worldwide. His expertise will shape our work to equip today's public leaders around the world with the urgent skills they need to tackle evolving global challenges, as well as seizing the opportunities," Professor Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School, said. University of Oxford Chancellor-elect William Hague, Sunak's former mentor in the Tory party, said Sunak would be a huge asset to the university. Rishi's connection to Oxford University runs deep, and it's great to see him coming back to his alma mater to contribute in such a meaningful way. I have no doubt his insights will inspire the next generation of leaders who are starting their journey here at Oxford," Hague said. The University of Stanford, where Fulbright Scholar Sunak studied for an MBA and also met his wife, fellow student Akshata Murty, welcomed him as their newest Visiting Fellow at the public-policy think tank Hoover Institution. "I look forward to contributing to the research of the Hoover Institution as it works to advance economic prosperity and international security," he said. Condoleezza Rice, former US secretary of state and Hoover Institution Director, said the former UK prime minister holds extensive policy and global experience that will enrich the fellowship and help to define important policies moving forward. The United States and the United Kingdom share a very special bond, and we look forward to the impact of his work on the many challenges facing democracies and the world in the years to come, Rice said. Rishi Sunak's deep knowledge of geopolitical issues and economic policy will make him an excellent addition to our Hoover fellows and to our university more broadly, noted Jonathan Levin, President, Stanford University. Prior to entering British politics, Sunak spent his professional career in business and finance internationally, co-founded an investment firm working with companies in multiple geographies and is also credited with helping small and entrepreneurial British companies grow. His deep experience in policy and politics will contribute mightily to a reform agenda on both sides of the Atlantic, said Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution. The new roles in academia will run alongside Sunak's role in the House of Commons as a Tory MP on the Opposition backbenches in Parliament. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has met auto-rickshaw driver Bhajan Singh Rana, who rushed him to hospital after he was injured in the knife attack at his home in Mumbai in the wee hours last week, and thanked him for the timely help. IMAGE: Bhajan Singh, the auto-rickshaw driver who took actor Saif Ali Khan to Lilavati Hospital after he was attacked by an intruder leaves Bandra Police Station, in Mumbai. Photograph: ANI Photo The driver told PTI that Saif also gave him some money and assured all help to him whenever needed. Asked how much money Saif gave him, Rana declined to disclose the exact amount, maintaining the actor requested him not to share this information. However, the driver revealed that a social worker, Faizan Ansari, separately gave him Rs 11,000. Rana said on reaching the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra just before Saif was discharged on Tuesday evening, he met the filmstar and his family members, and touched the feet of his mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, out of reverence. The auto driver said they treated him with respect and also clicked pictures with him. He said Khan promised to stay in touch with him. Khan, 54, was repeatedly stabbed by a Bangladeshi national inside his 12th-floor apartment in the upscale Bandra area in the wee hours of January 16 during a robbery attempt. He suffered multiple stab injuries and underwent two surgeries at the private hospital, located a few kilometres away from the actor's building. "I met him (Saif) yesterday (Tuesday) at the hospital. He called to thank me for taking him to the hospital. He praised me. I got the blessings from him and his family," the auto-rickshaw driver said. "He (Khan) introduced me to his mother (Sharmila Tagore), and I touched her feet. He gave me (money) whatever he felt was right, and said whenever I need help he will be there," Rana said. The intruder, Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, 30, who illegally entered India last year and changed his name to Vijay Das, was arrested on Sunday from adjoining Thane city. A preliminary investigation suggests the accused, currently in police custody, had entered the actor's home intending to commit theft, police said. Meanwhile, police officials said on Wednesday that multiple departments under the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina will examine key pieces of evidence seized during the investigation of the stabbing case. A variety of materials, including mobile phones, clothes of the accused, and CCTV footage seized following the arrest of Fakir have been sent to the FSL for examination. FSL departments such as Tape Authentication and Speaker Identification (TASI), Biology, DNA, Footprints, Physics, Cyber, and others will be involved in analysing the evidence, a police official said. He said police didn't notice blood stains on the clothes of the accused seized from his bag when he was arrested from Thane. The official said investigators are facing difficulty in interrogating Fakir due to the language barrier as he speaks Hindi with a heavy Bangladeshi accent. He has been asked to speak slowly so that police could decipher his statements. Police on Tuesday reconstructed the sequence of events of the crime that unfolded at Khan's building, 'Satguru Sharan'. The accused was taken to a nearby building briefly during the recreation of the crime scene, the official added. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam commented on the 'quick recovery' of the Bollywood actor. "The doctors at Lilavati Hospital said the knife had penetrated 2.5 inches inside Saif Ali Khan's back and his surgery went on for six hours. They should tell us if a person who underwent a six-hour long operation can recover so quickly," Nirupam asked. Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut also spoke of the actor's speedy recovery. "The knife was wedged deep, but Saif walked out alive from the hospital. This is nothing short of a miracle by the doctors," Raut said. The Mumbai Police have found several fingerprints of the accused in Saif Ali Khan's stabbing case at the actor's Bandra residence. IMAGE: Actor Saif Ali Khan shows a thumbs up as he reaches his residence after getting discharged from Lilavati Hospital, in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked last week by an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, who entered his home with the intent to commit theft. After a violent confrontation with the accused, Saif Ali Khan sustained stab wounds to his thoracic spine and other body parts. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital for immediate treatment following the attack. In the ongoing investigation, the police found the accused's fingerprints on the stairs of the building, the door of the toilet, and the door handle of his son Jeh's room. According to the police, the accused attempted to enter three houses before reaching Saif Ali Khan's residence with the intent to steal. Mumbai Police believes the discovered fingerprints will play a significant role in the investigation. As per the police statement, the accused entered the residence of the renowned actor with the intent to commit theft. Multiple departments under the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina in Mumbai will examine key pieces of evidence seized by the police, officials said on Wednesday. A variety of materials, including mobile phones, clothes of the accused, and CCTV footage seized following the arrest of Fakir (30) alias Vijay Das, have been sent to the FSL for examination. FSL departments such as Tape Authentication and Speaker Identification (TASI), Biology, DNA, Footprints, Physics, Cyber, and others will be involved in analysing the evidence, a police official said. An official said police didn't notice blood stains on the clothes of the accused seized from his bag when he was arrested from Thane. The official said investigators are facing difficulty in interrogating Fakir due to the language barrier as he speaks Hindi with a heavy Bangladeshi accent. The accused has been asked to speak slowly so that police could decipher his statements, the official added. A case has been registered under sections 311, 312, 331(4), 331(6), and 331(7) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Further, the police stated that the accused was about to flee to his native village in Bangladesh when he was detained at Hiranandani Estate in Thane. Shehzad was sent to five-day police custody by the Bandra Holiday Court on Sunday. His advocate, Sandeep Shekhane, denied the police claims and alleged that 'no proper investigation' had been conducted so far. "A police custody for 5 days has been granted. The court has asked the police to submit a report within 5 days. "The police have no proof that he is a Bangladeshi. They said that he came here 6 months ago, it is a wrong statement. He has been living here for more than 7 years. His family is in Mumbai... This is a clear-cut violation of 43A. No proper investigation has been done," Shekhane told reporters. The case was reported by Aleyamma Philip, a 56-year-old staff nurse. After the attack, the actor was immediately taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, where he received treatment for serious injuries, including stab wounds to his thoracic spine. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was discharged from Lilavati Hospital after surgery on Tuesday. Upon returning to his Bandra residence, he waved to the media. The actor appeared healthy as he greeted the paparazzi with a smile. Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor were spotted at the residence. -- With inputs from PTI Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said those involved in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case will not be spared, and sought death sentence to the accused for the 'heinous' crime. IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Photograph: ANI Photo Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9. Preliminary investigation indicated that he had tried to resist an extortion attempt targeting an energy company operating a windmill project in the area. The murder case triggered a political slugfest as Walmik Karad, a close aide of Nationalist Congress Party minister Dhananjay Munde, was arrested in the extortion case linked to the sarpanch murder case. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, deputy CM Shinde described the murder of the sarpanch as "very unfortunate" and sought justice. "Be it Walmik Karad or anyone else, not a single person involved will be spared. For such heinous murders, there is no other punishment than the death penalty," he said. Karad was arrested in the extortion case related to the murder after he surrendered before the police in Pune on December 31. Last week, he was charged under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Sarpanch Deshmukh was killed because he was thought to be an obstacle in a plan to extort Rs 2 crore from an energy firm, and Walmik Karad was in contact with his killers when the crime was executed, the Maharashtra police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) told the court in Beed last week. New Delhi is prepared to cooperate with Donald Trump's administration to identify and repatriate all Indian citizens residing illegally in the United States, a Bloomberg report said on Tuesday. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025. Photograph: @WhiteHouse/X The US has identified some 18,000 illegal Indian migrants which are to be sent back, and for this India would verify and start the deportation process, the report said. During his inauguration on Monday, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US southern border. He announced that all illegal entry into the country would be immediately halted and that his administration would begin returning millions of 'criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.' * In 2023-2024, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported over 1,100 Indian nationals, with 160,000 individuals removed globally via 495 repatriation flights to 145 countries, including India. * Illegal migration to the US has increased, via the northern border, though Indians accounted for only 3% of unlawful crossings in 2024. * Since 2022, Indians have topped illegal immigrants from Asia at US checkpoints, surpassing the the Philippines. * In 2023-2024, US authorities encountered 90,415 Indians attempting illegal entry. * DHS estimates 220,000 unauthorised Indian immigrants in the US as of 2022, part of the 13.3 million undocumented population nationwide. * Over two-thirds of undocumented immigrants have lived in the US for over a decade, contributing 5% to the workforce, particularly in agriculture, hospitality, construction (12%), and health care. * Trump's immigration plan could require hiring 220,000 -- 409,000 ICE staff, up from 20,000, with estimated costs between $315 billion and $1 trillion, according to the American Immigration Council (AIC) * Mass deportation of 13.3 million undocumented immigrants could reduce US GDP by 4.2% -- 6.8%, AIC data states. * India seeks to protect legal immigration channels, with its citizens accounting for nearly 75% of the 386,000 H-1B visas granted in 2023. -- By Archis Mohan United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is ready to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin anytime, but at the same time warned that he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if the latter does not come to the negotiations table on the issue of Ukraine. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on AI infrastructure at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, DC on January 21, 2025. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters "It sounds likely," Trump told reporters when asked if the US will impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin doesn't come to the negotiation table. "The war should have never started. If you had a competent President, which you didn't, the war wouldn't have happened. The war in Ukraine would have never happened if I were the president," Trump said. "Russia never would have gone into Ukraine. I had a very strong understanding with Putin. That would have never, ever happened. He disrespected Biden. Very simple. He disrespects people. He's smart. He understands. He disrespected Biden," Trump said. "Also, the Middle East would have never happened because Iran was broke," he added. Responding to a query, Trump said he is ready to meet Putin anytime. "Anytime they want, I'll meet. Millions of people are being killed... It's a vicious situation and they're now largely soldiers. A lot of people have been killed and the cities look like demolition sites," he said. "The thing with Ukraine is that many more people died than what you're reporting. You're not reporting the real numbers, and I'm not blaming you for that. I'm blaming maybe our government for not wanting to release those numbers," Trump told reporters. Asked if the US will continue sending weapons to Ukraine, or will he turn off the tap soon, Trump said he is looking into the matter. "We'll look into that. We're talking to (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy. We're going to be talk with President Putin very soon, and we'll see how it all happens. We're going to look at it very soon," he said. "One thing I do feel is that the European Union should pay a lot more than they're paying, because under Biden, I mean, we're in there for USD 200 billion more. Now it affects them... We have an ocean in between, right? The European Union should equal us. We're in there for USD 200 billion more than the European Union. I mean, what are we, stupid? I guess the answer is yes," the president said. Trump also said that Ukraine President Zelensky told him that he would like to have peace. "He's told me that wants to have peace very strongly, but it takes two to tangle. We'll see what happens. Anytime they want, I'll meet. I'd like to see that end. Millions of people are being killed. It's a vicious situation," he said. -- By Lalit K Jha from Washington, DC Indian-American lawmakers have opposed the executive order by US President Donald Trump on changes in birthright citizenship, a move likely to hit not only illegal immigrants from around the world but also students and professionals from India. IMAGE: US President Donald J Trump signs multiple executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025. Photograph: @WhiteHouse/X On Monday, in the opening hours of his second term as president, Trump signed an order declaring that future children born to undocumented immigrants would no longer be treated as citizens. The order would extend even to the children of some mothers in the country legally but temporarily, such as foreign students or tourists. Trump's executive order asserts that the children of such noncitizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and thus are not covered by the 14th Amendment's longstanding constitutional guarantee. Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said changes in birthright citizenship as done through the executive order would impact newborn babies of not only illegal and undocumented immigrants but also those staying in this country legally like on H-1B visas. 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. Trump's order removes birthright citizenship for children born in the US not just to undocumented parents but to 'lawful' immigrants who are temporarily on a student visa, H1B/H2B visa, or business visa. So much for the pretence that the Republicans are for legal immigration, Khanna said. Indians are the main beneficiaries of the H-1B visas, which bring in the best of the talent and brains from across the world. Highly skilled professionals from India walk away with the overwhelming number of H-1B visas - which is Congressional mandated 65,0000 every year and another 20,000 for those who received higher education from the US. No matter what Donald Trump says or does, birthright citizenship has and will be the law of the land. I will fight to protect it at all costs, Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar said. Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal described it as unconstitutional. Plain and simple this is unconstitutional and cannot be done with the stroke of a pen. If enacted, it would make a mockery of our country's laws and the precedents set in the Constitution, she said. A coalition of immigration rights groups has challenged this in court and said that this is unconstitutional. As per the executive order, the US would not give automatic citizenship to newborn babies after February 19, 2025, if one of the parents is not a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Also, attorneys general from 22 states sued President Trump in two federal district courts on Tuesday to block the executive order that refuses to recognise the US-born children of unauthorised immigrants as citizens, the New York Times reported. Eighteen states and two cities, San Francisco and Washington, DC, challenged the order in the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, arguing that birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment is automatic and that neither the president nor Congress has the constitutional authority to revise it. Four other states filed a second lawsuit in the Western District of Washington. The states request immediate relief to prevent the President's Order from taking effect through both a Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction. President Trump's attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Constitution, said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. "The President's executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Ajay Bhutoria, Biden White House Commissioner and Deputy National Finance Chair for the Democratic Party, in a statement, said, the 14th Amendment is not up for negotiation. This executive order is not only unconstitutional but also undermines the values of equality and justice that define America," he said. Bhutoria urged the South Asian and broader immigrant communities to stand united against policies that threaten the fundamental principles of the Constitution. "We must work together to ensure that these divisive and unconstitutional actions do not succeed," he said. -- By Lalit K Jha in Washington, DC BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Strategic investments are key to the energy transition in the Western Balkans, Damien Sorrell, Head of the Regional Hub for the Western Balkans at the European Investment Bank (EIB), told Trend. "Given the current geopolitical turmoil and uncertainties, it is crucial to focus on strategic investments. Among these, energy transition is a top priority for the Western Balkans, which remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels," Sorrell noted. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to achieve a low-carbon economy. "Transitioning to a low-carbon economy will require expanding and modernizing the energy transmission and distribution network to accommodate a larger intake of renewables, as well as a robust legal framework, energy efficiency measures, and greater regional energy market integration," he explained. As the EU's climate bank, EIB Global plays a pivotal role in supporting sustainable energy investments through financial and technical assistance. "EIB Global promotes sustainable investments in the energy sector through financial and technical support, including EU grants channelled through the WBIF," Sorrell highlighted. He cited the Vlasic wind farm in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a prime example of the EIBs efforts in the region. "The EU provided a financial package comprising a 36 million euro loan from the EIB, complemented by a 21 million euro grant. This wind farm is expected to produce 115 GWh/year of electricity, equivalent to the energy demand of 20,000 households, while displacing 140,000 tons of CO2 annually". Another significant project is a solar facility in Pristina, which will have a capacity of up to 100 MWac. "The construction of this solar project will benefit from a 33 million euro EIB loan and a 32 million euro grant. These blended financial arrangements can help regional economies advance their energy transition ambitions, despite economic constraints and limited fiscal space," the bank's rep remarked. Sorrell also stressed the importance of private sector involvement in clean energy production. "The private sector should be encouraged to invest in clean energy production, which EIB Global and other international financing institutions can support". He noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already benefitting from dedicated EIB loans in the region. "SMEs can decarbonize their production lines by installing solar panels, for example, thereby also fostering their competitiveness on the global market". 'Both international cooperation and self-reliance will now acquire new purpose.' IMAGE: The WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters Public health experts believe that while the United States' withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) could severely affect the global health body's disease programmes, the move does not directly present any bad repercussions for India. US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order, announcing the country's withdrawal from the WHO, stopping all funding and resource transfer to the international body. This is the second time in less than five years that the US has initiated a departure from the international health body. During his first term, the US had issued a notice of intent to withdraw, alleging that the organisation was overly influenced by China during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. On its part, the WHO has expressed regret over the withdrawal in a statement posted on social media platform X, hoping that the Trump administration would reconsider the move. Calling the US' withdrawal unfortunate, public health expert Dr K Srinath Reddy said that multilateral cooperation is essential for collectively addressing major global health challenges that arise from pandemic threats, climate change-catalysed assaults on human health, and antimicrobial resistance. Among the reasons behind the withdrawal listed in the order signed by Trump are WHO's purported mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of other member States. Commenting on the same, Indu Bhushan, former CEO, Ayushman Bharat, added that the issue with Covid was that it was something very new, with no ready playbook and the world still learning even as the pandemic was unfolding. "Given all the constraints, lack of information and knowledge, what was done was commendable and, therefore, withdrawing from WHO is unfortunate," Bhushan said. "Hopefully, they (the US) will reconsider (the decision) because, in any case, it is always good to be engaging with the organisation rather than leaving it like that," Bhushan added. The Trump administration said that the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the US, which were far out of proportion with other countries' assessed payments. The US is the largest financial contributor to the WHO, providing around 18 per cent of its total funding. Highlighting the financial impact, Dr Reddy stated that since the WHO will lose its major financial contributor, other countries will need to step up their contributions and increase the level of scientific collaboration amongst themselves. "Both international cooperation and self-reliance will now acquire new purpose and fresh forms of functioning," Dr Reddy added. Experts believe that the US withdrawal may not affect India, with Dr Reddy adding that the impact will be more on international programmes than on India-specific programmes. "Meanwhile, bilateral support will continue to come via the Centre for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and other US-based foundations," he said. The whole world might suffer, Bhushan added, since the governance system for health will get weakened in terms of all that the WHO does for the global community. "This includes ensuring that information about new epidemics or infections is shared with other countries and the protocols for international health security are followed." Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com His village didn't have a school so he went to school in a neighbouring village and often studied by kerosene light. Photograph: Kind courtesy, ISRO/Wikimedia commons IMAGE: Dr V Narayanan took over as ISRO chairman on January 14, 2025. Even as India celebrates various milestones in the space sector, one state has enough reason to be proud. It is Tamil Nadu, which has given India three scientists from Kanyakumari district who have become chairmen of the Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO. This includes the new chairman, Dr V Narayanan, an expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion. On January 14, 2025, Dr Narayanan took over as ISRO chairman from Dr S Somanath. He was earlier the director of ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in Valiamala, Kerala. Dr Narayanan's beginnings were very humble. His village, Melakattuvilai in Kanyakumari distrct, did not have a school so he did his primary schooling in nearby Kilakattuvillai. For his middle school, he went a mile away. The rest of his education was completed in the district headquarters, Nagercoil. He then joined a polytechnic and got a diploma in mechanical engineering and then joined AMIE. He completed his MTech in cryogenic engineering and secured a PhD in aerospace engineering from IIT, Kharagpur. IMAGE: Outgoing ISRO chairman Dr S Somanath congratulates his successor Dr V Narayanan as he assumes charge on January 14, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo I decided to visit his village to get the true essence of this scientist. Finding the village was not easy. Google left it 3 km away. After asking villagers for directions, I arrived 30 minutes later at the sleepy village and located Dr Narayanan's house where I found an elderly gentleman fast asleep in a coconut grove. He is Narayana Perumal, Dr Narayanan's uncle, his father's younger brother. Dr Narayanan, Mr Perumal informed me, has three brothers and two sisters, all educated and well-employed. Dr Narayanan was married in Thiruvananthapuram and lived there till his current appointment. He comes to the village once a year during the temple festival, helps the village children to study and later, finds them jobs. Dr Narayanan, his uncle said, had demolished his old house and plans to build a new home in its stead so that he can get his daughter married here. The village is populated only by Hindu Nadars and it has a Kaniyallan temple where Pongal is celebrated in a big way. Kilakattalai Selvamanickam kindled the future ISRO scientist's interest in science. Though Mr Selvamanickam is no more, Dr Narayanan still visits his wife and family when he comes to the village. IMAGE: Dr Narayanan with Dr Somanath. Photograph: ANI Photo The village is full of coconut farms; Dr Narayanan too owns a few coconut trees. "We get drinking water from the panchayat, which is enough for our coconut trees," the uncle said. Villagers with larger farms have their own wells. There is no river here. Water is found at a depth of 200 feet. Earlier, the village had palm trees, but as there was no one to climb that high, only coconut trees are grown now. Dr Narayanan's first cousin, Advocate Dr V Selvakumar practices in the Nagercoil district court. "After completing his diploma, he worked for a cycle company before joining ISRO. He is ten years older than me and as a child when there was no electricity in the village, he would study with a kerosene lamp. Signs of his industriousness were sown early," Dr Selvakumar recalled. Dr Narayanan's father was a coconut trader and his son used to help him when he was in school. He was a serious child and a committed student who topped his Class 10 exams. His dogged pursuit of excellence was evident when Russia refused to share space technology with India due to American pressure. Dr Narayanan and his team developed a cryogenic engine in India. Even though it took them ten years, they pursued their passion and succeeded. The villagers now wait for their celebrity son to come home. Meanwhile, his uncle sleeps peacefully on his coconut farm, a smile playing on his lips. Edited by Shobha John Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 22 Assam Rifles women personnel are in the Republic Day marching band contingent. Dressed in crisp uniforms, playing bagpipes, drums and side drums, the year-old band has already built an admirable reputation. Don't miss them on Republic Day! IMAGE: The Assam Rifles Mahila Band with then director-general Lieutenant General P C Nair. Photographs and Videos: Kind courtesy Assam Rifles A group of 22 girls make their way to the heart of Delhi every day at the crack of dawn braving the winter cold. For some of them it is their first time in Delhi. Dressed in crisp uniforms carrying bagpipes, drums and side drums, the riflewomen of Assam Rifles arrive at a designated spot to rehearse for their biggest ever performance -- one that will be seen by all of India on Republic Day. The riflewomen are drawn from different parts of the country, many are from the North East and are part of the 58-member Assam Rifles marching band contingent. They have travelled far from the Assam Rifles HQ in Nagaland to Delhi to be a part of the nation's grandest parade on Republic Day. "We will march 9-12 kilometres 120 steps per minute. All along the route we will continue to play; the Assam Rifles regimental song will be played when we march past the Presidential dais," says Grishmi Srivastava, a Lucknow native who joined the Assam Rifles in 2021. The Assam Rifles is India's oldest paramilitary force. It is responsible for guarding the North East borders, countering terrorism and maintaining law and order. There are 1,500 riflewomen serving in the Assam Rifles. The riflewomen carry out all duties and have also served in Jammu and Kashmir -- and served in UN missions in Sudan, Golan Heights and Congo. SEE: Assam Rifles Women Band Gets Ready For R-Day Parade The band contingent arrived in Delhi a fortnight ago and rehearses for around six hours every morning. On Republic Day, the band will start from North Block and make their way to India Gate where they will take a 10 minutes break and then go forward to the Red Fort. Ten girls in the group play the bagpipes, one of the most difficult instruments which requires physical strength and skilful finger coordination. The instrument weighs around 3 kgs and needs arm strength and dexterous use of the finger. "Blowing the pipes needs a lot of energy. If all the three drone are opened, one has to blow continuously," says Band Major Pooja, a native of Nanded, Maharashtra. "It takes some time to get used to it in the beginning, but then it becomes easier with practice," says the riflewoman, whose father is a driver. IMAGE: A band member poses for a photo with her instrument. Riflewoman Pooja joined the Assam Rifles in 2018 and had always dreamed of joining the fauj. As band major she has a command role. The band follows her orders and responds to the specific movements of the mace or long staff that band commanders hold in their hands. "Wielding the mace is an art. The mace is made out of wood and can hurt the hand when we practice throwing it up in the air and catching it. It has to be done in a seamless and elegant manner," she explains. Women were inducted into the band by Assam Rifles for the first time in 2022. Riflewomen from various battalions were selected and trained in the music wing of the training centre in Sukhovi, Nagaland. IMAGE: A band member proudly shows her medals. Since then they have performed all over the North East including the famous Hornbill Festival in Nagaland and won the silver medal female category in the All India Police band competition last year. "I did not know that I would get the opportunity to be part of the band when I joined as a riflewoman in 2021, and I enjoy being a band member," says Riflewoman A Eloni from Manipur who plays the side drum. The daughter of Assam Rifles personnel, she joined the force after her father died while in service. Since its first performance in 2023, the Assam Rifles Mahila Band has received applause and admiration wherever it has performed. And when they march down Kartavya Path on the nation's most important day, it will be our turn to give them a cheer that stays with them long after they have returned to their posts in the North East. SEE: Assam Rifles Band Will Make History On Republic Day Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Windham County Sheriff Mark Anderson talks to voters at the Guilford Town Meeting last year. Anderson said the sheriff's office has received a three-year grant to implement a lead safety program to help property owners and their tenants mitigate lead hazards in their homes. Now, its been 15 years. Most of the girls that are coming in here today dont know anything about Jessica, said Debbie Bolognani. But, she BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Resilience is critically important in navigating economic challenges, said Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company, as he addressed the World Economic Forum session on 'Emerging Economies amid Shock', Trend reports. Sternfels opened his address by emphasizing the growing relevance of resilience, stating, "Im more and more excited every year. This is our third year doing this together. Resilience is something we need to lean into". He referred to McKinseys recent survey, which revealed a concerning trend: "Most folks arent doing enough on the topic of resilience, whether its private enterprise or public institutions. In fact, 84% of respondents said they dont think theyre investing enough in resilience". This statistic, Sternfels noted, should serve as a call to action for both the private and public sectors to invest more in strengthening resilience. Sternfels further explored the need for strategic reorientation, especially in terms of long-term foresight and preparedness. "These are more of the long-term things that I think there was a call out in our report to do more on," he said. He stressed the importance of resilience as a skill, akin to a muscle that must be exercised regularly to remain effective: "Unless you keep that muscle in shape, it can atrophy". He also pointed to the necessity of investing in resilience at both the organizational and individual levels, particularly for leaders: "How do you help leaders be more resilient at an individual level? Thats one of the under-invested areas just at a personal skill level". Sternfels highlighted that resilience must be a shared responsibility, emphasizing the public-private interface. He said, "Resilience cannot be solved in isolation. It requires collaboration". Turning to the positive side of resilience, Sternfels discussed its potential to address critical challenges. "We looked at furthering macroeconomic stability, something thats absolutely critical in this world," he said, noting the connection between resilience and stable investments over the long term. He explained that a resilient environment builds confidence in making bold investments and equips the workforce with the skills necessary for the future. "Investing in resilience gives us more confidence about re-skilling the workforce," Sternfels remarked. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Public sector debt is $100 trillion now, and it is projected to reach 100% of world GDP by the end of this decade, said Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as she addressed the World Economic Forum session on Emerging Economies amid Shock, Trend reports. Gopinath cautioned against complacency, noting that debt levels typically exceed forecasts by about 10 percentage points, which means the outlook could be even more concerning. There is an optimism bias in these forecasts, she remarked, stressing that nations must address this growing issue. Turning to productivity growth, Gopinath observed that while the United States stands as an exception, most other regions have seen disappointing productivity outcomes since the pandemic, including Europe, China, and much of the developing world. This is not about whether they are able to adopt new technologies and AI, she said, adding that all countries face challenges in integrating these advancements into their economies. A key concern, according to Gopinath, is the significant investment needed to address global challenges, including climate change and digital transformation. She emphasized the critical role of the private sector in driving this investment. 80 to 90% of the climate finance will have to come from the private sector, she said, urging countries to foster ecosystems that encourage such investments. Yasaman crossed more than half a dozen countries on foot, bus, and boat and paid thousands of dollars to smugglers to reach Mexico. Yasaman, an Afghan woman whose name has been changed to protect her identity, believed she was within touching distance of realizing her dream: entering the United States. But her hopes came crashing down on January 20, when new U.S. President Donald Trump declared an emergency on the southern border with Mexico as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration. As part of the executive order, U.S. authorities shut down the CBP One mobile app -- the only legal way for migrants to make an appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, request asylum, and enter the country legally. "I don't know what to do now," said Yasaman, who arrived in Mexico in November 2024. "I'm waiting [for] what Trump will decide next about migrants." Yasaman, speaking by telephone from Mexico, said she received a notification on January 20 that read: "Existing appointments scheduled through CBP One are no longer valid." The shutdown of the app will affect thousands of migrants, including Afghans, hoping to enter the United States legally. Around 1 million appointments had been scheduled through CBP One since it was introduced in January 2023. Not Happy In Brazil Mexico has been a relatively new route for thousands of Afghan migrants seeking a new, better life in the United States. RFE/RL contacted the United Nations refugee agency and the Mexican migration authorities to find out how many U.S.-bound Afghan migrants are currently in Mexico. We have not received a response. An Afghan migrant who spoke to RFE/RL from the southern Mexican city of Tapachula estimated there were up to 1,500 people from Afghanistan in that city alone. Karimullah, whose name has been changed over privacy concerns, said Afghan migrants live in rented apartments, relying on the "limited amount of money" they have brought from Afghanistan or borrow from their relatives abroad. "Families go hungry for days while waiting for money from relatives," he said. A former civil rights activist, Karimullah fled Afghanistan after the hard-line Taliban returned to power in August 2021. After running out of money to pay for food and rent and as she was still waiting to get an appointment through CBP One, Yasaman got a job as a kitchen helper at a restaurant in the capital, Mexico City. Like many other Afghan migrants in Mexico, both Karimullah and Yasaman had already been offered asylum in other safe countries -- in their case Brazil, which has issued thousands of humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals since 2021. Asked by RFE/RL why they didn't want to stay in Brazil, where they had been given free accommodation and food, both Karimullah and Yasaman said they did not see a "good future" there due to a lack of jobs and other opportunities. Instead, many Afghans pay money to people-smugglers to take them through Bolivia, Peru, Equador, Colombia, Panama, and other countries to reach the U.S.-Mexico border. 'Life For Immigrants Not What It Used To Be' Some cross the border illegally. Ehsan Khan, a 26-year-old former driver from Kabul, entered the United States illegally in November 2024, hoping to get settled in the country before Trump closes the U.S. borders. After spending two months at an immigration detention facility, Khan was released on January 11 with an electronic ankle bracelet for authorities to monitor his movements. Speaking from San Diego by phone, Khan told RFE/RL that Afghan migrants should think twice before coming to the United States, because "the life in America for immigrants is not what it used to be." Khan did not give details of his new life in the United States but said it isn't worth the traumatic journey he had through Honduras and Guatemala, where he said he "was beaten by thieves who demanded money" and witnessed his best friend drown in the sea. "I saw my friend screaming for help as he drowned and I looked helplessly. I wanted to jump into the water, but I knew I couldn't swim. His parents often call me from Kabul and ask about him, and we cry," Khan said. Back in Mexico City, Yasaman is determined to enter the United States "by any means, legally or illegally." "I don't have a life or home in Afghanistan to go back to," Yasaman said. "I see my future only in America." In Belarus, Vasyl and his family have recently been put on an official list of families in a "socially dangerous situation," a status that could result in him and his wife losing their parental rights and their children being sent to state orphanages. Vasyl -- an activist whose name has been changed over security concerns -- says their names were added to the list after he was found guilty of "spreading extremist material" last year. The charge of "spreading extremist material," a civil violation under the law, is often used in Belarus against those who share or like social media posts critical of the regime of the country's strongman leader, Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The list of what police view as "extremist material," which is regularly updated by the Interior Ministry, includes numerous websites of independent media that are banned in Belarus. Simply subscribing to such media and commenting on or sharing their articles can result in being accused of extremism. "A social worker told me that a special commission in the local government spends just 15 minutes per family to discuss and decide whether to add them to the list of those in 'socially dangerous situations,'" Vasyl told RFE/RL. Vasyl said he has had "excellent" reports from his children's school and the numerous local government agencies that have evaluated his family's situation. The good reports, however, had no bearing on the commission's decision, which Vasyl believes was politically motivated to punish him for his anti-government views. Previously, Belarus has been criticized by human rights groups for taking away the children of political prisoners -- or just threatening to -- by putting them on the list of supposedly at-risk families. The government insists there no are no political prisoners in Belarus. But human rights groups say there are up to 1,300 political prisoners, many of them being held with no access to medical care and no contact with their relatives. A 'Sham' Election Once-dubbed "Europe's last dictator," Lukashenka has been in power since 1994. A close ally of Russia, the Belarusian leader has been accused of electoral manipulation, the systematic repression of dissent, and tight restrictions on media and civil society. The authorities are now broadening the practice used against political prisoners to parents accused of spreading extremist material, according to Vasyl and several other Belarusian parents, who spoke to RFE/RL on the condition of anonymity. The parents believe the measures are designed to silence all government critics ahead of the January 26 presidential election with Lukashenka, 70, expected to win a seventh term in office. The election has been widely decried as a sham and simply an exercise in bolstering Lukashenka's rule. On January 17, then U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a legitimate democratic presidential election is hampered by Belarus's "repressive environment." Once they are put on the list, the parents who spoke to RFE/RL say they face the constant threat of losing the custody of their children. The blacklisted families are closely monitored, and families have reported local officials and doctors paying unannounced visits to their homes up to six times a week for alleged welfare checks. The situation is taking its toll, Vasyl said, but he is more concerned about the consequences for the children, who are already subject to relentless government propaganda at school. "The status of being a 'disadvantaged family' negatively affects children and can turn them against their parents," Vasyl said. "The kids think that 'I have problems because of my father or mother, so it's better for me to distance myself from them and not to follow their example in anything.'" Crackdown On Dissent Vasyl has been given three months to "take the path of correction," as he puts it, or see his children being "taken away from the family." Instead, he has decided to leave Belarus. It is not known how many parents have been affected by the authorities' campaign to use child custody against their critics. According to Svyatlana Ilyushina, a judge in the region of Brest in southwestern Belarus, Belarusian courts in 2023 removed the parental rights of 1,225 men, 595 women, and 467 couples. It is not clear how many of these cases were politically motivated. Thousands of people were detained in the government clampdown during and after the mass anti-government protests that erupted following the disputed 2020 presidential election that gave Lukashenka a sixth term in office. Russian forces have carried out more than 2,100 aerial strikes on Ukraine over the past week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 9, as Russia has stepped up attacks on its neighbor and reported battlefield gains ahead of Kyiv's high-stakes talks with US representatives in Saudi Arabia. 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. It comes as US President Donald Trump questioned the long-term viability of Ukraine itself. When asked in a Fox Business TV interview whether he was worried that decreased US support for Ukraine could endanger that country's survival, he responded: "Well, it may not survive anyway." "But, you know, we have some weaknesses with Russia -- you know, it takes two," Trump added. Zelenskyy said in a social media post that Russian forces this week deployed 1,200 guided aerial bombs, nearly 870 attack drones, and more than 80 missiles of various types. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, announced the recapture of several villages and towns on March 9 in its Kursk region -- as well as new settlements in eastern Ukraine -- with unconfirmed reports that thousands of Ukrainian troops risk being encircled by Russian forces. It comes a day after Russian air strikes killed at least 50 people in the eastern Donetsk region, according to local officials, with at least 11 deaths reported in the city of Dobropillya. "Such strikes show that Russia's goals are unchanged," Zelenskyy wrote on social media late on March 8. "Therefore, it is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defense, and increase sanctions against Russia. The series of strikes and battlefield pressure represent another setback for Kyiv ahead of crucial talks with the United States next week in Saudi Arabia, where Ukrainian officials will meet with their US counterparts for negotiations around how to end the three-year war. The Institute For The Study of War, a Washington-based think tank that tracks battlefield developments, said Russian forces have "intensified their multidirectional campaign to eliminate the remaining Ukrainian salient in Kursk" in the last two days. According to DeepState, an open-source military tracker linked to the Ukrainian Army, the Russian moves followed a "breach" in Ukrainian defense lines near the town of Sudzha, which remains under Kyiv's control but is facing growing pressure from Russian units. Pro-Russian war bloggers who closely track frontline developments in the war also reported that Russian special forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in Kursk late on March 8 to gain a foothold outside of Sudzha. According to the reports, the pipeline was used to surprise Ukrainian units and cut off their supply lines as the Kremlin pours more manpower into kicking Kyiv out of Russian territory. RFE/RL was not able to independently verify the accounts, but Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russian "sabotage and assault groups" used the pipeline to get access to Sudzha. "At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed. The enemy's losses in Sudzha are very high," Ukraine's General Staff said in a Telegram post on March 8. Ukraine aimed to hit back by launching a drone overnight at an industrial facility in the Russian region of Chuvashia, some 1,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The strike is one of the deepest yet into Russian territory by a Ukrainian drone, and it hit its target but caused no casualties, according to Russian authorities. Ousting Ukrainian forces from Kursk with the talks in Saudi Arabia approaching looks to be part of Moscow's strategy. In August 2024, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers seized roughly 1,300 square kilometers of Russia's western Kursk region, a move which Kyiv later characterized as an attempt to gain a bargaining chip for future negotiations and draw Russian troops away from the front line in eastern Ukraine. Russian forces have managed to claw back large chunks of territory in Kursk, but Ukraine has retained a foothold that now risks being shrunk down further leading into the key talks. Ukraine 'Fully Committed' To US Talks With his attention fixed on the upcoming talks, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "fully committed" to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia next week over a potential peace settlement. "Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively," he posted on X. The Ukrainian president said he will travel to Saudi Arabia and meet with Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Salman on March 10. Afterward, a delegation of Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives will stay for a March 11 meeting with a US negotiating team. "On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy will not be part of the US-Ukraine talks, which will instead be done by a delegation including Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. They will meet with a US delegation that will reportedly include Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and national-security adviser Mike Waltz. Rubio departed for Saudi Arabia late on March 9, the State Department said. In remarks late on March 9, Trump told reporters he expects results from the Saudi talks. "We're going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week," Trump said. The upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia are the culmination of weeks of tough diplomacy and negotiations spearheaded by Washington since it met with a Russian delegation in Riyadh in February. US-Ukraine ties have since frayed, with tensions culminating in an Oval Office argument in late February between Zelenskyy, Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance that saw the Ukrainian president leave the White House without signing a crucial minerals deal with Washington. Since then, the Trump administration has paused military shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The full extent of the intelligence cutoff is unclear, but it has sparked fears that it could lead to Ukrainian setbacks on the front lines as Russia looks to press for the advantage. In his March 9 remarks to reporters, Trump said he believed Ukraine would eventually sign a minerals deal with the United States. But -- amid reports he would want even more actions out of Kyiv -- Trump added that "I want them to want peace. They haven't shown it to the extent they should." European countries like Britain and France have stepped up to provide more intelligence sharing with Ukraine but are reportedly still not able to replace the full scope of US capabilities. Waltz suggested on March 5 that Trump may lift the pause on military aid once peace negotiations are arranged and confidence-building measures take place. When asked on March 9 whether he would end the suspension of intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, Trump said, without elaborating, that "we just about have. We just about have." In the days leading up to the talks, Trump offered criticism of Moscow's increased attacks on Ukraine in the lead up to talks and mentioned potential sanctions against the Kremlin. But he also said Russian President Vladimir Putin was doing what anybody would do" and he told reporters in the Oval Office on March 7 that he finds it "easier" to work with Russia than Ukraine and that Putin "wants to end the war." U.S. President Donald Trump wields significant influence over the next phase of the war in Ukraine, but how he plans to use it remains an open question. Trump vowed during his inaugural address on January 20 to be a "peacemaker" and promised on the campaign trail to quickly end the war in Ukraine, the recipient of billions in U.S. military aid. But his more transactional approach to diplomacy has also led to fears he could cut a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine's head. "There is still concern that Trump will reach a deal with Putin and then tell Ukraine they must take it or he will suspend U.S. assistance to Ukraine," said Marie Dumoulin, a former French diplomat at the European Council on Foreign Relations. The new U.S. president's strategy for ending the war is still taking shape, but analysts said he has two broad paths forward. The first is to push Ukraine -- already grappling with manpower shortages and donor fatigue -- to the negotiating table by withholding pivotal military support and forcing it into a peace deal on unfavorable terms, a possibility Kyiv and most Western capitals consider a worst-case scenario. The other is to ramp up pressure on Russia with new sanctions and increased military assistance for Ukraine. "At this point, every option is still a possibility," Dumoulin said. Will Trump Strike A Deal With Putin? Both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have signaled they are open to negotiations, but it's unclear if Kyiv and Moscow are willing to make compromises. Putin initially wanted to capture Kyiv and install a government sympathetic to Moscow. The Kremlin also holds firm on its demands to keep swathes of occupied Ukrainian territory and limit the size of Ukraine's military. That's been a nonstarter for Kyiv, which calls for the restoration of its territory and the complete withdrawal of Russian forces. Zelenskiy, however, has said he could be open to freezing the war along the current front line in exchange for a pathway to NATO membership. Trump is also looking to leverage his relationship with Putin, who he praised in the past as a "savvy" strategist, and said he plans to meet face-to-face with the Russian leader. He's also called for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to play a larger role in bringing the war to an end, telling reporters on January 21 that he's pressed Xi and that he has "a lot ofpower, like we have a lot of power" to end the war but that "he's not done very much on that." Leveraging leader-to-leader connections seems to be part of the new administration's strategy. Beijing has remained officially neutral on the fighting but has sustained Russia's economy and boosted Moscow's war effort with a steady supply of dual-use goods. In calling out Xi, Trump appears to think his personal touch can make a difference. "From President Trump's perspective, you can't enter a deal if you don't have some type of relationship and dialogue with the other side. And we will absolutely establish that in the coming months," Mike Waltz, Trump's national-security adviser, said during a January 12 interview. Trump once again brought up his personal rapport with the Russian leader when speaking to reporters at the White House on January 20, saying he gets "along with [Putin] great. I would hope he wants to make a deal." But he also voiced criticism, a signal Trump could wield both a carrot and a stick in a bid to cut a deal with Moscow. "I think [Putin is] destroying Russia by not making a deal," Trump said. "I think Russia's going to be in big trouble." Oleksandr Motsyk, Ukraine's former ambassador to the United States, told RFE/RL that Kyiv should be prepared for a flurry of diplomacy and not be startled by outreach between Moscow and Washington. "The first stage of it will be that Ukraine talks to the United States and Russia talks to the United States," he said. "Then the United States looks at the positions of both parties, and based on that, can then make some proposals." What Tools Does Trump Have? But as momentum for talks picks up steam, Trump may also struggle to bring Russia to the negotiating table. Analysts say that despite the heavy losses suffered by Russia on the battlefield, Putin believes he is winning in Ukraine and has little incentive to budge. This may see Trump look to exercise leverage -- and that could include imposing harsher sanctions on Russia's economy. Prior to leaving office, the Biden administration imposed the most disruptive sanctions on Russia's oil trade by any Western power to date. Trump could aim to add to those measures. Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary, said during his January 16 confirmation hearing that he "100 percent" supports intensifying sanctions on Russian oil producers to bring Moscow "to the table," if Trump requests it. Trump alluded to the use of sanctions when speaking to reporters on January 21. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said during his confirmation hearing that sanctions -- both applying and lifting them -- could enter discussions to end the nearly three-year war. While saying both Russia and Ukraine will have to make "concessions" to reach a peace deal, Rubio said "sanctions and the release of sanctions" would "have to be part of this conversation in terms of bringing about aresolution." Trump could also pressure Putin into talks by threatening increased military support for Ukraine and changing the dynamic on the battlefield. Whether Trump will elect this path remains to be seen, especially given that he promised on the campaign trail to pull financial support for Ukraine and criticized the Biden administration during his inaugural address for "unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders." "Russia has never signaled a readiness to compromise," said Dumoulin, the former diplomat. "Trump's main options are to accept Moscow's conditions or look to change them." In March 2023, Yilmaz Ozkan saw his wife, Maysa, off at the airport in Istanbul as she made a trip to her homeland, Turkmenistan, to renew her international passport. But Maysa has not been able to return to their home in Turkey since then, despite Turkey's embassy in Ashgabat issuing her a family visa. And the couple has now learned that she may not be able to leave Turkmenistan until 2028 at the earliest, thanks to a five-year travel ban slapped on her by Turkmen authorities without any explanation. With few other avenues of recourse, Yilmaz last year penned an appeal to the strongly authoritarian country's president, Serdar Berdymukhammedov. "You are the leader of a great country like Turkmenistan. We are ordinary citizens. You need to unite those who love each other. I ask the president of Turkmenistan to let my wife return to me," read the appeal, which he says has received no official response. He is not alone. Yilmaz, who spoke to RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, is one of nearly 60 members of a WhatsApp group consisting of Turkish men with Turkmen spouses who have been effectively trapped after making visits to the Central Asian country. Gas-rich Turkmenistan appears embarrassed by the mass exodus of its citizens to Turkey, a trend that has highlighted a lack of opportunities in a badly mismanaged economy while contributing to what officials have privately admitted is a rapidly falling in-country population. In 2022, Ankara revoked visa-free travel for Turkmen citizens at the Ashgabat's request, and delays on Turkmen passport renewals have become systemic in recent years. Turkmenistan's diplomatic missions have also ceased to renew expired passports or replace lost ones for its citizens living abroad, with temporary travel documents phased out at the end of last year. The treatment of Turkmen women married to foreigners is the latest example of how far it seems Ashgabat will go to keep citizens grounded in their home country. Last year, Turkmen.News, a Europe-based dissident-run outlet covering Turkmenistan, reported that authorities were "removing passengers from flights en masse," in an apparent response to Turkey relaxing some of its migration rules. According to data released by Turkey's Migration Service in December 2024, there are 205,369 Turkmen citizens officially residing in Turkey, although the real number may be higher. Turkish Husbands 'Fall Into A Void' Rustem Arslan, another member of the WhatsApp group, has also launched appeals to the Turkish and Turkmen governments in order to be reunited with his wife, Dilfuza. Turkey initially deported Dilfuza in 2023 over migration violations and banned her from reentering the country until 2026. Yet Turkish officials have since told Rustem that she will be able to return to the country so long as Turkmen authorities allowed her to leave. That hasn't happened, and Turkey's Foreign Ministry now says that it considers Dilfuza's case "an internal matter of Turkmenistan," Rustem told RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, noting that staff at Turkmenistan's consulate in Istanbul did not even allow him inside the building. "When a person is separated from their loved one, they fall into a void. You wake up in the morning and have no appetite for breakfast. You can't eat dinner. On top of that, I have a business to run. Even when I feel sick, when I'm in pain, I have to get up and open my shop because I'm alone," Rustem said of the wife he only recently married. 'Arbitrary Interference' With Freedom Of Movement Turkmen were strongly critical of the inactivity of their country's diplomatic mission and lack of consular services in Turkey during the pandemic period, with a small group of nationals staging regular protests outside the Turkmen consulate in Istanbul. The passports issue was one of the many reasons for the protests. In a November report, the Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (THF) and Human Rights Watch said that "Turkmen authorities' refusal to renew passports of their citizens interfered with migrants' ability to obtain legal status in host countries," and represented "an arbitrary interference with their right to freedom of movement." The protests faded after demonstrators were attacked on the grounds of the consulate, with the victims of the attack identifying one of the attackers as a consulate employee. The demonstrations seemed to spook authorities in Turkmenistan, where civil society barely exists and information is tightly controlled. A number of the activists were later detained and threatened with deportation by Turkish law enforcement, moves that they told RFE/RL were likely requested by Ashgabat. In 2023, Turkmenistan announced that its population had risen above 7 million. But dropping birthrates and a more than decadelong economic crisis have called that claim into question. Speaking to RFE/RL anonymously in 2021 after a preliminary survey of the population, Turkmen officials suggested that the number of people permanently residing in the country amounted to around 2.8 million. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. At the World Economic Forum, Odile Francoise Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), discussed the importance of building resilience in emerging economies amid ongoing global shocks, Trend reports. She emphasized the need for long-term planning and the agility to respond to unforeseen challenges. "Weve seen a succession of shocks, and what weve learned is the need to build resilience," Renaud-Basso remarked. "Being resilient means anticipating shocks and having the preparedness to face them." One of the key challenges for emerging markets is the lack of homegrown capital and reliance on external, often volatile, sources of funding. "To build resilience, you need to invest," she said. "This is where multilateral development banks (MDBs) can play an important role, but we cannot substitute the role of the private sector." Renaud-Basso highlighted the importance of working alongside countries, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other MDBs to develop the necessary policies for resilience. "These policies must facilitate the development of homegrown capital and create an environment conducive to attracting investment, which includes a strong legal framework, regulatory clarity, and the simplification of processes." She also addressed the growing trend of increased state involvement in economies, which could be a potential obstacle to resilience. "There is a tendency to call for more state involvement, but resilience requires collaboration with the private sector," she said. "You cannot solve all issues through public sector or state-owned enterprises." Renaud-Basso outlined two pillars of the EBRDs work in supporting resilience. The first is policy development aimed at creating an environment conducive to private investment. The second is financing, which focuses on project preparation and creating pipelines that encourage private sector participation. "Through transparent data on our project outcomes and default rates, we aim to build confidence and reduce the perception that emerging markets are too risky for private investors," she added. "Were also developing tools to bring more private sector players into our projects, sharing risk to mobilize additional investment." ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 22. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are gearing up for fresh collaborative efforts in the realms of regional security, economic ties, and transport partnerships, Trend reports. A telephone conversation took place between Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. During the conversation, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov discussed issues related to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. The President congratulated the National Leader of the Turkmen people on the beginning of the International Year of Peace and Trust, declared by the UN General Assembly on Turkmenistan's initiative. Noting the exceptional importance of Ashgabat's peacekeeping initiatives in the context of global challenges, the Head of our state expressed Kazakhstan's readiness to continue providing full support for their successful implementation. Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov informed about the key priorities of Turkmenistans Concept for activities within the framework of the International Year of Peace and Trust, aimed at ensuring cooperation and development at regional and international levels. Highlighting the current high level of Kazakh-Turkmen relations, the interlocutors thoroughly discussed the progress of previously reached agreements at the highest level in energy, transit-transport, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Special attention was paid to issues of regional interaction and upcoming events in a five-party format. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on August 27, 1992. Kazakhstan has an embassy in Ashgabat, and Turkmenistan has an embassy in Astana. Both countries are members of the SCO, OSCE, CIS, and the UN and actively interact within the CSTO. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kenneth Fox Brigit Festival has added Late-Night Events celebrating women in Dublin city. For the first time, Dublin City Councils Brigit Festival Brigit: Dublin City Celebrating Women introduces a series of exciting late-night events. Brigit Late is taking place over three nights, the shows will feature some of the best-established female DJs from Ireland and around the world, including LOLSNAKE, Puzzy Wrangler, and Jezebel, among others. The late-night events will be hosted at three iconic Dublin venues: The Grand Social, Wigwam, and The George Bernard Shaw all renowned for their vibrant contributions to Dublins nightlife scene. Running from 11pm until late, these events are a key part of Brigit Festivals largest programme to date, which includes over 80 thematic events celebrating womens contributions to culture, society, and history. The late-night shows promise to add an exciting energy to the festival, complementing its already dynamic line-up. Ray ODonoghue, night-time economy advisor for Dublin City, expressed enthusiasm about the festivals growth: Were delighted to be involved in the Brigit Festival. "In just its fourth year, its fantastic to see the festival embracing the essential role of late-night activity in Dublin City, with such a diverse line-up and top-notch DJs. Tom Tuite Young children and a parent pushing a pram had to dive away from a teenager speeding a stolen car along footpaths and storefronts at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in Dublin, a court heard. The boy, then aged 15, has been charged with two counts of endangering lives in a pedestrian area at the retail park on the afternoon of January 22nd, 2023. It happened after the Toyota Aqua was tracked by an unmarked patrol car and the Garda Air Support Unit. The youth, now aged 17, appeared at the Dublin Childrens Court, where Judge Paul Kelly held the case was too serious to retain jurisdiction, meaning it would go forward to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers. Garda Ian McElroy told the court the Toyota Aqua had been stolen in Tipperary earlier that day and was weaving in and out of traffic at high speed on the M50 before the car headed to Blanchardstown. The car broke red lights, reached the shopping centre and drove onto a pedestrian area where gardai had to call off their pursuit. Video evidence from shopfront security cameras and the Garda helicopter was played during the preliminary hearing. It showed that the area was busy as the teen sped along shop fronts, and children were going in and out of the Smyths Toys store, Woodies and Mr Price. The teen cannot be named because he is still a minor. Garda McElroy said there was heavy pedestrian traffic, including elderly people, parents and a person pushing a pram. The court heard they were forced to dive out of the way to avoid being struck. The car came to bollards, and the boy, who had a male passenger, fled. He was arrested later that day in a local housing estate. Defence solicitor Sandra Frayne said her client has been in custody and away from his family on other matters since October 2023. But he will be released in three months on supervised probation for another year and a half. A probation report outlined how the boy had severe behavioural and psychological problems and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He is doing the Junior Certificate and wants to go on to complete the Leaving Certificate. The solicitor asked the judge to note his age when the incident occurred and that he was pleading guilty. The prosecution argued that the boy showed no consideration for people of all ages in the area. Judge Kelly held the case was too serious to keep in the Childrens Court and refused jurisdiction. The boy will appear again next month when the judge will grant an order to transfer the case to the Circuit Court. Ray Managh A garda whose nose was broken by a colleague, who punched him in an after-hours booze-up in Ryan's Bar in Dublins Lower Camden Street nearly three years ago, was almost equally to blame for what happened, a judge decided on Wednesday. Garda Denis Lordan, who had sued his Lucan Garda Station colleague, Garda Ronan OShaughnessy, for 60,000 damages for assault, was awarded just over 13,000 against OShaughnessy which Judge Michael Walsh then cut to 8,000 on the basis Lordan had been 40 per cent to blame for the incident. Judge Walsh said it appeared the two men had consumed an extraordinary amount of alcohol when they and other unit colleagues from Lucan Station had gone out for evening drinks after work in March 2022 and after midnight had moved on from Cassidys Pub to the nearby Ryan's Bar. The judge, who stated the incident involving a closely knit garda unit should never have reached court, told barrister Matthew Jolley, who appeared for Lordan, that he did not think the assault should attract extra aggravated damages. Mr Jolley, who appeared with W and E Bradshaw Solicitors, told the court his client had not only suffered pain and trauma but had been left with a permanent, although minor, disfigurement as his nose could not be completely straightened without significant further surgery. The gardai involved in the night out are all still colleagues at Lucan Garda Station but some have switched units in order not to have to work on same shifts. Judge Walsh said an incident involving Garda OShaughnessys girlfriend, Garda Aisling Walsh, had taken place in Cassidys and later OShaughnessy told Lordan he should not be advising him with regard to his relationship with Walsh and had panicked and lashed out wildly when Lordan allegedly attempted to throttle him. Judge Walsh said he accepted the evidence of Garda Fiachra Whelan who, when buying a drink in Ryan's had seen Lordan towering over OShaughnessy at the bar and addressing him in an aggressive manner. The judge said he would award Garda Lordan damages of 13,385 but considered he was 40 per cent responsible for contributory negligence at the time and reduced the figure to 8,031. He awarded Lordan District Court costs against OShaughnessy. A garda officer kept a watching brief in order to report back to the garda authorities about evidence that had been presented to the court. It was learned afterwards that garda authorities had not been aware of the after-hours drinking incident or assault until gardai had applied for time off to attend court following the service of summonses on garda witnesses. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 22. The Kazakh Industry Council has approved plans to modernize professional qualifications for the oil and gas sector, Trend reports. A meeting of the Industry Council on professional qualifications in the oil and gas, oil refining, and petrochemical industries took place in Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the work plan for the Industry Council for 2025, developed by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, was supported and approved in accordance with the first agenda item. An expert from the National Body for Professional Qualifications under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Kazakhstan informed the participants about the current activities of the body and its plans for the current year. As part of the "Year of Professions" announced by the Kazakhstan's President for 2025, representatives from the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan presented information about measures to implement this initiative and prepare personnel with technical and vocational education for the oil and gas sector. Additionally, the meeting of the Industry Council highlighted the importance of the topics discussed for the development and improvement of professional qualifications in the oil and gas, oil refining, and petrochemical industries of Kazakhstan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A woman in her 80s has received an apology in the High Court for the perforation of her throat during a gastroscopic procedure. Sligo University Hospital apologised and acknowledged the perforation has had a life-changing effect on Kathleen Healy. Ms Healy, from Rathedmond in Sligo, on Tuesday settled her personal injuries claim against the Health Service Executive (HSE). She alleged she had been fit, healthy and living very independently at home before being referred for the diagnostic procedure in July 2022 due to pain and heartburn. The perforation has caused her to require tube feeding and has forced her to move into a nursing home far from her late husbands grave, she claimed. She was sedated for the procedure, which was to be performed by a surgical registrar. However, it was alleged the registrar noted blood oozing from Ms Healys mouth and nose on attempting intubation and the procedure was abandoned. Ms Healy was transferred to intensive care before being moved to Galway University Hospital for care under its specialised cardio-thoracic team. It was alleged that the team in Galway noted an infection and a perforation of her oropharynx, which is part of the throat. She spent almost a month in the hospitals intensive care unit. She claimed she was later advised the perforation could not be fully repaired and that she would require ongoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding. In February 2023 she was transferred from hospital to a nursing home. Ms Healy (82) alleged she suffered severe personal injury as a result of negligence and breach of duty by the HSE. A letter on behalf of Sligo University Hospital and the HSE offered a sincere apology for the perforation suffered during the procedure in July 2022. Ms Healys senior counsel, Liam Reidy, told the court she accepted the apology and forgives the registrar who caused the perforation. Mr Reidy, instructed by Karen Kearney of Cantillons Solicitors, said Ms Healy remains somewhat distressed that the hospital wanted to discharge her after the procedure and she is grateful for the care she received in Galway. The settlements terms are confidential. Outside court, Ms Healys daughter, Siobhan Brosnan, said the settlement will help with additional therapies and care. They are grateful for the apology, but it was a long time coming and the last two years have been horrific for Ms Healy, Ms Brosnan said. My mum is 82, but she has loads of ambitions and loads of plans. She is not the type of lady to just sit in a room My mum wants to live, said Ms Brosnan. Several IFA activists have issued an appeal to dog owners ahead of the lambing season. With the onset of the lambing season between now and mid-April, two well-known IFA activists in South Roscommon engaged in sheep farming have issued appeals to all dog owners to keep their dogs under control at all times in order to prevent dog attacks on sheep in the course of the lambing season. Kiltooms Pat Leonard, the current chairperson of the Roscommon IFA County Executive, will be lambing in mid-February and he sells his lambs at Kepak in Athleague each year. He stated this week that the IFA nationally was seeking a strengthening of the legislation on dog control and calling for more dog wardens to be appointed in each county. Mr Leonard acknowledged that dogs attacking and worrying sheep was more so an issue in other areas of County Roscommon than in South Roscommon. Moore IFA activist, Michael Glennon from Ballydangan, remarked that there had been "savage attacks" on sheep in many areas of the county in recent years and it was "a constant worry" for sheep farmers. In his view, all dog owners should know where their dogs are at all times. Mr Glennon maintains that there is an onus on all dog owners to have their dogs licensed and chipped. According to Mr Glennon, who sold approximately 100 lambs last year at Tullamore Livestock Mart, lambs are currently fetching 9.20 a kilo up to 24 kilos in the factories. The spring lamb does generally not come into the picture until St Patrick's Day and Irish lamb and beef farmers are fortunate to have An Bord Bia marketing lamb and beef as far distant as Paris and China in view of the competitive nature nowadays of the market place. The long wait is finally over. Today, well officially know that Micheal Martin is Irelands new Taoiseach and Simon Harris the Tanaiste. Wow, you might say, no surprises there. Ever since the polls closed on November 22nd, the outcome seemed clear. Now, weeks later, were on the cusp of a functioning government, and a fresh set of ministers is about to grace the corridors of power. Of particular interest to me are the Independent ministers. Im delighted to see Noel Grealish set to take on a role as a super-junior minister- a minister of state who sits at the Cabinet table. While he wont have a vote at Cabinet meetings, that hardly matters, as such decisions rarely come down to a formal vote. Noel and I have been friends since 1999, when we were both elected to our respective councils. Hell bring great value not just to Galway but to the whole of Connacht. Another intriguing appointment is that of Michael Healy-Rae, who looks set to become a junior minister, likely in agriculture with responsibility for forestry. Michaels outspokenness on rural and agricultural issues makes him a natural fit for this role. Ive always admired his grasp of politics, people, and community. He knows that national issues begin as local ones, whether its health concerns in Loughglynn, crime in County Roscommon, or broader rural challenges across Connacht. Sometimes its only through hearing these local stories that we can fully understand and address the bigger national picture. This new government, I hope, will bear the fingerprints of Independents. Marian Harkin, for example, is a figure I deeply admire. Decades ago, she, along with the late Sean Hannick, worked tirelessly to promote investment in the west of Ireland, chairing the Council for the West in its early days. Marian was among the first to champion the concept of balanced regional development, a term that remains as relevant today as when she coined it. Like Noel Grealish and Michael Healy-Rae, Marian brings a wealth of wisdom, vision, and commitment to community development. If regional Independents can leave a mark on this government akin to what the Greens achieved in their time, it will be a win for everyone outside the Dublin bubble. A strong representation from Connacht among Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels Cabinet ministers would only help that cause. Naturally, speculation is rife about who will land which positions. In Connacht, Dara Calleary and Alan Dillon of Mayo and Hildegarde Naughton of Galway are tipped for senior Cabinet roles, though Naughten and Calleary appear the stronger contenders. As for junior ministerial appointments, it would be surprising if Frank Feighan or Martin Daly do not get a role, though those decisions may take a little longer. Unfortunately, history has taught us in Roscommon to temper our expectations. In the past 45 years, weve only had two ministersSean Doherty and Denis Naughten and neither for very long. Even Albert Reynolds, who served as Taoiseach while representing Longford-Roscommon, felt more like a TD for Longford. Compare this with our neighbours in Mayo and Galway, and the disparity becomes glaring. For us, even a junior ministerial appointment carries weight. Amid the discussions of appointments, the issue of expenses has also come to the fore. Reports suggest that the new ministers of state have negotiated an increase in travel allowances, arguing that the current salary and expense packagealready substantialdoesnt fully cover their costs. Currently, junior ministers earn 113,679 per year as a TD, with an additional 45,846 for their ministerial role. Super-junior ministers, who sit at the Cabinet table, receive an extra 16,000 on top of that. Now, theyre set to gain a travel allowance worth up to 32,535 per year. The full cabinet minister gets 92,938 on top of the basic TDs salary of 113,679. Yes theres expenses on top of that too. All this talk of ministerial allowances and expenses highlights a stark contrast. While ministers negotiate travel perks, local GAA referees face scrutiny from Revenue for their 40-per-match expense payments. These small sums are meant to cover petrol and other costs, but anyone whos recently filled their car will know how quickly that money disappears. Youd need to officiate at several matches just to break even on a full tank of fuel. As this new government takes shape, the hope is that it will address not just high-profile national policies but also the everyday realities facing ordinary people. Whether its supporting rural communities, ensuring a fair deal for places like Roscommon, or addressing the small but significant financial pressures faced by local volunteers, the new leadership has a chance to make a meaningful difference. Time will tell whether they rise to the occasion or whether the chorus of disillusionment continues to grow louder. Join Sandy Kelly and very special guest, Marc Roberts, with Sandys live band, for a very special intimate evening of new songs, old songs and life stories at the Coleman Music Centre, Gurteen on Thursday, February 13th at 8 p.m. In October 2023, Sandy Kelly released her self-penned autobiography In My Own Words, published by The OBrien Press. The deeply personal memoir dived into Sandys life growing up in a show business family and the trials she has endured continuing on the family tradition, which still sees her perform widely today. On this concert tour, she will give audiences a first hand peek into some of her lifes stories, intertwined within a stunning set of all her classic hit songs and new songs from her recently album released in tandem with the autobiography. The album, Leaving It All Behind, was recorded at what was Johnny Cashs personal studio, Cash Cabin in Nashville and produced by five-time Grammy Award-winning producer John Carter Cash (Johnny Cash, June Carter, Loretta Lynn) and an A-list Nashville session band. Sandys very special guest, Marc Roberts, represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest and came a credible second with Mysterious Woman. Marc is also renowned for his critically acclaimed and award winning show 'A tribute to the music of John Denver'. The show is a huge success in Ireland, selling out theatres, including the National Concert Hall, Dublin and has toured the UK, Germany, Brussels, Australia and even John Denver's home town Colorado USA, where Marc was invited to perform at the John Denver Celebrations in Aspen. To book tickets for the concert call 071 9182599 or online www.colemanirishmusic.com, tickets 30. What begins as a thrilling adventure soon which spirals into a harrowing tale of survival against all odds. Trawled comes to the Roscommon Arts Centre for one night only on Thursday, January 30th at 8 p.m.. Trawled is a one-man biographical drama set on a prawn trawler. Twenty-five years after his life-changing experience, Wexford man Eoin Ryan brings the wild waves of the Coral Sea, Australia to life in this authentic story about surviving suicide. Eoin Ryan's narrative unfolds as he recounts his brush with destiny, delving deep into the heart of his battle for survival against the spectre of suicide. From his audacious bid to join the trawler crew to the harsh realities of life at searife with backbreaking toil, rugged sailors, and the ever-present threat of dangerRyan's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Trawled was given a five star review by acclaimed website Theatre Thoughts and described as set against the meticulously crafted backdrop of a realistic stage, 'Trawled' is a sixty-minute tour de force of storytelling that unfolds with the cinematic intensity of a blockbuster film. Trawled When Adventure becomes Survival is a story of epic proportions. And its true." Written, produced, and acted by Eoin Ryan, the play was first published as a book in 2019. In 2022 Eoin performed the story as a TEDx talk. His motivation for going on stage and touring is to share the important universal message to ask for help. Having never done anything in theatre before 2023, I still felt compelled to bring this play and message to life, he said. This production is a raw distillation of life where unforeseen circumstances, fragile relationships and shifting motivations create an unbearable perfect storm for the protagonist. Infused with the irrepressible spirit of Irish humour, every twist and turn of fate brings them closer to the heart of his remarkable story. Are you ready to come on board? Tickets are currently on sale at www.roscommonartscentre.ie. Stubble Burning Ends, But Air Pollution Persists: The Bigger Picture As the last embers of the stubble-burning season die out, the skies of northern India may appear clearer Punjab latest news on stubble burning: As the last embers of the stubble-burning season die out, the skies of northern India may appear clearer, but the air we breathe is far from clean. While much of the public discourse around air pollution has centered on stubble burning, it is crucial to shift our gaze to the bigger picture. The smog that blankets cities like Delhi, Amritsar, and Gurugram is not a seasonal phenomenonit is a year-round crisis with far-reaching consequences. Yes, stubble burning in states like Punjab and Haryana remains a problem. During its peak in October and November, it contributes significantly to the toxic haze choking the region. But framing it as the sole villain in our battle against air pollution oversimplifies a far more complex issue. Research, including a detailed analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows that stubble burning is just one of many contributors to the regions air quality woes. Data from the CSE reveals that local pollution sources in Delhi contribute 30.34% of the citys air pollution, with transportation accounting for 50.1% of this share. Meanwhile, 34.97% of the pollution originates from neighboring NCR districts, and 27.94% comes from other regions. Stubble burning, often highlighted, contributes only 8.19% to Delhis overall pollution levels. Advertisement Vehicular emissions are among the most significant contributors to Delhis deteriorating air quality. An estimated 1.1 million vehicles enter and exit the city daily, exacerbating pollution levels. This constant influx of traffic intensifies emissions, particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute 81% of the NOx pollution in Delhi. The transportation sector remains a relentless source of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. While policies promoting electric vehicles and cleaner fuels have been introduced, the overwhelming volume of traffic and continued dependence on aging diesel engines ensure that air quality remains critically poor. A source apportionment study conducted across five cities in Punjab has highlighted several key factors affecting ambient air quality, including road dust, construction activities, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollution. In Jalandhar, the findings show that road dust, vehicular emissions, and solid waste are the major contributors to air pollution. In Dera Baba Nanak, alongside road dust, emissions from eateries and diesel generator (DG) sets are significant factors. In Naya Nangal, construction and demolition waste, along with road dust, account for a staggering 80% of the air pollution in the area. Industrial activity is another year-round offender. From brick kilns to small-scale manufacturing units, emissions from these sources continue unchecked in many areas. The lack of stringent enforcement of environmental norms compounds the problem, allowing industries to spew pollutants that contribute to both air and water contamination. Construction and road dust add another layer of complexity. As cities expand rapidly, construction sites and poorly maintained roads become significant contributors to air pollution. The absence of effective dust suppression measures only exacerbates the issue, especially during the dry months when particulate matter remains suspended in the air. And then there is waste burninga practice as ubiquitous as it is harmful. Whether its municipal solid waste in urban centers or agricultural residue in rural areas, the open burning of waste releases a cocktail of harmful toxins, including dioxins and furans, into the atmosphere. Despite being banned, this practice persists due to poor waste management systems and a lack of viable alternatives. Advertisement Given this backdrop, stubble burning becomes a convenient scapegoat, distracting from the structural issues that perpetuate air pollution in the region. It is, of course, a visible and acute problem, but addressing it alone will not clear our skies. Solutions must be as multifaceted as the problem itself. The discourse needs to evolve beyond seasonal blame games and embrace long-term, systemic change. Policies aimed at reducing pollution cannot focus solely on farmers or a few months of the year. They must address the underlying causes of pollution across sectors. For example, investment in public transport, stricter enforcement of industrial emission norms, and sustainable urban planning can make significant inroads into reducing pollution levels. What Are We Doing About It? At the Aircare Centre, weve been closely monitoring the impact of stubble burning in northern India and actively working on solutions to reduce both its occurrence and long-term effects. While there has been some positive progress, its important to recognize that real, lasting change wont happen overnight. To aid in tracking progress, weve developed a dashboard that monitors fire counts across various districts in Punjab. On a positive note, more farmers are turning to alternatives to burning, thanks to a combination of government initiatives and grassroots efforts. Over the past few months, a series of workshops at the village level, including one at Khalsa College for Women in Amritsar, have equipped farmers with valuable insights into sustainable farming practices. These workshops emphasize the importance of soil conservation and introduce technologies like the Happy Seeder, a no-till planter that directly sows seeds in crop residue without preparing the seedbed. Towed by a tractor, it uses a straw chopper and zero-till drill to plant efficiently. As a result, during the 2024 Kharif season, the Clean Air Punjab network successfully helped save 12,000 hectares out of a targeted 14,000 hectares from stubble burning. Nevertheless, challenges remain, particularly the high cost and limited accessibility of these alternatives. While some government programs offer subsidies for machinery, the expense remains prohibitive for many small-scale farmers. Moving forward, it is crucial not only to expand access to alternative technologies but also to strengthen the support system. This includes enhanced subsidies, affordable loans, and ongoing technical guidance, which will help make these sustainable practices both accessible and economically viable for all farmers. A Call for Comprehensive Solutions Advertisement As we look ahead, it is clear that the road to reducing stubble burning will be a long one. Short-term solutions like fines and penalties may provide some deterrence, but they will not fully solve the problem. The key lies in creating a sustainable, incentive-based system that rewards farmers for adopting eco-friendly practices while ensuring that they arent left financially vulnerable in the process. This means increasing support for technology adoption, including more accessible stubble management machines and incentivizing the sale of stubble to industries that can convert it into useful products like biofuels, paper, and other materials like packaging. It also requires continuous engagement with farmers, involving them in the decision-making process and providing regular education on alternative methods. At the same time, stricter enforcement of regulations, along with better monitoring systems, will play an important role. It's encouraging that satellite monitoring technology is helping to track instances of stubble burning in real-time, but we must ensure that the enforcement mechanisms are more effective and that penalties are applied in a fair and transparent manner. The Road Ahead: A Shared Responsibility As we reflect on the aftermath of the stubble burning season, it's clear that the issue extends far beyond agriculture and the environmentit is a pressing public health crisis that demands immediate, collective action. The impact on air quality is undeniable, with stubble burning contributing significantly to the region's already alarming levels of air pollution. But this crisis isnt solely about burning fields; its a broader issue that involves road dust, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and more. Addressing these sources requires a coordinated response from governments, farmers, communities, and environmental organizations. Only through collaboration can we find a path forward that safeguards both public health and the environment. As we move into the new year, its time to focus on long-term solutions that reduce air pollution in all its forms. While the end of the stubble burning season provides a temporary reprieve, the underlying air quality challenges remain. Our commitment should be to eliminate stubble burning and other pollutants, and prioritize sustainable farming practices that contribute to cleaner air and healthier communities. Lets resolve to make 2025 the year we take meaningful steps toward tackling air pollution at its rootsensuring that the toxic haze from stubble burning and other sources no longer clouds our future. About the Author Hargun Kaur is an environmental advocate and fellow at the AirCare Centre at Khalsa University, Amritsar. Air Care Centre at Khalsa University, works to improve air quality by combining technology, community engagement, and sustainable practices. Advertisement (For more news apart from Stubble Burning Ends, But Air Pollution Persists: The Bigger Picture stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman ) Punjab to Send Second Batch of Primary School Teachers to Finland for Training in March During the visit, National Award-winning Art & Craft Teacher Gurpreet Singh Namdhari organized a live painting session. Chandigarh: Punjabs School Education Minister, Harjot Singh Bains, has announced that the state will send its second batch of 72 primary school teachers to Finland for advanced training this March. The announcement was made during his visit to the School of Eminence in Phase 11, SAS Nagar (Mohali), where he was joined by a delegation of experts from Finlands University of Turku. Training Program Details Advertisement The training program, facilitated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Turku, will span three weeks: one week in Punjab and two weeks in Finland. The initiative aims to enhance teaching practices by equipping teachers with modern, effective techniques tailored to primary education. "The program focuses on innovative strategies that align with global educational standards, ensuring our teachers are well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of their students," said Minister Bains. Collaboration with Finnish Experts A team of experts, including Mr. Ari Kioski, Mr. Joel, Ms. Mirjami Einola, and Ms. Sari Isokyto-Sinjoi, joined the Minister during the visit. Their involvement highlights the collaborative efforts between Punjab and Finland to elevate educational standards. Advertisement Minister Bains lauded their expertise and contributions, emphasizing the importance of knowledge-sharing to improve teaching methodologies. "Their guidance will be invaluable in shaping the training curriculum and fostering a successful exchange of educational practices," he added. Art and Culture Display During the visit, National Award-winning Art & Craft Teacher Gurpreet Singh Namdhari organized a live painting session. Students created an artwork featuring Finlands flag outlined by its map, leaving the visiting experts mesmerized by their talent. The Minister presented the visiting delegation with paintings made by the students as a token of appreciation. Advertisement Dignitaries Present The event was attended by Director of School Education Ms. Amaninder Kaur Brar, DEO Ginni Duggal, Principal of the School of Eminence Lovish Chawla, and other officials and staff members. This initiative reflects Punjabs commitment to advancing education and ensuring that teachers are equipped with world-class skills to benefit students across the state. Canada Ready to Strike Back: Justin Trudeau Reacts to Donald Trump's Tariff Threats Trudeau described Trump's tariff threats as an affront to the strong economic ties between the two countries. Canada US relations: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed a robust and swift response if former U.S. President Donald Trump proceeds with his proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Montebello, Quebec, Trudeau emphasized that Canada is prepared to impose economic consequences on the U.S. to pressure Trump into backing down, according to a report by CBC News. "Very Strong Retaliatory Measures" Advertisement Trudeau described Trump's tariff threats as an affront to the strong economic ties between the two countries. He promised Canada would implement "very strong, robust, and rapid" retaliatory actions, warning that Ottawa would not hesitate to defend its national interests. This response follows Trumps announcement of his intent to impose steep tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting February 1, citing issues such as migration, fentanyl trafficking, and trade imbalances. We are thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada because they're allowing vast numbers of people and fentanyl to come in," Trump stated, adding that his administration would finalize the decision within two weeks. Canadas Leverage in the Tariff Standoff Trudeau downplayed the unpredictability of Trumps approach, attributing it to the former president's negotiating tactics. Hes a skilled negotiator who tries to keep his partners off balance, said Trudeau. However, he maintained that Canada is equally adept at negotiation and holds significant leverage in the form of critical natural resources such as oil, lumber, steel, aluminum, and other minerals essential to the U.S. economy. Advertisement If Trump truly wants to usher in a 'golden age of America' with a booming economy, hes going to need Canadas resources, Trudeau asserted. Navigating a Tumultuous Trade Relationship Trudeau expressed a desire to maintain a positive relationship with the U.S., emphasizing that Canadas primary objective is to avert the proposed tariffs while continuing to strengthen economic ties. However, he reiterated that Canada will not yield under pressure. Despite Trumps claims that the U.S. does not depend on Canada, Trudeau highlighted the interconnected nature of the two economies, particularly in sectors like energy and manufacturing, which make Canada a vital trade partner for the U.S. Advertisement Trumps Continued Tariff Push Since his inauguration, Trump has intensified his focus on tariffs as a cornerstone of his "America First" trade policy. On January 9, he reiterated his intention to target Canada, citing "massive deficits" with its northern neighbor. He also directed officials to investigate migration and fentanyl flows from Canada and other nations, calling the situation an "emergency" that might warrant further trade actions by April 1. This is not the first time Trump has threatened such measures. During his 2024 campaign, he pledged to impose similar tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, claiming the U.S. would benefit financially. However, experts have repeatedly warned that tariffs could act as a tax on American consumers, raising costs across various sectors. Whats Next? As tensions escalate, Canada and the U.S. appear poised for a significant trade standoff. While Trump is pressing forward with his tariff agenda, Trudeau has made it clear that Canada will not stand idle in the face of such economic threats. The coming weeks will determine whether the two nations can resolve their differences or if a full-fledged trade battle is on the horizon. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Romania. The Eastern Flank Romania has increased the number of militaries as part of NATO battle groups of the Alliances eastern flank. Sursa foto: Ministerul Apararii Nationale Eugen Nasta, 22.01.2025, 14:00 Beginning January 2025, Romania has expanded its presence, in terms of number of military and capabilities, to two more NATO battle groups that have been operational in the allied countries as part of NATOs eastern flank. The Romanian army has sent an anti-tank detachment in Slovakia and a reconnaissance unit in Bulgaria. Concurrently, Romania has continued its participation to the battle group in Poland, with an anti-aircraft detachment. As part of NATOs Summit held in Madrid in 2022, the decision was taken, of establishing multinational battle groups in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, as part of the strengthening of the joint defense measures along the North-Atlantic Alliances Eastern Flank. Those battle groups have been founded after the pattern of those in the Baltic States and Poland which were established after the allied Summit held in Warsaw in 2016. The battle group in Slovakia is coordinated by Spain and includes military of the Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia. In Bulgaria, the battle group is coordinated by Italy, with contributions from Albania, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Turkey and the USA. The expansion of Romanias contribution to the implementation of the allied measures of deterrence and defense has completed the presence of Romanian military to the battle group in Poland, where the Romanian Army has been participating since 2017. Romanias presence to the North-Atlantic Alliances Battle Groups stands proof of Romanias unwavering commitment for the strengthening of the collective defense along the Eastern Flank. NATO Battle Group in Romania has France as its framework-nation. The contributor states are Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain. Romanias battle group, alongside the battle group in Bulgaria are under the coordination of the Commander of the Headquarters of the Multinational Division South-East in Bucharest. The 360-degree approach in the field of defense and deterrence, implemented by NATO, has as its eventual aim the provision of collective security, It defines the Alliances three main tasks: deterrence and defense, the prevention and the management of crises and security through cooperation. At present, Romania contributes to maintaining the regional and global security with more than 1,000 military. Romania also takes part in some of the European Unions missions and operations. To that effect, Romania holds the command of the Training mission of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic. Also, these days Romania will take over the command of the EUFOR ALTHEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Romania is the major contributor. Accordingly, of the nine military operations and missions carried under the aegis of the European Unions Common Security and Defense Policy, to which it contributes military forces and capabilities, Romanian will simultaneously have the command of two of those operations. Security in the Black Sea region, the strengthening of the defense dimension as part of the strategic partnership between Romania and Great Britain, as well as the enhancement of cooperation within the allied structures: those were the topics on the agenda of the talks the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Talvar, had with the British Ambassador to Romania, His Excellency Giles Matthew Portman. High on the talks agenda was the strengthening of the defense stance and deterrence along NATOs eastern flank, with special emphasis laid on the Black Sea region, given the ongoing security challenges. The Romanian Defense Minister emphasized Romanias intention to continue the development of its strategic partnership with the United Kingdom through its active involvement in joint security and defense initiatives. To that effect, Angel Talvar also mentioned the support of Ukraine against Russias aggression and the consolidation of the support offered to republic of Moldova, with a view to strengthening stability and security in the region. January 22, 2025 A roundup of local and world news Newsflash Newsroom, 22.01.2025, 13:55 ECONOMY The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) Tuesday approved Romanias 7-year fiscal structural plan to reduce the countrys budget deficit. The plan is designed to stabilise public debt as Romania remains among the top EU member states in terms of public investment over 7% of GDP, bringing the budget deficit below 3% in 2025-2031, the finance minister Tanczos Barna explained. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Other topics on the ECOFIN meeting agenda include the current impact of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the priorities of the Polish presidency of the EU Council, the 2025 European Semester and the endorsement of the revised recovery and resilience plans for Greece, Cyprus and Spain. POLL 90% of Romanians reject the idea of leaving NATO, a record level of approval for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an INSCOP survey made public on Tuesday indicates. According to the poll, based on data collected at the end of last year, Romanians support for the West in terms of political and military alliances has increased by 10% over the past 3 years. The poll also shows that Romanias European Union membership is seen by almost three-quarters of respondents as an advantage in terms of its effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Only 55% of Romanians believed this 3 years ago. PROTEST The Bucharest metro trade unionists today carry on their protest in front of the Government headquarters, demanding respect for the employees and the collective bargaining agreement. On Tuesday, they picketed the finance ministry, demanding pay raises and proper financing for the company. Metro employees also announced work-to-rule and token strikes, against the ordinance passed by the new government at the end of last year, which no longer allows hiring, promotions and the rights negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement registered in early December 2024. EARTHQUAKES Romania will have a seismic risk map for each locality, and the authorities in high-risk areas will have access to a governmental programme to consolidate public buildings, the development minister Cseke Attila announced. He added that the programme is fully funded from the state budget and that the priority is to consolidate healthcare units. According to the latest statistics, over 2,500 buildings in Bucharest alone are in danger of collapsing in intensity 7+ earthquakes similar to the one in 1977. POLLUTION Romanian authorities are closely monitoring the situation in the Black Sea, after 2 Russian oil tankers were badly damaged in the Kerch Strait at the end of last year, causing an environmental disaster in the area. The environment minister Mircea Fechet warned that everyone must be prepared, but stressed that the risks of the pollution wave reaching the Romanian coastline are minimal. Authorities are assessing the situation, after over 2,000 tons of highly toxic oil product spilled in the sea, causing the death of thousands of birds and leaving hundreds of dolphins stranded tens of kilometres from the shore. TRUMP The US president Donald Trump said new sanctions against Russia are possible if Moscow does not negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, AFP reports. He added the United States would consider continuing military aid to Kyiv, which has amounted to tens of billions of dollars since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump had previously said that Russia was heading for disaster if it refused to negotiate and sign a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine. As for the Ukrainian president, Trump expects Zelenskyy to be willing to sign an agreement. (AMP) January 22, 2025 UPDATE A roundup of local and international news. Newsflash Newsroom, 22.01.2025, 19:52 Senate. The staff of the Romanian Senate and their trade union representatives are criticising the plans announced on Wednesday by Senate speaker Ilie Bolojan to cut some 180 posts out of almost 800 and downsize the car fleet and the fuel quota by a 5th. The National Federation of Trade Unions in the Administration is denouncing what it describes as the abusive and non-transparent way in which restructuring measures are adopted and communicated. Trade unions of parliamentary public servants, contractual personnel and drivers in the senate say the reorganisation of the institution is lacking in transparency and fairness. They say they welcome any decision to make the activity more efficient, but that they do not understand the haste with which Bolojan wants to show his authority as senate speaker. The leader of the National Liberal Party spoke not only about the reduction of Senate staff, but also about the reorganisation of the Chamber of Deputies and a cut in the number of under-secretaries. The information was confirmed by the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Ciprian Serban, who explained that over 200 posts would be cut and that exterior and interior lighting would be reduced. Budget deficit. The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on Tuesday approved Romanias 7-year fiscal structural plan to reduce the countrys budget deficit. The plan is designed to stabilise public debt as Romania remains among the top EU member states in terms of public investment over 7% of GDP, bringing the budget deficit below 3% in 2025-2031, the finance minister Tanczos Barna explained. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Other topics on the ECOFIN meeting agenda include the current impact of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the priorities of the Polish presidency of the EU Council, the 2025 European Semester and the endorsement of the revised recovery and resilience plans for Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Poll. 90% of Romanians reject the idea of leaving NATO, a record level of approval for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an INSCOP survey made public on Tuesday indicates. According to the poll, based on data collected at the end of last year, Romanians support for the West in terms of political and military alliances has increased by 10% over the past 3 years. The poll also shows that Romanias European Union membership is seen by almost three-quarters of respondents as an advantage in terms of its effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Only 55% of Romanians believed this 3 years ago. Protest. The Bucharest metro trade unionists on Wednesday staged a protest in front of the Government headquarters, following a similar action outside the finance ministry on Tuesday. They demanded pay raises and more appropriate financing for their company. Metro employees also announced work-to-rule and token strikes to protest against measures adopted by the new government at the end of last year to cut budget expenditures. Release. A Romanian citizen who was part of the Galaxy Leader crew captured by the Houthi rebels in Yemen more than a year ago was released on Wednesday, the foreign affairs ministry said. The entire crew of the ship flying under a Bahamas flag was freed, the ministry statement also says, adding that the Romanian national is now in a safe location. The ministry thanked all foreign partners, especially the authorities in Oman and Bulgaria, for the support to solve this case, which it describes as complex and extremely difficult. US. The US president Donald Trump said new sanctions against Russia are possible if Moscow does not negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, AFP reports. He added the United States would consider continuing military aid to Kyiv, which has amounted to tens of billions of dollars since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump had previously said that Russia was heading for disaster if it refused to negotiate and sign a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine. As for the Ukrainian president, Trump expects Zelensky to be willing to sign an agreement. Cinema. A film directed by the Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was selected to run in the competition of the Berlin International Film Festival. This is his latest work entitled Kontinental 25, a low-budget production, a black comedy about the real estate crisis and the rise of nationalism. Radu Jude says the film was shot with a mobile phone. The official selection brings together 19 titles for this years edition, which is taking place between the 13th and the 23rd February. A new term for Donald Trump at the White House Romanian politicians hail the return of Donald Trump as president of the United States Donald Trump (sursa foto: facebook.comDonaldTrump Bogdan Matei, 21.01.2025, 14:00 Nobody was left indifferent by the Republican Donald Trump getting back the role he loves so much and which he missed for four years: president of the United States and, implicitly, the most powerful man on the planet. Politicians in Bucharest were no exception and hurried into congratulating Trump for his return at the White House. According to the acting president, Klaus Iohannis, Romania, a close strategic partner of the United States, wishes the American leader the best of success for this important new mandate. We need a strong and vibrant transatlantic link, to the benefit of our joint security, wrote Iohannis on the X platform. The second most powerful figure in the Romanian state, according to the constitutional architecture, the Liberal Speaker of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan, wished President Trump success in his new mandate and expressed his belief that the friendship between the two countries would get stronger. His return to the White House is a historic moment, which will have positive echoes as far as Romania is concerned, both in terms of security and major investments, stated in turn the Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. From the opposition, the leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Elena Lasconi, has stated that a new chapter begins in the history of the United States, and America is to Romania an element of support in terms of national security. Beyond the unanimously festive messages conveyed by the Romanian politicians, the Bucharest press notes that the only domestic party leader invited to the ceremonies in Washington was the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) (nationalist, in opposition), George Simion. He went there as vice-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR), a political family linked to the American Republicans through certain ideological affinities. Otherwise, commentators say, Romania would have no reason to worry about the new Donald Trump era, because the two countries are allies in NATO and have a bilateral strategic partnership that they can develop. Analysts also recall that, during Trumps first term, Romania was among the first allied countries to align with the White House leaders requirement to increase defense spending to 2.5% of the GDP. As an added advantage, Romanias military purchases are made predominantly from the United States. Moreover, Bucharest has signed a loan agreement of 920 million dollars to modernize its military capabilities, and part of this money will go to armament factories in Romania, which will become the only producer in Europe of ammunition for Abrams tanks. (MI) Efforts to reduce the budget deficit Romania's plan to reduce the budget deficit was approved by the European finance ministers. Photo: Mediamodifier / pixabay.com Mihai Pelin, 22.01.2025, 14:00 The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) approved, in Brussels, the budget deficit reduction plans for eight EU states, including Romania. The Romanian Finance Minister, Tanczos Barna, states that reducing the deficit over a period of seven years instead of four will bring many advantages to the country. First, it will allow the Romanian economy to maintain a high level of public investments, and Romania fares well in this regard among the EU states. It is at the same time a premise for avoiding imbalances and for sustainable economic growth. Apart from Romania, four other member states Spain, Italy and Finland requested the extension of the adjustment period. The European Commissioner for Economy, the Latvian Valdis Dombrolskis, explained that the first analyses will be published in the spring. On the sidelines of the Council meeting, he had a separate meeting with the Romanian Finance Minister to discuss the details of the plan. Tanczos Barna states that, throughout the seven years, Romania will receive financial and technical support to restore the macroeconomic balance. The parameters indicated by the European Commission aim to keep public expenses under control and to obtain economic growth through investments. Romanias fiscal budgetary plan aims to stabilize the public debt and reduce the deficit to below 3% of the GDP, in the period 2025-2031. Romania will continue to develop, protecting essential investments and ensuring long-term financial stability, says, in turn, the Romanian Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, in a Facebook post. In his opinion, the European Commissions decision to approve Romanias budget deficit reduction plan will allow the government to avoid the pressure of an accelerated adjustment or the adoption of dramatic measures to reduce the budget deficit. Massive spending cuts, blocking investments in hospitals and roads, massive tax increases, all these would have been the consequences of a tough adjustment imposed by the European Commission, Marcel Bolos said. On the other hand, the minister also points out, through this plan international credibility is maintained, in the context in which non-compliance with fiscal commitments would have led to a decrease in the countrys rating, which would have made loans more expensive and harder to access. The decisions show that European economies currently need time to achieve sustainable fiscal consolidation without sacrificing development. Without this plan, Romania would have risked losing what is being built now for future generations, Marcel Bolos emphasized. 2024 was difficult for Romania, with local, European Parliament, presidential and parliamentary elections. At the same time, it was a year in which pensions were recalculated, salaries were increased in several areas and investments were supported with unprecedented amounts. Romania ended 2024 with a budget deficit of 8.6% of the GDP. (LS) Romanians and the westward direction A new INSCOP survey shows Romanians attachment to NATO and the European Union. Photo: pixabay.com Daniela Budu, 22.01.2025, 13:50 A new INSCOP survey shows Romanians attachment to NATO and the European Union. Although Romania is going through a period of deep social dissatisfaction and frustration, these are not related to citizens attachment to NATO and the European Union. An INSCOP study, published on Tuesday, shows that 90% of Romanians reject the idea of leaving NATO, a record level of adherence to the North Atlantic Organization. According to the research, based on data collected at the end of last year, in the last three years there has been a 10% increase in Romanians adherence to the Westward direction as regards political and military alliances. However, over half of respondents feel exposed to disinformation and fake news through television channels and social networks. At the same time, more than three quarters say that their voting options in the latest elections were affected by this phenomenon. Referring to the survey figures, INSCOP director Remus Stefureac believes that what is happening now in Romania has nothing to do with a decrease in Romanians adherence to the Euro-Atlantic world, but rather with internal problems, economic and social problems, problems related to the lack of trust in the political class and their integrity, lack of professionalism, the feeling of things being arranged so that a certain party wins. According to him, these are internal issues that are related to our internal debate, they are not topics related to the way Romanians relate to the Euro-Atlantic world. The survey also shows that, for almost three-quarters of respondents, Romanias EU membership is seen as an advantage in terms of effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Three years ago, only 55% of Romanians believed this. At the same time, 88% say that Romania should remain in the EU, and 78% that the countrys economic future depends on EU membership. Three years ago, a quarter of the population said that Romania would be better off leaving the Union. Currently, over half of Romanians believe that the country should put national interests first, even if this means violating EU rules. The survey also shows that over half of Romanians believe that the authorities act more in the interests of other countries, that the economy is controlled by foreigners, that the state helps multinational companies more than Romanian companies, or that there is an agreement between richer countries to keep Romania in poverty. At the same time, over 60% of Romanians say that they are seen as lower-ranking citizens in Europe, but that Romania is culturally superior to Western countries. The research concludes that 69% of those surveyed would vote for a nationalist party or a nationalist candidate in the presidential elections. The research is considered one of the most relevant published by INSCOP in recent years, providing a clear understanding of social discontent and the elements influencing Romanians perceptions in the current geopolitical context. Oil prices were subdued on Wednesday, adding to the previous session's steep losses after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency to ramp up energy production. Benchmark Brent crude futures dipped 0.3 percent to $79.60 in European trade while WTI crude futures were marginally lower at $75.78. Trump's plan to maximize oil and gas production has raised concerns of higher U.S. output in a market widely expected to be oversupplied this year. Focus also turned towards Trump's trade policy and its potential impact on crude supply and demand. On Tuesday, Trump said that his team was discussing a 10 percent tariff on China from February 1 to curb the flow of deadly drug fentanyl that is being sent from China to the U.S. via Mexico and Canada. China, one of the major consumers of crude oil in the world market, has been facing uncertainties and weak demand in post-pandemic recovery. The Chinese Vice Premier, Ding Xuexiang, who addressed the World Economic Forum, said that there are no winners in a trade war and there is need for greater international economic cooperation. Trump had earlier said that he plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico with effect from February 1. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis President Donald Trump has named Robert Salesses as Acting Secretary of Defense pending the confirmation of Pete Hegseth for the post. The Senate Armed Services Committee has sent Hegseth's nomination to the full Senate, which is expected to act on the nomination later this week. Salesses is a retired Marine Corps officer and a member of the senior executive service. He has previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense integration and defense support of civil authorities. He has been serving as the deputy director of Washington Headquarters Service. Salesses managed a portfolio of complex and integrated operational services to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Military Departments, Defense Agencies, Congress and the Executive Office of the President. Salesses has served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, where he was involved in the planning and execution of several military contingencies and crisis responses. His career culminated in an assignment to the Joint Chief of Staff where he developed response options for global contingency missions. Salesses was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service during the liberation of Kuwait. In addition to Salesses, the White House named Mark Averill to serve as acting secretary of the Army, Terence Emmert as acting secretary of the Navy and Gary Ashworth as acting secretary of the Air Force. Averill is the head of the Army's Office of the Administrative Assistant. Emmert served as DOD's principal deputy chief officer for mission capabilities. Ashworth served as DOD's acting assistant secretary of defense for acquisition. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The World Health Organization has urged the United States to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Organization. Expressing regrets over President Donald Trump's announcement within hours of beginning his second term, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said, "We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the and well-being of millions of people around the globe." In one of the dozens of executive orders he signed on Monday, Trump cited the "organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states," as reasons for his decision, which drew criticism by public health experts. The executive order will bring U.S. involvement in WHO to an end in 12 months, preventing the flow of a large amount of funding from Washington to the cash-strapped UN health agency to carry out its multiple global obligations. The U.S. joined WHO in 1948 after a joint resolution was passed by both chambers of Congress. The resolution requires the country to provide one year's notice to leave the organization. President Trump took steps to withdraw from the WHO in 2020 during his first term - but the move was reversed by the Biden administration. Responding to journalists' questions in Geneva, Mr. Jasarevic insisted that WHO "plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go." The United States was WHO's largest single donor, accounting for 18 per cent of the agency's budget in 2023. According to Trump, the U.S. Government was paying too much money to WHO compared to other donors. The World Health Organization last week had called for $ 1.5 billion for its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal, to support life-saving health interventions worldwide. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News DAVOS, Switzerland, January 22. Azerbaijan and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are collaborating on the development of a Digital Transformation Roadmap for 650 Azerbaijani companies by 2030, said Executive Director at the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Azerbaijan Fariz Jafarov, Trend reports. "The World Economic Forum has 21 Fourth Industrial Revolution centers around the world. Azerbaijan is leading one of them. The Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, under the Ministry of Economy, is a public legal entity established in 2021 by a decree from President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The center's main activities include cooperation with the WEF, bringing global expertise to Azerbaijan, digitalizing industries, implementing the 'Industry 4.0' concept, developing new technologies, and promoting the digital economy in Azerbaijan," he told reporters on the sidelines of the WEF in Davos. According to Jafarov, the center is cooperating with the World Economic Forum in several areas. "Traditionally, the World Economic Forum publishes a series of reports ahead of the Davos Forum. One of them is the Fourth Industrial Revolution Centers' Impact Report, where they shared success stories in more than four different areas related to Azerbaijan. One of them highlights a strategy developed for the digital economy, the creation of technological centers under this strategy, and the digital transformation of more than 650 companies, including efforts to enhance people's knowledge and skills in the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, our cooperation with Coursera was noted. As you know, last year, 10,000 Azerbaijani citizens were given free access to the Coursera online educational platform to acquire knowledge and skills in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. This year, the program will expand to cover 200,000 people. The report also includes the results of a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum in Azerbaijan on attracting foreign investments to the countrys digital economy. Based on the survey, a recommendation document was prepared in 13 areas, with interviews conducted with over 100 companies in Azerbaijan, including face-to-face interviews with 15 companies. Issues related to the development of startups, ecosystems, and innovations were discussed, and recommendations were made on the steps needed to attract foreign investors to Azerbaijan. We have already shared this document with various stakeholders in our country," he explained. Jafarov pointed out that in connection with the COP29 event held in Azerbaijan last year, the WEF selected the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Azerbaijan as a partner and prepared a report on artificial intelligence in energy. "In this report, we presented 40 successful advanced applications of artificial intelligence developed by our Center. The contribution of Azerbaijan was also reflected in this document. Our center is also a member of the WEFs Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence Governance, and our experts participate in this initiative. Meanwhile, the center is part of the working group on government technologies, known as 'GovTech'. Recently, another report from the World Economic Forum on government technologies was published. Seven countries were highlighted as examples, and it was noted that, thanks to public-private partnerships, Azerbaijan has implemented more than 10 government projects in various areas. These include the electronic tendering platform, ASAN Visa, and several other achievements. Additionally, ASAN Xidmt is also cited as a successful model for public services," he said. Jafarov added that this report presented seven countries, including Azerbaijan, as examples with the best practices. "Moreover, we are conducting research with the World Economic Forum on the application of smart technologies in industry and diagnosing companies in the industrial sector in Azerbaijan to identify gaps. We are also exploring international technologies that could be applied to address these gaps. Several companies in Azerbaijan have already undergone this assessment. This methodology was brought to Azerbaijan by us. We are cooperating on the process of 650 Azerbaijani companies, including small and medium-sized businesses, undergoing this assessment by 2030, developing a Digital Transformation Roadmap for them, and implementing technologies. Several networks of the World Economic Forum include international organizations, such as Apple, Google, TikTok, Binance, and others. Our center is helping to ensure the presence of these companies in Azerbaijan, establishing connections with new partners, and organizing collaborations with universities and other research centers," he concluded. The United Nations has expressed concern over escalating violence in the West Bank as the crisis in Gaza continues to remain acute, with UN humanitarians reporting critical shortages of water, food and efforts to deliver vital aid to the war-torn region. The ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which took effect on Sunday allowed some displaced residents to return, but hundreds of thousands across the Gaza Strip remain dependent on humanitarian aid, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said at press briefing in New York. "With the ceasefire in place, displaced Palestinians have been making their way back home, with many returning to find mountains of rubble," he told reporters. He added that over 90 per cent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months, according to partner organizations. "Given the scale of destruction and needs in Gaza, we are working to get vital aid to people as fast as humanly possible. We also urge Member States and partners to ensure that our aid operations are funded to meet the overwhelming needs". According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on Tuesday, 897 trucks entered Gaza, based on the information obtained through interactions with the Israeli authorities and other interlocutors. Haq also expressed deep concerns over the situation in the West Bank, in particular the safety of Palestinians in Jenin city and its refugee camp, where 10 people were killed and many others injured in Israeli military operations on Tuesday. "According to initial reports, air strikes, heavy bulldozing and the operation of undercover forces have resulted in several fatalities and dozens of injuries - including among medical personnel," he said. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the attacks with the mission of "eradicating terrorism." The operation follows weeks of clashes between Israeli forces and armed Palestinians. Earlier violence had displaced approximately 2,000 families from Jenin camp. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Finland has signed the Artemis Accords on Tuesday, bringing the number of nations committing to the safe and responsible exploration of space to 53. At a signing ceremony on the margins of the Aalto University's Winter Satellite Workshop in the Finnish city of Espoo, Finland's minister of economic affairs Wille Rydman signed the Artemis Accords. NASA and Finland have a long history of collaboration, and most recently, Finland is contributing to the upcoming Intuitive Machines-2 delivery to the Moon under NASA's Artemis campaign and CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. Intuitive Machines will deliver a lunar LTE/4G communications system developed by Finnish company, Nokia. Its U.S. subsidiary, Nokia of America, was selected to advance a lunar surface communications system that could help humans and robots explore more of the Moon than before. In 2020, the United States and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity. The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices for responsible behavior, including the public release of scientific data. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The Canadian market looks set to end on a positive note on Wednesday thanks to strong gains in industrials and sectors. Concerns about tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump appear to be limiting market's upside. The U.S. President has repeated his threat to impose tariffs on imports from European countries. He also said his administration was discussing imposing an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from China, starting in February. Tech stocks are gaining in strength thanks to upbeat sales and earnings reported by Netflix, and Oracle's continued rise on U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a private sector investment of up to $500 billion to fund artificial intelligence infrastructure. The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index is up 70.87 points or 0.28% at 25,352.50 with about an hour to go for the closing bell. Technology stocks Sylogist (SYZ.TO) and Celestica Inc (CLS.TO) are up 6.3% and 3.7%, respectively. Coveo Solutions (CVO.TO), Enghouse Systems (ENGH.TO), Descartes Systems Group (DSG.TO), Contellation Software (CSU.TO), BlackBerry (BB.TO) and CGI Inc (GIB.A.TO) are up 1 to 2%. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Oil prices drifted down on Wednesday, extending recent weakness, as tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, and concerns about possible excess supply in the market due to the Trump administration's plan to maximize oil and gas production. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for March ended down by $0.39 or about 0.5% at $75.44 a barrel, extending losses to a fifth straight session. Brent crude futures closed lower by $0.29 or 0.37% at $79.00 a barrel. On Tuesday, Trump said that his team was discussing a 10% tariff on China from February 1 to curb the flow of deadly drug fentanyl that is being sent from China to the U.S. via Mexico and Canada. China, one of the major consumers of crude oil in the world market, has been facing uncertainties and weak demand in post-pandemic recovery. The Chinese Vice Premier, Ding Xuexiang, who addressed the World Economic Forum, said that there are no winners in a trade war and there is need for greater international economic cooperation. Trump also said that his administration would "probably" stop buying oil from Venezuela, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries under U.S. sanctions. According to a recent report from the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. imported about 200,000 barrels per day of oil from Venezuela during the first 10 months of 2024, up from an average of 100,000 bpd in 2023. Markets now await weekly oil reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and EIA. The API report is due later today, while the EIA will release its inventory data Thursday morning. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Following the merger, Honda-Nissan will emerge as the 3rd largest carmaker in the world in terms of overall sales Discussions are currently underway for the merger of Honda and Nissan. Working together, Honda-Nissan will have improved cost efficiencies and production capacity. They will be in a better position to tackle the threat from China-based EV manufacturers. If things go smoothly, the Honda-Nissan merger could be completed by 2026. Demand to buyout Renaults stake A new report claims that Honda has asked Nissan to resolve its existing alliance with Renault. That will require Nissan to buy out Renaults stake in the company. As of now, Renault has a 35.7% share in Nissan. That makes Renault the largest single shareholder in Nissan. At its peak, Renaults share in Nissan was at 43%. However, it has dropped now due to multiple share sales transactions during 2023 and 2024. Neither Honda nor Nissan have made any official statements regarding the buyout of Renaults stake. The amount involved is huge (Rs 31457 Crore), which can be a major challenge for Nissan to overcome. Nissans financials are not so great right now. In the first half of the Japanese financial year (April 01 to September 30), the company registered an operating profit margin of just 0.5%. Thats a YoY negative growth of around 90%, as compared to the numbers in the previous financial year. This data indicates that Nissan currently may not have the cash or cash equivalents to buyout Renaults share. However, it is not certain if this demand is a prerequisite for the Honda-Nissan merger to be finalized. Honda could be concerned about Renaults stake in Nissan, as foreign entities may be looking into buying these shares. For example, reports reveal that Taiwan-based Foxconn is looking to acquire Renaults share in Nissan. Foxconn is a leading manufacturer of electronic products for top brands such as Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Sony, Google, Amazon, Nintendo, etc. Foxconns interest in Renaults share is because the company wants to enter the EV business. Foxconns initial discussions with Nissan had failed to arrive at a mutually beneficial deal. Honda-Nissan merger Not a bailout While it may appear that Honda may be trying to bail out Nissan, both brands have dismissed such claims. The reality is that the merger will happen only if Nissan manages to overcome its financial troubles. In a recent media conference, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe had said that the merger will not go forward unless turnaround measures being taken are successful. The success of these initiatives is the primary prerequisite for the merger. Toshihiro said that the merger deal will aim to create an ecosystem where both brands can thrive. Unless that happens, it will be difficult to achieve common goals. The RenaultNissanMitsubishi Alliance began with Renault and Nissan coming together in 1999. Mitsubishi joined later in 2016. This alliance works through a cross-sharing agreement and is not a conventional merger or acquisition. Source Slotted above the Sonet in the lineup, new Kia Syros has roomier interiors and more premium features on offer To gain more traction in the sub-4-meter SUV segment, Kia will be launching the all-new Syros SUV on 1st February. Syros made its global debut in December 2024. Bookings are currently open and deliveries are expected to commence from mid-February. Syros HTK (O) 2nd base model full details, walkaround Ahead of Syros launch, dispatches to dealerships have commenced. A total of 6 trims are on offer HTK, HTK (O), HTK+, HTX, HTX+ and HTX+ (O). Here we look at the details of the HTK (O) 2nd base model of Kia Syros. Talking about the dimensions first, Syros is the same length (3,995 mm) as the Sonet. However, it gains 15 mm in width (1,805 mm) and 38 mm in height (1,680 mm). Wheelbase is 2,550 mm, which is 50 mm more than that of Sonet. Kia Syros is also offering a larger boot space of 465 litres, which is 80 litres more than Sonet. Syros even beats Seltos in dimensional aspects such as width (5 mm wider) and height (35 mm taller). Boot space is 32 litres more than Seltos. Kia Syros has ground clearance of 205 mm, something that will be advantageous across off-road environments. Exterior features Syros has a muscular profile, quite distinct from other sub-4-meter SUVs. The thick-looking body panels make the SUV appear quite like an armoured car. Some of the key features include a distinct closed grille design, a prominent lower grille and rugged-style bumper section with skid plate in silver finish. Another distinctive feature is the vertically stacked lighting elements. HTK (O) variant gets ice cube halogen headlamps, flush door handles and side door garnish with silver metallic accents. HTK (O) turbo petrol variant has R15 steel wheels with full cover. Users can get R16 crystal cut alloy wheels with the 1.5-litre diesel variant. Electric sunroof is available with Syros HTK (O) trim. Other features include shark fin antenna, integrated spoiler, high mounted stop lamp, vertically stacked tail lamps and rear skid plate in silver finish. Interiors, equipment list Syros has refined and sophisticated interiors, focused on enhancing the sense of roominess and comfort. A number of premium features are available as standard. For example, theres a large 12.3-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity and rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines. Also, Type-C charging ports, steering mounted audio controls, electric power steering and rear AC vents. However, the HTK (O) variant does not get an automatic air conditioner. Users choosing Syros HTK (O) can access electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, driver seat height adjustment and passenger side vanity mirror. Kia is offering 20 safety features as standard across all variants. It includes front, side and curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill start assist control and front and rear parking sensors. Powertrain options While both turbo-petrol and diesel engine options are available with Kia Syros HTK (O), the transmission choices are limited to only 6-speed manual. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol unit makes 120 PS and 172 PS, whereas the diesel engine produces 115 PS and 250 Nm. Higher variants of Syros have automatic transmission option of 7DCT with the petrol and 6AT with the diesel engine. The sedan segment in India experienced a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 9.34% in December 2024, with total sales reaching 31,546 units compared to 28,850 units in December 2023. Despite the growing dominance of SUVs, sedans have managed to hold their ground with some notable performances across various models. Sedan Sales Dec 2024 YoY Comparison Maruti Dzire retained its top spot as the best-selling sedan in December 2024, with sales of 16,573 units. This marks an 18.28% YoY growth, as it added 2,561 units over the 14,012 units sold in December 2023. Its strong performance continues to solidify its position as the leader in the segment. Hyundai Aura followed with 3,852 units sold last month, a slight increase of 1.05% over 3,812 units in December 2023. Honda Amaze claimed the third position with an impressive YoY growth of 53.60%, selling 3,708 units compared to 2,414 units a year ago, reflecting a volume gain of 1,294 units. Honda has decided to extend the introductory prices of Amaze for added benefit of their buyer. Volkswagen Virtus secured fourth place with 2,257 units sold in December 2024, up by 2.64% compared to 2,199 units sold in December 2023. Meanwhile, Skoda Slavia saw a minor decline of 3.37%, with 1,894 units sold, a decrease of 66 units from the same period last year. Tata Tigor, including its EV version, witnessed a sharp decline of 46.22%, selling only 1,054 units in December 2024 compared to 1,960 units in December 2023. Hyundai Verna, however, posted a strong performance with 872 units sold, registering a 22.47% YoY growth over 712 units sold in December 2023. Honda City recorded a significant decline of 29.59%, with sales dropping to 783 units in December 2024 from 1,112 units a year ago. Maruti Ciaz also experienced a marginal decline of 5.11%, selling 464 units compared to 489 units in December 2023. Toyota Camry saw a steep decline of 51.11%, with only 88 units sold in December 2024, down from 180 units in the previous year. Skoda Superb managed to register a single unit sale in December 2024, marking its entry into the sales chart for the month. Sedan Sales Dec 2024 MoM Comparison Continuing from the YoY analysis, sedan sales in December 2024 grew by 27.42% MoM to 31,546 units, up from 24,757 units in November 2024. Maruti Dzire led with a strong 40.70% increase, selling 16,573 units. Honda Amaze followed with 41.10% growth, reaching 3,708 units. Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia posted remarkable MoM growth of 54.91% and 67.46%, selling 2,257 and 1,894 units, respectively. Tata Tigor also saw a 22.70% rise to 1,054 units, while Honda City grew moderately by 10.44% to 783 units. However, Hyundai Aura and Verna declined by 9.32% and 28.11%, respectively, selling 3,852 and 872 units. Maruti Ciaz dropped by 22.28% to 464 units, Toyota Camry by 32.31% to 88 units, and Skoda Superb by 83.33%, selling just 1 unit. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 22. A ministerial meeting on transport issues between Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia is scheduled for January 28 in Moscow, Trend reports. The announcement was made by Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash at an event following the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the 16th meeting of the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission. Bazrpash explained that the upcoming meeting will focus on finding the right mechanism to boost transit activities within the North-South International Transport Corridor. He also shared that Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia are working toward the goal of transporting 15 million tons of cargo annually via this corridor. The 16th session of the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission took place on January 21-22 in Tehran, where the two countries signed a cooperation agreement. Panama files formal complaint to UN over Trump's remarks, threats [Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:00:08 +0300] Panama - Saba: The government of Panama late on Tuesday filed a formal complaint to the United Nations over the provocative remarks of US President Donald Trump, who threatened to seize its waterway. Trumps threats came during his inauguration speech last Monday, when he said that the United States did not hand the canal over to China, but to Panama, hinting that it could be reclaimed. In an elegant letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Panama cited Article 2 of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. The letter called for referring the issue to the UN Security Council, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty and integrity of states. In parallel with this diplomatic move, the Panamanian Comptroller's Office announced the launch of a comprehensive audit of the Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Group, which operates the Balboa and Cristobal ports on both sides of the canal. This audit aims to ensure transparency and full compliance with concession agreements, including accurate reporting of income, payments and financial contributions to the state. Amid these developments, Panama affirms that its waterway remains a symbol of peace and international cooperation, and that it will not allow any party to turn it into an arena for geopolitical conflicts. Trump had on December 22 stated that he would demand a rapid return of the Panama Canal to American ownership due to the high tariffs for shipping and ships passing through it, stressing that the canal is of great importance to American trade, as well as to the operational deployment of the US Navy in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Trump stressed that the transfer of control of the canal in 1999 was a "gesture of cooperation" and not a concession to other countries. The Panama Canal is an artificial waterway, built by the United States, which was opened in 1914. In 1977, the Torrijos-Carter Treaty stipulated the transfer of the canal to Panama in stages, and the process was completed in 1999. The agreement stipulated the neutrality of the canal and the possibility of its use for global trade. Facebook Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Export operations from the Alpha platform at Azerbaijans giant Shah Deniz gas and condensate field are back to normal, bp Azerbaijan told Trend. As to the upstream part of Shah Deniz, we are now back to normal production and export operations from the Alpha platform, said the company. On January 7, a technical fault was discovered in the underwater export pipeline between the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) platform and the Sangachal terminal. Due to operational reasons, production and export activities from the SDA platform were temporarily suspended, and the platform itself was safely shut down. As of the evening of January 18, the technical issue with the underwater pipeline was fully resolved. Located in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, Shah Deniz is one of the largest gas and condensate fields in the world. Gas and condensate from Shah Deniz have been extracted since December 2006 and exported since 2007 to Georgia and Turkiye. Since December 2020, exports have also reached Europe. The reserves of Shah Deniz are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn The source of the newly-detected fast radio burst, FRB 20240209A, is in the distant outskirts of an ancient elliptical galaxy, which is located 2 billion light-years from Earth and has a mass of more than 100 billion solar masses. Young stellar remnants that theorists think produce such bursts of radio waves should have disappeared long ago in this 11.3-billion-year-old galaxy. Detailed in two complementary studies in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the discovery shatters assumptions that fast radio bursts solely emanate from regions of active star formation. The prevailing theory is that fast radio bursts (FRBs) come from magnetars formed through core-collapse supernovae, said Northwestern University astronomer Tarraneh Eftekhari. That doesnt appear to be the case here. While young, massive stars end their lives as core-collapse supernovae, we dont see any evidence of young stars in this galaxy. Thanks to this new discovery, a picture is emerging that shows not all FRBs come from young stars. Maybe there is a subpopulation of FRBs that are associated with older systems. This new FRB shows us that just when you think you understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe turns around and surprises us, added Northwestern University astronomer Wen-fai Fong. This dialogue with the Universe is what makes our field of time-domain astronomy so incredibly thrilling. FRB 20240209A was discovered in February 2024 by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). Flaring up and disappearing within milliseconds, FRBs are brief, powerful radio blasts that generate more energy in one quick burst than our sun emits in an entire year. But FRB 20240209A flared up more than once between the initial burst in February through July 2024, the same source produced another 21 pulses. After the team pinpointed the FRBs position, the astronomers hurried to use telescopes at the W.M. Keck and Gemini observatories to explore the events surrounding environment. Instead of finding a young galaxy, these observations surprisingly revealed that the FRB originated at the edge of an 11.3-billion-year-old neighboring galaxy, located 2 billion light-years from Earth. To learn more about this unusual host galaxy, the researchers used high-performance computers to run simulations. They found that the galaxy is extremely luminous and incredibly massive 100 billion times the mass of our Sun. It seems to be the most massive FRB host galaxy to date. Its among some of the most massive galaxies out there, Dr. Eftekhari said. While most FRBs originate well within their galaxies, the authors traced FRB 20240209A to the outskirts of its home 130,000 light-years from the galaxys center where few other stars exist. Among the FRB population, this FRB is located the furthest from the center of its host galaxy, said Vishwangi Shah, a graduate student at McGill University. This is both surprising and exciting, as FRBs are expected to originate inside galaxies, often in star-forming regions. The location of this FRB so far outside its host galaxy raises questions as to how such energetic events can occur in regions where no new stars are forming. According to the team, FRB 20240209A likely originated within a dense globular cluster. Such clusters are promising sites for magnetars possibly formed through other mechanisms and associated with older stars, including through the merger of two neutron stars or from a white dwarf collapsing under its own gravity. A globular cluster origin for this repeating FRB is the most likely scenario to explain why this FRB is located outside its host galaxy, Shah said. We do not know for a fact if there is a globular cluster present at the FRB position and have submitted a proposal to use the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope for follow-up observations of the FRB location. If yes, it would make this FRB only the second FRB known to reside in a globular cluster. If not, we would have to consider alternative exotic scenarios for the FRBs origin. Its clear that theres still a lot of exciting discovery space when it comes to FRBs, and that their environments could hold the key to unlocking their secrets, Dr. Eftekhari said. _____ T. Eftekhari et al. 2025. The Massive and Quiescent Elliptical Host Galaxy of the Repeating Fast Radio Burst FRB 20240209A. ApJL, in press; arXiv: 2410.23336 Vishwangi Shah et al. 2025. A Repeating Fast Radio Burst Source in the Outskirts of a Quiescent Galaxy. ApJL 979, L21; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad9ddc A massive flood called the Zanclean megaflood ended the Messinian salinity crisis, which lasted between 5.97 and 5.33 million years ago, according to new research led by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). The Zanclean megaflood was an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon, with discharge rates and flow velocities dwarfing any other known floods in Earths history, said Dr. Aaron Micallef, lead author of the study and researcher at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. Our research provides the most compelling evidence yet of this extraordinary event. During the Messinian salinity crisis, the Mediterranean Sea became isolated from the Atlantic Ocean and evaporated, leading to vast salt deposits which reshaped the regions landscape. For years, scientists had thought that this dry period ended gradually, with the Mediterranean refilling over a period of 10,000 years. But this idea was challenged by the discovery of an erosion channel stretching from the Gulf of Cadiz to the Alboran Sea in 2009. The finding pointed to a single, massive flooding event, lasting between two and 16 years, which became known as the Zanclean megaflood. Estimates suggest the megaflood had a discharge from 68 to 100 Sverdrups (Sv), with one Sv equal to one million m3 per second. In their research, Dr. Micallef and his colleagues combined newly-discovered geological features with geophysical data and numerical modeling to provide the most comprehensive picture yet of the megaflood. The researchers investigated over 300 asymmetric, streamlined ridges in a corridor across the Sicily Sill, a submerged land bridge that once separated the western and eastern Mediterranean basins. The morphology of these ridges is compatible with erosion by large-scale, turbulent water flow with a predominantly north easterly direction, said University of Southamptons Professor Paul Carling. They reveal the immense power of the Zanclean megaflood and how it reshaped the landscape, leaving lasting imprints on the geological record. By sampling the ridges, the scientists found they were topped with a layer of rocky debris containing material eroded from the ridge flanks and the surrounding region, indicating it was deposited there quickly and with immense force. This layer is right at the boundary between the Messinian and Zanclean periods when the megaflood is believed to have occurred. Using seismic reflection data a kind of geological ultrasound allowing scientists to see layers of rock and sediment beneath the surface, the authors discovered a W-shaped channel on the continental shelf east of the Sicily Sill. This channel, carved into the seabed, connects the ridges to the Noto Canyon a deep underwater valley located in the eastern Mediterranean. The shape and location of the channel suggest that it acted like a massive funnel. When the megaflood waters poured over the Sicily Sill, this channel likely carried the water toward the Noto Canyon and into the eastern Mediterranean. The team developed computer models of the megaflood to simulate how the water might have behaved. The model suggests that the flood would have changed direction and grown in intensity as time went on, reaching speeds of up to 32 m per second (72 mph), carving deeper channels, eroding more material, and transporting it over longer distances. These findings not only shed light on a critical moment in Earths geological history but also demonstrate the persistence of landforms over five million years, Dr. Micallef said. It opens the door to further research along the Mediterranean margins. The study was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. _____ A. Micallef et al. 2024. Land-to-sea indicators of the Zanclean megaflood. Commun Earth Environ 5, 794; doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01972-w Two new species of the genus Tuber have been discovered with the assistance of trained truffle-hunting dogs. Tuber is a genus of ectomycorrhizal fungi that produces hypogeous fruiting bodies known as truffles, said senior author Dr. Gregory Bonito of Michigan State University and his colleagues. Many Tuber species are well known for their unique aromas and wide culinary use. As with many other truffle-forming fungi, Tuber species have lost the ability to forcibly eject spores into the air, instead relying primarily on mycophagous animals to consume and thereby distribute spores. Mycophagous animals, including porcupines, squirrels, pigs, and humans, have been shown to consume Tuber species and are sensitive to volatile compounds produced by truffles. One of the two new species, Tuber canirevelatum, was named in honor of truffle dogs and Monza, the dog who discovered it with her trainer Lois Martin. The other, Tuber cumberlandense, was named for the Cumberland Plateau where it was found by Margaret Townsend and her truffle dog, Luca. There is a long history of using specially trained dogs and less frequently pigs for tracking truffle aromas to find Tuber in the wild, the researchers said. Truffle-hunting dogs are also regularly used for harvesting truffles commercially, as they can find mature truffles more quickly and consistently than other methods, such as raking. Raking the soil to find and harvest truffles can be destructive to both plant host roots and ascomata. Additionally, it may also lead to the harvest of immature truffles. However, well-trained truffle-hunting dogs consistently find mature truffles, thereby reducing harvest effort and maximizing harvest quality. As such, the use of truffle dogs for harvesting commercial truffles is the standard practice used by truffle cultivators worldwide. While Tuber canirevelatum is only known from eastern Tennessee, the United States, Tuber cumberlandense has been opportunistically harvested for commercial sale from orchards across eastern North America. Historically, the attention has been on cultivating and selling European truffle species, but there is growing interest in cultivating, wild-harvesting and selling species of truffles native to North America, Dr. Bonito added. More and more people are trying to grow truffles, which means more truffle dogs are needed for sniffing out these fungal fruits since they grow underground. If you have $20,000 of truffles growing underground, you need to find them before they perish, so the dogs are very important. The discovery is reported in a paper in the journal Mycologia. _____ Alassane Sow et al. 2024. Tuber cumberlandense and T. canirevelatum, two new edible Tuber species from eastern North America discovered by truffle-hunting dogs. Mycologia 116 (6); doi: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2407755 BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Axpo Nordic, a leading energy company in the Nordic and Baltic regions, has announced the signing of a corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with Exilion Tuuli Ky, a Finnish renewable energy investor and producer, Trend reports via Axpo. This long-term agreement marks a significant milestone, covering the supply of 70 GWh of renewable electricity annually from a wind farm in northern Finland. Starting in 2025 and extending over 12 years, Axpo will purchase 22.1 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity from the Ii Isokangas wind park, which is owned by Exilion Tuuli Ky. This marks the first collaboration between the two parties. The wind park, located in the municipality of Ii, features five turbines. The electricity generated will be sold by Axpo to Colgate-Palmolive, supporting the companys renewable energy requirements. Axpo Nordic is a subsidiary of the Axpo Group, a leading international energy provider headquartered in Switzerland. The company has a strong presence in the Nordic and Baltic energy markets, focusing on electricity trading, renewable energy solutions, and energy-related services. Axpo has been a pioneer in power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the Nordics, having secured its first agreement almost 20 years ago. Currently, Axpo Nordic manages 24 TWh of renewable power from wind and solar and oversees 3.5 GW of renewable capacity annually in the region. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. I was appalled to hear Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates recent remarks comparing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez to a special education student who cannot be suspended. This statement is deeply offensive and perpetuates damaging stereotypes about students with disabilities who are disproportionately suspended and excluded from school. Students with disabilities are legally entitled to, and rely on, individualized education programs (IEPs) to make progress in the classroom educationally and emotionally. Every individual deserves respect, dignity and the opportunity to succeed. Comments such those made by Davis Gates undermine these values and reinforce harmful prejudices about students with disabilities. For decades, students with disabilities have faced barriers to equal education, from physical accessibility challenges to stigmatizing attitudes. The passage of the special education law, including the mandate for IEPs, brought hard-fought legal protections and was a monumental step forward in ensuring that students with disabilities receive the tailored support they need to succeed in school and beyond. Remarks that use students with disabilities as a punchline dismiss the critical importance of these legal rights and protections and their dramatic impact on a students ability to learn. For 40 years, the organization I founded has worked to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are upheld from cradle to cane. We strive to ensure the laws that give students who receive special education services the extra support they need are upheld. After graduation, when those laws are no longer supporting youths, the Americans with Disabilities Act helps level the playing field by breaking down barriers to higher education, job training and, ultimately, career performance. While these vital laws give protections to people with disabilities, students and employees must still meet certain criteria to benefit from them. It is not a get out of jail free card as Davis Gates implied. Nor are these laws guaranteed to be followed. Equip for Equality attorneys have seen time and time again how students with IEPs are failed by schools and administrations that flagrantly disregard the laws. When our attorneys get involved and help students exercise their legal rights, we see them reengage and flourish once they are given the resources they need. For example, our attorneys represented a teenage student with mental illness who was not receiving appropriate behavioral and social-emotional support in school despite her IEP stating she should have them. The school consistently disciplined her for behaviors that were clearly related to her disabilities rather than give her support that would stop the behaviors. Despite her mothers repeated attempts to work with the school, her daughter continued to struggle, and the school issued punishments instead of support. We stepped in to represent the student at legally required school meetings and ensured her school provided the support she needed instead of continuing to punish her. With this support in place, she was able to better regulate her behavior and get back on track. She graduated high school and enrolled in college to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. This is one of many students with whom we worked to ensure that they receive the services they need to finally succeed in school instead of being pushed. Contrary to Davis Gates remarks, these students are not given a free pass for their behavior rather, they are given the supports they need to learn, engage and become productive members of their communities. Davis Gates apologized for her remarks, but this incident is a stark reminder of the power of words, especially when spoken by those in leadership. As the head of the CTU, Davis Gates holds significant influence over educators and the community as she is the voice of public school teachers in Chicago. It is essential that leaders in her position set a standard for inclusion and respect of all students. This incident is not just about one ill-considered comment. It highlights a broader need for increased awareness and sensitivity regarding disability rights and inclusion. We must ensure that all educators, administrators and community leaders understand the challenges faced by students with disabilities and the vital importance of creating supportive, inclusive environments for all learners. At Equip for Equality, we believe in turning moments like this into opportunities for growth and dialogue. Let this be a call to action for all of us to do better by our students, particularly those who face additional challenges, and to uphold the dignity and humanity of every individual. Zena Naiditch is president and CEO of Equip for Equality. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Climate change affects ecosystems, leading to the emergence of various diseases, Kazakh MP Guldara Nurimova said, Trend reports. She made the remark during the second meeting of the chairmen of the health committees of the parliaments of the member countries of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), at the Azerbaijani Parliament today. According to her, medical employees must be aware of the health impacts of climate change. We can protect our future from the negative impacts of climate change by acting together, the MP added. To note, the TURKPA meeting has brought together representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the TURKPA Secretariat along with Azerbaijan. The event will feature discussions on Climate Change and Health: Responding to the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Legislation". The Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) was founded through an agreement signed by the Heads of Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkiye on November 21, 2008, at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkiye. On September 29, 2009, the inaugural plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, previously referred to as the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries, convened in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Rules of Procedure of TURKPA, the Regulations of the Secretariat, and the Baku Declaration were ratified during the Plenary Session. The TURKPA Secretariat will be permanently situated in Baku. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, January 22. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubayev discussed the development of bilateral political dialogue during a meeting in Moscow, Trend reports via the Foreign Ministry of Russia. Lavrov expressed satisfaction with the progressive development of the bilateral dialogue, noting that it is characterized by a high level of trust. He also emphasized that regular meetings between the Presidents of Russia and Kyrgyzstan create a solid foundation for the development of cooperation between the countries in all areas. The minister noted that Russia and Kyrgyzstan closely cooperate in the field of foreign policy both bilaterally and within the framework of joint integration organizations, coordinating actions on global international platforms, primarily at the United Nations. "In 2024, a series of consultations took place between our ministries, including deputy ministers. A cooperation program between our ministries for 2022-2024 has been implemented. Today, we'll sign a new program for the next three-year period 2025-2027," Lavrov added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Financial markets' focus in the middle of the week will be on the latest public sector net borrowing numbers. Consensus is for a rise from 11.25bn in November to 13.4bn for December. Across the Channel, at 1100 BST the German central bank will release its monthly bulletin, followed by a speech from European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde at 1515 BST. In the US, at 1800 BST the Treasury will hold an auction of 20-year debt. Low-cost airline Easyjet is among the corporates due to update its shareholders on Wednesday. Last November the carrier guided towards full-fiscal year capacity growth of 3% with easyJet holidays customers seen increasing by a quarter from 2.6m. City analyst Michael Hewson notes that the company's first half tends to be loss-making with the first quarter usually representing the weakest stretch of the year. Wednesday 22 January FINALS Residential Secure Income, LBG Media Q1 easyJet Q4 PensionBee Group TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Intermediate Capital Group, Quilter, Wetherspoon (J.D.) AGMs Tracsis, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, ASOS GMs Kavango Resources, Herald Investment Trust ANNUAL REPORT Residential Secure Income INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, Northern Venture Trust, Pharos Energy, Northern 3 VCT, Northern 2 VCT UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Public Sector Net Borrowing (07:00) INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00) Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30) Parliaments spending watchdog has accused HM Revenue & Customs of deliberately running down its phone services to force people to go online after finding the average call waiting time has passed 23 minutes almost double the figure of two years earlier. With people across the country working to finish their self-assessment return before the 31 January deadline, the public accounts committee (PAC) said it was concerned that HMRC has degraded its own phone services in the hope that taxpayers choose other ways to get in touch. Guardian The chair of the competition watchdog has been forced to step down after an intervention by Labour ministers, as they try to send a pro-growth message to businesses gathered at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. The business department confirmed that the Competition and Markets Authority chair, Marcus Bokkerink, was stepping down on Tuesday evening, just two years after being appointed. Most CMA chairs are expected to serve for up to five years. Guardian Britain is at risk of entering a bidding war with Europe for electricity, as countries race to lock in supplies after a sharp drop in wind power. Cold temperatures combined with calm weather have increased energy pressures across Europe, as dwindling domestic generation has led to traders competing to buy electricity. Telegraph A particle accelerator in Oxfordshire is to rip up atoms to generate a crucial element for nuclear fusion, under plans proposed by the Government. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) wants to construct a particle accelerator that will generate powerful neutron beams capable of breaking down atoms of lithium, turning them into tritium fuel. Telegraph Santander remains committed to the UK, one of its core markets, the head of the Spanish banking group has said amid speculation that the lender is preparing to quit Britain. Ana Botin, executive chair, said: We love the UK, it is a core market, and will remain a core market for Santander for the future. Punto [full stop]. The Times BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, January 22. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev signed an updated Program of Inter-Ministerial Cooperation for 2025-2027 following talks in Moscow, Trend reports via Russian Foreign Ministry. Lavrov noted that consistent implementation of this program will contribute to further strengthening and concretization of foreign policy coordination between the countries. We are long-standing strategic partners and allies. We are united by time-tested, genuinely friendly relations. It is in this spirit that we interact on practical aspects of our ties, the Russian Foreign Minister said, noting that these relations are extensive and cover virtually all spheres of activity of states and peoples. During the negotiations, the ministers discussed economic cooperation, the activities of the Intergovernmental Russian-Kyrgyz Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Humanitarian Cooperation, as well as the construction of nine Russian-language schools in Kyrgyzstan. The issues of activation and improvement of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University and preparation for the work of the International Organization for the Russian Language were also considered. Russian minister Lavrov noted that President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov was invited to the celebrations in Moscow on May 9 in honor of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. In turn, Kulubayev invited his Russian counterpart to visit Kyrgyzstan. As regards Kyrgyz-Russian relations in general, the Kremlin continues to be the principal actor in Kyrgyzstan, acting as its foremost economic and security ally. Moscow consolidates its power via financial assistance, military cooperation, and cultural involvement, seeking to maintain enduring strategic relationships. President Putin's recent statements underscore Moscow's commitment to Bishkek's advancement, particularly via the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This entrenched alliance signifies mutual interests in regional stability and economic integration. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Abhinath Manikrao Shinde In the world of business and social entrepreneurship, Abhinath Manikrao Shinde stands as a shining example of resilience, vision, and purpose-driven leadership. From his early days as an educator in a small village in Maharashtra to becoming a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Indifly Group, his journey is a testament to the power of ambition and perseverance. With a passion for empowering individuals and businesses, Abhinath has dedicated his life to bridging financial gaps, fostering entrepreneurship, and leveraging technology for economic transformation. Early Life: The Foundation of a Changemaker Born on November 27, 1985, in Balamtakli, Ahmednagar, Abhinath Shinde grew up in a middle-class family where hard work and determination were deeply ingrained. He began his education at Jilha Parishad Prathmik Shala, a local government school, where he developed a keen interest in learning and personal growth. As a young student, Abhinath witnessed the challenges faced by rural communitieslimited financial resources, lack of access to banking, and restricted opportunities for entrepreneurship. He realized early on that education alone was not enough; economic empowerment was essential for true progress. This belief led him to pursue a career in teaching, where he mentored students and helped them build confidence in their abilities. However, his experiences in the classroom made him realize that many talented individuals struggled to achieve their dreams due to financial barriers. This realization ignited his entrepreneurial journeya journey focused on creating financial solutions for the underserved. From Educator to Entrepreneur: A Bold Transition Motivated by a vision to empower individuals and businesses with financial access, Abhinath took a bold step in 2013transitioning from education to entrepreneurship. He embarked on a mission to simplify financial services, ensuring that aspiring entrepreneurs, small businesses, and individuals from rural backgrounds had access to the financial tools they needed to succeed. Over the years, his initiatives helped thousands of people overcome financial barriers, secure funding, and grow their businesses, proving that entrepreneurship could be a powerful force for social change. Recognizing the potential of digital transformation, Abhinath set his sights on fintech, a sector that could bridge the financial divide at scale. Building a Fintech Powerhouse: The Rise of Indifly Group In 2019, Abhinath ventured into the startup ecosystem, launching Deals of Loan, a fintech platform designed to simplify access to credit for businesses and individuals. The platform quickly gained traction, achieving: 3,000 crore in loan distribution 2.5 lakh+ registered DSAs Partnerships with 60+ leading banks and NBFCs This success cemented Abhinaths reputation as a fintech innovatorone who understood the challenges of financial accessibility and developed digital solutions to overcome them. Building on this momentum, he co-founded Indifly Group in 2023, a comprehensive fintech and business ecosystem dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, businesses, and individuals across India. Indifly Groups Key Focus Areas: Fintech Driving financial inclusion through digital lending and credit access. Payments Enabling seamless digital transactions for businesses and individuals. Wealth-Tech Helping people grow their financial assets and investments. Edtech Integrating financial literacy and entrepreneurship into education. E-commerce Empowering businesses through digital commerce and market access. Logistics Helping e-commerce businesses manage their shipping operations more efficiently. Through Indifly Group, Abhinath has successfully bridged the financial gap between Bharat and urban India, creating a thriving ecosystem where innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship intersect. A Legacy of Impact and Social Transformation Beyond his achievements in business, Abhinath remains deeply committed to his core missionempowering individuals through knowledge, financial literacy, and access to capital. His leadership has been recognized across various industry forums and entrepreneurial platforms, where he shares insights on: The role of fintech in financial inclusion The importance of digital transformation for small businesses How technology can bridge economic disparities The future of entrepreneurship in India He strongly believes that economic growth should not be limited to urban centersit should uplift every aspiring entrepreneur, small business, and individual striving for success. His guiding principle remains: "A financially inclusive society is a stronger, more resilient nation." Looking Ahead: Shaping the Future of Finance and Entrepreneurship From a teacher inspiring students to an entrepreneur transforming Indias fintech ecosystem, Abhinath Manikrao Shindes journey is proof that determination and vision can change lives. Through Indifly Group and his expanding portfolio of ventures, he continues to pioneer innovation, empower businesses, and support individuals in achieving financial success. As he looks to the future, his mission remains unchangedto create an ecosystem where every individual, regardless of background, has access to the opportunities they need to thrive. For more information please visit: https://abhinathshinde.com/ The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) announced that eSankhyiki, the statistical data dissemination platform of India, had reached 134 million records barely seven months into its June 2024 launch. This makes it a testimonial to India's bets on data-driven governance and evidence-based policymaking. MoSPI said that the achievement was significant for the country not only because it speaks of "its commitment to leveraging data but also positions the country as a leader in advancing global statistical practices". Being part of the UNSC, India's success with eSankhyiki reaffirms its commitment to statistical excellence and open data. The platform thus adheres to the international standards for data dissemination and promotes sustainable development by offering credible data on the national level, as well as on the international platform for decision-making. eSankhyiki serves as a key tool for advancing data democratization, empowering users from diverse sectorsresearchers, policymakers, businesses, and the general public. The platform offers a comprehensive repository of time-series data across various critical domains, including National Accounts Statistics (NAS), Price Statistics, NSS Surveys, Economic Census, and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Through user-friendly dashboards, it allows for easy data filtering, visualizations, and exports in multiple formats via APIs, all in alignment with the concept of data as a public good. integrating AI-powered search features. Advanced tools such as personalized dashboards and interactive infographics are also in the pipeline, aiming to further improve the user experience. Looking ahead, MoSPI plans to enhance the platform by incorporating new datasets and. Advanced tools such as personalized dashboards and interactive infographics are also in the pipeline, aiming to further improve the user experience. eSankhyiki is aligned with the intent of supporting data management and sharing in India, easy access to official statistics. There are two modules identified for the project. The major data assets reside in the Data Catalogue Module, which allows users to search for available datasets, download, and guarantees that the reused data is actually reusable. To date, the platform has the following seven data products: NAS, Consumer Price Index, IIP, Annual Survey of Industries, and several others. This module includes over 2,291 datasets, complete with specific metadata and visualizations to assist users. The second module, the Macro (BCBA:BMAm) Indicators Module, offers time-series data on key macroeconomic indicators, equipped with filtering and visualization features. It also supports custom dataset downloads and sharing via APIs, further promoting data reuse. Through these features, eSankhyiki strengthens Indias role as a global leader in statistical data access and transparency, providing valuable insights to shape informed policy and global collaboration. New York Daily News via Tribune News Service A Brooklyn livery cab passenger died after a clash with a pair of Coney Island crooks who stole his gold chain, cops said Wednesday. Michael Shelonchik, 53, got out of the livery near bank at W. 5th St. and Neptune Ave. about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. A police source said he had traveled to the area to buy drugs. After the crooks got away with Shelonchiks chain, the victim got back in the livery, announced he had been robbed and asked to be driven home to Bergen Beach. The driver made it about a mile to E. 3rd St. and Avenue Y in Gravesend when Shelonchik suffered an apparent medical episode and had trouble breathing, police said. Medics rushed him unresponsive to Maimonides Medical Center but he could not be saved. Cops initially said Shelonchik was beaten up in the backseat of an Uber by the crooks but are now saying he was robbed outside a livery cab. It is now not clear if he was beaten in addition to being robbed. Pills and an empty pill bottle were found on him and doctors told cops the death is a possible overdose. The city Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine what killed Shelonchik. The crooks have not been caught. The victims daughter Lexi Shelonchik, 20, said her dad, who had just turned 53 the day before he died, was a generous soul. He helped everybody, she said. Like our neighbors would sometimes ask for money and he would never say no. He never said no to anybody. Lexi said her father was meeting with a friend in Coney Island and as a non-driver would frequently take cabs. It was a chain and it was also a Star of David and were wondering if it was antisemitism, she said of the jewelry her father was robbed of. Shelonchik, who worked as a clothing wholesaler, is also survived by his wife of over 30 years and older daughter, Taylor, 27. He was the best dad in the whole world to two daughters, said Lexi. He was very kind. He was very loving. He was so authentic, she added. He was born and raised in New York. First generation. [He grew up] in Kings Highway and all around the Mill Basin area. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a proposal to ban cellphones in classrooms to create a distraction-free environment in schools across the state. The proposal, which was shared as part of Hochuls Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, follows through on the governors promise to restrict cellphone use in schools. Hochul pointed to recent Pew research that revealed 72% of high school teachers across the nation report that cellphones in classrooms are a major distraction for their students. Last year, Hochul convened roundtables across the state to discuss the impact of smartphones in classrooms and on childrens mental health. Im announcing today a proposal that will transform our classrooms: A new statewide policy to make classrooms distraction-free so our children can focus on the things that matter, said Hochul. By the start of the 2025-2026 school year every student will be required to disconnect from their device during school hours bell to bell. That means during class, at lunch, in the hallways, our kids will finally be free from the endless interruptions of social media and all the mental health pressures that come along with it, Hochul said. According to the governor, schools will have flexibility in how they implement this restriction. Districts will decide how they want to store devices and ensure compliance. Hochul said there will be exceptions for students who need devices for medical reasons, to assist non-English language speakers, and students with learning disabilities. The state will provide financial support to help this transition a $13.5 million budget as every school must establish a cellphone restriction policy. This will go toward helping schools purchase pouches, cubbies, or other infrastructure to store student cellphones during the school day. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Staten Island Philharmonic will present a concert Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. at Tottenville High School featuring four Staten Island composers, Dr. Howard Fox, Steven Liotta, Julie Maniscalco and Michael Sirotta. Dr. Foxs composition, Rhapsody for Tuba and Orchestra, a three-movement piece featuring tuba soloist Larry Zaiden, for which the piece is dedicated and specifically written. Zaiden is the principal tubist for the Staten Island Philharmonic, and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, as well as a number of other orchestras in the Tri-State area including the North Jersey Philharmonic and New Jersey Wind Symphony. Dr. Fox studied composition under Earl George at Syracuse University and has been composing since he was 12. Dr. Fox has composed more than 100 pieces for orchestra as well as four string quartets, five woodwind quintets, two ballets, two film scores, four symphonies and a song cycle for baritone and orchestra, as well as an assortment of pieces for concert band. Throughout the last 10 years, Dr. Foxs music has received over 30 world premieres from orchestras including the Staten Island Philharmonic, The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, The Centre Symphony Orchestra and others. Dr. Fox is the Composer-in-Residence for the Staten Island Philharmonic. Steven Liotta is a graduate of Tottenville High School and principal percussionist with the Staten Island Philharmonic. He has conducted at Carnegie Hall and played under such notable conductors including Zubin Mehta and Aaron Copland. Liottas pieces will include music inspired and based upon three poems by Emily Dickinson: My Faith is Larger than the Hills, Hope is the Thing with Feathers, and Why do I Love You, Sir? Julie Maniscalco has been the recipient of several awards including the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Premiere Grant and Arts Fund Grants, the Howard Gilman Fund Performing Arts Residency Cohort, and the 2023 Jazz WaHi Composition Contest. Her music has been performed at Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Maniscalcos Anemone is a work that takes you on a musical journey of discovery, adventure, triumph, and ultimately love. Maniscalco is an elementary school music teacher on Staten Island. Michael Sirotta has worked internationally with symphony orchestras, chamber music groups, and with theater and dance companies. He was the principal tympanist for the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and is currently a percussionist with the Staten Island Philharmonic, as well as the conductor/composer in residence for the La Mama Theater in Manhattan. He has received two nominations for outstanding musical score from New Yorks Innovative Theater Awards organization, and received the COAHSI 2000 Achievement in the Arts award for his work with Staten Islands Kids on Stage program. His piece, Grusha Suite, will be a world premiere at Sundays concert, and is a musical depiction of the Brecht play, The Caucasian Chalk Circle and will feature narration, vocalists and full orchestra. The Staten Island Philharmonic will be conducted by Scott Jackson Wiley. In addition to being a frequent conductor of the Staten Island Philharmonic, Wiley is music director of the Centre Symphony Orchestra in Manhattan and principal conductor of Brooklyns Regina Opera. He was named Conductor Laureate of the South Shore Symphony following 25 seasons as music director. Prior music directorships include the Greenwich Village Orchestra, the Inwood Opera, the Delaware Valley Opera, and the Long Island Lyric Opera, a company he founded and led for five seasons. Several Tottenville High School students will also be playing in the orchestra. The concert is free and tickets or reservations are not required. Tottenville High School, located at 100 Luten Ave. The concert was made possible, in part, by public funding through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts as well as public and private funds. For further information, visit to the orchestras website at siphilharmonic.org. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Spring break isnt too far away, and people will soon be flocking to the airport, baggage in hand, to get away and unwind. Any seasoned traveler knows theres no guarantee that a checked bag will make it to their destination, and the loss of luggage can sink a perfectly good vacation. A recent report from Stacker, a data journalism website, looked at which major airlines are getting worse when it comes to mishandling luggage. The report used data collected by the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) about bags that have been lost, delayed or damaged by airlines. A majority of airlines will declare a bag lost between five and 14 days after the flight, according to the DOT, One constant found by the research team is that the larger the airline, the worse the luggage service was in 2024. While overall there were fewer misplaced bags in 2024 than in 2023, some of the biggest airlines in the country got worse when it came to losing luggage, the researchers found. Researchers found that American Airlines was the worst offender. In 2024 the airline lost 296,570 bags, representing just over 10 being mishandled for every 1,000 pieces of luggage. While this figure is already concerning, it also represented an increase of over 36,000 bags when compared to the number lost in 2023. Behind American Airlines, the Alaska Airlines Network misplaced 62,515 pieces of luggage in 2024, according to the numbers. This was an increase of over 8,900 lost bags when compared to the year prior. To round out the worst offenders, Delta Air Lines lost 159,524 bags in 2024, over 5,000 more than in 2023, the report stated. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A mother of three sets of twins who grew up on Emerson Hill and gained an enormous following as she detailed her heartbreaking five-year cancer battle in inspirational social media posts, died last week at age 57. Deborah Ann Finck lost her battle with intimal sarcoma on Jan. 14, according to her family and an obituary posted by Scarpaci Funeral Home, Brooklyn. Her husband, Paul, also announced her death on his Instagram account. Though my world feels emptier without her, I know Deborahs spirit will forever live on in the lives of those she touched, he said in the post. She gave so much of herself to this world, leaving behind a legacy of love, selflessness, and the most beautiful family I could ever hope for." Finck and her family were well-known for their 2005 appearance on the Fox reality series Nanny 911, and gained social media fame by sharing her cancer journey with more than 800,000 followers on sites including Instagram and TikTok. At times, she was joined by her children in the posts, and at times her husband did the talking, when her cancer prevented her from doing so. She often reported on her progress from a hospital bed, and even during ambulance rides, with an often-cheerful, Hi, everyone greeting to her followers before the updates and words of encouragement to others. She died just one day after her tearful goodbye on Instagram, on which she had 435,0000 followers. In her last video posted on TikTok, she watched as her last baby girl, Katerina, tried on wedding gowns at home, knowing she wouldnt live to see the wedding. I actually thought I would never see this day, she said. After her daughter modeled several beautiful gowns, Finck said she couldnt share the last one, knowing it might be the one her daughter ultimately chooses. I love you Kat; Mommy will always be there with you, she said through tears. I promise." On social media posts after her death, her family posted emotional tributes, and Katerina posted a goodbye on Instagram, thanking her mother for her bravery. Thank you for everything youve done for me, the post read. You were the most beautiful mother and the best Mommy anyone could ever ask for. You taught me strength, courage, bravery, and what it means to truly love and never give up. You believed in me, stood by me, and showed me the meaning of unconditional love. Katerina has since continued to post Instagram updates on the signs my mother has sent me from heaven. Her greatest joy was her family, read the online obituary posted by the Brooklyn funeral home and written by her sister, Stephanie Notaro. She was a devoted wife, nurturing mother, and a source of unconditional love and encouragement to her children, it said. She treasured every moment spent with them, especially their adventures traveling together. Exploring new destinations with her children brought her immense joy and created cherished memories that will live on forever. A talented artist, she was known for her stunning portraits of her children and animals, reflecting her creative spirit and deep appreciation for lifes beauty, the obituary said. Born Deborah Ann Notaro Brooklyn, Deborah Finck grew up on Staten Island and graduated from the former St. John Villa Academy High School. She earned a bachelors degree from Hunter College in Manhattan and also earned a masters degree in statistics there. She met her husband on Staten Island through family friends, her sister said. They married and raised their six children, Amanda, Alexandra, Stephen, Katerina, David and Daniel, in Connecticut, according to family. She is also survived by her mother, Kathleen SantAngelo, and Papa Ricky; her sister, Stephanie Notaro; her brothers, Bernard Notaro and Gerard Notaro; her sister-in-law, Tara Notaro; and her nieces and nephews, Jacqueline and Nicholas. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- On Inauguration Day, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy asked President Donald Trump to follow up on a campaign promise to end congestion pricing. In a letter dated Jan. 20, Murphy asked Trump to examine the federal approval that the controversial tolling program received. Natalie DiDonato, a star of season five of Mob Wives, is the subject of a missing-persons report out of Las Vegas, Nevada, according to a report by TMZ. DiDonatos family say they spoke with police in Philadelphia, where DiDonato reportedly visited at the start of January before missing a Jan. 5 flight back home to Florida, TMZ reported. DiDonatos mother, Denise Fuoco, told TMZ that she last spoke with her daughter over FaceTime about a week ago. After a brief conversation, DiDonato reportedly rushed off the phone without clarifying her whereabouts. DiDonato, the cousin of late mobster Frank Frankie Flowers DAlfonso, appeared on Staten Island-based Mob Wives: Trust No One, which was released in 2014. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The U.S. State Department has elevated a travel advisory to Chile to a Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution due to crime and civil unrest in the country. In the advisory, the State Department warns that street crimes, including muggings, pickpocketing and theft, are common in Chile, and rates of violent crime, such as assaults, homicide, carjacking and residential break-ins are increasing. Large-scale demonstrations also periodically occur in Santiago and other cities. Such demonstrations can take place with little or no notice, and often result in disruptions to transportation, including public bus and Santiago metro services. Staten Island lost one of its own to crime in Chile in early 2023. Eric Garvin, 38, of Stapleton, went missing while on a vacation in Santiago, Chile, and was later found shot to death. Garvin, an attorney and avid traveler who had visited more than 40 countries, was innocently taking a photo of a building in a crime-infested area of Santiago when he was set upon by three unknown men who shot and killed him, according to his father. Garvin traveled to the country with his friend as a multi-day layover before plans to travel to Argentina. The father, who met with prosecutors, described seeing video footage of the moment that three men grabbed his son by the left arm, taking the young mans iPhone and shooting him three times. He said law-enforcement officials told him that three men from across the street approached his son after he took the photo, likely mistaking him to be working with police. Two suspects were arrested in connection with Garvins murder several months later. Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) sponsored the renaming of the intersection at Front Street and Navy Pier Court in Stapleton to Eric Garvin Way, while the University of Maryland Law School, and the Garvin family went on to create an endowed scholarship fund in Garvins honor at the university where he had obtained his masters degree. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 22. A summit of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is scheduled to take place on October 10 in Dushanbe, Ahmad Saidmurodzoda, Head of the CIS Countries Department at Tajikistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told journalists, Trend reports. He also mentioned that the event will be preceded by a meeting of the CIS Council of Prime Ministers on June 5. In 2025, the CIS presidency is transferred from Russia to Tajikistan. Earlier, Saidmurodzoda reported that 113 events are planned for the Commonwealth in 2025. During a meeting of the CIS Council of Prime Ministers in December 2024 in Moscow, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda highlighted Dushanbe's intention to accelerate the coordination of documents related to labor migration in 2025. Among the key projects, he mentioned the concept of a gradual common labor market and the regulation of labor migration among CIS member states, as well as agreements on the mutual recognition of documents for labor migrants, which have been under discussion for a long time. The development of economic cooperation within the CIS will become one of the key areas of the country's efforts. In addition, Tajikistan aims to achieve the coordination and signing of an agreement on cooperation in the development of heavy machine engineering by the heads of government of the CIS countries. The United States has plans to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency announced Tuesday, right after President Donald Trump signed an executive order formalizing the decision. The U.S. was among 61 governments that were founding members of the WHO (the United Nations specialized health agency) in 1948. The organizations early priorities included fighting malaria, tuberculosis, small pox, venereal diseases and other infectious illnesses, alongside improving nutrition and sanitation. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the WHO is supported by 194 member states, with Liechtenstein -- the worlds sixth-smallest nation and home to about 40,000 people -- being the only U.N. member not in its ranks. The U.S., with a population over 8,000 times larger, is now set to withdraw, along with its funding. For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats, the WHO wrote in a statement. Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO. In 1980, the WHO achieved one of its greatest successes by officially declaring smallpox eradicated, the only infectious disease to be completely wiped out. Trump criticized WHOs handling of COVID-19 in 2020 Despite the WHOs successes, the 77-year-old organization has faced criticism from some, including from then-President Trump, who accused it of doing too little during the early COVID-19 pandemic and being a puppet of China. During the world health crisis, in April 2020, Trump announced he was going to suspend funding to the WHO while a review of its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded saying the organization sounded the alarm early, noting that when it declared a global emergency on Jan. 30, 2020, there were fewer than 100 cases outside China and no deaths. The WHOs role is to guide responses and develop guidance, but it has no authority to act in a member state unless assistance is requested. During the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO played a key role in sharing global epidemiological data and recommending ways to improve collaboration and information sharing for future health emergencies. WHO published the first edition of the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update (WEU) on Aug. 17, 2020. The future lies uncertain Over the past decade, the U.S. has contributed between $160 million and $815 million every year to the WHO, according to the Associated Press. The WHO can be improved; there are inefficiencies, like with all organizations, Paul Spiegel, Director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Time Magazine. But by pulling out, and removing the huge amount of money that the U.S. gives, youre not allowing the WHO to make reforms. Youre hobbling it. The U.S., as the WHOs largest donor, can greatly influence the organizations operations and effectiveness. In turn, with the WHO acting as an early warning system for new outbreaks, it remains uncertain whether the U.S. has the resources to protect its citizens with transparent and timely information. The WHO continues to serve as a very critical air traffic control and public health response organization for the world, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, in Time Magazine. We in the U.S. dont experience many of the infectious diseases we see around the world in large part because they are stopped in these countries, oftentimes through the support and coordination of the WHO. Funding the WHO is about investing in our own health here in this country. In the principles listed in its constitution, the WHO emphasizes that health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition, and that informed opinion and active co-operation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in improving the health of the people. In its statement, the WHO concluded with, We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe. Donald Trump has already put his stamp on the White House just a day after taking office as the 47th president. A Spanish-language version of the White House website has been suddenly shuttered, according to Newsweek. In addition, CBS News reported that a White House website containing information on reproductive rights has also gone offline. Newsweek said that visitors to the White House website who try to enter the Spanish-language version get a 404-error popup message, with the site indicating page not found. The screen originally had a button that read go home. But when online critics suggested that the wording was reminiscent of Trumps plans to mass deport those in the country illegally, the button was reworded to go to homepage. The Spanish version of whitehouse.gov has previously been accessible via whitehouse.gov/es/. It was still operational on the morning of January 20, 2025, the day Trump was sworn in to his second term in the Oval Office. Trump had also had the Spanish-language White House site removed during his first term in office, which began in 2017. The Spanish version of the White House X/Twitter account @LaCasaBlanca also no longer exists. A Spanish-language White House website has been in existence since at least the time of Bill Clintons presidency in the 1990s. CBS said that the site reproductiverights.gov appeared to be offline on the night of Trumps inauguration. It remained off the air as of Tuesday. Its unclear when the site went down, but it was active as recently as Jan. 15, when it was last archived on the Wayback Machine site. The Department of Health and Human Services launched the site in 2022 as part of a public awareness campaign about reproductive health. The site included a know your rights section reading, While Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion remains legal in many states, and other reproductive health care services remain protected by law. Trump, who made three appointments to the Supreme Court during his first term, has taken credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark court ruling that guaranteed abortion rights. President Donald Trump has fired back at a church bishop who challenged him from the pulpit during a prayer service in at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, during an interfaith prayer service from the pulpit called on Trump to show mercy to immigrants and to people in the LGBTQ+ community. Let me make one final plea, Mr. President, she said, according to Fox News. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and [transgender] children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. She said, the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. Trump has vowed to deport from the United States those who entered the country illegally. He has also signed one executive order that the government will recognize only two genders, male and female, and another that will roll back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in federal agencies. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here, she said. Trump on Truth Social on Wednesday hit back at Budde, calling her a Radical Left hard line Trump hater and demanding an apology. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump said in the post. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology! Trump wrote. In an interview with the New York Times, Budde said, I wasnt necessarily calling the president out. I was trying to say, The country has been entrusted to you, And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy, right? Mercy. And to be mindful of the people who are scared. President Donald Trump has twice won the White House running as a Republican. But it might surprise you which living ex-president Trump would call for advice. Trump got the question while taking questions in the Oval Office on his first day as the 47th president of the United States. Well, I thought Bill Clinton was a very good politician, Trump answered from the Resolute Desk, according to the Daily Mail. Trump went on to say that he thought that former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, wasnt utilized well by the campaign when Clintons wife, Hillary, ran for president against Trump in 2016. I dont think he was used properly. I think they disrespected him when Hillary was running, Trump said. Trump said that it was Bill Clinton who sounded the alarm that Hillarys campaign was faltering in key blue wall states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, and also in states won by Barack Obama like North Carolina. Trump won all four of those states in 2016. Trump said that Bill Clinton had told Hillarys campaign, You know you better get up to Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump continued, Every house has a Trump sign on it. And they all laughed at him because the Republicans hadnt won Michigan and Wisconsin for decades, long time. And they all laughed at Bill Clinton. Like, the hell does he know?' Hillary Clinton didnt visit Wisconsin during her general election campaign. And he turned out to be right because I won both of them, Trump said. And then we just won both in this election, too. But Bill Clinton, he had a great political sense I think, Trump said. Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan went for former President Joe Biden over Trump in the 2020 election. A reporter pointed to Trumps animated conversation with Obama at the recent funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter. Video of Trump and Obama smiling with each other went viral. Neither man has divulged what they talked about. And youd like to know what it was - ohhhhh, Trump teased reporters. Everybody wants to know. Trump said, No, no, I wouldnt want to. But we were having some crazy conversations. Editors Note: The author of this article is a Staten Island Academy High School student who participates in the Advance/SILive.com High School Journalism Immersion program. The initiative is designed to help young people explore the world of community journalism. Battling an illness in the hospital can take a tremendous toll on a patient and their family especially if the patient is a child. While doctors and healthcare workers save lives, Humble Heroes of FDNY serve as superheroes to children across New York City and the East Coast. Our organization understands when ordinary people work together towards a meaningful cause, extraordinary things happen, said Robert Banome, one of the organizations founders. Started in 2015 by Banome and other members of the FDNY and their families, Humble Heroes is a nonprofit volunteer initiative serving the Staten Island and New York City community by teaching the importance of volunteerism to Staten Island youth, bringing joy to children in hospitals and special-needs schools, and supporting the families of fallen FDNY and 9/11 first responders. Volunteers visit hospitalized children across New York City in superhero costumes, participate in hurricane relief efforts, and partner with Staten Island schools to host scholarship contests. In this photo from August 2023, heroes from the Humble Heroes organization visit with PS37R students Aiden Wen and Ariel Moyal. (Courtesy of Alyssa LaRocca/Humble Heroes)(Courtesy of Alyssa LaRocca/Humb Banome got the idea when he and his friends were dressed up as Power Rangers for a Halloween party. A mother whose son had cancer remarked how much a visit from the Power Rangers would cheer up her son. Banome spoke with his friends at Camp Good Grief, a camp on Staten Island for grieving children, and arranged a first group visit for Humble Heroes there. A few months later while being treated for a burn at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Banome started visiting the pediatric unit in costume to lift the spirits of the patients there, and was soon joined by his friends, siblings and fiance Samantha LaRocca. Since then, the organization has expanded. Members of the organization have also flown to Florida to assist in hurricane relief efforts, and the organization has expanded to include a chapter in Pennsylvania. In addition to its work in hospitals, Humble Heroes hosts an annual Heart of Humble Heroes Hundred-Day Challenge, which aims to celebrate young volunteers and inspire a generation of compassionate change-makers through a scholarship essay contest. Frank D. Paulo Intermediate School (I.S. 75) and the Rocco Laurie Intermediate School (I.S. 72) have both hosted challenges. Through this initiative, our students have cultivated empathy, leadership, and a sense of responsibility while making tangible contributions to their communities, said said Ken Zapata, principal of I.S. 75. Its heartening to witness young individuals growing into compassionate citizens, embodying the spirit of giving and shaping a brighter future for all. Thanks to the Hundred-Day Challenge, students like Imaya Jaywardene, an I.S. 75 graduate, gained a new perspective on community service. In this photo from August 2023, "Batman" from the Humble Heroes organization visits with PS37R student Ysabella Ramirez. (Courtesy of Alyssa LaRocca/Humble Heroes)(Courtesy of Alyssa LaRocca/Humb I thank the Humble Heroes program for challenging me and opening the doors for me to create a difference in the lives of others and making me a better human being in return, said Imaya. This challenge has also inspired students to continue volunteering even after they have graduated. Although I am moving to high school next year, and the Humble Heroes Challenge may not be part of the school that I attend, I will continue to challenge myself each year with new ideas for helping in my community, said Alexis Ryan, an I.S. 75 graduate. Alyssa LaRocca, sister of Banomes fiancee Samantha LaRocca, has been an integral part of the Humble Heroes team and now serves as the president of the New York chapter. From the kids we visit to the kids who participate in our volunteer challenge, we want to show that it does not take a lot to be someones hero, said Alyssa LaRocca. A small act of kindness is the first step toward making an unforgettable difference in someones life! There are many ways to support Humble Heroes of FDNY and its community impact. Donations to the Humble Heroes Fund support the non-profit organizations many initiatives, including toy donations and hospital visits. People can also sign up to volunteer with Humble Heroes, join the mailing list, and follow the Instagram page (@humbleheroes_ny) to support their recent and upcoming events. For more information, visit hhfdny.org. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 22. The inaugural meeting of the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of the CIS member states, chaired by Tajikistan, was held in Minsk, Trend reports via Tajikistan's Foreign Ministry. The event was chaired by Tajikistan's permanent plenipotentiary representative to the CIS, the ambassador of Tajikistan to Belarus, Bakhtovar Safarzoda. In the course of the meeting, Head of the CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Ahmad Saidmurodzoda presented the priorities of Tajik chairmanship in the Commonwealth in 2025 in political, economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as in the field of countering challenges and threats. The sides discussed the content of the meetings of the CIS statutory bodies to be held in Tajikistan in the coming period, the main one of which will be the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State on October 10, 2025, in Dushanbe. The CIS chairmanship passed from Russia to Tajikistan in 2025. The Commonwealth is co-chaired by Russia and Turkmenistan, which will assume the chairmanship in the future. 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 Geraldine Viswanathan was 15 when she realised the local screen industry held no hope for her. Shed caught the acting bug during a family trip to Los Angeles, where her parents had agreed to let her do a teen acting workshop, and upon returning home hooked up a casting workshop with prominent casting director Thea McLeod, who flew her to Melbourne to audition for Neighbours when an Indian family moved into Ramsay Street in 2011. She got close, but didnt get the role perhaps serendipitously, for the Indian familys stay in Erinsborough was short-lived, too. A Daily Mail article from the time reported a nasty race row erupting among fans angry a non-Anglo-Saxon family would become show regulars. I think they got death threats, Viswanathan recalls. The audiences were just not about it. That near-miss seems emblematic of Viswanathans early experience with the local industry. In a story deploringly common for actors of colour or ethnic backgrounds in Australia, she found that onscreen opportunities here were severely limited. Geraldine Viswanathan: I was told that I cant play Australian. Credit: Louie Douvis; styled by Jana Bartolo I was told that I cant play Australian, Viswanathan recalls. Like, in audition rooms, theyd tell me well, you cant play Australian. Id be like, why not? Im the fing most Newcastle bitch youll ever meet, I promise you! It was confusing. So I was just like, okay, Ill go to LA then. At the time, the local industry was still years away from recognising its own white bias, and early attempts at increasing onscreen diversity, like the Neighbours debacle, felt tokenistic. Ethnicity, they always made a point of it here, whereas in America it felt like a non-issue, says Viswanathan. In America, I was able to just play American. The frustration hastened her departure to the States for work. It became apparent that America had open arms for me and thats where I needed to be. From 15 on, I was sort of like get me to LA. So thats where I went. Advertisement Dressed in a throwaway rugby jumper and crocs (to be fair, shed just been shot in Versace) and casually sipping on the same iced matcha for more than 45 minutes, Viswanathan is promoting the new Prime Video comedy Youre Cordially Invited, in which she stars opposite Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon. At 29, shes become one of our top Hollywood exports, with a steadily growing profile following strong turns in films including Cat Person (2023) and Drive-Away Dolls (2024). Geraldine Viswanathan: I value the experience of my life and feeling normal. Credit: Louie Douvis; styled by Jana Bartolo These days, she splits her time between LA and Sydney in the summer, having recently bought a place for herself in Newtown, along with a storefront for her sisters fashion line. If Los Angeles means work, Sydneys the respite: she doesnt get recognised here at home, she says, not by locals, anyway. I was in Bondi and this American guy was like oh my God, I love Miracle Workers! she says of the cult TV series she starred in for four seasons with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. And then he was like youre just walking around? Its nice [Australia] feels like a haven for me to retreat to if America ever gets too much. Viswanathan grew up in the outside burbs of Newcastle, a big old beach rat with an Indian dad and a Swiss mum (her familys still based up there). Its beautiful, and I feel so lucky to have grown up there But its changed a lot. The 90s and noughties in Newy hit different, she deadpans. Looking Indian but speaking Swiss-German: in Newcastle back in the day, this could short-circuit peoples brains. It was such a strange dichotomy. When people saw my mum and I together, they thought I was adopted, Viswanathan says. I felt like an outsider, always. But then comedy felt like a bit of a superpower, because funny is funny, you know? It doesnt matter what you look like. Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan) in Youre Cordially Invited. Credit: Glen Wilson While shes showcased her versatility across roles, from the heightened bawdiness of Drive-Away Dolls (2024) with Margaret Qualley to the intimate drama Hala (2019), in which she learned both Urdu and skateboarding to portray a Muslim teens coming-of-age, comedy has always been a saviour for Viswanathan. Advertisement When I was in primary school, I never got the lead in plays. But eventually I did get a comedic part in year 5 and I very much remember telling a joke and just crushing. I think Ive been chasing that high ever since. Viswanathan had moved to Sydney for uni, enrolling at UNSW to do international studies and journalism. By this point shed already been taking regular trips to LA to pursue acting but, minus a working visa, she got intimidated when all her friends signed up for uni so followed suit. Between auditions and gigs in indie theatre, she missed a lot of classes. She dropped out and gave herself an ultimatum. I said, okay, Ill give myself the same amount of time as my uni course would have been five years to really go for it, to just see what I could do. And if it doesnt work, I can always go back to uni later. Were her parents supportive? They were. My dad is such a rebel, worships Steve Jobs and, you know, the mavericks, she laughs. He was like, yeah, drop out of uni, go on your own path. Hes like that with my sister, too. Were very lucky in that sense. Geraldine Viswanathan, left, and Margaret Qualley in a scene from Drive-Away Girls. Viswanathan had been a comedy nerd growing up, worshipping the likes of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling, and after dropping out of uni took a proper shot at the Sydney standup circuit. One night, while performing a set at Hermanns Bar, the student bar at the University of Sydney, she caught the attention of Vic Zerbst and Jenna Owen of sketch group Freudian Nip (regulars on SBSs The Feed). They saw me at the show and were like we want to work together. And so we just started making sketches together, says Viswanathan. In 2017, as the group hit its stride they went to the Melbourne Comedy Festival to do a run of shows, and were in the middle of working on the TV series The Slot for Foxtel Viswanathan got the call for Blockers (2018), her Hollywood breakout alongside John Cena and Leslie Mann. We were up and running, and then it just was like sccrrrt! off to America. The group still work together, she says (they have a TV series in the works, yet unannounced, so she cant talk about it), and Viswanathan and Owen are housemates. What I wanna know: what was in the standup set that so captured their attention? Hmm, what was I even talking about? Viswanathan laughs, racking her memory. I was just a 19-year-old, so I think it was very introductory, just my point of view as, like, one of the only people of colour in Newcastle. That was sort of my vantage point. But I was also just very silly and absurd. I dont know. It was a vibe. Advertisement Viswanathan (centre) with co-stars Phillipa Soo and Molly Gordon in The Broken Hearts Gallery. Credit: AP For Viswanathan, silliness is second nature and, fortunately, in her job description. Its an interesting career trajectory when a day at work involves jumping on Will Ferrells back while doing a ludicrously choreographed father-daughter karaoke number to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Islands in the Stream, but here we are. He is actually the funniest man in the world and everything he says is funny, so its really stressful working opposite him because youre just trying not to laugh, says Viswanathan of working with Ferrell. But its kind of the best feeling in the world when you make him break, because hes just so good. There was one day on set when I had food poisoning and we had a scene where we were screaming at each other and I was trying really hard to not throw up on him, and he was like, Its fine, you can throw up on me. Hes just a king. Geraldine Viswanathan as Taylor and Emilia Jones as Margot in Cat Person. This is the world Viswanathan finds herself in. Imagine just casually having a personal Will Ferrell anecdote. Or something like the infamous story she told Seth Meyers of having Taylor Swift give her her purse just because she complimented it. Does every day bring a new pinch-me moment? Its definitely pinch-me, but that facade falls down quickly because theyre just a person standing in front of you, says Viswanathan. Its very humanising. And everybody Ive met has been an absolute dream; I havent had that dont meet your heroes moment. Does she keep in touch with these people? Jim Carrey, for example, who she starred with in a Super Bowl ad for Verizon? Yeah, weve texted a bit. Hes so fing wonderful, she says. OK, whats Jim Carrey texting about? Well, he called me and I didnt have his number saved, so I was just, like, watching The King of Comedy and I got a call from an unknown number, and it was like, Hey, its Jim. And I was not mentally prepared for it, but he was just so wonderful, I loved talking to him. And thats when I was in Atlanta doing The Beanie Bubble (2023) with Zach Galifianakis, and he was like, Tell Zach I said hello, and I was like, okay: Hey Zach Galifianakis, Jim Carrey says hi. If you told my 18-year-old self Id be doing that, I think her head would fall off. Advertisement Geraldine Viswanathan in Hala. Credit: Apple TV+ Later this year shell appear in her biggest project yet, the Marvel flick Thunderbolts, in which she plays assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus (for the record, they text each other dog videos and pickle-related snacks). Does it feel like a big thing? It does, says Viswanathan. My first day on set was 200 extras and a helicopter and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and I was just like, wow, this is unlike anything Ive done before. Its also a different way of working for someone raised on loose improv. Yeah, not many fun runs on a Marvel set, says Viswanathan. You really gotta know your damn lines. You cant mess up or they have to reset the helicopter. She has another movie set to debut at Sundance this month, too the indie Oh, Hi, written by and co-starring Molly Gordon (The Bear). If, like me, you know your prevailing alt-comedy girlies, youll know Gordon is part of the wider improv collective that also includes Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. Its a crew Id sell an organ to hang with, but Viswanathan is well-embedded, like an LA analogue to her local friends in Freudian Nip. Thats me, she laughs, just collecting my comedy girls wherever I go. Geraldine Viswanathan alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi in Miracle Workers. Credit: Stan She first met Edebiri in 2018 while doing standup in New York; worked with Gordon on 2020s The Broken Hearts Gallery; while Gordon introduced her to Sennott, who shed worked with on the much-loved Shiva Baby (2020). During COVID, we were all in LA and this little crew formed; its really nice to have that camaraderie and that support. And its so exciting and wild to see whats happening to everybodys trajectory, says Viswanathan, noting Edebiris breakout success with The Bear, for which shes won Emmys and Golden Globes. Ayo was looking after my car when I was in between places and I didnt have a garage! Im so, so proud of her. For someone who values her quiet summers in Newcastle, does viewing Edebiris massive success up close redefine her own career goals? Does she want that level of success, or does it feel like a lot? I actually love the zone Im in, says Viswanathan. I definitely dont crave fame to that degree, because I value the experience of my life and feeling normal. I think thats a big part of why I always come home; its so grounding for me and I feel I really get to reconnect with my true self. So that is something to be a little apprehensive about, but thats why I just keep doing what Im doing. I love not getting recognised on the street, I think that would really stress me out. I just want to keep doing good work with good people. Advertisement Australian actor Nicholas Eadie, who won an Australian Film Institute award for his role in the 1987 miniseries Vietnam opposite Nicole Kidman, has died in Sydney. The 66-year-olds death was announced on Facebook yesterday by fellow actor Will Conyers, who wrote, I send my deepest sympathy to all those that were touched by this very special artist and human being. Australian actor Nicholas Eadie, pictured in 2005, has died, aged 67. Credit: Getty Images Conyers added: I am paralysed. He welcomed me to my time in Sydney in the 80s. Such a generous soul. Eadie, a NIDA graduate, was well known for his roles in the TV shows Cop Shop, The Henderson Kids, in which he starred as Uncle Mike, A Country Practice and Medivac. He also starred opposite Sigrid Thornton in the film The Man from Snowy River II. King Arthur pursued the Holy Grail. Indiana Jones scoured for precious artefacts. Harold and Kumar sought White Castle burgers. Adam Schmersal hunts for a different type of jewel: the most ridiculous movies on the most ridiculous streaming service. And hes struck pay dirt again and again. Theres Draculas Angel, a gothic horror romance thats animated in the style of the Sims video game series. Theres Big Bad CGI Monsters, and Baby Cat, about a woman who falls in love with a cat, played by a human, wearing cat ears. Yes, romantically. I couldnt predict the next five seconds the entire time I was watching, Schmersal says. Fancy a bit of classic Midsomer Murders? Tubi may have a no-cost option for you. Schmersal, a 36-year-old service technician from Ohio, dubs these flicks Tubi Treasures, and he has been posting his discoveries to Reddit for the past year. These are the kind of movies you might have once found mindlessly flipping through the channels, back before streaming came along and algorithms began crafting our entertainment diets. But Tubi is a streaming service that doesnt feel like one. Owned by Fox, its free, so long as you can stomach a few ads you know, like old TV. Its a type of streaming service referred to in the industry as a FAST service free, ad-supported TV. I couldnt have been more than 10, maybe 12, years old when my parents walked with me to the local synagogue. They wanted to show me vile graffiti, the swastika, sprayed on the side of the building. It was proof to them, both Holocaust survivors, that antisemitism was alive and sick in this country. Fast forward a couple of decades from that moment. Two buildings, one a mosque in Rooty Hill and the other a Jewish kindergarten on Sydneys north shore, are devastated by fire attacks. Sympathy and support for the other group. Condemnation of the attacks. Council of Arab Australians head Eddie Zananiri denounced the arson attack on the kindy and all acts of violence and racism which serve to threaten Australias multicultural society. The then acting head of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Gerry Levy described the arson attack on the mosque as totally unacceptable. Leaders of both those communities behaved like leaders. Credit: Illustration: Dionne Gain Not sure what youd call that. Love speech (eye roll). Support speech (sounds like therapy). Unity speech. Harmony speech. Maybe just leaders revealing themselves as decent human beings, showing empathy and kindness. We need so much more of that. There have always been attacks on synagogues in this country. Always. Sharren Haskel, Israels deputy foreign minister, lived in Australia for six years and told the ABC this week that the most recent attacks show this country has changed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just under half of all NSW public school students were chronically absent from school last year, with four in 10 pupils missing at least one day of class every fortnight. An increase in the number of parents letting their child stay home for unjustified reasons and a jump in illness were behind the increase. Principals point to the changing complexity of students, with figures showing a quarter of all students received an adjustment for having some sort of disability last year. Across all school sectors, 59.5 per cent of students attended school more than 90 per cent of the time last year, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority data shows. In public schools, only 55.8 per cent of students attended more than 90 per cent of the time. The Australian beach is portrayed as the great equaliser. Surf washes off social layers and other protections and, in the church of the open sky, we are as one. But the ideal of the egalitarian beach has always been more mood than truth. Beach parking at Manly. Credit: Nikki Short In fact, our beaches have been no-go zones. Daylight bathing was first proscribed in 1833 around Sydney Cove and spread throughout the harbour until 1902, when a local went for a midday swim and Manly Council went to water. Sydney took to the waves and in the early 1960s the first outbreak of locals only occurred as surfies fought western Sydney rockers who trespassed on their territorial imperative. Doctors deeply concerned for the welfare of their severely mentally ill patients who have committed violent acts have issued a dire warning that the disintegration of the psychiatric workforce poses an unacceptable risk to public safety. Sydney courts are also braced for the impact of a severe psychiatrist shortage on the criminal justice system as the dispute between the NSW government and more than 200 resigning psychiatrists is set to drag on for months. Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund is concerned about the effect of the mass resignations on the legal system. Credit: Janie Barrett The president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists wrote to Premier Chris Minns on Wednesday night, warning that inadequately treated behaviourally disturbed patients may be of risk to healthcare workers and other patients. We also fear that vulnerable people requiring hospitalisation will, wrongly, find themselves in the criminal justice system for acts committed while experiencing a mental health crisis, college president Elizabeth Moore wrote. Such outcomes are devastating for patients and their families. Two men will face court on Friday over the alleged assault of an off-duty police officer who was repeatedly kicked and punched in the head in a shocking attack in Sydneys inner west. Horrified onlookers watched as paramedics worked to revive the 26-year-old officer who was knocked to the ground when he and his colleague were allegedly set upon by three men on Enmore Road in Newtown on Wednesday night. The two male off-duty officers were walking down Enmore Road after an Alec Benjamin concert at the Enmore Theatre when they came upon the group of men having an argument. Victoria Police will not participate in Melbournes Pride March after organisers refused its request for members to walk in uniform, a ban the force has branded a backwards step for inclusion. Police announced the decision on Wednesday after Midsumma Festival said on Tuesday that the LGBTQ march, to be held on February 2, would trial a ban on participants wearing formal work uniforms. Organisers said the move was a shift to a trauma-informed approach amid concerns from sections of the LGBTQ community that visible police participation was triggering given past mistreatment at the hands of law enforcement. In February last year, about 50 protesters confronted police as they marched down Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, throwing paint and chanting cops kill queers. London: Donald Trump has warned his Russian counterpart that the US is ready to punish Moscow with a barrage of new trade restrictions if it fails to reach an agreement soon to end the war in Ukraine. The US presidents statement on Thursday (AEDT) marked his first broad statement about the conflict since he returned for his second term in the White House, as he tries to ratchet up pressure on Vladimir Putin to launch negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in 2017. Credit: AP Trump urged Putin to make a deal to end the ridiculous war or face new tariffs and sanctions but also stressed that he doesnt want to hurt the Russian people. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries, Trump wrote on Truth Social. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 22. A cooperation plan for 2025 between the defense ministries of Russia and Uzbekistan, along with a military strategic partnership program for 2026-2030, will be signed today in Tashkent, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said, Trend reports. He spoke at a meeting with Uzbekistan's Defense Minister Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov in Tashkent. "Along with discussing current issues of military and military-technical cooperation, as well as the ongoing situation in the region, we have prepared several key documents for signing. These include the Cooperation Plan between our ministries for 2025 and the Strategic Partnership Program between Russia and Uzbekistan in the military field for 2026-2030," Belousov stated. He pointed out that the partnership between Moscow and Tashkent has blossomed into a strong bond of mutual understanding and is on the rise. The collaborative endeavors hold considerable weight in safeguarding the Central Asian region, making today's meeting particularly important. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Jerusalem/Jenin: Israels defence minister said his forces were applying lessons learnt in Gaza as a major operation continued in Jenin, which the military said was aimed at countering Iranian-backed militant groups in the volatile West Bank city. A military spokesperson declined to give details but said the operation was relatively similar to, but in a smaller area than, one last August, in which hundreds of Israeli troops backed by drones and helicopters raided Jenin and other flashpoint cities in the occupied West Bank. It was the third major incursion by the Israeli army in less than two years into Jenin, a long-time major stronghold of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which said its forces were fighting Israeli troops. The campaign started on Tuesday. Israeli military vehicles guard a road where a military bulldozer operates in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin on Wednesday. Credit: AP Residents reported constant gunfire and explosions and Palestinian health services reported at least four wounded, after 10 people were killed a day earlier. I ask you to have mercy. Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger. The Reverend Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service and takes the opportunity to plead with Donald Trump to have mercy. Credit: AP Budde urged Trump to show compassion, particularly for the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labour in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she said. They pay taxes and are good neighbours. Trump did not appear happy during the remarks and dismissed them when asked for a reaction later. Not too exciting, he said about Buddes sermon. The executive orders Trump issued form part of his campaign promise to fix the crisis at the US-Mexico border, and theres no doubt he has a mandate to do it. In an Ipsos/New York Times poll released this week, more than 50 per cent of respondents expressed some desire to see Trump follow through on his threat to deport everyone living in the US without authorisation. But whether he succeeds in fixing the broken system he inherited is far from certain. For instance, Trumps push to scrap birthright citizenship which grants automatic citizenship to individuals born on US soil is already facing lawsuits from a coalition of Democratic attorneys-general from 22 states, who argue the action is unconstitutional. The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, period, said New Jersey Attorney-General Matt Platkin. The US Constitutions 14th Amendment states that anyone born or naturalised in the country are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. A sign to keep immigration officials out is displayed on the entrance to a store in Chicagos predominantly Latino Little Village neighbourhood on the day of Trumps inauguration. Credit: AP Trumps plan to revive the so-called remain in Mexico policy, which requires anyone seeking to enter the US through Mexico to wait there to be processed, has already had pushback from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and members of her cabinet. If they reinstate it, this is something we dont agree with, Mexicos Foreign Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente said in a press conference this week. We have a different focus. We want to adjust it. And Trumps grand plan to deport undocumented immigrants also raised fundamental questions on how exactly he plans to carry out the largest law enforcement operation in history, given resources are already stretched. Loading There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America, but most are not violent criminals, contrary to the narrative that helped Trump get elected. Many have been here for years, working in sectors such as agriculture, construction and hospitality, and paying taxes. To that end, what impact will removing them have on the economy? What happens to the millions of children who became American citizens at birth but live with an undocumented family member? If illegal immigrants are rounded up, where exactly will they go? What happens if a country of origin, or origin of their parents, refuses to take them in? Will mass detention centres be built to detain them before they are deported and if so, whats the price tag? As someone who has spent time along the 3000-kilometre border that separates the US and Mexico, I can tell you first hand: Americas immigration system is a mess, thanks to the failures of successive governments over many years. Figures show that authorities encountered more than 3 million people crossing the border in the last fiscal year far more than the 1.9 million recorded in 2021, which was Bidens first year in office. However, most of those people are not criminals or potential terrorists but people hoping to apply for asylum after fleeing poverty, violence or authoritarian rule in their own countries. A large part of the problem is that immigration courts are so underfunded and backlogged that migrants entering the US pursuing the great American dream often have to wait years to obtain an asylum hearing. As the numbers continue to surge, many have been sent to places such as New York, Chicago, Denver and my hometown of Washington so-called sanctuary cities where every person in need of housing has a unique legal right to shelter. This, too, has become completely unsustainable. But if Trump was serious about fixing the border, he could have ordered congressional Republicans to support a deal brokered last year that would have gone some way to tackling the crisis. Had it been approved, it would have required the border to be closed if encounters reached a daily average of 5000 in a week or 8500 on a single day. It would have also accelerated the asylum process for people with valid claims and limited the use of parole to release migrants into the US. It wasnt a perfect solution, but it was arguably the only substantial bipartisan border bill in years. Trump told his team to reject it so he could make the crisis the central feature of his election campaign. The strategy worked. His challenge now is to deliver. With AP The citizenship order came alongside what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called a shock and awe approach from the new administration on the US southern border. It included expanded powers for immigration police to swiftly deport certain undocumented migrants from anywhere in the US. Immigration agents will also be allowed to enter schools, hospitals and churches to make arrests, ending a Joe Biden-era rule that deemed such sensitive areas out-of-reach. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest, the Department of Homeland Security said. Trump came to power promising the largest mass deportation program in US history, and pre-election leaks indicated the crackdown would begin in the sanctuary city of Chicago, but local media reported no action on that front yet. Like other Democratic mayors facing the prospect of a federal immigration crackdown, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he would resist the policy and protect the rights of newly arrived and undocumented migrants. Trump also wasted no time purging the federal bureaucracy of people perceived to be loyal to Democrats or part of so-called woke policies. He began his purge by sacking 1000 appointees from former president Bidens administration overnight, starting with celebrity chef Jose Andres who was on the Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (the Spanish-American humanitarian said he resigned last week) and General Mark Milley (who had already retired). The Office of Personnel Management then directed that all federal employees working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs be put on immediate paid leave, with their agencies to develop plans to lay them off. DEI-focused webpages must also be removed. Loading While government employees cleared out their desks, hundreds convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, riots at the US Capitol cleared out their jail cells after being pardoned by the president on the first day of his second term. They received a heros welcome from Trump fans waiting outside prisons, and at Washington central jail. Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert said she would invite the freed hostages for a guided tour of the Capitol. This day [January 6] was not what the left said, she said. They should never have been locked up. Other Republicans were less enthusiastic, either dodging questions on the topic or deflecting by pointing to Bidens pre-emptive pardons for his own family. Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she did not support pardons for people who had committed violent crimes, and Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said: Im uncomfortable with all of it. That said, Im willing to look forward instead of backwards. Loading Two high-profile far-right leaders were released; the former leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, and the founder of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes. They were serving 22- and 18-year sentences respectively for orchestrating plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power when Trump lost in 2020. Trump said the mens sentences were ridiculous and excessive. Peppered with questions about his decision to free violent offenders including a man who stun-gunned a police officer the president became agitated and said all those released had served enough time. Murderers dont even go to jail in this country, he said. Long-standing Democrat and former speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose office was trashed on the day of the riots and whose husband was attacked by a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist in 2022, said the pardons were an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who had tried to protect the Capitol. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed straight from his swearing-in to a meeting of his Quad counterparts Australia, India and Japan including Penny Wong, who was the first Australian foreign minister to be invited to a presidential inauguration. Rubio then took bilateral meetings with each of the three. Wong said the meetings were a signal of the priority that the Trump administration places on the Indo-Pacific, and this is a good thing for Australias interests. In the face of Trumps plans to slap tariffs on Mexico and Canada, Wong has made the case that the US runs a trade surplus with Australia, and said she left the Rubio meeting feeling he recognised the relationships economic benefit to the US. Every new US administration has had a view about trade policy ... This is no different, she said. Wong said the pair did not discuss the tenure of Australias ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd whose previous criticisms of Trump were brought to the presidents attention last year. ~ All but one company did not get their fees waived~ PHILIPSBURG: Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs confirmed in the Council of Ministers press briefing that the current Minister of TEATT, Grisha Heyliger Marten, did not discuss waiving Lottery licensing fees before its execution. Based on the information she received, Minister Gumbs said that all Lottery Companies except one got their fees waived. Minister Gumbs said the country needs to streamline its operations and ensure that money is brought into its coffers. Gumbs explains that other ministers, such as the Minister of Justice, are already knocking on her door because that ministry has needs to meet, and there is a lack of funds. The Minister said she understands the needs of the other Ministries; however, it is about bringing money to the country's coffers through all means possible. Another concern for the Minister of Finance is the cap on what a minister can sign off on single-handedly. Anything above that amount (NAF. 50,000) should be brought to the Council of Ministers for discussion and approval. This would have allowed all Ministers in the COM to fully discuss what they can or cannot approve and sign off. Asked if the Council of Ministers was consulted on the Soul Beach payment of $500.000 already paid. The Minister said that was discussed in the Council of Ministers, and she intends to take the matter up with the Minister of TEATT. Gumbs said that while this matter was not discussed. The government has told parliament that the money that was paid to Soul Beach is classified as unused funds within the Ministry of TEATT budget; she said the Minister of TEATT felt it was necessary to bring Soul Beach back to St. Maarten, where it all started some 29 years ago. The Minister of Finance said she agrees with the Ministers view of wanting to bring back Soul Beach to St. Maarten because it started out on St. Maarten; however, she felt a study should have been conducted to see what Aruba no longer hosts Soul Beach. As a government, we must understand that if something works for you, why not continue? It has been said that Soul Beach has done a lot for Aruba, but no one said why Aruba stopped it. Had this been done, we would have known what is best for St. Maarten where Soul Beach is concerned. Trump says would be open to Musk buying TikTok Washington, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2025 US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would be open to tech billionaire Elon Musk -- the owner of social media platform X -- buying Chinese-owned app TikTok. "I would be if he wanted to buy it," Trump told reporters when asked if he was open to Musk, world's richest man and the head of a budget cutting initiative in the new administration, acquiring the video-sharing platform. TikTok is facing down a US law that ordered the company to divest from its Chinese owner ByteDance or be banned in the United States. In one of his first acts in office, Trump ordered a pause on enforcing the law that should have seen TikTok effectively made illegal in the country on Sunday, a day before he took office for a second term. The executive order directed his attorney general to delay the implementation of the law for 75 days. To save the company's US operations, Trump on Monday also floated the idea of a 50-50 partnership between "the United States" and its Chinese owner ByteDance, though he did not provide details on how this could be achieved. The TikTok ban passed due to concerns that the Chinese government could exploit the app to spy on Americans or covertly influence US public opinion through data collection and content manipulation. Asked on Tuesday if his phone had TikTok, which is banned on US government devices, Trump said: "No, but... I think I'll get it right now." TikTok briefly shut down in the United States late Saturday as the law's sale deadline approached, leaving millions of dismayed users barred from the app. With the tacit cooperation of Oracle, its server provider, TikTok restored service in the United States on Sunday crediting Trump's commitment to save the app for making the reversal possible. But even if existing users can still enjoy TikTok, Apple and Google have still not made the app available in their app stores, therefore denying downloads to new users as well as updates to those who have it. Companies that violate the law, which remains officially in effect, face penalties of up to $5,000 per user if the app is accessed. Last week, a report that Chinese officials were considering selling the company's US operations to Musk's social media platform X was met with a firm denial from TikTok. Trump touts $500 bn AI project from Softbank, Oracle, OpenAI Washington, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence led by Japanese giant Softbank, cloud giant Oracle and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. The venture, called Stargate, "will invest $500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States," Trump said in remarks at the White House. "This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential," he said, a day after his swearing in for a second term. OpenAI's chief executive Sam Altman, SoftBank's chief Masayoshi Son and Oracle founder Larry Ellison attended the announcement. Their project is committed to invest an initial $100 billion and up to $500 billion over the next four years in the project, according to Son. The venture comes as big tech players are scrambling to meet AI's voracious computing needs, as well as find the electric power necessary to expand the new technology. Trump said Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI, including the construction of "colossal data centers." OpenAI later said in an X post that the project "will not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies." It added that SoftBank and OpenAI were the lead partners for Stargate, with SoftBank having financial responsibility and OpenAI having operational responsibility. The post also said that MGX, a technology fund from the United Arab Emirates, was a fourth investor, while "Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI are the key initial technology partners." "Buildout is currently underway, starting in Texas, and we are evaluating potential sites across the country for more campuses as we finalize definitive agreements," it added. Texas is fast becoming an alternative to California for US big tech investments. In turn, the three bosses thanked Trump. "We couldn't have done this without you," said Altman. Ellison, in brief remarks at the White House, underlined the medical innovations promised by AI such as "early cancer detection with a blood test." SoftBank shares soared more than eight percent in Tokyo after the announcement. News of the project comes a day after Trump's inauguration ceremony was attended by prominent tech chiefs, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon leader Jeff Bezos. Later on Monday, Trump rescinded an executive order from his predecessor Joe Biden that established oversight measures for companies developing powerful AI models. Its repeal leaves the United States, home to most of the world's most impactful AI technology, without nationwide AI development guidelines, even if individual states are pursuing their own measures. End social media anonymity to fight fakes, crime: Spain PM Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday proposed ending anonymity for social media users and forcing tech tycoons to provide accountability if their platforms "poison society". The Socialist premier has been an outspoken voice about the sector and his latest intervention comes as a fierce debate surrounding social media and their wealthy owners intensifies. Concern about conflicts of interest have surged after X owner Elon Musk, the world's richest person, helped propel Donald Trump to a second term in the White House and waded into European politics. Social media now has "huge downsides, hidden in the bowels of the algorithms like invaders concealed in the belly of a Trojan horse", Sanchez said in English at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Sanchez said social media users must link their accounts to a form of ID to crack down on misinformation, hate speech, harassment and bots that proliferate under the cover of anonymity. All platforms should link every account to a "European digital identity wallet" to hold potential criminals responsible, he continued. Regulators should be able to "force open the black box of social media algorithms" and "tycoons should be held responsible if their algorithms poison our society," Sanchez said. "Let's stop those who want to turn them (digital platforms) into a weapon for dismantling our democracies... let's make social media great again," he concluded, in a play on Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again". Sanchez has already accused Musk of attacking Europe's democratic institutions and "stirring up hatred". On Monday he urged Europe to fight back against a new tech "caste" seeking to control Western governments through their social media platforms. bur-du/imm/ds/sbk BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The joint working group will be established between Iran and Azerbaijan in the field of energy, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said at a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran on January 21, Trend reports. He believes that by setting up a joint working group, the two countries will delve into and concentrate on cooperation at a technical level. The Iranian minister noted that Iran's foreign policy gives priority to neighboring countries, and at the same time, Azerbaijan's position in this direction is unique. Organization of meetings between the two countries is effective to improve relations in various fields. Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev also noted at the meeting that mutual visits have special significance and are the result of mutual study of the potential and infrastructure of the two countries. To note, the two-day 16th meeting of the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission in Tehran started on January 21. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel EU's top diplomat backs Trump call to boost defence spending Brussels, Belgium, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that the bloc must heed US President Donald Trump's demand to spend more on defence, as she issued a stark warning over the threat from Russia. Kallas's rallying cry was the latest in a slew of increasingly alarming warnings on defence from European officials, who have been calling for a "wake-up call" on defence since Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022. Trump has ramped up the pressure by warning Washington's European allies that he could withhold US protection, calling for NATO to more than double its defence spending target. "President Trump is right to say that we don't spend enough. It's time to invest," Kallas said in a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels. "The United States, they are our strongest ally, and must remain so." "The EU's message to the US is clear, we must do more for our own defence and shoulder a fair share of responsibility for Europe's security," she said. EU countries have increased their military budgets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But politicians acknowledge they will have to go further as they struggle to match Moscow's vast military output. "Russia poses an existential threat to our security today, tomorrow and for as long as we under-invest in our defence," said Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia. "Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test EU's readiness to defend itself in three to five years. Who else are we listening to?" - 'Language of strength' - Kallas said Europe's first priority must be helping Ukraine's fatigued forces fight back against the Kremlin's invasion as Russian President Vladimir Putin's war nears the three year mark. "There is absolutely no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine. With our help, they can also win the war," she said. "The only language that Putin speaks is the language of strength." Trump has sparked fears in Europe that he could force Kyiv into painful concessions in search of a quick deal with Moscow to end the conflict. "Aggression as a foreign policy tool can never, never pay off," Kallas said, warning the United States that its key rival China was watching for any signs of weakness. "Ukraine's security against Russia is security for us all." She said she wanted "to look into doing even more" with over 200 billion euros ($208 billion) of Russian state assets frozen in the bloc. So far the EU and its international partners have used the interest on the money to give Kyiv a $50 billion loan, but they have refused to touch the main assets. Beyond the United States, Kallas said the EU needed to strengthen security bonds with former member and "key partner" Britain. "We need a mutually beneficial relationship on security and defence," Kallas said. "A new agreement on this is a logical next step." EU leaders are set to meet next month in Brussels with the British prime minister and the head of NATO for a discussion on bolstering Europe's defences. Last month, NATO chief Mark Rutte said Europe must "turbo-charge" defence spending and production if it is to deter Russia from launching a bigger war in the future. Kallas and EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius are set to put forward new proposals for bolstering the bloc's industry in March. Despite a raft of existing initiatives, officials admit the EU has so far struggled to turn the rhetoric into reality and step up to the scale of the threat. Taiwan indicts ex-general over 'armed' group to help China invasion Taipei, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 A retired lieutenant general in Taiwan has been charged after using funds from China to recruit military personnel for an "armed" group that would assist invading Chinese forces, prosecutors said Wednesday. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the self-ruled island under its control. There has been a series of spying cases in Taiwan, as China maintains military and political pressure on Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty. The retired lieutenant general surnamed Kao was among six people indicted for violating the national security law, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said in a statement. The group visited China multiple times, separately and together, from 2018 to 2024, where they met Chinese military intelligence personnel for instructions and funding "to initiate and develop organisations for China", prosecutors said. Their actions posed a "serious threat" to "national security and social stability", the statement said. Kao and another defendant used Chinese funds to form "an armed organisation" that would act as an "internal collaborator" if China attacked Taiwan, prosecutors said. They also engaged in "scouting, contacting, wooing and absorbing retired and active servicemen", putting national security in a "dangerous state". Prosecutors have sought a minimum jail term of 10 years for Kao, saying he failed his "high duty of loyalty to the country as a retired lieutenant general deputy commander for the sake of personal gain". The other defendants face up to eight years in jail, prosecutors said. The statement did not say how much money Kao or the others received. Taiwan's intelligence agency said in a recent report that the number of people prosecuted for spying for Beijing has "increased significantly", from 10 in 2022 to 64 in 2024. Europe needs to be armed to 'survive', Polish PM tells EU Strasbourg, France, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged fellow EU countries on Wednesday to significantly boost defence spending towards targets laid out by US President Donald Trump, saying the bloc's survival depended on it. Addressing the European parliament, Tusk, whose government took up the EU's rotating presidency this month, called for action in the face of an aggressive Russia. "This is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security," Tusk told European lawmakers in Strasbourg. "If Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed". Russia's war in Ukraine has jolted NATO to strengthen its eastern flank and ramp up investments on defence. Trump has demanded alliance members increase such expenditure to five percent of GDP, more than double the current minimum of two percent. Last year 23 of NATO's 32 member countries were on course to hit the two-percent threshold -- with Poland leading the pack on 4.12 percent. Trump's request has been met with scepticism in some European quarters, with some diplomats seeing it as an opening salvo in the volatile billionaire's new push to pressure Washington's allies to do more. But Tusk urged EU members to take security in their own hands. "Don't ask America what it can do for our security. Ask yourselves what we can do for our own security," he said, paraphrasing late US president John F. Kennedy. The only NATO member to share a border with both Russia and Ukraine, Poland sees itself on the front line of Moscow's attempts to destabilise the West and has placed security at the top of the EU's agenda. ub/ec/phz BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Azerbaijan can form a strong electricity network in the region by playing a role in uniting Iran's and Russia's electricity ties, Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said at a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran on January 21, Trend reports. According to him, the Russian and Iranian sides express readiness to establish an electricity interconnection. Azerbaijan can also play a key role in establishing these relations. The Iranian minister noted that the development of electricity exchange infrastructure between Iran and Azerbaijan can be the focus of attention. In this direction, Iran is ready to import electricity from Azerbaijan and supply it to Nakhchivan instead. Aliabadi remarked that with the commissioning of the Maiden (Giz Galasi) Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Araz River between Iran and Azerbaijan, the acceleration of the modernization process of the Maiden Hydroelectric Power Plant could be the focus of attention. The Ministry of Energy of Iran, in coordination with the country's environmental organization and in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, is ready to conduct environmental studies on the construction and commissioning of Ordubad and Marazad reservoirs, he noted. To note, the two-day 16th session of the Iranian-Azerbaijani Joint Economic Commission in Tehran started on January 21. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel EU Russia hawks back Trump call to boost defence spending Brussels, Belgium, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 The EU's top diplomat and Poland's prime minister said Wednesday that the bloc must heed US President Donald Trump's demand to spend much more on defence -- faced with the "existential threat" posed by Russia. The rallying cries were the latest in a slew of increasingly alarming warnings from European officials, who have been calling for a "wake-up call" on defence since Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022. Trump has ramped up the pressure by warning Washington's European allies that he could withhold US protection, calling for NATO to more than double its defence spending target. "President Trump is right to say that we don't spend enough. It's time to invest," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels. "The United States, they are our strongest ally, and must remain so." "The EU's message to the US is clear, we must do more for our own defence and shoulder a fair share of responsibility for Europe's security," she said. EU countries have increased their military budgets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But politicians acknowledge they will have to go further as they struggle to match Moscow's vast military output. "Russia poses an existential threat to our security today, tomorrow and for as long as we under-invest in our defence," said Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia. "Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test EU's readiness to defend itself in three to five years. Who else are we listening to?" Speaking separately at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Polish Prime Minister Donald Trump insisted that "if Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed". The leader of Poland, which spends proportionally more on defence than any NATO ally, urged fellow EU states to take seriously Trump's call to up the spending target to five percent of GDP from two percent. "This is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security," said Tusk, whose country took over the EU's rotating presidency this month. - 'Language of strength' - Kallas meanwhile said Europe's first priority must be helping Ukraine's fatigued forces fight back against the Kremlin's invasion as Russian President Vladimir Putin's war nears the three year mark. "There is absolutely no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine. With our help, they can also win the war," she said. "The only language that Putin speaks is the language of strength." Trump has sparked fears in Europe that he could force Kyiv into painful concessions in search of a quick deal with Moscow to end the conflict. "Aggression as a foreign policy tool can never, never pay off," Kallas said, warning the United States that its key rival China was watching for any signs of weakness. "Ukraine's security against Russia is security for us all." She said she wanted "to look into doing even more" with over 200 billion euros ($208 billion) of Russian state assets frozen in the bloc. So far the EU and its international partners have used the interest on the money to give Kyiv a $50 billion loan, but they have refused to touch the main assets. - UK a 'key partner' - Beyond the United States, Kallas said the EU needed to strengthen security bonds with former member and "key partner" Britain. "We need a mutually beneficial relationship on security and defence," Kallas said. "A new agreement on this is a logical next step." EU leaders are set to meet next month in Brussels with the British prime minister and the head of NATO for a discussion on bolstering Europe's defences. Last month, NATO chief Mark Rutte said Europe must "turbo-charge" defence spending and production if it is to deter Russia from launching a bigger war in the future. Kallas and EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius are set to put forward new proposals for bolstering the bloc's industry in March. Despite a raft of existing initiatives, officials admit the EU has so far struggled to turn the rhetoric into reality and step up to the scale of the threat. "The storm clouds of war are gathering over Europe," Kubilius said. "We can outspend, outproduce -- and outgun Russia." UN nuclear chief urges dialogue between Trump, Iran Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 The head of the UN nuclear watchdog called on the Trump administration and Iran on Wednesday to hold talks, as Tehran has accelerated its production of enriched uranium. Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said dialogue was "absolutely indispensable" to move forward in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. "Without that dialogue, there's not going to be any progress," Grossi told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Comments from President Donald Trump and members of the new administration show "there is a disposition" to have a "conversation and perhaps move into some form of an agreement", Grossi said. Iranian officials also recognise that talks are needed, he noted. Iran's nuclear programme has grown "dramatically" in terms of capabilities, facilities and inventory of nuclear material since the end of Trump's previous term in 2021, Grossi added. During his first term, Trump pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" against Iran, withdrawing the United States from a 2015 landmark nuclear deal which imposed curbs on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Tehran adhered to the deal until Washington's withdrawal in 2018, but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the pact have since faltered. The IAEA said last month that a revamp of Iran's Fordo enrichment plant would lead to an increase in the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, closer to the 90 percent needed to make a nuclear weapon. The rate of production will jump around sevenfold to more than 34 kilogrammes (75 pounds) of highly enriched uranium per month, it said. "I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. They're pressing the gas pedal," Grossi said. Iran insists on its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and denies it is seeking an atomic weapons capability. Iran says Oct 7 attack 'destroyed' chance for US nuclear talks Davos, Switzerland, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel had "destroyed" an opportunity for talks to revive a landmark nuclear accord. The Palestinian militant group's unprecedented assault triggered a devastating war in Gaza, drawing in Tehran-aligned militants across the Middle East and sparking rare direct attacks between Iran and Israel. Iran, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, hailed the attack but denied any involvement. "We did not know about October 7... We were supposed to have a meeting with the Americans on JCPOA renewal on October 9, which was undermined and destroyed by this operation," Zarif said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, using an acronym for the official name of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Tehran's allies in the region, including Hamas, have "always worked for their own cause, even at our expense", Zarif said. "We never tried to cash (in on) our investment in the region," he added. Zarif, who is currently Iran's vice president for strategic affairs, was the foreign minister who negotiated the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In 2018, during US President Donald Trump's first term in office, Washington withdrew from the deal, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Tehran had adhered to the deal until Washington's withdrawal, but then began rolling back on its commitments. Iran has repeatedly expressed willingness to revive the accord. Earlier this month, before Trump officially returned to the White House, Iranian officials held nuclear talks with counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. Both sides described the talks as "frank and constructive". "After withdrawing from the JCPOA, Iran has gained much more nuclear capability... based on American breakout calculations," Zarif said, while insisting that Tehran had never pursued a nuclear weapon. "Had we wanted to build a nuclear weapon, we could have done it a long time ago. But a program to build nuclear weapons is not going to be like our program." Zarif further expressed hopes that Trump would choose "rationality" and "be more serious, more focused, more realistic" in dealing with Iran during this term in office. UK minister warns Putin as Royal Navy tracks Russian 'spy ship' London, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 British Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament Wednesday the Royal Navy tracked a "Russian spy ship" that passed through UK waters, warning Russia's President Vladimir Putin: "We know what you're doing". Healey said the Yantar (Amber) vessel was being "used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure". "I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: 'We see you, we know what you're doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country'," he told MPs. The ship entered British waters on Monday about 45 miles (72 kilometres) off the country's coast, with the Royal Navy dispatching two vessels to monitor it, Healy said. "It was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure," the defence minister said. He added the ship was now in the North Sea, "having passed through British waters". A French official told AFP that French military resources had also been mobilised to monitor Yantar but the ship "had no proven hostile intent". "It happens regularly that a Russian vessel passes through and there is always close surveillance that is put in place," the official added. Healy said it was the second time the Yantar had been detected in British waters recently, after it was also spotted in November. British warships have tracked Russian navy vessels on several occasions in recent months. Earlier this month, the Royal Navy revealed that in late December the frigate HMS Somerset had tracked a Russian naval group as it sailed from the North Sea to the English Channel, although the group had stayed in international waters. In September last year, Royal Navy warships spent a week "closely shadowing" four Russian vessels in UK waters, while two Royal Air Force jets scrambled to intercept two Russian aircraft operating near the UK, the navy said in a press release. The RAF is to provide aircraft for a new NATO deployment designed to strengthen the protection of offshore infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. It comes after the suspected sabotage of several undersea telecom and power cables in recent months with experts and politicians accusing Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against the West as the two sides square off over Ukraine. Hamas back on Gaza streets after war with Israel Gaza City, Palestinian Territories, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 After more than a year hiding in tunnels and dodging air strikes, uniformed Hamas fighters returned to the ruined streets of Gaza hours into a ceasefire, defying Israel's vow to crush them. With the world watching on Sunday as Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, dozens of balaclava-wearing fighters in the group's signature green headbands were seen at the packed Gaza City square marshalling the chaotic events. The day after, Hamas's deputy interior minister for the territory was out and about in Gaza City, declaring that Gazans were "living in a moment of victory". While Hamas was back on the streets, Israeli forces were withdrawing from the territory's densely populated areas. The destruction they left behind was staggering, yet Hamas appears to have survived, in spite of Israel's stated objective from the outset of the war of eradicating the group once and for all. "When you set yourself complete elimination (as a goal), if there is one man standing it can be regarded as failure," said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at Chatham House. - 'Fiercest bombardment' - This could prove a problem for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who pledged in the aftermath of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to destroy the group. "They were under the fiercest bombardment that such an organisation could ever sustain and they are still there and they are still recruiting," Mekelberg said. Israel decimated Hamas's ranks and killed many of its top leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and his successor Yahya Sinwar. On Tuesday, Israel's army chief said its campaign had killed "nearly 20,000 Hamas operatives". Mekelberg cautioned that it was too early to assess Hamas's overall condition, and acknowledged it had suffered heavy losses, but "on your TV, you see that they are still there, with their bandanas and all their masks". Muhammad Shehada, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Israel had specifically targeted civil servants, police and ministers, as part of its efforts to dismantle Hamas's governing ability. "The continued presence of these officials and forces represents a symbol of defiance, showing they remain operational despite the onslaught," he said. On Monday, Hamas presented itself as triumphant for having survived, saying in a statement that "Gaza, with its great people and its resilience, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed and continue on the path of steadfastness until the occupation is defeated". - 'Game of whack-a-mole' - The ceasefire is in its infancy and many questions remain about the future of the Gaza Strip and Hamas. Michael Horowitz, a Middle East analyst at the security consultancy Le Beck, said Hamas had made a show of strength both to deter rivals within the Palestinian ranks and to show Israel "that any additional rounds of fighting won't lead anywhere". That Hamas was not defeated was down to "one key reason", he said, namely that Israel "hasn't tried to replace Hamas as a governing entity in Gaza". Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority have no role in the Gaza Strip. This "solely security-focused" vision, said Horowitz, meant "Israel has been stuck in a game of whack-a-mole". Eva Koulouriotis, an independent Middle East analyst, said Hamas retained "overwhelming popularity" in Gaza, while "attempts... to provide a popular base for the Palestinian Authority and to reject Hamas's rule have failed". The destruction brought by the war did breed resentment towards Hamas among Gazans, said Shehada, but many were conflicted. People "also feel a sense of pride" that Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, defied Israel's might, he noted. "It revolves around the fact that people have been humiliated... And then it brings a source of pride". The humanitarian cost of the war for the people of Gaza has been immense. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory has put the death toll at more than 47,100, the majority civilians, figures the UN considers reliable. That devastation was in retaliation for Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Horowitz said the scale of destruction was among the worst of any urban battle in recent memory, adding it eclipsed the damage done to Mosul in Iraq during the campaign to dislodge the Islamic State group. But ultimately, said Mekelberg, Israel's military campaign didn't "deal with the root causes of the conflict", echoing a call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for the ceasefire to be a "first step" towards a long-term political settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Only in that way, Mekelberg said, can Israel "create space between (Hamas) and the rest of the (Palestinian) people". bur-az-dcp-lba/jd/smw ICC confirms wanted arrest of freed Libya police chief The Hague, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 The International Criminal Court on Wednesday confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant for the head of Libya's judicial police on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, a day after Italy released him. The Hague-based court said in a statement that Italian authorities had arrested the suspect in Turin on Sunday, but reportedly released him Tuesday "without prior notice or consultation with the Court". "On 18 January 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court by majority, issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Osama Almasri Najim," the ICC said. Najim, also referred to as Osama Elmasry Njeem, is believed to have been in charge of Tripoli's Mitiga detention centre, and is wanted on charges including murder, rape and sexual violence and torture, committed since February 15, 2015. The alleged crimes were committed against detainees because of their religion, perceived "immoral behaviour" or alleged support or affiliation to other armed groups, the ICC said. Najim was arrested Sunday at a Turin hotel on the ICC warrant after a tip from Interpol, Italian media reported. But on Tuesday "without prior notice or consultation with the Court, Mr Osama Najim was reportedly released from custody and transported back to Libya," the ICC said. "The Court is seeking, and is yet to obtain, verification from the authorities on the steps reportedly taken," it said. The ICC, to which Rome is a state party and whose founding statute bears the Italian capital's name, said it had "deliberately" refrained from commenting on Najim's arrest "at the request of, and acting out of full respect for the Italian authorities". "At the same time, the Court continued to pursue its engagement with the Italian authorities to ensure the effective execution of all steps required by the Rome Statute for the implementation of the Court's request." But on Tuesday, Najim was released and returned to Libya without explanation. - 'Cooperate fully' - The ICC is an independent court capable of prosecuting those accused of the world's worst crimes. Its 125-member states, including Italy, which ratified the Rome Statute in 1999, are legally required to carry out arrest warrants issued by the court's judges. "The Court recalls the duty of all States Parties to cooperate fully with the Court in its investigations and prosecutions of crimes," the ICC said. Italian opposition parties have demanded Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni come to parliament to explain the decision to release Najim, with Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein calling it "very opaque". "Giorgia Meloni wanted to chase human traffickers around the world, a Libyan one was arrested in Italy and instead of following up the request of the ICC... they sent him back unpunished to Libya," the centre-left opposition leader said. Maria Elena Boschi, a lawmaker from the centrist Italia Viva party, said it was "astonishing that a person with an arrest warrant from the ICC feels so safe in our country that he can be a tourist in Turin and even go to see a match at the stadium." "After being arrested, he is released through a legal technicality and then even taken back to Libya on a flight from our air force," she said. International human rights groups have long condemned abuses in Libyan detention centres, citing widespread violence and torture. Rome's controversial deal with Libya -- dating from 2017 and renewed under Meloni's hard-right government, involved providing funding and training to the Libyan coastguard. In exchange, Libya was expected to help stem the departure of migrants to Italy, or return those already at sea back to Libya, where they were often taken to such detention centres. The situation in Libya was first referred to the ICC for investigation by the United Nations in early 2011, a few months before a revolt toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi after four decades of iron-fisted rule. Seven arrest warrants are still pending in the Libya case, the ICC said. burs-jhe/ric/yad Israel military says killed Islamic Jihad militant during Gaza truce Jerusalem, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 The Israeli military said Wednesday that it had killed an Islamic Jihad militant in Gaza, the first such reported death since the start of a ceasefire with Hamas in the Palestinian territory. In a statement, the military said Israeli troops in southern Gaza "identified several armed suspects who posed a threat" and "operated to thwart the threat and eliminate" a militant from Hamas's ally Islamic Jihad. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory confirmed that one person was killed and said four other people were wounded. The military also said that in several areas of the Gaza Strip, its soldiers "fired warning shots" towards "masked suspects" approaching Israeli troops. The military added it was abiding by the terms of the ceasefire that began on Sunday. "The (Israeli military) is determined to fully maintain the terms of the agreement in order to return the hostages," it said. As part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which is intended to last 42 days, Israeli forces are withdrawing from densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip. The military warned Palestinians to "avoid approaching the troops". BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The comprehensive development of bilateral relations between Iran and Azerbaijan remains at the center of attention, Secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security of Iran Ali Akbar Ahmadian said at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran on January 22, Trend reports. He posits that collaboration in the banking sector between the two nations could emerge as a focal point of interest. Ahmadian emphasized that working hand in hand and joining forces among the different institutions of both countries is crucial for nurturing their relationship. The meeting also touched upon matters concerning the South Caucasus. To note, the two-day 16th session of the Iranian-Azerbaijani Joint Economic Commission started in Tehran on January 21. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel On Tuesday, it was revealed that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves had sought to intervene in a court hearing over the car finance case, arguing that it could damage the industry and make it more difficult and expensive to take out loans. 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 Ms Harding said: This was a tragic incident which should never have occurred when these four people who were part of the small boat migration found their way on to the boat which literally fell apart at the seams and began to take on water, and thereafter sank and they tragically drowned. Despite this, motorists are being encouraged to plan ahead and give themselves ample time if they need to travel during the storm. The Nation SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. The second busiest retail corridor in Chicago is typically a bustling area dotted with taquerias and Mexican grocery stores in the southwestern part of the city. By Monday afternoon it had turned into a ghost town. Word had gotten out over the weekend that the city could be the target of potential immigration raids after President Donald Trump took office, spreading anxiety among residents and business owners alike. Trump's inauguration speech and boasts of cracking down on migrants only heightened the fear, while the frigid weather also kept people indoors. Foot traffic at the 2-mile stretch of 26th Street in the Little Village neighborhood plunged - by some measures, the decline had hit the 50%-mark, according to Jennifer Aguilar, who heads the local chamber of commerce and spoke to a number of the 400 or so businesses in the area. "It's going to be disastrous," Aguilar said in an interview. "If raids happen and people are too afraid to go out, it's going to be an impact that's going to last for years." Trump moved quickly on Monday to fulfill campaign pledges after his inauguration speech, announcing measures to end birthright citizenship and mobilize troops to step up border enforcement. He shut down the CBP One app, used by migrants to cross the border and ask for asylum, dashing the hopes of many waiting in Mexico for appointments with US authorities. It all came three days after the Wall Street Journal reported Trump's team was planning large Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago starting on Tuesday - even though Border Czar Tom Homan later tried to downplay it, saying he was reviewing the plans. The third-largest US city has long been a punching bag for Trump. But Chicago has been particularly on his radar after taking in tens of thousands of migrants during Joe Biden's presidency, many bused from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott to sanctuary cities run by Democrats. Midwest's Mexico Little Village, known as the "Mexico of the Midwest," is located southwest of Chicago's main business district. The area brings more tax revenue to City Hall than any other retail stretch other than the Magnificent Mile, the downtown shopping street that features luxury stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Rolex and Burberry. "I was walking the business corridor three days ago on Friday, and I spoke with a street vendor who said their sales were down about 60%," said Mike Rodriguez, an alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village. "Business was just down, people were staying home, people were worried about: one the cold, but two, they were fearful of engaging with ICE." Chicago and other cities such as New York have struggled to pay for the cost of housing and feeding migrants. A one-time mass deportation operation of some 13 million people would cost at least $315 billion, the American Immigration Council estimated, warning the figure was "highly conservative." If spread over time, that number could be much bigger. And that doesn't include the economic impact of workers not showing up and businesses having to shut down as a result. "Places like Little Village, Pilsen, Chinatown, their contribution to the city is enormous," said Rebecca Shi, chief executive officer at the American Business Immigration Coalition. "When businesses have less foot traffic, they're going to generate less revenue. That's less taxation for our schools, for our health system, for our public safety, police departments, everything that keeps every Chicagoan safe." Worker Absenteeism The owner of three Mexican restaurants employing more than 70 people in the southern part of the city said two of his workers are already not showing up. The Mexican entrepreneur, who is now an American citizen, said he gave all his workers the option to stay away. He asked not to be named so as not to face retribution. "I've been here for 25 years and I've seen many things, but nothing like this," he said in an interview in one of his establishments on Monday. "This is about how we are going to survive this, and I'm not just talking about my employees, I'm talking about the whole customer base." Elected officials and community groups have been gathering over the past two months to educate immigrants about their rights. On Saturday, Illinois Representative Jesus Chuy' Garcia, a Democrat, joined the Resurrection Project and Chicago Workers Collaborative to provide guidance in case of ICE raids. "I'm an immigrant myself, so the reality doesn't escape me," he said in an interview in Washington DC on Thursday. "My father was deported several times when he was here before he became a legal resident, and petitioned for us. So it's personal." Erendira Rendon, vice president of Immigrant Justice at the Resurrection Project, reminded residents that they have the constitutional right to remain quiet, request a lawyer or decline to open the door. Jose Frausto, executive director of Chicago Workers Collaborative, told residents to have a family plan in place as it's unclear what would happen to relatives and properties of people who get deported. Illinois Representative Delia Ramirez, a Democrat whose district covers parts of northwest Chicago, was on Monday part of a group of 150 volunteers handing out fliers explaining what rights people have in case of an ICE raid. She said one in five small businesses in Chicago is owned by undocumented immigrants. Even business owners who support Trump are bracing for the impact. Sam Sanchez, a restaurant owner in Chicago, said he generally supports the incoming president's immigration policies. While the administration said it will focus on criminals, Sanchez expects collateral damage including arrests of longtime residents whose only offense is being in the country illegally. "It's going to happen," Sanchez said. "They are going to knock on doors and come to businesses." (COMMENT, BELOW) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Iran has never pursued nuclear weapons despite decades of accusations, said Javad Zarif, Irans Vice-President for Strategic Affairs, Trend reports. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Javad Zarif stated, "To build a nuclear weapon, we could have done it a long time ago. But a program to build nuclear weapons is not going to be like our program. You build nuclear weapons in hidden laboratories that are not subject to international inspections." He criticized the persistent portrayal of Iran as a nuclear threat, pointing to claims from the Israeli side, which has repeatedly asserted since the 1990s that Iran would develop a nuclear weapon within six months. "Now, 30 years later, were still 'a couple of days away from nuclear weapons'. This is what we call securitization, not security," Zarif remarked. He argued that framing Iran as a threat is part of broader political agendas, including what he termed "Iranophobia" and its connection to the situation in Gaza. Zarif also highlighted the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "After the withdrawal, Iran gained much more nuclear capability based on American breakout calculations. We dont want a breakout, but today, even the Americans say we are a few days away," he said. Calling for a shift in approach, Zarif appealed for rationality in addressing the issue. "Theres always hope that people will choose rationality," he said, expressing hope for a more pragmatic future in global diplomacy. We know that (my father) survived in Gaza for the first few weeks and was in the same place with another hostage that returned to us since on the 48th day. So we have this knowledge that he did survive, that he was alive, but that's almost 440 days ago Sharone Lifschitz In that event, he will then travel across Dublin to Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the President of Ireland, where Michael D Higgins will sign the warrant of appointment and hand Mr Martin the Seal of the Taoiseach at around 2pm. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the change to the Navys rules of engagement sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond. It has long been a matter of record that the Duke of Sussexs phone was hacked by the News of the World. Two people served criminal sentences for this in 2006 and an apology was given. Today a full and unequivocal apology is given to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. Phone hacking at the News of the World was not due to be a part of this trial but it is a part of this settlement. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009- 2011. This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them. NGN also acknowledges and apologises for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson's family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, underscored significant challenges in managing Iran's nuclear program and the limitations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during a panel discussion titled "Rubik's Cube of Global Security" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trend reports. Grossi emphasized that while Iran does not currently possess nuclear weapons, its nuclear program has expanded significantly in scope since the JCPOA began unraveling in 2018. "If you compare the situation in 2018 with where we are heading in 2025, Irans nuclear activities have grown in every possible direction," he stated. "This makes it evident that the JCPOA, in its current form, is no longer fit for purpose, and we need to consider a new framework." Grossi highlighted that the transactional philosophy behind the JCPOA, which was initially built on mutual concessions, remains relevant. However, he acknowledged that a new agreement would require substantial changes to reflect the evolving geopolitical landscape. "We need to rethink the structure and participants in the negotiations. The dynamics have shifted, and the lack of shared understanding among key players complicates the process," Grossi added. He pointed to the growing divergence among traditional negotiating parties, including the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany), which had previously maintained a unified approach toward Iran. "In the past, there was a basic consensus, even amidst disagreements. That foundation no longer exists," he explained. Grossi stressed the critical role of the international community in safeguarding the principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He suggested that any new agreement would require robust guarantees and the active involvement of the IAEA to ensure compliance. "We, as the guardians of the NPT, must play an indispensable role in shaping any future framework for Irans nuclear program," he said. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), voiced serious concerns about the erosion of nuclear non-proliferation norms during panel discussions on the "Rubik's Cube of Global Security" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trend reports. Grossi warned that rising geopolitical tensions are undermining international consensus on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. "The common ground that once existed among major powers, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, has eroded," he said. "Times of heightened geostrategic tension are increasing the allure of nuclear weapons." He also highlighted the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, particularly regarding Iran. "Iran has not developed nuclear weapons, but they possess many pieces of the puzzle," Grossi noted. This ambiguity, he said, has prompted other countries in the region, including NATO allies, to openly declare their intention to pursue nuclear weapons if Iran were to acquire them. Grossi expressed alarm over challenges to the global moratorium on nuclear testing. Russia's decision to de-ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and discussions in the U.S. about resuming nuclear tests have raised doubts about the long-standing consensus against such actions. In Asia, Grossi pointed to public debates in South Korea and Japan about the potential acquisition of nuclear weapons. "In Japan, while not officially endorsed by the government, there are increasing public discussions on whether nuclear weapons could enhance national security," he said. Grossi described the situation as a "real pressure" on the global non-proliferation regime, which, despite its flaws, has historically helped maintain international stability. "The non-proliferation norm is under strain, and its future is uncertain," he concluded. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. Nobel laureate, Turkish and American scientist, professor, academician, Dr. Aziz Sancar has been awarded the title of "Turkic World Culture Ambassador" at the 40th meeting of the Permanent Council of Culture Ministers of the Turkic World Culture Organization (TURKSOY), held in Azerbaijan's Shusha, Trend reports. During a ceremony at the Aziz and Gwen Sancar Foundation Cultural Center in North Carolina, USA, on January 19, 2025, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev announced that the honorary title was conferred upon Sancar based on a unanimous decision from the TURKSOY Permanent Council of Culture Ministers. In his address, Raev praised Sancar as a pride and inspiration for the Turkic world: Mr. Aziz Sancar, you are not only a scientist but also a valuable figure reflecting the shared consciousness and scientific genius of the Turkic world. Your Nobel-winning research is an example for all, embodying the values of Turkic culture through your humility and hard work, along with your outstanding achievements in the scientific world. Your dedication to your roots and accomplishments on prestigious global platforms motivate all of us. This title is not merely an expression of gratitude, but a thank-you from the entire Turkic world. It is our great honor to award you the title of Ambassador of Turkic World Culture on behalf of the TURKSOY member states. Professor Sancar called the title the most important award of his life, declaring it even more valuable than his Nobel Prize: This award means more to me than any other. It was my dream. TURKSOY is a very valuable organization, and I hope it will represent us all over the world. Sancar also discussed the challenges faced by the Turkic world in achieving unity throughout history, attributing much of the current progress to the leadership of Turkic-speaking nations and organizations like TURKSOY: Historically, the Turkic tribes were often fragmented. However, if today we speak of unity, much of it is thanks to our heads of state, those with a Turkic consciousness in their hearts, and organizations like TURKSOY. Reflecting on his own upbringing with a deep sense of Turkism, Sancar shared: From the age of 8, I understood that I was a Turk. I grew up with the belief in the unity of the Turkic world and Turkism. He added that he had visited all independent Turkic states except Turkmenistan, where he was welcomed with warmth and hospitality: I am a successful scientist, but there are many successful scientists. My brothers and sisters accepted me as one of their own every time I visited. I felt the Turkic unity on the lands of our ancestors and witnessed the conscious Turkism in the Turkic world. I was immensely happy. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Secretary General Raev presented Sancar with valuable gifts reflecting the unity and rich culture of the Turkic world. These included a robe from Kazakhstan, a kalpak from Kyrgyzstan, a national belt from Uzbekistan, a wolf-headed cane from Turkey, a symbol of Karabakh Victory, a lapel pin featuring Khary-Bulbul from Azerbaijan, and a special edition of Makhtumkuli Fraghi from Turkmenistan. Sancar expressed his gratitude for these honors: These gifts are symbols of the unity and solidarity of the Turkic world. Countries with Turkic populations and Turkic languages form the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY). The group launched in 1992 in Baku, Azerbaijan and Istanbul, Turkiye when the culture ministers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan pledged to collaborate. Turksoy was founded by an Almaty agreement on July 12, 1993. In 1996, an official cooperation between Turksoy and UNESCO was established, involving mutual consultations and reciprocal representation. Turksoy has six founders and eight observers in 2022. 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This creation seamlessly merges the movement and the case into a harmonious dialogue, locating the extraordinary in the everyday. Two new timepieces comprise the launch models of the Tambour Convergence, the collection to be conceived and crafted in the aesthetic language that unifies the Louis Vuitton ateliers in Geneva La Fabrique du Temps (movement design), La Fabrique des Boitiers (casemaking), and La Fabrique des Arts (rare handcrafts). The name of the collection is a reference to this coalescence of in-house mastery at Louis Vuitton and also represents the distinctive time display of the Tambour Convergence. A dragging indication of hours and minutes, read at the conjunction of two rotating discs with a gold or platinum lozenge marker, emphasises the precise yet fleeting nature of a moment in time, like sunlight breaking through the gilded edges of clouds. The shape of the guichet that frames the time indication is dually inspired by the ephemeral beauty of this natural phenomenon and also by the decorative arabesques found in the interior architecture of the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnieres. Inside the 37mm case beats a horological premiere for the Maison a self-winding movement produced entirely by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Convergence of time Icons can be reborn, as the Tambour demonstrated in 2023, on the occasion of its 21st anniversary. They can also take on new aspects of design and concept, exploring different facets of identity. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence is an homage to the montres a guichet from a bygone era, reinterpreted with the contemporary elegance that distinguishes every Tambour creation. Tambour Convergence Pink gold Louis Vuitton The Tambour Convergence replicates the Tambours delicately cambered sides that taper towards an inflexion point, allowing the watch to fit snugly atop the wrist and creating the appearance of slimness that belies the robustness of the self-winding movement within. The redesigned lugs set the Tambour Convergence apart from the current Tambour collection, marking the beginning of a new era of aesthetic diversification within the Tambour line and drawing the eye with their harmonious and geometric profile. Their upper surfaces are hand-polished, while the lateral exterior surfaces are hollowed and micro-sandblasted, adding visual sophistication through the play of contrasting finishes. Satin-finished case sides make the Tambour Convergence appear even slimmer than its 8mm thickness, and the 37mm case diameter is both versatile and discreet on a range of wrist sizes. The polished crown echoes the shape of the case and is subtly fluted for ease of winding and setting, and a transparent case back showcases the new in-house automatic Calibre LFT MA01.01. The hours and minutes are displayed via two sculpted guichets on the precious plate, their curved forms reminiscent of the interior details of the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnieres. The hours rotate clockwise through the upper arched guichet, and the minutes occupy the lower arch, with a gold or platinum lozenge positioned between the two for an intuitive reading of the time. A myriad of hidden details combine to make the display of the hours and minutes as legible as possible, from the metalised edges of the sapphire crystals over the guichets, to the shape of the sapphire crystals themselves curved just enough to fulfil the need for structural strength, but not enough to deform the numerals underneath. Dial of the Tambour Convergence Pink gold Louis Vuitton Even the style of the hour and minute numerals reflects the attention to detail in the Tambour Convergence. The Arabic numerals are sleek with a hint of calligraphic flair, a contemporary tribute to classical timepieces from the turn of the century. Above all, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence is a vessel of self-expression. It is the aesthetes canvas, the storytellers blank page, the voyagers travelogue. Convergence of craftsmanship The two new Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence models one in rose gold and the other in platinum each possess their own distinct aesthetic. The platinum model features hour and minute discs with a brushed silver finish and transferred blue numerals. The precious plate, which forms the decorative focus of the watch and frames the time display, is set with 795 diamonds using a technique known as snow-setting, where stones of differing sizes are fixed in place so closely and minutely that their settings cannot be discerned. Snow-setting must be done by hand, by a highly experienced gem-setter who is able to combine stones of various sizes in such a way that the final effect is of one seamless glittering surface. The Tambour Convergence in platinum utilises stones in a range of seven sizes, and requires 32 hours of meticulous work to complete. The fine watchmaking creations of Louis Vuitton are frequently paired with traditional metiers dart, and the Maisons in-house artisans create dials and cases as exquisite as the movements within them are technical. The surface of the precious plate allows for imagining various future interpretations. Dial of the Tambour Convergence Platinum, diamonds Louis Vuitton Over the years, the polished gold Tambour Convergence will gain a patina bestowed by daily wear, a palimpsest of subtle marks that reflects the story of its wearer. It is a true horological artefact, telling time via its interior mechanism and simultaneously recording the passage of time on its exterior surface. The polished gold model is the one that will appeal most to those who believe in having a relationship with their watches. It is a watch with a singular potential for uniqueness a uniqueness that comes from the individual who chooses to wear it. Convergence of expertise The case of the Tambour Convergence is produced entirely by the workshops of La Fabrique des Boitiers, the newly integrated case-making facilities of Louis Vuitton in Geneva. Within its 37mm confines beats the new in-house automatic movement, the Calibre LFT MA01.01 with 45 hours of power reserve. The creation of this movement marks a manufacturing milestone for La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, signifying the strength of production and engineering expertise in the Maisons watchmaking segment. Caseback of the Tambour Convergence Pink gold Louis Vuitton This compact calibre is a time-only movement whose robustness is exhibited by its industry-standard 4Hz (28,800vph) balance frequency. Its high-inertia 18K rose-gold rotor efficiently winds the movement barrel, providing the mechanism with optimal levels of energy suitable for an everyday watch. This commitment to modern standards of chronometric quality and reliability is further demonstrated by features such as the free-sprung balance with high-precision inertia blocks (masselots). For those who appreciate traditional watchmaking touches, details such as the elegantly arched barrel click enhance the visual refinement of the Calibre LFT MA01.01. Exceptional finishes characterise the Calibre LFT MA01.01, from the sandblasted bridges with micro-sandblasted edges, to the V-notched and polished periphery of the rose-gold rotor. Each surface and each finish has been carefully selected to create an overall semblance of textural richness and sensorial harmony, in line with the contemporary aesthetic of the Tambour Convergence collection and the Tambour design language. Complementing the subtle play of textures are the transparent movement sapphires, a departure from the conventional fuchsia synthetic watchmaking rubies and a signature of contemporary fine watchmaking at La Fabrique du Temps. Tambour Convergence Platinum, diamonds Louis Vuitton With the debut of this new movement in the Tambour Convergence, Louis Vuitton celebrates its watchmaking heritage and projects the promise of its horological future. Hidden by the balance, only visible to the sharpest of eyes, is the makers mark that represents this promise the poincon LFT of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) opened higher on Wednesday on most indices, with the turnover amounting to 3.61 million RON (726,614 EUR) after 35 minutes of trading. The main index, BET, which tracks the performance of the 20 most liquid companies, recorded an increase of 0.66%, while the BET-Plus index, which tracks the performance of the 43 most liquid stocks on the BVB, also posted an advance of 0.63%. The extended blue-chip index BET-XT, which tracks the 25 most liquid stocks, was up 0.66%, while the benchmark index for investment funds, BET-BK, rose by 0.82%. On the other hand, the BET-FI index of the Financial Investment Companies (SIFs) registered an decrease by 1.34%, and the BET-NG index, which includes the 10 companies from the energy and utilities sector, advanced by 0.67%. The BET AeRO index, which includes 20 representative companies from the AeRO market, was down 0.01%. According to BVB data, the biggest gains in stock value were recorded by companies such as Romcab (+14.73%), Sinteza (+14.15%) and UCM Resita (+3.39%). Conversely, there were declines in the stocks of Bittnet Systems Bucuresti (-1.74%), Compa (-1.10%) and AAGES (-0.79%). AGERPRES Romania's coal production exceeded 1.758 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) in the first 11 months of last year, a decrease of 15.8% (minus 329,700 toe) compared to the same period in 2023, according to data centralised by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Coal imports during the mentioned period amounted to 174,800 toe, down by 11,700 toe (minus 6.3%) compared to January-November 2023. The dynamics of coal production and imports are expected to decline from 2024 to 2027, as other energy production capacities come up, with a decrease of 11.4% and 24.5%, respectively, according to the latest Energy Balance Forecast published by the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis (CNSP). Thus, according to the CNSP, coal production is estimated at 1.92 million tons of oil equivalent for 2024, down by 17.3% compared to the previous year, 1.718 million toe in 2025 (minus 10.5%), 1.555 million toe in 2026 (minus 9.5%), and 1.432 million toe in 2027 (minus 7.9%). Imports are estimated to decline in 2024 by 15.4% compared to 2023, reaching 206,000 toe, in 2025 by 20.5% to 164,000 toe, in 2026 by 26.3% to 121,000 toe, and in 2027 by 34.4% to 79,000 toe. AGERPRES The presidential candidate announced by the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition, Crin Antonescu, said on Tuesday that the public presence of Calin Georgescu resembles that of a "ghost", deeming the possibility of the latter becoming head of state as an "unacceptable, dangerous alternative" for Romania. "Calin Georgescu is an unacceptable, dangerous, even dramatic alternative for Romania, in the hypothetical situation in which he will become president," Crin Antonescu told private broadcaster Antena 3. He pointed out that the reasons behind the high number of votes in the first round of the presidential elections on November 24 for a candidate like Calin Georgescu must be identified. "Our problem is to identify why a large number of voters, (...) the largest number as they were counted in the first round, could vote for a ghost, for a man whose name they, perhaps, did not know well, they confused it in later statements, about whose ideas they knew nothing or, even worse, about whom they knew the things that we know today - I am talking about his statements. Where does this annoyance, this frustration, this anger come from in a sizable segment of Romanian voters to risk what for us all citizens, not politicians, is so precious and we have won so hard - the status of a democratic country, the status of a European country, consolidated recently with all kinds of things that have been achieved, Schengen, Schengen on land, visas in the United States, for example, where the figures, including economic figures, no one claims that Romania is heaven on earth, but in Romania life is better than it used to be. Based on economic figures, a large number of people live better than they did 30 years ago or ten years ago or five years ago. Where does this anger come from because it is not irrationality, but it is a means of expression in a certain context and this must be understood by those who want to continue to do politics," Antonescu argued. He maintained that Georgescu managed to convince many voters without having a real public presence, without details about his person being known. "I would directly call him a drug, which is being served, a cheap but effective and destructive drug, which is being served to some people. I don't hesitate to say it. What I am saying now does not at all mean that I feel entitled to challenge or, God forbid, to despise the choice of some people, but precisely the effort to understand why this could happen or might happen," said Crin Antonescu. AGERPRES The presidential candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition (Social Democratic Party, National Liberal Party, Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania), Crin Antonescu, on Tuesday stated that president Klaus Iohannis should have terminated his mandate as soon as the new Parliament was configured, in the context in which "he doesn't at least communicate with the people." "For the sake of democracy, stability and a minimum trust that is needed between a majority of the people in a country and the government, yes, it would have been better if Mr. Iohannis would have left the Cotroceni Palace as soon as his normal term in office ended, on December 21, immediately after the new Parliament was configured and the Government sworn in," Antonescu told Antena 3 public television channel. He stated that, otherwise, the fact that the head of state continues at the Cotroceni Palace is legal. "Mr. Iohannis still being at the Palace (...) is legal, since there is a decision of the Constitutional Court in this sense. What is questionable instead is his legitimacy and it would have been better that, as soon as the Parliament was in place and established its leadership, and immediately after the Government was sworn in, regardless of the fact that the PM it's the same, it would have been better if the office of president would have passed to an interim, who is, according to the Constitution, the president of the Senate. And this is not even the only problem, because the real problem is not that the president stayed, but the problem is that president Iohannis doesn't even communicate with the people, in the context in which such communication is needed more than ever," Antonescu said. He opined that Romania confronts with "all the elements of a political crisis with important reverberations in the society." "This is a crisis because the Romanian state, these days, and for a while now, after the annulment [of the elections - editor's note] looks like it has no leader," said Crin Antonescu. The former chair of PNL also aded that the Government is under "a huge pressure." "The Government is under a huge pressure not just because of the budgetary difficulties, and not just because of the public suspicion it is facing (...), but there is also this fact, which translates into an even higher pressure - and we will see if it can do it - there is this other dimension where the president should have played an essential role, namely in the foreign affairs area. Since we have already spoken earlier (...) about all these new events, which don't seem to fit in the framework we are used to, about the changes of discourse, at least for now, at the White House, the change of regime there. Because I believe that we can talk of a change of regime, although not about the change of the democratic regime, of course, but a very strong presidency and, under many aspects, a very new style of presidency, which comes with big challenges and big changes. And all these things need an answer, a reaction. There are things happening in Europe, there are effects that we can see, already. (....) And the fact that we do not have a leader right now is not for the good," said Antonescu. AGERPRES Tens of Senate employees spontaneously protested on Tuesday in front of the office of Senate President Ilie Bolojan, following the institution's leadership decision to reduce the staff by 24%. Ilie Bolojan, who was holding a press conference when tens of dissatisfied employees gathered in the hallway, explained that the staff reduction would take place following a competition and that, for many of the employees, fixed-term employment contracts would need to be signed - for the duration of the official's tenure. Bolojan approached the protesters and attempted to speak with them, but the strong vocal protests from the employees covered out his voice, accusing him of "not knowing their real problems." "I have great respect for the people who work in the Senate, who are professionals. Dear colleagues, please listen to me! There will be fair competitions, and those who master the job will win them. Political sinecures will end. I'm sorry. This is the situation. I have discussed with the unions, I accept any discussion, but if you think you can change anything this way, it will not happen. Reductions are not comfortable, but respect for the citizens must be proven not through boos, but through respect for what we do. (...) "Those who are professionals have nothing to fear, but those who came without a competition and cannot justify their existence, do you think it is normal for them to be paid? Let's finish this once and for all! The competitions will be according to the law," Bolojan said. The employees informed the Senate president that they would take legal action against the institution through a "large-scale collective lawsuit." "This is a spontaneous protest. We are the ones who ensure continuity. You can't keep saying that you want to change people all the time. (...) If we start over every time, in 4 years we will never have specialists. Continuous specialisation is necessary. I came here alongside my colleagues considering the gross illegality being committed by the current ephemeral leadership of the Senate. (...) Nothing from the so-called consultations has been taken into consideration. The Romanian Parliament is not a city hall, nor a county council. The Romanian Parliament makes laws. If it weren't for our expertise, there would be no laws, and a rule of law state couldn't function. We are very determined to take legal action against the institution through a collective lawsuit of unprecedented scale. The reorganisation is unnecessary because the current staff ensures the smooth operation of the institution," said adviser Cristina Tarteata from the Transport Committee. She argued that the "parliamentary public servant has always been demonised," highlighting that the average net salary of these employees is 6,000 lei, "much lower than those of other institutions that don't hold the same importance." AGERPRES The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) does not support the dismissal of President Klaus Iohannis because such an approach would divide the Romanian society, Development Minister Cseke Attila declared on Wednesday, completing his remarks with a plea for stability. "A president's dismissal reverberates in society - both on the side that wants it done, and on the side that doesn't want it. However, in 35 years we haven't dismissed a single president. We had a one-month suspension from office, but it did not end with the president's dismissal. And I believe that, as far as the state's functioning is concerned, we need to maintain a certain stability," Cseke Attila told broadcaster Digi24. The Young People's Party (POT) announced last week that 161 POT, AUR and SOS lawmakers signed for the suspension of President Klaus Iohannis, and the signatures were submitted to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. A Horological Icon Reborn A complication unique to Louis Vuitton, the Spin Time is synonymous with the Maison. The three-dimensional, dynamic display has been part of Louis Vuittons Haute Horlogerie collection since 2009, when the avant-garde time display became the first movement developed by La Fabrique du Temps for Louis Vuitton. The ingenious jumping hours display was devised by La Fabrique du Temps founders Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, who were inspired by the flap displays of airports and train stations. With the complication having established itself as an iconic pillar of Louis Vuitton watchmaking, the Maison now debuts the Tambour Taiko Spin Time, an entirely new collection of watches all limited editions developed from the ground up to carry the complication into its next generation. In a first for the complication, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time collection is entirely powered by in-house movements developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton expressly for the collection. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Louis Vuitton A return to the origins The concept of the Spin Time emerged in 2007 from the talented minds of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, veteran watchmakers who founded La Fabrique du Temps as a specialist in complicated movements. Having cumulatively spent decades at some of the most prestigious watchmakers in Switzerland, the pair were well versed in classical Haute Horlogerie. But Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini were also looking to innovate and invent in order to enrich their vision of watchmaking. Inspired by the overhead flap displays that show timetables in airports and railway stations, the duo devised the Spin Time as an unprecedented three-dimensional reinterpretation of the traditional jumping hours complication. Serendipitously, Louis Vuitton was just then seeking a new complication that would both define and expand its Haute Horlogerie repertoire, one that had to be both innovative and intimately linked to travel. Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini proposed the Spin Time, beginning a relationship with the Maison that would culminate with the integration of La Fabrique du Temps into Louis Vuitton in 2011. That would mark the genesis of Louis Vuitton watchmaking in Geneva, a vision that would come into fruition in 2014 with the inauguration of the manufacture in Meyrin, which today encompasses the manufacturing of dials, cases, and complicated movements, as well as metiers dart. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Louis Vuitton Without Spin Time, we would not have embarked on the challenge of entering high watchmaking in this manner, says Jean Arnault, Watch Director of Louis Vuitton, And consequently, we would not have integrated La Fabrique du Temps, which is a founding moment for our watchmaking. The Tambour Spin Time made its debut in 2009, establishing Louis Vuitton as a maker of not merely timepieces, but creative complications. In the years since, the Spin Time has evolved into a diverse range of timepieces that symbolise Louis Vuittons vast repertoire of materials and complications. A new era Sixteen years after the seminal moment that saw the birth of the Spin Time, Louis Vuitton presents the Tambour Taiko Spin Time. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Louis Vuitton Still centred on the patented three-dimensional jumping cubes display, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time is nonetheless an entirely new collection, comprised of six limited-edition models, each conceived from the ground up as the ultimate refinement of the complication. The collection debuts in 39.5 mm and 42.5 mm sizes, both sharing the same Tambour Taiko case. The 39.5 mm version is completed by a discreet, solid case back, while the 42.5 mm model is equipped with a display back that reveals the in-house calibre. To underline the unity of the inaugural Tambour Taiko Spin Time models, all six variants are presented in 18k white gold cases with dials dressed in a dolphin grey hue that is restrained yet powerful and instantly recognisable. All the cubes are finished in the same dolphin grey hue, except for the cube indicating the current hour that displays a face in light grey. Although most elements of the dials are in the same shade, each detail is finished with varied techniques ranging from sunburst to hawks eye, resulting in a nuanced, multi-tone appearance that varies with the light. The artful use of colour and texture is enhanced in the jewelled Spin Time models, where the grey-blue palette extends to a dial of hawks eye. A form of grey-blue quartz prized for its lustrous colour and delicate graining; the mineral is being employed for the first time in Louis Vuitton watchmaking. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Flying Tourbillon Louis Vuitton Reimagining the Tambour Borrowing from the graceful, concise lines of the Tambour launched in 2023, the Tambour Taiko case asserts itself as a new design with sculpted, integrated lugs that depart radically from the strap attachment of the original. Continuing with the design language established by the Tambour of 2023, the Tambour Taiko adopts the familiar case middle of the original design, but evolves the form to incorporate integrated lugs to create a sleeker form that is both contemporary and elegant. In fact, the Tambour Taiko also incorporates the finer stylistic elements of the 2023 Tambour, right down to the indices, hands, typography, and even the historically-inspired Fab. En Suisse label. The landmark drum-shaped case outline has been preserved, while being refined and reworked for both elegance and ergonomics. The Tambour Taiko was conceived to be slimmer in profile, which was achieved with careful case design that incorporates an inflection point in the cross section that continues into the domed case back. Named after taiko, the large drums used for ceremonial occasions in Japan, the new case is elegant, modern, and exceptionally complex to finish. In fact, the Tambour Taiko is one of the most complex watch cases ever produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, requiring the most skilled artisans and technicians. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Louis Vuitton Designed to showcase the art of case making that La Fabrique du Temps has mastered in-house, the Tambour Taiko case is a masterclass in the interplay of mirrored and satin surfaces, as well as relief and recessed elements. Staying true to todays Tambour design codes, the bezel features polished relief letters, spelling out LOUIS VUITTON, which sit within a sandblasted channel, while the case flanks are carefully satin brushed. La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuittons case makers rose to the challenge of realising the uncommonly complex lugs, each of which is composed of two elements both machined to a tolerance of 0.1 mm, equivalent to a human hair that nestle together perfectly before being secured with screws to the case middle. The hollowed, sculptural form of the lugs posed an especially difficult task to finish perfectly, dictating mirror polishing on the outer surfaces and fine frosting on the concave hollow. Surmounting this challenge called for outstanding know-how both traditional and modern: the mirrored surfaces are polished by hand on a beechwood wheel coated in diamond paste, while the hollows are frosted by laser the same technique is also employed to frost the recessed channel of the bezel without marring the polished relief letters. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Louis Vuitton A landmark family of calibres Importantly, every model in the Tambour Taiko Spin Time collection is equipped with an in - house calibre developed from the ground up specifically for the line. Conceived and manufactured entirely at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the new family of Spin Time movements secure Louis Vuittons status as a vertically integrated watch manufacture in Geneva, the traditional heart of haute horlogerie in Switzerland. Moreover, the family of movements builds upon the distinctive aesthetic style introduced with the LFT023 movement found in the Tambour 2023. All calibres in this family share the new aesthetic codes first established with the LFT023, including the solid-gold rotor, which is meticulously decorated with a stylised LV in a repeating motif. This rotor, along with the micro-sandblasted bridges, polished edges, and chamfers, offers a resolutely contemporary look while maintaining a clear connection to the watchs overall design language. The circular-grained mainplate pays homage to traditional movement decoration, while the use of colourless, transparent jewels, instead of the conventional magenta movement rubies, reinforces the avant-garde, modern aesthetic of the calibre. Each of the four calibres are distinct, but they have in common several technical elements, including a sophisticated movement architecture that brings with it automatic winding, a 45-hour power reserve, as well as a balance wheel beating at a stable frequency of 4 Hz. And to underline the attention to detail in the construction, each of the movements is bestowed with an 18k pink gold oscillating weight bordered by an engraved repeating V motif. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Caseback Louis Vuitton Beyond their intrinsic technical sophistication, the new calibres were also conceived to enrich the visual poetry of the Spin Time complication. To that end, the cubes themselves were reworked. While past generations of the Spin Time utilised cubes with straight edges, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time employs cubes composed of four gently curved faces, giving each cube a cushion-shaped profile. Barely apparent without magnification, this subtle reprofiling of the Spin Time cube enhances the play of light off its surfaces, with the finishing touch being the mirror-polished nail mounted on the top of each cube. This reworking of the cubes reflects the utmost attention to detail that was integral to the development of the Tambour Taiko Spin Time. The new Spin Time not only enjoys a stylistic makeover, but also boasts a redesigned mechanism built on a newly patented mechanism that improves on the original Spin Time concept. The upgraded complication operates on the same principle: the instantaneous jump of two cubes simultaneously when the prior hour disappears, and the current hour appears. To achieve this, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton engineers conceived a patented Maltese cross gear positioned at the base of each cube. Unique in having teeth on its inner edge, the Maltese cross gear is part of a system that also allows for convenient setting of the time. The jumping hour display can be adjusted backwards and forwards without damage to the movement a noteworthy achievement for the jumping hours complication, which traditionally can only be set forwards. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Flying Tourbillon Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Spin Time The purest embodiment of the complication is the Tambour Taiko Spin Time 39.5 mm powered by the LFT ST13.01 movement. Here the LFT ST13.01 is paired with a dial that frames the cubes of the jumping hours to create a clean, legible display. Compact and easily wearable, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time 39.5 mm is conceived as the most versatile of the collection. With its 18k white gold case water resistant to 100 m, the watch complemented by an integrated rubber strap that is totally waterproof, giving it a sporty chic style. A jewelled version gains 4.3 carats of baguette-cut diamonds on the lugs and dial, matched with a dial centre in hawks eye. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air With its more generous format of 42.5 mm, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air is floating display with each of its cubes seemingly levitating within the case while the movement is suspended right at its centre. The mechanism is lodged at the centre of the timepiece, allowing the cubes to float like satellites, suspended between the calibre and the case. Inside beats also the LFT ST13.01, with the cubes mounted on longer shafts to support the levitating display. The jewelled model is set by hand with over 1,000 diamonds arranged in a snow setting on the lugs, cubes, and dial centre, along with a hawks eye chapter ring. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Antipode A landmark for its innovative worldtime display, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Antipode combines the unique jumping hours mechanism with a world-first travel time complication. Developed entirely by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Antipode complication indicates the time across the worlds 24 time zones simultaneously with a day-night indication, presenting them in a legible, intuitive manner. A complication never before executed in watchmaking, the Antipode offers a singular way of reading the time across the world. A conventional hand points to the minutes, while the hours are indicated by an arrowhead pointer in yellow inspired by the stitching on Louis Vuitton leathergoods. The pointer is mounted on a rotating disc bearing a world map, a graphic reference nod to the Antipode world time complication. Local time is indicated with the minute hand and the yellow pointer for the hours, while world time is indicated by the 12 cubes of the Spin Time mechanism that encircle the world map disc. The hour numeral adjacent to each cube indicates the time in the two cities on each cube. This ingenious twist of two cities on each cube sets the Antipode apart from a traditional world time mechanism. The technical ingenuity of the patented complication belies the simple, practical interface that makes it easy to track multiple time zones at a glance. The background colour of each city provides the day-night indication. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Antipode Louis Vuitton Since each of the cubes bears the names of two cities, together the 12 cubes represent the 24 time zones around the world. The city pairs on each cube are exactly 12 time zones apart. For instance, Los Angeles and Dubai are 12 hours apart. As a result, the two cities occupy the same cube, reflecting the fact that midnight in Los Angeles is midday in Dubai. Unique in watchmaking, this display of opposite time zones inspired the model name Antipode. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Tourbillon The Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Tourbillon is an unparalleled combination of two major complications put together. A perfect expression of Louis Vuittons unique watchmaking DNA, this amalgamates the floating display of the Spin Time Air with an eminently traditional, chronometric mechanism, the flying tourbillon. Accomplishing the combination of both complications was a significant challenge for the movement development workshop at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, which had to accommodate both the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air and Air Tourbillon mechanisms within the tight constraints within the restricted, central volume of the case. With much of the peripheral volume occupied by the cubes, clever engineering was required to have both the automatic base movement and flying tourbillon positioned in the centre. In the centre of the dial is a flying tourbillon performing its mesmerising dance of one revolution per minute. Made of steel and finished entirely by hand on all surfaces, the tourbillon cage takes the form of a Monogram flower. To highlight the artistry of decoration in the tourbillon assembly, the steel lower plate of the tourbillon is highly polished, turning it into a mirror to show off the underside of the tourbillon components. Tambour Taiko Spin Time Flying Tourbillon Louis Vuitton Incorporating a flying tourbillon into the LFT ST05.01 movement called for extensive reengineering of the base calibre. Not only was the going train rearranged to locate the tourbillon on the dial, but the minute hand also had to be situated under and around the tourbillon. ST. LOUIS Over the past seven years, officials here have reported more than 1,700 confrontations between staff and inmates at the citys jails. There have been riots, beatings, stabbings, and assaults on inmates and guards. But city reports on use-of-force there show that, of all those incidents, just nine resulted in injury. Only one was severe enough to send someone to the hospital. The other eight got simple first aid. And there wasnt a single use-of-force injury recorded at either of the citys jails since 2019. Attorneys, activists and a former alderman all said the numbers dont add up. I think its ridiculous, said Maureen Hanlon, an attorney with the legal nonprofit firm ArchCity Defenders. Its deeply unserious. City officials began filing monthly jail data reports in 2017, after years of complaints about cleanliness, pests and sweltering heat, especially at the citys old Medium Security Institution, known as the workhouse. Aldermen insisted the reports provide the public with important information about jail demographics, including mental health care, deaths, suicides and contraband seizures. The jails became a key political issue during Mayor Tishaura O. Jones 2021 mayoral campaign. She pledged to improve conditions, reduce inmate populations and close the workhouse. Still, even after the workhouse closed, complaints continued to pile up about the downtown jail: Inmates jimmied locks, broke out of cells, rioted and attacked guards. Advocates have protested a string of detainee deaths, deplorable health care and officials blocking access to inmates. Jones has pledged to revamp health care, upgrade the facility and improve staffing levels, much of which has already begun. But it appears the monthly jail reports have never fully captured inmate violence and the jails response to it. City officials say the reports are accurate but they only track instances where guards use force on inmates, not the other way around, and therefore dont track guard injuries, they said. And while they classify the use of pepper spray as a use of force, they dont consider it as causing injury. They also noted guards have used force less in recent years. The Division of Corrections remains committed to transparency and the accurate reporting of all use of force incidents, said corrections spokeswoman Jamella Brown. We will continue to evaluate our practices to ensure full adherence to the requirements of (city ordinances). But former Alderman Joe Vaccaro, who sponsored the board bill to publish the reports, said the data doesnt make sense. To be honest with you, he said, I dont believe it. A call for transparency Advocates and inmates have complained about the conditions at city jails for decades. In the 2010s, two workhouse guards were charged with setting up fights between inmates, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that the workhouse had one of the highest rates of sexual misconduct among jails in the country and the ACLU filed suit alleging they ignored an inmates HIV-positive diagnosis. In 2017, advocates filed suit against the city alleging hellish and inhumane conditions at the workhouse. Officials had recently installed temporary air conditioning units after the cooling system had gone out during a sweltering summer. Calls to close the workhouse got louder. Aldermen took note. Vaccaro worked with community leaders to craft a bill requiring jail officials to file monthly reports that included information including inmate demographics, mental health care, suicide attempts and hospital transports. One of the categories was intended to measure use-of-force incidents between a uniformed member of staff and an inmate. Those uses of force were separated into three categories: Serious injury also called Use of Force A is an incident that results in an injury requiring medical treatment beyond the use of over-the-counter medicine or minor first aid. It could be multiple abrasions, a cracked tooth, a broken bone, loss of consciousness, a concussion or require admission to a hospital. Minor injury Use of force B results in an injury that doesnt require hospitalization or medical treatment beyond over-the-counter medicines or first aid. No injury Use of force C results in no injury to staff or inmates Jail officials filed their first report in October 2017. It included two minor injuries from uses of force and 20 where no injury was caused. The next report from November 2017 included one minor injury and 18 uses of force without any. The only report to contain a major injury from a use of force was in December 2017. After that, officials reported minor injuries in February, March and December 2018. The last one was reported in June 2019. Since then, a jail spokesperson said, the number of uses of force overall by jail staff on inmates has been going down. The reports say nobody has been injured. At the same time, reports of violence in the jail were making headlines. Riots, attacks, stabbings In April 2021, two inmates were charged with punching a jail guard in the face as he tried to break up a riot. Charges said the corrections officer was treated at a hospital for his injuries. Three months later, jail officials said several inmates and staff members were injured during a fight between inmates in the jails recreation area. Officials said inmates were beating each other, and then when staff arrived to break up the fight, the detainees threw various objects at them. In 2022, an officer was stabbed in the face during an uprising at the jail. Police said two detainees attacked the guard with a homemade sharp object, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment. In the summer of 2023, a jail guard was federally indicted for assaulting and injuring a handcuffed detainee. Court records say the guard pepper-sprayed a man twice in the jails medical unit then bent the man over, forced him to the ground and put his knee on the inmates neck. A couple months later, multiple inmates held a 70-year-old jail guard hostage for several hours, officials said. The guard was wheeled out of the jail on a stretcher. But none of those incidents were counted in the citys reports. Most of them, city officials said, did not meet their definition of use of force because inmates attacked guards, and that category in the reports doesnt include guard injuries. In the case of the fight between inmates in the recreation area, they said, the detainees injured each other. And the city didnt classify the jail guards alleged assault on the inmate as an injury from a use of force because there was insufficient evidence to support it during a preliminary review, officials said. The guard hasnt been convicted. His case is set for trial in March. The city has also reported dozens of times where jail staff pepper-sprayed inmates often in the face. Most of the detainees were taken to the facilitys nurse for treatment, but the jail still classified them as no injury. City spokesman Conner Kerrigan said Tuesday that was because detainees were treated with water and not medicine. Hanlon, the ArchCity Defenders lawyer, has sued on behalf of several detainees who say the city overuses pepper spray. And she said the use of those chemical agents absolutely caused injuries. Some detainees, she said, reported experiencing asthma, seizures or burning long after they were sprayed. One man claimed in a report that the substance was burning his skin. I just dont know what else you would call it (but an injury) if youre locked in a room filled with a chemical agent thats burning you, she said. Rev. Darryl Gray, the chairperson of the citys civilian jail oversight board, said it was impossible to know whether the numbers are accurate because city officials, for years, stopped board members from getting into the facility to speak with inmates or staff. If the jails numbers are correct, he said, St. Louis would be a model for detention centers and institutions across the country. But knowing the culture as I do, he said, it causes me to wonder if in fact those points are accurate. JEFFERSON CITY Missouri residents would be able to deduct capital gains income from their state taxes as part of a Republican-led bid to help businesses and create jobs. The plan, outlined in a Senate committee Tuesday by sponsor Sen. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield, would authorize a state income tax deduction for 100% of all capital gains income reported to the IRS. Capital gains are the profits an individual or business realizes from the sale of assets, such as land, stocks and bonds. A nonpartisan fiscal analysis showed the concept could blow a $334 million hole in state revenues, with more than half of that coming from reduced payments from corporations. The Missouri Budget Project, which monitors state revenue and spending, warned the Senate General Laws Committee that it was concerned about the loss of revenue without a replacement mechanism. Capital gains taxes are levied on profits from investments, such as home sales or stock sales. The current federal rate is 20%, with Missouri residents then paying 4.7% on those profits at tax time. Trent said the tax is detrimental to capital investment and economic growth. He says the initial loss of revenue will be offset by more investment by businesses. This would certainly help us with a competitive advantage, Trent said. Groups representing businesses testified that the change would boost economic growth in the state. This tax impacts individuals as well as corporations. Anybody who is making a profit would benefit from this, said Ray McCarty, president of Associated Industries of Missouri. Agriculture groups also said they back the proposal because it could spur older farmers to sell their land to younger farmers and ranchers rather than hold on to it to avoid taxes. The push on capital gains taxes comes as newly sworn-in Gov. Mike Kehoe has pledged to reduce income taxes at a time when revenue growth is slowing. Plans being pushed by his GOP colleagues include reducing the current top income tax rate of 4.7% to a flat 4%. One plan, if approved by lawmakers and then by voters, would give the General Assembly the power to impose sales taxes on an array of previously untaxed services, including dog grooming, heating and air conditioning work or lawncare. Similar bills will be heard in a House committee hearing Wednesday. They have been filed by freshman Rep. George Hruza, a Republican from Des Peres, and Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green. Our state is in a very advantageous position. We are the crossroads of the country, Trent said. Our tax code should not be an impediment to those decisions. The legislation is Senate Bill 46. JEFFERSON CITY Cities in Missouri would be barred from requiring landlords to accept federal housing vouchers under Republican-led proposals moving in the Legislature. In action Wednesday, the House Commerce Committee heard testimony on legislation that would prohibit municipal offices from stopping landlords from using credit checks or eviction history in deciding to rent to a tenant. Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, argued that legislation he is sponsoring would help landlords find renters who will pay their bills and keep their units in good shape. Rep. Ben Keathley, R-Chesterfield, is sponsoring a similar bill in response to concerns about cities placing restrictions on landlords who want to screen their prospective tenants. He said the federal Section 8 housing voucher program places burdens like inspections and backdoor rent-control measures on landlords. The legislation highlights another effort by Republicans who control the General Assembly to erode local control in cities like St. Louis. The hearing was underway as another committee heard testimony on a GOP-backed effort to give the state control of the citys police department. Under Section 8, the federal government pays a landlord a portion of a tenants rent. To qualify, landlords must adhere to certain restrictions, inspections and paperwork. Brown said many rental property owners dont want to participate in the program because of the red tape. They shouldnt be forced to do that, Brown said. In addition to Section 8 vouchers, cities could not prevent landlords from using income-qualifying methods, credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history in their decision to rent a property. And cities couldnt bar landlords from requesting criminal records from potential tenants. The measure is backed by landlord organizations. Its a safety issue for our other residents, said Angie Shulte of the St. Louis Apartment Association. Opponents said the plan is an overreaction to efforts by mayors and city councils to address housing issues at a time when housing prices have spiked. The legislation was approved by wide margins in the House last year but failed to advance in the Senate. In addition to seeking a legislative solution, two Kansas City landlords also are challenging the citys housing ordinance in federal court. A hearing on a request for a preliminary injunction against the rules is set for Jan. 28. The legislation is House Bill 343 and 595. President Donald Trump speaks during the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Jan, 20, 2025. (Department of Defense) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea Special, virtual guests took centerstage at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, one of several held to mark President Donald Trumps inauguration Monday in Washington. Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve and about 40 members of his staff including deputy commander Brig. Gen. Lee Sang Min and Command Sgt. Major Robin Bolmer appeared via a big-screen video call from the Maxwell D. Taylor Operations Center at Camp Humphreys. The Commander-in-Chief Ball, full of military members, was the first of three that Trump and his entourage attended that night. Video of the ball was posted on the Pentagons Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Trump, at a lectern onstage, called up to the big screen above him: Hello, everybody, how we doing over there? Hows Kim Jong Un doing? The presidents reference to the North Korean leader drew laughter from the audience inside the Washington Convention Center. Trump, referring to the command group on-screen, followed by saying: Thats a good-looking group of people, isnt it? LaNeve in response described Eighth Army as the bedrock of unmistakable land power on freedoms frontier in Asia, protector of both homelands, sir. Proud to stand before you today representing our incredible team here in Korea. Were deeply grateful to be part of this occasion. LaNeve congratulated Trump on his return to office and invited him to visit Camp Humphreys, where Eighth Army is headquartered, along with U.S. Forces Korea, U.N. Command and the Combined Forces Command. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed on the peninsula, serving alongside South Korean military forces. President Donald Trump speaks via video call to Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve and his staff during the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Jan, 20, 2025. (Department of Defense) Sir, on behalf of the men and women who serve under my command and the thousands of dedicated service members that are part of the joint team in Korea, congratulations on your victory as 47th president of the United States, LaNeve said. Welcome back, Mr. President, wed be privileged to host you here real soon. The ball is a tradition introduced in 2005 by President George W. Bush. It has evolved under each administration, reflecting unique presidential styles. The interaction between LaNeve and Trump reflects the longstanding tradition of recognizing and honoring the service of U.S. military personnel stationed around the world, Chongwon Choe, an Eighth Army spokesman, told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday. On the call, Trump brought up the North Korean leader a second time, calling him somebody with some pretty bad intentions. Trump met with Kim three times, most recently on June 30, 2019, when Trump briefly stepped into North Korea at the Demilitarized Zone. I guess I would say that, although I developed a good relationship with him, but hes a tough cookie, Trump said. Hows it going over there, hows it going? LaNeve replied: Sir, every day we train, we stay hard, we plan for possibly everything you could need us to do. The alliance is strong; were ready to receive you, Mr. President. Trump, apparently impressed with LaNeves demeanor, said, Is this man [from] central casting, or what? If Im doing a movie, I pick him to play my lead. Trump thanked the group and said he would see them soon. He concluded the short back-and-forth by asking if anyone else in the command group had a statement to make. LaNeve scanned the group, paused and raised his right arm above head, his fist clenched, and shouted, Hooah, sir! Pfc. Sean Gereaghty, a soldier of the Pennsylvania National Guard, assigned to the 1069th Military Police Company, 165th Military Police Battalion, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. Gereaghty provided life-saving assistance to a distressed woman during Inauguration Day in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. (David Boyles/U.S. Army National Guard ) Always Ready, Always There. Pfc. Sean Gereaghty, a soldier of the Pennsylvania National Guard, exemplified the branchs motto on Monday when he quickly responded to a distressed woman experiencing severe chest pains. With less than one year of experience as an emergency medical technician, Gereaghty provided life-saving assistance until emergency medical services arrived. Helping people feels good, especially when the outcome ends up being a positive one, said Gereaghty, who is assigned to the 1069th Military Police Company, 165th Military Police Battalion, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. Gereaghty and a fellow service member were stationed at a traffic control point in Washington on Inauguration Day when they were alerted about a nearby woman who collapsed and had indicators of a heart attack. Upon arrival at the scene, Gereaghty performed a medical assessment, monitored the womans vital signs and gathered her medical history from family members despite a language barrier. After high school I joined the National Guard and got my EMT certificate during annual training, he said. I returned home and became an EMT full-time shortly after. Once EMS personnel arrived, Gereaghty provided them with the details of the incident and passed along information about the womans medical history, current status and the care hed provided up to that point. The woman was loaded onto the ambulance to receive emergency medical care. Nearly 8,000 National Guard service members from across the country supported the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Guardsmen provided critical support such as crowd management, traffic control points, CBRN response, civil disturbance response and sustainment operations. Drawing a historical parallel with the origins of the brand in the 1990s, the second model introduced by DANIEL ROTH is a dress watch with just two hands. As with the Tourbillon Souscription, the Extra Plat Souscription was developed and produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. The epitome of functional elegance, the concept of an ultra-thin dress watch was long a personal favourite of Mr. Daniel Roth. Having already formed the outline of the design in his mind in the 1980s, Mr. Roth presented the original Extra Plat in 1990, one year after founding his brand with the Tourbillon C187. Today DANIEL ROTH pays homage to its roots and founder with the Extra Plat Souscription. Echoing the template established by the Tourbillon Souscription, the Extra Plat Souscription is faithful to the original model of the 1990s in style and craft, but entirely new in terms of mechanics, with the DR002 movement within having been developed especially for the watch. Having known Daniel for many years, we wanted to stay true to his philosophy and vision of watchmaking, say Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, the founders of La Fabrique du Temps, The Extra Plat Souscription is a simple watch with just two hands, but executed to the highest aesthetic and technical standards, just as Daniel would have done, but done in-house at the manufacture. Extra Plat Souscription Daniel Roth A tribute to the original Continuing the distinctive style of the Tourbillon Souscription, the Extra Plat Souscription is presented in an 18k yellow gold case matched with an 18k yellow gold dial decorated with hand-made clou de Paris guilloche. Staying true to the tasteful form of the original models of the 1990s, the Extra Plat Souscription has the same measurements as the Tourbillon Souscription the case measures 35.5 mm wide and 38.6 mm lengthwise. But the case is thinner than the Tourbillon Souscription, standing a svelte 7.70mm high, as a result of the ultra-thin DR002 movement inside and its mere 3.1mm thickness. Extra Plat Souscription Daniel Roth The case design stays true to the original, but has been gently reworked in keeping with the visual codes of DANIEL ROTH. The 18k yellow gold case retains the iconic double ellipse form, but with a perfectly centred godron along its outline for a balanced profile. At the same time, the lugs have been gently rounded for visual coherence and arched downwards for superior ergonomics. Not only is the case designed in the same style as the original, it is also put together with the traditional methods. Each of the lugs is produced as a separate component, which is then carefully soldered to the case middle, by hand and one at a time. Equally traditional is the guilloche dial that is made with time-honoured artisanal methods. Each dial comprises two parts, the base and an applied chapter ring, both of which are solid 18k yellow gold and engine turned by hand on antique restored machines in La Fabrique du Tempss own guilloche workshop. Extra Plat Souscription Daniel Roth The clou de Paris pattern on the dial base is engine turned on a hand-operated straight-line engine dating to circa 1935, while the filet saute border on both the base and chapter ring is applied with a machine from around 1850. Notably, both dial components are turned by a single artisan in-house at La Fabrique du Temps in a painstaking process that requires 10 hours of work per dial just for the guillochage. Each dial also boasts a detail only a keen-eyed observer will notice: the print on the dial, from the Roman numerals to the serial number, is in a deep, rich blue that echoes the colour of the heat-blued hour and minute hands. An all-new calibre The second movement conceived by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton for DANIEL ROTH, the DR002 seeks to honour both Mr. Daniel Roth himself as well as Swiss Haute Horlogerie. The DR002 echoes the distinctive visual style of the DR001 in the Tourbillon Souscription, but it was developed from the ground up for the Extra Plat Souscription. Movement of the Extra Plat Souscription Daniel Roth The DR002 is a form movement that takes the same double ellipse shape as the case. Despite its unconventional form, the calibre boasts all the hallmarks of traditional high-end watchmaking, both in terms of construction and decoration. Inspired by classical movements, the flowing outline of the bridges is finished with rounded, polished bevels known as anglage, which also incorporate sharp corners that are possible only with skilled artisanal finishing. We understand Daniels devotion to traditional high-end watchmaking, both as friends and watchmakers, so we wanted to respect his approach when we constructed the DR002, explain Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, As a result, we made sure it has the hallmarks of traditional Haute Horlogerie, like the steel winding bar click for the barrel. Attention was paid not only to the aesthetics of the calibre, but also the tactile feel. The winding click, for instance, is a single piece thats entirely satinated. Not only does it endow the DR002 with visual beauty, the winding click is responsible for the precise, rewarding feel when winding the movement. Extra Plat Souscription Daniel Roth Despite the classicism of the movement, the technical underpinnings of the DR002 are sophisticated. The 4 Hz balance wheel, for example, is free-sprung and made up of four arms, each with a variable inertia weight for regulation which promises superior and stable timekeeping over prolonged periods. And the single large mainspring delivers a 65-hour power reserve - a convenient three days, or a weekends running time. The undeniable beauty of the DR002 is concealed beneath a solid 18k yellow gold case back, as the calibre was in the Tourbillon Souscription. This act of discretion is once again a tribute to the past: the original Extra Plat watches were similarly equipped with solid backs. The Extra Plat Souscription is a limited edition of 20 pieces with delivery starting in January 2025. It will be followed by an Extra Plat model that will join the Daniel Roth catalogue. Chesty XVI, the official mascot of Marine Barracks Washington, was promoted to the rank of Corporal last week, embodying the Marine Corps legacy and values. Carlos Del Toro, in his final days as Navy secretary, presided over the ceremony on Jan. 16. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith was also in attendance. Chesty XVI enlisted in the Marine Corps February 2022 and was promoted to private first class that December. He relieved Chesty XV of his duties on May 6, 2022, and marched in his debut parade that evening. In January 2024, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. He wears two medals on his uniform: the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Chesty XVI is the 16th Marine Corps mascot to bear the name, which honors Lt. Gen. Lewis Chesty Puller, one of the most decorated Marines in the Corps history. Over the years, numerous English bulldogs have faithfully served at the Barracks, with some receiving formal burial honors within the Barracks hallowed grounds. Tokyo Station commuters dart past video ads featuring the family of North Korean abductee Megumi Yokota, Aug. 21, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) TOKYO The mother of a 13-year-old Japanese girl kidnapped by North Korean agents 47 years ago expressed hope Wednesday that President Donald Trump will help return all Japanese abductees. Sakie Yokota, 88, the mother of Megumi Yokota, said she hopes Trump will discuss the abductions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if they meet, and move the issue toward resolution. I wish him to convey our feelings. Even just a word, she told Stars and Stripes in a phone interview. Trump said he raised the issue when he met Kim in Singapore in 2018 during his first term. It was the first time the U.S. and North Korean leaders met. Trump was sworn into office for a second term on Monday. We were surprised when we heard that he talked directly about the abduction issue (with Kim), Sakie said. Trump in his first term met with families of the Japanese abductees in 2017 and in 2019 expressed his support in solving the issue, according to an NHK report Tuesday. Sakie said Trump seemed to be able to speak frankly with Kim. We hope he will show interest in the matter and relay the message to Kim, she said. We are getting old. Weve been waiting for 47 years, and it has not been solved. Japanese authorities believe Yokota was taken by the North while walking home from her junior high school in Niigata, a port city on the Sea of Japan, on Nov. 11, 1977. She is one of a dozen abductees identified by the Japanese government who remain unaccounted for. In 2002, North Korea admitted to abducting Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s, and apologized during a summit with Tokyo, according to Japans Foreign Ministry. Five abductees were returned to Japan that October. After a second summit meeting in 2004 in Pyongyang, the abductees family members were permitted to rejoin them in Japan. North Korea has since claimed that all the abductees were returned to Japan and that the matter is settled. Japan continues to investigate more than 800 people who may have been abducted, according to the Cabinet Office. North Korea may have carried out the abductions to teach their spies the Japanese language and to use their identities to enter South Korea, according to the National Police Agency website. Japan is seeking a meeting with Kim to bring other abductees home as quickly as possible. However, Pyongyang says all living abductees have been returned. Sakie asked for peoples support in solving the issue. People are being abducted in many ways. This is not just Japans issue but is a worldwide issue, she said. It could happen to anyone at any time. A $5.7 million demolition of this former barracks at Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy is slated to begin in May. It is too early to say what will be built in its place, an NSA Naples spokesperson said Jan. 21, 2025. Former plans for the site called for construction of an operations center. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes) NAPLES, Italy The Navy is moving forward with demolition plans for a 130,000-square foot building at Naval Support Activity Naples, as the installation faces a burgeoning need for office and operational space. The $5.7 million project will begin in May and is expected to take about a year, Lt. j.g. Valentine Mulango, a spokesperson for Naval Support Activity Naples, said in an email. It wasnt clear what is planned for the site of the old barracks building, built in 1996 at the bases Capodichino site. It had not been in use as a barracks for years. Unaccompanied sailors now are housed at the bases Support Site, about 14 miles away. A building project for the barracks site is still in the design and planning development phase, and the structural details arent yet known, said Mulango, who added that remodeling was determined not to be the best use of the space. Previously, the Navy told Stars and Stripes in May 2022 that a four-story operations center, with two stories above ground and two below for offices, conference facilities and administrative spaces, was planned for the site. U.S. 6th Fleet, which is headquartered at Capodichino, said at the time that the project would support the future operational requirements of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. There are more than 50 tenant commands and about 8,500 personnel at NSA Naples, according to the base. Many of those are located at the installations Capodichino site, which is adjacent to Naples International Airport. Capodichino also has a hotel, food court, chapel, gym and convenience store. Family housing, schools, a hospital, the commissary, another hotel, a recreational center and other services are located at Support Site. This month, base officials began analyzing the room available at NSA Naples for operations, commands and personnel, Capt. John Randazzo, the installation commander, wrote in an email Jan. 8. The base is looking at potential reconfigurations to alleviate the deficiency of space on the installation now, Randazzo said. NSA Naples has seen considerable growth in recent years. In March 2022, 6th Fleet stood up Task Force 61/2, a naval amphibious unit consisting of Marines and sailors from the II Marine Expeditionary Force. And there has been a contingent of British navy sailors maintaining a presence at NSA Naples since at least 2023. Last year, Naval Forces Europe-Africa and 6th Fleet said they would create two distinct staffs after operating as a single command for nearly 20 years. To answer those needs, the base recently finished construction of a two-story addition to its command, control, communications, computers and intelligence facility. Another building at Capodichino was partially renovated to allow for more workspaces. Ksenia Yudaeva, first deputy governor of Russias central bank, gestures while speaking during the Emerging + Frontier Forum 2019 at Bloombergs European headquarters in London, U.K., on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. (Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg) Russias representative to the International Monetary Funds executive board has received permission by Washington to move to the US, a reprieve from sanctions imposed in response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ksenia Yudaeva, who for a decade was first deputy governor at Russias central bank, was nominated as an IMF executive director in September. She will soon depart for the US capital after the Treasury Department cleared the move, according to three people close to the Russian government who asked not to be identified as the information isnt public. The US sanctioned Yudaeva in April 2022, two months after the start of the Kremlins war against Ukraine. The decision to allow her to live and work in Washington was made during Joe Bidens presidency, two of the three people said. Representatives of the IMF and the Russian government didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The US Treasury said that it doesnt comment on specific licenses. The appointment of Yudaeva, who took up her role in November, coincided with a rocky attempt by the fund to re-engage with Russia. After deciding in September to restart its annual economic reviews of the Russian economy - as it does for all its roughly 190 members - the fund reversed course amid criticism by several Ukraine allies. Yudaeva ended her stint as first deputy governor at the central bank in August 2023, but remained as an adviser to Governor Elvira Nabiullina until the end of last October. The holder of a doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yudaeva was Nabiullinas main ally in moving the Russian ruble to a free float in 2014. The central bank was effusive in its praise upon her departure last year, saying that financial stability had been maintained during various crises largely due to her efforts. The IMF executive board is currently comprised of 25 directors elected by member countries or groups of countries, though the distribution of votes is at least in part determined by a nations share of funding it provides. Russias previous executive director at the IMF was Aleksei Mozhin, who had served continuously since the 1990s. An Afghan woman taking refuge in Islamabad, Pakistan, holds her passport. (Saiyna Bashir for The Washington Post) President Donald Trumps executive order this week suspending the U.S. refugee admissions program has left in limbo tens of thousands of Afghans who were hoping to start new lives in America. Under President Joe Biden, nearly 200,000 Afghans were resettled in the United States, according to the State Department - most of them evacuated during or soon after the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal in 2021, when the Taliban seized control of the country. Tens of thousands of men and women who had worked for the U.S. military, American diplomats or government-funded organizations were left behind. Between 40,000 and 60,000 Afghans around the world are actively seeking resettlement in the United States, and thousands had already received U.S. government approval, estimated Shawn VanDiver, the president of AfghanEvac, a volunteer organization formed during the U.S. withdrawal that has helped Afghans flee the country. About 1,700 people were expected to be moved out of Afghanistan over the next four months, he added. These are folks who for one reason or another are at risk because of their association with the United States - and theyre hiding because theyre scared, VanDiver said. They include family members of Afghans serving in the U.S. military, as well as women and minorities who fear persecution under the Taliban. The U.S. president has broad authority to decide how many refugees are admitted to the country in a given year, and to allocate funding for resettlement. During his first term, Trump dramatically reduced refugee admissions, particularly from Muslim-majority countries. Biden swiftly raised the admissions ceiling when he took office in 2021, but it took years to build up the countrys resettlement capabilities. In the last fiscal year of Bidens presidency, the United States took in just over 100,000 refugees from around the world. Trumps executive order, which suspends the refugee admissions program in its entirety, did not mention specific nationalities, and did not explicitly target Special Immigrant Visas, or SIVs - reserved for Afghans who directly supported the 20-year U.S. war effort, including as military interpreters. VanDiver said he was optimistic that families would continue to arrive under the SIV program, which brought in more than 30,000 Afghans in fiscal 2024. The State Department declined to comment for this article. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Afghans and their advocates are bracing for the worst. On Wednesday morning, AfghanEvac posted screenshots to X of a State Department letter sent to groups that coordinate refugee resettlement. All previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being cancelled, and no new travel bookings will be made, it read in part. Danilo Zak, the policy director at Church World Service, an official U.S. resettlement agency, told The Washington Post on Wednesday that flight cancellations, including for refugee minors began rolling in this morning. VanDiver said his phone hasnt stopped ringing, as those affected try to make sense of what to do next. Many fled to neighboring Pakistan months or years ago and are running out of money. They say they cant afford another delay. This is so disheartening, said Spesali Zazai, a 52-year-old Afghan woman. She has been stuck in Peshawar, in northwestern Pakistan, for almost three years, waiting for resettlement in the United States with three of her daughters. Poland, another NATO member, took in her fourth daughter. Going back is not an option, she said. For women, theres nothing left to live for in Afghanistan. The Taliban has imposed increasing restrictions on women since it returned to power, banning them from secondary and university education and limiting their freedom of movement and expression. While the government initially portrayed its education ban as temporary, hopes among women that classes would resume have faded over the past year as authorities introduced draconian measures governing nearly every aspect of public life. Many Afghan men who were associated with the United States and its allies may also be at risk from the Taliban, human rights observers say, despite the regimes general amnesty for those who served in the previous Western-backed government. The United Nations documented over 200 extrajudicial killings of former officials and members of the armed forces after the Taliban takeover in 2021. The Afghan Foreign Ministry rejects those figures, saying that no military staff of the previous administration has been arrested, detained or tortured because of his activities in the security institutions. A key question now will be how the Pakistani government responds to Trumps executive order. Pakistan has forced about 800,000 Afghans to return to their country since fall 2023. So far, Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States and other countries have largely been spared, but authorities in Islamabad have indicated repeatedly that they are running out of patience. A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, said the government is still waiting for clarity from Washington. The suspension of the refugee admission program takes effect Monday. While it does not have a set end date, it is expected to be reviewed after 90 days. The order leaves room for case-by-case exceptions to the suspension, though it is unclear who would qualify. Refugee advocates are calling for much broader exemptions that would apply to applicants under the P-1 and P-2 programs, which include former Afghan officials and journalists. Adam Bates, a senior supervisory policy counsel at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said Trumps suspension of the refugee admissions program is a direct assault on the promises that the U.S. government made for 20-plus years to Afghans. Biden vowed in August 2021 that we will continue to support the Afghan people, but was criticized by refugee advocates throughout his term for not doing more to hasten the resettlement of Americas Afghan allies. The criticism intensified in 2022 as the administration worked quickly to resettle Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion, even as many Afghans were still waiting for their number to be called. We had hopes to be able to start over in the U.S., to build a future for our families, said Homaira Haidari, 28, who has been in Pakistan since early 2023 waiting for relocation to the United States. She found out about Trumps executive order on social media. It feels like our dreams are falling apart, she said. Haidari, a former journalist and midwifery student, has seen her prospects in Afghanistan wither. Female reporters have become a rare sight under the Taliban, and as of last month, women were banned from pursuing careers as nurses or midwives. The United States has remained a major contributor of financial aid to Afghanistan, sending money through U.N. agencies and other organizations that allow the funds to bypass authorities in Kabul. But Trump suspended all foreign assistance programs on Monday for 90 days, pending review, and has threatened to permanently cut off funding unless the Taliban returns the billions of dollars in military equipment left behind by U.S. troops. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned that a sustained halt to U.S. assistance would have severe ripple effects in Afghanistan, worsening the countrys economic crisis and probably forcing aid groups to lay off female workers. Women and girls in Afghanistan would further suffer, and lives will be lost, he said. Shaiq Hussain contributed to this report. Makar Kasatkin, the son of actress and Z-propagandist Maria Shukshina, went to war to kill Ukrainians. After his mother's crazy statements about supporting the Kremlin's policies, he gave his 6-year-old half-orphaned son to her to raise, and he went to the so-called "SVO". ADVERTISIMENT Shukshina's neighbors told the Russian media that Makar Kasatkin went to the front several months ago, leaving his young son Mark at home. They did not disclose any further details. "Makar, according to Maria, left for the 'SVO' back in the spring," the propagandist's neighbors said. It is interesting that Shukshina herself is silent about her personal life and relatives. She refuses to comment on the death of her daughter-in-law Freya Zilber in December last year. The woman was found without signs of life in a rented apartment in St. Petersburg. Syringes and a pipe for smoking mixtures were found next to her. The propagandist refused to accept her daughter-in-law into the family. It got to the point where Zilber had to take a DNA test to prove the child's relationship to Shukshina's heir. Later, both Makar Kasatkin and his mother recognized the boy. ADVERTISIMENT "Five years ago, Makar told me that he was not ready for a child and was still a child himself. But now Mark has grown up, and Makar sees himself in him. He recognized him as his son... My mom helps, she pays for a nanny. The boy is doing well. And thank God, I'm so happy," said Anna Tregubenko, the daughter of the Putinist. Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Maria Shukshina called for writing denunciations against those who listen to the songs of Sofia Rotaru and Verka Serdyuchka. The celebrity claimed that today there is a "war of cultural codes," so such actions are quite logical. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Soldiers from the Texas National Guard watch a Border Patrol helicopter hover above a group of civilians wading in the Rio Grande River along the Texas-Mexico border in 2023. More active-duty troops, resources and assets are on their way to the U.S. border with Mexico, White House officials said Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Spc. James Garcia/Texas National Guard photo ) As many as 1,500 troops along with other resources and assets began moving to the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday for a deployment that includes the use of military aircraft to conduct deportation flights and support for construction efforts to extend the wall that separates the two countries, the Defense Department announced. Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses approved three actions Wednesday, following executive orders signed Monday by President Donald Trump. The president directed me to take all appropriate action to support the activities of the secretary of Homeland Security in obtaining complete operational control of the southern border of the United States, Salesses said in a statement. The deportation flights will include more than 5,000 migrants detained by Customs and Border Protection near San Diego and El Paso, Texas, he said. The Department of Homeland Security will provide in-flight law enforcement and the State Department will obtain the necessary clearances and notification to other countries. The deployment includes two C-17 and two C-130 transport aircraft to support the deportations, according to a senior military official who spoke to reporters Wednesday on the condition of anonymity. Information on which troops or units will deploy or where they will go along the four-state border with Mexico was not announced, though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday in an interview with Fox News that the mission is underway. This comes off [Trumps] day one action to direct the Defense Department to make homeland security a core mission of the agency, she said. This is something President Trump campaigned on. The American people have been waiting for such a time as this for our Defense Department to actually take homeland security seriously. Trump on Monday ordered the Pentagon to deploy as many troops as needed to the border. He also ordered the military to begin work on a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and come up with a security plan to seal the border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the United States. The deployment of 1,500 troops will include helicopters and intelligence analysts to support increased detection and monitoring, Salesses said. It will consist of 1,000 Army personnel, including a battalion headquarters, and 500 Marines, the senior military official said. The Marines were previously assigned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist with the California wildfires. They were released from that mission [and] are being reassigned to the southwest border. These forces will work on the replacement of physical barriers and other border conditions, the military official said. The Marines and soldiers will join about 2,500 National Guard members now at the border, according to the Pentagon. Those troops work a support mission that includes detection and monitoring, data entry, training, transportation, vehicle maintenance, warehousing and logistical support. This includes helicopters for aerial reconnaissance in support of Customs and Border Protection personnel on the ground. That mission began in April 2018 during Trumps first term as president and remained in place during former President Joe Bidens four years in office. Trump deployed active-duty troops to the border for several months in late 2018 after a large group of migrants arrived at one time. Biden briefly returned active-duty forces to the mission in May 2023 to prepare for changes to border-security policies that were in place following the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Northern Command, which is the combatant command that has typically managed military troops working at the southwest border, will lead the mission with support from Transportation Command and the National Guard Bureau. The military supported border wall construction during Trumps first term as president, primarily through contract management. He also diverted more than $10 billion from the Defense Department, including money flagged for military construction projects, to build a wall along the border. When Biden took office in 2021, he halted most border wall construction. Matthew Adams contributed to this report. Doug Collins, the nominee to be the next Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, holds up his dog tags on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) President Donald Trumps nominee to run the Department of Veterans Affairs pledged Tuesday to protect veterans benefits from potential funding cuts as PACT Act enrollments and increased emphasis on health care from private doctors drive spending. All I was told by the president is to take care of our veterans, Doug Collins told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee during his confirmation hearing. Were not going to sacrifice the veterans benefits to do a budget. I wouldnt go to a place in which were not doing the mission. The mission is veterans. Collins, 58, an Air Force Reserve colonel and military chaplain from Georgia who served as a Republican House lawmaker from 2013 to 2020, received a relatively warm bipartisan reception during the hearing. The committee will hold an executive session Thursday, where they could approve Collins for the job and send his confirmation to the full Senate for a vote. If confirmed, he will lead a sprawling agency with a $369 billion budget and nearly 400,000 employees who provide health care, disability compensation and other benefits to 18 million veterans. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., the committee chairman, said lawmakers have received letters of support for Collins nomination from many veterans organizations, including the Wounded Warrior Project, AMVETS, Mission Roll Call, Burn Pits 360, Jewish War Veterans and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Senators focused their questions to Collins on several long-standing challenges that have plagued the department, including how he would manage veterans access to health care when it is unavailable at the VA because of geography or wait times. They also asked how he will manage two recent costly laws that provide increased care for some veterans as a new administration takes power and is adamant on reducing government spending. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the cost for providing veterans who need private community care went from $8 billion in 2014 to $31 billion by 2024. What the debate comes down to is not whether somebody should be able to access community care, but where are we going to put our resources? Are we going to allow the VA to wither on the vine, so to speak? Sanders asked. The Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT Act, became law in 2022 and extended benefits including health care and disability compensation to former service members who developed illnesses following exposure to hazardous materials while on active duty. The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act passed last month and gives severely ill and aging veterans access to convalescent care in their own home. While the PACT Act has already delivered new disability benefits to more than 1 million veterans, it has come with a more than $2 billion price tag for just the first four years of implementation, according to the Congressional Budget Office. An estimate for the Dole Act is about $1.7 billion. How will you make sure the VA toxic exposure fund remains viable for years to come, while providing the levels of care our veterans have earned? asked Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. Collins responded: The biggest thing weve got to do is actually look at what has passed here. Are we at the VA making sure that were getting good information and doing what the intent of the law was, so that they can continue to get those benefits? Senators also questioned how he would fix the VAs bungled rollout of electronic health records and improve the handoff of medical care from the Defense Department to the VA. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., asks Doug Collins to pinky swear on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, during his Senate confirmation hearing that he wont privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs. Collins is nominated to be the next VA secretary. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) The implementation of the electronic health record is a bipartisan, multi-administration disaster, said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Do I have your commitment to go through that program to quickly get it moving again and get an integrated health chart that also can integrate with the DOD, so that we can finally have a seamless transition from active status or Reserve status to veteran status and provide premium care at the VA? Yes, Sen. Tillis, and the reason is this what you just said about seamless care. Its actually a safety and security issue for my veterans, Collins said. When service members can move quickly into the VAs system, it can speed up access to disability benefits and life-saving mental health care when there is a risk of death by suicide, he said. The transition should feel like a warm hug, Collins said. Doug Collins, right, greets Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, before his Senate confirmation hearing. Collins is nominated to be the next VA secretary. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned Collins on brand new initiatives from the Trump administration to freeze hiring in the federal government and return all employees to in-person work. Collins said he is still looking at the changes implemented Monday and how it will affect the workforce. Thats not reassuring to me, Blumenthal said. There are extraordinary problems in recruiting and retaining the right doctors, the nurses, and filling their ranks where there are openings right now. So the explicit language of that memorandum seems to include them in the hiring freeze. The only major sticking point that Collins faced from Democrats came in questioning on womens access to abortions through the VA. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned him on whether he would preserve abortion access available to veterans in instances of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. We will be looking at that issue when I get in there to confirm that the VA is actually following the law, he said. The Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, Camilla, appeared at the opening of a new emergency department at one of the largest hospitals in Swindon. During the visit, Her Highness spoke with patients and staff, during which she admitted that the medical facility is of particular importance to her, as when her grandchildren have health problems, they come here first. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, according to the Daily Mail, it was at the Great Western Hospital that the wife of Charles III gave birth to her first daughter, Laura Rose Lopes. The heiress to the throne was born 47 years ago, and since then Camilla has visited the hospital for the first time. "I know quite a lot about you. You have treated many of my relatives. I am very impressed with this emergency department. I have only good feedback because I have friends who come here and grandchildren who have been here many times. I often receive photos with the caption: "Guess where I am?" In the emergency department in Swindon," Her Highness shared. ADVERTISIMENT About $41 million was spent on the hospital's renovation. The emergency department has installed rooms for complex injuries, where glass doors are now placed instead of curtains, and the number of resuscitation booths has increased. Queen Camilla toured the new ward and spoke to the staff to thank them for their hard work. She said: "I know from my own experience how you are changing this part of the country for the better. I would like to congratulate everyone who has done such a brilliant job on this place and everyone who works here." In addition, the wife of King Charles III spoke with a young patient of the hospital. While Her Highness was walking through the corridors of the Great Western Hospital, a little girl came up to her to say hello. The child's mother explained that she had been admitted to the hospital with suspected appendicitis. After that, the royal came closer to the child and said that she would be fine because she was "in good hands." "I thought so and realized that I hadn't been in this hospital for 47 years, since I gave birth to my daughter here. It was so long ago," the Queen said. It is worth noting that before Camilla married Charles III, she was married to Andrew Parker Bowles. In 1974, the couple had their first child, son Tom, and in 1978, daughter Laura was born. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Dublin District Court heard there had been a dispute involving James Gormans and the victims teenage daughters A father of four viciously beat the head off another dad in a vicious attack outside a Dublin school, and told the victims heavily pregnant partner he hoped she lost her baby. James Gorman (35) punched and dented the mans parked car before pulling him out and raining blows on him in front of his traumatised young son. Dublin District Court heard there had been a dispute involving Gormans and the victims teenage daughters. Finding him guilty, Judge John Hughes said if all parents were to act like the accused had over tittle-tattle, every school would end up like a UFC match. He gave Gorman a four-month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay 2,000 compensation to the victim and undergo anger management counselling. Gorman, of Lomond Avenue, Fairview, had denied assaulting Anthony Grimes; criminal damage to his car; and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. Mr Grimes and his partner Lauren Costello both said they were parked outside the school on September 21, 2023, when Gorman came over, roaring and shouting. He slapped the car window and punched the bonnet, pulled Mr Grimes out of the car by the leg and punched him repeatedly in the face. Ms Costello got out and tried to reason with him but he continued. He said he hoped I lost my effing baby, Ms Costello said. I was 36 weeks pregnant. Mr Grimes said: It was totally uncalled for, totally unprovoked. Gorman maintained that as he and his partner drove past, they were signalled to come over to Mr Grimess car. He alleged it was Mr Grimes who got out and started the fight and that he only punched him back in self-defence. He said any damage to the car was caused by Mr Grimes pushing him up against it. Gorman further claimed he was grabbed from behind by Ms Costello and denied making the remark about her pregnancy. Defence barrister Gareth Casey said the circumstances that had caused the stress between the parties had since changed. Gorman had no previous convictions. Judge Hughes said it was outrageous for Gorman to think he could sort out a dispute by beating the head off Mr Grimes. Case of Co Cork man will be heard at European Court of Justice Lawyers representing a man alleged to have been recorded in an MI5 sting operation targeting the New IRA have argued that his extradition would be a breach of his human rights due to post-Brexit changes to the UK justice system. The European Court of Justice based in Luxembourg is to rule early next month on whether Sean Walsh can be extradited from the Republic to face trial in Northern Ireland. Lawyer Ciaran Mulholland, representing Walsh, from Co Cork, said the case could have wide-reaching impacts on the UKs ability to extradite suspects from EU countries. Walsh is currently being held on remand in the republican block of Portlaoise Prison. He is contesting the extradition request from the UK authorities for his surrender to the PSNI to be charged with several offences arising from a MI5 covert operation codenamed Arbacia into the alleged activities of the New IRA. There are currently 10 people already before the courts in Northern Ireland facing charges arising from alleged meetings of the New IRA leadership in 2020 that were bugged by the intelligence agencies in Co Tyrone and in Scotland. Walshs case was initially heard by the Supreme Court in Dublin and he appeared previously before the European Court of Justice back in June 2024. However his case has been referred back to the Luxembourg court for further submissions. The court has been asked to consider the proportionality of new UK sentencing laws since Brexit. It is the first time since the UK left the European Union that the EU Court of Justice has been asked to decide if it would unduly punish a defendant. The European Court of Justice Previous attempts by defendants to halt the extradition due to Brexit were heard prior to the UK leaving the EU. Walshs defence has argued that sentencing is now harsher and thus in violation of Art. 49 EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Mr Mulholland said: This is a highly complex case in one sense given the implications of Brexit and the UK now as a non-EU Member State, but also simply in the context of determining whether the UKs Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 is compatible with EU jurisprudence. I accept that the ramifications of this case may have wide-reaching impacts upon the UKs ability to seek the extradition of individuals throughout the EU; however this is inevitable when you are no longer in the EU club and enacting legislation without consideration of EUs fundamental provisions nor obligations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. It is my strong view that the UK Government made itself abundantly clear with multiple announcements and in their Queens Speech at the time, when it openly stated the changes to their statute books was to ensure the most serious offenders serve more time in prison. It is therefore disingenuous for the UK Government to submit that there are no changes that would render a sentence under their new terrorism legislation any harsher where in reality defendants no longer have the equivalent remission and longer periods on draconian licensing conditions. They were arrested by gardai for breaches of the Air Navigation and Transport Act Four men are due in court this morning after they were arrested at Dublin Airport for disruptive behaviour on board a plane. The four, aged in their late 30s and 40s, were taken off the flight that was due to depart Dublin Airport for London. They were arrested by gardai for breaches of the Air Navigation and Transport Act. All four men have now been charged in connection with the incident and are due to appear in custody at Dublin District Court, Criminal Courts of Justice this morning. Jennifer Armstrong (50) was sentenced to six months in prison when she appeared in Dublin District Court ONE of Irelands most prolific petty criminals has clocked up her thousandth conviction after admitting a litany of offences. Serial public order nuisance and thief Jennifer Armstrong reached the astonishing crime milestone as she was jailed for her latest string of charges. She is believed to be the first offender in this country to amass more than a thousand convictions on her record. Armstrong (50) was sentenced to six months in prison when she appeared in Dublin District Court. She was already in custody when her case came before Judge Treasa Kelly, facing some 12 new charges. Her solicitor Eoin Lysaght said Armstrong was pleading guilty. Among the offences she admitted was a count of trespassing in a manner likely to cause fear in another person at a housing shelter on Lower Rathmines Road, last December 16. She also pleaded guilty to 10 public order offences around the city last year; on November 20, December 2,4, 5 and 6. There were five counts of public intoxication, three of threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and one of resisting a garda, with the offences happening at Mountjoy garda station, Cabra Park, Thomas Street and Lower Rathmines Road. There was also a charge of trespassing at Fr Peter McVerrys Trust, Conyngham Road. Jennifer Armstrong Garda Sergeant Derek Spain said Armstrong had 992 previous convictions. Judge Kelly remarked that this was already almost a thousand convictions and Armstrong would now be adding to that. Mr Lysaght said the offences were happening because his client, who is homeless, had nowhere to go when she was released from jail. When she was told to leave a hostel and did not go, she was arrested. He said it was an unfortunate situation she was in. Armstrong told the court she had been assaulted and robbed in hostels and it was f**king disgraceful. Mr Lysaght said the accused had been in custody since December 17 and throughout the spell of bad weather. The court heard the probation service had dealt with Armstrong before but had not been able to assist on this occasion. The judge jailed Armstrong for trespassing, with a concurrent six month sentence for failing to appear in court. She backdated the sentence to December 17. Over the years, Armstrong, who has addiction issues, has been convicted of assault, stealing from shops and harassing the public around Dublin city centre. Last April, she was jailed for nine months after she admitted drunkenly shouting at people watching Dublins St Patricks Day parade, smashing hundreds of euros worth of drinks bottles in shops and becoming violent after arrest. She also shoplifted more than 1,000 worth of goods including perfume and alcohol around the city. Armstrong has had more than 100 arrest warrants issued for her and has spent nearly 30 years of her life in jail. The courts have heard she had had a tragic life and had been in a "vicious circle" of horrendous poverty and substance abuse. She was previously addicted to heroin and cocaine and though she miraculously managed to get off both drugs, she later developed an alcohol problem. Another judge previously described Armstrong's list of previous convictions as a "record." The companies had noted a series of unauthorised transactions in the accounts during the time of Barrons control of the system A payroll manager who succumbed to temptation and stole over 25,000 from two companies has been given a two-year suspended sentence. Eimear Barron (53) of Ridgewood Close, Swords, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 12 counts of stealing various sums of money totalling 25,793 on dates from February 2019 to November 2021. The counts she pleaded guilty to are representative of a total of 41 unauthorised transactions carried out by Barron. A detective told the court that Barron worked for a company contracted to control the payroll of two different companies. They both contacted gardai in March 2022 when they noticed suspicious activity with the payroll. The companies had noted a series of unauthorised transactions in the accounts during the time of Barrons control of the system. The court heard that there were 41 transactions in total and the funds had been transferred to both her bank account and a Revolut account in her name. Barron had updated employees records with her own account numbers and the payments had been made in batches. Barron was arrested in May 2023 and made full admissions in subsequent garda interviews. She told gardai she spent the money on living expenses and paying bills. She had no previous convictions and had never come to garda attention before. The detective agreed with Philipp Rahn SC defending that Barron was desperate but counsel acknowledged that was no excuse for her offending. He accepted that she was the breadwinner in the family and while her husband worked as a taxi-driver intermittently, she had responsibility for the mortgage. The detective acknowledged that it was not a particularly sophisticated operation and that Barron had built up a career for herself in payroll. He further accepted that publicity surrounding the case would make it difficult for her to get further employment. Several references were handed to the court. Mr Rahn said Barron's family home had been sold and the full amount of 25,793 was now available to repay the injured parties. He said her offending was "not sophisticated" and that Barron, who has no trappings of wealth, was experiencing financial difficulties at the time. Counsel said his client had been the main breadwinner for her family, but lost her job and is not currently working. He said she had also lost her career due to her own actions, and has already paid a "significant price" for her criminality. A GP report was also handed to the court, which Mr Rahn said, notes that his client has experienced mental health difficulties. He asked the court to consider her early guilty plea, full admissions and her personal circumstances. Imposing sentence, Judge Orla Crowe noted that a payroll manager holds a "particular position of trust" within any business, and Barron's actions were a "significant breach of trust". She said Barron was the "main breadwinner" who was facing financial difficulties when she "succumbed" to temptation and stole from her employer. But, the judge said financial difficulties "don't excuse in any way" Barron's offending. The judge said the aggravating factors include the amount of money and that the offending took place over a two-year period. Judge Crowe imposed a two-year prison sentence, which she suspended in full on strict conditions for three years. The judge also directed that the 25,793 is paid to the two injured parties. Theresa Clarke (73), a married mother of three from Knocklyon, Dublin, was hit by a bicycle at around 11pm on Ranelagh Road in Ranelagh on June 4, 2024 A female pedestrian who suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a bicycle while she was out putting up election posters in Dublin last year died as a result of a traumatic head injury, an inquest has heard. Theresa Clarke (73), a married mother of three from Knocklyon, Dublin, was hit by a bicycle at around 11pm on Ranelagh Road in Ranelagh on June 4, 2024. The retired school principal was pronounced dead at 4.14pm five days later on June 9, 2024 at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. It is believed Ms Clarke was checking on a poster that had been erected of a Fine Gael candidate when she was involved in a collision with a cyclist. Ms Clarke was brought to St Vincents University Hospital by emergency services who attended the scene before a decision was taken to transfer her to Beaumont Hospital. The male cyclist was uninjured. At a sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court on Wednesday, the deceaseds husband, Michael Clarke, gave evidence of formally identifying his wifes body to gardai. The coroner, Clare Keane, informed the hearing that a postmortem had shown that Ms Clarke had died as a result of severe cranial cerebral trauma. Inspector Ger White applied for an adjournment of the hearing under Section 25 (1) of the Coroners Act on the basis that the circumstances of Ms Clarkes death were still under investigation. Read more Pensioner killed in road accident while erecting election posters in south Dublin Insp White informed the coroner that the case would be the subject of a file to be forwarded to the DPP. He explained that progress had been made in the investigation but a number of reports were still awaited which had caused delays to completing the file. However, Insp White said he believed gardai would be in a better position to report on the progress of the case in 4-6 months. Offering condolences to members of Ms Clarkes family, Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the inquest for further mention to July 23. Ms Clarke, who was a native of Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, was a former principal of Scoil Aonghusa Senior in Balrothery, Co Dublin. The retired teacher, who was a lifelong member of Fine Gael, was helping with campaigning for the party in last summers local elections when the tragic incident occurred. It is understood she was helping with the erection of election posters at the time of the fatal collision. A son-in-law of the deceased, John Clendennen, was re-elected for Fine Gael to Offaly County Council on the day before his mother-in-law passed away following polling day for the local elections on June 7, 2024. Mr Clendennen, who is married to Ms Clarkes daughter, Elaine and is president of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, was subsequently elected as a TD for Offaly in the general election in November. On news of her death, the then Taoiseach, Simon Harris described Ms Clarke as an integral part of the Fine Gael family and her death notice made reference to her colleague and friends in Fine Gael Dublin Bay South. Barrister Darach MacNamara, who appeared in the Circuit Civil Court for Sienna Darcy, told Judge Michael Walsh that a piping hot meal including oil and sauce, had spilled on her left hand An offer of 25,000 damages by Ryanair to a 12-year-old schoolgirl, who was scalded on a flight from Lourdes just over five years ago, was rejected by a judge today as inadequate. Barrister Darach MacNamara, who appeared in the Circuit Civil Court for Sienna Darcy, told Judge Michael Walsh that a piping hot meal including oil and sauce, had spilled on her left hand. Sienna, who sued through her mother Aideen Darcy, of Oscar Square, Dublin 8, alleged in her 60,000 damages claim that a hot pasta meal had been placed before her by cabin staff on what was claimed to be an unstable extendable table. Mr MacNamara, who appeared with Brian McGrane Solicitors, told Judge Walsh that liability was no longer an issue in the case and he was recommending that the court reject the Ryanair offer of 22,390 general damages and 2,610 special damages. He said the accident had happened on July 12, 2019 when Sienna, then aged seven, had been returning with her mother on a Ryanair flight from Lourdes to Dublin. Very hot pasta spilled on her left hand and caused her significant burns, Mr MacNamara told the judge. While her burns healed over time she had been psychologically impacted and there are three medical reports before the court. He said Sienna had to have a significant amount of counselling in the form of therapy. He told Judge Walsh that if he was happy to refuse Ryanairs tender he felt a better offer would resolve the case. Judge Walsh, agreeing to refuse the settlement offer, said Sienna had suffered nasty burns and pain and trauma. Siennas mum Aideen told the court in an affidavit that the hot food had fallen off the table onto her daughters lap and she asked the court to refer to the medical report of Dylan Murray, craniofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and two reports from Blanaid Gavin, consultant psychiatrist. Ms Darcy said her daughters subsequent reaction to the burns and scarring of her hand had badly affected her. It really was a horrific experience, Ms Darcy said. She claimed her daughter had screamed in pain and cold water and cooling gel had been applied to the burn by Ryanair cabin staff. Her daughter had continued to be in excruciating pain and cried for the duration of the flight. On landing at Dublin, Sienna had been taken by ambulance to Temple Street childrens Hospital where she had been treated. She had been required to attend hospital on numerous occasions, it was claimed. In the absence of an increased settlement offer from Ryanair Siennas claim will go forward to a full trial before another judge. Brendan Casey (19) of Lealand Avenue, Clondalkin, and Gerry Wall (19) of of Greenhills Grove, Tallaght, Dublin 24, face seven charges each Two teenagers from Dublin have appeared before Tralee District Court charged with the possession of rifles and a large amount of ammunition after being stopped at a roundabout in the town on Monday night. Brendan Casey (19) of Lealand Avenue, Clondalkin, and Gerry Wall (19) of of Greenhills Grove, Tallaght, Dublin 24, face seven charges each in respects of the possession of firearms and ammunition. Mr Casey is charged that on January 20, at the John Cronin Roundabout, Ballymacthomas he had in his possession, without the appropriate firearms certificate, 41 rounds of 0.27 ammunition, 380 rounds of 0.22 ammunition and 119 shotgun cartridges. He also charged that he had in his possession a BRNO 0.27 rifle, a Miroku shotgun, a Savage 0.22 rifle without the appropriate licence. He is further charged with the possession of all of these guns and ammunition as stolen property as well as a steel gun case and ear muffs and a butterfly knife valued at 7,500. Mr Casey is also charged with an extra charge of theft from Circle K on the Fenit road dating back to 2023. Mr Wall is facing the same charges in relation to ammunition and guns and having stolen property along with the possession of a knife with a sharply pointed blade. The court was told that there was not objections to bail on certain conditions. Sgt Chris Manton also said that DPP directions were not yet available. The bail conditions for both men include providing a 1,000 independent cash surety and their own bond of 200 along with residing at their given addresses and observing a curfew between 9pm and 8am each day. They must also sign on daily at the their local garda station Tallaght and Clondalkin respectively. They have also been ordered to stay out of Kerry except for court appointments or for a legal consultation and to have no contact with witnesses directly or indirectly and to provide gardai with a mobile number and keep it switched on. Mr Casey is represented by solicitor Brendan Ahern who said his client was not in a position to take up bail today, Wednesday, January 22 but would be in a position to do so tomorrow, Thursday, January 23. Mr Wall, represented by Pat Mann, said his client would be taking up bail. Judge David Waters said he was refusing jurisdiction in both cases and both men have been remanded to appear again before Tralee District Court on February 5. McGregor who is in Washington DC to attend the inauguration has been documenting his trip on his social media McGregor walks the red carpet at the Turning Point USA Inaugural-Eve Ball, and (inset left) congratulating the First Lady, Melania Trump Shamed UFC fighter Conor McGregor shared a bizarre Instagram post describing him as the Pride of Ireland as he mixed with newly-elected President Trumps inner circle McGregor, who was in Washington DC to attend the inauguration, documented his trip on his social media where he boasts about meeting some of the new administrations most powerful people. In one he shares a message that reads: What an honour to speak with the pride of Ireland and one of the baddest [sic] MFs to ever walk Gods green earth last night (and a fellow to boot). McGregor shares the 'Pride of Ireland' post Will always have your back @thenotoriousmma, the message adds, while assuring him that Potus (President of the United States) and Flotus (First Lady of the United States) absolutely enjoyed your company. Thanks for stopping by champ! In other posts on his Instagram stories, McGregor congratulated Melania Trump, sharing a screenshot of the two on a video call which he captioned: Congratulating the First Lady. In others he is snapped with the conservative political commentator and conspiracy theorist talk show host Tucker Carlson and Mike Johnson, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. McGregor attended a ball ahead of Trumps inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Sunday night just days after a judge ordered him to pay Nikita Hand 100,000 of her 250,000 damages and 200,000 of her expected 1.3m legal costs. McGregor congratulates the First Lady, Melania Trump Last November a jury found McGregor had assaulted Ms Hand in a civil case she took against him over an alleged rape in December 2018. The UFC star attended the pre-election victory rally at the Capitol One Arena in Washington DC, after flying in a private plane from Dublin on Saturday. He has been spotted with various far-right figures including Nigel Farage. We are so back, McGregor wrote on social media site X, accompanied by a picture of him and Reform UK leader shaking hands. Farage has been the leader of the Reform UK right-wing populist political party since June 2024 and is a long-standing ally of Trump. McGregor was also pictured with Hermann Tertsch, a member of the European Parliament for the Vox party, which is aligned with the European Conservatives and Reformists. The Spain-based MEP posted a picture to X with McGregor as well as Vox party leader Santi Abascal, entitled three generations of struggle. McGregor walks the red carpet at the Turning Point USA Inaugural-Eve Ball at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Mr Abascal is a Spanish politician and since September 2014, is the leader of the right-wing political party Vox. He is a member of the Congress of Deputies representing Madrid since 2019 and since November last year, he is also the president of the European right-wing political party Patriots.eu. The fighter also posed for pictures with another MEP, Klara Dostavlova, who is vice-chair of the Patriots for Europe Group. On Saturday, the Dubliner met with Gold Star Families, a United Statesbased organisation founded in January 2005 by individuals who lost family members in the Iraq War, and are thus entitled to display a Gold Star. "Honour to be in Washington, D.C., to support real Donald Trump, the newly elected leader of the free world, and to stand with the 13 families who lost their loved ones at Abbey Gate, McGregor, who was invited by the families, said on X. McGregor was also seen cheering in the 20,000-strong crowd at the Washington victory rally, where UFC CEO Dana White and Elon Musk spoke. He also declared his support for Tommy Robinson when he was asked about the jailed right-wing UK activist who is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court. A reporter said he wanted to talk to McGregor about how Ireland is having a problem with illegal immigration, just like America (and) just like the UK. One of the leading voices in the UK, a guy named Tommy Robinson, who also happens to be part Irish is locked up right now (for) bringing attention not only to immigration and to the rape of Britain but also for exposing trouble with refugees, the reporter states. What do you think about Tommy's predicament right now in the UK and the fact that he's locked up for playing the documentary film? McGregor replies in the encounter that was filmed: For the life of me I cant understand why we wish to hide these horrific crimes and shield them from light. Light is the best disinfectant and light is needed so for anyone that sheds light on this, they do not deserve to be turned on in society, they deserve to be praised. So, you know, I pray for more light on the bad things that happen. These criminals did not care about the misery and exploitation that the supply of illegal drugs brings..All they cared about was money Two drug traffickers whose organised crime group was brought down after a gang member shared a photo of their pet dog, have been told to hand over almost 1.2m (1.4m). Stefan Baldauf (64) and Philip Lawson (63) were part of the gang behind a sophisticated plan to send 448kg of MDMA worth 45m (53m) to Australian accomplices hidden in the arm of an excavator. Their plans were foiled when officers gained access to their group chat and saw a photo of Bob the French bulldog, the pooch of ringleader Danny Brown. The phone number of the kingpins partner was inscribed on Bobs collar, leading investigators to Danny and later to Cork man Leon Reilly and the rest of the gang. Reilly, from Dunbeacon, Bantry in West Cork, who was responsible for getting the digger into Australia from the UK, had even rigged an online auction in an attempt to make the deal look legitimate. "There are six people watching it, the West Cork native texted, worried their planned buyer would be outbid by someone who had no idea the arm was full of drugs. Philip Lawson UK officers watched as Reilly paid a haulage firm 1,600 to move the Doosan digger to Brisbane. When it landed in March 2022, the Australian Border Force x-rayed the excavator, removed the MDMA and re-sealed the arm before installing a tracker and listening device. Browns Aussie associates spent two days trying find the drugs before taking to Encrochat. The six UK criminals including Reilly launched their own investigation into the missing drugs, holding meetings about where they could be and who could have stolen them. EncroChat messages allowed officers to watch as this played out before arresting Brown and co-conspirator Baldauf. But the plan fell apart after Brown (57) sent Baldauf a picture of his French Bulldog Bob, with his partners phone number on its tag. A painstaking National Crimes Agency (NCA) investigation was launched under Operation Venetic the NCA-led response to the takedown of encrypted communications platform EncroChat in 2020. Investigators zoomed in on the number and used it as well as other evidence to prove Brown, of Kings Hall Road, Bromley, Kent, was part of the conspiracy. Stefan Baldauf Baldauf, of Midhurst Road, Ealing, London, also sent an image on EncroChat which criminals had mistakenly believed was impenetrable showing his reflection in a brass door sign. On Monday, Baldauf, who was jailed for 28 years in December 2022, was ordered to repay 1,007,637 at Kingston Crown Court. He has three months to pay or will receive an extra seven years in jail. Lawson, who designed the drugs hide in the digger and arranged a welder to cut it open and then seal the digger, was sentenced to 23 years. He was ordered to pay 182,476. He also has three months to pay with failure resulting in the imposition of another three years on his sentence. The funds will go towards further crime fighting and the Treasury. Brown, who was jailed for 26 years, will face a confiscation hearing later in the year along with another of the group, William Sartin (63) of Timberlog Lane, Basildon, Essex. The excavator was concealed in Sartins industrial unit. He was sentenced to 23 years. Philip Lawson Baldauf, Brown, Lawson and four other men in the UK were jailed for 163 years. There were also two prosecutions by the Australian Federal Police. Chris Hill who led the NCA investigation, said: These criminals did not care about the misery and exploitation that the supply of illegal drugs bring to UK and Australian communities. All they cared about was money. So these proceedings are immensely painful for them, hitting them in their pockets and are a crucial way of showing other organised criminals that the consequences do not end when the prison door slams shut. The NCA continues to do everything possible, working at home and abroad, to protect the public from the threat of illegal drugs supply. In Germany, archaeologists received 1500-year-old human bones. However, the delivery was made not in special boxes, but in an IKEA bag. ADVERTISIMENT According to the administration, the shopping bag with the findings was handed over to the city archaeology of Fulda. According to preliminary data, the remains belong to an ancient tribe, writes Hessenschau. Strange packaging Archaeologist Milena Wingenfeld said that the blue and yellow IKEA bag was handed over to her by a volunteer from the Fulda District Archaeology. He inherited the human remains, which were wrapped in a crumpled newspaper from the 1960s, from a deceased friend who was a doctor. Before he died, the doctor said that when he was young, in the 1960s, he helped with an archaeological dig at a cemetery in Gottingen in Lower Saxony. In gratitude for his work, he was allowed to choose one of the skeletons he found, Milena said. ADVERTISIMENT "He was simply allowed to take the skeleton with him. Today it sounds very strange to us. However, we can say that the doctor was trained in this field because he had previously sorted the skeleton parts," Wingenfeld said. Examination of the remains According to Milena Wingenfeld, the anatomical group in the bag included two femurs, parts of a jaw, two kneecaps, pieces of a skull, arm bones and a spine with ribs. "It seems to be the skeleton of one person," the archaeologist suggested. Based on current knowledge, it is impossible to say how old a person was or what gender they were, the researcher says. There are no graves that could help with dating. Next week, a radiologist will examine the bones and clarify these issues. Interestingly, the archaeologist found a scientific publication about a cemetery near Gottingen among the bones. Wingenfeld's colleagues from the Gottingen District Archaeology Department confirmed that the skeleton from Fulda actually belongs to Lower Saxony. Therefore, the remains may belong to a person who was buried during the Germanic tribes' time - about 1500 years ago. According to the researchers, the found remains can complete the picture that archaeologists have of the funeral rites and living conditions of people living at that time. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Charles Dooher and his father suffered injuries when a gang of five hooded men allegedly broke into their Lifford home Charles Dooher is fighting for his life after the attack at his home Two have been arrested in Derry after a serious assault in Co Donegal earlier in the week left a young man fighting for his life. The PSNI, which is assisting gardai in the investigation, arrested the men on suspicion of serious assault. Charles Dooher and his father suffered injuries when a gang of five hooded men reportedly broke into their Lifford home, close to the border with Co Tyrone at around 10.30am on Monday morning. Charles, who is in his 20s, was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for emergency surgery on a serious head injury. His father, who is also named Charles and in his 60s, suffered less severe injuries and is being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital. Charles Dooher Gardai have carried out door-to-door inquiries in the Lifford area and appealed for information and for anyone who may have camera footage (including dash-cam footage) from the Coneyburrow Road in Lifford between 10am and 11am to come forward. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on 074 9167100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station The PSNI has been assisting Gardai in the investigation and late on Tuesday night arrested two men in the Derry area. They are currently in police custody. More to follow The teenager fired several bullets at his target before he fled to a nearby restaurant where he was also shot and beaten by three men A 15-year-old Dutch hitman has been seriously injured after a gun attack on a Chechen mafia leader in Hamburg. Two people were injured during the shooting at a Turkish restaurant on January 12 that was reportedly launched by the masked hitman from the Netherlands. The target, a 49-year-old man, is believed to be a high-ranking member of the Chechen mafia, according to various German media. The teenager fired several bullets at his target before he fled to a nearby restaurant where he was also shot and beaten by three men. The Dutch teenager, identified only as Mike F was arrested by German police alongside three other men. The justice department confirmed to De Telegraaf on Monday that the teenager is from the Netherlands. According to the Public Prosecution Service, his injuries are not life-threatening. However, De Telegraaf reports that due to privacy rights of the suspect who is a minor, and in order not to jeopardise the police investigation, authorities will not make any further statements. The news site reports that the suspect is believed to have gone into a toilet in a Turkish bakery near the Steindamm area close to the citys Red Light district. Wearing a mask, he then stormed towards the alleged gangster boss Rizvan A, De Telegraaf reported. After two shots to his legs, F fled. CCTV footage from a nearby Italian restaurant apparently shows the terrified gunman hiding among stunned diners. Six people are said to have followed him out on the street and opened fire. He is then found in the restaurant where he was assaulted and shot in the legs. Rizvan A and two other men, aged 32 and 52, were arrested shortly afterwards, alongside the would-be assassin. The mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, expressed concern in an interview with De Telegraaf regarding young boys from the Netherlands who are also being arrested in the port of Hamburg where drugs are shipped in containers. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser recently visited an international task force on cross-border crime where the issue was raised. The German police chief told De Telegraaf that he had arrested many Dutch criminals in the past and described their behaviour in public spaces during chases as reckless. Robby Kinlan (21), from Quilty in Co Clare, was found dead in his hotel bed on the island of Koh Tao on Thursday, January 9 Funeral prayers for tragic Irish backpacker Robby Kinlan who was found dead in Thailand will be held this afternoon ahead of his cremation tomorrow. Kinlan (21), from Quilty in Co Clare, was found dead in his hotel bed on the island of Koh Tao on Thursday, January 9. On his death notice published on RIP.ie it states that Robby who died tragically in Thailand is dearly loved and deeply regretted by his heartbroken Mam, Tracy King and Dad, Gerry Kinlan, his brother Tommy King and sister Kelly Kinlan. Robby will be sadly missed by his loving family, his aunts and uncles Lorna, Brian and Stephen King, Seamus and Maralyn and Madeline Kinlan, nieces, cousins, extended family members and a large circle of friends, the notice reads. Funeral prayers in Star of the Sea Church, Quilty, on Wednesday, January 22 at 4.30pm followed by reposing until 7pm. Cremation in Shannon Crematorium on Thursday, January 23 at 3pm. In the condolences section people have expressed sympathy to Tracy and all the King and Kinlan families on your sad loss. May Robby's soul rest in peace. Robby Kinlan Another offered: Deepest condolences to you, Tracy and all your family and also the Kinlan family at this sad and difficult time. Robbie was a lovely jolly fellow and always had a smile on his face. The bed of heaven to you Robbie. One other person wrote: Deepest sympathies to you Tracy and your family on the loss of your beautiful son. My prayers are with you all. Another said Robby was such a lovely lad taken too soon. Robbys mother Tracy King told Irish Daily Mail how her son earned two diving qualifications since heading to Thailand at the end of November. He was an absolute water baby since he started when he was 12 and he spent lots of time over in Lahinch and then went back to Inis Mor last summer. He just walked in one day and said, I am going to Thailand. I have already booked the ticket. It's all he wanted to do. That's where all the diving was. She said that his death was very unexpected, adding that Robby had been in a really good place mentally in recent weeks. He was doing very, very well over there and supported himself through his (diving) qualifications. His personality was his talent and I would say to him, Robby, you have to be an actor or a barman or someone who deals with the public in some way. It comes as his brother Tommy said hed turn down all the money in the world to have Robby back as he described his fun and charming younger sibling. He was just a really good guy. He didn't have a bad bone in his body. He was young and the world hadn't made him cynical yet, he told the Mail. He had such a good outlook. I looked up to him most because he was able to see the good in any situation. We often spoke about supporting each other and how we were going to work out the problems we had. He was doing a really good job of doing that. He was absorbing the wisdom and listening to his elders, and he was doing well and now he's gone. Tommy added that the support his family has received has been a great help. A message on a GoFundMe page set up to help the family of Robby Kinlan says the donations, messages, and support have meant the world to Robbys family. Thank you for your incredible support, the message reads. Its a true testament to how many lives Robby touched and how deeply loved he was. In a poignant post on Facebook, his mother Tracy King, wrote: "RIP to my precious son Robby. He is resting in this beautiful temple in Koh Tao Thailand before his removal back to Ireland. I am heartbroken and overwhelmed and so very grateful for all the kindness being shown to us at this time. Thanks to all friends and family. Thanks especially to the Guziuk family at Dive Academy on Inis Mor. In Thailand, he was surrounded by many friends and he was living his dream, spending his days doing what he loved - freediving and scuba diving in the place that made him happy. It's understood the incident took place in an entry way close to business premises. PSNI and NIAS at the scene of an incident on the Limestone Road in North Belfast on the 22nd January 2025 PSNI and NIAS at the scene of an incident on the Limestone Road in North Belfast on the 22nd January 2025 PSNI and NIAS at the scene of an incident on the Limestone Road in North Belfast on the 22nd January 2025 Police have confirmed a person has died following an incident in north Belfast. Emergency services are at the scene in the Limestone Road area. It's understood the incident took place in an entry way close to business premises. PSNI and NIAS at the scene of an incident on the Limestone Road in North Belfast on the 22nd January 2025 Images show ambulance and police at the scene. In a statement police said they were in attendance at the scene of a non-suspicious sudden death. Met Eireann issued a nationwide Status Orange wind warning The entire island of Ireland will be under a wind warning due to Storm Eowyn, which is predicted to bring powerful and disruptive winds along with some snowfall. Met Eireann issued a nationwide Status Orange wind warning for between 2am and 5pm on Friday. Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds with gusts of up to 130kmh (80mph) widely, with even higher gusts for a time. The expected impacts include fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage, very difficult travelling conditions, disruption and cancellations to transport, and wave overtopping. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content There are also warnings in place for all coasts off the island of Ireland and the Irish sea. A Status Yellow gale warning applies between 9pm Thursday and 2am on Friday, immediately followed by a Status Orange storm warning until 5pm. The latter warning comes with the expectation that south-west winds veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all coastal waters and the Irish sea. Met Eireann said: Storm Eowyn will bring powerful and disruptive winds over Ireland on Thursday night and during Friday along with some transient snowfall in the north west. It will start to become very stormy on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Eowyn tracks just off the north-west coast on Friday morning. Met Eireann said this will be followed by a swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country bringing disruption. It will start to become very stormy on Thursday night, before the centre of Storm Eowyn tracks just off the northwest coast on Friday morning. Met Eireann said this will be followed by a swathe of extremely strong and damaging winds extending across the country bringing disruption. The UK Met Office has issued a Yellow Wind warning for Northern Ireland due to Storm Eowyn. It said: Storm Eowyn is expected to pass close to or across the north west of the UK on Friday before clearing to the north east on Saturday. Whilst there is some uncertainty in the track of Eowyn, a spell of very strong winds is likely, initially south-easterly before turning westerly, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph inland and 80-90 mph along some coasts and hills perhaps even higher in a few locations. The warning for Northern Ireland is in place for all of Friday, and comes with the advisory that power cuts are likely to occur. It is also likely to affect road, rail, air and ferry services. The Met Office said there is a chance that there could be some damage to buildings or that power lines may come down. It added: Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties. Earlier this month, tens of thousands of people were left without access to electricity and power amid a cold snap on the island of Ireland. Plummeting temperatures and icy travel conditions resulted in transport disruption, the closure of some schools, and curtailment of certain healthcare services. Locals described Anthony Redmond as a great character who loved motorbikes and fishing Tributes are being paid to a motorcyclist (55) who died in a crash in Co Wexford on Saturday last. The man has been named locally as Anthony Redmond, Ashgrove, Fethard-On-Sea, New Ross, Wexford was fatally injured in the single-vehicle collision in Barntown on Saturday evening. It occurred on the R738 at Knockeen shortly before 6.15pm. Mr Redmond was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other injuries reported. Locals described him as a great character who loved motorbikes and fishing. One local said Anthony was always a good hard worker, always had a smile on his face and he would keep you in good form even on a bad frosty day picking spuds which is where i first met him many many years ago .Rest easy Anthony . Another wrote Rip Lad. You were like a uncle to me when we used go fishing, like the day I brought us all over the place trying to find a river, and the couple of weeks we were doin up a bike. Hopefully your wheeling your way into Heaven with your gsxr. Miss you Anto RIP. Mr Redmond is survived by his partner Billie and children Dale, Conor and Tara. His remains will repose at Cooney's Funeral Home, New Ross, on Wednesday, January 22nd, from 4pm concluding at 8pm. Removal from the funeral home on Thursday, January 23rd at 11.30am to St. Anne's Church, Rathnure, Y21 FX37 arriving for his funeral Mass at 12noon, followed by cremation at Mount Jerome Crematorium, Harold's Cross, Dublin arriving for a service at 3.45pm. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the area between 5:30pm and 6:30pm are to make this footage available to Gardai. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Wexford Garda Station on 053 916 5200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. This latest incident is the second motorcyclist to be killed on Wexford Road in the space of three days. On Wednesday January 15th John Kavanagh (48) was riding his motorcycle when he was involved in a collision with a car on the R742 at Johnstown, Castlebridge. New Zealand lifejacket manufacturer Hutchwilco is proactively recalling a specific model of their popular Inflatable Lifejacket. Customers with manual 170N lifejackets manufactured from June 2021 to May 2022 are potentially affected. The recall comes following an advisory from Hutchwilco's American supplier, Halkey Roberts, of a potential failure during testing of the green/red indicator. This is reported as an occasional issue only affecting some units general manager Tim Ritchie said. "Whilst the firing pin mechanism still functions, the indicator may show that the lifejacket is ready for use when in fact it isnt due to, for example, the cylinder not being screwed in properly or the cylinder being damaged. The lifejacket may not inflate if this happens." Ritchie said ensuring customers have the right quality equipment to keep them safe while out enjoying the water is always their top priority. "Thats why its important for us to take these voluntary steps to get our customers sorted and back on the water quickly." Recalled inflators can be found on the Hutchwilco 170N manual lifejacket thats fitted with a V96000 Halkey Roberts mechanism with a manufacture date of June 2021 through to May 2022. Ritchie said this will be laser printed on the mechanism in the format MM/DD/YY. Were asking boaties to help us maintain our top-quality standards and take the time to check the mechanism in their 170N Inflatable Lifejacket," Ritchie said. "If your mechanism is a Halkey Roberts v96000 please head to www.hutchwilco.co.nz/recall and follow our three simple steps to get your faulty lifejacket back to us at our cost. "Our team are standing by to remedy the situation by either replacing the mechanism in affected lifejackets or coordinating a refund from the mechanisms manufacturer, Halkey Roberts. Either way we want to get customers sorted quickly so they can continue to make the best of summer." The large majority of Hutchwilcos popular inflatable lifejackets are manufactured with an alternative branded mechanism and arent affected. Hutchwilco is a distributor of quality Marine Safety Equipment, recreational and performance Watersports Products and nationwide agents for industry leading brands such as ACR, PAINS WESSEX & ZODIAC. An ambulance was not required, however the victim was understandably shaken by the incident. A man, armed with a knife, entered the premises and assaulted a worker, before stealing a cash register and fleeing on foot. A spokesman said police were called to a Cameron Rd bar about 9.30pm on Tuesday. A bar worker has been assaulted during a robbery at a Tauranga bar. The spokesman said cordons were in place while a scene examination was carried out. Inquiries to find the offender were ongoing. A staff member at Marble Bar in Gate Pa, who would not be named, told the Bay of Plenty of Times a member of staff was assaulted and threatened with a knife. Money was taken out of our cash registers and the staff member was injured but is okay. They said there was no physical damage to the premises. The bar had multiple staff working at the time of the incident and the premises closed once they had got all the patrons out. Western Bay of Plenty District Councils chief executive John Holyoake has quit after over three years in the role. Mayor James Denyer told Local Democracy Reporting on Wednesday Holyoake had resigned on Monday morning and did not provide a reason for leaving. It was Holyoakes choice and not initiated by the council, Denyer said. Theres nothing nefarious as far as Im aware. Its his choice, and Im sure he can elaborate on that as he might want to. Holyoake would remain chief executive until an interim replacement could be appointed, Denyer said. The chief executive sub-committee met on Wednesday to discuss the interim appointment. Denyer earlier said in a statement he had valued Holyoakes insight and advice over the past four years, and wished him well in his future endeavours. He has guided our council during a time of significant change, and I thank him for what he has achieved. The process to select a new chief executive would come as the council prepared for the local government elections in October. Holyoake joined the council in July 2021 replacing Miriam Taris, who had held the chief executive role from 2014. He took on the councils top job after six years as chief executive at Tamaki Regeneration Company - the largest urban regeneration project in New Zealand. At his welcome powhiri he acknowledged the need to work with local iwi and Maori representatives. Western Bay of Plenty's new chief executive John Holyoake at his welcome powhiri in 2021. Photo / George Novak I truly believe that partnership with Maori is the true way forward, he told the meeting. In May 2022, Holyoake and his team launched the Generation Change/He panoni a reanga campaign aimed at increasing representation around the council table ahead of the October council elections. We need to look like, sound like, be like, the people that were representing the people were making decisions for, he told Local Democracy Reporting. While the 2022 elections resulted in less diversity amongst council members, Holyoake said the campaign was still a win and was much bigger than elections. We [council] connected with a diverse range of people from our communities, with different lived experiences, and that has been fantastic. In 2023 councillors were faced with the decision of whether to establish a Maori ward for the 2025 election. The ward was adopted after a nine-12 vote, which was celebrated by council and iwi. Te Kahui Mana o Tauranga Moana forum chair Reon Tuana Te Kahui Mana o Tauranga Moana forum chair Reon Tuanau told LDR the ward had been a long time coming. The council had to reaffirm this decision after a change in government policy in September last year. At the time, Tuanau said the vote to keep the ward showed the work Maori had been doing with the council had value. The relationship is alive and well. Marty Grenfell of neighbouring Tauranga City Council said he had enjoyed working with Holyoake as a fellow chief executive in the Bay of Plenty. John brought a lot of energy and new thinking to the sector, and challenged the status quo with a view to achieving better outcomes for the community. Originally from Rotorua, Holyoake had family ties to Te Puke and Welcome Bay, and being closer to his family was a key reason behind him taking on the leadership role, he previously told SunLive. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Yes, the education system is strong It could use some improvement No, there are significant issues Inroads SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. The Trump administration has removed and reassigned several top career officials in the Justice Department's national security and criminal divisions, according to multiple people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Two of the people said that at least 15 experienced career staffers across several divisions were removed from their positions and reassigned, a sign that the new president and his aides plan to carry out their promises to dramatically reshape the agency, including to focus more on immigration enforcement. As a way to skirt legal protections afforded to career staffers, many of the officials were transferred to other positions inside Justice, where they would probably have less influence on the department's big decisions, the people said. The officials will have to decide whether to stay in their new assignments or leave the agency. The Justice Department declined to comment. Trump and his allies have long attacked the Justice Department and accused it of unfairly targeting them, including during special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation of possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. The animosity escalated after Trump finished his first term, as the agency investigated both Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his alleged mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of government efforts to retrieve them. Among the people being removed from the national security division is deputy assistant attorney general George Toscas, who has served there since 2006, according to three people familiar with the matter. Two people said he was transferred to a newly created Office of Sanctuary Cities Enforcement in the associate attorney general's office. The office is tasked with identifying ways to enforce federal immigration laws, a top priority of the new president. Toscas was a senior counterintelligence attorney who played a key role in deciding to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence to retrieve the classified documents as part of that federal investigation. He served as a deputy in the national security division during the first Trump administration. "He has seen everything in both counterterrorism and counterintelligence," said a former colleague in the National Security Division, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that has not been made public. "There is no one in the department who knows as much about prosecuting and investigating terrorists and spies as George Toscas." Eun Young Choi, another deputy assistant attorney general in the national security division, and Bruce Swartz, a longtime deputy in the criminal division who focuses on international affairs, also were removed from their posts and reassigned elsewhere, the people familiar with the matter said. They were notified of the change by email on Monday afternoon, the people said. Choi was assigned to the sanctuary cities office like Toscas, two people said. Swartz, who has been in the department more than 30 years and has served as deputy assistant attorney general of international affairs for most of that time, was effectively demoted to be the deputy of the Office of Prosecutorial Development and Training, an office he used to oversee, three of the people said. "He [Swartz] has served everyone from Jeff Sessions to Bill Barr to Eric Holder and Merrick Garland and is by far the most knowledgeable person on the planet about the relationships the department has with foreign governments, extraditions, rule of law," said another former senior Justice official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity. While many officials at Justice and other agencies leave government at the start of a new administration, these reassignments were unusual because they were ordered just as Trump took office, said Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official who runs the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University. Top deputy positions in the national security division are typically career positions, though it's possible the Trump administration is reassigning the career people to replace them with political appointees, she said. "I don't believe there were ever any career people fired at transition since the national security division was founded," McCord said. "One of the values of having career deputies in the national security division is consistency, institutional memory and the relationships that they build with our national security partners." The chief of the Justice Department's public integrity section, Corey Amundson, is also being removed from his post, according to people familiar with the personnel move. The section oversees election crimes and investigations into public officials, and its chief is a nonpartisan career official, according to the Justice Department website. Amundson became chief during the first Trump administration. On Monday night, hours after Trump's inauguration, the Justice Department removed at least four top officials from the part of the agency that operates the nation's heavily backlogged immigration courts. Federal guidelines call for a 120-day moratorium on certain staff reassignments after new, Senate-confirmed agency leaders start their appointments. But that moratorium is not yet in effect at Justice, where attorney general nominee Pam Bondi and others tapped for top positions are still going through the confirmation process. "We're witnessing the dismembering of a core cadre of nonpartisan, institutional experience that is invaluable to the Justice Department's mission, including that of protecting the national security of the United States," said David Laufman, a former senior Justice Department official who served in both political and career positions under Republican and Democratic administrations. For now, James McHenry, a longtime immigration enforcement official at Justice, is running the agency as acting U.S. attorney general. McHenry served during the Biden administration as the Justice Department's chief administrative hearing officer, overseeing the department's administrative judges. During the first Trump administration, he directed the Executive Office of Immigration Review. Some experts say that incoming agency heads and political supervisors are not allowed to have other officials carry out reassignments before they arrive just to avoid the moratorium. If the reassignments are a way to remove career leadership, it's "very concerning," said the second former senior Justice official, who noted that those being reassigned are some of the department's most experienced and knowledgeable leaders. "The beating heart of Justice Department is the career workforce. ... That's what really makes the department run, not the political relationship." (COMMENT, BELOW) Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Ptolemais on the Mediterranean coast of Libya have discovered an unusual find. The researchers saw a stone face on the wall of a cistern. ADVERTISIMENT Scientists date the unknown object to the IV-III century BC. According to the scientists, the found face has some similarities with those carved on the walls of the Libyan sanctuary in Slonta, HeritageDaily reports. Excavations conducted by the University of Warsaw have revealed an interesting villa. According to the scientists, in the eastern part of the ancient manor, they found a small courtyard surrounded by a kitchen, a staircase to the top floor, and a room with a renovated mosaic floor. ADVERTISIMENT The researchers were also interested in the villa's utility area, with an advanced water supply system where a peristyle basin collected rainwater and directed it to two underground cisterns. Upon closer inspection of one of the cisterns, the archaeologists discovered a human face sculpted from hydraulic mortar on its wall. "The face bears some resemblance to human faces carved on the walls of a Libyan sanctuary in Slonta, located south of Cyrene. Perhaps the owner of the house or the people involved in the creation of the image were of Libyan origin," said Piotr Jaworski, head of the Polish Archaeological Mission to Ptolemais. "Thanks to epigraphic sources, it is known that at least from the first century BC, citizenship of the Greek cities of Cyrenaica was also granted to quickly assimilated representatives of Libyan elites," Dr. Jaworski added. It is known that Ptolemais is located in Cyrenaica, a historical region in modern northeastern Libya. According to historians, this settlement was founded by the Ptolemaic dynasty and served as a port for the city of Barca, located 24 kilometers inland. Ptolemais came under Roman control in 96 BC and was soon incorporated into the Roman province of Crete and Cyrenaica. After the administrative reforms of Emperor Diocletian, the city became the capital of the province of Libya Upper, also known as the Libyan Pentapolis, historians say. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Pilar Martinez Madrid Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 12:10 Compartir Andalucia made a splash before the opening of the major Fitur 2025 international tourism fair in Madrid with a special concert of soundtracks from major film productions shot in the region. Ahead of the fair kicking off this Wednesday 22 January, the soundtracks to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were played, with the musical journey pointing out the filming of the famous movies in the eight Andalusian provinces. In front of 300 people, including some 100 people who have a stand at the Andalusian exhibition and another 100 professionals from the tourism sector from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Singapore, the region presented itself in the prelude to Fitur. The aim of the concert was to invite visitors to surrender to Andalucia's charms, as the slogan of its new communication campaign states: 'Surrender to the Andalusian Crush'. The concert, produced by Merlin, was not missed by Malaga actor Antonio Banderas who, in his speech, pointed out the importance of tourism as a generator of employment and wealth. He also pointed out the region's cultural offer such as its museums and film festival, adding that the project he leads in Malaga has become a rising attraction, as well as helped to train young people in artistic production. Banderas pointed out that these are skilled jobs in which there is a great deficit. Salvador Salas At the Real Teatro del Retiro, attended by Junta president Juanma Moreno and regional tourism minister Arturo Bernal, the region was promoted "as an integral, unique tourist destination, full of emotions, passion, history and beauty". Bernal pointed out why Andalucia is the top Spanish tourism destination and boasted how multiple tourism records were broken in 2024, despite a decline in domestic visitors, which the minister said was an adjustment period post Covid-19. Moreno pointed out the region's planned display at the 45th annual Fitur, which brings together representatives from 156 countries and 9,500 companies. "We are going to have the largest exhibition at the fair and with more space than ever, 7,200 metres. The aim is to boost business and that is why this year we will be accompanied by 240 businesspeople, compared to 60 in 2023," Moreno said. The event, inspired by the 'Andalusian Crush' campaign, included a concert of soundtracks from major film productions shot in the region in a clear tribute to the composer Hans Zimmer, who created the music that accompanies the destination's communication campaign. Meetings and contacts Andalucia's central event in Madrid started at 6pm with some time prior to the concert where businesspeople could hold meetings and network. The event was attended by executives from companies such as Iberia, Ryanair and Vueling; Microsoft, Amazon and Alibaba; as well as agencies and operators such as Amadeus, Hotelbeds, Expedia and Avoris, along with small businesses from the tourism sector. Salvador Salas Antonio Banderas' Soho theatre orchestra of Malaga featured at the concert, with a repertoire that included scores from classic films shot in the eight Andalusian provinces. The finishing touch came with a performance of the piece 'The Surrender', composed by Hans Zimmer in an ode to the region. Before the concert, Moreno thanked Banderas for his work, whom he considered "the best ambassador of the destination" before pointing out that "he has done very important things for his land". Moreno also pointed out the leap in quality in tourism throughout the region, with sustainable growth, breaking seasonal tourism, generating more income and jobs than visitor arrivals and making campaigns such as 'The Surrender Andalusian Crush', which has reached 2,300 million people worldwide. He said Andalucia wants to make a new proposal to host the Latin Grammys. "Andalucia is an incredible destination for its natural attractions, its land, for so much diversity and so much wonder that makes it easy to sell. Anyone who wants to come here knows that they will not only find heritage, but also Andalusians who will make them feel happy and at home," Moreno added. The concert was followed by a cocktail party with Andalusian tastings, where three typical dishes from each Andalusian province were served. Bernal said 'The Surrender Andalusian Crush' is presented as a high-impact campaign that not only reinforces the promotion of Andalucia as an integral tourist destination, but also puts the spotlight on small local companies. The King and Queen at the inauguration The King and Queen of Spain will open the fair this Wednesday and then tour some of the stands. Hall 5 features Andalucia's offer in an intelligent display that highlights the essence of each regional destination. It will have a similar setup to 2024 which saw it win the award for the best regional exhibition. A total of 20 destinations will have their own space, including the eight provinces, various cities and municipalities, as well as the world heritage locations. In a bid to promote business for the region's companies, the exhibition has a larger space for professional meetings, which will cover a total of 750 square metres. The Costa del Sol will have a significant presence following an investment of 600,000 euros. Similar to last year, it will present its offer in the Andalusian exhibition accompanied by more representatives than ever, with 200. Some 600 professionals and some 60 local councils will be at Fitur, where they plan to make around 60 presentations with the new campaign 'Dame tu mano' (Give me your hand). They will also promote the destination throughout Madrid such as in Atocha, Nuevos Ministerios and Gran Via. Turismo Costa del Sol president Francisco Salado and Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre will not be present on the first day as they will be attending the reception of the Pope in Rome. Malaga city will have its own stand in the Andalusian exhibition between pavilion five and seven. Eugenio Cabezas Nerja Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 15:57 | Updated 18:06h. Compartir More than a hundred campervans and over 30 tents have been evicted this week from Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs nature reserve on the eastern Costa del Sol. The eviction was part of a joint operation involving a total of 14 patrols, including environmental officers from the Junta de Andalucia, Nerja Local Police and the Guardia Civil. The operation took place on Monday 20 January and resulted in the arrest of two people for alleged offences of disobedience and resisting arrest and involved the removal of five of the vehicles with a tow truck. "It is part of the collaborative actions carried out between these police forces with the regional government to ensure the protection of this enclave in Malaga," the Junta de Andalucia said in a statement released on Wednesday 22 January. The operation took place on Las Alberquillas, Rio de la Miel and Cala del Pino beaches. A large number of those evicted were involved in the illegal rave in Ciudad Real at Christmas, as SUR has been able to confirm. More than 14 patrols were deployed to dismantle illegal settlements. The Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs is an area of great environmental value due to its geological formations and the great biodiversity it contains, both in on land and in the sea. After the eviction the area was cleaned up by the operational services of Nerja town hall, according to the Junta's statement. Above and below on the left, two images of the eviction operation, and on the right, an archive photo of campervans in the Maro area. SUR The Junta de Andalucia, within the framework of its powers, carries out surveillance and sanctioning work, as well as other improvement actions, with the aim of conserving the flora, fauna, geomorphological constitution, special beauty and other components of outstanding natural value in Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs. Illegal fishing, jet skis and unauthorised anchorages The Junta de Andalucia also monitors and controls illegal parking and camping, illegal fishing (in coordination with the Fisheries inspectorate), jet skis (through special services and coordination with the Guardia Civil's nature protection unit, Seprona) and anchoring outside permitted areas. Illegal camping and occupation of abandoned buildings, which cause environmental damage to the natural site and have led to public order problems, are beyond the competence of the Junta de Andalucia in terms of environmental monitoring, according to the Junta's statement. For this reason, the Junta de Andalucia is coordinating with other administrations and security forces. Last year, among other operations, the worked together with the Guardia Civil to remove illegal campervans from Las Alberquillas beach. Axarquia based environmental lobby group Gabinete de Estudios de la Naturaleza de la Axarquia (GENA-Ecologistas en Accion) has been repeatedly denouncing, in recent years, the increase in illegal camping in the Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs area. Juan Cano Malaga Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 09:38 Compartir An elderly American tourist has been found dead in an apartment in Malaga city with signs of violence and there were also signs that the property had been burgled. A local resident told of the screams they heard on the night of Monday 20 January, at around the same time that the 80-year-old victim died, according to police investigators. The resident first heard the screams around 9pm, with the sounds keeping her awake. "I heard a man screaming a lot, it was as if he was being killed. It sounded to me as if they were putting a cushion over him and he was defending himself," said the woman who lives in Calle Viento, parallel to Carreteria, where the victim's body was found. She has only been living in the building for a couple of weeks. She looked out of the window to try to identify the flat where the screams were coming from, which went on for several minutes, but could not locate it. She said she couldn't even make out if they were real or from a television programme or film. In that area there is usually a lot of noise in the streets, especially at night, the resident added. She then went to an upstairs flat and spoke to a neighbour. "I explained to her that I had heard the screams for about ten minutes, but she hadn't heard anything at all. That calmed me down," said the young woman, who chose not to call emergency services. However, other residents did, and although a Local Police patrol went to inspect the area, they did not find the victim, who was probably already dead. The police investigation will be centred on the forensic examination as to the date of death, although everything suggests the screams heard were those of the American tourist, who died just ten metres from the house of the resident who had heard him in agony, police said. Holiday The elderly tourist had only just arrived in Malaga for a few days' holiday and had suffered a traumatic brain injury inside the flat after receiving a blow to the head. It is not yet known whether a weapon was used. Police can confirm that at that moment, or just after, someone entered the house and stole the victim's belongings. The police investigation, which has been taken over by the homicide unit, and an autopsy should clarify whether the blow to the head was accidental and the thief took advantage of the circumstances to burgle him or whether it was a planned attack. Lynyrd Skynyrd is celebrating 50 years since the release of their iconic debut album Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd with anniversary tour dates in Canada and the U.K. The band will make a stop in Niagara Falls on the Candian side on September 19, at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino. Ticket presale for the show is currently ongoing, followed by the general public sale beginning Friday, January 24, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Use code SKYNYRD50 for early access. Tickets are also available through secondary market platforms such as Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub, which offer verified tickets with buyer guarantees. These resale platforms may offer below-face-value pricing and availability for sold-out shows, depending on demand. Lynyrd Skynyrd, known for Southern rock anthems like Sweet Home Alabama, Freebird and Simple Man, previously did a farewell tour in 2019 but still show no signs of slowing down. The current lineup includes Johnny Van Zant (vocals), Rickey Medlocke (guitar), Mark Sparky Matejka (guitar), Michael Cartellone (drums), Keith Christopher (bass), Peter Keys (keyboards), Carol Chase (vocals), and Stacy Michelle (vocals). The band will be joined by The Outlaws for their Canadian tour, which will cover 10 cities across eight provinces, beginning September 10. A complete list of Lynyrd Skynyrds tour dates is available here. Syracuse, N.Y. Its almost time to iron your Kiss Me Im Irish shirt, dig out your green socks and update your livers emergency contact info: Green Beer Sunday is officially on the calendar. Central New Yorks most gloriously chaotic Sunday Funday will return on Feb. 23 at Colemans Authentic Irish Pub, located at 100 S. Lowell St. The day promises all the usual mischief: a pint-sized parade stretching all of two blocks, the ceremonial pouring of green pilsner straight from a tanker truck (because kegs are for amateurs), and live music both inside and outside. Dennis Coleman, heir to the green-beer throne and son of the holidays founder, is once again at the helm of this pint-palooza. His father, the late Peter Coleman, first introduced Green Beer Sunday in the 1960s, declaring it the official kickoff of St. Patricks season in Syracuse. Since Peters passing in 2021, Dennis has kept the days taps flowing. Green Beer Sunday serves as the gateway to a whole season of St. Patricks-inspired fun. March 8 : Lace up for the 20th annual Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run, a 4-mile race through the neighborhood. March 14 : Witness the painting of the green stripe at the corner of Water and South Salina streets. The Grand Marshal Gala starts at 6 p.m. March 15 : Syracuses 44th annual St. Patricks Parade Day takes over downtown, starting at noon. This years : Syracuses 44th annual St. Patricks Parade Day takes over downtown, starting at noon. This years Grand Marshal, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh , is making history as the first-ever third-generation marshal. March 17 : The whole season culminates on St. Patricks Day itself, where you can shamrock and roll until your Irish goodbye. March 30: The The 20th annual St. Baldricks event at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub to raise money to conquer pediatric cancer ends the month. This will be the final St. Baldricks fundraiser at Kittys. Over 19 years, it has raised over $6.7 million and shaved 7,500 heads. **** Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. You can also find him under @HoosierCuse on Twitter and on Instagram. Sign up for his free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here. Renowned New York City actors will perform in Syracuse Feb. 12 for a concert version of a new musical by John Riley, a local lawyer, musician and composer. A Girl I Know will play at the Landmark Theatre accompanied by the 75-piece Ithaca College Orchestra conducted by Ho-Yin Kwok. WASHINGTON (AP) Rep. Elise Stefanik pledged Tuesday to push President Donald Trumps America First stance if confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and roll out a review of U.S. funding critical for U.N. agencies handling health programs and more around the world. Noting that the U.S. is the largest single contributor to the United Nations, Stefanik said at her confirmation hearing that the country has to ensure its investments are making America safer, stronger and more prosperous echoing Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism, Stefanik said in her opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She stressed the need to reform the U.N., where several resolutions have passed condemning Israel over its war in Gaza, and went so far as to say that it has not lived up to its founding mission. Lawmakers also noted the ability for American rivals Russia and China to veto resolutions in the most powerful U.N. body, the Security Council, notably on the invasion of Ukraine. Sen. Jim Risch, the Republican committee chairman, set the tone by sharply criticizing the U.N., saying Stefanik can bring much-needed change to the institution. At this point, the U.S. should seriously examine if further contributions and, indeed, participation in the U.N. is even beneficial to the American people, the Idaho lawmaker said. The United States pays about one-fifth of the U.N.s regular budget, and Stefanik was questioned repeatedly about U.S. support for its multiple agencies, which tackle everything from health, education and migration to reproductive rights and nuclear proliferation. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the committee, stressed the importance of Americas presence at the U.N. and how China and other adversaries could fill the vacuum if it takes a step back. We benefit from U.N. peacekeeping missions that would otherwise fall to the American military, the New Hampshire lawmaker said. We are better off because of efforts to stabilize societies and provide lifesaving assistance in places like Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. Stefanik responded by saying she is open to reviewing agencies to ensure that all of our taxpayer dollars are going to U.N. entities that function very well. She pointed to the childrens agency UNICEF and the World Food Program as examples of those that are effective. She said she supported Trump moving to pull U.S. funding from the U.N. World Health Organization in one of his first executive orders in office Monday. Stefanik, a fierce Trump ally who repeated his idea of peace through strength, was asked about her views on a number of global issue, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the Iranian nuclear program all items on the U.N. agenda. She called Iran the most significant threat to world peace. She agreed with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons about supporting efforts to strengthen alliances, especially when it comes to countering Chinas influence at the world body, even though Trump has been skeptical of such global partnerships, like NATO. Asked by Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen about Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, Stefanik confirmed that her private comments to the senator about Israel having a biblical right to the occupied territory still stand. Her comments came after Trump rescinded the Biden administrations sanctions against Israeli settlers. I was interested in this position because if you look at the antisemitic rot within the United Nations, there are more resolutions targeting Israel than any other country, any other crisis combined, Stefanik testified. Harvard-educated and the fourth-ranking member of the U.S. House, Stefanik was elected to Congress in 2015 as a moderate Republican and became one of Trumps most ardent allies. She embraced Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as he denied he lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden. Stefanik saw her profile rise after her aggressive questioning last year of a trio of university presidents about antisemitism on their campuses, leading to two of their resignations a performance Trump repeatedly praised. Stefanik most recently was the most senior and longest-serving woman on both the House Armed Services Committee and the coveted House committee that oversees national intelligence. Stefanik also was tapped to be on a select committee focused on strategic competition between the U.S. and China. Born and raised in upstate New York, Stefanik worked in Bushs White House on the domestic policy council and in the chief of staffs office. She was the youngest person in her freshman class in Congress just 30 and ascended to the House leadership team in 2021, becoming the only woman. NEW YORK (AP) A former New York City police sergeant died from an apparent drowning while surfing in Long Islands frigid waters on Sunday. Jack Shapiro, 54, was found unresponsive off the coast of Gilgo Beach shortly after 2 p.m., police said. He was pulled to shore by a bystander, given CPR, and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death remains under investigation by the Suffolk County Medical Examiners Office. Friends of Shapiro described him as a passionate surfer who also enjoyed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, according to the Babylon Daily Voice. He spent a decade with the New York Police Department, retiring as a sergeant in 2013. On the night of January 21-22, Russia attacked the Kyiv region with kamikaze drones. The air defense forces were successfully operating in the region, but unfortunately, the debris of the downed objects damaged houses and the power grid. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the acting head of the Kyiv regional military administration Mykola Kalashnyk. Residents of the region were urged not to ignore the air raid alert. "Another night attack by enemy UAVs on Kyiv region. Air defense forces were working in the region. Enemy targets were shot down. There are no casualties among the population. There were no hits to critical and residential infrastructure," the statement said. The official added that as a result of the falling debris of downed enemy targets in one of the settlements, a house was partially destroyed and 4 more were damaged. Windows were smashed, facades were cut, and roofs were damaged. In another settlement, a power line was damaged. ADVERTISIMENT Operational groups continue to work on fixing the consequences of the enemy attack. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on the night of January 22, Russian invaders attacked Mykolaiv with kamikaze drones. As a result of the attack, an apartment building was destroyed, a fire broke out there, and there are consequences in the private sector, in addition, an enterprise and public transport were damaged. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was killed in Vermont during a traffic stop near the Canadian border was a military veteran who worked security duty at the Pentagon during the time of the Sept. 11 attacks, his family said. He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery, a family statement provided to The Associated Press said. He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self. Agent David Maland was killed Monday afternoon following a traffic stop, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement. A German national in the country on what the FBI called a current visa was killed and an injured suspect was taken into custody and is being treated at a local hospital. The violence temporarily closed part of Interstate 91 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Canada in Coventry, part of the small, 27,000-resident community of Orleans County in the Northeast Kingdom section of Vermont that straddles the international border. Maland, whom the FBI confirmed was a U.S. Air Force veteran, was killed close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector that he was assigned to. The sector encompasses Vermont, parts of New York and New Hampshire, and includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada. The Derby LineRock Island Border Crossing is located about 12 miles (19 kilometers) by highway north of Coventry. Its a major link to the Canadian province of Quebec, giving northern Vermont more French speakers than most of New England. U.S. Customs and Border Protections thoughts and prayers are with Agent Malands family during this difficult time, the agency said in a statement. The death is a tragedy, said Gov. Phil Scott and state Sen. Russ Ingalls, a Republican who represents the area. Vincent Illuzzi, the states attorney in neighboring Essex County, drove past what appeared to be a U.S. Border Patrol agent traffic stop on I-91 past the Newport exit Monday afternoon, he said, shortly before authorities reported the shots were fired. Im heading down the road, not much traffic, and I saw them on the right, he told The Associated Press by phone Tuesday. The agent was driving an unmarked white pickup trick with a cab on it and red and blue flashing lights, he said. The stopped vehicle appeared be a small, blue car, he said. The agent was speaking with someone standing in front of his truck, behind the car, he said. Nothing unusual at that point, Illuzzi said, but when he got back on the highway later that night, it looked like the same two vehicles were still parked and other law enforcement vehicles had arrived. Illuzzi said the U.S. Border Patrol works closely with state and local police in his county. We have limited law enforcement and theyre often primary responders in emergency cases. Maland was the first Border Patrol agent to be killed in the line of duty since Javier Vega Jr. was shot and killed near Santa Monica, Texas, in 2014, according to records provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Vega was initially considered to be off duty at the time of his death, but in 2016 it was re-determined to have been in the line of duty, the agency said. In 2010, Brian Terry s killing exposed the botched federal gun operation known as Fast and Furious. Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie, of the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station, was mortally wounded in the line of duty in a remote area near Bisbee, Arizona, in 2012. Border Patrol Agent Isaac Morales was fatally stabbed while off duty in 2017 in Texas. US President Donald Trump could help bring the war in Ukraine to a quick end by collapsing Russia's economy - by hitting its oil sector. The fact is that it is already collapsing, and Trump only needs to "push it over the cliff." ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in the Time article. Its authors believe that Trump's predecessor, Joseph Biden, had the same opportunity, but he acted "sluggishly" and "inconsistently." "Trump has the leverage to force Vladimir Putin to end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly - if the US president abandons the Biden administration's sluggish, inconsistent economic pressure. ... Russia is in real trouble as its economy collapses and Putin destroys Russia," the article says. It is emphasized that if sanctions are applied correctly, the Russian economy will be hanging by a thread by Easter. This may even call into question Putin's ability to stay in power. "Trump's return could push Russia's economy off a cliff. And deal a fatal blow to the shaky regime," the authors of the article noted. What Trump can do According to analysts, first of all, the United States should strike at Russia's energy sector, particularly oil. This would be a big blow to Russia, since, apart from energy exports, "the country contributes very little to the global economy." ADVERTISIMENT They explain that if Russia is left without the oil revenues "that have sustained it for the past three years," then "Putin's regime will almost certainly collapse." After all, they emphasize: Putin has already exhausted Russia's once significant foreign exchange reserves; no one wants to finance the Russian government's deficit by buying unwanted Russian bonds. "The ruble is falling - even China does not take it into account. China does not take it into account. The Russian central bank has exhausted its power. Putin cannot cut spending. Russia cannot compensate for the loss of oil exports, as it has already lost 90% of its former natural gas exports due to the fact that Europe has finally abandoned its dependence on Russian pipeline gas," the analysts state. At the same time, they reminded that there was already an example of successful economic pressure on Russia in history. "The Cold War ended mainly due to the unexpected collapse of the Russian economy," the article summarizes. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Swedish economist and diplomat Anders Aslund believes that Russia may exhaust its liquid financial reserves by the fall of 2025. This could lead to a financial crisis. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! What just happened? Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the once-infamous dark web drug marketplace Silk Road, has been given a full pardon by President Donald Trump. Ulbricht, 40, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole since being sentenced in 2015, and has been behind bars since 2013. In a post on his Truth Social network, Trump wrote, "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous." Trump said he called Ulbricht's mother to let her know that he was signing the pardon in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which he said had supported the president strongly. "Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade. I'm proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off," said Angela McArdle, the chair of the Libertarian National Committee. Launched in February 2011, Silk Road, which used the Tor network, grew into an enormous drug market worth $1.2 billion. Its size and the money it generated, via Bitcoin payments, put Silk Road on the radar of law enforcement, which began a search to uncover The Dread Pirate Roberts's identity. The name taken from The Princess Bride book/movie was used by Ulbricht while running his business empire. Prosecutors said Ulbricht collected $18 million in Bitcoin through commissions during the three years he ran Silk Road. It's estimated that around 30% of the marketplace's one million registered users were based in the US. Ulbricht was caught in 2013 and charged with computer fraud, money laundering, and drug offenses. He was also accused of hiring people to kill five Silk Road users for stealing from the site and trying to blackmail him by revealing his true identity, but no evidence of murders was found. Ulbricht was convicted after a four-week jury trial. In November, a few days after Trump was elected president, Ulbricht posted a message on X that he dictated to his wife from prison. "Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance," it read. Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance. After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much, @realDonaldTrump Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) November 12, 2024 It's unclear exactly when Ulbricht will be released from the federal prison in Arizona where he is currently incarcerated. In 2020, near the end of his first term in office, it was reported that Trump could pardon Ulbricht before departing the White House. Sources said that Trump reviewed documents related to Ulbricht's case and expressed sympathy for his situation. Trump did pardon 73 people and commute the sentences of another 70 as one of his final acts, but Ulbricht was not among them. A hot potato: The close relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has led to claims that the world's richest man and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will be getting his own West Wing office. However, when asked if the reports were accurate, Trump denied it. On Monday, The New York Times reported that Musk is likely to get a West Wing Office for DOGE. This contradicted earlier reports that the Tesla CEO was expected to have an office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is next to the West Wing. During a press conference on Monday night where he signed an executive order creating and implementing DOGE, Trump was asked directly if Musk would get a West Wing office. "No," Trump replied. "He's getting an office for about 20 people that we're hiring to make sure these [executive orders] get implemented." Musk has reportedly been asking about his level of access at the White House. Sources say he has been given an all-access blue badge pass, which enables the holder to enter various parts of the building without having to go through the same level of security screening each time they enter the complex. DOGE has spent most of the last two months at SpaceX's Washington headquarters. Although it is not a federal executive department, DOGE aims to cut wasteful spending and unnecessary regulations, such as reducing the number of federal employees, abolishing some federal agencies, and improving governmental productivity by modernizing federal technology. Musk previously said he wanted $2 trillion cut from the US budget, though he's since backtracked and admitted that figure is unlikely to be achieved. Musk's first move to cut government spending was shutting down the Chief Diversity Officers Executive Council. The executive order that established DOGE states that its purpose is to "modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." DOGE will replace the US Digital Service (USDS). Every federal department has to create a four-person team to liaise with the new office. Despite being a new entity, DOGE is already facing legal battles. It was hit with at least three lawsuits within minutes of Trump being sworn in. Public interest law firm National Security Counselors alleges that DOGE violates transparency requirements set by a law from 1972. Plaintiffs claim that DOGE should be considered a "federal advisory committee," but it lacks "fairly balanced" representation, does not keep records of its meetings, and is not open to public scrutiny. Vivek Ramaswamy was going to lead DOGE alongside Musk but he was removed, reportedly at the behest of Musk and members of Trump's inner circle. Something to look forward to: Microsoft introduced a proper search feature in its PC operating systems with Windows Vista. Despite undergoing several iterations over the years, Windows search functionality still lacks the basic ability to provide consistent, reliable results when searching for files, applications, or settings. Is this finally going to change? Windows Search has long been one of the least enticing features of modern Windows systems, and this has remained true for a very long time. Microsoft recently vowed to improve local search through the power of AI, claiming that AI will revolutionize search engines, web browsers, and nearly everything else in the coming years. The company has started to showcase how AI will enhance search, and unpaid Windows beta testers can now get a sneak peek at these improvements by installing the latest Insider Preview Build of Windows 11. Microsoft recently released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2992 (KB5050083) to the Dev Channel. One of the most notable changes introduced in this build is the improved Windows Search experience, which requires the 40+ TOPS NPU inside a Copilot+ PC system to perform its AI magic. According to Microsoft, finding documents, photos, or even system settings in Windows 11 will become significantly easier. The new OS build adds a "semantic indexing" layer on top of the traditional indexing feature, enabling users to perform search tasks in a conversational, prompt-like manner. Instead of searching for specific file names or exact keywords, users can now describe what they're looking for in their own words such as "bridge at sunset" for photos or even instruct the Settings app to perform tasks like changing the GUI theme. Currently, the AI-enhanced search is limited to local search, though Microsoft has plans to extend the feature to cloud storage and OneDrive. The feature will be gradually rolled out to Copilot+ PCs based on Snapdragon SoCs, with support for AMD and Intel-based systems planned for a later date. The new search supports a limited selection of widely used languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Similarly, the number of supported file formats is currently restricted to popular document and image types, such as: .txt, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt, .xls, .xlsx, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, and .bmp. Users can customize Windows Search indexing settings through the Privacy & Security page in the Windows Settings app. There's even an "Enhanced" option to index the entire PC, though I've always advised against enabling system-wide indexing throughout my career in PC support. If you are looking for a powerful, fast, and reliable search solution and don't want to use AI, third-party tools like Everything effectively solved the "search problem" on Windows many years ago for me. After the Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, Japan was closed for repairs, the local sunfish fell ill. The keepers thought for a long time about how to help the seemingly healthy fish recover. ADVERTISIMENT It turned out that the sociable aqua inhabitant simply lacked communication with visitors. To save the sunfish from depression, the keepers glued photos of people to the walls of its aquarium, and "it worked," the BBC writes. Kaikyokan employees said that after the aquarium was closed for repairs last December, the sunfish stopped eating jellyfish and began rubbing its body against the glass. Some staff members suspected parasites or digestive problems. However, one of them suggested that it could be lonely if there were no visitors around. Mai Kato, an aqua zone worker, noted that the sunfish, which arrived at the Japanese aquarium a year ago, always had a "curious" nature and "swam up to visitors when they approached its tank." ADVERTISIMENT So they decided to glue photos of people to the walls of the capricious inhabitant. According to the staff of the Japanese oceanarium, this unconventional step was a "last resort" to solve the sunfish's health problems. However, it turned out that it helped to bring it out of depression. "It worked! It seems that the fish is healthy again," the aquarium representatives wrote on their page on the X network. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Something to look forward to: Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event takes place in just a few hours, when the South Korean giant will be unveiling its latest Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy S25 series. You can watch all the action right here at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm GMT. While Samsung usually reveals multiple new products at its Unpacked events, the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra will be the stars of the show. It seems that the trend of new smartphones receiving iterative updates over their predecessors will continue with the S25 series. One of the main changes will be the design, which is said to feature flatter edges and rounded corners. Leaks have also shown that the bezels have somehow been shrunk even further. This will supposedly help make the bodies lighter and slimmer. Display-wise, the new phones are said to measure 6.2 inches for the Galaxy S25, 6.7 inches for the Galaxy S25 Plus, and 6.9 inches for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, meaning only the Ultra receives a slight increase in size. All three phones are believed to pack the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, successor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in most current flagships. The camera specs for the S25 and S25 Plus are believed to be unchanged from last year (50MP/12MP/10MP triple lens rear camera with 3x optical zoom). The S25 Ultra, meanwhile, could see its ultra-wide camera upgraded from 12MP to 50MP. Elsewhere, all three handsets are expected to feature 12GB of RAM, IP68 protection, 25W wired charging on the standard S25 and 45W wired on the Plus and Ultra. They are also expected to feature the Android 15-based One UI 7 and use the same AMOLED 2X WQHD, 120Hz displays found in the S24 series. Samsung has confirmed that its 2025 Galaxy devices will have Qi2 wireless charging support, though that could mean they need a case to add the magnetic alignment ring. Starting prices are also expected to remain unchanged or close to the S24 series: $799 for the S25, $999 for the Plus, and $1,299 for the Ultra. Away from the S25 series, expect to hear plenty more about the next iteration of Galaxy AI, and Samsung might also show off the Galaxy Ring 2. There has been talk about Samsung launching a Galaxy Slim phone to compete with Apple's rumored iPhone Air, but it'll be a surprise if it's unveiled tonight. Meta dived into an essential partnership in data analytics and the AI space investing in Databricks, a fast-rising startup firm, known for advanced data solution skills. That collaboration is essentially a win for both parties through their strengthened places in artificial intelligence and data technology opening the space to groundbreaking innovation. Meta Investment in Databricks Databricks announced on Wednesday that Meta, the tech giant behind the Llama open-source large language models (LLMs), has joined as an investor. The partnership merges the two firms in their chase for AI excellence. As per CNBC, Meta's involvement comes as part of a $10 billion funding which is considered as one of the largest in venture capital history. Furthermore, it also increases Databricks' total venture funding to $14 billion, marking how fast this startup is growing and how big the potential is. According to Ali Ghodsi, the CEO of Databricks, the partnership with Meta goes beyond working closely with the Llama team, which counts as a critical part of the AI ecosystem. "We've discussed open-source software in the past, and he cares a lot about open-source models and Llama," Ghodsi said. How the Funds Will Be Used The newly raised capital will be directed toward two key areas: Global Expansion: Databricks aims to extend its reach into international markets, providing advanced data analytics solutions worldwide. Employee Liquidity: Current and former employees will benefit from the funding, ensuring their contributions to the company's growth are recognized. In addition to the funding, Databricks secured a $5.25 billion credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase. Ghodsi noted that leveraging credit, rather than issuing stock, helps avoid diluting shareholder equity even in a high-interest-rate environment. Databricks and Meta: A Powerful Alliance in AI The collaboration between Databricks and Meta makes complete sense. Meta has deep experience in open-source AI models such as Llama, and the mission of Databricks is to build upon and extend those technologies. In 2022, Databricks trained its own open-source LLM, DBRX, at a cost of $10 million. While DBRX initially outperformed Meta's Llama in some areas, rapid advancements in AI have since surpassed it. Aligning with Meta enables Databricks to leverage its partner's vast resources for training and innovation, freeing up its own funds for other strategic initiatives. Middle Eastern Expansion and Global Reach The $10 billion round saw participation from Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority. It leaves open the possibility for Databricks to expand into the Middle East and have its software run on local data centers. To date, Databricks operates solely on the cloud platforms offered by Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Databricks is Now Ready For a Big Transformation Databricks is up and running for a significant transformation. With over 8,000 employees and an ever-growing portfolio, the company is eyeing a public debut. Ghodsi hinted that going public within the next year wouldn't come as a "huge surprise." The Meta partnership adds credibility and resources, ensuring Databricks remains at the forefront of AI and data analytics. A Game-Changing Collaboration of a Lifetime Meta's investment in Databricks is one of the newest chapters in the evolution of AI and data analytics. Together, Meta AI can leverage the expertise and innovative solutions from Databricks for changes that could improve what is lacking in these industries. Just as Databricks is about to expand globally and possibly file for an IPO, this collaboration places it in a position of data analytics supremacy. Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services that is used by millions of users across the globe. The sound recommendations help you find the best artists and their music. It is considered the benchmark of audio streaming space and other players are compared to it for gauging the quality of services. However, it is not compulsory to like it and you may find it as good as others. It might not be your cup of tea, so you can look for Spotify alternatives to stream music online, listen to podcasts and more. We will talk about some of the best alternatives to Spotify that are cheaper and better including free (Without ads) and paid options. Best Spotify Alternatives Apple Music YouTube Music Amazon Prime Music Tidal Qobuz Deezer Soundcloud JioSaavn Wynk Music Gaana Music Pandora iHeartRadio Hungama Music Yandex Music Rock My Run 1. Apple Music The first Spotify alternative on the list is Apple Music. Spotify presently has a large song collection with a music library offering more than 80 million songs, while Apple Music boasts a much larger selection of 100 million tracks. Similar to Spotify, you can download your playlists for offline listening. Furthermore, Apple Music also allows users to follow playlists created by other users. Subscription pricing for Apple Music is nearly similar to that of Spotify. Apple Music still doesnt have a collaborative playlist like Spotify. PROS Largest music collection in the music streaming space from artists Spotify like music recommendations from new artists Free 6 months subscription with most Apple products CONS No free plan with ads like Spotify No collaborative playlist where two users can add songs Download Apple Music 2. YouTube Music YouTube Music is another alternative to Spotify worth trying. Lately, YouTube has been improvising the YouTube Music service and their song recommendations have become comparable to Spotify. In addition to major music labels, many individual creators upload high-quality music to YouTube, which can be enjoyed via the YouTube Music application. You can watch music videos on the YT music app YouTube Music relies on Googles advanced AI for suggesting new tracks, albums, and playlists to users. Get the YouTube Music monthly subscription for around $9.99 which provides ad-free music coupled with the ability to turn off the phones screen while listening to music. You can get YouTube music for free by subscribing to YouTube Premium. The premium family plans make it considerably cheap to use. PROS Play music videos available on YouTube while keeping the screen off Live performances and concerts from artists on their official page A lot of quality covers and remixes from different users CONS Inconsistent availability of lyrics for many songs Some music videos are not playable due to incorrect categorization Download YouTube Music 3. Amazon Prime Music Amazon Prime Music is an underrated Spotify alternative. Just like Spotify and Apple Music, Prime Music also has an extensive collection of tracks from different genres. The music streaming service by Amazon comes as a bundled service with the Prime membership which also has Prime Video. You also get other benefits on Amazon.com for shopping. Therefore the music streaming service with 100 million songs practically costs nothing to you. It is apart from the 15 million podcast episodes which you can listen to on the go. PROS Free of cost for Amazon Prime users No separate charges for the service High-quality audio tracks for all the users at a higher bitrate Seamless integration with smart speakers Alexa-only features add useful functionalities CONS High-resolution audio is not available on the stream You cannot create audio stations for your favorite artists. Download Amazon Prime 4. TIDAL Tidal is a subscription-based music streaming service by the American rapper star Jay-Z. If you are an audiophile like me who prefers high-fidelity music, then this app like Spotify is the perfect companion for you. This service prides itself on offering the highest quality music available online. Apart from the audio, they have a curated music-based editorial that is appreciated by the community. Tidal recently introduced a free tier plan which includes access to 80 million of their songs. You get unlimited skips, which is uncommon in the free music streaming segment. The sound quality in the free plan tops at 160 Kbps, and an ad interruption every 12-15 minutes. PROS High-fidelity sound with an optional high-resolution audio tier Exclusive backstage content, concerts, and live streams Music focussed podcasts by pioneers of the industry CONS More expensive than the competitors by a steep margin The free plan doesnt have Hi-fidelity music Download Tidal 5. Deezer Deezer is another Spotify alternative worth trying for your music needs. Similar to Pandora, this French-based music streaming service allows users to choose their favorite genres or artists and later the service suggest playlists based on users preference. Deezer boasts an extensive collection of 90 million licensed tracks coupled with 30,000 radio channels. You can get the Deezer monthly subscription for around $9.99 which provides ad-free music and the ability to download music for offline listening. PROS Listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks through the app Load your MP3 songs to the app and play them like a streaming service SongCatcher lets you find the name of the song playing CONS High-resolution audio is not on par with other services like Tidal and Qobuz The song recommendations lack the edge at times Download Deezer ALSO READ: Best Free Music Download Sites That are Completely Legit 6. Soundcloud Soundcloud is a popular audio streaming service including tracks by indie artists This popular music streaming service boasts an extensive collection of more than 150 million songs. Soundcloud is the only platform where you can listen to remixes, beats, remakes and EDMs created by indie creators and upcoming music artists. Unlike other Spotify alternatives, Soundcloud is completely free to use and a majority of creators on Soundcloud allow free downloads. SoundCloud has a clean and very intuitive UI, offers reliable streaming speed without buffering. PROS Comment and interact with other listeners of a song Find the most listened part of a song through the Waveform feature You can upload your mixtape and tracks on the service CONS The sound quality is inconsistent as most user-uploaded content is not checked for bitrate standards. Lyrics are not available for any songs like other audio streaming services Download SoundCloud 7. JioSaavn Saavn was acquired by Asian telecom giant Jio to become JioSaavn. It is another alternative worth trying to get taste of a music library focussing on Indian music. Similar to Spotify, JioSaavn offers a streamlined and user-friendly user-interface. Using JioSaavn Radio you can stream endless music for any mood, song, or artist. Saavn is one amongs the few Spotify alternatives that offer 320Kbps high-quality audio downloads. As compared to Spotify, JioSaavn Pro has lower subscription charges. Overall, Saavn is a perfect alternative to Spotify for streaming Indian content. PROS Intuitive web player for listening to music on the computer with a user-friendly search bar Music in 16 different languages, including Telugu, Gujarati, Odia, and more. Personalized radio stations based on your listening history CONS You can listen to free songs in India and other parts of South Asia. For taking it around the world you will need a subscription No dark mode on the web player. Download Saavn 8. Gaana Music Gaana Music is just like Spotify but focuses more on the South Asian region. In addition to 30 million Bollywood & English tracks, Ganna Music also doubles up as a full-fledged FM Radio. Ganna is one among many music-streaming services that also offer lyrics for every song. Upgrading to Ganna Music Plus, you can download unlimited songs for offline listening and sync downloads on five devices. Similar to Spotify, Gaana also features a dark theme and the music library is updated daily here. PROS Songs in over 16 different languages including Bhojpuri Curated playlists based on moods and occasions across genres App interface in 21 Indian languages for ease of use. CONS No audio streaming without a subscription The latest singles of non-Indian artists take time to become available on the app Download Ganna 9. Wynk Music Wynk music is by the telecom bigwig Airtel users can enjoy the service with their SIM by paying a nominal fee. Using Wynk Music, you can browse thousands of curated playlists, and you even follow your favorite artists and playlists. This Spotify alternative is available and ideal for users of India, Sri Lanka, and fifteen countries within Africa. The audio stream quality on the free plays feels on the lower side, anywhere between 64 to 128Kbps. The web player lets you play music without signing in. Log in to the service and you listen to music in up to 320Kbps bitrate. Wynk Music also functions at low internet speeds. PROS Free to use for Airtel SIM subscribers with specific recharge packs The app uses machine learning algorithms to create personalized playlists based on users listening habits and preferences. The latest singles and albums are available with the worldwide release. CONS Low-quality audio stream for free users No lyrics for songs in any of the languages. Download Wynk Music 10. Pandora Pandora is a free alternative to Spotify. This popular music-streaming service allows users to choose their favorite genres or artists and Pandora suggests the playlists based on the selection. Pandora is completely free to use but the $5 monthly subscription offers a song-skipping ability and removes annoying ads. The free plan will make you watch video ads to access certain playlists on the platform. Pandora is only available in the United States right now due to licensing restrictions. Earlier it was available in New Zealand and Australia. PROS Insightful commentary on the albums and songs Pandora Stations allows users to create their own stations based on specific songs, artists, or genres Unlimited audio streaming on the free plans with expected ads. CONS The service is currently only available in the US Video ads for accessing certain custom playlists Download Pandora 11. Qobuz This French audio streaming service made its way at the same time as Spotify. Just like Tidal Qobuz offers high-resolution audio, offering an enriching experience for audiophiles. Everything here is in at least CD quality: a bit rate of 1,411Kbps with a 16-bit resolution on a sampling rate of 44.1Khz. A lot of data get consumed pretty quality which would be a problem for listeners on an internet plan with a data cap. Search for an artist or album and you will get a detailed biography about it straight from AllMusic.com. Qobuz boasts of rich metadata about the song like artists, producers, lyric writers, etc, which is way better than the competitors. PROS Cheapest service for high-fidelity music with a minimum bitrate of 1,411Kbps Outstanding editorial selection and curation for different genres Only one of two services integrating with Roon CONS The latest singles are released after a delay on the platform It consumes large amounts of data for streaming which is not ideal for people on a capped internet plan. Download Qobuz 12. iHeartRadio iHeartRadio is different from your conventional audio streaming service. Unlike Spotify, you cannot choose a song directly but tune into a radio station playing the artist or genre. Start with the thumbs up or thumbs down button to let iHeartRadio understand your music taste. Rate more songs and the radio will get better at playing the music you like. Then you can use the Discover Tuner to control the amount of unfamiliar music that makes it way to your playing station. It can be set to Family, Mixed, or Less familiar. The latter is an option, which is ideal for filling your playlist with indie and not-so-mainstream songs. You can skip 6 songs on a station and then the entirety of all songs play. Or, you can switch to other stations to get the skips back. PROS Access to 15 million songs along with 1,5000 US radio stations for free Curated artists stream the best tracks for different occasions. Ad-free experience on custom stations by users CONS No way to pause, rewind or record controls on the service Lack of hi-resolution audio Download iHeartRadio 13. Hungama Music Start listening to music for free on Hungama Music. You dont need to log in either for streaming audio. Even the web player lets you play music, just like JioSaavn. There are ads in between 15-20 minutes of music streaming which is the industry standard. Hungama music lets you download songs for free on the app without requiring an account. It also lets you create and share playlists, like songs and more without signing into an account. You can always log in using a Hungama account or log in via Google, Apple, or a FAcebook account. You get standard definition audio(without mentioning the bitrate) on the free plan while the paid Hungama gold has 320 Kbps audio tracks. Hungama musics 30 million music library has a separate tab for music videos. You can search for them and download them to view them without the internet on the app. PROS Download songs on the app without needing an account or subscription Play music and videos from your devices local storage No video ads in the free plan. You can play music even after turning off the screen. CONS The audio bitrate maxes out at 320Kbps, which would be off-putting for few people No lyrics for the songs, so your sing-along plans will have to be postponed. Download Hungama App 14. Yandex Music Yandex Music is a rather unexplored alternative to Spotify. You can use it in certain countries without a subscription. Subscribe to a plan and you can use it from anywhere in the world. It also has a web player that allows users to listen to music directly from their web browser. The web player has a simple and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and find the music you want to listen to. Yandex.Music has a large collection of music from Russian and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) artists, which makes it a great option for people looking for authentic local Russian music. Apart from standard songs, Yandex.Music has a section dedicated to childrens music, which includes songs and stories, which is unique and could be interesting for children, and their parents. PROS Integration with other Yandex services such as Yandex.Drive and Yandex.Disk Cheaper than all the competitors in the music streaming space Better real-time lyrics sync compared to many streaming services CONS The apps primary language is Russian so the translation in some elements is not great Yandex music has limited availability outside the country at times. Download Yandex Music 15. Rock My Run Next on the list is Rock My Run. As the name of this music streaming service suggests, it is a perfect app for fitness freaks. Rock My Run has a clean UI and decent music organization tools. You can enjoy music from genres like Pop, Rock, Hip-hop/Rap, Country, Classical, and much more. Users can download songs from vast public domains. Rock My Run has a free two-week trial that is enough for the test drive. PROS Mashup option to create a blend of songs from different genres Songs are recommended and played based on your activity level Old songs radio stations to mix it up and never get bored. CONS The song recommendations reach a saturation point and become repetitive after a point It may not be useful for people who are not fitness enthusiasts. Download Rock My Run BONUS VIDEO CONCLUSION So these were some of the best alternatives to Spotify that are worth checking out to listen to songs and music. Do share your personal recommendations for the audio streaming apps and services you prefer. The Italian castle of Sforza, which is more than 575 years old, is known as the object of many legends. One of the most popular tell of the existence of secret passages under its territory. Leonardo da Vinci was the first to talk about them. ADVERTISIMENT Thus, an innovative technological study recently conducted by the Polytechnic University of Milan has shown that da Vinci's references to underground tunnels are not myths at all. Scientists visited the site with GPR (ground-penetrating radars) equipment to map the bowels of Sforza Castle and finally find out whether the corridors existed, Arkeo News reports. The tools used in the study emit electromagnetic waves that penetrate the ground and reflect signals. Franco Guzzetti, a professor of geomatics at the University of Milan, and his colleagues discovered several underground cavities and passages about 300-600 meters underground. It it they that could be depicted in the drawings of the famous artist and engineer Leonardo da Vinci. ADVERTISIMENT According to a legend, one of these tunnels had a very specific purpose - it stretched along the outer wall of the castle and led the Duke of Milan to the grave of his late wife Beatrice d'Este, who died in childbirth in 1497, Popular Science reports. But, according to researchers, these structures could also serve defense and military purposes. "The castle is not just a monument; it is a repository of stories waiting to be told, each layer of stone representing the lives and legacies of those who came before. By exploring these hidden depths, researchers are ensuring that the castle remains alive in the collective consciousness of both locals and visitors," the researchers wrote. The collected information not only documented the history but also created new prospects for the development of tourism in the castle. Visitors will be able to explore underground spaces and inaccessible historical sites using augmented reality technologies and virtual paths, combining innovation and history. According to Franco, the research was conducted to create a digital twin of Sforza Castle in the future. "The goal is to create a digital twin of the Sforza Castle, a digital model that not only represents the current appearance of the Castle but also allows you to explore the past, recovering historical elements that are no longer visible," the professor explained. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Brazil saw 79% jump in area burned by fires in 2024: monitor Rio de Janeiro, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 Wildfires in Brazil last year consumed a total area larger than all of Italy, a monitor reported Wednesday, as the country continues to battle blazes often set by farmers and ranchers illegally expanding their territory. Some 30.8 million hectares (119,000 square miles) of vegetation were burned in Brazil in 2024, a 79 percent increase from 2023, monitoring platform MapBiomas reported. Fires in the Amazon, a crucial carbon sink for the rest of the world as well as a global hotspot of biodiversity, accounted for 58 percent of the damage. The figures are discouraging news for the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who in November will host the UN COP30 climate conference in the Amazonian city of Belem. The 2024 figures represent the largest area burned since 2019. Some 8.5 million hectares of forest burned in 2024, compared to 2.2 million in 2023, and in the Amazon, fires took out more forest than grassland for the first time, according to the data. "This is a terrible indicator, because, once forests are burned, they become more susceptible to future fires," said Ane Alencar, of MapBiomas. Climate change makes vegetation drier and thus more prone to burning. But in Brazil, the main driver of the fires are ranchers and farmers who clear land for pasture and agriculture -- a crime the government struggles to contain. Lula has made preserving the Amazon a priority of his government, following lax protections against human expansion into the territory under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. But in September, Lula admitted that the country was not "100% prepared" to face a wave of forest fires that his government attributed to "climate terrorism." The Brazilian Amazon saw its highest number of fires in 17 years in 2024, government data published earlier this month showed, after the vast biome suffered months of a lengthy drought. There were 140,328 fires detected by satellite imaging over the year, according to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). That was 42 percent more than the 98,634 fires recorded in 2023 -- and the most since 2007, when 186,463 forest fires were seen. Those figures, as well as Wednesday's, come after some hope last year when the INPE said that deforestation in the region had fallen by more than 30 percent in the 12-month period to August 2024. Scientists warn that continued deforestation will put the Amazon on track to reach a point where it will emit more carbon than it absorbs, accelerating climate change. Indonesia rescuers search for survivors as landslide kills at least 17 Pekalongan, Indonesia, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 Hundreds of rescuers were searching through thick mud and debris to find survivors Wednesday after a rain-triggered landslide in Indonesia killed at least 17 people and left nine missing. Intense rainfall in a mountainous area near Pekalongan city in Central Java province sparked the landslide on Monday, collapsing bridges and burying cars and houses. Search and rescue agency Basarnas said in a statement Wednesday that the toll remained unchanged from Tuesday at 17 dead, nine missing and 13 people injured. But another body was found, Mohammad Yulian Akbar, a local official told AFP later Wednesday, giving a higher toll of 18. Heavy machinery was deployed to clear road access for search teams and around 200 rescue personnel have been sent to help, Akbar said. "The focus is to search for the victims," he said, adding that the local government had declared an emergency in the district for two weeks. The worst hit area was Kasimpar village according to the local official, where the landslide struck a coffee shop and people who were trying to shelter from the rain. Police, soldiers and volunteers have joined the search alongside rescue workers, which is taking place around 90 kilometres (60 miles) west of the city of Semarang. But efforts were intermittently suspended Tuesday as heavy rain continued to pound the area. The weather forecast for the next three days suggests moderate rain that could "cause floods, flash floods and landslides", warned Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Tuesday. Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April. In November, flooding triggered by intense rains in western Indonesia killed 27 people. But some disasters caused by adverse weather have taken place outside that season in recent years. Climate change has also increased the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts. In May, at least 67 people died after heavy rains caused flash floods in West Sumatra, pushing a mixture of ash, sand, and pebbles from the eruption of Mount Marapi into residential areas. Indonesia rescuers search for survivors as landslide kills 19 Pekalongan, Indonesia, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 Hundreds of rescuers were searching through thick mud and debris to find survivors Wednesday after a rain-triggered landslide in Indonesia killed at least 19 people and left seven missing. Intense rainfall in a mountainous area near Pekalongan city in Central Java province sparked the landslide on Monday, collapsing bridges and burying cars and houses. The worst hit area was Kasimpar village according to a local official, with survivors recounting the horror of the landslide crashing into a coffee shop where people were sheltering from the rain. "Suddenly there was a sound of an explosion from inside the cafe. So the land exploded. Suddenly it all destroyed, everything in the cafe was rolled up," Nasiri, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP while lying on a stretcher at a health centre. "When I woke up, I was around 200 metres from the place, rolled up with rock, soil, water." Rescuers found two bodies Wednesday morning, raising the toll to 19, said Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). Search and rescue agency Basarnas said in a statement that 13 people were also injured. Heavy machinery was deployed to clear road access for search teams and around 200 rescue personnel have been sent to help the rescue effort, local official Mohammad Yulian Akbar said. "The focus is to search for the victims," he said, adding that the local government had declared an emergency in the district for two weeks. - Landslide-prone - Police, soldiers and volunteers have joined the search alongside rescue workers, which is taking place around 90 kilometres (60 miles) west of the city of Semarang. But efforts were intermittently suspended Tuesday as heavy rain continued to pound the area. The weather forecast for the next three days suggests moderate rain that could "cause floods, flash floods and landslides", warned Muhari on Tuesday. Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April. In November, flooding triggered by intense rains in western Indonesia killed 27 people. But some disasters caused by adverse weather have taken place outside that season in recent years. Climate change has also increased the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts. In May, at least 67 people died after heavy rains caused flash floods in West Sumatra, pushing a mixture of ash, sand, and pebbles from the eruption of Mount Marapi into residential areas. Indian elephants on epic journey to tycoon's giant zoo New Delhi, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 A jumbo operation is moving 20 elephants across the breadth of India to the mammoth private zoo set up by the son of Asia's richest man, adjoining a sprawling oil refinery. The elephants have been "freed from the exploitative logging industry", according to the Vantara Animal Rescue Centre, run by Anant Ambani, son of the billionaire head of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The sheer scale of the self-declared "world's biggest wild animal rescue centre" has raised eyebrows -- including more than 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards and 900 crocodiles, according to the inventory from India's Central Zoo Authority. The elephants are being transported the entire width of India, around 3,200 kilometres (1,990 miles) by road, from the misty forests of the northeast Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh to Jamnagar on the baking flatlands of Gujarat in the west. It is a staggering journey, about the distance from Paris to Cairo, even for a zoo that has flown in animals from across the world. The elephants include captive-born animals, some that had with deep wounds from chains used by their handlers to control them and for dragging timber. They are being transported in "elephant ambulances" -- specially adapted trucks -- accompanied by a team of over 200 staff, including vets. Photographs taken on their journey published by local media show the waving trunks of the elephants out the top of the slow-moving trucks. The animals will eventually be housed alongside around 200 elephants already at the pet project of 29-year-old Anant, a vast operation that includes more than 2,000 animals from 43 species across a 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) site. - 'Significant mental suffering' - "They will live chain-free and will never be forced into labour", a statement from Vantara read, meaning "Star of the Forest" in Hindi. Those are homed in a site alongside the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery Complex, which the conglomerate also says is the world's largest crude oil refinery. Summer temperatures there can soar above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Indian social media has both posts praising the move -- and those concerned that the endangered animals will be held in a private facility and not returned to the wild. Two other elephants, from a Hindu temple complex in Mayapur in West Bengal state where they performed temple rituals, are also being brought to the zoo on a 2,300-kilometre journey. One of those elephants killed her keeper last year. Vantara said that "living in captivity causes significant mental suffering", and insisted that their facility will now support the elephants' "emotional recovery". Around 2,100 staff look after the animals at the zoo, according to Vantara. The zoo was also among the many venues for Anant's lavish muti-day wedding celebrations in 2024, parties that set a new benchmark in matrimonial extravagance -- including private performances by R&B star Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, The Backstreet Boys and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Anant's father Mukesh is chairman of Reliance Industries, a family-founded conglomerate that has grown into India's biggest company by market cap. Mukesh Ambani, who attended US President Donald Trump's inauguration this week, is the world's 18th richest person, with a fortune of more than $95 billion, according to Forbes. pjm/dhw Netherlands must lower nitrogen emissions, court rules The Hague, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025 The Netherlands must meet its 2030 target to reduce nitrogen emissions or face a 10-million euro ($1.1 million) penalty, a court said Wednesday in a case brought by Greenpeace. In a rare sanction for the state, a court in The Hague said the Dutch government had not made enough effort to halt the progressive decline of several EU protected nature reserves needed to absorb nitrogen. Excess quantities of nitrogen can have harmful consequences on water, soil and air quality. The court said nitrogen deposits measured in these protected areas, part of the European Natura 2000 programme, are much higher than what they can absorb, contravening both Dutch and European law. It added that it was already too late for the Netherlands to reach its 2025 targets, but ordered the nation to do everything it could to meet those it had set for the end of 2030. In their ruling, judges stressed that the current far-right led coalition had gotten rid of several projects implemented by the previous government, also shrinking a climate transition fund from 24 billion to 5 billion euros. There has been a "clear step back," the court said, adding that "drastic and unavoidable reductions" were necessary. Greenpeace, the environmental group, said it was "relieved" after the ruling. "The government violates its own laws and must get to work now, nitrogen emission must be reduced," said the director of Greenpeace Netherlands, Andy Palmen, cited by Dutch news agency ANP. The country's main farming union, LTO, said the ruling will have "a huge impact" on farmers and on the economy as a whole. "We call for the state to appeal this decision," said LTO president Ger Koopmans in a statement. Nitrogen is a common ingredient in fertilizers. Farming, transport and construction are the sectors which most need to reduce their nitrogen pollution, according to the government's website. The Dutch state can appeal, but in the meantime will have to take measures to get closer to its 2030 targets. The most vulnerable areas facing excessive concentrations of ammonia and nitrogen oxides must be given the highest priority, the court said. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A week before Christmas in 2021, Elon Musk tweeted: Traceroute woke_mind_virus. It referred to a computing tool used to track the source and spread of information, in this case the woke mind virus. The centi-billionaire believed it was this culture of social justice that had caused him to become estranged from his transgender daughter. In the three years since, Elon Musk has gone from sharing memes about fringe cryptocurrencies and promoting clean energy technologies, to spreading extremist conspiracy theories and provoking outrage for an alleged fascist salute at an event on the day of Donald Trumps inauguration. This transition from an apolitical moderate to a far-right provocateur can perhaps be pinpointed to a single event maybe even that single tweet. According to Musks biographer Walter Isaacson, the transition of his child had a profound impact on Musks world view, with the rejection of him as a father triggering his descent towards fringe conspiracies and setting him on a trajectory towards becoming a leading figure in the culture war. When she turned 18 in April 2022, his daughter legally changed her name from Xavier Musk to Vivian Jenna Wilson, declaring to the court: I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form. Musks girlfriend at the time Claire Boucher, known professionally as Grimes told Isaacson that she had never seen him as heartbroken about anything. Having previously donated to Barack Obamas Democratic Party, Musk now associated the party with this woke agenda that had turned his child against him. This woke-mind virus resides primarily in the Democratic Party, he told Isaacson. He set out his shifting political stance in a tweet in May 2022. In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party, he wrote. But they have become the party of division and hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold. At the time, Musk still had a deep disdain for Donald Trump, but his anti-woke comments drew in right-wing provocateurs like the Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, while also distancing himself from progressive friends and even partners. When he sent alt-right memes and conspiracy theories to Grimes in 2022, she reportedly replied: Is this from 4chan or something? Youre actually starting to sound like someone from the far right. Grimes has publicly sided with Musks daughter since splitting up, and is now involved in a custody battle over the other children they share. Musks external strife appears to be directly correlated to the complications within his own internal family dynamics. In an interview with Peterson last year, Musk publicly spoke about his reasoning behind his daughters estrangement for the first time and the motivation it instilled in him to undergo his own political and moral transition. Essentially my son is dead, he said. Killed by the woke mind virus. So I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that. And were making some progress. It was a quick capitulation from centrist moderate to far right instigator for Musk. His tweet about finding the origin of the woke mind virus came just three months after tweeting: I prefer to stay out of politics. Since taking over Twitter and renaming it X, Musk is now becoming radicalised by his own social media platform. Its algorithm, which is designed to keep people engaged, appears to be serving him increasingly extreme content, at least according to his likes and retweets. Musk has consistently presented himself as a champion of free speech, with his takeover preceding a mass unblocking of accounts that had previously been banned for spouting extremist views. (It is worth noting that simply writing the word cisgender is enough to get an account temporarily banned, as Musk considers it a slur.) One of those welcomed back was convicted criminal and anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson. Despite having less than a million followers on X in the weeks following his reinstatement, his posts were viewed more than a billion times thanks in part to Musk actively responding to Robinsons anti-immigration posts, which have amplified his false claims to his 214 million followers. open image in gallery The logo of social media firm X - formerly Twitter - on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on 11 March, 2024 ( Getty Images ) Some believe that Musks engagement with such accounts, and the stoking of fears by calling out Prime Minister Keir Starmer about so-called two-tier policing, is designed to increase traffic and attention to his beleaguered site. But others suggest it is a direct result of the time he spends on X. If you look at it over time, he was somebody who was talking about solving climate change and working on big things, and then all of a sudden has drifted into this echo chamber of conspiracy theories and science denial on extremism and racism, Sander van der Linden, a professor of social psychology and disinformation at the University of Cambridge, told The Independent. How do you find yourself in such an environment? Whats changed between then and now is that hes spending a lot of time on X. The eVidnovlennia program has fully resumed its work after a large-scale hacker attack by the Russian Federation. This means that Ukrainians whose housing was damaged or destroyed as a result of the war can once again apply for compensation from the state. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development. It is noted that for the convenience of citizens, the deadline for booking housing certificates for which funds were reserved has been extended by 30 days (until February 20, 2025, inclusive), which will allow for a more relaxed mode of concluding transactions for the sale and purchase of new housing to replace the destroyed one. The head of the "Servant of the People" party, Olena Shuliak, explained that there are two ways to apply for compensation under the program. Namely: through the portal or the Diia app ; ; at the nearest Administrative Service Center. The Ministry of Digital Transformation noted that compensation will be provided to military personnel, large families, and people with disabilities in the first place. The funds can be spent on construction materials or payment for the services of contractors performing repair work. The service is relevant for the government-controlled territories of Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT It is worth noting that shortly before the cyberattack on the registers of the Ministry of Justice, MPs passed draft law 11161. It expanded the scope of the eVidnovlennia program through the following changes: simplification of the procedure for receiving compensation: from now on, IDPs who have lost their homes in the TOT will be able to receive compensation without the need for mandatory photo or video documentation of the damage. This takes into account the limited access to such areas due to insecurity and hostilities; from now on, IDPs who have lost their homes in the TOT will be able to receive compensation without the need for mandatory photo or video documentation of the damage. This takes into account the limited access to such areas due to insecurity and hostilities; equating damaged property with destroyed property: property that has been severely damaged is equated with destroyed property. This allows for compensation without the need for a physical inspection; property that has been severely damaged is equated with destroyed property. This allows for compensation without the need for a physical inspection; abolition of mandatory inspection: mandatory inspection of property has been canceled for housing in the territories where hostilities are ongoing or which remain occupied. This significantly speeds up the application and decision-making process; mandatory inspection of property has been canceled for housing in the territories where hostilities are ongoing or which remain occupied. This significantly speeds up the application and decision-making process; expansion of the eVidnovlennia program: the draft law includes housing in the TOT in the eVidnovlennia program, which simplifies the application procedure and reduces the number of required documents. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Ukraine has restored the operation of unified and state registries, as well as other systems that were affected by a large-scale Russian cyberattack on the Ministry of Justice. However, notaries and state registrars still have limited access to the State Register of Real Property Rights. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Design and display This phone uses the familiar, and attractive, Samsung Galaxy industrial design. Youd know it was a Galaxy without the Samsung label on the back. In other words, its polished, classy and slick. Whats new this year is the introduction of rounded corners instead of the square edges on the S24 Ultra. This makes for a more inviting, softer look, although, the difference is subtle. The new shape replaces the curved edges of last years model with flat sides here. Youd think that would make the phone less comfortable in the hand but, while its true the edges are sharper, Samsung has made the phone slightly narrower, so its an easier fit. As with all large-screen phones, its worth trying in your hand first, if you have smaller mitts. The silverblue colourway glints blue in certain lights (David Phelan) The overall dimensions arent very different from last years S24 Ultra but they also contribute to a better feel in the hand: the phone is 0.5mm taller, but 1.4mm narrower and 0.4mm thinner from front to back. These small changes combine to create a better-handling phone. Though, of course, if you put your phone in a case, as most of us do, that slimness is slightly muted. The newly shrunken bezels mean Samsung has been able to put a bigger display into roughly the same size phone: its 6.9in against last years 6.8in. This isnt a massive increase but extra screen real estate, with no extra hand-stretching is always welcome. Meanwhile, the display itself is terrific. Its pin-sharp and bright (up to 2,600 nits) with a fast refresh rate that varies from 1-120Hz. This means that everything you do is buttery-smooth but, when youre looking at static content, it scales the refresh rate down, to save battery life. Read more: OnePlus 13, reviewed It also has impressively low reflectivity, which makes it easier to see in even the brightest light. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2, which Samsung says can survive a drop of 2m or more onto concrete. The phone comes in new colours, all touching on the fact that, like last year, Samsung has appointed the phone with a titanium frame to make it strong but light: titanium silverblue, titanium black, titanium whitesilver and titanium grey. I tested silverblue, which has a delicate, subtle feel to it, that glints blue in certain lights. Cameras There are more cameras on the S25 Ultra than other Samsung phones. The main camera retains the 200MP resolution from last years models, but theres an all-new ultra-wide camera, now with 50MP resolution. This camera is the one thats used for super-close macro images, and these are remarkable: however close you get to your subject, it's possible to see it in sharp focus. A new camera achieves remarkable super-close macro images (David Phelan) Then theres the telephoto camera or, rather, two of them. Theres a 50MP telephoto, which is the equivalent of 5x the main lens, though it can also take 10x shots without any digital zoom, by cropping into the central area. Theres also a 10MP telephoto, which has a focal length the equivalent of 3x the wide camera, which is often the ideal amount of zoom. They work together seamlessly. One of the features of last years software has been expanded, too this is the smooth zoom slider, which makes it easy to effortlessly zoom in and out. It was previously restricted to pro settings but now its accessible to everyone and its great for those videos that need a bit more of a professional touch. Theres also something called virtual aperture, which uses software to mimic adjusting the aperture as though you were using an SLR camera. Its effective and enjoyable, although, Samsungs automatic settings do a tremendous job that most people will be happy with. Read more: Best wireless earbuds Samsungs cameras have consistently been strong, with uniformly good performance across all lenses and from features such as portrait mode through to macro. Whatever you need the camera to do, it can deliver. Software The combination of second-generation Galaxy Intelligence and collaboration with Google is powerful. It means you can use Googles Gemini as your AI assistant, enabling you to do several things at once. You can ask it to find exactly the kind of restaurant you need, even down to whether it has seating outside, and it can draft a text message so you can tell your friend youve found the ideal spot. This capability is also available on other phones (even the iPhone) but it is embedded well here. You can even activate Gemini through a long press of the power button. Samsungs own assistant, Bixby, is also still here, but you may find Gemini is the one you use most. Googles excellent circle to search feature has been enhanced, so you can draw around more elements on the screen to find out information, whether youre looking at a place, an object or a piece of art, say. Improvements to AI have meant its possible to talk to the phone in a more natural, conversational way, whether youre looking for a very specific photo in your gallery or want to effortlessly find a sporting fixture and easily add it to your calendar. The now bar tells you things without you having to ask (David Phelan) Samsungs own AI features first appeared this time last year, including interpreter (which translates speech in near-real time), and transcript assist, which turns calls and recordings into text. New additions include writing assist, which helps you summarise or format notes. Key to the AI upgrades is the now brief, which presents information on the lock screen in something called the now bar. This lozenge-shaped panel aims to give you details before you even ask for them. It can stack items, so a timer and a voice recorder can both be live at the same time. It can also do things such as tell you you should leave the house shortly to be on time for your next appointment. Its similar to Apples dynamic island on the iPhone and it works well: I love it. Performance Samsung partnered with Qualcomm to design a bespoke version of its latest processor to create the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. Qualcomm has also been integral to delivering wifi and 5G to the phone, plus Snapdragon Satellite, which enables users to send and receive messages via satellite. The Samsung Galaxy S25 series features the first gadgets to be able to use this feature though other phones have similar capabilities. Whatever the silicon, the performance here is very impressive. Everything happens fast, with no waiting or lag, not even for the shutter to snap in the camera. Performance is outstanding. Battery life With the same battery size as last years S24 Ultra, the new phone has battery life that matches the 2024 model. That means a full day and more so that battery anxiety need not trouble you. You still need to charge on a nightly basis, because it wont last two full days otherwise, but this is still a strong battery offering. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Stephen Fry has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is not immune from being contaminated with peoples hatred, weirdness and grooming. The actor, 67, also said there are certain human activities where technology can become deleterious, mentioning competitive sport as an example. Speaking at The British Educational Training and Technology (Bett) Show in London on Wednesday, he compared AI with water, saying in the future it may have raw sewage and chemicals and all kinds of nonsense in it. Sir Stephen said: All of you with children worry about the fact that, as it were, the air theyre breathing is contaminated and that the lines of communication they have through apps and social media is polluted with raw sewage of peoples hatred, weirdness and grooming and all the other terrors. AI is not immune from that, obviously, because it is entirely composed of everything out there. Sir Stephen warned of meaningless and useless nonsense being added to AI and told of his deep worry about the technology being compromised. He told of his concerns about AI being controlled by countries, corporations or criminals. The comedian, known for BBC comedy Blackadder and hosting quiz show QI, also said AI can do too much and that the technology could ruin the experience of being alive. He said that it should declare itself and cannot pretend to be real, warning that people must not be led to believe falsehoods or disbelieve truths. Sir Stephen told the audience that AI can be of unbelievable use in education if used to engage a child in a Socratic method which questions them on subjects. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy TikTok was only offline for 12 hours in the US before incoming president Donald Trump signalled that he would delay the nationwide ban of the Chinese-owned app. Trump gave a 75 day reprieve for TikTok and its 170 million users after signing an executive order on his first day in office on Monday, with the extension giving the incoming administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action. The initial terms of the ban, which was upheld by the Supreme Court last week, stated that TikToks parent company ByteDance needs to divest its ownership to a non-China-based company in order to negate concerns that the app is being used as a tool to spread propaganda through its algorithm, or collect private data from US citizens. President Trump has suggested that selling just 50 per cent of the firm would be enough to avoid a ban, with prospective buyers currently including YouTuber MrBeast and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The bid from 26-year-old MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, comes after the internet star teamed up with a group of investors in an effort to save the app. The exact amount of the bid has not been made public, though Trump has floated a figure in the region of $1 trillion (809bn). In a video posted to TikTok last week, Mr Donaldson said he wanted a seat at the table in any discussions to buy the platform. I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires, he said. TikTok, we mean business... We have an offer ready for you, we want to buy the platform, America deserves TikTok. Mr Musk has not publicly expressed any intention to buy TikTok, but President Trump said he was open to the SpaceX, Tesla and X boss to acquiring it. I would be, if he wanted to buy it, he told reporters on Tuesday. I have met with owners of TikTok, the big owners. So, what I am thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it and give half to the United States of America. The bans delay has been praised by TikTok and free speech advocates, who claimed that shutting down the app was a violation of the First Amendment, however others believe the executive order may itself be unconstitutional. President Trumps executive order doesnt save TikTok, it just makes the app entirely dependent on his whims and consolidates his power over the digital public sphere, Ramya Krishnan, a senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute, told The Independent. This isnt a win for free speech and it certainly isnt a win for the rule of law. Congresss TikTok ban is terrible policy, but overriding a duly enacted law by executive fiat sets a dangerous and anti-democratic precedent. US law does not allow the president to overturn a law passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court, however a delay is allowed if significant progress has been made towards following the law in this case finding a buyer. ByteDance is yet to publicly acknowledge its intention to sell TikTok, meaning Trumps executive order could face legal challenges, even from within his own party. Now that the law has taken effect, theres no legal basis for any kind of extension of its effective date, Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts said on Sunday. For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the laws qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China. If the bans delay is not challenged, then any potential buyer has until 5 April to negotiate with ByteDance in order to fulfill Trumps requirements and save TikTok. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Donald Trump has said hes open to the possibility of either Tesla boss and first buddy Elon Musk or Oracle chief Larry Ellison buying TikTok. The Supreme Court ruled last week in favour of a law blocking TikTok for US consumers after former president Joe Biden signed a legislation in April requiring its US operations either be sold or face a ban. Biden administration officials had raised concerns that Americans personal data could be stolen and misused by the Chinese government if TikToks US operations remained under Chinese parent company ByteDance. However, as one of his first moves as president, Mr Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of the ban on the short video hosting platform by 75 days. US president Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House ( Getty Images ) I have met with owners of TikTok, the big owners. So, what I am thinking about saying to somebody is buy it and give half to the United States of America, Mr Trump told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday. When asked by a reporter if he was open to Mr Musk buying the platform, the president said: I would be, if he wanted to buy it. Id like Larry to buy it, too, he said, referring to the Oracle chief, according to CNN. Despite the 75-day hold on the ban, companies delivering TikToks services in the US such as Apple and Google appear to be taking a cautious approach, with neither of their app stores offering any other ByteDance-affiliated apps on their digital marketplaces. In total, before the end of my first full business day in Washington and the White House, we've already secured nearly $3 trillion of new investments in the United States. And probably, that's going to be six or seven by the end of the week. pic.twitter.com/O8e0AZYxGJ President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) January 22, 2025 The president said on Monday that he could see the US government taking a 50 per cent stake in TikTok, allowing the US to potentially police the site, adding every rich person has called him about acquiring the platform. Mr Trump threatened to impose tariffs as high as 100 per cent on Chinese goods if Beijing refused to allow a sale of TikTok. Meanwhile ByteDance has not commented on whether it plans to sell TikTok in the US, but Bloomberg reported that Chinese officials have considered the option of selling to Mr Musk. Mr Musk emerged as one of the preisdents top financial backers during his campaign, spending over $250m to help him win the November election, and the Oracle boss has also been a longtime supporter of Mr Trump. Chinas foreign ministry said that business operations and acquisitions should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, Chinas laws and regulations should be observed, the foreign ministrys spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. On January 22, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Unity, a holiday that symbolizes the unity and indivisibility of Ukrainian lands. This date has been celebrated at the state level since 1999, and its historical roots go back to 1919, when the Act of Unification of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) was proclaimed on St. Sophia Square in Kyiv. ADVERTISIMENT The Act of Unification became a defining event for the Ukrainian state, confirming Ukrainians' desire for unity. It refutes the Russian propaganda claim that Stalin united Ukrainian lands in 1939. In fact, the idea of unity existed long before the twentieth century and was key to the national liberation movement. Why Unity Day is celebrated on January 22 Unity means not only territorial unity but also spiritual cohesion of Ukrainians, regardless of their nationality or region of residence. It is a principle that combines statehood, sovereignty, and independence, forming the basis of a democratic Ukraine. In the context of the current Russian-Ukrainian war, the idea of unity is gaining even more importance. Today, more than ever, Ukrainians need to remain united to win and restore their territorial integrity. The slogan of this year's celebration was "There is strength in unity". Ukrainians recall the events of 1919 and pay tribute to those who fought and are fighting for the country's independence. ADVERTISIMENT Unity remains a key goal of Ukrainians. It will be fully realized only when Ukraine regains all its territories. Therefore, January 22 is not only a day of historical remembrance, but also a reminder of the need to fight together for the future. What holidays are celebrated on January 22 Dance of the Seven Veils Day Although there is a tradition of celebrating the Dance of the Seven Veils Day on January 22, this holiday is not deeply rooted in religious or cultural traditions. Its origins are linked to popular culture, particularly the image of Salome, which is often used in art and literature. The legend of the dance of the seven veils comes from the biblical story of Salome, who seduced King Herod and asked for the head of John the Baptist as a reward. Blonde Brownie Day This sweet gourmet holiday aims to cheer up and bring joy. ADVERTISIMENT St. Timothy's Day A religious holiday with a rich history. Timothy was one of the closest disciples of the Apostle Paul. He accompanied Paul on his travels and helped him preach the Gospel. After Paul's death, Timothy became the bishop of Ephesus. Timothy is a symbol of faith, devotion and service to God. His life and work are an example for all Christians. Notable historical events on January 22 1648 - the beginning of the so-called "Khmelnytskyy period". This term was used to describe the National Liberation War led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1648-1657). 1863 - the beginning of the January Uprising against the rule of the Russian Empire. 1918 - The IV Universal was approved, proclaiming Ukraine an independent state. 1919 - The UPR Directorate proclaimed the Act of Unification of the UPR and the ZUNR (later the ZUNR was transformed into the Western Regions of the UPR). ADVERTISIMENT 1942 - the first train with workers recruited to work in Germany (Ostarbeiters) departed from Kyiv. 1970 - The first regular flight of a Boeing 747 with passengers on board took place. 1992 - Ukrainian-born Canadian Roberta Bodnar becomes the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space thanks to her participation in the Space Shuttle program. 1992 - The Philippines recognizes Ukraine's independence. 1992 - Ukraine establishes diplomatic relations with Iran. 1992 - The First World Congress of Ukrainians was held. 2010 - Viktor Yushchenko signs a decree awarding the title of Hero of Ukraine to OUN leader Stepan Bandera. 2014 - the first deaths on the Maidan in Kyiv. Outstanding personalities born on January 22 Vasyl Symonenko: An outstanding Ukrainian poet whose works have become classics of Ukrainian literature. His poetry is imbued with deep patriotism and love for his native land. ADVERTISIMENT David Bowie: Legendary British musician who had a revolutionary impact on the music industry. His experiments with sound and unconventional image made him an icon of rock music. Daniel Dexter: American actor, known for his roles in the TV series Twin Peaks and the films Planet of the Apes and American Psycho. Isaac Newton: English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who formulated the laws of classical mechanics. His discoveries had a revolutionary impact on the development of science. Vasilis Papandreou: Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece. He was an active participant in European politics. James Matthew Barry: Scottish writer who created the image of Peter Pan. His tales about a boy who did not want to grow up have become classics of children's literature. Birthdays on January 22 Angel's Day is celebrated today: Tymotey, Yakiv, Yevfymiy, Ivan, Yosyp, Leontiy, Leontiy, Makariy, Manuyil, Mykola, Ahaton, Ananiy, Anastasiy, Havryyil, Heorhiy, Parod, Petro, Sioniy. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. This research collaboration between the WA Government, industry and universities demonstrates the commitment of the Cook Government to a responsible and sustainable minerals industry. Curtin Universitys Trailblazer program aims to build research capabilities and help drive commercialisation opportunities in the resources and critical minerals industries across the country. It is one of six Trailblazer programs within the Australian Governments Trailblazer universities programs. Curtin has partnered with the University of Queensland, James Cook University and 50 industry partners to encourage commercialisation of university research. The junior mining firms participating in the study have a range of prospective projects for critical minerals, which they are looking to either develop as a mineral resource or have already done so. Terrain Minerals has the intriguing Larins Lane gallium project, part of its wider Smokebush project, which sits about 350 kilometres northeast of Perth and 65km west of the historic township of Paynes Find. Previous maiden drilling at Larins Lane intersected broad zones of gallium mineralisation across a 9km by 3km interpreted strike zone. The site provides year-round access and is close to established mining infrastructure. The company plans to undertake further twin-hole drilling at the site for metallurgical testing, having begun a first round of metallurgical studies in December. The samples provided are being tested with eight separate solvents, focusing on organic, near pH neutral solvents. Interim results will be released when available, with the final results expected mid-year. Management revealed an exploration target in November for Larins Lane highlighting that gallium and total rare earth oxides are hosted within the regolith sitting above the fresh bedrock. An air core drill program consisting of 53 holes for an estimated 3500 metres will test the prospective targets during the first three months of this year. A Chinese ban in July 2023 on the export of gallium and germanium, which is used in semiconductor manufacturing, placed gallium firmly front and centre in the news and highlighted its importance as a key critical mineral. Gallium has a vitally important role to play in semiconductors and electronics. The metal turns electricity into light and is found in many LEDs. Different gallium compounds produce different coloured lights and are commonly used in TV screens, flashlights and Christmas lights. Using gallium nitride allows for faster switching capabilities at lower voltages and higher temperatures. Terrain is also currently drilling at its Lort River project in the Albany Fraser Orogen, on the southern margin of the Yilgarn craton, with management targeting its eye feature that was discovered from an aerial versatile-time-domain-electromagnetic survey. Both its T1 and T2 targets are on the western edge of the eye feature, which is an interpreted mafic or ultra-mafic intrusion. Terrain believes a geophysical eye identified at Lort River shares strong similarities with IGOs eye that was identified prior to its earth-shattering discovery of the large - and now producing - Nova-Bollinger operation. In addition to participating in the critical minerals study, Terrain Minerals nabbed a further $450,000 placement from investors keen to support the companys drilling campaigns at its gold, gallium and nickel-copper projects in WA. The placement will comprise 150 million shares issued at 0.3c each and settle around January 28 with the shares issued within the companys existing placement capacity. Management plans to utilise the funds primarily to conduct further drilling at its Smokebush project, consisting of the Wildflower gold targets and the Larins Lane gallium prospects. Active ASX-listed WA explorer Dreadnought Resources discovered its hard-rock rare earths and niobium deposit Yin in 2022, which forms part of its Mangaroon project in WAs Gascoyne region. The company defined a mineral resource for the 30km long ironstone complex across about 3km or 10 per cent, encompassing 14.36 million tonnes at 1.13 per cent total rare earth oxides. Further successful drilling throughout 2023 enabled Dreadnought to update the resource and extend the strike at Yin to 43km. The updated resource comprised 29.98mt going 1.04 per cent total rare earth oxides. Combined with the companys nearby Gifford Creek carbonatite, the two deposits total 40.82mt at 1.03 per cent total rare earth oxides and form a globally significant critical minerals complex within the Mangaroon project. Dreadnought recently announced an earn-in and joint-venture agreement with a subsidiary of Canadian mining firm Teck Resources for its Bresnahan heavy rare earths and uranium project, covering 3700 square kilometres of ground some 125km southwest of the iron ore mining town of Newman, in WAs Pilbara region. The earn-in periods comprise an overall eight-year timeframe and could earn Teck up to 80 per cent of the project if exploration funding commitments are met. The critical mineral niobium is also considered to be part of the accepted minerals within the new study. Dreadnought has discovered high grades of the metal at its Stinger discovery within the Gifford Creek carbonatite, part of the companys Mangaroon project. The WA Government is keen to maximise the critical minerals within its reach and forge a strong pathway to their future development through funding vital research programs. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Kris Jenner is having none of it. The fearsome but beloved mother of the Kardashians or at least a holographic representation of her - is holding court at the Monash University Museum of Art, and letting people know what she thinks of artist Scotty So. All right everyone, buckle up, because I need to get something off my chest, she snipes. We need to talk about this so-called artist Scotty So, and Im just going to say it. His art? Not it. Im sorry, but I cant even pretend like Im impressed by whatever it is hes trying to do. What the Melbourne-based artist is trying to do with this AI-generated hologram of himself as Jenner, all sassy nods and gestures, sparkly jacket and power-mum, cropped haircut, is to explore the notion of image. Scotty So channels Kris Jenner in a hologram project exploring the nature of image-making. Credit: MUMA So is among 18 artists and collectives included in the Image Economies exhibition, an exploration of how digital technologies impact the creation and sharing of images, cultural practices and our perceptions of the world. The show, being staged to celebrate MUMAs 50th anniversary, also includes works by Tracey Moffatt, D Harding and the Tennant Creek Brio. Co-curator Melanie Oliver says the aim is to explore how image production has always been shaped by technological advances, with contemporary tools like AI, digital infrastructures and algorithms representing the latest iteration. Were interested in ideas of authenticity and also the commodification of imagery, how images are consumed, how much agency we retain over our personal data and online selves, and the value we attribute to images in an image-saturated world. Advertisement Hong-Kong born So has long used dressing up and drag performance to illustrate the slipperiness of identity. He decided to play Jenner after watching an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in which Paris Hilton inspired Jenner to make a hologram of herself. Serendipitously, So owns the same hologram machine as Jenner, and its uncanny to watch him impersonate one of the worlds most famous mothers. Its about how images translate and transform through pop culture moments, and through technology, he says of his contributions to Image Economies. Loading While So isnt a fan of reality television, he watches the Kardashians because theres an awareness that theyre curating an image, with Jenner as the matriarch. She has the mentality of being the momager [mom and manager], and in the art industry theres lots of strong working women, says So. Theres this energy Im drawn to. Im using her as a way to seek validation as a queer artist. Both comic and sincere, the AI element of the work is important. Its a comment on the technology itself, So says. Because Im a queer man, an artist whos POC [person of colour], it has that fragility to the work, it [inevitably] becomes the perspective of a queer person looking into a motherly figure of pop culture. But instead of judging AI or celebrity emulation, the focus is the mimicking to show different perspectives of the truth, he says. The exhibition theme arose when Oliver and her co-curators, Stephanie Berlangieri and Francis E. Parker, noticed how many artists in MUMAs collection had worked with the new technologies of their time. While Ian Burn photocopied photographs in 1968, James Barth now uses 3D modelling software. Three themes eventually emerged as the curators considered this history: the materiality of digital technologies; how the digital meets Indigenous cultural practices; and the links between representation, pop culture and social media. Victoria Todorov, Cicciolina Triptych, 2024, oil on canvas. Credit: Courtesy of the artist The latter theme is evident in the work of Melbourne artist Victoria Todorov, whose hyperreal paintings radiate an intensely online energy. The exhibition includes her portraits of three complicated women: Cicciolina, also known as Ilona Anna Staller, a former porn star who became an Italian politician; Anna Nicole Smith, a Playboy model and TV personality who, at the age of 26, famously married an 89-year-old billionaire; and Toni Holt Kramer, founder of the US presidents all-female cheer squad, the Trumpettes. All three women have a definitive aesthetic and each is as capable of wielding the power of their image as they are of being defined by it. These women are all divisive figures, says Todorov. Cicciolina is a recurring inspiration for my practice; her blend of sexuality and progressive politics starkly contrast the glamour and politics of Toni Holt Kramer. Advertisement Anna Nicole was pilloried for her beauty and life, so I find revisiting these individuals interesting in combination ... Politics, sex, beauty, progressive, conservative the tension of all of these are embodied by the works. From left, Victoria Todorov, Trumpettes (MAGA) 2024 and Anna Nicole Glamour, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of the artist Rather than painting the portraits herself, Todorov creates a physical or digital collage that she sends to a specialist Chinese painting factory. She likes the idea of factory art, she says, because it reflects the world we now live in a world where everything is commodified and for sale. In focusing on celebrity culture and image reproduction, Todorov makes a weighty point. I see my work as a response to the era of post-truth, she says. We live in a world where truth seems to hold less importance, replaced by narratives constructed and mediated entirely through images. Rather than being cynical, Todorov engages with even celebrates this world. Her portraits are about holding artifice up to reverence. Sione Tuivailala Monu, an artist of Tongan descent who lives between Australia and New Zealand, takes a more personal approach to the question of image creation, turning a decade of Instagram stories into an intimate archive of everyday life. The scenes are manifold: Monu checking if they can double a cake recipe; smoking a cigarette; installing an artwork; laughing; making memes about orgasms; dancing in their lounge room. Sione Tuivailala Monu, Stories 201525 (iPhone video still). Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Robert Heald Gallery, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington While some stories feel candid, others parody the main character energy of Instagram. Many feature nimameaa tuikakala, the Tongan art of flower-designing to create beautiful floral, beaded adornments and objects. My kahoa practice is very experimental and not at all traditional, but very much inspired by my youth growing up making and watching my aunties and grandparents make kahoa for celebrations like weddings and birthdays, says Monu. Advertisement The nominees for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on Friday, which means the creators of years best films are gearing up for the final sprint in their campaigns. But for the team behind The Brutalist, one of the frontrunners for best picture, this week is all about damage control. The films editor, David Jancso, told video tech publication RedShark News that artificial intelligence was used to perfect the lead actors Hungarian (which makes up much of the films dialogue). This involved feeding his voice, as well as those of actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, into Ukrainian AI software Respeecher. Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in a scene from The Brutalist. Credit: A24 via AP If youre coming from the Anglo-Saxon world, certain [Hungarian] sounds can be particularly hard to grasp, said Jancso, a native Hungarian speaker. We first tried to ADR [automated dialogue replacement] these harder elements with the actors. Then we tried to ADR them completely with other actors but that just didnt work. So we looked for other options of how to enhance it. The use of AI in film is not new. But this instance in a film that has sold itself as a monument to artistry has some wondering whether it could, or should, impact The Brutalists chances for certain gold statuettes in March. Renters would have access to permits allowing them free parking at popular beaches in Sydneys north under a NSW government plan to scrap council rules restricting the passes to home owners. The government wants to abolish schemes that require local renters to pay for beach parking permits while ratepayers can get them for free in Mosman and Northern Beaches council areas. Families enjoy Balmoral Beach on Wednesday. Credit: Ben Symons The councils cover popular coastal spots from Balmoral and The Spit to Manly and Palm Beach. NSW Roads Minister John Graham said the proposed shake-up was a fairness issue, and a cost-of-living issue given renters accounted for one-third of the states population and were on the rise. Rail unions have dropped more than 350 work bans that threatened to disrupt Sydneys network until at least the end of March, resulting in the NSW government withdrawing its case seeking the termination of industrial action due to the economic harm caused. In a replay of the legal manoeuvres in the lead-up to New Years Eve fireworks, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and several other unions notified that they had withdrawn actions indefinitely, hours before the start of a Fair Work Commission hearing of the governments case. The Electrical Trades Union (ETU), which is one of six involved in the pay dispute, initially did not withdraw a number of partial bans. But after discussions with government lawyers during a hearing adjournment, it dropped partial work bans until the end of March. The actions withdrawn by the RTBU and other unions pertain to those that the governments legal case was based on, including crew driving trains 23km/h slower on sections of track where the speed limit is more than 80km/h. Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the unions withdrawal of more than 350 bans as a result of the governments legal action meant there was no longer a cloud hanging over rail operations and negotiations over a new enterprise agreement could continue. Is Queens Wharf really too big to fail? We might be close to finding out. In the past month, co-owner and casino operator the Star Entertainment Group has declared it only has $79 million left in the bank, and is asking its lenders for more money. Revenue fell 15 per cent in the last quarter. Administration, followed by a potential fire sale, is looking more likely by the day. Star says it is spending $35 million a month to keep operations in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney rolling. With less than $79 million in the bank, time is not on the groups side. Credit: Courtney Kruk Star has casinos in Sydney, on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. If the rules around problem gambling were applied to the business, its feverish desperation would not have gone unnoticed on the gaming floor. A man accused of killing a father of two at a playground in Melbournes outer west has faced court, telling a magistrate he needed medication. Ishtpal Singh appeared in person at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with murdering Anmoral Singh Bajwa, 36 also known as Anmol who was found dead in a playground in Mambourin on Tuesday. Ishtpal Singh faced court on Wednesday charged with murder. Defence lawyer Michael Haralambous told the court it was his clients first time in custody. He also raised concerns over a failure to provide Ishtpal Singh, of Brookfield, with his prescribed antidepressant medication since his arrest. A teenager who allegedly slashed a stranger across the head with a machete on a busy St Kilda street to steal a car wants to be freed on bail following an alleged nine-month crime spree. This spree, a court heard, included an alleged attack on a night nurse in a foiled carjacking and the 15-year-old boy taking a hunting knife to school ahead of his most recent arrest at Southern Cross train station last week. A 15-year-old boy accused of a machete attack and armed robbery in St Kilda. Credit: Seven News The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, was on four counts of bail when police allege he caught the train from regional Victoria to St Kilda with a machete down his pants on January 12. The court heard the teenager who lives with disabilities approached a stranger on Barkly Street with a large machete and allegedly demanded the man hand over his phone and car keys about 9pm. A Melbourne stalker who took secret intimate images of women before sending them to their colleagues will spend months in jail for what a magistrate described as a distressing, relentless campaign of abuse. Martyn Boylan, 49, of Brooklyn, sent one of his victims pictures of his own penis and footage of him having sex with other women. Boylan was jailed for 20 months. Credit: Darrian Traynor He also persistently stalked one of his victims, repeatedly turning up at her workplace and later flying a drone over her familys house. Magistrate Therese McCarthy said both victims worked in an industry of a public nature. Each Ukrainian region boasts its own bright flavors and unique ingredients. There are places where recipes are carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation. Thus, to know what is worth tasting while traveling, read on. ADVERTISIMENT Poltava Located in the center of the country. According to research, the city was founded in 899. Since ancient times, bread has occupied a central place on the table of Poltava residents. It was baked several times a week and was eaten mostly with soups, lard, and vegetables. The stale leftovers were not thrown away, but dried for breadcrumbs, which were later used for kvass, cottage cheese, and a traditional dish called teterya. It was made from millet and seasoned with liquid buckwheat or rye dough. By the way, the Cossacks simply loved it. They also often fried small croutons to eat with the soup. If you're in Poltava, we recommend you try: Halushky. They are considered to be a kind of a trump card of the region. Boiled pieces of dough are served with various sauces (for example, sour cream or mushroom), or as an addition to borscht. They can be made with meat, liver, potatoes, buckwheat, and even sweet products. ADVERTISIMENT Shpundra. Stewed pork brisket with beets and red kvass. It has a rich, sweet and sour taste. Lemishka. A thick porridge made from buckwheat or rye flour, usually served with fried onions and lard. Lviv The city is considered the capital of Galicia and the center of western Ukraine. It was founded by King Danylo around 1231-1235. First, try the fliachky. Some historians claim that this dish appeared in Lviv before it became widely known in Poland. Its main ingredient is rumen, a part of the cattle's stomach, namely its muscle tissue. The hardest part of cooking is cleaning the particles from food debris. Then they are boiled for a long time and spices are added to get rid of the specific flavor. ADVERTISIMENT Try the potato and meat pie called pechenya too. The name itself comes from the word "pich," which means oven. Traditionally, it was served at almost every celebration, unless it was during the fasting period. Later, around the middle of the 20th century, tomatoes and tomato sauce were added to the recipe. Lviv Lenten borsch is over 700 years old. Instead of potatoes, cabbage, and beans, it is made on the basis of sauerkraut broth with mushrooms. And, of course, try the famous Lviv syrnyk, which you can find in almost all the city's restaurants. Kyiv Kyiv is located in the middle reaches of the Dnipro River in the northern Naddniprianshchyna. There is a legend that the name of the capital comes from the legendary founder of the city, Kyi. ADVERTISIMENT What exactly every tourist should try? Of course, the Kyiv cutlet. It has a crispy breading and butter inside. The recipe is believed to have originated from French chefs who cooked it for aristocrats in the Russian Empire in the late 19th century. This dish became known here much later. In the 1970s, it appeared on the menu of the Intourist Hotel and at international events in the United Kingdom and the United States. You can also visit the legendary Kyivska perepichka. The restaurant was opened in 1986. Today, it is located in the same place - in house No. 3 on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street. It is here that the famous sausage pies are sold. And for dessert, we recommend trying the Kyiv cake. It was first baked at the Karl Marx Confectionery Factory in 1956. It consists of nuts, meringue, and buttercream. ADVERTISIMENT Ivano-Frankivsk It is located in the southwest of Ukraine. The official date of the city's foundation is 1662, when the former Stanislaviv received the Magdeburg rights. It will not be a full trip to Prykarpattia without banosh. The most common version of the dish's origin is associated with the life of shepherds in the mountains. Sheep farming was considered an important occupation of the Hutsuls, and they often ate products that they could get from sheep: milk or cheese. The dish was made primarily from corn flour and sour cream. Today, they add cracklings to it. Also, be sure to try the white borscht. And, no, this is not the one with sorrel - it is the green one. This soup is made from white fodder beets, onions, and smoked ribs. Thyme is often added to it as well. ADVERTISIMENT In local establishments, tourists can try bohrach, a specialty of Carpathian cuisine. It is made with bell peppers, ground paprika, tomatoes, potatoes, and spices. Keep in mind that it is quite spicy. Odesa Odesa is located on the Black Sea coast. Around the third century AD, settlements founded by ancient Greek colonists existed on the territory of the modern city. Start your gastronomic tour with the hallmark of Odesa cuisine - forshmak. The pate is made of herring, apple, onion, and boiled egg. It is served with Borodino bread. Also, be sure to try the "blue caviar". Its secret ingredient is eggplant. Tomatoes and bell peppers are added too. And, of course, try the fish stuffed with minced meat. Ready to taste delicacies? Go on a trip to Ukraine! Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Economist Jonathan Lesser , PhD, urges policymakers to adopt a more rational planning framework WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2025 -- According to a National Center for Energy Analytics (NCEA) report, mandates to electrify the American economy while rationing customers' energy use may worsen the energy affordability crisis and power access. "Forcing consumers into electrification while limiting their access to electricity and relying on less reliable renewable sources are irrational approaches," said NCEA senior fellow and the report's author Jonathan Lesser, PhD. "Electric utilities should design systems to meet customers' requirements and growing demand, rather than rationing and restricting power access." Lesser's analysis reveals an epic failure in the electric utility planning process. Because regulators and policymakers haven't focused on increasing supplies of affordable and reliable electricity, consumers are being hit with far higher electric bills and greater risks of rolling blackouts. In northern California, for example, the frequency of power outages has doubled over the past decade. Meanwhile, residential rates throughout the state have increased 75% on average from 2020 to 2024. Recently, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $15 billion loan to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to develop virtual power plantshome-based solar and battery storage facilities, and voluntary power shutoffsas a way to meet customer load. However, Lesser believes this investment still misses the mark. "While virtual power plants may increase supply, they still epitomize how utilities have failed to plan for the long term, especially when considering grid reliability," according to Lesser. "The DOE's loan to PG&E is a costly bandage that doesn't address a fundamental component of electrification policies, which is ample supplies of affordable and reliable electricity." Electric utilities are increasingly using direct controls and higher prices to limit or ration electricity use. Lesser recommends incorporating consumers' inconvenience costs directly into utilities' "least-cost" resource planning efforts. This, he stresses, is far better than relying on time-of-use schemes that charge consumers even higher prices when they most want access to electricity, or even direct load controls that allow utilities to shut off power when demand is too high to meet. Although policymakers have pushed electrification mandates to address carbon dioxide emissions, Lesser believes that using more natural gas and nuclear energy are better options for grid reliability while reducing emissions at a far lower cost. "Whether or not we have electrification mandates, the U.S. will still need a bigger and stronger infrastructure to avoid power disruptions," he said. The report, titled "Electrification Without Electricity: An Epic Failure in Planning for Critical Infrastructure," is available at utilities.energyanalytics.org. About the National Center for Energy Analytics (NCEA): The National Center for Energy Analytics is a think tank devoted to data-driven analyses of policies, plans, and technologies surrounding the supply and use of energy essential for human flourishing. Through objective analyses of energy policies and their implications, NCEA aims to inform policymakers, industry leaders, and the public on critical energy issues. SOURCE National Center for Energy Analytics Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers will save time in customer, vehicle and incentives searches with Smart VINCENT. Sales and transaction processes are streamlined with improved customer relationship management. The Smart VINCENT integration marks the fifth innovation between VinSolutions and FordDirect since 2024 and will be showcased at the NADA Show 2025. ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2025 -- VinSolutions, Cox Automotive Inc.'s AI-powered marketing, sales and service solution suite, today announced it has strengthened its partnership with FordDirect through a new integration with Smart VINCENT. This new integration benefits Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers currently enrolled in the CRM Data Edge program, by simplifying and expediting the sales process, saving them time when researching and applying incentive packages. "At FordDirect, we are committed to delivering solutions that empower our Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers to operate more efficiently and focus on their customers," said Dean Stoneley, CEO of FordDirect. "Cox Automotive has proven to be a trusted partner, and this latest integration with VinSolutions and Smart VINCENT demonstrates another step forward in streamlining the sales process, enabling our dealers and retailers to better serve their customers by focusing on what matters mostbuilding strong relationships and delivering exceptional car buying experiences." Smart VINCENT is a principal tool used among Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers to access data and details on customers, vehicles and incentives. Now directly integrated with VinSolutions CRM, dealers can push customer and VIN information directly to Smart VINCENT for incentive searches, enabling dealers and retailers to avoid time-consuming duplicative steps and rekeying information across multiple systems. "VinSolutions has embarked on an accelerated innovation track with FordDirect CRM Data Edge, with this latest integration being the fifth in a series of offerings that began less than a year ago," stated Tracy Fred, senior vice president, dealer and software solutions. "Our latest Car Buyer Journey study shows that satisfaction for both the dealer and buyer is driven by streamlining the transactional portions of the purchase. This integration underscores our commitment to creating an efficient buying and selling experience, where sales staff ensure the buyer gets the best deal, all without repetition and reducing the time associated with negotiations and paperwork." VinSolutions CRM integration with Smart VINCENT is now available to approximately 400+ Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers across the U.S. This and other FordDirect integrations will be showcased at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 2025 convention in New Orleans, La., Jan. 23-26. For information on all of Cox Automotive's 2025 new offerings, or to schedule a briefing with the team, visit the Cox Automotive NADA Hub. About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, vAuto, Dealertrack, NextGear Capital, CentralDispatch, and FleetNet America. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com, or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook, or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn. About FordDirect FordDirect, headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, connects the worlds of data, analytics, and technology to provide best-in-class digital marketing and advertising solutions exclusively for Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers. FordDirect is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its dealers with a mission of helping Ford and Lincoln dealerships sell more cars and trucks. SOURCE Cox Automotive US President Donald Trump has called on Russia to end its war against Ukraine and conclude a peace deal. Otherwise, he threatened to impose new sanctions and duties on all Russian exports to the United States. ADVERTISIMENT "I am going to do Russia, whose economy is collapsing, and President Putin a very big favor. Make a deal now and end this senseless war! It's only going to get worse," the 47th US president wrote on Truth Social. If Russia refuses to sign a peace agreement, Trump threatened tough sanctions: "If we don't make a deal, soon I will have no choice but to impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on everything Russia sells to the United States and other participating countries." At the same time, the new US president said that he "does not want to harm Russia," "loves the Russian people, and has always had a very good relationship with Putin." Trump also recalled how "Russia helped us win World War II, losing nearly 60 million lives in the process." "Let's end this war, which would never have started if I were president! We can do it the easy way or the hard way and the easy way is always better. It is time to make a deal. Not a single life should be lost!" he summarized. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, on January 22, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Putin's contacts with Trump have not yet been agreed upon. At the same time, they said that they were preparing for negotiations and hoped to hear "something more clear and concrete from Washington." Earlier it became known that Trump instructed Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg to end the war within 100 days. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, the political establishment in the United States does not believe that the new leader will be able to implement his plans. It will be much harder to make a deal with Putin than Trump promised before the election, the newspaper writes. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the contact between Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has not yet been agreed upon. At the same time, Russia said it was preparing for talks between the dictator and the White House. ADVERTISIMENT The Russians have also once again put forward their conditions and called the war a "Ukrainian crisis." This was stated in a commentary to Kremlin propagandists by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his deputy Sergei Ryabkov. The deputy foreign minister said that Russia is preparing for contacts with the new White House administration. At the same time, he revealed that Moscow expects to hear "something more clear and concrete from Washington." Only after that, according to Ryabkov, will it be possible to coordinate schedules and organizational issues. In turn, Lavrov called the Russian invasion a "Ukrainian crisis." According to him, in the process of resolving the conflict, we can only talk about "reliable legally binding agreements with a mechanism for the impossibility of their violation." ADVERTISIMENT "We briefed our colleagues on the latest developments around the Ukrainian settlement, emphasized our unwavering commitment to achieving the goals of the special military operation and resolving this crisis by eliminating its root causes," Lavrov said. As a reminder, US President Donald Trump said that dictator Vladimir Putin is "destroying" Russia by refusing to conclude an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. He also hinted that he "gets along well" with Putin and may meet and talk with him in the near future. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Trump instructed special envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg to end the Russian-Ukrainian war in 100 days. Nevertheless, the American political establishment does not believe that the new head of the White House will be able to implement his plans. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. With inaugural crowds gathering in Washington, D.C., the hours of Joe Bidens presidency are ticking down to noon Monday. Before that moment comes, though, Biden is expected to issue more pardons and commutations to go with the record number of clemencies, many of them controversial, that he has already granted. Most notably, there was Bidens breaking his promise not to pardon his son, Hunter. And then there were the commutations of the sentences of 37 of the 40 prisoners, all killers and some of them multiple murderers, on federal death row. (The only three Biden showed no mercy were so politically unpalatable that Biden might have suffered politically for commuting their sentences.) On Friday, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 drug offenders, which the New York Times called the broadest commutation of individual sentences ever issued by an American president. And that was on top of 1,500 commutations for various criminals in home confinement. And various others, including two Virginia men serving time for killing a police officer. So Joe Biden is in the midst of a pardon frenzy. Maybe he is trying to compensate for a presidency that many observers have ranked somewhere between lackluster and catastrophic by trying to establish himself as the Pardon President. In any event, he is promising more. After his latest round, he said, I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons. For whom? There could be a lot. But the one that is drawing the most speculation is a possible pardon for James Biden, the president#8217;s brother. James was involved in a lot of Hunter Bidens shady foreign influence peddling, and was the subject of Republican investigations on Capitol Hill. Seven months ago, in June 2024, three House committee chairmen Rep. James Comer of the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan of the Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Jason Smith of the Ways and Means Committee sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department recommending that James Biden be charged with lying to Congress. Specifically, the chairmen said James Biden lied in an interview with congressional investigators in which Biden stated unequivocally that Joe Biden did not meet with a Hunter Biden business partner when Hunter and James Biden were pursuing a highly lucrative deal with a Chinese energy firm. Of course, Attorney General Merrick Garland, a Biden appointee, took no action on the criminal referral. But that does not mean the Republican chairmen have forgotten the issue. Just in the last few days, Rep. Comer sent a letter to Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to be attorney general, requesting that she prosecute James Biden. I write to encourage the Department of Justice under your leadership to hold James Biden accountable for lying to Congress to protect his brother, the soon-to-be-former President Biden, Comer wrote. No one should be above the law, regardless of his last name. It is hard to believe Joe Biden will let his presidency end without pardoning his brother. He has already taken the heat for pardoning his son, so why not a little more? Part of the heat Biden took for pardoning his son was due to the incredibly broad nature of the pardon. The president granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son for those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted (including any that have resulted in convictions) by Special Counsel David Weiss. Margaret Love, a former U.S. pardon attorney, called Bidens move unprecedented, with the only comparison being to President Gerald Fords pardon of Richard Nixon. It does not pardon specific offenses, but rather takes a rather broad time span and pardons anything, any crime, that may have been committed during that time span, Love told USA Today. Biden officials claimed the unusually sweeping pardon was made necessary by the threats Trump and Republicans have made to continue investigating the Biden family. One of the reasons the president did the [Hunter Biden] pardon is because it didnt seem like his political opponents would let go of it, didnt seem like they would move on, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Many Republicans, after four indictments and 90-plus felony charges directed at Donald Trump by two elected Democratic district attorneys plus the special Trump prosecutor appointed by the Biden Justice Department, might say Imagine that! Prosecuting your political opponents! Who would do such a thing? In any event, with the justifications given for the Hunter Biden pardon, and with the chairman of the House Oversight Committee asking the incoming attorney general to investigate James Biden, could there be any chance in the world that Joe Biden would not pardon his brother? All the same criticisms that were directed to the Hunter Biden pardon will apply to the James Biden pardon. But by that time, former President Joe Biden will be out the door. Allies can do much more to support Ukraine to help win the war against Russia. This position is beyond any doubt. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the head of the European Union's diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, at the annual conference of the EU defense agency in Brussels. According to her, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin understands only the language of force. "There is no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine. With our help, they can win the war," Kallas emphasized. She reminded that the European Union is quite strong, and its total economy is 17 times larger than Russia's. The EU must show Putin that he will fail and stop him before he "attacks any of us." For her part, Kallas noted that the European Union has already provided Ukraine with 134 billion euros in aid, 50 billion of this amount has been allocated for military support. She also said that the number of Ukrainian military trained by EU countries will reach 75,000 by the end of January 2025. In particular, the EU High Representative said that the 16th package of sanctions against Russia is currently being worked on and emphasized the need to make greater use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. To recap, Kaja Kallas said that Russia could attack the EU as early as 2028. She called on Europe to invest heavily in defense, as dictator Putin spends 5 times more on the army than Brussels. As reported by OBOZ.UA, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the allies would soon discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. This is necessary for a peaceful future, but the war is still far from over. He also emphasized the strong army that Ukraine needs. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Commentary By Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood Lost in the ruckus over Trumps tariff threat are the fates of Canadas small towns. Canadas top exports to the U.S. are natural resources, such as oil, potash and critical minerals, which are mainly produced outside our major urban areas. A 25 percent tariff on all Canadian exports to the U.S. will hit the whole country hard but hit rural communities the hardest. Nowhere is more vulnerable than Fort McMurray, Alta. According to a recent study from Statistics Canada, nearly a quarter of jobs in the area depend on exports to the U.S. Dozens of smaller towns in the broader Athabasca and Wood Buffalo regions are in the same boat. Thats because almost all of the oil produced in the Alberta oilsands ends up at American refineries. If the U.S. stops buying, Canada stops producing. Oil towns arent alone. Many parts of the country depend on U.S. buyers for forestry products, including B.C.s Cariboo region and the areas around Edmundston, New Brunswick, and Sherbrooke, Quebec. The same goes for towns that produce metals, minerals and agricultural products. For example, more than half the lobster produced on Nova Scotias South Shore gets shipped south of the border. A sixth of workers in the region depend on U.S. trade for their livelihoods. Canada has a long and ugly history of resource busts. A Trump bust will be worse. First: Trumps tariffs will hit more than just resources. Manufacturing towns, such as Sarnia, Ontario, and Drummondville, Quebec, are in the crosshairs, too. Second: Trumps tariffs will hit every industry and every region at the same time, making it that much harder for governments, communities and workers to respond. There will be few opportunities to retrain or relocate workers if every sector and region is hurting. Third: Trumps tariffs are likely to increase corporate consolidation and foreign takeovers as bigger firms including American investors bolstered by a weakened Canadian dollar buy up struggling Canadian companies. Fourth: Trumps tariffs which are driven by ideology and politics, not sound economics could stick around for a long time. There is simply no guarantee that the U.S. will return to being a reliable trading partner, even if Canadian governments bend a knee to Trumps demands. In a worst-case scenario, the Canadian industries battered by Trumps bully tactics may never bounce back. The oil industry, in particular, is living on borrowed time as the global economy electrifies. The sector is already in long-term decline and a Trump bust is a blow it may never recover from. Altogether, these factors spell disaster for rural communities across the country. So what can be done about it? In the short term, we need emergency support for the workers, communities and small businesses hit hardest by Trumps trade measures. Income top-ups similar to the ones introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic could keep businesses operating and workers working for the time being. More accessible and generous Employment Insurance benefits can help mitigate the damage of inevitable layoffs. In the long term, Canadian governments and communities need to reevaluate their dependence on resource exports to the U.S. We desperately need to extract more value from the resources produced in Canada. We also need to find other buyers. Major investments in domestic processing and manufacturing capacity could allow Canada to produce more value-added goods, such as batteries and vehicles, for global markets. It would also give rural communities stable local buyers for their resources. But more than anything else, we need to make plans for a different future. The Trump bust may be cruel and unnecessary, but it is a clear sign that our current economic strategy of U.S. integration is untenable. Every Canadian small town staring down the barrel of the Trump presidency needs an industrial policy plan. Their futures and Canadas future depend on it. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood is a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives By Catherine A Sas, K.C. Special to The Post Every US presidential election brings renewed interest in Americans seeking to come to Canada. This is not unique to President Trump, but Trump brings some specific Canadian immigration consequences to his being elected President of the United States. Immediately following his election on November 8, 2016, the dramatic interest in Canadian immigration resulted in a crash in our online information system. Many of his proposed policies piqued the interest of many Americans and non-Americans without status seeking residency and/or protection in Canada. However, the Canadian immigration reality is very different from 2016 and Canada is not as welcoming as it has been in the past. Prospective immigrants from the US need to know the current lay of the Canadian immigration landscape. Immigration is a hot political Buzzword! Immigration has been a hot political topic worldwide in all recent elections - Canada, USA, the UK, France, Australia - pretty much everywhere. So prospective immigrants to Canada need to appreciate the current lay of the land. In my 30-plus years of practice as an immigration lawyer, I have never experienced such a restricted immigration program as we have today. Express Entry point scores are so high that applicants with Masters degrees and high language proficiency cant qualify. The business immigration programs are either completely suspended until the end of 2026 (Self Employed - SE) or dramatically limited (Start Up Visa - SUV). Provincial Nominee Programs are experiencing extreme demand so their point scores are at the highest levels ever and most aspiring applicants cant qualify. Spousal work permits for workers and students in Canada have either been eliminated or restricted. There are caps on many standard categories of immigration such as workers and students. The free and easy entry of immigrants from the US to Canada is dramatically affected by this new reality. For our American neighbours accustomed to easy access to Canadian immigration options as workers, students or immigrants, 2025 presents a completely new reality. For a discussion on the immigration options post US election 2024, please see the podcast on our website: www.sasanding.com Refugee Claims in Canada will increase President Trumps inauguration heralded a plethora of Executive Orders including declaring a state of emergency at the US-Mexican border with a view to reducing the number of migrants entering the United States (US) to claim asylum (called refugee status in Canada). President Trump has also indicated that he will crack down on undocumented persons in the US and increase deportations. It is anticipated that many of those already in the US illegally will seek refugee status in Canada. Canadian officials have been preparing for this increased influx and legislative changes are in the works for these expected arrivals. Canada is also facing an election in the coming months and politics, as is usual with immigration matters, will play a big role in determining how Canada will respond to any increase in refugee claimants arriving directly from south of the border. Prospective refugee claimants need to be prepared for a less welcoming experience when arriving in Canada. Working or Studying in Canada Canada and the US have always shared a preferential relationship when it comes to immigration matters. Canadian and US citizens dont require visas to travel to each others countries. We have mutually relaxed opportunities for working pursuant to the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA) and Americans can apply for study permits at the Canadian border rather than at a visa office abroad as is required by other nationals. None of this changes. However, Canada has introduced limits on the numbers of workers and students that it will accept on an annual basis which may affect the typical easy entry of US workers and students into Canada. Also, as mentioned above, the criteria for obtaining Canadian permanent residence have tightened. Many Americans coming to work or study in Canada have the option of obtaining Canadian permanent residence in their minds. This is not as easy as it once was and prospective immigrants should familiarize themselves with the new criteria to determine if these long-term goals are attainable. Considerations for the LGBTQ community One of the Executive Orders President Trump signed was to declare that there are two officially recognized genders in the US - male and female. It is anticipated that this will be a cause of concern for the LGBTQ community and, in reality, our office has seen an increase in inquiries from prospective immigrants in advance of the election. While Canada has been historically welcoming to the LGBTQ community, the majority of our immigration programs make no distinction based upon gender and, therefore, applicants must qualify under standard program criteria. On the other hand, Canadas spousal sponsorship program does recognize LGBTQ relationships, allowing Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses regardless of gender. The re-election of President Trump will no doubt send shock waves throughout the globe but will also have a significant impact on Canadas immigration program. While the US may be tightening her borders in the Trump post re-election era, Canada has already tightened hers over the past year. Free and easy access to Canada is gone for the time being. Americans seeking to come to Canada need to determine a strategy to best achieve their Canadian immigration aspirations. For a historical refresher of President Trumps first election impact on Canadas immigration program please see here: https://canadian-visa-lawyer.com/?s=The+Trump+Effect&id=5902 https://canadian-visa-lawyer.com/immigrating-to-canada-from-the-usa/ Catherine Sas, K.C. has over 30 years of legal experience. She provides a full range of immigration services and is a leading immigration practitioner (Lexpert, Whos Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada). Go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected]. 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Delhi court defers verdict against Sajjan Kumar till Jan 31 NEW DELHI : A DELHI court on Tuesday deferred its verdict to January 31 in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots murder case against former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar. Special judge Kaveri Baweja, who was scheduled to pass the order on Tuesday, deferred the pronouncement to January 31 after the prosecution sought time to further argue on certain points. An application was moved by the public prosecutor seeking to argue on certain points, which he said were essential for just adjudication of the case. He said the arguments were in response to defence counsels submissions made on January 8, 2025 on certain issues. Submissions heard. In view of the aforesaid submissions, the case is directed to be listed for arguments on behalf of PP for the State on January 31, 2025, the judge said. The case is over the alleged killings of two persons in Saraswati Vihar area during the anti-Sikh riots. Kumar, who is currently lodged in Tihar central jail, appeared before the court through video-conferencing. The court reserved the judgment after hearing the final arguments over the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh on November 1, 1984. Though Punjabi Bagh police station registered the case initially, a special investigation team later took over the investigation. On December 16, 2021, the court framed charges against Kumar, finding a prima facie case against him. According to the prosecution, a huge mob, armed with deadly weapons, resorted to large-scale looting, arson and destruction of properties of Sikhs to avenge the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The mob attacked the house of the complainant, Jaswants wife, killing her husband and son apart from looting articles and setting their house ablaze, alleged the prosecution. Putting Kumar on trial, the court order found sufficient material to form a prima facie opinion that he was not only a participant, but had also led the mob. City cardiologist performs Central Indias first Robotic-assisted CABG surgery The team of doctors who successfully performed the surgery. Staff Reporter : Nagpurs Cardiac Surgeon performed Central Indias first Da Vinci robotic-assisted Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery. The groundbreaking procedure was performed by Dr Saurabh Varshney, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon. Robotic-Assisted CABG is a cutting-edge surgical technique that enhances precision and reduces trauma compared to conventional open-heart surgeries. This state-of-the-art procedure utilises advanced robotic technology to perform the bypass through small incisions, minimising the need for sternotomy (opening the chest). The minimally invasive approach ensures faster recovery, reduced post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, and minimal scarring. The patient, a 60-year-old female hailing from Akola, was suffering from severe coronary artery disease. She underwent the procedure at KIMS-Kingsway Hospitals in Nagpur and is now recovering well. She is expected to return to normal activities much sooner than would be possible with traditional methods. Dr Tushar Gawad, Unit Head at KIMS Kingsway Hospitals said, The introduction of Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgeries allows us to offer patients a safer, more effective, and less invasive alternative to traditional procedures. Cutting-edge technology helps us to bring accuracy in the healthcare treatment. Dr Saurabh Varshney and the entire team including Dr Sushil Lohiya, Dr Manish Sonkusale, Dr Roshani, Ashwani Sharma, Santosh Mankar, OT coordinator Mayuri, Sister Pranita, sister Preeti, Sister Mary, Technician Vaibhav, Rohit, roshani, Sunil and Ilyas at the hospital worked hard to perform the procedure. President Volodymyr Zelensky has named the minimum number of peacekeeping troops that could prevent a new Russian attack. The Head of State noted that it is at least 200 thousand servicemen. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, there should be at least 800 thousand people in the Armed Forces. Zelensky said this at a briefing after his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to the president, at least 200,000 peacekeepers will be needed to prevent a new Russian attack after the ceasefire agreement is signed. Otherwise, the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent will not make any sense. In addition, the President noted that even such a force would be only a part of the security guarantees that Ukraine needs. "I support the idea of contingents as part of security guarantees. Because if they have an army of one and a half million and if we have half that, it means that we need contingents with a very large number of soldiers. 200 thousand is the minimum. Otherwise, it is nothing. Otherwise, it's something, you know, like when we had the OSCE mission, and no one knew how it could help. They just had offices, and that's all," the President said. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, the head of state emphasized that 200,000 peacekeeping troops is a minimum, provided that the Russian army will have 1.5 million personnel, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will have half of this number - 800,000. As a reminder, Zelensky spoke about the possibility of deploying peacekeepers on the territory of Ukraine, emphasizing that this issue is currently being discussed with several key international partners, including France and Poland. However, Ukraine needs serious security guarantees. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh is categorically against sending Polish troops to Ukraine. In his opinion, the border states should not do so; "there should be greater burden sharing and diversification within NATO." Earlier it was reported that Germany does not reject the idea of sending its military to the future buffer zone in Ukraine in the event of the end of the war. However, they are ready to discuss this issue only when the time is right. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Do people really need Manewada, Mhalgi Nagar flyovers? Staff Reporter : In August 2024, the bhoomipujan of two flyoversone at Manewada Square and the other at Mhalgi Nagar square--was performed. The squares are surrounded by wide roads, and still these flyovers are being forced by the authorities, feel people. A ceremony was held to mark the commencement of construction of the two new flyovers on Inner Ring Road in South Nagpur. Each flyover will cost Rs 73 crore. The World Bank Unit of Maharashtras Public Works Department will build these flyovers. The authorities cited the reasons for these flyover projects as these squares face frequent traffic jams and accidents. Nobody will argue with the authorities as far as frequent traffic jams and accidents are concerned. But people feel that the flyovers cant be the answer to it. The roads connecting both these squares are wide enough. There is a high divider and no median kept midway except for the squares. Sans median, traffic can move with ease from both sides and horizontally too. There are traffic signals at every square. There is no congestion at the square. But the absence of traffic police allows people to move as per their whims and fancies. Most vehicles dont take pains to stop at the signal and keep moving from all four sides crossing the square simultaneously. Because of this chaotic and uncontrolled traffic, accidents take place on many occasions. Ironically, those who follow traffic rules meet with accidents. Tea vendors, some shop owners, and vegetable sellers in the area told The Hitavada, Vehicular movement has increased, but flyovers cant be the solution for easing traffic. There should be proper traffic management. Traffic Police should be deployed at least during the busy traffic hours, and they should do their services vigilantly. Public too dont abide by the traffic rules, which is a cause of concern. There is one major difference at both these squares. Manewada Square is too big. By the time a vehicle crosses the square and reaches the other side, the traffic signal turns yellow, and overlapping this movement, cross traffic from the other two sides starts, resulting in a jam. At many places, despite the construction of flyovers, people moving alongside and under these flyovers keep suffering from traffic. The vehicular movement near and/or under the flyovers at Sadar, Pardi, and Sakkardara Square, or at Wadi, are glaring examples that show the ill effect of building these flyovers on the vehicular movement and the overall traffic. People using Amravati road too have started sensing their expected sufferings in the future after the long bridge from RTO to University Campus chowk opens for traffic. In view of all these experiences, people feel that the Government should still reconsider the projects of constructing flyovers at Manewada Square and Mhalgi Nagar Square. People-friendly plan needed at Manewada Sq Parliamentarian Road Safety Committee was working on preparing people-friendly plans for squares throughout the country with a view to reducing accidents. In Nagpur, it had identified Shatabdi Square as a pilot project and prepared a plan. The same plan can be prepared for Manewada Square, which is also on the ring road, just two squares after Shatabdi Square. Like Shatabdi Square, Manewada Square too is big. Manewada Square is one of the many mismanaged and wrongly designed squares of Nagpur. As people become habitual of commuting through such squares, they have become used to this one too. Traffic from five directions (including one unauthorised direction from the petrol pump) reaches the square. These five directions are from Dighori, Narendra Nagar, Tukadoji Putala, Besa Square, and Petrol Pump. A huge space, almost more than 35 feet between any two sides, lie in the middle of the square, because of which fewer vehicles can cross the square and reach the other end during the time of the green signal. The turning radius too is bigger than the average. Long distance between two ends affects the movement of pedestrians too, as they get stuck in between two signals. It means that they cross only a part of the road when the other side gets a green signal and vehicles start moving, leading to accident-like situations. Senior citizens and divyangas obviously face more problems. Entrepreneurship deep-rooted in Indian culture: Dr Vaidya Business Reporter : Highlighting that entrepreneurship is deep-rooted in the India culture, Dr Manmohan Vaidya, All India Executive Member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Sunday said that the countrys economy was not solely dependent on agriculture even in the ancient period. Since ancient times, it has been highlighted that India is an agricultural country. But it is partially true. There were many small industries and businesses in every where in the country. Though agriculture was prosperous, people belonging to all sections of the society were entrepreneurs. That is why our country is not of agriculturists but it is land of entrepreneurs. We should tell this to every one, he said while addressing the fourth triennial one-day convention of the Canara Bank Retired Employees Organisation organised here at the Maharshi Vyas Auditorium in the Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan premises in Reshimbagh. Dr Manmohan Vaidya was the keynote speaker at the inaugural session of the convention. The Conference Chairman and National President of Canara Bank Retired Employees Organisation Anil Goyal, National General Secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Ravindra Himte, National General Secretary of Varishth Nagrik Sangh Vasantrao Pimplapure, National President of Forum of Retired Bank Employees V G Desai, National General Secretary C N Bargaje, National General Secretary of Canara Bank Retired Employees Organisation R R Kulkarni were seated on the dais. Dr Vaidya further said that India is a country with a unique identity. This country has never enslaved anyone. It has never converted anyone. It has never robbed anyone. It is a country that accepts all types of worship methods and prays for world welfare. During the Corona period, when only the Government machinery was working in other countries, millions of people in India were on the streets helping each other, he said. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, which was established from scratch, has completed seventy years. In these seventy years, this organisation has become the number one labour organisation in the world. The National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Ravindra Himte, expressed his determination that the Indian labour union, which believes in the nation first, will always fight for the rights of the employees. CN Bargaje said that retired employees of Canara Bank should get proper pension. For this, a strong agitation will be launched at the appropriate time. V G Desai also highlighted the issue of pension. The inaugural session was introduced by Ashok Bhutad and moderated by Arvind Tripathi. Ajay Joshi proposed the formal vote of thanks. The convention was attended by M H Shivprakash, Raghavendra Aachar, Regional Manager of Canara Bank Jahagirdar, Uday Manohar, Ravi Poharkar, Suresh Chaudhary, Prakash Manohar, Mahendra Bhisikar, Praveen Basmatkar, Deepak Gadge, K S Iyer and representatives from all over the country. Forces neutralise 14 Naxals in Cgarh RAIPUR/BHUBANESWAR : FOURTEEN Naxals, including a top leader of the CPI (Maoists) who was carrying a reward of Rs 1 crore, were killed in a joint operation by central and state police forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday termed the encounter as another mighty blow to Naxalism and asserted the Narendra Modi Governments resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of the security forces to eliminate the menace from the country. Chhattisgarhs Gariaband district Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha said of the deceased, one has been identified as Jairam alias Chalpati, a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist), who was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore. The identity of the remaining cadres was yet to be ascertained. Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today, Shah wrote on X. Giving details of the incident, police said two women Naxalites were killed during a joint operation on Monday along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. A large cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered from the encounter site. A fresh exchange of firing took place late Monday night and it continued till early hours of Tuesday in a forest under the Mainpur police station areas (Chhattisgarh) along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, in which 12 more Naxalites were gunned down. With this, the total number of Maoists killed in the operation went up to 14, police said. Intermittent exchange of firing in the area was underway on Tuesday too and the number of Maoist casualties may increase, they said. A joint team of security personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of the Chhattisgarh Police, CoBRA commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel from the Odisha Police were involved in the operation. The operation was launched on the night of January 19 based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, just 5 kilometers from the border of Odishas Nuapada district. Hailing the security forces, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said under the BJP-led double-engine Government at the Centre and the State, Chhattisgarh will get rid of the menace by March 2026. He said strengthening the resolve of Prime Minister Modi and the Union Home Minister to end Naxalism in the country by March 2026, the security forces have been continuously achieving success and moving rapidly towards fulfilling the target. This success of the soldiers is commendable. I salute their bravery, he said. Forty Naxalites have been killed in separate gun fights in Chhattisgarh this year. On January 16, 12 Naxalites were killed by security forces in Bijapur district. Later, Maoists, in a statement, admitted that 18 cadres were killed in the January 16 gunfight. Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh. Govt to celebrate 10 years of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao NEW DELHI : THE Government will organise weeks-long celebrations to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative, the Union Women and Child Development Ministry said on Tuesday. Beginning on Wednesday, the celebrations will continue till March 8, observed as International Womens Day. The inaugural event in Delhi on Wednesday will feature Union Ministers JP Nadda, Annapurna Devi and Savitri Thakur, alongside senior women officers from the armed forces, paramilitary forces and the Delhi Police. Officials from Central Ministries, Anganwadi workers, student volunteers and representatives from international organisations such as UNICEF, UN Women and the World Bank will also participate. The occasion marks the beginning of nationwide celebrations reflecting the schemes transformative impact over the past decade, according to a Ministry statement. The celebrations will include events at the State and the district levels. Special programmes will be held on Wednesday, Sunday (January 26), and March 8, engaging communities through rallies, cultural performances, and felicitation ceremonies for women achievers. The Ministry has also announced sustainability initiatives, including a nationwide plantation drive, and will run awareness campaigns across print, digital and social media to further amplify the message of gender equality and empowerment. Launched on January 22, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Haryanas Panipat, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative was created to address the critical issues of gender imbalance and declining child sex ratio. Over the years, the initiative has driven significant progress. The national sex ratio at birth improved from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24, and the gross enrolment ratio of girls at the secondary level rose from 75.51 per cent to 78 per cent during the same period. Institutional deliveries rose from 61 per cent to 97.3 per cent, and first-trimester antenatal care registrations surged from 61 per cent to 80.5per cent, reflecting the programmes far-reaching impact. The scheme has gone beyond numbers to drive cultural and social change. Initiatives such as the Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav returned more than a lakh out-of-school girls to education while programmes like the Yashaswini Bike Expedition showcased the empowerment of women in action. The scheme has also utilised creative campaigns, including collaborations with television shows, to address societal issues such as girl child abandonment and to spread awareness about the value of daughters. Mamata dismayed over Sealdah courts order to award lifer to RG Kar case convict KOLKATA : WEST Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday again expressed dismay over the Sealdah courts decision to award life imprisonment till death to Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the rape-murder of an on-duty doctor at the State-run RG Kar hospital here. The court rejected calls for death penalty, stating that it was not a rarest of the rare crime. I have been seeking capital punishment for the accused in the RG Kar rape-murder case. If someone is so demonic and barbaric, how can society remain humane? We passed the Aparajita Bill, but the Centre is sitting on it, Banerjee said at a public meeting in Malda. We have included the death penalty in that Bill. We want this Bill to become a model for the country, she added. Banerjee said, If someone is given life imprisonment, then the person can get parole. If someone commits a crime, should we forgive him? We have encountered cases where people have gone out (of prison) within three months and even on parole. I am really very shocked by the judgment. I was once a lawyer and fought several cases. The Sealdah court judge said it was not the rarest of rare cases and could not award capital punishment. If this is not the rarest of rare cases then what is? The Aparajita Bill passed by the West Bengal Assembly in September 2024 seeks capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions result in the victims death or leave her in a vegetative state. and stipulates life sentence without parole for other perpetrators. I feel it is rare, sensitive and a heinous crime committed by the accused... If someone gets away after committing a crime, he will again do a crime. It is not our job to give him protection, she said. On Monday, Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction over the Sealdah courts order and claimed the probe was forcibly taken away from the State police, asserting that had it been with them, they would have ensured death penalty. In a post on X, Banerjee said the State Government would challenge the Sealdah courts verdict and move Calcutta High Court. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted permission to the West Bengal Government to file an appeal against the Sealdah court order. Advocate General Kishor Datta moved a division bench presided by Justice Debangsu Basak to file the appeal to seek death penalty of Roy, the sole convict in the case. Mobile phone ban in jungle safari By Kaushik Bhattacharya : Experts, wildlife photographers support the stand while tourists, tour operators term it a bad decision. Tourists start cancelling bookings due to ban on use of mobiles. Imposition of complete ban on use of mobile phones during jungle safari in Maharashtra is getting mixed reactions from wildlife experts, photographers and regular tourists. However, the Forest Department is touting it as a positive step to ensure tourists behaviour does not cause any disturbance to wild animals during jungle safari. This decision came immediately after an incident which took place in Umred Paoni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary (UPKWS) where a tigress and her five cubs were cornered by a group of safari vehicles, which raised concern about the safety of the big cats. It is a good decision by the Forest Department. In recent time when tourists are crazy about clicking photos during safaris, such steps will confirm the safety of wild animals, specially the tigers, Avinash Londhe, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Nagpur told The Hitavada. Subodh Singh Hada, a wildlife photographer said, Tiger sighting in forest is a matter of luck. Every tourist want to see the tiger in forest and when they get the chance, they sometimes become excited to capture the moment in their cameras and mobile phones. In this situation, they pressurise the guide and the driver to take the vehicle closer to the big cat which is a cause of threat to the tiger and also to the tourists. Prohibiting mobiles during jungle safari is a good decision. However, Vinit Arora, another wildlife photographer believes that this decision will definitely help to reduce the crowding of vehicles during tiger sighting in forest. It is a good decision by the department from a wildlife conservation point-of-view. However, instead of banning mobile phones inside the forest area, the department should find out alternative solution to avoid such incidents in near future, said Arora. The Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) management installed a box in every safari vehicle where tourists submit their mobile phones during jungle safari and the tourist guide keeps the key of the box. It helps to avoid such incidents and in case of emergency like breakdown of vehicle in forest area, they can communicate with other vehicles. Same alternatives should be adopted in all tiger safaris by the department, said Arora. Jayesh Paranjape, a wildlife enthusiast said, It is not possible for every tourist visiting jungles to afford a professional camera. Everyone depends on their mobile phones to capture the moments in a jungle safari. Restricting tourists from using their mobiles is a bad decision by the department. Instead of this, the department should find out some alternative way to reduce crowding while tiger sighting. Implementation of the ban may cause loss to tour operators in Vidarbha as they are demanding to relax the restriction. Due to that one particular incident, everyone else are suffering. We are facing loss on daily basis after the ban. Tourists are cancelling their bookings just because of the restriction, said a tour operator. Tourists are not booking our vehicles on week days due to the ban and the number is also reducing on weekends, said the operator. Parliamentary Standing Committee visits Gevra Mines for study tour Raipur : Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said demographic disruption was emerging as a serious threat to nationalism, and called for united efforts against attempts to change the organic demography through allurement and temptation. Speaking during an interaction programme with students on the theme - Ideas for building Better Bharat, he also stressed the need to deal with the problem of illegal migration, stating that it has taken the shape of unmanageable dimension. Students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai were present at the programme held at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in Raipur. There is a serious cause of concern we need to address in togetherness. Threats are emerging for our nationalism in the form of demographic disruptions. Demographic disruption is very serious, he said. Organic demographic evolution is soothing, harmonious. But if demographic explosion takes place only to destabilise a democracy, it is a matter of concern and we have orchestration of conversions through allurements. Its everyones supreme right to decide for oneself but if that decision is motivated by allurement, temptation with an object to change the organic demography of the nation, it is a concern which we must all take a note of and address, he added. He further flagged the issue of illegal migration and cited its impact in the country. We are suffering illegal migration in this country of millions. If we go to count the number...Mind boggling. Illegal migration has to be dealt with, but it developed...Without even a token of resistance. Its a problem we will have to handle because it has taken the shape of unmanageable dimensions, he said. Millions of illegal migrants who have potential to upset our electoral mechanism - they find easy supporters where people think in terms of petty politics. We should always put the nation first and an illegal migrant in our country has no justification. If it is in millions, look at the impact it has on the economy, he said. They (illegal migrants) strain our resources, employment, health and education sectors. Our resolution of this monstrous problem of illegal migrants in millions can no longer wait for a solution. Every passing day we wait for the solution, the issue becomes more complex and it needs to be addressed, he added. Vice President Dhankhar also answered the questions asked by students during the interaction. Governor Ramen Deka and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai were also present on the occasion. President Trump hits the ground running WASHINGTON : Withdraws from Paris Climate Change Pact Remake of Border Security Protection to Free Speech Roll back of transgender protections Sets up DOGE Designates criminal cartels as FTOs To champion core American interests ... UNITED States President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department that the foreign policy of the US shall champion core American interests and always put America and its citizens first. Trump signed the Executive Order on Monday soon after Marco Rubio was confirmed by the US Senate as his Secretary of State. From this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first, Trump said in his executive order. As soon as practicable, the Secretary of State shall issue guidance bringing the Department of States policies, programmes, personnel, and operations in line with an America First foreign policy, which puts America and its interests first, the executive order said. In another executive order, Trump asked for enhanced screening of the visa application process. The United States must identify them before their admission or entry into the United States, it said. The US must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the country do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, Government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to the national security, Trump said in the executive order. It re-establishes a uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures, consistent with the uniform baseline that existed on January 19, 2021, that will be used for any alien seeking a visa or immigration benefit of any kind. President Trumps insistence on Monday that he wants to have the Panama Canal back under US control fed nationalist sentiment and worry in Panama, home to the critical trade route and a country familiar with US military intervention. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal, Trump said Monday. Trump announced on Monday that he will pardon people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, calling them hostages while flanked by the families of people taken hostage by Hamas as militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. The jarring juxtaposition came moments after Steve Witkoff, Trumps appointee for special envoy for peach in the Middle East, introduced the relatives, some of whom are seeking the return of remains of their loves ones who were killed while held captive. Trump also signed an executive order to withdraw from the ambitious Paris Agreement on Climate Change, a fulfilment of a campaign promise. I am immediately withdrawing from the unfair one-sided Paris climate accord, Trump said before signing the executive order at an inauguration event at Washingtons Capital One arena here. Notably Trump had withdrawn from the Paris Agreement immediately after his first inauguration in January 2017. Joe Biden reversed that decision later. The executive order says that the United States Ambassador to the United Nations shall immediately submit formal written notification of its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In another development, President Trump signed executive orders to beef up security at the southern border that began taking effect hours after he was inaugurated, making good on his defining political promise to crack down on immigration and marking another wild swing in White House policy on the divisive issue. Some of the orders revive priorities from his first administration that his predecessor had rolled back, including forcing asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico and finishing the border wall. Others created sweeping new strategies, like an effort to end automatic citizenship for anyone born in America, pulling the military into border security and ending use of a Biden-era app used by nearly a million migrants to enter America. I will declare a National Emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came, Trump said in his inauguration speech to thunderous applause. President also signed an executive order saying the United States would designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations in a move that could push a militarised agenda for the border and Latin America. The order highlighted Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American criminal groups like Venezuela gang Tren de Aragua and Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), which it said threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere. Trump has signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing America from the World Health Organisation, the second time in less than five years that the US has made a move to withdraw from the world body. It was among dozens of executive actions he signed after being sworn in on Monday for a second term, on issues ranging from immigration to foreign policy to climate change. The World Health Organisation (WHO) came under intense criticism from Trump in 2020 for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which grew into a worldwide health crisis during the final year of his first term. The order said Trump was sending a presidential letter to the United Nations Secretary-General to formally notify him of the US plan to withdraw. President Trump signed executive orders rolling back protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programmes within the Federal Government in what he described in his inauguration speech as a move to end efforts to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. Both are major shifts for the federal policy and are in line with Trumps campaign promises. One order declares that the Federal Government would recognise only two immutable sexes: male and female. The definition will be based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than on their chromosomes. The change is being pitched as a way to protect women from gender extremism. Probe into illegal Bangladeshi migrants in city hits dead-end By Dheeraj Fartode : Since all 83 of the detained suspected Bangladeshi migrants have successfully produced residencial documents, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Nagpur Polices investigation into illegal immigrants from Bangladesh has come to a standstill. The suspects were detained from the MIHAN, Bastarwadi (close to Santra Market), and Marwadi Square (Shanti Nagar) on December 28, last year. The people from Bastarwadi and Marwadi Square worked in nearby clothing companies, whereas the people from MIHAN were mostly construction workers. The accused showed residential certificates from the West Bengal districts of Murshidabad, Nandigram, East Midnapore and the 24 Parganas during the questioning. The police then questioned the suspects with specific questions like - name of local MPs and MLAs as part of a two-step verification process. The suspects were released because they gave truthful responses. In the second step, the residences provided by the suspects were verified as real after additional enquiries were conducted with the police stations in the above districts in West Bengal. The police have therefore decided that there is not enough evidence to pursue further action, and the inquiry has been put on hold. ATS 2023 action puts dent in Bangladeshi migrant network The ATS had delivered a serious blow to a network of Bangladeshi migrants in Nagpur in September 2023. Palash Bipan Baruva (40), a Bangladeshi national living illegally in the Pivali River area of Nagpur, was arrested by the ATS. He was allegedly the main point of contact for illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the area. Baruva had crossed the border in 2010 and spent a year living close to the Pivali River while pretending to be a Buddhist monk. Later, he moved to Kamptee and spent almost three or four years living in a Buddha Vihar. He later became a gym trainer and fell in love with a woman. Investigation had revealed that Baruva ran a sophisticated network that issued Indian passports to citizens of Bangladesh. He kept close ties with his contacts in Bangladesh even though he lived in Nagpur. When Maitri Baruva and Ankon Baruva, two citizens of Bangladesh, were detained at Hyderabads Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in June 2023, the cover of Baruva was blown. The two had tried to use fake Indian passports to get on an overseas flight. Ending the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the priorities of the administration of new US President Donald Trump. Russian aggression has led to significant destruction and a large number of deaths, and forced millions of Ukrainians to flee the war. ADVERTISIMENT Now, the key task facing the White House is to find a solution that would ensure that the war does not flare up again in a few years. This was stated by the newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with CBS. According to him, Trump's promise to end Russia's war against Ukraine will form the basis of further US policy, this task will be a priority for Washington, which will strive to establish a stable peace. "The conflict must end, and it is the policy of the United States to see it end. We want to do everything we can to help it end. We're going to make an effort to make sure that this conflict ends in a stable way, meaning we don't just want the conflict to end and then resume in two, three or four years. We want to ensure stability," the US Secretary of State emphasized. ADVERTISIMENT Rubio is convinced that the Russian-Ukrainian war is "a deadlock, a protracted and bloody conflict" that is destructive for both Russia and Ukraine. He emphasized that the Russian aggression is particularly costly for Ukraine, as our country is suffering from the destruction of its energy infrastructure and has already lost "people and lives, millions of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their country and are living abroad." That is why, Rubio is convinced, "everyone should be very happy" that Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, because he wants to "promote peace in the world and put an end to these conflicts." "Russia is the aggressor in this conflict, but this war needs to end. And, in the end, this is the complexity of foreign policy," Rubio said during a meeting with the media after his nomination for Secretary of State was approved by the US Senate. Earlier, Rubio said that in the end, each of the warring parties would be forced to make concessions. He argued that neither Russia nor Ukraine can achieve maximalist goals in this conflict. Finding a solution to end the war will not be easy, but it "has to happen." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! U.S. President Donald Trump does not rule out further strengthening of sanctions against Russia. However, he is currently ready to do so only if Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not want to negotiate to end the war. ADVERTISIMENT Trump told journalists gathered at the White House about this. The new US president also spoke about a request he had made to Chinese President Xi Jinping: it is also related to the Russian-Ukrainian war. During the conversation with Trump, journalists asked him if he was ready to impose new sanctions against Russia if Putin refuses to negotiate. Trump's response was laconic: "It sounds likely." He was much more verbose when talking about the "reasons" for the war. "This war should not have started. If you had a competent president, not the one you had, the war would not have started. The war in Ukraine would never have happened if I had been president. ... Russia would never have invaded Ukraine. I had a very strong agreement with Putin, and this would never, ever have happened. He despised Biden," Trump said. ADVERTISIMENT The new US president also said that shortly before his inauguration, on January 17, during a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he asked the Chinese leader to help resolve the situation in Ukraine. Trump reiterated that he was ready to meet with Putin and said that his administration was currently in talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and was studying the issue of supplying weapons to Ukraine. "We are working on it. We are talking to Zelensky and will soon talk to President Putin. We'll see how things work out. One thing I feel: The European Union should pay much more than it does now. We have already spent over 200 billion dollars under Biden. This concerns them more than us, because we are separated by an ocean. The European Union has to equalize its spending. We spend more than they do. This is unreasonable. NATO should also raise its contributions, not to 2% of GDP, but to 5%. 2% is ridiculous," Trump emphasized. As a reminder, on his first day in office, Trump signed a decree on the death penalty, as well as restricted the acquisition of US citizenship by birthright and decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and the WHO. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In this weeks episode of The Lo-Down Culture Cast, Lower East Side NYC podcast host Traven Rice interviews Filmmaker Stuart Ginsberg about his new film Its A to Z: The Art of Arleen Schloss. Schloss was a downtown performance artist who invited other artists to collaborate and perform with her on a weekly basis. The film explores Schlosss creative work and evolution and how it changed over time. A highly original cross-disciplinary artist, she was known for her boundary-pushing, idiosyncratic performance art, video, and installations. Through exclusive never-before-seen archival footage shot by Schloss herself and mixed with commentary from people from the scene, we trace Schlosss story and see, from her point of view, the texture of New York Citys downtown art scene from the 1970s through the 1990s. Arleen Schloss posing at Ars Electronica Known as an artists artist, Schloss became influential through As, her loft space that was a hub for genre-defying music, gallery shows, performance art, films, and other happenings. A hotbed of experimentation, As featured the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Eric Bogosian, Glenn Branca, Kim Gordon, Shirin Neshat, Thurston Moore, Alan Suiclde, Ai Wei Wei, and John Zorn, among others. You can listen to the conversation on any of your preferred podcast platforms here. You can subscribe and watch the latest episodes on our YouTube channel here. The Lo-Down Culture Cast is a podcast that features downtown NYC culture changers from all walks of life. If you know someone who would be a good guest, email us here: tips@thelodownny.com. Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB Get Free Report) is expected to be issuing its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Thursday, January 23rd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.53 per share and revenue of $341,571.40 billion for the quarter. Investors that wish to listen to the companys conference call can do so using this link. Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The bank reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $607.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $336.52 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 8.18% and a net margin of 8.15%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.53 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect Associated Banc to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year. Get Associated Banc alerts: Associated Banc Stock Up 1.8 % Associated Banc stock opened at $25.62 on Wednesday. Associated Banc has a 52 week low of $19.40 and a 52 week high of $28.18. The firm has a market cap of $3.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.94. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $25.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $23.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Associated Banc Increases Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a boost from Associated Bancs previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. Associated Bancs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.67%. A number of analysts recently issued reports on ASB shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. StockNews.com raised shares of Associated Banc from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Barclays lifted their price target on Associated Banc from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Associated Banc from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Associated Banc from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $26.00. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ASB Insider Activity In related news, EVP David L. Stein sold 29,536 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.43, for a total transaction of $810,172.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 81,021 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,222,406.03. This represents a 26.72 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 19,044 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.19, for a total transaction of $460,674.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 100,204 shares in the company, valued at $2,423,934.76. This trade represents a 15.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.45% of the companys stock. Associated Banc Company Profile (Get Free Report) Associated Banc-Corp, a bank holding company, provides various banking and nonbanking products to individuals and businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. The company offers lending solutions, including commercial loans and lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction loans, letters of credit, leasing, asset based lending and equipment finance, loan syndications products, residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, personal and installment loans, auto finance and business loans, and business lines of credit. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Associated Banc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Associated Banc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 11.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,068 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,702 shares during the quarter. Ballentine Partners LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $2,054,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 24.5% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 8,701 shares of the companys stock worth $882,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 8.8% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 210,703 shares of the companys stock worth $21,351,000 after purchasing an additional 17,094 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 24.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,846 shares of the companys stock worth $694,000 after purchasing an additional 1,333 shares during the period. GCM Grosvenor Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,372,000. Finally, Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,051 shares of the companys stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets PM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $118.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. UBS Group raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Barclays decreased their price target on Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Citigroup raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $118.50 to $132.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $126.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, September 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $131.35. Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.8 % Shares of NYSE:PM opened at $123.78 on Wednesday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12-month low of $87.82 and a 12-month high of $134.15. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $125.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $121.61. The company has a market capitalization of $192.46 billion, a PE ratio of 19.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.54. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.82 by $0.09. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 117.94% and a net margin of 10.35%. The business had revenue of $9.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.68 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.67 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.5 EPS for the current year. Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 26th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.36%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 85.71%. Philip Morris International Profile (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. US President Donald Trump has instructed Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg to end the Russian-Ukrainian war in 100 days. Nevertheless, the American political establishment does not believe that the new head of the White House will be able to realize his plans. ADVERTISIMENT Making a deal with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin will be much more difficult than Trump promised during the election campaign. This is stated in the article by The Wall Street Journal. The article says that the appointment of retired Lieutenant General Kellogg as special envoy to Ukraine is perceived as the first step in peace talks that Trump intends to control himself. However, it is unlikely that the American president will be able to put an end to Russian aggression easily. According to John Bolton, former US National Security Advisor in the Trump administration, the president may force Ukraine to make devastating concessions to Moscow in future negotiations. He emphasized that Trump likes Kellogg because he "never expresses his opinion unless asked." Bolton also believes that Kellogg is unlikely to be a deterrent against the influence of the Russian dictator. ADVERTISIMENT Russia has not expressed any interest in cooperating with Kellogg. At the same time, the Kremlin suggests that an understanding between Trump and Putin could lead to improved relations between Russia and the United States. Kellogg's former colleagues explain that he was appointed special envoy to Ukraine after he co-authored a peace plan that criticized the Joe Biden administration for its slow provision of military aid and accused it of provoking Moscow by pushing Kyiv to join NATO. Kellogg noted that supplying more weapons to Ukraine could be used as a stick to force Moscow to negotiate. As a reminder, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, the US Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, chosen by Trump, postponed his visit to Ukraine for legal reasons. Nevertheless, Kyiv is preparing for Ukrainian-American contacts at the highest level. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that dictator Vladimir Putin was "destroying" Russia by refusing to conclude an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. He also hinted that he gets along with him "very well" and may meet and talk with him in the near future. As reported by OBOZ.UA, according to CNN, Trump instructed his aides to organize a phone call with Putin in the first days after the inauguration. The purpose of the call is to discuss their personal meeting in the near future to "try to find a way to end the war in Ukraine." Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The day before, on January 21, the defense forces struck the command post of the Russian 29th Combined Arms Army in occupied Volnovakha: units of this army are currently operating southwest of Kurakhove. This strike is part of a campaign of attacks on Russian command posts behind enemy lines and may reduce Russia's ability to conduct offensive operations. ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in a new analytical material of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Analysts have also collected all that is known about the situation on the front line and its changes in recent days. The day before, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the continuation of attacks on Russian command posts in the Russian rear. On the night of January 21, Ukrainian troops struck the command post of the 29th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation in occupied Volnovakha, Donetsk region: explosions and smoke were recorded at the site, and the exact results of the attack are being clarified. ADVERTISIMENT ISW said it had no information on the impact of the strike. However, they stated that units of the 29th Army are now operating along the Yantarne-Zelenivka line southwest of Kurakhove. The strike continued a series of attacks on Russian command posts that began in January 2025. There have been strikes on the command posts of the 2nd and 8th Combined Arms Armies and the 3rd Army Corps in the occupied part of Donetsk region. "ISW continues to assess that Ukrainian strikes on key command posts in the Russian rear are likely aimed at disrupting Russia's broader logistics and operational planning, which could affect Russia's ability to conduct its military operations in western Donetsk region," the analysts said. Meanwhile, in the Kharkiv region, on January 20 and 21, Russian troops continued ground attacks northeast of Kharkiv near Vovchansk, but failed to make any headway. ADVERTISIMENT Also, on January 20 and 21, Russians continued offensive operations north of Kupyansk in the area of Dvorichna and east of Kupyansk in the area of Petropavlivka. There were no advances there either. In the Kupyansk direction, the Russian command used drones from the Russian Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies "Rubicon". On January 21, Russian troops continued their offensive in the direction of Borova, with no confirmed advances. Russian propagandists claimed that the occupants had allegedly captured Zelenyi Hai (northeast of Borova), advanced to the Borova-Bohuslavka line (north of Borova) and west of Makiivka (southeast of Borova), but ISW found no confirmation of these claims. ADVERTISIMENT On January 21, a Russian military blogger stated that the Russian Defense Ministry's January 20 statement that Russian forces had captured Novoyehorivka (southeast of Borova) was inaccurate and that Ukrainian forces were still holding positions in the town. According to him, the Russian Defense Ministry's inaccurate report on the capture of Novoyehorivka is likely to lead to heavy Russian losses in the town. Over the past two days, Russian troops continued ground attacks northeast of Borova near Lozova, Zelenyi Hai, Kolisnykivka, Zahryzove and Nova Kruglyakivka; east of Borova near Kopanky and Nadiya; and southeast of Borova near Novoyehorivka, Nevske and Makiivka. Drone operators of the 16th DIU Special Forces Brigade are known to be operating southwest of Nadiya. On January 21, Russian troops also continued their offensive in the Liman sector, but made no confirmed attacks. ADVERTISIMENT Analysts found no evidence of the occupiers' advances near Terny (northeast of Lyman), as claimed by propagandists. On January 20 and 21, Russian troops continued to attack northeast of Lyman near the settlements of Terny and Kolodyazi, as well as east of Lyman in the direction of Zarichne. Units of the Russian 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army continue to operate in the Liman direction. In the Donetsk region, on January 20 and 21, Russians continued to attack east of Siversk near Verkhnekamianske and southeast of Siversk in the direction of Ivano-Daryivka. These attacks did not bring success to the occupiers. ADVERTISIMENT Instead, Russian troops have recently advanced in the direction of Chasiv Yar. Geolocation footage from January 21 shows that the occupiers are advancing in the city center, and fighters from the Akhmat Shustry Chechen special forces unit were spotted in the southern part of the city, where there were no Russian troops before. Russian propagandists also claimed that the occupiers seized a refractory plant in the center of Chasiv Yar and advanced in the northwestern and southwestern parts of the city, but ISW did not find confirmation of these claims. The day before, Dmytro Zaporozhets, a spokesman for the Luhansk Regional Military Command, said that Russian troops were using limited visibility during bad weather conditions to push north of Chasiv Yar and attack the refractory plant. On January 20 and 21, Russian troops continued to advance near Chasiv Yar itself, south of Chasiv Yar toward Stupochky, and northwest of Chasiv Yar toward Fedorivka. ADVERTISIMENT Units of the Russian 299th Airborne Regiment (98th Airborne Division) and the volunteer Espanyol Brigade continue to operate near the town, and units of the Russian 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade (14th Army Corps) were spotted near Orikhovo-Vasylivka, northeast of Chasiv Yar. Also on January 20 and 21, Russian troops continued offensive actions east of Siversk in the area of Verkhnekamianske and southeast of Siversk in the direction of Ivano-Daryivka, with no confirmed advances. The day before, Russian troops continued their offensive in the Toretsk sector. There, the occupiers' advances have also not been confirmed, although the day before, one of the Russian "military commanders" claimed that Russian troops had advanced to the waste heap of the Fomikha mine and along Rozhdestvenska and Mykhailo Hrushevskoho streets (all in the northern part of Toretsk). ADVERTISIMENT His "colleague" went even further and claimed on January 21 that Russian troops had captured the entirety of Toretsk, which ISW has not confirmed. Russian troops continued to advance within Toretsk itself; north of Toretsk near Krymske and Diliyivka; northeast of Toretsk near Ozaryanivka; and west of Toretsk near Shcherbynivka. In the Pokrovsk sector, both Russian and Ukrainian forces made advances. "Geo-location footage released on January 20 indicates that Ukrainian forces have recently regained lost ground in southern Kotlynne (southwest of Pokrovsk). Additional geolocation footage released on January 21 shows that Russian forces have recently captured Zelene and Novyi Trud (both south of Pokrovsk)," ISW stated. The analysts also noted that on January 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the occupation of the village of Vovkove, southwest of Pokrovsk. However, they believe that the Russians could have captured it as early as January 4. ADVERTISIMENT Russian military bloggers claimed that Russian troops had advanced in southwestern Zvirove (southwest of Pokrovsk), but ISW found no confirmation of this claim. In total, on January 20 and 21, Russian troops attacked near Pokrovsk itself; northeast of Pokrovsk near Vodyane Druhe and Zelene Pole; east of Pokrovsk near Myroliubivka, Baranivka, Yelizavetivka, Myrnohrad, Promin; southeast of Pokrovsk near Lysivka; south of Pokrovsk near Shevchenko; southwest of Pokrovsk near Nadiyivka, Zvirove, Udachne, Uspenivka, Novoandriivka; and west of Pokrovsk near Kotlynove. Units of the Russian 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade are known to be operating near Baranivka, and units of the Russian Vega special forces unit (24th Guards Special Forces Brigade of the GRU) are also fighting in the Pokrovsk sector. ADVERTISIMENT The analysts also mentioned that Russian media reported on January 21 that the Chief of the Russian General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, allegedly visited the forward command post of an unspecified Russian tank division (possibly the 90th Tank Division, which is known to be in the area) and motorized rifle brigade in the Pokrovske direction. There, Gerasimov heard reports from the commander of the Russian Central Group of Forces, Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev, and other unnamed commanders. The ISW believes that Russian troops have recently advanced northwest of Kurakhove: geolocation footage confirms the occupiers' advance in the fields west of Petropavlivka (northwest of Kurakhove) and northeast of Rozdolne (southwest of Kurakhove). ADVERTISIMENT Russian "military commanders" claimed that Russian troops had cleared a "pocket" between Petropavlivka and Shevchenk (south of Petropavlivka) and advanced to the outskirts of Kostiantynopol (west of Kurakhove) and north of Sukhi Yaliv (southwest of Kurakhove), but ISW noted that analysts were unable to find evidence of these claims. "A Russian source claims that Russian troops are bypassing the approaches to Andriivka (west of Kurakhove) from the north, trying to reach the T0515 Andriivka-Pokrovsk highway. However, another military blogger claimed that the intensity of fighting in the Kurakhove sector has significantly decreased and that Russian troops are focusing their offensive efforts on capturing Andriivka from the north," ISW noted. Over the past two days, Russian troops continued ground attacks northwest of Kurakhove near Shevchenko; west of Kurakhove near Andriivka, Ulakly, Dachne, and Kostiantynopil; and southwest of Kurakhove near Yantarne and Rozlyv. ADVERTISIMENT One Russian military blogger claimed that Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Dachne and Zelenivka (southwest of Kurakhove). UAV operators of the Russian 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade (68th Army Corps) were spotted operating near Sukhi Yaliv, as well as UAV operators of the 68th Reconnaissance Battalion (20th Motorized Rifle Division) near Dachne. Units of the Russian 242nd Motorized Rifle Regiment (20th Motorized Rifle Division), 381st Artillery Regiment (150th Motorized Rifle Division), and 238th Artillery Brigade also continue to operate there. On January 21, Russian troops continued their offensive in the area of Velyka Novosilka, but did not make any confirmed advances. At the same time, the Russians claimed to have advanced 1.1 kilometers along Fontanna Street in the eastern part of Velyka Novosilka without evidence. ADVERTISIMENT In general, on January 20 and 21, Russian troops conducted offensive operations near Velyka Novosilka itself and to the west of Velyka Novosilka in the direction of Pryvilne. In Zaporizhzhia, on January 21, Russians attempted a limited ground attack northwest of Robotyno, near Kamianske. It was not successful. It is known that sappers of the Russian 7th Airborne Division and units of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division (58th Combined Arms Army) are operating in Zaporizhzhia. Geolocation footage released on January 20 shows Ukrainian forces striking a Russian Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system southeast of Novomykolaivka (south of Tokmak). ADVERTISIMENT Russian troops also continued limited ground attacks on the Prydniprovia sector on January 20 and 21, including in the area of Kozatsky Island (northeast of Kherson), but made no progress. Satellite images released on January 21 show that Russian troops built additional defenses at the Belbek airfield in occupied Sevastopol (Crimea) between October 22, 2024 and January 20, 2025. In this way, the occupiers are apparently trying to protect their combat aircraft from Ukrainian long-range strikes. ADVERTISIMENT The ISW noted that Russian troops have recently advanced toward the Ukrainian bulge in the Kursk region. "Geolocation footage released on January 20 shows that Russian troops recently advanced to the western outskirts of Viktorivka (northwest of Suzha) and southwest and northwest of Nikolske (south of Viktorivka) in a mechanized assault of at least a company size. One of the Ukrainian brigades that repelled the mechanized assault reported on January 20 that Ukrainian forces had destroyed three tanks and seven armored personnel carriers," the analysts stated. At the same time, Russian military bloggers claimed that units of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet had advanced to Gueveve (south of Sudzha) from the north, and that units of the 83rd Separate Airborne Brigade had completely seized Mykolaiv-Daryino. However, ISW found no confirmation of these claims. ADVERTISIMENT A Russian source claimed that fighting continued near Kurylivka (south of Suzha). At the same time, propagandists complained that the warming weather and snow and rain in Kursk region were not conducive to significant offensive operations. Units of the Russian 5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (98th Airborne Division) are reported to be operating in the Kursk region. Meanwhile, on January 21, the Russian opposition outlet Mobilization News reported that Russian authorities are currently searching for three North Korean soldiers who killed five Russian soldiers of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade near Bolshoye Soldatskoye (northeast of Suji). Earlier, ISW reported that the Russian command is throwing seriously wounded soldiers into "meat" attacks in the Kurakhove direction. It is counting on these "fighters" on crutches to help maintain the current pace of the offensive on the Ukrainian front. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! On the morning of January 22, the Russian terrorist army shelled Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. The enemy attacked the settlement with artillery and aviation. One person was killed and seven were wounded. ADVERTISIMENT Facades of apartment and private houses, garages, outbuildings, cars, administrative buildings, power lines, and a gas pipeline were damaged in the settlement. This was reported by the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office. According to the head of the RMA Vadym Filashkin, two residents of Kostiantynivka, a 74-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman, were wounded in the morning. The town continued to be under artillery and aviation fire. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, Putin's army damaged at least five private houses and cars with shelling. Also, according to preliminary information, a house and a garage in Mykolaivka of the Kostiantynivka community were damaged. The regional administration called on local residents not to put themselves at risk and evacuate to safe areas. ADVERTISIMENT The prosecutor's office clarified: On January 22, 2025, the occupiers launched an artillery strike on Kostiantynivka. A 59-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man sustained mine-blast injuries and shrapnel wounds. They were in their homes. The victim was taken to hospital in serious condition. ADVERTISIMENT After a while, Russian proxies repeated the attack. Within 15 minutes, the enemy launched nine air strikes on the city. Previously, the aggressor state's troops used FAB-250 with the UMPK module. The shelling killed a 58-year-old citizen. Five residents aged 52, 62, 64, 76, and 91 were also injured. The latter were diagnosed with mine-blast and closed craniocerebral injuries, concussion, torso, and limb wounds. Under the procedural supervision of the Kostiantynivka District Prosecutor's Office, pre-trial investigations in criminal proceedings on war crimes (Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) have been initiated. As a reminder, on January 21, the aggressor country Russia attacked Dnipro and the region, allegedly using ballistic missiles. The railway infrastructure was hit, and three employees of Ukrzaliznytsia were injured. As OBOZ.UA reported, on the night of January 22, Russian invaders attacked Mykolaiv with kamikaze drones. As a result of the attack, an apartment building was destroyed, a fire broke out there, and there are consequences in the private sector, as well as enterprises and public transport. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that European countries can work together to deprive Russian dictator Vladimir Putin of his aggressive ambitions. To do this, they need to invest in their own security and defense industry, as well as to continue effective sanctions aimed at Russian economy. ADVERTISIMENT De Croo said this during a discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrinform reports. According to him, the first step is military readiness, so increasing defense spending is what all European countries do. "And the second is the undermining of Russia's economic capacity. Sanctions have an impact on the Russian economy. They are extremely painful for them. In the short term, they are scraping together everything to just keep their economy going. But the medium and long-term consequences will be devastating," the politician emphasized. Alexander De Croo noted that although Belgium borders only on friendly EU countries, it also faces threats from Russia. In particular, he mentioned Russian vessels in the North Sea that have been conducting scientific research for many years. ADVERTISIMENT "They should probably already know all our fish and our catches in detail. Obviously, this is not the case. We are talking about the underwater infrastructure. In addition, we are a logistics hub for NATO, so the mindset has changed somewhat as well. There is a desire to invest in security in a broad sense, which means military spending and investment in the protection and development of our industry," the Prime Minister said. That is why Europe and Belgium, in particular, should increase military spending, maintain sanctions, and hold countries accountable for non-compliance with these sanctions. "If we do this, at some point the ambitions we are talking about will evaporate," De Croo said. Previously, we wrote that Russia's ambitions are not limited to aggression against Ukraine. This was stated by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Christopher Cavoli, in Davos. As reported, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump in his usual way. In particular, during his speech, he hinted at World War III and recalled the goals of the so-called SMO. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Should The Bahamas beat Trump to the deal? Renaming our historic waters The countries of the European Union must take responsibility for the future of their continent and invest in armaments and energy independence from Russia. Such actions are primarily aimed at the survival of Europe. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was expressed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Strasbourg during his keynote speech in the European Parliament, Ukrinform reports. According to him, we need to act today. "If Europe wants to survive, it must arm itself," the Polish prime minister said. He emphasized that Europe cannot save on security now. "If we do not want to spend so much money in the future on security, on armament, on defense, we must invest more money today. Not only the future of Ukraine, the region, but the whole of Europe depends on it," Tusk said. In his opinion, the future of the world "as we know it" depends on such measures. Another key goal is to end Europe's energy dependence on Russia after the war in Ukraine ends. ADVERTISIMENT "We will end the Russian aggression against Ukraine, we will return to business as usual, and we will make Europe dependent on Russian supplies again. This must be ended once and for all, because this dependence, among other things, led to this war. This should be clear to everyone in Europe," he explained. The Polish prime minister called on Europeans to "raise their heads" and start believing in themselves. According to him, "Europe is, has been and will always be great" despite all the global crises and "the war on our eastern border." On January 15, Tusk emphasized the need for European countries to take their NATO commitments seriously and increase defense spending. He made this statement in response to the proposal of US President Donald Trump, who called on the Alliance countries to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on January 13, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on European countries to significantly increase defense spending, exceeding the level of 2% of GDP. He warned that if this call is not followed, residents of these countries may need to learn Russian in the future. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! President-elect Donald Trump explained why, in his opinion, America should exercise a protectorate (in one form or another) over Greenland. According to him, it is necessary for "international security." ADVERTISIMENT The American president said this during a press conference in the Oval Office. According to Politico, Donald Trump referred to threats from Russia and China. In particular, Trump said that Denmark is unable to "hold" Greenland due to lack of funds. "Greenland is a great place. We need it for international security. And I'm sure Denmark will do it - they need a lot of money to maintain, to keep Greenland," the American president said. Trump corrected himself that "Greenland is not needed by the United States, it is needed for international security." "You have Russian boats everywhere, you have Chinese ships everywhere - warships - and Denmark cannot contain it," he clarified. The American did not explain how the United States would be able to "restrain" Russia and China in the Greenland area, where the United States has a military base. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, shortly before his father's inauguration, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr. filmed a propaganda video in Greenland - as it turned out, with homeless people in the lead role. In the video, they talked about how the people of Greenland are waiting for America. The elder Trump also referred to this video. "The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark, but I know they are happy with us. We had representatives and my son there two weeks ago. And they like us. So we'll see what happens next," the American president promised. According to the publication, Trump did not mention Greenland in his inaugural speech, although he repeated his promise to return the Panama Canal. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Stark Museum of Art invites you to Date Night at the Museum on Saturday, January 25, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This special evening will feature live music, delicious refreshments, engaging activities and fun artistic discovery all in the heart of downtown Orange. Visitors can enjoy live music from David Justin and Haley Barnes and indulge in free bites and beverages courtesy of Free State Cellars. Guests can also discover the creativity of artist showcases throughout the museum, play interactive gallery games with our talented teaching artists and explore the galleries with a LeAnn Rimes-themed scavenger hunt! This exciting activity takes you on a journey through the galleries to uncover connections between the museum's art and the music of this iconic artist that will also be performing on the same night at the Lutcher Theater, located just steps away from the Stark Museum of Art. "Date Night at the Museum is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and experience art in an exciting and interactive way," said Jennifer Dickinson, executive director of the Stark Museum of Art. "We are thrilled to offer an evening filled with music, creativity and fun, all while showcasing the incredible art we have here at the museum." Admission to Date Night at the Museum is free of charge, making this the perfect opportunity to spend an evening with friends, family or that special someone. Extend the fun and continue your evening downtown by heading to the Lutcher Theater for the 7:30 p.m. performance of LeAnn Rimes in concert. This incredible show is the perfect finale to a night of art, music and culture in Orange. Tickets for LeAnn Rimes are available at lutcher.org. For more information about Date Night at the Museum or the Stark Museum of Art, please visit starkmuseum.org. The Stark Museum of Art is located at 712 Green Avenue in downtown Orange, Texas and open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free of charge. In the year 2025, people across Orange County were huddled inside as heavy snow fell, temperatures dropped into the teens, and the winds blew. This year will be setting snow and cold records, but will not top the "Valentine's Day Blizzard" of 1895. An estimated 31 inches of snow dropped in Orange on February 14-15 that year. The snow was so deep that railroad cars couldn't move and cattle were buried and froze. The Texas Almanac says "what is probably the greatest heavy-snow anomaly in the climatic history of the U.S. resulted from a snowstorm along the Texas coast on the 14th and 15th." Snow even fell as far south as Brownsville, which received five inches. The late historian W.T. Block (1920-2007) wrote in 1979 that 31 inches of snow fell in 24 hours, paralyzing Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. He said that D.R. Wingate, who had lived in Orange since 1852, was quoted as saying "the past six days have had more arctic weather in them than I have experienced in any week in forty years." Block also found a story in The Galveston Daily News about how the locomotive in the switching yards in Orange "could not plow its way through the snow that averaged 24 inches on top of the rails...In some places, snow drifted to a depth of six feet and effectively blocked traffic at every (lumber) mill along the river." According to Block's story, the estimated depth of the snow was between 30 and 36 inches based on how far the snow reached up the locomotive. The depth of the snow shut down the town in those days when horses were used. Block imagined "every pot-bellied stove glowed a cherry red as each person sought to ward off the bitter cold." He pointed out that firewood would not have been a problem because sawmills had large amounts of waste-wood products that people could get for free. In addition, people here had coal-burning stoves because the newspaper had stores advertising coal stoves and dealers advertising coal for sale. The Orange newspaper in 1960, during another big snow, interviewed 79-year-old Lillie Warren of Bridge City. She would have been 14 at the time of the blizzard. She remembered 28 inches of snow in front of the B.C. Turner home in Prairie View, which was a settlement that evolved into Bridge City. The first known photograph of the W.H. Stark House on Green Avenue is of the house in the 1895 blizzard. Construction on the 14,000 square foot house began in 1893. February has historically been the month of the coldest weather, mainly during the middle of the month. In 1899, four years after the Valentine's Day Blizzard, a record cold came. The Texas Almanac reports that on February 11-13 that year "a disastrous cold wave went throughout the state. Newspapers described it as the worst freeze ever known in the state." The temperature in Southeast Texas was around 8 degrees Fahrenheit for almost three days. It was so cold that Sabine Lake froze over. Block wrote that the new Dutch immigrants to the area that became Nederland, got to use the ice skates they had brought with them from their homeland. They skated on Sabine Lake. The historian found a Galveston Daily News story that reported "large quantities of fine ocean trout were picked up on the beach Tuesday and Wednesday. They had become helplessly benumbed in the cold waters, and were soon washed ashore by the beach tides, where they quickly froze." The speckled trout were reported to weigh from three to nine pounds each. Block said that in Sabine Pass, residents were shoveling the fish into wagons. The Beaumont Enterprise from that time reported Sabine Pass froze enough that ice extended from Texas across to Louisiana. Two schooners, mid-size sailing boats, sank after ice floes put holes in them. Though the 1899 Orange newspaper is not available online, Rachel Parker has Leader clipping from the hard freeze. The story tells how Joe Weaver and friends took a sail boat on Sabine Lake on that Friday to go hunting. They anchored near the Catron shell bank on the north side of the lake. However, when they returned to the spot on Saturday, the north winds had blown the water out so far the sail boat was in mud yards from the shoreline. "They were forced to spend the night on the barren shell bank and, in consequence, came very near freezing to death," the paper reported. A rescue came. "George Livingston, brother-in-law of young Weaver, became alarmed at the non-appearance of the hunting party and Sunday morning he loaded a light wagon with warm robes, quilts and restoratives and started out in search of them. He found them on the shell bank and wrapped each one." Besides the record snow of 1895, 1960 has been at the second of the list of heavy Orange County snowfalls. An estimated 10 to 12 inches fell on February 12-13, again in the middle of February. Friday, February 12, started at 44 degrees and started dropping in the morning. Snowflakes began falling in the afternoon near the times schools were to be released. By late that night, the temperature was 27 degrees and Orange County was blanketed in snow. Demographic and cartographic aggression for balkanisation of Manipur | Brigadier L Ibotombi Singh (Retd), Yudh Seva Medal(The recent so-called proposal for a political dialogue by the four member team of Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) with the pre-condition for a Separate Administration of Kuki-Zo community in Manipur must be treated as no proposal by the Central Govt as the pre-condition is Balka-nisation of Manipur by means of Demographic and Cartographic Aggression)Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, once said we have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europewithout swords, without guns, without conquestwill turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades. Muhammad Gaddafi, the eccentric ruler of Libya for 42 years (Sep 1969-Oct 2011), must be smiling in his tomb as some communities in Manipur are preaching and practicing his philosophy.The population of Chin-Kuki-Zo Tribe in Manipur as per 1881 census was 17,204 and in 2011 their population rose to 4,48,214, an exponential growth of 26 times in this period. However, population of Old Kuki (Indigenous) Tribe was 8180 as per 1881 census and 83,332 in 2011 (See Figure Below), a mere growth of 10 times. Equally of concern is the enormous growth of Migrants and Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), Migrants from 6647 in 1881 to 1,66,240 in 2011, with an annual growth rate of 18.47 percent and Muslims from 4881 (then a mere 2.21 percent of Manipurs total population) to 2,39,836 in 2011 (forming 8.40 percent of Manipurs total population) with an annual growth rate of 37.03 percent. This is supported by the fact that there are large percentage of Chin-Kuki-Zo Tribe in Chura- chandpur, Kangpokpi (Sadar Hills) districts and other settlement areas who cannot speak Manipuri language, when Manipur language is compulsory upto class 8th standard under Board of Secondary Education Manipur, reinforcing the fact that they are largely migrants from Myanmar and other areas. As compared to the above, the annual growth of Meitei community is just a mere 7.17 percent, lowest amongst all other communities, from 1,24,254 in 1881 to 12,82,296 in 2011.Please Insert Table HereWith the annual growth rate of 15.82 percent, the present extrapolated size of Chin-Kuki-Zo community in Manipur will be around 11,20,535. This figure excludes large scale illegal Zo-Kuki migrants from Myanmar, in particular in Churachandpur and Kang-pokpi Districts, which was at its peak from 2001 to 2023, because of vote bank politics as they were easily enrolled in the voters list. Therefore, the blame lies with the successive Governments for their narrow political gains. Another peculiar case is encroachment on Government Khas Land and Reserved Forest Areas in the above districts and Sadar Hills District, which facilitate any person having lump sum money including ex servicemen who immediately after retirement, purchases these Khas Land from the Gaon Bura. Thereafter, the new owner of the land becomes Headman of such locality, soon he permits these illegal Zo-Kuki migrants for permanent settlement. In the process he converts the land into a village and earns the title of Gaon Bura. This, vicious cycle continues and in the process the Demographic Aggression is achieved. This is proven by the fact that Kangpokpi and Jiribam Districts, now have a majority of Zo-Kuki community, thereby other communities like Nepali have become a minority.The statement by Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma asking for the unity of the Zo (Chin-Kuki-Mizo) community spread across Myanmar and Bangladesh based on ethnic and religious lines during an official visit to the US in September 2024 was unfortunate and absolutely irrele- vant. Such statement, in future, must be considered as sedition and secession, and relevant Acts under the National Security Act must be applied against such individuals. It can be extra- polated that the recent demand by the four members team of Kuki-Zo Council asking for a Separate Administration for Kuki-Zo community in Manipur to Interlocutor Mr AK Mishra, the Centres representative, is influenced by the statement of Mizo-ram Chief Minister Laldu- homa who is tacitly supporting the causes of Zo-Kuki-Chin communities. The overall aim is for creation of greater Zo-Kuki-Chin by cartographic aggression and demographic explosion in Manipur and to achieve their ulterior aim by carving out areas from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Manipur and later merge with Mizoram, which should be a cause of serious concern and warning bell to the Govt of India. The so-called proposal for a political dialogue by the four member team of Kuki-Zo Council with a pre- condition must be treated as no proposal by the Central Govt as the demand is Bal-kanisation of Manipur by means of Demographic and Cartographic Aggression.The earliest recorded history of the Manipur Region is around 900 CE. It was first established by King Loiyumba in 1110 CE as the Kingdom of Kangleipak with a written Constitution. Later, King Khagemba expanded the kingdom of Manipur to its peak during his reign from 15971652 CE. Manipur itself is an example of Unity in Diversity having 34 indigenous communities since 1110 CE and any attempt to break the unity of the State must be thwarted loud and clear. In the past, attempts have been made to carve out areas of Manipur by way of cartographic and demographic aggression by some community which the Govet of India wittingly has thwarted.Manipur has been witnessing violent clashes between two warring tribes of Zo-Chin-Kukis and Meiteis for the last one year and eight months and there appears to be no immediate solution. The role of various Kuki militant groups supported by foreign elements from Myanmar in keeping the Pot Boiling at the right temperature which include rampant firing on sporadic basis against defenceless Meitei villagers appears to be masterminded by some influential persons and indulgence of foreign hands cannot be ruled out.The Kuki militant groups KNA (Kuki National Army- formed by Haokip clan) and KNF (Kuki National Front- formed by Kipgen clan) were formed in early 1990s post Naga-Chin-Kuki ethnic clash in latter part of 1980s. Initially, equipped with primitive weapons like single and double barrel guns, bolt action rifles and were earlier tacitly considered by Security Forces as a countervailing force against Naga insurgent groups, viz-NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K). Subsequently, other Kuki militant organizations like Kuki Independent Army, Thadou Revolutionary Army, Kuki Revolutionary Army (Hansing Clan), Zoumi Revolutionary Front and Kuki Defence Force were formed to protect their own clans and presently 25 such armed groups exist in Manipur. The source of finance for these insurgent groups are through poppy cultivations, illegal tax collections and extortions, narco-finance being a major source.The Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed between 25 Kuki militant groups and Government of India has in fact acted as a catalyst in recouping these groups by way of consolidation and procurement of modern small arms including snipers and area weapons. Thus, the appeasement policy by the Central Government, has in fact failed, instead benefitted the Kuki Militant groups under SoO.Post military crack-down in Asias Golden Triangle, once a safe haven for drug mafias, against druglords, the base has shifted to hilly region of Manipur neighbouring Myanmar. These Myanmars Chin-Kukis started poppy plantations, manufacture and supply of heroin, with the blessings of Kuki militant groups with assurance of getting large amount of these drug money. Besides, large deforestations, the illegal immigrants started settling in Reserved Forest areas. This is reinforced by the fact that Churachandpurs Khoupum Protected Forest area once free from settlement, now has more than 30 villages which prove to be illegal settlements and their residents encroachers.In conclusion, the Government of India, at all cost, must not permit balka-nisation of Manipur. Poli- tical dialogue with the warring Zo-Chin-Kuki commu- nities must be without any pre-conditions and without fragmenting the 1150 years old Manipur Kingdom, now Manipur State. BJP : Largest political party in the world Tepid response from the hills | On record the largest political party in the world with 180 million or 1800 lakh or 18 crore members, the BJP sits tall and pretty at the top as far as numbers go. Top this off as the party at the helm of affairs in the largest democracy in the world since 2014 and set to go on till 2029 and everything looks good for the saffron party. In Manipur, it snatched power from the Congress in the 2017 Assembly elections and walloped the oldest political party in the 2022 Assembly polls, reducing it to just five members in the House of 60. Surely the BJP seems to have come a long way in Manipur and the good fortunes it is witnessing in Delhi and the rest of the country had obviously rubbed off on the people here. However May 3, 2023 came along and the negative impact of this day could be clearly seen in the 2024 Parliamentary elections when both the Outer and Inner Parliamentary Constituencies were bagged by candidates from the Congress with handsome margins. Cannot say off hand if it will rank up there as the biggest victory margin, but significant to note that the Congress candidate in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency Dr Bimol Akoijam whipped the BJP candidate by over one lakh vote while in the Outer Constituency, the Congress candidate Alfred Kanngam bested his nearest rival from the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) by over 85 thousand votes. Significant victory margins and take the fact that the elections were held amid the ongoing ethnic clash and this is where the reference to May 3, 2023 becomes relevant. Nearly one year since the Lok Sabha elections and the latest information that has come is the tepid response to the BJP membership drive in the hill districts of Manipur. Not that the valley area has done much better, but the showing is better in the valley than in the hills which has so far shown that not a single individual has been enrolled as an active member in the membership drive at the Assembly Constituencies of Tipaimukh, Thanlon, Henglep, Churachandpur, Saikot, Singhat and Tengnoupal. The number of primary members is also extremely limited with only 670 persons enrolling in the six Assembly segments of Churachandpur and Pherzawl. The showing is also not encouraging at Kangpokpi where only 21 persons have enrolled as active members of the saffron party though this particular Assembly Constituency has returned figures of 11,000 primary members. Significant to note that the ACs mentioned where no new active members of the saffron party have enrolled themselves are areas dominated by the Kuki-Zo community, though seven MLAs from the said areas continue as BJP MLAs including two Ministers. In the Naga dominated districts too, the scenario is no better with not even a single active member of the party to take charge of things in Phungyar AC, Mao AC, Tadubi AC, Karong AC, Tamei AC and Tamenglong AC. These are figures on paper and while these statistics may or may not mean much in the ultimate analysis of electoral politics, it stands in stark contrast to the tag of being the largest political party in the world with 18 crore members. How this has gone down with the partys leadership is not yet known, but one cannot help but connect the dots and juxtapose it against the 2024 Lok Sabha elections here. This is what is significant. The largest political party in the world, a party which is into its third consecutive term in office at Delhi and second consecutive term in Imphal and surely the tepid response to the membership drive would have raised the interest of many keen observers of the political developments in Manipur. As stated many times in earlier commentaries here, the 2027 Assembly elections is still a good two years away and anything may happen in the interregnum and one wonders what impact the continuing ethnic clash would have on the outcome of the elections. How the BJP led Government at Imphal conducts itself in the face of the ongoing ethnic clash will go a long way in deciding its standing in the eyes of the people and when one says this, it should be seen in the context of the manner in which it has responded to the sentiments of the people. Whether its conduct has been affirmative or not will be hugely reflected in the next Assembly elections and this is not overstating the facts. Hungary issues commemorative stamps for Chinese Lunar New Year Xinhua) 08:49, January 22, 2025 Hungarian Deputy State Secretary for State Assets Geza Lang speaks during a launch ceremony of the Year of the Snake stamp in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 21, 2025. A commemorative sheet of postage stamps celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, was unveiled on Tuesday at the China Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua) BUDAPEST, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A commemorative sheet of postage stamps celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, was unveiled on Tuesday at the China Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary. The stamps were issued by the Hungarian Post in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, Hungary's Ministry for National Economy, and the China Cultural Center in Budapest. The sheet, featuring four stamps designed by Hungarian-Chinese graphic artist Hu-Yang Kamilla, will be printed in a limited run of 20,000 copies. The design incorporates a red-and-yellow color scheme with two intricately drawn red snakes on a yellow backdrop and another pair of yellow snakes on a red backdrop. The title "Year of the Snake - 2025" appears in both Chinese and Hungarian. "The Wood Snake, featured in my design, symbolizes wisdom and knowledge, while wood primarily represents growth. These qualities were the essence I aimed to convey in the stamp," Hu-Yang explained to Xinhua. Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao emphasized the cultural and economic significance of the occasion. "In Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom and wit, predicting good fortune and success," he said during the ceremony. Gong also noted the growing interest of Chinese companies in investing in Hungary, with the country remaining China's top investment destination in Central and Eastern Europe. He highlighted that China aims to maintain its position as Hungary's largest foreign investor in 2025. Hungarian Deputy State Secretary for State Assets Geza Lang reflected on the successful collaboration between the two countries. He noted that Hungarian Post launched the Chinese zodiac stamp series in 2014, with each installment commemorating the Lunar New Year. The Year of the Snake marks the twelfth and final edition of the series. Despite the series concluding, Lang expressed Hungary's eagerness to continue its cooperation with China in similar cultural initiatives. Hungarian Deputy State Secretary for State Assets Geza Lang (L) and Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao attend a launch ceremony of the Year of the Snake stamp in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 21, 2025. A commemorative sheet of postage stamps celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, was unveiled on Tuesday at the China Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua) Hu-Yang Kamilla (R), designer of the Year of the Snake stamp issued by the Hungarian Post, introduces her works during a launch ceremony in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 21, 2025. A commemorative sheet of postage stamps celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, was unveiled on Tuesday at the China Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua) Photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows a first-day cover with the stamps of the Year of the Snake at a launch ceremony in Budapest, Hungary. A commemorative sheet of postage stamps celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, was unveiled on Tuesday at the China Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The News in Brief Wednesday, January 22, 2025 On January 21, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals rejected Mzia Amaghlobeli's appeal and upheld her pre-trial detention. Her lawyers had challenged a prior decision by the Batumi City Court to remand her in custody.Amaghlobeli, founder and director of Batumelebi and its nationwide sister publication Netgazeti, faces potential imprisonment for allegedly assaulting a police officer. She was arrested on January 12 after slapping Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze, reportedly in response to his abusive and insulting behavior. Watchdog groups argue her case reflects state repression of independent journalists.Her lawyers have yet to receive the court's reasoning for the decision. "We will consider how to continue the legal fight," said Paata Diasamidze, one of her lawyers.On January 14, Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili ordered her remand, a decision criticized as "unjustified" in a January 16 brief submitted by Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani. Meanwhile, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association reported that Amaghlobeli has been on a hunger strike since her arrest.The political party For Georgia, led by Giorgi Gakharia, has accused Sheraton Batumi Hotel and law enforcement agencies of tampering with evidence related to the January 15 attack on Gakharia and journalist Zviad Koridze. In a statement the party claimed that Sheraton Batumi has refused to provide access to video footage of the incident.According to the statement, Sheraton's management initially assured the party that the video records existed and would be preserved, even after being handed over to investigators. However, the hotel has since declined to issue an official response, referring the party's representatives to their legal team for further clarification.The party also criticized the investigation process, claiming delays and a lack of transparency. "Yesterday, we proposed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to interview Giorgi Gakharia. Three hours later, we were informed that the case had been transferred to the prosecutor's office. After initial communication, the prosecutor's office has since become unreachable."The party alleges that the prosecutor's office has now seized all video records and server equipment from Sheraton Batumi, leaving no copies of the footage behind. They argue this is part of a coordinated effort between investigators and Sheraton to destroy evidence. The party also expressed concerns about user data on the seized servers, claiming it is now at risk."These actions point to coordinated efforts to cover up the crime, and we believe Sheraton Batumi was actively involved," the statement read. In Bratislava, Slovakia, Hungarian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Viktor Orban and Peter Szijjarto held "talks" with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. These talks were about stopping the transit of Ukrainian gas. ADVERTISIMENT The Hungarian prime minister said this on Facebook. However, Hungarian media reported more details about the negotiations, which resulted in no decision. "Our farmers will be destroyed if Brussels bureaucrats allow Ukrainian agricultural products to enter the EU market. It's bad for Hungary and bad for Slovakia, but everyone is silent about it!" Orban complained online. According to index, which quoted the Hungarian prime minister in more detail, Orban did indeed talk a lot about "bad Ukraine." In particular, he complained that even after the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war, "Ukraine will still have a huge amount of weapons, and this in itself is a risk for its neighbors, such as Hungary." The Hungarian prime minister did not explain what the risk is. But he did say that the risk of European support for our country is money. ADVERTISIMENT "There will be a constant danger that Brussels' money belonging to us - and this is the money of Slovaks and Hungarians - will be redirected by Brussels to Ukraine, and our agricultural entrepreneurs will be ruined," the index quoted Orban as saying. Orban also complained to Fico about Ukraine's "unacceptable refusal to negotiate a settlement" on gas transit, and "aggressive and hostile statements by Kyiv," stressing that "Kyiv is no longer so firmly in the saddle to afford it." "If they remain aggressive and hostile, we will eventually get angry and take countermeasures. The way Kyiv is trying to control and shape relations with the countries of Central Europe is unacceptable," the Hungarian prime minister said. ADVERTISIMENT Once again, Orban did not explain what countermeasures he was referring to, or what he found unacceptable about our relations with other central EU countries. Orban indirectly revealed why he is so hostile to Ukraine. In his opinion, if Ukraine joined the European Union today, "it would destroy Hungary." "The EU does not have the money to absorb Ukraine, and we do not want to destroy our own country. We will not accept Ukraine into the EU at the cost of destroying Hungary's economy," the Hungarian prime minister said. In turn, the Slovakian prime minister said that in the future he is ready to veto EU financial aid for Ukraine. Orban has repeatedly complained lately that money from Brussels goes to Ukraine instead of Hungary. He is partly right: the EU has blocked the allocation of 1 billion in aid to Hungary from the EU's joint budget because of systemic corruption in that country. The European Commission concluded that Hungary neglects democratic standards and the basic values of the European Union. As reported by OBOZ.UA, the United States announced the imposition of corruption-related sanctions against Antal Rogan, a senior Hungarian government official who served as chief of staff to Orban's Cabinet. This is the first time that one of Orban's closest associates has been subject to U.S. restrictions. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A speeding state government bus on the S-31 route hit a two-wheeler killing a 28-year-old woman on-the-spot and severely injuring her husband. The couple, residents of Baghajatin, riding in the two-wheeler was going to drop their four year-old-daughter to school in the Jadavpur area. Fortunately, the girl had a narrow escape without any injury during the accident. The incident happened around 6.45 a.m. when the killer bus dashed the motorbike from behind near 8B bus stand close to the Jadavpur University. Her mother, Deboshree Mondal fell on the ground and was crushed under the wheels while the father, a casual employee of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) was found lying on the ground in a pool of blood and writhing with pain. He was rushed to the nearby EDF Hospital in critical condition sustaining severe injury on his hands, legs and hips. Advertisement Miraculously, the girl was saved without any injury. Advertisement Eyewitnesses said that the bus was running at a high speed early this morning and suddenly rammed the motorbike around 6.45 a.m. Some auto rickshaw operators rushed to the spot soon after the accident. The daughter was traumatised. Bereaved family members alleged that the police arrived late and did not cooperate with them when they went to the police station. Police were reluctant to register FIR initially when we met them at the police station. Everyone there was shifting their responsibilities to others when we wanted to file the FIR. It took four hours to get the traumatised child out of the police station, the family alleged. Police are yet to trace the driver and the bus so far. The prestigious Institute of Engineering & Management, Kolkata (IEM) and University of Engineering & Management, Kolkata (UEMK) hosted their grand convocation ceremonies on Saturday at the renowned Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, New Town. The event celebrated the academic achievements of graduates in the presence of esteemed dignitaries, proud parents, and enthusiastic students. The convocation was divided into two sessions: the morning session for IEM and the afternoon session for UEMK. Advertisement The Welcome Address was delivered by Dr Satyajit Chakrabarti, director of IEM. The convocation address by Dr Andrew Alexander Fleming, deputy high commissioner, UK, inspired students to embrace global opportunities and challenges. Eminent guests, including Manjit Nayak (director, STPI), Dr Subhrangshu Sanyal (CEO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park), Aseem Soni, CEO SwitzGroup, Saket Mohta, managing director and CEO Merlin Group and others, shared their insights during the special addresses. Ms Gopa Goswami, director, corporate relations emphasised how the world is advancing with technology and how the students prove themselves in the corporate world and be a part of the growing revolution in the field of science and technology. Advertisement Graduates took a solemn graduation oath, led by Dr Chakrabarti, before receiving their degree certificates. The UEMK ceremony featured the conferment of Honoris Causa degrees upon six renowned individuals, including Prof. Dr. Phillip Bradford, Prof. Dr. Charles Rubenstein, and Prof. Dr. Son Vuong, Prof. Dr. Bimal Roy, R. Bandyopadhyay, Dr. Debiprosad Duari in recognition of their contributions to academia and innovation. The chancellors presidential address and vice chancellors annual report emphasised UEMKs commitment to academic excellence and innovation. The convocation address by Dr T G Sitharam, chairman (AICTE), and a special address by Shekhar Dutt, former Governor of Chhattisgarh, captivated the audience with their thought-provoking messages. As much as 95 per cent of Indias trade by volume and 68 per cent by value moves through the coastal routes highlighting the scope for blue economy, said Dr. Pandurang Raut (IRS), Deputy Director General of Shipping, Union Ministry of Shipping. While speaking at the ASSOCHAMs Conference on Accelerating the Blue Economy Wave towards Viksit Bharat, he said, The Maritime Amritkal Vision 2046 released in 2023 is aimed at increasing the modernization of the ports, enhancing the port shipping infrastructure, and harvesting the maritime energy. Advertisement Under the Sagar Mala programme, around 81 projects along the coast of India are being implemented with an investment of Rs 11,752 crores. Also, 21,000 youths have already been trained under the coastal development programme and 37 fishing harbour projects are being developed with an outlay of Rs. 6,540 crores, he added. Advertisement Under the National Coastal Mission, an outlay of Rs 240 crores has been earmarked for development of marine litter management practices. Mumbai Shipping industry experts see immense scope for India emerging as a Blue Economy. Le Quang Bien, Consul General, Consulate General of Vietnam in Mumbai ,said, Blue economy has been recognised globally as a solution to the resource crisis and a sustainable foundation for the future economic development. The Indo-Pacific region, plays a crucial strategic role in the global economy, being a vital route connecting many major markets all over the world. Le Quang Bien said that Vietnam is strategically located in the area with many of the fastest-growing economies in the world today, such as India, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN. Strengthening marine cooperation including blue economies between our two countries will not only bring economic benefits, but also contributes to the stability, development, peace, and security for the region, he added. Shantanu Bhadkamkar, Chairman of Maharashtra State Development Council (MSDC), Assocham, said, Australia is dense on the east coast. There is hardly anything in the centre which shows that countries equally develop on coastlines Oceans are important, and we have a huge coastline and huge exclusive economic zones which have to be developed for making India a $10 trillion economy. India occupies an important position in the global maritime industry with a coastline spanning 7517 kilometres that is home to 12 major ports and around 200 non-major ports handling around 1550 million tons of cargo per year. Mohamed al-Najjar, a 24-year-old law student, used the first day of the ceasefire on Sunday to return to his family home in Rafah, located in the southernmost part of Gaza. What he encountered, eight months after fleeing the arrival of Israeli troops, was a heap of rubble. We have nothing left, he said in text and video messages sent via phone. Around him, most of the neighborhood looked the same reduced to ruins on streets where not even the asphalt remains. Footage reveals residents like al-Najjar wandering through the devastated border town with Egypt, assessing what remains after the intense fighting. Rafah had been the site of significant conflict: in October, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed near a tunnel where, just months earlier in July, six hostages captured during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 were killed before Israeli troops arrived. This was my home, a six-story building. Why should we return to Rafah? To cry? We cant go back to the house that took us 30 years to build, al-Najjar says, his frustration evident as he surveys the ruins where, until May, he lived with a dozen relatives in a building that housed about 50 residents. According to satellite image analysis by the U.N., corroborated by estimates from the University of Oregon, more than 163,000 buildings around two-thirds of all structures in Gaza have been destroyed. Palestinians make their way past the rubble of destroyed houses and buildings, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025. Dawoud Abu Alkas (REUTERS) A Palestinian child looks from a house destroyed by the Israeli air and ground offensive, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN) Palestinians make their way past the rubble of destroyed houses and buildings, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025. Dawoud Abu Alkas (REUTERS) Azhar Abu Sheiban, center, and her family members return to their home in Rafah, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Abdel Kareem Hana (AP) Azhar Abu Sheiban, center, and her family, salvage what they can of their belongings from the rubble of their destroyed home, days after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Abdel Kareem Hana (AP) Buildings lie in ruin, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025. Dawoud Abu Alkas (REUTERS) A view shows Israeli tanks near the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, January 21, 2025. Amir Cohen (REUTERS) Palestinians sit near the rubble of houses and buildings destroyed during the war, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025. Mohammed Salem (REUTERS) An aerial view of the destruction resulting from Israeli attacks. Anadolu (Anadolu via Getty Images) Palestinians walk with belongings past the rubble of houses and buildings destroyed during the war, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025. Mohammed Salem (REUTERS) Palestinians make their way past the rubble of destroyed houses and buildings, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025. Dawoud Abu Alkas (REUTERS) The level of destruction in Gaza is so great that returning to their places of origin their streets and neighborhoods is not the same as being able to live there again, at least in the foreseeable future. For many Gazans, including Mohamed al-Najjar, the reality of the ruins leaves little choice but to move elsewhere. After visiting his demolished home in Rafah, Al Najjar almost immediately decided to return to Deir al-Balah, a town in central Gaza about six miles from Rafah, where he has been living with his family since May. There is no habitable place in Rafah, he concludes. Since the war began on October 7, 2023 triggered by a Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel around two million Gazans (out of a total population of 2.3 million) have been displaced, many multiple times, due to airstrikes and evacuation orders from the Israeli army. In a report published in November, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned what it described as the massive, deliberate, forced displacement of nearly the entire population, with no plausible imperative military reason. Transport challenges further exacerbate the crisis. Limited fuel and the destruction of many vehicles have made it difficult to move around Gaza. Al Najjar recounts traveling by car to Khan Yunis before walking to Rafah. For now, he has no plans beyond waiting in Deir al-Balah, where he and his family have taken refuge. Bodies in the rubble Like Al Najjar, hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the 15 months of war in Gaza are using the temporary ceasefire with Israel to attempt a return to areas they fled due to bombings and military actions. NGOs, including HRW, have described these acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and even acts of genocide. Many return despite knowing their homes are gone, driven by the hope of locating the bodies of missing relatives beneath the rubble, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In Khan Yunis alone, emergency services report the recovery of approximately 50 bodies in recent hours. The Hamas government estimates that thousands more remain buried, adding to the over 47,000 officially recorded fatalities in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks. There are no precise figures on population movements, despite images showing columns of people traveling on foot, in cars, or on donkey-drawn carts. Access to some parts of the Gaza Strip, particularly the north, remains restricted. As the ceasefire progresses, occupation forces move to the rear, and Israeli authorities permit freer movement, more areas may become accessible. Residents who manage to reach their former neighborhoods often document the devastation with smartphones, capturing scenes of destruction where children, sometimes smiling and waving the Palestinian flag, appear amidst the ruins after the attacks cease. Mustafa Ibrahim, a 62-year-old pensioner and member of the human rights organization Addameer, is preparing to return to Gaza City with his wife and three children, even though he knows his home has been destroyed. He hopes that the Israeli authorities will give the go-ahead in the next few days. I will have to rent a house, although we dont know where to look. Life will be difficult, and rent will be high because so few homes remain intact. Additionally, the water supply, sanitation, electricity, and internet have all been destroyed, he explains via cell phone messages from Deir al-Balah. Aerial view of the destruction caused by the Israeli offensive in Rafah on Tuesday. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN) On October 13, 2023, Ibrahim fled the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City amid heavy attacks, seeking refuge in Rafah with his brothers. The family then fled again in May to Deir al-Balah, mirroring the journeys of hundreds of thousands of others. Ibrahim is nevertheless optimistic and hopeful about the ceasefire, seeing it as an opportunity to focus on reconstruction despite political divisions. Mohamed Al Najjar is also clinging on to the belief that the ceasefire is a step toward ending the conflict. The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that, if the agreement with Hamas holds, civilians may begin returning to the north next week. This area includes Gaza City, the enclaves main population center, and severely impacted towns like Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun. However, the Israeli military has stated that the Netzarim corridor, which effectively divides the Gaza Strip in two, will remain closed. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee also cautioned residents about the dangers of approaching the border with Israel, swimming at the beach, or fishing in the sea, emphasizing ongoing security risks. Under the rubble of Mohamed Al Najjars Rafah home lies documentation he desperately needs to seek treatment abroad for his retinal condition. Having undergone surgery in Spain in 2009 as a child, he now hopes to secure a new visa for further medical care. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP of unleashing violence across Delhi under police protection to intimidate AAP supporters and disrupt elections. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that the BJP is staring at a historic defeat and alleged that it has abandoned peaceful campaigning in favour of hooliganism, citing disruptions in Kalkaji and other constituencies. Advertisement Meanwhile, Delhi CM Atishi has written to the Election Officer, noting that BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri and his relatives are allegedly engaging in hooliganism and are threatening AAP workers in Kalkaji, while she demanded their immediate arrest. Advertisement On Wednesday, in a joint press conference at the party headquarters, Kejriwal, flanked by Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, stated, This is extremely, extremely concerning. The way the BJP is resorting to goondagardi and violence is deeply troubling. What Atishi has said is not limited to her constituency alone. Kejriwal alleged that police have been withdrawn from maintaining law and order, and instead, they have been placed to assist the saffron partys poll campaign. He claimed that Delhi has never witnessed such violence before. Delhi is a peaceful state. It is a city of cultured, educated people. I want to ask, will Delhi tolerate this? Delhi will not tolerate this. He also accused the BJP of trying to disrupt three or four of his public meetings. The AAP chief also alleged that he fears voters may be stopped from casting their votes on the election day. BJP candidate from the New Delhi assembly seat and former MP Parvesh Verma said on Wednesday that he would file a Rs 50-crore defamation case each against rival AAP candidate Arvind Kejrwial and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for false allegations that he insulted Punjabis calling them a threat to the nation. The BJP leader, while speaking to a news agency, said that if the result of the suit goes in his favour, he would use the money for the development of the New Delhi constituency. Advertisement Verma said he had already filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the Delhi Police regarding the sudden rise in the number of Punjab-registered cars doing rounds in the New Delhi area since a week, where he alleged that AAP workers, MLAs from Punjab, with state government stickers on private cars are driving around, trying to influence the voters across the constituency from where he and Kejriwal are contesting. Advertisement He claimed that having realized that they are going to face defeat, the AAP and Kejriwal are leveling such allegations against him. Verma also said that the police would probe the entire issue and will come up with facts on how many people have in a week arrived from Punjab and are staying in the New Delhi and adjoining areas guest houses. Hitting out at Punjab CM, Verma alleged that he has also sent government employees to the New Delhi area to help Kejriwal during elections by allegedly threatening them of consequences like suspension from their jobs. The BJP leader further said that Mann is forcibly sending Punjab government employees to Delhi to help the AAP in the polls because if they lose Delhi, Kejriwal would go to Punjab and might become CM, which would be a threat to Manns position. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal alleged that Verma called Punjabis a threat to the nation for allegedly stating that vehicles with Punjab licence plates are roaming in New Delhi while no one knows who was sitting inside them and that they pose a threat to the national capital with Republic-Day celebrations around the corner. Ram Gopal Varma, the creator of the blockbuster crime film Satya has decided to wash away his cinema sins. He plans to do this with his new crime saga Syndicate. He recently expressed his regret over going astray following the success of Satya and Rangeela. Now, the filmmaker promises a dedicated and solid comeback with his new project. Touted as a hard-boiled crime saga, the film will hinge upon blood-churning horrors- these are not supernatural but very human. He claims that the film is futuristic not because of its setting. However, it is because it will be something that can transpire anytime in the future, maybe the very next day. Taking to X, the filmmaker shared the idea behind his ambitious passion project, his next brainchild- Syndicate. He writes, In CONTINUATION to my CONFESSION note on SATYA film, I DECIDED to make the BIGGEST film ever. The film is called SYNDICATE. Its about a terrifying organisation which threatens the very EXISTENCE of INDIA. Advertisement He then gave examples of the various criminal organisations and gangs. These flourished in the 70s and were successfully taken down. Moreover, he also referenced the BLACK SEPTEMBER, the 9/11 attacks that shook the world. The filmmaker acknowledged that while there have been no organisations in the recent past, the intense polarisation makes way for a new group. Advertisement There has been no notable criminal organisation since the last 10 to 15 years in India. But right now the intense polarisation between various in the country makes the timing ripe for a new kind of criminal organisation to rise. But unlike the organisations of the past, this new organisation joins forces from various groups including POLICING AGENCIES, POLITICOS, ULTRA RICH BUSINESS MEN and also the MILITARY thus making it a SYNDICATE. ONLY MAN CAN BE THE MOST TERRIFYING ANIMAL In CONTINUATION to my CONFESSION note on SATYA film , I DECIDED to make the BIGGEST film ever The film is called SYNDICATE Its about a terrifying organisation which threatens the very EXISTENCE of INDIA The CONCEPT STREET Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 22, 2025 Talking about his project, he pens, SYNDICATE is a futuristic story not set in the far away future. But what can happen even tomorrow or next week. For example, the entire world woke up to AL QAEDA on September 11th 2001, but did not know its existence even on September 10th. Ram Gopal Varma also shared the primary idea on which his film will be based. SYNDICATE will be a very SCARY FILM not due to any supernatural elements. But because it will SCARILY expose, what HORRORS HUMAN BEINGS CAN DO. The film will deeply dwell into the cyclical nature of crime and terror proving that while we have our victories, the DARK TRUTH is that CRIME and TERROR NEVER DIE. THEY KEEP COMING BACK IN MORE DEADLIER FORMS. The filmmaker will reveal the cast and other details soon. Meanwhile, with his note, Ram Gopal Varma promises to create an era-defining crime thriller. His last directorial was the Telugu film, Vyuham. Also Read: Saif Ali Khan is at risk of losing 15,000 Cr properties to govt. control Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said access to judiciary has been weaponized in recent years, posing a great challenge to governance. Interacting with a batch of participants from the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership (IIDL), he said, We have a fundamental right in the country, and the right is we can access the judiciary. Its a fundamental right. But in the last few decades, access to the judiciary has been weaponized! It has been weaponized, to another level, it is posing a great challenge to our governance, our democratic values. Advertisement Expressing concern over the current situation, he stated, Day in and day out, youll find advisories emanating, executive functions being performed by bodies that have no jurisdiction or jurisprudential authority or competence to perform those actions. To put it in laymans language, a tehsildar can never record an FIR. How so very strongly he may feel. Advertisement Because our constitution ordains institutions to work within their own domain. Are they working? Ill answer for you, no. The Vice-President went on to say, Institutions are yielding ground to other institutions, and that is being done out of expediency. These placatory mechanisms may result in short-term gain, but they cause incalculable spinal damage in the long run. And therefore I urge you, you have to think. Once you think, connect with the people. Make them aware no nation is as rich in human resources as Bharat. But we have to audit ourselves. We cant rest on laurels that are surficial. Posing a question to the participants about the provision of Whip in Parliament, he wondered why there should be a whip. Whip means you are curtailing expression, you are curtailing freedom, you are subjecting your representative to servility. You dont allow such a person to use his or her mind. Examine whether the US has a whip or not, find out in the last ten years how decisions of the Senate have been influenced by persuasion. But when you issue a whip, there is no persuasion. To persuade whom?.Political parties are supposed to promote democracy, but do the elected representatives have the freedom of expression? Whip comes in the way, he added. Reflecting on the disruptions in Parliament, Mr Dhankhar observed that Parliament, which was once considered a temple of democracy, has now become a wrestling ground, a battleground. Is there anything left to see, anything left to hear? People have forgotten the word decorum, and there is no concept of dignity anymore, he lamented. Chaos, disruption, disturbance and the like, is remote controlled in the house. They step in the temple with firm determination to carry out a command that this day is a day of dysfunction in the parliament or legislature. Examine it!, he added. Talking about the need for talented people in politics, the Vice-President emphasised, We need trained people in policy making. We need trained people who know politics. It is not easy to hold the government accountable. The only way to hold the government accountable is through the platform of the legislature. And mind you, when you hold the government accountable, you are helping the government. Anyone would like to improve, but someone has to tell him or her that these are the areas of concern where you need improvement. Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania met Maharashtras Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla on Wednesday and informed her about the poor law and order situation in the Beed district. She made serious allegations against Food & Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde and the companies owned by him. Anjali Damania said she has informed DGP Rashmi Shukla about the terror in Beed and given information about Dhananjay Mundes companies. Advertisement Dhananjay Munde and Rajshree Munde are directors in two companies, Venkateshwara Industrial Services and Turtles Logistics Limited. Valmik Karad is also a partner in these companies. How did these two companies get the Mahagenco contract to take away fly ash? If a minister or MLA is getting benefits as per the governments Office of Profit rule, it is wrong. A public representative cannot take up an office of profit as per this rule. Therefore, their MLA status should also be cancelled, she said. Advertisement She said she would demand that the Anti-Corruption Bureau should investigate Dhananjay Mundes companies. Based on what criteria was a loan of Rs 62 crore given to Jagmitra Sugar Mills Company? The Enforcement Directorate and the CID must investigate Mundes companies. DGP Rashmi Shukla has listened to my views and assured me that appropriate action will be taken, the activist informed. It has come to light that Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder accused Valmik Karad has been given judicial custody and it has also ended. In fact, how did his police custody end so soon is the question. A thorough investigation was needed. Also, another accused in the Massajog village Santosh Deshmukh murder case, Vishnu Chate, was also given the option of being kept in Latur jail after he demanded it. This is wrong, Damania said. In the Santosh Deshmukh murder case, there is a nexus between the accused and the police. If they want to break this nexus, they must be sent to the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. Otherwise, the case will not be properly investigated, Anjali Damania said after meeing the Maharashtra DGP. Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, lauded the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme as a powerful catalyst for social change, saying its transformative impact has been felt across India. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative has evolved from a government programme to a nationwide movement. Over the past 10 years, it has played a pivotal role in improving the status of the girl child, ensuring she receives equal opportunities in education, health, and overall development, Devi remarked during an event marking the 10th anniversary of the scheme. Launched in 2015, the BBBP scheme was designed to address gender imbalances and empower the girl child. The event reflected on the significant progress achieved over the past decade and highlighted the Government of Indias unwavering commitment to the empowerment of women and girls. It also reinforced the countrys vision for a Viksit Bharat by 2047, where gender equality is not just a policy priority but a societal norm. Advertisement Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, highlighted the positive impact the scheme has had in critical sectors like health and education. The success of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is evident in the improvements weve seen in child sex ratios, institutional deliveries, and healthcare access for girls. The government remains dedicated to ensuring every girl receives the care and opportunities she needs to grow into a future leader, he stated. Advertisement Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, spoke about the cultural shift that the scheme has fostered. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao reflects our collective commitment to uplifting women. As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our dedication to creating an environment where every girl has the right to education, health, and a future filled with opportunities, she noted. The Ministry of Women and Child Development also highlighted several initiatives launched under the BBBP scheme, including the Compendium of Best Practices, the Mission Vatsalya Portal, the Mission Shakti Portal, and the Mission Shakti Mobile App. Over the past decade, the BBBP scheme has achieved significant milestones in improving gender equality and the status of girls in India. The National Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has improved from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24. Additionally, the gross enrolment ratio of girls at the secondary level has increased from 75.51 per cent to 78 per cent, institutional deliveries have surged from 61 per cent to 97.3 per cent, and first-trimester antenatal care registrations have risen from 61 per cent to 80.5 per cent. The Border Security Force (BSF) apprehended five Bangladeshi nationals attempting to smuggle foreign currency across the Indo-Bangladesh border in South Garo Hills, Meghalaya. During the operation, BSF officers seized 810 Bangladeshi Taka from the suspects, who were trying to transport the currency into India illegally. Advertisement The operation forms part of a series of recent efforts by BSF to curb smuggling activities in Meghalaya. Advertisement Earlier this week, the BSF successfully foiled several smuggling attempts across East Jaintia Hills and West Garo Hills districts, leading to the seizure of IV cannula sets, 2,000 bottles of illegal cough syrup, and other contraband. A Tata truck involved in transporting these illicit goods, valued at Rs 52.76 lakhs, was also impounded. The South Garo Hills sector in particular, has become a hotspot for such activities due to its remote and difficult-to-patrol terrain. The smuggling networks exploit the regions geographical isolation and the porous nature of the border, making enforcement efforts difficult. In response to these challenges, BSF Meghalaya has ramped up surveillance and intensified patrols in key areas known for smuggling. Chhattisgarhs rich tribal traditions and the spiritual legacy of the Ramnami community are set to take center stage at Bharat Parv 2025, organized at the iconic Red Fort in Delhi to commemorate Republic Day. The states tableau, designed around the Government of Indias theme, Golden India: Heritage and Development showcases Chhattisgarhs diverse cultural heritage with captivating artistry. Advertisement During the press preview at the National Theatre Complex in Delhi, the tableau received widespread acclaim for its vivid portrayal of the states traditions, customs, and spiritual essence. Advertisement The display beautifully highlights the interconnectedness of life, nature, and spirituality within Chhattisgarhs cultural legacy. The front section of the tableau spotlights the Ramnami community, celebrated for their unique devotion to the formless Ram. Members of this community are known for tattooing the name of Lord Ram (Ram-Ram) on their bodies and clothing, symbolizing unwavering faith. They are often seen reciting verses from the Ramcharitmanas, embodying simplicity and spirituality. This segment depicts male and female figures immersed in this sacred practice, accompanied by the intricate use of ghungroos, an essential element in their devotional songs. The central portion highlights vibrant tribal culture through traditional attire, ornaments, crafts, and artworks. It prominently features the turahi, a tribal musical instrument, and the salfi tree, which holds immense cultural significance in the lives of the Bastar regions indigenous communities. The tableaus rear section is adorned with a peacock motif, symbolizing the beauty and vibrancy of rural life. Chhattisgarhs tableau narrates a profound story of cultural treasures and spirituality deeply rooted in nature, offering visitors a visual and emotional connection to the states soul. Bharat Parv-2025 promises to be an enriching experience, with Chhattisgarhs tableau standing as a testament to Indias diverse heritage. The Kerala Police, on Wednesday, arrested Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) President N D Appachan and the Congress leader K K Gopinathan in the abetment of suicide case related to the death of former Wayanad DCC Treasurer N M Vijayan and his son Jijesh. Later, both of them were released on bail as the District Sessions Court at Kalpetta in Wayanad granted them anticipatory bail on Saturday. Advertisement N D Appachan and K K Gopinathan were questioned on Monday and Tuesday. During the questioning, searches were conducted at their homes and offices and related documents were seized. The police also raided the DCC office in Kalpetta on Tuesday. Sulthan Bathery MLA IC Balakrisnan, who is also facing charges of abetment of suicide of former DCC treasurer, will be questioned by the police on Thursday, it is learnt. Advertisement Sultan Bathery Police booked Congress leaders, I C Balakrishnan, N D Appachan, K K Gopinathan and P V Balachandran, and former DCC treasurer, on charges of abetment of suicide of former Wayanad DCC treasurer N M Vijayan and his son Jijesh, on January 9. The letters and suicide notes allegedly written by N M Vijayan before his death has put the Congress leadership in Kerala in an embarassing situation. In a significant step towards raising awareness about the Constitution and legal rights of citizens, the Department of Justice is organizing an event at Maha Kumbh on January 24 to celebrate the successful run of the year-long nationwide campaign Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman (HS2). The Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman campaign was launched by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on 24 January last year. Advertisement The campaign is a resounding call to action for every citizen to actively contribute to shaping the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. It was launched to commemorate Indias 75th year as a Republic and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution. Advertisement This campaign witnessed remarkable participation, with over 1.3 lakhs citizens enthusiastically taking the Panch Pran Pledge on the MyGov platform, reflecting their commitment to nation-building. Under the Gram Vidhi Chetna initiative, students of law schools across the country organized legal awareness activities within adopted villages and ensured participation at ground level by reaching out to approximately 21,000+ beneficiaries. Additionally, the Nari Bhagidari and Vanchit Varg Samman initiative effectively engaged more than 70 lakh audiences through impactful webinars organized by the Department of Justice in partnership with Doordarshan and IGNOU, fostering womens participation in legal and social matters. To inspire the youth, under the Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp campaign, various interactive competitions were conducted, encouraging their active involvement and fostering a sense of responsibility for a better future. This campaign has been a year-long endeavor, reaching various parts of India, including regional events in Bikaner (Rajasthan), Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), and Guwahati (Assam). Over 5,000 citizens attended these events in person, while more than 8 lakh citizens actively participated in the sub-campaigns of the initiative, namely Sabko Nyaya Har Ghar Nyaya, Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp, and Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyaan. The present event will take place at the Parmarth Triveni Pushp, Arail Ghat, in Prayagraj, where several key activities will be held to honor the success of the campaign and its achievements. This significant occasion coincides with the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Sangam Nagri Prayagraj, one of the largest and most important spiritual gatherings in the world, where millions of people converge to bathe in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. The convergence of this historic religious event with the closing ceremony of the HS2 campaign in Prayagraj adds special significance, symbolising the coming together of Indias rich cultural heritage, spiritual traditions, and constitutional values. In the 1960s, scientists at the Halley Research Station in Antarctica began hearing mysterious waves originating over the Earths equator. Their radio receivers were picking up intense bursts of electrons shaking the magnetosphere, the layer created by Earths magnetic field that protects life from space radiation. When these signals were converted into sound, they produced a whistling sound that could be mistaken for the chirping of birds at dawn. Later, it was discovered that this chorus is also heard on Saturn and Jupiter, and it was thought that it was governed by the magnetic field generated by the planets between their poles. The origin of this spatial trill is usually found close to them, in the case of Earth less than 51,000 kilometers (31,690 miles) above its surface. Now, a team has published a study in the journal Nature, the results of which suggest that it can also be located much further away, in deep space. At least 160,000 kilometers away (99,419 miles). For more than 70 years, scientists have believed that chorus waves can only be generated in regions close to planets where a dipolar magnetic field is present, which has been proposed as the key factor controlling the generation and propagation of chorus waves, explains Chengming Liu, a researcher at the School of Earth and Space Sciences at Beihang University in Beijing, China, and one of the leaders of the study. In our paper, we present an unexpected observation of chorus waves far from Earth, where a dipolar magnetic field is absent, and reveal a fundamental mechanism for chorus wave generation, which can operate anywhere in space. The discovery is of scientific interest, but also of practical interest. Chorus waves can cause radiation that is dangerous for astronauts or satellites, and knowing in detail how they are produced would allow us to predict their occurrence and apply protective measures. Chorus waves are some of the most intense waves in space. They can accelerate electrons to ultra-high energies and therefore cause radiation that affects humans and electromagnetic devices on spacecraft, explains Liu. Just as we worry about rain and wind on the Earths surface, we should worry about space weather in space, he points out. The most widely accepted theory for the formation of chorus waves is that they are caused by what is known as a plasma instability. Electrons trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, which make up the plasma, usually move in an orderly, spiraling fashion around the magnetic field lines. But every now and then that order is disrupted. The motion of the electrons generates electromagnetic chorus waves, which spin in the same direction as the particles. And when the waves and electrons have the same frequency and spin at the same rate, a resonance occurs, and the waves transfer energy to the electrons. This common impulse accelerates the electrons and generates the bursts of plasma waves that pass through the Earth's magnetic field and sound like birds at dawn when the radio signal is converted into sound. The detection of this distant signal on the side opposite the Sun, where the push of the stellar wind stretches and distorts the magnetosphere occurred in 2019 thanks to NASAs quartet of MMS (Multiscale Magnetospheric Mission) satellites. In the information collected by the satellite, the team led by Liu and Jinbin Cao found waves that lasted a tenth of a second and quickly went from a low frequency to a high frequency, as happens with the chorus waves observed closer to Earth. For the authors, this indicates that the formation process may be similar in both regions, although the environment is different, and that the waves could form anywhere in space, as long as the right conditions were present. Knowledge of chorus waves, in addition to bringing us closer to the mechanisms that govern the cosmos and revealing the origin of the mysterious whistling sounds that were first heard at the Halley Research Station, has practical applications. Better understanding how they are generated and propagated can help make space travel safer for astronauts. At the moment, prolonged exposure to space radiation is one of the main obstacles to a manned trip to Mars. These whistling waves are also related to the way electrons scatter through the atmosphere to form diffuse, pulsating auroras, and understanding their nature can be useful in mitigating the effects of these storms on Earths communication and energy networks. In space, this phenomenon also explains the acceleration of electrons in the radiation belts surrounding our planet, something that affects the safety of satellites. Our research reveals that the excitation of these fluctuations arises from a fundamental physical mechanism and once we understand how they are generated, we can try to control their production, thus preventing them from posing risks to astronauts and satellites, says Liu. For example, we discovered that the excitation of these fluctuations is related to a particular motion of electrons, specifically the electron holes mentioned in the article. If we manage to fill these electron holes, it will be harder for these fluctuations to be excited, allowing us to limit their generation. This approach is somewhat similar to how we prevent rain on Earth through human intervention, concludes Liu. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has urged the Centre to provide liberal funding for the cooperative sector in the state. He met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday and urged him to allocate adequate funds to the state of Himachal for various schemes in the cooperative sector especially for the computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), state Programme Management Unit (PMU) and Institute of Cooperative Management (ICM). Advertisement Agnihotri apprised that the state has already provided requisite land at Panjawar, Una and has provided a grant of Rs five crore for setting up of ICM, further requesting that Rs. 10 crore as grant-in-aid be provided to set up this state-of-the-art cooperative training institute in the state. Advertisement Mr Shah stated that he was aware of the co-operative sector proposals and funds would be released soon to ensure the timely completion of the project. The Union Minister also assured that the Centre would accord all possible help to HP as far as funding in Cooperative schemes was concerned. It was also discussed to provide funds for the opening of Mahila Cooperative Haats on a Pilot basis in the state. Agnihotri said that Himachal has made great strides in the computerization project. As many as 870 PACS were identified in the first phase out of which 647 PACS have been made Go-Live. An amount of about Rs 18.57 crore has been spent on this. While in the second phase, 919 societies have been identified and digitization work is in progress. The Union minister stated that very soon Ministry of Cooperation would convene a meeting of Central and State officers in this regard to thwart all the thread-bound issues. The Dy CM apprised the Union Home Minister about the menace of Chitta in the state and the action taken in this regard by the state government The state has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and drug menace, he said, adding that FIRs have been registered against the drug kingpins and a massive hunt was on to nab a few leftouts. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has expressed serious concerns over the challenges posed by illegal immigration, population explosion, and forced religious conversions, calling them emerging threats to national stability. Addressing students from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai, and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur at an event titled Ideas for a Better India, Dhankhar emphasised the urgent need to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Speaking candidly, Dhankhar declared, No nation can endure the pressure of millions of illegal migrants. This issue not only strains our resources but also threatens our employment, healthcare, and education sectors. Resolving this growing menace cannot be delayed any further. National interests must always take precedence over political considerations. Advertisement The Vice President highlighted the alarming implications of unchecked population growth, describing it as a severe threat to national stability. Ordinary population growth is peaceful and harmonious, but when it is deliberately aimed at destabilising democracy, it becomes a matter of grave concern, he said. Advertisement Dhankhar also raised the issue of orchestrated religious conversions, stating, Planned attempts to alter the nations demographic composition through inducements for conversion are a direct challenge to our cultural and national identity. Dhankhar reiterated the constitutional mandate for implementing the Uniform Civil Code, calling it a vital step towards national unity. How can we oppose something that is enshrined in our Constitution? The framers of our Constitution, with wisdom and foresight, envisioned fundamental principles for us, including the Uniform Civil Code as a goal for a mature democracy. He further stressed the need for meaningful dialogue among political parties to achieve consensus on critical issues like national security, development, and sovereignty. While political ideologies may differ, some issues demand unity and agreement for the greater good of the nation, he remarked. Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka emphasized the need for India to be both self-reliant and globally connected to build a robust nation. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai highlighted the states initiatives to combat climate change, stating, We are focusing on Green GDP by promoting measures to reduce carbon emissions and encouraging the production of green steel. Every challenge hides opportunities. The central leadership of Janata Dal-United (JDU) has overturned the decision of its Manipur state president to withdraw support from N Biren Singh-led BJP government and removed him from the post. In a letter addressed to the Governor of Manipur on Wednesday, JDU Manipur president K Biren Singh conveyed the partys decision to sever ties with the BJP. Advertisement The decision did not pose an immediate threat to the BJP government in Manipur. However, it shocked the political circle in Patna. As Bihar assembly election is due later this year, people kept speculating about the next move of JDU chief Nitish Kumar till evening when clarification came from the party. Advertisement JDU Spokesperson Rajeev Rajan Prasad addressed the media in the evening and termed the news misleading and baseless. He stressed that the party will continue to support the NDA government in Manipur. He also said that the JDU Manipur unit didnt communicate with the central leadership on the issue. Considering it as indiscipline, action has been taken against the Manipur JDU chief and he has been relieved from the post. JDU Manipur President K Biren Singhs letter had outlined the partys grievances, beginning with the defection of six JDU candidates to the BJP after the 2022 state assembly elections. This was followed by the defection of five additional JDU MLAs, a matter that remains unresolved with a trial under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India still pending before the Speakers Tribunal. He had further clarified that the partys lone MLA in the Manipur Assembly, Md Abdul Nasir, would now sit on the opposition benches. In a significant political development, the Janata Dal-United, an ally of the saffron party, has officially withdrawn its support from the BJP-led government in Manipur. The move, which sees JD(U) now positioning itself in the opposition, marks a setback for the BJP in the state, though it does not immediately jeopardize the ruling coalitions stability. Advertisement The JD(U) made its position clear in a letter addressed to the Governor of Manipur on Wednesday, detailing its decision to sever ties with the BJP. Advertisement The letter outlines the partys grievances, beginning with the defection of six JD(U) candidates to the BJP after the 2022 state assembly elections. This was followed by the defection of five additional JD(U) MLAs, a matter that remains unresolved with a trial under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India still pending before the Speakers Tribunal. JD(U) further clarified that its lone MLA in the Manipur Assembly, Md Abdul Nasir, would now sit on the opposition benches, a decision already reflected in the last session of the assembly. Currently, the BJP holds a dominant position in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, with 37 seats and additional support from the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) and independent MLAs. As such, while the JD(U)s decision may have symbolic significance, it does not pose an immediate threat to the BJPs majority in the state legislature. The Odisha Forest, Environment, and Climate Change (FE&CC) Department has entered into three significant agreements to bolster the states climate resilience and sustainable development initiatives. These collaborations aim to address climate change, promote sustainable livelihoods, and safeguard Odishas biodiversity and coastal ecosystems, according to officials. Advertisement Under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of Indias Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, the department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT-Bhubaneswar. Advertisement This partnership focuses on restoring critical coastal ecosystems, such as sea-grass beds and salt marshes, vital for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection. As the designated Technical Support Agency (TSA), IIT-Bhubaneswar will lead efforts to restore and sustainably manage these ecosystems. The collaboration will emphasize ecosystem-based approaches to enhance the resilience of coastal communities. Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia, Minister for Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, highlighted the importance of the partnership, stating that it would drive research and community engagement to advance sustainable coastal management practices. The department also signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with the World Food Programme (WFP) for the Adaptation for Resilience (ADAPT4R) project. This regional initiative, covering India and Sri Lanka, will strengthen the resilience of vulnerable farming communities, particularly in Nuapada district. Focused on smallholder and women farmers, the five-year initiative aims to equip them with tools, knowledge, and skills to adopt resilient farming practices, withstand climate impacts, and implement sustainable techniques to adapt to adverse weather. Nozomi Hashimoto, Deputy Country Director for WFP India, emphasized, ADAPT4R will empower farming communities to thrive despite the challenges posed by climate change. The Odisha Government also signed an MoU with the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), a leading think tank, to develop a Net-Zero Roadmap for the state. This initiative will outline decarbonization strategies across key sectors, including industry, power, transport, and agriculture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Mahakumbh Mela 2025 on February 5 while President Drapudi Murmu is expected to visit here on February 10. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is going to attend the fair on January 27 while it is expected that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will also be a part of the function on February 1. Advertisement Officials said here on Wednesday that on January 27, Amit Shah will participate in the Mahakumbh as per his schedule. He will take a holy dip in the Sangam before performing Ganga puja and hold a meeting with officials. Advertisement In view of the visit of the Union home minister, security agencies have increased vigil with special surveillance at major intersections and event venues of the city. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar is scheduled to take a holy dip in the Sangam on February 1. Sources said the President is expected to attend major events during her visit. Administrative and security preparations are being strengthened to ensure smooth and safe visit of the dignitaries. The number of pilgrims at the Makumbh is expected to increase in the coming days, with four major Shahi Snans taking place. The next major bathing dates include 29 January (Mauni Amavasya), 3 February (Basant Panchami), 12 February (Maghi Purnima) and 26 February (Mahashivratri). According to Uttar Pradesh government data, more than 9.24 crore devotees took a dip in Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on the 10th day of Mahakumbh. As of January 22, more than 92 million people have already taken a dip in the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mysterious Saraswati. A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah on Wednesday gave a split order on a plea by Tahir Hussain, AIMIM candidate contesting Delhi Assembly polls from Mustafabad constituency and February 2020 North-East Delhi riot accused, seeking interim bail for campaigning ahead of voting. Pointing out that the right to contest in elections is not a fundamental right, Justice Pankaj Mithal, heading the bench, refused to grant interim bail to Tahir Hussain stating that it may open a Pandoras box. Advertisement On the other hand, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah ordered the release of Hussain on interim bail with certain conditions. Noting that the allegations against Hussain are grave and serious, Justice Amanullah said they remain as only allegations at the present moment. Advertisement Justice Mithal said, In the event interim bails are allowed for contesting elections, it will open a pandoras box. Since elections in the country are all year round, every undertrial would come with the plea that he wants to participate in elections and therefore be granted interim bail. This would open floodgates, which in my opinion cant be permitted. Secondly, once such a right is recognised, as a sequel, the petitioner would ask for the right to vote, which is circumscribed by Section 62 of the Representation of Peoples Act. Further stating that there are grave allegations against Hussain and that there is a high possibility that he may influence witnesses if he were allowed to be out of jail to canvas for votes, Justice Mithal said, It may also be worth mentioning that canvassing for 10-15 days would not suffice the purpose in as much as a constituency has to be nurtured for years, for contesting. If the petitioner had not nurtured it for the past few years sitting in jail, there is no reason why he should be released. Noting that Hussain has undergone five-year custody, and bail has been granted to him in other cases, Justice Amanullah said that Hussain be released on interim bail till February 4, 2024, subject to the conditions in Section 482 and 484 BNS 2023. Justice Amanullah said that Hussain during the interim bail period should not raise the issues in the FIRs during his campaigning and should surrender by the forenoon of February 4, 2024. Hussain, a former Aam Aadmi Party councilor, was granted custody parole by the Delhi High Court on January 14 for filing his nomination from Mustafabad constituency. He has challenged Delhi High Courts order denying him interim bail to campaign in the upcoming Delhi election. In the High court, Delhi Police had opposed Hussains plea for interim bail citing the gravity of allegations against him and terming him as the main perpetrator in the violence, resulting in the death of several persons. The High Court had said about 11 FIRs were registered against Hussain in connection with the riots and he was admittedly in custody in a related money laundering case and UAPA case. Hussain was booked in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. Violence broke out in North-East Delhi on February 24, 2020, leaving 53 dead and several injured. Mark Twain once remarked that Whisky is for drinking; water is for fighting over. Fresh water is a very precious and limited natural resource even though water covers about 71 per cent of the earths surface. Fresh water makes up a very small fraction of water available on Earth ~ between 2.5 and 3 per cent. The remaining 97.5 per cent is saline and in the oceans and seas. Of the fresh water on earth, 68.7 per cent is locked in ice caps, glaciers and frozen; 29.9 per cent is stored underground; 1.2 per cent is found in rivers, lakes, dam, streams and wetlands; and 0.04 per cent is in the form of water vapour in the atmosphere. The scarcity of fresh water has been aggravated by a number of factors such as climate change, demographic growth, urbanisation, pollution, poor management of water resources, collapsed infrastructure and outbreak of conflicts over water. Indeed, sources of precious freshwater re sources remain unevenly distributed across Earth. While nations like Brazil, the former Soviet States and Canada have an abundant natural supply of fresh water, Nature seems to be less generous to the arid zones of the Middle East and numerous African nations. As per United Nations Watercourses Convention 260+ River Basins are shared by two or more countries and can become sources of tension or cooperation. Advertisement Water resources and water infrastructure are not only triggers of conflict ~ they can be used as weapons as well. Key facts relating to the global availability of fresh water as identified by UNICEF are: one, nearly four billion people ~ almost two thirds of the worlds population ~ experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year; two, over two million people live in countries where water supply is inadequate; three, around half the worlds population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025; four, some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030; and finally, by 2040, roughly one in four children worldwide would live in areas with very limited water, increasing the risk of illness, water poverty, and conflicts. Territorial disputes, competitions for this precious natural resource, and strategic advantages gave birth to water wars. Advertisement Indeed, a wide range of water wars have occurred through history. The former VicePresident of World Bank aptly warned three decades ago that If the wars of this century (20th century) were fought over oil, the wars of the next century (21st century) will be fought over water. The term water war is used for describing any conflict between countries, states, or groups over the right to access water resources, though they are rarely traditional wars waged over water alone. Conflicts occur on the interstate and intrastate levels. Interstate conflicts occur between two or more countries that share trans-boundary water sources, such as river, sea, or groundwater basins. For example, the Middle East has only one per cent of the worlds fresh water shared among 5 per cent of the worlds population and most of the rivers cross international borders. Intrastate conflicts take place between two or more parties in the same country, such as conflicts between famers and urban water users. The Pacific Institute, a California-based think tank, has maintained the most comprehensive available database by gathering, analysing and analysing the litany of water related conflicts from around the world for more than three decades. Its Water Conflict Chronology stands as a significant contribution to efforts aimed at addressing inequalities in water resources management, keeping peace and protecting critical infrastructure and resources during violent conflicts. As many as 1,473 incidents of violence, conflicts and water-related issues were reported worldwide between 1990 and 2023. The database released by Pacific Institute in December 2023 reveals that over 72 per cent of these incidents occurred in 201423, with 671 between 2019 and 2023 and 392 in the preceding five years. This indicates a near 70 per cent rise in water related conflicts over the two periods. Asia and Africa are the main hotpots of water-related conflicts. Almost 80 per cent of conflicts worldwide are concentrated in these regions. Among these are conflicts in which water or water systems have been used as weapons or triggers. Asia is the leading region for water conflicts, where around 57 per cent have been recorded. Africa is the second, with close to 24 per cent of the conflicts, followed by Latin America and Caribbean region (taken as a group, accounting for 10 per cent). Keeping all these in view, region wise water dispute hotpots may be shown in the accompanying Table -I. Drought and water stress linked to climate change has been a trigger behind rising conflicts in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa which includes countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, and Kenya has the largest numbers of water stressed countries of any other place on the planet and of an estimated 800 million people who live in Africa. In Burkina Faso, at least 32 water facilities were destroyed between January and May 2022, impacting as many as three lakh people. Targeted attacks ranged from direct hits on water points and water trucks, purposeful contamination of water resources to sabotaging the public water networks generators. Thus civilians access to fresh water was massively disrupted. South Africa has a history of denying access to fresh water, making water privatization a contentious issue. Even though SAs Constitution guarantees the right to sufficient water, it remains unmet. Hydrological poverty tends to trap people who cannot afford to purchase the food and water they need. Consequently, the unrest over the failure to provide safe water and sanitation is growing. Vandalism of water infrastructure that continues to cripple the Eastern Cape municipality may be cited as an example of water conflict. Undoubtedly, climate change is intimately linked to the occurrence of water conflicts. So, with temperatures on the rise and rainfall becoming more erratic, climate change may trigger water conflicts across SA and Asia, not to mention other regions of the planet Earth. India accounts for 43 per cent of reported water conflicts in Asia in 2019 a year when more than 40 per cent of the country faced drought and about 17 per cent was under severe drought, according to the Water and Climate Laboratory, IIT Gandhinagar. Close to 500 million people were severely affected during the summer of 2019. That year, disputes over irrigation water and drinking water intensified. The incidents were reported from several states including Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. In 2023, the country recorded only six cases, which was the second highest numbers in Asia for the year. India was indeed responsible for almost 11 per cent of water related hostilities in Asia. Indias share of Asias water conflicts, as recorded by Pacific Institute can be ascertained from accompanying Table -II. India has the following interstate and trans-boundary water related disputes. Interstate disputes include: (1) Ravi and Beas (the dispute involves Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan); (2) Krishna (the dispute involves Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka); (3) Vamsadhara (the dispute involves Odisha and Andhra Pradesh), and (4) Mahadayi/Mandovi (the dispute involves Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka). Transboundary water disputes exist between India and Pakistan over the Indus and the Sutlej River; and between India and China over the Brahmaputra River. The Pacific Institute has shown that while interstate water conflicts are increasingly less likely, there appears to be a growing risk of subnational conflicts among water users, regions, ethnic groups and competing economic interests. Data from the Water Conflict Chronology shows these intrastate conflicts to be a larger component of all water disputes, and that the traditional international mechanisms for addressing them, such as bilateral or multilateral treaties, are not as effective. It is also estimated that due to an increase in human consumption of fresh water resources, water conflicts will become increasingly common in the near future. In 2007, Naho Mirumachi, professor of environmental politics, and John Anthony Allan, a geographer, proposed their two dimensional method ~ Transboundary Water Interaction Nexus (TWIN) ~ to approaching water conflict and cooperation. The model is uniquely split into two parts ~ the horizontal scale (measures cooperation intensity) and the vertical scale (measures conflict intensity). In this approach parties often turn to each other to help decisions and can get hyper-focused on who is right and who is wrong. Water cannot be produced or added electronically or by any process of hydrology. Water crisis vis-a-vis water conflict is inevitably a critical issue for our civilisation. John F. Kennedy, the former US President rightly said: Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes ~ one for peace and one for science. (The writer is a retired IAS officer) On January 19, Kolkata is going witness a rendition of nostalgia and elegance with the 54th Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally. As the engines of the classic beauties rev once again, timeless automobiles that defined the industry are celebrated. The Statesmans Vintage and Classic Rally is the foremost of its kind, paving the way for the generation of today to connect with the grandiosity and eminence of vintage cars. Ahead of the coveted rally, a meticulous pre-judgement event is organised. The cars are judged by a panel of esteemed judges who have devoted years to studying the intricacies of a defining piece of automobile. A car is judged on various parameters including originality, maintenance, tyres, exteriors, and interiors. The judging team is divided into three panels of experts who gauge the participating cars. The first set of judges inspect the mechanical aspect of the cars- focusing on the engines, maintenance, tyres, wheels, and spare parts. Following the judgement on a mechanical basis, the second team primarily takes care of the interior and exterior aspects of the car. Finally, the third team inspects the restoration, originality, and paint work among other aspects. Advertisement Mr Pramod Bhasin, an esteemed jury member of the car rally delves into the rewarding and challenging aspect of the judgement process. He says, The most rewarding aspect is being able to witness a range of beautiful cars and have a closer look at the rare pieces, which is otherwise not possible. What is challenging is- sometimes the authenticity of the car is difficult to gauge because we have to use several means to arrive at the conclusion. Advertisement Talking about whether the aesthetical or the mechanical aspect of the cars takes a higher priority, he emphasised the significance of originality. In his expert opinion, he iterates the value of a piece that is kept as it was manufactured, keeping intact the essence of a classic model. This year, for the 54th edition of Kolkatas Vintage and Classic Car Rally, more than 20 unseen automobiles will be unveiled, expanding the grand catalogue of vehicles. Some of these include- the 1951 Austin A40 Somerset, the 1937 Plymouth, the 1946 Bentley, and the 1951 Matchless. More than 120 cars and two-wheelers registered for the event, promising a dazzling spectacle of the best of classic pieces of automotive history. Reflecting on the years entries, Mr Bhasin expressed his elation over the range and quality of cars. The judges found the cars to be on expected lines, capturing the beauty and value of classic and vintage vehicles. While the Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally is a celebration of the best of timeless automobiles, it also reveres the rich historical and cultural significance attached to the beauties on wheels. The event provides a retrospective glimpse of the evolution of the automotive industry and helps us understand the charm and elegance attached to the vintage pieces. It offers a means for todays generation of car enthusiasts to have a tryst with some of the best cars produced in the history of mankind. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka effusively praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and called him the real Boss of the world. In a meeting with Rajya Sabha member and Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) Convenor Satnam Singh Sandhu and IMF Co-Founder Himani Sood in Fiji, Rebuka said PM Modi is a top global leader. Advertisement Heaping praise on PM Modi for his mantra of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas to ensure that everybody develops and prospers together, the Prime Minister of Fiji said, I believe Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is a great governance model which PM Modi is practising which ensures inclusive development for all. I think the world should adopt it to make it a better place to live. Advertisement Fiji PM further added, My friend (PM Modi) was re-elected (as PM) after we met (in 2023), so congratulations again and I would like to make sure that he gets the message that Fiji is still here. We are still committed to our journey of peace, on which, PM Modi has been for long. Oneness in our development, oneness in our progress and all these are great ideals for all world leaders. Fijian PM further said that PM Modi has become an icon for peace and Hindus all over the world. Having the confidence of those in India is a big number. So, I congratulate him on that. The oneness in that journey of Hindus in the world will eventually translate into oneness in the peoples of the world, he said. Notably, a 21-member delegation comprising representatives from 10 different countries is currently visiting Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. The international delegation includes representatives from Fiji, Finland, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Earlier in 2023, PM Modi had met Rabuka in Port Moresby, during his visit to Fiji. On behalf of Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, Prime Minister Rabuka bestowed Prime Minister Modi with the highest honour of the Republic of Fiji the Companion of the Order of Fiji (CF). Notably, this is not the first time that any world leader has praised the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Earlier Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese had called him (Modi) Boss. The President of America had described PM Modi as fantastic and globally powerful leader and expressed the desire to take his autograph. Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni had described PM Modi as the most-loved of all around the world. Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen had said that PM Modi is an inspiration for the world and President of Guyana said that they owe him a debt of gratitude. A couple of days after starting to take Ozempic, says journalist and writer Johann Hari (Glasgow, 46 years old), he woke up with a strange feeling, unknown to him: he was not hungry. He got out of bed and went out to have his usual breakfast at his local bar, a chicken sandwich with mayonnaise. He took a couple of bites and could not finish it. He was full. The medication, belonging to that generation of drugs that have revolutionized the fight against obesity by imitating the effect of a hormone (GLP-1) that warns us when we are full, was giving him back a lost perception: that of satiety. Hari recounts this and other anecdotes about his experience with weight-loss drugs in his new book Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight Loss Drugs. In these pages the journalist, who has suffered from weight problems since he was young, embarks on a journey with the help of obesity experts and scientists who have participated in the development of these new drugs, exploring the benefits and risks of such treatments, the doubts that surround them, and the uncertain scenarios that they open up in the field of health and beyond. Hari spoke to EL PAIS by videoconference from London. Question. You have spoken to many scientists. What impressed you most about what they told you? Answer. What obesity actually does to you. Ive known since I was seven that being overweight is not good for your health. I was stunned by the evidence about how bad it is. If youre obese, you are much more likely to have a heart attack, a stroke, to develop dementia, to develop cancer. If youre obese by the time youre 18, you have a 70% chance of getting diabetes, type 2 diabetes. Its the biggest preventable cause of blindness in Britain. And its the biggest cause of amputation of a limb in the United States. Q. You say that these anti-obesity drugs are destined to be the defining medicine of our generation, like birth control pills or Prozac at other times in the last century, for example. Why do you believe that? A. Because obesity is the biggest killer in the Western world. And now we have a drug that, if you take it, reverses and ends obesity. Staggering. So all of us who are overweight or obese have a choice, but we need to weigh the risks of continuing to be obese against the risks of these drugs very carefully. [These drugs] are going to have huge effects. Q. How could our lives and our culture be changed? A. Its huge. I mean Jefferies Financial, a financial consultancy, did a report for the airlines in the U.S. saying theyre going to have to spend much less money on jet fuel, because it costs more money to fly bigger people and its going to be a much smaller population. In Los Angeles, theres been a huge increase in demand for jewellers to change and tighten peoples wedding rings. People have lost so much weight that their wedding rings dont fit on their fingers anymore. Roughly 20% of Americans have already tried these drugs. This is not a craze. This is a staggering scientific breakthrough that is going to change society profoundly, in good and bad ways. Processed and ultra-processed food that is, food built out of chemicals in factories in a process that isnt even called cooking, affects us in very different ways. It undermines our ability to ever feel full Q. On the negative side, you raise some issues that come with taking these drugs, such as the risk of losing the body positive culture, or what would happen if people with eating disorders had access to them. Have you found any answers to these questions? A. The invention of these drugs is like the discovery of fire. Fire is a great tool if I use it to warm up my house. Its a terrible tool if I use it to burn down your house. And in the same way, when something as powerful as this is discovered, it will have great positive effects and great negative effects. If you are overweight or obese and you start to take these drugs, just to give you one example, you are 20% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke in the next 18 months. But you also mentioned something that worries me a lot: when you take these drugs, you eat much less. Thats a good thing if you were obese like I was. If you have anorexia, theres conflict inside you. Thats the part of you that wants to live and therefore wants to eat. And then theres a complex psychological part of you that wants to starve yourself. And what these drugs can do is massively empower the part of you that wants to starve yourself. If youre thin and you start taking these drugs, you can kill yourself with them. So one of the things we need to do is very tightly regulate these drugs. Q. In the book you also delve into what makes ultra-processed foods so addictive. Do they cause a kind of short circuit in our brain systems? A. If you look at a photograph of a beach in Spain in 1979, the year I was born, everyone is very skinny, and you ask yourself: where are the fat people? Obesity was very low back then. Human beings have existed for 300,000 years in a modern form. But obesity was extremely rare. And then basically, in my lifetime, it exploded. What happened? We know the answer: Obesity skyrockets everywhere people make a change, when they go from eating mostly fresh whole foods that they prepared that day to eating mostly processed and ultra-processed food that is, food built out of chemicals in factories in a process that isnt even called cooking. Its called manufacturing food. This new type of food affects us in very different ways. It undermines our ability to ever feel full. What these drugs do is give you back that sense, but with some risks and a cost. Q. And what about the industrys responsibility in this context? A. We need to regulate the food industry to prevent our children being exposed to these foods that make them sick and undermine their ability to feel full. Im talking about a long-term solution, and we need to build a movement that demands that. When I started taking the drugs, I felt this real dilemma. Because I thought, could I write these books about how we need to deal with the deep underlying causes of our problems, not just the symptoms. Here I am with a problem, obesity, clearly caused by the environment, and what am I doing? Im treating the symptom. I went to one of my best friends, and I said I think I should stop taking these drugs and Im being a hypocrite. She gave me a really good analogy. She said, If your house is on fire, you can make a really good argument for saying we should change the building regulations, so houses are built out of less flammable material and that we need to have smoke alarms and water sprinklers. Those are all really good ideas. If your house is on fire, thats a fucking issue. You call the fire brigade, douse the house, and then we have a conversation about the building regulations. I think we need to do both. We should deal with the immediate emergency. Im ready to deal with the longer-term problem. We admire weight loss if it involves suffering: if you go through agony, you starve yourself, you follow these extreme rules of exercise, its almost like you go to purgatory and then we let you be forgiven Q. How much does the stigma of obesity weigh in the context of these new drugs? A. I think this is a really important question. And I felt like I was cheating, and I looked at the history of how we think about obesity. Its so ingrained in our culture that obesity is a sin. We admire weight loss if it involves suffering: if you go through agony, you starve yourself, you follow these extreme rules of exercise, its almost like you go to purgatory and then we let you be forgiven. And this is one of the reasons we feel so uncomfortable about these drugs; its like you get away with the crime without the punishment. Where did we get this idea that obesity is a sin to be punished? I didnt invent processed food. The difference between the beach in Spain in 1979 and the how we live now is not that we suddenly became immoral. Its that we were exposed to foods that undermine our ability to feel full. Thats not a moral judgement. So I think we need to reframe the way we think about these problems to understand the reason why so many of us gained weight. Of course, there is some personal responsibility, but its because of a big change in the environment Q. The expansion of these drugs is just beginning, and even more effective ones will probably arrive. What new world are we heading towards? A. As one of the scientists who developed these drugs told me, weve cracked the code that controls human appetite. Its gut hormones, stimulating gut hormones. There are many gut hormones that relate to appetite so we can have more sophisticated drugs with fewer and fewer side effects. I think were going to be able to control human appetite in a way weve not been able to control it before. I think we will see a really significant reduction in obesity and the healthcare problems associated with obesity, assuming that we dont discover some catastrophic effect thats previously unknown, which I think is quite unlikely given that diabetics have been taking the drugs for nearly 20 years now, but it cant be ruled out. And were going to see all kinds of unpredictable effects on culture, on peoples views of their bodies, and on the economy. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In a sign perhaps of the second Trump administrations priorities, Secretary of State Marco Rubios first foreign engagement will be a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers later on Tuesday followed by bilateral meetings with each of them, starting with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. Rubio became the first of President Donald Trumps cabinet picks to be confirmed by the US Senate. He was approved unanimously by all Democrats voting with the Republicans who control the chamber. He was sworn in Tuesday morning by Vice-President J D Vance. Advertisement Rubio, who is a former Senator from Florida, will address the employees of the US State Department, according to a schedule released earlier. His first foreign engagement will be a meeting with Indo-Pacific Quad Foreign Ministers at the State Department Indias Jaishankar, Australias Penny Wong and Japans Iwaya Takeshi. This meeting will be followed by a separate one-on-one meeting between Rubio and the foreign ministers; Jaishankar first, the schedule mentioned. Advertisement It was President Donald Trumps first administration that resurrected the Quad, which was formed after the 2004 Tsunami and had fallen apart in 2008, with a meeting of officials on the sidelines of the 2017 meeting of ASEAN in Manila. From that first meeting, the group rapidly progressed to the level of foreign ministers, who first met on the margins of the UN General Assembly meetings in 2019 in New York. They met for the second time in October 2020. President Joe Biden elevated the group to the level of leaders with a virtual summit in March 2021, just two months after taking office. The first in-person summit was held in September the same year and the leaders have met once every year since. The last Quad summit was hosted by President Biden at his home and school in Wilmington in his home state of Delaware. The next summit is scheduled to be hosted by India, later this year. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Americas new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Sharing the pictures of his meeting with his new US counterpart, Jaishankar wrote on X, Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State. Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate. Advertisement Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look forward to closely working with him to advance our strategic cooperation, he added. Advertisement On his meeting with Mr Waltz, Mr Jaishankar wrote, Great to meet NSA @michaelgwaltz again this afternoon. Discussed strengthening our friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity. Looking forward to working together on an active and outcome-oriented agenda. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for Israels immediate withdrawal from disputed territories during a meeting on Tuesday with Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles. The talks come amid rising tensions along the border, exacerbated by violations of a recent ceasefire agreement. Advertisement Aoun warned that Israels potential failure to meet the deadlines set in the November 27 ceasefire accord would destabilise the region further and hinder reconstruction efforts in the border areas. Under the agreement, Israeli forces are required to withdraw by January 26. Advertisement The meeting, held at Baabda Palace, coincided with reports of Israeli military activity near the southern town of Bint Jbeil. According to Lebanons National News Agency, Israeli forces were demolishing property gates and firing in the area. Artillery fire also targeted the Sedana Heights near Shebaa earlier on Tuesday. Robles reiterated Spains support for Lebanon and stressed the importance of Israel adhering to the agreed withdrawal timeline. She also reaffirmed Spains commitment to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where Spanish troops serve under UNIFIL Commander Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, Xinhua news agency reported. In a separate discussion, Lebanese Defence Minister Maurice Slim expressed gratitude for Spains military support, while condemning what he described as Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and UN Resolution 1701. On Monday, residents of the southern Lebanese border town of Bint Jbeil and the nearby village of Ainata returned home following the completion of Lebanese Army deployments in the two areas, which the five-member committee comprising the US, France, Lebanon, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) overseeing the ceasefire agreement has declared safe. The agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, took effect on November 27, 2024, ending nearly 14 months of fighting between the two sides. The agreement mandates Israels withdrawal from Lebanese territory within 60 days, with the Lebanese Army assuming security control along the Lebanese-Israeli border and in the southern region, ensuring the area south of the Litani River remains free of weapons and militants. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterparts from the other three QUAD nations reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended. The foreign ministers of India, Australia, Japan and the United States met in Washington soon after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the US President, reflecting the new US administrations commitment to the four-nation grouping. Advertisement Mr Jaishankar was joined at the meeting by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the US Department of State on Tuesday night. Advertisement In a joint statement, the four Quad nations said they maintain their conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion, they said. The four nations said they are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders Summit, they added. The next Quad Summit is scheduled to be held in India later this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host President Trump and the Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan. Mr Jaishankar also shared a post on X about the Quad meeting and thanked Secretary of State Rubio for hosting the event and expressed his appreciation for the participation of the foreign ministers of Australia and Japan. Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong & Takeshi Iwaya for their participation. Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration, he wrote on X. The meeting, Mr Jaishankar said, underlines the priority Quad has in the foreign policy of its member states. Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, he added. Mr Jaishankar highlighted the need for expanded collaboration, saying, Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration. The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good. The standoff between the fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army's (BLA) Majeed Brigade and the Pakistani military after the massive attack on Jaffar Express passenger train in Bolan district has finally ended after more than 24 hours, several reports indicated on Wednesday evening. By IANS 13 March, 2025 8 mins read Anyone including Donald Trump can find Miguel Hernandez at Georgina Diner in Queens, New York, from Monday to Friday, where he has been working as a waiter for several years. Hes there on Tuesdays, smiling and dressed neatly in his work uniform. People have advised him to be cautious these days, with talk of massive raids and the possible and unexpected arrival of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but Hernandez has no choice but to continue with his work. If he doesnt work, he doesnt eat. Neither the cold, nor the snow, nor the president can stop us. We left with Gods blessing and we returned with Gods blessing, says the 44-year-old Mexican, who left his hometown in Oaxaca at the age of 13, crossed the border, and has lived in the United States without legal status ever since. Hernandez spoke these words the day after Trump, on his first day as president, declared a national emergency at the southern border and announced the deportation of millions and millions of criminal aliens. Miguel Hernandez, during his working day. Jaclyn Licht A few years ago, Hernandez married his wife, the mother of his two children, in an effort to regularize his immigration status, but so far, he hasnt been successful. In 2010, he crossed the border to visit his mother in Mexico, who was ill with cancer. Upon his return, U.S. officials stopped him three times while trying to re-enter. His case, he explains, is still in the courts. We dont know what will happen now with Donald Trumps new laws. Im afraid, like all migrants, Im afraid of being separated from my family, from my children. But that fear doesnt stop him. Hernandez is a member of the Raza Zapoteca organization, which advises the community on what to do if an ICE representative knocks on their door or approaches them on the street. They have distributed audio messages in the Zapotec language through various channels, offering advice not to open the door, ask for orders signed by a judge, avoid answering any questions or signing documents, and request the presence of a lawyer. The organization has also set up a hotline, with the help of the Mexican Consulate in New York, to report arrests in the community. They want to instill fear, and its not fair. The community needs to live its life, insists the waiter. Why do I have to hide? Hernandez is not the only one who refuses to hide, and more and more are choosing not to. We are here, we are doing things the right way, and we are trying to get ahead. Why would I want to hide from my situation? Im not ashamed of being married to someone who is undocumented, explains Isela Izaguirre, a U.S. citizen married to a Mexican immigrant who has already been deported twice. @juliosalgado83 Izaguirre lives in Houston, Texas, and has already exhausted all avenues to regularize her husbands immigration status. Four years ago, her husband applied for a U visa, which allows undocumented immigrants who have been victims of crimes to stay in the country, but the process has not progressed. Recently, they applied for the parole-in-place measure, introduced by the Joe Biden administration to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, but they have not been successful either. We are always afraid that he will be arrested and deported again. Trump wants to deport too many people. Like the warning of a natural disaster, Julio Salgado has learned to live with uncertainty. Just as we prepare for an earthquake or a fire, we have to prepare for deportations. But we must not let that fill our lives, because it can make us sick. Salgado is a Dreamer who has lived under the threat of deportation in the United States since he was 11 years old and is now 41. Three decades of uncertainty have become his normal. For now, he is protected by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an immigration policy from the Barack Obama era that allows some undocumented immigrants to receive work permits and delay their expulsion from the country. But with Donald Trump in power, that could change: The fear of deportation is real, but as a community, we are also preparing, educating ourselves about what our rights are. Salgado is a multimedia artist and the author of the comic Good Immigrant, Bad Immigrant, published by the Los Angeles Times. He was born in Ensenada, Mexico, and grew up in Long Beach, a coastal city southeast of Los Angeles. He frequently travels around the country to talk about his work, and on Tuesday, he flew to Chicago, where Trump has warned that detentions of immigrants without permanent legal status will begin. Julio, I heard that they are going to start doing raids in Chicago. Are you sure you are going to go? his mother asked him on Monday. His answer is the same as always: We are going to be fine, Mom. Since Donald Trump launched his campaign for re-election, undocumented immigrants and activists across the country have been preparing to confront the tightening of immigration policies he enacted during his first term on the streets and in the courts. In truth, immigrants begin preparing the moment they set foot in a country that relies on them for labor but refuses to grant them citizenship. @juliosalgado83 While Trump attended his inauguration ball on Monday, Ivan Almonte was participating in a virtual forum with a network of North Carolina organizations, sharing resources with families on what to do if immigration agents knock on their door or stop them on the street. People have to be aware that their tactics are designed to hunt people down[...] We are all exposed. We know that agents are aggressive in their approach, and because youre Hispanic or speak Spanish, you are already a target, explains Almonte, who coordinates a rapid response group to raids in Durham, North Carolina. Almonte, 45, is Mexican and has been living in the United States without documentation for decades. During the forum, as Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance celebrated with cheering supporters, others in the chat shared their fears of running into immigration officers. What do we do if we have to go to court? Should we show up? writes Janny, who has an open case in immigration court. Irma has a similar worry: Should we send our children to school or not? They want to go to school, but thats the fear. Almonte is Mexican, 45 years old, and has been living in the United States without documents for decades. In the forum chat, at the same time that Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance dance in a stadium full of cheering supporters, some share their fears of running into an immigration agent. What do you do if you have to go to court? Should we show up? writes Janny, who has an open case in the immigration courts. Irma also has a doubt: Should we send our children to school or not? [Immigration officers] want to enter schools, thats the fear. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The flurry of executive orders from a Donald Trump impatient to fulfill his campaign promises and rapidly change the face of American society was not long in coming. On his first day as president a day he had vowed during his campaign to act as a dictator Trump showed not only a sense of urgency but also a keen understanding of Washingtons workings. He made it clear he would not take no for an answer, even if it meant confronting the revered principles of the American Constitution head-on. In his first hours in the Oval Office and earlier, in a stadium packed with thousands of supporters eager for spectacle Trump affixed his distinctive signature to 41 documents with far-reaching consequences. These actions included closing the U.S.-Mexico border for asylum seekers, dismantling the primary legal pathway for seeking asylum, pardoning approximately 1,500 individuals prosecuted and convicted for the Capitol assault, extending TikToks authorization to operate in the U.S., withdrawing the worlds leading power from the Paris Climate Agreement, and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America as of Monday. Some of these measures, such as instructing the Justice Department not to enforce certain laws in TikToks case or pardoning individuals convicted of the most serious crimes of the January 6 assault including violent acts against officers as part of a premeditated attack on the peaceful transfer of power, a principle enshrined in the U.S. Constitution raise significant concerns about their disregard for democratic norms. However, none of the executive orders signed by Trump raises as serious legal doubts as the one that ends birthright citizenship. President Donald Trump signing executive orders on Monday. JIM LO SCALZO / POOL (EFE) This right is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1868, three years after the Civil War ended. Following the abolition of slavery, the amendment guaranteed equality for all under the law and has been a cornerstone of American legal tradition for over 150 years. It stipulates that anyone born in the United States is automatically granted citizenship. While Trump does not aim to eliminate this right retroactively, he views it as a critical tool in his campaign against illegal immigration, as it confers citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants simply by being born in the so-called land of opportunity. In a move reminiscent of his first administrations tactics, opposition to the measure which is set to take effect in 30 days was swift in the courts. By the end of the day, the veteran American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had already challenged it in a New Hampshire court. Soon after, Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a separate complaint, both on behalf of couples expecting children. On Tuesday, a coalition of 18 states later joined by four others filed another lawsuit, arguing that the order, titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, infringes on the constitutional rights of thousands of children and imposes undue burdens on local governments. These governments would lose federal funding tied to Medicaid and childrens health insurance. The District of Columbia (Washington) and the city of San Francisco like the other plaintiffs, under Democratic control also joined the legal challenge. Trump appears unconcerned by these legal challenges, which were anticipated, nor by the fact that birthright citizenship is deeply woven into the fabric of U.S. history. It is an essential part of what constitutes the American dream. He also seems indifferent to the fact that the 14th Amendment begins with one of the Constitutions most iconic phrases: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. This provision was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1898, when Wong Kim Ark, a young man born in San Francisco to immigrant parents, was denied re-entry into the country after visiting China to see his family. This was a time when anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly toward Asians, was running high in the U.S. Wong appealed the decision, and the court ruled in his favor. In 1924, birthright citizenship was extended to all native-born Americans. As Trump signed the executive order, he once again made the false claim: We are the only country that has it. In fact, dozens of legal systems have versions similar to American birthright naturalization, including Mexico and Canada. A nod to his electoral base In an email, Paul Collins, a professor of law and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of several books on the politicization of the Supreme Court, explained on Tuesday that he views the executive order to be a nod from Trump to his electoral base. He continued: The idea that a president is authorized to unilaterally reinterpret an amendment is a crazy legal theory. I think the courts will ultimately reject it, but I would not be surprised if some of Trumps first-term justices support it. Collins also warned that the executive order should be seen as an example of the kind of policies that [the new president] is going to pursue and that will create tension in the American legal and political systems. In the absence of a stronger opposition, I am concerned about the ability of the system to withstand that pressure, he said. Another one of the executive orders that stirred the most controversy on the first day of Trump 2.0 was the one granting clemency to approximately 1,572 individuals accused and convicted in connection with the Capitol assault. This move has sparked significant moral outrage in the United States, as it seems to rewrite the history of a serious attack on the seat of legislative power one of the cornerstones of American democracy. Edward "Jake" Lang, one of the defendants who was released after being pardoned. Jon Cherry (REUTERS) However, the president has the constitutional authority to issue such pardons. Indeed, it is a common practice during White House transition periods, and one that Joe Biden, Trumps predecessor, has made extensive use of in recent months. For instance, Biden pardoned 37 of the 40 prisoners awaiting execution on federal death row at the Terre Haute prison in Indiana. On his final day in office, he also ordered the release of Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous activist accused of the 1975 deaths of two federal agents an unresolved case that has been fiercely contested for decades by organizations such as Amnesty International. In a series of more contentious moves, Biden also granted preemptive pardons to individuals he believes might be unfairly targeted by Trump. Among those pardoned were former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who served on the House committee investigating the Capitol riot; retired General Mark Milley, who resisted calls to deploy troops to suppress the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests; and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White Houses chief official in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Biden also pardoned his son, Hunter, in December, for both past and future offenses, despite having previously promised not to do so. There has been a surge in the use of executive orders in recent years. Still, its normal for there to be a flurry of activity with the start of a new administration, said Russell Riley, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia, via email on Tuesday. Theres often an element of theater to this. President A issues a hundred executive orders during his term, and then President B comes in and issues another hundred on day one, reversing his predecessors actions, before issuing his own orders many of which will soon be undone by the next administration. At the start of a term, the most effective way to score political points is to act unilaterally in this way. It shows energy and a shift in direction. Bidens extensive use of presidential pardons also drew criticism from members of Congress within his own party, who question whether this surge in pardons has emboldened Trump to consider similar actions for those convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot individuals he refers to as hostages and political prisoners. Some of these individuals, like Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the extremist militia Proud Boys, are set to be released after being convicted of exceptionally serious crimes. Tarrio, for example, was serving a 22-year sentence for charges that include seditious conspiracy an offense rarely invoked since the Civil War. Riley calls Trumps pardon of the January 6 insurrectionists a flagrant and unprecedented abuse of the presidents powers. The framers of the Constitution will be rolling in their graves, he said. Pardons should be reserved for delivering justice in rare cases where the legal system has failed, a last chance to right wrongs through acts of executive clemency. They were never, ever intended to be used to overturn wise court decisions or reward political allies, and they were certainly not intended to be used as a political weapon to benefit friends or punish political opponents. In a properly functioning political system, this would be met with impeachment. On Bidens decision to use his pardon to protect people targeted by Trump, such as Liz Cheney, Rileys first reaction was to think that he made a mistake. [Cheney and the others] had done nothing wrong and therefore did not deserve such protection. My sense was that, by acting this way, Biden devalued the currency of pardons, opening himself up to the accusation of having abused his own powers. But I will confess that I changed my mind after seeing what Trump has done with the January 6 offenders. It is possible that president Biden had information about what he was planning against his opponents, in which case, he was justified in trying to prevent it. It is only conjecture on my part now; presidential documents will have to be examined before we know for sure. What is not in doubt, I repeat, is that President Trumps abuse of the pardon power is unparalleled in the history of the institution. As for TikTok, the executive order directly challenges a law passed by both chambers of Congress and ratified by Biden, which allowed ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the social network, an extension as long as it was in the process of selling the company to a U.S. entity. The order signed by Trump specifically instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose confirmation by the Senate is still pending, and the Department of Justice to disregard this law for 75 days and refrain from enforcing it. During this period, the text approved on Monday states, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Amid rising defence competition with the US and other regional powers, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has commissioned a new-generation frigate. According to the Chinese Navy, this will play a major role in the overall combat effectiveness of its forces. The first Type 054B frigate, named Luohe, was commissioned Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLAN's northern fleet is based. The shiparmed with a variety of machine guns for close combat and anti-air and anti-ship missileshas a displacement of approximately 5,000 tonnes and includes stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integration, significantly enhancing overall performance, according to PLAN. With strong capabilities for comprehensive combat operations and diverse military missions, the warship will play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness of naval task forces of China. ALSO READ: Hard to detect, highly manoeuvrable Hangor-class submarines by China to soon be part of Pakistan Navy China already has the world's largest navy in terms of number of hulls. Its largest competitor, the US, has warned its Navy could be outnumbered and has called for a building programme as well as reforms to put damaged ships into action sooner. China has around 234 warships compared to the US Navy's 219, including around 50 frigates and the same number of destroyers. China has two operating aircraft carriers and another undergoing sea trials, along with a massive and powerful coast guard. PLAN operates mainly in waters off the Chinese east coast and in the strategically crucial South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. A key mission also remains backing up the army in any attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy about 160 kilometers off the Chinese coast that Beijing has vowed to annex by force if necessary. According to some defense publications, the ship could become the backbone of the Chinese navy. The PLAN has also sent ships further abroad, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean, in its attempts to use its navy as an extension of its growing economic and diplomatic clout. PLAN and Chinese coast guard ships have also patrolled in the East China Sea, where China claims a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan. With agency inputs The newly-commissioned frontline combatants of the Indian Navy, submarine INS Vaghsheer, destroyer INS Surat and frigate INS Nilgiri, will be showcased at the tableau during the 76th Republic Day Parade on January 26. INS Surat, the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Projectwith indigenous content of 75 per cent and equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilitiesranks among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers in the world. INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, incorporates advanced features for enhanced survivability, seakeeping, and stealth, reflecting the next generation of indigenous frigates, while INS Vaghsheer is the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene Project. READ MORE: Cutting-edge warships INS Surat, INS Nilgiri set to redefine Indian Navy's combat edge The Indian Navy, on Wednesday, unveiled a model of the tableau featuring the thematic tagline, 'Atmanirbhar Nausena se Rashtra Nirman' (nation-building through a self-reliant navy). The Navy's mixed marching contingent and a band will also participate in the ceremonial parade. The tableau will depict the three platforms symbolising India's naval prowess and the spirit of self-reliance in defence, Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, the Controller Personnel Services. ALSO READ: What makes Vaghsheer, recently delivered to Indian Navy by MDL, one of the deadliest submarines in the world The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realising India's vision of becoming a global leader in defence manufacturing and maritime security. The Balaji temple in Chilkur village located on the periphery of Hyderabad is believed to bless those with the big American dreams. Over the years, young working professionals as well as fresh graduates have been seen in hordes making their way into the temple sincerely wishing for a US visa. A large number of those whose prayers were answered would come back to thank the deity and circumambulate the holy structure. The trend became so popular that even global media outlets published special features on the temple. Surprisingly, on Tuesday the temple had a visitor who had somewhat already realised not just an American, but a Hollywood dream. Priyanka Chopra, who is in Hyderabad, tagged the temple and posted photos of the visit on her Instagram account along with the caption, With the blessings of Shri Balaji a new chapter begins. May we all find peace in our hearts and prosperity and abundance all around us. God's grace is infinite. Speculations are rife that she would be starring in the upcoming movie helmed by star director, SS Rajamouli and she is in the city for talks related to the project. The film, with Mahesh Babu in the lead, was launched in the first week of January. Not much is known about the movie which is still in the pre-production stage but given the pace of Rajamouli, the movie is likely to be released only after 2026. The Chilkur Balaji temple is not new to global icons or movie celebrities. It was the venue for the wedding of sitar maestro Pandit Ravishankar to Sukanya Devi in the late 1980s. Priyanka Chopra uploaded a video and photos with the chief priest of the temple, Rangarajan, whose family are the custodians of the temple. Rangarajan, a biomedical engineer, is renowned for taking up unique social initiatives to help spread positive messages in society. Hollywood studio Warner Bros has announced the upcoming slate of movies releasing in Indian theatres in 2025. Among the big titles are James Gunn's Superman, Bong Joon-Ho's Mickey 17 and Ryan Coogler's Sinners. While releasing the list, the banner informed that they are coming out with the highest number of theatrical releases in India this year compared to other studios. The list mentions the studio's films that will be released from March 2025 onwards, beginning with Bong Joon-Ho's Mickey 17, set to be released on March 7. Starring Robert Pattinson, the English-language film sees the much-celebrated Korean filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning Parasite returning to the sci-fi genre after Okja. "We're incredibly proud to present such a dynamic and exciting slate of films for 2025. Working with some of the most talented filmmakers in the world, we're bringing powerful stories and unforgettable characters to the big screen," said Denzil Dias, Vice President and managing director of India theatrical, Warner Bros. "From epic blockbusters to thrilling horrors, heartwarming family adventures to compelling dramas, our diverse lineup from Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Pictures offers something for every audience across all ages and genres. This lineup is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional cinematic experiences for Indian audiences," he added. Other titles include: A Minecraft Movie, starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, releasing on April 4, and Sinners, starring Michael B Jordan, set for an April 18 release. The sixth entry in the popular horror franchise Final Destination titled Final Destination: Bloodlines will hit screens on May 16. Brad Pitt's racing drama F1, from director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Oblivion) is slated for a June 27 release. James Gunn's eagerly anticipated Superman, starring David Corenswet as the titular superhero, will arrive on July 11. The final Conjuring film The Conjuring: Last Rites is reserved for September 5. The others are The Bride, starring Christian Bale, on September 26, Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa-led Animal Friends on October 10, and Mortal Kombat II on October 24. The studio will release Universal Picture titles from Universal Pictures including Steven Soderbergh's espionage thriller Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, on March 14, and the new How to Train Your Dragon, the live-action remake of the animated hit, on June 13. M3GAN 2.0 will be released on June 27 and Jurassic World: Rebirth on July 4. The August releases are: The Bad Guys 2 (August 1), Nobody 2 (August 22), and Downton Abbey 3 (September 12). Warner Bros Pictures will also release titles from Universal Pictures such as Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, with Renee Zellweger, on February 14; Sean Baker's Anora on February 21 and Brady Corbet's The Brutalist on February 28. They also plan to release the musical drama Michael on October 2, Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie On October 17, the Wicked sequel Wicked: For Good on November 21 and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 on December 5. CLAIM: Ketamine can help manage symptoms of depression FACT: Ketamine is an anaesthetic with growing evidence supporting its potential to combat treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but the drug is not yet FDA-approved for psychiatric applications. Its off-label use requires medical supervision due to potential risks and side effects. With Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk quickly gaining prominence in the newly elected Trump administration, social media is rife with references to his earlier claims about using ketamine to manage his depression. In March 2024, in an interview with journalist Don Lemon, Musk revealed that he takes small amounts of ketamine every two weeks under medical prescription to alleviate negative mental states similar to depression. This came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk took ketamine recreationally, and Musk himself took to X to speak about using the anaesthetic. He told Lemon that he hoped by speaking out about the drug that it might help other people. The reason I posted about ketamine (at some personal risk) is that I thought it might help people struggling with bouts of depression. In my opinion, it is a far better solution than being zombified by SSRIs. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 19, 2024 There are times when I have a sort of negative chemical state in my brain, like depression, I guessdepression thats not linked to any negative news. Ketamine is helpful for getting one out of a negative frame of mind, he said, while not revealing much about the specifics. The reason why I mentioned ketamine prescription on the X platform, was because I thought maybe this is something that can help other people, he said. Obviously, Im not a doctor, but I would say if somebody has depression issues, they should consider talking to their doctor about ketamine instead of SSRIs. He was referring to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are also used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. With Trump coming back to power, Musk has already been nominated for the role of co-head in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and will be handling the regulation of excess expenses of the federal government in the next four years. As Musks influence is set to grow in the new administration, social media users have been quick to remind people of his ketamine use; for instance, see here. First Check decided to take a closer look at his claims, to sift facts from fiction. What is ketamine? Ketamine hydrochloride, a medication developed over 50 years ago, is a widely used anaesthetic approved by the FDA. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, it is classified as a Schedule III non-narcotic substance and has established medical applications. However, ketamine has also gained notoriety as a recreational drug known for inducing hallucinations and a sense of detachment. In recent decades, researchers have been exploring ketamines potential therapeutic benefits for various mental health conditions, including depression, substance abuse disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Ketamine infusion therapy, which involves administering the medication intravenously, has been the primary focus of studies examining its psychiatric applications. Ketamine therapy is promising for treating depression, according to a 2021 expert review published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Although evidence supporting ketamines therapeutic benefits is growing, it is yet to receive FDA approval for psychiatric applications. Nevertheless, licensed healthcare professionals can prescribe ketamine for off-label use. What the experts say about ketamine Ketamine can be used to treat depression, especially treatment-resistant depression, where conventional antidepressants are ineffective. It is also sometimes used for acute suicidal ideation, Dr Sourav Avi, a psychiatrist based in New Delhi, who has an experience of seven years in this field, told First Check in a written response. He highlighted its rapid action: Unlike common antidepressants like SSRIs, which take weeks to work, ketamine provides quick relief in crisis situations such as acute suicidality. Ketamine works by acting on the brains glutamate system. According to Dr Avi, It has complex and multifold actionsit not only brings rapid improvement by acting on glutamate but also aids in forming new neuronal connections and reducing brain inflammation, leading to lasting effects. However, Dr. Avi emphasized that ketamine must be used with caution and under medical guidance. As it is primarily an anaesthetic, a lot can go wrong quickly if not administered by a psychiatrist trained in its use. Ketamine can cause a rise in blood pressure and heart rate, which must be carefully monitored during treatment, he warned. He added that psychological side effects, such as out-of-body experiences or distorted perceptions, could be distressing but are manageable with professional support. To ensure the safe and effective use of ketamine, Dr. Avi underscored the importance of proper training for psychiatrists, strict regulation of clinics, and ongoing research, particularly on Indian populations. We need local and national guidelines to facilitate this promising treatment, along with greater awareness among patients and professionals, he concluded. Hence, ketamine offers hope for individuals with treatment-resistant depression or acute suicidal ideation, providing rapid relief where traditional antidepressants often fall short. However, its use must be carefully regulated and supervised by trained professionals to ensure safety and efficacy. This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS. The Aam Aadmi Party released its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections on Wednesday noon, with a push for the welfare of the middle class. The party also raised seven demands from the Centre. While releasing the manifesto, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal said the middle class in India's real superpower and urged the Centre to devote the Union Budget 2025 to this section. https://t.co/4VPlkdzm16 Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 22, 2025 The demands included increasing education budget from 2 per cent to 10 per cent, besides capping private school fees and providing subsidies and scholarships for higher education. AAP also said the health budget should be raised to 10 per cent while the tax on health insurance premium should be scrapped. Another demand was to do away with GST on essential items. Kejriwal said the income tax exemption limit should be raised from the existing Rs 7 lakh slab to Rs 10 lakh. He also sought a strong retirement plan and pension schemes for senior citizens as well as free medical services for the elderly at government and private hospitals. The last demand was 50 per cent concession for senior citizens on trains. He was joined by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. This comes a day after the BJP released the second part of its manifesto on Tuesday. Delhi will go to polls on February 5. Kejriwal said the BJP workers are resorting to hooliganism, fearing a historic defeat in the upcoming elections. The former Delhi CM said he will file a complaint with the Election Commission regarding BJP workers threatening AAP volunteers in Kalkaji. Kejriwal also alleged that Delhi police are facilitating the saffron party's campaign and hooliganism to disrupt AAP's election campaign. Pointing out that no one is there for the security and safety of the people, he alleged that one of the police officers told him that the Union Home Ministry gives direct instructions to disrupt AAP rallies. Kejriwal claimed that Delhi voters could even be stopped from casting their ballots this time. CM Atishi alleged that her rival on Kalkaji seat Ramesh Bidhuri threatened AAP workers Donald Trump is seeking to rapidly transform the U.S. immigration system. On the day of his inauguration, the president removed the four officials at the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is responsible for overseeing the 71 federal immigration courts, a system that faces a backlog of 3.5 million pending cases. This action follows the signing of a dozen measures on his first day in the White House, which drastically restrict migrants access to the U.S., whether they are undocumented or legal refugees. Sources from the new Justice Department confirmed to the U.S. media the dismissal of the judges, which was communicated to the Executive Office for Immigration Review in the first hours of the incoming government. The dismissed officials are Chief Immigration Judge Sheila McNulty, Acting Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review Mary Cheng, General Counsel Jill Anderson, and Head of Policy Lauren Alder Reid. All of them had extensive experience and had served presidents of both parties in the system of specialized courts created in 1983, which depends on the executive and not the judiciary. Trump appointed Judge Sirce Owen as acting chief, replacing McNulty, who had led the agency since 2023 after nearly seven years in a senior position. Under the Biden administration, McNulty presided over the immigration appeals circuit. Owen, by contrast, served during Trumps first term as the chief legal adviser to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for locating, detaining and deporting migrants. McNulty was on the bureaucrat watch list compiled by the Heritage Foundation, an influential ultraconservative think tank that drafted Project 2025, a blueprint for hard-line policies to guide a new Republican administration. The judge, along with other officials at the Department of Homeland Security, was criticized by the group for taking a more humanitarian view of immigration. The Heritage Foundation also questioned McNulty for silencing immigration judges, preventing them from speaking out about the backlog of case closings. During the Biden administration, the surge in migrant arrivals exacerbated the caseload, rising from 1.2 million pending cases in 2020 to 3.5 million in 2024. To meet this demand, 220 new judges were hired in four years. The immigration court system is key to deciding whether an immigrant who has violated immigration laws can remain in the United States or should be deported. Most decisions by the 735 judges in the court system favor deportation, although the process can drag on for years. Judges also evaluate thousands of asylum applications and oversee credible fear interviews, where applicants must demonstrate to an immigration authority that they face a real risk of persecution or torture if returned to their home countries. Experts interpret these dismissals as a clear sign that Trump intends to quickly reform the system and tighten immigration policy to stem the flow of migrants. The Republican inherited from Biden the lowest figures of illegal crossings in three years. The dismissal of immigration court officials is part of the broader tightening of security at the southern border. Among the executive orders signed by Trump is the suspension of asylum procedures, though the decree allows for the possibility of resuming them in the coming months. However, this seems unlikely given other measures, such as closing the U.S.-Mexico border for asylum seekers, the deployment of U.S. troops to key strategic locations, and the threat to ban entry for citizens from countries Trump deems part of an invasion. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday withdrew its support to the BJP-led government in Manipur where ethnic clashes have claimed more than 250 people in the last one and a half years. JD(U) said its lone MLA, Md Abdul Nasir, will sit in the opposition benches. The party had won six seats in the 2022 assembly elections, but five MLAs later switched to the BJP. "In the election to state assembly of Manipur held in February/ March 2022, six candidates set up by JD (U) were returned. After a few months, five MLAs of JD (U) defected to BJP. Trial under Tenth Schedule of India of the five MLAs is pending before the Speaker's Tribunal," JD(U) state president Ksh Biren Singh said in a letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. After JD (U) became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP led government was withdrawn by JD(U)... as such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD(U) in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the Assembly by the Speaker," the letter further said. The development will, however, pose no threat to the Biren Singh government as the BJP has 37 seats in the 60-member assembly. Five MLAs of the Naga People's Front and three independents also support the government. Interestingly, the JD(U), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre. The JD(U) is also in alliance with the saffron party in Bihar where assembly elections are due this year. The administration in Rajouri has declared the entire village of Badhal a containment zone after 17 residents from three families tragically lost their lives under mysterious circumstances. The unprecedented fatalities have raised serious concerns, prompting the imposition of strict measures to prevent further casualties. The containment strategy divides the affected area into three zones to ensure targeted interventions. Zone 1 encompasses houses where the deaths have occurred. These homes have been sealed off, and entry is strictly prohibited without authorisation. Zone 2 includes families identified as close contacts of the deceased. These individuals have been relocated to the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri for continuous health monitoring. Zone 3 covers the rest of Badhal village. Authorities are closely monitoring food distribution and consumption to prevent potential contamination across all households in this zone. To enforce these measures, the administration has stationed police personnel in the area to ensure compliance. Officers are also maintaining detailed logbooks documenting the distribution and consumption of food supplies with entries signed three times daily to ensure accountability. All public and private gatherings within the village have been banned to minimise the risk of infection or contamination. The administration has directed designated officials to oversee every aspect of food safety and health surveillance for affected families and other residents. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is on-site, conducting a thorough inquiry to identify the cause of these mysterious deaths. Residents have been urged to fully cooperate with containment measures as authorities work to safeguard the community. The situation remains under close observation, and further updates are expected as investigations progress. Shiv Sena leader Shaina N.C. launched a sharp attack on Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, accusing him of compromising Hindutva principles for political gain by aligning with the Congress. Addressing a press conference at Balasaheb Bhavan in Mumbai, Shaina demanded that Uddhav publicly apologise and reflect on his actions on the 99th birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Highlighting the partys plans, Shaina announced a grand Shiv Sena rally to be held at the Bandra Kurla Complex on January 23 to honour Bal Thackerays legacy. At the event, the women of Maharashtra will felicitate Shiv Senas chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The party MPs and MLAs will also be recognised for their contributions. We are committed to ensure that the saffron flag continues to soar over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) this year, Shaina declared. Taking aim at Uddhav and his son Aaditya Thackeray, she added, They owe an apology to the people of Maharashtra for betraying Balasahebs ideology. Unlike them, Shiv Sena does not engage in vote-bank politics or treat Muslim brothers merely as voters. Uddhav Thackeray, in his desperation, has aligned himself with Congress and sought support from the Muslim community, abandoning the principles Balasaheb stood for. Shaina also highlighted Shiv Senas performance in the state assembly elections, where the party contested 81 seats and secured 57. Our success is built on hard work, dedication, and unwavering service to the people, she said. Reaffirming Shiv Senas commitment to Bal Thackerays vision, Shaina underscored the partys tough stance on illegal immigration. Shiv Sena remains resolute in its fight against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, a cause that Balasaheb championed. Under Shiv Senas leadership, the state government will take firm action to uphold his legacy and address this pressing issue, she said. The Uttarakhand Governments Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) conducted a mock drill for the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Portal, ahead of its official rollout. During the exercise, more than 3,500 citizens (dummy entries) were registered on the portal, and action was taken on around 200 dummy applications by sub-registrars and registrars. Additionally, 7,728 officer IDs were successfully created. At the time of the filing of this report, the portal was not available online- ostensibly to iron out glitches. The mock drill identified technical bottlenecks and operational challenges associated with the rollout of the portal. Among the technical issues identified within the citizen module, there were errors with the Aadhaar-enabled registration process. Additionally, mapping errors between registrar and sub-registrar user accounts were noted in certain areas. The ITDA has initiated a process of addressing them while also implementing further measures to ensure a timely resolution. This mock drill also enabled further streamlining of the portals workflow, ensuring that all processesfrom user registration to final approvalsare optimised for efficiency. By evaluating performance and identifying bottlenecks, a spokesperson said, ITDA is committed to refining each stage of the process, thereby enhancing both user experience and overall service delivery. On January 24, another mock drill at the level of the Common Service Centres will also be conducted. The 92-page rule book of the Uniform Civil Code has the provision of applying for marriage, divorce, inheritance, live-in relationship and dissolution of such relationships online at ucc.gov.in. There are three levels at which registrations can be made. At the gram panchayat level, it can be done with the gram panchayat development officer serving as the sub-registrar and the Sub Divisional Magistrates serving as the registrar. At nagar palikas (urban bodies), administrative officers and Additional District Magistrates will serve the roles while in bigger urban bodies, it will be tax inspectors and urban commissioners. Appeals against the decisions of the above will be made to Registrar Generals. Fees for the services are yet to be decided but should range between Rs 50 and Rs 500. Actor Saif Ali Khan, who is recovering from a recent stabbing attack at his home, is facing another battle now; this time, regarding his family property worth Rs 15,000 crore. The Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 13, 2024, dismissed the actor's plea against the government move to declare the Pataudi family property in Bhopal as "enemy property". He can still appeal to the Appellate Tribunal. Saif Ali Khan : > Got st@bbed 6 times with kn!fe > Reached hospital on Auto rickshaw > Doctors removed piece of Kn!fe from body > Still got discharged within few days > No victim card BJP MP Sarangi : > in ICU just by one imaginary push of Rahul Gandhi #SaifAliKhan pic.twitter.com/NkHpajaJpa Veena Jain (@DrJain21) January 21, 2025 The state government issued a notice saying properties belonging to the Nawab of Bhopal would be acquired under the Enemy Property Act, 1968. What is Enemy Property Act, 1968? The Enemy Property Act, 1968, stipulates that properties owned by people who took citizenship in Pakistan can be considered as enemy property that can be seized by the government. The law was passed following the India-Pakistan War of 1965. The last Nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan, had three daughters. The eldest of them, Abida Sultan, moved to Pakistan in 1950, following the partition, and renounced Indian citizenship. The second daughter, Sajida Sultan, stayed in India, becoming the rightful heir. Saif Ali Khan, who is Sajida's grandson, inherited a part of these assets. The court had in 2019 acknowledged Sajida as the rightful heir. However, the government cited Abida's migration to claim that the properties are "enemy property". The Pataudi family moved court in 2015 after the Custodian of Enemy Property Department declared the Bhopal Nawab's assets as government property. These include the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Bungalow of Habibi, Ahmedabad Palace, Dar-Us-Salam, Kohefiz Property and the Flag Staff House, where Saif Ali Khan lived as a child. The single bench led by Justice Vivek Agarwal said a statutory remedy exists under the amended Enemy Property Act, 2017. He directed the parties to file a representation regarding this in 30 days. Saif Ali Khan returned home on Tuesday after being admitted to Lilavati Hospital for five days. The actor had suffered six stab wounds after Bangladesh national Shariful Islam Shehzad broke into his home to commit robbery. After demanding death penalty for Sanjay Roy, the convict in the RG Kar rape and murder case, during his trial at the Sealdah Civil & Criminal Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday challenged the West Bengal governments appeal for the same at the Calcutta High Court. On Monday, the Sealdah court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment. Following the verdict, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her view that Roy deserved capital punishment. Subsequently, on Tuesday, the state government filed an appeal in the high court, seeking the death sentence for the convict. On Wednesday, when the court took up the matter to decide whether the states appeal can be filed for hearing, deputy solicitor general (DSG) and CBI counsel Rajdeep Majumder argued that the West Bengal government did not have the authority to file an appeal as this case was investigated by the central agency. He stated that during Roy's trial at the Sealdah Civil & Criminal Court, both the CBI and the victim's parents had sought the death penalty. He further argued that since neither the investigating agency, the parents, nor the convict had appealed to the high court, the state government was also not entitled to do so. The CBI counsel also cited the Lalu Prasad Yadavs fodder scam case wherein the Supreme Court of India had said that state governments were not authorised to file appeals in matters investigated by central agencies. However, Advocate General (AG) Kishore Datta, representing the West Bengal government, countered this argument, asserting that the comparison was not valid. AG Datta explained that in the fodder scam case, the high court had directly instructed the CBI to conduct the investigation, whereas the RG Kar case was initially registered and investigated by the state police before being handed over to the central agency. He also argued that unlike in the fodder scam case, the appeal in the RG Kar matter challenged the sentence, which the state government considered inadequate. Under CrPC section 377 and 378, the state was authorised to file appeals, the advocate general stated. Although the state and the CBI presented their arguments, the high court on Wednesday observed that it was crucial to hear the testimony of the victims family in this case. Additionally, the convict will also give his statement. The Calcutta High Court will take up the matter next on January 27 before deciding whether the West Bengal governments appeal can be filed for hearing. Two months after the Mahayuti coalition returned to power in Maharashtra, cracks have begun to appear within the front with BJP and Shiv Sena openly warring on different issues, including the appointment of guardian ministers. The latest in the series of disagreements between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde is the latter's move to quash the decision taken by the previous Eknath Shinde government. One of the first decisions reportedly taken by Fadnavis after he took office was to order a probe into the transport departments plan to take 1,310 public transport buses on rent from private players. The Shinde government had allotted Rs 2,000 crore for the decision. However, after reports emerged that the tender process was flawed, Fadnavis moved to cancel the contract. A probe report revealed that officials had favoured specific private players from whom they rented out buses, The New Indian Express reported. Also read: Eknath Shinde vs Devendra Fadnavis: Rift over appointment of guardian ministers for Nashik and Raigad? Not just in transport, Fadnavis has reportedly ordered an inquiry into the purchase of 900 ambulances and medical equipment worth Rs 12,000 crore. In the Shinde government, the health department was handled by Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant, who fell out of favour with the BJP. After allegations surfaced that tender conditions were manipulated in favour of some contractors and suppliers, which caused the project cost to increase from Rs 9,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore, Fadnavis ordered an inquiry into the previous government's decision to purchase uniforms for school students. This has triggered speculations that Fadnavis is now sidelining Eknath Shinde in favour of Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant, who is now in Davos with Fadnavis. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut fanned these rumours stating that Samant may break away from the Shiv Sena with at least 20 of its MLAs. He called the statement "political childishness". There were also rumours that Shinde, upset over the allotment of the Guardian Minister post, went to Satara sulking. Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale rubbished the claims of Shinde being upset. On his second day, Donald Trump tasked his officials to start working on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement deal between Israel and Hamas, according to reports. The Trump administration officials acknowledged that it will not be an easy task to keep ceasefire deal going as expected. Their main challenge will be to turn the 42-day first phase of the deal into a permanent one. Ein nahezu unfassbarer Moment ereignete sich in der Nacht bei der Veranstaltung des Prasidentenmarsches: Trumps Gesandter @SteveWitkoff brachte alle Familien der Geiseln sowie die bereits freigelassenen Geiseln auf die Buhne. Anschlieend schuttelte Prasident Trump ihnen die pic.twitter.com/Ery87wrUqT Zeev Rosenberg (@zeevrosenberg) January 21, 2025 What Biden left us with is the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end, one of the Trump official told Politico. The revelation by officials comes a day after Trump said he is not confident whether the Gaza ceasefire deal will complete the three phases. "It's not our war, it's theirs," he said. US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are working on the second phase of the truce agreement. Besides them, Trump's Middle East enboy Steve Witkoff, deputy envoy Morgan Ortagus and Middle East senior director of the National Security Council Eric Trager will also play a key role in these efforts. Waltz said Hamas should be destroyed and it should have no role in Gaza after the war. The officials told Politico that the new administration is making it a priority to make Israel-Saudi Arabia normalisation a reality. On January 20, Trump said a normalisation agreement could be signed by the two nations by the end of 2025. Economic diversification is crucial for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to ensure sustainability and navigate global energy market fluctuationsand renewable energy sources like solar power, may be the answer. While fossil fuels still dominate as the source of electricity generation in the region, countries are increasingly embracing other, more sustainable sources such as solar energy, as well, with the UAE leading the pack, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. About 9 per cent of UAEs electricity generation is done through solar power, as of 2020. About 83 per cent of the countrys electricity generation is using fossil fuels- one of the lowest rates in the region. For comparison, countries like Bahrain and Kuwait rely 100 per cent on fossil fuels, and Saudi Arabia relies 99 per cent on fossil fuels for electricity generation. This is reflective of the vision that the country has set for itself. At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), from January 12 to 18, 2025, Suhail Bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAEs Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, delivered a clear message emphasising the countrys role in stabilising global energy markets and championing sustainable development. By emphasising the need for a balanced approach that integrates both traditional and clean energy sources, Al Mazrouei highlighted the UAEs commitment to its visionary Energy Strategy 2050 and the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050. This forward-thinking energy policy is not only critical for the UAE but also a cornerstone of the regions solar energy ambitions, a sentiment echoed in the recent Solar Outlook Report 2025 released by the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA). The report, launched during the World Future Energy Summit 2025 in Abu Dhabi, outlines the rapid growth of solar energy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the UAEs key role in this transformation. The UAE, with its substantial solar PV capacity, is firmly positioned as a leader in the Middle East. The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that the UAE hosts 65 per cent of the GCCs solar PV installed capacity, highlighting its dominant role in driving global solar power innovation. Reliable off-takers minimising financing risks, a pegged currency reducing currency risks, successful Independent Power Producers (IPPs) ensuring stability, and stringent prequalification stages attracting experienced and financially stable bidders all contribute to UAEs success story here. This combination draws low-cost financing from local and international banks, highlighting the UAEs leadership in the renewable energy sector. As of 2024, the UAEs clean energy capacity has doubled to six gigawatts from 3.1 gigawatts (GW) in 2022, primarily driven by solar PV projects. UAE cities pioneering the solar initiative Key regions like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah lead the countrys solar energy initiatives. Dubai, with its ambitious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Parkset to be the worlds largest single-site solar project with a planned capacity of 5,000MW by 2030aims to produce 75 per cent of its energy from clean sources by 2050, establishing itself as a global clean energy hub. The AED 100 billion Dubai Green Fund, another big project, will provide low-interest loans for clean energy investments, with the aim of making Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint by 2050. Additionally, Abu Dhabis Vision 2030 focuses on renewable energy with projects like the Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Project (1.2GW) and the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, which is expected to fulfil 25 per cent of the UAEs electricity needs. Further projects like Al Dhafra (2GW) and Al Ajban (1.5GW) are also expected to boost Abu Dhabis renewable capacity. Sharjahs largest solar project is a 60MW solar PV plant at the SNOC Sajaa Gas Complex, developed by Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) and Emergea joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group. This project will offset 66,000 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to removing over 14,600 cars from the road each year. Opportunities and players in the UAE Leading companies in the UAE energy market include Masdar, ACWA Power, Yellow Door Power, Enviromena Power Systems, Total Energies, Nebras Power, EDF Renewables, RWE Renewables, TSK Group, and Enerwhere Sustainable Energy. The UAE solar energy market, as per MarkWide Research study, features a competitive landscape with both domestic and international players. Significant opportunities lie in distributed generation (solar PV systems), energy storage integration with solar installations, and using solar energy for desalination. With abundant opportunities, robust initiatives, and strategic plans in place, UAE is already on its way to realising its vision of a sustainable, green future, further consolidating its position as a global leader in renewable energy. This story is done in collaboration with DataLEADS, which is an award-winning global digital media and tech company With Donald Trump back in White House for a second term, all eyes are on the potential U-turns he could make in the coming years as was seen in his previous tenure. Days before his inauguration on January 20, President Trump said he would reverse the ban on TikTok by the Joe Biden administration. On January 17, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously upheld a federal law that requires a ban or sale of the platform. However, Trump inked an executived order on January 20 granting a 75-day extension to comply with the law. TikTok thanked Trump, saying, It's a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States." Similarly, in 2016, Trump said the H-1B visa was "very, very bad" for Americans and imposed a temporary ban. Howeverm recently he has changes his stance, thanks to Elon Musk, calling the H-1B visa "a great programme." Now Trump is back with a know-how and a very different team from before. Were going to do an even better job because now we have a tremendous amount of experience, he told reporters at a recent news conference at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort. As Trump looks forward to more reforms in the coming days, let us take a look back at his policy U-turns. Phase one trade During his first term, Trump pushed his America First trade policy and vowed to impose tariffs on China to address trade imbalances and intellectual property theft. Although he imposed tariffs, the US and China signed a historic Phase One trade deal on January 15, 2020. The agreement includes structural reforms and other changes to Chinas economic and trade regime, which brought down some of his strict stances. However, during his presidential run, Trump has once again threatened to impose tariffs on China. NATO agreement Trump repeatedly questioned NATOs relevance and accused the co-member states for not contributing enough to the military alliance. Trump continued to express his bitterness but did not withdraw the US from NATO, as some leaders had feared, given the USs central role as the alliances primary contributor. Covid-19 response Trump initially downplayed the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic and called it a hoax and was pushing for the reopening of the economy, despite the millions of infections and thousands of deaths. His way of handling the situation was criticised widely and his approach was controversial but he later supported measures such as vaccine developments. Troop withdrawal from Syria In 2018 and 2019, the Trump administration announced that they will withdraw all the U.S. troops from Syria stating that ISIS was defeated. But after facing backlash due to this decision, he kept a small group of army in the name of securing the oil reserve. Even as years passed, the U.S. continues to have a strong military footprint in Syria adopting and evolving according to the on-going threats in the region. Law on gun control After the school shooting in Parkland, Florida took place, Trump suggested raising the minimum age from 18 to 21 for purchasing certain firearms and advocated for the ban on bump stocks (devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire faster). But after facing severe backlash from the National Rifle Association and gun rights advocates, he did not push for any substantial changes and instead, his administration focused more on issues like mental health and school safety rather than enacting new gun control measures. In a strong signal to China, the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first meeting after the Donald Trump administration took charge was with the foreign ministers from Quad countries -- India, Australia, Japan and the United States. Rubio hosted India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat. After a meeting that lasted over an hour, a joint statement said the Quad nations "maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the people of the Indo-Pacific." Without mentioning China by its name, the statement also warned against any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. #WATCH | Washington DC, USA | India's EAM Dr S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrive for the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting at the Department of State. (Source: State TV pic.twitter.com/znC1c0ijb6 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2025 The ministers reconfirmed the Quad Leadership Summit in India later this year. "We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India," it added. Before the meeting, Rubio told NBC News that the Quad meeting was aimed at reaffirming the importance of working with allies on things that are important to America and Americans. Jaishankar too took to X to state that the meeting sent a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, Quad will continue to be a force for global good. "Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states," he said. While Trump's policy on Quad needs to be seen, the fact that the first meeting was with the leaders underlines that it will likely remain important. Add to this, Rubio's statement during his confirmation hearing that China was "the most potent, dangerous and near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted". Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stressed the importance of the Quad by stating that she was happy a meeting of the Quad countries was being held so soon after the inauguration. Wong said it was an iron-clad commitment at this time when close cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is so important. Meanwhile, China has expressed willingness to work with the Trump administration to strengthen cooperation and properly manage differences. Jaishankar holds talks with NSA Mike Waltz After the Quad ministerial, Rubio had his first bilateral with Jaishankar, which lasted for more than an hour. India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, was also present in the meeting. Jaishankar also met National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Tuesday. Jaishankar said in a post that they discussed strengthening their friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity. Amid talks of the potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, the former has made clear to Chinese President Xi Jinping the kind of peace he wants for Ukraine. Putin, who had a video conversation with Xi just hours after Trump assumed charge as the President, confirmed that the goal of the Ukrainian settlement would only be based on Russia's interests. "As for the Ukrainian settlement itself, as the president emphasized the other day, and he said this today: the goal of the settlement should not be some kind of short-term truce, not some kind of respite, but a long-term peace based on respect for our objective interests," Russian head of state's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by Interfax. However, the conversation was not connected to Trump's inauguration, a Russian statement reports, as the arrangement to hold it had been made in December. The conversation lasted one hour and 35 minutes and reportedly "was held in a friendly atmosphere". Putin has earlier stressed that any peaceful settlement should be based on "eliminating the root causes" of the conflict. These include Ukraine's permanent "neutral" status, its non-membership in NATO, strict limits on the size of the Ukrainian army, and the removal of the Ukrainian government from power. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this is effectively a demand for Ukraine's complete surrender. Also read: Trump proposes delaying NATO entry for Ukraine for the next 10-20 years. But, Putin isn't buying it Putin's statement comes as Kremlin said it would take months for Putin and Trump to meet and is not expected before at least March. Before the in-person conversation between the two leaders can occur, they are expected to hold phone conversations to discuss the details of the potential meeting, according to Russian journalists. "Journalists can still speculate on the topic of the phone conversation when exactly it will take place, a source was quoted by reports. It added that the meeting is unlikely to occur before Trump embarks on his first overseas trip. "Im not sure that it will happen during the winter," one source told the reporter. Over a week after New Delhi summoned the Dhaka envoy to raise issues over border fencing, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has claimed that its troops deterred India's Border Security Forces (BSF) from putting up a barbed-wire fence along the country's border with India at Joypurhat. This comes after the BSF stated that it would continue fencing along the international border at Kaliachak in Malda district despite Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) objection to the initiative. The BSF claims the fencing was being carried out inside the Indian border. Lieutenant Colonel Nahid Newaz, commander of Joypurhat-20 BGB battalion, claimed the BGB intervened when the BSF troops attempted to build a barbed wire fence, forcing them to abandon the fence construction and leave. "The situation there is now quiet and calm, and normal," Newaz said, though he did not mention where the construction was happening, whether it was on the Indian or Bangladeshi side. However, a Bangladesh news website quoted "locals" without naming them that the BSF members from the Indian Chakgopal camp were trying to construct a fence within 30 yards of the zero point, which "was a violation of international law." The BGB Commander said a letter was sent to BSF for holding a company commander-level flag meeting between the two sides. Both countries had been locked in a disagreement over India's attempt to construct a barbed-wire fence in ton border, on the Indian side. West Bengal shares a 2,216 km border with Bangladesh and hundreds of kilometres remain unfenced making the border porous. BIG NEWS ALERT Bangladeshi Peacefuls attacked Indian farmers & villagers in Sukhdevpur, Malda. Bengali Hindus RETALIATED Indian villagers are now near the India-Bangladesh International Border in large numbers. TENSION PREVAILS. pic.twitter.com/NFnD3ZCQ0H Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) January 18, 2025 Two days ago, there were disputes on the border in Malda's Sukdevpur after clashes broke out between Indian and Bangladeshi farmers. Indian farmers said Bangladeshi farmers stole crops and equipment, leading to an altercation. The verbal dispute quickly escalated into a violent confrontation, with both sides hurling stones at each other. BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces were quickly deployed to restore order and disperse the crowds. Three Bangladeshis were reportedly been injured as tensions flared up. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who visited Malda on Tuesday warned the villagers to stay away from the international border in case of any dispute between the BSF and BGB. A handwritten manuscript by the revered Torah commentator and mekubal, the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh, sold for a staggering $700,000 plus commission in an online auction hosted by Kedem Auction House on Tuesday. The manuscript reflects the extraordinary legacy of Rav Chaim ben Attar, known universally as the Ohr HaChaim. Born in 1696 in Sale, Morocco, Rav Chaim remains a luminary in the Jewish world, renowned for his pirush on the Torah, Or HaChaim al HaTorah, which continues to inspire generations. The Ohr HaChaims early years were marked by intellectual brilliance and resilience. At nine years old, his family fled to Meknes, Morocco, escaping the oppression of an antisemitic vizier. His first marriage to a relative named Fatzunyah allowed him to dedicate himself fully to Torah study, supported by her family. After her passing, he remarried Esther Bibas, with whom he had daughters. It was during these years that the Ohr HaChaim wrote his famed commentary while learning with his family every Friday night. The Ohr HaChaims life was not without hardship. Following the death of his father-in-law in 1724, his financial circumstances deteriorated. Yet, his unwavering commitment to limud and harbotzas Torah shone through, leading him to establish a yeshiva in Sale. When famine struck Morocco, he embarked on a journey to Eretz Yisroel, pausing in Livorno, Italy, where a wealthy Jewish community supported him and his efforts to publish Or HaChaim. Arriving in Eretz Yisroel in 1742 with his family and 30 students, the Ohr HaChaim founded Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael in Yerushalayim. His life was tragically cut short on a Shabbos in 1743, less than a year after settling in Yerushalayim. It is said that that week in Europe, the Baal Shem Tov was sitting at shalosh seudos, and before anyone in the area could have found out about the Ohr HaChaims petirah, he exclaimed, The light from the West (Eretz Yisroel) has been extinguished! The Ohr HaChaim was buried on Har Hazeisim. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In her budget address Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a plan to ban smartphone use in schools starting next academic year. Key elements of the proposal include: Requiring students to disconnect from devices during school hours. Allowing schools flexibility in implementing the ban. Providing exceptions for medical needs, non-English speakers, and students with learning disabilities. Offering state financial support to help schools transition. A recent poll revealed that over 72% of teachers, high school teachers across the nation, report that cell phones in the classroom are major disruptions for their students, Hochul said. In fact, 95% of their students have access to a smartphone. On average throughout the school day, those kids are receiving 250 notifications. As a result of these conversations, I am announcing today a proposal that will transform our classrooms. Return them to a place of learning and that is a new statewide policy to make classrooms in the state of New York distraction free, Hochul added. The ban would apply to all areas of school grounds, including cafeterias, hallways, and bathrooms, aiming to create a distraction-free environment and promote student mental health. However, specific penalties for violations have not yet been outlined. This measure is part of Hochuls budget package, which faces an April 1 deadline for approval by the State Legislature. Canadas outgoing prime minister and the leader of the countrys oil rich province of Alberta are both confident Canada can avoid the 25% tariffs President Donald Trump says he will impose on Feb. 1. Justin Trudeau and Danielle Smith will argue that Canada is the energy super power that has the oil and critical minerals that America needs to feed what Trump vows will be a booming U.S. economy. But Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, the manufacturing and automobile hub of Canada, said a trade war is 100% coming. Trump declared an economic war on Canada, Ford said in an interview with The Associated Press. And we are going to use every tool in our tool box to defend our economy. Trudeau said Canada will retaliate if needed but noted Canada has been here before during the first Trump presidency when they successfully renegotiated the free trade deal. Ford said as soon as Trump applies tariffs he will instruct Ontarios liquor control board to pull all American-made alcohol from shelves. We are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. And Im going to encourage all the premiers to do the exact same, Ford said, adding there will be a dollar-for-dollar tariff retaliation on American goods entering Canada. We are going to target Republican held areas as well. They are going to feel the pain. Canadians are going to feel the pain, but Americans will feel the pain as well, he said. A message to the countries around the world: if he wants to use Canada as an example you are up next. Hes coming after you as well. Trump pledged in his inaugural address that tariffs would be coming in a speech in which he promised a golden era for America. He later said Canada and Mexico could be hit with the tariffs as soon as Feb. 1, though he signed an executive order requesting a report coordinated by the Secretary of Commerce by April. 1. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada. Despite Trumps claim that the U.S doesnt need Canada, nearly a quarter of the oil America consumes per day comes from Canada. Americas northern neighbor also has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. Ford said tariffs dont make sense considering how integrated the U.S. and Canadian economies are. He noted that in the auto sector alone parts can go back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border several times before being fully assembled in Ontario or Michigan. He wants to create uncertainty for investments around the world and attract those investments to the U.S, Ford said. 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. Trump wants to usher in a golden age for the U.S, Trudeau said at a Cabinet retreat in Quebec called to deal with Trumps threats. If the American economy is going to see the boom that Donald Trump is predicting they are going to need more energy, more steel and aluminum, more critical minerals, more of the things that Canada sells to the United States every single day. On Tuesday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum stressed the need to keep cool heads and look at the wording of what Trump signed, rather than listen to the discourse surrounding it. On the threat of tariffs, Sheinbaum took solace in that the America First Trade Policy order that Trump signed Monday talks about the free trade agreement signed with Mexico and Canada during Trumps first term, which lays out clear processes for disputes. She noted that a formal revision of the agreement is scheduled for July 2026. Smith, the premier of Canadas oil rich province of Alberta, said the April 1 deadline gives Canadians time to make case to the Trump administration that Canada should be exempted from tariffs. With the energy emergency that they declared and with their desire for critical minerals Canada is the answer, Smith told the AP. Canada can get a total carve out from the tariffs, she said. Smith noted Canada is the worlds biggest supplier of uranium and an important source of critical minerals that the U.S. is desperate for. She said both Canadians and Americans would be harmed by a trade war but said Canadians cant afford it in particular. We have to be realistic. We are talking about a $21 trillion economy and the amount of product that we sell into the United States is somewhere in the order of $300 billion, Smith said. We dont have the same kind of market power that they do as an economy. We are one 10th their size. We have to be realistic about what a trade and tariff war looks like. We would be more harmed by that than them. Smith said Americans in some states could pay more than a dollar per gallon more for gas. Americans will pay more in the states that are reliant on Canadian goods and Canadians will just pay more in return, Smith said. We could spend the next four years fighting over that or we can spend the next four years building pipeline access and making sure that we develop critical minerals for our joint benefit. Id rather have the second conversation. (AP) Democrats knew this was coming. President Donald Trump promised a shock-and-awe campaign to deliver major policy victories immediately after he took office. Much of it was outlined in the Project 2025 document that Democrats predicted he would adopt. But in the hours since Trumps inauguration, Democrats are struggling to confront the sheer volume of executive orders, pardons, personnel changes and controversial relationships taking shape in the new administration. In less than two days, the Republican president has moved to end diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government, withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accords, blocked a federal law banning TikTok, and sought to end the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. He has also pardoned the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and granted unprecedented access to some of the worlds richest men, raising questions about his commitment to the working-class voters who enabled his election. Each of those actions enrages part of the Democratic base. Together, they make it difficult to formulate a response by an already fractured party. It is a fire hose right now. Thats what he does. He creates a ton of chaos so its hard to keep up with it, said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who instructed her staff to track Trumps executive orders, so her constituents could keep up. Everything is overload. Democrats warn of Trumps plans to screw over America The Democratic National Committee, under the direction of retiring chair Jaime Harrison, has been running an active rapid response this week, issuing press releases and social media posts to push back against Trumps actions. That stands in contrast to the partys operation following Trumps 2017 inauguration, which was largely dark as a far more active protest movement became the focal point of the Democratic resistance. For now, the Democratic establishment is largely focused on the prominent role of billionaires in Trumps nascent presidency, which follows Bidens farewell warning about the rise of oligarchs. The DNC shared talking points with its allies on Tuesday, encouraging them to focus on Trumps plans to screw over America. Specifically, the talking points focus on the new presidents move to rescind a Biden order designed to limit the cost of prescription drugs. The DNC guidance also seizes on ultra-wealthy tech executives like Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Space X, and Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and Blue Origin, who were seated in front of some of Trumps Cabinet picks during his inauguration. On Musk, the talking points accuse him of giving multiple Nazi salutes during Trumps inauguration parade. Right-wing extremists are celebrating Musks straight-arm gesture during a speech Monday, although his intention wasnt totally clear and some hate watchdogs are saying not to read too much into it. The seating for some of the worlds richest men at the inauguration with big-state governors and major allies relegated to an overflow area initially offered Democrats an issue to rally around. Beyond the tech leaders featured at the inauguration, the Republican president has tapped more than a dozen billionaires for prominent roles. Democratic strategist Andrew Bates, who left his job as a White House spokesman on Friday, attacked Trumps GOP for partying with rightwing billionaires on their first day in control of Washington and plotting tax welfare for the super rich on Day 2. Republicans have revealed their establishment-bought true colors and are selling out every American except their well-connected donors, Bates said. The party remains fractured Crockett, who has become one of her partys most visible messengers on Capitol Hill, is concerned that the focus on billionaires might not resonate with average voters, who likely didnt recognize Bezos or other tech executives at the inauguration. Im not sure average people know thats not normal, Crockett said of the seating arrangement. The brilliance of Trump, if I had to give him accolades, is that he understands how much people dont understand. Even under normal circumstances, a transition to a new presidential administration would bring a flurry of executive orders and personnel changes that would be difficult to track. But little is normal about the second incarnation of President Trump, a 78-year-old term-limited outsider at the height of his political power with little regard for political norms or legal consequences. Everyones reeling and trying to process the information coming at them, said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the progressive advocacy group Our Revolution. People are not confident that the Democratic Party knows what to do in this moment. Some prominent allies of the Democratic Party arent especially engaged either. Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, who was among Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris most visible surrogates last fall, downplayed the impact of Trumps early moves when asked to weigh in. He hasnt really done anything yet, Cuban told The Associated Press. Ill pay attention to what he does. But my focus is figuring out healthcare rather than getting mad about what he does. Just getting angry, Cuban continued, is not the way to go. Faiz Shakir, a candidate for DNC chair and a longtime ally of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said he was shocked by the prominent placement of the billionaires in the nationally televised event, which he said threatened to undermine Trumps popularity with working-class voters. He has given people a window into how hes going to govern, Shakir said. Still, he acknowledged that Democrats must confront fatigue and exhaustion within their own ranks that lingers two months after Trumps victory: Theres a creeping hopelessness that needs to be fought against. Crockett encouraged her party to adopt a much more organized campaign to educate the public about Trumps three most egregious moves. What are they? Shes not sure yet. But in my opinion, we cant fight it all, she said. (AP) President Donald Trump says his administration will move to revoke the security clearances of the more than four dozen former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop saga bore the hallmarks of a Russian information operation. The action is an early indication of the presidents determination to exact retribution on perceived adversaries and is the latest point of tension between Trump and an intelligence community of which he has been openly disdainful. The sweeping move, announced via executive order Monday, also sets up a potential court challenge from ex-officials seeking to maintain access to sensitive government information. The president has a lot of authority when it comes to security clearances. The problem the White House will run into is, if they depart from their existing procedures, they could set up a judicial appeal for these 51 people and it will probably be a class-action suit since theyre all in alike or similar circumstances, said Dan Meyer, a Washington lawyer who specializes in the security clearance and background check process. The executive order targets the clearances of 50 people in all, including the 49 surviving signatories of the letter. The list includes prominent officials like James Clapper, the director of national intelligence under former President Barack Obama, and John Brennan and Leon Panetta, who both served as Obamas CIA director. Also targeted is John Bolton, who was fired as Trumps national security adviser during his first term and later wrote a book whose publication the White House unsuccessfully sought to block on grounds that it disclosed national security information. Separately this week, Trump abruptly ended the U.S. Secret Service detail assigned to Bolton, who has been the subject of assassination plots by Iran. Bolton said in a statement that he was disappointed but not surprised by the decision. The order directs the CIA to work with the office of the Director of National Intelligence to begin the process of revoking the clearances. It was not clear how many of the former officials still maintain security clearances, though Mark Zaid, who represents eight people who signed the letter, said that he did not believe many did and that the Trumps action functioned largely as a public policy message to his right-wing base He said he would sue the administration on behalf of any client who wanted to challenge the order. Theres nothing in this that shows me, regardless of presidential authority, that this action is not subject to existing law and policy that mandates procedural and substantive due process, Zaid said. A Clinton-era executive order says people determined to be ineligible for a clearance are to be provided a comprehensive and detailed explanation of the conclusion. At issue is an October 2020 letter signed by former intelligence officials who raised alarms about the provenance of emails reported by The New York Post to have come from a laptop that President Joe Bidens son, Hunter, had dropped off at a Wilmington, Delaware, computer repair shop. The newspaper said it had obtained a hard drive of the laptop from longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, and the communications that it published related to Hunter Bidens business dealings in Ukraine. The signatories of the letter wrote that they didnt know whether the emails were authentic or not but that their emergence has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation. But Trumps director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe also his current pick to lead the CIA contradicted that assessment by saying there was no intelligence to support the idea that Russia had anything to do with Hunter Bidens laptop. The FBI, which was conducting its own criminal investigations into the younger Biden, seemed to back up Ratcliffes statement by telling Congress in a letter it had nothing to add to what he had said. Hunter Biden was subsequently convicted of both tax and gun charges, but was pardoned last month by his father. Though courts are historically reluctant to weigh in on disputes involving security clearances, the unilateral suspension by Trump is a departure from standard protocol in which individual executive branch agencies would be tasked with creating an investigation into a persons fitness for a clearance or whether it should be revoked. Throughout his first presidency, Trump fumed about an intelligence community that he believed had been politicized against him, repeatedly citing the investigation into ties between Russia and his 2016 campaign. (AP) In the wake of Donald Trumps inauguration for a historic second term as President of the United States, reports suggest preparations are underway for a high-profile visit to the Ohel, a site of profound spiritual significance to the Chabad-Lubavitch community. Ariel Kahana, Diplomatic and White House Correspondent for Israel Hayom, reported from Washington, D.C., that President Trump is expected to visit the Ohel in the coming days. This visit would fulfill a promise he made during a campaign trip to the site on October 7, coinciding with the Aseres Yemei Teshuva and the Gregorian calendar anniversary of the Simchas Torah massacre in Israel. During his October visit, Trump was accompanied by families of hostages, Chabad leaders, and commentator Ben Shapiro. At the time, his campaign faced steep challenges, with polls favoring his opponent. Trump reportedly pledged to return to the Ohel to thank the Rebbe if he secured victory. Following the visit, his campaign saw a dramatic turnaround, with polls swinging decisively in his favor, ultimately leading to his re-election. While preparations near the Ohel have been observed, the nature of the visit remains uncertain. Ariel Kahana shared an updated message with Anash.org, saying, Preparations are being made for a high-profile visit to the Ohel, but it does not necessarily involve the President. Trump himself announced travel plans to North Carolina, Los Angeles, and Nevada later this week. Speculation has shifted toward the possibility of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump visiting the Ohel, with reports also mentioning Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential visitors. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Australian federal police launched an investigation regarding suspicions that the recent antisemitic attacks in the country are funded by overseas actors. According to a report by Australian media outlet 9News, the overseas actors may be paying local criminals, sometimes in cryptocurrency, to carry out the attacks. Following the most recent attack on a daycare in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened Australias national cabinet. A decision was made at the meeting to establish a national database to track antisemitic crime and other antisemitic incidents and behaviors. Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw said on Tuesday evening: There is no doubt there is an escalation of antisemitism in Australia. We know this is changing the movements and behavior of a community that is in fearantisemitism is a disease in our community, and it needs to be aggressively attacked. Albanese had previously established Operation Avalite on December 9 to investigate violence and hatred towards Jews in Australia. At the national cabinet meeting, Kershaw revealed that the police were investigating 15 out of 166 reports received since the operations was established. He added that in New South Wales, a similar operation had led to 36 people being charged with antisemitism-related crimes and a Victoria-based taskforce had made 70 arrests. Kershaw scheduled a meeting with state police commissioners across the country to discuss other tactics or matters we can consider. Opposition leader Peter Dutton placed some of the blame for the antisemitic attacks on Albaneses anti-Israel policies. This is a national crisis. We are having rolling terrorist attacks in our community, and the prime minister is being dragged kicking and screaming to hold a meeting of our nations leaders, Dutton said at a rally on Tuesday. Following the fire deliberately set by mask-wearing perpetrators at a Melbourne shul last month, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu slammed the Australian government, saying that its impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government in Australia, including the scandalous decision to support the UN resolution calling on Israel to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territoryand preventing a former Israeli minister from entering the country. Anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism, Netanyahu concluded. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, admitted that his long-standing support for a two-state solution has been deeply shaken following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Herzog, a former leader of the Labor Party and a long-time advocate of the two-state solution, described the massacre as a wake-up call that has forced him to reassess the feasibility of peace under current circumstances. I supported the two-state solution many times in the past, Herzog acknowledged, but after October 7, I need to hear my neighbors clearly condemn such acts of terror. It is unacceptable under any norms. He noted the trauma Israelis have experienced and the unrealistic nature of expecting the nation to withdraw from settlements without significant guarantees for security. It doesnt make sense to Israelis. They need to see something that provides a sense of personal safety, he said. Herzog suggested that future discussions should focus on normalization agreements with Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, while addressing the Palestinian issue as a central part of these dialogues. On international relations, Herzog touched on the return of Donald Trump to the White House, highlighting the urgency of confronting Iran. Iran will be a main issue on his agenda very soon, Herzog said. Iran cannot have nuclear capabilities and must stop supporting its proxies and its axis of evil. He warned that Iran is working day and night to achieve nuclear weapons, making it a pressing threat. Herzog also commented on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, currently structured in three phases. Despite significant challenges, he expressed cautious optimism about the agreements potential to reach its final stage. There is a clear desire to move to the second phase. We meant it when we signed the agreement, Herzog said. However, Herzog criticized the disparity in the terms of the ceasefire, highlighting Israels release of over a thousand convicted terrorists in exchange for 33 Israeli civilians, women, and children held hostage. We are asking to release women and children, and for that, we are paying with barbaric terrorists, he said. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A stabbing attack in Tel Avivs bustling Nachalat Binyamin area on Monday night has left four people injured. According to Magen David Adom (MDA), the incident occurred at approximately 9:12 PM, with stabbings reported at two locations: Rechov Nachalat Binyamin and Rechov Kalisher. The victims include two men aged 24 and 28 in moderate condition, and two men aged 24 and 59 in good condition, MDA says. The suspected terrorist was neutralized by a bystandera woman who used a gun to stop the attacker. Authorities have praised her decisive actions, which likely prevented further casualties. The attacker behind this evenings stabbing in Tel Aviv has been identified as Abdelaziz Kaddi, 29, a Moroccan national who held a U.S. green card. According to an ID found on his body, he entered Israel on January 18 THREE DAYS AGO using a tourist visa. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel revealed that border control officers at Ben Gurion Airport initially refused entry to the terrorist but were overruled by security officials. According to Arbel, border officers identified the individual and handed him over to security officials for further questioning. Unfortunately, they decided to allow his entry into Israel, Arbel said. The minister has urged Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to launch an investigation into the incident, and said security services would draw lessons from it as soon as possible to prevent similar occurrences in the future. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Harvard University has reached settlements in two lawsuits accusing the institution of fostering antisemitism on campus. The lawsuits, filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, and Students Against Antisemitism, alleged a hostile educational environment for Jewish students. As part of the settlements, Harvard agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The university will also update its bullying policies with examples illustrating how Zionism is a central aspect of many Jewish identities. The updated policies explicitly state that conduct targeting Jewish or Israeli individuals, including Zionists, could violate Harvards non-discrimination rules. Examples include excluding Zionists from events, disseminating stereotypes about Zionists, or pressuring individuals perceived as Jewish or Israeli to declare their stance on Zionism. The settlement also includes plans to partner with a university in Israel, provide expert training for staff on antisemitism, and annually reaffirm its commitment to combating antisemitism. Todays settlement reflects Harvards enduring commitment to ensuring our Jewish students, faculty, and staff are embraced, respected, and supported, the university said in a statement. Marc Kasowitz, representing Students Against Antisemitism, praised the resolution. This agreement demonstrates meaningful actions to combat antisemitism, hate, and bias on college campuses, he said, encouraging other institutions to follow Harvards example. The settlements have drawn criticism from pro-Palestinian activists, who view the measures as controversial. Coinciding with Harvards announcement, a bipartisan Senate bill was reintroduced to simplify filing civil rights complaints against universities over discrimination tied to heritage. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The Knessets Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee convened on Tuesday to discuss the recruitment law presented last week by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz. Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon who attended the meeting, slammed the law, saying that Katzs plan to recruit 50% of bnei yeshivos within seven years is not enough to meet the armys needs and the Attorney-Generals office will knock down the law as illegal. Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein (Likud) sharply criticized Limons comments, saying that the Attorney-General will invalidate any law the government formulates. The head of the IDFs Personnel Directorate, Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, spoke, saying: If you tell me tomorrow morning to recruit the entire Chareidi community, Ill tell you that I need time to build facilities, staff, and more. On the other hand, if you give me time, I will conquer Yemen. We are making an enormous effort. I am convinced that as we progress and succeed in recruiting our Chareidi brothers, they will enlist with us. What we are preparing for them will enable successful recruitment. We have invested millions, tremendous resources, and will expand as needed. Bar Kalifa demanded more effective sanctions against Chareidim, saying: We will need much more effective sanctions that affect the individual so that it will really make an impact. The meeting became very heated when Yesh Atid MK Simon Davidson said:Ive already spoken about this to the head of the Education Committee if in the context of a Chareidi draft law, we dont do serious work regarding the issue of the chinuch of Chareidi children, we wont accomplish what we want. Ultimately, when a child grows up in Chareidi society and his parents were not in the army and his siblings were not in the army, and in school he doesnt learn about citizenship, Zionism, the Israeli flag, nor the meaning of the IDF he will reach the age of 18 and he wont want to serve in the IDF even if its imposed on him. Shas MK Yinon Azulai immediately reacted and cried out: You want to influence our chinuch! That is exactly the problem we are arguing about here, that you want to influence the chinuch of Chareidi children. Davidson responded: Definitely, definitely, definitely (we want to influence Chareidi chinuch). When Azulai responded: we wont let you harm our childrens education, the conversation turned into shouts and screams, with another Yesh Atid MK screaming that Chareidi children are harming the education of secular children by not serving in the IDF, and called Chareidim parasites. UTJ MK Yaakov Asher said: There are people sitting around this table who dont want a solution to the problem but to perpetuate the problem in order to bring down the government and harm the Chareidi public. Asher added: Threats of sanctions against children who have been educated since the day they were born that the Torah is what protects the people of Israel will not shake their emunah. Following the meeting, Katz spoke in the Knesset plenum, saying that he wants to preserve the Olam HaTorah but at the same time, called for sanctions against all yeshivos and individuals. In a few decades, the Chareidim will be a third of the countrys population, he said. We must ensure that they are integrated into significant security service and the economy of the State of Israel. For me, there are two principles the first is significant military recruitment to the IDF. The second is maintaining the Olam HaTorah. It is a tremendous endeavor which, in my eyes, is part of our being a Jewish state with connection and tradition. Both things are important. There is an opportunity here to create a broad consensus. I announced in the committee that if I see during the legislation that I cannot achieve one of the two goals I will stop the legislation. Every year, there will need to be compliance with targets set by the committee, not in a few years. There will be sanctions on the institutions. Even if some of the yeshivos meet the target, all the yeshivos will be sanctioned if they do not meet the targets together. Additionally, an individual who does not study and does not serve I will impose sanctions on them. Anyone who claims they can recruit 100% of the Chareidim please go ahead and recruit. The law allows it today. But today, we are not even meeting the target of 4,800. The real chance to create a turning point and revolution regarding recruitment is through agreement and dialogue. This is a moment of opportunity that has not existed in the past. There is also something astonishing Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Mira refuses to speak to me about the recruitment law, Katz concluded. Edelstein announced later that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will resume work on the Chareidi draft law next week. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar recently held discussions in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, focusing on security arrangements for key areas along the Gaza-Egypt border, according to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat. Discussions centered on the Philadelphi Corridor, a stretch parallel to the Gaza-Egypt border, and the Rafah Crossing, a critical passage point for people and goods. A source revealed to the publication that an agreement was reached for the Palestinian Authority to manage the Rafah Crossing under international supervision led by the United Nations. As part of the arrangement, Egypt would help establish a comprehensive inspection system for the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern and southern Gaza. The inspections, to be conducted on vehicles crossing the corridor, would be managed by an Egyptian-American company. Under the terms of the agreement, the IDF is expected to withdraw from the corridor, with inspections focusing solely on vehicles while pedestrians would pass unchecked. However, no consensus was reached regarding the Philadelphi Corridor. Despite this, a source told Asharq Al-Awsat, The differences of opinion are technical, and they will be resolved. In response to the report, the Prime Ministers Office issued a statement on Wednesday morning, dismissing claims that the Palestinian Authority has full control over the Rafah Crossing. According to the statement: The report is incorrect despite efforts by the Palestinian Authority to create a false picture to the effect that it controls the crossing. According to the agreement, IDF forces are positioned around the crossing, and there is no passage without the supervision, oversight, and advance approval of the IDF and the ISA. The technical management inside the crossing is being carried out by Gazans not affiliated with Hamas, with security provided by the ISA, who have been managing civilian services in the Strip, such as electricity, water, and sewage, since the start of the war. Their work is supervised by the international EUBAM force. The only practical involvement of the Palestinian Authority is its stamp on the passports, which, according to the existing international arrangement, is the only way Gazans may leave the Strip to enter, or be received in, other countries. This procedure is correct for the first stage of the framework and will be evaluated in the future. Previously, a Hamas source indicated that the group did not object to the PA taking control of the Rafah Crossing. This aligns with Egypts position that the crossing should remain under Palestinian and Egyptian management, excluding Israeli involvement. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The Health Ministrys annual report highlights the severe toll of smoking in Israel, with approximately 8,000 deaths each year attributed to smoking-related illnesses. Alarmingly, 10% of these fatalities are nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke. According to the report, 23% of Israelis smoke daily, surpassing the OECD average of 20%. Additionally, 26% of the adult population is exposed to secondhand smoke, a known cause of cancer and other diseases. The report also reveals troubling trends among youth, with one in six children and teenagers experimenting with smoking, including electronic smoking products, whose use is on the rise. The smoking epidemic is one of the most destructive public health crises, stated Sharon Alroy Preis, head of the ministrys Public Health Division. E-cigarettes are seen as healthy products, but they are dangerous, especially for children and teenagers. In 2023, tobacco taxation generated NIS 8 billion in revenue, with over NIS 6 billion coming from imported cigarettes. Despite these financial gains, the ministry emphasized the urgent need to address the growing accessibility of smoking products, particularly to young people. Health Minister Uriel Busso outlined ongoing efforts to regulate and monitor the availability of smoking and nicotine products. A challenging road still lies ahead as we face sophisticated players, tobacco companies, new smoking products, and importers who are looking for every possible way to introduce their products to the market, he said. Busso urged Israelis to quit smoking, highlighting the free professional support available through the ministrys hotline and healthcare organizations. The ministrys campaign aims to raise awareness and combat the smoking epidemic, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and teenagers, who are at risk of long-term health consequences from early exposure to tobacco and nicotine products. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israeli security forces, including the IDF, ISA, and Israel Border Police, launched a large-scale counterterrorism operation dubbed Wall of Iron in the Jenin area on Tuesday, targeting terrorist infrastructure and neutralizing active threats. In the past 24 hours, over 10 terrorists have been targeted, multiple terror infrastructure sites struck, and numerous explosives planted by terrorists dismantled. The IDF said that the operation is still ongoing and will continue as long as necessary to achieve its objectives. The operation has clear objectives: to maintain the IDFs freedom of operation in all of Yehuda and Shomron and to destroy and neutralize terrorist infrastructure and ticking time bombs,' the IDF said in a statement. Operation Wall of Iron in the Jenin refugee camp will bring about a change in the IDFs security perspective, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said. We will not allow the arms of the Iranian octopus and radical Sunni Islam to endanger settlers or create an eastern terror front against the State of Israel. We will powerfully attack the arms of the octopus until they are cut off, he added. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu revealed that the operation is part of a broader strategy to strengthen security in Yehuda and Shomron, noting that it was approved by the Security Cabinet. We are working systematically and with determination against the Iranian axis in every place it sends its tendrils Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Yehuda and Shomron and theres more to come, Netanyahu said. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israeli-American Ari Fuld, Hyd, was murdered six years ago by a teenage Palestinian, Khalil Yusef Jabarin. Fuld, zl, died a hero as he managed to shoot Jabarin after he was stabbed, saving other people from being wounded or killed. However, Jabarin survived the shooting and was evacuated to the hospital. He was later convicted of Fulds murder and received a life sentence. But now Jabarin is slated to be freed in several weeks as part of the hostage deal. Arutz Sheva spoke to Eitan Fuld about how the family received the news of the release of Aris murderer: (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) BlackRock has reached an agreement with activist hedge fund Saba Capital which it hopes will protect its London-listed investment trusts from the disruption faced by peers. It comes as Herald Investment Trust shareholders face a vote over the company's future later today, amid Saba's plans to overhaul and seize the boards and management of seven London-listed funds. In four separate but near-identical statements published on Wednesday, BlackRock told Energy and Resources Income, American Income, Smaller Companies and World Mining investors that it had secured assurances from Saba it would not target the funds in a similar way. Saba has been building stakes in UK trusts sitting on high discounts to net asset value. The hedge fund, which critics accuse of 'self interest' and a cynical exploitation of low voter turnout, says it plans to merge 'some or all' seven investment trusts should it get its way in each vote. It will then build a portfolio made up of other London-listed investment trusts, which Saba says it will engage with to narrow discounts. BlackRock moves to protect London-listed hedge funds from Saba activism BlackRock Smaller Companies was one of 21 London-listed investment trusts highlighted by broker Peel Hunt as being potentially vulnerable to the Saba takeover attempt, with the hedge fund having taken a notable stake in the company. Saba does not currently hold stakes in the other three trusts. The asset management giant said Saba had agreed not to put forward 'any proposals to shareholders or requisition any resolution or general meeting' of each of the companies. Saba will not seek to make changes to the trusts' boards or try to influence management of the funds, according to BlackRock. The hedge fund has also agreed to back each board in any shareholder resolution, while refraining from targeting the trusts for short selling. 'Saba will not engage in any takeover offer for the company', BlackRock said of the agreement set to stay in place until 2027. BlackRock added: 'The company has given no monetary consideration to Saba or any of its affiliates in return for the benefits outlined above, and such benefits do not restrict the board's or the company's independence in any way. 'The board is committed at all times to exercising the best standards of corporate governance, promoting the success of the company and putting first the interests of shareholders as a whole.' KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 19:49 | All, Japan Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are considering a visit to Iwoto Island in April to pay respects to the victims of the fierce fighting in the closing stages of World War II 80 years ago, a source close to the matter said Wednesday. The Imperial Household Agency is also weighing trips by the imperial couple to other war-related sites, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two cities devastated by U.S. atomic bombings, and Okinawa, which saw a fierce ground battle between Japanese and U.S. troops, the source said. The emperor and empress are expected to make a one-day trip to the Pacific island, around 1,250 kilometers south of Tokyo, using a Self-Defense Forces aircraft, and pray for the war dead and lay flowers in front of two monuments. In the Battle of Iwo Jima, as the island was previously called, fighting continued for around a month after the U.S. forces landed in February 1945. About 21,900 Japanese soldiers and 7,000 U.S. soldiers died in the battle. Emperor Naruhito's parents, former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko, also visited Iwoto Island to mourn the war dead in 1994, the year before the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Related coverage: Japan's emperor eyeing visits to domestic war-related sites in 2025 Japan emperor reflects on children's dreams in poem Japan emperor wishes for peaceful year in New Year's address Doug Gurr, the former boss of Amazon UK, has been appointed as the Competition and Markets Authority's new chair following a dramatic Government intervention. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves' quest for 'growth' saw government ministers oust the CMA's former chair Marcus Bokkerink, who had held the post since 2022. Minsters ousted Bokkerink on Monday because they reportedly did not believe the CMA was sufficiently focused on growth under his watch. The CMA has been criticised by some for taking an overtly interventionist approach on matters such as Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and a probe into supermarket loyalty schemes. Speaking to This is Money, Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said the government had 'pulled no punches' when it comes to the shift in approach it is expecting regulators to make. As the Chancellor attempts to woo the business elite in Davos, she spoke to reporters about Bokkerink: 'He recognised it was time for him to move on and make way for somebody who does share the mission and the strategic direction that this government are taking.' Connections: Doug Kerr with the Princess of Wales at the Natural History Museum in 2021 Bokkerink was appointed as chairman in 2022 by then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, having previously been a senior partner at consulting giant Boston Consulting. The CMA's chief executive Sarah Cardell and other regulators met with Reeves and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds last week to deliver their ideas on how to stimulate growth. Reynolds said this week: 'We want to see regulators supercharging the economy with pro-business decisions that will drive prosperity and growth, putting more money in peoples pocket.' Who is Doug Gurr and can he deliver? As well as stimulating business investment, Gurr will be tasked with promoting competition and safeguarding consumers. As interim chair, 60-year-old Gurrs priorities look set to include guiding the CMA through its expanded digital oversight and grappling with big techs influence on markets. Gurr has decades of experience in commercial and cultural sectors. He is currently a director at the Natural History Museum and was previously the boss of Amazon UK and president of Amazon in China. His earlier roles included work in the civil service, being a partner at consultancy firm McKinsey and Company, director at Asda-Walmart and founder and chief executive of internet start-up Blueheath. Gurr has two degrees in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in computing from the University of Edinburgh, and previously taught mathematics and computing at the university of Aarhus in Denmark. According to the National Museum's website, Gurr is a former Scottish international triathlete, twelve times Ironman and a keen ski mountaineer. Hewson, of AJ Bell, told This is Money: 'Mr Gurrs background is not just in industry, but in big US tech. 'At a time when Donald Trump has signalled his administration will fling the doors wide open for business the UK has to try and compete if its to attract investment and stimulate growth. 'The competition watchdogs move to initially block Microsofts takeover of Activision Blizzard a couple of years ago was heavily criticised by the tech giant which said at the time it contradicted the UKs ambitions to become an attractive place to build technology businesses. 'The takeover was later cleared after the deal was restructured but it demonstrated how seriously the CMA took its role to protect the interests of the consumer and how far it was willing to go to stand up to big tech.' AJ Bell's Danni Hewson said the government had 'pulled no punches' in terms of demanding a shift in approach among regulators She added: 'The question now is how a similar situation might play out and whether having Mr Gurr at the top is a knee jerk reaction to get business back on side rather than a well thought out appointment that marries the two roles the watchdog is being asked to play.' Alex Haffner, a competition partner at Fladgate LLP, said: 'The announcement of the new Chair of the CMA cannot be pure coincidence, coming as it does at the same time as the UK Government is banging the drum for its growth agenda and calling regulators to account for their own policies on stimulating growth. 'Mr Gurr has been appointed on an interim basis suggesting this is not about succession planning and far more a reaction to current events. In a statement, Gurr said: 'I am honoured to be asked to Chair the CMA at this crucial time. 'I look forward to working with the strong leadership team to help deliver business investment and economic growth in a framework of effective competition and consumer protection.' 'His background is also unashamedly commercial as opposed to the consulting one of his predecessor.' Haffner added: 'What stakeholders will now be assessing is how the new appointment translates into the CMAs approach to enforcement. 'Recent signs are that it has taken heed of criticism of previous decisions and is perhaps more willing to be flexible the recent Vodafone / Three clearance decision being a case in point. 'However, the new Chair also takes on the role at a time when the CMA has taken on significant new powers under the Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Act, particularly in relation to its oversight of big tech meaning the CMA will likely become more activist, albeit giving considerable attention as to how to enforce in a way which best stimulates competition and therefore economic growth.' The Duke of Westminster has sold a 306million stake in his Mayfair estate to Norways oil fund. In the largest deal the billionaire aristocrats property company Grosvenor has ever struck with an outside investor, Norges Bank Investment Management has snapped up 25 per cent of a new joint venture, which is worth about 1.2billion. The Dukes 348-year-old family firm will continue to manage the 175 buildings in Londons West End. Grosvenors UK property boss James Raynor said: This brings together two deeply aligned, long-term investors who share huge confidence in the future of the West End and London. Jayesh Patel, at Norges a 1.4trillion sovereign wealth fund said it has confidence in the long-term value creation inherent in the West End. Grosvenor is owned by trusts, with one of its beneficiaries being Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, 34 the Kings godson and Britains 14th- richest person. Results for 2023 show its portfolio was worth 8.6billion. It reported a pre-tax loss of 28.6million. The News in Brief Thursday, January 23, 2025 Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the Gakharia - for Georgia party, has released a statement addressing the recent attack on him in Batumi. Gakharia linked the assault to Bidzina Ivanishvili, accusing him of orchestrating the attack as part of a prolonged campaign of threats against him and his family."I want to thank you once again for your support. Starting today, I am returning to my usual rhythm of work," Gakharia said. "As for the attack, it was a pre-planned, ambushed, political revenge. The person who ordered the attack is Bidzina Ivanishvili."Gakharia went on to explain that Ivanishvili had been threatening him and his family for a long time, in different ways, including publicly.He dismissed concern about the attackers themselves, focusing instead on Ivanishvili, who he claims is behind the violence. "I am dealing with a person who ordered attacks on me and violence against citizens," Gakharia stated.Regarding the investigation into the attack, Gakharia expressed doubt, suggesting that authorities might attempt to avoid accountability. "We give them the opportunity to save face and not become complicit in violent crimes," he concluded.On January 22, the Georgian State Security Service (SSSG) confirmed the release of two Georgian citizens, Aleksi Mamulia and Ivane Japiashvili, who had been illegally detained by Russian occupation forces. The men are now in Tbilisi-controlled territory.Mamulia and Japiashvili were detained near the village of Kvemo Nikozi, in Gori municipality, late last year. The occupying forces accused them of assisting military deserter Vladimir Mamardashvili, a fighter from the war in Ukraine, in crossing into Georgia's Tbilisi-controlled areas.The SSSG reported that their release was facilitated through the European Union Monitoring Mission's operational hotline mechanism, along with other diplomatic efforts by the Georgian government. The statement also emphasized that the responsibility for such actions in the occupied regions lies with the Russian occupying power."The central government, together with international partners, continues to work actively for the release of all citizens of Georgia illegally detained in the occupied territories," the SSSG concluded. By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 14:41 | All, World U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed Tuesday with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India to strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific, just hours after he was sworn in as Washington's top diplomat. Following a meeting of the grouping known as the Quad, the four foreign ministers released a joint statement saying that "the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity" should be upheld in the region, where China is increasingly seen as engaging in assertive behavior. The meeting in Washington was the first major diplomatic event of the second presidency of Donald Trump, a day after his inauguration. Rubio's discussions of key challenges in the Indo-Pacific with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar could signal that the Trump administration will be more supportive of multilateral cooperation than generally expected. Iwaya told reporters that "it was very meaningful" that Rubio's debut meeting was a Quad gathering and that the first joint statement of the new U.S. administration was released by the four countries. Iwaya said he believes the new administration places special value on the four-way partnership, noting that they agreed to meet together on a regular basis and prepare for the next summit to be hosted by India. The statement said the four countries "strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion" and remain committed to reinforcing "regional maritime, economic and technology security in the face of increasing threats." It did not single out any country. However, a Japanese official revealed that North Korea was on the agenda. The official disclosed their discussions covered the nuclear issue but added that Rubio did not characterize North Korea as a "nuclear power," when asked. On Monday, Trump had described North Korea as a "nuclear power" and said he believes the country's leader Kim Jong Un should be happy to see his return as "we got along very well" during the U.S. president's first term. It was unclear if his description of North Korea marked any departure from Washington's long-held position of not officially recognizing the country as a nuclear weapons state and aiming for its complete denuclearization. Rubio, a former Florida senator, has taken a hard-line approach to China that aligns with Trump's stance. In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, he said China is "the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary" the United States has ever confronted. Arriving at the State Department for his first day ahead of the meeting, Rubio delivered remarks in which he reminded officials that voters decide the course of the United States and they have elected Trump. "Our foreign policy is centered on one thing, and that is the advancement of our national interest," Rubio said, telling them also that "there will be changes" in the way the department operates, but such moves were not meant to be "destructive" or "punitive." He stressed that the department needs "to move faster than we ever have, because the world is changing faster than we ever have." The Quad was raised to the foreign ministerial level in 2019, during Trump's first presidency. His predecessor Joe Biden elevated the diplomatic partnership of the four democracies to the leader level in 2021 and hosted the first in-person Quad summit in September of that year in Washington. The Quad's origins date back to when the four countries coordinated their emergency responses and humanitarian aid following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Although the Quad is not a security alliance, it has often been regarded as a counterweight to China's growing influence. Its areas of cooperation have been expanding in recent years, ranging from maritime security and infrastructure to health protection and emerging technologies. The four countries have repeatedly underscored that they have come together to spread values such as democratic governance and the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, but China has criticized the Quad as an Asian version of NATO aimed at containing its growing influence. Biden hosted a Quad summit last September in his home state of Delaware, at which the leaders used some of the strongest language ever issued by the group. Without mentioning China by name, they voiced "serious concern" over "the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea." "We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including increasing use of dangerous maneuvers," they said. Notable new initiatives announced at the time included the launching of joint coast guard exercises. The move was seen as augmenting the security aspect of the Quad and sending a strong signal to China that its assertive maritime actions against smaller countries such as the Philippines were unacceptable. Related coverage: Ishiba hopes to work closely with Trump for robust Japan-U.S. ties Japan top business lobby urges Trump to promote investment with U.S. China calls for stable ties as South Korea, Taiwan congratulate Trump KYODO NEWS - Jan 23, 2025 - 01:54 | All, Japan A man was killed and two other people were injured in an apparent random stabbing incident on Wednesday evening near a train station in Nagano, a key transport hub for ski areas in central Japan, local police and fire authorities said. The police are searching for the attacker, who fled the scene near JR Nagano Station with a blade weapon-like object in his hand. An investigative source said the suspect apparently targeted people at random. The three people were attacked while they waited for a bus near the station and one of the victims, Hiroyoshi Maruyama, 49, died after being stabbed in the left side, the authorities said. Local fire authorities said they were alerted to the incident at around 8:05 p.m., when a caller reported that a man had lost consciousness and stopped breathing after being stabbed. Another man in his 30s sustained serious injuries after he was stabbed in the back, and a woman in her 30s was also injured after being attacked and falling, they added. One victim told investigators the suspect appeared to be in his 40s and escaped to the south in the city's downtown area, the police said. He was of slim build, between 165 and 175 centimeters tall, and wore glasses as well as something like a white cloth over his head, they said. Related coverage: Father pleads not guilty to aiding daughter over Sapporo beheading 8 students injured in hammer attack at univ. campus in Tokyo suburbs Arrested man faces murder charge over Japan McDonald's stabbings KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 16:17 | Arts, All, Japan A theme park in central Japan devoted to the world portrayed in Studio Ghibli's animation movies such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away" said Wednesday it will display a Citroen 2CV car once used by their director Hayao Miyazaki later this month. The French classic car will be exhibited at Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, one of the five areas of the park located in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture. Also on display from Jan. 29 will be a manga by Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli Inc., illustrating how he purchased the car to drop off and pick up his child at a nursery and gradually fell in love with it. "We would like to cherish it as a treasure of Ghibli Park forever," Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura told a press conference. The theme park was constructed by the prefectural government on the site of the 2005 World Expo. Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary director, said in a statement, "The 2CV car is no longer used by the Miyazaki family but it is packed with memories. I hope it will be cherished in Ghibli Park for the years to come." Omura also said tickets for accessing single areas will be sold from April onward. Previously, there were only tickets covering multiple areas. The Valley of Witches, featuring movies "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Howl's Moving Castle," became in March last year the last of the five areas to open. The other areas include Mononoke Village based on "Princess Mononoke," the Hill of Youth featuring films such as "Whisper of the Heart," and Dondoko Forest themed on "My Neighbor Totoro." Related coverage: Disney-themed Shinkansen trains to begin service in Japan from Feb. 21 Universal Studios Japan opens world's 1st Donkey Kong-themed area KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 10:03 | All, Japan Japan's annual spring wage negotiations began Wednesday, with the leaders of the country's top business lobby and biggest labor federation agreeing on the importance of maintaining momentum for pay hikes amid soaring prices. The focus is on whether an average wage increase of 5 percent or more, a level demanded by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, known as Rengo, will be agreed following significant increases in the past two years, observers said. The labor federation also said it is aiming for an average pay hike of 6 percent or more at small and medium-sized companies to narrow the wage gap with larger corporations, many of which are members of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren. "It is a responsibility for private firms to lead the Japanese economy to a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution by raising wages," Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the business lobby, said in a meeting with Rengo. Tomoko Yoshino, the head of Rengo, said, "We have to make sure pay increases spread to every corner of the country, including regional economies and small and medium-sized enterprises." The Bank of Japan, meanwhile, is closely monitoring wage trends to decide when to raise its policy rate from the current level of around 0.25 percent to prevent prices from rising sharply. The central bank is set to hold a two-day policy meeting starting Thursday. The average monthly wage increase at large companies in Japan was 5.58 percent last year, surpassing 5 percent for the first time in 33 years, according to a Keidanren tally. Smaller firms offered an average pay increase of 3.62 percent during the same period, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, indicating it is difficult for them to boost salaries as many are struggling to pass on higher costs to consumers. Related coverage: Japan bankruptcies top 10,000 in 2024 on labor shortage, weak yen Japan's household spending falls 0.4% in Nov., down 4th month in row By Satoshi Iizuka, KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 11:19 | All, Japan Appealing to Donald Trump's penchant for business dealmaking could provide a lifeline for Nippon Steel Corp.'s seemingly doomed $14.1 billion buyout of United States Steel Corp., some Japanese economists believe, giving some hope that the recently inaugurated president may overturn his predecessor's ban on the deal. While Trump publicly opposed the proposal in the lead-up to his return to the White House, he may change his mind if he comes to see the potential economic benefits the deal, which would create the world's third-largest steelmaker by volume, can provide for the United States, Hiroshi Watanabe, a senior economist at Sony Financial Holdings Inc., said. "Mr. Trump, who seeks investment from across the globe, should support the deal from a business perspective, as blocking it would contradict his 'America First' policies," Watanabe explained. Joe Biden issued an order to block the planned buyout earlier in January on national security grounds, prompting Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel to file lawsuits seeking to protect their merger plan. "We have a new president that will take a fresh look at this. We understand what his current views are, but he's a smart guy," a hopeful U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt told the CNBC business channel. At the request of the Japanese company, U.S. authorities extended a deadline imposed on the two steelmakers to abandon the merger plan, which was announced in December 2023, to June 18 from the initial date of Feb. 2. U.S. steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has made a counteroffer for U.S. Steel, with a plan to sell one of the purchased subsidiaries to rival Nucor Corp., CNBC reported. But Cleveland-Cliffs' proposal does not stack up financially. Its offer price would be in the high $30s per share, far less than the valuation price put forward by Nippon Steel at $55 per share, according to the report. In bidding for U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel outbid Cleveland-Cliffs which reportedly offered $35 per share. Any purchase of U.S. Steel carries risk as it is struggling with fierce price competition from China and is expecting to report a loss for the October-December quarter on falling steel prices and weak European demand. Analysts expect Nippon Steel would pump more resources into U.S. Steel than Cleveland-Cliffs, which may have no choice but to streamline operations at the Pittsburgh-based company. The Japanese steelmaker, the world's fourth largest, could create more synergies and jobs while Cleveland-Cliffs, the world's 22nd biggest, may find it difficult to produce the same results, they say. Makoto Ono, executive research officer at Mizuho Research & Technologies Ltd., said Trump would have to acknowledge that Nippon Steel's proposal is "more rational" than Cleveland-Cliffs' offer. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to play a key role in attempting to change Trump's mind by showing the benefits of the merger when he meets his counterpart, possibly as early as February, analysts say. During the U.S. presidential election campaign, Biden, Kamala Harris, who succeeded him as the Democratic presidential nominee just a few months before the election, and Republican Trump all opposed the takeover in hopes of securing votes from members of the politically influential United Steelworkers union. The Pittsburgh-based USW, with around 1.2 million members, represents workers in the steel and related industries, including U.S. Steel employees. It has voiced strong opposition to the acquisition by the Japanese company. In the November election, Pennsylvania, where the union and U.S. Steel are headquartered, was a key battleground state. Founded in 1901, U.S. Steel was once a symbol of American economic power. Biden described steelmaking as the "backbone of our nation" and said placing U.S. Steel under foreign control would create national security risks in terms of "supply chains." Nippon Steel proposed plans to gain support for the deal such as additional investments in U.S. Steel's mills and moving its U.S. subsidiary's head office to Pittsburgh. But Biden decided on Jan. 3 to block the buyout. Executives at Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel expressed hope that Trump might reconsider his predecessor's decision. But legal experts say that the court battles may be challenging. Ishiba's talks with Trump will be crucial, Mizuho's Ono said, adding that "it is desirable that Mr. Ishiba emphasizes the deal as a new beginning and symbol of the Japan-U.S. alliance in the business sector." Related coverage: Nippon Steel's trial against Biden set to start in early February Nippon Steel rebuts Cleveland-Cliffs' U.S. Steel takeover interest OPINION: Tune in to American populists KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 20:27 | All, Japan A man was arrested for kicking a rabbit on an island in western Japan, police said Wednesday, amid a spate of violence against the animals that has led to 77 deaths. Riku Hotta, 25, is suspected of animal abuse. He was apprehended immediately after being seen kicking the creature, which later died, on a street on Okuno Island in Hiroshima Prefecture around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The island is home to about 500 semi-wild rabbits. Between Nov. 26 and Jan. 12, 77 rabbit carcasses exhibiting broken bones and other injuries were discovered on the island, local authorities said, suggesting unnatural deaths. The islet is called "Rabbit Island." Hotta, a company employee, has admitted to the suspected animal abuse, according to the police. Related coverage: 12 referred to prosecutors over horse abuse in Japan shrine ritual One of the biggest corner restaurants in Kansas City is now nothing more than a memory but new ownership claims that it's all part of their renovation plans . . . Here's the story . . . "The restaurant, situated at the corner of Nichols Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, has occupied the Plaza since the early 2000s. It barely scraped through the COVID-19 pandemic after its parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and closed 71 of its 92 remaining restaurants, Restaurant Business Magazine reported. "Brios website confirms the closing, with Kansas Citys pin removed from the store locator map and no open hours listed. By Tuesday, crews had already taken the storefront sign down." More context and follow-up . . . The Plazas new ownership group, The Village Collection (the new name for HP Village Partners) told The Star more businesses will leave as an part of an effort to improve the space. Since the acquisition, Drew Steffen, chief executive officer of The Village Collection, said in a statement, our team has been hard at work envisioning the future of Country Club Plaza. We are eager to transform the Plaza to the gorgeous shopping and dining destination which everyone can be proud of. With that, Kansas Citians can expect to see some strategic closures as tenants leave or relocate to help pave the way for important renovations and improvements that will help us restore Country Club Plaza as the crown jewel of the Midwest. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . CLOSED: Brio Italian Grille is latest restaurant to leave Country Club Plaza behind "Sorry, this location has closed. Thank you for your patronage over the years. It was a pleasure serving you," reads the sign on the front door. KC restaurant closes on the Plaza after 20 years. Owner says more are on the way out Brio Italian Grille has closed its location in Kansas City, marking one of several business closings in the shopping district. More to come? CLOSED: Brio Italian Grille is latest restaurant to leave Country Club Plaza behind "Sorry, this location has closed. Thank you for your patronage over the years. It was a pleasure serving you," reads the sign on the front door. Developing . . . An online ruckus ALMOST explained by dead-tree media several days later . . . "In a leaked recording of a 2023 video call, Rep. Chris Croft promised to share information about how school districts could be dissolved through a petition process, saying he was "so stinkin' excited" by the prospect" Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Here's the thing that friends and neighbors should know if they don't already . . . MANY KANSAS CITY METRO POLICE STATIONS HAVE RESERVED PLACES IN THE PARKING LOTS FOR ONLINE TRADES!!! Take a look and the odds are really good that a nearby police station will briefly host a legit trade in their parking lot where help isn't too far away. At least KCPD has done as much at to of their stations. The location alone is safe enough to scare off most crooks. Meanwhile . . . We feel sorry for this dude who confronted hardcore lady thieves . . . Check-it . . . The incident began when the victim wanted to sell an iPad to someone over Facebook Marketplace. According to police reports, a gray Ford Escape carrying two female passengers approached the victim's vehicle. After initial negotiations, one of the suspects allegedly pepper-sprayed the victim and attempted to steal his phone and the advertised iPad. The victim was dragged as he tried to retrieve his property, sustaining multiple injuries, including fractures and lacerations. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 14:44 | World, All The top diplomats of Japan and the United States agreed Tuesday to elevate the bilateral relationship to "new heights" on all fronts and continue working multilaterally with like-minded countries such as the Philippines and South Korea, just a day after Donald Trump returned to the White House for a nonconsecutive second term. After holding talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters that they also agreed to continue making arrangements for a meeting between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump at an early date. North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs as well as issues related to China were among the topics covered by Iwaya and Rubio, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, adding they confirmed the further enhancement of the Japan-U.S. alliance's deterrence and response capabilities. Iwaya said he explained to Rubio that Japan has been dramatically increasing its defense spending. The U.S. State Department said the two discussed how their countries can cooperate to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, including "joint efforts against China's destabilizing actions." In addition, Rubio and Iwaya discussed China's support for Russia's defense industrial base and Pyongyang's political and security alignment with Moscow, it said. The Japanese ministry said they also agreed on the importance of addressing major challenges facing the region with "minilateral" cooperation involving three or four countries, such as Australia, the Philippines and South Korea, which Trump's predecessor Joe Biden aimed to strengthen during his term. While discussing economic issues, Iwaya said he asked the top U.S. diplomat to dispel concerns among Japanese companies about investing in the United States. The foreign minister's revelation came when he was asked whether Nippon Steel Corp.'s plan to acquire United States Steel Corp., blocked by Biden in early January, was on the agenda. He and Japanese officials declined to say whether Nippon Steel's plan, also opposed by Trump, was discussed and a senior Japanese official said neither side touched on Trump's pledge to impose higher import tariffs. During the meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes, Iwaya said he stressed that Japan had contributed to the U.S. economy as the largest investor for the last five years. On Tuesday, Iwaya also met with Trump's national security adviser, Michael Waltz, covering similar ground, according to the ministry. Iwaya reiterated that the Trump team's invitation for him to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony reflects the significance the new administration attaches to its relationship with Tokyo. Japan is exploring a meeting between Ishiba and Trump in the United States as early as the first half of February, according to government sources. Akihisa Nagashima, a special adviser to Ishiba, said on a Japanese TV program on Tuesday that the prime minister's team is preparing a package of investment proposals for his envisaged summit with Trump. The aide said Japan is set to invest in the United States in areas such as artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, adding the ongoing preparations are to enable Tokyo to "take the initiative in making proposals." During his U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing last week, Rubio, a Florida senator and longtime China hawk, proved knowledgeable about global issues. The confirmation process for Rubio, who was a senior member of both the chamber's foreign relations and intelligence committees, won bipartisan support and was one of the least contentious among Trump's Cabinet picks. In his announcement of Rubio's nomination for secretary of state in mid-November, Trump called him a "true friend" of U.S. allies. Trump's selection brought relief in Japan as Rubio has long advocated boosting cooperation with like-minded countries against mutual threats. At the time of former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official visit to the U.S. capital in April last year, Rubio issued a statement saying, "Japan's role as a key ally in matters of security, intelligence and economic affairs cannot be overstated" as countries across the Indo-Pacific face greater threats from China and North Korea. Related coverage: New top U.S. diplomat holds Quad talks with Japan, Australia, India Trump says considering additional 10% tariff on China from Feb. 1 For the longest time we've heard that the legal biz is a tough game . . . Every year there are more lawyers in school than those currently practicing their trade. However . . . Credit where it's due . . . Our main takeaway from this report is that now is a VERY GOOD time to be an immigration advocate . . . Here's a bit of description on the booming trade . . . Kansas City will be impacted by enforcement, according to the attorney. He believes the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) will start with undocumented immigrants who have removal orders. "You're going to see that [cost benefit] analysis gone. Everyone is targeted, everyone gets arrested and everyone in jail is now going to be taken in custody." The Attorney said. The attorney doesn't think undocumented immigrants will "self-surrender" as Trump ordered. "If you go and get fingerprinted and you're out of status, you're gonna be put in removal proceedings to say, 'Well, now tell a judge why you get to stay in the United States.'" The law firm has been getting non-stop questions to their office from people wondering how immigration enforcement will change. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Actually, local voters might remember that we've been talking about this power move for at least a couple of years . . . This time around it might actually happen. Here's the preview for this session . . . Amid intense outcry from Jackson County homeowners after a dramatic increase in property assessments in 2023, Missouri state lawmakers from the Kansas City-area are under pressure to do something. Lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, have filed a slew of constitutional amendments that would make the countys assessor an elected position. The proposed amendments come as Jackson County remains the only charter county in the state with an appointed assessor. Supporters of changing that arrangement, including top leaders in the House and Senate, say the position should be directly accountable to voters. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Amid a dearth of leadership and widespread disarray in the Democratic Party . . . Fringe political leaders have stepped up to offer their "advocacy" against the current administration. Here's another peek at their efforts . . . The crowd at Ilus W. Davis Park in front of City Hall chanted, No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here and The people, united, will never be defeated. Mondays protest was organized by the Kansas City branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Free Palestine KC, About Face KC, the Kansas City Green Party, Democratic Socialists of America KC, the Trans Protection Party, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace KC and Peaceworks KC. Activists stressed the importance of coming together to oppose the Trump administrations planned policies targeting vulnerable communities, immigrants and people of color. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . There's a lot of reasons this is dumb but here's the most important . . . Insiders tell us that Jackson County has NEVER passed the kind of tax that these environmental activists demand. Basically . . . Leaders at the courthouse see this as a fringe movement with no real negotiating power and mostly social media tactics . . . And what they're asking for doesn't even exist. In fairness, here's what that activists had to say recently . . . "We showed up outside County Executive @frankwhitekc home early this morning to let him know its no business as usual while he lets our bus system die. "With 1 week left to take action, its time for the County politician to wake up to the devastating impacts of his inability to fund buses. We are on the verge of the biggest local transit system collapse since the original streetcar system was ripped out. "January 28th is the deadline for Jackson County politicians to put bus funding on Aprils ballot and avoid 1/3 of KC bus service from being further cut in addition to the cities across the county that have already ended their bus service like Independence, Raytown and more." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Sunrise Movement KC: Frank White, Jr: WAKE UP Recently, the group posted video of their latest action . . . Developing . . . RAK Properties, Ras Al Khaimahs leading publicly listed property developer, has unveiled its flagship masterplan, Mina a premier island lifestyle destination. Mina, set across a land area of 4 million sq m and comprising three districts Raha Island, Hayat Island, and Lagoons, is situated along the pristine coastline of Ras Al Khaimah, and is in close proximity to the emirates major economic drivers. Mina, the focus of a AED5 billion ($1.36 billion) gross development value (GDV) pipeline for 2025, is at the heart of RAK Properties transformative growth agenda which is built upon delivering a dynamic hub for authentic island living, sustainable development, connectivity and an unparalleled sense of community, said RAK Properties. The first new project to be launched within Mina in 2025 is Mirasol, located on Raha Island a resort inspired living concept, and incorporating a restaurant being developed in partnership with Spanish Michelin star chef Vicente Torres. Sameh Muhtadi, CEO of RAK Properties said: We are proud to unveil Mina our vision for the future in Ras Al Khaimah. Thriving community, exceptional experiences, a people first emphasis on design, and world class partners are the cornerstones for this vision. The launch of Mirasol is a key component of our AED5 billion 2025 residential development launch pipeline. Combining this with our plans to create new amenities within Mina the yacht club, wharf, marina boulevard, and multiple beach clubs our transformation agenda is clear for everyone to see. With this active programme of new product launches as well as completions and handovers - we look forward to welcoming more and more customers into Ras Al Khaimah to enjoy some of the very best hospitality and residential experiences on offer in the UAE. Mina a vision for the future A number of new additions to Mina are making it more attractive to residents, tourists and investors alike. Such additions include the Mina Yacht Club and Mina Wharf. Suitable for luxury motor yachts as well as sailboats, these two amenities activate Minas waterfront, and take advantage of some of the best sailing conditions in the UAE. Connecting the yacht club and wharf is Mina Boulevard a vibrant, dynamic, walkable, shopping and dining destination which will transform Raha Island into a lively social hub. Mina will feature a combination of community and destination retail experiences spread across 137 outlets and a combined 23,000 sqm of net leasable area. Mina aims to redefine coastal living, prioritising sustainability, connectivity, and community. The development features a diverse range of luxury residences, from elegant waterfront villas to exclusive branded apartments, all with easy access to pristine beaches and serene green spaces. Notable properties include the ultra-luxury NB Collection and two operational luxury hotels InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Resort & Spa and Anantara Mina Ras Al Khaimah Resort. To complement the current portfolio of established hospitality brands on Mina, RAK Properties is set to announce major luxury hotel partnerships within the quarter. Complementing Mina's residential offerings is a curated collection of lifestyle outlets. Residents and visitors can enjoy a variety of beach clubs, fine dining restaurants, and casual cafes, all within easy reach. These vibrant spaces will foster a sense of community and provide ample opportunity for relaxation and recreation. Every element of Mina is designed with sustainability at its core. Accessibility is a key focus, with infrastructure that supports a car-free lifestyle. Mina is committed to preserving its natural surroundings, with protected mangrove forests, vibrant greenery and trees, and eco-friendly construction practices. The masterplan marks a new chapter for investors seeking opportunities in Ras Al Khaimahs expanding real estate market. Mina presents attractive options for those interested in permanent residences, holiday homes, or high-return investments, all supported by Ras Al Khaimahs growing economy and strategic location, the developer said. Mirasol resort style living at its finest Further enriching the Mina community is the launch of Mirasol, a new resort style living concept, and a fresh perspective on luxury living. Featuring a range of studios, apartments and duplexes and scheduled for handover in the first half of 2028, Mirasol residents will enjoy incredible views as well as seamless access to all of Minas amenities and attractions. Anchored by a central podium, this two-tower, 339-unit community will include an oasis style swimming pool and sunken beds, open air cinema, yoga studio, childrens play area and splash pool, and lounge bar. Further elevating the resort-inspired living opportunity at Mirasol is a restaurant being developed in partnership with famed Spanish chef and hailing from Ibiza Vicente Torres. Michelin star chef Torres is known for collaborating with producers and artisans across the world to bring new culinary experiences to his diners. Mirasol is the first project to be launched by RAK Properties as part of its 2025 development launch pipeline. Construction is progressing rapidly across all active projects, with one of the companys most active handover periods expected this year, it said. -TradeArabia News Service KYODO NEWS - Jan 22, 2025 - 12:16 | All, Japan Japanese Emperor Naruhito, in a poem recited at the annual New Year's Poetry Reading on Wednesday, expressed how he was heartened to see children talk about their dreams for the future during official visits across Japan. The emperor and Empress Masako visited Ishikawa Prefecture three times to comfort victims of the major earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day last year. The couple also made official trips to Okayama, Saga, Gifu and Oita prefectures. The ceremony at the Imperial Palace was also attended for the first time by the emperor's daughter, Princess Aiko, who started working at the Japanese Red Cross Society last spring. Among other attendees were the empress, Crown Prince Fumihito, his wife Princess Kiko and members of the general public whose poems were selected. The theme of this year's poems at the reading was "yume," which means "dream." The official translation of the poem written by the emperor and provided by the Imperial Household Agency reads as follows: The children I met on my journeys Talked with sparkling eyes Of their dreams for the future Empress Masako's poem reminisced about her time as a student at Britain's University of Oxford, which she visited last June for the first time in 34 years, along with the emperor, who also studied at the university. Some thirty years after my departure I visit with His Majesty Our Alma Mater in Britain And I recall the youthful dreams I dreamt then Princess Aiko used her poem to convey how she felt upon graduating from Gakushuin University last year. Until the day we meet again My friends and I will Each follow our dreams Compositions by imperial family members and 10 pieces chosen from among 16,250 entries submitted by the public were read in the traditional style at the reading. Waka poetry was developed by the court aristocracy in ancient Japan. A "tanka" poem, the most common form of waka, consists of 31 syllables in a pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. Related coverage: Japan emperor wishes for peaceful year in New Year's address Japan emperor calls for unity in 2025 in face of ongoing challenges Prince Hisahito, 2nd in line to throne, to enroll in Univ. of Tsukuba Late-night hustle, a "health check" for high-speed trains. Follow Rick to the Beijing North EMU Depot, where dedicated workers inspect every inch of the trains. See how these teams ensure safe journeys for hundreds of millions during the Spring Festival travel rush. Produced by Xinhua Global Service SYDNEY, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Four people have been hospitalized after a car crashed into a house in Australia's state of Victoria early Wednesday, local media reported. Victorian police said that the car hit a house in Hampton Park, 36 km southeast of central Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, at about 4:30 a.m. local time. The two occupants of the vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment. Two people inside the house at the time were not injured but were hospitalized for assessment. Victoria Police said that the car flipped onto its roof following the impact. State Emergency Service Commander Scott Bernard told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that the car had hit the corner of the house's lounge room. He said that authorities at the scene were working to stabilize and secure the damaged area. Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the crash. 33rd annual Science for Alaska talks and events announced Photo by LJ Evans UAF professor Franz Meyer presents Launching NISAR: NASAs Biggest Earth Observation Mission as part of the 2024 Science for Alaska talk series. The 2025 talk series begins with a kickoff event on Thursday, Jan. 30, at Black Spruce Brewing Co. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute will host free public science talks over the next few weeks, featuring Alaska stories from author Ned Rozell, Alaska landscape changes as seen from space, a conversation with two UAF rocket scientists and Alaskas Mount Churchill volcano. For over 30 years, the Geophysical Institute has hosted the Science for Alaska talk series as one of its largest public outreach efforts. The series brings information about current research to Alaskans from scientists with expertise across the state. To celebrate the start of the series, Science for Alaska is offering a free K-12 planetarium event and a fun evening of flash talks at Black Spruce Brewing Co. These events are in person only. Tuesday, Jan. 28: An Afternoon of Family Science , 3-5 p.m., Nordale Education Center. Want to stargaze inside a planetarium and learn about Alaska science research? Fairbanks BEST Homeschool joins the Geophysical Institute for exploration and hands-on activities at this free, all-ages event. Bring your family and friends! Join the event on Facebook . Want to stargaze inside a planetarium and learn about Alaska science research? Thursday, Jan. 30: Science for Alaska Kickoff , 6:30-8 p.m., Black Spruce Brewing Co., 3290 Peger Road. Enjoy a storytelling evening of several short, engaging science talks covering mountain permafrost, traveling Alaska as a field engineer maintaining seismic instruments, the importance of satellite data in Alaska, Pavlof Volcano and more. All ages welcome. Join the event on Facebook. The traditional 2025 Science for Alaska lecture series begins Tuesday, Feb. 4, and runs every Tuesday through Feb. 25. Talks start at 7 p.m. in the UAF Schaible Auditorium, 232 Tanana Loop, and will be streamed live to Zoom and the UAF and Geophysical Institute Facebook pages. On-campus parking is always free after 5 p.m. Presenters will answer questions after each talk. Register here to watch on Zoom. Here are the 2025 Tuesday lectures and dates: Feb. 4: Aleutians to Arctic Coast: Covering Alaska Science for 30 Years , Ned Rozell, Alaska Science Forum author, Geophysical Institute , Feb. 11: Alaska Changes as Seen from Space: Leaf Miners, Beavers & Rusting Rivers , Emily Graham, doctoral student, UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics , Feb. 18: Why Space Weather Matters to Alaska: A Conversation with UAF Rocket Scientists , Mark Conde, professor, Geophysical Institute, and Kylee Branning, doctoral student, UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics , Feb. 25: An Explosive History: Alaskas Mount Churchill Volcano, Jessica Larsen, professor, Geophysical Institute Lecture recordings can be viewed on the Science for Alaska website or the Geophysical Institute YouTube channel in March after the series concludes. For more about the lectures and videos of past talks, visit the website or the Geophysical Institute Facebook page @UAF.GI. Join the 2025 event on Facebook for updates. Download the 2025 event series flyer. The 2025 Science for Alaska events are sponsored by the Triplehorn family, Lifewater Engineering Co., the Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu Endowment and the UAF Geophysical Institute. 154-25 Veteran reporter named to Snedden Endowed Chair of Journalism The University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Science and Environmental Journalism has named Paula Dobbyn to the Snedden Endowed Chair of Journalism for the 2024-2027 term. Photo by Loren Holmes Paula Dobbyn Dobbyn, an award-winning journalist with more than three decades of experience, brings a wealth of expertise in print, broadcast and digital media. Most recently, she was part of the Honolulu Civil Beat team recognized as Pulitzer Prize finalists for breaking news coverage of the 2023 Lahaina wildfire in Maui. A longtime Alaskan, Dobbyn has worked for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaskas News Source television in Anchorage and KTOO public media in Juneau. She began her career covering conflict in Central America as a freelance journalist and also worked in public broadcast media in Washington, D.C., and Boston before coming to Alaska. This spring, Dobbyn is teaching two classes Media and Culture, and Public Relations and Public Information in the Sciences offering students practical insights into the evolving media landscape and effective communication strategies. Her appointment advances the mission of the recently restructured UAF Department of Science and Environmental Journalism. The department prepares students for careers in media with an emphasis in science, including websites, newspapers, magazines, radio and television, and in other fields such as public relations, education and filmmaking. The Snedden Endowed Chair of Journalism, made possible by a donation from the late Helen Snedden in memory of her husband, Charles Willis "Bill" Snedden, funds a revolving faculty position for distinguished journalists in the UAF department. The endowment also sponsors an annual lecture that has brought 13 Pulitzer Prize winners to UAF. For more information about the Snedden chair, the new program or how to register for classes, contact the UAF Department of Science and Environmental Journalism at uaf-journalism@alaska.edu. 153-25 Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Maharashtra: 12 killed in mishap involving two trains As many as 12 passengers were killed after they jumped off a train following blaze rumour only to run over by another train near Jalgaon Wednesday January 22, 2025 Thursday January 23, 2025 0:11 AM , ummid.com News Network Jalgaon (Maharashtra): As many as 12 passengers were killed after they jumped off a train following blaze rumour only to run over by another train near Jalgaon Wednesday January 22, 2025. There were chaos and panic that led the passengers to jump off the Pushpak Express reportedly following rumours of fire. The panicked passengers were however run over by the Karnataka Express on the adjacent tracks, Jalgaon District Collector Ayush Prasad said. Over 10 other passengers have been injured in the tragic incident that occurred around 04:50 PM near Pardhade Railway Station, Pachora Taluka in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. The injured passengers have been admitted to Pachora Rural Hospital and some private hospitals, Jalgaon MLA and Minister Girish Mahajan said. "Necessary instructions have been given to the concerned medical officers to ensure that everyone gets the best treatment", Mahajan said. The Pushpak Express, which was heading towards Mumbai, had halted near Pardhade Railway Station, seemingly due to some ongoing track work. As the train came to a halt all of a sudden, sparks flew and some passengers thought there was a fire. They jumped off the train and were crushed by the incoming Karnataka Express, eyewitnesses said. "We are closely monitoring the situation, and all necessary assistance and help is being provided without delay", Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. "The district administration, in close co-ordination with the railway authorities, is ensuring swift action for ensuring treatment of the injured persons", he added. The Maharashtra government has also ordered a probe into the tragic incident. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Prof Dupuis, Prof Duarte win 2025 Japan Prize Prof. Russell Dean Dupuis of the USA and Prof. Carlos M. Duarte of Spain have been adjudged winners of the Japan Prize 2025, the Japan Prize Foundation announced Wednesday Wednesday January 22, 2025 8:20 PM , ummid.com News Network Tokyo: Prof. Russell Dean Dupuis of the USA and Prof. Carlos M. Duarte of Spain have been adjudged winners of the Japan Prize 2025, the Japan Prize Foundation announced Wednesday. Prof. Russell Dean Dupuis of the USA has been awarded the Japan Prize in the fields of Materials Sciences and Production. Prof. Russell Dean Dupuis For this year's Japan Prize, Prof. Dupuis is being recognized for his distinguished contributions to the development of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technology for compound semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic devices, and pioneering contribution to its large-scale commercialization, the foundation said. Prof. Carlos M. Duarte On the other hand, Prof. Carlos M. Duarte of Spain has been awarded the Japan Prize in the fields of Biological Production, Ecology/Environment, the foundation said. Prof. Duarte is being recognized for his contribution to the understanding of marine ecosystems in a changing Earth, especially through pioneering research on Blue Carbon, the Japan Prize Foundation said. The Foundation had asked about 15,500 prominent Scientists and Engineers from around the world to nominate researchers working in this year's fields for this year's Japan Prize. In response, it received 149 nominations for the fields of Materials Sciences and Production, and 72 nominations for the fields of Biological Production, Ecology/Environment. About Japan Prize The Japan Prize was established in 1981 motivated by the Japanese government's desire to create an internationally recognized award that would contribute to scientific and technological development around the world. With the support of numerous donations, the Japan Prize Foundation received endorsement from the Cabinet Office in 1983. The Japan Prize is awarded to scientists and engineers from around the world who have made creative and dramatic achievements that help progress their fields and contribute significantly to realizing peace and prosperity for all humanity. The winners were selected from a total of 221 nominees. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. CARACAS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government on Tuesday expressed its strong rejection of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to reinclude Cuba in the list of state sponsors of terrorism. "This unfounded and arbitrary measure represents an act of hostility that contradicts the principles of international law and undermines global efforts for peace and cooperation," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Venezuela firmly condemns this unjust act and calls on the peoples and governments of the world to denounce and clearly reject such decisions, which violate the principles of sovereignty and seek to justify the inhumane blockade against the Cuban people," the statement emphasized. The Venezuelan government reiterated its solidarity with the Caribbean nation and its commitment to defending "the self-determination of peoples against any attempt at imperialist domination." In the final days of his administration, Joe Biden removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, but Trump reversed the decision on his first day in office. U.S. leaves WHO, derecognises TRANS as gender Donald Trump Tuesday January 21, 2025 announced the United States is leaving World Health Organisation (WHO) and also derecognised TRANS as gender Wednesday January 22, 2025 9:05 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies [Daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner with U.S. President Trump in White House. (Image shared by Jared Kushner)] Washington: Donald Trump Tuesday January 21, 2025 announced the United States is leaving World Health Organisation (WHO) and also derecognised TRANS as gender. From today there will be only two genders in the United States of America male and female, Trump had said while addressing the Inaugural Ceremony Monday . A day later he signed an Executive Order to formalise this. About 1.14% of the U.S. adult population identifies as transgender, according to the Household Pulse Survey in June 2024. This is equivalent to approximately 3 million adults. Trump's executive order has put a big question mark on their identity. The Trump administration has also announced ending Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, popularly known as DEI Initiatives, in the federal government. The administration has directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off. The U.S. government departments and key members of the corporate sector were quietly dialling back their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives or DEI initiatives following Trump's re-election in November . The executive orders signed Tuesday will only speed up this process. U.S. withdraws from WHO In a number of executive orders that he signed on his first day in office, Trump also said the United States will not have any association with the WHO. "Oooh, that's a big one," the newly inaugurated US president said as he approved the document after arriving back at the White House. This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO. Trump was critical of how the international body handled Covid-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic. President Joe Biden later reversed that decision. Carrying out this executive action on day one makes it more likely the US will formally leave the global agency, according to BBC. "They wanted us back so badly so we'll see what happens," Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the WHO, perhaps hinting the US might return eventually. Other Executive Orders Trump signed on 1st day The other executive orders Trump signed on the first day of his presidency involved 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they shun US dollar and go ahead with their own currency, ending U.S. citizenship on the merit of birth, directives aimed at Restoring Freedom of Speech and preventing government censorship, climate change as well as ending the weaponization of government against political adversaries. Other notable orders include a Regulatory Freeze, which prevents bureaucrats from issuing new regulations until the Trump administration has full control of the government, and a Freeze on Federal Hiring, which halts all non-essential hiring until the administration's objectives are clear. Another immediate step is a requirement for federal workers to return to full-time, in-person work. Trump also announced withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, informing the United Nations of this decision through an official letter. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Tourists enjoy performances at Zhangjiajie Romance Park in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 21, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Wu Yongbing/Xinhua) An artist performs at the scenic spot named "the City of Tang Dynasty (618-907)" in Xiangyang City, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 21, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua) A woman in traditional costumes poses for pictures at the scenic spot named "the City of Tang Dynasty (618-907)" in Xiangyang City, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 21, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 22, 2025 shows folk artisans patrolling across a bridge in Fengqiao Town of Zhuji City, east China's Zhejiang Province. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Guo Bin/Xinhua) Folk artisans perform dragon dance at Pingyao Ancient Town in Jinzhong City, north China's Shanxi Province, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Liang Shengren/Xinhua) Tourists walk through a dragon-shaped lantern at Longting Park in Kaifeng of central China's Henan Province, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Li Junsheng/Xinhua) Folk artists perform at Xixiaying Manchu Township in Zunhua, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) Local villagers enjoy New Year feast at Pingyan Village of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Li Hanchi/Xinhua) A child is pictured during a local folk show at Lantian Yao Township, Lingchuan County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Liu Jiaoqing/Xinhua) Tourists enjoy the night view by taking bamboo rafts on Gongshui River in Xuanen County, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 21, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Song Wen/Xinhua) A girl is pictured during a local Spring Festival carnival in Gaomi of Weifang City, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Li Haitao/Xinhua) Ge Ying (L), a paper-cutting artisan, teaches people to make paper-cutting works marking the Year of the Snake in Tangshan City of north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Zhu Dayong/Xinhua) An artisan displays snake toys made of cloth in Binzhou, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 21, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Chu Baorui/Xinhua) Local residents perform dragon dance to celebrate the traditional Chinese Xiaonian festival, which marks the start of the countdown to Chinese New Year, in Boai County of Jiaozuo City, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 22, 2025. As the 2025 Chinese New Year will fall on Jan. 29, excitement is palpable everywhere in China. The Chinese people immerse themselves in traditional customs and partake in the festivities. The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on next Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (Photo by Cheng Quan/Xinhua) SINGAPORE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Singapore Food Agency has announced a recall of a French soft cheese due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the agency reported that the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, a cross-border information network, had flagged the recall of "Nangis Lait Cru Truffe Noire 3%" from France. The affected cheese, made from raw milk filled with black truffle, was imported into Singapore. The agency has instructed the importer, the Cheese Shop Pte. Ltd., to remove the product from sale. Consumers who have purchased the cheese are advised not to consume it. Those who have already consumed the product and are concerned about their health should seek medical attention, the agency added. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. Symptoms of infection may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea. The illness can be particularly severe or fatal for pregnant women, infants, and individuals with weakened immune systems. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has successfully organised the first 'In Focus' session of 2025. The event was designed to assist Dubai-based companies in exploring opportunities for expansion in Angola, Mozambique, Thailand, and the Philippines. The session, which attracted a total of 160 participants from private sector companies in Dubai, showcased key trade opportunities, explored effective business strategies in each of the four markets, and discussed the current economic landscape and prospects of diverse industries. Salem Al Shamsi, Vice President of International Relations at Dubai Chambers, commented, "We remain committed to supporting Dubai's business community in expanding into global markets that offer promising trade and investment opportunities. By leveraging Dubai's unique advantages as a gateway for growth and impactful partnerships, the chamber aims to enhance foreign trade with countries around the world and contribute to the growth and diversification of the emirate's economy. " The session included a presentation highlighting the chamber's efforts to support the international expansion of Dubai-based companies, with a focus on emerging business opportunities available in Angola, Mozambique, Thailand, and the Philippines. This was followed by an interactive panel discussion that explored the trade and investment prospects in the four featured countries. The chamber's 'In Focus' sessions offer in-depth insights into promising markets for trade and investment expansion. Participants benefit from tailored recommendations throughout all stages of their external expansion journeys, ranging from timely market intelligence and business setup advice to guidance on establishing a presence and forming joint ventures in the targeted countries. The sessions serve as an introduction to the 'New Horizons' initiative, which enables Dubai-based companies to join tailored trade missions organised by the Dubai International Chamber to carefully selected international markets and attend industry events and pre-arranged business meetings to explore investment opportunities. BRUSSELS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) The European Union has announced a 60 million aid package for Lebanon's armed forces as the crisis-hit country struggles to implement a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah. This support comes "at a critical moment for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel," the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday. The Lebanese armed forces "are essential to regional and national stability, and deserve our full support in carrying out their crucial mission," the Estonian commissioner added. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said that the emirates trade sector continues to be a key driving force behind its economic progress and global influence. In an increasingly competitive global market, the sector is playing a vital role in Dubais growth as a global commercial hub, driving diversification, innovation and economic resilience, he said. "Trade is the lifeblood of Dubais economy and a crucial pillar of its growth as a leading global city," Sheikh Hamdan said. "Decades of collaboration with the trading community and international partners have allowed us to transform challenges into opportunities and raise Dubais profile on the global trade map." H.H. Sheikh Hamdan's remarks came during a meeting with a group of businessmen, traders, and investors on Wednesday at Zaabeel Majlis in Dubai. The robust performance of the trade sector reflects the vision and development strategies of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which have made trade a key catalyst of sustainable development. This vision is reflected in the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double Dubais foreign trade to AED25.6 trillion and add 400 cities as key trading partners by 2033. Sheikh Hamdan said that Dubai has consistently adopted a forward-thinking economic strategy centred on diversifying income sources, with trade serving as a cornerstone of this vision. He reaffirmed the emirates commitment to fostering trade growth through strong partnerships with the private sector. Dubai seeks to further enhance its trade-enabling infrastructure, strengthen partnerships, build new collaborative linkages, align legislative frameworks with international standards, and leverage digital transformation and advanced technologies to boost trade efficiency. H.H. Sheikh Hamdan expressed confidence in Dubais ability to achieve unprecedented levels of growth through its partnerships, driven by its strategic vision, sound planning and innovation. He highlighted that Dubais remarkable foreign trade performance is a testament to the emirates pragmatic vision and clear goals. Sheikh Hamdan said the trade sector plays a major role in driving job creation, enhancing competitiveness, expanding market access, and unlocking new opportunities for business growth. He reiterated Dubais commitment to empowering its partners with the tools, resources, and support needed to explore emerging markets and reinforce the emirates position as a premier global trade gateway. The gathering was attended by H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai sports Council, and a number of Sheikhs, ministers and senior dignitaries in Dubai. During the gathering, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed attended a talk by Ben Nowack, Co-Founder and CEO of Reflect Orbital, on cutting-edge advancements in space-based solar energy solutions. Nowack outlined Reflect Orbitals innovative approach to providing sunlight from orbit to solar farms and large-scale lighting applications after sunset. By utilising a constellation of in-space reflectors, the company offers a transformative solution to extend the availability of solar energy and light beyond daytime hours. In his presentation, Nowack emphasised the vast potential of harnessing sunlight to enhance humanitys energy resources and living standards. He highlighted key developments enabling space-based solar solutions. Significant investments in space transportation have made accessing space more affordable and practical, while solar energy has emerged as the fastest-growing and most cost-effective energy technology globally. Reflect Orbitals first satellite aims to provide nighttime illumination over vast areas. BRUSSELS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) Radmila Sekerinska, NATO Deputy Secretary-General, has called for strengthening the partnership between NATO and the European Union. Speaking today at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels, Shekerinska stated, At this dangerous time for our security, intensifying our cooperation is essential. She emphasised that EU defence holds great importance for NATO as it is closely linked to transatlantic security. Shekerinska added that in the face of growing strategic competition and destabilising campaigns against security and ways of life, increasing defence investment and production is a priority to ensure Europe's countries remain secure. She welcomed the EU's enhanced efforts to strengthen the European defence industry and acquire the increasingly needed capabilities. The Deputy Secretary-General stressed the importance of NATO and the EU working side by side to avoid duplication of efforts and identify further opportunities to leverage their unique expertise, tools, and resources. She also encouraged the fullest possible participation of non-EU NATO allies' defence industries, highlighting their contributions of essential technological knowledge and urgently needed capabilities. MANAMA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) Fahad Mohammed bin Kardous Alameri, UAE Ambassador to Bahrain, has met with Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, and discussed strengthening cooperation and partnership between the two countries. They explored ways to enhance these ties for the benefit of both sides. Ambassador Alameri highlighted the UAE leadership's commitment to fostering and developing its strategic partnership with Bahrain, expressing his wishes for continued prosperity and progress for the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people. Minister Al Khalifa praised the two nations' long-standing brotherly relations and strong strategic partnership, emphasising the ongoing growth and progress in various areas. He stressed the importance of deepening cooperation, exchanging knowledge, and supporting joint investments in transportation, communications, and logistics to benefit both countries and their peoples. DAVOS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) The UAE delegation, led by H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, met with Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), during the 55th Annual Meeting of the Forum in Davos. This meeting reaffirmed the UAEs unwavering commitment to fostering international cooperation and addressing critical global challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. During the discussion, H.H. Sheikha Latifa emphasised the UAEs forward-thinking vision, guided by the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. She highlighted the nations dedication to enhancing global competitiveness and driving sustainable and inclusive development. H.H. Sheikha Latifa stated, Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the UAEs forward-looking vision is centered on strengthening global influence and impact. This vision is exemplified by our distinguished and enduring partnership with the World Economic Forum, a collaboration that has spanned decades and continues to drive meaningful progress. The meeting underscored the UAEs pivotal role as a global partner to the World Economic Forum and its dedication to advancing shared goals. Through this collaboration, the UAE aims to shape innovative solutions that address pressing international challenges while reinforcing its position as a leader in sustainable development and global progress. H.H. Sheikha Latifa reaffirmed the UAEs dedication to addressing global priorities through strategic collaboration and emphasised the integral role of culture and creativity in achieving sustainable growth. Culture and innovation are at the heart of the UAEs strategy for sustainable development, she said. We are committed to using these strengths to inspire global progress and create meaningful impact. The UAE and the World Economic Forum share a long-standing collaboration that has contributed significantly to global progress. This partnership has included hosting pivotal events such as the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, which convenes global experts to shape forward-looking strategies and solutions for critical global challenges. Additionally, the UAE has been a key partner in advancing the WEFs agenda on sustainability, technological innovation, and economic transformation. During the UAE WEF Leadership Meeting, H.H. Sheikha Latifa showcased the UAEs vision for global competitiveness, sustainability, and inclusive development. Highlighting Dubais pioneering efforts in cultural and creative industries, she emphasised the UAEs leadership in leveraging innovation and collaboration to tackle shared global issues such as climate change, economic resilience, and the transformative power of technology. The meeting with Klaus Schwab further reinforced the UAEs role as a bridge between global innovation and cultural preservation. It highlighted the nations leadership in shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and progressive global future through dialogue, partnership, and visionary initiatives. The UAE delegation, led by H.H. Sheikha Latifa, included over 100 senior government officials and private sector leaders, exemplifying the nations active and impactful presence on global platforms such as the World Economic Forum. Mainly cold and dry weather is expected to dominate most parts of the country, with very cold conditions in hilly areas, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Mainly cold and dry weather is expected to dominate most parts of the country, with very cold conditions in hilly areas, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. However, shallow to moderate fog is anticipated at isolated locations in south Punjab and upper Sindh during morning and night hours. The synoptic situation reveals that continental air is prevailing over most areas, while a westerly wave is influencing the western and upper regions of the country. During the past 24 hours, cold and partly cloudy conditions were observed in most parts of Pakistan, accompanied by rain and snowfall in isolated areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and north Balochistan. The rainfall was recorded in Kalat (8mm), Sibbi (2mm), and Barkhan (1mm) in Balochistan, while Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan received 6mm of rain. The snowfall of 05 inches was recorded in Astore and 02 inches in Kalam. The lowest minimum temperatures recorded today were -10 C in Leh, -7C in Gupis, -5C in Skardu, -4C in Astore and Malam Jabba, and -3C in Rawalakot. The citizens are advised to take precautions during foggy conditions and stay updated on weather forecasts. HARIPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) The Khulla Butt Police Station's team here on Wednesday apprehended a drug peddler and recovered hashish from his custody. The police spokesman said that the team led by Station House Officer (SHO), Raja Mumtaz Turk arrested Kamal Khan in a raid and recovered hashish 5. 20 Kgs of hashish from his possession. The police had started an operation against drug pushers at the direction of District Police Officer (DPO), Farhan Khan, he added. The police registered a case against the accused and launched further investigation. APP/mfz/378 KIEV, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun visited Ukraine's National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music (UNTAM) on Tuesday, where he held talks with the academy's head Maksym Tymoshenko, according to the embassy's press service. During the meeting, Ma emphasized the Chinese government's commitment to fostering international collaboration in high-quality education and promoting partnership based on openness and mutual learning. He highlighted China's support for its universities in developing educational partnership with institutions worldwide, including those in Ukraine. Ma acknowledged UNTAM's extensive experience in inter-university cooperation with China and expressed the hope that the academy will continue strengthening its ties with Chinese institutions, and play an active role in deepening educational and humanitarian exchanges between the two countries. For his part, Tymoshenko said that UNTAM attaches great importance to enhancing its cooperation with China and stands ready to further expand ties. Tymoshenko expressed the academy's readiness to continue contributing to educational and cultural exchanges between China and Ukraine. UNTAM has a history of strong ties with China. In 2019, it became home to Europe's first Confucius Music Center. The following year, UNTAM hosted a musical performance titled "I am with You" composed by world-renowned Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk as a gesture of solidarity with China during the fight against COVID-19. Besides, UNTAM raised 500,000 hryvnia (about 12,000 U.S. dollars) to purchase medical supplies in support of China's efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this month, Ma also visited the Taras Shevchenko National University and the Kiev National Linguistic University. (@ChaudhryMAli88) PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday assured Mohmand Political Alliance that he would raise the issues before concerning departments such as Nadra, passport services, Wapda, and Mohmand Dam with the Federal government. The Governor said this in a meeting with the delegation from the Mohmand Political Alliance, led by Malik Jangriz Khan, here at Governor House. The delegation included leaders from various political parties affiliated with the Mohmand district. They briefed the Governor about the issues facing the Mohmand tribe, including problems related to electricity, water, communications, and other sectors. The delegation also commended Governor Faisal Karim Kundi for organizing an All Parties Conference and forming political and technical committees to raise the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the merged districts. They particularly appreciated the decision to include the Mohmand tribe in these committees. In response, Governor Kundi emphasized that the Governor's House would act as a lawyer for all the provinces in advocating their issues with the federal authorities. He also assured the delegation that they could submit their concerns in writing, and he would ensure positive progress. Governor Kundi acknowledged the frustration expressed by the delegation, recognizing that the provincial government had failed to properly utilize the funds received from the federal government following the merger of FATA and the NFC Award. He highlighted the mismanagement of these funds, the lack of resources for police, and the failure to allocate funds for the merged districts, which has led to growing discontent among the tribal communities regarding the merger. Governor Kundi further praised the Mohmand Political Alliance for setting an example in the province by putting aside political differences for the greater regional interest. He stressed the need for a similar approach across the province to address broader issues related to the rights of all districts. He assured the delegation that he would work to ensure they have access to relevant high-ranking officials in the federal government. Meanwhile, a certificate distribution ceremony was held at the Governor House for students of the Enlighten school System and Training Center led by . Governor Faisal Karim Kundi awarded certificates to both male and female students in recognition of their outstanding performance. Special persons who completed skill development training at the institution, as well as teachers who showed exceptional performance, were also presented with certificates. The event was attended by several notable figures, including Zobia Amir, Vice President of the Women Chamber of Commerce, officials from the NAVTTC, as well as teachers and students. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi congratulated the students who received certificates and emphasized the importance of skill development for youth in the current circumstances. He said that trained youth have better job prospects both within the country and abroad. The Governor also highlighted that the federal government has allocated a significant budget for skill development programs across various sectors to equip young people with necessary competencies. He further reiterated the need for more skill development training to empower the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for future employment opportunities. Similarly, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi handed over the medicine sent by the Balochistan government for the victims in Kurram Districtt to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society for the merged districts. Chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society for Merged Districts, Imran Wazir, received the medicines from Governor Kundi at the Governor House. The Pakistan Red Crescent Society will distribute the medicines among the affected people in Kurram District. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister of Balochistan and the provincial government for their timely assistance. He praised the people and government of Balochistan for their humanitarian gesture and solidarity with the people of Kurram. Governor Kundi further said that this gesture of the Balochistan government and its people is a shining example of love and brotherhood between the provinces. He thanked the Balochistan government for their continued support and compassion toward the victims of Kurram District. APP/ash/ Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, chaired a conference of operational commanders on Wednesday at the Safe City Headquarters, attended by all DIGs, AIGs, SSPs, and SPs. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, chaired a conference of operational commanders on Wednesday at the Safe City Headquarters, attended by all DIGs, AIGs, SSPs, and SPs. A public relations officer told APP that IGP Rizvi reviewed the performance of all police units over the last 15 days. He said performance audits were conducted, weaknesses identified, and plans set to establish performance indicators for improving unit efficiency. IG further mentioned that the implementation of right-sizing of officers and the proper utilization of resources has been initiated in all units. In the future, reports will be requested from independent sources for each unit. IGP Rizvi emphasized that, from now on, DIGs will be responsible for each division. All commanders will review the performance of their subordinates on a weekly basis. All zonal SPs are required to personally hear the complainants in serious crime cases. He reprimanded the city zone officers for poor performance and directed them to further improve their performance. IGP Rizvi also highlighted that the quality of investigations needs significant improvement. Future postings will be based solely on departmental expertise and experience. Officials exhibiting corruption or incompetence will face departmental punishment, with no exceptions. However, officers who perform well will be recognized with appreciation certificates and prizes. IG issued instructions to the officers to improve the traffic system in the city. There will be zero tolerance for those involved in corruption, organized crime, or unethical activities. All officers are instructed to take strong action against those involved in drug trafficking and kite flying. APP-rzr-mkz PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has released Rs 500 million in compensation for the victims of Miranshah Bazaar in North Waziristan, following the efforts of Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Relief, Haji Naek Muhammad. According to a press released from the office of PDMA Director General Asfandyar Khattak, the funds have been sent to the Deputy Commissioner of North Waziristan. These funds will be distributed among the victims of Miranshah Bazaar, who were affected during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, in accordance with established guidelines. Special Assistant Haji Naek Muhammad stated that the provincial government is fully committed to addressing the damages sustained by Miranshah and Mir Ali bazaars during the operation. He highlighted that compensation had already been provided to victims of both bazaars in the past and assured that additional funds will soon be released to cover those still awaiting relief. Haji Naek Muhammad reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring that the distribution of funds remains transparent and merit-based. He affirmed that clear instructions have been issued to the relevant authorities to maintain fairness and accountability in the disbursement process. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed profound sorrow as tragic landslides and flash floods had struck Indonesias Java island, resulting in the loss of precious lives and leaving some individuals missing. "On behalf of the people and the Government of Pakistan, I extend my deepest condolences to President Prabowo Subianto, the families of the victims and to the people of Indonesia during this difficult time," the prime minister wrote on his X timeline. He said that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the Indonesian government and its people as they respond to this calamity with resilience and courage. Political workers on Wednesday called for intra-party democracy, a truth and reconciliation commission and a national commission for democracy to address the countrys current political polarization ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Political workers on Wednesday called for intra-party democracy, a truth and reconciliation commission and a national commission for democracy to address the countrys current political polarization. A session, focused on promoting and strengthening democracy in Pakistan, highlighted the need to revise the Charter of Democracy (CoD) into CoD 2, to tackle current political and governance challenges. The event gathered political workers from various national and regional parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and others. The Pakistan Development Alliance organized the event to review the commitments of political parties outlined in their manifestos for the February 8, 2024, general elections. Syed Ishtiaq Ul Hassan Gillani, Chief Executive of UGOOD, emphasized the lasting importance of the original Charter of Democracy introduced in 2006. He reflected on how the charter laid the groundwork for constitutional, social, and economic reforms, aiming to create a more inclusive and democratic framework for the nation. He recounted milestones achieved between 2006 and 2018, such as the establishment of the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women, and the introduction of progressive laws promoting education and womens rights. Gillani emphasised that COD 2.O has been designed to address the shifting dynamics of Pakistans political landscape. He noted that the revised charter reaffirms the need for dialogue and unity among political forces to overcome national challenges. Highlighting the role of civil society, he praised the continued efforts of organizations such as Pakistan Development Alliance and others in keeping the democratic spirit alive. Speaking at the event, Zia ur Rehman, Chief Executive of Awaz CDS-Pakistan, provided further insights into COD 2.O and its necessity. He explained that the original charters vision was built on 36 critical points encompassing political, economic, and social reforms. He celebrated the accomplishments achieved under the original charter, including the landmark 18th Amendment, which granted autonomy to provinces and devolved 27 ministries. Other significant achievements included the establishment of the NFC Award, the Islamabad High Court, and various commissions such as the National Commission on the Rights of Children. Rehman emphasized that the political changes in recent years, including the emergence of new leadership in established parties as well as the rise of new political entities like PTI, created a pressing need for COD 2.O. This updated charter focuses on fostering dialogue and collaboration among all political stakeholders. He noted that COD 2.O was developed through extensive consultations with civil society, political leaders, media representatives, and academic institutions. The finalized document was presented in both urdu and English and its importance was widely recognized when political parties inculcated the demands in their respective political manifestoes. Participants at the event, including political leaders and workers from various parties, expressed their views on COD 2.O and underscored the importance of dialogue, peaceful conflict resolution, and collaboration in strengthening democratic values in Pakistan. Their collective commitment reflects a shared vision for sustainable development and a democratic future for the country. They said that political parties are nurseries of political processes and democracy, and political workers are their backbone. However, political workers are neglected at leadership positions often. They demanded intra party democratic processes to further strengthen democracy in the country. The conversation of political workers also resolved that establishment of Truth & Reconciliation Commission is the viable solution to bring the country back from this existing polarization. They also endorsed the demand of creation of National Commission for Democracy to ensure supremacy of Constitution and to avoid derailments of democratic governance in the country. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Additional Chief Secretary Fuad Hashim Rabbani said that poverty alleviation was the top priority of the South Punjab Secretariat. He said this during a visit by a 14-member delegation from the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA). The delegation, led by Dr. Faiza Arooj, met with the Additional Chief Secretary to discuss the regions progress and challenges. Secretary Services South Punjab, Engineer Amjad Shoaib Khan Tareen, was also present during the meeting. Highlighting the Secretariats efforts, Fuad Hashim Rabbani stated, We are focused on increasing literacy rates and advancing agriculture to alleviate poverty in the region. He added that the Secretariat had played a pivotal role in the region's development, completing dozens of mega projects over the past four years. The establishment of the South Punjab Secretariat has resolved many issues at the local level, significantly reducing the sense of deprivation in the region, he remarked. The Additional Chief Secretary also discussed key initiatives, including the successful implementation of the No Child Left Out of School campaign to boost literacy. He shared that recommendations on regenerative agriculture practices have been submitted to the government to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. Incorporating modern technology into governance, Rabbani said, We are actively utilizing artificial intelligence for the development of all sectors in South Punjab, and efforts are underway to establish an IT park in the region. Addressing a question about infrastructure, he revealed that 50 acres of land had been allocated for the South Punjab Secretariat in Bahawalpur. However, progress on the project has been delayed due to a stay order from the Court. Secretary Services South Punjab, Engineer Amjad Shoaib Khan Tareen, briefed the delegation on the South Punjab profile, outlining the Secretariat's achievements and ongoing efforts to tackle regional challenges. The visit provided an opportunity for the delegation to gain insight into the Secretariats role in driving sustainable development and addressing key issues facing South Punjab. Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir has instructed the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for dengue prevention, taking into account weather LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir has instructed the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for dengue prevention, taking into account weather conditions and temperature patterns from the previous year. He made these remarks while addressing as the chief guest at a training workshop for entomologists and dengue master trainers, held at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) under the Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare on Wednesday. During his address, the minister directed health department CEOs to establish laboratories in every district for diagnosing dengue larvae samples. He also announced plans to introduce a new policy aimed at achieving effective results in dengue prevention this year. Khawaja Imran Nazir assured that measures to combat dengue would not compromise the natural environment. He emphasized the need for public awareness, stating that while the government can provide guidance, it is the responsibility of citizens to ensure the cleanliness of their homes and surroundings. He called on the public to support the government in its efforts to eradicate dengue. The workshop included briefings on the causes and factors behind dengue outbreaks, vector surveillance techniques, and detailed sessions on biological and chemical control, laboratory testing, medication use, spray techniques, fogging, and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). At the conclusion of the workshop, Khawaja Imran Nazir distributed certificates to dengue master trainers. Prominent attendees included Dean IPH Professor Saira Afzal, Director CDC Dr. Yadullah, and Dr. Shaiban. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman), Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has asked the heads of Federal agencies in AJ&K to ensure speedy resolution of public complaints. He expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Wafaqi Mohtasibs Regional Office, Muzaffarabad. He said that this Office is continuously reaching out to the public, as a result, large number of people are contacting this forum for redressal of their grievances. The outgoing year 2024, he said, witnessed a record increase in the receipt and disposal of complaints. Now with the opening of the Regional Offices at Muzaffarabad and Gilgit Baltistan, it has presence in 24 cities of the country, adding that more Regional Offices are expected to be opened later this year. The inaugural ceremony was attended by a large number of senior officials belonging to AJ&K, apart from the heads of federal agencies, members of civil society and media. Speaking on the occasion, the Wafaqi Mohtasib further added that the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat during the outgoing year 2024, received as many as 226,372 complaints, out of which 223,171 have been disposed of, indicating an increase of 17% and 16% in the receipt and disposal of the complaints respectively over the figures of 2023. Our Investigating Officers travelled across the length and breadth of the country and held Khuli Katcheries to dispense administrative justice at the doorsteps of the people, observing that Wafaqi Mohtasibs Office is truly a poor mans court, he added. He also presided over a meeting with the heads of federal government agencies, wherein he called upon them to ensure speedy redressal of public complaints. Later, he also addressed a well-attended press conference, wherein he lauded the constructive role being played by press and media and said that it remained instrumental in raising public awareness regarding the availability of this useful forum for prompt redressal of public complaints. He invited them to stand by the institution to enhance awareness for the general good of the people at large. Dhaka, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) A Bangladeshi education ministry order demanding officers report institutions and pupils involved in anti-government "provocative activities" was withdrawn Wednesday after criticism it undermined the spirit of last year's student-led revolution. The mass uprising spearheaded by students toppled long-time autocrat Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, with an interim government led by Nobel Peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus taking charge. The order, signed by the ministry's director of its "monitoring and evaluation" for secondary education, Abed Nomani, was issued on January 2 -- but shot to attention after it circulated on social media and in newspapers. Wahiduddin Mahmud, the education minister, said he had not been aware of the order and that it had been cancelled. "The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education was not instructed to issue any notification," he said. "This matter will be investigated". The now cancelled order had told officials to "remain vigilant and proactive in preventing students from engaging in provocative actions, driven by propaganda, misinformation, or disinformation against the government or the country". It did not provide clarification on what those actions might include. "Officials must notify the authorities if any educational institution or student is involved in provocative activities, so that necessary measures can be taken," it added. Supreme Court lawyer Snehadri Chakravarty had earlier called it a clear violation of constitutional rights. "Student-led protests once toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina because people's freedom of speech and expression was being curtailed," Chakravarty told AFP. "Within five months, some factions of the government appear to be echoing her actions," he added. "This type of notification is not in line with the spirit of the mass uprising, which claimed so many lives". More than 800 people died in the months of protests that culminated in the ouster of Hasina's government on August 5, according to the interim government. Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that the bloc must heed US President Donald Trump's demand to spend more on defence, as she issued a stark warning over the threat from Russia. Kallas's rallying cry was the latest in a slew of increasingly alarming warnings on defence from European officials, who have been calling for a "wake-up call" on defence since Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022. Trump has ramped up the pressure by warning Washington's European allies that he could withhold US protection, calling for NATO to more than double its defence spending target. "President Trump is right to say that we don't spend enough. It's time to invest," Kallas said in a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels. "The United States, they are our strongest ally, and must remain so. " "The EU's message to the US is clear, we must do more for our own defence and shoulder a fair share of responsibility for Europe's security," she said. EU countries have increased their military budgets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But politicians acknowledge they will have to go further as they struggle to match Moscow's vast military output. "Russia poses an existential threat to our security today, tomorrow and for as long as we under-invest in our defence," said Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia. "Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test EU's readiness to defend itself in three to five years. Who else are we listening to?" ABIDJAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, called for promoting bilateral ties with Algeria, Tunisia and Cote d'Ivoire during his visit to these African countries. Yang, who led a delegation to visit these African countries from Jan. 13 to 22, met and exchanged views with political leaders and people committed to friendship with China, including Vice-President of the National People's Assembly of Algeria Munther Boden, Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ben Ayed, and President of the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council of Cote d'Ivoire Eugene Aka Adouele. During the visit, Yang also attended and delivered a speech at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Algeria, which aimed to promote friendship between China and Algeria. The various parties expressed their commitment to jointly implementing the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the three countries, as well as the guiding principles of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. They pledged to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, foster mutual learning between civilizations, promote cooperation at sub-national levels and between sister cities, enhance exchanges and friendship among youths, and deepen pragmatic cooperation, so as to contribute to the continuous development of China-Arab and China-Africa relations. Karakoram International University (KIU) and the University of Sunderland UK have agreed to collaborate on Transnational Education (TNE) GIlGIT, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Karakoram International University (KIU) and the University of Sunderland UK have agreed to collaborate on Transnational Education (TNE). According to KIU's Public Relations Department this decision was reached during a meeting between KIU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah and Dr. James Scott, Academic Director for Transnational Education at the University of Sunderland, UK. The meeting focused on launching student exchange programs, enhancing research collaboration and creating scholarship opportunities for KIU students. On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah emphasized the importance of academic cooperation and international partnerships to benefit students and enhance the global standing of the university. Roots Millennium System representative Walid Mushtaq was also present and expressed interest in collaborating with KIU to promote quality education and research in Gilgit-Baltistan. During the meeting it was decided that KIU and the University of Sunderland will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to initiate various academic and research activities, including student exchange programs. Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah also presented his book to the delegates during the meeting. Moldova's prime minister told AFP on Wednesday the international community is ready to offer gas to end the energy crisis in Transnistria but a lasting solution hinges on Russia withdrawing its troops from the separatist region Davos, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Moldova's prime minister told AFP on Wednesday the international community is ready to offer gas to end the energy crisis in Transnistria but a lasting solution hinges on Russia withdrawing its troops from the separatist region. In an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Prime Minister Dorin Recean accused Russia of trying to create instability in Moldova in order to see a pro-Moscow government emerge from parliamentary elections due later this year. Russia energy firm Gazprom halted gas supplies to Transnistria on January 1 over a debt dispute with the pro-EU Moldovan government, leaving the 400,000 residents there without any heating or hot water. Internationally recognised as part of Moldova, Transnistria declared independence at the end of the Soviet Union and has been reliant on Moscow's financial support ever since but receives Russian gas via Moldova. Russia has around 1,500 troops stationed in the breakaway region, which sits between Ukraine and Moldova. "This gas and energy crisis altogether in the Transnistria region is meant to create a security crisis in Moldova, all of Moldova and also in the region," Recean told AFP. Recean said he would hold talks with European Union leaders in Davos on "how we together shall overcome this aggression of Russia against Moldova". He said the solution to the crisis is for authorities in Transnistria to accept gas and coal from the international community or for Gazprom to resume deliveries. "So far they don't accept it," Recean said, referring to energy deliveries from the international community. "But we are working on it." "What is very important to mention is that these kinds of scenarios can happen together with replacing the current so-called peacekeeping mission, where the Russian military are participating, with a UN-led civilian peacekeeping mission," he said. Prince Harry has had a turbulent relationship with the media and holds the press responsible for the death of his mother Princes Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 as she fled from paparazzi London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Prince Harry has had a turbulent relationship with the media and holds the press responsible for the death of his mother Princes Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 as she fled from paparazzi. Harry and his wife Meghan in 2020 stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California, in part blaming relentless media attention for their move. The prince has vowed to make reforming the British media his life's mission and has waged several battles with UK tabloids over privacy concerns. Here is a breakdown of his legal cases: The High Court in London ruled in December 2023 that Harry was a victim of phone hacking by journalists working for Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), and awarded him 140,600 ($179,600) in damages. The judge agreed that 15 of 33 sample articles submitted by Harry as evidence in his lawsuit against MGN, which publishes The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, were based on unlawfully gathered material. Bosses at the Mirror "could and should have put a stop to it" but instead "turned a blind eye to what was going on, and positively concealed it", said the judge, as he awarded the prince damages and compensation "for the distress that he suffered". However, the judge also said that his phone was "only hacked to a modest extent" between the end of 2003 to April 2009. Harry, who was among a number of celebrity claimants seeking damages from Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over unlawful information-gathering, called the verdict "vindicating and affirming". An MGN spokesperson apologised to the prince for "historical wrongdoings" and said the ruling "gives the business the necessary clarity to move forward". Several claimants, including Harry and pop star Elton John, are taking legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday tabloids over alleged breaches of privacy. They accuse Associated Newspapers (ANL) of methods such as hiring private investigators, tapping phone calls and impersonating individuals to obtain medical information for articles. The allegations are firmly denied. Lawyers for the claimants said the alleged unlawful acts were carried out from 1993 to 2011, but some took place as late as 2018. The full trial could be held in early 2026. In another lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher, Harry brought a libel claim over an article about his separate legal battle with the British government over his security arrangements when he visits the UK. The article published by The Mail on Sunday newspaper in February 2022 suggested Harry had tried to keep the legal challenge a secret. ANL argued the article did not cause "serious" reputational harm and expressed an "honest opinion". The Mail on Sunday in January 2024 said Harry had withdrawn his claim. Harry's case against news Group Newspapers (NGN) -- part of Rupert Murdoch's global media empire -- for unlawful information gathering had been due to go to trial this week. But after a series of last minute adjournments, Harry, his co-claimant Labour lawmaker Tom Watson and NGN on Wednesday settled out of court. The prince had claimed private investigators working for two tabloids owned by NGN -- The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World -- repeatedly targeted him unlawfully more than a decade ago. In a statement, NGN offered a "full and unequivocal apology" to the prince for "serious intrusion" into the private lives of Harry and his mother Princess Diana by The Sun and also "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World". Harry's barrister David Sherborne said both parties had reached an agreement and NGN would pay "substantial damages". (@FahadShabbir) Russia said Wednesday that it had taken control of a new village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region in a westward push Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Russia said Wednesday that it had taken control of a new village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region in a westward push. The defence ministry said in a statement that its forces had taken the village of Zapadne on the western bank of the Oskil River, which for a long time formed the front line between the armies. Russia has managed to establish a bridgehead on the western bank this year and Zapadne is located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) west of the river, marking a significant gain. Russian forces are advancing in the Kharkiv region to the north of the town of Kupiansk, which was one of the main places Ukraine recaptured in its 2022 offensive. The region is under constant shelling with 10 civilians wounded in the last 24 hours according to governor Oleg Synegubov. This comes as Russian troops are also close to taking the major hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying Tuesday that "in the east, we have a difficult situation". Davos, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric in Davos, Switzerland, during the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEC) 2025. During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation in humanitarian and relief fields worldwide, focusing on Gaza, including its humanitarian conditions and infrastructure needs. They also discussed cooperation in training programs and capacity building for relief workers in the GCC countries, the exchange of expertise and best practices in crisis management, and enhancing coordination and joint efforts to achieve humanitarian diplomacy goals. Albudaiwi was briefed on the latest developments in regional and international issues and the humanitarian efforts exerted in this regard. (@FahadShabbir) Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jan, 2025) President Donald Trump has removed Admiral Linda Fagan -- the first woman to lead one of the six US military services -- as the head of the Coast Guard, with an official citing alleged "leadership deficiencies." "She served a long and illustrious career, and I thank her for her service," acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a message Tuesday to the Coast Guard. But a senior official from the DHS -- which oversees the service -- was far more critical, saying Fagan was dismissed "because of her leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the US Coast Guard." The admiral failed to address border security threats, mismanaged acquisitions, including helicopters, and put "excessive focus" on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the official said on condition of anonymity. There was also an "erosion of trust" in the Coast Guard due to its handling of an investigation into sexual assault allegations. "The failure to adequately address the systemic issues exposed by this investigation has underscored a leadership culture unwilling to ensure accountability and transparency," the official added. - Review of senior officers - Trump and other Republicans have long railed against government programs aimed at fostering diversity, and border security is a key priority for the president, who declared a national emergency at the US frontier with Mexico on Monday, the first day of his new term. Trump has had a contradictory relationship with America's armed forces, at times lauding their power but also claiming they were depleted and in need of rebuilding. He has clashed with former top US military officer Mark Milley, with the retired general's portrait at the Pentagon removed on the same day that Trump was sworn in for his second term. Pete Hegseth, Trump's as-yet-unconfirmed nominee to head the Defense Department, said last week that senior officers "will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders," indicating that further dismissals are possible. Fagan had led the Coast Guard since 2022, and previously held posts including vice commandant of the service. She "served on all seven continents, from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica to the heart of Africa, from Tokyo to Geneva, and in many ports along the way," according to an archived version of her biography, which is no longer available on the Coast Guard website. ALGIERS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Algerian authorities on Wednesday handed over freed Spanish hostage Gilbert Navarro to Spanish officials in a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Algiers. Fernando Moran Calvo-Sotelo, Spain's Ambassador to Algeria, and the Secretary-General of the Algerian Foreign Ministry, Lounes Magramane, attended the event. In a statement to the media, Navarro expressed his gratitude to Algeria for securing his release, noting that he remains in shock and needs a few days of rest to regain his serenity. The Foreign Ministry's secretary-general reaffirmed Algeria's condemnation of all acts of violence and terrorism worldwide, stressing that the country spared no effort in securing Navarro's freedom. Magramane also urged the international community to unite against terrorism and cut its financial resources. Navarro, who was on a tourist trip, was abducted on Jan. 14 in the Algerian-Malian border by an armed group of five individuals. His release was announced earlier Tuesday by the Azawad Liberation Front, a coalition of Tuareg separatist groups in northern Mali. Following his release, Navarro was flown late Tuesday from Tin Zouatin Airport in southern Algeria on a private aircraft to Boufarik military airbase, 40 km south of Algiers. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, refuses to negotiate about ending the war in Ukraine. Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The United States has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump said his administration was also looking at the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine, adding his view that the European Union should be doing more to support Ukraine. "We're talking to [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy; we're going to be talking with President Putin very soon," Trump said. "We're going to look at it." Trump said he had pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call to intervene to stop the Ukraine war. "He's not done very much on that. He's got a lot of ... power, like we have a lot of power. I said, 'You ought to get it settled.' We did discuss it." A global humanitarian agency warned Afghanistan's neighbors Wednesday against expelling millions of refugees in the coming months, citing the countrys unpreparedness due to decades of conflict, economic devastation, and climate-related challenges. The Norwegian Refugee Council, or NRC, reported that Iran plans to expel up to 2 million Afghan refugees by March, while at least 800,000 have already been deported from Pakistan since October 2023. The many vulnerable Afghans already returning from Iran, whom I met at the border this week, feel they live in an enduring limbo, stated Jan Egeland, the NRC secretary-general. They left Afghanistan in search of a better and safer life and are now returning to an uncertain future in Afghanistan, where they face the same unemployment, hunger, and human rights violations that made them leave their homeland in the first place, he said. The NRC noted that most of the returnees are forced to remain in urban Afghan areas, struggling to find work or housing. While some have family connections, many lack ties after years in exile and have nowhere to go. International aid is essential in alleviating immense humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, but it is now dwindling, lamented Egeland, adding that women and girls were bearing the brunt of the shortfall in financial support for nongovernmental groups and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The NRC chief warned that the world has turned its back to the needs of Afghans trapped in one of the worst humanitarian crises globally since the Taliban regained control of the country in August 2021. "Poor and displaced Afghan families are paying a heavy price for a lack of real, durable solutions to assist displaced people and refugees caught in an escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and host countries," Egeland said. The United Nations and nongovernmental humanitarian groups have persistently urged the international community to continue supporting the country. Aid workers have expressed concerns that the Talibans restrictions on women's access to workplaces and public life are significantly impacting humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan. They complain that the curbs make it challenging to deliver essential public services, such as healthcare, nutrition, and immunization, particularly in provinces where Taliban authorities have banned male doctors from treating female patients. The de facto hardline Afghan rulers have also prohibited girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade and recently ordered medical training institutes nationwide not to accept female students. Egeland said he raised the severe restrictions on the fundamental rights faced by Afghan women and girls in meetings with Taliban authorities. The ongoing ban on secondary education for girls means that 1.5 million teenage girls are out of school. Additionally, a new incomprehensible ban has shut down training for midwives and nurses, which will not only destroy livelihoods but will also directly threaten women's health and lives, he cautioned. Egeland, who regularly visits Afghanistan, emphasized the need for the international community to engage with the Taliban to secure the restoration of human rights for women and girls. He called for an increase in global support to fund crucial humanitarian assistance while urging the Taliban to create an enabling environment. Many countries' continued disengagement with authorities in Afghanistan is only enabling more restrictions and suffering for the women, girls, and families here many of whom see no option but to risk their lives on perilous journeys, the NRC chief stated. Pakistan has commended Egeland for drawing global attention to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and defended its policy of sending Afghan refugees to their native country. For forty years, Pakistan has generously hosted over four million Afghan refugees. Those sent back were residing illegally without any documentation or proof of residence, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Islamabad earlier this week. The Taliban takeover led to nearly 700,000 Afghans seeking refuge in Pakistan. This includes individuals who fear retaliation for their association with the U.S-led Western allied troops, who were present in Afghanistan for nearly two decades until their withdrawal in August 2021. Progress on the cases of thousands of Afghan nationals who were promised resettlement in Western countries remains painfully slow. U.N. Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan remains critically underfunded, with only 37.5% of the required funds secured last year, the Pakistani foreign ministry stated. At a recent press conference in the Four Seasons Hotel in Syria's capital, Damascus, Debra Tice made clear that she would never give up searching for her son, Austin. A former U.S. Marine-turned-journalist, Austin Tice was detained at a checkpoint in Syria in 2012. Little has been heard or seen of him since, but he is believed to have been held in Damascus. After the Bashar al-Assad government fell in December, U.S. officials made a few short visits to Syria, but Tice's family said they had expected more. Debra said she had hoped the U.S. government would send an official search team, but she wasn't shocked that they didn't. "You can't even believe it. It's heartbreaking," she said. Watch related report by Cristina Caicedo Smit and Liam Scott: In the weeks after the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham known as HTS overthrew the Assad government, hundreds of people were released from prisons run by the former government. Scenes of families reuniting had raised hope among the Tice family. Just days before Assad fell, the family had convened in Washington to say they had received recent evidence confirming Tice was alive. At the press conference on Monday, Debra said that she feels solidarity with the many Syrians who have had a family member disappear. These families "understand the pain that we carry every day, that our families carry, that the nieces and nephews that have never met their uncles carry," she said. "For all the mothers whose sons were disappeared in these dungeons, our hearts are joined," she said. When Roger Carstens, the U.S. hostage envoy for the Biden and first Trump administration, visited Damascus in late December, he told reporters that U.S. officials weren't able to be on the ground for extended periods of time to search for Tice. Trump's new nominee for the hostage envoy position is Adam Boehler, whose confirmation hearing has yet to be scheduled. Watch related report by Cristina Caicedo Smit: On the ground in Syria, the Washington-based nonprofit Hostage Aid Worldwide has been leading efforts to locate Tice. Soon after Assad fell, the team began searching former prisons and buildings, including one that the group's president, Nizar Zakka, described as a secret detention center. The facility was dark and grimy. Like in previous prisons they inspected, they found documents, but no people. "We are learning more and more about how the prison systems operate in Syria, how it was operating, how it was moving, who managed what," Zakka told VOA after a search. "It's going to take time to find Austin." In December, the U.S. State Department announced it was increasing its award to $10 million for information about Tice's whereabouts. "I understand the State Department, that they're outside of Syria and they want to feel like they're doing something," Zakka said. But the increased reward has led to an increase in tips with unhelpful information, he said. A State Department spokesperson told VOA that efforts to find Tice remain under way. "We are working to get U.S. officials into Damascus for additional trips to help direct the search and will do so as soon as we confirm the conditions are safe and local authorities can accommodate the visit," the spokesperson said in a Thursday statement. Advocates say it feels as if the search for Tice has fallen on civil society groups, rather than the U.S. government. "It definitely feels like that that they're standing back at this time," according to Bill McCarren, the executive director at the National Press Club's Press Freedom Center in Washington. "There does need to be a more sustained effort," said McCarren, who has worked on Tice's case for years. In Damascus, Tice's mother said she was hopeful that the new Trump administration would help secure her son's release. "I have great hope that the Trump administration will sincerely engage in diligent work to bring Austin home," she said. "His people have already reached out to me." While visiting the Syrian capital, she also met with Syria's new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. "It was so wonderful to learn that they are dedicated and determined to bring home my son," she said. But for Zakka of Hostage Aid Worldwide, the Syrian transitional government is also making it harder for his organization to search for Tice. Soon after Assad fell, Zakka said his group had a lot of freedom. But now, "there's more restrictions every day," Zakka said. "It's getting difficult." A Botswanan official said this week the nation will no longer issue work permits to foreign teachers and truck drivers in order to protect local jobs. Minister of Labor and Home Affairs Pius Mokgware told a group of unemployed teachers protesting in Gaborone that the government already has stopped issuing permits to foreign educators and truck drivers. He said that last month the government rejected 140 applications for work permits. Thabang Kopelo, who was representing the unemployed teachers, said they want the new government, which took office in October, to go a step further. We now demand the cancellation and the immediate suspension of issuing of work permits to teachers who come from outside of Botswana. ... There are [already] thousands and thousands of local teachers, Kopelo said. The groups actions werent xenophobic, Kopelo said, but a plea to the government to prioritize citizens in hiring teachers. In other countries ... they are being attacked, Kopelo said. Derogatory language is being used against them. We are not moving in that approach; we are fellow brothers and sisters." In neighboring South Africa, clashes between migrants and locals have often turned deadly, with citizens arguing foreigners are taking their jobs. Gaborone-based Congolese teacher Patrice Okomi said there is not much foreign workers can do except abide by the host governments regulations. "We are here at the mercy of the government, and it is entirely up to the Botswana authorities to decide our future, Okomi said. If the feeling is that we have overstayed our welcome, there is not much we can do except to prepare for our exit." Botswanas stable economy has attracted migrant workers, the majority fleeing hardship in neighboring Zimbabwe. According to figures from the government office Statistics Botswana, there are 4,581 holders of foreign work permits in Botswana, with teachers comprising 18% of the total. 2024 saw Africa deepen its ties with Russia, as more countries broke their Western partnerships, expelled troops, fined and delicensed businesses involved in exploiting natural resources, CNN reported on Jan. 18. Most Sahel nations changed their foreign policy priorities after coups that brought Kremlin-loyalist juntas to power. Experts dubbed those countries a coup belt. Among others, that belt includes Burkina Faso. Russia and the juntas frame the anti-West glissade as a start of decolonization processes leading to true sovereignty and prosperity. On social media, junta-sympathetic influencers amplify the Kremlins narrative. One example is African Hub, a content creator on social media platform X with more than 800,000 followers, which regularly praises Burkina Fasos junta leader Ibrahim Traore. Burkina Faso dropped French as their official language. Removed French colonial rulers name from streets. Banned Colonial era Barrister Wigs, the user posted on X on January 14. The post claimed that Burkina Faso: Paid off debt to the west & has control over resources. The claim is misleading. Burkina Faso has an outstanding external debt of at least $10 billion. As of January, Burkina Faso owed the International Monetary Fund, IMF, $328,394,000 after repaying $1.8 million the previous year. The Sahelian nation ranked 182 out of 185 poorest countries in the world by the United Nations and is one of several developing countries that owe large loans to China. Neither Beijing nor Ouagadougou disclosed the amount of the loans. The U.S.-based Boston University Global Development Policy reported that in September 2023, though, Burkina Faso borrowed $49 million from China for a Donsin Solar Power Plant energy project. In 2019 and 2020, China loaned Burkina Faso $157 million for the National Backbone and SMART Burkina projects involving information and communication technology advancement. There is no information to show that Burkina Faso paid off any of its Chinese debts. Various social media users claimed the junta also has paid off domestic debt of $4.7 billion. They provided no evidence to verify those claims. The African Hub's claim that the West African nation has reclaimed its natural resources from international companies is also misleading. Since Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power through a coup in September 2022, he has been expelling Burkina Faso's former colonial master, the French, and replacing it with Russia in various "interests, mainly in exploiting the natural resources. Burkina Faso currently has 17 industrial gold mines that produce about 70 tons of gold annually. Last year, Traore said he was planning to withdraw mining permits from some foreign companies and will seek to produce more of its gold. Burkina Fasos parliament passed a new mining code in July that aims to boost local participation and State oversight in mining, replacing the 2015 Mining Code for new permits. Foreign companies, however, continue to dominate the gold mining industry in Burkina Faso. One Russian company, a U.S.-sanctioned Nordgold, operates at least four large mines. Nordgold provides gold to the Kremlin to buy weapons from China and Iran, the U.S. said. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Nordgold in 2022 because it is owned or controlled by Alexey Mordashov, a leader of Severgroup, a multi-billion-dollar Russian investment company bankrolling the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. Traore, a self-declared loyalist of Russias President Vladimir Putin, continues prolonging contracts and easing the environment for Russian businesses, including by significantly reducing taxes. Endeavor, a company registered in Britain, operates two mines in Burkina Faso, the Hounde mine and the Mana mine, in the countrys north. At the end of 2024, the junta struck a deal with Endeavour to nationalize the Boungou and Wahgnion gold mines for about $80 million, using Lilium mining company, which was acquiring the mines from Endeavor for $300 million. Canadian companies, which have been dominating Burkina Fasos mining industry for decades, said no intention of withdrawing mining permits, after Traores warning. A Canadian Iamgold Essakane mining company operates the Essakane Gold Mine in Falagountou, northern Burkina Faso. It owns 90% of the stake, with the Burkina Faso government owning the remaining 10%. There also is a Canadian Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. that operates several gold mines in Burkina Faso. And Canadian company Orezone owns 90% interest in the Bombore Gold Mine with the government of Burkina Faso retaining a 10% carried interest. Australian gold miner Sarama Resources is locked in a legal battle with Burkina Faso. The company is demanding $115 million in damages after the junta withdrew its 12-year-old exploration license. China is bracing for potential tariffs after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap a 10% duty on Chinese imports as early as Feb. 1. At a regular press briefing Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stressed Chinas commitment to defending its national interests. We have always believed that there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war, she said. Following Trumps remarks, Chinas benchmark CSI 300 Index dropped 0.9% Wednesday, ending a four-day winning streak. The Hong Kong-listed Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which tracks Chinese stocks, fell 2%. Beijings reactions come after Trump said his team was looking at potentially imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese imports because China has been sending fentanyl into the U.S. through Mexico and Canada. Probably February 1st is the date we're looking at, the U.S. president told reporters Tuesday at the White House. Trumps comment comes one day after he appeared to be holding off on imposing tariffs on imports from China, and he directed federal agencies to investigate U.S. trade deficits and unfair trade practices with other countries on Monday. On Chinese social media, the U.S. presidents threat was met with a mixed response. Some internet users said the 10% tariff could be followed by a series of duties imposed against Chinese goods, while others criticized Trump for being unpredictable and inconsistent with his decisions. Why does the U.S. go through all this trouble? In the end, the American people are the ones who would have to pay because if China doesnt export goods, American people wont even have Christmas trees, Chinese internet user Fortune Axe Brother wrote in a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Some analysts say the threat to impose tariffs as early as Feb. 1 could be the U.S. presidents negotiating gambit to force concessions from China. Compared to the 25% tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on Mexico and Canada, the 10% tariff on Chinese imports seems like Trump going easy on China, said Dexter Roberts, a non-resident fellow at Atlantic Councils Global China Hub. In Roberts view, the threat reflects Trumps desire to cut some sort of deal with Beijing. If China comes through with what Trump views as concessions that are good for him and the U.S., he is very likely not to pursue those tariffs right away, Roberts told VOA by phone. While it remains unclear whether the U.S. will follow through on the threat, some Chinese people say their export businesses already have been affected by concerns about potential U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports since last year. Even before Trumps latest comments, some of our American customers had already pre-ordered a lot of goods from us since his election victory in November, a Chinese winter apparel exporter surnamed Yuan in Shanghai, who asked to be identified only by his last name due to security concerns, told VOA in a written response. Ahead of Trumps inauguration, American companies increased their purchases from China in the last few months of 2024. Chinas official customs data shows that Chinese companies exported goods worth almost $50 billion to the U.S. in December 2024, marking a 10.7% increase from a year before. To avoid the U.S. tariffs, some Chinese companies have moved production to countries in Southeast Asia or Latin America, such as Vietnam and Mexico, in recent years. After Trump launched a trade war against China during his first term, some of our American customers asked my company to move production to Vietnam, a manager at a consumer electronics manufacturer in Guangzhou surnamed Li, who asked to be identified only by his last name due to security concerns, told VOA in a written response. Despite these preparations, experts say Chinese businesses will still struggle to deal with a potential trade war that Trump may launch against China during his second term. Trump already has experience in launching a trade war against China, and his administration is looking at targeting Chinese efforts to avoid U.S. tariffs by potentially imposing tariffs on Southeast Asian countries or Mexico, He Jiangbing, an independent Chinese economic commentator, told VOA by phone. Since China has largely relied on exports to drive its economic growth in recent years, Roberts said potential tariffs imposed by the U.S. government could seriously affect Chinas economic growth. Chinas export sector would be hit hard by the tariffs and that means the whole Chinese economy would be hit hard, he told VOA, saying the trend would have a knock-on effect on domestic consumption. Exporters are employers so they might have to lay off workers and cut wages. People who have been laid off may spend less money and that will hurt the Chinese economy, Roberts added. KABUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Afghan caretaker government would support and enhance national revenues if foreign countries halt aid to the war-ravaged country, a deputy minister for the Ministry of Economy said. "We have to enhance national revenues through domestic potential to manage the economic development of Afghanistan, in case some countries cut their aid," Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy minister of economy, was quoted by the local media outlet Tolonews as saying on Tuesday night. The official made the remarks in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's order on Monday wherein he paused his government's foreign aid for 90 days on the grounds of assessment of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy. Local economic observer Siar Qurishi believes that a halt in foreign aid would have a negative impact on the economic condition of Afghanistan, where some 23 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. The 90-day aid suspension would have "disastrous consequences" on the poor people of Afghanistan, according to Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, an aid agency supporting Afghans. Indonesian rescuers retrieved four more bodies after they resumed their search Wednesday for people missing after floods and landslides on Indonesia's main island of Java, bringing the death toll to 21. Water from flooded rivers tore through nine villages in Pekalongan regency of Central Java province, and landslides tumbled onto mountainside hamlets after the torrential rains Monday. Videos and photos released by National Search and Rescue Agency showed workers digging desperately in villages where roads and green-terraced rice fields were transformed into murky brown mud and villages were covered by thick mud, rocks and uprooted trees. National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said flooding triggered a landslide that buried two houses and a cafe in the Petungkriyono resort area. The disasters all together destroyed 25 houses, a dam and three main bridges connecting villages in Pekalongan. At least 13 people were injured, and nearly 300 people were forced to flee to temporary government shelters. The search and rescue operation that was hampered by bad weather, mudslides and rugged terrain was halted Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rain and thick fog that made devastated areas along the rivers dangerous to rescuers. On Wednesday, they searched in rivers and the rubble of villages for bodies and survivors in worst-hit Kasimpar village, said Budiono, who heads a local rescue office. Scores of rescue personnel recovered three mud-caked bodies, including a 5-month old baby, as they searched a Petungkriyono area where tons of mud and rocks buried two houses and a cafe. Another body was pulled out from under a broken bridge near a river in Kasimpar village. Rescuers are still searching for five people reported missing. Landslides and floods were also reported in many other provinces, Muhari said. On Monday, a landslide hit five houses in Denpasar, on the tourist island of Bali, killing four people and leaving one missing. Heavy seasonal rain from about October to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains. A dispute between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi federal government risks further complicating the relationship between the two, as the KRG struggles to pay its public sector employees. Last week, KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani said withdrawing from the Iraqi government was "on the table" amid a growing dissatisfaction with the Iraqi finance minister. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. Civilians in Gabon are being encouraged this month to register to vote in presidential elections scheduled for August 2025, as ordered by transitional President General Brica Clotaire Oligui Nguema. The planned elections are envisioned to end a two-year transition to civilian rule. Voter registration began Jan. 2 and is due to conclude at the end of the month. Gabon's political opposition says voter registration has not been as robust as expected because civilians believe the transitional president wants to confiscate power, assertions that Nguema denies. The elections are part of a plan for a return to constitutional order after an Aug. 30, 2023 coup that ousted longtime President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Gabon officials say at least 300,000 new voters, who have either reached the legal voting age of 18 or who are not yet registered, are expected to be added to the 860,000 or so civilians that registered as part of Gabon's November 16, 2024 constitutional referendum, and whose names are already in the elections database. This week, officials of the central African nation said senior state functionaries were deployed to encourage civilians to register before the January 31 deadline. Ministers dispatched to towns and villages this week are expected to work with voter enrollment teams and make sure civilians are formally registered as voters so they can participate in the August elections and cast ballots. But Gabon's opposition and civil society groups say civilians are not heeding calls by government officials to register because they are not sure Nguema is ready to hand power to civilian rule. Cyrille Bissiengou is the deputy coordinator of Yes Volunteers, a group created in 2024 to encourage civilians to take part in Gabons electoral process. Bissiengou said he is not sure that 300,000 new voters will register before the Jan. 31 deadline, as Gabon's government expects. Many young people told Yes Volunteers they weren't sure about Nguemas' willingness to hand power to civilians. Bissiengou spoke on Gabon's state TV on Tuesday. Jean Remy Yama, leader of Unitary Dynamics, one of Gabon's leading worker trade unions and member of Gabon's senate, also expressed skepticism. Yama said if Nguema truly wanted to hand power to civilian rule, he should have allowed Gabon's parliament and senate to set up an independent elections management body to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. He said by asking a minister appointed by transitional rulers to register voters and organize elections, Nguema is indicating that he wants to hold power. Gabon's constitution, voted in a Nov. 16 referendum to lay the groundwork for elections, bars transitional government members from running in the 2025 presidential polls but permits Nguema to run for president. Nguema has not said whether he will be a candidate and the transitional government refutes claims the military leader is planning to maintain power. Last December, Georgias parliament chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a close ally of ruling Georgian Dream party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, as the countrys new president. He replaced Salome Zourabichvili, who had won the presidency in 2018 in a popular vote. Zourabichvili was the countrys fifth president. Opposition parties and Zourabichvili contend that the countrys October 2024 parliamentary elections, which Georgian Dream officially won with 54.09% of the vote, were rigged, and that therefore neither Georgian Dreams victory nor Kavelashvilis replacement of Zourabichvili as president was legitimate. The opposition parties have refused to enter parliament and work with Georgian Dream members and are demanding new elections. Zourabichvili was in Washington to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump at the invitation of Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina. While in the U.S. capital, she spoke with Voice of America. The following transcript of that interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: VOA: Thank you for being here at VOA. We know that you attended the inauguration of the 47th president of the United States but also had a chance to meet with members of President Trumps Cabinet. What was your main message during those meetings? Salome Zourabichvili, fifth president of Georgia: Well, those were more social encounters before the inauguration and before the confirmation of those Cabinet members. I met them during different receptions and at [an inaugural] ball. So it was not a place for [a] formal meeting [or] for relaying formal messages. It's very important that contact was established. My short message was that Georgia [is] at a very crucial turning point today, in a region that is very important for the United States and for the United States interests, and so there should be immediate attention for what is happening in Georgia, in the Caucasus, in the Black Sea, from the new administration. VOA: You often say that Georgia needs the U.S., but the U.S. also needs Georgia. Why should Georgia be important for the United States, and what role could Georgia play in the South Caucasus [and] the wider region? Zourabichvili: First of all, because the Russians know that more than anybody else: They always said historically that whoever controls Tbilisi controls the Caucasus. And that is even more important today, at a time when this region is becoming very important for control of the Black Sea. ... The ports of the Black Sea are very important. And it's not a coincidence that Russia started the war against Ukraine also for control of that part of the Black Sea coast, starting with Crimea in 2014. And it's no coincidence that the hybrid war Russia has started with the elections in Georgia, also with the elections in Romania, and to rig the elections, in a very different manner, in Moldova so those three countries, if you look at the map, are countries of the Black Sea. So the strategy of Russia is very clear. Hence the strategy of the United States should be [a] continuation of what it has been over the years, which was to consolidate Georgia [as] a stronghold of democracy. [The] Georgian army would not exist were it not for American support. So I think that shows that this was not just for sympathy of, but because there was a serious, real American interest in supporting Georgia. And I'm confident that these interests are still there and even more today than maybe in the past. VOA: You were invited to attend the inauguration by Congressman Joe Wilson, one of the authors in the U.S House of Representatives of the MEGOBARI Act [aimed at bolstering democracy and countering Russian influence in Georgia], and the Georgian Nightmare Non-Recognition Act [prohibiting the U.S. from recognizing the Ivanishvili regime and recognizing Zourabichvili as Georgias legitimate president]. Could you explain why you think it is so important for the U.S. government not to recognize the current Georgian government? Zourabichvili: I think it is not possible for a country like the United States to recognize a government that is the result of rigged elections and anti-constitutional acts a regime in which no independent institution is left; all the institutions are just nominated by one party and one-man rule. That is really destroying everything that the United States has been doing in this country. Building institutions not only the army; it's all the institutions support for reform of the justice system, creation of the anti-corruption system and all of that, which is really the work of more than 30 years since the independence of Georgia. What is happening today is really destroying all of that. VOA: You, the opposition and part of Georgian people are asking for new elections. Is that the main demand at this moment? Zourabichvili: I'm still hoping that the de facto leaders [of Georgia] would recognize that stability of the country is the most important thing and would come to terms with helping the country by [holding] new elections, through some compromise with the opposition. But as time goes by, there's probably less and less hope that they would come to such a sensible solution. And what will then happen most probably is that the regime will dissolve, because it cannot resist either the sanctions, the economic and financial situation that we are getting into, the fact that it's rejected by the vast majority of the country and is isolated from all the partners, Americans and Europeans, that have been really supporting Georgia over the years. VOA: Different experts we talk with say that Georgia is not going to be a top priority of the Trump administration. How do you plan to bring Georgia to its attention? Zourabichvili: Well, we probably are never going to be the top priority, and I hope it won't be, because that means a crisis of a different level, which we don't want. Again, we do not want instability. But I think that what is happening in Georgia is quite important as an example. I don't think America [can] accept a country [that] has been supported and, really, constructed as a state by the United States, [making] friends with terrorist movements, with Iran, with China, and [handing over] strategic interests on the Black Sea, the port of Anaklia, or new communications lines, to China, which is what is happening. Venezuela exported millions of barrels of its heavy oil to the U.S. until the economic sanctions of 2019. Its purchase resumed two years ago. Experts explain the characteristics of this crude oil, while Donald Trump says that he will "probably" stop buying it. Click here for the full story in Spanish. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Wednesday that Israel will remain in control of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt throughout the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. A statement from the office denied reports that the Palestinian Authority, which governs part of the West Bank, would control the Rafah crossing. European Union monitors will supervise the crossing, with Israeli troops surrounding the area and Israel in charge of approving the passage of people and goods through the crossing. Israel has been in control of the area since May of 2024 as part of its offensive seeking to dismantle the Hamas militant group in Gaza. Israeli official resigns Israel's army chief, Herzi Halevi, said Tuesday he would resign on March 6, accepting responsibility for the massive security failure on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants from Gaza carried out a cross-border terror attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 250 hostages. Halevi, in a letter to Israel's defense minister, said he would complete the Israel Defense Forces' inquiries into the shock strike that led to 15 months of fighting and help strengthen the IDF's readiness for future security challenges. "I will transfer command of the IDF in a high-quality and thorough manner to my successor," wrote Halevi, who is chief of the General Staff of Israel's armed forces. A six-week truce is now in effect, but Halevi said, "The objectives of the war have not all been achieved. The army will continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas and its governing capabilities, ensure the return of the hostages" and enable Israelis displaced by militant attacks to return home. Ever since the attack, Netanyahu has refused to answer questions about assigning blame for the attack, saying that such an inquiry could wait for the war to end. Israels counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 47,000, with most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza, although Israel, without evidence, says it has killed 17,000 militants. Hamas, a U.S. designated terror group, said it will release another round of hostages on Saturday, as the ceasefire with Israel held into a third day and U.N. humanitarian agencies moved aid into Gaza to help Palestinian civilians. A Hamas official told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that the next group of hostages would be four Israeli women, who would be set free in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Fifteen months of war has devastated the Gaza Strip, destroying many of the homes that Palestinians who fled in search of safety hoped to return to with the halt in fighting. The ceasefire has so far included the return of three hostages who had been held in Gaza and the release 90 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said nearly 900 aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's mid-January press conference on the performance of Russian diplomacy in 2024 was filled with false and misleading claims, many previously debunked, highlighting the Kremlin's broader disinformation tactics. Russia's disinformation aims to legitimize its war, undermine NATO and erode Western support for Ukraine. By targeting domestic and international audiences especially skeptics of U.S. policy it seeks to shape perceptions, distort historical facts and create false equivalencies. The goal is to justify aggression while portraying Ukraine as illegitimate and extremist. NATO expansion Lavrov falsely claims that NATO promised not to expand eastward. We have long lost hope that Western countries will fulfill their promises and obligations, including NATO's non-expansion to the east, refraining from luring Ukraine into NATO, he said. In reality, NATO has always maintained an open door policy, allowing any state to join if it meets membership requirements. No treaty ever restricted NATO expansion. In 2014, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev confirmed the West never promised the Soviet Union otherwise. In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton rejected a gentlemen's agreement with Russian President Boris Yeltsin to bar former Soviet republics from joining NATO. These facts disprove Lavrov's claims that NATO broke any commitments to Russia, exposing the Kremlin's use of disinformation to justify its foreign policy and aggression against Ukraine. Claim that invasion was defensive Lavrov on Jan. 14 also falsely claimed that Russia's war against Ukraine is defensive and aimed at protecting Russian-speaking populations. Despite the Minsk agreements, [Ukraine] bombed these people [in Donbas], who should have been granted a special status in accordance with the U.N. Security Council's resolutions, he said. After years of explaining this we ultimately launched the special military operation to protect our security interests and the interests of the Russian people in Ukraine. This false narrative has been challenged consistently. The international community, including the United Nations, has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an act of aggression violating international law. Investigations have found no credible evidence supporting claims of systemic oppression of Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine that would justify such military intervention. United Nations data shows civilian casualties in Donbas steadily declined before Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, contradicting claims of a "humanitarian" mission. Experts have repeatedly demonstrated the war is not about protection but constitutes genocide against Ukrainians, exposing the Kremlin's disinformation to justify aggression. Zelenskyy's legitimacy Lavrov falsely called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presidency the product of a coup, though he won a democratic election, which even Russia initially recognized. [T]he current Ukrainian regime, which came to power through an illegal anti-constitutional coup, he said during the Jan. 14 press conference. Zelenskyy's democratic election like that of his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko was recognized globally, including by Russia. Before Poroshenko, Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, not due to a coup, but amid mass protests. Despite Russian claims of U.S. involvement, no credible evidence links the protests to foreign orchestration. 'Self-determination' of Crimea, Donbas Lavrov falsely claimed that Crimea and Donbas left Ukraine legally. The right to self-determination underpins the decisions made by residents of Crimea in 2014 and by residents of Novorossiya and Donbass in 2022, he said. Russia's annexations violate international law, as the referendums were conducted under military occupation without legal legitimacy. Crimea, Donbas and other territories temporarily occupied by Russia are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. The right to self-determination does not grant any group the automatic right to secede, particularly through force or foreign intervention. Russia's own constitution denies the right to secession, reinforcing that self-determination is subordinate to state sovereignty. This was affirmed in two decisions by the Russian Constitutional Court, prioritizing territorial integrity over international self-determination principles. Moreover, in Putin's Russia, advocating for national self-determination can lead to criminal penalties. The 2022 invasion revealed Moscow's imperial ambitions, denying Ukraine's existence and history. Russia forcibly deported Ukrainian children, leading the OSCE to label Russia a colonial empire rejecting rights to indigenous peoples. Ukraine leadership called 'Nazi regime' Lavrov falsely called the current political regime of Ukraine a Nazi organization. [T]he issue of [Ukraine's accession to] NATO must be taken off the table, and the Russian speakers' language, religious and other rights, which Zelensky's Nazi regime has outlawed, must be restored. The Kremlin falsely claims Ukraine is a Nazi state, ignoring the fact that ultranationalist groups in Ukraine, like Svoboda, have limited popular support and political power. Svoboda's influence has diminished, receiving only 2.15% of the vote in 2019. In contrast, ultranationalists in Russia have significant influence on state and military policies, affecting domestic and foreign agendas. Alleged ban on Russian language Lavrov also repeated the fallacious allegation that the Russian language is barred in Ukraine. They [Ukraine] enacted a law banning the Russian language long before the special military operation started. The Russian language has been totally outlawed. No law banned Russian in Ukraine, rather, policies promoted the Ukrainian language while still allowing Russian usage. In July 2012, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed a law granting Russian "regional language" status in areas where Russian speakers exceeded 10%. While opposition members argued it diminished Ukrainian, some regions, including Donbas, recognized Russian as the official language. After Yanukovych fled in February 2014, the law was repealed, but acting President Oleksandr Turchynov declined to approve the repeal. It stayed in effect until 2018, when Ukraine's Constitutional Court struck it down. This was part of Ukraine's effort to strengthen its national identity and limit Russia's post-Soviet influence. Accusations of TurkStream sabotage Lavrov also falsely accused the United States and Ukraine of targeting the TurkStream gas pipeline, claiming Washington is encouraging Ukraine to sabotage the pipeline. [T]he U.S. has given the green light to terrorist attacks designed to undermine EU's wellbeing in terms of energy supplies, he said. Now, they are encouraging their Ukrainian clients to put the TurkStream out of operation, just as they did with the Nord Stream pipelines. No concrete evidence has been provided to substantiate these allegations, making such claims speculative and misleading. Prince Harry claimed a monumental victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdoch's U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life over decades and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit. News Group Newspapers offered a "full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life," Harry's attorney, David Sherborne, read from a statement in court. The statement even went beyond the scope of the case to acknowledge intruding on the life of Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana, and the impact it had on his family. "We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages," the settlement statement said. His phone was hacked, and he was spied on It was the first time News Group has acknowledged wrongdoing at The Sun, a paper that once sold millions of copies with its formula of sports, celebrities and sex including topless women on Page 3. Harry had vowed to take his case to trial to publicly expose the newspaper's wrongdoing and win a court ruling upholding his claims. In a statement read by his lawyer, Harry claimed he achieved the accountability he sought for himself and hundreds of others, including ordinary people, who were snooped on. News Group acknowledged "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators" aimed at Harry. News Group had strongly denied those allegations before trial. "This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them," Sherborne said outside the High Court in London. Wrongdoing alleged at the top The bombshell announcement came after the trial's start was postponed a day as last-minute settlement talks heated up outside court. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully intruded in their lives. The company engaged in "perjury and cover-ups" to obscure the truth for years, deleting 30 million emails and other records, Harry and Watson said in a joint statement read by Sherborne. "There was an extensive conspiracy," the statement said, in which "senior executives deliberately obstructed justice." News Group said in a statement that it would have disputed at trial that evidence was destroyed and that it continues to deny those allegations. While News Group had issued an unreserved apology for its wrongdoing at the shuttered News of the World, it had never done so at The Sun and had vehemently denied those allegations. The statement read by Sherborne took aim at Rebekah Brooks, now the CEO overseeing News Group, who had been the editor at The Sun when she was acquitted at a criminal trial in a phone hacking case. "At her trial in 2014, Rebekah Brooks said, 'When I was editor of The Sun, we ran a clean ship,'" he said. "Ten years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise." News Group apologized for wrongdoing by private eyes hired by The Sun, but not for anything done by its journalists. Two cases down, one to go In all the cases that have been brought against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011, Harry's case got the closest to trial. Murdoch closed the paper after the Guardian reported that the tabloid's reporters had in 2002 hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a murdered 13-year-old schoolgirl, while police were searching for her. Harry's case against News Group was one of three he brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops. His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was "widespread and habitual" at the newspaper and its sister publications. During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchy's desire to keep its problems out of view. The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how his third case against the publisher of the Daily Mail will proceed. That trial is scheduled next year. Source of a bitter feud Harry's feud with the press dates to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs. But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper. He blames the media for the death of his mother, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the United States in 2020. The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary "Tabloids On Trial." He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother, William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million). "I'm doing this for my reasons," Harry told the documentary makers, although he said he wished his family had joined him. Harry was originally one among dozens of claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, who alleged that News Group journalists and investigators they hired violated their privacy between 1994 and 2016 by intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information. The cervical cancer rate in Namibia is 37.5 for every 100,000 women, about three times higher than the rate worldwide. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and doctors in Namibia are advocating greater access to healthcare and the HPV vaccine to reduce the prevalence of the disease. November 2009 was a turning point in the life of Barbara Kamba-Nyathi. At the tender age of 29, she was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer. Her doctors recommended radiation therapy as opposed to chemotherapy, because at that time she had not yet had children and radiation therapy would help her avoid premature menopause. But that was not her only struggle. Kamba-Nyathi, who lived in Windhoek at the time, said she faced stigma for cervical cancer's association with HIV and the human papilloma virus. "One of the challenges that come with having a diagnosis like cervical cancer is that our African society its usually taboo to talk about things of our reproductive organs, you know, our reproductive system is taboo," said Kamba-Nyathi. "We don't talk about such things and in the end, we tend to normalize pain and even things that don't feel right in our bodies we tend to normalize them and they become part of our identity." Rolf Hansen, the chief executive officer of the Cancer Association of Namibia, said a lack of education and a lack of access to healthcare prevent many women from getting tested or being treated for cervical cancer or HPV, which is the second-leading cause of cancer among sub-Saharan women. "Like I said, HIV and HPV work hand in hand to fuel the cervical cancer pandemic," said Hansen. "Now, in our country as well we see that in our low-income setting as well as our rural setting, we have high HPV prevalence, high cervical cancer so a lot of work needs to be done at a grassroots level so that we can actually combat this disease." Doctors Simon and David Emvula provide health services to underprivileged communities, together with the Be Free/Break Free program an initiative of former first lady Monica Geingos in Namibia's largest township of Katutura. They are advocating for the rollout of the HPV vaccine for girls between the ages of 9 and 14, before they become sexually active. Emvula said that during one screening in Windhoek on Saturday, they treated more than 100 patients, screening girls and women for HPV, cervical cancer, fibroids and other sexually transmitted infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Emvula spoke to VOA at his practice in Windhoek. "The turnout was actually beyond what we expected and once again it was an eye-opener ... that there is definitely a need for that," said Emvula. Emvula said HPV vaccination is among the most effective ways to prevent cervical cancer but the government of Namibia is lagging. HPV vaccines have been introduced in 129 countries worldwide and the Namibian government has endorsed the rollout of the vaccines for girls ages 9 to 14. Despite promises made as reported by VOA last year, the vaccines have not yet been made available. Namibia's executive director of health, Ben Nangombe, could not be reached for comment. Russian lawyer practice could face existential risks after the recent guilty verdict against three lawyers who had represented late opposition leader Alexey Navalny in court. VOA Russian spoke to legal experts who voice concern about the ability of Russian activists to get proper legal representation in the future after Navalny lawyers got up to 5 years in prison for essentially doing their job, something that did not happen even in the Soviet times. Click here for the full story in Russian. PHNOM PENH, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia reported a total of 6.24 million air travelers in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent, an official said on Wednesday. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, a secretary of state at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said that international and domestic airlines operated a total of 58,354 flights to the kingdom's three international airports last year, a rise of 14 percent year-on-year. He added that the Southeast Asian country also saw a 40 percent surge in air cargo volume to 77,752 tons last year. Chanserey Vutha was confident that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which officially operated in November 2023, will help attract more international airlines and passengers to Cambodia. "We hope the airport will attract new international airlines to operate direct flights to Siem Reap province, home to the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park," he told Xinhua. With a 3,600-meter-long runway, the airport is a 4E-level international airport capable of handling the landing of almost all kinds of aircraft from across the world, he added. Nigerian authorities said this week that the nations new partnership status with the BRICS bloc could unlock critical opportunities in trade, investment and agriculture. Nigerian President Bola Tinubus special adviser told Lagos-based Channels Television that the partnership, which became official Friday, is pivotal to promoting trade, investment, food security, infrastructure development and energy security. The adviser, Daniel Bwala, said the pact enables Nigeria to forge deeper strategic relationships with BRICS members beyond traditional bilateral partnerships. BRICS an acronym for the founding members of Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa added a year later is a political and economic bloc. BRICS introduced the "partner country category in October. Partner nations are a step below full membership. Economist Emeka Okengwu praised the arrangement. "Look at the members of BRICS and the economies that they bring to the table. Brazil is probably the biggest producer of livestock and its products globally, then to aircraft, aviation and renewable energy, Okengwu said. Look at Russia, India, China and South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia. These are big populations. If you put them together, they probably bring 10 times the value of whatever Europe and America can give to you," he said. In total, the 10 BRICS member states make up 40% of the global economy and 55% of the global population. In a statement, Nigerias Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the countrys participation in BRICS reflects its commitment to leveraging global economic opportunities to advance national development goals. Last December, Nigeria intensified efforts to join not only BRICS but also the G20 organization of the worlds major economies and the BRICS New Development Bank. Okengwu said the partnership will help Nigeria at "being productive, taking goods and services in there, being able to meet global standards and being competitive. It would've been horrible if Nigeria was not in BRICS and then we would've been left hanging with all these challenges we're having with our neighbors in the Sahel," Okengwu said. Despite the optimism, analysts say Nigeria faces significant hurdles. The countrys struggling economy and inadequate infrastructure raise concerns about its capacity for meaningful growth through BRICS. There's also concern about how Nigeria will balance its alliances with Western nations while deepening ties with BRICS. However, Ndu Nwokolo, an economist with Nextier, suggested the challenge is manageable. "It's about how smart you are to benefit from everybody, Nwokolo said. With what we're seeing by some of the pronouncements of [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump, Nigeria may benefit from it because already Trump is talking about increasing taxes [tariffs] even within ally states. So, if he's going to do that with countries we think are traditional partners, so who's telling you that he will not do more with countries that he considers outsiders, he said. So, we're looking at a situation where countries that are not originally traditional allies of America will try to pull together, and Nigeria may benefit from that. President Donald Trump wasted no time in enacting his conservative America First agenda upon returning to the White House on Monday. He signed dozens of executive orders that will impact many aspects of life in America, from transgender rights to immigration and from energy policy to federal employment. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization, though many believe the U.S. absence in these organizations will be advantageous to Americas rivals, like China. Plus, a look at what we know about the president's immigration policy following the declaration of a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the U.S. A rare winter storm churned across the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday, breaking snowfall records more than a century old in a southern region where flurries are unusual, as much of the United States remained in a dangerous deep freeze. A snowstorm warning was in effect for 31 million people - from southern Texas east through Georgia and north to the Carolinas and into Virginia - until Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said. With the storm moving east, crews near Houston plowed highways on Tuesday while downtown streets, covered in white, were virtually deserted. Schools were closed Tuesday and Wednesday as the city, the fourth-biggest in the U.S., expected about 10 cm of snow to fall. "I've been in Texas my entire life and I have never seen this depth of snow," said Ishan Bhaidani, 29, who owns a fintech consulting company in Houston. "It typically gets more icy, but this type of fine snow, this is a first." Authorities in Houston investigated two deaths that may be weather-related, including that of a homeless man who was found near an apartment complex, the Harris County Sheriff said on X. Snow was also falling in New Orleans, where nearly 25 cm had accumulated by late afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Richard Bann, an NWS meteorologist, said that the service was trying to confirm whether Tuesday's snowfall broke a New Orleans record set in 1895. The last time New Orleans received any measurable snowfall was 2009, according to the NWS. "Stay home and stay off the roads," said a bundled-up New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, as winds whipped snow in her face, in a video message to residents on X. Breaking a 144-year-old record, more than 15 cm of snow fell in Mobile, Alabama, by late afternoon, according to the NWS. The storm is expected to crawl through Mississippi, Georgia and Florida early this week. The storm snarled air travel with flights delayed or canceled on Tuesday. More than 1,000 flights departing or bound for Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport were canceled, according to Flightaware.com. Temperatures dipped into single digits Fahrenheit, well below freezing, across the region. Forecasters and local leaders urged residents to protect themselves from frostbite and to take steps to keep their water pipes from rupturing. Across the South, the snow, combined with an inch of ice accumulation and wind gusts of up to 64 kph, could make road and air travel difficult for several days, while threatening to topple power lines and trees, forecasters said. About 30,000 homes and businesses in southeastern Texas were without power at one point on Tuesday, but by late afternoon that number fell to fewer than 8,000, according to Poweroutage.us. Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama, opened warming centers and closed government offices in anticipation of the storm. Numerous school districts canceled classes, according to local news. To the north, most of the eastern two-thirds of the United States experienced brutally cold temperatures as an Arctic front was expected to linger through at least Tuesday. Grand Lake, Colorado, was the coldest spot in the U.S. on Tuesday morning at -39 C. Six Kurdish journalists have been detained in Turkey, charged with being members of a "terrorist organization" with no word from their lawyers. Journalists and activists say opposition media outlets are being targeted more and more every day. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. Herow Mohammed is a cancer patient from the city of Halabja, Iraq, who despite her diagnosis continues to work in her fresh chicken store. Speaking to VOA, she said, "Overcoming cancer requires someone whose will is strong enough to overpower the disease." Mohammed is among hundreds of the city's cancer patients who, due to the lack of a cancer care center, need to travel to the city of Sulaimaniyah. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. New U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that core national interests will be at the heart of American diplomacy as President Donald Trump embarks on his second four-year term in the White House. Rubio, the first of Trumps Cabinet nominees to win Senate confirmation and take office, said in a mission statement that all U.S. spending and efforts on foreign affairs must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous? He said that to advance our national interest, we will build a more innovative, nimble, and focused State Department. This will require replacing some priorities, deemphasizing some issues, and eliminating some practices. Rubio, 53, echoed Trumps early promises to end masses of undocumented migrants from entering the U.S. The State Department will no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage mass migration, Rubio said. Our diplomatic relations with other countries, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, will prioritize securing Americas borders, stopping illegal and destabilizing migration, and negotiating the repatriation of illegal immigrants to their home countries. Rubio said the State Department will end any efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring, in line with orders Trump issued on day one of his new term. This order will be faithfully executed and observed in both letter and spirit, Rubio said, We must reward performance and merit. He said foreign policy efforts must return to the basics of diplomacy by eliminating our focus on political and cultural causes that are divisive at home and deeply unpopular abroad. This will allow us to conduct a pragmatic foreign policy in cooperation with other nations to advance our core national interests. In addition, he said the U.S. must stop censorship and suppression of information and reprioritize truth. He emphasized the fundamental truth that America is a great and just country whose people are generous and whose leaders now prioritize Americans core interests, while respecting the rights and interests of other nations. With Trump announcing he will pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement joining Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries that will officially not adhere to the pact to limit global warming Rubio said the State Department will use diplomacy to help President Trump fulfill his promise for a return to American energy dominance. Amid todays reemerging great power rivalry, Rubio said, I will empower our talented diplomatic corps to advance our mission to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. On his first day on the job, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his staff and spelled out his foreign policy priorities. He also met with allies from the Indo-Pacific region who seek to counter Chinese military and economic ambitions. VOAs Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports, with Kim Lewis contributing. A blizzard whips the Danish, Greenlandic and Faroe Islands flags above the Joint Arctic Command headquarters overlooking the harbor of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The small military outpost staffed by around 80 personnel oversees Danish security for the vast Arctic island of some 2.1 million square kilometers. Greenlands government is largely autonomous, but the island is part of the Danish Kingdom, and Denmark retains responsibility for its security. U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear his determination to take ownership of the island for the United States and hasnt ruled out using economic or military force. Speaking hours after his inauguration, Trump reiterated his view that U.S. control was necessary for international security because, he explained, You have Russian boats all over the place. You have China boats all over the place, warships. And [Denmark] can't maintain it. Russian missiles The United States has long viewed Greenland as vitally important for its defense, explained Marc Jacobsen, an analyst at the Royal Danish Defense College in Copenhagen. There's no doubt that it's geostrategically important in defending the U.S. national security against Russian missiles, Jacobsen told VOA. The shortest route for Russian missiles towards the U.S. is via the North Pole, via Greenland. Russia has invested heavily in its Arctic military footprint in recent years. Its northernmost Nagurskoye air base on Siberias northern coast hosts nuclear-capable strategic bombers, missile and surveillance systems. Russian nuclear submarines patrol the Arctic seas, while a growing fleet of nuclear-powered ice breakers projects Kremlin power across the region. China and Russia have conducted joint military drills in the Arctic. Beijing is also seeking access to valuable minerals beneath the ice. There is definitely a threat, especially from Russian military capacities in that region. And NATO countries are right now moving to increase their capacity, Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, also of the Royal Danish Defense College, told VOA. Denmarks defense Denmarks military capabilities on Greenland consist of four aging naval patrol vessels, a surveillance plane and dog sled patrols. Copenhagen announced plans last month to invest in new surveillance drones, two new ships and additional personnel, along with upgrading an existing air base to accommodate F-35 fighter jets. The exact cost has yet to be decided, but the government said it would spend a double-digit billion amount in Danish kroner, or at least $1.5 billion. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen admitted, however, that the government has failed to invest in Greenlands security. We have neglected for many years to make the necessary investments in our ships, in the aircraft that will help to monitor our kingdom, and that is what we are now trying to do something about, he told reporters on Jan. 9. We will hopefully create an investment package where we will strengthen our ability to monitor what is happening in the Arctic, and also for some new capacities to be put into place. Denmark hopes the upgrades will go toward meeting American demands for increasing the surveillance of Greenland, Jacobsen said. US Space base The U.S. military has been present in Greenland since World War II, when American forces were deployed to the island following Denmarks fall to Nazi Germany. At the height of the U.S. deployment, Greenland hosted more than 10,000 U.S. service personnel. The Pituffik Space Base on Greenlands northwest coast, formerly known as the Thule Air Base, is the United States northernmost military facility. It now hosts around 200 military personnel, alongside missile warning, defense and space surveillance systems. The military protection of Greenland de facto relies on the U.S., Rahbek-Clemmensen said. And the big question is then whether the U.S. wants to enhance that presence, perhaps to be able to do other types of military operations in that area. That may be why, he added, Danish officials appear to be approaching the issue in a manner that maintains good U.S. relations. The Danish government has been trying to touch on that word 'control' that Trump uses, which is a very ambiguous term, he added. What does control mean? Does it mean owning a piece of territory? Or does it mean having a certain amount of military equipment on that territory? US-Danish relations At Denmarks Arctic command center in Nuuk, the U.S. flag flies alongside the Danish, Greenlandic and Faroe Islands colors. The building also hosts the U.S. Consulate a sign that, for the time being, U.S.-Danish relations remain cordial. Before Trumps inauguration, the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen said there were no plans to expand U.S. military presence in Greenland. That could change under the new president. For now, Denmark and its European allies are hoping that Trumps comments are part of a strategy to force NATO allies to spend more on defense. There's an important element which is about his personality, which he brings into the way that U.S. diplomacy, or his diplomacy, is carried out, Jacobsen said. In a positive light, if the USA increases its presence in the Arctic, it will increase the NATO presence, because the seven Arctic states besides Russia we are all members of NATO now. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. U.S. President Donald Trump this week repeated his assertion that American control of Greenland is vital for international security. As Henry Ridgwell reports, Denmark, which owns the island, has admitted failing to invest in its security, amid growing threats from Russia and China. Sri Lanka's foreign minister said on Wednesday that the South Asian island nation had signed an agreement with Chinese state energy giant Sinopec to fast-track a proposed $3.7 billion oil refinery in its southern port city of Hambantota. Sinopec and Sri Lanka will jointly decide the share of refined fuel that will be exported from the facility, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told reporters. "This is one of the largest foreign investment projects Sri Lanka has received and we feel it will be important for us," Herath said. "This refinery has been discussed between the two countries for many years and we are committed to taking it forward. We hope to break ground as soon as possible." He declined to provide details on the planned capacity of the refinery. A Sinopec representative in China did not respond immediately to a request for comment and its Sri Lanka office did not answer phone calls. Sri Lanka is currently completely dependent on imported oil, which costs the cash-strapped country billions of dollars every year, though it does have some smaller refineries. The country is looking to attract foreign investment to stabilize its economy which crumpled under a severe foreign exchange crisis in 2022. Sri Lanka posted a faster-than-expected rally after securing a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program in 2023. Sinopec and Sri Lanka will work to resolve land, tax and water issues within a month, Herath said, adding that Colombo expects the refinery to assist the Chinese-built Hambantota Port to function as a hub via bunkering services. Last week, China and Sri Lanka signed 15 cooperation documents, including agreements on economic and technological development, when recently-elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Dissanayake's visit to debt-ridden Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender came after he first traveled to Beijing's regional rival India. Specifics of the deals signed between Sri Lanka and China were not disclosed at the signing ceremony. Sinopec's effort to build a refinery in the Indian Ocean island puts it in direct competition with India's interests in expanding its role as an energy supplier to Sri Lanka. Herath said Sri Lanka is continuing discussions with India on a proposed fuel pipeline between the two countries and is open to refinery proposals from India. Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said he is willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue guiding bilateral relations towards a new height in the new year. Speaking with Putin in a video meeting, Xi called for coping with uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations, jointly promoting the development and revitalization of the two countries, and upholding international fairness and justice. The two heads of state exchanged festive greetings for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. Xi recalled the three meetings he had with Putin last year, which led to a range of important common understandings. He also said last year marked the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations, which feature permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and have become increasingly dynamic. Xi also mentioned various activities held as part of the China-Russia Years of Culture, as well as steadily progressing pragmatic cooperation and growing bilateral trade. The close coordination between the two countries on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS has provided more positive energy for the reform and development of the global governance system, Xi said. He called on the two sides to continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries. China and Russia should consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation, Xi added. He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. He said as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of the SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility. Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South. Putin said that Russia and China have always provided each other with trust and support, and treated each other as equals. Cooperation between the two sides is in the interests of the two peoples and has been unaffected by changes in the international landscape. He expressed satisfaction with the sustained positive momentum in bilateral trade and energy cooperation, the constant increase in mutual visits by people of the two countries, and the close communication and collaboration between the two sides on multilateral arenas. Putin said Russia firmly upholds the principle that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and resolutely opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. He noted that 80 years ago, the Russian and Chinese people resisted aggressors with their blood and lives, safeguarding their national sovereignty and dignity. He said that this year, the two sides will jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on multilateral affairs, and play a positive role in promoting world peace and development, Putin added. The two heads of state also engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year. TikToks short-lived shutdown in the United States has opened a wider debate in other countries regarding access to popular social media platforms by children. TikTok went dark temporarily Sunday in the U.S. after a new law banning it went into effect. The law required TikToks Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance to sell the apps U.S. operation due to national security concerns over its ties to Beijing. After his inauguration on Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the ban for 75 days, giving ByteDance additional time to find a buyer. The order provides relief to the apps 170 million American users, many of them young adults. More than 60% of teenagers in the U.S. ages 13 to 17 use TikTok, with most of them accessing the platform daily, according to data from the Pew Research Center. The U.S. is not the only country looking to regulate social media and other platforms such as online gaming. While the reasons behind the restrictions vary, a growing number of countries already regulate technology or are proposing legislation to restrict its use. In Australia, a high-profile social media ban for young adults under the age of 16 will take effect at the end of the year, prohibiting them from creating accounts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X and Snapchat. The government said the ban was a necessary measure to protect children. Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters last November. Websites like YouTube that do not require an account to view content will likely be excluded from the ban. The Australian government said the onus will be on the social media companies to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts on their platforms. Companies that do not comply could face fines of more than $30 million. Details of how the law will be enforced remain scarce, with age verification technologies currently being trialed. Some young Australian users of the platforms remain skeptical about how effective a ban will be. I think people will manage to find ways around it, maybe by lying about their age, 15-year-old Theodore Cage told VOA. While Cage concedes that social media can be a big distraction from school, he is against a blanket ban, favoring more measured approaches such as limiting screen time or blocking specific content. I reckon it definitely should be more targeted, not just a total ban on everything, because there's a lot of good stuff out there. It's not all bad, he said. The impending ban has also raised concerns that some children will be left isolated. Social media serves as a lifeline for those youth who do not have supportive homes or local environments. They can find supportive communities on social media, Lisa Given, a professor of information sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, told VOA. Australias ban will be closely watched, especially by countries in Asia that are considering their own restrictions for young users. Indonesias communications minister said the Southeast Asian nation is planning a minimum age for social media use and discussed plans last week with President Prabowo Subianto. In neighboring Singapore, teenagers under 18 moved to a more restrictive Teen Accounts on Instagram starting Jan. 21. The city-state also issued guidelines in schools to limit screen time for children. Starting March 31, app stores in Singapore will block children under 12 from downloading apps, including TikTok and Instagram. But in the Southeast Asian financial hub, which prides itself on technological advancements and connectivity, social media still plays a significant role in the daily lives of young people. Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram are pretty important for engaging in new relationships or finding new friendships, 17-year-old Pablo Lane of Singapore told VOA. It [social media] has had big benefits for me, just broadening the scope of people I can contact. China has gone further than other countries in Asia to control childrens access to online networks. In 2021, Beijing introduced new measures restricting children under 18 to just three hours a week. And in late 2024, new guidelines from Chinas cybersecurity regulator called for mobile devices to be equipped with a minors mode that would limit screen time for children under 18, including an overnight curfew. The setting, which parents can turn off, restricts 16- to 18-year-olds to two hours of phone use a day, with 8- to 16-year-olds allowed just one hour. Jeremy Daum, a senior fellow at Yale Law Schools Paul Tsai China Center, said China is also focused on protecting children from harmful content online rather than implementing blanket bans. They're really trying, from a number of different angles, to make a safe web for kids, Daum told VOA. Questions remain over whether Chinas model could apply elsewhere. U.S. President Donald Trump emphatically told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday to "STOP this ridiculous War!" against Ukraine or the United States would soon impose new "high levels" of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on any Russian exports to the West. Two days into his second term in the White House, Trump told Putin in a social media post that he was "not looking to hurt Russia" and that the U.S. "must never forget" that Russia helped the U.S. win World War II, but that it was time to end Moscow's nearly three-year invasion of neighboring Ukraine. "All of that being said," Trump noted on his Truth Social account, "I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE." "If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon," Trump said he would "have no other choice" but to impose taxes, tariffs and sanctions. Under former President Joe Biden, who left office on Monday, the United States and its European allies frequently sanctioned key sectors of the Russian economy and oligarch friends of Putin, worsening the country's economy but failing to stop the war. Trump said, "Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It's time to "MAKE A DEAL." NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!" There was no immediate response from Putin to Trump's demands. In the months before assuming power again, Trump frequently said he would have the Russia-Ukraine conflict resolved before taking over the White House for a second nonconsecutive term. But as his inauguration on Monday approached, Trump's aides retreated from the timeline, saying the new goal was to have the war ended in the first 100 days of his administration, which would be near the end of April. Under Biden, key aides said it was up to Ukraine to decide if and when to start peace negotiations with Russia. Trump told reporters on Tuesday his nascent administration has been in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and would be speaking with Putin "very soon." He said the European Union should be paying a lot more than theyre paying to aid Ukraine, while falsely stating the U.S. has contributed $200 billion more than the bloc. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has committed about $175 billion in aid for Ukraine. The European Union says the bloc and its member states have made about $145 billion in aid available. Trump says Europe should be paying more because its proximity means the war has a greater effect on the EU than the United States. I mean, what are we, stupid? I guess the answer is yes, because they must think so, Trump said. He has previously complained that NATO allies are not allocating enough of their spending to defense and called for increased defense budget targets. 'We can do more' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said during a speech Wednesday at conference of the EU's defense agency that, in terms of general defense spending, Trump is right to say that we dont spend enough, and that the EU needs to invest more. She called for the EU to provide more, faster and stronger support to Ukraine, saying that Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom and ours. There is absolutely no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine, Kallas said. With our help, they can also win the war. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that if a ceasefire deal were enacted with Russia, "at least 200,000 European peacekeepers" would need to be on the ground in Ukraine to defend the eastern European country against a possible new attack by Russia. Zelenskyy said Europe must "take care of itself." He said 200,000 peacekeepers from European countries would be the minimum number of peacekeepers required, "Otherwise, it's nothing." "Let's not forget, there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia," Zelenskyy said in his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ukraine's president said Russia's demand that Ukraine reduce its army to one-fifth of its current size of 800,000 is not an option. Ukraine's best defense during a ceasefire deal, Zelenskyy said, would be its membership into NATO, which Western allies have committed to but not while the war with Russia rages. Alliance members have declared that Ukraine is on an "irreversible" path to membership, but the United States, Germany and others oppose allowing Ukraine to join while the war is ongoing for fear of sparking a wider conflict. Aerial attacks Ukrainian officials said Wednesday the country's air defenses shot down dozens of drones overnight, including in Mykolaiv, where Governor Vitaliy Kim said falling debris damaged an apartment building and injured two people. Officials in the Khmelnytskyi and Sumy regions also reported drones being shot down in their areas. Russia's defense ministry said it destroyed six Ukrainian drones over the Rostov region, while also knocking down a drone over Kursk and another over Voronezh. Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar said drone fragments fell in the courtyard of a house, but that no one was injured. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. President Trumps executive order suspending the U.S. refugee program would affect the resettlement of thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan, an advocacy group said. AfghanEvac, a California-based coalition of organizations helping U.S. Afghan allies to resettle in the U.S., said Monday that the pause in all refugee resettlements would affect Afghan allies who are awaiting relocation to the U.S. Thousands of Afghan allies who have completed almost all required steps in the refugee process would be immediately impacted by a refugee resettlement pause, and thousands more who are currently undergoing processing would remain in limbo, AfghanEvac said, in a statement on its X account. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that called the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program detrimental to U.S. interests and suspending it beginning on January 27. This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligned with the interest of the United States, stated the executive order. It called on the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the secretary of state, to report to the president within 90 days if the program would be in the interests of the United States. The order added that every 90 days, a report would be submitted to the president until he determine[s] that resumption of the USRAP is in the interests of the United States. According to Shawn VanDiver, president of AghanEvac, more than 180,000 Afghans were relocated in the U.S. from August 2021, after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, to December 2024. Thousands of Afghans are still waiting to be relocated to the United States. AfghanEvac said that the order would not only have an impact on at-risk Afghans living in hiding but also on the family members of the active-duty U.S. troops. Earlier, Reuters reported that the flights of 1,660 Afghans cleared by the U.S. government to resettle in the U.S. were canceled. But the president of AfghanEvac, Shawn VanDiver, said in a post on X that no flights were canceled. To be clear: flights have not yet been canceled for anyone, VanDiver said. Omar Samad, a former Afghan diplomat living in the U.S., told VOA that the ban is part of a larger package and it will impact Afghans who are waiting to be relocated to the U.S. It is going to be reviewed by the U.S. agencies, and it is possible that they that the U.S. make an exception for Afghans, Samad added. VanDiver said that the coalition of organizations helping Afghans are working to secure exemptions for Afghan allies. U.S. President Donald Trump ended on Monday a humanitarian parole program that benefited Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, and Haitians. Under the executive order called Securing Our Borders, which outlines various immigration-related actions, President Trump aimed to take all appropriate action to build the border wall, deploying defense personnel to the southern border, and detain irregular migrants. It also asks for elimination of certain parole programs. One such program, the CHNV program (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela) allowed up to 30,000 individuals per month from those countries to enter the United States legally and stay for a period of up to two years, provided they had a U.S.-based supporter. As of December 2024, about 531,690 people had entered the country under that program, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Beneficiaries were required to have a valid passport, arrange their own travel, and pass national security and public safety vetting, among other criteria. The Biden White House announced the CHNV parole program on January 5, 2023. Officials at the time said the initiative was part of the administration's efforts to discourage unlawful entries along the U.S. southern border. The program was modeled on the Ukraine program and an earlier Venezuelan program. Immediate effects The executive order took effect immediately. That means that no new applications will be accepted from individuals seeking to sponsor those migrants. Elizabeth Jacobs of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based group that advocates restricting immigration to the U.S., told VOA that those who have received parole already through this program will likely be allowed to remain in the United States as parolees until their parole period expires. At that time, Jacobs said, those individuals would be without status and at risk of deportation. Programs like CNHV were a way Americans have been able to legally and safely sponsor newcomers in need of refuge to come to the United States, including Afghan allies, Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US, wrote on their website. "Those who had parole protection before January 20 will have to seek immigration status through other means or risk deportation from the United States," Cori Alonso-Yoder, told VOA. She is an immigration law professor at George Washington University. The executive orders do not indicate that humanitarian parole will be revoked for current beneficiaries of the program, said Doris Meissner of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington during a press call on Tuesday. However, they certainly will not renew it. So what happens to those people? If they stay in the U.S. once the two-year period ends, they will, of course, fall into unauthorized status. They will lose their work authorization and will certainly be subject to deportation, she noted. Other legal options The program was not a path to U.S. citizenship or permanent residence. However, according to immigration lawyers, beneficiaries may be able to adjust their immigration status from temporary parole to a more permanent one, such as a visa or sponsorship through a U.S. relative, which can lead to a green card. Cubans, after a year in the U.S., can apply for permanent residence under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Venezuelans and Haitians may qualify for Temporary Protected Status, which provides relief from deportation and work authorization. They could also apply for asylum along with Nicaraguans. However, they must demonstrate a credible fear of persecution in their home countries based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. Thousands of migrants have been stranded on Mexico's northern border after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the CBP One application to request asylum in the United States to be deactivated. Vicente Calderon reports that they are now at risk of being deported. Click here for the full video in Spanish. Its tough to gain admission to Yale University, and its getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale. The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here. Read the full story here. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Thabang Kopelo, the convenor of the Botswana Temporary and Unemployed Teachers protest says they want private schools to absorb 80% local teachers after they petitioned the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs on Monday. At the Liberation (that is to say at the end of the Second World War), Westerners were aware of the suffering caused by the ideologies according to which Humanity was divided into distinct races hierarchically arranged among themselves. Everyone understood that the assertion that these races could not mix and have fertile offspring was contradicted by the facts and had only been able to prevail thanks to intense propaganda. From the creation of the United Nations and throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union and France ensured that each year the General Assembly adopted a resolution prohibiting Nazi propaganda and the glorification of this ideology. This ritual was forgotten with the dissolution of the USSR. Surprisingly, as of 2020, it has not been possible to reform consensus around this issue. Thus, 53 States opposed the last resolution to this effect, on December 17, 2024, and 10 abstained. Indeed, if during the World War, the Allies, both American (Canadians, United States), and European (British, French, Greek, Polish, Yugoslavs, Scandinavians, Soviets etc.) were united against a common adversary , this whole was broken, even before the end of the conflict, by an Anglo-Saxon desire (that is to say both certain Americans and certain British) to continue the conflict against the Union Soviet. This is how Alan Dulles, then head of US secret services in Switzerland, and his deputy, Lyman Lemnitzer, negotiated with SS General Karl Wolff in 1945 the surrender of Nazi forces in Italy so that they could fight the Soviets alongside the United States (Operation Sunrise). This separate peace was not implemented because Joseph Stalin immediately opposed it and Franklin D. Roosevelt did not ratify the agreement already reached. However, Roosevelt, seriously ill, died shortly afterwards, while Dulles became the head of the post-war US secret service, the CIA, and General Lemnitzer became, still later, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a result, the CIA, and to a lesser extent the Department of Defense, became hideouts for former Nazis. Throughout the Cold War, they were placed by the Anglo-Saxons in positions of responsibility in numerous states of the free world (sic), from Chile to Iran. They went so far as to create a criminal international group, the World Anti-Communist League, in order to coordinate their efforts against all left-wing movements in the Third World [1]. It was not until 1977, after the revelations of Senator Frank Churchs parliamentary commission on the crimes of the CIA, that President Jimmy Carter and Admiral Stansfield Turner were able to bring order to the CIA and overthrow the dictatorships in Chile. , in Iran and everywhere else. However, to fight against the Soviet rival, President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Magareth Tatcher relied on a new ideology, Islamism, and did not hesitate to develop it, first in Afghanistan, then throughout the Middle East. -East. It was for them the only way to mobilize the Muslim Brotherhood and the Arab people. Finally, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, racist movements formerly allied with the Nazis resurfaced. President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair did not hesitate to rely on them. This is how the integral nationalists [2], followers of Dmytro Dontsov and Stepan Bandera, came to power in Ukraine. It all started in January 2005, when, as the country became a member of the European Union, the government, with financial support from the United States Embassy, published a book, History of Latvia: 20th Century. It asserted, among other things, that the Salaspils camp, where the Nazis carried out medical experiments on children and where 90,000 people were murdered, was only a "corrective labor camp" and that the Waffen SS were heros of the fight against the Soviet occupiers. A few months later, it organized a Waffen SS parade in the heart of Riga, as in the previous four years, when it was not a member of the EU [3]. Normally, the entire European Union should have protested. But it didnt happen. Only Israel and Russia expressed their indignation. In 2016, the Polish Anna Fotyga, who was then an MEP and would subsequently become director of the Polish presidential administration, then one of the pillars of NATO, presented a resolution in Strasbourg dealing with strategic communications [4]. It was a question of bringing the EU into the Information War against Russia and, in appearance at least, against the Islamists, by establishing a system organized around the NATO Strategic Communication Center [5]. It is in this context that, on September 19, 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the importance of European memory for the future of Europe [6]. This text states that by signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the USSR shared the disastrous objectives of the Nazi Reich and started the Second World War. This is obviously completely wrong [7]. Today, the neo-Nazis, the integral nationalists [8] can exercise power in Ukraine without raising the slightest objective from the West. We do not notice that their Constitution is the only one in the world to decree, in article 16, that preserving the genetic heritage of the Ukrainian people is the responsibility of the State [9]. We do not notice that Volodymyr Zelensky finished his mandate eight months ago and that he illegitimately remains in power without elections. We interpret the ban on opposition political parties and the Orthodox Church [10] as provisions suppressing Russian infiltration. We ignore the purification of libraries [11]. We are just beginning to become aware of the exodus of the Ukrainian population and the mass desertions in their armies. All this should not surprise us at a time when the same Western authorities explain to us with a smile that the jihadists of Al-Qaeda and Daesh, who have just been put in power in Damascus by the Anglo-Saxons, are only enlightened Islamists [12]. Im just going to come out and say Im sick of Dr. Will. Its been, like, two episodes, and already, hes sucked up all the energy on this Deal or No Deal island, turning what promised to be a silly, relaxing vacation into a monsoon of chaos. Everyone hates him, and even worse, he wants everyone to hate him. This is all Part of the Plan one gamers scheme to make the show all about him. Lets just hope hes not as good as he thinks he is. Each week, we get a few minutes hanging around with the cast before their excursion. Its a small but precious window into island life when bonds are made and broken. Dr. Will, a Big Brother legend, knows as well as any gamer that now is the time to strike subtle but decisive blows. Unfortunately for our favorite Black Widow, Parvati, Will accidentally reveals to the group that shes Survivor royalty. Whether or not the good doctor has also clocked his other famous competitor, Australian Survivor Golden God David Genat, remains to be seen. Maybe hell let that one slip over breakfast next week? Parvati likely knew this day would come, and honestly, Dr. Wills maneuver probably saved her some skepticism down the line. Every time someones recognized her over the past few weeks, shes let them believe theyre the only one who knows. Its a smart way to build trust fast, but it could have backfired if anyone had compared notes. Still, Parv turns the charm dial up to 11 this week by leading a group yoga class and pretending not to hate it when Dr. Will shows up. Namaste. Its not just Parvati, either. Youd think C.K. would be flying high after sending Sydnee home last week, but nope! Shes moved right on to setting her sights on Will and his eerily poreless skin. The Dr. Will Show continues into this weeks excursion in which our players split into two teams to dig briefcases out of giant sandcastles scattered along a jungle path. At the start of the competition, each team is tied together and can only free one person at a time. One player must convince the others to free them first. First out the gate for their teams are David and Phillip, and while everyone else sprints as fast as they can after them, Dr. Will decides to take the path nice and slow. Whatever these games seem to want from him, he tells us, hes gonna do the opposite. In this case, that means walking along the path and somehow still nabbing the $1.22 million briefcase. Annoying! Phillip, who actually cursed us with Dr. Wills presence by nabbing the Bankers Bonus last week along with Parvati, goes straight for the bonus again which becomes important when everyone reconvenes to open their briefcases. It turns out the teams were irrelevant from the moment the players took off running. One by one, as contestants reach the finish line with their cases, they must pair off to try and secure the highest case total. Parvati and Phillip team up again, and this time, they discover the Bankers Bonus contains a Split, which means they can sever any team, making their individual case values their totals. Whichever two teams, paired or solo, score lowest are at risk of facing the banker, and only the team with the highest case total (plus Parvati and Phillip) will be safe from elimination. Cue yet another moment that makes me wonder if C.K. really has what it takes to win this game. The minute our host, Joe Manganiello, tells the group whats what, C.K. zooms over to Parvati and Phillip, urging them to split up Rock (who just, like, last week grabbed a crappy case) and Alexis, who has once again grabbed an extremely good case. Because Rock wanted to face the banker last week, C.K. figures it makes sense to leave him eligible this week. The strategy is sound, but her approach is so aggressive that it takes even Parvati aback. I admire any woman who readily speaks her mind, but I worry that C.K. cant keep her cards close enough to the vest. In the end, Phillip and Parvati split Rock and Lete, which leaves Rock with a measly $820,000 total. Naturally, hes in the bottom. Alongside him are Seychelle and La Shell, whose team total doesnt even scratch $2 million. C.K. and M.G. come out on top with $6.725 million between them, and though its worth nothing more than bragging rights, its notable that Lete scored the highest single case value of $4 million. Her offer to pair up with Rock speaks to her generosity in a game where thats not always the obvious move. Ive said it before, and now, Im saying it again: She really could be a contender for the final briefcase. The path forward from here is obvious: Rock will face the banker. Between the Survivor reveal and sending one of the islands most personable players to meet his maker, Parvatis feeling vulnerable so she makes sure to let us all know that she regrets taking C.K.s advice. Its a sob story as old as sand: Why, oh why did poor Parvati listen to that mean, mean suggestion? Phillip spots the manipulation but keeps quiet because he, too, knows how these games are won and lost. Once everyone finds out that Rock is officially in the hot seat, they all take turns cozying up to him to make sure that if he wins, he wont choose them for elimination. The most hilarious of these last-minute pleas comes from Seychelle, who calls Rock a simpleton behind his back and my love to his face. Dr. Will, meanwhile, says the quiet part out loud: If Rock keeps him around, hell watch his back. Rock might not be a very strong player on these excursions, but hes not stupid. The vibe at camp is like cockroaches in the middle of the night, he says. Turning on the lights, they were just scrambling. This weeks round of Deal or No Deal is tragic in more ways than one. After weeks of lackluster gameplay and limited screen time, Rock really brought the yeehaw energy this week. (Literally, he yelped enough to make me think hes from Texas when a quick Google search reveals that he is, in fact, from Nevada.) Even sadder, however, is the nature of Rocks deal-making demise. In his first round, Rock somehow manages to knock four (yes, FOUR) seven-figure cases off the board. Its unbelievable. Its untenable. Its utterly ridiculous. The banker offers $133,000, and if it were me, Id have taken it and hoped never to be seen by another human soul again. By some miracle, however, Rock bravely refuses the deal and turns things around by cutting three low-value cases. But then? Oh, then. He selects the $2.925 million case, leaving only one high-value case on the board. Defeated by the odds, he takes the bankers $250,000 offer even though, like so many players before him, he knows just knows that he does have the high-value case in his hand. Usually, players are wrong about this. Usually, theyve got, like, $5. But not this time. This time, Rock did have the $1.34 million case which means that $250,000 was a bad deal. Its time to go home. He takes it like a champ, but damn, Id be sobbing. He clearly understands that there are more important things in this life than game-show money and that money (supposedly) cannot buy happiness, but as Seychelle said earlier this week, I would rather cry in a Lambo. Island Power Rankings Lete is, so far, the only player I see besting Parvati. No one on the island seems to have clocked how much of a threat she is. Am I missing something? Parvati is still sitting pretty. Phillip knows how to handle challenges and people, and so far, no one seems afraid of his power in this game. Id keep an eye on him. M.G.s alliances are still paying off, and this week, she won her first excursion. Shes young but capable! Dr. Will is a pain in the ass, but as were already starting to see, he knows how to create a vortex of chaos and use it to his advantage. C.K. is a hell of a player, but can she master the strategic side of this game? Parvati has already noticed just how much she wants power, and thats not going to help her win. Storm has quietly been playing a great game across these challenges, but Im not sure how much hes bonded with him on the island. More screen time, please! David is still kind of a dud in this game despite his Aussie Survivor reputation. Show us something! La Shell has struggled in the last couple of challenges, which could make her a target among folks who want to add more money to the pot. Seychelle has also been floundering, and as much as Ill always treasure her one-liners, I suspect she wont last much longer. Dickson still hasnt found much of a foothold in this game on his own, and his only allies (Parvati and David) probably wont do much to save him. See you all next week! SOFIA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian authorities have confiscated 356 kilograms of marijuana originating from the United States, the National Customs Agency (NCA) announced in a press release on Wednesday. The illicit substance was discovered during an inspection of a parcel at a shipping company's warehouse in Sofia, according to the NCA. The shipment, declared as "automotive accessories," was intended to be redirected to another country. However, a detailed customs inspection, prompted by a risk analysis, uncovered that the parcels contained boxes filled with vacuum-packed and sealed polyethylene bags stuffed with marijuana. To evade detection, the smugglers had sprinkled coffee on the bags to mask the scent from customs dogs, the agency said. Authorities have launched an investigation into the case. Photo-Illustration: Vulture Han Kang is a private person. When she won last years Nobel Prize for literature, it was widely reported in the South Korean press that she was married to the literary critic Hong Yong-hee. They have actually been divorced for years. She has written very little about herself, and while many characters and protagonists share aspects of her life story the writer-narrator of 2017s Human Acts learns about the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, in which around 2,000 students and workers were massacred by the Korean army, from a hidden book of photographs, just as Han did these details do not so much illuminate their authors life as establish a novelistic consciousness to be invaded and deformed, again and again, by the surrounding world. Hans writing is distinguished by this contentious marriage of soul and body, an abstract corporeality that places as much emphasis on physical humiliations headaches, stomach cramps, bullet wounds as the realm of dreams, hallucinations, and wandering spirits. Human Acts narrates the Gwangju Uprising and the long tail of its suppression by fracturing the narrative perspective, telling the story from the point of view of a young boy, a torture victim, and a soul clinging to its slaughtered body. By locating the militarys crimes on both physical and spiritual levels, Han refuses to consign them to the safe distance of history, lending her novel, and the very real story she is telling, the visceral immediacy of a blow and the lingering agony of a wound. We Do Not Part, originally published in 2021 and recently translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, takes her style in exciting new directions. Kyungha, the writer who narrates Hans latest, suffers from unbearable nightmares: murderers, massacres, women fleeing violence down a well. She is particularly shaken by a recurring dream in which a rising sea slowly engulfs a valley of black tree trunks. Insomnia ruins her rest; migraines make it hard to think; abdominal spasms make most foods impossible to digest. She has moved, alone, into a stifling apartment just outside of Seoul, where she lies in bed, orders delivery, and vomits it up. A desolate boundary, she reflects, had formed between the world and me. Hans characters make a habit of coming apart. They lose the ability to speak, to see, to eat meat, to eat anything, to sleep, to remember; to live at all. Sometimes these breakdowns are the result of some shattering event, the invasion of the interior by an outside force: chaos, loss, torture. In We Do Not Part, this collapse is the outward manifestation of an opaque inner distress. Kyungha once led a more stable existence. She had a family, she wrote books, and even if she was not always happy, her existence was a steady one. Yet over the course of four years she parted ways with her old life, a process she vividly compares to a snail coming out of its shell to push along a knifes edge. The cause of this change is mysterious, connected somehow with her dreams and a book she, like Han, wrote about the massacre in Gwangju. But try as she might, she cannot fit these meanings together, haunted by a lingering realization that life was exceedingly vulnerable The flesh, organs, bones, breaths passing before my eyes all held within them the potential to snap, to cease so easily, and by a single decision. This is confirmed when her friend, a onetime co-worker and former documentarian named Inseon, severs two fingers in an accident. Eight years before, Inseon returned home to Jeju, a volcanic island off the southern coast, to take care of her mother, and even after her mother died, she stayed, choosing to live as a woodworker in the familys mountain home with only two budgies for company. Yet her artistic impulse remains: When Kyungha wants to turn her tree dream into an art piece, Inseon suggests using a tract of land on Jeju that she inherited from her father and continues to work on it even when Kyungha asks her to stop. In the midst of her despair, Kyungha receives a text message from her old friend. As it turns out, Inseons accident occurred while sawing logs for their project, and she is recuperating in a hospital in Seoul. She begs Kyungha to fly to Jeju and feed her surviving budgie, Ama, who has been without food and water for days. Bewildered by the news and weak from her own brush with death, the writer does not have the strength to refuse, so she sets off into a blizzard and straight into the heart of her countrys founding traumas. Starting in late 1948, government and right-wing paramilitary forces violently suppressed a left-wing insurgency on Jeju Island. Authorities burned villages, looted farms, and drove peasants from the mountainous interior to camps on the coast. Though official estimates vary, the islands governor told American allies that the military and police killed around 60,000 people, about one-fifth of the islands population. Many of those detained were later executed in secret by the Korean government, a rolling series of extrajudicial killings intended to stamp out communism in the south. How to make art about such an atrocity? Human Acts affectingly chronicled the legacies of Gwangju by providing us with multiple views on the event and its aftermath. Yet this approach no longer seems sufficient for Han. In We Do Not Part, her narrator describes omitting especially distressing details from her own book about Gwangju, the soldiers who torched unarmed protesters with flamethrowers, the people rushed to emergency rooms on improvised stretchers, burn blisters on their faces, their bodies doused in white paint from head to toe to prevent identification. When faced with the true horror of her subject, she feels that she turned away. We Do Not Part seems like an attempt to look this past head-on. Han fills it with documents, memories, photographs, and facts, providing as full an accounting of the Jeju massacres as she can. Yet rather than dramatically resurrecting the victims in order to kill them again, Han keeps her focus tight on Kyungha, an approach at once bracingly concrete and thrillingly mysterious. Kyungha arrives at the house to find Ama dead in her cage, and she buries the bird in the yard before passing out. Yet when she awakes, the bird has come back to life, and Inseon is there too, asleep in the workshop. Are these ghosts, hallucinations, memories? Or is it Kyungha, dead in the blizzard or in a lonely apartment, whose spirit has wandered? Han keeps the question open, the first of many unsettled boundaries that she keenly balances throughout the novel. Inseon acts like a human of flesh and blood; she lights candles, opens folders, instructs Kyungha on the history of her family and her island. Yet she is also maimed in a hospital bed on the other end of the country, lending all of their interactions, every memory related and fact revealed, a spectral quality, as if Kyungha is like Odysseus traveling to the underworld for knowledge. The nature of this testimony makes up the greater part of the novel, a gradual intertwining of personal and national histories. Inseons mother survived this slaughter by chance; her father hid for days inside a cave before being arrested and held for years in various mainland prisons. Both returned to their old village, both rebuilt their lives, and both lived with the atrocity inside of them until death, retreating back into the caves and sleeping with a saw under their mattress, as if preparing for a resumption of hostilities at any moment. This is a violence that does not end but exists in irresolvable tension with the everyday, housed in the bodies and minds of those who survived but did not escape. Again and again, Han returns to images of imposition and projection, something distant and ghostly that sits right on top of the physical, likening the process, in a particularly bravura section, to trying to fix a shadow in place. Though she gathered reams of documents related to her parents story, Inseon struggled to make their suffering into art. Art leaves too much out, removes the worst details and allows the intangible dreams, memories, nightmares to slip through your fingers. This leaves testimony and documentation, a haphazard process in a state that seeks only partial reconciliation with the past. This evidence includes newspaper photographs, survivor reports, family stories, memories, even Inseons own documentary work, a staggering record of a pervasively suppressed crime. That this information is being presented by a possibly supernatural being does not undermine its blunt reality, and Han relates this slow unraveling with a cold sobriety, refusing to allow poetic language to come between the reader and these images of mass graves, thousands upon thousands of carefully catalogued skulls. If Human Acts risked turning away into dramatics, We Do Not Part douses us in the clear reality of atrocity like a gradually engulfing flood tide. In the face of such knowledge, Kyunghas breakdown comes to seem almost reasonable. As in so many of Hans novels, it is not the self that dissembles but the society, which can survive only by displacing its chaotic and violent facets into the realm of private life. No wonder Kyungha attempted to erect that boundary around herself. I dont want to open it, she says of Inseons collection. Im not the least bit curious. Yet she looks, and Han makes us look too. We Do Not Part presents us with a series of superimpositions of fact and fiction, past and present, the living and the dead, suspending multiple states simultaneously and attempting only provisional conclusions. Its the very best kind of storytelling, poetic and ambiguous without ever once shying away from the horrible historic truth. We Do Not Part is like one of those birds Han so often deploys as metaphor: majestically vulnerable and robustly weightless, a solid body that rises through air. The internal conversation we are having is just dont have parties. Photo: Stewart Cook/Disney via Getty Images As the Los Angeles wildfires continue to burn, after having upended tens of thousands of lives and decimated any sense of security regarding the citys coexistence with nature, thoughts around Hollywood are turning to what business after the fires can and should look like especially as the industrys annual awards season figures out how to carry on. With remarkable speed only hastened by Hacks star Jean Smarts Instagram cri de coeur beseeching networks televising the Academy Awards to seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fire and firefighters some of the most reliable pre-Oscars events have become casualties of the tragedy. The Academy twice delayed announcing this years nominees (the noms will now be announced virtually on January 23) and canceled its glitzy luncheon in part to support relief efforts and honor frontline workers. The Screen Actors Guild Awards canceled its live nominations announcement. BAFTA pulled the plug on its schmoozy, campaign-y, Los Angeles-based Tea Party event. And the Critics Choice Awards log-rolled its broadcast date twice to now take place on February 7. The biggest event, the Oscars broadcast itself, has shown no indication of budging from its March 2 air date or deviating from standard operating procedure. (At least four Academy board members lost their homes to the Palisades and Eaton fires.) After consultation with ABC, our board, and other key stakeholders in the Los Angeles and film communities, we have made the carefully considered decision to proceed with the 97th Oscars ceremony as planned, Academy CEO Bill Kramer explained in a statement. According to a mix of Academy members, studio executives, and Oscars strategists, the chances of the Academy Awards being postponed at this point are slim to none, barring some cataclysmic escalation of the current force majeure. The only thing that could delay the Oscars is if the winds are so bad it starts all over again, says a studio marketing executive overseeing an Academy Awards campaign. The internal conversation we are having is just dont have parties. You can have a screening, a dedication. Just no Champagne. No party. A specious and now debunked report in the U.K. tabloid The Sun proclaimed a secret contingency strategy is in place for the ceremony to be called off. But over the ceremonys 96-year history, the Academy Awards has never been canceled. Veteran Academy members point out the Oscars have been postponed only twice in recent memory: In 2021 at the height of the COVID epidemic (when a pared-down version of the broadcast aired in late April, around six weeks later than normal), and in 1981 when the awards were delayed by 24 hours due to an assassination attempt on president Ronald Reagan. An awards-campaign strategist highlights the ruinous economics a cancellation would present to both the Academy and the myriad vendors, hair and makeup professionals, limo drivers, event planners, and caterers whose livelihoods are directly staked upon Oscars business as usual. ABC reportedly pays the Academy a $100 million annual licensing fee for rights to the Oscars broadcast with the potential for outside revenue sharing tied to the sale of commercials. Meanwhile, AMPAS is wheezing under $465 million in outstanding debt after having spent lavishly to open the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeless Mid-City district in 2021. If you really want to fuck the city of L.A., cancel the Oscars like some haters are saying, this strategist says. AMPAS is broke after years of slavish fealty to the museum. They owe a fortune in debt. And yet no less a creative eminence than Stephen King took to Bluesky to lobby Academy brass to call off the awards: Not voting in the Oscars this year. IMHO they should cancel them. No glitz with Los Angeles on fire. He followed up with a posting on Friday to address the groundswell of pro-Oscars sentiment flooding his timeline. I hear what you guys are saying about the Oscars, and how theyre a celebration of life, and the show must go on, blah-blah-blah, so-on-and-so-forth, King wrote. It all makes a degree of sense, but to me it still feels like Nero fiddling while Rome burns. Or in this case, wearing fancy clothes while LA burns. As the wildfire-extended Academy Award voting period ended at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on January 17, at least that much could be agreed upon by both those dead-set upon canceling the Oscars and those soldiering forward. Its really in poor taste to be celebrating while people are hurting, our studio executive says. You can do the voting. Just dont do it right now. Extend everything so people arent pressured. You cant have an Academy celebratory event; you cant do that right now. But, the same executive notes, the show does go on. What a way to make a living. Photo: Aeon/GC Images Jennifer Aniston and Diablo Cody are currently in the process of remaking the 1980 classic 9 to 5, a process which is already receiving mixed reviews. (Its going to be tough, says original star Lily Tomlin.) Still, compared to the countless other reboots floating around Hollywood, this one does make a certain amount of sense given changes to the work environment even just post Me Too, post work from home, post return to office. In our humble opinion, it could be good! But the quality of the new movie might just come down to thing that made the original so great, which was its impeccable casting. Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton starred in the original, forming a trio so beloved that it returned to Netflix over 40 years later. Rumors are currently swirling around the internet about who might end up starring, but the answer is staring the producers right in the face, in the biggest film of the week: Keke Palmer must star. Palmer is currently promoting her own film, One of Them Days, in which she plays Dreux, a beleaguered Los Angeles resident trying to get ahead in work, and in life, even while the systems of oppression try to force her and her best friend/partner in crime (SZA) down. Sound familiar? Yeah, we thought so. Shes always had a facility with playing characters striving to get ahead, even from her time as a child star in Akeelah and the Bee, and 9 to 5 needs the kind of down-to-earth relatability that Palmer has experience exuding onscreen. Plus, lets be honest here, theres the charisma factor. On her press tours, including the one shes on right now for One of Them Days, Keke Palmer is a joke factory and a star-quality machine. In a recent viral clip with Palmer, SZA, and OoTD producer Issa Rae, Palmer decides to ask SZA what it was like to kiss Drake, then laughs maniacally while Rae points her and says, I like you. Yeah we all do. In his review of 9 to 5, some 45 years ago Roger Ebert said of Dolly Parton that, she contains so much energy, so much life and unstudied natural exuberance that watching her do anything in this movie is a pleasure. Baby, thats Keke Palmer. Photo: JC Olivera/Getty Images Shawn Levys Star Wars movie may have found its star. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barbie star Ryan Gosling is in talks to lead the Deadpool & Wolverine directors untitled feature for the franchise. The plot reportedly wont be connected to the Skywalker Saga. Sources also told THR that its intended to be a stand-alone movie. A couple crew members have boarded this project Levys The Adam Project collaborator Jonathan Tropper has been writing the screenplay, and Levy will produce via his production company, 21 Laps, alongside Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy but beyond that, details remain sparse. We dont even know roughly when the story will be set yet. That doesnt mean that the project is still in the early stages, though. Levy has been working on this movie since 2022, and THR reports that if negotiations with Gosling turn into a deal, it could potentially start shooting this fall. Hopefully that means well have a better idea of what the movie is about and who else is in the cast soon? Well keep you updated as more information is confirmed, but for now, Goslings reported interest will have to be Kenough. The only thing scarier than turning into a werewolf is turning into your father. Photo: Nicola Dove/Universal Pictures Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of Wolf Man, as well as 1941s The Wolf Man and 2010s The Wolfman. To make a Universal Pictures Wolf Man movie, you really only need two things: a werewolf and daddy issues. That goes all the way back to The Wolf Man, the 1941 film that introduced the titular lycanthrope to the Universal monsters lineup. Lon Chaney Jr. starred as Larry Talbot, who reconnects with his estranged father (Claude Rains) when he returns home to Wales to bury his brother, the favored child. When the film was remade as The Wolfman in 2010, Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins took over as Lawrence and Sir John, playing up Lawrences role as the prodigal son, driven far from home after being plagued by delusions connected to the death of his mother. In both movies, the younger Talbot is bitten by a werewolf shortly after his return home, with his father at least initially protecting him from the townspeople eager to kill the beast. The new Wolf Man is not a remake but a reboot; on paper, it has little in common with the two films that precede it (to say nothing of the four sequels Chaney made in the 40s). Christopher Abbott stars as Blake, husband to workaholic journalist Charlotte (Julia Garner) and stay-at-home dad to Ginger (Matilda Firth). When Blake inherits his childhood home in the Oregon woods, he decides to take his city-dwelling family on a getaway to the place he grew up. Just outside the rural farmhouse, a harrowing encounter with a werewolf leaves Blake wounded and the family running for their lives. They may feel safer once they make it inside and barricade the door, but Blake begins to show signs of sickness, slowly (and gruesomely) transforming into the same creature that attacked them. As in his 2020 The Invisible Man, director and co-writer Leigh Whannell gives the title character a brand-new origin story, with a greater emphasis on the themes that have helped make these Universal monsters so resonant over the decades. His take on The Invisible Man is as much about gaslighting as it is about invisibility, and his Wolf Man explores toxic masculinity or, more pointedly, the fear that tapping into whatever innate instinct to man up and protect your family will turn you into, well, a monster. But as much as the film diverges from the movies that came before it, Whannells Wolf Man reveals itself to be another werewolf story with a fraught father-son relationship at its core. The third-act reveal that Blakes father, Grady (Sam Jaeger), is the werewolf who infected him makes the movies thematic underpinning even clearer: The only thing scarier than turning into a werewolf is turning into your father. Well before the twist, Gradys presence hovers over Wolf Man. The film begins 30 years in the past, with Grady taking a young Blake (Zac Chandler) hunting. Blake is visibly intimidated by his dad, a dominating force who yells to keep his kid in line. When, in the present day, grown-up Blake learns that his missing father has been declared dead, we learn the two had been estranged since Blake left home. Given that Grady is merely presumed dead, it might feel like a safe assumption that hell pop up again and because the opening scene reveals Gradys interest in finding the werewolf in the woods, you can also probably guess whats happened to him. Those suspicions are confirmed when the werewolf who attacked Blake and his family makes it inside the farmhouse. Charlotte stabs the creature in the back, which allows Blake in the midst of his own transformation to get the upper hand. He uses his teeth to tear out the werewolfs throat, at which point he notices a familiar tattoo on the dead monsters arm, finally recognizing his father. The most surprising thing about Wolf Mans twist is not the reveal itself which is fairly obvious but the fact that its been done before. While 2010s Joe Johnstondirected The Wolfman roughly follows the plot of the 1941 film, it veers into new terrain when Sir John reveals himself to be the werewolf that infected Lawrence and murdered Lawrences mother and brother. After decades of lycanthropy, Sir John is no longer a reluctant killer and has stopped chaining himself up during the full moon, now gleefully slaughtering innocents without a care in the world. Hopkins leans into the psychopathy of the character, making Sir Johns villain monologue and eventual showdown with Lawrence more campy than tragic. However flawed this remake is, though, it lays the groundwork for Whannells Wolf Man: Both end up being films about the influence and impact that even estranged fathers can have on their sons. Ultimately, Wolf Man is more successful at driving this theme home, in large part because The Wolfman merely stumbles into it, more motivated by the thrill of having Hopkins play a bad guy than by an interest in exploring something deeper. In Whannells film, Blakes worry over repeating his fathers mistakes is front and center. When he yells at Ginger for being perilously close to a busy street, he apologizes right away and says that his angry reaction came from fear. He wants to protect his daughter, but he doesnt want her to be scared of him, the way he felt about his own father. Later, he explains that sometimes in seeking to protect your family, you can become the thing youre trying to protect them from. None of this is subtle The Invisible Man wasnt either but Whannell is taking advantage of the way horror allows you to literalize anxiety. After being scratched by Grady in werewolf form, Blake turns into his father, or at least the same kind of monster. He can no longer emotionally connect with Ginger; now hes something that she has to escape. The endings of The Wolfman and Wolf Man also mirror each other in interesting ways. The Wolfman was already a subversion of the 41 original, in which Rainss Sir John unknowingly bludgeons his son to death while Larry is in werewolf form. The 2010 Wolfman turns the tables: Here, Lawrence must kill Sir John before dying himself, shot with a silver bullet by his pseudo-love interest, Gwen (Emily Blunt). In Wolf Man, Blake also has to kill his father, but his redemption is harder to come by. After Grady is dead, Blake pursues and repeatedly attacks his wife and daughter, who spend the last act of the film working to evade him. Its only at the very end that Blake appears to find a moment of clarity, tapping into whatever humanity remains inside him and seemingly willing Charlotte to shoot him she does so after Ginger assures her mother that Blake is ready for this to be over. Wolf Mans ending is not unlike The Wolfmans, where Lawrence thanks Gwen for setting him free. Theres an added poignancy to Whannells version, though, as Blakes death comes from his understanding that the best way to protect his family is to no longer be a part of it. Theres a cynical way to read all of this: Blake was doomed to repeat his fathers mistakes, and no amount of thoughtful parenting and open communication could prevent him from turning into a monster. If that was the story Wolf Man wanted to tell, however, the film would not grant him a final moment of grace. While Blake does discover that his fathers influence is harder to escape than he thought and that he has the capacity to be just as much of a threat as the man he once feared his self-sacrifice shows his ability to break the cycle. Its not a happy ending, but its not a wholly tragic one, either. The final shot of Charlotte and Ginger surveying the valley before them might even make it hopeful. BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- As dusk settles over Liuyang, a small city known as China's "fireworks capital," the weekend sky ignites with a choreographed fusion of tradition and technology. Here, pyrotechnic craft meets modern innovation: clusters of drones pierce the night, releasing synchronized firework sprays that cascade like meteor showers, their choreographed sparks drawing gasps from the crowds below. Videos of German shoppers queuing at dawn for Liuyang-made fireworks have recently trended on Chinese platforms, underscoring strong international demand. This "fireworks plus drones" hybrid has also become a global social media phenomenon with a reach extending far beyond domestic audiences. The industry's reinvention stems from necessity. With environmental regulations and urban safety bans, Liuyang authorities established a dedicated fireworks industrial development center. The vision is to transition from low-margin production to value-added "fireworks plus" models. "Previously, we sold products or undertook contract manufacturing, but product standards and packaging designs were dictated by others," said Wen Guanghui, chairman of the export branch of the Liuyang Fireworks and Firecrackers Association. "In recent years, an increasing number of domestic fireworks companies have been launching their own brands overseas. Moving forward, we need to seize opportunities led by technologies such as 'fireworks plus drones' to continuously increase product added value and overall industry profitability," Wen said. The pivot means a lot. Liuyang commands 60 percent of national exports of fireworks and firecrackers. Its products now reach over 100 countries and regions across the world. "Our company has developed intelligent, electronic and miniaturized ignition devices. We've also upgraded to using environmentally friendly materials for the fuse covers and casings," said an executive of a local company named Dingteng. "These innovations have effectively expanded our market sales, and we anticipate even more orders this year." This transformation mirrors broader industrial shifts across China. Traditional industries account for over 80 percent of China's manufacturing sector. These industries are closely tied to people's daily lives and hold significant importance for the national economy. The Central Economic Work Conference in December 2024 noted that digital and green technologies should be actively used to transform and upgrade traditional industries. Liuyang's case shows that by marrying core competencies with emerging technologies, traditional industries can cultivate innovation cycles where new demand begets new supply and vice versa. Since 2023, Liuyang has organized nearly 100 creative fireworks events of various types. These events have attracted over 5 million visitors in total, stimulating consumer spending exceeding 15 billion yuan (about 2.1 billion U.S. dollars). On the day of the final weekend fireworks show of 2024, the number of spectators around the launch site surpassed 190,000. This interplay reveals an industrial symbiosis: established sectors anchor the growth of emerging industries, while technological innovations revitalize traditional frameworks. Effective industrial upgrading requires cultivating supply-demand reciprocity. Liuyang's transformation exemplifies this principle. Innovations like the "Celestial Gateway" fireworks spectacles -- fusing artistic direction, cultural narratives and drone swarm technologies -- directly respond to cultural tourism's demand for emotionally resonant experiences. China's combination of fireworks and drones has gained international recognition, featuring in events from Paris's Bastille Day to New Year's Eve in Abu Dhabi. These displays have become popular globally, with some products in high demand. As one impressed foreign spectator commented, "China has brought magic to life." Baby was kidnapped by woman posing as nurse. Police in Italy reunited a one-day-old baby girl with her parents four hours after she was abducted from a maternity hospital in the southern city of Cosenza on Tuesday. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday expressed her "heartfelt thanks" to the police officers for their "extraordinary" work in successfully tracking down baby Sofia. The nightmare for the baby's parents began early on Tuesday evening when a man and a woman entered the maternity ward of the Sacro Cuore clinic, on the pretence of visiting a relative. Fake nurse On arriving at the room where the newborn was staying, the woman posed as a nurse and said she had to take the baby to be checked by doctors, Corriere della Sera reports. She then took the infant from its unsuspecting grandmother's arms before fleeing the hospital with the man who was waiting for her in the hall with a pram. After an extended period of time the baby's parents, growing concerned that she had not returned, raised the alarm. Race against time A major police operation immediately swung into action across Cosenza, with all exit routes in the city blocked, as officers sifted through hospital security camera footage in a race against time. The investigation provided police with the faces of the kidnappers as well as the car they were driving, leading officers to the couple's home within a few hours. When the police arrived at the apartment, they found the front door decorated with a blue ribbon, symbolising the birth of a boy. Relatives unaware Inside the house, festivities were underway to celebrate the baby's birth, with relatives at the party apparently completely unaware that the baby had been kidnapped. The woman had allegedly faked a pregnancy for nine months and announced on social media that she had given birth to a boy, according to state broadcaster RAI News. After locating baby Sofia, police commissioner Claudio Sole took the newborn in his arms, saying: "I was the first to pick her up and I never let go". Police then arrested the couple, a 51-year-old woman from Cosenza and her 43-year-old husband of Senegalese origins. Disbelief "As soon as we entered we saw people in disbelief and even the woman's husband", Sole told reporters, adding that investigators would have to "evaluate" how the man could not have known the baby was not his daughter. "I asked the woman where the baby was and she showed me a room where there was a cradle with the little girl who was dressed in blue" - Sole said - "It was all decorated for a boy. The woman then fell silent. When we took the baby, emotion replaced the tension we felt." Police then returned little Sofia, in good health, to her young parents at the clinic in Cosenza. Happy ending "You are writing to me in thousands, from all over Italy", the baby's mother Valeria Chiappetta wrote in an emotional post on social media, accompanied by a photo of Sofia being kissed by her brother. "This is our family that was crumbling into a thousand pieces last night. The police did an exceptional job, while I had lost hope", she said, paying tribute to "an entire city, or rather region" that came to a halt in an effort to find the missing baby. "I don't think I'll ever get over this, but the happy ending is that Sofia is fine. Thank you all. I would like to hug everyone", Valeria wrote, signing the post from "A mother and father who died and were reborn yesterday". Forza Nuova militants to stand trial in Italy for alleged "apology of fascism". Eight far-right militants have been ordered to stand trial for allegedly making fascist salutes and displaying a swastika at a funeral in Rome three years ago, a court ruled on Tuesday. The eight members of the Italian neo-fascist Forza Nuova (FN) group are due to stand trial in September over the incident which took place at the funeral of FN member Alessia Augello on 10 January 2022. The eight defendants are accused of displaying a flag with the Nazi swastika and performing the fascist salute while shouting "Present!", a rallying cry associated with Italy's far-right, following the funeral in Rome. Prosecutor Erminio Amelio contests that the defendants' actions violate the 1952 Scelba Law against "apology for fascism" and attempting to restore Mussolini's Fascist party, and the 1993 Mancino Law which sanctions those engaged in racial, ethnic and religious discrimination and the incitement of hate crime. News of the trial comes a few weeks after hundreds of men were filmed performing the fascist salute at an event in Rome to commemorate the 1978 killing of three neo-fascist militants. It also comes amid controversy over whether or not tech billionaire Elon Musk made a Nazi salute at the inauguration of US President Donald Tump on Monday. Making the so-called "saluto romano" or Roman salute is a criminal offence in Italy however it rarely results in any convictions. Photo La Repubblica BANGKOK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 Thailand-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum and the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo Thailand Roadshow were held here on Tuesday. In his speech, Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the Council has long been committed to promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and Thailand. He expressed a willingness to work with the Thai side to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, taking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to further promote practical cooperation between the business communities of both countries, enhance the level of trade cooperation, and expand the areas of investment cooperation. Ren also extended a warm welcome to the Thai business community to actively participate in the third China International Supply Chain Expo to deepen bilateral cooperation in industrial and supply chains. Representatives from the Thai political and business sectors noted that mutually beneficial cooperation between Thailand and China is flourishing in areas such as economy, culture, and technology. They said the Thai side will actively organize groups to participate in the third China International Supply Chain Expo, aiming to connect the production and trade networks of both countries, integrate into the Chinese industrial chain and global market, and continuously promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation to new heights. During the events, the China International Exhibition Center Group Corporation signed letters of intent for participation in the third China International Supply Chain Expo with relevant Thai enterprises and institutions. Over 300 attendees were present at the events, including Suchart Chomklin, deputy minister of commerce of Thailand, and representatives from business associations and enterprises from both countries. Waterford City and County Council has had to remove a planning permission requirement for the Department of Education to get it to sign a contract for land purchased on its behalf. Director of Services for Planning, Corporate, Culture, HR and IS, Ivan Grimes brought the amendment of a previous land disposal application before the January sitting of the Waterford City and County Council. Mr Grimes said the council purchased the land on behalf of the department last year with a special condition for the department to apply for planning permission within 12 months of signing the contract. But when it came time for the council to transfer the land, the department refused to sign. The Department of Education has indicated to us that they are not prepared to sign the transfer with that condition in it. It is standard for local authorities to CPO land for departments as departments do not have CPO powers. They said they are not required to meet such a condition from the local authority," he said. They have been advised by their legal advisors not to sign the contract unless we remove that condition. Therefore, we are proposing to reapprove the Section 183 without the condition in it. I would point out that we only purchased the land because of the Department of Education. We have no use for it, added Mr Grimes. Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides for the process of the disposal of land. The previous 183 application went before Waterford City and County Council in July, 2024. The land consists of three acres at Duckspool, Dungarvan and was purchased from S&K Careys by the local authority on behalf of the Department of Education in fee simple of 350,000. On signing the contract, the department is to pay both sides' costs. The amended Section 183 application was approved at this month's meeting. It was proposed by Councillor Tom Cronin and seconded by Cllr Damien Geoghegan. It was revealed by the Waterford News & Star this week that University Hospital Waterford has completed the recruitment stage for weekend cardiac coverage, with a commencement date for the service expected to be announced in the coming days. The announcement however leaves many still concerned that 24/7 has not yet been delivered. Representatives from the 24/7 Southeast Cardiac Campaign have been active in the fight for this full 24/7 cover, and have revealed that their campaign is about to gather even more pace. 'Another kick in the teeth' Campaign committee member, Mick Daniels, spoke with the News & Star this week regarding the recent announcement of seven day coverage, saying Its not 24/7 so its irrelevant": There are still people going to die in ambulances he added, and anything less than 24/7, the same thats in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, is absolute nonsense because Mary Butler and Micheal Martin in 2016 stood outside UHW holding a placard saying if Fianna Fail get elected they will bring in 24/7 cardiac care. Here we are, nine years later and yet they still deny half a million people in the south east of Ireland this care. He added: This is not a development, this is another kick in the teeth. Anything less than 24/7 means that if you get a heart attack after eight oclock in the evening, if youre lucky enough to be put into an ambulance and make the journey to Cork, you might survive. Thats the reality. 24/7 Southeast Cardiac Campaign To date, the 24/7 Southeast Cardiac Campaign has conducted thousands of interviews with locals and bereaved families, and a TV ad was recently shot. It is the hope of the campaign' committee that this ad will be aired on national television. The ad details the true story of a death which occurred during the transfer a man to Cork by ambulance following a heart attack. It is available to view HERE. Representatives from the campaign were out and about in Waterford City last week conducting additional interviews with concerned locals. Mr. Daniels said a significant number of people outlined that they had experienced the death of a loved one due to the lack of 24/7 coverage in Waterford. The campaign is going to grow considerably in the coming weeks and months and will become mainstream, Mr. Daniels added. This is a matter of life and death and people are dying on their way to Cork leaving behind broken hearted families, and this new government is going to face a campaign the like of which will never have been seen before and they are going to be called out on this atrocity. We are going after these people. The plan is by going mainstream, it will become a discussion, people will talk about it and it will be raised in the Dail. They cant run and they cant hide, thats the idea. It is our belief that if they are forced to, they will relent and grant the half million people in the south east this healthcare." As part of the campaign, there are plans to film weekly shows which will feature interviews and updates, and an official website will soon be launched where donations from the public can be made. The funding for the mainstream campaign will mainly come from businesses in the region and a mass appeal to business's will soon begin, Mr. Daniels said. I have spoken to business owners about the campaign over the last twelve months and I have yet to meet a single one who will not contribute to funding the mainstream campaign and many members of the public offer to donate when we meet them on the street. Currently we do not take money and the campaign is being funded by a local business. A bank account is being set up by the committee members of the campaign to administer to the funding of the mainstream media campaign and our weekly shows will show exact details of all bank activity. The latest series of interviews which were conducted by the 24/7 Southeast Cardiac Campaign this week can be viewed HERE The Waterford Weaves Hope exhibition, aimed at raising awareness about domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, was officially launched at Waterford Central Library this week. Over the course of the project, Waterford Volunteer Centre facilitated more than 150 workshops across the county, bringing together community groups, schools, and individual volunteers to create beautiful eight-point woven stars. These stars, each carrying messages of hope, solidarity, and a commitment to ending domestic and gender-based violence, all form the heart of the new exhibition. Pictured at City Library for the One Million Stars to End Violence, exhibition. Photo: Joe Evans The project is part of the wider One Million Stars Ireland initiative, which is part of a global initiative started in 2012 in Australia by artist Maryann Talia Pau in response to the rape and murder of an Irish woman living in Melbourne. The initiative now spans 26 counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with nearly 350,000 stars woven. "We are so proud of the work that has gone into this project, with over 150 workshops held across Waterford City and County and more than 35,000 stars woven by volunteers of all ages" Reka Szeplaki, Waterford Volunteer Centre Manager said. "This exhibition is a testament to the strength and solidarity of our community. We are deeply grateful to the artists, community groups, schools, and volunteers who have contributed to this project and its mission to end violence." Artist, Kristiana Stegmane, pictured at City Library for the One Million Stars,. to End Violence, exhibition. Photo: Joe Evans One Million Stars Ireland Project Lead, Siobhan McQuillan added: Waterford Volunteer Centre have done such an amazing job. It takes a lot of time to weave a star, so when you look at this exhibition there's a lot of work and love that has been put in. From the age of eighteen, one in four women will experience some form of abuse from an intimate partner or ex-partner in their lifetime. 61 women have been murdered on the island of Ireland in the last five years, six in the last six weeks. This sobering fact highlights the importance of working together to create change, to change societal views and stress the importance of keeping the issue of gender based violence in the spotlight." Artist, Suzan McCreadie, pictured at City Library for the One Million Stars,. to End Violence, exhibition. Photo: Joe Evans Ms. McQuillan officially launched the exhibition with an appeal for information regarding the disappearance of Imelda Keenan from Waterford City in 1994. I will take this opportunity to call out for information if anyone has any. Imelda vanished 30 years ago here in Waterford City and she hasnt been seen or heard from since. This has been horrendous for her family who have waited for thirty years for some information that could bring closure on the case. "If anyone might have any information, you can share with the Missing Persons Helpline or contact Waterford Garda Station. Our thoughts and prayers are with Imelda's family. Tramore's rising funk star TOUCAN has announced a Waterford date on his summer tour across the United Kingdom and Ireland. TOUCAN will be playing a gig at Bank Lane in Waterford City on May 10. Who is TOUCAN? Born Conor Clancy, TOUCAN is a pop, funk, and soul artist from Tramore and a rising star in the music industry. His debut single, 'We Fell for Miles' was a viral sensation accumulating nearly three million Spotify streams from listeners across the world. Featuring in the Top 10 on Spotify's 'Viral 50 - Ireland' rankings and breaking into the iTunes Singles Top 30, TOUCAN began to build a growing cult following in Ireland, the UK, Australia and North America. TOUCAN has toured across the United Kingdom and Ireland, playing sold-out shows in venues such as Whelans and The Academy in Dublin, and The Islington in London. What are the tour dates? Clancy's Spring Tour is starting in Waterford on May 10, before the UK leg of the tour, with the final date in Dublin on May 23. 10 May - Bank Lane - Waterford 12 May - Hug and Pint - Glasgow 13 May - PILGRIM - Newcastle 14 May - Night and Day - Manchester 15 May - Rough Trade - Bristol 18 May - 100 Club - London 23 May - Workman's - Dublin Who has TOUCAN opened for? He opened and performed alongside a series of well-known artists such as James Blunt, Nile Rodgers, St. Paul & The Broken Bones. TOUCAN also performed at Electric Picnic, the Cork Jazz Festival and Meltdown. How do you get tickets? On the night, the doors will open at 8pm with the show starting at 9pm. Tickets can be purchased for the gig at Bank Lane for 22.50. Waterford City and County Council stood for a minute of silence for a member of staff who passed away over Christmas. Late of Powerscourt, Paul Prendergast passed away on December 30, 2024 and a celebration of his life was held on January 5, 2025. Mayor, Councillor Jason Murphy called for a vote of sympathy for Paul's family at the January sitting of Waterford City and County Council in Dungarvan. Paul was an absolute gentleman," said Cllr Murphy. A really nice guy, and we were all shocked to hear he had passed over the Christmas, added Cllr Murphy. Councillors, officials and the media stood for a minute of silence at the start of the meeting. SANAA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group on Wednesday said it had released the crew of Galaxy Leader vessel to support the Gaza ceasefire agreement reached between Hamas and Israel, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. "Based on the directives of leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the crew of the vessel, Galaxy Leader, was released today (Wednesday) in coordination with the Hamas movement and the mediation of the Sultanate of Oman," said the Houthi television. "The crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel was handed over to our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman in coordination with Hamas as part of the ceasefire arrangements," it added. The Houthi Supreme Political Council said in a statement that the seizure of the vessel on Nov. 19, 2023, and the arrest of its crew were "part of the battle to support Hamas in its fighting against Israel in Gaza." Neither the Houthi statement nor the Houthi television mentioned when the commercial vessel would be freed. On Nov. 19, 2023, the Houthi fighters, flying on a military helicopter, landed on the deck of the Galaxy Leader while it was sailing in the international waters off Yemen's Houthi-held Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The Houthi fighters broke the doors of the vessel's control room, took the vessel's 25 crew members hostages, and forced the vessel to Hodeidah. The Houthi rebel group has been controlling much of northern Yemen, including Hodeidah, since late 2014 after the civil war broke out in Yemen, forcing the internationally-recognized Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. Since mid-November 2023, the Houthi group has been launching rocket and drone attacks against Israel and disrupting "Israeli-linked" shipping in the Red Sea to show solidarity with Palestinians amid their war with Israel in Gaza. The Houthi group stopped its attacks against Israeli cities on Jan. 19, when the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement went into effect. However, the Houthi group reportedly said in an email to shipping companies on Jan. 19 that it "will continue to launch rocket attacks" against any ship linked to Israel, carrying goods to Israel, or raising the flag of Israel, in the Red Sea. In the message, the Houthi group also threatened the Western shipping companies that any air strike by the United States, Britain, or any European countries against the group in northern Yemen, would be responded to by targeting that country's commercial ships in the Red Sea. According to a recent televised report by the group's al-Masirah TV, the Houthi group has launched attacks against more than 100 commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023, including two vessels sunk in the Red Sea, off Hodeidah. The Houthi attacks forced international shipping companies to change routes to the southern tip of Africa to escape rocket and drone strikes, leading to significant drop in revenues for the Egypt-run Suez Canal. Road users are driving both ways up and down Meeting House Lane, a one-way road. At the January meeting of the Metropolitan Council, Councillor Eamon Quinlan (Fianna Fail) said that the lane was causing issues in the city. He stated: "Unfortunately at this moment in time I and others have frequently seen cars trying to drive up and down the road at the exact same time. It's causing to witness a serious altercation between two motors coming into each other because the signage and the usage of the street is constantly fluctuating." Waterford Executive said that they would revert on the issue 'in due course'. Met Eireann has issued an orange weather warning for Waterford as Storm Storm Eowyn is expected this Friday. Met Eireann expects gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time. The warning is in place from 2am to 5pm Friday, January 24. Impacts may include fallen trees, power outages, damage to lines and very difficult travel conditions. Public transport services may also be affected. The extension of the Status Red wind warning to cover Waterford means that schools, childcare facilities, and higher education institutions in the Deise will close during the alert. The entire country will be under Status Red "danger to life" warnings on Friday as Storm Eowyn is set to bring "severe, damaging, and destructive winds". The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) has confirmed that the status red severe weather warning calls for the public to shelter in place by staying indoors, avoiding unnecessary travel and taking action to protect themselves and their properties. "Schools, early learning and childcare settings and further and higher education institutions in red-level warning areas will close for the duration of the red warning," the NECG said in a statement. All employees capable of working from home should be facilitated in doing so, the national group has said: "Only emergency service workers should be leaving home for work, where directed by their employer." Paul Crone, director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, said to The Irish Times that education institutions look set to close for the full day on Friday due to uncertainty over potential damage, electricity supply and access to transport. The official guidance is clear: schools must close for the duration of the red warning, so school leaders are making preparations to close for the full day Friday in all the areas affected, he said. The only small ambiguity is in Cork and Kerry, where the warnings will be lifted earlier. However, it is very unlikely schools will open there either. Principals and caretakers will need to get to the schools after 10am to assess any damage, the road conditions and electricity supply. School buses will not be running, so it is very unlikely they will be in a position to open. What is the Status Red Warning? Met Eireann has issued a Status Red Wind warning for Waterford as gale to storm force winds are forecast for Friday morning, bringing "severe, damaging and extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h". The weather warning is now in place for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Waterford, as Storm Eowyn is due to land in Munster on Thursday night into Friday morning. The "extremely destructive gusts", the national forecaster has warned, will bring about a "danger to life" as extremely dangerous travelling conditions, unsafe working conditions and many fallen trees are expected to be caused by the conditions. Met Eireann has also warned those in red warning areas such as Waterford to be prepared for "significant and widespread power outages" as well as potential impacts to communications networks. The risks in coastal areas have been emphasised as Met Eireann has warned that structural damage may be caused as wave overtopping and coastal flooding in low-lying and exposed areas is likely. The wind warning is in place from 2am until 10am Friday morning, January 24. The red warning comes into effect just as a yellow rain warning for Waterford from 9pm Thursday until 3am on Friday will come to an end. The heavy rainfall may lead to localised flooding in the Deise. The cause of death of a whale that washed up at Ballinclamper beach in Waterford cannot be determined, but it was likely dead for one to two weeks. That is according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin group, who said their volunteers alerted them to the carcass on Monday, January 20. They said in a social media post that it is likely an adult fin whale, and strandings are not unusual. IWDG have a network of volunteers around the country who visit stranded cetaceans to collect various data, including images, measurements, and skin samples for the Irish Cetacean Genetic Tissue Bank. Due to the lack of skin on the carcass, no sample was collected. From the images received and the significant level of decomposition, a cause of death cannot be determined at this time, said the group. The group say Storm Eowyn may wash the carcass back out to sea. But if not, or until then, the public should stay away from it. We strongly advise everyone, and pets, to keep their distance from the animal for health and safety reasons, said the group. Waterford City and County Council are also advising the public to stay away from a dead whale. A spokesperson for the council told the Waterford News and Star earlier this week that the IWDG are responsible for investigating the death of the animal while the council are responsible for burial. The Councils role in situations such as this is the removal/burial of any dead marine life such as dolphins, whales and seals that wash up on our public beaches and to arrange for the safe disposal of carcasses. Waterford City and County Council advises that the public report any incidents of large dead marine life to the Council and also advises members of the public, especially dog walkers, to keep away from the whale for health and safety reasons, said the spokesperson. However, in their post, the IWDG said access to the animal is very difficult. They say the council cannot get access to dispose of the body, and they have estimated the time of death from photos. If the storm washes the carcass back to sea, no disposal will be needed. The group asks that if the public does spot a whale at sea or stranded, they report it to them. If you are fortunate enough to spot a fin whale at sea (or stranded), please report your sighting to IWDG on www.iwdg.ie or the IWDG Reporting App. Your reports are critical in helping us better understand these magnificent mammals and how they use Irish waters, said the group. Read more about this story here View more images of the whale here Waterford City and County Council has been shortlisted for three All-Ireland Community & Council Awards. Now in its 19th year, the awards offer a platform to showcase the achievements and positive impact of partnership within local areas as well as highlighting the unsung heroes in our communities. In the Best Town / Village Regeneration category, Waterford City and County Councils efforts in tackling dereliction and vacancy have been shortlisted. This award recognises interventions or initiatives which seek to regenerate or reactivate existing town or villages, and the needs of the people who live in them. Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Jason Murphy said: Waterfords efforts in tackling vacancy and dereliction are regularly cited as best practice, with the Council accounting for a substantial number of dwellings brought back into use through the Repair and Lease scheme. Waterford Council has also been shortlisted in the Best Tourism Initiative category for the City of Lights project. The local authority launched the City of Lights project, funded by Failte Ireland, to illuminate 19 key locations across the city. This initiative created a light trail which connects the four main areas of the city: the Viking Triangle, the Apple Market and City walls beyond, the retail spine, and the Cultural Quarter. St. Josephs, Manor Hill has been shortlisted in the Best Housing Regeneration and Urban Planning category. This category acknowledges excellence within social housing projects which have been developed in the last three years enabling stability and sustainability within communities. Located on a landmark site on Manor Hill, St. Josephs House contains 71 dwellings. The former convent consists of 50 units located within the main building, while 21 units are located in the various out-building clusters on the site. The former chapel on the site has also been repurposed as a community space for multiple uses by tenants. Being shortlisted in three categories of the All Ireland Community & Council awards is testament to the vision and dedication of the Council. There is a great team working behind the scenes to consistently innovate, build, create, improve and maintain" Mayor Murphy said. NSW Premier Chris Minns has called the arrest of a man who allegedly tried to burn down an inner Sydney synagogue a big breakthrough in police efforts to track down those responsible for a spate of antisemitic attacks. But the premier also slammed a 10-month jail sentence handed to one of the men involved in a separate fire at a Bondi brewery in October last year, saying it sent the wrong message and revealing NSW Police would appeal the sentence. The string of antisemitic attacks in Sydney have sparked a national crisis and posed a major challenge for the NSW government and police as it seeks to reassure the citys Jewish community. The 33-year-old arrested on Wednesday is the ninth person charged under Strike Force Pearl, which is investigating the spate of incidents. Police are still searching for the second person allegedly involved in attempting to set the Newtown Synagogue alight. Hate speech laws criminalising violent threats against racial or religious groups could be in force within weeks, as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus rejects claims from senior Israeli politicians that the Albanese governments policies on Israel have fuelled a surge in antisemitism. Dreyfus, who returned from a six-day diplomatic mission to Israel on Monday, confirmed that the Australian Federal Police was investigating whether overseas criminal groups had paid Australians to commit antisemitic attacks. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government had pulled all the levers it could to combat antisemitism. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw made a significant intervention into the discussion on antisemitism by saying criminals for hire could be behind some recent attacks on Jewish sites, a suggestion backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday. We believe criminals for hire may be behind some incidents, so part of our inquiries include who is paying those criminals, where those people are, whether they are in Australia or offshore, and what their motivation is, Kershaw said. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A river of saffron is surging towards the city of Allahabad (now called Prayagraj). It arrives in an unstoppable torrent, inundating the temporary metropolis taking shape along an embankment. Marigold-petalled waves lap the tents, slosh the alleyways, flood the thoroughfares, hasten across the riverbanks and cascade into the channel where the Yamuna, the Ganges and the mythical Saraswati rivers collide. This confluence, known as Triveni Sangam, is Indias holiest Hindu bathing site. Ash-smeared sadhus (holy people) gather for the festival. Credit: Getty Images Only now can I discern the individual droplets making up this riverine flow: millions upon millions of human bodies swaddled in robes dyed saffron, ivory and scarlet, or clothed in nothing but a heavy coat of white ash. They sink into the holy waters, arise in bursts of glittering spray, cup the lifeblood in their hands and hold it up to the sun in prayerful salutation. I watch the spectacle from the banks, feet rooted to the tremoring sand, body swaying like a reed as the human flow ripples and foams around me. Its 2013, and Ive joined the worlds largest public gathering: the Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh every 12 years. Fast-forward a dozen years and the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela is now under way at Prayagraj. Its a particularly auspicious occurrence: marking the completion of 12 Kumbh Mela cycles, the once-in-144-years mela is expected to attract 400 million visitors over 45 days. Pilgrims throw marigold garlands in the river. Credit: Getty Images Smaller Kumbh Melas are held in the intervening years in Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain cities which, like Prayagraj, are said to have been splashed with the nectar of immortality as it fell from the kumbh (pitcher) during a battle between gods and demons. But even those small festivals are gargantuan. Attendance numbers are impossible to pinpoint; suffice to say, theyre unfathomable. For kalpwasi (pilgrims), the event affords a shot at spiritual purification. For urban planning authorities, it presents an organisational nightmare, and for curious travellers, it distils a vibrant, tangled, clamorous country to its unadulterated essence. Jerusalem/Ramallah: Israeli security forces backed by helicopters have raided the volatile West Bank city of Jenin, killing at least nine Palestinians in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a large-scale and significant military operation. The action, launched a day after US President Donald Trump declared he was lifting sanctions on ultranationalist Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian villages, was announced by Netanyahu as a new offensive against Iranian-backed militants. Medics evacuate a wounded man during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, Credit: AP We are acting systematically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it extends its arms in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu said. Judea and Samaria are terms Israel uses for the occupied West Bank. It was also announced that Israels top general had resigned, taking responsibility for security failures tied to Hamas surprise attack that triggered the Gaza war and adding to pressure Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could potentially implicate his leadership. The bishop who asked Donald Trump to have mercy on those scared of his looming immigration and civil rights crackdowns says shell keep praying for the president. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Diocese of Washington raised eyebrows on Tuesday (US time) when she spoke directly to Trump during a post-inauguration prayer service for the president, calling on him to show mercy to migrants and members of the LGBTQ community. Trump at the time called the service not that exciting, and later lashed out at Budde as a Radical Left hard line Trump hater in a post on his Truth Social site. She is not very good at her job! he posted after midnight. She and her church owe the public an apology! The Reverend Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service and takes the opportunity to plead with Donald Trump to have mercy. Credit: AP I dont consider him an enemy, Budde told AP on Wednesday. I believe we can disagree respectfully and put our ideas out there and continue to stand for the convictions weve been given without resorting to violence of speech. As Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance looked on during the Tuesday service, Budde appealed to him about the gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. She preached that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, but good neighbours and faithful members of religious communities. Trump has already used his first days in office to issue executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughening immigration as the administration mobilises an unprecedented mass deportation effort. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, look on as the Reverend Mariann Budde arrives at the national prayer service. Credit: nna\allanah.sciberras With AP KIGALI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Delegates at the Annual Conference of the African Engineering and Technology Network (AFRETEC) on Tuesday called for concerted efforts to accelerate inclusive digital transformation across Africa. Joseph Nsengimana, Rwanda's minister of education, said that inclusive digital growth would enable Africa to respond to challenges by accelerating job creation, improving service delivery, and fostering sustainable and inclusive growth. "As we embrace this new era of technological advancement, we must prioritize inclusiveness, ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, is equipped to contribute to and benefit from the collective transformation of our society," he said. The minister urged for strong collaboration between African economies and the African Engineering and Technology Network to identify skills gaps and develop solutions needed for the digital revolution in Africa. "As the world goes digital, African policymakers and leaders must make concerted efforts to bridge the digital divide by ensuring inclusive and sustainable digital growth. We are proud to work with universities across the continent to drive inclusive digital growth," said Raymond Ndikumana, deputy vice chancellor of strategic planning and administration at the University of Rwanda. Conrad Tucker, director at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, said that the core of AFRETEC's mission is to advance the next generation of tech leaders across Africa. He explained that the technology network is not just about bringing people together but also about driving innovation and creating new solutions critical for Africa's future. "We are here to create, to ensure that the next generation of young talent has meaningful, dignified jobs that advance the continent's innovation and provide opportunities for generations to come," he said. Held from Monday to Tuesday, the annual conference dubbed "Inclusive Digital Growth Through Collaboration," brought together engineers, technologists, policymakers, and industry leaders in Kigali, Rwanda's capital city, for discussions about innovative solutions for bridging the digital divide and leveraging technology to drive inclusive and sustainable growth on the continent. Under the auspices of the WCO/JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Joint Project, the World Customs Organization (WCO) held a Refresher course for Master Trainers on Risk Management and Intelligence Analysis of East Africa and West Africa from 14 to 16 January 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. Forty (40) Master Trainers from 11 Members in Africa, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda, had a long-awaited reunion in Brussels. They became Masters Trainers in Risk Management and Intelligence Analysis in the late 2010s after completing the Master Trainer Programme (MTP). Subsequently, they have delivered training in their home administrations and beyond. Besides, they have contributed to improving risk management and information exchange in their regions by utilizing their expertise. The refresher course aimed to up-to-date knowledge and skills on the subject matter and enhance their expertise. During the course, the Master Trainers had a high-level and motivational interaction with Mr. Ian Saunders, Secretary General of WCO, who encouraged them to strengthen their community and network of practice. At the refresher courses opening, Mr. Ricardo Trevino Chapa, Deputy Secretary General of the WCO, highlighted with satisfaction the achievements of the Master Trainers who have significantly contributed to capacity-building activities in their regions, encouraging them to make the most of the refresher opportunity. During the three-day course led by WCO expert staff from the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate, the Master Trainers were updated on the latest developments within the WCO in Risk Management. They also actively shared their experiences, challenges, and good practices in Risk Management, particularly in data analysis and information/data sharing. Notably, some Master Trainers, also WCO Accredited Experts, performed as lecturers in one of the sessions. The refresher course was a vital step toward further achievements by the Master Trainers. The Master Trainers demonstrated the determination to enhance intra- and inter-regional cooperation, facilitated by active communication between the Master Trainers, to share challenges and good practices on Risk Management, thereby promoting mutual learning. They are resolved to actively engage in WCO activities and keep updated on the latest developments relevant to Master Trainers activities. This commitment will enhance their capabilities, for the further benefit of their home administrations and regions and the global Customs community. For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. BEIRUT, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Council of the European Union has approved a 60-million-euro (about 62.6 mln USD) assistance package under the European Peace Facility (EPF) to support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the EU's delegation to Lebanon announced Wednesday. The EU delegation's statement noted that the assistance would contribute to strengthening the LAF's capacities, enabling them to redeploy, secure, and maintain stability in the South of the Litani Sector of the country in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. It said the assistance measure will also enhance the LAF's operational capabilities and effectiveness to contribute to national and regional security and stability, thereby allowing displaced civilians on both sides to return to their homes. "This new assistance marks a significant uptake in the EU's support to the Lebanese Armed Forces under the European Peace Facility at a critical juncture for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel," said Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Editor's Note: The era of drones is on the horizon. Some say it is already becoming a reality in China, thanks to the rapid rise of the low-altitude economy and high affordability of Chinese-made drones. In this three-part series, Xinhua sheds light on the drone revolution in China and considers how it will redefine everything from disaster response to rural employment. The following is the first piece to explore the changes in the job market, especially in rural China. An unmanned food delivery drone is pictured in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian) by Zhou Zhou, Yao Yuan and Yue Wenwan KUNMING/WUHAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Farming on steep terraced slopes where even walking is a challenge has always been a toilsome work until the debut of drones, a transformative power that is paving the way for a new wave of in-demand careers, drone operators for instance. A drone carrying a 40-kilogram hand of bananas swiftly lifted off from the rugged mountains in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan. The feat was accomplished by Li Xianquan, who, at 40 years old and after two decades of hauling goods by truck, traded the steering wheel for a remote control to become a drone pilot. In 2024, when the low-altitude economy took center stage in tech and venture investment circles, innovations like eVTOL aircraft or flying cars, brimming with futuristic allure, were quick to capture imaginations and spark market excitement. But what unfolded in Li's hillside orchard--where local farmers have always prioritized practical, real-world solutions that deliver a tangible difference--went beyond a flashy display of technological prowess. Bananas from areas with large temperature differences tend to be sweeter. However, manually carrying the fruit down steep mountains often caused bruising and damage, leaving them inferior in quality and less competitive compared to imports. Over 94 percent of the land in Yunnan is sloped, with nearly 46 percent of arable land on a slope of over 15 degrees, said an official from the province's agriculture department. "Without the help of drones, I would never dare to cultivate on such steep mountainous terrain," said a banana grower who leased this sharply sloped terrain in Yuxi, Yunnan Province. As a result, Li's expertise in operating drones positioned him as a key competitive advantage for the banana orchard. UNMET DEMANDS A growing number of individuals, ranging from drone hobbyists to professionals skilled in drone-based pesticide spraying, are shifting to jobs like Li. Drone delivery represents a brand-new business, with a vast unmet demand for skilled operators. By June 2024, China had recorded 1.875 million registered drones, yet only over 225,000 licensed pilots were available, underscoring a substantial gap of more than 1 million operators. This estimated gap has not even factored in the growing emphasis that local governments are placing on vertical mobility as an emerging driver of growth. To align with this momentum, the nation's economic planning authority has launched a dedicated department to advance digital infrastructure, set to fuel the sector's swifter expansion. China's drone market is forecast to experience continuous growth from 2024 to 2029, surpassing 600 billion yuan (81.9 billion U.S. dollars) by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 25.6 percent during this period, according to an industry report. The country's enormous domestic market has fostered a vast pool of over 15 million couriers. Shifting even a portion of their workload to drones would still require a significant amount of manpower. Starting with the delivery of life-saving organs, serum and emergency medications, to power grid inspection, glass curtain wall cleaning and transporting seafood across the sea to delight people's palate, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) express is broadening its scope of operations. LICENSING BOOM Zeng Yan, an admission officer at Shanghai Funtastic Drone Training School, has noticed an obvious increase in inquiries about license training in recent months. "Inquiries have jumped from one or two a week to two or three daily, with about half of them enrolling," said Zeng. In China, drone operators are required to obtain a license from the Civil Aviation Administration of China to operate UAVs. Operators are divided into visual line of sight within 500 meters (VLOS) and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), the latter demanding higher expertise and stricter standards. Funtastic's training program for multi-rotor drones, a most popular one, lasts between 18 and 28 days, depending on VLOS or BVLOS levels, with costs varying from 9,800 to 15,800 yuan, as shown on its admission website. Despite the high charge, the training has maintained its allure with promising job prospects and attractive salaries of a licensed drone operator. The mini-program "I Am a Drone Pilot" on WeChat, a leading messaging app in China, connects drone operators with jobs nationwide. Monthly salaries offered in the program vary from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan based on roles, and some jobs include a daily 200-yuan field operation subsidies. Getting licensed is only the beginning. Pilots also need to learn hands-on skills not included in the training. Li practiced 37 days to master banana lifting. At first, locating bananas in the expansive green field was challenging. He then discovered that the drone's camera is more sensitive to red, and instructed the farmers on the ground to wave red flags as markers once their bananas were ready for lifting. As industry experts predict the trend for swarm and automated operations of drones, pilots are required to master not just basic operations but also comprehensive management, troubleshooting and maintenance. A 2024 statistic has shown that about 350 vocational colleges across the country now provide a three-year program in drone application technology, aiming to train more specialized professionals. NEW FARMERS While factories in China's eastern coastal cities reduce the number of workers by ramping up automation, emerging technologies such as UAVs are opening up new job prospects in the countryside, the primary source of the country's millions of migrant workers. The drone fleet in Zigui, a county of Yichang city in central China's Hubei Province, has grown to a considerable size. The county renowned as the "hometown of Chinese navel oranges" now boasts more than 500 drones, and its count of drone pilots has grown from previous over 50 to more than 1,000 at present. The majority of these pilots are young people returning from cities to their rural hometowns, primarily aged in their 20s and 30s. Called "new farmers," they are bringing new technologies to the countryside while replenishing the aging and shrinking rural labor pool. Once a hairdresser in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen, Wang Jiaxin switched to transporting navel oranges with drones in his hometown Zigui two years ago after viewing a video of drones spraying orchards on hilly terrain, which he saw as the future of farming. "Older farmers used to carry oranges on their back across the steep terrains, a hard labor that few young people today are willing to do," Wang said, adding that the arrival of drone technologies have made orange farming more attractive to young villagers. A drone can transport 50 kilograms per trip, spanning 200 meters horizontally in just one minute, compared to the 30 minutes it would take a person to carry the same load, said Wang. "My phone kept ringing from dawn to dusk," said Wang, referring to the flood of orders from local farmers during the harvest season. Human carriers cost around 0.8 to 1 yuan per kilogram, compared to drones at just 0.4 yuan per kilogram, according to ZTO Express, a logistics firm which utilized drones for navel orange delivery. At present, drone operators remain in short supply, making their incomes quite impressive. With daily earnings of about 1,500 yuan, Wang can make up to 30,000 yuan in the peak harvesting month. "This is significantly higher than my salary as a hairdresser." During non-harvest months, drone pilots can supplement their income by focusing on pesticide spraying, typically earning between 5,000 and 8,000 yuan on average. The remarkable economic benefits have also prompted the local government to strengthen policy support. In early 2024, the human resource authority in Changyang Tujia Autonomous County of Yichang offered a free 12-day drone training course. Last year, the city of Yichang held seven drone training sessions, subsidizing 156 trainees with nearly 250,000 yuan. In addition to subsidies, the Zigui government has upgraded infrastructure by clearing obstacles, as well as building drone platforms and charging stations. On China's short video-sharing platforms, many videos of drones transporting agricultural products have gone viral. After seeing these clips, more migrant workers decided to return home and become drone operators, freeing older generations from manual labor. One comment under a footage quipped, "No wonder oranges are pricey. They're delivered by air." A drone pilot replied seriously: "I think our parents' shoulders were far more precious." Weber State recognized by U.S. Department of Education for efforts in student success January 22, 2025 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University was one of 200 schools nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for its efforts to reimagine college. Last fall, the education department launched a program to celebrate colleges and universities that are working to remove barriers and help more students graduate. Schools were evaluated based on performance metrics related to access, success and post-college outcomes. Weber State was selected from a pool of 6,751 schools and was the only institution in Utah recognized. Access has been a core theme at Weber State since its beginnings in 1889, said WSU President Brad Mortensen. Its an honor to be recognized among just 3% of colleges nationwide for our efforts to provide opportunities and support for everyone who wants a college education. For nearly a decade, Weber State has used data on enrollment, retention and outreach efforts to guide priorities and provide resources to help all students succeed. The universitys strategies include efforts to reduce the cost of college, like WSUs Concurrent Enrollment program which costs just $5 per college credit hour so Utah students can graduate high school having already completed their associates degree. Every year, the university offers 130 Concurrent Enrollment courses. WSU also focuses on providing engaging educational experiences, including internships and undergraduate research, and regularly consults with statewide employers to ensure graduates are ready to begin in-demand careers. YAOUNDE, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chad's ruling party, Patriotic Salvation Movement, won a sweeping victory in the legislative elections held last month, securing 124 seats out of 188, according to final results released by the country's Constitutional Council on Tuesday. "We are on the verge of definitively turning the page of transition to move resolutely towards the development of our dear homeland. The future is before us. It's up to us to build it with strength and faith," Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said in a statement. He praised the peaceful manner in which the elections unfolded. Chad's Minister of Women and Child Protection Amina Priscille Longoh said the results showed remarkable progress toward parity of men and women in parliament in the country. "Of the 188 parliamentarians, there are 64 women, or 34.04 percent," in comparison with the last legislature of 2011, where there were 28 women, or 15 percent, Longoh told reporters after the results were released. Leesville, LA (71446) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. By Cillian Sherlock, Cate McCurry and Grainne Ni Aodha, PA The Government and opposition are blaming each other for a farcical row in the Dail that saw efforts to appoint a taoiseach fail. The Dail parliament reconvened on Wednesday with the aim of appointing a taoiseach and Cabinet ministers after a coalition deal was struck between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and several independents. Proceedings were disrupted by opposition several times over a row about opposition speaking time whether the independents who negotiated and agreed the programme for government but who do not have ministerial roles should get opposition speaking slots. The Ceann Comhairle suspended or adjourned proceedings four times on Wednesday, without a resolution. A group of five opposition parties called on the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to meet with them to resolve the issue ahead of the Dajl parliament reconvening at 9am on Thursday. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who was poised to become the next taoiseach, called chaotic scenes in the Dail a subversion of the Irish Constitution. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, who is set to become deputy Irish premier, or tanaiste, branded the oppositions actions farcical and stunt politics on speed. The most fundamental obligation of the Dail is to elect a taoiseach and, indeed, to elect a government, Mr Martin told reporters outside Government Buildings after the Dail was adjourned for the day. That opportunity was denied today by a premeditated, co-ordinated and choreographed position by the opposition and particularly by Sinn Fein party. Mr Martin said there were numerous attempts to facilitate a resolution to a dispute on speaking time arrangements, but added: It became very clear to us that there was no intention ever to reach agreement on the nomination of a taoiseach or a government today. He said there had been agreement to establish a Dail Reform Committee which would have met at midday on Thursday. The establishment of the committee would require the formation of a Government, which did not happen because of the adjournment of the Dail. Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Harris, who spoke to the media alongside Mr Martin, said the events were unprecedented and utterly farcical. There was a clear majority of the peoples representatives ready, willing to elect Micheal Martin as taoiseach and to elect the next government and get on with the peoples work, he said. Instead, what we saw was an effort to obstruct, an effort to shout down, an effort to disrespect the Ceann Comhairle and her constitutional office, and ultimately preventing a majority of the democratically elected representatives of Dail Eireann to discharge their duty and their mandate to elect a taoiseach. Today was unprecedented, unseemly, and tomorrow Dail Eireann must reconvene and must elect a taoiseach and get on with the urgent work of government. TDs from the Regional Independents group, Marian Harkin, Michael Healy-Rae, Kevin Boxer Moran, Sean Canney, and Noel Grealish (Maxwells) Five of the nine independents who entered into negotiations are due to be given junior ministries, with the remainder expressing support for the Programme for Government but not taking up an official post. The four remaining independents are seeking to join a technical group, which is a mechanism designed to allow opposition TDs to sit in groupings of at least five members to gain an allocation of speaking time. This has been widely rejected by opposition parties including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats who argue that the independents who supported the incoming government should not be allowed to join technical groups. As the Dail met to nominate a taoiseach from 11am on Wednesday, opposition TDs repeatedly objected to the order of business set out by the government chief whip and repeatedly interrupted proceedings. Independent TD for Tipperary North Michael Lowry, who is among the independent TDs who took part in programme for government talks and want to speak during opposition time, said that there was an agreement reached at by 3.30pm that was then reneged upon. Independent TD Michael Lowry (PA) Asked why Mr Lowry cannot resolve the row by using government speaking time, he said I cannot do that, suggesting that this was due to the regulations of the Dail without specifying what they are. Ive never seen such disrespect to any Ceann Comhairle in the history of the Dail and Im here 40 years, he told RTEs Six One programme. At around 4.25pm, Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton told the chamber there was an agreement and the nomination process for a new taoiseach should proceed. Fianna Fail TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach. But members of Sinn Fein including Ms McDonald, Pearse Doherty and Chief Whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn continued to interrupt the sitting and said there was no agreement. Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairles attempts to proceed as a disgrace, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was outrageous. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy called multiple suspensions amid widespread disorder on the opposition benches (Brian Lawless/PA) Speaking to the media after proceedings, Mr Mac Lochlainn said that during negotiations chaired by clerk of the Dail Peter Finnegan to try to resolve the row, they asked government to acknowledge that Mr Lowry is a government TD. We repeatedly asked them to agree to that, they refused to do so, he said. So we made it clear that when we returned to the doll, that we were going to oppose the order of business for all the reasons that we had done so, we did not reach agreement. Ms McDonald, Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Social Democrats Cian OCallaghan, Independent Irelands Michael Collins and People Before Profits Richard Boyd Barrett all said that there had been no agreement during that meeting. Ms Bacik said that while the opposition parties had their differences, they could not accept a situation where TDs that agreed a programme for government were treated as part of the opposition. We simply cannot stand over a situation where those TDs who are actively engaged in supporting and constructing a programme for government can somehow also be designated as opposition TDs. Its simply not tenable. Its a chaotic situation. The very word democracy is at question here, Mr Collins said, while Mr Boyd Barrett said it was absolutely remarkable that Mr Harris and Mr Martin were allowing Michael Lowry and the Healy-Raes to sabotage the democratic process. It doesnt only undermine the opposition, it makes a mockery of the government themselves, he said. The Dail is due to reconvene again at 9am on Thursday where it is expected further attempts will be made to nominate and vote on a future taoiseach. The Dail failed to nominate a new taoiseach on Wednesday following a row on speaking time. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had been poised to become the next taoiseach after agreeing a Programme for Government with the Fine Gael party and a selection of independents. However, a dispute over whether some of those independents would be allocated opposition speaking time ended Wednesdays proceedings without a new taoiseach. The Dail sitting to nominate a new taoiseach was delayed for hours to allow for talks on resolving the dispute. Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton addressed the chamber after 4.25pm and said the nomination process should proceed. Fianna Fail TD Albert Dolan took to his feet to begin nominating his party leader as taoiseach. Members of Sinn Fein including leader Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn continued to interrupt the sitting. Mr Doherty described the Ceann Comhairles attempts to proceed as a disgrace, while Mr Mac Lochlainn said it was outrageous. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy adjourned the Dail until 9am on Thursday, ending a day of chaos inside the chamber which saw multiple suspensions and adjournments. Here are the live Dail updates BreakingNews provided throughout the day... 4.30pm Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has adjourned Dail proceedings until tomorrow at 9am following widespread disorder on the opposition benches as the row over speaking time continues. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was due to be formally nominated for the position of Taoiseach but the continued disorder caused by the speaking time disagreement delayed proceedings. Multiple suspensions were called throughout the day by Murphy. 4.15pm The Dail has resumed after multiple suspensions were called following widespread disorder. The row concerning speaking time continues, and comes down to whether Independent TDs, who have agreed to support the incoming government, should be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time. Several Sinn Fein representatives had objected to government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. Meanwhile, Aontu has left the Dail's Regional Technical Group - and will join the group which contains the Independent Ireland party. 2.55pm Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has had to call multiple suspensions amid widespread disorder on the opposition benches as the row over speaking time continues. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had been poised to become Taoiseach after his party agreed a Programme for Government with Fine Gael and a selection of independent TDs to secure a majority. However, the agreement with the independents sparked an enormous row over rules on speaking time which delayed the proceedings. 1.25pm The Dail has been suspended until 2pm to allow the party whips see if the issues between them can be resolved. 1.05pm European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has deleted a post on X in which she congratulated Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin on his appointment as taoiseach, which has not yet happened. Ms von der Leyen had posted a picture of the pair with a caption that included: Looking forward to working with you again. Mr Martin has yet to be formally nominated for the position in the Dail after it was suspended twice today already. 12.50pm Opposition parties have called for a meeting of the Dail Business Committee to resolve a dispute over speaking time. The Dail has been suspended twice today already, delaying the nomination of the next taoiseach. The dispute centres around whether Independent TDs who have agreed to support the incoming government should be allowed to join opposition technical groups for the purposes of speaking time. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has allowed this on an interim basis, adding that she would take submissions on the dispute and make a decision before February 5th. Opposition TDs have also criticised the government proposal to push back the next sitting of the Dail to February 5th. Meanwhile, Independent Ireland representatives have argued Ms Murphy has a conflict of interest as she had been nominated to the role of Ceann Comhairle by regional independents. 12.25pm Despite the delay to proceedings so far, we are still expecting Micheal Martin to be nominated as taoiseach this afternoon. As Mr Martin takes up the role again and Simon Harris prepares for a stint handling foreign affairs, trade and defence, we have profiled some of the TDs who could be in line for a ministerial role. Read more: Minister profiles the fresh and familiar figures tipped for Cabinet roles 12.00pm The Dail resumed for a brief time before 12pm, but Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy suspended proceedings again two minutes later. Ms Murphy said she would deal with the dispute over speaking time expeditiously. She said this meant before February 5th, when the Dail is planned to return after todays proceedings. Following further disruptions relating to the speaking-time dispute from members of Sinn Fein and People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, Ms Murphy suspended the Dail for a further 30 minutes. 11.25am The Dail has been suspended for 15 minutes by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy amid angry scenes over speaking rights for the opposition. Several Sinn Fein representatives had objected to government parties receiving more speaking time in the order of business. In particular, they noted that Sinn Fein had received more seats than Fine Gael in the election. Sinn Fein chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn had called for the Dail to be suspended for an urgent meeting of the Business Committee over the dispute. As Mr Mac Lochlainns party colleague Matt Carthy continued making objections, Ms Murphy said she would suspend the Dail for 15 minutes She made the decision after Mr Carthy did not return to his seat and the suspension was not for Sinn Feins request of a meeting of the Business Committee. Labour, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit also criticised the decision to allow members of the Regional Independents Group to be allocated opposition speaking time. Labours Duncan Smith said the public was angry about the arrangement. They are really angry. And I would like you, Ceann Comhairle, to commit a deadline as to when you will make an adjudication upon the joint opposition submission on this matter and make a decision that is in the goodness of the entire parliament and every member in this House. Us in opposition believe there is only one answer to that question, he said. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the arrangement was ludicrous. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was a farcical start to the new Dail term. 11.20am Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald will be allowed to speak following her anticipated nomination to be taoiseach in the Dail. It follows a dispute over speaking time for Wednesdays proceedings, in which Sinn Fein claimed Fianna Fail and Fine Gael had sought to block Ms McDonald from speaking. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy noted precedent whereby Ms McDonald spoke in 2020 following her nomination for the position of taoiseach on that occasion. Ms Murphy agreed that the same time will be allowed to the leader of Sinn Fein on Wednesday. A majority of TDs are expected to back the nomination of Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to become taoiseach. 11.15am Michael Lowry, who chaired the Regional Independent Group during the government formation negotiations, said the Committee on Standing Orders and Dail Reform will make a decision on the groups request to sit on the Dails opposition benches. The Ceann Comhairle has been referred for advice and, as of today, we will sit (on the opposition benches) and then it will go to the Reform Committee of the Dail, and the committee will make a decision and we will come back for a full ratification, he told reporters. Independent TD Michael Lowry outside Leinster House this morning. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA That will happen in the next couple of weeks. Fianna Fail did that in their confidence-and-supply arrangement. Ive been here for 25 years, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar, I supported them all through opposition and I will do the same. It will be an issue for the Dail Reform Committee and when that decision is taken, we will get on with the business. Read more: Michael Lowry the controversy over Moriarty Tribunal and his role in government talks 11.05am Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae rejected claims that controversy surrounds members of the Regional Independents Group seeking speaking time in the Dail on the opposition benches. Arriving at Leinster House in Dublin, he said: There is no controversy because, if things were to be different there would actually be a change made to what exists already, because in 2016 there was a confidence-and-supply arrangement. Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae arrives at Leinster House this morning. Photo: PA Fianna Fail were supporting the government at that time but then they were also raising issues on the floor of the Dail. In 2022 you had TDs who were supporting the government and they were also entitled to stand up and raise issues on the floor of the Dail, so this whole controversy, as far as I can see, what they are looking for is to change things to make them different as to what they were. The system that is there allows for this to happens and what the Ceann Comhairle is doing is allowing that to continue. There is nothing unusual about it, that a person supports the government and at the same time they have the right and entitlement to stand up in in the Dail and ask questions and raise issues about that government. 10.55am Micheal Martin is poised to become the next taoiseach as the Dail meets this morning to nominate a new head of government. After weeks of government formation talks, Fianna Fail has agreed to re-enter into a coalition with Fine Gael. The two parties combined are just shy of a majority in the Dail and will be supported by several Independent TDs for the five-year term, following lengthy negotiations. The Dail will meet from 11am today where Mr Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach. Follow all of the developments live here on breakingnews.ie. By Cillian Sherlock, PA Micheal Martin is poised to become Irelands next taoiseach, as the Dail meets to nominate a new head of government on Wednesday. Mr Martins Fianna Fail emerged as the largest party following the general election at the end of November. After weeks of government formation talks, Fianna Fail has agreed to re-enter into a coalition with Fine Gael, led by outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris. The two parties combined are just shy of a majority in the Dail and will be supported by several Independent TDs for the five-year term, following lengthy negotiations. Fine Gael leader and outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris will become Tanaiste. Photo: Niall Carson/PA The Dail will meet from 11am on Wednesday where Mr Martin will be formally nominated as taoiseach. Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, intends to nominate its leader Mary Lou McDonald during the proceedings. However, the outcome of the government formation talks suggests that Mr Martin will be approved by the Dail. In that event, he will then travel across Dublin to Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the President, where Michael D Higgins will sign the warrant of appointment and hand Mr Martin the Seal of the Taoiseach at around 2pm. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Later on Wednesday evening, the new taoiseach will nominate members of the next government. The incoming Cabinet will also travel to the State Reception Room of Aras an Uachtarain to receive their Seals of Office. The final make-up of that Cabinet will be closely watched with selected departments expected to be reshaped as some portfolios swap between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Fianna Fail will hold most Cabinet positions, with Independents securing two super junior ministries with seats at the table during formation talks. The Independents-backed Government has already been faced with a number of rows around the make-up of the coalition. Independent TD Michael Lowry (Brian Lawless/PA) Independent TD Michael Lowry acted as a key negotiator for those in the Regional Independents Group that have agreed to enter into government. Mr Lowrys past behaviour was described in a tribunal as profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking. Gardai investigating matters examined by Tribunal recently sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to their findings. Mr Lowry has maintained that there is no basis for any liability attaching to me Meanwhile, some of the Independent TDs involved in the groups which have expressed support for the Programme for Government have sought to keep their Dail speaking time in opposition technical groups. The Ceann Comhairle of the Dail, Verona Murphy, has indicated that this will be allowed under legal advice she has received. Verona Murphy in her office at Leinster House. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Ms Murphy, who was re-elected as an Independent TD for Wexford, was appointed to the speaker position in December ahead of a deal on Government formation with regional independents. Opposition parties, including Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats, are objecting to the government supporters receiving opposition speaking time. They have filed a submission to Ms Murphy on the basis of alternative legal advice which contradicts her official position. She has indicated that she will consider the submission but will allow the government-supporting independents to speak from opposition benches in the interim. Mr Martin (64) previously served as taoiseach in the last coalition government with Fine Gael and the Green Party. That coalition introduced a rotating taoiseach mechanism which saw the top office swapped between the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin with his family in Cork. Photo: Jacob King/PA The arrangement will be repeated, although on a three-to-two year basis in favour of Fianna Fail in recognition of the party securing a 10-seat lead over Fine Gael. It continues a partnership which began in 2020 and set aside almost a century of animosity between the two parties forged opposing sides of the Civil War of the 1920s. Mr Martin, from Cork, cites the moment Ireland became the first country to implement a workplace smoking ban in 2004 during his time as health minister as among his proudest political achievements. The son of an international boxer, he has also held Cabinet ministries for enterprise, foreign affairs, defence and education. He has been the leader of Fianna Fail since 2011. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, will take the role of tanaiste. NANNING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- From 8:30 a.m. on Monday, long lines began to form in front of customs checkpoints in Dongxing, a small, charming border city nestled in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Ngo Thi Thuy, a 36-year-old from the Vietnamese city of Mong Cai, was waiting for customs clearance to enter Dongxing, which is separated from her hometown by the shallow, winding Beilun River. This daily routine has been second nature for Ngo over the past eight years. Her commute typically takes about 30 minutes, and is now a very familiar journey that starts with a 15-minute motorcycle ride to the border, followed by a short trip across the 111-meter footbridge connecting the two countries, before a quick walk leading Ngo to her stall in the heart of a bustling Dongxing, where she makes her living. At the six-story Wanzhong International Wholesale Market, a local landmark, Ngo has carved out a niche among hundreds of vendors from both sides of the border by selling everything from Vietnamese snacks to coffee powder and handmade crafts. Attracted by the increased convenience of customs clearance and the prospect of greater earning potential, Ngo has joined the ever-swelling rank of Vietnamese who cross into China in pursuit of business opportunities. Under a government pilot scheme implemented in 2017, Vietnamese nationals can legally open and operate their businesses in this Chinese city. As of the end of last year, the number of registered individual businesses owned by Vietnamese nationals had exceeded 1,100. "The number of Vietnamese nationals crisscrossing back and forth via our port is estimated to be over 6,000, representing about 30 percent of our daily total," said Fan Chunli, an immigration officer in Dongxing. In 2024, Dongxing recorded a total of 8.58 million cross-border passenger trips. Trips made by Vietnamese nationals constituted 39 percent of the total cross-border trips recorded in Guangxi last year. "Many of my compatriots make the trip daily, whether to come here to peddle snacks and souvenirs, or to use the city as a launchpad for a deeper foray into the country," said Pham Thi Hua, who set up a roadside stand with her husband one street across from the border crossing, selling iced condensed milk coffee to passing tourists. Pham's seemingly humble business has managed to garner some traction on Chinese social app rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, earning a spot under the hashtag "MustEatInDongxing." Since starting the business last October, Pham and her husband have sold up to 60 cups of this signature Vietnamese sugary beverage daily. Dongxing's border port area is surrounded by vibrant commercial scenes, featuring an enticing mix of shops and flavors -- including the likes of the pungent aroma of fresh durian and the inviting steam rising from bowls of authentic chicken pho. Most shops and street signs in Dongxing display an exotic blend of Chinese and Vietnamese, with examples of this fusion abundant when observing the physical attributes of this border city. A nearby parking lot crammed with cars bearing non-local number plates serves as a testament to Dongxing's prime location as a gateway and its unique allure for visitors from all over China. "I grew up in a medium-sized city in northeast China," said Kuang Xiren, a visitor. "I have always been intrigued by the very concept of a border city steeped in rich culture and history." The growing number of tourists visiting Dongxing presents valuable opportunities for local businesses to thrive, allowing them to cash in on the willingness of tourists to spend, while also securing Dongxing a spot on the map of noteworthy destinations. According to data provided by local tourism authorities, around 15.95 million tourist visits were made to Dongxing in 2024 -- an increase of 12.42 percent year on year. The city generated 15.21 billion yuan (about 2.12 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue in 2024, marking a rise of 12.92 percent compared with 2023. Dongxing residents welcome the arrival of Vietnamese, as they share similar cultures. "Every year, my family and I participate in the vibrant local festivals where people from both sides immerse themselves in shared traditions of ancient worship, delicate cuisine and music playing," said Ruan Ruting, a 22-year-old local from Dongxing and a member of the Jing ethnic group, one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in China. In 2017, a new bridge straddling the Beilun River and located 3 kilometers from the existing port was inaugurated. This crossing was initially designated solely for cargo transport. However, six years later, a passenger service was officially introduced to help alleviate traffic pressure. Chen Yu, general manager of the Wanzhong market, has witnessed firsthand the remarkable changes unfolding across the border in Vietnam. What were once shabby and poorly stuccoed bungalows have now been transformed into buildings with several stories. "Just like us old-school locals in Dongxing, many Vietnamese living in the border areas measure their success according to the number of stories of their homes," said Chen. "Clearly, things have changed significantly for the better, with residents from both sides having caught the brass ring of increased exchanges." A Dublin-based company aims to turn a Mayo pub into accommodation for International Protection applicants. A planning application has been lodged with Mayo County Council for the change of use of a pub in Castlebar into emergency accommodation. Shakeview Ltd, have applied for the change of use of the Connaught Inn and ancillary accommodation located on Spencer Street in Castlebar to emergency accommodation for persons seeking international protection. The Connaught Inn closed in June 2022 and since December 2022, the adjoining building, 99 Spencer Street, which is attached to the Connaught Inn, has been used as emergency accommodation for persons seeking international protection. Since then, the Connaught Inn provides cooking, dining, internal recreational space and external space for the occupants on the site. In September 2024, the owners proposed to provide an internal access route from 99 Spencer Street directly into the Connaught Inn hotel for occupants accessing kitchen and amenities. They applied to Mayo County Council for exempted development to be applied to existing emergency accommodation located at 99 Spencer St, Castlebar but the council found it was not exempted development. A decision from the council on the application is expected next month. The provision of accommodation for refugees has been a contentious issues in a number of towns in the county with protests previously taking place in Ballina and Ballinrobe. SHENYANG, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday braved the cold to visit people affected by floods in a village in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Xi made the trip to the village of Zhujiagou, under the administration of Suizhong County, Huludao City, ahead of the Spring Festival, the most important festival for the Chinese people, which falls on Jan. 29 this year. Huludao was one of the hardest-hit cities by summer floods in 2024. Xi inspected the progress in post-disaster restoration and reconstruction. Visiting the villagers who had moved into their new houses just before this winter, Xi inquired about the quality of the reconstructed homes and whether their daily living conditions were adequate. Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. (Xinhua) NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. The performance took place at the Wu Tsai Theater in David Geffen Hall, attracting an audience of over 2,500, including local residents and members of the Chinese-American community. The event was a perfect fusion of tradition and modernity, East and West, featuring a wide range of artistic forms including traditional Chinese music, symphonic orchestra, wind instruments, choral singing, dance, Peking opera, and martial arts. Yolanda Keahey, a librarian from Jersey City, New Jersey, who attended the show, shared her thoughts: "The students' performances were amazing! I was especially impressed by the Jinfan Symphony Orchestra and the dance troupe, and the beautiful costumes added so much to the overall experience." Keahey mentioned that she will be hosting a Chinese New Year celebration at the Jersey City Free Public Library on Jan. 25 and is looking forward to attending more similar performances to better understand Chinese culture in her community. Fu Xianqing, the former chairman of the New York Sanjiang Charitable Association, who attended the event in traditional Chinese attire, underscored the importance of cultural and grassroots exchanges as a bridge between China and the United States. "Art has no borders. Every note and every dance step tonight tell a story of friendship and hope," he said. Yu Yuehan, a student choral leader, said: "The performance was fantastic! Through the students' performances, I felt the vibrant energy of Chinese youth. I could also see the respect and admiration from both Chinese and foreign audiences toward Chinese culture. May China-U.S. friendship last forever, and may Chinese culture continue to thrive!" Hu Xinyue, one of the participating students, shared her personal experience: "Backstage, I felt nervous and anxious, but the moment I stepped onto the stage, the dazzling lights gave me a sense of confidence and belief. As the music flowed, I immersed myself in it completely, and when the performance ended, I felt so proud and happy." Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. (Xinhua) Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. (Xinhua) Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. (Xinhua) Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. (Xinhua) Peoples Daily: The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 is being held in Davos, Switzerland. The WEF is an important platform for discussions of global economic issues. Could you share with us Chinas propositions? Mao Ning: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang delivered a special address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. He shared four observations: first, jointly promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization; second, jointly uphold and practice true multilateralism; third, jointly foster new drivers and strengths for global economic development; fourth, jointly tackle major global challenges such as climate change, food security and energy security. Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang stressed that economic globalization is an inherent requirement for the development of productive forces, and an inevitable result of technological advancement. It is not a you-lose-I-win zero-sum game, but a universally beneficial process where all can benefit and win together. Protectionism leads nowhere. Trade war has no winners. Its important to tackle the development challenges with universal benefit, and pool strengths with inclusive cooperation, so as to usher in a new phase of economic globalization that is more dynamic, more inclusive and more sustainable. We need to find a win-win and all-win solution, one that is based on mutually beneficial cooperation, and not only make the pie of economic globalization bigger, but also distribute it better. Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang gave an overview of Chinas economy. He shared three major trends that characterize the Chinese economy: first, high-quality development is making solid progress; second, green and low-carbon transition is accelerating across the board; third, reform and opening up is moving up to a higher level. China will further intensify macro policies, continue high-quality development, effectively pursue higher-quality economic growth and appropriately increase economic output, and inject strong and sustained impetus to global economic development. China News Service: Last week, the US Department of Treasury announced sanctions against relevant Chinese company and citizen that were involved with Salt Typhoons cyberattack. Whats Chinas response? Mao Ning: China opposes the accusations made by the Biden administration without any convincing evidence and their abuse of sanctions against China. In fact, the US has conducted large-scale and systemic cyberattacks on China for years. We have made very clear our concerns and opposition on this for many times. When it comes to cyber issues, China and the US are countries with big influence. The two sides share similar concerns on safeguarding cybersecurity, especially the security of key infrastructure. Its important for the two countries to follow the principle of equality and mutual respect, frankly discuss issues of respective concerns on the basis of fact and evidence, observe the same international rules, and jointly keep the cyberspace peaceful and stable. The US needs to stop abusing sanctions. TASS: On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that he will levy tariffs on Chinese exports to the US, with an expected start date of February 1. What is Chinas comment? Mao Ning: We have made clear Chinas position on this issue multiple times. We believe that theres no winner in a trade or tariff war, and we will firmly uphold our national interests. Global Times: The Philippines National Bureau of Investigation said they arrested a Chinese national and two Filipinos suspected of conducting espionage operations. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Romero Brawner Jr. said the Chinese spy was found near the US military bases in the Philippines, and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they would ensure an airtight case against the Chinese spy to uphold the Philippines sovereignty and security. Whats Chinas response? Mao Ning: The Chinese government, as always, asks Chinese nationals overseas to abide by local laws and regulations. We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called Chinese spy, and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines. Kyodo News: It was reported that foreign ministers of Quad met in Washington on January 21 to exchange views on issues including Chinas attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. What is your comment on this? Mao Ning: China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party. Engaging in group politics and bloc confrontation will not bring lasting peace and security, and is not conducive to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world as a whole. Chinas activities in relevant waters are lawful, legitimate and completely justified. We hope that relevant parties will do more things that help enhance mutual trust and cooperation between countries. The New York Times: Has China changed the Chinese name that it uses for Secretary of State Rubio? If so, does that have a bearing on whether or not hes covered by Chinas sanctions? Mao Ning: I am not yet aware of what you mentioned. If you ask me, instead of how his name is translated in Chinese, its his actual name in English that is more important. On the sanctions, I want to say that my colleague made clear Chinas position yesterday. What I can tell you is that Chinas sanctions are aimed at the words and actions that harm Chinas legitimate rights and interests. AFP: The Thailand government today denied that it was planning to send 48 Uyghurs held in the countrys detention centers back to China. These 48 people had fled China and were arrested in Thailand over a decade ago. Can the Foreign Ministry tell us if there are any plans with Thailand to receive these Uyghurs or give us any update? Mao Ning: Im not familiar with what you mentioned. More broadly, Chinas position on the issue of illegal immigration is consistent and clear. We resolutely fight activities of illegal immigration in any form and oppose any act of condoning or even supporting illegal immigration. China is a country under the rule of law and will properly handle relevant issue by strengthening international law enforcement and security cooperation. Dragon TV: Its reported that on January 21, a fire at a hotel in Turkiye killed 76 people and injured 51. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning to be observed on January 22. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: We share the grief over the fatal fire accident that took place in Turkiyes Bolu province yesterday. Our hearts go out to the victims and those who have lost their loved ones, and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. AFP: There are some reports on social media of a Chinese national having been killed in an attack in north Afghanistan. These reports say that a Chinese worker in the mining industry was killed last night in Takhar province. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm or give us any details on this attack and this Chinese national? Mao Ning: Im not yet familiar with what you mentioned. I believe our Embassy in Afghanistan will track the information over whats happened, and do its utmost to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens and their safety. Bloomberg: On TikTok. US President Donald Trump has said he would be open to Elon Musk or Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison purchasing social media app TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this? And how would China feel about the US government being part of a joint venture that splits the ownership of TikTok? Mao Ning: On TikTok, my colleagues and I have repeatedly stated Chinas principled position over the past few days, and you may refer to that. Reuters: Could you tell us more on how the strategic communication channel on major topics between China and the US works? Who from the China side is speaking to the US on this channel and from which arm of the Chinese government? And likewise, who is on the US end of this channel? Mao Ning: We have no information to share at this time. AFP: With the threat of 10 percent tariffs, are there any talks happening already or any negotiations going on? Mao Ning: What I can say is that we stand ready to maintain communication with the US, properly handle differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and pursue a steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relationship. China will also firmly defend its own interests. RT TV: Trump, shortly after being sworn in, threatens 100 percent tariffs on BRICS nations if they continue de-dollarization efforts. Do you have any response to this? Mao Ning: As an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, BRICS advocates openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, not bloc confrontation, and does not target any third party. The aim is to realize common development and prosperity. China stands ready to continue working with BRICS partners to deepen practical cooperation in various fields and make more contributions to the steady growth of the world economy. Reuters: I just wanna follow up on the Thailand-Uyghur issue. The UN human rights experts released a statement yesterday urging Thailand to immediately stop the possible transfer of the 48 Uyghurs to China. In the statement, they warned that the group was at real risk of torture or other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment if they are returned. How does China respond to this statement? Mao Ning: Judging by your question, this is a matter regarding the law-enforcement cooperation between two sovereign states. UN experts, whatever their role is, should fulfill their mandate in a just and objective manner in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council, and make sure that nothing they say or do interferes in the judicial sovereignty of UN member states and their normal law-enforcement cooperation, instead of speaking out irresponsibly on those matters. Bloomberg: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Tuesday with his Quad counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. Im just wondering if the Foreign Ministry has any comments on the meeting. Mao Ning: This question was raised by Kyoto News. I already gave an answer. NBC: I just want to know if you have a latest comment on the Panama Canal issue. President Trump warned of the danger of China taking control of the canal, and he would like to take it back from Panama. Do you have any comment on this? Mao Ning: We agree with Panamas President Jose Raul Mulino that Panamas sovereignty and independence are not negotiable, and the Panama Canal is not under direct or indirect control by any power. China does not take part in managing or operating the Canal. Never ever has China interfered. We respect Panamas sovereignty over the Canal and recognize it as a permanently neutral international waterway. KABUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- As China and Afghanistan mark the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year, the bond between the people of China and Afghanistan is not only linked by a shared borderline but also rooted in mutual respect and sustained partnership. As a neighboring country, China remains steadfast in supporting Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, the religious beliefs and national traditions of the Afghan people, and the path of development that the Afghan people have chosen independently. The Afghan side also respects China's core interests. "China and Afghanistan share a long-standing history of amicable relations, characterized by trade, economic collaboration, and political connections," noted Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, acting deputy prime minister of the Afghan caretaker government. In recent years, China has provided tariff exemptions for exports from Afghanistan. On the eve of the opening of the 136th session of the China Import and Export Fair held in Guangzhou last year, many Afghan businessmen lined up daily outside the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan to apply for business visas. They aimed to seize the opportunities presented by the steady development of China-Afghanistan trade relations. Afghan saffron, hand-woven carpets, pine nuts and precious stones frequently appear in exhibitions in multiple cities throughout China. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises have made notable investments in Afghanistan's infrastructure and livelihood projects, such as the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, Jamhoriat Hospital in the capital Kabul, and a teaching building along with an auditorium at Kabul University. "Afghanistan is an economically developing country and China is an economically strong country in the region. The relations between the two countries are very important, and we should use all the facilities that we have in common economically," said Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Afghan caretaker government. China has consistently supported Afghanistan with essential relief items for impoverished and disaster-affected families. Arafat Jamal, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan, said: "We are immensely grateful for this important support from Chinese aid. It enables UNHCR to support displaced families who are struggling at difficult times so that they can meet their basic needs." Meanwhile, China extended its assistance when Afghanistan faced natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, droughts, and avalanches. To aid flood-impacted families in 2024, China contributed in cash to the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and acted swiftly to provide essential aid packages to thousands of families affected by flooding, including wheat, beans, blankets, clothing, and medicines. In cultural and people-to-people exchanges, bilateral cooperation has also yielded fruitful results. Since the Confucius Institute was established at Kabul University in 2008, approximately 5,600 Afghan learners have participated in short-term training courses conducted by the institute and its affiliated Chinese language centers. "When I started learning Chinese, it felt challenging, but daily practice made it fascinating. I plan to continue my studies in China after graduation." Ali, a student at the Confucius Institute at Kabul University, told Xinhua. In recent years, cultural heritage preservation scholars from China and Afghanistan have undertaken several collaborative conservation and research projects at the Bamiyan Buddhas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These efforts have garnered widespread recognition for their effectiveness in preserving the millennium-old site. Afghan journalist Gul Ahmad Wahaj said the relationship between the people of China and Afghanistan "is among the strongest and most harmonious, particularly in the cultural sphere." "Looking to the next 70 years, China is willing to join hands with Afghanistan to pursue development and prosperity, promote regional peace and security, and foster mutual learning and cultural exchange," said Zhao Xing, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan. MEXICO CITY, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday pledged to defend the country's independence and sovereignty in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order to change the name of Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. "For us, it is still the Gulf of Mexico, as it is for the rest of the world," Sheinbaum told reporters during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. She began the conference by stressing her commitment to defending the independence and sovereignty of the country, saying "it is one of the highest principles that the president must fulfill." Trump signed a flurry of executive orders on the first day of his second term and Sheinbaum referred to five that directly target Mexico, including designating Mexican drug cartels "terrorist organizations" and declaring a national emergency on the U.S. southern border. It is important to keep a "cool head" amid the many changes the U.S. president is making, she said. Regarding the national emergency declared along the Mexico-U.S. border, Sheinbaum said that the measure is not new but reinstated what former U.S. President Joe Biden repealed in 2021. Trump also reinstated the Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as "Remain in Mexico," an immigration scheme he launched by an executive order in December 2018 during his first term in office. The policy forces asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their applications are being processed by U.S. authorities. Trump has also announced plans to mobilize troops along the border with Mexico and to review all trade agreements. This photo taken on Jan. 21, 2025 shows a seminar of the Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Uganda and China hosted a one-day symposium in Kampala, the African country's capital, to promote tourism development and cultural exchange between the two sides. The inaugural Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium, held on Tuesday under the theme "Bridging Cultures, Enhancing Cooperation: Unlocking Uganda-China Tourism Potential," brought together government officials, tourism industry stakeholders, and tour operators from Uganda, China, and the East African region. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) KAMPALA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Uganda and China hosted a one-day symposium in Kampala, the African country's capital, to promote tourism development and cultural exchange between the two sides. The inaugural Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium, held on Tuesday under the theme "Bridging Cultures, Enhancing Cooperation: Unlocking Uganda-China Tourism Potential," brought together government officials, tourism industry stakeholders, and tour operators from Uganda, China, and the East African region. Highlighting the vast opportunities for Uganda and China to collaborate in boosting tourism, Ugandan Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities Tom Butime said both sides could tap the potential of their cultural heritage and scenic attractions to advance the development of the two countries. Uganda is eager to tap into China's booming outbound tourism market, drawing inspiration from China's successful domestic tourism strategies while exploring investment opportunities in the sector, the minister said. "Uganda places great importance on the Chinese market, which represents a valuable opportunity to grow our tourism sector. China's rich cultural heritage and rapidly growing outbound tourism make it a natural partner for us as we strive to develop new tourism products," the minister said. Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said the symposium represents a significant milestone in Uganda-China cooperation within the tourism sector, infusing new vitality into the China-Uganda friendship. Despite different traditions, both countries share a vision of integrating history, culture, and modern civilization into tourism development. He said that in China, tourism plays a crucial role in alleviating poverty, creating employment opportunities, and boosting foreign exchange earnings, all of which drive economic growth and social progress. "China is willing to work with Uganda closely to deepen tourism cooperation, tap the potentials of tourism in promoting social economic transformation, and encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Uganda to further enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges," Zhang said. Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, presented a paper on cultivating a Ugandan model for China-Africa tourism cooperation, noting that with the rapid recovery of global tourism, China-Uganda tourism exchange and cooperation is entering a new phase of strategic opportunity. He emphasized the need for Uganda to enhance efforts in tourism promotion and policy coordination targeting the Chinese market, including organizing tourism exhibitions, seminars, and promotional events in China. Dai also suggested that Uganda leverage the "friendly cities" mechanism of cooperation between Ugandan and Chinese cities to bolster tourism promotion. The symposium also featured an exhibition with Ugandan tour operators showcasing their products. Cultural performances, including a traditional Chinese lion dance and display of traditional Ugandan and Chinese attire, added vibrancy to the event. Tourism is Uganda's leading foreign exchange earner, contributing over one billion U.S. dollars annually, according to the Ugandan ministry. Tom Butime, Ugandan minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, addresses the opening ceremony of the Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Jan. 21, 2025. Uganda and China hosted a one-day symposium in Kampala, the African country's capital, to promote tourism development and cultural exchange between the two sides. The inaugural Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium, held on Tuesday under the theme "Bridging Cultures, Enhancing Cooperation: Unlocking Uganda-China Tourism Potential," brought together government officials, tourism industry stakeholders, and tour operators from Uganda, China, and the East African region. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) Zhang Lizhong, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, addresses the opening ceremony of the Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Jan. 21, 2025. Uganda and China hosted a one-day symposium in Kampala, the African country's capital, to promote tourism development and cultural exchange between the two sides. The inaugural Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium, held on Tuesday under the theme "Bridging Cultures, Enhancing Cooperation: Unlocking Uganda-China Tourism Potential," brought together government officials, tourism industry stakeholders, and tour operators from Uganda, China, and the East African region. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, presents a paper on cultivating a Ugandan model for China-Africa tourism cooperation during the Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Jan. 21, 2025. Uganda and China hosted a one-day symposium in Kampala, the African country's capital, to promote tourism development and cultural exchange between the two sides. The inaugural Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium, held on Tuesday under the theme "Bridging Cultures, Enhancing Cooperation: Unlocking Uganda-China Tourism Potential," brought together government officials, tourism industry stakeholders, and tour operators from Uganda, China, and the East African region. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua) 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... Xilankapu, which means "knitted floral bedclothes" in the Tujia dialect, is a kind of traditional brocade woven by ethnic Tujia people. Xilankapu records the Tujias' lifestyle and traditions, and it is reputed as the "colorful living fossil" of the Tujia ethnic group. In 2006, the weaving craft of Tujia brocade was included on the first list of the nation's intangible cultural heritage. Cultural Symbol Tujia people mainly inhabit the mountainous region where central China's Hubei and Hunan provinces border southwest China's Guizhou Province and Chongqing Municipality. Tujia people are adept at weaving brocades. The weaving craft of Tujia brocade has a history in excess of 1,500 years, and the craft has been passed on from generation to generation. Tujia brocade is one of the five famous categories of Chinese brocades, along with Shu brocade, from southwest China's Sichuan Province, Yun brocade, from Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Song brocade, from Suzhou, also in Jiangsu Province, and Zhuang brocade, from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Xilankapu, a type of traditional hand-woven brocade, plays an important part in the daily lives of Tujia people. Newborns receive Xilankapu from their grandmothers. Tujia infants sleep with quilts made with Xilankapu. Tujia girls begin learning how to weave Xilankapu when they are young. Tujia women weave Xilankapu, to be the main part of their dowries, before their weddings. There are many steps to making Xilankapu, including spinning, threading, dyeing, weaving and knotting. Xilankapu is unique for the weaving craft used to make it; colored silk, cotton and/or woolen threads are woven to form patterns on latitudes, while deep-colored cotton threads are woven to form patterns on longitudes. Tujia women weave both auspicious customs and their daily lives into Xilankapu, which features more than 200 classic patterns, including ethnic culture, natural sceneries, birds and animals, household items, flowers and other plants, geometric drawings, and Chinese characters, with auspicious meanings. Inheritors Liu Dai'e, a national inheritor of the weaving craft of Tujia brocade, was born into a Tujia family in a village, in Hunan Province, in 1955. Liu began learning brocade-weaving skills, from her grandmother, Peng Mei, when she was a girl. Peng was a known brocade weaver in the village. Liu has been fond of Xilankapu, and she has been able to weave abundant patterns since she was young. Liu has devoted herself to protecting, developing and promoting Xilankapu since she graduated from high school in 1978. For decades, she has trekked deep into the mountains, and she has visited many Tujia villages, to collect the traditional Xilankapu patterns woven by the Tujia people. She has collected more than 100 pieces of old brocades, and she has tried to restore some of the patterns of the brocades. "The Tujia language does not have a writing system. Tujia brocade is not merely a craft, but it records the history and culture of the Tujia ethnic group. So, we must protect, inherit and develop it well," Liu says. Liu is committed to the development and promotion of the brocade-weaving skills. In 2010, she set up a brocade-weaving and craft-training center in her village. Since then, she has trained hundreds of apprentices, and she has helped locals improve their lives by making Xilankapu. She has also developed Xilankapu products with aesthetic, fashionable elements. "We need to create high-quality, high-end brocades. Only in this way can we enhance confidence in ethnic culture, and achieve social and economic benefits," says Liu. Ye Shuiyun, born in 1967, is another national inheritor of the brocade-weaving craft. When she was 12, Ye began learning brocade weaving and folk painting from Ye Yucui, her grandaunt and a national-level master of arts and crafts. In 1983, Ye Shuiyun became an assistant to her grandaunt, and she helped collect and sort traditional Xilankapu patterns. During the past three decades, she has dedicated herself to making, studying and promoting Xilankapu. She has also learned the techniques of tie-dyeing and wax printing, and she has innovatively integrated those techniques with the techniques used to make Xilankapu. Modern Twist Sisters Tan Yanhua and Tan Yanbin manage their clothing brand, which has combined Xilankapu elements with fashionable clothes and accessories, in their hometown, in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in Hubei Province. They have improved the Xilankapu-weaving craft, to make finer and more closely woven brocades, and they have innovatively developed Xilankapu products, with fashionable elements. During the past few years, the Tans have established several Xilankapu-weaving bases in Enshi, and they have provided free training to local women, especially rural women and in-need women, to help them earn money by making Xilankapu products. They have also cooperated with colleges, as well as primary, middle and vocational middle schools, in Hubei. The sisters have also given Xilankapu-weaving courses and lectures attended by students. In 2022, they transformed the traditional brocade-weaving machine, making it easier for children and physically challenged people to operate. They received a national patent for their new type of brocade-weaving machine. In 2023, the Tans became beneficiaries of the Genius Mom project. The project was initiated by the China Women's Development Foundation, in 2019, to provide assistance to craftswomen who wanted to inherit and promote intangible cultural heritage. The Tans became leaders of the project's craft workshop in Enshi. They have participated in the project's activities, through which they have obtained opportunities to cooperate with artists and designers. In September 2023, they participated in a charity fashion show, during China Fashion Week, at which time they shared the charm of Xilankapu. "We hope more young people will contribute to the promotion of Xilankapu, and that they will inject life into the time-honored culture, to help Xilankapu go global," says Tan Yanbin. Photos from Yang Feng and Interviewees Source: China Women's Development Foundation (Women of China English Monthly December 2024) Editor: Wang Shasha Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. [Xinhua] NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. The performance took place at the Wu Tsai Theater in David Geffen Hall, attracting an audience of over 2,500, including local residents and members of the Chinese-American community. The event was a perfect fusion of tradition and modernity, East and West, featuring a wide range of artistic forms including traditional Chinese music, symphonic orchestra, wind instruments, choral singing, dance, Peking opera, and martial arts. Yolanda Keahey, a librarian from Jersey City, New Jersey, who attended the show, shared her thoughts: "The students' performances were amazing! I was especially impressed by the Jinfan Symphony Orchestra and the dance troupe, and the beautiful costumes added so much to the overall experience." Keahey mentioned that she will be hosting a Chinese New Year celebration at the Jersey City Free Public Library on Jan. 25 and is looking forward to attending more similar performances to better understand Chinese culture in her community. Fu Xianqing, the former chairman of the New York Sanjiang Charitable Association, who attended the event in traditional Chinese attire, underscored the importance of cultural and grassroots exchanges as a bridge between China and the United States. "Art has no borders. Every note and every dance step tonight tell a story of friendship and hope," he said. Yu Yuehan, a student choral leader, said: "The performance was fantastic! Through the students' performances, I felt the vibrant energy of Chinese youth. I could also see the respect and admiration from both Chinese and foreign audiences toward Chinese culture. May China-U.S. friendship last forever, and may Chinese culture continue to thrive!" Hu Xinyue, one of the participating students, shared her personal experience: "Backstage, I felt nervous and anxious, but the moment I stepped onto the stage, the dazzling lights gave me a sense of confidence and belief. As the music flowed, I immersed myself in it completely, and when the performance ended, I felt so proud and happy." Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. [Xinhua] Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. [Xinhua] Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. [Xinhua] Chinese students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe perform at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025. About 400 students from the Beijing Jinfan Youth Art Troupe and the United Nations International School Band on Monday night joined hands to deliver a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Center in New York City and mark the Spring Festival which falls on Jan. 29 this year. [Xinhua] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha Job seekers talk with employers at a job fair held for the 2025 graduates of the Heilongjiang University in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 23, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhang Tao] BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) China created 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, hitting the annual target, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Tuesday. In 2024, China's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than the previous year, according to the ministry. The country has set an annual target of creating more than 12 million new urban jobs in 2024 and it also aimed to keep the surveyed urban jobless rate at around 5.5 percent for the year. "The employment situation remained generally stable," said Lu Aihong, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, at a press conference. By the end of 2024, over 33.05 million people who had been lifted from poverty were employed, Lu said. China's social security card holders reached nearly 1.39 billion by the end of last year, including 1.07 billion digital social security card users, the spokesperson said. Social security cards are divided into physical cards and digital cards. Many people hold both types. Lu said that the ministry has also strengthened the standardized management of vocational competence assessment, with over 12 million individuals obtaining vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates last year. The ministry announced that in 2025, a targeted employment support program for key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots, as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will be implemented, establishing a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects. The ministry will also accelerate the research and formulation of relevant policies and measures to further enhance the appeal of the private pension system. By the end of 2023, there were 70,000 human resource service agencies across the country, employing 1.06 million people, according to Zhang Wenmiao, an official with the ministry. He added that throughout 2023, these agencies provided services to 300 million workers and 55.99 million employers, with approximately 40 percent of these employers in the manufacturing sector. The ministry said that this year it would introduce a youth job creation program, including measures to boost employment for college graduates. Youth employment, particularly for college graduates, remains a top priority for the ministry, said Chen Yongjia, an official with the ministry, adding that throughout 2025, the ministry will organize a series of activities to promote employment and entrepreneurship among young people. (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin] BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said he is willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue guiding bilateral relations towards a new height in the new year. Speaking with Putin in a video meeting, Xi called for coping with uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations, jointly promoting the development and revitalization of the two countries, and upholding international fairness and justice. The two heads of state exchanged festive greetings for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. Xi recalled the three meetings he had with Putin last year, which led to a range of important common understandings. He also said last year marked the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations, which feature permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and have become increasingly dynamic. Xi also mentioned various activities held as part of the China-Russia Years of Culture, as well as steadily progressing pragmatic cooperation and growing bilateral trade. The close coordination between the two countries on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS has provided more positive energy for the reform and development of the global governance system, Xi said. He called on the two sides to continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries. China and Russia should consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation, Xi added. He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. He said as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of the SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility. Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South. Putin said that Russia and China have always provided each other with trust and support, and treated each other as equals. Cooperation between the two sides is in the interests of the two peoples and has been unaffected by changes in the international landscape. He expressed satisfaction with the sustained positive momentum in bilateral trade and energy cooperation, the constant increase in mutual visits by people of the two countries, and the close communication and collaboration between the two sides on multilateral arenas. Putin said Russia firmly upholds the principle that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and resolutely opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. He noted that 80 years ago, the Russian and Chinese people resisted aggressors with their blood and lives, safeguarding their national sovereignty and dignity. He said that this year, the two sides will jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on multilateral affairs, and play a positive role in promoting world peace and development, Putin added. The two heads of state also engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year. Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin] Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha Train conductor Airkir Duliki (R) comforts a child who has lost contact with his parents at the stand of Aksu Railway Station, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 16, 2025. Airkir Duliki, China's first ethnic Tajik train conductor, was born and raised amidst the snow-capped mountains and grasslands in a village of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County on the Pamir Plateau. During Spring Festival travel season, she serves as the train conductor on the railway route linking Kashgar of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The round trip between the two destinations includes more than 50 stations. At certain stations, the train will only stop for two minutes. The entire journey takes about 100 hours. Despite the work pressure, all crew members are divided into two groups that rotate every eight hours to ensure safety and provide services for passengers. On the eve of the Spring Festival travel season, Duliki traveled back home in a mountainous village to visit her family. "Although my time with my family is limited, being able to serve thousands of passengers returning home safely brings happiness too," Duliki said. [Xinhua/Hu Huhu] TOKYO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three people, including two men and one woman, were attacked by a knife-wielding man at around 8:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) near Japan's JR Nagano Station on Wednesday, leaving one in critical condition, local media reported. The other two victims, including a woman in her 40s who reportedly fell and hit her head, were also hospitalized, according to the national broadcaster NHK. The suspect, described as a slim man in his 40s around 170 cm tall, fled the scene. Police believed the victims did not know the assailant and were investigating the case as an attempted murder, suspecting it could be a random attack, the NHK reported. The victims were reportedly waiting at the bus stop when the attack occurred. Police were still searching for the suspect. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Weather Alert ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM FRIDAY TO 1 AM CDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 1 PM Friday 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. && HARARE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's economic growth in 2024 has delivered a significant boost to the global economy, despite challenges, Zimbabwean economists have said. According to data from China's National Bureau of Statistics released last Friday, the world's second-largest economy grew by 5 percent year-on-year in 2024, with its gross domestic product reaching 134.9084 trillion yuan (about 18.77 trillion U.S. dollars). The data highlights China as one of the world's top-performing economies despite facing domestic and global challenges, Prosper Chitambara, a Zimbabwean economist, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "It is a very strong performance compared to the economies of developed countries," Chitambara said. He attributed the growth to several factors, including China's ability to establish strong economic institutions, maintain macroeconomic stability, and build substantial foreign currency reserves to stabilize its currency. "No country is able to sustain a high growth rate without strong and accountable institutions and I think that's one thing China has been able to do well, and that's what Africa needs to learn from," he said. "That combination of strong institutions plus macroeconomic stability has created a very conducive environment for the private sector to invest. So investments, in particular foreign direct investment inflows, have been quite significant," he said, adding that the huge foreign direct investment inflows have helped anchor growth and macroeconomic stability in the world's second-largest economy. Gibson Chigumira, executive director at Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit, a local think tank, pointed to several drivers of China's economic growth, including its strong focus on value addition, supportive fiscal and monetary policies, and innovative strategies to stimulate domestic demand while encouraging foreign investment. Chigumira noted China's extensive trade relations with countries worldwide, emphasizing its positive impact on the global economy. "China is a trading partner of so many countries which means trade with China, either through imports or exports, is a key driver in many economies including African countries," he added. The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is operating under enormous strain after years of austerity cuts since 2010. The Labour governments plans for the NHS include no extra funding without productivity increases, demanded of an exhausted workforce. Further privatisation will hand over billions to private health companies. World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to health workers across the sector about the crisis they face on the front line. North Manchester General Hospital Coming off shift, hospital staff at North Manchester General Hospital expressed their opposition to Health Secretary Wes Streetings denial that the crisis engulfing the NHS is bound up with a lack of funding. A nurse who works on the surgical wards said the answer to the crisis is to put more money in and get more staff. A lot are leaving the NHS for agency work or the private sector because they get more money. Overseas nurses dont get the same wage. Im brand new on Band 5, but someone from overseas with 10 years experience is put on the same band as me. Her colleague, a community nurse, asked, Have you heard theyre advertising for corridor nurses in A&E (Accident and Emergency)? This will be the new normal, treating people in corridors. I see 14 people in an eight-hour day, including travelling timeall I get is 59p a mile and its taxed. Nurses were shocked to hear that the number of NHS hospital beds in England more than halved from 299,000 in 1987/88 to around 141,000 in 2019/20. The Starmer government, however, wants to gut hospital services even further by creating nebulous diagnostic centres in the community. A mental health worker said, Its so stressful, as soon as patients come on the ward, management wants them off the ward. I havent time to do my job. I was off for six months with high blood pressure and stress. A senior mental health practitioner commented, The bed crisis in mental health is untenable. We just havent got the resources. Yet the NHS pays enormous amounts of money for private bed spaces that do nothing, they are just holding spaces. A Consultant Haematologist at a hospital in Ormskirk, wrote to the WSWS to express his concerns about privatisation: I think the NHS is gradually being privatised. There are many agency locum consultants who are paid by the agency [a private company paid with NHS funds], which earns lot of money without doing a job. A doctor receives a better salary comparatively; Im not sure how much the agency earns. It makes me wonder if the majority of doctors may be agency locum consultants in the future. This is an indirect way of privatising doctors services. It has become difficult for doctors to find jobs via the NHS website. Some agencies find doctors for the NHS, and they receive 15,000 for the service. The NHS needs to recruit more doctors and nurses rather than privatising and paying huge amounts of money to companies who do a simple brochure job. This is a waste of NHS funds. I had an appointment for a lower GI endoscopy one Sunday in the same hospital where I work but I met no familiar surgeons or nurses. The procedure was done by a private agency using all the NHS resources. The surgeon told me their payment is better. This is how the private sector absorbs NHS funds. I request a lot of PET CT scans and all of them are performed by private companies. PET CT scans are needed to assess the activity of cancers. Some NHS hospitals have PET CT machines, but all the PET CT will be done by private companies in the near future according to the current trend. The doctor referenced ChatGPT, an AI tool accessed by health workers in the NHS for guidance and information, which stated: Approximately 50% of PET-CT scans for NHS England are conducted by private providers. Private companies such as Alliance Medical and InHealth Group play significant roles in delivering these services. The doctor noted, A 2018 workforce census by the Royal College of Pathologists revealed that approximately 45 percent of histopathology departments [that diagnose diseased tissue under a microscope] outsourced work. I started work in the NHS in 2013. The number of patients has greatly increased but the infrastructure is almost the same. This situation has increased the workload for us. While the cost of living has increased significantly, salary increments are unsatisfactory. So, work stress is escalating. There are currently 6.4 million people in the UK waiting for 7.5 million treatments. The doctor wrote, I cant understand how the government is going to clear the waiting list for NHS surgical procedures and clinic appointments without providing more staff recruitment and expanding the infrastructure, such as theatre facilities and ITU facilities and imaging facilities. They will possibly find ways to direct a major portion of NHS money to the private sector to privatise the NHS. Money will be utterly wasted and poured into private pockets in this way, a black hole. Ambulances outside North Manchester General Hospital A&E department, January 2025 The current surge in flu and other respiratory viruses has exacerbated the crisis. These viral infections are causing a real issue in my department, said the doctor. The precautions taken are quite unsatisfactory. Only staff are asked to wear a face mask. No other active methods to prevent infections are encouraged, such as social distancing, hand sanitation or cleaning. UV lighting, which kills viruses including COVID-19, is beyond imagination. A young health care assistant on a busy rehabilitation ward in England, who has worked for the NHS for 18 months, said, When I first started the pressures were not that bad and we had enough staff, and on the whole, it was OK and we could manage. We are now short staffed, and we are constantly receiving new admissions. Nurses are constantly stressed out and staff are making mistakes. When patients who are bed-bound press the buzzers to ask for something, we are not able to answer the buzzers in time and patients will try to get out of the beds and they are at an increased risk of falls. When youre on the ward, youre run ragged all the time. You have 10 buzzers going off at the same time and you just cannot answer them all and this is a ward with some patients who are receiving palliative care. I feel we are not able to deliver good quality care because we are having to spend a shorter amount of time in the room with someone, before we move on to the next patient. The patients on the rehab ward are affected because they cannot get rehab because we are having to do other things. The patients on my ward require a lot of one-to-one care and looking after as they can have complex care needs, or need palliative care, and you just dont have the time to look after them in the way you would want to because of the pressures of the moment. Because of the shortage of staff, with staff being called to do something else, I have needed to move patients physically on my own and that should not happen, or someone can be left in a wet pad or excrement, but what else can you do? I have noticed that more staff are taking time off sick, becoming burnt out with stress and being overworked and this is leading to staff leaving because they cannot cope. I dont think people can do this for much longer. We need more money putting into the NHS and that includes increasing staff wages as well. We are at breaking point and the NHS is going to collapse if this does not happen. Its really scary now; it feels like youre going to war each day when youre going to work, and I dread going because you just dont know whats going to happen. A doctor who has worked as a Consultant Haematologist in a hospital in South Wales said, The waiting lists are very long. There is a severe shortage of doctors and nurses. Some tests are not available. A&Es [Accident and Emergency] are overcrowded, and some patients are waiting in their vehicles for hours before being seen by medical personnel. All the staff are under stress and pressure, and some take leave due to burnout adding more pressure to the available team. There is a shortage of staff in most instances and morale is low. Due to long waiting times and delays in reporting, radiology and histopathology patients dont get treatment on time and present with complications. Staff are doing their best but cannot cope with the workload. We need more staff, especially nurses and doctors. Its important to save the NHS at any cost as it gives free healthcare to all! A Health Care Assistant (auxiliary nurse) who has worked in the NHS for around five years, spoke about conditions in his hospital near Liverpool. The ward I work on was closed [no new admissions] all over Christmas for about four weeks, due to flu and norovirus outbreaks. The precautions for flu, etc, are the same as with COVID, limitedonly surgical masks and hand washing and its left to the individual, with no directives from NHS management. You cant view the NHS in isolation. There are enormous social problems that we have to deal with in hospital: alcoholism, diabetes, numerous other things, poverty, social inequality, expensive nursing homes, care in the community. We are discharging patients who can hardly look after themselves, back to their homes where they are caring for a spouse with dementia etc. To all NHS workers, share your stories with the World Socialist Web Site and join NHS FightBack to link up with other healthcare workers in the struggle to secure high-quality healthcare for all, provided by a valued and supported workforce. At noon Tuesday, the so-called Future Collective Agreement that the IG Metall union agreed in December with VW came into force. The World Socialist Web Site has obtained a copy of the new contract and agreement that IG Metall acclaims as a Christmas miracle. It proves that the assurances given by the company in return for the elimination of 35,000 jobs and cuts in real wages of up to 20 percent are not worth the paper they are written on. The IG Metall and its Works Council have lied and betrayed the workforce. They agreed to the new contract just before Christmas because they and their allies in the Social Democratic Party (SPD) absolutely wanted to avoid an indefinite strike at Germanys largest carmaker during the campaign for Februarys federal elections. Such a strike would have encouraged millions of workers throughout the auto industry, in other industries and in the public services to fight for wages, for better working conditions and for affordable rents. The election campaign would have been completely transformed. The IG Metall and SPD wanted to avoid this at all costs, since the whole point of the early election is to bring to power a more stable government that will triple military spending, slash social spending, boost stock prices and wage trade war and military war on the backs of the working class. As late as last Friday, the IG Metall claimed in a flyer that the agreement secured long-term prospects in the VW regions. Thorsten Groger, district manager and negotiator for IG Metall, declared that the union had succeeded in finding a solution for employees in the VW regions that protects jobs, ensures products and enables future investments. He said that solutions for the future were possible without staff cuts. Daniela Cavallo, chair of the VW general Works Council, was quoted as saying: No site will be closed, no one will receive a compulsory redundancy, and the wage level of our company collective agreement is secured in the long term, adding that this was a very solid solution. Groger and Cavallo are telling blatant lies. None of it is true. Clause 7 of the Future Collective Agreement contains a review clause which states: In the event of significant changes in the basic assumptions or the economic framework conditions, VW can convene a review meeting at which the parties to the collective agreement will discuss the necessary measures, including socio-political instruments. In other words: if the company, under the leadership of VW boss Oliver Blume, decides that the promised jobs massacre and massive wage and salary cuts are not enough to increase the returns for shareholders, all agreements are null and void. Then management and the union will work out new measures and instruments. Site closures are therefore not ruled out, but only postponed. This is being openly discussed in business and trade union circles. The business weekly WirtschaftsWoche wrote last week that the collective agreement stipulates that each site receives so-called factory cost targets. If a site fails to meet these targets, additional measures will be defined, and the viability of the site may be called into question, because the awarding of new production volumes depends on achieving the targets. In particular, the plants in Emden and Zwickau, with around 17,000 employees, stand on the brink of closure. Production of combustion engine cars in Emden finished at the end of 2024, and now e-cars are being produced on only one assembly line. Insiders say it is hardly possible to be economically viable in the long term, writes WirtschaftsWoche. The magazine quotes an insider as saying that the Emden concept is now being implemented at the Zwickau plant. When the two electric models ID.3 and Cupra Born go to Wolfsburg from 2027, the Zwickau site will shrink from two assembly lines today to just one, it states. The facelift of the ID.4 will also not come to Zwickau. What will remain are two Q4 models from Audi. The existence of the plant is threatened by this. WirtschaftsWoche quotes Dirk Vogel, head of the Automotive Suppliers Saxony network (AMZ), as saying, The plant was designed to build 360,000 vehicles per year, but from 2027 it will build fewer than 130,000 carsand will therefore no longer be as profitable as it is today. There is a real danger, says Vogel, that Audi will then bring the production of the Q4 e-tron back to the main plant in Ingolstadt, leaving Zwickau without a model at all. This is exactly what will happen to the approximately 2,300 employees at the Osnabruck plant in the summer of 2027, when production of the T-Roc convertible will be phased out. Porsche has withdrawn its assembly orders for the plant and is keeping them in its own factories. The small plant in Dresden (340 employees) will cease vehicle production at the end of this year. In addition to the review clause, which makes a mockery of the supposed job and location security, IG Metalls Future Collective Agreement contains numerous other measures through which the union is subordinating the workforce to the companys profit drive. Clause 2 regulates the falsely termed job security. According to this, employees are obliged to accept assigned tasks, with Works Council reps and managers deciding what is reasonable. If the number of jobs to be cut is not reached or needs to be increased due to the economic situation, working hours can be reduced collectively to up to 28 hours per week. Other measures must be agreed upon first: reduction of overtime, reduction of work time accounts, use of cross-location mobility, short-time work. The abolition of the so-called company wage agreement 1, agreed on 20 December, still entails a possible jobs cut beyond the contractually guaranteed number. The more than 30,000 employees covered by this agreement work 33 hours (production) or 34 hours (administration) per week. They are to switch to company wage agreement 2 and work 35 hours per week. WirtschaftsWoche concludes that the one or two additional weekly hours will have an impact on the number of employees, writing that Additional jobs could be lost. In section 3.1 Location Commitments of the Future Collective Agreement, location agreements are demanded for each plant, in which concrete binding commitments on plant occupancy, planned unit numbers, competence development, factory cost targets, workforce development and product returns must be included. These location agreements will serve as the basis for the further exploitation and blackmail of the workforces at the individual plants. For VWs main plant in Wolfsburg, WirtschaftsWoche already indicates the direction of developments. Around 65,000 of the workers affected by the agreement currently work there, around 20,000 of them in vehicle and component production. It is not yet known how many people in production will be redundant, the magazine writes. But around 29,000 of the jobs to be cut at Volkswagen by 2030 are expected to be in the state of Lower Saxony, where the Wolfsburg plant is located. Of course, Wolfsburg will bear the bruntit is by far the largest location, the magazine quotes an insider as saying. WirtschaftsWoche assumes that around 15,000 jobs will be cut at the companys headquarters. In addition, around 4,000 of the 12,000 jobs in technical development in Wolfsburg are to be cut by 2030. VW wants to reduce hourly rates for development costs. Skoda and VW Brazil are to take on work in the future, as they have the necessary capacities. A reduction in VWs administration facilities, the so-called indirect areas, has also already been decided. The aim is to reduce personnel costs there by 20 percent by 2026. The magazine states: According to an insider, it has now been agreed that an additional three percent of personnel costs will be saved in the years 2027 to 2030. In total, they are talking about a 32 percent reduction in personnel costs in the indirect areas at VW. Further wage cutsover and above those already negotiatedwill be implemented through the agreed modern remuneration system. The introduction of a new remuneration system will reduce the collectively agreed remuneration (excluding vested rights) on 1 January 2027 by 6 percent, states point 5 of the December agreement. Future pay increases for employeeswhich IG Metall has already announced for 2027will be offset against their vested rights until the end of 2030. If the individual vested rights have not yet been offset by 6 percent on 1 January 2031, they will be offset against the 5.5 percent wage increase that takes effect on 1 January 2031. From the outset, IG Metall and its officials expected the workforce to oppose them as soon as the fog of lies, half-truths and distortions lifted and the true content of the agreement they had helped create became apparent. That is why the negotiating committee under Groger agreed before Christmas that the holiday allowance would be abolished and continued as an IG Metall membership bonus. This is to prevent VW employees from leaving the union in their thousands. Groger, Cavallo and Co. see themselves and their apparatus as company police charged with the enforcement of corporate interests against the workforce and their own members. On Friday they wrote in their flyer: The agreement certainly does not trigger any celebrations, but it creates security for livelihoods, families and future generations. Now that it is becoming clear that there is no security for the workforce and their families, they can anticipate a storm of protest. This anger and outrage need a clear political and organisational perspective. VW workers who want to stand up against the capitulation of the IG Metall apparatus must build independent rank-and-file action committees that fight for the social interests of the workforce and not for the profit interests of the shareholders. At the beginning of the year, we wrote: Only to the extent that power is wrested from the hands of the bureaucracy and transferred to the workers in the factories can the unions become instruments of the class struggle again. It is time to counter the attacks from above with class struggle from below. To do so, please contact us using the form, or simply send a message to +491633378340 via WhatsApp. We invite medical workers at Providence and across the country to write to us about the conditions they face as a result of the ongoing social crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging threats of immigration raids on hospitals. Portland nurses on day one of their strike [Photo: @RafaelMorataya] On Friday, the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) announced that the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA) Southern Oregon Providers reached a historic contract for emergency services workers at Providence Medford. The same day, 5,000 nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers under the ONA at Providence facilities across the state entered into the third week of their strike. According to the ONA, the contract contains a 20.7% base wage increase for physicians, significant pay increases for [Advanced Practice Registered Nurses] and [physician assistants], and enhanced shift differentials, along with additional benefits for continuing education and workplace safety. The full contract, however, is not yet publicly available. According to the PNWHMAs website, one can access your contract depending on worksite, noting that these are an important resource. When attempting to access the Medford ED Providers bargaining unit, however, the website merely states, TBA and states the same for the other seven bargaining units the union represents. According to one worker on social media, it is possible the contract will not be available for nurses to review until after ratification. This is similar to the tactic used by the ONA in 2022 to get a new contract passed at Providence St. Vincent. Then, after nurses voted down a previous contract by more than 4 to 1 and voted overwhelmingly to strike, the ONA announced an agreement with Providence, called off the strike and kept the full contract details hidden. The full contract was only released shortly before the vote took place, and was essentially the same to the one previously voted down. Providence Medford health workers should demand full access to the contract and two weeks to study it before any vote. To enforce this, and to link up with workers on strike across the state and the country, they should form a rank-and-file committee in order to impose democratic workers control over the process. It is significant that the ONA did not bring the Medford Emergency Department workers out on strike along with the 380 nurses at Medford, who are among those striking Providence across the state. Instead, the ONA, which operates under the umbrella of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has kept these different sections of workers isolated from one another. Nor has the ONA raised the serious danger of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, which are being planned by the new Trump administration. According to a press release Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security, sensitive areas, which have historically included schools, churches and hospitals and were largely out of bounds for immigration raids, will now be a target for such police-state actions. Rank-and-file nurses, however, have expressed enormous concerns about the dangers they and their patients face. One nurse commented, This is my greatest fear right now. We literally employ people from all over the world, some are [naturalized], some are on work permits, some are visas, we even have a asylum seeker who was a translator. All my I9s are in place, ALL staff have copies of their docs on file. I worry for their families. These are GOOD PEOPLE who came here for a better life. The current admin is twisting a lot of this around. We need CNAs. The immigrants could be given permits, trained and work. Its literally what they are here for. Another commented, At least you dont have to ask each patient whether they are a US Citizen, like they have to in Texas. If they implemented that policy in any state I work in, Im just checking the box and ALL of my patients are citizens. There was also discussion on the implications of Trumps executive order attacking birthright citizenship. I am 43 years old and was born to a U.S. Citizen and someone who came here on a student visa that was later converted to a green card. At the time of my birth, that green card had lapsed and was later renewed without issue. So my birth was to a U.S. citizen and, at the time, an illegal immigrant. If there is success in repealing the 14th amendment and repealing birthright citizen, my status in this country is questionable. I was born, raised and educated in this country. Im a nurse working on my Masters degree. Ive never been convicted of anything more than a speeding ticket. And yet I have potential to be deported to a country Ive never lived in and dont speak the language of. That the ONA has not openly repudiated the ongoing attacks on immigrants in particular and democratic rights as a whole is not surprising. Over the weekend, the union welcomed US Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to the picket lines. Wyden, a member of the House of Representatives from 1981-1996 and a member of the Senate since 1996, has been a longtime supporter of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, which claimed to grant immigrant children protections from deportation. In reality, as the World Socialist Web Site warned as far back as 2012, the initiative did not stop deportations. Obama deported an estimated 2.7 million undocumented immigrants during his eight years in office, and Trump deported just under 1 million during his first term. And according to the Migration Policy Institute, the Biden administration deported or otherwise denied entry to nearly 4.4 million immigrants seeking to come to the United States. Moreover, those that registered under DACA are now targets for the new and openly fascist White House. The Democrats, of which Wyden is a part and the ONA supports, in effect gave Trump and his conspirators a list of millions to arrest, imprison and deport. The complicity of the ONA with the mass crimes being planned by the Trump administration makes it all the more imperative that nurses and other medical workers take the conduct of the ongoing strike and all contract negotiations out of the hands of the bureaucrats and place them under the democratic control of the rank and file. The alarm must be raised that there can be no genuine fight for safe staffing and higher wages without a concurrent political struggle against the colossal attacks now underway against the entire working class. Above all, there is an urgent need for nurses to break with the Republicans, Democrats and trade unions and organize rank-and-file committees. These are organizations of, by and for the workers, to democratically enforce their economic demands, as well as their political will. Such committees would connect with others under the umbrella of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) and organize the broadest possible resistance to the planned immigration raids. Nurses at Providence must unite with their brothers and sisters among other healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente, PeaceHealth and other hospital networks across Oregon, and throughout the working class as a whole. Political map of the Arctic Ocean region [Photo: GRID Arendal] As a rapidly developing third world war engulfs the globe in flames, the Arctic and Arctic Ocean have become a major arena of conflict in the imperialist drive to re-divide the world. The emergence of the Arctic as a region of increasing economic and geostrategic competition is a process that has developed over the course of the past two decades, and has been largely overshadowed by developments in the Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific. But the scramble for hegemony over the Arctic has now burst out into the open, with US President Donald Trumps remarks concerning Greenland and Canada rattling governments and drawing public awareness to the critical strategic and economic significance of this region. Since the turn of the century, the interest of the imperialist powers and their great-power rivals in the Arctic has increased dramatically, and with accelerating speed. Driven by a renewed global struggle for natural resources, trade routes and geostrategic influence, the scramble for control over the Arctic is being fueled by the impact of climate change. It finds expression in the adoption by the North American and major European imperialist powers, first and foremost the United States, of new official Arctic strategies with a heavy emphasis on expanded military activity. For their part, Russia and China are attempting to advance their trading and economic interests in the energy-rich region, which offers the prospect of accessing substantially shorter trade routes when the Arctic Ocean becomes largely or completely ice-free. On January 7, Trump announced at a press conference that he intended to annex Greenland and re-take the Panama Canalusing military might, if necessary. He argued the annexations are needed to secure US national security against Russia and China. He also has vowed to apply economic pressure to force Canada, whose vast Arctic territory is second only to Russias, into becoming the 51st state of the US. Shortly after these remarks, his son Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenlands capital, Nuuk. Making clear that Trumps remarks were far from idle bombast, members of Trumps fascist clique have unveiled a bill in Congress legitimizing the annexation of Greenland. The Make Greenland Great Again Act, which as of Monday already enjoyed 10 co-sponsors, states: Congress hereby authorizes the President, beginning at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2025, to seek to enter into negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark to secure the acquisition of Greenland by the United States. Although Trump did not mention Greenland specifically in his inaugural address, his aggressive threats against Panama and other countries, and vow that Americas territory would expand under his leadership make clear that the prospect of American annexation of the worlds largest island remains. In clamouring for Greenlands annexation, Trump risks antagonizing the entire European Union (EU), of which Denmark is a member. The European powers, for their part, have been quick to respond by reasserting the need for Europe to continue to develop its own independent military capacities. Trump has put bluntly the position that has been held by the American ruling class for some timethat US imperialism should exert total hegemonic control over the North American Arctic and its environs. Donald Trump Jr poses in front of the statue of Hans Egede, during his visit to Greenland's capital, Nuuk. [Photo: @DonaldJTrumpJr] The US has had a military presence in Greenland since World War II, when the US military occupied the island to prevent a Nazi takeover. In 1946, at the outset of the Cold War, US Secretary of State James Byrnes offered $100 million (over $1.6 Bn today) to purchase Greenland from Denmarkan offer the latter declined. Trumps threat to annex Greenland represent something new in the state of the breakdown of world geopolitical relations and the unbridled ferocity and ambitions of US imperialism. Trump is provocatively escalating tensions over control of the Arcticvia Greenland and Canadaas an arena of great-power strategic conflict, with the ultimate aim of subjugating Russia and China. Rather than pursuing a policy of NATO collaboration and the use of proxy wars in Ukraine and elsewhere, Trump proposes going straight for the jugular. For Russia, for obvious reasons of geography, the Arctic and Arctic Ocean region is of tremendous significance. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Russia has invested considerable sums in developing its onshore and offshore Arctic territories from an economic standpoint, and in developing its military capabilities in the region. The prevailing narrative among the Western imperialist powers is that the US and NATO have fallen behind in respect to the Arctic, and that Russia is carrying out aggressive activities in the region. During this time, however, the US was waging wars in the Middle East and Central Asia, and pushing ahead with the expansion of NATO to Russias borders. Nevertheless, this narrative has been invoked as a touchstone for the fierce and rapid militarization of the Arctic, particularly by Canada and the United States. China, a rising capitalist power, has its own interests in the region. Having declared itself a Near Arctic Power, China has placed considerable investments in scientific research, as well as mineral and oil and gas extraction. Equally important is the prospect of new Arctic sea lanes, which will provide the quickest routes to deliver export goods to Europe. One key feature of Arctic militarization is the push to modernize NORADthe joint Canada-US aerospace and maritime defense command established at the height of the Cold War. As part of this program, Canada has pledged to purchase 88 F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US. Washington and Ottawa will also introduce an Over-the-Horizon radar system designed for the early detection of ballistic missile prelaunch activity, and develop new radar and sensor systems under the Crossbow program aimed at detecting and destroying ballistic missile launch sites thousands of kilometres away. Far from countering Russian and Chinese aggression, there is nothing defensive about the NORAD modernization project. The imperialists goals are aggressive and predatory: creating the infrastructure for US and Canadian imperialism to be able to wage a winnable nuclear conflict with Russia and China, and secure geostrategic hegemony in the Arctic. No less important is the admission of Sweden and Finland into NATO, which now boasts membership among all Arctic states except Russia. With the admission of Finland in particular, NATO has now acquired a 1,340 km (830 mi) land border with Russia, circumventing buffer states such as Belarus. Plans are already underway to station US forces at Finnish bases, in particular at Ivalo and Sodankyla, both of which are located near to the countrys northern borders with Russia. Murmansk, where Russias Northern Fleet and nuclear submarines are stationed, is only a few hours drive away from either base. The Arctic plays an increasingly important role in the imperialist powers drive to repartition the world for several reasons. First, it is a region rich in key raw materials, including oil and gas, and rare-earth minerals. The outcome of rival territorial claims to offshore Arctic Ocean land-ridges will be decisive in determining which powers can lay claim to these natural resources. Secondly, the Northwest Passage on Canadas northern coast and the Northern Sea Route along Russias Arctic coast are quickly becoming viable trade routes that would massively reduce freight transport times and costs between Europe and Asia. Thirdly, control over the Arctic and its approaches would offer crucial military advantages during a third world war. Missiles fired by North Americas imperialist powers against Russia and China could swiftly reach their targets by traversing the Arctic (and vice versa). Rare-earth minerals and other raw materials While it is true that control over rare-earth minerals is crucial for the transition to a clean energy economy, what is more significant is its technological and military implications. Unfettered access to such materials is critical for US military capabilities and infrastructure in its drive for global hegemony. A 2013 report, published in Foreign Affairs, gives a concise breakdown of what is at stake in the mineral-rich Arctic: The Arctic is already home to the worlds most productive zinc mine, Red Dog, in northern Alaska, and its most productive nickel mine, in Norilsk, in northern Russia. Thanks mostly to Russia, the Arctic produces 40 percent of the worlds palladium, 20 percent of its diamonds, 15 percent of its platinum, 11 percent of its cobalt, ten percent of its nickel, nine percent of its tungsten, and eight percent of its zinc. Alaska has more than 150 prospective deposits of rare-earth elements, and if the state were its own country, it would rank in the top ten in global reserves for many of these minerals. And all these assets are just the beginning. The Arctic has only begun to be surveyed. Once the digging starts, there is every reason to expect that, as often happens, even greater quantities of riches will be uncovered. [Emphasis added] Greenland has an abundance of rare-earth minerals. The Tanbreez Mine, located on the southern tip of Greenland, was already a location of interest for US officials long before Trump began demanding annexation. Tanbreez has a large deposit of eudialyte ore, rich in rare-earth elements such as neodymium, cerium, lanthanum and yttrium. These elements alone, contained within just one mine, are critical for the production of: mobile phones; flat screen TVs; electronic hardware in wind turbines; batteries used in hybrid cars and portable electronics; radiation-absorbing glass, such as that used in night-vision goggles; microwave filters for radar; medical lasers; radiopharmaceuticals; as well as PET imaging and MRI machines. US State Department officials visited the Tanbreez mine twice last year, and its CEO told Reuters he came under heavy American lobbying not to sell the mine to China. A Chinese company is the largest shareholder in a rare-earth minerals project at Kvanefjeld, farther up the same network of fjords as the Tanbreez mine. There is also a growing demand for fresh water on the world market. Greenlands ice cap, which is melting at an astonishing rate of 250 cubic kilometers per year, could prove a major fresh water supplier. The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland found 10 locations suitable for the commercial exploitation of Greenlands ice and water, and has already begun issuing licenses. Fresh water could be used to irrigate farms and provide drinking water to American cities in the Western US, afflicted by a 22-year-long megadrought. Underneath Greenlands ice cap is rock flour, ground into nanoparticles of dust by the crushing weight of the ice. Scientists have found that this glacial flour contains a particular nutrient composition that could regenerate depleted soils, vastly improving agricultural yields. One study in the use of rock flour on cornfields in Ghana, for example, produced a 30 to 50 percent increase in crop yields. The melting of Greenlands ice cap uncovers an estimated one billion tons of glacial flour per year. In total, there is enough rock flour in Greenland to cover every acre of agricultural land in the world. Thus, whoever controls Greenlands ice cap would have a considerable advantage in terms of future food security and access to clean water. Finally, the Arctic holds vast potential for oil and gas reserves. There are 19 geological basins in the Arctic, each of which has the potential to bear oil and/or natural gas reserves. While some basins have been explored, such as the Alaska North Slope in Prudhoe Bay, these represent only half the total. A United States Geological Survey report published in 2008 estimated that areas north of the Arctic Circle may contain as much as 90 billion barrels of oil and 44 billion barrels of natural gas when liquefied13 percent of undiscovered oil in the world. Of particular interest are three geologic provinces: Arctic Alaska, the Amerasian Basin, and the East Greenland Rift Basin. The annexation of Greenland would give US imperialism unfettered access to the entire East Greenland Rift Basin in particular. Sea lanes and economic spheres of influence Climate change, which is currently melting the polar ice cap at an alarming rate, has vast implications for maritime shipping routes. Melting ice is predicted to both improve the viability of existing Arctic shipping routes, while also creating entirely new sea lanes. One such future sea lane, known currently as the Transpolar Shipping Route (TSR) will provide quick, cheap, and direct access to the European market for China. The TSR will be the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, and does not pass through any of the Arctic powers Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). An article published in the international relations journal Marine Policy in 2021 dealt with this issue extensively. At present, the article begins, Arctic voyages require icebreaker escorts, but projections show that as early as the 2030s, unescorted navigation in the Arctic in the summer months might be possible, and by the 2050s it is likely. By the end of the 21st century, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will be ice-free three to six months per year, while the Northwest Passage (NWP) will be ice-free two to four months of the year. The article, written from the standpoint of US economic interests, described the potential of both routes, as well as the various competing geopolitical interests involved. In particular, it noted issues with both Russian and Canadian territorial claims: The United States disagrees with Russias position that various straits in the NSR are internal waters, argues that the NSR is an international strait, and challenges Russias excessive control over the route for environmental protection. . . The controversy over the legal status of the route and the Russia-imposed barriers could dissuade international shippers from utilizing the NSR even if doing so might save travel time and distance. . . If the route develops as a major sea route, international tensions will mount, and stakeholders will claim the route as a common resource. Canada similarly aruges that the NWP is an internal waterway and has long pressed the United States to recognize this claim: The currently debated legal status of the NWP in the Canadian archipelago will likely become untenable as traffic increases. . . as traffic increases in the Northwest Passage, Canada and the rest of the international community, and especially the United States, will need to resolve the routes legal status. The Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica sails through sea ice floating on the Victoria Strait along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, July 21, 2017. The U.S., Canada and Finland are launching a collaboration to build up their countries' icebreaker fleets as the allies look to bolster their defenses in the Artic. [AP Photo/David Goldman] This dispute was once again underlined by recent comments from Jean Chretien, Canadas Liberal prime minister from 1993 to 2003, calling for a stronger response from Canadas political elite to Trumps threats. He declared, We also want to protect the Arctic. But the United States refuses to recognize the Northwest Passage, even though it flows through the Canadian Arctic We need the United States to recognize the Northwest Passage as being Canadian waters. While the author of the Marine Policy article wrote from the standpoint of the need for international cooperation (i.e., between the US, Canada and the EU) in resolving such territorial disputes, Trump proposes an alternative: seizing control of the NWP through the annexation of Greenland and Canada. Securing these routes is of vital importance for both US and Canadian imperialism, in particular, to place a choke hold on Chinas economy. China is the worlds largest manufacturing economy and the worlds largest exporter of goods. For China, access to shipping routes is critical. Traditional trade shipping routes present problems. They are lengthy, less cost-effective and pass through various naval choke points, like the Strait of Malacca. Since US President Obama initiated the Pivot to Asia policy in 2011, traditional shipping routes, especially in the Indo-Pacific, have become heavily militarized. The US Navy in particular maintains a heavy presence in geographically strategic areas which, in a war or war-crisis, it could effectively seize to block Chinas ability to receive oil and other natural resources, and ship goods. To access the lucrative EU market, her second largest export partner, Chinas ships must pass through the Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal. Chinas One Belt One Road policy, initially adopted in 2013, has placed a large emphasis on creating the infrastructure necessary for efficient over-land shipping. While this has been somewhat able to circumvent the challenges presented with naval shipping, it is not as cost effective. The emergence of new, viable sea lanes through the Arctic and the development of the infrastructure to support themunder a joint Russia-China initiative announced in 2017 under the name Polar Silk Roadwould provide China with a means to overcome such transport restraints. Arctic Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and Arctic Continental Shelf claims are another major driving factor in the new imperialist scramble. Through her continued colonial possession of Greenland, Denmark enjoys vast swaths of territory for its EEZ in the Arctic. Greenlands ice sheets are losing 270 billion tons of water per year, and it is speculated that the entire Arctic pole may be ice-free in summer by sometime in the 2030s. This unfreezing opens up vast opportunities for resource extraction, new trade routes, space and military bases, and new fishing zones. Underwater resource exploitation is critical here. Through Greenland, Denmark has laid claim to large sections of the Arctic seabed. Her claim extends deep into territory also claimed by Russia, following the Lomonosov Ridge, an underwater ridge of continental crust in the Arctic Ocean spanning some 1,800 kilometers. Denmark has multiple Arctic Seabed claim disputes: with Russia, Canada, and Norwayincluding to one area that is claimed by it, Canada and Russia. The NATO powers have largely avoided pressing their conflicting claims against each other, for the sake of a common front against Russia. In June 2022, just months after the outbreak of the US-NATO-instigated war with Russia over Ukraine, Canada and Denmark ended a 50-year-old dispute over ownership of Hans Island by agreeing to split the desolate island down the middle, with the eastern half, which lies closer to Greenland, going to Denmark. However, should Trump annex Greenland, US imperialism would inherit all of Denmarks Arctic EEZs and her claims to the seabed. Unlike Denmark, which lacks the resources to enforce its claims, US imperialism under Trump could be expected to aggressively pursue them. The only force within society capable of halting a global conflagrationwhich now poses an existential threat to the survival of humanity itselfis the international working class united around a socialist program. The struggle against the imperialist scramble for the Arctic must be combined with opposition to imperialist war around the world. This requires the building of an international anti-war movement led by the working class to fight imperialist aggression and all forms of oppression. Proud Boys led by Ethan Nordean (bullhorn), Zachary Rehl (camouflage hat) and Joe Biggs (flannel shirt) march to the Capitol on January 6, 2021. All three men, along with the former chairman of the group, Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, and Dominic Pezzola, were charged with seditious conspiracy. [AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster] In one of his first official actions as the 47th US president, Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons and commutations to all of his far-right supporters who participated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential election. The attack on Congress, intended to delay or block the Electoral College certification, was not a peaceful plebeian protest, but the culmination of a multi-pronged strategy organized from the Trump White House aimed at overturning the last remnants of democratic rule in the United States. It resulted in hundreds of injuries and multiple deaths. Throughout the 2020 presidential election campaign, and immediately following the attack, Trump incited and then sympathized with the fascist mob that stormed Congress on his behalf. Trump and many other Republican politicians referred to those imprisoned as hostages, who, like Trump, were being unfairly prosecuted by the Democrats and the deep state for peacefully and patriotically protesting the election results. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump again referred to the convicted criminals as hostages. Researchers from the University of Maryland documented over 50 far-right groups that answered Trumps call to come to D.C. on January 6 to stop the steal, including the Proud boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and various neo-Nazis and white supremacists who made up a sizable portion of the more than 1,500 people who were charged with federal crimes. The neo-Nazis pardoned Monday by Trump include Tyler Bradley Dykes, a former Marine, who had been previously convicted of a felony for his role in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In July 2024, Dykes was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for assaulting police with a riot shield. Prosecutors alleged that during the attack Dykes gave a Nazi salute and yelled Seig Heil! (Hail to victory!) Over 1,200 people have been convicted for actions in furtherance of Trumps coup. Over 160 individuals were charged with crimes related to using a deadly or dangerous weapon to cause serious bodily injury to a police officer. Hundreds more were convicted of low-level misdemeanors, such as disorderly conduct, trespassing or parading, and sentenced to probation or house arrest. At his first major campaign rally for the 2024 election, in March 2023, held in Waco, Texas, Trump began by playing a video that featured convicted militia members singing the insurrectionist anthem Justice for All. As the song was played, Trump held his hand over his heart while images of fascists storming the Capitol and fighting with police were displayed. Donald Trump stands while a fascist song, "Justice for All," is played during a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. The song features a choir of men imprisoned for their role in the failed January 6, 2021, coup singing the national anthem and a recording of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci] In an official Monday, January 20 statement from the White House, Trump called the prosecution of his fanatical supporters a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years, adding that his action begins a process of national reconciliation. Following Mondays order, the Department of Justice stopped pursuing cases against roughly 300 people, including some who were currently on trial. While the vast majority of those facing charges were pardoned, 14 high-level members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys militia groups had their prison sentences commuted. This includes admitted F.B.I. informant Henry Enrique Tarrio, former chairman of the Proud Boys, and Elmer Stewart Rhodes, co-founder of the Oath Keepers. Rhodes and Tarrio were both convicted of several felonies, including seditious conspiracy, for their roles in the attack. Rhodes had been sentenced to 18 years in prison while Tarrio had been sentenced to 22 years. Speaking to media in Washington outside the D.C. jail on Tuesday, Rhodes thanked Trump for doing the right thing, claiming that he and his fellow convicted insurrectionists did not get a fair trial. Rhodes said that January 6 was Patriots Day. He continued: We stood up for our country because we knew the election was stolen. Biden did not get 81 million votes... I dont need to see evidence of the fraud. I believe the election was stolen, I believe President Trump has always been right about that, thats why he has not backed down, Rhodes added. The former Army paratrooper and Yale-educated lawyer added, John Eastman, his attorney, was correct in his legal analysis. I dont care how many establishment judges tell us it was not so. Rhodes said the Supreme Court ducked its responsibility when Texas sued Pennsylvania, that goes to the Supreme Court just like Bush v. Gore they could have taken that case, and should have taken that case and [Samuel] Alito and [Clarence] Thomas said so. But the rest of them, kind of, whats the right wordsquished out. This undated photo provided by the Collin County Sheriff's Office shows Stewart Rhodes. [AP Photo/Collin County Sheriff's Office via AP] Rhodes top lieutenants were also released on Tuesday, including Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, who had been previously sentenced to 12 years in prison. Oath Keeper Jessica Watkins, previously sentenced to eight years in prison, along with Kenneth Harrelson, David Moerschel, Joseph Hackett, Edward Vallejo and US Navy veteran Thomas Caldwell also had their sentences commuted. Top level Proud Boys commuted by Trump include Roberto Minuta, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola and Jeremy Bertino. Biggs, like Tarrio, is an admitted police informant and a fascist who enjoys close connections with Roger Stone, a long-time Republican political operative. In addition to being an honorary member of the Proud Boys, Stone has frequently employed Oath Keepers as private security, including on January 6. Convicted Proud Boy, former US Army sergeant and InfoWars correspondent Joe Biggs. While Trump had repeatedly promised to commute and/or pardon many of his loyal foot soldiers, leading Republicans, including Trumps vice president, JD Vance, speaking earlier this month on Fox News, said that those who obviously committed violence shouldnt be pardoned. Trump, taking stock of the Democrats obsequiousness and pledges of loyalty following the election, and the medias dropping of all references to his fascistic politics, decided to pardon or commute them all. Capitalizing on the complicity of the Democrats and the media, Trump is releasing his fascist foot soldiers in order to build up his base of paramilitary support. He has been aided in these efforts by complicit pseudo-left elements who have downplayed the threat of dictatorship while at the same time defending Trumps fascist followers. Among those released following Trumps order was Guy Reffitt of Wylie, Texas. A member of the Texas Three Percenters militia group, Reffitt was sentenced to over six years in prison for his actions on January 6. He traveled to the Capitol with a handgun, body armor and zip ties with the aim, according to prosecutors, of taking then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hostage. At Reffitts trial, his teenage son Jackson Reffitt testified against his father, saying that his father told him and his sister that if either of them turned him in to the police they would be traitors, and traitors get shot. Reffitt was one of several fascists given sympathetic treatment in a column last year by nominally left-wing journalist Chris Hedges, who argued, like many disoriented middle-class elements, that the greatest injustice concerning January 6 was not the putsch by Trump and the Republicans, but the supposed over-prosecution of Trumps most fanatical supporters. In his column, Lynching the Deplorables, Hedges neglected to inform his readers that Reffitt was a member of a fascist militia group. He also downplayed the charges against him, writing that Reffitts obstruction of justice charge came from threatening his two teenage children to prevent them from reporting him to law enforcement. Speaking to CNN on Monday, Jackson Reffitt admitted he was honestly flabbergasted that we have gotten to this point. He added, I mean, Im terrified. I dont know what Im going to do. Jackson said his dad is still involved with these militias, he still talks with a martyr status, he has not changed. Hes more galvanized than ever, that I have seen. The pardoning and commuting by Trump of his fascist followers underscores that the working class cannot rely on capitalist parties, the capitalist state or its justice system to protect democratic rights and suppress the fascist threat. Australian governments, mostly led by the Labor Party, together with the entire political and media establishment, have seized upon a series of murky graffiti and arson attacks to whip up an atmosphere of national hysteria, demonise opponents of Israels genocide in Gaza and crack down on civil liberties. Yesterday, Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened an urgent meeting of the National Cabinet, an extra-constitutional body established during the pandemic that brings together the federal, state and territory leaders. The purpose of the meeting was to address what Albanese described as a shocking rise of antisemitic incidents, with the gathering discussing a nationally coordinated policing and intelligence response. The meeting was called after a childcare facility in the eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra was set alight overnight Monday and graffiti was painted on it reading f*ck the Jews. The childcare centre is not Jewish, so it is entirely unclear why it was targeted or by whom. Political leaders, the police and the media have stated their belief that the intended target was the Maroubra Synagogue. They have not provided any explanation other than its proximity to the childcare centre. The distance between the two, however, is a not inconsiderable 180 metres. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accompanied by NSW Premier Chris Minns (front left), shakes hands with police outside Maroubra childcare centre. [Photo: X/Anthony Albanese] Before the National Cabinet meeting, Albanese, together with New South Wales (NSW) Labor Premier Chris Minns, rushed to the childcare centre. Minns summed up the inflammatory and hysterical response declaring that these bastards will be rounded up by the police and lamenting that we have animals in our city. The Maroubra arson followed a similar incident in the eastern Sydney suburb of Dover Heights in the early hours of Friday morning. Four cars were targeted with anti-Jewish and anti-Israel slogans and at least one was set alight. That day, Alex Ryvchin, the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) stated publicly that he had formerly owned and lived in the house outside which the arson occurred. ECAJ is a virulently pro-Israel Zionist lobby group, which has backed the genocide in Gaza and denounced all opposition as antisemitism. The media was full of articles suggesting that the arson was an attack on Ryvchin and even something approaching an attempt on his life. Ryvchin declared that those who had attacked his beloved ex-house were animated by the same spirit as the Nazis who perpetrated the Holocaust. That is how the attacks are being depicted more broadly. While Albanese has virtually declared a national crisis, federal opposition leader Peter Dutton has denounced the Labor prime minister as weak on antisemitism, together with the Murdoch media and some Zionist leaders. The same line was advanced in comments by Israels Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation this morning. Haskel essentially accused Albanese of being responsible for the attacks, declaring the attitude of the current Australian government towards Israel is inflaming a lot of these emotions and giving, I guess, some acceptance. Haskels ludicrous statement appears to be a reference to Labors tepid calls for a ceasefire and its occasional references to a two-state solution. In reality, Labor has backed Israel politically, diplomatically and materially throughout the genocide, and has viciously attacked domestic opposition, including with threats to ban pro-Palestinian protests. Haskel wanted more, however. Words are not enough, weve passed that a long time ago, the Jewish community needs actions. Haskel is a leading member of a lawless regime whose prime minister is evading an International Criminal Court warrant for crimes against humanity. Her own recent work appears to have focussed substantially on an international campaign to defund and criminalise UNRWA, the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian relief to the Palestinians. Part of what Haskel was likely angling for was pointed to in an article in this mornings Age. It revealed that in his capacity as Australian ambassador to the US, former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently met with Abraham Cooper, an American rabbi and Zionist leader. Cooper had asked Rudd to try and forbid pro-Palestinian protests from being held in the city centres of Sydney and Melbourne on the fraudulent grounds that the peaceful demonstrations rendered the cities no-go zone for Jews. Cooper could not be ignorant of the fact the pro-Palestinian rallies in Australia, as in the US, include substantial contingents of anti-Zionist Jews. They have been held weekly since the genocide began, without any antisemitic attacks, and protest leaders have always insisted on their opposition to racism. What Cooper was advancing, in particularly crude form, dominates the political and media discussion in Australia. There is a continual attempt to connect the mass opposition to the genocide and Australias complicity in Israels crimes, and the murky antisemitic attacks. The graffiti attacks that have included anti-Jewish slogans are clearly reactionary and racist in content. In supporting the genocide, governments and the ruling elite have continually conflated the state of Israel with Judaism and the Jewish people. It is possible that backward elements, including youth, unhinged by the scenes of mass deaths in Gaza and accepting that false conflation, have been motivated to carry out antisemitic acts. The ABC counts eight major antisemitic incidents in Sydney over the past three months, involving the modus operandi of graffiti and at times arson. A Melbourne synagogue was also burnt down last month. At least some of the incidents appear designed to demonise supporters of the Palestinians and Muslims. On January 10, the Southern Sydney Synagogue was defaced with graffiti reading Hitler on top and then Allah hua broken off. The latter appeared to be a botched attempt to write Allahu Akbar, the Arabic phrase meaning God is the greatest, or one of its variants. It seems highly unlikely that a Muslim would not be able to recall the phrase. In another incident in Woollahra last month, two cars were set alight and graffiti was written on house fences. Kill Israiel and Death 2 Israiel some of it said. Again, it seems improbable that someone intensely engaged with the Middle East conflict would not know how to spell Israel. Yesterday, a 34-year-old woman was arrested and charged in connection with that incident. Contrary to the official campaign, she is not Middle Eastern, does not appear to be Islamic and there is no record of her ever having mentioned Gaza online. Part of the evidence against her is that she allegedly was asking around in local Facebook groups for jerry cans shortly before the arson. A man arrested this morning over the defacement of a Newtown Synagogue earlier this month was also charged with possessing suspected stolen goods and drug cultivation. He also is not Middle Eastern. In a statement yesterday, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw wrote: We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs. The AFP has indicated they think online payments involving crypto currencies are involved. In the absence of further elaboration or any substantiation, Kershaws remarks had an inevitably inflammatory effect, with Liberal-National figures and the Murdoch press asking whether a foreign terrorist group or government was orchestrating the attacks. In reporting Kershaws statement, the Sydney Morning Herald recalled an August warning by Mike Burgess, chief of ASIO the domestic spy agency, of twisted ideologies including anti-government conspiracy theories, racism, Islamist extremism and neo-Nazism. That the far-right has an affinity for cryptocurrency is well known. Are the groups or individuals referenced by Kershaw, if they exist, connected to the far-right internationally? Such forces have been emboldened by their official promotion over recent years, including with the election and installation of the fascist Donald Trump as US president. At a rally after his inauguration yesterday, far-right billionaire Elon Musk repeatedly threw up the Nazi salute. The fact that fascists are in power in the US and are being cultivated throughout Europe and internationally, is never mentioned in the official coverage of Sydneys antisemitic incidents. There is a neo-Nazi movement within Australia, the National Socialist Network (NSN). Publicly, its leaders have stated their enmity to both Jews and Palestinians, in line with their white supremacist racism. Because their abhorrent views are opposed by the vast majority of the population, clandestine graffiti has been a frequent activity of the NSN. In December, NSN member Christopher Carrig and his girlfriend Taylor Bayly were spared jail, having been convicted of property damage for defacing Sydneys Macquarie University with Nazi graffiti earlier in the year. Other members of the NSN have previously faced similar charges. In September 2023, i.e., before the current Israeli genocide in Gaza, a house in Kensington, in Sydneys east, where many of the recent attacks have occurred, was defaced with Nazi symbols and phrases. Similar incidents involving Nazi iconography have occurred intermittently in the east, which has a large Jewish population. This includes the 2016 defacement of Maroubra Synagogue with swastikas. In their frenzy to link the latest attacks with the pro-Palestinian movement, governments and the media have ignored the possibility of Nazi involvement. Meanwhile, Albanese has hailed Trumps election and pledged to work with him. Neither Albanese, nor any other Labor leader, has criticised Musks Nazi salutes. ATHENS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Nikitas Kaklamanis, a senior lawmaker from Greece's ruling New Democracy (ND) party, was elected speaker of parliament on Wednesday, securing 247 votes in the 300-member plenary. Kaklamanis succeeds Constantine Tassoulas, who resigned last week following the announcement of his nomination as ND's candidate for the country's presidency. Parliament is set to vote on the presidential nomination on Jan. 25. "The Parliament is a 'mirror' reflecting the image of voters and, at the same time, should set an example of action and morality for the people," he said while addressing the parliament. Kaklamanis has served as deputy parliament speaker since 2015. First elected a member of parliament 35 years ago, he has also served as member of the European Parliament and mayor of Athens. The gurney in the death chamber at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia March 24, 2021. [AP Photo/Steve Helber] Among the dozens of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day was one calling for a dramatic expansion of the use of the death penalty. The order utilizes falsehoods about the deterrent character of capital punishment, as well as about its constitutionality, to outline a fascistic escalation of the already barbaric practice that continues to be carried out by the 27 US states, the federal government and the military. The executive order, titled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety, states that US policy must ensure that the laws that authorize capital punishment are respected and faithfully implemented, and claims that politicians and judges are subverting the law by obstructing and preventing the execution of capital sentences. Trumps order directs the US attorney general to pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use. Specifically, it calls for the attorney general to pursue federal jurisdiction and seek the death penalty for capital crimes involving: The murder of a law-enforcement officer A capital crime committed by an alien illegally present in this country These directives are not based on a surge in such crimes but are aimed at whipping up law-and-order and anti-immigrant hysteria in an effort to divide the working class and impose dictatorial rule. As for the prevalence of killings of law-enforcement officials, data from the Officer Down Memorial Page shows that murders of police officers from 1990 to 2010 averaged 164 per year, while FBI data saw that figure drop to 27 police officers feloniously killed in 2013. On the other hand, killings by police have consistently exceeded 1,000 per year since 2015, with 2024 seeing the highest number yet, with more than 1,250 killed by police, according to records from Mapping Police Violence. Immigration-related crimes that currently fall under federal jurisdiction include illegal entry, visa fraud, human trafficking and harboring illegal immigrants. However, capital crimes committed by an undocumented immigrant do not automatically fall under federal jurisdiction. The American Immigration Council finds in fact that undocumented immigrants are roughly 50 percent less likely to be arrested for violent crimes compared to the US-born population. Trumps demand for federal prosecution and death sentences for undocumented immigrants convicted of a capital crime are in line with his vilification of immigrants as animals who are poisoning the blood of our countrylanguage reminiscent of foul Nazi rhetoric. The Justice Department is also called upon to encourage state attorneys general and district attorneys to bring State capital charges for all capital crimes, giving special attention to homicides of police and capital crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, regardless of whether the federal trial results in a capital sentence. In response to the outgoing Biden administrations commutation of the death sentences of 37 federal prisoners, the executive order calls on the attorney general to take all lawful and appropriate action to ensure that these offenders are imprisoned in conditions consistent with the monstrosity of their crimes and the threats they pose. The implication is that these prisoners removed from federal death row are living in relative comfort. The reality is that those incarcerated in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) institutions are housed in deplorable and inhumane conditions, tantamount to physical and mental torture. A February 2024 press release from the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General found that of 344 inmate deaths at BOP facilities from fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2021, inmate suicides accounted for over half of deaths. Conditions in federal prisons include cramped living spaces, overuse of solitary confinement, temperature extremes, poor ventilation, substandard healthcare, lack of mental health services, sexual abuse by both staff and other inmates, inadequate protection for vulnerable inmates, poor nutrition, and infestations of insects and vermin. The ACLU recounts the words of one such federal prisoner: These cells drive men mad. I have personally witnessed one man take his life, another tried to by running the length of the tier and smashing his head into the front bars, sadly for him he still lives, if you can really call it that Trump calls for the attorney general to take all necessary and lawful action to ensure that each state that allows capital punishment has a sufficient supply of drugs needed to carry out lethal injection. Due to the refusal of drug companies in the US and abroad to provide states with the drugs for lethal injection, Trump wants the federal government to step in to ensure that the state assembly line of killings continues. The executive order also calls on the attorney general to take all appropriate action to seek the overruling of Supreme Court precedents that limit the authority of State and Federal governments to impose capital punishment. The high courts rulings on the death penalty have evolved significantly over time due to the concept of evolving standards of decency, although it has consistently upheld the overall constitutionality of capital punishment. This principle, first articulated in Trop v. Dulles (1958), has been critical in the Courts interpretation of the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in the plurality opinion in Trop, The [Eighth] Amendment must draw its meaning from the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society. This principle holds that interpretation of the Eighth Amendments meaning is not static but should be interpreted in light of contemporary societal norms. Trump and his fascistic advisers would support the Supreme Court reversing its own rulings in the following cases: Enmund v. Florida (1982): Prohibited executions for those who did not kill or intend to kill. Ford v. Wainwright (1986): Banned executions of the insane. Atkins v. Virginia (2002): Banned executions of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Roper v. Simmons (2005): Prohibited executions of offenders under 18 at the time of the crime. The introduction to Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety states: Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens. Before, during, and after the founding of the United States, our cities, States, and country have continuously relied upon capital punishment as the ultimate deterrent and only proper punishment for the vilest crimes. Our Founders knew well that only capital punishment can bring justice and restore order in response to such evil. For this and other reasons, capital punishment continues to enjoy broad popular support. The above passage is packed with lies. Capital punishment is not a deterrent to heinous crimes. A study by the Death Penalty Policy Project found that since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, the public and police are actually safer in states that dont have or have recently abolished the death penalty and that the states that are now most actively carrying out executions are among the least safe for the public and most dangerous for police. The Constitution does not refer to capital punishment. While the document does not specifically refer to the death penalty, the Eighth Amendment makes clear that cruel and unusual punishments are banned. Also, nothing in the Constitution or US law calls for federal jurisdiction over cases involving the murder of a law-enforcement officer, or for a capital crime committed by an alien illegally present in this country. Popular support for the death penalty continues to fall. Support for capital punishment remains at a five-decade low, with 53 percent of Americans favoring the death penalty for convicted murderers, according to statista.com. In 2019, only 36 percent of respondents favored the death penalty when life in prison without parole was offered as an alternative. These opinions have been influenced by distrust in the US judicial system, executions in which inmates have been subjected to horrific pain, the exoneration of wrongfully convicted death row inmates and growing awareness that innocent prisoners have likely been sent to their deaths. Workers at the Kokomo Transmission Plant On Sunday, workers from the Stellantis Kokomo Rank-and-File Committee hosted a meeting with workers from auto and other industries in Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania to discuss the fight to defend jobs and the attacks against the working class being planned by the Trump administration. The committee was formed in the aftermath of the United Auto Workers bureaucracys sellout of the 2023 contract battle in order to fight the wave of mass firings and layoffs in Kokomo, Indiana, a major center of Stellantis transmission production. The meeting, which was held on the eve of the presidential inauguration, was specifically called to discuss Trumps campaign against immigrant workers. The fascist president has scapegoated immigrants for virtually every social ill in society, from unemployment, high housing costs and overcrowded classrooms to crime and drug addiction, and claims mass deportations would be a boon for native-born workers. On Monday, Trump signed a bevy of executive orders to halt immigration on the Southern border, prepare mass detention of immigrants without criminal records and deploy the US military domestically. He also moved to overturn constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, setting the precedent for the US president to strip anyone who opposes government policies of their citizenship rights. This was followed Tuesday, by the first of a wave of workplace raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Leading the discussion was Will Lehman, a Mack Trucks worker from Pennsylvania who ran as a socialist candidate for UAW president in 2022. While UAW President Fain pledged to work with Trump in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Lehman is fighting to unite all workers, native-born and immigrant, in the US and internationally, through the building of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). Eric London, a writer from the World Socialist Web Site, asked workers to express their views on the efforts to pretend that immigrants are the real enemy of working people, when its the corporations, American or not, responsible for job cuts and layoffs. Its important to discuss this divide-and-conquer strategy, he said. A member of the Stellantis Kokomo Rank-and-File Committee responded, One thing about the whole immigration thing, instead of building a wall or opening the borders like a floodgate, so refugees come across the border illegally, just make it easier for immigrants to come here legally. Get rid of that damn wall and make it easier for people to come. That would settle the immigration problem, period. Describing conditions in his factory, the worker added, Starting this coming week, they cut the numbers down on the second shift again. So now, theyre expecting us to work twice as hard for second shift employees to get the same number of transmissions out. Lehman responded, We discussed this in a previous meeting, approaching everything that were looking at, all these attacks, as a matter of class attacks. The attack on immigrants is aimed at trying to divide workers up. The whole platform of the IWA-RFC is developed because the unions cant effectively fight in one country alone, in any of these countries. He criticized the corporatist role of union bureaucracy internationally, from the UAW and Teamsters in the US to the sellout of VW workers by IG Metall in Germany, noting that they assist the global corporations in pitting workers against each other in a fight to see who will work for the lowest wages and worst conditions. Were all wage laborers. It doesnt really matter what company were working for. Attacks that are carried out in one sector effectively erode our power everywhere. An auto parts worker in Pennsylvania influenced by Trumps anti-immigrant agitation said, As far as the immigrant thing goes, this is a real problem. We dont know who were letting in. We could be letting in people that just want to down this country, you know, cause chaos and who are criminals. You wouldnt leave you door unlocked and let anybody in your house. Why let anybody in the country? The people in charge are doing this on purpose and hiring these people at a quarter of the cost of an American or a person here. Theyre getting in the workforce, cutting our wages, which is turning us against them. Ive worked with people who crossed the border, and some of them are still illegal, and 99.9 percent of them are great people. Ive worked side by side with them and have respect for them. But on the other hand, there are these others who jump from state to state and are causing nothing but problems. You cant just leave the floodgate open. London responded to the worker. You said you lock your door when you leave your house. As a statistical matter, immigrants tend to commit fewer crimes. There are, of course, a lot of American citizens who commit crimes too. But lets take that analogy about locking the door and turn it around a little bit. If were talking about the working classs house, over the last 50 years, the corporations have been breaking into the house and taking everything that you own, whether its pensions, wages, the social programs that used to exist 30 or 40 years ago, your democratic rights, free speech. You know, they come into your house. They set up listening devices on your cell phone. Theyre listening to what youre saying. Then theyre in your house, rummaging through your family jewels, and they point out the window at another working class person who just happens to be from a different country, and they say that guys going to rob you. I mean, if you think about it in a historical standpoint, thats really whats happening. And as you pointed out, when the corporations wanted cheap labor, they facilitate people coming in. London continued, The working class is international. Its an accident where youre born. We dont get any say in it. If you were born in El Salvador or Mexico or Honduras, youd probably want to come to the United States too. And its hard to get to the United States legally. Youve got to pay thousands of dollars and wait 20-30 years for the legal process to play out. So, if theres a gang thats trying to kidnap or kill you, your choice is to wait 20-30 years or cross the border. He concluded, You really have to pay attention to where this talk of blaming immigrants is coming from. If you follow the money, you know, it always comes from the very top. From the standpoint of fighting transnational corporations, its important that we pay attention to the people who are actually in the house robbing us blind. Thats the American ruling class. Thats the corporations, the CEOs, the rich, Biden, Trump, the UAW bureaucracy. Jerry White, labor editor of the World Socialist Web Site, pointed to the experiences from American history, including the early struggles of the labor and socialist movement. During the Civil War, White said, the pro-slavery Democratic Party sought to exploit the economic fears of Irish workers, many of whom had barely survived the Potato Famine in Ireland, by claiming if slaves were freed, they would take their jobs. But hundreds of thousands of Union soldiers gave their lives to defeat the Confederacy because they came to understand that white laborers could never end their own oppression if blacks remained in bondage. During the 1936-37 Sit-Down Strike against General Motors, White said, socialist-minded workers in Flint, Michigan, and Anderson, Indiana, had to fight against the Black Legion, an offshoot of the KKK hired by GM to divide native-born and immigrant workers against each other. To fight this, the early union organizers, many of whom were socialists, would put out their flyers in more than a dozen languages to unite the working class. Right now, the share of the nations income that goes to the working class is the lowest in history. The oligarchsthe Jeff Bezoses, the Elon Musksthey have increased their control of the wealth that you create, the working class creates. So, isnt it convenient that they have us fighting each other over this so-called scarcity that exists, when theyre monopolizing everything? The Kokomo worker stated, What you said took the words out of my mouth. I grew up in a traditional Irish American family. It happened to the Irish; it happened to Native Americans, who were the original owners of this land. It basically happened to every race. So yeah, they are the ones to blame, and they are the ones who control this because theyre all the ones that have all the money. If you really want to hurt them, okay, you need to hurt them where it counts, and that is their money, and thats with them all, including the politicians. A healthcare worker from Michigan added, My grandfather came over in 1918 from the Polish side of Germany. My family on the Irish side came a little sooner, probably the 1880s. If anybody knows about indentured servitude, the Irish were really treated crappy. It was like a form of legal slavery. A lot of American-born people are paid just as crappy as somebody that comes over the border, if they work in the same place with you. A Ford worker from Michigan added, I was born in Canada. When I applied for financial aid to go to college, I was told I was a foreign student. It took me two years and was very difficult. I never lived in Canada. It is very difficult. A young worker from western Michigan said, This is my first meeting like this. I agree with a lot of things Im hearing. I think that the attacks on immigrants are a distraction. On the whole, immigrants actually lower our crime rate. They pay taxes, and they dont get services back. I see the real enemy of the working class being like these transnational corporations and elites, and it is really important to unify to fight. I dont think were going to make any progress without overcoming these divisions that they created to distract us from the real problem. Dr. Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, in 2016. [Photo by EcoHealth Alliance] Bowing to pressure from the political witch hunt led by the fascist movement headed by US President Donald Trump, nonprofit health research organization EcoHealth Alliance has fired its longtime leader and president, Dr. Peter Daszak. The firing of Daszak was followed just 10 days later by the announcement on January 17 that Bidens US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut off all funding and formally debarred EcoHealth Alliance Inc. for five years. According to a conspiracy theory invented by the fascist ideologue Steve Bannon and his associates, Daszak and fellow scientists created SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Despite its being invented from whole cloth and being contradicted by a growing mountain of evidence, the Biden administration and dominant sections of the US media have given credence to this conspiracy theory. Daszak has been made a central target of the fascist right for his outspoken defense of scientific truth and international collaboration. For decades before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been a leading voice warning about the dangers of zoonotic spilloversdangers which are once again being demonstrated in real-time by the spillover of H5N1 into the human population. In 2004, Daszak effectively predicted the COVID-19 pandemic on 60 Minutes, saying, What worries me most is that were going to suddenly find a SARS virus that moves from one part of the planet to another, wiping people out as it moves along. ... Thats something to be keeping you awake at night. Instead of being praised as a hero who sought to ring the alarm about a pandemic that has killed millions worldwide, he has been smeared and persecutednot only by the fascists but also by their accomplices within the media and political establishment. Whatever the motivations of EcoHealth in firing Daszakperhaps the leaders of the organization told themselves they could avoid being targeted if they threw their leader to the wolvesthis cowardly action only gives further ammunition to Trumps campaign against science and scientists. There has been no serious dispute among principled scientists about where COVID-19 came from since the publication in Nature Medicine of the March 2020 analysis, The Proximal Origins of SARS-CoV-2, by Kristian G. Andersen et al. Every piece of evidence, like the DNA from raccoon dogs held in a stall showing high levels of SARS-CoV-2 DNA, has pointed to a natural spillover from the wild animal trade centered on the Wuhan wet market, miles from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where unrelated research on bat coronaviruses was being conducted. Additionally, epidemiological data from bats throughout the regions has underscored the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 like viruses that exist in the region. Furthermore, even US intelligence agencies have confirmed that the pathogen was not a manufactured virus, and reports of a lab leak have been of low confidence. Not only did the World Health Organizations 2021 study of the origins of SARS-CoV-2 implicate the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market as the epicenter of the original COVID-19 outbreak, multiple studies by reputable scientists and institutions across the globe have repeatedly confirmed this finding. These facts have been intentionally ignored in the frenzied political attack on Daszak, despite every effort on his part to provide the subcommittee investigating the origins of COVID-19 with an exhaustive detailed account of all of EcoHealth Alliances work and communications. Daszak, with hundreds of high-impact publications to his credit, has been one of the foremost scientists at the heart of pandemic preparedness with decades of experience. He has devoted his life to public health as a global unified effort (one of the reasons why fascist ultra-nationalists hate him) and to protecting the world from the threat posed by numerous pathogens. His talents and ability have been thrown on the scrap heap, while the perpetrators of this social crime against science and health of millions celebrate in the White House. Indeed, the witch-hunt against Daszak, even before Trumps ascent to the presidency, is a dire warning against scientists whose collaborative work on an international basis is more and more deemed a national security threat to the interests of the oligarchs, who are preparing to carve up the world and all its social vital resources for their own enrichment. In congressional testimony in May 2024, Professor Peter Hotez, a molecular virologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, stated: The chilling message from both GOP and Democrats in the US Congress to young Americans: Scientists are enemies of the people, you have options in life, dont throw your opportunities away by becoming a scientist, at least not in America. Honestly, Im beyond disgusted. Furthermore, Hotez said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, We now have zoonotic threats emerging at an accelerating cadence. This is the time when we need to be doubling down and expanding our global virus surveillance networks. By making up allegations, [the subcommittee is] ... undermining the work of EcoHealth and other organizations committed to understanding how viruses are jumping from animals into humans. Daszak is a victim of the fascist-led witch-hunt against science. The working class must come to his defense and to the defense of principled scientists who work tirelessly to make life tolerable and better for humanity. Daszak must be reinstated and given his full salary and benefits. He should be allowed to continue his work, and must be defended against the reaction that sees science as a threat. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos [Photo by Bundesregierug / Guido Bergman] Donald Trumps inauguration speech and his subsequent signing of nearly 100 executive orders have shattered any illusions that he will moderate his presidency compared to his campaign. Trumps inauguration was, as the WSWS wrote, an obscene fascist spectacle in which the new fuhrer declared war on the world and the working class: The speech was explicitly modeled, in both tone and content, on the first radio speech given by Hitler on February 1, 1933, two days after being elevated into the post of German chancellor. Even some bourgeois media outlets have recognised that Trumps second presidency represents a historic turning point. An editorial in Der Spiegel, for example, states: After this speech, there can be no doubt: We are living in a new world. The international order, international law, old alliances and partnershipsnone of that matters any more. Trump will use Americas strength to impose his will on other countries. Anyone still hoping after this speech that Trump could be contained by the moderate forces within the Republican Party is believing in Father Christmas. But what conclusions are the German and European elites drawing from the bankruptcy of American democracy? One searches in vain for a proposal to revitalise democracy. To do so, they would have to appeal to the social opposition of the working class and, like the US Democratic Party, they fear that more than anything else. Instead, ruling class reactions range between adaptation, emulation and retaliation. Europe should unite, stand on its own two feet militarily and become more profitable and competitive at the expense of the working class these are the responses to Trump. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock from the Green Party explained: Our answer to America first again is Europe united. Her party colleague, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, wants to triple German defence spending. Christian Democratic Party Chairman and possibly Germanys next Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, suggested that Europeans sit down together quickly now and discuss two topics: Joint military rearmament and strengthening Europes trade with the US. To this end, Germany must be prepared to assume leadership responsibility for Europe. Merz even views Trump as an opportunity to strengthen Europe militarily. Trumps assumption of office will accelerate our efforts to join forces and act together, he said. There is no reason to look to Washington with fear. The European Union has 450 million inhabitants, more than the US and Canada combined. If we are unified, if we are united, then we have something to say here, he added. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a similar argument at the World Economic Forum in Davos: We Europeans must be strong in our own right. We must stick together, among ourselves and with partners worldwide. We must become more competitive and more resilient. At the same time, Scholz tried to appease Trump: The United States is our closest ally outside of Europe and I will do everything I can to keep it that way. The goal of uniting Europe on a capitalist basisand under German leadershipand building it into a world power on a par with the US is both reactionary and utopian. The growing tensions with the US are also causing the national conflicts within Europe, which made the continent the scene of devastating wars between 1870 and 1945, to flare up again. Far-right heads of government, such as Hungarys Viktor Orban and Italys Giorgia Meloni, have already made the pilgrimage to the US to pay their respects to Trump, while Germany and France were only represented at the inauguration by ambassadors. Poland, the Baltic states and other Eastern European countries regularly side with the US when tensions arise between Berlin and Washington. And France is in favour of a strong, independent Europe, but not under German leadership. Trumps supporters are also gaining influence in Germany. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was present at his inauguration with two leading membersTino Chrupalla and Beatrix von Storch. And the editor of Die Welt, Ulf Poschardt, claimed in a celebratory article about Trump on Tuesday that his impressive election victory would bring the sovereign, the citizen and his will as a voter back to the White House. The European Commission is trying to resolve the differencesin the words of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitungwith an appeasement policy. Trump should be appeased and lured with the prospect of favourable deals. Europe must offer the dealmaker a deal that he cannot refuse in the interests of the US, said European Peoples Party chairman Manfred Weber, summarising this strategy. However, deals with Trump will neither solve the conflicts with the US nor the differences within Europe. These are a result of the bitter struggle for the redivision of the world between the capitalist monopolies that dominate the global economy. Trump did not return to the White House because his theses and policies enjoy broad support, as the Der Spiegel editorial cited above claims and Poschardt insinuates in Die Welt. He is in power because he pursues the interests of the oligarchs using fascist methods. No fewer than five of the 10 richest men in the worldElon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernard Arnault from France and Sergey Brinsat behind him during the inauguration. The resistance against Trump, the fight against war and the unification of Europe are revolutionary tasks that require the unity of the international working class and the expropriation of the oligarchs. Rep. Elise Stefanik, an advocate of the fascist Great Replacement Theory and supporter of the January 6 insurrection. [AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein] In a series of public statements, executive orders and background comments to the press, the Trump administration is making clear that it is moving toward the next phase of the US-Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestine through the expulsion of the population of Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank by Israel. While Biden funded, armed and politically defended Israels genocide in Gaza, which has killed at least 70,000 people, his administration upheld the fiction that it was seeking a two-state solution and a homeland for the Palestinian people. But the incoming Trump administration is publicly extending US support to the actual policy of the Netanyahu government, which is the ethnic cleansing and annexation of the entire territory of Palestine. In congressional testimony on Tuesday, Elise Stefanik, President Trumps nominee to be the ambassador to the United Nations, declared that Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank, signaling the administrations support for the public positions of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Stefaniks comments followed a statement by a Trump administration official to NBC News on Sunday that the White House is discussing the voluntary relocation (i.e., forcible ethnic cleansing) of the Palestinian people from Gaza to the Pacific archipelago of Indonesia. In a buried lead designed to normalize the administrations plans for the war crime of ethnically cleansing Gaza, NBC News wrote: The question of how to rebuild Gaza remains, as well as where some 2 million Palestinians can be relocated in the meantime. Indonesia, for instance, is among the locations under discussion for where some of them could go, the transition official said. Even the question of whether Gazans would be willing to relocate is up in the air. The idea of relocation is deeply controversial among Palestinians and fellow Arabs. Many believe that relocating would be the first step in Israel forcing them off their land. By many, NBC is referring to international law, which under the Rome Statute, the treaty governing the International Criminal Court, asserts that the forcible transfer of a population is a war crime and a crime against humanity. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have repeatedly called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, always presenting it as voluntary. We want to encourage willful emigration, and we need to find countries willing to take them [the Palestinians] in, Smotrich told Israels Channel 12 last year. We cannot withdraw from any territory we are in in the Gaza Strip. Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing, Smotrich added. Ben-Gvir told reporters last year that the war in Gaza presents an opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza, calling the move a correct, just, moral and humane solution. The Trump administration backed up its statements of support for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine with the signing of an executive order rescinding US sanctions enacted by the Biden administration on illegal Israeli settlers on the West Bank. Those sanctions were meant to create the illusion that the United States did not support Israeli efforts to seize the West Bank and drive the Palestinians living there from their homes. With Trumps return to office, this fiction is being dispensed with. Having been given air cover by the incoming administration, the Israeli military and settlers have launched a rampage throughout the West Bank. For days on end, Israeli settlers have been rioting throughout the West Bank, injuring dozens of people and burning homes and cars. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a raid on the city of Jenin in the West Bank on Tuesday, killing at least 10 Palestinians. In a statement on Tuesday, the anti-occupation Israeli veterans group Breaking the Silence said: After multiple straight days of allowing settlers to torch villages throughout the West Bank, the IDF has now announced another all-out Operation in Jenin, adding that the city is being Gazafied, including airstrikes and destruction of infrastructure. Al Jazeera reported, The Israeli military ... is conducting a wide-scale, large military operation in Jenin and its refugee camp; bulldozers were seen in the daylight entering the camp and tearing up the roads leading up to it. It added: Whenever there is an Israeli raid anywhere in the occupied West Bank, they tear up the roads, they destroy the infrastructure along the way, and in this case, they were shooting people leading up to the camp, and thats why were seeing so many gunshot injuries. The army is also preventing medical vehicles, like ambulances, from reaching those who are wounded. Earlier this month, a study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, published in The Lancet, said that the death toll from Israeli bullets and bombs probably exceeded 70,000. An earlier study from The Lancet suggested that the all-cause mortality from the genocide, including from malnutrition and disease, could be 186,000 or more. In December, Amnesty International published an exhaustive, 296-page report proving that only an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza can explain the scale and scope of the mass murder, forcible displacement and deliberate starvation of the Palestinians in Gaza by Israel. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court formally issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Trump displays an executive order after signing it. [AP Photo/Matt Rourke] The first wave of immigration-related executive orders issued by President Donald Trump have now been published. With a few scribbles of his name on paper and no involvement from Congress, Trump has undertaken a substantial transformation of the legal landscape in the United States, eviscerated the basic rights of a significant portion of the population and upended the lives of millions of people. Having pardoned various officials and close relatives of the outgoing president to protect them from the coming onslaught, Joe Biden and the Democrats have left the population almost entirely at Trumps whim. The World Socialist Web Site will publish more detailed analyses of the executive orders in the coming days. The following is an initial summary. Ideological travel ban Name: Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Security Threats What it does: Orders the State Department to initiate a review of all policies and regulations over the granting and denying of visas to enter the United States to prevent entry of those who espouse hateful ideology. Deems inadmissible for entry any who bear hostile attitudes toward [US] citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles or who advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security. How it works: Requires the rewrite of all State Department and DHS policies related to admission to the country and requires deportation of non-citizens who who preach or call for sectarian violence, the overthrow or replacement of the culture on which our constitutional Republic stands. Requires additional measures be taken to ensure the proper assimilation of immigrants into the US, to promote a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws, and founding principles of the United States. Applies to: Millions of immigrants applying for all forms of visas to enter the US, whether to reside in the U.S. (immigrant visas) or to travel for work, study or vacation (non-immigrant visas). Also applies to roughly 25 million non-citizens in the United States, including those lawfully present on visas and those present without documentation. It makes no distinction based on age. This order is specifically directed at opponents of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Birthright citizenship restriction Name: Protecting the Meaning and value of American Citizenship What it does: Clarifies the Constitution by declaring that The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not subject to the jurisdiction thereof and interprets this provision to mean that children born to undocumented parents and many parents present in the US lawfully are not citizens. How it works: All children born 30 days after January 20, 2025 are not citizens unless both the mother and father are lawful permanent residents, or if one parent is a citizen. Even if both parents were present in the US on lawful work, study or other visas at the time of birth, their child will no longer be a citizen. The order requires the State Department, DHS and other agencies to not issue passports or other citizenship documentation to the children of parents born under the circumstances listed above. Declaring an immigrant invasion Names: Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion and Protecting the American People Against Invasion What it does: Establishes a state of emergency that grants the president unbridled power to deny entry to immigrants, regardless of whether they have valid asylum claims under international law. It appears to effectively suspend 75-year-old statutes enacted by Congress relating to immigration based on theory that the president has the foreign affairs power to suppress the immigrant invasion: The Immigration and Nationality Act [INA] does not, however, occupy the Federal Governments field of authority to protect the sovereignty of the United States, particularly in times of emergency when entire provisions of the INA are rendered ineffective by operational constraints, such as when there is an ongoing invasion into the States. The Presidents inherent powers to control the borders of the United States, including those deriving from his authority to control the foreign affairs of the United States, necessarily include the ability to prevent the physical entry of aliens involved in an invasion into the United States, and to rapidly repatriate them to an alternative location. Only through such measures can the President guarantee the right of each State to be protected against invasion. The order does so on the basis of the rights of states under Article IV Section 4 of the Constitution, which requires the federal government protect each of [the states] against Invasion from a foreign nation, which clearly does not apply here. This sets the stage for the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 (see below). How it works: Suspends entry along the southern border and orders DHS, Secretary of State and the Attorney General to take all appropriate action to repel, repatriate, or remove any alien engaged in the invasion across the southern border of the United States. Requires all undocumented people in the United States register with the federal government under the Alien Registration Act of 1940 on penalty of civil fine or criminal prosecution. Creates Homeland Security Task Forces to coordinate large-scale law enforcement operations aimed at stemming the invasion throughout the country, regardless of distance from the southern border. Preparing Alien Enemies Act and military action in Mexico Name: Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists What it does: Instructs the Attorney General and DHS Secretary to make operational preparations regarding the implementation of any decision I make to invoke the Alien Enemies Act in relation to the existence of any qualifying invasion and to prepare such facilities as necessary to expedite the removal of those who may be designated under this order (i.e., construct a broad network of internment camps). Combined with the declaration of an invasion, this order sets the stage for anti-terror operations against drug organizations operating in Mexico and Central America, as well as for the deployment of the military to US cities to deport immigrants accused of being associated with gangs. How it works: Requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with other agency heads, to make a recommendation of any cartel or other organization as a Foreign Terrorist Organization because it is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States. Deploying the military on US soil Name: Clarifying the Militarys Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United States What it does: Deploys the US Armed Forces to the US-Mexico border to protect and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders. How it works: At the end of January, US Northern Command will deliver to Trump a campaign-ready Unified Command Plan to to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities. Other immigration developments Trump signed an executive order granting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border protection (CBP) the power to arrest immigrants at schools, churches, courthouses and other sensitive areas. The Mexican government of MORENAs Claudia Sheinbaum has agreed to Trumps Remain in Mexico program, making Mexico complicit in the Trump administrations ban on asylum. Life in immigrant neighborhoods across the country was severely disrupted by ongoing threats of mass workplace and community raids on Tuesday. In Chicagos Little Village, local media reported that substantial sections of immigrants kept their children from attending school and stayed home from work. Additional executive orders are expected in the coming days. School development officers (SDO) in Sri Lanka protested on Monday in front of the Colombo Fort railway station demanding integration into the state teachers service. The campaigners held handwritten placards with slogans challenging the government of president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, including, No Harini and no committees too. School Development Officers picketing at Colombo Fort on January 20, 2025 The slogan criticises Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, also the Minister of Education, for not fulfilling her promise to look into the SDO matter and failure of two cabinet-appointed committees to resolve the issue. The protest was called by the All Ceylon School Development Officers Union (ACSDOU) and about 60 SDOs participated. There are about 16,000 SDOs who have worked in state schools for five years performing the functions of teachers and are wanting job security and proper pay. According to ACSDOU leader Dinidu Bandara, there are about 12,000 members in the union. The low participation indicates the union made no effort to mobilise SDOs. It organised the protest as an attempt to contain the growing opposition among its members over the refusal of successive governments to grant their demands. The union leaders have deliberately contained the SDO teachers struggle and subordinate it to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National People Power (JVP/NPP) government and its election promises. Speaking to the media, ACSDOU leader Bandara appealed to President Anura Dissanayake to intervene to resolve the issue. Even after the government has clearly reneged on its promises, he declared his faith in the president, saying: We have a strong belief on the president. That belief has not still lost. Bandara demagogically declared that the union would organize mass protests: We dont fear repression. We will come to Colombo with civil forces, masses, rural forces and all other forces. We say dont let this end in bloodshed. Dissanayakes government has already violently cracked down on SDO protests. When more than 1,000 SDO teachers took part in a protest on December 2 called by the Combined School Development Officers Association (CSDOA), the government responded by deploying hundreds of police officers. The police attacked the protesters brutally and arrested four. Later another three were arrested at their homes. Another was compelled surrender to police after they intimidated his wife and family members. Those arrested have been falsely charged with unlawful assembly, obstructing traffic and injuring police officers. Although all of them have now been released on bail, the legal proceedings will go ahead and, if convicted, they will face imprisonment and/or fines. The day after the December 2 protest, a cabinet meeting appointed two committeesa cabinet sub-committee led by the prime minister and another involving ministry secretaries to look into the matter. Nothing has been heard about these committees since. At this Mondays protest, more than 50 uniformed police officers and a dozen or so intelligence officers in plain clothes were deployed. The police prevented protesters from marching to the presidential secretariat, allowing only 10 representatives to proceed. They met the public coordination director who vaguely promised a meeting with the president or his secretary within two weeks. School Development Officers picketing at Colombo Fort on January 20, 2025 At Mondays protest, ACSDOU leader Bandara did not utter a word about the police violence at the December 2 demonstration or the victimization of SDOs. Other unions including the JVP-controlled Ceylon Teachers Services Union (CTSU), the Ceylon Teachers Union and the Joint Teachers Services Union, which is affiliated to the fake-left Frontline Socialist Party, have opposed the SDOs demands and tacitly supported the government witch hunt by keeping silent about it. School teachers and others workers must oppose this government witch hunt against SDO teachers and demand an end to state repression and the withdrawal of all charges. The police-state measures used against the SDOs are a warning to the working class of the repression the government will employ as it implements its harsh austerity program. The JVP/NPP government came to power by exploiting mass anger over the previous government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and its imposition of the IMFs austerity demands. Having promised during the election to renegotiate the terms of the IMF loan, Dissanayake has declared that its austerity measures have to be implemented in full. SDOs told the WSWS they had been deceived by successive governments. They voted for the JVP/NPP in the hope that it would resolve the peoples problems but those hopes had been dashed. Herath, a female SDO teacher from the Ratnapura District condemned the governments claim that more time was needed to resolve the problems of SDO teachers and other workers. Although this government claims to be a government of the people, it does not seem to be listening to the problems of the common people, she said. We were the first to protest against this government. We were forced to do that because nearly 700 SDOs received letters saying that they were going to be transferred to other ministries. I am against the attack on our people in the December 2 protest and the ongoing police witch hunt. Where are the committees that the prime minister promised to set up? An SDO teacher from Kurunegala district stated: I voted for this government thinking that it would be good if at least a half of the NPP manifesto was implemented. But none of those [promises] are going to happen. We cannot live on the salary we receive. I work in the fields in the evenings to support my family. I have a school-age child. My wife doesnt have a job. He said that many of the children at his school faint and collapse in the classrooms from the lack of food and their parents are unable to look after their children. The parents hope is to send their children for a job as soon as possible. There are not enough teachers for every subject. The teachers who work in such rural schools are granted a small allowance. But I do not have that allowance because I am a school development officer. I spend 8,000 rupees ($US27.7) per month on transport, he explained. Making appeals to the president and the government is futile. SDOs have to take matters into their own hands and form action committees independent of the trade union and all capitalist parties to launch a genuine struggle for their demands. SDOs should turn to school teachers and other sections of workers, all of whom face worsening living conditions as a result of the IMF-dictated austerity measures and the global crisis of capitalism. What is needed is a mass movement of the working class and oppressed masses for a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies. Elevenlabs AudioNative Player President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) [AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson] As the Trump administration initiates its torrent of reactionary and dictatorial measures, the Democratic Party and its aligned media are quickly falling in line. At some point, in the not too distant future, as the dimensions of the political disaster ensuing from Trumps return to the White House become clear, the Democratic Party and media will attempt to hold themselves blameless in the collapse of American democracy. It is, therefore, all the more necessary to record and preserve for posterity what they have done and written. This applies first of all to the inauguration itself. It is not surprising, but nevertheless extraordinary, that during Trumps fascistic tirade Monday, which included a vicious, personal attack on the assembled Democratic congressmen and former presidents, none of them issued a single word of protest, let alone stood up and walked out. Both prior to and after the inauguration, leading Democrats declared their determination to work with Trump. This includes Biden (who said in his farewell address that he wished the incoming administration success); New York Governor Kathy Hochul (who congratulated Trump on his victory in a call focused on collaboration); Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (who wrote last week that he looks forward to working with President Trump when he stands with the working families of this country); and many others. On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsoma particular target of Trumps personal attacksdeclared that there is critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect. Newsom added that he looks forward to an expected visit on Friday by Trump to Los Angeles, still reeling from the disastrous wildfires that have killed dozens and displaced thousands. It does not seem to occur to the Democrats that they have a responsibility to speak for the 70 million people who voted against Trump, let alone defend the rights of those who are under attack. They behave, as always, like sniveling cowards. As for the corporate media, both print and television, they are following a predefined script. Excised is any reference to dictator, fascism, and the threat to democratic rightswhich were briefly raised in the final weeks of the election campaign. The general presentation is of Trump as a political colossus, with an unchallengeable political mandate to carry out the most sweeping aims of his presidency. Most significant, and representing the general tone, was the lead editorial Tuesday morning from the Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon boss and oligarch Jeff Bezos, who attended Trumps inauguration the day before. Under the headline, Listening to President Trump, the Post refers to Trumps statements about creating a new golden age for America, in which the country will flourish and be respected again. The Post replied: Americans can easily agree with such goals. Over the next four years, we want to move past our differences, build a more perfect country and improve life for everyone. To the extent that Trump can help pull in this direction, he will have widespread support. On the new administrations agenda, the Post advised that Trump has a responsibility to make sure that his policies do not endanger [the economy] through tariffs and poorly conceived deportations of undocumented immigrants. Mass roundups and deportations can proceed, but they should not be poorly conceivedthat is, they should not be done in a way that undermines corporate profits. Politico, a major online publication covering the US capital, owned since 2021 by the right-wing German media monopoly Axel Springer, takes the prize for genuflection, however. It carried a lead article on Tuesday morning, written by editor-in-chief John Harris, headlined, Time to Admit It: Trump Is a Great President. Hes Still Trying To Be a Good One. With his second inauguration, Harris wrote, Trump is holding power under circumstances in which reasonable people cannot deny a basic fact: He is the greatest American figure of his era. This of a convicted criminal, pathological liar and con-man who had just delivered a hate-filled diatribe against the outgoing administration, his political opponents, immigrants, and broad swaths of the population in the United States and throughout the world. In relation to the policies that the new Trump administration is implementing, Politico stated only that Trump appears ready to use his second term, and second chance, to divide the nation on a number of issues, but it concluded with the hope of a new political era arising out of Trumps second term. What he didnt show in his first term, or on his improbable pathway to a second, was an ability to bring these conflicts to resolution, to unite the country on a new level of understanding, Harris concluded. This would require Trump revealing a new understanding about himself and how to use the next four years. Particularly notable is the medias treatment of the Nazi salute delivered twice at Capital One Arena by Elon Musk, Trumps primary backer in the oligarchy, on live television Monday afternoon. For the most part, the American media has buried the story, which has exploded on social media, or they have published articles downplaying or questioning its significance. Elon Musk Ignites Online Speculation Over the Meaning of a Hand Gesture, the New York Times headlined its perfunctory article. Musk ignited speculation and chatter online, the Times wrote, intentionally belittling as mere chatter the public outrage over Musks unmistakable tribute to his fascist models. The Times quoted the Zionist and pro-genocide Anti-Defamation League calling Musks salute, which has drawn open praise from Holocaust deniers and Neo-Nazis, merely an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm. The response of the Democratic Party and the corporate media to Trumps return to power underscores a basic fact: the entire political establishment serves the same oligarchic interests that Trump represents. Whatever tactical differences exist between the Democrats and Republicanslargely over foreign policy and the best methods of defending corporate profitsthese factions are united in their subservience to the financial elite. The Democratic Party is particularly terrified of doing anything that could spark a movement from below or encourage popular opposition, not only to Trumps administration but the entire framework of capitalist rule. As in the response to the January 6 coup, the real significance of Trumps actions must be covered up. Trumps government will end in a disaster of an unprecedented scale, for which both capitalist parties and the corporate media will bear full responsibility. They have enabled Trumps rise and paved the way for the authoritarian measures he is now implementing. The task of resisting this administration does not fall to the discredited political elite but to the working class, in the United States and throughout the world. Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, California, on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. [AP Photo/Noah Berger] Early Tuesday morning, multiple wildfires ignited in San Diego County, driven by strong Santa Ana winds and critically dry conditions. The most significant of these so far is the Lilac Fire, is 50 percent contained as of publication, which started in the Bonsall area and has rapidly expanded to approximately 80 acres. Evacuation orders have been issued for residents south of Pala Mesa and west of Interstate 15, as the fire threatens homes and businesses. Shortly after the Lilac Fire, another blaze, the Pala Fire, ignited and has scorched around 30 acres. Evacuation orders were also issued, with several structures still at risk. As of this writing, firefighters have managed to contain the Pala Fire as well as the Riverview Fire in Fallbrook after it consumed approximately one acre, while the smaller Friars Fire has erupted on Tuesday, prompting immediate evacuation orders. The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Fire Weather Warning Tuesday due to anticipated wind gusts up to 100 mph in mountainous areas and up to 70 mph in coastal regions. Life-threatening conditions for rapid fire spread still persist across Southern California. In Los Angeles, despite the valiant efforts of firefighters, full containment remains difficult: after nearly two weeks, the Palisades Fire is 63 percent contained, while containment of the Eaton Fire stands at 89 percent. Thousands have been left homeless, with entire neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Altadena erased by the flames. Federal aid is limited and has been slow in coming. Many residents now confront the prospect of rebuilding their homes with entirely inadequate insurance or finding new housing in one of the most expensive regions in the country. In the face of this ongoing catastrophe, President Donald Trumps announcement of a visit on January 24 to the areas devastated by the fire is nothing short of hypocritical. During his 2025 inauguration, Trump offered hollow sympathies to wildfire victims, yet his policies and initial executive orders starkly contradict any genuine concern for the victims or the environment. Trumps record on natural disasters is criminal. His handling of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 was characterized by disregard for human life, cruel indifference and the prioritization of financial concerns over humanitarian needs. At the time, Trump complained about the cost of recovery efforts, threatening to terminate federal aid to Puerto Rico. A 2021 report by the Department of Housing and Urban Developments Office of the Inspector General titled Review of HUDs Disbursement of Grant Funds Appropriated for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Activities in Puerto Rico found that the Trump administration unnecessarily delayed more than $20 billion in hurricane relief aid for the US island territory. His previous administrations withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement rejected even those minimal global efforts to combat climate change, even as climate-related disasters, such as the severe wildfires in California, become more frequent and devastating. Trump has once again pulled the US out of the Paris agreement in an executive order signed Monday night. The slogan Drill, baby, drill used by Trump during his inauguration speech is nothing new: his first administration made every effort to repeal whatever environmental regulation was left from the last few decades, removing any restraint to capitalist exploitation. In 2017, he began the process of dismantling the Clean Power Plan, which set limits on carbon emissions from power plants, particularly those using coal. In 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Trump proposed shredding rules that restricted methane emissions from oil and gas operations, potentially increasing the release of this potent greenhouse gas. Trump ended funding for NASAs Carbon Monitoring System, which was instrumental in tracking carbon dioxide and methane emissions, thereby hobbling efforts to monitor greenhouse gases effectively. He also disbanded the Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases and significantly lowered the estimated cost of carbon emissions from $51 to $7 per ton, affecting the evaluation of climate-related regulations. All of these destructive measures in his first term were gifts to the billionaires and his second administration will be no different. Trumps executive order halting offshore wind lease sales and pausing permits for onshore and offshore wind projectswhich he announced on inauguration dayalso reveals a blatant disregard for the environmental consequences, hampering any progress toward sustainable energy and also reinforcing the administrations commitment to fossil fuels, therefore exacerbating the very conditions that lead to catastrophic wildfires. President Trumps planned visit to Los Angeles on Friday is a cynical gesture devoid of any genuine intent to address the root causes of the crisis. His administrations record, its consistent denial of climate science and rollback of environmental protections have directly contributed to the conditions fostering these disasters. Adding to the crisis is the revealing response of California Democrats, whose actions lay bare their own opportunistic and anti-working-class agenda. As Trump announced his hypocritical visit to the areas devastated by the fires, California Governor Gavin Newsom wasted no time to express his priorities: finding common ground and striving toward shared goals with the Trump administration. Trump has repeatedly mocked Newsom by nicknaming him Newscum, yet the Governor is rolling out the red carpet for Trumps visit, exposing his political complicity: This moment underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect, Newsom said in a tweet. I look forward to President Trumps visit to Los Angeles... This willingness to align with a fascist whose actions have directly contributed to the current crisis underscores the bipartisan failure and refusal to address the root causes of these disasters. Moreover, rebuilding after the fires will present a lucrative opportunity for the ruling class, as real estate developers and speculators already circling Los Angeles prepare to exploit the suffering of tens of thousands in order to reap enormous profits from reconstruction projects. The exploitation of immigrant labor in that sector, which can be employed at minimal cost, ensures these profits are maximized. The Democrats rhetoric of concern masks their role in perpetuating the exploitation of workers to serve the interests of capital. While falsely posing as champions of immigrant rights under the guise of humanitarian concern, the Democrats interest is narrowly focused on how Trumps deportation of millions of immigrant workers will impact the rebuilding efforts. The reality is that politicians like Newsom do not advocate for expanding genuine democratic rights to immigrants. Instead, their primary concern is how to maintain the profit machine, ensuring a steady supply of cheap labor to support the construction industry and other sectors vital to Californias economy. The record of the Biden administration in deportations has reached levels not seen in a decade, exceeding the highest annual deportation figures of the previous Trump administration. Both major parties in the United States are deeply committed to the preservation of a system that prioritizes profits over human lives and environmental protection. While Democrats falsely posture as allies of the working class, their policies and priorities reveal their true allegiance to Wall Street and political partnership with the Republicans. The expansion of wildfires into urban areas like Los Angeles and San Diego highlights a terrifying reality: virtually any city on Earth can now burn. As author John Vaillant points out, the combination of climate change and unregulated urban sprawl has created conditions where wildfires can ignite and spread with unprecedented ferocity, putting countless lives and properties at risk. This devastating new normal is a direct consequence of decades of unregulated real estate development and denial of climate science. The current wildfire crisis serves as a stark reminder that the consequences of climate inaction are not a distant threat but a present danger. Both big business parties are accountable for policies that endanger the environment and, by extension, human life. The time for complacency is over. As Fuhrer Trump takes command, the working class is the only social force capable of fighting against fascism and overcoming the profit-driven system that treats environmental disasters as opportunities for exploitation. Only through a genuine socialist program that prioritizes the needs of people and the planet over corporate gains can humanity hope to avert future catastrophes. The following statement was issued by Will Lehman, the Pennsylvania Mack Trucks workers who ran as a socialist candidate for United Auto Workers president in 2022. Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers, walks on stage and speaks prior to President Joe Biden speaking to a United Auto Workers' political convention, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Washington. [AP Photo/Alex Brandon] United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain has declared the UAW open for business to the new fascist administration. This was the meaning of his editorial in the Washington Post on Sunday, headlined, Im president of the UAW. Were ready to work with Trump. Fain has gone almost overnight from presenting himself as a so-called militant, democratic unionist, spouting slogans like eat the rich and denouncing Trump as a scab, to announcing his willingness to collaborate with the most right-wing government in US history. This exposes, without a shadow of a doubt, that the union bureaucracy is a vicious enemy of the working class, ready to work with this government of corporate oligarchs and fascists to destroy all of workers hard won rights. The conclusion which workers must draw is: This apparatus cannot be reformed but must be smashed and replaced with rank-and-file committees, organs of workers power. Fains olive branch to Trump is the continuation and outcome of his pro-capitalist and nationalist policies from the start. The long-time UAW bureaucrat was installed in the UAW presidency to bolster the credibility of the union officialdom, wracked by scandal and hated by workers. In 2023, Fain worked with Biden to impose a sellout contract on GM, Ford and Stellantis workers after his bogus standup strike, which resulted in thousands of job cuts. Only a few months ago Fain endorsed Kamala Harris, hoping to continue the corrupt relations under Biden. But after the collapse of the Democratshated for their endless wars and indifference to the social catastrophe facing workersFain has switched sides with ease. If there is any friction, it will come from Trumps side. Fain is only the latest labor bureaucrat to cozy up to Trump. Teamsters President Sean OBrien, another so-called reformer, was an honored guest at Trumps inauguration. International Longshore Association President Harold Daggett called Trump a hero earlier this month after preventing a strike by more than 40,000 dock workers that would have developed into a direct clash with the incoming administration. The leaders of the teachers unions have also expressed their willingness to collaborate with Trump, particularly after announcing his nominee for US Labor Secretary, Lori-Chavez DeRemer, who supports the PRO Act. The union bureaucracy is happy as long as it keeps its dues money flowing and is given a seat at the table to suppress strikes and do the bidding of its corporate masters. Fain particularly signaled his support for Trumps trade war America First policies. He said: We do not agree with Trump on much of his domestic agenda, but we hope to find common ground on overhauling our devastating trade policies and rebuilding U.S. manufacturing. Trump has promised to enact tariffs to protect workers, and we agree that tariffs are a necessary tool We agree that we need a strong system of tariffs that serve the national and working-class interest. Tariffs should bring jobs back to America, put products in communities such as Belvidere, Illinois, and push companies to invest in good jobs, not exploit workers abroad. Here Fain is repeating the same lies as Trump, who made a specific nationalist appeal to autoworkers during his inauguration speech. No doubt some of my coworkers have been taken in by this protectionist rhetoric. But they are sorely mistaken. The decades-long destruction of jobs, which has occurred in every country, is not the product of unfair trade deals but of capitalism. Trump hopes that his trade war measures will boost the profits of the American oligarchs against their foreign rivals and divide workers along national lines. This includes the worlds richest man, Elon Musk, whose Tesla factories are notorious sweatshops, even by the declining standards of the US auto industry. As historical experience, including the deindustrialization of the 1980s, has proven, protectionism is inevitably bound up with new and even more savage cuts to jobs and living standards in the name of making American capitalism more competitive. Long before Trump appeared on the national political stage, the UAW bureaucrats were shouting about America First. This coincided with violent anti-Japanese campaigns and racist incitement against immigrants, including the 1982 murder of Chinese-American engineer Vincent Chin. This never saved a single job, but served to divide workers and conceal the UAW bureaucracys own role in enforcing mass layoffs and pay cuts that devastated Detroit and other cities. Fains separation of domestic from foreign policies is false to the core. Trump and the oligarchy have a single policy of class war all over the world. It begins with the war against immigrants, workplace raids and mass deportations targeting many of our brothers and sisters in the auto industry, and it will expand to a general war against the social and democratic rights of all workers. This is shown by Trumps moves to overturn the Constitution and destroy birthright citizenship. Under this plan, citizenship rights will no longer be guaranteed to everyone who is born in the United States but only those who demonstrate their obedience and allegiance to the government. This means any worker who strikes or protests plans to cut Social Security and other vital programs to fund corporate tax cuts could be stripped of their most elemental democratic rights. America First nationalism also goes hand-in-hand with new imperialist war. For the last two years, Fain has been promoting the Arsenal of Democracy under Biden. He drew this slogan from the war economy during WWII in order to prepare the working class for WWIII. Only now Trump is dispensing with the pretense that wars are fought for democracy and openly declaring his plans to seize resources and territory by annexing Greenland, the Panama Canal and perhaps even Canada. It will be workers and their children who are sent to fight these wars; and it will be the working class that pays for them. The working class is an international class, which today is more connected through a single process of global production than in any other period in history. Workers in America cannot defend themselves at the expense of workers in every other country. The solution for workers is not America First but the unity of the working class around the world, including VW workers fighting massive job cuts in Germany and Stellantis workers in Italy, the UK and other countries. In 2022, I ran for UAW president based on such a platform. I connected the fight for the international unity of the working class with socialist politics, including the expropriation of the corporate and financial oligarchy and the reorganization of economic and political life to meet the needs of the working class. In opposition to the the Democratic Socialists of America, UAWD, Labor Notes and all those who claimed Fain would reform the union, I insisted that workers had to abolish the UAW apparatus and put power in the hands of workers on the shop floor. Now, like the UAW president himself, those pseudo-left forces who promoted Fain have proven to be nothing but accomplices of Trump and his fascist government. As the naked class interests that Trump represents become clear to millions, including those who voted for him, working-class opposition will grow. But this rebellion can only be developed if workers consciously reject the nationalist and pro-capitalist poison long promoted by the UAW bureaucracy and both corporate-controlled parties. This means expanding the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees into every factory and workplace. The fight against job cuts and capitalist exploitation must be combined with the defense of our immigrant co-workers and opposition to wars for profit. The massive wealth and concentration of economic power in the hands of Musk and other oligarchs must be broken and their vast private fortunes expropriated so they can be used for social needs. This is the only way that jobs and high living standards can be guaranteed to all, and democracy prevail over fascism and dictatorship. by Wen Tsui SACRAMENTO, United States, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A perfect storm of widespread viral infections and declining vaccination rates is straining U.S. hospitals to the brink in early 2025. Healthcare workers are grappling with what experts are calling a "quad-demic" -- the simultaneous surges of COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and a newly identified more severe strain of norovirus. The viruses are spreading when vaccination rates have dropped to alarming lows. According to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Friday, only around 23 percent of adults had received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, while merely 43.9 percent had gotten a flu shot. The situation is particularly concerning for children, with 11.1 percent vaccinated against COVID-19 despite rising pediatric hospitalization rates. "I worry we are not as ready as we should be, or were, going into this season ... because our vaccination rates for many of these diseases are very low," Dr. Scott Roberts, medical director at Yale New Haven Health, told ABC News. Meanwhile, WIFR TV in Illinois reported Tuesday that local hospitals were forced to keep patients waiting for extended periods in their emergency departments while operating at nearly full capacity. Compounding the crisis, a more aggressive strain of norovirus, known as GII.17, has emerged. Usually coming with stomach bug symptoms, this variant appears to cause more severe illness due to the population's limited immunity. Previous numbers from the CDC showed that 91 norovirus outbreaks were reported during the week of Dec. 5, up from 69 outbreaks in the last week of November. No vaccine has been currently available to prevent the infection yet. In California, the San Francisco Chronicle documented a staggering 458 percent increase in norovirus traces at one San Francisco wastewater facility, underscoring the pathogen's rapid spread. High flu activity and rising COVID-19 hospitalizations among vulnerable populations exacerbated the strain on healthcare systems. "The entire healthcare system can be impacted when you have high rates of all of these infections at the same time," Dr. Geeta Sood, hospital epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, told Health magazine. Overburdened emergency rooms mean patients often wait hours or even overnight before getting admitted. Matthew Sims, director of infectious disease research for Corewell Health, a healthcare system located in Michigan, reported a steady flow of patients requiring hospitalization for influenza and COVID-19. "We are seeing patients who are having to wait before they can get transferred to a room," he told ABC News. Many hospitals have introduced stricter rules to control the spread. Some facilities now bar young visitors from patient care areas and require masks. "Children can often carry viruses and not be as symptomatic as adults," said David Priest at Novant Health, explaining the decision to restrict visitors under the age of 13. Staffing woes further complicate matters. "Staff callouts, staff shortages, community respiratory viral test positivity rates, and overall hospital census" continue to weigh on Yale New Haven Health administrators, said Dr. Roberts. Nationwide, emergency department visits are high for diagnosed influenza and RSV, while COVID-19 visits remain "elevated." Current test positivity rates underscored the severity: 18.8 percent for influenza, 8.9 percent for RSV and 6.6 percent for COVID-19. Last Wednesday, a Xinhua reporter observed an overflowing emergency room at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. With limited beds available, patients sometimes waited overnight before being transferred to a hospital room. Healthcare experts warn that the crisis would likely worsen without immediate public action. "As we enter the peak season for respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, our communities are seeing a significant uptick of flu, RSV, COVID-19, and norovirus cases," said Paula Newman, manager of Infection Prevention at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, California. The Macquarie University Rank-and-File Committee calls on academics, university workers and students at Sydneys Macquarie University and more broadly to come to the defence of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah against a continued witch hunt by the corporate media and Zionist lobby groups. Randa Abdel-Fattah [Photo: Macquarie University] A pro-Palestine activist, Abdel-Fattah is an academic in sociology at Macquarie University. She holds a four-year Future Fellowship (research grant) from the Australian Research Council and is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults. The latest attack on Abdel-Fattah has been spearheaded by the Murdoch media, which has conducted a campaign of bullying and harassment against anti-genocide voices, slandering them as antisemitic. At the end of December, following a tweet by Abdel-Fattah, articles in the Australian falsely accused her of endangering the health and safety of Jewish students and called for her to be immediately sacked and stripped of her research funding. Abdel-Fattah had tweeted: May 2025 be the end of Israel. May it be the end of the US-Israeli imperial scourge on humanity. May we see the abolishment of the death cult of Zionism and the end of US empire and finally a world where the slaughter, annihilation and torture of Palestinians is no longer daily routine. The tweet was linked to a news story about the appalling deaths of children in Gaza due to the cold and the continuing US-backed Israeli genocide. In response, Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told a Murdoch tabloid, the Sydney Daily Telegraph: She has created an unacceptable risk for the welfare and health of Jews and Israelis at the university. It is intolerable that our taxes are propping this up. The newspaper also featured Liberal Party Senator Sarah Henderson accusing Abdel-Fattah of anti-Jewish hatred and calling for her research funding to be withdrawn, declaring: Australian taxpayers should not be funding activism and hate speech under the guise of so-called research. To call for the abolition of the Zionist state, based on ethnic discrimination and the violent dispossession of Palestinians, and an end to the Israeli regimes US-armed atrocities is not anti-Jewish. In fact, the apartheid-style Israeli state is inimical to the interests of working-class Jews themselves. It is based on pitting them against their Arab brothers and sisters, functioning as a garrison entity for the plundering interests of US and European imperialism. The witch hunt against Abdel-Fattah is not just a question of an individual academic. Internationally, Israels genocide against the Palestinians has been accompanied by an assault on free speech. Opponents of the war crimes being carried out by the Zionist regime are being subjected to intimidation and slander by the governments, the corporate media and Zionist organisations. In Abdel-Fattahs case, the attacks have escalated. Last February and March, calls were made in the media for her to be removed as a speaker at an international womans day event and from a book award judging panel. In each instance she was branded an antisemite. Last April, Abdel-Fattah attended the pro-Palestine encampment at Sydney University with other parents and children from the Families for Palestine group. She was accused in the Australian of indoctrinating children with vile, hateful, anti-Semitic slogans and chants. This was followed by demands that Abdel-Fattahs research funding be withdrawn and that she be sacked by Macquarie University. The universitys management then launched an investigation into whether she had breached the universitys code of conduct. Although the conclusions of that investigation were confidential, Abdel-Fattah is currently still employed by the university and holds her research grant. In July, in an article published in Nine media newspapers, the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, Abdel-Fattah and journalist Mary Kostakidis were accused of being 7 October deniers and rape apologists, and compared to Holocaust deniers. The following week the Zionist Federation of Australia launched a complaint with the Human Rights Commission accusing Kostakidis of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act. Abdel-Fattah made a formal complaint to the Australian Press Council about the misleading claims and factual inaccuracies in the article and demanded a retraction. The complaint was based on the Press Councils code of practice, which speaks of accuracy and clarity as well as balance and fairness. Despite Abdel-Fattah providing evidence that the article was misleading, her complaint was dismissed out of hand. Following the latest attack, Macquarie University management has again initiated an investigation into whether Abdel-Fattah has breached the universitys code of conduct. The management is one of a number of Australian universities that have adopted the repressive International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. As the WSWS wrote in 2020: The IHRA definition is a mechanism for outlawing political criticism of the Israeli state, its criminal oppression of the Palestinians and the right-wing religious nationalism on which it is founded. Internationally, there is a coordinated campaign to silence anti-genocide voices on campuses. In Britain, for example, university staff and students have come under attack, including James Dickens, a retired University of Leeds professor, who was subjected to a coordinated campaign for his removal as an honorary professor for criticising Israel. In the United States, many staff and students have been sacked or expelled, among them Jewish anthropology professor Maura Finkelstein. She was dismissed by Muhlenberg College after a discrimination complaint was made to the US Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights, citing an anti-genocide post she made on social media. In Australia, the Full Federal Court last May backed the University of Sydneys 2019 sacking of academic Tim Anderson, primarily for comparing Israel with the Nazi regime and criticising US war propaganda. A month later, the University of Sydney management placed sociology professor Sujatha Fernandes under investigation on accusations of breaching the universitys policy by calling into question lying media reports about alleged Hamas atrocities on October 7, 2023. Last November, a law suit was filed under Australias Racial Discrimination Act against two University of Sydney academics, John Keane and Nick Riemer, directly equating their public opposition to Zionism and genocide with antisemitism. These slanders are not aimed at opposing genuine antisemitism, but at silencing opposition to the US-Israeli mass killings, which the Albanese Labor government, like other imperialist governments, fully backs under the fraudulent banner of supporting the occupying states right to defend itself. The Macquarie University Rank-and-File committee unequivocally opposes the attacks on Abdel-Fattah, which are aimed at delegitimising opposition to some of the worst war crimes since the Holocaust. We reject and condemn the false accusation that support for the Palestinian people and opposition to Zionism amounts to antisemitism. The National Tertiary Education Union cannot be relied on to conduct a principled defence. It has not issued a single statement in defence of anti-genocide academics. While it has acted for some academics individually, these processes have been kept confidential and isolated. There has been no concerted campaign to defeat the assault on free speech. That is in line with an NTEU National Council resolution of October 2023, which claimed to commit the union to active solidarity with Palestine but proposed no action by workers against the genocide. Collectively, Australias union bureaucracies have not called a single strike in defence of the Palestinians, or against the witch hunt of genocide opponents. That underscores the need for educators and students to form rank-and-file committees, independent of the union apparatuses, to discuss and organise. The defence of basic democratic rights, including academic freedom, is essential. As universities become increasingly enmeshed into serving the research needs of both Australian and US militarism via the Labor governments Universities Accord, the rights of academics to speak out against imperialist war is more important than ever. The defence of free speech is inseparably linked to the fight against the capitalist profit system itself, which is the root cause of military aggression, war and barbarism. To discuss how to take forward this fight and defend Abdel-Fattah and all other witch-hunted educators, please contact us via the Committee for Public Education (CFPE), the rank-and-file educators network. Contact the CFPE: Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/commforpubliceducation Twitter: CFPE_Australia Facebook: facebook.com/groups/opposeaeusellout MANILA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two soldiers were killed and 12 others wounded in an ambush by gunmen in Basilan province in southern Philippines on Wednesday afternoon, an army general said. Brigadier General Alvin Luzon, commander of the Philippine Army's 101st Brigade, said the gunmen sprayed bullets at an army vehicle carrying troops at around 4 p.m. local time in a remote village in Sumisip town, adding two attackers were shot dead but the number of wounded remained undetermined. Luzon said the troops were providing security to the visiting representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), who were there to meet with local leaders on planned developmental projects. "The representatives of the UNDP were all safe as they were not in the area already during the incident," Luzon said. Luzon said in a statement that the attack was supported by some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF signed a peace pact with the government in 2014, ending decades of bloody conflict in southern Philippines. The peace agreement paved the way for establishing the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday revealed a guideline, outlining 20 measures to expand financial opening up in the country's pilot free trade zones and a free trade port. These measures, focusing on six areas, aim to better align China's financial sector with international standards and advance institutional opening up of the sector, said the guideline jointly issued by the People's Bank of China, the Ministry of Commerce and three other government bodies. According to this document, foreign financial institutions will be granted the same treatment as their Chinese counterparts when providing new financial services not available in the country at that stage. Valid applications filed by financial institutions and cross-border financial service providers concerning financial services will be processed within 120 days, as per the document. The country will also support the purchase of certain types of cross-border financial services, facilitate the inbound and outbound fund transfers related to foreign investment, improve arrangements for cross-border flow of financial data, and strengthen regulation of this sector, the guideline said. These measures will be implemented in pilot free trade zones in Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, Fujian and Beijing, as well as the Hainan Free Trade Port and other important cooperative platforms. At the Central Economic Work Conference held last month, China's policymakers stressed the need to expand high-standard opening up and keep foreign trade and foreign investment stable. China will steadily enhance institutional opening up and improve the quality and efficiency of pilot free trade zones, according to the conference. YANGON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar exported over 1.5 million tons of pulses between April and December of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, state-run daily The Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Wednesday. The exports included 700,000 tons of black gram, 200,000 tons of pigeon pea and 400,000 tons of green gram, the report said, citing Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association. Myanmar mainly exports black gram, green gram and pigeon peas to foreign markets, it said. Of them, black gram and pigeon peas are primarily shipped to India, while green gram is exported to China and Europe, it added. By Nazrin Abdul A joint working group in the energy sector will be established between Iran and Azerbaijan. Azernews reports that Iran's Oil Minister, Mohsen Paknejad, made this announcement during a meeting with Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister, Shahin Mustafayev, in Tehran on January 21. Paknejad stated that the joint working group would facilitate technical-level cooperation between the two countries and maintain focus on energy collaboration. The Iranian minister emphasized that neighboring countries are a priority in Iran's foreign policy, with Azerbaijan holding a unique position. He also highlighted that organizing meetings between the two countries is crucial for strengthening relations across various sectors. Deputy Prime Minister Mustafayev underscored the importance of mutual visits for familiarizing both countries with each other's potential and infrastructure. Additionally, the 16th meeting of the Joint Economic Commission between Iran and Azerbaijan commenced on January 21 in Tehran and will run for two days. JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied on Wednesday media reports claiming that Israel has allowed the Palestinian Authority (PA) to manage the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The Rafah crossing serves as a critical gateway for humanitarian aid and allows Gazans to travel abroad for essential medical treatment. Earlier reports from Israeli and Palestinian media indicated that officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the European Union discussed preparations for the PA to take control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, following the ceasefire agreement that went into effect on Sunday after 15 months of Israeli onslaught that devastated the enclave. "The report is incorrect," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, accusing the PA of attempting "to create a false picture to the effect that it controls the crossing." The statement notes that the Israeli military forces are currently deployed at the crossing point and "nobody passes through it without supervision and approval from the military and Shin Bet security agency." The technical management at the crossing is handled by "Gazans unaffiliated with Hamas," who, according to Netanyahu's office, "have been managing civilian services in the enclave, such as electricity, water and sewage, since the start of the war." The European Union Border Assistance Mission is designed to support Palestinian efforts at monitoring and securing the crossing. However, the office acknowledged that although the PA is not directly involved in managing the crossing, it is responsible for stamping passports. This action is essential, as international agreements stipulate that Palestinians can leave the Gaza Strip only with the PA's stamp. "This arrangement is valid for the first phase of the agreement and will be reviewed later," the office said. Gaza has been under a blockade imposed by Israel since 2007. At the onset of the war in October 2023, Israel cut all water, food, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, while allowing some aid to enter via trucks. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Dustin Rabin/Press Faith No More's 2015 comeback with Sol Invictus, their first new record since 1997's Album Of The Year, was the cause of much excitement, as fans the world over celebrated the return of one of the most unique, innovative and influential artists in modern rock history. So when Mike Patton, Bill Gould, Jon Hudson, Roddy Bottum and Mike Bordin walked off-stage together following their headline set on the closing day of Aftershock festival on October 25 that year, no-one could have predicted that it would be their final gig of the 21st century to date. But here we are. In October last year, band keyboardist and co-founder Roddy Bottum declared that the San Francisco quintet are on a semi-permanent hiatus, having had their attempts to play scheduled shows in 2020 and 2021 thwarted first by the Covid pandemic, and then by frontman Patton's diagnosis with anxiety disorder agoraphobia. Patton has since returned to the stage with Mr. Bungle, but Faith No More's cancelled tours were never rescheduled, and the quintet's current status is unclear, even to bassist Bill Gould, who formed the band with his best friend Bottum in 1979, originally as Sharp Young Men. During a new interview conducted with Chile's Radio Futuro, which you can listen to below, the bassist was asked for an update on the band, and admitted that he's in the dark as much as anyone. I dont know. I honestly dont know," he replied. "And you dont have to believe me [laughs] but theres nothing Right now were in a really weird spot, a really strange spot, and I cant really tell you whats going on. I dont know myself. I get different information from people, and Im in the band, so When the interviewer suggests that Gould calls the shots in the band, the bassist pauses before saying, "Not really. If I did, probably we'd be playing in Chile next week." In "Gold Trophy Dreams," we'll be looking back at the most likely contenders for 2024 Horse of the Year when they were yearlings, speaking to the people that managed or consigned them at auction ahead of this week's Eclipse Awards on Thursday, Jan. 23. Fierceness, the champion 2-year-old male of 2023, has been a standard bearer of the Repole Stable homebred program, but there was a time when that success could have come under a different set of silks. The City of Light colt was cataloged as Hip 753 of the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, but he was removed from the slate of Repole-bred youngsters that eventually made the trip to the sales grounds. It was a decision that swung at least one Eclipse Award, along with the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Grade 1 Florida Derby and G1 Travers Stakes, and $3,856,350 in on-track earnings. He is a finalist for champion 3-year-old male of 2024, and a likely contender for Horse of the Year. Bred in Kentucky, Fierceness is out of the winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, from the family of Grade 1 winner Outwork and Grade 2 winner Cairo Prince. Jacob West, the bloodstock agent for Repole Stable who recently stallion season and bloodstock manager at Claiborne Farm, shared stories about Fierceness as a yearling and why he was kept to race for Repole. Question: What do you remember about Fierceness as a yearling? Jacob West: He was entered in the Keeneland September sale, and about 30-ish days before the sale, we went through everything that was entered in there. He was a beautiful horse and you can see what he is today, and that's kind of what he was as a yearling. But quite frankly, at that time, City of Light was not necessarily the flavor of the month, so we knew we were going to take a discount on a really nice horse. The program is set forth by Mike [Repole], and (bloodstock consultant) Ed Rosen does all of our matings. We try to breed racehorses, not sales horses necessarily, so Mike just made the decision at the recommendation of the team to scratch him, and we made the right decision this time. Courtesy Jacob West Why was City of Light the choice to pair with Nonna Bella for this mating? West: That would be an Ed Rosen question, to be quite honest. I do all the physicals. He does all the matings, so that's his baby. I leave that totally up to him. Has Fierceness' physical development from when he was a yearling come along as you expected? Did anything surprise you? West: He's beautiful. You can see why he's fast. You can see why he's a two-turn horse. He's just well made, well balanced, moves great. You kind of see signs of how they'll mentally handle things as young horses, and he was always one of those horses that looked like he would mentally give you the positive signs that he would be able to handle what was in front of him, and he's an incredible horse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How does the timeline differ in Repole's program for getting a homebred yearling started toward race training, versus one purchased at auction? West: They're very much the same. If we keep one, they would head down to Ocala to the various training centers that we use around August or September, then they just get put into the program. The ones that we buy out of September, same deal. They just get maybe a couple of weeks breather to come out of the sale, make sure everything's alright, and then go right on with the program. What did Fierceness show you as a yearling that made you think he might be something special? West: If you go see him now, just imagine a smaller version of what he is now. He's a beautiful horse, had all the physical attributes that you look for in those racehorses, and like I keep saying, we weren't going to take him over there and give him away, or sell him at a discount because he was a very, very good horse. Mike's program isn't built to sell horses, so he likes to keep all of his options open. Mike enters in a lot of horses. He's always done that. That's been the mode of operation for ever since I've been working for him, and I know he's always been like that. He'll enter them and he keeps his options open, which I think is very smart, and at the recommendation of the farms or the team, if we vote to sell, we sell. If not, he's not one that takes advantage of the market and buys a bunch of horses back. If they come here to sell, they normally sell. You turn horses into cash and then just reinvest it back into the business. Mike Repole, Jacob West, Todd Pletcher 2024 Keeneland September SaleKeeneland Photo Where did Fierceness get sent for breaking? West: He went to Ocala Stud. They do an incredible job. They broke Forte for us too, so two champions to come off of the same farm in consecutive years is a pretty unbelievable stat. Where was Fierceness boarded as a young horse? West: Lane's End. What would Fierceness winning Horse of the Year mean to the Repole Stable operation, and to you personally? West: For anybody to be associated with the Horse of the Year is pretty unbelievable. In my mind, he should be Horse of the Year, with his resume and what he stacks up. If he would have ran up the track in the Breeders' Cup Classic, then I understand. I get it, [Sierra Leone] beat us on our day, but quite frankly inside the eighth pole, I'll guarantee you that the team at Coolmore was thinking this horse was going to come back on him, and he ran an incredible race. The fractions that he set to be out on the front end, and to dig in like he did, it wasn't a joke. I'll propose this question to anybody: Thorpedo Anna's going to be Horse of the Year - we beat her (in the Travers), and Sierra Leone ran third. You want to go up against the best of the best, we beat the best of the best on our day. [Sierra Leone] didn't, and he got us by a length in the Breeders' Cup, but if he would have set the fractions we did, he would have been up the track, and there's nobody that can dispute that. So, we beat him twice. People are going to claim that he beat us in the Kentucky Derby - well, the Kentucky Derby is 20 horses. Take that race out of it, and just look at the resume from there on each one of the horses, and we deserve to be champion. I'm obviously biased, but it's just a it's a credit to the team, and especially a guy like Ed Rosen who's been doing this for a long time. He takes all of our matings very serious. It wasn't by chance that that horse is as good as he is. He's from a family that Mike got into very early and has grown and developed himself, and it's a really cool story for him to be as good as he is. I know he was champion 2-year-old, but to be champion 3-year-old, I mean, that would just be unbelievable. A house under construction on the street next to President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago Club has just landed under contract after being listed at $45 million. The as-yet-unidentified buyer waiting in the wings for 1090 S. Ocean Blvd. on the northwest corner of Woodbridge Road will be offered a perk available to new homeowners on Woodbridge Road. The buyer would get access to The Mar-a-Lago Club without having to pay the hefty initiation fee, which is said to be as much as $1 million. Under a long-standing agreement with Trump, the homebuyer would be required to complete an interview process with Mar-a-Lago officials and pay annual dues for access to be granted to the club. The house that just went under contract lies in the security zone that closes to through-traffic when Trump is in residence at Mar-a-Lago, which he has previously dubbed The Southern White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palm Beach Daily News is the first media outlet to report the so-called pending transaction in the multiple listing service. Theres no word yet on the amount that will change hands in the deal. A rendering shows the east side of a Palm Beach house under construction at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd. near The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. Developed on speculation, the house just landed under contract with an asking price of $45 million. The traditional-style house is being developed on speculation on a lot of about two-fifths of an acre. Agent Margit Brandt of Premier Estate Properties holds the listing, and the asking price has never wavered since the property entered the market early last year. Brandt marked the listing status pending on Jan. 22, the MLS shows. The front door of the residence will face a home on the opposite corner that has been in the Trump family for nearly 30 years and backs up to the private club. The just-listed house also is next door to the Woodbridge Road home of Trumps sister, Elizabeth Trump Grau; and is directly across the coastal road from an oceanfront house owned by the Trump family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The six-bedroom house that just landed under contract could be completed sometime this fall, according to the sales listing, which says the in-construction price is for the finished residence. A buyer at this point could still have time to customize parts of the interiors, the listing says. The house will offer true resort-style living, Brandts sales description says. She could not be immediately reached for comment. Renderings and plans presented during the towns approval process for the house show it will have two stories and a full basement. In all, the residence will have about 13,353 square feet of living space, inside and out, with its L-shaped floorplan wrapping around a lap pool. A rendering shows the pool area of a Palm Beach house under construction at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd. The property is under contract with an asking price of $45 million near The Mar-a-Lago Club. Last week, a house down the street at 129 Woodbridge Road entered the market with a price of $14.95 million. That renovated 1970s-era house also will be sold with guest privileges to Mar-a-Lago. Trump negotiated that perk with town officials in the 1990s before they agreed to let him open his private club in his landmarked mansion on 17.5 ocean-to-lake acres. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the house that just landed under contract at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd. joined the MLS in January 2024, a statement released on behalf of the development team said the home was being built on speculation by Kaali-Nagy, a development and architecture firm in Greenwich, Connecticut. The house marked the firms first project in Palm Beach, and the team included Foster, Damien and Alex Kaali-Nagy, according to the statement. The Kaali-Nagy brand is known for creating homes with elevated architectural design and meticulous attention to detail. (The house at) 1090 S. Ocean will be no exception, the statement said. Palm Beach commodities broker and real estate investor Nedim Soylemez also has been involved with the project, courthouse records show. He has partnered with investor Beau Taylor on other residential projects in Palm Beach. A rendering shows the front side of a Palm Beach house being built at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd., directly across Woodbridge Road from a home owned by a company controlled by President Donald Trump next to his Mar-a-Lago Club. The house at No. 1090 just laded under contract after being listed early last year for $45 million. The final design for the house was by architect Harold Smith of Smith and Moore Architects in West Palm Beach. An initial version had been conceived by Workshop/ADP of Greenwich, Connecticut, New York City and Nantucket, Massachusetts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The architecture was influenced by West Indies-style buildings, with inverted V-shaped caps on the chimneys, shaped brackets beneath the eaves and stone details to accent windows and doors. The stucco exterior would feature shutters at the windows and a roof of flat gray tiles. The plans for the ground-floor layout show a formal living room, a family room open to the kitchen and a study. A cabana with a bar would open to the pool area, where theres also a covered loggia. A rendering depicts the family room and kitchen of an under-construction Palm Beach house at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd., which just went under contract with an asking price of $45 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a recreation room and another space designated as an entertaining room, the basement also was designed with a gym, sauna, steam room and massage area. With bedrooms on the second floor, the house also would have two-car garage. The property will be sold with private beach access just steps from the front door, Brandts listing says. The lot is owned by a Florida limited liability company named after the propertys address. That company paid $5.6 million for it in March 2021, property records show. Mar-a-Lagos security zone seeing plenty of real estate action When Trump is at Mar-a-Lago, security officers shut down South Ocean Boulevard in the neighborhood, opening the road only to property owners or their authorized representatives or workers. The security zone runs north from the club property for seven blocks, or about half a mile, to North County Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because the area is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other, the roadblock effectively divides the town in two, forcing through-traffic to detour across bridges into West Palm Beach and back. The in-the-works house at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd. is the second property to land under contract in the Mar-a-Lago security zone within a week. On Jan. 15, the MLS reported that a buyer was waiting in the wings for a five-bedroom house with 6,789 total square feet at 153 Kings Road. Listed at $15.75 million, the Kings Road property is listed by Douglas Elliman Real Estate agents Chris Leavitt and Ashley McIntosh. Brandt confirmed in an Instagram post that she is representing the buyer on Kings Road. The property that entered the MLS last week at 129 Woodbridge Road is listed by McIntosh and her Elliman colleague Kendall Corso. That house and guesthouse at have a combined 4,810 square feet of living space, inside and out, on a lot of about a third of an acre. The house just listed by Elliman was the second one in the Mar-a-Lago security zone to join the MLS within two days. The day before, Brandt had listed for sale a house at 142 Via Palma for $18.95 million. Built in 1955, that four-bedroom house with 7,633 total square feet stands on a street about four blocks north of the one that just went under contract at 1190 S. Ocean Blvd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The security zone also has seen two recent sales, including a $27.5-million transaction recorded Jan. 14 for a renovated estate at 120 Clarendon Ave.; and a sale recorded at $14.3 million in late December for a never-lived-in house developed on speculation at 130 Algoma Road. Several other houses are listed for sale in the Estate Section neighborhood north of Mar-a-Lago, the MLS shows. The three houses adjacent to Mar-a-Lago that are owned by companies associated with the Trump family include 1094 S. Ocean Blvd. and a smaller house next door at 124 Woodbridge Road. The familys beachfront mansion at 1125 S. Ocean Blvd. was for years the home of Donald Trumps late sister, retired federal judge Maryanne Barry, who sold it to a Trump-controlled company in 2018. That house today is used as a rental property, for which Brandt has served as leasing agent, as previously reported by the Palm Beach Daily News. A new Palm Beach house is being built on speculation directly across Woodbridge Road from this house, at 1094 S. Ocean Blvd., which is owned by an entity controlled by President Donald Trump. The house under construction across the street at 1090 S. Ocean Blvd. is under contract after being listed at $45 million. This is a developing story. Check back for any updates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Portions of this article appeared previously in the Palm Beach Daily News. Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly Beyond the Hedges column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: House rising next to Trump's Mar-a-Lago under contract, priced at $45M A male suspect was taken into custody after a robbery at a restaurant in the Loop in which the robber implied he had a weapon, Chicago police said. Shortly after midnight Wednesday, a man entered a restaurant in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue with his hand inside a bag and implied he had a weapon. An argument ensued between him and another person before the man made off with property and fled the scene, police said. Officers responding to the robbery caught a male suspect nearby and arrested him. Charges were pending as detectives continue to investigate. SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korean investigators on Wednesday were reportedly attempting to search the presidential office and residence as part of the probe into the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol's failed martial law imposition. The investigators said the operation was to seize a secure phone, according to Yonhap News Agency. On Monday, in a similar raid, South Korea's police failed to search the presidential office and a so-called safe house to seize CCTV footage. Yoon was believed to have discussed his martial law imposition with officials and military commanders in the locations. One student was killed and another wounded in a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville on Wednesday morning, authorities said. The shooter, a 17-year-old male student at the school, died by suicide at the scene, police said. The attacker walked into the school cafeteria armed with a pistol around 11 a.m., cops said. He fatally shot one girl and wounded another girl before turning the gun on himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The wounded student was grazed on the arm by a bullet and was in stable condition at a local hospital on Wednesday afternoon, Metro Nashville police officer Don Aaron said. The victims have not been publicly identified. There is no danger at the school, Aaron told reporters. The police departments SWAT team has cleared the building. Any potential motive for the attack remained unclear. Aaron said the police investigation was underway and there is quite a bit of work to be done. Antioch High was locked down shortly after the shooting began. Students were taken to a different nearby hospital to be reunited with their families, and officials told parents not to attempt to reach Antioch High. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school sits about 13 miles east of The Covenant School, a private elementary school where three students and three adults were killed in a March 2023 mass shooting. Following that shooting, fierce debate about gun regulations in the Tennessee legislature led to the dramatic expulsion of two Black lawmakers, who were later voted back into office. Tennessee lawmakers eventually passed a bill allowing teachers to carry guns in school if they undergo training programs. A day after opening fire on an armored U.S. embassy van and wounding a local hire, armed gangs in Haiti on Tuesday fired on three vehicles, two of them armored and fitted with diplomatic plates, and left five people injured with gunshot wounds and a sixth person dead, a local security firm said. Among the injured is a family member of the honorary consul of India, who was shot in the leg when the armored vehicle she was riding in was fired on. Two other vehicles also were shot up as they traveled along the Airport Road in Port-au-Prince, according to a report by Halo Solutions Firm S. A., which tracks security incidents in the volatile Caribbean nation. One of the drivers suffered an abdominal wound and is in critical condition, while the other sustained injuries to the leg and is in stable condition. A third vehicle, which wasnt armored, was also hit with gunfire, killing a female passenger. The driver and another passenger escaped and the car was set on fire, the firm said. The survivors later showed up at La Paix Hospital, which wasnt too far from the attack, with gunshot injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This attack occurred during routine travel, underscoring vulnerabilities in the route, the firm said, highlighting the targeting of armored vehicles with consular corps or diplomatic license plates in Port-au-Prince over a 24 hour-span. The attacks all seem to have occurred in the vicinity of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Security experts have called for more attention to be given to area after armed gangs in November fired on three U.S. commercial jetliners, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an ongoing ban against U.S. airlines flying into Port-au-Prince. Initial reports suggest that these attacks were retaliatory actions by gang members in response to recent police and Multinational Security Support (MSS) operations, the firm said. High-risk areas include Terre Noire, specifically between Barbancourt and Route 9, the vicinity around the U.S. embassy, and La Paix near Visa Lodge. Armed groups have become increasingly dangerous and bold in Haiti where more than 5,600 people were killed last year in gang-fueled violence, and more than 1 million are now displaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest attacks come a day before Colombian President Gustavo Petro is scheduled to visit the southeastern city of Jacmel, the first visit by any president from the South American country in over two decades. Also on Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council will hold its quarterly meeting in New York to discuss measures being taken to tackle the countrys political, security and humanitarian crisis. Among those slated to address the Security Council is Robert Alvarez, the foreign minister of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The Dominican Republic is among several countries in the region calling on the Security Council to transform the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission into a formal U.N. peacekeeping operation in order to guarantee its funding and personnel. The current mission, which was primarily funded by the Biden administration before it left office on Monday, has struggled to contain the violence amid a lack of funding, equipment and security personnel. The force currently stands at just under 800, far short of the 2,500 security personnel envisioned. A U.N.-controlled Trust Fund also has received $101.1 million in pledges, which is still below what is needed, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. In his latest report on Haiti, Guterres notes that gangs have intensified their coordinated attacks, which continue to target police stations, hospitals and the main international airport. His special representative and head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, will brief the council on recent developments including a standoff by Haitis transition leaders that led to the ouster of one prime minister, Garry Conille, and the appointment of another, Alix Didier Fils-Aime, after less than six months; and the handling of corruption allegations against three members of the ruling Transitional Presidential Council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The advisers are accused of attempting to solicit bribes from the then-chairman of Haitis National Bank of Credit in exchange for allowing him to remain on the job. The allegations and firing have stoked tensions within the transition, and raised concerns about whether Haiti will be able to pull off free, fair and credible elections this year in order to put a new president in office by February 7, 2026. On Monday, amid a furry of executive orders he signed, President Donald Trump announced the temporary suspension of all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It is unclear how the order affects assistance to Haiti, which relies overwhelming on the U.S. not just financial support for security, including the Haiti National Police, but for humanitarian and health programs. The U.S. is Haitis biggest donor. Ukraine's 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade, commenting on the situation near Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast, have emphasised that despite having sufficient artillery and drones, the units are facing a critical shortage of personnel in the infantry divisions. Source: 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade Quote: "Compared to Avdiivka, the reasons for losing territory are different. In Avdiivka, there was a shortage of artillery rounds, and FPV drones were just starting to develop, but infantry was still present. Back then, the absence of artillery was made up for by the troops. Now, however, there is enough artillery and drones, but there are not enough soldiers to fight. There is a complete shortage of personnel in the infantry units." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The soldiers said that a typical Russian assault operation involves several groups of 46 individuals attacking Ukrainian positions from different directions. The most intense activity occurs at dawn, when reduced visibility due to fog or rain makes aerial reconnaissance more challenging. The Russians frequently move through wooded areas, using the vegetation to shield themselves from FPV drones. Quote: "Hitting a moving target with artillery is extremely difficult, and in such cases, cluster munitions are somewhat effective. Targeting FPV drones in a grove is challenging due to the radio horizon and the branches that obstruct accurate hits. Moreover, enemy groups now often include soldiers with automatic shotguns, and they are able to shoot down our drones." Read more: The Ukrainian army is engaging in fierce battles and retreating on key front lines. An explanation with maps Details: The soldiers explain that when the Russians approach populated areas, they take cover in buildings or, more often, in basements. Aerial reconnaissance identifies their locations, and artillery adjusts its fire, but due to several challenges such as human factors, worn-out guns, and a variety of munitions hitting precise coordinates is difficult. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "As a result, the shells land roughly in the target area. We fire about ten rounds for adjustments. FPV drones are accurate, but their small payloads cant destroy a basement or a building. When the enemy realises weve adjusted our fire, they move about a hundred meters to a new building, and the cycle starts over. Thats how they advance. Infantry could stop them, but theres no infantry. In such battles, its the infantry and assault troops that should be tasked with clearing buildings and halting the enemy's progress. In one day, our brigade eliminates more enemies than some of our battalions have personnel," the brigade explained. : 110 pic.twitter.com/BuybI41NZR (@ukrpravda_news) January 22, 2025 Background: The analytical project DeepState reported on the night of 20-21 January the advancement of Russian troops in multiple settlements across Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts. Russian troops achieved some success near the settlements of Velyka Novosilka, Uspenivka, and Slovianka. Russian troops are trying to capture Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast. They are trying to block the road from Zelene Pole and capture the settlement without fighting in the urban part of Velyka Novosilka. The Russian army is bypassing Pokrovsk from the south and advancing toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. They are currently heading toward the settlements of Kotlyne and Udachne, located along the Mezhova-Pokrovsk highway. Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, reported that the Russians, leveraging their superiority in assets and personnel, are actively advancing near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, aiming to capture nearby villages to partially encircle the city. Serhii Dobriak, Head of the Pokrovsk Military Administration, has reported that Russian forces are intensifying their attacks on the city. Russian troops are less than three kilometres from Pokrovsk, he emphasises. Fierce fighting continues in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast, and the line of contact has divided the city in two. The Russians are using scorched earth tactics to try to destroy the city's infrastructure and the positions of the Ukrainian military. Support UP or become our patron! Nepal has raised its fees for climbing the worlds highest peak by more than a third to $15,000, a government official announced on Wednesday. The Mount Everest fee hike marks a $4,000 increase from the previous $11,000 for the spring climbing season between March and May, the busiest and often the only viable time for climbing. That comes on top of the $40,000 to $100,000 in other costs each climber need to cover to summit Everest, depending on the level of support and expedition services needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new fees will come into effect from September, Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the Department of Tourism (DoT), told dpa. The autumn climbing season, from September to November, will see an increase in permit fees from $5,500 to $7,500. Meanwhile, individual permit costs for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons have risen from $2,750 to $3,750. The rates apply for normal route, also known as the South Col or Southeast Ridge, while the fees for other routes is expected to be slightly lower. In current fee structure, in place since 2015, climbing Everest via less frequently used routes costs $10,000 in spring, $5,000 in autumn and $2,500 in winter. Nepali climbers have to pay a nominal fees (currently RS 75,000 per person for spring), while guides and helpers are exempt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to DoT spokesperson Liladhar Awasthi, the department is yet to receive full details of the decision and the finalized price list from the cabinet of ministers, which approved the change. DoT officials said the price hike was overdue, as the permit fees were last revised in 2015. The change comes as Mount Everest continues to attract climbers from around the world. In the spring of 2024, Nepal issued 419 permits for Everests southern route, while in 2023, a total of 478 permits were granted, excluding local guides, according to DoT data. Mount Everest straddles the border between Nepal and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, with climbers able to ascend from either side. Since the first successful ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary in 1953, more than 12,000 summits have been recorded, according to the Himalayan Database. CHICAGO A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition following a shooting Tuesday afternoon in Chicagos North Lawndale neighborhood. The incident occurred in the 400 block of W. 21 St. around 2 p.m. According to Chicago police, the 16-year-old was standing near a sidewalk when gunfire struck him in the groin. Emergency crews rushed the juvenile shooting victim to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition. SEE ALSO: Man charged in 2020 forest preserve murder, sex assault of Harvey woman Concerning the shooting, Chicago police say no one is in custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with additional information may leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com. Area Four Detectives are 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 WGN-TV. 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: Robbin Ann Huff and baby Amber Denise Huff. Image courtesy Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. We want to remember Robbin Ann Huff and baby Amber Denise Huff, 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. An 18-year-old was killed and another person was injured in a shooting on Tuesday night in West Price Hill. Officers responded to the 900 block of Seibel Lane just after 9 p.m. According to Fox19, a pickup truck drove by the house and fired multiple shots inside, according to initial emergency communication reports. They found two shooting victims, who were taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center by the Cincinnati Fire Department Crews. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dewey Curtis died at the hospital. The second victim, who has not been named, was treated and is in stable condition, according to police. Police have not released any suspect information. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the CPD Homicide Unit at 513-352-3542. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 18-year-old killed, 1 person injured in Cincinnati drive-by shooting This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. RENOVO Tracy Bruno had just ordered breakfast at Sockys Restaurant when she suddenly felt dizzy. The next thing she knew, her husband Gene Bruno, the mayor of Renovo Borough, was calling 911. But rather than wait for first responders, the couple decided to drive five minutes to Bucktail Medical Center, rural Clinton Countys only inpatient hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bruno, who had felt sick all weekend and planned to see a doctor on Monday, was treated for hypoglycemia. Without Bucktail Medical Center, her options for care wouldve been 35 minutes away in Lock Haven at an outpatient center or an hour away in a Lycoming County hospital. Its winter. What if it started snowing? Better yet, what if I went into convulsions, she told Spotlight PA earlier this month. It could have been a lot worse if we didnt have this facility. That fear, however, was a real possibility in recent years. In September 2023, Bucktail Medical Center was on the verge of shutting down, a closure that would make UPMC Williamsport, an hours drive away, the closest emergency room. But thanks to a $1 million state grant offered through a program for distressed hospitals the facility has a future, for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funds from the state Department of Community and Economic Development can cover payroll, facility repairs, training, equipment, and research on alternative ways to pay for services. Health officials and elected leaders announced the grant on Jan. 13, the same day Bruno, who is on the hospitals board, went to the emergency room. For years, health care administrators and experts have said workforce shortages and increased operating costs have exacerbated financial problems, especially for hospitals in rural areas where residents are typically older and more reliant on Medicare and Medicaid, which reimburse at lower rates than private insurance companies. Bucktail is no exception. Tax documents for 2023 show the hospital reported $7.09 million in revenue but $9.2 million in expenses. In September of the same year, then-CEO Timothy Reeves launched a GoFundMe to raise $1.5 million to sustain services. He later resigned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alarm bells went off for Clinton County Commissioner Angela Harding that fall. She then went to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiros administration for help. A collaboration began between county officials, state lawmakers, and health experts in monthly strategic planning meetings. Laura Murnyack who previously served as chief nursing officer took over as Bucktails CEO in 2024. Under her leadership, the hospital cut costs by closing a long-term care facility last spring and outsourcing payroll services. Without those changes and collaboration with elected leaders and health experts, Bucktail wouldve closed, Board of Directors President John Lugg said. In recent years, Pennsylvania has seen several rural hospitals cut services or shutter altogether due to financial strain. State Sen. Cris Dush (R., Jefferson) said the push for funding in Clinton County stemmed from local outcry and concerns about a wide service gap if Bucktail closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No place else in the state are you going to be an hour one way to get to an emergency room, Dush told Spotlight PA. The one-time grant doesnt mean Bucktail which has about 80 employees is safe from future challenges. Hospital administrators didnt say how long they expect the $1 million to last. The medical centers annual budget is $7.5 million, Murnyack told Spotlight PA. However, the financial relief will help stabilize operations, she added. Monthly planning meetings to discuss opportunities to make operations more sustainable will continue, Harding said. Lisa Davis, director of the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, said the state funding and guidance from the national nonprofit Rural Health Redesign Center helped Bucktail stay open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This hospital is now on a right path, but they need much more, she told Spotlight PA. Outside of funding for rural health facilities, Davis cited legislative efforts to prioritize telemedicine and offer student loan forgiveness to medical professionals working in rural areas as ways to bolster care in these communities. Janice Walters, CEO of the Rural Health Redesign Center, said the current health care system isnt sustainable without innovative solutions. The centers work focuses on improving access to health services in rural areas, as well as negotiating alternative payment methods. Dush said there needs to be changes at the state and national level to address insurance reimbursement challenges something he previously discussed when another nonprofit health system in his district shuttered a local maternity unit last year. He added that policymakers should take action to ensure nonprofit facilities prioritize community-level care, not generating profits for chief administrators to pocket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When my dad broke his back, and he wasnt working, but when he was going to college, the local physician our family doc he just told my mom: If you can come in two days a week for a month and clean, well call it even, he said. We dont have that anymore, but I want to see us start going back [to] that trend. Dush added that officials are working on partnerships to boost care for veterans, who might have to travel from Clinton County to Altoona or Pittsburgh for various services, such as physical therapy. He hopes that residents utilize existing and future services to ensure success. Mary George Rhone, a Renova resident, said Bucktail is the communitys lifeline. If the hospital shuttered, not only would current residents take the hit, but she guessed the loss would deter future economic growth because people and businesses likely would not move to an area with such limited access to care. We need that hospital, she told Spotlight PA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUPPORT THIS JOURNALISM and help us reinvigorate local news in north-central Pennsylvania at spotlightpa.org/donate/statecollege. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability and public-service journalism that gets results. 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 ABC27. Police in Greece said Wednesday they were investigating how an ancient Greek statue came to be dumped in a black plastic bag near garbage cans in the northern city of Thessaloniki. The organized crime unit said it was investigating "after a 32-year-old man went to the police to drop off a statue he had apparently found inside a black bag near dustbins." According to the first assessment by the archaeology service, the headless statue is from the Hellenistic period (between 323 and 31 BC), said the police statement. Authorities also released a photo of the statue, which measures 32 by 10 inches. Police in Greece said an ancient statue was dumped near garbage cans in the city of Thessaloniki. / Credit: Greek Police It will be transferred to the crime investigation team in northern Greece for lab tests, then to the antiquities service for evaluation and conservation, according to the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police have long had to contend with the illegal traffic in antiquities because of the number of artifacts in sites across the country that date back to ancient Greece. Road and construction work across Greece still turns up new finds from that era on a regular basis. Accidental archaeological discoveries are relatively common in Greece, a country renowned for its ancient heritage, and often made during building construction or public works. In December, workers installing natural gas pipelines near Athens uncovered a Roman-era statue of Hermes buried upright in a brick-lined pit near the Acropolis. Thessaloniki weeks ago unveiled a trove of antiquities found during the decades-long construction of its metro system, which officially opened in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Key finds, including a marble-paved Roman thoroughfare and tens of thousands of artifacts spanning the Greek, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, are now showcased at subway stations. Ancient statues have also been found in trash before in other parts of Europe. In 2023, a Roman-era statuette of Venus was discovered in a trash dump in Rennes, France. That same year, ancient bronze statues were found in a garbage dump in Tuscany, Italy. In 2013, a 1,800-year-old carved stone head possibly depicting a Roman god found in an ancient trash dump in England. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Trump signs executive orders after inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day Designer Eric Javits discusses Melania Trump's inauguration hat THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) A marble statue of a woman believed to be more than 2,000 years old was found abandoned in a garbage bag near the Greek city of Thessaloniki, police said Wednesday. A resident discovered the 80-centimeter (31-inch) headless statue beside a trash bin in Neoi Epivates, outside Greeces second-largest city. The man turned it over to local authorities, who contacted archaeologists to assess its significance. Police said experts, following an initial evaluation, determined the piece dates to the Hellenistic era, a period roughly between 320 and 30 B.C. that was marked by a flourishing of art and culture following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statue was sent for further examination by archaeologists. It will ultimately be handed over to the local antiquities authority for preservation and study. Police opened an investigation to determine who discarded the statue and briefly detained a man for questioning who was later released without charge. Accidental archaeological discoveries are relatively common in Greece, a country renowned for its ancient heritage, and often made during building construction or public works. In December, workers installing natural gas pipelines near Athens uncovered a Roman-era statue of Hermes buried upright in a brick-lined pit near the Acropolis. Thessaloniki weeks ago unveiled a trove of antiquities found during the decades-long construction of its metro system, which officially opened in November. Key finds, including a marble-paved Roman thoroughfare and tens of thousands of artifacts spanning the Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, are now showcased at subway stations. SARI PUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Six members of the militant group Islamic State (IS) were arrested in the northern Afghan Sari Pul province, the provincial police said in a statement Wednesday. The arrested were involved in subversive activities and conducted an explosion in the province a couple of months ago, the statement said. The police also discovered evidence, including a drone camera, books and a motorcycle, the statement added. Without identifying the nationality of the detained individuals, the statement noted that security forces will not allow anyone to disturb law and order in the province. ARVIN, Calif. (KGET) Two men were arrested after a police pursuit ended near Arvin on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The pursuit ended when a driver crashed the vehicle into a dirt mound at Malaga and Panama roads at around 4 p.m., Arvin Police Chief Alex Ghazalpour told 17 News. Ghazalpour said officers were searching for a suspect wanted for a felony and located a suspect vehicle on Towerline Road. The driver and one other person inside fled and led officers on a short pursuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Border Patrol agent killed in Vermont Officials did not confirm what the two men were wanted for prompting the stop. The two men inside were taken into custody. Check back for updates. 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 News. Amid the chaos and devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires, two black cats have struck luck. The felines, named Shadow and Bandit, were reunited with their owner Georgia S. of Altadena after being rescued by ASPCA officers when Georgia was forced to leave her home as the Eaton Fire approached. Sharing her story in an ASPCA press release, retired banker Georgia, who has lived in her home for more than thirty years, describes the moment of reunion as touching." Meanwhile, ASPCA officer Jenn, who rescued the cats, says, Being able to rescue and reunite these pets meant the world to me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 72-year-old Georgia was forced to evacuate her home on the afternoon of Jan. 7. She decided to leave when she noticed a fire in the distance. I saw light, and the light got bigger. Men were running up and down my street telling people to evacuate, she said, per ASPCA. Related: Man Known as the 'Johnny-on-the-Spot' Animal Rescuer for His L.A. Community Ramps Up Efforts During Wildfires (Exclusive) The California resident kept numerous pets at her property including dogs, Max and Ruby, and six finches. She was unable to find Shadow and Bandit in the darkness and chaos of evacuation but left them food and water and headed to her sister Marys house in Pasadena, she noted to the animal rescue charity. ASPCA Georgia (left) with her sisters Michelle (center) and Mary (right) Georgia (left) with her sisters Michelle (center) and Mary (right) Following a windy night, Marys husband woke the family at 6 a.m. local time and suggested they relocate to the home of their other sister, Michelle, as the fires were also closing in on their property. Georgia first attempted to rescue her pets but couldn't enter her neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worried, she left a message with ASPCAs Pasadena Humane helpline and within 20 minutes, received a call back from Jenn. Related: News Team Saves 3 Dogs from Burning L.A. Home. They're 'the Best Humanity Has to Offer,' Says Owner After collecting the keys to Georgias property, Jenn traveled to her home and located Shadow and Bandit from the closet where they had been hiding. It was a touching moment filled with hugs, Jenn said of reuniting them with Georgia. Being able to rescue and reunite these pets meant the world to me. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty A home burns during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County A home burns during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County 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. We dont often get to do reunifications in the field, the ASPCA officer added in the charitys press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per NBC News, The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that the Eaton Fire destroyed 9,300 structures and damaged a further 1,062. However, amid the chaos, Georgias remained unharmed which she described to the ASPCA as nothing short of a miracle. Vowing to stay in the area, the mom of two added, I still cant get over the devastation. Read the original article on People A Raleigh police officer is in the hospital with serious injuries after being shot Tuesday night. ALSO: Man killed in officer-involved shooting, Pineville police say ABC affiliate WTVD reports officers with the The Raleigh Police Department were sent to a house around 5:45 p.m. when a person inside started shooting. One officer was shot and seriously injured. The suspect died in a shootout. A man who was inside the house at the time of the shooting died at a hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raleigh police chief Estella Patterson said the officer is out of surgery and is in critical condition. Its unknown whether the suspect was killed by police gunfire. (WATCH BELOW: 1 killed in west Charlotte shooting, MEDIC says) NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Two people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation following a two-alarm fire in the Ocean View area of Norfolk Tuesday, Norfolk Fire-Rescue said. The call for the fire came in around 8:45 p.m. for what turned into a two-alarm fire in the 9500 block of 1st View Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (WAVY photos Markeshia Jackson) When crews arrived around 8:48 p.m., they observed smoke and flames from a two-story home, and they used multiple hand lines, along with aerial master streams to control the fire and protect exposures. Norfolk Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Jarrod Sergi said the fire did not spread beyond the one structure, but some electrical lines did get burned and fell to the ground. He said the snowy conditions made putting out the fire a challenge. Everythings iced over, the lines are freezing, everything on the ladder is freezing, said Norfolk Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Jarrod Sergi. It does make it a little bit more difficult, kind of slows things down a little bit, so its one of those times where we have to call in extra crews out early to get em here as quickly as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire was declared under control at 8:53 p.m. and is still under investigation. The Red Cross has been contacted to provide assistance. 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 WAVY.com. OWENSBORO, Ky. (FOX 56) Police have arrested two Kentucky Wesleyan College students after a reported case of voyeurism. On Tuesday, the Owensboro Police Department said 22-year-old Soufian Khaloufi Ouahbi, from Spain, and 20-year-old Alejandro Cuesta, of Spain, were arrested. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: The department said the investigation began on Dec. 4, after a female student told police a student, later identified as Ouahbi, allegedly filmed her in the shower using his cellphone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A search warrant allegedly uncovered child sexual abuse material on his phone and revealed Cuesta as a second suspect. After returning to the U.S. from winter break, Ouahbi was arrested and charged with five counts of possession of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor under 12, possession of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor over 12, and video voyeurism. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Police said Cuesta was charged with two counts of distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor under 12 and possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor under 12. Police said Kentucky Wesleyan College officials cooperated with officers during the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both men were lodged in the Daviess County Detention Center. The forensic analysis revealed multiple photographs of child sexual abuse material and a separate KWC student as a suspect. Upon Soufians return to the U.S. from break, officers served an arrest warrant. Soufian has been charged with: 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. CLEVELAND (WJW) The FOX 8 I-Team has uncovered two incidents with planes at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, including at least one tied to the frigid weather. Both planes had passengers on board. Monday morning, passengers on an American Airlines plane didnt take off after leaving the terminal. The airline says a de-icing truck made contact with the plane. The passengers on board included Joshua Vinson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You felt a bump. It wasnt a big bump where people fell out of their seats or anything like that, but you felt a bump, he said. Extreme cold exposure can lead to medical emergencies Soon, travelers could look out the window and see emergency vehicles. Then things just got quiet. You no longer heard the de-icer going, Vinson said. The captain got on and said, looks like we got a situation happening. A de-icer truck hit the front of the plane. That turned out to be the second incident Monday involving a plane with passengers at Hopkins Airport. Both of them in this extreme cold snap weve been experiencing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the first incident, the Ohio State Highway Patrol took the initial report. A call came in for an accident as a Frontier Airlines plane was getting pushed back from the terminal before takeoff. A caller from the airport said, weve had a aircraft thats been damaged by a ground vehicle. A ground tug. One of the tow bars snapped. As for the planes involved in the incidents, one had been heading to Miami. One to Chicago. No one reported being hurt, but what exactly happened, and why? The Federal Aviation Administration has started investigating. Updates: Businesses, offices closing due to cold American Airlines issued an apology to customers through FOX 8, adding the plane in the de-icing incident had to be taken out of service to be inspected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But for Vinson, a quick flight to Chicago suddenly took all day. We were at the airport basically from 4:45 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. but I guess part of me was just glad that it wasnt as bad as it could have been, he said. We also reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment, and as of late Tuesday, we had not heard back. 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. Two students were shot at Antioch High School in suburban Tennessee on Wednesday before the alleged gunman reportedly shot themselves, according to local police. Three people have been wounded, including the suspect, who shot himself, the Metro Nashville Police Department said in a statement on social media, adding that a shooting incident is under investigation at the school. Local outlets WTVF, WSMV, and WZTV have reported that an Antioch High School student opened fire on two classmates in the schools cafeteria before turning the gun on themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extent of the injuries to the three students are currently unclear. PEOPLE has reached out to local authorities for an update. BREAKING: A shooting incident is under investigation at Antioch High School. Three people have been wounded, including the suspect, who shot himself. Reunification site for parents is 3754 M'boro Pk. Buses will be taking students there. pic.twitter.com/G5UypO7neP Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) January 22, 2025 Antioch, Tenn., is located roughly 17 miles southeast of Nashvilles city center. Antioch High School has roughly 2,000 students, according to the Metro Nashville Public School Districts website. 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 school district announced on social media that Antioch High School was put on a lockdown after the shots were fired inside the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro Police are on the scene, the school district said. The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat." Read the original article on People Updated, Jan. 23 A federal judge in Washington state today temporarily blocked President Donald J. Trumps three-day-old executive order to end birthright citizenship. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, called the order blatantly unconstitutional. He agreed with the four state plaintiffs that it would cause irreparable harm to those denied their right to citizenship, subjected to the risk of deportation and family separation and deprived of federally funded medical care and public benefits that prevent child poverty and promote child health, also impacting their education. A separate federal lawsuit is pending in Massachusetts. Twenty-two states plus San Francisco and Washington, D.C. and several civil rights groups are suing to block President Donald J. Trumps move to undo birthright citizenship through executive order, a constitutional challenge education leaders say could transform public schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who rode a tidal wave of xenophobia to a second term, argues that birthright citizenship does not extend to any child whose mother is unlawfully present in the United States or lawfully present on a temporary basis such as foreign students and whose father is neither a citizen nor a lawful permanent resident. The move garnered immediate backlash: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868. It states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter If you lose the protections of birthright citizenship and Plyler v. Doe is overturned or somehow ignored, then I think a lot of families would withdraw their children from school out of fear of deportation, said immigration advocate and policy expert Timothy Boals, referring to the 1982 Supreme Court case which forbids schools from denying enrollment based on a childs or their parents immigration status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related Oklahoma Plan to Check Parents Citizenship Could Keep Kids from Going to School Conservative forces aligned with the Trump administration have been strategizing an end to Plyler for years. That potential threat is now being amplified with the affront on birthright citizenship and Tuesdays announcement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are now free to make arrests and carry out actions in schools, churches and other once-protected areas. The president has already pledged mass deportations and a return to family detention. What that means is more children are denied an education and thats not good for our society if they end up staying, said Boals, and its certainly not good for the students wherever they end up going. Related Trumps Deportation Plans Threaten Millions of Families. Who Is Protecting Them? Speaking specifically about the ICE enforcement change, Laura Gardner, who founded Immigrant Connections, a consulting group that works with educators, said the policy will create intense fear and could negatively impact student attendance and family engagement. It will also be difficult for teachers, whom she said cant do their job when children arent in school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As educators, we always remind students and families that schools are a safe space and now we cant really guarantee that, she told The 74. Ultimately, all this is going to do is hurt innocent children. About 4.4 million U.S.-born children under 18 lived with an unauthorized immigrant parent in 2022, according to the Pew Research Center. About 250,000 babies were born to unauthorized immigrant parents in the United States in 2016, the latest year for which information is available, according to Pews analysis of government data. This represents a 36% decrease from a peak of about 390,000 in 2007. The president also seeks to prohibit government agencies from issuing documents recognizing an infants citizenship if born under the circumstances he outlined or from accepting documents issued by state, local or other authorities acknowledging their citizenship. The controversial order could go into effect Feb. 19, leaving children born on U.S. soil to non-citizen parents, from that date on, without any legal status. They will all be deportable and many will be stateless, according to one of two federal lawsuits filed by the states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said Trump has no right to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment, Nor is he empowered by any other source of law to limit who receives United States citizenship at birth. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the groups fighting the move, called it a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values. Birthright citizenship is part of what makes the United States the strong and dynamic nation that it is, he said. This order seeks to repeat one of the gravest errors in American history, by creating a permanent subclass of people born in the U.S. who are denied full rights as Americans. Romeros remarks harken back to one of the Supreme Courts most reviled rulings: Dred Scott v. Sandford. In that 1857 case, the court ruled that enslaved people, including Dred Scott, were not citizens of the United States and, as a result, could not expect any protection from the federal government or courts, according to the National Archives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ruling, which pushed the nation toward civil war, was essentially undone by the 13th and 14th amendments. New York Attorney General Letitia James lambasted Trump for trying to reverse what has been a hallmark of the nation for more than 150 years. This executive order is nothing but an attempt to sow division and fear, but we are prepared to fight back with the full force of the law to uphold the integrity of our Constitution, she said. As Attorney General, I will always protect the legal rights of immigrants and their families and communities. If Trumps order is implemented, the U.S. would join other nations that do not allow birthright citizenship or greatly restrict such protections including the United Kingdom and Australia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of 2022, Pew Research reported that unauthorized immigrants represented 3.3% of the total U.S. population and 23% of the foreign-born population: Immigrants as a whole comprised 14.3% of the nations population that year, below the record high of 14.8% reached in 1890. Related Hundreds of High Schools Wrongfully Refused Entry to Older, Immigrant Student At an inaugural prayer service Tuesday, an Episcopal bishop made a direct plea to Trump to reconsider his views on immigrants and their kids. they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors, the Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde said. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away The next day Trump demanded an apology and described Edgar Budde as a so-called Bishop and a Radical Left hard line Trump hater who was not compelling or smart. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) On Tuesday, an Oklahoma County jury convicted 23-year-old Johnathon Thomas of first-degree murder for the shooting death of 32-year-old Justin Smith in June 2023. Oklahoma City Police responded to the shooting at the Aloha Bar in the early morning hours of June 12, 2023. When officers arrived at the bar in southeast Oklahoma City, they reportedly found Smith had been shot in the chest and attempted CPR. However, their efforts were unsuccessful and Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manhunt leads to one arrest, says Pottawatomie County Sheriff Detectives interviewed Thomas and another witness at the bar. Based on information gathered during the interviews, Thomas was arrested on a first-degree murder complaint. After returning a guilty verdict against Thomas on Tuesday, the jury recommended a life sentence in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Thomas is expected to be formally sentenced on March 20. 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. A staff member holds a plush toy snake at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) Participants attend a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants attend a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants try dumplings at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants attend a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) A participant shows Yangliuqing woodblock paintings at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) A participant tries to print Yangliuqing woodblock paintings at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Participants try Tianjin crepe at a reception held by Tianjin City of China during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Tianjin, the host city of the 2025 Summer Davos (Annual Meeting of the New Champions), held the reception here on Tuesday evening to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) MANCHESTER, Conn. (WTNH) Three people were seriously injured in a crash at the intersection of West Center and Cooper Street in Manchester, fire officials said. 1 injured in Laurel Sreet shooting in Hartford According to fire officials, on Tuesday afternoon, officers at the scene found that two people were ejected and located under one of the cars. Fire officials said the people were removed without having to lift the car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four people were taken to the hospital, fire officials said. 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 WTNH.com. ELDORADO, Wis. (WFRV) A 31-year-old man was evaluated at a hospital and upon discharge will be taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail after leading officers on a high-speed chase. According to the Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office, the driver was identified as a man from Cecil and was the only person in the suspect vehicle. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning around 10:13 when a deputy was traveling south on I-41 near County Highway N in the Township of Eldorado. Neenah man saves two people from fiery car crash Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect vehicle sped past the deputy via the gravel shoulder and did not yield to the deputys traffic stop order. The pursuit went south on I-41 as the driver continued recklessly operating across both lanes on the shoulder at high speeds. A Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Deputy and Wisconsin State Patrol Troopers deployed tire deflation devices successfully, and the suspect vehicle lost control and hit a ditch. The driver was taken into custody after a brief pursuit on foot, and taken to a hospital for evaluation. Once discharged, he will be transported to the Fond du Lac County Jail on felony fleeing and 1st-degree reckless endangerment charges. Sheriffs Office: Strip club fire in Wisconsin ruled as arson, one man arrested Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No injuries were sustained by any civilians nearby, though a civilian vehicle sustained minor gravel damage. A patrol car from the County Sheriffs Office also was minorly damaged by tire debris coming off the suspect vehicle. No more details are 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Ross Ulbricht walks free: It took President Donald Trump more like 36 hours than his promised 24, but we'll gladly let it slide. Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who had been serving double life sentences plus 40 years without the possibility of parole, walked out of prison a free man last night thanks to a pardon from Trump after serving 11 years. "I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright [sic] to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," wrote Trump on Truth Social. "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!" Trump was fulfilling a promise made at the Libertarian National Convention in May last year, deftly brokered in part by current party Chair Angela McArdle, who is wasting no time taking a victory lap on X. But credit is also surely due to Ulbricht's mother, Lyn, who, following her son's conviction and imprisonment, devoted the last decade of her life to publicizing his case, especially possible malfeasance and corruption by the prosecutors who worked on it. Lyn turned her life upside down, moving to Colorado to be able to visit her son in prison (before he was transferred to Tucson) and becoming a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform. The Ulbricht family's love for Ross has always been so clear, I hope they get to spend the coming weeks and months making up for lost time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Silk Road, of course, earned the ire of the feds because it was an early example of how bitcoin would enable greater financial anonymity than ever before. "Silk Road's innovative mail order using bitcoin, combined with user reviews of sellers, imposed some real market discipline on dealers, kept buyers from the occasional dangers of physically obtaining drugs, and allowed people not violating others' lives and property to buy and sell drugs with less (but not zero) legal risk," writes Reason's Brian Doherty. And if you go deep down the rabbit hole into all the issues with the case, and the judge presiding over it, oh, and how your favorite libertarian magazine was targeted by the government for our commentariat's creative expression, wellyou might just want to crawl into a wood chipper. Full Reason archive here, rich with a decade-plus of Ross coverage. Double life for making a marketplace is insane, but this detail makes it even more sinister. So glad this evil act has been undone, but Ross can't get the years back. https://t.co/SInGHjHFNX nic golden age carter (@nic__carter) January 22, 2025 More on Ulbricht's story from Zach Weissmueller: For what it's worth, I think this is a way better use of the pardon power than, ahem, Joe Biden's preemptive excusing of Anthony Fauci. God bless Ross, may he live out the rest of his days as a free man, never setting foot inside of a prison again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Getting the hell outta DOGE: Vivek Ramaswamy was not long for the world of DOGE, reports Politico. Ramaswamy, famed for his appearance on the popular podcast Just Asking Questions (and also, I suppose, running for president), has decided to exit the Department of Government Efficiency and instead run for governor of Ohio. Though I like that DOGE is already making cuts, it does seem rather odd for the Ramaswamy/Musk team to be touted by Trump for several weeks then quickly scrapped. What happened? "Musk, the tech tycoon and Donald Trump confidant, made it known that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days, according to three people familiar with Musk's preferences who, like others for this article, were granted anonymity to discuss them," reports Politico. "An ill-received holiday rant on X by Ramaswamy about H-1B visas apparently hastened his demise." DEI, time to DIE: "Officials overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across federal agencies were expected to be placed on leave on Wednesday after the Trump administration ordered their offices to be closed," weeps The New York Times. For the time being, the leave is paid, but agencies have been directed to draw up plans within the next week for staff reductions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order aimed at immediately dismantling all federal government DEI programs, calling them "radical" and "wasteful". Now, "the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Performance and Personnel Management will coordinate on changing hiring practices, ending equity-focused programs and grants and terminating 'chief diversity officer' positions designated during the Biden administration," reports the Times. Such policies "undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system," reads a related executive order. "We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based," Trump said in his Monday inaugural address. "This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept," said press secretary Karoline Leavitt yesterday. Scenes from New York: "A new proposal to ease New York City's housing crisis would make way for nearly 10,000 apartments in parts of Midtown Manhattan that do not currently allow new residential construction, a shift officials hope will reinvigorate an area that has come to represent economic challenge," reports The New York Times. "The plan, which city officials introduced at a Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, seeks to change the zoning for 42 blocks of the neighborhood. That would allow for some 9,700 additional homes, including 2,900 designed to be affordable for moderate- or lower-income New Yorkers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm sorry, but this will do very little to wind down the cost of living. The issue is rent stabilization and rent control, in addition to too few units; mandating that developers set aside a certain number to rent at a lower rate just means they'll compensate elsewhere when setting prices. And, all these issues aside, 10,000 is just too few! QUICK HITS Seriously, please subscribe to JUST ASKING QUESTIONS . Our episode yesterday featured the one and only Mike Pesca and was full of spicy thoughts on Trump's Day 1 in office. We have only good things planned for the coming year, and we're so close to 5,000 YouTube subscribers (at which point we have a special episode planned). "I remember that Donald Trump had only one good line during his first (and only) debate against Joe Bidenprimarily because he needed do nothing else but remain functional while Biden melted like a wax candle beside himand it was his point that Biden had never fired anyone for poor performance, not even once in a presidential term that all voters could agree was wrought with massive, avoidable, personally accountable failures," writes Jeffrey Blehar at National Review. "Why not? I flagged it back then (even amidst the chaos of Biden's meltdown) because I felt that it subtly got to the point that Trump, in that debate, was not expecting to deal with: Biden's presidency had been a sham from its very first day, a project managed by a group of advisers rather than an actual president, and that cabal couldn't fire anyone who might reveal the secret. It really boils down to that: We were stuck with the useless administration Biden announced on Day One, because, on Day One, Biden was already mentally unfit for office." "Americans should consciously consider who we want to be as a society. Do we want to be the freest country in the world, or the country that imprisons its own people the most and the hardest," writes Dave Smith on X in a post related to the pardon of Ross Ulbricht. "You can't be both and the choice should be obvious." "Democratic attorneys general on Tuesday filed lawsuits in Massachusetts and Washington state seeking to block President Donald Trump's attempt to revoke the right to automatic birthright citizenship," reports NBC News. "The proposal faces an uphill battle and strong opposition from not just the 23 Democratic attorneys general but also civil rights groups, who have already filed their own lawsuit." A good take (though I think the Musk gesture was fine): That Musk salute sure seems kind of fascisty, but in fairness so does a mob of masked campus cretins marching through the Upper East Side chanting death to Jews David Burge (@iowahawkblog) January 21, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tough but fair: The San Francisco housing shortage is finally starting to turn around, but for the worst possible reason: a lot of people are finally giving up and moving away. pic.twitter.com/ZzZqnNCC8c M. Nolan Gray ???? (@mnolangray) January 21, 2025 The post 36 Hours appeared first on Reason.com. A Swiss International Air Lines pilot started feeling unwell midjourney. The flight from Zurich to Miami then turned around over the Atlantic. A return flight from Florida to Switzerland was also canceled because the aircraft was diverted. Swiss International Air Lines passengers endured a four-hour flight to nowhere after a pilot fell ill. Two hours after Flight LX66 left Zurich for Miami on Monday, it U-turned over the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles off the French coast, according to Flightradar24 data. "One of the pilots did not feel fully fit after starting the flight," an airline spokesperson told Business Insider. "As a precautionary measure, the cockpit crew decided not to continue the flight and instead returned to Zurich Airport." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were 123 passengers on board the flight, which landed back in Zurich at 2:24 p.m. local time some four hours after departure. The Swiss spokesperson added that the fire department was standing by, standard procedure given that the Airbus A330 was landing at a higher-than-normal weight. The aircraft had enough fuel for a 10-hour flight but lacked a fuel-dump system. A diverted flight is not only frustrating for the passengers on board but also can have knock-on effects on other journeys. People scheduled to fly on the same A330 from Miami to Zurich later on Monday had their flight canceled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have rebooked the affected passengers onto alternative connections and would like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused," the airline spokesperson said. They added that Swiss would cover expenses for passengers' hotel accommodations, taxi rides, meals, and phone calls until the next possible departure, rebook them free of charge, or cancel the trip with a full refund. Read the original article on Business Insider *Attached video: Homicides in Cleveland in recent years BLACKLICK, Ohio (WJW) A 4-year-old girl is dead after being shot while inside an Ohio home early Tuesday morning. According to a news release from the Franklin County Sheriffs Office, deputies were dispatched to a report of a shooting at a home on the 8000 block of Beardsley Avenue in Jefferson Township at about 4 a.m. Solon, Parma, Cleveland cancel school Wednesday: Full list Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the scene, officers found a 4-year-old girl who was shot by an unknown suspect who approached the home, fired shots from the street and then fled the scene in a dark-colored sedan, according to the release. According to the release, the shooting appeared to be a targeted attack on the residence. The victim was taken to Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus in critical condition but was pronounced dead at 5:44 a.m., the release said. Reward offered: Man wanted for sexual crimes in NE Ohio Detectives are now working to identify potential suspects and determine a possible motive. This investigation is ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Franklin County Sheriffs Office asks that anyone with details, Ring camera footage or surveillance video about the shooting to call the Sheriffs Office Detective Bureau at 614-525-3351. 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. Buc-ee's is building another store in Texas and it will soon be one of the biggest in the state. The travel center chain, known for its beaver-themed merchandise and clean bathrooms, has announced it will break ground for its newest location in San Marcos on Jan. 29. The $47-million San Marcos store will span 74,000 square feet and feature 128 fueling positions. As an ideal place for travel stops, Buc-ee's is pulling out all the stops. It will feature "Texas barbeque, homemade fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries," according to the chain's press release. Along with thousands of food and beverage options, it will have "the same award-winning restrooms, cheap gas, quality products and excellent service that have won the hearts, trust and business of millions for over 40 years." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People are also reading: Family visits all 37 Buc-ees in Texas for spring break. Heres how you can, too. The new largest Buc-ees travel center opens to the public in Luling, Texas on Monday, June 10, 2024. The new store is 75,000 square feet and will have 120 fueling positions. The store will replace the city's current Buc-ee's location. Local leaders, including San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson and County Judge Ruben Becerra, will attend Wednesday's ceremony. Buc-ee's Director of Real Estate and Development Stan Beard expressed his excitement about the new store and its convenient location between Austin and San Antonio. "The Buc-ee's mantra is 'exceed expectations'; this San Marcos location is a special step for us in that regard," Beard said. "The San Marcos store will help us provide the ultimate Buc-ee's experience to all I-35 travelers, north and southbound!" Buc-ee's corporate development teams have promised to work with local partners to bring over 200 full-time jobs to the area. Employees will enjoy "starting pay beginning well above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401k, and three weeks of paid vacation," according to the press release. Where is the San Marcos Buc-ee's? Buc-ee's near me Based in Texas, Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 and currently operates 510 locations, 35 of which are in the Lone Star State. Since expanding beyond the state in 2019, the chain has opened stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri and Colorado. Last year, Virginia, Mississippi and Ohio also got their first locations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buc-ee's first travel center opened in 2003 in Luling. The original store was rebuilt last summer to become the largest of its kind at 75,000 square feet. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: $47M Buc-ee's coming to San Marcos, among biggest in Texas Police have arrested a suspect in the unsolved murder of a Honolulu teenager, whose death rocked the high school where her body was discovered almost five decades ago. They said the man arrested, Gideon Castro, was one of her former schoolmates who joined the U.S. Army Reserve after graduating. Dawn Momohara was found dead the morning of March 21, 1977, on the second floor of a building at McKinley High School, in Hawaii's capital, according to the Honolulu Police Department. She was 16 and a student there in her sophomore year. Officers at the time showed up to a gruesome scene. Momohara was partially clothed and lying on her back with an orange cloth tied around her neck, said Lt. Deena Thoemmes, of Honolulu Police, at a Tuesday news conference. A subsequent autopsy ruled Momohara was strangled to death, and the medical examiner said there were signs of sexual assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although police retrieved an unknown man's DNA sample from the teenager's clothing, they could not identify a suspect. Authorities would not develop meaningful leads in the homicide until 2020, after a cold case detective re-submitted evidence for forensic exams using updated technology. Dawn Momohara. / Credit: Honolulu Police Department By September 2023, the DNA tests led investigators to two possible suspects: brothers Gideon Castro and William Castro, who had both been interviewed in the immediate aftermath of Momohara's killing. Back then, Gideon Castro told police he met Momohara at a school dance in 1976, just before he graduated, police said. William Castro in those interviews said he and Momohara periodically talked on the phone but denied ever being in any kind of relationship with her. Once forensic tests narrowed down the pool of potential suspects to the Castro brothers, Thoemmes said police traveled to Chicago, where William Castro lived, to obtain a DNA sample secretly from one of his children and use it as a comparison. The comparison excluded William Castro as a suspect, and Gideon Castro, now 66, was arrested at his nursing home in Utah on a second-degree murder charge. Gideon Castro will be extradited back to Honolulu, Thoemmes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "On behalf of the Honolulu Police Department, I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today's arrest possible," the lieutenant said. "Thank you for all your dedication and commitment to the tireless purusit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family." Trump signs executive orders after inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day Designer Eric Javits discusses Melania Trump's inauguration hat This undated photo shows a new species of Rhododendron named Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo by Deng Yihui/Xinhua) NANNING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have discovered a new species of Rhododendron in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and named it Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense. The findings have been published in a recent edition of the journal Phytotaxa, according to the forestry and landscaping bureau of Guangxi's city of Liuzhou. Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense, with a height of 1 to 2 meters, features broadly ovate to orbicular leaves with a cordate-auriculate base and pink to pale pinkish-purple, funnelform-campanulate to campanulate corollas, which distinguish it from other species within the genus Rhododendron. In 2021, researchers at the Liuzhou Forestry Research Institute found an undescribed species of Rhododendron during a plant resource survey in the vicinity of Guangxi Yuanbaoshan National Nature Reserve, said Deng Yihui, a researcher with the institute and a co-author of the paper. Subsequently, the Liuzhou institute collaborated with other research institutions, including the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangxi Institute of Botany, on a two-year research project, and confirmed that the species was different from previously described Rhododendron species. Deng said that the Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense is the first new species of Rhododendron from Guangxi to be published in more than 20 years. Boasting ornamental value, over 80 individual plants of the new species have been discovered near the Yuanbaoshan nature reserve, which are distributed in the evergreen deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest at elevations of 1,200 to 1,450 meters, Deng added. This undated photo shows researchers recording a new species of Rhododendron named Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo by Deng Yihui/Xinhua) Jan. 21SANTA FE The opening day of New Mexico's 60-day legislative session brought changes to the Roundhouse committee landscape. House Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, announced three new committee chairs Tuesday, while also shifting Rep. Kristina Ortez, D-Taos, to a new committee leadership post. Ortez will take over the reins of the House Agriculture, Acequia and Water Resources Committee from Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, who said she voluntarily relinquished the position in order to be appointed to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under legislative rules, House and Senate committee chairs are not allowed to serve on the chambers' respective budget committees. "I knew that when I asked for this committee (assignment)," Herrera told the Journal. "I wanted to get back on it." Meanwhile, Ortez had previously led the House Rural Development, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committee, but that panel will now be chaired by fellow Democrat Linda Serrato of Santa Fe. The other new House committee chairs for the next two years are Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Albuquerque, who will lead the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, and Rep. Art De La Cruz, D-Albuquerque, who was appointed to lead the House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvement Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under New Mexico's legislative system, committee chairs can decide when and if to hold hearings on bills assigned to their panels, giving them significant influence over what proposals advance to the full chambers for a final vote. In the Senate, two new committee chairs were announced. Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, will lead the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, while Sen. Carrie Hamblen, D-Las Cruces, was tabbed to lead the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee. At least some of the committee changes were prompted by lawmakers' resigning or deciding not to seek reelection last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, decided not to run again before lawmakers redrew political boundary lines during the once-per-decade task of redistricting in 2021. He was the chair of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. And former Rep. Eliseo Alcon, D-Milan, who was the chair of the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, stepped down last year due to health concerns and died earlier this year. The House held a moment of silence for him after convening on Tuesday. "He championed New Mexico's veterans, service members and their families. He was a champion of tribal sovereignty," Martinez said of Alcon. "He was a champion of our economy and our environment." Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil, D-Albuquerque, had to give up chairing the Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvement Committee because she moved to a leadership role, winning election as House Democrat's new whip. IOWA The Animal Rescue League of Iowa said five puppies were rescued on Monday after they were left on the side of a road in dangerously cold temperatures. Iowa man accused of child sex crimes found in Indonesia The puppies were taken to the ARL after being found in a plastic tote on the side of a rural road when temperatures were in the single digits and the wind chill was as low as -15 degrees, the ARL said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of the puppies are now under the care of the ARL and are safe and warm. No additional information has been released. Anyone who would like to donate to help the ARL can do so by visiting their website. 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Clark County Sheriffs Office said the investigation into a series of burglaries resulted in them pursuing a suspect vehicle and eventually arresting five teen boys in connection with the crimes. All five accused suspects were booked into the Juvenile Detention Hall in Vancouver. The two youngest suspects were both 14 years old. The other suspects were ages 15, 16 and 17, authorities said. DMV closing one of its busiest offices at Mall 205 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sunday, just after 11:30 p.m., the Clark County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to a report of a burglary at the Shell Station on 4409 NE 78th St. in Vancouver. When deputies arrived, they checked the area but there were no suspects or vehicles. However, witnesses said they heard glass breaking and saw three or four people in masks with backpacks enter the store earlier that evening. During the investigation, video showed four suspects entering the store after breaking the glass, officials said. Another witness also reported the suspects were associated with a small dark-colored SUV that had pulled into an adjacent industrial park. About 20 minutes later, the sheriffs office said an alarm went off and notified dispatch of another incident at Wayside Market in Vancouver. Deputies responded to the scene and found a broken window but no suspects. However, the sheriffs office said the investigation indicated that multiple suspects entered the store and surveillance video showed a dark grey Subaru station wagon associated with them outside. Several hours later, officials said police radio traffic indicated a grey Subaru was involved in a Skamania County burglary and that the vehicle was last seen headed back into Clark County on SR-14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect vehicle was located near Northeast 192nd Avenue by a Camas police officer. The officer attempted a traffic stop but the vehicle sped off, officials said. After that, the sheriffs office initiated a pursuit of the vehicle. The pursuit went north through Vancouver out into Clark County, and the vehicle was last seen heading north on SR-503 before briefly losing pursuing units. A CCSO deputy located the vehicle southbound on NE 152nd Avenue from NE 99th Street and continued the pursuit into a neighborhood when the vehicle stopped near NE 90th Street and NE 152nd Avenue. Five male suspects exited the vehicle and fled on foot, the Clark County Sheriffs Office said in a press release. One of the alleged suspects was arrested shortly after a foot pursuit. The other four allegedly ran into a nearby home. Traffic jumper allegedly stole truck before crash Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies then set up a search perimeter around the home, contacted a woman resident and eventually arrested all four of the remaining juvenile suspects without incident, authorities said. The sheriffs office said they are still investigating to see whether these incidents may be connected to more burglaries that happened in Clark County. 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 KOIN.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 59-year-old man was killed Tuesday evening after hitting a tree in Ray County, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported. According to MSHP, just after 5 p.m., dispatch was informed of a deadly crash on Route W, east of Cardinal Road, Ray County. Massive fire caused by unattended pan destroys Independence apartment Investigations revealed that a 59-year-old man from Richmond had been driving westbound on Route W in a Ford F-550 when he veered off the right side of the road, hit a ditch, drove through an open field, and eventually stopped after hitting a tree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MSHP said the man was pronounced dead at the scene just before 6:20 p.m. This was the third fatal crash and third fatality for Troop A in 2025. The call was assisted by the Ray County Sheriffs Department and the Carroll County Sheriffs Department, according to MSHP. 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. APALACHIN, NY (WIVT/WBGH) The dog that killed its owner in Apalachin was a 6-year-old American Bulldog. The Tioga County Sheriffs Office announced that 51-year-old Darnelle Greeno was attacked by her own dog in the area of 188 Pleasant View Drive. Authorities say the dog then attacked a nearby man who ended up killing the attacking dog. Darnelles husband Daniel Greeno made a post on Facebook after the tragic incident, saying how much she loved her dog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He says his wife would take the dog out on a leash, and then the dog would sit by her side until Daniel got home from work. His Facebook post has over 1,500 comments, from people sending their condolences. He finished his message by saying anyone who thinks the dog was mistreated is wrong. Visitation hours for Darnelle will be held this Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Richards Funeral Home in Owego. Followed by a celebration of life from 5 to 9 p.m. at the VFW Post 1371. 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 WIVT - News 34. Chicago police reported about six residents of a Lower West Side apartment building were displaced Tuesday due to a fire. Shortly before 8 p.m., officers and fire officials were called to a fire at a building in the 1600 block of West Cullerton Street where six people exited safely, police said. The Red Cross also was called to the scene to assist the residents who are now displaced, officials said. No injuries were reported in the fire, and fire officials were investigating the cause of the fire. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Seventy-six nursing students went through a major rite of passage on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at Texas Tech Health El Paso. These nursing students, including 67 from the Borderland region, received their white coats as they begin their journeys as part of the Hunt School of Nursing. They are part of the Hunt Schools Accelerated B.S.N. program, an intenstive 16-month program that leads to a bachelors degree in nursing. Tony Pina/KTS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This program equips graduates to pursue fulfilling and high-paying careers within hospitals and clinics in our Borderplex community, Texas Tech Health El Paso said in a news release. The Hunt School of Nursing is growing our own nursing heroes to address the critical nursing shortage and unique health challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border. Historically, 90% of the schools graduates stay in our area to practice. Since its inception, the Hunt School of Nursing has graduated more than 1,500 nurses, helping to increase the number of R.N.s across our Borderplex region, Texas Tech added in its news release. Each student received a white coat embroidered with the Hunt School of Nursing seal. The coat symbolizes the cloak of compassion, reminding each of the importance of humanism in community care during their careers, Texas Tech said. 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 KTSM 9 News. Video: Lee Countys snow preparations. OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) A winter nightmare unfolded on I-85 South Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday morning as treacherous road conditions brought traffic to a grinding halt for miles. Stranded drivers faced a harrowing ordeal as icy pavement turned the interstate into a parking lot littered with immobilized 18-wheelers. Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Screenshot Towing companies, including Hook Towing of Salem and CP Wrecker Service,have worked tirelessly through the night to clear the bottleneck, but the sheer scale of the crisis has overwhelmed resources. ALDOT teams are en route with sand and salt, yet it remains uncertain when the roadway will be safe for travel. Opelika Police and other first responders are concerned for stranded motorists and are urging them to prioritize safety. If you have sufficient fuel , remain in your vehicle to stay warm and sheltered. If your fuel is running low, immediately call 9-1-1 or the non-emergency line at 334-705-5260 for assistance. First responders are actively working to locate and transport stranded individuals to warming centers like Ax Marks the Spot in downtown Opelika as icy conditions persist. As the temperature plunged, Lee County EMA, local forestry service crews, and good Samaritans worked side-by-side to deliver aid. Its a community effort, but the conditions are some of the worst weve seen in years, a volunteer stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1:40 a.m. Update: CP Wrecker Service made headway, managing to remove some of the stalled 18-wheelers. This breakthrough allowed a trickle of vehicles to begin inching forward, but progress remains slow and precarious. 2:40 a.m. Update: The National Guard Arrives. As temperatures continue to drop, reinforcements have arrived. The National Guard, equipped with heavy-duty wreckers, joined ALDOT salt trucks to tackle the frozen mess. 4:00 a.m. Update: Across Lee County: All county roads are deemed impassable. Numerous roadways in eastern Lee County are blocked by commercial vehicles and ice Auburn: Roadways are dangerously slick and many are impassable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barricades are placed on numerous roads in Auburn DO NOT DRIVE AROUND BARRICADED ROADWAYS Opelika: Numerous city roadways remain impassable. All bridges in Opelika are closed Alabama National Guard and heavy duty wreckers are working to clear semi trucks stuck along I-85 between exit 58 and exit 64 Smiths Station: All roads are deemed impassable. This is a developing story. WRBL News 3 will continue to provide updates as crews work to restore traffic flow and ensure the safety of stranded travelers. 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 WRBL. CANTON, Miss. (WJTV) A nine-year-old was injured during a duplex fire in Canton. The fire occurred on North Street on Tuesday, January 21. According to officials, the nine-year-old suffered minor burns on the stomach. Canton firefighters said the fire was started by a space heater, which caught the beddings on fire. They said multiple families were affected by the fire. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) The Big Country is feeling more than just the chill of winter. As seasonal illnesses take hold, a nurse in Abilene has raised concerns that this years flu shot may not be as effective as hoped. Cisco ISD closed due to illness, classes to resume Thursday Family Nurse Practitioner Elaine Thomas at My Primary Care of Abilene shared medical professionals are seeing an increase in illnesses, specifically Influenza A.\ Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TLCA Abilene joins other school districts in closing campuses due to illness outbreak All the statistics, everything were seeing, all the tests were running about 99% flu A, Thomas shared. To our urgent care in E.R., we see about 60 to 70 a day, and I think they said about 60% are flu A. Thomas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Thomas added the vaccine may not be as effective against the virus this year. The people who create the vaccines are trying their best guess of the three most popular strains of that virus. Sometimes, their guess is right, and sometimes, their guess is not. They do it based on the strains they see, I think, in Australia. As it moves across the planet, theyre like, okay, this is what they were suffering from. Were going to give you a vaccine based on that. Sometimes they get it right, and sometimes they dont. Thomas said. Vaccine exemptions in school-aged children rise in Taylor County: We are going to see more of these vaccine-preventable diseases pop up Experts say that if you contract the flu, there are a few things to help combat the sickness: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take Tylenol or Ibuprofen for aches and pains brought on by the fever Take vitamin C Wash hands regularly Clean surfaces with a disinfectant Avoid unnecessary physical contact 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. BEIRUT, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- At the entrance of the village Kafr Kila, Nadia Sheet, in her fifties, stood silently. Gazing across the ruins, Sheet, who was forced to flee more than one year ago, struggled to locate where her home once stood. "I don't know where my house was. No road leads me there, no landmark to guide me. Everything is gone, as if we never existed here," she told Xinhua, summarizing the despair engulfing her village and other front-line villages in south Lebanon. The loss, she said, goes beyond material destruction. It is the erasure of hope for a safe return. "What happened here is beyond imagination," she continued. "This land where we were born and raised has turned barren. No homes, roads, electricity, water, or trees; just an empty desert coated in the color of smoke." Since Sept. 23, 2024, the Israeli army has expanded its military offensive on Lebanon, launching a two-phase ground operation along the entire 120-km border. In some areas, the incursion extended more than five km deep into Lebanese territory. Hashem Haidar, head of Lebanon's South Council, responsible for assessing damage from Israeli strikes, told Xinhua that 63 villages in the border region had been affected. "Of these, 29 front-line villages have been completely obliterated, homes, roads, orchards, and infrastructure wiped off the map." Haidar said these villages were now uninhabitable for years to come, adding that reconstruction would require immense effort and a well-structured rebuilding plan. Military analyst Brigadier General Abdul Rahman Shehaitli told Xinhua that Israel's destruction of these villages serves a strategic purpose, establishing a buffer zone approximately three km deep along its border with Lebanon. "The scale of destruction was meant, first, to punish border communities seen as supportive of Hezbollah," he explained. "Second, it aims to delay their return as long as possible. Clearing rubble and rebuilding infrastructure will take years." According to Shehaitli, this effectively creates an uninhabited buffer zone under the control of the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for the foreseeable future. Abbas Awada, mayor of Naqoura in southwest Lebanon, estimated the destruction of rear-line villages like his to be over 70 percent, whereas front-line villages saw devastation ranging from 85 percent to total annihilation. In Mays El Jabal, a village east of Lebanon, Mayor Abdul Monem Choucair detailed the assault. "More than 5,000 heavy shells, cluster bombs, and phosphorus munitions hit our village, along with over 500 airstrikes, followed by bulldozing of homes and public buildings." Lebanon's Health Ministry reported 4,047 deaths and 16,638 injuries from Israeli bombardments across the country. According to Information International, a Beirut-based research firm, the direct and indirect costs of the Israeli assault on Lebanon have reached 11.2 billion U.S. dollars. If fully funded, reconstruction is expected to take at least four years, it said. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) On Monday, as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President, the nation experienced a mix of cheers, boos, and chants. Some of these echoed through the Key City, marking a pivotal moment in the transition of power. President Trump praises Texas Governor, discusses border wall on inauguration day The Taylor County Republican Party hosted a watch party to witness the historic event. Member Eric Bengs shared his excitement at seeing his campaigning efforts come to fruition and expressed optimism about upcoming changes in the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been an opportunity to do some work for the party and to be actively involved in trying to make a difference. As weve done that, to see today happen, has been really exciting for the Republican Party as a whole and for us individually, Bengs said. I think that Mr. Trump has some great ideas about how to bring our economy along. I think were going to see things like going to the grocery store and not having to pay so much, going to the gas pump and seeing our prices drop. Thousands march in protest in Washington days before Trump takes office At the Heart of Downtown, at Everman Park, a different opinion was being shared by the Abilene chapter of The Party of Socialism and Liberation. A protest against Donald Trumps second term was filled with signs and stories of how members like, Nia Colon, felt about his policies. In the heart of downtown at Everman Park, a different perspective was voiced by the Abilene chapter of The Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL). Their protest against Donald Trumps second term was driven by opposition to certain policies, which PSL member Nia Colon described as potentially harmful to many. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not only fighting for a new system, but we are trying to shed some light on the policies that Trump wants to enact as soon as he gets into office. These policies are going to be harmful for women, for immigrants, for the LGBTQ, Colon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fellow organizer Josh Blasingame said he believes Trumps second term will be a repeat of the first, adding that its time for a change and a new direction. Weve already seen four years of Trump and he had his chance back then and hes not going to do it now. We think the only way to serve the workers is if the workers have a say in how things go, Blasingame said. West Texas Pianist performs at exclusive inauguration events Republican Liz Case, whether you voted for Trump or not, shared her advice for the next four years: give him a chance to prove himself. Wait and see, give him a chance and see if hell do what he says hes going to do. See if hes going to work for you, even though you didnt vote for him; that would be my message. Give him a chance, Case said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both the Taylor County Republican Party and the Abilene chapter of the Party of Socialism and Liberation, a part of a national organization, announced plans to continue campaigning for their respective causes in the future. 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Jan. 21An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to trying to set a California church preschool and strip mall on fire in 2024. Jonathan Barajas Nava, 37, pleaded guilty to damage to religious property, said Connor Williams, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice Central District of California. "Nava admitted in his plea agreement that he set fire to the church because of its religious character," Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nava's sentencing hearing is set for March 31. Nava will face 20 years in federal prison, Williams said. Nava was arrested on April 24 and charged in California state court prior to a federal case being brought against him, according to the DOJ. On April 24, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded around 1:40 p.m. to a call of an arson at the Retreat Church and Yucaipa Christian Preschool, southeast of San Bernardino, according to a criminal complaint at U.S. District Court. The caller told fire protection that "someone placed a gas can in front of the church and lit it on fire." He then used an open-flame device to set the area on fire, causing damage to the church's carpeting and doorframe, Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fourteen staff members evacuated 48 children to a grass area outside before calling 911, the complaint states. A few hours later, around 4:45 p.m., a fire was reported at an optometrist's office inside a strip mall a mile away from the preschool, agents said. Nava had set fire to the exterior wall, Williams said. Michigan free speech advocates filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday arguing some county jails and federal immigration officials are playing a shell game with records in an effort to shield public scrutiny of how people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally are treated while detained. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit comes as advocates prepare for President Donald Trump to carry out his campaign promise to create the largest deportation effort in the country's history. Representatives from ICE and DHS have not responded to questions about the lawsuit. A migrant who was previously detained gets off a van coming from Waco while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents wait for everyone to get down so that their handcuffs can be removed to then be escorted to Mexico, in Laredo, Texas, U.S. June 15, 2022. Picture taken June 15, 2022. In the lawsuit, the ACLU argues an "obscure federal regulation" lets Michigan county jails refuse to provide documents under the state's Freedom of Information Act, arguing ICE does not want them disclosed. At the same time, ICE officials often decline to provide those records under FOIA since in many cases they simply do not possess them, the lawsuit states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Public scrutiny of government conduct is a hallmark of our democracy. This is especially true for jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers, where government officials have almost total control over the daily lives of incarcerated people and where they exercise that control behind closed, locked, and guarded doors," said Ramis Wadood, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, in a statement. "ICE has wrongly been misusing an obscure federal regulation to thwart scrutiny by keeping what should be public information secret." There are roughly 91,000 undocumented immigrants in Michigan, although it's a difficult population to track and the number could be higher. According to the lawsuit, four Michigan counties contract with ICE to detain people suspected of illegally immigrating: Calhoun County the biggest provider along with Monroe, St. Clair and Chippewa counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ACLU points to one particular case in Calhoun County along with other Michigan examples to demonstrate why they believe local jails and ICE are intentionally misusing the law and withholding documents. In 2019, Jilmar Ramos-Gomez was wrongfully detained by ICE in Calhoun County on suspicion he was in the country illegally. He is a U.S. citizen and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. The ACLU filed a FOIA with Calhoun County, but the jail refused to provide records. They argued a federal regulation known as the "records rule" prevented them from releasing documents about immigration detention that ICE did not want disclosed. That's an intentional misreading of the rule used to obscure records that might be embarrassing, the ACLU argues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Records Rule has placed most records about county-held immigration detainees in an impenetrable black box, shielding them from public scrutiny," the lawsuit states. More: Possible ICE activity in Detroit concerns councilwoman The ACLU wants the federal court to prohibit ICE and local jails from citing the "records rule" when refusing to provide documents in response to a FOIA. ICE shouldnt be pursuing an end run around state transparency laws in an attempt to shield themselves from public scrutiny particularly in light of the agencys long history of abuse," said My Khanh Ngo, a staff attorney with the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With the Trump administration pursuing a mass deportation and detention agenda, its more important now than ever that we know what happens inside ICE detention facilities. Reach Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com and on X @Dave_Boucher1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan ACLU sues ICE over 'impenetrable black box' for jail records LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A statement issued Tuesday said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami is now the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada. Fahimi takes over for Jason Frierson, who announced his resignation on Dec. 30. A news release indicated that Fahami took over under the Vacancies Reform Act. The office is transitioning between the Biden and Trump administrations, and a permanent appointment hasnt been made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to joining the U.S. Attorneys Office in 2001, Ms. Fahami served as the elected District Attorney in White Pine County. She earned her graduate degree in law from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1996, a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School in 1995, and BA from the University of Southern California in 1991. As the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Nevada, which covers all 17 counties, Fahami leads a team of over 100 prosecutors and staff professionals with offices located in Las Vegas and Reno. The U.S. Attorneys Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all of the litigation involving the United States in Nevada. 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. Minnesota Capitol. Photo courtesy of House Public Information Services. A group of activists on Tuesday disrupted a Republican House committee hearing on Tuesday, yelling stop the coup and telling GOP lawmakers they werent conducting legitimate proceedings because they didnt have a quorum of members. Republicans were holding their first committee hearing of the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee Tuesday and hearing testimony from Shane Myre, president of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, about ways the Legislature could boost law enforcement recruitment and retention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then an activist interrupted his testimony with a bullhorn, in a 20-minute incident that was filmed by a Republican lawmaker. Thats quite enough of that bulls***. Were done with this, activist Amber Muhm interjected. This is an illegitimate committee. You dont have quorum in the House. You know this is bulls***. Republicans currently hold a 1-vote advantage in the House, 67-66, pending a special election in a left-leaning suburban district that is vacant because the winning Democrat didnt meet the residency requirements. Democrats are boycotting the GOP-led House proceedings in an effort to deny a quorum and stop Republicans from claiming the speakership and potentially ousting a Democrat who narrowly won reelection in an election marred by 20 votes going missing. Muhm, whos also an employee of the Aliveness Project, held a bullhorn and repeatedly cursed at Republicans. The audio of the committee hearings live stream cut off shortly after the protest began, but committee member Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, took out his phone and captured the protest on video, which he later posted to YouTube. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muhm, during profanity-filled rants, told the Republican committee members that you dont get to sit here and move in silence and smirk and act like a f**king smug a**hole when you dont have quorum Im done with it. House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, condemned the activists actions in a statement to the Reformer. I denounce the actions of disrupting meetings. The State Capitol is a place where people should visit and make their voices heard. However, individuals should not disrupt meetings. Such actions are counterproductive to effectively delivering a message to legislators, Hortman said. In addition, Hortman said that legislators should never target individual staff members on social media, in an apparent reference to Hudsons post on X calling out one of the House DFLs staff members for expressing support for Muhm on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hudson, in a statement to the Reformer, said that it was inappropriate for staff to express public support for criminal acts targeting members. The conduct of those disrupting House business on Tuesday violated Minnesota statute and does not qualify as lawful protest, Hudson said. Staff members have been properly disciplined for far less than supporting crimes committed against those they serve. Republicans blamed House Democrats for encouraging the aggressive behavior. Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-St. Paul, encouraged people on social media to come to the Capitol and let the Republicans know that these fascist tactics are not welcome! In a statement, a House DFL spokesperson said that Finke did not direct or participate in the protest at the Capitol on Jan 21. She simply promoted a rally that was happening at the Capitol, as legislators from both parties often do. House Democrats are also promoting another stop the coup rally on Monday, this one hosted by Indivisible Twin Cities. If there are any changes in the boundaries of Indiana and Illinois, Marion County should be added to Illinois. Opinion: No, Illinois counties won't secede to Indiana. Here's why. While this would present some problems for the Indiana General Assembly and the other two branches of state government, as well as the two university campuses formerly known as IUPUI, etc., these problems all could be solved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State government, for example, could return to Corydon. The Indiana Fever could become the Indianapolis Fever. Making Marion County part of Illinois would be a win-win situation for both the residents of Marion County and the Republicans in the legislature. Marion County would become part of a state that protects workers, a state where wages are higher and a state that provides health care for people in need. And the Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly would no longer have to spend time worrying about things like the Blue Line or Indianapolis Public Schools. These are some new signs Friday, Sept. 10, 2021 at the Indianapolis Department of Public Works' sign shop. The sign at right is a new welcome sign. The sign mentions the hosting of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The sign at left shows the years and logos for other NCAA tournaments held in Indianapolis. Ed Ramthun lives in Indianapolis. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Actually, Indianapolis should secede to Illinois | Letters Ingrid Lewis-Martin told investigators she was innocent and the Department of Correction would take care of her after her arrest last month, according to court filings from last month. Corrections will take care of me, Lewis-Martin told investigators during her arrest processing, according to prosecutors. Ive been good to them. Im not afraid. I know what I did and didnt do, she added, according to a filing, which didnt make clear the context in which she spoke. This is wrong. I have God and faith. Ill tell the judge myself Im not guilty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis-Martin, former chief adviser to the mayor, was indicted in Manhattan Criminal Court in December on charges she orchestrated a $100,000 bribery scheme in which she sped up construction permits for two real estate businessmen in exchange for $100,000 in cash and checks to be spent on a Porsche and promises to invest in her sons business ventures. Lewis-Martins son, Glenn Martin II, overheard her talking to investigators and told her to callate la boca, or shut your mouth, according to a separate filing. Prosecutors intend to use the statements as trial evidence, Assistant District Attorney Guy Tardanico wrote in a letter to Arthur Aidala, Lewis-Martins attorney, on Dec. 30. Neither Aidala nor Michael Cibella, an attorney for Martin II, immediately responded to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis-Martin also apologized to her son, as well as to Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi, the real estate moguls, as she turned herself in. Im sorry youre both there because of me, because of who I am, Lewis-Martin said, according to the filings, which were first reported by Politico. The indictment came after months of investigation into the former top Adams official. In September, investigators with the Manhattan district attorneys office seized her phones and searched her Brooklyn home right after she returned to JFK Airport from a trip to Japan. Also at the airport, federal agents also served her with a grand jury subpoena that required her testimony and documents in the probe that led to Adams indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After being presented with the search warrant by the DAs investigators, Lewis-Martin said: So youre the ones that have been listening to my phone. This is crazy. Who am I bribing? What is money laundering? Check my bank records. Lewis-Martin also stated that she would still be going to the mayors arraignment, according to the filings, though adding, I dont know how Im going to get there. The mayors arraignment on corruption charges occurred the same day her phones were seized. She also apologized to her travel companions who, like her, had their phones seized, including Cushman & Wakefield executive Diana Boutross and Jesse Hamilton, the citys top real estate official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre only looking into you because of me and the mayor, Lewis-Martin said, according to a filing. As investigators carried out a search warrant at the home of Raizada Pinky Vaid, the businessman said to his wife that this was about the woman and the mayor. Vaid also told an investigator his father used to tell him that whenever you shake hands with a politician, it will cost you money, according to a filing. Mayor Eric Adams top adviser bragged to investigators that the New York City Department of Correction will take care of me, court papers reveal as the ex-aide stares down the barrel of a swath of corruption charges. Ingrid Lewis-Martin is accused of trading favors with two Big Apple hoteliers in exchange for more than $100,000 in bribes which prosecutors say funded a Porsche for her DJ son and other luxuries. Ingrid Lewis-Martin is accused of trading favors with two New York City hoteliers in exchange for more than $100,000 in bribes which prosecutors say funded a Porsche for her DJ son and other luxuries. Steven Hirsch Im not afraid. I know what I did and didnt do. This is wrong. I have God and Faith. Ill tell the judge myself. Im not guilty, Lewis-Martin told three investigators according to a letter from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office to her attorney, Arthur Aidala. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corrections will take care of me. Ive been good to them, Lewis-Martin allegedly added. Braggs office said it plans to introduce evidence of Lewis-Martins statements at her trial, according to the Dec. 30 letter which is one of four signed by Assistant District Attorney Guy Tardanico and sent to the attorneys repping those accused in the case. Lewis-Martin also apologized while in custody to her co-defendants, son Glenn Martin II, hotelier Mayank Dwivedi and real estate investor Raizada Vaid, who are all named alongside the longtime Adams confidant in the staggering indictment. Im sorry youre both there because of me, because of who I am, she told the trio, according to the letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another letter details the moment Lewis-Martin was stopped at the airport by authorities in September and had her phone seized as she arrived home from vacation in Japan. At the time, Lewis-Martin admitted that her exchange had become heated saying the interaction had annoyed her. Lewis-Martin also apologized while in custody to her co-defendants, son Glenn Martin II, hotelier Mayank Dwivedi and real estate investor Raizada Vaid, in the staggering indictment. Paul Martinka So youre the ones that have been listening to my phone. This is crazy. Who am I bribing? What is money laundering? Check my banks records, she told investigators, according to new information about the exchange detailed in the letters. Meanwhile, a letter sent to Martin IIs lawyer says that while at the DAs office, Martin told his mother callate la boca in Spanish, which translates to shut your mouth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it remains unclear why hed said that. Braggs office also focused on comments allegedly made by Vaid during a search of his Long Island home in October. Meanwhile, a letter sent to Martin IIs lawyer says that while at the DAs office, Martin told his mother callate la boca in Spanish, which translates to shut your mouth. Vimeo / Berman Fenelus During the search, the letter said Vaid told his wife that this was about the woman and the mayor before telling an investigator that whenever you shake hands with a politician, it will cost you money. Vaids lawyer, Jonathan Sack, said that he disputes the alleged statements but declined to speak further, saying that he will challenge them later at the appropriate time in court. Lewis-Martin surrendered to authorities in December, arriving at Manhattan Supreme Court wearing a leopard-print top and bold red lipstick along with her son. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in the four-count indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis-Martin abruptly resigned from City Hall ahead of the court appearance, and about a month before she was scheduled to quit. Martin II, Vaid and Dwivedi all pleaded not guilty as well. All four were released without bail and are due back in court early next month. Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer. Carel Struycken's family and friends are looking to help the actor and his wife, Tracey, recover after they lost their home during the wildfires in Los Angeles. Struycken best known for his role as Lurch in the 1990s Addams Family movies and shows, like Twin Peaks fled his home in Altadena with his wife on Tuesday, Jan. 7, as multiple fires broke out in L.A., Struycken's son-in-law, Michael Anspach, wrote in a GoFundMe page created to support his in-laws. The following day, the couple learned that their home of more than 12 years was destroyed by the blaze. "Many of you know my father-in-law, Carel [...] He's also a skilled photographer and digital image editor," Anspach wrote in the description for the online fundraiser. "My mother-in-law, Tracey, is a dedicated family medicine doctor who works extremely hard. She's a model mom and grandmother. We're so very thankful they were able to safely escape the oncoming blaze, but like so many others, they lost everything to the Eaton Fire." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Celebrities Who Have Lost Homes in the Los Angeles Fires, and What They've Said Bobby Bank/Getty Carel Struycken on Oct. 12, 2019 Carel Struycken on Oct. 12, 2019 Anspach, who wrote in the page's description that he has been married to Carel and Tracey's daughter for 11 years and known the couple for more than two decades, is not the only person looking to help Struycken recover from the fires' destruction. Andrea Watrouse, an actress who worked with Struycken in 2017's Twin Peaks: The Return, shared a post on X on Tuesday, Jan. 21 asking for clothing donations to fit Struycken's 7-foot-tall frame. "Looking for clothing donations for @carelstruycken. He lost his home in Altadena during the fires," Watrouse wrote. "Carel is 7ft tall and has always had to custom order his clothes. His measurements are 37 inseam , 42 waist, XXL Tall shirts, 40 sleeves, and size 19 shoes. Thank you " Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In a follow-up post, the actress noted that Struycken's son "is getting married in March and he cant get anything made in time." She wrote, "So if anyone can donate something formal it would be greatly appreciated. He is also in need of daily wear clothes to live and run errands in." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Jose Andres Says Jennifer Garner Jumped Right in to Volunteer for L.A. Fires: I Didnt Have to Tell Her What to Do' Angela Papuga/FilmMagic Carel Struycken, Jimmy Workman, Christopher Lloyd, Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci on Oct. 5, 2024 Carel Struycken, Jimmy Workman, Christopher Lloyd, Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci on Oct. 5, 2024 Anspach wrote in updates on his GoFundMe page on Jan. 12 that Tracey and Carel were staying at a hotel in Glendale in the days after the fires began and were about to move into a long-term rental in Long Beach. On Jan. 22, Anspach added several photos of the couple's former home in Altadena, noting that they "were finally able to visit what remains of their home." As of Wednesday, Anspach's campaign has raised more than $57,000 from over 1,300 donations. Read the original article on People One part of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, the state's sweeping education reform plan. would boost "collaborative time," the time teachers spent outside the classroom planning, training, working individually with students and more. But its implementation could be delayed. (Photo by Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images) Faced with cuts that could defer parts of the Blueprint for Marylands Future, the Moore administration Tuesday proposed legislation that it hopes can ease some of the impact of those cuts. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act would create a competitive grant program for school districts to propose innovative ways to implement collaborative time for their teachers, and to fund efforts to fill teacher vacancies a key reason the collaborative time proposal had to be delayed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It comes as lawmakers and the administration grapple with an estimated $3 billion gap in the fiscal 2026 budget. Even though leaders have insisted that the Blueprint, the states sweeping education reform plan, is funded for the next two years, it has been targeted for cuts as part of the budget belt-tightening. Gov. Wes Moore (D) said the new measure is an attempt to soften the blow of those Blueprint cuts. If we are to provide excellence in education throughout Maryland, we must work towards the Blueprints primary goals and strategies while making it fit our current needs and realities in a post-pandemic environment, Moore said in a statement Tuesday. Through the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, we propose strategic investments designed to lay out the foundation for effective implementation of key components of the Blueprint, including recruiting and supporting educators and building partnerships between schools and communities, his statement said. Gov. Wes Moore gives remarks Monday at a wreath-laying ceremony outside the State House to honor Martin Luther King Jr. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) As of Tuesday evening, the measure labeled SB 429 had not been posted on the Maryland General Assembly website. But those familiar with the bill outlined its main points: $48 million spread over four years for the collaborative time grants, another $134 million over four years to fund the states Grow Your Own teacher initiative and a nationwide teacher recruitment program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It comes less than two weeks after the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB), which oversees the 10-year Blueprint plan, voted unanimously to recommend a pause in the timeline to expand collaborative time. That is the time outside of class that teachers use for training, analyzing student data, identifying students who may need help and spending time, one on one or in groups, to get students back on track. Teachers currently spend about 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% in collaborative time. The Blueprint calls for that ratio to change to 60% classroom and 40% collaborative time within the next eight years. In order to do that on the current timeline, however, the state would need to add as many as 15,000 teachers by next school year. That does not account for about 6,000 conditionally approved teachers, those who have at least a bachelors degree but have not completed the requirements for a professional certification. The department is 100% on the implementation of Blueprint, State Superintendent Carey Wright said in an interview Monday. I think something like pausing of collaborative time makes sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill that was read across the Senate desk Tuesday would allow officials from all 24 school districts to apply for collaborative-time innovation grants to pilot new structures for a teachers time and opportunities for collaboration. State Board of Education President Joshua Michael said the grant pool would be about $48 million over a four-year period. Local school officials would apply to the state Department of Education. I think one of the core tenets we believe we share with the governor [is] a joint commitment to the Blueprint for Marylands future, Michael said. We fundamentally believe that effective implementation of the Blueprint is critical, and that when we invest new funding, we want to make sure that money is well spent, and we want to see results. He said another part of the governors bill would help the teacher profession by investing $134 million over four years toward the Grow Your Own initiative, which seeks to expand teacher and staff pipelines, boost diversity in the profession and establish apprenticeship programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wright said part of the proposal would also let the state begin a national recruitment campaign to attract out-of-state teachers to Maryland. An added financial incentive: $2,000 in relocation costs, she said. Weve raised the starting pay to $60,000. Weve been trying to make sure that teachers have a career ladder and even get more pay and more recognition, she said. Marylands poised to do some amazing things, so we want to tout Maryland as a place to come and teach. Bankrupt Marylands future One of the Blueprints main goals is to increase funding over the next 10 years to enrich student experiences, accelerate student outcomes, as well as improve the quality of education. The Blueprint is in its third year of implementation. Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince Georges and Anne Arundel), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a briefing with reporters last week the Blueprint is separately funded and has no effect on this years budget gap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Blueprint is [a] distinctive and separate conversation from this budget. The Blueprint is funded this year. The Blueprint is funded next year, he said. We are at the inception of the Blueprint. Republican lawmakers have criticized the Blueprint plan as too expensive, saying that if future money is needed from the general fund to pay for the program, it could create a structural deficit in the budget. In an online Carroll County delegation meeting Friday, Del. Joshua Stonko (R-Carroll) called the plan the blueprint to bankrupt Marylands future. Wright said she would politely disagree to stay that it is going to bankrupt us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that this investment in public education, theres nothing like it in the nation, she said. Being a public education product myself, I think that we have got to invest in the future for our little ones. Theres a lot of promise where the Blueprint is concerned. One potential cut to the Blueprint that is not addressed in the governors bill is a freeze on funding for community schools. Those familiar with the proposal said that move is proposed to save about $473 million over the next two years, but that plan may run into opposition from the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. Community schools receive concentration in poverty grants, based on the number of students who receive free and reduced meals. Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), who chairs the caucus, said last week about 585 community schools could be impacted, many of which are in caucus members districts. During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, Sen. President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said there could be agreement to adjust a timeline for expansion of community schools. However, not for those already qualified to be designated as a community school that receives a variety of wraparound services. Slowing down the investments for schools with concentrated poverty is something that were gonna have a hard time moving forward, he said. ABU DHABI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed on Wednesday bilateral ties and cooperation with visiting Iranian Vice President Shina Ansari. The official Emirates News Agency (WAM) said that Ansari conveyed to the UAE president the greetings of the Iranian president and his wishes for UAE's further progress and prosperity. During the meeting, the two sides discussed relations between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation in sectors including economy and trade to serve the mutual interests of the two countries and their peoples. As head of Iran's Department of Environment, Ansari also explored the potential for collaboration between the two countries' environmental organizations. When a rapidly growing wildfire spread to more than 5,000 acres of northern L.A. County, Sheriff Robert Luna told locals to evacuate immediately. If you are in these areas, and you get an evacuation order, you need to leave, he said in a midafternoon television interview . You need to leave immediately. Dont argue, we need to get you out of there. Your life depends on it. But for the 4,700 inmates at the facilities in the Castaic jail complex all of which were in an evacuation zone by midafternoon that would be impossible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They have no choice," said Vanessa Rosenkild, whose brother is at one of the fire-threatened facilities. "Yes, they have been put there because of their choices, but that doesnt mean they deserve to die. They are still humans, and they still have family members who love them." As soon as the Hughes fire broke out midmorning five miles from the jails, attorneys and inmate advocates urged local leaders to evacuate the inmates housed there. But a shortage of transport buses roughly three-quarters of which officials previously said were not operational complicated the already nightmarish logistics of transferring thousands of inmates all at once. Initially, sheriffs officials moved roughly 480 inmates from a barracks-style facility to a sturdier concrete structure that was slightly farther from the flames but still at the same complex. Luna said during the televised interview that fire officials had advised keeping the rest of the inmates and their jailers where they were, sheltering in place inside the concrete structures. But by late afternoon, when the flames had spread to more than 8,000 acres, Luna told The Times that he'd started making plans for a large-scale evacuation should one become necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melissa Camacho, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, urged officials to move people immediately. If people die in the fires because LASD did not evacuate, she told The Times, it will be the biggest carceral disaster in U.S. history." The Hughes fire broke out a little before 11 a.m. Wednesday, roughly five miles north of the Pitchess Detention Center. "No evacuations have been ordered yet," the department said at 10:58 a.m. "The facilities are aware and will take appropriate action as necessary." The blaze soon ballooned to more than 3,000 acres, and just before noon, the ACLU of Southern California which represents inmates in two class-action lawsuits against the jails began reaching out to county officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At 11:53 a.m., Camacho emailed county Supervisor Kathryn Bargers justice deputy, Sandra Croxton, with her concerns. I hope that you and Supervisor Barger can put immediate pressure on LASD to start evacuating the four jails immediately, Camacho wrote. I would imagine that there are about 1,000 LASD staff up there too, though thats only a guess. But youre definitely looking at well over 5,000 people to evacuate. Its simply too many people to evacuate to wait for an evacuation order or even a warning, especially with only about 20 buses available that are likely spread around the county right now. For years, the Sheriffs Department has struggled with a shortage of inmate transport buses, due to an aging fleet that has become increasingly difficult to repair. By late last year, officials told The Times, only 20 of its 82 buses were operational. Though the county approved funding for 20 new buses in September 2023, the first did not arrive until last month. Officials say the remaining buses are due to arrive every few weeks until the order is expected to be complete in August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, inmates have regularly missed court appearances due to the lack of buses for transporting them something that has frustrated lawyers, judges and inmates alike. They dont have enough buses to take people to court," Camacho said. "They certainly dont have enough buses to move them all at once for an evacuation." By 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, the department said it was not evacuating the Castaic complex "yet," but that day-shift deputies and jailers had been asked to stay late both to help in the event of an evacuation at the jails and to assist with evacuations in parts of Santa Clarita affected by the blaze. By 1 p.m., the fire had spread to more than 5,000 acres. The L.A. County Public Defenders Union issued a statement on social media calling for the facilities to be evacuated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We demand that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Sheriffs Department take swift action to protect the lives of the thousands of incarcerated individuals entrusted to their care, the statement said. We are deeply alarmed by the imminent risk this disaster poses to the health and safety of our clients. They must not be neglected or abandoned during this critical moment. Twenty minutes later, the department said it had redirected several of its still-operational buses to the area and begun moving roughly 400 inmates from the tent-like barracks at Pitchess Detention Center to the nearby North County Correctional Facility. By 2:30 p.m., both facilities fell within the evacuation zone, which extended to The Old Road to the west and Newhall Ranch Road to the south. The department said it was "evaluating the situation" to determine whether to evacuate further. Just after 4 p.m., Michelle Parris, director of the Vera Institute of Justices California office, joined in the calls for evacuation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The county must call on all the state and county resources it can to evacuate as many people as possible immediately, provide PPE to anyone left behind, and concentrate firefighting resources to save thousands of people who cannot evacuate themselves," she said in a statement. "Right now, nearly 5,000 lives are in danger because of Los Angeles County's ongoing failure to keep incarcerated people safe and alive." By that point, the flames had spread to 8,000 acres. But according to Luna, fire officials said the blaze was to the north of the facility, and the wind was blowing to the west. "If that shifts, we're going to have a bunch of buses up here trying to get people out," he said. To do that, Luna said, Ventura County is sending buses, and the Sheriff's Department may also use Metro buses with extra deputies to provide security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, he said, he has asked firefighters to take extra precautions to protect the jails. "We asked for a couple of drops and fire retardant between us and the fire, even though its not heading toward us," he said. "Im not willing to lose one person at that facility." 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. Jan. 22ASHTABULA An early morning fire in the 1200 block of Perryville Place has the Ashtabula Fire Department concerned with people's use of extension cords. The Ashtabula Fire Department was on the scene for about two and half hours early Tuesday morning and were assisted by Ashtabula Township and Sayrook fire departments as well as Community Care Ambulance, Chase said. The house was significantly damaged with utilities and power shot off and the Red Cross assisted the occupants of the home, Chase said. Ashtabula Fire Department Lt. Stephen Chase said firefighters responded to the early morning fire, and after reviewing the home, became concerned about general use of extension cords and wanted to remind residents of safety concern with extension cords. "While the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined, and no one was injured, the state of the building raised questions regarding electrical safety," Chase said. "The structure was found to hae numerous eextension cords and power strips throughout, supplying power to a variety of appliances. While the Ohio Fire Code imposes strict regulations on the use of extension cords in commercial buildings, the rules are less stringent for private homes," Chase said. Chase said extension cords can be used safely, but improper use is linked to more than 3,300 house fires and 50 fire fatalities a year. Chase said guidelines for safe extension cord used include: large appliances, such as space heaters, refrigerators, microwave ovens and air conditioners shoud never be plugged into extension cords or power strips. He said is is important to make sure the right extension cord is chosen for a particular purpose. "Ensure the extension cord, or power strip, is rated for the devices you plan to use, and check that it is marked for indoor or outdoor use," Chase said. He said thicker cords are able to handle higher electrical currents, and the length of a cord affects its ability to safely carry power. Chase said it is important to plug power strips into wall outlets, not another power strip. "Always purchase cords that have been approved by independent testing laboratories, such as Underwriters Laboratories," Chase said. He said extension cords should never be used as a replacement for permanent wiring and never be run through walls, doorways, ceilings, or floors because of the danger of a cord heating up and causing a fire hazard. Chase said all of the homeless people that were seen at our near the Friday evening fire on Station Avenue have been located, so there is no reason to believe anyone was inside the home when it was destroyed last Friday evening. ASHTABULA An early morning fire in the 1200 block of Perryville Place has the Ashtabula Fire Department concerned with people's use of extension cords. The Ashtabula Fire Department was on the scene for about two and half hours early Tuesday morning and were assisted by Ashtabula Township and Sayrook fire departments as well as Community Care Ambulance, AFD Lt. Stephen Chase said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The house was significantly damaged with utilities and power shot off and the Red Cross assisted the occupants of the home, Chase said. Chase said firefighters responded to the early morning fire, and after reviewing the home, became concerned about general use of extension cords and wanted to remind residents of safety concern with extension cords. "While the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined, and no one was injured, the state of the building raised questions regarding electrical safety," Chase said. "The structure was found to have numerous extension cords and power strips throughout, supplying power to a variety of appliances. While the Ohio Fire Code imposes strict regulations on the use of extension cords in commercial buildings, the rules are less stringent for private homes," Chase said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chase said extension cords can be used safely, but improper use is linked to more than 3,300 house fires and 50 fire fatalities a year. Chase said guidelines for safe extension cord use include large appliances, such as space heaters, refrigerators, microwave ovens and air conditioners, and should never be plugged into extension cords or power strips. He said is is important to make sure the right extension cord is chosen for a particular purpose. "Ensure the extension cord, or power strip, is rated for the devices you plan to use, and check that it is marked for indoor or outdoor use," Chase said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said thicker cords are able to handle higher electrical currents, and the length of a cord affects its ability to safely carry power. Chase said it is important to plug power strips into wall outlets, not another power strip. "Always purchase cords that have been approved by independent testing laboratories, such as Underwriters Laboratories," Chase said. He said extension cords should never be used as a replacement for permanent wiring and never be run through walls, doorways, ceilings, or floors because of the danger of a cord heating up and causing a fire hazard. Chase said all of the homeless people that were seen at our near the Friday evening fire on Station Avenue have been located, so there is no reason to believe anyone was inside the home when it was destroyed last Friday evening. Leaders of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) travelled to Washington for US President Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, but were left to watch the event from a distance via video. AfD co-chairman Tino Chrupalla and Beatrix von Storch, the deputy leader of the AfD parliamentary group, were among thousands confined to a viewing area about two kilometres from the US Capitol. "Unfortunately, the exceptionally cold weather didn't allow me to watch the inauguration from my seat in the stands," Chrupalla told dpa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to harsh weather, organizers had moved the swearing-in ceremony from outside the US Capitol into the building, limiting the number of attendees. During their visit, Chrupalla said he had met with business representatives, members of Congress, and diplomats. Meanwhile, von Storch said she had met with key figures from Trump's inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr and Steve Bannon, the former campaign strategist known for his far-right views. Von Storch called the trip to Washington "100%" worthwhile, adding that the Republicans know that the AfD is their partner in Germany. She acknowledged that not all interests were aligned but emphasized that it was about the bigger picture: "ending the left-wing woke movement," a goal she believes unites the AfD and Republicans. By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend refugee admissions has magnified the fears of one Afghan American soldier who has long been worried about the fate of his sister in Kabul. The soldier is afraid his sister could be forced to marry a Taliban fighter or targeted by a for-ransom kidnapping before she and her husband could fly out of Afghanistan and resettle as refugees in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'm just thinking about this all day. I can't even do my job properly because this is mentally impacting me," the soldier with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division told Reuters on Tuesday. He spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Almost 200 Afghan family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel approved for refugee resettlement in the United States are being pulled off flights between now and April under Trump's order signed on Monday, according to Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of veterans and advocacy groups, and a U.S. official familiar with the issue. The State Department on Wednesday implemented the order, announcing that all refugee arrivals were indefinitely suspended, all previously scheduled travel cancelled and new refugee applications, as well those in process, were suspended. The family members of active-duty U.S. service personnel are among nearly 1,560 Afghan refugees being removed from flight manifests, according to VanDiver and the official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said the group includes unaccompanied children and Afghans at risk of Taliban retaliation because they fought for the U.S.-backed government that fled as the last American troops withdrew from the country in August 2021 after two decades of war. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan has said the Taliban have killed, tortured and arbitrarily detained former officials and troops. It reported in October that between July and September, there were at least 24 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, 10 of torture and ill-treatment and at least five former soldiers had been killed. The Taliban instituted a general amnesty for officials and troops of the former U.S.-backed government, and deny accusations of any retaliation. A spokesman for the Taliban-backed government did not immediately respond to questions about fears of retribution against those families awaiting relocation. A U.N. report in May said that while the Taliban have banned forced marriages, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights remained concerned about allegations that Taliban fighters have continued the practice "without legal consequences." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A crackdown on immigration was a major promise of Trump's victorious 2024 election campaign, leaving the fate of U.S. refugee programs up in the air. His executive order, signed hours after he was sworn for a second term, said he was suspending refugee admissions until programs "align with the interests of the United States" because the country cannot absorb large numbers of migrants without compromising "resources available to Americans." DESTINY UNCLEAR "It's not good news. Not for my family, my wife, for all of the Afghans that helped us with the mission. They put their lives in danger. Now they will be left alone, and their destiny is not clear, said Fazel Roufi, an Afghan American former 82nd Airborne Division soldier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roufi, a former Afghan army officer, came to the United States on a student visa, obtained citizenship and joined the U.S. Army. He witnessed the chaotic Kabul airport pullout as an adviser and translator for the commanding U.S. general, and he himself helped to rescue Americans, U.S. embassy staff and others. His wife, recently flown by the State Department to Doha for refugee visa processing, now sits in limbo in a U.S. military base. "If my wife goes back, they (the Taliban) will just execute her and her family," said Roufi, who retired from the U.S. Army in 2022. The active-duty 82nd Airborne soldier said he harbors similar fears, adding that his sister and her husband have been threatened with kidnapping by people who think they are rich because the rest of the family escaped to the United States in the 2021 evacuation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She has no other family members (in Afghanistan) besides her husband, he said. Trumps order has ignited fears that he could halt other resettlement programs, including those that award special immigration visas to Afghans and Iraqis who worked for the U.S. government, said Kim Staffieri, executive director of the Association of Wartime Allies, a group that helps Afghans and Iraqis resettle in the United States. Theyre all terrified. The level of anxiety we are getting from them, in many ways, feels like the lead-up to August 2021, she said, referring to the panic that prompted thousands of Afghans to storm Kabul airport hoping to board evacuation flights. Another Afghan American, who caught a flight with the U.S. troops for whom he translated and joined the Texas National Guard after obtaining his green card, said his parents, two sisters, his brother and his brothers family had been scheduled to fly to the United States within the next month. He had found accommodations for them in Dallas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cannot express in words how I feel, said the Afghan American, who asked his name be withheld out of fear for his family's safety. I dont feel good since yesterday. I cannot eat. I cannot sleep. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington;Editing by Don Durfee, Nia Williams, Will Dunham and Raju Gopalakrishnan) ISLAMABAD (AP) Afghans who fled after the Taliban seized power appealed Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt them from an order suspending the relocation of refugees to the United States, some saying they risked their lives to support U.S. troops. An estimated 15,000 Afghans are waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement in the U.S. via an American government program. It was set up to help Afghans at risk under the Taliban because of their work with the U.S. government, media, aid agencies and rights groups, after U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, when the Taliban took power. But in his first days in office, Trump's administration announced the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program would be suspended from Jan. 27 for at least three months. During that period, the White House said the secretary of homeland security in consultation with the secretary of state will submit a report to the president on whether the resumption of the program is in the U.S. interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Refugees who had been approved to travel to the United States before Jan. 27 have had their travel plans canceled by the Trump administration. Among those affected are the more than 1,600 Afghans cleared to resettle in the U.S. That number includes those who worked alongside American soldiers during the war as well as family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, where authorities have urged the international community to decide the fate of 1.45 million Afghan refugees, saying they cannot stay indefinitely. Many of us risked our lives to support the U.S. mission as interpreters, contractors, human rights defenders, and allies, an advocacy group called Afghan USRAP Refugees named after the U.S. refugee program said in an open letter to Trump, members of Congress and human rights defenders. The Taliban regard us as traitors, and returning to Afghanistan would expose us to arrest, torture, or death, the group said. In Pakistan, the situation is increasingly untenable. Arbitrary arrests, deportations, and insecurity compound our distress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Women fled abroad after the Taliban closed schools Hadisa Bibi, a former student in Kabul who fled to neighboring Pakistan last month, said she read in newspapers that Trump suspended the refugee program. Prior to restrictions on womens education in Afghanistan, I was a university student, she said. Given the risks I face as a womens rights advocate, I was hoping for a swift resettlement to the United States. This would not only allow me to continue my higher education but also offer a safer and brighter future. She said she witnessed several Afghans arrested by Pakistani police, which left her in fear, "confined to my room like a prisoner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mahnoosh Monir said she was a medical student in Afghanistan when her education was cruelly suspended by the Taliban." Before fleeing to Pakistan, she worked as a teacher at a language center but it also was shut by the Taliban. Afghanistan is no longer a place for any girl or woman to survive," she said, adding she was disappointed by Trump's move. I didnt expect this suspension to happen. A long span of waiting makes us think of very disappointing probabilities like being sent back to Afghanistan or waiting for a long time in Pakistan as a refugee at risk, which are like nightmares to all case holders," she said. The Taliban have deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, according to the United Nations. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female secondary and higher education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Bibi and Monir applied for relocation and are still waiting. Over time, the visa process for Afghans who demonstrate they are at risk of persecution has become protracted. The US program's suspension leaves exiles in a limbo Another Afghan woman, Farzana Umeed, and a man, Sarfraz Ahmed, said in an interview on the outskirts of Islamabad they were traumatized by the suspension of the program. I virtually wept last night when we heard this news, Umeed said. She said it was difficult for her to live in Pakistan, and she could not travel to America either. Returning to my home country also means taking a huge risk. What should I do? she asked, and urged Trump to reverse his decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those in exile in Pakistan include Afghan journalists who were forced to escape Taliban rule to save their lives, and now face extreme anxiety under the recurring threat of arbitrary arrest, police harassment and deportation to Afghanistan, Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday. The media watchdog urged Pakistan to ensure the protection of these journalists, who say their visa is extended only for a month for a $100 fee. According to the Afghan USRAP Refugees group, flights to the U.S. for many Afghans had been scheduled for January, February and March after they were interviewed by the International Organization for Migration and U.S. Embassy officials. We seek the reversal of the ban on the refugee program on humanitarian grounds, said Ahmad Shah, a member of the group, who was hoping to leave Pakistan for the United States in March after undergoing all interviews and medical tests. In addition to Pakistan, more than 3,200 Afghans are staying in Albania. A NATO member, Albania first agreed to house Afghans for one year before they moved for final settlement in the United States, then pledged to keep them longer if their visas were delayed. The Russians attacked the city of Mykolaiv with attack drones late in the evening of 21 January. As a result of the attack, two people were injured, fires were sparked in the city, and a residential building, a boat cooperative, a business and public transport were damaged. Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES); Vitalii Kim, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration; Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych on Telegram Quote from Kim: "As a result of the falling debris, six fires broke out in different locations; as of 02:52, all fires had been extinguished by firefighters. A six-storey residential building was damaged. 200 people were evacuated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the blast wave damaged windows in eight apartment buildings and several houses, as well as the windows of a family outpatient clinic and an office building belonging to a transport company, and destroyed a car. There were also several open fires." Firefighters dealing with the aftermath of the attack on Mykolaiv Photo: SES Details: Two residents were injured in the attack: a 59-year-old man was treated on the spot, and a 74-year-old woman was hospitalised. She is in a serious condition. Kim added that as of the morning, all evacuated residents had returned to their apartments. Firefighters dealing with the aftermath of the attack on Mykolaiv Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photo: SES The SES reported that the attack had partially destroyed the attic floor of an apartment building. A fire was raging in an apartment on the fifth floor, which was extinguished. Firefighters also extinguished a reed fire that had spread to 1,000 square metres. Sienkevych added that a company had suffered damage to its facilities: in addition to buildings, several electric and other vehicles belonging to the company's subdivisions had been damaged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aftermath of the attack on Mykolaiv Photo: Oleksandr Sienkevych He said that new trolleybuses and a freight service wagon were severely damaged. Aftermath of the attack on Mykolaiv Photo: Oleksandr Sienkevych Background: Explosions were reported in the city of Mykolaiv on the evening of 21 January as Russian forces launched an attack with seven strike drones, resulting in damage to residential buildings and casualties among the civilian population. Support UP or become our patron! SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The state prison system in South Dakota is seeing its share of violence. There are currently more than a hundred court cases involving prison inmates in the hands of the Attorney Generals office. Authorities investigating 35-year-old womans death A judge recently sentenced two inmates convicted of attempting to murder a correctional officer inside the state penitentiary. The judge said the officer was lucky to be alive after receiving more than 70 blows, many to his head. The judge sentenced Kyle Jones to an additional 50 years and Lester Monroe to 35. Jones smiled and smirked at the judge and said he wasnt sorry for what he did. He told the judge there will be more violence until inmates are treated with, in his words more respect. The Attorney Generals office prosecuted the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its important to me we make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our guards, keep our other inmate staff, medical staff as well as other inmates safe, said Attorney General Marty Jackley. Right now the Attorney Generals office has 117 criminal cases pending out of the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls. Jackley says he is taking a no-tolerance position and will vigorously prosecute each and every case. If you are going to do harm to prison officials there will be significant consequences. Monroe and Jones receiving 35 and 50-year sentences sent that message to leave our guards alone, said Jackley. Jackley says Jones 50-year sentence doesnt even start until 2063, so it is basically a life sentence. The current penitentiary is 120 years old. The Governors office says the building is overcrowded, inefficient and costly to maintain. A House bill authorizing the construction of a new mens prison in Lincoln County was introduced earlier this month. Department of Corrections officials say a new prison would improve safety for both the officers and inmates. The planned prison site is between Harrisburg and Canton, roughly 10 miles southeast of Sioux Falls. 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 KELOLAND.com. More than 2,400 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took effect, according to United Nations officials, as attention shifted to rebuilding the enclave devastated during 15 months of intensive Israeli bombardment. During the conflict, aid flows to the blockaded enclave were severely restricted. As the truce entered its fourth day Wednesday, video from Reuters showed convoys of trucks carrying humanitarian aid rolling into Rafah, in Gaza's south. In one, Palestinians were seen running after the trucks along the city's battered roads as they scrambled to pick up purple plastic aid bags that had fallen off. In another, they were seen picking up plastic water bottles from the ground, flanked by the ruins of damaged buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.N. previously estimated that around 60% of Gazas infrastructure has been destroyed, including schools and hospitals. Aid and fuel deliveries were severely restricted during the conflict, prompting international criticism of Israel. More than 47,000 people have been killed in Israeli bombing during the conflict, according to local health officials. Meanwhile, around 90% of Gazas population almost 1.9 million people have been displaced from their homes and forced to live in tent camps and other makeshift shelters, according to the United Nations. Young men pass a truck loaded with aid in Rafah, southern Gaza. Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli officials must allow at least 600 truckloads of aid, including 50 carrying fuel, to enter Gaza daily during the initial six weeks. Half of those trucks will be directed to Gazas north, where experts had warned famine was imminent. A senior U.N. official told Reuters on Wednesday that so far, there had been no apparent law-and-order issues in ensuring the flow of aid into the besieged area. Looters and criminal gangs have raided aid trucks during the conflict, which was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that killed 1,200 and saw some 250 taken hostage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the aid would extend to providing food assistance and health care, including opening bakeries, restocking hospitals, repairing water networks and shelters, and reuniting families. In the al-Dahra area in central Khan Younis, NBC News captured video of uniformed officers from al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, stationed along the streets to supervise trucks and ensure the safe delivery of aid into the city Monday. A member of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, directs aid as it arrives in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Abdul Wahab Abdul Raouf Samour, 40, a police officer, was deployed to patrol the streets and facilitate the traffic along the enclave. "We were informed by the Interior Ministry to wear military uniforms and military suits and head directly to work," he told NBC News' team Monday, adding that Palestinian officials had instructed those deployed to ensure security measures were in place to prevent looting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As you see, we are facilitating the traffic movement for the cities, and, God willing, we hope to serve our people more than this," he added. Across the enclave, video captured by NBC News showed scenes of ash-covered buildings and streets lined with the shattered debris from homes and shops. Other drone footage captured Gaza before and after the 15 months of the war, showing how its cities had been decimated. A crowd gathers behind an aid truck as it enters Rafah, southern Gaza, on Wednesday. But even the promise of a ceasefire could not protect some Palestinians in Gaza looking to rebuild their lives as Israeli airstrikes continued in Khan Younis on Monday. When Ahmed Qudra, 35, stepped out of his home to buy his seven children chicken wings from the market, he was killed by Israeli missiles that struck a vehicle carrying security forces and killed four security officers. The attack also took the lives of three of Qudras children while injuring two others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We went to bed believing the ceasefire started at 8:30. How could we have known that things had changed? How could we have known our happiness would turn into devastation? Hanan, Qudras wife, told NBC News' ground crew through tears. On Friday, we asked him to bring us chicken wings. He said he would. Now hes gone, said 12-year-old son Adel, who saw his father and siblings killed. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A cold wave will result in the most extensive and intense snowfall of this winter thus far in China from Jan. 23 to 27, impacting the Spring Festival travel rush, China's meteorological authority announced on Wednesday. Widespread snow and rain as well as strong winds are expected during the cold wave, with the heaviest snowfall predicted to take place on Jan. 24 and 25. Meanwhile, significant temperature drops are forecast to hit most regions of the country, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC). In areas that are most affected, including southern Shaanxi, northwestern Henan and eastern Liaoning, snow accumulation will reach 3 to 8 centimeters, with some regions set to experience snow depths exceeding 12 centimeters, the NMC said. Xu Jun, chief forecaster of the NMC, said the cold wave will cause temperatures to drop by 8 degrees Celsius to 12 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country -- with some areas in the eastern part of northwest China and western section of north China tipped to experience declines of over 14 degrees Celsius. The cold wave coincides with the peak period of this year's Spring Festival travel rush, and will significantly impact transportation, said the NMC. Affected regions are advised to monitor snowfall and road icing levels, while people with travel plans should check weather forecasts and road conditions in advance, experts say. LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) An air fryer reportedly caused a Longview house to catch on fire, the Longview Fire Department said. Firefighters injured in rollover released from hospital, officials say Firefighters were dispatched to 107 Mumford Dr. for a structure fire on Monday at around 3:40 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, the fire could be seen from the doorway into the kitchen. Officials were able to extinguish the fire with minimal damage to the house, containing the fire to the kitchen. Courtesy of the Longview Fire Department Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, during the course of the investigation, the occupants reportedly told officials they had been using an air fryer to cook food and it started sparking before it caught on fire. Longview FD said there were no reported injuries however an occupant and two dogs were displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross. 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. (WHNT) The Alabama Department of Public Health issued a statement Wednesday about its current investigation into certain adverse events following an injection. In the news release, ADPH said it is working with the Center for Disease Controls Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion to investigate 11 reports of people experiencing adverse events following injections with the cephalosporin antibiotic ceftriaxone, or Rocephin. Second Lakeview Drive murder suspect extradited from Kentucky to Alabama Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reports have come over the past few months, ADPH said. According to the Mayo Clinic, Ceftriaxone is used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body. This medicine is also given before certain types of surgery to prevent infections. Ceftriaxone belongs to the class of medicines known as cephalosporin antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. Ceftriaxone belongs to the class of medicines known as cephalosporin antibiotics, according to the Mayo Clinic website. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. However, this medicine will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections. You can read the full breakdown of Rocephin from the FDA below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rocephin-FDADownload Those who have been investigated reportedly had a variety of comorbid conditions, meaning they have two or more medical conditions at the same time, and ADPH said no specific causal link between ceftriaxone and the reactions has been identified. Judge rules Colbert County man charged with 2024 murder did not act in self-defense ADPH wrote that it will continue to work with healthcare partners to investigate the possibility of epidemiologic links between these events or in connection to receipt of injections of this antibiotic, related diluting substances, or steroid medications often administered in conjunction with antibiotics in healthcare settings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Symptoms from some of the cases reviewed had those compatible with anaphylactic reaction including hives, pruritus (itching), hypotension (low blood pressure) and hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in your body tissues). ADPH said these symptoms have been treated with measures for anaphylaxis. While this investigation is ongoing, it is important to keep in mind that, as with any injectable antibiotic, allergic reactions can occur, and measures should be taken to monitor and respond appropriately to such reactions. Cephalosporins, such as ceftriaxone, can cause allergic reactions between 0.5% to 2.5% of patients, ADPH wrote. The department said providers are urged to discuss the use of ceftriaxone with patients as a therapeutic and have a plan in place to respond to any adverse events. ADPH said any adverse events can be reported to FDA MedWatch here while providers of the injection can report any adverse events related to ceftriaxone to ADPH. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ADPH will continue to act to promote and protect the health of the citizens of Alabama by investigating, responding, and updating information accordingly. Alabama Department of Public Health You can read the full statement from ADPH below: ADPH-news-releaseDownload Some North Alabama clinics have made statements regarding the investigation. You can read some statements from those clinics/hospitals below. Download the WHNT News 19 App to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WHNT News 19 newsletters to have news sent to your inbox. We are aware of concerns regarding a potential adverse reaction related to the administration of Ceftriaxone (Rocephin). Out of an abundance of caution, we have removed this medication from our acute and clinic settings while we further investigate this issue. No reactions have been reported with our facilities or sites of care. We are coordinating with relevant healthcare organizations on this developing situation and will share more information as available. The North Alabama Medical Center Most of you have probably heard about a problem with Rocephin batches. It seems to be causing allergic reactions at a higher rate than Rocephin does in general. We have been in communication with the health department for a couple of days and have discontinued Rocephin until we find out more. Dr. Melvin wanted to also add that since patients are often treated at urgent cares and emergency rooms because of distance and after our office is closed, please be aware of what you are being given. He would suggest not getting Rocephin anywhere until we have a better answer. While Rocephin is an easy and fast way to get medicine into a childs body, we definitely have other antibiotics that we can use to treat your child. And some facilities probably give Rocephin too often. You should also not be concerned if your child has received Rocephin in the last couple of weeks from anywhere. The reaction is basically immediate. Feel free to call if you have any questions! Tennessee Valley Pediatrics In response to the reports of potential adverse reactions to the antibiotic Rocephin (Ceftriaxone), Helen Keller Hospital is working closely with the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Helen Keller Hospital We have placed a hold on all Rocephin (ceftriaxone) injections at our clinic until further notice. ADPH is investigating reports of adverse events following these injections. Our patient safety is always top priority! We will continue to keep you updated as we find out more information. We have checked the reported Lot # and if you have gotten an injection at our clinic recently we can assure you that it was not one of the related Lot#s on this medication and you are safe. Hamilton Family Urgent Care Florence Rocephin (Ceftriaxone) Injections Your safety is our top priority. We have temporarily paused the use of Rocephin (ceftriaxone) injections at our clinic due to reports of adverse events under investigation by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). We have verified that none of the affected lot numbers were used at our clinic. We will share updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding. Option Wellness, Muscle Shoals According to the FDA website, in 2019, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. voluntarily recalled five lots of Ceftriaxone for Injection, USP, 250mg, 10 lots of Ceftriaxone for Injection, USP, 500mg, 24 lots of Ceftriaxone for Injection, USP, 1g and 3 lots of Ceftriaxone for Injection, USP 2g, to the hospital/physician level. The products have been found to contain visual grey particulate matter in reconstituted vials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The voluntary recall stated that if injected, the product could cause vein irritation/phlebitis it pulmonary embolic events that could result in permanent impairment of body function or damage to body structures, such as the lungs and vascular system. News 19 has reached out to ADPH to learn more about the injection. 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. ALABAMA (WHNT) The Albertville High School Band got the chance to meet with Alabama leaders during their trip to the nations capitol Tuesday evening. Alabama Congressman Aderholt, along with Alabama Senator Katie Britt, met with band members on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building. (Courtesy of Rep. Aderholts Office) (Courtesy of Rep. Aderholts Office) (Courtesy of Rep. Aderholts Office) (Courtesy of Rep. Aderholts Office) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially, the Aggies were scheduled to perform in the inaugural parade but were cut from the ceremony due to the event being moved indoors. Despite this, the band, consisting of about 400 members, still went to Washington D.C. since it was too late to cancel the trip. We are hopeful that, despite this setback, our students will have a memorable and rewarding experience in our nations capitol, Albertville City Superintendent Dr. Bart Reeves said at the time the system announced the change regarding the parade. Their experience did end up including a visit with Rep. Aderholt and Sen. Britt on the capitol steps, where Aderholt congratulated the band and expressed his pride for their accomplishments, despite the fact they didnt get to perform as they originally planned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Jan. 22JUNEAU The Alaska House and Senate on Tuesday convened the two-year session with bipartisan majorities governing both legislative chambers. Leaders of the Democrat-dominated House and Senate majorities said their priorities include a permanent increase to education funding, reforming Alaska's public-sector retirement plans, election reform, energy policy and passing a balanced budget. But legislators face a more strained fiscal environment to fund their priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, with his powerful veto pen, will be a looming factor in legislative debates. The all-Republican minority caucuses, particularly in the narrowly divided House, are expected to play key roles in shaping policy and the budget. A balanced budget The Alaska Department of Revenue in December projected declining oil prices over the next several years, and an accompanying drop in state revenue. Lawmakers said Tuesday that new revenue measures were unlikely to be considered this session, meaning that the budget process will likely be shaped by the state's limited fund sources. "It is going to be a very tough balancing act," said Democratic Sen. Lyman Hoffman of Bethel, who will manage the Senate's operating budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Alaska Legislature convenes session with aligned bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate] He said the Senate majority is striving to craft a budget that does not rely on savings. A draw from the state's main savings account the $3 billion Constitutional Budget Reserve would require support from the Republican House and Senate minorities. Edgmon, the House speaker, also said that a draw from the CBR would be viewed by his caucus as an "absolute last resort." Hoffman said the Senate majority would take a fiscally conservative approach to developing its spending plan and that infrastructure spending could be scaled back as a result. He was dismissive of Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed budget that in December was projected to create a $1.5 billion deficit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no way that we can afford that," Hoffman said at a Tuesday media conference. Hoffman said the Senate would also closely examine some of the operating budget increases that Dunleavy proposed, including a new Alaska State Troopers post in Talkeetna and a new Department of Agriculture. Permanent Fund dividend Dunleavy last month called for a dividend of $3,900 per eligible Alaskan in the upcoming budget, adhering to a state statute that lawmakers have not followed since 2016. Paying that dividend would require a vast draw from state savings. Lawmakers in the House and Senate largely dismissed the idea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate last session supported adopting a new formula that would appropriate three-quarters of the Permanent Fund earnings to pay for state services, reserving one-quarter for the annual dividend. Senate majority members said they would likely back a similar statutory change this year. But Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, said that even providing a dividend equal to one-quarter of Permanent Fund earnings this year which would equate to a PFD of over $1,400 could be "challenging." "There'll be some debate above it and below it," said Stedman. Without a new formula, lawmakers could choose a dividend size depending on what would be affordable given other budget constraints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, who is leading the operating budget process in the House, said the size of the dividend could be impacted by whether lawmakers approve a sizable increase to the state's education budget. A large increase in funding for schools would mean a smaller dividend, he said. Education funding Education advocacy groups have been pessimistic about the prospects of a major funding boost this year amid resistance from Dunleavy. But Senate and House leaders said they planned to get to work early on advancing a funding boost for schools. Sen. Loki Tobin, D-Anchorage, said that the Senate majority had yet to settle on the exact size of the funding increase they would seek, but that she saw a $200 million increase which Dunleavy said earlier this year he could support to the existing $1.2 billion education budget as a starting point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dunleavy and conservative lawmakers have said funding increases should be tied to policy changes that measurably improve Alaska's bottom-of-the-nation test scores. Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, on Tuesday said that education policy debates should be kept separate. "I know there are a number of policy bills that people want, but I think with the lack of funding, it's really critical that we address that, and address that first," he said. Edgmon said that the House could try to pass an education funding increase early in the session, in an effort to provide stability to school districts across the state that are looking at shuttering buildings and cutting positions. "There will be an emphasis on getting that passed, hopefully before the school districts begin to put their budgets together in earnest," said Edgmon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Energy President Donald Trump on Monday signed a sweeping executive order that was intended to drastically expand resource development in Alaska. Anchorage Republican Sen. Cathy Giessel largely welcomed the order, but said Alaska should focus on managing its own lands and waters. Giessel, chair of the Senate Resources Committee, cited a plan for the state to take over management of permitting development in wetlands. "We're not a colony to be pillaged," she said. Legislators are set to grapple with a looming shortfall of Cook Inlet natural gas, which is the bulk fuel used to heat and power Southcentral Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anchorage Republican Rep. Mia Costello, the House minority leader, said the 19-member minority was still formulating its policy goals. But she said the caucus was opposed to the likely need to import natural gas at least for the short term. "We will do everything we can to prevent that," she said. Earlier in the month, the Dunleavy administration announced that a private company was set to soon fund and lead the development of a trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline. Alaska's state-owned investment development agency in December moved to commit $50 million to advance the long-planned project. Giessel was skeptical about the state committing more funds to the $44 billion mega project, and the project in general. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't know if something real will come of it. We'll see," Giessel said. The Republican Senate and House minorities were bullish on Tuesday about the Trump administration's resource development plans in Alaska. However, Senate minority members said they wanted more information about the pipeline project. "We need to dive into that sooner rather than later," said Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla. Elections Senate majority members said they planned to introduce an omnibus election bill early in the session that would address myriad issues related to the state's voting laws. The legislation is intended to speed up ballot counting; eliminate the witness signature requirement on absentee ballots; and clean up the state's voter rolls, Wielechowski said. Shower has introduced measures in previous sessions intended to improve election security. In 2022, Shower was part of a bipartisan effort to pass an election reform bill that failed in the final hour of the session. He said that he would again work on election reform with the majority. "You'll certainly see me focused on that," he said during a Senate minority media conference. The Alaska Division of Elections counts absentee ballots that arrive up to 15 days after an election. Palmer Republican Sen. Shelley Hughes, another member of the Senate minority, said the caucus was set to introduce a simple election bill. It would require that all ballots arrive on or before Election Day. Public-sector retirement Giessel is again expected to lead an effort to reform Alaska's public-sector retirement system in an effort to boost the state's recruitment and retention of public employees, including teachers, public safety workers and others. The Legislature in 2006 eliminated Alaska's pension program amid an unfunded liability. Since then, the state and other public employers, including schools and police departments, have struggled to retain critical workers. Senate and House leaders say a return to pensions can help address an ongoing staffing crisis. Giessel led a similar effort beginning in 2023. Republicans in the House were opposed to the system overhaul she proposed, but members of the House bipartisan majority said Tuesday they welcomed consideration of the pension reform. On Tuesday, Giessel foreshadowed the argument she would make in favor of the overhaul: Though the new pension system was expected to cost the state $46 million annually in new expenses, it was simultaneously expected to save the state more than $70 million a year in costs associated with staff turnover and filling vacated positions. Correction: In an earlier version of this story, a photo caption incorrectly identified Rep. DeLena Johnson of Palmer as Rep. Andi Story of Juneau. Rep. Nellie Unangik Jimmie, D-Bethel, shakes hands with Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (not pictured) after taking her oath of office on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Juneau. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) For the first time in eight years, the Alaska Legislature has opened its two-year session without a deadlock in its lower chamber. On Tuesday, members of the state House of Representatives picked Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, as speaker of the House with a 21-19 vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not since 2017 has the House picked a leader on the first day of the legislative session. Edgmons selection marked the return to power of a mostly Democratic coalition that controlled the House from 2017 through 2023. A predominantly Republican coalition has controlled the House for the past two years. State senators reelected Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, to lead a mostly Democratic coalition in that half of the Capitol. The Vox Borealis choir performs the Alaska Flag Song to open the 34th Alaska State Legislature on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Speaking after his election, Edgmon said that even though both legislative coalitions are majority Democratic, were organizing around objectives, goals and common interests that are what we feel pretty centrist in terms of being on the political spectrum. Stevens and other members of the Senate majority coalition said on Tuesday that they intend to focus on a handful of priority topics, including energy legislation, education funding, elections reform and the revival of a pension program for state employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Edgmon said the House coalition is generally aligned with those goals. Education funding is likely to be the No. 1 priority, with multiple legislators saying that they intend to fast-track a bill that will increase the base student allocation, the core of the states per-student funding formula for public schools. Were going to take a hard look at a BSA increase, Edgmon said when asked whether he expects any major bills to pass in the first half of the Legislatures 121-day regular session. There will be an emphasis on getting that passed, hopefully before the school districts begin to put their budgets together in earnest in March, he said. Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom delivers the oath of office to (from left to right) Sens. Robert Yundt, R-Wasilla; Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River; and Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 in Juneau. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel and co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said he expects that the House will need to take the lead on an education funding bill because compromises may be needed to pass the bill through the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House majority has only 21 members, the bare minimum needed to pass legislation. That means the dissent of a single majority member would be enough to defeat a bill unless it has the support of at least one minority caucus lawmaker. Last year, BSA-increasing legislation passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Lawmakers failed to override that veto by a single vote, and the failed vote was a major campaign issue in the fall elections. Speaking to reporters, Hoffman implied that he thinks the legislative math is different this year. I think the public has made it quite clear they want a long-term solution to the education equation. And I would say that theres a much better chance of passing a long-term solution than most people might think, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passing legislation that deals with other issues including the pending Southcentral Alaska energy crunch could be a trickier proposition, given the one-vote majority in the House, and legislators will still have to contend with Dunleavy, who has never had a veto overridden by lawmakers. Were very cognizant that the House chamber, at least in terms of numbers, between the majority and the minority caucus, its very closely divided 21-19, as you saw on the vote for the speaker, Edgmon said. And so we have our work cut out for us, but Im very confident, having been around the Legislature for a number of years that we will find common ground. On the first day, at least, members of the House did find that common ground. In 2019, the House endured a monthlong leadership deadlock, with neither Republicans nor a multipartisan coalition able to muster the 21 votes needed to control the House. In 2021, the deadlock lasted for three weeks. Two years ago, the deadlock ended on the sessions second day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, served as speaker of the House for the past two years and said on Tuesday that the key difference this year is that the Democrats walked in with the 21 and they claimed the majority and had the numbers to prove that claim. Minority Republicans also made things easier on Tuesday by declining to nominate a competing candidate for speaker, which sped the largely ceremonial day. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Tilton said that was based on an acknowledgment that they didnt have the votes, and that the vote against Edgmon would be a sufficient message about their different views. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ten of the Houses 40 legislators are new this year, and 23 of 40 have been in the House for two years or less, Edgmon said. Im confident that the state is in good hands, said Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom after performing the ceremonial swearing-in of new House lawmakers. This is the first time in Alaska history that we have had more women than men in this body. Theres 21 women and 19 men, so theres history being made already on Day 1 here, she said. Edgmon added shortly afterward that its the first time the House has had three Alaska Native women: Reps. Robyn Niayuq Burke, D-Utqiagvik; Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks; and Nellie Unangik Jimmie, D-Bethel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Senate, Stevens concluded his remarks by asking fellow lawmakers to remember the words of that famous philosopher, John Lennon, when he said, Everything will be OK in the end, and if its not OK, its not the end. So here we are at the beginning. Nothing has gone wrong so far, and we know that can change in the next 120 days, but lets keep our focus on the end, so that when we get there, all will be OK. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The sign outside the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority office in Midtown Anchorage is seen on Tuesday. The state corporation has a new chief executive officer. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) A state-owned corporation that manages roughly $800 million in assets for the benefit of Alaskans with mental health issues has a new leader. Dr. Mary Wilson, a pediatrician who grew up in Anchorage, was chosen by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authoritys board to be the new chief executive officer. Wilson has worked in leadership positions with the Permanente Medical Groups in Georgia and California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board announced Wilsons appointment at a special meeting on Tuesday. She officially starts her new position on Wednesday, the board said. Wilson succeeds Steve Williams, a longtime Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority official who served as chief executive from 2022 until last July. In the intervening months, Allison Biastock, the trusts chief communications officer, served as an interim CEO while the board conducted its hiring search. Wilson worked for six years as executive medical director and president at the Southeast Permanente Medical Group in Atlanta. In that position, she managed the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the organizations approximately 1,000 employees, according to local news accounts. Before that, she held senior positions at the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On behalf of the board, Im very excited that Mary is joining our organization. Her leadership experience and knowledge of our healthcare system will be invaluable as our organization continues to strategically invest in projects and initiatives that lead to improved outcomes for vulnerable Alaskans, Brent Fisher, chair of the board of trustees, said in a statement. Dr. Mary Wilson, a pediatrician, was hired as the new chief executive officer of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. She grew up in Alaska and held leadership roles at the Permanente Medical Groups in Georgia and California. (Photo provided by Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority) I am honored with the opportunity to lead an organization that has such a unique and important role in supporting Trust beneficiaries and the organizations that serve and support them, Wilson said in the statement. Wilson is a graduate of Dimond High School in Anchorage, Colorado College and the University of Washington Medical School. She also has a masters degree in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has retired from her medical practice and returned to Alaska in 2021, Biastock said. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority administers assets of a trust fund that is unique in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fund was created in 1994, the result of a lawsuit filed by advocates for mental health patients and people with developmental disabilities. The trusts assets, which started out $200 million and 1 million acres of land granted by the state, are managed by the authority, generating income that is used for mental health and disability programs. Beneficiaries include Alaskans affected by mental illnesses and intellectual or developmental disabilities, substance abuse disorders, dementia and traumatic brain injuries. The trust is operated in a manner similar to a private foundation, and the authority that manages it is a state corporation. Each year, the fund authority administers about $25 million in grants to programs that serve beneficiaries. It also engages in direct advocacy for Alaskans who need program services. In October, the authority and the Alaska Department of Health and Alaska Department of Family and Community Services jointly released a five-year plan to guide services from 2025 to 2029. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan, issued periodically, is required by state law. The newest plan puts an emphasis on prevention and early intervention, according to state officials. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A majority of the City Council signed a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson Wednesday condemning a puppet display at the Chicago Cultural Center as antisemitic and calling on the city to take it down. The free, public exhibit in the city-run building features a two-sided protest puppet with bloodied caricatures of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Writing on the wooden bases holding up the puppet criticizes U.S. financial support for Israels war efforts in Gaza and labels the characters as children killers and murderers. The letter signed by 27 aldermen and sent to Johnson Wednesday morning said the display is extremely offensive and crosses into unprotected hate speech. However, some aldermen argue the pushback against the artwork is a threat to free speech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The groups letter called on Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Clinee Hedspeth to take out the display. It also requested Hedpseth attend a City Council hearing to explain how the display was approved and outline steps that will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. As public officials, we respect freedom of speech and artistic expression, but not when it crosses into the obscene and promotes hate, the letter said. The Chicago Cultural Center is a public space funded by taxpayer dollars, and displays there should reflect the values of our diverse and vibrant city. Artwork that is this divisive should not use public funds without a clear, transparent vetting process. The City Councils lone Jewish member, Ald. Debra Silverstein, said she spoke with Hedspeth over the weekend about the exhibit. The commissioner agreed to remove the displays title, US-Israel War Machine, added a warning that the exhibition contains sensitive content and removed a death count included in the exhibit, the alderwoman said. Silverstein, 50th, said she had hoped to speak with Hedspeth again Tuesday to discuss removing the display, but did not receive a response when she contacted the commissioner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson spoke inside the Chicago Cultural Center Wednesday morning at an event unrelated to the exhibition, but did not respond to questions reporters asked as he left. DCASE spokesperson Bria Purdiman later released a statement saying the department and city are committed to upholding artistic freedom and expression, which are foundational to a vibrant and inclusive society. We understand the power of art and differing perspectives, the statement said. The department and City will continue collaborative dialogue with elected officials and community members to reach common ground. In criticizing the display, Silverstein called it very anti-American, and very antisemitic. Asked if she believes censoring the artwork would violate First Amendment protections, she argued it went too far and should not get taxpayer support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do believe in freedom of speech and artistic expression, I do. But I definitely feel like this is crossing a line and promoting hate, Silverstein said. The demand that Johnson remove the display is yet another outcropping of local political tension resulting from the war that started after Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack and Israels subsequent invasion of Gaza. Almost a year ago, Chicago became the largest American city to call for a ceasefire in the war, which was finally enacted by Israel and Hamas Sunday. Silverstein blasted Johnson at the time for casting the tie-breaking vote needed to pass the ceasefire ordinance. She has regularly criticized Johnson and several of his aldermanic allies over the last year for rhetoric and actions she describes as antisemitic. Its very disturbing to me that Im not seeing any change here, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But to Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd, the letter represented a very dangerous position to take and an attempt against free speech. The alderwoman has been at odds with Silverstein for months in debates related to the war in Gaza and again Wednesday decried Israels actions in Gaza as a genocide. We cannot be getting into the business of censoring art, she said. I think that our public spaces are meant to actually have discussions, and to have multiple points of views. Asked if she thought the puppet was appropriate for a taxpayer-funded space, Rodriguez-Sanchez said the government has a responsibility to create space for speech and debate. A piece of art is not created or exhibited so that you agree with it. A piece of art is done so that you go look at it, and you decide how you feel about it, and you talk to others about it, she said. It is meant to spark discussion, right? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter made Ed Yohnka, spokesperson for American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, recall the time in 1988 when a group of Black aldermen seized a student painting on display at the Art Institute depicting former Mayor Harold Washington dressed only in womens undergarments. After the seizure, the ACLU sued the city and won $95,000 for the artist who painted the image. The organization would consider more legal action if Chicago removes the puppet, Yohnka said Wednesday. This is no time to place limits on the First Amendment and aldermen have plenty of other responsibilities to focus on, he said. Acting as an art critic is not a part of their charge, he said. Thats not the role of a government official. (Reuters) - E-commerce giant Amazon.com is exiting its operations in the Canadian province of Quebec, leading to the loss of about 1,700 full-time jobs, the company said on Wednesday, prompting Ottawa to express its unhappiness. The online retailer will phase out operations across seven sites in the province the only location in Canada with unionized Amazon employees over the next two months. It will return to a third-party delivery model, relying on local small businesses, similar to its approach before 2020. "Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we've seen that returning to a third-party delivery model ... will allow us to provide even more savings to our customers," Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said. In May, Amazon warehouse workers represented by the Canadian labor union Confederation des syndicats nationaux (CSN) unionized, citing dissatisfaction with wages and inadequate health and safety measures at the facilities. Federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he had spoken to the head of Amazon Canada and expressed the government's dismay and frustration. "This is not the way business is done in Canada," he said in a post on X. The CSN, which represents 300 workers at the site north of Montreal, said the decision made no business sense and directly targets the company's only unionized warehouse in Canada. The workers were in the process of negotiating their first collective agreement. "There is no doubt that the closings announced today are part of an anti-union campaign against CSN and Amazon employees," said CSN president Caroline Senneville in a French-language statement. "This move contradicts the provisions of the Quebec Labour Code, which we will strongly oppose," Senneville added, without providing immediate specifics. The move will also affect approximately 250 seasonal workers. Amazon will offer affected employees a package including up to 14 weeks' pay and "transitional benefits such as job placement resources," Agrait added. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru, Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Tasim Zahid and David Gregorio) If the politics of the 20th century revolved around oil and technology, the 21st may be defined largely by demographics. In this race, the United States holds a stronger hand, as its population is younger and growing faster than its main rivals in either Europe or Asia. Many projections hold that other economies, particularly China, will have higher economic growth, and thereby surpass the US. Yet such estimates often fail to acknowledge that Germany, Japan, China and Russia are all gradually losing population, while the United States continues to grow, albeit more slowly than it once did. As labour force levels decline among its top competitors, the US is expected to continue expanding, with almost 50 million new workers by 2050. Much of that edge comes from immigration, responsible for two thirds - and more recently even more - of total US population growth. But for the incoming Trump administration, this advantage may also be something of a poisoned chalice. President Trump ran aggressively against the Biden era surge in undocumented migrants and is under severe pressure from his nativist base to cut not only illegal immigration but even legal entrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whatever their preferences, the US and other developed countries cannot really afford to turn off the migration faucet. In future decades, they will have to look to the developing world to pay for their ageing population, as their own labour force declines. Yet its also clear that the virtually open borders approach taken by Europe and the US has been a disaster, as many newcomers have tended to be poorer and less well-educated than in the past. The Congressional Budget office warns that the recent surge in immigration will coincide with slower wage growth. Lower income US workers also have to compete with migrants for living space and social services. Concern about massive levels of immigration is, if anything, greater in Europe, where many recent migrants from developing countries are widely seen as a net cost to the taxpayer. The notion that immigrants would relieve the continent of its labour shortages has not always panned out, either. In many cases, immigrant workers either lack the skills or cannot penetrate the continents often difficult regulatory environment. Progressive politics has not helped much. Official multiculturalism, notes one scholar, exonerates immigrants from integrating into the wider society. The result has been an erosion of social cohesion, an undermining of national identities, and a degradation of public trust. Overall, roughly half of non-EU immigrants into Europe face poverty, twice the rate for the native born population. The young are particularly vulnerable. Even more worrisome has been the social and cultural impacts. In Europe, notably in France, there are wide concerns about what Le Figaro has called La menace islamiste, with the growth of ghettos and a permanent underclass, some of whom embrace lawless nihilism, compounded by Islamist ideology. Germanys fastest growing party, the AfD, is vehemently anti-migration, while even Sweden, long the Valhalla of progressive fantasies, has been forced to call out the army to tamp down on violence in immigrant dominated areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US situation is fundamentally better. Latinos, representing roughly half of all immigrants, are not likely to be hostile to western culture. They are driving the economy and, by 2030, will account for 78 per cent of net new US workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Latino wealth has also grown in the past decade roughly twice as fast as the general population, while over the past 20 years Latinos nationwide have experienced the largest reduction in poverty as well. More important still are attitudes. At a time of deep-seated pessimism across the country, Latinos are generally more optimistic than non-Latino whites. Latinos also boast some of the highest rates of voluntary enlistment and military service. They represent the fastest growing population in the military, for example, making up about 16 per cent of all active-duty troops. Asians, the second largest immigrant group, have also made enormous inroads. The Asian share of US business founders has more than doubled since 2000. Similarly, foreign born workers, overwhelmingly from Asia, constitute a remarkable three quarters of all of Silicon Valleys tech workforce. Americas gain, Trump can tell Xi Jinping, is Chinas loss. Beijing may offer global pre-eminence and the Chinese dream, but the number of Chinese immigrants to America has doubled since 2000 while the Middle Kingdom struggles with a diminishing workforce. Rather than mindlessly beat the nativist drum, Trump and the GOP should consider immigrants and their offspring as a political opportunity, as was clear in the 2024 elections where Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern voters tilted more towards the Republican party. Overall, according to one survey, immigrants are twice as conservative in their social views as the general public and they often reject the identity politics so central to current Democratic ideology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigration could prove crucial to Trumps plans to make America great again. America is short of many skills, particularly workers who could fulfil the MAGA promise of re-industrialisation. Latinos already constitute around a fifth of all factory workers, a quarter of people engaged in agriculture, and a fifth of all truck drivers. These are workers, and industries, which tend to embrace the GOP. Trump and his supporters should develop a policy that, while welcoming immigration, is highly selective. The current political configuration could sustain such a shift. The narrow GOP majority cannot pass a MAGA-inspired total crackdown or even reduce current legal immigration levels. They could conceivably trade greater border enforcement for such things as legalising the children of undocumented migrants who have been here for a long time and have proven to be good citizens. Rather than see immigrants as necessarily hostile to American ideas and interests, Trump needs to realise that they constitute a reaffirmation of what it is to be an American, and a primary asset in restoring our national greatness. Joel Kotkin is presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University and senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas 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. Reproductive-rights supporters watch as lawmakers debate a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion access on Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) There were tears, yells and a call of out of order but by the end of the day Virginias Senate on Tuesday passed three resolutions aimed at enshrining certain civil rights into the states constitution. The resolutions, presented by Democrats, would protect abortion and other reproductive healthcare access in the states constitution, automatically restore voting rights to people who complete felony sentences, and remove a prohibition on same-sex marriage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesdays vote is part of a two-year process in which the resolutions must pass each chamber twice before appearing on statewide ballots for voters final approval or rejection. The resolutions, which already passed the House of Delegates last week, were met with robust pushback from Republican lawmakers. Some offered amendments that were not accepted. Republicans argue parental consent In the reproductive healthcare resolution, Republicans wanted to insert existing state code requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions and protections for newborns. Sen. Tara Durant, R-Stafford, speaks in opposition of a constitutional amendment on Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Infanticide is also already prohibited by state code and federal law. In Virginia state code, partial birth infanticide means any deliberate act that is intended to kill a human infant who has been born alive but has not been completely extracted or expelled from its mother. It also shall not under any circumstances be construed to include abortion procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont legislate through the constitution, we establish baseline rights, Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax told The Mercury earlier in the day. We legislate through code where our parental consent laws currently live and where they should stay. She called the focus on parental consent in arguments from her GOP colleagues an attempt to distract from the real motive these folks have: to ban abortion entirely. Many Virginia Republicans have previously supported or introduced restrictions and near-total bans in recent years. Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell, who previously introduced a life-at-conception law, cried as he reflected on the premature birth of a granddaughter who did not live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recalling knowing her for a brief time he said: I remember the promise that I would always fight for her. He used the personal experience to urge his colleagues to vote against the resolution. Several Republican lawmakers cautioned that the current laws could potentially be overridden should the constitutional amendments pass without their inclusion. On the other hand, Democrats and legal scholars have noted a U.S. Supreme Court case affirms parental consent is protected under the 14th Amendment. Sen. Luther Cifers, R-Goochland, said current law allows most abortions through the second trimester and questioned how much enshrining that in the constitution might be needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which is it is current law enough, or do we need constitutional guarantees? Cifers posited. As the debate heated, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, referenced Republican tactics in the U.S. Senate that led to the conservative majority on the Supreme Court that overturned the federal abortion protections guaranteed in Roe v. Wade. At that point, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears slammed her gavel and declared Surovell out of order. Democrats and reproductive rights advocates have stressed in recent years that a constitutional amendment would protect that law from partisan shifts in the legislature. Theyve also argued that their amendment is built on the framework outlined in Roe v. Wade. In the years since Roe was overturned, Republican-majority legislatures have enacted bans or restrictions on abortion. However, states across the political spectrum have also passed constitutional amendments affirming the right to abortion Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The measure was eventually passed along party lines. Afterward, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield shared how undergoing an abortion-adjacent procedure called dilation and curettage amid two miscarriages ensured she did not face life-threatening complications from sepsis. The procedure can also be used after an abortion to prevent infection as well or used to help diagnose the causes of irregular uterine bleeding. In passing the amendment, Hashmi said Virginia is one step closer to ensuring people dont have to be near death before receiving care. What we have done today is going to save lives, she said. Restoring voting rights The resolution to restore voting rights to people who complete felony sentences passed the Senate on party-line votes. The House version passed with bipartisanship support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In both chambers, Republicans sought failed floor amendments to require people to have completed restitution payments they may owe in addition to having already completed their prison sentences before their rights can be restored. Another amendment sought to restrict people with violent offenses from automatic restoration and require them instead to individually petition the governor for a case-by-case assessment. That process is what is currently underway for all people with felony convictions in Virginia, but petitioners have said they have little criteria as to what earns a yes from Gov. Glenn Youngkin. His restoration numbers have been lower than previous governors from both parties who had worked to streamline the process. And a mass generic rejection email with no explanation or blind carbon copy feature sent to hundreds of formerly incarcerated people last fall prompted many of them to wonder if Youngkins individualized process was happening at all. They began communicating with each other in an email thread which was forwarded to The Mercury in October 2024. I am a Republican and would have voted for Sears next year, wrote one of the rejected applicants. But Im second-guessing my own party the way this whole thing was handled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earle-Sears is running for governor against former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. Meanwhile, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, stressed that its her party which has been going to bat for people who have served their time and want to participate again in democracy. Same-sex marriage prohibition likely to fall The resolution that has gathered the most bipartisan support would remove a prohibition on same-sex marriages from the constitution that has been on the books since the early 2000s. Though such unions are federally protected, advocates argue that Virginians marriages could be at risk should a federal court case protecting them be overturned. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas raised that possibility in his concurring opinion when the court overturned Roe v. Wade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, said he is glad to see his resolution advance, but that hes disappointed only three Republicans in the Senate backed it. I think its really kind of indefensible not to be supportive of complying with the U.S. Supreme Courts decision, he told members of the press following the vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has called for advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and other technological innovations to benefit humanity. Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos on Tuesday. He was responding to questions from WEF founder Klaus Schwab after delivering his address. AI and other emerging technologies bring about revolutionary transformations rather than incremental progress, Ding noted. He emphasized that China, guided by the conception that "science knows no border and should benefit all humanity," has promoted international cooperation in innovation and ensured the fruits of scientific and technological progress are shared by all. The vice premier highlighted that China has established science and technology cooperation with over 160 countries and regions. Special efforts have been made to share scientific achievements with Global South countries to close the technological gap. Ding acknowledged that while AI and other technologies can drive development, they also carry risks. "China attaches great importance to striking the right balance between development and security, follows the approach of seeking progress while ensuring stability, and strives to keep innovation from going astray," he said. He explained that China is developing AI to accelerate economic transformation, achieve Chinese modernization, and enhance the quality of life for its population of more than 1.4 billion. The country has implemented robust regulatory frameworks and mechanisms to ensure the responsible use and management of AI technologies, he added. Ding described AI governance as a global challenge, warning that disorderly competition among nations could lead to a "gray rhino" scenario. He called on countries to support the United Nations in taking a central role and to develop effective rules through joint participation. Such efforts, he said, would ensure that AI and other technologies become a source of shared prosperity -- an "Ali Baba's treasure cave" -- rather than a "Pandora's box." CAIRO (Reuters) - In neighbourhoods levelled by 15 months of war with Israel, Hamas officials are overseeing the clearance of rubble in the wake of Sunday's ceasefire. The group's gunmen are guarding aid convoys on Gaza's dusty roads, and its blue-uniformed police once again patrol city streets, sending a clear message: Hamas remains in charge. Israeli officials have described a parade of jubilant Hamas fighters that celebrated the ceasefire on Sunday in front of cheering crowds as a carefully orchestrated attempt to exaggerate the Palestinian militant group's strength. But, in the days since the ceasefire took effect, Gaza's Hamas-run administration has moved quickly to reimpose security, to curb looting, and to start restoring basic services to parts of the enclave, swathes of which have been reduced to wasteland by the Israeli offensive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters spoke to more than a dozen residents, officials, regional diplomats and security experts who said that, despite Israel's vow to destroy it, Hamas remains deeply entrenched in Gaza and its hold on power represents a challenge to implementing a permanent ceasefire. The Islamist group not only controls Gaza's security forces, but its administrators run ministries and government agencies, paying salaries for employees and coordinating with international NGOs, they said. On Tuesday, its police and gunmen who for months were kept off the streets by Israeli airstrikes were stationed in neighbourhoods through the Strip. "We want to prevent any kind of security vacuum," said Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office. He said that some 700 police were protecting aid convoys and not a single truck had been looted since Sunday a contrast to the massive theft of food by criminal gangs during the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the United Nations in Geneva confirmed on Tuesday there had been no reports of looting or attacks on aid workers since the ceasefire took effect. In recent weeks, Israeli airstrikes have targeted lower-ranking administrators in Gaza, in an apparent bid to break Hamas' grip on government. Israel had already eliminated Hamas' leadership, including political chief Ismail Haniyeh and the architects of the Oct. 7 attack, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. Despite the losses, Al-Thawabta said the Hamas-run administration continued to function. "Currently, we have 18,000 employees working daily to provide services to citizens," he said. The Hamas-run municipalities had begun on Sunday clearing the rubble from some roads to allow vehicles to pass, while workers repaired pipes and infrastructure to restore running water to neighbourhoods. On Tuesday, dozens of heavy trucks ferried debris from destroyed buildings along the enclave's dusty main arteries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not articulated a vision for Gaza's postwar future beyond insisting the Islamist group can play no role and stating that the Palestinian Authority a body set up under the Oslo peace accords three decades ago that partially administers the occupied West Bank - also cannot be trusted under its current leadership. The Israeli government did not respond to Reuters' questions. Joost Hiltermann, of the International Crisis Group, said Hamas' firm grip on Gaza presented Israel with a dilemma. "Israel has a choice, to continue fighting in the future and killing people - and that hasn't worked in the past 15 months - or it can allow an arrangement where the Palestinian Authority takes control with Hamas' acquiescence," Hiltermann said. Hamas' military capability is hard to assess because its rocket arsenal remains hidden and many of its best trained fighters may have been killed, Hiltermann said, but it remains by far the dominant armed group in Gaza: "Nobody is talking about the PA taking over Gaza without Hamas' consent." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While senior Hamas officials have expressed support for a unity government, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority and a longtime adversary of Hamas, has not given his assent. Abbas's office and the Palestinian Authority did not respond to a request for comment. FRESH NEGOTIATIONS Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel must withdraw its troops from central Gaza and permit the return of Palestinians to the north during an initial six-week phase, in which some hostages will be released. Starting from the 16th day of the ceasefire, the two sides should negotiate a second phase, expected to include a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. Reconstruction, expected to cost billions of dollars and last for years, would only begin in a third and final phase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deal has divided opinion in Israel. While there was widespread celebration of the return of the first three hostages on Sunday, many Israelis want to see Hamas destroyed for its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Even before the ceasefire took effect, members of Netanyahus cabinet said they favoured returning to war to remove Hamas from power, once hostages have returned home. Three far-right ministers resigned. "There is no future of peace, stability and security for both sides if Hamas stays in power in the Gaza Strip," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday. A spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, Abu Ubaida, told Reuters the militant group would honour the terms of the ceasefire and urged Israel to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fifteen months of war have left Gaza a wasteland of rubble, bombed-out buildings and makeshift encampments, with hundreds of thousands of desperate people sheltering from the winter cold and living on whatever aid can reach them. More than 46,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities. The ceasefire deal calls for 600 trucks of aid per day to reach Gaza. Al-Thawabta, the spokesman for the Hamas-run administration, said it was liaising with UN bodies and international relief organizations about security for aid routes and warehouses, but the agencies were handling the distribution of aid. A U.N. damage assessment released this month showed that just clearing away the more than 50 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel's bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion. On Sunday, as Hamas' security forces paraded on the streets, some residents had expressed pride that it had survived the onslaught. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Name me one country that could withstand Israel's war-machine for 15 months," said Salah Abu Rezik, a 58-year-old factory worker. He praised Hamas for helping to distribute aid to hungry Gazans during the conflict and trying to enforce a measure of security. "Hamas is an idea and you can't kill an idea," Abu Rezik said, predicting the group would rebuild. Others voiced anger that Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack had brought destruction to Gaza. "We had homes and hotels and restaurants. We had a life. Today we have nothing, so what kind of a victory is this?" said Ameen, 30, a Gaza City civil engineer, displaced in Khan Younis. "When the war stops, Hamas must not rule Gaza alone." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NO RIVALS Since 2007, when Hamas drove out the Palestinian Authority dominated by the rival faction Fatah after a brief civil war, it has crushed opposition in Gaza. Supported by funds from Iran, it built a feared security apparatus and a military organization based around a vast network of tunnels - much of which Israel says it destroyed during the war. The Palestinian Authority still pays the wages of thousands of government employees in Gaza involved in health and education, who report to ministries in the West Bank, and it provides support to many families of Palestinians killed or jailed by Israel. While the Authority says it is the only body with the legitimacy to govern post-war Gaza, it has no presence in the enclave and little popular support, polls show. Israel has floated tentative ideas for post-war Gaza, including coopting local clan leaders - a number of whom were immediately assassinated by Hamas - or using members of Gazan civil society with no militant ties to run the enclave. But none has gained any traction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Key donors, including the United Arab Emirates and U.S. President Donald Trump's new administration, have stressed that Hamas - which is designated as a terrorist organization by many Western countries - cannot remain in power in Gaza after the war. Diplomats have been discussing models involving international peacekeepers, including one that would see the United Arab Emirates and the United States, along with other nations, temporarily overseeing governance, security and reconstruction of Gaza until a reformed Palestinian Authority is able to take charge. Another model, supported by Egypt, would see a joint committee made up of both Fatah and Hamas run Gaza under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority. Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer now at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies in Tel Aviv, described Hamas public willingness to discuss a unity government as "cosmetic". "As long as they are behind the scenes, handling matters, they don't care that there will be a committee as a front," he said. On Monday, shortly after taking office, Trump expressed skepticism about the Gaza ceasefire deal, when asked if he was confident that all three phases of the agreement would be implemented. He didn't elaborate further. A spokesperson for the Trump camp did not respond to a request for comment. (Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem, and David Gauthier-Villars; editing by Daniel Flynn) On Jan. 14, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration proposed an amendment to its Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic Ocean. The proposal, known as Amendment 59, would prohibit fishing for snapper and many other reef fishes along much of Floridas Atlantic Coast for three months out of the year. NOAA Fisheries says the closure, which would run from December through February, is necessary to prevent overfishing, restore red snapper stocks, and provide for more harvest opportunity during the summer months. But the proposal has saltwater anglers and their supporters in an uproar. They say the Feds drastic action is unnecessary and could cripple Floridas coastal communities. Those anglers along with national fishing groups, federal lawmakers, and at least one state wildlife commissioner have blasted Amendment 59 over the last week. They see the proposal as another example of federal overreach and say its totally unnecessary given the current state of red snapper populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This final point has been the source of much debate in the South Atlantic, where snapper fishing has been severely curtailed by federal fishery managers in recent years. The Feds say these closures have been critical in rebuilding overfished red snapper stocks. Anglers, meanwhile, have argued that the species is no longer overfished, and that NOAAs overbearing restrictions have been based based off bad data. If this proposal were to occur, it will crush fishing along [Floridas] northeast coast, Jacksonville-based tackle shop owner Dave Workman tells Outdoor Life. No one would fish during the closure and its an asinine idea that would cause a lot of economic pain thats completely unnecessary. What the Proposal Would Entail Amendment 59 would prohibit all recreational bottomfishing from December through February in federally controlled waters from the Florida-Georgia state line south to Cape Canaveral. The closure would affect an area that extends from three miles off the coast out to 200 miles. NOAA describes the proposal as a bottomfishing closure for 55 species, including snapper, grouper, jacks, sea bass, hogfish, triggerfish, and other reef-dwellers. But the American Sportfishing Association points out that the three-month closure would affect all hook-and-line fishing, including trolling. An angler vents a red snapper caught off the Florida coast. Snapper fishing has been curtailed severely in recent years by NOAA, which manages federal waters on the Atlantic side of the state. Photo by Amanda Nalley / FWC In a summary of its proposal, NOAA says the annual closure would prevent overfishing of red snapper and support rebuilding objectives by preventing recreational anglers from catching and killing red snapper during the winter months. The federal agency says a three-month closure would decrease the number of dead, discarded snapper by at least 24 percent. NOAA also claims that the closure would increase the overall yield of red snapper and allow the Feds to establish an extended harvest season of five to nine days. This would be a major increase from the one-day harvest season that was allowed in the South Atlantic last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida anglers, however, claim that red snapper stocks are in excellent shape, and that theyre no longer being overfished in the South Atlantic. They say the Feds proposal to extend a harvest season as a result of the closure is a bad tradeoff. Read Next: NOAAs Red Snapper Limits and Harvest Data Are Under FireAgain A three-month bottomfishing closure for 55 species of reef fish in exchange for 5-9 days of red snapper season is not a good trade, ASA southeast fisheries policy director Martha Guyas said in a press release last week. Given NOAA Fisheries recognition that red snapper is no longer overfished or undergoing overfishing, an increase in the recreational season is definitely warranted. However, it is absurd to simultaneously propose drastic closures. Guyas added that she was deeply disappointed in the proposal, which could negatively affect many of the coastal economies that rely on recreational fishing. The Coastal Conservation Association has also come out strongly against Amendment 59, saying the proposal drops [a] solution in search of a problem and is proof that the current federal management system is broken. What Anglers and Lawmakers Are Saying About It Both our tackle stores would take a major financial hit from [this] proposal, tackle shop owner Dave Workman says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same could be said for charter captains in the region, along with the countless recreational anglers from around the country who flock to the northeast Florida coast every winter. These potential effects werent lost on Rodney Barreto, who serves as chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and who went on the record against Amendment 59 in a statement he shared with Outdoor Life. Read Next: Charter Captains Say Sharks Are Out of Control and Theyre Losing More Fish to the Taxman In the South Atlantic, Floridas red snapper is managed by the federal government and [fishing] has been limited to a couple of days for the past decade, Barreto said. Rather than try to lift up the fishery and community, President Biden dropped the hammer on it on his way out of office This amendment is a non-starter for the state of Florida. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed Barretos feelings about the outgoing presidential administrations last-ditch attempt to enact a closure. DeSantis said in a Facebook post that the proposal shows how out-of-touch the federal government is with the reality on the water with red snapper. Many Florida anglers say red snapper populations are strong in the South Atlantic, and that the Feds are trying to fix a problem that doesnt exist. Photo by Bob McNally The loudest rejection of the Feds proposal came on Jan. 16, when Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-05) introduced the bipartisan Red Snapper Act along with Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-09) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL). The bill, which has 16 additional cosponsors in the House, would stop NOAA from enacting fishery closures in the South Atlantic until the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count study is complete and the data from that study is integrated into the stock assessment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve made great strides in Florida to ensure our natural resources are preserved and protected for years to come, including rebuilding the red snapper population, Scott said of his support for the legislation. Im proud to work with Congressman Rutherford on the Red Snapper Act to support our states commercial and recreational fishing industry and ensure their success isnt limited by federal governments outdated data and regulations. NOAA is accepting public comment on Amendment 59 until Mar. 17. The agency will also host several public hearings in the coming months. The next public meeting will be held Feb. 24 in Jacksonvilles Airport Crown Plaza. Every angler needs to voice their concern about this serious overreach by federal fisheries folks to repair bottomfish population problems that dont exist, Workman says. CHICAGO Animal Care & Control was under emergency operations during Tuesdays dangerously cold weather, declining owner-surrendered animals and focusing only on picking up strays. Spokesman Armanda Tejeda said the shelter had a dozen crew members out responding to urgent calls. Any animal in distress with the weather, those are our priority calls for the day, he said. The shelter has taken in 500 animals since the beginning of the year, an average of 30 to 40 animals per day, Tejeda said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weather like what Chicago has experienced the last couple of days, with temperatures in the single digits and wind chills well below zero, can be life-threatening for animals. Dogs can get hypothermia and frostbite on the tips of their tails and ears. Since Sunday, Tejeda said the shelter has picked up more than 40 stray dogs across the city in the cold. Some residents have called in reporting animals that have been left out in the cold. If we can see it from the public way, then we can address it. If theres a dog in the yard, we can go through the alleyway if the neighbor lets us in through their gangway. As long as we have eyes on it we can address it there and then, Tejeda said. We do use police officers as well, so its agency assist. And thats vice-versa too. Sometimes theyll call animal control to help with an agency assist in those situations. 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 WGN-TV. Jurupa Valley fire crews battled a brush fire in the Santa Ana River bottom Tuesday evening after having extinguished a blaze in a similar location last week. The Clay fire was reported at 2 acres at 5 p.m. Tuesday and grew to 38 acres by 7 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department. The Clay fire grew to 38 acres and was 45% contained by Wednesday morning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) A total of 165 personnel from multiple agencies and a firefighting helicopter responded to the blaze and were able to halt its forward progress around 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire and Riverside fire officials. The fire was 45% contained as of Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Air resources have been released, and crews will remain on scene throughout the night and into the morning to conduct extensive mop-up operations," the city of Riverside Fire Department said in an evening update. Hand crews worked to contain the fire by removing dense vegetation and trees around its perimeter and dousing the area in water, said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a spokesperson for the county fire department. An evacuation warning was lifted for residents south of Limonite Avenue between Van Buren Boulevard and Beach Street at 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to the county fire department Twenty-three engines and eight hand crews were set to remain on scene throughout Wednesday, fire officials said. Riverside County firefighters monitor the Clay fire on Tuesday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) On Jan. 13, crews responded to a similar brush fire in the Santa Ana River bottom, an area where there are homeless encampments. That fire broke out around 5 p.m., burned 2 acres and was contained by 7 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fires, each dubbed the Clay fire, were reported at Van Buren Avenue and Clay Street. Cline De La Rosa said this is the address often used to report fires in the riverbed but does not mean they are in the same location. In addition, a third riverbed fire was reported about six miles downriver on Jan. 14. That incident, dubbed the Scout fire, burned 2.6 acres near 4785 Scout Lane and was determined to be a result of arson. "The City of Riverside Fire Departments arson investigator conducted an inquiry and determined the fire was deliberately set, originating near a homeless encampment," the department said in a report on the blaze. The cause of Tuesday evening's fire is currently unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Clay fires ignited while the region was under a red flag warning due to gusty Santa Ana winds and critically low humidity levels. 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. Another very cold night is on the way for New Mexico, but not quite as cold as this morning. Cold nights will continue, but a general warming trend will last through the weekend. It was one of the coldest mornings in years across New Mexico Tuesday. Many areas in the northern half of the state broke record low temperatures. While temperatures have warmed up this afternoon, highs are still well below average for most of the state. There has been a significant warmup though across northeastern New Mexico though, with temperatures 35+ in some areas. It will be another very cold night across New Mexico, but not as cold as this morning. Low temperatures will fall into the teens, single-digits, and below zero with wind chills as low as -9. Wednesday will bring warmer weather across the state, but with a breezy northwest wind. A backdoor cold front will move in by Wednesday night, bringing another cool down for Thursday. A warming trend begins again on Friday and will continue into the weekend, with both warmer high and low temperatures. Highs will be back up to around average for late January by Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our next winter storm will likely move into New Mexico early next week. There is still a lot of uncertainty with this storm, but right now its looking like it should bring back snow to western New Mexico and the wester, northern, and central mountain ranges. The bigger question will be the timing of the snow and if well see snow in the lower elevations, including in the Albuquerque Metro. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Anti-Israel protesters disrupted a Columbia University class about the Jewish states history Tuesday when the agitators barged into a classroom and handed out hate-filled flyers sparking a brief confrontation between students. The shocking conduct was caught on video, showing keffiyeh-clad rabble-rousers entering a History of Modern Israel class on the first day of the semester where they then distributed the pamphlets to students while one protester spoke into a camera slamming the class and Zionism. Some of the flyers were quickly crumpled up by students as one peer in the class said, We dont want your sh-t. "Why don't you take off your mask?!" Thats how Columbia students responded when masked protesters entered their classroom with pamphlets that call to "burn" and "crush" Zionism. Do these students actually think that harassing people will change their minds, or do they think pic.twitter.com/QLWNu58MGr Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 21, 2025 Other students in the classroom urged the protesters to leave, while the instructor attempted to usher them out the door, according to the video posted online by the Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students X account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take off your mask, one student said to the protesters. Why dont you take off your mask? This is a civil rights violation, were trying to learn, another peeved pupil said. Some flyers given out included one that read, Crush Zionism with a boot ready to stomp on a Star of David symbol and another that read Burn Zionism to the ground, according to a social media post from a Columbia student. Anti-Israel protesters disrupted a class to hand out hate-filled fliers at Columbia University. X / @CUJewsIsraelis The protesters handed out fliers showing a boot about to step on the Star of David. X / @CUJewsIsraelis Interim Columbia School President Katrina Armstrong denounced the disruption in a statement later Tuesday. We strongly condemn this disruption, as well as the flyers that included violent imagery that is unacceptable on our campus and in our community, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom. Disrupting academic activities constitutes a violation of the Rules of University conduct and the nature of the disruption may constitute violations of other University policies. The university head, who replaced former president Minouche Shafik at the start of the academic year last summer, vowed to move quickly to investigate and address this act. We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, Armstrong said. The incident caused a brief confrontation between students. X / @CUJewsIsraelis Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commotion was part of a larger protest on the first day of class of the spring semester Tuesday. Last spring semester, protesters occupied a campus building and greenspace on two separate occasions. The elite Big Apple institution has been roiled with anti-Israel demonstrations since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and sparked a wider conflict between the two sides in Gaza. Hamas terrorists savagely killed 1,200 Israelis and took another 240 people hostage that day. Israel responded with months-long strikes on Gaza, killing more than 47,100 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Some of the students crumbled the fliers and said We dont want your sh-t. X / @CUJewsIsraelis But a cease-fire deal in Gaza has held over the last few days, which could lead to peace in the region and the release of every living hostage held in the Palestinian enclave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel supporters slammed the Columbia protesters while giving credit to the students in the classroom who stood up to them. Love these proud @Columbia students who refuse to sit down and take it anymore. The proTerrorist proHamas harasses of course cover their faces! The Jewish community is strong and has a bright future, Todd Richman, who co-chairs Democratic Majority for Israel, wrote on X. Proud of these young men and women!!! Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a message that seems to be resonating in the Senate: Hes changed his mind. President Donald Trumps pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is assuring the Republican senators who will decide whether he gets the job that hes all for polio inoculations and that he wont take away anyones vaccines. He has also told them he merely wants to make safety and efficacy data more readily available, lawmakers whove talked with Kennedy tell POLITICO. Even though Kennedy has previously said, in defiance of public health consensus, that the measles vaccine causes autism, that the polio vaccine might have killed many, many, many, many, many more people than polio ever did, and that the Covid-19 shot was the deadliest vaccine ever made, many GOP senators seem to believe hes reconsidered. If thats the case, he could win confirmation with only GOP votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told me he is not anti-vaccine. He is pro-vaccine safety, which strikes me as a rational position to take, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who sits on the Finance Committee that will decide whether to send Kennedys nomination to the floor. After Trump in the run up to Election Day said that he planned to let Kennedy go wild on health, then named him to lead HHS, his confirmation seemed iffy. The top Republican in the Senate at the time, Kentuckys Mitch McConnell, issued a stinging defense of vaccination and the new chair of the Senate committee that oversees the governments health agencies, Bill Cassidy (R-La.), issued a tepid statement suggesting concern about Kennedys vaccine views. But Kennedys effort to remake his image is winning Republicans over. Asked whether he was concerned about Kennedys history of casting doubt on widely accepted vaccines, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said: I dont keep up with all that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuberville said he talked with Kennedy for more than an hour and that Kennedy said he supports vaccines, as long as theyre safe and work as intended. Even Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, who sits on the Senate panel that oversees HHS and, as one of the chambers most moderate Republicans is seen as a critical vote on confirmation, said she had a long conversation with Kennedy about vaccines and that he portrayed his views on them as skeptical but not opposed. He thinks people should be informed, she said. Murkowski said she would use Kennedys confirmation hearing to question him more before deciding how to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their meetings, Kennedy has not trumpeted his lucrative career as an anti-vaccine activist, in which he sought to convince people to forgo vaccination, claimed vaccines are responsible for a slew of medical problems and earned more than $1 million from the advocacy group he chaired, Childrens Health Defense. The group continues to suggest that vaccines are related to autism, asthma and developmental delays. Kennedys team declined to comment on his changing message. Kennedys flip-flopping is likely to be a centerpiece of his confirmation hearings expected in the coming weeks and Republican senators willingness to overlook it will test the power of Trump and his populist appeal in a party that in other circumstances may have found such a record, for a longtime Democrat nominated to serve a Republican president, disqualifying. Some GOP senators said they are aware of Kennedys past statements and that they see common ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), an OB-GYN, said he read two of Kennedys books and listened to his previous podcast appearances and remained absolutely confident in his ability to lead HHS. I had to put all of the pieces together, said Marshall, who last month created a Make America Healthy Again Caucus to push Kennedys core messages on Capitol Hill. We dont agree on everything, but we agree on a lot of things. This back and forth wouldnt be dissimilar from how Kennedy has spoken in public interviews before, often following up a disproven claim about vaccines by insisting hes pro-science. For example, in 2023, he said on Fox News that he did believe that autism comes from vaccines, before adding that all Ive said about vaccines is we should have good science. Not everyone is convinced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats are trying to keep the focus on Kennedys past positions on vaccines and plan to raise them at his confirmation hearings. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who leads the Democrats on the Senate health committee, plans to livestream on X his meeting Wednesday with health care providers and experts in which he plans to discuss the importance of vaccines. After meeting with Kennedy last week, Patty Murray (D-Wash.) went to the Senate floor and spoke about the relief her family felt as a child when the polio vaccine was introduced. I will not be shy about making my concerns quite plain with the American people, she said. He founded a nonprofit entirely focused on attacking vaccines. Its unclear how McConnell and Cassidy will vote. McConnell, whose legs were permanently weakened by a case of childhood polio, last month defended the polio vaccine and said efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed theyre dangerous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a social media post following his meeting with Kennedy, Cassidy said they had had a frank conversation and that the two spoke at length about vaccines. Both senators have since declined to comment. A$AP Rocky has declined a plea deal in his Hollywood assault case. Rolling Stone reports that the rappers trial, stemming from an alleged 2021 shooting incident involving himself and A$AP Relli, kicked off on Tuesday (Jan. 21). Prosecutors offered the Harlemite a chance at a swift trial with a three-year probation and a seven-year suspended prison sentence, meaning that Rocky would have only served 180 days in jail. But since the Pesos rappers declined the plea deal and pleaded not guilty to one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, Rocky could be looking at up to 24 years in prison if convicted. I respectfully decline, thank you, Rocky reportedly told the court, seemingly confident in his innocence. The rapper, ne Rakim Athelaston Mayers, and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, explained that the firearm wasnt a real weapon but a starter pistol. Prosecutors had complained to the court that they had only learned of the fake gun angle on the eve of the trial. The outlet detailed that Rocky was allegedly wielding a 9mm handgun in the video displayed at 2023s probable cause hearing, with no mention of a prop weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this time, its unclear who Tacopina will call to the stand. However, the attorney previously stated that his client is eager to speak on his behalf about his assault case. Rapper A$AP Rocky rubs his face during a preliminary hearing in his assault with a semi-automatic firearm case at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on November 20, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, has been charged with two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm stemming from a November 2021 incident in Hollywood. Well Nancy, I know you know that I have not and would never make a decision like that before trial, right, because its malpractice, Tacopina said. That being said, [A$AP Rockys] eager to tell his story and would love the opportunity to do so. Hes very articulate and intelligent, hes a good human being and that will come out if he testifies, he said. But thats decision isnt going to be made yet. And it depends on how the case goes. A$AP Rockys trial is still in the jury selection process. More from VIBE.com Sign up for Vibe's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. LOS ANGELES (AP) Nearly a hundred jurors packed into a Los Angeles courtroom again on Wednesday with the possibility that theyll serve on the trial of A$AP Rocky, who is charged with firing a gun at a former friend. Lawyers for the hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor again raised the issue of the small number of Black jurors in the pool, saying they planned to appeal a judge's rejection of their request for a hearing on the matter. Were troubled by that to say the least, Joe Tacopina said. Were in downtown Los Angeles, not a small town in Montana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defense said that the geographic area that potential jurors were pulled from is 9% African American, but by their assessment of the room less than 5% of those summoned were Black, and it is entirely possible no Black jurors will be seated. The Rev. Al Sharpton said on the social platform X that he has been following the proceedings and was critical of the racial makeup of the juror pool. It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial, the post said. I am monitoring this trial and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky. The judge declined to pause the trial for the appeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors resumed questioning of potential jurors, focusing on their attitudes toward police and celebrity. Deputy District Attorney John Lewin asked how many of the 12 people in the jury box during the first round of questioning consider themselves fans of Rihanna, who is Rocky's longtime life partner and the mother of his two toddler sons. Four said they were. He asked them whether they'll worry about the effect that convicting Rocky on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, which could lead to many years in prison could have on Rihanna. You put it in my head, and now I'm like, Oh, it would affect her, one woman in the jury box responded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rocky, who is free on bail and has pleaded not guilty, sat at the defense table in a black suit, watching the questioning. Rihanna was not in court, but Rocky's mother and sister sat in his section of the gallery. Before the jury panel was brought in, Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold asked him who the women were, and marveled at the youthful appearance of his mother, Renee Black. What were you, 7 when you had him? the judge asked. She said she was 26. You are very beautiful, the judge told her. That's on the record. Jury selection began Tuesday after the 36-year-old Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, turned down a deal offering 180 days in jail, a seven-year suspended sentence and three years probation if he would plead guilty to one of the two counts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly a hundred potential jurors will remain in the courtroom as the selection process resumes Thursday. Opening statements will begin once 12 jurors and four alternates are seated. Other than dismissals for cause, each side can have 10 jurors dismissed without giving a reason. The defense has used four of its challenges. Prosecutors used just one. They said they are happy with the jury as currently composed. But that may change. I'm pretty sure we're going to have a jury tomorrow, Arnold said at the end of court Wednesday. This is not going to go on forever. The trial was initially expected to last three weeks, but updated witness lists suggest it could be closer to two weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after. But his life could be upended if he's convicted of firing a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles. JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel's diamond trade has declined sharply in 2024, according to a report released by the country's Ministry of Economy and Industry on Wednesday. Israel's rough diamond exports totaled 634.9 million U.S. dollars in 2024, a 24.1 percent drop from the previous year, while polished diamond exports fell 35.7 percent to 1.87 billion dollars. Israel's imports of rough diamonds fell 13.1 percent year-on-year to 798.8 million dollars, while polished diamond imports fell 32.9 percent to 1.55 billion dollars. The ministry noted that 2024 was an especially tough year for the Israeli diamond industry, and attributed the declines to the conflict that erupted in October 2023, which led to a sharp drop in inbound tourism and reduced demand for diamond. Additionally, the ministry pointed out that a weak global market and the growing demand for synthetic alternatives, particularly lab-grown diamonds, have also contributed to the decline in the diamond market. On the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland tried to convey the enormous scope of the law enforcement effort to bring the rioters to justice, calling it one of the largest, most complex and most resource-intensive investigations in our history. With the stroke of a pen, President Donald Trump turned that effort to dust Monday with a blanket pardon of virtually every federal Jan. 6 defendant, save a few who still got their prison terms commuted. I dont think thats OK, Jason Manning, who spent years as a line prosecutor working on Jan. 6 cases in Washington, told NBC News in an exclusive interview. I find the pardons appalling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People in the Justice Department and legal scholars are calling the move an unprecedented and dangerous use of the pardon power that dealt a crushing blow not just to federal law enforcement, but also to the U.S. justice system. They say it makes a mockery of years of work by FBI agents, prosecutors and federal judges, some of whom Trump appointed, after an effort that included charges against 1,583 defendants, more than 1,000 guilty pleas and more than 200 convictions at trial. Some worry it signals open season for political violence given that 608 of those charged were accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement agents or officers while others fret about the marker laid down for future presidents. Manning said the pardons were an affront to the many police officers who were seriously injured that day. Have to think about what it means for those officers and their loved ones to receive this message that those assaults dont matter, that attacking police officers like that is OK, he said. When Manning joined the effort to prosecute Jan. 6 offenders, he said, he thought of it in terms of protecting democracy. But after spending time with police officers who responded to the riot, "once I got a sense of what hell they lived through and how much they put up with to try to stand ground for this country, the cases really became about so much about vindicating them as victims," he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said in his order granting the pardons that the sweeping move ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation. Overall, Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, including those convicted of brutal assaults on police. Only 14 riot organizers were not pardoned, but they still received commutations of lengthy prison sentences. Trump also ordered the dismissal of hundreds of cases that were still being prosecuted. Alberto Gonzales, who was attorney general in President George W. Bushs administration, told NBC News he would have urged Trump not to pardon violent offenders. Obviously anyone involved in a violent crime to me its somewhat disappointing that they would get a full pardon, he said. If you assault a police officer, thats a very serious crime, and there ought to be some serious jail time associated with it. I dont know how you can argue its a witch hunt when the prosecutions were successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzales, the dean of the Belmont University School of Law, also lamented the waste of resources. The department spent a lot of time and money prosecuting these cases. All that is for naught. Talk about government waste, right? he said. Inside the Justice Department, officials were still coming to grips with a presidential action that hit like a lightning bolt. Nearly everyone expected some Jan. 6 pardons, but Trumps own vice president and nominee for attorney general said in recent days that people convicted of attacking law enforcement officials should not be treated favorably. Many Republican members of Congress who faced danger during the attack have said the same. A senior career official at the Justice Department called the blanket pardons a terrible injustice, while another said it signals a very strong green light to political violence that signals basically nothing that happened on Jan. 6 was wrong. Its what I see as the campaign of personal retribution on Trump's part. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first official said he was even more concerned about the appointment of Ed Martin, who has been a prominent backer of Jan. 6 defendants, as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. That could really drive people out, the first official said. The pardons are terrible. But if it were limited to pardons with no long-standing assertion of control, that would be bad but not fundamentally counter to how the U.S. attorneys office would operate going forward. Weve seen very controversial pardons over the years. ... This is extreme in not only the pardons, but prospectively. Mike Davis, a lawyer who advises Trump informally on law enforcement issues, defended pardoning even those who committed violence. He told NBC News the Biden administration persecuted Jan. 6 defendants by labeling them insurrectionists and treated them differently from others who committed similar crimes. He did not oppose criminal charges against those who attacked police officers, Davis said, but even those people have suffered enough for the last four years. Theyve already paid more of a price than any [Black Lives Matter] protester who attacked police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even violent rioters who had not yet been prosecuted, he said, have paid a high price. Among some legal experts and lawyers who have represented Jan. 6 defendants, there was a narrower argument to justify pardons of at least the nonviolent offenders: that the Justice Department was unusually and unfairly tough on them. The resources expended by the FBI and DOJ to prosecute the average J6er was insane, said a lawyer who declined to be named because he regularly deals with the Justice Department. Particularly given that DOJ has done blanket dismissals for lots of crazy vandalism/violence in other contexts or just prosecuted ringleaders. There were stories of members of the mob who did nothing more than enter the Capitol illegally, pleaded guilty to felonies and spent time in jail in many cases a life-shattering development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paul H. Robinson, the Colin S. Diver professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, argued in an interview that authorities did not devote similar resources and intensity to people who engaged in violence during summer 2020 riots in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many Republican politicians have also made that argument. Its hard to look at the situation and not to say there is a large component of politics here, Robinson said. There really was, I think, sort of an overeagerness in the Justice Department to make this into something that it wasnt. Justice Department officials disagree, arguing that the attack on the Capitol was different from other riots because it was an attempt to impede the lawful transfer of power that happened in plain sight, with an unprecedented amount of video evidence. But even many skeptics agree with prosecutors on this much: Trump went too far when he pardoned people who engaged in violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The guys with real violence, real planning, weapons, etc. those pardons are ugly and bad, said the lawyer who regularly deals with the Justice Department. I guess they just didnt want the headache of separating the sheep from the goats, so they went blanket. Robinson, in an op-ed published Monday morning in The Hill newspaper, urged Trump to act with restraint on Jan. 6 pardons. He told NBC News: Obviously he didnt listen to me. Its not good for the country, and its not good for the president. Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a professor at George Washington University Law School, said he saw the pardons as a terrible blow to the justice system, and I would argue its one of Trumps most dangerous abuses of power to date. The signal that it sends is that if you commit crimes on Trumps behalf, he will have your back and make sure you are not held accountable. Bruce Ackerman, the Sterling professor of law and political science at Yale Law School, called it a situation of not a thoughtful and discerning use of presidential pardon power but a president pardoning his allies for their participation in a violent coup detat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some legal scholars, including Ackerman, said former President Joe Bidens last-minute pre-emptive pardons of family members were also an abuse of the pardon power. But Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. attorney and an NBC News contributor who agreed that some of Bidens pardons were deeply problematic, said, The whataboutism doesnt work here. He added: Pardons are most appropriate for people who have paid their debt to society, have shown contrition and remorse, have accepted responsibility and who have earned grace. None of that seems to have been part of Trumps equation. Trump and allies have long waged a campaign of disinformation about Jan. 6, asserting that antifa or FBI operatives ginned up the riot or that the descriptions of violence were overblown. Trump repeatedly called the Jan. 6 defendants hostages. In addition to the video evidence documenting the violence, independent investigations debunked the conspiracy theories, including one by the Justice Department inspector general that found no evidence that anyone linked to the FBI did anything to incite the riot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, pointedly took on the fabrications in a sentencing opinion a year ago, writing: In my thirty-seven years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream. The Court fears, Lamberth continues, that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country. Manning, the former prosecutor of Jan. 6 cases, said that while the pardons are painful, they do not change the fact that these crimes were committed or that the Justice Department won more than 1,000 convictions. So speaking just for myself, no regrets about the effort we made to build these cases, and even after these pardons, the record stands, he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) The City of Rochesters Neighbors in Action (NIA) initiative is issuing grants for development opportunities. Mayor Malik Evans announced funding from ESL Federal Credit Union and the Rochester Area Community Foundation Tuesday afternoon. According to Evans, each will provide $100,000 to support the plan to provide $10,000 grants to qualifying community organizations. Were not telling neighbors what we want them to do. We have ideas on what we want to see, but they will come to us and say, heres an idea that weve been talking about in our block club for a long time. Wouldnt it be cool if we had this? And if we just had $3,000, we could do this. And that is what we hope to be able to see from this, Mayor Malik Evans said on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monroe County Land Bank: $1M to address affordable housing, vacant properties Grant applications must be submitted by Feb. 28. You can find more information or apply for a grant 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 RochesterFirst. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Dangerously cold temperatures will have a grip on our region for another night with expected lows in the teens. A rare winter storm across South Mississippi is being felt by residents in Mississippi and Arkansas. Its very, very cold, one resident said. I would not advise nobody be out. A Tunica man and woman were dressed in heavy layers on Tuesday morning after an unexpected snowfall and bitter cold forced Tunica County Schools to cancel classes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district cited some roads as too dangerous for school buses to travel. The Road Department treated bridges and intersections where black ice was reported. Scattered snow flurries, Tunica schools closed However, the general feeling from those who spoke to WREG was that its unbearably cold outside. Its just outrageous, Tunica resident Tierrita Partee said. Its just cold out here. Frigid temperatures and icy roads also canceled classes in the Helena-West Helena School District on Tuesday. The dangerous weather led residents to focus on the issue of homelessness in the Phillips County community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One homeless man who was spotted building a warming fire did not want to speak on camera. Unfortunately, this situation has been seen too many times by the staff at Anchor Mission Ministries Inc. where the homeless are welcomed, especially in the winter. MSCS could name interim superintendent Tuesday if Feagins is fired They might only stay for a night or two or a few minutes, Megan Green said. But they get something to eat while theyre here. They get warm clothes if they need clothes. Green said Anchor Mission operates three shelters in town, doing what it can to keep the homeless safe. Theyll have frostbite, Green said. Some go stay in the ER due to it because of it being so cold. Its sad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, those in the community said that they can feel the difference the shelter makes. When I was homeless, I spent a lot of nights in my camper without heat (and) without water, Jesse Lumpkin said. More information about Anchor Mission Ministries Inc. can be found 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 WREG.com. Attorney General Kris Mayes speaks on Jan. 21, 2025, at a press conference announcing Arizona was joining Washington, Illinois and Oregon in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that purports to end birthright citizenship in America. Photo by Gloria Rebecca Gomez | Arizona Mirror Just a day after President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring that the U.S. Constitution no longer grants birthright citizenship to people born on American soil, Arizonas Democratic leaders are pushing back in a lawsuit that aims to nullify the action, lambasting it as unconstitutional. The President wants to twist history and have us pretend that the words in the 14th Amendment and a century-and-a-half of legal precedent do not mean anything. He is dead wrong, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Katie Hobbs likewise criticized the move to end birthright citizenship as un-American and said it would harm the states agencies and residents. It would cause chaos in our state government, making it harder for our state to deliver the critical services that Arizonans rely on and burden Arizona taxpayers with increased costs, the governor said in a written statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In a two-pronged strategy, the Grand Canyon State joined Washington, Illinois and Oregon in filing a lawsuit against Trump and the U.S. government in a Washington state federal court, while 18 other states,San Francisco and Washington D.C. filed a similar lawsuit in a Massachusetts federal court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both groups of states accuse the presidents executive order eliminating the tenet of birthright citizenship, which has nearly two centuries of history in America, of violating the U.S. Constitution and seeking to wield authority that is not not within the scope of the executive branchs power. The order would deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. after Feb. 19, 2025, if their father is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and their mother also does not have legal citizenship status or is in the country under a temporary visa. In 2022, roughly 6,000 children were born to noncitizen moms in Arizona and as many as 3,400 babies had parents who both lacked legal status. Mayes criticized Trump for attempting to erase a constitutional protection he has no power over. No president can unilaterally change the constitution on a whim. Only constitutional amendments can change the constitution, Mayes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Modifying the U.S. Constitution can only be done by Congress, and requires a two-thirds majority vote from both chambers. And then amendments must be ratified by three-fourths of the individual states. Even with Republicans controlling the presidency and both chambers of Congress, that remains a political impossibility without Democratic support. In the lawsuit, Mayes and her fellow attorneys general wrote that stripping yet-to-be-born children of their citizenship based on who their parents are would upend more than 150 years of legal precedent and place financial burdens on the states they live in. Removing those children from the Census counts of citizens who are eligible for public benefits, like state-managed low-income health care plans and foster care or adoption assistance programs, would slash the amount of federal funding states receive to support those initiatives. But the number of people who need help doesnt change. On top of that, federal dollars that state agencies depend on would also be at risk. In fiscal year 2025, Arizona received $935,000 from the Social Security Administration, and expects to receive more than $1 million in fiscal year 2026. That money goes towards expenses beyond just processing Social Security number applications. But if theres a cut to the number of citizens Arizona can declare, the state estimates it could lose upwards of $14,000 a year from that funding package, according to the lawsuit. At the request of the Hobbs administration, Arizonas Department of Health Services and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System filed declarations in the lawsuit underscoring the harm that Trumps executive order would have on the agencies. Krystal Colburn, the chief reporting officer and assistant state registrar of ADHS, wrote that it is currently impossible to determine a parents legal status from a birth certificate, yet certificates are used for the application of many other documents, like passports and drivers licenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No president can unilaterally change the constitution on a whim. Only constitutional amendments can change the constitution Attorney General Kris Mayes Jeffery Tegen, the assistant director of the division of business and finance for AHCCCS, pointed out in his declaration that the states Medicaid program would need to significantly revise its protocols if it could no longer rely on birth certificates to determine a newborns eligibility, potentially causing health care delays for all children. And, he added, removing thousands of babies from the program due to their new ineligibility under the executive order would strain Arizonas emergency health care system. Arizona is also unique in having strict rules governing voter registrations. Unlike in many other states, voters must present proof of citizenship to be eligible to vote in statewide and local elections. The most popular ways to comply with that rule are by presenting a valid birth certificate or a drivers license which itself can be backed up during the application process with a birth certificate. Mayes warned that eliminating birthright citizenship would throw birth certificates into question , resulting in a costly and complicated overhaul of Arizonas election processes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also questioned the burden on hospitals, which issue birth certificates but dont currently have a process in place to determine the citizenship status of parents. The guarantee that anyone born within the U.S. is automatically a citizen, with all the rights that come along with that status, has been repeatedly reaffirmed by Congress and the courts, Mayes added. The 14th Amendment was first ratified shortly after the end of the Civil War, and it was intended to overturn the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dred Scott v. Sanford, under which Black Americans and their descendants were denied citizenship. Later, the high court clarified that even children born in the country whose parents are not U.S. citizens are still citizens themselves, in a case that determined that Wong Kim Ark, a man of Chinese descent, was illegally denied re-entry into the country. To hold that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution excludes from citizenship the children born in the United States of citizens or subjects of other countries, would be to deny citizenship to thousands of persons of English, Scotch, Irish, German, or other European parentage, who have always been considered and treated as citizens of the United States, reads the ruling in the 1898 case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in Plyler v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court further found that a parents undocumented status doesnt negate the one requirement in the 14th Amendment for their child to gain citizenship upon birth: presence in the country. Despite the history of legal interpretation backing the lawsuits against Trumps executive order, its unclear where the U.S. Supreme Court might land. The courts current makeup is the most conservative its been in decades, and the conservative supermajority has shown an eagerness to overturn precedent it disagrees with on ideological grounds. Mayes said shes optimistic that the justices will side with he Democratic-led states, pointing out that several on the bench are constructionists who prefer strict interpretations of the law. In our minds, this is not even close at all, she said. We obviously hope that if this makes it to the United States Supreme Court that the court will read the constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The battle over birthright citizenship comes on the heels of an election during which Arizona voters appeared to cast their ballots in favor of harsh immigration policies. Donald Trump, who vowed on the campaign trail to oversee a mass deportation effort and revoke birthright citizenship, won the state with 52% of the vote. And Proposition 314, the Secure the Border Act, which granted local police officers and state judges the ability to arrest and deport migrants, netted 62% of the vote. But despite that, Mayes said her lawsuit doesnt undermine what some political strategists might perceive as a mandate to greenlight Trumps border hawk agenda. Trumps promises to rollback birthright citizenship were too extreme, she said, and likely not what Arizona voters envisioned when they cast their ballots for him. I dont think voters voted to undo birthright citizenship, Mayes said. This is a bizarre attempt to undermine 150 years of jurisprudence. Similarly, Trumps plan to implement mass deportations across the country met with a swift dismissal from the Democrat, who added that she ran for office, in part, to oppose federal actions like Trumps notorious 2018 Zero Tolerance Policy that led to nearly 3,000 children being separated from their parents and detention facilities for undocumented minors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will not have any part of, and I will fight the attempt to set up what I believe are essentially concentration camps and family separation camps in Arizona, Mayes said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE As people convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol learned of their pardons from President Donald Trump, those with Arizona ties professed their gratitude, and one who became an icon of the incident announced plans to purchase weapons. Jake Angeli, whose fur hat with horns and his chest of shamanistic tattoos made him a visual shorthand of the attack, wrote on X on Monday night that his lawyer had just told him about the pardon. Now I am gonna buy some (expletive) guns!!! he posted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, capping his first day in office, issued blanket pardons for all but a handful of those convicted of crimes related to the attack on the Capitol. Trump supporters stormed the building, sending members of Congress fleeing for safety. The official certification of the 2020 election of President Joe Biden over Trump was delayed for hours. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes criticized the pardons during a news conference on Tuesday, calling them the "most anti-law enforcement action that any president of the United States has ever taken." Mayes said she could not officially do anything about the pardons and commutations other than denounce them. She said the public shouldn't forget the events of that day, including the officers who were injured trying to protect lawmakers. "I find it deeply appalling, disgusting and offensive to every law enforcement officer in this country and in the state of Arizona," Mayes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides the pardons, Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 people. That preserved their convictions but allowed for their release from prison. Among those was Edward Vallejo, 66, who was found guilty by a jury of seditious conspiracy in January 2023. The Bureau of Prisons website showed him still in custody on Tuesday afternoon. Tim Gionet, known online as Baked Alaska, also celebrated his pardon. Gionet, who used to live in Arizona, pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of parading or demonstrating in the Capitol building. Thank you to everyone who has always supported me over the years, Gionet wrote Monday night. Its a bit emotional for me knowing 1,500 patriots were just freed. My probation is terminated. God is so good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ryan Zink, who went to the Capitol with his father, Jeff Zink, and who has failed in his bids to win a seat in Congress from Phoenix, posted on social media thanking God for the pardon of his jury conviction. Praise the Lord in everything, Ryan Zink wrote. I have my rights back. Praise him in the storm. Onto full restoration and recovery for all J6 defendants. Ryan Zink, who failed in his own bid for Congress out of Texas, posted Tuesday that he drove a released J6er home. A closer look: Here's what happened to the Arizonans who were at the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot Some from Arizona arrested after tips from public The pardons and commutations have the effect of dismissing extensive law enforcement work to find people who were pictured on video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some defendants from Arizona were arrested after tips to the FBI. Someone who knew Nathan Wayne Entrekin of Cottonwood tipped off the FBI after seeing video of him at the riot dressed as Captain Moroni, a figure from the Book of Mormon. Another man, Jacob Zerkle of Bowie, was arrested after the FBI sought the publics help in identifying him. Zerkle was partly identified because of his unique beard, styled into two distinct mutton chops extending past his face. Another man, James Burton McGrew, was found after video showed him lifting his shirt at the U.S. Capitol to ward off tear gas. On his stomach was a distinctive tattoo that read King James in an old English font. Investigators partly verified his identity by finding a years-old booking photo that showed the same tattoo. Authorities arrested McGrew in Arizona where, according to court records, he was planning to move in with a relative. Vallejo, the man convicted of seditious conspiracy and still listed as in custody, was arrested in January 2022 following an investigation that spanned more than seven months. Vallejo was tried before a jury alongside members of the Oath Keepers extremist group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the leaders of that group, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. But he was listed in Trump's executive order, along with Vallejo, as among those whose sentences were shortened. Angeli was quickly the subject of news stories by The Arizona Republic and other outlets identifying him following the attack. Angeli already was a fixture in that outfit fur hat with horns, shirtless with a tattooed torso, painted face at protests and rallies in the Phoenix area. Prosecutors said he was among the first to enter the U.S. Capitol that day. Angeli, who was charged under his legal name, Jacob Chansley, called the FBI and arranged an interview upon his return to Phoenix. He was arrested at that meeting on Jan. 9, 2021. After learning of the pardon, he posted on X that J6ers are getting released & justice has comeEverything done in the dark will come to light. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He posted a cartoon image of himself in a version of his signature getup. But rather than the spear he brandished at the U.S. Capitol, the cartoon Angeli held a rifle in the air. He did not respond to an emailed request for an interview. Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger contributed to this article. Reach Ruelas at 602-444-8473 or richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com. Follow the reporter at @ruelaswritings on X. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizonans pardoned by Trump for roles in Jan. 6 Capitol attack respond HOT SPRINGS, Ark. A Hot Springs man is telling his story after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his alleged actions at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. James Porter Sr. turned himself in days before the inauguration after an FBI felony and misdemeanor warrant stated he assaulted officers and unlawfully entered capitol grounds. Trump pardons nine Arkansans involved in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of President Trumps promises to issue pardons and other reasons, Porter said he felt the FBI prosecuting him was unnecessary. He lost his right to his guns, passport, and any travel outside the Western District of Arkansas during the investigation. On Monday, Trump pardoned him and (all) individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. I give the media credit for one thing. There might have been 100-200 people who operating not right, meaning trying to intentionally cause harm, but the majority of people were peaceful, Porter told KARK 4 News. Trump pardons nearly all Jan. 6 rioters on first day of presidency Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An FBI investigation alleged Porter assaulted an officer by grabbing a police baton at the front of a large crowd. It used pictures as evidence, but Porter believes the video would show something else. He claims he was de-escalating a situation, not escalating it by protecting an older man who fell beside him. He winds up (the baton) like hes going to hit him, Porter said. I grab the baton and pull the baton down, and shake my head no. Porter said after the man got up, he let go, was pepper sprayed and left the area for treatment. When he shortly after heard the election certification was halted, he considered what he believed was a directive from President Trump accomplished. It was for our voices to be heard, stop the steal, and have them take a break from their certification, say Lets check into some of these states, Porter remarked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several court rulings found no fraud in the election. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California), who was speaker of the House at the time, called the pardons, shameful and a betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power. Trump signs executive orders on federal workforce, free speech Porter argued that history books should talk of the day in a different way. I think J6rs were people who were speaking up that America wants free and fair elections, he said. I think thats the biggest thing that America could go to. 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 KARK. CASS COUNTY, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) An Arkansas man was convicted of two counts of indecency by a jury in Cass County. According to the Cass County District Attorney, 24-year-old Dillon Austin Venson of Pocahontas, Arkansas, was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive 20 years and a $10,000 fine. Evidence presented during the trial showed that during the Spring and Summer of 2023, Venson and his fiance visited the victim, who was referred to under the pseudonym Rose, at her family home in Queen City, Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rose was 14 at the time of the first offense. At that time, she reported waking to Venson touching her leg, moving his hand toward her genitals, and proceeding to touch her over her underwear. More Texas News On another occasion, the defendant was said to have tried to touch her while watching a movie in the family living room. The victim testified that she got up and left the room before it progressed further. In the third and final incident, Venson grabbed the victims hand, forcing her to touch his genitals. While she did not immediately report the incident, the victims mother found a text message from Rose to the accused telling him to focus on his fiance rather than herself. When her mother inquired about the message, Rose admitted that he had been putting his hands down her pants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A forensic interview was conducted at the Texarkana Childrens Advocacy Center, and Rose detailed several acts of sexual abuse. This case is a prime example of how difficult it is for child victims to come forward about the abuse they are suffering, especially when they know it will tear their family apart. And on top of that, the process of coming forward and having to deal with the criminal case is not easy and causes additional trauma. But we are extremely grateful and proud of Rose for having the courage to come forward and face her abuser in court and let the jury know what he did. Because of her, there is one less child predator on the streets, said Assistant District Attorney Nick Ross. We are also grateful to law enforcement and the Texarkana Childrens Advocacy Center for all they do for child victims and to make sure their voices are heard. 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 KTALnews.com. HPD Dawn Momohara : The 16-year-old McKinley High student was found dead on campus in 1977 1 /2 HPD Dawn Momohara : The 16-year-old McKinley High student was found dead on campus in 1977 HPD A composite drawing of a potential suspect in the March 21, 1977, killing of Dawn Momohara. 2 /2 HPD A composite drawing of a potential suspect in the March 21, 1977, killing of Dawn Momohara. HPD Dawn Momohara : The 16-year-old McKinley High student was found dead on campus in 1977 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HPD A composite drawing of a potential suspect in the March 21, 1977, killing of Dawn Momohara. A 66-year-old man was arrested in a Utah nursing home Tuesday in connection with the March 21, 1977, killing of a 16-year-old McKinley High School student whose body was found on the second floor of a building on campus. Dawn Momohara, then a sophomore at McKinley, was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. She was found on the second floor of the English building shortly after 7 :30 a.m. Officers with the Mill Creek Investigations Unit of the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake arrested Gideon Castro at 7 :40 a.m. Hawaii time Tuesday on suspicion of second -degree murder, Honolulu Police Lt. Deena Thoemmes told reporters Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Momohara was found lying on her back, partially clothed and the victim of a sex assault. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found her purse, slipper, shorts and other evidence. An orange cloth was tightly wrapped around her neck. The morning before she was killed, Momohara got a call from an unknown man. Later that day she told her mother that she was going to Ala Moana Center with some friends. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was the last time that Dawns mother saw or heard from her daughter, Thoemmes said. An autopsy determined Momohara died of asphyxia due to strangulation and that the manner of her death was homicide. Momohara had injuries to her neck where the orange cloth was used to strangle her. The city Department of the Medical Examiner determined her injuries confirmed she was raped. Scrapings recovered from the scene and during the autopsy were examined and determined to be seminal fluid with the presence of spermatozoa. Numerous friends, family and acquaintances of Momohara were interviewed in 1977 by HPD detectives working the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One male witness told investigators that the night before Momohara was killed, between 9 and 10 p.m., he and his girlfriend drove through McKinleys campus and saw a car and a man near the English building. The car was described as a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac LeMans, Buick Century or Buick Regal two-door hardtop with louvered rear windows, maroon bottom and white vinyl top, according to police. A second witness confirmed the cars description. The car was parked on the grass, and a male was observed walking out from the ground-floor steps, Thoemmes said. The witness circled his car back around, but the male and the car had already left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man was described as Asian, about 18 to 22 years old, between 5 feet 5 and 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing about 140 to 150 pounds. He had a light tan complexion with dark, wavy shoulder-length hair that was combed back. He was wearing a plain, light-blue collared pullover, short-sleeve shirt and dark-colored long pants. A composite sketch of the man was released but didnt generate any leads. On March 28, 1977, detectives interviewed Castro, who was later identified as a suspect. He told police he knew Momohara since late 1976, when he met her at a school dance. Castro graduated from McKinley in 1976 and told police Momohara was friends with him and his brother, William Castro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said Momohara used to call him when he was still in high school and that he last saw her at the McKinley carnival in February 1977 where they talked for about 15 minutes. He told her he was in the U.S. Army Reserve and had come home to Honolulu. William Castro was also interviewed by police and told detectives that he met Momohara at a school dance with his brother. William Castro said he never dated Momohara, but sometimes talked to her on the phone. He said he last saw her when she walked past his house three days before she died and that they talked for about five minutes. He asked her if she needed a ride to school, and Momohara declined. Castro told police he went to campus to see a friend the day Momoharas body was found and said he heard a girl had died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite following up on numerous leads and interviewing multiple individuals, investigators were unable to identify a suspect at that time, Thoemmes said. Lets fast-forward 42 years to March 20, 2019, when the homicide cold-case detectives submitted a request to HPDs scientific identifications sections forensic biology unit to process several items of evidence that was recovered from the murder scene. A pair of blue shorts and underwear belonging to Momohara were submitted for testing. In May 2020 a DNA criminalist obtained the profile of an unidentified male from the sperm fraction of the samples from Momoharas shorts. In September 2023, police got word that William and Gideon Castro could be potential suspects, said Thoemmes. William Castro was living in Chicago, and in November 2023, HPD homicide and strategic enforcement detail detectives traveled there to surreptitiously obtain a DNA sample from him or one of his kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The detectives were able to snag a sample from one of Castros adult children. The sample was checked against the sperm found on Momoharas shorts, and Castro was ruled out as a suspect. HPD detectives found Gideon Castro living in Utah ; he had a child living in another state. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations helped find Castros son, and a DNA sample was covertly acquired. The FBI ran an initial scan before sending the sample to HPD for testing and comparison. Testing showed that Gideons son was a biological child of the unidentified male suspect in the Momohara killing whose sperm was found on Momoharas shorts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HPD detectives flew to Utah and secretly acquired a DNA sample from Castro. That sample matched with the DNA found on Momo haras shorts. Thoemmes thanked the FBI, HSI Investigations, the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, and Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera and her team for help locating, arresting and holding Castro until he is extradited to Hawaii. By Akbar Novruz Economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy, particularly in transport, energy, and environmental protection, was a key topic during a meeting between Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova and members of the European Union Policy Commission of the Italian Senate. The meeting highlighted the growing ties between the two countries, emphasizing achievements in the humanitarian sphere, such as the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's projects in Italy and the Azerbaijan-Italy University. The Italian delegates noted the university as a symbol of pride for Italians visiting Azerbaijan. Discussions also touched on environmental protection, with praise for the high-level organization of COP29 in Baku, which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended. The Italian side expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev, noting that the successful outcomes of COP29 underscored Azerbaijan's proactive role in environmental negotiations, reflecting the European Unions growing interest in this issue. Speaker Gafarova underlined the importance of enhancing parliamentary relations through friendship groups and mutual visits to counter misinformation about Azerbaijan in Europe. Marco Scuria, head of the Italian-Azerbaijani friendship group on interparliamentary relations, echoed this sentiment while expressing concern over bias against Azerbaijan in PACE. The meeting concluded with an interactive discussion, where questions about Azerbaijani-Italian relations, Azerbaijan's foreign policy priorities, the South Caucasus situation, and the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process were addressed. ASTANA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Developing relations with China is a priority of his country's foreign policy, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday. Tokayev made the remarks when Han Chunlin, the newly appointed Chinese ambassador to Kazakhstan, presented his credentials. Tokayev said the relationship between the two countries has reached its best in history and he is willing to inject new impetus into deepening cooperation with China across various fields. Han said that he will fulfill his duties, implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and make every effort to deepen the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Han assumed his position in Kazakhstan on Dec. 30, 2024. HONOLULU (KHON2) The murder of a Honolulu teen in 1977 was solved after an arrest was made thousands of miles away. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The body of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara was found at McKinley High School in March 1977. She was partially clothed and was pronounced dead at the scene, with an orange cloth wrapped around her neck. An autopsy later showed that she had been murdered by strangulation. Fluids were recovered from her body at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness said he and his girlfriend saw a car and a male at the high school the night before Momohara was found. Witnesses said the man was walking out from the ground floor steps. The witnesses described the man they saw as Asian, late teens to early 20s, with shoulder-length, wavy combed back hair. They also described the car as a 2-door two-toned car. Police seek help to solve decades-old murder of McKinley High School student The description was circulated but no clues came of it. HPD interviewed friends and family, including Gideon Castro, who said he had met Momohara at a school dance. The case went cold after investigators were unable to identify a suspect at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, evidence was sent to the HPD forensics lab in a renewed bid to solve the case. A partial DNA profile was identified after being obtained from Momoharas shorts. Gideon and his brother were identified as the possible contributors in September 2023, however, his brother was excluded after a sample from the brothers child was compared to the evidence. A sample from Gideon was collected and was determined that it was a match to evidence from the crime scene. Lt. Deena Thoemmes credits the closure of the case to the technological advancements in DNA. Castro was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree at a nursing home Tuesday morning at 7:40 a.m. in Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Castro is awaiting extradition to Honolulu. 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) At least five people were arrested during an anti-Trump protest march through downtown Portland after police spotted vandals spray painting along the route, police officials said early Tuesday night. KOIN 6 News crews observed hundreds during the initial rally that started around 5 p.m. at the Battleship Oregon Memorial at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. That number dwindled to less than 100 around 7 p.m. as the crowd began to march south on Southwest Naito Parkway, then onto Southwest Morrison. President Trump says Portland is where they kill people in speech on Inauguration Day Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats where the arrests took place as more than two dozen police officers and Oregon State Police troopers detained people they saw spray painting and tagging buildings along the route just after 7 p.m. A police sound truck was used to tell the marchers that officers witnessed people spray painting along the march route. A group of protesters gathered at the Battleship Oregon Memorial at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland to protest Donald Trumps policies, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) Anti-Trump protesters marched through downtown Portland, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) Anti-Trump protesters marched through downtown Portland, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) A heavy police presence met anti-Trump protesters at SW 3rd and Morrison in downtown Portland, arresting 3 people for vandalism, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) A heavy police presence met anti-Trump protesters at SW 3rd and Morrison in downtown Portland, arresting 3 people for vandalism, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) A heavy police presence met anti-Trump protesters at SW 3rd and Morrison in downtown Portland, arresting 3 people for vandalism, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) A heavy police presence met anti-Trump protesters at SW 3rd and Morrison in downtown Portland, arresting 3 people for vandalism, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) A heavy police presence met anti-Trump protesters at SW 3rd and Morrison in downtown Portland, arresting 3 people for vandalism, January 21, 2025 (KOIN) Five people were arrested during an anti-Trump protest in Portland. These were among items seized from those arrested, January 21, 2025 (PPB) Five people were arrested during an anti-Trump protest in Portland. These were among items seized from those arrested, January 21, 2025 (PPB) Five people were arrested during an anti-Trump protest in Portland. These were among items seized from those arrested, January 21, 2025 (PPB) Arrests are being made due to this criminal behavior. Thank you to those expressing your first amendment rights in a lawful manner. Police intervention will cease when criminal activity stops. Thank you, PPB said. Two of the people were arrested by PPB. One was 22, the other 29, and both face second-degree criminal mischief. They were also booked for unlawfully applying graffiti, attempted aggravated harassment and possession of a graffiti implement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Oregon State Police arrested three people, 19, 31 and 21. All were booked for resisting arrest, two for interfering with a peace officer, one for disorderly conduct and one for criminal mischief. Cleaning crews were sent to the scene to clean the graffiti almost immediately. The crowd continued the march for a short time, but largely dispersed soon after the arrests. Oregon Sen. Wyden: I know exactly what Im looking at with Musk gesture The march came one day after the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington D.C. Protest organizers said the march was to resist Trumps fascist agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the organizers, Carolyn Pavlovic, said she believes hope has to be associated with action. So thats why were here today, and really hope folks who come out are able to see that taking action, she told KOIN 6 News. Community is where we can really make real gains, you know, and where were able to change the culture and society that were in. Cody Urban with the International League of Peoples Struggle said its going to take a while. The energy is also going to be one of longevity. Were in this for the long run, and thats the kind of energy that we want people to walk away with tonight, because this is not just about one demonstration. Its about building a movement and keeping our community safe, Urban said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KOIN.com. ASAP Rocky attends Rihanna's fourth annual Diamond Ball benefiting the Clara Lionel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street in September 2018 in New York City. (Getty Images for Diamond Ball) ASAP Rocky is about to hit the peak of his career or have the worst year of his life. The 36-year-old Brooklyn rapper and Rihanna paramour is set to drop his first solo album in nearly a decade and was announced as a co-headliner for Los Angeles' Rolling Loud festival this March. The self-proclaimed "Fashion Killa" is also expected to serve as celebrity chair of the famed Met Gala in New York alongside LeBron James and Pharrell Williams, and he's starring as the protagonist of a Spike Lee film expected to hit theaters and streaming services this spring. But his success risks being derailed over the next few weeks if he's convicted of a 2021 shooting in Los Angeles that could send him to prison for almost 20 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jury selection began Tuesday in a trial in which Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, faces two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He allegedly shot at and wounded Terell Ephron, a fellow founding member of ASAP Mob, the Harlem rap collective that helped launch Mayers' career. Mayers has denied all wrongdoing, and his attorney, Joe Tacopina, has repeatedly attacked what he considers the weakness of the case in court filings and media appearances. Nearly a dozen Los Angeles police officers responded to the scene of the Hollywood shooting in 2021 but found no evidence of a crime, according to court filings. Later, Ephron returned to the scene and recovered two shell casings, but there is no forensic evidence tying Mayers to the shooting and no eyewitnesses beyond the victim, Tacopina said. Ephron's injuries amounted to a graze wound, and Tacopina argued publicly for the first time Tuesday that the weapon involved was actually a "prop gun" that could not fire real bullets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, prosecutors offered Mayers a deal that would see him receive a seven-year suspended sentence and serve only six months in jail, but the rapper rejected it. Mayers, appearing in a knee-length leather trench coat and a black surgical mask, seemed calm as he moved through the courthouse, stopping to thank a passerby for complimenting his jacket. Read more: 'Dead girls don't talk': Alleged rapist left drugged L.A. women to die, witness testifies The case against Rocky is fundamentally weak," Tacopina said. "It relies on testimony from people who are not credible, and I believe the defense is very, very strong." A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office declined to comment on the strength of the evidence in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors allege Mayers shot Ephron, also known as ASAP Relli, after a heated argument over Mayers' alleged failure to pay for the funeral of another founding member of their group. Ephron denied being jealous of Mayers' star turn when he testified at a preliminary hearing last year, but he also said virtually every member of ASAP Mob except Mayers is "broke or bums." Several have died of drug overdoses since the group was founded in the late 2000s. You so fing fake its sad," Ephron texted Mayers in October 2021, according to evidence presented in court last year. "Dont ever forget who introduced you to this life ... when I was at my lowest you looked at me like I was a piece of s. Ephron later acknowledged that Mayers did pay for the funeral of ASAP Josh. A month later, Ephron was staying at Loews Hollywood Hotel when he woke up to missed calls from Mayers and two other founding members of the group: Illijah Ulanga, nicknamed ASAP Illz, and Jamel Phillips, known as ASAP Twelvyy, according to preliminary hearing testimony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayers asked Ephron where he was and then sent a follow-up text reading, "Let's get to it." The group eventually collided on Argyle Avenue near the W Hollywood hotel. In a clash partially captured by surveillance video, Ephron said, Mayers grabbed him by the collar, pulled a gun from his waistband and pressed it to his old friend's chest, stomach and head. Ephron testified that he screamed at Mayers to shoot, but the fight paused as several people walked by. Ephron said Mayers put the gun in his waistband and started walking away. Ephron then began screaming insults at Ulanga and Phillips while cursing at Mayers, saying he was letting him know how everybody feel because nobodys brave enough to say how they feel about this man. In response, Ephron said, "Rocky turned around and shot me." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video of the incident appears to show Mayers holding a gun, but it does not capture the shooting. At last year's preliminary hearing, Deputy Dist. Atty. Paul Przelomiec showed a picture of several of Ephron's fingers skinned raw, apparently the extent of his injuries. Ephron alleged that Mayers fired three or four shots. He said he later texted the rap star accusing him of trying to kill him. Mayers scoffed at the accusations and accused Ephron of extortion, telling him to "stop making s up" and call the police if i shot @ u u weirdo. Ephron did just that two days later, walking into the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood station with two shell casings he said were from the scene, evidence the officers in that same division apparently failed to find. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: L.A. County courts tried to maintain business as usual during firestorm. It was anything but Tacopina who previously defended President Trump against a civil defamation suit from journalist E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of rape has pointed to the fact that Ephron also filed a civil suit against Mayers, and has characterized the entire ordeal as a financial shakedown by Ephron. On Tuesday, Tacopina said in court that he plans to argue that the gun involved in the incident was a prop and incapable of firing bullets. "Theres a reason that 10 police officers searched and didnt find shell casings there," Tacopina said last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most successful of his sprawling New York rap crew, Mayers vaulted to fame in 2011 with a style defined by suave braggadocio and self-mythologizing reminiscent of old-school legends such as Rakim and the Wu-Tang Clan. He quickly found commercial success, joining Kendrick Lamar as an opener on Drakes 2012 arena tour. His next two albums, Long.Live.ASAP and At.Long.Last ASAP, debuted atop the Billboard 200. In recent years, he has become a tabloid celebrity as Mr. Rihanna. The two artists went public with their relationship in 2021. In 2023, they welcomed their first child, RZA Mayers, followed by a second son, Riot Rose. Mayers seemed to have successfully transitioned into a wholesome dad with both underground rap and high-culture acclaim, including a famous 2023 Vogue cover that showed him and a pregnant Rihanna walking hand in hand down a beach while Mayers held their first child. It is unclear whether Rihanna will attend the trial in support of Mayers. Tacopina referred to it as a "family decision," and a representative for the "Umbrella" artist did not respond to an email seeking comment. Read more: 9 charged with looting during L.A. fires; Emmy award among items stolen Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trial is not the first time a run-in with police has threatened to jeopardize Mayers' career. He was arrested in 2019 in Sweden after a man alleged the artist and his entourage beat him in the street in Stockholm. His jailing became a minor international incident, with President Trump tweeting, Give ASAP Rocky his freedom. Mayers was convicted of assault and given a suspended sentence. The trial could also provide courtroom fireworks between two bombastic attorneys. Across the aisle from the brash and bruising Tacopina, who referred to his thick Brooklyn accent as "ridiculous" in court while talking to potential jurors Tuesday, the district attorney's office added one of its heaviest hitters to the case in Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin, who won a murder conviction against infamous New York real estate scion Robert Durst in 2021. Neither Lewin nor a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office would comment on the reason for his last-minute addition to the case. He had not been involved in the matter until Jan. 15. Charges were first filed against Mayers in August 2022. A decorated prosecutor, Lewin normally handles cold cases for the Major Crimes Division but had been ostracized for years as he engaged in a bitter and public feud with former Dist. Atty. George Gascon. Lewin, a political ally of newly elected Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, recently settled a lawsuit against the county accusing Gascon of demoting him in retaliation for criticism of his policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't care," Tacopina said, laughing when asked about Lewin's addition to the case last week, and dared Hochman himself to try the case. Times staff writer Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Floridas newest senator has officially been sworn into office. Vice President J.D. Vance swore in the former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody as a new senator this week. The Senate seat was filled as Rubio was confirmed to be President Donald Trumps Secretary of State. Read: As Trump, Desantis threaten mass deportations, Florida business experts concerned but skeptical Gov. Ron DeSantis selected Moody to replace Rubio earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moody says she is planning to fight for Trump in the Senate. Read: Trump rescinds Bidens executive order on AI safety in attempt to diverge from his predecessor Floridas other Senator, Rick Scott, took a photo with Moody after she was sworn in. Im proud to welcome Senator Ashley Moody as my new colleague from Florida. Floridians are lucky to have a fighter like Senator Moody representing their best interests. Senator Moody has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General, and Im confident she will build on that success in the United States Senate. I look forward to working closely with her to make Washington work better for Florida families and deliver on President Trumps mandate for the American people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read: Pardons by Trump and Biden reveal distrust of each other and wobbly faith in criminal justice system Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody in Orlando on Jan. 16, 2024. (Screenshot DeSantis Facebook) Former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody was sworn in as Floridas junior U.S. senator on Tuesday afternoon, becoming only the second woman to represent Florida in that legislative body and the first from the Tampa Bay area. Moody was named by Gov. Ron DeSantis last week to replace Marco Rubio, who was sworn in as secretary of state earlier in the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im ready to show up and fight for this nation and fight for President Trump to deliver his American First agenda on day one, Moody said immediately following her appointment in Orlando last Thursday. Over the past six years, we secured victories fighting the opioid crisis, locking up human traffickers, pushing back on unlawful immigration policies, revolutionizing organized retail theft investigations, recruiting hundreds of new law enforcement officers, backing the blue, modernizing crime reporting, defending life, and so much more, Moody posted as her final message on the Florida attorney general X account on Tuesday. It has been a tremendous honor to serve as your Attorney General, and I am determined to keep fighting for the future of our great state and nation as U.S. Senator. The daughter of a federal judge, Moody in 2006 became the states youngest judge in Florida at the age of 31 when she was elected to the trial bench in the states 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. She was then elected as the states attorney general in 2018 and 2022, the second time by more than 20 percentage points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moody will face re-election to the seat in November 2026, at which point the Senates seat will be on the ballot in a special election. New secretary of state Meanwhile, Rubio became Trumps first high-level Cabinet official to be approved by the Senate on Monday night, where he received a 99-0 vote. On Tuesday afternoon, he arrived at the State Department as hundreds of employees crammed into the entrance hall to see their new boss. He said in a speech that the mission of Trumps foreign policy is the advancement of our national interests. It was referenced by President Trump yesterday in his speech that his overriding goal for global policy is the promotion of peace, the avoidance of conflict, and no agency will be more critical in that regard than this one, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fact, thats its founding principle and purpose, and thats what we endeavor to do. To promote peace around the world because thats in our national interests. Without peace it is hard to be a strong nation, a prosperous nation, and one that is better off. But there will also be challenges. We recognize that there will be those times unfortunately as humans interact with one another because of our nature, but there will be conflict. We will seek to prevent them and avoid them. But never at the expense of our national security. Never at the expense of our national interests, and never at the expense of our core values as a nation and as a people. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The Oklahoman recently asked readers to grade state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters on his performance for the two years he's been in office. More than 4,000 readers took part in the online poll conducted Jan. 6-10. Today's Grading Oklahoma includes results from that poll and chronicles some of the legal battles that have entangled Walters and his administration of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks during a special meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education. More than 4,000 readers took part in the online poll on Ryan Walters. The Oklahoman polled readers on how Walters should conduct his duties as Superintendent. Lawsuits involving Ryan Walters Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee v. State Virtual Board: An Oklahoma County lawsuit involving St. Isidore, which has been stayed, pending the outcome of the case in the U.S. Supreme Court or the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Oklahoma Youth Literacy Program v. State BOE/Ryan Walters: The Infinity General school case involves allegations of Open Meeting Act violations, among other things. Still an open case; no hearings scheduled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drummond v. State Virtual Board: St. Isidore case in Oklahoma Supreme Court; Walters became a party to this after the creation of the Statewide Charter School Board. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to take up an appeal of the Oklahoma Supreme Courts ruling against the state board and St. Isidore. J. Doe v. Walters/State Board: Pronouns case in Cleveland County court. A judge ruled on Dec. 31 that the state Board of Educations administrative rules process was legal, but that the board had violated the due process rights of a Moore student who wanted their pronouns changed in school records. The students attorneys plan to appeal the first part of the decision. Bojorquez v. Walters: Teacher bonus case, in which two teachers are suing for defamation over Walters blaming them for errors in his agencys administration of a teachers bonus program. This case is in the discovery phase. Edmond Public Schools v. Walters, OSDE, State Board of Education: The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that local school boards, not Walters and the state Board of Education, have the right to determine the materials in a school library. This was a legal loss for Walters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Price v. Walters: A Mayes County resident sued Walters over the Bible mandate. It's still in the discovery phase. There is a pending motion to pause the lawsuit, given theres a similar lawsuit filed in the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Miller v. Walters: Libel/slander lawsuit filed in Tulsa County by the Bixby superintendent. A judge ruled Dec. 23 that the case could continue. Espolt v. State Board of Education: Shawnee Public Schools superintendent filed for a restraining order to keep the state Board of Education from suspending his teaching certificate. No judge ever took action on his request, which remains open. The board has since suspended his license. More: What could Ryan Walters do next after being bypassed by Donald Trump? He has options Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boismier v. State Board of Education: Former Norman teacher, Summer Boismier, has had her license revoked by the state Board of Education. She sued saying the board only did so for political purposes after she got crossways with Walters. She wants the court to review, and toss out, the revocation order. Walke v. Walters: Lawsuit over Walters Bible-teaching mandate in the Oklahoma Supreme Court, filed by more than 30 Oklahomans, represented by groups like the ACLU and Americans United. The state Supreme Court hasnt officially accepted the case but it seems likely that will happen. Jackie S. v. Walters: Filed in Oklahoma County by a grandmother of two Keys Public Schools students; says Walters, the state board and the Oklahoma State Department of Education didnt adequately enforce the states anti-bullying laws. Walters attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss. Federal: Janessa Bointy v. OSDE/Ryan Walters (Friot): Federal wrongful termination lawsuit. In the discovery phase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cheryl McGee v. Walters (Goodwin): Wrongful termination lawsuit; in the discovery phase. Attorneys for McGee have filed a motion to compel Walters to provide answers to questions raised during the discovery phase. Matt Colwell v. Walters (Goodwin): Wrongful termination lawsuit; in the discovery phase. The attorneys for Colwell have filed a motion to compel Walters to provide answers to questions raised during the discovery phase. Black Emergency Response Team v. Drummond (HB 1775) (Goodwin): House Bill 1775 lawsuit; Walters is one of many defendants. A judge issued a split ruling and both sides have appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Boismier v. Walters (Bernard Jones): Former Norman teacher Summer Boismier also has sued Walters for defamation. Still in the discovery phase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KFOR v. Walters: First Amendment lawsuit filed by KFOR against Walters and his spokesman, Dan Isett, who had refused to allow KFOR into the main meeting room during state Board of Education meetings. The case was settled, with KFOR receiving almost everything it asked for. Walters and Isett admitted no First Amendment violations Immigration lawsuit: On Jan. 14, Walters sued leaders of the U.S. departments of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection for immigration impact on Oklahoma schools. Ryan Walters is a polarizing figure in Oklahoman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters graded on job performance by Oklahoman readers Assembly members being sworn in in January 2025. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner Wisconsin Assembly committees look different this session with new committee names and several old committees now made up of fewer members. The differences will affect the way legislation is shaped. Each session the Assembly Speaker has the responsibility for determining the number of members per committee, unless a rule specifies otherwise. The Speaker also determines the ratio of majority to minority members on each committee. The committees are essential to the lawmaking process given that they are where bills are first moved to be discussed after being introduced, where bills receive public input and are debated by lawmaker before ever being considered for a vote by the full body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have complained about losing members on committees despite winning additional seats in the full body. Despite Republicans narrower majority this session, in some cases Democrats make up a smaller proportion of members on committees than they did in the last session. Unfortunately, Assembly Republican Leadership has chosen to begin the legislative session in a highly partisan fashion, reducing Democratic positions on the vast majority of committees despite the people of Wisconsin choosing to replace ten incumbent Republican legislators with Democrats in the last election, Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said in a statement announcing Democratic committee membership. I hope my Republican colleagues will choose to shift course and join Democrats in putting the people of Wisconsin over partisan politics in the coming legislative session. Neubauers staff said they were not consulted by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) about the committee sizes or ratios. Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) said there was a general understanding that with more members in the house overall, Democrats were expecting that to be reflected in committees. Democrats picked up 10 additional seats in the Assembly, making the body about 55% Republican and 45% Democratic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead Republicans and Democrats both lost seats on some committees, but the losses were exaggerated for Democrats, who now make up a smaller percentage of representation on several committees. For example, the Campaigns and Elections Committee last session had six Republican members and three Democrats. This session the committee is made up of five Republicans and two Democrats or a 71% Republican to 29% Democratic makeup. Vining described the change to committee membership as a punishment. We were penalized for maps that the Republicans actually passed themselves, Vining said. They're penalizing us for having more seats and I think that's unfair to Wisconsinites. Vining said having diverse representation on committees matters because of how it shapes the way legislation turns out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our job in committee is to vet bills. We're supposed to bring our perspective to the room and bat it around and figure it out We need voices in the room, Vining said. When you have less voices in the room, I would argue that there's less there to vet a bill, to put a bill into the best form that it could possibly be in for the Wisconsin people. Vining is the ranking member on the Assembly Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention Committee this session. She also sits on the Children and Families, Health Aging and Long Term Care and Small Business Development committees. The Mental Health committee is one where Democrats lost representation. The committee last session had eight Republicans to four Democrats meaning Democrats made up 33% of the committee. This session the committee includes seven Republicans and three Democrats bringing Democrats to only 30% of the committee. One Democrat not returning to the Mental Health committee, Vining noted, is Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have one less member, which means I have one less microphone around the state of Wisconsin, she said, one less community that's represented on the mental health committee and one less person going out to destigmatize mental health, so yeah, that's a loss. Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa). Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner Vining said Omokundes absence is also notable given that one of the goals of the committee this session will be to discuss the issue of male loneliness. She noted that he has done a lot of work within the Black Caucus on Black mental health, including Black men's mental health. We'll find another way to keep that conversation going and I'm sure he will because he is fantastic at that, Vining said. Still, she said that it is important to have ethnically diverse representation and gender representation on committees. Something I'm very aware of is we have two wonderful women who are joining me on the mental health committee but all the Democrats are women, Vining said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not just Democratic lawmakers who have expressed disappointment about committee memberships this session. Rebecca Aubart, executive director of Ladies of SCI, a nonpartisan prison reform advocacy group, said the situation is upsetting to the group. The group has been working to improve the states correctional system, including by advocating for an ombudsman to serve as a watchdog. This isn't what Wisconsin voted for. We voted for more fair representation. We voted for both of the sides to have to come together because it was going to be more fair representation,Aubert said. This seems like such a power struggle that just makes me sick. Aubert said the group had been waiting for several months to see how committees would turn out this session given the new legislative maps, and so they could return to their advocacy work. She said she was looking forward to there being new discussions with fresh ideas this session, and feels like that may not end up being the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of our meetings are between 65% and 68% Republican, because that is who has been in control, but the Democrats have really good points too and are very sympathetic and their voices aren't heard, Aubert said. They have a lot of good ideas that would help straighten out corrections, but their voices are still going to go unheard. If we want new legislation to come through, everything comes through the committee first, and then it goes to everybody else. I just don't think the people of Wisconsin are aware that even though our votes changed a lot in the Assembly, it actually didn't change anything because of how these committees are picked. Aubert said that she thinks there should be rules that the Speaker should have to follow, including that the partisan balance on committees should match the Assembly as a whole. Vining noted that she encouraged her Republican colleagues in a public statement to push back on the decision made by their leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vos did not respond to requests for comment from the Examiner. Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) is leading the newly formed Government Operations Accountability and Transparency (GOAT) committee and also serves as vice-chair of the Assembly Colleges and Universities committee. In an interview discussing her new roles this session, Nedweski said she didnt think the fluctuation in the committee memberships were intentional or political. Nedweski said having fewer people on committees isnt a disadvantage given that the committee process is public and anyone is still welcome to show up to committee meetings. People who are interested in being on that committee are there and, you know, if there's legislation that comes before the committee that people who are not on the committee are interested in, they can always come and testify and you know, be a part of discussion, Nedweski said. No one's being locked out of anything. New committees highlight Assembly priorities Other changes this session include several new and revived Assembly committees, highlighting some of lawmakers priorities in the coming months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vos put a special emphasis on the GOAT committee this session. In a statement, he said the committee with Nedweski at the helm would help the caucus focus on its renewed goal of identifying and addressing government inefficiencies. Nedweski said the committee is the result of demands from the people and a mainstream interest in fiscal conservatism and government efficiency. She said part of the interest in having Wisconsin lawmakers take on the work was driven by President Donald Trump announcing the creation of a federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While a committee existed last session focused on government operations and accountability, Nedweski said it wasnt very active and the new committee will be. Rep. Amanda Nedweski. Photo courtesy of her office. We had so many people reaching out saying Who's going to be the state DOGE? Nedweski said. I think there are opportunities around every corner to find quick and easy ways for improvement for some things and then certainly there are much bigger problems that could take solutions that are multi-year. Nedweski said her background in corporate finance and doing work that involves finding efficiencies inspired her to want to take on the role of chairing the new committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the private sector, there are natural forms of accountability driven by bottom lines, and government just doesn't have those built in, but we should, Nedweski said. The committee is still exploring what exactly its work will include, but Nedweski said it will focus on issues big and small. Ultimately, she said she wants to ensure that the state is using the taxpayers resources efficiently and effectively. One issue she said the committee will likely look at is the number of state employees who are working remotely, which has been a contentious issue over the last several years. Are we getting the most productivity out of those people who are working from home? How do we measure that, and if we're seeing that it's not the most productive situation, why aren't those people back in the building? Nedweski said. Maybe they are productive, maybe that's the best situation for them, but then what do we do with that physical building? If the solution is we don't need in-person employees, then we don't need to pay for the space either, and I think we have a responsibility to the taxpayer to make sure that we're not wasting. Nedweski said other committees could also bring issues to GOAT to explore. Our intention is to have the entire body involved in this process where maybe we're going to maybe do a joint hearing with the education committee, or the college's committee, Nedweski said. How do we use our resources within GOAT to help them further explore some of the areas that they identify for us that are in need of oversight, transparency, accountability or efficiency? Another issue Nedweski mentioned as an area of interest is administrative bloat in Wisconsins K-12 schools and in the University of Wisconsin system. She also mentioned looking at programs and laws as they sunset. She noted that Texas has a Sunset Advisory Commission, a mission that the GOAT committee takes on. There's all these statutes on the books that maybe there's appropriations tied to, and sometimes things fly under the radar and are there any circumstances and I can't say that there are are there any circumstances where we have continued to fund something that was supposed to end? Maybe GOAT has an arm of that... where we're diving into the weeds and looking at where we spend money and should this have ended five years ago? One revived committee this session is the Assembly Small Business Committee. Last session, it became part of the Jobs, Economy and Small Business Development Committee. Vining said she commends Vos for bringing the committee back because it gives a greater opportunity to speak about the issues affecting Wisconsin small businesses. Ninety-nine percent of Wisconsin businesses are small businesses. We're a small business state. We should have a small business development committee. We should be talking about how access to capital is more difficult for women and people of color, Vining said. The Assembly is also reviving the Assembly Urban Revitalization Committee this session with Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) serving as its chair. Donovan, who served as a Milwaukee alderman for about 20 years, said he is excited about the opportunity. It's certainly fair to say that Milwaukee has some neighborhoods that are very challenged, and we need to work on that, but I suspect other cities around the state may be suffering from the same challenges, so I'm hopeful that we can work a number of initiatives to help revitalize those struggling neighborhoods, Donovan said. Donovan said that the sky's the limit when it comes to the issues the committee may look at, but that public safety concerns, educational issues and housing, including more home ownership, are some areas that he is interested in exploring. As the committees work is only just starting, Donovan said that he has requested that the Legislative Reference Bureau provide the committee with some information about revitalization efforts that have gone on in other cities across the country as well as about what the 2017 committee did. I've always believed we don't need to reinvent the wheel. If something is working in another community, I see no reason why we couldn't make it work here in Wisconsin, Donovan said. Donovan said that he is prepared to communicate with local leaders in Milwaukee and other cities. He said he already had a very good conversation with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley about some concerns at the county level when it comes to parks and other services. [I] just wanted to open up or continue the lines of communication, Donovan said. Other new committees include the Commerce Committee, the Constitution and Ethics Committee, the State and Federal Relations Committee, the Public Benefit Reform Committee and the Science, Technology and AI Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The proposal for a new courthouse in Springfield was approved by the Asset Management Board Tuesday, with one no vote from the Inspector General. The Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse in Downtown Springfield has long been a source of health concerns, with multiple cases of ALS and dozens of cancer diagnoses being linked to the building. According to a news release from Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiros office, he voted against approving the Springfield Regional Justice Center proposal out of concern that the bidding process will not be fair and competitive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plan for new Springfield courthouse gains momentum I do not dispute the need for a new building and that the current courthouse poses health and safety risks to those who must use the building, Shapiro said. However, numerous public statements by public officials dating back to 2022, seem to be steering the proposal to a specific site and developer, which could have a chilling effect on competition. I hope that my no vote provides clarity of what must be done to ensure that a truly open, fair, and competitive process results. The Board reviews and approves proposed projects that involve the long-term lease of real estate assets held by state agencies. The Massachusetts Trial Court wants to build a new facility to lease to Springfield to replace the current Ireland Courthouse which has had environmental problems, including black mold. The idea is to acquire a leased space of up to 330-thousand usable square feet for an initial lease term of 40 years and then two ten-year extension options, for a maximum term of 60 years. In September the Office of the Inspector General issued a report, The Star Store 20-Year Lease A Lack of Shared Vision and Collective Accountability Wastes Millions in Public Dollars , identifying problems associated with long-term lease agreements between the state and a private developer. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. A federal judge sentenced Craig Allen, an Atlanta area investor, for operating a fraudulent investment scheme. According to federal officials, Allen operated a private fund called the Cheetah Fund, and used it to defraud dozens of people for more than $9 million. Allen lied to investors when he sent them account documents that intentionally inflated the Cheetah Funds performance, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. said in a statement. Allen abused the investors trust by failing to invest their money as promised and diverting these funds to maintain his lifestyle. For some victims, these stolen funds comprised their life savings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In court, federal prosecutors revealed how Allen, who was the sole shareholder and executive for C.M. Allen Capital Management, Inc., defrauded dozens of investors across the country out of millions of dollars through his management of the Cheetah Fund. As Allen managed the fund and its investments, he provided potential investors with tear sheets showing returns as high as 73%. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Prosecutors said that once they invested in Cheetah, the investors were sent fake account statements showing false gains and fake tax documents reporting them. Instead, Allen reported gains even as the Cheetah Fund lost money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice said Allen used investors money to pay himself and fund his lifestyle. Investors were cheated out of more than $9 million as a result of Allens investment fraud scheme, according to USDOJ. In October, Allen waived his indictment, which legally means that an offense which may be punished by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year or at hard labor may be prosecuted by information if the defendant, after having been advised of the nature of the charge and of the rights of the defendant, waives in open court prosecution by indictment. By doing so, Allen avoided a jury trial. Now, he will spend more than seven years in prison before supervised release and was ordered to pay $9.2 million in restitution. USDOJ also said he faces a separate, civil case from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which is still underway. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone talk with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil. During the phone call, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Brazil, during which the two heads of state held a historic meeting that achieved a series of landmark outcomes, drawing a grand blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage. Both sides should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and advance key areas of cooperation under the framework of aligning their development strategies, and continuously enrich the contemporary significance and strategic connotation of the China-Brazil community with a shared future, Wang said. As the BRICS family continues to expand, China supports Brazil in assuming the BRICS presidency this year and pushing for new achievements in greater BRICS cooperation, Wang said. China supports Brazil in hosting the UN climate change conference, he added. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum, and China is ready to work with Brazil and other countries to build a China-Latin America community with a shared future, Wang said. Noting that the Ukraine crisis has been going on for nearly three years, Wang said that the "six-point consensus" jointly issued by China and Brazil on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and the establishment of the "Friends of Peace" platform on the Ukraine crisis are to gather consensus from the Global South and create an atmosphere and accumulate conditions for the realization of peace talks. For his part, Amorim said that President Xi's state visit to Brazil last year was very successful, and that the important consensus reached by the two heads of state set a clear direction for the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries. Amorim expressed his hope that the two sides will step up the implementation of the results of the visit and work together to build a Brazil-China community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet. Brazil attaches great importance to the China-CELAC Forum and is willing to strengthen coordination with China to successfully run this year's forum, said Amorim. Noting that the "six-point consensus" reached by Brazil and China on the Ukraine crisis is of great significance, Amorim said that the two sides should seize the opportunity to further leverage the role of the "Friends of Peace" platform. Sign up for Trumps Return, a newsletter featuring coverage of the second Trump presidency. The purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment was to settle once and for all the question of racial citizenship, forever preventing the subjugation of one class of people by another. Donald Trumps executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship is an attempt to reverse one outcome of the Civil War, by creating a permanent underclass of stateless people who have no rights they can invoke in their defense. In 1856, in the infamous Dred Scott decision that declared that Black people could not be American citizens, Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote that as a subordinate and inferior class of beings, Black people had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. Yes, the Declaration of Independence had stated that all men are created equal, but the enslaved African race were not intended to be included. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frederick Douglass, who argued that the Constitution did not sanction slavery, responded to the Taney decision by saying that one could find a defense of slavery in the Constitution only by discrediting and casting away as worthless the most beneficent rules of legal interpretation; by disregarding the plain and common sense reading of the instrument itself; by showing that the Constitution does not mean what it says, and says what it does not mean, by assuming that the written Constitution is to be interpreted in the light of a secret and unwritten understanding of its framers, which understanding is declared to be in favor of slavery. Sounds familiar. [David A. Graham: Its already different] Trumps executive order similarly rewrites the Constitution by fiat, something the president simply does not have the authority to do. The order, which purports to exclude the U.S.-born children of unauthorized immigrants from citizenship, states that such children are not subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. and therefore not included in the amendments language extending citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. This makes no sense on its own termsas the legal scholar Amanda Frost wrote earlier this month, Undocumented immigrants must follow all federal and state laws. When they violate criminal laws, they are jailed. If they park illegally, they are ticketed. The ultraconservative Federal Judge James C. Ho observed in 2006 that Text, history, judicial precedent, and Executive Branch interpretation confirm that the Citizenship Clause reaches most U.S.-born children of aliens, including illegal aliens. As such, Trumps executive order on birthright citizenship is an early test of the federal judiciary, and of the extent to which Republican-appointed judges and justices are willing to amend the Constitution from the bench just to give Trump what he wants. They have done so at least twice before, the first time by writing the Fourteenth Amendments ban on insurrectionists running for office out of the Constitution, and the second time by seeking to protect Trump from prosecution by inventing an imperial presidential immunity out of whole cloth. But accepting Trumps attempt to abolish birthright citizenship would have more direct consequences for millions of people, by nullifying the principle that almost anyone born here is American. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the aftermath of the Civil War, white southerners tried to restore, at gunpoint, the slave society that had existed prior to the war, notwithstanding the Thirteenth Amendments abolition of slavery. Republicans in Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment to secure equal citizenship and the Fifteenth Amendment to protect the right to vote regardless of race, amendments that guaranteed political and civil equality. The Civil War amendments, the work of the Republican Party, are the cornerstone of multiracial democracy in the United States. Despite this historic accomplishment, for the past 80 years or so, the party of Lincoln has aimed its efforts at repealing or nullifying them. Adopted as part of the effort to purge the United States of the legacy of slavery, birthright citizenship, with which the Fourteenth Amendment begins, remains an eloquent statement about the nature of American society, a powerful force for assimilation of the children of immigrants, and a repudiation of a long history of racism, the historian Eric Foner writes in The Second Founding, a history of the Civil War amendments, though he is cautious to note that these principles were not always respected by the governmentJim Crow and Japanese internment being obvious examples. Birthright citizenship was a dramatic repudiation of the powerful tradition of equating citizenship with whiteness, a doctrine built into the naturalization process from the outset and constitutionalized by the Supreme Court in Dred Scott. This detachment of American citizenship from whiteness was one of the parts of the Fourteenth Amendment that Democrats, at the time the party of white supremacy, hated the most. Democratic members of Congress repeatedly identified American nationality with the Caucasian race, insisted that the government was made for white men, and objected to extending the advantages of American citizenship to the Negroes, the coolies, and the Indians, Foner writes. Trumps immigration braintrust sees things similarly. In emails with conservative reporters, Trumps point man on immigration, Stephen Miller, praised articles attacking the 1965 repeal of racist restrictions on immigration that had been passed in 1921 and were intended to keep out nonwhite people, Southern and Eastern Europeans, and Jews. These laws again redefined American citizenship in racist terms, and helped inspire the Nazis. The end of those restrictions meant that more nonwhite immigrants were able to gain citizenship in the United States, a phenomenon conservatives have dubbed a Great Replacement, borrowing a concept from white-supremacist sources. That the Trump coalition now includes people who would have been shut out by Millers preferred immigration policies does not change the fact that Trumps immigration advisers view the decline of the white share of the population as an apocalyptic occurrence that must be reversed. It is no accident that this project begins with the nullification of constitutional language guaranteeing citizenship regardless of race or country of origin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Martha S. Jones: The real origins of birthright citizenship] Republicans have made significant inroads among nonwhite voters in the past few years. Their reasons for supporting Trump change neither the intent of his entourage nor the effects of his policies. A successful repeal of birthright citizenship would mean the so-called pro-life party creates a class of stateless infants, a shadow caste mostly unprotected by law. It would require Americans to prove their citizenship time and time again, and leave them vulnerable to administrative errors that could endanger proof of their status. These burdens would likely fall disproportionately on those nonwhite people Trumpists see as their replacers, no matter how enthusiastic about Trump they might be. Since the rise of Trump, the once-fringe idea that the Fourteenth Amendment does not confer citizenship on the children of undocumented immigrants has gained traction among ambitious conservatives whose malleable principles allow them to shape themselves to Trumps whims. By November of 2024 the aforementioned Ho, who had previously written a detailed law-review article rejecting such theories, had become a bombastic, partisan Trumpist judge; he carefully retraced his steps and insisted that the birthright-citizenship clause doesnt apply in the case of immigrant invasion, substituting Fox News talking points for legal reasoning. This is the level of respect for the Constitution one can expect from conservative jurists in the Trump era. Whatever Trump says is correct. What the original framers of the Fourteenth Amendment understood was that the necessities of multiracial democracy demand more than bowing and scraping before this sort of lawlessness. For now, neither partys political leadership seems up to the task. Article originally published at The Atlantic ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) President Donald Trump has pardoned nearly all those convicted in the attack on the nations Capital on Jan. 6, 2021. That includes Dominic Pezzola of Rochester, one of the Proud Boys who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for destruction of federal property and assaulting federal officers among other crimes. During the insurrection, Pezzola stole a riot shield and broke one of the windows of the Capitol building, making an entry point for rioters. The attack was part of an attempt to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Jan. 20, most sentenced for their involvement that day are able to walk free. Four local men were included in Pres. Trumps pardons. Pezzolas sentence was commuted, which means the conviction still stands despite his ability to be released. The pardon, I think, is Trumps way of trying to give everyone a clean slate. The President is authorized to do that, presumed its the constitution to grant full pardons. I believe there were 1,500 pardons and six commutations. Commutations are different than a pardon. The conviction remains, but the stigma associated with the conviction remains. Still, youre basically removed from prison, said Sean Timmons, managing partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC. The actions to pardon those involved on Jan. 6 were among Trumps first promises upon taking office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe the President expanded the scope to include just about everybody. That was a surprise to some extent, but it wasnt entirely shocking because its consistent with the Presidents campaign promise to release everyone, said Timmons. Pezzolas sentence of 10 years in September 2023 was less than half of the 20 years prosecutors had argued for. Timmons also explained the process of those pardoned, including Pezzola, who will re-enter society. I dont think Pezzola will be able to work in a corporate suite any time soon. I think corporate America would disavow any of the individuals who were pardoned pretty strongly. Theres always jobs available for somebody, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendants pardoned are expected to be released from prison by the end of this week. News 8 reached out to members of Pezzolas family Tuesday, whom were not available for comment. 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 RochesterFirst. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Martin Luther King Jr. Day was yesterday, but a Sioux Falls university is celebrating all week long. Faculty at Augustana are busy setting up for their Peace Walk, an event that will help kick off their Celebration Week of Martin Luther King Jr. Luverne resident recalls Selma march The peace walk is an opportunity for students to take a self-guided walk through MLK Juniors words, Co-Director of International Programs, Erin Kane said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The idea is for people to stop, contemplate what Martin Luther King had to say and see how they can absorb it into their own life, International Programs Coordinator, Suzanne Miller said. Wednesday, there will be a chapel service centered around MLK. We have special prayers that he wrote during the civil rights movement. Were also showing his a very well-known sermon, Love Your Enemies, Associate Campus Pastor, Shawna Day said. More events are scheduled for this week, highlighting the importance of remembering Kings impact everyday. Its hard to condense so many elements from that time into one day and then also to honor schedules. It just really gives a lovely opportunity for students to try different things, Day said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres lots of different ways for students to interact and have conversation, whether it be through a Chai and Chat with the Interfaith Council or at a human rights forum this afternoon, Kane said. Helping honor the man who helped change our nation for the better. How much do they really know about a man who was born and died before they were ever in existence? So I think its important to help bring his life to life, his words having it to have an impact on a different generation, Miller said. The events this week are free and open to the public. 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 KELOLAND.com. After a winter snow storm prompted schools in Central Texas to close Tuesday, most area districts including Austin, Hays and Round Rock have announced they'll return to normal schedules Wednesday despite the anticipated cold temperatures. All school districts in the Austin area canceled classes Tuesday because of the snow and ice, which local officials and meteorologists warned created dangerous road conditions. Students in the region had been out of school on an extended holiday weekend because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Although meteorologists are not forecasting precipitation overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, temperatures are expected to dip into the 20s in the Austin area, with some dropping as low as the teens in rural communities, according to the National Weather Service. St. Edwards University students Zane Cummings, 17, left, and Josh Nield, 21, play in the snow at Zilker Park Tuesday January 21, 2025. The weather service issued a cold weather advisory until noon Wednesday for the Central Texas region, which means people who are outside could be exposed to very cold wind chills as low as 7 degrees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Live updates: See Austin road conditions, school closures and more as winter weather hits Is my Austin-area school district open Wednesday? Austin classes as usual Bastrop classes as usual Burnet classes as usual Del Valle classes as usual Dripping Springs classes as usual Eanes classes as usual Elgin classes as usual Georgetown classes as usual Hays classes as usual Hutto classes as usual Johnson City classes as usual Lago Vista classes as usual Lake Travis classes as usual Leander classes as usual Liberty Hill classes as usual Manor classes as usual Marble Falls classes as usual Pflugerville classes as usual Round Rock classes as usual San Marcos classes as usual Wimberley classes as usual Winter weather hits Texas: See live map of road conditions, closures Other institutions Austin Community College classes as usual This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Are schools closed in Austin? Classes resume amid winter weather Authorities on Wednesday identified a man who died after being found unconscious on the ground in the frigid cold on a snowy street on the North Shore of Massachusetts early Tuesday morning. Face all beat up: Man dies after being found unconscious on North Shore street in t-shirt, shorts Ipswich police officers responding to a report of an unresponsive person on the ground outside of a vehicle in the area of 33 Caroline Avenue around 4:30 a.m. found a 65-year-old man in need of immediate medical treatment, according to Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man, who Tucker and Nikas identified as Michael Brooks, was rushed to Beverly Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. There was no immediate word on the facts and circumstances surrounding Brooks death, but investigators said there is no wider threat to the public at this time. Neighborhood residents said Brooks was dressed in summertime attire when his body was discovered in the extreme cold. He was in his shorts and bare feet and had a t-shirt on. He looked like hed been lying there for quite some time, one neighbor told Boston 25 News. His face was all beat up, and it looked like his legs were cut up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors said a blue Jeep was towed away from the scene. Police are now waiting on autopsy results and havent said if they are looking to speak with anyone in connection with the death. State police detectives assigned to Essex County District Attorney Paul Tuckers Office, Ipswich police, and the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are investigating the mans death. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as the cause of death in waterfowl in Gibson County in December and suspects HPAI as the cause of waterfowl deaths in Allen, Benton, Hamilton, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Pike, Porter, Starke, Tippecanoe, and Vermillion counties over the last six weeks. According to the DNR, Public health risk is low; extra precautions encouraged if interacting with waterfowl. The DNR stated in a press release that the recent positive detections of HPAI H5 are part of 98 positive detections across the state in waterfowl since 2022. DNR began this testing in waterfowl and raptors in 2022 and increased testing in hunter harvested waterfowl with assistance from the U.S Department of Agriculture. With this increased testing, additional detections of HPAI are to be expected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the most waterfowl species affected are snow geese and Canada geese, the Indiana DNR has also noted deaths in mute swans, tundra swans, mallards, American white pelicans, common goldeneyes, and double crested cormorants. If you find wild waterfowl that are dead for no obvious reason, or showing any of the following signs, report it online at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife. Signs of HPAI in waterfowl include: Sudden death Neurological impairment (e.g., lack of coordination, swimming in circles, tremors, twisted neck) Lack of energy and appetite Swelling of the head, neck, and eyes Nasal discharge, cough, sneezing, lack of coordination, and diarrhea. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends that waterfowl hunters wear protective clothing such as face masks and gloves to process birds, and to process birds in a well-ventilated area or outdoors. Meat harvested from waterfowl should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165F before consumption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medical episode leads to fatal Green County accident According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the public health risk for HPAI is low. However, it is possible for humans to contract HPAI. Members of the public should avoid contact with sick waterfowl and other sick wildlife whenever possible. If a carcass must be handled, wear disposable gloves and a mask, and wash hands with soap and water immediately afterward. The DNR is encouraging people to contact your healthcare provider if you come into contact with waterfowl and develop flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, cough, sore throat with or without conjunctivitis within 10 days of exposure. Some domestic and agricultural animals are also known to be susceptible to HPAI, including poultry, cattle, and cats. If you have these animals at home, be sure to process any harvested waterfowl away from your animals and practice good biosecurity measures. For more information on HPAI, visit on.IN.gov/avian-flu Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 MyWabashValley.com. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) Authorities are searching for two suspects who reportedly stole a vehicle from Monticello, Utah, and later fled the scene. The sheriffs office said the suspects one male and one female fled from the scene on foot. Officials have advised those in the area of Blanding not to pick up any hitchhikers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We ask that the public avoid the area if possible, DO NOT pick up or stop for hitchhikers or anyone on foot, and to report any suspicious activity in and around the area, the San Juan County Sheriffs Office said in a social media post on Tuesday night. Numerous law enforcement officers are at the scene around the recapture reservoir and along Highway 191, just north of Blanding, according to the sheriffs office. Officials have said more information will be provided including physical descriptions of the suspects as they receive it. There is no further information 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 ABC4 Utah. Jan. 21Captains of state government, private business, education and politics make up the 15-person Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) that Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Tuesday. Several have past ties to or current connections with the committee's two co-chairs, former Gov. Craig Benson of Rye and retired auto dealer Andy Crews of New Castle. "I am proud to bring together business leaders and state government officials to make our state government more efficient and effective for all of New Hampshire," Ayotte said in a statement. "I look forward to working alongside our volunteer members to streamline government, cut spending and ensure we're doing everything we can to create value for taxpayers while honoring our unbreakable commitment to provide for our most vulnerable citizens." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During an interview with the Union Leader last week, Ayotte made clear COGE was going to work on longer term solutions to find taxpayer savings and improvements in processes beyond the next two-year state budget. Ayotte will present her budget plan to the Legislature next month. If the commission quickly identifies something that could be incorporated into the next budget, Ayotte said she would seek to implement it. The governor said this effort is an "all-volunteer" one; commissioners will not be paid and the committee will not have a budget or additional staff deployed to carry out its work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ayotte said she will designate someone on her staff to serve as its liaison. House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry and a 17-term member, named himself to represent the House on the commission. Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, picked Sen. Mark McConkey, R-Freedom. McConkey just came to the Senate, winning election to replace retiring President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, but he served nine terms in the House and chaired its Public Works and Highways Committee. Both Benson and Crews have a long history with Ayotte and the state Republican Party. Benson started Ayotte's meteoric rise Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After winning the governor's office, Benson named Ayotte, a state prosecutor, to be his legal counsel and later nominated her to be New Hampshire's first female attorney general. Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who unseated Benson, renominated Ayotte to a second term as AG. Crews owned AutoFair Automotive Group, growing it to a $500 million business before selling it in 2021. He chaired Ayotte's finance committee during a 2024 campaign that, with the historic help of the Republican Governors Association, raised a record $27 million. Former Gov. Chris Sununu named Crews as one of three members of the State Lottery Commission. Benson co-founded and ran Cabletron Systems Corp. of Rochester, a market leader in hardware and software computer technology that took off after Benson moved it from Massachusetts to New Hampshire in 1985. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also on COGE is Bob Monaco of Stratham, a founding member of Cabletron who led many companies and went on to become commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services. Benson is presently on the board of Planet Fitness, which operates a chain of exercise outlets. Ayotte named Felicia Thomas, vice president of data solutions with Planet Fitness, who has a 25-year career specializing in analytics in government, health care, transportation, and supply chain management domains. Ayotte also picked Drew Cline of Bedford, the president and CEO of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, the state's leading free-enterprise think tank. Cline also chairs the state Board of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only current state government official on COGE will be John Marasco, director of the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Marasco served a quarter century with the State Police, leaving with the rank of major. Three present and past state agency heads Another former state agency head is Chris Clement of Portsmouth, who served as commissioner of the Department of Transportation and led the state Office of Economic Stimulus coming out of the last major recession. He later served multiple roles over eight years, including chief operating officer at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Clement is now chief government relations officer with the McClure Engineering Company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also named was Al Letizio Jr. of Windham, chief executive of A.J. Letizio Sales & Marketing Inc., a wholesale food supplier serving the eastern United States. A past chairman of the Windham Board of Selectmen, he served on the board of the Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Letizio has long been a major GOP fundraiser. In 2024, he gave up to $22,000 to Ayotte's campaign, wrote checks to more than a half dozen state senate candidates and gave $10,000 to the pro-GOP Liberty and Prosperity PAC. Also on the commission is Jennifer Parent, a director of McLane Middleton's litigation department, who chairs its Business Litigation Practice Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She gave Ayotte $6,200 in donations according to state campaign finance records. Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said, given the oast connections to Ayotte, Benson and others, COGE members should reveal any ties to groups that get taxpayer support. "Kelly Ayotte is following in the footsteps of her former boss, Craig Benson, by creating an administration rife with conflicts of interest," Buckley said in a statement. "Kelly Ayotte, Craig Benson, and every member of COGE must disclose their conflicts of interest as they could dictate which agencies and organizations receive state funding. Otherwise, Kelly Ayotte's office will soon resemble Benson's 'ethical rats' nest' of an administration." Also named was Kimberly Abare of Pelham, who is president of NEDC Sealing Solutions, a manufacturer serving the defense and aerospace industries. She co-owns and manages commercial real estate properties with over 45 tenants and $30 million in assets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A former state legislator, Abare has contributed to GOP causes before, including $1,500 to the Committee to Elect House Republicans and nearly $4,000 to Sen. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem. Other members of COGE are: Dianne Mercier, the retired president of People's United Bank. She has specialized in commercial finance for local, not-for-profit groups. Bradley Kreick, the CEO of AccessHope. He has been a health care executive for three decades starting at Healthsource and more recently the CEO of SolutionHealth, the parent company of the Elliot Health and Southern N.H. Health systems. He gave up to $15,000 to Ayotte's committee according to campaign finance records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brendan Keegan, CEO of bFEARLESS Ventures. He is a six-time president and CEO, a best-selling author and winner of the World's Most Innovative CEO Award. Keegan has raised over $10 billion in capital and is co-owner and board member of multiple companies ranging from Andretti Racing and Merchants Fleet to Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua. klandrigan@unionleader.com A Maine lobsterman sets lobster traps in Casco Bay. (Photo by AnnMarie Hilton/Maine Morning Star) Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday the state would not comply with new guidelines that increase the minimum catchable lobster length, calling them unnecessary and disruptive. Maine has also said it would not follow the regulations set out by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which aim to address declines in smaller, young lobster populations. Massachusetts is also affected by the guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Hampshire will continue to follow the existing regulations, Ayotte said, which require a lobster to be at least 3 inches in length from its eye socket to the end of its body shell to keep. The new guidelines would have increased that length by a sixteenth of an inch starting July 1, and by another sixteenth of an inch starting in July 2027. In a letter to the commission, Ayotte said the guidelines could result in a loss of a third of the years lobster catch. She said it also gave an advantage to Canadian lobstermen who arent bound by the same guidelines. The commission moved in October to delay implementation of the new minimum length by six months to give Canada time to consider complementary conservation measures. New Hampshires commercial fishing industry is a proud part of our heritage, Ayotte said in the letter, and I have heard loud and clear from our lobstermen, commercial fishermen, and concerned legislators and citizens from our Seacoast that this minimum size increase will have a negative impact on an industry already strained by existing regulations. Ayotte put her point simply on social media, with a black illustration of a lobster bearing the caption: Come and take it. Norwich Backus Hospital called attention Tuesday to the retail pharmacy it opened months ago inside its main entrance, a facility it hopes will catch on with the surrounding community. In October, the pharmacy started dispensing medications to patients, Hartford HealthCare staff and the public. Donna Handley, Backus president; Brianne Nichols, system pharmacy director for Hartford HealthCare; and Lopa Pandya, Backus pharmacy director, joined hospital pharmacists and other hospital officials in a ceremonial ribbon-cutting outside the pharmacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve wanted to introduce a meds-to-beds program and this helps us do that, Handley said, referring to the practice of hand-delivering prescribed medications to patients' bedside before theyre discharged from the hospital. Its a way to make sure patients have the meds they need and know how to take them. Its been estimated that at least a quarter of all hospital patients fail to fill prescriptions after theyve been discharged. Nichols noted Backus' in-house pharmacy will have access to specialty drugs some regular pharmacies cant get. And specialty pharmacists will be available to provide instruction in the use of such medications. Handley emphasized Backus new retail pharmacy is open to the public and she encouraged residents of the area to make use of it. All staff prescriptions are being transferred to the pharmacy, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Backus is the third of Hartford HealthCares seven hospitals to introduce a retail pharmacy, the others being Hartford Hospital and St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport. Last year, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, a member of the Yale New Haven Health system, became the first hospital in the region to open a retail pharmacy. b.hallenbeck@theday.com TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A military aircraft crashed on Wednesday in Iran's western Hamedan province, but both pilots survived, the official news agency IRNA reported. The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) in a mountainous region of Kabudarahang County, IRNA quoted an informed source as saying. The anonymous source added that the two pilots aboard the plane sustained only minor injuries and were taken to the hospital. Hamedan's Deputy Governor for Political and Security Affairs Hamzeh Amraei told IRNA that the cause of the incident was under investigation, adding the pilots had managed to rescue themselves before the aircraft crashed. ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) Ballad Health announced the creation of a new urology center that will be based out of Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon. A release from Ballad Health said the Quillen Center for Urological Services was made possible thanks to a gift of $1 million from Mike and Debbie Quillen for the purpose of establishing the center, recruiting leadership and creating a center of excellence model supported by technology and innovation. The release referenced the American Urological Association, which reports that 60% of counties in America lack a practicing urologist, which is a physician who specializes in conditions of the urinary tract and reproductive system. The association also said existing urologists are largely aging out of the workforce and entering retirement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TVA asks customers to reduce power usage amid arctic temps While government at the state and federal level has a responsibility to help with solutions, it is through local innovation and partnerships with the community that we can attract exceptional physicians, Sen. Todd Pillion said in the release. Mike and Debbie Quillen have always put their community first and this is yet another example. This partnership will stand out to demonstrate that we should all be invested in working to better serve patients right here in Southwest Virginia. Ballad Health said it is actively looking to hire a urologist to lead the center and help create a regional model for urological services in the region. Our hospitals in Abingdon and Bristol are exceptional because they have enjoyed tremendous support in the communities they serve, said John Jeter, chief executive officer of both hospitals. This gift is made possible through the ongoing support of Mike and Debbie Quillen, who have done so much for our Southwest Virginia communities. Not only have they made this gift, but they are encouraging others to join as we build this critically important specialty to serve our communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release added that the new urology center will also serve as an opportunity for training and research through Ballad and its regional academic partners. 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. BALTIMORE Adult mentors were on scene and engaged during two recent violent incidents at a Baltimore high school, where the city has been implementing a violence intervention program in recent months. While their actions likely prevented further harm to students and staff, the fact that the incidents occurred at all is a source of concern to community members. On Thursday, a juvenile was arrested after an assault outside Carver Vocational-Technical High School, resulting in three students and a staff member being sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One student had their lip almost cut off during the fight, said Elisha Johnson, who works with students at Carver to help them with job training through the Requity Foundation. A month before that, a school hall monitor was attacked by students in December, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A local nonprofit organization The Movement Team has been administering Baltimores School-Based Violence Intervention Program since the beginning of the current school year. They were on-site when the incidents took place and in both instances immediately intervened putting themselves in harms way to prevent further violence, Jack French, a spokesperson for the Mayors Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement, said in an email. Videos of the two incidents obtained by The Baltimore Sun confirmed that adults were physically engaged in breaking up the conflicts. French added, Following last weeks stabbing and as part of their work inside the school, in partnership with City Schools and MONSE, The Movement Team has mobilized resources [including trauma support and wraparound services] to support the Carver community and work to prevent any retaliatory violence stemming from this incident. Johnson, from Requity Foundation, said the Movement Teams presence is making a difference when it comes to making sure students arent lingering outside the school or neighboring stores or hanging out on residential front lawns as they used to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I definitely can see the difference, but theres always room for improvement, she said. Johnson said that while the story of the attack was widely covered by news media, there are a lot of positive things going on that dont get as much attention. Its easy to broadcast the negative, but what about the students who are doing right? she said. But students still need more help, she said, especially when it comes to mental wellness and making sure things dont escalate toward violence. She added that kids need more opportunities for productive activities, such as the job training her organization tries to provide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marvin Doc Cheatham, president of the Matthew Henson Neighborhood Association near the school, suggested another solution: getting parents more actively involved in meetings with the community, school and police. Many of them have very, very busy schedules, he said, noting that many kids travel to school alone without their parents. Its challenging here, Cheatham added. This is a very poor neighborhood here. Very poor, high crime, high drug incidents. Asked about the effectiveness of the citys program, Baltimore Councilman and Public Safety Chair Mark Conway described the violent incidents as really, really disappointing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anytime we see this kind of violence in school, its deeply unsettling, he said. Conway said he hopes the program will provide an opportunity to keep last weeks violence from spreading into further incidents. The city secured around $1.1 million for the violence intervention program, which is being implemented at three other schools in addition to Carver: Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, Digital Harbor High School and Edmondson-Westside High School. At Digital Harbor, where the program started last school year, student suspensions declined from 99 around the end of 2023 to 67 by the end of 2024. The Movement Team is also engaged in the citys Safe Passage program, where mentors monitor students travel to and from school near the public bus stop. ---------- Jan. 21Most of Maryland is under a cold weather advisory through Thursday as temperatures plummet into the single digits in the region in the wake of the weekend snow. The National Weather Service, which issued the advisory, is forecasting overnight lows in the low teens and daytime highs of 10 degrees below freezing through Thursday. [ Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News ] That could also mean some flurries in the Baltimore area isolated snow showers Tuesday night, according to the weather service. And with temperatures barely budging above freezing in the past several days, snow from last week has stuck around and turned to ice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harford County Public Schools and Carroll County Public Schools will both open two hours late Wednesday after the inclement weather closed Harford and Howard schools Tuesday . Baltimore City and County schools opened two hours late Tuesday. Baltimore County Public Schools will also have a two-hour delay Wednesday, with morning prekindergarten classes canceled. The Baltimore City Health Department also declared a "Code Blue," a determination intended to reduce hypothermia deaths by homeless people, older adults and other groups who are vulnerable to extreme cold. It triggers several public safety initiatives, including a free program of hot beverages at the Salvation Army. The Code Blue took effect Sunday night before a body was pulled from a burning and vacant home on North Avenue and is scheduled to remain in effect through Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services has extended its Code Purple winter shelter activation through Thursday at 9 a.m., extending the hours of city-run shelters. Residents in need of emergency shelter should call the Baltimore City Shelter Hotline at 443-984-9540. As happened earlier this month, this latest cold snap comes from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air usually trapped around the North Pole. "This is a pretty strong one in terms of how cold it has become. We're not breaking any daily records, but it's definitely shifting temperatures to being well below normal," said weather service meteorologist Brendon Rubin-Oster. Temperatures have been between 10 and 20 degrees below average, he said. As the jet stream that brought snow to Louisiana relaxes this week, the Baltimore area should return to normal temperatures, Rubin-Oster explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday's forecast calls for sunny skies with a high of around 21 with wind chills of up to 8 below. Low temperatures Wednesday night will be around 15 degrees. Thursday will be a bit warmer with a high of about 32 and a low of around 19, the weather service said. That slight warming trend is expected to continue Friday, when high temperatures reach around 33, while lows remain in the upper teens. Saturday will see highs in the mid-30s, with lows in the mid-20s, and on Sunday, the high temperature could climb to a more seasonal 40 degrees for the first time all week, the forecast says. Have a news tip? Contact Mary Carole McCauley at mmccauley@baltsun.com and 410-332-6704. Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@baltsun.com, on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62. Originally Published:January 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM EST Jan. 21Most of Maryland is under a cold weather advisory through Thursday as temperatures plummet into the single digits in the region in the wake of the weekend snow. The National Weather Service, which issued the advisory, is forecasting overnight lows in the low teens and daytime highs of 10 degrees below freezing through Thursday. [ Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News ] That could also mean some isolated snow showers Tuesday night, according to the weather service. And with temperatures barely budging above freezing in the past several days, snow from last week has stuck around and turned to ice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harford County Public Schools and Carroll County Public Schools will both open two hours late Wednesday after the inclement weather closed Harford and Howard schools Tuesday Baltimore City and County schools opened two hours late Tuesday. Baltimore County schools will also have a two-hour delay Wednesday, with morning prekindergarten classes canceled. The Baltimore City Health Department also declared a "Code Blue," a determination intended to reduce hypothermia deaths by homeless people, older adults and other groups who are vulnerable to extreme cold. It triggers several public safety initiatives, including a free program of hot beverages at the Salvation Army. The Code Blue took effect Sunday night before a body was pulled from a burning and vacant home on North Avenue and is scheduled to remain in effect through Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services has extended its Code Purple winter shelter activation through Thursday at 9 a.m., extending the hours of city-run shelters. Residents in need of emergency shelter should call the Baltimore City Shelter Hotline at 443-984-9540. As happened earlier this month, this latest cold snap comes from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air usually trapped around the North Pole. "This is a pretty strong one in terms of how cold it has become. We're not breaking any daily records, but it's definitely shifting temperatures to being well below normal," said weather service meteorologist Brendon Rubin-Oster. Temperatures have been between 10 and 20 degrees below average, he said. As the jet stream that brought snow to Louisiana relaxes this week, the Baltimore area should return to normal temperatures, Rubin-Oster explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday's forecast calls for sunny skies with a high of around 20 with wind chills of up to 4 below. Low temperatures Wednesday night will be around 9 degrees. Thursday will be a bit warmer with a high of about 32 and a low of around 16, the weather service said. That slight warming trend is expected to continue Friday, when high temperatures reach around 32, with lows near 13. Saturday will see highs in the mid-30s, with lows in the mid-20s, and on Sunday, the high temperature could climb to a more seasonal 40 degrees for the first time all week, the forecast says. It's expected to remain there through at least Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Have a news tip? Contact Mary Carole McCauley at mmccauley@baltsun.com and 410-332-6704. Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@baltsun.com, on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62. Originally Published:January 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM EST A bankrupt Labour-run council is plotting a 10pc council tax increase amid an ongoing bin crew strike and growing rat problem. Birmingham City Council which is facing an estimated 760m bill over historic equal pay claims also plans to cut 153m from its public services in a bid to balance the books. But it comes after the local authority already enraged residents by scrapping free rat control services to residents. Critics dubbed the decision an effective rat tax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials have requested government permission to raise its council tax by 9.9pc from April almost double the approved 5pc cap. If given the green light, it means Birmingham residents will have seen a 21pc increase in its council tax in two years. It equates to an extra 400 on a Band D property. Councillors warned the decision would likely enrage taxpayers who are already battling rat infestations, made worse by bin worker strikes. Bin crews are refusing to work for 12 days between January and April. Conservative leader, Cllr Robert Alden, said Birmingham residents face another double whammy of higher council tax for fewer services in the year ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Monday, Cllr Roger Harmer, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: The truth is this is being done on the back of a much dirtier city with savagely-cut services, and a whole raft of further cuts about to arrive. I cant be the only councillor thats really noticed a change in the tone of emails I get from residents really, really concerned about the state of the city. Of course, its only going to get worse. Birmingham City Council declared effective bankruptcy in October 2023 after facing equal pay claims of up to 760m and an 80m overspend on an under-fire IT system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, officials scrapped free rat control services to residents in a bid to save 400,000 a year. It sparked fears of a surge in the citys vermin woes, with opposition councillors claiming the policy heralded a golden decade for rats. The 24 pest control charge, which remains free for council tenants, has been labelled a rat tax by Conservative councillor, Adam Higgs. Mr Higgs told a separate meeting last week: I believe that the service should be free we are currently in the midst of a bin strike where residents, through no fault of their own, are not having their waste collected. This is obviously going to have an impact on an increase in rats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Council director of regulation and enforcement, Sajeela Naseer, said there has been a 70pc reduction in the use of the rat control service since fees were introduced. She insisted this had not led to an increase in rat complaints to the council though cautioned residents may be purchasing rat poison on their own accord. Local authorities can increase council tax above 5pc without holding a referendum if it can persuade the Government that they are in a financial mess. Birmingham council leader, John Cotton, told cabinet members that significant progress had been made on getting the authority back on track over the past year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said it is truly an astonishing achievement that we stand within striking distance of achieving a sound and substantially balanced budget before conceding that we are not out of the woods yet. Prior to Rachel Reevess Budget, the council was expected to target 67m in savings for 2025-26. However, this has grown to 153m partly due to the rise in employer National Insurance and the national living wage. Labour Cllr, Karen McCarthy, said: We now have a Government at national level that understands local government. They are not in the position to come riding over the hill with a sack of gold to sort out all our problems but at least now were having healthy conversations with them about the support that can be provided. Proposed spending cuts of 153m to balance the books are due to be revealed next month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Birmingham council was approached for comment. 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. MOUNT VERNON, Ky. (FOX 56) According to Trooper Scottie Pennington, at 4:18 a.m., Jason Cope was arrested following the reported barricade situation. Pennington said that Cope has been charged with: Wanton endangerment (seven counts) Possession of a handgun by a convicted felon Persistent felony possession of a firearm According to Pennington, Cope also had two outstanding arrest warrants. In a news release, KSP said that when law enforcement arrived at the scene, Cope fired numerous shots in their direction before going inside and barricading himself in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After hours of failed negotiations, KSP confirmed that the special response team was able to remove Cope from the home through the use of non-lethal force. Previous story: An active barricade situation has been reported in Rockcastle County by Kentucky State Police. According to Trooper Scottie Pennington, around 10 p.m. Tuesday, the Rockcastle County Sheriffs Office and the Mount Vernon Police Department responded to a home on Kelsey Drive off Kentucky Route 461. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Troopers said there was a fight between family members that ended with shots being fired. There were no injuries reported, but the alleged shooter is still in the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KSP urges anyone whos not a first responder to avoid the area. 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. The BBC and rival broadcasters are resisting efforts to delay the switch-off of terrestrial TV despite concerns the shift to streaming could leave older viewers behind. The corporation and its fellow public service broadcasters ITV and Channel 4 are locked in discussions with the Government about when traditional TV signals will be fully replaced by internet streaming. Under current legislation, broadcast TV is slated to continue until at least 2034. However, some campaigners are calling for this date to be pushed back to 2040 or beyond to ensure that older and more vulnerable audiences are not left disconnected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campaigners are joined by Arqiva, the company that owns Britains TV masts and has a commercial interest in extending their life. The major broadcasters are pushing back against these efforts, arguing that they face hefty costs to keep ageing, energy-intensive signals running as audience numbers decline. It comes amid a looming funding crisis at the BBC, which has complained of losing 30pc of its funding in real terms over a decade and is scrambling to save money through cutting costs. The corporation is attempting to save 300m a year by 2028, and announced 130 job losses in October. Meanwhile, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have been investing heavily in their streaming platforms as they look to win over younger viewers online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A source at one broadcaster said costs had effectively doubled as the company was spreading one programming budget across the two distribution methods of terrestrial and streaming. They added that bosses were increasingly anxious about the expense. In a submission to the Government last year, the broadcasters wrote: The UKs unique public service broadcasting [PSB] ecosystem which creates a virtuous circle of demand from UK audiences for investment in UK content depends on affordable, universal distribution. There is a risk that this could be seriously undermined if PSBs are forced to maintain legacy networks longer than they are viable or if their content is available only via gatekept global platforms. Discussions are now under way in Whitehall over how to manage the transition to a streaming-only era as a growing number of viewers watch TV over the internet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Government has created a new forum chaired by Stephanie Peacock, the media minister, to consult on how the switch-off can be carried out without leaving any viewers behind. A report by Exeter University found that while 95pc of UK homes will use TV services delivered over the internet by 2040, 5pc will still rely on terrestrial TV. The report found that these people were more likely to be female, older and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. A separate report by EY found that the terrestrial switch-off could force more than 4m vulnerable households to spend an extra 218 a year on upgraded broadband services and smart TVs. Elizabeth Anderson, the chief executive of the Digital Poverty Alliance, said: For the millions of people who are living with digital exclusion, terrestrial television is a vital lifeline its how people stay updated with news and major events, its the basis of conversations with friends and family, its a shared experience and sense of connection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given the costs to the individual of moving TV online paying for monthly broadband, buying new equipment, and the complexities of learning how to use this the Digital Poverty Alliance believes that saving the current hybrid system, with the choice to watch traditional or online content, is vital and crucially we know that its what most people in the UK want. Calls for an extension are being spearheaded by Broadcast 2040+, a campaign group backed by charities such as Age UK and Silver Voices as well as Arqiva, the infrastructure giant that owns masts for terrestrial TV and radio broadcasting across the UK. However, critics have accused Arqiva, whose major shareholders are infrastructure group Digital 9 and private equity firm Macquarie, of acting out of self-interest. The companys broadcasting deals with Channel 4 and ITV run until 2034, while its contract with the BBC expires in 2031. A spokesman for Arqiva said: A free-to-air, highly reliable network, reaching over 98pc of the population with public service broadcasts, terrestrial TV is a lifeline for millions of people and a cornerstone of our national resilience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arqiva is proud to work with groups representing the many millions of people who rely on it. This includes voices speaking up for older people, those facing digital poverty, and people in remote rural areas all of whom would be hit hard if terrestrial TV were switched off. A hybrid future for UK broadcasting, with terrestrial TV serving alongside streaming services, will continue to give viewers the best of both worlds. A BBC spokesman said: While more and more people are watching TV via the internet, which provides more choice, higher quality and better services, including for vulnerable audiences, it isnt the case that everyone is and our priority is ensuring no one is left behind as digital changes take place. Were part of the Governments working group on this issue with organisations from the TV sector, infrastructure and audience groups to ensure there is no switch over until the right conditions are in place and its absolutely right to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: We are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind as TV viewing increasingly moves to online platforms. That is why the Government is currently working with the TV industry and other key players in the sector on a long-term sustainable approach to TV distribution in the UK for years to come. This will include a decision on whether to further extend the current commitment to keep Freeview on air until at least 2034. ITV and Channel 4 declined to comment. 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. After decades of false starts, furious protests and bold promises, it appears that the Labour government is prepared to throw its support behind new runways at Londons two biggest airports. This week it was widely reported that Rachel Reeves is poised to give her backing for both a third runway at Heathrow and a second runway at Gatwick, as well as significant expansion of Luton Airport. The move has been pre-emptively described as disgraceful by environmental campaigners, while airport bosses say expansion would unlock capacity in the capital and bring an economic boost for the whole country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even if the Chancellor does give this three-way airport expansion her backing, it seems certain that nothing will happen quickly. After all, Reeves was still in primary school when the Civil Aviation Authority first published a report on a new runway in the south east, back in July 1990. But a lot is at stake here, including our holidays, homes and health. The impact on holidaymakers London already has more flights and passengers than any other city in the world. But its airports have changed little since the Second World War: Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, and Heathrow is the busiest two-runway airport. Because these airports operate at capacity, the tiniest air traffic blip or IT hiccup can have a big knock-on effect on an entire days schedule. So in very simple terms, a second runway at Gatwick and a third at Heathrow would mean more landing slots, more space to play with, greater flexibility and quicker recovery times in the event of a slip-up. On-time performance would, presumably, improve as a result, and there would be fewer cancellations. Residents of the south-east would have many more flight options to choose from, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gatwicks expansion would increase its maximum annual capacity from 46.5m passengers to 75m by the late 2030s, with around 100,000 more flight movements per year. Heathrow would rise from a peak annual passenger count of 80.9m (achieved in 2019) to as much as 140m, bringing up to 250,000 additional aircraft movements per year. Lutons expansion would increase capacity from 18m passengers to 32m per year and would bring a new terminal, too. All three airports would need to improve their public transport systems to handle the growth of passenger numbers, of course. Quicker, better trains and bigger, slicker car parks, one would hope. A third runway at Heathrow would mean greater efficiency and fewer cancellations - Getty In theory, in the scenario where all of the above goes ahead, we could be looking at 400,000 more flights taking off and landing in the capital per year. In very simplistic terms, more supply should equate to more competitive prices. Another runway at Heathrow could also relieve the intense demand for limited landing slots, currently among the most expensive in the world this could also push down fares. So, to run a very broad brush across what will be an extraordinarily complex process, with countless unknowns, a best-case scenario for the holidaymaker would be less time on the runway, more time by the pool, and a bit more spare change to spend on your margaritas. The villages and beauty spots at risk But at what cost? Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE) describes the idea of government support for a second runway as disgraceful, and argues that villages including Lingfield (Surrey), Penshurst (Kent) and Rusper (West Sussex) could be negatively affected by increased overflights brought about by a second runway. Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, and Ashdown Forest are among the nearby beauty spots that could also be impacted by a rise in air traffic. Hever Castle in Kent could be impacted by a rise in air traffic - getty Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Luton, local groups fear that Wigmore Valley Park could be lost if the airport undergoes expansion. At Heathrow, previous proposals have suggested that the entirety of Longford, a medieval village north of the airport, could be demolished, while residents of Sipson and Harmondsworth could also face eviction. A spokesperson for Stop Heathrow Expansion also pointed to Harsmondsworth Moor and Cranford Park as significant biodiverse areas that are threatened by the proposed runway. There are fears that a new runway at Heathrow could spell the end of the medieval village of Longford - PA Taking a wider view on the proposals, environmental groups have long pushed back against the suggested new runways. Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: The economic benefits are dubious at best while the environmental costs in climate damage, noise and air pollution are certain. History suggests this could all be wasted energy, but then again Labours support for a 40 per cent growth of London City Airport last August suggests otherwise. Heathrow told The Telegraph it was looking at potential options to deliver a third runway at Heathrow in line with strict tests on carbon, noise and air quality and Gatwick described its northern runway as shovel-ready with the potential to create 14,000 jobs and drive 1bn of economic benefits per year, with a view to minimise the noise and environmental impacts of expansion. Villages such as Penshurst, Kent, could be negatively impacted by increased overflights - Alan Smithers So here are the dates for your calendar: Reeves is expected to say something next week, a government ruling on Gatwick is expected on February 27, a decision on Luton is expected on April 3, and Heathrow bosses have requested clarity this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I suggest we regroup by the pool this summer to see where were at, and then maybe pencil in another catch-up in 2034. 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. With an abundance of seemingly deserted coves and beaches, the Dalmatian Coast is home to a number of harbour towns studded with Venetian bell towers and dotted with plazas where flagstones have been smoothed by centuries of visitors. Discover a different bay or quay each day travelling by boat, sailing over Southern Croatias clear, glassy waters. Whether youre looking to learn the ropes or have an expert skipper take the helm, heres how to plan a Dalmatian Coast sailing experience. Anchor off the island of Lopud for a great view of the Franciscan Holy Mary of Spilice Monastery. Photograph by Sunsail Whens the best time to go? The Dalmatian Coast buzzes with sailboats from April until early November, but the Adriatic Sea is at its smoothest in June, July and August. If youre unencumbered by school holidays, then May and September can bring a delightful combination of warm, sunny weather, calm seas and relative to mid-summer months few other travellers. How long should I go for? Sailing is a relaxed way to travel and trip lengths can be flexible it helps to take note of any destination highlights that pique your interest and plan around visiting these. A week allows you to settle into the rhythm of on-board life while sailing to out-of-the-way locations. In two weeks, youll truly begin to feel a sense of escapism and a deeper familiarity with sailing. To gain more confidence, you could also combine five days of sailing school with a week of putting your new knowledge into practice. How calm are the waters? In summer, anchorages such as Krknjasi Bay just off the east coast of Drvenik Veli island also known as the Blue Lagoon for the turquoise and azure shades of its waters are often calm enough to give your boat that magical floating-on-air appearance. And at spots such as Prirovo Beach on Vis island, the still water often provides a crystal-clear view down to the seabed. There may be times when the wind whips up and your journey becomes bumpier, but thats the best time to experience the thrill of sailing. Plus, the beauty of being on a boat is that you can sail to the nearest islands sheltered side. That said, its useful to have over-the-counter motion sickness medication on hand just in case you need it. Consider, too, how different types of boats act on the water. Catamarans, for example, offer stability and a comfortable sailing experience, whereas monohull yachts heel over (lean to the side), but provide lots of hands-on sailing action. Croatia's Dalmatian Coast is full of seemingly deserted coves and beaches. Photograph by Sunsail Moor up just outside the Great Governor's Tower on the edge of Korcula Old Town, on Korcula island. Photograph by Sunsail Where should I start from? Dubrovnik is a great starting point for sailing voyages. With a pretty, pedestrianised centre packed full of restaurants, bars and ancient buildings, the city also has an efficient public transport system, meaning you can reach the marina from the airport in just 30 minutes. Another convenient starting point is the appropriately named village of Marina, just a 25-minute drive from Split Airport. This small and serene village has plenty of excellent restaurants overlooking its harbour, Marina Agana, where you can sample some delicious Croatian cuisine before you set off. Can you suggest an itinerary? Visit lively harbours, remote beaches, ancient settlements and verdant pine forests as you sail to spectacular islands along the Dalmatian Coast, beginning and ending in Dubrovnik. Start with a 90-minute sail (weather dependent) from Dubrovnik to the naturally beautiful Island of Sipan. Enjoy a meal at one of the waterfront tavernas in the small village of Sipanska Luka, tucked beneath steep, forested hills between Sipans north and Jakljan Island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A further two-hour sail away, Peljesac Peninsulas pristine waters provide the perfect opportunity for snorkelling. Next, journey four hours to the fishing village of Polace on the northern coast of Mljet, Croatias greenest island. A sheltered harbour and one of Mljets oldest settlements, Polace is home to well-preserved remains of a Roman palace, Rimska Palaca. From there, another extended cruise will take you to the shores of remote Lastovo Island. With its network of quiet hiking trails, Lastovo feels a million nautical miles from bustling Dubrovnik. The next morning, take a jaunt across to the island of Korcula and its impressive, medieval walled city, Korcula Old Town. Then, make your way back towards Dubrovnik, with a detour at spectacular Saplunara Bay on Mljets eastern tip (no more than a six-hour sail from Korcula), where secluded sandy beaches are fringed by pine trees. Which islands have the best ports? Youll find well-equipped and easily accessible ports on just about any island in the Dalmatian archipelago, but those closer to the mainland and with regular ferry connections, such as Hvar, tend to be busier. Meanwhile, ports on islands further out in the Adriatic Sea, such as Lastovo, are usually quieter. Mljet Island has a myriad of delightfully remote anchorages, while Vela Luka on Korcula Island is a typical Croatian marina that feels as though its in the town centre. The Adriatic Sea is at its calmest during the months of June, July and August. Photograph by Sunsail Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What should I pack? In addition to your standard seaside essentials, such as a bathing suit and towel, be sure to pack sunglasses and water-resistant sunscreen. The sea breeze will usually keep bothersome bugs away from your boat, although insect repellent can be necessary in some places when going ashore. Take advantage of Croatias translucent waters by packing a waterproof camera to snap some underwater shots remember to pack your snorkelling gear, too. Do I need any qualifications to sail? To skipper a boat, you need to have an International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft (ICC) issued by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), with a Day Skipper qualification or above, as well as a VHF radio licence. If youre completely new to sailing and keen to learn the ropes, attending a sailing school is a good place to start. In Marina Agana, near Split, Sunsail's Agana Sailing School offers a variety of course options for a range of sailing abilities. Alternatively, enlist the help of a qualified skipper and sail as part of the crew as a crew member, you don't need to have any formal qualifications. Your skipper will take the helm as you sail along your chosen route (known as bareboat sailing) or you can follow a set sailing itinerary along with a group of other boats (flotilla sailing). This is paid content for Sunsail. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only). Political prisoners in Belarus urgently need more international support, human rights activist Ina Rumiantseva said in Berlin on Wednesday, before being presented with the inaugural Werner Schulz Prize. Rumiantseva said that despite the German Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, calling in 2023 for pressure to be applied on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to release those held captive, "nothing has followed." Lukashenko has governed by dictatorial methods since 1994, maintaining a close alliance with Russia. He is seeking re-election on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last election in 2020 was marred by accusations of fraud and triggered mass protests in the country. Since the summer of 2024, he has released dozens of political prisoners in several waves, but there are still more than 1,000 in Belarus. Rumiantseva estimates that some 1,250 people are still in prison for opposing the government and said that Lukashenko has persecuted 2,300 people on political grounds since 2020. He was almost swept from office by the mass protests after his contested re-election in what Rumiantseva called his "political near-death experience," but police brutally quashed the protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lukashenko has intensified repression in Belarus ahead of the vote in the coming days, Rumiantseva told dpa. She said Lukashenko seeks to use the vote to forget the events of 2020. "He wants to show that he can pull this off without disruption." She said even if Lukashenko ties his country closely to Moscow, the West should not see Belarus as a Russian appendage, stressing that Belarus has a future as a democratic and European country. Her comments come ahead of her award with the Werner Schulz Prize on Wednesday evening, which is endowed with some 7,500 ($7,800). The prize commemorates the civil rights activist from former East Germany, Werner Schulz, who later became a German and European parliamentary lawmaker, before he died in 2022. Rumiantseva, who was born in East Berlin in 1976, is an established civil rights activist. by William M. Reilly UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians and their partners are seizing every opportunity presented by the ceasefire to increase aid deliveries and services for Gazans, including damage assessments for those returning to home sites only to find rubble. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday they are stepping up support for people across the Gaza Strip, increasing the flow of incoming supplies and deliveries, and scaling up storage capacity, repair work, life-saving services and needs. They are distributing food parcels and flour and working to reopen bakeries. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters at a regular briefing about the UN system's efforts to help those in the devastated Gaza Strip. "One of the things the United Nations does in conflict zones and in post-conflict situations is deal with the questions of rubble removal, demining, and the clearance of unexploded ordnance and rebuilding," Haq said. "Those are handled by various different groups, including the Mine Action Service, the UN Office for Project Services, and the UN Development Programme." Haq added that it would take time. "We're in the early days yet, and so we're just in the first phase, which is one really of assessment." The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported nearly 1,000 trucks entered Gaza on the second day of the ceasefire. Some 118 aid trucks delivered more than 53,000 food parcels to communities in Khan Younis and to UNRWA shelters in Deir al Balah alone. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reported that 20 trucks delivered critical supplies, including for safe births, emergency obstetric care, postpartum kits, contraceptives and winter items to Deir al Balah on Tuesday, and 20 more trucks carrying UNFPA assistance entered northern Gaza on Wednesday. The UN Office for Project Services distributed fuel to ensure critical services such as healthcare and water pumping, and desalination can run on backup generators in the absence of electricity. OCHA said the world body and its partners are also supporting infrastructure repairs, including to water wells and desalination plants. "Humanitarian partners are carrying out rapid assessments in newly accessible areas to identify people's most urgent needs, including water, hygiene, sanitation and healthcare," OCHA said. "They are also stepping up disease surveillance efforts." The office said humanitarians are setting up trauma stabilization points to handle emergency cases and mobilizing specialized care teams. The amount of aid entering Gaza since the ceasefire is in stark contrast to the scarcity of provisions allowed in before the ceasefire, especially into the northern governorates. The scale of devastation has rendered neighborhoods unrecognizable. In the West Bank, OCHA warned that ongoing Israeli forces' operation in Jenin is putting people's safety and welfare at risk while destroying infrastructure as essential as roads, electricity and water pipes. Ten people have reportedly been killed, with dozens more injured. The military operation, which began on Tuesday, involved air strikes and other lethal war-like tactics that OCHA said seem to exceed law enforcement standards. The office said it received reports of more people being forced out of Jenin camp, citing the ongoing Israeli operation and lack of water. OCHA said the Jenin Government Hospital was disconnected from water and electricity networks. It relies on dwindling water reserves from emergency tanks that were installed just weeks ago in preparation for emergencies through an allocation by the OCHA-managed Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund. The office said humanitarian partners plan to refill water and full reserves at the hospital as soon as security allows. BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (WWLP) Belchertown residents got to provide their input Tuesday night on what changes should be made to the towns natural hazards mitigation plan. This plan is being completed by the Town with assistance from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. This update is done every 5 years, to identify and address potential hazards before they occur. It will outline a set of actions that can be taken to reduce losses of property and life due to natural disasters like floods, winter storms, wildfires, droughts, and extreme heat events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to make sure that where were prepared and if we can reduce or even eliminate some hazards from that, we can try to predict ahead of time of certain areas and town that might be affected more so than not., says Belchertown Fire Chief John Ingram. This plan will continue to make the town eligible for hazard mitigation assistance grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. WASHINGTON House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday defended President Donald Trumps blanket pardon for hundreds of people who attacked police on Jan. 6, 2021, during the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Everybody can describe this however they want. The president has the pardon and commutation authority. Its his decision, Johnson said at a press conference. CNNs Manu Raju had asked Johnson how Republicans can say they back the blue when their leader just erased criminal records for more than 1,600 rioters, including more than 600 charged with assaulting or interfering with police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson went on to whitewash the violent events of the day by suggesting the mob riot had actually been a peaceful protest. I think what was made clear all along is that peaceful protests and people who engage in that should never be punished, Johnson said. It was a remarkable change of tone for Johnson, who on Sunday said he did not think people who committed violent crimes should receive pardons and that he did not expect the president to include violent rioters in his Jan. 6 pardons, since hundreds of them were only charged with nonviolent offenses such as entering a restricted area. Four years ago, on the day of the actual insurrection, Johnson said rioters should be prosecuted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any individual who committed violence today should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Johnson wrote on social media on Jan. 6, 2021. The speaker on Wednesday went on to complain that the Justice Department had been weaponized, a phrase Republicans have used to describe the cases against rioters and Trump alike. Trump also faced charges for his actions on Jan. 6, but the case was dropped after he won reelection in November. In what seemed like a tacit acknowledgment that the president pardoned some bad actors, Johnson said theyd suffered enough, having paid a heavy penalty in prison, and would do better in the future. We believe in redemption. We believe in second chances, he said. But the presidents made a decision, we move forward. There are better days ahead of us. Thats what were excited about. Were not looking backwards. Were looking forward. Related... CHOCTAW, Okla (KFOR) A well-known animal rescue in Choctaw went up in flames Tuesday morning. Fire crews spent the day containing a fire at Fur Ever Friends Rescue near Henney Road and E Reno Avenue. Its just a devastating thing that has happened, said Kim West, friend of rescue. LOCAL NEWS: Fire officials urge residents to plan ahead in case of emergency during cold weather Fur Ever Friends Rescue fire (KFOR) Police say the owner of the rescue, Diane Ketterling, noticed something unusual as she woke up to check on the animals, a flickering floodlight near the building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And thought, I need to get an electrician to look at that and next thing she knew, she saw a lot of smoke, said Chief Kelly Marshall, Choctaw Police Department. Without hesitation, Ketterling jumped into action, risking her own life to save the animals she cares so deeply about. I dont have an account as to how many were lost, but she was treated for smoke inhalation. It just got too hot, there was a lot of straw in the building in that area. I believe its what probably fueled it, said Chief Marshall. Some animals died, however most of them were saved. The fire did destroy most of the rescues supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anything that you can think that youre going to take care of your dog. This is what their dog is going to need, said West. While donations start to pour in, the main priority is making sure no dog is left in the elements. Her biggest concern right now was wondering if the dogs were going to get frostbite. Now, those are not just rescues, those are loved animals, said West. Other rescues and volunteers showed up at the rescue to take in the displaced dogs. Rescuing displaced dogs from the fire (KFOR) The building is a total loss, but shell have to decide on what shell do for the future, said West. Fur Ever Friends Rescue fire damage (KFOR) Fur Ever Friends Rescue fire damage (KFOR) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West says Fur Ever Friends Rescue was the largest and one of the only rescues in Choctaw. If you would like to donate supplies there are a few places you can drop them off: Petsense: 14407 NE 23rd St, Choctaw, OK 73020 Bob Moore Subaru: 13010 N. Kelly Ave, Edmond, OK 73131 There is also a GoFundMe, 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dawoud Abu Alkas CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) - Guns may have fallen silent in Gaza, but for Mahmoud Abu Dalfa, the agony is not over. He is desperately searching for the bodies of his wife and five children trapped under the rubble of his house since the early months of the war. Abu Dalfa's wife and children were among 35 of his extended family who were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit the building in Gaza City's Shejaia suburb in December 2023, he said. As bombs continued to fall, only three bodies were retrieved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My children are still under the rubble. I am trying to get them out... The civil defence came, they tried, but the destruction makes it difficult. We don't have the equipment here to extract martyrs. We need excavators and a lot of technical tools," Abu Dalfa told Reuters. "My wife was killed along with all my five children - three daughters and two sons. I had triplets," he said. Burials are usually carried out within a few hours of death in Muslim and Arab communities, and failure to retrieve bodies and ensure dignified burials is agonizing for bereaved families. "I hope I can bring them out and make them a grave. That's all I want from this entire world. I dont want them to build me a house or give me anything else. All I want is a grave for them - to get them out and make them a grave," said Abu Dalfa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service and medical staff have recovered around 200 bodies since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Sunday, halting a 15-month conflict that has killed more than 47,000 Gazans. The war in Gaza was triggered when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. At least 94 of those hostages remain in Gaza. Mahmoud Basal, the head of the service, said extraction operations have been challenged by the lack of earth-moving and heavy machinery, adding that Israel had destroyed several of their vehicles and killed at least 100 of their staff. Basal estimates the bodies of around 10,000 Palestinians killed in the war are yet to be found and buried. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A U.N. damage assessment released this month showed that clearing over 50 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel's bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion. OPENING AID CROSSINGS As hundreds of truckloads of aid flowed into Gaza since Sunday, officials from the Palestinian Authority, rivals to Hamas, held meetings with European officials to arrange to assume responsibilities at two vital crossing points with Egypt and Israel. A Palestinian official familiar with the matter said Egypt sent bulldozers and some engineering vehicles to carry out repairs to the road on the Gaza side of the border that had been damaged by Israel's ground offensive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Abu Dalfa, thousands of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are searching for the bodies of relatives either missing under the rubble or buried in mass graves during Israeli ground raids. Rabah Abulias, a 68-year-old father who lost his son Ashraf in an Israeli attack, wants to give his son a proper grave. "I know where Ashraf is buried, but his body is with dozens of others, there is no grave for him, there is no tomb stone that carries his name," he said via a chat app from Gaza City. "I want to make him a grave, where I can visit him, talk to him and tell him I am sorry I wasn't there for him." (Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi. Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Dawound Abu Alkas in Gaza; Editing by Ros Russell) BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's interior minister told social media platforms on Wednesday to do more to prevent disinformation before next month's election, such as clearly identifying political advertising and labelling videos manipulated with AI. Faeser met representatives of the U.S.-based Google, which owns YouTube; Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram; Microsoft and X; and TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, as debate rages in the U.S. about whether regulating online platforms suppresses free speech. Meta Platforms, for example, scrapped its U.S. fact-checking programs this month and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said he would work with U.S. President Donald Trump to push back on censorship around the world, including in Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement X's billionaire owner Elon Musk, who has used his platform to promote the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), is one of Trump's leading advisors. Faeser said that, given the current debate, she needed to remind the platform operators about their obligation to follow European law in Europe and to check their platforms more thoroughly for criminal content, not less. "Criminal acts such as death threats must be reported to law enforcement authorities more quickly and consistently and must be deleted by the platforms," she said in a statement. "Political advertising must be clearly identifiable. Videos manipulated with AI must be labelled as such." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also said the algorithms used by the platforms to curate users' feeds must be made more transparent "so that they do not fuel dangerous radicalisation processes, especially among young people". Faeser has repeatedly warned of possible disinformation campaigns, possibly from Russia, ahead of the federal parliamentary election on Feb. 23. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that social media owners should be held responsible for "poisoning society" and eroding democracy with their algorithms. (Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Jan. 21Bernice Werner Dicks Bernice Werner Dicks died on Tuesday November 26, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bernice was born November 20, 1935, to Joseph and Anna Werner of Queens, New York. In a sign of academic tidings to come, in 1953 she graduated from Richmond Hill High School Summa Cum Laude. Bernice received her BA from Queens College and was invited to join the Phi Beta Kappa Society. In 1956, she married Robert Williams; their son, David, was born in 1957. This marriage ended in 1972. Bernice received her Master's (1964) and PhD in English from the City University of New York (1969). While her first choice of graduate study was George Eliot, Bernice was persuaded to study George Meredith, as he was perceived to be more respectable; besides, not much had been written about his self-education as a poet. Like Bernice, George Meredith also lived a very interesting life. Bernice joined the faculty at Southwestern at Memphis College (now Rhodes College) in 1966 (as Lecturer; then Assistant Professor in 1969; later, Associate Professor) and resigned in 1984. During her tenure, she served as Chair of the Department of English, Director of the Freshman Program, and Director of the Writing Laboratory. She was a formidable, devoted, most encouraging teacher who inspired her students to achieve their best. It was at Rhodes that one of her undergrads, Sharon Dicks, introduced Bernice to her father, George Dicks, PhD, who was visiting on Parents' Weekend, from Plattsburgh, NY. Bernice and George married in 1983. Across the world, they shared a life of adventure. Bernice spent two years in a combined faculty and recruiting staff position at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh. In 1987 Bernice and George moved to Asia, joining the faculty of the University of Maryland Asian Division. First in Korea, and then for three more years on Kadena, Okinawa, Bernice taught everything from the dreaded Freshman Composition to Victorian fiction and poetry. The course she most enjoyed creating and teaching overseas was Technical Writing, so she could help young military men and women further their careers in computing, manufacturing, and engineering fields. She took enormous delight in the spare beauty of clarity, the nimble precision of thought well expressed. Bernice had a wit as sharp as her ever-present blue pencil. Affectionately, friends at the Okinawa Writers' Guild nicknamed her the Godmother of Grammarians. In 1991, the couple returned to the U.S, settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bernice embarked on a new career as tax preparer for H&R Block; the dizzying complexities of corporate tax law challenged and intrigued her. She passed three increasingly difficult levels of expertise in business tax specialization, became certified in those fields, and was enrolled to practice before the IRS in 2002. A long-time member of St. Chad's Episcopal Church, Bernice served as a lector, an acolyte, on the Vestry, taught Sunday school, and wholeheartedly belonged to the Order of the Daughters of the King. Bernice loved cats, Shakespeare, bad puns, Gilbert and Sullivan, the Kingston Trio, difficult crossword puzzles, and good scotch, but not necessarily in that order. She was a fierce Scrabble player, but timid at playing bridge; she cooked a worthy Yorkshire pudding in honor of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. She also studied theology, as her husband George did. She had a vast knowledge of mystery novels and stories. Bernice absorbed everything from true crime as written by Truman Capote, to all of Dorothy Sayers, including Lord Peter Wimsey, the intricate translations of Dante and Old French, and every word Tony Hillerman set down on the page. At her core, she was always a New Yorker, open, kind, and blunt. Bernice leaves a son, David Williams and wife Joan, three stepdaughters, Rebecca Bauerschmidt and husband Gary, Sharon Updike, and Ivy Jones and husband Tam; 3 grandsons, Matthew Bauerschmidt and wife, Jesse Camp, Benjamin Updike, and Isaac Updike and a great-grandson, Milo Bauerschmidt. She is also survived by a brother, Charles T. Werner. Bernice is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 31 years, George W. Dicks. A service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025, at St. Chad's Episcopal Church, 7171 Tennyson St NE with a reception to follow. To view Bernice's full obituary, please visit www.FrenchFunerals.com. The University of Georgia canceled in-person classes, activities and events on its Athen campus beginning at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The decision to allow students and faculty to leave was made out of concern over unsafe driving conditions. Most students who spoke to Channel 2 Action News said it was an appropriate move. Its probably best to play it safe. This is the deep South, and we dont do really well in the snow, said student Rachel Sayles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the second time in less than a month that the university, which hosts more than 37,000 students, canceled classes because of winter weather. Most campus operations were canceled when a winter storm moved into Georgia on Jan. 10. RELATED STORIES: I think campus safety is of the utmost importance, especially UGAS campus. I know they prioritize that, so I think that was the right decision, said student Cole Faucheux. Residential and dining halls will remain open and essential workers will remain on the job. University officials said they would monitor weather conditions and provide an update Tuesday night or early Wednesday for campus classes and activities for Wednesday. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The rich and powerful are in Davos, Switzerland, for day three of the World Economic Forum. BI is talking to people on topics from AI infrastructure to the economy under Trump. This is what we're hearing on the ground. The World Economic Forum has brought the rich and powerful together to discuss topics ranging from Donald Trump's impact on the economy to AI's impact on their industries. This is what Business Insider is hearing and seeing on the ground. Trump is the main character here It seems a conversation at Davos can't go three minutes without Trump's name coming up. In an interview at Bloomberg House on Tuesday, Google's chief investment officer Ruth Porat said she saw a "tremendous opportunity" to work with Trump 2.0. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think the president and his team have been clear that they see technology as an asset for the country," she said. Hugh Langley It feels like Europe is missing in action The need for Europe to step up has been the recurring theme in my conversations with business and government leaders. Geopolitical and economic uncertainty is at the forefront of everyone's mind. While business leaders are excited about the new US president and Asia boasts some of the world's fastest-growing economies, Europe seems to be missing from the action. Walking along the promenade in Davos, the presence of American, Asian, and Middle Eastern delegations is unmistakable. But where is Europe? And where is the UK? One CEO I spoke with Tuesday night stressed that Europe's regulatory landscape had to change to make it easier for businesses to operate there. "What Asia is gaining, Europe is losing," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another executive observed that Europe was a major topic of discussion in Davos, but its presence feels muted. Srini Pallia, the global CEO of Wipro, said that growth and regulatory challenges in Europe are key concerns this year. "I was in a session just before this, where the European president was present, and she was asked how the EU could reduce regulatory barriers that are hindering growth. I think that's one of the big conversations happening here." Spriha Srivastava AI infrastructure is getting a boost but what if it's too big a boost? If you're still doubting AI's future impacts and benefits, there are now 500 billion reasons to put that to rest. Anne Hoecker, the global head of Bain & Company's tech practice, told me that Tuesday's announcement of up to $500 billion of private investment in AI infrastructure shows "how much people believe in the promise of AI." "This is real. We are really going to have great ROI," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One thing to watch is the balance between supply and demand. While the project aims to meet the rising need for infrastructure, it's a balance. As bad as a shortage is, the opposite isn't ideal either. "You can argue both sides of that. The use cases are picking up. People will start to see ROIs and will use up all the data center capacity as we build it," Hoecker said. She said that if people didn't see the ROI they were expecting, the question would be, "Do we have excess capacity built up, and then we grow into it just like any technology innovation cycle?" Waiting for the industry's needs to catch up to the existing supply isn't straightforward. Beyond the cost of having infrastructure you're not using, there's also the risk of the tech being outdated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Each generation of chips is going to be more powerful, more energy-efficient. So, if you have too much capacity in an older generation, does that hamper your ability to move to the next generation? How do you use up that old generation's capacity? So ideally you're not building too much in front of demand," Hoecker added. Dan DeFrancesco Leaning into the 'experience economy' BI's Spriha Srivastava moderated a panel on the experience economy. World Economic Forum / Greg Beadle One of the big conversations this year is how countries can navigate an evolving global economy. With growing protectionist policies and shifting trade dynamics, how can economies build resilience and drive sustainable growth? One idea on the table leaning into the experience economy. I moderated a panel Wednesday, "Mass Events, Massive Gains," about how major events like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics can bring investment, job creation, and long-term urban development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The panel featured leaders from diverse industries, including H.H. Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; Sir Martin Sorrell, Executive Chairman of S4Capital plc; Patrice Louvet, CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation; and Anna Marks, Global Chair of Deloitte. The experience economy is more than just entertainment. It has become a major force in economic transformation, boosting industries like retail, sports, hospitality, and tourism. But while these events generate billions in revenue, hosting them is no small feat. They can require close collaboration between governments, businesses, and local communities from infrastructure investments to security and sustainability concerns. Yet, the true power of these events goes beyond economics. At a time when loneliness is on the rise and digital interactions dominate, mass gatherings remind us of the value of in-person connections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As global economies look for new growth strategies, is the experience economy the key to driving resilient, inclusive, and long-term economic success? I will aim to find out next year at Davos. Spriha Srivastava Meta is trying to reassure advertisers about its moderation changes Mark Zuckerberg's Meta makeover has had some advertisers concerned about how its changes to content moderation would affect what people start to see across Facebook and Instagram. In a Davos roundtable discussion with BI, Nicola Mendelsohn, the head of Meta's global business group, said the company had been speaking with advertisers in recent days and trying to reassure them that nothing will change. Mendelsohn said advertisers would still be able to stop ads appearing next to political content if they wish. "What they've shared back actually is the reassurance that all the commitments that we have to brand safety, brand suitability on the platform, none of that changes," she said. Hugh Langley We need a new institution to ensure humanlike AI doesn't harm humanity, Google DeepMind's CEO said Bill Nye interviewed Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis at Davos. Hugh Langley/Business Insider Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis had a busy Tuesday here with two nearly back-to-back interviews at Google Haus. If there was one big takeaway, it was Hassabis' contention that we're not thinking enough about the AI bigger picture. "I think there's way too much hype in the short term," he said. "Actually it's underrated still, underappreciated, the amount of transformation that's going to happen in the medium to long term, so the five to 10 years." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to a question from BI, Hassabis said he believed there were big questions around capitalism and society that need to be pondered. "One of the big things economists should be thinking about is what does that do to money, the capitalist system, even the notion of companies. I think all of that changes." Hassbis said we need an institution that can "meet the moment" a governing body that can ensure artificial general intelligence, or AGI, is managed in a way that benefits humankind. "That would be where you put a wise council, an international council of very diverse and smart people from different backgrounds. Not just technologists. I'm talking about philosophers, social scientists, writers, et cetera. But who is building that institute, is what I would ask. And I think we really need that." He also discussed his work with AlphaFold on protein folding, which recently earned him a Nobel Prize. And who better to discuss the science than Bill Nye, "the science guy," who took the mic for the second interview. Hugh Langley Consulting firms are ready for a big year Consulting firms are ready for what is expected to be a big year for their business thanks to a flurry of potential changes on the horizon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are several macro factors that have been in play for a while: AI certainly, but also strong economic indicators in the US, as well as the current pro-growth sentiment in the market as a result of the incoming administration. So, there might be an uptick in business activity," Sharon Marcil, BCG's North America chair and a managing director and senior partner, told me. A massive ramp-up comes with issues, though, as was evident in 2021 when the surge in M&A activity led to employee burnout across financial services. A complete repeat of 2021's record year seems unlikely, but there are still staffing considerations. It's a tricky balance. You need enough workers so resources aren't stretched too thin while avoiding a surplus where there is not enough work to go around. An immediate fix also isn't easy, as bringing on new talent requires a necessary training period. And good luck telling clients to hold off on deals, especially after so many have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the market to open up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "For us, periods of increased activity force us to predict staffing. And that can sometimes be hard. There is a sweet spot between being understaffed and overstaffed. If we find we haven't gone far enough, we try other approaches like off-cycle hiring. It's definitely a balancing act," Marcil said. Dan DeFrancesco Proper snow boots are the way to go here BI's Dan DeFrancesco is combining a suit with snow boots for the ultimate Davos look. Dan DeFrancesco/Business Insider We're three days in, and we've yet to touch one of the most interesting debates I've found at Davos: footwear. Being that we're in the mountains, the abundance of snow and ice means opting for typical business shoes or heels isn't necessarily your best bet. Boots of varying degrees of heftiness and fashionability are a popular choice. (They don't call it "suits and boots" for nothing.) Others wear spikes that can be taken on and off. Personally, I've gone all in, opting for proper snow boots. Wearing them with my suit every day is a bit jarring. However, my daughter thinks I look like Kristoff from "Frozen," so that's a win. Of course, some people throw caution to the wind and still opt for their dress shoes. Davos is a lot about status, and the luxury of wearing normal shoes since you're being chauffeured around speaks to that. Dan DeFrancesco Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden are spending their first days after leaving the White House in Santa Barbara County, according to media reports. The Bidens traveled to a private home in Santa Ynez after attending the inauguration of President Trump in the packed rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Monday, NBC News first reported. The setting is significant the couple sought respite there after Biden decided not to seek reelection and spoke in support of then-Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. The Bidens are staying in Santa Ynez, where Democratic donor Joe Kiana has a working organic vineyard. (Laura Nelson / Los Angeles Times) The Bidens and several of their family members spent several days then at a sprawling vineyard owned by major Democratic donor Joe Kiani, the billionaire founder of the medical technology company Masimo in Irvine. His rural property, in the foothills of the San Rafael Mountains, is surrounded by horse paddocks and gnarled live oaks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Scenes from a packed Rotunda: Moguls, former presidents and some notable absences Harris also traveled to California, her home state, after Trumps inauguration. The former U.S. senator, state attorney general and San Francisco district attorney and her husband, Doug Emhoff, left Washington, landed in Burbank and immediately visited volunteers and firefighters helping the victims of the Eaton fire in Altadena. President Trump, in his first trip outside Washington since being inaugurated, has said he plans to survey the wildfire damage in the Los Angeles area later this week. He has also said some federal aid could be conditioned to state water policy changes. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. MUSCAT, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi met here with Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Shaya Mohsin Zindani on Wednesday to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss cooperation, Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The meeting underscored the depth of fraternal relations between Oman and Yemen, highlighting their shared commitment to enhancing collaboration in fields of mutual interest, it said. Discussions between the two officials centered on regional and international issues, particularly the ongoing "Yemeni crisis" and efforts to achieve peace and stability in Yemen, it noted. Al Busaidi reiterated Oman's unwavering support for peaceful initiatives in Yemen, stressing the importance of dialogue and negotiations as pathways to sustainable solutions and an end to the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people. For his part, Zindani expressed gratitude for Oman's steadfast support for Yemen's stability and its continued assistance to the Yemeni people. He commended Oman's "positive role" in facilitating dialogue among Yemeni factions and supporting international efforts to secure peace in the region. On Tuesday, Oman's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, held discussions with Zindani to enhance cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and water resource management. Both sides explored investment and partnership opportunities in food security projects and addressed fisheries and livestock-related challenges. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. President Biden just protected over 625 million acres of American waters from new drilling, including the entire Atlantic coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Pacific coast, and part of the Bering Sea off Alaska, reported the Guardian. The decision makes these areas off-limits to companies seeking to extract oil and gas. This move safeguards coastal habitats, marine life, and local economies that depend on clean, healthy oceans. The action builds on the United States' commitment to transition toward cleaner forms of energy while protecting public health. Science shows that reducing oil and gas production helps prevent the dangerous overheating of our planet. This protection has no set end date, making it harder for future administrations to reverse. Do you think the government should ban gas-powered lawn tools? No way Definitely Only certain tools I don't know Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. President Biden used the power of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which gives the federal government authority over offshore resources. Eight presidents have used this law to withdraw territory from drilling, including President-elect Trump, who protected waters off Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the incoming administration plans to challenge what Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called "a disgraceful decision." "I will unban it immediately. I have the right to unban it," President-elect Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, though legal experts note the law doesn't explicitly allow presidents to reverse such protections without congressional approval. Thanks to this move, coastal communities will keep their tourism and fishing industries thriving. Marine ecosystems can stay healthy. And the reduced drilling aligns with the United States' pledge to cut pollution by up to 66% by 2035. "This is an epic ocean victory!" said Joseph Gordon, climate and energy director at Oceana, per the Guardian. "Our treasured coastal communities are now safeguarded for future generations." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "President Biden's bold action today underscores that we cannot afford the continued expansion of oil and gas production if we are to meet our climate targets and avoid the worst impacts on the climate crisis," said Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action. 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. On the shores of Lake Michigan in Mid-Western America, a slumbering giant is beginning to stir. The Palisades nuclear plant has been cold since it was shut down in May 2022, following 51 years of clean power generation. Yet less than two years after going offline, it is being pressed back into service. Within the sites secure boundary, hundreds of engineers are working to re-power the facility the first time recommissioning has ever been attempted in America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palisades is not the only place where this is happening. As revolutions sweep the technology and energy industries, efforts are being made to restart reactors at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, and Duane Arnold, Iowa. Michigans Palisades nuclear plant, which was shut down in May 2022, is being pressed back into service - Jim West/Alamy Under the ambitious plans drawn up by Holtec International, which owns the Palisades site, it is poised to become the first mothballed reactor to return to use this autumn. Advocates hope it will mark the start of a nuclear renaissance, turbocharged by rapid advances in power-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) systems and the return of Donald Trump to the White House. It represents a sea change from just two and a half years ago when utility companies were still closing facilities like the Palisades, near the town of Covert in Michigan. The plant was mothballed when its former owner, Entergy, deemed it economically unviable following the rise of cheap gas from fracking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palisades closure and decommissioning was previously a foregone conclusion, says Nick Culp, a former US congressional staffer who now works for Holtec in government relations. Then so much changed in our energy and political landscape. No one had this on their bingo card. Today, Holtec is even preparing to expand the site with the installation of at least two mini reactors. The main driver of this shift is the sheer growth in power demand expected over the next decade. After 20 years of broadly flat consumption, demand for electricity in the US is surging. It is expected to rise by around one quarter over the next decade to 5,446 terawatt hours, according to the International Energy Agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is being spurred by the growing electrification of transport and industry, but also the mushrooming of power-hungry data centres used to train AI. These data centres must be kept on 24/7 and are growing in size. Today, a 200-megawatt facility is considered normal but companies such as OpenAI are already planning gigawatt-sized centres five times the size of todays normal in their quest to develop even more powerful software. (To put it in context, a gigawatt is enough to power 1m British homes for an hour, according to energy regulator Ofgem.) McKinsey predicts power demand from US data centres will rise from 178 terawatt hours per year to 606 terawatt hours by the end of this decade. (A terawatt is 1,000 gigawatts.) Data centres will go from consuming 4.3pc of all power in the US to 11.7pc, the consultancy reckons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demand from data centres alone is forecast to be equivalent to the entire annual output of more than 70 nuclear power plants by 2030. Much of this extra demand is currently being met by gas and coal-fired power stations, despite environmental regulations that are squeezing coal plants. Utility companies retired the smallest amount of coal-fired capacity since 2015 last year, according to Commodity Insights. Yet this reliance on coal has exposed the contradiction of Silicon Valley giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Companies have pledged to buy electricity from wind and solar farms but are unable to use most of it for powering their data centres, says Mark Nelson, the chief executive of consultancy Radiant Energy Group. Data centres need constant power, which wind and solar struggle to provide alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tech companies have been putting their data centres where the correct spot was for them on the grid, not where the renewables were, Nelson says. Theyve been powering them with constant power generation [from coal and gas] while only funding intermittent power generation. As coal plants recede, tech companies, utilities and states have alighted on nuclear as a dependable source of firm power instead. Everybody thats got a data centre or is trying to develop AI is talking to us, whether its Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon or Oracle all of them, says Kelly Trice, Holtecs president, at the companys factory in Camden, Philadelphia. Marc Andreessen, the prolific venture capitalist known for backing Facebook, GitHub, Pinterest and Twitter in their early days, has declared nuclear the silver bullet for virtually unlimited zero-emissions energy today. His fund, Andreesen Horowitz, has invested in micro-reactor firm Radiant Nuclear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peter Thiel, the PayPal founder and influential Republican power player, has invested in a nuclear fuel start-up. Sam Altman, the OpenAI founder, has backed small modular reactor (SMR) developer Oklo. All three tycoons supported Trumps 2024 election campaign. The incoming president and Chris Wright, his proposed energy secretary, have voiced support for both nuclear power and AI. President Donald Trump has voiced his support for both nuclear power and AI - Cheney Orr/Reuters If [AI is] going to happen, we have to take the lead over China, Trump told the podcaster Logan Paul last year. And you know, what they need more than anything else is electricity. Last year, a report by the US Department for Energy forecast that building more nuclear plants could also bring down the overall cost of the switch to clean energy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If larger numbers of nuclear plants are in the mix, the cost of electricity would be 37pc lower owing to the need for less overbuilding of wind and solar farms. (This is where more must be built to compensate for the fact that turbines and panels are not always generating to their fullest capacity as a result of the weather.) This nuclear cost forecast is what led the Biden administration to pledge a tripling of nuclear energy by 2050, equivalent to adding 200 gigawatts of capacity. Yet nuclear power is not a quick fix. A large plant can take a decade to build hence why reopening the Palisades, which lies north-east of Chicago, is so attractive. It is being paid to come back into service by a consortium of utility providers to plug the gap left behind by coal, as states move towards net zero power systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coal still supplies 20pc of Michigans power but accounted for more than 50pc as recently as 2020. Its rapid decline as a fuel source explains why Gretchen Whitmer, Michigans Democratic governor, campaigned for the Palisades to stay open. Holtec took control of the site in 2022 and originally intended to decommission the 800-megawatt plant, using funds set aside specifically for that task. However, Whitmer persuaded the company to change course after handing Holtec a $300m (244m) grant and helping it secure a further $1.5bn loan from the federal government. Holtec must prove Palisadess equipment is in safe working order to secure final regulatory approval - Brandon Hattiloney/Holtec International Holtec has coaxed dozens of former plant operators out of retirement to bring the Palisades back online. But the company will also need to train more operators and prove the facilitys equipment is in safe working order to secure final regulatory approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Pennsylvania, a similar project is under way. Microsoft has struck a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to bring a 835-megwatt reactor at Three Mile Island the site of the worst nuclear accident in US history back into service by 2028 with support from a $1.6bn federal loan. NextEra Energy, which owns Duane Arnold in Iowa, is also looking at restarting the nuclear power plant, which closed in 2020. John Ketchum, the NextEra chief, said executives were assessing their options because there was a lot of demand from the market if we were able to do something. However, should these plants reopen, analysts say there will be few similar opportunities to pursue. Instead, new nuclear plants must be built and existing ones must be expanded and have their lifespans extended. The US energy department has made the case for extending the lifetime of some 90 existing reactors through to 2050. Construction of one partially-built plant, VC Summer in South Carolina, could also be resumed. Besides full-scale plants, tech companies are meanwhile backing the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) and so-called advanced modular reactors (AMRs). These are smaller generators that would be less expensive and faster to build, in theory, because they are constructed from factory-made parts. The cost of SMRs would be around $4bn each compared to $12bn for larger reactors, while construction times could be shortened from a decade to just two to four years. Amazon last year invested in X-Energys plans to build its first SMRs in Washington state by 2030, while Google has backed Kairos Power to do the same in Tennessee. Holtec, which is a contender in the UK Governments SMR design competition, is developing a 160-megawatt reactor and wants to build two demonstrators at the Palisades by 2031. Building the companys first SMRs at the Palisades makes sense because of the sites existing grid infrastructure, workforce and environmental assessments, says Trice. Holtec is best known as a manufacturer of nuclear waste canisters including for Sizewell B nuclear power station in Britain but has branched out as the industry has blossomed. Holtec has coaxed dozens of former plant operators out of retirement to bring the Palisades back online - Brandon Hattiloney/Holtec International In Camden, where it makes the canisters, the walls of the companys offices are adorned with dozens of patent certificates awarded to founder Kris Singh over the years. It is here that Holtec will also manufacture its SMRs using advanced machining techniques. Still, almost all SMRs are little more than paper reactors for now, warns nuclear consultant Nelson. And many in the industry are wary, having lived through false dawns before. The last time a large reactor was built in the US, Plant Vogtle in Georgia, it opened seven years late and cost more than $35bn - more than double the original budget. The project drove developer Westinghouse into temporary bankruptcy. The fiasco has been partly blamed on the decision to begin construction before the designs were complete, a mistake also made at Hinkley Point C in the UK, which is on track to cost a whopping 46bn. Britains Hinkley Point C is on track to cost a whopping 46bn - EDF Energy/AFP via Getty Images Nuclear advocates say cost overruns can be avoided in future if lots of new large plants are built, allowing workers to benefit from the experience and cost-savings delivered by repeat builds. China has launched a building frenzy of this kind already with 29 reactors under construction and another 194 in the pipeline, adding to 58 already in operation. Radiant Energys Nelson argues that it makes sense for the US to focus on building large reactors, where designs are already known to work, rather than experimental future technology. The small designs are fascinating, but SMRs are not the bird in the hand they are the bird in the bush, he says. Its not a replacement for gigawatt-scale technologies, which are proven. Questions also loom over how long it will take to revive plants such as the Palisades, or how long newly constructed plants will take to secure regulatory approval. This month, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission described Holtecs timeline for reopening as very, very demanding, while the company is facing an organised pushback from environmental groups such as Beyond Nuclear. More broadly, nuclear energy despite being one of the safest forms of power has struggled to escape the shadow of disasters in Fukushima and Chernobyl. And the issue of where waste will be permanently disposed of remains unanswered in most countries. Despite all this, Holtecs Trice remains bullish. As demand for clean electricity soars, there are few alternative ways to keep the lights on in future, he argues. I think the demand for power is too strong. You know, its either that or start burning wood in your stove again, right? 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. CHEYENNE Wednesday morning, the Senate Committee of the Whole passed Senate File 36, Music therapy-use of title, on to its third reading on Thursday. If passed, the bill, which is sponsored by the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, will authorize title protection for music therapists in the state of Wyoming. That means that unless a person holds and maintains a credential granted by the Certification Board for Music Therapists, it will be deemed unlawful for a person to profess to be a music therapist or advertise in any form or hold themselves out to the public as a music therapist. The bill also states that, if put into effect, the law cant prohibit someone from being a professional musician, as long as they dont represent themselves a music therapist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hilary Camino, 6, testified Monday morning to the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, explaining to them what a music therapist is and why having title protection is important. The committee voted 3 to 1 in favor of the bill, with one member excused, to send it to the Senate floor, where it passed the first of three votes Tuesday. Camino told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, We want musicians and community members to keep playing music, even if we have licensure. (The bill) has nothing to do with usability, its more about defining the profession itself. ... There are 18 other states that offer recognition for music therapists, and theres no form of it in Wyoming, meaning anyone can go out and call themselves a music therapist and charge as a music therapist. This can be detrimental to the folks that were serving, because we often work with vulnerable populations who cant necessarily advocate for themselves, whether it be premature babies in the NICU, little kids with autism and elderly adults in memory care units. ... Theres a place for music and the arts in the health care setting, and (the bill) is about knowing where you are on that spectrum and clearly defining (it). Tuesday morning, Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, introduced the bill to his colleagues by explaining what a music therapist does, what the bill aims to achieve and then opening up the floor for discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, listens during the morning Senate session Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, listens during the morning Senate debate during the 68th Wyoming Legislatures general session Friday in the state Capitol. (The bill states) that if you dont have the credentials to do this work, then you cant claim to be one of these folks, said Barlow. Its a recognition that these folks are professionals in our communities, doing good work, good services. ... A lot of people can make the claim that music is therapeutic, but what we did (with the bill) was take out music therapists and clarify board certified, so its very specific to these individuals that have this training and certification. Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, who voted against the bill, explained her reasons for doing so, expressing confusion about how the bill got to the Senate. She stated that a Senate committee had defeated the bill a few times over the summer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne (2025) Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne She also said she didnt see a need for it, other than for the music therapists to validate their career choice. She said that no music therapists shes asked have seen people claiming to be a music therapist out in public when they were not one. Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne, offered a different perspective. Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne I was excited to see this bill. I believe theres a lot of science behind music and what it can do to the brain. ... I think this emerging profession is going to be able to treat a lot of neurological things, and I think its going to be helpful for our neurodivergent population in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to questions, Barlow said, There are currently 11 certified music therapists in the state. ... To be considered certified, music therapists will need to have a bachelors degree and serve clinical time before they sit for the national Certification Board for Musical Therapists. The board certifies the folks who demonstrate proficiency in their field, but this bill doesnt have a licensure component in it and have its own state board, making it different from other Practice Act bills. After all questions were answered, 15 senators were in favor of the bill, and 14 were not, advancing it to second reading, which was passed on Wednesday morning. If the bill clears its third reading and the Senate, it will move to the House of Representatives for three more readings before heading to Gov. Mark Gordon for his signature. If adopted, SF 36 would become effective on July 1. Once we have this (defined language) in the state statute, then we can offer an increase in the ability to provide music therapy services in the state, said Camino. Once theres that language saying that this is a legitimate profession, then any state agency will feel comfortable hiring someone in that field. ... We want to have more music therapists in Wyoming. Its really amazing work. Children pick up their school lunches. A new bill in the Alaska Legislature could provide free breakfast and lunch for all students. (Photo by Amanda Mills/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) All Alaska students could be provided free breakfast and lunch at school, under a new bill in the Alaska Legislature. Democratic Rep. Maxine Dibert of Fairbanks prefiled the legislation, House Bill 12, ahead of the legislative session that began on Tuesday. The bill would direct the state to provide sufficient funding to all districts to have breakfast and lunch for any student who requests it, free of cost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive seen the effects of feeding our kids, and especially during COVID, when all kids got lunches and breakfast at no cost, said Dibert, who has been a teacher. So it was just very enlightening, and I would love to see that again for our families and for our students and for our school staff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal relief funding allowed schools to provide free meals due to federal waivers. But those funds sunsetted in 2022, resulting in some school districts struggling to fill the gap. Last year, over half of Alaskas students 51% were eligible for free or reduced price meals. An estimated 46%, or roughly 48,000 students, were enrolled to receive free school meals. As an elementary school teacher in Fairbanks for 22 years, Dibert said she herself sometimes paid for her students to eat, rather than see them go hungry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the years, if a student didnt have enough money, or their bill wasnt paid, oftentimes I would even pay with my account, she said. I dont know entirely how big those bills got, because I was on the classroom side of it. But I did really not like seeing kids come into the classroom sad that they couldnt get breakfast or lunch. Dibert, who is Koyukon Athabascan, also cited the current Yukon River salmon crash leaving communities and families who subsisted and shared fish going without. My grandparents lived out on the Yukon River, and as a child, they would always send us salmon from the Yukon River. And we always would have food on our table, lots of salmon, she said. So with no salmon on the Yukon, I know thats a hardship to feed families, and its costly to families. So in that aspect, this bill could be very beneficial to ease the pain there, to help feed kids. Education and health researchers point to universal free meals having multiple benefits for students, including improved academic performance, attendance and student health outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dibert said the bill is in the beginning stages of the legislative process, so details will be worked out, but she hopes the program would also promote local foods on school menus, like salmon or moose. It would be working district by district, for sure, she said. I dont want it to be canned, you know, protein, like, one grain, one fruit. The allocations to school districts would also vary by region and food prices, she said, accommodating notoriously higher grocery prices in Alaskas rural areas. She said funding the proposal could include some federal or municipal contributions as well. Its not that much to have the opportunity to feed our kids, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, the Legislature axed funding for making reduced-priced lunches free for low-income students, during budget conference negotiations. The estimated $480,000 in funding was to be taken from the Department of Corrections, but lawmakers voted against it. Once the bill has been formally introduced during a House floor session, it will next be assigned to relevant committees for discussion and debate in the coming weeks. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capitol Dispatch) Iowa lawmakers are considering a proposal to add a new animal to its list of dangerous wild animals: sharks, the Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports. A subcommittee in the Iowa House met Thursday to discuss House File 24, a bill that would add sharks that can grow to a length of 23 inches or more, or that have a documented history of biting humans, to the states existing code prohibiting contact with dangerous wild animals. Iowa House panel advances bill limiting release of police mugshots Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State law already limits public contact and private ownership of many animals classified as dangerous, like lions, tigers, great apes and crocodiles, with exceptions for accredited institutions like zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. Shark bites are not a concern many people associate with Iowa, but the legislation was prompted by an July incident at Blue Zoo in West Des Moines where a staff member of the private aquarium was bitten by a bamboo shark. The staff member was bitten while transporting the animal from an interactive exhibit to a larger tank because it was showing signs of distress. Emergency responders were called to help, and the shark was ultimately euthanized as the sharks teeth were not able to be removed from the staff members hand. Angela Caulk, a lobbyist for the Humane Society of the United States, told lawmakers Thursday that the proposal was brought forward to prevent these situations from occurring in the future ensuring these animals cannot be in exhibits where members of the public can touch them, and requiring staff to have training to handle such animals. EMS have to take the time to come out and take care of an incident that could have been easily, easily rectified had those types of interactions not that allowed, Caulk said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supreme Court declines to step into former GOP Rep. Steve Kings meme fight Though lawmakers did not express opposition to the intent of the measure, Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake said he was not sure the Legislature was the best avenue to address a single incident. My personal opinion is, I have a tough time doing any bill to go over one business or one town, Wills said, but added that there will be continuing discussions on the measure. Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Rebecca Pitkin, executive director for the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board, speaks during a committee hearing on lifetime teaching licenses on Jan. 21, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A bill proposes to reduce the years needed for a lifetime teaching license in North Dakota, but a state licensing board says ongoing education is critical to the career field. The House Education Committee held a public hearing Tuesday for House Bill 1238 that would reduce the years needed for teachers to acquire a lifetime license from 30 years to 20 years. The bill would also mandate teachers with lifetime licenses to file a report with the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board every five years to self-report any criminal violations, or any other information that could cause the teachers license to be revoked or suspended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, the bills chief sponsor, said a 20-year benchmark for lifetime licensing will reduce out-of-pocket costs for educators and improve workforce retention in education. Teachers could save about $1,000 by eliminating two license renewal cycles, he said, and save the time it takes to do college-level continuing education credits. The North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board opposes the bill, Executive Director Rebecca Pitkin told lawmakers. She said lowering the requirements for ongoing education does not promote the profession. Requiring six reeducation college credits in five years should not be a reason to leave the profession, Pitkin said. She added many of those credits can be obtained at the district level with little to no cost to the educator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are about 18,000 licensed teachers in North Dakota with about 10,000 currently employed in the states school districts, according to the Department of Public Instruction. North Dakota United, an educator and public employee union, supports the bill. President Nick Archuleta told lawmakers it could help the state address an ongoing teacher shortage. Nick Archuleta, president of ND United, speaks during a committee hearing on lifetime teaching licenses on Jan. 21, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) While these teachers are qualified and fulfill a need in many communities, we believe that recruiting, retaining and respecting teachers here is the best way to meet our needs for the long term, Archuleta said. He also said the state has made accommodations for new teachers, including allowing student teachers to become teachers-of-record through pre-service teaching authorization, but have done very little to benefit teachers with decades of experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Please stand up for teachers, Archuleta said. Please show them that their dedication to the students of North Dakota is appreciated. The committee took no immediate action on the bill. A similar bill proposed in the 2023 session failed in the Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, speaks in favor of a bill to legalize conversion therapy at a House Human Services Committee meeting on Jan. 21, 2025. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) A panel of lawmakers considered two bills Tuesday that could have sweeping impacts on LGBTQ rights in the state: one requiring North Dakota to recognize only two genders and another authorizing social workers to offer conversion therapy. House Bill 1181, introduced by Rep. SuAnn Olson, R-Baldwin, would require all state-funded entities to refer to people by their sex as determined at birth. For example, state agencies would be forbidden to use female pronouns to refer to a transgender woman. A similar bill failed during the 2023 session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rule would apply to all to all policies, records, forms, rules, standards, procedures, guides, materials, instruction, training, correspondence, advertising, or marketing used by any entity receiving state funding, according to the bill. More 2025 legislative session coverage Olson pointed to an executive order President Donald Trump signed Monday establishing a two-gender policy for the federal government. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female, he said during his inauguration speech. Rep. SuAnn Olson, R-Baldwin. (Photo provided by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly) Olson said North Dakota should follow the Trump administrations lead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This change is needed so that North Dakota is in alignment with the federal governments policy, Olson told members of the House Human Services Committee on Tuesday. The bill also ties the definition of sex and gender to DNA. If sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression is contested, determination is established by the individuals DNA, the bill states. The bill doesnt say who would be responsible for paying for DNA tests for individuals who are subject to such an inquiry. Rep. Jayme Davis, D-Rolette, asked how the bill would handle intersex people, who are born with features that dont fit within a gender binary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One study published in 2000 estimated that about 1.7% of people are intersex, though the federal government does not collect data on these demographics. In that instance, generally, parents have worked with medical people at that point to make a determination of what works for that child at that time, Olson said. The North Dakota Student Association, which represents the states 11 public colleges and universities, adopted a resolution earlier this month in support of transgender students rights. Grace Reep, representing the North Dakota Student Association, on Tuesday spoke against the measure. She called the proposal an attack on free speech that could have a negative impact on North Dakotas ability to attract and retain workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Dakota must work to ensure that all NDUS (North Dakota University System) students feel welcome in order to secure a strong educational and workforce development system within the state, Reep said. Another proposal heard by the House Human Services Committee on Tuesday, House Bill 1430, would make it legal for social workers to offer conversion therapy to LGBTQ people. It is not an ethical violation for a licensee to offer an individual questioning the individuals sexuality or gender a treatment plan or counseling plan that aligns with heterosexuality or the individuals biological sex, the text of the bill states. The licensee would have to disclose the nature of the treatment being offered and the client, or the clients parent or guardian, must consent to the treatment, according to the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most leading professional organizations denounce conversion therapy as an ineffective treatment that has been linked to increased anxiety, depression and suicidality. Currently, licensed social workers cannot provide conversion therapy in North Dakota. House Bill 1430, introduced by Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, seeks to put the treatment back on the table. Lawmakers voted down a similar bill last session. People should have the ability to seek conversion therapy if they want it, VanWinkle told lawmakers. She said it should be provided as an alternative to therapy that is LGBTQ-affriming. To prohibit counseling that aligns with traditional or biblical viewpoints is religious discrimination, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Gretchen Dobervich, D-Fargo, asked VanWinkle if she knew of any therapy courses approved in the state in conversion therapy. I have never come across any classes on continuing education or courses that I could take where I could become certified to provide this kind of a service, Dobervich, who works in health policy, said. VanWinkle replied her bill is not focused on the area of training or coursework. Several representatives of the social work industry spoke at the hearing in opposition to the bill. Elizabeth Anderson, a licensed counselor, said its a misconception that social workers try to force people to accept their gender identity or sexual orientation. She said social workers dont try to change the minds of clients who have anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of our ethics is that we do have to really support our clients and their religious beliefs, Anderson said. Mary Shelkey, a District 33 resident, spoke in favor of the bill. Is it not their job to give any individual, no matter their gender identity, sexual preference or any other issues theyre struggling with, all options, no matter what? she asked lawmakers. In neutral testimony on the bill, North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners Administrator Terry Effertz said lawmakers should consider adding language to the bill outlining professional standards for conversion therapy. If something went wrong, we need to know how we can enforce a complaint against somebody if theyre a nefarious actor, Effertz said. As this bill stands right now, they might say, Listen, you cant do anything to me. Im allowed to offer this kind of care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Committee Chair Rep. Matt Ruby, R-Minot, asked Effertz to help work with lawmakers to address this issue. The committee didnt take action on either bill during Tuesdays meeting. A resolution proposed by Rep. Bill Tveit, R-Hazen, and Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, would have called on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a previous ruling legalizing gay marriage. The resolution was withdrawn from consideration last week. The bills follow multiple anti-LGBTQ bills passed by the state in 2023. House Bill 1522 established several new rules about how K-12 public schools accommodate transgender students. Schools cannot require staff or students to use someones preferred pronouns, for example, and transgender students are barred from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. It also says schools cannot withhold information from parents about a childs transgender status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another bill passed that session, House Bill 1473, also restricts bathroom, shower and locker rooms access for transgender or gender-nonconforming youth and adults in state higher education dorms and correctional facilities. In both laws, schools and other institutions have to provide alternative facilities for transgender people to use. North Dakota in 2023 also banned gender-affirming care for most adolescents. A lawsuit challenging the law is set to go to trial on Monday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Georgia officials have confirmed a first-ever case of the bird flu in a commercial poultry operation in the state. State officials quarantined poultry operations for miles around the farm where inspectors identified it. The suspension means all poultry exhibits, shows and sales in Georgia are on hold until further notice. Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray spoke to Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper about the states efforts to prevent the disease from spreading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its important that we address it quickly, eliminate it fast, Harper said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Gray went inside the emergency command center that the AG commissioner set up to lead response to the bird flu case. Poultry is a $30 billion industry in Georgia. I can confirm that our poultry products in this state are 100% safe and secure. We have rigorous testing mechanism in place, both from the farm and the processing facilities, Harper said. TRENDING STORIES: That testing is how this bird flu case was identified in Elbert County. Now the states goal is to prevent the spread. Officials have even closed roads into the area . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All commercial poultry operations with a 6.2 mile radius have been placed under quarantine and will undergo extra surveillance testing for at least two weeks. That 6-mile zone contains dozens of commercial poultry operations. Its the heart of the Georgias poultry industry. The quicker we can address it, the quicker we can ensure theres no further spread in any other commercial operation or poultry period in that part of the state, Harper told Gray. Bird flu has been identified four times in backyard chickens in Georgia. Commercial flocks in 35 other states have reported bird flu since the nationwide outbreak began in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can also state with confidence and surety that no Infected poultry ever made it into the supply chain, Harper said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WPRI) A species of goose thats not usually seen in the United States has made its way to Rhode Island. 12 News reached out to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) after a viewer sent in a photo taken in Portsmouth of the goose in question. ALSO READ: RI family donates 67 acres to create new wildlife refuge Hundreds of birders have flocked to Aquidneck Island to catch a glimpse of this rare bird since it was first discovered last Saturday, said DEM spokesperson Evan LaCross. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DEM identified the bird as a tundra bean-goose, which is a species that breeds in Norway, Svalbard and Russia. The DEM said two different subspecies usually winter in Eastern China and Japan and Western and Central Europe respectively. It is an extremely rare vagrant to North America, LaCross noted. While it is unusual to spot the bird in Rhode Island, the DEM is not concerned for its well-being. Tundra Bean-Geese fill a similar ecological niche as Canada Geese in their native range and are well suited for cold environments, LaCross explained. Vagrancy in birds is a common phenomenon, and this bird arrived here by natural means. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre on Aquidneck Island, keep your eyes peeled for this unique waterfowl that is drawing peoples attention. This is a very exciting occurrence, LaCross said. For birders and nature enthusiasts alike while it is present in Rhode Island. The tundra-bean goose in Portsmouth (Courtesy: Marcie Martin) Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Good News 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 WPRI.com. Street vendors sell fuel for cars on a road in Damascus, Syria, Jan. 15, 2025. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Wednesday enumerated seven obstacles confronting Syria's new leadership, ranging from the integration of armed factions into a single national force to ending sanctions and fostering economic recovery. "Number one is uniting the armed groups under a national army," Pedersen told reporters during a press conference in Damascus. "Number two concerns the specific challenges in the northeast, and three is ensuring protection for all Syrians. Fourth, as I've mentioned before, is the political transition. Fifth is transitional justice. Sixth, the matter of sanctions, economic recovery, and reconstruction. And seventh, last but not least, the Israeli presence." Pedersen stressed that the political transition, featuring a new constitution and free elections, must be "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned" in order to succeed. "We need an inclusive transition," he said. The envoy also called for sanctions to be lifted to expedite Syria's reconstruction, adding that time may be needed before it becomes feasible to negotiate such relief with the U.S. government. Addressing concerns about the northeast, in terms of the conflict between Turkiye-backed groups and U.S.-backed Kurdish-led groups, Pedersen urged that ongoing negotiations should be given a chance, warning that renewed hostilities between Syria's new government and local armed forces would serve no one's interests. Pedersen reiterated the UN's willingness to assist the transitional administration, emphasizing that the process will require international cooperation. People take part in a neighborhood cleaning campaign in Damascus, Syria, Jan. 19, 2025. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who asked that President Trump have mercy on LGBTQ children and immigrants during a prayer service he attended Tuesday morning, said on ABCs The View Wednesday she would welcome a one-on-one conversation with Trump. I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility, she said of the sermon at the National Cathedral, which quickly went viral online, from her home in Washington. And then I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy mercy, and compassion and understanding. Budde, the first woman to serve as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, used Tuesdays prayer service for the inauguration to make a direct plea to Trump who sat in the first pew with First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance on behalf of people in our country who are scared now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives, Budde said during Tuesdays service. She said most immigrants, even those without proper documentation, were good neighbors and the vast majority are not criminals. We were all once strangers in this land, she said. Trump, who on Monday during his first hours in office signed executive orders on immigration and transgender rights, told reporters after the service that it was not too exciting, was it? They could do much better, he said. Later, Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post that Budde is bad at her job and called her service uninspiring, nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She and her church, he wrote, owe the public an apology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Appearing on The View Wednesday morning, Budde said she felt it her responsibility to use her pulpit to pray with the nation for unity. So, knowing that a lot of people, as I said, in our country right now are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that service for unity to say we need to treat everyone with dignity, and we need to be merciful, Budde said. I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing and in which people, real people, are being harmed. Budde declined to comment on Trumps body language during her service. Ive been preaching for a long time, and Ive long since given up trying to read peoples body language as Im preaching because Id be wrong most of the time, she said. I had what I felt was in my heart to say, and I had to leave it to them, to all of us, to take from whatever my words were. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that she has never been invited to speak one-on-one with Trump but would welcome the opportunity. Republicans on Tuesday leapt on Buddes remarks, criticizing her failure to mention things like violent crimes committed by immigrants to the U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who campaigned heavily against transgender athletes last year, called Budde a woke Bishop in a post on the social media platform X. Moreno, who immigrated to Florida as a child from Colombia, said Buddes plea for mercy for undocumented immigrants was insult to all of us who came to this country the right way. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) said Budde, who was born in New Jersey, should be added to the deportation list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budde on Wednesday said she was not surprised that her remarks had been politicized. How could it not be politicized? she said. One of the things I caution about is the culture of contempt in which we live that immediately rushes to the worst possible interpretations of what people are saying. Thats part of the air we breathe now. I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it in as respectful and kind as I could, Budde said. And also, to bring other voices into the conversation, voices that have not been heard in the public space for some 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 The Hill. The bishop who publicly urged Donald Trump to have mercy on immigrants and LGBTQ people and was dismissed as a Radical Left hard line Trump hater by the president responded with an appearance, remotely, on ABCs The View today, giving a full-throated plea for unity. Introduced by moderator Joy Behar (Whoopi Goldberg is out for the week) as a woman who has more fearlessness than anyone in Congress right now, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde said today, My responsibility that morning, yesterday morning, was to reflect, to pray with the nation for unityAnd then I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy, mercy and compassion and understanding and so knowing that a lot of people, as I said, in our country right now, are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that of service for unity, to say we need to treat everyone with dignity, and we need to be merciful. I was trying to counter the narrative that is so, so divisive and polarizing and in which people, real people, are being harmed. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the segment below. During yesterdays inauguration prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, Budde said to Trump during her sermon, In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. Trump immediately griped about the sermon, telling reporters he didnt think it was a good service. He followed that up with a Truth Social post this morning calling the bishop a Trump hater and demanding an apology. Appearing via remote on The View today, Budde did not apologize, acknowledging, I think if you read what I said, how could it not be politicized? Were in a hyper political climate. One of the things I caution about is the culture of contempt in which we live that immediately rushes to the worst possible interpretations of what people are saying and to put them in categoriesThats part of the air we breathe now. And I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it in as respectful and kind a way as I could, and also to bring other voices into the conversation, voices that had not been heard in the public space for some time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked by The Views resident conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin if the bishop had considered voicing her concerns privately to Trump rather than during a public sermon, Budde said, Ive never been invited into a one-on-one conversation with President Trump, and I would welcome that opportunity. I have no idea how that would go. I could assure him and everyone listening that I would be as respectful as I would with any with any person, and certainly of his office, for which I have great deal of respect, but the invitation would have to come from him. Asked by co-host Sunny Hostin about Trumps crackdown on immigration that includes no longer honoring churches as sanctuaries, Budde said it was heartbreaking but added, Let me be clear that it was never encoded in law. Any of the police officers and officials could come into our churches if they felt they had just cause. Now, they would need a warrant. They would need all the legal requirements to enter into such spaces, at private spaces, as they would be necessary elsewhere, because churches are public spaces, they could go into them always. But you are right. It has been a practice. It has been an unwritten policy, that there are some places, and particularly churches, schools and other places where all sorts of people gather to create a sense of safety and to allow peoples basic human and spiritual needs to be met. We have a lot of churches in our particular denomination that meet the needs of immigrants and other vulnerable populations and we need now to be a specially mindful and to make sure that basic human rights are protected and peoples needs can be met. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde explains her pointed message to Pres. Trump at Tuesday's inaugural prayer service: "My responsibility yesterday morning was to reflect, to pray with the nation for unity." "I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being." pic.twitter.com/V9VtF9P1og The View (@TheView) January 22, 2025 Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The bishop who urged Donald Trump to have mercy on LGBTQ children and immigrant families offered new insight on what made her challenge the incoming president to his face, telling The View hosts that she was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said. Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop at Washington National Cathedral, made her comments directly to Trump during the churchs Tuesday service, in the presence of his Vice President JD Vance and their wives Melania Trump and Usha Vance. I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country, Budde said, including gay, lesbian, and transgender children...some who fear for their lives, and immigrant communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. She added, The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budde is a spiritual leader for 88 Episcopal congregations and 10 Episcopal schools in Washington, D.C. and some Maryland counties, according to the churchs website. She became Washingtons ninth bishop in 2011, after serving as rector of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years. Trump was unimpressed by her sermon. The president told reporters outside the church that he didnt think it was a good service, and then took to Truth Social to berate the bishop later that day, calling Budde a radical left hard line Trump hater who was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville is one of many on the right echoing Trumps irritated reaction to the bishops comments. For this bishop to do this to President Trump after a weekend of... talking about God more than ever was spew[ing] hate, he said on Newsmax, adding, it just absolutely amazes me how far these people go. I had what I felt was on my heart to say and I had to leave it to them, to all of us, to take from whatever my words were to heart in whichever way they could and leave, as they say, leave the rest to God, Rev. Budde said on The View, adding that she tried not to take in the sour facial expressions from Trump as she spoke.Ive been preaching for a long time and Ive long since given up trying to read peoples body language as Im preaching, she explained, because I would be wrong most of the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, Budde agreed with the View hosts that her message had been misconstrued and politicized, asking, How could it not be? Were in a hyper-political climate, she continued. One of the things I cautioned about is the culture of contempt in which we live that immediately rushes to the worst possible interpretations of what people are saying, and to put them in categories. Though the bishop called Trumps ICE policies heartbreaking, she said she would welcome the opportunity to speak one-on-one with himbut only under one condition. Ive never been invited into a one-on-one conversation with President Trump and I would welcome that opportunity, she said Wednesday when host Alyssa Farah Griffin suggested a private conversation would have been more appropriate. I have no idea how that would go, she continued, but I can assure him and everyone listening that I would be as respectful as I would with any person and certainly of his office, for which I have great deal of respect. But, the invitation would have to come from him. Blake Lively's legal team has issued a letter motion for conference in Justin Baldoni's lawsuit. This follows Baldoni's team releasing footage from behind the scenes of It Ends with Us. In the letter to the court, Livelys team alleges that his attorney's public statements "continue the campaign of retaliation." In that letter motion to Judge Lewis J. Liman filed Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Southern District of New York and obtained by PEOPLE, Lively's team claim that "virtually every day since" she first filed a sexual-harassment complaint against Baldoni on Dec. 20, 2024, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, "has given television interviews, appeared on podcasts, issued inflammatory written statements, and leaked information (including, remarkably, documents as banal as document preservation demands to third parties) to the Hollywood press and tabloid media." The new filing further alleges that Freedman's statements not only continue the campaign of retaliation that was the subject of Ms. Livelys First Cease and Desist, but they contain numerous new false statements about Ms. Lively and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filing goes on to name the video release and Baldoni's planned website that will allegedly showcase all of his correspondence with Lively as examples, adding, As Ms. Livelys counsel have attempted, repeatedly, to caution Mr. Freedman, federal litigation must be conducted in court and according to the relevant rules of professional conduct." "His conduct threatens to, and will, materially prejudice both the Lively Case and the Wayfarer Case by tainting the jury pool, because his statements are deliberately aimed at undermining the 'character, credibility, [and] reputation' of numerous relevant parties," it alleges. Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Raymond Hall/GC Images Justin Baldoni in New York City on Dec. 13, 2023; Blake Lively in New York City on Oct. 28, 2024 Justin Baldoni in New York City on Dec. 13, 2023; Blake Lively in New York City on Oct. 28, 2024 Related: The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Lawsuits, Explained: A Complete Breakdown of the Allegations, Key Players and Who's Said What Lively sued Baldoni and his associates in December, making claims of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign orchestrated by them. In that complaint, she claimed Baldoni exhibited disturbing" and unprofessional behavior on the set of It Ends With Us that led to a "hostile work environment," which he denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her complaint claimed that behind closed doors she has suffered from grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety." Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for alleged libel on Dec. 31, 2024, over its coverage of Livelys complaint, claiming the publication used cherry-picked and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead. He then sued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist Leslie Sloane for $400 million, claiming extortion and defamation. Sony Pictures Entertainment Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us (2024) Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us (2024) On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Freedman released a video, obtained by TMZ, in an effort to refute some of Livelys claims made in her sexual-harassment complaint against her director-costar. The footage depicts Baldoni, 40, and Lively, 37, filming a dialogue-free scene in the hit 2024 movie, speaking out of character to joke about his nose and her spray tan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The actress-producers lawyers said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Lively included in her lawsuit about that scene. Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning, reads the statement from Livelys legal team. The video shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character. Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present. It continued, Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Livelys co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms. Livelys boss. The video shows Ms. Lively leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk. Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Livelys discomfort. They will recognize her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching. No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent. Nicole Rivelli Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in It Ends with Us (2024) Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in It Ends with Us (2024) Related: Justin Baldoni Breaks Silence in First Sighting Since Suing Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for $400 Million Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lively's legal team's statement went on to say that releasing the footage to the media is another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public." "It is also a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory campaign. While they are focused on misleading media narratives, we are focused on the legal process. We are continuing our efforts to require Mr. Baldoni and his associates to answer in court, under oath, rather than through manufactured media stunts," it concluded. Baldoni's team said in a statement, "The video from Bryan Freedman who has gone on record numerous times and told the public that Justin Baldoni and team has nothing to hide and this, once more proves this." "Justin and team have the right to defend themselves with the truth and this is what we will be continuing to show with the upcoming website containing all correspondence as well as relevant videos that quash her claims," the statement added. Read the original article on People Bloomingdales will close its San Francisco flagship store near Union Square, becoming the latest in a string of retailers fleeing the city, which has been suffering from crime and declining sales and foot traffic over the last couple of years. Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, The North Face, Hollister, Adidas, Lego Store, Anthropologie, Old Navy, Express and Whole Foods are among the other recent closings in San Francisco. The Westfield San Francisco Centre, on Market and Fifth Streets where Bloomingdales is located, stopped paying its debt on the center in 2023 and turned the site was turned over to its lenders. More from WWD Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saks Fifth Avenue, in an unprecedented maneuver, switched its San Francisco department store to an appointment-only format. Saks, Neiman Marcus and other stores have been hit by snatch-and-grab robberies in the past, but Saks is not giving up on the city. Shifting to by appointment only may help reduce the chances of further robberies at the store. Bloomingdales is owned by Macys Inc., which also has a Macys store in Union Square in San Francisco. That Macys store was not on the retailers list of 66 closures set for 2025, but its not clear whether Macys intends to continue operating the store for the long term. That site is made up of comprises a series of interconnected buildings amounting to more than 1 million square feet. Over the years, Macys poured millions of dollars into renovations and expansions at the site, and Macys could try to sell the real estate. Bloomingdales, which opened its San Francisco store in September of 2006, was also not included in the list of 66 closures. The five-floor, 330,000-square-foot unit has been the second largest in the chain, next to the Bloomingdales 59th Street flagship in Manhattan. We are saddened to confirm that Bloomingdales will officially close its doors in Union Square, San Francisco. This vibrant city has been home to the brand for nearly two incredible decades, Bloomingdales indicated in a statement. While we are committed to this decision, Bloomingdales doors will remain open until late spring 2025. We are hopeful to be back to serve the San Francisco community in the future and look forward to introducing new ways to provide enhanced service to our loyal local shoppers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bloomingdales noted that customers looking for alternatives for the soon-to-close San Francisco store can shop bloomingdales.com or Bloomingdales Stanford, which is 35 miles south of San Francisco, and Bloomingdales Valley Fair, about 50 miles south from the city. Bloomingdales, a division of Macys Inc., operates 32 Bloomingdales department stores, 21 Bloomingdales The Outlet stores and four Bloomies stores. Bloomingdales opened in San Francisco in grand style with a strong luxury statement underscored by Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior shops that anchored the main floor entrance, designer handbag shops from Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Lambertson Truex and others, a French Art Deco-inspired mirrored perfumery, and a robust offering of contemporary fashion brands. Bloomingdales in San Francisco in 2006. Best of WWD Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (WGHP) Not every story is big enough for the big screen. The story of the Aggies certainly is. Just ask any alumnus or alumna of North Carolina A&T State University. A documentary now available for streaming tells that story with incredible quality. Brandon Deese and his wife Ashley Shante Deese are accomplished filmmakers but not NC A&T grads. In fact, neither of them went to an HBCU, so making this film was their chance to have the HBCU experience. The film covers all of NC A&T, including the tough moments, but what shines through is the breadth of NC A&Ts accomplishments and excellence. Recently, the Deeses previewed the film for two NC A&T seniors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I really liked it because I think it really does show an example of what Aggie pride is, NC A&T senior Armani Ross said. For me, I was really nervous coming into A&T Reflecting off who I am now, I will say this school has built up a confidence that I didnt see within myself. Armani, who is from the Atlanta area, would like to go into the film business, and this gave her an up-close look at how top-quality films are made. Fellow Aggie senior Kristian Bailey got more than just an up-close look. His work is a small part of the overall film package. The Deeses saw a poster he made for NC A&Ts homecoming. From that, I got a message from Brandon He mentioned to me about the documentary. It was crazy to me, Kristian said. It was just good to see that he noticed my work and wanted to work with me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kristian designed a poster for the doc, which is Our Blues Make Us Gold. After the screening, the seniors had a moment with the filmmakers to get some advice. Were entering into a new climate and a new administration is coming in, Brandon said. And we want you all to continue to do what youre doing, speaking truth to power, being unapologetically you. The screening was a long-distance one since, almost a year ago, Brandon and Ashley moved to Tanzania on the east coast of Africa. We wanted to expose our children to a different way of life, Ashley said. Things are family-oriented here. Wanted them to know another language as well, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a move theyd been thinking about for a while. There were all these signs. Things like I take my son to the doctors office, and the doctor would be like, Im from Tanzania. Or Id meet someone in a cafe, and theyd be like, I just came back from Tanzania. So there were all these like little clues and like bread crumbs that brought us here. See some moments from the documentary in this edition of The Buckley 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 FOX8 WGHP. DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Amid a sluggish global economic recovery and rising protectionism, China's stable and positive economic development has drawn significant attention at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, which began on Monday. Many participants expressed optimism about China's economic prospects and high-quality opening up, while commending its ongoing contributions to global economic and trade cooperation. China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew five percent year-on-year in 2024, meeting the government's full-year target, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Jan. 17. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest World Economic Outlook update, revised China's 2025 economic growth forecast upward to 4.6 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from its October projection. "I'm bullish on China's economy in the medium and long term. China is now taking steps to stimulate the economy and increase domestic consumption," said Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, in an interview with Xinhua. While acknowledging some short-term challenges, Brende highlighted the Chinese government's measures to boost domestic consumption, which have effectively supported economic growth. Patrick Tsang, chief executive officer of Deloitte China, emphasized China's significant contributions to global trade, investment, and the green and digital economy. "China has consistently unleashed domestic demand and created opportunities for global goods and services," he said. Joe Ngai, chairman of McKinsey & Company in Greater China, reaffirmed his confidence in China's economic fundamentals, describing the market as "full of opportunities and worthy of investment by global companies." He noted that China's growth rate provides ample room for corporate development. Michael Suss, executive chairman of Swiss-based high-tech company Oerlikon, lauded China's remarkable development over the past three decades. "The world would not have created this level of wealth without Chinese growth," he said, underscoring the importance of cooperation and mutual trust. Zhu Min, former deputy managing director of the IMF, noted that China's economy is undergoing structural transformation. "Looking ahead, domestic consumption, manufacturing development, and green transformation will continue driving Chinese economic growth," he said. China's advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have also garnered attention as a new driver of global economic growth. Chen Liming, chair of Greater China for the WEF, highlighted China's contributions to global AI governance, noting its active collaboration with international organizations to share insights and foster cooperation. Under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting has brought together nearly 3,000 participants from diverse regions and industries. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The body found in the Great Miami River on Tuesday has been identified. The Butler County Coroners Office has identified the person found in the river on Jan. 21 in Hamilton as Damien Varner, 57, of Hamilton. The Butler County Sheriffs Office was called to the Great Miami River in Hamilton, just south of the Columbia Bridge, in reference to a vehicle in the water. Hamilton authorities at the scene told the BCSO that an occupied vehicle was believed to have driven into the river. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An underwater drone was deployed to search for any individual. Varners body was recovered, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. His preliminary cause of death was determined to be drowning and the preliminary manner is listed as an accident. 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 WDTN.com. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A convicted rapist, known for committing several crimes in the 1980s, was released from Coalinga State Hospital Tuesday following a court order, according to the San Diego County Sheriffs Office. Dubbed the bolder than most rapist, Alvin Quarles was known to have assaulted women after breaking into homes and motels, oftentimes forcing their husbands or boyfriends to watch. 5 takeaways as Trump returns to power Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quarles is registered as a Sexually Violent Predator with the California Department of Justice and the county of San Diego. He served 25 years in prison and was diagnosed with a mental disorder. He was sent to Coalinga State Hospital in 2014 where he underwent a sex offender treatment program. Earlier this year, a San Diego judge ordered his conditional release. On Tuesday, authorities confirmed he was released into the community as a transient, meaning he does not yet have a permanent housing placement, and is temporarily housed at 1138 Custer Road in Campo. People march downtown to protest inauguration, mass deportation plans Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is under 24-hour supervision by Liberty Health Care, a private company contracted by the state, which includes being accompanied by a security employee seven days a week, according to SDSO. Authorities also stated that Quarles is not wanted by the Sheriffs office at this time. SDSO said it is warning the community about Quarles release under California Penal Code Section 290, which is also known as Megans Law. This permits law enforcement agencies to warn people and protect themselves from sex offenders in the area. 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. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan left a hospital in Indias financial capital Mumbai on Tuesday, less than a week after he suffered knife injuries in a scuffle with an intruder at his house, local media reported. Khan, 54, was stabbed six times by the intruder during an attempted burglary at his home after midnight on Thursday. He had surgery after sustaining stab wounds to his spine, neck and hands, doctors said. Khan was discharged from hospital on Tuesday afternoon. He smiled at TV cameras from his car and waved his bandaged hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sunday, police arrested a man, thought to be a citizen of Bangladesh, in connection with the attack and were continuing to investigate the crime. The suspect, arrested on the outskirts of Mumbai, was using the name Vijay Das, but is believed to be Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, who was working with a housekeeping agency after having come to the city five or six months ago, Dikshit Gedam, a deputy commissioner of police, told a press conference. The attack on Khan shocked residents of Mumbai as well as fellow Bollywood actors, especially because it took place in an upscale neighbourhood of the city, in an apartment block that is strictly guarded. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Trumps former national security adviser John Bolton said the president ended his Secret Service protection shortly after his return to the White House this week. I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret Service, Bolton said in an emailed statement to The Hill on Tuesday. Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Bidens national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend that protection to me in 2021. Bolton has been a long-standing hawk toward Iran. He served during the first Trump administration until November 2019. After leaving the administration, he received assassination threats from Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former ambassador, who since leaving the White House has become a vocal Trump critic, had his security detail rescinded by Trump during his first White House term. Former President Biden reinstated and extended the protection in 2021, Bolton said. The Secret Service declined to comment when reached by The Hill. An Iranian national and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member was charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in August 2022 for involvement in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Bolton. The government put a bounty of up to $20 million for information that would end up in either the arrest or conviction of the IRGC member. The DOJ alleged in late September last year that Shahram Poursafi attempted to hire people to kill Bolton between October 2021 and April 2022. In exchange, the individual would receive $300,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department filed criminal charges against an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official in 2022 for attempting to hire a hit man to target me, Bolton said Tuesday. That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trumps own assassination, he added. The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. 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 The Hill. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Bond was set Wednesday at $500,000 for a Beaver Township man accused of rape who was arrested after a car he was in last week was chased by police. Matthew Nicholson, 46, entered not guilty pleas at his arraignment in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court before Magistrate Nicole Butler to three counts of rape, a first-degree felony; sexual battery, a third-degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a second-degree felony; and a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property. His trial has been set for March 31 before Judge Maureen Sweeney, but that will almost certainly be pushed back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicholason was arrested Thursday, the same day a secret indictment was issued against him by a grand jury. Assistant Prosecutor Rob Andrews asked for a bond of $1 million because of how serious the charges are, and also because a car he was in led U.S. Marshals and Beaver Township police on a chase before he was caught. Defense attorney John Shultz said the request was abhorrent and a violation of his clients constitutional rights. He suggested a bond of $100,000, saying his client does not have a history of the kind of conduct he was indicted for. Magistrate Butler said that because of the nature of the charges, she believes a $500,000 bond is appropriate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details of the indictment were not available but the charges were filed after an investigation by the Mahoning County Sheriffs Office. Reports said about 1:10 p.m. Thursday, township police were helping members of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force, who were looking for Nicholson at his home and saw a pickup truck driven by 27-year-old Alexander Morlan, of Springfield, pull away. Marshals and police tried to pull the truck over, but it refused for almost a mile before the truck stopped at the intersection with W. Pine Lake Road. Reports said Morlan told police and marshals that Alexander told him not to stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morlan was arraigned in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield and bond was set at $15,000. He has a preliminary hearing pending on a charge of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony. 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 WKBN.com. The Russians continue to actively carry out air strikes on the border areas of Ukraine in 2025. They specifically target Chernihiv Oblast. Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, during a briefing at Ukrinform Quote: "Regarding the border with Russia. The enemy does not stop firing on the border of three oblasts. These are Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. Since the beginning of this year alone, our border guard groups have recorded more than 2,500 attacks by Russia on these territories. 55 of them were supported by aircraft, over a thousand by artillery, and over 1400 by unmanned aerial vehicles." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The spokesperson stressed that since the beginning of the year, Russians have been particularly active in attacking Chernihiv Oblast with the help of aircraft. Quote: "Before that, hostile aircraft were primarily deployed on the Sumy front. Attacks are currently taking place on the territories of the Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts." Background: In the autumn, the General Staff reported that Russian aviation was conducting strikes on the territory of Kursk Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was killed in Vermont during a traffic stop near the Canadian border was a military veteran who worked security duty at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11 attacks, his family said. He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery, a family statement provided to The Associated Press late Tuesday said. He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self. Agent David Maland, 44, was killed Monday afternoon following a traffic stop, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement. A German national in the country on what the FBI called a current visa was killed and an injured suspect was taken into custody and is being treated at a local hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The violence temporarily closed part of Interstate 91 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Canada in Coventry, part of the small, 27,000-resident community of Orleans County in the Northeast Kingdom section of Vermont that straddles the international border. Maland had many chances for promotion but turned them down to stay in the field, said his cousin, Minnesota state Rep. Krista Knudsen. She paid tribute to the Minnesota native, who went by Chris, on the House floor Wednesday before lawmakers observed a moment of silence. He will be remembered for his courage and commitment to protecting fellow Americans, said Knudsen, a Republican from Lake Shore. He is also a person who served faithfully with honor and bravery. He always put his service above himself. Maland, whom the FBI confirmed was a U.S. Air Force veteran, was killed close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector that he was assigned to. The sector encompasses Vermont, parts of New York and New Hampshire, and includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Derby LineRock Island Border Crossing is located about 12 miles (19 kilometers) by highway north of Coventry. Its a major link to the Canadian province of Quebec, giving northern Vermont more French speakers than most of New England. Maland's family said his career spanned nine years in the military and 15 in the federal government. On Sept. 11, 2001, his duty station was the Pentagon, and when news of the terrorist attacks broke, he was sent to guard an undersecretary to one of the branches of the military for several days at a bunker at the Joint Base-Anacostia Bolling, in southeast Washington. Maland also was a K-9 handler who he served in Texas, near the border with Mexico, before heading to the northern border. His aunt, Joan Maland, said he was about to propose marriage to his partner. We are all devastated, she told AP in a text. She called him an exceptional person. Incredible man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Knudsen said she and Maland both grew up in Fairmont, Minnesota, where he graduated from high school in 1999. Chris was an incredible man and will be missed dearly. I am grateful for his service and I know he was very proud of it, she said. Our family is heartbroken. He died in the line of duty, serving to protect our country. We will cherish his memories and mourn his sacrifice. Until we meet again, Godspeed, you good and faithful servant. Maland was the first Border Patrol agent to be killed in the line of duty by gunfire since Javier Vega Jr. was shot and killed near Santa Monica, Texas, in 2014, according to records provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Vega was initially considered to be off duty at the time of his death, but in 2016 it was re-determined to have been in the line of duty, the agency said. In 2010, Brian Terry s killing exposed the botched federal gun operation known as Fast and Furious. Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie, of the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station, was mortally wounded in the line of duty in a remote area near Bisbee, Arizona, in 2012. Border Patrol Agent Isaac Morales was fatally stabbed while off duty in 2017 in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ This story was first published on Jan. 22, 2025. It was updated on Jan. 23, 2025, to correct data on Border Patrol agent killings. David Maland was the first Border Patrol agent to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty since Javier Vega Jr. in 2014, but agents were also killed by other means. A federal officer killed while on duty near the Canadian border has been identified as David Maland, a U.S. Air Force veteran who provided security at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11 attacks, according to family members. He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery, his loved ones said. He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self. Maland was killed on Monday near the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station in the Swanton Sector, a region spanning swaths of Vermont, parts of New York and New Hampshire, and includes 295 miles of international boundary with Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a statement from the FBI, Maland pulled over a vehicle around 3 p.m. on Interstate 91 in Orleans County, a small community located in the remote Northeast Kingdom section of Vermont, just miles from the Derby LineRock Island Border Crossing. During the course of the traffic stop, an exchange of gunfire occurred, and Agent Maland was struck, the FBI said. The exact circumstances of the traffic stop and the shooting were not provided, but the FBI said a German national in the U.S. on a current visa was also killed in the violence. A third individual, who was wounded, was taken into custody and remains hospitalized. U.S. Customs and Border Protections thoughts and prayers are with Agent Malands family during this difficult time, the agency said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vermonts Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint similarly sent condolences to the agents family in a joint statement and said Border Patrol agents deserve our full support in terms of staffing, pay and working conditions. Gov. Phil Scott also mourned the agent, calling his death tragic in a post on X while vowing to support the FBIs ongoing investigation into the violence. This is a reminder of how perilous the work of law enforcement can be, putting their lives on the line to protect our communities, he wrote. My thoughts are with the entire law enforcement community during this time of grief. With News Wire Services EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Familias Unidas del Chamizal will be protesting outside the El Paso Independent School District (ISD) building on Tuesday, Jan. 21, claiming the districts redesign is failing barrio schools. Aside from protesting, the organization will also be holding a press conference at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, to address the school board regarding the districts educational neglect of barrio families, the organization said. Photos by Edith Montero/KTSM Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The organization claims the districts redesign fails barrio schools and does not address the historic neglect and discriminatory practices that have hurt barrio families for generations. The organization also claims that the recently adopted redesign of Guillen Middle Schools ace model for barrio schools and the recent designations of the Zones of Excellence have been approved without adequate parent input for critical resources and programs to address racial inequities in our schools. The organization says barrio families have been locked into a zone of racism with the most outdated, environmentally unsound schools and a curriculum that provides the most minimal education, reverting back to the English Only curriculum, while other students are afforded programs that would allow them to complete associates degrees in engineering, medicine, and other 21st century fields. KTSM has reached out to El Paso ISD regarding these claims. The district has not responded as of Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTSM 9 News. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A multibillion-dollar spending bill will be the vehicle that will help several groups fulfill some of their goals, including policy and money that has to do with abortion and pregnancy. The old playbook is out the window, so what do we do moving forward? Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said. We have the most robust legislative agenda than weve had in the 17 years that Ive been here at Ohio Right to Life. Gone are the days where well be introducing bans on abortion. Gonidakis said now that Ohio has a reproductive rights amendment, Ohio Right to Life has shifted its focus to things like real health care needs and housing support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Husted sworn in as Ohios newest senator Look, when given a choice, a woman will choose life, but if she feels that she has no other choice, unfortunately more often that she will have an abortion, Gonidakis said. The foundation of what were going to be doing at the legislature in 2025 is making sure women have access to health care, access to housing, access to real needs so they can choose life. Specifically, Gonidakis will push for up to $68 million for the biennium in adoption funding. We can eliminate the children in foster care if we give parents and individuals incentives and grants to adopt, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adoption is a wonderful thing for people who choose that, Abortion Forward Executive Director Kellie Copeland said. But it is not an alternative to pregnancy. It is an alternative to becoming a parent and those are different things. Copeland said Abortion Forward will also focus on, first, repealing laws that no longer align with the state constitution. Unfortunately, there are numerous laws that are still on the books that should not be being enforced so they should be repealed by the legislature, or they should be struck down by the courts, she said. Things that make it difficult for people to access abortion care in their communities. Former professors of JD Vance weigh in on swearing in Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copeland agreed with Gonidakis that some things needing funding include improving outcomes of pregnancies. We think its important for the state to invest in things like family planning, child care, doulas for people throughout their pregnancies, she said. Those sorts of programs that can increase health outcomes that can help people make their own decisions. Copeland does not align with Gonidakis ask of about $14 million for the states 123 crisis pregnancy centers. She called any money that has gone towards them to this point wasted. That money should certainly be reappropriated because it is being spent in the least efficient manner possible, Copeland said. You know, they put these moneys towards these, you know, fake clinics because theyre political allies, not because theyre actually providing valuable services to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonidakis defended the centers. He said they help provide health care, diapers, car seats, cribs, baby formula and more, at no cost. At any given center, on any given day, regardless of your race, creed, color, sexual orientation, you can walk in there and were there with loving care to provide, not just access to shelter, to food, to health care, to ultrasound machines, he said. We take any woman that walks in that door, and we help them. We dont ask for $1. Who could oppose that? I struggle to find any sympathy for the other side and Planned Parenthood, who demonize people who are trying to help others. Girl, 4, shot dead while sleeping in home east of Columbus Thats wild to me, Copeland said. I cannot think of a least less efficient way to get diapers into the hands of families who need them than forcing them to find the time and the transportation to go to a fake clinic. What the state of Ohio can and should do is reappropriate that money, put it on WIC, put it on SNAP cards. People can buy diapers much more efficiently than having to go through some third-party political organization that lobbies to outlaw abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he thinks, even given a likely tight budget season, items like pregnancy centers can be funded. I dont know that the things that you just mentioned are extraordinary budget costs, Huffman said. But I think that the work that pregnancy resource centers do is extraordinary. Gonidakis said he also wants to evaluate parental consent laws as it relates to abortion, raise awareness about baby boxes and, overall, make sure no pregnant women are falling through the cracks. We can strengthen our laws as it relates to making sure that pregnant women do have access to health care; that might not have a traditional doctor, whether it be through our pregnancy centers, whether it be through mobile units, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copeland said while some of the basic ideas are bipartisan, she is not holding her breath that they all get done. I hope that [Ohio Statehouse Republicans] are sincere, that theyre going to fund these services that Ohioans need, Copeland said. But frankly, based on their behavior, Im worried that its a smokescreen and they wont really make those investments. Gonidakis and Copeland are also both watching the Ohio Supreme Court closely, to see how exactly it rules that the reproductive rights amendment can be enforced. Thats where the Supreme Court, this new pro-life Supreme Court, comes in, Gonidakis said. Six of the seven members are endorsed by Ohio Right to Life. That doesnt mean anything other than were going to get hopefully a compassionate decision from them someday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obviously its a concern, Copeland said. We want to make sure that judges who are on the state Supreme Court or any court are applying the law, that theyre not being activist, that theyre not applying their own personal view. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. NEW YORK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. federal workers are scrambling to make sense of the flurry of decrees issued Monday evening by President Donald Trump, parsing through emails from interim agency heads and skimming reports of lawsuits filed by unions to try to understand whether they have to report to work in person, or if they will soon have a job at all, reported The Washington Post on Wednesday. The executive orders and memos strip employment protections from tens of thousands of federal workers, institute a hiring freeze, instruct agency leaders to send the White House a list of employees under probation, and give all federal agencies 60 days to shutter offices and positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion practices. "An executive action appears to ban remote work, when an employee's official workplace is at their home or rented space far from an agency headquarters or regional office, with some exemptions," noted the report. The return-to-office executive order mystified employees and their supervisors, who are trying to parse whether it also affects telework, which is when employees who are based in an office work from home. Monday night, Google searches for "federal workers return to office" spiked by more than 600 percent, with the most interest in the D.C. region, where 15 percent of federal workers are based. DENVER (KDVR) The Boulder Police Department is introducing its new Blue Envelope Program to help avoid miscommunication with people with invisible disabilities the department announced in a press release on Tuesday. Invisible disabilities can include something medical, verbal or neurological among other things. They are called invisible because they may not manifest in a physical way. Colorado lost 41 breweries in 2024, beer sales down more than national average Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Blue Envelope Program will have those who want to participate, fill out an envelope with any information they may want to disclose to the officer that would help the officer understand their needs, without having to explain at the moment during something like a traffic stop or any other interaction with an officer. We regularly send our department leaders to different trainings across the country to enhance their knowledge and skill set with the hope of bringing back great ideas like this. We also encourage them to research new and innovative policing ideas that we can implement here in Boulder, Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said. The Boulder Police Department said that officers have been trained in the protocol and recommended that Blue Envelope Program participants follow these steps: Place the envelope in the glove compartment of the vehicle. When an interaction begins, communicate to the officer that you will be presenting a Blue Envelope to them. If desired, include your drivers license, registration, insurance and any documents that contain information about the disability. On the outside of the envelope, the department suggests including tips for the officers, disability information and emergency contact information in the case of a medical emergency. Any person who wants to participate in the Blue Envelope Program can receive one at the front desk of the Boulder Police Department building or to request to have one mailed to you, contact Chief of Staff Alastair McNiven at McNivenA@bouldercolorado.gov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief of Staff McNiven thought this idea was the perfect fit for our great community and I wholeheartedly agree. It also pairs well with our Autism Decal Program, which has similar goals. We look forward to feedback from our community members and hope this will improve the quality of interactions with our officers, said Redfearn. Winter X Games returns to Aspen: Here are a few things to know about the extreme weekend Boulder police also said that they would like to remind participants of three things: Participants are still expected to follow the law There are times when officers will need to use safety measures The program is currently exclusive to the Boulder Police Department and other emergency services and first responders may not know about the program The department says participation is by request only and no participant list or data storage is maintained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. A 12-year-old boy has died after a stabbing in Birmingham. West Midlands Police said the boy was found with serious injuries in Hall Green at 3pm on Tuesday. Another boy, 14, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The 12-year-old was taken to hospital but died as a result of his injuries. The force said his family had been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Det Insp Joe Davenport, of the forces major crime unit, had previously launched a police hunt to find the perpetrator. 14-year-old arrested A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: A boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a fatal stabbing in Birmingham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boy, 14, was arrested after a 12-year-old boy was found with serious injuries near Scribers Lane, Hall Green shortly after 3pm today [Jan 21]. The 12-year-old was taken to hospital but sadly died as a result of his injuries. His family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. We are continuing to appeal for any information which could help in our investigation. We have set up our Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) where members of the public can submit photos or video evidence. This is a breaking news story 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. A teenager suffered critical injuries in a shooting Sunday in Brooklyn Park. The Brooklyn Park Police Department said investigators believe the incident around 6:15 p.m. in the 6500 block of 84th Court North stemmed from an arranged marijuana sale. According to police, officers responded to reports of shots fired and found a 17-year-old boy with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. The boy lost consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, police said several suspects shot the victim and fled on the foot. The suspects were not located during an extensive search, which included assistance from a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter. Officers learned that the victim and suspects had arranged a marijuana sale via Snapchat, according to police. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Brooklyn Park Police Department at 763-493-8222. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change. A young brother and sister have been named heroes! According to British outlet Chronicle Live, 8-year-old Tyler and his younger sister Amber, 4, were given bravery awards by North East Ambulance Service on Tuesday, Jan. 21 after helping to save their father when he fell into a diabetic coma on Nov. 3. After Jamie Miller collapsed at their home in County Durham, England, Tyler called the emergency services while keeping his sister calm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a press release by the UK's National Health Service, the father of the two had been experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) before he collapsed but was unable to tell anyone. Per the Cleveland Clinic, DKA happens when the body doesnt have enough insulin. Although I didn't speak to Tyler directly, his actions recognizing his dad needed help and calling 999 were so brave and extremely mature, dispatcher Laura Bloomfield said, per the NHS. Arriving at the house, police and the ambulance found the father of two unconscious and barely breathing. North East Ambulance Service Tyler and Amber with staff from North East Ambulance Service Tyler and Amber with staff from North East Ambulance Service Related: Boy, 8, Rescues Kitten from Being Abused at a Local Park by a Group of Kids: 'I Felt Sad and Mad' Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. When we got the job through, we were unsure of what we were going into as it was a child caller, paramedic Annie OSullivan said in a statement. I had a little chat with Tyler and asked him how long his daddy had been unwell and how he knew what to do if dad was poorly. He said that his dad had told him what to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dispatch development manager Laura Bloomfield also added: Tylers actions recognizing his dad needed help and calling 999 were so brave and extremely mature. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! North East Ambulance Service Tyer and Amber holding their bravery awards Tyer and Amber holding their bravery awards Related: Mich. Mom of 4 Runs into Burning Home to Rescue Her Kids: 'She Is an Absolute Hero' I can imagine his family are immensely proud of his quick thinking and actions resulting in getting his dad the help he needed, she added. In December, Tyler was treated to a VIP experience by officers from Durham Constabulary. The boy, who loves the police, was picked up from school in the police car and before receiving gifts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think he realizes the importance of what he has done to the same extent as we do but he does in his own little way, Tylers mother Samantha Turnbull stated, per Chronicle Live, as she opened up about her son's Global Developmental Delay. She added, It would have been fatal without him. Everyone has made a massive fuss of him so he does know it was important. I am pleased he is getting some kind of recognition for what he did. It puts things into perspective. We are all really proud, the proud mom concluded. Read the original article on People (KRON) A boy who died after he was swept into the ocean during a powerful winter swell was identified by officials on Tuesday as 8-year-old Vihaan Mukund. Lifeguards found the boy and a second victim in the water on Sunday afternoon and rushed them to a hospital where they later died, state park officials said. The second victim was identified as 39-year-old Murali Kalyanaraman Mukund, according to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner Coroner Office. The tragic incident happened at Cowell Ranch State Beach south of Half Moon Bay. A Cal Fire battalion chief said Vihaan was swept in and an adult tried to save him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both victims were pulled onto a harbor patrol boat by lifeguards and they were rushed to Stanford Medical Center. Despite life-saving efforts, the individuals passed away. We extend our deepest sympathy to the family for this devastating loss, California State Parks spokesperson Jorge Moreno wrote. The National Weather Service Bay Area issued a Beach Hazards Statement between Sunday and Monday for sneaker waves, as well as dangerous swimming and surfing conditions. 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 KRON4. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is calling on his Department of Health to "enforce the law" when it comes to releasing reports on individual abortions conducted in Indiana, reversing the practice of his Republican predecessor's administration. Braun, also a Republican, signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at ensuring the "faithful execution" of the state's near-total abortion ban. That includes making sure the IDOH is "reporting on terminated pregnancies" and fully cooperating with Attorney General Todd Rokita's office in investigations and enforcement. That would be a reversal of IDOH practice under former Gov. Eric Holcomb's administration, which decided to withhold such reports over patient privacy concerns, after the number of abortions performed in Indiana dropped significantly as a result of the state abortion ban that he signed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were just 113 abortions performed in Indiana in the first three quarters of 2024, according to state data, compared to more than 4,600 the year prior. The reports historically had been released to the public. The change in policy under Holcomb's administration prompted significant pushback from anti-abortion advocates and Rokita, who argued the reports were important to ensuring abortion providers were following state laws. "All I'm trying to do is just make sure that our laws are enforced according to what the legislature put out there," Braun told reporters Wednesday upon signing the executive order. The Braun administration said it will seek to make sure that personally identifiable information continues to be redacted on individual reports to protect patient privacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Indiana already banned abortions. Now, state lawmakers are eyeing abortion pills. Back in December 2023, the IDOH argued it should be allowed to withhold terminated pregnancy reports, which are required to be filed in Indiana with the state health department by doctors after an abortion is performed, and instead release summary reports. They argued that the 2022 legislation required more information to be added to such reports, including patient demographic data and medical history, and could be identifiable, especially in small towns. Indiana's Public Access Counselor Luke Britt agreed with that reasoning at the time, finding that the "IDOH should treat the form with the same confidentiality considerations as any other patient medical record." But Rokita staunchly disagreed, issuing an advisory opinion last year stating that such records aren't medical records. He said the IDOH should partially redact terminated pregnancy reports instead if concerns about patient privacy were an issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rokita said in a statement on Wednesday that "Braun is exactly right" in issuing the executive order. "Now, as long as the IDOH follows orders, Indiana's pro-life laws can be enforced," Rokita said. The Indiana Department of Health said in a statement that it would follow Braun's order. Democrats immediately decried the executive order, with Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis calling it "a continuation of the Republican attack on women and health care providers." "Reproductive health decisions are best left to a woman and her doctor, not the Indiana General Assembly or our governor," Hamilton said in a statement. "Like any other medical procedure, patients receiving reproductive care deserve to have their privacy respected." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said the executive order "furthers efforts by Republicans to identify those who receive abortions, politicizing health care and increasing the risk of breaches to confidential medical records." Imagine the damage that could be done if your private medical decisions were weaponized against you, said Yoder. This is lawlessness disguised as governance, and it jeopardizes the safety and dignity of every Hoosier. Most abortions are already banned in Indiana, but Republican lawmakers have still filed at least nine anti-abortion bills this legislative session that would further restrict abortion pills, ban any government help accessing an abortion and change the definition of personhood. This story has been updated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Braun directs IDOH to release abortion reports it previously withheld Gov. Mike Braun signs executive orders in the Governor's Office, in front of advocates involved in the orders' development, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Wednesday waded into a legal fight over the release of abortion records while signing a health-focused tranche of executive orders. All Im trying to do is just make sure that our laws are enforced according to what the Legislature put out there, he told reporters during a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indianas abortion ban allows the procedures in limited circumstances: if there is a fatal fetal anomaly, if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, and if the pregnancy risks the mothers health or her life. Brauns order directs state agencies to ensure that Indianas abortion laws are fully and faithfully executed, including for terminated pregnancy report submission. Health care providers already must fill out the forms for every abortion performed and submit them to the Indiana Department of Health. IDOH aggregates data from the records and releases it quarterly. But the agency and an anti-abortion group backed by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita are entangled in an ongoing legal battle over the release of individual forms. A trial judge sided with the Indiana Department of Health and dismissed the lawsuit seeking public release of the individual filings. That case is now being appealed. The Indiana Department of Health fears individual release would compromise patient privacy because so few abortions are being performed, while the anti-abortion advocates seeks greater accountability of the doctors involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Informed of that lawsuit, Braun replied, So, on the technicality of how that works out, Im going to let the attorney general pursue what hes doing. Im interested in just making sure that we enforce the law. Gov. Mike Braun answers questions at a news conference in the Governors Office on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The order also directs agencies to fully cooperate with Rokitas office in the investigation and enforcement of abortion laws. IDOH is specifically directed to evaluate how the agency has historically enforced such laws, identify any changes needed to comply with the order and report findings to Braun by July. Asked if his order would require IDOH to release individual records, Braun said, Im going to let them work that out. What theyre doing, to me, is okay because its in the spirit of trying to make our law enforced. Indiana Right to Life President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Fichter issued a statement lauding the move even if it was unclear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governor Brauns action today ensures Indianas abortion law will be enforced under his administration. In directing the Indiana Department of Health to ensure compliance with pro-life laws, including reporting laws, abortion providers are on notice that there is no tolerance in Indiana for illegal abortions, or acts leading to the injury or deaths of women. We are thankful for Governor Brauns swift and decisive move in support of Indianas law that has ended 98% of abortions in our state. Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky condemned the move. This manipulative tactic of issuing an executive order essentially does nothing to change how current law is applied, CEO Rebecca Gibron said in a news release. It simply emboldens a hostile Attorney General who has weaponized (terminated pregnancy reports) to single out providers creating a chilling effect that could deter patients from seeking the care they need. Emphasis on pricing Braun signed several executive orders dealing with price transparency in health care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One directs agencies to review related policies and procedures, assess whether existing transparency measures are sufficient and identify opportunities for increased clarity and accessibility. They should also adopt and implement measures that enhance transparency. Health and Family Services Secretary Gloria Sachdev, IDOH and the Indiana Department of Insurance must also ensure health care providers and insurers are complying with state and federal price transparency requirements, and make recommendations on how to penalize entities who dont comply. A related order tasks IDOI with evaluating safeguards against surprise medical bills and reviewing potentially harmful practices of pharmacy benefit managers. It requires that the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration assess ways to lower prescription drug prices and make recommendations to implement them, plus develop performance metrics for quality of care and patient outcomes. A third pricing-related order has IDOH and Sachdev examine use of 340B, a drug-pricing program. Other actions Another order requires a state report evaluating whether nonprofit hospitals are providing more in charity care to impoverished patients than they get in tax breaks for their nonprofit status. Those that dont make the annual verification wont get state tax breaks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Braun also took on Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse. All of Brauns executive orders can be viewed online. That order requires FSSA to get an independent audit of Medicaid Managed Care Entities, use the audit results to update its policies and take aim at pharmacy middlemen. The Indiana State Personnel Department must also audit third-party administrators of the State Employee Health Plan and similarly implement cost-efficient pharmacy benefit services. He also focused on the Affordable Care Act. The order criticizes how it puts all health care coverage applicants regardless of risk factors that determine coverage cost in the same group. Braun directed IDOI to make all changes necessary so insurers can offer split risk pools: one for enrollees in plans on the exchange and one for non-exchange enrollees. Other actions create a health data dashboard and encourage inter-agency information-sharing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Brightline train attendants have voted to unionize after months of delay caused by the private passenger train company filing federal challenges to the election. The Transport Workers Union will represent train employees who sell food and beverages and provide other services onboard to passengers. A majority of them voted to join, the union said. But only half of those who could vote did, Brightline noted. Brightline acts indifferent to workers traumatized by its regular train crashes, the union has said, and has enacted an overly strict attendance policy. "This is an enormous victory. Brightline workers in the face of an aggressive anti-union campaign voted roughly two-to-one to join the TWU," union president John Samuelsen said. "The Brightline president even went so far as to call workers at home in an apparent intimidation tactic. It obviously failed, epically." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brightline did not respond to a question about whether company president Samuel Goddard made those calls. More: Union wants federal investigation into Brightline, claims company opposes unionization "The union election is finally over," Goddard wrote Tuesday in an email to employees. "Unfortunately, the election didnt see the turnout we had hoped as only about half of the onboard population voted and about one third of the team (all voting-eligible employees) voted for union representation." The union expects Brightline to slow-walk labor negotiations, Samuelsen said. Brightline does not plan to jump straight into bargaining, Goddard said Jan. 14. "There are several steps between todays results and future negotiations, and we want you to know that it may take a little while to play out," Goddard said. A Brightline trains heads to Orlando from the West Palm Beach station in West Palm Beach, Florida on September 22, 2023. Brightline train attendants announced their union drive in August. Along with seeking a raise from the $20 to $22 hourly wage, the union has said, attendants are upset with what they say is the company's indifference to onboard workers traumatized by the near-weekly crashes that kill drivers and pedestrians on the tracks between Orlando and Miami, the union has said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And a new "draconian" attendance policy that penalizes employees for calling off shifts with less than six hours' notice unless providing documentation such as notes from doctors or schools explaining it, the union says. Brightline filed a challenge to the union drive in September with the federal National Mediation Board, which oversees railway labor matters, saying that employees should not have filed their signed union authorization cards with that board, but with the federal National Labor Relations Board, which oversees most other industries. In response, the union asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate the rail company for claiming in its filing that it is not a railway, yet accepts taxpayer subsidies from the government meant for trains. The mediation board ruled for the union in November. Brightline filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 4 against the board, seeking to toss its decision. The case is ongoing. Meanwhile, the election moved forward, with employees voting by mail from Nov. 27 through last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is their most foolish move," Samuelsen said. "We have relations in D.C. the employer does not." Chris Persaud is The Palm Beach Post's transportation reporter. Send news tips and ideas to cpersaud@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brightline workers unionize over trauma from deadly crashes, attendance UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations, together with the Colombian government, launched on Wednesday a 342 million U.S. dollars humanitarian appeal for the needs of the most vulnerable people in Colombia. The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Colombia, Mireia Villar Forner, said that the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Community Priorities seeks to address the urgent needs of 2 million of the most vulnerable people in the country. The plan aims to provide immediate relief, protect the rights of vulnerable populations, including women, children, and ethnic groups, and promote resilience. It focuses on empowering local communities and responders, particularly in critical areas, such as the Pacific region and the border with Venezuela. "This plan reaffirms our commitment to the people of Colombia. Now, more than ever, it is time to keep solidarity alive, supporting communities according to their own priorities and strengthening their capacities," Forner said. UN humanitarian agencies estimated that more than 9 million people need assistance across the country this year. Britain is at risk of entering a bidding war with Europe for electricity, as countries race to lock in supplies after a sharp drop in wind power. Cold temperatures combined with calm weather have increased energy pressures across Europe, as dwindling domestic generation has led to traders competing to buy electricity. The UK is typically able to rely on inter-connector cables linking it to France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Norway when in need of bolstering energy supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, those countries have also been hit by the same still and gloomy weather in recent weeks, meaning they have less spare power to export. Germans call this type of weather dunkelflaute, which has recently led to power prices surging to around 400 per megawatt, up from usual levels of around 90. Kathryn Porter, an energy analyst, said calm weather conditions forecast for Wednesday will once again pile pressure on Britains energy grid, which could be forced to rely on costly imports. She said: Wednesday is shaping up to be another very tight day for the GB power grid. Some forecasters are predicting near-zero wind for most of the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is likely that in order to maximise imports and generation from our gas power stations National Energy System Operator (Neso) will have to pay high prices. There is even the chance of a bidding war between Neso and its European counterparts if the markets are all very tight at the same time. A Met Office spokesman said the winds over the UK, North Sea and neighbouring countries were set to be extremely light until Thursday evening. Asked what preparations it was making, Neso said: We cannot provide a running commentary on the operation of the electricity network. However, the usual response is to spend vast sums to activate other sources of electricity, mostly gas-fired power plants, and inter-connectors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UKs growing reliance on intermittent renewables means low wind conditions offer a prime opportunity for electricity traders to make money. Some, like Geneva-based Vitol, or Germany-based Uniper, own gas-fired power stations, switching them on and off according to the prices offered via Neso. Others trade via the UKs nine inter-connectors, typically buying power in Europe before selling it back to Britain. The UK is now highly reliant on the 40-odd registered power trading companies using the system, which collectively supplied 13pc of UK power last year. Earlier this month, these traders made an estimated 17m in additional profit in just one day as Neso sought to avoid running out of electricity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Tice, Reform UKs energy spokesman, said: Our dangerous obsession with wind energy is coming to bite us where it hurts right in the wallet. Prices are soaring as we get hit by another mega dunkelflaute of no wind. We are more exposed than ever to the goodwill of others to keep the lights on and pensioners warm. We must change course urgently. A spokesman for the Energy Department said: Every family and business has paid the price of rocketing energy bills because previous governments failed to invest at scale over many years in the clean, secure home-grown power our country needed, so we have been left exposed to volatile international fossil fuel markets. Our Clean Power Action Plan will provide the foundation for the UK to build a more secure energy system that can bring down bills for households and businesses for good. 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. Britain is cooked. Thirty years of malgovernment, ideological derangement and relentless self-sabotage have ruined us. We are careering towards quasi-bankruptcy, our international reputation shot, our society fractured, our citizens impoverished, unhealthy and demoralised, our public sphere strewn with litter, and our institutions discredited. Crime and disorder are at intolerable levels. Those who can are fleeing. Little of value is ever built, and certainly not enough homes or infrastructure. Our energy costs are the highest in the world, and blackouts loom. Goods, services, housing, transport and healthcare are rationed by government fiat, and congestion, over-regulation, bureaucracy and propaganda grind down anybody with any ambition, courage or creativity. We are craving a hard reset, but Keir Starmer, our worst prime minister in fifty years, is doubling down on the toxic mix of socialism, class warfare, uncontrolled and often low-grade migration, confiscatory taxation, net zero extremism, regulatory zealotry and woke nihilism that has brought Britain to its knees. He is the ultimate non-player character, unable to imagine a different way forward, convinced of his righteousness as Britain races towards fiscal armageddon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scale of the catastrophe appears belatedly to be dawning on Rachel Reeves. The Chancellor is bigging up a trade deal with China, signalling her support for expanding Heathrow and seeking to speed up infrastructure projects. Such granular initiatives make sense, but dont amount to a coherent plan, let alone a diagnosis of our pathologies: they are panic moves from a clueless administration whose tax raids and attacks on business have trashed the economy. We have been living beyond our means since the financial crisis, convinced that we can go on spending on the NHS, benefits and triple-locked pensions while embracing every policy guaranteed to deliver reduced growth. We have vilified capitalism, risk-taking, money-making, the rich and bankers, and embraced virtue-signalling and wokeism. Many of our fellow citizens believe that the state owes them a living. Yet the maths dont add up. Zero growth in GDP our new self-inflicted normal combined with 2-3pc growth in public spending leads to IMF bailouts. Some hoped socialism could work if combined with a massive increase in the labour supply. Yet the desperate, anti-democratic experiment with extreme levels of migration has failed, in social as well as economic terms: it hasnt boosted productivity, GDP per capita is falling and too many of the recent arrivals will end up taking out more from the welfare state that they will pay in tax. Barring a miracle, the UK is at most two years away from a 1970s-style fiscal implosion; we are facing what Ray Dallio calls a debt death spiral even before Donald Trump forces us to spend more on defence, or imposes tariffs on UK exports if we persist in waging tax and regulatory war on US companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The great lie of British politics is that there is no alternative, that all parties should be the same, that the Labour-Lib Dem-Tory consensus of the past few decades is the only sensible or moral way forward. Trump 2.0 has exposed the idiocy of this approach. The Presidents agenda for renewal is astonishingly radical, and may establish him as one of the most consequential Presidents. Britains only hope is to copy almost all of his reforms, minus the protectionism against friendly states or the attempts at grabbing new territory. Trump has signed hundreds of executive orders or other proclamations in his first few days. He has announced a massive expansion of every kind of energy production: he understands that growth since the industrial revolution has been driven by abundant cheap fuel, and low cost electricity is essential for AI, data centres and tech firms (Starmers hopes to boost AI in the UK are doomed for that very reason). Trump wants to mine and drill and exploit natural resources. He is pulling out of the Paris agreement which is ignored by emerging economies and terminating federal laws forcing the adoption of electric cars. He supports clean tech, but only in the context of choice and market competition, not top-down green central planning. He has imposed a moratorium on new regulations of all kinds, and wants to introduce a one in, ten out rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reeves recent China trade announcement amounted to $600 million over five years; Trump has already unveiled an AI private sector investment project worth $500 billion. The US under Trump is entering a new boom, led by machine learning, driverless cars, massive medical progress and the commercial exploitation of space. He is abandoning or reversing all of Bidens anti-billionaire, anti-Silicon Valley measures; his strategy is to outgrow Americas own fiscal woes and unfounded liabilities, and he is determined to entrench a pro-growth tax system. He is pro-legal skilled migration, but is launching the greatest crackdown in history against illegal migrants and South American gangs. He wants to shrink the size of the US state, break the Blob and force civil servants to work for, rather than against, elected governments. He has banned working from home for federal employees. He aspires to turn the US workforce into a high-performance meritocracy again, a move that could unleash another tidal wave of productivity. That will require reembracing Martin Luther Kings dream of a colourblind society. In the most stunning move of his presidency to date, Trump rescinded Lyndon Johnsons Executive Order 11246 which led to the establishment of affirmative action and positive discrimination and has immediately banned federal contractors and federally-funded universities from practicing race-based discrimination. He has suspended prior to sacking every single DEI HR federal employee. Its an enormous shift, a true revolution. Trump also wants to rescue students from critical race theory, which has encouraged anti-Semitism and anti-Asian racism. One order instructs the federal government to investigate DEI at institutions of higher education with endowments over $1 billion. Another demands the expulsion from the US of anti-American extremists, including students. We can but imagine how strong the USA could become if its best and brightest ceased being indoctrinated in nihilistic ideas, and were encouraged instead to think freely. The ideological gulf, and difference in prospects, between the UK and the US has never been so great. Britain has a choice: we can double down on our mistakes, and race towards miserable irrelevance, or we can swallow our pride and learn from Trump. Which will it be? 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. Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A British official sent a public warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after the Royal Navy started tracking the Russian spy vessel Yantar in British waters this week. Defense Secretary John Healey said that Moscow uses the Yantar for gathering intelligence and mapping the sea floor where Britain has undersea infrastructure. He said the ship was currently in the North Sea but has passed through British waters twice since November. European countries have been on high alert about its underwater infrastructure such as pipelines and communication cables after lines have been severed and damaged in the Baltic Sea as late as December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Yantar entered the UK Exclusive Economic Zone about 45 nautical miles off the British coast on Monday," Healey told Parliament. "For the last two days, the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters. In his comments to Parliament, Healey issued a warning to the Kremlin and Putin about operating in British waters unannounced. "And I also want President Putin to hear this message: We see you. We know what you are doing. And we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country," Healey said. "And with our NATO allies, we are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near the UK or near NATO territory." The UK has tracked a Russian spy ship in its waters twice in recent months. In November, a British submarine followed the vessel and surfaced nearby to turn it away. The UK defense secretary said the Russian ship could be mapping undersea cables and gathering intel. Two months ago, a UK submarine that was secretly tracking a Russian spy ship hanging around undersea cables in British waters surfaced close to the vessel, forcing it to leave the area, the UK Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. The Russian vessel was spotted in British waters again this week, and UK Defense Secretary John Healey has accused the ship of mapping out undersea infrastructure and gathering critical intelligence. Healey addressed the House of Commons on Wednesday to discuss Russia's maritime activities. The Russian spy vessel Yantar, he said, was in the North Sea after passing through British waters. Two Royal Navy vessels, the HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne, were deployed "to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Healey accused the Yantar of mapping the UK's undersea cables in the area. "Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure," Healey said. Western officials have raised concerns about hybrid warfare and other threats to undersea cables that are critical to global data transmissions. Cables have been damaged multiple times in recent months. It remains unclear if these incidents, which have been linked to Russia and China, were intentional. Healey said that he adjusted the Royal Navy's rules of engagement to allow UK vessels to sail closer to track the Yantar. The Russian-linked oil tanker accused of sabotaging undersea cables between Finland and Estonia was detained by Finnish authorities after an incident last month. Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/AFP Healey said the spy ship was "detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure" in November, which the Ministry of Defense confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, Healey deployed three Royal Navy vessels and a maritime patrol aircraft to shadow the Yantar. He also authorized a Royal Navy submarine to surface close to the Russian spy ship as a deterrence measure, making "clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move," Healey said. The UK defense secretary said the incidents were the latest examples of worrying Russian activity around critical infrastructure. Russia has long engaged in hybrid warfare tactics against NATO, and those have increased since the start of the Ukraine war. These tactics, along with other hybrid warfare efforts, are seen by officials and military leaders as tricky to respond to because they're just below the threshold of conflict. The UK's response has included placing sanctions on ships believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet and maintaining closer communications with allies to track ships' movements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Healey also said the Royal Air Force would provide a P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft to the Baltic Sentry NATO deployment specifically to monitor undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Read the original article on Business Insider On Wednesday morning, it was announced that Prince Harry had settled his lawsuit against the Rupert Murdoch-owned company News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publishers behind the British tabloid the Sun as well as the now-defunct News of the World. In the settlement, NGN also issued a public apology to both Harry and his late mom, Princess Diana, as they admitted to incidents of unlawful activities being carried out amid their serious intrusion into both of their lives. Harrys lawyer also alleged that the princes legal pursuit against NGN is the reason why publishers targeted him and his wife, Meghan Markle, in an act of vengeance. Chris Jackson / Getty Images Here is a full breakdown of everything there is to know about the legal situation including why Harry may have had little choice but to settle, despite previously saying that he was more than prepared to have his day in court in order to get justice. First of all, it's important to note that this case is completely separate from a phone hacking case that Harry won back in 2023. This was against Mirror Group Newspapers, and at the time, it was ruled that phone hacking was carried out by MGN journalists from 1996 to 2011, and was widespread and habitual from 1998. MGN subsequently agreed to pay a substantial sum in damages to Harry, as well as his legal costs. Daniel Leal / AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Murdochs NGN has admitted to widespread phone hacking being carried out by journalists at the News of the World, which was shut down in 2011. For reference, the phone hacking involved journalists intercepting private voicemail messages on other peoples devices without their knowledge. Other public figures targeted in this way include Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller, and Spice Girl Mel C who all settled respective lawsuits. In fact, since 2011, NGN has settled more than 1,300 claims related to phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering carried out by the News of the World and has reportedly paid out more than 1 billion in settlements and legal costs. News of the World journalist Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were also arrested and later jailed for intercepting voicemails on phones that belonged to Prince Harrys aides. It has always been denied that any unlawful activity occurred at the Sun. Victoria Jones - Pa Images / PA Images via Getty Images After more than 1,300 settlements, just two people remained fighting against NGN: Harry, and politician Lord Tom Watson. Prince Harry in a suit sits on stage during a formal event Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lord Tom Watson wearing glasses, a suit, white shirt, and tie, standing outside among other people Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images, Lucy North - Pa Images / PA Images via Getty Images In his lawsuit, Harry accused NGN of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators at the Sun between 1996 and 2011. Due to legal technicalities, this suit did not include the phone hacking allegations, but did relate to other unlawful processes, such as information being blagged out of phone companies by private investigators. Harrys case also argued that there was widespread knowledge of the illegal activity that was going on at NGN at the time, and that there was a coverup. Meanwhile, Watson alleged that his phone was targeted when he was investigating Murdochs newspapers at the height of the scandal. NGN denied all of these claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case was set to go to trial in the High Court in London on Tuesday, but there was confusion as the court faced repeated delays, and it was said that Harry and NGN were in last-minute settlement negotiations. NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik tweeted at the time that a massive offer had been made from Murdochs camp in a bid to keep the suit out of court. The court ended up adjourning in the afternoon, and the trial was instead due to start on Wednesday morning. However, after another brief delay, it was announced that NGN had reached a settlement with both Harry and Lord Watson. This was particularly shocking as Harry had previously said during a conversation with the New York Times that other claimants had settled because theyve had to settle, adding to the Observer: One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because Im the last person that can actually achieve that. However, in the UK, if a claimant rejects an out-of-court settlement, they risk a huge financial burden even if they win their case in court. This is because if the amount that a judge awards them is lower than what they would have been given in the settlement, they will have to pay the legal costs of both sides. Max Mumby / Getty Images Hugh Grant succinctly broke the whole thing down in a thread on X last April, where he explained that he felt he had no choice but to settle his case with NGN. My lawyers tell me that that is exactly what would most likely happen here. Rupert Murdochs lawyers are very expensive. So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching 10 million in costs. Im afraid I am shying at that fence. Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) April 17, 2024 X @HackedOffHugh / Via x.com Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News Group are claiming they are entirely innocent of the things I had accused the Sun of doing - phone hacking, unlawful information gathering, landline tapping, the burglary of my flat and office, the bugging of my car, the illegal blagging of medical records, lies, perjury and the destruction of evidence, he wrote at the time. As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court, Hugh went on. I dont want to accept this money or settle. I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court. But the rules around civil litigation mean that if I proceed to trial and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I would have to pay the legal costs of both sides. My lawyers tell me that that is exactly what would most likely happen here. Rupert Murdochs lawyers are very expensive. So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching 10 million in costs. Im afraid I am shying at that fence, he continued. Rupert Murdoch has spent over 1billon in damages to claimants and in lawyers fees, settling over 1500 claims in this way. He seems remarkably determined that there shouldnt be a trial of the facts. A spokesperson for NGN said in a statement at the time that it had admitted no liability in Hughs settlement, and that settling the case was "in both parties' financial interests not to progress to a costly trial." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of their settlement with Harry, NGN issued a public apology acknowledging their intrusion into his and his late moms lives. It also marked the first time that NGN admitted that there was any wrongdoing against Harry in relation to the Sun, though it's important to distinguish that the statement does not admit to unlawful activity by Sun journalists, but by private investigators hired by the tabloid. The full statement reads: NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGN's response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009-2011. This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them. NGN also acknowledges and apologizes for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson's family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages. In addition, in 2011 News International received information that information was being passed covertly to Lord Watson from within News International. We now understand that this information was false, and Lord Watson was not in receipt of any such confidential information. NGN apologizes fully and unequivocally for this. Georges De Keerle / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement outside of court after the settlement was announced, Harrys lawyer, David Sherborne, said that NGN "has finally been held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law. Sherborne also alleged that Harrys legal pursuit against NGN led to the publishers targeting him and his wife, Meghan, in an act of revenge. "As a direct result of him taking a stand, Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago, he said. Meanwhile, Lord Watson praised Harrys "bravery and astonishing courage throughout the case. Leon Neal / Getty Images Let me know your thoughts on this legal battle in the comments below! More on this President Donald Trump has made good on his vow to pardon participants in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, sparking intense criticism including from one of the planned recipients. Pamela Hemphill, a 71-year-old resident of Boise, Idaho, who was sentenced to two months in jail after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the attack, said she will not be accepting Trumps pardon. Accepting the pardon would be an insult to the Capitol Police officers, to the rule of law, to our nation, Hemphill, who had posted videos of herself entering the Capitol as the attack unfolded, told the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hemphill told the paper that she was planning to file a letter of rejection for Trumps pardon. I dont want to be a part of their trying to rewrite what happened that day, she said. Dubbed MAGA Granny after videos of her at the Capitol circulated, Hemphill has since disavowed Trump and taken issue with his characterization of the Jan. 6 defendants as persecuted victims.We were wrong that day, we broke the law there should be no pardons, Hemphill told the BBC. Upon taking office, Trump issued pardons for roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants and commuted the sentences of 14 others. He also ordered the dismissal of hundreds of pending Jan. 6 cases. The sweeping nature of the pardons took some Trump allies by surprise, NBC News reported, and the decision to do so was made only days before the inauguration. Some Trump voters have voiced disapproval of the pardons, NPR reported. The president has also faced criticism from a police union that endorsed him for president in the 2024 election: The Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the United States, issued a joint statement with The International Association of Chiefs of Police denouncing pardons and commutations from both Trump and then-President Joe Biden for people convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers.In the final hours of his term, Biden commuted the life sentence of Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975. Late last week, Biden also issued commutations to two Virginia men who received life sentences in connection with the killing of a police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence, the statement said. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com The brother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died shortly after being assaulted during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, says his death was in vain after President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned more than 1,500 participants in the Capitol attack. I feel that my brother died in vain and that our nation has a very long and dark road ahead of it, Craig Sicknick told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. As far as I am concerned, the U.S. just installed its first dictator. Brian Sicknicks parents shared a similar sentiment that called Trumps pardons an undoing of the justice that was previously determined by the Courts sentencing of Brians assailants. U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died on Jan. 7, 2021, after suffering injuries during the riot at the Capitol. via Associated Press It is our hope that the truth of what happened that tragic day will survive, irrespective of partisan political objectives, they said in a public statement. We are proud of our sons defense of American Democracy, and the continued efforts of his fellow officers to safeguard the seat of government, and the Constitution which guides it; our hearts go out to them as they cope with all that has occurred, and we pray for their strength and fortitude to continue their important mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sicknick, 42, died one day after engaging with the rioters while defending the Capitol. He suffered two strokes at the base of his brain stem, caused by a clot in an artery, and died of natural causes, a medical report concluded. Sicknick's parents, Gladys and Charles Sicknick, received the Presidential Citizens Medal on his behalf from President Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2023. via Associated Press Then-acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said Sicknick died from the injuries he suffered defending the U.S. Capitol. President Joe Biden posthumously awarded Sicknick the Presidential Citizens Medal for his courage and selflessness during a moment of peril for our nation. He was among 12 police officers and state election officials to receive the medal for resisting Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The medal is one of the nations highest civilian honors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rioter Julian Khater, 35, who sprayed Sicknick and other officers with pepper spray during the attack, pleaded guilty to the assaults and was sentenced to more than six and a half years in prison in 2023. He was no longer in federal custody as of Monday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Thats the same day that Trump signed an executive order that granted full, complete and unconditional pardons to the rioters and some extremist group members. Related... PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) If youre heading to a Brown University Health facility anytime soon, youre going to have to mask up. Brown University Health, formerly Lifespan, announced Tuesday that it will be reinstating masking requirements for patients, staff and visitors due to high community transmission rates of respiratory viruses. The masking requirements officially take effect Wednesday. Brown University Health said patients or visitors who do not have a face mask will be provided one and must wear it over their nose and mouth. Staff will only be required to wear face masks while directly caring for patients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brown University Health said theres been an uptick in hospital admissions for respiratory viral infections, as well as illnesses among staff. Since the vast majority of emergency departments statewide are overcrowded, the Rhode Island Department of Health advises those with less serious health issues to visit an urgent care center or consult their primary care physician before heading to the hospital. LIST: Urgent care centers across Rhode Island Anyone experiencing one or more of the following should call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room immediately: Trouble breathing Persistent chest pain or pressure Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds, depending on skin tone Heavy bleeding Deep wound Serious burn Possible broken bone READ MORE: Right Place, Right Care Initiative Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. LOS ANGELES (KTLA) Firefighters on the ground and in the air rushed to slow a rapidly spreading brush fire that exploded near Castaic on Wednesday, forcing tens of thousands of evacuations and impacting traffic on the 5 Freeway. The Hughes Fire erupted around 10:50 a.m. in the area of Lake Hughes Road east of Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire incident commanders. It spread quickly through dry brush and trees, fanned by strong Santa Ana winds. The fire was initially reported at 50 acres but had exploded to over 9,400 acres by 5 p.m., according to CalFire. By 10 p.m., the fire grew to 10,176 acres with 14% containment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire was unknown. Fighter fighters monitor flames caused by the Hughes Fire along Castaic Lake in Castaic, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Flames caused by the Hughes Fire is seen along Castaic Lake in Castaic, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire near Castaic, California on Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) An air tanker makes a retardant drop around the Hughes Fire in northern Los Angeles County on Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) A firefighting helicopter attacks the Hughes Fire near Castaic, California. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) An air tanker makes a retardant drop around the Hughes Fire in northern Los Angeles County on Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Sky5 view of the Hughes Fire next to Castaic Lake. Jan. 22, 2025. (KTLA) Officials told KTLA 5 News that roughly 31,000 people, including residents of Castaic, were being evacuated from communities south, north and west of the wildfire. At about 2 p.m., a portion of Ventura County near Lake Piru was added to the mandatory evacuation zones. About 23,000 more were under evacuation warnings, including residents of Ventura County south of Lake Piru. Included in the evacuation zone were several schools including Northlake Elementary, Castaic Middle, Castaic Elementary and Castaic High. All students evacuated safely, officials said. The Castaic Union School District and Saugus Union School District have canceled classes for Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An evacuation center was set up for residents in need at the College of the Canyons located 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. At least one L.A. County detention facility was evacuated, moving some 400 people being held at the location, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Wednesday night press conference. Luna assured evacuated residents that deputies were on patrol to prevent any looting or crime. As a result of the blaze, the 5 Freeway was temporarily closed between the 126 Freeway and Grapevine Road, though the California Highway Patrol reopened the roadway Wednesday evening so residents and first responders can get in and out of the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following closures, according to CHP, will remain in place: I-5 northbound to Parker Road offramp I-5 northbound to Lake Hughes Road offramp Parker Road and Ridge Road eastbound from The Old Road Lake Hughes Road eastbound from The Old Road If you can, just avoid the area, CHP spokesperson Alec Pereyda added. State resources have been deployed to the Hughes Fire in the Angeles National Forest to assist in the federal response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on social media. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire. Smoke from the fire is creating extremely hazardous air quality conditions in the area including the San Gabriel Mountains, the I-5 corridor near Castaic Lake, Santa Clarita and communities south and west through Ventura County. A Smoke Advisory due to poor air quality from the Hughes Fire was issued Wednesday night and will remain in effect through Thursday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. (South Coast Air Quality Management District) L.A. County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said fire personnel staffing will remain high as local, out-of-state and international crews work overnight to contain the blaze. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will Conybeare and Marc Sternfield contributed to this 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 KTLA. The News A battle is brewing in Hungary over plans to transform part of the capital Budapest into a Mini Dubai. Abu Dhabi-based Eagle Hills Properties, led by Mohamed Alabbar the Dubai billionaire behind Emaar Properties and the Burj Khalifa purchased a 210-acre plot for $128 million. Its 5 billion ($5.2 billion) project aims to revamp a neighborhood near a rundown rail station, featuring towers that could surpass the height of the Empire State Building and potentially become the European Unions tallest structures. Alabbar, a key figure in the UAEs global real estate expansion, recently partnered with Jared Kushners Affinity Partners on a luxury project in Belgrade. But the city of Budapest is pushing back. Officials plan to invoke a preemptive right to acquire the land, arguing its value exceeds the developers purchase price, Bloomberg reported. The mayor has called on Prime Minister Viktor Orban to prioritize affordable housing over luxury skyscrapers. LONDON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang on Wednesday called for "icebreaking" spirit while dealing with China-Britain ties. "In this new age of changes and turbulence, China-UK relations have become even more important both for the two countries and the world at large. And more than ever, we need to draw inspiration from the 'icebreaking' spirit," Zheng said in a keynote speech at the annual "Icebreakers" Chinese New Year Dinner. Over recent months, there has been some progress in China-Britain relations, Zheng noted. "We need to build upon that and keep up the momentum." China and Britain should work together to earnestly follow through on the common understandings reached between leaders of the two countries and faithfully implement the productive outcomes of the 11th Economic and Financial Dialogue which was held recently in Beijing, China, Zheng said. Zheng also called for restarting dialogue and collaboration in other areas, including new energy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), sci-tech, trade, education, and international and regional issues. "And most importantly, we should handle bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. We do have differences and sensitive issues between us, and they have to be dealt with properly," he added. The ambassador said China has made solid gains in advancing Chinese modernization despite all the headwinds in the past year. Steady progress was recorded in the economy with China's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding 134 trillion yuan (18.43 trillion U.S. dollars) and the annual growth rate was 5 percent, he said. In the new year, Year of the Snake, China will continue to show confidence and resolve, stay on the course of high-quality development and advance Chinese modernization, he added. In 1954, Jack Perry, the founder of the London Export Corporation, led a group of 48 British businessmen on a historic trade mission to Beijing and helped deliver one of the first modern-day trade links with China. The 48 businessmen were the precursors of the 48 Group Club. The trip became known as the "Icebreaking Mission," and the club members were called "Icebreakers." (NewsNation) Buses full of Mexican nationals being deported were caught on camera by a NewsNation crew one sign that President Donald Trumps immigration policies are being put into place. Sources in Tijuana said to NewsNation that the city has also started to see Mexican nationals deported back to that port of entry as well. WATCH: CBP officers in riot gear march through South Texas border crossing Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexican government officials say they are sending the buses to Mexican border towns, and then will take those people farther inside the country. Deportations are expected to ramp up even more in the coming weeks something Trump said he would enact many times during the 2024 election. Mexico opening migrant shelters To help those who are newly deported, Mexico plans to set up nine migrant shelters that will provide food, medical checkpoints and a temporary place to stay. Three of these new shelters are set to open soon in Reynosa, Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Each facility can hold up to 2,500 people. According to Mexican officials, those deported will receive around 2,000 pesos, which is around $10, to assist with travel expenses back to their hometowns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE now allowed to make arrests in and near churches and schools However, these shelters will only accept those originally from Mexico not other foreign nationals. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum is calling it the Mexico Embraces You program. This initiative will provide a range of support to repatriated Mexicans, including services and other benefits, Seguismundo Doguin Martinex, migration chief for Tamaulipas, Mexico, said. The National Institute of Migration is responsible for receiving them and providing them with a repatriation certificate, which serves as identification, and arranging transportation to their place of origin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What would it take for US to reclaim the Panama Canal? Trump immigration policies After being sworn in Monday, Trump signed a slew of executive orders, several of which had to do with immigration. One of them was reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires those seeking asylum to stay in Mexico until their claims are processed. Critics say that the policy forces migrants to live in Mexican border towns where many have been victims of abuse and extortion Previously approved refugee flights to US canceled after Trump order In addition, Trump signed an order for work to continue on the southern border wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the biggest changes he made was shutting down the CBP One app, which let migrants make appointments for processing at the U.S.-Mexico border. Sheinbaum called on Trump administration to keep the app. 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 NewsNation. Jan. 22The Pete Esposito family has been building an automotive repair business for the past 25 years and customers who often have to wait days for service at the shop will rejoice in the opening of a second Middletown location next month. Integrity Automotive Service first location is at 1320 Elliott Drive in Middletown and because of the business's growth, with the help of sons Nick and Mitch, Esposito has been looking for a place to expand in the city's East End. "I have been looking for another location off Cincinnati-Dayton Road and couldn't find anything I could afford. Property out here has skyrocketed," Esposito said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On most days, the eight bays are full and with 40 cars in the lot waiting for service. At his sons' urging Esposito continued to find a way not to turn away customers. "We are just a busy, busy, busy shop." About six months ago, Esposito learned the former Mike's International Garage building at 2512 Atco Avenue would soon be available. In October, the purchase was complete. "It was a train wreck inside," he said. "For the last three months I have done nothing but renovation on the building, inside and out. Gutted the place. All new show equipment, all new lights, waiting area, everything." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new location, Integrity Automotive North, is scheduled to have a grand opening on Feb. 2. The original business will be Integrity Automotive South. Esposito, a 1978 Fenwick High School grad, said son Mitch will be managing the new location and Nick the original shop. That sets up his planned retirement but not too soon. "The end of 2026 I plan to retire. Both sons and the shops will be fully established and ready to go," he said. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Butler County law enforcement recovered a pair of illegal firearms and several thousands of dollars in cash while executing a search warrant Wednesday. The Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics (B.U.R.N.) Task Force, working alongside the Hamilton Police Department and the Adult Parole Authority, executed a search warrant on an apartment in the 90 block of Stephens Street in Hamilton. Body recovered after vehicle found in Great Miami River Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officers found two firearms and $4,000 in cash. Kareem Randolph, 41, Hamilton, was arrested and charged with Weapons Under Disability, a third-degree felony, and ODRC Parole Violation. Its a team effort to get these drug dealers off the street. Unfortunately for Mr. Randolph, his team lost, said Butler County Sheriff Jones. The investigation is still active. 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 WDTN.com. Two city council meetings in a northern Michigan city were canceled Tuesday after what city officials described as credible threats against officials and their families. The city of Cadillac had both a special and a regular city council meeting scheduled for Tuesday. But the city announced the cancellations in a post shared to its Facebook page less than an hour before the start of the first meeting. These threats, fueled in whole or in part by dangerous and hateful online rhetoric from individuals, are a direct attack on the safety and well-being of those who serve our community, the post stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Messages with lethal threats were sent to appointed and elected officials and their families via direct messages on a social media platform, said Cadillac City Manager Marcus Peccia. Peccia confirmed that the online rhetoric believed to have fueled the threat was centered on two key topics that were on the agenda for the meetings: evaluations for Peccia and concerns surrounding so-called forever chemicals PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances). More: EPA sets new clean drinking water standards for PFAS aimed at removing 'forever chemicals' More: How southeast Michigan became a dumping ground for America's most dangerous chemicals Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chemicals are linked to health issues including thyroid disease, and kidney and testicular cancers. Concerns regarding PFAs in private wells in the area hit a high in recent months, according to past agendas, meeting minutes and local news reports. Peccia noted the municipal system is not a concern. The special meeting was expected to weigh a periodic personnel evaluation of the city manager to be conducted in closed session at his request, according to the agenda. The regular meeting included a planned update on PFAs. Peccia declined to release more specifics on the threats but said officials contacted police and he was not aware of anyone in custody. City police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The city does not plan to reschedule the canceled meetings but rather hold the next planned regular meeting as scheduled, the city manager said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city is dealing with some serious issues, but there seems to be a snowball effect thats led to suggestions of a governmental coverup and an unbalanced individual to make such threats, he said. Its disappointing to see this type of behavior in society, Peccia said. More: Rep. Dan Kildee talks about Flint water crisis, PFAS, as he prepares to leave Congress The objective is to make sure these meetings can happen in a safe environment, he said. But he wanted to be clear: the city is still a great place to be. The city of Cadillac is open for business, he said. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cadillac City Council cancels meetings after reported threats A real estate agent in La Canada Flintridge is facing criminal charges for allegedly raising the price of a rental property by 38% after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Wednesday. "May this announcement serve as a stern warning to those who would seek to further victimize those who have lost everything," Bonta said in a release. "DOJ is aggressively and relentlessly pursuing those who are trying to make a quick buck off someone else's pain." A couple who lost their home in the Eaton fire attempted to rent a home in La Canada Flintridge from real estate agent Mike Kobeissi, according to a Justice Department investigation. But after the application was received, the couple was informed the price had gone up by 38%, the investigation found. The couple decided not to rent the house due to the increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California law prohibits raising prices for rental properties and other essential goods and services by more than 10% following a natural disaster. The rules remain in effect until March 8 unless further extended by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Kobeissi said in an interview that he did not engage in price gouging and the charges are misplaced. He said he increased the price from $8,700 a month to $12,000 after confirming that the home was within the boundaries of the well-regarded La Canada Flintridge school district. The higher price, Kobeissi said, was comparable to other rentals in the neighborhood. "It had nothing to do with the fires or anything," Kobeissi said. Kobeissi said he received offers from prospective tenants for $14,000 and $16,000, but he and the property owner decided to rent it for under $10,000 to fire victims. The owner also provided a free month of rent and furniture, Kobeissi said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Right now, the home is rented way below the market," he said. On his website, Kobeissi describes himself as one of the top Realtors in La Canada Flintridge with more than 25 years of experience. His firm has sold homes in the community for as much as $11 million, the site says. The charges against him are damaging to his reputation and belie his efforts to support the community in the wake of the disasters, he said. Yesterday, he said he hosted a dozen firefighters at his house for lunch. "I've been helping people one after another," Kobeissi said. The charges filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Kobeissi on Tuesday are the first for price gouging related to the historic fires that struck Jan. 7. Violations are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in one year in county jail and fines of up to $10,000. Civil penalties include fines of up to $2,500 per violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Fire victims seek answers about rebuilding, cleanup timeline With more than 11,000 homes destroyed in Eaton and Palisades fires, a crush of families were thrown overnight into L.A.'s already tight rental market. Widespread reports of price gouging have followed, with Times reporters identifying examples of listings increased 60% or more, while activist groups have scoured Zillow and other sites to identify hundreds of possible instances and file complaints with authorities. Bonta has enlisted teams of his attorneys around the state to evaluate the submissions and issued numerous statements decrying price gouging. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman and other local elected officials have echoed the calls. Bonta said he's sent more than 500 warning letters to landlords and hotel operators accused of price gouging and announced his office has more criminal investigations ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As I have said repeatedly, the price gouging must stop," Bonta said. "Today, we are making good on our promise to hold price gougers accountable, with more to come." 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. JetBlue is getting sued for $1 million by a California couple alleging one of their planes dropped a massive chunk of ice on their home, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in physical and emotional damage. The sky is fallingat least for one California couple. On New Years Day 2024, Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini were settling into bed for the evening when a large block of ice, the size of [a] watermelon suddenly slammed into their bedroom close to their pillows, barely escaping devastating physical injury, according to a lawsuit obtained by Fortune. Reese and Ferrarini, who reside near Los Angeles International Airport in Inglewood, Calif., are suing JetBlue for $1 million for the incident, alleging one of their planes was responsible for the frozen projectile, resulting in extensive damage to their roof. The civil lawsuit, filed Jan. 9, 2025, alleges the ice ball came from JetBlue flight 2715, which was flying over their home at that exact moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the lawsuit, the incident resulted in six figures worth of physical damage to their home and roof and they are suing for negligence and trespass. The couple is seeking compensation for loss of work and the need to relocate including $300,000 for emotional distress, $300,000 for pain, suffering, and inconvenience, $40,000 in medical expenses, and $360,000 in property damages, according to Business Insider. At JetBlue, safety is our number one priority and guides everything we do, a JetBlue spokesperson told Fortune. Due to ongoing litigation, we will not be commenting on this matter. The flight in question was allegedly inbound from New York City to LAX when the frozen fuselage breached their bedroom. Christopher A. Kanne, an attorney with Los Angeles-based Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack, is listed as the representation for Reese and Ferrarini. Kanne did not immediately respond to Fortunes request for comment. Immediately following the incident, police and fire service were called to the couples home, and the Federal Aviation Administration also launched an investigation. The FAA found, according to the lawsuit, the aircraft had a history of potable water issues dating back to July 2023, and was allegedly responsible for a similar incident in August 2023. In that case, a slab of clear ice crashed through the roof of a home in Boston, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the incident involving Reese and Ferrarini, JetBlue launched an investigation and conduct[ed] in-depth testing and inspection of a valve that had been removed from the aircraft after the ice fell, according to the complaint. But JetBlues efforts were too late. Had JetBlue done so after being on notice that there was a problem as early as July 2023, the discharge of the large block of ice on plaintiffs home would not have occurred, the lawsuit alleges. Before the incident, hearing planes fly overhead was a regular occurrencehappening every one-to-five minutes, being so close to a busy airport. But now the couple report they would cringe in fear with each plane that passed over their home, and they could no longer sleep comfortablywithout thinking of the incident, according to the lawsuit. The fear has also allegedly caused Reese significant insomnia, which has forced him to turn down work as a commercial driver for the TV and film industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The physical and emotional damage are forcing the couple to move out of fear itll happen again, according to the lawsuit. This is an especially tough pill for Reese and Ferrarini to swallow, considering they refer to the place as their dream home throughout the lawsuit. The incident has overall made them anxious and depressed, feeling unsafe in what was their dream home, according to the complaint. The couple bought the house in June 2020 and renovated it to make it a place where they could reside for many years. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com As wildfires continue to smolder in Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are both promising a speedy rebuilding of the thousands of destroyed homes. This is no time for urban planning exercising. Thatll delay it by 15 years. We need people back in their houses, Steve Soboroff, a businessman and former police commissioner tasked with overseeing the citys rebuilding efforts, said at a news conference on Friday. But reconstructing Pacific Palisades and other fire-ravaged neighborhoods in their former image could make residents sitting ducks for future blazes, according to urban planners, engineers and disaster management experts. To make communities resilient to wildfires especially as they become more frequent and intense due to climate change the experts said its essential to restrict development in high-risk areas, create buffer zones between properties and wildland, and space homes farther apart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the things that people talk about is, dont let a disaster go to waste. This is the time to change, said Stephen Miller, a law professor at Northern Illinois University who specializes in land use and sustainable development. Thats at odds with Soboroffs emphasis on speed. The planning of the Palisades is beautiful. The way that community works is beautiful. You dont need to rethink Pacific Palisades. You need to rebuild Pacific Palisades, he said on Friday. Soboroff did not respond to a request for comment. (He is the father of NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff.) Given such rhetoric, as well as examples from past fires, urban planners are skeptical that the changes needed to make new homes safe will come to fruition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, its like theyve got the pedal all the way down to the floor on the speed side and not necessarily the deliberation side, said Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a social and economic policy think tank. Homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., on Jan. 15. When asked about that concern by NBC News, Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Bass, pointed to the mayors statements last week. We have to build in a way that we can pardon the area for fires and make sure that we are a resilient community, Bass said at the time. Obviously, we need to look at building codes, we need to look at what was done in the past, and we need to come back stronger and build in a better way. How to rebuild better In an ideal world, Miller said, developers would reconfigure the Palisades to minimize development in areas at high risk of burning, such as along hillsides with lots of brush. San Diego, for instance, restricts homes from being built on steep hillsides, since wildfires travel faster uphill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spacing homes farther apart than the minimum of a few feet required by the Los Angeles fire code can lower the odds that embers travel from one house to another. Miller also recommended a buffer zone between homes and wildland areas, which would be kept clear and contain nonflammable vegetation. Planting more native species like succulents or sage on public land near residential communities can also reduce the risk that fires will spread as opposed to the palm trees that ignited like candles in the Palisades. The city of Malibu banned the planting of new palm trees in 2020 for this reason one of the lessons learned from the Woolsey Fire in 2018. When it comes to landscaping for individual yards, it helps to space shrubs and plants at least 15 feet apart and to use gravel, concrete or paved walkways instead of mulch, experts said. For construction, materials like brick, stone or concrete reduce the risk of burning relative to wood. Designers also suggest avoiding wood siding or fences and installing dual-pane windows and sprinkler systems inside the home. Some of these strategies are already mandated by Californias fire code, which went into effect in 2008, and by Los Angeles-specific amendments to that code. For the most part, burned homes will likely be constructed to the newer codes, which require structures in at-risk zones to be built with fire-resistant materials, such as retardant-treated wood and tempered glass. The California code also includes rules for vegetation management and landscaping to reduce combustible matter on a property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The codes are much, much better today than they were when these neighborhoods were built originally. If they rebuild to the new codes, that will be a significant step towards being more resilient, Rumbach said. He added that homeowners could also choose to go beyond those requirements for instance, by using more metal in construction or adding a concrete perimeter wall to make a property more fire-resistant. Lawmakers could even offer incentives for such efforts, Rumbach said. However, if the Palisades were rebuilt for maximum resiliency, some residents would have to relocate. That can be done via programs that allow homeowners in high-risk areas to transfer their development rights to lower-risk areas. However, experts said the strategy is idealistic and the city is unlikely to implement such a program. An area ravaged by the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 15. None of these efforts are necessarily speedy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is unrealistic to ask communities that have been built over decades and decades and then destroyed in a few days to rebuild with just completely different construction immediately, said Erica Fischer, an assistant professor of structural engineering at Oregon State University. Still, Rumbach noted that Los Angeles has more resources than many communities devastated by past wildfires. Newsom has already proposed $2.5 billion in funding for recovery efforts. Its in a big metro area. Everything you need to recover is there, Rumbach said. But still, even in the best case scenario, its a multiyear process. Other experts questioned whether homes should be rebuilt in Pacific Palisades at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We should think very carefully and very thoroughly about whether or not this is a place to rebuild in, said Jonah Susskind, a senior research associate at the design firm SWA, adding: We have to acknowledge that this community, this infrastructure, these homes, will almost certainly burn again at some point in the future. Repeating past mistakes In Los Angeles, Bass has authorized several actions that will allow residents to rebuild homes in the same style and size. Those include waiving a requirement for new buildings to use electricity rather than gas for heating and appliances, directing city departments to review reconstruction projects within 30 days and waiving hearings that evaluate whether a development complies with zoning regulations. Newsom, meanwhile, has suspended environmental permitting requirements that can delay or block construction (but which experts say also mitigate wildfire risk). A spokesperson for Newsom said current building codes largely remain in effect for homes that will be rebuilt, though the governor has tasked several agencies with assessing whether to suspend certain rules to facilitate rapid construction. Urban planning experts said the scrutiny that both Newsom and Bass have faced over the fires has likely added pressure on them to speed up development. President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have said Newsom should have done more to pre-empt the blazes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bass, meanwhile, has been lambasted by celebrities and politicians accusing her of mismanaging city resources, and for being out of the country when the fires broke out. Seidl said Bass is leading our city through one of the worst crises in our history, and that misinformation surrounding this crisis has been staggering. On top of that, Los Angeles is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, which may serve as a looming albeit impractical deadline for recovery. Newsom and Bass arent alone in pushing to rebuild devastated communities in their old image. After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, for example, city officials exempted people who had lost homes from local green building codes. There was huge public pressure to roll back some of the energy codes and some of the resiliency measures that were being proposed, because they said, Dont do this on the backs of people who just suffered a disaster, Rumbach said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, he said, the areas homes are being rebuilt largely as suburban tract housing that could burn down again if there were a wildfire that blew through. Firefighters inspect a burned house from the Palisades Fire on Jan. 15. Long term, designing homes and neighborhoods to be more fire-resistant will also require more research into which mitigation efforts are most effective. Whereas rigorous lab testing has measured how materials and structural systems hold up against shaking in simulated earthquakes and strong winds for hurricanes, the same cant yet be said for wildfires, according to Fischer. I can assess the construction of a house for earthquake demands, I can suggest a laundry list of mitigation measures for hurricanes, but unfortunately we dont have the science to back that kind of thing up for wildfires, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of the challenge is that wildfires spread because of a complex combination of factors, including weather, climate, topography, vegetation and local construction techniques, making it hard to apply lessons from one fire to the next. Still, Fischer said strides are being made, as civil engineers work with wildfire experts and forest ecologists to study the impacts of fires on structures. We have roadmaps for other hazards. It can be done, she said. Its going to take time to work through the research to put wildfires into a similar framework, but its not all doom and gloom. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Judging by the first statements of Donald Trump, he intends to seriously tackle acute domestic and international problems. In modern terms, Trump is entering his second presidential term as an anti-crisis manager. Even before his inauguration, Donald Trump announced the goals and objectives of his foreign policy course, which, in fact, mean claims to a new redistribution of spheres of influence. At the heart of this redistribution is, first of all, the struggle for resources, which Trump does not consider necessary to hide. During a rally on the eve of his inauguration, Trump said he was going to prevent World War III, end the conflict in Ukraine, stop the chaos in the Middle East, and build an Iron Dome in the United States "to prevent possible attacks on the United States. The new US president also promised to deal with migrants and crime. The latter is indeed extremely relevant for the United States. So, Trump's stated policy of expelling all Latin American migrants is another "multi-step" of the future owner of the White House. After all, those who have a negative attitude towards the current government will return to Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico. And this will make it easier for Trump to strengthen his influence in the former "backyard" of the United States. And the world has really changed. As Alexander Yakovenko, Deputy General Director of the Russia Today media group and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation, noted in a recent interview with RIA-Novosti, "Trump's statements about claims to Greenland and the Panama Canal, as well as the annexation of Mexico and Canada to the United States, may seem extravagant in our familiar post-war coordinate system: sovereignty, inviolability of borders." and the like. But is there another way to look at it? b then everything will look much more realistic. Especially if we recognize that the current change of power in Washington has all the signs of a revolution, both in domestic and foreign policy. Despite the fact that not only for the United States, but also for many countries of the world, including all Western ones (as we have seen over the past three years), the question is not about maintaining the status quo, which cannot exist by definition in an era of tectonic changes in the world, but about survival in a qualitatively changed environment. habitat. The fact is that the post-war Yalta-Potsdam system will be 80 years old this year. It's a long time. I would like to refer to a recent report by the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO) with an annual forecast for 2025. It concludes that the "almost complete collapse" of this system "with its treaties and institutions." So unlike Biden, Trump fits perfectly into these new paradigms. In any case, according to external signs. Trump is clearly not simple, and it is impossible to know what lies in the depths of his personality. My American colleague told me in a private conversation after Trump's first ascension to the presidency of the United States: "Trump has amazed many. Many did not expect his victory. He has a reputation for being a businessman and a playboy. It turned out that this is just the tip of the iceberg." There is no doubt that Trump is not standard, he is interesting. And unlike Biden, he's in great physical shape. One more nuance. Trump, unlike a number of European politicians, did not play the "rogue Russia" card. He immediately stated clearly and distinctly that he would negotiate with Putin on the future of Ukraine. Even on the eve of the inauguration, Trump instructed authorized persons from his team to arrange a telephone conversation with Putin within a few days after taking office. And on the day of the inauguration, the Russian leadership congratulated Trump on taking office. At a meeting of the Security Council, Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict. Trump understands that there is a pool of big players. And Russia undoubtedly belongs to this pool. The collective West is not in the economic, financial, and moral-political (as they used to say in Soviet times) form to seriously influence anything at all. Countries with multimillion-dollar debts, including to the United States, are suitable only for noise clearance. Zelensky realized this too late. But it never reached Pashinyan. What has the Biden administration, and Blinken in particular, managed to do during its time in office? The Biden administration, former Secretary of State Blinken, and the ex-president himself bear the lion's share of responsibility for the conflicts that have flared up. It is no coincidence that Trump announced the planned purge of the apparatus of a number of departments, primarily the US State Department. The staff of the US Foreign Ministry will not fit into the Trump paradigm and will not be able to cope with the new tasks. Now, I repeat, we are witnessing global changes in the world order. Trump described what was happening as a "revolution of common sense." And this definition applies not only to the domestic situation in the United States. In the years after the 44-day war, Washington, represented by Blinken, has repeatedly attempted to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia. I think Baku did the right thing by refusing American assistance. And which Blinken is the middleman? Where are his exploits in this field? I don't know, maybe he's a great knight of cloak and dagger and works in the shadows, but an intermediary can't drown for one side. I think that official Baku will be able to build effective and mutually beneficial relations with the Trump administration as a promising regional power. And without Blinken. Foreign policy should be based not on myths and long-decayed slogans such as "great Armenia", but on the basis of real, primarily economic interests of states. It is characteristic that Trump uses the term "deal" in relation to political agreements, including the proposed solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And, in my opinion, this is not a bad thing at all. Any foreign policy step of a state, both large and small, should have a pragmatic meaning. But these desires must be based on the real capabilities of the state, its potential. The players on the world stage are not equal. And a reasonable player will build such a system of interaction with the stronger pieces of the "international chessboard", which will give him the opportunity to strengthen his position. And not to escalate obviously hopeless conflict situations, as Pashinyan has been doing for several years. And he's not the only one. It is no coincidence that Trump announced that she intends to sign a decree banning aid to other countries if it contradicts the strategic interests of the United States. It is clear that the strategic interests of the United States are, first of all, the interests of large national corporations. But this is understandable. Influence in other territories should be gained through investment and economic presence. As does the main competitor of the United States on the "great chessboard" China. I'm not idealizing Trump in any way, but I've always believed that it's safer to negotiate, even with enemies, but on the basis of clear commitments. Vows of eternal friendship in return for economic and military assistance, assurances in the style of "feed us to your detriment, and we are your outpost," etc. - this is all a passing nature. I cannot say for sure which is more in such models of international relations - naivety, hypocrisy or hidden corruption schemes, I have seen different versions of such misalliances. Including in the post-Soviet space. As a rule, this led to serious problems in the end. Trump, for all his disadvantages and penchant for extravagant statements, is a pragmatist. He is a businessman, not a rabid soldier or a caring dreamer. And that's why he's interesting. By the way, the surname "Trump" translates as "trump." It seems that the new president of the United States has a whole deck of trumps in reserve. Let's see how he uses them. CAIRO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Cairo is committed to working on the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement recently reached between Israel and Hamas. "We are absolutely committed to working diligently toward the full implementation of this agreement to end the bloodshed of our Palestinian brothers and sisters and restore essential services to the Gaza Strip to make it habitable," Sisi said in a televised speech marking the 73rd anniversary of the Egyptian Police Day. He stressed Egypt's categorical rejection of "any attempts" to displace the Palestinian people outside their lands. Israel and Hamas reached a three-stage ceasefire deal last week, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, after more than 15 months of fighting. The current six-week stage of the truce deal, which began on Sunday, includes the release of Israeli captives from Gaza and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, as well as intensified humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza and partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave. California and 17 others states filed a lawsuit against President Trump's executive order altering policy on birthright citizenship Tuesday, the start of what's likely to be a long and protracted legal battle against the new administration and its policies. At a news conference Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office was reviewing all the president's executive orders but the order seeking to end the practice of birthright citizenship granting citizenship to those born within the United States, regardless of parents' status demanded immediate action. "The president chose to start his second term by knocking down one of our countrys foundational and longstanding rights and disregarding our nations governing document," Bonta said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At issue is interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which states "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The order, titled "Protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship," argues the amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the country, and has always excluded from birthright citizenship people who were born in the United States but not under U.S. jurisdiction. The order argues that people born in the U.S. but not under its jurisdiction include people whose mother was illegally present in the country and whose father was not a citizen or legal resident or whose mother was lawfully in the country but under temporary status, such as for a work, student or tourist visa. The order states no U.S. agency or department is to issue documents recognizing the citizenship of or accepting state or local government documents purporting to recognize citizenship of people who fall within its guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The order is set to take effect in 30 days, on Feb. 19. Reactions in Kern Trump's policies on immigration have been particularly polarizing in Kern County where a majority of the population is Hispanic and much of the economy relies on immigrant labor but where voters also consistently cast their ballots for Trump. Kern County's U.S. House of Representatives members Vince Fong and David Valadao, both Republicans, did not immediately respond Tuesday to request for comment. In an email, chairman of the Kern County Republican Party Clayton Campbell said the order was Trump fulfilling his campaign promises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Trumps immigration policies are what he campaigned on and he has a clear mandate for these changes. Hes going to honor his oath, enforce the law, and secure the border," Campbell said. "There is some debate on the constitutional concept of so-called 'birthright citizenship.' Whether the 14th Amendment mandates this isnt clear, but in coming months the courts will almost certainly weigh in." A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol operation earlier this month galvanized local legal support groups that quickly formed a coalition to provide assistance to residents with immigration issues. One of the coalition members, Raji Brar, co-founder of the Sikh Women's Association, said orders like this can be frightening for immigrants, particularly when information isn't available in their native language. "Reading the headline, it's just kind of jarring for all of us, especially when you think about removing something from the constitution," Brar told The Californian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brar said she was born in the U.S. to naturalized parents from India but even she felt compelled to research if the order impacted her. "Thats the case for so many of us. We came here through the legal process but we dont know what that means for our children," Brar said. Interpretations and courts Bonta said Tuesday the lawsuit challenging Trump's order had just been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and sought to block implementation of the order while the matter was being litigated. "I have one message for President Trump," Bonta said. "I'll see you in court." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California was joined in the lawsuit by Massachusetts; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Hawaii; Maine; Maryland; Michigan; Minnesota; Nevada; New Mexico; New York; New Jersey; North Carolina; Rhode Island; Vermont; Wisconsin; the District of Columbia and the city and county of San Francisco. A similar lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and several other legal groups on behalf of organizations with members whose babies were born on U.S. soil will be denied citizenship under the order. "Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional its also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values," said Anthony Romero, ACLU executive director. Bonta said he and other attorneys general were "very confident" the interpretation of the 14th Amendment set in the 1897 case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, a San Francisco resident, would hold. "That case was over 125 years ago. The questions around birthright citizenship have been asked and answered. This is settled, this is established; resolved in the highest court of the land," Bonta said. "This isnt some theoretical legal disagreement I have with the president." (FOX40.COM) California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his office would be joining 17 other states in suing the federal government over the newly inaugurated President Donald Trumps executive order ending birthright citizenship for those born in the country. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads in part All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. The Trump administration argues that the amendment never applied to those born in the U.S. if neither parent was a U.S. citizen and the mother was in the country unlawfully or lawfully but temporarily, such as on a work visa. The executive order said a person born in such circumstances is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bonta and other Attorneys General argue the matter was settled in the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark, in which a man was denied reentry to the U.S. after a trip abroad. Political consultants discuss Trump-Newsom relationship The Supreme Court found that Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco to two parents who were subjects of the Emperor of China, but have a permanent domicil and residence in the United States, was a U.S. citizen. The Presidents executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American, Attorney General Bonta said. As home of Wong Kim Ark, a San Francisco native who fought successfully to have his U.S. citizenship recognized, California condemns the Presidents attempts to erase history and ignore 125 years of Supreme Court precedent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit also argues the order violates Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which, similar to the 14th Amendment, grants citizenship to a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. The other states suing the Trump administration over the order include New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. 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 FOX40 News. Canada is moving forward with its crackdown on unsupported environmental marketing claims as part of Quebecs modernization of the countrys competition regime. Following an initial round of consultations held last summer, the Great White Norths Competition Bureau has published draft guidelines regarding the misrepresentations known colloquially as greenwashing. More from Sourcing Journal While Canadas Competition Act has always made it illegal to advertise or market something in a way that is false or misleading, amendments that became law in June now require that claims about the environmental benefits of a product, business or business activity be backed by substantive evidence thats in line with an internationally recognized methodology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed guidelines aim to help businesses assess whether their environmental claims comply with the provisions of the Competition Act, the Competition Bureau said in a statement. The guidelines do not prescribe when or how businesses can make environmental claims. Companies are free to make environmental claims, as long as they are not false or misleading, and have been adequately and properly tested or substantiated as required. Interested parties have until Feb. 28 to provide feedback, following which the final guidelines will be published. The agency has previously cautioned about the perils of greenwashing, for instance by issuing a business alert in 2017 that warned that its not easy being green and that businesses must back up their words. In 2022, another PSA cautioned consumers that not every product is as green as it looks. Citing a global review by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network that found that 40 percents of green claims made online could be duping consumers, the Competition Bureau advised consumers to take a moment to reflect whenever a company touts a product or service as green. The watchdog group has also dinged businesses for making themselves seem more sustainable than they are. In 2020, it elicited nearly $200 million in restitution payments from the Canadian arm of Volkswagen after it was found to have installed software to allow its so-called clean diesel cars to clear emissions tests despite pumping out nitrogen oxide emissions up to 40 times the legal limit. Two years later, Keurig Canada shelled out $3 million in penalties, plus an $800,000 charitable donation, for making dodgy or inaccurate environmental claims about the recyclability of its single-use K-Cup pods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still open: An inquiry that the agency opened into Lululemon in May after the nonprofit Stand.earth accused the Vancouver-based yogawear purveyor of allegedly deluding consumers about its impact on the planet. Lululemon is one of Canadas most influential companies and one of the worlds biggest fashion brands through its Be Planet campaign, Tzeporah Berman, Stand.earths international program director, said at a press conference a few months before. Although Lululemon has taken some actions and set some targets to reduce the harmful impact of its business operations and products, Stand.earths position in its complaint is that Lululemons business is inconsistent with its public claims to be an environmentally responsive company. Canadas increased scrutiny of sustainability claims has paralleled that of the United Kingdom. In September, the latters Competition and Markets Authority published a green claims in fashion guide that accompanied warnings to 17 well-known fashion brands to review potentially problematic marketing practices, including the use of nebulous or overly broad terms like sustainable, blanket characterizations of products as recycled when only certain components can be described as such, and the curation of products into green ranges that dont specify the criteria for their inclusion. The guide was informed by the conclusions of a nearly two-year investigation into Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda, which later signed formal agreements pledging to make only accurate and clear sustainability claims. The European Union, too, has given a final green light to legislation outlawing vague marketing claims like environmentally friendly, natural, biodegradable, eco and even climate neutral. To render product labeling clearer and more trustworthy, only sustainability labels based on official certification schemes or approved by public authorities will be allowed in the worlds largest single market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This law will change the everyday lives of all Europeans, parliamentary rapporteur and Croatian politician Biljana Borzan said last January. We will step away from throwaway culture, make marketing more transparent and fight premature obsolescence of goods. People will be able to choose products that are more durable, repairable and sustainable thanks to reliable labels and advertisements. Over in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission has been promising to update its own greenwashing guidelines, which are collectively known as the Green Guides and were last updated in 2012. But momentum has appeared to stall after the agency, which did not respond to an emailed request for more information, closed its request for public comments on potential revisions in April 2023. The idea behind any future spruce-up remains the same, however: to help marketers avoid inflating a business or products sustainable attributes through terms or phrasing that have latitude for interpretation, resulting in conceivable deception. Consumers are increasingly conscious of how the products they buy affect the environment, and depend on marketers environmental claims to be truthful, Samuel Levine, director of the Federal Trade Commissions Bureau of Consumer Protection, said at the time. We look forward to this review process, and will make any updates necessary to ensure the Green Guides provide current, accurate information about consumer perception of environmental benefit claims. This will both help marketers make truthful claims and consumers find the products they seek. Michael Fanone, one of the officers who was beaten while defending the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, said on Tuesday that Donald Trumps pardons for the rioters, including those who attacked the police, is outrageous, but not surprising. Fanone, who also testified at the House Select Committee hearings about the attack, told CNNs Jake Tapper, I mean, its outrageous, but not surprising. He added that Trumps grandstanding to extremists is nothing new. If you rewind to the beginning of Donald Trumps candidacy for the office of the president of the United States, which he announced in Waco, Texas, the scene of a violent confrontation between members of the American extremist movement and law enforcement, in which law enforcement officers lost their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch a clip from his CNN appearance below: Officer attacked on January 6 reacts to Trump's pardons Watch the full video here: https://t.co/5QizJ4C9P9 pic.twitter.com/m3oX4103ra The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) January 21, 2025 Fanone added, Hes been promising these pardons since day one, and so the American people should be well aware, or should have been well aware, that this was coming, and they ultimately own this, this decision and these pardons. On Jan. 6, rioters dragged Fanone down the steps of the Capitol, beat him with pipes, tased him and sprayed him with bear spray. He suffered a concussion and a heart attack in the middle of the assault, he testified. CNN later aired footage of the assault on Fanone taken from his own body camera. After being labeled a crisis actor by Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham following his testimony, Fanone told CNN, The facts are the facts. What happened to me, the injuries I sustained you dont have to take my word for it. You can watch the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MSNBCs Rachel Maddow was among those condemning Trumps pardons, saying that the 47th president is immunizing his followers from committing violence in his name. The post Capitol Hill Cop Attacked on Jan. 6 Reacts to Trump Pardons: Outrageous, but Not Surprising | Video appeared first on TheWrap. A Maryland woman is picking up the pieces after acarelessmistake led to her legally being declared deceased. According to NBC 4 Washington, it wasnt until Nicole Paulino went to renew her license that she even discovered the error. Back in November 2024, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) told Paulino she couldnt renew her license because she had been declared dead. I got a little frightened, Im not gonna lie, and surprised, because I am alive. Im here, Paulino told NBC News. She also received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) saying she was a deceased taxpayer. And if that wasnt enough, because she had been marked deceased, Paulinos health insurance was canceled for her and her three children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This really, really messes up my life, Paulino continued. With that, her medical bills began piling up, preventing her from meeting basic medical needs such as buying inhalers for her asthma, according to NBC. After much investigation into the matter, Paulino received a call from the Social Security Administration (SSA) saying she was mistakenly marked dead because of a simple typo. The representative told Paulino an employee at a funeral home meant to report someone else dead but got a digit wrong in their Social Security number. This one digit mistake resulted in Paulinos number being recorded, sending the mother of three down a path filled with confusion and frustration. Its affected my health, my mental health, she said. The government didnt correct this mistake until Jan. 14, 2025 when the SSA admitted to the clerical error, according to the New York Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement sent to NBC, the SSA said its records are highly accurate. Additionally, the statement revealed that of the 3 million and more death reports received each year, less than one-third of one percent have to be corrected. This means that every year, about 10,000 official death reports are actually incorrect. So, Paulinos unfortunate luck is not unique to her alone. This happens almost on a daily basis, attorney Joseph McClelland told NBC back in 2022. The impact is the worst impact you can have on your credit report, he continued. Now that Paulino has been revived, the mother of three is getting her life and the lives of her children back on track. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The cases will move forward for two of the men suspected in a robbery inside of an ODU dorm in September. Quincy Banks and Sekai Hughley are each facing numerous charges including robbery, use of a firearm and brandishing in relation to the incident. A judge certified those charges on Tuesday afternoon following a lengthy preliminary hearing that saw testimony from all of the victims as well as several investigating police officers. The pair appeared in the courtroom side by side with their attorneys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two of the victims, who are all students at ODU, testified that they thought it was a joke when they were approached by three men in a common room in the Scotland dorm building and told they were being robbed. That is, until at least one of the men lifted his shirt to reveal a 9mm handgun in his waistband, according to the testimonies in court. The victims told the court that they were made to send CashApp transactions, with one having surrendered $2,000 through multiple payments. The men then took their phones, left the building and attempted to speed away in a red Mercedes, according to the victims. The officer who followed that vehicle as it headed away from the scene also testified, explaining that one of the suspects bailed out of the car and jumped over a fence before he even turned on his lights to stop it. The victims phones and identifying information were recovered nearby with the assistance of a police K-9. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judges decision allows the cases to move up to circuit court. 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 WAVY.com. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Karin Keller-Sutter, president of the Swiss Confederation and head of the Federal Department of Finance, in Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2025. Ding visited Switzerland from Jan. 20 to Jan. 21 at the invitation of the government of Switzerland . (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BERN, Switzerland, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Swiss officials on Monday and Tuesday, and the two sides agreed to further promote their innovative strategic partnership. Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Karin Keller-Sutter, president of the Swiss Confederation and head of the Federal Department of Finance, and held talks with Guy Parmelin, vice president of the Federal Council and head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025. Ding said that Switzerland is one of the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, adding that their bilateral relationship has exemplified mutual respect and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, development stages, and sizes. He recalled Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Switzerland in 2017, during which the two sides reached a series of important consensus, bringing bilateral relations to a new height. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Switzerland, Ding said, calling on the two sides to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen political mutual trust, continue to carry forward the China-Switzerland cooperation spirit of "equality, innovation and win-win," and push forward the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership to continuously break new ground. Noting that friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Switzerland are in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the common expectations of the international community, Ding called for maintaining high-level exchanges, giving play to the role of bilateral dialogue mechanisms, consolidating and developing correct mutual understanding, and supporting each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. He urged joint efforts to strengthen complementarity of advantages, seek mutual benefits, and accelerate negotiations on upgrading the free trade agreement, and strive for substantive results at an early date. "We should strengthen cooperation on innovation, jointly explore and promote the development of life sciences, artificial intelligence and green technology, and foster new growth areas for practical cooperation," Ding said. The vice premier also called for deepening financial connectivity and promoting people-to-people exchanges. He highlighted Switzerland's unique role in international and regional affairs as a permanently neutral country and host to many international organizations. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Ding said, noting China is willing to continue to make good use of existing mechanisms and channels with Switzerland, maintain communication and coordinate positions on multilateral affairs and international and regional hotspot issues, jointly practice genuine multilateralism, and contribute further to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Keller-Sutter said Switzerland cherishes its friendship with China and is willing to work with China to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the Switzerland-China Year of Culture and Tourism, in an effort to push the Switzerland-China innovative strategic partnership to a higher level. Switzerland and China share the same position on upholding free trade and opposing protectionism, she said, underscoring that the success story of the Switzerland-China free trade agreement shows that mutual benefit can be achieved through openness and cooperation. She added that the Swiss side is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China and jointly promote economic development and prosperity through upgrading the free trade agreement. Parmelin said that Switzerland and China have complementary economic advantages and extensive common interests, pointing to great potential for cooperation in innovation, finance, higher education, and vocational training. Switzerland is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China on multilateral affairs and jointly tackle global challenges, he said, adding that his country is ready to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges with China to enhance bilateral friendship. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Guy Parmelin, vice president of the Federal Council and head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, in Bern, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) DENVER (KDVR) The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is continuing its over-a-year-long response to remediate forensic science operations after anomalies were found in a now-former scientists work. The agency announced Tuesday it hired an out-of-state firm to assess the agencys forensic science division. In December, CBI released information about a comprehensive review of Yvonne Missy Woods work at the agency. Woods worked at the agency for nearly 30 years and on Dec. 17, 2024, CBI said 1,003 cases were impacted by her actions. An elephant is not a person: Colorado Supreme Court denies appeal over zoo containment Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, CBI said it had hired a Wisconsin consulting firm called Forward Resolutions LLC to assess CBIs forensic services and operations as part of its promise for transparency, accountability, and providing accurate scientific results. CBI did not share how much the contract with the firm will cost the government agency. The Colorado agency said Forward Resolutions LLC will completely assess CBI policies, procedures and operational performance within the forensics unit. Forward Resolutions LLCs comprehensive plan will give CBI the feedback it has been seeking to make sure we have policies and procedures in place to successfully deliver reliable scientific results to the Colorado criminal justice community, said CBI Director Chris Schaefer in a release. CBI promised to hold itself accountable in a transparent manner to maintain public trust and this contract proves action will always follow our words. The contracted firm will be conducting interviews, reviewing policies, assessing operations and surveying lab employees and stakeholders as part of the review. CBI said its goal with the outside firms assessment is to assess whether CBI is adhering to industry best practices and provides recommendations for improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firm promised to deliver assessment results within 85 working days of the contract start, CBI said Tuesday. Former scientists work anomalies impacted cases CBI first brought up the potential case impacts on Nov. 6, 2023, when the agency announced Woods no longer worked at the agency because she had retired. CBI said Tuesday that Woods retired before an internal affairs investigation was completed, and that investigation led to CBI discovering the anomalies in Woods forensic work. CBIs review did not show evidence of falsified DNA matches or fabricated DNA profiles from Woods. However, the agency found that she deviated from standard testing protocols and cut corners, which raises concerns about how reliable her testing may have been. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the years, Woods was connected to some high-profile cases, including the Kobe Bryant sex assault case that was eventually dropped, the Susannah Chase murder case and the Alex Ewing hammer killings case. Both cases hinged on DNA evidence presented at trial. Some cases have been directly impacted already: In June 2024, a man pleaded guilty in Boulder to lesser charges related to the killing of three people in 2017. The case was widely publicized as the first prosecution in the state believed to be impacted by Woods work. An internal affairs report showed that Woods deviated from standard testing protocol and cut corners in several of her cases, raising concerns about the reliability of DNA that was used to prosecute some individuals. Following the discovery of Woods actions in manipulating DNA analysis data in 2023, CBI is meticulously reviewing all of its testing protocols, Schaefer said in June 2024. Not only is Woods caseload being reviewed, but we are auditing the results of all current and previous DNA scientists to ensure the integrity of the Lab. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coworkers had called Woods work into question as long ago as 2014. That year, a coworker allegedly questioned how Woods tested evidence in a case and reported those concerns to a technical leader. In reviewing the incident, one individual said she found a deleted value in one dataset. She told the investigators she felt at the time this was on purpose, but allowed it was possible to accidentally highlight a value and delete it without knowing. Woods faced similar scrutiny in 2018. She was removed from casework during the investigation but ultimately was reinstated to her original position. 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 FOX31 Denver. As the coldest air in the United States moves off over the next several days, temperatures across the central and eastern areas of the country will rebound slowly into next week, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The retreat of bitterly cold air will be accompanied by a break in the stormy pattern. Air that originated in the northern slopes of Siberia over a week ago moved thousands of miles across the North Pole, over the frozen Arctic tundra, across Canadian Prairies and into the central and eastern United States. The scope and magnitude of the cold air most likely reached rock bottom at midweek, and there is now the likelihood of a slow retreat out of the frigid depths of winter in the coming weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Temperatures dipped well below zero Fahrenheit from much of the Upper Midwest to the interior Northeast on Wednesday morning. Temperatures as low as the single digits were experienced in the Louisiana Gulf coast and the 10s in the Florida Panhandle in the wake of the record snowstorm. The core of the Siberian air will slide northeastward and away from North America later this week and this weekend. "After a sustained period of severe cold, temperatures will be moderating across much of the East and Midwest over the next five to seven days," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said, after a prolonged period when temperatures were 10-25 degrees below the historical average. However, there can still be some setbacks over the next couple of weeks, especially in the Midwest and Northeast, where brief outbreaks of Arctic air can occur. "There could be a substantial renewed push of Arctic air and lake-effect snow towards the end of the month for the Midwest and Northeast," Pydynowski said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each of the waves of cold air can be accompanied by rounds of snow showers that may reach well beyond the Great Lakes region. "This also looks like a relatively dry pattern with a dearth of any major storm threats for the Midwest and Northeast into the first half of next week," Pydynowski added. "A rainstorm sliding through the Southeast later this weekend to early next week may push moisture far enough north to give parts of the mid-Atlantic a brief snow chance sometime from Monday to Tuesday." GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Looking farther ahead into February, even more of a pattern change is possible. AccuWeather's long-range team of meteorologists, headed by Paul Pastelok, expects a colder, stormier pattern to set up more for the Northwest and northern Plains, with milder air for the Southern and Eastern states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same pattern in February could bring a couple of rounds of rain to wildfire-ravaged Southern California in addition to the rain forecast for the region this weekend. Depending on where the storm track sets up and residual cold air lingers, there could be some substantial mixed wintry precipitation events from the Midwest to the Northeast in February as overall warmer conditions will set up in the Southeast. This January has been substantially, if not shockingly, colder than January 2024 in much of the central and eastern U.S. Some of the biggest flips with temperatures have been across the Upper Midwest where there was very little to no ice on the Great Lakes last January. Temperatures in Minneapolis were nearly 6 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average last year. This year, temperatures thus far in January have been 5.3 degrees below the 30-year average. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last January was close to the historical average in Chicago, but the city is experiencing a similarly colder-than-average month this year. 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. A $4.3 million project to renovate and expand the iconic Paramount Theatre in Austin kicks off this week. The community's last chance to enjoy popcorn from the 1940s popcorn machine before it heads to the museum will be at the groundbreaking ceremony from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Austin Area Arts. The far-reaching renovation project, which is scheduled to wrap up in August, will improve accessibility for both patrons and performers at the venue, which was built in 1929. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spaces that will be brought up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards include restrooms, audience seating areas, stage accesses and dressing rooms. The project will add main floor bathrooms, accessible seating areas, transfer armrests on some aisle seats, an accessible route to the stage, and accessible dressing rooms and performer bathrooms, according to Austin Area Arts. The lobby area will also be expanded and new, larger theatre seats will be installed. Courtesy of Google Streetview. Performances will also get a major technical boost, as new lightening equipment and sound system upgrades are included in the plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project cost, expected to be $4,317,829, is almost entirely covered by a grant from the Hormel Foundation. Austin Area Arts' portion of the costs, roughly $648,000, is being raised in a $1.2 million capital campaign, which will also secure funding to pay off an existing mortgage and establish a maintenance and repair fund. So far, just under $560,000 has been raised towards the organization's $1.2 million goal. Learn more about the project on Austin Area Arts' website here. CHAMPION, Ohio (WKBN) The Champion Township Trustees unanimously voted Tuesday to place a 1.6 mill police levy on the May ballot. Its a 1.6 mill levy that would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $56 per year. Trustee Doug Emerine wanted to address the room about the $838,000 owed in back taxes. He said roughly $157,000 of that would actually come to Champion Township with about $40,000 of that going to the police department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If for some reason, all those taxes were paid tomorrow in entirety, we would still be sitting before you tonight explaining this levy to you, Emerine said. Emerine says that of the current levies to support the police department, 82 percent of the money goes to manpower. It leaves us with roughly 18 percent of the tax that we receive right now, to give you cruisers, pay for fuel, maintenance, electric, stationary, he said. Emerine went on to address a rumor about a new police station. There is no plan to build a police station so all that stuff about another police building, no. Were just trying to keep the department afloat, to keep your officers working for you, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once again, if anyone wants to see these numbers, feel free. Ask. We will supply you with the facts, true facts, not speculation, Emerine said. The township does plan on holding information meetings going forward. 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 WKBN.com. Jan. 22Chandler Unified School District is open to fully embracing technology in an effort to keep students safe, including possibly installing metal detectors at its six high schools. The district is currently running a pilot program using digital hall passes and presented the idea of giving each teacher a panic button. Ken James, the executive director of junior high schools, alternative education and safety programs for the district, went over those options during a Governing Board study session on school resource officers and security at the Jan. 15 meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement District officials were asked if the presentation was just a point of interest or if the district was seriously considering putting metal detectors in its high schools. Assistant Superintendent (PreK-12 schools) Michael De La Torre said it was open for discussion. The cost of doing so would be about $1.5 million. Each detector set costs between $18,000 to $20,000. James said they would need four sets for each of CUSD's six high schools. So that cost would be around $480,000. Then the schools would need the staff to monitor the machines. They would need two security guards and one administrator for each set. The cost of that personnel for the 180 days of school would be just over $976,000. "Some districts are starting to utilize metal detectors," James said. "We're hearing pros and cons on it from a few districts around us." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The members of the governing board did not discuss their views on putting metal detectors in schools. Ultimately, it would be their decision. Santan Junior High is running the digital hall pass pilot program. So far, James said, it's working well. Each student can request a hall pass on their computer. The teacher sees the request and can decide upon it. If approved, the student can leave the class to go to an assigned bathroom. Monitors have a list on their computers of which students have hall passes. They can also see how long a student has been away from their classroom and which bathroom they can use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James said they can also deny a pass to students who tend to request passes at the same time that they know usually hang out together. "The intent is to really begin to implement this at all of our campuses come the fall," De La Torre said. "It allows us to track where students are going. ... It gives us a digital record of how often kids are getting out of class." James said one thing they've learned from the pilot program is that students are staying in class longer. "What Santan is finding out, since they're piloting that, students aren't asking to go to the restroom as much, or asking to leave the classroom because they feel like they're being watched." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another idea James offered were new staff badges that come equipped with a panic button. "Anybody can push that button," James said. "It notifies the administrator or security, and some of them will notify police and/or fire." James went over some of the other security measures that have already been added to schools, including SARA (Single Access Reception Areas) Ports and cameras installed that are monitored daily. "We have security guards that will monitor the cameras the whole time, all day long," James said. "Do we have enough cameras to cover all parts of the campus?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite all the new technology, James said the key to keeping people safe is still people. He said that is why it's important for school resource officers (SROs) to develop relationships with students. CUSD has SROs at all of its high schools and junior highs. That cost is paid for with grants from the Arizona Department of Education. James stressed one of the best safety measures schools can take it to keep all classrooms locked, something CUSD has been doing. He said they have security personnel go out to the campuses and check occasionally to make sure teachers are keeping their classrooms locked. "I've been to three different conferences on school security and school safety, and in almost every session this is the one safety measure that everybody mentions, this can be the most important safety measure at a school, is lock those classroom doors." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other news from the Jan. 15 meeting, the Governing Board elected Patti Serrano to be its president for 2025 on a 4-1 vote. New board member Ryan Heap voted against that. Barb Mozdzen was elected vice president on a 3-2 vote, with Kurt Rohrs and Heap casting the opposition votes. Governor DeWine announced that Washington and Monroe Counties are the first in the state to fully implement Next Generation 911, according to a press release. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Next Generation 911 (NG911) is meant to improve emergency response times and save lives, according to the release. DeWine made the program a priority in his 2025 Executive Budget, the release said. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every second counts when we are talking about saving lives, said Governor DeWine. Next Generation 9-1-1 makes emergency services more efficient, especially in the rural areas of Ohio where it is critical to have strong and reliable communication infrastructure. NG911 uses advanced communications when calling for emergency services and is more efficient because it reduces the number of transfers between 911 call centers due to the precise identification of location using cell phones, according to the release. Eight more counties will be joining Washington and Monroe in NG911. The release lists Athens, Carroll, Champaign, Columbiana, Hardin, Harrison, Morgan and Union counties as joining NG911. Around $46 million of the states 2024-2025 budget is going to NG911, the release says. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) The Lancaster Rec Center is getting ready to undergo some changes. Our whole purpose is to serve residents in the community, said Heather Dighe, the Executive Director of Lancaster Rec. We love to provide programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school age kids, seniors in the community, and everyone of all ages, really. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe Now Morning Weather Forecast Dighe tells abc27 News there has been a lack of space for those programs at the current rec center so they have to move into the former Price Elementary school. Its a really unique proposition, actually, that this land here for this building is more advantageous for the school district to build on, she said. And so, weve done this kind of creative process of swapping the properties where theyll demolish this building and build a new Price Elementary school here. Before any moving or demolishing, the Lancaster Recreation Commission is looking to get some insight from people living in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a good way to have some community interaction, said Derrick Burch, a Lancaster City native. Its not just the rec center, but its a community hub. Burch grew up going to Price Elementary and is excited to see whats to come! Dighe says they would like to see the new Price Elementary school and rec center up and running within the next two years. If you missed this community meeting, the next one is scheduled for Thursday January 30th. 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 ABC27. Charlottes Metropolitan Transit Commission is set to meet at 11 a.m. on Wednesday to discuss the future of transit lines if a proposed sales tax increase passes. Will Charlotte get a transit referendum in 2025? Commissioner Leigh Altman says were expected to learn how much routes like the Red Line and Silver Line will cost. Charlotte is hoping for the referendum in 2025 but needs the general assemblys permission to put it on the ballot. VIDEO: City asks state lawmakers for ability to raise taxes for transit projects A new, relatively cheap precision-guided air-launched stand-off munition the U.S. Air Force is working on could be employed against ships with the help of seeker technology from the services Quicksink program. The Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM), under development primarily for Ukraine, is otherwise shaping up to be a highly modular design, variants of which could be optimized for use against other target types. The Stand-In Strike Division of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Centers Armament Directorate, based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, provided new details about ERAM, including plans to leverage work done under Quicksink, in a recent contracting notice. Plans for ERAM first emerged in January 2024. In addition to Ukraine, NATO allies Denmark and the Netherlands are also known to be involved in the program. Artwork the US Air Force has put out in the past depicting a general notional missile design. The service has not yet offered a look at the baseline ERAM design. USAF Artwork the US Air Force has put out in the past depicting a general notional missile design. USAF The Air Force is seeking support to procure ERAM hardware capability (GPS receivers, seekers, navigation units, radio solutions, datalink, or other capabilities to add operational capabilities to the weapon). The ERAM program is currently executing an Other Transaction Authority (OTA), the contracting notice explains. The OTA will conclude with a Phase 2 development option, a full rate production OTA, and potential future development for additional capabilities. This request will support these future opportunities for the USAF to procure ERAM baseline configuration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OTA is a Pentagon contracting mechanism intended to support rapid prototyping and other research development work without having to go through more traditional and often more drawn-out contracting processes. Future ERAM phases will incorporate various seekers, payloads, and capabilities to enhance performance in GPS-denied areas and or to produce ERAM variants to achieve disruptive effects when launched, the notice adds. Equipment, interfaces, prototypes, engineering support, digital model integration support, and support documentation will be necessary to integrate these capabilities. In line with this, the Air Force is now looking to get potential pricing and schedule for 10 BAE prototypes of the QuickSink seeker in a form factor to support ERAM integration and engineering efforts. As TWZ has previously reported, the Quicksink seeker that has been developed and tested already on a modified 2,000-pound-class GBU-31/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision-guided bomb is a dual-mode design. It features a radar seeker and an imaging infrared (IIR) camera. The Quicksink JDAM uses its existing GPS-assisted inertial navigation system (INS) guidance package to get to a designated target area first. Once there, the weapon switches over to the seeker, which uses its two components to find and categorize the target by checking its length against a detailed internal reference database. The seeker also provides a velocity vector for the target and course corrects the munitions flight path so that it hits the water right next to it before exploding below the waterline for maximum damage. The combination of radar and IIR offers valuable targeting flexibility in all weather conditions. IIR cameras are also immune to radiofrequency electronic warfare jamming and provides enhanced target descrimination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Quicksink seeker itself was designed with a high degree of modularity leveraging plug-and-play architecture to allow for the relatively rapid integration of new and improved functionality in the future, as well as to help keep costs down. The Air Force has said in the past that the initial examples of the seeker cost around $200,000 each, but that it was hoping to drive that unit down to at least $50,000. A model of the Quicksink seeker. Joseph Trevithick TWZ has noted in the past how the Quicksink seeker, or elements thereof, might be adaptable to other munitions, offering a relatively low-effort pathway for add-on anti-ship capability. What changes might be needed to integrate the seeker onto ERAM are unknown. The recent contracting notice also names three other subsystems for potential inclusion on ERAM Marshall Deck of Cards (Marshall DoC), Shepherd, and FALCO more specific details do not appear to be readily available. As with the Quicksink Seeker, mention is made of BAE in relation to these other systems, which looks to be a reference to defense contractor BAE Systems. The Marshall DoC system is also described as the top priority for integration with the ERAM weapon and appears to be particularly operationally sensitive with an explicit additional demand for a potential anti-tamper solution to establish root of trust and protect [its] software from exploitation and or battlefield loss. TWZ has reached out to the Air Force and BAE for more information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details about the baseline ERAM configuration are still limited. In a previous contracting notice, the Air Force laid out requirements for a 500-pound-class precision munition with a range of up to 250 miles while flying at a speed of at least Mach 0.6. The weapon also has to use an INS-based guidance package capable of operating in a GPS degraded environment and that offers terminal Accuracy of CEP 50 w/in 10m (the ability to impact within 10 meters, or around 33 feet, of a specified point at least 50 percent of the time) in both in non-EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) and high EMI environments (includes GPS degraded). Regardless, pairing ERAM with the Quicksink seeker technology makes good sense, both for Ukraine and any other future users of the munition. The Air Force initiated Quicksink as a means to rapidly and cheaply increase its ability to launch aerial anti-ship attacks, to begin with. ERAM offers a way to then also extend the reach of that capability, helping keep launch platforms just that much further away from air defense threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Ukraine, ERAMs configured to strike targets at sea or on land would just offer a valuable new source of lower-cost air-launched precision-guided munitions. Its not hard to foresee additional interest in a munition of this kind for the same reason coming from the armed forces of other countries, including the U.S. military, either. In January 2024, the U.S. Navy put forward its own requirements for a Multi-Mission Affordable Capacity Effector (MACE), a lower-cost anti-ship missile that would also be small enough to fit inside the internal weapon bays on at least some variants of the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. ERAM and MACE are just some of a number of known U.S. military projects currently exploring options for new longer-ranged precision-guided munitions that are also relatively low-cost and easy to produce at scale. Interest in types with anti-ship capability is particularly acute given the pricey slate of available air-launched options available to Americas armed forces, including variants and derivatives of the AGM-84 Harpoon (including the Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response, or SLAM-ER), the Joint Strike Missile (JSM), and the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). The unit price of the main LRASM variant currently in production, the AGM-158C-1, is around $3 million. A munition like ERAM would be shorter-ranged and have less advanced capabilities than LRASM, but a large stockpile of them could also help commanders keep more capable weapons in reserve for more heavily defended and otherwise challenging targets. Work now on projects like ERAM follows years of similar efforts and is being driven heavily by the expected demands of a future high-end fight. Especially in the opening phases of a potential major conflict in the Pacific with China, American forces would be called upon to prosecute tens of thousands of targets across a broad and highly-contested battlespace. There would then be a need to conduct sustained strike operations afterward, which would demand a steady pipeline of additional munitions. Many of Americas allies and partners are planning around similar operational requirements. For the U.S. military, lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, as well as ongoing operations around the Middle East, have highlighted concerns about existing stockpiles of key munitions and the ability to replenish them. Much remains to be learned just about ERAMs baseline design, but we now know the Air Force at least plans to explore an anti-ship configuration taking advantage of the seeker from the Quicksink program. Contact the author: joe@twz.com BALTIMORE State Senate President Bill Ferguson doubled down on his support Monday of the law that could leave Maryland liable for $3.1 billion in settlement payments to survivors of child sexual abuse despite the states massive budget deficit. I think that we understood that there could be a cost, Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, said Tuesday. I think the victims in these cases have borne this cost for years and decades, and so we have to find some way to compensate for those pains and do it in a way that is practical for the state that is real and its going to cost money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Child Victims Act, which removed the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse survivors to file civil lawsuits against those responsible. The state could be on the hook for paying out up to $890,000 per occurrence of abuse. The constitutionality of the law is currently being challenged in the Maryland Supreme Court. At a joint fiscal briefing of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on Monday, Department of Legislative Services fiscal analyst David Romans said that, to date, approximately 3,500 claims have been brought under the law. The majority of plaintiffs were housed in Department of Juvenile Services facilities, some dating back as far back as the 1960s. Ferguson said Tuesday that the more than 3,000 victims the state could be liable for paying restitution to is not the full scope of cases that were filed, but rather those who had a reasonable claim of at least an instance of sexual abuse against them when they were children in the custody of the state of Maryland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State lawmakers are beginning to dig into Gov. Wes Moores budget proposal, which seeks to close a $2.7 billion gap. Romans told legislators Monday that nothing is earmarked for pending settlement payments under the Child Victims Act. Attorney General Anthony Browns office has hired outside counsel to negotiate with the plaintiffs attorneys to devise a sustainable way to pay them as settlement negotiations continue. This is a potentially enormous liability for the state, Romans said. However, it is very possible that there will be a settlement reached before the end of session, and you all may be asked to find the money to make the first settlement payment, which could very easily be hundreds of millions of dollars. According to Ferguson, lawmakers were warned at the time the bill was passed that increasing the payment caps and removing the statute of limitations to report instances of abuse could cause financial problems for the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked if they acted too quickly to enact the law, he said, Whats the cost of a young person whos been repeatedly violated sexually when in the custody of the state? Kathleen Hoke, a University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law professor, said that because the constitutionality of the case is still pending in the courts, no cases have been tried under this law. She also questions the feasibility of survivors being able to prove to a jury that abuse happened decades ago. I think any projection for any claim thats made is going to be validated is a bit high, she told The Baltimore Sun in an interview. Regarding the burden that may be placed on Maryland taxpayers, Ferguson said that the sad reality is that taxpayer dollars, in some cases, unintentionally funded the abuse, pointing to the number of the survivors who say they were under the care of the Department of Juvenile Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We spent many years warehousing children in facilities in which, now, today, the chickens have come home to roost, he said. These are very real costs associated with very real, horrific scenarios of whats happened to young people who have been violated when in state custody, and we have to figure out a way to make it right. _____ ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Wednesday welcomed the release of the Galaxy Leader vessel's crew, who had been held by Yemen's Houthi group for over a year. The Houthi group announced the release of the 25 crew members earlier in the day, saying the move was coordinated with Hamas and mediated by Oman as part of broader support for the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi directed their release, after they had been held since the capture of their vessel in November 2023. "The release of the Galaxy Leader crew is heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and separation that they and their families endured for more than a year," Grundberg stated, urging the Houthis to "continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks." The envoy specifically commended Oman for its "determined and tireless efforts" in securing the crew's release. The crew's detention began when Houthi fighters boarded the vessel via military helicopter in international waters off Yemen's Hodeidah port on Nov. 19, 2023. While the crew has been freed, the vessel remains in Houthi custody at Hodeidah port. Since November 2023, the Houthi group has conducted over 100 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, significantly disrupting international shipping. While they suspended attacks on Israeli cities following the January 19 ceasefire implementation, they maintain their stance on targeting vessels with Israeli connections. The group has warned Western nations that military strikes against their positions would prompt retaliation against commercial vessels, forcing many shipping companies to reroute around Africa's southern cape, resulting in significant losses for Suez Canal revenues. The Houthi group has controlled much of northern Yemen, including Hodeidah, since the outbreak of civil war in 2014. Initiatives to help children from increased education funding to making oversight changes to the state Children, Youth and Families Department were a major theme of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams State of the State address Tuesday. Lets double down on our achievements, and lets expand their reach, Lujan Grisham challenged lawmakers at the conclusion of her 50-minute speech. The governors proposals include universal child care funding, exempting foster families and grandparents raising grandchildren from personal income tax and increasing their monthly stipend by $900 and helping people priced out of housing by spending $50 million on development subsidies. Lujan Grisham also proposed reforms to CYFD, including partnering with an independent, outside expert on child welfare and foster care to provide oversight of the beleaguered child welfare agency, an idea similar to what some lawmakers have been demanding for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anything we can do to get everybody on the same page with us and move this agency forward is going to be a huge win for the kids of New Mexico, CYFD Secretary Teresa Casados said in a brief interview after the speech. Were not afraid to try things that are going to work for kids, she added. Gallery: First day of the 2025 legislative session A look inside the first day of the 2025 legislative session, including the State of the State address. Noticeably missing from the governors speech was any mention of Republican President Donald Trump, who was sworn into the day before and who she called dangerous during the run-up to the election. She also didnt mention immigration or border security, or any gun control measures other than a proposal to raise penalties on felons who possess guns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, said he suspects Lujan Grisham, a Democrat serving her second and final term in office, is trying to curry favor with Republicans. The governor appears to be courting Republican support for her agenda, and offending us the day after we just took America back with President Trump could blow back in her face, he said. 012125_GC_OpeningDay02rgb.jpg Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is escorted onto the floor for her speech by Richard Sena, sergeant-at-arms for the House. Lets double down on our achievements, and lets expand their reach, Lujan Grisham challenged lawmakers at the conclusion of her 50-minute State of the State address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael Coleman, the governors chief spokesman, said Lujan Grisham wont shy away from important issues during the session. Today, the governor was focused on articulating her specific vision for New Mexico over the next year and beyond, he said. These other issues are certainly important to her, and in the days and weeks ahead, shell engage on them as necessary to protect the best interests of New Mexicans. Some very worthy goals The State of the State address, an annual occasion filled with pomp and circumstance, drew an overflow crowd. Cabinet secretaries and other members of the governors executive team took up about half of the House gallery seating usually reserved for the public, as well as a slew of dignitaries including former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland officials elected to statewide office, tribal governors, judges and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor highlighted New Mexicos progress over the last six years during her tenure in office, from establishing a first-in-the-nation constitutional right to child care, universal pre-K and then free college for any resident who wants it. These efforts are an unprecedented commitment to New Mexicos young people, she said. It will pay dividends for generations to come. Because of the states investment in free child care, more than 30,000 New Mexico children are getting the support they and their parents need to succeed in their education and careers, she said. Were close poquito close to realizing truly universal child care in New Mexico, but we are not there yet, and thats why Im calling on this Legislature to finish the job. For $205 million more, we can make that promise free child care real for every single New Mexico family. Lets become the first state in America to give every child the start they deserve with universal access to high-quality child care today and for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor devoted much of her speech to child welfare as well as public safety and behavioral health, issues lawmakers plan to prioritize in the first 30 days of the session. 012125_GC_OpeningDay03rgb.jpg Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham gestures to guests in the crowd as she delivers her State of the State address Tuesday. The event drew an overflow crowd, with Cabinet secretaries and other members of the governor's executive team taking up about half of the House gallery seating usually reserved for the public, as well as a slew of dignitaries, officials elected to statewide office, tribal governors, judges and others. The violent crime rate in New Mexico is twice the national average, Lujan Grisham said. Addiction is rampant, and we are all clearly, all of us, struggling to protect New Mexicans from this madness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As she has in the past, the governor called for tougher penalties for felons in possession of a firearm. She also called on the Legislature to tighten sentencing for criminals who traffic deadly drugs like fentanyl, to compel human civil commitment for those who need treatment the most and to reform criminal competency laws that let too many dangerous people remain on the street. The governor proposed a new tax rebate to help businesses foot the cost of security personnel and equipment until we can get our crime epidemic under control. We have come so far together, but our crime problem destabilizes the very communities we seek to empower, she said. It threatens the very prosperity of our state in which we have invested so much. Rep. Jack Chatfield, R-Mosquero, said he appreciated how the governor devoted considerable time to public safety. During a special session the governor convened in July, Republican lawmakers supported many of Lujan Grishams anti-crime proposals. But the Democrat-controlled Legislature adjourned after five hours without taking up any of them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 012125_MGS_State of the State_001.JPG Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham enters the House chamber to deliver her annual State of the State address on Tuesday. The governor highlighted New Mexico's progress over the last six years during her tenure in office, from establishing a "first-in-the-nation constitutional right to child care, universal pre-K and then free college for any resident who wants it." I think theres some very worthy goals in there, Chatfield said. We are where we are because of some of the things that we havent done in the past. I think weve missed some magnificent chances in the past. We need to close the border. We need to stop the flow of drugs coming in. We need to invest in law enforcement. And those things I certainly support strongly, said Chatfield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of common ground Sen. Martin Hickey, D-Albuquerque, said he supports the governors focus on behavioral health. Its been a long time coming, and hopefully, we have the moxie to get it done, he said. A physician, Hickey also stressed the importance of keeping doctors in New Mexico. Among the proposals the governor brought up in her speech is a state-sponsored medical malpractice insurance program. Im also glad that she recognized that physicians are continuing to leave the state. People cannot get access to care, Hickey said. Putting some money there is great. But its only as a doctor treating the symptom. We have to address the disease thats causing the symptoms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some lawmakers contend payouts for lawsuits under the states medical malpractice law are driving doctors away amid escalating insurance costs. Insurance rates for doctors and health care providers shouldnt be higher here than they are in our neighboring states, and they most certainly shouldnt be twice the national average, the governor said during her speech. Lets create a health care landscape that attracts the best providers in the country right here. 012125_MGS_State of the State_003.JPG Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivers the State of the State address to members of the state Legislature on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said he appreciated how the governor focused on the states accomplishments and at the same time laid out what we need to do moving forward. It sets the stage for a lot of work coming up, he said. But again, going through the different priorities, I think there is a lot of common ground. Asked about Trumps inauguration, which was followed by a flurry of executive orders, Wirth said it certainly increases the importance of whats happening in New Mexico. I think citizens on both sides of the political spectrum want to see government work, Wirth said. Certainly, Im going to be focused on putting together an agenda thats bipartisan, that has lots of buy-in, but also being prepared to respond as things move quickly in Washington, which we certainly saw yesterday. CLANTON, Ala. (WIAT) Cold air continues to move across Alabama. Officials and residents are preparing for the winter weather. The Chilton County Commission said Tuesday it has not seen or heard of any icy or poor road conditions. The commission said it is prepared to deal with anything that may happen and encourages anyone traveling to do so with caution. Allen Williams, the commissions chairman, said the county has sand trucks and crews ready to deal with any weather that could be coming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre on standby, Williams said. If trees fall down, getting trees out of the road. Ice will break limbs. The sheriffs department they are always prepared. Williams said the county is keeping a close eye on bridges and looking out for black ice. If you do see a roadway that needs attention, Williams said you should call 911. It sends out an alert to everyone the road department, the sheriffs department and tells them we have found this issue, Williams said. Winter weather: Viewer photos & videos Williams said the cold weather has some concerned for Chilton Countys biggest industry: peach farming. The owner of Peach Park, Mark Gray, said there is no reason to be concerned. The cold weather is actually helping this years crop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, the trees are dormant, Gray said. So they need this cold, below 45-degree weather, so they can get their dormant hours. Right now, we have a lot of dormant hours, so its looking pretty good so far. With temperatures expected to stay below freezing, the city of Clanton has opened a warming center. Its located right behind in the basement of city hall and will be open 24 hours a day until temperatures rise. 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 CBS 42. (This Jan. 22 story has been corrected to fix the age of Wang Xing from 22 to 31 in paragraph 2) By Larissa Liao, Kevin Krolicki and Poppy McPherson BEIJING/BANGKOK (Reuters) - The abduction and cross-border rescue had all the makings of the kind of action script struggling Chinese actor Wang Xing had hoped to land only not as a reality star. Wang, 31, flew to Bangkok earlier this month after getting an unsolicited offer to join a film that was shooting in Thailand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was no movie. Instead, like hundreds of other Chinese men, Wang had been duped by a job offer that he later acknowledged appeared too good to be true, as part of a trap set by a criminal syndicate. Like others desperate for work, he was kidnapped and put to work in one of the online scam centres that operate just across the Thai border in Myanmar, according to his account and statements by police in China and Thailand. But unlike most trafficked Chinese whose families wait in quiet anguish, Wang had a powerful advocate back home. His girlfriend, who goes by the nickname Jiajia, broadcast details of Wang's abduction and started a social media campaign documenting her battle to get him back to China, picking up millions of followers and the support of Chinese celebrities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Wang was freed on Jan. 7 by Thai police, who said he had been found in Myanmar but gave few details about his release, frustrated families of other Chinese people still detained in the Myanmar scam centres began to post details of their own cases in an attempt to capitalise on the attention. Within days, the rare grassroots effort had collected the names of nearly 1,800 Chinese nationals that family members said had been trafficked into Myanmar from border areas of China and Thailand. Scam compounds, where workers are often treated brutally, have proliferated in Myanmar amid the chaos and widening civil war since the military seized power in a 2021 coup. The UN says hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked to scam centres in Southeast Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic in an industry that defrauds people across the globe and generates billions of dollars per year for organised crime groups, many of Chinese origin. The tally, which organisers said had been handed over to Chinese authorities, quickly became the most detailed census of Chinese victims of the syndicates that trap people into working online scams from towns like Myawaddy, on Myanmars border with Thailand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an unusual statement issued on Friday, China's Ministry of Public Security said it was making every effort to crack down on the scam compounds and rescue trafficked people." On Tuesday, China's state broadcaster said Beijing had reached a consensus with Thailand and Myanmar to arrest the syndicates' leaders and eradicate the scam centres. After a surge in crimes targeting Chinese citizens, Beijing initially moved in 2023 to combat the Myanmar fraud compounds, resulting in the arrest of tens of thousands of Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in the illicit business. That reflected China's approach to treat those trafficked primarily as suspects rather than victims, according to groups that fight human trafficking. Its difficult to get a confirmed number of Chinese people trafficked to scam compounds, said Mina Chiang, founder of the Humanity Research Consultancy, an anti human trafficking group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UNABLE TO FILE POLICE REPORTS Reuters spoke to family members of four people listed as disappeared in Myanmar and identified in the database, which drew its name from Wangs first name, Xing, or star. None would agree to be identified by full name for fear of angering authorities and slowing efforts to release the victims. Of the nearly 1,800 victims identified in the Star Homecoming campaign, about 93% are men. The average age is 27, with the vast majority between the ages of 15 and 45. Most of them told stories of economic hardship -- indebtedness, the struggle to make ends meet as gig economy workers, job loss in the construction industry amid a nationwide downturn -- that made them jump when the scam centres came calling. Chinese law does not consider men as potential victims of human trafficking, and about half the families said they had been unable to file a missing person report with local police, according to a Reuters analysis of the crowd-sourced spreadsheet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At first I wanted to file a police report, but they said missing persons reports were only for women and children, said one woman, whose 30-year-old husband disappeared after accepting what turned out to be a scam job offer because he needed to pay back debts. Another woman, the wife of a 22-year-old electrician who went missing, said Chinese police had told her they could not accept a report on his disappearance since he had been travelling with his passport. Several family members who posted details of men who had disappeared said they hoped the attention on the cases would force Chinas government to shift focus and bring trafficking victims home. Last week, when organisers shut down the spreadsheet from taking new names, Chinas foreign ministry called on other Southeast Asian nations to do more to crack down on fraud rings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back home, actor Wang publicly thanked China for freeing him. Separately, in a now deleted article in media outlet Renwu, he said he noticed a hair band his girlfriend Jiajia left in his luggage and worried he could never see her again. "She asked me to try to refuse the work offer halfway, but in the end I still went," said Wang. (Reporting by Larissa Liao in Beijing and Beijing Newsroom and Poppy McPherson in Bangkok; Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Kate Mayberry) A top Chinese envoy has visited Israel and Palestine, signalling Beijing's willingness to engage in regional affairs following the Gaza ceasefire, though observers cautioned that the results might be limited results given the close ties between the US and Israel. Zhai Jun, China's special envoy for Middle East affairs, visited Israel and the West Bank last week, meeting top officials including Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and Eden Bar-Tal, the Israeli foreign ministry's director general. It was Zhai's first visit to Israel and Palestine since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has not visited the area since the beginning of the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. During his meeting with Bar-Tal, Zhai said Beijing welcomed the ceasefire. He also emphasised the importance of the hostage release agreements. Zhai encouraged Israel and China to cooperate more following the ceasefire, particularly in the field of innovation. "China welcomes the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of hostages ... and hopes that the agreement will be earnestly implemented, leading to the safe release of hostages and a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza," he said. The ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas went into effect on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The innovative cooperation between China and Israel is characterised by complementary advantages and mutual benefits ... China sincerely hopes for the early cessation of regional conflicts to create favourable conditions for the development of exchanges and cooperation between China and Israel," Zhai added. In his discussions with Abbas, Zhai reiterated China's long-standing support for Palestine's national rights and its commitment to promoting reconciliation and a "two-state solution". "China will, as in the past, firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, support Palestine in achieving national reconciliation and strengthening unity ... and promote ... a solution to the question of Palestine based on the 'two-state solution'," he told Abbas, according to China's foreign ministry. Yan Wei, deputy director at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at China's Northwest University, said the visit reflected Beijing's focus on the recent ceasefire and its intent to be involved in post-war regional affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From the perspective of China's Middle East diplomacy, the Palestinian-Israeli issue has always been at the centre of the Middle East question," he said. "With the ceasefire agreement, it will push Beijing to think about the future of the Palestinian-Israeli issue, especially the future of the Gaza Strip." Yan said post-war efforts such as Gaza's reconstruction and possible actions by the United Nations in the region might require China's support, positioning Beijing as a potentially crucial player in the region. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (right) meets Chinese special envoy Zhai Jun. Photo: Handout alt=Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (right) meets Chinese special envoy Zhai Jun. Photo: Handout> Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beijing has become increasingly involved in Middle Eastern affairs beyond economic matters, particularly since brokering a historic deal to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023. Last year, 14 Palestinian factions - including Hamas and Fatah, Abbas' party - reached a preliminary reconciliation agreement in Beijing. However, James Dorsey, an adjunct senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies under Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, questioned the potential outcomes of China's engagement in Israel and Palestine. "I wouldn't attribute too much importance to [Zhai's visit]. That is to say, it is important for China, but it may be only important to China ... There is no reason to see [China-Israel] relations would become any better any time soon," Dorsey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He noted Israel was reluctant to improve ties with China due to its alignment with the United States. "There's some anticipation that there will be broader US backing for Israel, which would only mean that the differences with China become bigger," Dorsey added. While China has traditionally supported Palestinian nationhood and independence, its stance has grown more complex since establishing relations with Israel in 1992 and deepening its economic ties with the country. Notably, Beijing took a harsher tone towards Israel during the Gaza war, openly condemning Israel's occupation and civilian casualties. Yan agreed that China-Israeli ties were likely to be held back by the escalating US-China rivalry under US President Donald Trump - a staunch supporter of Israel - and Israel's increasingly right-wing politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The core issue constraining China-Israel relations is not Palestine, but the great game between China and the United States, because Israel is the most important ally of the United States in the Middle East," he said, adding that Trump's presidency would add more uncertainties to bilateral relations. However, Yan added that China still had things in its diplomatic "toolbox" that might be attractive to Israel, including its potential role in Gaza's reconstruction and its status as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. 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 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. China's relations are starting to improvewith Japan, India and other countries that former U.S. President Joe Biden courted, just as Donald Trump brings his more unilateralist approach back to the White House. The change of leadership in Washington on Monday could be an opportunity for China, which has long railed against Biden's strategy of building partnerships with like-minded countries aimed at countering its growing influence. Biden reinvigorated a grouping known as the Quad the United States, India, Japan and Australia. China's relations with all three of those U.S. partners are improving, as are its ties with Britain. The durability of Bidens legacy is now in question. During his first term, Trump didnt hesitate to challenge traditional U.S. partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is possible that Trump may drift away from U.S. allies, making them pay more attention to Chinas role and in fact it has provided a chance for Chinas diplomacy, said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. I think we should grasp the chance. But U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said that Trump has a record of rallying the world toward a more competitive stance with China. Trump agreed to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy that Japan introduced during his first term and backed excluding Chinese companies from telecom networks in the U.S. and many of its partners. And on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hours after he was sworn in met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan in Washington, a move that suggested engaging the Quad countries and countering Chinas influence will remain a priority for Trump. China's fence-mending has limits Beijing's rapprochement with the U.K. and Japan is in its early stages, and major differences remain that limit and could derail it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India turned the page with China on a bitter border dispute last October, but protested when Beijing created two new counties in an area claimed by both nations. Still, new leaders in Australia, the U.K. and Japan have shown a desire to warm relations with China, the world's largest manufacturer and a source of strategic minerals. The government in Beijing has reciprocated in part because it wants foreign investment to help revive its economy, which could be set back if Trump follows through on a threat to impose higher tariffs. Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Council President Antonio Costa in a phone conversation last week that both sides could bring more stability and certainty to the turbulent global situation. China and Britain restarted economic and financial talks after a six-year hiatus when the U.K. Treasury chief visited Beijing this month. From Chinas point of view, improving relations with American allies and increasing economic cooperation will offset the shock to China-U.S. economic relations, Wu said. Trump's statements agitate U.S. allies In Washington, theres a strong bipartisan consensus that the U.S. must prevail in its economic and tech rivalry with China to maintain its global leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his confirmation hearing, Rubio called China the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted. Biden kept the tariffs Trump levied on China and imposed more on Chinese electric cars and solar cells. But unlike Biden, Trump has irked U.S. allies and partners with his recent remarks on possibly annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and making Canada the 51st American state. Hal Brands, senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute, said he believes some top strategists in Beijing are salivating at the damage they think Trump is going to do to U.S. alliances and the opportunities this creates for Beijing to resurrect some of its relationships with other advanced democracies Japan and Europe that had moved in a very sharply anti-China direction since COVID. Trump's rhetoric, and attempts by his adviser Elon Musk to interfere in British and German politics, are certain to have a ripple effect, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Countries want to at the minimum keep their options open," she said. China is unlikely to be a better choice than the U.S., even under Trump, but it is important to find some counterbalance. The Philippines isn't mending fences Chinas relations arent improving with every U.S. partner. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has aggressively resisted Chinas increasingly assertive stance in their territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines complained recently about what it called a monster Chinese coast guard ship in nearby waters, and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines said last week they would convey to Trump the urgent need for the U.S. to remain engaged in the region. Uncertainty about Trump's policies is prompting both China and Japan to seek a stable relationship, said Taizo Miyagi, an expert on Japanese diplomacy at Chuo University in Tokyo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Japanese foreign minister visited Beijing last month for the first time in seven years, and Chinese military officials visited Tokyo last week to resume defense exchanges after a five-year hiatus. In a way it is a Trump effect, Miyagi said. Many other countries are likely thinking the same and this could invigorate their diplomatic activities. Britain steers a new course with China British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to rebuild ties with Beijing since his Labour Partys election victory last summer. It's a marked shift from predecessor Rishi Sunak, who in 2022 declared an end to his country's golden era of friendship with China. In Britain's case, Trump's return may not be driving the rapprochement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many European leaders may not welcome Trump's America-first agenda, "but the idea that as a result they will all kowtow to Beijing for more trade is fanciful thinking on the part of some of our Chinese friends, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. Most would prefer to remain partners with Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron, outlining his vision for global diplomacy in a New Years speech, declared that his country was a solid ally of Trump. He and others hope that Trump will respond positively to their outreach. Much will depend on what path the returning U.S. president takes, and how the rest of the world reacts. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com (Bloomberg) -- In 2017, weeks after Donald Trumps first presidential election victory, Xi Jinping became the first Chinese head of state to address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland winning applause as he inveighed against protectionism and declared that a trade war would hurt both sides. Most Read from Bloomberg This time around, Chinas presence at the annual Alpine confab of political, business and financial leaders is well toned down in the wake of Trumps return to the White House. The nations top official at the forum is a vice premier, Ding Xuexiang. And in contrast with Xis sweeping language five years ago, Ding struck a conciliatory tone, vowing to rebalance trade an acknowledgment of a key concern for Trump by promising to import more competitive, quality products and services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The representation is also a downgrade from last year, when Xis top lieutenant, Premier Li Qiang, made the trek to Davos to assure the global elite that Chinas economic stewardship of the worlds second-biggest economy would ensure that its 5% growth target would be reached. This years gathering comes as Beijing awaits a full picture of the Trump administrations plans for bilateral ties. An apparent reprieve from the US leaders highly anticipated tariff rollout lasted some 24 hours before he warned that a 10% levy could be imposed on China as soon as Feb 1. The new presidents threats so far have targeted Americas top four trading partners: Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union. It was inevitable that China would wish to play a lower key role, because they simply could not know what the outcome of the election was going to be, said John Quelch, executive vice-chancellor of Suzhou, Chinas Duke Kunshan University. Attending his 11th WEF at Davos, Quelch noted Chinese government and business presence this year was subdued on public-facing platforms such as panels. Indeed, as companies with globally recognized names unveiled large shop-front banners and logos up and down the promenade at Davos at the opening of the forum, there was one well-known firm that remained hard to spot, shielded behind a vast white awning: TikTok, the social media giant owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., which now has a question mark hanging over its US operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One TikTok staff member welcomed visitors to the firms stand. But its somewhat out-of-sight status underscored a muted presence that amounted to one of two key takeaways for one executive attending the forum. The second: a contingent of delegates rethinking how to approach business with the Asian nation as it enters a period of slower growth and geopolitical tensions. Despite the sobering reality check, theres a realization that China cannot just be ignored, said the executive, who didnt wish to be identified discussing private conversations. Another Davos attendee similarly noted that the Chinese delegation appeared less visible than in previous years. Neither had any plans to meet with officials, but both said that behind-the-scenes engagement between Chinese private enterprises and global firms remained active this year. Uncertainty over what to expect from Trump was reflected in public discussions during the opening days of the forum. Vice Premier Ding, speaking before the US President leveled his latest 10% tariff threat, warned against protectionism and trade wars, though he didnt single out the US by name. Ding also recalled a Chinese proverb that what a man says and does tells you who he is, saying that China is a responsible major country and firm defender and builder of the international order. That saying was reiterated by former Peoples Bank of China Deputy Governor Zhu Min, who told Bloomberg TV it was necessary to wait and see what Trump does. You never know. For Trump, the unpredictability is the key issue, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davos delegates struggled to agree over even the broad direction for US-China ties in Trumps second term. Eurasia Groups Ian Bremmer firmly disagreed with an assessment from Graham Allison of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government that relations would surprise to the upside by this time next year. Allison argued that its even hard to classify Trump as a hawk. While Chinas presence was downgraded, the governments soft-power charm offensive was still on show this week. An evening reception hosted by officials from the northern city of Tianjin drew hundreds of delegates with lengthy queues to try local foods like noodles with fermented soybean sauce and fried egg-stuffed pancakes. The offerings were so irresistible at a forum where tight schedules and hard-to-book venues mean dining opportunities can be scarce that Ukraines First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and her aides were among the last to leave as they enjoyed several rounds of pork dumplings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Ben Stupples. (Updates with details on Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. A previous version of this story corrected the spelling of Davos.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. BEIJING (AP) China's relations are starting to improve with Japan, India and other countries that former U.S. President Joe Biden courted, just as Donald Trump brings his more unilateralist approach back to the White House. The change of leadership in Washington on Monday could be an opportunity for China, which has long railed against Biden's strategy of building partnerships with like-minded countries to counter its growing influence. Biden reinvigorated a grouping known as the Quad the United States, India, Japan and Australia. China's relations with all three of those U.S. partners are improving, as are its ties with Britain. The durability of Bidens legacy is now in question. During his first term, Trump didnt hesitate to challenge traditional U.S. partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is possible that Trump may drift away from U.S. allies, making them pay more attention to Chinas role, and in fact it has provided a chance for Chinas diplomacy, said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. I think we should grasp the chance. But U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said that Trump has a record of rallying the world toward a more competitive stance with China. Trump agreed to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy that Japan introduced during his first term and he backed excluding Chinese companies from telecom networks in the U.S. and many of its partners. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hours after he was sworn in met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan in Washington, a move that suggested engaging the Quad countries and countering Chinas influence will remain a priority for Trump. Fence-mending with China has limits Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beijing's rapprochement with the U.K. and Japan is in its early stages, and major differences remain that limit and could derail it. India turned the page with China on a bitter border dispute last October, but protested when Beijing created two new counties in an area claimed by both nations. Still, new leaders in Australia, the U.K. and Japan have shown a desire to warm relations with China, the world's largest manufacturer and a source of strategic minerals. The government in Beijing has reciprocated in part because it wants foreign investment to help revive its economy, which could be set back if Trump follows through on a threat to impose higher tariffs. Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Council President Antonio Costa in a phone conversation last week that both sides could bring more stability and certainty to the turbulent global situation. China and Britain restarted economic and financial talks after a six-year hiatus when the U.K. Treasury chief visited Beijing this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Chinas point of view, improving relations with American allies and increasing economic cooperation will offset the shock to China-U.S. economic relations, Wu said. Trump's statements agitate U.S. allies In Washington, theres a strong bipartisan consensus that the U.S. must prevail in its economic and tech rivalry with China to maintain its global leadership. During his confirmation hearing, Rubio called China the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted. Biden kept the tariffs Trump levied on China and imposed more on Chinese electric cars and solar cells. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But unlike Biden, Trump has irked U.S. allies and partners with his recent remarks on possibly annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and making Canada the 51st American state. Hal Brands, senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute, said he believes some top strategists in Beijing are salivating at the damage they think Trump is going to do to U.S. alliances and the opportunities this creates for Beijing to resurrect some of its relationships with ... Japan and Europe that had moved in a very sharply anti-China direction since COVID. Trump's rhetoric and attempts by adviser Elon Musk to interfere in British and German politics, are certain to have a ripple effect, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington. Countries want to at the minimum keep their options open," she said. China is unlikely to be a better choice than the U.S., even under Trump, but it is important to find some counterbalance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Philippines isn't mending fences Chinas relations arent improving with every U.S. partner. The Philippines complained recently about what it called a monster Chinese coast guard ship in nearby waters, and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines said last week they would convey to Trump the urgent need for the U.S. to remain engaged in the region. China and the Philippines did reach a temporary deal last July that has prevented further violent confrontations around Second Thomas Shoal, one of several outcroppings that both countries claim in the South China Sea. Uncertainty about Trump's policies is prompting both China and Japan to seek a stable relationship, said Taizo Miyagi, an expert on Japanese diplomacy at Chuo University in Tokyo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Japanese foreign minister has visited Beijing for the first time in seven years, and Chinese military officials were in Tokyo last week to resume defense exchanges after a five-year hiatus. In a way it is a Trump effect, Miyagi said. Many other countries are likely thinking the same and this could invigorate their diplomatic activities. Britain steers a new course with China British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to rebuild ties with Beijing since his Labour Partys election victory last summer. It's a marked shift from predecessor Rishi Sunak, who in 2022 declared an end to his country's golden era of friendship with China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Britain's case, Trump's return may not be driving the rapprochement. Many European leaders may not welcome Trump's America-first agenda, "but the idea that as a result they will all kowtow to Beijing for more trade is fanciful thinking on the part of some of our Chinese friends, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. Most would prefer to remain partners with Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron, outlining his vision for global diplomacy in a New Years speech, declared that his country was a solid ally of Trump. He and others hope that Trump will respond positively to their outreach. Much will depend on what path the returning U.S. president takes, and how the rest of the world reacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ Tang reported from Washington. Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and writers Ashok Sharma in New Delhi, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Sylvia Hui in London and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) China's navy has commissioned a new-generation frigate as competition rises with the U.S. and other regional powers, saying the ship will play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness" of its forces. China already has the world's largest navy in terms of number of hulls, although its technology is sometimes seen as lagging. Its largest competitor, the U.S., has warned its Navy could be outnumbered and has called for a building program as well as reforms to put damaged ships into action sooner. China's Peoples Liberation Army Navy operates mainly in waters off the Chinese east coast and in the huge and strategically crucial South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. A key mission also remains backing up the army in any attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the Chinese coast that Beijing has vowed to annex by force if necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first Type 054B frigate, christened the Luohe, was commissioned Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLANs northern fleet is based. The ship has a displacement of approximately 5,000 tons and includes stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integration, significantly enhancing overall performance, the navy said. With strong capabilities for comprehensive combat operations and diverse military missions, the warship will play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness of naval task forces, it added. The Luohe's armaments include a variety of machine guns for close combat and anti-air and anti-ship missiles, according to defense publications, some of which say the ship could become the backbone of the Chinese navy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement said nothing about future 054Bs, but at least two more are believed to have been launched and another is under construction. China has around 234 warships compared to the U.S. Navys 219, including around 50 frigates and the same number of destroyers. China has two operating aircraft carriers and another undergoing sea trials, along with a massive and powerful coast guard. Recent wargames have shown China would lose many more vessels in a simulated clash with the U.S., but would be able to absorb the losses and continue fighting. The PLAN has also sent ships further abroad including the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean in its attempts to use its navy as an extension of its growing economic and diplomatic clout. PLAN and Chinese coast guard ships have also patrolled in the East China Sea, where China claims a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan. While planes and ships from both sides have come into contact, no shots have been fired during such incidents. The U.S. and other nations have deliberately sailed close to islands, some of them human-made, to challenge China's claim to them. Beijing has ignored a U.N.-backed court's ruling that threw out most of China's territorial claims. This is an adapted excerpt from the Jan. 21 episode of "All In with Chris Hayes." The first full week of Donald Trumps second term is coming to a close and, until this moment, the U.S. president explicitly directing prosecutors to drop cases would be an administration-consuming scandal and for good reason. That was the core of the degradation of the rule of law embodied in the Watergate scandal. The president of the United States attempted to wield the Justice Department as a personal tool for corrupt and abusive ends. It ended Richard Nixons presidency and permanently tarnished his reputation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is starting his second term by doing just that and he's not trying to hide it. According to a tally by reporter Brad Heath from Reuters, the Justice Department has now dropped more than 300 pending cases related to Jan. 6. simply because Trump told them to. I want you to think about this precedent for a moment: Lets say your elderly father was ripped off along with thousands of others by a scammer, only for the scammer to finally be indicted by a local U.S. attorney. The precedent being set here is that no matter the harm caused or evidence of criminality, if that scammer is a Trump supporter, or a donor or an associate, the president can just order the DOJ to drop the case. Imagine any federal crime, up to the most violent: That same precedent now hangs over those too. Trump, of course, also pardoned the Jan. 6 participants who had already been convicted, about 1,500 in total. That includes people who violently beat police officers defending the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aquilino Gonell, a former sergeant of the Capitol Police, was one of the police officers attacked that day. After Trump announced those pardons on Monday, Gonells phone started blowing up. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has a system in which crime victims and witnesses are notified when a person they were harmed by or testified against is released from prison. Gonell posted screenshots on social media that showed his phone log full of calls notifying him that prisoners against whom he had testified or who assaulted him were now out free. Another officer, Michael Fanone, was in court on Tuesday, seeking protective orders against the five men who assaulted him during the riot and who will now walk free. Among those who were released from prison were members of the far-right, armed groups the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, who were convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy for their role in plotting the Jan. 6 attack. One of them, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the spring of 2023. He is now a free man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think Trump did the right thing, Rhodes told reporters. President Trump did the right thing, and letting these guys out, pardoning them because they did not get a fair trial. Thats not on him, thats on the DOJ. You run a fair system and run fair trials. Rhodes was found guilty by a jury of his peers. But none of that seems to matter now. And so here we are, almost at the end of the first full week of Trumps presidency, and it is clear as ever that this is the culmination of a yearslong political project by the president. Jan. 6 isnt some side thing. It wasnt a moment when Trump was weak and he got carried away. Its the pinnacle of the project, which is a frontal assault on American democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps intentions here are clear as day. They were clear in the months leading up to Jan. 6, when Trump tried to overturn the election. They were clear on Jan. 6, when the rioters he just freed tried to do that by force. And it was clear in the intervening four years when Trump ran on a campaign to explicitly finish the job he started that day. On his first day in power, he did that as best he could. And he did it in such a wanton, craven and reckless manner, that it contradicts what even his own vice president and nominee for attorney general have been saying in recent days. During her confirmation hearing, Trump attorney general pick Pam Bondi told the Senate she condemned any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country. JD Vance told Fox News, If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and youve had [Attorney General] Merrick Garlands Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well, that wasnt so obvious to Trump, who has a long record of supporting, in word and deed, political violence. Trumps promise to be a dictator on Day 1 is a promise to concentrate power in a way thats completely anathema to the constitutional order that weve had since our countrys founding. In many respects, it represents an assault on it. There is no other way to put it and you should be clear-eyed about it. Trump wants his people back on the street and he wants you to think theres nothing that can be done to challenge him. Allison Detzel contributed. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com More than 2,000 students will soon have access to a campus health center at New Richmond Middle School, thanks to a partnership between New Richmond Exempted Village School District and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The school district obtained a grant from the Appalachian Community Innovation Centers, a program created by the state of Ohio, to pay for design and construction of the center. The school and hospital system announced plans for the center on Wednesday. It will open next school year and be within walking distance for more than 1,100 students enrolled at the district's middle and high schools. Preschool and elementary students will be able to use the center, too, along with all other children in the area. New Richmond Schools serves about 2,000 students in rural Clermont County, about 23 miles east of downtown Cincinnati. State data shows 2 in 5 students in the district are economically disadvantaged. And about one-third of students in the district don't have a primary care doctor, according to Wednesday's news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We feel very fortunate to be collaborating with the premier organization in the country for providing child health care, Jill Hollandsworth, interim superintendent of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District, said in the news release. Working together, a badly needed service is going to be provided for our students and parents. Accessible, high-quality health care is key to developing healthy children. This is a tremendous opportunity for our community. Cincinnati Children's will work closely with district staff, including school nurses, psychologists and guidance counselors, to address students' physical and mental health needs. Students will be able to use the center when they are sick to get prescriptions, for general wellness checkups, to manage chronic health conditions, to receive vaccines, for medical testing, to get referrals for specialty care, for preventive oral health service and more. Our health system has decades of experience operating school-based health centers, including several locations in the city of Cincinnati. The school-based model has shown evidence of improving both health and educational outcomes while reducing student absenteeism," said Dr. Evaline Alessandrini, chief operating officer of Cincinnati Childrens. Services at the health center in New Richmond will also be available to other children in the community. That will include care of newborns, youths and older kids." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Cincinnati Children's expands school-based health center, plans centers at other schools Renovations will begin soon to transform 1,400 square feet of storage space at New Richmond Middle School into the new health center. The space will include a patient reception area, an intake room, three examination rooms, a lab, a bathroom and a storage room for equipment and supplies. Several Cincinnati Children's employees will work at the school-based health center, including a nurse practitioner and a medical assistant. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: School-based health center coming to rural Clermont County district PHNOM PENH, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Timor-Leste have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of post, telecommunications, information and communications technology (ICT), and digital transformation, said a joint press release on Tuesday. The deal was inked on Monday in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province between Cambodia's Minister of Post and Telecommunications Chea Vandeth and Timor-Leste's Minister of Transport and Communications Miguel Marques Goncalves Manetelu, the press release said. "The MoU is designed to promote cooperation, technical development, and human resources development between the two countries in four key sectors," it said. Those key sectors are postal services, telecommunications, ICT, and exchange of experiences in driving digital transformation, it added. Cincinnati Public Schools will be closed for students Wednesday due to cold weather. The Greater Cincinnati area remains under a cold weather advisory by the National Weather Service as wind chills as low as 15 below zero are expected to strike the region. District staff will still report to work Wednesday, but students will get the day off, according to a notice posted on the district's website. The closure is Cincinnati Public Schools' fifth this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in January, the district closed twice due to snowy, unplowed roads after Winter Storm Blair. Then, schools were closed because of the cold. Later that week, the district closed due to inclement weather as another few inches of snow was expected to strike the area. Some schools don't have cold weather policies, which means administrators decide on a case-by-case basis whether to cancel school on bitterly cold days. The Enquirer asked all 64 of the region's public school districts about their cold weather procedures and how administrators decide whether to cancel or delay school. Several other schools in the area have either delayed by two hours or canceled as well. For a full list of closings, visit Enquirer media partner FOX19's school closing tracker. Forecasters with the National Weather Service expect the weather to warm up as the week continues. By Saturday, forecasters expect a high of 38 degrees in Cincinnati. Detailed 7-day weather forecast for Cincinnati Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 3 below zero. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 21. Wind chill values may be as low as 14 below zero. South wind 5 to 9 mph. Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. South wind around 7 mph. Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 31. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 26. Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Forecast source: National Weather Service, Wilmington, Ohio office. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools closed Wednesday as extreme cold continues CISCO, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) School is out in Cisco, but not due to the weather. On Monday, January 20, Cisco ISD administrators announced the district will be closed on Tuesday, January 21, and Wednesday, January 22, after approximately 150 students were reported sick with the flu. Superintendent Ryan Steele made the decision to close schools to help curb the spread of illness. Cisco ISD closed due to illness, classes to resume Thursday I think at the end of the day, we had 150 kids out, 11 staff members out at the elementary. We had several other staff members at the junior high and high school that were out. The best way to get everybody back and everybody ready to learn again was to give us a little space, a little separation. Allow us to do a cleaning. Allow sick kids to have a couple of days where they could be at home, not have to worry about school and not have to be up here and possibly expose other students, explained Dr. Steele. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Steele knows firsthand what students are facing, as he also has the flu. I have a second grader who got sick, and Ive got a seventh grader that has it as well. It goes around the family, and so I have it as well. So, unfortunately, it happens, but well push through it, added Dr. Steele. On Tuesday, custodians sprayed disinfectant in classrooms, hallways, and even lockers to prevent the spread. When COVID happened a few years ago, we had to get real good real fast. That deep cleaning and cleansing and sterilizing and things like that. So, some of that muscle memory came back to us as far as that was concerned, explained Dr. Steele. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abilene nurse reports reduced effectiveness of flu shots amid surge in cases Cisco nurse practitioner Jacqueline Belk, with Affinity Family Health and Med Spa, shared that the clinic has been especially busy during this cold and flu season, with many patients coming in diagnosed with Influenza A. This week, there has been a very big increase. Kiddos, theres been some parents, some teachers. Its been kind of a mixture, but mostly elementary kids are what Ive been seeing, said Belk. Nurse Jacqueline Belk believes the high number of sick students is due to the flus highly contagious nature and the holiday season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the holidays going around, everybodys been hanging around each other and then they all go back to school. Then theyre all sharing. The flu is a very contagious infection, and it is a droplet. So, its not like you can just cough into your arm and prevent it, added Belk. Belk told KTAB/KRBC that the flu typically lasts about five days. She also shared tips for those who are sick, as well as preventative measures for those who are healthy. Body aches, fevers, chills. I recommend boosting your immune system with vitamin C, zinc, and garlic. Just natural things to boost that. Then keeping your hydration and just keeping yourself healthy are great ways. Anything like nasal congestion and cough over-the-counter remedies can help with that. Even if youre not sick, thats good as a preventative, Belk shared. Its sick season. Heres how to protect yourself from norovirus, COVID-19, flu and RSV Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Belk recommends flu vaccines for individuals who arent currently sick and havent yet received one. For those who are already ill, she advises waiting until they recover to get vaccinated, as the flu vaccine can still provide protection against various strains. Superintendent Dr. Steele is also encouraging parents to remind students to practice preventative health measures. Make sure youre taking care of yourselves, eating healthy, doing those things, and preventing the things going a long way. And again, dont ignore the sniffles, slight coughs, or anything like that. Go ahead and take steps to make sure that youre as healthy as you can be, said Dr. Steele. Dr. Steele thanks CISD families for their understanding and shares that staff and teachers are prepared to welcome students back on Thursday. 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Police in the U.K. have launched an international manhunt for a suspect in the murder of a Citibank executive who was found beaten to death in her London flat. On Friday, Jan. 17, at about 5:25 p.m., police were called to the home of Marianne Kilonzi, 43, on Argyll Road in Woolwich in southeast London, close to the River Thames, following concerns to the welfare of the occupant, Metropolitan Police Service spokesperson Will Staynes tells PEOPLE. Sadly, when they attended the property they found Mariannes body, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An autopsy ruled that Kilonzi died of blunt-force trauma and a head injury, according to the BBC. No arrests have yet been made. But police are looking into whether the suspect may have fled abroad, the BBC reports. I know this is a concerning time for the wider community and want to reassure the public that whilst we are in the early stages of this investigation, we believe the suspect was known to Marianne and there is no wider risk to the public, said Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Soren, the lead investigator in the case, in a statement. This is a tragic crime and our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time are with Mariannes loved ones and colleagues, Soren continued, urging anyone with information to come forward to authorities. 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. Kilonzi was vice president of Trade and Working Capital Sales, Treasury and Trade Solutions at Citibank, according to her LinkedIn profile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She had worked at the company for nearly 19 years, starting as an assistant vice president in 2006, then working as vice president of Treasury and Trade Solutions for Citibank N.A. in Kenya. She had been working in her current role since June 2023. In 2024, she ran the Dragon Boat Race with her colleagues, which raised more than $2.4 million for Cancer Research UK, according to her LinkedIn page. In a statement, a Citibank spokesperson said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. Our thoughts are with Marianne's family and friends during this difficult time." Read the original article on People WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The City of Wichita approved $125,000 for health testing for those living near 29th and Grove. A chemical leak at the Union Pacific Railyard decades ago contaminated the groundwater. Community meetings in 2022 revealed the contamination, and a study the following year found higher rates of liver cancer and lower birth weights. The community was unaware for years, and most learned about it from the study. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment designated the contamination site as a vertical slice of town just east of Interstate 135 and south of Kansas Highway 96. It is part of the area where groundwater contamination may have contributed to health concerns. The money will match some state funding for cancer screenings and other medical tests. The state says theyll put $2.5 million into testing, but to access $1 million, the city and county must find a way to match that funding locally. The city and county agreed to chip in $125,000 each. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today we took the first step with $125k, and once Sedgwick County has the same, well have a quarter million dollars allocated toward that local match thats required, said Johnson. Johnson says another $400,000 will likely come from the Kansas Health Foundation. The Kansas Health Foundation had initially offered up to $400,000 toward this, so Im pretty confident with their assistance both financially and helping us raise money, well get there, said Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson. Johnson says the city is looking into getting long-term testing equipment. That way, they dont have to continue to return to the legislature for funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive always believed the people who did it should be paying for it, but where we are now and why were scrambling is because we know an injustice happened and were trying to do what we can about it, he said. 1 dead after southeast Wichita apartment fire People who grew up in the area say they need testing not just once but consistently over time. The funding passed Tuesday is meant to make sure affected people can get tested in the future. We grew up in the area, and all of the kids at that time played in the well water, said Lavonta Williams, who grew up near 29th and Grove. Williams says no one was aware of any danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being the oldest of nine and there are only four that are left, I cant say that some of that was not contributed by that particular incident, she said. Union Pacific is required to install cleanup devices to remove contamination in the groundwater. Three more are planned to be installed. Williams says its important to ensure something continues to be done. Weve got to stop lives from being lost, said Williams. The deadline for matching the states $1 million is June 30. 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. Jan. 21City Attorney Herman Marks announced Tuesday morning that he will release findings of an independent review of the Decatur Police Department by 5 p.m. Friday. Huntsville-based Green Research & Technology delivered the review to the city on Dec. 31. Consultants spent 1,150 hours on the review, watched hundreds of hours of bodycam video, and interviewed dozens of residents and police officers. The city paid over $300,000 for the effort. Marks said last week that he met with Green. He is now overseeing redactions to the review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Council President Jacob Ladner called for the third-party review of the Decatur Police Department on May 31 after months of run-ins between officers and nonviolent demonstrators following the Sept. 29, 2023, fatal police shooting of Steve Perkins. Former officer Mac Marquette was indicted by a Morgan County grand jury for murder in Perkins' death. Marquette has pleaded not guilty. bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432 ELKHART Despite below freezing temperatures, city residents on Monday experienced a multitude of musical accompaniments and speeches that celebrated the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The day started at the downtown branch of the Elkhart Public Library at 8 a.m., where a prayer breakfast took place. The breakfast included a singing choir comprised of the Elkhart Community Chorus and the Indiana University South Bend Choral Union. Every time I program any music, I want it to have a purpose, said Juan-Carlos Alarcon, director of choirs at Indiana University South Bend. Lift Every Voice and Sing has traditionally been dubbed as the African American National Anthem, so its a very well-known Civil Rights Era music. Its very recognizable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The choir also sang This Little Light of Mine, Precious Lord, Take My Hand, and I Dreamed of a World. Robert Taylor, president of the Elkhart Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo, said he loved the music. Alarcon and the choir also led the crowd in the singing and marching to the song, One Foot/Lead with Love. The last song the choir sang was We Shall Overcome, which Alarcon said honors the legacy of King. Theres a lot of things happening in the world today: politics, religion, everything, Alarcon said. But just having that hope that were not afraid, were here to stay, were here to contribute, and a lot of us call Elkhart home and were so diverse, but were all united in purpose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Community participants were supposed to meet at the Elkhart Civic Plaza at 9 a.m. and start a march beginning at 9:30 a.m. However, due to temperatures near zero, the march turned into a drive to Community Missionary Baptist Church at 228 Chapman Ave. The community events continued at the church with a program that started at 10 a.m. The program included Mayor Rod Roberson, City Council President Arvis Dawson and Dana Freeman, the keynote speaker and an Elkhart High School graduate. Dawson said one of the reasons Freeman was chosen was because she could speak to the youth in the community. When we serve, we create connections and build bridges, just as Dr. King did, Freeman said. He believed in the power of collective action, which is ordinary people coming together to achieve extraordinary things. Freeman also talked about the importance and history of the Tolson Center, where she also served. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roberson discussed the importance of the holiday both in a community sense, but also a personal sense. Ive always said that I wasnt interested in being the first Black mayor, Roberson said. I was interested in being the best mayor the city has ever had that happened to be Black, and the reason why is that the legacy that you leave is not the first because there were many civil rights leaders right alongside Martin Luther King. Lunch was held at the church immediately following the program for both adults and children. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Less than a month into office, Portlands new City Council is already tackling one of the citys biggest controversial issues: Zenith Energys oil terminal in the city. During a briefing, the council heard from Zenith Energy and city experts before it is set to decide whether to give the company a new permit to continue operating in the area. Oregon Department of Education accused of mismanaging $3M, wrongful termination in whistleblower lawsuit Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zenith Energy stores and moves crude oil, diesel, and renewable fuel into and out of a storage tank facility by the Willamette River in Northwest Portland. It has promised to move from transporting crude oil to renewable fuels by 2027. However, Zenith needs a new air quality permit from the state, and to get that, it needs another city council permit. Dozens of members of the public also weighed in on whether the city should give Zenith the new permit. In response, the new city council members not career politicians told city staff and Zenith that they want a lot more background on this along with clearer explanations. Oil trains derail, spill, and explode, just like one did near the Columbia Gorge town of Mosier in 2016 forcing students to evacuate a nearby school, Damon Motz-Storey, the director of the Sierra Clubs Oregon chapter said. Zenith Energy is not needed in Oregon and has an untrustworthy reputation. It is up to Portland leaders to do the right thing and insist upon clarity, consistency, and a livable climate future for all people, animals, and places. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregon, Washington attorneys general challenge Trumps birthright citizenship order Zenith reiterated that its Portland terminal has had no reportable releases or spills since it started at the site more that five years ago. However, thats not the communitys only concern. The evidence shows that Zenith Energy remains a fossil fuel company and despite clever branding, it plans to continue to expand its fossil fuel operations in Portland, said Dineen Crowe, the campaign manager with 350PDX. We need city leaders to remain firm and reject any new applications from the company to continue its unfettered expansion of fossil fuels. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Zenith Chief Commercial Officer Grady Reamer said: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We appreciate the opportunity to educate the public about our transition from crude oil to renewable fuel and extensive, third-party seismic analysis that concluded our tanks are at low risk of failure in a major earthquake. We are proud of our leadership role in reducing carbon emissions around the region, and we are committed to accomplishing this with safety as our top priority. This decision from the city council demonstrates a fresh approach in asking a lot of questions, digging deeper into some of these big issues, and demanding a lot more information before giving any approvals. 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 KOIN.com. City Council votes to reappoint C.J. Davis as police chief, removing interim from title MEMPHIS, Tenn. C.J. Davis is no longer interim police chief after the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday to approve her as the permanent chief. All Memphis City Council members present at the meeting Tuesday voted in favor. The item was not listed on the councils agenda. Davis thanked the council for their vote. Several city council members also spoke and said while theyre pleased with the work that has happened in the last year, such as lower crime numbers and seeing Davis out in the community, they still had some concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of those concerns centered around the findings in a recent Department of Justice report which said the MPD engaged in a pattern of violating the Constitution. When asked about the report, Chief Davis said it is important to continue the work of improving the department. Well, its front of mind. Its front of mind for everybody and I think we should all put context to the report, dissect the report and continue the work that has been done, even work before the DOJ report, she said. Memphis has been celebrated for its crisis intervention program and how we handle the mentally ill for many, many years. We train, we are a national trainer for that and so were looking at how we ensure we keep that standard up and even higher. Davis reappointment as police chief failed in a City Council vote last January, leading to the interim title added to her name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Paul Young had recommended her reappointment. Chief Davis became the citys first African American female police chief when she took over in 2021, under former mayor Jim Strickland. 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 WREG.com. The City of Jacksonville (COJ) has provided an update on its winter storm response after a day of wintry precipitation. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Warming Centers The COJ will continue to offer its free Warming Center services. See below for available and open centers: Daytime (Wednesday through 9 p.m.) The Legends Center Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 5130 Soutel Drive Jacksonville, FL 32208 Overnight (Wednesday-Friday, 9 p.m.-9 a.m.) The Legends Center 5130 Soutel Drive Jacksonville, FL 32208 Daytime (Thursday-Saturday, Normal Business Hours) All COJ Libraries and COJ Community Centers Road Safety Per hazardous road conditions, citizens are highly encouraged and urged to remain home and stay off main roads. As of 10:48 a.m., The Hart and Mathews Bridge is currently closed for icy conditions as the Florida Department of transportation works to de-ice the road. Stay alert to Action News Jax for their reopening. JTA Per the Jacksonville Transportation Authority: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bus and ferry services are back up and operational through the JTA. The Skyway will reopen at 11 a.m., as freezing rain remains safe. JTA will continue to offer free shuttle transportation to the Warming Centers JIA The Jacksonville International Airport plans on reopening at noon on Wednesday. Travelers are encouraged to stay up to date with their airlines for perspective flight status. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) One of Connecticuts major cities is celebrating its birthday. New Haven police investigating 1st homicide of 2025 New Haven turned 241-years-old on Tuesday, and city leaders such as Mayor Justin Elicker, the city historian and others gathered at the New Haven Museum to celebrate. Elicker is encouraging people to get out and learn more about the city with a list called 25 in 25. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 25 historic places to visit in New Haven in 2025, Elicker said. Its a checklist people can go through to educate themselves on a lot of interesting historical sites in the city. Included in the list are locations like the New Haven Museum, Frank Pepe Pizzeria and the Yale Bowl. 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 WTNH.com. MANILA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three children have been killed after they were hit by a speeding 10-wheeler cargo truck in Bukidnon province in the southern Philippines, police said Wednesday. Police said the three grade-school students, all girls, were walking on their way to school when the accident happened around 1:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The victims, two of them siblings, died at the scene. Investigation showed that the truck driver initially fled the scene but surrendered to the authorities a few hours later. Police said the truck driver, who had been taken into custody, admitted to having dozed off while driving and would face multiple criminal charges. (COLORADO SPRINGS) Is Colorado Springs ready to face a major wildfire? Recent fires in southern California have generated questions such as how prepared the city is to face a similar situation and what officials are doing to keep the fire threat low. Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) Chief Randy Royal, Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Chief Adrian Vasquez, and Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management spoke about preparedness in a letter published by the City of Colorado Springs. No amount of water, number of planes or helicopters, or crews will totally stop a fire like this from happening. We must do our best to plan and prepare as a community, but we must also face the reality of what is possible, given our location in the Rocky Mountains, the letter stated. Knowing that, our primary focus is saving lives. Rebuilding homes and losing possessions is devastating. But it does not compare to the loss of a family member, friend or neighbor. If you receive an evacuation order, please evacuate immediately. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter said that although public agencies prepare to protect the region, they cannot do it alone. We need your help to ensure when a wildfire happens our community is prepared together. In the letter, the officials advised the community to: Sign up for emergency alerts at peakalerts.org. Peak Alerts sends timely, accurate information. Make a plan for you and your family. Assemble an emergency supply kit and have a go-bag ready. Practice wildfire mitigation tactics. It wont guarantee your home survives a wildfire, but it lessens the risk. In addition to these tips, the letter states the City holds regular town halls to share with residents the best way to protect themselves. There are also annual evacuation drills that focus on El Paso and Teller Counties. We must work together to ensure life safety when wildfire comes to bear in our region. Preparation is a shared responsibility, the letter said, Together, we can make our region as resilient as possible against the risk of wildfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Two big votes were held on Tuesday, Jan. 21, by the Syracuse Common Council. In one vote, the council hired an outside agency to consult on the use of computer programs in city hall. We have roughly 130-140 applications that we are using as a city. We are making sure that we are getting what we paid for, said Councilor Corey Williams. That everything we are paying for, we are actually using and to avoid duplicative services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The main focus will be on how the city is enhancing its payroll system for employees. We were in the 19th century as far as our payroll goes. Its important to make sure things are right, especially when its all public money, said Counselor Pat Hogan. The mayor lost one of his senior staff because of this and there are things unresolved in our minds that we need to address. In a different vote, the council passed a 2% tax on hotel rooms in the city. What it means is more revenue for us in the city. As you know, we have been trying to grow the sources that we have revenue, and we dont want to balance the budget on the backs of our residents, Williams said. This is a great way to generate additional revenue from residents from the outside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilor Hogan, who works on economic development at the county level, thinks its not the right time. They are still recovering from COVID. Its just not a time to put a tax on a hotel, Hogan said. Especially with some of the situations with hotels closing. The audit services for I.T. will last six months for $88,000 with money being moved from the fire departments retirement account funds. 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 WSYR. By Krishna N. Das and Aftab Ahmed NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Having unexpectedly won two Indian state votes late last year, in big part due to a slew of handouts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is deploying the same playbook in a bid to wrest back Delhi for the first time in nearly three decades next month. Standing in the way of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a smaller but bitter rival that has ruled the national capital for a decade through largesse such as free water and power for the poor - its main voter base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governing the historic city of 20 million is considered prestigious, though, unlike full-fledged states, it is called the national capital territory where police and many other senior officials are directly or indirectly controlled by the federal government. The BJP and Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have often been at loggerheads over how to run the city. In a bid to capture power there, the BJP is now trying to beat the AAP at its own game, although both Modi and the central bank have warned against fiscally damaging freebies. The BJP's promises announced last week and this week include monthly payments of 2,500 rupees ($29) to all poor women, 21,000 rupees once to each pregnant woman, subsidised cooking gas, a monthly pension of 2,500 rupees for the elderly, 15,000 rupees for the young to prepare for competitive exams, and a monthly stipend of 1,000 rupees to students from underprivileged castes studying technical and vocational courses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our manifesto has unsettled our opponents," BJP lawmaker Anurag Thakur told reporters. "They are scared that we are giving cash to women, subsidised cooking gas, free food and so on." The Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party said the BJP was copying its formula of directly helping the poor. India's main opposition party, Congress, meanwhile said it was the better alternative because, beyond handouts like 2,500 rupees for women a month, it was also focusing on issues like Delhi's abysmal air and water. The AAP's pledges include a monthly payment of 2,100 to all women voters not working for the government or getting any other pension, 18,000 rupees a month to all Hindu priests and ceremonial readers of the Sikh holy book, financing foreign education of students from underprivileged castes, and payments for uniforms for autorickshaw taxis and money for the weddings of their daughters. Delhi votes on Feb. 5 and results will be out on Feb. 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion polls, which have often proved wrong, expect the BJP to trail the AAP. Yashwant Deshmukh, founder of polling agency CVoter, said the AAP had an edge, especially among women voters. About half of the nearly 3,200 people it surveyed said they did not want to change the government. "AAP has a good track record on delivering freebies in Delhi," he said. For the current fiscal year ending March 31, the Delhi government has budgeted spending nearly 63 billion rupees ($728 million), or more than 8% of the total outlay, on populist programmes including free electricity, cash and free bus service for women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the new promises by the BJP or AAP come through after the election, it could mean additional spending of more than 50 billion rupees, pushing the share of subsidies in the city's budget to about 20% of total expenditure, from 15%. The AAP's populism is already draining the city's finances. Last fiscal year, Delhi's revenue surplus fell by about a third to 49.66 billion rupees. COMES AT COST In recent years, cash giveaways, free power, loan waivers, and other goodies have become common features ahead of Indian elections. Late last year they helped the BJP buck opinion polls and retain Maharashtra and Haryana states, while the opposition kept Jharkhand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While distributing pre-election goodies such as fans and kitchen utensils have long been part of Indian politics, political parties have been increasingly resorting to direct cash transfers in the past two years or so. Such spending has worsened the finances of many states and forced them to borrow more at high cost. Indian states plan to raise 4.73 trillion rupees ($54.66 billion) between January and March, a quarterly record. The Reserve Bank of India warned last month that such sops could come at the cost of critical social and economic infrastructure. Six more states are due to vote this year and the next, and analysts at HDFC Securities expect a flurry of such promises as "they significantly increase the chances of a government coming back to power". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the current fiscal year, more than a third of India's 36 states or federal territories have announced or are running various handout programmes. Budgeted deficits for nearly all of them were higher than five years ago, with many cutting capital expenditure to fund the populist measures. Rasheed Kidwai, a visiting fellow at the Observer Research Foundation think tank, said politicians' rising reliance on handouts was bad for Indian democracy. "This is against the grain of the Indian Constitution and the spirit of parliamentary democracy because votes seem to be getting auctioned," he said. "It's going to the highest bidder." ($1 = 86.5400 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi; Editing by Kim Coghill) WASHINGTON (KCAU) A northwest Iowa county is receiving federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says Iowa Lakes Regional Water in Clay County is receiving $24,000 to repair the flood damage to northwest Iowas water distribution system. Grassley says that when the damage is fixed, the project will benefit 100 households in the rural part of the county. Spencer city officials meet with Iowa lawmakers on flood recovery efforts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The money is part of $2.3 million being awarded through the USDAs Rural Development grant program. Many Iowans call rural communities home, and they deserve our support and investment, Sen. Grassley said in a statement. These federal dollars will upgrade critical infrastructure, promote economic development, and boost health and safety initiatives throughout rural Iowa. Five different communities will receive funding, including Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative in Winneshiek County getting $2 million and Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone in Webster County getting $300,000. 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. NEW JERSEY (PIX11) The clock is ticking for NJTransit and a train engineers union to agree on a labor deal to avert a possible strike. The agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are in a two-month-long cooling period. The two sides have been locked in ongoing talks for more than four years without success, leading to former President Joe Biden calling in two presidential emergency boards to help break the ice. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first board sided with NJTransit but recommended that the agency raise its initial wage offer. A second board is set to release its own recommendations on Wednesday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and NJTransit leadership said theyre committed to a fair resolution for rail workers, riders and all involved. The agency has already reached deals with 14 other rail unions, with up to 3% annual salary increases for workers. More Transit News The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmens general chairman said its members could earn more money working for other railroads. He warned that workers are already leaving NJTransit for higher pay and retirements and that an engineering shortage could be looming without a fair deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a deal isnt struck, the strike could start in early spring. Its not clear if President Donald Trump will intervene. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. 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 PIX11. CHICAGO The federal corruption trial of former Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan resumes Wednesday, with closing arguments in the landmark case set to begin. Madigan is accused of coordinating a criminal conspiracy that stretched across a decade and through nearly every level of government under his power and influence. A jury of eight women and four men will decide the fate of the now 82-year-old nicknamed The Velvet Hammer. Madigan, the longest-serving state House Speaker in American history, held his seat for 50 years and denies any wrongdoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump grants pardon to Logan Square activist contesting Jan. 6 charges The original 106 page 22 count indictment accused the once-powerful leader of acting like an organized crime boss, calling his network The Madigan Enterprise. The US Attorneys Office charged him with racketeering and bribery, outlining alleged crimes they say were intended to preserve and enhance Madigans political power and financial well-being. VIDEO: Prosecution, defense rest in Michael Madigans federal corruption trial Much of the governments evidence came from former Chicago alderman turned government mole Danny Solis, who secretly taped conversations with Madigan. In the closing stages of his own defense, Madigan made headlines when he chose to testify. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By the numbers, the trial has lasted nearly three months and included testimony from almost 60 witnesses. The trial included about 150 wiretapped calls and undercover videos, including one in which Madigan and his co-defendant Michael McClain shared a laugh about all the money their associates made for what were essentially no-show jobs at ComEd. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Closing arguments are expected to last at least three days, meaning it could be next week before the jury begins to deliberate the fate of one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history. 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 WGN-TV. Prosecutors in the historic corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan on Wednesday attacked the credibility of the defenses star witness: Madigan himself. What you heard on the witness stand was a facade, Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz said during more than 2 hours of the prosecutions closing argument, taking the jury through some of the more damaging wiretapped recordings and emails that she said repeatedly showed Madigan was in on schemes to enrich himself and enhance his power. Despite his repeated and rigorous denials from the witness stand this month, Schwartz said Madigan, the most powerful politician in the state and head of the Democratic Party of Illinois, knew full well that ComEd was secretly funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to some of his top associates in a bid to influence him on the utility giants legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schwartz said Madigan wasnt just involved in the scheme, and he was not just looped in by his co-defendant Michael McClain. He was steering the whole thing. Legislation should not be bought, but thats what was happening here, Schwartz said. And Madigan knew that because he and McClain set it up that way. Closing arguments in Madigans case finally got underway Wednesday afternoon after three months of testimony from more than five dozen witnesses and more than 150 secret audio and video recordings. But the case was still inching toward the finish line, as a delay Wednesday to finalize jury instructions and exhibits means arguments will now likely to stretch into next week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecutions closing argument, which is anchored by a PowerPoint presentation of more than 800 slides, will likely last most if not all of Thursday. If so, Madigans defense argument would likely begin Friday morning. Madigan, 82, a Southwest Side Democrat, and McClain, 77, a longtime lobbyist from downstate Quincy, are charged in a 23-count indictment alleging that Madigans vaunted state and political operations were run like a criminal enterprise to increase his power and enrich himself and his associates. In addition to alleging bribery schemes involving ComEd and AT&T Illinois, the indictment accuses Madigan of pressuring developers to hire the speakers law firm and trying to win business by secretly supporting legislation to transfer state-owned land in Chinatown to the city so developers could build a high-rise. The trial represents the apex of a long federal corruption investigation that has already resulted in convictions for several other Madigan-adjacent figures over the past few years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Madigan is inarguably the biggest fish. Schwartz began her argument Wednesday by emphasizing Madigans near absolute control of the House, which he allegedly maintained through legislative rules giving him the ability to make or break legislation. Time and again, Madigan abused the tremendous power he wielded, Schwartz told jurors, enlisting his right-hand man, McClain, to help pressure ComEd and AT&T to give cushy jobs to Madigan allies while they had legislation pending in Springfield. They werent working on behalf of the people of the state of Illinois, they were working to enhance and preserve Madigans power, Schwartz said. Madigan also sought to line his own pockets by abusing his governmental power to get business for his private law firm, Schwartz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Power and profit, thats what drove Madigan, with the help of McClain, to break the law time and again, Schwartz said, characterizing their actions as corruption at the highest levels of state government. Schwartz took jurors step by step through evidence allegedly showing Madigans allies, including former precinct captains and aldermen, were paid a total of $1.3 million in sham subcontracts by ComEd in exchange for Madigans support for key legislation that rescued the utility from financial ruin and brought in hundreds of millions in profits. We had to hire these guys because Mike Madigan came to us, its that simple, McClain told ComEd insider John Hooker on one wiretapped call that Schwartz played for jurors. The way they talk about this when they think no ones listening, thats the truth, she said. Its not as if McClain and Hooker are having some collective hallucination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To prove the extent of Madigans influence, Schwartz homed in on a series of calls from one day in May 2018 toward the end of the spring legislative session when ComEd was pushing yet another critical bill. Over a span of hours, Madigan inquired about ComEd hiring former 23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski, McClain talked about the request with top ComEd brass, they give the OK, and Madigan said he would call Zalewski to let him know. Phone records show he called Zalewski shortly after that. In just one short day, Madigan makes the ask get my guy hired snaps his fingers, and its done, Schwartz said. She also noted the oddity that a public official was making a job offer on behalf of ComEd. (Zalewski) doesnt have a resume submitted, hasnt sat for an interview and Madigan is making the offer because this is Madigans job, she said. Its a bribe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madigan testified the subcontractor referrals were normal job recommendations that he just passed on to McClain and then more or less forgot about, Schwartz said, but this sequence shows you that is not true. Madigan is following up, hes making sure it gets done, and hes making the job offer. These are not disinterested job recommendations. One of the biggest benefactors of the subcontractor arrangement was Edward Moody, one of Madigans legendary 13th Ward precinct captains who was paid more than $354,000 by ComEd between 2012 and 2018, all for little or no work, Schwartz said the evidence showed. Through the years, as Moody was shuffled through four different ComEd subcontracts under four different pass-through clients including McClain, ComEd consultant Jay Doherty, and former Madigan staffer Shaw Decremer Madigan was looped in, Schwartz said. Payments to Moody were controlled by Madigan, and they were a bribe, Schwartz said. Payments made with intent to influence official action on ComEd legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moody took the stand earlier in the trial and testified Madigan told him that contracts were how I reward my good soldiers, and that if Moody stopped doing political work then his subcontract would be canceled. Moody also testified that in 2018 he was out canvassing when he bumped into Madigan near his home. Moody told Madigan he wasnt doing any work for ComEd, and the speaker told him not to worry, because what youre doing right now is what I want its what ComEd wants, Schwartz reminded jurors. On the stand earlier this month, Madigan flatly denied that he ever had those kinds of conversations. But Schwartz noted Wednesday that in a sworn testimony from an earlier proceeding, which was shown to the jury, Madigan described Moody as honest and honorable. So before it was in Madigans self-interest to make Moody out to look like a liar, in this prior proceeding Madigan told you Moody was someone honest, with integrity, Schwartz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the other subcontractors, former 13th Ward Ald. Frank Olivo and ex-precinct captain Ray Nice, there is no way Madigan didnt know they werent doing work for ComEd, Schwartz said. During the period Nice was being paid by ComEd he was still a precinct worker, so Madigan had a close-up view of how he spent his time, Schwartz said. And Olivos office was next to Madigans for years, Schwartz said, and the two men and their families were particularly close. One of the Olivo children called Madigan uncle, Schwartz said. Madigan knew what Olivo was and wasnt doing. During her argument, Schwartz played a tape she said was additional evidence of Madigans lies: the now-infamous recording on which Madigan and McClain talked about a six-figure contract for a ComEd labor contractor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of these guys have made out like bandits, Mike, Madigan said with a laugh on the recording. McClain responded, Oh my god, for very little work too. The defense argued strenuously that they were not talking about anyone at issue in the case, but prosecutors were allowed to play it for jurors this month after Madigan took the stand and said he was angry when he learned the subcontractors werent doing work. Schwartz noted the call was made a few months after Zalewski was added as a subcontractor. That laughter is entirely inconsistent with the claimed concern and anger Madigan testified about on the stand, she said. The prosecutor also focused on evidence she said the conspirators tried to hide what they were doing. In one call, Hooker, a longtime internal lobbyist for ComEd, told McClain the subcontractor payments had given the utility a little leg up in Springfield. I mean, its unmentioned, you know, but that which is understood need not be mentioned, Hooker said on the 2018 call. Concealment is the hallmark of this conspiracy, and it shows the conspirators are hiding something and that they know what they are doing is wrong, Schwartz said. Schwartz also highlighted key undercover videos that government cooperator Fidel Marquez, a ComEd executive who pleaded guilty in the case, made of Doherty and McClain explaining how the subcontractor scheme worked and what to tell incoming ComEd CEO Joseph Dominguez about it. I dont think Id tinker with that, Doherty, the then-head of the City Club of Chicago, said on the recording, adding the subcontractors dont do much but they do keep their mouths shut. If these payments were on the up-and-up why would all the conspirators talk about them this way? Schwartz asked the jury. This is not the way you talk about a legitimate business deal. Schwartz also brought up a tape on which Madigan discussed with McClain how state Rep. Jaime Andrade, a Chicago Democrat, had come to him and asked for money, possibly through a job for his wife. On the call, Madigan suggested putting Andrades wife on a retainer through Doherty, though not for ComEd-related work. Madigan is not charged with wrongdoing related to Andrade. But prosecutors argued the recording showed Madigan clearly knew that Doherty had acted as a pass-through for ComEd subcontractors. Madigan had to admit on cross examination that when he was trying to think of a way to hide payments, the person he thought of was Jay Doherty, Schwartz said. Because he knew that Doherty had been used to hide these sham subcontractors for years. Thats concealment, its corrupt and it shows Madigan knows the corrupt nature of the conspiracy. For his part, McClain was acting far outside the boundaries of what a normal lobbyist does, Schwartz said, highlighting moments where McClain helped negotiate a lucrative ComEd contract for Reyes Kurson, a law firm headed by Madigan ally Victor Reyes, and a recording where McClain said that ComEds point person for the Madigan team needed to be discreet and understand a code. Legitimate lobbying doesnt require the use of code, Schwartz said. Plain old job recommendations dont require somebody who knows how to be discreet. Theyre talking about bribes here. At one point, then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore even asked McClain if there were any subcontractors she could sorta take off the roster, Schwartz noted. This is the CEO of Commonwealth Edison asking a lobbyist, Michael McClain, if she can stop paying people who arent doing any work. Ladies and gentlemen, this is entirely backward, Schwartz said. Meanwhile, Schwartz said, Reyes contract was a unique sweetheart deal that guaranteed a minimum amount of billable hours an arrangement in which ComEd officials struggled to find enough work for the firm to do. When ComEd dragged its feet in renewing the contract, McClain threatened that the stalling would surely provoke a reaction from our Friend, using one of his many euphemisms for the speaker. What reaction matters when it comes to Madigan? An adverse reaction on legislation, Schwartz said. Reyes Kurson got favorable treatment not because of the quality of the legal work, but because of Victor Reyes (political connection) to Madigan, Schwartz said. Before closing arguments began, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey spent about two hours reading about 100 pages of instructions on the law to the jury, including what prosecutors must prove on the bribery-related counts, which was the subject of a particularly contentious hearing earlier this month given new guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court. Among the important new instructions the jury received: Prosecutors have to prove Madigan understood that the conspiracy involved a this for that exchange. If a bribe was paid after the fact, prosecutors have to prove that the agreement was in place before the official action was taken, according to Blakeys instructions. Thats a far higher hurdle than what was given to the jury in 2023s related ComEd Four case, where the jury was only obligated to find that the utility intended to reward Madigan, not that there was any quid pro quo exchange. That case ended with sweeping guilty verdicts on all counts. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com rlong@chicagotribune.com The Montana State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan) Sen. Dave Fern, a Democrat from Whitefish, is a co-sponsor to a property tax reduction bill thats popular with Republican leaders but hes not going to vote for it anymore. Senate Bill 90 would redirect lodging and rental car taxes to a new account that would reimburse 230,000 residential property taxpayers an estimated $440 in the first year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lead sponsor is Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, and the other sponsors all are Republicans, Sens. Mark Noland, of Bigfork, Rep. Amy Regier, of Kalispell, and Senate President Matt Regier, of Kalispell. Rep. David Fern, D-Whitefish. (Courtesy Montana Legislative Services). Late on Monday afternoon, more than 40 opponents told the Senate Local Government committee the bill would gut Montanas $5.4 billion tourism industry and have far reaching effects on the economy. Fern said he liked the idea behind the bill, one of several proposals to help residential property taxpayers, but he found the testimony compelling from people who benefit from the money the legislation would redirect. Representatives from farms, hotels, small businesses, tourism, and arts and culture testified against it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fern said he changed his mind partly because of the scope of the impacts, the far geographic effects, and because of the argument that as spending on tourism diminishes, the money thats supposed to go to help property taxpayers falls as well. Its a good lesson on just fully understanding what you sponsor, Fern said. But Fern said hes still pleased the conversation took place; the more thinking out of the box approaches that come up, the better. Also, he offered, Ill say something somewhat controversial. If the industry is worth nearly $5.5 billion, he said, it makes sense to capture more of those dollars somehow, without using the term sales tax, but in a way that keeps commerce going at the same time. This is a really significant industry, and our tax policy doesnt really match how our economy works as fully as I would like it to, Fern said. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Supreme Court has unanimously sided with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) in a lawsuit deemed frivolous by the zoo, which was seeking to release the elephants from the zoo and move them to a sanctuary. The lawsuit was originally filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project (NRP) in 2023, but it was dismissed by an El Paso County judge. The organization then appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, which ultimately made a unanimous decision on Jan. 21, 2025 that the elephants should stay where they are. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: CMZoo elephant case heads to Colorado Supreme Court Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we are happy with this outcome, we are disappointed that it ever came to this, CMZoo said in a statement. For the past 19 months, weve been subjected to their misrepresented attacks, and weve wasted valuable time and money responding to them in courts and in the court of public opinion. CMZoo explained that its efforts to further conservation and education surrounding elephants have been unwavering, recently celebrating $5 million raised for frontline conservation efforts, including over a million dollars for African elephants. CMZoo said its latest accreditation was historicin nearly 50 years of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditations, CMZoo was only the fourth organization to earn a completely clean report, which means there wasnt a single major or minor concern reported including in the strenuous review of its elephant care program. According to CMZoo, the NRP has attempted the same lawsuit with other zoos across the country in New York, California, and Hawaii, and all have failed. The Colorado Supreme Court said in its decision that the NRP was not actually seeking freedom from captivity for the elephants, but rather freedom from specifically CMZoo. Courtesy: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Courtesy: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Courtesy: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Courtesy: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Courtesy of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo NRP is not actually seeking the right to liberty it conceded as much during oral argument, acknowledging that it was not suggesting that the Zoo should open its gates and set the elephants loose to roam free in Colorado Springs and beyond Instead, it asked to transfer the elephants from the Zoo to a different confinement. The fact that NRP merely seeks the transfer of the elephants from one form of confinement to another is yet another reason that habeas relief is not appropriate here, the Supreme Court opinion reads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NRP responded to the Supreme Courts decision, and its statement can be read in its entirety below: This Colorado Supreme Court opinion perpetuates a clear injustice, stating that unless an individual is human they have no right to liberty, no matter how cognitively, psychologically, or socially sophisticated they may be. Future courts will reject this notion, as judges in the United States and around the world have already begun to do. As with other social justice movements, early losses are expected as we challenge an entrenched status quo that has allowed Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo to be relegated to a lifetime of mental and physical suffering. Well share further analysis of this opinion as well as our next steps in the coming days. Nonhuman Rights Project 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. The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday night that it will be surging ships, boats and aircraft to South Florida and other areas of the country to bolster anti-maritime migration efforts to comply with President Donald Trumps executive order to use the nations military to defend the border. The announcement comes the same day the acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman fired Adm. Linda Fagan as commandant of the Coast Guard, which is responsible for maritime security. Fagan was not only the first woman to lead the Coast Guard, but also the first woman in uniform to head any branch of the countrys armed forces. Although the Coast Guard is a military branch, it falls under the command of Homeland Security since its also a federal law enforcement agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant, released a statement Tuesday noting the decision to flood South Florida and other U.S. maritime borders with more Coast Guard members and assets is in adherence with Trumps executive order on border security. Lunday said he has directed the agencys operational commanders to surge cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces to the Florida Straits to deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and/or Cuba. Other areas of the U.S. and its territories that will see an increased Coast Guard presence, per the announcement, are the maritime border between the Bahamas and Florida, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Somoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Coast Guard will also be sending personnel and assets to the southwest maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, reads the announcement, which refers to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America renamed by Trump in another executive order Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lunday also directed the Coast Guard to support U.S. Customs and Border Protections anti-migrant efforts in maritime areas of the southwest U.S. border. Maritime migration from both Cuba and Haiti has slowed significantly since both the state of Florida and the Biden administration deployed increased forces to South Florida and the Keys after a surge in landings in late 2022 and early 2023 overwhelmed local law enforcement. So many people from Cuba were arriving during that time that the federal government was forced to close Dry Tortugas National Park, located about 70 miles from Key West, in January 2023. About 300 people from Cuba had landed at the park in the weeks following New Years Day of that year. However, after Florida National Guard soldiers, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Florida Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Commission officers as well as more Coast Guard and Customs personnel sent by the federal government began to bolster patrols in the Keys, arrivals slowed precipitously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another major contributing factor to the drop in maritime migration to South Florida was the Biden administrations announcement in January 2023 that anyone caught trying to come to the U.S. illegally by sea would be banned from entering the country for five years. While migrant boats are still being stopped along the Florida Straits, arrivals on land went from an almost daily occurrence to barely one per month. Haitian migrant arrivals also increased significantly between 2022 and 2023, but less frequently, albeit in larger boats and groups than those coming from Cuba. However, despite ongoing turmoil and increased violence from armed gangs, maritime migration from Haiti to South Florida has also dropped significantly. READ MORE: 1 dead, several wounded in Haiti after armed gangs target consular corp armored vehicles The last large arrival of Haitians in South Florida was when a sailboat carrying about 120 people arrived in Key West in June. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. PHNOM PENH, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia earned 666.2 million U.S. dollars in revenue from exports of natural rubber latex in 2024, up 35.4 percent from 492 million dollars in the year before, said a General Directorate of Rubber report on Wednesday. "A ton of rubber latex averagely cost 1,971 U.S. dollars in 2024, about 634 dollars higher than that of 2023," Khun Kakada, acting director general of the General Directorate of Rubber, said in the report. The report said Cambodia exported 338,000 tons of the commodity last year, down 8.16 percent from 368,048 tons one year earlier. The Southeast Asian nation exports the commodity mainly to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China. Cambodia has planted rubber trees on a total area of 425,443 hectares, in which the trees on 330,259 hectares, or 77.6 percent, are old enough to be tapped, the report said. 37,094 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? 37,094 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? STARKVILLE, Miss. (WJTV) Officials with Mississippi State University (MSU) announced the addition of its 10th college. The new College of Integrative Studies was approved Thursday, January 16 by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). Mississippi State updates times for May 15 graduation ceremonies A unit of the Division of Academic Affairs, MSU officials said the college will equip students to look beyond the boundaries of a single discipline, equipping them with an interdisciplinary and adaptable approach in todays global marketplace. A major focus will be research and experiential, or hands-on, learning opportunities incorporated into the course of study. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The college is the new home for MSUs Data Science Academic Institute, which offers programs including the Bachelor of Science in Data Sciencewith 10 concentrationsthe Master of Science in Applied Data Science, and the Graduate Certificate for Data Science Pedagogy. This new college broadens horizons for Mississippi State students by immersing them in a dynamic academic environment and helping them gain a broader, global perspective they can apply in real-world work environments, said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. Todays workforce requires this kind of skill set and knowledge, and were proud to be a leader among institutions taking this integrated approach. Close Thanks for signing up! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Colombia's government is reactivating arrest orders for the top leadership of the nation's largest rebel group following attacks on civilians as part of a deadly turf war with dissident guerrillas from another armed group for control of a coca-growing region bordering Venezuela. President Gustavo Petros leftist government in 2022 suspended warrants against top commanders of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, as part of an effort to coax the 60-year-old insurgency into a peace deal. Among the 31 rebel leaders whose arrest was ordered Wednesday by the chief prosecutor's office is Pablo Beltran, the lead ELN negotiator in those halting peace talks, as well as the group's top military commander, best known by his alias, Antonio Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petro himself a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group has also suspended the peace talks in response to the violence. At least 80 people have been killed and thousands more displaced in Colombia's Catatumbo region in the past week as fighting intensifies between the ELN and holdouts from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a guerrilla group that largely disbanded after signing a peace deal in 2016 with the government. Some of the estimated 18,000 displaced people have fled into Venezuela. The armed groups are fighting over control of strategic drug routes that have been fueling a boom in cocaine production from Colombia in recent years. Its not clear what upset the delicate truce between the groups, which rely on the drug trade to fund their insurgencies. Some analysts believe the Cuban revolution-inspired ELN has been losing strength in its historic stronghold in northeastern Colombia as the FARC dissidents expand their influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colombias Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo told the U.N. Security Council Wednesday that the government will not rest until those responsible for the violence that killed signatories of the 2016 peace agreement and civilians in the Catatumbo region are brought to justice. We reject the war crimes and the crimes against humanity unreservedly committed by the ELN and the dissident groups...," he said. The murder of the signatories to the peace agreement are unacceptable, and we condemn those deaths robustly. Murillo said the government suspended peace talks with the ELN because peace requires reciprocity, and he called on the international community to support its position. He added that Colombia is not renouncing peace, stressing that Peace continues to be our cornerstone commitment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The top U.N. official in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, also condemned the Catatumbo bloodshed that he said resulted from an ELN attack by fighters who traveled to an area where a rival armed group was present. He called the killings an act against peace itself and reiterated his call for armed groups to halt all actions that put civilians, including community leaders and peace signatories, at risk. Massieu told the council that Catatumbo, like many regions of Colombia, is still awaiting dividends of the 2016 peace agreement, especially a comprehensive presence of the state that would bring public services, legal economies, development opportunities and security. It is in the vacuum of state presence that illegal armed groups are fighting for territorial and social control, he said. Implementation of the peace agreement is central to lasting solutions for preventing and resolving the causes of armed conflict. - Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations. BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's attorney general's office on Wednesday reissued arrest warrants for leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, who had been participating in peace talks, as forced displacement caused by ELN attacks rose to 32,000 people. A sharp uptick in violence over the past week in the Catatumbo region, an area along the eastern border with Venezuela considered strategic for drug trafficking, has thrown an already-fraught effort by President Gustavo Petro to end six decades of war into crisis and caused the most pronounced humanitarian catastrophe in Colombia in recent years. Petro, who promised peace and surrender deals to stop a conflict which has killed at least 450,000, suspended talks with the ELN on Friday over their attacks against a fellow rebel group, demobilized former fighters and civilian community leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspension means his administration will now only potentially ink deals with a small group of rebel and gang organizations, whose members make up just 10% of the rank and file of Colombian armed groups. The attorney general's office said in a statement it was "revoking the benefits of suspended arrest warrants for 31 representatives of (the ELN) ... who had been recognized by the national government as spokespeople at negotiations." The ELN has said its offensive is against a faction of former FARC rebels, who rejected a 2016 peace deal but are currently in talks with the government, and demobilized rebels who support them. The ELN has denied attacking civilians. "The crisis in Catatumbo continues. We have information about 32,000 displaced people," human rights ombudsman Iris Marin said in a statement late on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said over the weekend 80 people had been killed. Marin said on Tuesday 35 bodies had been recovered and the armed forces were continuing evacuation measures. Security sources say the ELN used its peace talks with Petro's government to strengthen itself militarily and expand its territory. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Alison Williams) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Colombian President Gustavo Petro visited Haiti on Wednesday as part of a whirlwind trip to strengthen ties with the violence-wracked country. He was expected to meet with officials and talk about potential joint projects focused on sectors including agriculture, technology and the economy, according to a statement from Petros office. Petro arrived in the southern coastal city of Jacmel, bypassing the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport remains void of commercial air traffic ever since gangs opened fire on several airlines in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His visit comes as Haitis prime minister and a transitional presidential council continue to reach out to various countries as Haitian police officers and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya struggle to contain gang violence. In a crucial moment for Haitis stability, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to the strengthening of democracy and the development of the region, Petros office said. Haitis government spent more than $3.8 million to overhaul Jacmels crumbling infrastructure in preparation for Petros visit. Projects included restoring electricity, renovating the town hall and more than doubling the runway length at the local airport to accommodate Colombian military aircraft. Prior to arriving in Haiti, Petro met with officials in the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petro is one of only a handful of heads of state that have visited Haiti recently given a surge in gang violence that has prompted a growing number of leaders in the international community to call for a U.N.-peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country, noting that the current Kenyan-led mission lacks funds and personnel. More than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year, a more than 20% increased compared with 2023, according to the U.N. In addition, more than 2,200 people were reported injured and nearly 1,500 kidnapped, it said. The violence has displaced more than one million people in recent years in a country where nearly 2 million people are on the verge of starvation. Petro was scheduled to fly back Thursday to Colombia, where recent guerrilla attacks in the countrys northeast region have left more than 80 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petro visited Haiti just days after 17 former Colombian soldiers accused in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise appeared in a court in Port-au-Prince, leading to speculation they might be released. However, a judge postponed their hearing, with no trial date set yet. TRES BOCAS, Colombia (AP) The Colombian border village of Tres Bocas has become a ghost town as residents flee to neighboring Venezuela to escape a new wave of violence in Colombias Catatumbo region that has left at least 80 people dead and displaced thousands. According to the United Nations, more than 18,000 people have fled the northeastern region as fighting between the National Liberation Army or ELN, and a rival group known as the FARC-EMC intensifies. Of those who had fled, about 1,000 have sought shelter in Venezuela. Many of them are afraid of the firefights that have broken out in rural areas, said Jaime Botero, president of a community association in the town of Tibu, which is about 10 km (6 miles) to the west of Tres Bocas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Located on Colombias border with Venezuela, the Catatumbo region has around 300,000 residents and produces 15% of Colombias coca crop. The FARC-EMC and the ELN have long battled for control of the region and its lucrative drug trafficking routes, but had recently held a truce. But violence escalated last week when members of the ELN attacked civilians, accusing them of collaborating with the FARC-EMC, with ELN rebels reportedly dragging people out of their homes and shooting them at close range. Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended peace talks with the ELN on Friday, accusing the rebels of committing war crimes. On Monday night, Petro said he would issue an emergency decree that would enable him to pass legislation related to the conflict without congressional approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of civilians, including former combatants who signed the 2016 peace agreement, in the violence, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. And he is concerned by the reported displacement of thousands of civilians. The secretary-general calls for an immediate cessation of acts of violence against the civilian population and for unhindered humanitarian access, Haq said late Tuesday. The United Nations urged the ELN and other armed groups in the Catatumbo region to respect civilians' rights. The U.N. said that two human rights defenders were killed last week. ___ Rueda reported from Bogota, Colombia. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) The State of Colorado recently acquired $176.8 million from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for critical water projects to strengthen drought resilience. $40 million will go to the Colorado River Water Conservation Districts acquisition of the water rights associated with the Shoshone Power Plant, with $5 million going to the Yampa River Walton Creek Confluence Fund. Colorado Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Dan Gibbs explained how much of the remaining funds will be used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Orchard Mesa canal lining, which would actually really help with preventing evaporation loss, and that ones at $10.5 million; but there are projects all throughout the Colorado River Basin and the Rio Grande basin as well. The funds help protect water for Western Slope farmers, ranchers, communities and businesses, including the outdoor recreation industry, which contributes $14.6 billion annually to the states GDP $4 billion of which comes directly from the Colorado River Basin. Gibbs is looking forward to the funds and their impact. Were just looking forward to these funds being distributed to water districts, municipalities, other partners that are on the ground that will be able to get these projects awarded and getting meaningful projects really off the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN) A family is heartbroken after someone shot and killed their beloved pet cat. The owners have reminded people that animal cruelty is a serious crime. Hopper the cats owners, Julia Mandella and fiance Josh Shuskey, told News 2 theyre heartbroken. He was really outgoing, adventurous just a beautiful cat and he just brought so much joy to my life, Mandella said. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts The couple said they let Hopper outside Monday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He likes to go outside [and] just take a stroll, walk around, Mandella said. He came back in around 4 oclock. Thats when he was hurt. Our cat wasnt mean to nobody. He didnt bother nobody, Shuskey said. He was probably just out taking a stroll and was minding his own business. Mandella and Shuskey said someone shot Hopper with a BB gun. Shuskey said Hoppers condition started to deteriorate overnight, so they tried to transport him for veterinary care. On the way there is when he died in Joshs arms in the car, Mandella said. Julia said Hopper was like family, having adopted him from the Williamson County Animal Shelter in 2021 as a kitten. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We kind of picked each other. He picked me from all of the other cats and when I brought him home, he sat here on the entire drive home, Mandella said, gesturing to her chest. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported a rise in animal cruelty cases by almost 40% from 2020 to 2022. The couple is now desperate and determined to find out who did this to Hopper; similar things had also happened to other beloved pets in their neighborhood. They hope anyone who knows something about this contacts the Columbia Police Department with any information they have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WKRN News 2. TOKYO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two men were stabbed near Japan's JR Nagano Station at around 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday, local media reported. One of the victims is in an unconscious state. Authorities are investigating the incident and searching for the perpetrator, national broadcaster NHK cited local police as saying. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) The City of Columbus is working to approve a budget for 2025 and on Tuesday night, council held a hearing on the housing and homelessness spending plan. City leaders said access to affordable housing is a crisis in central Ohio. Now, money from the federal government due to the COVID-19 pandemic has run out and thats going to have a big impact on whats available to city departments, especially for housing and homeless support. How much Ohio States Ryan Day made for winning national championship Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Council President Shannon Hardin said this is the tightest budget he has worked on in 10 years. Its really important to have this conversation and for folks to understand whats at stake, Hardin said. The Community Shelter Board, a non-profit addressing homelessness in Columbus, said it needs a little less than triple its current funding in the proposed budget. We are really in a challenging time of trying to figure out how to not only ensure that we have delivery of services for those that are moving through homelessness, but that we have also the right structures to catalyze development of housing, Community Shelter Board President and CEO Shannon Isom said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, $5.7 million is proposed for homeless prevention in the fiscal year 2025 operating budget. To maintain everything Community Shelter Board does now, board leaders said they would need $13.6 million. To make progress, that number is $18.7 million. Columbus families welcome newborns while OSU wins title If we dont do that, the current path well see not only that we will be going exactly at the same clip we are doing today, but that we will increase unsheltered homelessness as well as homelessness altogether, Isom said. Money also comes from Franklin County and business partners and now the conversations center around how to get the funding necessary to continue addressing the housing crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funding for keeping people in houses, keeping people off the land, keeping people housed is about life and death, and we can either fund and hold and get better or we cannot, and it will grow. And I think that those are just the choices that we as a community have to make, Hardin said. Council has a few more budget hearings and is working on amendments right now. The goal is to approve the budget in the next four to six weeks. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus residents are increasingly captivated by what they perceive as a peculiar trend cars crashing into buildings. The phenomenon has sparked the creation of social media accounts, such as the Instagram page Columbus Carikaze, dedicated to documenting these happenings. Paul Meara said he started the account after one particular crash in the Short North caught his attention. I would joke with my roommate [Phil Cook] who also helps run the account, Should I start the Instagram account? Meara wrote in a message to NBC4. Then with the Char Bar incident in September, I finally did and here we are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did you win? Lottery ticket worth $1 million sold in Reynoldsburg (NBC4 Photo/Katie Millard) (NBC4 Photo/Katie Millard) Meara believes that the public fascination with these collisions stems from the unknown details behind each occurrence, citing an unsolved mystery quality to reports. Most of the time we never know or find out what actually causes the accidents, Meara noted. Most of the ones we do know its either a car malfunction (stuck accelerator, brakes go out, etc.) or a medical emergency happened while a person is driving. So we just kind of marvel over why. The dedicated crash tracker said the reaction to his account, which asks, Why does this keep happening? in its profile, has been overwhelmingly supportive, with users contributing tips and eyewitness accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do notice that people want to help us, wrote Meara. We often get DMs from people who witnessed or know someone who witnessed a crash, so it helps us a lot with building our posts and doing some of the initial research needed to report on these. How Ohios next lieutenant governor will be picked Despite the sometimes dark humor in the comment section, the account does not ignore that the crashes have real consequences for businesses, many of which face prolonged closures and costly repairs. The first documented episode of 2025 took place on Jan. 2 at Vow Studio + Salon on West 5th Avenue near Grandview Heights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New year, new crash, the post reads. Vow Studio Salon in Grandview is the latest victim of a building-related vehicle crash in the Columbus area after a car drove up a hill, small flight of stairs, and plowed into the front of the business. Salon owner Sam Antics told NBC4 that the business has been closed since the accident and workers are left without tools of trade due to the building being deemed unsafe to enter. Weve been at the mercy of weather, insurance and contractors in hopes to reopen soon, Antics wrote. Previously, NBC4 asked Battalion Chief of the Columbus Division of Fire Jeffrey Geitter about the number of cars crashing into buildings around the city. Geitter said that from January 2024 to June 1, the Columbus Division of Fire was dispatched to 102 incidents involving a vehicle colliding with a building or structure. In an update, he noted the agency ended the year with 139 total incidents involving a vehicle into a structure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Geitter also provided a heat map of those locations. Courtesy/ Battalion Chief of the Columbus Division of Fire Jeffrey Geitter As you can see from your previous articles information, we are down in those incidents compared to previous years, Geitter said, pointing to earlier statistics of 313 vehicle crashes into buildings or structures in 2022 and 279 in 2023. Overall, Meara said that he hopes his attention to the accidents leads to some type of action or prevention measures. In my opinion, the only way to lessen these accidents is simply getting vehicles off the road by providing legitimate and effective alternative modes of transportation, said Meara. Columbus is a mid-major city in a country addicted to driving cars, so it really isnt an anomaly that this is happening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How much Ohio States Ryan Day made for winning national championship In a Reddit thread on the issue, one user commented that Columbus is not the only city tracking structure collisions. In Pittsburgh we have r/yinzhittinbilldens, the writer offered. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. Colonel Kostiantyn "Nelson" Zhuk, a commander of assault units and former battalion commander, was killed in action in May 2024 while covering a retreat by his comrades in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast. He was 68. Source: Bratstvo, a special unit of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), on Facebook; Andrii Kovalov, spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Facebook Quote from Bratstvo: "Despite his respectable age, he joined the DIU's Bratstvo battalion after the start of the full-scale war. He was in charge of several units for recruiting foreign volunteers. He took part in managing the defence of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. He was killed in Vovchansk as an assault group commander, covering a retreat by his comrades." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: His brothers-in-arms say that before the war, Kostiantyn Zhuk was a professional soldier, president of the National Motorcycle Association of Ukraine, and one of the founders of Plast (the largest scouting organisation in Ukraine) in Kyiv. He had been a member of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) since the 1990s. General Staff spokesperson Andrii Kovalov said that Zhuk was killed in May 2024, but "there were certain reasons for keeping this secret for so long". Quote from Andrii Kovalov: "At the time of the defence of Kyiv, he [Kostiantyn Zhuk ed.] was already of non-conscription age and no unit would take him, but he could not sit idly by. He formed and armed the Free Ukraine territorial hromada volunteer military formation under the 112th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Indeed, during the defence of Kyiv, it was one of the most effective and efficient territorial hromada volunteer formations." Support UP or become our patron! With radical policy shifts looming in Donald Trumps new administration, many federal employees are surely debating a difficult question: Resign? Or stick around for an agenda that troubles them? This moral calculus whether to try to make a difference from within or leave in protest has long challenged government workers, particularly in moments of ethical crisis. Eight decades ago, federal lawyers wrestled with this same dilemma as the government imprisoned more than 100,000 innocent Japanese Americans from the West Coast on account of their ancestry. Their responses ranging from principled resignation to strategic accommodation offer powerful lessons about the space between simply following orders and walking away entirely. For four years during World War II, the War Relocation Authority (WRA) managed the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans. The agencys own lawyers recognized the moral weight of their work one attorney later acknowledged that it unnecessarily caused immeasurable and irreparable suffering, hardship, and loss to the minds, bodies and properties of Japanese Americans. The agency itself conceded that the camps were bad for the evacuated people and bad for the future health of American democracy.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1943, one WRA lawyer chose to take a stand. Maurice Walk of Chicago resigned in protest, writing to his boss: I am unable to collaborate in defense of a policy of which I so strongly disapprove. He charged the agency with laying the legal groundwork for future fascistic persecution of racial and political minorities and wanted no part of it. Walks resignation, while inspiring, remained singular. No other WRA attorney followed his example of protest. Its easy to condemn them for staying on the job perhaps too easy. Walk was a consultant to the WRA who maintained a private law practice alongside his agency work. The others were full timers whose salaries were their livelihoods. Resigning, for all its moral allure, is a luxury for most working people. Those who stayed didnt mindlessly carry out what they assumed to be their job. Instead, they found ways to use their discretionary power though they often differed dramatically in how they wielded it. The protection of Japanese Americans property and economic rights became a crucial battleground. At the Gila River camp in southern Arizona, Jim Terry fought relentlessly against West Coast interests trying to fleece prisoners of property theyd been forced to leave behind. His advocacy extended to a fiery public display at a 1943 meeting of the Arizona Corporation Commission, where he took on bigoted state officials trying to drive the camps prisoner-organized stores and services out of business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawyers also sometimes worked to give prisoners more control over their daily lives at the camps. At Heart Mountain in northwest Wyoming, Jerry Housel defied his agencys rules for punishing petty crimes, which called for a sort of drumhead court before the camps senior white administrator. Instead, he helped the prisoners create their own tribunal. When WRA headquarters in Washington objected, Housel stood his ground, and the tribunal survived, issuing judgments more reflective of the communitys values. Yet these same lawyers often responded differently even contradictorily when faced with decisions about camp conditions. When the Army announced plans to add another barbed wire fence tightly encircling the residential barracks, responses varied dramatically. At Heart Mountain, Housel the same lawyer who had fought for prisoner self-governance passively allowed the fence construction despite knowing it was unnecessary and offensive to the prisoners. Meanwhile, at the Poston camp in Arizona, Ted Haas actively resisted, leading the staff in a denunciation of the fence that halted its construction. These contradictions extended to individual lawyers treatment of the prisoners themselves. Terry, despite his fierce defense of economic rights, showed little patience for what he viewed as troublemakers resisting the WRAs authority. His aggressive handling of loyalty hearings sometimes left prisoners in tears. Such inconsistencies revealed how even well-intentioned officials could perpetuate systemic injustice while trying to mitigate its worst effects. The WRA lawyers were far from heroes. They gave their energies to a system they knew to be unjust. But in their best moments, they nourished an awareness of the suffering of the Japanese Americans around them. They kept their eyes open to the power they held to diminish it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I met Housel as an elderly man in 1997 and asked him about his time at Heart Mountain. The worst damned thing the country ever did, he said. I probably shouldve just quit. Perhaps. But his story and those of his WRA colleagues offer insights for todays federal employees. There is a space between resigning your job and just doing your job. If your work begins veering away from your values, thats the space to occupy where awareness of injustice remains acute; where ethical choices, however small, still exist; and where individual acts of conscience, even within an unjust system, can make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. ____ Eric Muller is a law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His most recent book on Japanese American imprisonment is Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe: Complicity and Conscience in Americas World War II Concentration Camps. ___ Voting signs at a polling location at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) On Election Day last November, lines of prospective voters waiting to register and cast their ballots stretched around the block from the Gallatin County Courthouse amid snow flurries. It wasnt until 4 a.m. the next day that all voters had registered and cast their ballots. But the work for election staff was far from over, according to Eric Semerad, the countys election administrator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Semerad and his election manager worked for 53 hours to ensure that they followed a law passed by the 2023 Legislature that requires county election staff count ballots without adjournment, until all votes are tallied an idea meant to enhance trust in ballot counting. It was an extraordinarily long election for us, Semerad told members of the House State Administration Committee on Tuesday morning. My election manager and myself, were actually running tabulators through Wednesday night because we didnt have anyone to continue that count. Its just not maintainable long-term to do these kinds of processes. Semerad was testifying in the hearing for House Bill 187, which would remove the continuous tabulation requirement for future elections. Rep. Bob Carter, D-Missoula, told the committee that especially when looking at the largest counties, the provision created conditions where there is a higher likelihood for errors in the election process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its inviting problems to happen, Carter said. I submit to you, this actually erodes voter confidence to do things this way. The 2023 Legislature passed the law requiring continuous tabulation in the name of restoring voter trust, according to former Rep. Lyn Hellegaard, who carried the bill. At the time, many county clerk and recorders, and election administrators testified against the change, saying it would place additional burdens on their departments and workers concerns that played out last November. Missoula County Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said it was difficult to recruit workers willing to pull the overnight shifts, even with an increased wage, and tired staff made small errors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While none of the errors impacted the validity of the results, Seaman said it was easy to see how bigger errors happen. As people get tired, simple tasks can become more complicated, and it maximizes the opportunity to make large mistakes that could impact the validity of the election, he said. Instead, he said, allowing staff to go home late at night, rest up, and return to work is a better option. In Lewis and Clark County, election administrator Amy Reeves said that many temporary workers ended up working for more than 24 hours straight, and several longtime election workers decided not to come back in 2024, which she framed as a bigger security risk than taking breaks from counting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The votes are just like money or gold. You have to protect them. You have to make sure theyre accurate, theyre counted, she said. You cant rely on a temp to just come in and fill their shoes. Election staff in Lewis and Clark County worked for about 36 hours straight, according to elections supervisor Connor Fitzpatrick. He said he slept for more than 17 hours straight after getting home. Removing the continuous count provision gives us a chance to recombobulate ourselves, he said, and when they return in the morning this problem that perhaps seemed so vexing the night before, might have an easy answer. Fitzpatrick said having election departments file a plan with the Secretary of States office of how they plan to handle any issues that arise, as well as a chain of contact, could be a way to add a layer of security. He also added that just because counties wouldnt be required to count continuously, it doesnt mean they couldnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we can finish by 2 or 3 a.m., we want to finish so our team doesnt have to come back in the morning, Seaman said, adding that for the sake of voters waiting for results, election staff across the state are dedicated to providing expedient, accurate results. In closing, Carter stated that 18 county election administrators told him they supported the bill, of the 19 he had been able to contact. Carter also reiterated the need to allow election staff to take breaks, sleep, recuperate and return to safely and securely conducting their election work. Impaired cognitive ability from lack of sleep is very important. We dont allow truck drivers to do this, we dont allow physicians to do this. We dont let other professions do this. OSHA would have a field day, he said. We shouldnt let zombies be counting ballots. EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Sean Spicer, who was Donald Trumps press secretary during the presidents first term, joined 12 News at 4 to talk about why he feels a second Trump administration will be cataclysmic. Watch the full interview in the player above. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes 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 WPRI.com. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance brainstormed in the Oval Office on Tuesday on a path to execute the presidents ambitious agenda amid narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress with the top two congressional Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Conflicting accounts came out of the meeting on whether Republicans will pursue a single-track strategy on budget reconciliation. Johnson said there was a great spirit of unity -- though he declined to confirm whether Senate Republicans agreed to pursue one reconciliation bill -- saying only that the plan is pretty well formulated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Trump second term live updates Im not going to talk about the discussions that we had, but we do have a strategy that were all working on together. It will be bicameral and theres a lot of excitement about that, Johnson said upon his return to the Capitol on Tuesday evening. PHOTO: Vice President J.D. Vance delivers remarks as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and U.S. House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) look in Emancipation Hall for the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Jasper Colt-Pool/Getty Images) It was a great meeting, Johnson said. We talked about strategy and priorities for the Congress and where we are and where were headed. I can tell you the Republican Party is united and excited, Johnson added. Trump, for his part, told reporters that he was pushing for one big bill, pretty much, saying that Republicans might have leverage in providing disaster relief funding for the wildfires in Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think we have a good situation," Trump said. "Now, it's been in some ways, made simpler by Los Angeles, because they're going to need a lot of money. And, generally speaking, I think you find that a lot of Democrats are going to be asking for help. So I think maybe that makes it more one-sided. MORE: Speaker Mike Johnson suggests 'conditions' needed on disaster aid for LA wildfires Thune told reporters that the meeting covered a lot of ground and talked through all the issues. That discussion is always predicated on what we can get done and were obviously all interested in getting to the same destination, so weve got several deadlines ahead of us, Thune said. Theres a lot to do and part of it is figuring out how to stage it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Johnson tells House Republicans Trump wants 1 reconciliation package: Sources Well, there are lots of great theories, but theres always a difference when you have to translate that into practice, Thune added. But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who joined a larger meeting of Republican leaders with Trump in the Cabinet Room, revealed that they agreed to move forward on one measure. We are moving forward with one bill, Scalise said. Pressed whether Thune agreed to the one-bill strategy, Scalise answered, Yeah. Scalise said Republicans have not made a final decision on when to take up the debt limit but signaled it could be tied to government funding, which expires on March 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is set to meet with a group of moderate House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon at the White House, multiple sources told ABC News. Some of the members who will attend include Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, New York Rep. Mike Lawler and others. Everyone who was there will say it was a delightful meeting. Everybody is excited and ready to work, and we are going to deliver on the America First agenda, Johnson said. The party is working in unison. The leaders in both chambers are working in a bicameral fashion and the president is all on board. MORE: Trump backtracks from 'one big, beautiful bill' to fund his agenda Thune signaled recess appointments were discussed in the meeting -- explaining thats something that hes expressed an interest in the past as he pivoted to pressure Democrats to support Trumps nominees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court in a 2014 decision gave the executive branch broad leeway to fill executive branch vacancies when the Senate is not in session, even for political purposes such as difficulty securing Senate confirmation. The court's guidelines for the process notes that the Senate is in recess "when it says it is" and that the Constitution requires the recess to last 10 days or more for a president to be able to fill a position. A vote of the House is also necessary to approve an adjournment of 10 days or more. The Constitution's Adjournment's Clause says neither chamber should be out of session "for more than three days" without consent of the other. -ABC News' Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report. Conflicting accounts on congressional Republicans' approach to Trump's agenda originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON Lawmakers passed a law last year by wide bipartisan margins requiring the popular social media app TikTok to divest from its China-based owner on Jan. 19 or face a ban in the United States. But in the end, TikTok held firm and refused to be sold, Congress blinked, and now everyone is scrambling to avoid a backlash from its large, young user base. The Jan. 19 deadline came and went over the weekend with TikTok briefly taking itself offline before resuming service. Republicans this week welcomed President Donald Trumps executive order delaying enforcement of the ban for 75 days in order to give him time to make a deal that would separate TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most lawmakers said they dont mind giving the app more time, including some of the apps biggest critics who were screaming from the rooftops about the security threat its ties to communist China posed to the U.S. and the private data of millions of Americans. [Trump] took advantage of what is in the law, which says that he can delay it for up to 90 days, just because theres possibility of a buyer, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. I think the important thing is that the president wants time to help facilitate the law, and its important that the Chinese come to the table, added Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Last years law only allowed the president to delay the ban for 90 days if he certified to Congress that there has been significant progress made toward a sale and also that the parties have signed binding legal agreements to that effect. Trump didnt attest that a sale was actively in the works. Although some buyers in the U.S. have expressed interest in purchasing the app, ByteDance has steadily refused to do so since Congress first passed the law in April 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps executive order simply told the Department of Justice not to enforce the laws extensive financial penalties on technology companies that platform the app, like Oracle, Apple and Google. Apple and Google have kept TikTok dark on their app stores for now, while providers like Oracle, whose CEO Larry Ellison is a Trump supporter, have continued to service the app, effectively allowing it to function in the U.S. despite the threat of penalties and legal ramifications. I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans, Trump said in the order. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were willing to overlook the actual text of the law and a president being unwilling to enforce it if it meant keeping TikTok alive, at least for now. I think what President Trumps trying to do is provide some negotiating space, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told HuffPost, adding he was concerned by TikTok users flocking to another Chinese app called RedNote. It looks to me like were engaged in a game of whack-a-mole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), another China hawk, acknowledged the lack of legal basis for Trumps order but didnt object to the president not enforcing the law passed by Congress. I guess, as the executive, he can always direct his DOJ to enforce or not enforce the law, Hawley told reporters. I dont know that theres actually a statutory predicate to extend enforcement by that amount. The statute says 90 days, but youve also got to certify that theres a deal coming together. Technology companies that continue to platform TikTok could face additional ramifications, including lawsuits and scrutiny from government regulators like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned in a social media post on Sunday. Think about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Senate Democrat last week sought unanimous consent from their colleagues for a measure to delay the laws implementation, but Cotton blocked them. A top Trump ally, Cotton has not weighed in on the presidents order giving TikTok a pass nor his about-face on the issue of banning TikTok. Trump repeatedly touted his efforts to ban the app during his first term in office. Asked on Monday why he changed his mind on TikTok, Trump pointed to his support from younger voters in the 2024 presidential election and seemed to dismiss an argument made by critics of the apps influence on children. Remember, TikTok is largely about kids. Young kids. If China is going to get information about young kids, I dont know to be honest with you, I think we have bigger problems than that, Trump said at the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats, meanwhile, said they feared the precedent Trump was setting by choosing not to enforce the law. If this leads to a deal, thats great, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who has many concerns with TikToks China ties, told HuffPost. What Im not great with, and I think a lot of my Republican colleagues agree, is that if we allow this national security threat to go unfettered or somehow for President Trump to completely ignore the law of the land. Related... For nearly half a century, theres been little thought about the name Congress gave to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council until now. On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an order to rename the waterbody to the Gulf of America on federal agency maps, contracts, and other documents and communications. So what happens to the name of this nearly 50-year-old advisory council created to give anglers a voice in fisheries management across the gulf states? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group is still figuring it out. We have to wait for further instructions, said Emily Muehlstein, spokesperson for the council and a Gulfport resident. Its just wait and see for us right now. Signed by President Gerald Ford in 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Act created eight regional fishery councils including the Gulf of Mexico region to lay the groundwork for sustainable fishing populations. Now, the councils legislative staff is trying to determine whether Trumps order would require the act itself to be reauthorized for a name change to be finalized, or if the executive order takes precedence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The council is one of many with a brand tied to the Gulf of Mexico now trying to understand what comes next under Trumps order. A spokesperson for the nonprofit Gulf of Mexico Alliance, for instance, wrote in an email it doesnt yet have any answers about whether it would change its name. An assistant town manager in Longboat Key, home to Gulf of Mexico Drive said the decision to rename the road lies with Floridas transportation agency. And the Ocean Conservancy, which communicates often about its work to restore the gulf, said its still reviewing the executive order. Federal agencies appear to already be embracing the new name. In an email Wednesday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wrote that the agency looks forward to protecting and maintaining the health and productivity of the Gulf of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also didnt take long for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to jump on board with the new name. Just hours after Trump signed his executive order, DeSantis issued a state of emergency over the incoming winter weather. In the first line of the order, the governors office mentioned an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America. If thats a signal Floridas agencies intend to use the new name in research, policy and other communications, theres been little clarity so far on how that might roll out. Spokespeople for the states environmental and wildlife agencies, who refer to the Gulf of Mexico often in their studies and reports, did not respond to questions about whether theyd be using the new name. A spokesperson for the governors office also didnt answer questions. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, tasked with overseeing the states fishing regulations, has yet to address the executive order. Just after Trump ordered the name change, some Florida anglers were quick to post their thoughts online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that its the Gulf of America, previously established fishing regulations no longer apply. Open season baby!! one person wrote. Does this mean all Gulf of Mexico regulations are invalid? another asked. The name change is likely of little legal consequence for fisheries regulations, according to Jaclyn Lopez, director of the Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetsons College of Law. For example: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the same federal department now tasked with the gulf name change, has in the past changed the name of species, like the eastern indigo snake. It doesnt matter what you call it, Lopez said. Its name does not change its quality or character. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The name Gulf of Mexico dates to the 1500s-era Spanish exploration of the waterbody. The International Hydrographic Organization, a common standard for charting seas, refers to the Gulf of Mexico when defining its borders. Trumps actions were in line with a long history of American leaders feeling they own the Gulf, according to a recent Tampa Bay Times interview with Jack Davis, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea. The United States is the Gulfs biggest polluter and exploits the waterbody more than the other Gulf countries, Davis told the Times. What comes next for the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council remains to be seen, Muehlstein said. But as the person responsible for the groups marketing and communications, shes starting to consider the scope of re-branding the organization. From a new logo to an updated website, it would be a heavy lift. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), one of the largest in Congress, blasted President Trump on Wednesday for rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government. Since the Supreme Courts 2023 decision to end affirmative action admissions in colleges, CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said, MAGA Republicans have set their sights on cutting off access to economic opportunity for Black and minority communities in the federal government, on college campuses, and in corporate America. This executive order is nothing short of an attempt to take our country backward and does nothing to help our communities grow economically or address the costs of living for hardworking American families, Clarke said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps executive order, signed Monday, calls on the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to coordinate with federal agencies to terminate all discriminatory programs. The order directs the assistant to the president for domestic policy to have monthly meetings with deputy secretaries to assess DEI programs and determine ways to end them. Ahead of Novembers election, Trump and Republicans vowed to end DEI and labeled such programs as discriminatory. At his rally in D.C. ahead of his inauguration, Trump said the Supreme Courts decision to end affirmative action means the United States is allowed to go by the merit system, which is what made us great in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CBC, which welcomed its largest class ever this year, represents some 20 million Black Americans around the nation. The group has been an ardent supporter of DEI policies and programs, often citing studies that show diversity initiatives improve the government and corporations ability to better serve communities. The CBC is now calling for Republicans to stand by them and the rest of the Democratic Party rather than working to take away opportunities for our communities. Under the Biden Administration, Democrats worked to prioritize racial equity with a whole of government approach. President Trumps executive actions undermine that progress and will only make our country less prosperous, Clarke said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. A doctor from a Chinese medical team provides a free health check-up for an orphan at Prayas Nepal, a non-profit and non-governmental organization, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan. 22, 2025. Doctors from a Chinese medical team in Nepal provided free health check-ups for some orphans in Kathmandu, the country's capital, on Wednesday. (Photo by Hari Maharjan/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Doctors from a Chinese medical team in Nepal provided free health check-ups for some orphans in Kathmandu, the country's capital, on Wednesday. The nine-member team conducted overall check-ups for 18 orphans housed at Prayas Nepal, a non-profit and non-governmental organization dedicated to helping children in need, including vision and visual field tests, tooth and oral as well as growth and development examinations, scoliosis screening and consultations on menstrual health. In addition, the team offered consultations to the children about healthy behavior and donated medicines. "We're very grateful for choosing our organization for the support," said Mani Joshi, founding chair of Prayas Nepal. Following the check-up, the Chinese Enterprises Association in Nepal handed over food items including rice, lentils and cooking oil along with toiletries and 600,000 Nepali rupees to the orphanage. The Chinese Enterprises Association in Nepal makes a donation to Prayas Nepal, a non-profit and non-governmental organization, after a Chinese medical team provided free health check-ups to Nepali orphans in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan. 22, 2025. Doctors from a Chinese medical team in Nepal provided free health check-ups for some orphans in Kathmandu, the country's capital, on Wednesday. (Photo by Hari Maharjan/Xinhua) A doctor from a Chinese medical team provides a free health check-up for an orphan at Prayas Nepal, a non-profit and non-governmental organization, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan. 22, 2025. Doctors from a Chinese medical team in Nepal provided free health check-ups for some orphans in Kathmandu, the country's capital, on Wednesday. (Photo by Hari Maharjan/Xinhua) Donald Trump's blanket pardon of January 6th rioters as well as his decision to commute the sentences of members of both the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, some of whom were charged with seditious conspiracy has been met with shock and frustration from those most affected by the 2021 attack. Brian Fanone, a former DC Metropolitan police officer who was injured during the riot and testified about his experience to the House Select Committee investigating the attack said he felt betrayed by his country following the pardons. I have been betrayed by my country, and Ive been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump, whether you voted for him because he promised these pardons, or for some other reason, you knew that this was coming. And here we are, Fanone told CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former officer described his frustrated at the notion that the men who attacked him and his colleagues were allowed to escape punishment. Tonight, six individuals who assaulted me, as I did my job on January 6, as did hundreds of other law enforcement officers, will now walk free, he said. Fanone: I have been betrayed by my country and I have been betrayed by those who supported Donald Trump. Whether you voted for him because he promised these pardons, or for some other reason, you knew that this was coming. And here we are. pic.twitter.com/csGD745pYa Acyn (@Acyn) January 21, 2025 Fanone also addressed the GOPs support for law enforcement. I think that Republican Party owns a monopoly on hypocrisy when it comes to supporting or their supposed support of law enforcement, because, tonight, the leader of the Republican Party pardoned hundreds of violent cop assaulters, he said. Fanone is one of the individuals who received a preemptive pardon from now-former President Joe Biden before he left office. The pardon is intended to protect him from potential blowback from the Trump administration for speaking out at the House Select hearings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All I can say is that I think its a sad commentary on where we are as a nation that a sitting president thought it necessary to issue a preemptive pardon to a witness in a congressional investigation, because the subject to that investigation is now the president and had promised to pursue politically motivated revenge. Again, its just more examples of the outrageous behavior of the current president of the United States, Fanone said. He's not the only one who affected by the Capitol riots appalled by Trump's pardons. Craig Sicknick, the brother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died soon after the attack, told NJ.com that he felt his brother's death was cheapened by the pardon. I feel that my brother died in vain, and that our nation has a very long and dark road ahead of it," Craig told the outlet. As far as Im concerned, the US just installed its first dictator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another former Capitol Police officer who was present during the riot, Harry Dunn, told MSNBC that Trump's pardons made him furious. It pulls at my heart, it makes me upset, it makes me angry. How could people sit there and watch what happened that day and say they're okay with what happened?" Dunn said on MSNBC's Morning Joe. "Those people aren't hostages, as Trump called him, he added.Those people that are sitting in jail are people that attacked assaulted police officers in the worst, most violent ways." More than 140 police officers were injured during the Capitol riots, and the attack indirectly led to the deaths of four Trump supporters and five law enforcement officers. BOSTON (SHNS) Lawmakers are poised to dive into a Right to Shelter Law debate this year after Gov. Maura Healey recommended reforms aimed at a return to the statutes original intent. Decades ago, the so-called right to shelter was not headline material, although costs concerns were raised. Healey last week unveiled her reforms in a letter to top legislative Democrats, including a requirement that all shelter-seeking family members be Massachusetts residents and prove an intention to remain in the state. The governor wrote that the changes ensure the long-term sustainability of the state shelter system in a way that aligns with the original intent of the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The videotape archive of House and Senate sessions does not extend back to the mists of 1983, when the bill (H 6694 / Chapter 450 of the Acts of 1983) emerged from incoming Gov. Michael Dukakis inaugural pledge to help those in desperate need. News Service session summaries can instead be used to fill the gaps and show contemporaneous legislative intent on a bill. Rep. Joseph DeNucci, the future state auditor who co-chaired the Human Services Committee and was serving his seventh year in the House, was a central figure as planning meetings hosted by Dukakis got underway. Shelter alone is not the only answer. We need a multi-disciplinary approach to the problem. Shelter without rehabilitation is not enough, DeNucci told the press after the first homelessness huddle in January 1983. After a signature bill responding to the crisis was locked up in committee for months, it hit the House floor in October for an initial vote and was enacted within 20 days. Media coverage often led with provisions that would extend General Relief cash assistance to people without fixed addresses, and would pay up to four months of rent, fuel, or utility debts for families at risk of eviction or losing utilities. A review of coverage did not turn up stories on the right to shelter, which now makes Massachusetts unique among states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most controversial part of the law was the rent and utility payment assistance, DeNucci said at the time. He called rent arrearage payments the hardest thing to sell to the membership, according to SHNS coverage. Rep. Royall Switzler kicked off the debate that fall by contending that it created an open-ended welfare enhancement program offering aid to deinstitutionalized patients who were eligible for separate state aid, according to a News Service summary. We have to be very, very careful on where we are going with these programs, identifying who should get aid. This bill sounds like an apple pie and motherhood bill, but how far does government go? We will have people coming in from out of state without a domicile applying for aid, the Wellesley Republican said. He was joined in his opposition by a South Boston Democrat, Rep. Michael Flaherty Sr., who said the bill would bolster state programs but it is not clear the problem will be addressed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeNucci emphasized safeguards against fraud and abuse, said the bill would finally address the problem of homelessness, for the first time, and focused on how it would extend emergency assistance eligibility to pregnant women who did not yet have children. Domicile requirements are a Catch 22, DeNucci said, according to the SHNS summary. How can people get assistance if they dont have the money for a home anyway? I am a Democrat because a society can only be judged on how it treats vulnerable people, the Newton rep shot back to another salvo from Switzler. It must step in and help. If that makes me a liberal, so what. It establishes money for shelters for the homeless: it is important for government to address that problem. It prevents evictions. [The Department of] Public Welfare must verify all eligible people. A week later, the House adopted amendments including one relative to definition of a resident before passing the bill without any debate on a landslide 138-3 roll call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is now the Right to Shelter Law generated comment from four senators the following week, when a Ways and Means redraft was approved and the bill was engrossed on a voice vote. Senate Minority Leader John Parker asked questions about the practicality of the bill, and about residency requirements. To do the job for the homeless that has to be done will cost much more than this bill calls for, he said of the pending $1.6 million package. I dont know how you are going to figure out who came to this state just to benefit from this. Many dont have cars or registration or identification. This is one more bureaucracy that is being set up to correct deinstitutionalization. Sen. Gerard DAmico, a Worcester Democrat, was the only senator to speak in favor of the bill, according to the News Service coverage. The summary does not record a direct answer to Parkers question about residency requirements, though DAmico stressed the compromise nature of the bill and how it emerged from talks with organizations on the ground. Just 20 days after the bill first hit the House floor, the Senate sent it to Dukakis desk with little fanfare: By voice vote and without debate the Senate enacted the $1.6 million homeless bill, the News Service reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Gov. Edward King had approved $600,000 in emergency shelter funding, which was estimated in early 1983 to open up 1,200 beds, while Senate President William Bulger estimated 2,000 to 4,000 homeless people were living in Boston alone. In October 1983, the News Service said there were around 9,000 homeless people in Massachusetts. Politicians pointed to the recent deinstitutionalization of patients from mental health facilities, along with a lack of available housing and a poor economy. Healey said earlier this month that around 48,000 people have lived in state-run emergency family shelters over the past three years. Her pending shelter bill seeks $425 million in added spending to keep the shelter system afloat for half a year. If anything, Sen. DAmico had a good handle on the future. This is an initial step, he said before the Senate gave the 1983 bill initial approval, according to a News Service summary. Down the road this is going to cost us much, much, much, much more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WWLP. The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), which supported President Donald Trump's election in 2016, 2020, and 2024, yesterday criticized his blanket pardon for people charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The FOP, the country's largest police union, is troubled by the president's clemency for Trump supporters who assaulted police officers while expressing their outrage at a supposedly stolen election. "Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety," the FOP said in a joint statement with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). "They are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families. When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence." Spreading the blame around, the FOP and the IACP roped former President Joe Biden into their critique of misguided clemency for people convicted of violence against police officers. The organizations cited "long standing and positive relationships with both President Trump and President Biden," thanking them for "their support of the policing profession." But they added that they are "deeply discouraged by the recent pardons and commutations granted by both the Biden and Trump Administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The groups' beef with Biden presumably involves his last-minute commutation for Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist who was convicted of murdering two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Peltier, who is now 80 and ailing, served half a century for those crimes before Biden commuted his life sentence to home confinement on Monday. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray described Peltier as "a remorseless killer" in a letter urging Biden to keep him in prison. But Biden noted that "Tribal Nations, Nobel Peace laureates, former law enforcement officials (including the former U.S. Attorney whose office oversaw Mr. Peltier's prosecution and appeal), dozens of lawmakers, and human rights organizations strongly support granting Mr. Peltier clemency, citing his advanced age, illnesses, his close ties to and leadership in the Native American community, and the substantial length of time he has already spent in prison." Whatever you think of Peltier's commutation, it is different in kind and scale from Trump's pardons for Capitol rioters. First, although Biden showed he is by no means averse to self-interested acts of clemency, he has no personal stake in this particular case. Trump, by contrast, has a strong interest in minimizing the crimes committed by his supporters, who were inspired by his baseless claim that massive election fraud had deprived him of his rightful victory. That interest explains why Trump, who in 2021 described the riot as "a heinous attack on the United States Capitol," now portrays it as "a day of love." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second, allowing an elderly murderer to die at home after spending most of his life in prison is not quite the same as granting pardons to "heroes" and "patriots" who assaulted police during the Capitol riot. The former does not imply that Peltier is innocent or undeserving of punishment, while the latter suggests that the January 6 defendants were all victims of "a grave national injustice," as Trump put it. Third, Biden's commutation involves one sick old man who poses no plausible threat to public safety, while Trump's pardons included about 600 people who were charged with "assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers" during the riot. As of last November, the Justice Department reported, that group included 169 defendants "charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer." Trump's pardons, unlike Biden's commutation, implicitly excuse political violence, as long as it is committed by people who love the president and acted based on his phony grievance. Trump shows no such lenience when left-leaning protesters who hate him tangle with the police. Those "thugs" obviously belong in jail, he thinks. More generally, Trump's authoritarian "law and order" instincts lead him to oppose accountability for police officers who violate people's constitutional rights. But when his supporters attack police officers who are simply doing their jobs, as happened during the Capitol riot, he sees no crime worthy of punishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only plausible explanation for this blatant inconsistency is that Trump sees everything through a narcissistic lens, which is apparent even when he manages to do the right thing. When he pardoned Ross Ulbricht on Tuesday, Trump noted that the Silk Road founder "was given two life sentences, plus 40 years," for creating a website that connected drug buyers with drug sellers, which the president rightly described as "ridiculous." Trump sympathized with Ulbricht, he said, because "the scum that worked to convict him"prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York"were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me." Trump perceived no contradiction between his sympathy for Ulbricht and his oft-repeated position that drug dealers should be executed. That hard-line attitude likewise did not stop him from condemning "very unfair" drug penalties, freeing drug offenders such as Alice Johnson in response to celebrity appeals, or supporting drug sentencing reforma cause he embraced based on a political bet that he later complained did not pay off. "Did it for African Americans," he told a New York Times reporter in 2022. "Nobody else could have gotten it done. Got zero credit." Trump's otherwise puzzling incoherence on criminal justice and drug policy is understandable only if you recognize that his self-interest overrides any principles he claims to support. That includes the principle that people who assault police officers deserve to be punished. When the FOP endorsed Trump in September, its president, Patrick Yoes, said the Republican nominee "has shown time after time that he supports our law enforcement officers and understands the issues our members face every day." During his first term, Yoes said, Trump "made it crystal clear that he has our backs." If the FOP's leaders are now surprised that Trump abandoned that commitment when it conflicted with his personal interests, they have not been paying attention. The post The Country's Largest Police Union, Which Repeatedly Endorsed Trump, Is Dismayed by His Capitol Riot Pardons appeared first on Reason.com. Jan. 21Tuesday's Ector County Commissioners Court meeting ended with a 3-1 vote to approve the award of design build services for the new Ector County Courthouse and with some ruffled feathers. The court kicked the can down the road on what to do about the Ector County Annex, which houses a number of county government services. Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett said the court will convene in a regular or special meeting to discuss the annex in coming weeks. He said the sticking point is if the County should move many of the offices out of the annex and into the new courthouse. The annex would still be used for the elections office and possibly the health department, Fawcett has said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fawcett has long said he envisions a full service county courthouse that offers citizens the ability to quickly and efficiently conduct their business including car registrations, birth certificates and other issues. There were a few disagreements Tuesday with Commissioner Greg Simmons motioning to go back out for requests for qualifications and Commissioner Billy Hall seconding. Fawcett and Commissioner Mike Gardner disagreed and the motion died as Commissioner Samantha Russell was in the meeting virtually and not able to vote. Simmons indicated he had concerns with the original award and questioned using the design build scheme. Fawcett responded he was confused as they had already had three teams submit proposals and they picked Butler Cohen during a previous commissioners meeting. Fawcett said the county has already spent about $300,000 with the firm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simmons said the way the county went out for bond money may have kept potential bidders from bidding. He and Fawcett had a short back and forth about attorneys who looked at the project with Fawcett saying he had every confidence in the county attorney and Simmons wanting to "get the other attorney back on the phone in executive session" Hall asked a number of questions and eventually voted with Fawcett and Gardner to award the contract to Butler Cohen. That leaves just the question of what to do about the annex offices. "Butler Cohen will continue," Fawcett said following the meeting. "We are not resetting the whole process or hiring a whole new team ... as a fiscally conservative Republican what a waste of tax dollars to begin all these concepts and then just restart? It would be silly to switch." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fawcett agreed the whole court should be in attendance for the annex discussion but said he was befuddled about Simmons' motion to start all over. "Why would he make the motion to restart the whole process? It would cost more to start all over ... to bring on new builders and staff time ... how nice it must be to go in twice a month just for our meetings but my issue is that he is not doing his homework and this is a huge project," Fawcett said. "He hasn't had a single call or been on any of our conference calls and to come in and act like it was poorly managed ... when voted for this initially we were 5-0 on it. Now he just wants to restart the whole process ... use the nuke option just because he doesn't want the annex to move." The new courthouse will be built at the site of the old post office in downtown Odessa. The county purchased that land for $4.7 million. The new courthouse will be funded by $325 million in certificates of obligation issued by county commissioners in November. The debt will increase property taxes for Ector County residents. Owners of a $210,000 home in Ector County will pay about $17 more a month in property taxes. A $210,000 home has a $170,000 taxable value. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The certificates will also fund an overhaul of the Ector County Juvenile Justice Center. The county will assist the U.S. Postal Service in finding a new site and Fawcett said he believes some construction on the new courthouse will begin in 2025. As news broke of a shooting inside a Nashville high school on Wednesday, parents impacted by the Covenant School shooting two years ago say they are heartbroken and "sickened" to see another young community shattered by gun violence. A 17-year-old male student at Antioch High School opened fire inside the school's cafeteria before noon on Wednesday, fatally shooting a 16-year-old female student and grazing another student. Nashville police said the shooter died after turning the gun on himself. The Antioch shooting news struck Mary Joyce with haunting familiarity on Wednesday. Her 9-year-old daughter huddled in a Covenant School classroom on March 27, 2023, when a shooter killed three students and three staff members. Mary Joyce, Covenant School parent, looks on as Gov. Bill Lee mentions the Covenant School shooting during his State of the State address to the Tennessee General Assembly in the House chamber of the Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. "My heart aches for the students and teachers and parents of Antioch High School," Joyce said. "It is unimaginable until it happens to you, and the terrifying impact and loss from today will never leave them. They will carry this day forever. How many more... this must stop." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the Covenant shooting, parents like Joyce began to mobilize in an effort to pass gun safety legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly. Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonpartisan nonprofit, was among the groups developed amid widespread public protests for firearms reform. Katy Dieckhaus, the mother of Covenant victim Evelyn Dieckhaus, is a member of the Voices board. In a statement, Voices said the group was "devastated" to learn about the Antioch shooting. "Our hearts break for the students, families and staff impacted by this tragedy," the statement said in part. "Schools should be safe spaces where children can learn and grow without fear of violence. We also stand alongside the families of victims and survivors of mass shootings who are continually retraumatized when news of yet another shooting breaks." The Antioch shooting could lead to renewed public efforts at the state Capitol for gun safety reform. The Covenant shooting sparked massive public protests in its immediate aftermath and led to Gov. Bill Lee calling a special legislative session in 2023. Lee wanted to pass an extreme risk protection law, which would allow courts to remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But legislative Republicans balked at the proposal and focused instead on policies to "harden" physical security at places like schools. Two Nashville Democrats on Wednesday issued further calls for gun safety legislation in the coming months. Lawmakers return to the capitol next week for another special session narrowly focused on a voucher proposal, disaster relief and immigration issues, meaning they won't be able to consider any school safety related proposals in the immediate future until regular session reconvenes. Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, has continually pushed for gun safety reform and said Wednesday she will do "everything in my power to push for meaningful legislative changes to prevent senseless acts of gun violence. My heart is broken over the devastating shooting at Antioch High School today," said Oliver, who represents the district where Antioch High School is located. "As a mother and a representative of this community, I grieve with the families, students, and staff who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to the victims who were shot, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. No child should ever feel unsafe in their school, and no family should face the anguish of such a senseless loss." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Another Nashville school shooting leaves Covenant parents heartbroken A Covington firefighter is accused of soliciting prostitution and driving while under the influence while off-duty in Boone County, court records show. Tyler Cherry, a 45-year-old fire captain and paramedic, was arrested last week after responding to a sexually explicit advertisement posted online by the Boone County Sheriff's Office. More: Covington firefighter who resigned was accused of bullying, having women at station Advertisement Advertisement Cherry is charged in Boone County District Court with misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution, driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana possession. When deputies confronted Cherry at a hotel in Florence on Jan. 15, he had $150 on him, an amount commonly charged for half an hour of sexual services, investigators said in a criminal citation. The citation states that undercover deputies in the hotel's parking lot observed Cherry circle the building two times before parking and walking into it. There, he went to the room number provided to him via text. Investigators said Cherry had a "very strong odor of alcohol" and refused to perform field sobriety tests. Deputies also confiscated an electronic marijuana cigarette from Cherry. Advertisement Advertisement This wasn't the first time Cherry faced criminal charges for soliciting prostitution in Boone County. In 2022, Cherry was convicted of a misdemeanor solicitation charge after responding to an ad posted by law enforcement and arriving at a Hebron hotel room with $150 for an agreed-upon visit for sex, court filings show. Cherry declined to comment on the most recent charges when contacted by The Enquirer on Wednesday. Covington spokesman Dan Hassert said Cherry is currently on paid administrative leave pending a separate city investigation. "While there are disciplinary procedures that the city must follow, residents can be sure that we take these accusations seriously and will address them with that in mind," Hassert said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Court records show Cherry is scheduled to appear for an arraignment on Feb. 3. He was previously given an own recognizance bond, which means the court trusts a defendant to return for subsequent hearings without paying money. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Covington firefighter arrested in prostitution sting, placed on leave Jan. 21Cowboys for Trump founder and former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin hasn't heard from President Donald Trump's administration personally. However, he said Tuesday he believes he is among those covered by a sweeping executive order issued Monday pardoning or granting clemency to about 1,500 people convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. "I'm grateful for being offered a pardon. It's just kind of a struggle to accept it, because pardons are political," Griffin, who was convicted of trespassing during the riot, said in an interview. "You know, I'm going to have the media and opponents saying, 'Oh, it's just because Trump got elected, you got off the hook.' " Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffin maintained his innocence Tuesday, saying he never "knowingly" entered a restricted area and is torn between accepting a pardon and continuing his appeal in hopes of truly clearing his name. He was one of at least five New Mexico residents charged in the Jan. 6 riot, including Rockne Earles of Chama and former Los Alamos National Laboratory contractor Matthew Martin. Earles pleaded guilty to two federal counts of assaulting a police officer, while Martin was acquitted of four misdemeanors. Clovis doctor and military veteran Leonard Gruppo pleaded guilty to a charge of demonstrating at the Capitol without permission, and Shawn Witzemann of Farmington pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and knowingly entering a restricted building. Witzemann maintained he was working as a journalist. A federal judge convicted Griffin of misdemeanor trespassing but acquitted him of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 14 days of incarceration but received credit for 20 days he already had served in jail after his arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The more serious consequences came later in a state courtroom in Santa Fe where Griffin faced a civil suit filed by the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington better known as CREW on behalf of three New Mexico residents. They accused him of insurrection for traveling to Washington, D.C., and clambering over three barriers to gain access to a platform outside the Capitol, where he used a bullhorn to cheer on a mob forcibly entering the building as police tried to hold them back. The civil case relied heavily on the federal trespassing conviction as proof he participated in an insurrection. Following a bench trial in 2022, state District Judge Francis Mathew ruled Griffin's participation in the Jan. 6 attack amounted to insurrection and disqualified him from holding his seat on the Otero County Commission and from ever again holding an elected office. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in the criminal case last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What happened to me in Santa Fe was the greatest attack on democracy you can imagine, because they used a civil courtroom to remove a duly elected official," Griffin said. "It's a disgrace, you know? I mean, after Jan. 6, there was a very aggressive recall campaign waged against me, and that recall campaign fell flat on its face. So, the people in Otero County spoke twice in regards to me, once when they elected me and the second time whenever the recall failed," he added. "That should have been respected. But unfortunately, when you have the state of New Mexico, respect is not in their vocabulary. They just wanted my voice silenced. They wanted me removed." Pardon's pros and cons Earlier this month Griffin said he saw the potential for a pardon from Trump as a "glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now he's weighing the pros and cons of accepting one. Since he's already served his time for the federal criminal conviction, Griffin said he has less to gain from a pardon. "If I was facing years in federal prison ... I would be much more inclined to just take a pardon and be done with it. But I've already done my time," he said. "So right now, worst-case scenario, I would have a misdemeanor on my record if I was to decline a pardon." What Griffin's more concerned with is reversing the New Mexico ruling barring him from holding public office; although, he said Tuesday he doesn't have much of an appetite for politics anymore. He previously indicated he might consider running for governor of New Mexico one day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To be honest with you, my belly is so full of politics I don't have any desire to run again," he said, adding his political career cost him his business and marriage, and reduced him to "just working for wages trying to survive." Griffin said he'd "love" a job in Trump's administration if offered one. "Maybe an ambassador to New Mexico," he said. "That would be all right." Path to public office? Peter Ticktin, a Florida-based attorney who handled Griffin's appeal to the Supreme Court but is not representing him, said Tuesday the simplest path for Griffin to restore his right to hold public office would be for him to file a petition much like the one that unseated him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What could be obtained is a new declaratory judgment that basically undoes the first," Ticktin said. CREW Deputy Chief Counsel Nikhel Sus indicated in an email Griffin faces a bigger challenge. "Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment clearly says that only a congressional super-majority ('two-thirds of each house') can remove a an individual's disqualification for insurrection. ... The district court's order barring Mr. Griffin from office remains in effect unless two-thirds of each House of Congress votes to remove his disqualification." Albuquerque attorney Joseph Goldberg one of the lawyers who represented the plaintiffs in the civil case disputed Griffin's assertion plaintiffs relied on the federal criminal conviction to prove he participated in an insurrection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffin's own videos of his actions at the Capitol, third-party photographs and testimony of officers injured during the attack on the Capitol was the evidence plaintiffs used, Goldberg said. Goldberg said if Griffin were to petition the court anew, the nonprofit likely would have standing to offer a legal argument in opposition. However, Goldberg said he thought such a challenge would not be successful. A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was killed during a traffic stop in Coventry, near the Canadian border, was a military veteran who worked security duty at the Pentagon during the time of the Sept. 11 attacks, his family said. He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery, a family statement provided to The Associated Press late Tuesday said. He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self. Agent David Chris Maland, 44, was killed Monday afternoon following a traffic stop, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement. A German national in the country on what the FBI called a current visa was killed and an injured suspect was taken into custody and is being treated at a local hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The violence temporarily closed part of Interstate 91 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Canada in Coventry, part of the small, 27,000-resident community of Orleans County in the Northeast Kingdom section of Vermont that straddles the international border. Investigation into killing of Border Patrol agent in Vermont continues Maland, whom the FBI confirmed was a U.S. Air Force veteran, was killed close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector that he was assigned to. The sector encompasses Vermont, parts of New York and New Hampshire, and includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada. The Derby LineRock Island Border Crossing is located about 12 miles by highway north of Coventry. Its a major link to the Canadian province of Quebec, giving northern Vermont more French speakers than most of New England. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Customs and Border Protections thoughts and prayers are with Agent Malands family during this difficult time, the agency said in a statement. The death is a tragedy, said Gov. Phil Scott and state Sen. Russ Ingalls, a Republican who represents the area. Malands family said his career spanned nine years in the military and 15 in the federal government. While working in Washington, D.C., he was active security in the Pentagon during 9/11, their statement said. Maland also was a K-9 handler. Before heading to the northern border, he served in Texas, near the border with Mexico. The Minnesota native who family members called by his middle name, Chris, was about to propose marriage to his partner, said an aunt, Joan Maland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are all devastated, she told AP in a text. She called him an exceptional person. Incredible man. David Maland was the first Border Patrol agent to be killed in the line of duty since Javier Vega Jr. was shot and killed near Santa Monica, Texas, in 2014, according to records provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Vega was initially considered to be off duty at the time of his death, but in 2016 it was re-determined to have been in the line of duty, the agency said. In 2010, Brian Terrys killing exposed the botched federal gun operation known as Fast and Furious. Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie, of the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station, was mortally wounded in the line of duty in a remote area near Bisbee, Arizona, in 2012. Border Patrol Agent Isaac Morales was fatally stabbed while off duty in 2017 in Texas. 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 ABC22 & FOX44. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) urged Apple to officially change the name of the Gulf of Mexico on its mapping platform following President Trumps Monday executive order declaring the land mass the Gulf of America. Hey @tim_cook, just noticed Apple Maps still calls it the Gulf of Mexico. Sent a report through the app, but thought youd want to know, Crenshaw wrote in a Tuesday post on X tagging the companys CEO. The former presidents move comes days after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a measure in the House to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A similar bill was authored by Democratic state Rep. Stephen Holland (Miss.) in 2012 in a satirical effort directed at Republican lawmakers, according to NPR. The legislation was eventually referred to a committee but did not pass. Unlike Holland, Trump would not need a legislatures approval to rename the body of water. But he would need some help from the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Its unclear if an executive order would trump the boards traditional processes which requires input from impacted municipalities. Upon receipt of a proposal to change the name of a natural feature, or that of an unincorporated populated place, canal, channel, or reservoir, all interested parties will be asked to comment, the board stated on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump may also have to request a formal change with the International Hydrographic Organization of which both the United States and Mexico are members, according to the Associated Press. The agency works to ensure all the worlds seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. However, there are instances where countries refer to the same body of water or landmark by different names in their own documentation, as reported by the AP. Digital mapping systems are outlined through company standards which include ground surveys among various other sources. Apple and Google Maps did not immediately respond to The Hills request for comment on whether they would work toward renaming the ocean basin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cook, Apples CEO, spent much of the inauguration day with Trump on Tuesday. He attended a morning church service at St. Johns, followed by the formal inauguration ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda and traditional luncheon among other events. A number of other tech industry leaders, including Trump ally Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, were also in attendance at Tuesdays inauguration. 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 The Hill. Editors Note: Town, fire and emergency officials provided a briefing at 2:15 p.m. You can watch the full briefing in the video player at the bottom of this page. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Over a dozen people were displaced and multiple buildings demolished following a massive fire that was started by a smoking portable charging device on Main Street in Ovid, officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon. To those who lost their homes, businesses, and jobs. The men and women of the Sheriffs office stand with you. We are sorry for your losses. To the fire department and first responders, your bravery and dedication to duty are beyond words. You fought for everything for your neighbors and should be proud of yourself, said Seneca County Sheriff Timothy Thompson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire crews have since cleared the Ovid block fire, which led to the destruction of multiple buildings Tuesday night. Crews were called to a fire at the Ovid Big M store around 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Ovid Fire Department, which shared photos of the blaze on social media. Buildings collapsed within two hours as the fire ripped through the strip on Main Street. Several hours of work throughout the night finally led to the containment of the fire. Buildings needed to be demolished following the massive fire Tuesday night in Ovid (Photo/Ovid Fire Department) Fire crews returned to the area at 9 a.m. Wednesday to assess the damage and work the remaining blaze. Fire crews said none of the buildings involved in the fire were saved and all buildings from Big M to the Italian Kitchen were demolished. The old Barber Shop remains standing with some damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Ovid Fire Department, the area continues to see thick smoke. Drivers are urged to avoid Main Street from the library to the community bank for the time being. East Seneca Street is closed at The Coffee Shop and West Seneca is closed before the back parking lot. Seneca County issued a Water Conservation Order late Tuesday night in response to the fire asking all Ovid residents to limit water usage as water ran low. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the order was lifted as water was restored. Folks with concerns can call the Village of Ovid Water Department at 607-869-2049, or the Seneca County Health Department at 315-539-1945. Photos from the scene of a fire at Ovid Big M building Tuesday evening courtesy of the Ovid Fire Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As sad as this day is, there is only one word comes to mind. That is community. Community is what we are and how we will get through this tragedy, Thompson said. Old Riverside hotel windows smashed and boarded, chairs in the riverway Drone footage of the fire courtesy of Ira Aman: Officials said the cause of the fire was tied to a portable charging device. There were minor injuries reported during the fire that were assessed at the scene and cleared. Around 15 to 20 people were displaced from an apartment building as a result of the fire. According to officials, the fire needs to be extinguished before clearing debris which could take three days to a week to clear. Until debris is cleared, Main Street will remain closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NYSEG reported 200+ outages in the area Tuesday night as the fire burned, but that number dropped Wednesday. It is unconfirmed if the fire had anything to do with the outages. Neighbors on scene told News 8 they were worried about how they would stay warm with the power outages. A neighbor across the street from the Big M said they were there for 10 minutes before they witnessed it go up in flames. They emphasized how important the store is to the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It increases the stress level for everyone, but whats even more devastating is those who lost their homes in this fire on the coldest night of the year, the neighbor told News 8. This is impactful, for everyone this is where the community goes to shop. According to online reports, about 100 firefighters were on scene with help from several different county and out-of-county agencies, including some from Wayne. The Ovid Community Thrift Store was open from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday and provided free items for residents impacted by the fire. The Seneca County Board of Supervisors released a statement, saying the county is standing with Ovid through the process of healing and re-building: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last night, a devastating fire tore through the heart of Ovid, leaving an entire block in ruins and countless lives forever changed. This is an unimaginable tragedy for our community, and our hearts are heavy with grief for all those who have been affected. Our thoughts and prayers are with the residents, business owners, and families who have suffered loss in this heartbreaking event. Ovid is more than just a Village, a Town- its a community of neighbors who support and care for one another. In times like these, we find strength in coming together, leaning on one another, and lifting each other up. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders, firefighters, and volunteers who worked tirelessly and courageously in the face of this overwhelming disaster. Their dedication and bravery remind us of the strength and resilience that define our community. Seneca County stands with Ovid, now and in the days to come, as we begin the process of healing and rebuilding together. Full brief from Wednesday afternoon: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story, check back later for more details. 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 RochesterFirst. ALMATY, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan is set to transport 1.5 million tons of oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in 2025, maintaining the same level as in 2024, the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Kazakh Energy Ministry. In 2024, oil transportation through the BTC pipeline reached 1.4 million tons. It was previously reported that the 2024 plan was set at 1.5 million tons. At the end of last year, Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev noted that Kazakhstan is exploring the possibility of significantly increasing oil shipments via the BTC, potentially reaching up to 20 million tons per year. Kazakhstan began exporting oil via the BTC pipeline in 2023 to diversify its export channels. In April 2023, KazMunayGas, Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company, and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan signed an agreement to transport 1.5 million tons of Kazakh oil annually through the pipeline. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Construction to a long-anticipated urban park in Hillcrest is officially underway, but it may cause some headaches for drivers in the meantime. Beginning Tuesday ahead of a formal groundbreaking next month, one of the uptown neighborhoods main arteries, Normal Street, will undergo periodic closures as crews get started on a project to create a new, $26.8 million promenade-style park in the area. According to the Hillcrest Business Association, the road closures will still allow some traffic to get through with one or two lanes remaining open at a time, although no street parking will be allowed on either side of the roadway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barrio Logan Mexican restaurant, Las Cuatro Milpas, reopens Nearby roadways, like University Avenue and Herbert Street, may also experience some disruptions over the coming months of construction to the new urban park, which is expected to take roughly 18 months. While Hillcrest is getting a $30 million glow-up in the heart of the neighborhood, were going to have to rearrange for a little bit, said Benjamin Nichols, executive director for the Hillcrest Business Association. Described by city and community leaders as a transformative initiative that has been in the works for nearly a decade, the future Normal Street promenade is expected to become an anchor for gathering in the neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hillcrest really hasnt had a formal gathering space ever in its history and Hillcrest is a neighborhood of people who love to gather, Nichols said. Creating a public gathering space a the base of the Hillcrest Pride Flag has been a goal for the community for a long time. When it is complete, it will feature bike lines, greenery and benches, a playground and a small cafe inside a restored historic Trolley car. It will also be the permanent home for the Hillcrest Farmers Market and San Diego Pride Festival, as well as other events throughout the year. Crews will be creating this space by building out the existing Pride Plaza the area around the flag pole on Normal Street where a number of community events are held throughout the year and narrowing the four-lane road to two. However, once construction wraps up, the traffic corridor will have 30 additional designated parking spaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Diego remembers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The bulk of the projects cost is covered by city revenue from parking meters and developer fees in the area, as well as the fund from the San Diego Association of Governments for bicycle-related projects. On top of this, the business association is soliciting donations to cover soft costs, as Nichols described it, for furnishings and maintenance down the line. In the meantime, Nichols says residents and visitors can expect to see all the same activities throughout the year, despite the closures along Normal Street. Free after-hours parking will similarly still be available at the Hillcrest DMV. Although the Hillcrest Business Associations executive director encourages drivers to take into account traffic build up due to the lane closures when driving through the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From of the point of view of people coming to the neighborhood, not a lot is going to change. You can still park where you want to park, and by and large, youll still be able to get around, Nichols said. Itll just take a little bit longer and [require] a bit more planning. 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. ESCONDIDO, Calif. (OX 5/KUSI) Four adults and three children were displaced Wednesday after a house fire broke out at a residence in Escondido, authorities said. According to the Escondido Police Department, crews responded to reports of a structure fire in the 1500 block of E Washington Avenue shortly before 3:30 a.m. Responding officers and firefighters discovered a well-involved blaze coming from the front of a home. At that point, several fire engine crews entered the structure to search for possible victims, as well as work to extinguish the blaze. Authorities said the fire was contained in about 30 minutes time, with the home suffering major damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A total of seven residents, four adults and three children, were displaced as a result of the house fire. Police said they are being assisted by the American Red Cross. E Washington Avenue was temporarily closed in the area as crews worked to contain the fire and clean up. Meanwhile, a crew with San Diego Gas and Electric secured the utilities to the structure. No injuries were reported in connection to this incident. Police said the cause of the fire remains 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Felonies The following people were booked into the Lee County-Tupelo Adult Jail in connection with felony charges ending Tuesday at 11 a.m. Reginald Antonio Allen, 56, of Verona, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, two counts of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, contempt of court. Latonya M. Bosman, 53, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, Department of Corrections warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Samardre Kyree Braxton, 24, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, capias for possession of methamphetamine. Michael Dewayne Browning, 27, of Saltillo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, possession of a Schedule II drug, improper equipment. Vincent A. Elders, 33, of Booneville, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, breaking and entering of an occupied dwelling, domestic violence. Chelsea Ewing, 29, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, violation of probation. Tyrique T. Harris, 20, of Plantersville, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, felony fleeing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amber F. Long, 35, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a Schedule II drug, suspended drivers license, false ID, no insurance, no tag, shoplifting. Jonathon H. Peaser, 32, of Fulton, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, aggravated assault, burglary. Jessica H. Simmons, 38, of Sherman, was arrested by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, violation of probation. Michael Sykes, 32, of Verona, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, capias warrant. Alexis Turner, 31, of Guntown, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, burglary, aggravated assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitney M. White, 34, of Blue Springs, was arrested by the Guntown Police Department, possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia. Lee County Sheriffs Office The following reports were filed Tuesday by the Lee County Sheriffs Office. The Tupelo Country Estates property manager said five Hispanic males were trespassing in the area. He saw them at an East Garrison Drive address, and they are not allowed anywhere in the neighborhood. When the suspects were told they had to leave the area, they did so without any issues. A Verona man said he heard multiple gunshots at a Stratton Drive address around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. He saw someone run across the road and into the woods. He did not know who they were or what they were doing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Silver Lake Road, Saltillo, man said as he was leaving home, he noticed where someone had driven through his front yard. He said this has been an ongoing issue for about a week. When he found the blue Jeep allegedly responsible down the road, he called 911. A Prairie man was driving down County Road 401, Shannon, around 7 p.m. when he had a blowout. He left his burgundy 1989 Chevrolet Caprice on the side of the road. When he returned the following morning, the car was gone. He contacted local towing companies, but none claimed to have his vehicle. A Guntown woman said her realtor told her about a Cotton Gin Lane, Saltillo, home for sale. She went to the address and found the front door slightly open, so she called 911. The realtor the previous owners might still be moving out, but the house should be unoccupied. Deputies responded to make sure the house had not been burglarized. Deputies cleared the house, found no one inside and no damage to the door. Anyone with information on any of these reports is urged to call the Lee County Sheriff's Office at 841-9041, the Tupelo Police Department at 841-6491 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi at (800) 773-TIPS or download the P3 Tip App and leave an anonymous tip that way. The News Critics of US President Donald Trump fired their opening shots at his agenda. Attorneys general from 22 states all Democrat-led filed a lawsuit to block Trumps executive order ending the US practice of birthright citizenship, while a union representing federal government employees sued him over another executive order making it easier to fire career civil servants. Trump is making his own legal moves: His administration reassigned several senior Justice Department officials as part of efforts to reshape the agency, The Washington Post reported. Separately, the bishop presiding over an interfaith prayer service urged Trump, who was in the first row, to have mercy on immigrants and LGBTQ+ people; the president responded by calling her nasty and demanding an apology. FAIR LAWN, N.J. (PIX11) A 71-year-old crossing guard was hit by a car in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Wednesday morning, police said. Local police officers received multiple 911 calls for a man struck at Hoper Avenue and Arnold Street. A crossing guard was helping children cross the intersection when a Toyota Camry struck him at 8:40 a.m. Police say a 22-year-old driver was operating the car. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver remained at the scene until police arrived. The crossing guard was transported to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. He is expected to survive, police said. An investigation is still ongoing, authorities said. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 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 PIX11. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A crowd gathered outside the detention center in Southeast D.C. Tuesday, as people waited for those charged and convicted of crimes related to January 6 to be released. Im so grateful we finally have a president who is going to reverse this, said Lois Vertullo, who was in town from San Diego, Calif. On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning more than 1,500 people charged in connection to the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That includes people charged with assaulting a police officer, among other things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vertullo said she supported his decision. This is a politically motivated incident. I think a majority of the people who have been arrested and tried, convicted or not convicted was a sham and should never have happened, she said. Whether someone agrees with my point of view or not, they have the right to feel that without prejudice or fear of legal action taken against them. D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson is strongly against the pardons. Biden gives presidential pardon to DC, Maryland, Virginia men If we support our law enforcement, we dont pardon people who assault police officers. To me thats the primary concern, said Mendelson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He noted that several officers died by suicide following the riot and that more than 100 officers were injured that day. There was [a] police officer who had a heart attack during the event. There were numerous police officers that were speared with flagpoles, maced, he said. Its just shocking. That kind of attack on our police. And that cant be forgiven. Among the injured officers was former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked by half a dozen people on Jan. 6. Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who protected the Capitol that day, has been an outspoken critic of Trump and his rhetoric. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a text, he stated, There is nothing new to say. Donald Trump said he was gonna do this years ago. Us officers have been out here trying our hardest to get people to car. Its unfortunate that it didnt work out. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. An Australian cruise line is clarifying its position after passengers suggested crew members had worn costumes resembling the racist group Ku Klux Klan. Videos and photos surfaced online of eight cruise workers wearing all-white jumpsuits with matching white cone-shaped hoods over their faces as they walked in a line on the deck of the ship, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The staffers had been taking part in a Christmas-themed event during a week-long holiday cruise on the Pacific Explorer, which set sail from Melbourne, Australia to Tasmania and Kangaroo Island on Dec. 19, the outlet reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One passenger recalled the incident to Daily Mail Australia. There was a lot excitement [for the competition] then it all went quiet [when they walked out]," she said. "The lack of judgment was astounding. She added that one passenger dubbed it the "KKK cruise. Related: Charlotte Hornets Apologize After Pretending to Give Young Fan a PS5 and Then Taking It Away Off-Camera However, a P&O Cruises Australia spokesperson denied any bad intentions in an interview on Sydney radio station 2GB, according to Morning Herald. They were taking part in a Christmas family fun day on the ship as part of our Christmas crew, the spokesperson, Lynne Scrivens, said. It was a tug-of-war event where the crew dress up, and our housekeeping crew decided to dress up as snow cones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that the housekeepers had no idea that their costumes could have been viewed as offensive and were horrified when they were asked to take the costumes off by managers onboard. She also noted that they were very apologetic after realizing what happened. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Our crew are from different cultures all over the world. Theyre young, and they had just never heard of that organization or what their outfits could symbolize, Scrivens said on 2GB. They live and work on a cruise ship. Theyre not going to [Australian craft suppliers] Spotlight to buy a bunch of materials for fancy dress. Theyve got to make do with what theyve got, she said. And they were wearing their cleaning uniforms, and theyve put something on their head that looks like a snow cone [an] upside-down snow cone, at that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Controversial Haunted House Where Staff Physically Assaults Patrons Is Still Open, Despite Backlash P&O Cruises Australia did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment on the incident. But the company echoed Scrivens sentiments in a statement to the Morning Herald and the AFP, saying that the staffers were only in public view for a short time before management ... had them remove the costumes. The company also noted that it was not the intention of the crew to cause passengers distress. We sincerely apologize for any offense this caused passengers and the broader community, the company said. Staff have been counseled around this incident and we will ensure this does not happen again. Read the original article on People (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is taking a major step forward in modernizing its operations with a new body-worn camera system that law enforcement says will boost efficiency, improve response times, and continue providing exceptional service to the community. Over the past year, the department has implemented several technological advancements, including the Colorado Springs Real-Time Crime Center, with this latest development representing a major step forward in the future of policing. CSPD debuts real-time crime center for enhanced safety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new body-worn camera system, developed by Axon Enterprise, includes several advanced features designed to streamline operations and enhance overall effectiveness. Heres a look at some of the key upgrades. Axon Body 4 Cameras: These state-of-the-art body-worn cameras offer improved video and audio quality, ensuring more reliable documentation of officer interactions. Livestream Capabilities: CSPD officers can now live stream footage from body-worn cameras, fleet vehicle cameras, and even drones, enhancing real-time decision-making and transparency. Digital Evidence System: A new platform for managing and storing video, audio, and other digital evidence makes it easier for CSPD to process and access critical materials. Automated Transcription: Body-worn camera footage and other video/audio evidence can now be automatically transcribed, saving officers valuable time on administrative tasks. AI-Assisted Report Writing: One of the most controversial features is Axon Draft One, an artificial intelligence tool that helps officers by generating draft police reports from body-worn cameras and interview footage. Early results suggest a significant reduction in the time it takes to complete reports. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has expressed concerns nationwide about the use of artificial intelligence in police reporting systems. Specifically, they are worried about the potential for bias in AI-generated police reports, particularly when companies like Axon are using AI to draft narratives based on body camera footage. The organization sent us the following statement. We are particularly concerned about CSPDs use of artificial intelligence in reporting systems. Police reports are critical elements in court proceedings, and it is important that these records are not surrendered to quirky, often-faulty technologies. They are simply too new, too untested, too unreliable, too opaque, and too biased to be inserted into our criminal justice system. Anaya Robinson, ACLU of Colorado Senior Policy Strategist I know theres a lot of concern out there by some people when we talk about A.I., especially as it relates to law enforcement, Chief Adrian Vasquez, Colorado Springs Police Department explained. Anybody seeing the report will understand not only that it was generated through A.I., but also that we have met because our policies are going to say so, we have met all those ethical and legal obligations. CSPD believes the integration of AI into police operations is a step toward modernizing law enforcement practices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We saw over a 50% efficiency in decrease in time for our officers in how much time it would take them to generate the report versus Draft One, Chief Vasquez said. 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. A man was arrested last week for allegedly dragging a state trooper more than 15 feet from a motorcycle when he tried fleeing police in Mansfield in September. Kelvin Miranda, 23, of East Hartford was taken into custody on Friday just after 6 p.m. in the basement of his home, according to Connecticut State Police. He surrendered peacefully to troopers and officers with the East Hartford Police Department. State police said they had a warrant for Mirandas arrest on charges of assault on a police officer, first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, interfering with an officer/resisting, misuse of a registration plate, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance and illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 10, 2024, when state police received the report of a group of motorcyclists operating erratically in the area of Route 195 around 9:30 p.m., according to the warrant affidavit supporting Mirandas arrest. A trooper who responded heard vehicles being revved before locating two motorcycle drivers stopped in Betsy Patterson Square in front of E.O. Smith High School. The trooper then got behind one of the motorcyclists and flipped on his emergency lights. One of the riders left the area after making a comment to the other rider, who was standing next to his motorcycle. The trooper was able to get out of his cruiser and grab the other motorcyclist before he could drive away, the warrant affidavit said. The man then turned the bike on and tried to leave, allegedly dragging the trooper 15 to 20 feet before the vehicle stalled, according to the warrant affidavit. The trooper claimed he tried to tell the man to stop, but he walked with the bike and tried starting it again before the policeman pulled him off. As he did, the bike fell on the troopers knee, allowing the man to take off on foot, the warrant affidavit said. The trooper initially chased the man onto Route 195 and drew his taser but the suspect had gotten too far away to deploy it, state police wrote. The trooper stopped the chase because of the pain he felt in his knee and returned to the motorcycle to seize it as evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trooper was later taken to Windham Hospital for the injuries he suffered. State police noted in the warrant affidavit that the trooper was able to grab a bag from the drivers waist as he pulled him off the bike. The bag was later found to contain a phone and a battery for a camera affixed to the motorcycle. Investigators with the UConn Police Department were able to retrieve camera footage that showed the motorcycle driver entering the universitys dorms and trying to fit in with the students, the warrant affidavit said. Authorities were able to get a still photograph of the suspect. According to the warrant affidavit, an anonymous caller contacted state police two days later and identified the suspect as Miranda. In a voicemail left with investigators, the caller said Miranda was on probation and had recently been arrested by East Hartford police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement East Hartford investigators confirmed for state police that Miranda was arrested last April. According to online court records, he pleaded guilty in July to engaging police in pursuit and was sentenced to a year of probation. The warrant affidavit for Mirandas arrest in the Mansfield incident was signed by a judge the same day he was arrested. He was held on a $75,000 bond and was expected to appear on Tuesday in Rockville Superior Court. KIEV, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would need at least 200,000 European peacekeeping troops as part of potential security guarantees, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Wednesday. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, Zelensky said he supports the idea of an international peacekeeping force in Ukraine to prevent any future Russian attack after a possible ceasefire. "If they (the Russian Federation) have an army of 1.5 million personnel, and if we have only half of that number, we need contingents with a significant number of soldiers," Zelensky said. Last week, local media reported that Britain and France are considering deploying their peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after a possible ceasefire deal between Kiev and Moscow. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Customers are ringing the alarm about a gas station in Woodburn that they say is charging nearly double the statewide average and not advertising the prices on their signs. 3 arrested in anti-Trump protest in downtown Portland You know, ARCO, historically, has reasonable prices I assumed it would be a reasonable price, said customer Jay Harris. For Harris, the ARCO/ampm at 850 Lawson Ave. in Woodburn checked all the boxes since it was conveniently located off of I-5, making it a short pit stop for him on his way to Mt. Hood Tuesday morning. But he said his $30 limit only got him four gallons, leaving him fuming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was shocked, you know, honestly, and a little bit befuddled. And I felt like I had been kind off ripped off, Harris said. Turns out, he was charged a whopping $6.70 per gallon. The signs on the outside of the gas station that would normally display the prices are covered up. Oregon law demands prices must be shown on the pump and sure enough, the ARCO/ampm in Woodburn does comply with this. However, with no external signage, customers say they feel duped. The questionable practice has sparked 234 complaints with the Oregon Department of Justice, alleging price gouging and deceitful tactics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It may not be outright illegal but serves as a good reminder to always check the price at the pump before filling up, especially at places that dont display it on signs. DMV closing one of its busiest offices at Mall 205 If you do get overcharged, you can file a complaint with the Oregon Department of Justice and the Better Business Bureau, as Harris did. If they had posted on their overhead sign that they were going to charge $6.70 per gallon, I seriously doubt anyone would pull in there to get gas, Harris said. The Better Business Bureau said the business ignored 12 of the 14 complaints filed against them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KOIN 6 News reached out to the owners of the gas station. We will let you know if we hear back. 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 KOIN.com. Schools in the U.S. are mostly funded by states and local taxpayers. But federal dollars contribute to school funding, too, and if President Donald Trump slashes those funds, high-poverty schools will be hit the hardest. While campaigning, Trump floated plans to cut federal education funding to schools that encourage critical race theory and other controversial topics. More: How Trump's vows on education, immigration and more could affect Greater Cincinnatians Advertisement Advertisement Critical race theory is a legal framework that claims racism is a systemic issue rather than an individual bias and is often conflated with other now-controversial terms like diversity, inclusion, equity and anti-racism. Title I dollars are federal monies that go to schools depending on the number of low-income families enrolled. Poor, urban districts tend to have the most federal funding. For example, 22% of Cincinnati Public Schools funds are federal dollars. The federal government supports much less of Indian Hill Exempted Village School Districts budget, at less than 2%. Here's a breakdown of how school districts in and around Cincinnati are funded. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How much do Cincinnati-area schools receive in federal funding? EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A cybersecurity incident impacted Tornillo Independent School Districts student information system last month along with other systems worldwide, according to the school district. Tornillo ISD says it became aware of a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information through one of its community-focused customer support portals, PowerSource on Saturday, Dec. 28. The district says an investigation determined that an unauthorized party outside of the U.S. gained access to PowerSchool student information system data using a compromised credential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compromised account, which has since been deactivated by PowerSchool, was used to access all production and non-production servers via the PowerSchool API, the district said. The district says that PowerSchool has received assurance and video confirmation from the perpetrator that the data has been deleted and that no additional copies exist. As soon as we learned of the potential incident, we immediately engaged our cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized a cross-functional response team, including senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts. We have also informed law enforcement, the district said. The compromised credential has also been deactivated and has been restricted access to the affected portal, the district said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident compromised PowerSchool servers across Texas, the U.S. and Canada. No further information was released. 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 KTSM 9 News. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A 48-year-old Oregon man was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on Jan. 21 for an outstanding warrant for 20 counts of child sex abuse allegedly committed in 2022. Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner told KOIN 6 News that suspect Brandon Michael Reder was arrested during a traffic stop after police found that a warrant was issued for his arrest out of Multnomah County for 10 counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the first degree and 10 counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the second degree. Oregon, Washington attorneys general challenge Trumps birthright citizenship order Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A PPB Central Bike Squad officer stopped Reder near the intersection of Everett Street and 6th Avenue in Northwest Portland at approximately 11 a.m. to warn him that its illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk in Portland. During the stop, officers learned about his outstanding warrants. We simply stopped him to speak to him and tell him riding on the sidewalk is a violation of city ordinance, Benner said. Only then did we learn who he was and learn he had a felony warrant and that is why he was arrested. The warrant was issued after Reder allegedly failed to follow the conditions of his pretrial release, an affidavit filed on Oct. 11, 2024 reads. The defendant was released by the Courts on August 22, 2022, the affidavit reads. The defendant was instructed by the courts to obey all laws and to follow the courts and Close Street Supervision conditions. One of Close Street Supervision conditions is [a] weekly check-in via phone. The defendant has failed to do so since July 24, 2024. Multiple attempts have been made to contact the defendant, but all have been unsuccessful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Wilson reaffirms Portlands sanctuary city status as U.S. immigrants question future A new hearing for Reders case is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. 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 KOIN.com. BALTIMORE Del. Dalya Attar was appointed by her fellow Democrats on Tuesday to fill Baltimore Citys vacant seat for District 41 in the Maryland Senate. Attar is expected to take the place of Sen. Jill Carter, who was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to serve on the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals. The Baltimore City Democratic State Central Committee recommended Attars appointment after a hearing Tuesday. Moore still has to confirm the move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attar said she was born and raised in the West Baltimore district and still lives near Reisterstown Road Plaza. One key area that she was asked by committee members to address was the problem of juvenile crime. What I continue to see in the last seven years as a legislator, we are not properly rehabilitating our children, Attar said at the meeting that was shown on Facebook and Zoom. And that is crucial. Now, we can point fingers at who is not properly habilitating them, but its the entire system. Its all of us as a society that need to make that the focus of rehabilitating our children. What I would like to see this coming session or in the Senate next session is that if we still need to provide the [Department of Juvenile Services] with more services so they could properly rehabilitate our children, thats what I want to do. Attar, who attended the Bais Yaakov School for Girls in Pikesville, also addressed a question about the states budget deficit. Taxing millionaires might not be the best solution because many of them could just leave the state, Attar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What I would do is start focusing on revenue, Attar said. That would be first. We have made a lot of commitments in prior years for resources and things that we need, for example, like education. We dont want to automatically cut from those. We want to first look at different revenue options. Attar contends the state should be taking more money from cannabis sales, gambling in person and online, and tobacco taxes. Those arent necessities, she said. Attar said her preference would be to serve on the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in the Senate. Were not going to see a reduction in crime, especially with our children, if our schools are not grade-A schools, and we are not giving our children what they need, said Attar, who has an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old. That starts with education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The five central committee members who voted for Attar were Lakesha Brown Wright-El, Alex Friedman, former Del. Angela Gibson, City Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer and Sandy Rosenbluth. Brian Easley, Dayvon Love and committee chair Tammy Stinnett voted for Del. Malcolm P. Ruff to fill the vacancy. I have made a track record of showing up in the entire district and making sure that Im present, Im listening and that I have a great understanding of the issues that are facing our constituents, said Ruff, who grew up in Park Heights and attended Gilman School. --------- WAUKESHA - As he continues an appeal process tied to his 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy conviction, Darrell Brooks Jr. will do so from a prison outside Wisconsin. Less than a month after he was granted another extension of the deadline to file an appeal, Brooks, formerly of Milwaukee, was transferred to another prison, though exactly which facility has not been publicly disclosed. Wisconsin corrections officials simply have acknowledged the move. "The Department of Corrections can confirm that Darrell Brooks Jr. was moved out of state on Jan. 13," Beth Hardtke, communications director in the DOC's public affairs office, said in an email Tuesday. "(The) DOC is not able to share any further information regarding Mr. Brooks because of security concerns." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Left unsaid is who initiated the transfer and what impact it will have on Brooks' appeal in Wisconsin courts, should he carry through with his plans. So far, the only action on that front has been requests to extend his right to an appeal or postconviction motion on the 76 criminal counts for which he was convicted. Brooks, then 39, drove his SUV through a crowd of parade participants on Nov. 21, 2021, resulting in the deaths of Tamara Durand, Wilhelm Hospel, Jane Kulich, Leanna Owen, Virginia Sorenson and Jackson Sparks. He was convicted of six counts of first-degree intentional homicide in October 2022 and sentenced the following month to six consecutive life terms on those counts. He was also convicted of 61 counts of recklessly endangering safety, six counts of hit-and-run causing death, two counts of bail jumping and one misdemeanor count of battery. The latest extension, the seventh, was granted Dec. 26, with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals order setting a new deadline of Feb. 21, coincidentally Brooks' 43rd birthday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brooks' attorney, Madison lawyer Michael Covey, reiterated Tuesday that appeal extensions are hardly unusual in serious criminal cases in which a person convicted feels legal proceedings contained errors that might change the outcome of a conviction. "It's very, very common for there to be extensions," Covey said. "They happen on nearly every appellate case. You can have lots of them." In April 2024, Covey said the onus at first was on him to review and absorb reams of court documents from the case, a process that he expected to run at least into mid-summer. In November, he indicated the process was moving ahead, but acknowledged that other questions remained, prompting a sixth extension, to give Brooks "more time to decide how he wants to move forward." On Tuesday, Covey also said he was caught by surprise by the news that Brooks was no longer at the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility at Boscobel. "We're trying to track him down, as well, and I have submitted a request to the DOC, being his attorney with proof of that," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other details, such as reports that Brooks might be seeking another attorney and the reasons behind it, fall under attorney-client privileged information, meaning Covey could provide no public comment. Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Darrell Brooks continues appeal process from prison outside Wisconsin DAVOS, Switzlerand (AP) U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ratcheted up his warning about climate change and said the worlds thirst for fossil fuels is a Frankenstein monster that spares no one, while calling for greater attention to risks posed by artificial intelligence if its ascent goes ungoverned even as some leaders played up its promise. The United Nations' chief headlined a flurry of activities and talk sessions on Wednesday at the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos, where shifts underway in Washington during U.S. President Donald Trumps first week back in office also featured heavily in the scheduled events and side chats of government officials, academics and business executives. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy combed the corridors, meeting with leaders such as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, as well as German opposition leader and would-be chancellor Friedrich Merz in an effort to stir up support for Ukraine's fight against Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some highlights from Wednesday's session: UN chief issues warning about Big Oil ... With energy and tech industry executives on hand, Guterres returned to one of his most frequent appeals: for the world to do more to fight global warming. Trump's promises to drill, baby, drill and an array of worries about economic growth in some big but moribund economies in Europe and beyond have rattled public and private commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Guterres bemoaned how 2024 was the hottest year on record, and warned of rising sea levels that could overwhelm ports that ship oil in and out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And rising temperatures, which are, overwhelmingly, caused by burning fossil fuels, he said. Our fossil fuel addiction is a Frankenstein monster, sparing nothing and no one. All around us, we see clear signs that the monster has become master. Companies that have recently backtracked on their climate commitments are on the wrong side of history, he added. ... and ungoverned AI The U.N. chief lauded the promise of artificial intelligence, saying it could revolutionize learning, help improve health care and support farmers with tools that boost productivity. But with this promise comes profound risk, especially if AI is left ungoverned, he said. warning that it could be used "as a tool of deception, erode trust in institutions, disrupt labor markets and affect the conduct of war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump on Tuesday announced a joint U.S. venture that plans to invest up to $500 billion for infrastructure linked to AI though a new partnership formed by Oracle, SoftBank and OpenAI. The Stargate project's goal us to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed by voracious power needs of fast-evolving AI in Texas, the White House said. Julie Sweet, chief executive officer of Accenture, the multinational information technology and consulting firm, hailed the Stargate investment as an absolute validation that AI is important for companies and countries. She said the United States appeared set to maintain its approach toward AI of innovation first, then applying appropriate guardrails unlike other places that put the guardrails first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AI will not be successful if people dont trust it, Sweet told The Associated Press. "So Im not worried about it (being) too deregulated because the interests of making sure AI is trusted are aligned across all groups. Malaysian PM Anwar sees challenge, promise with AI Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country will have to navigate AI but will push it on a faster pace, partly because of my age: we don't have time to wait. Anwar was speaking in Davos after the Southeast Asian nation and its neighbor Singapore struck a deal to create a special economic zone that would ramp up job creation and lure investment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AI is, of course, a new challenge. We dont have the expertise (or) knowhow, he said. But AI means changing the education system, health services, blockchain, so it will have to come about. From AI to social media: Spain's Sanchez wants EU to act Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for the EU to help make social media great again by taking tough regulatory measures against the technology platforms he described as being run by tycoons who flaunt the law. The tech billionaires want to overthrow democracy. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the truth of the terrible threat we face, Sanchez said, citing the spread of misinformation that has fueled anti-liberal political movements. The technology that was intended to free us has become the tool of our own oppression." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The center-left Socialist said social media were initially "supposed" to foster unity and democracy, but instead have brought division, lies and a reactionary agenda and now have "begun to compete unfairly with the strategic sectors of our economies, such as banking, retail and media outlets. And they have ended up in the hands of a reduced group of men by the way, only men whose combined (net) worth triples the entire European Unions budget, he added. Sanchez said he would ask the EU to enact policies to end what he called anonymity of social media users, use existing legislation to force open the black box of social media algorithms, as well as hold the owners of social media platforms personally accountable for any wrongs brought by their sites. Can Britain avert Trump tariffs? UK's Treasury chief hopes so Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much buzz has been about where Trumps much-trumpeted tariffs such as goods from rival China and even allies Canada and Mexico will land. Britains new Treasury chief, Rachel Reeves, noted Trump is mulling tariffs on countries that are running big trade surpluses with the United States, which is not the case with the U.K. ins has a small trade deficit with the U.S. So the problem that President Trump is trying to address is not addressed through tariffs on the U.K., Reeves said. There are a million Brits working for American firms and there are a million Americans working for British firms, she told reporters. Our economies are closely intertwined and I dont believe that tariffs between our countries would be in either of our interests. ___ Associated Press Writer Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, and Pan Pylas in London contributed to this report. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, prepare to gavel in a joint session to hear from Utah Supreme Court Justice Matthew Durrant at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The GOP-controlled Utah Legislature kicked off its 2025 general session on Tuesday with Republican leaders in both the House and Senate vowing to pursue policies to expand energy production, overhaul higher education, and more. Over the next 45 days, lawmakers will pass hundreds of bills. Its likely some will try to boost the states nuclear industry, get more water to the Great Salt Lake, tweak how Utah elections are run, help assist President Donald Trumps immigration and deportation policies, promote affordable housing, and pressure universities to cut or downsize certain programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers also gathered on Capitol Hill with tension in the air a tension with the judicial branch that Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant called out in his State of the Judiciary speech while urging lawmakers not to undermine the courts as an institution, even if they disagree with its rulings. Its possible that some Republican lawmakers, especially in the House, could explore altering Utahs judicial system and potentially try again to curtail the states ballot initiative process. During his opening-day speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, was still fired up about a recent Utah Supreme Court ruling that held the Legislature doesnt necessarily have the final say when it comes to voter-approved ballot initiatives and that lawmakers powers to change government reform initiatives have limits. Adams indicated he still wants lawmakers to act to address the issue, telling the Senate that special interest groups driven by out-of-state money could use the ballot initiative process to turn Utah into California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot let unelected special interest groups outside of Utah run initiatives and override our republic, destroy our businesses, demean, impugn and cast aside those who are duly elected to represent their neighbors and friends in Utah, Adams said. We cannot let the Utah Dream die. We will not let initiatives driven by out-of-state money turn Utah into California. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Its too early to say exactly what lawmakers will do this year, but Adams told reporters hed like to see another iteration of Amendment D, in some form. Because proposed constitutional amendments can only be put on even-year general election ballots, the next opportunity would be 2026 so lawmakers could move to put it on the ballot either this session, or next. So we have two years to deal with it, Adams told reporters. Im not sure what well do this year, but if Im around I can almost say that Ill work really hard to put another (constitutional amendment on the ballot) for the people to decide. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, in an interview with Utah News Dispatch on Tuesday, said hed be supportive of another proposed constitutional amendment to clarify Utah lawmakers powers over ballot initiatives but one that is clearly communicated to voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I thought it was a mistake at the time and I thought the language was poorly drafted and was not transparent, Cox said of the now-voided Amendment D. I think we need to be transparent about what were actually trying to do and be honest with voters about why this matters and why its good for our state, and trust that theyll make the right decision. Gov. Spencer Cox gives an interview at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Tension with the judicial branch The launch of the 2025 session was marked with a rare and unmistakable tension with the judicial branch one that Chief Justice Matthew Durrant addressed head on in his State of the Judiciary speech in the House chamber, in front of both representatives and senators who gathered there in a joint convention for his remarks. We are, of course, aware that the Supreme Court has issued an opinion or two in the last year that some in this body disagree with, Durrant said. He prompted a small smile from Adams when he added, While I dont know anyone who enjoys being criticized, we understand that disagreement can be healthy and an important part of our system. Durrant urged lawmakers to remember the courts authority is limited to impartial judicial review, and that if they dislike a ruling you have the power to create or amend laws through the legislative process or to propose constitutional amendments to the people. Utah Supreme Court Justice Matthew Durrant speaks to a joint session of the House and Senate at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Inevitably, this type of review will create some tension between our branches. This is a natural consequence of our Constitutions checks and balances, Durrant said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, he urged lawmakers to not undermine the courts as an institution. There will certainly be times when you believe weve gotten things wrong. And you, of course, have every right to criticize our decisions, Durrant said. But ultimately, the people of Utah will judge the integrity of both our institutions and our commitment to the rule of law not by what we do and say when we agree, but by the respect we show each other when we disagree. Adams and Schultz sat side by side behind the speakers dais while Durrant gave his speech, at times whispering to each other as the chief justice spoke. The other four justices of the Utah Supreme Court sat in a line directly before the dais and in front of representatives and senators. The tension Durrant referred to stems back to two Utah Supreme Court rulings last year that angered Republican lawmakers: one that handed a big win to plaintiffs in an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit over Utahs redistricting process, and one that upheld a pause on Utahs near-total abortion ban that was triggered when Roe v. Wade was overturned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Utah Supreme Courts unanimous ruling to remand the lawsuit over Utahs redistricting process back to district court especially upset Republicans including Schultz and Adams, who at the time issued a statement alleging the court punted and made a new law about the initiative power, creating chaos and striking at the very heart of our republic. That led to the Utah Legislature eventually trying to sidestep the ruling by putting what became known as Amendment D on the Nov. 5 ballot last year, which if passed would have effectively sidestepped the Utah Supreme Courts ruling limiting lawmakers power over government reform ballot initiatives by changing the Utah Constitution to make clear lawmakers have the ultimate authority to repeal and replace any type of ballot initiative. The courts, however, ultimately voided Amendment D from the 2024 November ballot, agreeing with its opponents that its ballot language, which is supposed to characterize to voters what theyll be voting on, was misleading. In the months since, Republican lawmakers especially in the House have also been exploring possible changes to Utahs judicial system. Potential proposals include elected judges, term limits, and ideas to increase transparency around retention, Schultz has said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After watching Utah courts decisions voiding Amendment A and D on last years ballot, House Democrats are concerned that there may be some interest in clipping the wings of our judiciary, Minority Caucus Manager, Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek, told reporters Tuesday. We see that as an essential component of a healthy democracy is to have a third branch of the government in the judiciary thats co-equal and independent and does not get its wings clipped, he said. Durrant, in his remarks on the House floor Tuesday, addressed that some have suggested various changes to our judiciary. Should you consider them, I urge you to carefully assess their long-term implications. He added Utahs judiciary has earned national respect for its structure and governance, and any changes should preserve these strengths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Durrant also told lawmakers the courts only take up issues that are brought to them and judges and justices are simply required to interpret the law. We strive to ensure that our decisions are never based on personal religious or political beliefs. In fact, I have authored opinions where I disagree with the result, but the law mandated, Durrant said. Durrant warned that if people are told they cannot trust judicial opinions that strike down a statute, why would they trust a decision upholding a statutes constitutionality? Promoting respect for the judiciary as an institution, even when we disagree, ultimately protects our entire constitutional system, Durrant said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Durrants speech was met with mild but respectful applause from lawmakers in the House chamber. Adams clapped briefly while Schultz did not, sipping from a water bottle. As Durrant exited the chamber, Schultz patted him on the back while Adams shook his hand before both legislative leaders went on to shake hands with the other four justices as they exited the chamber. Utah Supreme Court justices John Pearce, Paige Petersen, Diana Hagen, Jill Pohlman, and Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, left to right, sit with legislators at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Energy In his opening remarks, Adams said bolstering the states energy production is critical amid a global arms race to control artificial intelligence, which uses considerable power. According to a recent study, a single Chat GPT search uses 2.9 watt-hours of energy over the course of one year it uses enough power to charge 3 million electric vehicles. The country that controls AI will, in turn, control the world. Both economically, with the delivery of high-tech goods and services, and militarily with high-tech weapons systems, both offensively and defensively, he said. To that end, Adams said lawmakers should position Utah as the next frontier of energy innovation by incentivizing nuclear energy and building micro nuclear reactors, an emerging technology where nuclear reactors, small enough to fit on the back of a truck, can be transported and linked together depending on a regions energy needs. Lawmakers will try to streamline the permitting process for nuclear projects, although that will require help from the federal government, which has regulatory authority.We hope the federal government will get on board and also shorten their time frame around some of the permitting processes, said Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, left, Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, and other members of Senate leadership talk to journalists at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) But Democrats remain skeptical of the states resource portfolio plans. Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, a fierce advocate for clean energy, believes the conversation around nuclear developments comes down to their cost for Utahns, since many past nuclear projects have been canceled because they werent economically feasible. Hopefully we can get that to a place where it works for all Utahns, Blouin said, and not just these data centers, these AI projects that were hearing a lot about. Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, speaks to reporters during a press conference with Democratic senators at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Small modular reactors need to be proven out commercially and technologically at an affordable price, he said. And that may now take decades to happen. If projects time frames can be shortened to three to five years, his caucus could potentially get on board with that, he said. The states talking about putting $20 million or so into initiatives around nuclear energy, Blouin said. For anyone that knows how expensive nuclear is, thats just a tiny little drop in the bucket. I think its a little bit audacious for us to really think were going to have much of an impact there. Adams also touted whats often called an all of the above approach to energy production. He pointed to recent geothermal projects, keeping the states coal plants alive, natural gas production and the expansion of solar energy and lithium battery storage. We must continue to have the lowest energy prices in the nation. Together, we can ensure that Utah remains a beacon of energy innovation and a model for sustainable growth, he said. Democrats also wonder if the prioritization of fossil fuel resources could work in tandem with the states goal to keep electricity prices low. House Minority Leader Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, speaks with other members of the House minority leadership at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Rocky Mountain Power rate increases were mostly driven by the price of gas and coal, said House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City. However, some clean energy resource proposals often get dismissed. Utah is very unique in the fact that we have access to solar, geothermal and storage, and a lot of times, when you hear conversations in public utilities, we have people say that were not there yet, Romero said on the first day of the session. But we are. Her caucus plea to their Republican counterparts, she said, is to focus not just on clean energy, but on renewable energy. Utah also has 80% of the worlds most used critical minerals, which are used in energy production and storage, electric vehicles, military technology, smartphones and more. Its likely lawmakers will try to make it easier for companies to mine these minerals. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Utah holds a key to strengthening our nations national security and economic stability, he said. We must also lead the way with critical mineral extraction and manufacturing. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, also talked about critical minerals during his speech, saying Utah can help the U.S. reduce dependence on other nations and secure a brighter, more self-reliant future. Water On water, Adams touched on several controversial and ambitious solutions to the states water woes. Utah is one of the driest states in the country, and water availability and the health of the Great Salt Lake continue to be a concern for state officials. Last year, Adams passed a bill to create a Water Development Council comprised of the four largest water districts in the state and the Utah Division of Water Resources. It would also create a state water agent that would act as a liaison to coordinate with the council to make sure the states water needs are met. Joel Ferry, director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, was named as the states water agent. And on Tuesday, Adams said hes been hard at work exploring some interesting options. They include trading desalinated ocean water with the San Diego County Water Authority for some of Californias Colorado River water; a possible water pipeline from Alaska to the Mountain West; and collaborating with lawmakers from Wyoming, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana. This is an exciting time to work with our neighbors to solve some of the most critical issues facing Utah and our nation, Adams said. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, addresses the chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Public lands In his opening-day speech on the House floor, the House speaker issued a rallying cry for Utah to wrest control of public lands away from the federal government something Utahs GOP are more optimistic about than ever given President Donald Trumps inauguration this week. Schultz painted a picture of neglected public lands, pointing to Antelope Flats in Utahs smallest county, Daggett County, saying those very same shores and campgrounds where I spent countless summer weekends are now in decline. Back then, Antelope Flats thrived. The campgrounds brimmed with life, tents, and RVs dotting the landscape from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Schultz said. But today? The campground operates at only 30% capacity. Not because people have stopped coming but because the federal government, which owns and is supposed to manage the land, has let it fall into disrepair. Trails are overgrown, facilities are outdated, and much-needed maintenance is left undone. Schultz said this neglect hurts not just public lands, but also Utahns who cant find a place to stay. It is time to change that. We want to take over the management of Antelope Flats, restore it to what it once was, and reinvest in its future. And we dont need the federal government working against us, Schultz said. Though the U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected Utahs sweeping public lands lawsuit arguing the state should take over 18.5 million acres of federally controlled land, Schultz said the state should plow ahead with its effort, saying wed like to petition the federal government to allow Utah to stand as a national experiment, allowing us to keep a portion of our federal tax dollars, run the programs, and discontinue federal oversight. To our federal delegation, I have three words: Sign. Us. Up, Schultz said. We do it better than anyone. Whether its education, transportation, Medicaid, public lands we manage more effectively, more efficiently, and more affordably. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, speaks to reporters during a press conference with Democratic senators at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) With Trump back in the White House, Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, told reporters she expects the tables to turn when it comes to federal government overreach. Now, she said Democrats will be keeping an eye on Republican executive orders, especially as they relate to public lands issues or shrinking previously protected national monuments. The hope is that the states can be the level-headed process right now, Escamilla said, as we have a lot of uncertainty at the federal level, that we can be the ones that protect our state collectively. Higher education The House speaker also issued a call for action for one of his top priorities for the 2025 session: to overhaul the higher education system by trimming administrative costs, consolidating underperforming programs, and reinvesting to expand high-demand, high-impact programs. Schultz said for too many, four-year degrees stretch into five years or more, and the cost of that extended education can weigh heavily on students and their families, he said. At the same time, our workforce needs more engineers, nurses, teachers, mental health professionals, and more, Schultz said. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine higher education, he said. This is our chance to lead, to innovate, and to build a future where Utah remains a place of opportunity for generations to come. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, stands at the dais after being sworn in as speaker at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Citing data from the University of Utahs Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute showing Utahs college-aged population is projected to begin declining in 2032, Schultz said if Utah fails to adapt, we will fall behind. If we wait, college will continue to become more and more unaffordable, Schultz said. But if we act now, we can bend the cost curve and position our higher education system to not just weather these changes but thrive in a new, leaner, and more competitive environment. Democrats say theyll remain watchful as budget discussions play out over higher education. As someone who works in higher education and represents areas that encompass the University of Utah campus, Minority Whip, Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, said she often hears from constituents who work at the U. that are worried about higher education cuts. While she believes theres value in supporting programs that could lead to high-paying jobs, theres also a need to focus on whats best for students in the state, and that includes their critical thinking skills, Dailey-Provost said. The world is a complex place, and it cant always just be about the jobs that theyre seeking, she said. But how to be good members of our community. Romero agrees that theres a need to look at the driving forces of the job markets while making funding decisions, she said. However, she doesnt want to take away academic freedom from students to choose certain career paths, including majors like gender studies and history. This is me, Angela Romero, not speaking on behalf of my caucus, but as myself, she said. Really what the agenda is when were talking about this 10% cut in higher ed, because weve seen this trend in Florida. Weve seen this trend in Texas. And I have concerns. Is this really about the economy and where the jobs are? Or is this about an ideology difference in trying to take away that academic freedom from young people who may choose what they want to study, and take as long as they want? House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, addresses the chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Contributing: Alixel Cabrera SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Dayton officials seeking public input on road safety plan DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The City of Dayton is looking for public feedback to better formulate a comprehensive road safety plan. The city will host a public forum tomorrow at city hall at 5:30 p.m. Dayton residents are welcome to attend the meeting, which will feature a presentation and a public input session. The city is developing a safety action plan as part of the U.S. Department of Transportations Safe Streets and Roads for All program (SS4A). The plan is being made to address preventable crashes through solutions driven by the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides attending Thursdays meeting, there are several other ways to get involved: Take the citys public survey at www.daytonohio.gov/SS4ASurvey Visit the project page: daytonohio.gov/SS4A Email: SS4ADayton@daytonohio.gov Call about the SS4A program at 937-333-7233 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 WDTN.com. A bishop speaking at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC told Donald Trump to his face to have mercy on LGBT+ youths and to understand that immigrants are not all criminals and that many are afraid of what he might do to them. Mariann Budde, 65, is the Episcopalian bishop who confronted Trump during the National Prayer Service. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were in attendance as part of their first full day in the Oval Office. While any mention of LGBT+ issues at Trump-related events tend to be negative, Budde forced the president to listen to a different perspective. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives," she said. "Millions have put their trust in you. In the name of our God, I ask you, have mercy on people in our country who are scared now.." One of Trump's first acts on Monday was to issue an executive order declaring that only two genders exist. Budde also implored the president to reconsider the way he treats and talks about migrants living in the U.S. President Donald Trump stands near Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde as he attends the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral. (REUTERS) "They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has declared a national border emergency to give him the power to restrict border crossings, and has made clear during his campaign that he intends to continue on with mass deportations. His most brazen and unconstitutional plan thus far has been an order to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. That right is protected by the U.S. Constitution. At least 22 states and a group of pregnant women have already sued the Trump administration over his plan to try to end birthright citizenship. When asked later by reporters what he thought of the service, Trump seemed bored and suggested it wasn't exciting enough for his tastes. "Not too exciting, was it? I didn't think it was a great service ... they can do much better," Trump said, responding to a reporter's question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budde's comments were not surprising; she has been a critic of Trump since his first term as president, describing his views and behavior as completely opposite those of Jesus. She made the comments after Trump held a Bible outside St John's Church in Washington DC to complain about racial justice protesters in 2020. The President just used a Bible and one of the churches of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for," she said in a social media post at the time. She also said that her diocese stood by the protesters, who had taken to the streets to voice their frustration after the murder of George Floyd by now-former Minneapolis Police Department Office Derek Chauvin. "I've given up speaking to Pres. Trump. We need to replace President Trump." Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington talks to @ABC News amid uproar over Pres. Trump's photo op in front of St. John's Church. https://t.co/spHC0q8SWm pic.twitter.com/gq6b7O609W ABC News (@ABC) June 3, 2020 "In no way do we support the Presidents incendiary response to a wounded, grieving nation," she said. "In faithfulness to our Savior who lived a life of non-violence and sacrificial love, we align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others through the sacred act of peaceful protest." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budde had once sworn off trying to talk to Trump, telling ABC News that she had "given up" trying to reason with the president, and expressing her belief that he needed to be replaced. However, after his victory in 2024, Budd once again believed his re-ascenion to power needed to be addressed. During comments she made to her diocese in Washington, D.C. Budde called on believers to remember the "dignity" of other people, not just those who share one's political ideologies, noting that the vitriol in modern political rhetoric can make that task difficult. "I'm grateful for the consistent message of those prayers: that regardless of political affiliation and strongly-held views, we are united in our commitment to follow Jesus in the way of love," she said "Such love calls us to seek and serve Christ in all persons and uphold the dignity of every human being a tall order at any time, but all the more so throughout a season of heated, divisive political rhetoric." She said that Trump's victory beckons a "dramatic shift in power" that will be celebrated by some and frighten others, but ended on a hopeful note, saying that the shift also opens avenues for people to mature and show courage. By Qabil Ashirov Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Cahit Ba?c?, made a farewell visit to the Western Azerbaijan Community on January 22 as his term of service in Azerbaijan comes to an end. Azernews reports that Aziz Alekbarli, Chairman of the Community's Board of Directors and Member of Parliament, first expressed condolences to the diplomat from the brotherly country regarding the fire in Kartalkaya district of Bolu Province, Turkiye. Aziz Alekbarli thanked the ambassador for his contributions to deepening the relations between the two brotherly countries and for his moral support on the Western Azerbaijan issue. He wished Ambassador Ba?c? success in his future endeavors. Cahit Ba?c? noted that his tenure as ambassador in Azerbaijan has left him with indelible memories and stated that Turkiye will always support the Western Azerbaijan issue, which is a matter of human rights. During the meeting, there was an exchange of views on issues of mutual interest. SACRAMENTO, the United States, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- On his first day back in office, U.S. President Donald Trump revoked a landmark artificial intelligence (AI) executive order signed by former U.S. President Joe Biden, igniting widespread concern about the risks of allowing AI development to proceed unchecked. The order, originally signed by Biden in October 2023, laid out comprehensive guidelines to ensure the safe and responsible rollout of AI across sectors such as healthcare, national security, and the economy. With a single stroke of his pen, Trump has effectively halted the requirement for AI developers to submit safety test results to the government, plunging the future of the U.S. AI Safety Institute, founded by the U.S. Department of Commerce following Biden's executive order on AI, into doubt. Critics argue that removing federal oversight could accelerate the deployment of risky AI systems lacking rigorous vetting. Jennifer Everett, a partner in Alston & Bird's technology and privacy group, noted that while the federal government appears to be loosening its regulatory grip, individual states may step forward to fill the void. Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, also criticized the repeal, noting that Biden's executive order was designed to promote the safe and responsible use of AI tools. With important guardrails now removed, Americans could be exposed to greater risks, especially as tech companies push the boundaries of rapid innovation. Trump's decision aligns with the 2024 Republican Party platform, which pledged to rescind Biden's order amid claims that it stifled innovation. Seen as part of a broader deregulatory push designed to spur economic growth and maintain America's technological edge, the move nonetheless raises serious alarms about ethical standards, accountability, and the broader societal impacts of AI. IMPACTS TO COME Without a formal requirement for safety assessments, experts warn that AI systems risk being released without proper evaluations for bias, reliability, or security flaws. One particular concern is the ethical minefield of generative AI models, which can already manufacture convincing misinformation and deep fakes -- tools that, if left unregulated, could stoke social unrest or be weaponized for disinformation campaigns. The absence of federal oversight leaves the question of accountability in limbo. Under Biden's framework, government-led safety testing provided a level of public assurance and held developers to more stringent standards. Now, this responsibility shifts entirely to private companies, many of which may prioritize profitability over ethics. Trust could erode as a result, especially in critical sectors like healthcare and finance where public confidence is paramount. Under Biden's executive order, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was already in the process of creating a safety program for AI deployments in medical and public health services -- progress that now hangs in the balance. A further complication is the likely emergence of a fragmented regulatory landscape, as individual states craft their own rules in the vacuum left by the federal government. This disjointed patchwork could spawn compliance challenges for AI developers operating across multiple jurisdictions, potentially driving up costs and dampening the very competitiveness Trump's deregulation purportedly aims to bolster. Moreover, withdrawing federal leadership on AI governance could weaken America's influence on the global stage, particularly in negotiations around international AI standards. Other nations are forging ahead with cohesive frameworks, and the United States now risks ceding its leadership role to them. The disbanding of the U.S. AI Safety Institute is especially consequential. Established to coordinate research, set safety benchmarks, and foster collaboration between public agencies and private industry, its dissolution removes a vital cornerstone for managing the complexities of advanced AI. Without it, the government may be ill-equipped to mitigate emerging threats, ranging from AI-driven cyberattacks to privacy breaches via large-scale data collection. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The DC Police Union expressed its disappointment and dismay over President Donald Trumps sweeping pardons granted to those convicted of assaulting police officers during the Capitol riots in 2021. As part of the slew of executive orders signed during his first day in office, Trump pardoned over 1,500 people charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The union representing 3,600 officers, detectives and sergeants in the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) released a statement Tuesday criticizing the move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [O]ur stance is clear anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, without exception, the DC Police Union stated, in part. Crowd gathers outside DC jail following pardon of January 6 inmates The union also said it was working with the White House and Trump to address two glaring miscarriages of justice involving MPD Officer Terrance Sutton and Lt. Andrew Zabavsky. The two were, according to the union, wrongly convicted of murder after being targeted by corrupt prosecutors who weaponized the legal system against them. Sutton and Zabavsky were convicted for their involvement in an unauthorized chase that ended in a fatal crash and subsequent cover-up back in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 23, 2020, Sutton drove an undercover police car and chased 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who was driving a moped on a sidewalk. Zabavsky was in a marked police vehicle. The chase lasted nearly three minutes, during which Sutton eventually turned off his vehicles emergency lights and sirens and accelerated before an uninvolved car hit Hylton-Brown, the Associated Press reported. He died from his injuries. Maryland Attorney General: Trumps executive order on transgender rights threatens peoples lives Sutton was convicted of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice in 2022 and sentenced to over five years in prison. Zabavsky was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice and sentenced to two years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its statement Tuesday, the DC Police Union said it believes the pardon process can and should be used to correct such egregious errors. The union added it is hopeful that the same measure of justice that was extended to the recent January 6 pardons will also be applied to right these wrongs. DC Police Union Statement. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. Two Canada geese found on the campus of UMass Amherst have tested positive for bird flu. According to the University, the geese tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), (H5N1) which is the first known positive test on campus. HPAI was first identified in wild birds in the state in early 2022 and was found in Plymouth this weekend. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that the current, national HPAI outbreak is primarily an animal health issue that poses relatively low risk to the general public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The university has placed signs near the Campus Pond warning visitors to avoid feeding or touching geese. In Plymouth, 60 dead geese were found over the weekend and another 10 to 15 birds died at Billington Sea. UMass officials want the community to know that sick or deceased birds found on campus can be reported to UMass Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) at 413-545-2682. Members of MassWildlife, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) have advised the public to: Strictly avoid handling any sick or dead birds or other animals. Follow the best practices of hunting geese while handling and processing wild game. Keeping pets safe and away from wildlife. Cats are highly susceptible to HPAI and may die from an infection. Cat owners in affected areas should keep their pets indoors to prevent them from being exposed to infected wildlife. For more information on bird flu and how to monitor possible outbreaks, visit the link here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The European Union has until Friday to tell the World Trade Organization whether it intends to resume its legal action against Beijing over the alleged coercion of EU member state Lithuania in 2021 after a blazing row over Taiwan. The case - which will otherwise automatically expire - is seen by some as a test of the EU's assertiveness towards Beijing in the era of US President Donald Trump's second term in the White House, which began on Monday. Lithuania's exports to China were wiped out virtually overnight in November 2021, according to official customs data, after it permitted the opening of a controversially named "Taiwanese representative office" in its capital, Vilnius. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Offices representing the self-ruled island - which Beijing regards as part of its territory, to be reunited by force, if necessary - are traditionally referred to in Europe as being there on behalf of Taipei. Most countries, including the US, do not consider Taiwan as an independent state. However, Washington and its allies are opposed to any unilateral change to the status quo. When Lithuanian exporters found their country had been removed from China's national customs system - leaving them unable to send their goods - the EU took the case to the WTO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the European Commission chose to pause the case on January 25 last year after struggling to gather evidence that Beijing had taken a political decision to halt the Lithuanian shipments. Brussels was also unable to convince businesses from third countries to go on the record and give testimony that they had been encouraged not to use Lithuanian components in their exports to China. A Geneva source said the WTO had received no signal to restart the dispute, which will expire on the one-year anniversary of the moratorium unless the EU actively decides to renew it. However, according to EU officials, the European Commission is leaning towards reopening proceedings against Beijing, with one describing the decision as a matter of "high politics". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pressure is now growing on Brussels, not only from senior politicians in Vilnius but also from Washington, according to a Bloomberg report. Officials from the Trump administration are suggesting that if the EU hopes to work with the president on matters related to China, it had better show it is serious about countering its alleged economic coercion, according to Bloomberg. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda urged the commission to prise the case back open. "In our opinion, there are still some issues, which are related to the fact that not all of the restrictions have been lifted," he told public broadcaster LRT. "Yes, I understand that presenting evidence and substantiating it is not simple. But it's certainly within the European Commission's capacity, so we encourage it not to give up, continue the case and expect a positive outcome." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ex-foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, an outspoken critic of China, took to social media to remonstrate with Brussels over its perceived unwillingness to argue a case on the grounds that matters of coercion do not neatly fit in with WTO rules. "Withdrawing without even waiting for the official ruling means abandoning the defence of the single market, accepting China's argument and allowing a precedent to be set," Landsbergis said. "China could then attack any other country in the same way," he added in a long thread. "Not only are we risking encouraging China's bullying, the EU would also be snubbing the US at a very inappropriate time. "If we wanted to convince Trump to view Europe with even more scepticism, capitulating to China right now would be a good way to do it." The Lithuanian embassy in Beijing was closed in 2021 at the height of the row between Vilnius and Beijing over relations with Taiwan. Photo: AP alt=The Lithuanian embassy in Beijing was closed in 2021 at the height of the row between Vilnius and Beijing over relations with Taiwan. Photo: AP> Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to people familiar with the proceedings, the commission's lawyers advised pulling the case last January because of the lack of direct proof of a state-directed coercive campaign when a second tranche of evidence was due to be submitted. A senior EU source said that during consultations over the case, the Brussels negotiators would raise examples of individual shipments that had been blocked, only for them to be released soon afterwards. The result was that the case became extremely difficult to argue in WTO terms and, knowing that the submission would eventually become public, the lawyers advised against proceeding. China was "muddying the waters in real time", said the source. Beijing has consistently denied - publicly and privately - any orchestration, saying variously that the disruptions were because of the patriotic nature of Chinese importers, or that a series of technical errors were to blame. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trade watchers are sceptical as to whether the EU could win the case, given the lack of a smoking gun in terms of a written or spoken directive from Beijing to stop imports from Lithuania. Restarting the case does not require the commission to immediately submit more evidence, but could buy it some time as it begins negotiating with Trump's team. Brussels wants to propose some transatlantic alignment on China policies in exchange for a reprieve from the new president's threatened trade tariffs, and also hopes to ensure his support for Ukraine. The Office of the US Trade Representative told Bloomberg: "The case is as strong today as the day it was filed. It is very hard to understand why the commission, one year after suspending this dispute on China's coercion, has still not resumed it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said "no decision has been made yet" on whether to resume the case. "We will always stand by Lithuania and address any coercion and its effect on trade," he said. "For now, we will continue to monitor developments, looking notably at exports from Lithuania to China, and we will continue to work closely with our allies on matters of economic coercion, in particular in the G7," Gill added. Separately, the EU launched a new WTO case against China on Monday, citing "unfair and illegal trade practices in the sphere of intellectual property". According to the commission's case, China's state courts have been "setting binding worldwide royalty rates for EU standard essential patents, without the consent of the patent owner". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This pressures innovative European hi-tech companies into lowering their rates on a worldwide basis, thus giving Chinese manufacturers cheaper access to those European technologies unfairly," a statement read. 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 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. One of the nations largest debt collectors launched tens of thousands of lawsuits in Arizona since 2022, according to 12 News, even as it was issued millions of dollars in penalties for consumer violations. At least one person feels some cases might not be legitimate. Anne Munoz was among those targeted by Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) but the retired school bus driver challenged the debt collection giant in court and won. When you come after me wrongfully, Im going to make as much noise as possible, and thats what Ive done, she said to the local broadcaster. Im not backing down. And she wants to help others. Don't miss Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Munoz, who spends her days taking care of her husband, who has Parkinsons disease, at their homestead in Vernon, Arizona, told 12 News that she was sued by PRA in September over a debt she claims she didnt owe $2,753.75 for a computer she bought in 2011 but had already paid off. Its not my debt, a confused Munoz said in a story published Jan. 8. I dont know if this has to do with fraud, credit fraud or what. Munoz felt the company didnt work to contact her before filing the lawsuit and there was insufficient evidence of the debt. Her case was dismissed by a judge on Jan. 15, reports 12 News. But she fears others may be caught up in similar situations who dont know how to fight back. According to 12 News, PRA has filed more than 20,000 lawsuits in Arizonas Maricopa County alone since 2022. Meanwhile, the company was ordered to pay over $24 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2023 for business practice violations. Financial crunch In its news release announcing penalties against PRA, the CFPB charged the company with filing thousands of lawsuits against consumers when it lacked proper documentation about the debt. This also wasnt the first time the CFPB held PRA under the microscope. The agency noted violations of a previous order against PRA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After getting caught red-handed in 2015, Portfolio Recovery Associates continued violating the law through intimidation, deception and illegal debt collection tactics and lawsuits, CFPB director Rohit Chopra stated. It was not specified where any violations may have occurred. Furthermore, in 2024, PRA settled a class-action lawsuit in North Carolina for $5.75 million. The suit alleged that PRA violated state law by obtaining default judgments against debtors without filing sufficient evidence to substantiate the debts. You dont know who these people are, and theyre suing on debts that were owed years ago that you, for some reason or another, could not pay or did not pay, Jason Pikler, an attorney who worked on the class-action case, told 12 News. Most people, unfortunately, do not respond to these lawsuits, and the debt buyer then can move forward with getting a default judgment. Despite being on the hook for millions of dollars, PRA estimates future collections in the billions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among Americas wealthiest plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio Back in Arizona, a strange twist to the Munoz case: After being served the lawsuit, Munoz did some digging. She says a different Anne Munoz in Missouri had been sued by PRA for the same debt she had been. News 12 says it confirmed a separate Missouri lawsuit had been filed in April for the same debt. That suit was eventually dropped. News 12 reached out to PRA, asking about its work to verify debts in its Arizona lawsuits. The company replied, as a practice, we do not comment on specific legal matters. Debt collection red flags Getting a message from a debt collector can be stressful and overwhelming, but its important to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. Some collectors may rely on fear and forgetfulness in the hopes an unwitting consumer will pay. Here are three red flags to watch out for and what to do if you see them. 1. Unfamiliar or outdated debts Consumers may be sued for debts they dont recognize or are simply old, but its important to note theres a statute of limitations on suing to collect debt. According to the FTC, after the statute of limitations runs out, the debt is considered time-barred, and it is against the law for the collector to sue you for payment. However, if you acknowledge the debt or pay a portion of it, it resets the clock on the statute of limitations. Also note that how long a statute of limitations can last varies by state and type of debt. 2. Lack of documentation Debt collectors are required to provide validating evidence of the debt they're attempting to collect. According to the CFPB, that documentation must include the name of the creditor, the account number (if any), the current amount owed and an itemized bill that lists the debt and any interest, payments and late fees. Consumers have 30 days to dispute in writing the debt upon receipt of this information. 3. Aggressive tactics or intimidation If a debt collector uses threats or pressure tactics, such as threatening harm or arrest, this is against the law. Consumers should report any illegal or harassing practices to the CFPB, FTC or your states attorney general. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, center, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, left. (Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.) Former Lt. Gov., now U.S. Senator, Jon Husteds move to D.C. opens a vacancy for Gov. Mike DeWines second-in-command but also for who might run for governor in 2026. Here are some names to watch. I switched my mind probably 100 times because there was this, is this is an incredible choice to do either, Husted said during the announcement Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Husted was seen as the frontrunner to become the top politician in the state, but now, Republican strategist Bob Clegg explained that three names are rising above. Were going to have Vivek Ramaswamy, Attorney General Dave Yost, and State Treasurer Robert Sprague, Clegg said. Both Yost and Sprague have indicated they will run for governor. Over the past few months, weve seen a groundswell of support for Attorney General Yosts candidacy for governor, Yosts campaign spokesperson Amy Natoce said. Hes devoted his career in public service to improving the lives of Ohio families and protecting their interests. He will formally announce his bid for governor in late February and looks forward to sharing his vision for Ohios future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yost is also a longtime politician, starting behind the scenes and then working as Delaware County auditor and then prosecutor. Before becoming AG, he was the state auditor. Sprague, who was one of the major contenders for the Senate seat, filed paperwork Friday to show his intent to run. Ohio is built for more. Its time to let hardworking Ohioans keep what they earn, end government waste, and create real opportunity through good jobs. Ill keep fighting to reform a broken system, protect our freedoms, and make Ohio the Midwests economic powerhouse, Sprague wrote on X. The people of this state deserve bold, proven leadership, and I look forward to sharing my vision for Ohio in the weeks ahead. Sprague has been working in politics for years. He previously was a member of the state House, representing parts of Northwest Ohio. Prior to that, he served as the Findlay auditor and treasurer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Businessman and previous presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has shown interest in running for governor as well. He has not filed any forms as of yet. Ramaswamy is stepping back from his participation in President Trumps unofficial government efficiency department. (Departments of the U.S. government have to be created by Congress.) We spoke to Ramaswamy right before his appointment to Trumps administration was announced. Theres no reason why the state of Ohio cannot be the leading state in the country to start and grow a new business, to bring a young family and raise them, Ramaswamy said. The day that Trump was sworn into office, tech-mogul Elon Musk allegedly helped kick his cochair out of a job, according to new reporting from POLITICO. According to the article, Ramaswamy irked some of Trumps inner circle. The publication said his team is now saying his departure is due to his incoming announcement to run for governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. Im confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. Ill have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, were all-in to help President Trump make America great again! Vivek posted on X Monday. Weve spoken with three dozen strategists and lobbyists, and each of them agreed that the two most effective ways to become governor are being able to raise money and getting that coveted endorsement from Trump. Weve seen in the last two U.S. Senate primaries that his endorsement locked it up for those people, Clegg said. Is Ramaswamy the shoo-in for the endorsement? Maybe, maybe not, some strategists said. If he bothered enough people, its possible he wont get it. If he is gunning for Vances job as the future president, that could also ruffle some feathers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the flip side, an endorsement promise could have been a way to get him out of DOGE, other politicos offered. The majority of insiders we spoke to, excluding Clegg, were frustrated that Ramaswamy would run for governor, adding that he doesnt know what the state is like. It should be noted that lobbyists make money based on their connections and ability to propose policy to not just the governor but to the lawmakers. Each time weve reached out to Ramaswamys team, we have not heard back. Clegg, however, defended him and critiqued the institutional GOP for not fully understanding the times we are now in. I can see where you could say that either Yost or Sprague would be the logical next one up, but that calculus obviously has changed just as Donald Trump has changed the Republican Party, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, some Republicans arent convinced Ramaswamy will even do more than just announce he is running for visibility because its not like money is a challenge for him. The 39-year-old multi-millionaire is able to completely fund himself, so that means he already has a leg up on Yost and Sprague, Clegg said. I think even above and beyond that, his fundraising capabilities are going to be so much stronger because he does have a national presence and he will be able to tap that, the strategist said. Its likely that the governor will not weigh in anytime soon on the 2026 race because he will be busy interviewing a replacement for Husted. Jons a tough act to follow, DeWine said when we asked what qualities he would look for in his replacement. The qualities that Jon has, certainly some of the qualities, are the qualities that I will look for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are one of two ways the LG appointment could go, Clegg said. Does he appoint somebody who would be a potential gubernatorial candidate or is he gonna appoint somebody who is, in essence, a placeholder? the strategist asked. This list is not exhaustive and only reflects the views of more than three dozen Ohio political insiders in different offices and professions. To prevent being swindled by politicos trying to plug their clients or friends, we created restrictions. Each of the individuals on this list has been mentioned to us more than eight times. Each of the individuals shares a similar temperament to the governor, but they vary in how conservative they are. The vast majority of strategists predicted that DeWine would choose a woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obviously, the number one priority is to find someone who can do the job, Clegg said. Lydia Mihalik Every single politico mentioned Lydia Mihalik. She is the Director of the Ohio Department of Development and a close ally of the governor. She was previously the mayor of Findlay before DeWine chose her to lead the dept. Under her watch, Intel, Honda, GM and Ford chose to invest in the state. She is also a member of the Governors Executive Workforce Board. I love my job! Mihalik told us about the LG position. I am not going to disclose the content of private conversations. Strategists said her focus would likely be on business development, like Husted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If hes looking at economic development still as the wheelhouse you have Lydia, Clegg said. Mihalik made it into the possible U.S. Senate appointment list in Dec. However, she seemed not to want it. I am focused on state government and that is where I plan to stay involved, Mihalik told me last month. Matt Dolan Former lawmaker Matt Dolan was brought up nearly every time. He most recently served as the chair of the Senate finance committee, representing Northeast Ohio, before he termed out in 2025. He was previously in the Ohio House, former chief assistant prosecutor for Geauga County and assistant attorney general. One of the most moderate Republicans at the Statehouse, he aligns better with DeWine than even Husted did on some major policy decisions. DeWine endorsed Dolan in the last U.S. Senate Republican primary, but he finished second to Bernie Moreno. Dolan is very DeWine-esque, which would make a transition easy for him and the administration, Clegg said. Strategists said his focus would likely be on business development and working with the legislature, like Husted. He declined to comment. Jane Timken Jane Timken was one of the frontrunners for the U.S. Senate appointment. She is a Northeast Ohio Republican and is currently the RNC Committeewoman for Ohio. She is the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, previously serving for years as the vice chair. She also served as a magistrate in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas. Timken ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, being endorsed by former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. If he just wants a good solid person who can do the job and represent the state well, then you have somebody like Jane Timken, Clegg said. Strategists said her focus would likely be on business development, like Husted. She didnt respond to comment. Michele Reynolds State Sen. Michele Reynolds is seen as a rising star in the Republican party. Reynolds flipped a Democratic seat in the further-out suburbs of Columbus during her election in 2022. She chairs the Housing Committee, and much of her time at the Statehouse is spent working on housing-related issues. She is also a business owner. However, Republican strategists believed the Senate would have a hard time letting her go. She is one of the most conservative options on this list. She would be another great one who could tackle [housing inaffordability] and give that issue a lot more prominence, Clegg said. Strategists said her focus would likely be on property tax reform, economic development and assistance for parents. The governor has many talented individuals to consider for lieutenant governor, and replacing LG Husted will be no small task, Reynolds told me. My focus is on my new district, representing Franklin, Madison and Pickaway counties, and understanding the priorities of the people I serve. Looking ahead, 2025 is bright for Ohio! Stephanie Kunze Former state Sen. Stephanie Kunze has been floated as a good addition to the DeWine administration. She is currently serving on the states Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. She lost reelection in 2024 after a Democrat flipped her seat in the Columbus suburbs. She served as the chair of the Transporation Committee. Previously, she had served in the House and was on Hilliard City Council. Strategists said her focus would likely be on mental health, domestic violence prevention and assistance for parents. For DeWines continued push for better care for those facing mental illness and addiction, Kunze would be terrific, Clegg said. I have had the privilege of working alongside Governor DeWine, whose wisdom and discernment I deeply admire. I trust his judgment in selecting the right person to advance the work and mission of his administration, Kunze said. Serving the people of our great state for over a decade has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. If there is an opportunity for me to contribute, I will be honored and humbled to serve the people of Ohio. Andy Wilson Director of the Department of Public Safety Andy Wilson was listed as a possible option. He has worked closely with DeWine for years. He has been a part of violence reduction initiatives and the states expedited pardon project. In his role now, he oversees a $2.5 billion biannual budget. Previously, he served as Clark County prosecutor and was in the Ohio National Guard. Strategists said his focus would likely be on criminal justice, as was DeWines when he was LG. I love serving the people of Ohio. I like being out in the communities, working with community leaders, working with the different stakeholders I love serving the Governor, Wilson said. Im in line with his initiatives; I believe wholeheartedly in what hes doing. Any capacity that the governor thinks that I can best serve him and the people, Im certainly willing to consider. As an aside, Wilson and DeWine conducted an undercover sting operation together, sending in Wilsons teenage nephew to buy low-level marijuana from a convenience store. Robert Sprague About 60% of the politicos we spoke to said that they believed DeWine would not meddle in the 2026 gubernatorial. The remaining 40% all said Sprague. Robert Sprague, thats a different story, Clegg said. Becoming lieutenant governor would raise his profile. The treasurer is young enough to become LG, which could allow him to act somewhat as an incumbent in the gubernatorial, politicos added. Strategists believe his focus would be on economic development and helping with the governors budget. As treasurer, Sprague oversees the states investment and debt portfolios. He also has helped create several programs, like ResultsOHIO, that focus on the integrity of taxpayer dollars. The Treasurer is driven by public service and lifting his fellow Ohioans and would be interested in a role that allows him to continue that service, Spragues campaign spokesperson Dalton Throckmorton said. Timeline The governors team told us that hes been so busy he has no immediate comment on the process. More names will probably appear as people come out of the woodwork to show interest. However, it is likely that this announcement will come quicker than the right against the arbitrary deadline that was the U.S. Senate appointment. This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on X and Facebook. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Jan. 21LIMA A defendant in the Allen County Common Pleas Court was sentenced Tuesday to a minimum of 17 years in prison on charges of aggravated burglary and felonious assault. Rocky Hayner, 30, is transitioning from male to female, uses she/her pronouns and is also known as Paris Sheka. Her prison sentence on the first- and second-degree felonies are not mandatory, so she will eventually be eligible to request judicial release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A narrative of events leading up to the incident was provided in court documents and in statements in the courtroom from Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Thines and the victim, Carlos Maldonado. They said Hayner rode her bicycle from Mansfield to Lima to confront Maldonado Hayner's ex-girlfriend's boyfriend about mistreating the woman. On March 5 at Maldonado's residence at 1508 E. Fourth St., Hayner broke in and started punching Maldonado. When Maldonado went outside for help, Hayner stabbed Maldonado 11 times in the chest, stomach and back and fled the scene, leaving Maldonado to crawl back inside to call 911. Maldonado was taken to the intensive care unit at the hospital where it was discovered he had a collapsed lung and required multiple surgeries. Maldonado said he still experiences pain in his chest and nerves and sometimes has trouble putting on shirts. Maldonado's cousin attended the hearing and detailed how the incident impacted not just Maldonado, but the whole family. She said she had anxiety from the incident and had to seek mental health help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You could kill somebody with one (stab wound)," she said. "You had every intention of killing my cousin." Judge Terri Kohlrieser said according to one story Hayner told to police, the incident was planned for eight months and Hayner was offered $1,000 to do it. Kohlrieser said Hayner said she had no intention of hurting anyone and that "anyone who knows me knows I would never hurt anyone, not even a fly." Kohlrieser said Hayner has been vilifying Maldonado and never felt bad about his injuries. "You tried him, convicted him and punished him," she said. Hayner didn't make a statement before sentencing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thines agreed with a lengthy sentence for Hayner due to prior violent offenses, which include multiple stabbings that occurred starting when she was a teenager. Hayner's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Stephen Chamberlain, asked for a lenient sentence due to Hayner's mental health issues which Hayner wouldn't get sufficient treatment for in prison. Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451. Featured Local Savings The last few days in DC have had a sense of the surreal. The language, tone and style of President Trump his curiously casual yet cunning statements on everything from Americas golden age to Hamass unfitness to rule in Gaza (they didnt exactly run it well despite it being a phenomenal location) have been mesmerising. Certainly, I dont trust this burger-scoffing, ethically compromised (to say the least) geriatric, and the views of many of his staffers make my blood run cold. That he pardoned the violent, election-denying thugs who stormed the Capitol on January 6 is deplorable, scary, and a worrying sign of things to come. Even so: Trump has stumbled onto righteous ground with his war on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, Americas DEI quotient rocketed, seeping into every nook and cranny of the countrys workplaces, schools, and hospitals. No longer. Trump has taken drastic, seismic action within two days of taking office. As a starter, every single federal employee working in DEI has been placed on administrative leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is nothing short of miraculous. DEI is rotten from start to finish and its impact has been deeply regressive and dangerous. Its not just the money that has been wasted, diverted away from frontline services. Each and every bit of DEIs governing ideology is mendacious, doing the opposite of what it says. Under the aegis of DEI schemes, federal and otherwise, there has been thought policing via mandatory unconscious bias training, the curtailment of free expression, no matter how respectful, and an increase in bullying as bosses enforced the ideology. Diversity of thought has been under attack, thanks to the expulsion or exclusion of those who deviate from compulsory wokeness. Meanwhile, equity has laid waste to the idea of meritocracy because it says that people from allegedly marginalised backgrounds should get a big leg up throughout the hiring and promotion process, based on skin colour or gender identity alone. One of DEI ideologys most poisonous side-effects has been a sharp rise not just in anti-Semitism, but in its acceptability. What we saw taking place on US campuses from Harvard to Columbia to UCLA last spring, as progressive brigands in keffiyehs took to their megaphones to denounce Zionists in unmistakeably Hitlerian terms, was directly in line with DEI culture as it has come to be understood in the Anglosphere. According to the pernicious doctrines of critical race theory that underpin much DEI thinking, Jews are deemed to be both white and colonisers and oppressors (as the devious, vicious spin on Zionists would have it). Therefore, in DEI world, laying into Zionists is considered to be virtuous; since Zionists, charged with systematic oppression of the Palestinian underdog, must be the enemy of all that is good. In an environment fostering such putrid systems of thought, anyone associated with Israel, which is largely Jews, for reasons that ought to be obvious, becomes fair game. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ending the use of taxpayer money to fund this ideology is the first big step. The next one will be to finish the job already begun at some of Americas biggest corporates, and excise DEI from all workplaces, schools, and, eventually, from a rising generations view of the world. 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. Diversity, equity and inclusion programs have come under attack in American boardrooms, state legislatures and college campuses and now broadly across the federal government. President Donald Trump hours after swearing in this week began making good on promises to wage a war against such policies, inking an executive order banning efforts such as environmental justice programs, equity initiatives and DEI considerations in federal hiring. The fledgling Republican White House also ordered employees of federal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility offices to be put on paid administrative leave. And DEI is in the crosshairs of Trumps new Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, who last year called DEI just another word for racism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The changes come as wealthy corporate leaders, including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and conservative activist Robby Starbuck, have decried diversity programs on social media. In step, some US companies including the nations largest employer, Walmart have backpedaled on some DEI initiatives, including racial equity training programs for staff and evaluations designed to boost supplier diversity. DEI has also been used to criticize and discredit high-ranking lawmakers and local officials. Most recently, in the wake of the deadly Los Angeles County wildfires, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley came under attack for her focus on DEI efforts in the department including recruiting a more diverse force. DEI means people die, Musk said in an X post, resharing a local news story about Crowley being the departments first female chief. Scott Jennings, a CNN political commentator, also condemned Crowley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have DEI, we have budget cuts and yet Im wondering now, if your house was burning down, how much do you care what color the firefighters are? Jennings said on CNNs News Night with Abby Phillip. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also became a target for conservatives. Last July, Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett suggested President Joe Biden selected Harris as his running mate because she was Black. One hundred percent she is a DEI hire, Burchett said. Her record is abysmal at best. Amid the rising right-wing pressure, US workers in November viewed DEI more negatively than they did the prior year: While 52% said focusing on increasing DEI was mainly a good thing, 21% said it was a bad thing a 5 percentage point increase from 2023 a Pew Research Center survey found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, 52% of employed US adults said in 2023 they had DEI trainings or meetings at work, and 33% said they had a designated staff member who promotes DEI, a Pew survey that year found. Critics say DEI programs are discriminatory and attempt to solve racial discrimination by disadvantaging other groups, particularly White Americans. But supporters and industry experts insist the decades-old practice has been politicized and is widely misunderstood. What is DEI? Among seven DEI experts and industry leaders CNN has interviewed, most had a shared vision for what constitutes the concept: Diversity is embracing the differences everyone brings to the table, whether those are someones race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability or other aspects of social identity. Equity is treating everyone fairly and providing equal opportunities. Inclusion is respecting everyones voice and creating a culture in which people from all backgrounds feel encouraged to express their ideas and perspectives. DEI was created because marginalized communities have not always had equal opportunities for jobs or felt a sense of belonging in majority-White corporate settings, said Daniel Oppong, founder of The Courage Collective, a consultancy that advises companies on DEI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is the genesis of why some of these programs exist, he said. It was an attempt to try to create workplaces where more or all people can thrive. When did workplaces start embracing DEI? The backlash against DEI may feel like a pendulum swing from 2020, when the nation faced a racial reckoning after Black father George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by a White police officer. But the DEI practice has been around for decades. The origins of DEI programs date to the Civil Rights Movement, which played a pivotal role in accelerating efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces, said Dominique Hollins, founder of the DEI consulting firm WE360. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color and national origin. It also banned segregation in public places, like public schools and libraries. And Title VII of the Civil Rights Act established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, which works to eliminate employment discrimination. President Lyndon Johnson hands a pen to the Rev. Martin Luther King (second from right) after signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964 in the East Room of the White House. - AFP/Getty Images In the 1960s and 70s, employees began filing discrimination lawsuits with the EEOC, and many companies started incorporating diversity into their business strategies by providing diversity training, according to a 2008 report published in the Academy of Management Learning & Education. These diversity training efforts emerged around the time affirmative action began by executive order from President John F. Kennedy, a Democrat. Although the concepts may seem similar, affirmative action is different from DEI as it required federal contractors by executive order to treat applicants and employees equally based on race, color, religion and sex. Colleges and universities also used affirmative action to boost enrollment of students of color at majority-White schools. But the US Supreme Court in 2023 gutted affirmative action, ruling race-conscious college admissions were unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some diversity efforts lost momentum after GOP President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s backed corporate deregulation policies asserting companies should address discrimination internally, Hollins said. In the coming decades, many companies kept pushing for DEI-focused jobs and training in a piecemeal fashion, rather than by creating ongoing programs and dedicated teams, she said. Other companies didnt have the staffing or resources to sustain DEI efforts, Hollins said. Then, Floyds murder renewed the push for DEI leadership roles and initiatives at major corporations. Between 2019 and 2022, chief diversity and inclusion officer roles grew by 168.9%, a LinkedIn analysis found. Now, though, some of those efforts have been rolled back and DEI roles abandoned because leaders didnt feel fully supported, Hollins said: Companies were giving the appearance of commitment without actually doing the right work for that commitment to be sustainable. What does DEI look like at work? DEI in the workplace can be a mix of employee training, resource networks and recruiting practices, said Kelly Baker, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Thrivent, an organization that provides financial advice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, 61% of US adults said their workplace had policies focusing on fairness in hiring, promotions or pay, a Pew study that year found. Thrivent, for example, has resource groups for women in leadership, young professionals, Black employees, Hispanic employees and military veterans, among others, Baker told CNN in a previous interview. Its DEI trainings teach employees how to understand and bridge cultural differences in the workplace, she said, adding Thrivent also seeks job candidates with diversity in their race, geography, gender and industry background. Many corporations tie DEI to their business strategies, experts told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diversity is related to our business growth strategy, Baker said. Its pragmatic and essential and critical for us to ensure that our client base reflects the world that we are in and the world that we are going to be in. What are critics saying? In recent years, DEI has become a social and political lightning rod for lawmakers, corporate leaders and conservative activists who have sought to cast such initiatives as unfair and even racist, with some emboldened by the Supreme Courts gutting of affirmative action. These are not neutral programs to increase demographic diversity; they are political programs that use taxpayer resources to advance a specific partisan orthodoxy, outspoken DEI critic Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, wrote in a 2023 New York Times op-ed. Indeed, the ideology behind DEI is fundamentally anti-American, said Ryan P. Williams, president of The Claremont Institute, a conservative think tank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The words that the acronym DEI represent sound nice, but it is nothing more than affirmative action and racial preferences by a different name, a system that features racial headcounts and arbitrarily assigned roles of oppressor and oppressed groups in America, Williams said in an emailed statement. If we continue to do democracy this way, it will only end in acrimony, strife, resentment, and American collapse. Some critics argue DEI programs on college campuses have failed to protect Jewish students and faculty from antisemitic bullying and harassment. A 2024 Stanford University report highlighted a case in which Jewish staff reported being pressured to join the DEI programs whiteness accountability affinity group. They alleged that the program erased Jewish identity, the report said. There was no space for these Jewish employees to share their lived experience, to raise their concerns about anti-Semitism. Ackman, the billionaire investor, last year posted a 4,000-word opus on X criticizing DEI as inherently a racist and illegal movement in its implementation even if it purports to work on behalf of the so-called oppressed. Musk, the Trump confidant and billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, later reposted it on X, which he owns. Elon Musk listens in November as then-President-elect Donald Trump addresses a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it, Musk wrote, later doubling down: DEI, because it discriminates on the basis of race, gender and many other factors, is not merely immoral, it is also illegal. Tesla since then omitted all language regarding minority workers and outreach to minority communities in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Whos defending DEI practices? Not every business leader agrees: Mark Cuban, billionaire and minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, pushed back on Musks posts in a thread defending DEI. The loss of DEI-Phobic companies is my gain, Cuban wrote. Having a workforce that is diverse and representative of your stakeholders is good for business. Companies turning their backs on strategies to promote diversity will limit equal opportunities for people who face disadvantages because of their skin color, the neighborhood they grew up in, the quality of schools they attended and other forces beyond their control, two Black pioneering business leaders former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and former American Express CEO Ken Chenault told CNN. At its best, DEI is about developing talent, measuring it in a fair way and finding hidden talent and disadvantaged talent in a world where not everybody has an equal chance to exhibit their abilities, Frazier said. CNNs Michelle Krupa, Donald Judd, Katelyn Polantz, Dakin Andone and Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Many roads around metro Atlanta and north Georgia are covered in layer of ice on Wednesday morning. DeKalb County has declared a state of emergency effective immediately. CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and other county officials are encouraging everyone to shelter in place and stay off the roads. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] This is a serious situation, said Dekalb County CEO Cochran-Johnson. We are asking for everyones patience and cooperation as our teams work around the clock to ensure public safety. Staying off the roads is criticalnot only for your safety but to allow emergency responders to reach those in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county says road crews worked overnight, applying over 500 tons of salt, sand and calcium chloride to treat roads. RELATED STORIES: As of 7:15 a.m., emergency services have responded to hundreds of 911 calls, including a structure fire and a rescue involving a pregnant woman on her way to the hospital. More than 100 cars have been left stranded across the county, including a fire truck getting stuck on Rockbridge Road. Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz says temperatures will remain near or below freezing until at least Thursday. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Description Harrow International School New York is thrilled to welcome you to our upcoming 'Preview Harrow New York' events. These special events provide the opportunity to learn more about our School, meet our dedicated staff, and discover the unique education we offer. During these events, you will have the chance to: Explore our real-world ready curriculum and the IB Advantage Hear from faculty about the individualized care we offer our students Discover our day, 5-day and 7-day boarding programs and junior boarding options Delve into the vast opportunities available through our Super-Curriculum and Co-Curricular programs Learn about our personalized admissions process Participate in a live Q&A session We look forward to sharing Harrow New Yorks rich history and exciting future with you. Nobody excels at finding a hornets nest and kicking it quite like Keir Starmer. Learning that the PM is devoid of political instinct or even the most basic room reading ability has been one of the odder aspects of having the grown ups back in charge. Smearing those demanding an investigation into grooming gangs as jumping on a far-Right bandwagon was a particular high or rather, low light. Yesterdays statement about the Southport attacks proved another. What the PM clearly considered an exercise in clarity in fact provoked as many questions as it answered. In analysing the motivation behind Axel Rudakubanas unspeakable massacre of three little girls, the PM cited social fragmentation, truancy and online harms. We regulate cinemas, he argued, so why is there a free-for-all on the internet? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judging by these remarks, a social media crackdown now looks inevitable. The availability of violent material online, though perhaps a factor, feels like more comfortable intellectual terrain for politicians than questions about immigration and assimilation. It cannot be allowed to supersede other vital conversations. The PM and his colleagues stress the contempt of court angle; arguing that they couldnt divulge sensitive information earlier lest it had prevented a fair trial taking place. Indeed, Starmer claimed he would never be forgiven for divulging information to the public at the time. But this goes against the view of his own independent terror investigator Jonathan Hall, who has argued that an information vacuum contributed to the riots. The public learnt the facts when Rudakubana was charged in October, disclosures which evidently did not endanger later trials. Is contempt of court proving an excessively capacious shield to hide behind? ITV reporter Paul Brand pointed out that the PM could have made public some of what he knew about Rudakubana before any charges were made; a question the PM ducked with legalistic waffle and, inevitably, a call for further online regulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Journalists and politicians are, rightly, cautious about pre-trial publicity. Yet we have seen examples on the flipside verging on active misinformation, such as characterising Rudakubana as a Welsh Christian when this was evidently not the full story, or the widespread use of the angelic choirboy photo instead of a more recent snapshot. On July 30, the day after the murders, Merseyside Police said that the incident was not currently being treated as terror-related; a line which the PM, ministers and officials maintained for months. On July 31, Angela Rayner described speculation that the attack was terror-related and that details were being kept from the public as fake news and conspiracy theories. Yet in yesterdays statement Starmer said that he knew the details as they were emerging. This not only challenges government avowals at the time, but poses its own questions about contempt of court. After all, saying this is not a terrorist attack clearly prejudices prosecutors who seek to argue the opposite, since defence counsels can rightly say well the PM said it wasnt. Information was released and denials made which could have prejudiced a trial. Why, then, does official concern only ever go in one direction? The PM and his colleagues notably had no such qualms about labelling scores of people far-Right and thugs long before their cases reached court. Do they really think the public will be oblivious to these discrepancies? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As I wrote at the time, there is never any excuse for thuggery. Anyone who vandalises property or commits violence deserves jail time. The wider crackdown on memes and merely offensive posts is a different matter, however, suggesting that the state is rather more obsessed about backlash than the issues which may have triggered it. This isnt just wrongheaded, it risks further undermining of the social contract. Many will contrast yesterdays snappy announcement of an inquiry, with the delay and obfuscation accompanying calls for a full national inquiry into the child-rape gangs; including, crucially, the power to compel witnesses to appear, which small local inquiries will not have. This could cause grief not just to previous governments and public officials but members of Starmers own party, such as Shaun Davies MP who, as leader of Telford and Wrekin council, initially sought to block a local inquiry into child sexual exploitation. In some cases people jailed following the riots received longer sentences for Facebook posts than were imposed on grooming gang members for child rape. The PM also gave no explanation for why the terror charges, including details of the Al-Qaeda bomb manual and ricin production, were brought so long after the incident. Last November, it was reported that charges had been delayed by two weeks over fears of public disorder; so as not to clash with a potential firearms officers strike in the wake of the Chris Kaba affair. This in itself indicates an alarming level of state interference in prosecutorial decisions. We already know about significant massaging of the narrative when politically expedient; and there is doubtless more that never reaches the public domain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their concern about community cohesion, the worrying conclusion is that the authorities spun a narrative which neither revealed what actually happened nor consistently stuck to maintaining silence and waiting to see what came out in court. Small wonder that many are losing faith in a system which often seems better at policing narratives than policing the streets. 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. NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams sat for a friendly interview with far-right provocateur Tucker Carlson on Tuesday declining to challenge almost any criticism Carlson leveled about immigration, congestion pricing and the odor of New York City. Over the course of the 46-minute interview that aired online Tuesday, Carlson repeatedly challenged Democratic dogma at one point saying hes against all immigration right now as the Democratic mayor at turns laughed, emphatically agreed or stayed quiet as Carlson dominated much of the talk. Participating in an amiable tete-a-tete with Carlson would be unheard of for most Democrats. But Carlson has an audience with President Donald Trump, who has expressed an openness to pardon the federally indicted Adams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, Carlson immediately admonished prosecutors bribery case against the mayor as retribution for Adams criticism of former President Joe Bidens handling of the southern border. He provided Adams the floor to defend himself, and the mayor took that opportunity, in his strongest terms yet, to cast the five-count bribery case against him as a political witch hunt. Adams also said hes been demonized for pushing back on the political left. People often say: You dont sound like a Democrat and you seem to have left the party, Adams said. No, the party left me. Adams is up for reelection in June and is running as a Democrat. His primary rivals have slammed his growing relationship with Trump and his MAGA faithful: The mayor dined with Trump in Florida last week, attended his inauguration Monday and refused to question any of his early executive orders on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the interview at the official mayoral residence of Gracie Mansion, Adams gave new insight into his antagonistic relationship with the Biden White House, which he blamed for failing to control the flood of migrants into New York City. One of his aides told me: Listen, this is like a gallstone, Adams said. Itll pass. And after commiserating on Biden and the mayors case, Carlson steered the conversation toward other GOP topics du jour. Im kind of against all immigration right now. We have too much of it, Carlson said, riffing that immigrants are more likely to march with their junk out at parades the longer they stay in the United States in response to the affluent liberal culture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carlson also said that in every country with mass immigration, the native population stops working when you flood the country with foreigners. That's not obvious to everybody, but it is true, and it's particularly true for African Americans. And I just think it's weird that nobody seems to notice or care." I definitely care, Adams replied. I care about the employment. The two also discussed homeless encampments which Carlson suggested Adams break up with armed police officers, a notion the mayor agreed with and people with mental illness sleeping on the subways. Both slammed proposed solutions from left-leaning Democrats as unreasonable. Why dont you put the junkies in their houses? Carlson asked. Miss Legal Aid lawyer how many junkies do you have living in your house? Zero. But you expect taxpayers in Queens to pay for shelter for junkies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's the disconnect, Adams responded. You know, the loudest don't represent the majority. Carlsons team requested the interview with Adams, the mayors spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said. What resulted was a platform for Adams to plead his case. He defended himself from bribery and straw donor charges in answers that seemed tailored for Trump in their trashing of Bidens Department of Justice. When I read (the indictment) I was like, Where are the bags of cash? Where is the secret stash somewhere? Adams added. Carlson asked Adams if he talked to anyone in Bidens White House and said hey, you indicted me for complaining, whats this? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They wouldn't allow the president to communicate with me, Adams responded. For whatever reason, there was little or no communication. Carlson asked if he ever pushed back and said you cant treat me like a servant. We deserve more, Adams responded. Ive said this over and over again. The city deserves more. In a few instances, Adams gently pushed back on the former Fox News host. Following Carlsons negative depiction of the bicycle lobby from the West Side that pushed congestion pricing, Adams said he had nothing to do with the policy before defending it. He didnt extend any defense to his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, who came to his defense last year over the indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams didnt criticize de Blasio but laughed as Carlson lampooned the former mayor. There was some question about what happened to de Blasio, Carlson said. We were mentioning the mentally ill on the subways is he one of them? The interview was conducted two weeks ago and aired on the Tucker Carlson Network, a streaming platform the entertainer launched after his abrupt departure from Fox News in 2023 following the company settling a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems. Adams office omitted the interview from the mayors daily public schedule. Mamelak Altus said she usually excludes interviews that run only on social media, though the press office has included other social media appearances in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Adams does not believe we should be living in silos and speaking into echo chambers, Mamelak Altus said in a statement ahead of the interview airing. At a time where our country is so divided, the mayor believes we must break out of our comfort zones and speak with everyone even those we may not always agree with. Warming to Carlson shows just how much Adams has changed his attitude toward the far right since getting elected mayor. Carlson offered measured praise to Adams during the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary as the sanest guy running for his focus on crime and criticism of smug, fussy liberals. Adams campaign fired back on X: I dont want or need the support of Tucker Carlson, or anyone else who perpetuates racist, anti-immigrant propaganda. LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan's Democratic secretary of state announced Wednesday that she is running to succeed Gretchen Whitmer as governor in 2026, as the party tries to find its footing after November's significant losses in the battleground state. Jocelyn Benson served as the state's chief elections administrator in the 2020 and 2024 elections and is the first well-known candidate to enter the fray as a Democrat. She will have to appeal to voters seemingly disillusioned with Democrats who cast votes in November for President Donald Trump. Well work to continue delivering and not just listening," Benson said in an interview with The Associated Press. Talking about economics and how to save people time and money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitmer, whose own statewide wins mirror Benson's in 2018 and 2022, is term limited and has said she does not plan to endorse anyone in the race to be her successor. Benson gained nationwide recognition for defending the results of the 2020 election when they were repeatedly questioned by Trump and his allies after he lost the state to Joe Biden. Now, some people didn't like that very much, she said in a campaign video shared with AP before its public release. The video then showed news footage of protesters at her home in December 2020 who were angry about what they falsely claimed was voter fraud leading to Trumps loss. Benson's own reelection in 2022 was part of a wave of overwhelming Democratic wins in Michigan, including both chambers of the legislature, the governor's office and the office of attorney general. The year was also notable for the number of women elected to the state legislature, legislative leadership and executive leadership. Three out of the four top executive offices in the state are led by women, including Benson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To elevate womens voices, and really all voices, that arent being heard or arent at the center of decision making circles in this moment is really important for me, Benson said. Her campaign has an all-female leadership team. The Democratic electoral success was broken in November 2024, when Trump won the state and Republicans won back the state House of Representatives. In her time as secretary, Benson has focused on educating the public about the voting process in Michigan, expanding voter access and implementing a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022 that established an early voting period. Before running for statewide office, Benson was an election law attorney and led the Wayne State University Law School. The gubernatorial platform she announced focuses on her leadership as secretary and her goals to improve education and lower the cost of living to retain Michigan residents. She pledged to stand up to powerful interests including Trump and Elon Musk, whom Benson has spat with before over election misinformation. Musk donated $200 million to a super PAC that worked to organize Trump support last fall, and has since created a strong alliance with the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benson is the first high-profile Democrat to launch a bid for governor. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, threw a wrench in the race when he announced last month that he is running for the position as an independent. Benson has criticized his decision, saying he abandoned the party rather than working through its challenges. Were not a party that leaders should flee from, but one that we can all get behind and work to fix the problems facing everyday Americans, she said. Duggan's move also exempts him from a competitive primary among Democrats contemplating a run. Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who moved to Traverse City, Michigan, shortly after his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2020, has been fielding calls from Michigan Democrats urging him to throw his name in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II is also considering a run, as is Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, the Flint-area sheriff who rose to prominence after he marched with a crowd of protesters after George Floyd's death at the hands of police officers in 2020. On the other side of the aisle, the top Republican in the state Senate, Aric Nesbitt, announced a campaign for governor last week. He expressed support for Trump and criticized inaction in Lansing. Democrats passed a flurry of progressive legislation after gaining complete control of state government in 2022, but held fewer session days and saw stalled legislation in 2024. ___ The Associated Press women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. President Donald Trump is already testing the limits of Hill Democrats who have vowed to be less antagonistic the second time around. Privately, Democrats have largely agreed its time to end the capital-R resistance to the newly sworn in president. Then on Trumps first 24 hours in office, he freed those who violently attacked police officers protecting the Capitol four years ago. Suddenly, the partys attempt to usher in a new era of receptiveness with the White House is turning out to be more complicated in practice. Just days into his second term, Trump is once again baiting his political opponents and scrambling their playbook in real time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The natural inclination is to fight, fight, fight, fight, said Rep. Tom Suozzi, a centrist Democrat who represents a Trump-won district on Long Island. Suozzi stressed that Democrats need to be more disciplined in their politics to avoid their more reactionary tactics: Thats whats got us to this point. Even so, he and others acknowledge they cant ignore when Trump allows January 6 rioters to go free at the same time he is pushing to deport other violent criminals. I mean, come on, an exasperated Suozzi said. Rep. Tom Suozzi speaks to reporters on the steps of the US Capitol Building following a vote on July 25, 2024 in Washington, DC. - Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images He makes it pretty hard to want to work with him, added Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia, who released a scathing statement on the pardoned January 6 rioters, some of whom used tasers, bear spray and other weapons to physically assault multiple police officers who live in his district. Top Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have been urging members to stick to substantive policy differences, rather than personality clashes and social media clapbacks with a man who won the popular vote. But there remains internal tension in the party about where to draw the line on Trump. Democrats in Trump-won turf are traveling to Mar-a-Lago and voting for GOP bills on immigration and trans athletes, while others are protesting his inauguration and grilling his Cabinet picks in made-for-TV moments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the pardons specifically, Jeffries privately told Democrats on Wednesday that they should hammer Trumps decision to free January 6 rioters in a way that makes clear how it risks the safety of the American people, according to two people in the room. And the focus was less on Trump but on the complicity of House Republicans the ones who will be on the ballot in two years. Democrats have also tried to contrast how what Trump is doing isnt actually helping the Americans who voted for him. I think hes trying to flood the zone, with executive orders, Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said. Trump got hired because he thought he was going to help bring grocery prices down, what does pardoning literally hundreds of criminals who attacked police officers have to do with bringing grocery prices down? Democrats search for a message With their party still in retreat, some Democrats are eager to discuss a unified message for Trumps second term preferably one that doesnt revolve around him. The plan is to drive an economy-focused vision, attacking the GOP almost exclusively on issues of cost, while ignoring all but the most egregious Trump actions. Jeffries himself said on the first day of the new Congress that he would work with Republicans when possible but push back against far-right extremism whenever necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We should not just have knee-jerk reaction to be opposed to everything. We really should focus on what it is theyre trying to pass, said Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada, who is one of many centrist Democrats encouraging the party to be more strategic about how it responds to Trump this time around. And theres a key reason why: I think the main difference is, Trump did win the popular vote. He certainly won my district. Donald Trump raises a fist on stage during a campaign rally at the Expo World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 13, 2024. - Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images But that change in tune is complicated, with an emboldened Trump who is taking on bigger-than-expected promises in his first days in office. Then theres the Democrats own struggles, including the lack of a clear message or messenger to deliver it, according to interviews with dozens of lawmakers, campaign operatives and senior aides. Its not like everybody has surrendered, said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, describing his party as being in a holding pattern as they engage in cerebral questions over the lessons learned from Trump victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People are sitting around in circles quietly talking about what the strategy ought to be, he said. Are there changes that we need to make? Do we hold Trump accountable on everything that we dont like that he does? Or should we be selective? Confirmation hearings in the spotlight The way Democrats are grappling with how to handle the second Trump administration is playing out in real time in confirmation hearings. While a hearing for Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth saw blistering questioning about Hegseths personal life, including one particularly tough exchange with Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia on Hegseths marriages and an unexpected pregnancy, other hearings including those for Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent and Department of Homeland Security pick Kristi Noem were relatively civil by partisan standards, and focused far more on policy disagreements than personal animus. Several Democrats say they are trying to find nominees they can vote for even if they dont agree entirely with them on policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This guy is clearly not qualified, Warner said of Hegseth. Im supporting a number of Trumps nominees. I voted for (Trumps nominee to lead the CIA John) Ratcliffe, I voted for Bessent, but there are some of these that are way beyond the bounds. Pete Hegseth arrives for his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images But some Democrats are privately cringing as they watch the more explosive moments of these hearings, particularly the Hegseth hearing, when they said the tone felt much more like 2017. Weve gone back to our playbook which is, attack him, instead of actually dealing with the fact that the party doesnt have a message, doesnt really have a spokesperson, one senior House Democrat said of the strategy. Were just going back to the shrill attacks. As that messaging debate continues, Democrats are also grappling with how to play in a social media landscape they feel like theyve fallen behind on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a private Senate Democratic luncheon last week, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey led colleagues through the shifting dynamics of a media echo chamber that conservatives are thriving in. Democrats scoured examples of how conspiracy theories like one about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, spread rapidly in the conservative media sphere and how Democrats needed to try to harness their own tools to get their messages out better. One of the bright spots Democrats highlighted, according to a source familiar, was a viral video from the pandemic of Warner making a tuna melt in his kitchen that led to the lawmaker being cheered and jeered by people who questioned his culinary leanings. The communications ecosystem has changed profoundly in ways that most people in their 60s and 70s dont grasp, one Democratic senator said of the message of the presentation. Senators talked about the need to repost each others social media posts to try and organically get their message out. But they also argued they cant abandon traditional media altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point, a Democrat in the meeting asked if their party had their version of conservative influencers, according to a person who attended. Booker responded that the party didnt have one. They have a permanent information ecosystem. We dont, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said following the lunch. They define us and we dont get to define them. No matter how good our messaging is here, it doesnt get reflected, reverberated and amplified like theirs does. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Gov. Joe Lombardo released his budget to state legislators before his state of the state address last week, and almost immediately Democrats began raising concerns, saying they believed it contained fuzzy math. (Photo by Richard Bednarski for Nevada Current) Gov. Joe Lombardo may have struck a conciliatory tone toward legislative Democrats in his state of the state speech last week, but errors made by his office are bringing early acrimony to the state budgeting process. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat from Las Vegas, said the first-term Republican governors proposed budget has major structural issues that make it unworkable and unsustainable. The proposed executive budget includes spending $335 million more than projected revenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are facing an unprecedented situation with the budget proposal, Cannizzaro said Tuesday during a legislative budget subcommittee. I cannot recall a time when the governor sent the Legislature a budget that simply didnt add up. Cannizzaro said Lombardos budget cannot simply be tweaked through the normal budgeting process that occurs every legislative session and needs to be significantly rewritten and will require major amendments from the governor. Staff from the governors office acknowledged that budgeting errors were made. They placed the proposed budgets structural deficit at $335 millionabout 2.6% of the $12.7 billion budget, which would cover state spending from July 2025 through June 2027. They said they had already worked out a series of changes to reduce that deficit to $85 million and were working around the clock on additional amendments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ryan Cherry, Lombardos chief of staff, told lawmakers he took full responsibility for the budget issues because they happened underneath his watch: I have to own it. We are moving forward to correct it. I just want to say to all of you I understand the frustration, I hear the frustration. Lombardo on Friday fired the director of his governors finance office, according to The Nevada Independent. Amy Stephenson had been in the role since July 2022. Minutes before Tuesdays subcommittee was set to begin, Lombardo announced a replacement: Tiffany Greenameyer, who had been the deputy director for fiscal services at the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. Debi Reynolds, Lombardos deputy chief of staff, told lawmakers she started her job two weeks ago and has been working furiously with the budget office since then to identify all the errors that have occurred in the budget. The Nevada Current asked the governors office when the $334 million budget issue was first identified but received no direct response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lombardo spokesperson Elizabeth Ray in an emailed statement said the executive budget remains balanced through one-time funding and said it appeared Democrats concerns were related to a specific line item about making K-12 teacher and staff raises permanent. Ray did not respond to a request to clarify whether that means the governor disagrees that a structural deficit exists, or to elaborate on any specific budget issues mentioned during Tuesdays meeting. The governors executive budget anticipated around $120 million of funding allocated during the 2023 legislative session being reverted back to the state general fund for uses approved in this years session. But many of those reversions are not allowed. That pool of money included tens of millions earmarked for the Campus of Hope, a regional homeless campus backed by the gaming industry and public dollars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a Democrat from Las Vegas and the sponsor of the bill enabling the creation of Campus for Hope, suggested the governors expected revisions seem high even beyond that high-profile project. Obviously, that one really caught our attention when we looked at this budget of things that werent supposed to be in there, he said. Unfortunately, were in the situation where we just need to know every dollar thats been accounted for on that reversion amount so that we can ensure those amounts will actually be available for the next biennium. Cannizaro told the governors office that amendments to the executive budget must be given to the Legislature by Jan. 29. Lombardo released his budget to state legislators before his state of the state address last week, and almost immediately Democrats began raising concerns, saying they believed it contained fuzzy math. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his address, Lombardo called for bipartisanship and praised fiscal responsibility, saying now is exactly the wrong time to strap more burden on the backs of hardworking Nevada families. He said he declined millions of dollars in state agency requests for more funding. It was unclear at Tuesdays meetings what adjustments are being made by the governors office to eliminate the structural deficit in his recommended budget. Several lawmakers pointed out this could lead to confusion as agencies give their own scheduled presentations to lawmakers about the budgets theyre expecting to receive based on the governors proposals. Is it going to fall on us as the Legislature to inform somebody who believes theyre getting $85 million plus out of this budget that theres not money there for them? asked Yeager. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, responded Greenameyer, the brand new director of the governors finance office. I will continue to review the budget and see if we can provide more amendments to reduce that $85 million. I only had three days, so Im still reviewing. Cannizzaro thanked the new director and deputy chief of staff for their efforts but pointed out the drafting of an executive budget isnt a three-day or two-week process. I am at a loss for how it is that, despite all of these conversations happening, despite this entire process that has existed, that does exist, that existed last time, this is the budget that was presented to us, she said. The 2025 Nevada Legislature convenes for its once-every-two-years general session on Feb. 3. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, seen here in the House chamber during inauguration ceremonies for Gov. Bob Ferguson on Jan. 15, says Democrats in the Legislature are trying to be proactive when it comes to responding to Trump administration policies. (Photo by Ryan Berry/Washington State Standard) With a large budget gap to solve and major bills on topics like housing and education to shepherd, Democratic leaders in Washingtons Legislature say they are trying to avoid getting too caught up with President Donald Trumps actions during his early days in office. We have our own job to do, Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said Tuesday. Were, I think, not going to allow ourselves to be distracted by the chaos machine in Washington, D.C. Were going to stay focused on meeting the needs of folks in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Pedersen acknowledged there could be overlap. As an example, he pointed to legislation discussed in committee on Tuesday that is geared toward protecting transgender students. Among dozens of directives Trump signed on his first day in office was one stating that it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. The barrage of executive orders was hard to ignore, especially as Washingtons new attorney general, Nick Brown, moved quickly to sue the Trump administration over an attempt to block citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are not in the country legally. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, said Brown called her Monday night to let her know about the lawsuit and that she expressed strong support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will be very focused on protecting the constitutional rights of Washingtonians, she said, adding that she was not familiar with all of the orders Trump signed on Monday. Jinkins highlighted a bill from Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, that would restrict when the National Guard from other states could enter Washington as the kind of proactive legislation that Democrats would look to pursue in the new Trump era. Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson also voiced support for that bill last week, noting that Texas and Montana had adopted similar policies. Democrats hold majorities in both chambers of Washingtons Legislature and Trump won just 39% of the vote statewide during last years November election. While the president is popular in parts of Washington, voters have overwhelmingly rejected him in the population-dense Puget Sound region, which includes Seattle. Republicans in state government have urged their Democratic counterparts to not get preoccupied with federal affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We got elected to solve state issues, House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, said Tuesday. I didnt read any of the things that Trump did yesterday, didnt read any of the lawsuits that, you know, people who want to get their names in the paper are filing already. House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, was critical of Trump for moving to withdraw for a second time from the Paris climate agreement and for the presidents decision to pull back from offshore wind power development. But Fitzgibbon also said actions like these increase the urgency around Washingtons climate programs. State governments are aware that progress needs to happen, he said. Referring to Trump, he added: We just try not to think about him every day. DENVER (KDVR) More cold temperatures are in Denvers weather forecast ahead of the chance for weekend snow. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for weather alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team Weather tonight: Chilly, breezy Tuesday night will stay breezy with wind gusts reaching 20-30 mph in the metro, and over 50 mph at times in the foothills. Temperatures will be cold as clouds continue to clear, dropping to the teens. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for Boulder and the western suburbs of Denver for potential gusts of up to 75 mph. Localized ground blizzard conditions along Colorado Highway 93 have also been reported. That highway is closed due to the high winds. Weather tomorrow: Sunny, chilly Wednesday will be mainly sunny and breezy. High temperatures will struggle to climb to freezing, which is more than 10 degrees colder than normal for this time of year. Looking ahead: Seasonal Friday ahead of weekend snow Sunny but chilly conditions continue on Thursday, with a high only reaching the 30s. Friday, sunshine aids in a more seasonal boost in temperatures to the mid 40s. The next big change moves in this weekend. Colder temperatures move in on Saturday, and could linger into Sunday morning. sunshine returns for the start of the workweek. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will help to bring temperatures to the mid 30s Monday, then mid 40s on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A woman has been charged after embezzling more than $400,000 from two companies, according to the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. Cynthia Lynn Howell allegedly worked remotely from Denver, NC, and embezzled from two companies based in Boone. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area >> Latest stories here Officials say the investigation accuses Howell of writing fraudulent checks and depositing them into bank accounts not associated with the businesses. The four-month-long investigation revealed that she embezzled more than $400,000 from the two companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Jan. 16, Howell was charged with two counts of felony embezzlement over $100,000 and booked under a $25,000 secured 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 Queen City News. The Trump administration is throwing out a Biden-era policy, which made places of worship and learning off-limits to ICE and CBP agents. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could make arrests in sensitive areas like schools and churches. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said: This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliensincluding murders and rapistswho have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigration attorneys in Washington say were going to have to wait and see how this new policy will play out. All of these executive orders are so new and action is taking place at the state level, but I think we have to wait and see how things are going to unfold, said Tahmina Watson of Watson Immigration Law. Watson told KIRO 7 its crucial for undocumented immigrants to know their rights in case they encounter ICE agents. You have the right to ask for a lawyer and its going to be very important to tell ICE that you want to speak to a lawyer, she explained. The uncertainty surrounding the new policy has brought a wave of fear amongst undocumented immigrants and advocates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its worrisome. We want to be able to keep the people safe, said Pastor Jan Bolerjack. Bolerjack has helped hundreds of migrants seeking asylum for years at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila. She says ICE agents have come by the church during the previous Trump administration and has no problem complying with what needs to be done. There are no criminals here, so they dont need to even come here. I can say that these folks all have their appropriate papers and theyre fine, Bolerjack explained. She wants to make sure asylum seekers understand their constitutional rights. Theyre here legally until their trials. So theres no reason for them to be sent back until the trial decides, the court decides what to do, Bolerjack said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) urges migrants to know your rights if ICE visits you at: HOME You do not have to open the door . You do not have to open the door or let the officers into your home unless they have a valid search warrant signed by a judge. You have the right to remain silent . You do not need to speak to the immigration officers or answer any questions. You have the right to speak to a lawyer. If you are detained or taken into custody, you have the right to immediately contact a lawyer. WORK Do not panic and do not run away. If you are frightened and feel like you need to leave, you can calmly walk toward the exit. You have the right to remain silent . You do not need to speak to the immigration authorities or answer any questions. You have the right to speak to a lawyer. If you are detained or taken into custody, you have the right to immediately contact a lawyer. PUBLIC You have the right to remain silent . You do not need to speak to the immigration officers or answer any questions. You may refuse a search . If you are stopped for questioning but are not arrested, you do not have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings, but an officer may pat down your clothes if he or she suspects you have a weapon. You have the right to speak to a lawyer. If you are detained or taken into custody, you have the right to immediately contact a lawyer. American Express (Amex) has agreed to pay approximately $230m to settle allegations of using deceptive tactics for sales of credit card and wire transfer products. These practices were deemed misleading to small-business owners. The settlement was reached with federal prosecutors and the Federal Reserve. The issue at hand originated from Amex representatives promoting services such as the Premium Wire offering, which was pitched as a means to reduce taxes and accumulate credit-card points. Following the allegations, Amex ceased the Premium Wire service and associated sales tactics in 2021 and dismissed employees implicated in the misconduct. In response, American Express said: We cooperated extensively with these agencies and our regulators and took decisive voluntary action to address these issues, including discontinuing certain products several years ago, conducting a comprehensive internal review, taking appropriate disciplinary measures, making organisational changes, and enhancing policies, compliance, and training programmes. The financial penalty of $230m is split between two agreements, with $138m going to the Eastern District of New York and the Justice Department, while a portion is earmarked for the Federal Reserve. This latter agreement-in-principle is expected to be finalised in the upcoming weeks. Amex has indicated that the costs associated with these settlements were largely accounted for in previous financial periods and will not affect the company's financial guidance for 2024. US Justice Department Civil Division principal deputy assistant attorney general Brian Boynton said: When financial companies engage in deceptive sales tactics or falsify information to cover up a failure to follow applicable regulations, they threaten the integrity of our financial system. The settlement makes clear that the department will hold accountable those who violate the trust placed in them to follow the rules governing our financial institutions and to be truthful about their business practices. "American Express fined $230m over deceptive sales" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies shot and killed a man while responding to a report of domestic violence in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles Tuesday morning. A woman called for help at about 1:30 a.m., telling officials that her ex-boyfriend arrived at her home in the 1500 block of East 77th Place, threatened her and was armed with a gun, the LASD said in a news release. That man, who has not been identified, was located by deputies in the 7600 block of Compton Avenue. He tried to run, pulled out a handgun and opened fire at deputies, prompting them to return fire, the LASD said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man was struck at least one time and was declared dead at the scene. No deputies were hurt, and authorities said they found a gun at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org. 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 KTLA. The presses will stop humming in metro Detroit this summer as the printing facility on Mound Road that publishes Michigans largest newspapers closes. The shuttering of the Sterling Heights Operations Facility will shed 115 jobs and transfer the production of 32 newspapers to other facilities, Gannett Co., which owns the Detroit Free Press, announced Tuesday afternoon. The facility will print its last copies of the Detroit Free Press on Sunday, Aug. 3, for Monday delivery. The employee entrance to the Detroit newspapers' Sterling Heights Operations Facility (SHOF) in Sterling Heights in 2004. In early 2023, local media reported the sale of the sprawling printing plant which also publishes The Detroit News from Gannett to an Ohio developer. Gannett at the time said it had entered into a lease to continue printing newspapers at the plant. Tuesdays announcement stated that the lease is expiring and a new deal could not be reached. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where our newspaper is printed does not impact our ability to provide continued outstanding service to the community, the company said in a statement. As our business becomes increasingly digital, we are making strategic decisions to ensure the future of local journalism. The Detroit Free Press will continue to provide readers with quality, local journalism that matters most to them, and to connect our valued advertising partners with the customers they want to reach. The company thanked the employees at the printing facility who will feel the impact most. We deeply appreciate the many years of service our valued colleagues have dedicated to our Detroit facility and the local community, the statement said. The printing plant closure will not affect the newsrooms at the Free Press or the News, which operate under a Joint Operating Agreement that expires at the end of 2025. Gannett controls the agreement, which allows for separate newsrooms but combined business operations; the News has a separate owner. The newspapers have not announced whether the JOA will extend beyond 2025. The Detroit Free Press coming off the printing presses on Oct. 5, 2005, at the Sterling Heights Operations Facility (SHOF) in Sterling Heights. After the printing plant shuts down, the Free Press, the Detroit News and the other titles will be printed elsewhere in Michigan and in Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois, the company said. Beside the Detroit dailies and several Michigan papers, the Sterling Heights plant also prints USA TODAY, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sterling Heights Operation Facility opened in 1972. The site sits on 40 acres of land and is roughly 700,000 square feet in size. In 2004, Gannett invested $180 million installing six new state-of-the-art Manroland presses. The facility runs 250 press jobs on a weekly basis and prints Gannett newspapers that stretch from Sault Ste. Marie to Cincinnati, as well as commercial jobs such as the Oakland Press, Macomb Daily and the Toledo Blade. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Free Press' printing facility in Sterling Heights to close It's a strange thing to celebrate ending a year with 203 homicides. Each one represents immeasurable grief for another Detroit family affected by an act of violence that might have been prevented. But 203 homicides in 2024 also represents a startling level of measurable improvement that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. It's a 19% drop from the number of killings in 2023, and a 34% decline from 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Detroit reports major drop in homicides in 2024, hitting lowest rate since 1969 Stunning progress. There was a time when Detroit suffered more than 700 homicides in a single year. That was way back in 1974, when some 1.5 million people lived in the city, nearly 2.5 times our current population. In the 2000s, after Detroits population dropped below 1 million, the annual homicide count fluctuated between 300 and 400 in some years, more than one person killed every day. It was a haunting statistic, accompanied by unrelenting pain. There were near-nightly vigils for slain Detroiters. Makeshift memorials with spent candles, tattered teddy bears and empty liquor bottles were routine fixtures on roadsides all over the city. T-shirts memorialized lost loved ones on the backs of grieving relatives, and anti-violence rallies stole too many weekends from too many families who should have been enjoying Detroit summers. As the city shored up police resources after its 2013 municipal bankruptcy, the homicide count dipped below 300 until a COVID-era surge in violence seen across the country reversed those gains. Detroit police crime data released Jan. 3 shows the city saw 203 homicides last year, the fewest since 1965. But now, the momentum is with Detroiters who have been working and praying for decades for real relief from the carnage that long seemed endless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Out of necessity and common struggle, for many decades Detroit neighborhoods have been sustained by routinely gargantuan acts of care, vigilance and low-key heroism. An informal ecosystem of volunteer interventionists and amateur crisis negotiators have worked for years to minimize the harms that inevitably come from large-scale abandonment and neglect. They've worked to prevent acts of retaliation, desperation, destruction and self-sabotage when they see signs of impending eruptions of violence, to resolve or de-escalate conflicts in ways that avoid 911 calls and police involvement. Usually, they did it without compensation. Until the last couple of years, when six neighborhood groups got the funding and government buy-in they deserved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, a two-year, $10 million allocation of federal stimulus money began going to six neighborhood groups and over the course of a year, homicides and non-fatal shootings in the six areas fell by a whopping 45%. Soon, the federal the money will run out and the Michigan Legislature has failed to replenish the funds, not because of opposition, but procedural dysfunction. Lawmakers now must reintroduce the measures that can keep the life-saving resources flowing. How did it happen? The extraordinary drop in violent crime isnt unique to Detroit, said Jeff Asher, a New Orleans-based expert in criminal justice statistics who analyzes crime data in a weekly newsletter: The nation as a whole is seeing a historic decline in violence, with a 16% drop in homicides from 2023 to 2024 after a 13% decline the previous year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We probably had the largest decline ever recorded in 2024, after previously seeing the largest decline ever recorded in 2023," he said. "... I would expect that the degree of the decline would start to wane, but when youre dealing with sort of unprecedented trends, its hard to put a precedent on it, and use that precedent as a prediction." Asher said its just about impossible to pinpoint reasons for the decline criminologists still cant fully explain why crime rates fell in the 1990s. Mayor Mike Duggan, interim police Chief Todd Bettison and former U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison during an annual news conference in Detroit. Photo provided by the City of Detroit But on a hyperlocal level, eye-popping numbers in those six targeted Detroit neighborhoods seem to point hard in the direction of the groups vaunted, community-oriented violence prevention strategies. The push to get stimulus funds into the hands of community violence intervention groups came in 2022, as the department was trying win Detroit City Council approval of police technology initiatives including an expansion of Shotspotter, which detects gunfire via strategically placed microphones in targeted test neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Controversy gets louder over $8M expanded audio surveillance push in Detroit The technology is somewhat controversial as an unproven form of surveillance, but community violence intervention groups ultimately threw their support behind it, with an ambitious request in return. This is what they told me, said interim Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison. Weve advocated and supported you all to give police officers raises. Weve advocated and supported you with technology, with Shotspotter, but you need to support us, because after the shot is fired and the detection hears it, its too late. You need to have an element where we deter and prevent the shot from being fired in the first place, because were your real shot-stoppers. That would become the program's name: Shotstoppers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Detroit's community violence intervention program sees success The city invited community groups to design plans and apply for funding to work in six 3- to 5-square-mile areas of the city with high five-year rates of violent crime. Teferi Brent, a Detroit minister and activist who was involved in getting in community violence intervention groups and city officials on the same page, said it was a matter of putting resources in the hands of people who have the trust and on-the-ground experience to engage and redirect would-be shooters. The difference is now, folks are getting funding for it, and people who have been doing this work for free no longer have to make a decision between their livelihood and saving lives in the hood, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strategies include patrols, conflict mediation, mentoring, crime victim advocacy and emergency relocation. "It looks like grace and mercy and forgiveness," Brent said. The groups offer resources, training, mental health care and other forms of life-altering, face-to-face, proactive intervention in the lives of youths teetering on the edge of crisis. They actually understand and know the lifestyles of these young men and women, Bettison said. These community violence intervention groups know exactly where to find them, exactly how to communicate with them and how to inspire them to leave that life. When they realize that they do matter, and they start seeing themselves in the future, at that point, with hope, they stop acting reckless ... Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre hopeless and you dont see yourself in the future, youre very, very dangerous, because you dont care about yourself or anybody else. Youve just completely given up. And the young folks have a word for it crash out. You just dont care about nothing. At that point, youre a suicide dummy, and you dont care who you destroy as youre going out. City officials hoped to see 10% to 20% reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings in the six targeted zones, a figure that would show the new strategies were effective. A map provided by Detroit police shows the apparent impact of community violence intervention groups on homicide statistics in targeted areas of the city. In the latest quarterly figures, from Aug. 1, 2024 to Oct. 31, each group blew past those goals: In the area of 6 Mile Road and Schaefer Highway, where the group New Era Detroit operates, police recorded a 37% drop in homicides and nonfatal shootings. In the area of Plymouth and Southfield roads, where the group Detroit 300 operates, the decline was 47% during that period. In the Warrendale neighborhood, where the community violence intervention group is Force Detroit: 52%. In the Denby neighborhood , where the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency partners with the Denby Neighborhood Alliance and Camp Restore for community violence intervention: 61%. In the Peoples Community Zone, between 8 Mile Road, Curtis Avenue, Hubbell Avenue and Burt Road: 73%. And in the east-side zone that includes the Outer Drive-Hayes neighborhood, the group Detroit Friends and Family helped bring reduce homicides and nonfatal shootings 83%. The task at hand The money that would allow these groups, and others, to continue their proven intervention and prevention work was already set aside in the state budget last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the collapse of Michigans Legislature amid a chaotic and unproductive lame-duck session at the end of 2024 kept the funds from being released. Last years budget included $75 million to establish a Public Safety Trust Fund to support local police departments across the state, including community violence intervention efforts. Bettison said Detroit expected to get $18 million in funding, $6 million for community violence intervention groups, with the rest going to neighborhood police officers, officers focused on addressing homelessness and mental health specialists. House Bills 4605 and 4606, the legislation to establish the fund, which would be supported by a sliver of state sales taxes along with interest and earnings from the funds investments, passed the Michigan House in 2023 with broad bipartisan support. The Senate updated and passed the bills along party lines on Dec. 20, 2024, sending it back to the House after representatives had stopped working for the year. Despite support from police unions and a majority of lawmakers, political dysfunction killed the legislation, which will need to be reintroduced to give Michigans community violence intervention initiatives a shot at long-term support. "When you can prevent and minimize gun violence, it not only keeps citizens safe, it keeps police safe," Brent said. "It's good business to want to reduce gun violence." By not passing the bills, he said, "They potentially put lives at risk." He's right. And if theres ever been a time for Michigans lawmakers to, even momentarily, set aside partisan bickering and cut the damn check, this is it. Khalil AlHajal is deputy editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press. Contact: kalhajal@freepress.com. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it online and in print. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit program saw decline in murders. Lansing must fund it | Opinion Some Trump critics who tried to hold him accountable are reportedly worried about possible retribution after the president pardoned nearly 1,500 January 6th convicts hours after taking office. MSNBC's Alex Wagner reports from outside of a Washington D.C. jail where many of those prisoners will be released. Wagner also reveals her conversation with a prisoner's father. Gov. Maura Healey plans to close a state-operated public health hospital in Canton, her administration confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which first disclosed the planned closure Tuesday, said Healeys fiscal 2026 budget on Wednesday will call for shuttering the 60-bed Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. The hospital offers medical, rehabilitative, educational and recreational services for individuals with severe physical and cognitive disabilities and other conditions, the nurses union said. I think this is a redirecting of services and car, said Gov. Maura Healey at the State House Wednesday. I recognize thats a hard thing for those who are living in that facility. Its a hard thing for the workforce in that facility. Its a hard thing for the families in that facility. So, we dont make this proposal lightly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Healey administration said it intends to move Pappas programs to another public health hospital, the 87-bed Western Massachusetts Hospital (WMH) in Westfield. Officials say they plan to create a specialty unit for children at WMH, including a 25-bed dedicated pediatric care program. The Department of Public Health said Pappas currently has 36 patients, including more than half who are over age 18 and awaiting discharge to more appropriate settings. Some of the patients will end up at WMH, while others could be transferred to other facilities across the state to accommodate their specific level of need. Health officials said the relocation process will occur throughout the year, with the bulk of transitions scheduled for the fall. The plan will affect more than 225 Pappas employees, plus staff from other organizations and state agencies, DPH said. The planned closure follows a campus feasibility study last year, which found the current facilities in Canton are unable to accommodate the kind of technology and high-acuity care that many children with significant disabilities need, DPH said. Transitioning away from Canton will also help the state improve care for children with complex medical needs, officials argue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein called the decision necessary. We understand that this is a difficult step for many of the patients and families who have built strong connections with Pappas and staff, Goldstein said in a statement. We are committed to supporting them through this transition. Ultimately, this is about improving services and providing every child with the care they need. We will also work closely with our partners in labor to connect Pappas employees with new employment opportunities. The Massachusetts Nurses Association President Katie Murphy told Boston 25 that she only learned of the planned closure two days ago. This is absolutely a facility that provides so much, said Murphy. We should be setting the standard in Massachusetts, right? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy said the move would have negative effects for nurses and the hospitals patients. She explained, You know who youre going to be caring for. You know who your team is, and research has suggested that provides better outcomes. Jose and Elizabeth Riveras son is a patient at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. The Worcester couple said their son was shot in the neck and is paralyzed from the waste down. Were not sure hes getting the same treatment as Pappas, said Jose. He claims his son is already making massive improvements at the facility under the care of its staff. Hes even been given a wheelchair that can prop him up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jose added, The first time my wife had seen, that my wife and him both cried because he was able to hug in in the stand-up position. Elizabeth asked, This was a kid that didnt want to survive Hes happy, you know, and now he has to leave there? Healey said shell continue to work with groups potentially impacted in the weeks ahead. The MNA warned the Westfield hospital serves a predominantly adult population and offers few of the specialized amenities and services provided by Pappas. MNA noted the Pappas campus, which sits on more than 160 acres in Canton, has a junior-sized Olympic swimming pool, a pond for water-based sports, and a barn and equestrian track for rehabilitation services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The union said it represents 75 nurses and health professionals at Pappas. The biggest advantage of Pappas is in the full range of therapy, medical care and other services they receive across all settings, Michelle Sweeney, who directs Pappass physical therapy program, said in a statement shared by the MNA. At Western Mass Hospital, we expect they will receive, at most, one-on-one tutoring for education, while at Pappas, we are able to offer customized education in a classroom setting, and by integrating their therapy needs throughout the day. MNA said theres no guarantee that Pappas staff will be able to relocate to WMH and that it will be very difficult to find equally competent staff to maintain the quality of care. Pappas serves children and young adults, ages 7 to 22+, and helps patients achieve their optimal level of independence in all aspects of life, according to a state webpage. The hospital offers 24/7 nursing care, therapeutic services including speech and language therapies, transitional programming to help patients integrate into their communities, and an on-site Special Education in Institutional Settings program thats operated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for individuals under age 22. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patients admitted to Pappas must meet criteria such as having a need for ongoing medical intervention and care, difficulty with daily living activities, and perceptual impairment that affects their safety or reasonable functioning, according to the state webpage. Health officials say the new wing at WMH will include enhanced medical infrastructure to care for children with complex medical needs, assistive equipment, and play areas for patients to receive therapy and services. While transitions are never easy, this move will provide us with the resources and infrastructure to take care of the children who need us and have few other options, Pappas CEO Fatima Watt said in a statement. This move provides us with the resources and modern infrastructure to advance pediatric care in a more cohesive and specialized environment and to continue having a positive impact on the lives of children and families in Massachusetts. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW TEXARKANA, TX. (KTAL/KMSS) The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas has officially stepped down from his position as the chief federal law enforcement officer in that region. Damien M. Diggs resigned from his position at 11:59 p.m. on January 21. Diggs had announced his intention to resign from the position earlier in the month. Former President Joe Biden nominated Diggs in February of 2023, and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May of that year. I will forever be grateful to President Biden, Attorney General Garland, and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz for having confidence in me to serve our nation and the citizens of the Eastern District of Texas, said Diggs. This office and our committed local, state, and federal law enforcement partners go above and beyond daily to keep our communities safe, uphold the rule of law, and protect the civil rights of the citizenry. I count it a blessing to have assisted in these efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Attorney serving 42 Louisiana parishes announces resignation The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas oversees an office of nearly 100 employees, including 50 prosecutors, in six offices in Beaumont, Lufkin, Plano, Sherman, Texarkana, and Tyler. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana also formally stepped away from his position this week. Brandon Brown resigned on January 20 at 11:59 p.m. In his first 24 hours in office, President Donald Trump has appointed new leadership at U.S. attorney offices in New York and Washington, DC. No time-table has been shared publicly by the Department of Justice as to when new leadership will be appointed at the U.S. attorney offices in Eastern Texas and Western Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTALnews.com. One of President Donald Trumps first actions as he returned to the Oval Office on Monday was signing an executive order aimed at restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship of US citizens. The order bans federal officials from any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen and instructs the attorney general to investigate if the Biden administration engaged in efforts to censor Americans. Under the guise of combatting misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, the Federal Government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advanced the Governments preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate, the order states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right-wing media figures and some Republicans in Congress have for years decried what they claim are efforts by Democrats and technology platforms to censor their speech online, especially around the Covid-19 pandemic and elections. The Supreme Court ruled last year the US government can contact social media companies about mis- and disinformation swirling on their platforms, handing the Biden administration a major victory. While conservatives viewed Trumps order as the fulfillment of his promise to end government collusion with Big Tech platforms to censor their voices, some disinformation experts warned the move will only further the spread of false information on social media, which can become dangerous in times of crises. Nina Jankowicz, who briefly led the Biden administrations disinformation board and is now CEO of the American Sunlight Project, said Trumps order has canonized lies and conspiracy theories about those responding to disinformation, calling it a direct assault on reality that emboldens both foreign actors and disinformation profiteers. Disinformation is not a partisan issue; its a democracy issue, she said. Americas adversaries benefit when our country is internally divided and politically polarized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other experts pointed out that the order could have a chilling effect on relations between government agencies and tech platforms, potentially harming national security. The vast majority of tech-government contact is not around political speech but is around areas of national security and fighting financial fraud and child sexual abuse material, said John Wihbey, an associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University. While Wihbey said there are legitimate concerns about government jawboning, where the government uses pressure to silence speech, the important pipeline between tech companies and the Department of Justice/FBI and intel communities will be impeded by this order. Most of the experts pointed out that Trumps executive order may also be moot, since some of the biggest social media platforms have taken it upon themselves to eliminate professional fact checkers and drastically expand the type of language allowed on their services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta announced it would abandon its fact-checking program and loosen its hateful policy conduct to allow posts that call LGBTQ people mentally ill. The move came after Trump and other Republicans lambasted Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg for what they decried as censorship of right-wing views. Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, warned that Trumps executive order could be used by the administration to engage in its own form of censorship by directing the attorney general to investigate the last administrations actions. The order suggests that its goal is to rewrite history to suit its own agenda, and that it may itself become a vehicle for the new administration to engage in its own form of jawboning, he said. Theres an alternative version of this executive order that would have been a genuine victory for free speech, Abdo continued. That version of the order would have directed the government to look at the evidence of jawboning in its own possession and across multiple contexts, and to follow the evidence where it leads. Unfortunately, thats not what we got. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ending disinformation enforcement efforts could also lead to more abuse, said Alia Dastagir, a former USA Today reporter and author of a forthcoming book on women facing online harassment. (A)buse and harassment, which is often driven by disinformation, leads to less speech, to a collective silencing, she said. We cannot think of online abuse only as rape and death threats, but as the dissemination of lies that contribute to violence against some of the most vulnerable people in our society. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is set to report its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings for 2024 on Feb. 4. More importantly, it is the first full quarter for Scott Boatwright, who took over in August as interim CEO. Boatwright impressed the board to the point that it dropped the word "interim" from his job title in November, firmly installing him as the company's leader. Nonetheless, the question for investors is whether his leadership will bring prosperity to Chipotle in 2025, or whether investors need to lower expectations on this restaurant stock. The state of Chipotle Chipotle has become one of the more notable success stories in the restaurant industry. While it did not invent fast food, the company showed the market that it can make meals that are healthy and profitable. Its simple but effective approach has led to a footprint that now exceeds 3,600 locations (mainly in the U.S.) and continues to expand. Admittedly, the sudden departure of CEO Brian Niccol in August was an unwelcome surprise for shareholders. Niccol's reforms ended the periodic E. coli and other outbreaks that hurt the stock during the tenures of both Steve Ellis and Monty Moran. He also brought in innovations, including an online ordering system and the Chipotlane. However, the company's decision to elevate Boatwright likely represents a continuation of Niccol's legacy. Boatwright had served as COO since 2017 and had a hand in the changes that bolstered Chipotle's more recent successes. Additionally, it created a model that can succeed in non-metro areas, leading to a stated goal of 7,000 restaurants in North America. This means it can double its North American footprint before saturating the market. Furthermore, it supports a small but growing footprint in Europe and recently opened its first location in Kuwait. This is critical, because if it can succeed in international markets, it has the chance of achieving a size comparable to McDonald's or Starbucks. Ongoing challenges The problem with Chipotle's stock may be its success. Even amid Niccol's unexpected departure, the stock has risen nearly 30% over the last 12 months. Such performance indicates that Chipotle's management team has maintained the confidence of investors. But are investors too confident? Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio now stands at 54. Although Chipotle's P/E ratio has not often fallen below 50 in recent years, the numbers may point to some overvaluation. Its $8.5 billion in revenue in the first nine months of 2024 rose 15% compared to the same period in 2023. While that sounds impressive, investors should also remember that Chipotle grew the number of restaurants by 9% over the same period. The 2024 Reef Report Card continues to show coral reef devastation, but the most recent report, which could incentivize action to protect them, offers some hope. According to Mongabay, the latest Mesoamerican Reef Report Card shows that "the health of some reef sites improved for the first time in five years, with sites in 'fair' and 'good' condition having risen from 20-28% and 5-9% since 2022, respectively." The health improvement corresponds with the "increase in herbivorous fish populations." These populations could grow because of enforced fishing regulations that allowed species such as the parrotfish to "increase their biomass by 30% since 2022." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the things parrotfish eat is algae, which can suffocate reefs. By increasing their numbers, parrotfish were able to reduce some of the algae. However, it's not all good news. Since 90% of parrotfish are still under a foot long and rare, protecting them is still crucial. While this is a positive step in protecting reefs, the overall report card was still abysmal 39% of the reef is in "poor" condition, while 23% is in "critical" condition. Coverage of the coral reef also "declined from 19% as of the 2022 report card to 17%, not counting mortality that occurred after the survey ended," per Mongabay. Much of the decline was due to bleaching, which happens when water temperatures increase. In 2024, the reef also experienced its worst bleaching, with 40% of it affected. "It felt like floating over an endless graveyard," said Paolo Guardiola, a biologist and Coral Reef Alliance dive instructor who assisted with the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mesoamerican Reef stretches 620 miles across Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico and is crucial for local communities. Almost two million people depend on it for their livelihoods. It's home to 60 types of coral, more than 500 fish species, endangered sea turtles, and "the world's largest congregation of whale sharks." Reefs also attract millions of tourists every year. According to the UN Environment Programme, this industry is worth a billion dollars, and healthy reefs would make it even more lucrative. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and flooding. This is crucial for protecting communities against loss of life and property damage. The Mesoamerican Reef isn't the only coral reef that has improved recently. Cabo Pulmo, near Baja California, Mexico, has rebounded recently due to local and conservationist efforts. Although it was overfished in the 1980s, fishing restrictions allowed it to be revitalized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the future, conservationists hope the report will inspire action. You can help by donating to climate causes that are doing this crucial work. 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. A view of George Washington High School in Denver, March 25, 2024. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. As reports spread Tuesday that schools are no longer off-limits for immigration enforcement action, school leaders in the Denver metro area had just shared plans for how to respond if immigration agents show up at schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DSST, the local charter school network with schools in Denver and Aurora, shared its plan with families last week. Over the last several weeks, the Denver and Aurora school districts have been sharing information with and training staff on how to respond. Were trying to create an inclusive community, said Danielle Felder, chief external affairs officer for the DSST network. We wanted to offer as much reassurance as we can. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The districts and charter networks protocols for what to do are similar. Building leaders are to gather information from agents including asking for a warrant before calling the districts legal or security teams, or both. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aurora and Denvers plans suggest that ICE should wait outside the school. Or, if it appears the officer is being cooperative, you can ask them to wait in an appropriate area of the front office, Auroras guidance states. If ICE has a valid judicial warrant, DSSTs plan states that the school hallways will be cleared and the building will be placed on hold, meaning everyone will stay in classrooms until ICE has left the building. Parents of any affected students will be contacted immediately. We will not encourage mixed status families or undocumented relatives to come to the school or otherwise interfere, the plan says. DSSTs and Denvers plans remind staff that parents should be encouraged to update their emergency contact information and suggest that emergency contacts include one person who is not an immediate family member. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school communications to staff and families include resource lists and links to other community organizations, including Know your rights booklets and information on how to create a family preparedness plan. The communications to school leaders from Denver, Aurora, and DSST reiterate that schools cannot and should not be asking about a student or familys immigration status. Aurora asks staff not to make guesses about which families need resources, either. Denvers communication also asks schools to encourage families to opt out of the schools directory by filling out a form. According to the DPS statement, government agencies can ask for a schools directory without a warrant or other legal justification. Felder said that DSST also wanted its plan to reassure its staff, which includes Dreamers and people in the country on visas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike during the first Trump administration, Felder said school leaders feel more prepared this time. After Trump took office in 2017, the Aurora school board voted on a resolution that May. Community organizations worked with parents and students to write it and asked the board to adopt it. That resolution included a request that the district translate a February 2017 memo that outlined how to respond if ICE agents showed up at a school or requested information. The current memo dated Dec. 5, 2024 is an updated version of the 2017 guidance. The 2017 resolution also asked the district to ensure there is a protocol for supporting students if a parent or caregiver does not show up to pick them up from school for whatever reason and calls on the district to make sure that family contact information is updated every year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution was meant as a declaration of support for the diverse community in Aurora. In the current school year, more than 86% of Aurora district students identify as students of color, up from 82% cited in the 2017 resolution, and the district serves more than 40% students learning English as a new language, up from 36% in 2017. Aurora has been cited as a possible target for early immigration enforcement because of national media attention on crime tied to Venezuelan gang members. This year, the Aurora school board has been silent. Neither the Denver or Aurora school board has voted on any new resolutions in support of immigrant students or other marginalized students who may have concerns about policy changes during the new presidential administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A session at the Colorado Association of School Boards last month prompted school leaders to also think about how they may prepare to serve students and families if a large immigration raid is conducted in the community. Schools have shared little about plans for those scenarios. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A medical expert, who testified Tuesday in the murder trial of Natalie Cochran, stated that for a blood glucose level to register at 21 in a healthy, nondiabetic male with no other conditions, the likely conclusion is that the person received one or more high-dose insulin injections. Prosecutors in Raleigh County used the assertion to support their claim that Natalie killed her 38-year-old husband, Michael, in Feb. 2019 by injecting him with insulin as Michael's blood sugar was 21 when he arrived at a hospital in Raleigh County five days before his death. Dr. Diane Krieger, an endocrinologist based in Miami, Fla., testified Tuesday in Raleigh County Circuit Court that not only did Michael have low blood sugar, but he also had low potassium levels around the time of his death, which further supports the prosecution's insulin theory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A healthy person who receives insulin, certainly at a significant amount, will have a low blood sugar reaction because their own pancreas makes enough insulin that they don't need it, and it will drive the sugar down," Krieger said. While she could not say how much insulin would be needed to drive Michael's blood sugar down to 21, Krieger said it was likely a "fair amount." Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman also asked Krieger if a blood sugar of 21 would be the "expected result" if Michael were given insulin that day, to which Krieger responded, "Yes." According to text messages sent by Natalie to several friends on Feb. 6, 2019, it was around noon when Michael passed out in his home in Daniels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecution has alleged that Natalie injected Michael with insulin not long before Michael lost consciousness as the insulin that was allegedly used, Humalog insulin, takes about 15 minutes to take effect. Natalie's defense attorney, Stanley Seldon, claimed that even if Natalie injected Michael with insulin around noon on Feb. 6, 2019, by the time he was taken to the hospital eight hours later, the effects of the drug would have worn off. At least half a dozen people were in and out of the Cochran home after Michael passed out, but no one has testified to witnessing Natalie inject Michael with anything. Seldon also stated that in the hours following Michael's admission to the hospital, his blood sugar was going up and reaching a normal range. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citing Michael's medical records, Seldon said Michael's blood sugar was 21 at 8:20 p.m. Feb 6, 2019. Just after midnight on Feb. 7, 2019, Seldon said Michael's blood sugar was 63. Then, at 1:55 a.m., it was 80; at 2:17 a.m., it was 187; at 5:13 a.m., it was 44 and then at 6:22 a.m., it was 95. Krieger said the result of the 5:13 a.m. test was likely an outlier. Seldon said Michael underwent additional blood sugar tests after 6:22 a.m., but he did not state those results. Prompted by Seldon's questioning, Krieger said the Humalog insulin, assuming that Michael only received one injection though at an unknown volume, would no longer be active in Michael's body by the time he was tested at 1:55 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Krieger only made the assertion after being backed into a corner by Seldon's questioning. Prior to this, Krieger said the amount of time the Humalog insulin would remain in the body would depend on the amount given as well as the number of doses administered, which she believed to be more than one. Seldon then forced Krieger to admit that she could not definitely claim that the only possible explanation for Michael's low blood sugar was an injection of insulin. However, Krieger said that "it's the only credible explanation since none of the other explanations work." "I didn't ask you if it was credible," Seldon said. "I said you cannot say it's the one and only. You're only stating it's a strong possibility, correct?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes, Krieger replied. When being questioned by the prosecution, Krieger went into great detail as to why she had drawn her conclusion that Michael was injected with a high dose of insulin prior to his death. Krieger asserted that the only logical explanation for Michael's cause of death, which was hyperglycemia, or low blood sugar, that caused cerebral edema, or swelling in the brain, was the introduction of high doses of insulin. Krieger said she even thought through several other theories, but none of them could explain the condition that caused Michael's death. Those theories included: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael being on medication for diabetes, but he wasn't as he was not diabetic; End-stage liver failure, which Michael did not have; End-stage kidney failure, which Michael did not have; A severe systemic infection that had spread through the bloodstream, but there was no evidence of that; Severe malnutrition, which was not the case; Excess alcohol consumption after fasting over a long period of time, which was not the case; An effect of other medication Michael was taking, but none of Michael's known or assumed medications had the side effect of extremely low blood pressure; End-stage cancer, which Michael did not have; Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Or a tumor on the pancreas, which is rare and easily treatable, but which Michael did not have. Krieger said another of Michael's symptoms, which no other diagnosis but an insulin injection fit, was low potassium levels. Krieger said low potassium levels could be caused by severe diarrhea, "copious" amount of vomiting, a diarrhetic, an increase of cortisol production due to a tumor or a high dose of insulin. There is no evidence that Michael suffered from any of the causes of low potassium provided by Krieger except for potentially receiving high doses of insulin. Krieger also stated that, while Michael's blood sugar did eventually go up while being treated at the hospital, the damage to his brain as a result of the low blood sugar, which caused brain swelling, had already been done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite Krieger's assumption of Michael's cause of death, attorneys with the Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney's Office still have to prove their theory that Natalie administered this deadly dose of insulin, which is no easy task. Prosecutors have claimed they can prove this despite having no direct evidence such as DNA, fingerprints or videos. One piece of circumstantial evidence that has been used to assert that Natalie injected Michael with insulin, thus killing him, is a vial of Humalog insulin that was seized from the Cochran residence in June 2019. At the time Cochran's home was searched, she was being investigated for operating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Cochran later pleaded guilty to crimes associated with the Ponzi scheme and was sentenced in 2021 to 11 years in federal prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors have stated that Michael was not involved in the Ponzi scheme and that Natalie's motive for killing Michael was to prevent him from learning about it. Jennifer Davis, a friend of the Cochran family, testified last week that she dropped off a vial of Humalog insulin at the Cochran home on Feb. 6, 2019, at the request of Natalie to treat Natalie's chemotherapy symptoms. On Tuesday, Earl Gliem, a forensic examiner with the FBI lab in Quantico, Va., testified that the vial of insulin seized from the Cochran home contained a puncture mark on the gray rubber-like material at the top of the vial. Humalog insulin, in this state, is meant to be injected and is drawn out of the vial using a syringe. To do this, the needle on the syringe needs to puncture the gray rubber-like top on the vial to access the liquid inside. Despite a puncture mark on the vial, Selden asserted that there was no way to determine when the puncture mark was made or by whom. Gliem agreed with Selden's statement. Selden also asked if there were fingerprints on the insulin vial. Gliem said that was not among the tests he was asked to conduct, nor would that be in his area of expertise. A witness, also from the FBI lab in Virginia, testified on Friday to the contents of the insulin vial but said he was not asked to test the volume of the vial. According to the label, the insulin vial was supposed to contain 10 milliliters, but it appears the prosecution does not have a witness who can state whether the vial seized contained all 10 milliliters or something less. Natalie's trial will continue at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Raleigh County Circuit Court. DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Dead dogs and a dead cat were found in an abandoned home in Dauphin County, and State Police say the owner is facing charges. Months ago, Tyler Brown, 33, of Millersburg, allegedly left a husky and German Shepherd dog, and a calico cat at a residence located in the 3000 block of State Route 209 in Washington Township, State Police at Lykens said in the charges filed Saturday. The residence was found to be abandoned when a Dauphin County Sheriff showed up on Jan. 14 to serve an eviction notice to Brown but found he was no longer living there, a worker for a realtor company selling the property reported to State Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The neighbors told Troopers Brown hasnt been seen within the last two months and no one has been seen going into the home. Brown was last seen letting the dogs out, and a month ago the dogs were heard howling. Franklin County man allegedly kidnaps, threatens woman with knife After getting in through a rear basement door, Troopers said there were clothes, trash bags full of garbage, empty alcohol cans, and more than 50 frozen piles of feces on the floor. The dogs were found frozen stiff with their eyes sunken into their skulls and their stomachs sunken in with bones visible through the fur, according to the charges. State Police said they found the cat underneath a dresser in what looked like a childs room upstairs in the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was noted by Troopers that Brown had a picture of him on social media with the dogs, which appeared healthy, in 2022, indicating he was the dogs owner. The house had no source of heat, no accessible water and bags of food were torn through and scattered all over the floors, Troopers said. Brown faces three felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and three misdemeanor charges of neglect of animals. In a separate case, Brown is accused of stealing $14,750 from a homeowner after he agreed to do remodeling work in June but never started as of November, according to State Police. Brown later agreed to reimburse the alleged victim $5,000 and pay the rest later, however, it was reported in December that Brown still had not paid any money back. Troopers tried to contact him but couldnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Brown faces a felony charge of theft in this incident. He is out on unsecured bail set at $20,000 by Magisterial District Judge Rebecca Jo Margerum. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5 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 ABC27. A rainbow over the south rim of Black Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Montrose County. (NPS/Public domain America is exceptional in many regards. One of the most notable of our ideals encompasses 640 million acres: our system of public lands and waters, equally owned by every citizen. We the people own these mountains and forests, rivers, and plains. Nothing could be more American, former Backcountry Hunters & Anglers North American Board Chair Ryan Busse said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the words of Hal Herring, host of BHAs Podcast & Blast, The future of the American public lands is as important to our nation as the Bill of Rights or the Constitution itself. Hence, Americas public lands are not something to be sold off for a quick buck, as some propose. They are, in the words of writer and novelist Wallace Stegner, The best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX People have been trying to steal our great public lands estate since Theodore Roosevelt (and others) set it aside. However, those efforts have shifted into high gear recently. In a Dec. 26 Wall Street Journal op-ed advocating for selling off public lands, a Hoover Institution senior fellow said, The idea of selling huge amounts of government-owned land is not new The prospect of largescale land sales was considered during the Reagan administration, but the political opposition was too strong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amount of land owned by the National Park Service alone is larger than Italy, the senior fellow added, and then went on to list the holdings (disposable, in his misguided opinion) of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. He concluded by restating his myopic intent: The federal government owns a little more than one-fourth of the total land area of the United States. The time is long overdue to consider whether that is the best economic arrangement. Not surprisingly, he conveniently overlooked the priceless economic (and many other) benefits of public lands and outdoor recreation. For example, the outdoor recreation industry is a growing economic force in Colorado and generated $13.9 billion for the state in 2022, supporting nearly 130,000 workers who earned $6.9 billion. The outdoor recreation industry is now valued at $1.2 trillion nationwide, accounting for 2.3% of the U.S. economy and 5 million jobs. The 3.6% year-over-year growth exceeded the U.S. economy as a whole, which grew at 2.9% in 2023. In a November blog post BHA President and CEO Patrick Berry explained that throughout our history land barons and developers have endeavored to swipe public lands right out from underneath us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now these long-time swindlers have a growing roster of accomplices in the form of politicians who have zero shame cutting Americans out of our own public lands legacy, he wrote. As I wrote in a 2002 Whitetales story (Hunting, Wilderness & Democracy), I believe that wilderness and liberty are one in the same. I dont think you can tear the two apart without losing both, for American liberty and our American wilderness have always been intertwined. They are the oldest, most deeply ingrained elements of the American experience. This is a lose-lose situation for states and all Americans for which these lands are held in the public trust, said Joel Webster, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership chief conservation officer. There have been several efforts over the past four decades to sell or transfer federal lands. None have been successful, and all have been unpopular. States simply do not have the resources to manage the vast acres that make up federal lands. I can say that public lands belong in public hands, and that they are one of the countrys great equalizers, former Bureau of Land Management director Tracy Stone-Manning said. It doesnt matter the size of your checkbook, you have equal access to them. We need to hold on to that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the 2021 BHA North American Rendezvous at Fort Missoula, in Montana, one of the highlights was Herring. He inspired and reminded us, via a cautionary tale, about what weve gained and could very well lose without the vigilance of public landowners/patriots across the country and continent. Edward Abbey, the godfather of environmental activism, was quoted in a September 2024 TED talk saying, Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul. Although we are on the cusp of some potentially epic, if not desperate, public lands battles, we run toward challenges, not away from them. We dont back down, we double down! Its now or never. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE President Donald Trump was quick to resume his most cherished White House pastime: late-night grievance-posting on social media. His first target after the glitz and excitement of Inauguration Day: the so-called Bishop who asked him to have mercy on immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. During a Tuesday interfaith service at Washington National Cathedral, the Episcopal bishop Right Rev. Mariann Budde directly addressed Trumpwho was sitting among the congregation with Vice President JD Vance and their familiesand asked him to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the service, Trump told reporters he didnt think the service was good and that, They could do much better. Later, at about 1 a.m., he took to his social media platform Truth Social to call Budde a Radical left hard line Trump hater. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart, the president complained. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors...may I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away." pic.twitter.com/iXaHJrPsof CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2025 Buddewho speaks with the type of calm, steadying voice typically found on meditation appsfailed to mention the large number of illegal immigrations that came into our Country and killed people or the giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA, Trump added. In fact, violent crime has plummeted over the past three years, according to ABC News, and research shows undocumented immigrants commit far fewer crimes than people born in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, Trump complained about Budde bringing her church into politics in a very ungracious way, and declared the service very boring and uninspiring. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde (L) arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. / Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images She and her church owe the public an apology! he wrote. Trump was confirmed at a Presbyterian church in his childhood but has described himself as a non-denominational Christian in recent years. Budde is an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation, according to a biography on the Episcopal Diocese of Washington website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Appearing on CNN after the service, Budde said she had decided to appeal directly to Trump because the president feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do, and she wanted to remind him theres room for a broader compassion. Apparently, though, the message failed to land. The president did show restraint in at least one respect, though. In a departure from his typical rants about nasty women, his latest Truth Social post didnt contain a single instance of all-caps. Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform in the middle of the night Tuesday, early Wednesday to rant about a pastor who called him out during her sermon at a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, while the president was in attendance. The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, asked Trump to have mercy on those scared about his return to the White House and the effect his policies may have on them, such as LGBTQ children and undocumented immigrants. Watch Buddes speech here: Trump, though, flipped out on social media, ripping Budde as a so-called Bishop who was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way, Trump fumed. She was nasty in tone and not compelling or smart. Trump then peddled his usual anti-immigrant rhetoric, adding: She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. The returning presidents oft-touted claim that foreign jails are being emptied and that the freed prisoners are being sent to the U.S. remains unproven. Trump concluded: Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who promised that free speech would now return to America, had earlier told a pool reporter of the sermon, Not too exciting, was it? Read Trumps full rant here: Truth Social Related... CNNs senior data reporter Harry Enten named the executive order that Donald Trump has signed this week that may lead to his honeymoon period as president already being over. Trump on his first day back in office Monday ordered the end of birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. Democratic-led states are already legally challenging the move. Birthright citizenship is enshrined under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Trump, by pushing policies like this, is just trying to eliminate his honeymoon period completely, Enten suggested on Tuesdays Newsroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is just not a popular policy, he noted. Drilling down into polling figures, Enten said ending birthright citizenship currently had 35% support versus 53% opposition. Ive looked at multiple polls, looked at the question asked multiple different ways, he continued. If anything, this undersells the opposition by a little bit. Simply put, this is not a popular policy, he added. And if Donald Trump pushes policies like this, his honeymoon period will squeeze and be even shorter than it was back in 2017. Support for ending birthright citizenship has for years hovered between 30 to 35% in polls, Enten said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You dont really see consistency like this across many poll questions but you see it here, he said. Consistently, the percentage of Americans who support ending birthright citizenship is only about a third of the country, and it, simply put, has not moved no matter which politicians get in. A large chunk of Trumps GOP base abandons him on the issue, he added. Trump would be much better off focusing on lowering taxes and cracking down on immigrants who are here illegally and have committed crimes, the journalist concluded. That is a much more popular policy. Support ending birthright citizenship, simply put, is not popular. Related... US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would be supportive of the world's richest man and his close aide, Elon Musk, buying TikTok "if he wanted to". Trump was asked if he would be open to the billionaire founder of Tesla buying the short-video platform facing a nationwide ban in the US after the Supreme Court last week upheld a law requiring TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent ByteDance. "If he wanted to," he responded, adding: "I have the right to make a deal." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Trump said he had met with the "big owners" of TikTok, describing the app as "worthless" without his approval. "So what I'm thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it and give half to the United States of America, half, and we'll give you the permit," the president explained, calling his plan "reasonable". "And they'll have something that's actually more valuable because they have the ultimate partner and the United States will make it very worthwhile for them in terms of the permits and everything else," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While concluding his remarks on TikTok, Trump turned to Larry Ellison, Oracle's chief technology officer and co-founder of the American computer tech giant, who stood next to him, and asked for his opinion on the deal. Trump, pointing at Ellison, said, "He can afford it too." On Monday, Trump signed an executive order to extend TikTok's deadline to convince the US government that it is not a national security threat and find an American investor by 75 days. After signing the order, the president quipped: "I tell you what. Every rich person has called me about TikTok". He later suggested that he could impose hefty tariffs on China if Beijing didn't approve a deal to his liking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent days, interest in TikTok's purchase has risen. On Sunday, a consortium of American investors led by tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley and featuring a top TikTok creator, Mr Beast, announced their bid for the platform. Earlier this month, billionaire Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, along with 'Shark Tank' investor Kevin O'Leary put forth their own formal offer to acquire TikTok. O'Leary met with Trump at the president's Florida residence Mar-a-Lago to discuss the proposal. He has reportedly offered US$20 billion cash for the embattled platform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Chinese officials were considering whether to allow a possible sale to Musk, who has deep business ties in China. The report also mentioned that a 50-50 partnership with Musk was under discussion. Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade for US President Donald Trump inside Capitol One Arena in Washington, on Monday. Photo: AFP alt=Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade for US President Donald Trump inside Capitol One Arena in Washington, on Monday. Photo: AFP> Musk has neither publicly commented on the report nor divulged his intentions about possibly buying the app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sunday, Musk posted on social media that it was "unbalanced" for TikTok to operate in the US while X, which he owns, was banned in China. "I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time because it goes against freedom of speech," he added. TikTok has described speculation that Musk is considering buying TikTok as "pure fiction". Boasting some 170 million users in the US, TikTok went dark stateside for a few hours on Sunday when the law took effect. But the company restored its services after Trump promised to give it more time to negotiate its future. The company in a statement on Sunday said that it would work with Trump "on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to "save" TikTok, in stark contrast to his position during his first term. In 2020, Trump raised the idea of banning TikTok if ByteDance did not sell it and issued an executive order to that effect. The order was thrown out by a federal district court. But he reversed his opposition last year after meeting Jeff Yass, a billionaire Republican Party donor who is a top investor in ByteDance. 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 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. GREENSBORO, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) President Donald Trump will visit western North Carolina in one of his first trips of his second term on Friday. Governor Josh Stein confirmed the presidents trip during his winter weather briefing Tuesday afternoon. He called it very good news. The president sworn in Monday will visit the region ravaged by Helene in September. Western North Carolina was mentioned during the inaugural address as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trumps Jan. 6 pardons draw criticism from NC Senator Thom Tillis Our country can no longer deliver basic services and times of emergency as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina, been treated so badly, Trump said. And other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago. Trump last visited WNC in October when he was still running for office. He delivered remarks in Swannanoa. Where and when he will visit on Fridays are still unknown. 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 Queen City News. In his first week back at the White House, President Donald Trump repeated his baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him. During a news conference following his announcement of a $500 billion investment in infrastructure connected to AI, Trump weighed in on whether he plans to place additional sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refuses to enter into a negotiation over the future of the war in Ukraine. Sounds likely, Trump said without elaborating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Trump had campaigned on ending the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, he has since walked back that pledge. Trump told reporters that the war should have never started, putting the blame on former President Joe Biden. If you had a competent president, which you didnt, the war wouldntve happened, he said. The war in Ukraine wouldve never happened if I were president. But that couldnt happen because the election was rigged, he added. Trump: "The war in Ukraine would've never happened if I were president. But that couldn't happen because the election was rigged." pic.twitter.com/QC00IG4F4R Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025 Over four years later, Trump has yet to accept his defeat in the 2020 race. He has continued to push baseless claims of widespread fraud in that vote despite no proof to support his assertions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was prosecuted over his efforts to undo Bidens 2020 win in a case led by special counsel Jack Smith. Smith moved to dismiss that case, citing a Justice Department policy that prohibits investigating sitting presidents. Smith, who also winded down his other case against the president involving his alleged mishandling of classified documents, resigned from his role ahead of Trumps inauguration. In his final report in the Jan. 6 case, Smith said he and his team believed that they would have prevailed at trial. Indeed, but for Mr. Trumps election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial, the report states. Trump was also indicted over his efforts to undo the 2020 election result in Georgia, but the future of that case is in doubt after the states Court of Appeals removed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case. Willis has appealed the ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As one of his first actions as president, Trump chose to pardon about 1,500 of his supporters who were charged over their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and commute the sentences of several others. Related... On his first day in office, Donald Trump wasted no time taking action and signing numerous executive orders, many of which directly affect Los Angeles and California. The returning president's moves on Monday concerned a variety of issues, from the border and U.S. citizenship to the environment. Related: Exclusive: The FBI Manhunt for America's Most Wanted Eco-Terrorist Reignites With Arrest of Fake Firefighters in Palisades Immigration was clearly top of mind yesterday with executive orders promising mass deportations and declaring a national emergency at the Mexico border. President Trump also vows to deploy troops to the region, including the National Guard, and instructs the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to construct additional border barriers. Homeland Security is directed to terminate "all categorical parole programs that are contrary to the policies of the United States," which includes refugees fleeing Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Reinstating his Remain in Mexico" policy, Trump has also ended a program to release asylum seekers into the U.S. while their cases are considered. Effective yesterday, the CBP One app, which previously allowed undocumented people to submit advance information and schedule appointments at border ports of entry is now no longer available. All existing appointments have been cancelled and officials are now directed to "repeal, repatriate, or remove any alien engaged in the invasion" of the southern border. Related: Convicted Arsonist Busted Driving Fake Firetruck Into Palisades Fire Evacuation Site One of Trump's most controversial moves was to end birthright citizenship to Americans whose parents are undocumented immigrants. Though protected by the U.S. Constitution, he's ordered agencies not to recognize babies and potentially adults as citizens if their mothers were "unlawfully present" at the time of birth and their father was not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Legal experts say that this one in particular, will be need to be fought in the courts. At press time, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging Trump and the order as unconstitutional. Under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all children born on U.S. soil are automatically granted U.S. citizenship and the rights and privileges that come with it," his statement on oag.ca.gov reads. The lawsuit states that 18 state attorneys general led by California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts will fight President Trumps unprecedented executive order, which violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and should be immediately blocked from going into effect while litigation proceeds. Related: L.A. Fire Watch: Latest Updates as Extreme Weather Fuels Wildfire Risks Bonta stated in today's press conference that he is "deeply disappointed" in Trump's order "but not at all surprised." Immigration isn't the only issue where California and the Trump administration differ. In addition to a women's right to choose, inclusivity programs, and LGBTQ+ rights, to name a few, the environment and how to save it has been a point of contention between the president and Gov. Gavin Newsom, especially after the recent wildfires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Trump's orders and directives, signed on Monday, also include the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, a cease on offshore wind leasing, and his "drill baby drill" directive to expand oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. From name-calling social media posts and mistruths in his inauguration speech, which referred to the Los Angeles County wildfires as burning without a token of defense, plus charges of voter fraud in this state during his post-inaugural remarks, Trump has made his feelings about California more than evident. And while Newsom has been consistent and defiant in his responses relating to the environment, countering inaccurate statements with factual information on social media and in interviews, he also continues to share that he stands ready to work" with the president when he pays an upcoming visit to L.A., which is expected sometime this week. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazines The Daily Brief below or click here. BOARDMAN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) Donna Lee Fleming, 82, of Boardman, passed away on Sunday afternoon, January 19, 2025. She was born June 21, 1942 in Canonsburg Pennsylvania, the daughter of Steve, Sr. and Blanche Mary (Pankiewicz) Smith. Find obituaries from your high school Donna graduated from Canon-McMillan High School and moved to the Youngstown area in the early 1970s. Donna was employed as a cook for various restaurants throughout the Mahoning Valley until the early 1990s and then she worked as a babysitter besides being a proud homemaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was a true matriarch for her family, always making them her top priority and looked forward to spending time with them. She loved to cook and bake for her sons, and they will miss all her wonderful dishes and pastries. She was a huge animal lover especially for her beloved dogs. She also was one of the biggest and devoted fans, rooting for her favorite teams the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Ohio State Buckeyes. Donna was a member of St. Charles Church. Donna leaves behind to hold onto to her memories two sons, Frederick Fleming III and Brian Fleming; her two sisters, Joyce Arent and Rose Federoff; a sister-in-law, Mary Smith and her beloved dog, Bella, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Besides her parents, Donna was preceded in death by a son, Ronald Ron Fleming and her brother, Steve Smith, Jr. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family and friends may pay their respects on Friday, January 24, 2025 from 10:00 10:50 a.m. in the chapel of St. Catherine of Siena Parish-St. Charles Borromeo Church, 7345 Westview Drive, Boardman, where a Funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. with the Rev. Brian Cline as celebrant. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Boardman. Arrangements have been entrusted to the professional care of the Ross & Santucci Funeral Home, 4221 Market Street, Boardman. Family and friends may visit www.rossisantuccifh.com to send condolences to Donnas family. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donna Lee (Smith) Fleming, please visit our floral store. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WKBN.com. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. It was a simple, sunny afternoon on Canadas Prince Edward Island as Joe Velaidum and his partner, Laura Kelly, set off to walk their dog. Noticing a stray leash lying in the yard, Velaidum briefly stopped to pick it up before setting off on a quick walk. Minutes later, a meteorite pummeled the walkway exactly where Velaidum had been standing and a Ring doorbell camera captured the entire incident on video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I never stop on that spot ever, Velaidum told CNN about the incident, which occurred in July 2024. And looking back on it now, we noticed, because of the video, if I had stayed on that very spot for just two minutes longer, I absolutely would have been struck and probably killed by this meteor. Months later, after undergoing lab analysis that confirmed it was, in fact, a rock that had plummeted from space, the object has been officially cataloged in a database kept by the nonprofit Meteoritical Society. The specimen named Charlottetown after the nearby city stands out because of its accompanying video, which the University of Alberta released last week. While the doorbell footage showing its arrival is not the first caught on video, its remarkable because the incident was captured at very close range and with recorded sound, according to Dr. Chris Herd, a professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at the University of Alberta in Canada. The Charlottetown Meteorite sure announced its arrival in a spectacular way, Herd, who collected the specimen and curates the University of Albertas meteorite collection, told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No other meteorite fall has been documented like this, complete with sound, he said. A rare find Even in Herds line of work, incidents like the meteorite strike in Prince Edward Island Canadas smallest province that lies just north of Nova Scotia almost never come up. The University of Albertas online meteorite reporting system receives about 10 submissions a week. But .1% or less of inquiries that come in actually turn out to be meteorites, Herd said. Velaidum, a university professor himself, did not readily accept the possibility that the object that struck his front yard was extraterrestrial in origin. More likely, he guessed, it fell from an aircraft or off the roof. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rational part of my brain just said, No, this has got to be something much more mundane than a meteorite, right? Velaidum said. Initially, he said, the couple began to sweep the detritus off the sidewalk. It was Kellys father, who lives nearby, who prompted the couple to dredge up some samples for further inspection. Using a vacuum and magnet which can attract the metals found in meteorites they scraped together a 95-gram (3-ounce) sample. A sample of the "Charlottetown" meteorite is pictured in the laboratory at the Unviersity of Alberta. Dr. Chris Herd, a professor at the university, analyzed the microscopic structure of the specimen to verify its authenticity. - Chris Herd When a quick online search turned up the University of Albertas meteorite collection, the couple reached out, sending along some photos. Herd said he knew instantly that they had a bona fide space rock. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have the expertise that Ive looked at hundreds, if not thousands of these types of photos, Herd said, noting that meteorites are coated with a black shell that forms when space rocks react with Earths thick atmosphere while traveling more than 45,000 miles (72,420 kilometers) per hour. What makes the occurrence more special, Herd said, is the fact that a camera captured the moment of impact a stunning observation not just because it confirms the meteorites arrival, but also because the footage can benefit science. We are working on analyzing the video to see if we can say more about the meteorites fall including speed, Herd said. We might be able to analyze the sound, for example, to say something about the physical properties of the rock. A special specimen Herd and Velaidum also pointed out a string of bizarre coincidences associated with the meteorites arrival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First and perhaps most sobering, Velaidum would have been struck by the object if it had arrived just a few minutes earlier. It was the first confirmed meteorite strike in the history of the 2,200 square-mile (5,700 square-kilometer) Prince Edward Island. And Herd happened to have a family vacation planned on the island about 10 days after the incident, so he was able to retrieve the specimen in person. Its crazy. This story is full of all kinds of things like that serendipity, Herd said. Velaidum added that he teaches a religious studies course on the meaning of life at the University of Prince Edward Island, which includes a discussion of the vastness and power of the wider universe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have a section of the course that deals with the immensity of space and how insignificant our existence seems when considered against that backdrop, Velaidum said, which is another strange coincidence . The type of space rock that hit his property, however, is not all that rare. Its classified as an ordinary chondrite dubbed ordinary because they are common as far as meteorites go. But its origin is no less fascinating: Were quite certain in the scientific community that these types of meteorites come from broken pieces off of asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Herd said. This one chunk that arrived to Earth last July 25 at 5:02 p.m. was probably in space for millions or tens of millions of years prior to that, he added. Why meteorites matter Today, the Charlottetown meteorite is part of the University of Albertas Meteorite Collection, which houses more than 1,800 specimens the largest of its kind in Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herd, the curator of the collection, said members of the public who hope to submit a suspected meteorite for consideration should keep in mind that some earthly objects are often mistaken for space rocks. Slag, for example, is the rocky black substance that is discarded as a by-product from smelting or refining metal. But slag often has visible bubbles and bubbles are extremely rare in in meteorites. Whats valuable and fascinating about sorting the meteorwrongs, as the scientific community jokingly refers to them, from the meteorites is the information about our universe that these space rocks can offer. Everything on the Earth is newer because of geology and active processes (on our home planets surface), Herd said. Theres no rocks of that age 4 and a half billion years old that are preserved on the Earth. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Doug Emhoff , the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris , was out for blood at President Donald Trumps inauguration, deliberately snubbing a man who refused his wifes offer of a handshake earlier this month, according to CNN . On Monday, Emhoff, who served as second gentleman of the United States from 2021 to 2025, rejected a handshake from Bruce Fischer, husband of Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska. Emhoff brought up the moment Fischer appeared to refuse Harris proffered hand at the Republican senators swearing-in on Jan. 3. A viral video of that incident showed Fischer holding the Bible in one hand, and a cane in the other, while his wife recited the oath. When the the then-vice president extended her hand to Fischer for a handshake, he nodded in return but maintained a neutral expression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im not going to bite, dont worry, a visibly embarrassed Harris said at the time. Nebraska Senator Deb Fischers husband just completely ignored Kamala and her attempted handshake pic.twitter.com/PJjwSwKaaa Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 6, 2025 Emhoff hasnt been able to forgive Fischer for the snub, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. Why would you try to shake my hand when you wouldnt shake my wifes hand? Emhoff reportedly told Bruce Fischer at the ceremonial tea at the White House prior to Trumps swearing-in, the source said. Fischer later apologized for swerving Harris handshake, CNN said. The Daily Beast has contacted a spokesperson for Harris for comment. The awkward exchange between Harris and Fischer on Jan. 3 drew mixed reactions at the time, although some MAGA supporters were quick to defend the senators husband . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has a cane in one hand and the Bible in the other... which one did she expect him to drop? one said. An Oakland Park man is now facing charges months after authorities said he crashed his luxury car while speeding over 120 mph in Pompano Beach, killing one person. Angelo Ragonese, 50, faces charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, child abuse and child neglect without great bodily harm, DUI with property damage and reckless driving with injury or property damage, Broward Sheriffs jail records show. Ragonese was driving his 2022 BMW M4 shortly before 9:30 a.m. Sept. 17, with his minor son as his passenger, according to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was near the intersection of East Atlantic Boulevard and Northeast 15th Avenue, speeding and swerving around other cars, the affidavit said. The front of the BMW crashed into the passenger side of a 2023 Toyota Camry in a T-bone collision as the driver tried to make a turn through the intersection. The force of the crash spun the Toyota off the road, causing it to smash into the nearby Truist Bank building on East Atlantic Boulevard. Ragonese got out of the BMW and walked toward where the Toyota stopped, yelling profanities towards the driver of the Toyota who was unconscious, witnesses said, according to the affidavit. Witnesses said he was aggressive and acting abnormally. Ragonese and his son were not seriously injured; the Toyota driver was taken to Broward Health North with critical injuries, according to the affidavit. The Toyota driver was admitted to Broward Health Norths ICU but died two days later after being transferred to hospice care, the affidavit said. His name is redacted in the affidavit, but a court motion filed by prosecutors on Jan. 14 identified him as William Windhurst. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Traffic Homicide detectives believed Ragonese was impaired after talking with witnesses and reviewing physical evidence at the scene, the affidavit said. While at the hospital, he refused to voluntarily give a sample of his blood. Detectives received a search warrant to get a blood sample, and the results about a month later showed he tested positive for cocaine. Investigators determined that Ragonese was driving at 83 mph when the airbag deployed and at 124 mph moments before impact, the affidavit said. The speed limit in the area is 35 mph. Ragonese had previously been convicted of driving with a suspended license multiple times dating back to 2000, prosecutors said in the Jan. 14 motion, seeking that he be held in custody ahead of trial. He had also been convicted of speeding a dozen times between 2012 and 2023, and he had driven at least 100 mph in four of those cases, according to the motion. Ragonese was booked into the Broward Main Jail on Monday and remained there as of Tuesday night. He pleaded not guilty to all charges on Tuesday. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) A driver is in critical condition after the SUV he was driving veered off an Oklahoma City freeway and crashed through a womans house Tuesday afternoon. Oklahoma City firefighters responded to a house along a northbound Broadway Extension service road just north of Hefner Road after neighbors reported a large SUV had crashed through the back of the home shortly before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Vehicle crashes into utility pole in Norman Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters on the scene told News 4 that a man had been driving the SUV northbound on Broadway Extension (U.S. 77) and had just passed over Hefner Road, when he suffered a medical episode. They say the mans vehicle careened off the freeway, down an embankment, over an entrance ramp, down another embankment, over a frontage road, through a grassy field, between two trees, and through a fence before crashing through the back doors of the home. Medics took the man to a local hospital, where firefighters said he was listed in critical condition Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters had to bring in metal braces to keep the home from collapsing due to the damage caused by the SUV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took crews several hours to remove the vehicle from the house. News 4 spoke to the homeowner, who was not home at the time of the crash. Police respond to crash involving school bus in SE OKC She said she was at work when it happened, and police officers called her to let her know. She said she was not originally supposed to go into work on Tuesday but decided to go in anyway. She told News 4 that had she stayed home like she originally planned, she would have likely been sitting in the room the SUV crashed through. Neighbors told News 4 this was not the first time theyve seen a crash like this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is bad, I know one day someones gonna get killed up here, said Orville Hazley, neighbor. All the time someones running into the wall up here on the corner, or going the wrong way on the one way street. 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. Drug traffickers whose entire organized crime ring was brought down by a photo of a French Bulldog were ordered to fork over more than $1.4 million, the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency said. Stefan Baldauf, 64, and Philip Lawson 63, were drug traffickers nabbed in 2020 as part of Operation Venetic along with other members of their group for smuggling drugs from the United Kingdom to Australia. The traffickers sent 448kg of amphetamine worth about $46 million in an arm of an excavator down under. The traffickers even rigged an auction to make sure the amphetamine went into the right hands. The drugs, which investigators said was MDMA, was first stored in the heavy equipment in an industrial unit in Grays, Essex, before being shipped to Australia. It took almost three months to arrive in Brisbane, the National Crime Agency said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ruse, however, fell apart when fellow trafficker Danny Brown sent a photo of his French Bulldog, Bob, to Baldauf. A photo of Bob, the french bulldog, helped bring down an organized crime group. / Credit: National Crime Agency Investigators were able to use the photo which had his partner's phone number on its tag and other methods to find and crack down on the organized criminal group. "These criminals did not care about the misery and exploitation that the supply of illegal drugs bring to UK and Australian communities," said Chris Hill, who led the NCA investigation. Baldauf, Brown, Lawson and four other men in the UK were sentenced for a combination of 163 years, the National Crime Agency said. The other members will face a confiscation hearing later this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump signs executive orders after inauguration Former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama arrive for Trump inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day OKLAHOMA (KFOR) Oklahomas AG Gentner Drummond on Tuesday says his office is requesting the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board reject clemency for Wendell Arden Grissom. Wendell Grissom took the life of a kind, vivacious 23-year-old who went into nursing to help people and died protecting two innocent children, Drummond said. Amber Matthews monstrous murder demands that justice be carried out. I urge the Pardon and Parole Board to deny clemency for this cold-blooded killer. Grissom is currently facing a death sentence scheduled for March 20, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only Oklahoma woman on death row gets a new trial Drummonds office says, on the afternoon of Nov. 3, 2005, Grissom and another man, Jessie Johns, broke into the Blaine County house of Dreu Kopf, who was inside with her two young daughters and her best friend, Amber Dawn Matthews. Grissom shot Kopf at least three times. Dreu survived and was able to flee the home, hoping Grissom would follow her and spare Matthews and the children. Grissom ran after Matthews in the childrens bedroom, a baby cradled in her arms. Despite Matthews begging for her life, Grissom shot her once in the back of the head. He then stood over Matthews and fired a second shot into her forehead, killing her. According to Drummond, Johns is serving a life sentence without parole. Grissoms clemency hearing is set for Feb. 5, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement *This story is developing 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. The News East Africa is likely to see increased interest from mining companies, many of which are smarting from disputes with military governments around the Sahel, the head of a major gold mining firm told Semafor. West African countries have traditionally been hotspots for miners but a number of companies are locked in disputes with military administrations in the region. In recent weeks, several companies have launched arbitration cases against authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. In one high-profile dispute, Canadian miner Barrick last week suspended operations in Mali after the government seized control of its gold stocks, reportedly worth $245 million. Now you have whats going on in West Africa, there should be a little more investment into East Africa, Stephen Mullowney, CEO of Canadian miner TRX Gold, said in an interview. He cited Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania the latter of which TRX Gold is already operating in as countries that are likely to see an uptick in interest, along with the southeastern nation of Mozambique, although investment there may be curtailed by political instability following disputed elections. Alexiss view East African countries have plenty to offer Western miners in the coming years, notably the relative absence of strongarm tactics seen in parts of West Africa. That, along with East Africas deposits of critical minerals needed for the global energy transition, will make it an increasingly attractive option. But this doesnt mean interest in West Africa will vanish. Ghana, Africas biggest gold producer, and Cote dIvoire are just two West African countries that offer well-governed, business-friendly options. And Western mining companies are unlikely to give up entirely on the junta-led countries in the Sahel because the opportunities are simply too lucrative to let go. Ulf Laessing, the Bamako-based director of the Sahel Programme at Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank, told me that even though West Africas military governments were very difficult to deal with as they are desperate, he nevertheless expected continued interest in exploiting their gold and other minerals given the profits foreign miners make, despite higher royalties and taxes. And even if Western companies look more to East Africa, businesses from elsewhere are likely to accept conditions imposed by military-led Sahelian countries and strike deals, unencumbered by colonial history or a legacy of deals perceived to be unfair to host nations. Last year, Mali signed an agreement with Chinas Ganfeng to operate its Goulamina lithium mine. Meanwhile, Turkey and Niger have discussed mining and energy cooperation. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A person repeatedly jumped in front of traffic at a busy intersection in Clark County, took the truck of a stopped driver, and later caused a three-car crash near the Columbia Crossing Shopping Center in Vancouver on Jan. 21, the Vancouver Police Department said. The suspect, 56-year-old Joseph Chappue of Portland, was first seen jumping in front of cars at the intersection of Northeast 139th Street and 20th Avenue in Clark County at approximately 1 p.m. A passerby got out of his truck to check on this person, was pushed to the ground and the suspect got into his truck and drove away, the Vancouver Police Department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phish announce 4/20 Portland show, first in over 25 years An hour later, Chappue was headed eastbound on Mill Plain Boulevard in Southeast Vancouver when he drove the stolen truck into the westbound lanes of traffic and hit a Honda Odyssey minivan head-on. The crash pushed the van into a red BMW 330XI, police said. The suspect attempted to climb out of the truck and get away but was stopped by a community member, Vancouver police said. Officers quickly arrived and took the suspect into custody. Chappue was arrested for two counts of vehicular assault, possession of a stolen vehicle, DUI and felony hit-and-run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two passengers in the van were hospitalized with injuries, including a broken elbow and spinal damage. The driver of the BMW suffered minor injuries. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. 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 KOIN.com. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he plans to oppose the nomination of Kash Patel, President Trumps nominee to lead the FBI. Kash Patel has neither the experience, the temperament, nor the judgment to lead the FBI, Durbin said in a statement after a 30-minute meeting with Patel. Mr. Patels political grievances make him a favorite of the MAGA world, but they have not prepared him to work night and day to keep us safe from violent crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, and other threats. Mr. Patel is the wrong choice to lead the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Durbin also referenced the FBIs 30,000 employees, saying they deserve a leader who understands the gravity of their mission. Durbins statement comes as he floated a tentative Jan. 29 hearing to review Patels nomination, the same day the panel will also hold a business meeting to weigh the nomination of Pam Bondi, Trumps pick for attorney general. Patel has already faced scrutiny from Durbin, who asked a trio of national security agencies that employed Patel during the first Trump administration to turn over information from their personnel files. The letters lay out a series of allegations, including that Patel pushed to stop transition coordination with the incoming Biden administration, sought to declassify information that would be favorable to Trump and was identified as a helpful figure for the man leading Trumps efforts to thwart the transfer of power after losing the 2020 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One letter points to reporting from Bloomberg showing that Patel coordinated efforts with officials at the White House and Department of Justice, as well as Republican lawmakers, to declassify documents such as depositions with former Obama-era officials who were involved in the investigation into Trumps ties to Russia. Lawmakers have also sounded the alarm about Patels loyalty to Trump. He wrote a childrens book criticizing the investigation into Trumps Russia ties and penned another book called Government Gangsters which included a list of names of officials he has since said must be held accountable. 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 The Hill. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered the countrys government to meet its own goals for reducing overall nitrogen emissions by 2030, a decision that could have major economic and political consequences. The District Court of The Hague criticized the governments lack of plans to address the pollution crisis and said that within five years, half the country's protected nature areas must no longer be threatened by nitrogen pollution from agriculture, construction and other sources. In September, the ruling Dutch coalition, dominated by the far-right Party for Freedom, scrapped an agreement negotiated by the previous government. The current government has been unable to agree on a replacement plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current government has not yet announced any policy based on which it can be assumed with any scientific certainty that, if implemented, the statutory nitrogen target for 2030 will be achieved, Judge Jerzy Luiten said. Last week, Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced he would establish a ministerial committee to come up with solutions. Its definitely a victory after decades of inactions. I think this verdict shows that the plans of previous cabinets are inadequate, and now they absolutely have to come up with a plan, Hilde Anna de Vries of Greenpeace told reporters after the court hearing. If the government fails to meet the target, it must pay a 10 million euro ($10.4 million) fine to Greenpeace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pro-farmer lobbying organization LTO called for the government to appeal. The measures needed to achieve the nitrogen targets for 2030 will have an unprecedented impact on the agricultural sector, housing construction and the Dutch economy as a whole, chairperson Ger Koopman said in a statement. Both sides have six weeks to appeal. Greenpeace launched the case in 2023 after the government of then-prime minister Mark Rutte fell, calling into question a package of measures, including buyouts for livestock farmers and new regulations. Under European Union rules, the country must drastically reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia close to nature areas that are part of a network of protected habitats for endangered plants and wildlife across the 27-nation bloc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although environmental groups had been pushing for nitrogen reductions for years, a ruling by the countrys highest administrative court in 2019 halted building permits after judges concluded exemptions to pollution regulations violated EU rules. In a country plagued by housing shortages, Ruttes government scrambled to find solutions to restart construction projects, including reducing the maximum speed limit from 130 kilometers per hour (81 miles per hour) to 100 km/h (62 mph) on many highways. The agricultural industry became the focus of reduction demands. In 2022 thousands of farmers drove tractors through the streets of The Hague to protest proposals by the previous government to curb emissions. They argued that the agricultural sector was unfairly targeted while other industries contributing to emissions, such as aviation and construction, faced less far-reaching rules. The success of right-leaning parties in the 2023 elections, including one born out of the protests, was in part because of the backlash to plans to reduce emissions. EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to correctly identify the person who told investigators that they were contacted by the suspect. JAMESTOWN, Tenn. (WATE) A homicide investigation is underway after a woman was found dead in the back of a car in Jamestown. On January 18, Fentress County deputies responded to a Banner Springs Road home in Jamestown to conduct a welfare check and came in contact with Nathan Wilson of Crossville. According to court documents, Wilson told the investigators that he had killed his wife Amber and placed her body into the back of a Jeep Renegade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amber deserved so much more: Family mourns woman found dead in back of car 31st Judicial District Attorney General Chris Stanford announced Wednesday that Wilson is charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. Stanford said in a release that the alleged crimes occurred in Warren County. Wilson reportedly told agents he hit his wife with his car in McMinnville in the late-night hours of January 17 or the early hours of January 18. Investigators believe the victim was fatally struck by a 2013 Ford Explorer. He reportedly told agents he did not mean to kill her. The arrest warrant alleges Wilson told a family member that he had put her body in the back of the Jeep. The mother of the suspect told investigators that Wilson called her on the phone and told her he was sorry. This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents are investigating the circumstances of the death. A TBI spokesperson said the investigation remains active and ongoing as of Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ: More top stories on WATE.com Wilson was initially charged with one count of abuse of a corpse in Fentress County. Stanford said that charge is expected to be dismissed in the near future based on the pending charges in Warren County. He will be held without bail once he is transported to Warren County while a judge considers the statutory bond factors at a future court hearing. 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. LOS ANGELES (KTLA) The Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena had claimed at least 17 lives as of Tuesday afternoon, and while firefighters continue to work toward full containment, criticism of the evacuation alert system has already started to mount. In western Altadena, evacuation orders werent issued via wireless alert until many hours after the fire started, the Los Angeles Times reports. While eastern Altadena and other areas evacuated the night of Jan. 7 just hours after the fire began at about 6:30 p.m. neighborhoods west of Lake Avenue did not get electronic evacuation orders until 3:25 a.m. and never received evacuation warnings, the Times explains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By then, burning embers were raining down on neighborhoods on the west side of Altadena and igniting homes, the report adds. All 17 people who were confirmed to have been killed in the Eaton Fire, which now stands at about 14,000 acres, have been found west of Lake Avenue, the Times adds. Electrical tower eyed as possible source of deadly Eaton Fire One western Altadena resident told KTLAs Chip Yost that he didnt have his phones emergency alerts turned on, but he wasnt aware of any evacuation orders or warnings until 5 a.m. when he heard deputies order evacuations via bullhorn. Minutes later, his life was in danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At 5:15, I looked out the window and saw embers flying through the air At 5:30, I opened the door, and there was just a wall of fire, he said. Officials have promised at least one investigation into the handling of emergency alerts during this spate of wildfires, with L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger telling the Times that she has deep concerns. There has to be a thorough examination of life-saving emergency notifications that took place on that horrific evening, she said. From what I have been told, it was a night of pure chaos for both fire and first responders. In a statement provided to the Times, the Office of Emergency Management noted that wireless emergency alerts are only one of several means of notifying residents to evacuate their homes during a fire emergency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our response also includes door knocks, patrols with loudspeakers driving up and down streets messaging the need to evacuate, as well as leveraging local media to help us get the news to residents, the OEM added. This is a layered process and system intended to provide redundancy during local and widespread disasters. 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 KTLA. Rachel Reeves is preparing to face down Cabinet colleagues over net zero as she pushes for a potential expansion of Heathrow. The Chancellor said carbon emissions had too often been used as an excuse not to invest in comments that put her on a potential collision course with the Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues over plans to expand Britains major airports. Ms Reeves also warned that Britains insane planning system had led to underinvestment in infrastructure that was now dragging on the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Ms Reeves said: Growth is the number one mission of this government, because growth underpins everything else, whether that is improving our schools and our hospitals or indeed being able to get to net zero. Her comments come as a row brews within the Government over the long-delayed expansion of Heathrow. The Chancellor is expected to signal her support for a third runway in a major speech on the Governments plans for growth next week. A third runway at Heathrow is expected to face opposition from green campaigners - Jonathan Brady/PA Seven Cabinet members including Sir Keir Starmer, Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, have previously opposed the long-troubled project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Ms Reeves stressed that there would be collective Cabinet agreement on any decision, with the Prime Minister having the ultimate sign-off, she repeated that growth had to come first when making decisions. The remarks are the clearest signal yet that she will back the controversial expansions of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports. Sir Keir avoided questions about his stance on a third runway at Heathrow at Prime Ministers questions on Wednesday. He told MPs: Im not going to comment on speculation. We as a government are committed to growth. Were committed to the aviation sector and to our climate obligations. But Im not going to take lectures from those who talk about climate change but oppose vital renewable infrastructure in their own constituency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Reeves said the Government was committed in statute to getting to net zero by 2050, but added there were lots of things that contribute to carbon emissions. She pointed to the Governments net zero efforts such as investment in carbon capture, lifting the effective moratorium on onshore wind and offering more government support for offshore wind. She said: Were doing plenty to invest in our energy security here in Britain with home grown renewables to make us more secure in the face of global energy shocks in the future, and also to bring good jobs to Britain. The Chancellors support for a third runway at Heathrow has already sparked division within Labour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sir Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, and Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester, have both signalled they will oppose expansion. Mr Miliband has previously opposed plans for a third runway. A further expansion of British airports is also expected to draw fierce resistance from green campaigners, with reduced emissions from air travel still a key part of the Governments plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Meanwhile, the boss of British Airways parent IAG said he would not back plans for a third runway at Heathrow unless the government intervened to cut fees at the hub. Luis Gallego said: Hub airports and the connectivity they bring are vital for economic growth. The Government has a growth agenda and we support that. We think that aviation can continue to provide sustainable growth for the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But before we talk about a Heathrow extension or redevelopment, the situation at Heathrow needs to change, which means the regulatory model needs to change. It is currently the most expensive airport in the world, but the experience for passengers doesnt match this. The last review of its business model was in 2009, 15 years ago. Its time to take another look at the system to see if there are ways to benefit customers. IAG has long been concerned about how the expansion of Heathrow would be paid for, fearing it would end up funding the bulk of development costs via landing fees as it accounts for around 50pc of the flights at the airport. There is no existing planning application for a third runway at Heathrow which has been mooted for decades but public support from the Government could prompt the airport to submit fresh plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, is also due to rule on expansions of Gatwick and Luton in the coming months, with approval expected. Ms Reeves said the Governments decision to sign-off expansion at Stansted and City Airport showed the commitment of this government to make Britain an international trading nation, open to trade with countries around the world. Speaking more broadly about Britains planning system, the Chancellor singled out the 100m spent on a shield to protect bats as part of the HS2 as an example of how excessive regulation was holding back Britain. Ms Reeves said: Theres always a reason not to invest, always a reason not to build. Its the bats and newts. Or it might add something to carbon emissions in 20 years time, or may make the view from my house a little bit less nice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres always a reason not to do something, but if we always say no: lo and behold, well have the same outcome of poor growth and deteriorating living standards. EasyJet boss Kenton Jarvis warned that tax increases imposed by the Chancellor undermined her plans to encourage growth through airport expansion. Ms Reeves hiked the air passenger duty (APD) departure tax in Octobers Budget, while an arrivals tax for visitors was last week raised by 60pc to three times the European equivalent. Mr Jarvis said: Opening up more capacity while putting up costs at the same time might need some thinking through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Increasing APD to record highs jars with pro-growth and aviation as an economic enabler. If at the same time we are going to be talking about airport expansion it must be coordinated. Mr Jarvis said the airline would consider seeking flights at Heathrow if a new runway there allowed it to establish a base with significant scale and landing fees were affordable. 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. Jan. 22As the nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, we were reminded of King's role in the history of our country. Born in Georgia, King was most known for his role in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He also promoted economic equality and did it all without using violence. King had a passion for the things he advocated for, which is something we all can learn from. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As we reflect back on the things he did in his life, we remember something he once said: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." While King was likely referring to the happenings of that time, this quote can still apply to us today. If we don't like the direction something is going, we have to get involved. We can't simply have a hope something will change. We have to do something. Speak out, offer solutions and play an active role in making tough situations better. This can be true on every level. Whether it is helping at your child's school, volunteering to serve the community through a service club, attending City Council meetings, fundraising for a community cause, writing letters to this newspaper or something else altogether, we must get involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can make a difference we just have to put forth some effort. During the process you'll find, in return, you'll learn new things, discover new talents and build relationships all while positively impacting the world around you. In honor of King, we encourage you to speak out about things that matter. What matters to you may not matter to the next person, but find something that you're passionate about, and get involved. President Donald Trump was so very wrong to grant clemency to every convicted criminal who sacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in pursuit of his incendiary lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The horrific violence of that day was all about Trump, who ignited the fire, but each person who followed him and then broke the law bears their own responsibility. His presidential pardons and commutations for his loyalists unjustly lifts that responsibility. Without Trumps refusal to accept his defeat by Joe Biden, losing six of the seven swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin), there would have been no march on the Capitol and no riot. No barriers would have breached. No windows would have smashed. No doors forced open. The hallways of the seat of government would not have trashed and desecrated with human waste. Police officers would not have been assaulted with fists and makeshift weapons. The House and Senate chambers would not have been invaded. The vice president would not have been threatened with a hanging. The Congress would not have fled and the certification of Bidens victory would not have been delayed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But all of that did happen and the nation watched it on live television, including Trump, who sat in the White House, viewing his handiwork, as his aides begged him to call off his mob. Most of the 1,600 or so being pardoned were charged with misdemeanors, such as entering a closed area of the Capitol grounds or walking into the Capitol building. Maybe those were the grandmothers and the tourists. But Trump didnt stop there. He also wiped clean the records of hundreds of offenders who committed felonies, including acts of violence against police officers. Men sentenced to long prison terms for pummeling cops are being freed. Is this Back the Blue? Also freed are the leaders of the conspiracy, from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. And the ongoing prosecutions by the Justice Department are being dropped. None of this is a surprise, as Trump campaigned on what called the J-6 hostages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps unAmerican clemency has the practical effect of springing duly convicted rioters from prison or other conditions like supervision, or keeping them out in the cases that are ongoing and which will now never get to their conclusions. This is in itself a real public hazard for obvious reasons: many of these people are dangerous and have shown themselves willing and able to engage in political violence up to and including the invasion of the Capitol building, brutal and sometimes fatal assaults on police and a desire to engage in political assassinations. Trumps clemency isnt just a legal act but an effort to recast one of the bleakest days in American democracy and his role in making it happen. He still insists he won and that Jan. 6 was some sort of righteous effort to uphold not subvert democracy. This is a dangerous path he is leading us down, a path where anything that serves his quest for power is right and anything that runs against that is wrong. No president, including Trump, can have their own force of extralegal activists, ready to take action. The pardons cant be undone, but they must not be forgotten. ___ Jan. 21The likely long and winding road the New Hampshire Legislature will take in 2025 to consider changes to education aid began Tuesday with a leading Democrat calling on colleagues to boost state funding to public schools by nearly half a billion dollars. State Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, the ranking Democrat on the House Education Funding Committee, said the Legislature should increase state support by more than $3,000 per pupil. The bill (HB 550) would carry out Rockingham County Superior Court Judge David Ruoff's ruling last year that judged the state's base amount of adequate education grants to be unconstitutionally low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The increase would raise the state's base amount from $4,265 to $7,356 per student. "Our current school funding formula isn't getting the job done for school districts and taxpayers," Luneau said. The Supreme Court last November heard oral arguments on the state's appeal of that decision. The state Department of Education estimated it would cost the state treasury $454 million a year, including $24 million to charter schools and $20 million to Education Freedom Account scholarships given to parents who send their children to secular, private, religious, alternative public or home school programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This bill has one of the scariest fiscal notes I have ever seen," said Rep. Dan McGuire, R-Merrimack. "Have you any idea where we would get this kind of money?" Luneau said it's not about spending more on schools but having the state contribute more and local property taxpayers bear less. "I am not saying we need to spend more for our schools. I think the money needs to come from a different pot," Luneau said. "The court is saying the state should pick up a larger share of what we are already spending." Some critics warn this could only be paid for with a state sales or income tax. Another option would be to raise the rate of the statewide property tax that would allow the state to claim as its own $450 million of the current local property tax base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other education reform bills to be heard There are three other education aid reform bills not yet in print, Luneau said, that would overhaul the formula, change special education aid and answer a second lawsuit that would make property-rich towns pay the statewide property tax to support aid for the rest. Megan Tuttle, president of the National Education Association of New Hampshire, said lawmakers need to equalize the opportunity for all children to succeed. "We stand ready to work with you and committee members toward what will hopefully be a major step forward on the matter of meeting our constitutional obligation to fund public education in our state for each of our students regardless of what zip code they live," Tuttle said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newport School Superintendent Donna Magoon said a third of her teachers are not fully certified. "Without enough funding, our students do not receive the instruction that they deserve. I normally do not beg, but I beg you to do the right thing for our children," Magoon said. Gov. Kelly Ayotte and the GOP leaders in the House and Senate have said the Legislature, not the courts, will decide the level of state support for public schools. Luneau's bill attracted 451 supporters online with only 10 in opposition. Former Rep. Greg Sorg, a Franconia lawyer, wrote a legal brief urging the state's high court to apply what the U.S. Supreme Court did in the Roe v. Wade case to strike down its 1993 and 1997 Claremont decisions that forced lawmakers to dramatically increase aid to public schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is possible albeit admittedly remotely so (because the court hates to admit to fallibility) that the Supreme Court will own up to its imaginative but erroneous reading of Article 83 of Part 2 of the Constitution in the Claremont cases by overruling them," Sorg wrote. klandrigan@unionleader.com Video above: El Paso man pleads guilty to several charges related to Jan. 6 Capital riot EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) An El Paso man who was sentenced on charges related to the Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021, was recently released from federal prison as a result of President Trump pardoning over 1,500 people who were also sentenced regarding the incident, according to records from the Federal Burea of Prisons and the White Houses website. El Paso man pleads guilty to assaulting law enforcement, other charges during Jan 6, 2021 Capitol breach Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Records show that David Rene Arredondo, 48, of El Paso, Texas, was released from prison this past Monday, Jan. 20. As we have previously reported, Arredondo pled guilty in the District of Columbia to eight counts, including two felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Columbia. Arredondo also pled guilty to six misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The U.S. Attorneys Office says Arredondo traveled with others from his El Paso home to Washington, D.C., and stayed in the Capitol Hill area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court documents, open-source images, videos, and U.S. Capitol surveillance footage depicted Arredondo inside and around the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Video footage from outside the Capitol building on Jan. 6 also depicted Arredondo physically pushing a bike rack against officers who were attempting to keep the crowd from entering the East Plaza, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Arredondo was also seen making physical contact with a police officer who was attempting to stop rioters from entering through the Capitol building doors, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. He was also seen grabbing and pulling the arm of a police officer who was surrounded by a mob of rioters, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional video footage taken from inside the Capitol building depicted Arredondo entering via the East Rotunda Doors and remaining inside for nearly 35 minutes. FBI agents arrested Arredondo on Oct 26, 2022, in El Paso. 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 KTSM 9 News. An electric vehicle charging pod point sign Shares in one of Britains leading electric car charging networks plunged by more than a third after bosses warned that plans to water down net zero targets risk damaging demand. Pod Point saw around 10m wiped from its market value after a 41pc drop in its share price, which was triggered by a gloomy trading update on Monday morning. The company, which is majority-owned by energy giant EDF, said revenues were expected to shrink over the coming year owing to the Governments review of its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. It said this could increase near-term uncertainty and worsen what is already a challenging backdrop. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, ordered a review of the ZEV mandate late last year after carmakers warned that the rules were putting Britains car industry at risk. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, has admitted EV mandate not working as anyone intended - Anadolu EV demand struggled significantly Under the ZEV rules, car companies risk hefty fines if they do not hit targets that require 25pc of their sales to come from EVs this year, a figure that will gradually rise to hit 80pc in 2030. However, demand has struggled significantly over the past 12 months, with only one in 10 private buyers choosing to buy an electric car in the UK in 2024. This has led to reduced activity for Pod Point, which said it has suffered from fewer customers installing charge points at home. The company, which has installed more than 250,000 EV chargers since its launch in 2009, said it expects to post revenues of 53m in 2024, down from earlier estimates of 60m. Melanie Lane, Pod Points chief executive, said: Pod Point has achieved a lot in 2024 against a difficult market backdrop. As expected, 2024 has proven to be a transitional year in terms of our financial performance. We made good progress on our costs, but the weaker-than-expected private EV market has negatively impacted revenues. Pod Point, which floated on the stock market in 2021 and is chaired by Andy Palmer, the former Aston Martin boss, said it expects to draw on a 30m credit facility provided by EDF to support its finances. 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. A 71-year-old New Jersey crossing guard was injured Wednesday after being hit by a car while helping children across an intersection. Officers responded to 911 calls around 8:40 a.m. in Fair Lawn, a suburb in Bergen County, and found the man lying in the street outside Forrest Elementary School with injuries to his legs. An investigation determined the crossing guard was helping children when he was struck by a Toyota Camry making a left turn at the intersection of Arnold Street and Hooper Avenue. The driver, a 22-year-old man, stayed at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crossing guard was taken to St. Josephs University Medical Center in Paterson with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Dr. Rui Dionisio, the superintendent of Fair Lawn Public Schools, released a statement later on Wednesday to assure parents no children had been hurt. This incident serves as an important reminder about traffic safety in our school zones. Our crossing guards play a vital role in ensuring the safety of our students, and we must all do our part to protect them by remaining vigilant and cautious while driving near schools, Dionisio said. The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and crossing guards remain our highest priority. Eleanor Maguire, who has died from cancer aged 54, carried out groundbreaking research on human memory, making headlines with her study of London black-cab drivers which challenged the prevailing view of the brain as, at best, static and, at worst, constantly being diminished, whether by knocks, ageing or hangovers. Eleanor Maguire spent her career exploring how experiences forge memories, who we are and how we think and navigate. From the moment she set out on her scientific journey, her motivation was personal. She told Roger Highfield, The Daily Telegraphs science editor at the time: I am absolutely appalling at finding my way around. I wondered: How are some people so bloody good and I am so terrible? She focused on a region deep in the brain called the hippocampus (Greek hippo-, equine, and kampos, sea monster), so named because an Italian anatomist initially likened it to a seahorse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her lifes work, mostly at University College London, or UCL, would bridge that of two influential figures, both Nobelists. She was first inspired by John OKeefe of UCL, who wrote a classic book proposing that the hippocampus was critical for navigation. He became her external examiner, and was so impressed by her 1994 dissertation that he remarked that she was going to change the field. Her team pioneered the application of Optically-Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) for studies of the hippocampus - UCL The second was Demis Hassabis, who recently shared a Nobel prize for his work on AI. Two decades ago, having just sold a gaming company, and armed with references from senior scientists, Hassabis could have done a PhD with anyone he wanted. That says a lot about Eleanor that he picked her out of all the people in the world, commented her colleague Hugo Spiers, adding that they shared an interest in how the brain simulates the future. Eleanor Maguires first advance came in 2000 with a study that followed up research on squirrels and birds suggesting that the size of the hippocampus depends on the demand for spatial memory. After watching Jack Rosenthals film about cab drivers, The Knowledge, she realised that they would be ideal subjects for an experiment. She scanned the brains of 16 London black-cab drivers, who had spent an average of around three years learning the Knowledge, the tens of thousands of streets in London. They had a larger hippocampus than control subjects, particularly on the right side. The longer on the job, the larger their hippocampus, showing that it plays a key role in storing spatial memories. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eleanor Maguire would win a share of the highly coveted Ig Nobel Prize, a parody of the Nobel prizes, and over the years received hundreds of media inquiries about this work, which she augmented with experiments that were meticulous and ingenious: bus drivers do not have the same enlarged brain area, reflecting their restricted routes. Only half of trainee taxi drivers pass their final test of the Knowledge and, gratifyingly, she found that they had the greatest hippocampus growth. After tracking down retired cabbies they are so hard to find because they never seem to retire she found that their hippocampus had shrunk because it behaves like a muscle: use it and it will grow, and vice versa. Studying a working hippocampus was tricky. Because a brain scanner is room-sized they will not fit in the back of a cab. She devised navigational tasks on a screen inside a scanner, after her colleagues succeeded in a monumental job adapting a PlayStation 2 video game, The Getaway, which contained a simulation of Londons streetscape. Her studies found that the hippocampus is most active when the drivers plan their route. Eleanor Maguire came to focus on the role of the hippocampus in laying down autobiographical memories. She investigated episodic memories of everyday events by showing volunteers a short film of someone posting a letter or getting ready to ride a bike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They were then asked to recall the films while being scanned. Remarkably, it was possible to tell which film they were watching from their brain activity, revealing the precise circuits used to lay down a recollection to a resolution of just over one cubic millimetre. A graphic taken from Eleanor Maguires work She made a fascinating discovery with Hassabis when she asked amnesia patients to describe imaginary experiences in commonplace settings, as well as potentially plausible future events such as a Christmas party or meeting a friend. Their ability to envisage forthcoming events was impaired: the role played by the hippocampus in processing memory was far broader than reliving the past it also helps us imagine the future. In recent years, she switched to the most powerful scanners, 20-ton 7 Tesla machines, and a technique called Optically Pumped Magnetometry Magnetoencephalography, which measures tiny magnetic fields produced by brain cells, using a mouth sensor to get inside the head. That provided a high-resolution glimpse of the hippocampus at work as her subjects navigated a virtual reality town she had built called FILbury, where FIL stands for Functional Imaging Laboratory. Eleanor Anne Maguire was born in Dublin on March 27 1970 to Anne and Paddy Maguire. As a young girl she began her lifelong (long-suffering) support of Crystal Palace because, as her colleague Cathy Price remarked, she thought it sounded very pretty. Revision notes for the Knowledge - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Star Trek fan who was inspired by Spock, Eleanor had a thirst for facts, notably in archaeology, astronomy and biology. When it came to university, her parents ruled out archaeology, as they felt I couldnt make a decent living from it... in Dublin in the late 1980s, studying astronomy seemed like pie in the sky. So, I quite happily plumped for a career in biology. She did not enjoy University College Dublin at first, but then the neuropsychology module started, and I was hooked. After an MSc in Swansea, her quest to understand memory began in earnest during her doctorate at UCD and nearby Beaumont Hospital. She ended up as professor of cognitive neuroscience at UCL, where she headed the Memory and Space research laboratory. She was intense her mantra was we want to plant seeds, not prune hedges but also kind, with a dry sense of humour. She won many prizes, including the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Young Investigator Award, Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and the Feldberg Foundation Prize; and she was named as one of Twenty Europeans who have changed our lives by the European Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2011, Eleanor Maguire was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences; in 2016 she had the distinction of being made a Fellow of the Royal Society and the next year became an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy. Eleanor Maguire never married, but doted on her two nephews and, as Hugo Spiers remarked, looked after her research group like a family. Professor Eleanor Maguire, born March 27 1970, died January 4 2025 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. DENVER (KDVR) An elephant is not a person and is not afforded the same liberties as a person under the Colorado Constitution, the Colorado Supreme Court decided Tuesday. The states highest court upheld an El Paso County District Court decision that decided five elephants at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo were not included in state liberty statutes. The petitioner, the Nonhuman Rights Project, had argued the animals should be included and should be moved to a sanctuary because they are autonomous and extraordinarily cognitively and socially complex beings, according to the opinion announcement. Oldest Asiatic black bear in the US celebrates birthday in Colorado Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cheyenne Mountain Zoo officials in a statement claimed the Nonhuman Rights Project is abusing court systems to fundraise by publicizing sensational court cases. The Nonhuman Rights Project appealed the district courts dismissal of a habeas corpus proceeding, which under Colorado law grants people confined or restrained of his liberty the ability to petition the court for relief. The organization had argued the Colorado Springs zoo was unlawfully confining the elephants, named Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo. The state supreme court on Tuesday said the habeas corpus law does only just that: grants people that ability, which the elephants are not. The Nonhuman Rights Project said in a statement on their website, the opinion perpetuates a clear injustice, stating that unless an individual is human they have no right to liberty, no matter how cognitively, psychologically, or socially sophisticated they may be.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In affirming the district courts original opinion, the state supreme court said the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was not unlawfully confining the elephants, and the Nonhuman Rights Projects plan was not sufficient for habeas corpus anyway, regardless of elephants status as a person or not. Finally, we observe that NRP is not actually seeking the right to libertythat is, freedom from captivityfor the elephants. It conceded as much during oral argument, acknowledging that it was not suggesting that the Zoo should open its gates and set the elephants loose to roam free in Colorado Springs and beyond, any more than it was suggesting that very smart dogs could not be kept as house pets. Instead, it asked to transfer the elephants from the Zoo to a different confinement. The fact that NRP merely seeks the transfer of the elephants from one form of confinement to another is yet another reason that habeas relief is not appropriate here. Colorado Supreme Court decision The court acknowledged the animals magnificence, saying in their opinion, it bears noting that the narrow legal question before this court does not turn on our regard for these majestic animals generally or these five elephants specifically. Previous coverage: Animal rights activists protest for elephants ahead of Colorado Supreme Court hearing Since the elephants do not have legal standing as a person, though, the court did not need to decide the actual habeas corpus standing. The court advised in their opinion the Nonhuman Rights Projects efforts to expand rights for animals, including the Cheyenne Mountain elephants, were best efforted in legislative measures, not judicial courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While were happy with this outcome, we are disappointed that it ever came to this, zoo officials said. For the past 19 months, weve been subjected to their misrepresented attacks, and weve wasted valuable time and money responding to them in courts and in the court of public opinion. This is not the first case the Nonhuman Rights Project has argued for unlawful containment. The Colorado Supreme Court and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo officials cited several other dismissed cases, in New York, California and Hawaii, as evidence the argument had no standing in Colorado either. We are not alone in rejecting NRPs attempt to extend the great writ to nonhuman animals, the supreme court opinion states. NRP has commenced similar legal proceedings in many other states on behalf of elephants and chimpanzees living in zoos and other facilities. Every one of its petitions for writ of habeas corpus has been denied for the same or very similar reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Zoo officials agreed. The courts have proven now five times that their approach isnt reasonable, but they continue to take it, their statement read. It seems their real goal is to manipulate people into donating to their cause by incessantly publicizing sensational court cases with relentless calls for supporters to donate. The Nonhuman Rights Project said in their statement they expect early losses but are still challenging an entrenched status quo that has allowed Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo to be relegated to a lifetime of mental and physical suffering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. President Donald Trump and the leaders of OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle yesterday announced an enormous new AI initiative called Stargate, involving a planned $500 billion build-out of AI data centers in the U.S. Its a huge move that comes with an up-front investment of $100 billion by OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and the Emirati AI investor MGX. If it comes to fruition, it has the potential to keep the U.S. at the forefront of the AI scene. (It also has the potential, according to Trump, to create 100,000 new jobsthough many if not most will likely be temporary ones, associated with the construction of the data centers.) But the Stargate announcement also provides crucial insights into tech CEOs scramble for influence in the second Trump White House. Sams in the house The first big takeaway is that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is anything but out in the cold. Altman and Elon Musk were once close, with the two teaming up to help create OpenAI back in late 2015, but they have since developed an acrimonious rivalry. Given Musks close proximity to Trump he bankrolled the presidents campaign and is leading his so-called Department of Government Efficiency there had been concerns that Musk would use that relationship to favor his own xAI operation and possibly to disadvantage OpenAI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altman himself addressed those fears last month, saying: It would be profoundly un-American to use political power, to the degree that Elon has it, to hurt your competitors and advantage your own businesses. He added that people would not tolerate such a move, and he did not think Elon would do it. The OpenAI CEO went on to donate $1 million to Trumps inaugural fund, and to attend the inauguration on Monday though he was not seated next to Musk and other Big Tech leaders, such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on the stage behind the returning president. OpenAI also disclosed on Tuesday that it spent seven times as much on lobbying last year as it did in 2023, with a particular acceleration in the last quarter. And now OpenAI is the prime beneficiary of the Trump-endorsed Stargate project. I think this will be the most important project of this era, Altman said at the projects announcement, which he announced from the White House, with Trump looking on. We wouldnt be able to do this without you, Mr. President. Musk is fuming. The investors dont actually have the money, he sniped on his X account. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SoftBank declined to officially comment on that claim, but Altman struck back with his own tweet on Wednesday. Wrong, as you surely know, he wrote. Want to come visit the first site already under way? This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope you'll mostly put [America] first. Microsofts changing role It is not entirely clear what role Trump and his team officially in power for just two days, though they have been exerting huge influence since the election actually played in assembling the Stargate initiative. Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison is likely to have been a key player. He is a longstanding ally of Trumps (the president just said he was open to the idea of Musk or Ellison buying TikTok) and also an established OpenAI partner. Seven months ago, the companies announced a big deal that sees OpenAIs workloads run on Microsofts Azure AI cloud platform, on Oracles data-center infrastructure. This was framed as a way to allow OpenAI to keep building larger and larger AI models which required more specialized computer chips than Microsoft was apparently willing or able to provide as well as to extend Azure beyond Microsofts own extensive cloud infrastructure. (Azure currently holds 20% of the cloud market, according to recent data from Synergy Research Group. Oracle has just 3%.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stargate essentially builds on that deal, with government support and $100 billion thrown into the mix. We are thrilled to continue our strategic partnership with OpenAI and to partner on Stargate, Microsoft said in a Tuesday blog post. Warm words aside, it is clear that the once-tight bond between OpenAI and Microsoft, which has invested some $13 billion in the smaller company, continues to loosen. (This drifting apart has been apparent since early last year, but has progressed since then. According to a recent Reuters report, Microsoft is working on powering its Copilot AI product with a diverse range of models, not just those from OpenAI.) Microsoft still has the exclusive right to provide access to OpenAIs application programming interface (API), meaning the gate between OpenAI and the developers who tap into its technology has to run on Azure. However, until recently it also had exclusivity on the provision of new physical infrastructural capacity for OpenAI an issue that was central to Googles reported request last month that the U.S. government break up the Microsoft-OpenAI deal. As Microsoft made clear in its post yesterday, this element of its OpenAI deal has now been modified to give Microsoft the right of first refusal on the deployment of new capacity for OpenAI. With Oracle being the one to roll out that capacity in Stargate, it would appear that Microsoft passed in this case. Indeed, the Stargate announcement lists Microsoft only as a technology partner, and not a funder of the new project. The Information reported last April that Microsoft was in talks to spend $100 billion on an OpenAI supercomputing cluster called Stargate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, Microsoft has just let it slip that, separate from its involvement in Stargate, it plans to invest a whopping $80 billion into AI, including infrastructure, in this fiscal year alone. Building on Biden The Stargate announcement gives great optics to Trump, who made big infrastructure promises in his first term that ended up in disappointment. While Altman credited the Trump Administration with playing a crucial role in the bringing the project to fruition, his predecessor may have smoothed the way. One of President Bidens last acts was an executive order directing federal agencies to quickly identify federal lands that can be used for new frontier AI data centers. The order comes with environmental strings attached data-center developers will have to bring online either zero-carbon energy sources (i.e. renewables or nuclear) or low-carbon sources (fossil-fuel plants with effective carbon-capture technology) to power the facilities. At least five priority geothermal zones will come with expedited permitting, to encourage the use of that form of clean energy. Trump, who is no fan of clean energy, rescinded Bidens order on AI safety as soon as he took office. But, so far, he has not rescinded Bidens AI infrastructure order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stargate could do much to shore up the U.S.s traditional lead in AI, if it plays out as planned, and if it continues to be the case that ever-increasing amounts of computing horsepower are needed to create the most cutting-edge AI models. (This latter point is not a sure thing, as indicated by the relatively low computational requirements of Deepseek, a high-performing new model coming out of China.) The rest of the world would certainly struggle to match a $500 billion project such as this, particularly when another late Biden move capped exports of U.S. AI chips to all but 18 countries. The Stargate project is an unequivocal claim by the U.S. to leadership in the field of artificial intelligence. This must be a wake-up call for Germany and Europe, Verena Pausder, CEO of the German Startup Association, said. The funding gap with the U.S. is huge. Germany and Europe must get going because the U.S. is already sprinting. Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Commission, declined to comment directly on the Stargate announcement, but noted that the EU is setting up seven AI factories and providing funding for the sector. This will generate an additional overall public and private investment of around 4 billion ($4.2 billion) until 2027, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. is one of our closest partners, said Regnier. No other economies in the world are as integrated as we are. We already cooperate well on different aspects of AI, and we are ready to engage and discuss common interests with the new administration. Update: This article was updated to include Regnier's comment and Altman's tweet, and to note previous reporting around Microsoft, OpenAI and Stargate. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com President Donald Trump said he would be open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison buying TikTok. Trump previously floated a joint venture, saying that the US should own half of the app. Trump has signed an executive order that gives TikTok another 75 days to figure out a new game plan. A day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump said he'd be on board with Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison buying TikTok. In a Tuesday press briefing announcing a $500 billion artificial intelligence joint venture with Oracle, Trump said he was open to the idea of Ellison or Musk buying TikTok. When asked by a reporter if he would be open to Musk buying the app, Trump said, "I would be, if he wanted to buy it, yes." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'd like Larry to buy it, too," he added. While Musk has not directly expressed interest in buying TikTok, he said on X on Sunday that he has "been against a TikTok ban for a long time" because it "goes against freedom of speech." A handful of big-name investors have shown interest in buying the app. "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary has said that he, in collaboration with former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, would be interested in purchasing the app. YouTuber MrBeast also said in an X post on January 13, "Okay fine, I'll buy Tik Tok so it doesn't get banned." MrBeast has joined a group of investors led by tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, who have expressed interest in buying the app, the group's spokesperson told Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, said it would rather shut down TikTok in the US than sell it. For now, TikTok's fate in the US hangs in the balance after the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the divest-or-ban law. This law requires ByteDance to divest from the platform in the US, or stop operating in the country. TikTok went dark for its 170 million US users on Saturday. Hours later, its operations were restored. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order to pause the ban, which gives TikTok another 75 days to figure out a game plan. Trump also suggested on Monday that the US should own half of TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "So I think, like a joint venture, I think we would have a joint venture with the people from TikTok. We'll see what happens," Trump added, without specifying who he wanted to have as TikTok's US partner. Trump's order to delay the TikTok ban has prompted some opposition from within the GOP. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas who sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska wrote in a joint statement on Sunday that there is "no legal basis" for TikTok to get an extension. In the statement, the senators lauded Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft for complying with the ban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "President Trump said he signed the executive order to 'make a deal to protect our national security,'" Ian Swanson, Ricketts' press secretary, told BI. "Senator Ricketts agrees that protecting our national security is paramount and that can only be done by ridding TikTok of all ties with Communist China," Swanson added. Representatives for Musk, Oracle, and Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider One thing that's easy enough to see about Elon Musk's infamous hand gesture from Donald Trump's inauguration celebration is that he acted with deliberation. As the video from the event shows, he threw his back into it, taxing himself enough that he grunted from the exertion. And then he turned around and repeated the gesture in the other direction, in case anyone missed it. I'm not here to litigate what mainstream media outlets, always wary of defamation lawsuits and angry MAGA emails, used as descriptors of this gesture, so familiar to anyone who has ever seen a film reel from WWII. Instead, I want to flag that we've been down this road before, during the first Donald Trump administration, when white nationalists appropriated the "OK" hand gesture to troll progressives. Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics? Subscribe to her newsletter Standing Room Only. To recap: Pretending it was a "joke," white nationalists, starting around 2015, started flashing the OK hand gesture as a sign of racist solidarity. This wasn't the OK sign in the casual way most people do it. They usually exaggerated for effect, sometimes flipping their hand upside down to make it look especially odd and therefore noticeable. The goal of this was twofold: First, to signal fascist sympathizers to fellow travelers. Second, to bait liberals into ugly, divisive debates over the "true" meaning of the gesture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The troll worked beautifully. Every time some Proud Boy or cop or local GOP official or online troll or Brett Kavanaugh aide flashed the exaggerated OK hand gesture, progressives who understood the tactic called it out as fascist signaling. In response, mainstream journalists and moderates eager to prove their resistance to hysteria were quick to scold progressives as "paranoid," insisting these people weren't "real" racists despite their love of Trump! but were instead pretending to be racist to get a reaction. They rarely paused to ask why someone who isn't racist would be fine with merely "pretending" to be racist, especially since acting like a racist tends to mean people see you as a racist. The pretzel logic phase ended a couple years in, when one of those "ironic" racists shot up a mosque in New Zealand, killing 50 people. He flashed the OK hand gesture during his arraignment. Since you can't murder people "ironically," the mainstream media had to finally admit the gesture was both a troll and a sincere symbol of white nationalist beliefs. No apologies were made to those who didn't need 50 murders to get to the obvious truth, but hey, at least the scolding stopped. The OK sign was just the most prominent version of fascist peekaboo, but there are plenty of other ways the far-right trolls progressives with coded language, only to declare innocence and feign outrage when called out on it. It's not just about baiting the left, though. It's a recruitment tactic. Having provoked progressives into yelling at them, authoritarians will appeal to centrists with some form of, "Don't you hate these paranoid leftists?" Once the hook is in the mouth, they draw their prey in with, "But you know, fascists did have some good ideas. Would you like to read some Curtis Yarvin about the need to get past dictator-phobia?" Musk spends all his time on Twitter, chatting with far-right trolls, so the odds he's unaware of how this works are approximately zero. His behavior follows the standard script. Having made the obnoxious public gesture, he's now baiting the "liberals are paranoid" hook, tweeting, "The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what is actually tired is this exhausting "Who me?" act. The good news is much of the reaction shows that progressives have learned how to deal with peekaboo trolling. The first step is to refuse to get sucked into "debates" about the "real" meaning of a gesture. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., modeled how to do it, as she often does. After the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has drifted towards Trump apology, insisted Musk merely made "an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm," she responded curtly on Twitter, saying, "People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now." Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity. People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. https://t.co/0gLdMCU3UV Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 21, 2025 A huge part of the peekaboo troll is provoking extensive arguments, by preying on the often misplaced faith among progressives in the power of reason and evidence. These go-nowhere debates exhaust progressive energies and make it easier for the right to paint the left as "shrill." As counterintuitive as it may seem, this "whatever dude" response can make it easier for people, especially fence-sitters, to be open to reason. Instead of feeling brow-beaten, they are invited to trust what their own eyes and ears are telling them. That's a more inviting approach to persuading people to look at evidence. By not wasting too much energy doing a frame-by-frame analysis to determine if something meets an exacting definition of a "Nazi" salute, progressives and smart journalists have learned to spend time on what really matters: the context and impacts. Perhaps someone feels unconvinced that Musk meant the gesture he put so much effort into. And it's true! We can't know what Musk meant with absolute certainty, especially since nothing he says about his own thought process can be trusted. Having not wasted energy arguing about the gesture, one can point to the bigger picture. For instance, Musk backs not just MAGA in the U.S., but also the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a radical, far-right group whose leaders have been fined for using Nazi slogans, denounced the monuments to Holocaust victims, and declared Germans should be "proud of the achievements of the German soldiers in two world wars." Musk persists in championing AfD, even though German courts found "some AfD members favor a two-tier society in which 'ethnic' Germans are given more rights than people from immigrant backgrounds," NBC News reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some news outlets wisely sidestepped the go-nowhere debate about what Musk "meant" to focus on a more productive topic: the impact of his behavior. On this, there is no debate: Loud-and-proud Nazis were over the moon about the Musk salute. "Right-Wing Extremists Are Abuzz Over Musks Straight-Arm Salute," declared the headline at Rolling Stone. Wired went with a similar headline: "Neo-Nazis Love the Nazi-Like Salutes Elon Musk Made at Trump's Inauguration." The examples are hard to wiggle away from. Thanking Musk for the gesture, one white nationalist group tweeted, "The White Flame will rise again." Another poster, who helped create a chatbot named after Adolph Hitler, shared the clip with the caption, "Incredible things are happening already lmao." Reporting on this impact is far more helpful than digressive debates over the exact meaning of the word "fascist." Most people, if they made this gesture innocently, would be upset about the neo-Nazis trying to claim common cause with them. As Ed Kilgore argued at New York Tuesday, "there is an easy way to clear this up, particularly for someone who owns a major social-media platform and uses it very often." All Musk needs to do is "make the gesture of denouncing fascism aggressively." He adds that explicitly rejecting fascism and white nationalism "should be worth a few dozen tweets, wouldnt you say?" Musk, however, saves his ire for anti-racists and seems unworried about neo-Nazis praising him. That is behavior inconsistent with an honest mistake, but it certainly echoes the model of trolling the left that we saw with white nationalists who flashed the "OK" sign. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what's in Musk's heart, but how he acts. When someone keeps casting warm smiles at racists while mocking anti-racists, they are promoting racism. At every turn, Musk's behavior is friendly and helpful to the worst people in our society. As Ocasio-Cortez said, those who refuse to see his behavior for what it is aren't worth listening to. By Laurie Chen, Mei Mei Chu, Ella Cao, Naveen Thukral and Ana Mano BEIJING/SAO PAULO (Reuters) -China, the world's biggest soybean buyer, has stopped receiving Brazilian soybean shipments from five firms after cargoes did not meet plant health requirements, according to a statement from the Brazilian government confirming what Reuters had learned from two sources on Wednesday. The phytosanitary-related suspension comes as Brazil has been bolstering its share of the world's biggest soybean market at the expense of the No. 2 exporter, the United States. It's also an unexpected twist in the global agricultural supply chain, as U.S. President Donald J. Trump's threats of renewed tariffs against Chinese imports have increased geopolitical tensions between the world's top two economies. The Brazilian agriculture ministry said the "non-conformity" notice it received from China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) refers to five Brazilian companies, which the ministry did not name. One of the sources told Reuters that since Jan. 8 Brazil has suspended shipments to China from Terra Roxa Comercio de Cereais, Olam Brasil and C.Vale Cooperativa Agroindustrial. On Jan. 14, Chinese customs suspended shipments from Cargill Agricola SA and ADM do Brasil, that source added. Olam, Cargill and ADM together accounted for about 30% of the more than 73 million metric tons of soybeans shipped from Brazil to China in 2024, according to data from shipping company Cargonave Group. However, Brazil's agriculture ministry said only a small volume of soybeans were affected and the impact on the country's exports was minimal. "The companies' units were suspended, but other units of the same companies can continue exporting," said Luis Rua, the Ministry of Agriculture's secretary of commerce and international relations. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co, the parent company of ADM do Brasil, declined to comment. Cargill Inc, the privately-held U.S. grain trading giant and parent of Cargill Agricola SA, also declined to comment. Juliana Basso de Araujo, owner of Terra Roxa Comercio de Cereais, declined to comment. The parent firms of the other two affected companies did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. China's GACC did not respond to a request for comment. "When we try to process clearance on customs' website for soybeans shipped by these five companies, we are not able to proceed," said a second source, a trader at a China-based soybean crusher. Countries typically require imported or exported agricultural goods to be inspected to ensure they are free of pests and diseases, to protect local food supplies. KSNF/KODE Emergency crews respond to a fire at the refinery in Coffeyville. According to radio station KGGF, CVR Energy confirmed that around two this afternoon, a fire broke out in a unit at the refinery. They say a contract worker went to the hospital with an unrelated medical issue. All employees were accounted for. The fire department says the flames have been put out and they are helping the company conduct an investigation into what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Erewhon, the luxury supermarket chain that turned grocery shopping into a hyper-trendy Los Angeles lifestyle, is ramping up its pace of expansion. The company will move into three cities in 2025: Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood and Glendale. Its the most store openings in a single year since owners Tony and Josephine Antoci bought Erewhon in 2011, a sign of the organic grocers soaring popularity. And after relocating its central kitchen to a much larger industrial space last month, the company says it has the capacity to grow even more around Southern California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We see 2025 as the beginning of Erewhon 2.0 a wave of expansion for us, said Tony Antoci, who is chief executive. In Glendale, Erewhon will be taking over the property previously occupied by Virgil's Hardware Home Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) The Manhattan Beach store will be Erewhons first in the South Bay and is scheduled to open in March in a former Mothers Market & Kitchen at 1700 Rosecrans Ave. After that, the West Hollywood store is set to open over the summer at 8550 Santa Monica Blvd. in a space that was previously a Sprouts. The Glendale store is expected to open toward the end of the year at the site of the old Virgils Hardware Home Center at 520 N. Glendale Ave. Erewhon currently operates 10 markets, all of them in affluent areas of Los Angeles County. Its Pacific Palisades store, which survived the Palisades fire, is temporarily closed. To support the addition of three new locations and particularly the in-store cafes that have become core to Erewhons business the company recently completed a three-year buildout of a new central kitchen in Vernon, which at 65,000 square feet is five times larger than its previous one in Boyle Heights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Known as the commissary, the kitchen is where all of Erewhons TikTok-famous hot bar and tonic bar menu items buffalo cauliflower, coconut chicken tenders, kale salads and gluten-free coconut chaga brownies are prepped before being delivered to its grocery stores around 5 a.m. daily. Read more: Josephine Antoci: Erewhons viral tastemaker to the stars Unlike at traditional supermarket chains, Erewhon has cultivated a following of shoppers who visit daily to grab a prepared meal or one of its celebrity-backed $20 smoothies. The privately held company declined to share financial figures, but said its all-day cafes take up roughly 30% of floor space and serve 100,000 customers every week. In a 2021 interview with The Times, Tony Antoci said about 40% of the companys revenue came from its prepared foods and private-label products. Erewhon reportedly pulls in $1,800 to $2,500 in sales per square foot; the industry average is $500 per square foot. A customer orders from the cafe at Erewhon in Culver City in July. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) As Erewhon has increased its footprint around L.A. County, it has expanded and relocated its commissary every few years to keep up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roughly 350 of Erewhons 2,500 employees work out of the new 110,000-square-foot Vernon building. The commissary takes up more than half of the leased space and includes a bakery, juice room, pasta room, dry storage and production areas, a research and development kitchen and a training kitchen for the stores culinary managers. The rest of the building is being used as office space. Its raising the ceiling of what we can accomplish, said Tony, who called the commissary the engine of the business. That means more variety, more consistency and more innovation. Erewhon didnt start out as a premium grocer. It was founded in 1966 by Japanese immigrants Michio and Aveline Kushi, pioneers of the natural-foods macrobiotic movement who began selling imported organic goods such as brown rice, miso, soy sauce and umeboshi out of their Boston home. After the health department shut it down, the couple rented a small storefront nearby and named it Erewhon, an anagram of nowhere. Erewhon grew to three stores and a distribution facility on the East Coast, and in 1969, the company opened a location in L.A. on Beverly Boulevard. The stores changed owners several times, and eventually the East Coast side of the business was folded into another grocery chain after a period of financial and management struggles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the Antocis bought the company for an undisclosed price 14 years ago, only one store remained and its cafe offerings were cooked on site, which limited the couple's ability to open new locations. The Antocis have embraced L.A.'s culture and used it to build a cultlike devotion among A-list stars and social media influencers, who have propelled many of its products into viral sensations. Erewhon now has 10 organic grocers around Los Angeles County and a devoted fan base of well-off, wellness-minded customers. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) To build upon the buzz, Erewhon has branched out beyond selling groceries. Its fast-growing private-label line now includes Erewhon-branded apparel, bags, candles, nutritional supplements as well as bath and body products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its membership program has grown to roughly 50,000 people who pay $100 to $200 annually for special pricing, perks such as free drinks and access to its lifestyle collective, an array of discounts from resorts, workout studios, spas and athleisure brands. Erewhon owners Tony and Josephine Antoci at the Studio City store in 2021. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company recently expanded its shipping range for nonperishable items, such as a jar of sea moss gel for $88 or a logo hoodie for $185, to a total of 19 countries. But fans from around the U.S. continue to push for physical stores in other regions, which Tony Antoci said is a major focal point for us. A store in New York, he added, is absolutely on our radar. In order to do so, the company would first need to build an East Coast commissary similar to the one in Vernon, he said. For the immediate future, were focusing on Southern California. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A representative of the local Afghan Community Center reacted to an executive order by President Trump that suspends the refugee program for 90 days. Saeed Taraky of the Afghan Community Center said the order is disheartening for many who had plans to come and live in the United States. Erie International Airport set to roll out Real ID this spring The presidents executive order suspends refugee admissions to the country for 90 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, several flights of over 1,600 Afghans who have completed the legal process to come to the United States have been canceled. Im in contact with Afghans across the state and also here in Erie that there is some disappointment among the Afghans that their family members are not able to come to the United States, said Saeed Taraky, president and CEO of the Afghan Community Center. Taraky said a major concern with the executive order is children who have been separated from their families. Local communities speak out after Trump announces gender, race-related executive orders Some kids were evacuated to the United States and their parents were left behind and some parents were evacuated and their kids were left behind I think in those flights those parents and or kids were among them and now they wont be able to come here, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Afghans who have worked alongside the U.S. military, including interpreters and advisors, will feel the sting of the program suspension. Its not easy for those folks to remain in Afghanistan because the current government will not allow them because of their affiliation with the U.S. government, thats why there is disappointment, Taraky said. Taraky said he is hopeful that after the 90 days, a plan will go into effect for those impacted. We hope they will come up with a good plan and bring those kids to join their parents in the United States and bring those parents to join their kids here in the United States, he went on to say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erie Co. to begin constructing tiny homes to help alleviate homeless population Taraky said there are officially 192 Afghan families in erie and notes that they are all legal immigrants. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, believes that Ukraine can win the war with Russia with the necessary support from the European Union. Source: Kallas said this at the European Defence Agency Annual Conference, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kallas said that the European Union has already allocated 134 billion to Ukraine, including 50 billion for weapons, and the number of Ukrainian soldiers trained by EU countries will reach 75,000 by the end of January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that the EU was working on the 16th package of sanctions against Russia and said they wanted to consider more active use of Russia's frozen assets to help Ukraine. Quote: "There is absolutely no doubt that we can do more to help Ukraine. With our help, they can also win the war." More details: Kallas stressed that Vladimir Putin understands only the language of strength. The EU has strength, and the combined economy of EU member states is 17 times larger than Russia's. Kallas said that the EU must show Putin that he is losing and "stop him before he attacks one of our own". Background: Recently, Kallas said that she saw no reason to lift sanctions against Russia. She also asserted that the European Union is ready to take a leading role in helping Ukraine in the absence of US support. Support UP or become our patron! The European Commission has rejected US President Donald Trump's claims that the United States runs a trade deficit of $350 billion with the European Union. A commission spokesman said the $350-billion deficit does not exist and that the US and the EU have complementary strengths. "We have surplus in trade for goods, the US has a surplus in trade for services," he added. At a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump spoke of a US trade deficit with the EU of $350 billion and once again threatened the bloc with tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They treat us very, very badly, so they're going to be in for tariffs," Trump said, complaining that the EU does not buy cars or agricultural products. According to EU figures, however, the US exported goods worth 347.1 billion to the EU in 2023, while goods worth 503.8 billion were exported from the EU to the US. In the same year, the spokesman said, US exports of services to the EU amounted to 396.4 billion, compared to 292.4 billion the other way around. The commission spokesman said the bloc intends to work constructively wih the new US administration, but is prepared to defend its legitimate interests if necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement German member of the European Parliament Bernd Lange said he also saw a willingness to negotiate on Trump's part. To reduce the deficit in goods trade, the EU could, for example, import more liquefied natural gas, military technology and agricultural goods from the US, he said. Lange said another possibility would be to reduce import duties for US cars, which, at 10%, are significantly higher than the US rate of 2.5%. By Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas pushed back on Wednesday against Donald Trump for saying that Europe lagged behind the U.S. in aid for Ukraine, and insisted the bloc must have a seat at the table when the time comes for peace talks. Trump has said Washington contributed more to Ukraine than Europe, but Kallas said Europe was the biggest contributor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "By my account, we have given more than 134 billion euros to Ukraine. That makes us the biggest international donor," Kallas told Reuters in an interview when asked about comments by the U.S. president on Tuesday that Europe should be paying more. Kallas said it was important that Europe be including whenever talks take place to end the war triggered by Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Some European officials have voiced fears that Trump may try to do a deal directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Whatever negotiation or agreement there is between Russia and Ukraine, that also concerns Europe. So nothing about Europe without Europe is also the main thing here," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kallas expressed some optimism that the EU would find agreement to keep sanctions on Russia in place before they are due to expire at the end of the month. Hungary has so far declined to back a renewal, arguing the EU should first consult with the Trump administration on the future of Russia sanctions. "I see no reason to weaken or release the sanctions now," Kallas said. "Why I'm optimistic is that we have always finally reached the unity and have kept the unity so far, so I'm sure that we will work out this time as well, she said, referring to previous discussions on sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said EU officials were looking into what more might be done with Russian assets frozen inside the bloc. The bloc is currently using profits from the assets to aid Ukraine but has not used the assets themselves. (Reporting by Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer; Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Peter Graff) European Union top diplomat Kaja Kallas warned on Wednesday of a possible attack by Russia in the coming years, as she appealed for defence spending to be boosted. "Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test EU's readiness to defend itself in three to five years," she said, addressing the annual conference of the European Defence Agency in Brussels. "Russia is not the problem for some, but for all of us. Europeans need to wake up," she urged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow currently spends almost five times more on defence than the EU, Kallas added and called for an increase in spending. "Europe's failure to invest in military capabilities also sends a dangerous signal to the aggressor. Weakness invites them in." "We need to prepare. There's nothing that cannot be weaponized against us today," Kallas said, without giving further details on the intelligence information. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also called for drastically higher defence spending in the EU in an address to the European Parliament. "If Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed," he told EU lawmakers gathered in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He called on EU countries to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. "This is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security," said Tusk, whose country borders Russia's ally Belarus, the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, and Ukraine. According to Tusk, Poland already spends around 5% of GDP on defence. There is no set defence spending goal in the EU. Of the 27 EU countries, 23 are also members of the Western defence alliance NATO. NATO allies have pledged to spend at least 2% of economic output on defence, a target which might be increased at the next NATO summit in June. US President Donald Trump is demanding NATO allies spend 5% on defence - a level that Washington does not meet. Germany has increased its expenditure to just over 2%. BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union cannot rely on the United States to defend it and must increase military spending and security preparedness to help Ukraine and deter Russia from targeting any more of its neighbors, top EU officials warned on Wednesday. Ask not of America what it can do for our security. Ask yourselves what we can do for our own security, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU presidency, said, paraphrasing a quote from U.S. President John F. Kennedys inaugural address in 1961. In an address to EU lawmakers, Tusk urged the 27-nation bloc to take control of its own security and to identify its weaknesses. If Europe is to survive, it must be armed, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anxiety is mounting that U.S. President Donald Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavorable to Ukraine, or once again refuse to defend European allies who do not boost their military budgets. We need to believe again in our power, Tusk told the assembly, in Strasbourg, France. We are strong, we are equal to the greatest powers in the world. The only thing we have to do is believe in it. Tusk said that his country is spending close to 5% of its gross domestic product on its defense budget, more than any NATO ally including the United States. He urged his European partners to match that rate at least until Russia backs down. It is today that we need to radically increase our defense spending (but) not forever and ever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of the dangers that Russia already poses, laying out a list of acts of sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and electronic GPS jamming that she accuses Moscow of underwriting. Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test the EUs readiness to defend itself in 3 to 5 years, she said at a European Defense Agency gathering. Who else are we listening to if not to them? Kallas warned that Russias defense industry "is churning out tanks, glide bombs, and artillery shells in vast quantities. In 3 months, they can produce more weapons and more ammunition than we can in 12. She described Russia as a heavily militarised country that presents an existential threat to us all. We are running out of time. The Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, and ours. They are all buying us time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kallas noted that EU member states are spending an average of about 1.9% of GDP on their military budgets, while Russia is spending 9%. Twenty-three EU nations are also members of NATO, which encourages allies to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. Apart from leaving the worlds biggest trading bloc exposed, Kallas said, Europes failure to invest in military capabilities also sends a dangerous signal to the aggressor. Weakness invites them in. Kallas underlined that the United States is our strongest ally and must remain so. EU leaders are set to meet for an informal retreat outside Brussels on Feb. 3 for talks focused uniquely on security and defense for the first time. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is due to attend. (Bloomberg) -- German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies suggested the European Union might be in a better position if it talks with the US about potential trade tariffs instead of immediately imposing countermeasures. Most Read from Bloomberg I would say lets talk before we think about retaliation, Kukies said Wednesday in a Bloomberg TV interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. I wouldnt want talk about retaliation if there is nothing yet to retaliate to and who knows, maybe the way I understood the presidents yesterday there is also scope for discussions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the EU to buy more American oil and gas if the bloc wants to avoid tariffs. Brussels, as well as some Asian governments, are considering purchasing more energy from the worlds biggest producer of crude and exporter of liquefied natural gas. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated the idea last year that imports from the US could replace the blocs consumption of Russian LNG. Germany is already importing very, very substantial amounts of oil and gas from the United States and for us the security of supply of the transition energy is extremely important, he said. No matter how policy is formed, its always in our interest to be close to our biggest ally and to strengthen the transatlantic relationship. Trumps return to the White House comes at a difficult time for Europes largest economy, which shrank for a second consecutive year in 2024 and is unlikely to grow much in 2025. Sluggish demand in key industrial sectors, waning exports to China and high energy prices in the wake of Russias war against Ukraine hit the country hard. --With assistance from Iain Rogers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Hitachi Rail has announced the acquisition of Omnicom, a provider of rail monitoring technology, from Balfour Beatty. This move is expected to bolster Hitachi Rail's digital asset management business, known as HMAX, which integrates live data from trains and rail infrastructure into a single platform. Omnicom offers software and hardware for surveying, inspecting, and monitoring rail infrastructure, including systems for infrastructure monitoring, gauge clearance measurement, and line inspection. The acquisition will enable Hitachi Rail to offer near real-time anomaly detection on rail tracks through edge computing and machine learning (ML), enhancing maintenance planning and asset lifecycle decision-making. Omnicoms monitoring and geometry measurement solutions are being used by several customers. These systems collect trillions of bytes of images each day, assisting customers in optimising their trackside maintenance operations. Omnicom managing director Sanjay Razdan said: This acquisition strengthens Omnicoms ability to collaborate, innovate and deliver AI-enabled systems and services whilst further enhancing the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail infrastructure, building on our proven data driven solutions which help predict and prevent railway asset failures. HMAX, which was launched at InnoTrans in September 2024, utilises artificial intelligence (AI) and ML to process vast amounts of data, resulting in operational and service enhancements such as traffic optimisation and energy consumption reduction. Hitachi Rail CEO Giuseppe Marino said: This is a strategic acquisition for Hitachi Rail. Plugging Omnicoms pioneering track monitoring tools into our digital asset management platform, will further strengthen our global offer to optimise customers rail services and the surrounding infrastructure. New technological solutions such as our HMAX platform demonstrate the power of AI to enhance the performance of our railway infrastructure and systems. Recently, Hitachi Rail Honolulu Joint Venture (JV) sued Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and the City of Honolulu for at least $324m in damages over breach of contract and unjust enrichment. "Hitachi Rail acquires rail monitoring tech provider Omnicom" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election for the second time late last year, snatching key battleground states from his opponent Kamala Harriss clutches. As Trump 2.0 becomes a reality, Europe is poised to enter a new geopolitical and trade quagmire with its biggest trading partner. A bid to buy Greenland and a slew of executive orders on day one are just some examples of what Trump has in mind. The new U.S. president has promised to make his term in office the golden age of America. Thats a loaded statementespecially for countries in Europe that rely on U.S. trade. What will Trump do? Trump has repeatedly teased hiking trade tariffs by 10% to 20% (which he touts as the most beautiful word) to protect Americas domestic manufacturing industry. But that will make European goods more expensive and less appealing to American buyers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his first term in office, Trump imposed tariffs on European aluminum and steel. While President Joe Biden subsequently suspended the tariffs, they havent been scrapped yet. Tariffs are just the tip of the iceberg. Trump has spoken about jacking up tariffs on China by up to 60%a measure that the European Union has recently resorted to in the electric vehicle industry to limit cheap Chinese vehicles flooding its market. But if the U.S. follows through with its hefty levies on China, it could prompt a full-fledged trade war. In his first term, Trump was obsessed with the U.S. trade deficit with the EU. In his view, this is no different (other than being smaller) to the U.S. concerns about its trade deficit with China, Zach Meyers, assistant director of the Center for European Reform, told Fortune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, the U.S. trade deficit with China was $367.4 billion, while with the EU, it was $131.3 billion. Tariffs could hit Germany, Europes biggest economy and an automotive trading hub, especially hard, with its GDP sliding as much as 1.5% in the next few years. If the U.S. applies more tariffs on China, that risks a larger volume of Chinese exports being dumped in Europe. In turn, that could force the EU to follow the U.S. in increasing tariffs in order to protect European industry, raising the risks of an all-out trade war with China, said Meyers. Under a Trump-led America, Europes focus should be to strike a good deal that exempts its goods from being charged. But thats easier said than done, Meyers points out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump sympathizers like Viktor Orban in Hungary and Giorgia Meloni in Italy will break ranks and secure deals for their own countries, leaving the rest of the EU out in the cold. Will Trump embolden right-wing Europe? The pro-Trump club and its right-ward push is yet another cause for concern in Europe. Recent elections in the region have already shown the growing power of right-wing leaders, including in The Netherlands and Hungary. The likes of Orban, who posted on Facebook in November celebrating Trumps road to a beautiful victory, have supported the Republican candidate and have taken a page from his book on foreign affairs. Trump becoming Americas president could make right political forces feel emboldened, Steven Blockmans, an associate senior research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies, told Fortune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They'll feel strengthened. They will have more appeal, I suppose. There are very strong streaks of autocracy in Trumps approach, Blockmans said, cautioning that other factors also influence the popularity of Europes political figureheads beyond the influence from across the Atlantic. How Trump addresses the Russia-Ukraine war could also add to Europes litany of problems. He has previously blamed Ukraine for starting the war, vowed to stop funding its defense efforts, and has also promised to put an end to it in a single day. Russian President Vladimir Putin sees Trumps win as a chance to reset the countrys relations with the U.S. That could either end well for Europe as it continues to lean on Americas defense guarantees or turn awry as it fights to secure its borders with limited support from its transatlantic pal. Either way, a Trump presidency will not be a walk in the park for Europebut just how thorny the path is remains to be seen. A version of this story originally published on Fortune.com on November 6, 2024. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe should welcome rather than rebuff U.S. President Donald Trump's call for other NATO members to ramp up their military spending, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, stressing the importance of security to the continent. Trump has said members of the military alliance should spend 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently achieves. This demand, repeated on Monday as he took office, is a reminder of the focus he put on NATO spending during his first term - and his threats not to protect allies who fail to spend enough. Officials from NATO countries have not endorsed the 5% target. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We shouldn't be irritated. We shouldn't be appalled," Tusk told lawmakers of the European Parliament. "Some think it's extravagant or it is a brutal or malicious warning." Tusk, whose country has the six-month rotating EU presidency now, said a "time of comfort" was over as the new U.S. president was saying Europe needed to bear a greater share of responsibility for its own security. "Only an ally can wish another ally to get stronger. This is not what an opponent of Europe would say," Tusk said. Poland spends the most among NATO members as a proportion of its GDP at a NATO-estimated 4.1% in 2024, while eight of the military and political alliance's 32 members spend less than 2%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I would like to tell you that this is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security," Tusk told the EU assembly. Tusk echoed the view of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the former prime minister of Estonia, that Russia poses an existential threat to EU security and that the only way to address this was to increase defence spending. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Hugh Lawson) The European Union will provide Ukraine with 35 billion in financial assistance through the G7 ERA loan initiative and the Ukraine Facility in 2025. Source: Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Trade, on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Dombrovskis emphasised that Ukraine will receive 35 billion in financial aid from the EU in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The EU is delivering financial support through the G7 ERA loan initiative and the Ukraine Facility, with 35bn for 2025," Dombrovskis stated following a meeting with Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko in Davos. Great to meet with @Svyrydenko_Y, Ukraines First Deputy PM, at #Davos2025. We discussed enlargement and steps to bring closer to the EUs Single Market. The EU is delivering financial support through the G7 ERA loan initiative and the Ukraine Facility, with 35bn for 2025. pic.twitter.com/iHQpg6kl1I Valdis Dombrovskis (@VDombrovskis) January 22, 2025 Dombrovskis also noted that he and Svyrydenko "discussed enlargement and steps to bring Ukraine closer to the EUs Single Market". Background: Svyrydenko mentioned that Ukraine is set to receive 12.5 billion from the EU in 2025 under the Ukraine Facility programme. The G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative is funded through frozen Russian assets. Ukraine has received the first tranche of 3 billion from the amount allocated by the European Union for a joint loan from the G7 to Ukraine. The total amount to be provided by the EU under the G7 loan is about 18 billion. Support UP or become our patron! Evans' goal late in the third period completes Canadiens' rally past Lightning in 3-2 victory Montreal Canadiens' Kirby Dach takes a stick to the face from Tampa Bay Lightning's Nick Perbix as he moves in on Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Montreal, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP) MONTREAL (AP) Jake Evans scored the winning goal with 2:15 remaining to rally the Montreal Canadiens past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday night. Evans finished a feed from Joel Armia to break the tie with his 11th goal. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook also scored, and Sam Montembeault stopped 33 shots to help Montreal win for the 13th time in 17 games. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson extended his points streak to nine games. Patrik Laine added two assists. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel scored for Tampa Bay, which opened a four-game road trip with a 5-3 loss to Toronto on Monday. Kucherov pushed his points streak to 10 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves. Kucherov slid the puck past Montembeault to open the scoring at 14:40 of the first period. Guentzel gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead 2:45 into the second. But the Canadiens scored twice in under two minutes to get back in it. Slafkovsky beat Vasilevskiy from a sharp angle for a power-play goal at 5:32 before Laine set up Newhook for a one-timer in the slot at 7:21. Takeaways Canadiens: Comebacks are becoming a trend in Montreals hot stretch. The Canadiens trailed four times Sunday against the New York Rangers, but rallied each time and won 5-4 in overtime. Lightning: Road woes continued for Tampa, which has lost seven of its last eight away from home.' Key moment Montembeault denied Michael Eyssimont twice on the doorstep to prevent Tampa from taking the lead with 3:43 left. Key stat Kucherov has points in 10 straight games for the 11th time in his career. The former Hart Trophy winner has five goals and 11 assists during his current streak. Up next Lightning: Continue a four-game road trip Friday in Chicago against the Blackhawks. Canadiens: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. ___ AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL After Roe v. Wade was overturned, LaDonna Prince decided to move her abortion clinic from Indiana, where abortion became banned, to a town just over the border in Illinois, where abortion is legal. Illinois has become a key access point for people who have to travel to get an abortion; it has welcomed more out-of-state patients than any other state, according to one estimate. The new location of Affirmative Care Solutions in Danville is just about an hour from where it was before. Prince said she chose the location to keep the commute manageable for her staff and as convenient as possible for patients facing new barriers to care. But Prince said she encountered a surprising new reality for abortion clinics: The local community can significantly affect how providers deliver care, even in states where abortion is legal and protected and providers are beholden to their neighbors in ways that go beyond the direct letter of the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abortion providers say that hostility from the local government and community members have made it nearly impossible to get the new clinic up and running. Voters in Danville lean more red compared with the state overall. In May 2023 months after work on the new clinic began the Danville City Council approved an anti-abortion ordinance with a supporting vote from the mayor. State law supersedes local policy, so the ordinance cant be enforced, but to Prince, the animosity came through loud and clear. A string of setbacks have delayed the opening of the new clinic indefinitely. Some local contractors have backed out of work at the new clinic location in Danville because they dont support abortion rights, Prince said. It has taken nearly a year to find a plumber willing to provide services. And a violent attack in which a local man crashed his car into the building and tried to set it on fire caused about a half-million dollars in damage. Its not necessarily just a statewide welcome mat, Prince said of the conflict in state laws and local reception at a webinar last month. It doesnt matter if you go into a state where abortion is still legal and welcomed. It just depends on whats going on in that community. Nearly a year after work began, the Affirmative Care Solutions clinic in Danville, Illinois, has not yet opened. - Courtesy LaDonna Prince CNN reached out to local leaders in Danville to understand the intent behind the 2023 ordinance and the rights that an abortion clinic can expect as a business in the city but did not get a response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the 2 years since the US Supreme Courts Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to an abortion, abortion has been banned in more than a dozen states and heavily restricted in others. At least 76 independent abortion clinics have closed in that time, according to a recent report from the Abortion Care Network but nearly half of those closures have been in states where abortion is still legal, including three in Illinois. In states where abortion remains legal, medically unnecessary restrictions, financial barriers, and the constant threat of anti-abortion extremism make it challenging for clinics to keep their doors open, says the report from the Abortion Care Network, a national association for independent abortion clinics and supporters. The Dobbs decision left abortion policy up to the states, but a clinics community can significantly affect how well providers can deliver care and patients ability to access it, experts say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local support has always been important to abortion access. Post-Dobbs, this support has only become more important as the political and access landscape is constantly shifting, Brittany Fonteno, president and chief executive officer of the National Abortion Federation, a professional group of providers, said in an email. Even where abortion is legal, clinics are in need of support and protection from systemic issues that impede their operations, such as violence and protests from anti-abortion extremists, criminalization of providers and patients, and budget constraints to name a few. Days after the Dobbs decision was handed down in June 2022, City Hall in Beverly Hills, California, lit up pink to protest the decision. The City Council had also just unanimously passed a resolution marking its commitment to abortion rights. The prominent displays of support from an easily accessible community in one of the countrys largest metropolitan areas in one of the most protective states were welcoming signs for Dr. Matthew Reeves. The founder of DuPont Clinic an all-trimester abortion clinic that has operated in Washington, DC, for about seven years was interested in expanding the practices reach to more patients post-Dobbs, and Beverly Hills seemed like the next logical place, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really came down to where we could find a good location in a place that was willing to rent to us and what we thought was a friendly local government, he said. But we were wrong. After anti-abortion activists protests at the new clinics site and at city council meetings, the local government failed to defend the new clinic and interfered with community relationships instead, clinic leadership says. The Beverly Hills City Council threatened to send a letter to all tenants of the building where the new clinic had planned to open, warning them that they would be at risk of violence with an abortion clinic as their neighbor, the California attorney general said in a news release in October. And the DuPont clinics new landlord, who had previously been supportive, ultimately rescinded the lease. The clinic sued the city and its landlord, but progress on the construction has stalled, and there are no immediate plans to continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attorney generals news release also said that states Department of Justice found that the city of Beverly Hills unlawfully interfered with DuPonts opening by improperly delaying the issuance of building permits and actively engaged in a pressure campaign against the property owner. The City of Beverly Hills moved to dismiss the majority of DuPont Clinics claims, and last month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge upheld that motion. We are pleased that the Court has vindicated the Citys position through a neutral evaluation of the evidence, Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman said in a statement. As the City has indicated time and again, it vigorously supports a womans right to choose and the decision to rescind DuPont Clinics lease was not made by the City of Beverly Hills. We welcome future medical facilities that offer complete reproductive health services to Beverly Hills. An examination room is seen inside the Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia. - Courtesy Feminist Women's Health Center The right to an abortion is determined at the state level, but local policies and neighborhood rules such as control over required permits, zoning laws and noise ordinances can indirectly affect the ability to provide and access that right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, municipalities across this country have used permitting power and governmental pressure campaigns to quietly prevent clinics from opening and thus limiting abortion access, even in California, which holds itself up as an abortion access state, DuPont Clinic said in a statement in November. For these reasons, abortion clinic leaders say that local law enforcement can be one of the most important community allies, potentially bolstering safe and legal access in states that have more restrictive laws. Georgia restricts abortion past the sixth week of pregnancy, which has severely limited access to abortion care in the state. Kwajelyn Jackson, the executive director of Feminist Womens Health Center in Atlanta, knows that even the most progressive community cant override state law but she can build on the support she has from her neighbors and local government to help make it as easy as possible within the boundaries that exist. Four independent abortion clinics in Georgia have closed since 2022, but Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta remains open. - Courtesy Feminist Women's Health Center The thing youre mad about, the thing that you want to shake your fist at, theres likely a person or a body or an agency that is in charge of that, and it may not be the people you think, Jackson said. If we are concerned about the protesters using microphones and speaker systems, what is the noise ordinance? Who are the people who enforce that, and who do we need to talk to to make sure that we understand exactly whats required for us to protect our block? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concerted efforts from Jacksons clinic and other organizations also encouraged the city of Atlanta to develop a reproductive justice fund to help support local residents seeking abortion. I think that is a demonstration from the city that reproductive health care is important to residents of the city of Atlanta, Jackson said. And they felt enough confidence to help to support financially, putting dollars towards supporting peoples ability to get care. Atlanta is one of at least 16 metropolitan areas that had allocated municipal funding for abortion, according to data tracked by the National Institute for Reproductive Health. The nonprofit organization also scores a set of US cities and counties on their local policies on reproductive health; only 14 out of 50 municipalities scored at least three out of five stars, according to the 2023 report. As the abortion landscape in the US continues to shift, patients are often traveling farther and delaying care longer. The increased demands on the clinics that remain open make the interactions with stakeholders at every level that much more intense, providers say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just want the city officials to just provide us with the support that they would provide any other business owner. Were not asking for any special treatment, said Prince, whose clinic in Indiana has closed. She said the challenges have made her more determined to provide care. But more than a year and a half since she started the process, the Illinois clinic still hasnt opened. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A Kern Valley High teacher asked a student to stay behind after class for reasons that had nothing to do with her schooling. Christopher David Renaudo admitted last year to engaging in sex acts with and sending sexually explicit messages to the underage girl. He was sentenced Tuesday to 16 months in custody and lifetime sex offender registration. Ridgecrest Police Dept. attempts to locate wanted rape suspect Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Renaudo, 29, pleaded no contest to two felony counts; three others were dismissed. He was arrested in April after the victim reported he sexually assaulted her on three occasions after asking her to stay late, according to court documents. The teen said the incidents took place months earlier. She told sheriffs investigators she didnt immediately come forward because she was concerned about Renaudo losing his job and family. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage He was married with a child. Renaudo at first denied wrongdoing when questioned about the allegations. Investigators confronted him with messages and a video sent from his account, and he admitted to the crimes, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 News. By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) - One of the world's biggest global health funders will ask the private sector for a steep increase in donations as concern of a shortfall in government contributions grows following a U.S. decision to exit the World Health Organization. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria told Reuters it will ask for almost 50% more money from private entities, including philanthropic organisations and companies, for a total of $2 billion, when it launches a new funding round later this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Executive Director Peter Sands said the plan, due to be announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was already in place before the U.S. election in November. International aid groups are grappling with a tight fiscal climate globally, as well as increasing demand for their work, from coping with conflict to responding to climate change, he said. The fund is "raising the bar on what we want to achieve with private sector donors," Sands said in an interview this week. In its last funding round, the Global Fund raised $15.7 billion for its work over three years. That included $1.3 billion from the private sector, including philanthropic groups like the Gates Foundation and companies such as mining giant Anglo American and Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. The Fund will announce the total amount of money it is seeking for the next period of work, 2027-2029, later this year. US RETREAT SENDS SHOCKWAVES Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. is historically the Fund's biggest donor, pledging $6 billion to the last funding round. The countrys contributions during Trump's first term as president from 2016-2020 were similar to previous administrations. Trump was inaugurated for the second time on Monday, and swiftly moved to exit the WHO and freeze international aid, sending shockwaves around the global health community worldwide. Its unfortunate that it has come to this point, said Sands, saying the US had an extraordinary record in global health alongside the WHOs role critical role in setting guidance and norms. We need to keep the focus on the human impact, and particularly on the impact on the health of the poorest and most marginalised. The Global Fund gives grants directly to organisations working in disease-hit regions to curb the spread of illness and improve health systems. The WHO focuses on global co-ordination to track and contain epidemics, responding to emergencies and promoting health and universal health care internationally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of other global health organizations are also looking to raise money this year, including the vaccine group Gavi, which is seeking $9 billion to help support childhood immunization in the world's poorest countries. In board documents released in December, it too warned of the increasing risk of missing its targets due to government shortfalls, citing the slowing global economy, wars, competing aid priorities, and elections in many donor countries. Gavi also plans to set up a private sector investors group this year and focus on diversifying its funding sources, the documents showed. "Gavi never takes support from donors for granted," she said, saying they were aware of the conflicting issues facing governments. The U.S. is also one of Gavis biggest donors, alongside the United Kingdom and the Gates Foundation. Gavi works with the WHO to support countries vaccination programmes. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby, editing by Michele Gershberg and Christina Fincher) By Arpan Chaturvedi, Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil NEW DELHI (Reuters) - OpenAI has told an Indian court that any order to remove training data powering its ChatGPT service would be inconsistent with its legal obligations in the United States, according to a recent filing seen by Reuters. The Microsoft-backed AI firm also said that it was not within the jurisdiction of Indian courts to hear a copyright breach case brought by local news agency ANI as OpenAI had no presence in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the most high-profile and closely-tracked lawsuit on AI use in India, ANI sued OpenAI in Delhi in November, accusing it of using the news agency's published content without permission to train ChatGPT. OpenAI responded to the lawsuit, which is also seeking the deletion of ANI's data already stored by ChatGPT, in an 86-page filing at the Delhi High Court dated Jan. 10 which has not previously been reported. OpenAI and other firms have faced a wave of similar lawsuits from prominent copyright owners over alleged misuse of their work to train AI models, including a case brought by the New York Times against OpenAI in the United States. OpenAI has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying its AI systems make fair use of publicly available data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a November hearing, OpenAI told the Delhi court it would not use ANI's content anymore but the news agency argued its published works were stored in ChatGPT's memory and should be deleted. In the Jan. 10 submission, OpenAI said that it is currently defending litigation in the United States concerning the data on which its models have been trained, with laws there requiring it to preserve the data while hearings are pending. OpenAI "is therefore under a legal obligation, under the laws of the United States to preserve, and not delete, the said training data", it said. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its submission, OpenAI also said the relief being claimed by ANI was not subject to the processes of Indian courts and was beyond their jurisdiction. The company has "no office or permanent establishment in India ... the servers on which (ChatGPT) stores its training data are similarly situated outside of India". ANI, in which Reuters holds a 26% interest, in a statement said that it believes the Delhi court has jurisdiction to decide on the matter, and it would file a detailed response. A Reuters spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment but the agency in November said it was not involved in ANI's business practices or operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New Delhi court is due to hear the case on Jan. 28. OpenAI has been gearing up to transition from a non-profit enterprise into a for-profit business as it looks to capture even more funding to stay ahead in the costly AI race after raising $6.6 billion last year. In recent months, it has signed deals with Time magazine, the Financial Times, Business Insider-owner Axel Springer, France's Le Monde and Spain's Prisa Media to display content. ANI has also said it is concerned about unfair competition given OpenAI's commercial partnerships with other news organisations, and has told the court that in response to user prompts, ChatGPT reproduced verbatim or substantially similar extracts of ANI's works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its rebuttal submission, OpenAI argues that ANI "has sought to use verbatim extracts of its own article as a prompt, in an attempt to manipulate ChatGPT". (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Well before President Donald Trump returned to office, his supporters boasted that he would start the second term with a flurry of executive actions. The new president exceeded expectations with an avalanche of pardons, orders, and edicts on matters great and small. Some should be welcomed by anybody hoping for more respect for liberty by government employees. Others extend state power in ways that are worrisome or even illegitimate. All continue the troubling trend over the course of decades and administrations from both parties for the president to assume the role of an elected monarch. From an Interoffice Memo to 'Shock and Awe' "When President Trump takes office next Monday, there is going to be shock and awe with executive orders," Sen. John Barrasso (RWyo.) predicted last week. The president signed some of those orders as he bantered in the Oval Office with members of the press, engaging in more interaction than we saw from his predecessor over months. Wide-ranging in their scope, Trump's orders "encompassed sweeping moves to reimagine the country's relationship with immigration, its economy, global health, the environment and even gender roles," noted USA Today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Executive orders, which made up the bulk of Trump's actions (he also pardoned and commuted the sentences of participants in the January 6 Capitol riot), are basically interoffice memos from the boss to executive branch agencies. "The President of the United States manages the operations of the Executive branch of Government through Executive orders," according to the Office of the Federal Register of the National Archives and Records Administration. That doesn't sound like muchand at first, it wasn't. Executive orders as we know them evolved into their modern form from notes and directives sent by the president to members of the cabinet and other executive branch officials. Nobody tried to catalog them until 1907. But because executive branch officials interpret and enforce thickets of laws and administrative rules under which we try to live, guidance from the boss is powerful. Interpreted one way, a rule regulating unfinished gun parts leaves people free to pursue their hobbies; interpreted another, and those owning the parts are suddenly felons. The president can push interpretations either way. They Can Be Used Correctly, or Abusively So, some of Trump's executive orders are very welcome, indeed, for those of us horrified by federal agencies pushing the boundaries of their power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end," Trump said in his inaugural address regarding an order intended to punish politically motivated use of government power. "I also will sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America," he added of another. If a president wants to use the power of office to tell federal minions to mind their manners and respect individual rights, nobody should object. But other orders seek to exercise power beyond the boundaries of presidential authorityor even the power of the federal government. One executive order purports to redefine birthright citizenship so as to exclude those who are born to parents illegally, or legally but temporarily, in the United States. "This is blatantly unconstitutional," argues George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin, since the 14th Amendment "grants citizenship to anyone 'born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.' There is no exception for children of illegal migrants." The issue has also been addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which found that the provision applies to anybody subject to American lawbasically, all non-diplomats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Likewise, writes Somin, Trump's plan to invoke the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants who commit crimes runs afoul of the fact that the U.S. is "not in a 'declared war' with any foreign nation." These issues will be hashed out in courtthe ACLU has already filed suit over the birthright citizenship order. But flaws in these ideas could have been exposed during congressional testimony and debate. It's especially difficult to justify many of these orders given that Republicans hold the majority in both houses of Congress. But even if the legislature was divided or controlled by Democrats, the federal government consists of three branches intended to slow action and encourage deliberation. Not that Donald Trump invented the vice of unilateral presidential dictates. Executive Actions and an Empowered Presidency "If it seems as if more recent presidents have had more power than even Washington or Lincoln, it's not an illusion," Harvard Law School's Erin Peterson wrote in 2019. "The last three presidents in particular have strengthened the powers of the office through an array of strategies. One approach that attracts particular attentionbecause it allows a president to act unilaterally, rather than work closely with Congressis the issuing of executive orders." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peterson addressed concerns about Trump's actions during his first term. But President Joe Biden, who took office in 2021, was told to "ease up on the executive actions, Joe" by even the sympathetic editors of The New York Times after a flurry of executive orders that set a new record up to that point. "These directives," the Times editors wrote "are a flawed substitute for legislation." Sympathetic to his policies, they pointed out the orders could be reversed by a future executive. Inevitably, and understandably, many of Trump's actions upon assuming office for the second time have involved reversing Biden's orderssome of which had themselves nullified Trump's first-term actions. It's a battle of government by decree with the advantage going to whoever currently holds the presidency and a pen. "That turns the Constitution on its head," Gene Healy observed in his recently revised book, The Cult of the Presidency. "The Framers erected significant barriers to the passage of legislation in an attempt to curb 'the facility and excess of lawmaking'.But when the executive branch makes the law, those constitutional hurdles then obstruct legislative efforts to repeal it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Note that just last year, 74 percent of respondents to a Pew Research poll said, "it would be too risky to give presidents more power to deal directly with many of the nation's problems." Over 70 percent of both Democrats and Republicans agreed. Executive actions are all about unconstrained power. Trump is on firm and even welcome ground when he uses his presidential power to rein in executive agencies and undo the excesses of his predecessor. But making policy and passing laws is supposed to be difficult and should be left to the messy channels established by the Constitution. The post With Executive Order Avalanche, Trump Continues Trend Toward a Monarchical Presidency appeared first on Reason.com. By Divya Chowdhury and Rocky Swift DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Japanese companies remain bullish about investing in the United States but need to prepare for supply chain shocks that could arise during Donald Trump's presidency, the chief executive of drinks giant Suntory Holdings said on Wednesday. Takeshi Niinami, who also heads one of Japan's biggest business lobbies, said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Davos meeting that it is important for firms to show that their investments will create jobs in the U.S.. A survey last week showed that most Japanese firms operating in the United States are bracing for new tariffs. "Tariff imposing by the Trump administration would create huge, unexpected changes in the supply chain landscape," Niinami told the Reuters Global Markets Forum. "Japanese companies have to be agile to respond to any change," he added. Japan maintains a sizable trade surplus with the U.S., a sore point for Trump, but that friction may ease as the Asian nation bulks up its military through purchases of American-made weapons, he said. Niinami, 65, is one of Japan's most influential executives, serving as chair of the Keizai Doyukai business lobby and as an economic adviser to prime ministers. In 2014, he became the first non-founding family member to lead century-old Suntory, engineering a $16 billion takeover of U.S. spirits maker Beam that year. He will cede the role of president to Nobuhiro Torii, the great-grandson of Suntory's founder, in March while remaining CEO. Niinami held out hope that Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel could be revived after the deal was blocked by then President Joe Biden earlier this month. Nippon Steel has sued to overturn Biden's decision. If the Japanese firm can make the case that the companies would be stronger together against China and can revitalise U.S. industry, that may sway the case, Niinami said. As for his own company, Suntory is reconsidering investments in China due to a lack of positive signs in the market, but it is eager to grow in India through local partnerships and manufacturing. "We want to be somebody in India," he said. (Join GMF, a chat room hosted on LSEG Messenger, for live interviews: https://lseg.group/4ajdDTy) (This story has been refiled to remove the extraneous word 'former' in paragraph 7) (Reporting by Divya Chowdhury in Davos and Rocky Swift in Tokyo; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signed an estimated 200 executive orders, relating to diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, citizenship, and the economy. Although the sheer amount of orders may leave some Americans feeling overwhelmed and confused, understanding what the orders are and what power Trump holds as president may help citizens feel better informed. Political hot topic: What to know about pardons, commutation and clemency Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Bureau of Justice Administration explains that Executive Orders are official documents that the President of the United States uses to manage the operation of the federal government. The president has the authority to issue executive orders under the first section of Article II of the U.S. Constitution, however, that article also includes some potential limitations. Sections 3 and 4 of Article II provide potential limitations on executive action (including Executive Orders) in stating that the President shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed and in providing for impeachment and removal of the President in cases where the President is convicted of Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors, the American Bar Association explains. Executive orders can be revoked by a president and can also be overturned by Congress passing a law that invalidates the legislation, according to the Isaacs Law Firm. Although the president could veto that legislation, congress could then override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. Additionally, the judiciary branch of the government is also able to stay enforcement or overturn an executive order if it is beyond the presidents constitutional authority. One such example of this that has some citizens concerned is Trumps executive order to overturn birthright citizenship. Since the order was signed, attorneys general from at least 22 states have filed lawsuits to challenge that executive order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How social media is used in police investigations: Lawyer explains Although Trump did not break the record of the most executive orders signed, he did break the record for the most signed on his first day in office, according to ABC News. The American President Project reports that the president who signed the most executive orders in a single term was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed 3,721 during the 12 years he was in office. In this weeks Ask Isaacs, 6 News Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs break down what executive orders are and what citizens should know. If you have a legal question, send it to AskIsaacs@wate.com. To watch full episodes of Ask Isaacs, click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WATEs Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs answer your legal questions from the WATE Alert Desk on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. and on WATE Channel 6 at 5:30 p.m. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) With antisemitism on the rise in the U.S., a powerful new exhibit is scheduled to open here in New York on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in two weeks. For the first time in this country, visitors will be able to visit a full-scale recreation of the annex where Anne Frank and her family hid from the nazis during World War II. More Local News Anne Frank was a teenage girl who became a symbol of resilience and strength during the holocaust. She died in a concentration camp, but her writings inspired one of the most translated books in the world. Her legacy is about to live on in an exhibit at the Center of Jewish History in Union Square. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers say the exhibition is a beacon of remembrancea beacon of education, and a beacon of awareness. At the Center for Jewish History in Union Square, visitors will be able to walk through a full-scale recreation of the annex where Anne Frank and her family hid from the nazis in Amsterdam for two years. Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House, said, An exhibition like this serves as a powerful reminder of confronting hate through education and understanding. Honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day and commemorating the 80th observance of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, the exhibit will immerse visitors in a place in history through video, photos, and more than 100 original items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Leopold says, The recreated hiding place offers an intimate glimpse into Annes life, the world, and her legacy. With this new exhibition, the Anne Frank House seeks to expand its reach and educational impact during a rising antisemitism. Three hundred and fifty schools have already committed to visiting, and organizers hope to reach 250,000 students during the exhibits run. Doyle Stevick, executive director of the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina, helped develop the exhibits educational program. Our job with the curriculum is to ensure that kids, if theyre not already interested in Anne Frank, that there are universal themes in this exhibit that everyones interested in. Leopold says, When students learn to identify hate, they learn to confront it with empathy and critical thinking. They will become part of the solution. They gain the tools to build bridges. Organizers say this exhibit is about the past and whats happening now. The Anne Frank exhibit opens on January 27 and will run until April 30. 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 PIX11. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Many people across the country are trying to help those affected by the fires in California. However, when tragedy happens, scammers will often try to take advantage of people who are looking to donate. Scott Correia, a regional manager for BankFive, told 12 News people should look out for warning signs when sending financial donations. Always remember that legitimate charities will give you the time to do your research, he said, explaining that reliable organizations will not pressure you to donate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Correia warned that people have lost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars by donating to fake charities. Does anything look like its not coming from a legitimate company? Those are some things that you want to look out for, he said. READ NEXT: 12 Responds helps woman get money back after wallet theft Anyone who believes they have fallen victim to fraud should take action right away, according to Correia. The first thing you want to do is report the fraud to your local bank, he said. You always want to dispute the charge, and then freeze your card or account or whichever payment method that you used. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. When Boston's Muddy River was recently flooded with crude oil, rescuers jumped into action, news station GBH reported. One of their most urgent priorities was saving the ducks and geese that had been covered in oil. "These ducks are not flying because what's happened is the oil has broken their natural waterproofing. And so not only are they covered in oil, but they're also saturated with water," said Zak Mertz, CEO of animal rescue organization New England Wildlife Center. "They probably are not thermoregulating well, meaning that it's cold out tonight without that air trapped against their body from the feathers, a night like this could be deadly to them." Fortunately for these ducks and geese, Mertz's dedicated team had already rescued dozens of individuals. And even though others remained skittish, the rescuers were diligent, using kayaks and nets to herd even the most cautious birds to safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They're going to get him in a bin, get him off the island, and then we'll get him into a warm, warm car where they'll be shuttled back to our hospital in just a little bit," Mertz explained after a successful rescue. While the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection hasn't identified the source of the spill, it estimated that approximately 100 gallons of oil had entered the river. Teams installed barriers at several points along the river to absorb the oil and prevent it from flowing further downstream. Morgan Arsenault, an environmental analyst with the DEP, told GBH that the oil is "somewhere under the ground right now. And we are currently trying to figure out where it is." Her guess was that a corroded home heating oil tank was the culprit. But since it may have been miles away from the river itself, she explained, it would take a good deal of sleuthing to find and fix. Lisa Kumpf, the river restoration program manager for the Charles River Watershed Association, told GBH that while this was an isolated incident, it's hardly the first issue in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Muddy River is actually the most polluted above-ground tributary or stream that flows into the Charles River," she explained. "The health of this river is absolutely a problem. This is a major recreational resource for so many people in Boston and Brookline, and what we need to do is take this watershed-wide view." Kumpf mentioned possible strategies such as updating stormwater infrastructure and further investigating sources of pollution in the six-square-mile watershed. But in the short term, Mertz said, the wildlife center would ensure that all the avian inhabitants of the river were well cared for, estimating that it would take about three weeks to return them safely home. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "My guess is we'll probably be out here for a few more days as we work our way through, from the most critical to the ones that are just mildly oiled," he said. 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. In recent months, there has been a slew of claims that electric vehicles' use of mineral mining causes more harm to the environment than traditional carbon-releasing cars. But is that true? British right-wing politician Nigel Farage wrote of electric vehicles' "strain" on the environment that comes from mineral mining. However, EV mythbusters, a series of articles put out by the Guardian, relies on a scientific foundation for weighing in on claims such as these. The claim that mineral mining is worse for the environment as it depletes more mineral resources than combustion-based cars was debunked by science. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The International Energy Agency estimated that electric cars use 381 pounds more of minerals such as lithium, nickel, and copper compared to internal combustion engine cars. However, scientists found that the mineral use for electric cars in the long run is actually far lower than gasoline and diesel's mineral usage when accounting for oil needed for fuel-burning cars. Experts also describe another important factor that most are missing when addressing mineral usage of electric cars: The majority of battery minerals used in cars are likely to be recycled. This will drastically reduce the wasted material, compared with dirty energy sources, which are used up and create planet-warming pollution in the process. David Bott at the Society of Chemical Industry told the Guardian: "The real thing people forget is once it has been mined, you will end up being able to reuse 80-90% of the metals. You don't have to go back to the planet to steal more minerals." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In contrast, with gasoline and diesel, those resources must be constantly replenished and burned into the air we breathe and eventually the atmosphere, where they can contribute to trapping heat. That constant stream of carbon pollutants produced by gas-powered cars is taking a large toll on the environment. EVs are seen as a solution due to their expanding prevalence that is reducing air pollution throughout the world. Skeptics of EVs, however, are quick to point out the damage that mineral mining has on the environment as a reason why EVs are not worth an investment. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Mark Dummett, the head of business and human rights at Amnesty International, spoke to the Guardian about the claims: "These problems have always existed in mining. I strongly believe that this problem has been exaggerated hugely by opponents of the energy transition, the fossil fuel lobby." Other experts emphasize that the carbon alternative to EVs will not mean less mineral mining. Instead, it will mean mineral mining along with harmful carbon pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Caspar Rawles, the chief data officer at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, told the Guardian, "It always makes me laugh. OK, the mining of EV [materials] is harmful. Where do you think your car now comes from?" Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) An explosive early Tuesday morning fire led to multiple house floats and boats being engulfed in flames at a Garrard County marina. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Emergency officials reported that, at 12:13 a.m., Camp Dick Fire & Rescue was dispatched to Homestead Marina to address a large fire. At the scene, units said multiple house floats and boats were swallowed in fire and multiple explosions were heard coming from inside the inferno. Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Marina fire damage (Garrard County Emergency Management) Multiple surrounding departments were called for assistance, according to emergency officials. Putting out the fire took nearly three hours due to the frigid temperatures and the prevalence of snow and ice at the marina. Multiple apparatus and resources were used during the struggle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No injuries were reported to first responders or property owners after the flames were eventually extinguished, according to Garrard County Emergency Management. 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. POTTSVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A man is facing multiple charges after police say he destroyed two homes with the use of Molotov cocktails. According to the Pottsville Bureau of Police, 36-year-old Tyrie Dunn has been charged for his role in starting a fire that destroyed a duplex, of which one unit was vacant and the other where his son lived. On January 17, crews were called to the 600 block of North 2nd Street for a reported house fire just after 6:00 a.m. On scene, officials said the fire started at one home and later spread to another residence on the block. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities stated multiple people were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and four people were displaced. An investigation into the fire was conducted and police said they learned through camera footage that a man, later identified as Dunn, threw two Molotov cocktails, one of which landed near the front door of one unit while the second hit a utility wire and landed in the street. House fire battle in freezing temperatures Dunns son was inside the building at the time and suffered broken bones and minor burns after jumping from a second-story window to escape the house, as stated in the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives say they were able to identify Dunn as a suspect after they discovered a pair of Starbucks Frappuccino bottles at the scene leading to a review of surveillance footage from Sheetz that showed Dunn walking out of the store with two Starbucks Frappuccinos. Police say they were able to review text messages sent by Dunn that indicated he believed his son and another person, who was also injured in the fire, had stolen money from him. Dunn is charged with aggravated arson, arson, causing a catastrophe, and aggravated assault. Dunn was recently charged in the investigation of a shooting incident at a Walmart in Saint Clair last year. Those charges alleged that Dunn jumped another man in an aisle of the store before that man fired a gunshot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 PAhomepage.com. OLATHE, Kan. School districts across the Kansas City metro closed or delayed school Tuesday due to bitterly cold temperatures. While some districts canceled school Tuesday, like Independence, others in Johnson County, Kansas used a delayed start plan for the first time. Students arrived at Ridgeview Elementary, and all Olathe public schools, two hours later than usual Tuesday, but they were not marked tardy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Olathe School District had a two-hour delayed start due to cold temperatures. Independence Fire Department puts out fire after hydrant freezes Its a new plan implemented this year. The district said this is the first time theyve put it into action. The district said a new three-tiered bus schedule makes it possible. In a statement to FOX4, the district said the safety of our students and staff is our first priority. Olathe Public Schools takes cancellations and delays very seriously. Kansas City, Kansas, Blue Valley, Spring Hill and Park Hill school districts also utilized a two-hour delayed start schedule Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All said they consider safety factors like temperature and wind chill. And it was right on that edge where kids can start to have frostbite within 10-15 minutes, Independence School District Superintendent Dr. Dale Herl said. He said they use diesel school buses. When temperatures drop this low, he said its a concern the diesel could start to gel, even with the additive they put in. Even though we have additional buses that we always have ready to go on inclement weather days, you just never know how many of them could go down whenever it gets this cold, Herl said. So, we just never want a kindergartener standing outside, or any student, that could be at the potential for frost bite, especially if theyre not dressed appropriately. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herl said theyve used all five of their inclement weather days, scheduling make-up days on Mondays when the students are off. They dont use AMI, or virtual learning days. We do not utilize AMI here in the independence School District because I think one thing that COVID taught us is that its important to have instruction in person, Herl said. So, were going to value that time, and we want to have our kids in person with us. Independence patrol car hit by driver while responding to I-70 crash The Lees Summit School District said it used its fifth and final AMI day. Liberty Public Schools stayed open Tuesday and sent a letter to families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It reminded parents, please ensure your child is dressed warmly, with layers. The letter went on to say, For our bus riders: if at all possible, have your child(ren) wait with you in the car until the school bus arrives. Olathe Schools said Tuesday morning, it was at 93% attendance district wide. 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. CLEVELAND (WJW) The FOX 8 I-Team has found this frigid cold snap is leading to calls for an ambulance. We checked around, and we found first responders seeing 911 calls from people overcome by the extreme cold. Some minor cases. And, some serious. I-TEAM: Watch authorities arrest wrong-way driver It stands to reason in a severe cold snap, ambulance crews would get calls tied to that. As of midday Tuesday, Cleveland EMS had responded to 10 calls for exposure to the cold. Seven of those patients had to go to the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, in Hudson, calls have come in for someone found unresponsive after shoveling snow, a possible broken arm from a fall while shoveling, and a person borderline hypothermic after a multi-vehicle accident. Another 911 caller said, My husband went out to get the paper and hes tall, hes like 63. And, he slipped on the ice, and he banged his head on the concrete. And, when he came back in, he was disoriented. Mystery surrounds Hopkins Airport arrest: I-Team Cleveland EMS crews directed people to warming centers if they dont go to the hospital. Adding to the challenge for EMS crews in very cold weather, sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between medical issues caused by the temperature or caused by some other physical condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. That might open up some interesting new avenues for Korea Zinc. Last week, the company announced it was courting U.S. buyers for antimony , a metal used in chipmaking. China, the source of around half the worlds antimony, recently barred exports of the metal to the U.S. in retaliation for the Biden administrations export controls on Chinas tech sector. Choi suggests he had to expand the business due to the difficulties of operating in the companys home base. Korea is not the most hospitable place for non-ferrous refining facilities, he says. The high cost of land means that, unlike smelters in more spacious environments, Korea Zinc doesnt have a lot of room to store its residue. Thats pushed the company to figure out what to do with impurities that, normally, would just be thrown away. Yun B. Choi, grandson of company cofounder Choi Ki-ho, took over as chairman and CEO in 2022. Choi, 49, has tried to focus Korea Zinc on a three-prong strategy he calls Troika Drive. Two prongs focus on renewable energy and EVs, while the final prong is about sustainability or, as Choi describes it, taking greater advantage of minerals and metals that might normally be ignored during the smelting process. Korea Zinc, just over a half-century old, is the worlds largest smelter of zinc, a key metal used in products like stainless steel and batteries. The companys refinery in Ulsan, in South Koreas southeast, produces about 650,000 tons of zinc a year; it also produces 450,000 tons of lead, as well as dozens of other metals and minerals. He just needs to make it through this week first. Our technology is going to be Chinese-free, our supply chain will be Chinese-free, Choi says, talking about the companys plans to expand into nickel, used in EV batteries. Currently, a sizable part of the worlds metal production is either based in China or controlled by Chinese companies. And Beijing is increasingly leveraging that production power to exert pressure on other countries, such as by limiting the export of critical chipmaking materials like gallium and germanium to the U.S. That opens up an opportunity for a metal smelter that sits outside of China. Its been a long few months for the companys chairman and CEO, Yun B. Choi, whos led the company since 2022. Its definitely a taxing experience, and its a soul-searching experience, Choi admits in an interview with Fortune. On Jan. 23, a fierceand rarecorporate takeover battle in South Korea will come to an end. Shareholders in Korea Zinc will vote on whether to elect a whole suite of new board directors proposed by the metal smelters largest shareholder and its private-equity partner. Story Continues Choi told Fortune that antimony was not initially on the companys radar. Antimony was never one of the five most important things we care about in any given year, he says. But geopolitics has changed the equation. We are the only producers of antimony in a U.S.-friendly jurisdiction, he continues. More broadly, Choi thinks Korea Zinc is well-placed to tap into growing concerns about supply-chain diversification and an overreliance on China. That means expanding its production of metals like nickel and copper, currently not major parts of the companys output. The reason China dominates the entire nickel supply chain is not because it mines a lot of nickel. The lynchpin is their ability to process it, Choi says. He points to the growth of Indonesias nickel industry; the Southeast Asian country now produces about 60% of the worlds nickel, up from less than 5% about eight years ago. That huge increase is probably all Chinese driven, Choi says, referring to huge Chinese investments in Indonesia-based nickel refineries. In 2023, Korea Zinc signed a deal with Trafigura, the global commodity trader, to build a new nickel refinery in Ulsan, with planned production of up to 40,000 tonnes per year. Choi, in his interview with Fortune, claims the new refinery will be the biggest nickel refinery in the non-Chinese world. We have a very good shot at being a very good, very competitive, and very unique nickel producer in the world, he hopes. Korea Zinc generated 8.6 trillion Korean won ($5.6 billion) in revenue in the first three quarters of 2024. The company has warned of a very bad 2025, citing increased competition from Chinese smelters and higher electricity costs. A pressure-cooker takeover battle But Choi has a more pressing problem. Both he and Korea Zinc have been locked in a takeover battle with Young Poong, a fellow metal smelter and one of Korea Zincs top shareholders, and MBK Partners, a private-equity firm. Its a rare instance of private equity shaking up the world of corporate Korea, where massive conglomerates, known as chaebols, control large and diversified parts of the economy. The fight has been particularly nasty, with both sides trading harsh accusations against the other. Young Poong and MBK point to governance issues, a board that relies heavily on insiders, and delays in implementing Chois business strategy as reasons for their takeover bid. The key problem is that the board of directors is unable to check or stop Chairman Chois tyranny, a spokesperson for MBK Partners told Fortune in an email. MBK Partners and Young Poong Groupare demanding that Korea Zinc's board of directors be reorganized and that CEO Choi take responsibility for his mistakes and step down from his CEO position. For its part, Korea Zinc argues Young Poong hopes to siphon off cash from the company, and that MBK has little experience running a smelter. The companys defense had the support of Bain Capital, and has even had help from U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who sent a letter to the U.S. State Department warning of MBKs ties to China. (When asked about Swalwells letter, an MBK spokesperson called the allegation slander, and claimed that Chinese entities made up less than 5% of its investors) The battle will come to a close on Jan. 23 where Young Poong and MBK will ask shareholders to vote in 14 new directors, outnumbering Choi and his fellow board members. Shareholders will also vote on governance changes proposed by Korea Zinc's current board. The shareholders need to ask: Who is a better fit to run this company? The current management, or the consortium of Young Poong and MBK? Choi says. I still have not heard any viable business plan that explains why they think they can do a better job at running this extremely complicated business. Still, Choi and Korea Zinc have stumbled in their efforts to defend themselves. In early October, Korea Zinc launched a $1.5 billion share buyback, in the hope of denying shares that could be snapped up by the Young Poong-MBK alliance. Then, two days after confirming the results of the buyback in late October, the company announced that it would issue $1.8 billion of new shares. Choi hastily scrapped the sale, and later admitted it was a tactical error in an interview with Bloomberg. He also agreed to step down as board chair and appoint an independent director in his place, though he will remain as CEO. In early January, Koreas market watchdog referred the matter to prosecutors, the Korea Economic Daily reported. Still, Choi notes the pressure cooker atmosphere fostered by the takeover bid had a few benefits. One byproduct of the past 100 days has been that we were able to ask some really hard questions to ourselves, and maybe make some changes that are better for the governance of our company, he says. For example, hes proposed a cumulative voting scheme that allows shareholders to allocate their votes to a single candidate. Chois suggestions havent mollified Young Poong and MBK Partners. The two cite analysis from proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services that suggests, in Korea Zincs case, cumulative voting may dilute the impact of the changes sought by the consortium. Battle lines continue to be drawn in the battle's final days. On Friday, Korea's National Pension Service, a major shareholder in Korea Zinc, announced it will vote to support the current board's measures. Other shareholders, like CalPERS and Norway's sovereign wealth fund, have come out against Korea Zinc's proposed changes, according to local media. Another crisis in the background Korea Zincs takeover battle is currently being overshadowed by a much larger political crisis. In early December, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, then quickly abandoned it hours later. The legislature, controlled by Yoons opposition, impeached the president, then impeached the acting president, Han Duck-soo. On Jan. 15, South Korean police were finally able to arrest Yoon after a weeks-long standoff. South Korean economic officials are closely watching if the coup will have a broader economic impact. In early January, economists projected Koreas economy will grow by just 1.8% in 2025, down from an earlier projection of 2.2%. The events of the past month or so certainly are very chaotic, Choi says, and it certainly produces a lot of uncertainty, not only in the market, but in our everyday lives. But hes optimistic that Koreaa very mature democratic society with an established business communitywill figure it out. We will keep making zinc, Choi says. Im sure other members of the business community will do the same. Clarification, Jan. 20, 2025: This article clarifies the timeline around Korea Zinc's share buyback and proposed share sale in October 2024. The interview was conducted in collaboration with Fortune Korea. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Snowy, icy conditions continued to cause travel headaches for motorists in north Florida early Wednesday. The Florida Highway Patrol reported several road closures along Interstate 10 in Floridas Panhandle. On its website, FHP noted the closures along stretches of I-10 in Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties, as well as slick conditions in Madison County. READ: Snow in Florida! Winter storm blankets northern Sunshine State with snow Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tallahassee Police also chimed in overnight on social media about the worsening conditions, urging drivers to stay off the roads. As snow and ice continues to fall, road conditions are worsening and several roads are closed. We urge you to stay off the roads. If you must drive, practice extreme caution and never drive around a barrier. pic.twitter.com/dIcRvn2da4 Tallahassee Police (@TallyPD) January 22, 2025 Channel 9 is in Tallahassee covering this historic snow event. Our crew ventured out into the dark of morning to check out traffic and gauge possible driving challenges there. READ: Early morning freezing rain and cold rain expected across Central Florida As of 5:30 a.m., many roads were slippery, still covered with snow and ice. It seemed residents were mostly heeding the advice of police, as we found very little activity on local streets. Snowy, icy roads and continued freezing temps have created EXTREMELY dangerous roadway conditions. TPD urges residents to stay off the roads for their safety and for the safety of emergency responders. pic.twitter.com/j029rZdW3s Tallahassee Police (@TallyPD) January 22, 2025 Be sure to stay with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for continued coverage of this historic weather event in Florida. Record amounts of snow fell Tuesday in parts of north Florida. Record amounts of snow fell Tuesday in parts of north Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Record amounts of snow fell Tuesday in parts of north Florida. Record amounts of snow fell Tuesday in parts of north Florida. Record amounts of snow fell Tuesday in parts of north Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An intense video has emerged in Russia, showing a portion of a Ukrainian drone strike, including the interception of one of the drones by what is likely to have been a Pantsir short-range air defense system. Footage showing the successful interception of Ukraines long-range one-way attack drones by Russian ground-based air defenses is not generally common and this one reinforces the challenge posed by these relentless Ukrainian attacks against Russian infrastructure and military facilities. Meanwhile, its very much a textbook example of how a surface-to-air missile in this class can down targets even at very low level, with limited response time. Russian Pantsir air defence system intercepts Ukrainian kamikaze UAV over Smolensk, Russia. Ukraine targeted Smolensk Aviation Plant, resulting in damage and fires. pic.twitter.com/E2zALYaJNa Clash Report (@clashreport) January 21, 2025 The video in question, which began to appear on social media earlier today, was taken by a bystander who witnessed the drone strike, reportedly over the Smolensk region in western Russia. In the video, taken overnight, we can clearly hear the buzzing engine of a Ukrainian drone, as flashes from nearby explosions illuminate the clouds. We then see the rocket engine of a Russian surface-to-air missile moving from right to left and at a very low level. So low, in fact, is the missile, that the glare from its motor can be seen to illuminate nearby houses as it passes them. It then impacts its target in a shower of sparks and burning debris. The use of a surface-to-air missile in such close proximity to civilians and civilian infrastructure is noteworthy, but also a measure of the desperate efforts being taken to try and thwart these kinds of attacks. The illuminated rocket engine of the Russian surface-to-air missile seen low over Smolensk. via X After a brief pause, the noise of at least one other drone can be heard, indicating that this was an attack involving multiple drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At around the halfway mark in the video above, we see, from below, a twin-boom Ukrainian drone as it flies low over a building, followed by an explosion. People then start to spill out of the building, seemingly mainly intrigued by the engagements happening around them. Based on its appearance, the drone could be the same as the type that was notably used in an attack on Russian air defenses in Crimea in September 2023. In particular, the pusher engine configuration and extended wing roots match with this drone, the name of which remains undisclosed. A Ukrainian twin-boom long-range one-way attack drone seen in the video from Smolensk. via X The Ukrainian twin-boom attack drone that was used in an attack on Yevpatoria, Crimea, in September 2023. via X We cant say for sure that the missile was, as widely reported, from a Pantsir short-range air defense system (SHORADS), although it would seem most likely. The Pantsir has been deployed widely to defend critical infrastructure within Russia, including on top of government buildings in Moscow, where they appeared in early 2023 after Ukraine demonstrated its ability to conduct strikes at extended ranges. In the wheeled Pantsir-S1 configuration that is primarily used for defending infrastructure, civil and military, the system is armed with up to six ready-to-fire 57E-series command-guided missiles and also has two 30mm automatic cannons. Crews use the systems integrated radar and infrared sensor to target aerial threats. The missiles reportedly have a maximum range of around 11 miles and can hit targets at altitudes up to around 50,000 feet, although this is very much a best-case scenario and depends on the exact missile variant and the profile of the threat. However, the system is primarily designed for low-altitude, close-in point defense. This includes swatting down cruise missiles, tactical aircraft, and air-to-ground munitions. Drones, too, are one of the main targets for the Pantsir. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reportedly, the target of the Ukrainian drone strike in last nights video was the Smolensk Aviation Plant, which is operated by the Tactical Missiles Corporation, Russias major producer of air-launched precision-guided munitions. Its portfolio includes a wide range of tactical air-to-ground missiles, as well as air-to-air missiles. This would not be the first time that the facility has been attacked, with a reported Ukrainian drone strike having taken place in October of 2023, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defenses Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR). Reports of further attacks against the Smolensk Aviation Plant appeared in November of the same year. Smolensk Aviation Plant is located adjacent to the airport in the same city, with the facility being seen here at the bottom right of the airfield. Google Earth The approximate location of Smolensk within Russia. Google Earth The last couple of days have seen Russian aerospace and air-launched munitions industries targeted by Ukrainian long-range drones. Overnight on Sunday, Ukrainian drones struck the Kazan Aircraft Plant in Kazan, around 700 miles from the front line in Ukraine. This facility is responsible for manufacturing, modernizing, and maintaining Russian heavy bombers, including the Tu-160 Blackjack, the only aircraft in its class that remains in production in Russia. According to reports, the drone strike resulted in a fire at a fuel depot near the factory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian Telegram channels report a drone attack on an aircraft plant in Kazan, Russia. According to Russian Telegram channels, one of the drones attacked a fuel tank of the Kazan aircraft plant. Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) 2025-01-20T07:49:03.180Z Strikes on Smolensk and Kazan are meanwhile part of a wider campaign directed by Kyiv and intended to degrade Russias ability to launch aircraft strikes against targets on Ukrainian territory. As well as aircraft and missile production and maintenance facilities, Ukrainian drones have, in recent weeks, also been sent against Russian air bases, including Engels, a long-range bomber base in the Saratov region in southern Russia. Here, a fuel storage facility appears to have been the intended target, with strikes against it on more than one occasion already this month. Satellite images from the oil depot near Engels-2 air base on Sentinel came available. At least 8 tanks have burned out, but more are possible. We will have to wait for better satellite images to confirm the damage. NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) 2025-01-18T16:33:39.714Z Fuel depots elsewhere in Russia have been targeted too, as Ukraine seeks to deprive Russian combat aircraft and the wider armed forces of vital petroleum, oils, and lubricants. For some time now, Russias energy infrastructure has been a priority target for Kyiv, but the apparent focus now on military-oriented targets is noteworthy. To some degree, these tactics have likely been driven by Russias own efforts to protect its bombers on the ground, which have seen the aircraft increasingly dispersed to airfields further from the front lines. This is in addition to a range of decoys and other countermeasures installed at their regular bases. With this in mind, static production and maintenance plants, as well as sprawling fuel farms, are much more reliable targets for Ukrainian drone strikes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As to Russian efforts to stop the Ukrainian drones from getting through, these have, since the start of such Ukrainian raids, achieved mixed results. While official Russian accounts frequently claim a 100 percent success rate against drone strikes, there is mounds of evidence of damage caused by those that do manage to get through. Undoubtedly, Russian ground-based air defenses as well as aircraft are extracting a toll on incoming Ukrainian drones. However, the footage captured over the Smolensk region last night does provide whats a rare view from deep inside Russia of an apparently successful drone interception by a Russian point defense surface-to-air missile. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The first two F-15E Strike Eagles rigged with the latest war-fighting software touched down in the United Kingdom last week, according to the Air Force. The duo of F-15Es arrived at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, on Jan. 16, equipped with the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS. The system allows F-15 fighters to detect and jam threats through geolocation and radar warning, helping them survive in dangerous environments. The jets will be absorbed into the 494th and 492nd Fighter Squadrons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having EPAWSS operational at RAF Lakenheath significantly enhances our ability to detect and counter threats, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of our crews, said 494th Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Timothy Causey. This advanced electronic warfare system, when combined with the F-35s, acts as a powerful force multiplier, transforming our operations and amplifying the 48th Fighter Wings impact in the battlespace. The Air Force approved the advanced electronic warfare system for full-scale production Jan. 6 and awarded Boeing a $616 million contract to construct EPAWSS production kits. The kits will be produced in Nashua, New Hampshire, and St. Louis. Boeing will do the installation work at its San Antonio location, where F-15 EPAWSS installations have taken place since July 2022. Air National Guard gets services first combat-ready F-15EX Boeing contracted BAE to help churn out the initial EPAWSS kit in March 2021 and stamped another contract in September 2022 with the British defense company to continue the softwares production. BAE implemented the use of artificial intelligence to uniquely enhance an aspect of the EPAWSS system called cognitive electronic warfare, in which the system can rapidly adapt to changing threat landscapes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cutting-edge EPAWSS was developed as part of an ongoing effort to modernize the F-15E fleet. The system allows the F-15 to penetrate further beyond enemy lines and boosts pilots situation awareness by autonomously detecting, identifying and locating threat systems, the Air Force said in a statement. As of Jan. 10, the EPAWSS system was being flown on F-15 jets at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Portland Air National Guard Base in Oregon. U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters are in line to receive distributed arrays of compact Lockheed Martin TacIRST infrared search-and-track sensors (IRST). Giving the Raptors an IRST capability, something that has been in the works for years now, will offer the jets a valuable new way to spot and track aerial threats, especially stealthy ones, and do so passively and in a way immune to electronic warfare. Lockheed Martin, which is also the primary contractor for the F-22, provided new details about the TacIRST-based Infrared Defensive System (IRDS) for the Raptor in a press release today. TacIRST was unveiled in 2022 and its first known integration was into the noses of F-5 Advanced Tiger aggressor jets belonging to private contractor Tactical Air Support (TacAir). At least one podded configuration with multiple TacIRST sensors has been observed as part of the development of the system. A TacAir F-5AT aggressor jet equipped with a TacIRST sensor (circled in red). Tactical Air Support A pod with multiple TacIRST sensors. Lockheed Martin A podded version of Lockheed Martins TacIRST system. Lockheed Martin via USPTO The F-22 will soon feature a newly developed, distributed set of embedded TacIRST sensors developed by Lockheed Martin to enhance aircraft survivability and lethality, known as the Infrared Defensive System (IRDS), according to the release. In addition to managing integration of IRDS on the F-22, the company will also support integration on other platforms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How many total sensors and what other components the complete IRDS consists of are unclear. TacIRST by itself is a compact staring-type system with a fixed field of view, so a distributed array of them would be required to provide broader coverage around the F-22. Historically, both integrated and podded IRSTs have featured larger aperture sensors in gimbal mounts with flexible fields of view. Its also not clear how exactly IRDS will be added to the F-22. The description in the press release of IRDS being embedded in the Raptor would seem to point to it being directly integrated into the aircrafts core structure. At the same time, Raptors have been seen flying with stealthy underwing pods widely understood to be part of plans to add IRST capability to the jet. Those same pods have also been seen carried by sensor testbed aircraft. A F-22 seen with the stealthy underwing pods in 2022. James Reeder Pictures that emerged just last week, seen in the social media post below, notably showed one of the pods with a small slit aperture at the front, which would be more in line with the TacIRST sensor, instead of the larger faceted window that has been seen in the past. Pods with the larger window could accommodate a more traditional IRST sensor. The pods might be part of the complete IRDS package, or be capable of being linked to it to provide additional IRST coverage and/or other capabilities, though we dont know if that is the case at this time. Having the embedded IRST as well as the ability to mount a larger IRST sensor in the pod under the wing could be beneficial or the trajectory of the F-22s IRST program may have changed, with TacIRST being selected as a solution instead of a more traditional singular podded system. N33TR arrives with the F-22 pod after a test flight over the Eglin ranges. pic.twitter.com/K11EHm3n0x _ (@SR_Planespotter) January 17, 2025 Back in 2017, Ken Merchant, then Lockheed Martin Vice President for the F-22 program did tell what is now Air & Space Forces Magazine that we really dont have the real estate for an integrated IRST system on the Raptor, at least one akin to the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) found on F-35s. The Joint Strike Fighters also feature a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) made up of an array of cameras around the aircraft that provide threat warning and other functionality. The F-22 does have its own AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD) system that provides spherical infrared threat warning, and that could potentially be supplanted by the IRDS, with the system providing IRST and MLD functions. Getting TacIRST sensors and hardware into the apertures that exist for the F-22s MLD system may be a challenge. If this is possible, it could provide the F-22 with an even larger situational awareness and sensor upgrade. Regardless, capabilities found on modular DAS-like setups that are less proprietary compared to one used on the F-35 have shown the ability to provide multi-functional capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TWZ has reached out to Lockheed Martin for more details about IRSD and how it will be integrated onto the F-22. Its also worth noting that IRSTs, in general, are typically only able to instantaneously determine a targets angle and bearing, and track it, with it taking more effort to determine its range using just a single sensor platform. Two IRST sensors on separate aircraft that are networked together can instantly triangulate the targets range, which can then provide more robust engagement-quality target tracks. Lockheed Martin has demonstrated this kind of networked IRST capability in combination with its Legion Pod in the past and it is a common practice for aircraft equipped with advanced IRST capabilities. The IRST21 sensor used on the Legion Pod, as well as in other podded configurations, is a more traditional gimbaled type, as you can read more about here. An abstract graphical depiction of two podded IRST sensors working networked together. Lockheed Martin Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regardless, adding IRST capability to the F-22 would be a major boon for the jets, especially amid a growing number of potential stealthy aerial opponents. IRSTs see targets over long distances in the infrared spectrum regardless of any features intended to reduce their radar cross sections. As already noted, they also have the benefit of working passively, meaning that they do not put out signals that could alert an enemy to the fact that they have been detected and are being tracked. This makes them immune to electronic warfare, another ever-growing threat, as well. In addition, while IRSTs then offer advantages over traditional radars, especially in environments with heavy electronic warfare activity, they can complement each other greatly. IRSTs can cue radars and vice versa, and fused data from both, as well as passive radio frequency sensors, can produce even higher-quality target tracks, as well as just provide better overall situational awareness and enhanced positive target identification. IRSTs are in use elsewhere globally, including among potential adversaries like China and Russia, which presents its own threats. Chinas recently emerged heavy stealth fighter concept, currently referred to colloquially as the J-36, appears to feature a very elaborate and potentially long-range IRST capability. The F-22 Raptor was originally supposed to feature an integrated IRST system, but those plans were dropped ostensibly for budgetary reasons relatively deep into its development. From the information available now, the Air Force began to re-explore the idea of adding an IRST capability onto the Raptors more actively in the late 2010s-early 2020s timeframe. The services 2025 Fiscal Year budget request mentions active work on an advanced Infrared Search and Track sensor as part of a sensor enhancement effort for the jets since at least 2023. A rendering shared by now-retired Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, then head of Air Combat Command, in 2022, showing modernized F-22s with stealthy underwing pods and drop tanks. The jet in the foreground is also seen firing a still unidentified missile. Via Gen. Mark Kelly We understand the need for advanced and versatile infrared systems like IRDS that will make pilots missions more survivable and lethal against current and future adversaries, Hank Tucker, Vice President of Missions Systems at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement today. Were committed to supporting the Air Force through continuous innovation of capabilities to deter and defeat evolving threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Broader plans to add new and improved capabilities for the F-22s, including stealthy range-extending drop tanks, now come amid significant uncertainty about the future of plans for sixth-generation stealth combat jet as part of the Air Forces Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative. That aircraft was originally envisioned as a successor to the Raptor, but a deep review of those requirements was initiated last year and the Trump administration now has to make a final decision about how to proceed. The service currently has no publicly announced timeline for retiring the Raptors, which remain the most capable fighters in U.S. inventory today. Ongoing F-22 modernization efforts had also been feeding into the NGAD effort, and the reverse is true too, which you can read more about here. Lockheed Martins press release today about IRDS does mention the potential integration on other platforms, though it offers no further details. If nothing else, the F-22 looks to getting ever-closer to getting a long-promised and increasingly critical IRST capability. Contact the author: joe@twz.com NATOs Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) has confirmed to TWZ that four Dutch F-35A stealth fighters are now also participating in Baltic Sentry, a mission intended to ensure the security of critical undersea infrastructure in the region. The jets were already in the region as part of the alliances Baltic Air Policing mission. Earlier this week, the Dutch Ministry of Defense released photos showing Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-35s flying over the two Dutch warships involved in Baltic Sentry, the De Zeven Provincien class frigate HNLMS Tromp and the hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS Luymes. However, it hadnt previously been confirmed that the combat jets were also directly contributing to this mission. A pair of Dutch F-35A stealth fighters over the Baltic. Dutch Ministry of Defense SHAPE provided TWZ with the following details about the involvement of Dutch F-35s in Baltic Sentry: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Understanding the environment so we can prevent, mitigate, or respond to an identified threat, including damage to critical undersea infrastructure, is what an activity like NATOs Baltic Sentry is all about. F-35s, along with other maritime patrol aircraft, assist in that regard. By operating in a multitude of domains, including the air domain, we increase our understanding, which the multirole F-35 can do very expediently. Since the beginning of December, the RNLAF currently has had four F-35s deployed at Amari Air Base in Estonia. They are there for the Baltic Air Policing mission, under which NATO air forces take turns deploying to air bases in Lithuania and Estonia, on a four-month rotational basis since the three Baltic states dont have combat aircraft able to provide air policing over their own territories. Baltic Air Policing involves frequent interceptions of Russian Armed Forces aircraft moving between the heavily militarized Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and mainland Russia. These aircraft often fly close to NATO airspace without using transponders, communicating with air traffic control, or having filed a flight plan. This requires visual identification by NATO fighters on quick reaction alert. A map of the Baltic region. Google Earth Now, on top of these duties, the Dutch F-35s are flying at least some sorties for Baltic Sentry, a NATO mission that was launched earlier this week. Its also part of a growing Dutch military presence on NATOs eastern flank, which also includes ground troops as part of the alliances enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) posture in Lithuania. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As you can read here, Baltic Sentry was established in response to possible sabotage actions on the Baltic seabed between Finland and Estonia. Most notably, in late December, the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and four telecommunications were damaged here, with suspicion falling upon the Russian-linked Eagle S oil tanker. The ship, found to be brimming with spy equipment, was seized by Finnish authorities for further investigation. The Swedish Navy ship HMS Belos found the anchor of the Eagle S, a Russian-linked oil tanker suspected of severing Estlink 2 and other undersea cables. Finnish Navy A video of the Eagle S after it was seized by Finnish authorities: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before this incident, in November, Germany said damage to two communication cables running under the Baltic Sea was most likely the result of sabotage. One of the cables in question runs between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania, and the other between Finland and Germany. A Chinese cargo vessel, the Yi Peng 3, is at the center of allegations surrounding that damage, having been identified as operating near the cables when the incidents occurred. Subsequently, the Swedish Minister of Defense announced that the Norbalt undersea power cable linking Sweden with Lithuania was likely also purposely damaged by the Yi Peng 3. Officials suspect the Yi Peng 3 of severing cables running underneath the Baltic Sea. Photo by Mikkel Berg Pedersen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark Baltic Sentry is primarily a vigilance mission, to ensure the security of critical submarine infrastructure, such as energy and data cables. For this purpose, it is mainly involving surface ships and maritime patrol aircraft, although, as we have recently discussed, at least 20 uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) will join the NATO effort in the coming weeks. In the context of the Dutch contribution, the survey vessel HNLMS Luymes is also currently the flagship of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, while the frigate HNLMS Tromp is also currently deployed as the flagship of the maritime mission. These two vessels are due to be joined next week by the Alkmaar class minehunters HNLMS Schiedam. The Dutch Ministry of Defense plans for these vessels to continue their Baltic Sentry mission at least until the end of February. From left to right: the survey vessel HNLMS Luymes, the frigate HNLMS Tromp, and a German Navy mine warfare vessel. Dutch Ministry of Defense Other vessels are also set to join the mission. NATO Maritime Command announced today on X the addition of a Finnish ship, the Hamina class missile boat Pori, and yesterday the addition of a Swedish ship, the corvette Visby, to Baltic Sentry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With this contribution, we are demonstrating our determination to step up our efforts, said Vice Adm. Rene Tas, commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy. We are making our presence and vigilance known and thus securing our submarine infrastructure. It is essential for the alliance to prevent destabilizing activities by deterrence on the one hand and by taking action if deterrence proves ineffective on the other. As for the F-35s, these provide an entirely different set of surveillance capabilities to the Baltic Sentry mission. Previously, NATO had only mentioned that an unspecified number of crewed maritime patrol aircraft had been committed to Baltic Sentry, but not that fighter jets would also become involved. A video published earlier this month shows Dutch F-35s operating from Estonia for the Baltic Air Policing mission: However, the jets are able to rapidly cover the Baltic Sea area, most importantly being able to very rapidly respond to suspect activities on the surface of the water. As well as providing visual reconnaissance and shows of force if required for example, flying low over a vessel suspected of suspicious activity the F-35 is also well equipped with organic electronic intelligence-gathering capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As we have written about in the past, the F-35 is highly proficient at sucking up electronic signals, quickly classifying and geolocating them, and displaying them for the aircrafts pilot. In an air combat context, this would typically include electronic emissions from hostile radars and air defense nodes, but its passive antennas can collect radio-frequency emissions of other kinds, also relevant in a maritime environment. A Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A and a U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit bomber conduct aerial operations in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-2 over the North Sea on March 18, 2020. U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Matthew Plew Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More generally, NATO surveillance is also drawing upon artificial intelligence capabilities, specifically under the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). This system was set up to protect critical undersea infrastructure and harnesses AI to assess data from a range of sources, including the Automatic Identification System (AIS) ships use to broadcast their position, to calculate the risk posed by each vessel entering areas of interest, according to the British Ministry of Defense. You can read more about it here. In September of last year, the RNLAF announced that the F-35 had attained full operational capability, meaning that the stealth fighter was now responsible for the full spectrum of missions previously handled by the F-16, including the nuclear strike role. The last Dutch F-16s were formally retired in the same month, after 45 years of service, as you can read about here. Nevertheless, with only four Dutch F-35s in the Baltic, the level of availability that they can offer to the Baltic Sentry mission, on top of the more regular Baltic Air Policing, remains questionable. Should Baltic Sentry require additional combat jets for patrols and surveillance, then it would have to call upon other air forces in the region or rely on RNLAF jets flying from their home bases in the Netherlands. TWZ has reached out to the RNLAF for more details about how the F-35s will be used in the new mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, the contribution of Dutch F-35s to Baltic Sentry is certainly an interesting one. As the alliance seeks to better protect critical undersea infrastructure in the region, the stealth fighters provide a very visible reminder of NATOs maritime presence, as well as a considerable boost to situational awareness. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com A member of the European Parliament didnt mince words when he offered a public message to President Donald Trump this week about his wish to make Greenland part of the United States. Dear President Trump, listen very carefully, Anders Vistisen, a right-wing lawmaker from Denmark, said on Tuesday in Parliament. Greenland have been part of the Danish kingdom for 800 years. Its an integrated part of our country. It is not for sale. If that wasnt direct enough, he next used some language that got him into a little trouble with the organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let me put it in words you might understand, he said. Mr. Trump, fuck off! Nicolae Stefanuta, vice president of the European Parliament, essentially told Vistisen to watch his mouth. If the translation was correct, the term you used is not allowed in this house and there will be consequences to the message you have used, he said. It is not OK in this house of democracy. Thank you. Regardless of what we think of Mr. Trump, it is not possible to use such language. Vistisen didnt seem very apologetic as he posted his message on X, complete with the rebuke: Greenland is not for sale. Greenland has been part of Denmark for 800 years, more then double of the time the US has existed. Any true patriot should understand that this is an uacceptable attack on national sovereignty! pic.twitter.com/SlHbR5OGjg Anders Vistisen (@AndersVistisen) January 21, 2025 Trump sought Greenland during his first term in office, saying in 2019 that it was hurting Denmark very badly by costing the nation $700 million a year. He said the United States could scoop it up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Essentially its a large real estate deal, he said at the time. He has brought it up again since winning the 2024 election, calling ownership of the island an absolute necessity for the United States, and refused to rule out taking it by force. Earlier this month, he claimed that the 56,000 people there would love to become a state. Both Greenland and Danish officials have insisted that the island is not for sale. In one of the first acts of his second administration, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly all of the January 6 criminals and new details reveal the spur-of-the-moment decision to release 1,500 people charged. Trump just said: F*** it: Release em all, an adviser familiar with the discussions told the Axios. On the campaign trail, Trump flirted with pardoning who he describes as the J6 hostages, and on Monday decided to issue pardons to most of the people charged in connection to the riot and effort to overturn the 2020 election. That ended their prison sentence and allowed those convicted to walk out of prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump had fluctuated on whether to grant clemency to either some or all rioters convicted of January 6-related crimes. Ultimately, the decision was made in the spur of the moment, White House advisers told Axios. President Donald Trump signs numerous executive orders, including pardons for defendants from the January 6 riots and a delay on the TikTok ban, on the first day of his presidency. New insights have been revealed about the lead up to Trump issuing the pardons (EPA) Trumps pardons were made in defiance of JD Vances advice that convicts who committed violence during the Capitol attack shouldnt be granted clemency. He told Fox News last week: If you committed violence that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. The presidents move also came as a surprise to some Republicans, who have said they dont agree with his move. Well, I think I agree with the vice president, Sen. Mitch McConnell told Semafor. No one should excuse violence. And particularly violence against police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Thom Tillis also appeared to agree with Vances comment, telling CNN: Ive got concerns with any pardons for people who did any harm to police officers. Full stop. And Ive also got serious concerns with all of the pardons by Biden including the prospective pardons. That may mean we need to look at what that authority really entails. Sen. Lisa Murkowski also worried about how police officers would be affected by the order. Nearly 150 officers were injured in the Capitol riot. Im disappointed to see that and I do fear the message that is sent to these great men and women that stood by us, she told the HuffPost. Rioters appear at the Captiol on January 6. Trump issued pardons to 1,500 people involved in the riots and allowing those in prison to walk free (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) In the wake of the sweeping pardons, one officer who was injured during the Capitol attack said he felt betrayed by Trumps decision. Brian Fanone, a former DC Metropolitan police officer, told CNN: I have been betrayed by my country, and Ive been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump, whether you voted for him because he promised these pardons, or for some other reason, you knew that this was coming. And here we are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other Republicans were quiet, avoiding voicing an opinion on the matter whatsoever. Its the presidents prerogative, Sen. John Cornyn told The Independent. Congress doesnt have a role. Similarly, Sen. John Hoeven told The Independent: My understanding, there was a range of actions that he took and I guess I want to look and see what those are. Claim: As U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the White House web page featuring the U.S. Constitution went offline. Rating: Rating: True Context: The White House website always undergoes a renovation when a president first takes office. The removal of the Constitution page may have been in error, or perhaps only temporary. As the transition team for newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump took over affairs in the White House in January 2025, people on the internet began to claim that the White House website page where the U.S. Constitution appeared had been removed. According to them, the new administration had removed it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, someone posted screenshots of the page before and after the new administration took over, implying that the removal was ominous. This post appeared on X on Jan. 21, 2025, the day after the inauguration (archived): Pic 1: The White House website before Trump. Pic 2: The White House website after Trump. Yes, the White House did remove the US Constitution from their website today. More foreshadowing on what's to come. pic.twitter.com/Q8VdNQxZlR Joshua Reed Eakle (@JoshEakle) January 21, 2025 The post had received 42,500 views and 1,400 likes as of this writing. But the claim also appeared on other social media platforms, including BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Indeed, a comparison of the web address of said page as of this writing (archived) with an archive of it made on Jan. 3, 2025 revealed that The Constitution had been removed: (whitehouse.gov / screenshot) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Internet Archive / White House / Screenshot) However, this change may not have been as nefarious as some suggested. In fact, several pages on the White House website had been taken down, including its Spanish version, biographies of former presidents, the page on tourism, the one on equity, and others. According to reporting by USA Today, this was not a definitive state of affairs. The news outlet quoted people in Trump's team as saying that the multiple "404 Error: Page Not Found" messages were a result of changes they were making to the site. For example, White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told the outlet: It's day two. We are in the process of developing, editing and tweaking the White House website. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content in a short timeline. We contacted the White House press team to ask for details about these changes and will update this report should they respond. Sources: Kochi, Francesca Chambers and Sudiksha. 'Where's the Constitution? White House Says Website Will Bring It Back Soon.' USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/21/trump-white-house-website-removes-presidential-webpages/77851785007/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025. FAIRBORN, Ohio (WDTN) A nonprofit that helps people who are battling breast and gynecological cancer recently got a generous donation. The Fairborn Moose Lodge and the Women of the Moose raised more than $14,000 for Pink Ribbon Good to provide meals and transportation services for cancer patients to help ease the burden. Im doing everything in my power to not cry because its emotional because this is such a blessing, says Maribeth Schindler who was on hand to accept the check. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, Schindler is now an ambassador for Pink Ribbon Good. Its hard to put into words what it brings, but seeing it on their faces, meeting women that Ive only talked to on the phone for the first time, its in their hug. Its in their just overall gratefulness that they have. Its humbling to know that, wow, Ive been there and now I can help them get through it. So, it makes me feel very lucky and blessed to be able to do that. Because sometimes I think, Why did I survive? But I cant question that, right? But I know I can be there for someone now to walk that path with them in that journey so they dont have to feel alone, states Schindler. Tell us your good news! The money was raised through an annual car show and poker tournament. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brothers Ron and Don Jacobs run the tournament. My brother had cancer, man. I thought I was going to lose him. So hes like, lets do this, states Don. It means a lot to me because like I said, Im a 12 year survivor. So, you know, anything that I can do to help them, says Ron. Betty Quigley also helps coordinate fundraising efforts. We had our car show, but it rained, and so, we didnt have a car show, but this room here was packed. I mean, it was packed full of peoplea lot more than probably would have been outside. And so, it was it was kind of a big shock to all of us to see. I mean, we had people everywhere. So, it made us all feel really good for the work that we put into it, describes Quigley. I have family members that have breast cancer. I have friends. Barb Dewitt, shes one of our ladies that started this event and shes a cancer survivor as well. Its a great feeling to be able to say that we did this and gave back to cancer survivors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their reward is in the feeling of giving back to a cause that touches all of them. You cant put it into words. You got to feel it, states Schindler. Theres really no words to express the gratitude and the thankfulness that we have for what theyve done for us over the years. You can donate to Pink Ribbon Good online. 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 WDTN.com. President Donald Trump wasted little time in reshaping U.S. immigration policy. Within moments of his return to the White House Monday, he signed eight immigration-related executive orders. He declared a national emergency at the southern border. He already faces lawsuits for challenging birthright citizenship and effectively closing paths to asylum. But one of his actions is causing worry among immigrant activists and religious groups alike: his suspension of all refugee resettlement within the U.S. for at least 90 days. The U.S. president has unilateral authority to determine the ceiling for annual refugee admissions. Trump had long promised to set the cap at zero, so his executive action Monday came as no surprise. But that didnt make it any less devastating, said Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps executive order, titled Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program, pauses all refugee entrances into the country effective Jan. 27. The executive order says that the Secretary of Homeland Security will send a report to the president within 90 days determining whether allowing refugees would be in the interest of the U.S., and will continue to do so on 90-day cycles until Trump determines to restart admissions. But the executive order is full of contradictions, Soerens said. As justification for the ban, the order cites record levels of migration within the U.S. that are currently jeopardizing resources for Americans and compromising public safety. But refugees admitted to the U.S. are the most thoroughly vetted category of immigrants who come to the United States, Soerens said, pointing to a 2017 report from the Heritage Foundation that confirms as much. Only a fraction of those designated as refugees overseas make it to the U.S., and they undergo a vigorous, often yearslong vetting process before entering. These natural barriers make the resettlement program an unattractive option for terrorists trying to infiltrate the U.S., the Heritage report said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once refugees reach the U.S., they work to pay back their travel costs and are carefully resettled within communities that have room for them. They are aided each step of the way by U.S. nonprofit organizations, many of which are churches or religious organizations. Utah has a history of being welcoming to refugees. In 2019, then-Utah Gov. Gary Herbert sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to send more refugees to the state, following a decision by the president to cut the number of refugees admitted into the country. In recent years, as the number of migrants crossing the border reached record levels, public opinion on immigration shifted, with more Americans favoring a reduced number of migrants. But Americans feelings about refugees are more complicated. Religious refugees affected by Trumps executive order The small towns mentioned in Trumps recent executive order that struggled with significant influxes of migrants including Whitewater, Wisconsin, and Springfield, Ohio are instances of migrants who did not come as refugees, and thats actually the point, Soerens said. They didnt have the support of the long-standing, very orderly refugee resettlement system to help them to integrate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, said he supports commonsense, bipartisan immigration reform that secures the border without demonizing the majority of immigrants. But shutting down refugee resettlement, Salguero said, does little to strengthen national security. Instead, it shuts the door on people who are fleeing religious political persecution and seeking religious freedom. These executive orders are going to send a chill up the spine of the Latino evangelical church, Salguero said. Most evangelical Christians seem to agree. According to a January 2024 poll conducted by Lifeway Research, 71% of U.S. evangelical Christians believe the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees. Some of that resolve seems to be informed by proximity: one-third (34%) of respondents said they have been involved in a ministry that served refugees or other immigrants. Eight in 10 white evangelical Christians supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps decision to stop refugee resettlement seems to contradict his campaign promise to protect Christians. One in seven Christians worldwide face high levels of religious-based persecution, according to a report by World Relief and Open Doors. Pausing refugee admissions effectively closes the door to thousands of Christians who could otherwise find respite in the U.S. The decision to shut off refugee admittances could also have economic effects. Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, noted that refugees are an incredible boost to our economy. Refugees are immediately work-authorized, Murray said. Theyre immediately able to connect to a career and to fill a key opening that American businesses are desperate for, as we have such a tight labor market right now. Over the 15 years between 2005 and 2019, refugees contributed an estimated $581 billion to state and federal governments in taxes, according to an HUD report published last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even after Trump decides to begin readmitting refugees, it could take some time for the complex network of government agencies and nonprofits that works to resettle them to catch up to speed. In some ways, refugee resettlement is a switch you can turn off very easily, Soerens said. But its not a switch you turn back on easily, because once the infrastructure for resettlement has been decimated, it takes a long time to build that back up. A group of migrants wait to be processed between two border walls separating Mexico and the United States after crossing illegally before dawn Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in San Diego. | Gregory Bull What to know about the immigration executive orders On Monday, Trump signed eight immigration-related executive orders: Trumps executive orders on immigration face legal challenges Charles Kuck, the former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, noted that some of Trumps directives will likely never come to fruition. Trumps efforts to reinterpret birthright citizenship, for example, would overrule the Supreme Courts past ruling on the 14th Amendment something the president does not have the power to do. Trumps executive order already sparked a lawsuit, and it would be difficult for Trump to prevail in court, Kuck predicted. Theres no district court judge in the country who will overturn Supreme Court precedent, which exists on this issue, Kuck said. Actually, I dont think there are four Supreme Court justices who will agree to hear this case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On mass deportations, Trump is ordering the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a workload much larger than its capacity. You cant take the current workforce of ICE, which is as big as its ever been, and then say, I want you to deport four times the number of people you did (last year), Kuck said. Its not physically possible. That is not stopping immigrant advocates, including faith leaders, from worrying. Salguero, pastor of The Gathering Place Church in Orlando, said he has received hundreds of calls and texts and messages from his congregants worried about the incoming administrations immigration policy. Does that mean young adults from my church are they going to be racially profiled? Salguero asked. Does that mean theyre going to do a raid during worship service? How are they going to distinguish between a citizen and a non citizen? Some of those fears may not be unfounded: On Monday, the acting Homeland Security secretary issued a memo that rolled back a longtime policy prohibiting ICE arrests in sensitive locations like churches, schools or hospitals. The memo explained that CBP and ICE officers would be empowered to catch criminal aliens in those locations. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest, the memo read. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The possibility of immigration raids at places of worship is a top concern for our faith communities, said Murray, who leads the National Immigration Forum. Will folks show up in our church parking lots after worship and collect our members? Will they separate families right on the premises? Salguero noted he didnt have an answer. We are not policy wonks. Were pastors, he said. Were called to love people. As part of the 2025 work program, we are planning to 1) execute the largest drill program at Haib since its discovery, aiming to improve the grade and size of the mineral resource whilst 2) proving the economic feasibility of a much larger conventional flotation concentrate process as well as subsequent heap leaching for the lower grade material. Heye Daun, Koryx Coppers President and CEO commented: "We are very excited to have ended 2024 with a strong treasury of more than C$17 million in cash, no liabilities and a clean share structure. With new leadership and a top-tier technical team in place, we have hit the ground running and spent the latter part of 2024 preparing for and planning this transformative work program, which is already underway at Haib. This fast-tracked technical strategy of drilling, study, infrastructure and permitting activities represents a major step-change in the development of Haib and is geared towards the rapid development of the Project to the bankability stage, with major permitting and all technical studies to be concluded by the end of 2026. This 2025 technical strategy comprises an intensive drill and study program, including more than 55,000m of growth and quality improvement drilling, aiming to increase the size and grade of the Haib Mineral Resource Estimate ( MRE ) as well as multiple technical, environmental and metallurgical studies. This program will result in an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment ( PEA ) and Pre-Feasibility Study ( PFS ) for Haib, both to be published before the end of 2025. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Koryx Copper Inc. ( Koryx or the " Company ") (TSX-V: KRY) is pleased to announce its 2025 exploration and project development strategy for its wholly-owned, advanced-stage, large-scale and long-life open-pit Haib Copper Project ( Haib or the Project ) in southern Namibia. Study schedule remains on track to complete PFS by the end of 2025 and complete DFS in 2026. DRA Global Limited, an international engineering and project delivery group appointed as study consultant to produce an updated PEA before Q3 2025. Story Continues This work program will for the first time bring together all of the quality work that was completed historically and combine it with the updated and much more detailed work which Koryx is carrying out this year, thereby delivering an integrated Haib project approach with much larger planned copper production than was contemplated historically. Under this scope Haib will produce both clean copper concentrate and refined copper cathodes. Right-sizing and optimizing the Haib Project is what our 2025 work program will achieve. Owing to its low altitude (500m amsl), its proximity to world-class infrastructure, and the very favorable permitting and mining-friendly jurisdiction of Namibia, Haib has the genuine potential to become a high quality, low-risk global copper development project. Given our track record of execution and value creation in mining in Namibia, in addition to our blue-chip shareholder base, we believe we are perfectly placed to achieve this during 2025 and beyond. The updated PEA is designed to replace the outdated historical PEA from 2021 and to describe the scope of the new Haib project, thereby serving as the basis for the mine permitting process (described further down). This is to be followed up with a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) planned to be published before the end of 2026. 2025 Planning Objectives for Haib Koryxs vision is to turn Haib into Namibias next major mine development. This will require high-class leadership, drive, innovation and technical expertise, coupled with significant funding. To achieve this, the Company is aiming to fulfil the following key objectives during 2025: Reinforcing the team and establishing the infrastructure to execute a large-scale, multi-year drilling and technical study program. The program will be completed by multiple local and international service providers and overseen by Koryx own team of competent professionals, aiming to right-size (grow) and optimize (improve quality) Haib and to fast-track the completion of a PFS by the end of 2025, followed by the completion of a DFS and mine permitting before the end of 2026. Significantly improve the quality of the MRE by increasing the mineral resource size and copper equivalent grade. Proving the techno-economic feasibility of a conventional flotation concentrate process flow sheet for the higher grade material, in parallel with an innovative leaching process for the lower grade material. This includes integrating the mine plan with the two parallel process flow sheets to maximize value (LOM, NPV, annual copper production rate). De-risking and advancing the environmental and mine permitting, infrastructure, utilities and project delivery aspects of the Project. Led by a highly competent and experienced team who have worked together on Namibian projects for many years, with a strong track record of execution and value creation, the Koryx team is perfectly placed to successfully execute on these objectives. 2025 Development Study Approach The PEA will describe an integrated and enhanced process flowsheet for Haib, comprising flotation and concentrate production for the higher-grade ROM material, and a hydrometallurgical process including heap leaching and solvent extraction / electrowinning (SX/EW) for the lower grade ROM material. As a part of the PEA, Koryx will evaluate alternative metallurgical process flow sheets and carry out infrastructure related trade-off studies. The Company is confident that a high degree of confidence can be ascribed to the trade-off studies as the input data will be based on actual test results and/or benchmarked data from similar projects. The PEA will be followed up immediately by a PFS, aiming to right-size and optimize the project definition so that the team can focus on engineering the unit processes and infrastructure requirements which would generate the optimal economic outcomes for Haib. A key aspect of the 2025 PEA is right-sizing the operation to optimise the life-of-mine (multi decade) whilst maximizing copper production. Koryx is evaluating a processing plant throughput operating range of 15 to 25mtpa crushed material (run-of-mine). Applying industry average copper recovery factors, the project could produce 50 100ktpa of copper (combination of copper contained in concentrate and refined copper cathode) over a life of mine of 15 30 years. In developing a credible project implementation plan, Koryx will consider a staged implementation model wherein the conventional comminution and flotation processing facilities will be constructed and operated as Stage 1, followed by construction and operation of the leaching and hydrometallurgical facilities in Stage 2. Phase 2 Drilling (Q1 2025) and Mineral Resource Planning for 2025 During 2024 the Company completed a small (3,500m), but highly successful Phase 1 drill program at Haib. The program specifically targeted higher grade, more structurally controlled areas of the Haib mineralisation with inclined drilling, which are not typical for a porphyry-type of deposit, and which had been missed by Rio Tintos prior vertical drilling. These areas were previously identified by Koryx geologists through extensive fieldwork campaigns and were successfully traced through the 2024 Phase 1 drill program. This 2024 drilling culminated in the publication of a new MRE for Haib, reflecting a 13% increase in Cu grade (from 0.31 to 0.35% Cu, refer to the press release dated September 10, 2024), and was immediately followed up with a larger Phase 2 drill program. The objectives of the Phase 2 program are as follows: Extending and further targeting the structurally controlled, higher grade mineralisation which was identified and drilled during the 2024 Phase 1 drill program. Drilling and assaying for by-products, specifically molybdenum and gold, which both have the potential to be recovered in the updated mineral processing flowsheet now envisaged for Haib. The aim is to generate a sufficient sample density to be able to reflect the byproducts in the next MRE update, thereby assisting in further improving the Haib Cu equivalent grade instead of reporting just a pure Cu grade for the Haib mineralisation, as was done previously. Refining the geological model wireframes and improving the resolution of waste, low grade and high grade interfaces through in-fill drilling of the current 150m x 150m drill grid. The Phase 2 drill program which commenced in November 2024 comprises 8,200m of which 3,550m was completed by the end of 2024. The complete program is due to be completed during Q1 2025 with assay results to be reported throughout Q1 2025. Phase 3 and 4 Drilling (Q2 and Q3 2025) Planning for the follow-on Phase 3 drill program (29,000m) has been completed and drilling will commence immediately after the completion of the Phase 2 program late in Q1 2025. This drilling has been planned to further extend the higher grade areas (10,000m) plus infill and mineral resource extension drilling (19,000m). A further 20,000m of Phase 4 infill drilling (reducing average drill spacing from 150m down to 75m) will be required to convert at least 80% of the mineral resource to the Indicated category. This drilling is expected to be completed during Q3 of 2025, thereby allowing for inclusion into the planned PFS to be published at the end of 2025. This will likely also fulfil the minimum confidence level required for the follow-on DFS study to be published at the end of 2026, although a significant quantum of additional infill and expansion drilling will likely be completed before then. The increase in planned drill metres has resulted in 3 additional rigs being mobilised to site in Q1 2025 and the Company expects to have 5 of the 6 rigs planned on site by the end of February 2025, with at least 3 of them on double shift operations, aiming to maximize drilling rates to achieve the targeted PEA and PFS publication dates from mid and late 2025 respectively. The figures below show the planned drilling for Phase 2, 3 & 4. Phase 3 drilling is expected to be completed at half year and Phase 4 drilling by the end of 2025. Koryx Copper Inc. Figure 1: Plan view showing historical drill collar locations and drill collars for Koryx actual 2024 and planned 2025 drilling Koryx Copper Inc. Figure 2: Long section showing the planned future drill programs. Detailed planning of the extension drilling program as part of Phase 2 is currently underway and target areas are indicated by yellow stars Metallurgical Testwork Including Innovative Technologies Koryxs metallurgical test work campaign is well advanced and builds on the high-quality work done by others since 1996, which built on the exploration activities completed by Rio Tinto and Teck Resources since the 1970s and 1990s respectively. The objective of Koryxs metallurgical testing is to a) demonstrate the feasibility of a conventional processing route (crushing, grinding, flotation), producing a high quality clean concentrate from the higher grade material at Haib (>0.275% Cu) and b) demonstrating the feasibility of a heap-leach processing route to treat the lower grade material (<0.275% Cu) in parallel with, but staged after the conventional flotation process. There are several innovative and relatively novel technologies with laboratory test, site demonstration plant or small-scale commercial references, that have the potential to be applicable to the Haib mineralised material. In this context, preliminary discussions have taken place with Mintek, CSIRO, Jetti, Ceibo, Nuton and MJOI in respect of the planned leach tests, and we expect to test at least two alternatives with the assistance of the technology suppliers and test laboratories as well as independent consultants specialising in chalcopyrite leach processes. These technologies are relevant because of their ability to overcome the passivation challenge associated with leaching of the chalcopyrite mineral which is the dominant form of copper mineralisation at Haib. The Koryx study team has also evaluated the potential for bacterial heap leaching with or without the addition of catalytic reagents, as well as nitrate or chloride based chemical heap leach processes. Composited borehole core samples for a total of about 4 tonnes of material have been selected. These samples exhibit a range of copper, gold and molybdenum grades as well as some variation in mineralogical composition. Samples amounting to about 2 tonnes have already been despatched to Maelgwyn in Johannesburg for minerals processing tests on materials containing above 0.275% Cu. Testwork has begun to confirm or enhance the results of laboratory and pilot tests carried out in 1996, with the following tasks to be performed in the laboratory: Crushing and milling tests to support comminution circuit modelling. Mineralogical examination for pre-concentrate, concentrate and tailings samples. Chemical analyses to include copper, molybdenum and gold. Bulk sorting tests and simulations of both low- and high-grade mineralisation, to enable modelling of pre-concentration after primary crushing. Dense medium separation ( DMS ) tests to enable modelling of pre-concentration Coarse particle flotation with and pre-concentration test aiming potentially significantly reduce tonnage to regrind and cleaner flotation. Conventional milling and flotation tests of fresh sulphide and oxide/transitional material. Dewatering and transportability tests of final flotation concentrate and tailings Geochemical column leach tests of low grade, waste rock and filtered tailings to determine potential for acid generation and acid rock drainage. Geotechnical tests of filtered tailings to confirm likely stability. Acid heap leaching of oxide/transitional material samples. In addition, about 2 tonnes of low grade samples (containing 0.15% to 0.35% Cu) are being collected in Q1 2025 for hydrometallurgical variability tests, likely to take place at multiple laboratories still to be selected. These are expected to include: Crushing tests to confirm differences in physical characteristics from higher grade material. Mineralogical and chemical analyses of material. Bacterial acclimatisation, compatibility and culture development tests. Bacterial heap leach tests using 1m or 6m diameter columns for about 9 months. Chemical heap leach tests in columns, using 2-3 different commercial techniques intended to overcome chalcopyrite passivation. Geotechnical and geochemical tests of residue from the column leach tests. As is the case for milling and flotation of higher grade mineralisation, successful historical hydrometallurgical test work has been carried out on low grade mineralisation samples. The new tests listed above will be scoped and designed to supplement and enhance the earlier work. The aim will be to generate results that will support both the PEA and the PFS technical and financial evaluations of Haib. Trade-off Studies and Additional Technical Assessments At this early stage of this type of mining and processing project, there are many possible alternatives in each link of the value chain. It is rarely immediately clear which of these alternatives will provide a combination of low technical risk and high value, especially when the links are combined into the entire chain. At the PEA stage of project development, it is relatively inexpensive to consider the techno-economic potential of most alternatives. We plan to do this, with a subsequent significant reduction in the number of alternatives to be considered in more depth when the project proceeds to the PFS stage. The metallurgical test results will be used to support or confirm the expected results of the following process trade-off studies: Comparison of different pre-concentration flowsheets including rock sorting, DMS and coarse particle flotation. Assessment of optimal crushing and milling configuration. Concentrator plant capacity revenue versus cost trade-offs. Technical comparison of alternative leach processes to recover copper from chalcopyrite mineralisation. Techno-economic comparison of sale or toll treatment of flotation concentrate versus on-site leaching and refining of concentrate with copper metal being transported to market. The following additional studies and assessments will be completed, aimed at firming up important project aspects and assumptions which have previously not been addressed. Site assessment for alternative metallurgical plant location including civils geotechnical evaluation and impact analysis. Mining and processing value chain optimisation, to identify how best to increase head grade and revenue in early years of production. Stockpile optimisation (strategic and tactical use of low grade stockpiles) Process equipment and tailings storage facility ( TSF ) comparisons, based on thickened, paste and filtered tailings. Cost and modes of transport for concentrate from mine to customer/smelter. Electrical power supply and self-generation using renewable energy sources and battery storage technology. Consideration of alternative water supply sources with conceptual design and costing. Site Environmental and Hydrogeological Studies Environmental studies specific to the Haib area began in 2024 to evaluate the wider area which is being targeted for development. A screening study has confirmed that there are no fatal flaws impeding the project development and have made recommendations for specialist studies to take place during 2025. Some of the studies will commence as the results of certain technical trade-off studies listed above provide more detail on the specific mine design: Conceptual site wide water balance and stormwater management plan for the proposed pit and infrastructure areas, including sizing of key cost areas. Specialist baseline studies to include; Biodiversity specialist field assessment Aquatic specialist study to focus on riparian environments including the Orange River proximal to the site. Hydrogeology ground water modelling Geochemistry study to utilise tailings material from ongoing met lab testwork, stockpile materials and waste rock dump material determined by mine planning. Update to Archaeological study completed in 2024 which will confirm specific infrastructure footprint. Air quality and noise specialist study will be performed at chosen receptor sites to create a pre-project baseline. Social specialist study will investigate key areas to be addressed to inform IFC requirements. Exploration and Studies Schedule and Timelines The Haib project team will continue to fast track the development studies throughout 2025 with the intension to update the PEA by the second half of the year and announce the PFS by the end of the year. Koryx Copper Inc. Figure 3: Drilling, Studies & Permitting Activity Schedule for 2025-2027 This will put the project in a strong position to execute the DFS in 2026 and progress to Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) in conjunction with project financing in 2027. Budget The budgeting process is ongoing and is expected to be concluded before the end of January 2025. It is anticipated that this work program will cost up to C$20 million, which is expected to be covered with Koryx current treasury plus expected warrant exercises between now and the end of the year. This budget is expected to be approved at Koryx next Board of Directors meeting to be held before the end of January 2025. Qualified Person Mr. Dean Richards Pr.Sci.Nat., MGSSA BSc. (Hons) Geology is the Qualified Person for the Haib Copper Project and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release and is a registered Professional Natural Scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (Pr. Sci. Nat. No. 400190/08) and a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. About Koryx Copper Inc. Koryx Copper Inc. is a Canadian copper development Company focused on advancing the 100%-owned Haib Copper Project in Namibia whilst also building a portfolio of copper exploration licenses in Zambia. Haib is a large and advanced (PEA-stage) copper/molybdenum porphyry deposit in southern Namibia with a long history of exploration and project development by multiple operators. More than 70,000m of drilling has been conducted at Haib since the 1970s with significant exploration programs led by companies including Falconbridge (1964), Rio Tinto (1975) and Teck (2014). Teck remains a strategic and supportive shareholder. In addition to extensive drilling and metallurgical testing various technical studies have been completed at Haib to date. Haib has a current mineral resource of 414Mt @ 0.35% Cu for 1,459mt of contained copper in the Indicated category and 345Mt @ 0.33% Cu for 1136Mt of contained copper in the Inferred category (0.25% Cu cut-off). Mineralisation at Haib is typical of a porphyry copper deposit. Porphyry copper deposits are a major global source of copper with the best-known examples being concentrated around the Pacific Rim, North America and South America. Haib is one of a few examples of a Paleoproterozoic porphyry copper deposit in the world and one of only two in southern Africa (both in Namibia). Due to its age, the deposit has been subjected to multiple metamorphic and deformation events, but still retains many of the classic mineralisation and alteration features typical of these deposits. The mineralisation is dominantly chalcopyrite with minor bornite and chalcocite present and only minor secondary copper minerals at surface due to the arid environment. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://koryxcopper.com and under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. More information is available by contacting the Company: Julia Becker Corporate Communications jbecker@koryxcopper.com +1-604-785-0850 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings and the future or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect ", "is expected ", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, other factors may cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management discussion and analysis. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0b388ab-95f8-41e2-a9a7-0af0e410676a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e6c37c38-d270-4c41-9367-221e68904cbd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ad2de10-4437-4b13-8b0a-c345460b851d The white marble cover at Niche 2, Column 4, Columbarium Court 7-RR in Arlington National Cemetery reads: Brian David Sicknick SSGT USAF 1978-2021 Sicknick had served six years in the U.S. Air Force, leaving in 2003 to become an officer in the U.S. Capitol Police. He collapsed and died after the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The District of Columbia medical examiners office determined he died from a stroke, saying all that transpired played a role in his condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of what transpired was being sprayed with a chemical agent directly in the face from a few feet away by a man wearing a knit Trump hat and Trump gloves. When I saw him get attacked, I remember his face, ghostly pale, and in pain. I remember thinking that I had never seen anyone go pale when they got sprayed with chemical spray, and I knew he must need help, fellow Capital Police Officer Caroline Edwards said in a victims impact statement. I didnt get a chance to help, though, because seconds later I was sprayed. Brian Sicknick died just hours after being bear sprayed and beaten during the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. / U.S. Department of Justice She went on: On January 7th, 2021, a sergeant called me to tell me that Officer Sicknick would not make it. My day had already been confusing enough. Injured with a traumatic brain injury, I slept fitfully, not sure of what was real life and what was a dream. I had hoped this call was a nightmare. All I could remember saying to him over the phone was, No. Thats all I could say, No, followed by: Im sorry. I am so sorry. What kicked off was months of survivors guilt and asking. God, why wasnt it me? It didnt matter what anyone else said to me. I felt like the absolute worst kind of officer; someone who didnt help their friend, couldnt help their friend. Every time I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of this. My eyes were red and scabbed for over a month afterwards. It was like the 6th was mocking me, reminding me at every turn how I couldnt help my fellow officer that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sicknick was cremated and a police honor guard solemnly carried a black urn containing his remains up the Capitol steps. He became only the fifth person to lay in honor in the Rotunda, a distinction that is the equivalent of lying in state for government and military officials. The other four are: fellow Capitol Police officers, Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, killed by a crazed gunman in 1998; Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks in 2005; and evangelist Rev. Billy Graham in 2018. The urn was then deposited with full honors in the columbarium at Arlington. The grave of U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick. / FindAGrave In March of 2021 the FBI arrested 32-year-old Julian Khater of Pennsylvania and 39-year-old George Tanios of West Virginia in connection with the attack on Sicknick and Edwards. The evidence against them included video in which Kharen says to Tanios: Give me that bear shit, and then takes the chemical agent from his backpack. Khater then sprays both officers at close range. Tanios pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and trespassing misdemeanors. He was sentenced to time served, having already been remanded for six months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khater pleaded guilty to felony assault on police officers and U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan sentenced him to 80 months on Jan. 27, 2023. Hogan had clearly been moved by Edwards description of the attack on Sicknick and the immediate aftermath. Officer Edwards said he just turned pale white, the judge said to Khater. You just walked up, within three or four feet of her, and sprayed her directly in her face; I mean, held it right there into her face to hurt her. And she wanted to help [Sicknick] and couldnt because she was blinded. She couldnt see where to move or where to go. Brian Sicknick served six years in the U.S. Air Force before joining the Capitol Police. / FindAGrave The judge added, You can see how distraught and destroyed she is two years later, its a long-term effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others who provided impact statements included Gladys Sicknick. I am Brian Sicknicks mom, she told the judge.. Today I did not get dressed up because I dressed up in Brians shirt And I just thought it was something I had to do. She continued, addressing Khater directly, Seven hundred and fifty-one days, thats how much time has passed since Jan. 6, 2021. And each and every day, I and my family are reminded of what you did to my son Brian. There is hardly an hours respite. With every news report, newspaper, on the internetwe are pummeled by the horrific images of that day. But we also see the face of my son and those of courageous men and women who stood their ground to protect our democracy from a vicious mob. She went on, And I see you, Mr. Khater. You are a center stage in our recurring nightmare. Just when raw nerves have begun to heal, we are carried back to the scene of your crime. You, among all the other crazies, you are the reason Brian is dead, Mr. Khater. You alone, today, sir. But on Jan. 6 you were on the front lines of a violent mob. And for what? While you were assaulting police officers whose duty is to keep the peace and secure our Capitol, you cant possibly have thought you were doing the right thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rioters who breached the Capitol that day, whether or not they have been charged with crimes, all of you are culpable in Brians death. All of you bear responsibility for the injuries sustained by Brians fellow officers: The broken bones, head trauma, and the continuing mental anguish they suffer and will endure for the rest of their lives. Imagine the emotional pain that would cause someone to take his own life. Four officers committed suicide. You and your movement caused their deaths. She was not done. U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick poses in a rare off-duty moment. / FindAGrave Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foot soldiers, you call yourselves. You, with your flags used as spikes. My son was a soldier. Soldiers dont erect gallows and call for the Vice President to be hanged. Soldiers dont attack the seat of their own government by brandishing pipes and clubs and bats They dont beat and blind policemen with chemicals like you did to Brian. You attacked my son like he was an animal. You are the animal, Mr. Khater. In defense of their actions, some of the mob have relied upon the fact that the former president invited them to Washington, that he whipped them into a frenzy and sent them marching to do his bidding to stop the peaceful transfer of power, to overturn our election. That man will get his due, his day in court; thats my hope. But you should have known better. In this great country we go to the voting booth to make a difference. We dont start an armed rebellion, no matter if the President encouraged you to fight like hell to take your country back. To this day he rants about your patriotism and how unfair you have been treated. To this day he lies about the election. How does it feel to be headed to jail because of a bald-face lie? You are no martyr. You are a felon. I dont know what kind of upbringing you had, what might have happened in your childhood that contributed to your deluded sense of right and wrong. If I were your mom, I would be embarrassed to have a son like you. I couldnt bear to look at you ever again, which is how I feel right now. Let this be the last time, Mr. Khater. Lawlessness, misplaced loyalty to a deranged autocratic ideal, and hate killed my son. And I hope you are haunted by your crimes behind bars. Whatever jail time you receive is not enough in my eyes. U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick receives an award. / FindAGrave Early Monday evening, Khater was inmate number 34510-509 at Federal Correctional Institution Danbury in Connecticut, not due for release until Nov. 18, 2026. But Donald Trump had just arrived at the Oval Office after being restored to power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The newly inaugurated president had begun his day by delivering his inaugural address in the Rotunda, which his supporters had stormed four years before and where Sicknick had afterwards lain in honor. Trump then went down to Emancipation Hall to address the overflow crowd and repeated the falsehood about the 2020 election being rigged, the same lie that had led to Sicknick, Edwards and at least 138 other officers being injured. From there, Trump went to an indoor parade at the Capital One Arena. He said he would be pardoning all those convicted in connection with the storming of the Capitol. He called them the Jan. 6 hostages even as he stood with the families of actual Israeli hostages. He then headed for the Oval Office and sat down at the Resolute Desk to sign a stack of executive orders in blue folders. A news camera recorded an aide setting the first before him. Capitol Police officers struggled valiantly on Jan. 6, 2021 to fend off a violent mobbut they were ultimately overwhelmed. / U.S. Department of Justice First you have a list of pardons and commutations for events that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021, the aide said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OK, and how many people is this? Trump asked. I think this order will apply to approximately 1500 people, sir, the aide replied. So, this is Jan. 6, Trump said. These are the hostages. Approximately 1500 for a pardon. Yes, the aide said. Full pardon, Trump said. He added that there were about six commutations that would require further examination. The commutations will either stay that way or, itll go to a full pardon, he said. Trump proceeded to affix his signature with the customary black Sharpie. So this is a big one, he said. The order does require the Bureau of Prisons to act immediately upon receipt of the pardon and commutation orders, the aide said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why dont we get that down, so they can get them going right now, Trump told him. Yes, sir, absolutely, the aide said. An assailant who was later convicted in connection with the assault of U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died of his injuries just hours after the Jan. 6 insurrection. / U.S. Department of Justice The Bureau of Prisons says that Khater was released at approximately 11:55 pm. That was five minutes before the end of Trumps Day One. But Trump never had the day in court that Sicknicks mom had hoped for. At least Edwards is said to still be on the job and promoted to sergeant. She can look in the mirror and see someone who had said what needed saying for her fallen comrade. She stands in honor at the Capitol. The Daily Beast Podcast episodes are released every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each new episode drops. Michael Fanone, a former Washington police officer who was attacked during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, said he feels like he has a target on his back under President Trump, after Trump pardoned hundreds of convicted rioters. I certainly feel as though I have a target on my back and theres a target on the back of my family members, and not just from these violent criminals, but from the government itself, from Donald Trumps government, Fanone said Wednesday on MSNBC. Fanone has been an outspoken critic of Trump and those who stormed the Capitol four years ago. On that day, he was beaten and tased by Trump supporters, suffering a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury. Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone is seen during a House Jan. 6 committee hearing on Oct. 13, 2022 in Washington. Peter Afriyie, Associated Press He was among several law enforcement members who testified before the House select committee that investigated the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fanone was also among those who received preemptive pardons from former President Biden before he left office. One of Trumps first official acts upon returning to the White House was handing out pardons to nearly all of the Jan. 6 rioters. Fanone called it a betrayal. Fanone said he fully expects to experience violence at the hands of some individuals pardoned by Trump, whether its the ones that directly assaulted me or others who see me as a spokesperson for accountability for January 6. Last year, Fanone shared the news that his parents were swatted at their respective homes just hours after he called Trump an authoritarian. He called the situation incredibly fing dangerous for his elderly parents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. Rachel Reevess tax raid on farmers is putting Britains food security at risk and must be paused, Tesco has warned. Britains biggest supermarket said the Chancellor should halt the introduction of inheritance tax on farms worth more than 1m in order to safeguard British agriculture. Ashwin Prasad, Tescos chief commercial officer, wrote in a blog: This is not just a debate about individual policies the UKs future food security is at stake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tesco was one of three major supermarkets to call for a rethink of the policy on Wednesday, with similar warnings issued by Aldi and Lidl in an unusual show of unity. It came as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Governments fiscal watchdog, suggested that farmers were likely to slash investment because of the tax raid and cast doubt on how much money would be raised. Tesco, Aldi and Lidl collectively represent around 45pc of the British grocery market and their warnings about the impact of Labours tax raid significantly raises pressure on the Government. Asda and Morrisons have already backed farmers in the row. Sainsburys has urged ministers to listen to the concerns of farmers about the tax changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under plans announced by the Chancellor in her Budget last year, farms worth more than 1m will be liable for 20pc inheritance tax from April 2026. Agricultural businesses were previously exempt from death taxes. The policy has provoked a huge backlash from farmers, who claim it will force them to sell off or shut down businesses. Tractors descended on Westminster in November in protest over the tax raid. Mr Prasad said Tesco fully understood farmers concerns and said they desperately need more certainty. He said: After years of policy change, it has been harder than ever for them to plan ahead or to invest in their farms. Its why well be supporting the National Farmers Unions calls for a pause in the implementation of the policy, while a full consultation is carried out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a further blow for Ms Reeves, the OBR said there is a risk that the amount raised by the tax will fade over time as landowners adapt following its introduction in April next year although older farmers would be unable to escape the consequences. The OBR said:The yield from this measure is not likely to reach a steady state for at least 20 years. Any increase in gift-giving will increase attrition and reduce receipts after at least a seven-year period, while the potential proliferation of new tax planning strategies will do likewise. Individuals tend to structure their affairs with a view to inheritance planning in their 50s and 60s, which will primarily affect the costing over the longer-term. In the medium term, it is likely to be more difficult for some older individuals to quickly restructure their affairs in response to the measure. It added that farmers could seek to limit their tax bills by potentially running down the value of estates meaning less investment in new equipment or infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tom Bradshaw, the president of the National Farmers Union, said the tax changes will have a terrible human impact on elderly farmers. He said: It will be older farmers who will be hardest hit by the Governments misguided family farm tax. One minute they were advised to keep their farms until death to pass them on to the next generation, the next theyre left knowing that if they live beyond April 2026 when the measures come in, their children may have to break up or sell the farm. What an appalling position to put elderly people in. Mr Bradshaw also echoed Tescos concerns about food security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said: This policy puts the brakes on investment now and into the future, investment that would guarantee food security for the next decade and beyond, investment that mitigates environmental risk and investment that creates the opportunity for future generations to thrive. Lidl said it was concerned that the recent changes to the Inheritance Tax (IHT) regime will impact farmer and grower confidence and hold back the investment needed to build a resilient, productive and sustainable British food system. The German supermarket called for a full consultation. It said: We will be raising our concerns with the Government at any opportunity we get. Aldi also backed calls for a pause. It said: We all need a farming sector that can confidently invest in its future and continue to produce high-quality British food. Rural recession warning The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) warned of a rural recession unless the Chancellor reversed course, as farmers slash investment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Victoria Vyvyan, president of the CLA, said the tax will undermine the rural economy. She said: Ministers have repeatedly said that the OBR had certified their claims, but the truth is that the OBR themselves say there is a high degree of uncertainty as to how much money will be raised, if any at all. But we do know that farmers and small business owners are pulling investment, cancelling machinery orders and considering whether their businesses are viable for the long term. This means fewer jobs, less food security, less growth and less money going into the Exchequer to pay for public services. Government must put these reforms out to a meaningful consultation, so that [the] Treasury can truly understand the damage they are doing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement British farms produce around 60pc of the food consumed across the country, including most of the cereals, meat, dairy and eggs we eat. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said it poses a fresh threat to the countryside. He said: I believe that much of our farmland will become solar farms and housing for the exploding migrant population. Inheritance tax for family businesses is also being cut back. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, said this raid on entrepreneurs is worsening the economic slowdown. It is a real disincentive to start or grow a business one reason why we are already seeing growth slow and unemployment rise under Labour, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ministers have claimed that the tax changes will only affect a small group of farmers. Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, wrote in The Telegraph in November: Small family farms will not be affected. Only about 500 estates a year will pay more under the new scheme than they do today. Those figures have been rejected by the NFU, which has argued that 75pc of farm businesses could be impacted. The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers has estimated that 2,500 farmers a year will be hit by the overhaul, five times as many as official estimates. A government spokesman 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 reliefs will mean estates will pay a reduced effective inheritance tax rate of 20pc, rather than standard 40pc, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates next year. 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. A 25-year-old father in California has been arrested after being accused of killing his 5-month-old baby by allegedly falling asleep on the child while intoxicated, police have said. On Sunday, Jan. 19 at approximately 11:53 p.m. local time, authorities responded to reports of a "5-month-old baby not breathing" at the 800 block of Violet Way in the Butte County town of Paradise, Paradise Police Department (PPD) said in a news release. Police officers arrived on the scene and "began life-saving measures," per the release before Cal Fire and Butte emergency medical services (EMS) personnel arrived and "took over medical care." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Unfortunately, life-saving measures did not work and the baby was pronounced deceased at the scene," the release stated. Authorities identified the man as Daniel Eastman, a resident of Paradise, adding that he'd been "arrested and booked into Butte County Jail." Getty Police were called to the scene Police were called to the scene Police confirmed that PPD detectives had been "called out to the scene to assist in the investigation," adding that officers had determined that "the babys father was intoxicated and fell asleep on the baby, resulting in the babys death." Eastman is now facing charges of manslaughter and child abuse resulting in great bodily injury or death, per the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect's bail has been set at $80,000, police confirmed. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "The investigation is ongoing, and the Department of Justice was called in to assist by processing the scene and collecting evidence. An autopsy will be scheduled to assist in determining the exact cause of death," officers concluded in the release. A Town of Paradise spokesperson, the Butte County District Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Read the original article on People MCDOWELL COUNTY, WV (WVNS) An FCI McDowell County inmate was sentenced for weapon possession on January 21, 2025. According to a press release, 26-year-old Demoreal Killebrew, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, followed by three years probation, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison. FCI McDowell inmate pleads guilty to possessing weapon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to statements made in court, Killebrew was searched by a staff member at FCI McDowell on January 29, 2023 where they found a handcrafted weapon, also referred to as a shank, in his left shoe. The shank was reportedly a metal rod that was around five and one-half inches long, with a sharpened point on one end and a plastic cap on the other end as a handle. Killebrew admitted to the shank being in his possession, as well as that it was meant to be used as a weapon. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Will Thompsons office, who thanked the Federal Bureau of Prisons investigative work. 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 WVNS. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) On his first day in office, President Trump delivered on campaign promises to severely limit immigration to the United States. The President signed a number of executive orders that shut down an immigration app and canceled appointments made through the app for immigration services. Trumps first day back in White House includes firings, infrastructure announcement Ana Lamb is an advocate who works with the migrant community and said they are very fearful of the impact of those new executive orders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can feel the fear of the people, said Lamb. She said nothing President Trump did was unexpected, but the reality of it is now settling in. We knew for months this was going to happen, Lamb added. Danielle Hernandez, an attorney who specializes in immigration law, said the new executive orders will impact thousands of people in Florida. What executive orders did Trump sign on day 1 of presidency? They are a big part of the construction community, a lot of the hospitality community and a lot of our services, said Hernandez. So we have already been in a place where migrants feel fearful of living in Florida and that is most likely going to increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hernandez is now answering many questions from clients, adding that the news for many will not be good. People are asking me what is going to happen with their current proceeding, she said. I think most people who are here under the Order of Supervisory Release will most likely be facing deportation. 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 WFLA. Pro-Trump supporters clash with law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Credit - Kent NishimuraLos Angeles Times via Getty Images The first 24 hours of Donald Trumps second term reflected what his supporters hoped for and his detractors feared: a willingness to follow through on some of his most radical and divisive ideas. That much was clear Monday night, when Trump made good on his pledge to exonerate the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, the President pardoned or commuted nearly 1,600 of the defendants convicted or charged in connection with the attack, including those who carried out violent acts such as smashing windows and beating police officers. Among those reprieved were members of far-right extremist groups. Enrique Torrio, a Proud Boys leader, was sentenced to 22 years in prison after a jury of his peers found him guilty of seditious conspiracy. Stewart Rhodes, who founded the Oath Keepers, was serving an 18-year sentence on the same charges. By Tuesday afternoon, both men were free. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trumps move amounts to more than fulfilling a campaign promise. Former prosecutors and legal experts fear it has far-reaching implications for the rule of law in the coming years, sending a message to Trump fanatics that they can commit crimes on the Presidents behalf with impunity. I worry that it will embolden people to engage in political violence, so long as they are acting in service to the leader, says Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney. I think this provides license for people to engage in that kind of vigilantism, and that's a very dangerous place for a democracy to be. To the MAGA faithful, the pardons are the culmination of a four-year saga to rewrite the history of that day. Trump and his allies have sought to recast the insurrection as an act of patriotism, and the prosecution of rioters as a grave injustice. The President, who often calls the defendants hostages, vowed as a candidate to clear them of criminal charges; in April, he told TIME that he would absolutely consider pardoning all of them. Trumps sweeping order comes close. He commuted the sentences of 14 individuals charged with seditious conspiracy and issued "a full, complete and unconditional pardon for all the restproviding some form of clemency to everyone charged or convicted for the attack. To many, thats a source of profound anxiety. Critics allege that Trump has often said just enough for extremists to think they have his blessing. After a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., he said there were good people on both sides. During a 2020 debate with former President Joe Biden, he told members of the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by. Scholars of the far right see the pardons as sending a conspicuous signal. I think this is the most concrete instance of Trump conferring material benefits to people who are willing to serve as pro-MAGA vigilantes and who operate in these militia groups, says David Noll, a Rutgers law professor and the co-author of Vigilante Nation. I think the message they'll hear is that Trump is one of themand Trump has their back. After the Jan. 6 rampage, fears of violence spurred prominent anti-Trump lawmakers including Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to spend tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds on private security details. Trump has quite literally released people who we know are ready, willing, and able to target Congress as it performs its constitutional functions, says Noll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McQuade suspects Trumps pardons could cause a chilling effect on everyone from legislators and federal bureaucrats to journalists and private citizens. If they are worried that Donald Trump's rhetoric will unleash political violence against them and will then be pardoned, she says, I could see people engaging in self-censorship to avoid becoming a target of political violence. That may have already happened. Romney told the journalist McKay Coppins that a Republican congressman confided in him that he chose not to vote for Trumps second impeachment after the Capitol riot for fear of his familys safety. The aftereffects may be most distressing to those directly impacted by the Jan. 6 assault. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosiwho was rushed out of the House chamber after rioters breached the Capitol and whose husband was later battered with a hammer in a separate politically-motivated attackcalled Trump's order "shameful and an outrageous insult to our justice system. The brother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died from a stroke the day after the attack, told ABC News the pardons were an affront. "The man doesn't understand [the] pain or suffering of others. He can't comprehend anyone else's feelings," Craig Sicknick said. "We now have no rule of law." For some of the Presidents fiercest allies, though, Trumps pardons reflect yet another triumph that stems from the power the American people have handed him. I don't give a damn what Democrats say about Trump's Jan. 6 pardons and commutations, says Mike Davis, who founded the conservative Article III Project. We won, they lost. F**k you. Contact us at letters@time.com. A union boss said Elon Musk was unfairly criticizing the federal workforce. Musk has pushed for an RTO for federal workers, saying the status quo is "not fair." Randy Erwin, the union leader, said Musk was too dismissive of their contributions. The head of a major union of federal employees said he didn't think Elon Musk understood who federal workers are or what they do. "I don't think he knows the first thing about federal government," Randy Erwin, the national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, told Business Insider in an interview. "Frankly, I don't think he cares," he added. Erwin spoke with BI after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday mandating that federal government employees return to the office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It gave effect to an idea long championed by Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. In November, Musk, appointed to head up the new enterprise, laid out a vision of a return-to-office mandate for federal workers. In a joint Wall Street Journal op-ed with Vivek Ramaswamy, who has since exited DOGE, the pair outlined their plans to cut costs and downsize the federal government. "Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome," they wrote. "If federal employees don't want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn't pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home," they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Musk wrote on X, the platform he owns, that "pretending to work while taking money from taxpayers is no longer acceptable." In another post, he said the executive order was about "fairness." He wrote: "It's not fair that most people have to come to work to build products or provide services while Federal Government employees get to stay home." Erwin said the image of the work-shy civil servant was untrue. "There's this myth that federal workers aren't coming to work," Erwin said, describing the talking point as "a bunch of political BS." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A report by the Office of Management and Budget in August said that most of the 2.3 million civilians employed by the federal government already work in person, with 54% on-site and 10% fully remote. Erwin said he believes Musk views federal workers as "innovation-blocking bureaucrats." "I've got 110,000 members. Not a single one would fit that description," he said. "They're out there, spread across the country, providing valuable services to the American people." Erwin added: "I don't think he knows the first thing about the federal workforce, who they are, where they are, and the valuable services that they provide." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was joined by another union leader in condemning the RTO mandate Everett Kelley, who leads AFGE, the largest federal employee union, with some 800,000 members. In a statement, he described remote work as "a critical tool for federal agencies to maintain continuity of operations in emergencies, increase disaster preparedness, and improve efficiency." Erwin told BI that working from home was part of the appeal of government jobs, which typically pay less than private-sector ones. Without it, it would be harder to retain talent, he added. "When you can't make anywhere near what you could be making in the private sector, some family, flexible work policies become a very, very important thing," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Federal prosecutors said this image shows Carlos Ayala on the Upper West Terrace at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They dropped the case against Ayala after President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendant Monday. (Photo from screenshot of court documents) A former state board of elections member charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection will not stand trial, following a blanket pardon issued Monday by President Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss charges against Carlos Ayala in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Their two-paragraph motion cites the Executive Order dated January 20, 2025, Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at Or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, as the reason for this dismissal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The motion to dismiss comes a day after Trump issued pardons for 1,500 people charged with or convicted of crimes related to storming the U.S. Capitol as part of a mob whipped into a frenzy by Trump and his false claims that the election has been stolen from him. They marched on the U.S. Capitol and mounted a violent assault as the House and Senate met to ratify the results of the 2020 election in which Joseph Biden defeated then-President Trump, the Republican incumbent. Trump has since attempted to rebrand the incident as a day of love. Ayala, 53, was arrested in January 2024 in connection with the assault. In a 13-page indictment, Ayala was charged with civil disorder, a felony and related misdemeanor offenses. The indictment identified Ayala as being part of a group of rioters illegally gathered on restricted Capitol grounds near the scaffolding erected for the Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration of Biden, who was president-elect at the time. Federal officials said Ayala wore a sweatshirt hood cinched tightly around his head, a gray 3M-style painters mask with large filters on each cheek, and, at times, carried a distinctive black-and-white flag affixed to a PVC pipe flagpole bearing the words We the People and DEFEND. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flag included an image of an M-16-style rifle. Additionally, prosecutors said Ayala was seen on video footage climbing over police barricades to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol as rioters overran the police lines on the stairs adjacent to the scaffolding. Ayala allegedly then moved to the front of the crowd gathered outside a door on the Senate side of the Capitol. Security footage from inside the Capitol, near the Senate side door, appears to show Ayala waving his flag inside one of the windows next to the door. A U.S. Capitol Police officer attempted to motion Ayala away from the window. Prosecutors alleged Ayala ignored the warning and moved to an opening in the Senate wing that had been breached by rioters. Video footage from inside the Capitol building showed a rioter positioned to the right side of the Senate wing door the same area where Ayala was present. That rioter could be seen jabbing with a flag and flagpole at an officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flag matched the description of Ayalas flag, according to court records. Police body camera footage also allegedly showed Ayala pacing in front of a line of officers yelling, Join us! As a result of the indictment, Ayala resigned from his post on the Maryland State Board of Elections. The resignation also led to calls for reforming how board members are selected and in stricter scrutiny from the Senate committee that reviews those nominations. Mark Zuckerberg's $900K 'Hand Made 1' Watch Steals The Spotlight As Meta Ends U.S. Fact-Checking Partnerships Mark Zuckerberg is making a statement on his wrist. The Meta CEO recently appeared in a Facebook video wearing the ultraexclusive Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1, a luxury timepiece that costs over $900,000. But this watch isn't just another status symbol. With only two or three models crafted entirely by hand each year, it represents the pinnacle of traditional watchmaking. According to Greubel Forsey's website, the Hand Made 1 comprises 281 meticulously crafted components, most made in-house. In a report by the New York Post, Michel Nydegger, CEO of Greubel Forsey, stated to Bloomberg, Its a pleasure to see someone who has played such a pivotal role in shaping the modern digital landscape and lifestyle show true appreciation for the most traditional approach to fine watchmaking today. Don't Miss: Zuckerberg's love for high-end watches isn't new. In September, during an interview with the business podcast Acquired, he wore the $90,000 rose gold De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius. Before that, he flaunted a $141,400 Patek Philippe Grand Complications In-Line Perpetual Calendar in a selfie with his wife, Priscilla Chan. The fascination doesn't stop there. At Anant Ambani's pre-wedding bash in March, Zuckerberg expressed his admiration for Ambani's Richard Mille watch, telling him in a video circulated on social media, "I never really wanted to get a watch. But after seeing that, I was like, watches are cool." This pivot to luxury signals a new chapter for Zuckerberg, who once epitomized Silicon Valley's casual uniform of hoodies and gray T-shirts. Image consultant Joseph Rosenfeld told Business Insider that the shift toward "premium watches and subtle luxury" reflects his evolving identity as a tech mogul. "He's stepping into a role where his appearance matches his stature as an innovator," Rosenfeld said. See Also: Its no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $70 million in art this alternative asset has outpaced the S&P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. Heres how everyday investors are getting started. But Zuckerberg's evolution isn't limited to aesthetics. Meta recently announced a significant shake-up in its content moderation strategy. The company plans to replace its current fact-checking partners with a crowdsourced moderation tool inspired by X's (formerly Twitter) Community Notes. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) As one of many executive orders President Donald Trump signed Monday, the roughly 1,500 individuals convicted in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol were pardoned. Knoxville man Cliff Meteer was one of thousands in the capitol building protesting what he believed was a stolen presidential election. Trump commutes sentences of Jan. 6 extremist group leaders; Tarrio gets pardon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I got up there. I got out on the second floor. I was right down the hall. I heard the report from the pistol that killed Ashli Babbitt, said Meteer. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 140 police officers were assaulted and the Capitol suffered over $2.7 million in damages. However, he recalled a scene much different from the riot. It was like a church parade. It was grandparents, kids, everyone walking along happy. It wasnt like a packed demonstration. It was people ambling along on the way to the capitol, he said. Meteer said he was in the building for about half an hour. He is seen in photographs walking through the Capitol carrying a two-sided sign saying stop the steal and save the republic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August 2021, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Meteers home in connection to his actions on January 6. East TN woman found dead in back of car, husband charged with abusing corpse To have armed soldiers invade your home is traumatizing, he said. Its something that we think about. The door handle is still broken. Its just not anything that an American should ever have to put up with. He called his arrest unnecessary in a 6 News interview at the time. After serving two months in federal prison he is currently on probation for his involvement. With a recent pardon from President Trump, he said he is hopeful for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How many people can say they had a presidential pardon? Feels pretty special, he said. I dont know whats going to happen. The wheels of justice turn extremely slowly. What are executive orders? Lawyer explains presidential powers However, he said justice is returning and maintains that he does not regret his involvement on January 6. You have to stand up. If you dont stand for something, you fall for anything, said Meteer. You have to stand up sometimes, even when you know youre going to get knocked down. This is this is what it means to be courageous. This is what it means to believe in something, and to believe in justice, and believe in rational thought, to believe in America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) If youve damaged your vehicle on a pothole along a road in West Virginia, you may be entitled to compensation. That is if you filed a claim with the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, an agency of the West Virginia Legislature that handles claims filed against state agencies. According to Commission Director Janet Kawash, a claim for pothole damage can be filed on the agencys website, where its assigned a claim number and entered into a database before being sent over to the legal department for the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) to review. The WVDOHs legal team then sends out an investigator to the scene of the claim and sometimes does a site inspection. The review process also consists of going over work records to see if theres documentation of a pothole being filled in that area, before finally responding to the claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West Virginia Division of Highways responds to pothole concerns Most cases, we will put those claims on what you call a hearing docket before the commission, Kawash said. In most cases, after a conversation with the representative from the Division of Highways or the attorney from the Division of Highways, they may agree to pay the claim. Once this process is complete, the WVDOH will reach out to you to settle on an amount for the monetary award. Kawash said that sometimes, the WVDOH will strictly pay the numbers that align with your statements and invoices, but in other cases, you may be able to work something else out. In the instance that you cant work something out with the WVDOH, a hearing will be held before the claims commission. During this hearing, youll get the opportunity to present all of your evidence, including what happened, why you feel the WVDOH is responsible and what the damages are to your vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission gets all of its claims resolved, the claims are grouped together on a claims bill thats presented to the West Virginia Legislature during its next regular session. According to Kawash, the bill must go between the House of Delegates and the Senate before receiving final approval. It has a legislative process just like every othera bill thats presented, said Kawash. Its heard by committees, voted on by the floor during a floor session and then once its approved, it is sent to the governor for signature. The claims bill is an appropriations bill, which means that once its approved, the state legislature will also appropriate taxpayer funds to pay those claims. The process is a little bit longer than dealing with a claim that you file with your insurance company because of the nature of the legislative approval process, Kawash added. And the need for payment of claims with taxpayer money, there has to be an appropriation by the legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WVDOH outlines plan to patch potholes after winter storms However, Kawash stated that some instances can occur that cause you to get paid earlier and outside of that process. If you hit a pothole thats under construction, the WVDOH may notify the contractor responsible for the work zone and have them pay you directly. Kawash added that any claims that are recommended to be paid by the claims commission are considered to be moral obligations of the state. The state of West Virginia is protected by a doctrine called sovereign immunity, which prevents it from ever being made a defendant, outside of any exceptions carved out legislatively. The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission is considered one of those exceptions, which is why theres a limitation on how much money youre able to receive in your claims. You can file a claim without needing a lawyer or paying a filing fee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fact, Kawash said that the claims commission assists many pro se claimants, meaning to go through the process without an attorney. The claims commission tries to keep things user-friendly and low-stress so when you come for a hearing, we just ask you to tell your story, she added. If youre planning to file a claim for pothole damage, having photos from the incident can help you out the most. This is better advised for less dense traffic situationssuch as if youre on a secondary route with no traffic and can safely take a photo. According to Senior Transportation Public Information Specialist Jacob Flatley, potholes are formed after snow or rain sweeps into the soil below the road surface and the moisture then freezes when temperatures drop, causing the ground to expand and push the pavement up. As temperatures rise, the ground returns to normal level but the pavement remains raised, he added. This creates a gap between the pavement and the ground below it. When vehicles drive over this cavity, the pavement surface cracks and falls into hollow space, creating another pothole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can reach out to the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission directly at (304) 347-4851 or 1(877) 562-6878 (toll free) for more information. You can find the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commissions claims forms over on its website. 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 WBOY.com. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A new book that details what country music star Johnny Horton was like before and after finding fame, and the author said she could not have written the book without the Noel Memorial Library at LSU Shreveport. Hortons fusion of rockabilly and honky-tonk music became famous because of the Louisiana Hayride. By 1960, Horton had three number-one songs on the country music charts. One of his tunes, North to Alaska, was featured in a John Wayne Movie. Hortons Battle of New Orleans hit the Billboard Top 100 for all music genres. Photo of Johnny Horton Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Things were going great for Horton until Nov. 5, 1960. Horton and his band were on their way back to Shreveport after a gig in Austin, Texas, when Johnny Horton was killed in a car crash near Milano, Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When author Kelly Hagy researched Hortons life and death for her biography Finding Johnny Horton, she found that first-hand information, sources, and documents were difficult to find. After all, it has been five decades since Hortons death. Finding Johnny Horton was published on May 15, 2024, and was written by Kelly Hagy, a journalist who said she wanted to set the record straight about who Horton was as a person before and after he found fame through country music. Nagy began her research in 2016 and quickly found that the original police report from the wreck that killed Johnny Horton had been destroyed in a Teax record purge decades ago. But deep in the archives of LSU Shreveports Noel Memorial Library, there was a copy of the police report detailing the fatal head-on collision on a Texas bridge that killed Johnny Horton. Photo of Johnny Horton Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images I had spent seven years searching for any surviving documentation of the crash, so to say that was a thrilling moment was an understatement, said Nagy in a thank you letter she recently sent to the archives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also wrote that the collection at LSU Shreveport was so vast that she could not go through it all, so further biographies are possible. Archivists Fermand Garlington II and Leah Widmeyer noticed a pattern in the archival research; some of the names found in the Robert and Laurie Gentry Collection, which contained items about Horton and Shreveports old country music scene, were also found in the Wellborn Jack Papers. Photo of Johnny Horton Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Gentry Collection was the work of Robert Gentry, who published the Sabine Index in Many. He was also an avid collector of documents and newspapers related to music and politics. I knew about Robert Gentry but had not been successful in contacting him until Laura McLemore (head archivist at the NWLA Archives) came to my rescue in 2023, wrote Hagy. She not only helped me contact Robert Gentry, but she connected me to Frank Severic, a graduate assistant who once worked at the library and went through the archives for me. The information Frank sent was a gold mine and was exactly what I had hoped it would be. The collection contains interviews with Hortons siblings, friends, second wife, and colleagues along with letters, photos, recordings and personal memorabilia. Hagy said she could not have written Finding Johnny Horton without the Robert and Laurie Gentry Collection and the Wellborn Jack Papers. Nagys book is said to shed light on who Johnny Horton was as a person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTALnews.com. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) As temperatures drop into single digits, fires become more difficult to extinguish. Daytons first two fire-related deaths of 2025 happened over the holiday weekend. The first, on Riverview Terrace on Saturday, and the other Monday night on Grove Avenue. Frigid temperatures were a challenge for crews battling both of those raging flames. 1 dead, 2 rescued after massive Dayton house fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All that remains after flames ripped through these Dayton homes is the smell of smoke still in the air, burnt debris and frozen tree limbs, after firefighters spend hours working in the cold to put out these deadly blazes. Weve had quite a few really bad fires, I mean, these fires, theyre complicated with the cold weather, said District Chief Nick Judge, Dayton Fire Department. Dayton Fire crews worked in extreme conditions after two fires in near-zero degree weather killed two people and sent several others to the hospital. Couldnt be more proud of our firefighters operating out in these extremely cold conditions, said Assistant Chief Brad French, DFD. Our hearts go out to the families in both of these recent fatal fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One home on Riverview Terrace went up in flames Saturday morning, killing one person. The other fire happened on Grove Avenue late Monday night. In both operations, fire crews dealt with extremely cold air, which officials say lead to a list of issues. In conditions freezing hose lines, overspray around houses can cause nozzles to freeze. Pumps can freeze up that are supposed to pump water because its so cold, said French. Firefighters can fall because of the slick conditions. So theres all kinds of extra challenges in the wintertime that really make the degree of difficulty on these fire incidents much higher. And according to East District Chief Judge, as he and his crews fought the fire on Grove Avenue Monday night, they faced all of those challenges. But some city resources stepped in to lend a hand. Weve already had a truck break down, Judge told 2 NEWS on scene Monday night. Weve got a salt truck out here trying to eliminate some of the slip hazards, and RTA has been generous enough to send a bus out. So as we start rotating crews out, they have a warm place to go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UPDATE: Man who died in Saturday apartment fire in Dayton identified Fire officials saw that in cold weather, stay reminded of the basics. When using a space heater, make sure there is space for it to function properly, which is three feet each way. Dont use cooking appliances like the oven to heat your home. Always sleep with doors closed, so fire cannot spread as quickly. These tips can help keep you, and local firefighters safe during the frigid cold weather. Were proud of the operations that our firefighters do, said French. They put themselves at extreme risk inside the fire, in the fire conditions, as well as outside dealing with all of the adverse temperatures that we have going on in the Dayton area. And finally, officials remind everyone to have a working smoke detector in their home. If you live in Dayton, you can get a free smoke detector installed by the Fire Prevention Bureau. Click here to learn more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WDTN.com. As the Los Angeles fires burned in Southern California, some firefighters left notes for homeowners whose houses were saved. Fire Captain Alec Flatos and other members of the San Luis Obispo Fire Department spent several days battling the Palisades fire, and managed to save multiple homes, according to NBC affiliate KSBY. Flatos told the station he and his crew had to break in to one home so they could close the windows, and my boots were for sure muddy." After saving the house, the fire captain jotted down a quick note that he left behind for the homeowner, explaining the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Celebrities Who Have Lost Homes in the Los Angeles Fires, and What They've Said The homeowner shared an image of the note on Instagram after returning to an intact home. The note read, Sorry for the footprints! Had to close the upstairs bedroom. Hope you have this note and your house. Did all we could. San Luis Obispo Fire. Capt Flatos. Thank you Capt Flatos of the San Luis Obispo Fire Dept. What a beautiful thought, the homeowner captioned the post, which has garnered over 8,400 likes since being shared on Jan. 12. What a beautiful gesture. This was just one of at least five notes the fire crew left behind at homes they were able to save, according to KSBY. Baz/Instagram One of the notes left by the San Luis Obispo Fire Department crew. One of the notes left by the San Luis Obispo Fire Department crew. The notes added just a little touch of humanity to the devastating situation, Flatos said, explaining, I just did it because it seemed like a fun way to reach out to people, because we don't really ever meet the people whose lives we affect, or are affected in a wild fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even Flatos wife, Lindsay, caught wind of her husbands gesture after a friend told her about it. I was like, 'Oh, what a sweet note, like that is so thoughtful,' she recalled. And it was like bringing tears to my eyes, and I go, 'Oh my gosh, that's my husband!' " Flatos son, Finn, also saw his fathers notes online. "I was really happy that my dad did that, he told KSBY. I think that was really nice. 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. Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires. Read the original article on People Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan was fired on the second day of the Trump administration, an action Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen called politically motivated. A Department of Homeland Security memo said Tuesday that the agency had relieved Admiral Linda L. Fagan of her duties as Commandant of the United States Coast Guard and that Admiral Kevin Lunday would be acting commandant. Fagan helped oversee the rescue operation following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March that killed six construction workers and temporarily choked commerce to the Port of Baltimore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DHS memo, posted on the Coast Guard website, gave no reason for her dismissal and thanked her for a long and illustrious career. However, numerous reports said Fagan, the first female military service chief, was fired for, among other reasons, emphasizing policies of diversity, equity and inclusion that Trump opposes. On Monday, Trump said he wanted a society that is merit-based and signed executive orders that ended diversity programs. Admiral Fagan has served our country with distinction and played a pivotal role in our response to the Key Bridge collapse, Van Hollen, a Democrat, posted on X. This politically motivated firing is outrageous and sends all the wrong signals to our men and women in uniform. _____ WINDSOR LOCKS, CT. (WWLP) Wednesday morning, flights to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida have been canceled at Bradley International Airport. Dangerous cold temperatures delay schools in western Massachusetts Flights 980 and 2133 to Charlotte, and 502 to Jacksonville were canceled, and flight 1446 to Charlotte was delayed. One of the flights that was expected to leave last night was delayed until Wednesday morning. So if youre flying South on Wednesday, it would be a good idea to check in with your airline before you leave for the airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flights are being affected because of the once-in-a-lifetime forecast of snow and cold. Snow has blanketed much of the gulf coast from Texas to the Florida panhandle. As much as 10 inches of snow came down in New Orleans, breaking records. They are not prepared for this kind of weather, and its led to travel shutdowns with many roads closed all together by snow and ice. Over 2,000 flights have been canceled or delayed. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. The Florida Department of Children & Families has a reputation of being either unable or unwilling to adequately address a myriad of social service problems. The latest incident involving a broken promise made to a prominent lawmaker about addiction treatment center programs isn't helping the department shed its woeful image. A recent examination by Palm Beach Post Investigative reporter Antigone Barton found that DCF failed to live up to a promise to state Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, to post records on its website to better inform addiction treatment clients about the programs it regulates. "We can tell you that [DCF] Secretary Harris is committed to ensuring accountability and transparency with the programs and facilities that we regulate," DCF said in a statement after the agreement. Instead, DCF offered what could best be called "disinformation," going so far as posting treatment center sales pitches as legitimate findings. There were no reports predating 2024, and the reports actually posted cover only a tenth of the centers DCF monitors. Other posts were redacted or were empty. One report ended with a sentence left unfinished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: The Florida Department of Children & Families has a hard job. Lying doesn't help. State lawmakers, particularly Harrell, shouldn't let the agency's deception go unanswered. Last year, she agreed with a request by DCF to allow the agency to voluntarily post the information. Transparency that actually informs potential clients about the quality of service a loved one might encounter under a treatment center's care is what matters here. When the Florida Legislature convenes this spring, Harrell should file a bill to make the postings mandatory. Florida Shuffle: State's failure to oversee addiction treatment leaves patients in deadly danger A history of bureaucratic incompetence Unfortunately, inaccurate and incomplete information is what Floridians have come to expect from the state's social service agency. Abused children and senior citizens, overcrowded foster homes, hotlines that went unanswered to name a few. Is the agency underfunded? Is staff overworked and ill-prepared to handle some of the most difficult social ills facing Florida? Or is there simply an uncaring culture in the DCF workplace? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At times, it can be difficult for lawmakers and the public to come up with an explanation for the department's problems, leaving many to bounce between outrage at DCF's ineptness and sympathy for anyone working there. Breaking a promise to provide accurate data to help people determine the best drug treatment care is just the latest incident in a long string of unfortunate incidents that continues to dog the state's social services agency. Florida's bad drug treatment operators In recent years, Florida has become a magnet in attracting unsavory drug treatment operators. Dubbed The Florida Shuffle, unqualified providers market addiction treatment that fails to meet medical standards, raising the odds of patients slipping back into illicit drug use. As a result, Florida's overdose deaths are among the nation's highest. A recent Post editorial page column on the agency generated a number of responses from across the state, lamenting DCF's poor performances on several programs, from allegations of fabricating child abuse cases to complaints in the way DCF handles Medicaid applications. It's not a pretty picture for an agency long noted as being dysfunctional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, fixing DCF has rarely been a priority in Tallahassee. State lawmakers, however, could begin by requiring the agency to post actual report complaints, findings and inspection results of drug treatment centers on its website and giving the department the resources to make that happen. DCF officials, too could try being more forthcoming. If the department needs more resources to improve services, it should let lawmakers and the public know. Ever since its days as the old Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, the state agency designed to handle social services has labored under the stigma of bureaucratic ineptitude. For an agency that tries to fight abuses of various kinds, DCF can't seem to shake its own abusive behavior. This latest failure doesn't help. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida drug treatments and DCF transparency are lacking | Editorial Deputies in Florida said they have made a major drug bust. The Hardee County Sheriffs Office said it has dismantled a large-scale marijuana grow-house operation. They said the bust came after working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Read: Operation Night Cap busts dozens for late night sales permit violations, drugs in downtown Orlando Deputies said 194 plants and 100 pounds of marijuana shake were confiscated during the operation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The estimated value of the seized plants is around $194,000. Read: Multiple arrests made in major drug bust targeting meth, fentanyl dealers in Volusia County This investigation highlights our commitment to have a zero tolerance on illegal drug activities in our community and holding those responsible accountable for their actions, said Sheriff Vent Crawford. Additionally, the theft of utilities places an undue burden on local residents and businesses. Investigators said evidence found at the scene revealed that the operation was elaborate and involved sophisticated growing techniques and extensive equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read: Operation Silent Night cleans the street of drugs before the holidays Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A big part of being a homeowner is having to pay for costly repairs to your property. But what if you're told youre on the hook for repairs to a community fixture that doesn't belong to you like a park fence? Thats Sirrita Rubianos dilemma. A vinyl park fence in her South Park III community fell over during Hurricane Milton. Part of it backs up to her home. Rubiano told ABC Action News WFTS Tampa Bay, thats shes been asked to pony up $7,000 in repairs to fix it money she doesnt have as a single mom and widow. Don't miss Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead US economists raise red flag on Donald Trumps proposed tariffs warn it could effectively tax Americans. Heres why and how to protect your money ASAP These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2025 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not my fence, she said. I didnt put this fence up, I didnt request the fence, I didnt have the opportunity to say I didnt want the fence. Who pays for infrastructure Rubiano emailed her Community Development District (CDD) board to ask for them to cover the costs. Fairly common in Florida, CDDs finance, operate and maintain community-wide infrastructure and services with property taxes. Rubiano pays more than $2,000 in property taxes annually, and her CDD board has an annual budget of $1.3 million to maintain the community. "This is something that I feel like they could easily remediate," Rubio said. Read more: 82% of Americans are missing out on a savings account that pays over 10 times the national average Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CDD is managed by a company called Inframark, which says it has an unwavering commitment to resident satisfaction with comprehensive services and support. The CDD board told her the repairs were her responsibility, not theirs, even though fixing fences was on the boards recent agenda and its records show the CDD has paid to remove or repair fences between homes and community properties in the past. In fact, Rubiano questioned why the board wanted her to pay for fence repairs this time when she was not asked to do so after Hurricane Ian, when the very same fence fell down and was repaired anyway. The board replied that it might have been good Samaritans that repaired the fence after Hurricane Ian and repeated that it was her responsibility to pay this time. Drawing the line on a fence Florida attorney Stephen Hachey says fence disputes are one of the most common complaints he gets at his law office. He suggested that Rubiano get a survey to see if the fence really is on her property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the community installed the fence on her property, it would need to get an easement to do so legally. But county records don't show one. Her options are either one, pay $7,000 out of pocket to get the fence repaired, or two pay a couple hundred dollars out of pocket to get a survey showing the fence isnt on your property, he said. Rubiano says she can't afford either option. ABC Action News reached out to the CDD to ask for records on the park fence at Rubianos property, including invoices from the time it was installed and when it was subsequently fixed, as those records should be public. But the CDD, as of this writing, has not yet responded. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Attorney General Aaron Ford flanked by General Counsel Leslie Nino Piro (left) and Solicitor General Heidi Parry Stern (right) at a news conference Tuesday on Trump's executive order eliminating birthright citizenship. (Photo by Dana Gentry/Nevada Current) Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joined Attorneys General from 17 other states in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday challenging President Donald Trumps executive order to end birthright citizenship, which they say violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, enacted in 1868. Attorneys General from four additional states filed a separate suit Tuesday. Trumps order, signed hours after he vowed in his oath of office to uphold the Constitution, directs the federal government to cease recognition of automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The AGs are seeking to invalidate the order and enjoin any efforts to implement it. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to every child born in America, regardless of their parents immigration status. Critics contend the right is a motivating force for undocumented individuals to migrate to the U.S. and is a drain on social services. Ford, a Democrat, at a news conference Tuesday in Las Vegas noted that he acknowledged in November Trumps right to implement his immigration policies. But I also noted that should the day ever come and should the need arise, my office would be what I call a bulwark against any efforts to impose unconstitutional mandates, override our system of checks and balances or intrude upon the rights of any Nevada resident, Ford said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That day has come and the need has arisen. The 14th Amendment is rooted in the darkest chapter of American history Ford recalled, and he invoked the U.S. Supreme Courts 1857 ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case that Black people, whether enslaved or free, could never be citizens of the United States. In fact, our Supreme Court declared that black people had, and I quote, no rights which the white man was bound to respect. The 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868 during the Reconstruction effort to safeguard rights of the formerly enslaved. One of four key sections of the 14th Amendment, birthright citizenship was included to overturn Dred Scott and assure citizenship for Black people, including those formerly enslaved. Its not lost on me that Mr. Trump issued this decision on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Its not lost on me that on the same day of his inauguration, one of his closest allies did a Hitler salute, Ford said of Elon Musk, whose gesture of thanks to supporters is being compared by some to the infamous Sieg Heil salute of Nazi Germany. These are things that should not be taken in isolation but viewed in the context of where we are today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only Congress can change it. It cant be done by executive order, Las Vegas immigration attorney Juan De Pedro said of the 14th Amendment. But I think the Trump administration understands that, and theyre looking for access to the court system. The birthright citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment states All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. The Trump administrations legal argument appears to pivot on the phrase subject to the jurisdiction thereof suggests De Pedro. Trumps legal team is trying to say if someone whos born here to parents who arent permanent residents or U.S. citizens, theyre not subject to the jurisdiction thereof. Trumps border czar Tom Homan told CNN last month he does not think the 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship. I think thats up to the courts, I think it needs to be held by the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court upheld the law in the 1898 case United States v. Wong Kim Ark. The Court determined that a man born in San Francisco to Chinese parents was entitled to U.S. citizenship. The Constitution is clear: if you are born in the United States, you are an American citizen, said Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in a statement Monday. Donald Trumps attempt to take Americans birthright citizenship away is extreme, unconstitutional, and illegal. I will do everything in my power to protect Nevadans Constitutional rights. President Trump cant simply rewrite our Constitution, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto wrote on social media Monday evening. If you are born in this country, youre a citizen. Rep. Mark Amodei, the only Republican in the Nevada delegation, did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1990, about 15% of children in Nevada were from immigrant families, according to the Migration Policy Institute. In 2023, more than a third of the states children (35%) were from immigrant families. Repealing the amendment would require Congress to pass a new amendment with a two-thirds majority in both houses. It would then have to be ratified by three-fourths of the states. The amendment could also be repealed via a constitutional convention. Trumps executive order, Ford says, would prevent native-born children from obtaining a Social Security number and, as they age, to work lawfully. They will have no right to vote, serve on juries, and run for certain offices. And they may be rendered stateless, without a clear claim to citizenship in any country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement De Pedro agrees the order could create a class of stateless children. People who are recent arrivals from countries like Venezuela who give birth to a child here wouldnt be guaranteed citizenship for their child from their country of origin, especially if their parents are requesting asylum in this country. The executive order harms Nevada itself, Ford said, adding the state would lose federal benefits for foster care, adoption assistance, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which all turn at least in part on the immigration status of the resident being served. Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican who endorsed Trump and who Ford intends to challenge in 2026, did not respond to requests for comment on whether he supports Trumps executive order. While hardly a heat wave, temperatures warmed significantly Wednesday afternoon following the bitter chill on Tuesday. Despite the lack of sunshine, gusty southwest winds helped moderate the intensity of the recent arctic outbreak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A careful inspection of mid-afternoon temperatures shows that the entire region was 20-26 degrees warmer than the same period Tuesday. January off to a cold start The opening 22 days of the month are averaging more than 5.5 degrees below normal, good enough to qualify as the coldest start to the new year in 14 years, since 2011! Historic snowfall hits Gulf Coast Snowfall totals along the Gulf Coast, including a 10 inch tally at Milton, Fla., more than doubled the previous state record. Mobile, Alabama also established an all-time record with 7.5 inches of snow from Tuesdays storm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of these locations picked up more snow in one day than parts of the Chicago area have seen the entire season, combined. Below, a once-in-a-lifetime photo, courtesy of NASA, of the visible satellite imagery taken earlier Wednesday showing the extensive snow cover along the Gulf Coast in the wake of record snowfall. WGN Weather Center Maps & Interactive Radar Extended 7-Day Forecast 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 WGN-TV. This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night. In the months after President Donald Trump took office in 2017, the outfits seemed to be everywhere. Women wore red capes and white bonnets as they marched against sexual assault and abortion restrictions, and in favor of womens rights. These protesters drew inspiration from Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, which, although it was published in 1985, anticipated many of todays fights over issues like church-state separation, family structure and the birth rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The book describes a new society thats arisen after religious extremists killed nearly every American leader on a single day. In the wake of their attack, they suspend the Constitution and force the country to accept a new legal system, gradually, then all at once. Under the new system, women cant have jobs, hold property or even read or write. Some are allowed to remain with their husbands and kids, while others are trained to be handmaids, young women in red capes and white bonnets who are meant to carry babies for older couples. In recent years, protesters in the U.S., Ireland, Argentina and other countries have dressed as handmaids because they believe their governments are headed down the same path. They believe women are being forced out of the public square by men who want all the power for themselves. I reread The Handmaids Tale last week because it was my book clubs pick for our January meeting. As I did, I thought about red-caped protesters reappearing after Trump returns to office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some ways, reading the book made me nervous because of its reminders of where unresolved battles over womens rights can lead. But in other ways, it made me feel optimistic, not just about the next four years but about a more distant future, because the book captures how people continue to fight for their own freedom and try to free others even when they have almost nothing left to fight with. Protesters dressed as handmaids aim to remind us of Atwoods dystopian nightmare, but they can also remind us of how the handmaid at the center of the story didnt give up. She continued to be curious and to make connections, to champion love over fear. Fresh off the press Supreme Court takes up case involving parental rights, religious freedom and LGBTQ issues Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court didnt save TikTok. What will happen next? The Bibles role in Inauguration Day 3 takeaways from the Supreme Courts debate about porn sites Term of the week: Hope: The Autobiography Hope: The Autobiography is a new memoir from Pope Francis. Its thought to be the first autobiography written by a sitting pope, according to The Associated Press. In the book, Francis describes how he was feeling during the 2013 conclave that resulted in his election as pope. He also writes about growing up in Argentina and how being from Latin America influences his leadership. Its almost confessional at times, an 88-year-old Jesuit performing the Ignatian examination of his conscience at the end of his life to identify things he said or did that he now realizes could have been done better, per the AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hope: The Autobiography was originally planned to be released after Francis' death. He decided to release it early as part of his celebration of the Catholic Churchs Holy Year in 2025. What Im reading... One of the bills that will be in front of the Utah Legislature during this years General Session centers on Sabbath observance and small business owners. The proposal from Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, aims to prevent companies from adding requirements about what days a franchise must be open to a contract after the contract is already in place, per KSL. House Speaker Mike Johnson is working to bring in a new House chaplain, according to Religion News Service. The current chaplain, Rev. Margaret Kibben, who is Presbyterian, has served in the role since January 2021. On Thursday, Becket released the latest edition of its annual Religious Freedom Index. It showed that most Americans embrace religious diversity but fear that society as a whole is hostile to people of faith. Odds and ends The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated as a political activist, but he was also a pastor whose civil rights work was deeply rooted in faith. In 2018, I wrote about Kings relationship to his church and his religious legacy. A Tucson judge dismissed a criminal speeding case against former state Sen. Justine Wadsack after the Marana Republican completed a defensive driving course and proved she had car insurance to settle the case. Tucson Magistrate Lisa Surhio dismissed the case several months after Wadsack pleaded not guilty to criminal speeding and failure to produce insurance. Surhio dismissed the case with prejudice on Jan. 6. According to authorities, police radar captured Wadsack driving 71 mph in a 35-mph zone in central Tucson in mid-March. Wadsack said she was "racing home" because the charge on her electric vehicle was about to run out. Advertisement Advertisement Wadsack refused to sign a criminal citation for excessive speeding at the time, triggering a pending court summons to have her acknowledge the alleged violation, Tucson police said. Wadsack was not immediately ticketed after the incident because she was a state lawmaker, and the Arizona Constitution gives legislators immunity from civil prosecution during the legislative session. The session ended in mid-June. She initially blamed Tucson for prosecuting her in a post on X, claiming "political persecution." In December, Wadsacks attorney, Brad Miller, who was recently sworn in as the new Pinal County attorney, requested the case be dismissed. Miller argued Wadsack was immune from prosecution per state law. Advertisement Advertisement "Members of the legislature shall be privileged from arrest in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session," the law states. Surhio denied the request, noting that state legislators are not exempt from arrest for criminal offenses, only civil ones. She said if it did apply to criminal offenses, it would only apply while the Legislature was in session. Wadsack is a former senator. She lost the GOP primary for her seat to former lawmaker Vince Leach, whom she had ousted in 2022. Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. Advertisement Advertisement The Republics coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. Takeaways on the opening session: What did we learn on the Arizona Legislatures first day? This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Arizona lawmaker's speeding case dismissed after traffic school SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) Former El Salvador President Mauricio Funes, who spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences, died late Tuesday. He was 65. Nicaraguas Health Ministry said in a statement that Funes had died of a serious chronic illness. Funes governed El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. He lived his final nine years under the protection of Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega, whose government had given him citizenship, allowing him to avoid extradition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicaragua's Foreign Affairs Ministry said that Funes' family had decided he would be buried in Nicaragua. The former president had pending sentences in El Salvador for corruption and making deals with the countrys powerful street gangs that amounted to 28 years, but he never set foot in prison. The journalist-turned-politician came to power with the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, the leftist party born of El Salvadors civil war and a powerful national political force for three decades that was left with no seats in the Congress after last years election. On Wednesday, his party said in a statement that Mauricio Funes as an investigative journalist and incisive generator of public opinion, as well as in his time as president of the republic, enjoyed broad acceptance and support from the Salvadoran people and the international community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Current Labor Minister Rolando Castro said via X that Funes skills and contributions to the country as a journalist are undeniable, just as are his mistakes in public office. Funes was born in San Salvador on Oct. 18, 1959. He worked as a teacher in Catholic schools, but later made his name as a war reporter and hosted a highly popular interview show that took on controversial topics. He interviewed multiple heads of state, worked at two television stations and was a correspondent for CNN from 1991 to 2007, winning multiple awards. Then the FMLN came calling, offering to make him their candidate and he won the 2009 elections, defeating Rodrigo Avila of the conservative National Republican Alliance, better known as Arena, that had governed the country since 1989. Funes was a fresh face, not someone directly involved in the civil war as the party tried to remake itself with a less bellicose image. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez praised Funes as tenacious and someone who wouldnt shy away from El Salvadors problems. But by the time he left office, Funes was hounded by accusations of corruption. In 2016, he fled to Nicaragua. He always denied the accusations and said his troubles were all part of political persecution. But he was tried in absentia six times and convicted in each one. For one, Funes was sentenced in May 2023 to 14 years in prison for negotiating a truce with the gangs to lower the homicide rate during his administration in exchange for giving imprisoned gang leaders perks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His last sentence came just last year in June. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for receiving an airplane as a kickback for awarding a construction contract for a bridge project. He was also being prosecuted for allegedly diverting some $351 million in government funds. A number of former officials in his administration, as well as his ex-wife Vanda Pignato, his children and various former partners have also been prosecuted for corruption. His former security minister, David Munguia Payes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in negotiating the gang truce. Despite Funes troubled presidency, the FMLN won again with President Salvador Sanchez Ceren who governed from 2014 to 2019. Sanchez Ceren had been one of the five guerrilla commanders in the civil war. In recent years, Funes and current El Salvador President Nayib Bukele frequently sparred on social platforms, trading insults. Bukele pushed prosecutions of the former president, especially for his negotiations with the gangs. Bukele himself had been accused of negotiating with gang leaders, but vehemently denied that and later crushed the gangs in a yearslong all-out offensive. A former deputy is facing charges including filing a false report about being shot back in December, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Former Towns County Deputy Austin Bradburn, 26, of Blairsville, Ga. is charged with false report of a crime and violation of oath of office. On Dec. 13, 2024, Bradburn reported being shot during a traffic stop on Plottown Road. The former deputy reported that the driver stopped but immediately exited the car and walked towards Bradburn. The suspect was never identified but a description was given. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, an independent investigation by the GBI revealed information supporting the charges against Bradburn. The 26-year-old was also arrested for multiple counts of false statements and violation of oath of office in Union and Hall Counties. While the investigation is ongoing, anyone with information can call Towns County 911 or the GBI Tipline at 800-597-8477, submit a tip online, or download the See Something, Send Something mobile application. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A new SEC cryptocurrency task force announced on Donald Trump's second day in office helped stoke some new investor enthusiasm for digital assets as the crypto world waited for executive orders from the new president. The goal of the "crypto task force" from the Securities and Exchange Commission is to help the US regulator "draw clear regulatory lines, provide realistic paths to registration, craft sensible disclosure frameworks, and deploy enforcement resources judiciously," according to the SEC. The price of bitcoin (BTC-USD), the world's largest cryptocurrency, rose Tuesday back above $106,000 after sliding Monday following Trump's inauguration. The SEC clashed repeatedly with some of the biggest players in the crypto world during Joe Biden's time in office. Trump promised to replace Biden's SEC boss Gary Gensler with someone more favorable to the industry. His choice, Paul Atkins, is still seeking confirmation in the Senate, and SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda is running the agency as acting chair. Industry executives are testing Trump's new SEC with fresh applications this week for exchange-traded funds that, if approved, would give investors even more exposure to various crypto assets. On Tuesday, Rex Shares and Osprey Funds jointly filed seven different applications to launch crypto-related ETFs, including those holding shares of XRP, SOL, Dogecoin (DOGE), and the president's official memecoin (TRUMP). Last year, the SEC allowed BlackRock and other giant money managers to launch spot bitcoin ETFs. "We are most definitely anticipating a more welcoming approach from the SEC, and you will see more product filings from us," said Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research for asset manager VanEck, one among the managers allowed to issue spot bitcoin ETFs in 2024. One slight disappointment for the industry so far this week is that Trump who in 2024 pledged to make the United States the "crypto capital of the planet" ended his first day in office without mentioning crypto or releasing any executive orders targeted at the industry. Many in the industry still expect those orders to happen. "The market is absolutely disappointed that there was no activity with regard to crypto yesterday," Dan Hughes, chief technology officer and founder for crypto startup Radix, said in emailed comments. "Any executive order targeted positively towards crypto, even if minor, would turn the tide pretty fast," Hughes added. One immediate action the new president could have taken is repealing Bidens own March 2022 executive order on crypto assets, which urged regulators to "take strong steps to reduce the risks that digital assets could pose." JONESBORO, Ark. A former Jonesboro police officer is facing criminal charges stemming from a violent incident involving an inmate. Joseph Harris is facing multiple charges after state police officials said he assaulted Billy Coram while he was in custody in August 2024. Jonesboro officer fired for physically assaulting detainee According to an affidavit, Coram was in the custody of the Craighead County Sheriffs Office on Aug. 9 while being examined at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court records state Coram told hospital staff that he had swallowed an unknown amount of fentanyl wrapped in aluminum foil. Hospital staff said they were unable to see any evidence of fentanyl in Corams system. When he was discharged, the affidavit says that Coram fled on foot from the hospital before he was set to be transported to the Craighead County Detention Center. He was then apprehended by Officer Harris. Coram stated he told Harris he swallowed fentanyl and he was afraid he would die. The affidavit states Coram remembers deciding to choke himself with the seatbelt to get medical attention. Coram stated he never lost consciousness and eventually felt the car stop. In patrol car video released by the Jonesboro Police Department, the car can be heard coming to a stop when records state Harris then opened the rear door of the car and hit Coram in the face four times with his fist and six times with his elbow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawsuit claims former Jonesboro police officer used excessive force on inmate, city & department failed to prevent it After unwrapping the seatbelt, the affidavit states Harris then closed the car door on Corams head. Opening the car door a second time, court records say Harris rubbed Corams chest with his fingers before pressing what appears to be a baton into Corams sternum several times until he let out a groan. Harris, the affidavit continued, then went to shut the door but was unsuccessful due to Corams head being in the way. Court records state Harris pinned Corams head between the door and seat with the second attempt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After arriving at the jail, Coram claimed Harris hit him in the face while he was still in handcuffs. The affidavit states this second incident was not documented in Harris incident report. READ THE FULL AFFIDAVIT Harris is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault, third-degree battery and filing a false report with law enforcement agency. According to KAIT, the case is set to go before a federal jury on May 11, 2026. 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 KARK. By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on Wednesday lost a bid for a new trial, after arguing his recent corruption conviction should be thrown out because jurors were allowed to review improper evidence during deliberations. U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein's decision paves the way for Menendez's sentencing next Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan says the Democratic former chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations should spend 15 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors admitted in November that jurors reviewed nine pieces of evidence containing material that should have been redacted, but said the mistake did not justify setting aside the verdict. Menendez's lawyers said the unredacted material contained the only evidence tying him to the government's central accusation, that he accepted bribes in exchange for shepherding military aid to Egypt. They say Menendez, 71, should face no more than 2-1/4 years in prison. The evidence mistake may form part of Menendez's expected appeal of his conviction. "I respectfully disagree with the Court's decision and expect the Court of Appeals will hold these prosecutors to account for their misconduct," Menendez said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, declined to comment. In a written ruling, Stein said defense lawyers bore some responsibility because they also did not catch the unredacted material before it went to the jury. The judge also said it was unlikely that the jury noticed the material, meaning it probably did not prejudice their verdict. Menendez, who spent 18-1/2 years in the Senate, was convicted last July on all 16 counts he faced, including acting as an agent of a foreign government. Prosecutors said Menendez accepted gold, cash, a Mercedes-Benz and other rewards for political favors, which also included providing assistance to Qatar. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New YorkEditing by Nick Zieminski and Rod Nickel) A former sergeant for the New York Police Department has died in a suspected drowning on Long Island. Jack Shapiro was surfing at Gilgo Beach on Sunday, January 19th when, just after 2:00 pm local time, he was found unresponsive on the shore by health officials. He was 54 years old. Water temperatures were reportedly a frigid, 39 degrees on Sunday at the time of the incident. Fellow surfers and good samaritans pulled Shapiro ashore during the apparent drowning, and despite CPR efforts, Shapiro was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. Following the incident, a friend of Shapiro posted this remembrance, along with a photo, to the Long Island Surfers Facebook page. Our friend, Jack Shapiro, was many things. A father, a retired, decorated NYPD Sergeant, a craftsman, an aspiring Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner..and an avid surfer. He was tragically taken from us at the prime of his life doing what he loved..surfing Long Islands South Shore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My father and I are hoping to give Jack a proper paddle-out at Gilgo in the coming months. Please spread the word inside of and outside of the BJJ and Surfing Communities. As mentioned, plans for a memorial paddle-out for Shapiro are in the works. In the meantime, friends of the deceased remain in shock from the news, and the memorials continue to flow. Shapiro retired from the NYPD in 2013. And according to sources, he spent time working in the 83rd Precinct, which serves a northern region in Brooklyn comprising Bushwick. Everyone in the 83 family is devastated, a fellow cop, who worked with Shapiro in the 90s, told the New York Post. Jack was a great cop and an even greater person we cant believe it. He was a good swimmer and he has been surfing for years. Rest in peace, Jack Shapiro. BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) A man involved in a high-profile murder case in Bridgeport from the 1990s was among the hundreds of convicts granted clemency by former President Joe Biden. Adrian Peeler is set to be released from federal prison. You remember the Peeler brothers if you watched the news 25 years ago. In 1999, prosecutors said Russell Peeler was a drug dealer who shot and killed a rival, and 8-year-old Leroy BJ Brown saw it happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 juveniles charged with alleged assault at Urban Air in Manchester It was his mothers boyfriend who was shot. Prosecutors believed Russell got his brother, Adrian, to break into their Bridgeport home and kill BJ Brown and his mother, Karen Clarke. Adrian Peeler was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 25 years in state prison. He served that but then was supposed to remain in prison until 2033 on federal drug charges. The now-former president has commuted that sentence along with hundreds of others convicted of federal drug charges. Sen. Richard Blumenthal was Connecticuts Attorney General in 1999. He said: It seems to me that someone dropped the ball here to let this person get released. This was a really vicious murder that changed our laws. It also highlights how we need to take a look at the pardon system to see how it can be improved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adrian Peeler had appealed his federal sentence before and failed. Federal prosecutors are now fighting this sentence reduction. 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 WTNH.com. Facing federal criminal charges, former state Rep. Carolina Amesty has retained a well-connected lawyer to plead her case: Brad Bondi, the brother of U.S. Attorney General-nominee Pam Bondi, who if confirmed will oversee the attorneys prosecuting the embattled ex-lawmaker. Court records show Amesty turned to Brad Bondi to contest allegations she stole money from a pandemic relief program. He is a litigator who has been lauded as a top attorney for Fortune 500 companies facing government investigations. Based in New York and Washington, D.C., Bondi is a partner in the high-powered Paul Hastings law firm. Amesty, 30, is accused of fraudulently obtaining $122,000 in small business COVID-19 relief funds through a foundation named for herself and a car dealership that federal investigators dont think was ever licensed to operate, according to a criminal complaint filed late last week. Once viewed as a rising star in the Florida GOP, the one-term former lawmaker from Windermere faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elected to the Florida House in 2022, Amesty narrowly lost her reelection bid in November to Democrat Leonard Spencer, a former Disney executive. She ran while facing state forgery charges that ultimately were dismissed. Brad Bondi and Amesty did not respond to messages this week seeking comment. Amestys federal case is being handled by Roger Handberg, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, who declined to comment. As attorney general, Pam Bondi would oversee the Justice Department and the work of federal prosecutors. Pam Bondi mentioned her brother in a congressional questionnaire asking about potential conflicts of interest. She wrote she wasnt aware of any cases that present a potential conflict but would consult with appropriate Justice Department ethics officials and act consistently with regulations in the event of one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president, subject to Senate confirmation. They are subject to removal by the president. Government ethics rules would require Pam Bondi to recuse herself from federal prosecutions in which her brother represents a party, Stephen Gillers, an expert on legal ethics at the New York University School of Law, said in an email. But Brad Bondi would have no obligation to recuse himself, and could continue to represent his client, he said. The rules take the position that the public cannot be expected to trust the independence and objectivity of a prosecutors decisions on behalf of the government if a close relative is the lawyer for the opposing party, Gillers said in explaining why a government attorneys recusal may be required. Former state Rep. Carolina Amesty charged with stealing COVID-19 relief funds Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trade publication Securities Docket described Bondi as the first choice among Boards of Directors and Audit Committees of the Fortune 500 when their company is faced with SEC or DOJ problems. Hes also held government posts, including with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Bondi represented Tesla in a 2018 settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations that CEO Elon Musk misled investors with a tweet that he had funding secured to take Tesla private. More recently, Bondi is providing legal advice to YouTube personality MrBeast Jimmy Donaldson and a group of investors looking to buy the TikTok social media platform, according to a report from Bloomberg Law. Amestys federal charges are the second round of criminal complaints against her. The first round of charges stemmed from allegations she improperly notarized a mans signature on a licensing form for a small Orlando-area private college run by her family. Those charges were dismissed last month upon her completion of community supporters and a financial crimes course. In the new federal case, investigators say Amesty and an unnamed relative applied for money through the U.S. Small Business Administration, which offered loans to small businesses and nonprofit agencies affected by the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They applied for 15 loans and received money for eight different business entities, the complaint says, with the gross amount exceeding $500,000. The charges stem from the money Amesty received for two of the businesses the Carolina Amesty Foundation and Dinocar Auto Sales LLC. The FBI and other investigators allege some of the federal money provided to the foundation and Dinocar actually was used for Amestys personal expenses, including furniture and credit card bills. Other funds went to support Central Christian University the private Christian college she helped run with her father and Amestys shuttered fast-food chicken restaurant, Pollo Juan, according to the complaint. (FOX40.COM) A former school board president in San Joaquin County has been indicted on felony insurance fraud and embezzlement charges, the San Joaquin County District Attorneys office announced Tuesday. Former Stockton Unified School District President AngelAnn Flores was arrested in April 2024 after being accused of stealing public funds. At the time of her initial arrest, the sheriffs office said one of the thefts involved Flores allegedly spending over $1,000 on fuel on a school district credit card. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trees cause issues for Sacramento schools sewage system Flores defense attorney Tori Verber Salazar said last year that Flores was being targeted because she was fighting corruption. My client had a credit card over a two-year period of time with $3,200 worth of charges. Thats about $130 a month, Salazar said. Were asking to hold everybody accountable, Salazar said. If youre going to bring charges for $3,200 you sure as heck better bring charges for $7 million taken from our children. The DAs office said a jury trial for Flores is scheduled for March 14. 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 FOX40 News. PFAS map The Environmental Working Group's map of PFAS sites in Michigan and surrounding areas | Environmental Working Group The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) last week announced that the groundwater near a former Wayne County Landfill remained contaminated by PFAS, marking 300 sites within the state contaminated by forever chemicals. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, are a family of chemicals that are resistant to heat and oil, and have been widely used in products like nonstick cookware, carpeting, waterproof clothing and food packaging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chemicals break down very slowly and can build up in the blood and organs of people and animals over time. Alongside the products and facilities that use the chemicals, PFAS can be found in food, drinking water and in soil and water at or near waste sites. PFAS has been labeled an emerging contaminant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and has been linked to decreased fertility, high blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental delays or effects on children, increased risks of certain cancers including prostate kidney and testicular cancers alongside harm to the immune system, reducing the bodys ability to fight infections and reducing its response to vaccines. As part of an ongoing review of landfills that previously received industrial waste from PFAS manufacturers, MPART determined that Nankin Township Landfill received waste from 3M and other companies while it was operating from the 1940s until the early 1960s. While the Environmental Protection Agency removed 350 waste drums and 5,000 cubic yards of industrial waste from the site between 1994 and 1995, MPART installed monitoring wells in September 2024, as investigators suspected PFAS remained in the groundwater. The compound was present in both ground and surface waters near the former landfill with the highest groundwater concentrations recorded at 80 parts per trillion for PFOA, a type of PFAS, and 25 ppt PFOS, another type of PFAS. Both measures exceed the states standards for cleanup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MPART staff and local health officials later determined there are no private wells near the contaminated site and nearby residences received their water from municipal water sources. Given the fact that these persistent PFAS compounds have been manufactured for decades, its not surprising that MPART has found contamination in this closed landfill even though some clean-up was done decades ago, MPARTs executive director Abigail Hendershott said in a statement on Thursday. This is why MPART is continuing to identify and hold accountable those responsible for this legacy contamination. Michigan continues to lead the nation in identifying PFAS contamination and protecting public health. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel applauded the response teams efforts to identify sites of PFAS contamination, while emphasizing her commitment to holding polluters accountable. In November 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments in Nessels appeal of a decision from the state Court of Appeals, which invalidated rules put in place by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to limit PFAS in drinking water following a challenge from 3M. The court has yet to rule on the matter. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE THIENSVILLE, Wis. (WFRV) A former teacher in Wisconsin was arrested and charged after a months-long investigation into a report that he allegedly was involved with inappropriate behavior with a student. According to the Thiensville Police Department, the information was reported on Nov. 15, 2024, about a former teacher at Christ Alone Lutheran School in Thiensville. Wisconsin teenager arrested after alleged attempted armed robbery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tip prompted an investigation that school officials cooperated with, and additional details required help from the Ozaukee County Sheriffs Office. On Jan. 17, 2025, 36-year-old Daniel Rick was arrested and taken into custody as a result of the investigation. Rick was charged with Child Enticement and Exposing Genitalia. 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. Jan. 21Four math and science teachers with the Albuquerque Public Schools received an award from the White House for their innovative work in the classroom. The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is "the highest award K-12 math and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government," according to an APS news release. The teachers were chosen by a panel of educators, mathematicians and scientists. The awards, announced before President Joe Biden left office, were given to Tara Palomares, a math teacher at Sandia High School; Kimberly Conell, a math teacher at La Cueva High School; Lesha Rupert, a science teacher at Eldorado High School; and Christopher Speck, a science teacher at Madison Middle School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heather Harrell, a teacher at Dixon Elementary School in Espanola, also received the award, APS said. Speck, who has been an educator for over two decades, is known for his "hands-on labs to guide inquiry and create understanding" for students, according to the National Science Foundation's website. Rupert, an Eldorado teacher for 25 years, has students "act out protein folding and muscle contraction, make artwork when learning (about) tissues and solve crimes with simulated blood and DNA," the NSF website said. Conell has students use card sorts, conduct scavenger hunts, engage in vertical surface problem-solving and participate in escape rooms to teach them math, her NSF biography said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palomares has her students "collaborate on mathematical problems and support one another's learning," according to her NSF biography. Each of the teachers received $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, a certificate signed by Biden and a trip to Washington, D.C., to be recognized for their achievement and gain professional development, according to news releases from APS and the National Science Foundation. ST. MARY PARISH, La. (KLFY) Four hunters were rescued from a sinking boat during Tuesdays winter storm, authorities said. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials said enforcement agents received information around 9:40 a.m. Tuesday about four stranded hunters on the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area. Sgt. Jeremy Foret and Agent Savannah Lavergne responded by boat and reached the stranded hunters at 11 a.m., officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the hunters, they went out duck hunting in the morning in their vessel and on their way back started taking on water. They then beached their vessel on the WMA and called for help. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Agents transported the hunters by boat back to their vehicles. The hunters did not need any medical attention. LDWF officials ask hunters to stay home, stay off the roads, and to not access any WMAs at this time due to the hazards presented by the winter storm. Latest news 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. FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (DC News Now) Police said officers have arrested a fourth suspect in connection to a shooting that took place in downtown Fredericksburg last month. According to the Fredericksburg Police Department, at around 1 a.m. on Dec. 14, officers responded to the 400 block of William St. after hearing gunfire. Upon arriving, officers found Tyler Lee Jones, 23, on Charles Street suffering from gunshot wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later died at the hospital. In the days following the shooting, officers arrested two people in connection to the shooting, 21-year-old Izaiah Jabbar Daniels, of Woodford, and Elijah Musgrove. Musgrove surrendered to authorities in West Virginia after eluding law enforcement for several days, according to police. Since then, officers arrested Eric Costley, 22, of Spotsylvania, and Daquan Warren, 24, of Woodford. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Man wanted for deadly shooting in Fredericksburg arrested in West Virginia Officers arrested Costley on Dec. 20 and took him into custody at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. He is facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder, using a firearm in the commission of a felony and aggravated malicious wounding, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Jan. 17, deputies from the Caroline County Sheriffs Office took Warren into custody, where he is also facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is being held without bond at the Pamunkey Regional Jail. The investigation is ongoing. Police encourage anyone with information to call 911 or 540-373-3122. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. France's judiciary on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on suspicion of complicity in war crimes, specifically relating to the death of a French-Syrian man in 2017. Investigating judges suspect al-Assad of complicity in murder and attacks on civilians. The newspaper Le Parisien reported that the 59-year-old man was killed when his house in the southern Syrian city of Daraa was bombed by Syrian army helicopters in June 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citing investigators, the newspaper stated that France's judiciary suspects that al-Assad ordered the attack and provided the necessary means for it. At the time, al-Assad's government was attempting to regain control of Daraa from opposition forces. In 2023, the French judiciary issued an arrest warrant for al-Assad in connection with chemical weapons attacks. This specifically concerned severe chemical attacks in the region of East Ghouta near Damascus in August 2013. In an attack with the nerve gas Sarin, hundreds of people were killed. Human rights organizations report more than 1,000 fatalities. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A man born into slavery in Alexandria, Louisiana became a journalist, preacher, and the editor of The Tribune in New Orleans before moving across the nation to serve two causes: Jesus and equality. This image of Elder Francis James Davidson, A. M., D. D., was published in William Hicks book History of Louisiana Negro Baptists From 1804 to 1914. Rev. Francis James Davidson edited and published a monthly newspaper called The Tribune in New Orleans, Louisiana throughout the 1890s. But for claritys sake it must be mentioned that the creation of The Tribune wasnt Davidsons original idea. That distinction belongs to Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez. It seems that Davidson may have been trying to revive Roudanez old publication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those familiar with Dr. Roudanezs newspaper, The New Orleans Tribune, know that it began publishing in French and English on July 21, 1864. Dr. Roudanezs Tribune was the first daily newspaper printed for people of color in the United States of America. Controversial from the first run of the printing press, Roudanezs paper challenged white supremacy. Roudanez was an impressive man, unavoidably attractive and brilliant. He spoke both English and French and was educated in Paris, France. Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez, circa 1858, courtesy of www.roudanez.com Roudanez drew his inspiration from the French Revolution and may have been a part of it while living in Paris. He was raised Catholic and after living in France for years, he married a free woman of color in 1857 New Orleans. Dr. Roudanezs medical practice was located in the French Quarter in New Orleans, and he treated all patients, regardless of color, even if they were too poor to pay him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as brilliant and well-written as Roudanez was in the New Orleans Tribune, Americas first daily Black newspaper closed its doors in 1870 after the Republican Party pulled its support. The New Orleans Tribune of today is often thought of as a reincarnation of Roudanezs newspaper. But there was another incarnation of the publication in the 1890s, this time captained by Rev. Francis James Davidson, a Baptist preacher and journalist who unabashedly wrote what he perceived to be the gospel truth. A tribute to the Tribune Beginning in the 1890s, Rev. Francis James Davidson edited and published a monthly newspaper called The Tribune in New Orleans, Louisiana. The publications pages were 1116, and the newspapers office was located at 518 Phillip Street. The Tribune later increased production to every Thursday and moved its office to 1301 Girod Street. The Tribune had a circulation of 2,220 in 1898. But unlike Roudanezs Tribune, Davidsons version of the Tribune had a decidedly Baptist slant that eventually led to the burning of Davidsons home. This excerpt from the National Newspaper Director and Gazetter, printed in 1899 by Pettingill & Company, shows Francis James Davisonson as editor. Who was Francis James Davidson? Francis James Davidson was born into a system of slavery to Nero and Malinda Davidson on October 31, 1862, at Nealsboro, Rapides Parish, near Alexandria, Louisiana. After the Civil War, from1869-1872, little Francis attended school at a little log cabin church on Williamsons Creek. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the winter of 1869, Francis was converted but refused to join the church until he read his Bible, prayed, and deeply considered his conversion. In 1873, Davidson moved with his parents to Greenwood, Mississippi, and began attending a public school. During the summer months, he attended a missionary school. Once Davidson decided that the Baptist way was the way for him, he was baptized in 1878 and became a member of St. Mark Fourth Baptist Church in New Orleans. He attended night school at Straight University and took theology courses at Leland University. Davidson would later attend Washington University in Tacoma, Washington. But before Davidson moved to Washington state, he discovered firsthand that being a Baptist preacher and publisher in late-1800s New Orleans was far from easy. Clipping from The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, July 21, 1896, shows Davidsons home and business were burned as a result of his writings in The New Orleans Tribune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A hot fire kept up on a fighting colored Baptist minister, who has made enemies by his scorching editorials, and he charges arson, we read in a clipping from The Times-Picayune printed on July 21, 1896. Today Rev. Francis James Davidson, a mild-mannered colored Baptist preacher, mourns the destruction of his printing establishment and home, which were under one roof. It is a double story house at the corner of South Liberty and Jackson streets Rev. Davidson lived. For two months he had occupied the place, having been forced to move there on account of an attempt to set fire to his former residence, on Lucst, near Thalia street. But in moving the pastor did not escape his enemies, and Sunday morning about 2 oclock the torch was applied for the second time, and the building was gutted by flames. The article stated that the crime had not been solved. When asked by a reporter why the building had been burned, the preacher said it was due to enemies. For over two years he has been publishing the Tribune, a journal devoted to the interest of the colored Baptist churches and clergy, and from the start he has (illegible) of some of his brethren by strong editorials. His writings were not very conservative, and he fearlessly exposed what he considered wrong-doing among the flock. Often he has been called upon to defend himself through his paper from the attacks of angered brethren, and the words he used in answer to their sayings of him were far from being mild. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davidson said of himself, to the Times-Picayune reporter, Now, I have hit straight from the shoulder, and feel that I have made enemies, but did so in what I thought to be for the benefit of the clergy and church. Perhaps, through my writings, which have never been anything but strong and plain, I have stirred up some who take this cowardly way to seek revenge. As for my congregation, I would not say that the element opposed to me would stoop so low; in fact, I am sure their dislike for me does not extend outside of the church. Davidson would soon close The Tribune and become a popular speaker and preacher in Louisiana Baptist circles. Davidson makes the rounds The 1899 conference of the Louisiana Missionary Baptist State Convention met at Union Baptist Church in Alexandria. Citizens of Alexandria welcomed more than 240 delegates from across the state, and Davidson was asked to read aloud the following resolution: Clipping from The Times-Picayune, Nov. 18, 1899, shows Davidson preaching at the Baptist Congress, a convention in Monroe, La held in Nov. 1899. Whereas, It is a historical and undeniable fact that all nations, races and peoples are considered according to their moral standing, by the intelligent world; and Wheras, The Churches of all people are supposed to contain the most honorable and upright people of any community; and Wheras, The Bible is both recognized and accepted by the Baptists as their textbook and guide into all things; and Whereas, The Bible teaches morality in the fullest and strictest sense of the word; therefore, be it Resolved, The the Louisiana Missionary Baptist State Convention, assembled in the Union Baptist Church, Alexandria, La., do by these presents resolve and declare that we will not recognize any man as a Minister of the Gospel, or leader of our people, who has been convicted as an immoralist or rapist by a court of competent jurisdiction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Resolved, further, That even though we may be closely allied to a brother by cords of Christian love and human weakness, yet we have a duty to perform regardless of friendship of enmity, we shall positively refuse to worship with any such character as the above named. Clipping from The Town Talk, Alexandria, La., July 27, 1899, shows the amount of effort that one newspaper reporter wished to expend while detailing the Louisiana Missionary Baptist State Convention of 1899. Davidson also preached at the convention, with the message of his sermon coming from Genesis 49:21. (Come ye sons of Jacob and hear ye the words of the Lord.) Davidson also preached on the second day of the Baptist Congress in November of 1899. The Baptist Congress that year was held in Monroe, Louisiana. One of the subjects discussed at the Baptist Congress of 1899 concerned the Christian churchs role in missionary work. Francis James Davidson: the preacher and publisher From 1889 to 1902, Davidson was the minister at St. John in Dorseyville and St. Matthew in New Orleans. During his years in the ministry, he pastored at many churches, including First Baptist Church in Mandeville, Starlight church in Slidell, Zion church in Ponchatoula, Olivet church in Tacoma (Washington), Mt. Herob in Greenville (Mississippi), First Baptist Church in Cairo (Illinois), Centralia church in Centralia (Illinois), First Baptist Church in Metropolis (Illinois), Trinity Church in Shreveport, and Shiloh church in Alexandra. Clipping from St. Tammany Farmer, Oct. 21, 1899, shows the Rev. Francis J. Davidson starting The American. He also wrote articles, published, and distributed publications in cities across the nation, including the The Teller (1890), The New Orleans Tribune (1891-1902), The American (St. Tammany, Louisiana 1899), Tacoma Tribune (1903-1904, The Bulletin (Greenville, Mississippi), The Tribune in Centralia (Illinois), The Christian Herald in Mound City (Illinois) and the Louisiana Baptist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davidson was said to be fearless and progressive in his preaching, conscientious and bold in his printing. On Aug. 6, 1900, Davidson married Corinne Beasley of New Orleans. Women were not often featured in publications at the time, so little is known of Corinnes life. Davidson, or perhaps the Davidsons, moved to Washington state where Francis became the pastor of the Olivet Baptist Church in Tacoma, Washington. And in newspapers based in Washington state, we find evidence of the life path that Davidson followed. He delivered a lecture at Mount Zion Baptist Church on Apr. 17, 1903, and said to the crowd, I tell you none of you were free before I was, and I was born a slave. Rev. Francis James Davidson married Corinne Beasley of New Orleans. (Aug. 6, 1900 wedding documented in The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Aug. 7, 1900.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reporter from the Post-Intelligencer wrote that The speaker said that no race of people on earth had made greater progress in forty years than has the negro since emancipation. He admitted that some engroes were liars; some were thieves; some were drunkards, gamblers; others shiftless and lazy, but he asked if the whites were not troubled in the same way and in about the same proportion. In January of the next year, Davidson wrote an editorial to The Tacoma Daily Leader that was directly addressed to James K. Vardeman, the then-governor of Mississippi. His writing style and prowess show him to be well-acquainted with the art of journalism, which is to be expected because Davidson had been a journalist and publisher for years before moving to Washington state. I am a southern negro, born a slave, and resided in Louisiana and Mississippi from 1862 up to February 23, 1903, when I came to Washington, and therefore believe I am as well prepared to speak of the true conditions in the South as you or any other man in the country, Davidson wrote while addressing Governor Vardeman. Sir, you say education makes of the negro 100 per cent. the more criminal. I uncompromisingly deny that assertion, sir, and facts and figures, based upon justice, will not bear out your statement. You say the negro as a free man is by far more criminal than the negro slave. Why, sir, have you considered the negro slaves were only brought into contact with the white man as slave and master and were never permitted to come in contact with the criminal class of white men, from whom he might learn criminal habits? If not, why not? Clip from The Tacoma Daily Ledger, Tacoma, Washington, Jan 21, 1904, features a letter Davidson wrote to the governor of Mississippi. You speak of the number of negro criminals who can read and write as against the illiterates, but you do not say there is not one educated negro criminal or college graduate in every 250. Can you make the same truthful comparison of your own race in your own state? But if what you said was true, does it not more glaringly demonstrate the fact that the negro simply imbibes the teaching and principles of your own race both by percent and example? Can water rise above its level? Nay, neither can a race rise above its teachers Would it not be by far more in keeping with good common sense and reasonable judgment for you to tell the whole truth to the world, for sooner or later the truth must be told? May God open your eyes and place truth in your heart. Very sincerely yours, Francis J. Davidson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July of 1904, six months later, a newspaper in Tacoma, Washington called Rev. Francis J. Davidson a Dangerous Man. The alleged action of the Rev. Francis J. Davidson, pastor of the Olivet Baptist church, in forming a labor bureau for colored men only, together with his alleged system of running an immigration bureau, also for colored people only, has brought to light a strife among the colored people of Tacoma which has been in existence ever since Mr. Davison came here, we read in The News Tribune. The article was topped by a headline that stated Attorney Adlrick declared Rev. Francis Davidson to be a dangerous man. Article about Francis Davidson being dangerous in The News Tribune, Tacoma, Washington, July 18, 1904 Davidson spoke out in response to the article, saying, The sole object of the meeting at Olivet Baptist church Monday night was to get the negro laborers together to advise them to prove themselves as trustworthy and efficient workmen and to gain the confidence of their employers, not to hang around barroom and gambling dives, and to so act as not to arouse sentiment against negro labor. As American citizens I believe it right to migrate to any section of our common country and seek as law-abiding citizens to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow without being charged with stirring up race feeling. We know that Davidson thought deeply about humanity and his role as a member of mankind. In 1905, he appeared in another newspaper in Tacoma. Yesterday an ignorant slave, a miserable, debased creaturetomorrow an enfranchised voter, a legislator, a senator, making and dispensing laws for the cultured and experienced people who had held him in servitude for over 200 years, wrote Davidson. It was a mistake which has since led to more bitterness, bloodshed and political strife than any other legislative enactment in the history of this country. The evolution among the negroes in 40 years proves without a shadow of a reasonable doubt that the negro is a rational being, one of Gods creatures. All he asks is an equal opportunity in the race of life, a square deal.' Davidson also stated, decades before Hitler rose to power and ignited WWII, that if it best serves the end of the politician in gaining political notoriety and ascendancy he will advocate deportation, extermination or wholesale disenfranchisement and political and social ostracism, he will advocate and preach that doctrine with all his might and eloquence. But Davidson also proposed a solution to such issues. There is but one way to settle the problem and that is for the church of the living God to rise in the power of her spiritual might and preach an unadulterated gospel of peace on earth, good will to men, to practice the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, to preach and practice equal opportunity for all, and all men and no men down. Give all men an impartial trial before the bar of public opinion. Let merit, thrift and honest dominate and not race, color or previous condition of servitude. This clipping from The Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Washington, Oct. 17, 1905, features a direct quote from Rev. Davidson. Davidson became president of the Negro Baptist Ministers and Deacons Institute of Washington while he was the pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Tacoma. But as is always the case in life, problems arise. A clipping from The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, this one from May 12, 1917, shows Davidson was preaching at Olivet Baptist Church in Tacoma during 1903, 1904, and 1905. The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, May 12, 1917, documents Rev. Francis James Davidson filing suit against Olivet Baptist church for pay he should have received more than a decade before. But thats not all the article shows. We also learn that after moving back home to Louisiana, Davidson filed suit against Olivet Baptist church for not paying him for his work in 1903, 1904, and 1905. Reference to Francis James Davidson, D. D. (Doctorate of Divinity) printed in The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, Apr. 27, 1912. By 1912, Rev. Davidson had become Dr. Davidson. A clipping from The Town Talk shows that he preached revival services at Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana. During WWI, Davidson wrote to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to offer his services as a military chaplain to a Black regiment. The letter is now kept in the Theodore Roosevelt Center. A clipping from The St. Luis Argus shows Rev. Francis J. Davidson, D. D., of New Orleans, visiting his son (Francis J. Davidson, Jr.) at 3128 Belle Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri on Dec. 3 of 1920. According to the writing of William Hicks, Davidson became the pastor at Trinity (Baptist) Church in Shreveport. By 1917, the congregation at Trinity Baptist Church in Shreveport was deeply connected with many Baptist leaders in the Shreveport area. The church hosted pastors from the region including Rev. T. J. Edwards, Rev. Bangiham, Rev. J. M. Wells, Rev. L. H. Horten, Rev. Canfield, Rev. Benbow, Rev. Capers, Rev. Allen, Rev. Flynn, Rev. Sims, and Rev. Rogers. These Baptist ministers were present for an ordination service at Trinity that included leaders of Lake Bethlehem Baptist Church and Antioch Baptist Church. Antioch Baptist Church and Lake Bethlehem Baptist Church were significant in Shreveports civil rights history. This letter from Francis James Davidson to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt is kept at the Theodore Roosevelt Center. William Hicks, author of A History of Louisiana Negro Baptists, listed Rev. Francis James Davidson as an important figure in the history of Louisiana Baptists. Hicks also wrote that Davidson reminded him of a quote by Dr. Wm. J. Simons: Some men are often brave from experience with arms and the scenes of war; others because of the recklessness of life, and a dare-devil spirit, and still others are born for deeds of bravery and glide easily to places of danger as if led by unerring instinct; they are bold, aggressive, determined and venturesome. Sources: National Newspaper Director and Gazetter, printed in 1899 by Pettingill & Company Newspaper Directory, containing a description of all the newspapers and periodicals published in the United States, Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland, and of the Towns and Cities in which they are Published, by George P. Rowell & Company, New York, 1893 The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, May 12, 1917 The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, Apr. 27, 1912 The Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Washington, Oct. 17, 1905 News Tribune, Tacoma, Washington, May 12, 1917 The Tacoma Daily Ledger, Tacoma, Washington, Jan 21, 1904 The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Aug. 7, 1900 History of Louisiana Negro Baptists from 1804 to 1914, by William Hicks, published by the National Baptist Publishing Board in Nashville, Tennessee, 1915 Jaclyn Tripp took the lead on this article. 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 KTALnews.com. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Franklin County man allegedly kidnaped a woman early Monday morning after waiting for her to leave for work, then getting inside her vehicle, according to charging documents. Zachariah Smith, 29, of West Virginia, allegedly entered the womans vehicle, refusing to get out, after she got in when she was done cleaning the snow off it, around 4:30 a.m. in the 100 block of W. North Street, Waynesboro police said in the charges filed. Pennsylvania Instacart driver shot while dropping off groceries Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith got in the vehicle after he came out of nowhere and she was in fear he would harm her, according to the charges. She then drove them to Rutters in Waynesboro, and after getting there she told Smith to get out, but he again refused. When she tried to get out, Smith allegedly grabbed her, forcing her back into the vehicle and pulling out a pocket knife that was held to her leg. The woman hit the knife away and ended up sustaining a cut to her finger. Then they went to a Turkey Hill, where police said the victim was able to run inside and alert workers to call officers. According to the charges, she went to the bathroom, and eventually Smith entered the store looking for them but exited and went back inside the vehicle. Police said as they were on their way to the Turkey Hill, they were alerted that Smith had reentered the store and was assaulting staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith was trying to push past the staff to get to the woman who was hiding behind a counter, and when he assaulted a woman employee in the face, police said they were able to detain him. A pocketknife was found in Smiths coat pocket. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Severe Weather Alerts When questioned, police said Smith allegedly admitted to walking to the womans home, waiting for her to leave for work and then getting in her vehicle. Smith faces a felony charge of kidnap to inflict injury/terror along with misdemeanor charges of stalking, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is locked up in Franklin County Prison with bail set at $100,000 by Magisterial District Judge Duane Cunningham. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 28. 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 ABC27. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) January is Financial Wellness Month and the Shreveport Financial Empowerment Center (SFEC) helps residents of Northwest Louisiana reach their financial goals with free counseling services. The City of Shreveport and United Way of Northwest Louisiana (UWNWLA) partnered to launch the program in 2020. They said since its inception, the program has served 910 clients, collectively reducing their debt by $2,920,189 and increasing their savings by $1,102,858. NSU offers private investigation training course Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Paige Melton, UWNWLA Associate Director of Communications, certified Financial Counselors at the SFEC help individuals and families manage their finances, pay down and negotiate debt, increase savings, establish and build credit, access safe and affordable banking products, and increase economic mobility. The Grayson Foundation recently awarded a $15,000 grant to the SFEC. We are incredibly grateful for this grant, which will directly support the vital work of the Shreveport Financial Empowerment Center, said Rashida Dawson, UWNWLA Vice President of Financial Stability. These funds will empower the program to reach even more individuals and families in need, giving them critical resources and guidance to achieve greater financial stability and independence. The SFEC is located at 820 Jordan Street, Suite 507 in Shreveport. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Friday. You can schedule an appointment online or by calling (318) 677-2504. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTALnews.com. By Andreas Rinke, Elizabeth Pineau PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sought to project unity at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday, as Europe struggles to respond with one voice to threats of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, who has also threatened Canada, Mexico and China with heavy duties, said on Tuesday Europe had troubling trade surpluses with the United States and was "in for tariffs". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In statements to reporters before their working lunch at the Elysee Palace, both Macron and Scholz insisted that Europe was strong and the Franco-German tandem solid, while expecting difficulties. "President Trump will, that much is already clear, be a challenge," Scholz said. "Our position is clear. Europe is a large economic area with around 450 million citizens. We are strong. We stand together. Europe will not duck and hide." Macron has long pushed for Europe to be more self-reliant. "After the inauguration of a new administration in the United States, it is necessary more than ever for Europeans and for our two countries to play their role of consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two leaders mentioned the steel, car and chemicals sectors -- possible targets for U.S. tariffs -- as crucial for the European economy. TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONS WITH TRUMP Some business leaders and analysts have said Trump's first term offers evidence that he often publicly launches threats of tariffs and other measures to use as leverage, without ultimately carrying them out. But others fear he could be emboldened by a strong popular mandate and more support in both houses of Congress. "The European Union is very, very bad to us," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. "So they're going to be in for tariffs. It's the only way ... you're going to get fairness." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many EU countries have export-oriented economies. Already facing higher energy costs because of the war in Ukraine and a slowdown in trade with China, they do not relish the idea of a new front with the U.S. "We have entered a new phase of negotiations with the U.S.," French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas told reporters before the meeting. "Relations with President Trump are transactional. We must be as determined as the U.S., we must show our strength." Both Macron -- who lost snap elections last year and has had four prime ministers in 2024 alone -- and Scholz, who is trailing his conservative rival in surveys before the German election next month, are weakened politically at home. The pair have differed on many issues in recent years, slowing down decision-making in the EU and leaving a leadership void that EU institutions have struggled to fill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Franco-German relations must warm up very strongly and very quickly," said a French government source, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Europe won't be relaunched without a strong Franco-German couple." But while leading German politicians have been pushing for a free trade agreement between Europe and the U.S., France says the EU must reject economic coercion and apply counter-tariffs if attacked. (Writing by Michel Rose; additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Makini Brice; Dominique Vidalon; Matthias Williams; Editing by Kevin Liffey) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) From East Nashville, Germantown, to Edgehill, dozens of cars were broken into across multiple Nashville neighborhoods this weekend. In East Nashville, neighbors have counted 30-40 cars with shattered windows on Monday morning. Its a safe neighborhood so for a person to attack that viciously in a neighborhood we feel violated, Richard Espenant told News 2 after his car and others were broken into on Hancock Street. Espenant woke up to his car window smashed. Thieves attempted to break into his vehicle overnight. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts So far we are 33 from just last night, Espenant said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, since this interview, Espenant said that number has grown. His neighbor sent surveillance video where you can see a black truck pull onto their street and then one person breaking into a car. The amount is absolutely absurd. And whats even more annoying is that we have been battling these break-ins, and it looks like nothing is being done, Espenant said. Earlier this month, Metro police identified six teen suspects they believed were involved in the dozens of car break-ins across Nashville. According to a CompStat report, the average theft from vehicles nearly doubled during the beginning of January. With over 300 cases during the week of January 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee I hear time and time again from musicians who go play a gig downtown and they come back after playing a gig and their windows are smashed and there goes their money from their gig to go play for that broken window, said Jacob Kupin, District 19 Councilperson. Councilman Kupin said several of his constituents reached out this week after car break-ins in Germantown and downtown. Throughout the district, weve seen this in parking garages, in residencies, gated communities some of these are crime rings and some of them are one-offs, but to me, it really highlights the need for additional police staffing, Kupin said. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com More police presence is something Espenant is pushing for as well as he said car break-ins in East Nashville are getting out of control. Something has to be done, the frustration is real. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WKRN News 2. Warren Buffett is one of the better-known and successful investors. His Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) portfolio has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) since its inception in the mid-1960s. So respected is his reputation that some investors will assume a stock belongs on a buy list simply because Berkshire owns shares. That may not be the case with Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). Despite being a long-held position of Berkshire and a globally known iconic brand, the company's growth track and financials indicate it is not likely to serve new investors as well as it did Buffett and his team. Here's why. Coca-Cola as a Buffett holding Berkshire Hathaway acquired 400 million Coca-Cola shares in various lots between 1988 and 1994. By any measure, Buffett's investment instincts have paid off for Berkshire. The investment holding company spent around $1.3 billion to acquire its shares. After over 30 years of appreciation, those shares are now worth around $25 billion. However, that is not the extent of Berkshire's returns. The company pays $1.94 per share in annual dividends, and because these increases have occurred for 62 straight years, the payout has become a lucrative cash source for Buffett's company. New shareholders would earn a dividend yield of about 3.1% on shares purchased today, far above the S&P 500's 1.25% current average. Still, Berkshire's long-term ownership brings a significantly higher return. Its 400 million shares generated $776 million in dividend income in 2024. Thus, its annual dividend yield on cost averages almost 60% of its initial investment cost! Moreover, Coca-Cola will likely hike the payout for a 63rd year in February to maintain its Dividend King status, meaning Berkshire should continue to profit handsomely from the payout. Why now is likely not a good time to buy Still, rather than focusing on following Buffett, investors should ask the more pertinent question of why his team has not added shares in over 30 years. That likely comes down to the company's growth prospects. Its flagship beverage is in the enviable position of being available in nearly every country in the world. Unfortunately for the company, this leaves little room for additional significant growth for Coca-Cola. Hence, it drives most of its expansion through the acquisition of other brands. To its credit, it saw this early and acquired its first brand, Minute Maid, in 1960. Coca-Cola has gone on to purchase over 200 brands and has also ventured into alcohol with its Topo Chico hard seltzers. Episcopal bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is being celebrated as fearless and bold after pleading with Donald Trump to show Christian mercy to the immigrants he wants to ban from the nation and members of the LGBT+ community he aims to punish. But in an unhinged rant on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Budde owes the public an apology. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump wrote on the platform. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart ... She and her church owe the public an apology! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps attack followed harsh criticism of the bishop by allies of the president earlier in the day. Liberal commentators on X (formerly Twitter) were outspoken in their support for Budde. Today, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde boldly called out Donald Trump for his hatred and bigotry at the National Cathedral Prayer Service. Now, the GOP is attacking her for speaking truth to power, wrote an account by the name of Protect Kamala Harris. Pundit Art Candee tweeted a photo of Trump, first lady Melania Trump and vice-president JD Vance looking perturbed during the sermon, with the caption: The looks you make when youre called out by a Bishop in church at the National Prayer Service for essentially being fake Christians. Bishop Budde addressed the controversy in an appearance on CNN with Erin Burnett, saying she wanted to [remind] us all that the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups of people that I mentioned, are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed in all, throughout the political campaign, in the harshest of lights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added: I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. She also explained her comments in an appearance on The View, saying: I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarising. Donald Trump, vice-president J.D. Vance and their families attend the National Prayer Service (Getty) Budde called on Trump to have mercy on the scared LGBT+ children and immigrant families across the country when the president and his family attended the National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Hours earlier Trump had signed a slew of executive orders, many of which included hardline immigration policies such as ending birthright citizenship. One order sought to deny the existence of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people throughout the government. Budde said at the service, in remarks aimed at Trump: There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families some who fear for their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added: I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. She also implored the president to reconsider the way he treats and talks about migrants living in the US. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she told the service. Trump did not immediately respond with anger to Buddes comments. During the service, he merely looked on awkwardly. He later criticized the service, saying to a reporter: Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a great service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps allies, however, were quick to criticize the bishop. Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, condemned Buddes speech in a Newsmax interview Tuesday. For this bishop to do this to President Trump after a weekend of, as you said, talking about God more than ever, talking about how he was spared to give an opportunity maybe to change this country back to something that it should be, it just absolutely amazes me how far these people go, said Tuberville. Representative Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican, inexplicably called for Budde to be deported: The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budde was born in New Jersey in 1959 and is a U.S. citizen therefore, she cannot be deported. Budde and Trump speak at the National Prayer Service. The president later said he did not think the service was good, adding that they can do much better (Reuters) Trumps friend and informal faith adviser Robert Jeffress, who attended the service, also criticized Budde and claimed that the audience experienced palpable disgust at her words. Attended national prayer service today at the Washington National Cathedral during which Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde insulted rather than encouraged our great president @realDonaldTrump, he wrote on X. Trump was asked about the service as he left the event. Did you like it? Trump asked, speaking to reporters. Did you find it exciting? Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service, no, he continued. They can do much better. NEW YORK (PIX11) The fate of congestion pricing could lie in the hands of the Trump administration. Gov. Phil Murphy is the latest in the line of politicians urging President Donald Trump to repeal the tolls. More Congestion Pricing News Danny Pearlstein, with the Riders Alliance, talks about the lawmakers fighting to end congestion pricing and how the toll helps the MTA on PIX11 Morning News. Watch the video player for the full interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 PIX11. When I was a kid living in a heavily ethnic neighborhood, one thing that just about all of the older immigrants complained about was younger immigrants. New arrivals. They werent sure, or didnt believe, that the new immigrants had gotten in the right way, like they had. (The flood gates at Ellis Island had closed decades earlier.) They werent sure, or didnt believe, that the new immigrants were willing to work as hard as they were. Advertisement Advertisement Or, just the opposite, they thought the new immigrants were after their jobs. Or, they thought the new immigrants would give their nationality a bad name by mooching off the government. It went on. Immigrant groups condemned Laken Riley Act U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego seems to understand that old attitudes like that have not changed much over the generations, and that they are shared by the many different nationalities that have migrated here. This makes his support for the Laken Riley Act less surprising, as when he first said of the act, We must give law enforcement the means to take action when illegal immigrants break the law, to prevent situations like what occurred to Laken Riley. Advertisement Advertisement Immigrant advocacy groups and civil rights proponents were appalled. The ACLU, for instance, called the bill a wolf in sheeps clothing. That organization, and many others, issued a lengthy statement on the bills many faults. It condemned how the bill would require the government to detain people who have not been convicted or even charged with a crime, potentially sweeping thousands of people into mandatory detention. Average Latinos feel differently, Gallego says Speaking with Politico recently, Gallego suggested that Latinos are closer to his position on the issue (and to the position of the Republicans who control Congress) than to that of the ACLU and others. Advertisement Advertisement He said, Im bringing the perspective of working class Latinos from Arizona. And that perspective, I think, has been missing. What Gallego seems to be saying (without exactly saying it) is that the ethnic voters hes closest to are not as progressive as progressives would like to believe. Opinion: Laken Riley Act is a blatant power grab He said, There has been this misunderstanding about where Latinos are when it comes to border and border security. Im here to bring some more real truth about what people are thinking and so people here and senators here arent necessarily reliant on these immigration groups that are, I think, a lot of times, largely out of touch with where your average Latino is. Advertisement Advertisement This is not new. Democrats better figure it out to win elections The Hill reported in 2023 on the tension between new and established immigrants. In that article, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, from Illinois, said, I think some of it is xenophobia. I think some of it is disinformation. And its driven by uncertainty. And its not just Latinos, either. It never was. And its not new. It existed in my old neighborhood. It exists in neighborhoods today. You could call it uncertainty. Or xenophobia. You could even call it prejudice. But its real. Its heartfelt. And it comes from average, hard-working people. And when Gallego suggests that Democrats need to recognize it and get in touch with those people in order to win elections, hes right. Advertisement Advertisement Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. For more opinions content, please subscribe. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Laken Riley Act appeals to ordinary Latinos. Gallego gets it | Opinion Jan. 21MORGANTOWN GATC West Virginia played a role in a groundbreaking AI-powered analysis of a new cancer drug in development an analysis that saved inestimable hours and dollars for the client. \Calif.-based GATC Health, with its GATC West Virginia subsidiary, headquartered in the WVU Innovation Corp. building, conducted the analysis for A28 Therapeutics, a California biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of cancer treatments. GATC analyzed A28's AT-101 cancer drug candidate. We talked with GATC Chief Business Officer Tyrone Lam and A28 Therapeutics founder and CEO Stanley Lewis about the job and what it means. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As we've reported before, GATC is streamlining the creation of pharmaceuticals using it artificial intelligence Multiomics Advanced Technology (MAT) platform, which simulates human physiology and biochemistry, and can predict what is a safe drug, what is an efficacious drug, what drug doesn't have off-target side effects even before it gets into the clinic. Lam and Lewis an internal medicine physician by training with 25 years of experience in clinical research, drug development, patient care and teaching knew each other before the GATC days, they said. Lewis serves on GATC's advisory board. Lewis's prior employer developed a drug that had the potential to treat cancer. "It was a very fascinating drug to me, " he said. But that company didn't want to pursue the cancer angle, so Lewis formed A28, bought AT-101 and went to work on it for cancer treatment. AT-101 is an intravenous infusion administered twice a week for about two hours, Lewis said. Trials proceed in three phases. Phase 1 tests the safety of the drug. Phase 2 focuses on patients who have the disease, to determine dosing and timing and early signs of efficacy called proof of concept. Phase 3 is the true measure of whether it works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GATC analysis, he said, was later than Phase 1 and into the first part of phase 2. The arrangement came about, Lam said, because they knew each other and the MAT AI platform's ability to run a clinical trial "in silico, " meaning in a computer. Lam told Lewis, "Why don't we collaborate and let A28 be the first client to ever use our platform for this type of predictive analysis." Lewis liked the idea. "This would be really cool to be able to apply this type of technology to the drug I was developing and understand it in even in more detail than what had been discovered during the [initial ] clinical trial, " to understand its potential side effects, other indications and ways to use the AT-101 molecule. The whole process took about two weeks, Lam said. They met together to determine what Lewis wanted to learn from the report, and what kind of data he had available to feed into the AI to run the analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GATC has offices in several states, Lam said, and teams from Morgantown and other cities participated. When everything was plugged in, the actual AI analysis ran in about three hours. We asked Lam how long it would have taken without the AI. He said, "It couldn't be done." It would have required clinical trials with all the time and expense and people and trial-and-error that requires. From a technology standpoint, there is no other way to come up with this level of detailed analysis. Lewis characterized the analysis as the equivalent of an army of PhD's pooling their talents. It was helpful to learn things that weren't obvious that might help them tweak the developmental protocol or timing or dosage. "If this can give you a little bit more confidence, de-risk your program, you can save a lot of time, you can save a lot of money by learning from this, " instead of trial and error. "We're excited to introduce this new AI-enabled approach to drug development. We think it's going to improve the efficacy in the way we develop drugs and help us de-risk and avoid some pitfalls in this process." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis said that roughly 90 % of drugs that go into development fail. All the mistakes cost money. "By the time you get one that works you spend a lot of money on others that fell by the wayside. This is one of the ways that I think AI can really really help." It avoids all the expensive potholes and those costs that get transmitted into the price of the drug that emerges, he said. In the case of AT-101, GATC's analysis generated predictions for such things as he way the drug moves through the body and the way it stays in the body after it's administered ; bioaccumulation, meaning where the drug settles (they're looking at treating liver cancer in part because AT-101 settles in the liver and persists there for three days); ADME considerations, meaning absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion ; and an important one, endpoint matching. They explained that testing a drug requires establishing a clinical endpoint a lab measure of whether the drug improves or fails to improve the disease. An endpoint has to be set before entering a clinical trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With endpoint matching you can take the endpoint, look at what the drug does, and the AI can help confirm the endpoint is the right thing to look at based on how the drug works. The AI might reveal a better endpoint. AT-101 had already been tested on 75 patients and demonstrated tolerability and "remarkable anti-cancer activity." From here, Lewis said, AT-101 heads into getting the dose optimized and proof of concept in patients with liver cancer. Data from the clinical trial will be available to GATC, he said, and A28 is interested in returning to GATC to learn what else the molecule can be used for. "I'm looking forward to engaging GATC in the future." Lam said GATC's view is that "every pharma client we work with is a client for life." The MAT AI tool can give them insights for all of their research as they collaborate in discovering new drugs. Lam pointed out that the A28 collaboration was only part of what the MAT platform can do. It also accelerates early discovery locating and validating targets in the body that need to be affected to treat a disease, and it can discover and validate compounds that could be developed to affect the targets. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Sunday, with the first six-weeks of the deal ushering in a pause to fighting, the staggered release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and an influx of aid to Gaza. The three-phase ceasefire has raised cautious hopes for an end to the war. Israeli bombardment of Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has caused a devastating impact on the territory, with aid agencies warning that damage to critical infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, water and health care facilities, will take years to rebuild. Heres a look in 6 charts at what Gaza is like after 15 months of war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An additional 11,000 people remain unaccounted for likely either missing or not yet found under rubble, according to the Palestinian health ministry. However recent research suggests that the death toll could be far higher than current estimates. A London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) study that was also published in The Lancet journal this month found that the Palestinian health ministry has underreported the death toll by approximately 41%. As of October 2024, the number of Gazans killed by violence was thought to exceed 70,000, according to the study. Meanwhile, the health ministry said in October that one third of those killed in the first year of the war were children. Israeli military strikes have razed most of Gaza to rubble, with Gaza City the most heavily destroyed. Around 436,000 housing units have been destroyed or damaged across the strip, according to the United Nations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 1.9 million Palestinians or about 90% of the population are internally displaced, according to the UN. Many people in Gaza have been displaced multiple times some up to 10 times. The Israeli military regularly ordered evacuations from one area of danger to another, according to the UN, who have repeatedly said there is no safe place in Gaza. Evacuation orders were issued across 67% of Gaza throughout the course of the war, according to data from the Institute for the Study of War. Those orders were often airdropped by the Israeli military a method Amnesty International said was not an effective warning to civilians or posted to social media an inaccessible form of communication for many Gazans without power or internet. The Israeli military has said that it does all it can to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, including by sending text messages, making phone calls, and dropping evacuation leaflets to warn civilians ahead of attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Al-Mawasi, a 67 square kilometer (25.9 square miles) area roughly the size of Manhattan, has become the main displacement and refuge area for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians ordered by the Israeli military to leave their homes. Before the war, there were 9,000 people living there. By July 2024, the population of the camp had swelled to 1.7 million, according to the UN-backed Famine Early Warning Systems Network. In October, the camps population was estimated to be 730,000, according to UNICEF. Despite being designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel, Al-Mawasi has been targeted repeatedly by Israeli airstrikes. Many people in Gaza have struggled to access food for over a year. Prior to the war, Gaza was largely self-sufficient in fresh produce, according to the UN. Israels military operation has damaged or destroyed up to 96% of agricultural assets, including farms and orchards, according to the World Bank. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that it does not intentionally harm agricultural land and seeks to mitigate environmental impact absent operational necessity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of Gaza is reliant on humanitarian aid, but many aid entry points into Gaza have been closed by Israeli authorities throughout the war. That includes the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the sole border crossing between Gaza and Egypt and once one of the largest and most important aid crossings into Gaza which has been closed since May 2024, when Israel seized control of it. Other aid entry points have been open with extremely limited access. The UN said in November that people are effectively starving as the conflict rages, with humanitarian organizations blocked from delivering assistance to those in need. Before the war, an average of 500 trucks a day around 15,000 trucks a month containing aid and commercial goods entered Gaza per month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update on Tuesday that only 2,205 aid trucks had entered Gaza in the month of December, excluding commercial vehicles and fuel. Israel disputed that number, saying there is no limit on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza and that over 5,000 trucks had entered over the course of the month, according to a statement from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which manages the flow of aid into the strip. Meanwhile, trucks that do enter Gaza are now facing additional challenges in moving across the territory: Approximately 68% of the road network has been damaged, according to satellite imagery analysis by UNOSAT. And criminal gangs continue to loot convoys carrying food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gazas health care system is in ruins. Prior to October 2023, there were 36 operational hospitals in Gaza. Now, not a single hospital in Gaza is fully functional. Israels pattern of attacks has pushed the health care system to the brink of total collapse, according to a December UN report. To date, the World Health Organization (WHO) has verified 654 attacks on health care facilities in Gaza, resulting in 886 fatalities and 1,349 injuries. The IDF has said that Hamas fighters embed inside hospitals and store arms in them. Only half of Gazas hospitals are partially operational, relying solely on aid and fuel deliveries to function. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fuel shortages continue to threaten the care for around 2,000 patients, according to the WHOs health cluster, around 10% of whom are in intensive care units. Additionally, more than 12,000 patients are estimated to require urgent medical evacuation abroad. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) Crews are working to resolve heat issues at Rankin Elementary School in Greensboro. The school closed early on Tuesday and let students out at 11:30 a.m. because the heating system wasnt working properly. A spokesperson with Guilford County Schools said there was a technical issue in the control system of one of the units that led to mechanical issues. FOX8 caught up with the districts only HVAC tech who was working all day on Tuesday at Penn Griffin School for the Arts to ensure the heating system was working properly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Motors go bad. Bearings go bad. Bolts go bad. The igniters on gas packs. You never know what youre going to find when you get there, GCS HVAC Tech 2 Joey Solomon said. Solomon is currently the only HVAC tech with GCS. Solomon was recently named GCSs employee of the month. He works along with two assistants to address heat and air conditioning issues in the district. Theres always a problem somewhere. Predominantly, they keep me in High Point, and contractors do the rest of the county, Solomon said. Solomon says he mainly works to fix HVAC issues at 23 schools while still getting around to the other schools in the district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district has more than 100 schools, so they rely on contractors to help keep up with the demand. Nothing runs forever or something breaks down every day, Solomon said. Solomon listed some of the issues that are a top priority. Burning smell, gas smell, water pouring out of a unit or especially kindergartens and mobile units Different emergencies, but I have tickets, and I try to go do the tickets. Unless I get an emergency call then I got to pack up and go do that one, Solomon said. GCS when the coldest temps hit, its HVAC and boiler units can sometimes struggle to keep the buildings warm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like RES where contractors are working to restore the heat. That school is 101 years old. The newer stuff stays running for a good little while before it breaks The older stuff breaks down rather often then you fix it and hope for the best after that, Solomon said. GCS says its HVAC employees and several contractors continue to prioritize and address heating issues as quickly as possible. In the meantime, GCS asks that parents send their students to school dressed for cooler temperatures or in layers that can be removed. If possible, the district will install portable heater units. Students may also be relocated to warmer spaces. If temperatures in more than 50% of a school fall below 60 degrees and HVAC repairs cannot be made within two hours, schools will be dismissed early or shift to remote learning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX8 WGHP. Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King speaks at the Georgia Chamber of Commerces Eggs and Issues event in Atlanta early in the 2025 legislative session. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Just a few days into Georgias 2025 legislative session, proposed new limits on lawsuit awards is a priority trumpeted by business groups, some lawmakers and the governor alike as one of the top issues of the year. At last weeks State of the State address, Gov. Brian Kemp emphasized the importance of passing legislation to transform Georgias legal landscape by the end of the 2025 session in early April, citing a rise in insurance rates or difficulty acquiring coverage that he says threatens businesses across the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Small business owners reported insurance premiums up anywhere from 30% to over 100% over the last few years, costing them hundreds, hundreds of thousands or millions or more just to get basic coverage, he said during his address. For too many of them, that meant holding back on hiring more employees, waiting to grow their business, or making difficult decisions about whether or not they could even keep the lights on. For others, the biggest problem was a complete lack of insurance options or the threat of paying thousands or millions to fend off excessive lawsuits. Proponents of overhauling Georgias legal landscape say they aim to create more balance between plaintiffs and defendants in Georgias court system, often citing an American Tort Reform Foundation ranking which listed Georgia as one of the top five judicial hellholes in the country in 2024. Kemp has yet to release a specific policy proposal, but a recent report from Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King could point to the direction state leaders will take in pursuing changes. The report, commissioned as a result of last sessions Kemp-backed House Bill 1114, initiated a data-collection effort designed to examine Georgias current insurance landscape and make recommendations to make the balance of power more friendly to business. But proponents of the yet-to-be-detailed proposals will be up against Georgias civil trial attorneys some of who serve in the Legislature and others who are wary of changes that limit access to justice for aggrieved Georgians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some of the reports recommended policy changes. Limiting nuclear verdicts One of the most significant changes pushed by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is limiting nuclear verdicts or damages that exceed $10 million. Anecdotal evidence cited in the report argues that legislation limiting non-economic damages such as money awarded for pain and suffering may help reduce the frequency of large payouts, which business leaders argue are driving up insurance costs across the board. An insurance claim is, you won the lottery, and we have to change that back, King said at the Georgia Chamber of Commerces annual Eggs and Issues event last week. This is to fix your damages, to get you back on your feet, to take care of your injuries, but this is not a lottery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One proposal to reduce large jury awards is to limit the use of anchoring or allowing a plaintiffs lawyers to suggest a monetary value as proposed compensation for pain and suffering. The practice is explicitly outlined in Georgia code, but advocates for limits on lawsuit awards argue that it sets the stage for juries to hand unreasonably high damages to plaintiffs. Georgia is one of the only states having a specific statute that allows anchoring, the commissioners report says. These unique factors and the increase in nuclear verdicts are reasons why Georgia continues to be identified in the American Tort Reform Associations Judicial Hellholes report as the nations most problematic jurisdiction. However, Democrats pushed back on the assertion that substantial lawsuit awards are a significant driver of insurance rate increases. What we really have to understand is, is there integrity in their position on why rates keep rising for Georgians? said Rep. Tanya Miller, an Atlanta Democrat who serves as chair of the House Minority Caucus. It is not, I think, accurate to say that jury verdicts are the sole reason for why insurance rates are rising. I would like to see a robust discussion had about whether and how insurance companies are forced to be transparent when they raise their rates on our citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former state Rep. Matthew Wilson, a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta and member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Associations executive committee, also questioned the commissioners report. To put it bluntly, I think the insurance commissioners data analysis is a sham, and we are all being lied to, he said, adding that the data collected from insurance companies did not support some of the reports conclusions. One of the big claims that this report says is theres a crisis of increased [insurance] claims, he said. And I think one of the big data points that a number of folks have latched onto here is that theres been a 25% increase in the number of claims over this 10-year period. But what the commissioners report fails to do is to adjust that data for population growth, and when that is adjusted, what the data shows over that 10-year period is that actually, claims have been relatively stable and if anything, theyre slightly decreasing in recent years. The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association is hoping to collaborate with the governors office and state legislators to craft policy proposals that are fair to both sides, Wilson said. But reforms that limit consumers constitutional rights are going to be a non-starter, he said. Limiting liability on private property Legislation that limits lawsuits against business owners for accidents that occur on their property might be another tactic that lawmakers pursue during the 2025 session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been recent multimillion dollar settlements awarded in Georgia, including a $16 million verdict against Amazon in 2022, and a $45 million verdict against CVS that led the Georgia Supreme Court to set a new precedent on the kinds of evidence that juries can account for when awarding damages. Chris Clark, the president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, said overhauling the current premises liability rules will be one of his organizations top priorities going into the 2025 legislative session. It shouldnt be legal for two bad guys to come on your property, hurt each other and then youre to blame and you get sued for it, he told reporters during the chambers Eggs and Issues breakfast. Limiting third-party lawsuit funding While some aspects of the proposed lawsuit litigation overhaul are Georgia-specific, attempts to regulate the use of third-party sources of funding for lawsuits are popping up nationwide. The use of third-party funding for damages lawsuits is a multibillion dollar industry, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and works by allowing hedge funds and other investment groups to finance lawsuits in exchange for a portion of anticipated damages awarded to the plaintiffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics of the practice, which is sometimes referred to as champerty, say that it allows private equity groups to exert influence over trials, and may give foreign actors access to sensitive information they would not otherwise be able to obtain. Plaintiffs are also not required to disclose the use of outside funding, allowing these subsidies to go unregulated. Third-party litigation funders are not just trying to help people win, theyre trying to collect big rates of return on their investments in suing insurance companies, said Harold Weston, a business professor at Georgia State University who serves as director of the undergraduate risk management and insurance program. Thats not the way it should work. States including Indiana, Louisiana and West Virginia all passed new restrictions against the practice in 2024, requiring plaintiffs to disclose any use of third-party funding. Weston said that adopting similar reforms in Georgia could give both judges and juries a clearer sense of what forces may be influencing a case before deciding whether to award damages. Juries dont know this, he said. Courts often do not know this, because these investors third party finance are not disclosed to any of them. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX German Chancellor Olaf Scholz summoned the heads of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police to the Chancellery following a stabbing in Bavaria. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is also due to join the meeting this evening, according to government sources. It comes as Scholz returned from a trip to Paris shortly before 7 pm (1800 GMT). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stabbing attack at a park in the southern German town of Aschaffenburg left a 2-year-old child and a 41-year-old man dead, and two others, including a second child, seriously injured, police said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) arrive for an election campaign appearance at the Burgerhaus. (Shot through a pane of glass). Boris Roessler/dpa German discount grocer Lidl can continue selling its "Dubai chocolate" sweets, turning aside a lawsuit from an importer of chocolate from Dubai who argued the name was misleading, since no part of the product was made in Dubai. So-called "Dubai chocolate" is a chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and crispy Middle Eastern pastry strands known as kadayif. The treat has become sensationally popular in Germany, with long queues at some speciality chocolate shops and extensive promotion from social media influencers. The lawsuit was filed by confectionery importer Andreas Wilmers, which imports and sells Fex-brand chocolate produced in Dubai in the German market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The importer has contended in lawsuits that products labelled "Dubai chocolate" must come from the Gulf emirate, or else consumers might be misled. However, the question has divided courts throughout the nation. In a very similar case against discount grocer Aldi Sud, a court in Cologne sided with the Dubai chocolate importer and ordered a halt to sales of Aldi Sud's popular version of the treat. Aldi's chocolate bar is made in Turkey. Later on Wednesday, Aldi Sud said it had lodged an appeal against the Cologne Regional Court's decision, in comments to dpa. Aldi Sud did not comment on the case involving Lidl, a similar discount supermarket chain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Aldi spokeswoman said that there was no connection with the appeal against the decision of the Cologne Regional Court. Earlier on Wednesday, a court in Frankfurt took the opposite position, ruling in the case involving Lidl that the term Dubai chocolate has become a widespread generic term to describe the style of candy bar. Consumers wouldn't necessarily expect the ingredients in the candy to actually come from Dubai or feel misled, the court ruled. The Lidl candy bar's wrapper stated only that the treat was made "with chocolate, pistachios and kadayif from the EU/non-EU." In their reasoning, the Frankfurt judges explicitly referenced their colleagues' decision in the case of Aldi Sud. The Frankfurt court noted that Lidl's packaging did not include any Arabic writing or other design features that might suggest to consumers that the product was imported from Dubai. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision of the Frankfurt Regional Court is not yet legally binding, and the confectionery importer Wilmers can lodge an appeal against it. Wilmers told dpa that he is still examining the decision. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said work to establish a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania, a fellow member of NATO, is on track, during a visit on Wednesday. "The deployment of the brigade is progressing consistently and according to plan," he said in comments that came after he met his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene. "We are on schedule." In the second quarter, further troop units and equipment are to follow the advance unit stationed on site and the brigade is to be officially put into service, under the plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aim is to have a brigade staff capable of command and training on site in the course of the year, Pistorius said. The Kremlin's ongoing, full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago radically altered European security architecture, driving many nations to spend significantly more on defence. Amid the war, Berlin pledged to permanently station a combat-ready and independently capable combat unit in Lithuania, aiming to be operational by 2027. A permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers is planned, with the main location being a new barracks facility with a military training area in Rudninkai. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a temporary solution in Lithuanian barracks near the capital Vilnius is planned first. "These are huge challenges," said Pistorius, who visited the Rokantiskes base to see the existing infrastructure and met soldiers set to deploy there. For the Lithuanian government and herself, the German brigade is the "top one" in terms of the focus of their work, Sakaliene said. "We have emphasised several times that it is vital for us and we will do everything we can to ensure that this process runs smoothly." Lithuania, an EU and NATO member which shares borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Moscow's ally Belarus, views the Ukraine war as a direct threat to national security. Currently, the country spends just over 3% of GDP on defence, exceeding the NATO spending target of 2%. From next year onwards, Lithuanian defence spending is to remain between 5% and 6%. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said work to establish a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania, a fellow member of NATO, is on track, during a visit on Wednesday. "The deployment of the brigade is progressing consistently and according to plan," he said in comments that came after he met his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene. "We are on schedule." In the second quarter, further troop units and equipment are to follow the advance unit stationed on site and the brigade is to be officially put into service, under the plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aim is to have a brigade staff capable of command and training on site in the course of the year, Pistorius said. The Kremlin's ongoing, full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago radically altered European security architecture, driving many nations to spend significantly more on defence. Amid the war, Berlin pledged to permanently station a combat-ready and independently capable combat unit in Lithuania, aiming to be operational by 2027. A permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers is planned, with the main location being a new barracks facility with a military training area in Rudninkai. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a temporary solution in Lithuanian barracks near the capital Vilnius is planned first. "These are huge challenges," said Pistorius, who visited the Rokantiskes base to see the existing infrastructure and met soldiers set to deploy there. For the Lithuanian government and herself, the German brigade is the "top one" in terms of the focus of their work, Sakaliene said. "We have emphasised several times that it is vital for us and we will do everything we can to ensure that this process runs smoothly." Lithuania, an EU and NATO member which shares borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Moscow's ally Belarus, views the Ukraine war as a direct threat to national security. Currently, the country spends just over 3% of GDP on defence, exceeding the NATO spending target of 2%. From next year onwards, Lithuanian defence spending is to remain between 5% and 6%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his visit, Pistorius also recalled the German crimes committed during World War II. He commemorated the victims of the German occupation and the Holocaust and laid a wreath together with Sakaliene. "For me personally, this is a very, very important sign, said Pistorius. During the German occupation, around 120,000 people were shot by Nazis and Lithuanian helpers in Paneriai between 1941 and 1944. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock believes that sending Bundeswehr troops to enforce a ceasefire in Ukraine after the war ends is a feasible option. Source: Baerbock in an interview with German media outlet FAZ, as reported by European Pravda Details: Baerbock said that if peace talks regarding Russias war against Ukraine take place, "this also means that we in Europe must take responsibility for our own security". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "A lasting, just peace requires more than superficial solutions. That is why I am working with key European partners and Ukraine to explore various elements of stable peacekeeping." More details: When asked whether Germany should send troops to enforce a ceasefire in Ukraine, Baerbock responded: "A peacekeeping mission could also be one of the elements of this process, which, of course, will require not only us Europeans, but others as well." Baerbock stressed that greater international involvement would lead to a more stable peacekeeping mission. "This includes countries outside Europe with which Putin seeks to maintain good relations. In this sense, our own involvement on other continents, whether in development or security policy, is also very important," she concluded. Background: In December 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that the idea of deploying a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine to prevent another Russian attack had been discussed during meetings in Brussels, saying he had seen "positive responses" from some leaders. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently stated that London is prepared to play its "full part" in potential peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine, though he sees no immediate prospect of this. However, Polish Defence Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has ruled out deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine after the war with Russia, citing the need for "greater burden-sharing and diversification within NATO". Support UP or become our patron! A political editor for a German newspaper is blasting billionaire Elon Musk over a hand gesture Musk made that has sparked widespread outrage. A Hitler Salute is a Hitler Salute is a Hitler Salute, read the headline on a column by Lenz Jacobsen in the German newspaper Die Zeit. The gesture speaks for itself; its documented on video. Those who want to see something else in it, who dont want to see a Hitler salute, do so at their own risk, Jacobsen wrote. At its very core, this is about attention societys most contested currency, at a time where every image, video, and soundbite vies to be noticed every second of the day. Trump and Musk excel at this game, especially in turning even bad publicity to their advantage. Case in point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The column came with a photo of Musk making the hand gesture, which came during a celebration of President Trumps inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Musk, a prolific social media presence and key member of Trumps inner circle, has scoffed at the allegations that he was performing a Nazi salute, saying those making the comparison were deploying dirty tricks. Frankly, they need better dirty tricks, Musk wrote on the social platform X, which he owns, calling it just another part of the dirty tricks campaign. Musks gesture sparked widespread outrage on Monday, with Democratic lawmakers and other observers noting the billionaires embrace of right-wing policies and conspiracies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday also condemned Musks hand gesture, Reuters reported. We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany. Everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire. And what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme-right positions, Scholz said. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit focused on combating antisemitism, came to Musks defense. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge, the ADL said. 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 The Hill. Germany's Constitutional Court has upheld a special tax on disposable food and drink packaging levied by the small university city of Tubingen, rejecting a lawsuit brought by a local McDonald's fast food franchise. The McDonald's franchise owner had argued that the tax, which applies to products like disposable paper cups, cutlery and straws, violated protections for freedom of business that are enshrined in Germany's constitution, known as the Basic Law. Tubingen, located in south-western Germany, passed the tax in an effort to cut down on waste and litter in public spaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe on Wednesday ruled that although the tax did infringe on business freedoms, that interference is justified and constitutional. The court cited the city's power over local taxation. Tubingen's packaging tax has been in force since the beginning of 2022. Under the tax, the city charges 0.50 ($0.52) for packing such as disposable coffee cups and trays and 0.20 for cutlery and items such as straws. Germany remains "committed" to the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO) despite the planned US withdrawal under President Donald Trump, a government spokeswoman said in Berlin on Wednesday. "We rely on international organizations and a rules-based international order," the spokeswoman said. "We remain committed to these agreements." The German government sees climate change as a massive global challenge which requires global solutions, she said: "In our view, the Paris climate agreement is indispensable and we will continue to focus on it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spokeswoman also described the WHO as a vital tool against threats to public health. Berlin will remain in dialogue with the United States in order to better understand what the motives are, she said. After taking office on Monday, Trump issued a series of executive orders aimed at abandoning global commitments. He previously attempted to pull the US out of the WHO in 2020 during his first term in office, but the move was cancelled by his successor, Joe Biden, in 2021 before it took effect. In an executive order on Monday, Trump stated that the organization had reacted poorly to the coronavirus pandemic and was demanding unfair contributions from the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Tuesday called the US withdrawal a serious blow to the international fight against global health crises. The withdrawal processes from the WHO and the Paris Agreement both take one year. The front-runner to become Germany's next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has expressed optimism about constructive European cooperation with US President Donald Trump. "I think he will be an interesting partner for us," the leader of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss resort of Davos during a conversation with WEF President Borge Brende. "I think he will be willing to make deals even with the Europeans," the opposition leader added. "He is a dealmaker, so let's think about what we can offer." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Merz mentioned topics such as importing liquefied natural gas and arms from the United States, as he asserted that the European arms industry is not strong enough. "If we have to take military equipment from the US, why don't we combine our purchases on the European level? So there is so much what we can do on the European side," he said. Once again, Merz referred to Trump as predictable. He said that the positions of the US president have always been clear. "So let's work with him and let's figure out where we are having approaches in common," Merz said. The 55th World Economic Forum, which is taking place this week in Davos, brings together a large number of world leaders, chief executives of major companies and powerful non-governmental organizations. Trump is expected to give a speech on Thursday. Scholz stresses importance of US alliance for Germany The US would remain one of Germany's closest and most indispensable allies, regardless of who the current president is, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed in his speech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Continued close cooperation and partnership is in the interest of both the US and Germany, Scholz said. But there should also be no phony attempts at "ingratiation" or "sweet talking" Trump. "Not every press conference in Washington, not every tweet should immediately plunge us into heated, existential debates. This also applies after the change of government that took place in Washington yesterday," said Scholz, referring to Trump's inauguration for a second term. In his opinion, Trump and his government will keep the world on edge for years to come, Scholz said. "We can and will deal with all of this," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The German leader said that cooperation between European allies and the US is essential for peace and security worldwide and a driver for successful economic development. Zelensky counting on Trump's peace efforts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is hoping Trump will help bring about a principled end to Russia's war against his country. "Trump, he told me, and he later publicly stated it, he will be doing everything to end the war this year," Zelensky said in a speech to the WEF. But he said that achieving a durable peace was more important than a quick halt to the fighting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have this war in our territory. We know all the painful points. We understand how painful it is for us. We have lost our people," Zelensky told the annual gathering of political, business and financial leaders. He said Ukrainians deserved to be able to go back to their homes and live in "security." "It seems to me that this is the most important thing," Zelensky said. Trump, who started his second term on Monday, pledged on the campaign trail to immediately end the nearly three-year-old war should he be returned to office, but his plan remains unclear. 'Force cannot replace discourse,' elite told as Davos kicked off The global elite were told earlier Tuesday that "force cannot replace discourse," as the forum kicked off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The long-standing international order that existed for the last three decades has receded," Brende said. "We are now between orders and the next order has not yet taken shape. At this critical moment, we must ensure that the jungle of geopolitics does not grow back." "Force cannot replace discourse," he warned. "Non-cooperation cannot become the new normal." "Let's be clear," he said. "We will not agree on everything, but we need to find new and more effective ways to work, even in the face of disagreement. It's the only way to make progress." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given challenges like climate change, an increasing number of conflicts and health risks, this would be the focus of the days-long meeting of business and political leaders in Davos, Brende said. Israeli President Herzog calls for global efforts to tackle terrorism Israeli President Isaac Herzog called for global efforts to tackle terrorism in his speech. "There has to be a major world effort against terror," he said. At the same time, he stressed that the Middle East also has opportunities: "We are seeing historical change. We're seeing change in Lebanon, we're seeing historical change in Syria. We are seeing historical change, hopefully in the Gaza Strip." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herzog assured that following the agreement on a six-week ceasefire in Gaza and the release of 33 Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity, he sees the chance for success in the next phase of negotiations. However, he also acknowledged reservations and fears, saying that as Israel demanded the release of women and children, it was "paying with terrorists, cruel, barbaric terrorists." In considering the future of the Gaza Strip, Herzog emphasized Israel's security interests, stating that the nation still suffers from the trauma of October 7. "How do we make sure that this does not recur?" he asked. "How do we make sure that it's not Hamas who dictates and leads that place? "We have to learn from historic lessons and from all our experiences." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday insisted that a new aid package for Ukraine must be financed by lifting strict rules on government borrowing, accusing rival parties of "lying to the public" ahead of Germany's election on February 23. Scholz has insisted that a 3 billion ($3.1 billion) package for Ukraine cannot be funded under the current budget for 2025, even after the Finance Ministry on Monday announced unexpected savings of 10.2 billion from the 2024 budget. "The question of how to finance this must be answered," said Scholz, who was in Paris for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Anyone who leaves this unanswered is lying to the public," he charged. "The central question of this election campaign is: Who will foot the bill?" Scholz, from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), added: "How do you finance all this? Through cuts? Through tax increases?" The chancellor has in recent days clashed over the issue with the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, the liberal Free Democrats and his remaining coalition partner, the Greens. The rival parties believe that the aid can be financed through "extraordinary expenditure," precluding the need to scrap Germany's constitutional brake on borrowing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, Scholz continues to rule out using the procedure, and argued that his opponents must announce "what they want to cut in the budget in order to finance such sums" for Kiev. Voters should not be "fobbed off with flimsy sentences," the chancellor argued. NEW YORK (PIX11) The winter landscape changes the look of the city. It also makes moving around more of a challenge. Watch where you walk. No time to talk. More Local News PIX11 News spoke to commuters, workers, and vendors on the streets of the city Tuesday. The key is staying covered up outside. Sidewalk vendors around the city are experts in preparing for the elements. The owner of a food cart created his own shelter from the wind and cold. He keeps warm as the food gets hot. Chicken and rice. Its good when its cold and a pretzel, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Central Park, warnings are up about staying off the frozen water. But on Monday, a social media video showed about a dozen people in the area of a frozen pond by 59th Street. Mickey was out for a stroll in Central Park. You dont know how thick it is. Every year, it happens. Sometimes they have a police car watching, she said. NYC issues 2,885 summonses related to snow removal Snow and ice must be cleared from sidewalks. Property owners have a certain amount of time based on when the snow stops falling. Sanitation inspectors look for ice and snow on sidewalks. If the snow stops falling between: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 7 AM and 5 PM, you must clear sidewalks within 4 hours 5 PM and 9 PM, you must clear sidewalks within 14 hours 9 PM and 7 AM, you must clear sidewalks by 11 AM The city posts the timing on 311 and also warns if the snow or ice becomes frozen, the sidewalk should be spread with granular material, such as salt or sand, within the same time limits. Snow cannot be shoveled into the street On Monday, DSNY issued 2,885 summonses for failure to clear snow and ice. 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 PIX11. The National Cathedral of Ghana, a $400 million building in Accra that is being designed by architect David Adjayes firm, will reportedly be investigated after concerns were raised about its cost. The cathedral had been the source of controversy in Ghana well before Adjaye was accused of sexual misconduct in 2023. Adjaye has categorically denied those claims of misconduct, which were first reported by the Financial Times. More from Robb Report Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His firm, Adjaye Associates, is currently at work on a building for the Studio Museum in Harlem. Prior to the claims of misconduct, Adjaye was one of the most celebrated architects in the world. Among his most acclaimed projects is the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The Ghanaian British architect first revealed designs for the National Cathedral of Ghana in 2018. In the years since, the cathedral has been fiercely debated among Ghanaian politicians, who have raised questions about its funding. In 2022, one Ghanaian politician even implored Adjaye to personally return the $21.4 million fee his firm received for the project. Earlier this month, the BBC reported that President John Mahama will seek an investigation of the cathedral, the construction for which appears to be mostly stalled, according to this article. The National Cathedral of Ghana has previously denied that construction had reached a standstill. In 2023, Paul Okopu-Mensah, the projects executive director, said that the idea that we just took funds and dug a hole is simply mischievous. Mahama reportedly said that Ghanas Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice had recommended an audit into the building and inquiry into any misuse of public funds. The BBC also reported that Cassiel Ato Forson, the Ghanaian finance minister, said that public funds will no longer be used to support the cathedral. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It appears that the cathedral may not be nixed entirely, however, even as some politicians have urged Mahama to end it altogether. We can reach a more reasonable figure for achieving such a project and together we can raise the funding for it, he reportedly said. Adjaye Associates declined to comment. ARTnews was unable to reach a representative for the National Cathedral of Ghana. Best of Robb Report Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. This story was published in partnership with The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence. Subscribe to its newsletters. Toward the end of 2024, federal law enforcement officials were celebrating a banner year in their fight against homemade, untraceable ghost guns. In cities across the country, the number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes was falling. The Supreme Court seemed poised to uphold a de facto federal ban on the kits used to assemble the weapons. And Polymer80, once the countrys largest manufacturer of those kits, was forced to shut down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, in December, a 26-year-old allegedly used a 3D-printed ghost gun to fatally shoot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street. The assassination jolted the public. While it didnt necessarily indicate that untraceable weapons were becoming more prevalent, it did raise questions about the state of the ghost guns market. Was Polymer80s closure a sign that the market was shriveling up or was it, hydralike, sprouting new heads? Law enforcement officials, small arms researchers, and ghost gun manufacturers who recently spoke to The Trace described the law enforcement gains against ghost guns as tenuous at best, especially in light of the Trump administrations aversion to new regulations. Ghost gun technology, they warned, is only getting more sophisticated and as a result, the weapons are becoming more appealing to criminals. A Market in Flux In the vast majority of the country, it is perfectly legal to own ghost guns, but not to sell them. Companies like Polymer80 have sidestepped this prohibition by selling kits containing all the components necessary to build an unserialized firearm: barrels, triggers, unfinished frames also known as 80 percent receivers, and all the requisite pins and screws. Since the kits were initially not considered firearms, customers could buy them without a background check, and then assemble their ghost guns at home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between 2017 and 2023, police recovered more than 92,000 ghost guns the vast majority of which were built from kits, according to data released in January by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Children bought the kits and then shot themselves by accident. Mass shooters used them to kill office workers and classmates. The violence prompted the Biden administration to crack down. In 2022, the ATF issued a rule effectively reinterpreting the federal legal definition of the word firearm to include most ghost gun kits. To sell the kits, retailers would need to apply for a federal firearms license, serialize the products, and conduct background checks for every sale. The ATFs data shows that in 2023, the number of ghost guns recovered annually by police increased by less than 1 percent, the smallest jump over that seven-year span. We reviewed the websites of 12 online retailers known for offering ghost gun kits and found that at least four were continuing to sell them. The Trace showed the listings to Rick Vasquez, a former ATF firearms expert. He said that while these four retailers were likely violating the new rule, selling the kits is something of a legal gray area while the regulation is being considered by the Supreme Court. Other companies responded to the new rule by overhauling their business. Defense Distributed the ghost gun manufacturer founded by Cody Wilson, inventor of the first fully 3D-printed firearm refocused on selling a desktop machine capable of turning blocks of aluminum or steel into finished gun frames. Wilson had first released a version of the machine more than a decade ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilson says his business is nowhere near the behemoth Polymer80 was, but he sees his machine as a step toward a more populist future in which gun ownership is beyond the control of governments and big corporations. Some of the things happening in 3D guns I think are distasteful, but thats part of popular politics, Wilson said. Theres an element of defiance or challenge to the government: Can you really control the flow of arms? 3D-Printed Guns Remain Largely Unaffected In the world of 3D-printed guns, the ATFs rule change hardly made a splash. Unlike ghost gun kits, which can be regulated at their point of sale, 3D-printed firearms are often entirely home-built using parts sourced from hardware stores and plastic filament of the sort used in Legos. The printers used to build the guns have come down in price in recent years and can now be bought on Amazon for as little as $200. 3D-printed guns do not turn up at crime scenes with anywhere near the same frequency as ghost guns made from Polymer80-style kits, but they have surfaced in several high-profile cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While investigating racially motivated violent extremism among current and former Ohio National Guard members in 2022, authorities discovered evidence of a 3D-printed gunmaking operation alongside bombmaking materials in a former guardsmans home. That same year, a man in Green Bay, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to federal gun possession charges after he was caught exchanging 3D-printed guns for methamphetamine. The ATF found a gunmaking operation in his basement that included a 3D printer, homemade gun parts, and silencers. Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez holds a 3D-printed ghost gun during a statewide gun buyback event held by the office of the New York State attorney general in Brooklyn on April 29, 2023. Last year, a group of small arms researchers in Switzerland and Canada analyzed more than 180 media and law enforcement reports of 3D-printed firearms used in crimes across the globe. They found only eight cases in which 3D-printed guns were actually fired. Stefan Schaufelbuhl, the studys lead author, said its rather rare for 3D-printed guns to be used in crimes compared to traditional firearms. Still, he said his study underlines a growing interest in home-built weapons among criminals, which he expects to increase. We now have to admit that it may really be easier (and cheaper) to buy a 3D printer and produce a firearm in many parts of the world, Schaufelbuhl said in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schaufelbuhl pointed to a couple of models of partially 3D-printed guns that come with extremely detailed guides for buying components without attracting law enforcement scrutiny. He said the guns are growing more reliable a major concern for law enforcement. While governments grapple with how best to constrain this underground industry, some in the 3D-printing community have proposed their own solutions for thwarting the use of their machines to build firearms. Print&Go, a Spanish company that produces business software for remotely managing 3D-printers, launched a program in November 2024 called 3D GUNT. It allows administrators to preemptively block the devices from printing guns or gun parts. Opting in is voluntary, but when the program is active, it checks each print job against a database of known 3D-gun blueprints and uses artificial intelligence to recognize the shapes of common gun parts. If the system detects a firearm, the print job is blocked. We work in schools, for example, where many students have access to the machines with only a small number of teachers able to monitor how theyre being used, said John Amin, the companys founder. They need a solution that can help them guarantee no one is printing something that can be harmful to others. What Will Trump Do? President Donald Trump resisted pressure to regulate 3D-printed firearms during his first four years in office. This term, he has pledged to appoint a pro-gun ATF director to review the agencys previous rulings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That puts the ATFs ghost guns rule in the crosshairs. The Supreme Court is weighing the legality of the rule and expects to hand down a decision early this year. During oral arguments in October, the justices signaled that they were likely to uphold the rule. But experts expect the Trump administration to reconsider it a common practice during presidential transitions which could prompt the court to stay its decision. That outcome could revitalize the kits industry and fuel another explosion in ghost gun-related crime. The consequences would almost certainly be deadly, providing a way for prohibited purchasers to quietly arm themselves, according to Felipe Rodriguez, a John Jay College criminal justice professor and retired New York City police detective. The reason people get ghost guns is because they cant get [traditional firearms] legally, Rodriguez said, because they cant go through the background checks. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Deusdedit Ruhangariyo Special to ICT Around the world: Philippine Indigenous groups work to restore the forest under a new program, a search finds 114 unmarked graves at McIntosh Indian Residential School in Canada, and a renowned Indigenous artist joins the Western Australia Opera board PHILIPPINES: Indigenous groups key to rainforestation farming Indigenous people in The Philippines are helping with an effort to use a method of cultivation known as rainforestation farming to help restore forestlands degraded by commercial logging and rejuvenate ecosystems that can prevent flooding, Mongabay reported on Jan. 17. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM. CONTRIBUTE TODAY. The system combines agroforestry with a payment-for-ecosystem-services initiative led by the Xavier Science Foundation, which provides incentivizes to local communities to lead the restoration efforts. On a recent day on the slopes of Mount Kalatungan in Mindanao, Philippines, Reynante Polenda, a 40-year-old Manobo tribesman, tends to the trees he planted years ago. Rows of coffee shrubs thrive alongside tropical hardwoods like lauan. "It should be kept cleared of weeds because the trees will struggle to grow if you dont," Polenda explained, using a bolo to weed around the plants. "Its worth it for the plants to grow well." Rainforestation farming, which was first developed by Visayas State University in the 1990s, prioritizes native and endemic tree species over fast-growing exotics. The approach marks a departure from decades of government-led reforestation efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Farmers were encouraged to choose what and where to plant, provided land tenure is secured, said Paciencia Milan, a former president at Visayas State University, according to Mongabay. Because they were given the options to decide, they had the responsibility to take care of what they planted because of its socioeconomic value to them." In Bukidnons Mount Kalatungan Range Natural Park, households participating in the rainforestation project grow coffee and endemic trees like red and white lauan. The initiative engages NAMAMAYUK, a Manobo Indigenous organization whose ancestral domain overlaps with the park. Since 2021, about 40 households have enrolled their land in the project, earning at least 60,000 pesos (or about $1,029 USD) per hectare for planting and maintaining rainforestation farms. Indigenous knowledge plays a crucial role in the projects design, with leaders selecting native species to ensure compatibility with cultural and environmental contexts, according to Roel Ravanera, XSF executive director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local communities are compensated for tree planting, maintenance, and monitoring, ensuring the survival of the trees for at least three years, said Ravanera, according to Mongabay. We consult the [Indigenous peoples] because they truly know the land. Tribal leader Datu Dexter Besto said preservation of the forests is vital. Protecting the forest is a way for us to show respect to our ancestors who started this, he said, according to Mongabay. Beyond reforestation, Indigenous organizations patrol the land, defending it from illegal loggers and other threats. CANADA: Search finds 114 unmarked graves at McIntosh school A search of the former grounds of the McIntosh Residential School in the Kenora district of northwestern Ontario has identified 114 "unmarked burial features," according to the Wiikwogaming Tiinahtiisiiwin Project Team, CBC News reported on Jan 16. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The discovery, which used ground-penetrating radar and visual surveys in a small section of the former school property, comes as searches for missing children and unmarked graves continue across Canada. According to the Paths to Reconciliation map on Canadian Geographic, five sites in northwestern Ontario are under active investigation, including Pelican Lake Indian Residential School near Sioux Lookout and St. Marys school in Kenora. In January 2023, more than 170 "plausible burials" were found at cemetery grounds linked to the former St. Marys site. The investigation at McIntosh Indian Residential School used ground-penetrating radar and visual surveys to find the anomalies in a small section of the former school property Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The survey focused on "specific areas of interest where members of Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and the Elders Advisory Committee anticipated unmarked burials," according to the Wiikwogaming Tiinahtiisiiwin Project Team. Of the 114 burial features identified, most were located within the historical cemetery area, while eight were found elsewhere on the grounds. "Over 70 of the depressions...measure 140 cm [nearly 4.6 feet] or less in length, and likely represent the grave of a child," according to the project team, CBC News reported. The project team also identified the names of 165 individuals recorded as buried on the school grounds. Most of them were children, but some adults were also included from Grassy Narrows First Nation. Two Oblates administrators are also recorded as buried on-site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McIntosh school was founded in 1925 by Roman Catholic missionaries with federal government support, and operated until its closure in 1969. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate ran 48 residential schools, including McIntosh. Additional searches are anticipated later this year. AUSTRALIA: Renowned Indigenous artist joins opera board A Ballardong woman and Noongar language advocate has been appointed to the West Australian Opera board, National Indigenous Times reported on Jan. 17. Gina Williams AM has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with the West Australian Opera, and has co-written two Noongar-language works: Koolbardi wer Wardong in 2021 and Wundig wer Wilura in 2024, National Indigenous Times reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With musician and frequent collaborator Guy Ghouse, Williams has also created four albums, and received six prestigious music awards. She also composed Wanjoo/Welcome, a piece taught in schools across Western Australia and featured at the Boorla Bardip WA Museum. Williams said she is excited to join the board and is eager to contribute her ideas and experience. "I love the works they present and the local voice they amplify in their programming, both on stage and within the community of WA," she said, according to National Indigenous Times. Opera Chair Andrew Pascoe praised Williams significant contributions to the companys evolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Ms. Williams' contribution over the past few years has guided West Australian Opera in new directions, and the company is proud to welcome such an esteemed collaborator, songwriter, and performer to WAO," he said. We welcome her expertise as a songwriter, storyteller, and performer, and value her deep knowledge of language as a Ballardong woman and Noongar language champion," he said, according to National Indigenous Times. My final thoughts My final thoughts are in The Philippines, where the Indigenous Manobo communities of Mount Kalatungan showcase how traditional ecological knowledge and modern conservation efforts can unite to address deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. By participating in a rainforestation initiative, they are working to help restore degraded forestlands, they protect wildlife, rejuvenate ecosystems, and reduce flooding risks in vulnerable areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This rainforestation initiative highlights the value of empowering local stewards. Their deep connection to the land and understanding of native species drive effective ecological restoration. As tribal leader Datu Dexter Besto emphasized, protecting forests is about conservation and preserving cultural heritage. The integration of ecology and tradition serves as a global model. Indigenous communities worldwide hold centuries of environmental knowledge often overlooked in favor of centralized strategies. Recognizing their expertise is crucial for sustainable, culturally appropriate solutions. Governments and non-governmental organizations must engage Indigenous communities as equal partners, granting decision-making authority and resources to protect ancestral lands. Legal recognition of Indigenous territories is essential for fostering stewardship. Ownership provides security and motivation to invest in conservation. Additionally, economic incentives, such as payments for ecosystem services, can sustain their efforts. Investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure further empower these communities and enhance conservation success. The Manobos achievements illustrate the transformative power of Indigenous-led conservation. Their work benefits both local communities and the planet, demonstrating the importance of embracing Indigenous knowledge in solving environmental challenges. It is time to recognize their contributions as indispensable in safeguarding the Earths future. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute $5 or $10 today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICTs free newsletter! CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is vowing to fight back against President Donald Trumps sweeping immigration initiative that his border czar has promised will result in mass deportations from Chicago and the state. Immigrants in large cities have been preparing for mass arrests since Trump won the election in November, but initial reports suggested that the initial push would take place in Chicago. Let there be no doubt we will stand up for all of our children and families. We will follow our state laws that protect the immigrant communities that live, work, and thrive in Illinois, Pritzker posted on X, along with an Emergency Family Plan, in both English and Spanish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans for deportation arrests are in flux, but federal immigration officers will target more than 300 people with histories of egregious, violent crimes, one official said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the plans have not been made public. Guess where Tom Homan is going to be day one? Chicago, Illinois, Tom Homan, the head of Trumps enforcement effort, said at a convention last year. The operation was expected to be concentrated in the Chicago area and continue all week, subject to potential weather delays, the official said. According to NBC News, once the plans leaked out, immigration officials altered the plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At an unrelated event in Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker told reporters, Here in Illinois we are going to stand up, we are going to fight back. We are going to follow the law and we are going to make sure they are following the law. The Justice Department is directing its federal prosecutors to investigate any state or local officials who stand in the way of beefed-up enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration, according to a memo to the entire workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The memo, written by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, also instructs the Justice Departments civil division to help identify state and local laws and policies that threaten to impede the Trump administrations immigration initiatives and potentially challenge them in court. Prosecutors shall take all steps necessary to protect the public and secure the American border by removing illegal aliens from the country and prosecuting illegal aliens for crimes committed in U.S. jurisdiction, the memo says. It directs prosecutors to investigate for potential criminal charges cases in which state and local officials obstruct or impede federal functions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests, the memo says. The U.S. Attorneys Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution. The Associated Press contributed to this 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. WASHINGTON A Gold Star family from Wentzville was in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of President Donald Trump. U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz was among 13 troops killed in the Abbey Gate attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021. He was 20. His parents, Mark and Jaclyn Schmitz, and the near dozen other Gold Star families made a point to be present for the inauguration. Trump had met with the Schmitz family shortly after Jared was killed, offering condolences and promising to get answers on the attack if he were re-elected president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark and Jaclyn were unable to witness the inauguration itself after the program was moved indoors. But they did get to see Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance and speak with them. The couple, along with other families, were present at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony. Man killed in head-on collision on Ladue Road Any time that the families can get together, were a strength in numbers. And we unite as one, Mark Schmitz said. And so, we have had the opportunity to meet with President Trump as well as J.D. Vance. The Trump children were in attendance as well. And that means the world to us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jaclyn Schmitz said meeting with Trumps family at Arlington National Sunday is an experience she will never forget. We got to say each of their names and just share a minute about them. It was so sad, but also very touching, she said. The Schmitzes have also used the trip as an opportunity to spread the word about The Freedom 13, a non-profit created by Mark Schmitz to honor Jared and the troops killed at Abbey Gate. 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 2. LONDON (Reuters) -Google on Wednesday won an injunction from London's High Court to prevent the enforcement of Russian judgments against the U.S. tech giant over the closure of various Google and YouTube accounts. Judge Andrew Henshaw granted Google a permanent anti-enforcement injunction, on the grounds that Google and YouTube's terms and conditions required disputes to be brought to court in England. Henshaw also said in a written ruling that Google Russia's liquidator had estimated the total of some of the fines faced by Google amounted to 20 trillion times the gross domestic product (GDP) of the whole world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tsargrad TV, a Christian Orthodox channel owned by sanctioned businessman Konstantin Malofeev, sued Google in Russia in 2022, with Russian state media outlet RT filing a similar case two years later. They and another Russian company which operates the Spas TV channel obtained judgments against Google which contain so-called "astreinte penalties", which rapidly increase with every day they are not paid. Lawyers representing Google said at a hearing in November that just some of the penalties levied on its Russian subsidiary amounted to an undecillion of roubles, a number with 36 zeroes. Henshaw said the three channels from late 2023 had tried to enforce the Russian judgments against Google in courts in a number of countries - Algeria, Egypt, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and Vietnam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Google spokesperson said they were pleased with the ruling, adding in a statement: "For years, Russian courts have levied unprecedented fines and arbitrary legal penalties against Google in an attempt to limit access to information on our services and as punishment for our compliance with international sanctions against Russian individuals and organizations." Google stopped serving ads to users in Russia in March 2022 and paused monetisation of content which it deemed to exploit, dismiss or condone Russia's war in Ukraine. It has since blocked more than 1,000 YouTube channels, including state-sponsored news, and over 5.5 million videos. (Reporting by Sam Tobin, Editing by Gareth Jones) (Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc.s Google won a UK court ruling to block Russian media firms from seizing the tech giants global assets to recover Russian court-imposed fines that have now accrued interest equal to many times more than the worlds economy combined. Most Read from Bloomberg Google sought protection in the UK and the US courts last year to stop enforcement of Russian fines after it blocked YouTube channels of three media groups, controlled or owned by sanctioned individuals. The Russian court asked Google to reinstate the channels or face a hefty penalty that doubles every week, the judge said in the decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A recent estimate pegged the penalties at $125 nonillion, a nonillion being a 1 followed by 30 zeros, according to the ruling. Googles market capitalization is $2.4 trillion, while according to the World Bank the worlds GDP was just over $106 trillion at the end of 2023. The case became a prime example of how multinational companies are finding themselves exposed to the Russian legal system and courts across the world are caught in conflict with each other especially so since the large scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian media companies, including one that runs RT TV channels, launched cases in several countries including South Africa, Spain and Vietnam. From around late 2023, a coordinated strategy of foreign enforcement was initiated, the judge said in the ruling blocking the enforcement of the penalty. While cases in other countries remain at early stage, a South African court froze Googles local trademarks and shares, an order that was later put on hold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, Russian courts have levied unprecedented fines and arbitrary legal penalties against Google in an attempt to limit access to information on our services and as punishment for our compliance with international sanctions against Russian individuals and organizations, a Google spokesperson said. Lawyers for the three Russian companies Nao Tsargrad Media, No Fond Pravoslavnogo Televideniya and Ano TV-Novosti did not immediately comment on the ruling. Google curtailed their free speech and the penalties were meant to enforce courts orders to reinstate the YouTube channels, their lawyer previously said. I can not even pronounce this figure, but it is likely full of symbolism, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said to reporters in October. (Updates with Google statement in the seventh paragraph) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The Capitol Hill Republicans who pushed aggressively to ban TikTok have gone almost totally silent on President Donald Trumps unilateral decision not to enforce the ban. Asked directly by POLITICO about Trumps executive order to grant TikTok a reprieve in defiance of the law passed by Congress, Senate Majority Leader John Thune who supported the ban and once pushed his own bill to crack down on the app appeared willing to let Trumps order stand for now. The law is the law. And ultimately it's going to have to be followed, he said. If it can bring around a buyer, which is what the law was designed to do, then we'll see. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thune and other prominent Senate Republicans were part of the overwhelming congressional majority that passed the law last year forcing Beijing-based owner ByteDance to sell the app for national security reasons. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court, and the companys time to strike a deal ran out on Sunday. The app voluntarily went dark Saturday night before coming back the following day. Then Trump on Monday issued an executive order directing his administration not to punish companies who help keep TikTok up for 75 days a provision not mentioned in the law, and which many experts see as a move with no legal basis at all. An executive order is just a press release with nicer stationery, said Alan Rozenshtein, a former DOJ official who teaches at the University of Minnesota Law School. With a GOP trifecta in Washington, however, any next legislative move is up to Republicans and even the most hawkish of the partys lawmakers seem caught out by a president simply ignoring the law they passed nine months ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a China hawk and strong proponent of the law, did not respond directly to a question on Tuesday about whether he supported Trumps extension. The purpose of the statute is to force China to sell TikTok, Cruz told POLITICO Tuesday. And thats what I expect will happen. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) a supporter of the ban who on Monday morning questioned the presidents authority to delay the enforcement of a law said Tuesday that he was comfortable with the spirit of Trumps order, even though it went against the explicit language laid out by Congress. It's an indication of his willingness to work with us, Cramer said. He could have done 90 [days] and met the same spirit, but he chose 75 [days]. Of course, he's a little less patient than we are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who posted over the weekend that companies could face ruinous bankruptcy for cooperating with TikTok, declined on Monday to weigh in on Trumps extension. President Trump said he signed the executive order to make a deal to protect our national security, said Ian Swanson, a spokesperson for Ricketts, adding that the senator agrees that protecting our national security is paramount and that can only be done by ridding TikTok of all ties with Communist China. Cottons office responded to a request for comment on Trumps order by reference to an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in which he does not mention the order. Writing in an opinion published Tuesday in The Hill, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), the head of the House Select China Committee, also did not mention the order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, the ultimate dealmaker, is the only person to negotiate a solution that results in a safer, more secure TikTok for all Americans. The responsibility now falls solely on ByteDance, he wrote. Even those Republicans who acknowledged the complex legal status of TikTok said that it is unclear who has the authority to force Trumps hand on enforcing the law after he issued an executive order telling his attorney general to stand down. It would be difficult to find somebody with standing that would rescind [the order], Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told POLITICO on Tuesday. I voted for the bill. I did not study it. I had hoped that there was some breathing room. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he didnt believe the law gave Trump the power to offer a lifeline I dont know that theres actually a statutory predicate to extend enforcement by that amount of time, he told reporters Tuesday and suggested that challenges to the law might come from elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State AGs can enforce this law. The SEC can enforce this law. So if youre a company, you got to weigh that really carefully, he said. Just because DOJ is saying, for now were not going to, do you take the risk? And I gather thats why both Google and Apple are currently not [hosting TikTok]. Steven Overly contributed to this report. Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin continues to pursue litigation in hopes of overturning the results of the November election he lost to incumbent Justice Allison Riggs. (File photos) In Republican Judge Jefferson Griffins petition to have the state Supreme Court throw out votes, he asks that they look first to a collection of ballots cast in four overwhelmingly Democratic counties. Griffin, an Appeals Court judge, is trying to unseat incumbent Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. He trails by 734 votes. As Griffin pursues a victory, he is asking the state Supreme Court to order more than 60,000 ballots be thrown out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The overwhelming number of ballots challenged are those he said were cast by people he claims filed incomplete voter registration applications. Two other categories focus on overseas and military voters, including those who did not submit a photo ID with their ballots and overseas voters who never lived in the state but whose parents lived here. In a court brief earlier this month, Griffins lawyers suggested the justices consider his case in phases, starting first with overseas ballots without photo ID. These overseas voters are members of the military and their families and U.S. citizens living abroad. If Griffin wins after the overseas votes without ID are discarded, his brief suggests, the court would not have to consider the other categories. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffin is challenging only overseas and military voters from Durham, Guilford, Forsyth, and Buncombe counties on the grounds of lack of ID, according to Chris Cooper, a Western Carolina University political scientist. All are heavily Democratic counties that Riggs won handily. Riggs won 65.5% of the votes in those four counties, 18 percentage points higher than her vote share in the other 96 counties, according to Coopers analysis. In this category of challenged voter, registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters were much more likely to be challenged than registered Republicans. A state Board of Elections rule says that overseas voters are not required to submit photo ID with their ballots. When the board considered Griffins protests last year, this was the category members voted unanimously to dismiss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a brief filed Tuesday, Riggs lawyers said the legislature in 2011 adopted the overseas and military voter law modeled after a federal law. Nothing in that law requires military and overseas civilian voters to present ID. A separate federal law exempts those voters from ID requirements, the brief said. The Trump Administration told Virigina it would violate federal law if it imposed an ID requirement on overseas and military voters, the brief said. Griffins election case is continuing on two tracks. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the case should even be in state court. It will hear oral arguments on Monday January 27 on whether the case should have remained in federal court, where the state Board of Elections had transferred it, or if a federal District Court judge was right to send it back to state court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proceedings in the state Supreme Court which ordered the Board of Elections not to certify the results of the election earlier this month remain on hold. The Board of Elections maintains the federal Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act are key in the case. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) heavily criticized statements made by the Right Rev. Mariann Budde on Tuesday at the inaugural prayer service held for President Trump. The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list, Collins wrote in a post on the social platform X, alongside a clip of Buddes comments. Trump has promised to carry out the largest deportation in the countrys history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former president instituted a plethora of border security laws Monday, including the Remain in Mexico program that requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date, and he shut down the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) One app, which facilitates appointments for immigration proceedings. During the service, Budde begged for mercy over communities likely to be impacted by Trumps policies. Budde said although immigrants in the country without legal status are now facing heightened deportation measures, members of the demographic are good neighbors. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors, she declared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues and temples. She also highlighted the LGBTQ community earlier in her speech. During the presidents inaugural speech, he declared the United States would only recognize two genders male and female then signed an executive order affirming the directive hours later. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives, Budde stated. Later in the day, President Trump raised issues with the message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not too exciting, was it? I didnt think it was a good service, no. Thank you very much. They can do, they can do much better, he told reporters. Trump later blasted Budde again in a Truth Social post. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, the president wrote. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated on Jan. 22 at 9:45 a.m. EST 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 The Hill. Republicans pushed forward with Pete Hegseths nomination as secretary of defense on Wednesday even after a damaging report emerged claiming that his second wife lived in fear of his abuse. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he plans to get the full Senate to hold a final confirmation vote on Hegseth before the end of the week. There are scant signs of any Republican defections that would endanger Hegseths nomination, even after his first wife wrote in a sworn statement to the Senate that his second wife feared for her safety due to his abusive behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danielle Hegseth said that Samantha Hegseth, who succeeded her as his spouse, told her that she feared Pete Hegseth and they even created a so-called safe word to report abuse. I believe what Samantha told me because what she told me is consistent with what I personally observed of Hegseths erratic and aggressive behavior over many years, Danielle Hegseth said in the affadavit. I have chosen to come forward publicly, at significant personal sacrifice, because I am deeply concerned by what Hegseths confirmation would mean for our military and our country, she added. She said she shared the information with the FBI in December but the information was not shared with Congress as senators consider Hegseths nomination to lead the Pentagon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pete Hegseth vehemently denied the accusation and Samantha Hegseth herself denies being the victim of abuse at the hands of her ex. Pete Hegseth attorney Tim Parlatore said the statement was little more than sour grapes from an ex-wife with an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family. The Hegseth nomination once looked like an tough fight because of his checkered personal history, including reports of heavy drinking and accusations of sex assault, as well as his hostility to women serving in combat. But he allayed GOP fears with a confident display at his confirmation hearing. Hegseth needs 50 votes for confirmation, meaning he could lose the votes of as many as three GOP senators and still win approval. So far, no Republicans have suggested they will oppose him and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, has said he may support the nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, compared the Hegseth claims to the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, which wound up galvanizing GOP support for his successful confirmation to the Supreme Court. I dont really have anything to offer, Cornyn said. I was involved in the Kavanaugh hearings, where people came out of the closet making all sorts of false allegations. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and legislative Republican leaders plan to establish a new immigration enforcement division and fund a new grant program to train local law enforcement in immigration enforcement tactics. Lee's office on Wednesday released details of a new legislative proposal that will be considered next week. The governor last week announced a special legislative session to tackle an education voucher proposal in addition to disaster relief funding for East Tennessee. Lee also unexpectedly tied in immigration enforcement into the special session, which Democrats have sharply criticized as a distraction while the governor attempts to push through his long-touted voucher proposal. Gov. Bill Lee proposes a new statewide school choice program, the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. It's not yet clear how much funding lawmakers intend to direct to the immigration proposal, though lawmakers are expecting to develop this year's budget under tight economic conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though lawmakers are under no obligation to pass Lee's immigration proposal, GOP leadership is on board with the plan, which will smooth its passage through the General Assembly. Related: Gov. Bill Lee calls on Tennessee legislature to create 'immigration enforcement' entity What's in Lee's proposal Lee's proposal includes: Creating a "Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division" within the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to be led by a governor-appointed chief officer who will coordinate with the Trump administration on federal immigration policies; Changing driver's license and photo ID laws to differentiate U.S. citizen IDs from others, including legal immigrants like lawful permanent residents; Codifying a new felony charge and removal proceedings for local officials who enact "sanctuary" policies, a practice already illegal under Tennessee law; Funding new grant and incentive programs for local governments This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gov. Bill Lee outlines new immigration proposals: What to know Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he supports the Trump administrations early action to secure the U.S. border and expressed hope that the country can arrive at a balanced immigration policy. The United States has always been a country of immigrants, Cox told the Deseret News in an interview on Tuesday. But we have to control who and when and why people get to come here. And that hasnt been happening. In the 24 hours since President Donald Trump was sworn in, he reinstated the Remain in Mexico program for asylum-seekers, attempted to end birthright citizenship for children of migrants who are in the U.S. illegally, and designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cox said his attorney is currently reviewing these executive orders to determine how they impact the state. Cox reacts to Trump orders on immigration Cox approved of the terrorist designation for cartels, which would allow the federal government to mobilize additional financial, prosecutorial and military action against them. That should have happened a long time ago because thats exactly what they are, Cox said. Trump previously proposed labeling Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in November 2019 after members of La Linea, a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization, massacred three mothers and six children traveling near La Mora, a decades-old settlement in the state of Sonora founded by early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Trump said all the statutory steps had been taken to declare Mexican cartels a terrorist threat but he did not move forward with the terrorist designation after the idea was met with resistance from the Mexican president. Trumps bid to end birthright citizenship is less cut and dried, according to Cox. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution enshrines the citizenship of all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. I dont think that President Biden can just magically change the Constitution, and President Trump cant either, Cox said. And so if there needs to be a constitutional amendment, thats a discussion that Americans should have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, attorneys general from 22 states sued Trump in two different federal district courts to block his executive order ending birthright citizenship. The Utah Attorney Generals Office did not respond to a request for comment. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during a one-on-one interview with a Deseret News reporter in the gold room of the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Where will the pendulum swing? The mood among Americans, including Democrats, has shifted toward a desire for more order at the southern border, Cox said. But, he added, an increase in criminal deportations should be paired with the principles that have long attracted talented people to the United States and Utah. The pendulum is going to swing. I hope it swings to the right place, and not too far, and that we still become the home where people can come, Cox said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2010, Utah distinguished itself from neighboring states with the Utah Compact on Immigration, a statement signed by hundreds of Utah leaders that attempted to balance the rule of law, a recognition of federal authority on immigration, an opposition to policies that separate families and an aspiration to integrate migrants into the economy. We care deeply about families, and thats important to Utahns and families of every stripe, and thats why the Utah Compact was so influential and why I continue to support it, said Cox. During his inauguration speech on Monday, Trump promised to return millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. While Trump campaigned on deporting all 10-20 million migrants who are in the country illegally, the president and border czar Tom Homan have recently said deportation efforts will focus on those who have committed crimes after entering the country illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a focus that Cox, and some members of the Utah Legislature, share. Weve got to get rid of the criminal element, Cox said. The ability of us to deport 10, 20 million people, its just not a practical thing. Immigration in the 2025 legislative session Earlier this month, key Republican policymakers announced a public safety package targeting migrants who are in the country illegally and increasing penalties for migrant-related crime. The proposals include at least two direct reversals of laws passed in the last decade that relaxed immigration law enforcement measures for undocumented employees and those who commit class A misdemeanors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Legislature will also consider increasing funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention space, and enhancing penalties for fentanyl trafficking, gang crimes, felonies committed after unlawful reentry and driving without a license. Cox called these bills common sense, and said he considers all of them a priority for the state. When asked about a bill this session that would amend a 2022 law to reduce the requirements for businesses to use E-Verify from 150 to 5, and a bill that would repeal a 2019 law that attempted to avoid automatic deportations by reducing the sentencing for class A misdemeanors by one day, Cox said this was an example of the Legislature correcting what turned out to be an error. The whole purpose of what we do up here is to figure out what works and what doesnt work, and when something isnt working the way it was intended to then, then we should fix that, Cox said. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Senate President Ron Kouchi shook Gov. Josh Greens hand Tuesday at the state Capitol. Much of Greens State of the State speech recapped the first two years of his administrations work with legislators. 1 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Senate President Ron Kouchi shook Gov. Josh Greens hand Tuesday at the state Capitol. Much of Greens State of the State speech recapped the first two years of his administrations work with legislators. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Gov. Josh Green delivered his third State of the State address Tuesday in the House chamber at the state Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Gov. Josh Green delivered his third State of the State address Tuesday in the House chamber at the state Capitol. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Senate President Ron Kouchi shook Gov. Josh Greens hand Tuesday at the state Capitol. Much of Greens State of the State speech recapped the first two years of his administrations work with legislators. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Gov. Josh Green delivered his third State of the State address Tuesday in the House chamber at the state Capitol. Following his third State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Green offered new details on his ideas for tackling two of the states biggest challenges outside of affordable housing : clamping down on illegal fireworks with citations similar to speeding tickets and felony charges for injuries or death, and finding the money to continue fighting climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor kept the overarching focus on housing and affordability during a joint session of the House and Senate at the state Capitol, and he has proposed a balanced state budget over the next two legislative sessions. But variables remain, pri marily over unknowns of how Hawaii will be affected by hundreds of executive orders that President Donald Trump signed Monday following his inauguration and threats of Trump administration federal cuts to social service programs that would specifically affect Hawaii residents. But after his speech, Green offered new details to reporters on how he would like to clamp down on outlaw fireworks following the New Years explosion in Aliamanu that killed four people and injured dozens more. And he also discussed increasing the state hotel tax by 1 % as one part of a plan to help Hawaii respond to climate change and prevent a repeat of the 2023 Maui wildfires that killed 102 people. When it comes to fireworks, Green wants law enforcement to issue citations up to $300 that he said would represent a very direct and simple way to deter illegal fireworks without requiring a preponderance of evidence, like jaywalking or speeding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green also hopes to make it a felony for anyone who causes injury or death due to illegal pyrotechnics. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The host of an event that includes illegal fireworks where it goes wrong, youre going to jail for sure, Green said. In addition, there should be more professional, public pyrotechnics displays to provide revelers an outlet to celebrate safely, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem is there are thousands and thousands of individuals that are shooting off these fireworks, Green said. He continues to push his plan to dedicate all of the $66 million in annual interest on the states $1.5 billion rainy day fund to address climate change, an annual funding approach he called the scrape. Ensuring a reliable source of revenue would reduce the risk that future legislatures could cut climate change funding in tough, fiscal times, Green said. Getting legislators to approve the scrape likely would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, he said. The rest of Hawaiis climate change needs would get funded by a small 1 % increase in the state hotel tax, along with Senate President Ron Kouchis idea to also have tourists pay new fees at specific state locations, Green said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hawaii really needs $500 million annually to respond to climate change, but Green said the combination of ideas would come close to generating $200 million. The tourism industry has pushed back against charging visitors more fees in the past two legislative sessions. So Green hopes the scrape will make increasing the hotel transient accommodations tax more palatable and less of a burden on tourists. Green mentioned the risks of climate change repeatedly during his State of the State speech and spoke emotionally about the fireworks disaster in Aliamanu. Much of Greens speech Tuesday recapped the first two years of his administration working with legislators, including historic state tax cuts that residents will begin seeing in their paychecks this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If all goes well financially over the next seven years, Green said, Hawaii will go from having the second-highest tax burden in the country to the fourth lowest. A family of four making the median household income of $88, 000 in Hawaii will see its take-home pay increase by more than $3, 600 per year by 2031 when the tax reform has been fully implemented, he said. He kept returning to Hawaiis high cost of living, which he called the highest in the country and continues to drive away residents. Too many people are forced to consider leaving the places they grew up in, and too many families have already left our state in search of a cost of living thats much lower on the mainland, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two years ago the people of Hawaii told us loud and clear that they want us to find ways to make living in our state more affordable, Green said. He called the cost of housing in Hawaii the highest in the nation. Housing is the single largest expense for Hawaii families, Green said. It account for 38 % of household spending on average. Even before fires destroyed nearly 4, 000 homes on Maui in August of 2023, we faced an estimated shortage of 50, 000 housing units statewide. Hawaiis building regulations, he said, have really driven the cost of condominium development up by 58 %, making it the highest in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lack of affordable housing has led to a shortage of teachers and health care workers, Green said. And more Native Hawaiians now live on the mainland than in our state. Green again singled out out-of-state property owners for driving up housing costs while reducing the states supply of affordable homes for working families. In Hawaii we have too many short-term rentals owned by too many individuals who live on the mainland, Green said. There are tens of thousands of housing units across the stateour statethat should not be short-term rentals. They should be homes for our people. Short-term rentals make on average four times what they would if the property were rented long-term to a local familyand 52 % of these short-term rentals in Hawaii are owned by non-state residents, with 27 % of them owning more than 20 units. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Out of 89, 000 short-term vacation rentals across the state, Green estimated that 75, 000 of them are illegal. Green repeated his plans to address homelessness and reduce the cost of treating homeless patients in hospitals by providing them with permanent housing, medical care and social service case management through his expanding tiny-home kauhale communities across the state. Many can only get medical care in our hospital emergency rooms, where the cost to care for a homeless person in Hawaii is an average of $82, 000 per person per year, Green said. So when they are discharged, they go right back on the streets where they get sick or injured again. He cited a report by the University of Hawaiis Center on the Family that found that homeless health care costs fell from an average of $8, 000 a month for a homeless person to $1, 965 per month six months after they were placed into permanent housing. Today, Green said, we have built a total of 17 kauhale villages across our state, with a total of 30 villages to be completed by 2026, which will provide over 1, 500 housing units for the homeless. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) On Wednesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee presented his administrations agenda on illegal immigration. The plan is scheduled to go before the General Assembly during a special session on January 27. This comes after President Trumps executive orders meant to halt illegal immigration and secure Americas boarders. What are executive orders? Lawyer explains presidential powers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lees agenda includes a framework to strengthen immigration enforcement across Tennessee by creating a new division within the Department of Safety, supporting local law enforcement participation in federal programs, and revisiting state-issued identification policies, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor. This new division, called the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division, will ensure efficient resource allocation and effective enforcement of immigration laws. The division would coordinate with the Trump administration. Additionally, the new agenda will seek to ensure only citizens, permeant residents, and people with federal authorization can get Tennessee IDs. Non-citizens will have markers on their licenses, and people will need to prove citizenship to renew or reinstate their drivers licenses. In November, Rep. Scott Cepicky introduced a bill to give noncitizens different colored drivers licenses. Tennessee lawmakers, immigrants prepare for possible immigration changes under Trump Administration Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed rules would also incentivize local governments to assist with immigration law enforcement. It would be a Class E felony for a local official to adopt sanctuary city policies, and officials would be penalized for failing to comply with enforcement mandates. Local governments would also receive funds to support immigration policies. Tennessee has a long track record of stepping up to secure our Nations borders and strengthening public safety, said Lee. President Trump has made it clear that states will play a major role in partnering with his Administration to enforce immigration laws and keep communities safe, and Tennessee is heeding the call. The special session on January 27 will also address disaster relief and school vouchers. House Democratic Chairman John Ray Clemmons said, The governors surprising inclusion of immigration legislation in this special session is just another transparent attempt to distract attention from his voucher scam. Providing overdue and much-needed financial aid and relief for the Tennessee families and communities devastated by flooding in September should be our focus and singular priority during this special session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement East TN woman found dead in back of car, husband charged with abusing corpse Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) said, Tennessees commitment to enforcing immigration law has never been in question. This legislation allows us to put that commitment into action now that we have a willing federal partner in President Trump. This bill will enable us to aid the federal government in the efficient identification and deportation of aliens with violent felonies and extensive criminal records. Governor Lee thanked the General Assembly and other government officials for their work to strengthen public safety. 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. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) New Mexico lawmakers are back in the Roundhouse for the 2025 legislative session. Before lawmakers got to work Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered her State of the State address, outlining her agenda for the 60-day session. With Democratic control over the House and Senate, the governor called on bipartisan support to get laws over the finish line. What we do in this session can and should cement our collective and enduring legacy in lifting up all New Mexicans, said Lujan Grisham. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor put emphasis on education and family policy; in part, she called for officials to fix problems with the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department. Lujan Grisham said she would like to see the department receive more funding and for an outside oversight group to be created to ensure CYFD adequately resolves all complaints from families and foster parents. In regards to education, the governor would like to permanently establish an Office of Special Education, which would set statewide standards for all K-12 special education students. She also proposed incentives for schools that ban cell phone use during school hours and funding for improved safety measures. Gov. Lujan Grisham also touched on housing, saying the state should create an Office of Housing to oversee new developments. In addition, she would like to see $50 million go toward development subsidies to help build houses and make homebuying more affordable in New Mexico. The governor also requested that an additional $50 million go toward fighting homlessness, $50 million go toward the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, and $100 million be set aside for behavioral health expansion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state has a duty to provide a fully supported behavioral health system that meets New Mexicans where they are, said Lujan Grisham. This session comes off of the governors failed special session on crime last summer. In Tuesdays address, Lujan Grisham did outline specific public safety proposals, including updates to criminal competency laws, and creating stronger penalties for convicted felons who are found with a gun while committing a crime. It is a small but significant group of repeat offenders and criminals who wreak a large percentage of the havoc on our people and our businesses. We can not, we must not let this continue. We need the tools to overcome this challenge, said Lujan Grisham Republican leaders in the Roundhouse said they share the governors commitment to fight crime and said they hope to see their proposals get approved this session. She more focused on behavioral health than on what the real crime was, and so, we as Republicans have been talking about real crime solutions for a long time, said Minority Floor Leader Sen. Bill Sharer (R-Farmington). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The minority leadership called for changes to keep accused criminals in jail pending trial, ramping up penalties, and creating certainty among criminals by emphasizing that if they commit a crime, they will go to prison. GOP leaders also called for independent oversight of CYFD but through a special office within the New Mexico Department of Justice. Click here to see the governors full State of the State address. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) Governor Josh Shapiro is reacting to the mass pardons and commutations of those charged or convicted for the attack on the U.S. capitol. He says its very troubling that President Donald Trump pardoned people who assaulted police officers and destroyed pieces of the capitol. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Morning Weather Forecast As someone who believes that we need to treat our law enforcement with the dignity and respect that they deserve, the idea that you would pardon someone whos been convicted of a crime for assaulting a police officer, that doesnt sit right with me, Shapiro said. I dont think it sits right with a lot of Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shapiro added that the presidents pardon power is absolute. Jon Fetterman said he disagrees with some of President Trumps pardons just like he did with some of former President Bidens, and that redemption should not be used as a political tool. I disagreed with some of President Trumps pardonsespecially any violence directed at the policejust like I disagreed with some of President Bidens, Fetterman said. I strongly believe in accountability for crime and a path to redemption in second chances for people who deserve them. But redemption cant become a political tool. When we weaponize our judicial system for political gain, we damage our nations confidence in the system altogether. We have also reached out to Dave McCormicks office as well but have not heard back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 ABC27. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will deliver his seventh State of the State address Wednesday night, an annual and constitutionally required speech the governor delivers to state elected officials. Evers will highlight his accomplishments and lay out his policy priorities for 2025, a state budget year. Republican leaders typically deliver a response to Evers' speech, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos will deliver those remarks. Here's how to watch the speech, plus what to know about the history of the State of the State address: What time is the State of the State address tonight? Evers will deliver his speech at 7 p.m. CT. Last year, the address lasted about 40 minutes. Where can I watch the State of the State address? Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin will provide live coverage of Evers' speech and Republicans' response. Spectrum News 1 will also provide live coverage of the address and response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The speech will be aired online on WisconsinEye, the state's version of C-SPAN that covers speeches, press conferences, hearings and floor sessions in the Capitol. The Republican response will also be streamed on WisconsinEye. The address will also be livestreamed on the governor's YouTube and Facebook pages. Gov. Tony Evers, left, is greeted by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) before delivering his State of the State address Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at the Capitol in Madison, Wis. Looking on is State Rep. Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva). Who attends the State of the State address? State lawmakers, state Supreme Court justices, tribal leaders and constitutional officers like the attorney general, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction attend the address. Special guests might also be invited. Legislative leaders, who again this year are all Republicans, sit behind Evers as he gives his speech, offering a rare chance to see how they interact in public. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told WISN-TV last week he hasn't met with Evers yet in 2025 and didn't anticipate meeting before the State of the State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent years, members of the University of Wisconsin marching band attended the address to perform "On, Wisconsin!" the official state song in the aisles of the Assembly chambers at the end of the governor's remarks. What's the history of the State of the State address? The Wisconsin Constitution requires the governor to communicate to the legislature, at every session, the condition of the state, and recommend such matters to them for their consideration as he may deem expedient. There's no requirement that the communication must be in the form of a speech, though. On a few occasions, including in 1849 and 1897, governors provided their address in writing, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. In 2021, Evers delivered his speech virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no specifics on when the governor must give the update, but governors have typically delivered the speech in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first State of the State address was delivered on June 8, 1848, by Gov. Nelson Dewey, as detailed in the 2007 Blue Book. He focused on taxes and education which persist as top issues in state politics decades later. What will Evers talk about in his State of the State address? Lawmakers will soon get to work crafting the 2025-27 state budget, and Evers will likely preview some of the spending proposals he's set to unveil in full in February. Evers will propose allowing Wisconsin citizens to initiate referendums in his upcoming budget, an idea Republicans have already declared "dead on arrival." Evers also plans to include funding for child care, affordable housing, schools, mental and behavioral health and retaining the state's workforce. More: Republican challengers start to line up as Gov. Tony Evers considers 2026 run for 3rd term Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his 2024 State of the State address, Evers announced he would expand access to contraception for BadgerCare Plus insurance users and focused on the state's workforce challenges. Vos critiqued Evers for not mentioning tax relief in his speech, and Republicans introduced a tax-cut package hours later. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: When is Evers' State of the State address tonight? Time, TV, streaming A Buddha statue sits in a burned house from the Palisades Fire on Jan. 21, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images) Now you see that? That right there thats why I hate poor people, comedian Dave Chappelle said during his Saturday Night Live monologue on Jan. 18. He waited a beat to let the in-studio crowd laugh, and in those floating seconds you could almost feel each seated body leaning forward in their anticipation. Skilled performer that he is, Chappelle gave them the perfect amount of time to process the irreverence, and then he finished the thought. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement because they cant see past their own pain. And they laughed again. Chappelle set up the joke with a story about the L.A. fires, specifically how several of his celebrity friends had lost their homes. If you look at the comments on the internet videos of the fire damage, he said, what youll find is people celebrating the misfortunes of the fortunate. Yeah! It serves these celebrities right, he recited. I hope their houses burn down. Thats why, Chappelle says, he hates poor people. Their bitterness and their resentment. And the joke works only if you qualify what group youre talking about as Chappelle did and it has to involve punching down. Thats the irreverence. But outside of the sphere of comedy, theres a broader definition of poverty at work. There are poor people as determined by income metrics and quality-of-life standards and then there are impoverished people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most recent census finds that about 37 million Americans are poor a horrific number that shames a nation as wealthy as ours. But modernity and especially social media has created an even greater population of impoverished people who in their own bitter estimation have been reduced to poverty in all its comparative forms. They are convinced that their situations, experiences, and sacrifices are undervalued and, worse, that less-deserving people are getting the respect, attention, and support that they themselves desire. The way I see it, when Chappelle says poor people hes referring to the vast majority a growing impoverished class in a culturally impoverished moment. We cant seem to see past our own pain, to our great detriment, and that is largely what shapes our politics and Americas rising statutory cruelty. For the public to accept the current tone of immigration policy, for example, they must first be convinced that we are not talking about human beings when we refer to migrants. Those who cross our borders are first disparaged in name illegals or aliens and then ejected by policy. All the while, our leaders demand that we picture criminals rather than families, and that their mere presence, real or imagined, should form the basis of every grievance. The others from elsewhere, they say, are the reason we do not have the house we want, or the job we want, or the future we want. That is neither a call for open borders nor an attempt at reductionism. Its just to point out that theres a reason the new administrations in Washington and Concord prefer the rhetoric of war rather than humanitarianism when talking about immigration policy. People voters cant see past their own pain, and they are being met where they are and manipulated there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is also how politicians sell the retreat from progress on rights and knowledge which in most cases has been hard won not in defiance of Americas founding principles but in accordance with them. But while we will talk romantically of creating a more perfect union, too many are unwilling to strive past the point of discomfort. So in the trash go diversity initiatives, LGBTQ protections, support for womens reproductive health care, and decades of scientific work documenting an unfolding planetary disaster and its causes. People are stuck in their own story, and that colors how they see the world. As a result, anything gained by others is a reminder of what has been denied to oneself. That is what it means, in our modern age, to feel impoverished. Whatever your overall opinion of Americas newly returned leader, its hard to deny he is fully a man of his time. Nobody is better at mining pain for votes and applause, and his coattails have never been longer or broader. Even newly elected governors who once expressed disdain for the man seem happy to take the ride and parrot the rhetoric. That is, in part, why the progress mentioned above is under siege in New Hampshire just as in Washington. Not because the foot soldiers here know anything beyond their own thoughts about DEI programs, or transgender people, or low- or no-cost reproductive health care services, or natural disasters fueled by climate change. Progress on these fronts is under siege because the alternative crusades the kind that fundamentally reshape societies for the better are wholly unacceptable to the truly powerful. Wealth and income inequality, dark money in politics, and a corrupt health care system are the biggest of the broken pieces the real drivers of pain but they are not meant to be fixed, not really. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And that dark money that may be the worst of it all. Just ask the people of Los Angeles about what its buying. How does a nation realistically address something as big as climate change the greatest threat there ever was when fossil fuel producers are given free rein to purchase public policy? The craziest thing is that the people who dismiss climate change as a hoax duped by moguls who stand to lose everything in a cleaner world are also the ones who seem most prone to buying into conspiracy theories about stolen elections and vaccine shenanigans. Theyre certain the honest are lying, and theyre equally certain that the oil giants, and billionaires like our president, are giving it to them straight. No matter how you look at it, climate deniers claim that its all a hoax is one crazy gamble: Win and you get relatively acceptable (but still volatile) fossil fuel prices; lose and its endless suffering for every living thing on the way to mass extinction. Its like betting your life savings for the chance to win a nickel. But when you think about it, I suppose none of its really that crazy. Like Chappelle said, people cant see past their own pain. That, above all, is what shapes these modern days. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Gov. Mike DeWine has created a working group tasked with examining how missing persons cases are handled in the state. Last week, DeWine announced the formation of the Missing Persons Working Group, which will analyze how disappearances are investigated and offer suggestions for improvement. Every life is valuable, which is why it is important to take these cases seriously, DeWine said in a statement. Ive asked this group to examine different components of missing persons investigations to determine if the process can be improved. The ultimate goal here is to bring more missing people home safely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohio launches human trafficking data tracker The working group will study Ohios available resources and responses to adult and children missing persons cases. This includes the states use of databases, as well as law enforcement training and staffing. The working group consists of 22 people, including law enforcement professionals, family members of missing people and others involved with the criminal justice system or Ohio youth. Members include Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Gerald Ehrsam, Upper Arlington assistant principal Lydia Smith Lockwood, and Aimee Chapman, the sister of missing Columbus man Andrew Andy Chapman. Currently, over 1,000 Ohioans including both adults and children are missing, according to a database maintained by the states attorney generals office. Recorded cases date to 1928, with the disappearance of 4-year-old Melvin Horst. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple family members of missing people have raised concern to NBC4 about how cases are handled. The wife of Tyler Davis a missing man who vanished from Easton Town Center in 2019 said in April that detectives were originally dismissive of her husbands disappearance because he was an adult and could leave if he pleased. Husted sworn in as Ohios newest senator We need to have more written rules and laws in place because we do for children and we do for elderly, but we dont for people that are over 18, Brittany Davis said. [A detective] said, I have 15 cases, and I said, I have one husband and my son has one father, so people really do just kind of shove you down. Its sad to see how often that happens in this kind of situation. Aimee Chapman also previously told NBC4 that police did not initially take her brothers disappearance seriously due to his struggle with addiction. She later learned certain records that could have proven to be valuable to the investigation, such as bank records, had not been obtained by police and had been destroyed as years had passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Missing Persons Working Group will have its first meeting at the Ohio Department of Public Safety on Thursday at 1 p.m. The group is expected to give the state its recommendations at the end of April. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. 4 injured in stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, assailant reportedly Moroccan U.S. resident Xinhua) 08:51, January 22, 2025 Israeli police work at the scene of a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 21, 2025. Four people were injured late Tuesday in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv. The attacker, identified as a Moroccan-born U.S. permanent resident, was shot and "neutralized." (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Four people were injured late Tuesday in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv. The attacker, identified as a Moroccan-born U.S. permanent resident, was shot and "neutralized." Police Spokesman Aryeh Doron said the assailant, trying to flee the scene, was shot by a civilian passerby, and was "neutralized." Meanwhile, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported that the suspect was killed and published photos of documents found on his body. The documents indicated he was born in Morocco in June 1995 and had held U.S. permanent resident status since September 2022 -- an uncommon profile among individuals involved in attacks targeting Israelis. The suspect had entered Israel three days before the attack. Eli Bin, director-general of the Magen David Adom rescue service, said two people sustained moderate injuries and two others were lightly injured. All four were taken to a hospital for treatment. The attack comes after a similar incident on Saturday, when a knife-wielding Palestinian man from the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm carried out a stabbing attack in southern Tel Aviv, seriously injuring a 28-year-old Israeli man. That assailant was shot and killed. The attack occurred just hours after the military announced the launch of a "significant" operation in Jenin, a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. At least eight people were killed, according to Palestinian health officials, two days after a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza, which ended 15 months of Israeli military operations in the enclave. Israeli police and security personnel work at the scene of a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 21, 2025. Four people were injured late Tuesday in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv. The attacker, identified as a Moroccan-born U.S. permanent resident, was shot and "neutralized." (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) The body of the attacker is transferred to a vehicle at the scene of a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 21, 2025. Four people were injured late Tuesday in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv. The attacker, identified as a Moroccan-born U.S. permanent resident, was shot and "neutralized." (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Israeli police stand guard at the scene of a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 21, 2025. Four people were injured late Tuesday in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv. The attacker, identified as a Moroccan-born U.S. permanent resident, was shot and "neutralized." (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Israeli security forces work at the scene of a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 21, 2025. Four people were injured late Tuesday in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv. The attacker, identified as a Moroccan-born U.S. permanent resident, was shot and "neutralized." (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Jan. 21SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham both praised and prodded legislators during her State of the State Address on Tuesday, lauding the state's efforts to reduce poverty but urging lawmakers to do more to curb high violent crime rates. Entering her final 60-day legislative session, the Democratic governor unveiled new proposals to help businesses pay for their security costs and exempt foster parents and grandparents raising their grandchildren from paying income tax. But she also said New Mexico is in a "state of crisis" due to crime and focused much of her 50-minute speech on public safety issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Too many of us simply don't feel safe in our communities, and that is, frankly, unacceptable," Lujan Grisham said. She also drew a rare standing ovation from Republican legislators and a few Democrats when she called for legal changes to hold violent repeat offenders accountable. Top-ranking Democrats have been working on their own package of crime and behavioral health bills for this year's session, but have also said some of the governor's proposals could face tough sledding after a contentious special session last summer. That could include a proposal to make it easier to hold defendants accused of certain violent crimes behind bars until trial, as similar proposals have stalled at the Roundhouse in recent years due largely to constitutional concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opening day of the session unfolded on a frigid day in Santa Fe. Outside the Roundhouse, about 100 climate protesters blocked off part of a street adjacent to the Capitol while state labor union officials rallied for workers' rights. A line of people waited as early as 8:30 a.m. to grab a seat in the House public gallery to watch the governor's speech. However, security only allowed Cabinet secretaries and other Lujan Grisham administration personnel to enter the chamber before 11 a.m. By the time security let the public in to sit down, about half of the seats were already taken by the governor's staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of other state and local officials from around New Mexico also attended the opening day festivities, including Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. Former New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland, who stepped down Monday as U.S. Interior secretary after serving for nearly four years, drew perhaps the loudest applause. Democratic legislators gave a rousing ovation to Haaland, who is considering launching a bid to be New Mexico's next governor in 2027. Governor not resting on legacy Despite last year's strife between Lujan Grisham and leading Democratic lawmakers, the governor began her speech by touting "six years of success" since taking office in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor called New Mexico's improved credit outlook from a national rating agency a "big damn deal" and also lauded the state's improved ranking on a federal supplemental poverty index. She also lauded Miss New Mexico Mackenzie Sydow, who lost both parents as a teenager but recently graduated from college under a state-subsidized free tuition program. "Moving the needle this far, this fast on child poverty is a monumental and historic achievement for this Legislature, for New Mexico, and for thousands of families now breaking free from centuries-old cycles of generational poverty," Lujan Grisham said. But the governor said more work needs to be done in other areas, including bolstering New Mexico's beleaguered child welfare agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specifically, she announced plans for twice-yearly independent reviews of New Mexico's beleaguered Children, Youth and Families Department, even though a similar plan was included in a 2023 executive order she issued. Lujan Grisham also called on lawmakers to increase funding for the agency, which has paid out more than $21 million in legal settlements since July 2021. "We can no longer ask our social workers and others to manage such large workloads that families and kids don't get the attention they deserve," the governor said. However, spending on protective services for New Mexico children has already grown by about $100 million over the last decade to more than $200 million annually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tapping NM's revenue windfall While some other states are grappling with budget shortfalls, New Mexico's 60-day session will play out amid an ongoing revenue windfall created largely by record-high oil production levels. The governor said her administration and lawmakers are making "smart choices" with the projected $13.8 billion in revenue for the coming year, but only briefly mentioned the source of the budget surplus. Lujan Grisham, who did not specifically mention President Donald Trump during her speech, did cite several climate-related initiatives. She recognized several individuals working to monitor methane gas emissions and urged lawmakers to codify an order requiring the state to have net-zero emissions by 2050. That plea prompted a standing ovation from Democratic lawmakers, while GOP lawmakers looked on impassively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "While the governor briefly acknowledged the record oil and gas revenues, she once again failed to thank the oil and gas industry for contributing nearly half of our state's budget while proposing legislation that threatens to eliminate this vital sector by 2050," state Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Barela said in a statement. Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham also proposed two new state-sponsored insurance programs that could be funded from the revenue windfall. One of those programs would help New Mexicans struggling to get homeowners' insurance policies in parts of the state threatened by wildfires. "No New Mexican should be priced out of a fire insurance policy," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The other insurance program would establish a state-sponsored medical malpractice plan. While Lujan Grisham did not provide details, she expressed concern that current medical malpractice insurance rates are hampering the state's efforts to recruit and retain more health care providers. "Insurance rates for doctors and health care providers shouldn't be any higher in New Mexico than in neighboring states, and they most certainly shouldn't be twice the national average," the governor said. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) The Providence County Grand Jury has indicted three men on first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of an 18-year-old Providence man last year. Investigators allege that 20-year-old Julien Santiago and 18-year-old Jalen Santiago, both of Providence, and 20-year-old Jose Diaz of Pawtucket were responsible for the killing of Darmani Balbuena. Balbuena was fatally shot on his 18th birthday while standing in the driveway of his Rhode Street home on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS: Police say Providence man was killed on his 18th birthday On Friday, the grand jury returned an indictment charging the trio with first-degree murder, conspiracy, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, and carrying a firearm without a license. Jalen Santiago (Courtesy: Providence Police Department) Julien Santiago (Courtesy: Providence Police Department) Jose Diaz (Courtesy: Providence Police Department) Target 12 previously reported that cellphone data and a pair of Nike sandals left at the crime scene led detectives to identify Diaz and charge the suspects in district court. Police said witnesses reported seeing individuals dressed in black fleeing the scene toward Borinquen Street after the shooting. Officers detained Julien and Jalen Santiago nearby in an empty lot and found a firearm, a spent shell casing, and keys matching a car that witnesses had seen circling the neighborhood hours before the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three suspects were also reportedly involved in a previous shooting on Cranston Street in June 2024. MORE: Pair of Nike sandals helped police nab suspects in 2024 Providence homicide The three men are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, Jan. 29, in Providence Superior Court. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News 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 WPRI.com. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The case of a man charged in a Ghent murder last July will go to a Norfolk grand jury. Vandes Jackson, 57, who faces second-degree murder and gun charges in the death of Bradley Kortbawi, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon. Murdered Norfolk man remembered as a former Marine willing to help anyone According to police, it happened in the early morning hours of July 6 on Core Avenue just a few blocks from 21st Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A friend of Kortbawi told WAVY shortly after his death that she saw it happen, and Kortbawi was shot in the head at point blank range. The friend said Jackson confronted Kortbawi because Jackson thought they were using racial slang. Jacksons case will likely go before the next grand jury Feb. 5. If convicted, Jackson could face from five to 40 years in prison. 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 WAVY.com. GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) As Anne Hurd prepares to bring her career at Greensboro College to a close, she gathered several photos that highlight why her office represents so much more than a place of business. The office that were in was my fathers office, she said. Greensboro College is truly where she grew upwell before serving in her current role as Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My father was in this position, and back in the 60s and 70s, the students really took an interest in the children of the faculty and the staff, she said. Her father Fred Jones held several titles eventually becoming Vice President for Development and Public Relations and Assistant to the President. There was also a time when he was the colleges interim president. I have carried on with his work for the last ten years which has been very rewarding, Hurd said. Hurd is fond of the days when she and her brother were on campus as children and is grateful that she has since added to her familys rich history at the college. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My mother graduated in 1958. My parents were married in Finch Chapel right across the way. I graduated in 1981, my brother in 1984, and my daughter in 2010. Hurds career background includes leading capital campaigns. She worked at Canterbury School, Guilford College, and Greensboro Day School before returning to Greensboro College as a member of the presidents cabinet in 2015. I have helped raise money to build buildings at all four places. We have not built a building here, but Ive helped raise the money to do a lot of renovations. Hurd has been crucial in leading the efforts to bring in $40 million since she has worked at Greensboro College meaning the total is higher across the 25 years shes worked in educational advancement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not my success. Its the donors success. Its always about them, she said. With large universities, they have billion-dollar campaigns. These are all small private schools or colleges. Those amounts dont sound big, but comparatively, Im proud to have made an impact on them all. Hurd will retire from Greensboro College on Jan. 31. I will miss the people. Greensboro College is a small very caring community, and so I will miss the people I work with every day. Hurd looks forward to doing work as a consultant and looks forward to spending more time with her four grandchildren. 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 FOX8 WGHP. GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) A neighborhood in north Greensboro came together to save a pregnant dog from the brink of death last week. Temperatures fell to the teens, and the mama dog, who was emaciated and desperate, trudged through severe exhaustion and dehydration to different houses in their neighborhood, looking for help. The mama dog found herself hungry, scared and cold and wandered into a neighborhood full of people who worked together to rescue her and the five puppies she was carrying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She just kept going door to door, up driveways, up on porches, and somebody noticed her and called the shelter, and the shelter said they were all full right now, John Reiland said. The dog found herself wandering into the British Woods neighborhood in north Greensboro. She was skin and bones. Every bone was just sticking out, Reiland said. John Downey welcomed her on his porch with a space heater But he had a yorkie that was going crazy in the house, Reiland said. Reiland scooped her up and brought her to his house. Then she slept until 9:30 the next morning, so she was definitely needing rest and a place to be warm, he said. And then the new owner took her on Friday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new owners are a family with a young boy who immediately fell in love. Five healthy puppies were born. Shes doing great. I saw her yesterday and got to give her love, and she remembered me. Her ears perked right up! Reiland said. The neighbors and the little boy who fell in love have a name for her now. Bella There couldnt be a better name for her. Bella is perfect. She is a beautiful wonderful dog. We call her a miracle dog around here because its a miracle she found a place, Reiland said. The Guilford County Animal Shelter helped out, too. Since the family decided to take her in, the shelter helped Bella get a vet check and dropped off supplies for the new puppies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors have already called dibs on two of the puppies. 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 FOX8 WGHP. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Deputies with the Pitt County Sheriffs Office charged a man with possession of a gun by a felon after getting a report of the gun being pawned on Jan. 3, 2025. Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, Rudolph Daniel Buck Jr., 63, was charged and jailed in the Pitt County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond. Buck was released after posting the 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 WNCT. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) A Conroe mom, whos son was stationed at one time at Fort Hood (now renamed Fort Cavazos), was going to march in Mondays presidential inauguration parade in Washington D.C. before it was moved indoors due to weather and logistical concerns. But, she chose to not make the trip, but will soon to further a cause close to her heart: a bill that bears her late sons name. Margie Taylor was going to be part of the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors group in yesterdays parade, which was moved indoors to Washington D.C.s Capital One Arena. Joey Lenz was 32 when he died in his sleep in February of 2022 on Fort Hood. Margie says she believes undiagnosed medical issues may have had a role in Joeys death. She is now advocating for in-person physicals for military personnel and has called on lawmakers for help. Last November, Texas Congressman Morgan Luttrell introduced the Specialist Joey Lenz Act of 2024, which would, if passed, expand medical tests in routine health assessments. Margie stressed shes looking forward to pushing her advocacy forward to lawmakers on on Capitol Hill soon. After its introduced. I am planning a trip either the end of February or March to come out there and use my time efficiently, Taylor said. When I came out two years ago, I had a clipboard and went into every office of anybody who represented the House Armed Services Committee and anybody who represented Texas in anybodys name I was familiar with and gave them a hard copy of a sheet with all my proposals. I plan on doing the same and possibly even giving them one of two ways to challenge coins that talks about truth, integrity and transparency for our military. So to me, this is my highest priority. Here it is, Joey Lenz coin and, you know, I like to call it Joeys bill because it is the Specialist Joey Lenz Act of 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KWKT - FOX 44. Dear everyone, Were very happy to let you know that Griff Witte is joining The Atlantic as a managing editor. Griff, who is currently the senior editor at The Washington Post in charge of political and democracy coverage, will be leading our growing politics and accountability team. As many of you know already, Griff is a journalistic force, who has led his 50-person team at The Post with energy, creativity, smarts and ambition. His experience on the democracy beat, in particular, will help us in our coverage of the various challenges to the American way of governance. Griff comes to us after a storied, 23-year run at The Post, where he spent much of his time as a foreign correspondent. As a stalwart of the foreign desk, he covered insurgencies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, wars in Gaza, the Arab Spring uprising in Egypt, the return of autocracy in central Europe, and the dawn of the Brexit era in Britain. His reports on refugees crossing into Europe, and on hate-preachers radicalizing followers in Britain, were recognized, respectively, by the National Press Foundation and the Overseas Press Club. In between international postings, Griff served as the newspaper's deputy foreign editor and guided prize-winning coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his new role for us, Griff will help build and lead our coverage of politics and democracy, with a special focus on government accountability and investigations. In addition to his own impressive track record of reporting stories on these broad beats, Griff has earned the admiration of his reporters for his ability to edit the sort of complicated, scoop-driven, and otherwise revelatory stories that will be critical to our mission as we try to cover and explain the actions of the Trump Administration. Griff is highly collaborative and fearless, qualities that will serve The Atlantic well in the months and years ahead. Griffs decision to join The Atlantic represents an intergenerational homecoming, of sorts. His father, the legendary artist Michael Witte, illustrated covers and made other art for The Atlantic in the 1980s (and if were lucky, we'll get him drawing for us again). Grimes had no comment on what many have described as a Nazi-like salute given by her ex, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, during one of Donald Trumps inaugural events on Monday. The tech titan who has reportedly been given an office in the White House for his newly created Department of Government Efficiency made two rapid, straight-armed hand gestures during the celebration of Trumps second swearing-in, motions that instantly drew comparisons to the signature Sieg Heil salute made by reviled Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Seemingly taken aback by the news of the incident involving the father of her three children, Grimes reacted to a fans distress over the incident by writing on X, it is unhealthy that people are this upset when I have not even been online yet today and am only just learning about this controversy now. I dont know what happened and I will not make a rash statement I am not a citizen of this country. More from Billboard Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially Grimes said she was going to bed and vowed to do her research, but declined to say something that will create an international scandal, in response to the fascist-like salute that quickly became just that. Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler also took to Musks X to lament, I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal, about the widely circulated video of Musks grunting, straight-arm salutes during a speech at D.C.s Capitol One Arena after Trumps swearing in. This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism. In her post, Grimes pushed back at those who she said appeared willing to cancel her for the seemingly fascist gesture made by her ex, before [I] even heard it happened. That said, Grimes made it clear: I am not him. I will not make a statement every time he does something. I can only send love back into a world that is hurting. She added that she appreciated the fans concern, but, in a world stimulated by scandal, I feel a moral imperative to only add to the mess when something positive can be done. Otherwise Im just adding tot he desensitization. To be clear i could go talk st and be on a bunch of magazine covers and be a feminist hero and get clout but it would serve no purpose. I choose my childrens wellbeing. I promise you it doesnt feel good to be hated all the time for things I dont even know about, cannot predict and cannot control. But I also chose this path, I accept it. I make the best of it, and I simply wish happiness and health to all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grimes appeared to quickly have a change of heart, posting a short time later, Im happy to denounce Nazi-ism and the far alt right. Would that help clear things up? Ive just gotten out of breakfast and have to catch a flight, and am still debating how to approach things diplomatically because I feel in over my head. But if theres concern about that, I am happy to set the record strait in a meaningful way. My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero had a sharper, more succinct response to the two quick chest-thump, straight right arm with palm down movements the ADL describes as a gesture meant to pay homage to Hitler and which since WWII has been used by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists making it the most common white supremacist hand sign in the world. Iero shared a screenshot of the salute on Instagram and wrote, Fk this guy and every single person supporting this st or wasting any kind of breath attempting to defend it. Your true colors are shining through. #SmashHate. During the speech, Musk enthusiastically thanked the crowd for their support of Trump, the first convicted felon to inhabit the White house, saying, I just want to say thank you for making it happen, he said, before slapping his hand on his chest and extending his right arm out, palm down and adding, my heart goes out to you, then turning around and repeating the gesture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk re-posted the video, including the Nazi-like salute, on his X feed and after the tide of criticism appeared to react, writing, Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired [sleeping emoji]. He did not formally denounce Nazism or deny making the gesture associated with Hitler, though he did agree with another tweet that asked, Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing? It didnt work during the election, its not working now, its tired, boring, and old material, youve burned out its effect, people dont feel shocked by it anymore, the wolf has been cried too many times. In response, Musk wrote, Yeah exactly [yawning emoji]. The antisemitism and human rights group ADL called the gesture, awkward, writing on X, It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Lets hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead. The comment drew a thanks guys response from Musk, who included a laughing crying emoji. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Musk, 53, appeared bored with the call-out about what many saw as a white supremacist dog whistle, a number of neo-Nazi leaders shared the clip, according to AFP. The head of an Australian neo-Nazi group reportedly wrote on Telegram, Donald Trump White Power movement. In addition, on the neo-Nazi forum Stormfront, another user is said to have posted an image of Musks salute along with the phrase Heil Hitler. One of the chapters of the far right Proud Boys militia whose leader and several members were among the 1,600 people unconditionally pardoned by Trump on Monday for their part in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 after Trump lost his second bid for the White House wrote simply, Hail Trump! The co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism told the AFP that, there is no question among white supremacists that Musk was making a Nazi salute. The worlds richest man, who has become a regular presence alongside Trump since donating $277 million to Presidents third campaign, was denounced in 2023 when he endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory popular among white supremacists that Jewish communities push hatred against Whites. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Musk shared the original hate post promoting the theory as well as referencing another antisemitic conspiracy theory about the hordes of minorities that are moving to Western countries and then re-shared it with the comment you have said the actual truth. Weeks later, Musk apologized for what he described as his dumbest social media post ever before bashing advertisers who had begun leaving X in 2023 because of the rising tide of antisemitism on the platform that Musk bought in 2022. See Grimes and Ieros posts below. https://twitter.com/Grimezsz/status/1881618420367507941 https://twitter.com/Grimezsz/status/1881748032531616148 This is a delicate moment. Its a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on ADL (@ADL) January 20, 2025 Best of Billboard Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) After a rare snowfall blanketed Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, several businesses are beginning to reopen as conditions slowly improve. Local restaurants and grocery stores are gradually resuming normal hours, but residents are encouraged to check social media pages for updated schedules. State and local leaders still want people to stay off the roads after the snowfall. Some roads are closed. Click here to see the latest closures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More extreme cold expected in Baton Rouge this week after inches of snow Places open Thursday, Jan. 23 Grocery stores Zachary Walmart Zachary Walmart will open at noon on Jan. 23, according to a social media post. Calandros Supermarket Calandros locations on Perkins and in Mid City will open at noon and close at 8 p.m. Hi-Nabor Supermarket Hi-Nabor Supermarket will open at 10 a.m. Updates will be posted on the stores website. Mathernes Market Mathernes Market (440 North Third Street, Suite 100) will open at 11 a.m. Albertsons All Baton Rouge Albertsons locations are currently open and will close at 10 p.m. Maxwells Market Both Maxwells locations will open at 11 a.m. Rouses All stores are open except 40017 Highway 42 in Prairieville. Alexanders Alexanders Heritage Market, Alexanders Highland Market and Alexanders Harvest Market are open. Restaurants and coffee shops Marias Mexican Restaurant (587 Florida Ave SE in Denham Springs) is open until 8 p.m. Zippys Burritos (3155 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge) Coffee Call (3132 College Drive Ste. F, Baton Rouge) is open until 5 p.m. Brew Ha Ha (711 Jefferson Hwy, Ste 2-A, Baton Rouge) Rocca Pizzeria (3897 Government St., Baton Rouge) BLDG 5 (2805 Kalurah St., Baton Rouge) is open until 8 p.m. La Carreta Mid City (4065 Government St., Baton Rouge) Elsies Plate & Pie (3145 Government St., Baton Rouge) The Patio (7655 Old Hammond Hwy, Baton Rouge) Magpie Cafe (3205 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge) Drusilla Seafood (3482 Drusilla Lane, Baton Rouge) opens at 2 p.m. Barracuda ( 2504 Government St., Baton Rouge) is open until 5 p.m. BRQ Seafood and BBQ (10423 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge) Vars Pizza (3030 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge) French Truck Coffee (2978 Government St., Baton Rouge) Mike Andersons Seafood (1031 W Lee Drive, Baton Rouge) is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Soji: Modern Asian (5050 Government St., Baton Rouge) Jeds Local (672 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge) is open until 9 p.m. Super Club BR (10480 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge) is taking pick-up orders. Dearmans Diner (7633 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge) is open until 8 p.m. Hikari Ramen Bar (7474 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge) is open until 10 p.m. Portobellos Grill (7622 Old Hammond Hwy, Baton Rouge) Beausoleil Coastal Cuisine (7731 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge) Reve Coffee Lab (8211 Village Plaza Ct, Baton Rouge) is open until 6 p.m. Luna Cocina (3109 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge) Parrains Seafood (3225 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge) Chow Yum (2363 Hollydale Ave., Baton Rouge) Shake Shack (6651 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge) All restaurants in The Queen Baton Rouge (1717 River Park Blvd, Baton Rouge) All restaurants inside The Queen Baton Rouge This story will be updated as places share re-opening announcements. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Louisiana First News. Two environmental groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over what they say are air-pollution problems with a zinc mine in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., seeking to compel the federal agency to review a petition the groups filed Sept. 12. The petition asked for federal intervention against state approval of an air quality permit for mining company South32s Hermosa Mine, and the groups say the EPA was required to either grant or deny the petition within 60 days. Clean air delayed is clean air denied, Center for Biological Diversity Senior Advocate Jeremy Nichols said in a statement. The EPA needs to stop dragging its feet and hold South32 and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality accountable for protecting people and communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hermosa is a zinc prospect being developed in a historic but previously abandoned mining district south of Patagonia. South32 has pitched it as an environmentally beneficial mine, in part because a second phase would produce manganese for use in car batteries. The Biden administration gave that effort a $20 million boost last year with a grant from the federal Defense Production Act battery program. New mining strategies: New Ariz. mines unearth new conflicts: Resist climate change or protect fragile landscapes? The mine threatens to release hundreds of tons of toxic air pollution every year, putting clean air, biodiversity and the health of nearby communities at risk, according to the environmental groups. South32 said it does not comment on pending litigation. EPA officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, the company said it will partner with Pima Community College starting this fall to train regional students to be electricians, as they are needed on the project. The company also released a rendering of its planned remote-operations center in Nogales, where it says about 200 full-time employees will work in shifts to produce ore from Hermosa. The Patagonias are among the forested Sky Island mountain ranges rising from southern Arizonas desert, which the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance has argued are too sensitive and important in the local ecotourism economy to host major industrial activities. The mountain's animals are rare in the U.S., including birds such as elegant trogons and mammals such as ocelots, both of which migrate north out of Mexico. Industrial exploitation of the Patagonia Mountains threatens the prosperity of this region and the very survival of the Patagonia community, PARA Director Carolyn Shafer said. Carolyn Shafer, with the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance, pictured at Hermosa Mine on June 18, 2024, near Patagonia. Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Groups want EPA to weigh in on Hermosa Mine's potential air pollution Journalists at The Guardian have finally caved in over the sale of The Observer to a loss-making start-up, as they agreed to vote through the deal despite four days of strikes. Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) voted to accept the companys final offer by a majority of almost two thirds, trumping the 11pc who voted to reject it. A further 15pc abstained. The outcome draws to an end a long-running saga over the sale of The Observer to Tortoise, a media start-up founded by James Harding, the former BBC News director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NUJ staged a four-day walkout last month in protest against the deal, which it warned would put the future of the worlds oldest Sunday newspaper in peril. But Guardian bosses held firm and the Scott Trust, the 1.3bn fund that owns both The Guardian and The Observer, waved through the sale while the strikes were ongoing. James Harding, a former BBC News boss, owns Tortoise, which has amassed losses of 20m since 2018 - Oli Scarff/AFP Union bosses have now relented after securing some concessions and as appetite for further strike action waned. Staff at The Observer are now expected to be gradually moved over to Tortoises London offices during a transition period. The concessions include a two-week extension to the voluntary redundancy period offered to any Observer staff members who do not want to make the move to Tortoise, as well as the option for affected journalists to apply for internal Guardian jobs for two years after the sale is completed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Executives at The Guardian said they will freeze external recruitment until the end of March, adding that any redundancies at Tortoise as a result of restructuring over the next 18 months would be on the same terms as a redundancy round last summer. The Guardian also plans to create a handful of jobs to help boost the newspapers Saturday digital operations. Bosses said they would adhere to the House Agreement on weekend working, insisting they did not intend to increase the number of hours journalists will have to work on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff have in recent months been in open revolt over plans to sell The Observer to Tortoise, which has racked up losses of more than 20m since its launch in 2018. Journalists fear the deal will mean the Sunday title will effectively be transformed into a weekly magazine, while they have also raised concerns about financial sustainability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tortoise has pledged to invest 25m in The Observer and retain all 70 staff members. The Scott Trust, which will also invest 5m in Tortoise and become one of its largest shareholders, has insisted the deal is the best way to guarantee the papers long-term viability. Nevertheless, staff at The Guardian remain angered by the way bosses handled the sale process. This led to the NUJ recently accusing the company of deploying artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help working staff produce stories during strike action. Tensions also led to the NUJ previously considering holding a vote of no confidence in Katharine Viner, the Guardians editor-in-chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Guardian spokesman said: We are pleased to have concluded constructive negotiations with NUJ chapel officers over mitigations for Observer and Guardian staff in relation to the sale of the Observer. We are grateful to everyone who has worked hard to reach a resolution. The NUJ has been contacted for comment. 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. U.S. President Donald Trump inherited a lot of headaches in Latin America, from unprecedented migration to metastasizing organized crime. In Guatemala, however, reformist President Bernardo Arevalo presents a chance to shore up Central Americas largest economy, strike a blow against corruption and reduce migration. But to seize this opportunity, Trump will have to avoid repeating the costliest mistake he made in the region during his first term. Getting Arevalo into office in Guatemala was former President Joe Bidens biggest accomplishment in Latin America. Arevalo, a bookish former diplomat, unexpectedly finished first in the countrys crowded first-round presidential election in 2023. That set off a furious but unsuccessful campaign by a small but powerful group of conservative economic actors and corrupt judges and prosecutors to disqualify him and his Movimiento Semilla, or Seed Movement. Their crusade ramped up after Arevalo overwhelmingly defeated former first lady Sandra Torres in the second-round voting to win the presidency. The Biden administration, with bipartisan support, played a leading role in defending Arevalo, using individual sanctions and travel bans on hundreds of Guatemalan lawmakers and oligarchs to keep him on the ballot. And after he won, Biden thwarted attempts to derail the six-month presidential transition, a campaign that Arevalo described as a slow-motion coup. The senior U.S. diplomat for Latin America warned that any moves to keep Arevalo from taking office would be met with a strong US response. Even so, his fate was uncertain until he was sworn in hours past schedule, amid a last-ditch effort to stop the inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rare victory against the countrys business and political elitesknown as the Pacto de Corruptos, or Pact of the Corruptthrilled many Guatemalans, including Indigenous communities, who had come out in force to protest on Arevalos behalf. Collectively, the country celebrated a primavera democratica, or democratic spring. The U.S. also reaped rewards. Strong democracies tend to be more reliable partners for Washington and U.S. investors, and less reliable partners for drug kingpins, and that has been the case in Guatemala. In September, the country resettled 135 Nicaraguan political prisoners after U.S. diplomats negotiated their release. The same month, it agreed to deploy 150 military police officers to Haiti to support a U.S.-funded mission to fight violent gangs there. Under Arevalo, Guatemala remains one of just 11 countries that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and it has joined the U.S. in condemning the electoral fraud committed by the Venezuelan regime in the countrys presidential election last July. Indeed, Arevalo met with Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez in Guatemala City just last week. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Arevalo is also improving Guatemalas economy. Last month, lawmakers approved his anti-monopoly reforms, and he has set his sights on investment-grade rating for the countrys debt. So far, Trump has focused elsewhere in Latin America since winning the presidential election in November. He has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Mexico, and in early January, he refused to rule out the use of military force to seize the Panama Canal. But success in Guatemala should be of interest to the new administration, given its commitment to reduce migration. Fleeing crime, poverty and hunger at home, 724,000 undocumented Guatemalans now live in the U.S., representing 7 percent of the total unauthorized population, according to the Migration Policy Institute. U.S. border authorities detain more than 200,000 Guatemalans every year at the U.S.-Mexico border. Ever since Trumps victory in the U.S. presidential election, Arevalos opponents smell blood in the water. Trump should not make the same mistakes again, as it is in the U.S. interest to support Guatemalas government. Good governance would reduce Guatemalan migration to the United States. So would greater U.S. private sector investment, which Washington supported during Trumps first term with its America Crece program. Guatemalan authorities have also signaled a willingness to accept not only Guatemalan deportees, but also citizens of other countries removed by the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even still, continued U.S. support for Guatemala is hardly guaranteed. At the start of Trumps first term, Guatemala also appeared to be turning a corner, thanks to a U.S.-backed United Nations team of anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors, known as the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala and referred to by its Spanish acronym, CICIG. The U.N. established CICIG in 2007 to stamp out organized crime syndicates that had emerged from the wreckage of Guatemalas 36-year civil war and thoroughly infiltrated its government. CICIG investigations led to the dismissal of 1,700 corrupt police officers, while also targeting senior public officials, lawmakers, judges and notorious drug traffickers. In 2015, its investigation into customs fraud led to the arrest and conviction of then-President Otto Perez Molina as well the countrys vice president. CICIG was Guatemalas most trusted institution, and the U.S. was CICIGs top financial backer. There was even talk of setting up a regional anti-corruption body to replicate Guatemalas success in its troubled southern neighbors, El Salvador and Honduras. Under Trump, however, Guatemalas Pacto de Corruptos struck back. An investigation into campaign finance violations involving Perez Molinas successor, former President Jimmy Morales, sparked a backlash against CICIG, and the U.S. failed to come to its defense. Morales shut down CICIG in 2019, with catastrophic consequences. Two years later, the Washington Office on Latin America catalogued a dramatic downward spiral, including crackdowns on journalists, activists and Indigenous leaders. Twenty-five judges and prosecutors fled the country, including two highly regarded former attorneys general, Claudia Paz y Paz and Thelma Aldana, who had prosecuted CICIG cases. Trump also cut aid to Central America, a decision that further fueled Guatemalan migration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fight against the rule of law in Guatemala intensified under Morales successor, former President Alejandro Giammattei, who presided over the effort to keep Arevalo from taking office. Now, ever since Trumps victory in the U.S. presidential election, Arevalos opponents smell blood in the water. Trump should not make the same mistake again, as it is in the U.S. interest to support Guatemalas government. If Washington takes its eye off Guatemala, it would bring a quick end to the countrys democratic spring. Having just celebrated his first anniversary in office on Jan. 15, Arevalo is still navigating ceaseless attempts to kneecap his government. Last month, Human Rights Watch denounced the countrys attorney general, Consuelo Porras, for politically motivated prosecutions against members of the government; Porras, who was sanctioned by the U.S. for significant corruption, is Arevalos archenemy, but in Guatemala, the president does not have the authority to appoint or fire the attorney general. The judiciary also remains problematic. In November, a court ordered newspaper publisher Jose Ruben Zamora, who had been granted house arrest pending trial in a case widely criticized by global press freedom organizations, to return to prison. By backing Arevalo, the U.S. showed it still had the muscle to defend democracy in Latin America. Abandoning him would send a very different message: that the regions lawbreaking businessmen and politicians need not reform, but simply wait out Washingtons sporadic anti-corruption campaigns. Benjamin N. Gedan is director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. He was formerly a South America director on the White House National Security Council during the Obama administration. The post Guatemalas Democracy Still Has a Chance, but It Needs U.S. Support appeared first on World Politics Review. ANTIOCH, Tenn. (WKRN) Two students were allegedly shot by a student in a Tennessee high schools cafeteria Wednesday morning, authorities have confirmed. Antioch High School has about 2,000 students and is located in a neighborhood of Nashville about 10 miles southeast of downtown. According to Metro Nashville Police, the gunman was a 17-year-old African-American male who shot two female students, one fatally, before turning the gun on himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Sean Braisted, chief of communications and technology for Metro Nashville Public Schools, said Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building. The person responsible for [the] shooting is no longer a threat, the statement continued. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available. Dozens of law enforcement officials were seen outside the school and crews from Nexstars WKRN encountered a very active scene around the area. Students were also seen boarding buses, apparently preparing to go to a nearby reunification center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are also reportedly on scene. School shootings have been top of mind in Nashville. In March 2023, a shooter killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in the city, The Covenant School. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story, check back for updates. 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 Queen City News. Of all the images to have streamed out of Gaza on Sunday, perhaps the most telling was, ironically, that of a camera itself. The four Kalashnikov-wielding Hamas fighters standing atop the white pick-up truck were not particularly noteworthy in themselves. After all, such a scene was repeating itself at locations across the benighted enclave on day one of the historic hostage release deal. Standing among them, however, was a colleague apparently of equal status brandishing not a gun but a large and modern tripod-mounted camera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salute to the media team, posted one Hamas supporter apparently without a shred of irony beneath a picture of the group posted online. Fighters from the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, appeared on the streets of Gaza - X Because, indeed, the first day of the ceasefire was nothing short of a PR triumph for the terrorist organisation. For 15 months, Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the purpose of the war in Gaza was, as well as returning the hostages, to destroy Hamas. And yet, within hours of the ceasefire taking place, the world was flooded with images of the men of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the groups armed wing, apparently in fine fettle: neatly uniformed, professionally armed. Hamas fighters watch from on top of a car as Red Cross vehicles help in the release of Israeli hostages following the ceasefire - Abed Hajjar/AP Photo A Palestinian boy holds a pistol bearing the word Hamas in Arabic in front of a portrait of Yahya Sinwar, the terror groups late leader - Hassan Ammar/AP Photo Their message? Doubtless that Netanyahus 15-month bombardment of the enclave had demonstrably failed; that the Palestinian resistance, as they like to style it, cannot be crushed. Perhaps even that, as a fighting force, they are back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group had several factors to their advantage. The light, for one, a photographers light late afternoon, with the low winter sun producing heroic silhouettes. Also their control of the key locations, and, crucially, of the camera angles, meaning they could make the crowds seem bigger than perhaps they really were. Projected on mega screens and across social media, the long-awaited release of three female Israeli hostages, in captivity for 15 months, showed us the power of the image, a tool that is especially amplified during wartime, said Dr Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The visuality of armed Hamas fighters seemingly in charge of the handover operation was choreographed to send a message, We are still in control of Gaza, we are undefeated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamass ability to control the camera angles meant that the crowds looked bigger than their actual size, but drone shots showed the reality - X But to what extent is this actually true? On the issue of numbers, Sundays pictures looked good for Hamas to the casual observer. They were clearly able to field enough men with the correct uniform and equipment to appear in multiple locations at once. In Saraya Square, for example, the location in Gaza City where the three hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, they managed to look numerically strong and in command by keeping the crowd of civilians in check. None of this necessarily contradicts Israels estimation that it has killed roughly 20,000 of Hamass approximately 40,000 fighters since Oct 7 2023, a claim repeated by Herzi Halevi, the Israel Defense Forces chief of the general staff, on Tuesday as he announced his resignation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amos Yadlin, Israels former military intelligence chief, was not surprised that Hamas managed to gather hundreds of armed members for a military parade. Nobody claimed that we destroyed every member of Hamas but we killed their leadership and most of their brigade and battalion commanders, and the IDF destroyed their capability to carry out another Oct7 attack, he told TheTelegraph. Dr Ozcelik puts it in a broader context. Israeli officials say that two of Hamass 24 battalions are operational, she said. Over the course of the war, senior Hamas commanders and trained rank and file fighters have been killed, and weapons arsenals and military capabilities degraded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Hamas is reported to have recruited more men to join its fight against Israel, this draws upon an angry and motivated, but poorly trained and inexperienced, pool of recruits from Gaza. In other words, the Al-Qassam Brigades new recruits arent very good. However, several thousand armed and angry young men still represent a significant threat. This should not be cause to trivialise the risk that Hamas poses even if a small number of their future attacks are successful, they can still hurt Israelis, said Dr Ozcelik. But it is not an accurate assessment, in my view, to say Hamas has survived the war unscathed that is simply not true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than a strategic triumph, then, perhaps Sunday should be seen as Hamas putting the best spin on the hammering they have received at the hands of the IDF in recent months. Bruce Hoffman, the senior fellow for counter-terrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations, said: The loss of its command structure, I would argue, is one of the reasons that Hamas was more inclined to do this deal now. They desperately need the 1,000 prisoners to re-populate their ranks and fill the gaps created by the deaths of almost all their most senior commanders. Hamas fighters sought to show their continued authority in Gaza by controlling the crowds during the hostage handover - Abed Hajjar/AP Photo Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other experts counsel against reading too much into the small arms visible on Sunday, even if some of them appeared to be western manufactured. As Mr Yadlin put it, almost every family has a Kalashnikov hidden somewhere. But when it comes to bigger equipment, according to Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst: What has been affected is the strategic capabilities like the rockets, missiles, boats, the anti-tank capabilities. But you cant eliminate the small tactical arms and cars, SUVs, in Gaza. Ultimately, it is not known to what extent Israel has destroyed, or even discovered, Hamass vast network of tunnels beneath Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That, plus the fact that the IDF never devoted sufficient troop numbers to occupy the whole enclave at any single time, meant that while Hamas was severely weakened, it was never destroyed. As such, another thing we learnt on Sunday is that the group clearly intends on continuing as the civil authority in the strip for as long as peace lasts. Videos showing uniformed police officials engaging with the public may well have been part of their publicity plan. Meanwhile, pictures of children, perhaps not entirely sure of what they were doing, saluting alongside a far more serious-looking Hamas fighter indicates how serious the group is about its hearts and minds mission. 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. (NewsNation) One of the first actions President Donald Trump took after being inaugurated Monday was to sign an executive order to start the process of removing the United States from the World Health Organization. This is the second time Trump has attempted this he also tried to withdraw from WHO in 2020, and his administration officially notified U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the decision. However, former President Joe Biden reversed it in 2021. As the biggest donor to WHOs budget in 2023, experts warn that the withdrawal of the United States could be a disaster for public health around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, told STAT News such a move was a mistake. Trumps two sexes order to face legal challenges How much does the US contribute to WHO? The U.S. was a founding member of WHO, which directs and coordinates the international response to health emergencies. At a news briefing Tuesday, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said the U.S. contributed 18% of the organizations budget in 2023. Thanks to decades of strong partnership, the United States of America plays a crucial role in supporting WHO to protect and improve the health of Americans and people around the world, WHO says on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the 2022-2023 biennium, the United States gave $1.284 billion to WHO. The Associated Press reported that in the last decade, the U.S. has given the organization about $160 million to $815 million every year. How could Trump withdraw the US from WHO? Trump would need Congress approval and for the United States to meet its financial obligations to WHO for the current fiscal year before leaving. A 1948 joint resolution passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate requires the United States to give WHO a one-year notice period if it decides to withdraw. Why does Trump want to leave WHO? The executive order Trump signed states the withdrawal stems from the organizations mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms; and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. Trump said at a campaign rally in September that he would take on the corruption at WHO and other public health institutions that he said were dominated by corporate power and China, The Associated Press wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump fires 4 presidential appointees, including his former Iran envoy What are experts saying? Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International who advised WHO about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, told Science that losing money from the United States would restrict WHOs ability to react to health emergencies. The United States withdrawal from the WHO is a global health crisis in the making, a group of world-distinguished professors and public health experts wrote in a peer-reviewed British Medical Journal. This severing of ties between the worlds largest economy and its foremost public health body represents a major setback for health diplomacy, scientific collaboration and funding, the professors said. The repercussions will ripple across borders, leaving WHO weaker and the U.S. isolated when global health challenges demand unity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WHO, they wrote, has been able to bring countries together to coordinate disease outbreak responses and provide technical assistance. Benefits of being a member include disease surveillance, health system strengthening and health diplomacy, the professors said. By helping to create WHO, the professors said, the United States has supported programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; create pandemic preparedness plans; and improve maternal and child health. Its withdrawal undermines not just WHOs finances and programs, but also Americas influence and standing in the world, Buse, Gostin, Kamarulzaman and McKee said. There are some ways to mitigate potential damage, according to the BMJ report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The professors said public health organizations and researchers have to defend WHO, and informal channels to exchange scientific knowledge must be explored. However, Konyndyk, in Science, pointed out that no other organization does all the work WHO does. When it comes to money, several European countries helped fill the void in funding the first time Trump attempted to leave WHO, the professors said. However, current political realities make this a challenge for leading donors such as the European Union, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, they added. While he acknowledged that the WHO needs reforms and mismanaged some parts of its COVID-19 response, Jha added that exiting the organization means that the U.S. will lose any leverage to make changes. With all its flaws, the WHO remains a source of crucial coordination and collaboration, Jha said. It plays an essential role in low- and middle-income countries, especially, and can be effective in that role with a more defined set of responsibilities and limits. What did WHO say? WHO officials said in a statement that they regret Trumps decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the worlds people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go, WHO said. We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe. The Associated Press contributed to this 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 NewsNation. DENVER (KDVR) A Littleton resident is receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump after participating in a violent protest at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Patrick Montgomery, 51, was sentenced to 37 months in prison by a federal judge after assaulting a police officer. Man convicted in Jan. 6 protest speaks out after pardon Montgomery spoke to FOX31 in an exclusive interview and told his story for the first time. He said he did not go to Washington D.C. seeking violence, but the gathering quickly escalated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a part of me that wishes I had never gone. I didnt make any plans to go there, I felt like I was led by God to go there, Montgomery said. Trump to promise new era of national success in inaugural address Montgomery had never attended a political protest before, but wanted to show support for Trump, who had lost the presidential election in 2020. We were there not to interfere with the certification of votes, we were there to see that certification play out in the hopes that Congress would not certify, in the hopes that Congress would put a pause on that certification process, just a 10 day pause, to investigate some of the claims of a fraud and manipulation of ballots. I didnt put much stock in those beliefs, but for me, it was an unconstitutionally held election, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montgomery said his group walked into a door of the Capitol building, were respectful of security officers and did not break any glass, but he then saw a group of protesters making their way upstairs from the Rotunda to the Senate Chamber. I saw laptops on peoples desks, and I saw paperwork that was there, and it became very apparent to me at that point that we had made a mistake, he said. Montgomery recalls the crowd growing in size as anger escalated at the rally. Upon arrival, there are things, you know, went downhill and things went from bad to worse really quick, he said. Montgomery ended up in an altercation with a police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When he turned and raised his baton towards me, I didnt have time to make a choice. I didnt go after him, I had no intention of trying to hurt Mr. Hodges, but yeah, I instinctually grabbed onto the baton, and as my right. Im allowed to defend myself, that those are the simple laws of nature. and especially when you know police officers are acting outside the legal performance of their duties, he said. Montgomery compares his experience to those filing complaints during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The difference was that the Black Lives Matter protesters were able to file lawsuits against the city of Denver, he said. Montgomery went on to ask, Why is it any different because its a conservative group in support of Donald Trump? Protestor expresses condolences and gratitude for pardon After learning of his pardon, Montgomery expressed gratitude to Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He made it clear that its not like these people have not suffered any consequences, theyre not getting going scot-free, weve spent time in prison, weve lost our fortunes, he said. What executive orders did Trump sign on day 1 of presidency? Montgomery also expressed words of support to police officers and their families, as he insisted that he remains a true patriot. What happened that day was awful, and what those officers that had to go through was awful, but it was also awful for the American citizens and my deepest condolences to the officers families my deepest condolences to even officer Hodges, and Ive apologized to him, said Montgomery. Ive tried to make it very clear that it was never my intention to try to hurt him or harm any other officers, but we were put in a position where we felt we were, had to react to the immediate environment around us and, you know, we may have made some wrong decisions, and I hold myself accountable for those, but they dont add up to felony crimes and three years in prison and four years on home incarceration. The punishment has got to fit the crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many fear pardoning Montgomery and others involved in the events that took place on Jan. 6 will set a dangerous precedent in the United States moving forward by encouraging more violent protests. Not any more than the precedent of pardoning your son that you know is also guilty of crimes, Montgomery said. Montgomery is referring to former President Joe Bidens pardon of his son, Hunter. I still to this day dont condone that behavior When asked about how he would react if a group stormed the Capitol in protest of Trumps 2024 election win, Montgomery offered this response. I still to this day dont condone that behavior. You know, to be honest with you, I felt that the people that were actually breaking windows trying to get into the Capitol building, that those police officers, they wouldve been within their rights had they shot some of those protesters, Montgomery said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia warns Trump against seizing Panama Canal He said his family has received death threats, and his business has suffered since his involvement in the protests were made public. My companys been ruined, my reputation; I had a good standing within my outdoor community. I was one of the most respected hunting guides and consultants in the country. Thats all gone, he said. As he reflects on his decisions on Jan. 6, 2021, Montgomery considers different choices he would have made and said he never would have entered the U.S. Capitol. You know, if it wasnt for this pardon, I would also (have) four years on home incarceration, three years inside of prison, and followed by three more years of supervised probation. Thats 10 years of my life for grabbing onto a baton, Montgomery said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. U.S. President Donald Trump holds an executive order announcing the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, he just signed during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. Credit - Jim WatsonAFP via Getty Images On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order beginning the formal withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, a landmark pact between nations that aims to limit global warming to well below 2C. It marked the second time Trump had taken this step, having previously announced the U.S. withdrawal from the accord during his first term in 2017. This weeks move will make the U.S. one of only four countries in the world that are not party to the agreement, drawing criticism from environmental advocates and global leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the previous stretch where the U.S. was no longer part of the deal lasted only four monthsthe withdrawal was finalized in Nov. 2020 and President Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in early 2021the impact was profound. The process not only disrupted international climate diplomacy but also damaged the U.S.'s credibility on the world stage, sending a signal of unpredictability and retreat from global leadership at a critical moment in the climate crisis. The move also halted essential contributions to climate finance, leaving developing nations without vital support for mitigation and adaptation efforts. Yet this weeks withdrawal news was hardly a surprise: despite the outcry in his first term, Trump had long promised to exit the agreement if he returned to office, referring to it during his campaign for a second term as unfair and one-sided. The rhetoric echoed his previous justification for the pullout: that the agreement imposed unfair economic burdens on the U.S. while allowing other countries, like China, to continue polluting. Now, as Trump reinitiates the process of withdrawing from the agreement, the immediate effects could mirror those of the previous exit. Some environmental advocates are concerned the move will once again undermine the countrys standing in global climate efforts, potentially emboldening other nations to scale back their own commitments. The Trump Administration must stay focused on growing our clean energy industry, says Gina McCarthy, who served as White House climate adviser under President Joe Biden. The United States must continue to show leadership on the international stage if we want to have any say in how trillions of dollars in financial investments, policies, and decisions are made that will shape the course of our economy and the world's ability to fight climate change. To get a better sense of what the impact might be this time around, here are some of the consequences of Trumps previous withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Damaged international climate diplomacy When Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the climate agreement in 2017, the move reverberated around the globe. Nearly 200 nations had committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the pact when it was created in 2015, and they had set ambitious targets to keep global temperature rise well below 2C, and ideally below 1.5C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The retreat significantly weakened the U.S.'s position in international climate negotiations and sent a signal of instability to other countries. In the absence of U.S. leadership, countries like China, India, and members of the European Union began to assert themselves more forcefully on climate-related issues. China, in particular, capitalized on the vacuum left by the U.S., positioning itself as a leader in the global green energy transition. Even though China is still the biggest source of the carbon pollution driving up global temperatures, the nation met its renewables targets in 2024, six years early, and has installed more solar and wind power than any other country. The U.S.'s withdrawal also disrupted critical alliances with other nations committed to ambitious climate goals. Climate talks largely stalled under Trumps first term, leading some nations to question the reliability of the U.S. as a partner in addressing the climate crisis. Halted climate finance One of the most significant consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement was the abrupt end to climate finance. The Obama Administration had committed to contributing to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which helps developing countries mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. With the U.S. out of the agreement, funding for this initiative was immediately cut, leaving nations primarily in the Global South without critical resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fund had been designed to help developing countries transition to renewable energy, build resilient infrastructure, and adapt to the rapidly changing climate. The U.S. had pledged $3 billion to this fund, though under Trump, only a fraction of that commitment was honored. The lack of financial backing also slowed global progress on climate adaptation and emissions reduction, especially in poorer nations that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Countries that had already been relying on these funds, such as small island nations and nations in Africa, voiced frustration at the U.S.'s failure to uphold its promises, which had been key to the success of the Paris Agreement. Keeping to 1.5 degrees is quite simply a matter of survival, Ethiopias top climate official Debasu Bayleyegn Eyasu, who chaired the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), a group of developing nations most threatened by climate change, said at the May 2017 climate talks in Germany. For all of us, the Paris Agreement is our lifeline. The CVF said in a statement at the time that the U.S.s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement signifies an endangerment of the more than one billion people our Forum represents in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific. Environmental rollbacks On the domestic front, the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement was accompanied by a series of deregulatory moves that undermined the countrys efforts to reduce emissions. The Trump Administration rolled back more than 100 environmental regulations, from fuel efficiency standards for cars to restrictions on power plant emissions. Perhaps the most symbolic of these changes was the decision to ease restrictions on coal-fired power plants, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Trump at the time argued that these actions were designed to revive the U.S. energy sector and boost job growth in coal-producing regions. However, many experts warned that these moves would make it harder for the U.S. to meet its emissions targets under the Paris Agreement, which had been set in alignment with the broader global goals to limit warming to well below 2C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Trumps withdrawal was seen as an open invitation for other nations to scale back their own climate commitments. While some countries, particularly in Europe, reaffirmed their commitments to the accord, the global momentum to cut emissions stalled in the face of U.S. retrenchment. According to the International Energy Agency, global energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 1.7% in 2018, the same year that the U.S. formally began the process of withdrawal, after three years of relatively steady declines. Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com. Harvard University on Tuesday settled Title VI lawsuits civil rights accusing the Ivy League school of responding insufficiently to antisemitism on campus. Todays settlement reflects Harvards enduring commitment to ensuring our Jewish students, faculty, and staff are embraced, respected, and supported, a Harvard spokesperson told the Harvard Crimson university paper. The settlement, for an undisclosed sum, closes two lawsuits citing Title VI, which bars discrimination at federally funded educational institutions on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One filed in January 2024, from a coalition of students, alleged an atmosphere of severe and pervasive antisemitism on campus, citing a student groups who wrote in a much-viewed statement that Israel was entirely responsible for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that started the present conflict. It also pointed to what it called mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty staging protests and occupying campus buildings after the war broke out. One of the plaintiffs from that suit did not accept the settlement and plans to continue litigation. Another suit, from the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, filed in May 2024, made similar claims, arguing Harvard didnt do enough to quickly respond to the Hamas attack, and pointed to allegations of antisemitism in a Harvard Kennedy School classroom and a viral confrontation between an Israel Harvard Business School Student and pro-Palestinian demonstrators the previous October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the terms of the settlement, Harvard will adopt a widely used but controversial definition of antisemitism from the International Holocuast Remembrance Association, which labels some criticisms of Zionism and Israel as inherently antisemitic, including arguments which claim the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour and apply double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. The definition is already in use at places like the U.S. State Department and in some European governments, but speech advocates have warned that further applying it will chill legitimate criticism of Israel and its war in Gaza, which has been accused in international court of being a genocide. In November, the ACLU warned Congress against a bill that would see the Department of Education adopt the definition for future civil rights investigations. Instead of addressing antisemitism on campus, this misguided legislation would punish protected political speech, Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, said in a statement at the time. At a time when civil rights enforcement on campus could not be more critical, this bill risks politicizing these vital protections by censoring legitimate political speech that criticizes the Israeli government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill eventually passed the House last Congress, and was reintroduced today. In the weeks leading up to the Trump inauguration, multiple high-profile universities accused of antisemitism have settled lawsuits, including the University of California system and Brown University. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump threatened to pull funding and accreditation from schools that allow what he called antisemitic propaganda, and to deport foreign student protesters. He has also nominated New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be his UN ambassador, who aggressively questioned university presidents, including the then-president of Harvard Claudine Gay, about antisemitism during a hearing in the House in 2023. Gay later resigned, in part over allegations she didnt do enough to combat antisemitism on campus. HONOLULU (KHON2) Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced that she and 20 other attorneys general are challenging President Donald Trumps executive order ending birthright citizenship, saying that it violates the constitutional rights that children born in the country are entitled to. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order that would end birthright citizenship, which is a concept that dates back centuries. While at first the U.S. Supreme Court denied birthright citizenship to the descendants of slaves, post-Civil War America adopted the Fourteenth Amendment to protect citizenship for children born in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump signs multiple executive orders on first day The Fourteenth Amendment reads, All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states in its first words that all persons born in the United States are citizens of this nation. These words could not be clearer, Lopez said. Under our governmental system, the words of the U.S. Constitution are inviolable, and as the Attorney General of Hawaii, I will defend the rule of law. Children of immigrants born in the U.S. under this executive order would lose their most basic rights, and will be forced to live under the threat of deportation, according to the Attorney Generals Office. They would lose the ability for federal programs, not be able to get a Social Security number and will not be able to work lawfully as they grow up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filing against the executive order says that this action could cause states to lose funding for programs such as Medicaid and foster care. Hawaii joins California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, District of Columbia and the City and County of San Francisco in the filing against the order. Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington state have filed a separate suit in federal court, also challenging the executive order. 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. HONOLULU (KHON2) In Hawaii, school choice is more than just a buzzword. For families navigating the islands unique educational landscape, the ability to choose a school that best fits their childs needs can make a significant difference. Deanna DOlier, Executive Director Elect for the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS), has seen firsthand how school choice empowers families and supports diversity in education. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You School choice is critical for maintaining a diversity of educational options, especially ones that reflect our unique community here in Hawaii, DOlier said. Its all about giving families the opportunity to find the right fit for their child, one that resonates with their learning needs and interests. Thats where true educational equity lies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Hawaii, families arent limited to just one option. There are a variety of private and public schools that offer distinct educational pathways, and the opportunity to explore different options can be transformative. According to DOlier, school choice places the power of decision-making back in the hands of families and allows them to select an environment where their child can truly thrive. Every student is unique, DOlier continued. And each family has a different set of values and needs. Some might want a more traditional education, others may want a focus on arts, or science or perhaps a religious or language immersion school. With school choice, parents arent confined to one model and can select the school that aligns with their childs learning style. For those unfamiliar with the wide array of independent schools in Hawaii, DOlier encouraged families to explore the HAIS website where they can access profiles of over 100 private schools in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This resource helps families make informed decisions by providing detailed information about each schools offerings. Were fortunate in Hawaii to have a robust, diverse group of independent schools, DOlier said. Our website makes it easy to explore all of the options, whether youre looking for a preschool or a high school and whether youre here on Oahu or one of the neighbor islands. One exciting event that will make exploring school options even easier is the HAIS Admissions Fair. It is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 6. This annual event is free and open to the public, and it gives families the opportunity to meet with admissions teams from over 40 private schools as well as attend informative breakout sessions. The Admissions Fair is a great way for families to get to know the schools firsthand, DOlier explained. Youll be able to ask about entry requirements, meet with school representatives and even attend sessions that will help guide you through the process of selecting the right school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those unable to attend in person, there will also be virtual options available in order to ensure that families across Hawaiis islands can participate, no matter where they live. The fair is just one example of how HAIS is working to make school choice more accessible to everyone in Hawaii. DOlier pointed out that many of the states private schools are already deeply engaged in addressing issues like the impact of technology on education and ensuring that students are prepared for the future. A lot of our schools are already thinking about the future, DOlier said. What does it mean for us to prepare our keiki for the challenges theyll face in a rapidly changing world, where technology is evolving so quickly? For example, were seeing the rise of AI and the new professions that will emerge from it, and its crucial that we equip our students with the skills theyll need to succeed. She mentioned that the ongoing discussions about how to integrate technology into teaching and learning will continue to shape the educational landscape for the next several years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the rapid advancement of AI and automation, its clear that preparing students for the future means adapting curriculums and approaches to teaching. AI is going to change everything, DOlier said. Some professionals will adapt, and others will not. Thats why were thinking about how to ensure our students are prepared to enter industries that may not even exist yet. The importance of fostering adaptability, creativity, and technological literacy in students is something DOlier sees as a central focus for Hawaiis independent schools in the years to come. Education is not just about teaching content, she added. Its about helping students develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will enable them to succeed in whatever field they choose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those interested in learning more about independent schools in Hawaii and the broader world of educational choice, DOlier encourages families to mark their calendars for key events later this year. Again, the HAIS Admissions Fair will take place on Saturday, Sept. 6. Its an event thats free and open to the public taking place at Hawaii Convention Center, RM. 316ABC from10: a.m. top 2 p.m. Some of the offerings at the event include: Interactive booths with 40+ private schools. Meet preschool through high school admissions teams. Inquire about entry requirements. Informative breakout sessions. Keiki activities and hands-on learning experiences. Free and open to the public. You can click here for more information as the event draws near. The 2025 Hawaii K-12 Parent and School Expo is a resource that can assist families explore their choices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lastly, please save Oct. 16 and 17 for the 2025 Schools of the Future Conference. This is the largest educators conference in the state. It is jointly presented by the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools and the Hawaii State Department of Education in partnership with the Hawaii Society for Technology in Education and the Pillars of Peace Hawaii Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation. These are events that can make a real difference, DOlier said. Whether youre a parent looking for the best educational fit for your child, or an educator looking to stay ahead of the curve, these are opportunities you dont want to miss. As school choice continues to grow in importance, the resources and events provided by HAIS give Hawaiis families the tools they need to make informed, confident decisions about their childrens education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can click here to learn more about Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHONs morning podcast, every morning at 8 Whether through fairs, school profiles, or workshops, school choice is becoming more accessible and impactful, ensuring that Hawaiis keiki have the best opportunities to succeed. 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. HAWKINS, Texas (KETK) The Hawkins City Council held a special council meeting on Tuesday, where members voted 4-1 to retain the police department, despite the recent resignation of their police chief on Jan. 14. Hawkins police chief resigns, marking third chief to step down in 3 years Mayor Debbie Rushing explained that, under the current leadership, she could no longer guarantee the safety of the community, citing concerns that officers were not following the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the meeting, a public forum was held to allow residents to express their opinions on the decision. Emotions ran high as community members voiced their concerns. One resident stated, Lets get rid of them and start fresh, while another added, I just want security. I want to know my business is secure. A third expressed fear, saying, Im scared to have these officers around if theyre not protecting us the ones we have arent doing their job. The room was divided, with some advocating for the disbandment, while others voiced concerns about what the city would look like without a local police force and called for improvements within the department rather than its dissolution. Hawkins residents raise concerns for citys new police department Former councilman and former interim mayor Charles Richoz cautioned against the move, warning, If you dissolve the police department, theres no doubt in my mind that the crime rate will increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im disappointed because I feel like we had an opportunity to do something thats never been done before which can kind of be scary for some but I was excited about it to be able to start over, start fresh. No one gets that opportunity, that option to have a second chance and make it great but unfortunately, you know were just gonna have to figure it out and do it a different way Mayor Debbie Rushing In a letter sent on Jan. 14 Holland announced, I hereby retire from the Hawkins Police Department. Rushing expressed uncertainty regarding the reason for Hollands resignation, noting she had not spoken with him directly. The resignation comes just hours before Utility Director Michael Maberry was arrested for interfering with public duties. Rushing admits the relationship between the city council and the police department has been strained for months leading up to the resignation. We all have the right to our opinions and to express those opinions. But we as a city, police department included, we must all go by the law, Rushing said. 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. (This story was updated to add new information.) Palm Beach County commissioners voted unanimously this month to contribute $10 million toward the construction of a $60 million facility to treat residents with mental health issues. The decision follows a controversial decision by HCA Florida JFK North Hospital in West Palm Beach to stop hospitalizing Baker Act patients under the age of 12, forcing them to be taken to Martin County. Under Floridas Baker Act law, a person can be involuntarily held in a mental health facility for up to 72 hours if they pose a threat to themselves or others. About 100 children under the age of 12 in the county are hospitalized each year through the Baker Act, according to county officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JFK North has said it will continue to take Baker Act patients ranging in age from 12 to 17 but stopped taking in children younger than 12 as of Dec. 1. The decision angered county commissioners who want to meet with JFK administrators at a public meeting to register their disappointment. Children can still be taken to JFK North for evaluation but there is no longer in-patient treatment. Palm Beach Sheriff's Office Special Response Team members handcuff a man who was suspected of locking himself in his home and threatening to shoot himself with a shotgun. He was taken into custody to be Baker-acted. Jennifer Podis / Palm Beach Post The plan approved by county commissioners on Jan. 7 was put forth by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. County Administrator Verdenia Baker called on the district to prepare a plan after the JKF decision. The agency will purchase about six to eight acres of land in the central part of the county to construct a 60,000-square-foot building. The facility will allow for in-patient treatment. It would replace reliance on the county jail, something that law enforcement supports. Currently, four county hospitals admit Baker Act patients. That would all change once the new Health District facility opens. Assistant County Administrator Tammy Fields and Darcy Davis, CEO of the Health Care District plan, both emphasized to county commissioners that the plan will prevent the county from relying on private entities over which they have no control to provide mental health treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That approach, Fields noted, is no longer sustainable as the county in the past had to fend for itself after private entities decide it is too costly to provide a needed service. That is why, they said, it is so important that a facility with county control be built. Where would the new mental health facility be built? The Health District facility will do far more than treat people hospitalized through the Baker Act. It will be part of the county's overall strategy to develop a coordinated, centralized mental health system. Representatives from the Palm Beach County Chiefs of Police Association, the county Public Defender and the county's State Attorney offices all appeared at the meeting to urge the commission to approve the plan. One issue, though, was with the timetable. The agreement called on the district to have the facility open within 98 months; that figure was cut to 60 months by county commissioners who called on Health District CEO Davis to open it even sooner if possible. She said the district will do all it can to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Palm Beach County upset hospital ends Baker Act services for troubled children under 12 In the interim, county commissioners will soon hold a workshop to figure out a way to keep Baker Act children from being taken out of the county for treatment while the new facility is being built. Commissioner Sara Baxter wanted to take $5 million from the construction figure and use it to immediately develop treatment within the county. While there was no support for Baxter's request, commissioners agreed to consider interim funding for in-patient treatment of Baker Act children at an upcoming workshop. Chart shows the health care pressure on emergency rooms to treat patients with mental health issues. Davis said two sites are already under consideration for the new facility one was near Riviera Beach and another west of Lake Worth Beach. A decision is expected to be made this fall and building permits obtained by October. According to Davis, there were 7,000 Baker Act cases in 2022. And more than 300 county residents have been hit with Baker Act complaints three or more times, a sign that there is something wrong with the current system, according to Davis. The new treatment center will deal with substance abuse as well as mental health, she noted. There will also be an outpatient facility. Yearly operating costs will be $30 million; Davis said the district will absorb those costs. The county contribution will be for the $10 million to acquire and help build the facility, she noted. A new mental health care facility in the county would be designed to break the current cycle that results all too often in patients returning again and again for treatment. Health Care District of Palm Beach County Gulfstream Police Chief Richard Jones, president of the county chiefs of police association, told county commissioners that mental health calls are increasing and services are decreasing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is clearly a void. Every chief in the county supports this initiative. It is the only program that is a solution from start to finish. There is care at the door and at the end of treatment, adding: "$10 million is a lot of money but you are spending it in other places." Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Health Care District to build facility to address mental health issues ROME (AP) Pope Francis offered prayers Wednesday for the people of Los Angeles as they endure deadly fires. Francis referred to the disaster during his weekly general audience Wednesday and invoked Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is revered by many Latino Catholics. My heart is with the people of Los Angeles who are suffering so much as a result of the fires that have devastated entire neighborhoods and communities, Francis said. May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for everyone to be a witness of hope. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fires fueled by hurricane-strength winds and parched weather have been raging in parts of Los Angeles since Jan. 7. The blazes have killed at least 28 people, forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, destroyed more than 14,000 structures and rank among the most destructive in California's history. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. (WFLA) Faulty wiring to a heat lamp sparked a fire at a home in Crystal River Saturday as Floridians continued to deal with frigid temperatures. Citrus County Fire Rescue responded to the home on North Country Club Drive on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 18 after receiving a 911 call from someone who spotted smoke coming from the roof. Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency over incoming winter weather system Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters said the residents were still inside and unaware that their single-story home had caught fire. Crews alerted the residents and ensured that all four people got out safely. The blaze, which officials said originated in the master bathroom, was extinguished within 20 minutes of firefighters arrival. Authorities said the cause of the fire was old and faulty wiring to a heat lamp in the bathroom ceiling. (Credit: Citrus County Fire Rescue) (Credit: Citrus County Fire Rescue) (Credit: Citrus County Fire Rescue) Crews had to remove part of the ceiling in order to fully expose and extinguish the blaze. The fire caused significant charring to two roof trusses. Officials estimated that the total damage was around $12,000. Duke Energy was called to the scene to remove the electric meter as a safety precaution and the homeowner was advised to contact a licensed electrician. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This incident highlights the importance of ensuring electrical fixtures, especially those involving heat, are inspected regularly and replaced if outdated or damaged, Citrus County Fire Rescue said. Faulty wiring is a common cause of residential fires. 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 WFLA. (Bloomberg) -- Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseths former sister-in-law alleged he was emotionally abusive to his ex-wife, one time causing her to hide in a closet for her safety, and had a history of drunken and aggressive behavior, according to a sworn affidavit submitted at the request of a top Democrat. Most Read from Bloomberg The allegations against President Donald Trumps nominee included that his former wife, Samantha Hegseth, came up with a safe word for when she needed to get away from Hegseth and once used it in 2015 or 2016, Danielle Hegseth said in the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Hegseths brother until 2019, said she did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse but believed the account because it was consistent with what I personally observed of Hegseths erratic and aggressive behavior over many years. I believe Hegseth to be an erratic, volatile person with an alcohol abuse problem, she wrote. She said she was coming forward because I have been assured that making this public statement will ensure that certain senators who are still on the fence will vote against Hegseths confirmation. Hegseths lawyer Timothy Parlatore denied the claims and called Hegseths former sister-in-law an anti-Trump far left Democrat who never got along with his family. Hegseths ex-wife Samantha didnt respond to a request for comment. Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse, she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview, Parlatore said in a statement. He said Hegseths former sister-in-law admits that she saw nothing but is now falsely accusing Sam of lying to both the Court and to the FBI because of private, undocumented statements that she allegedly made 10 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The affidavit was submitted at the request of Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee considering Hegseths nomination. Democrats have complained that they didnt have sufficient time or information from the FBI to probe previous allegations of sexual assault and public drunkenness against Hegseth. The affidavit, which was reported earlier by NBC News, nonetheless threatens to deal a blow to Hegseths chances to become the next defense secretary. The president has stood by Hegseth, an Army veteran and former Fox News host, despite the claims against him. In a statement, Reed said he was concerned that Hegseths FBI background check was inadequate, and that Danielle Hegseths affidavit confirmed his fears. The alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing, Reed wrote. This behavior would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth has denied the allegations against him. He has characterized them as anonymous smears, though he acknowledged past mistakes. Im not a perfect person, but redemption is real, Hegseth said during his confirmation hearing. He has said he will abstain from alcohol if he becomes defense secretary. The six-page affidavit offers repeated accounts of public drunkenness by Hegseth. Those incidents included what Danielle Hegseth said were repeated instances of abusing alcohol and being drunk to the point of passing out in the room. In one instance, she said Hegseth drunkenly yelled in my face one night while dressed in his military uniform after she left the room while he was telling a joke that she said had a racial slant that bothered me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November, the New York Times reported that Hegseths mother, Penelope Hegseth, once wrote him an email alleging he had mistreated women for many years. In an interview with Fox News in December, she said she wrote the email in haste and apologized to him soon after, and said Hegseth is not that man he was seven years ago. During last weeks hearing, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, entered into Hegseths record a family court order concerning the appointment of parenting time between Hegseth and his second wife, Samantha, which Wicker said stated that there were no claims of domestic abuse or probable evidence of abuse in the relationship. The Armed Services Committee advanced Hegseths nomination on a party-line vote on Monday and the Senate is set to vote on his nomination in the coming days. Assuming all Democrats vote against him, four Republicans would need to break ranks with the president to sink his nomination. Wicker said Tuesday night that he had not read the affidavit but intended to do so. He added that he thought the purpose of the affidavit was to sway Republican votes but expected Hegseth to be confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Natalia Drozdiak and Steven T. Dennis. (Updates with Wicker comment, in final paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. HENDERSON, Nev. (KLAS) A litany of personal attacks has enveloped the city of Henderson, and elected officials are coming forward to explain why distrust has taken over a part of city hall. On Jan. 7, the law firm Pisanelli Bice served a cease and desist to Councilwoman Carrie Cox on behalf of Mayor Michelle Romero. The purpose: to stop the spread of alleged rumors of an extra-marital affair, according to a copy of the letter 8 News Now obtained. The only plausible purpose that you could have for broadcasting such cruel and despicable statements is to intentionally inflict injury on the mayor, her family and others, Jordan Smith, a partner with Pisenelli Bice, wrote in the letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cease and desist does not name the person involved in the spurious rumors. Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero oversees a council meeting in 2024. (KLAS) In response, the law firm Marquis Aurbach disputed the claim Cox was spreading rumors, citing lack of evidence and describing the cease and desist as vague and nondescript. Your clients demand is utterly devoid of any specific statements or identified credible sources supporting a claim of defamation and which would make your demand for retraction futile, Brian Hardy, a lawyer with Marquis Aurback, wrote. Simply put, without knowing what was specifically said, when it was said and to whom the statements were made, my client has no way of addressing the allegations of your client. Hardy wrote the claims against Cox require her to find out more about the rumors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These claims necessitate and would entitle Councilwoman Cox to pursue discovery into every facet of the alleged underlying truth: whether an extramarital affair has occurred, he wrote. Councilwoman Carrie Cox speaks with 8 News Now in 2024. (KLAS) In September 2024, Cox allegedly attended a meeting with the other members of the Southern Hills Republican Women (SHRW) club. A member of that group wrote to Romero, saying Cox was telling attendees about the alleged affair, according to the email provided to 8 News Now. The conversation disturbed [a member] because she couldnt understand why she was telling her, the member wrote. I told [the member] to ignore the gossip and that it was simply what it is: GOSSIP. Two months later, the SHRW met for another meeting, and the same member allegedly witnessed Cox discussing the affair again, according to a city email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The toxicity and malicious intent to destroy two marriages as well as bring it into our club is not only disturbing but disgusting as well, the member wrote in the city email. And I wish it to stop. City officials were then made aware the same rumors were being spread through the City of Henderson Police Department, according to documents provided to 8 News Now. Romero notified the police union attorney, Andrew Regenbaum, that she would take legal action against any police officers perpetrating the rumor, according to the same documents. Regenbaum responded to a request for a statement Monday and confirmed he did receive a phone call from Romero, who asked if he was aware of any rumor about her personal life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I advised the mayor that I was not aware of any rumors nor had I heard any such talk from the officers in the Henderson Police Department, he wrote. I do not recall Mayor Romero threatening any legal action relative to the police. Instead, she understandably expressed exasperation with the personal political attacks from unnamed sources. He added the interpersonal issues within the city council were unfortunate but added from his vantage point the incident has not interfered with the citys ability to pay attention to the needs of the police department. Families are sacred On Monday, 8 News Now reached out to Romero and asked for comment regarding the cease and desist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe families are sacred, my husband and I have worked hard to build a strong and solid foundation not only for us, but for our children and grandchildren, Romero said. It is unfortunate I had to resort to legal action to protect mine. These untruths will not be tolerated. Cox responded to an 8 News Now request Tuesday. It is unfortunate that the mayor appears to have nothing better to do than to target me simply because I stand for the best interest of the [residents], first responders and businesses of Henderson, Cox said. Ive always been unwavering in my commitment to the citizens of Henderson, their quality of life, and transparency. Sometimes that means I have to stand alone. However, I will not be bullied by those who seek power and control rather than understand what it means to be a public servant. 8 News Now followed up with a question about the SHRW meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have no comment in regards to the allegations other than my attorneys response at this time, Cox said. The city council was expected to meet for its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon. The council can discuss other matters on public record during mayor and councilmember comments at the end of the regular meeting. 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The parents of a 12-year-old boy accused of killing his older brother appeared in court nearly a year after their arrest on child abuse charges. Henderson police officers arrested Jerel Reyes, 52, and Bryanna Reyes, 51 on Feb. 7, 2024. After numerous delays, the couples preliminary hearing was held Tuesday in Henderson Justice Court. Their attorney W. Michael Horvath declined to comment to 8 News Now after the Reyes hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case has been negotiated. Were going to be waiving the preliminary hearing and going straight to [Clark County] District Court. Im not going to put negotiations on the record at this time, Horvath said. Jerel and Bryanna Reyes have been out of custody since last year as each is facing two counts of child abuse and neglect. On Jan. 25, 2024, their 14-year-old son Aizeya Reyes was killed. Police arrested his 12-year-old brother and booked him in the juvenile justice court on an open murder charge. According to an arrest report, officers located 15 guns throughout the Reyes home that were unsecured and within reach of juveniles. Some of the guns were also loaded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a criminal complaint, Clark County prosecutors argued the child abuse charge is justified due to negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child, by defendant leaving one or more unsecured firearms accessible. You heard what your attorney said. Do you want to waive your initial preliminary hearing today without formal negotiations on the record? Henderson Justice Court Judge Sandra Allred Digiacomo said. Jerel and Bryanna Reyes responded with yes. The Clark County Coroners Office stated the teen died of a gunshot wound to the chest/abdomen. According to the arrest report, Henderson police went to the Reyes house located on Capital Gains Drive near Wigwam Parkway and Stephanie Street, where the 12-year-old reportedly admitted to shooting his brother and called it an accident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The brothers were fighting over a phone when the 12-year-old grabbed a gun and shot his older sibling. He claimed he did not know it was loaded, the arrest report stated. Jerel Reyes told police he moved to Las Vegas from Hawaii due to the cost of living and bought firearms as a form of protection. He said he taught his family about gun safety and provided his two minor children with firearms, according to the arrest report. Both Jerel and Bryanna Reyes are scheduled to appear in Clark County District Court on Jan. 28. 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. HENDERSON, Nev. (KLAS) Henderson police will not help any federal agency with deportations, a spokesperson said Tuesday with North Las Vegas polices role in any federal action remaining unclear. The statement comes a day after LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill told 8 News Now that his department will not partake in mass deportation roundups as President Donald Trump lays out his immigration policies. Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, saying during his inaugural address Monday: We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Henderson Police Department is not assisting any federal agencies with operations pertaining to deportations, the spokesperson confirmed. A spokesperson for the North Las Vegas Police Department said it was premature to speculate the impact on Trumps plans on on local law enforcement agencies. Regardless, the North Las Vegas Police Department is committed to enhancing the safety and security of our citizens by providing effective, efficient law enforcement while promoting community partnerships, the spokesperson said. The Henderson Detention Center serves as a temporary holding facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The spokesperson declined to answer a follow-up question about the departments jail policies and suggested 8 News Now file a records request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro alerts ICE during booking and release at its jail for felonies that have the highest impact on public safety, the policy said. However, ICE must obtain a warrant and pick up the inmate. Trumps new self-described border czar previously said he would use U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement to run the biggest deportation operation this countrys ever seen. 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. With President Donald J. Trump back in the White House, he got straight to business cranking out 26 executive orders, 12 memoranda, and 4 proclamations on his first day. Many of them, like Trumps pardoning of all Capitol rioters crimes, sent major alerts around the country, but there are others that Americans havent been paying attention to... and they should be. Heres everything you need to know about the most outrageous orders and proclamations signed by the 47th president of the United States so far. Rescinding Bidens Executive Orders Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images) Not only did Trump sign his own orders, but he most shockingly canceled out a whopping 78 executive orders signed by former President Joe Bidens administration. The majority of these orders, according to the White House, attack DEI, climate change and green energy, and COVID-19 assistance. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico Right before Trump returned to office, he promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. In an executive order, he did just that! According to the White House, It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only that, but Trump also is renaming the tallest mountain in the country, Denali, back to its original name honoring former President McKinley. Terminating DEI Photo: Win McNamee (Getty Images) We all knew this one was coming... Trump signed an order to end diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) programs in federal departments and agencies. His order also details plans to compile a list targeting all federal contractors and grantees with DEI programs, according to the White House. Freeze on Hiring Civilians Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an executive order, the president put a pause on hiring federal civilian employees. This means, if youre waiting to hear back about a government job... youll be waiting for awhile. According to the White House, the freeze began on Jan. 20, 2025 and is expected to continue for at least 90 days. Recognizing Only Two Genders Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo (Getty Images) Trump has officially directed all federal agencies to only recognize two genders, male and female, which are not changeable. According to the White House, this executive order will be reflected on government documents like passports, visas, Global Entry cards, and federal personnel records. This also rescinded Bidens transgender rights efforts. Withdrawing From WHO Photo: Michael M. Santiago (Getty Images) During the pandemic, Trump expressed his repeated frustration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and disappointment with their handling of COVID-19. Now, according to the White House, Trump is back with a vengeance and wants to completely withdraw the country from WHO. The order wont take affect for a full year, according to NPR, but in response to Trump, Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University and director of WHOs Center on Global Health Law, said This is the most cataclysmic decision. He continued saying [This is] a grave wound to American national interests and our national security. Calling for the End of Birthright Citizenship Photo: Andrew Harnik (Getty Images) In a proclamation announced yesterday, Trump is calling for the federal government to not grant U.S. citizenship for people born in the U.S. but have parents who arent citizens or permanent residents also known as birthright citizenship. According to the White House, the proclamation will take effect 30 days from Jan. 20, 2025, for individuals born on or after that date. Critics of Trumps order say it directly contradicts the Constitution, which protects birthright citizenship. Pardoning Capitol Insurrectionists Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump celebrated his second term doing exactly what he promised he would do. Among a series of executive orders signed by the president, Trump most notably either pardoned, commuted the prison sentences, or vowed to dismiss the cases of all roughly 1,500 people charged with crimes connected to the infamous Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, according to the White House. Enacting Mass Deportations Photo: Ethan Miller (Getty Images) It seems the president is making good of yet another one of his controversial campaign promises to perform mass deportations of undocumented immigrants across the nation. According to his executive order, Trump has enlisted all available resources and authorities to help detain unlawful immigrants and further secure the Mexico-U.S. border. Stricter Laws for Asylum Seekers Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson (Getty Images) ...And on the topic of immigration, Trump also ordered the halt of entry by migrant asylum seekers who dont provide sufficient medical information. Additionally, Trumps order requires asylum seekers to provide reliable criminal histories and background information to enter the country. Restoring the Death Penalty Photo: Ron Sachs (Getty Images) Trump signed an execution order directing the attorney general to take all necessary and lawful action to make sure states have enough lethal injection drugs to carry out executions, according to the White House. This comes just weeks after Biden commuted 37 of the 40 total federal death row inmates sentences to life in prison. Trump cited Bidens executive order, calling the former presidents actions a mockery of justice and [an] insult the victims of these horrible crimes. Denying Funding to Sanctuary Cities Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to enacting mass deportations, another executive order completely revokes Biden immigration orders on asylum processing and family reunification. According to the White House, Trump also plans to construct new detention facilities and even suggests denying federal funding to sanctuary cities. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There's a good reason why Donald Trump's executive order about transgender people should be of concern to everyone. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images The order, issued on Monday, is titled "DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT." The order speaks about "the immutable biological reality of sex," couched in the language of protecting women's rights. You know, women's rights, that thing that Trump famously loves. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images Following the news, BuzzFeed spoke to Kellan Baker, PhD, MPH, MA. He's the Executive Director of the Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker and was part of a committee that informed the National Institutes of Health's definition of sex and gender. "Having read literally every definition of sex that's out there, this one is shockingly inaccurate. It is bad science. It's also bad policy," he told BuzzFeed. Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images "There is no easy, simple, straightforward, binary, immutable definition of sex. It simply doesn't exist from a biological standpoint," he continued. "There are any number of elements that go into what we think of as sex. For example, chromosomes, gonads, external genitalia, and hormones." "There's also gender. Gender identity is rooted in the brain. Gender obviously has a lot of social components of it, because it really relates to how people interact with you, for example, how you present yourself in society. But one's knowledge of one's own gender is rooted in the brain," he added. Drew Angerer / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "All of these elements of sex can align. All of these elements of sex can not align with each other. There are many people for whom they would be very surprised if they were to take a chromosome test and learn that perhaps they had an intersex variation, or perhaps there were some element of their bodies that was different from what is typically expected of males and females," Kellan explained. Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images "In science, we would call this a bimodal distribution. There is a clustering of sex traits around two big poles, what we typically call male, and what we typically call female," he explained. "There is a clustering of sex traits around two big poles, what we typically call male and female. But the fact that this distribution has these two clusters at those two areas does not mean that nothing else exists. It does not mean that it is easy and straightforward to look at a person and decide what their 'binary, biological, immutable sex is.' It simply doesn't exist." Piyo Piyo / Getty Images The conversation turned to the definition used in the executive order, which reads, "'Female' means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell." Kellan explained, "This seeks to define women, in particular, by their reproductive capacity. This is something that many people in the United States have fought against." Technically, the language used in the executive order makes it so that everyone is legally a woman as all embryos initially follow a female developmental path. Pool / Getty Images The definition further suggests that personhood begins at conception, which could have further implications for abortion rights. "It is clear that this executive order is, in many ways, just using transgender people as a pretext for taking control of other people's bodies," Kellan said. "This isn't just about command and control over transgender people's bodies and lives. This is about opening the door to police any woman who some stranger decides doesn't look right." One might recall the "transvestigation" panic over Imane Khelif at the Olympics this summer. There are reportedly currently less than 10 transgender athletes even playing on a college level out of a pool of half a million in the US. Pool / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kellan brought up how Republicans have sought to open the door for genital checks of children. He added, "This is about opening up the opportunity for strangers to demand that women prove that they are really women. That type of government overreach and interference in a person's freedom to live their own lives is deeply distressing not just for transgender people, but for anybody who cares about the freedom of each individual person to make their own choices and live their own lives." Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images BuzzFeed further spoke to Jenny Pizer, the Chief Legal Officer at Lambda Legal. "I'm speaking to you from here in California," she began. "We've been having devastating fires and people in emergency situations and so forth. To my mind, [the executive order] heightens a range of concerns about how essential services are delivered." Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images Noting that some emergency shelters are segregated by sex, she continued, "We have situations sometimes where trans women are being forced into facilities for men, where they face violence, sexual assault, and various other types of treatment that causes people to not stay in those shelters and not get the care that they need." She further mentioned immigration detention centers, carceral facilities, and restrooms as areas that could be affected. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images "This is an exceptionally cruel effort to demonstrate strength at the expense of people who are less able to defend themselves and will do as much as they can get away with. In so many areas, that is how Trump and his family seem to behave: How much can they get away with? It reinforces the responsibility on organizations like Lambda Legal, but also elected officials in all sorts of roles, to say no federal authority," Jenny continued. Bloomberg / Bloomberg via Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Calling the executive order "scientific nonsense that defies what we've known for decades about human development," she explained, "Much of that will not be defensible in court, but if the desire is to attempt to change the social dynamics throughout society, we can expect and we've been preparing for efforts to attempt to erase trans, intersex, and nonbinary people from society. Well, they're not going to succeed in doing that, but they seem intent on making life as miserable as they can get away with." Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images If you're also passionate about transgender rights, you can visit the GLAAD website for more information on how to get involved. In the days since President Donald Trump assumed office, many people online have begun expressing alarm to find they were unwittingly following Trump on Instagram and Facebook. Across social media, posts have proliferated by people concerned after discovering they were automatically following accounts for Trump, as well as Vice President JD Vance, first lady Melania Trump and the White House. Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, denied claims they forced users to follow the accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Mike Pence, Joe Rogan, tech CEOs attend Trump's inauguration The accounts are managed by the current presidential administration, and switch over when a new administration takes office, a spokesperson for Meta said. Former President Joe Biden's account remains archived under another handle, @potus46archive. "People were not made to automatically follow any of the official Facebook or Instagram accounts for the President, Vice President or First Lady," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a post on Threads. "Those accounts are managed by the White House so with a new administration, the content on those Pages changes. This is the same procedure we followed during the last presidential transition." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stone also addressed concerns that people were unable to follow the accounts, saying, "It may take some time for follow and unfollow requests to go through as these accounts change hands." PHOTO: CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg attends the inauguration ceremony where Donald Trump will sworn in as the 47th US President in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The company made the same transition in 2021, handing the Facebook and Instagram accounts for the president, vice president, first lady and White House from Trump's administration to that of President Joe Biden. The same process took place in 2017, when President Barack Obama's administration passed its accounts on to the Trump administration. "In 2017, we worked with both the Obama Administration and incoming Trump Administration to make sure the transition of their Facebook and Instagram accounts was seamless on January 20th, and we expect to do the same here," Meta, then known as Facebook, told Reuters in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Here's why Meta ended fact-checking, according to experts Instagram users also expressed concern they were temporarily unable to search for the words "Democrat" or "Democrats." Meta said they were aware of the issue, and said it was a glitch affecting "a number of different hashtags on Instagram -- not just those on the left." "Were working quickly to resolve this," Stone, the Meta spokesperson, said in another post. PHOTO: Donald Trump In Social Media Photo Illustrations (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The online uproar comes on the heels of the inauguration, where Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg -- along with several other high-profile tech CEOs -- were in attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta announced earlier this month they would end fact-checking on their platforms, which was put in place after the 2016 election. Critics have accused the recent move of being a partisan effort to appease Trump, who has repeatedly slammed the company for alleged anti-conservative bias. In a video posted by the company, Zuckerberg said fact-checking had proven to be "too politically biased" and had destroyed "more trust than they've created." "The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech," Zuckerberg added. Here's why you might be automatically following Trump on Instagram, Facebook originally appeared on abcnews.go.com DENVER (KDVR) A coyote is safe and sound after a Jefferson County animal control officer braved frigid weather conditions to rescue it from a fence. The call about a coyote trapped in a wire fence came in from Conifer just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, when temperatures were just starting to plummet for a frigid night, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office reported on X. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for weather alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JCSO Animal Control Officer McMullen proved that even the iciest conditions cant stop a hero on a mission, the post said. Braving freezing temperatures, a wind chill of 20 degrees below zero, and snow piled knee-deep, the officer arrived at the scene, but as he got out of his vehicle, a slip and slide on the ice turned him into a human snowball. The officer managed to push forward and, wire cutters in hand, managed to free the tangled coyote. The best part? A heartwarming sprint to freedom as the coyote darted off into the snowy wilds, no doubt dreaming of its warm, cozy den, the sheriffs office stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capitol Dispatch) As a new Iowa House higher education committee gets its start with the beginning of the legislative session, college and university leaders are signaling their willingness to work with lawmakers while seeking clarification about what return on investment the Statehouse is seeking, the Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports. Higher education committee chair Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said at the committees first meeting Tuesday that this is the first committee to oversee higher education in more than 50 years, with the last higher education committee meeting in 1971. Looking back then, that was really at a time when our campuses were in a state of chaos, Collins said. And in my opinion, we have a different problem now, and that is a crisis of confidence in our higher education system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins said the committee will explore legislation aimed at reviewing academic programs to compare them to workforce needs of the state, reforming core curriculum, controlling costs and expanding access to higher education for rural Iowans, as well as increasing intellectual diversity and proficiency in civics education on campuses and combating predatory institutional accreditors. Bill proposes adding sharks to Iowa dangerous wild animals list Iowa Board of Regents prepared to work with committee The only three-letter acronym Collins said the committee would be using during the session is MEI, which stands for merit, excellence and intelligence, rather than diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. State universities have already cut positions and eliminated or restructured offices related to DEI, directed to do so by the Iowa Board of Regents and legislation passed last session. Collins previously said he doesnt see a need to pass more bills aimed at DEI on college campuses, but the committee will check in to make sure the universities are following the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iowa Board of Regents spokesperson Josh Lehman said in an email that the board office has received several questions and requests for information from Collins, and the office is happy to work with him and other lawmakers on the committee with any questions they have. Lehman said in his email that a recent economic impact study reported that the three state universities together contributed almost $15 billion in income to the state in fiscal year 2022, or around 7% of the total gross product of the state. The universities also support close to 200,000 Iowa jobs, he said, or 1 out of every 10 jobs. We want our universities to be effective and efficient, and continue to be good stewards of the funds that are provided through appropriations and tuition, Lehman said in his email. Thousands of graduates enter the states workforce each year, filling key jobs in areas of need. Our universities have good placement rates. The committee will also oversee community colleges and private universities, whose students benefit from the Iowa Tuition Grant program. Private universities ready for dialogue with lawmakers Gary Steinke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, said he welcomes the committee and the chance it gives the association to work more closely with the Legislature and brag about the work universities are doing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think it gives us a great chance from our private college sector to provide answers to questions that may be out there, to provide information and to talk about what private colleges are, what the money that they give the students that go to private colleges is for, Steinke said. Joel Shrock, president of Graceland University in Lamoni, said he wasnt surprised to hear about the committees formation after seeing the Legislatures interest in higher education last year, and he understands the concerns of higher education becoming politicized. Dialogue is an important tool in moving forward with lawmakers, Shrock said, and in helping them understand some of the issues they see happening on college campuses across the U.S. wont be found in Iowa. We do not support one party or the other. We are not engaged in any kind of politicized attempt to indoctrinate anybody in anything, Shrock said. Were an institution of higher learning, and that means questioning and looking at all sides of an issue, and thats what we try to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Higher education leaders have previously expressed concern about potential changes to the Iowa Tuition Grant program. Collins said in a previous interview that the committee will use data private universities collect about what degree programs grant recipients go into and whether those degrees will result in employment to decide what changes, if any, need to be made. Mark Putnam, president of Central College in Pella and chair of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities board, said applying the Iowa Tuition Grant program to high-demand degree programs and job fields has been in discussion for many years, but hes not concerned about changes like this being implemented. State lawmakers continue to show interest in enabling and encouraging students to earn the credentials they need to pursue a career, especially in industries where employers need people who can do the job. However, the state cannot repeal human development, Putnam said, and try to force a young person into making decisions that could have a large impact on their life. Putnam said he always tells families that majoring in a job title is a risky decision, as things like technology can change industries rapidly and significantly, and it would be a lot to ask a 17- or 18-year-old to make a choice for something that could look incredibly different in a few years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While encouragement to enter into high-demand careers and their education programs through incentives and opportunities make perfect sense, Putnam said, lawmakers have told him over the years that they wouldnt put the Iowa Tuition Grant program in a position of limiting student choice by narrowing what kinds of programs theyre allowed to enroll in with the grant. While the impulse is understandable, the practical reality on the ground does not support it, Putnam said. Shrock said significant changes to the Iowa Tuition Grant program could have a negative impact on the private universities like Graceland, where between one-third and half of enrolled students are Pell eligible, and therefore eligible for the state grant. Higher educations return on investment Another three-letter acronym Collins used in previous interviews about the new committee is ROI, or return on investment. He said lawmakers have every right to look at the academic programs being offered at universities to see how state funds are being used and what benefits Iowa taxpayers will see from them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putnam agreed that there should be a return on investment for every tax dollar spent, but it needs to be made clear just what kind of return the Legislature is expecting. The question of what return on investment colleges are providing is layered and multifaceted, he said, depending on the party that gets the return. For students and their families who invest time, energy and money into higher education, the return on investment could look different than the return for employers, who rely on universities to prepare students to be adaptable, able to communicate effectively and work in teams, Putnam said. This could be different still from the return the state wishes, in both wanting colleges to prepare students for the workforce and to be active citizens. If its support for people who have very low incomes, that are in need, then the return on investment is a better, stronger society, and people who are gaining capacity and self-sufficiency in America, Putnam said. Shrock, who was a historian before entering into higher education administration, said discussions of what kind of return on investment higher education should provide have been going on for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone can agree on the point that universities should educate their students to be successful, Shrock said, but people differ on just how that is accomplished. He said it is a universitys job to help students understand how their degree and the skills they learn in college can be applied to the workforce, whether their major was in something that translates directly into a job field or not. Weve often had this argument about, should liberal education be about uplifting humanity, or should it be about preparing people for the workforce, and I guess I dont understand why those things are mutually exclusive, Shrock said. I think education can be an intrinsic good, and I also think that it can help people develop the skills they need for the modern workforce, particularly as jobs change. Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Two Senate bills seek to recover the hefty cost to search for and rescue trespassing hikers who venture onto illegal or closed trails across the state. Senate Bills 130 and 508 do not specify a dollar amount that hikers would have to reimburse any agency that rescues them. Both bills say trespassing hikers who ignore a warning notice or sign of closure would have to pay all or a portion, but not less than half, of all search and rescue expenses, which typically involve county firefighters, helicopters, pilots, ambulances and medical crews. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB 508 specifies that trespassing hikers would be fined if they act with intentional disregard. It also proposes that the penalty for criminal trespass rise to a misdemeanor from a petty misdemeanor. The Honolulu Fire Department conducts most search and rescue hiking operations on Oahu and has consistently disagreed with every previous bill that resembles the efforts of SBs 130 and 508. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Requiring payment for certain rescues may cause lost or injured hikers to hesitate or not request assistance from first responder agencies, Louise Kim McCoy, HFD spokesperson, wrote in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Such a delay in requesting assistance may exacerbate the situation, further endangering the lives of persons involved and their potential rescuers. HFD helps anyone who calls for rescue and worries that charging them would push them to make an attempt to self-rescue, further endangering themselves and potentially making a rescue more complex, McCoy said. Twelve senators introduced SB 130, and most referred questions to state Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D, East and Upcountry Maui-Molokai-Lanai ). She did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB 508 offers illegal hikers a way to avoid paying for the cost of their search and rescue by purchasing a proposed hike safe card before going on a hike. The hike safe card would protect hikers even if they were rescued from an illegal site, unless the search and rescue response was caused by behavior that any reasonable person would consider to be reckless. Under SB 508, hike safe cards would cost no less than $25 for an individual and no less then $35 for a family. The cards would be valid for one year. Proceeds from the sale of the cards would go into a new statewide search and rescue special fund, which would be created by another bill, SB 1177. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB 1177 also would create a new positionOffice of the State Search and Rescue Coordinatorto serve as a centralized authority statewide for search and rescue operations. It would be part of the new state Fire Marshals Office. The bill also seeks to address a lack of funding, tools, and technology for state-wide searches. In 2024 the Diamond Head Summit Trail near Waikiki represented the top site for HFD hiker rescues, followed by Lulumahu Falls, Koko Crater Stairs and Lanikai Pillbox. Theyre all legal and popular hikes, especially among tourists. But HFD also regularly rescues hikers from illegal trails including the Stairway to Heaven, which leads to the top of the Koolau Mountain Range above the H-3 freeway in Kaneohe, and Sacred Falls State Park in Hauula, which has been closed since the fatal Mothers Day 1999 rockslide that killed eight people and injured dozens more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Data collected by HFD between 2022 and 2024 showed 510 rescues from legal trails based on a list of trails pulled from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks Na Ala Hele trail website. By comparison, there were 282 rescues for hikers on illegal or unlisted trails. But McCoy said that the data may not be a true representation because there isnt a complete list of all trails (let alone legal or not ) on the island. There are also trails that arent technically illegal, but may not have made any state or city lists as legal. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) One year ago this week, the community of San Diego dealt with a devastating deluge. As floodwaters swept the city on Jan. 22, 2024, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards made more than 140 rescues while navigating rising waters and floating debris. Nobody drowned or died because of that historic storm. Its impressive work, said James Gartland, a lifeguard chief. Deadline approaching to apply for property tax relief from January 2024 floods Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those rescues required special equipment like drysuits to keep lifeguards safe from contaminants in the floodwater. Last years bout of historic rainfall highlighted the need for additional equipment. The rescuers sealed inside of it, theres membranes all around the collars, Gartland explained. The 30 new drysuits and personal floatation devices, purchased by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation with a grant from the San Diego River Conservancy, are replacing outdated ones that were 20 years old. They just reoutfitted the entire team with brand new gear, said Gartland. He said it allows them to focus on what really matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not having to focus on the equipment makes us able to be able to get what we need to done, said Hannah Lukasik, another lifeguard. Gartland said funding will allow them to spread out their expenses and purchase new suits on a five-year cycle, ensuring the safety of those working to keep the community 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The location of multiple beloved restaurants in Donelson was destroyed in a fire early Wednesday morning. Nashville firefighters were called to historic farmhouse located at 2739 Old Elm Hill Pike around 2:30 a.m. Man charged with arson at North Nashville church Ellendale's Grecian Inn Old Elm Hill Pike fire Ellendale's Grecian Inn Old Elm Hill Pike fire Ellendale's Grecian Inn Old Elm Hill Pike fire Ellendale's Grecian Inn Old Elm Hill Pike fire Ellendale's Grecian Inn Old Elm Hill Pike fire (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) The fire department reported heavy flames and smoke were visible through the roof when crews arrived at the home. The home is believed to have been vacant and no injuries were reported. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The 100-year-old, wood-framed house was the home of the beloved restaurant, Ellendales, the second home of the Nashville spaghetti house, the Grecian Inn, a Moose lodge and it was the original location of Purity Dairy Farms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ellendales closed in 2018 and was open for nearly 20 years. News 2 has reached out to members of the community for reaction. More to come on News 2 at 11. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 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 WKRN News 2. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) The Gulf Coast experienced a rare and historic snowstorm on Tuesday, with record-breaking snowfall blanketing the New Orleans metro area. Residents across Southeast Louisiana woke up to a winter wonderland as snowfall totals rivaled those seen in northern climates, disrupting travel and leaving many in awe. New Orleans and Metairie led the region with an astonishing 10 inches of snow reported in some areas. Kenner recorded 8 inches at Louis Armstrong International Airport, with Gretna receiving up to 5 inches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearby Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish recorded a staggering 11.5 inches. Snowfall peaked at 10 inches near Des Allemands, while Hahnville and Norco saw totals of 8 and 7.8 inches, respectively. Meanwhile in St. Tammany Parish, Eden Isle recorded 7 inches, with Slidell and Mandeville measuring between 5 and 6 inches. In Lafourche Parish, Larose reported 10.1 inches, while Thibodaux and Galliano saw totals nearing 9 inches. The snowstorm caused widespread disruptions to transportation and daily routines. Roads became impassable, flights were delayed or canceled, and schools and businesses were closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Weather Service urges residents to stay off icy roads, emphasizing the risk of accidents and further disruptions. Authorities remind residents to remain indoors unless travel is essential, as freezing temperatures are expected to persist overnight, leading to hazardous road conditions through Wednesday and early Thursday. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Copyright 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 WGNO. JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Tuesdays winter storm is bringing many Floridians their first look at snow in years, or ever. But the excitement of the historic winter storm is met with safety concerns. Towing service owner and Florida native Wesley Hatcher warns residents about driving in the hazardous conditions. Take it slow, leave your lights on, look out for the other person? Just take your time. If you got to go somewhere, leave a little bit ahead of time so you can make it in time. So you wont get in a fender bender. Takes a while for everybody to get everything sorted out, so just drive safe, and take your time, time will do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He reminds residents who must travel to remain calm if their car begins to slide. If you do start hydroplaning, dont jump on the brakes. Its just like grease, it just slides. Just try to maintain the steering wheel the best you can usually give a little gas to try to get you straightened back up, but mostly prevent that reaction, lock the brake, and keep sliding straight. Do not use cruise control on slick roadways, and dont count on antilock break. As the cold weather worsens through Tuesday night into Wednesday, be wary of black ice. Its most prevalent in the early morning hours and is not easily seen especially with snow cover on top. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hatcher said hell be responding to calls throughout the night 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. The Historical Society of Carroll County will host the discussion, The Gettysburg Campaign in Carroll County presented by Kyle Wichtendahl at Grace Lutheran Church in Westminster, March 18. Kyle will recount the experiences of civilians and soldiers as Confederate and Union armies invaded and occupied Carroll County during the weeks surrounding the Gettysburg battle, according to HSCC. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch, while desserts and drinks will be provided, according to HSCC. There is no registration to attend, however the cost is $3 for HSCC members and $7 for nonmembers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event will take place at Grace Lutheran Church at 21 Carroll Street in Westminster, March 18 from 12-1 p.m. For more information, visit hsccmd.org. The City of Westminster seeks water superintendent The City of Westminster is looking for a water superintendent for the Water Treatment Plant. The water superintendent will be responsible for overseeing and supervising the daily operations and aspects for water treatment, including all treatment plants and well systems, according to the City of Westminster. This position is charged with providing potable water for public consumption in sufficient quantities for firefighting and coordinates with others the improvement, maintenance and expansion of the system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma with preference given to higher education in fields of chemistry, engineering and seven years of progressively complex experience in the water treatment field or equivalent combination of education, training and related experience, according to the City of Westminster. Salary for this full-time, 40-hour Grade 117 is $73,639.85 $118,169.84 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Benefits include dental, health, life insurance, a pension plan and vision. To apply, go to westminstermd.gov/jobs. The position will remain open until Jan. 31. Bon Secours to host caregivers retreat The Sisters of Bon Secours will host a caregivers retreat at Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, March 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attendees will spend time being reaffirmed as a caregiver for someone with a long-term illness or condition, including (but not limited to) dementia, according to the Sisters of Bon Secours. This retreat utilizes a lens for understanding the spiritual or meaningful dimensions of the caregiver role and experience and is tailored to uplift participants who may or may not provide hands-on care for their loved one, but who are involved in their lives. Topics that will be explored include burnout, compassion, family dynamics, the necessity of self-care and the often-conflicting emotions that accompany the caregiver journey, according to the Sisters of Bon Secours. Throughout the program, participants will be invited to engage in meditation or prayer, storytelling, writing and other exercises that validate the caregivers experience and provide therapeutic tools for the ongoing commitment of caregiving. The retreat will take place at Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center at 1525 Marriottsville Road in Marriottsville, March 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To register, visit bonsecoursrcc.org. The Historical Society of Carroll County hosts Carroll Voices 250 Community Forum The Historical Society of Carroll County will host the Carroll Voices 250 Community Forum at Carroll County Public Library Eldersburg Branch, March 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Carroll Voices 250 Advisory Committee will be providing updates on its progress and offering input on activities and initiatives celebrating the countrys 250th birthday, according to HSCC. The forum will take place at the Carroll County Public Library Eldersburg Branch at 6400 W. Hemlock Drive, March 12 from 2-3:30 p.m. To register, visit ccpl.librarymarket.com. The Historical Society hosts History: Shaken and Stirred Untold Stories of McDaniel College The Historical Society of Carroll County will host the event, History: Shaken and Stirred Untold Stories of McDaniel College at Covalent Spirits LLC in Westminster, April 3. The event will feature five speakers telling three five-minute, untold, local history stories with the crowd in a relaxed setting, according to HSCC. This quarter, a special history-themed drink will be developed by owners Jenn and Drew. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no RSVP or reservation required. The event will take place at Covalent Spirits LLC at 118 E. Main St. in Westminster, April 3 from 6-8 p.m. For more information, visit hsccmd.org. Business briefs offer information about Carroll County-based companies, employees and their operations, news of awards, promotions, new business openings, new hires, etc. Send your release to the Carroll County Times, P.O. Box 169, Westminster, MD 21158, or cctnews@carrollcountytimes.com. Jan. 22Gov. Katie Hobbs brought her vow to try to restore "our Arizona Promise" to the East Valley Jan. 14, telling several hundred business and government leaders her plan to do that in the face of a Legislature that likely will disagree with a good number of her proposals. As she and her three immediate predecessors have done for the last 22 years, the governor presented essentially the same message she gave a day earlier to lawmakers in her annual State of the State Address. Speaking at a breakfast sponsored by the East Valley Chambers of Commerce, Hobbs said that promise is one "that everyday people can find opportunity, security and freedom, the promise that through hard work and perseverance, you can build a good life for yourself and your family and leave your kids with a better tomorrow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "For many years, we lived by this creed and realized this promise, but for too many, the Arizona promise has slipped away. Our cost of living is too high. People are working harder and struggling more. Our freedoms are under attack, and our sense of security has altered for too long." She recounted growing up in Tempe, graduating from Northern Arizona and Arizona State universities, raising her children with her husband as well as losing her home in the Great Recession and taking a second job as an Uber driver to buy Christmas gifts for her kids. While she deferred giving many fiscal details pending the release of her proposed budget after this newspaper's Friday deadline, Hobbs listed a series of measures she planned to push for. Affordable housing led that list as she said she wants to extend the state's low-income housing tax credit, give municipalities more of a say in regulating short-term rentals, increase the number of first-time homebuyers who receive assistance and cutting red tape that's driving up housing costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said her budget also would include money to end homelessness for military veterans by the next decade. Reducing the cost of child care which she said averages $15,000 a year for families also is high on her agenda. Along with that, Hobbs noted her administration has helped 19,000 more children have health insurance and that she wants to "build on our success" by making 12-month post-partum coverage permanent and expand women's access to family planning services. "But lowering cost alone will not bring about the Arizona Promise," Hobbs said. "We must embrace a vision of economic opportunity. Whether you're chasing your dream job in a trade or launching the next big thing, you should have the chance to succeed and build a better life for yourself and your family." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said her BuilditAz Initiative is "creating opportunities for thousands of talented, driven individuals" and touted her administration's efforts in making Arizona an epicenter of the high-tech industry. That goes hand in hand with increasing money for public education, the governor continued, saying a top priority is extending Proposition 123 for another 10 years to assure more general education funding, higher pay for teachers and support staff and capital investments for safety and security. Hobbs also called on lawmakers to rein in spending on Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or school vouchers for parents who send their kids to private schools. Hobbs also addressed the border crisis and said she wants a 5% raise for state law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'll continue working with the Legislature to protect our border, because until all Arizonans feel secure in their communities, we will not be able to deliver on our promise of freedom and opportunity," she said. Asked during a brief question-and-answer session how her goals for border security would jibe with those of President-elect Trump, Hobbs said, "I think it's hard to know exactly what's going to happen because there's been a lot of talk and not a lot of specifics about plans. "But I'm going to do what I'm doing to continue to do what I've been doing from day one. I will fight for the resources Arizona needs to keep our community safe. I'll put Arizona's resources where they can be most effective." "I won't stand for things that harm our communities, that hurt jobs and hurt the economy, and I am hopeful there's opportunities to work with the incoming administration, because I know border security is a huge issue for Arizonans, whether they live on the border or not, and I'm encouraged by things that the incoming president has said." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hobbs also vowed to protect Arizona's water supply. Stating "I remain committed to true bipartisan reform to protect our groundwater," she also slammed the "this Legislature's lack of action on water security." "If the Legislature fails to act, I will again," she said. Stating she will continue "defending Arizona's rightful share of the Colorado River," Hobbs noted the current agreement divvying up its water with the Basin States and tribes expires at the end of next year. "The solutions for our water challenges won't come from Washington, D.C. They will come from Western states working together, not against each other." HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia is set to lead a St. Patricks parade in Ireland this year. Absurd Appetites exhibit opens at Holyoke Community College Mayor Garcia was asked to be the grand marshal of the Saint Patricks Day Parade in Tralee, Ireland on March 17th. Tralee Mayor Mikey Sheehy invited Garcia in November to participate in their St. Patricks Day festivities. Im humbled but also pretty psyched, Garcia said. Leading a St. Patricks Day parade in Ireland? How cool is that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having Mayor Garcia as Grand Marshal is an honor for Tralee, said Mayor Mikey Sheehy. The bond between Holyoke and Ireland is deep and historic, and were thrilled to welcome him. This visit not only celebrates our shared heritage but also paves the way for cultural, commercial, and tourism collaborations that can benefit both communities in meaningful ways. The city states that the host one of the largest St. Patricks Day parades in the United States, as they are known as the Ireland of America. The Parade is a tradition thats rooted in the citys history as a hub for Irish immigrants who built its canals and worked in the paper mills during the 19th century. The highest honor for the parade is actually named after President John F. Kennedy who also participated in the parade back in 1958. Kennedys brother Teddy was a regular visitor of Holyoke as U.S. Senator. After his visit to Ireland, Mayor Garcia will then return to Holyoke for the citys annual Parade on March 23rd. You can watch the parade right here on 22News. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. White House border czar Tom Homan said sanctuary cities will see more collateral arrests as he works to implement President Trumps immigration plan. Homan joined CNNs Inside Politics on Tuesday to discuss the Trump administrations mass deportation plan, which he said goes into effect immediately. Host Dana Bash pressed Homan, asking how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is specifically finding people who have committed crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres going to be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities because they forced us to go into the community and find the guy were looking for, Homan said. Homan slammed sanctuary cities, places that attempt to be safe for migrants, and said law enforcement needs to go into the communities to find the migrant who has a criminal conviction. When you release a public safety threat out of a sanctuary jail and they wont give us access to him, that means we got to go to the neighborhood and fine him, and we will find him, but when we find him, he may be with others, Homan said. Others that dont have a criminal conviction and are in the country illegally. They will be arrested too. And this is a difference between the last administration and this administration, he continued. ICE is going to enforce the immigration law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homan added that there is nothing in the Immigration and Nationality Act that says a person has to be convicted of a serious crime to be removed from the country. Bash questioned Homan on the matter, asking if American citizens could be part of ICEs raids. What Im telling you is, when we go find our priority target, which is a criminal alien, if hes with others in the United States illegally, were going to take enforcement action against him, Homan said. Were going to force immigration law. Those people would be processed and put in detention, he said. Homan said he wouldnt call the operations raids or targeted enforcement. The process has been well planned and investigated, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Many homeless shelters have their regular customers year-round, but when temperatures drop, more people show up. It takes extra beds, extended hours and all hands on deck to meet that demand. For those facing homelessness, life in winter weather can feel like survival mode. Download the WHNT News 19 App to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WHNT News 19 newsletters to have news sent to your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are kind of forced into a scenario to try to stay alive, Downtown Rescue Mission Executive Vice President Jonathan Walsh said. When the temperatures drop down into the teens, it is just too cold for people to stay outside. Walsh said that leaves a vulnerable population calling for help. We dont turn anybody away as long as they have an ID, Walsh said. [A] warm meal, shower, shelter. And in the morning, we dont put them out on the street until theyre ready. They could stay all day if they want. Downtown Rescue Mission prioritizes taking care of everyone who walks through its doors, saying itll do whats necessary to ensure everyone has a safe and warm place to sleep. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local nonprofit recognizes Madison County Sheriffs deputy for saving animals We have plenty of mats, Walsh said. The hallways are available, and we keep the inside temperature warm enough so that is way better than being on the street. We see bad scenarios all the time, and we dont want to increase that by turning someone away. Its a team effort with other shelters. At First Stop, they provided an overnight shelter for the first time. Last night we were full, but we accomplished our mission of helping to relieve the pressure on some of the other warming centers, First Stop Executive Director Chad Rodriguez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rodriguez has worked with his team to mimic the same services as Downtown Rescue Mission: meals, beds and clean bathrooms. However, they only have so many beds and arent equipped to allow people to stay all day. Weve got 21 beds on a first-come, first-serve basis, Rodriguez said. Were working with the other warming centers. So we will send people back and forth if need be. Rodriguez said their outreach goes even further, sending staff to regularly check on people facing homelessness at the Derrick Street Camp. We work with the citys Homeless Outreach Initiative and go out there multiple times a week, sometimes to do assessments, meet the homeless where they are, provide supplies, Rodriguez said. And any type of support that they may need from us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The more people they serve, the more supplies they need, especially in colder conditions. Rodriguez said the need is so great that as soon as donations come in, they go right out. 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. Tom Horne on Jan. 13, 2025, in the Arizona House of Representatives. Photo by Gage Skidmore | Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Hornes wish list for Arizona schools includes more armed security, no transgender athletes and less focus on racial differences. During his State of Education address on Tuesday, Horne, a Republican who is in his second stint as state schools chief, thanked the legislators on the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee for their work last week to forward a bill to the full House that would free up funding to pay retired police officers to protect schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saying you want a gun-free school is like saying you are an easy victim, Come get me, Horne told the committee. Horne commended the school resource officer who apprehended a man armed with a gun and a knife inside a Tucson charter school last week, where 20 students and multiple staff members were present. If the school resource officer hadnt been there, Horne said, Twenty students and additional adults would have lost their lives, and the students parents would have had their lives ruined by uncontrollable grief. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Both Horne and GOP Rep. Matt Gress, the chairman of the committee, urged Democrats who say guns dont belong in schools to rethink their positions. Gress referred to arguments made by Democrats on the committee last week who said they would like to see more funding for counselors and social workers in schools instead of or in addition to police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There couldnt have been enough counselors or social workers to have helped that individual at that moment, as an intruder who was on campus, right? Gress asked. Horne said he agreed and that additional counselors would have been killed. Philosophical issues During his speech on Tuesday, Horne also touched on other contentious political issues the supposed teaching of critical race theory in public schools and the rights of transgender students which he described as philosophical differences. Horne said he believes in the traditional American value of individual merit instead of acknowledging and accommodating the different backgrounds and experiences of students from different cultures and races. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Focus on racial preferences does not do anything to encourage hard work, conscientiousness or creativity, Horne said. If our country were to adopt that philosophy, we would become a mediocre third-world nation and China would call the shots in the world. Nearly 20 years ago, during his first stint as superintendent of public instruction, Horne was behind a ban on ethnic studies in public schools that was later found to be unconstitutional and rooted in racism. There is no evidence that critical race theory, a college-level academic concept that explores the social structures that create and support racism, is being taught in Arizonas K-12 public schools, and public educators have repeatedly said it isnt being taught in schools here. Transgender athletes Biological males have no business in girls sports, showers or locker rooms, Horne told the Education Committee. News sources are filled with stories about girls who work hard to be qualified for a team, maybe get a scholarship, maybe even try for the Olympics, and then have their dreams shattered when they had to compete against the biological male with the advantages of male muscularship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That isnt true. In 2023, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union told Newsweek that only five transgender middle and high school athletes who compete on girls teams had been identified in the entire United States, although privacy laws prevent reporting of the exact number. And the Associated Press reported in 2021, that Republicans who backed transgender athlete bans had a difficult time pointing to local instances of other girls being pushed aside by trans girls on their team. When Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat who is responsible for defending state laws in court, refused to do so for a law banning transgender girls from sports, Horne instead stepped in to defend the law, alongside Senate President Warren Petersen. The law, passed by Republicans in the Legislature in 2022, was found to be unconstitutional and is currently blocked by a federal appeals court while a lawsuit challenging it moves forward. Students, teachers and academics Horne acknowledged on Tuesday that the two major goals outlined in his State of Education speech last year had still not come to fruition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In last years address, Hornes priorities were increased pay but only for teachers, not support staff and harsher discipline for students who misbehave. At the time, Horne said that both of these policies would help improve teacher retention by making them feel more supported. But Republicans plan to increase teacher pay failed to make it to the finish line last year, as did Hornes proposal to pressure school districts to dole out more severe punishments. Neither garnered bipartisan support, which Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has made clear is a requirement for her to consider signing legislation instead of vetoing it. Horne said that renewing Proposition 123 was essential to his continued plan to bump up teacher pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2015, Arizona voters approved Prop. 123, increasing from 2.5% to 6.9% the distribution from the State Land Trust that goes to K-12 education. But that extra money is set to expire at the end of June. Hobbs and the Republicans who control the Legislature have been squabbling over the past year or so about when to put a Prop. 123 renewal to voters and at what distribution percentage. No bilingual education Horne also doubled down on his commitment to fight bilingual education for K-12 students who are learning English language learners. Last year, a judge tossed Hornes lawsuit aimed at shutting down dual-language instruction at Arizona schools after he contended that it violated Arizona law. In the 50-50 Dual Language Immersion teaching model used in some Arizona schools, students learn half the day in English and the other half in another language, such as Spanish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Horne, who has long opposed dual-language instruction, claims that the dual language model violates Proposition 203 approved by voters more than 20 years ago which mandates English-only instruction and requires a parental waiver before bilingual methods can be taught. Horne claims that English comprehension improved drastically for English language learners when he began enforcing the English-immersion teaching model during his first two terms as schools chief, from 2002 through 2010. However, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Justice Department found that, from 2006 to 2012, thousands of Arizona students were incorrectly promoted from ELL programs or were never identified as English learners in the first place because of changes in scoring that the Arizona Department of Education made to English proficiency tests. And Rep. Brian Garcia, D-Tempe, told Horne on Tuesday that he was one of the English-immersion students who was not well-served by that teaching model. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to his campaign website, Garcia grew up in Arizona with parents from El Salvador and Mexico. Garcia, who spoke Spanish at home when he was growing up, said that he had to teach himself English grammar while he was in law school. Vouchers Horne said he will continue to defend the states universal school voucher program, formally known as the Empowerment Scholarship Account program. When the voucher program was created in 2012, it served a small number of students who met specific criteria. Republicans in the Legislature, along with Gov. Doug Ducey, expanded the program in 2022 to apply to any K-12 child, regardless of parent income. Students who participate receive a voucher to pay private school tuition, to use for homeschooling or to save for college tuition. Before the universal expansion, the voucher program served around 12,000 students, but now there are more than 83,000 students enrolled, according to the Department of Education, with a total budget of almost $1 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program has come under attack from Democrats and public school advocates who have described it as an entitlement program for wealthy parents, many of them with children who were attending private school prior to receiving a voucher. Republicans, on the other hand, have praised the program as a national model for school choice. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Does "Hot 'n Now" evoke memories of a former drive-thru-only burger joint offering ultra-inexpensive sliders and cheesy taters? If so, get ready for a Michigan comeback. Fast-food burger chain Hot 'n Now, founded in Kalamazoo, is being revived. A partnership between Gun Lake Investments (GLI), a Grand Rapids-based tribal economic development corporation, and Alpena business owner and developer Jeff Konczak was announced on Tuesday. The partnership formed HNN Holdings LLC. It acquired the Hot 'n Now name last October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a news release, the partnership plans two locations near Gun Lake Casino and Alpena, with more to follow. HNN Holdings plans to maintain Hot 'n Now's affordable menu concept. GLI is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe. We are thrilled to announce the brand acquisition and new stores alongside such a great partner, said Monica King, Chief Executive Officer of GLI in a news release. Our teams share big ideas, energy, passion and dedication, so we are eager for this collaboration to move to the next step." A developer in northeast Michigan, Konczak owns B Cubed Manufacturing which makes modular drive-thru buildings such as the ones for Biggby Coffees drive-thru locations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Konczak said the brand is known for its history of providing "value to consumers and their families. More: Hudsonville searches for ultimate ice cream fan to taste test for a year Neal Rubin: Sheetz got shut down by my city, but it's not taking 'no' for an answer We are excited to partner with GLI on the brand acquisition, as they share our commitment to making our offerings accessible to families nationwide," Konczak said in a news release. "Rather than limiting affordability to a few items, our entire menu will be priced to accommodate a wide range of households and incomes.Hot 'n Now started in the early 1980s and was eventually known as the spot for a 39-cent burger. Over the years, the chain was acquired several times and once operated under Taco Bell, then a subsidiary of PepsiCo. Once known as Hot Brands Inc., based in Holt, the company operated 44 Hot 'n Now locations in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, according to a 2003 Free Press report. The company later filed for bankruptcy.Michigan's only Hot 'n Now location remains in Sturgis at 609 S. Centerville Rd., near the Indiana-Michigan border. At the Sturgis location, a December Facebook post recently announced adding Door Dash delivery. Its first Door Dash order was on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hot 'n Now burger chain is making a Michigan comeback PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) School administrators must have college training in South Dakota Indian studies, too, according to a majority in the state House of Representatives. Daktronics to move jurisdiction to Delaware House members voted 54-12 on Tuesday to send HB1002 to the Senate for further action. Officials in the state Department of Education want the change, and Republican Rep. Roger DeGroot, a retired school superintendent, presented their case. He said the law as currently written refers to any teacher and administrators are covered through an administrative rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an easy, short cleanup bill, DeGroot said. Republican Rep. Logan Manhart spoke against the change. He argued that it was too broad I think the language is a little vague. and would add another hurdle. He said it could invite diversity, equity and inclusion challenges, too. Republican Rep. Phil Jensen asked DeGroot whether Jewish history courses were required. Im pretty certain there are not, DeGroot answered. Black history? Jensen asked. Certainly theres not, DeGroot said. No further questions, Jensen said. Republican Rep. Tina Mulally asked whether she correctly understood that the department currently has the administrators requirement in a rule and now wants to put that rule into law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats correct, said DeGroot, who serves on the Legislatures Rules Review Committee. Mulally said that was the opposite of the way things are supposed to work. They should be folliwing the law in the first place, she said. Democratic Rep. Eric Emery, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, said teachers are already required to take courses in South Dakota Indian studies. He asked a broader question: Why wouldnt we want to learn about them? Why wouldnt we want to understand where they come from? Republican Rep. Trish Ladner said school officials in her legislative district support the legislation and she would, too. Republican Rep. Lana Greenfield, a retired teacher, said administrators sometimes move to South Dakota from other states where there isnt an Indian studies requirement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a cleanup, Greenfield said. Its a net to catch everybody. 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 KELOLAND.com. Speaker Mike Johnson has launched a new effort intended to cast doubt on the findings of a now-disbanded congressional panel, charged with investigating President Donald Trumps role in the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the Capitol. A day after Johnson stood by Trumps decision to pardon hundreds of rioters who assaulted police officers that day, the Louisiana Republican announced plans to appoint a new select subcommittee led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) to take aim at the work of the previous Jan. 6 subcommittee that first probed the attack. That Democrat-led panel, appointed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), attributed the chaos and violence that day to Trumps months-long campaign to sow doubt about the 2020 election results. The select committees efforts amassed an extraordinary trove of witness transcripts that helped fuel criminal cases against Trump in Washington and Florida for efforts to subvert the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This new panel will be a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a close Trump ally. It comes after Loudermilk had already spent two years probing the work of the Jan. 6 committee, as well as failures of Capitol security that helped facilitate the rioters breach of the building. Johnsons announcement also follows Trumps decision to pardon or dismiss charges against virtually all of the 1,600 people arrested for storming the Capitol. Those decisions included dropping cases against hundreds of violent perpetrators, as well as 18 people convicted of seditious conspiracy. The president's made his decision; I don't second guess those, Johnson said, adding, we move forward, there are better days ahead of us, that's what we're excited about. We're not looking backwards, we're looking forwards. Loudermilk, however, told reporters Wednesday that looking backwards was a key aspect of the panels ability to make changes for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youve got to look backwards to look forward, Loudermilk said Loudermilk emphasized that a big task of the panel will be to consider significant changes in how we secure this building and how we secure the people that are here, and also member security, and also looking at the number of intelligence failures that we have found. Though Loudermilks comments didnt speak to the Pelosi-appointed Jan. 6 select committee, both Johnson and Jordan said its work would be a focus of Loudermilks panel. Its not yet clear how many members will serve on the committee and how many slots will be marked for Democratic appointees. When asked if Democrats would serve on the committee, Jordan told reporters, youd have to ask Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Jordan also said the subcommittee was looking to collaborate with Trumps picks at the Department of Justice, specifically attorney general nominee Pam Bondi, deputy attorney general nominee Todd Blanche, and Trumps nominee to lead the FBI Kash Patel. Jan. 22A year after her passing, Sheila Wishek is still giving back to the community. The Lodi Community Foundation announced on Tuesday that it will receive a nearly $30 million donation from the Sheila Wishek estate, one of the largest gifts she has bestowed to a single entity. John Ledbetter, chair of the foundation's board of directors, said the donation will support grantmaking efforts that address issues affecting Lodi and surrounding areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the unprecedented and unexpected size of the gift, a process has begun to assess and expand the LCF's organizational capacity, he said. "All of us on the Lodi Community Foundation board of directors are completely surprised and overwhelmed by the size of this gift from Sheila," he said. "She had told us that the foundation would receive a contribution, but this is beyond any of our expectations. Her gift to the foundation is a total game-changer, not just for the foundation itself, but for the entire community of Lodi." Ledbetter added that a process to develop "best practice" policies and procedures in all of the foundation's functional areas has also begun. "We are taking a thoughtful and strategic approach to the complex work ahead, which I believe Sheila would have appreciated and expected," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board has contacted Russ Hayward, a local nonprofit consultant, to assist with developing grantmaking policies to distribute Wishek's donation, as well as with the LCF's capacity building needs to administer this new body of work. Born and raised in Lodi, Wishek passed away on Jan. 12, 2024 in San Francisco and left millions of dollars to 18 organizations, including St. Anne's Church and school, the Lodi Woman's Club, Salvation Army, Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation, Lodi Boys and Girls Club, the Hutchins Street Square Foundation and the Lodi Public Library Foundation. Last year, her estate gifted $1 million to the San Joaquin County Historical Society's Pioneer Village project, which will transform a portion of Micke Grove Regional Park into an interactive 19th century town. St. Anne's Catholic Church and St. Anne's School both received $1 million gifts from the estate last year, and the Lodi Woman's Club received $2 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wishek's father Carl was a Farmers and Merchants Bank cashier until his death in 1988. He and his family were one of the bank's largest stockholders, and when Wishek died last year, she owned more than 5% of its stock, which totaled more than $37 million. Wishek attended St. Anne's as a child growing up in Lodi in the 1940s and graduated from Lodi Union High School in 1954. She was a permanent resident of San Francisco, running an antique store on Polk Street until 2007. She was entombed with her parents and brother at Lodi Memorial Cemetery. A new fire in Southern California has exploded from 500 acres to more than 8,000 in just a few hours, prompting new evacuation orders for an area already reeling from blazes that have raged and destroyed thousands of homes. The Hughes Fire grew rapidly near Castaic Lake, after it sparked around 10:53 a.m. PST Wednesday. Crews on the ground and in the sky attacked the flames, which were spreading over 23 football fields every minute, according to ABC 7. It is 0 percent contained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That ones gonna go nuclear. Its big, wildfire expert Jacob Weigler told The New York Post. Weigler said he had been in contact with colleagues near the scene and that an initial equipment request from fire services indicated a potentially massive disaster. Vehicles drive on a highway and a cloud of smoke rises in the background as firefighters battle the Hughes Fire north of Santa Clarita, California, on Wednesday. The blaze quickly grew to more than 5,000 acres amid critical fire weather (REUTERS) Roughly 19,000 people were being evacuated south and west of the fire, officials told KTLA, with thousands more under evacuation warnings. Home to more than 18,000 people, Castaic is located near Castaic Lake, a 12,658-acre reservoir that supplies water to the Los Angeles area. The nearby city of Santa Clarita has more than 224,000 residents. It is known for its Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park. Several schools were forced to close. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As many of you may know, a vegetation fire is currently burning on the east side of Castaic Lake, an alert sent by the William S. Hart Union High School District to Castaic High families read, according to The Signal. We have been reassured by our law enforcement and fire partners that the school is currently not in any danger. Out of an abundance of caution, and as a result of poor air conditions, we will be ceasing all school activities for the day immediately. Students will be dismissed to leave at 11:40 a.m. A map shows the Hughes Fire and affected communities near Santa Clarita, California. The wildfire has rapidly grown amid windy and dry conditions (Cal Fire) I-5 was affected by thick smoke, and offramps along the artery were shut down. Drivers looking to escape the fire were met with gridlock traffic, Fox 11 said. Images from Oxnard showed yellow-tinged skies and a blood-orange sun. The urgency is definitely there. You think youre ready, but youre never ready. Youre never really ready to go, resident David Monroe told ABC 7. ...It hits you fast. Gov. Gavin Newsom said that state resources had been deployed to assist in the federal response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire, he wrote in a post on social media. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but forecasters had warned of more critical fire weather affecting the region through Thursday. The Hughes Fire was not the first fire start of the day. The seven-acre Bernardo Fire in San Diego County also forced evacuations. It is now 25 percent contained, according to CBS 8. Plumes of smoke rise as the Hughes Fire burns in Castaic, California, on Wednesday. The fire is at 0 percent containment (AP) The new fires come as progress continues to be made to contain the deadly and devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires that tore through parts of Los Angeles last week. The Eaton Fire is now 91 percent contained, and the Palisades is nearly 70 percent contained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The early January fires resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people, with entireneighborhoods burned to the ground. Recovery and relief efforts in affected areas are still underway. After months without precipitation, local officials warned weekend rain could cause debris flows in burn scar areas, with hazardous consequences to human health. As the fires have settled, new challenges lie ahead, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday news conference. Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real. With reporting from The Associated Press Hundreds of same-sex couples are tying the knot across Thailand on Thursday as the country becomes the first in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality. The landmark bill marks a momentous win for the LGBTQ+ community, which has fought for more than a decade for the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples. Its the happiest day of my life. We could finally and completely do what we have been wanting to do for a long time, Pisit Sirihiranchai, who married his partner of five years Chanathip Sirihiranchai, told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are now a complete family, he said. Under the legislation, passed by Thailands parliament and endorsed by the king last year, same-sex couples are able to register their marriages with full legal, financial, and medical rights, as well as adoption and inheritance rights. This marriage equality law marks the beginning of Thai societys greater awareness of gender diversity, and our embrace of everyone regardless of sexual orientation, race, or religion our affirmation that everyone is entitled to equal rights and dignity, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said in a recorded message played at a mass wedding in the capital Bangkok on Thursday. A couple poses for pictures during a mass celebration. - Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images Same-sex couples can register their marriage at a celebration event. - Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images A couple signs their marriage papers in Bangkok. - Kocha Olarn/CNN At least 200 couples signed up to get married at the Siam Paragon shopping center, according to Bangkok Pride, which co-organized the event with local authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A rainbow carpet was rolled out at the mall to welcome the newlyweds from all ages and walks of life, including police officer Sirihiranchai who turned up in uniform with his partner. Among those to walk down the pride carpet was an elderly lesbian couple who toured the venue with former prime minister Srettha Thavisin to a backdrop of falling confetti and traditional Thai beats. Sretthas ruling Pheu Thai party has backed the marriage bill. Some embraced the full celebratory spirit by turning up in wedding suits and dresses. Others donned pink or white blazers and dresses. Many waved the rainbow flag. Meanwhile, celebrities and drag queens performed on a stage adorned with rainbow hearts and flowers, with a screen proudly declaring, marriage equality. Police Sergeant Major Pisit Sirihiranchai, right, shows off his ring with his husband Chanathip Sirihiranchai. - Mark Philips/CNN Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Celebrations are also taking place Thursday in other parts of the country stretching from the eastern coastal city of Pattaya to the mountainous northern city of Chiang Mai. Ahead of the festivities, equality campaigners hailed the new legislation as a victory for progression. This could be a model for the world because we now have Thailand as a model, said Kittinun Daramadhaj, a lawyer and president of the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand. There is true marriage equality in Thailand. A dream comes true For some, such as Nina Chetniphat Chuadkhunthod, who was planning to attend the mass celebration at Siam Paragon, the day feels long overdue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The transgender woman has not been able to marry her boyfriend of 22 years because she is unable to legally change her gender identity. But with same-sex marriage now being recognized, they can tie the knot. I feel like, wow, my dream is close to coming true, the 42-year-old told CNN during a recent interview. Chuadkhunthod and her fiancee held their wedding party three weeks ago. At a wedding hall on the outskirts of Bangkok, the couple walked down the aisle in locked arms, as bridesmaids sprinkled their path with rose petals amid cheers from friends and relatives. They planned to register their marriage on Thursday. I felt the proudest moment of my life that I could do this and let people know, let the industry and friends around me know that I could do it, she said. Nina Chetniphat Chuadkhunthod, right, and her husband light a candle during their wedding at the Vivace Wedding Hall in Bangkok. - Courtesy of Nina Chetniphat Chuadkhunthod One factor adding particular urgency for the couple is the 7-year-old girl they have been raising as their daughter for three years. The girl is the daughter of Chuadkhunthods uncle, who is unable to look after her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They plan to adopt the girl and live a life as a family, but cannot do so without a valid marriage. I had tears flowing from my eyes when we were thinking about our lives (without the same-sex marriage law). What if I, or he, or even my daughter fell ill, who would look after us? she said. But now, she said: I can confidently say that I can do it, building a family of my own. Philippine national Ana Boncan met her Thai girlfriend Siri Wattanavikij through a dating app six years ago when she was working in Europe. In 2020, Boncan moved to Bangkok to be with her. With this opportunity to get legally married here in Thailand, it gives us the opportunity to have a marriage visa, Boncan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One thing on the couples mind is the possibility of one of them falling ill, and the other being barred from visiting or making life-and-death decisions due to the lack of a marriage certificate. When we go to the hospital, I can tell them that this is my wife, this is my partner, she makes decisions for me, things like that. Unlike before, they wouldnt accept it in the hospital, Boncan said. The fight goes on But rights experts have warned Thailand may well be the last Asian jurisdiction to recognize same-sex marriage for some time, given the incremental progress elsewhere in the region. More than 30 jurisdictions worldwide now recognize same-sex marriage, according to the Pew Research Center, but most advances have been made in Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thailand is the third in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage after Taiwan in 2019 and Nepal four years later. A gay couple makes a toast during a mass wedding banquet in front of the Presidential Palace in Taipei, Taiwan on May 25, 2019. - Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images Nepali same-sex couple Maya Gurung and Surendra Panday take part in a Pride Parade in Kathmandu on August 31, 2023. - Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images Back in Thailand, the fight for equal rights continues for other sexual minorities, such as transgender people. Rights advocate Hua Boonyapisomparn, from local advocacy group Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights, said the next milestone is for the Thai government to let transgender people change their gender identity. The country is home to an estimated 314,000 trans people, according to the Asia Pacific Transgender Network. There is a commonly held conception that trans people are widely embraced in Thailand, partly due to how accessible gender affirming surgery is in the country, and the prominence of trans entertainers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But local transgender people, including Chuadkhunthod, would testify to the day-to-day discrimination they face. Even now, as a Thai person, they still look down on us, seeing us as a joke. They laugh and smile, nudging each other while looking at us, she said. Parliament rejected a proposed gender recognition bill last February during the previous military-backed government led by Prayut Chan-o-cha. Activists are now trying to put it back on the political agenda. We should use marriage equality as an opportunity to open another door for gender recognition, Boonyapisomparn said. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Hundreds more soldiers are to be deployed to the US border with Mexico by the end of the month to strengthen protections in the area, according to US media reports. Soldiers are already deployed in the south to support border guards, for logistical tasks, but US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on the southern border when he took office on Monday. That gave the Department of Defence the authority to send additional troops in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Trump's view, "Americas sovereignty is under attack," according to a US executive order. It said the border is "overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans." Trump has repeatedly equated migrants, many of whom cross the border illegally, with criminals. Many are already feeling the effects of Trump's first decisions that seek to curb immigration. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again called for a review of the EU's sanctions policy towards Russia. Source: Orban on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Orban said that the sanctions had not stopped the war or undermined the Russian economy, while Europe, as he said, had failed to replace Russian energy with other available sources. Quote: "The sanctions engineered by the Brussels bureaucrats achieved one thing: they destroyed the competitiveness of the European economy. The time for change has come!" the Hungarian prime minister said. Background: The EU ambassadors will soon be able to extend economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, and Hungary will not block this decision. The EU renews existing sanctions every six months, requiring the unanimity of the 27 member states. The extension of sanctions has been a routine decision, and usually the political decisions on this were made at the last EU summit of the year. However, at the last summit in December 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told his colleagues to wait until after Trump's inauguration. Last week, the Hungarian government reiterated that the EU should decide to extend sanctions only after consulting with the new US administration. Viktor Orban himself called for "throwing sanctions out the window" and building relations with Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Huntington Beach has declared itself a non-sanctuary city as other cities in the region and around the country strengthen their sanctuary city rules. In a statement, Mayor Pat Burns office confirmed that the city council unanimously voted to approve his initiative to declare the city a Non-Sanctuary City for Illegal Immigration for the Prevention of Crime. The resolution, according to Burns office, deliberately sidestep[s] the Governors efforts to subvert the good work of federal immigration authorities and to announce the citys cooperation with the federal government, the Trump Administration and Border Czar Tom Homans work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps first day back in White House includes firings, infrastructure announcement This new city policy and declaration are common sense, support our law enforcement and advances public safety throughout the cityWhat the Governor is doing does not, Burns office said. Neither the Governor nor the State Legislature with the passage of laws may interfere with the citys voluntary cooperation with federal authorities, nor cause or compel the city to violate federal laws such as Title 8 Section 1324 for the harboring of illegal immigrants. The new legislation went into effect immediately. More information surrounding the non-sanctuary city initiative can be found here. Waves roll past the Huntington Beach Pier, epicenter of the citys beach culture, in Huntington Beach, Ca. on February 22nd, 2024. (Photo by Rick Loomis for The Washington Post via Getty Images) Burns declaration came a day after the swearing-in of President Donald Trump, who signed a plethora of executive orders in the first hours of his second term as Commander-in-Chief, including several on immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump to tour Southern California wildfire devastation Among the orders were a national emergency declaration at the southern border which allows for the mobilization of additional resources to the region as well as the reinstatement of the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires individuals to await asylum proceedings in Mexico regardless of their country of origin. Additionally, Border Czar Tom Homan stated that the Trump Administration will be ending the federal catch-and-release program, which allows immigrants who entered the country illegally to remain in the U.S. given they are in the process for asylum. Homan, speaking to NewsNation in December, was clear in his message to anyone trying to illegally enter the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay in your homeland [and] be safe, he said. Crossing into this country illegally is very dangerous. Trump is also looking to end birthright citizenship in the U.S., a move that caused a number of states to file lawsuits, including California. 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 KTLA. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Changes are coming to Hy-Vee grocery stores. On Monday, the Iowa-based supermarket chain announced it would transition all of its in-store restaurant locations to Hy-Vee Market Grille, ending the partnership with Wahlburgers. Prince Harry greets SD firefighters in CA Starting Feb. 4, all Hy-Vee restaurants will offer a new breakfast menu, while a lunch and dinner menu will follow later in the month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the transition, Hy-Vee will have a total of 221 Market Grille and Market Grille Express locations across the Midwest, a Hy-Vee news release said. Wahlburgers CEO Randy Sharpe told a restaurant business website the chain wants to focus on growing restaurants. We are growing restaurants, Sharpe told the outlet. Were not going to be in the grocery business. Its best that everyone stay in what their skill sets are and move on. There are six Hy-Vee locations in Sioux Falls. 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 KELOLAND.com. (NewsNation) Immigration officers are now allowed to enter locations like schools and churches to conduct raids and deport unauthorized migrants, one day after President Donald Trump took office and signed a series of executive orders on border security. The Department of Homeland Security announced the sweeping changes to immigration enforcement policies Tuesday, rolling back Biden-era restrictions on law enforcement operations and limiting humanitarian parole programs. Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued two directives that remove restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations in locations like schools and churches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps southern border enforcement plans go into effect The second directive ends broad humanitarian parole programs in favor of case-by-case reviews, which previously allowed some migrants to enter the United States temporarily. Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said the changes will allow immigration agents to enforce our immigration laws more effectively. The department claims the previous administration had granted humanitarian parole to approximately 1.5 million migrants. The Biden-Harris Administration abused the humanitarian parole program to indiscriminately allow 1.5 million migrants to enter our country. This was all stopped on day one of the Trump Administration. This action will return the humanitarian parole program to its original purpose of looking at migrants on a case-by-case basis, Huffman wrote in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump signed several executive orders dealing with immigration on Monday shortly after being sworn in for his second term in the White House. Part of Trumps plans to declare a national emergency at the border includes sending military troops to the border to assist with enforcement as well as plans to expand the border wall. 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 NewsNation. Handout/Getty Images President Donald Trumps plans to deport vastly more people living in our communities whose children attend school alongside the children of US citizens, people who work alongside US citizen employees, who shop in the same stores might leave us feeling as if there's little the average person can do to keep this from happening. But many people do not want the immigrants they know to be deported. When Scripps News/Ipsos pollsters asked about the specific potential consequences of mass deportations after the November election, support for deportation plans fell off. Sometimes reliable information is all thats needed to help immigrants avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and anyone can help reduce the unnecessary panic that arrest announcements can generate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many Americans, including me, live in states like North Carolina, where sanctuary cities limit local law enforcement collaboration with immigration agents. Our state legislature in North Carolina recently passed a law requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE officers by honoring the agencys request to hold anyone who ends up in jail for two days to give ICE time to decide whether to detain them. Since taking office on January 20, Trump has signed an executive order encouraging the expansion of a program known as 287(g), which allows local law enforcement to take on some ICE functions, and his Department of Homeland Security has said ICE agents can make make arrests without supervisor approval at sensitive locations that were previously off-limits, like schools, churches and public demonstrations. Under these conditions, rumors are likely to spread; some of the families our organization, Siembra NC, works with are already keeping their kids home from school. In 2017, following a previous set of Trump executive orders, immigrant families in North Carolina were inundated by misinformation and rumors about ICE agents hidden in grocery store parking lots and supposed substations near after-school facilities, leading some people to avoid leaving home. There was no Spanish-language rumor verification hotline here in Greensboro, so our organization which was just a handful of volunteers at the time created one, giving more people the ability to talk to a live human and ask whether an undated Facebook post they'd seen shared by someone else was real. We also trained hundreds of volunteers with drivers licenses to participate in an ICE Watch neighborhood watch program, giving immigrant parents a way to verify the rumors people forwarded them in WhatsApp. Sometimes the hotline reports we received were not paranoid suspicions. After we began offering trainings in immigrant neighborhood parking lots and circulating Spanish-language videos with tips for how to spot ICE agents, our volunteers came into contact with federal agents. After a volunteer confirmed an officers identity, they would alert neighbors to the agents presence, and our dispatch team would send a text message to our contacts in the area. ICE agents almost never carry judicial warrants giving them the authority to enter private homes or businesses without permission, so they often wait to make an arrest when the person theyre looking for leaves their home or car. And in every case we worked on, when the agents realized they were being watched, they abandoned their stakeout. When ICE did make arrests, the majority of people detained whose families we supported were the familys primary wage earner; the detention created an economic crisis as much as an attack on the familys psychological and emotional stability. Additionally, there was often little public assistance, beyond food banks, for which the remaining family members qualified. So we started an emergency cash-assistance fund to provide small grants, usually between $300 and $2,000, to help the family stave off eviction and afford the first payment to an immigration attorney. The fund also became a way for local immigrants who were not targeted by ICE to provide support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dozens of women stepped up to make and sell tamales and pupusas after church mass or in school parking lots at community fundraisers, and the funds were often sent to someone whose family had experienced detention that same week. Over and over, we heard the phrase Hoy por ellos, manana por nosotros, meaning "Today for them, tomorrow for us. Local elected officials often pledged contributions as well. But the financial need may be much greater this time. We have listed some tips for anyone who wants to start a hotline, neighborhood watch, or cash-assistance program in our organizing playbook. When construction foremen, line cooks, and seamstresses were detained, hardship often followed for their employers many of them in counties that voted overwhelmingly for Trump. When we visited local businesses after a detention as part of our effort to teach workers and employers how to defend their rights, often they did not know ICE agents had to present a judicial warrant in order to interview one of their employees in any area off-limits to the general public. These informal education programs are relatively simple to begin, starting with a few photocopies of fact sheets and an interest in building relationships with business owners who might be more reliant on immigrant labor. Sometimes this kind of education turned into advocacy. For example, when a Republican sheriff proposed stationing ICE agents at the Alamance County Detention Center, by entering whats known as a 287(g) agreement with the federal government. Fifty-nine business owners signed an open letter and testified at a county commission meeting to oppose the proposal; they were worried about the loss of revenue that had accompanied a previous surge in local immigration enforcement. (The Trump administration has since signaled its plans to expand use of those agreements.) These concerns business owners have highlight a broader truth: Immigration enforcement doesn't happen in isolation. When ICE agents stake out our neighborhoods, it affects everyone the families living in fear, the businesses struggling to retain workers, the schools wondering why children are missing class, and the communities watching their social fabric fray. The grassroots response we saw in the first Trump administration shows that communities have the power to respond with humanity and practical solutions. As deportations ramp up again, we have a choice: We can watch as our neighbors disappear or we can build on these proven strategies to protect the diverse communities we've built together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Want more Teen Vogue immigration coverage? ILLINOIS, (WCIA) Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is introducing a new bill that he says will help make voting smoother. Itll require voters to start using a photo ID in order to cast a ballot. The 51st district lawmaker brought up Senate Bill 181 on Friday and is now hoping to get it passed. The full document is 87 pages long. Senator Rose said itll simplify the process. Illinois, three other states file lawsuit against Trump on birthright citizenship Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It enhances the integrity of the ballot, enhances the voting process. It gives people faith that their democratic process is secure, Senator Chapin Rose said. Rose wants to make it mandatory for voters in the state to bring the IDs to the polls. Right now, IDs are not required to cast a ballot unless you are also registering to vote at that time. But, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons isnt a fan of the idea. I am absolutely opposed to what hes putting forward. We already have photo ID requirements for registration and same day registration as the bill also says that you cant register to vote on the same day, Ammons said. Ammons said requiring IDs at the polls could lead to voter suppression. Rose said making the change will help cut back on slip ups and hopefully get people in and out faster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of fear among a lot of people; Champaign Co. immigrants brace for deportations, arrests Like what happened in Champaign County this year, where you had the wrong ballots given to individuals with the same name. It would help cut down on just even those accidental mistakes where people end up voting in the wrong election, Rose said. Ammons has a different approach to handling that. He said its important to make sure election judges are aware and informed. So what youre describing happens on the rarest of occasions out of 90,000 voters. I think we may have experienced this four or five times. Now, I dont prefer it. I dont like it, the position that it puts the voter in. But to me, Im looking at a training response to that, Ammons said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rose said he talked to people at coffee shops and restaurants in the district he represents. Those people have voiced support for implementing something like this and thats part of the reason he is pushing for IDs. Theres nothing more important in a democracy than peoples votes, Rose said. The bill also aims to make ballot harvesting a crime and eliminate the use of drop boxes for ballot submissions. 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. A structure built along Beaver Creek has slowed flow to Lake Buchanan, according to a KXAN viewer. (Credit: Todd Bailey/KXAN) BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) Lake Buchanan is loved by many for its wildlife and fishing opportunities, and it could be one of many Texas water sources threatened by an increase in structures acting like dams across the state. Its such a beautiful, pristine area, and Im concerned that shutting off the water in this area will not only hurt Beaver Creek, it will hurt the entire lake, a frequent visitor to the lake told KXAN. The visitor, who wished to remain anonymous, reported the structure to KXAN following our ongoing investigation into the Texas water crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I first noticed the back of Beaver Creek didnt have any water in it, even after we started receiving rains, the visitor said. I noticed that there was some kind of impoundment up above these rocks. BACKSTORY: Illegal dam reporting on the rise in Central TX, state agencies say The structure on Beaver Creek, which lies on the north end of Lake Buchanan, appears to be a water crossing that was built legally. The landowners, who declined to comment for this story, has permits for three dams, also known as water impoundments, on their property. Is it a dam? Kimberly Meitzen, an associate professor of geography at Texas State University, researches how dams and water impoundments impact the water systems of Texas. According to her research, there are thousands of structures acting as dams across the state, including many low water crossings. Four structures are built along the Beaver Creek waterway, including three dams built with permits and a water crossing. (KXAN Graphic) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department oversee the permitting for dams in Texas. Neither had records for a dam built on Beaver Creek. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do they meet the criteria where theyre required to be permitted? Texas State Sen. Pete Flores asked, when asked about the Beaver Creek crossing. A member of the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Flores represents District 24, which includes Burnet County. BACKSTORY: Illegal dam in Mason County blocking water from refilling Highland Lakes According to Flores, every structure is a separate case and must be evaluated individually. TCEQ said that a dam will need a permit if it: The impoundment is located on a watercourse. A watercourse is a channel where water flows within a defined bed and banks. The water does not need to be constantly flowing for the stream to be a watercourse. The impoundment has a normal storage capacity more than 200-acre feet of water. The impoundment is taller than six feet in height. Flores, who used to serve as a game warden and investigated similar issues, said that a complaint must be filed with a state agency for them to investigate if it qualifies as a dam and needs permits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The senator said he believes the laws we have in place currently are enough to prevent illegal dams. I think that that that currently its sufficient, Flores said. It works. Can any process be improved? Certainly. Keeping water flowing The process, it works. The process does work. It may not be as quick as some people would like, Flores said. Texas Sen. Pete Flores (District 24) said that current laws are enough, but people need to know how to report issues as they arise. (KXAN Photo/Chris Nelson) The senator said education is the best way to prevent future constructions that could cause issues to our waterways. This would require state agencies to be involved in educating the public. Flores agreed to reach out to these agencies and ask them to get more involved. The more we educate the public about what is lawful and what is not and (the) complaint process that one can partake, its better for everyone, Flores said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for Beaver Creek, the water still flows, albeit slowly. Its such a beautiful, pristine area, and Im concerned that shutting off the water in this area will not only hurt Beaver Creek, it will hurt the entire lake, the visitor said. 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 KXAN Austin. An Illinois deputy was killed in a shooting while vacationing in Turks and Caicos with her family over the weekend, authorities say. Shamone Duncan, 50, was in Turks and Caicos with friends and family to celebrate her sister's birthday, Eshawn Spencer, one of Duncan's sisters, shared in an interview with NBC Chicago. Duncan and her siblings were having dinner together when they heard what they thought was fireworks, NBC Chicago reported. Shamone Duncan was killed by a stray bullet while vacationing with her family in Turks and Caicos. She was also one of three people injured by an unidentified shooter near a popular restaurant around 10 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to a media release from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Duncan and 30-year-old Dario Stubbs both died as a result of their injuries, police said. A third person, identified as a 29-year-old man, is currently receiving medical treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I wish to take this opportunity to extend my deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased. The RT&CIPF will continue to provide victim support resources to those devastated by these incidents," the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force wrote. "We condemn this violence and will remain resolute in our pursuit of the person(s) responsible for this despicable act." RTCIPF said there was no evidence to suggest that either Duncan, Stubbs or the third person were targeted. The investigation is ongoing. 'The heart of our family:' Family mourns loss, pays tribute Shamone Duncan, 50, is pictured with her siblings in Turks and Caicos. Family, friends and acquaintances have penned tributes and shared memories on social media since Duncan's death. Duncan's family was waiting for autopsy to be conducted before they could bring her remains back home. "Shamone was the heart of our familya devoted mother, grandmother, and sister who loved fiercely and gave selflessly. She was our rock, and her loss is beyond words," Duncan's family said in a statement. "Her dedication to her community was unmatched, but above all, she was our guiding light. Her legacy of love and service will live on in the lives she touched." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Duncan's family has asked for privacy as they mourn the loss. The Cook County Sheriff's Office, where Duncan worked for two decades, also released a statement following news of her death. "Our hearts are broken for the family of Deputy Shamone Duncan who was killed on Jan. 18 while on vacation. She was a 20-year veteran of the Cook County Department of Corrections and was currently assigned to Cermak Health Services," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "We are in contact with her family to provide any support they need during this difficult time and are supporting her colleagues as they process this terrible news." This story was updated to correct a grammatical error and to add video. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police: Illinois deputy killed by stray bullet in Turks and Caicos SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) Illinois is already fighting back against one of President Trumps actions to crack down on immigration. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Trumps executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. That one of Donald Trumps first day in office as president should be so diametrically opposed to our values as Americans is incredibly disappointing, though not surprising. The children born in the U.S. to immigrants are entitled to the rights and privileges that go along with U.S. citizenship, Raoul said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illinois, three other states file lawsuit against Trump on birthright citizenship Birthright citizenship automatically grants citizenship to any person born on U.S. soil regardless of their parents immigration status. Raoul joined attorneys general in nearly two dozen states suing the Trump administration claiming the executive order is unconstitutional violating the 14th Amendment. We need to discuss bipartisan common-sense immigration reforms, but denying birthright citizenship, which dates back centuries and has been upheld twice by the U.S. Supreme Court, is not the solution, Raoul said. The lawsuit comes a day after Trump signed several executive orders to crack down on immigration, including one to use the military for immigration enforcement at the Southern border, and designating cartels and gangs as terrorist groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im on President Trumps side. We need to stop illegal immigration in this country. We need to end it immediately, State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said. Its costing Illinois taxpayers far more, far more than just their tax money. It is literally the safety of our communities. Do US adults support Trumps Day 1 actions? Heres what polling shows Days before Trump was sworn in for his second term, he promised Chicago would see mass deportations once he took office. So far, Gov. Pritzker said he hasnt heard anything from the Trump administration on their plans, but that 2,000 people in the city could be targeted initially. I think thats just more evidence of the chaos and confusion that theyre trying to sow and its very disappointing, Pritzker said at an unrelated press conference Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illinois has laws on the books limiting the states involvement in federal immigration enforcement. But in recent years, some Central Illinois counties have taken a stance against the states position. Last year, Effingham County passed a resolution preventing local tax dollars from going towards helping undocumented immigrants. The federal governments approach I think is going to be much more in line with Effingham County values and beliefs and were excited to see the border secured, Effingham County Board Chairman Josh Douthit said. White House touts new immigration policy Douthit said the county doesnt have the budget or the resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had to send a message out, not only to our own voters and our own constituents, but also to the state saying if you are looking for other areas, Effingham Countys not going to be able to be one of those areas, he added. Effingham County posed the issue to voters asking them if local tax funding should be allocated to help undocumented immigrants and 90% of voters said no. The question wasnt legally binding, so it was meant to give voters a chance to give their input. 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. CHICAGO, Ill. (WCIA) The Attorney General of Illinois is among those filing lawsuits against President Donald Trump in response to the executive order on birthright citizenship he signed Monday. Kwame Raoul joined his counterparts in Washington state, Oregon and Arizona in filing a lawsuit against Trump, the Departments of State and Homeland Security and others on Tuesday. Their lawsuit argues that the executive order violates the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and that the president does not have a constitutional power to determine who should and should not be granted U.S. citizenship at birth. 22 states sue to stop Trumps order blocking birthright citizenship Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To stop the presidents unlawful action, which will harm hundreds of thousands of American children, Attorney General Raoul filed his lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, seeking to invalidate the executive order and to enjoin any actions taken to implement it, a press release from Raouls office reads. The states are requesting immediate relief through both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to prevent the presidents order from taking effect. The 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship in the U.S. The lawsuit explains that the post-Civil War United States ratified the 14th Amendment in 1868 to protect citizenship for children born in the country, particularly those born to newly freed slaves. The full amendment reads: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution The lawsuit also adds that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld birthright citizenship twice since the 14th Amendments ratification: in 1898 and 1982, even if the parents of a child born in the U.S. are not citizens. Inauguration prayer services pastor asks Trump to have mercy on transgender kids, immigrants What does Trumps executive order say? The executive order Trump signed, called Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship challenges the interpretation of the 14th Amendment; in particular, it challenges the clause and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. The order states that there are two situations where a person is denied birthright citizenship: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mother is unlawfully in the United States and the father is not a citizen or a lawful permanent resident during the childs birth The mother is in the United States on a student, work or tourist visa and the father is not a citizen or a lawful permanent resident during the childs birth Trump rolls out his blueprint on border security, but his orders will face challenges What Raoul said could happen In his press release, Raoul said infants stripped of U.S. citizenship lose their most basic rights and live under the threat of deportation. They would lose eligibility for federal benefit programs, including the ability to get a Social Security Number, work lawfully, vote, serve on juries and get passports. The executive order could also harm states too, Raoul said. They could lose funding to programs they administer like Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and foster care and adoption assistance programs. That one of Donald Trumps first day in office as president should be so diametrically opposed to our values as Americans is incredibly disappointing, though not surprising. The children born in the U.S. to immigrants are entitled to the rights and privileges that go along with U.S. citizenship, Raoul said. We need to discuss bipartisan commonsense immigration reforms, but denying birthright citizenship, which dates back centuries and has been upheld twice by the U.S. Supreme Court, is not the solution. As Attorney General, and as the proud son of Haitian immigrants, I will continue to stand with my fellow attorneys general to defend the constitutional rights of all children born in this country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The joint lawsuit between Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Illinois is one of 22 filed against Trump in response to his birthright citizenship executive order. 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. A day after President Trump issued 11 executive orders cracking down on illegal immigration, advocates and a coalition of states led by California are preparing for court battles against an administration that appears to have learned from previous legal missteps made during his first term. Among the many sweeping changes in Trump's orders were the declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, the revocation of birthright citizenship and the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Immigrants and those who hoped to immigrate to the U.S. are reeling from the news. Thousands of migrants are indefinitely stranded in Mexico after Trump ended use of a phone app and canceled long-standing appointments by asylum seekers for legal entry. Afghan refugees who had been cleared for travel to the United States are now in limbo after Trump paused refugee resettlement. Undocumented immigrants in Chicago and other cities across the country stayed home out of fear of planned immigration raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legal experts said subtle modifications to some of the orders reflected attempts by the Trump administration to beat back legal challenges preemptively. "Some of this stuff they have done is to try and preempt a lot of the issues that they bumped into last time," said Amy Fischer, director of the refugee and migrant rights program at Amnesty International USA. Read more: California, other states sue to block Trump executive order on birthright citizenship Opponents of Trump's orders wasted no time in challenging them. A coalition comprising California, 17 other states, the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco sued the federal government Tuesday over Trumps attempt to end birthright citizenship, calling it unconstitutional and asking the court to block it from taking effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Civil Liberties Union sued Monday night over the birthright citizenship order and submitted a legal filing in an ongoing case over the cancellation of appointments for asylum seekers at the border. Nayna Gupta, policy director at the left-leaning American Immigration Council, said the organization is also planning a lawsuit this week against Trump's use of executive authority to suspend the entry of certain immigrants when doing so is deemed to be detrimental to national interests. The ability to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border is suspended, according to Trump's order, "until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased." "Trump's barrage of executive orders is calculated to create fear, create chaos, induce anxiety and drive our elected officials to capitulate and collaborate in a mass deportation agenda," said Naureen Shah, deputy director of government affairs at the ACLU. "If we let Trump exert this kind of death grip over our communities now for immigration enforcement, we fear it will embolden Trump to come again and again for our civil rights." Longtime critics of illegal immigration hailed the president's actions. "Thanks to Donald Trump, Americas borders are about to get a lot more secure," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) said in a post on X. Issa's district runs along the border east of San Diego. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said in a statement that "nothing exemplifies a new day in America more than President Trumps unwavering commitment to border security and restoring enforcement of our nations laws." Some of Trump's orders are predicated on what opponents contend to be legally dubious claims. Birthright citizenship, for example, is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. "He cannot unilaterally change that," Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said Monday night on CNN. "But that's the conversation the chaos he wants to create." And in designating drug cartels as terrorist groups, Trump is preparing to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 against them. But utilizing the law would require courts to agree that criminal groups can be considered a nation at war with the United States. The Alien Enemies Act allows the president to arrest, imprison or deport immigrants from a country considered an enemy of the U.S. during wartime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Whether this is a war or there's an invasion is going to be subject to litigation, and there is good law on the side against the president on this," said Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. But challenging some of Trump's policies will be a challenge in itself. Fischer, of Amnesty International, said it's harder to cleanly pick apart policies that are laid out in executive orders that overlap and rely on one another. Other aspects of the orders have less conclusive legal precedent. Fischer pointed to the pause on refugee admissions, something Trump did during his first presidency. This time, the executive order calls for a report to be sent within 90 days to the president by immigration officials detailing whether resumption of refugee processing "would be in the interests of the United States." Read more: Trump signs orders to crack down on immigration, send troops to the border Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tom Jawetz, a former senior attorney at the Homeland Security Department under the Biden administration, said Trump's new administration is being both more cautious and more aggressive than last time. The policies he implemented before, such as Remain in Mexico, could be carried out more quickly and possibly more effectively. Under that policy, asylum seekers must stay across the border as their cases are being adjudicated. But the more "exotic" provisions of some executive orders are largely legally untested, Jawetz said. Trump said during his inaugural address that he would deploy the military to the border region to combat illegal immigration. "Aligning the mission of the U.S. military to border security, combined with a national emergency declaration and all of this invasion rhetoric, taken to the extreme, could be completely unprecedented and transformative," Jawetz said. Trump's opponents are waiting to see the written policies that emerge from the executive orders. Litigation strategy will come down to how the orders are implemented, Jawetz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of those policies started trickling out Tuesday. In a news release, the Homeland Security Department announced that acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman had issued a directive ending the broad use of temporary humanitarian programs, which under then-President Biden were expanded to give legal protection to 1.5 million immigrants. Another directive rescinds long-standing guidelines that prevent immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, such as hospitals and churches. "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense," the release states. Times staff writer Rachel Uranga in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Members of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition gather in Las Vegas Tuesday to denounce Donald Trump's agenda targeting immigrants. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current) When President Donald Trump first took office eight years ago on a campaign built around anti-immigrant rhetoric, many local organizers thought they could at least count on the states Democratic congressional delegation to push back on Trumps efforts. Members of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition, who gathered in Downtown Las Vegas Tuesday to condemn a slew of recent executive orders targeting immigration, now question if the Democratic federal delegation was still just as committed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto were two of 12 Democrats who voted with Republicans on Monday in passing legislation making it easier to detain and deport immigrants arrested on nonviolent offices like shoplifting without a conviction. The Housed voted 263-156 to pass the bill on Wednesday, with 46 House Democrats voted with Republicans. The states entire congressional Democrats voted in support of the legislation. Eight years ago, we had people in Congress that we knew had our backs, said Leo Murrieta, executive director of Make the Road Nevada. We dont have that now. We saw the Democrats in the House, we saw our Democratic senators vote to betray the immigrant communities. The immigrant coalition, composed of nearly 40 groups including Make the Road Nevada, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and the ACLU of Nevada, had been bracing for another round of action targeting immigrant communities once Trump was inaugurated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His second presidential campaign, much like his first, leaned heavily on anti-immigrant rhetoric and, the orders he signed Monday chart the course for carrying out his campaign promise of mass deportation and broad detention. Within hours of resuming office, he signed several orders, including ending humanitarian parole programs for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, ending the CBP One app that allowed migrants to make appointments with asylum officers, and declaring a national emergency at the southern border. Immigration raids are rumored to begin this week, with some news outlets reporting major blue state metro areas like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles could see mass deportation action in coming days. Erika Castro, a spokesperson with the immigrant coalition, said people are already living in fear because of what theyre hearing from the federal government right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first piece of legislation on immigration Trump is likely to sign is H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act that was supported by all the Nevada Democrats in Congress. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants arrested or charged with non-violent crimes like shoplifting, theft and larceny to be detained even if there isnt a conviction. The legislation was named after Riley, a 22-year-old student who was murdered by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela who is undocumented. Trump, wants to come for birthright citizenship, Murrieta said. He shut down the border. He shut down legal immigration. He is coming hard for immigrants and senators Jacky Rosen and Cortez Masto did exactly what he wanted them to do. They did exactly what Trump wanted them to do to make it easier for him, to deport our families and to disrupt communities. After the bill passed the house Jan. 7, Nevadas House Democrats defended their votes and called it common sense anti-crime legislation and a way to remove predators from our communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats declined to answer Nevada Currents questions on whether the measure would lead to immigrants merely accused of a crime to be deported or if it would aid Trumps promise to carry out mass deportation Immigration attorneys and organizers warned the legislation denies immigrants due process since it doesnt require a conviction and would aid Trumps plans to detain and deport more people. After the House vote, the coalition urged both Nevada senators to reject the bill. Rosen at the time said she supported the bill and believed if someone commits a crime, they should be held accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cortez Mastos office initially told the Current she was reviewing the bill. She later posted on social media that she supported the bill because she wants solutions that keep our communities safe. Murrieta said on Tuesday that the senators were regurgitating MAGA talking points. Its shocking that as a former attorney general, she would vote against the presumption of innocence, he said. She would vote to change the very fabric of our justice system where people are presumed innocent. The bill passed the Senate 64-35. Since there was an amendment to the bill, the House voted on the legislation again on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coalition urged Nevadas House delegation to reverse course. Our state is built and run on the contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds and walks of life, Castro said. Despite these contributions by immigrants in our state and across the country, Trump, his MAGA allies and our supposed champions in Congress are ready to scapegoat immigrants for problems caused by corporate greed and racism. This story was updated to reflect the House vote. NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) City of North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec requested that two uniformed police officers question a local furniture store employee about a spoof Facebook page critical of the elected leader. Both Tylec and North Tonawanda Police Chief Keith Glass confirmed officers visited Restful Sleepin to speak with Jacob Quinn, a local resident who the mayor described as an antagonist. Tylec told News 4 Investigates the spoof Facebook page has existed for two years and continues to confuse some residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My concern is if people think that this impersonator is me, and theres fake information, it can create issues, and the police department agrees, Tylec said. Quinn denied any involvement. In fact, he said he voted for Tylec in 2021, the same year he quit the North Tonawanda Republican Committee over disagreements on the chosen candidate. Quinn said he allowed officers access to his phone to show that I did not make or post on the account. I viewed it as an attack on me, Quinn said. I viewed it as retribution for past issues that weve had. One of the past issues involved Quinn circulating a picture in 2019 that depicted Tylec as Adolph Hitler, according to the Niagara Gazette. Tylec said the photo was fake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Glass said the spoof page is not a crime per se, but includes a lot of misinformation that has confused some residents. Nobody is getting arrested, he is just trying to get it shut down, Glass said. If we can figure out who is pretending to be him, he wanted us to talk to [Quinn] and see if we can get the page shut down. The Constitution gives citizens the right to freely express their views and criticize public officials, but impersonation pages can violate Facebooks community standards and users can report impostor profiles. Weve tried to contact Facebook, but they dont do anything, Tylec said. Youd think it would be simple to get something like that taken down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Facebook did not immediately respond to inquiries about its terms of service and what would cause a spoof account to be removed. The mayors official Facebook page has 6,800 followers. The parody account has only 121 followers and rarely includes serious content. For example, a post on Nov. 2, 2024, states that the city would remain in daylight savings time. What this means is that, within the City limits, clocks will maintain the current time, but when you leave the City, please remember to set your clocks back one hour, the post said. Ten people clicked the laugh emoji on the post, but two wondered if the post was real. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is this a joke? Its not April 1st, one person said. What? Kidding, right? another asked. A key disclosure on the fake page is the intro that states: Posts are from page admins & may or may not reflect views of Austin Tylec. First Amendment attorney Joseph Finnerty said the intro is a clear disclaimer and the page includes content with obvious signs of it being a lampoon. Its not up to the mayor, or the police department, to enforce Facebooks terms of use, Finnerty said. My point is this: There is a clear disclaimer in the intro, and anybody who reads it has to at least suspect that its a lampoon, a parody. And for a public official to dispatch the police over a matter of free expression is to me a pretty shocking thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finnerty said if Facebook has declined to remove the page, that implies moderators do not believe it violates the terms of use, but taking the step to involve the local police force for this matter is an improper reaction to somebodys expression of views about a public official. Thats intimidating, its chilling speech, and theres nothing wrong with the speech here, Finnerty said. Quinn believes Tylec abused the power of his office by summonsing police to confront him at work for something thats not illegal. His next step is to speak to the full city council at a future meeting. This is their highest priority of the day? Quinn said. It was an insult to me. Latest Local News Dan Telvock is an award-winning investigative producer and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2018. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 News 4 Buffalo. President Trumps inauguration on Monday earned the smallest audience of any since 2013, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The rating agency said just over 24.5 million watched Trumps inauguration, which was forced inside due to frigid temperatures in Washington and brought together former presidents, lawmakers, business leaders and other dignitaries. Mondays total audience haul was nearly 10 million viewers less than watched former President Bidens inauguration in January 2021, which came just days after the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters during the certification of that years election results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps first inauguration in 2017 was watched by more than 30 million, falling short of the mark set by former President Barack Obamas first inauguration, which netted 37 million viewers. The highest-rated inauguration in the modern television era came in 1981, Nielsen noted, when former President Reagan was sworn in before an audience of more than 40 million. Trumps inauguration this week comes at a time when major cable and network news channels are seeing declining viewership as more consumers turn away from linear broadcast channels and toward streaming services. Mondays numbers do not include viewers who streamed the proceedings online or saw clips from the swearing in on social media and elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) With a winter storm warning in effect for Lowcountry counties, forecasters are calling for increased snow totals to fall across the area mixed with ice and sleet. Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler said Lowcountry counties can expect to see between 3 to 5 inches of snow, with some areas seeing up to 6 inches and snowfall ending early Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service winter storm warning is in effect for Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Colleton counties until noon Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LIVE UPDATES: Rare winter storm brings snow, sleet, ice to Charleston area Freezing rain and sleet will begin on Thursday evening. Once we hit 7 p.m., Fowler said snow and ice will mix and overnight is when most snow amounts will fall. The high for Wednesday is 34 degrees; however, the possibility of sunshine can melt some of the snow on the ground. Sleet and ice are expected more along the coast, Fowler explained. Refreezing is possible with a low of 18 degrees on Wednesday, which would be a record low, and black ice can happen on roads until Thursday. If you must drive when ice is on the streets, reduce your speed, try to avoid changing lanes, stay alert on bridges, and avoid driving at night if possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Be sure to keep plenty of space between you and the next car. If you start to skid, steer into the skid rather than against it. RELATED: Safety tips for traveling on icy and slick roads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Be sure to download the News 2 app for breaking news alerts and updates. You can also download the Storm Team 2 app for the latest forecast and weather alerts. 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 WCBD News 2. Sarah Campbell Kier, a 90-year-old Valdosta, Ga., resident, chats with Abby Jones, a delivery driver with Barnes Drug Store pharmacy. Kier has relied on the store for prescription medication home delivery. (Nada Hassanein/Stateline) VALDOSTA, Ga. Abby Jones first stop of the day delivering medication was the home of 90-year-old Sarah Campbell Kier. Come in! yelled Kier. Jones didnt have to knock. Kier had the screen door open and was waiting for the Barnes Drug Store driver, who also had delivered Kiers thyroid medication the day before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I appreciate you bringing my medicine, darling, said Kier, a retired school cafeteria worker. She sat on the couch by her walker, writing a $3 check for her prescription B12 supplement. Kier is having surgery later this month, and said she is glad she can rely on the drugstore for pre- and post-op medication management. Kiers family has been buying from Barnes Drug Store since she was a child living in the countryside. We had to come to town to get our food and medicine, she said. Barnes Drug Store is an independent pharmacy in the south Georgia town of Valdosta thats been serving the community for a century. The family-run business used to have six pharmacies. It now has just one. Independent drugstores are closing at an alarming rate about one a day in 2023 squeezed by the huge companies that reimburse pharmacies for costly medications. Sarah Campbell Kier, 90, holds a prescription delivered by Barnes Drug Store, in Valdosta, Ga. (Nada Hassanein/Stateline) But with each closure, a community loses more than another place where they can buy medicine. Experts say independent drugstores are more likely to know their patrons, offer health and medication counseling, and, crucially, serve communities in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2023 study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that the estimated 15.1 million Americans who rely on independently owned pharmacies are more likely to have lower incomes, live in rural areas and to be at least 65 years old. Their health is more complicated, and theyre more likely to need one-on-one counseling to juggle multiple medications. As a result, those communities already vulnerable to lack of care are hardest hit when independent pharmacies shutter. Lower drug reimbursements compared with those offered to chain pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, are a big factor. Theyre going to close. If theyre relying on insurance, its not sustainable, said Dima Mazen Qato, a University of Southern California clinical pharmacy and spatial sciences professor who studies pharmacy access. In recent studies, Qato and her team found independent pharmacies were more likely to close compared with chain pharmacies and they were more likely to shutter in Black and Latino communities already facing disproportionate barriers to care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You would think there would be more accountability for ensuring that the pharmacies providing care for these patients are protected from closure, Qato said. In Valdosta, Georgia, a city of 55,000 not far from the Florida state line that is surrounded by rural counties, many residents lack transportation and suffer chronic health conditions that require medication. Fifty-six percent of Valdostas residents are Black, and many of the surrounding communities, such as Echols and Hamilton counties in North Florida, are home to migrant workers. Delivering prescriptions to a roughly 30-mile radius, Barnes Drug Store serves as a cornerstone for the area, where many towns lack a hospital, pharmacy, pediatrician or primary care provider. Charles Barnes III, owner of Barnes Drug Store, strolls through the store on a recent morning. (Nada Hassanein/Stateline) Owner Charles Barnes III, 78, said his grandfather opened the pharmacy in 1909, passing it down through generations. We know the families that come to our store, he said. His son, Charles Barnes IV, is the CEO. The family-run business has diversified its services, with other locations that offer home infusion and respiratory therapy services, helping the company, Barnes Healthcare Services, stay afloat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed a bill that would have required the states health insurance program for teachers and state workers to reimburse independent pharmacies at the same rate as chain pharmacies, saying the initiative would be too costly and was unaccounted for in the budget. The bill had received bipartisan, almost unanimous support in the General Assembly. If these pharmacies in these communities close, what are these patients in these communities supposed to do? Ben Ross, president and board chair of the Georgia Pharmacy Association We have no negotiation power, said Ben Ross, president and board chair of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, which represents pharmacists across the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We definitely have a reimbursement issue, where pharmacies are struggling not because of volume, not because they dont have the patients, but because of the reimbursements that were being paid by the PBMs, he added. Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are companies serving as pharmaceutical middlemen. They manage insurance companies prescription drug benefits, processing between 80% and 90% of prescriptions dispensed nationwide. They decide how much to reimburse a pharmacy for each prescription. Big chains such as CVS and Walgreens routinely get better reimbursements than independent drugstores. Ross, a second-generation pharmacist, runs Forest Heights Pharmacy in the eastern Georgia town of Statesboro. Hes also a partner in seven other pharmacies most of them in rural parts of the state. If these pharmacies in these communities close, Ross said, what are these patients in these communities supposed to do? Taking a risk to help patients At Springfield Pharmacy in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, owner Chichi Ilonzo Momah estimates that up to 30% of medications she fills are reimbursed for less than what they cost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the past year, she said, three independent pharmacies in her area have closed. Recently, even though she knew a pregnant patients insurance wouldnt cover an RSV vaccine, she gave her the shot anyway. Im taking a risk, Momah said, knowing that if a reimbursement wouldnt go through and the patient couldnt pay, she would be in the red. Momah opened Springfield Pharmacy 13 years ago, and the store primarily serves the uninsured, as well as a large immigrant and refugee population. Shes formed trusted relationships with residents over the years. At times, shes called to remind customers to take their medications if she knows theyve been prone to forgetting, and theyll often seek her advice on medications and vaccines when theyre skeptical or confused. Thats what happens when theres a trusted voice in the community, Momah said. If Chichi says its OK, its OK. Theyre asking me, just like the way my aunt will ask me, or the way my mother-in-law asks me, the way my dad would ask me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Stateline called her, the pharmacist was packing prescriptions for a patient on 14 medications. If I put it in 14 vials, he can get confused. Hes 82 years old, so I put it in adherence packaging that says, Monday morning, Monday evening, she said. That right there you cannot put a price tag. The PBMs cant pay for that. Its customized care. In recent months, Momah has had to start turning some patients away. That broke my heart. Some of them, I couldnt even tell them. I had to have my staff do it, because Ive known them for 13 years. Ive hand-delivered medications to their homes, she said. I dont understand why in America, the PBMs dont answer to somebody. Because pharmacies are going to continue to close. Pharmacy deserts In a December letter to the incoming Trump administrations proposed government efficiency committee, the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents independent pharmacies across the nation, urged President-elect Donald Trump to rein in the three PBM conglomerates: CVS Healths Caremark, Cigna-owned Express Scripts and UnitedHealths Optum Rx. The association said regulating the PBMs would save taxpayers $5 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are up against these giant, vertically integrated health care conglomerates, and so thats tough, Ronna Hauser, the associations senior vice president of policy and pharmacy affairs, told Stateline. Greg Lopes, a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which represents PBMs, argued that they alone arent to blame for pharmacy closures, saying they are finding ways to support rural pharmacies. There are many factors for pharmacy closures, including population. Pharmacy benefit managers are supporting community pharmacies in rural areas through programs that increase reimbursements, he wrote in a statement to Stateline. But a scathing Federal Trade Commission report released Tuesday builds on a previous report that found PBMs had received 68% of the revenue from dispensing specialty drugs in 2023. The new report found that PBMs appear to be steering patients to their own affiliated pharmacies for the most profitable drugs, and away from unaffiliated, independent pharmacies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The closures, and the responses, are happening all over. In Alabama, 21 community pharmacies and a dozen chain pharmacies closed across Alabama last year alone, according to the Alabama Pharmacy Association. If you take care of all patients like we always have, youll go out of business, said Bobby Giles, a pharmacist and the associations government affairs director, adding that Medicaids fixed-rate reimbursements are in general higher than what PBMs pay pharmacies in his state. We, as pharmacists, are literally asking for you to pay us the same rate of reimbursement that the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick in our states insurance pays, Giles said. Some states have taken steps in recent years to support independent pharmacies. Last fall, Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed an emergency contract that aims to improve reimbursement rates for independent pharmacies. In 2019, Illinois started a critical access pharmacy program, allowing small community pharmacies serving Medicaid patients to receive supplemental money from the state. Two years later, Tennessee passed a law that prohibits PBMs from reimbursing pharmacies below acquisition costs. Both rural and urban pharmacies are closing their doors, though its happening slightly faster in rural communities, research shows. Nearly 16 million Americans live in pharmacy deserts across the nation, and on average, communities that are uninsured and that are more racially diverse disproportionately lack access to pharmacies. Loryn Brown poses for a photo at Barnes Drug Store in Valdosta, Ga., where she works as a staff pharmacist. (Nada Hassanein/Stateline) Delesha Carpenter, a professor and director of the Rural Research Alliance of Community Pharmacies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, said her surveys of community pharmacies have found the stores taking hundreds of dollars of losses per prescription as a result of inequitable reimbursements. I would love to see more legislative initiatives bolstering rural pharmacy, said Carpenter. She noted that pharmacists cant bill health insurance companies for the counseling and education they do on a daily basis, which Carpenter said would help bring in more revenue. Personal service Pharmacist Tyler Young and his wife bought Hines Prescription Shop in Barnesville, Georgia, an hour south of Atlanta, in 2021. Barnes told Stateline he takes a $75 loss on Ozempic prescriptions for one months supply per patient. Young, 31, grew up around the pharmacy. His mom was a certified pharmacy technician and worked at Hines Prescription Shop. His freshman year of college, he got a part-time job at the shop. Seeing the impact that the local community pharmacy had on their town really drove me to be involved in this profession, said Young, who also owns Roberta Drugs, another pharmacy he and his wife purchased in 2019. We knew that it was possible, even with some of the challenges that we faced, it was still possible to serve our communities how we wanted to, he said. On a recent morning back at Barnes Drug Store, Robert Morrison, 69, waited in the store lobby for his prescription to be filled. As a teenager, Morrison worked for Barnes delivering medicine. Lifelong Valdosta, Ga., resident Robert Morrison, 69, had a liver transplant five years ago and gets most of his medication prescriptions from Barnes Drug Store, a local independent pharmacy where Morrison used to work a part-time job as a teenager, delivering prescriptions. (Nada Hassanein/Stateline) He had a liver transplant five years ago, and with 10 to 12 different prescriptions, Morrison said he sometimes gets his medicines mixed up and asks the staff for help. Its a good thing for the neighborhood, said Morrison, a yard worker. Ive been dealing with them a long time. Staff pharmacist Loryn Brown said she often counsels customers on their medications and symptoms. Ive sent numerous patients to the ER because of high blood pressures that they didnt realize were actually an emergent situation, Brown said. Back at Kiers home in Valdosta, Kier reflected on the pharmacy closures across her state. Thats so sad, she said, thinking about residents unable to get their medications. Uh-uh I dont feel good, Kier continued, because I dont want my Barnes to close. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp for exclusive content and analysis on what billionaires, businesses and markets are doing. Sign up here. Most Read from Bloomberg India is considering a $450 million deal to sell Russian-backed supersonic cruise missiles to Indonesia as the Southeast Asian country looks to bolster defenses, according to people familiar with the matter. The sale of the BrahMos cruise missiles is expected to be announced as early as this week when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto officially visits India, the people said, asking not be identified as discussions are private. Prabowo is set to attend the Republic Day celebrations as a special guest on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A key hurdle for Indonesia is securing financing for the missile purchases given the nations budget constraints, one of the people said. Funding is still being discussed with India and its unclear when a deal can be finalized for the missiles, which have a firing range of at least 380 kilometers (186 miles). If the sale goes through, Indonesia would be the second country after the Philippines to acquire the anti-ship cruise missiles. Southeast Asian nations are modernizing and bolstering their militaries as the South China Sea remains a flashpoint with an assertive China and President Donald Trump back in the White House. India and Indonesia have been negotiating for about a decade for the sale of the BrahMos cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia. Rosoboronexport, Russias state owned military hardware supplier, is part of the negotiations, the people said. Indias Defense Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the missile deal. A spokesman with Indonesias Defense Ministry also declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About a week before Prabowos visit, Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two countries will announce initial pacts for health, education, maritime safety and security. Indonesia is keen to have access to the missile technology so that it doesnt face shortages in spares and components, the people said. Last month, Indias ambassador discussed a technology transfer offer with Indonesias Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. The first Trump administration pressured Indonesia to abandon deals to buy Russian-made fighter jets and naval vessels from China. It was part of Washingtons efforts to stop its biggest rivals from eroding US military supremacy and threatening its national security. Prabowo, a former general, had played a key role in negotiating arms deals when he was defense minister under Joko Widodos administration. He and his cabinet colleagues at the time decided to scrap the deals with China and Russia to avoid getting on the wrong side of the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emerging markets including Indonesia are looking to bolster their economies as Trump returns to office with threats to roil global trade. Indonesia recently joined the BRICS group of developing nations established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa which has positioned itself as an alternative to the US-led global order. Prabowo is likely to expand military and maritime security cooperation with India when he makes his official visit this week. It is expected to be a continuation of joint exercises and port visits by Indonesian warships, as part of Jakartas focus on maritime security across Asia. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp for exclusive content and analysis on what billionaires, businesses and markets are doing. Sign up here. Most Read from Bloomberg Indias government is prepared to work with Donald Trumps administration to identify and take back all its citizens residing illegally in the US, an early signal from New Delhi that its willing to comply with the incoming American president and avoid a trade war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US has identified some 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants to be sent back home, for which India will verify and start the process of deportation, according to people familiar with the matter. The figure could be much higher than that, though, given that its unclear how many undocumented Indian migrants live in the US, the people added, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Youth from western India, in particular the states of Punjab and Gujarat, are believed to constitute a majority of the undocumented immigrants in the US, the people said. Like several other nations, India is working behind the scenes to appease the Trump administration and avoid the brunt of its trade threats. The crackdown on illegal migration has been a signature campaign pledge for Trump. Within hours of his inauguration Monday, the new president moved to fulfill that promise as he pushed to end birthright citizenship and mobilize troops on the US-Mexico border. In return for its cooperation, India hopes that the Trump administration would protect legal immigration channels used by its citizens to enter the US such as student visas and the H-1B program for skilled workers. Indian citizens accounted for almost three-fourths of the 386,000 H-1B visas granted in 2023, according to official data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any slack in taking back undocumented US migrants could also adversely affect Indias labor and mobility agreements with other countries, the people said. With a jobs shortage back home, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has signed migration agreements with an array of countries in recent years, including Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Israel and others. The issue of unlawful immigration has already come up in initial discussions between the two countries. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indias External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Washington, where Rubio emphasized the Trump administrations desire to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration, according to a State Department statement. As part of India-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration. This is being done to create more avenues for legal migration from India to the US, said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for Indias Ministry of External Affairs. The latest deportation of Indian nationals from the US by a chartered flight is a result of this cooperation, he added, referring to an October repatriation action. Rising Numbers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India is a relatively modest contributor of undocumented migrants to the US, with its citizens accounting for about 3% of all unlawful crossings encountered by US border patrol officials in fiscal 2024, according to US Customs and Border Protection data. Latin American countries such as Mexico, Venezuela and Guatemala account for a far larger share. However, the tally and share of Indian undocumented migrants has been rising in recent years. In particular, it has shot up at the less-trafficked northern US border, where Indians account for almost a quarter of all illegal crossings and also the biggest share of unlawful migrants stopped at that entry point, the data show. India will have do things in the domain where it is easy to deliver, said Harsh Pant, a professor of International Relations at Kings College London. It will be difficult to deliver on trade and tariff because of broader structural issues and as the two countries are in different stages of development Illegal immigration is an area where India can demonstrate to the Trump administration that it is delivering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the total number of undocumented Indian migrants in the US isnt certain, a report published last year by the Department of Homeland Security estimated some 220,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants resided in the US as of 2022. India has already sought to show a cooperative attitude toward US border enforcement efforts, including toward officials in the Biden administration. The October repatriation flight with more than 100 Indian nationals built on the more than 1,100 Indian citizens deported during the previous 12 months. Taking back undocumented migrants could also further Modis goal of deterring secessionist movements overseas, according to the people, including the so-called Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish a separate Sikh state on Indian soil. India has cracked down on the movement, and officials believe some of the groups backers in the US and Canada are undocumented migrants. Trade Worries Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Modi is seen to have friendly ties with Trump and has welcomed the new administration, it is cautious of any unpredictable action from the US president, which could lead to a costly trade war. Trump has repeatedly complained that Indias high import taxes hurt American businesses and has vowed reciprocal duties on the South Asian nation. In his first day in office, Trump focused his attention on immediate neighbors. The US president said on Monday that he was planning to impose tariffs of as much as 25% on Mexico and Canada by Feb. 1, blaming them for allowing vast numbers of people into the country. Canada in particular was a very bad abuser, Trump said, complaining about fentanyl and migrants crossing its US border. While its not fully clear why the northern US border has become such a major entry point for unauthorized migrants from India, reasons could include a halt to visa-free travel for Indians to El Salvador in 2023, and the relative ease of travel to Canada for Indians, according to the Niskanen Center, a Washington-based think tank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates with State Department readout in seventh paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Indian banks has begun blocking payments for Russian oil imports following the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Russia's oil industry, according to a report from Energy Intelligence, an energy information company. The U.S. on Jan. 10 announced large-scale sanctions against major Russian oil companies and nearly 200 vessels of Moscow's "shadow fleet." Following the new restrictions, financial institutions in India began blocking payments for Russian crude, Energy Intelligence reported on Jan. 20. India's state-owned banks, State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, have exercised the most caution in avoiding U.S. sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Private banks have adopted a less rigid approach, the report said. India became the world's leading importer of Russian oil following the full-scale invasion of February 2022 and subsequent barrage of Western sanctions. India accounted for almost half of all Russian seaborne crude exports in 2024. Approximately 20% of those exports originated from Surgutneftegas and Gazprom Neft, Russian oil companies targeted in Washington's recent sanctions, according to S&P Global. Sanctioned shadow fleet tankers reportedly transported 450,000 barrels of crude to India per day. Sanctioned Russian tankers that were booked before the sanctions went into effect on Jan. 10 will be allowed to unload at ports in India until March 12, the end of a U.S. grace period, an official told Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Refineries in India have already entered agreements to buy crude from Oman and the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported on Jan. 21, citing industry sources. The tightening sanctions prompted a sharp drop in Russian seaborne crude exports over the past week, according to Bloombirg. Since the Jan. 10 measures, dozens of tankers around the world have dropped anchor and suspended operations. Read also: US likely to sanction Russia if Moscow refuses peace negotiations, Trump says According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, sanctioned Surgutneftegaz and Gazprom Neft accounted for about 20% of Russian oil exports to India, while tankers included in the sanctions "blacklists" transported 450 thousand barrels per day to the country, or a quarter of all deliveries. The Indian authorities have decided that sanctioned tankers will not be able to enter the country's ports after March 12, the date when the period set by the US Treasury Department for completing all transactions with blacklisted individuals ends. Until that date, India is ready to accept tankers loaded before the sanctions were imposed, a high-ranking official in New Delhi told Bloomberg. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. UPDATE 1/22 1:27 P.M. FLOYD, Va. (WFXR ) Law enforcement is holding a press conference regarding the indictments and a pending arrest in the 21-year-old cold investigation for the homicide of Richard Palmer that occurred in 2003. FLOYD, Va. (WFXR) On Tuesday, January 21, Virginia State Police announced indictments and a pending arrest in the 21-year-old cold investigation for the homicide of Richard Palmer that occurred in 2003. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VSP said the Floyd County Commonwealths Attorney, Eric Branscom has received true bills for indictments submitted this week for a person believed to be connected to the death of Richard Dickie Palmer. New details released in the Elsie Wiggington murder investigation After 21 years, it is incredibly satisfying to provide answers to the Palmer family in the brutal murder of Dickie said Senior Special Agent Douglas R. Hubert, (VSP, BCI-GIS Salem). Special thanks for the diligent efforts of the Virginia State Police to develop the evidence necessary in this case to proceed with charges. Special Agent Hubert and Special Agent Cromer completed the investigation started so many years ago by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said Eric Branscom. The case goes back to April 22, 2003, when the remains of Richard Dickie Palmer and his dog, a red Australian Heeler named Rufus, were found in his Chevrolet pickup truck on 12th 1/2 Street SW in Perry Park in Roanoke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the initial investigation, it was determined that Palmers body was taken to that location in Roanoke after being killed and blood was found at Palmers home in Floyd County the following day. The investigation was then handed over to Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Salem Field Office. FBI, US Marshals investigating cold case in Bedford County The Virginia State Police said the investigation is still ongoing and there is no further danger to the public due to the suspects incarceration. An arrest is pending and the suspect will be named in the near future. Check back with WFXR News for more information soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agencies involved in the investigation include the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Virginia State Police Unsolved Violent Crimes and Cold Case Analytical Support Team, Office of the Attorney General Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant, the Floyd County Sheriffs Office, The City of Roanoke Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Ranger Division. 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 WFXRtv. By Ananda Teresia JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto is considering pardons for prisoners linked to armed organisations in the restive easternmost province of Papua, including separatists, providing they renounce violence and abandon secessionist agendas, a senior minister said on Wednesday. Prabowo plans to grant amnesty to those convicted and awaiting trial if they pledge loyalty to the Indonesian state and "stop all activities aimed to separate Papua from Indonesia", senior minister for law and human rights affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government is drawing up lists of individuals eligible, he said. Most armed criminal groups in Papua province are linked to separatist rebels. "It's going to be a new hope for us in finding a solution in Papua," Yusril added. A low-level battle for independence has been waged in the resource-rich island of Papua since it was brought under Indonesian control following a disputed referendum overseen by the United Nations in 1969 at the end of Dutch colonial rule. Many Papuans have said the outcome did not truly reflect local sentiment. Indonesian security forces have since kept a tight rein on the region and have been accused of human rights rights abuses, which they deny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Separatists have in recent years managed to acquire better weapons, taken in raids on army posts or sourced from the black market. They have also abducted foreigners, including a New Zealand pilot who was released last year after being held for 19 months. Police last August said another New Zealander was killed by rebels when he landed a helicopter in a remote area. Prabowo plans to pardon 44,000 prisoners including drug offenders and activists jailed in Papua for criticising the government. He has previously said that he might allow people who engaged in graft to go unpunished if they return what they stole. It is also considering parole for two former leaders of the militant network Jemaah Islamiyah and amnesty for its jailed members. (Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin Petty) A member of Colorado's second-highest court said on Thursday that she was skeptical insurance companies are entitled to collect crime victim restitution from defendants convicted of misdemeanor traffic offenses, but lawmakers had not provided clear direction one way or the other. Anthony Scaramucci, infamously one of Donald Trumps shortest-tenured advisers, mocked Vivek Ramaswamy for crashing out of the Department of Government Efficiency before it even launched. Scaramucci said that the entrepreneur lasted minus one day, by removing himself from co-leading the White House department the night before Trump could officially create it on inauguration day. DOGE is now headed solely by Elon Musk. The negative tenure means Ramaswamy cannot be measured in Scaramuccis a joke unit of time equal to 11 days, the length of time Scaramucci served as director of communications before he was fired in Trumps first term. Anthony Scaramucci lasted only 11 days in his White House role in 2017, but his brief tenure turned him into a unit of political measurement. / Yuri Gripas/Reuters Ramaswamy lasted minus one day, OK? He got blown out on Jan. 19, so hes not evenyou cant even measure him by Scaramuccis, which are 11-day time units, he said on Politicos Power Play podcast. You know, like Liz Truss lasted 4.1 Scaramuccis, right? This guy didnt even make it, right? He was minus a day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Truss was the former British prime minster who was outlasted by a lettuce. Coincidentally Truss was seen in D.C. partying and claiming to be learning how to foment revolution last weekend by The Swamp, the Daily Beasts must-read newsletter about Washingtons secrets. The writing appeared to be on the wall for Ramaswamy after his social media post in December that railed against American culturelike sitcoms, cartoons, prom queens, and jocksand claimed it venerated mediocrity. Ramaswamy said the U.S. should continue to rely on H1-B visas to fill key engineering rolesa point that sparked a MAGA civil war that lasted for nearly a month. The first half of Vivek Ramaswamys post from Dec. 26 that railed against American culture. The 400-word screed was not received well in the MAGA world. / X Ramaswamy, who now has his sights on becoming Ohios next governor, was pushed out of DOGE by Musk, Politico reported this week. Their public personas suggest otherwise, however, with Ramaswamy posting a selfie of the two on Monday. Scaramucci was fired by Trump as White House communications director after a whirlwind week and a half in the summer of 2017. In that period, Scaramucci missed the birth of his son, his wife filed for divorce, and he went on profane tirades against MAGA figures like Steve Bannon in calls with reporters. That included him calling the recently departed Chief of Staff Reince Priebus a paranoid schizophrenic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump fired Scaramucci, who was an assistant to the president and director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs, after 11 days. Scaramucci, 61, has used his firing fame to be a thorn in Trumps side, railing against him in media appearances and creating a super PAC that supported Joe Biden in the 2020 election. He says he even advised Kamala Harris on cryptocurrency last fall. Elon Musk joined Donald Trumps inner circle over the summer after he pumped hundreds of millions into his campaign. / Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images Scaramucci believes MAGA 2.0 will bring about big-name firings and fallouts that are akin to how he crashed out of the White House. He predicts Musk will be out of Trumps orbit in a years time and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio wont survive much longer, perhaps in part because Trump hopes to take back the Panama Canal from Panama. A lot of these guys will get blown out, Scaramucci said. I dont see how Marco Rubio can last more than a year. Marco Rubio is philosophically antithetical to what Trump wants to do in society from a geopolitical perspective. So hes gonna switch on a dime and just embrace all of the Trump stuff? Come on, its not gonna happen. Marco Rubio was unanimously confirmed to be Donald Trumps secretary of state this week. The two have come a long way since the 2016 GOP primaries, where they were at each others throats as they both hoped to succeed Barack Obama. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scaramucci said Trump is a maniac and suggested it is only a matter of a time before infighting erupts inside the West Wing. So now, all of a sudden, this new group of people is going to come in and everythings going to work out hunky dory? he said. Its not going to happen. So will Elon last longer than other people? Sure, because hes worth $250, $400 billion and Trump is a little afraid of him. So yes, hell last longer than other people, but hes already out to pasture. Brazilian auto influencer Ricardo Godoi died at age 45 during an extensive procedure to get a full back tattoo. The Instagram star who had over 220,000 followers at the time of his death reportedly hired a tattoo studio to ink his body. The team opted to carry out the tattoo in a full hospital setting in the Santa Catarina state of Brazil, and Godoi was sedated with a general anesthetic. Ahead of the procedure, he told his social media fans that he would return to posting that afternoon. Godoi was on the operating table when he went into cardiac arrest on Monday, Jan. 20. According to an Instagram post announcing his death, he died at 12 p.m. that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police are said to be investigating Godoi's death. Ricardo Godoi/Instagram Ricardo Godoi. Ricardo Godoi. Related: Food Influencer Rebecca Wylie Simms Dies at 39 After Surgery Complication, Weeks After Sharing 2025 Goal to 'Trust the Process' In a statement obtained by Daily Mail, the tattoo studio's owner claimed that Godoi went into cardiac arrest "at the beginning of the sedation and intubation," before they were able to start the inking process. "He was quickly checked and a cardiologist was called in to try to revive him, unfortunately without success," the owner continued, per the outlet. The tattooist also said he "deeply regrets" Godoi's tragic death and called him a "great friend." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Godoi who was married, per his Instagram bio regularly posted content about luxury cars. He also acted as CEO of his own business, Godoi Premium Group. The update shared on his page stated that information about his wake and burial would be released soon. Ricardo Godoi/Instagram Ricardo Godoi. Ricardo Godoi. Related: TikTok Star and Mom of 6 Dies of Rare Cancer at 57, One Day After Sharing Tearful Final Post About Not Wanting 'to Go Anywhere' "In this moment of pain, we sympathize with family and friends, wishing strength and comfort to go through this irreparable loss," read the post. "May the memory of Ricardo Godoi be remembered with affection and respect by everyone who had the privilege of meeting him." The caption continued in Portuguese, "His joy, generosity and light will continue to be present in our memories and every story he helped build." Read the original article on People Jan. 21The New York State Police are looking for information on a missing Lockport woman who is being described by family members as a vulnerable adult. Danielle L. Hart, 44, was last seen about 8 p.m. on Friday on the 60oo block of Rapids Road in the Town of Lockport heading in the direction of the city. Hart is described as 5-foot-6 and around 115 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair. She was wearing a black coat and black Uggs at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family members have noted that Hart left her wallet and keys at home and her cell phone is currently turned off. If you have any information, state police ask you to contact 585-344-6200 and refer to incident number NY2500046290. In addition, anonymous emails can be sent to wnymissingandunidentified@yahoo.com. MCDOWELL COUNTY, WV (WVNS) An inmate was sentenced for possessing a weapon at FCI McDowell. Inmate pleads guilty to possessing a weapon at FCI McDowell According to a press release, 24-year-old Savion Garcia, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, was sentenced on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of parole, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The press release stated that according to court documents, a staff member at FCI McDowell held a search of Garcias cell on October 19, 2023 and found two handcrafted weapons commonly known as shanks in Garcias possession. One of the shanks was reportedly a six-inch-long flat metal bar with a cloth wrapped around one end as a handle. The second shank was a piece of metal around six and three-fourth inches long, with one end sharpened to a point, and a cloth wrapped around the other end as a handle. Fayette County man sentenced to prison for felony drug, gun, and child abuse charges Garcia revealed that the shanks were in his possession, and that they were made to be used as weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who thanked the Federal Bureau of Prisons for their work on the 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 WVNS. The blockbuster hearings on Donald Trumps most unavoidably unfit Cabinet nominees feel completely hollow. Republicans have no interest in running afoul of Trump (look what happened to Joni Ernst), and Democrats are largely too demoralized and limp to execute a compelling campaign against the nominees. The crusade against Pete Hegseth petered out into repetitive women in combat gotchas (which he was prepared for) while Republicans complimented him on his musculature. During the hearing last week, everyone seems either elated or resigned that he will likely be confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wondered if Kash Patel, Trumps nominee for FBI director who comes with a handy (published) enemies list, would put any pressure on this dynamic. Unlike Hegseth, Patel, the son of Indian Gujarati immigrants, is not a MAGA avatar straight out of central casting. The signs are not encouraging. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the soft-spoken chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told a group of reporters Tuesday evening that he had met with Patel and would be voting against him. When asked what his most compelling argument to Republicans to vote against Patel would be, he said: read the book, holding aloft Patels Government Gangsters, a screed against the deep state. Thats all I could say, he added. Anything else they would dismiss as being subjective. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I followed up, asking whether Republican senators had voiced any qualms about Patel, he said they had at first but that he hadnt followed up because hes being very careful in a delicate period of time. This is the trap Democrats keep falling into. They dont want to come out against a Trump nominee too aggressively, out of fear of alienating Republican fence-sitters. But in the same breath, theyll tell you that Republicans arent actually open to listening to what they say, as theyre determined to pass Trumps fealty tests. So Democrats land in a place where they can neither mount an aggressive campaign, perhaps at least incurring some cost to the Republicans senators and the Trump administration, nor have any hope of swaying their GOP colleagues to their side. So we end up where we are on Hegseth. Democrats have all but given up, and Republicans can embrace Trumps darkest choices without even a chance that theyll be made to feel uncomfortable about it. The Best Of TPM Today With Trump Pardons, The Jan. 6 Coup Attempt Is Finally Complete Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Cover Of Shock And Awe, Trump Takes Concrete Steps To Hobble Government Yesterdays Most Read Story Elon Goes Full Seig Heil In Clarifying Moment What We Are Reading Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claims Files detail bid to contain fallout from Tulsi Gabbard meetings with Assad Twenty-two States Sue to Stop Trumps Birthright Citizenship Order Cory Doctorow is a reluctant prophet, especially when his predictions include murder. In 2019, the writer, blogger and internet activist wrote Radicalized, a short story about an online group who egg each other on to murder healthcare insurance executives, their violence eventually spilling over into general anarchy. Were speaking a few days following the arrest of Luigi Mangione for the premeditated killing in New York of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the USs largest healthcare insurance companies. (Mangione has since pleaded not guilty to terrorism and murder charges.) Thankfully, it doesnt seem to be a case of art imitating life, says Doctorow, speaking to me via an early morning Zoom. Mangiones Goodreads account [was made public], and my books arent on there. Im generally not happy to find out people dont read me, but in this case, Im fine with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While he feels enormous sympathy for Thompsons family, hes surprised similar killings havent happened before. In America, youve got this very lax gun control environment in which people shoot others for cutting them up on the highway, yet [until this point] no-one had decided to deal with something like watching your loved one die of a horrible, treatable illness by killing a healthcare executive. It feels like were at the beginning of something and weve reason to be afraid. Theres such panic in corporate America [over the killing] because it exposes the fiction of limited liability that behind these seemingly abstract decisions are real people, getting very wealthy, who bear moral culpability. Doctorow has published more than a dozen works of fiction and non-fiction Doctorow, a 53-year-old British-Canadian who lives in Los Angeles with his British wife, bobs amiably on my screen against a colourful backdrop of comic books, board games and books stuffed manically onto a shelf. He speaks as he writes: in full paragraphs of articulate prose, salted by vivid and frequent swearing. Over the past two decades he has established himself as something of the ornery conscience of the internet. In 2022, he coined the term enshittification to describe how corporate greed inevitably leads to the internet becoming gradually worse; it was Macquarie Dictionarys 2024 word of the year. And in his blogs, he has been a fierce advocate for online freedom from copyright, digital rights and against the monopolies that dominate the online world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has also published more than a dozen works of fiction and non-fiction as well as childrens stories and graphic novels. These, too, address similar concerns: climate change, surveillance capitalism and how the early, anarchic promise of the internet has curdled. In fact, he sees no distinctions across his work. When confronted with stressful or anxious situations, I write. I process my anxieties on the page I wrote nine books during lockdown. I make art but Im also a political activist. So it would be very strange if the art I made didnt reflect those big, numinous, irreducible feelings that are so central to how I frame my view of the world. Doctorows latest novel Picks and Shovels is the final part in a trilogy about a forensic accountant in Silicon Valley - Steve Proehl Doctorows books draw on traditional thriller tropes, such as double crosses and femme fatales but when reading them a working knowledge of Python code and RAM memory is also handy. My insight was that actual technology [is] a source of plot challenges that are even more exciting than the lazy nonsense writers got away with for decades. He has recently released technothriller Picks and Shovels the final part in a trilogy about Marty Hench, a forensic accountant in Silicon Valley. In the first book of the series 2023s Red Team Blues we met a grizzled, aching-for-retirement Hench. But, curiously for a capstone novel, Picks and Shovels chronicles the beginning of Henchs story: a gauche kid just out of college, stumbling through his first professional and personal crises in San Franciscos white-hot boom years of the late 1980s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not hard to read it as autobiographical. My dad was a computer science teacher, and in 1979 Apple sent all the computer science teachers in Ontario home with one of their machines. Being in the minority of people who had computers at that time was very exciting. It was a distinctive way of coming of age. Picks and Shovels also charts the turbulence of Ronald Reagans America. Some of the books most moving passages describe the way AIDS cuts through San Franciscos underground communities, while the books main antagonists are a cartel of religious leaders who overcharge their parishioners for computer hardware. Set against them is a start-up called Computing Freedom, composed of ex-employees, including a Hispanic migrant, a renegade Mormon and a lesbian Jew, who fight back against their chicanery. Its a classic thriller setup: the little guys vs corporate skulduggery, yet it also seems to be how Doctorow genuinely sees the world. Tech moguls such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, he argues, are ordinary mediocrities, shriven of constraint and consequence. Doctorow compares the technology-driven plots of his novels to that of Herman Melvilles major whale nerding-out in Moby Dick. (Incidentally, one of the books which was listed on Mangiones Goodreads account.) But he doesnt see a similar Ahab-like futility in his quest to harpoon corporate leviathans, like Bezoss Amazon or Musks X. In fact, hes bullish that the policies hes long advocated for such as legislation to break up Big Tech monopolies and greater copyright freedom online are gaining widespread traction. Seize the means of computation! Then, we can create a legacy that were proud to leave to kids and grandkids - Dan Tuffs Unusually for a Left-wing voice, he also sees some hope in the new Trump administration Vice President JD Vance is outspoken against Big Tech. If youre playing a game where your path to electoral victory is not taxing anyone for anything, he explains, but you also need to pay for roads, then one way is to combine culture wars with antitrust actions. So you take on a West Coast woke Big-Tech company and siphon a couple of hundred million dollars off them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doctorow is a man who practices what he preaches. Every piece of writing on his blog is available for free, for all, for ever, with no copyright restrictions apart from author credit a notion known as the Creative Commons License. As playful and polemic as Doctorows writing is, it could be dismissed as fodder for the chronically online. Yet, he argues, his prescriptions for a good internet have real-world impact. A sht internet ruled by a cadre of unaccountable tech bros is far from inevitable, he says. Rather, ordinary citizens have agency to shape a better digital future. We can make a new good internet, and we have to, because the only way were going to have a digital nervous system thats fit for purpose is by putting it in the hands of users and not in the hands of a small number of tech firms which act with total impunity. He recently signed a GoFundMe with the mission to free social media from billionaire control called Free our Feeds so far it has only raised $44,000 of its $4m target. Nonetheless, hes undaunted: Seize the means of computation! Then we can create a legacy that were proud to leave to our kids and grandkids. Picks and Shovels (Head of Zeus, 20) is out now 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. The Trump administration has essentially eliminated the ability to pursue asylum at the border, attempting to erase by executive order a right established in U.S. and international law. The restrictions leave migrants who claim they fear for their lives almost no path toward safety in the United States. The new administrations avalanche of executive orders includes a long list of new rules related to immigration. Numerous states have sued over Donald Trumps attempt to end birthright citizenship altogether, for example. Along the border, Trump has shut down CBP One, the app that migrants could previously use to schedule an appointment at a port of entry and be allowed into the United States to pursue an asylum claim. Another Trump order reestablished the so-called Remain in Mexico policy, wherein migrants seeking asylum are required to wait for their court dates across the border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump also signed an executive order Monday that essentially prevents all asylum claims along the southern border, on the grounds that the current reality counts as an invasion, and that he is asserting an emergency authority to suspend entries [w]henever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. In the order, Trump announced that he is suspending the physical entry of aliens involved in an invasion into the United States across the southern border until I determine that the invasion has concluded. The same order cites public health, safety, or national security risks, saying it applies to migrants who fail to provide Federal officials with sufficient medical information and reliable criminal history and background information. Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute has noted that, looking at 2021 and 2022 data, there is no relationship between monitored diseases and the share of all immigrants, illegal immigrants, or legal immigrants at the state level. He separately observed, This is the most extreme immigration executive order Ive ever seen, totally at odds with the facts. It violates court precedents going back decades. The order comes despite the federal government acknowledging earlier this month that border crossings had hit a low point going back to July 2020. The order also contains familiar right-wing fearmongering about immigrants, claiming millions of aliens who potentially pose significant threats to health, safety, and national security have moved into communities nationwide. In this aerial view, deportees unload from a Customs and Border Protection transport vehicle before being sent back to Mexico on Jan. 22 in Nogales, Arizona. Trump signed executive orders on his first day in office declaring a state of emergency at the U.S. southern border, halting asylum claims and launching a campaign of mass deportations. John Moore via Getty Images CBS News reported Wednesday that, based on the executive order, border agents have been instructed to summarily deport migrants crossing into the country illegally without allowing them to request legal protection, according to internal government documents and agency officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report added: Two Customs and Border Protection officials, who requested anonymity to discuss internal guidance, said migrants will not be allowed to see an immigration judge or asylum officer under Mr. Trumps edict, which effectively suspends U.S. obligations under domestic and international law to ensure people fleeing persecution are not returned to danger. Put simply, this order ends asylum at the United States border for anyone fleeing danger, even for families persecuted on the basis of their religion or political speech, Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project and a frequent litigator against federal immigration policy, told CBS News. The report also noted that internal documents cited the presidents public health authority, and that the documents say requests to release migrants with a court notice will need to be approved by Border Patrol headquarters and will only be considered in life-threatening situations. Legal commentators assailed the executive orders reasoning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump claims to have a power in the Constitution that lets him suspend entire acts of Congress, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, told The New Republic. Immigrants taken into custody have rights. No president can erase immigration law with the stroke of a pen. There is no emergency at the border, where crossings are at a 4-year low, said Harry Litman, a former federal prosecutor and host of the Talking Feds podcast. There is just a beyond-the-looking-glass President saying a term can mean anything I choose. The order rests on courts buying into the recent, wild theory that asylum-seekers and other migrants are an invasion under the Constitution, said Adam Isaacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America. Joe Biden himself instituted a near-ban on asylum claims for people who attempted to enter the country between ports of entry, but his administration pointed to the CBP One app as a legal pathway into the asylum process. Bidens asylum restriction cited similar legal authority as Trumps, though it did allow migrants to make their initial case to asylum officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, immigration advocates toldHuffPost there were numerous examples of people with asylum claims nonetheless being turned back at the border, and the ACLU and other groups challenged Bidens restrictions in court. Related... SALEM, Ohio (WKBN) The investigation remains open into the death of an infant in Salem and likely will remain that way for the next couple of months. Read next: Police officer critically wounded in local shooting; 4-year-old also hit by gunfire Salem Police began investigating the suspicious death of an infant on Jan. 12 after it was found in the area of 300 W. Pershing Street. Chief of Police J.T. Panezott tells First News authorities are still analyzing digital evidence and are waiting for a medical analysis from the Cuyahoga County medical examiner, which is expected to take at least another couple of months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First News will continue to look into this matter and publish updates as they are 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 WKBN.com. The Iowa House Education Committee advanced legislation to expand and form new scholarship programs for Iowa National Guard members. In this photo, Motor transport operators with the Iowa Army National Guard deliver medical supplies including personal protective equipment in March 2020 as part of a mission related to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Sgt. Tawny Schmit/Iowa National Guard) Lawmakers discussed several bills aimed at higher education financial aid for members of the military Tuesday as the Iowa Legislature began its second week with subcommittee and committee meetings. Members of the Iowa House of Representatives met in subcommittee and the House Education Committee to go over two bills relating to the National Guard, one making changes to the Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship program and the other creating a new scholarship program for certificates and other credentials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX House Study Bill 4 would add a second limit to how much an award can be through the service scholarship program, with the current law stating scholarships cannot exceed the in-state tuition rate of Iowas public universities. If passed, students wouldnt be able to receive scholarship funds exceeding the difference between the tuition rate at the institution attended by the national guard member less any financial aid the national guard member receives under certain 14 specified federal programs, according to the legislation. The bill would also strike language barring a National Guard members unit, where they attend drills or whether they are enlisted in the Iowa Army or Air National Guard, from being considered when determining whether an award will be given or how much. Subcommittee member Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, said during the subcommittee and House Education Committee meetings she would prefer the language be left in the bill, and was the only no vote in the full committee to send it to the floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have an amendment drafted that I would love to discuss after todays committee meeting, but I think that this bill should move forward, and I just hope that we can perhaps get it right before we pass it on the floor, Levin said. Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn urged lawmakers to expand the service scholarship program in his Condition of the Guard address Jan. 16, a request he previously made in 2024. House Study Bill 3, which also passed out of subcommittee and committee, would establish a National Guard Service Professional Qualification Scholarship program to provide funds to National Guard members pursuing higher education programs that are not associate or bachelors degrees. This would include certificates and other credential programs approved by the adjutant general, according to the legislation. Funds not utilized by the National Guard Service Scholarship program would be used for the new scholarships, according to the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a great bill, Levin said in the education committee meeting. I think it recognizes the reality of education these days, and Im excited to offer this opportunity to our Guards members. A House Veterans Affairs subcommittee also reviewed legislation touching on higher education for military members. House Study Bill 6 would expand the population of military members, veterans and family members who qualify for in-state tuition for undergraduate study at public universities and community colleges. The bill would expand the definition of qualified military person in Iowa law to include veterans of armed conflict and those honorably discharged, and would qualify veterans spouses and children for resident tuition and fees. The Iowa House Veterans Affairs Committee is set to bring up the legislation Wednesday, according to its schedule. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa An Iowa man accused of child sex crimes was found in Indonesia. On Tuesday the U.S. Marshals Service announced that with the help of the U.S. Department of State and Indonesian officials 32-year-old Trevor John Collison was taken into custody on federal charges of sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. How Trumps executive orders surrounding immigration could impact Iowans Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the U.S. Marshals, Collison fled from the country after a search warrant was executed at his home in Little Sioux by the Harrison County Sheriffs Office in August. Collison was tracked across several South Pacific countries before being located in Indonesia. Collison was taken into custody by Indonesian immigration officials when he tried to extend his visa, the U.S. Marshals said. Collison was returned to the U.S. and will appear before a Federal Magistrate for the federal charges. Iowa News: 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. Former Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran, a Democrat, on Thursday declared her candidacy for attorney general in next year's election, saying she's "committed to ensuring that every Coloradan is safe, healthy, and economically secure." DES MOINES, Iowa Forty snowplows from different Iowa companies traveled south to help cities facing unprecedented winter weather. Colbys Lawn & Landscaping from Clive is one of the companies that sent their crews to the South. This is their third week in a row traveling for work. So far, theyve helped people in Arkansas, Kansas City, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and they are now in Houston. Executive Director, Rocky Dhaboldt, said this isnt their first time traveling but this is the most his crews had to travel for work because of a lack of snowfall at home in Iowa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caitlin Clark Foundation to distribute 22,000 childrens books as part of literacy program Dhaboldt says his industry is at the mercy of the weather every winter. Therefore, he understands there is a massive risk to only relying on income received through snow removal. As a result, his company is prepared for dry winters because snow removal income goes towards buying new equipment or upgrades. He says a lack of snow removal income may impact what they can do in the Spring, but it doesnt keep them out of business. However, its ideal for them to find ways to help people in other parts of the country when Iowa is facing a dry winter. Despite having to commute long hours to find work, Dhaboldt says there are benefits to travel. Profit margins are substantially higher because they charge more and because food, fuel, and lodging are covered for his crews. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the other benefit is getting to help those in need in cities that dont have any salt or plow trucks. You get down to Texas where it doesnt snow or ice or anything [and] youre like a superhero there, said Dhaboldt. It just means a lot more to them than it does to the people here. So, its kind of cool to experience that. Half of Dhaboldts crews returned to Iowa overnight because of forecasted snow. 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. Social media users are putting a new meaning to the question, At what cost? The US TikTok ban that occurred over the weekend sent many people into a frenzy; some people were hopeful for the apps return while others gave up and deleted the short video-hosting service off of their phones. However, in a turn of events, TikTok was restored for users in the states in less than 24 hours, but the latter group of people were out of luck as the app was no longer available in the App store. Phones with the ByteDance-owned app still installed on them became a hot commodity. As of Wednesday (Jan. 22), new listings titled phones with TikTok on eBay began popping up by the dozens, with a majority of them boasting hefty price tags. The most expensive listing is currently at $4.9 million, and according to Newsweek, a phone priced at $14,000 sold earlier this week. In March 2024, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 7521, which would ban TikTok completely unless it is divested from ByteDance, a Chinese company. Users prepared for the app to go dark on Jan. 19, 2025, but US users were unable to scroll anymore on the evening of Jan. 18, hours before the bill went into effect. A controversial message popped up for all users, referencing how Donald Trump was working with the apps owners on a solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The message read: A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you cant use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Its worth noting that at the time of the notice, Trump had not been sworn into office yet. The next morning (Jan. 19), users were able to use the app again. The welcome back notice read: As a result of President Trumps efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! Many people have labeled the ordeal as a stunt by Trump to take credit for bringing the social media service back, although he initially was the one who signed an order back in 2020 that would ban it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More from VIBE.com Sign up for Vibe's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By Leela de Kretser DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) -Iran is "pressing the gas pedal" on its enrichment of uranium to near weapons grade, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday, adding that Iran's recently announced acceleration in enrichment was starting to take effect. Grossi said last month that Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it would "dramatically" accelerate enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% of weapons grade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western powers called the step a serious escalation and said there was no civil justification for enriching to that level and that no other country had done so without producing nuclear weapons. Iran has said its programme is entirely peaceful and it has the right to enrich uranium to any level it wants. "Before it was (producing) more or less seven kilograms (of uranium enriched to up to 60%) per month, now it's above 30 or more than that. So I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. They are pressing the gas pedal," Grossi told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to an International Atomic Energy Agency yardstick, about 42 kg of uranium enriched to that level is enough in principle, if enriched further, for one nuclear bomb. Grossi said Iran currently had about 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%. Still, he said it would take time to install and bring online the extra centrifuges - machines that enrich uranium - but that the acceleration was starting to happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are going to start seeing steady increases from now," he said. Grossi has called for diplomacy between Iran and the administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump, who in his first term, pulled the United States out of a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that had imposed strict limits on Iran's atomic activities. That deal has since unravelled. "One can gather from the first statements from President Trump and some others in the new administration that there is a disposition, so to speak, to have a conversation and perhaps move into some form of an agreement," he said. Separately, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at Davos that Iran must make a first step towards improving relations with countries in the region and the United States by making it clear it does not aim to develop nuclear weapons. (Reporting by Leela de Kretser; editing by Jason Neely and Bernadette Baum) Iran hopes that US President Donald Trump will agree to a new nuclear deal, Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos. Responding to a question about why Iran assumes the United States could agree to a new deal, Zarif said: "I hope that this time around, a 'Trump 2' will be more serious, more focused, more realistic." Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Vienna nuclear pact in 2018 during his first term and imposed harsh new sanctions on Tehran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dispute over Iran's nuclear programme has intensified again in recent months. Following criticism of Iran's nuclear programme from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran announced in November that it plans to put thousands of new centrifuges for uranium enrichment into operation. Iran currently enriches uranium to a purity level of 60%. According to experts, a level of more than 90% is required for nuclear weapons. Israel's government has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. DUBAI (Reuters) - A Swiss national who Iranian authorities said took his own life while in an Iranian jail after being arrested on suspicion of espionage had taken pictures of military sites, Iran's judiciary spokesperson said on Wednesday. Switzerland had demanded detailed information on the reasons for the arrest of the 64-year-old man, who had been travelling in Iran as a tourist, and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death earlier this month. "The person had entered the country from Dogharoun (bordering Afghanistan) in October as a tourist in a car fitted with various technical equipment meant for different purposes," the judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spokesperson said the detainee had hanged himself with a piece of cloth after turning off his cell's light and placing himself out of the view of security cameras. "After passing through several provinces, he entered Semnan province and was arrested while being in a military-restricted zone," Jahangir said. "He was arrested on charges of taking pictures of the military zone and collaborating with hostile states." Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have in recent years arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups accuse Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Bernadette Baum) By Samia Nakhoul and Leela de Kretser DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Iran delivered a conciliatory message to Western leaders in Davos on Wednesday, with a top official denying it wants nuclear weapons and offering talks about opportunities, days after its arch adversary Donald Trump's return to the White House. However, the comments by Iran's Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif coincided with a warning by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog that Tehran is "pressing the gas pedal" in enriching uranium to near weapons-grade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi has called for diplomacy between Iran and Trump, who in his first term, pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear deal that had imposed strict limits on Iran's atomic activities. Asked how crucial the dialogue between Tehran and Trump is right now, Grossi replied in Davos: "Absolutely indispensable." "Without their dialogue, there's not going to be any progress," he said during a media panel discussion. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said that Iran must make a first step towards improving relations with countries in the Middle East and the U.S. by making it clear it does not aim to develop nuclear weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zarif's remarks appeared aimed at calming those worries, amid fears that the Middle East is headed for yet more war with the return of a U.S. president who, during his first administration, cast Tehran as his top foreign policy villain. 'MOVE FORWARD' Zarif dismissed the idea that Tehran sought nuclear arms, and signalled support for the idea of talks to improve relations between Iran and its critics in the West. "There's always hope that people will choose rationality. I hope that this time around, a 'Trump 2' will be more serious, more focused, more realistic," Zarif told a panel, adding the Islamic Republic did not pose a security threat to the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Now, for us, is the time to move forward. We have been looking at our surroundings as a threat, because of our history. Now ... Nobody thinks of Iran as such an easy place to carry out their whims. So, we can move forward, based on opportunity, rather than based on threats. So, let's talk about that." Iranian, Arab and Western officials told Reuters late last year that Iran's main concern is the potential for Trump to push Israel to strike Iran's nuclear sites and reimpose his "maximum pressure policy" through more sanctions on its oil. Trump stated in an election speech in October his unwillingness to go to war with Iran, but said Israel should "hit the Iranian nuclear first and worry about the rest later", in response to an Iranian missile attack on Israel on Oct. 1. In 2018, then-President Trump reneged on Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and re-imposed harsh U.S. sanctions as part of his "maximum pressure" policy on Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ENRICHMENT In response, Tehran breached the deal in several ways including by accelerating its uranium enrichment. Grossi said last month that Iran had informed the IAEA that it would "dramatically" accelerate enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% of weapons grade. Western powers called the step a serious escalation and said there was no civil justification for enriching to that level and that no other country had done so without producing nuclear weapons. Iran has said its programme is entirely peaceful and it has the right to enrich uranium to any level it wants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Before it was (producing) more or less seven kilograms (of uranium enriched to up to 60%) per month, now it's above 30 or more than that. So I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. They are pressing the gas pedal," Grossi said at the World Economic Forum annual meeting on Wednesday. According to an IAEA yardstick, about 42 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to that level is enough in principle, if enriched further, for one nuclear bomb. Grossi said Iran currently had about 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%. Although it would take time to install and bring online the extra centrifuges - machines that enrich uranium - the acceleration was starting to happen, Grossi said, adding: "We are going to start seeing steady increases from now". Grossi also raised the possibility of a new nuclear deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "One can gather from the first statements from President Trump and some others in the new administration that there is a disposition, so to speak, to have a conversation and perhaps move into some form of an agreement," he said. (Writing by William Maclean; Editing by Alexander Smith) DUBLIN (AP) Irish lawmakers met Wednesday to appoint a new prime minister, but quickly abandoned the attempt amid bitter wrangling over parliamentary procedure. The chaotic scenes mean the expected appointment of veteran politician Micheal Martin must wait until at least Thursday. I think that what happened today was shocking," Martin said after a day of arguments and delays in the Dail, parliaments lower house. "This is the first time, I think, in over 100 years that the Dail has failed to elect a government to fulfil its constitutional obligation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attempts to form a new government come almost two months after an election in which Martins Fianna Fail party won the most seats, but not enough to govern alone. After weeks of talks, the long-dominant center-right parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael agreed to form a coalition with the support of several independent lawmakers. Under the deal, Martin. 64, will be taoiseach, or prime minister, for three years, with Fine Gaels Simon Harris the outgoing taoiseach as his deputy. The two politicians will then swap jobs for the rest of the five-year term. Members of both parties have ratified the government agreement, and Martin was set to be confirmed by members of the Dail on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But speaker Verona Murphy repeatedly suspended the session as lawmakers argued about whether independents who back the government should be given opposition speaking time. She finally adjourned the session until Thursday morning. Once Martin is approved, he will be formally appointed to the job by President Michael D. Higgins before naming his cabinet. In Irelands Nov. 29 election, voters bucked a global trend that saw incumbent governments ousted around the world in 2024. Fianna Fail won 48 of the 174 legislative seats and Fine Gael 38. Theyve secured backing to govern from the mostly conservative Regional Independent Group, which will be given junior ministerial positions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fine Gael and Fianna Fail share broadly similar center-right policies but a century-old rivalry stemming from their origins on opposing sides of Irelands civil war in the 1920s. They formed an alliance after the 2020 election ended in a virtual dead heat. Their new agreement shuts out left-of-center party Sinn Fein, which will stay in opposition despite winning 39 seats. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have refused to work with them because of their historic ties with the Irish Republican Army during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland. The new government faces huge pressure to ease rising homelessness, driven by soaring rents and property prices, and to better absorb a growing number of asylum-seekers. The cost of living especially Irelands acute housing crisis was a dominant topic in the election campaign, and immigration has become an emotive and challenging issue in a country of 5.4 million people long defined by emigration. By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) -A vote due on Wednesday in the Irish parliament to elect a new prime minister was delayed by a day after opposition protests over speaking rights for independent lawmakers supporting the incoming coalition government derailed a chaotic sitting. Micheal Martin was due to be elected prime minister at around 1230 GMT following a coalition deal struck last week between the country's two large centre-right parties and a group of independent lawmakers after a Nov. 29 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The speaker of the lower house of parliament suspended the chamber on four separate occasions before adjourning it until 0900 GMT on Thursday when her attempt to start the vote to elect a prime minister was drowned out by angry opposition lawmakers. "What we witnessed today was the subversion of the Irish constitution ... This has never happened in the history of the state before," Martin told a hastily arranged press conference. "The most fundamental obligation of the Dail (parliament) is to elect a taoiseach (prime minister) and indeed to elect a government. That opportunity was denied today by a premeditated, coordinated and choreographed position by the opposition, and particularly by the Sinn Fein Party." Outgoing premier Simon Harris, who was due to move to the role of deputy prime minister on Wednesday, called the events "utterly farcical" and "stunt politics on speed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reelected Fine Gael and Fianna Fail-led government is bracing for the return to the White House of U.S. President Donald Trump and had set Trump's inauguration as a date when it wanted to have new cabinet in place. The suspension will delay Martin's appointment of a new team of ministers. The opposition was protesting against a move by some of the government-supporting independents to retain their extended speaking rights in parliament from the opposition benches. Attempts to solve the dispute between sittings failed. "The chaos today is solely the responsibility of Fine Gael/Fianna Fail and the group of independents. Stroke politics was taken head on," David Cullinane, a senior lawmaker from the main opposition Sinn Fein Party, wrote on social media. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, additional reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar, Wiliam James and Rod Nickel) Saying the alleged behavior of Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis directly conflicts with their core values, the Democratic leaders in the chamber said they will "honor" any formal request to investigate the claims against the Longmont legislator. (Bloomberg) -- The ceasefire agreement that paused the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon will likely be extended when it expires next week, according to several people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The Iran-backed group and the Israelis are unlikely to resume full-scale fighting despite needing more time to implement the original terms of the truce, which started in late November, according to Lebanese, Israeli and French government officials involved in ongoing talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The French- and US-backed deal, which halted a conflict that killed thousands of people and worsened tensions between Iran and Israel, gave Israeli troops 60 days to pull out of southern Lebanese villages. Hezbollah was required to withdraw north of the Litani River, with the Lebanese army replacing them. The pact was followed last week by Israel and Hamas, another Islamist militia sponsored by Iran, agreeing to pause their war in Gaza. While the Lebanon truce has broadly held since November, Hezbollah and Israel have accused each other of breaking the terms. Israeli forces are still in at least half the villages they occupied, according to the countrys officials. Israel has kept up lethal strikes to counter what it describes as Hezbollahs attempts to regroup or rearm in the south, and in retaliation for mortar attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Negotiations between the parties have been taking place on extending the Jan. 27 deadline to ensure the conflict isnt resumed, according to a senior Israeli diplomat. French officials and a person familiar with the discussions in Lebanon said the truce will be lengthened to allow more time for Lebanese soldiers to deploy and Hezbollah to clear out to the north of the Litani, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border. The US embassy in Beirut didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. All of the officials asked not to be named, reflecting the sensitivity around the indirect diplomacy between Israel and Hezbollah, which like Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US. In addition, Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations and cant negotiate without mediators. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah caused extensive damage to both economies. Israeli assets including the shekel and government bonds rallied significantly in the run up to the ceasefire, while Lebanons defaulted dollar bonds have surged since then, a time when the country also elected its first president since 2022. The debt remains in distressed territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want the successful implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters on Monday alongside Antonio Tajani, his counterpart from Italy, which contributes forces to the United Nations peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon. Saar said more territory would be ceded to the Lebanese army soon, but that any wider Israeli pullout was conditional on Hezbollah first leaving the south. They breached the agreement, and we still have Hezbollah terrorists south of the Litani River, he said. We will enforce when we see violations of the agreement, and we will stand on our security demand. Lebanon has repeatedly said it is committed to the ceasefire deal, though has stressed that Israel needs to withdraw it troops. Hezbollah leader Naim Qasem has urged the Lebanese state to address repeated Israeli violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Hezbollah still has plenty of fighters and arms, it was heavily weakened during the conflict. A series of skirmishes begun when Hezbollah fired on Israel in October 2023 in solidarity with Hamas after the war in Gaza erupted turned into a full-blown conflict in September last year. Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon, killed Hezbollahs long-standing leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior figures, and destroyed much of the groups stockpile of missiles. Earlier this month, Lebanese lawmakers elected army commander Joseph Aoun as the country president. Aoun was backed by the US and Saudi Arabia and his victory was a further sign of the waning influence of both Hezbollah and Iran in Lebanese politics. Still, even if the truce is extended, the continued presence of Israeli troops in Lebanon could put pressure on Aoun. --With assistance from Youssef Diab and Sam Dagher. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates fourth-last paragraph with context on Lebanons stance.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. JERUSALEM Israels top general resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for security failures tied to Hamas surprise attack that triggered the war in Gaza and adding to pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could potentially implicate his leadership. While a fragile new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip held, Israel launched a significant and broad military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least nine people and injuring 40, Palestinian officials said. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security and intelligence breakdown on Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led militants carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack the single deadliest on Israel in its history killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants abducted another 250. More than 90 captives are still in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead. Halevis resignation, effective March 6, came days into the ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the 15-month war and the return of remaining captives. Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israels Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also resigned. Their resignations will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the Oct. 7 failures, something Netanyahu has said must wait until the war is over. Halevis resignation letter noted that the militarys investigations into those failures were currently in their final stages. And Halevi made his most explicit call yet for a public inquiry in comments to journalists, saying it would be granted full transparency by the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Halevi had appeared to be at odds with Israels new defense minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war. He said Israel had accomplished most of its goals, while Katz echoed Netanyahus vow to keep fighting until total victory over Hamas. Katz replaced the popular Yoav Gallant, who Netanyahu dismissed in a surprise announcement in November after growing disagreements over the war. Netanyahu faces criticism from far-right allies over the ceasefire, which requires Israeli troops to pull back from populated areas in Gaza and envisions the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including ones convicted of involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis. Hamas has already returned to the streets, showing that it remains in control of the territory despite the war killing tens of thousands of Palestinians including some Hamas leaders and causing widespread devastation. The ceasefires first phase is to last for six weeks, with 33 hostages gradually released. Three hostages and 90 prisoners were released Sunday, when it took effect. The next release is Saturday. Talks on the far more difficult second phase begin in two weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of Netanyahus erstwhile partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir, quit the government on Sunday, weakening the coalition but still leaving Netanyahu with a parliamentary majority. Another far-right leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to leave if Israel does not resume the war after the ceasefires first phase. Separately on Tuesday evening, Israels emergency rescue service said four people were stabbed and wounded in Tel Aviv in what police described as a terror attack. Police said the attacker, a 28-year old foreign national, was killed by security forces at the scene. Israels military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Halevi on Tuesday said close to 20,000 militants had been killed, without providing evidence. By Elisa Martinuzzi, Brad Haynes DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) -Israel's economy minister said on Wednesday it seeks a peaceful Gaza but has not decided whether to help fund its reconstruction and would not allow the rebuilding of Hamas rule that he said could lead to another cross-border militant attack. A ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas took effect on Sunday and the focus has shifted in part to ways of bringing permanent peace after 15 months of war that has demolished the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Economy Minister Nir Barkat told Reuters in an interview during the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland that reconstruction of Gaza was not possible unless Hamas decided it wanted lasting peace with Israel. "The key question is if...they want to build a Dubai or rebuild Gaza the way it was," Barkat said, referring to the United Arab Emirates city, a global hub of commerce, and to Gaza under Palestinian Islamist militant rule since 2007. "Dubai recognised the state of Israel, they are focusing on mutual economies...we would like to see Dubai in our region, not Gaza," said Barkat, a former mayor of Jerusalem. Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across the border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the heavily built-up enclave has been flattened and most of its 2.3 million people displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier vowed not to stop the war until Hamas was eradicated as, he said, there would be no long-lasting peace and security for Israel. Key would-be donors for Gaza including the United Arab Emirates and U.S. President Donald Trump's new administration have stressed that Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction and is designated as a terrorist organisation by many Western countries, cannot remain in power in Gaza after the war. But since the ceasefire took hold, Gaza's Hamas-run administration has resurfaced and acted quickly to reimpose security and start restoring basic services, underlining that it remains in charge of public affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barkat said Israel had not decided whether to financially contribute to reconstruction there, but would "certainly be willing to enable the Emirates, the Saudis, and others to rebuild something that doesn't threaten Israel". TRUMP 'BACKWIND' Having Trump back in the White House, replacing Democratic President Joe Biden - whose ties with Netanyahu were strained - had changed the dynamics for Israel for the better, he said. "We've moved from a supportive administration that restrained us to a supportive administration that is giving us very strong backwind to win the war," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This new momentum would also be felt across the Middle East, he said, increasing the chances of establishing bilateral relations between Israel and further Arab nations, a process known as the Abraham Accords. That pact, brokered by Trump's first 2017-21 administration, has seen the UAE and Bahrain normalise relations with Israel, driven by shared concerns about Iran, and is part of a broader regional realignment of Middle East alliances. Israel's devastation of Gaza in the war has tested those ties, but Barkat said he believed Trump's return to power "will increase the chances of expanding the Abraham Accords to the Saudis and others". Asked about talks with Turkey on restarting trade links Ankara severed last year over Israel's war in Gaza, Barkat said there had been "no progress". Turkey said on Tuesday it could restart trade if the new calm in Gaza proved permanent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barkat also said he had argued since the ceasefire deal against Israel's 2025 austerity budget of tax hikes and spending cuts tailored to curb a budget deficit and debt burden swelled by an extra $25 billion in 2024 devoted to war expenses. The budget still awaits final parliamentary approval but Barkat is seeking a more generous spending package focusing on "bold economic growth" though increased debt. "If we have good growth, it'll very quickly return the debt plus-plus," he said. (Writing by Steven Scheer and Karin Strohecker; editing by Mark Heinrich) Israels defense minister has announced a series of raids that he says are targeting terrorism in the occupied West Bank, as Palestinian officials warned of a man-made disaster. Israels military is using lessons from its offensive in Gaza in its new West Bank operation to ensure terrorism does not return, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. Katz said operation Iron Wall in the Jenin refugee camp would be a shift in the militarys security approach in the occupied West Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A powerful operation to eliminate terrorists and terror infrastructure in the camp, ensuring that terrorism does not return to the camp after the operation is over the first lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza, he said. On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of a large-scale military operation in Jenin just two days after the Gaza ceasefire came into effect. Scenes have since emerged of broken concrete and rubble filling the streets. Palestinian authorities described besieged hospitals and entire neighborhoods cut off from residents. Meanwhile, relief workers raised fears that the devastation wrought by the Israeli campaign in Gaza will be replicated in the West Bank. Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 851 Palestinians in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, including 173 children. On Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said nine more people had been killed, ranging in age from 16 to 57 years old. In addition, a 29-year-old man was killed in the town of Tanek, in Jenin district, the ministry said. One medic told CNN a four-month-old baby arrived with shrapnel wounds at a Jenin hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the UN, 2024 was the third-deadliest year for Israelis in the West Bank since data collection began in 2008. The agency recorded the deaths of 34 Israelis 15 soldiers and 19 civilians. Of those civilians, seven were settlers. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said on Tuesday that Israeli warplanes had struck Jenin and that Israeli forces, including sharpshooters and armored vehicles, were surrounding the citys refugee camp and stopping ambulances from entering. Meanwhile Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), one of the militant groups active in Jenin, accused the Palestinian security forces of taking part in the operation by the Israeli military there. PIJ said the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) only serves the (Israeli) occupation. Efforts by the Palestinian security forces over the last month to dislodge militant elements described as outlaws have largely failed. An Israeli military vehicle operates during an Israeli raid in Jenin. - Ammar Awad/Reuters More than 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 war and is now home to 3.3 million Palestinians. Jewish settlements there are considered illegal under international law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Katz said Israel would not allow Iran or any armed groups to threaten Israeli citizens. Israeli officials have previously accused Iran of assisting militant factions in the West Bank, especially in the Jenin refugee camp. It comes as a senior Iranian official warned Wednesday that resistance to Israel will remain as long as repression stays. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Javad Zarif, Irans Vice-President for Strategic Affairs, said, I wouldnt suggest anybody to start rejoicing over destroying Hamas, Hezbollah or the Palestinian resistance, or to cutting Irans arms, because the resistance will stay as long as the occupation stays as long as repression stays. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that along with the Israeli Security Agency, known as Shin Bet, and Israel Border Police, it had hit more than 10 terrorists in the Jenin operation and conducted aerial strikes on terror infrastructure sites, while numerous explosives planted on the routes by the terrorists were dismantled. Hospital under complete siege The scale and intensity of the Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Jenin is by far the hardest and most troubling in recent months, according to its mayor, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli military has sealed off five big residential neighborhoods, Mohammad Jarrar told CNN on Wednesday, adding that the entire camp has become impossible to get into. Asked about the mayors comments, the Israel Defense Forces told CNN that there had been changes to protocols to ensure safe movement and expand inspections at checkpoints in the West Bank to prepare for the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. However, it added that it a closure has not been imposed on cities/villages in Judea and Samaria, and entry and exit are permitted through the open checkpoints, using the biblical term by which Israelis refer to the West Bank. It came after video obtained by CNN showed Israeli military bulldozers digging up a road outside the Jenin government hospital on Tuesday evening, leaving piles of rubble in front of the driveway by morning. The hospital is close to the entrance to the refugee camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Wissam Bakr, director of Jenin Hospital, told CNN Wednesday that the facility was under complete siege by Israeli military. No-one can enter or exit the hospital since yesterday. Yesterday, five medical staff were injured from Israeli military gunfire, Bakr said. The roads outside the hospital have been destroyed by the Israeli military bulldozers. No ambulances are able to arrive to the hospital. Dr. Fawaz Hamad, the director of Al-Razi Hospital, also in Jenin, told CNN he has received more than a dozen injured patients since Tuesday the youngest of whom was a four-month-old baby injured by gunfire shrapnel in the Jenin refugee camp. In total, the renewed operation has rendered four hospitals in the area less accessible to residents some of whom fled fearing the worst Jarrar, the citys mayor, told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Israeli military goes with the planned attack of destroying the camp and those neighborhoods, it will be a man-made disaster similar to what we have seen in Gaza, he added. We are still appealing to the world to intervene These are lives of people we are talking about; men, women and children. Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian man at a checkpoint as Israeli authorities close an entrance to the occupied West Bank city of Hebron Wednesday. - Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images Nearly 900 military checkpoints and gates have been set up across the West Bank since October 7, 2023, according to a statement from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, a group affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Israel of collective punishment against residents of the West Bank on Tuesday by sealing off of all entrances to Palestinian governorates, cities, towns, and refugee camps. It said it considered the operation in Jenin to be part of an official Israeli plan aimed at consolidating the occupation, imposing Israeli law, and the gradual annexation of the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aseel Baidoun, a staffer for the NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), based in Ramallah, said: Living in the West Bank today feels like being trapped in an open-air prison. Baidouns testimony was shared with CNN by MAP. Now that there is a suspension in Israels war on Palestinians in Gaza, it feels like the Israeli military is starting a war on us in the West Bank, she added. Some right-wing ministers in Israel have called for the annexation of parts or all of the West Bank, a view that has the support of some of US President Donald Trumps nominees for office. In November, Itamar Ben Gvir, who resigned as Israels National Security Minister last week over the Gaza deal, said it was time to apply Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank. CNNs Catherine Nicholls and Sana Noor Haq contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By James Mackenzie, Raneen Sawafta JERUSALEM/JENIN (Reuters) -Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday forces were applying lessons learned in Gaza as a major operation continued in Jenin, which the military said was aimed at countering Iranian-backed militant groups in the volatile West Bank city. A military spokesperson declined to give details but said the operation was "relatively similar" to but in a smaller area than one last August, in which hundreds of Israeli troops backed by drones and helicopters raided Jenin and other flashpoint cities in the occupied West Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the third major incursion by the Israeli army in less than two years into Jenin, a longtime major stronghold of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which said its forces were fighting Israeli troops. Residents reported constant gunfire and explosions and Palestinian health services reported at least four wounded, after 10 people were killed a day earlier. Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said the militants' increasing use of roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices were a particular focus of the operation, which included armoured bulldozers to tear up roads in the refugee camp adjacent to the city. As the operation continued, many Palestinians left their homes in the camp, a crowded township for descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes in the 1948 war around Israel's creation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Thank God, we were at home, we went out and asked an ambulance to take us out," said a woman who gave her name as Um Mohammad. Before the raid, which came two weeks after a shooting attack blamed by Israel on gunmen from Jenin, roadblocks and checkpoints had been thrown up across the West Bank in an effort to slow down movement across the territory. As the raid began, Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces pulled out after having conducted a weeks-long operation to try to reassert control over the refugee camp, dominated by Palestinian factions that are hostile to the PA, which exercises limited governance in parts of the West Bank. The operation came just two days after the launch of a ceasefire deal in Gaza and exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, with Israeli troops pulling back from their positions in many areas of the enclave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, the military said troops in several areas in Gaza engaged a number of armed suspects it said posed a threat and fired warning shots at masked individuals who approached them. It called on Palestinians to avoid approaching troops. "The IDF is determined to fully maintain the terms of the agreement in order to return the hostages," it said in a statement, adding that it was prepared for any scenario and would take "all necessary actions" to overcome threats. LEARNING FROM GAZA Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Jenin raid marked a shift in the military's security plan in the West Bank and was "the first lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will not allow the arms of the Iranian regime and radical Sunni Islam to endanger the lives of (Israeli) settlers (in the West Bank) and establish a terrorist front east of the state of Israel," he said in a statement. Israel's campaign in Gaza, following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by bands of Hamas-led gunmen, has left much of the coastal enclave in ruins after 15 months of bombardment. The military has said it has refined its urban warfare tactics in light of its experience in Gaza, but Shoshani declined to provide details of how such lessons were being applied in Jenin. Israel considers Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad that are backed by Iran as part of a multifront war waged by an axis that includes Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Newly installed U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed a string of senior officials with close ties to the settler movement, and his return to the White House has been welcomed by hardline pro-settler ministers who have pledged to expand settlement building in the West Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. Most countries deem Israel's settlements on territory taken in war to be illegal. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land. (Reporting by James Mackenzie in Jerusalem and Raneen Sawafta in Jenin; Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Matthew Lewis) (NewsNation) Rachel Powell said its time to move forward from her regrets for storming the U.S. Capitol in 2021. She is among about 1,500 protesters President Trump pardoned; she served one year of a five-year sentence at a Washington, D.C., correctional facility before being released. Trump keeps his promises, Powell said on CUOMO. My family can start rebuilding our life again, and we can move forward from Jan. 6 into the future and make America great again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Jan. 6 rioters released after Trumps Day 1 pardon Powell, also known as the Bullhorn Lady, used a battering ram to break into the Capitol and gave directions through a bullhorn to other rioters. On Monday, Trump announced that he granted roughly 1,500 full, complete and unconditional pardons for rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. There have been 1,583 total defendants charged. The pardons clear the way for potentially hundreds of his supporters to be released from prison in the coming days; some of them were sentenced to years in prison for violently attacking law enforcement that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NewsNations Elina Shirazi contributed to this 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 NewsNation. Federal prosecutors described David Dempsey as "one of the most violent rioters" during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The Van Nuys man used flagpoles, metal crutches and broken pieces of furniture as he stormed the building, injuring police officers and fellow insurrectionists, according to court documents. He "viciously assaulted and injured police officers" for more than an hour "during one of the most violent stretches of time, at the scene of the most violent confrontations," prosecutors wrote. In August, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon and breaching the seat of Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But on Tuesday, after President Trump granted sweeping pardons or commutations to everyone convicted of Jan. 6 offenses more than 1,500 people Dempsey was released, having served less than 3 years, officials confirmed. Other Jan. 6 defendants whom Trump called "hostages" were also released across the country, based on Justice Department referrals of Trump's orders to the Bureau of Prisons. "People are being released by the minute, it seems," said Amy Collins, a Washington-based attorney who represents several Jan. 6 defendants, including Dempsey. "The DOJ actually seems to be jumping on board pretty quickly." Collins declined to comment on Dempsey's case, but said the pardon process after years of litigation, plea bargaining and trials has been "surreal" for the defendants and their attorneys alike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The fact that Trump kept his word and it has a direct result in our case, that's a pretty big deal," she said. "It's such a unique situation." The sudden release of so many Jan. 6 offenders marked a stunning end to years of grueling, costly work by federal prosecutors to identify, track down, prosecute and see sentenced hundreds of Trump loyalists and MAGA hard-liners who stormed and attacked the Capitol in a failed attempt to keep Trump illegitimately in power after he lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Read more: Oath Keepers' Rhodes and Proud Boys' Tarrio released from prison after Trump Jan. 6 clemency By the end of last year, the investigation had become the largest in the history of the Justice Department, which said it had charged 1,561 people in total, 590 of them with assaulting, resisting, impeding or obstructing law enforcement officers. It said nearly 980 had pleaded guilty, 210 others had been found guilty at trial, and 645 had been sentenced to at least some time behind bars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department under Biden cast the prosecution effort as a vital check on the kind of political violence that was on display that day. It noted that 140 police officers had been assaulted, and millions of dollars in damage incurred. Trump has sought to recast the narrative. On the campaign trail he repeatedly lied about what happened, downplayed the severity of the attack, and suggested that those charged were being wrongly held as political prisoners. He promised he would issue pardons, but gave contradicting statements about whether he would pardon everyone charged or a narrower cohort. Even within his Republican Party, Trump faced resistance to pardons for the worst offenders, such as those who violently attacked police officers. Earlier this month, now-Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that if someone committed violence on Jan. 6, "obviously you shouldn't be pardoned, and there's a little bit of a gray area there." Supporters of President Trump's Jan. 6 pardons gather Tuesday at the D.C. Central Detention Facility in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) And yet, within hours of being inaugurated, Trump had pardoned the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants, including many convicted of violent acts. And he had commuted the sentences of the rest 14 of the most high-profile defendants, including militia leaders charged with seditious conspiracy against the government to time served, allowing their release from prison as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The orders drew surprise from both sides of the political aisle, and outrage from liberal leaders and law enforcement officials who were injured in the assault. In an interview on CNN, former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun during the insurrection, blasted Trump's decision to pardon the individuals who assaulted him and other officers. He also criticized those who voted to return Trump to office despite Trump's promising to do just that on the campaign trail. "I have been betrayed by my country, and I have been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump," said Fanone, a 20-year law enforcement officer. "Whether you voted for him because he promised these pardons or for some other reason, you knew this was coming and here we are." Sen. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the House committee that investigated the insurrection, said Trump had given "a literal 'get out of jail free' card to rioters who committed horrific violence in his name." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schiff said the orders were not "just forgiveness for their crimes," but "a permission structure to do it again." Both Fanone and Schiff were among those pardoned by Biden earlier Monday, not because they had been charged with any crime, but for fear that Trump would seek retribution against them for holding the Jan. 6 attackers to account. Among those released from prison were former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes with Rhodes' sentence of 18 years in prison and Tarrio's sentence of 22 years in prison, both for seditious conspiracy, immediately ended. Rhodes' sentence was commuted. James Lee Bright, his attorney, expressed gratitude on X, writing, "A pardon was prayed for, but better than prison while he appeals." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nayib Hassan, Tarrios attorney, thanked Trump in a statement, saying his client had received a "full and complete pardon." Hassan called it a "pivotal moment" in Tarrio's life and "a turning point for our nation." On Tuesday, Trump defended his pardons for people convicted of violence and declined to rule out a role for groups like the Proud Boys in American politics moving forward. Well, we have to see. Theyve been given a pardon," Trump said. "I thought their sentences were ridiculous and excessive. Other Californians besides Dempsey were also among those pardoned and freed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dyke Huish, a defense attorney, said Tuesday that he was awaiting a certificate of pardon for his client Russell Taylor, who was accused of being part of the Three Percenters militia group, and of coordinating travel from California to Washington, D.C., to block Bidens win. Taylor, who prosecutors said wore body armor and carried a knife and a hatchet as he helped others overrun police lines, initially faced a much stiffer sentence but received leniency after agreeing to testify against Alan Hostetter, a former La Habra police chief and member of the so-called DC Brigade. Taylor was sentenced to six months of home detention after pleading guilty, and placed on probation set to end in 2027. Huish said such restrictions are "over now," but that he has advised his client to await the certificate. He said he would still seek a dismissal of Taylor's charges, because a pardon was not the same as an expungement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huish declined to make Taylor available for an interview, but said Taylor "is very happy that President Trump kept his promise and that he is now free to return to his full life without his court imposed probation." Read more: Jan. 6 defendants, including some from California, eagerly await Trump pardons Joe Allen, who represented several Jan. 6 defendants, including one from California, said that while he was not surprised that Trump issued pardons, he is "a little surprised about the breadth" of them. "I thought that there were certain offenders who [pleaded] guilty or who were found guilty [of] violent crimes that maybe he would not pardon, because on the other end of those violent crimes are law enforcement officers," Allen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also believes that many people never should have been charged. His clients "have lost so much" in the process one client from Tennessee missed the birth of his child and the pardons give them "their rights back," he said. But he also questioned how Trump's pardons and a cluster of others by Biden earlier Monday for officials who had investigated Jan. 6 and others who had drawn the ire of Trump and members of his family might harm perceptions of the American justice system. I gotta think of what other countries are thinking when they see our leadership conducting themselves this way, he said. Its almost like the embarrassment of mom and dad fighting in front of the kids." Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Kaori Kaneko TOKYO (Reuters) - Kyoto-based Mitsufuji got its start nearly 70 years ago as a weaver of decorative belts for kimonos. One day soon, it could be spinning high-tech fibres to shield fighter jets from electromagnetic interference. The company, whose core business is making consumer-facing wearable gadgets, is one of dozens of small ventures that have caught the Japanese government's eye in recent years as it looks for dual-use technologies to beef up its military capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cultivating a home-grown defence industry was a key plank of Japan's 43 trillion yen ($275 billion) military build-up strategy launched in 2022 to counter escalating security threats from China, Russia and nuclear-armed North Korea. But it faces a challenge. Unlike some of its allies, Japan has no defence industry champions, such as Lockheed Martin Corp in the U.S. and BAE Systems in Britain, that depend on military work for almost all of their sales. Even at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , Japan's leading defence contractor, sales of combat aircraft, warships and other military equipment account for less than a fifth of revenue. Nudged also by the fast-changing landscape of modern warfare, including the use of small drones in Russia's war with Ukraine, Japan's military - officially called the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) - decided to court smaller companies to cast a wider net for procurement. "If we don't pioneer on our own, we won't be able to keep up with global trends," former defence minister Minoru Kihara told Reuters. "Japan should invest in research and development that contributes to national security, including dual-use technologies, without fear of failure." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the latter part of 2023, the government began holding meetings with several companies at a time, looking to see what innovative products and technology they had on offer. Mitsufuji, which was already supplying the SDF with wrist bands that monitor heat stroke risk, attended the second such meeting. "We don't know what the needs are, so we basically showed them what we have," Mitsufuji CEO Ayumu Mitera told Reuters. "It's not that we have a desire to enter the defence business, but if there's demand, we're happy to make proposals." Using its highly conductive silver-metallised fibre, Mitsufuji produced a small-scale prototype of a hangar tent that could shield military aircraft and other equipment from electromagnetic interference. In some cases, the meetings have led to deals. The Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) last year procured powered exoskeleton "muscle suits" from Tokyo startup Innophys and introduced cutting-edge wind measuring instruments from Kyoto's Metro Weather on a trial basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't think matching dual-use technologies with national security can be achieved unless the government plays an active role and does not simply wait for companies to come to it," said former vice defence minister Kazuhisa Shimada. BUILDING BRIDGES The ASDF has been particularly active in approaching companies, meeting about 300 firms for its space operations since late 2023 in downtown Tokyo. "Times have changed," said ASDF Colonel Ryoji Kondo, a former F-2 fighter jet pilot. "We really need to get help from startups." His team is in talks towards a deal with startups CollaboGate Japan and Wyvern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has also helped smaller firms set up booths at international defence exhibitions to tout their wares under the Japanese flag and drum up interest overseas. Mitsufuji's Mitera said his company had displayed at several such exhibitions, including the Vietnam Defence Expo last month. The company has secured deals to supply its high-tech fibre to companies in Asia and Europe, he said. Building those bridges could also fortify Japan's security bonds with friendly nations, Kihara said. "Even if it doesn't go as far as using the same technology or equipment, using the same parts will strengthen cooperation between nations, in terms of security," he said. ($1 = 155.88 yen) (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko.; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Gerry Doyle) Japan, known for its robust aging population, was ranked the healthiest country to age in by the National Center for Health Statistics in December. Okinawa, Japan, is also considered a blue zone, home to some of the worlds longest-living and happiest communities. But, according to a new report from CNN, many of those older adults are struggling. Japans largest womens prison has become home to a growing number of seniors. CNN reported the number of prisoners aged 65 or older nearly quadrupled from 2003 to 2022. Feeling neglected financially and socially, in the wake of a global loneliness epidemic, many older Japanese women are turning to imprisonment to find community and support. Akiyo, identified by pseudonym for privacy, is an 81-year-old inmate who was serving time for shoplifting food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are very good people in this prison, Akiyo told CNN. Perhaps this life is the most stable for me. The companionship offered by prison is the main appeal for these elderly women, along with regular meals, free healthcare and eldercare. And the requirement to work in the prison factories is no deterrent. There are even people who say they will pay 20,000 or 30,000 yen ($130-190) a month (if they can) live here forever, Takayoshi Shiranaga, an officer at Tochigi Womens Prison located north of Tokyo, said during an interview with CNN in September. There are people who come here because its cold, or because theyre hungry, said Shiranaga. And those who fall ill can get free medical treatment while they are in prison, but once they leave, they have to pay for it themselves, so some people want to stay here as long as possible. Committing crimes to survive For some elderly women, resorting to crime is a path to survival. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports that 20% of people aged over 65 in Japan live in poverty. Theft is the most common crime among elderly prisoners, CNN reported. In 2022, more than 80% of elderly female prisoners nationwide were in jail for stealing, according to the Japanese government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she was in her 60s, Akiyo was jailed for stealing food. Nearly 20 years later, she was imprisoned after shoplifting out of desperation. Akiyo was not only left with no money, but also no familial support. Just before she was imprisoned, her 43-year-old son told her, I wish youd just go away. I felt like I didnt care what happened anymore, she told CNN. I thought, Theres no point in me living, and I just want to die. Another inmate, Yoko, 51, has been imprisoned on drug charges five times over the last 25 years. She said that the prison population only seems to get older. (Some people) do bad things on purpose and get caught so that they can come to prison again, if they run out of money, said Yoko, who CNN identified by a pseudonym for privacy. Prison is the only place to get support A lack of caregivers, limited access to healthcare, and being abandoned by family membersadds another layer to the appeal of prison for these elderly womenespecially the repeat offenders like Akiyo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once they leave prison, theres no support to transition back to society, said another prison guard, Megumi, identified by her first name only. Even after they are released and return to normal life, they dont have anybody to look after them, she told CNN. There are also people who have been abandoned by their families after repeatedly committing crimes, they have no place to belong. In 2021, the Japanese welfare ministry acknowledged that elderly inmates who received support after leaving prison were much less likely to become repeat offenders than those who didnt. CNN reported that the ministry was bolstering its early intervention efforts and community centers to help the elderly. That is in addition to programs launched by Japans Ministry of Justice which provide education on independent living, substance abuse recovery, and navigating family relationships. Japan is also considering proposals to make housing benefits more widely accessible to the elderly, as 10 municipalities across the country test programs to help elderly people with no close relatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Akiyo finished her sentence in October. A month before her release, she told CNN she was full of shame and afraid to face her son. Being alone is a very difficult thing, and I feel ashamed that I ended up in this situation, Akiyo added. I really feel that if I had a stronger will, I could have led a different life, but Im too old to do anything about it now. More on aging: This story was originally featured on Fortune.com The military recently reached a legal agreement requiring the Department of Defense to help those hurt by policies banning the LGBTQ community from serving or under Don't Ask Don't Tell. (Bloomberg) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said he and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed to bring their countries ties to new heights in their first meeting. Most Read from Bloomberg Earlier in the week, Iwaya became the first Japanese foreign minister to attend a US presidential inauguration ceremony. Following his meeting with Rubio, Iwaya told reporters he was able to secure understanding from him on the importance of the US-Japan economic relationship, and how much Japan contributes to the US economy. The two didnt specifically discuss tariffs, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Rubio said the ministers discussed plans to deepen ties during the Trump Administration, and how the US and Japan can work together to counter ongoing threats in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, including joint efforts against Chinas destabilizing actions. In effect, this was a meeting Rubio had on his first day as Secretary, Iwaya said. I believe we were able to have a frank discussion and exchange opinions on a wide range of topics. While President Donald Trump hasnt made any immediate and major moves on universal global tariffs on his first day in office, Japan may still have to navigate tariff threats in the future. In 2019, the country managed to avoid additional levies on its auto exports through drawn out trade talks, but the Iwaya-Rubio meeting appeared to remain free of tariff threats for now. We agreed to continue to work together to take the Japan-US alliance to new heights and to work closely together to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific, Iwaya said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The foreign minister also met National Security Adviser Mike Waltz as well as attending a Quad meeting with Rubio and their counterparts from Australia and India. The fact that the Quad meeting took place right after the start of the new administration shows Trump acknowledges the importance of multilateral frameworks, Iwaya said. The date of the first summit between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is still being arranged, Iwaya added. Japans foreign minister was also asked whether he and Rubio discussed a potential request from Washington to boost Japans defense contribution, and the controversy over Nippon Steel Corp.s plan to buy United States Steel Corp. Iwaya said he told Rubio that Japan is steadily increasing its defense budget, and touted the fact that Japan is the USs biggest investor. We intend to further expand our investment, and in order to do that, I asked him to make efforts to dispel any concerns or worries about Japanese investment into the US, Iwaya said, without specifically citing the Nippon Steel issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Alastair Gale. (Updates with comment from Rubios spokesperson.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. DENVER (KDVR) The Jefferson County Public Schools administration said Tuesday it is grappling with the death of the districts former chief of schools, who was under investigation for child pornography. At the same time, administrators said they are working to strengthen student safety. School districts address possible ICE actions after new immigration crackdown begins Jeffco Board of Education President Mary Parker released a letter Tuesday about recent board actions regarding the investigations circumstances. She noted that the board met for a retreat on Jan. 7 to allow board members to be able to publicly face the crisis at hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want the Jeffco community to know how seriously we are taking this issue and how appalled we are at the alleged crime, Parker wrote. This retreat provided us with the opportunity to publicly affirm that any crime against a child is inexcusable and to assure the community that we are actively engaged and collaborating both with Superintendent Dorland and our community on a path forward. On Dec. 19, 2024, chief of schools David Weiss was terminated from his position in Jeffco due to a criminal investigation. On Jan. 2, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office said it was investigating Weiss for criminal activity involving child pornography. The agency said it was contacted on Jan. 1 by a Maryland sheriffs office about a death investigation involving Weiss. He had been in Maryland visiting family when he died by suicide. Superintendent Tracy Dorland had sent a letter on Jan. 17 about how the district plans to change its process for clearing new staff members, and the current process it maintains for each new hire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar Before being hired, every Jeffco Public Schools employee must receive and pass a fingerprint-based CBI/FBI background check, Dorland wrote. Our Human Resources team receives a prompt report any time an employee has had an arrest or law enforcement charge, so we can act swiftly based on that information. This same process is typical of school districts across the state of Colorado. Dorland said the school is working to enhance safety by: Purchasing a districtwide visitor and volunteer management system to electronically vet guests at the schools Establishing a Safety Advisory Council made up of local child safety experts Hosting a Safe Student Summit in the spring Establishing a partnership with the Colorado School Resource Center to expand on the districts existing sexual misconduct training to additional staff beyond principals Collaborating with law enforcement to provide district safety staff access to law enforcement databases Exploring technology that could improve student safety Adding a curriculum that supports students with content to help keep themselves safe Dorland encouraged concerned community members to tune in to the Feb. 13 board meeting. (M)embers of my staff will present a comprehensive update, including many of the items I mentioned here. Following this Board meeting, we will launch a new section on our Safety and Security webpage where you can follow our progress on these efforts, Dorland wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parker wrote Tuesday that the district is grateful for its partnership with the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, which includes the school resource officer program, and said it is the districts understanding that the investigation is focused on just Weiss. Man who threatened missing juveniles family pleads guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material (W)e have not received any information to date on whether the former Chief of Schools personal activities involved anyone within Jeffco, Parker wrote. She affirmed the districts support of Dorland, calling her a strong and steady leader, and called on the community to commit to collective child safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Together, we all play a crucial role in ensuring the physical and personal safety of Jeffco students and advocating for their best interests, Parker wrote. Find mental health resources in Colorado. If you are thinking of hurting or killing yourself: Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Please get help immediately. 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 FOX31 Denver. House Democratic leaders are bashing President Trump and his allies in the Capitol for supporting blanket clemency for those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Democrats say Republicans are hypocrites for claiming to support law enforcement while simultaneously backing Trumps decision to pardon more than 1,500 people who were prosecuted for the rampage, including those who attacked police officers protecting the Capitol complex. House Republicans are celebrating pardons issued to a bloodthirsty mob that violently assaulted police officers on January 6, 2021. What happened to backing the Blue? House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) posted Tuesday on Threads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Far right extremists have become the party of lawlessness and disorder, he continued. Dont ever lecture America again. About anything. Trumps approach to the Jan. 6 rampage has evolved dramatically in the years since it happened. One day after the riot, the president said he was outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem, and he endorsed stiff punishments for those who participated. To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country, he said in a speech to the country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay. Since then, however, Trump has sought to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, recasting the rioters as patriots and reframing the rampage as a day of love. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of that revisionist history, Trump vowed on the campaign trail to pardon those who were arrested at the Capitol during the insurrection. And on Monday evening, just hours after being sworn in for his second term, the president made good on the promise, issuing pardons for roughly 1,500 people. Theyve already been in jail for a long time, he said. These people have been destroyed. He also commuted the sentences of 14 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, two right-wing nationalist groups that have promoted violence to achieve their goals. The blanket nature of the pardons came as a surprise. Just a week ago, Vice President JD Vance had promoted the idea of clemency for those who protested peacefully on Jan. 6 but added that if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps decision to deviate from that formula and provide reprieve for even the most violent Jan. 6 protesters has put congressional Republicans in an uncomfortable spot. They have promoted themselves as the party of law and order, but they also dont want to criticize their White House ally in the first days of his new term. Many Republicans are approaching that dilemma by deflection, pointing to former President Bidens decision to grant pardons to his son, who was facing multiple felony charges, and other figures whom he said would be targeted unfairly by Trumps Justice Department. That list included additional Biden family members; Anthony Fauci, a top health official during the COVID pandemic; and the House lawmakers who investigated Trumps role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. We said all along that Biden opened the door on this, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Tuesday. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), who was one of the members of the Jan. 6 select committee, dismissed that argument, saying Republicans are reaching for rationales to defend the indefensible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no basis for that [comparison]. Joe Biden didnt provide pardons to hardened criminals who were convicted by a jury or a judge for beating law-enforcement officers, said Aguilar, now chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Its a false equivalency that is only possible on the side of Republicans. Still, Aguilar made clear that he did not want the pardon Biden had provided, arguing that the panels investigation was air-tight and didnt require additional protections from legal scrutiny. Its not something I asked for, or sought, or wanted, Aguilar said. We did our job. We upheld, and stayed true to, our oath to the Constitution to carry out the work and to find out what happened on that day. And Im proud of the work that we did, and proud of the members and staff who we worked with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I understand why the president did it. 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 The Hill. Jimmy Kimmel wasnt a fan of the string of extremist policies Donald Trump announced through executive orders in the first two days of his second term. The bully is back at his pulpit, Kimmel declared before detailing some of the worst ones on Tuesday night. Among them, Trump pulled the United States out of the World Health Organization as well as the Paris Climate Accords. And bringing former Attorney General Merrick Garlands efforts to protect him from legal consequences for the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection, Trump also freed more than 1,500 of the people imprisoned for storming the Capitol on his orders. The Burger King signed more than a hundred executive orders and actions, Kimmel explained. He pulled us out of the Paris Climate Accord; he pulled us out of the World Health Organization. There are two big reasons Trump is big on pulling out: Eric and Don Junior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, Kimmel continued, he did make sure to keep us on TikTok. He issued an executive order to delay the ban on TikTok until April. He released around 1,600 criminals who stormed the Capitol on January 6th, including those who attacked police officers and stockpiled weapons for the event. Kimmel also noted how Trump rescinded Joe Bidens executive order lowering prescription drug prices for Americans on Medicare and Medicaid, leading him to joke, finally, someones looking out for Big Pharma and the Promise Keepers, you know? Theres a lot more to the monologue of course, and you can watch the whole thing below: The post Jimmy Kimmel Slams Trumps Executive Orders: The Bully Is Back at His Pulpit | Video appeared first on TheWrap. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Law enforcement is one place where people can make a difference in their community, and the new Trumbull County Sheriff is ready to create change. The Trumbull County Sheriffs Office is hiring. It has roles to fill in a number of areas. We need to hire to provide better services to our community, said Sheriff Michael Wilson. The first role with openings is for a deputy. Initial qualifications include being 21 and older, with a high school diploma and drivers license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A deputy is a law enforcement officer, theyre OPOTA (Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy) certified. They have to go through an academy, and well take lateral transfers. Theyll do regular patrol, work shifts, and then they can advance from there to promotions or to specialty units, Wilson said. The sheriffs office also needs corrections officers. The job is overseeing up to 250 inmates. It could be helping with booking, walking the floor, making sure inmates are where theyre supposed to be, or simply helping feed them. The initial qualifications for a corrections officer are being at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalency. If youre hired, corrections training will be provided by the sheriffs office. The job could lead to bigger things, too. Theres room for advancement from corrections officers to a sergeant to lieutenant of the corrections, and they can also go into law enforcement from there, Wilson said. The Trumbull County sheriff is ready to make a difference in the community. Wilson wants employees to be an inspiration and make a difference. The Trumbull County Sheriffs Office, for the past two weeks that weve been here, weve created a new culture. Weve found a way to make employees happy and want to come to work, and were looking for good people that want to work with us, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff even has some roles open among the support staff. If youre ready to apply, you can search for jobs online and download an application. 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 WKBN.com. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced Wednesday her plans to run for governor, making her the first major Democratic candidate to enter the race to replace Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In an email announcing her run, Benson said she has a track record of delivering results to improve the lives of Michigan residents. "I want Michigan to be the best place in the country to be a kid, raise a kid, and be healthy, safe, and successful. A place where government is efficient and easy to deal with, where businesses and communities thrive, and where every resident has access to quality child care, health care, education, and housing," Benson said in a statement. Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State. On the Republican side of the gubernatorial race, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, has announced a gubernatorial bid. Meanwhile, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, has decided to run as an independent, skipping a potentially crowded primary contest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan voters first elected Benson as secretary of state in 2018 and then again in 2022 by a nearly 14-point margin the biggest of any of the major statewide races that year. As Michigan's chief elections officer during the 2020 election, Benson spoke out against President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn his loss that year. She regularly appears on cable TV news programs as a national voice on protecting democracy in the U.S. In addition to her election duties, Benson also oversees motor vehicle services in Michigan. During her time in office, Benson has moved more services online and, with self-service kiosk stations in Michigan, drivers have replaced in-person visits to a Secretary of State's Office branch with a trip to the grocery store. A video shared in Benson's announcement email shows her on a run through Detroit while she narrates her personal story, career and promises if elected to lead the state. "I'm running for governor to truly make government work for everyone," she says. Benson has also regularly advocated for greater transparency, calling for legislative action to fill gaps in Michigans anti-corruption laws and testifying in favor of legislation introduced in the past to overhaul campaign finance and ethics laws in Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before serving as secretary of state, Benson was the dean at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Speaking to reporters in Lansing Wednesday afternoon, Benson repeatedly pledged to bring efficiency and transparency to state government if elected. She also said her goal is to make sure Michigan government saves residents time and money, pursues an economic development strategy that raises wages for workers, boosts access to affordable housing and child care and improves students' educational outcomes. Benson floated one proposal to ensure every high school student not immediately headed to college can pursue a paid apprenticeship or paid service opportunity upon graduation, finishing with funds to invest in their higher education or start their own venture. Benson also vowed to open her office to public records requests as governor despite Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exempting the office from such disclosures. "I will personally as governor comply with FOIA. Ive done it every step of my career whether I was dean of a law school or now as Secretary of State," Benson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next governor will take office in 2027 after Whitmer's term expires. To qualify for the ballot, candidates for governor must submit petitions with a certain number of voter signatures. This story was updated to add new information. Lansing Bureau Chief Paul Egan contributed to this report Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jocelyn Benson announces run for Michigan governor President Donald Trump holds up a letter from President Joe Biden at the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by Jabin Botsford /The Washington Post via Getty Images Former President Joe Biden wished President Donald Trump and his family all the best in the next four years, Fox News reported. Dear President Trump, As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years, the letter Biden left Trump reads, according to the outlet. The American people - and people around the world - look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation. May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding. Joe Biden 1-20-25 On Monday night, Trump found the letter in the Resolute Desk as he was signing executive orders in front of reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wait, Trump said after a reporter asked about the letter. Dont they leave it in the desk? Ooh! Thank you, Peter, it could have been years before we found this thing, he said after he located the document. Trump held up the white envelope and joked that maybe we should all read it together, before saying that he would read it first and then make that determination. Trump then said he had left Biden a letter in 2021 remarking on the unification of the country. Biden confirmed that in 2021, telling reporters that Trump had left him a very generous letter, but that he wouldnt talk about it because it was private. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tradition of outgoing presidents leaving a note for incoming presidents began in 1989 when former President Ronald Reagan left a note for his successor George H. W. Bush. In 2017, former President Barack Obama left a note for Trump that all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure. In 2009, former President George W. Bush wrote to Obama that he would look forward to being inspired by the character and compassion of the people you now lead. Former President Bill Clinton wrote to Bush: The burdens you now shoulder are great but often exaggerated. The sheer joy of doing what you believe is right is inexpressible. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has moved to dispel concerns that he is planning on leaving the Democratic Party while Republicans are now fully in control of the federal government. In an interview with Semafor on Monday evening, Fetterman called the rumors circulating on social media amateur hour shit. The senator explained that he has no plans to follow in the footsteps of former Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) or Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), who switched their party affiliation, registering as independents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not gonna happen, Fetterman said. And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to switch. I would make a pretty bad Republican. While many of his fellow party members have criticized President Donald Trump, with some even skipping his inauguration ceremony, Fetterman visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, becoming the first known Democrat to meet with him following his November victory. President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. Im the Senator for all Pennsylvanians not just Democrats in Pennsylvania, Fetterman said in a statement ahead of that meeting. Trump described their sit-down as fascinating in an interview with the Washington Examiner, adding that he was impressed by the senator and his wife, Gisele. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes a commonsense person. Hes not liberal or conservative. Hes just a commonsense person, which is beautiful, Trump said of Fetterman. Fetterman also downplayed the adverse effects a second Trump term would bring, telling ABC News in December that he is rooting for Trumps success. If youre rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation, he said. Im not ever going to be where I want a president to fail. Trump won the key battleground of Pennsylvania by nearly two percentage points in November. Fetterman has garnered praise from some GOP lawmakers over his unconditional support for Israel in its war in Gaza. The senator has also signaled he will support some of Trumps Cabinet picks, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who has been nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Related... The Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper teased out a stark reality from a MAGA voter after Donald Trumps second inauguration on Monday was shifted inside to escape the cold. Dont you think its kind of the perfect metaphor? Klepper asked the man in footage that was filmed during Trumps inauguration celebrations in Washington, D.C., and aired on the Comedy Central program Tuesday. Klepper was referring to Trumps loyal base having to stay outside amid frigid temperatures while the president himself took the oath of office surrounded by the ultra-rich including Amazons Jeff Bezos, Metas Mark Zuckerberg and Trumps self-proclaimed first buddy Elon Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah, I guess so, the man replied to Kleppers question. Klepper noted: Hes inside hanging out with the billionaires while all of his supporters are outside in the cold. The Trump voter downplayed it, though, calling members of the MAGA movement a tough crowd. Klepper continued: They are prepared to be left in the cold? Yeah, absolutely, the man agreed. Klepper signaled that hed proven his point. Trump has since his 2024 election win over Kamala Harris backtracked on his populist boasts about being able to lower prices. Noted economist Paul Krugman, in fact, has described Trumps plan to hike tariffs as a terrible idea that will hit the presidents base the most. Watch the video here: Related... Jan. 22WILKES-BARRE Homicide suspect Joseph Alan Sarmiento sat with his head tilted looking up through a courtroom window as his attorneys, Cheryl Sobeski-Reedy and John Donovan, strongly argued for a second mental health evaluation for their client. Sobeski-Reedy and Donovan presented a report from psychologist Dr. Richard E. Fischbein indicating Sarmiento, 40, is incompetent to face trial for the beating death of Helena Johnson, 38, whose body was found in a bathtub of a motel room at the Red Carpet Inn on North Church Street, Hazle Township, on June 4, 2021. Sobeski-Reedy stated Fischbein opined Sarmiento is "not competent to understand the consequences" while seeking an independent evaluation from another psychologist with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough denied the request following a brief motion hearing/status conference Wednesday. "I see nothing new in Dr. Fischbein's report," Vough said in denying a second mental health evaluation for Sarmiento. In early 2024, Fischbein and psychologist Dr. Michael E. Kessler issued reports giving the opinion Sarmiento is incompetent and suffers from delusional thinking, delusional disorder and psychotic illness. Following a competency hearing in May 2024, Vough in June 2024, deemed Sarmiento competent to face trial. During Wednesday's proceeding, Sobeski-Reedy and Donovan submitted a second report from Fischbein regarding Sarmiento's mental health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sobeski-Reedy previously stated Sarmiento believes Johnson was killed by "demons" and was "resurrected." Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Zarallo said he "did not find anything new" in Fischbein's recent report compared to the psychologist's report in early 2024. Zarallo said he believes Sarmiento "understands" the criminal homicide charge against him, as Sarmiento denied he killed Johnson. Zarallo further referred to Sarmiento's interrogation with Pennsylvania State Police, Troop N, Trooper Kenneth L. Santos, where he competently answered questions. A video recording of the interrogation was recently played for Vough during a previous motion hearing that involved efforts by Sobeski-Reedy and Donovan to exclude any and all statements Sarmiento provided to Santos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Vough denied the request to exclude Sarmiento's statements, allowing Zarallo to present the recorded interrogation during the trial. Sarmiento's trial is scheduled for late February before Vough. The headquarters of History Nebraska, formerly called the Nebraska State Historical Society, is just north of downtown Lincoln. The agency changed its name to History Nebraska in 2018. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) Editors note: This story has been updated with comment from the Attorney Generals Office and an attorney for Trevor Jones. LINCOLN A judge ruled late Tuesday that prosecutors had waited too long before bringing former History Nebraska director Trevor Jones to trial and dismissed the felony theft charge he faced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong, in a 12-page ruling, granted a motion filed by Jones attorney to discharge the theft by deception charge, agreeing that prosecutors had violated the former directors right to a speedy trial. Former History Nebraska Director Trevor Jones, at left, arrives at a court hearing with his lawyer, John Ball of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) Mallory Hughes, Jones defense attorney, filed the motion in November, arguing that prosecutors with the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office had failed to request a trial date and that Jones should have stood trial by Sept. 12, six months, minus exclusions, after the case was bound over to district court. The Attorney Generals Office, represented most recently by Sandra Allen, argued that the speedy trial clock had been halted when Jones former defense attorney, John Ball, asked to withdraw from the case a year ago, but his formal request was not approved by the court. Strong, in her ruling, noted that Jones new attorneys, Hughes and co-counsel Paul Lembrick, had already filed as the new lawyers for Jones prior to Balls request to withdraw, and that the Attorney Generals Office had shared investigative files with them, thus recognizing them as the new defense counsel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thus, it is apparent that the State did not halt its prosecution of the Defendant as a result of Balls motion, the judge wrote, and that the case, and the speedy trial clock, continued to run. Strong disagreed with prosecutors that excludable days meant that the speedy trial clock had not run out, and dismissed the theft charge against Jones with prejudice, meaning it could not be refiled. The former director had faced a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. A spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office on Tuesday night said that the office respectfully disagreed with the judges order and would be appealing. Hughes, the attorney for Jones, issued a statement Wednesday saying she was very happy about the outcome. She thanked the court for its attention to detail about the legal history and issues at play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sixth Amendment speedy trial right is fundamental to the United States Constitution, and it is a right protected under Nebraska statutory law as well, she said. So it is no small matter when that right is violated for a citizen facing a criminal trial. Nebraska History Museum. (Paul Hammel for the Nebraska Examiner) Jones, 52, had stirred controversy within the state historical society by imposing strict workplace standards for workers and striving to digitize historical records to the detriment, some said, of the physical exhibits and paper records. He resigned the $164,800-a-year job in 2022, shortly before a critical state audit first reported by the Examiner raised questions about his handling of $270,000 in donations from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation intended to cover the agencys financial losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of depositing those funds with the state treasurer, as legally required, Jones funneled the money to a new foundation that the then-director set up to displace the State Historical Society Foundation, with whom he had disagreements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The felony theft charge was filed by the Attorney Generals Office after the Lancaster County Attorneys Office reviewed reports and declined to file charges. The Nebraska State Historical Society which Jones renamed History Nebraska when he was director reached an agreement to repay the $270,000 to the Historical Society Foundation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A judge on Tuesday ordered Southern California Edison to preserve data, equipment and evidence related to the deadly Eaton fire, a decision praised by attorneys who sued the giant utility company and suspect the fire began at the base of an electrical tower. Issued by L.A. Superior Court Judge Ashfaq G. Chowdhury Tuesday morning, the ruling approved a temporary restraining order requested by attorneys for an Altadena woman whose home was burned in the fire and is now suing the utility company. In their request, attorneys asked the court to intervene and order Edison to preserve evidence out of concern the company could destroy evidence linked to the fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ruling is significant because investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have focused their investigation on a hillside in Eaton Canyon and the base of an Edison electrical tower, where residents captured video footage of the first flames of the destructive fire burning at the beginning of the blaze on Jan. 7. Attorneys for at least one of the homeowners suing Southern California Edison have asked that equipment and data beyond the area around the tower be preserved, arguing relevant information about the utility company's network could be contained or revealed there. In the motion, attorneys with the firm Edelson PC argued that Edison could destroy equipment and possible evidence unless attorneys were able to immediately identify "each piece of evidence that had to be preserved." A spokesperson for the utility company said the equipment and data from the area identified by the judge was already being preserved by the company, and said attorneys suing the company were creating a "false narrative." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We stated we would be transparent in this investigation, we have been transparent and we will continue being transparent," said Kathleen Dunleavy, spokesperson for Southern California Edison. Read more: Regulators criticized Edison's wildfire safety actions months before deadly Eaton fire In a court filing, attorneys for Southern California Edison opposed the temporary restraining order, arguing that the company has been complying with requests to preserve evidence. They said Edison has been preserving equipment from a 1-square-mile area in eastern Altadena and near the suspected ignition point in Eaton Canyon, documenting and taking videos and pictures of repairs and replacement of equipment in the area. Edison has documented repair and replacement work outside of that "preservation zone" but argued in court filings there is no need to do so since the county and investigators looking into the cause of the fire have not expressed a need to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The County did not express interest in any of SCE's distribution facilities anywhere in Altadena," one court filing reads. "SCE is going above and beyond its preservation obligations. SCE is not altering or removing its equipment within the County's Preliminary Origin Area." The judge's ruling orders Edison to consult with attorneys who are suing the company to determine the exact boundaries of the area from which evidence should be preserved. In their request for a judge to intervene, attorneys suing Edison argued that utility companies have in the past destroyed equipment and evidence in cases where electric equipment was suspected of causing destructive fires. "Utility companies have a troubling history of exploiting the chaos during and after major fires to destroy or tamper with critical evidence," Ali Moghaddas, an attorney with Edelson PC, said in an email. "Today's court order sends a clear message: That won't happen here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: State regulators approve Edisons wildfire prevention plan despite concerns The Eaton fire has burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed 9,416 structures and killed at least 17 people. The company was not allowed access to the suspected origin site of the fire until Jan. 16, according to court filings, but was accompanied on that date by attorneys who have sued the company, as well as investigators hired by those firms. Last week, residents and homeowners began filing lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that evidence suggested the fire was started by its electrical equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 20 lawsuits have been filed against Edison in connection to the Eaton fire, according to court filings. Fire officials have not released an official cause for the blaze, and officials at Edison have stated their data shows no anomalies near the suspected start of the fire. According to the judge's order, Edison also is required to turn over data about the electrical towers to attorneys. 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. TOPEKA (KSNT) A federal judge has ruled the City of Topeka must release portions of video evidence collected during and after the police-shooting death of a Topeka man in 2022. Officers with the Topeka Police Department shot and killed Taylor Lowery following a domestic disturbance in 2022. Several months later, the Shawnee County District Attorneys Office announced the Kansas Bureau of Investigation exonerated the officers involved. Following that decision, Lowerys family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Topeka and the officers involved. Attorneys for the plaintiff requested through the Kansas Open Records Act the City of Topeka produce evidence related to the shooting, including body camera video from the officers involved. The city refused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November 2024, attorneys for the city filed a motion for a blanket protective order that would have allowed them to deny the prosecutions discovery request for three types of video footage: officer body camera footage showing the events leading up to, during and following the shooting; KBI footage of interviews with police officers; and footage of interviews with victims and witnesses. According to court records, attorneys for the city argued the footage contains information that identifies the people involved, including innocent third parties and children. Son accused of killing dad after stabbing him 57 times in Topeka to be committed to state security hospital In a ruling filed on Dec. 13, 2024, U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel Mitchell agreed the defendant should be allowed to designate portions of the footage as confidential to protect those involved from identity theft or harassment. However, the court found attorneys for the defendants failed to show they would be harmed if the remaining footage is kept confidential. As for the officer bodycam footage, the judge said courts tend to exclude such footage from protective orders based on the publics strong interest in transparency of public incidents. In the end, the judge granted the request for a protective order in part and denied it in part. The court permitted the defendants to designate limited portions of footage as confidential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. 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 KSNT 27 News. NIAMEY (Reuters) - A joint force of 5,000 troops from military-led neighbours Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali will soon deploy in their troubled central Sahel region, Niger's defence chief said on state television. Juntas in the neighbouring West African countries seized control in a series of coups between 2020 and 2023. Last year, they agreed to tackle security threats jointly after severing long-standing military and diplomatic ties with regional allies, France, and other Western powers. Niger Defence Minister Salifou Mody said the new force would have its own air assets, equipment, and intelligence resources and operate across the territory of the three nations, which have formed a cooperation pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The unified AES force is nearly ready, numbering 5,000 personnel," Mody said on Tuesday. "It's only a matter of weeks before this force will be visible on the ground," he said, adding that some joint operations had already taken place. Violence fuelled by a decade-long fight with Islamist groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State has worsened since the coups. Around 2.6 million people were displaced within the region as of end-December, according to the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA. The creation of the three-way alliance followed the countries' decision to withdraw from West Africa's main political and economic group ECOWAS, which is still pushing them to reconsider the move that reverses decades of broader regional integration. (Reporting by Boureima Balima; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Sharon Singleton) Jan. 21Stephen Murphy took the stand in his own defense last week during a trial on allegations he raped a 14-year-old boy at the Youth Development Center in 1998, and now the case is in the hands of a jury. Murphy, 55, of Danvers, Mass., who worked as a youth counselor at the youth detention facility, faces one count of aggravated felonious sexual assault. Prosecutors say Murphy raped the boy, who was being held down in a staircase of YDC's East Cottage in 1998. Three other workers were involved in the alleged assault. During his closing argument Tuesday morning, defense attorney Charles Keefe outlined the inconsistencies of the testimony of Michael Gilpatrick, saying he changed key details since first being interviewed by State Police in 2020. Gilpatrick has filed a lawsuit against the state for the alleged abuse and has shared openly about his story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The truth simply doesn't change in the mammoth ways that Mr. Gilpatrick has changed it," Keefe said. "He changed his story to try to fit a narrative that he thinks works best. When that didn't work he would keep on changing it. That is not how the truth works." The defense brought up Gilpatrick's inconsistencies in opening statements before Gilpatrick even took the stand, prosecutor Audriana Mekula said. "How did the defense know he was going to say what he said in the trial and that it was different from May 2020?" Mekula said. "Because all of those things were consistent with those meetings, depositions and trials." The trial took place in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester over the course of four days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jury is made up of 11 men and one woman. The woman will serve as the foreperson after being randomly selected by Judge Amy Messer. Part of the defense strategy had to do with bringing up the lawsuit fom which Gilpatrick hopes to receive monetary damages. Gilpatrick admitted a guilty verdict against Murphy would help his case, Keefe said. Keefe spoke of how Murphy handled himself on the stand while under the pressure of "being falsely accused," as opposed to Gilpatrick. "You saw how he testified. I submit to you at points he was out of control," Keefe said. "He wouldn't answer the questions I asked him. He acted out. And he addressed you directly. He protested too much. That is not how somebody acts who is telling the truth." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keefe said there were no witnesses to corroborate Gilpatrick's accusations and the four employees were not working together when the alleged assault happened. The staircase opened up into public areas of the cottage and other residents and staff were likely around, Keefe said. "He and the state want to make you believe that this was a very quiet, secret event," Keefe said. "If it happened, it would have been loud, and people would have known." East Cottage has since been torn down. Mekula painted Gilpatrick's testimony in a different light, saying it wasn't an act. If he was lying his story would be seamless, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We saw him feel those feelings in real time, as he felt that day," Mekula said. "We saw him hurl his shoulders in and hunch over as he was talking about it, to make himself feel smaller. He did feel smaller when he was at East Cottage in that moment." The staircase was made of concrete and could not be seen from the recreation room on the first floor and "one of the best places to hide" from others on the first floor, Mekula said. The log books and other documents aren't always correct and the accuracy depended on the staff member who filled out the log, Mekula said. In this case, the perpetrators of the alleged assault. Gilpatrick shared many of the details of the rape to police for the first time in May 2020 after decades of feeling embarrassed and believing that it was his fault. He got tripped up over some of the details over the two-hour interview with police, Mekula said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also fought back about Keefe's suggestion the assault would have caused a commotion. "Mike told us while this was happening, he wasn't struggling. He wasn't fighting. He wasn't screaming," she said. "He was surviving." Bradley Asbury, who was the house leader at the time, held Gilpatrick down while he was assaulted. Asbury was found guilty in November and is set to be sentenced Monday. In this case, the jury deliberated for the remainder of the day Tuesday and is set to return Wednesday morning. jphelps@unionleader.com Justin Baldonis legal team on Tuesday released footage from the set of It Ends With Us, the film at the center of his ongoing legal battle with co-star Blake Lively, that they say supports his claim that he acted with respect and professionalism toward the former Gossip Girl star, who has accused him of sexual harassment. The video released is nearly 10 minutes of footage during which Lively and Baldoni are seen filming for a slow dance montage that is referenced in both Livelys initial complaint with the California Civil Rights Department and a later lawsuit, in which she cited specific instances of what she characterized as inappropriate behavior by Baldoni. Lively claimed in her December 31 sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni that he leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, it smells so good, a comment the complaint described as not remotely in character, or based on any dialogue in the script. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her suit alleged that during the filming of the montage, nothing needed to be said because, again, there was no sound and that Baldoni was caressing Ms. Lively with his mouth in a way that had nothing to do with their roles. The following videos captured on May 23, 2023 clearly refute Ms. Livelys characterization of his behavior, a statement that precedes the footage provided by Baldonis lawyer this week said. The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another. Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism. In the video, Lively and Baldoni are seen slow dancing on a busy set with extras surrounding them. They can be heard speaking to each other about how to portray the intimate parts of the scene, with Lively telling Baldoni she thinks its more romantic for them to appear to be talking instead of kissing. At one point in the video, Baldoni leans in to Lively and asks, Am I getting beard on you today? After Lively laughs and says, Im probably getting spray-tan on you, Baldoni replies that it smells good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video footage shows three takes of the same scene, but it is unclear how much, if any, footage was filmed that is not included in the clip that Baldonis lawyer released. It is also unclear how long Lively and Baldoni were present together on set that day. In addition to costarring in the film, Baldoni served as director as well as producer through his own company Wayfarer Studios, which financed the film and has access to all footage from it. Livelys legal team released a statement upon the videos release on Tuesday, saying in part that every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described in Paragraph 48 of her Complaint. Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning, the statement read. The video shows Ms. Lively leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk. Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Livelys discomfort. They will recognize her attempts at levity to try to deflect the unwanted touching. No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldoni and Lively have been in a legal battle that began on December 21 when Lively filed her complaint that preceded her civil sexual harassment lawsuit. In her suit, Lively said that during the filming of It Ends With Us, a meeting was held to address a hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production and that she had raised concerns about repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior by Mr. Baldoni. Livelys suit also alleges that Baldonis PR representatives orchestrated a social manipulation campaign intended to hurt her reputation in the media in retaliation for raising concerns about his on-set behavior. Baldoni has denied Livelys allegations and filed a $250 million libel suit against The New York Times on December 31, claiming that the newspaper who first reported Livelys civil rights complaint published an accompanying article that was rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions that relied on Livelys self-serving narrative. Baldonis legal representation said Tuesday that they have plans to set up a website that contains more correspondence and video footage that will discredit Livelys claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldoni also filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane on January 16. CNNs Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (NewsNation) Justin Baldonis team reportedly plans to launch a website to bolster his accusations against Blake Lively. A newly released video shows the It Ends With Us co-stars Lively and Baldoni awkwardly interacting on set, PEOPLE reported. The footage was released to refute some of Livelys claims made in her Dec. 20 sexual harassment complaint against her director-costar. His legal team said in a statement shared with PEOPLE, Justin Baldoni and team has nothing to hide and this once more proves this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blake Lively allegations mirror Amber Heard case: Lawyer Baldoni and the other It Ends With Us associates who Lively is suing have the right to defend themselves with the truth, according to the statement. This is what we will be continuing to show with the upcoming website containing all correspondence as well as relevant videos that quash her claims. Quickly after Baldoni dropped footage, Lively responded, calling it another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public. Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning, said Livelys Manatt, Phelps & Phillips attorneys and Willkie Farr & Gallagher legal team to Deadline Tuesday. Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni: Lawsuit timeline On Dec. 31, Lively sued Baldoni along with several others. The federal lawsuit, filed in New York, alleges harassment and a coordinated smear campaign following her discussion of on-set treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Livelys suit said that Baldoni, the films production company Wayfarer Studios and others engaged in a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others, from speaking out. Her legal action came just hours after Baldoni and other defendants sued The New York Times for libel regarding its story, published Dec. 21, 2024. The Times story detailed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni, among other on-set allegations. Just days later, Baldoni was hit with a lawsuit from former publicist Steph Jones. Jones accuses Baldoni of breaching their contract, which required him to pay her $25,000 per month, and for leaving to work with two former employees, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, who formed their own rival public relations company, reported Variety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones alleges Nathan and Abel launched Livelys online teardown behind her back, according to the outlet. NewsNations Anna Kutz contributed to this 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 NewsNation. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) After a second trial and conviction for the 2015 murder of Dominic Thrasher resulted in a life sentence for Justin Michael Love, he has now seemingly exhausted all options to overturn that conviction and sentence. Love, 35, is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the murder of Thrasher in the Bill Clements Unit, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice institution located in Amarillo. PREVIOUS STORY: Love petitions highest Texas appellate court to review appeal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the Second Court of Appeals upheld Loves conviction and sentence, his attorney filed a petition for a discretionary review from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest appellate court in the state. On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused Loves petition, meaning the judgment and sentence of the 30th District Court will stand. Love was first tried for the drug deal gone bad on the north side of Wichita Falls in 2018, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 50 years in prison. That conviction was later overturned on appeal, leading to a retrial in August 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the second trial for Thrashers murder, Love was again found guilty, but this time was sentenced to life behind bars. According to John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney, Love appealed himself into a higher sentence. PREVIOUS STORY: Justin Love loses second appeal of murder conviction True to the statement he made after his second conviction, Love filed another appeal in the Second Court of Appeals. On August 29, 2024, the appellate court affirmed Loves conviction and life sentence. Loves petition for a discretionary review from the Court of Criminal Appeals represented his last available opportunity to overturn his conviction and sentence in the appellate courts of Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loves appellate attorney has until January 30 to request a rehearing from the Texas Supreme Court, explaining why the petition should be heard again. The Texas Supreme Court has full jurisdiction over which cases they will hear. This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 Texomashomepage.com. Kerrie Lonard, acting director of the Kansas office of child advocate, asked members of the Kansas Senate to support legislation requiring annual unannounced inspection of residential facilities serving children and their families. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA The acting child advocate for Kansas recommended Wednesday that lawmakers mandate annual unannounced inspection of residential facilities serving children in the states welfare system. Surprise assessments of congregate care settings, including group homes and treatment facilities, would be in addition to a yearly scheduled inspection and complaint-based inspections authorized by the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are you saying there are currently no unannounced inspections of these facilities right now? said Sen. Adam Thomas, an Olathe Republican on the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. Kerri Lonard, acting child advocate for the state of Kansas, told the Senate committee there was no statutory requirement in Kansas for unannounced inspections for benefit of children in the welfare system. Her recommendation was included in a series of proposals prepared for consideration during the 2025 legislative session. Lonard urged lawmakers to consider altering the definition of neglect in relation to children to make certain a parent or guardians level of poverty wasnt a determinant in child-welfare assessments. She also suggested the Legislature change the frequency of court hearings on a child permanency from 12 months to nine months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She recommended the state authorize issuance of a best-practices handbook for benefit of attorneys working on behalf of children and their families. Lawmakers could consider a child-welfare certification program for employees and contract staff at the Kansas Department for Children and Families or DCF, she said. In addition, she said, the state ought to study the possibility of creating bed space for youth in detoxification facilities and expanding availability of substance abuse and behavioral health services for youth. Kansas could work toward better collaboration among DCF and law enforcement agencies when making decisions on removal of children from the home, placing children in police protective custody and when resolving placement decisions, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a lot of interplay around prevention and then those services that may or may not be available when they enter the system, Lonard said. Lonard said reforms adopted by the 2024 Legislature, including a provision in state law creating the neutral and independent office of child advocate, were proving beneficial. Originally, the office was established by an executive order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. Lonard said it was important the Legislature granted the child advocate access to court records of foster care cases. We find we are utilizing that system quite often to really get a better understanding of whats going on where the case is at procedurally, Lonard said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the offices annual report, Lonard said there were 235 formal complaints filed in 2024 regarding the welfare of 377 children. She said investigations supported allegations in 68 cases. In 22 instances, allegations were unsupported by the child advocate office but recommendations were issued on unrelated concerns. There were 42 cases in which the complaint was unsupported and no recommendation was made for correction action. She said most complaints were about DCF or foster care case managers, but others involved judges, attorneys, state agencies, KanCare contractors and mental health providers. There were 72 complaints last year about state agency bias, conflict of interest or unprofessionalism. There were 88 complaints filed in 2024 regarding family separation and reunification. From 2017 to 2021, the Legislature was unable to reach consensus on a way to amend state law to make permanent the office of child advocate. In 2021, Kelly signed an executive order launching the administrative office. Some legislators were hesitant to make the office part of state statute unless it was placed under control of a Republican attorney general rather than Democratic governor. In the 2024 session, the compromise bill passed 117-3 in the House and 36-3 in the Senate. The leader of child advocate office is subject to appointment by the governor and Senate confirmation. The confirmed director of the office would serve a five-year term. Court documents obtained by the Gazette reveal additional details about the investigation into the Highland Lakes fire that burned 166 acres northwest of Divide and caused over 700 households to be evacuated last year. Lacey Tillitt, 77, was arrested on Jan. 16 for allegedly starting the Highland Lakes fire on Oct. 28, according to the Teller County Sheriff's Office. In Tillitt's arrest affidavit, the woman allegedly told investigators she had been burning carboard boxes inside her house in her wood-burning stove. When she opened the oven to burn more material, the flames escaped, lighting the couch on fire. Tillitt told law enforcement that she tried to put the couch fire out, but was unsuccessful. During law enforcement's investigation, they discovered the "estranged" relationship Tillitt had with her insurance company and learned the residence was set to foreclose, according to the arrest affidavit. The 77-year-old had previously claimed her house had water damage among other things, insurance records show. She had several recorded conversations between December 2022 and May 2023 with her insurance provider that were "cordial" and mainly focused on seeking help with her claims. Other records law enforcement obtained from her insurance provider, American National Insurance revealed Tillitt's plan had then been canceled in May 2023. In the cancelation notice, the insurance company claimed the home was a fire hazard due to the unmanaged vegetation and debris throughout the property. After the cancelation of her plan however, law enforcement says Tillitt started to become more "irate" during conversations with American Nationa. In recorded phone calls with her insurance company, court documents allege Tillitt threatened suicide if the issues with her house were not resolved. Featured Local Savings During several other recorded conversations between Tillitt and American National on Feb. 12. 2024, police allege she made "approximately seven statements of setting her residence on fire." The Arrest affidavit includes transcripts of several scenarios Tillitt described to the insurance company, as a means to end her life "thanks to American National." On May 31, 2024, a Teller County Sheriff's Office deputy called Tillitt to "check on her welfare." A few minutes into the conversation, the deputy reported she told him "I'm okay, unless you see my house burning." She allegedly switched topics shortly after making the statement. Between June 10 and 17, the court documents allege Tillitt called American National over 30 times and was "irate" during most of the conversations in which she demanded work to be done on her home. Tillitt make several more phone calls into American National over the next several weeks, becoming "hysterical" at times. Despite being directed to write a physical claim, she continued to call, according to the arrest affidavit. On Aug. 22, the 77-year-old called again trying to figure out the physical location of her claims adjuster. Prior investigations revealed the claims adjuster had a restraining order filed against Tillitt after she confronted him in Missouri. In the days leading up to Oct. 28, the day the fire broke out, Tillitt allegedly called several times "claiming she was going to die." Tillitt is described as being hysterical, yelling and screaming in these calls according to the arrest affidavit. The day after the fire broke out, Tillitt called American National, informing them her house had burnt down. Investigations revealed her home was originally set for foreclosure on Sept. 9, but kept getting delayed until Oct. 30, two days before the fire started. The investigators with the Teller County Sheriff's Office says their review of the recorded phone calls and documents obtained by American National, provide enough probable cause to arrest Tillitt, claiming she "knowingly and recklessly set fire to her residence." Jail records show that Tillitt was booked in the Teller County jail on Jan. 16 and faces a $50,000 bond to be released. As of Thursday, she remains in jail, facing fourth degree arson charges. Her first appearance in court is scheduled for Feb. 3. Jan. 21A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to his role in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies including in Joplin and Lamar over a four-day period in 2023. Kentrail M. Collins, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, five counts of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to information from the office of Teresa A. Moore, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. 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Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican and chair of the House elections committee, discusses a bill meant to remove non-U.S. citizens from Kansas voter rolls at a hearing on Jan. 21, 2025, in Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA A bill proposed in the Kansas House seeks to remove people who are not U.S. citizens from the states voter rolls through temporary drivers license records, invoking concern for potential disenfranchisement of Kansas voters. A Kansas Secretary of States Office official said the records are the best tool we have to identify voters who are not U.S. citizens, of which the true number in Kansas is unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no magic list disclosing all people who are not citizens in Kansas, said Bryan Caskey, the deputy secretary of state and director of elections, at a Tuesday hearing in the House Elections Committee. But the temporary drivers license list is about as close as the office can get, he said. It is one of the rare pieces of factual, direct evidence of non-U.S. citizens, Caskey said, and so thats why we want the list more often because its, quite frankly, one of the best tools that we have to verify non-U.S. citizens being on our voter registration list. The Kansas Secretary of States Office, which supports House Bill 2020, has received a temporary drivers license list about six times in the past 15 years, Caskey said. About 38,000 people in Kansas have active temporary drivers licenses as of December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the states more than 2 million voters, state officials found 202 potential matches when comparing a temporary drivers license list and the voter rolls. About 120 of those were false positives, and 85 warranted additional investigation. About 21 of the 85 have a voting history attached to them and would require even further investigation to determine citizenship status. Clay Barker, general counsel to the secretary of states office, said nothing prevents officials from investigating a case of a potential voter who is not a U.S. citizen. There has to be something more than an odd last name, but if you have reason to believe someones a noncitizen, you can conduct an investigation and gather more information, Barker said. When obtaining a drivers license, a person must prove residency in Kansas, which could include proof of U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status. In the latter case, a temporary drivers license is typically issued. The aim of the bill is to compare the lists of people with temporary drivers licenses to the secretary of states voter rolls to determine if people who are not U.S. citizens are participating in Kansas elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The list shall contain the names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, temporary drivers license numbers and expiration dates of such licenses, the text of the bill read. The secretary of state shall compare such lists with the voter registration rolls and delete any names of noncitizens that appear on the voter rolls. However, the Secretary of States Office cannot modify voter rolls, a job reserved for county elections officials, and state officials said action cannot be taken unless they receive confirmation from an outside source of a persons current citizenship status. Davis Hammet, president of voting rights organization Loud Light, supported the concept of the bill but expressed concern at the Tuesday hearing over its declaratory language and lack of detail. The most dangerous thing you could do is assume that you can take two list and perfectly compare them, Hammet said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The logistics of how the bill could be administered were missing, Hammet said. He warned oversimplification of legislation could run the risk of disenfranchising valid Kansas voters, as was the case with a law struck down in 2018 that illegally mandated Kansans show documented proof of citizenship to register to vote. The law blocked more than 35,000 Kansans from voting. Brett Anderson, a Republican precinct committee member in Sedgwick County, questioned the difference between the proposed bill and the struck-down citizenship requirement. What has been passed to strengthen non-voter laws in Kansas? Isnt this setting up for litigation when the main issue of citizenship is still in limbo in Kansas? he asked in written public testimony. Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican and chairman of the House Elections Committee, appeared frustrated with the comparison between the unlawful proof of citizenship requirement and HB 2020. He said this bill isnt about how voters are registered but how voter rolls are maintained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone who tells you that non-citizens arent voting in Kansas is lying to you, he said in a news release distributed before the hearing. The fact is we dont know because we arent doing much to check. In litigation over the proof of citizenship requirement, then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach failed to present evidence of widespread voter fraud. Fewer than 40 people who were not U.S. citizens had registered to vote over a 20-year period. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas expressed concerns over data privacy, pandering to conspiracy theories of illegal voting and inadequate appeals processes. HB 2020 plays into conspiracy theories about large numbers of non-citizens voting in Kansas elections, and altering the outcome of those elections, said Rashane Hamby, director of policy and research for the ACLU of Kansas, in written testimony. This simply isnt true. Another attempt at legislation targeting people who are not U.S. citizens is set to appear at a Thursday hearing before the same committee. It involves a constitutional amendment that would require voters be citizens, 18 years old and a resident in their assigned voting area. It is already a felony crime for someone who is not a U.S. citizen to claim they are a citizen on a voter registration form. WASHINGTON (KSNW) Kansas representatives in Congress have introduced legislation to delist the lesser prairie chicken from the threatened and endangered species list and to prohibit it from ever being placed on the list again. The lesser prairie chicken is a type of grouse divided into two distinct population groups: the northern, which lives in grasslands in Kansas and Colorado, western Oklahoma, the north Texas panhandle, and the southern, found in the southwest Texas panhandle and New Mexico. The southern is currently listed as endangered while the northern is on the threatened. For two decades, the Fish and Wildlife Service has worked with landowners voluntarily to help maintain the lesser prairie chickens habitat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City approves medical testing funds for 29th and Grove contamination site On Tuesday, Representative Tracy Mann, Senator Roger Marshall, and Representatives Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes introduced a resolution to remove the bird from the Endangered Species Act, which would bar it from ever being placed on the list of threatened species ever again. The birds native habitat includes ranch, farmland, and areas above potential oil and gas pockets. In 2023, Kansas threatened to sue over the birds listing. The Biden Administration also vetoed several bills that attempted to delist the birds. 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. PARSONS, Kan. Southeast Kansas law enforcement along with the help of Bikers Against Predators exposed, intercepted, and arrested a registered sex offender in a sting operation. Officials with the Parsons Police Department were asked to assist members of BAP after William Patrick Mansfield Jr., 36, of Parsons, agreed to meet with a supposed 13-year-old for illicit purposes, a press release stated Wednesday. According to BAPs website, it is a non-profit organization whose mission it is to expose online predators and help spread awareness and education to as many citizens as possible, while having these predators face justice for their crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group created a decoy profile with help from a consenting associate on the dating app Grindr. Parsons Police say that after exchanging messages with Mansfield, the decoy set up a meeting location between the fake 13-year-old and Mansfield at the Parsons Library, and afterward, a secluded location to which Mansfield agreed. Parsons Police said after the meeting was arranged, and Mansfield arrived at the location under illicit pretenses, police were called to investigate. Officers met with BAP members at the scene to review the evidence before conducting their own separate investigation. Mansfield was later arrested. Mansfield currently faces charges of electronic solicitation and a 2nd offense violation of the Offender Registration Act. He remains in the Parsons Police Department Lockup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. TOPEKA (KSNT) Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill this week which would use the Division of Vehicles (DOV) to inform officials about non-citizens who acquire state IDs. Republican Representative Paul Waggoner introduced House Bill 2020 on Jan. 16. The bill, if enacted in its present state, would require the director of the DOV to submit a monthly report to the Kansas Secretary of State containing the personal information of non-citizens including the following: Names Addresses Phone numbers Social security numbers. Dates of birth. Temporary drivers license numbers and their expiration dates. Is the time right to end daylight saving time in Kansas? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Secretary of State would then be required to compare these reports with voter registration rolls, deleting any names of non-citizens which appear on the voter rolls. People who are impacted by this would be informed by the Secretary of State of the removal and be told that they can be put back on the voter rolls after providing proof of citizenship. Lawmakers with the Committee on Elections held a hearing on the bill on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in the statehouse. Clay Barker, general counsel for the Secretary of States office, appeared at the meeting to give an overview of the bill and what it would mean if it receives approval to become a new law. Essentially, what this bill does is it makes a statutory requirement of something thats been going on for about 15 years and we recently worked with Governor [Laura] Kelly on this where the Department of Motor Vehicles would give us a list of people who have a temporary drivers license and we would compare it to the voter rolls, trying to identify anyone that might be a non-citizen whos on the voter rolls, Barker said. $11.5 million Caterpillar Wamego plant may have a new owner soon, what to know Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fiscal note for the bill shows the implementation of HB 2020 would cost about $1,250 out of the state general fund for the fiscal year 2026 due to programming and testing requirements. Lists collected by the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) of non-citizen information would also be unavailable for release to the public without significant redaction efforts due to the confidential details it contains. The Secretary of State and a lot of other agencies in Kansas are a member of a federal program called SAVE where you can send individual information and it will tell you that persons immigration status, Barker said. To watch the full hearing on HB 2020 from Jan. 21, click here. To learn more about the SAVE program managed by the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), click here. For more Capitol Bureau 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf 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 KSNT 27 News. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, speaks at a Sept. 28, 2023, hearing about Kansas elections. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) We can no longer rely on norms. Thats the message that Ive taken from Monday and Tuesday, from watching both the Kansas Statehouse and the re-inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. For much of Kansas Gov. Laura Kellys two terms, for much of President Joe Bidens one term, those advocating progressive policy positions or government that doesnt actively harm people have put their faith in rules and rituals that many Americans no longer care about. For better or worse, those norms no longer guide us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Kansas, Sen. Mike Thompson held an impromptu and one-sided hearing about immigration. The Shawnee Republican listened to discredited and fact-free nonsense from Attorney General Kris Kobach and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Then, he refused to let a nun speak. The words of Sister Therese Bangert, of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, may or may not have changed minds on his panel. Knowing Thompson, they probably wouldnt have changed anything at all. But the norm of allowing for respectful debate, and hearing both sides, didnt restrain or stop him. He behaved as though only one side of the discussion existed. Specifically, the senator claimed that Bangert needed to give him 24 hours notice to testify. Unfortunately, the public hadnt been notified of the meeting until the evening before. Franz Kafka couldnt have scripted the situation anybetter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Washington, D.C., after an indoor inauguration featuring previous presidents, Donald Trump signed pardons for 1,500 Americans who invaded the nations capital and tried to install him as president four years ago. The blanket action included those who had used violence against law enforcement officers. There was some finger wagging from the left and assorted positions across the political spectrum. Yet most progressive seemed to instead focus on an awkward arm gesture from Elon Musk. The basic norm of opposing political violence was not upheld. Senate Republicans tiptoed around the issue or ignored it altogether. The obvious question: Can Trump count on militias to enforce his will the next time, with enthusiastic thugs confident of pardons if they do so? Only the most optimistic or deluded among us can answer that question in the negative. Trump paid no price for encouraging and enabling political violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Likewise, Thompson will face no consequences for spreading untruths about his fellow Kansans and steamrolling a woman of God. He will not be removed from his chairmanship. He will not be reprimanded by Senate President Ty Masterson. Voters returned him to office in November, so they apparently endorse what hes selling. We can no longer rely on norms to contain the situation. I wish we could. I wish that time-tested communal expectations shaped the politics that surround us and the laws that governs us. But we now live in tumultuous times in which these norms have not only been tossed aside, but trod into the dirt by an encroaching mob. No consistency, no justice remains. Only power matters, and those who can inspire voters to act on their fears. We cannot expect centrist gerontocrats to preserve the nation. (Bidens ridiculous preemptive pardons early Monday made a poor case for his supposed leadership and gave cover to Trump.) Kansans and everyday Americans should instead set themselves to the task of building new norms. Better ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will take more time and effort, cause more tears and strain, than keeping the expectations of the past. But its the path ahead, if we choose to take it. Those who want to include a diversity of voices, those who want to uphold the promise of our state and country, those who believe in the essential values of democracy and human dignity, will need to construct a new way of approaching these issues and setting expectations for the political class. Voters will have to be willing to head to the ballot box and enforce them. Monday and Tuesday made it clear to me that we cannot go back. The appeal of a Laura Kelly or Joe Biden lingers. Kansans should be proud of the legacy of leaders such as former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum. But we cannot let the appeal of the past blind us to the demands of the present. The work awaits. Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. WABAUNSEE COUNTY (KSNT) The Wabaunsee County Sheriffs Office (WCSO) is asking the community to use their creativity to help design the new sheriffs office patch. The WCSO is asking residents to help design a patch to be worn by deputies to represent the county. The Sheriffs Office said it should stand as a symbol of the 166-year history of the county. We look so forward to seeing all the creativity and passion you may conjure & we shall proudly wear on our shoulders this new sewn symbol of that which already rests within our hearts that will be made, by you, the Sheriffs Office wrote on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To enter your designs you need to direct message the sheriffs office on Facebook or be a resident or native to Wabaunsee County and submit a design. You can reach out to the sheriffs office on Facebook by clicking here. Should Kansas retirement benefits be used to buy Bitcoin? We cordially invite you to capture the subtle magic & beauty of all this wondrous raw magnificence that makes Wabaunsee County so special to people all across the Earth, the Sheriffs Office wrote. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KSNT 27 News. Over the past 14 years, the Conservative Party has allowed itself to drift to the Left, both in terms of social and economic policy. It did a great deal of damage to the country in the process. Worst of all, it handed us a disastrous Labour Government. With less than 34pc of the popular vote, it has a commanding majority in Parliament which will allow it to do what it wants. Although it talks about growth, this Government is, in fact, an unreconstructed socialist bent in every aspect of policy whether it is the economy, education, health or culture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rachel Reevess calamitous Budget and its prelude, where ministers relentlessly talked down the economy, have reversed the already anaemic levels of growth we saw in the early part of last year. The increases in taxation, particularly the rise in employers National Insurance, are only the start of it. New workplace legislation will make employers reluctant to hire and more power for the unions will give them the right to hold the UK to ransom, as the railway unions regularly seek to do. Education reforms are seeking to undo all the good work on academies and free schools and will mean our children are less well educated. The most strident voice against Labours agenda at present comes from Nigel Farages Reform UK rather than the Conservative Party. Much of what Farage says is pointing in the right direction, and Reform has no baggage as it has never been in government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every time the Conservatives are critical of the current Government, Farage can quite justifiably ask why they did nothing about it in 14 years in power. Reform is not yet a party of government and a great deal of work would have to take place before it can be so. Yet, over the next five years, it might well be possible for it to become a formidable electoral machine and develop the capacity to govern. This leaves the Conservatives in a very difficult position and Kemi Badenoch, their leader, with a very steep hill to climb. Firstly, Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) is a disaster and a good place to start. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has forced Left-leaning, liberal conservatives on many constituencies and party membership has been allowed to decline from over 2m some 50 years ago to a paltry 130,000. CCHQ has also helped to foster the idea that the only way to win an election is from the centre, which is nonsense. Margaret Thatcher never won an election from the centre ground in fact she moved the centre decisively to the Right. Margaret Thatcher never won an election from the centre ground - PA/Alamy Badenoch also needs to challenge the quangocracy that the Blair/Brown government created, which has removed control from ministers in many areas of policy. Take the Financial Conduct Authority, which controls the City. It all but ensures a totally risk averse approach which has made London uncompetitive in world markets. The Civil Service also needs urgent reform. Its clear that many civil servants are an impediment to any Right-leaning government and make it very difficult for ministers to insist on their agenda, if they have one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A new approach something more like the American system, where civil servants are appointed by an incoming minister is necessary. Badenoch continually says its too early for detailed policy, but the threat from Reform means she cannot sit back and wait for Labour to continue to make a mess of things. Its no longer the case that the Conservatives can bide their time and expect to be the natural party for voters to turn to. In particular, I would like to hear her bang the drum far more loudly for free enterprise than her predecessors. A combination of New Labour and the Conservatives have allowed the private sector to decline from two thirds of the economy in 2000 to just over 50pc today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the private sector gets smaller, taxation must inevitably rise and we will see more of this in the next four years. Badenoch must make this case and warn voters about the consequences of this approach. Immigration is another big issue in her in-tray. The Conservatives allowed it to grow to levels never seen before, one of the main causes of their collapse at the last election. Many people who are not contributors to our economy have come in and many entrepreneurial people have left. A clear sense of direction has to be established even if the detail is not there. There are signs that Badenoch understands this, and if given the chance will bring about significant change. But while the detailed policies are being developed she must articulate her key themes more clearly and bang the free enterprise drum much harder. Go to it. 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. Flyers spread by members of the Ku Klux Klan are telling immigrants in Kentucky and other states to "leave now" in order to "avoid deportation," according to authorities. The original flyer was posted in Ludlow, Kentucky, on January 20 both Donald Trumps inauguration day and the Martin Luther King Jr holiday and its authors claim connection with the KKK. After the flyer caused a stir locally, police in Ludlow took to Facebook to issue a message that the flyer had been taken down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "After some discussion we have decided to take down the flyer because it serves no real purpose, but we will keep this post up. We are aware and have already taken one report for this disturbing and disgusting propaganda that is being passed around our community," the department said in the Facebook post. "This hateful garbage has been turning up in other cities as well." The department went on to say that it does not "support or condone this type of behavior" and that anyone who feels harassed or threatened should call and file a police report. Officials in Fort Wright and Bellevue, Kentucky both confirmed that they had received reports of the same flyer. "While other communities have also been targeted with this type of material in the past, to our knowledge, this is the first time our community has had this type of disgusting material distributed," Fort Wright Mayor Dave Hatter said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Council, staff, and I are outraged and dismayed that this has occurred in our community. It is especially appalling that it happened on Dr. Martin Luther King Day." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flyer comes in the wake of Trump's extreme immigration rhetoric. He has declared a national emergency at the border, vowed to use the military to police the border, and has promised to resume mass deportations. The president is going so far as to challenge the U.S. Constitution and attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship, which is protected by the nation's founding laws. Police in Ludlow said they will seek criminal charges against those responsible for distributing the flyers, assuming they can find a suspect, but also noted that unless the flyers can be shown to have violated a law, they are protected speech under the First Amendment. The flyer features a cartoon image of Uncle Sam kicking a family of four away from the U.S., holding a declaration that reads "mass deportation in 2025" and "report them all." Under the cartoon is a call from the alleged KKK group responsible for the flyer calling for more members, which can be purchased for a single dollar. The flyer lists its "realms" its areas of operation as being Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Each of the "realms" has separate phone numbers listed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Cincinnati Enquirer called the Ohio number and was directed to a voicemail that said "in January, the world's going to change for a lot of people, especially the immigrants in Springfield, Ohio." Springfield, Ohio is where Trump and other Republicans lied about immigrants stealing and eating household pets. The Kentucky phone number implores callers to join them in their fight against immigrants and LGBT+ people. "Come stand with us and help fight against illegal immigration, homosexuality and every other form of wickedness and lawlessness," the recording says. "We hope to hear from you soon. You have a great white day of white power." An outreach worker delivers supplies to people living in a homeless camp on Dec. 23, 2022 in Louisville. Kentucky last year outlawed such encampments. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) When temperatures plunge to dangerous levels as they have this week, Jessica Lees nonprofit in Somerset runs low on space for all the people seeking to come indoors. So she gets on the phone to shelters around the region. Jessica Lee of the nonprofit Help the Homeless in Somerset. (Provided) Sometimes shes helped shuttle people as far as Owensboro or Chattanooga. But that doesnt work for someone who has a job in Pulaski County or just doesnt want to go that far from home, she says. Some people choose to camp outside, though its now illegal in Kentucky without permission. Others stay in their cars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its very obvious there is a very large shortage of emergency shelter, said Lee, who helped found the nonprofit Help the Homeless in 2023 from what started as her effort to provide backpacks to locals experiencing homelessness. The lack of shelter really comes into play in the winter months here where the temperatures go up and down. Across the state, the story is the same. While Kentucky ultimately needs to build more affordable housing to alleviate homelessness, advocates say, shelters with services and support are still crucial. Some days its tough to watch that we just wont acknowledge that emergency shelters need to be funded in communities for the role that they play, said Kim Webb, the executive director of the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky in Covington. The way Webb sees it, Kentucky requires each county to have an animal shelter but has no requirement for a shelter for human beings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why dont you see more emergency shelters? The reality is it takes money, Webb said. Help the Homeless is a nonprofit in Somerset. (Photo provided) Trying to find shelter both day and night With snow, ice and freezing temperatures pummeling the state this month, hundreds of warming centers have opened or remained on standby inside local government buildings, churches, community centers and fire stations. Some Kentucky cities have white flag operations that activate at certain temperature thresholds, often 32 degrees Fahrenheit, when certain buildings are made available to the public for warming and shelter space is expanded. But in rural counties the warming options may be limited. Graves County in West Kentucky has a volunteer fire department open as a warming center about a 20-minute drive south of the county seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cassy Dasham, the office manager for the nonprofit Camp Graves that provides transitional housing for those displaced by natural disasters and other circumstances, said warming centers that pop up to offer places to stay during the day are well intentioned. But Dasham said if warming centers arent consistently open, those who need them may not be aware of their availability, let alone have transportation to get there. Warming centers also may not operate overnight or have the resources and trained staff to be an overnight shelter. Thats nothing on the people opening these temporary warming centers. Its just hard to communicate with the homeless community without it being something consistent, Dasham said. Instead of temporary warming centers, she said, whats really needed in her part of rural Kentucky is a low-barrier emergency shelter. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, such shelters offer immediate, around-the-clock access and focus on getting those in shelter access to permanent housing as soon as possible. Kentucky as of 2023 would need at least an additional 1,300 shelter beds to meet the estimated need, says the alliance, based on data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The number of people who are considered homeless by the federal government reached a record high in 2024. In Kentucky, HUD estimated the number of unsheltered persons at 1,716 last year, which was an increase from 1,470 persons in 2023. Critics have said federal estimates of the number of homeless people are likely a significant undercount. Ban on street camping magnifies need for shelter Further complicating the situation for people experiencing homelessness, Dasham said, is a law passed by state legislators last year that prohibits street camping. Critics of that law have said it criminalizes homelessness, while Republicans who backed the law say it encourages those on the street to seek mental health services and other support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dasham questioned how a person could be criminally punished for being homeless when there isnt shelter available to prevent the crime. The shuttle used by the nonprofit Help the Homeless in Somerset to bring people experiencing homelessness to other shelters across the state. (Provided) House Bill 5 allowed, but does not require, a local government to designate an area to allow temporary camping so that people experiencing homelessness arent in violation of the law. HB 5 also exempts people sleeping in cars overnight from violating the law. The law is facing a constitutional challenge by a woman who was cited for unlawful camping while she was going into labor. Lexingtons government implemented its emergency winter weather plan earlier this month, coordinating existing shelter space among multiple organizations including the Catholic Action Center and contracting with a motel to use rooms that increase capacity by approximately 190 beds. But Jeff Herron, Lexingtons homelessness prevention manager, told the Lantern earlier this month that federal funding for emergency shelters has remained relatively flat, on top of the city receiving no state appropriations for homelessness services. That means the city has had to find funding in its own budget to meet demand for shelter, he said, at a time when a person can potentially break the law by sleeping outdoors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That leaves the local government with a lot of responsibility and trying to find additional investments to ensure that the need is met, Herron said. You do need to have a safety net for your community. You need to have solutions and safe places that people can go, particularly when there are situations like extreme weather that are a threat to someones safety. Another advocate helping people experiencing homelessness in Lexington says some people living outside have been hiding and hesitant to give out information because of fear of criminal prosecution under House Bill 5, called the Safer Kentucky Act. Republican lawmakers and the families of crime victims join GOP Secretary of State Michael Adams for a ceremonial signing of House Bill 5, the Safer Kentucky Act. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its really impacted the ability for folks to get help, said Ginny Ramsey, the executive director of the Catholic Action Center in Lexington. They dont trust calling the government and giving them their Social Security number. Ramsey told the Lantern her nonprofit had to rent hotel space earlier this month with its own funding because the shelter space and motel rooms being coordinated by Lexingtons government werent enough to house all the people on the streets. We cant sit back and watch people freeze to death, Ramsey said. Canned goods at Help the Homeless in Somerset. (Photo provided) Requests for an interview sent to Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, the primary sponsor of HB 5, were not immediately returned. Little funding to go toward costly operations Federal money the state gets doesnt go far and is allocated across multiple needs such as street outreach, rapid rehousing and rental assistance. Annually, Kentucky has received roughly $30 million to $35 million from HUD in recent fiscal years with about half of that going to the Kentucky Housing Corp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kenzie Strubank, an assistant director for homelessness programs for the Kentucky Housing Corporation, said the millions of dollars from HUD gets eaten up really fast. The problem that we have with shelters is we dont have enough funding to operate them, Strubank said. They are incredibly costly to operate if youre operating them in a professional manner. Those costs can include training staff along with the overhead costs of running a building. She pointed to how other states, particularly West Virginia, have appropriated their own funds to maintain and expand access to shelter operations. But Strubank, along with other advocates, also emphasized shelters are just a temporary solution for people experiencing homelessness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not the destination, it is your first stop, Strubank said. If we dont increase our housing supply, this problem will be very difficult to solve because the only thing that actually ends homelessness is housing the end. Thats it. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The Colorado Supreme Court followed in the footsteps of its counterparts on Tuesday and rejected the idea that an animal rights organization could petition for the release of five captive elephants in Colorado Springs. The Washington, D.C.-based Nonhuman Rights Project has unsuccessfully filed suit in multiple states on behalf of confined animals, invoking a centuries-old legal tool known as "habeas corpus" that allows people to challenge their detentions as unlawful. The group argued habeas rights applied to five female African elephants at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and sought a court-ordered transfer to an accredited animal sanctuary. But the Supreme Court rejected that argument for a straightforward reason: Colorado's habeas law applies to "persons," not animals. "Simply put, no Colorado court, nor any other court in any other jurisdiction in the United States has ever recognized the legal 'personhood' of any nonhuman species," wrote Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter in the Jan. 21 opinion. The Nonhuman Rights Project sued in El Paso County on behalf of Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou and Jambo elephants ranging in age from early 40s to mid-50s. The habeas petition outlined the elephants' intelligence, complex physiological needs and alleged brain damage from being confined in the zoo. Initially, District Court Judge Eric Bentley acknowledged courts in other countries have ruled that animals are entitled to certain rights and that confinement may be detrimental to the five elephants' health. But for "better or worse," he concluded the United States' founding documents centered humans' rights, and no court had recognized the personhood of other animals. Courts may address an ethical problem "only to the extent it is connected to a recognizable legal right. Injustices are everywhere in this world, and the law provides remedies for only a few of them," Bentley wrote in December 2023. The habeas appeal went directly to the Supreme Court, where some justices during oral arguments were wary of the slippery slope that could arise from allowing one type of animal to benefit from habeas relief. "Half the people in this room have dogs or cats and they're wondering how this applies, perhaps, to their household," said Berkenkotter. "How would this work?" The Nonhuman Rights Project maintained it was not seeking to open the courthouse doors to all members of the animal kingdom, but rather to recognize the five elephants were uniquely positioned to seek release. "The dogs place is your couch. Elephants are wild animals. They exist entirely separate and apart from human society," argued attorney Jake Davis. Featured Local Savings The Nonhuman Rights Project received support from a range of outside participants, including academics and lawyers based in the United Kingdom, leaders in the LGBTQ rights movement and a retired member of South Africa's highest court. Some of the briefs pointed out habeas proceedings have been used to free enslaved persons, women under their husbands' control and others who previously had limited legal rights. "Those are all kinds of people that the law may have been blind to in the past," responded Justice Melissa Hart, "but we all recognize those as persons." Berkenkotter, in the court's opinion, noted Colorado law defines "person" to include individuals, corporations and government entities but not animals. Extending personhood to animals "is the type of monumental change in the law that one would reasonably expect the General Assembly to make explicit," she wrote. Berkenkotter added that courts in New York and Connecticut have rejected the Nonhuman Rights Project's arguments on similar grounds. She also observed the organization, by seeking the elephants' transfer to a sanctuary, was not actually intending for their release from confinement. "It bears noting that the narrow legal question before this court does not turn on our regard for these majestic animals generally or these five elephants specifically. Instead, the legal question here boils down to whether an elephant is a person as that term is used in the habeas corpus statute," Berkenkotter concluded. "And because an elephant is not a person, the elephants here do not have standing to bring a habeas corpus claim." University of Denver law Prof. Justin Marceau, who submitted a brief in support of the Nonhuman Rights Project, deemed the ruling a "grave injustice." "The court has passed up an opportunity to bring the law into line with current cultural and scientific understandings about animals," he said. "The more we learn about animals, the more difficult it becomes to justify denying them basic rights." In a statement, the zoo criticized the Nonhuman Rights Project for bringing the lawsuit and others like it. "While were happy with this outcome, we are disappointed that it ever came to this. For the past 19 months, weve been subjected to their misrepresented attacks, and weve wasted valuable time and money responding to them in courts and in the court of public opinion," the zoo said. Justice William W. Hood III did not participate in the appeal. As is the Supreme Court's practice, he did not disclose his reason for recusal. The case is Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc. v. Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society et al. Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Ku Klux Klan leaflets found in northern Kentucky Tuesday warning immigrants to leave now to avoid deportation have prompted local police to contact the FBI. Local authorities called the leaflets hateful garbage. Fort Wright, Ky., Mayor Dave Hatter said the KKK Trinity Knights flyers were distributed to homes on at least three streets. "This despicable flyer is designed to intimidate immigrants and encourages membership in the KKK," Hatter said in a statement. "I want to condemn this flyer and state in the strongest possible terms that this type of hateful garbage is loathsome and deplorable, does not represent the Fort Wright Community or the values of our businesses and residents, will not be tolerated in the City of Fort Wright and should not be tolerated by our society as a whole." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ludlow Police Department posted the flyer on their Facebook page but later decided to remove it. "We are aware and have already taken one report for this disturbing and disgusting propaganda that is being passed around our community," the police post read. "This hateful garbage has been turning up in other cities as well." Northern Kentucky NAACP Branch President Jerome Bowles said the racist group's flyers are nothing new and nothing of which to be afraid, but he urged residents to stay vigilant. "You see the desperation of these groups, trying to encourage people to join their cause," Bowles said. "What it tells me is their movement is dying out. So they're trying to use all means that they can recruit." Bellevue, Ky., Police Chief Jon McClain said he contacted the FBI after learning of the flyers distributed in several northern Kentucky towns. Jan. 22Maine has spent more than two years debating how to solve a public defense crisis that many say has been in the making for decades. A judge has ruled that the state's system for providing attorneys to those who cannot afford their own isn't meeting its constitutional obligations and has ordered a three-day hearing in Kennebec County Superior Court to discuss possible fixes. Here's a recap of the legal case that led to this key moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is the case about? It started out as an argument over the quality of the representation that the state was providing, but quickly pivoted to encompass the more urgent issue of people simply not being able to obtain lawyers at all. Five criminal defendants represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine sued a quasi-state agency in March 2022, then known as the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services. The ACLU said its clients' court-appointed lawyers were too busy or too dismissive of their concerns. All but one plaintiff had pleaded not guilty to their charges and were concerned about their ability to defend themselves ahead of trial while isolated in jail. The one plaintiff who pleaded guilty said she felt pressured by her appointed lawyer because he had too many other cases to pay attention to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ACLU said it wanted the commission to create new caseload standards and more closely track how well attorneys do their work. Both parties were working on a settlement agreement for much of 2023. Then Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy refused to accept any of their offers. Why wouldn't the judge let them settle? By the time official settlements were presented, there was a growing number of criminal defendants who needed court-appointed lawyers but weren't getting them. At the end of last year, people charged in roughly 980 criminal cases were waiting for representation. Data consistently shows that about a quarter of them have remained in jail; some have spent weeks, sometimes months, waiting for an attorney. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy told the parties that by only addressing attorney standards, they were ignoring a pressing need. She ordered the ACLU to file a new complaint that addressed the larger picture, which they did in May. So now it's not just a lawsuit about ineffective representation it's a lawsuit about not offering any representation. How does Maine's public defense system work? Until late 2022, Maine was the only state without any traditional public defenders in state court. For decades, the state relied only on private attorneys who volunteered to take on indigent cases. They join different rosters based on case type, their training and experience. Those lists are managed by what is now called the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judges use those rosters to find attorneys for their defendants, and the lawyers get reimbursed by the state at a set rate. A few years ago, those rosters started running dangerously low. The commission tried temporarily relaxing some of its training and experience requirements after hearing criticism from prosecutors and state leaders, who still say the commission hasn't done enough to make the work more welcoming to lawyers. But still there are fewer attorneys available than ever to take new cases. And even after the governor and the Legislature increased the pay from $80 an hour to $150, the commission says it is still struggling to find enough attorneys for this work in all case areas, not just criminal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They've cited attorney burnout as one reason. Many private lawyers are retiring or leaving the field for other reasons. Throughout this period, Maine has started setting up a more traditional public defense system. It began with a mobile rural defender unit in 2022, which took criminal cases in some higher-need areas. Soon the commission opened its first brick-and-mortar criminal defense office in Augusta and is now also staffing offices in Bangor and Caribou. Another office will serve Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties and a fourth will open Down East. But until all of those are up and running, the commission is still relying mostly on private attorneys for this work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who exactly is being sued? Technically, the ACLU is suing the seven appointed board members of the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services (some of whom have left and been replaced since 2022) and their executive director, who was hired about a year after the lawsuit was filed. But the group is also suing the state as a whole for failing to meet the constitutional requirement that anyone accused of a crime who cannot afford an attorney must be appointed one. The ACLU even tried to add Attorney General Aaron Frey as a defendant, but Murphy dismissed him from the case in August. She has also denied a request to let the ACLU sue the governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So the attorney general's office is completely removed from this case? Not quite. The attorney general's office is actually representing the commission, as it often does when state agencies are being sued. But some commission members have publicly complained that the way the assistant attorney general assigned to the case has defended them is inconsistent with their own stances, particularly when it comes to disputing the crisis and releasing unrepresented defendants from jail. Is there really a crisis? Yes. Almost everyone involved in the system agrees on this. Valerie Stanfill, chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, acknowledged it in a state of the judiciary speech last year, but Murphy was the first to rule that there is a widespread violation of Mainers' rights under the U.S. Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a ruling on Jan. 3, she found the commission liable for these failures, but she hasn't yet decided whether the entire state of Maine is violating these rights. Do other states have this problem? Maine is not alone, nor would it be the only state to offer emergency relief to people who have waited too long for lawyers. In Oregon, a U.S. District Court judge issued a temporary order that defendants must be released within seven days of being charged if they don't have an attorney (although that doesn't apply to defendants who commit new alleged crimes while out of jail). In Massachusetts, courts for almost 20 years have required that defendants be released from jail within seven days if they don't have a lawyer, and that their cases be dropped within 45 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens now? Murphy will consider remedies during the three-day hearing that started Wednesday. She is expected to hear testimony from defense attorneys, the commission director and legal experts, and consider oral arguments from attorneys on both sides. The ACLU has suggested she release people from jail if they've been waiting longer than seven days for counsel. The organization has also suggested dismissing cases if a person has been waiting at least 45 days for representation. Victims rights advocates and prosecutors have voiced concerns about releasing people accused of violence against another person, especially in domestic violence cases. We don't know yet how the hearing will end or when Murphy will decide on relief. Copy the Story Link Trumps opening barrage of executive orders (and attendant Sieg Heils) emphasized what we already knew: Were looking down the barrel of four emotionally difficult years. For those of us who care about climate change, this comes on top of the awareness that we are standing at the precipice of an emotionally difficult geologic era, as the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis accelerate. So maybe its no surprise that, like many watching the incoming administration, Ive been reckoning with some strong emotions lately. Anger is one emotion Ive found to be surprisingly productive at times like this. When I think about climate change as an abstract process that were caught in, I tend to get overwhelmed. Its too big, its too scary, and thats demotivating, at least for me. But that abstract picture changes when I think about the actual history that led us to this moment, and remember that climate change isnt just happening, its being committed against us. The climate effects driving the infernos that are still raging across Los Angeles, or the floods that wiped whole communities off the map in North Carolina this fall, or the lethal heat waves that are killing thousands of Americans every year, are the direct, foreseeableand, in fact, foreseenconsequences of a small number of fossil fuel companies that knowingly generated the vast majority of all the greenhouse gas emissions causing our planet to heat up, and fraudulently deceived the public about this reality in order to block and delay solutions that could have avoided the crisis we face today. That makes me furious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That fury is a useful tool in demotivating times. Its like a slow-burning fire, a smoldering backlog, that I can rev up when I need a source of emotional energy to keep me going, or throw some ash on when I dont. But anger alone is not enough to push back the forces of despair, which right nowfor me, at leastare ever-present, waiting in the wings for a chance to sweep across the stage and take control. To keep those forces at bay, we also need to find our sources of hope. That can be tough. With climate change, it often feels like each day, each headline, builds the case for despair: Climate change is accelerating faster than all our predictions. Destructive feedback loopswhere small amounts of warming trigger physical changes like melting sea ice or political changes like the rise of right-wing authoritarianism that then cause the planet to warm even fasterare looming, and the catastrophic effects were starting to see are going to be increasing not linearly but, rather, exponentially. Shit is going to get really badlike, really badand I think sooner than even the more cynical of us are expecting. Against that backdrop, no one with a passing knowledge of climate science can lay a strong claim to the kind of pure, unalloyed hope that says everythings gonna be OK. The truth is, it isnt. Instead, we need to figure out how to come to terms with a grimmer, rougher kind of hope that admits that there are a lot of solid empirical reasons in this moment to choose despair but also asks a critical, and practical, questionwhat does despairing get us? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was illustrated to me recently in a way that felt very on the nose. My wife and I have for some time wanted to have another child. But it wasnt happening, and we went through several cycles of initial hope and then disappointment. During the latest of these cycles our doctors appointment happened to be scheduled on Wednesday, November 6the day after the presidential election. As we were waiting to be called in, trying to ignore the reception rooms television and its blaring reports of Trumps reelection, I thought to myself: OK, perhaps this pregnancy isnt to be, and maybe thats for the bestthe universe is telling us that this is not a world we should bring another child into. And then they called my wifes name, and we headed in. They started the ultrasound. And what do you know, this pregnancy was on. They gave us a due date. As we walked back into the waiting room, Trumps face was still there on the television, but now it was too late for second-guessing. The die had already been cast. This isnt the best world to bring a child into, but a child is being brought, nonethelessand so despair just isnt a luxury we can afford. The fact is, we exist. Were here, were alive, and as long as thats the case, the future can still be worse or better depending on our actions. Every minute we continue to breathe, to get up, to raise our kids, we are choosing hopehope that its better to keep existing than to not, to keep breathing than to not, to keep getting up than to not. The conclusion I reached when grappling with this topic after my first childs birth still holds true: As long as we can save even the smallest slice of this mind-blowingly beautiful planet, and of our flawed but still miraculous civilization, that means going on will be worth more than giving up. A billion lives lost will always be better than two billion, or even a billion and one; two-thirds of all the species on Earth going extinct will always be better than four-fifths, or three-quarters. Theres no point at which that extra bit of fight wont matter. Vaclav Havel described hope as a dimension of the soul; its not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. In this moment of political debasement and climate breakdown, thats probably the best weve got. If we can cultivate that kind of hopeand regularly water it with righteous angerI think we can make it through these next four years, and whatever is on the other side of that, and whatever is on the other side of that. Its not the brightest vision, but its a long-haul approach, and this is a long-haul struggleone that will continue to be worth fighting no matter how dark it gets. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) One Knoxville retiree received recently a letter telling him hes now a millionaire after inheriting a multimillion-dollar fortune from a unknown distant relative. However, the letter was a fake. For the scammers to make the notification look real, it came from an attorney, On the letterhead is the name and address of the law office in Canada. It said Carl Zacks deceased relative passed away during the COVID pandemic, and it has taken four years to find a living relative. East TN woman gets mixed messages on whether she owes $12k to Social Security Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im supposed to get about $10.8 million, said Zack. I was really excited. Zacks excitement about the fortune he was to receive didnt last long. An official-looking letter from an attorney arrived earlier this month. It said the surname, or the deceaseds last name, was the same as Zacks, explaining that a woman named, Maria Zack, unfortunately passed away due to COVID and he was her only living relative who could claim the money. Exactly. Isnt that amazing how they were able to locate me? said Zack. Postmark on the envelope Carl Zack received (WATE) The letter that Carl Zack received (WATE) The envelope Zack received is postmarked in Canada. Curious about the attorneys legitimacy he went to his website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I went online, these attorneys absolutely exist in Toronto, Canada, Zack said. However, he had a concern. Maria Zack, I had never heard of the lady, number one, Zack said. And not only that, they were ready to disperse the funds within 30 days. Which was amazing. What executive orders is Trump signing on day 1 of presidency? The letter states the $10.8 million is from an unclaimed insurance policy and after an exhaustive search, Zack is the fortunate recipient of the windfall. This lady was apparently a respected stock broker and a retired CPA. This is what the letter says. Well, when I went online. You would think someone would be on the internet with that kind of name and I couldnt find anything on this Maria Zack, said Zack. Look how the surname Zack appears in the letter. Its the only word capitalized and any last name could be typed in. Zack did not respond to the letter but the Federal Trade Commission said here is what the scammers would demand. The money would be difficult to access because of government regulations, taxes and bank restrictions. So, Zack would have needed to pay a fee and provide personal information to get the money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you get a letter or email out of the blue from somebody who claims that youve inherited a fortune, the safest thing to do is to tear up the letter or delete the email instead of responding. House fire under investigation in Blount County Im savvy enough to know that this is a scam, but what about all the other folks who get the same letter? Are they going to fall prey to this? said Zack. Another aspect of this scam is that legitimate law firms or executors will not ask you to pay a fee in exchange for information about your share in an estate. Additionally, if you think theres a chance that the correspondence might be legitimate, consider your family history and see if the facts match up. What the scammers are after is sensitive personal or financial information and you do not want to share that with someone you arent completely sure you can trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. During the Korean War, Lt. j.g. John Koelsch, equipped with a promising new helicopter, dedicated his service to rescuing downed pilots. Koelschs most notable sortie ultimately cost him his life, but through his actions, the pilot he risked his life to save survived. Koelsch was born on Dec. 22, 1923, in Chelsea, England, where his father worked as an international banker in London. In 1924, Koelsch and his parents returned to New York and settled in Briarcliff Manor in 1928. After enrolling at Princeton University in September 1941, Koelsch enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on Sept. 14, 1942, and qualified as an airman with an ensigns commission on Oct. 16, 1944. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Koelsch served as a torpedo bomber pilot in the last months of World War II and was promoted to lieutenant junior grade on Aug. 1, 1946. He then returned to Princeton to complete his education in 1949. Up until then, Koelsch had envisioned a career in law, but when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, he transferred to the regular Navy. After training in the new Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter, he was assigned in August 1950 to naval utility squadron UH-1 at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, and from there to the aircraft carrier Princeton off the Korean coast. When Koelschs unit completed its tour of duty, he asked to remain for another one, declaring that rescuing downed pilots as his mission. He then joined UH-2, which operated from Q-009, the former landing ship tank LST-488 converted to a helicopter support ship. He was always ready for any rescue mission, no matter how dangerous, and he let this be known, a fellow officer said. If anything happened, he wanted to be a part of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his time on helicopters, Koelsch designed a device to expedite recovering downed airmen from freezing winter conditions. He got a chance to use his horse collar floating sling hoist on June 22, 1951, when he and Aviation Machinists Mate 3rd Class George Neal rescued Ensign Marvin Nelson Jr. from Wonsan harbor after North Korean antiaircraft fire forced him to bail out of his Vought F4U-5 fighter. On July 3, Q-009 got a report that Capt. James Wilkins of a Marine fighter squadron went missing while on a four-plane armed reconnaissance mission. Wilkins F4U-4B fighter was hit by North Korean antiaircraft fire, forcing him to bail out over the coast. It was late, and darkness would soon be falling over what were already overcast conditions, but without hesitation, Koelsch and Neal set out in their helicopter, determined to find and recover the lost Marine. In spite of the poor visibility and at least one enemy hit to their helo, Koelsch and Neal located Wilkins, severely burned and with a twisted knee, near Yondong in what the latter later called the greatest display of guts Ive ever seen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The terrain was too mountainous for a landing. Using his horse collar to hoist up Wilkins, Koelsch was hovering over Wilkins when his helicopter was struck several more times and crashed into a mountain. Carrying Wilkins, Koelsch and Neal managed to evade enemy forces for nine days before they were captured at a coastal village. As they were being marched through town, Koelsch communicated with one of their captors, pointing out Wilsons injuries and convincing him to separate Wilson from the trio for medical treatment. Koelschs treatment, however, would be different. He succumbed to dysentery and malnutrition on Oct. 16, 1951. But the airman Koelsch had died trying to save ultimately survived to make it home. Wilkins and Neal were subsequently awarded the Prisoner of War Medal after they were released. Neal also received the Navy Cross for his actions in rescuing Wilkins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilkins and Neal testified, alongside other American prisoners, to Koelschs consideration and helpfulness toward his fellow prisoners of war. Koelsch was noted as uncooperative while under North Korean interrogation, even while his health was deteriorating under isolation and torture. On Aug. 3, 1955, Koelschs mother received her sons posthumous Medal of Honor the first awarded to a helicopter pilot. Koelsch was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1955, the Navy christened the destroyer escort Koelsch in his honor. A Peyton man accused of helping breach the U.S. Capitol with a large metal Trump sign was arrested in Colorado Springs Tuesday morning. Thomas Hamner was arrested on a warrant stemming from the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, where hes alleged to have engaged in confrontations with police with other rioters, including pushing a large metal sign bearing the former presidents name on it into a defensive line of law enforcement officers. Hamner, 48, is facing charges of engaging in violence in a restricted building or grounds, civil disorder, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. Hes one of several Coloradans whove been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riots, including U.S. Olympic Swimmer Klete Keller, who pleaded guilty in September to felony obstruction of an official proceeding before Congress. Hamners being held at the U.S. Marshals office in Denver, according to officers on scene of his arrest, after being taken into custody by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and U.S. Marshals assisted by Colorado Springs police just outside a Salvation Army center on Yuma Street. He's being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, along with the Department of Justice's Counterterrorism Section. According to a U.S. Attorneys Office press release, Hamner was set to make an appearance in court Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Colorado in Denver. The afternoon of Jan. 6, as U.S. Congress members sat certifying the vote count of the 2020 Presidential Election, authorities with the FBI allege Hamner was one among a throng of protesters assembled at the West Front of the Capitol. Featured Local Savings That crowd, at first held at bay by a crude barricade of bike racks and a line of U.S. Capitol police, eventually breached the line, assaulting officers and breaking windows as they forced their way into the Capitol. Hamner, officers wrote in an arrest warrant, was captured in video posted to national news sites and social media wearing a Christmas sweater reading, Guns dont kill people, Clintons do, as he and other rioters rammed a large metal Trump sign into the defensive line of officers. Photos taken that day also depict Hamner and other rioters fighting with Capitol and Washington D.C. police over a metal gate, and struggling against barricades. Those photos, along with other footage capturing Hamner that day, were corroborated by a person unidentified in arrest papers who said they knew Hamner and recognized him while comparing other photos of him. On Tuesday, Hamner told onlookers that he was being arrested for being at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and joked that the officers arresting him were lucky he wasnt running. Im a runner, and Im a fighter, but I aint that today because I know Ive been doing right, he appeared to say, referencing his rap sheet. In 2015, Hamner was convicted of driving without a license, failing to signal, and obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest, for which he was sentenced to 45 days in jail. Court records indicate he appealed that conviction, but show his sentence largely remained and that his case was closed. Wednesdays Top Stories Wednesdays Five Facts [1] Gov. Lujan Grisham outlines goals for 2025 legislative session New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is sharing what she hopes to accomplish during this years legislative session. She called for officials to fix problems with the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department. Gov. Lujan Grisham also touched on housing, saying the state should create an Office of Housing to oversee new developments. Click here to see the governors full State of the State address. [2] Albuquerque man sentenced to life in prison for murdering his ex-girlfriend In October a jury convicted 21-year-old Jonathan Martinez of murdering Yasmin Marquez in 2022. Martinez was connected to the murder using text messages the victim received the day she went missing. Judge David Murphy sentenced Martinez to life in prison plus six years. [3] Bitter mornings but milder days ahead Wednesday will bring warmer weather across the state, but with a breezy northwest wind. A backdoor cold front will move in by Wednesday night, bringing another cool down for Thursday. A warming trend begins again on Friday and will continue into the weekend, with both warmer high and low temperatures. Highs will be back up to around average for late January by Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [4] Albuquerque Community Safety steps up efforts to shelter homeless in extreme cold With temperatures reaching below freezing, ACS says theyre stepping up efforts to keep the homeless warm. ACS deputy director Walter Adams says they took 46 people into shelters on Monday night, more than double their nightly average. In November, the agency relaunched an overnight shelter transportation service to get people into shelters during the extreme cold. [5] Albuquerque Public Schools honoring four employees The Albuquerque Public School district is recognizing four outstanding employees. APS says they have many dedicated professionals who devote their time to helping the district meet students needs. The four employees honored will have their photos displayed on billboards across Albuquerque. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. The Kumon Math & Reading Center of Jacksonville-Fruit Cove held a book drive where they raised 510 books for a hurricane-damaged school in St. Petersburg. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The school, the Cathedral School of St. Jude, was damaged by both Hurricane Helene and Milton. Kimberly Teira, an instructor at the Center, is behind the book drive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was so much damage there from the flooding from the hurricanes, says Teira, whose sister-in-law is a teacher at the Cathedral School. When she told me about it, it was just awful. I thought, I can help. I can do something. Tiera worked with the local community and parents at the school, where all the books were brought in. One boy brought his favorite book and gave it to me. I was a little teary from that. And another parent went to a bookstore and brought a bunch of books to us from there. It was overwhelming. Teira is not the only instructor with the Kumon Center who has helped take part in such book drives across the county, as since 2022 Instructors have collected and donated 57,268 books. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A Kyiv court arrested General Yurii Halushkin, General Artur Horbenko, and Colonel Illia Lapin, three officers accused of leading an unsuccessful defense in Kharkiv Oblast during a Russian offensive last spring, Suspilne reported on Jan. 21. Russia launched a cross-border offensive into northeastern Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024, swiftly moving forward by several kilometers despite Ukraine's efforts to fortify border regions. Though the Russian offensive eventually stalled some 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Kharkiv, its initial success sparked outrage against regional and military leaders for poor defense planning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three officers responsible for organizing the defenses were detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Jan. 20. They were accused of violating military regulations and not using all resources at their disposal to repel the Russian offensive. "This led to the seizure of part of the territory in the eastern Ukrainian region, where fierce fighting is currently ongoing," the SBU said. Halushkin commanded the Kharkiv Operational-Tactical Group, Horbenko led the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade that was deployed in the area, and Lapin commanded the brigade's 415th Battalion. The three suspects were charged with negligence in military service and in Horbenko's and Lapin's cases carrying out unauthorized withdrawal from the battlefield. They face up to 10 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The charged officials did not ensure the fortification and engineering arrangements of defensive positions (in Kharkiv Oblast). They did not ensure proper organization of units during the battle," the State Bureau of Investigation said. The suspects' lawyers protested the charges. The trial comes against the backdrop of several scandals connected to poor command and organization in different brigades. Military mismanagement has often been cited as one of the key challenges plaguing Ukraine's Armed Forces as it faces the Russian advance in the east. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian soldier reports harsh conditions, fatal accidents in regiment; unit launches investigation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Kyle Richards' estranged husband's father, Eduardo Umansky, will appear before the court to plead his case after his former partner accused him of physical assault. The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star's estranged husband's father will tell his side of the story before the court to determine whether he is guilty of the allegations. Kyle Richards' father-in-law Eduardo Umansky and his former partner Simin Tabibnia were in a romantic relationship for 18 years before things turned sour. Kyle Richards' Estranged Husband's Father Will Appear In Court in Late January Eduardo was served a subpoena to answer some questions in the case involving allegations of domestic violence from his former romantic partner. Court documents reveal that Simin requested his appearance at an upcoming court hearing, as both face allegations of abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A hearing has been scheduled for later this month. Simin accused the older Umansky of abusing her physically, verbally, and emotionally while they dated for nearly two decades. In Touch shared the 81-year-old's family claimed his former girlfriend was the actual aggressor during the course of the relationship between them. Last year, Mauricio, aged 54, and his sister, Sharon Umansky Benton, sought to place Eduardo under a conservatorship. They accused Simin of keeping him from his family and exploiting him. Mauricio Umansky's Sister Was Granted A Permanent Restraining Order Against Her Father's Ex The court designated Mauricio and Sharon as joint conservators for Eduardo's estate. Sharon then submitted a restraining order against Simin, alleging that her father's ex-partner had been physical with her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simin refuted the allegations and submitted her own request for a restraining order against Sharon. Ultimately, The Blast reported that the judge issued a permanent restraining order in favor of Sharon. Sharon then submitted a petition for a restraining order on behalf of Eduardo against Simin. The petition alleged that Simin had been "verbally, physically, and financially" abusive towards Eduardo for many years. Sharon stated that the first indications of threats and abuse appeared roughly 10 years ago, but it was challenging to grasp what was occurring fully. It was around August or September 2022 that the situation began to intensify. After Sharon tendered a reasonable argument in court, Eduardo eventually won a temporary restraining order against his former partner. Eduardo Umansky's Ex Shared She Was Scared Of The 81-Year-Old Simin returned the favor by submitting a petition for an "elder dependent adult abuse restraining order." She described Eduardo as her former boyfriend while urging the court to mandate that he remain at least 100 yards away from her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simin added that Eduardo mistreated her on December 4, 2024. "I am afraid of [Eduardo]," she began, adding that she was in an 18-year relationship with the 81-year-old, during which she endured a series of abuse. She claimed Eduardo has "physically abused me on multiple occasions, resulting in injuries." He also allegedly hit her in the face and arms, kicked her in the legs, pushed her down, and choked her. Simin included photographs of her purported injuries in her petition as proof and stated that the events have caused me not just physical harm but also emotional distress. Simin Tabibnia Slammed Eduardo's Relationship With His Daughter, Sharon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simin observed in her filing that Eduardo's mood goes sour any time he speaks with Sharon on the phone. Simin stated that she is the primary target of his aggressions, along with a range of abusive behaviors he has shown previously. According to her, Eduardo "has a long history of verbal abuse, frequently using demeaning and profane language toward me in public and in front of others. He has repeatedly told me to 'shut the f up,' among other degrading remarks." Simin argued in her petition that she hoped her former partner would outgrow his abusive ways after Sharon filed a separate "elder abuse" restraining order against her on behalf of Eduardo in October 2024. Kyle Richards' Estranged Husband Is Dealing With His Own Legal Trouble MEGA Like father, like son. Mauricio also got his hands full after being dragged to court by Relator LLC as 2024 wrapped up. The document unsealed by the court in August 2024 showed that the company initially filed the petition in July 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filing alleged that Umansky, along with his business partner William "Billy" Rose and their real estate firm, The Agency, conspired to misappropriate loans intended for struggling businesses. "This is a case about greed during a national health emergency," Relator LLC stated in the petition. They clarified that Mauricio submitted applications for two Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and CARES Act loans through his real estate firm, The Agency, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Relator LLC emphasized that the loan programs were not designed to support or maintain a company's profits that had enough resources to compensate its employees. It clarified that the financial assistance initiative was, in fact, created to preserve the jobs of workers employed by businesses that were unable to afford their wages. The plot continues to thicken in Eduardo Umansky and Simin Tabibnia's legal tussle! MEMPHIS, Tenn. Controversial guest speaker Kyle Rittenhouse is scheduled to visit the University of Memphis campus next month, nearly a year after his last event at the university ended in him being rushed off the stage. The University of Memphis campus organization Turning Point USA will once again host Rittenhouse, who plans to speak on the Second Amendment and his views on gun violence. The event is scheduled for February 26 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., according to TigerZone. Rittenhouse was acquitted of killing two men and wounding another during a Black Lives Matter rally in Wisconsin in 2020 when he was 17 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March 2024, his appearance on the University of Memphis campus stirred controversy throughout the community, with some Memphians claiming his presence made them feel uneasy. The UC Theatre was filled with 50-75 people, most of whom were protestors. Rittenhouse was rushed off the stage after only 30 minutes as the crowd booed him, yelled, and disrupted him. Hundreds more protestors were outside the venue. Kyle Rittenhouse speaks at University of Memphis amid protest When WREG reached out to TPUSA national headquarters last year, they said, Attempts to cancel or censor events like these only serve to stifle the exchange of ideas and limit the intellectual diversity to which students are exposed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The University of Memphis said in a statement to WREG, The speaker has been invited by a registered student organization. This event is not sponsored by the University of Memphis. Alliance Defending Freedom represents Turning Point USA Memphis in the Kyle Rittenhouse event. ADFs legal counsel, Mathew Hoffmann released the following statement regarding the event: Were happy that, in response to ADFs letter, the University of Memphis will welcome Mr. Rittenhouse back to campus. The University has pledged to make a statement before the event about respectful discourse, work to address any disruption of the event, and provide a ticketing system with reserved seats for TPUSA members and guests. We are pleased that the disrupted event has been rescheduled, but it should never have been necessary. We expect the University to comply with the First Amendment and Tennessee law for Mr. Rittenhouses second appearance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WREG.com. The latest LA fires update details that the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire have not been fully contained and are still burning. Mandatory evacuation orders are still in effect for many zones, though some residents have been able to return to their homes to see if they are still standing. Los Angeles and other parts of southern California are under yet another red flag warning as Santa Ana winds, which are causing wildfires in San Diego like the Lilac Fire to spread, will continue to persist until Tuesday night, January 21. Heres the current status of the Los Angeles fires. Are the LA fires still burning in California? As of Tuesday, the LA fires are still burning, though both the Palisades and Eaton fires are mostly contained. A status update by Cal Fire at 12:30 PM PT reports that the Palisades fire is at 63% containment, while another at 7:14 AM PT states that the Eaton fire is at 89% containment. That said, the damage from both fires is extensive. The Palisades fire has burned over 23,000 acres and destroyed over 6,300 structures, and it has caused the death of at least 11 civilians. An incident report of this wildfire says more than 83,000 people and 43,000 households have been impacted. Cal Fire warns that windblown dust and ash is likely to cause poor air quality in the area, particularly on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Eaton fire has burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed over 9,400 structures. It has resulted in the death of at least 17 civilians. Firefighters are still extinguishing hot spots within the perimeter of the fire. Resources have been deployed near La Canada to prepare against any new fire activity within the current footprint of the blaze. Ironically, one of the chief concerns by LA city officials is rainfall that has been forecast for Los Angeles by the weekend, according to a press conference on Tuesday. City council member Traci Park says that while the city would normally welcome the rain, the runoff from the burned area can cause mudslides and carry chemicals, plastics, electronics, and debris throughout the affected county. Cal Fire also alerts readers about fraudulent social media accounts using its name, particularly on Facebook, to solicit false donations. The post LA Fires Update: Is the Palisades Fire Still Burning? appeared first on Mandatory. Lac du Flambeau tribal officials are now threatening to issue citations to non-tribal residents who drive on four disputed roads within the reservation. The Tribe is not just some private landowner complaining of unauthorized access over its lands, said Tribal President John Johnson, Sr., in a statement. We are a sovereignty under the law and the Tribe intends to exercise its right under the law to cite for unauthorized trespass. Tribal officials had threatened to once again set up barricades limiting access to the four roads this month, stranding dozens of non-tribal properties within the reservation boundaries. Lac du Flambeau Tribe President John Johnson poses for a portrait on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 in Lac du Flambeau, WI. But two days before the barricades were supposed to go up, tribal officials they were withdrawing the threat to ensure the safe delivery of services for all residents within our reservation boundaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal judge also had ordered late last year that barricades not be put up pending a lawsuit the non-tribal Town of Lac du Flambeau has against the tribe concerning the roads. The judge reaffirmed that ruling this month and told the U.S. Department of Justice it was responsible for making sure the barricades would not be set up. Local politicians also have recently spoken out about the roads situation on the reservation in northern Wisconsin, which is now entering its third year. This is the second time that the courts have ruled against President Bidens Department of Justice, who illegally colluded with the Tribe to coerce the Town of Lac du Flambeau into paying millions of dollars in ransom to keep these vital roads open," said U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wausau) in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tiffany's district encompasses much of the Wisconsin Northwoods where the Lac du Flambeau's 86,000-acre reservation is located. "Moving forward, any potential settlement should fully compensate the town, which was victimized by this unlawful extortion racket, including any associated legal fees," Tiffany said. "The DOJs participation in this scheme must not go unpunished, and they must be held accountable to ensure that the residents of Lac du Flambeau are never denied access to essential roads again. Village of Hobart Trustee Vanya Koepke weighed in with a plea to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk asking them to help resolve the situation. Hobart is located just west of Green Bay and faces its own land disputes with another tribe, the Oneida Nation, because it sits almost entirely within that tribes reservation boundaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hobart officials have been arguing against the sovereignty of the tribe in federal court cases for more than 20 years as the tribe continues to reclaim reservation land that was promised to it through treaty with the federal government. The land disputes in Wisconsin and across the U.S. have their roots in the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887, which allowed non-tribal citizens to take property on reservation lands. Congress later reversed the policy with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. By then, non-tribal communities already were set up. Johnson said the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Tribe has two goals: reclaim reservation land that was promised to it by the federal government through treaty, and assert its sovereignty on land within the reservation it already owns, such as the four roads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conflict started in January 2023 when tribal officials barricaded four roads on the reservation Elsie Lake Lane, Center Sugarbush Lane, East Ross Allen Lake Lane and Annie Sunn Lane ending access for dozens of non-tribal property owners. Johnson contends the roads were built illegally decades ago, and leases to use them expired long ago. He said tribal requests to renegotiate the leases had been ignored. Town officials in March 2023 agreed to pay the tribe increasing monthly payments to keep the roads open until a more permanent arrangement could be reached, and the roads reopened. But tribal officials said those payments stopped last fall, so they threatened a barricade again. Stan and Jennifer Johnson own one of the affected properties, a cabin, within the Lac du Flambeau Reservation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How in the world can this situation happen, Stan Johnson said. This is the United States. My God. Theyve owned their property off Ross Allen Road for about six years. Stan Johnson said the disputed road is only about 150 feet, and he argues the tribe should be more reasonable. This is not neighborly, he said. Its obvious you (the tribe) want money or do you even know what you want? Jennifer Johnson said part of the reason they decided to move to Lac du Flambeau as part-time residents was to expose their children to Indigenous culture through tribal events. Its very sad that neighbors cant get past this and just be friends, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Johnsons are currently not in Lac du Flambeau, but they worry about others there who are full-time residents, some of whom have walked or used snowmobiles to get across a frozen lake when the roads are barricaded. More: Town asking if Wisconsin will give back land to Lac du Flambeau to settle road use dispute Sign up for the First Nations Wisconsin newsletter Click here to get all of our Indigenous news coverage right in your inbox Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Latest twist in reservation road dispute is threat to issue tickets Jan. 21AUSTIN Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham has announced the kickoff of the 2025 Save Texas History Essay Contest for 4th and 7th grade students. The Save Texas History Essay Contest encourages students to explore topics in Texas history or culture, however big or small that helped shape Texas. "As a ninth-generation Texan, I am deeply committed to preserving Texas history and encouraging our next generation of leaders to do the same," Buckingham said in a news release. "The GLO's Save Texas History Essay Contest is a crucial part of this agency's mission to safeguard the many cherished stories, documents, and artifacts that belong to our state's rich history. I encourage young Texans to write about what makes our state unique and why it is vital to preserve this history for future generations." Student essays traditionally reflect the state's rich diversity. The contest's previous fourth-grade grand-prize winner, Katy Bowman of Lockhart, explored the history of Caldwell County's courthouse and square, including its many festivals and events. These include farmers' markets, Courthouse Nights, Run for the Bulls, Dia de los Muertos, and the annual Christmas parade. As Katy notes, "People from the community come and listen to music, talk, dance, and laugh together." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The previous seventh-grade grand prize winner, Coltier Dodd, wrote about the Santa Rosa Rodeo Grounds, which contains the only wooden rodeo arena still in use in Texas. Coltier's connection was also personal, with both his grandfather and mother having a long history with the local riding club one that hopefully will continue "for many more generations to come." This year's two grand-prize winners will each receive a gift card worth $500 courtesy of Chris Cantu of Kingsview Partners, and a free two-night stay in Austin at Hampton Inn & Suites University/Capitol. The five finalists in each grade will each receive gift cards worth $100 courtesy of the Moses Austin Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. All winners and finalists, as well as their teachers, will receive additional prizes from the Texas General Land Office and its essay contest sponsors. Entries must meet all eligibility requirements and be received by April 1, 2025. More information and the contest entry form can be found by clicking here. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A passenger told police a 21-year-old was driving crazy before he allegedly caused a crash that injured several people, including a 3-year-old. On Jan. 13, around 5 p.m., the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the three-car crash near Lake Mead and Nellis boulevards. A Toyota Camry heading east on Lake Mead Boulevard swerved into the center lane, hit a Dodge Challenger, and continued east crashing into a Lexus, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While investigating the crash, officers said they noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the Toyota. Inside, police said they found a small bag of what appeared to be a crystal-like substance with a pink hue, believed to be meth sitting in plain view. The driver of the Toyota, identified as Andrew Hernandez, 21, reportedly told police he couldnt remember what had happened. Officers said after a record check Hernandez did not have a drivers license at the time of the crash. Medical emergency responders arrived and took Hernandez and six other people to a nearby hospital. Four of the individuals sustained serious injuries, while one had life-threatening injuries, police said. The report showed four passengers in Hernandezs car, including the young child. Hernandez himself suffered an eye injury and had scrapes on his arm and forehead, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the passengers later told police that Hernandez was driving crazy and slammed on the brakes before the crash. Hernandez faces multiple charges, including six counts of DUI causing substantial bodily harm, one count of child abuse and neglect, six counts of reckless driving, and one count of driving without a license, according to court records. 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. Colorado students continue to make progress in graduating while dropout rates decline across the state. The Colorado Department of Education released student graduation and dropout data from the 2023-24 school year this week that showed four-year graduation rates improving by 1.1% up to 84.2%. The total marks the states highest in more than a decade, according to the department. A total of 58,318 Colorado students graduated in four years in the 2023-24 school year, an increase of 1,506 over last year. Statewide dropout rates are declining, with 718 fewer students dropping out compared to last year for a total of 8,947 dropouts in grades 7-12. The .02% decrease continues the decline from the high mark of 2.2% in 2021-22. last school years 1.9% rate still trails the states historic low of 1.8% achieved in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. Despite the progress, CDE noted that certain student groups like homeless, migrant, multilingual students and students of color continue to lag behind the statewide graduation rate. While dropout rates for those same groups are higher than the state average. Data indicated that students in foster care, multilingual learners, students from migrant families, students experiencing homelessness and students identified as Hawaiian/Pacific Islander drop out at more than twice the statewide rate while Hispanic or American Indian/Alaskan Native students are more than three times as likely as white students to drop out. Featured Local Savings While we are seeing promising progress, we are continuing to see our students of color and our students with the highest needs graduating below our statewide rates, said Education Commissioner Susana Cordova in a press release. I am encouraged by the momentum of our states multiyear improvements, especially in the gaps that are closing, and we also must do more to keep students engaged in meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for success after graduation. The department provides an interactive web dashboard to explore graduation and completion rates on a statewide, district and school level, available here. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department does not enforce immigration violations, the department posted on X in response to 8 News Nows interview Monday with Sheriff Kevin McMahill. In that report, McMahill said his department will not partake in mass deportation roundups as President Donald Trump lays out his immigration policies. Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, saying during his inaugural address Monday: We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. Trumps new self-described border czar previously said he would use U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement to run the biggest deportation operation this countrys ever seen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Nevada peace officers have the authority to assist in enforcing federal laws, LVMPD officers will not enforce immigration violations, the policy dated October 2019 and updated in March 2023 said. Officers will not stop and question, detain, arrest, or place an immigration hold on any individuals on the ground they are an undocumented immigrant. However, LVMPD will share criminal intelligence regarding transnational organized crime and international terrorists with any and all law enforcement agencies to include ICE. I think it will be an interesting conversation, but roundups out in the community and those kinds of things, thats not my job. I have too much to do, McMahill told 8 News Now. I dont think that with the volume and magnitude of the problem that theyre going to make as much progress on it as they would like to unless they first focus in on stopping people from coming across the borders. Metro alerts ICE during booking and release for felonies that have the highest impact on public safety, the policy said. However, ICE must obtain a warrant and pick up the inmate. If youre foreign-born, youre arrested for a violent felony, DUI, or domestic violence, we will run you through the system, McMahill said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McMahill instituted the policy to alert immigration officials after certain arrests after his election in 2023, he said. The 2019 policy would have been implemented under then-Sheriff Joe Lombardo who is now governor. I dont care which president in the past its been, theyve never picked up over 40% of the people that theyve been notified of, McMahill said. I dont intend to change that policy anytime soon. What I do hope happens is theres a bipartisan effort to secure our border. 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. Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert has invited a group of recently pardoned January 6 rioters to the Capitol for a tour. She promised to be the first member of Congress to give a tour to the hostages, as she and President Donald Trump call them, according to The Independent. Boebert, clad in a bright red winter coat outside a Washington D.C. jail where rioters were held, said one of the only things she regrets about Jan. 6 is what the media did to lie about the events of that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also parroted the debunked claim that two dozen FBI informants present among the protesters on Jan. 6 were undercover agents. Boebert continued by bemoaning the perceived unfairness directed at the recently pardoned rioters, who were still waiting to be released. She complained about the time and paperwork required to set the rioters free. She went on to assert that pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters was part of the mandate [President Trump] received overwhelmingly from America as a result of his election win in November. Boebert also said Democrats likely wish they had not pursued Jan. 6-related prosecutions, saying the now regret that they didnt just shut up about the riots. Boebert has been a long-time supporter of the MAGA movement, Trump, and the Jan. 6 rioters. She was an earlier proponent of the widely discredited idea that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Jan. 21Troopers, deputies and police officers participated in the extra enforcement campaign Nov. 27 through Dec. 31 Troopers, deputies and police officers made 2,079 driving while impaired (DWI) arrests during the holiday enforcement campaign Nov. 27 through Dec. 31. This campaign reinforces the importance of planning a sober ride, even if a person believes they're fine to drive after drinking. Each DWI arrest tells a story of reckless, irresponsible behavior that puts lives at risk. In St. Paul, one driver stopped by police said she thought she was OK to drive after having dinner with a friend. She had a 0.112 blood alcohol content (BAC). The legal limit is 0.08. In Minneapolis, a trooper arrested a driver who had three children in his vehicle. His BAC was 0.186. Two 911 callers helped Zumbrota police locate an impaired 27-year-old female driver. The woman had six prior DWI convictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) coordinated the campaign, which included extra enforcement, with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "A 27-year-old with six DWIs, and a man driving impaired with three children in the car these examples are disturbing and heartbreaking, but we know there were drivers who chose to do the right thing and drive safe and sober this holiday," said OTS Director Mike Hanson. "To those sober drivers I say thank you; it really was a gift. For those who chose to drive impaired, we're grateful to our law enforcement partners who are relentlessly protecting Minnesotans from those reckless decisions." Arrests and crashes highlight impaired driving dangers: A trooper responded to a call of wrong way driver on Interstate 35 in Duluth. He located the vehicle and arrested the driver for DWI with a 0.19 BAC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Mounds View police officer pulled over a driver for swerving and expired tabs. The woman denied drinking any alcohol. The results proved otherwise. She was three times the legal limit with a 0.24 BAC. An impaired driver with 21 prior DWI convictions was taken off the road thanks to the efforts of a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office deputy. After speeding in Brooklyn Center and eventually crashing in Minneapolis, the driver was arrested for felony DWI. White Bear Lake police stopped a driver for speeding and expired tabs. The driver was impaired and had an 8-month-old child in the vehicle. The Minnesota State Patrol in the Marshall district responded to a vehicle rollover crash. The impaired driver had his two children in the vehicle. A trooper responded to a two-vehicle rear-end crash in Maplewood. He determined one of the drivers was under the influence of alcohol. The trooper made an arrest after the driver tested 0.400 BAC. LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) The GOP-led push to change how Nebraska allocates its Electoral College votes for president has a new backup plan: a possible 2026 constitutional amendment, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Since 1991, Nebraska has allocated its five presidential electors by awarding two votes to the winner of the presidential popular vote statewide and one vote each for the popular vote winner in each of the states three congressional districts. Maine is the only other state that follows the district model. South Sioux City restaurant agrees to change color of building Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislative Resolution 24CA, by State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, would ask Nebraskans in November 2026 whether that practice should end and all votes go to the presidential ticket that wins the most votes in the state. It is another choice, said Dorn, should Legislative Bill 3, introduced by State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, fall short of ending the practice in one fell swoop. Dorn said he supports Lippincotts effort. State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City, left, joins Gov. Jim Pillen for a ceremonial bill signing for Nebraska National Guard recruitment and retention. Dec. 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Im not 100% sure that there will be the 33 votes there for Lippincotts bill. If theres not, then it gives us another option, Dorn said Tuesday. Mines a backup. Its there, that if we dont get Senator Lippincotts bill across the finish line, now we have another option. Former State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha was a major roadblock for previous Republican-led efforts to change the Electoral College system for Nebraska. He had floated a constitutional amendment approach, which would let the entire state weigh in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nebraska has only divided its presidential electors three times, splitting four votes to the Republican nominee and sending a fifth vote from the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District to the Democratic candidate. Those 2nd District winners: President Barack Obama in 2008; President Joe Biden in 2020; and Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. McDonnell had called the so-called blue dot in the Omaha metro instead a green dot, citing the added national political relevancy and economic boost that the split system brings to Nebraska. Siouxland lawmakers react to inauguration of President Trump Lawmakers have twice passed laws seeking to upend the practice. Both were vetoed in the 1990s by former Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson. Republicans fell two votes short of passing the change in 2016. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A public hearing on Lippincotts LB 3 has not yet been scheduled but will likely be set for the final week of January, according to senators and staff familiar with scheduling. Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 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. A woman holds pills used for a medication abortion. (Adobe Stock) LINCOLN A pregnant woman seeking a medication abortion in Nebraska would be required under a new bill to attend an in-person appointment with her physician before receiving the drugs and a follow-up appointment after to document any adverse events. Legislative Bill 512, by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, has proposed the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol Act. It would apply to any abortion-inducing drug that has the specific intent of terminating a pregnancy. State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue. July 31, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Other drugs, medications or substances that can be known to cause an abortion but are provided for other medical reasons, such as chemotherapy meds, would be excluded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The purpose of the bill [is] just to try and ensure were providing good health care for our women who are receiving abortions, Holdcroft told reporters after introducing LB 512. Some reproductive health doctors for Nebraska women said the proposed restrictions appear aimed at making it harder to get a medication abortion in the state. New requirements and documentation State law already prohibits telemedicine for receiving abortion medications, but Holdcroft said his goal is to prevent physicians from flying into Nebraska just to prescribe the drug, then leave. LB 512 would add additional steps before a physician could give a woman an abortion-inducing drug in the state: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Independently verify the woman is pregnant. Determine whether the woman has an ectopic pregnancy. Document the gestational age and location of the pregnancy. Determine the womans blood type and, if the woman is Rh negative, offer to administer Rh immunoglobulin to prevent Rh incompatibility, complications or miscarriage in future pregnancies. State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan, Julie Slama and Joni Albrecht join Gov. Jim Pillen at a news conference pressing passage of a bill to outlaw abortion after an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) The physician also would need to schedule an in-person follow-up visit with the woman who received the drug between three and 14 days after it is given. The physician would need to confirm the womans pregnancy is completely terminated and document any adverse events An adverse event could include shock, heavy or prolonged bleeding, hemorrhage, aspiration or allergic response, infection, sepsis, pelvic inflammatory disease or missed ectopic pregnancy. That report would need to be sent to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, similar to current reports for non-medication abortions in the state. A woman who receives an attempted or successful medication abortion could not be held liable under the new law. Effectively a total ban Dr. Elizabeth Constance, a reproductive endocrinologist in Omaha, said the bill doesnt ban major drugs like mifepristone or misoprostol, the most common two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I do think it puts so many onerous and non-standard of care restrictions on their use that it will effectively be a total ban on medication abortions, Constance said in a text. Effective ban if not an outright one. Dr. Elizabeth Constance speaks at a rally in the Nebraska State Capitol. Feb. 8, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Constance said the bill doesnt explicitly include an exception for the targeted drugs to be used in miscarriage management, which they often are. She said that could complicate access to care, including in emergencies, as the drugs are more highly regulated. That includes misoprostol, routinely used to treat postpartum hemorrhage. Mifepristone is also used to treat endometriosis, fibroids or hyperglycemia associated with Cushings syndrome. Misoprostol can also be used to treat ulcers. Both medications can be used to induce labor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Emily Patel, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Omaha, said other medications can be obtained without someone ever seeing a physician but are more dangerous, such as certain over-the-counter pain relievers or erectile-dysfunction meds that could be bought online. Patel said the characterization that physicians are flown in to provide abortions is overblown, though some physicians do travel to provide general care, like she does to Hastings or Fremont. Pretty slipshod operation Holdcroft said he didnt know whether mifepristone could be used for other medical purposes but that his intent isnt to ban medication abortions, just to tighten up the medical care. He said if his bill needs amendments, hes willing to look into any needed changes, but he thinks LB 512 has support for an issue that isnt that far a stretch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just want to make sure were providing safe procedures, and thats not what were seeing, Holdcroft said. Were seeing a pretty slipshod operation, in my opinion. Dr. Emily Patel. (Courtesy of Emily Patel) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patel said the assumption patients arent receiving standard-of-practice care is blatantly false. It is not standard practice to have mandated follow ups, Patel said in a text, nor is it standard to have to report how we practice medicine to the state. LB 512 was among 96 legislative bills or constitutional amendments introduced Tuesday, including: LB 443, by State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha, would outlaw unlawful squatting, defined as the intent to claim ownership of someones land or property by refusing to leave. LB 457, by State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would require school districts and licensed child care facilities to design policies to prevent and respond to serious allergic reactions anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. It would also limit the cost that an insured individual must pay for a two-pack of medically necessary epinephrine injectors to up to $60, regardless of the type of brand. LB 463, by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, would require school districts to develop a cardiac emergency response plan and place automated external defibrillators on school grounds. The bill would create up to $1.5 million in grants to fund the plans. LB 475, by State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, would classify tianeptine known as gas station heroin as a controlled substance in Nebraska. The drug had previously been used to treat depression in dozens of countries, and even though it is illegal to market or sell the drug, it is not on the list of federally controlled substances. LB 500, by State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha, would create a 21-member School Financing Review Commission for an in-depth review of how K-12 schools are funded in the state. LB 513, by State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, would increase the salaries of justices on the Nebraska Supreme Court by 4% each on July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. They would rise from $225,055.35 currently to $243,419.87 next year. LB 523, by State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, would create a stipend program for student teachers, who could apply for stipends at $4,000 per student-teaching semester. Most student teachers are not currently paid by their districts. Legislative Resolution 22CA, by State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, would enshrine a right to a clean and healthy natural environment and that political subdivisions serve as trustees of Nebraskas natural resources in the Nebraska Constitution. LR 25CA, by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, would amend the Nebraska Constitution so lawmakers are paid the states minimum wage, which will rise from $13.50 to $15 next year, before annual cost-of-living increases. Lawmakers would also receive health insurance. Senators currently receive a $12,000 salary, as set in the Constitution. The proposal does not set a floor or ceiling for how much lawmakers would be paid. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (Stock photo by Greenleaf123/Getty Images) Advocates of child victims said a proposed constitutional amendment allowing for remote testimony for children and people with certain disabilities could help young victims from being retraumatized in the courtroom, but others said the measure could abridge the rights of wrongfully accused defendants. House Study Bill 35 is the constitutional amendment proposed by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Birds office, adding that the right of an accused party to confront their accuser may be limited by law when the witness is a person under age 18 or has a mental illness, intellectual disability or other developmental disability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal comes following a 2024 Iowa Supreme Court ruling in State v. White. The court sided with Derek White, who argued that his constitutional right to confront a witness was violated when two child witnesses were allowed to testify against him using a closed-circuit television system. Before this decision, Iowa courts had been allowing children to remotely testify against their alleged abusers in cases where the prosecution provided sufficient evidence that in-person testimony would cause additional trauma to the child. Daniel Breitbarth, legislative liaison for the Iowa AGs office, said in a subcommittee meeting on the proposal Wednesday that Iowa is currently the only state in the country that does not allow exceptions for children and some adults with disabilities when granting a person their right to confront witnesses. We brought forward this constitutional amendment to reverse that trend, to ensure that we protect victims, that children, those that are the most vulnerable in our population, from having to experience trauma while still giving individuals their Sixth Amendment rights, Breitbarth said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates who worked with victims of child abuse said allowing children to testify remotely is often a needed protection in these cases, as these witnesses would not be willing or able to testify if they had to confront their alleged abuser in person during court proceedings. Laura Christensen, who works at the Blank Childrens Hospital STAR Center, said it is already difficult for many child victims of abuse to talk about their experiences for fear of not being believed or facing further abuse and that putting them in front of the person who harmed them will only exacerbate the issue when it comes to mental health impacts and trauma caused by the abuse. Wendy Berkey said that as she works with parents and families of abuse victims at Blank Childrens Hospital STAR Center, many families are unwilling to pursue legal action because they do not want to retraumatize their child. The thing that I see almost daily, definitely weekly, and grapple with with parents is when they have to decide, Is the price of justice worth it for my child?' Berkey said. And unfortunately, right now in Iowa, the answer they often have is no. Its just not something that children are able to face or that parents are willing to put their child through. And that leaves them without the ability, if they desire, to get a true sense of justice and to have a person who will harm their child held accountable. But Nathan Mundy, an advocate for the Iowa Association for Justice, said lawmakers need to consider that not all individuals accused of these crimes are guilty, and that the provision could greatly limit the right of people to confront those who have accused them of crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While I sympathize with everyone here who is advocating for victims, I question how many of you have talked to the accused of these crimes, Mundy said. When we have these cases, it is quite apparent which ones, frankly, know they did it, knew they had a problem, and which ones feel like they were falsely accused. And theres a very small percentage of overlap where its just not determined. Mundy said the Association for Justice instead supports a proposal that would allow for two-way video during these situations, allowing remote testimony while preserving the accused persons constitutional rights. Susan Krisko, assistant attorney general who represented the state in State v. White, said two-way remote testimony is already allowed in Iowa Code, but the Iowa Supreme Courts 2024 ruling found that face-to-face confrontation was required and did not specify whether two-way video testimony was allowed. They didnt say it was okay, they didnt say it wasnt okay, Krisko said. So what would happen if you pursue that avenue, is that we would just punt. So we would go forward under the assumption that maybe the court would say, okay, maybe they wouldnt. That many years would go by before the court actually makes a decision on that, and if they say no, then weve lost all this time. All these cases that we try that in would then have to be retried, all those (victims) would be retraumatized again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, questioned why this proposal needed to be a constitutional amendment. Krisko said the state Supreme Court decision found a state law allowing for closed-circuit testimony was unconstitutional, meaning other statutes on remote testimony could also be found unconstitutional when weighed by the courts. We have given a constitutional right to to defendants to have face-to-face testimony, so the only way to fix this is by a constitutional amendment, Krisko said. We cannot legislate our way around that, other than going back and saying, our citizens find that the Constitution needs to be amended such that we can now legislate that that particular right in certain circumstances. The subcommittee recommended moving the bill forward for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee, but Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, said he wants to think about this a lot more in considering potential changes. If passed by the Iowa Legislature this year, the measure would need to be approved by lawmakers again in 2027 or 2028 before going before voters on the 2028 general election ballot for final approval. Here we go again. Some lawmakers in Washington state will just not give up on their quest for a state-run single-payer health care system. Their latest attempt is SB 5233, Developing the Washington health trust. After several years of meetings and after realizing they had no practical funding mechanism, supporters of the health trust have added SB 5233 to force more taxes on Washington state taxpayers. SB 5233 would be a continuation, with some financing clarification, of the Washington health trust. The trust is essentially the first step toward a single-payer, government-based system for Washington state. From the opening paragraph of the bill: AN ACT Relating to the expansion and consolidation of public health plans in Washington under a unified financing system in order to universalize eligibility to all Washington residents, ensure comprehensive medical coverage including primary care, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits, and achieve cost savings through administrative efficiency, bulk pricing, and cost controls The trusts board will decide essential benefits, provider payments and which drugs and services will be paid for. And everyone in the state is included in the plan, including individuals who are in the country illegally. If you like your current health insurance, you can keep it, although the stated goal is to eventually gather everyone under the single-payer plan. This includes the employed, those in Medicare, Medicaid and potentially the retired military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funding is more than ambitious. It includes a new employer tax, a long-term capital gains tax, a self-employment tax, and a new tax on individuals earning more than 300% of the federal poverty level. Other states have considered a state-based single-payer system, yet even some of the most progressive states have given up on the idea because of the cost. Vermont came close to instituting a single-payer system on a state-level basis. In 2011, the Vermont Legislature passed and Gov. Peter Shumlin signed An Act Relating to a Universal and Unified Health System. The state-wide, single-payer system was to start in 2017. By 2014, however, fiscal estimates showed that the state budget would need an extra $2 billion in 2017 to fund the program. This would be a 35% increase over the states original $5.7 billion 2017 budget. The state would need to raise taxes to levels unacceptable to the public and at the same time, decrease provider payments to unrealistic amounts. Vermont officials admitted failure and abandoned the plan in December 2014. In spite of enthusiastic campaigning and support of a single-payer system, Colorado voters turned down a single-payer ballot initiative in 2016. The voters realized the overwhelming cost and enormous tax increase to fund the initiative. They were also concerned about losing their current health insurance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California legislators have considered a single-payer system in the past few legislative sessions. They have not passed any legislation, again because of the unknown but likely exorbitant cost to state taxpayers. Canada is the poster child for a single-payer system and is often referenced by supporters of a government-run system in the U.S. On average, Canadians waited 15 weeks to see a specialist, then waited an additional 15 weeks to receive treatment. Every Canadian is covered by the plan and, in theory, has access to medical care. The provinces administer the plan with funding from federal taxpayers. The government determines what procedures are medically necessary based on data and statistics. The data confirm that simply having health insurance does not guarantee timely access to health care. In addition, the Canadian single-payer system has created severe shortages. Medical care is rationed using long waiting lists and by limiting the number of certain medical procedures allowed. Simple medical problems, if not treated early, can turn into chronic or life-threatening conditions, so long wait times prolong pain and suffering for patients. Costs have skyrocketed and now represent the largest expense for every provinces budget. The exact cost of Washingtons proposed SB 5233 is unknown. What is known is the fact that the supporters of a single-payer system in Washington state are counting on everyone in the state to participate. This would require multiple waivers from the federal government to force people who are now in Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-paid plans into the state program. This would be virtually impossible with the incoming federal administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is past time for elected officials in Washington state to abandon their irresponsible quest for a single-payer health care system. Rather than more bureaucratic control, officials should focus on health care reform that puts patients in charge and gives them more control over their health care decisions and their health care finances. Dr. Roger Stark is a visiting fellow with Mountain States Policy Center, an independent research organization based in Idaho, Montana, Eastern Washington and Wyoming. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org. A retired surgeon, Dr. Stark has authored three books including Healthcare Policy Simplified: Understanding a Complex Issue, and The Patient-Centered Solution: Our Health Care Crisis, How It Happened, and How We Can Fix It. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A lawsuit alleging that law enforcement agents sent by President Donald Trump to protect a federal courthouse in 2020 used excessive force against racial justice protesters has been settled, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon said Tuesday. The settlement requires the federal government to compensate the individuals who filed the lawsuit for the injuries that federal law enforcement caused them, in exchange for the individuals agreement to dismiss the lawsuit, according to a news release from the ACLU. No information was released about specific compensation amounts. The plaintiffs included three military veterans, a college professor, several Black Lives Matter activists and a man who alleges that unidentified agents snatched him off a street for no reason blocks from the federal courthouse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are proud to have represented our courageous clients," ACLU of Oregon's legal director, Kelly Simon, said in the news release. They suffered serious injuries because of federal law enforcements unlawful, aggressive actions, and it is just and fair that they are being compensated. Thousands of protesters in Portland took to the streets for months in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, part of a wave of nationwide protests. They at times clashed with police, and militarized federal agents were sent to the city to quell the demonstrations. The lawsuit alleged that federal agents in Portland exceeded the limits of their authority, making illegal arrests and using tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray and other tactics to squelch the protests. Almost all of the plaintiffs alleged physical injuries and some were treated at hospitals, the lawsuit said. A video of plaintiff and Navy veteran Christopher Davids encounter with U.S. agents outside the Portland courthouse circulated widely on social media. It showed one agent hitting David with a baton and another dousing him in the face with pepper spray. David suffered two broken bones in his hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit also alleged that the then-acting director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, did not have the authority to send more than 100 agents to Portland because he was improperly appointed. Wolf abruptly resigned from the post in 2021, saying he was compelled to leave by recent events, including court rulings that found he could not legally hold the position. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security directed a request for comment about the settlement on Tuesday to the Department of Justice, which didn't respond. A federal investigative report later found that the militarized federal agents didn't have the proper training or equipment and there was no plan for operating without the help of local police. Local police arrested hundreds of people over the three months of protest and federal agents arrested nearly 100 people at the height of the demonstrations. Le Monde, Frances newspaper of record, is quitting Elon Musks X social media platform over the billionaire tech oligarchs political alliance with Donald Trump. In an editorial posted in French and English on Tuesday, Le Mondes editor-in-chief Jerome Fenoglio said the move to leave X was driven by social platform bosses like Musk and Meta CEOs Mark Zuckerberg cozying up with Trump, which Fenoglio said is a global threat to free access to reliable information. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent months, Le Monde had an automated feed on X, Fenoglio said, but the paper, which boasts 11 million followers on its French language account, has now stopped posting entirely on the platform. Fenoglio said that the company will recommend it journalists to do the same. The newspaper is posting regularly on fast-growing X rival Bluesky. We will also increase our vigilance on several other platforms, notably TikTok and Meta, following Mark Zuckerbergs worrying statements, Fenoglio added. In the lengthy editorial explaining the reasons behind the move, Fenoglio writes that [Musk] has transformed [X] into an extension of his political cause, a form of libertarianism increasingly close to the far right. He has turned it into an instrument of the pressure he wants to put on his competitors or on Europes social-democrat governments. This mix of ideology and business has continued to make Le Monde, like most other traditional media, increasingly invisible. This has prompted us to reduce our publications on X to a bare minimum an automated feed, Fenoglio writes. Today, however, the intensification of Musks activism, the formalization of his position within the Trump power apparatus and the increasing toxicity of the exchanges led us to come to the conclusion that the usefulness of our presence weighs less than the many suffered side-effects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musks attacks on the leadership of European countries such as the U.K., France, German and Ireland, as well as meddling in their domestic affairs has created a fierce backlash against the billionaire in many of these countries. Le Monde joins U.K. newspaper of record The Guardian is quitting X. The London-based news organization said it would stop posting to any of its official editorial accounts on X in November, and promptly set up accounts on Bluesky. In December, the European Federation of Journalists, which represents almost 300,000 journalists worldwide, quit X due to Musks ownership. The organization said it would no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners will soon have an option on the table to formalize a forever chemicals testing agreement with the Air Force over wells at Fountain Creek Regional Park. Todd Marts, El Paso County director of community services, said in an informal meeting with commissioners on Tuesday that the U.S. Air Force has been regularly testing wells for two forever chemical types in "surrounding areas" including the park. The agreement would formalize continued access for the military. PFOS and related PFOA are in a category of man-made chemicals commonly referred to as PFAS or "forever chemicals" for their persistence in the environment and in human bodies. Prolonged exposure to forever chemicals has been linked to adverse health effects including cancer. Residents in and around Fountain and Security-Widefield were previously exposed to elevated levels of forever chemicals from firefighting foams used on Peterson Space Force Base. The communities have since put in systems to treat groundwater. PFAS contamination around military installations has been documented in hundreds of other cases. Air Force officials could not be immediately reached for comment on the proposed agreement. Marts said that the two park wells, both near Fountain Creek and serving irrigation and bathroom facilities respectively, have generally tested under the set acceptable levels. According to a county spokesperson, testing began in 2019, taking place quarterly. Featured Local Savings Kyle Melvin, county parks operations manager, said that Air Force testing usually generated results under 70 parts per trillion, a safety level based on a 2016 Environmental Protection Agency health advisory for PFOS and and PFOA chemicals. He said that levels have jumped above the threshold "once or twice," triggering the closing of bathroom facilities at the park usually during the offseason when usage is low. The EPA has since issued interim advisories with lower parts per trillion cutoffs for safe values of PFOS and PFOA. As advisories and not regulations, the recommendations are not enforceable. Marts said the county itself was not yet testing for forever chemicals in its other wells aside from data shared from the military. He said that the county was looking at adding forever chemicals to regular tests in the future. The county did not have immediate plans to mitigate forever chemicals in park water, with Melvin pointing out that the chemicals lived up to their name. "In the meantime, there's nothing we can do to remove the PFAS," he said. El Paso County's parks department is considering the addition of a third well to serve the Fountain Creek Nature Center, will would also be subject to testing under the access agreement with the Air Force. The contract will allow military access for testing for one year, with the option to renew for nine years. The El Paso County commissioners will vote on the agreement as an item at an upcoming public meeting. Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A major Israeli "anti-terror" operation in the West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured as many as 40 others, Palestinian officials said. Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that a joint operation with other security branches had successfully targeted "more than 10 terrorists," conducted "aerial strikes on terror infrastructure sites" and that many explosives planted on routes into the city had been removed. It stressed that the operation was ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli warplanes struck targets ahead of the start of the incursion Tuesday by a significant contingent of troops supported by armored bulldozers, helicopters and drones into Jenin and its refugee camp in the west of the city. In a statement, the Palestinian Authority said Israeli forces "opened fire on civilians" and its security forces, "resulting in injuries to several civilians and a number of security personnel, one of whom is in critical condition." Al Jazeera carried reports of doctors, nurses and patients of the city's hospital being injured and of people left without medical care after ambulances were blocked from entering. Naming nine of those killed on its Facebook page, the Palestinian Health Ministry said they ranged in age from 16 to 57 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X that the Security Cabinet had ordered the IDF, the Israeli Security Agency and the Israel Police to execute an "extensive and significant military operation to defeat terrorism" there. The operation -- dubbed Iron Wall -- was, it said, an "additional step in achieving the objective we have set: bolstering security in Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank]." "We are acting methodically and with determination against the Iranian axis wherever it reaches: in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Judea and Samaria -- and we are still active." The Israeli military mounted a nine-day "anti-terror" operation in Jenin and the refugee camp in late August and early September, said to be one of the largest in the past two decades, in which at least 36 Palestinians were killed, according the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and while armed groups claimed most of the dead, children and elderly people were among those killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During mopping up operations against pockets of resistance in Qabatiya village, near Jenin, in which a local commander and "six other terrorists" were killed, video emerged that appeared to show Israeli troops tossing bodies from the roof of a building in contravention of international law. The Israeli military announced a major investigation into the incident which was filmed by residents of Qabatiya and witnessed by an Associated Press reporter. There was no evidence at that time that any of those killed in the anti-terror operation in Qabatiya were those in the video as their identities and cause of death were not yet known. One student is dead and another is wounded after a third student opened fire with a pistol Wednesday at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, police said. The 17-year-old shooter then shot himself and died, according to police. The shooting happened in the school's cafeteria, Nashville Police Chief John Drake told reporters during a news briefing. A police SWAT team searched the school and didn't find any additional victims or shooters, Drake said. "There is no danger at the school," police spokesman Don Aaron said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two victims were taken to a hospital, where a female student died and a male student was treated for a graze wound to his arm, Aaron said. Aaron clarified the gender of the wounded student at a later briefing. Police identified the female student as Josselin Corea Escalante, 16. The shooter was identified as a 17-year-old student at the school, Solomon Henderson. Another male student was treated for a facial injury that wasn't a gunshot wound after falling during the chaos, Aaron said. Police didn't immediately have a motive for the shooting, and Drake said it wasn't yet clear if the victims were targeted. An investigation was ongoing. Police said that as of Wednesday night they hadn't determined any connection between the shooter and the two students who were hit, noting that "it may be that they were struck by his random gunfire in the cafeteria." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police also said authorities were "examining very concerning on-line writings and social media posts" connected to the shooter as part of the investigation. CBS' Nashville affiliate reported that in the writings the shooter praised other mass shooters and shared antisemitic, extremist and far-right views. A person familiar with the investigation told CBS News that investigators uncovered evidence that the shooter and Natalie Rupnow, who police say was responsible for the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, last month, were following each other's social media accounts. But there is no evidence at this point that the two teenagers had been in direct contact or were in direct communication with each other, according to the person familiar with the investigation into the Nashville shooting. In a statement Thursday, police said the shooter was significantly influenced by what they described as "web-based material, especially that found on non-traditional sites that most would find harmful and objectionable." The police said the FBI was working closely with them on what they described as the "ideological influences portion of this investigation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting started in the cafeteria at 11:09 a.m. local time, Aaron said. Police were called to the school at 11:11 a.m., he said. The shooter's mother took him to school, police said Thursday, correcting an earlier statement that he took the bus. He went into a restroom to possibly "retrieve his weapon" before confronting Escalante in the cafeteria, the police chief said. The shooter fired 10 shots from a 9 mm pistol within 17 seconds, police said Thursday. Responding officers found the shooter deceased in the cafeteria, Drake said. The gun had nine rounds in it when it was recovered by investigators, police said. A pistol magazine with seven rounds in it was found on the cafeteria floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal authorities were tracing the gun used in the shooting as investigators try to determine how the shooter obtained it, Drake said. The gun was bought in Arizona in 2022 and wasn't reported stolen, police said Thursday, without identifying who purchased the weapon. Investigators searched the shooter's residence and didn't find any additional guns or firearm parts, police said. Adrienne Battle, the city's director of schools, said the school district has used school resource officers, security cameras with weapon-detection software and security vestibules as part of its safety measures at schools. Two school resource officers were at the school but not in the immediate vicinity of the cafeteria at the time of the shooting, Aaron said. "I know there are questions about whether additional steps such as stationary metal detectors should be considered," Battle said. "While past research has shown they have had limitations and unintended consequences, we will continue exploring emerging technologies and strategies to strengthen school safety." During a news briefing Thursday, a school district official said the weapon-detection system uses artificial intelligence technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In this instance, based on the shooter's location in proximity to the cameras, it wasn't close enough to get an accurate read and to activate that alarm," Sean Braisted, chief of communications and technology for the district, told reporters. "The system was activated by police when they brandished their weapons ... There's no foolproof solutions for any of this, but this is one extra step." The shooting was partially livestreamed on the streaming platform KICK, according to a statement from the company. KICK said it had removed the video from its platform and banned the account. "Violence has no place on KICK," the platform said in a statement. "We are actively working with law enforcement and taking all appropriate steps to support their investigation." An Australian company, KICK was founded in 2022 by a group that includes Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, co-founders of the cryptocurrency-based online gambling platform Stake.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The platform, which is similar to Twitch and YouTube Live, is known for its generous revenue-sharing model with creators. Though the platform is also known for its less restrictive content moderation, it has policies banning depictions of violence and hate speech. Parents earlier in the day were urged to not come to the school and instead to go to a hospital to reunite with their children. Police respond to a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, Jan. 22, 2025. / Credit: Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Nashville's school district posted a phone number that families can call for information. "The line is very busy," the school district said. "Stay on even if you don't hear a tone." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said buses would take the students to the reunification center. Aerial footage from CBS affiliate WTVF-TV showed a crowd of people outside the hospital. Over 2,100 students are enrolled at the public high school. Antioch is a neighborhood of Nashville about 10 miles southeast of downtown. The shooting happened less than two years after a shooter killed three children and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville. In 2024, 69 victims were killed in school shooting incidents, according to data from the K-12 School Shooting Database. So far in 2025, there have been 10 school shooting incidents, according the group. In 2024, there were 330 incidents, the second-highest total in at least the last decade. The data includes any instance of a gun fired or brandished or when a bullet hits school property, including gang violence, domestic incidents and accidents. Bar chart showing the number of deaths from school shootings in the U.S. from 2014 to present. "Emilia Perez" leads field as Oscar nominations announced How Trump's proposed tariffs could raise U.S. car prices What is DEI and why is it facing pushback? KANSAS CITY, Mo. Roughly 1,500 people across nearly all 50 states are out from underneath the charges, convictions and guilty pleas related to their actions on Jan. 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol after President Donald Trumps pardons and commutations this week. We had 1,500, we have 16 under review, as you know, we commuted about 16 of them because it looks like they could have done things that were not acceptable for a full pardon, said Trump on Tuesday. Parkville police find missing 2-year-old boy taken by father: MSHP Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around the metro, one former neighbor of Jan. 6 defendant Jennifer Ruth Parks called her a traitor for her actions that day. Parks pleaded guilty to going inside the U.S. Capitol with fellow Leavenworth resident Esther Schwemmer. Both were sentenced to two years probation. Another Jan. 6 defendants wife told FOX4 he went to visit family as soon as he found out about the pardons because he no longer had any travel restrictions. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II released this statement Tuesday: January 6, 2021, was one of the darkest days in American history. As the world looked on and Americans witnessed with their own eyes, President Trump incited an insurrection in an effort to illegally extend his hold on the presidency and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. As a result of the chaos and violence that ensued, more than 100 police officers were injured, several died of their injuries, and the U.S. Capitol building was desecrated, with blood, feces, and other bodily fluids smeared within the halls of Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman charged with murder in connection to suspected drunk driving crash As I reflect on the horrors of that day, it is deeply shocking, but not the least bit surprising, that one of the first actions taken by President Trump on his first day in office was not to help lower costs at the grocery store or combat Americas housing affordability crisis, but rather to provide a blanket pardon to more than 1,500 criminals that were convicted of a multitude of crimes on January 6, including those who assaulted the officers bravely defending our democracy. This deeply disgraceful action by the President will only further inflame divisions within the nation while reopening the wounds of that tragic day, ensuring each Capitol Police Officer and the families of those no longer with us must face those traumatic events once again. To those families, I am deeply sorry. 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. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO)a move that experts say makes the U.S. and other countries less safe from infectious diseases and other public-health threats. For Americans it may not be obvious immediately what the impact will be, but given the world we live in and all of the factors that are driving more disease outbreaks, America cannot fight them alone, says Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the school of public health at Brown University and former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator. We need an effective WHO to not just keep the world safe from these diseases, but to keep Americans safe from these diseases. "The bottom line is that withdrawing from the WHO makes Americans and the world less safe," says Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of the nonprofit health organization Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement responding to Trumps order, the WHO says it regrets the U.S.s decision. We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe. Here's what to know about the U.S.'s withdrawal from the global health organization and what it might mean for the health of Americans and people around the world. The background This is the second time Trump has attempted to withdraw from the WHO. In 2020, during the pandemic and toward the end of his first term, Trump submitted a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations stating the U.S.s intention to withdraw. Though U.S. funding stopped, a withdrawal didn't happen: About six months later, then-President Biden in his first day in office wrote back to the Secretary General saying that the U.S. would remain a member of the WHO. In the new executive order, Trump cites the WHOs mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. Trump, along with other public-health experts, have previously criticized the agency for not holding China more accountable for its slow response to the WHO's investigation of COVID-19's origins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: The Health Risks and Benefits of Weight-Loss Drugs The order also says that the U.S.s member dueswhich ranged from $100 to $122 million over the past decade, the highest that any member paysare unfairly onerous and far out of proportion with other countries assessed payments." (By comparison, while China has a similar assessment, its population is four times the size of the U.S.) The U.S. also contributed far more in voluntary funding in recent years; in 2022-2023, for example, it provided a total of nearly $1.3 billion to the health agency. What happens next? In the WHO's agreement with the U.S., the U.S. would provide one years advance notice and pay any remaining balance to the organization in order to leave. But that agreement, made in 1948 when the WHO had just been created, was made through a joint act of Congress. Its not clear whether Congress would have to act to implement the withdrawal. Lawrence Gostin, professor and chair of global health law at Georgetown University and director of the ONeill Institute, says Trumps decision may open him up to legal action. Trump made a unilateral decision to pull out of WHO, Gostin wrote on X. But we joined WHO in 1948 by an act of Congress. Trump needs Congress approval to withdraw. As director of a WHO Center, I am considering a lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gostin also points out that the executive order calls for immediate cessation of payments, although the terms of the U.S.s agreement with the WHO allows for a year to implement the withdrawal. What public-health experts are saying Experts are raising concerns about the short- and long-term implications for public health in the U.S. and abroad. The WHO continues to serve as a very critical air traffic control and public health response organization for the world, says Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. We in the U.S. dont experience many of the infectious diseases we see around the world in large part because they are stopped in these countries, oftentimes through the support and coordination of the WHO. Funding the WHO is about investing in our own health here in this country. Read More: White Houses Pandemic Office, Busy With Bird Flu, May Shrink Under Trump The WHO is not without controversy. Some of its biggest supporters have also criticized the bureaucracy and inefficiencies of the organization. However, health experts largely dont see withdrawing funding as an effective catalyst for change. The WHO can be improved; there are inefficiencies, like with all organizations, says Paul Spiegel, professor in the department of international health and director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. But by pulling out, and removing the huge amount of money that the U.S. gives, youre not allowing the WHO to make reforms. Youre hobbling it. What does the WHO do? With 194 member countries, the WHO is responsible for a number of important public health programsparticularly vaccines. Each year, scientists there, working with health officials around the world, determine which influenza and COVID-19 strains to include in updated versions of the respective shots. As a member, the U.S. has access to samples of these strains, which help vaccine-makers develop and produce enough doses of matched flu vaccines in time for flu season for the public each year. The WHO was instrumental in coordinating the eradication of smallpox and is now working to eliminate polio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being part of the international network becomes critical when a new threat like COVID-19 emerges, Jha says. When there are outbreaks, countries usually report them first to the WHO and share samples with the WHO, he says. As a member, the U.S. has access to that information"but if the U.S. withdraws, "our ability to access all of that will substantially be worse. Read More: The Virus Hunters Trying to Prevent the Next Pandemic The WHO also provides health guidance for a number of countries that dont have the resources to create health recommendations for their populations, such as advice on breastfeeding, diabetes, and giving up smoking. While other non-government organizations and philanthropies exist, like the Global Fund and GAVI, none has the same level of trusted relationships with the ministries of health in different countries that WHO has, Jha says. Frieden agrees. "The executive order says the U.S. is looking for alternatives. But what alternative do we have that works with 194 countries and is trusted by them? If you look at the reach, the relationships, and infrastructure of the WHO, it's unparalleled." Have countries withdrawn from the WHO before? In 1949, a year after the WHOs creation, the then Soviet Union and a number of satellite states in Eastern Europe withdrew as Cold War tensions mounted. However, they returned in 1956. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liechtenstein is the only country that is a member of the United Nations but not a member of the WHO. Are there signs that the WHO is reforming and changing in response to criticisms? If I were giving a grade, I would say their reform efforts get a solid C, says Jha. While he says the agencys emergency preparedness response to outbreaks has improved, in his opinion the WHO still must address under-performing personnel and what he sees as a culture that isn't responsive enough to fast-moving pathogens. Jha and other public-health experts argue, for example, that the WHO acted too slowly in allowing the U.S.'s mpox vaccine to be made available to African countries during the recent mpox outbreak. Read More: What to Expect at Cataract Surgery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is an arrogance there that even though the vaccine was approved by the FDA and EMA [European Medicines Agency], they wanted their own review because they dont trust our regulators, says Jha. Im sorry, but if both the FDA and EMA have approved it, then you can do a pretty rapid review and dont need an independent year-and-a-half review." "But thats classic WHO: they think they are better than everybody else when they actually are not," Jha says. "I think there are deep cultural issues that need addressing inside the WHO. How a withdrawal could endanger the U.S. The most immediate domestic consequence may be that if the U.S. is not privy to the WHOs database of changing influenza strains, more Americans could be hospitalized and die from flu infections, says Jha. Right now 30,000 elderly people at high risk for influenza complications die every year from the flu," he says. "If we are not making vaccines, or our vaccines are not as good or effective, then we are going to see those numbers go up. By not being a WHO member, the U.S. would also lose access to the global database of health information that includes surveillance for new and existing infectious diseases, which could make the country more vulnerable to microbial threats from around the world. It means we are going to see a lot more disease outbreaks become regional and global, and we will see more disease outbreaks from other countries coming into the U.S., says Jha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: How to Dress Warmly for Cold Weather, According to Science If the U.S. withdraws, there will also be implications beyond health. The U.S. would lose its major role as an influencer in global health policy; currently, it shapes how the world responds to and maintains peoples health, Osterholm says, in what he calls public health diplomacy. By supporting the WHO, the U.S. supports programs that bring clean water, food, and vaccines to children around the world, and in turn creates valuable relationships with countries that otherwise would be out of reach. If we are not supporting or doing those things, wait to see how the Russians and the Chinese will, he says. They will fill in behind us, and we will absolutely lose the connections to some countries that have been valuable to us over recent decades. The U.S.'s withdrawal would leave a sizable financial hole for the agency. I dont see other countries stepping up and filling the gap, says Jha. "Except maybe one country that could do this, and thats China. That alone would not be great for U.S. interests. Soon after Trump stopped U.S. funding to WHO in 2020, China pledged $30 million to the organization. What the rest of the world risks Without U.S. membership, the WHO would lose its close ties to the CDC, which is regarded as one of the worlds leading public-health agencies. Several dozen CDC researchers are currently assigned to the WHO and would likely be recalled, experts say. Those scientists form critical bridges between the U.S. and other countries, allowing for the exchange of information on new and emerging threats as well as policies that promote health and prevent chronic diseases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: When Should I Go to the Doctor With Cold Symptoms? For Frieden, that possibility hits close to home. Early in his career, while working for the CDC, he was assigned to work at WHO in India on its programs to control tuberculosis. "I couldn't have done what I did as a CDC employee," he says, noting that the non-political rubric of the WHO enabled him to travel throughout India, meet with high-level local officials, and implement programs to reduce the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis that continues today. "There are a lot of places where as Americans we can't befor safety reasons, for political reasons. And WHO provides that space where countries that may not agree on anything else can have a discussion." Smallpox, which required the U.S. and Soviet Union to work together through the WHO, was eradicated during the Cold War, he adds. Health threats around the worldnot just from infectious diseases, but also urbanization and deforestationare forecasted to increase due to climate change and other factors, says Spiegel. Our interactions with animals are increasing, so the chances of some novel disease like COVID-19 probably increase compared to 100 years ago, he says. That makes global collaboration on health "more important now than ever. The WHO makes such collaboration possible, Frieden says, with the common goal of improving health. "What weakens WHO makes us all less safe," he says. "What strengthens WHO makes us more safe." Contact us at letters@time.com. LEE COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) A Lee County man was sentenced to 10 years of active incarceration after distributing fentanyl in March 2023. Christopher Brown, of Pennington Gap, was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration for distributing fentanyl, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance, according to a release from the Office of Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares. In 2023, between March 1-7, Brown distributed fentanyl on three separate occasions and was found in possession of a firearm, the release stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Crime Watch Virginia will not tolerate those who seek to profit from addiction and destruction, Miyares said in a news release. The fentanyl epidemic demands vigilance, determination and action, and we will continue to fight every day to protect our communities, save invaluable lives and ensure that justice prevails. Im proud to support our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to keep Virginians safe. The Lee County Sheriffs Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, Virginia State Police, the Lee County Commonwealths Attorney Office and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General assisted in the investigation and prosecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I commend the Lee County Sheriffs Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, and the Virginia State Police for their tireless work in investigating and bringing this case to a successful conclusion, and for helping to eliminate deadly fentanyl from circulation in Lee County, Lee County Commonwealths Attorney H. Fuller Cridlin said in the release. I also want to recognize Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Don Williams and Attorney General Jason Miyares Ceasefire Virginia program for supporting this successful prosecution. 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. An aerial view of the bridge over the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. (Courtesy of Friends of the Shenandoah Rail Trail) The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, known for preserving the Civil War and historic sites, is facing legal action from one of its own members over plans to restore an inactive Manassas Gap rail line in the Shenandoah Valley. Frank Cihlar, a foundation member, filed a lawsuit Friday in Shenandoah County Circuit Court, alleging the organization has no legal authority to restore commercial freight service on the rail corridor owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation. Cihlar argues the foundations involvement strays far from its mission and threatens its federal tax-exempt status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What the heck is a tax-exempt foundation that gets deductible contributions getting involved in this issue that has nothing to do with the Civil War, Cihlar said in an interview. Last year, the foundation partnered with the Shenandoah Rail Corridor Coalition to negotiate a $23 million letter of intent with Norfolk Southern to purchase the nearly 50-mile corridor, which stretches from Front Royal to Rockingham County. Cihlars lawsuit seeks to block the foundation from proceeding with efforts to restore commercial freight service, arguing the project contradicts the organizations charter and management plan. He asked the court to intervene and halt what he considers a misuse of the foundations resources and mission. Mark Perreault, a retired in-house counsel for Norfolk Southern Corporation, chairs the foundations Board of Trustees, while foundation CEO Keven Walker serves as both the organizations spokesman and a representative for the foundation and of the Shenandoah Rail Corridor Coalition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the foundation defended its efforts to preserve the Manassas Gap Railroad, a site designated as historic by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior over 25 years ago. Our discussions regarding the preservation of the railroad have been undertaken in close consultation with governing authorities and in a manner consistent with our bylaws and mission, the foundation stated. We look forward to sharing the merits of our position and advancing public dialogue regarding an important opportunity to preserve a significant piece of our shared history. But Cihlars complaint argues that the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation is acting beyond its legal authority by pursuing its railway restoration plans. He contends that neither the foundations Articles of Incorporation or the federal statute under which it operates permits such activities. You dont have to be a tax lawyer to know that the operation of a commercial freight railroad is not charitable by definition, it isnt educational and it isnt scientific, Cihlar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the court rules in his favor, Cihlar said, the foundation would be required to recover all funds allegedly spent on studies and related efforts to restore the rail line, and any additional contracts would be nullified. In 2020, Virginia began studying the feasibility of converting the inactive Norfolk Southern rail segment in the Shenandoah Valley into a multi-use recreational trail. Four years later, with the study complete, the community remains divided over how to best use the nearly 50-mile corridor. The state allocated up to $35 million to buy land for the proposed rail, trail and conduct in initial planning in site development. Some community organizers advocate for developing a public trail for pedestrians and cyclists, citing its potential for recreational use and tourism. Meanwhile, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and the Shenandoah Rail Corridor Coalition struck a deal with Norfolk Southern to create a 450-acre linear park featuring an excursion and freight railway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics argue that restoring the rail line while building a parallel trail could become prohibitively expensive. Last June, Walker, the foundation CEO, said the coalition solicited bids to revive the rail line and suggested that applicants could use the $35 million in state funds to make the necessary repairs. However, language in the state budget specified that any land acquisition for the trail shall not preclude the consideration of options to maintain rail transportation in the corridor. Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said the state is now conducting a second study to examine a broad variety of potential options for the corridor. The study remains under development, and VDOT anticipates the release of the Phase 1 Report and a public input process in spring 2025. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A Kern County Sheriffs Office employee reported she was raped by Sgt. Stephen Wells in March. Why did it take 10 months for charges to be filed? Thats one of many questions to which the womans attorneys at Rodriguez & Associates are seeking answers with their filing of a claim a precursor to a lawsuit against the county on Tuesday. They say the woman reported the incident soon after it occurred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the things we want to find out in this case, and one of the big reasons why we were forced to file, is whats going on, why did the delay happen . . . it seems a little convenient that hes a sergeant with the sheriffs department did that have anything to do with it? said Chantal Trujillo, a senior associate with the law firm. If it had been anyone else, would it have been any sort of delay like this? she asked. Wells was charged Jan. 10 with rape, assault with the intent to commit rape by force or fear, and burglary. Hes free on $240,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned next month. Trujillo said Wells and the alleged victim had been in a relationship that ended years earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 27, Trujillo said, Wells broke into the womans home and he pushes himself on her, and he ultimately rapes her. The account is eerily similar to a separate allegation by former sheriffs deputy Carly Snow, who says in a 2023 lawsuit against the county that Wells broke into her home while drunk and demanded sex. She declined, and Wells tried to rip my shirt and shorts off before apologizing and leaving, according to the suit. Snow alleges she was subjected to lewd comments and retaliation by more than a dozen Sheriffs Office employees over a decade and was twice sexually assaulted by Deputy Enrique Plaza. Plaze has not been charged with a crime. A hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wells and Plaza are among several sheriffs office employees to face sexual misconduct allegations in recent years. Last year, former sheriffs lieutenant David Hubbard was decertified by the state agency in charge of the certification of California law enforcement officers. On a weekend in 2021, Hubbard and a civilian sheriffs employee who reported to him had what each described as consensual sex in his office while he was on watch commander duty. When an investigation was launched, Hubbard allegedly deleted text messages and telephone logs and shared confidential information with the woman. He also is alleged to have interfered with the investigation of a sergeant whom the woman accused of sexual assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, Michael Everett Clark was charged with multiple felonies for sex crimes hes accused of committing while on duty. Two women who worked at a Fastrip near sheriffs headquarters, a woman arrested by Clark and a fourth woman who spoke with Clark at her home after she reported a case of identity theft accused him of inappropriate behavior some saying he touched them against their will. Clark, whose employment with the sheriffs office ended soon after charges were filed, is scheduled to stand trial in May. In 2021, Brandon Lawrence was sentenced to 180 days in jail and ordered to undergo psychiatric counseling after pleading no contest to having sex with multiple female inmates while he was employed as a detentions deputy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawrence claimed the encounters were consensual an assertion rebutted by at least some of women. One woman told detectives she felt she had no choice but to comply and was disgusted by what happened. Its illegal under state law for an officer working in a detention facility to engage in a sex act with an inmate, no matter the circumstance. 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 News. (Stock photo by Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images) As we absorb the many tributes written upon the death of former President Jimmy Carter, younger Americans born after his presidency are learning that he was a man of many firsts. Those achievements include the longest-lived president at 100, the longest post-presidency, the first president to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and the first president to be born in a hospital. But perhaps the most noteworthy of his many types of public service was being the first president to serve on a local school board. In 1955, he filled a vacancy on the Sumter County Board of Education and served as president of his communitys public school governing body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the story of his support for public education doesnt end in Georgia. As president, and unlike many of his 20th Century predecessors, he sent his daughter to public school, the Thaddeus Stevens School in Washington. In doing so, Amy Carter became the first presidential child to attend a public school since Theodore Roosevelts son Quentin attended the Force Elementary School on Massachusetts Avenue in the nations capital. Based on his track record as a former school board president and public school parent, it was fitting that President Carter, a longtime advocate of public education, championed the passage of legislation that created the United States Department of Education in 1979. Among recent chief executives, the sum of these achievements clearly demonstrates that without question, Carter deserves the title of education president. The period of Carters presidency was particularly impactful for me because at that time I was a young school administrator who had just been appointed as director of federal programs for a public school district. My responsibilities included the administration of all federally funded programs in the district, including Title I, the largest federal program that assists public school students. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Carters defeat in 1980 by Ronald Reagan, there was an initiative from the new administration to change categorical education programs like Title I into block grant forms of assistance, where federal funds would be sent to districts with fewer restrictions. But my fellow federal program directors opposed this push for so-called deregulation, as it invited mischief into how funds could be diverted away from students needing a higher level of instructional support to other priorities a district might identify. This attempt by the Reagan Administration to change the original purpose of the landmark Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 by claiming that flexibility would provide needed deregulation, taught me to be highly skeptical of those who railed about the need for cutting government red tape. Now, more than 40 years later, that rhetoric hasnt changed at all. Worse yet, President Donald Trump has spoken repeatedly about abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, a key part of the legacy of the 39th President, James Earl Carter Jr. Such talk only solidifies the visionary legacy of a former Georgia school board member as he identified nearly a half-century ago the needs of Americas children and the supports necessary for success during the school years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strong identification of President Carter with the foundational importance of public education as the glue that holds communities together stands in marked contrast with today, where more than 30 states offer some type of support for non-public schools with scarce public funds. In these states, that support ranges from educational vouchers that provide tuition assistance for private and religious school education to even support for home schooling expenses. States that aggressively promote the flow of public funds to support private and religious schools to the detriment of public education are not only stretching or weakening long-established constitutional norms but are also destroying the public school as the adhesive which holds American communities together. With the undermining of public education, where the common school meant that the schoolhouse door was open to all, are we seeing e pluribus unum become ex uno plures? Jimmy Carter accepts the presidential nomination of his party at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 14, 1980. (Photo credit: Jimmy Carter Library) As we remember President James Earl Carter Jr., a local school board president years before he became president for us all, we should also be aware of the Ohio legislatures public school demolition crew led by state Sen. Andrew Brenner and Rep. Matt Huffman, the new House Speaker. They and their colleagues are hell-bent on delivering even more aid to private and religious schools in flagrant violation of the clear language found in the Ohio Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Article VI 2 of our foundational governing instrument, the Ohio Constitution clearly states the role of the legislature and its obligation in establishing and maintaining a system of common schools: The General Assembly shall make such provisions, by taxation, or otherwise, as, with the income arising from the school trust fund, will secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the State; but, no religious or other sect, or sects, shall ever have any exclusive right to, or control of, any part of the school funds of this State. The key concepts in the above passage are a system, not systems of schools, and no public funds to religious sects which, by definition, cannot operate common schools open to all without restrictions. Now, politicians like Brenner and Huffman think its good public policy to allow religious organizations like LifeWise Academy to teach Sunday School-type lessons on school days, disrupting the educational process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carter taught Sunday school on Sunday at his church, not during the school day. In addition, under the provisions of HB 445 as introduced, a student may receive high school graduation credit for the time spent in released time religious instruction. So much for the perennial talk by conservatives about strengthening the high school core curriculum, courses of study, and high school graduation requirements. Notwithstanding all of the division present in the nation, we need to celebrate the life of a devout Southern Baptist, a Sunday School teacher, school board president and American patriot who knew that the common school is the local public school open to all, regardless of religious affiliation. President Carter also knew that we support Baptist, Catholic and other religious schools through the Sunday collection plate, not the public treasury. Ohioans should keep a close eye on the lawsuit filed by the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding and Vouchers Hurt Ohio to ensure that public funds are for public, not private or religious purposes. After all, thats what the constitution says. Check here to see if your local public school district has joined the lawsuit to ensure that public funds are used for public purposes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our national motto is e pluribus unum, not ex uno plures. Ohioans who care about public schools need to let Brenner and Huffman and all our lawmakers know that we want to keep it that way. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A Jefferson County man who took part in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Thursday to more than five years in prison. Jeffrey Sabol, 53, from Kittredge, was sentenced to 63 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $32,000 in restitution. Sabol was convicted in August 2023 of three felonies at a bench trial. Those charges were: Obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting Federal robbery Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting Sabol went to Washington to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally, according to court documents. He had packed a helmet, a trauma kit, a buck knife and zip ties, the facts in the case state. Featured Local Savings After the rally, Sabol went with others to the Capitol building. He ended up on the West Plaza and was on the front of the line of rioters confronting police officers, court documents say. Just after 2 p.m., Sabol and another rioter pushed a third rioter, who was holding a riot shield, into a line of police officers. Sabol kept pushing forward and slammed a police officer's riot shield, court documents say. A U.S. Capitol Police officer pushed Sabol back, causing him to fall down some stairs, according to the stipulated facts in the case. Sabol then made his way to the front of a mob of rioters who were confronting police on the west side of the Capitol, court documents say. He rushed the line of officers and pushed against a riot shield held by an officer. Sabol and the mob were able to break the police officers' line causing officers to fall back and the mob to rush the south side of the West Plaza, court documents say. Over the next two hours, Sabol continued to engage law enforcement near the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where some of the most violent attacks on officers occurred, court documents say. Federal officials said Sabol violently wrestled an officer's baton out of their hand while the officer was on the ground trying to protect themselves. For more on this story, and others, visit The Denver Gazette's news partners 9NEWS.com. Jan. 21LIMA A Lima woman was sentenced at the beginning of the year to 20 days in jail and one year of probation in Lima Municipal Court for unauthorized practice of law. Sophie Trent, 24, served the jail sentence and was released Monday. Two victims from Lima and a victim's mother provided narratives which were filed with the court on June 6. Joshua Coleman wrote, "she (Trent) was a coworker who offered to be my lawyer" between August and September 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She led me to think that I was involved in a case/had won a case settlement and was waiting for payout," he wrote, saying Trent did this by "giving me false information and updates from meetings that never took place. She also provided me with fake payout dates on documents." Another victim, Summer Shrider, said she met Trent through mutual friends. "Sophie Trent asked to be my lawyer in June of 2023, took checks from me for 'legal papers,' sat for hours in fake meetings told me a settlement I was getting. Took all of my personal information. Led me to believe I was in a case when I was not," she wrote. She said $200 in checks was taken. Shrider and Coleman said the last time Trent spoke with them about legal matters was in May 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Summer Shrider's mother, Melissa Shrider, wrote, "Starting in June of 2023 Sophie Trent asked to be my daughter's lawyer to pursue her case against St. Rita's hospital. Took two checks from me that she said she had to pay for paperwork from Mercy Health. Led her to believe she would be receiving 221k ($221,000)." Trent was ordered to pay $200 back to the Shriders when she was sentenced. Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451. Featured Local Savings ST. LOUIS After a 49-day-old baby died due to drug exposure in Lincoln County, six people accused of the murder pleaded not guilty. Dillon Clark, Gabriel Clark, Adam Hausermann, Evan Hausermann, Selena Rodriguez, and Shawna Walton are all facing charges after an autopsy revealed the child died from fentanyl and meth exposure. Lincoln County is now innovating new ways to deal with some troubling drug-related statistics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We think therere between 600-700 households thatve been affected by drugs that we can identify through law enforcement response or ambulance response to overdose deaths, Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell said. In those households, there are potentially more than 1,000 children exposed to drugs. Something that weve been seeing a lot of in terms of drugs in the homes is children who are becoming addicted to drugs when they have access to them and they choose to use them or sometimes are forced to use those drugs, Dir. Of Forensic Services at the Child Advocacy Center of Northeast MO, Michelle Stille said. STL residents blame icy sidewalks and piled-up snow for tragic death Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CAC helps more than 1,000 children a year with services like forensic interviews, advocacy and mental health therapy. County prosecutor Mike Wood discussed his zero-tolerance approach to prosecuting drug crimes that result in death when he announced the charges against Dillon Clark, Gabriel Clark, Adam Hausermann, Evan Hausermann, Rodriguez and Walton. The county is working to provide prevention and recovery as well, not just prosecution. Sheriff Harrell said that means treating the countys estimated 1,500 problem drug users differently than drug traffickers. To treat them with harm reduction strategies and then lean in on the enforcement of the 45 people involved in drug trafficking, Sheriff Harrell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Narcan has played an important role. Local EMS and even the county coroner now leave some behind when they respond to overdoses. Overdose ambulance calls have now dropped two years in a row in Lincoln County from 104 in 2021 to 76 in 2023. Lincoln County has also formed a group called Community Opioid Response Efforts. We have all different roles in this and I think if we all work together, one of those roles is with CORE and thats preventing it from even becoming an issue, Lincoln County Ambulance District Chief Medical Officer Shannon Burkemper said. CORE has been distributing pamphlets of resources and information to the hundreds of households identified by the sheriff. Sheriff Harrell believes they are starting to see results, with 8 overdose deaths last year, down from 28 in 2022. Their goal is to get to zero. 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 2. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert hold news conference about immigration enforcement. They and Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow have similar view: They say their priority is public trust and safety. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA Police chiefs in Nebraskas two largest cities said Tuesday they are unaware of any planned immigration raids or other enforcement activities coming to their areas as a result of President Donald Trumps promised crackdown on illegal immigration. Furthermore, both the Lincoln and Omaha chief issued bilingual public statements this week to try and assure residents that local officers wont actively seek out people based on immigration status. Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow. (Courtesy of Lincoln Police Department) Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow said her team wanted to be known for its community-based policing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to assure the community that filing a police report or accessing law enforcement services is not dependent on citizenship or immigration status and can be done so without fear, she said. We are dedicated to making sure everyone feels safe and treated with respect when they interact with LPD officers. In Omaha, Chief Todd Schmaderer was joined by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert at a Tuesday news conference both said was planned over the weekend and intended to quell apprehension amplified by national reports of imminent deportations under the new Trump administration. Enforcing immigration law is the responsibility of federal law enforcement agencies, not the Omaha Police Department, said Stothert. Omaha police officers do not and they will not stop individuals to check their legal status. Pillen lauds Trump strength Meanwhile, Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday issued a statement that he was encouraged by the strength of Trumps immigration and border orders. He said the State of Nebraska would support the presidents crackdown. Gov. Jim Pillen at the Texas-Mexico border. He visits with Nebraska National Guard members, whom he deployed to help Texas patrol its border. (Courtesy of the Governors Office) I will issue an executive order to all state agencies directing them to cooperate to the full extent of the law with federal efforts to enforce our immigration laws and affirmatively support the apprehension of criminal aliens, the governor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pillen said Nebraska would continue to support Trumps efforts at the border. I have twice ordered the Nebraska National Guard to conduct border security missions in Texas, he said. In all, four Pillen-directed state deployments in 2023 and 2024 of the Nebraska State Patrol and the National Guard cost the public $2.27 million. Our soldiers and airmen performed these missions with excellence and skill and stand ready to do the same again, if needed, he said. Down the middle Schmaderer described Omaha as pretty much right down the middle with the extremes being sanctuary cities that refuse to participate in federal immigration enforcement and cities with police agencies that take an active role in immigration enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like his Lincoln counterpart, Schmaderer said he does not want victims or witnesses, regardless of citizenship or legal status, to feel intimidated or threatened in reaching out to the department. The best approach to police this matter, from our point of view, is the Omaha Police Department maintains our role as police officers in this city federal authorities, they will be the ones to do immigration enforcement. He said, however, that Omaha officers will participate in situations where a person is considered dangerous. Asked what would happen if federal officials insisted on help, Schmaderer said he doesnt have to stray from his defined mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal government cant come one day and give a directive to the Omaha police chief, to the mayor, to say, This is what youre going to do. The Lincoln chief said her department would continue to enforce city ordinances and state law with equal treatment, regardless of an individuals immigration status. She said the department engages in ongoing partnerships with cultural centers, businesses and schools. Morrow did not hold a news conference but issued a written statement about immigration enforcement in English and Spanish. Omahas mayor and police chief released a bilingual video message Monday night on YouTube and followed up with the news conference on Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (Bloomberg) -- Lithuanias president suggested the Baltic nation could tap its foreign currency reserves to fund a boost in defense spending to more than 5% of economic output. Most Read from Bloomberg President Gitanas Nauseda weighed in as policymakers deliberate how to meet the increased budget goal after the State Defense Council, a body of senior security officials that give a mandate to the government, announced last week that Lithuania will allocate 5% to 6% of gross domestic product to its defense budget through 2030. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move came as other Baltic counterparts pledged higher spending after US President Donald Trump made the demand for NATO member states to spend 5% of GDP on defense more than twice the current 2% benchmark. Nauseda said the government should turn to other revenue sources such as reserves rather than increase taxes, according an interview with the Baltic News Service published Wednesday. Lithuanias reserves worth about 7.2 billion as of December can serve their purpose as a liquidity buffer in cases of emergency if theyre used for the nations defense, he said. Reinforcing a message that Baltic leaders have made consistently, Nauseda said the danger of Russia attacking Lithuania within the next years an assault that would amount to attacking the NATO alliance is absolutely real. Lets understand one thing, this money as the experience of our history shows gets used to maintain a government in exile, Nauseda told BNS. I wouldnt want to finance the existence of a government in exile, but rather to use this money so that Lithuania would never require a government in exile. Thats our task. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lithuanias $80 billion economy no longer deploys its reserves to shore up the currency since it adopted the euro, which is maintained by the European Central Bank. After transferring its reserve quota to the ECB, the remaining funds continue to be invested by the central bank, Nauseda said. Lithuanias government, which took office in December, had already pledged to raise defense spending to 4% this year from 3.5%. The boosted spending would amount to as much as 13 billion through the end of the decade, the president said. Nausedas call to tap the countrys reserves was met with reservation by some in the political establishment. Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, a lawmaker and former parliamentary speaker, told broadcaster LRT the funding should be reserved for the countrys darkest hour. The question is, has the darkest hour arrived yet? she asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Mark Sweetman. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A teen who was reported missing from Little Rock was found safe Wednesday afternoon. ASP officials said teen was last seen walking around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on Shackleford Road near Markham Street. Officials did not release additional information on where the teen was found. 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 KARK. This page is no longer being updated. Please click here for the latest information. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) A winter storm system is bringing bitterly cold temperatures and a mix of wintry precipitation to the Lowcountry this week. Temperatures are forecast to reach near-record lows on Wednesday night as an arctic air mass and area of low pressure move through the region and along the coast. Accumulating snow and sleet are expected with 3 to 6 inches of snow possible in most areas, though some inland areas could see higher amounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a winter storm warning for Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, and Dorchester counties until noon Wednesday. Follow along below for live updates: 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 WCBD News 2. This story discusses violence, suicide and self-harm. If you or a loved one are at risk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for support at 988 or 1-800-273-8255. The greater Nashville community is offering its support to Antioch as police and school officials continue to investigate Wednesday's deadly school shooting at Antioch High School. Two students, including the shooter, were killed and another student was injured at 11:09 a.m. after shots rang out in the school cafeteria. Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said police received the first call to 911 two minutes after the 17-year-old student opened fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday morning, police and school officials said they were aware of online discussion and concern about whether additional schools could be targeted, and they are addressing the situation. Many faith and city leaders alike offered prayers and condolences, calling for permanent solutions that would eliminate school shootings in the hours that followed the Antioch High shooting. The shooter killed one student, Aaron said. He then turned the gun on himself and died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The third student suffered a grazing wound. A fourth student received a facial wound due to a fall, according to Aaron, but he was not directly hurt by the gunfire. He was also taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was treated and later released. On Wednesday afternoon, MNPD identified the victim who died as 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and the shooter as 17-year-old Solomon Henderson. Police are currently in the process of identifying the other students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting comes nearly two years after three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members were killed in a shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. The shooter in that attack was killed by police. Police: Shooter fired 10 shots in 17 seconds Nashville police said Thursday the teen who fatally shot Antioch High School Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, and injured another boy with a graze wound before fatally shooting himself fired 10 shots in 17 seconds after entering the cafeteria on Wednesday. Police said the gun the shooter used was bought by someone in Arizona in 2022. It was not reported stolen. The investigation continues into the gun's origin. Nashville mayor: 'Spirit of togetherness' Mayor Freddie O'Connell was joined by Metro Nashville Public Schools Superintendent Adrienne Battle and other community leaders at a news briefing Thursday afternoon, a little more than 24 hours after a shooting left two students dead, including the shooter, at Antioch High School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the briefing, O'Connell announced the creation of a new fund through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee dedicated to addressing school violence that occurs on school grounds or during school events in Davidson County. The "Nashville School Violence Support & Healing Fund" began collecting donations Wednesday, with all proceeds going directly to the families of victims in the Antioch High shooting, as well as faculty and other students experiencing emotional trauma in the wake of the shooting. O'Connell also repeated updates that had already been shared earlier in the day, including where community members can find mental health resources and other supports through Friday evening. "In Nashville, when tragedies happen, we know how resilient this community is and how we all step up to help," O'Connell said. "This makes all of us 'second responders' to a tragedy, and that spirit of togetherness is inspiring." AI-powered weapons detection system failed to alert school Artificial intelligence-powered weapon detection software installed on cameras at Antioch High School failed to pick up on the shooter's gun on Wednesday, according to a Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The software, known as Omnialert, is installed in the camera network at all MNPS campuses. "In this instance, based on the location of the shooter and the position of the weapon, it did not activate the system," MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted told The Tennessean. However, the system did activate when armed police officers entered the campus. Shooter's neighborhood silent on Thursday The Nashville neighborhood 17-year-old Solomon Henderson called home in Antioch was eerily quiet just before noon on Thursday. There were cars in just about every garage, parked on the street and lined up in driveways, but there was no one in sight as the lunch hour approached on Carefree Lane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alleged shooter's home, which was quiet with shades drawn Thursday afternoon, sits at the back end of a short cul-de-sac within walking distance of the high school. There is a small childrens park at the end of the street, which is lined with a few dozen homes sitting close together, all with brick-facing fronts featuring primary colors in red, green and blue. Disaster Distress Helpline offers immediate counseling The Disaster Distress Helpline is open for immediate counseling for those affected by the school shooting at Antioch High. It can be reached at any time by calling 1-800-985-5990. The helpline can also be reached at www.SAMHSA.gov/ddh. The helpline automatically connects callers to available trained professionals from the nearest crisis counseling center. Confidential counseling, referrals and other services can be provided. "School shootings can have an enormous impact on people, including survivors, first responders, eyewitnesses, and even those who watch related media reports on television," a news release from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which sponsors the helpline, said. "Counselors are trained to offer support to people who may be experiencing a range of symptoms." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spanish-speakers can press 2 for language assistance. There is also assistance available for more than 100 other languages. Callers can indicate their preferred language to their responding counselor. Services for the deaf and hard of hearing are also available. Nashville police, schools aware of concerns with further threats Nashville police and public school officials said Thursday morning they were aware of social media discussion and concern about whether additional schools could be targeted after the Wednesday school shooting at Antioch High School. We had a police presence at all of our schools today as part of our typical school safety initiative, Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted said. Police have added additional presence to some schools based on social media rumors or threats circulating online. Those threats have not been substantiated, but we are providing additional security out of an abundance of caution. Antioch High School is closed on Thursday and Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nashville police spokesperson Brooke Reese said the department is "aware of social media posts." Police established a School Safety Division in August 2022 after the shooting at The Covenant School. It rotates to different schools according to need, Reese said. TEA president: We are heartbroken for the students and families Tennessee Education Association President Tanya T. Coats issued the following statement on the Antioch High School shooting: We are heartbroken for the students and families affected by the tragic shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the students, staff, families, and the entire Antioch community as they navigate the aftermath of this horrific tragedy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As educators, we are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students. As we grieve this heartbreaking loss, TEA stands ready to continue the important work alongside our community partners, law enforcement, and policymakers to ensure that schools are safe for every child, every educator, and every family. Antioch church that suffered deadly shooting in 2017 shows support, other faith leaders respond In yet another gesture of solidarity from the local faith community after a vigil on Wednesday evening, a nearby Antioch church that suffered a deadly shooting more than seven years ago showed support for the family and friends of Josselin Corea Escalante, the 16-year-old victim in the Antioch High shooting, in a social media post Wednesday evening. "We also lift up in prayer our community, the students, staff members and everyone affected by this senseless tragedy," Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, located a mile away from Antioch High, said in the statement. A masked gunman's attack on Burnette Chapel in September 2017 killed one woman and injured seven others, including Burnette Chapel senior minister Rev. Joey Spann. Burnette Chapels statement echoed that of the Nashville-based American Muslim Advisory Council, the southeast division for the Anti-Defamation League, which is a Jewish organization, and Bishop J. Mark Spalding of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee, a leading faith-based group in Tennessee advocating for gun reform and co-leader of a campaign alongside Tennessee pediatricians to raise awareness about gun violence as a public health crisis, called on state lawmakers to make 2025 the year its members finally commit to honor the will of the people and protect our children from gun violence, it said in a statement Wednesday. Our children deserve the God-given right to learn without fear. Parents deserve the right to expect their children will be safe in their classrooms. Metro Public Health offering free counseling after Antioch High School shooting Metro Public Health Department is offering English and Spanish speaking mental health clinicians at no cost Thursday at Woodbine Public Health Center in the wake of the Antioch High School shooting. Our community is mourning a great loss, and our team wants to be there to ensure they can process the tragic events of Wednesday in a healthy way, Interim Director of Health Dr. Joanna Shaw-KaiKai said. Working with a licensed mental health clinician can make a big difference when dealing with such difficult times. Walk-in counseling will also be available to the public Thursday at 224 Oriel Avenue. Services may be expanded to Friday depending on demand, the department said in a news release. Insurance is not required for behavioral health services at the Metro Public Health Department. MNPS: Antioch High sees Hillsboro basketball games canceled Antioch High School's boys and girls basketball games at Hillsboro High School on Friday have been canceled, according to Mark North, MNPS athletics director. Antioch shooter posted alt-right paraphernalia, photos from past school shootings Investigators found a 300-page document connected to the apparent Antioch High School shooter featuring alt-right paraphernalia sandwiched between statements against race mixing, wishes to take revenge on society, statements praising Adolf Hitler and pages of explicit photos from previous school shootings, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said. Social media accounts linked in the document and scattered across many platforms including X, Kick, TikTok and more focused heavily on groyper content a nickname used by many online white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups as well as incel content, a name referring to young men who claim to be involuntarily celibate and espouse incredibly violent misogynistic views. In the same document, updated four hours before the shooting, the writer expressed dismay at having to "speed up" an original plan to commit the shooting on Thursday, and said their goal was to kill "at least 10 people," alongside a specifically targeted elementary school teacher who was not named. Antioch community and faith leaders console each other at vigil An interfaith, multi-racial and multi-lingual audience of students, community leaders and local clergy gathered Wednesday night at Antiochs Hamilton United Methodist Church in response to a deadly Nashville school shooting that happened a couple miles away earlier in the day. Antioch is where I learned what community meant, Antioch High School teacher Aaron Rodridguez said at the vigil. Rodriguezs remarks followed those of Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell, Metro Nashville Councilmembers Delishia Porterfield, Deonte Harrell and Zulfat Suara, and local clergy Revs. Quentin Dickerson, Mamdouh Ramzy, Rachel Booker and Imam Moaz Roaf, a faith leader with the Islamic Center of Tennessee. There were other speeches from advocates for gun reform, Covenant School parent Sarah Shoop Neumann and Melissa Alvarez, who leads the Tennessee Hispanic Action Network. Guests attend a community prayer vigil at Hamilton United Methodist Church in Antioch, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. The vigil was in response to the shooting at Antioch High School earlier in the day. Amid the many speakers emotional remarks, Rodriguezs moved many in the audience of 100-plus to tears. Your children are brave, and they did everything right, Rodriguez said, specifically addressing the parents in the audience. Antioch High students and grief counselors attended the event, some of whom consoled each other after the vigil ended. When we hold hands, when we pray togetherwe acknowledge we are stronger together, Porterfield, a councilmember at large who lives nearby, said in her remarks. Dickerson, who pastors the congregation that hosted the vigil, said in an interview before the event that the vigil came together within 20 minutes of contacting metro councilmembers. This church has been here for 200 years, Dickerson said in opening remarks. This is what church means. Police still investigating circumstances in Antioch school shooting Investigators are still working to establish a motive behind a school shooting that killed 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and injured a 17-year-old male student after 17-year-old Solomon Henderson opened fire inside Antioch High School. Henderson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Nashville police continue their investigation and have not established a connection between Henderson and the two shooting victims. Police said it's possible the two were struck by Henderson's random gunfire inside the cafeteria. The two school resource officers were in another part of the building when gunfire erupted. They arrived at the cafeteria after Henderson had shot himself. Nashville police declined to say whether any prior police interaction occurred with Henderson. Along with federal and state agencies, detectives are examining online writings and social media posts connected to Henderson. Student treated and released following Antioch school shooting A 17-year-old male student who sustained a graze wound Wednesday during the Antioch school shooting was treated and released from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Antioch School shooting incident was partially livestreamed The streaming platform Kick on Wednesday evening released a statement on X confirming that the Antioch High School shooter partially livestreamed the incident on his account. KICK rapidly banned the account and removed the video, the company said. Violence has no place on KICK. We are actively working with law enforcement and taking all appropriate steps to support their investigation. Some video circulating online of the apparent incident shows the shooter filming himself walking through the schools hallways and attempting to open doors but classrooms were locked. On January 22, an attack occurred in Nashville, Tennessee, and was partially livestreamed. We extend our thoughts to everyone impacted by this event. KICK rapidly banned the account and removed the video. Violence has no place on KICK. We are actively working with law Kick Community (@KickCommunity) January 23, 2025 Vanderbilt professor who studied Waffle House shooting: Tennessee refuses to enact gun safety policies Dr. Jonathan Metzl, sociology professor and director of the Center for Medicine Health and Society at Vanderbilt University, said the shooting is a tragedy we need to learn from. Like so many other shootings in Nashville, they happen in places where we shouldn't have to worry about the safety of our family or our children or ourselves, Metzl said. We need to study this and learn from it what went wrong, and then try to rectify it through common sense policies and regulations that will respect the rights of gun owners, but also keep schools safer. Metzl is the author of What Weve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms, a book published in 2024 examining the 2018 mass shooting at an Antioch Waffle House. The restaurant is about a mile from Antioch High School. He said hes proposed some policies to the legislature before that would make guns harder to access like red flag laws and expanding requirements for background checks but theyve never passed. I think there are a lot of policies that can help, Metzl said. We just absolutely refuse to do them in Tennessee. Antioch High School to be closed for remainder of the week Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle said during a mid-afternoon press briefing that Antioch High School will be closed for the rest of the week to allow time for students and staff to grieve, in the wake of Wednesday's shooting. Battle said MNPS is arranging a location where students and staff will be able to receive grief counseling and other support, but didnt specify where it would be or when it would be made available. Nashville police chief: Investigators looking into motive, online 'materials' MNPD Chief John Drake said during a 2:30 p.m. news conference that there are online "materials" factoring into the police investigation. "As to a motive, we're looking into that," Drake said. "There are some materials on the internet that we're looking at that's under the investigation." He later said he hopes in the future, if people see something concerning, they say something. "We believe there's some materials out there, and maybe they were seen," Drake said, adding if someone "said something, maybe more could have been done." Metro Nashville Police identify shooter and victim who died Metro Police identified the fatal victim as 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and the shooter as 17-year-old Solomon Henderson in separate posts on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, just before 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Students, parents share about shooting, aftermath Kelisha Walden waited hours to hug her daughter. She shed a tear when she and 16-year-old daughter, Yvelle Walden, reunited Thursday. It started as a normal day for Yvelle. She went to basketball practice before school, went to her first two period classes and was heading to lunch when gunfire erupted. Lunch started at 11:05 a.m. for her and other students. "Out of nowhere, I just hear gunshots," Yvelle said. Witnesses describe scene: Nashville students describe chaos, terror as Antioch High School shooting leaves 2 dead, 1 injured She ran back to class and told her teacher to lock the door. More than three hours later, Yvelle and Kelisha were able to reunite. "She ran up and was like 'don't cry, don't cry,'" Kelisha said. "I said: 'Too late.'" Antioch High student Edwin Vanegas said he walked with a group of other students to the reunification site. But instead of reuniting with his family, he met up with friends before going home, telling his family he was safe and they did not need to come to pick him up. As schools around the district were letting out for the day, the decision was made to have car-riders like Vanegas, 16, and others walk to the reunification site while students who ride the bus were taken home as part of the normal bus schedule. Nashville council members react to shooting, say it could have been prevented Two of Nashvilles at-large council members, Quin Evans Segall and Delishia Porterfield, spoke about the shooting on Bluesky Wednesday afternoon. Porterfield said her heart goes out to the victims, their families and all those affected by this senseless act, and said she believes MNPS and law enforcement officials are actively addressing the situation. I am deeply saddened and devastated by the tragic events at Antioch High School today, where gun violence has once again impacted our community, Porterfield said in the social media statement. Unfortunately, we live in a state with unfettered access to firearms, which continues to put our communities at risk. Porterfield said she also remains committed to establishing the Office of Youth Safety to combat gun violence and ensure a safer future for young people. Please know that my thoughts are with all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time, and we wont stop fighting for the safety of our community, Porterfield said. Evans Segall also said her heart goes out the victims families and all who loved them, and added that the shooting didnt have to happen. We could have prevented this, Evans Segall said. But we didnt. White House monitoring Antioch High School shooting According to a White House report, President Donald Trump and his team are monitoring the Antioch High School shooting. The White House offered thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the "senseless tragedy" and thanked first responders who were on the scene. Special education teacher used 'Moana' to calm students Antioch High special education teacher Chirelle Teufert spoke to The Tennessean over the phone from aboard an MNPS bus stationed at the reunification site, her second trip there of the day. As of roughly 2:20 p.m. Teufert said all but four of the students on her current busload had been reunited with their families. Teuferts own class had already been taken care of on an earlier busload. The shooting unfolded right across the hall from Teuferts classroom, but she said her students werent aware of what was happening. The doors to the classroom were shut, the blinds were pulled and Teufert turned on Moana until police arrived on the scene. She said she was proud of how her students handled it. Teufert described everything that's happened in the time since the shooting as organized chaos, as school staff has worked to connect students with their loved ones. She said shed continue helping with that work for as long as it takes. It takes a team, and weve got some teamwork going on, Teufert said. Metro Nashville Public Schools Director calls shooting a 'dark day' Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle delivered a statement in a mid-afternoon press briefing, calling it a "heartbreaking day" for both Antioch High, MNPS and the greater Nashville community. "My heart goes out to these families as they face unimaginable loss," she said. She said multiple safety measures are in place at Antioch High, including school resources officers, a secured vestibule at the entrance and cameras with weapon-detection software. She also said today's shooting is "deeply personal" for her as she recalled an accidental shooting that left a 13-year-old boy dead in 1994 while she attended John Trotwood Middle School in Nashville. Battle thanked the school staff who responded quickly in the aftermath of the shooting. "Their actions were heroic on a dark day for our school community," she said. Metro Nashville police chief says investigation to continue overnight Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake said the 17-year-old male shooter rode the bus to Antioch High School on Wednesday morning before making his way to the cafeteria, where he confronted and shot a 16-year-old female student. The shooter then fired several rounds before turning the gun on himself, Drake said. The second victim, a 17-year-old male student, suffered a graze wound and was treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He has now been released, Drake said. After the shooting, SWAT began a search of the school for any other potential victims, the chief said, noting that none were found. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and the department's investigation into the incident is expected to continue into the early hours of the morning, Drake said. Antioch High School student recalls hiding in classroom Tinashae Smiths body trembled on the bus ride away from Antioch High School.Hours earlier, Smith, a ninth-grade student at the school, was in class when she saw people running down the halls.She told her teacher, who tried to call school administration, Smith said, but no one answered. When another student checked their phone and said there was a shooting, Smith didnt want to believe it. But then her sister, a 2021 graduate of the school, texted her and said the same thing.After an intercom announcement, her class quickly hid under their desks and blocked the door with tables, desks and chairs.I was confused, Smith said. I didnt know what to do. I was scared. Everything was just so bad.At about 2 p.m., she met her sister at the reunification site.I would never want to experience this ever again in my lifetime, Smith said. Metro Schools provide transportation updates Metro Schools provided an update regarding transportation on Wednesday. Beginning at 2:15 p.m., regular bus routes will begin leaving the reunification site, at 3754 Murfreesboro Pike. Students who normally take the bus to school will be delivered home on their regular routes, if they havent already been picked up, Metro Schools said. Students who drove to school will be taken back to Antioch High School to pick up their cars once police have cleared the parking lot. Students who walk to school will be taken by Metro Schools transportation back home if their parents don't pick them up. Students who are car riders may be picked up at the reunification site. Former Antioch High School student 'not surprised' by shooting Nadia Marquez was an Antioch High School freshman five years ago. When she heard about the Wednesday shooting, she said she was in shock because her boyfriend's sister goes to the school, and she was the only one available to pick the 16-year-old up. Once she found out Madeline Perez was safe, her shock wore off, and she said she was not surprised there was a shooting at her former school. "There were always threats," Marquez said. "I was just hoping she was OK, and everyone else was OK." Marquez was relieved to know that Madeline was safe, but she knew difficult times were ahead, she said. "It's going to feel great," Marquez said, looking forward to when she could see Madeline's face again. "Some kids are probably shocked or afraid. It's traumatizing going through that." 'We're scared and confused': Antioch High School student on witnessing Nashville shooting Federal officials react to Antioch High School shooting Republicans in Tennessee's federal delegation shared their concern for victims and prayers for those involved, but none indicated need for policy changes. My team and I are closely monitoring the shooting that occurred this afternoon at Antioch High School, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, in whose district the shooting occurred. Please join me in lifting up in prayer those who were injured, their families, and the entire Antioch High School community. U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty said he was heartbroken to hear news of the shooting. He and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn both said they are monitoring the situation closely and praying for families involved and first responders. U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais also shared prayers and encouraged people to avoid the area to allow for emergency staff to work. Gov. Bill Lee: 'Praying for the victims, their family & the school community' Gov. Bill Lee made a brief statement about the shooting at 1:04 p.m., offering prayers for the victims and school community. "Ive been briefed on the incident at Antioch High School and am grateful for law enforcement & first responders who responded quickly and continue to investigate," Lee said. "As we await more information, I join Tennesseans in praying for the victims, their families & the school community." Antioch High School grandparent awaits reunification with student Tiffany Brooks said her heart dropped, asking her son if her granddaughter Ki'Mani Brooks had gotten on the bus to join them at the reunification site at Ascension Medical Group, 3754 Murfreesboro Pike. "I got a call from my granddaughter because I live so close to the school," she said, noting that the girl was safe, but she said she could hear shots coming from the cafeteria. Brooks said she wanted to come get her, but a lockdown was put in place, so all she could do was wait, pacing the sidewalk until her reunification call came. Officers enter Antioch High School following shooting Officers armed with rifles and tactical gear spread out on the school grounds at 1 p.m. They busted into an outlying shed and climbed the bleachers to the press box, seemingly to search them. Small booms could be heard echoing around the high school and grounds as they worked the property. State lawmaker urges legislative changes to prevent gun violence Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said the state clearly should start doing the work needed to keep kids safe. Tragic news in Antioch today, Yarbro wrote in a social media post. High school kids really ought to be able to go to the cafeteria without fear of being shot. Antioch High shooter was 17-year-old student Metro Nashville Police Spokesman Don Aaron said a 17-year-old student opened fire in the cafeteria of Antioch High School with a pistol at about 11:09 a.m. Two minutes later police received the first call to 911. The shooter killed one student, Aaron said. He then turned the gun on himself and died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The third student suffered a grazing wound, Aaron said. The two shooting victims, including the student who was killed, were female. The shooter, who fatally shot himself, was male. There were two school resource officers in the building, but not in the cafeteria. Neither could intervene before the shooter turned the gun on himself, Aaron said. The names of the students have not yet been released. Antioch High School shooting leaves two person dead, one injured Two people are dead, according to police, and a third person is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Parents anxiously await reunification with students Traffic was backed up on Murfreesboro Pike as far as the eye could see from the Mapco at the streets intersection with Hobson Pike just before 1 p.m.. More than 100 parents were grouped anxiously at the hospital across the street, where they were waiting for students to be dropped off in school buses. Sen. Charlane Oliver: 'My heart is broken' Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, who represents the community in which Antioch High School is located, issued a statement on Wednesday following the shooting. My heart is broken over the devastating shooting at Antioch High School today. As a mother and a representative of this community, I grieve with the families, students, and staff who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to the victims who were shot, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. No child should ever feel unsafe in their school, and no family should face the anguish of such a senseless loss," said Oliver in an emailed statement. I am in contact with local officials, law enforcement, and school leadership to offer my full support and ensure our community has the resources needed to heal. My senate office stands ready to assist families, students, and educators with navigating this crisis and will do everything in my power to push for meaningful legislative changes to prevent senseless acts of gun violence. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell: 'This is a heartbreaking moment' Mayor Freddie OConnell posted about the shooting on his Bluesky page at 12:47 p.m., noting that the incident is still under investigation and sharing the location of the reunification site on 3754 Murfreesboro Pike. This is a heartbreaking moment for the families, the school and the city, OConnell said. Voices for a Safer Tennessee 'devastated' to learn about Antioch High School shooting Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonprofit formed in the wake of the Covenant School Shooting in 2023, released a statement on Thursday: "Voices for a Safer Tennessee is devastated to learn about the shooting inside the Antioch High School cafeteria today," part of the statement read. "Our hearts break for the students, families and staff impacted by this tragedy. Schools should be safe spaces where children can learn and grow without fear of violence. We also stand alongside the families of victims and survivors of mass shootings who are continually retraumatized when news of yet another shooting breaks." Students arrive at reunification site The first schools bus of students arrived at the reunification site shortly before 12:40 p.m. Minutes later another round of students were led out of Antioch High School and shuffled onto a school bus waiting to take them to the reunification site. Antioch High School parent: 'It was terrifying' Chante Fryes daughter, a ninth grader, was in a classroom when she heard gunshots.She texted her mom that the school was on lockdown. It was terrifying, Frye said.But it's almost not surprising because it's getting worse with the fights and the violence at school, Frye said, standing across from the Ascension Saint Thomas Antioch hospital where reunification with students was about to occur. How parents can connect with students According to Metro Schools, parents can connect with their students by call the reunification number at 615-401-1712. Metro Police direct parents to reunification site Two Metro Nashville Police officers stood guard at the Pin Hook Road entrance to Antioch High School Wednesday afternoon.Drivers slowed, begging the men to let them pick up their children. Armed with a notepad, one officer relayed the same information over and over again.Please go to Murfreesboro Pike to pick up your child, he said.Each driver appeared to steel themselves as they drove away resigned.A fleet of school busses rounded the corner, prepared to take students to the reunification site. Reunification site for Antioch High School parents established Buses are taking Antioch High School students to a reunification site at 3754 Murfreesboro Pike, according to police. The exit leading to Old Hickory Boulevard off Interstate 24 was backed up around noon as multiple police and emergency vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the shooting. MNPS: 'Antioch High School on lockdown due to shots fired' "Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building," Metro Nashville Public High School spokesperson Sean Braisted said in an emailed statement. "Metro Police are on the scene. The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available." Rep. John Ray Clemmons: 'Unspeakable tragedy' Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons, who represents House District 55 where Antioch High School is located, released a statement shortly after noon Thursday Again, our community has suffered an unspeakable tragedy in a school that has detrimentally impacted innocent children and families," Clemmons said in the emailed statement. "We are continuing to monitor this situation with the Mayors office, MNPD and MNPS, and we will provide more information as we receive it. In the meantime, we will be praying for the children reportedly injured and all the students of Antioch High School whose lives have been forever altered today. Our efforts will not stop at thoughts and prayers we will continue to fight for common sense gun safety solutions that protect our children and communities from gun violence." This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Antioch High School shooting updates: Two dead at Nashville school HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLNS) Law enforcement has arrested the man accused of inflating his military services while running a Livingston County nonprofit to provide service dogs to veterans. Oakland County authorities tell 6 News they arrested Kirk Lanam, 52, on multiple felonies related to embezzlement from a vulnerable adult. Lanam has been booked into the Oakland County jail. Lanam was the head of Veteran Service Dogs Organization in Livingston County and was at the center of a 6 News stolen valor investigation in 2024. Kirk Lanams booking photo from Oakland County. A second suspect is expected to be informed she has a warrant for her arrest on similar felonies and is allowed to turn herself in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charges were authorized by the Office of the Michigan Attorney General. The office will handle the prosecution of the case, in part because the allegations against Lanam span multiple counties. Law enforcement raided Kirk Lanams Livingston County home Wednesday morning where they also arrested him (WLNS) The Oakland County Investigation spans months and reveals Lanam took over the financial affairs of an elderly Korean War Vet. When he took over that financial burden, Lanams Veteran Service Dogs Organization was struggling to pay bills former supporters and volunteers have told 6 News. At the time veterans noticed boxes filled with a veterans information had been moved into that VSDO facility in Oceola Twp. And then Lanam began arriving with more and more extravagant items. Lawn mowing equipment, and security cameras Lanam told the veterans program participants were equipment with facial recognition technology. Lanam even showed up with a new Hyundai Palisades. (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) The 6 News Investigates Team can show over $250,000 in spending from this elderly veterans account that appeared to benefit VSDO generally and Lanam specifically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A former volunteer for the organization found transactions from a bank account unrelated to VSDO, but which was dumping cash into the organization. (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) The veterans concerns were brought to Oakland County authorities. When the 6 News Investigates Team began reviewing allegations Lanam had inflated his military service he claimed to be a two-star general, and later a three-star general, while only serving less than two years before being separated for an unspecified personality disorder contact was made with Oakland County Sheriff Department. To protect the integrity of the law enforcement investigation, 6 News agreed not to report on the criminal investigation until Oakland County authorities determined it was appropriate or when the arrest was made. Oakland County authorities informed 6 News shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday that Lanam had been arrested approximately 30 minutes earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lanams stepson Nathan Buchanan shared his reaction to the arrest. Ive been anticipating this for months now, just kind of wondering when and how it was going to go down, Buchanan said. He spoke about what he knew about the police being inside Lanams home and on his property. As far as I know they are currently in the process of seizing his electronic devices, computers, vehicles, so forth, Buchanan said. Buchanan said his suspicions of his stepdad began a few years ago when Lanam was making some outrageous claims about his status with the Air Force. Things just started to get way out of hand with how he was framing things and talking about himself, Buchanan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So Buchanan started digging deeper, and so did police. So that snowballed up to this point and so yeah here we are, Buchanan said. Buchanan said inside Lanams home there are several dogs who Lanam was supposedly going to give to veterans or adopt out. When 6 News was standing outside of Lanams home, many dogs could be heard barking as police entered the home. Though its unknown where the animals will go. There is going to be a lot more info that reveals itself as we get into this, Buchanan said. Buchanan reflected on all that is still to come. Its still kind of shocking to hear news like that and to see all this going on. Im just wondering how this will move forward and whats going to happen after today, Buchanan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WLNS 6 News. Fatal crash under investigation IRONTON The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal incident that occurred on Ohio 7 near Ohio 775 in Union Township, Lawrence County. At approximately 2:05 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, a 2008 Toyota hatchback being operated by Daniel L. Jones II, 48, of Proctorville, was traveling on Ohio 7 near Ohio 775. The vehicle drove off the left side of the roadway and struck a guardrail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniel L. Jones II was transported to Saint Marys Hospital and was pronounced deceased there. The Lawrence County Coroners Office was advised. Next of kin has been notified of his passing. Impairment is not suspected to have been a factor in the incident. There are indications Jones experienced a medical emergency while driving. The Lawrence County Sheriffs Office and the Lawrence County EMS were on scene to assist with the incident. The incident remains under investigation. Salzbrun named to MTSUs deans list Middle Tennessee State University is congratulating 6,478 students who appear on the deans list for the Fall 2024 semester, including Raymond Salzbrun of South Webster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To qualify for this distinction, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of 3.5 or above and earn at least 12 semester hours. Founded in 1911 as one of three state normal schools for teacher training, Middle Tennessee State University is one of the oldest and largest undergraduate universities in the state of Tennessee. The fall enrollment was more than 20,000 students. Barnett named to UMUs deans list The University of Mount Union has announced that Zachary Barnett, of West Union, has been named to the deans list for the fall 2024 semester. Barnett was one of 801 students named to the Deans List. To be eligible for the Deans List, students must have completed at least 12 credit hours of traditionally graded coursework while achieving a grade point average of 3.550 or better with no letter grade below a B. The University of Mount Union, founded in 1846 in Alliance, Ohio, is a four-year, private institution grounded in the liberal arts tradition. Among the 1,500 defendants charged over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, who were affected by President Donald Trump's sweeping pardon announcement on Monday, were at least 19 Colorado residents who had either been found guilty and sentenced for crimes associated with that day, or were facing imminent court proceedings. Hats, jackets, selfies and social media posts and even tips from friends and family have all been used by law enforcement to help identify these Coloradans. The below list is compiled from law enforcement news releases, reporting by The Gazette and the Jan. 6 database maintained by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia: Rebecca Lavrenz, Falcon J6 Praying Grandma On April 4, Rebecca Lavrenz, 72, was found guilty of all four misdemeanor charges for entering the United States Capitol at the Steal the Vot Lavrenz, also known as the J6 Praying Grandma, was arrested in December 2022 after admitting to the FBI that she participated in the Capitol riot. Lavrenz allegedly identified herself from a photograph of the day. She was sentenced in August on four misdemeanor counts, and given one year of probation and six months of house arrest and a $103,000 fine. Jacob Travis Clark, Colorado Springs Clark was sentenced to 33 months in prison in October 2023 for his role in the Capitol riot. He was found guilty of felony obstruction of an official proceeding as well as several misdemeanor charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a release that Clark was one of the first individuals to enter the Capitol, and that he was carrying a 2-by-4 plank and part of a mob that threatened police. Glenn Wes Lee Croy, Colorado Springs Croy faced federal charges for demonstrating in the Capitol and pleaded guilty in August 2021. Croy reportedly sent photos of himself in the Capitol. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail and three years of probation. Jennifer Horvath, Colorado Springs Horvath, identified during the investigation of Glenn Wes Lee Croy as his girlfriend, was also filmed breaching the Capitol. Photos released showed Horvath putting a hat and glasses on a bust of Winston Churchill. Horvath was sentenced to three years of probation and 90 days of home confinement. Tyler Earl Ethridge, formerly Woodland Park A pastor who graduated in 2017 from the Practical Government School at Charis Bible College, Ethridge, 34, was found guilty of six criminal charges relating to his involvement in the riot. Ethridge was convicted on felony counts of civil disorder and tampering with a witness or informant as well as four misdemeanor charges. Prosecutors said Ethridge removed fencing on the Capitol's northwest approach. Videos filmed and posted by Ethridge show him in the Capitol Rotunda. Shortly after the riot, Ethridge lost his job as a pastor at Christ-Center Church of Tampa in Dover, Fla. Daniel Michael Morrissey, Denver Morrissey was sentenced to 45 days in prison after pleading guilty in 2022 to charges related to breaching the Capitol. Morrissey was identified through selfies taken in the Capitol and CCTV footage. Hunter Palm, Colorado Springs Palm was indicted on one misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Palm made several videos inside the Capitol as part of crowds that pushed past police officers. He was sentenced to three years of probation. Timothy Wayne Williams, Trinidad Williams was arrested in 2021 on suspicion of entering the Capitol unlawfully. He told investigators that he was "pushed" inside. Williams was identified in videos in the Rotunda. He took a plea deal, pleading guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building and theft of government property, and was sentenced to six months of prison, followed by six months of home confinement. Klete Derik Keller, Colorado Springs A former U.S Olympian, Keller was sentenced in December 2023 to three months of probation for felony obstruction of Congress. Keller was identified by his unique Olympic jacket. Keller was filmed resisting officers' efforts to get rioters to leave. Keller at one point called out to police "Why do we have to leave?" After exiting the Capitol, he then destroyed his phone's memory card and threw away his Olympic jacket, according to the statement. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Robert Gieswein, Woodland Park Gieswein was sentenced in June 2023 on two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. Gieswein marched with a group of Proud Boys before breaching the Capitol, where he used an aerosol canister of irritant to attack several officers. Gieswein was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three months of supervised release and fined $2,000 restitution. Logan Grover, Erie Grover was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty in 2022. He was identified in footage from the riot outside the Capitol and near the entrance to the Rotunda. Patrick Montgomery, Littleton The 52-year-old owner of a hunting guide business called Pmonte Outdoors, Montgomery was allegedly identified by the FBI at the Capitol through social media posts. He was arrested in 2021 on several charges including assaulting law enforcement. Avery C MacCracken, Telluride MacCracken, 71, pleaded guilty in October 2023, to felony obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder. The Telluride man pushed an officer away as he attempted to enter the Capitol, then grabbed a second officer by his arm and jacket. MacCracken was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Thomas Patrick Hamner, Peyton Hamner was sentenced in 2022 to 30 months in prison for charges, including felony interfering with a law enforcement officer.Hamner engaged in a "tug-of-war" with an officer over a bike rack being used as a barricade and used a metal sign to push into a defensive line formed by officers. Todd Branden Casey, Denver Arrested in August, Casey is facing charges including felony civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Casey was filmed attempting to breach barricades set up by officers, at one point shouting "I would have come locked and loaded if I knew this was happening!" The statement said Casey also allegedly pushed and grabbed a police officer. Jonathan David Grace, Colorado Springs Grace, 50, pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement in October 2023. Grace attempted to push past a police line in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel entrance to the Capitol. The statement said that one officer in the footage could be heard "screaming in pain" as Grace and others smashed the officer between a shield and door frame. Last year, he was given 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $5,000 in fines for felony assault and resisting officers. Jeffrey Sabol, Kittridge Sabol, 55, was found guilty in August 2023 on felony charges including obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, federal robbery and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting. Sabol brought items like a buck knife and zip ties to the "Stop the Steal" Rally preceding the riot, in which he assisted in dragging an officer down a flight of steps, where the officer was beaten with a flagpole and a baton. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Sabol destroyed his cellphone and laptop and attempted to flee to Switzerland before his arrest. Sabol was sentenced to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $32,000 in restitution. Justin Schulze, Colorado Springs Schulze was arrested in November 2023 along with Eric Zeis on suspicion of felony and misdemeanor offenses for the pair's actions on Jan. 6. Schulze was allegedly seen with Zeis breaching the East Rotunda doors. Eric Zeis, Monument Zeis traveled with Schulze by car to Washington to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally. He was also allegedly identified in an open source video joining a group that pushed officers. Zeiz and Schulze were indicted by a grand jury last year, but had yet to face trial. President Donald Trump is looking to make sweeping changes in a hurry early into his second term. A few executive orders signed took aim at how the federal government will handle gender and diversity moving forward. Erie County Republicans excited as Trump is sworn into office As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female, said President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates of the local LGBTQ+ community called the presidents order a direct attack on their civil protections. The attention was diverted to a small percent of us and our bodies. That has fixed no problems for anyone except create a division and hatred, said Tyler Titus, vice president of Erie City Council, Titus, an openly transgender leader in Erie, said Trumps action trampled on their rights and sparked fear, but said its only prompted their community to lock arms and toughen up. Just because some people dont want to see all shades of the rainbow, the rainbow doesnt cease to exist. We are here, you are here, you are valid, and you matter, said Titus. The community is strong, the community will survive this, you will survive this, and you are absolutely not alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president is also looking to roll back DEI programming throughout the federal government. For President Trump, both orders are promises kept, as he advocated for this change throughout the campaign trail. Trump and his supporters promised what they call a revolution of common sense. I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life, said Trump. General public gives mixed opinions following Trumps inauguration Erie Countys Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission was established in 2022 after county council declared racism a public health crisis in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diverse Eries chief administrative officer said that Trump has every right to re-examine the DEI initiative nationally, but local data shows a need to invest in the BIPOC community whether you look at health disparity, education or small business opportunity. We cannot afford to have the attitude or the perspective of them versus us. Pro-DEI or anti-DEO, we have to come together and find common values. We have to make sure that we treat everyone with fairness and we have to have that dialogue and continue to talk and continue to evolve and develop outcomes and performance measures thats going to make it a better place for all citizens, said Gary Lee, chief administrative officer for Diverse Erie. Gender and diversity advocates said those orders could have wide-ranging implications, prompting some to seek sanctuary from situations that may be caused by the policy changes. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) For two local men whose Jan. 6 criminal cases havent been adjudicated it paid to wait. Federal prosecutors in Washington filed a motion to dismiss in the criminal case against Timothy Desjardins, of Providence, and Michael St. Pierre, of Swansea, following President Donald Trumps executive order of clemency on Monday. The government hereby moves to dismiss the indictment against the defendant with prejudice, U.S. Attorney Edward Martins office wrote in the filing Tuesday. The government cites to the Executive Order dated January 20, 2025, Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at Or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, as the reason for this dismissal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With prejudice means the government cannot bring the charges again. St. Pierre was scheduled to be sentenced in March after a judge convicted him for taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. Desjardins federal case has largely been on hold because he was facing a separate criminal case in Rhode Island for shooting someone in a road-rage incident. Desjardins was sentenced to 18 years in that case (his state conviction is not affected by the presidential pardon in the Jan. 6 case). Three other Rhode Islanders were charged and convicted in the wake of the riot investigations. Bernard Joseph Sirr, of North Kingstown, served two months in prison after he pleaded guilty. Timothy Cotton, of Hopkinton, was given nine months of probation. Juan Rodriguez, of Central Falls, was sentenced to one month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chase Allen, of Seekonk, pleaded guilty in 2023 to violent entry and disorderly conduct. Investigators said he stomped on media equipment that day. He was sentenced to three years of probation. The presidential pardon was issued as full, complete, and unconditional, which means the records of those charged or convicted will be wiped clean. Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise. On the day of his inauguration, he pardoned more than 1,500 people convicted for their roles in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. That includes roughly a dozen people from the Pittsburgh area. >>> Trump issues sweeping pardon of supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack Rachel Powell is a Mercer County mother of eight, also known as the pink hat lady. She is infamous for the hat she wore while swinging a pipe and shattering a window at the Capitol building. She talked to CNN from the Preston County, WV prison where shes serving five years. She says shes confident she will be released and when that time comes, she plans to head straight to the Liberty Ball. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For me, its huge; for me, its life or death, Powell said. I do have remorse for breaking a window and destroying my whole familys life. Tristan Sartor from Westmoreland County was federally charged. Hes out on bond and thanked the President on X, writing, Time to toast to freedom and justice for the J6 Patriots who bravely served their country when nobody else would. Dr. John Cencich is a professor of criminology at PennWest University. He studies peoples behaviors. He says theres no debating the violence on Jan. 6 There were police officers - there were hundreds of police officers who were injured - police officers who died, Dr. Cencich tells Channel 11. There were civilians who died. It was a violent day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cencich says what happens after folks are pardoned by President Trump, and released from prison or probation, will likely be a mixed bag. Some of these people were involved in crimes and had criminal backgrounds, Cencich added. Several of them did. Some of them got caught up in emotions. Some of them got caught up in really being naive. Dr. Cencich says in his experience, some of those convicted will be emboldened under certain circumstances and possibly re-offend, while others are remorseful. There are even folks who have indicated they will not accept a pardon. They really have remorse for what they did, Cencich added. If theyre not going to accept a pardon, they are very likely not going to re-offend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We reached out to Powells attorney. He did not respond to our calls. Its common for presidents to pardon people in their final days in office. Former President Joe Biden exercised his executive power, pardoning Dr. Anthony Fauci, his own siblings and their spouses and the House Committee investigating January 6. Biden says this is to prevent any revenge on the part of President Trump. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW (WKBN) Senator Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) has been selected to serve on the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee (CIIC). The CIIC is a bipartisan, joint-legislative committee that provides external oversight of Ohios adult and juvenile correctional facilities. Among its duties are inspecting each state correctional institution at least once every two years, evaluating and assisting in the development of programs to improve conditions and operations at the institutions, and reporting on inspection findings, recommendations and the grievance procedure at east institution through a biennial report to the General Assembly. I look forward to serving on this important committee and touring our correctional facilities across the state, said Cutrona in a statement. As legislators, evaluating and inspecting these facilities and their programs is crucial. With the state operating budget on the horizon, we must take a good look at these spaces and what resources they could use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More information on the committee, as well as reports on correctional institutions, is available online. 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 WKBN.com. Meteorologists at more than two dozen stations across the U.S. have said their goodbyes due to a new initiative involving The Weather Channel. Many local weather forecasters bid farewell to viewers last week as parent company Allen Media Group announced their plan to begin rolling out a "groundbreaking format for local weather coverage powered by The Weather Channel." In a news release, the media group said The Weather Channel will now be producing content for the impacted stations, nationwide, at the networks base in Atlanta, according to NPR. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 100 meteorologists are losing their jobs as a result, according to Spencer Denton, a meteorologist with CBS affiliate WVLT in Knoxville, Tenn. which is not a part of Allen Media Group as well as Christina Burkhart with ABC affiliate WJRT in South Michigan, whose station was impacted. Two TV journalists saying goodbye at one of Allen Media's station were anchor Patrece Dayton and chief meteorologist Kevin Orpurt of CBS affiliate WTHI-TV in Terre Haute, Ind., who brought a box of tissues with them as they signed off for the final time. Many of you may already know, but tonight is our last broadcast here at News 10. Kevin and I have come into your home for decades," said Dayton. "For those of you who dont know, both of our positions are being eliminated here at WTHI-TV. The television news business in general is changing nationwide and budget cuts are happening everywhere." "We had both hoped to go out on our own terms to celebrate," Orput added, "but thats not the case." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Winter Storm Enzo Poses 'Rare' and Possibly Historic Snow Threat to Gulf Coast and Southeast Orpurt continued, As you can see on the evening news each night, we are a close family here at News 10. We laugh, sometimes we argue like an old married couple and weve cried together. Weve gone through so much. As she began to choke up, Dayton added, "For the final time, goodnight and sleep well." Related: Meteorologist Calls His Kids During Broadcast to Warn Them of Nearby Tornado: 'Scary Moment' Amber Kulick was also among the meteorologists who said goodbye to viewers on Friday. In a post on her Facebook page, the former forecaster for ABC affiliate WAAY said she never imagined I would finally work in Huntsville only to have my time cut short." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know my management team has done everything they can to make this better, she explained in the post, but this is at a corporate level so please dont bad mouth WAAY on this post. Ill land on my feet I always do. She later added, To my friends and family here in north Alabama, I love you and Im so thankful for your support in this journey . 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. Meanwhile, Josh Franson announced his job at NBC affiliate KWWL was impacted by the change in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To my viewers and those of you who have been on Frannys Report since day one, thank you, Franson wrote. You guys have kept me motivated to grow, take you to unimaginable places, and show you the most powerful forces of nature. Related: Meteorologist Breaks Down on Live TV Over Hurricane Milton's Power: 'I Apologize This Is Just Horrific' The Weather Channel was purchased by the Allen Media Group for $300 million in March 2018, according to CNN. Layoffs at stations owned by Allen Media Group were first announced in 2024, Deadline reported. I dont think this is a good move and I dont see it being successful, Denton, who is employed by Gray Media, said in his Facebook post. It may save money in the short term, but takes away value and credibility in the long term. I personally know some in this group that were let go. They are wonderful people, employees and meteorologists. Read the original article on People Plans to build what has been described as the UKs answer to Disneyland have been axed over funding rows and environmental concerns. A high court judge ordered the company behind the multi-billion-pound project London Resort into liquidation, KentOnline reported. The plans date back to 2012 when London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) proposed a park to be built across 535 acres of the Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford just outside of London. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesman for LRCH said: The dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts. Natural England fatally wounded the scheme, a single creditor has killed it and, with it, any chance of the UK competing on the envisaged scale of London Resort. A Kuwaiti businessman, Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, who was a driving force behind the resort told the local newspaper last year that the project had destroyed my life, adding that it has ruined my reputation and left me bankrupt. He also previously criticised Britains planning system as broken and said it needed to be streamlined. At the time, he still insisted that the park project could be seen through, but now a High Court judge in London has ordered that the company is wound up following an application by Paramount, which is owed 13.5 million, The Times reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LRCH had at one point partnered with Paramount Pictures during the planning stages. The park had a projected opening date of 2024, complete with a theme park, waterpark, conference and convention centre, retail spaces and e-sport facilities. More than 3,500 hotel rooms were also planned to be created alongside two ferry terminals one on each side of the Thames. However, LRCH faced a series of setbacks while the plans were being put in place, including when the proposed location of the park was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 2021 by Natural England. Natural England said that the acres of land provided ideal conditions for a unique variety of wildlife, with birds and invertebrates such as the distinguished jumping spider (Sitticus distinguendus), one of the rarest spiders in the country, thriving there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company also reportedly accrued more than 100m in debt and was faced with administration in 2023, but managed to strike a deal with the majority of creditors, which allowed it to continue operating while securing a further 607 million of funding. In December, a judge found that there were three serious and irremediable breaches of the terms of the company's voluntary agreement with the creditors. Steve Norris, a former transport secretary under John Major in the early 1990s, was the former chairman of LRCH but stepped down last year. He told KentOnline that Dr Al-Humaidi had put millions into the project and described the decline of it as a tragedy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am fairly sure that one of the main reasons why funding from the Gulf dried up was because nobody there could believe the UK government was sympathetic to the project if it still did not have planning consent after so many years and so much money spent, he said. Paramounts attitude appears strangely unhelpful to say the least. Its a tragedy for those who have lost money, for Abdulla and his family, for Kent and for the UK. For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast Life-threatening and bitter cold is impacting much of the U.S. as a deadly winter storm continues to sweep the Southeast. This week, a storm dropped historic amounts of snow on Florida, Texas and Louisiana, that blanketed Gulf Coast beaches. It also caused frigid conditions, brought hazardous travel conditions, knocked out power for tens of thousands of residents, and led to the deaths of at least 10 people throughout the U.S. At least one person died from hypothermia: a dangerous condition that can occur when a person is exposed to extreme cold temperatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cold weather presents major threats to people of all ages. Here are some of the biggest cold-related dangers and the impacts from them: A beach-goer heads to the ocean on Wednesday after a winter storm dropped ice and snow on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. A rare winter storm blasted the Gulf Coast and Southeast this week, bringing dangerous and deadly cold (AP) How long does it take to freeze to death? When a person is hypothermic, their body begins to lose heat faster than it is produced, Longer exposures will use up the bodys stored energy, which leads to lower body temperature. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, rendering the victim unable to think clearly or move well. A person might not be aware that they are the victim of hypothermia. Symptoms include shivering, exhaustion, feeling tired, confusion, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness, and fumbling hands. In children they can also include very low energy and bright red and cold skin. A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and not seem to have a pulse. Hypothremia can happen in just minutes, and death can occur in under an hour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it is most likely at very cold temperatures, it can occur even at cool temperatures above 40 degrees if a person becomes chilled from rain or sweat. Hypothermia is a medical emergency when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. As your body temperature drops, your heart, brain, and internal organs cannot function. Without aggressive resuscitation and rapid rewarming, you will ultimately not survive, Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at New Yorks Lenox Hill Hospital, told CBS News. More than 1,000 people die from hypothermia each year. Victims are often seniors, babies, people who abuse substances, and people who remain outdoors for long periods. One of the main threats from the cold is hypothremia. It can happen in just minutes, and death can occur in under an hour (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Whats the difference between hypothermia and frostbite? Frostbite can also occur when a person is exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Its a type of injury that leads to a loss of feeling and color in affected areas, such as the fingers, nose, ears and toes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It can result in permanent damage and severe cases can lead to amputation. People with poor blood circulation or who arent properly dressed for extreme cold are at higher risk of developing frostbite. Signs of frostbite include numbness, firm or waxy skin, a white or grayish-yellow skin area, and redness or pain in any skin area. A drug to treat severe frostbite was approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration. Having this new option provides physicians with a tool that will help prevent the lifechanging amputation of ones frostbitten fingers or toes, Dr. Norman Stockbridge, the director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology at the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. Can shoveling snow be hazardous to your health? Clearing snow from driveways and sidewalks can put extra stress on a persons heart. This is especially true for people who arent used to regular exercise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shoveling a little snow off your sidewalk may not seem like hard work. However, the strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test, according to research weve conducted. Dr. Barry Franklin, a professor of internal medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, told the American Heart Association. After just two minutes of shoveling show, heart rates reach a level more commonly expected during intense aerobic exercise testing (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) After just two minutes, heart rates reach a level more commonly expected during intense aerobic exercise testing, Franklin said. About 805,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack every year in the U.S. In addition, shoveling can result in muscle injuries due to overuse. This activity can cause muscle fibers to tear. Dangerous cold can also lead to impacted infrastructure. What happens to roads? When melted snow refreezes amid cold and windy weather, it creates icy surfaces that can cause cars to slide on hills and spin out, making it harder to brake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Motorists traveling on roads that appear mainly dry can suddenly and unexpectedly encounter ice where the snow has been blowing and drifting over the roads, the National Weather Service explained. Sand and salt are used to improve traction on icy roads and runways at airports, as well as de-icing chemical. Road surfaces that have been washed clean of salt and sand have a greater chance of becoming icy. Cars back up near a hill with snow and ice on the road during a winter storm on Tuesday in Tucker, Georgia. Heavy snow can result in icy driving conditions (AP) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salt works by lowering the freezing point of water when it is added to ice or snow. It creates a saltwater solution that is less likely to refreeze than just plain water. The brine can also penetrate small cracks and crevices in the ice, helping to break it up and make it easier to remove. However, salt becomes ineffective at de-icing when temperatures fall between 15 and 20 degrees. How do power outages occur during winter storms? Storms can bring down trees and power poles, causing outages. Snow and ice from a storm can weigh down branches, causing them to fall on power lines. Ice can also accumulate on roots, damaging lines underground. Outages often coincide with periods of high-energy demand, including during hot and cold weather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lines can become stiffer in extreme cold, and ice on lines can cause an extra 500 pounds of weight . Cold weather power outages also tend to last longer during the winter because weather and travel conditions make it difficult for recovery teams to fix the problems. In the days since twin major fires devastated the region, several companies with ties to Southern California have pledged millions of dollars in relief funds. The scope of loss from the Eaton and Palisades fires will reshape the region for decades devastating families, razing entire neighborhoods and creating economic losses estimated at $50 billion. In the immediate aftermath, many local shops and restaurants offered free clothing and food to families who lost their homes, while others pledged to give the proceeds from special sales to relief groups. Here are some of the major companies that have vowed to donate millions. Ballmer Group | $15 million The company founded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, said it planned to donate $15 million to address immediate food and shelter needs and to support first responders. The company is, along with several other entities, also hosting FireAid , a benefit concert Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome and nearby Kia Forum. Amgen | $10 million The biopharmaceutical company based in Thousand Oaks has, along with the Amgen Foundation, vowed to donate $10 million. The company said its foundation will also match donations from employees. In a statement, its chief executive said that many employees live in or around the fire zones. Wonderful Co. | $10 million The giant agricultural company headquartered in Los Angeles has pledged $10 million, including $1 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and $500,000 to the Los Angeles Police Foundation. The company behind the brand Wonderful Pistachios said the remaining funds will go toward broader relief efforts. BeyGood | $2.5 million The foundation started by singer Beyonce pledged $2.5 million, which it said it intends to distribute directly to families who lost their homes in Altadena and Pasadena. Some funds, the organization said, will also go to churches and community centers helping displaced residents. Spectrum | $2.5 million One of the main internet and cable providers in Los Angeles County, the telecommunications company said it plans to donate $2.5 million in cash and services $500,000 in cash doled out to foundations, as well as $1 million each for small-business loans through its fund and airtime that nonprofits can use for public service announcements about wildfire recovery efforts. JM Eagle | $1.5 million The Los Angeles company, a major manufacturer of plastic pipe, donated $1.5 million, including $500,000 each to the California Fire Foundation, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Police Foundation. Funds will include assistance for 12 first responders whose homes were destroyed in the fires, as well as the purchase of a bulldozer for firefighting and two sandbag-making machines. Skechers | $1 million The sneaker company based in Manhattan Beach said it will donate more than $1 million. The companys president said in a note that, although it is a global brand, Los Angeles is our home. Company executives said they plan to partner with several local organizations, including the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides essentials, such as diapers and formula. Banc of California | $1 million The financial institution that, in 2023, moved its headquarters to Los Angeles said it would put $1 million into a relief and recovery fund, noting that anyone looking to help could make tax-deductible donations to the fund. Its chief executive said in a statement that the bank had started the fund, in part, because it got so many inquiries from people across the country eager to help. Canon | $1 million The camera company has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help those affected by the wildfires. Although its U.S. headquarters is in New York, company executives said in a statement that California is a particularly critical region for them. DirecTV | $1 million The satellite TV company based in El Segundo has pledged $1 million. The company said the funds will go toward rebuilding and FireAid, the benefit concert, which the company said it plans to stream for free. Hollywood studios and streamers As previously reported, studios and streaming giants in Hollywood made big pledges. Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery and Google each committed $15 million to relief and recovery efforts, while Comcast, Netflix and Amazon said they would each donate $10 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BELL COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44) Bell County agencies teamed up to find a hiker lost in the Stillhouse Hollow Lake area. Central Bell County Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the vicinity at approximately 6:51 p.m. Tuesday. This was at the request of the Bell County Sheriffs Office in order to aid in the search and rescue of a female hiker who got lost. Fire and Rescue responded to a pre-determined link-up point with Sheriffs Office units. Once link-up was conducted, units had a generalized search area to the hikers last-known location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hiker was found around 7:37 p.m., and was guided out of the woods so Belton AMR could conduct an assessment. No injuries to the hiker or personnel have been reported. Central Bell County Fire and Rescue also shared some simple steps when participating in outdoor activities within the parks: Charge your cell phone and bring a portable battery pack just in case. Drop a pin to your vehicle or trail entrance to aid in your return should you become lost or disoriented. Bring a water source. Even though the weather is cooler, you can still dehydrate. Wear appropriate clothing, outer garments, and footwear while hiking or fishing. Fire and Rescue also said the use of technology aided tremendously in the time it took to find the lost hiker. The organization was able to utilize a shared location by iPhone to determine the best access point to the hiker, and was able to plot a path right to her location and maintain communication throughout the duration of the incident. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. A shelter-in-place order was issued for an area just east of Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs due to police activity Tuesday night, according to Peak Alerts. Just after 8:15 p.m., the Colorado Springs Police Department issued a shelter-in-place for the area around 4300 Date St. due to police activity related to a search warrant. "You are asked to stay indoors; please lock and stay away from windows and doors. Please stay out of the immediate area until further notice," the Peak Alert said. Just before 10 p.m., the shelter-in-place order was lifted for the area. BRANSON, Mo. Branson police have arrested a man from Louisiana after a domestic incident at a motel on Saturday, Jan. 18. According to the Branson Police Department (BPD), their officers were called to a motel on Gretna Road in response to a reported domestic violence incident involving a weapon. The BPD SWAT team was also called to the motel after officers were not able to contact one of the suspects. Colt Hicks mugshot BPD was eventually able to search and secure the involved motel rooms. The search revealed many illegal firearms, illegally manufactured firearms, illegal firearm accessories, illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia used for methamphetamine. The guns included multiple rifles and shotguns as well as a ghost gun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A further investigation revealed that the suspect, 42-year-old Colt Hicks, was previously convicted of multiple methamphetamine possession charges, possession of a controlled substance and aggravated assault in Louisiana, according to court documents. Sheriff Arnott weighs in on deportation in Greene County The day after the incident, BPD detectives interviewed Hicks, who admitted the illegal guns were his and that he built the guns with parts he bought online, according to the probable cause statement. Hicks has since been charged with unlawful possession, transport, manufacture, repair or sale of illegal weapons and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hicks is being held in the Taney County Detention Center with no bond. He is scheduled for a bond reduction hearing on Jan. 28. 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) On Wednesday, Jan. 22, Louisiana is remembering 43-year-old Brandon Taylor, a victim of the Jan. 1 attack on Bourbon Street. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a period of mourning ordering that all flags over state buildings be flown at half-staff. Louisiana Remembers LaTasha Polk Taylor, from Harvey, was a skilled musician. He was known to enjoy time with his family. Brandon Taylor In a Sunday news conference, Landry reported that Taylors fiancee, Heather, who was with him during the attack, described him as a unique man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana State Superintendent Cade Brumley also asked school systems to consider a moment of silence at 9 a.m. during the period of mourning. Louisiana Remembers Edward Pettifer The New Orleans Police Department and the Archdiocese of New Orleans will ring the bells of St. Louis Cathedral every day through Jan. 23, between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to honor and remember the lives lost and those affected by the terror attack. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Copyright 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 WGNO. A car passes in front of the LSU Law Center on Monday, March 20, 2023, on Highland Road in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator) An LSU law school professor has been removed from teaching classes for reportedly making political comments in the classroom, his attorney says. LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Dean Alena Allen told students in an online meeting Tuesday that tenured law professor Ken Levy is being replaced pending an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baton Rouge attorney Jill Craft, who is representing Levy, said he intends to fight the reprimand. We cannot live and exist in a country where people are punished because of their opinions, their thoughts and their words, Craft said. This is particularly true in the area of academic freedom. If we take that away, it takes away the cornerstone of this democracy. And then we dont have one anymore. LSU spokesman Todd Woodward confirmed Levy is not currently teaching but declined to comment further on university personnel issues. Allen has not yet responded to a request for comment. One of Levys students, Kristen Graham-Winkles, was in the meeting where Allen told students about the professors removal. She said the dean referred to an ongoing investigation of Levy, whose main areas of expertise are criminal and constitutional law, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Levy has not shied away from sharing his thoughts on politics and has openly criticized Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Graham-Winkles said, adding that the professor is very well-liked and that students were upset to learn he is being punished. He just kind of fosters communicating even the people who I know voted for Trump, a lot of them were like, No, no, no. We love this guy. So we want to know who reported it and what they said because its probably not true. The investigation into Levy comes less than three months after Landry openly called for LSU Law professor Nick Bryner to be punished for criticizing President Donald Trump in the classroom the day after he was re-elected. Bryner is still employed by the university. This is a developing story SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE By Mark Trevelyan (Reuters) - Five candidates' names will appear on the ballot for a presidential election in Belarus on Sunday, but for the past 31 years there has only been one winner. In power since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko is assured of a new five-year term in a vote that the exiled opposition describes as a sham. It has called on Belarusians to tick a box that allows them to reject all the candidates on offer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lukashenko, 70, has cast himself as a leader too busy working for the nation to be able to engage in an election campaign. "To be honest I don't follow it. I simply don't have time for it," he told factory workers last week. There is no obvious successor in sight to the burly, moustachioed leader who at various times has both embraced and rejected the label of Europe's last dictator - and who in recent months has started freeing some opposition figures from jail in an apparent bid to start repairing relations with the West. Mass protests nearly swept him from power after the last election in 2020, when Western governments backed the opposition's claim that he falsified the results and stole victory from its candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Lukashenko's security forces detained tens of thousands of protesters, according to human rights groups, and all leading opposition figures were jailed or forced into exile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sunday's vote is taking place in a country where independent media are banned and blocked. Human rights group Viasna, which is labelled as an extremist organisation, says there are around 1,250 political prisoners; Lukashenko denies there are any. Ivan Kravtsov, secretary of the opposition's coordination council in exile, conceded that it was fighting an uphill struggle to connect with Belarusians. "For most of the people, politics is not top of the agenda. Survival is top of the agenda," he said in a telephone interview. "The priorities have shifted. In 2020 people perceived the campaign as a real opportunity to change power. Now, you know, sometimes the opposition leaders in exile are struggling to be relevant inside the country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tatsiana Chulitskaya, a Belarusian academic at Vilnius University in Lithuania, said the four alternative election candidates had not dared criticise the president. "These are not candidates in the normal meaning of this word. They are just playing in this campaign. They are not competing with Lukashenko," she said in a phone interview. PRISONER RELEASES But while the outcome is not in doubt, Lukashenko faces major challenges in navigating relations with both Moscow and the West as he heads into his seventh term against the backdrop of likely peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war. A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he allowed Moscow to use Belarus as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - and paid the price in the form of Western sanctions. The following year, Putin announced the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the war were to end - something incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to bring about quickly - then political analysts expect Lukashenko to seek a thaw in ties with Europe and the U.S. and try to get the sanctions lifted. That would be in keeping with his decades-long record of flirting periodically with the West in order to prevent Belarus from becoming totally dependent on Russia and risking being swallowed up entirely by its much larger neighbour. "If the war ends, there will be certain windows of opportunity for Lukashenko if he wants to continue these tactics of balancing between Russia and the West," Chulitskaya said. In the first tentative signs of an easing of repression, Lukashenko has, since last July, issued what he called humanitarian pardons to 250 people serving prison terms for alleged extremist activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has also allowed limited access in prison to two of the best known opposition figures, Maria Kalesnikava and Viktor Babariko, who had been isolated for nearly two years without any contact with the outside world. The opposition says it welcomes those developments but many more people remain in jail, and arrests continue. Its exiled leader Tsikhanouskaya told Reuters in an interview this week that the release of political prisoners in batches was part of a game Lukashenko was playing with the West. "We need to stop repressions, we need to release all prisoners and maybe then we will talk to you," she said. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London; Editing by Gareth Jones) President Donald Trump has pardoned roughly 1,500 people who were charged or convicted of crimes stemming from the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Thirty of them have ties to Washington, according to MyNorthwest. KIRO 7 spoke to one of them, Taylor James Johnatakis, who found out about his pardon while watching television from a federal prison. Im free, he said. Feels good to be free. He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after he was found guilty of seven charges, including three felonies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors say he organized and coordinated other rioters to assault the police line before grabbing the bike racks in front of them and (pushing) them forcibly into the line of police officers. I was not trying to push the bike rack into them, Johnatakis told KIRO 7. I was trying to scoot it as an act of civil disobedience. KIRO 7 asked him if he regretted going to the capitol and taking part in the events of January 6. Its a tricky question, right? he said. If youd have told me, Hey, before you get on the plane, if you go there, youre going to go to federal prison. Well, sure, I wouldnt have got on the plane. But I didnt go there to commit violence. I didnt go there to assault anybody. I went there because I had genuine feelings about what happened in 2020 with regards to the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnatakis claims no affiliation to any political, extremist or militia group, though several of the individuals pardoned by Trump are linked to such organizations. Ethan Nordean, an Auburn resident and former leader of the extremist group Proud Boys, had his sentence commuted. He had been serving 18 years. Those people who have spent some time behind bars are now martyrs for the movement, said sociologist Dr. Randall Blazak, an expert on extremism who is now working with CURE: PNW, an organization that aims to reduce hate and violence throughout the Pacific Northwest. Blazak says the arrests tied to January 6 initially dampened the anti-government movement by highlighting the consequences of the actions. These pardons, he said, have changed that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those folks have now, through these pardons, been given a green light to go ahead, join the movement, engage in the activism, Blazak said. The floodgates are now open for those people to come back in. The move could have sweeping consequences, Blazak said. Weve essentially, with one stroke of a pen, normalized targeting elected officials as businesses as usual, he said. As for those receiving pardons, now on the journey home, their futures may still be uncertain. Im just trying to put my life back together, Johnatakis said. I mean, everythings been taken. Johnatakis is not sure exactly what will come next for his family, but he hopes to help further an organization his wife started while he was behind bars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Left Behind and Without provides financial support for kids with incarcerated parents so they can take part in extracurricular activities. Were trying to find some meaning and purpose in all of this, he said. (Bloomberg) -- Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz called for unity and a stronger and more competitive European industry on Wednesday in the face of President Donald Trumps threats to upend transatlantic ties. Most Read from Bloomberg The embattled leaders of Europes two largest economies held talks in the French capital just days after Trumps inauguration and mere hours after the US president renewed his tariff threats against China and the European Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite their many policy differences and weakened positions at home, the two heads of state tried to project strength, calling for a speedy and united response if the US follows through on threats to impose tariffs on European exports. Bloomberg reported earlier that the EU has prepared a list of American companies to target with retaliatory duties if Trump does carry through with the threats. The German chancellor stressed the need to protect the steel sector, which was targeted by tariffs during Trumps first term, and called for a summit to address the issue. The steel sector is of strategic importance for the European economy and our security, Scholz said in a press conference alongside Macron. We therefore strongly urge the European Commission to organize a steel summit as a matter of urgency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EUs response to a resurgent China and an aggressive US has lacked steam as both leaders are politically weakened on their home turfs and have failed to see eye to eye on several policy files over the past three years. Macron has faced extended political turmoil after he lost his relative majority in the French National Assembly last year on the back of snap elections, while German voters are poised to vote Scholz out of office next month, polls show. The difficult dynamic between the two, due to their contrasting views and styles, has coincided with the EU navigating urgent issues, such as Russias invasion of Ukraine, a sputtering economy and high energy prices. The bilateral talks between the leaders came a day after Trump again raised the issue of EU tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other countries are big abusers also, you know its not just China, Trump said Tuesday. We have a $350 billion deficit with the European Union. They treat us very very badly, so theyre going to be in for tariffs. Scholzs plea on competitiveness echoes a letter by the European steel industry lobby where it requested a meeting with the head of the European Commission to discuss solutions to high raw material and energy prices, and cheap foreign steel imports flooding the market. The chancellor also welcomed the Commissions move to start a strategic dialogue with the European car industry to discuss, among other things, the suspension of EU fines for companies failing to meet climate protection targets and CO2 emission limits in their production fleets. France has previously demanded that the EU reduce sanctions on automakers not complying with pollution rules. Both Paris and Berlin are also pushing for the EU to lower requirements from corporations on reporting their environmental and governance metrics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were defending simplification on as European a scale as possible, Macron said, citing the sectors he deemed critical including automobiles, steel and chemicals. We urgently need to use all European instruments to ensure that our companies, such as farmers, enjoy fair conditions of competition in an increasingly brutal environment, he said underscoring an uneven competitive environment for businesses. While both Scholz and Macron pledged to continue cooperating with the US, Scholz regretted how the extreme right is gaining ground everywhere in the western world, in western societies. They want to drive us apart - and that is weakening Europe, Scholz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting in Paris marked the anniversary of the 1963 Elysee Treaty signed between post-World War II leaders Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Donald Trump is not often forced to listen to those who disagree with him, and when the newly inaugurated president is confronted with his critics, he tends to unravel. The Republicans debate meltdowns, for example, have become the stuff of legend. But on the first full day of his second term, Trump attended a national prayer service in Washington, D.C., where he sat and listened to the bishop of the local Episcopal Diocese. As my MSNBC colleague Clarissa-Jan Lim noted, the Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde spoke truth to power, urging the president to reconsider his attacks on marginalized communities. After returning to the White House, a reporter asked Trump for his reaction to the sermon. At least initially, he offered relatively muted criticism. I didnt think it was a good service, the Republican said. They can do much better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hours later, shortly after midnight, the president abandoned subtlety and published a far more forceful rebuke to his social media platform. It read in its entirety: The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology! Theres no point in fact-checking every error of fact and judgment in the presidents online harangue. The Rev. Edgar Budde is not a so-called bishop; there is no giant crime wave; Trumps line about mental institutions has long been ridiculous, etc. But there was a larger context to his latest online tantrum. For example, Trump wasnt the only Republican who was quick to target the bishop. Fox News personalities appeared eager to villainize her Laura Ingraham described the sermon as the rantings of a lunatic and GOP Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia called for Budde, an American citizen, to be added to the deportation list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take a moment to imagine what would happen if a progressive House Democrat called for an American religious leader to be kicked out of the country for delivering a sermon he or she disagreed with. Whats more, whether Republicans appreciate this or not, the more they whined about the bishops sermon, the more likely it became that the public would hear what Budde had to say. The Streisand Effect is, after all, a real phenomenon. Lets also not forget that for many congressional Republicans, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, there was a Biden-era scandal about officials targeting and harassing religious leaders. It was nonsense, of course, though its hard not to notice that these same GOP leaders have far less to say about their allies targeting Budde. But perhaps most important was the degree to which these developments shed light on the presidents and his partys approach to matters of faith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Trumps second inaugural, one of his most robust applause lines came midway through his remarks. We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God, the Republican said. Cant do that. He added that he believes he was saved by God to make America great again. The speech was part of a larger pattern, in which Trump who has struggled during his political career to speak about religion with comfort or fluency has cloaked himself in matters of faith to advance his ambitions. The post-inaugural national prayer service, however, shed light on the limits of the presidents approach: Religion must be celebrated, protected, respected and venerated, Trump apparently thinks just so long as the faith community is telling him what he wants to hear. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Just hours after his second presidential inauguration, Donald Trump kept his worst campaign promise: The Republican, taking a needlessly maximalist approach, issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 Jan. 6 criminals, including violent felons who clashed with police officers. Pressed a day later for some kind of justification for putting violent criminals back on American streets, the new president falsely claimed that theyd been treated unbelievably poorly, adding that as far as hes concerned, [M]urderers dont even go to jail in this country. To the extent that reality still has meaning, Trumps defense fell far short. For one thing, murderers are, in fact, routinely incarcerated in the United States. For another, his pitch wasnt as persuasive as he mightve hoped: The Republicans line was rooted in the idea that if murderers go free, theres no harm in letting other violent felons go free, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is that a message that will help voters, some of whom were persuaded by Candidate Trump's "law and order" message, feel safer? But stepping back, the question wasnt what Trump was going to say about his own abuse of his pardon power. It was obvious that the president was going to concoct some kind of absurd rationalization. The more salient question was what congressional Republicans would say. As The New York Times reported, most GOP lawmakers struggled to defend the indefensible. Members of Congress ran in fear of their lives from the Capitol four years ago as it was besieged by a pro-Trump mob, and many Republicans made strong statements in the immediate aftermath of the attack that violent rioters must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But on Tuesday, few spoke up to object to Mr. Trumps pardons, and many Republican lawmakers said it was time to move on. It might seem like ancient history, but when Trump first started pushing the idea of Jan. 6 pardons in the fall of 2022 before he formally launched his bid for a second term there was some meaningful GOP pushback against the proposal, which seemed quite radical at the time. But in the months and years that followed, as Trumps stranglehold over Republicans intensified, and the GOP at the institutional level became more pitiful, it became inevitable that most party leaders and officials would simply go along with their partys presidents abuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be sure, there were exceptions, and Republicans who had the wherewithal to publicly disagree with the Jan. 6 pardons will likely be applauded by history. But by any fair measure, they were outnumbered by their more cowardly partisan brethren. My personal favorite was the reaction from Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who said the pardons were absolutely justified, only to add moments later that he hadnt seen the details of the pardons. But perhaps most notable of all were the GOP voices who tried to argue that the pardons were a thing of the past. For example, Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, his partys new Senate majority leader, said in response to questions about the pardons, Were looking at the future, not the past. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, similarly added, Im ready to move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Im reminded of William Faulkners line, The past is never dead. Its not even past. Were not talking about events from generations ago. Trump pardoned politically aligned violent felons two days ago. These criminals are free right now. Their victims and the people who helped with their prosecutions are afraid today and will remain scared in the days, weeks, and months to follow. The emboldening effect on radicals and extremists is immediate. The presidents willingness to abuse his pardon is a scandal, but just as importantly, its an ongoing scandal, which makes the weak Republican reactions that much more pathetic. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Throughout the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump repeatedly assured the public that if voters elected him, hed successfully broker an end to Russias war in Ukraine. This would happen, the Republican boasted, during his transition period and within 24 hours. He even repeated the vow during a presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, assuring Americans, I will get it settled before I even become president. A tally published by NOTUS found that Trump, ahead of the election, told voters 33 times that hed end the devastating conflict within one day, routinely adding that this would happen before his second term began. We now know, of course, that the president did not follow through on his promise. In fact, he didnt even try. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of Trumps allies made the case that his within 24 hours vow meant that the Republican, despite his claims about a pre-inaugural breakthrough, would end the war on his first day back in the White House. With this in mind, on Monday night, a reporter reminded the president about his campaign promise. Well, this is only half a day, he responded. I have another half a day left. Well see. What we see, of course, is that the war rages on, and Trumps guarantees about a rapid end were false. Roughly 48 hours into his second term, however, the president has taken a newfound interest in the crisis he said would be easily resolved. CNBC reported: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose high levels of sanctions on Russia and tariffs on imports from there if the country did not reach a settlement to end its nearly three-year-old war against Ukraine. Trumps warning, made in a social media post on his third day as president, called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name. As online missives go, this was an odd one for the Republican. He began by expressing his love for the Russian people, whined about the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX that was not actually a hoax and claimed that Russia lost almost 60,000,000 lives during World War II a wildly inflated figure, given that Brittanica provides 60 million as the upper limit of the estimated international death toll. Trump added, All of that being said, Im going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. The president proceeded to get to the heart of the matter, writing, If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. During his candidacy, Trump had an unnerving habit of suggesting that he had a plan to end the war, but it was a secret. There are things he could say to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Republican said in February 2023, that would guarantee that this war will end immediately. He added at the time, I wont reveal [those things] now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly two years later, Trump is apparently showing his cards: His plan involves threatening Russia with high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions. There is, however, one glaring flaw with the plan: The United States has already imposed high levels of sanctions on Russia and cut off trade with the country years ago. In other words, Trumps threat (for lack of a better word) is to do what were already doing. Maybe the newly inaugurated president is simply unaware of the status quo. Alternatively, perhaps he knows the basic details and simply wants to give the impression of getting tough with Russia without actually saying or doing anything meaningful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Either way, if Trump wanted to remind everyone about one of his most important broken promises, hes doing a terrific job. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Todays installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launched a Democratic gubernatorial candidacy, hoping to succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who cannot seek a third term. A variety of other prominent figures in the Wolverine State have expressed interest in the race, and Benson is likely to face primary rivals. * In Arizona, Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, the former House Freedom Caucus chairman, filed a formal statement of interest this week in advance of a likely gubernatorial campaign. Gov. Katie Hobbs, the Democratic incumbent who has not yet announced her 2026 plans, is considered a top GOP target. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Democratic Rep. David Scott of Georgia has faced months of speculation about his age and health challenges, and while the incumbent hasnt yet said whether hell run for re-election next year, state Sen. Emanuel Jones is no longer waiting: The Democratic legislator kicked off his congressional campaign in Scotts district this week. * After repeatedly breaking with his party in recent months, Sen. John Fetterman is confronting scuttlebutt about a possible party switch. Asked about the possibility, the Pennsylvania Democrat dismissed the chatter. Its not going to happen, he told Semafor, adding: I would make a pretty bad Republican. * During his first campaign four years ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, I dont want or need the support of Tucker Carlson, or anyone else who perpetuates racist, anti-immigrant propaganda. As he prepares to run for a second term, the indicted incumbent this week sat down with Carlson. * And Vivek Ramaswamy made his departure from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency official this week. The failed Republican presidential candidate is, by all accounts, preparing to launch a gubernatorial candidacy in Ohio. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Jan. 21ANDERSON Several area residents raised concerns about a proposed ordinance to control unwanted and excessive noise in the county. The Madison County Commissioners Tuesday heard concerns by residents on how a noise ordinance would be enforced and the possible impact if a neighbor raises repeated concerns. The commissioners delayed action on the proposed ordinance until the Feb. 3 meeting. Several residents were concerned that the ordinance could limit activities on their property in the future, including gatherings and use of all terrain vehicles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've had a good discussion and got a lot of good ideas," Commissioner John Richwine said. "We want to make changes to make it acceptable. "Is there a tool we can put in the toolbox to address some of the issues?" he said. "We want to find something that can work properly. We should have a noise ordinance." Commissioner Rick Gardner said every city and town in Madison County has noise ordinances, as do the surrounding counties. County attorney Jeff Graham said the county already has a nuisance ordinance in place, but the new proposal would address loud noises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The problem with a noise ordinance is, how do you enforce it?" he said. Graham said he looked at how other Indiana counties deal with excessive noise. "This gives law enforcement an additional tool when dealing with the worst of the worst offenders," he said. The proposed ordinance places a restriction on the operation of large equipment from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and within 75 feet of a public road. Graham said normal agricultural operations would be exempt under the proposed ordinance. The ordinance also covers dogs barking and includes exemptions for fireworks between 7 a.m. and midnight or two hours after sundown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ordinance provides for a fine of $250 for the first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses. Graham said the ordinance will set standards for a judge to look at in the future. He said a property owner would receive notice from a law enforcement officer about a possible violation. "If there are continued violations it could result in a fine," Graham said. "We want to abate the nuisance." Several residents were concerned the ordinance could be used against people and that it was open to interpretation by both residents and law enforcement. The commissioners were told the ordinance should take into account rural areas of the county as opposed to new residential developments where noise could become a concern. Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863. The mood of optimism in America today is in such marked contrast to the miserableness infecting Keir Starmers Britain. The greatest comeback in modern politics, led by the brilliant Donald Trump, is joyful to behold. The Republicans have discovered a completely new definition of conservatism. As Trump issued an avalanche of presidential orders, he was met by huge cheers from the crowd that had gathered in the Capital One Arena in Washington. Within hours of his inauguration, promises made during the election campaign became promises that were kept. Its the opposite of life in Britain under this Labour government, where manifesto pledges have been shamelessly discarded. The feeling that America has changed course is inescapable. Is it possible that our political system could be in for a similar metamorphosis? Since June 2015, when Trump declared his intention to stand for the presidency, he has been viewed as a political outsider. Despite the dark days of endless court appearances that followed his first term, and last years assassination attempts, he has just kept on going. The American system gave him the advantage that he could use open primaries to become the head of the Republican Party, despite internal opposition. It is now very much his party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Britain, we dont have such an option, and the two-party system has until recently appeared to have been set in stone. However, if you believe the opinion polls, Reform UK which also has the status of an outsider is now in competition with Labour and the Conservatives. At the 2024 general election, we achieved 4.1 million votes. Every one of them was tied to our contract with the people. We use the word contract because manifesto has become synonymous with broken promises. Trump was elected on policy issues that bear a resemblance to ours. He embraced the big themes of national sovereignty, distrust of global institutions and the belief that a new kind of politics can bring increased prosperity. Another key area of agreement is in the reassertion of meritocracy. Diversity, equality and inclusion hiring practices should be rejected: they seek to divide people along the lines of race and sex. Although our contract did not explicitly say Drill, baby, drill, we know that Britain should be self-sufficient when it comes to energy. Net-zero, as enshrined in law by the Conservative Party and now being pursued with a religious fervour by the Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, is clearly going to be disastrous for our nation. The mainstream media and the great and the good of the British Establishment may support it, but increasing numbers of the public do not. This is unsurprising. Incredibly, our industrial energy prices are now four times more expensive than those of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has made it clear that he intends to stop people from entering America illegally and he is going to begin mass deportations of those who have already done so. Britain must do the same. Leaving the ECHR and removing illegal immigrants from this country will be important issues for us in the years to come. Populism was the winner in the recent elections in America. Whos to say it could not be the same in the UK, too? Is such an upset possible? It is far too early to say. But everywhere I go around the country, people always ask me: Can you please make Britain great again? 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. Jan. 21The Maine Turnpike Authority is sharing few details about its ongoing search for a new executive director despite promises to promote transparency and public involvement in the wake of controversy over the stalled Gorham Connector proposal. Authority officials wouldn't say how many applications have been received so far or exactly when the search for applicants will close. The lengthy job description, posted on multiple websites last fall, has no application deadline so additional candidates may be considered throughout the process, they said. They wouldn't provide a hiring timeline. "A number of highly qualified individuals submitted applications," Michael Cianchette, authority board chair, said Tuesday in a statement to the Portland Press Herald. "The board is working to schedule final interviews with several candidates. We hope to make a selection in the weeks ahead." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The search will close "upon selection and final agreement with a candidate," Cianchette said. "The selected candidate will then be presented for legislative confirmation." In the meantime, he said, "we continue to have a strong management team working to keep the turnpike safe and sustainable." The authority launched a national search for an executive director after Peter Mills retired in September from a job he held for 13 years, overseeing 400 employees and more than 109 miles of highway stretching from Kittery to Gardiner. His departure came amid mounting public dissent over the authority's proposal to spend $331 million to build the 5-mile, four-lane toll highway that would run from the recently rebuilt turnpike Exit 45 in South Portland, through Westbrook and Scarborough, to the Gorham Bypass at Route 114 in Gorham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mills, brother of Gov. Janet Mills, announced his departure in June, shortly after the board received a scathing report about administrative problems at the agency. The board appointed Chief Operations Officer Peter Merfeld to serve as interim executive director. The authority announced in July that it would halt the review of the connector proposal to consider public concerns about the need for a new highway spur, which would impact about 50 landowners, including Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook. Criticism included lack of public involvement in the planning process, which started more than 20 years ago but only last year revealed the preferred route. "If the project goes forward, (it) would occur after the completion of the public process and consideration of all available information," the authority said in a press release. "MTA remains committed to transparency, public involvement, and the careful planning necessary to ensure this project meets the needs and expectations of the community." The Scarborough Town Council rescinded its support for the proposal in October and opponents of the connector are pressing Gorham and Westbrook officials to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opponents also see the search for a new executive director as an opportunity to register continued objections to the connector and call for the dissolution of the authority itself. Established by the Legislature in 1941 to build the turnpike and collect tolls until it was paid off, it was authorized in 1982 to continue operating as it does today. Myles Smith, a leader of Mainers for Smarter Transportation, said Tuesday that the connector is "overkill" to address commuter traffic congestion. Moreover, he believes the Maine Department of Transportation could handle toll collection on the turnpike, similar to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. "If we let the MTA continue to exist, we run the risk of it making big mistakes," Smith said. "We believe the proposed expansion to Gorham is one such mistake. We hope that the board takes this opportunity of a leadership change to find a candidate who is willing to take a fresh approach." The authority has hired ProSearch, a Portland recruiting firm, to conduct the executive director search. The ad on the MTA and ProSearch websites seeks a person with a master's or law degree, at least 10 years of experience at a senior leadership level, preferably in an engineering, finance, law, corporate governance, public, legislative, municipal service and/or union environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Candidates should demonstrate a proven track record in management, excellent communication skills, and a strong understanding of public administration, ideally within the transportation sector," the ad says. "The primary function of the MTA (is) to operate and maintain a toll express highway through its short-term and long-term capital improvement plans." Regarding interactions with the public, the ad says the executive director "represents MTA to patrons, media, state and federal authorities, legislators, municipalities, banks, the bond trustee, rating agencies, bondholders, tolling agencies, the public, and other stakeholders in support of meeting the strategic and operational objectives of the (authority)." Candidates also must have "exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to listen and effectively respond to sensitive inquiries and complaints in a public setting, to make persuasive verbal presentations on controversial, technical and/or complex topics to the public, the media, advocacy groups, regulatory agencies, governmental administrators and legislative bodies." Salary will be commensurate with experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package. Mills, a lawyer and former legislator who was 81 at the time he retired, was paid $133,016 annually and did not receive benefits. Copy the Story Link A 33-year-old man who was set on fire last month while he slept in a limousine parked in Kalihi died early this morning, according to the Honolulu Police Department. At 1 :48 a.m., the victims condition worsened and the pronouncement of his death was made, an HPD highlight said. The case has been reclassified as second-degree murder. The city Department of the Medical Examiner has not released the mans name or the cause and manner of his death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said that at about 9 :50 p.m. on Dec. 27, the victim was sleeping in a black limousine in Kalihi while a second victim, a 30-year-old man, was standing outside. Three suspects approached them and one of them pointed a gun at the 30-year-old and ordered him to get into the vehicle, according to police. The man refused and ran. The same suspect threw an unknown liquid on the 33-year-old man and set him on fire, HPD said. The three suspects fled in a silver vehicle toward Ala Moana before police arrived. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. During the course of the investigation, HPD said, detectives interviewed witnesses, located and reviewed hours of surveillance, and examined evidence. Police found and recovered the car the trio allegedly used the night of the attack. on Sand Island Access Road at about 10 p.m. on Jan. 8 by HPD Crime Reduction Unit officers for two outstanding contempt warrants and on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder in the attack that left the victim in critical condition with severe burns. She has not been charged in connection with the case and was released Jan. 10 pending investigation. On Jan. 6, a 35-year-old suspect, Darryl Lee, was arrested in connection with the case at 9 :51 p.m. by officers in the Sand Island area. He was released Jan. 8 pending investigation, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One other suspect remained at large. 0 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT Victim Dawn Momohara in 1977. 1 /2 COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT Victim Dawn Momohara in 1977. COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT A composite drawing of the suspect in the 1977 murder of Dawn Momohara. 2 /2 COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT A composite drawing of the suspect in the 1977 murder of Dawn Momohara. COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT Victim Dawn Momohara in 1977. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT A composite drawing of the suspect in the 1977 murder of Dawn Momohara. A 66-year-old man was arrested in a Utah nursing home this morning in connection with the of a 16-year-old McKinley High School student whose body was found in a campus building. Dawn Momohara, then a sophomore at McKinley, was sexually assaulted and strangled to death 47 years ago. Her body was found on the second floor of the English building shortly after 7 :30 a.m. Hawaii time. Today at 7 :40 a.m. Hawaii time, the Mill Creek Investigations Unit of the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake arrested Gideon Castro, 66, on suspicion of second-degree murder, Honolulu Police Department Lt. Deena Thoemmes told reporters at a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 21, 1977, Momohara was found lying on her back and partially clothed. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found her purse, slipper, shorts and other evidence. An orange cloth was tightly wrapped around her neck. The morning before she was killed, Momohara got a call from an unknown man. Later that day she told her mother that she was going to Ala Moana Shopping Center with some friends. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was the last time that Dawns mother saw or heard from her daughter, said Thoemmes. An autopsy determined Momohara died of asphyxia due to strangulation and the manner of her death was homicide. Momohara had injuries to her neck where an orange cloth was used to strangle her. The city Department of the Medical Examiner determined she also suffered injuries consistent with sexual assault. Scrapings recovered from the scene and during the autopsy were examined and determined to be seminal fluid with the presence of sperm. DNA surreptitiously acquired from Gideon Castros son matched a sample found on Momoharas shorts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HPD investigators flew to Utah and covertly acquired a DNA sample from Gideon Castro that matched the evidence found on Momoharas shorts. On March 28, 1977, detectives interviewed Castro, who was later identified as a suspect. He told police he knew Momohara since late 1976, when he met her at a school dance. Gideon graduated from McKinley in 1976 and told police that Momohara was friends with him and his brother William Castro. He said Momohara used to call him when he was still in high school and that he last saw her at the McKinley carnival in February of 1977 where they talked for about 15 minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told her he was in the U.S. Army Reserve and had come home to Honolulu. William Castro was also interviewed by police and told detectives that he met Momohara at a school dance with his brother Gideon. 14 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Metro police located a camera inside a Starbucks bathroom, leading them to arrest a customer who employees said repeatedly used the facilities, according to documents 8 News Now obtained. Raymond Haywood face a charge of capturing, distributing or displaying an image of a private area, records said. On Monday, several officers responded to the Starbucks on Spring Mountain Road near Valley View Boulevard for a report of a hidden camera in a restroom, documents said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An employee told police she noticed Haywood buy a coffee and then repeatedly use the bathroom, documents said. [She] stated that she then went to use the restroom around 11 a.m. and noticed some shoe [mark] prints on the toilet seat, prompting her to look around inside of the bathroom [when] she noticed a phone camera with its view pointed directed at the toilet below, police said. Another employee said he noticed Haywood was seen using the restroom over nine times over the duration of approximately three hours he was there, police said. Officers said they later located a phone pointed downward in an air vent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is important to note that the camera lenses were pointed directly down toward the toilet where it would be able to capture the private area of another person as they used the restroom, police said. While speaking with police, Haywood said he takes medication which makes him use the restroom often, documents said. Police said Haywoods shoes matched the prints in the bathroom. Haywood posted a surety bond and was due in court in February. This is a deeply disturbing incident, and we are grateful for the quick and thorough response from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, a spokesperson said. We cannot overstate the importance of providing a safe environment for our customers and partners (employees). We will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement on this matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company recently reversed its open-door policy and now requires customers to purchase an item to stay. 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. FOND DU LAC The Menasha man accused of setting fire to U.S. Congressman Glenn Grothmans district office in Fond du Lac Jan. 19 has been charged. Caiden Sage Stachowicz, 19, was named after his initial court appearance Jan. 22. He is charged with arson, terrorist threat, attempted burglary and criminal damage to property. Cash bond was set at $500,000, according to a news release from Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 30 before Judge Tricia Walker. Fond du Lac police and fire officials responded about 1 a.m. to the fire at the strip mall that included Grothman's office at 525 N. Peters Ave. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, which damaged the exterior siding and an air conditioning unit. More news: Fond du Lac deputies led on 13-mile pursuit ending in crash into ditch, suspect's arrest Grothman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Jan. 19 the suspect was arrested at the scene "because he was just sitting there watching it burn." The criminal complaint alleges Stachowicz set fire to the office because the congressman voted "Yes" to require a sale of TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grothman was among a bipartisan majority of 360 House members who voted last year in favor of a bill that would force TikToks Chinese parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. That ban went into effect over the weekend, as the app stopped working in the U.S. for several hours Jan. 19. Fire damaged the outside of U.S. Rep, Glenn Grothman's Fond du Lac office early Sunday. Authorities say the fire was set by a Menasha man who cited anger over the U.S. ban on the video app TikTok. The criminal complaint said the first officer at the scene started putting out the fire with a fire extinguisher from his squad car and found Stachowicz standing by his own car. Stachowicz initially said it was an electrical fire, but later said he started the building on fire because "he doesn't like Representative Glenn Grothman," according to the complaint. He also told officers he had no intention of hurting anyone. He is suspected to have bought gas and matches at a Kwik Trip in Menasha before driving to Fond du Lac, and he tried to break into the office first before he moved to the back of the building to pour gasoline at the back door and on an electrical box, according to the complaint. The Fond du Lac Police Department continues to investigate the incident, assisted by the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. Anyone with information can contact Detective Vance Henning at 920-322-3725. Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Man suspected of arson of congressman's office over TikTok ban charged TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) A routine investigation led to an officer with the Texarkana, Texas Police Department (TTPD) being attacked and forced to fight for his life. According to TTPD, it all started Friday night with a call about a man allegedly pulling a gun on another person during an argument on W. 11th St. When Sergeant Nick Tirone arrived, he spotted 45-year-old Jeffery Troxel, who matched the suspects description. He said, Hey man, you know, do you know anything about a disturbance? He said, No, I dont really know anything about whats going on there, said Shawn Vaughn with TTPD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After questioning Troxel, Sergeant Tirone asked to frisk the suspect, who, at that point, reached into his pocket like he was going to pull something out. Sergeant Tirone grabbed his arm, believing that he may have a weapon, but Troxel suddenly punched the officer and lunged at him. At that point the man was on top of the sergeant. They were fighting and continued to hit him in the face the whole time that he was down there Eventually he was able to get him turned over where the sergeant was on top, and he was still trying to hit him and everything else. said Vaughn. During the struggle, Troxel reportedly attempted to grab his gun before Sergeant Tirone was able to regain control and subdue the suspect until help arrived. Arkansas man sentenced for indecency involving 14-year-old Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The situation could have turned out a whole lot worse than it did, and were glad that that everybody was OK in the end. The officer, you know, he went home at the end of his shift and, and the bad guy went to jail. said Vaughn. Sergeant Tirone suffered some injuries but was ultimately in good enough shape to finish out his shift that night. The officer, you know, he was treated at a local emergency center. He had some bruising on his face, his ears, his head, and then some scrapes on his knees and elbows that he got during the fight. said Vaughn. TTPD says they believe Troxel ingested a significant amount of methamphetamine prior to the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His reactions, you know, were completely out of the ordinary and and obviously very violent situation for the officer to walk into there. said Vaughn. After being evaluated at the hospital, he was booked into the Bi-state Jail and charged with felony Assault on a Peace Officer. Troxel also faces a charge of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon based on an alleged stabbing in Dekalb earlier this month. His total bond was set at $260,000. 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 KTALnews.com. OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) A man was arrested on Saturday after deputies said he held a woman against her will and physically assaulted her in Oconee County. According to the Oconee County Sheriffs Office, deputies responded to a disturbance Saturday afternoon on Khaki Campbell Way. Deputies said the victim, an adult female, had answered the door and a man ran out of the side door. The man was identified as 23-year-old Charles Brandon Sutton. Deputies said they briefly chased Sutton before catching up to him and placing him in custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies said that they learned during the investigation that Sutton and the victim had argued during the day. Sutton reportedly assaulted the victim physically by hitting, slapping, choking, slamming and biting her, according to deputies who said physical signs of abuse were apparent on the victim. Sutton is also accused of holding the victim down, refusing to let her leave and taking the victims cellphone and keys before fleeing. Deputies said they found a cell phone, car keys and a bookbag on Sutton when he was taken into custody. Sutton has been charged with two counts of resisting arrest and one count each of kidnapping and domestic violence. His bond is $70,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WSPA 7NEWS. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Officials with the Salt Lake City Police Department have arrested a man after finding thousands of fentanyl pills, various other drugs, and several firearms in his motel room. Marco Antonio Lopez, 34, was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a restricted person. School district employee arrested, charged with over 30 counts related to child porn Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials began an investigation on Jan. 9, 2025, as they patrolled near 1000 South Main Street. SLCPD said detectives saw activity consistent with illegal transactions involving Lopez, leading to detectives obtaining a search warrant for his motel room. After searching his motel room, officials found 2,500 fentanyl pills; three firearms (two of which were reportedly stolen); varying amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and crack cocaine; and $3,100 in cash. The people who are illegally distributing these deadly drugswhile also in illegal possession of firearmspose an immediate danger to our public safety, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said in a press release. As a department, we are focused and determined not to allow people a place in Salt Lake City where they can sell or buy drugs without consequence. The operation was run by detectives with the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) of the Salt Lake City Police Department. The team was created to tackle repeat offenders and emerging crime trends, SLCPD said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lopez was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on the aforementioned charges. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. GROTON, Conn. (WTNH) A Mystic man was arrested for making threats toward officers and students in an online social media video, police said. Aaron Stanislav, 33, was charged with threatening in the first degree/hazard to terrorize, criminal attempt at escape from custody and interfering with a police officer. At around 12:20 p.m. on Monday, state police notified Groton police of threats being made in an online special media video. The threats made in the video were not specific and no schools were named, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wallingford woman arrested for prostitution, again Police said the suspect is well known to officers due to interactions. Police said they attempted to locate the suspect at a defunct building on Oral School Road but could not find him. At around 4:40 p.m., police were notified of videos online that indicated he was in Mysitc near Stonington. He was located at the Mystic VFW, taken into custody and taken by ambulance for evaluation. Police said Stanislav was arrested at around 8:30 p.m., after being released from the hospital. Police said the suspect attempted to escape from the booking room but was stopped by detectives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was held on a court-set $1,000,000 bond and an additional 100,000 bound set by Groton police for trying to flee the booking. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Groton police ask anyone with information to contact them at (860) 441-6712. 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 WTNH.com. (PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo.) A man has been arrested in northeast Colorado on a Pueblo County warrant for attempting to influence a public servant and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to the Pueblo County Sheriffs Office (PCSO), 65-year-old Kurt Welsh was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in Sterling, about 27 miles form the northern Colorado border with Nebraska. Welsh was arrested on a warrant out of Pueblo County for seven counts of attempting to influence a public servant and for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office PCSO said the arrest was the result of 18 months worth of investigation by PCSO detectives. Welsh is being held in Logan County awaiting transfer to Pueblo County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The man serving a minimum of 26 years in prison for attacking a Las Vegas judge last year is appealing his sentence to the Nevada Supreme Court, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. On Jan. 3, 2024, Deobra Redden, 31, attacked Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus as Holthus was sentencing him to prison in another case, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. In December, District Court Judge Susan Johnson sentenced Redden to a prison term of 26-65 years. It was not just retaliation or an attack on Judge Holthus, Johnson said during the sentencing. It was also an attack on the judiciary. Johnson added doctors who evaluated Redden concluded he knew between right and wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im not a bad person, Im not an evil guy, Redden told Johnson before she sentenced him. Im not making excuses for my actions, but Im saying Im not a bad person and I know that I did not intend to kill Mary Kay Holthus, I know I cared about her wellbeing. No other information regarding Reddens appeal was filed as of Tuesday evening. His family previously said he battled schizophrenia. During his trial, Redden pleaded guilty but mentally ill after Holthus and her law clerk testified. Five days after the attack, Holthus sentenced Redden on an attempted battery charge. With credit for time served, Redden would be eligible for parole in the 2050s should the high court not intervene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The man serving a minimum of 26 years in prison for attacking a Las Vegas judge last year is appealing his sentence to the Nevada Supreme Court, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Limestone County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) says a man was arrested Sunday after he was caught in the act of sexually abusing a child under 12. LCSO said on Jan. 19 deputies responded to a call regarding a man abusing a child less than 12 years old. According to the sheriffs office, deputies responded to find that the victims family had detained the man after he was caught in the act of sexually abusing a child. Coroner identifies two killed in crash on Bob Wade Lane in Huntsville Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said the man, identified as Luis Lopez-Martinez, 38, of Guatemala, was taken into custody and the victim was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and care. LCSO said Lopez-Martinez confessed to sexual abuse of a child less than 12 during an interview with investigators. Authorities said he was then arrested and charged. His bond was set at $250,000. The sheriffs office said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration detainer on the suspect. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Following several incidents at places of worship in Nashville in the past week, a suspect accused of starting a fire at a North Nashville church has been arrested, according to Metro police documents. Christopher Shrum, 28, was detained Tuesday, Jan. 21 and charged with felony arson at a place of worship. RELATED: Law enforcement investigating separate attacks on houses of worship in Middle TN Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Jan. 16, Nashville Fire Department crews were dispatched to First Apostolic Church in the 200 block of Broadmoor Drive. According to court documents, multiple trashcans were on fire, and the flames had spread to the church gymnasium. Officials said the structure of the church was significantly damaged. Man charged after dressing to appear as an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, entering Jewish community center Reports referred to video surveillance footage of the incident, which reportedly captured Shrum lighting an item on fire before he dropped it into a trashcan. The NFD released several photos of the person of interest captured on the surveillance footage. (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) This is a person of interest after a North Nashville church trash can was set on fire. (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) (Courtesy: Nashville Fire Department) WATCH: Search for arsonist after North Nashville church set on fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities spoke with Shrum on Tuesday, and he reportedly admitted to lighting paper on fire above the trashcan. He claimed the fire began to burn out of control and he left the location without attempting to contact emergency services. Shrum is detained in Metro jail on a $75,000 bond. No additional information on the motive for the arson was shared by investigators. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 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 WKRN News 2. BROOKLYN, Conn. (WTNH) A man was charged with driving under the influence after crashing into Brooklyn Town Hall on Monday, state police said. Francis Leo OCoin of Brooklyn, Conn. was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs and failure to maintain proper lane. 3 seriously injured in Manchester crash According to state police, OCoin was driving northbound on Route 169 before Route 6 in the town of Brooklyn at around 6:25 p.m., when he ran the red light at the intersection and ran off the roadway striking the Brooklyn Town Hall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OCoin was taken to an area hospital for minor injuries, state police said. 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 WTNH.com. WALTERBORO, S.C. (WSAV) The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer-involved shooting after a man allegedly pointed a firearm at a deputy. Deputies were called to a residence on Jennings Court on Saturday in regard to a domestic-related incident, a Colleton County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) representative said. One deputy spoke with the caller while the other attempted a traffic stop on Harley Alan Prater, 30, as he pulled into the driveway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prater exited the vehicle and allegedly pointed a firearm at the duty, which resulted in the deputy firing at Prater through his windshield. No one was injured, CCSO said. Prater surrendered into custody and has been with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and pointing and presenting a firearm. The investigation has been handed over to SLED. 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 WSAV-TV. DENVER (KDVR) Almost three years to the day since the incident occurred, a jury convicted a 39-year-old man on multiple charges after he deliberately drove into his ex-girlfriend and her family. Manuel Handboy was convicted after an eight-day jury trial of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, attempted manslaughter, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and third-degree assault. The jury also determined that one sentence-enhancing charge of using a weapon during a violent crime had been proven. Suspect shot by officers in multi-jurisdiction incident near Casa Bonita Tuesday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Handboy was accused of attempting to run over his ex-girlfriend, her mother and her sister at the Red Rock Motel on West 63rd Ave. in Adams County in 2022. According to the 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office, the ex-girlfriend and her mother had been staying at the hotel since the couple broke up. On Jan. 15, 2022, the ex-girlfriend, her mother and her sister were returning to the motel after a shopping trip. While unloading the vehicle, the women saw Handboy nearby in his black Acura sedan, prosecutors said. Handboy accelerated the vehicle into the women, prosecutors said, intentionally hitting the victim, her mother and her sister with the sedan. Prosecutors said the impact caused both the victim and her mother to go airborne, and the victims sister who was inside the car, was also struck. The 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office said in a release Tuesday that the victim and her sister were injured, but their mother was knocked unconscious by the attack and suffered a traumatic brain injury in addition to multiple fractures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This defendant plowed his vehicle into three innocent victims, causing unspeakable suffering, said District Attorney Brian Mason in his offices release. The defendants violent actions are an outrageous assault on this community, and Im grateful to the jury for returning a just verdict. Man who threatened missing juveniles family pleads guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material Handboy crashed the vehicle and flipped it onto its side, and then attempted to flee on foot. A courageous witness subdued Handboy until Adams County Sheriffs Office deputies responded and took Handboy into custody. FOX31 spoke to that witness in 2022, who said he was a hotel resident and watched the events unfold feet from his doorstep. Handboy is scheduled to appear for sentencing on April 2 in Adams County District Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) A man allegedly shot and killed another man at a Chambersburg hotel Friday because he believed the victim touched his girlfriend inappropriately, police said in court documents. Kelsey Myles, 36, of Mississippi, is charged with criminal homicide and recklessly endangering another person from the shooting in the 200 block of Walker Road around 5 p.m., court docs show. Two other people, Kayla Moore, 37, of Mississippi and Davarious Bender, 30, of Alabama, are accused of helping Myles evade law enforcement until he was captured in Virginia, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man in critical condition after being knocked out at Shippensburg bar; Other man charged Ted Guerrier, 43, of Chambersburg, was found on the floor in the hallway after police said they responded to the hotel for a shots fired. According to a criminal complaint, witnesses who were in the hallway during the time of the incident reported to police there was an argument between Myles and Guerrier regarding Myles girlfriend, who was identified as Moore. Guerrier struck Myles in the face, leading to Myles shooting him, police said. The shooting was caught on surveillance video from the hotel. Myles then got in a Ford Escape that Bender was renting and drove away from the scene. Police then questioned Bender and Moore and told them to contact officers if they knew of Myles whereabouts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Alerts The complaint shows, Bender and Moore later in the evening walked to a vehicle that pulled into the parking lot which appeared to be the Ford. Moore got in the passenger seat and the vehicle then left, while Bender walked back to the hotel. When the vehicle was found in Virginia hours later, Myles and Moore were both inside. Bender eventually admitted when he was interviewed again to seeing the vehicle and Myles inside it after walking to it. Police said neither Moore nor Bender tried to contact law enforcement after finding out about Myless whereabouts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Moore and Bender face a felony charge of hindering the apprehension/prosecution. Bender is out of Franklin County prison after he posted his bail set at $200,000, and he awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 28. Moore and Myles are still awaiting their preliminary hearings to be scheduled. 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 ABC27. The week-long search for 42-year-old Shuefaub Xiong ended tragically in the Twin Cities on Tuesday. The St. Paul Police Department said Xiong, a delivery driver for Dominos in Apple Valley who went missing on Jan. 14, died Tuesday afternoon of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to a news release, officers responded to a residence in the 1100 block of Rice Street around 12:10 p.m. after one of Xiong's siblings reported Xiong was suffering from a mental health crisis, had access to firearms and was threatening to take his own life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the scene, police instructed Xiong's family members to exit the building to ensure their safety. In a news release, the department said Xiong's family made multiple attempts to contact him and ask him to exit the building. "As efforts to make contact continued, Xiong ran out of the building and around the corner onto Geranium Avenue West, where he shot himself," police stated. "Despite lifesaving efforts, Xiong was pronounced dead at the scene. Shuefuab 'Shue' Xiong. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The circumstances surrounding Xiong's death remain under investigation. Over the weekend, authorities recovered his unoccupied vehicle in Superior, Wisconsin and also learned hed spoken to an acquaintance Saturday evening in Roseville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement Monday, the Apple Valley Police Department indicated Xiong was possibly experiencing a mental health crisis and officers were unsure how hed traveled from Superior, Wisconsin back to the Twin Cities area. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text MN to 741741. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change. LONDON (AP) A 26-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday to the murder of a mother and two of her daughters at their family home just north of London last year, in an attack that involved a crossbow and a knife. Prosecutors said Kyle Clifford killed his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt and her 28-year-old sister Hannah Hunt with a crossbow before stabbing their mother, Carol Hunt, 61, to death on July 9. Appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court, Clifford admitted to three counts of murder, one of false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons the crossbow and a 10-inch knife. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping Louise Hunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three women, who are the family of well-known BBC radio racing commentator John Hunt, were found with serious injuries at their home in the quiet residential neighborhood of Bushey, northeast of the capital. Police and ambulance crews tried to save the three women, but they were pronounced dead at the scene. Police launched a manhunt for the suspect before he was found injured in a cemetery in Enfield, north London. Clifford, who served in the military from 2019 for around three years, had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow. Following the attacks, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was urgently considering whether tougher crossbow laws were needed but no proposals have yet been put forward. People in Britain do not need a license to own a crossbow, but it is illegal to carry one in public without a reasonable excuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The weapon has been used in several high-profile crimes in recent years. In December 2021 a would-be assailant carrying a loaded crossbow broke into Windsor Castle seeking to kill Queen Elizabeth II. Jaswant Singh Chail pleaded guilty to a treason charge and was sentenced last year to nine years in prison. A man in England has pleaded guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend and her sister in a crossbow attack, as well as murdering their mother with a knife, a court has heard. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, Kyle Clifford, 26, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court from London's Belmarsh Prison, The Guardian reported. The Cambridge Crown Court confirmed to PEOPLE that the suspect pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, as well as admitting to one count of false imprisonment and the possession of two offensive weapons, following the killing of BBC Racing radio commentator John Hunt's wife Carol, 61, and two of their daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, on July 9, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack took place at the Hunt family's home in the Hertfordshire town of Bushey in the East of England. Hertfordshire police Kyle Clifford Kyle Clifford Related: BBC Presenter Who Lost Wife and 2 Daughters in Crossbow Attack Urges People to 'Make the Most of Every Day' Per the BBC, Clifford, of north London, will stand trial at the same court later this year after being accused of raping Louise. The Cambridge Crown Court confirmed to PEOPLE that Clifford had pleaded not guilty to rape, stating that the trial was set for March 3. Clifford, a former member of the Queens Dragoon Guard, appeared via video link in a wheelchair during Wednesday's court appearance, per The Times. He underwent life-saving surgery after he was found with injuries from the attack following a 22-hour manhunt, the outlet stated. Hannah Grace Aesthetics/Facebook; Groom and Glow/Instagram Hannah Hunt; Louise Hunt Hannah Hunt; Louise Hunt The news comes after an inquest into the deaths began on July 30 at Hertfordshire Coroner's Court. The court heard that Hannah was still alive with a crossbow bolt in her chest when police arrived at the property, multiple outlets including the Associated Press, BBC News and The Guardian reported at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per the outlets, Hannah had texted an unnamed individual saying she'd been "tied up" and had asked them to call the police. Hannah also stated that the suspect was still in the house. The previous hearing also heard that Hannah managed to call the police herself and give her address, but the call ended up cutting out, the BBC reported. Carol died from stab wounds to her chest and abdomen in the attack, while Hannah and Louise died from the crossbow bolt injuries, per the AP. 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. Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Tributes for the victims are left outside their Bushey, U.K. home Tributes for the victims are left outside their Bushey, U.K. home John Hunt and his surviving daughter Amy spoke out about the attack in a statement shared on Facebook by the Hertfordshire Constabulary on July 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words, they said. We would like to thank people for their kind messages and for the support we have received in recent days. These have provided great comfort to us for which we are very grateful," the statement added. As you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for us, and we need time and space to come to terms with what has happened and start the grieving process. While this is happening, we would ask that our privacy and that of our wider family and relations be respected at this time. Thank you, they concluded. A GoFundMe page set up by John Hunt's friend Matt Chapman to help Amy and the family had so far raised more than $152,000 as of Wednesday, Jan. 22. Read the original article on People YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A man charged with having child sex abuse materials pleaded not guilty Wednesday at his arraignment in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Anthony Lombardo, 50, entered his pleas before Magistrate Nicole Butler to three counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor, a fourth-degree felony; and illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented performance, a fifth-degree felony. Magistrate Butler set bond at $15,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lombardo is in prison on unrelated charges and is expected to be released at the end of March, his attorney, Walter Ritchie, said. His trial was set for March 31 before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum. A grand jury indicted Lombardo Thursday, accusing him of soliciting, receiving, purchasing or possessing material that shows a minor engaging in sexual activity on April 16, 2024. Jail records show that Lombardo was on parole when he was accused of committing the crimes he was indicted for. 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 WKBN.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man was sentenced to five years in prison for two separate incidents in Washington County last year, including for committing a bias crime, assault and making threats with guns. Ryan James Darby pleaded guilty to all three charges last week, with the judge ordering he must complete two years of post-prison supervision after release. DMV closing one of its busiest offices at Mall 205 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Washington County District Attorneys Office, the Beaverton Police Department responded to an incident on June 2, 2024. Officials said Derby approached his neighbor, a Black man, and began talking to him. The victim asked the defendant to leave him alone. Mr. Darby responded by calling the victim a racial slur before he attacked him. He struck the victim in the face which caused injury, the DAs office said. At the time, Darby denied any wrongdoing. Beaverton police later spoke to a woman who said she wasnt with Darby when the attack happened, despite the defendants attempted alibi to the contrary. Police also found a tattoo on Darbys body that is connected to a well-known white supremacist gang. During a separate incident, on Nov. 9, the Tigard Police Department responded to a domestic dispute involving Darby, his girlfriend, her friend and her three children. A neighbor had heard children screaming and called the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators later learned Darby had assaulted his girlfriends friend and then threatened to stab them both. The three children were there and witnessed the incident. At first, those at the scene downplayed the severity of what happened to the responding Tigard police officers, the DAs office said. However, after the police received a video recording of the incident several days later, it became clear Darby was making threats with a knife. Tigard police also learned of the defendants then-outstanding warrant and detained him. 5 teens arrested for alleged series of burglaries Darby was found guilty of first-degree bias crime, fourth-degree felony assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Darby will have a no-contact order with his victims and be required to take mental health and anger management treatment upon release from his five-year prison term served at the Oregon Department of Corrections. 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 KOIN.com. NEWINGTON, CT. (WWLP) A man and woman were arrested on Sunday on kidnapping charges in Newington, Connecticut. Man dies after rollover crash on Route 190 in Somers The incident happened back on October 28th when police were called to a Stop & Shop to check on a woman. The woman said she was held against her will at the Grantmoor Motor Lodge for two days and forced to withdraw money. Amanda Ditommaso, 37, was charged with kidnapping in the first degree, conspiracy to commit kidnapping in the first degree, failure to appear in the first degree and four counts of failure to appear in the second degree, according to NBC Connecticut. Ditommaso was detained on a $237,500 bond and was in New Britain Superior Court on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tylone Graham, 41, has been charged with first degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. They were both wanted on an active kidnapping arrest warrant. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 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 WWLP. Jan. 21FAIRMONT A Taylor County Grand Jury has indicted a Mannington man for one count of bigamy following an investigation. On Tuesday, 30-year-old Christopher Lum Carpenter, of Mannington, was one of 31 individuals indicted in a Grafton courtroom. An indictment is a formal accusation that an individual committed a serious criminal offense. In April 2024, deputies from the Taylor County Sheriff's Department arrested Carpenter after they learned he was already married to one woman when he married a woman he had been living with in taylor County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the criminal complaint, Carpenter and the woman he married in Marion County in March 2021 were cohabiting "as husband and wife"" with a woman he married in Marion County, but was still married at the time to his previous wife. During their investigation, deputies found, that in March 2018, Carpenter and a woman were married in Garrett County, Maryland, and were still married when he had a second wedding in Marion County three years later, in March 2021. Garrett County court officials told deputies there "was not a divorce decree or divorce proceedings filed through the court until March 18, 2024," which means Carpenter was married to two women at the same time. While released on a $5,000 bond from the North Central Regional Jail, Carpenter faces one count of bigamy, which is a felony in West Virginia. The crime comes with a minimum sentence of one year and a maximum of five years in state prison. Facing mounting questions over a chaotic evacuation, top L.A. County officials say they want to build a database of residents with disabilities who require help fleeing a neighborhood engulfed in flames. L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told county supervisors at a public meeting Tuesday that the ongoing wildfires underscored the need for a database to track people who have mobility challenges or health challenges. Trying to do it during an emergency is very, very difficult, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The assessment comes as the county faces fresh scrutiny over the tumultuous evacuation of Altadena, the site of the majority of fire-related deaths since Jan. 7. At least eight of the 27 fire victims to date were at least 80 years old, and some had disabilities that hampered their efforts to evacuate. Anthony Mitchell Sr., an amputee in his 60s, for example, died in his Altadena home along with his son Justin , who had cerebral palsy, as they waited to be rescued. Read more: Altadena family says disabled father and son were left to burn: 'Nobody was coming' Mitchells other son, Anthony Mitchell Jr., told The Times he wanted to see a better accounting of residents with special needs, saying officials should put those addresses down as priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marrone said first responders had moved roughly 500 people to safety after the fire broke out. Some were unable to leave on their own. Others might have, but waited too long. Far too many stories I have heard of people that did not leave during the evacuation order, and our firefighters and our sheriff deputies had to evacuate those people, Marrone said. People must protect themselves. Supervisor Holly Mitchell warned the region was unprepared for a future in which the county was routinely blackened by wildfire, while the people who called it home were rapidly graying . We look at the aging of our society people wanting to age in their own homes, Mitchell said. As a community, we are not prepared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: L.A. population is aging fast. Here's how it's dramatically transforming the city Fesia Davenport, the countys chief executive officer, said she planned to return to the board with more information on a possible database. Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, said she plans to ask for a review of the county's evacuation policies and emergency alert notifications system. On Tuesday she asked for names of consultants to lead such a review. Her request comes after The Times reported that parts of Altadena didnt receive evacuation orders until hours after the Eaton fire started. The plans were part of a flurry of fire-related discussions and motions Tuesday about how the county could bolster recovery efforts. The supervisors also voted to temporarily bar landlords in unincorporated parts of the county from evicting tenants who have evacuees or their pets staying with them in violation of their lease and to suspend some restrictions on short term rentals to ramp up available housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a time for all Angelenos to come together, step up and do their part to help victims, said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. Read more: Western Altadena got evacuation order many hours after Eaton fire exploded. 17 people died there The board also agreed to send a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump asking for assistance footing the mammoth bill for recovery efforts. We are continuing full throttle on the gas pedal to maximize every resource we can get from the state and federal government, said Kevin McGowan, the head of the countys Office of Emergency Management. Supervisor Janice Hahn said, though she wasnt concerned about support from the state, she was wary of what the county could expect from the new Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im concerned about the potential strings that weve been hearing might be connected to this disaster assistance, said Hahn, noting shed watched talk shows in which politicians blasted the countys empty reservoirs and empty hydrants. Weve heard some pretty pointed words that suggest, if certain things didnt change, we might not get the money, Hahn said. Barger, the sole Republican on the board, countered that she was looking forward to working with this administration and planned to prove to the White House that the county was justified in what we are asking for. Former President Biden had pledged to cover all disaster assistance costs for the next half year, but local politicians say it's not clear if that support would continue under Trump. The president, like other Republicans, has lambasted Californias liberal leaders for their handling of the wildfires. Trump has accused Newsom on Truth Social of hoarding water and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has hinted that federal relief funding could be cut because of the state's leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Gavin Newsom and local leaders made decisions that made this disaster exponentially worse which it appears there were should there be some consequence of that? Johnson asked reporters last week. 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. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Secretary of State Marco Rubio got right to work Tuesday just hours after receiving Senate confirmation, making him the nations top diplomat. Rubio is the first member of President Donald Trumps cabinet. He says the mission at the State Department remains the same, promotion of peace, the avoidance of conflict. Rubio says President Trump tasked him with seeking solutions for a safer world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without peace, it is hard to be a strong nation, a prosperous nation, and one that is better off, Rubio said. The secretary of state says there will be changes at the department to reflect the world around us. Think about how much the world has changed in the last five years. Imagine how much it will change over the next 25 years, Rubio said. The former senator turned secretary of state was confirmed in a 99-0 vote, a rare show of bipartisanship. Now, if every one of President Trumps nominees was qualified and experienced as Senator Rubio, theyd sail through the Senate with bipartisan support, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to confirming President Trumps other nominees Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has concerns. Will Donald Trumps nominees focus on cutting costs? or will they be more interested in cutting sweetheart deals for big businesses? Schumer asked. The Senate will hold hearings and votes on the remaining nominees in the coming weeks. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A local public high school in Northwest Louisiana is hosting a free Mardi Gras ball for their students. We believe a students ability to grow and develop should not be based on their parents income. All of our Experiential Learning programs are offered at ZERO cost to students and their families, and we encourage all students to participate, states their website. The Northwest Louisiana public school details their Experimental learning programs includes: three-day college tour inform first-generation college attendees what to consider when selecting a school, including size, major and minor programs, clubs, and campus life; six-day trip to Washington D.C . museums and historical landmarks, a trip to Blackbird Farm offers a chance to learn about sustainable living and healthy eating while connecting with peers and natures and Rocky Mountain National Park students explore 32.5 acres of traditional dude style ranch. Pathways In Education is a public school with two locations in Shreveport. Pathways is inviting current students from Southern Hills and Youree Drive Campuss to their third annual Mardi Gras Ball, Thursday, February 27th. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Test your Mardi Gras knowledge, Bingo fundraiser Pathways annual Mardi Gras ball includes food, music and fun. Meet and join in a second line with local Krewes! Take pictures and make memories to last a lifetime! They emphasis on their ticketing website: No outside guests or students from other schools are allowed at this event. Formal, semi-formal or dressy attire is strongly encouraged. Security will be provided. The event is located at Sheriffs Safety Town (8910 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport) from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. If interested attendees have any additional questions contact Melvie at 318-424-8138 or Cindy at 318-688-2301. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTALnews.com. MARYLAND (DC News Now) As part of the slew of executive orders he signed on his first day in office, President Donald Trump rolled back projections for transgender people, and said the U.S. would only recognize two sexes, rejecting their gender identities. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown released a statement on Tuesday, denouncing the order. Make no mistake: this Executive Order threatens peoples lives, Brown wrote, in part. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The executive order declares that the federal government only recognizes two sexes: male and female, defined based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than their chromosomes, as explained by the Associated Press. Female means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell. Male means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell, the order stated. Maryland Attorney General Brown, 18 other states sue to block Trumps effort to end birthright citizenship This is a decision that ignores the humanity and reality of transgender Americans across our State and nation, Brown also stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mandate also limits federal funding for transition health services, barring federal agencies from allocating funds to promote gender ideology. Federal prisons and shelters are also now required to segregate incarcerated people, sexual assault survivors and migrants by their sex, not their gender identities. This means transgender women would be housed with men in federal prisons, explained Orion Rummler and Kate Sosin in an article for The 19th. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General will protect all Marylanders especially members of marginalized communities and wants transgender residents of our State to know that they belong, they matter, and our Office will fight for their rights and safety, Browns statement concluded. Full statement from Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. (Courtesy of Anthony Brown via X/@OAGMaryland) 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. LA PLATA, Md. (DC News Now) Several Maryland police departments are using a lifesaving tool to help those with autism and other cognitive disorders. The clock moves really fast when youre looking for somebody with an intellectual developmental disability or a cognitive issue, Carl Schinner, Chief of Police of the La Plata Police Department, said. DMV content creators await Supreme Courts TikTok decision Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The La Plata Police Department has been using Project Lifesaver since 2022. The tool is free to use thanks to a federal grant. It gives us a leg up, and hopefully finding them in a very short amount of time and returning them back to those who really love them, Schinner said. Charles Jenifer Sr. told DC News Now that the technology also helped his mom. At one particularly time she left, and they literally found her where she used to live, he said. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. A Maryland woman got a shock after learning she'd wrongly been declared dead while trying to renew her driver's license. Nicole Paulino explained that she went to get a new license in November, but was told she couldn't by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), per NBC4 Washington. It then appears that I am deceased, Paulino a mother of three from Gaithersburg told the outlet, adding, I got a little frightened, Im not gonna lie, and surprised, because I am alive. Im here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Social Security Administration (SSA) representative subsequently called Paulino to say that the mistake was caused by a typo from a funeral home. They registered Paulino's Social Security number instead of the person who had died, the publication stated. Patrick Semansky/AP Photo Social Security cleared up the administration error Social Security cleared up the administration error Its affected my health, my mental health, Paulino told the outlet. She also noted that because of the mix-up, her health insurance had been canceled, meaning that medical bills had been piling up. This really, really messes up my life, Paulino, who was unable to get the inhaler she needed for her asthma, added to the outlet. It has affected me a lot, she said, confirming that she'd also received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stating she was a "deceased taxpayer." Getty A stock photo of U.S. forms of identification A stock photo of U.S. forms of identification The SSA and the Maryland MVA didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SSA spokesperson Darren Lutz previously told PEOPLE that nearly 3 million deaths are reported to the SSA each year and that their records are "highly accurate." The spokesperson sent the statement after Madeline-Michelle Carthen told PEOPLE in October 2023 that she had "everything stripped" from her after her Social Security number listed her as deceased. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. J. David Ake/ AP Photo A photo of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters building in Washington A photo of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters building in Washington Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unknowingly, her name was added to the Death Master File, an internal database that collects records of dead people who have Social Security numbers. "I had to give up my home. I don't have a place to stay. I can't get a mortgage," she told PEOPLE at the time, revealing that she'd contacted multiple government officials, including four U.S. presidents. "Everything has been stripped from me ... I'm blocked," Carthen, who changed her name in 2021 and received a new Social Security number, but was still facing setbacks, added. Read the original article on People BOSTON (WWLP) President Donald Trump has kicked off his second term in office by signing a series of executive orders Tuesday and it is sparking backlash among Democratic leaders, especially from our state. Senator Markey hosted a roundtable discussion that included Massachusettss Attorney General, who announced that her office is suing the Trump administration for targeting immigrants. After one full day into his second term, President Donald Trump has signed off on a series of executive orders, and top Democratic leaders across the country and our state are springing into action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donald Trump is singularly committed to abandoning working people, their future, and our democracyall for the sake of wealth and power, says Senator Markey. The Massachusetts Senator held a roundtable with other state officials Tuesday to discuss President Trumps political agenda and the implications it could have on the commonwealth over the next four years. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley added, Lets have the imagination to envision a more just world, the strategy to bring it to fruitionand the stamina to see it through. So far, President Trumps executive orders include: Pardoning nearly 1,500 January 6th insurrectionists Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord as well as the World Health Organization Removing gender and racial equity policies Reversing polices on lower drug prices and weakening the Affordable Care Act Reinterpreting the 14th Amendment to end birthright citizenship But that is receiving legal challenges from democratic attorneys across the nation including Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell calling this order an egregious overstep of authority. We wont stand for policies that are cruel, that will target innocent babies, that will target our folks in the immigrant community, said AG Campbell. Demonize them or suggest that they are all criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campbell says her office is reviewing and closely monitoring the federal agencys implementation of these orders, adding that she will use every tool available to protect Massachusetts residents. Governor Maura Healey is supporting Campbells move to sue the Trump Administration, saying on social media, quote, The Constitution is clear every child born within our borders deserves the same rights and freedoms as anyone else. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. BOSTON (WWLP) Governor Healey announced on Friday that her administration has reached a deal with the Biden administration to pay back Massachusetts $2.1 billion debt over the next decade. This debt is the result of a Baker-administration error, Healeys predecessor, which mistakenly used federal pandemic relief funds to cover unemployment benefits. Governor Healey announces $2.5B for higher education in Massachusetts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With interest, the states debt would surpass $3 billion, but Healeys office says they worked with the Department of Labor to reduce this debt by over $1 million. The governor says this problem could be an opportunity for reform. It is incredibly frustrating that the prior administration allowed this to happen, but we are going to use this as a moment to come together with the business and labor community to make meaningful reforms to the Unemployment Insurance system, said Healey. The Healey administration says businesses will not see increases in their unemployment insurance payments until at least 2026. Some Massachusetts business owners are still expressing concern about picking up the tab. The Massachusetts UI system is arguably the most abused, costly and anti-employer system in the country. This high cost cannot be simply added to the very high cost of doing business in the Commonwealth, said Jon Hurst, President of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some businesses suggest the state should draw from its $9 billion rainy day fund to pay for their error. The settlement comes as budget writers are already dealing with major expenditures and the unemployment insurance system is facing other financial issues. Payments will begin in December 2025 and will continue through December 2035. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 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 WWLP. A Wareham woman will serve time in federal prison for selling fentanyl to a 42-year-old man who died of an overdose, the U.S. Attorney said this week. Kayla Nightingale, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper to 52 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Tuesday. Nightingale was also ordered to pay $7,868 in restitution to the family of the victim for funeral expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August, Nightingale pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl, Foley said. Nightingale and her co-conspirator, Troy Jones, were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. Prosecutors said Jones and Nightingale worked together from January 2019 through at least April 3, 2019 to distribute fentanyl in Wareham, including to a 42-year-old Wareham man. That man died of a fentanyl overdose on April 2, 2019, Foley said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The largest police union in the U.S. has slammed President Donald Trump for his pardoning of individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers. The Fraternal Order of Police issued the statement alongside the International Association of Chiefs of Police on Tuesday after, in one of his first acts as president on Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning about 1,500 people for convictions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump signs an executive order for pardons on January 6 offenders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025. / JIM WATSON / Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images On Tuesday, he argued that they had already spent enough time behind bars. But the IACP and FOP stated that they firmly believe that those convicted of such crimes should serve their full sentences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safetythey are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families," the joint statement said. In an apparent effort to appear even-handed, the statement said that the two organizations were deeply discouraged by the recent pardons and commutations granted by both the Biden and Trump Administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers. Shortly before leaving office, President Biden commuted the sentences of 37 death row prisoners, at least one of whom had killed a police officer. While the statement did not go into specific pardons, however, its timing would suggest that its the mass pardoning of Jan. 6 suspects by Trump that is the real issue. The statement continued: When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The IACP and FOP call on policymakers, judicial authorities, and community leaders to ensure that justice is upheld by enforcing full sentences, especially in cases involving violence against law enforcement. This approach reaffirms our commitment to the rule of law, public safety, and the protection of those who risk their lives for our communities. The IACP backed Donald Trumps White House bids in 2016, 2020 and 2024. On the campaign trail, Trump had long promised to pardon Jan. 6. rioters, even calling them patriots and hostages. But Axios reports that Trump and his team werent sure right up until inauguration week whether to go ahead with the pardons, until the now president reportedly said F--k it: Release em all, an adviser close to the decision claimed. Officer Michael Fanone, who was Tasered by D.J. Rodriguez during the riots, said upon hearing about the thousands of pardons: I have been betrayed by my country. Rodriguez, who was arrested in March 2021, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in June 2023. Why does he deserve a pardon? NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander asked Trump in a White House press conference Tuesday. President Joe Biden speaks at a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on December 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. / Anadolu / Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images Initially, Trump had no answer instead going off-topic, falsely claiming that murderers in some cities arent charged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shifting back to those convicted for Jan. 6-related crimes like Rodriguez, Trump decreed: These people have already served years in prison, and they have served them viciously. Its a disgusting prison. Its been horrible. Its inhumane. Its been a terrible, terrible thing. For his part, Joe Biden pardoned several potential targets of the incoming Trump administration just hours before the transfer of power on Monday. Biden issued pre-emptive pardons for immunologist Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitolincluding former Rep. Liz Cheney. He also famously pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, after he was found guilty on federal gun charges in June and pleaded guilty to tax charges in September. HONOLULU (KHON2) Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that 40-year-old Carlos Frate, a former Maui Police Officer, was arrested today after a federal grand jury indicted him of deprivation of civil rights and falsifying a police report on Jan. 16. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The indictment alleged that Frate, who had been with the department for 14 years, deprived another person of their civil rights. On Jan. 6, he allegedly denied their right to be free from use of unreasonable force by using a stun gun on the individual without legal justification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment also alleged that Frate falsified a police incident report with the intention to obstruct the investigation on his alleged use of force. Frate was terminated from the department earlier this year. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, said Chief of Police John Pelletier. When our officers fall short of these standards, we must address those failures with impartiality and integrity. This referral underscores our commitment to ensuring justice and maintaining public trust. If convicted, Frate could face up to 10 years in prison for the deprivation of civil rights charge, and up to 20 years for falsifying the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Maui Police Department referred the case to the federal government, and the charges are the result of an investigation by the FBI and MPD. Our community deserves accountability, Pelletier said. We are taking deliberate steps to reinforce our commitment to fair and equitable law enforcement practices, ensuring that every individuals rights are upheld. 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. Forty-eight Uyghurs detained in Thailand for almost 11 years are on hunger strike to protest against imminent deportation to China, where they face imprisonment or execution. They were caught by the Thai authorities in 2014, fleeing from severe persecution in their home region of northern China. They had paid smugglers to take them to south-east Asia. From there, many planned to move to Turkey, where there is a diaspora of Uyghurs, ethnic Muslims with Turkic roots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, they were captured, detained and now face deportation. Thailand is on the verge of handing us over to the Chinese government, said a man who requested anonymity so that his phone would not be confiscated, in a voice message. This may be my last message to you all. We have been on a hunger strike since Jan 10; this is our plea for help. In a letter obtained by The Telegraph, the group wrote: We could be imprisoned, and we might even lose our lives. We urgently appeal to all international organisations and countries concerned with human rights to intervene immediately to save us from this tragic fate before it is too late. Uyghur detainees are held in this detention centre in Bangkok - Haruka Nuga/AP China has lobbied Thailand for years to deport Uyghurs, though Thai political sources and advocates say that Beijing has significantly increased pressure in recent weeks as the two countries prepare to mark 50 years of bilateral relations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those in Thai detention were asked to sign voluntary return forms, a measure that preceded the forced deportation of more than 100 Uyghurs in 2015, prompting an international outcry. The issue of the Uyghurs tests Thailands balancing act between Washington, a long-time ally, and Beijing, its largest source of foreign investment. David Tobin, a lecturer on East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield, said: The problem for the Thai government, as they see it, is that they are in close relationships with great powers both China and the US and it has found itself sandwiched between two poles. Experts also said that China appears to be taking advantage of the US presidential transition a time when US foreign policy may be in flux. The detainees sent a letter to the outside world on Jan 10, pleading for help - AP One of the key actors in global politics is undergoing a presidential handover, said Mr Tobin, adding that China was aware that US politics can be in paralysis[during] this moment of limbo between one president to the next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, there are signs that the US is watching closely: the Thai detention of Uyghurs was raised last week in a US confirmation hearing for Marco Rubio, the senator nominated by the incoming Trump administration to be the next secretary of state. Concern over Thai human rights Thailand has a chequered record when it comes to asylum seekers. The country is not a signatory to a 1951 UN convention regarding refugees, and has in the past deported people despite serious human rights concerns. In November, six Cambodian dissidents charged with treason in the increasingly authoritarian nation were returned to the homeland they had fled in 2022. Chinas brutal repression of the Uyghurs has been described as genocide by some Western governments and politicians, including Britains parliament. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than a million Uyghurs are held in Chinese re-education camps and prisons. Former detainees have told The Telegraph of horrific torture and abuse. A high-security re-education camp in northern China - as many as one million Uyghurs are held in such facilities - Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Increasing pressures prompted many to escape, at times paying thousands of dollars to be smuggled from China. In 2014, more than 350 Uyghurs were caught by Thai authorities near its border with Malaysia. The following year, Thailand deported 109 of that group to China, against their will; they have not been heard from since. A separate group of 173 Uyghurs, mostly women and children, were resettled in Turkey. The rest remained in Thai immigration detention, though five have died over the years, including two children, leaving these last 48 Uyghurs. Five of them are serving prison sentences for trying to break out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conditions are so rough that they may constitute a violation of international law, as UN human rights experts warned the Thai government in a February 2024 letter. Advocates say almost all of the men suffer from chronic illnesses, including paralysis, and heart and lung issues as a result of cramped and unsanitary circumstances. They are not given enough food, and they are not allowed to buy their own food from outside of the detention centre, said Bilal Ahmet, 35. His older brother remains in Thai detention separated from his wife and children, who were sent to Turkey. He added: There is also no proper medical care possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Uyghurs have been denied visits from relatives, lawyers, and international organisations including the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees. They have all applied for asylum under the UN agency, but it has not been allowed to visit them. It is our view that these persons should not be returned to China. Instead, they must be provided with access to asylum procedures and other humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social support in Thailand, said a group of experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, led by Dr Alice Jill Edwards, special rapporteur on torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment or punishment. Third country solution Advocates hope the group can be settled in a third country, though this would probably anger the Chinese government, which casts the Uyghurs as jihadists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kanavee Suebsang, a Thai MP, said: If China claims that the Uyghur refugees are terrorists, they should provide evidence for verification. Thailand will not keep them if proven guilty, but if they are innocent, they should be allowed to decide their own fate. Otherwise, the continued detention of the Uyghurs would be a severe violation of human dignity and human rights. Any third country receiving the group would be likely to face pressure and punishment from China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sophie Richardson, co-executive director of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a coalition of rights groups, said: People dont take extraordinary risks like this to escape with their families unless they feel that they are under serious threat. The situation in [Xinjiang] region has only gotten worse since they left. Now, she added, they face being sent back to a country whose government we know will persecute them thats why they left in the first place. More than a decade on, the fact that these 48 Uyghurs remain in detention is a powerful statement about the Chinese governments intent to keep people like this quiet, and other governments unwillingness to exceed Beijings ambitions and secure their release, said Ms Richardson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added: The Thai government clearly does not want to irk Beijing, and no other governments or UN agencies are helping the Thais do the right thing. Sources said that Thai immigration officials werent aware of the situation, suggesting that discussions on this are potentially happening with China at the most senior levels of government. Naiyana Thanawattho, the executive director of Asylum Access Thailand, said: We have high concern at the moment, because the [Thai] prime minister is going to visit China very soon. We are afraid of how this will impact the situation for the Uyghurs. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday he would not criticize President Donald Trump publicly. Adams also doggedly defended his decision to attend Trumps inauguration Monday and skip local Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, as the embattled Democratic mayor faces a tough reelection campaign and fights federal corruption charges. More Local News You shouldnt come out the gate criticizing, Adams said. You should come out the gate trying to collaborate, trying to cooperate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor said in the instances he disagrees with Trump, he will tell him privately. True to his word, on Tuesday Adams passed time and time again on critiquing the new administration publicly especially on emerging plans for immigration officials to conduct raids in major cities like New York. NYC wont be a safe haven for migrants who commit crimes, mayor says We need to secure our border, and we need to make sure those with criminal intention dont come to our country, Adams said. We should be looking to coordinating and making it happen. In one poignant moment, Adams, a retired cop himself, even sidestepped criticizing Trump for his pardons of Jan. 6 rioters who attacked police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has the power to execute several things from executive orders to pardons to signing laws. That is the balance of power in our country, Adams said. The increasingly cozy relationship with Trump, and the tension its creating back home in the city, was on full display when the mayor skipped traditional New York City Martin Luther King Jr. Day events for the inauguration. Dr. Kings dream is not in Brooklyn or New York City, Adams said. He clearly stated we have to put partisan politics aside to deal with the issues facing the country. However, Monday in a Harlem Church the mayor was supposed to visit, the senior pastor was critical of those attending the inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams said criticism of him is nothing new. He pointed to his long history of working for abortion rights, marriage equality and with immigrant communities. I was being attacked on day one, but I never got unfocused, and I delivered for this city, and now were a better city because of that, Adams said. 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 PIX11. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) As undocumented families continue to question their future in the U.S. due to new leadership, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is affirming the citys protections for local immigrants. In a letter sent on Tuesday, Wilson directed Portland City Council to help him inform undocumented residents of the resources available in Oregon amid President Donald Trumps anti-immigration executive orders. Oregon, Washington attorneys general challenge Trumps birthright citizenship order Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The once-again president declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and called for the cancellation of birthright citizenship, following his inauguration on Monday. Trump has threatened mass deportation since his re-election in November. According to Wilson, the act would affect at least 108,000 Oregonians. News of mass deportation raids can be frightening, but we are a community that supports each other, Wilson wrote. Portland is rich in diversity, a value that includes immigrants and refugees who have only just arrived. We stand together in solidarity with our immigrant families. Their lives, families, and businesses are part of the fabric of our community and we must support them during these challenging times. But the push for stricter immigration policies isnt expected to be enforced on a local level, due to Oregons status as a sanctuary location. It became the nations first sanctuary state in 1987, when leaders established that local leaders and law enforcement are prohibited from assisting the U.S. government with the implementation of federal immigration laws unless they have a judicial warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregon Department of Education accused of mismanaging $3M, wrongful termination in whistleblower lawsuit This policy was maintained with the 2021 passage of the Sanctuary Promise Act. The Oregon Department of Justice also released a new Sanctuary Promise Community Toolkit late last year. Weeks later, the board of Portland Public Schools reaffirmed a previous resolution stating that faculty are not required to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Oregon Republican Party activist Kevin Hoar previously told KOIN 6 he expects leaders to find a common ground on immigration policy before restrictions are enforced locally. 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 KOIN.com. SACRAMENTO, California President Donald Trumps hardline immigration actions have quickly made Rob Bonta the states chief border antagonist. The California attorney general was a state legislator without a megaphone during Trumps first term and then a cooperative Biden ally early in his tenure atop the state Department of Justice. But when he tried to lead on suing oil companies and protecting abortion rights, he was vastly overshadowed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Now Trumps promises of mass deportations have rocketed Bonta, himself an immigrant from the Philippines who Newsom initially appointed to the job, to a new level of prominence. Last week, Bonta warned local law enforcement against cooperating with federal authorities when prohibited by state law. He vowed to defend undocumented immigrants in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. And on Tuesday, he sued Trump over his executive order to end birthright citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bay Area Democrat is poised to become even more central to the immigration fight as legislators prepare to send his office $25 million to fight the White House in court and as Trumps team prepares an onslaught of executive orders and enforcement actions. Newsom has not been nearly as outspoken on Trumps immigration plans clearing space for Bonta to lead the debate. Bontas moment in the spotlight comes just as he must decide whether to run to succeed Newsom in a packed 2026 field or vie for what would likely be an easy reelection. He has already had senior aides depart from his political orbit. An entrance into the governors race by former Rep. Katie Porter would almost certainly make that contest less appealing. And if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run for governor, it would effectively close the door for Bonta and many other Democrats, including Porter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In either case, Trumps presidency is an opportune moment for Californias top cop to boost his name recognition in the state and beyond it. Sparring with Trump also elevated the stature of Bontas predecessor, Xavier Becerra, a Jerry Brown appointee who sued the Trump administration more than 120 times as head of the state's DOJ. Becerra opted to become Bidens U.S. Health and Human Services secretary rather than remain in the AG role and pursue higher office. He, too, was considering a 2026 run for governor. Bontas new role is sure to bolster his profile in California, but theres formidable competition for national relevance. More than a dozen other attorneys general joined the birthright citizenship suit. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, whose mother emigrated from Haiti to Chicago, has spoken about his personal connection to the issue while criticizing Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He'll just be one of many to do this, and I'm not too sure California is the right place to lead the fight politically, Mike Madrid, an anti-Trump Republican political consultant who writes about immigration politics, said of Bonta. The AG's positions are notable and virtuous and probably representative of the people of California, so it's the right place to be. But in terms of building a national political platform, I don't see that. Thats unlikely to matter for Bontas state-level ambitions, which started with his own immigration to the United States. He was born in the Philippines and moved to California as a baby. He grew up in a trailer in the Central Valley, and his parents were activists with the United Farm Workers, alongside iconic figures like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, a friend and an ally in the lawsuit to defend birthright citizenship, said Bonta was busy working around the clock in recent weeks to prepare for Trumps flurry of executive orders. This issue is incredibly personal to him, Chiu said, starting from his youngest days. Shia Kapos contributed to this report. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICOs California Playbook newsletter. In September 2024, the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police organization in the United States, endorsed Donald Trump for president. Even at the time, this was a dumb move, given Trumps felony conviction four months earlier and his stated intent to use the criminal justice system to prosecute Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Liz Cheney, and other political enemies. Yet Patrick Yoes, the FOPs national president, said that among the groups 377,000 members there was no doubtzero doubtas to who they want as our president for the next four years: Donald J. Trump. To the FOP rank and file, all that mattered was that in the summer of 2020, when the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sent protesters out into the streets, he stood with us when very few would. The downside to a president who tolerates the police beating up Black people, it turns out, is that he also tolerates white people beating up police. On January 6, 2020, as rioters attacked the Capitol to prevent its certification of an election Trump lostassaulting more than 140 police officers in the processTrump waited more than three hours before urging these supporters to go home. By the start of this year, 89 people had pleaded guilty to felony assault of a police officer, and 76 had been tried and convicted of assaulting, resisting, impeding, and/or obstructing officers during a civil disorder. Trump granted all these people clemency Monday, along with every other January 6 defendant, and issued pardons for nearly everybody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lets meet some of these hostages, as Trump calls them. Julian Khater sprayed bear spray at three police officers, one of whom, Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed after returning to his district office and was taken to the hospital. Sicknick suffered two strokes and died the next day. The only reason Khater wasnt charged with murder was that the D.C. medical examiner for some reason concluded Sicknick died of natural causes (even as he conceded that all that transpired played a role in his condition). Khater pleaded guilty and got six years. Daniel D.J. Rodriguez was caught on camera shocking District Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone with a stun gun (video here). Fanone lost consciousness and was taken by a fellow officer to the hospital, where he was told hed suffered a heart attack, a concussion, and a traumatic brain injury. The day before Rodriguez had written on Telegram: There will be blood. Welcome to the revolution. But when FBI agents asked him why he did it, Rodriguez wept and apologized, as January 6 defendants tend to when they get caught. (See my November 2021 piece, The January 6 Defendants Are the Most Pathetic Revolutionaries I Ever Saw.) I dont know, Rodriguez said. Im a piece of shit. Im sorry I didnt know that we were doing the wrong thing. Rodriguez pleaded guilty and got 12 years. Robert Scott Palmer sprayed police with a fire extinguisher, then pitched the empty canister at them. He also picked up a wooden plank and threw it at the cops. Im so ashamed that I was a part of it, he told the judge. Very, very ashamed. Palmer pleaded guilty and got fire years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steven Chase Randolph was sentenced to eight years for striking a Capitol Police officer named Caroline Edwards in the face with a metal crowd control barrier. Ryan Samsel was convicted of the same thing but hadnt yet been sentenced and now wont be. Samsel was the first rioter to breach the police perimeter on January 6. A Justice Department sentencing memo recommended that he get 20 years, in part because he was still justifying his actions years later. Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes, the leaders, respectively, of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, were sentenced to 22 years and 18 years, respectively, for seditious conspiracy in organizing the January 6 assault. Make no mistake, Tarrio said on social media. We did this. All of these people will now go freeTarrio and Rhodes are already outand all but Rhodes received pardons, too. Also sprung is Brent Zeeker Bozell IV, scion of a leading conservative family and my favorite January 6 felon. Zeeker was sentenced to 45 months, for assaulting police (among other offenses), but mostly, I suspect, for telling such idiotically transparent lies during his trial, as I documented here. The Bozell dynasty lives to fight another day. I emailed the FOP seeking comment on Trumps act of mercy for cop-beaters, and got no reply. Later in the day, they told S.V. Date of The Huffington Post, We dont have a statement about that. It wasnt until Tuesday evening that the organization finally offered up some commentary on the matter. In a joint statement with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the two organizations said they were deeply discouraged by recent pardons and commutations granted by both the Biden and Trump Administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers. It made no specific reference to the January 6 attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You may be curious what it is that former President Biden did. Shortly before leaving office he commuted the sentence of Leonard Peltier, an 80 year-old Native America activist imprisoned for killing two FBI agents. Peltier claims hes innocent, but even if hes guilty he sat in jail for half a century. Biden also commuted the sentence of the Waverly Two, two Black men named Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson who were acquitted of murdering a police officer named Allen Gibson in Sussex County, Virginia, but received a life sentence anyway on a drug offense. Even Gibsons own daughter has expressed doubt that Claiborne and Richardson killed her father, and four years ago Virginias attorney general filed a motion to overturn their convictions. But after Republican Glenn Younkins election in 2021 the state opposed their release. Claiborne and Richardson sat in jail for a quarter century. The FOPs and IACPs statement equating these Biden commutations with Trumps commutations of scores of people who assaulted police officers on January 6th, often by their own admissions and sometimes captured on video, and who were jailed two or three years at most, and in many case not at all, is a slap in the face to Brian Sicknick and the 139 other police officers who were assaulted that day. As for all those January 6 defendants who said after they got caught that they were very sorry and made a terrible mistake, we dont have to wonder very hard whether theyre sorry now. * This post has been updated. The Italian government is facing criticism from the opposition and human rights groups following the release of the head of the Libyan criminal police from Italian custody. Osama Najeem was wanted on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes. The Libyan national, who is also the head of a detention centre in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, was detained by Italian police in Turin over the weekend after an Interpol alert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, after a few days in custody, Najeem was released due to a "legal technicality." According to media reports, he has already flown back to the Libyan capital. Released due to 'legal technicality' According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the authorities claim that the "legal technicality" is due to the fact that the police who detained Najeem did not immediately inform the Ministry of Justice in Rome of his detention, as required. His arrest was initially welcomed by human rights groups. According to them, people are being held in cruel conditions in the prison camp run by Najeem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ICC arrest warrant accordingly refers to crimes against humanity that are said to have been committed there. Italy has close ties with the Libyan government. Time and again, the country's coastguard has picked up migrants attempting the crossing to Europe and brought them back to Libya. Rome views this with favour. The coastguard's actions prevent many people from continuing their journey and arriving at Italy's shores. The Italian government is facing criticism from the opposition and human rights groups following the release of the head of the Libyan criminal police from Italian custody. Osama Najeem was wanted on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes. The Libyan national, who is also the head of a detention centre in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, was detained by Italian police in Turin over the weekend after an Interpol alert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, after a few days in custody, Najeem was released due to a "legal technicality." According to media reports, he has already flown back to the Libyan capital. Released due to 'legal technicality' According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the authorities claim that the "legal technicality" is due to the fact that the police who detained Najeem did not immediately inform the Ministry of Justice in Rome of his detention, as required. His arrest was initially welcomed by human rights groups. According to them, people are being held in cruel conditions in the prison camp run by Najeem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ICC arrest warrant accordingly refers to crimes against humanity that are said to have been committed there. Italy has close ties with the Libyan government. Time and again, the country's coastguard has picked up migrants attempting the crossing to Europe and brought them back to Libya. Rome views this with favour. The coastguard's actions prevent many people from continuing their journey and arriving at Italy's shores. Sharp criticism from the opposition Opposition MPs from several parties expressed outrage after Najeem's release. Former prime minister Matteo Renzi accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of hypocrisy because of her stated goal of combating human traffickers: "When a human trafficker arrives whom the International Criminal Court tells us is a dangerous criminal, you don't hunt him down, you let him fly home in a state plane." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human rights groups also criticized the release. Mediterranea Saving Humans described the step as "shameful protection" granted by the right-wing government in Rome to a "trafficker and torturer." There was initially no information from Meloni or her government on the matter. Jan. 21A New Mexico congresswoman will be the top Democrat on a new subcommittee created to work with President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency. Trump created a Department of Government Efficiency via executive order Monday, a cost-cutting initiative that will be headed by controversial tech billionaire Elon Musk. House Republicans created a new congressional Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency last week to work with Trump's DOGE. It is a subcommittee of the existing House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., will serve as ranking member, the subcommittee's Democratic leader. She said there are endless opportunities for making the federal government more efficient, and DOGE could work on modernizing agencies, combining agencies with similar responsibilities, improving IT systems, improving agency acquisition processes or streamlining statutory authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We need a federal government that works for every single American, and so if that is the assignment in front of the DOGE subcommittee, I am 100% in," Stansbury said. "I am here to do that work, ... but I think that we've seen even in the last 24 hours, that is not what Donald Trump and his allies have planned for the federal government. If they do not come to this work in good faith, we are prepared to fight them every single step of the way." Stansbury plans to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government and for federal employees, a workforce Trump has promised to cut. The subcommittee will be chaired by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who said in a statement she is proud to lead it. "Together, we will strive to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement within federal agencies, ensuring that the government operates efficiently and transparently for the American people," Greene said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOGE is named after an internet meme and a cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, which Musk has frequently promoted. Trump's DOGE will "implement the president's DOGE agenda, by modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity," the executive order reads. The order renames the existing United States Digital Service to the United States DOGE Service and tasks it with modernizing federal technology and software. Stansbury is concerned about Musk's leading role. "I think the other aspect of the DOGE effort that is highly, highly problematic is that it is the brainchild of Elon Musk, who, of course, is a billionaire donor to Donald Trump," she said. Stansbury previously worked as a budget examiner in the White House Office of Management and Budget. She also previously ran for House Natural Resources Committee leadership but withdrew when it became clear she did not have the votes. Cathy Cook is a news reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. Reach her via email at ccook@abqjournal.com. After dozens of individuals walked out of the room in protest, Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, presents House Joint Memorial 1 to the Idaho House State Affairs Committee on Jan. 22, 2025, at the Statehouse in Boise. (Photo by Mia Maldonado/Idaho Capital Sun) A legislative petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage is heading to the Idaho House floor. After nearly two hours of testimony, House Joint Memorial 1 passed the Idaho House State Affairs Committee in a 13-2 vote on Wednesday, receiving support from all the Republicans on the committee and opposing votes from its two Democrats. The memorial is addressed to the U.S. Supreme Court and pushes to restore the authority of defining marriage to the states. It asks the court to reconsider its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sponsor Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, said its purpose is to restore states rights. Were sending this clear message from Idaho, Scott told the committee. We dont want our laws and our constitution trampled on, and it should be our decision what we want to do in a state. A memorial is not a bill, and its passage in both chambers would not carry the weight of the law. Supporters of memorial discuss faith, states rights Four people testified in favor of the legislation, citing their Christian faith and belief that Obergefell v. Hodges undermines states rights. Defining marriage is a state issue as it is not enumerated in our federal constitution, Katherine Hartley said, an attorney the Pacific Justice Institute, a nonprofit legal group focused on defending faith and family issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, also testified in support of the memorial. She said she was testifying on behalf of her faith and herself as a woman, wife and mother. I believe that the state of Idaho should have the opportunity to choose to align their policy with these timeless truths, Young told the committee. Others who testified included representatives from anti-LGBTQ+ organization Mass Resistance and conservative Christian Idaho Family Policy Center. Support outnumbered by opposition, LGBTQ+ community Upon Scotts introduction of the memorial, dozens of individuals walked out of the committee room in protest of the legislation, and 17 people testified against the legislation including individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, health care providers, students and religious leaders. Dozens of individuals walked out of the Idaho House State Affairs Committee in protest of House Joint Memorial 1 on Jan. 22, 2025, at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise. (Photo by Mia Maldonado/Idaho Capital Sun) Opponents and the two Democrats on the committee pushed back against Scotts idea that the memorial is focused on states rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the Jim Crow era, segregation was justified based on states rights, Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, told Scott. And as a nation, we addressed those discriminatory state laws in the wake of the Civil War with the 14th Amendment Where do we draw the line? If we can justify in Idaho that we can discriminate against a same-sex couple, then who else is open to discrimination? The Rev. Josh Lee, a pastor at Boise First United Church of Christ, opposed the legislation, sharing his experience as a Christian and gay man. I knew growing up that I loved Jesus, I loved being a pastor, and I loved men, and I had no idea how these three things could ever coexist in the world, Lee said. It took me many years to figure that out. Lee said he went to conversion therapy three different times in high school, and had contemplated his own suicide before meeting other Christians who supported the LGBTQ+ community, he said. Coming from New York, he said he moved to Idaho with his husband to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of taking the rights away from people, I urge this Legislature this morning to focus on the issues that truly impact Idahoans, like education, health care and infrastructure, he said. Koii Lauritsen, a Hailey resident, also testified in opposition to the legislation, sharing with the committee that he was raised by a lesbian couple. My mothers sat through every terrible school play and elementary Christmas concert, he said. They taught me how to ride a bike, they taught me how to throw a ball, how to drive stick and how to shave. Lauritsen asked the committee to set aside its concerns over state rights and think of his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will not ask that you understand, embrace or even accept my family, but I will ask that you show it and others like it the respect they deserve, because my lesbian parents deserve as much respect as any other two people who are trying to live the American dream, he said. The memorial now heads to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives for consideration. If the House votes to pass the memorial, it would be sent next to the Idaho Senate for consideration. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Parents take videos of students at a sixth-grade promotion ceremony at John R. Davis School in Phoenix. Photo via Roosevelt School District No. 66 /Facebook When you live in a poor neighborhood, you are living in an area where you have poor schools, Malcolm X once said. When you have poor schools, you have poor teachers. When you have poor teachers, you get a poor education. This cycle is painfully evident in South Phoenix, where school closures threaten to deepen systemic inequities that already disproportionately harm Black and Brown students. As a Black father in this community, I am deeply concerned that the Roosevelt School District (RSD) governing board members chose to publicly debate who truly understands whats best for the students and teachers in the district. They did this rather than prioritizing the whole-being and mental health of those most impacted by their decision to approve or reject a plan to close five elementary schools in the Roosevelt School District. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On December 5, 2024 the district governing board members voted 4-1 to approve the plan crafted by Superintendent Dani Portillo titled Reinvent Roosevelt School Reconfiguration. The plan would close schools, repurpose school buildings and vacant land that the district owns and integrate teachers and staff. She stated that five school closures would decrease the districts debt and also put the best students in front of the best teacher. The Roosevelt Governing Board members established guardrails to ensure equity and fairness throughout the entire governing board meeting and decision-making process. At the start of the meeting, Shirley Jackson, the boards president, read Guardrail #1 to address the Nov. 19 meetings contentious moment with fellow board member Lawrence Robinson. Guardrail #1 states: The Board, collectively or through individual Board Members actions, shall not operate in a manner that fails to adhere to Roosevelt School Districts core values and commitment to proactive conflict resolution strategies, ensuring that any disagreements or disputes are addressed constructively and in alignment with the districts commitment to excellence in education. During the November governing board meeting, Portillo proposed to community stakeholders that closing schools is a step in the right direction, given the rapidly changing community and the need to remain competitive for teachers and students amidst the rise of charter schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of Phoenixs Economic Innovation Group reported that South Phoenix had a median household income of $36,800 in 2019just over half of the citywide median income of $67,000. In 2015, my wife and I purchased our first home in South Phoenix when the median home sale price was $118,000. Today, that figure has soared to $452,000. In the 85041 ZIP code, the average home sales price was $165,844 in 2015. By 2024, it had climbed to $445,669, reflecting significant growth in housing costs. Noel Frazier, a Phoenix Union high school social worker and licensed mental health professional, emphasizes that both students and teachers face significant mental health challenges due to COVID-related shutdown, school closures and the changes in their environments. These disruptions have led to heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and substance use. I think teachers are more impacted than students because students still have choices about where they can go, even if their schooling options are more limited, Frazier explained. Students, particularly adolescents, are resilient, and they will receive an education. Portillo outlined the districts persistent challenges, including a declining birth rate, unequal school choice within three ZIP codes and decreasing enrollment. She emphasized that the district would focus its limited resources on supporting students and helping them achieve at higher levels. The goal, she explained, is to ensure students thrive holistically through equitable and fair programming. Resources would be distributed to provide all students with equal opportunities across campuses, alongside career development and competitive salaries for Roosevelt School District employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Portillo also warned that, if the governing body rejected the proposal to close and merge five schools, the district could face severe consequences. These might include cuts to teaching staff and academic programs across all campuses, jeopardized student performance and reduced availability of social workers and assistant principals. One thing missing from her analysis, however, was the potential adverse effects on the mental health and well-being of students and teachers directly impacted by the closures and integrations. On the one hand, low enrollment might be due to families being unable to keep up with the fast pace of gentrification. Economic instability has been shown to increase disciplinary issues at school. However, in school districts with higher levels of Black and Brown children, these disciplinary actions tend to be disproportionately harsh, leading to increased rates of expulsion and suspension, trapping many in the school-to-prison pipeline. School districts across the country are laying off senior teachers with more experience and advanced degrees in favor of less experienced junior teachers, who are often unfamiliar with the culture or challenges faced by communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. Districts have an economic incentive those newer teachers typically make $40,000 to $50,000 a year, far less than the upwards of $70,000 average salary for those veteran teachers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This trend disproportionately harms these communities, as many schools experience high turnover rates among junior teachers who struggle to adapt to the conditions of low-income schools and their lack of familiarity with Black and Brown cultures. In light of this, many families are deciding to homeschool or enroll students in charter schools within the same district, which also contributes to declining student enrollment in public schools. Since the COVID school closures, there has been an uptick in substance use among students. This is particularly concerning in Arizona, where marijuana has been legalized, making substances more accessible to students in various forms, such as vaping, edibles and liquids. The ease of access to these substances can significantly affect students health and well-being, compounding the already difficult challenges of adjusting to a rapidly changing educational environment. There are other factors at play, which have even affected my own family when we experienced a miscarriage. From 2014 to 2023, infant mortality rates in Arizona revealed significant racial disparities. American Indian and Black children represented 7% and 11% of infant deaths, respectively, despite making up only 5% and 6% of live births. Hispanic children accounted for 47% of infant deaths but constituted 44% of live births. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Communities like South Phoenix experience pollution, unemployment and underemployment, and inadequate education, which research has shown leads to high infant mortality among Black and Brown families. These figures highlight the systemic inequities affecting Black and Brown families that may be further exacerbating the challenges faced by the Roosevelt School District. In 1954, Brown vs.Board of Education declared segregated schools are unconstitutional. Yet, the last school to be desegregated was in 2016 in Cleveland, Mississippi. According to bestneighbor.com, Phoenix is segregated not by legal decree, but by financial, and thus, racial, realities. Researchers report that schools with a majority of students of color are three times more likely to close. Perhaps the assumption is that these would automatically be bad schools. However, in the US News & World Report 2025 rankings of the top 10 performing schools in the Roosevelt School District, seven would close or merge: Sunland Elementary School (5), Ed and Verma Pastor Elementary (7), Percy J Julian School (8), CJ Jorgenson School (10), John R. Davis School (11), and Martin Luther King Early Childhood (13). Despite the Arizona Legislatures decision in 2023 to eliminate result-based funding and investment formulas that previously rewarded high-performing schools based on merit assessments, the Roosevelt School District Governing Board assured the community that it remains committed to equitable opportunities for all schools in the school district and closing. It would appear that Roosevelts high performing schools will combine the teaching staff and students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frazier shared strategies and resources that can help lessen social barriers and relations between schools and families. He believes its important to promote social emotional learning (SEL) and creating spaces for teachers and students to process their challenges. It is important that school administration, teachers and family must take accountability to maintain clear communication to create a strong support for the students whole-being. Malcolm Xs words, When you live in a poor neighborhood, you have poor schoolspoor teachersa poor education, poor-paying jobs, highlight the systemic inequities driving the Roosevelt School Districts plan to close and integrate schools. While challenges are undeniable, the proposed plan must prioritize the mental health and well-being of students, teachers, and families. If not, South Phoenixs vicious cycle of inequity will intensify, displacing communities and worsening disparities for Black and Brown children. The Roosevelt School District Governing Board must adopt holistic, community-centered solutions to empower students and preserve South Phoenixs mental health and cultural tapestry. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE When Matthew Lohmeier took the stage at a town hall in North Carolina in October, he looked at former President Donald Trump and told him that he had been fired from the Space Force -- the service branch created under the president's first administration -- because he criticized diversity initiatives in the military. In front of the crowd of supporters, Lohmeier also told the former and soon to be future president that he should establish a "special task force, office or position" to make sure that there arent any more diversity, equity or inclusion efforts throughout the Department of Defense. "I'm going to put you on that task force," Trump replied to him as the audience erupted in applause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read Next: Trailblazing Coast Guard Commandant Fired by Trump Administration Trump seemingly didn't forget that interaction. The now-president announced Friday on social media that the former officer would become his nominee to be the second-highest civilian leader of the Department of the Air Force -- which also oversees the Space Force, the service branch Lohmeier was once part of. "I am pleased to announce that Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier will be the next United States under secretary of the Air Force," Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media platform. "Matthew will work with the great secretary of defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, to end the devastating 'woke' policies that have destroyed our military, and make our country strong again." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's choice has some leaders in the Space Force worried, Military.com has learned. One Space Force Guardian said some leaders are nervous that, if confirmed as under secretary, Lohmeier could seek retribution against those officers. "I'll kind of judge it based on his actions, but I know that there's a pretty big wave of fear amongst the Space Force senior leaders," a Space Force Guardian, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to speak to the media, told Military.com. "I think there's this fear that he might have personal bias against some of the generals." In 2021, Lohmeier was fired from command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado by then-Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting after Lohmeier made comments during a podcast promoting his self-published book "Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest and the Unmaking of the American Military." Notably, Whiting was promoted to four-star general and is now the head of U.S. Space Command -- which may be relocated from Colorado to Alabama under Trump's administration, Military.com reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During congressional testimony in January 2024, Lohmeier told lawmakers that he submitted an inspector general complaint in which he alleged the garrison commander of Buckley Space Force Base had "unethically used his position to promote anti-American propaganda," the November 2020 complaint detailed. Lohmeier said in his testimony that the complaint "was never investigated and was later dismissed" by Whiting. An inspector general probe into Lohmeier's podcast appearance and comments was started shortly after his firing, Military.com reported in 2021. It's not clear whether that investigation has concluded or is ongoing. Lohmeier commissioned into the Air Force in 2006 after graduating from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, according to a biography submitted to Congress. He flew the T-38 Talon as an instructor pilot and later the F-15C Eagle. He transferred into the Space Force in October 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an excerpt from his book, Lohmeier writes about an experience he had as a young Air Force Academy cadet in which he traveled with a group to the People's Liberation Army Air Force Academy in China, where he bunked with two Chinese cadets. Lohmeier writes he made small talk with those cadets because he spoke Mandarin, and "they appeared to take a liking to me, and I remember liking them." Lohmeier wrote that the two cadets told him they believed in Marxism and that he "felt compassion for them" and later explained the interaction served as a reminder that "America was great." Meanwhile, the former Space Force officer has become a guest on numerous conservative and right-wing media shows where he has espoused controversial views. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a 2023 interview with conservative media personality Glenn Beck, Lohmeier claimed the U.S was involved in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. "I think the United States was directly involved," Lohmeier told Beck in the interview. "I think it was responsible, probably." He went on to speculate that a Navy P-8 Poseidon could have been used to carry out the attack. The U.S. government has denied any involvement in the attack. Information leaked online in 2023 detailed that the CIA was allegedly aware of a Ukrainian military plan to sabotage the pipelines, The Washington Post reported. Trump has named Troy Meink, the principal director of the National Reconnaissance Office and a former KC-135 Stratotanker navigator, to be his nominee as Air Force secretary. If both are confirmed, Lohmeier would be second in command and would become acting secretary in case of Meink's vacancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Thank you, Mr. President! I'm grateful for your trust, and am very much looking forward to continuing my service to our great men and women in uniform," Lohmeier wrote on the social media platform X in response to Trump's nomination. "To all men and women with a desire to serve your country in uniform, come join us now! We want the best, brightest and strongest of you at this critical juncture in American history." Defense experts told Military.com that the selection of Meink and Lohmeier shows how the Space Force will be a top priority for the incoming Trump administration. Lohmeier did not respond to multiple text messages and emails seeking comment on his nomination. Related: Trump Names Former KC-135 Navigator, Spy Agency Official to Be Next Air Force Secretary By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - Meta Platforms' former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, was sanctioned by a judge on Tuesday for deleting emails related to litigation over Facebook's Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal, despite being told to preserve the messages. The judge, Vice Chancellor Travis Laster, of Delaware Chancery Court, said evidence showed Sandberg used a personal account under a pseudonym and erased messages that were likely relevant to the shareholder lawsuit. The sanction will make it harder for Sandberg to tell her side of the story and avoid liability at the eight-day, non-jury trial scheduled for April. The judge also ordered her to pay the expenses related to the sanctions motion incurred by the shareholders, which include California's huge teachers' retirement system known as CalSTRS. "Because Sandberg selectively deleted items from her Gmail account, it is likely that the most sensitive and probative exchanges are gone," Laster wrote in his opinion published on Tuesday. Meta and an attorney for Sandberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sandberg had argued she was forthcoming about the personal account and rarely used it for business and when she did, others were copied on the messages so the information was preserved. Laster imposed a higher standard of "clear and convincing evidence," rather than "preponderance" of evidence, for Sandberg's affirmative defenses, which are her arguments and evidence for why she should not be held liable. The case was brought in 2018, when it emerged that Facebook allowed data from millions of users to be accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump's successful campaign for U.S. president in 2016. Shareholders sued the company's directors and officers for allegedly harming investors by continually violating a 2012 consent order with the Federal Trade Commission to protect users' data. Shareholders also allege the company's board bargained to pay a larger fine of $5 billion to the FTC in 2019 so that founder Mark Zuckerberg would not have personal accountability. Zuckerberg is expected to be deposed for a second time before the start of the trial, according to court records. In 2023, Laster refused to dismiss the lawsuit, which he said was a "case involving alleged wrongdoing on a truly colossal scale." Shareholders also asked Laster to sanction Jeffrey Zients, who was former President Joe Biden's chief of staff and who also used and deleted personal emails when he was on Meta's board. The judge said that Zients' messages were less pertinent because he joined the Meta board in 2018, after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and was not a company officer. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Leslie Adler) Jan. 21New Mexico joined 17 other states in suing newly inducted President Donald Trump and his administration over an executive order ending the practice of birthright citizenship on Tuesday. The suit, filed in federal District Court in Massachusetts, seeks to block the Trump administration from enforcing the order, signed in the first hours of the presidency, which began Monday. The suit argues birthright citizenship has been enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for more than 150 years as part of the 14th Amendment. "President Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship is a direct attack on the Constitution and the fundamental rights it guarantees to every child born on American soil," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a news release. "... We will not stand by as this administration attempts to dismantle the principles of equality and justice that define who we are as Americans." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's order would disqualify people who were granted citizenship when their parents were present in the country unlawfully, or when their parents' presence in the U.S. was temporary. "The Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States," the order states. Attorneys general from 18 states in total, including those from New York and California, joined in the suit. The attorney general of Washington, D.C., and city attorney of San Francisco also joined in the suit, rounding the total number of plaintiffs out at 20. Trump's order drew immediate concern from U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Birthright citizenship is established and protected by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," his spokesperson, Adan Serna, wrote in an email to The New Mexican. "Only Congress holds the power to amend the U.S. Constitution." This is a developing story. Check back for more details. Esteban Candelaria is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. He covers child welfare and the state Children, Youth and Families Department. Learn more about Report for America at reportforamerica.org. By Laura Gottesdiener and Lizbeth Diaz CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have begun constructing giant tent shelters in the city of Ciudad Juarez to prepare for a possible influx of Mexicans deported under U.S. President Donald Trump's promised mass deportations. The temporary shelters in Ciudad Juarez will have the capacity to house thousands of people and should be ready in a matter of days, said municipal official Enrique Licon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's unprecedented," Licon said on Tuesday afternoon, as workers unloaded long metal bracings from tractor trailers parked in the large empty lot yards from the Rio Grande, which separates the city from El Paso, Texas. The tents in Ciudad Juarez are part of the Mexican government's plan to ready shelters and reception centers in nine cities across northern Mexico. Authorities at the site will provide deported Mexicans with food, temporary housing, medical care, and assistance in obtaining identity documents, according to a government document outlining the strategy, called "Mexico embraces you." The government is also planning to have a fleet of buses ready to transport Mexicans from the reception centers back to their hometowns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has vowed to carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, which would remove millions of immigrants. An operation of that scale, however, would likely take years and be hugely costly. Nearly 5 million Mexicans are living in the United States without authorization, according to an analysis by Mexican think tank El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) based on recent U.S. census data. Many are from parts of central and southern Mexico wracked by violence and poverty. Some 800,000 undocumented Mexicans in the United States are from Michoacan, Guerrero, and Chiapas, according to the COLEF study, where fierce battles between organized crime groups have forced thousands to flee in recent years, sometimes leaving whole towns abandoned. MEXICO COULD STRUGGLE Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mexican government says it is ready for the possibility of mass deportations. But immigration advocates have their doubts, fearing that the combination of mass deportations and Trump's measures to prevent migrants from entering the U.S. could quickly saturate Mexican border cities. The Trump administration on Monday ended a program, known as CBP One, that allowed some migrants waiting in Mexico to enter the U.S. legally by obtaining an appointment on a government app. On Tuesday it said it was reinstating Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), an initiative that forced non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for the resolution of their U.S. cases. On Monday, Jose Luis Perez, then director of migration issues for Tijuana, became one of the few Mexican officials to raise public concerns about whether Mexico was really prepared. "Basically, with the cancellation of CBP One and deportations, the government isn't coordinated to receive them," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hours later, he was fired in what he said was retaliation for issuing such warnings. The municipal government did not answer questions about his termination. "Mexico will do everything necessary to care for its compatriots, and will allocate whatever is necessary to receive those who are repatriated," Mexico's Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said on Monday during the daily morning press conference. But with sluggish economic growth projected this year, Mexico could struggle to absorb millions of Mexicans deported from the U.S., while a significant drop in remittances could cause "serious economic disruptions" in the towns and villages across the country that depend on such income, said Wayne Cornelius, distinguished emeritus professor at the University of California-San Diego. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday evening in Ciudad Juarez, some two dozen soldiers worked at the tent shelter near a tall black cross where in 2016, Pope Francis held an open-air Mass, warned of a humanitarian crisis, and prayed for migrants. The soldiers, in the deepening darkness, began constructing an industrial kitchen to feed the deported. (This story has been corrected to add 'Rodriguez' to the name of Mexican Interior Minister Rosa Icela in paragraph 16) (Reporting by Laura Gottesdiener and Jose luis Gonzalez in Ciudad Juarez and Lizbeth Diaz en Tijuana; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Saad Sayeed) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham gestures during her State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) Everyone in this room knows that crime is out of control in New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told attendees to her State of the State address at the Roundhouse on Tuesday. Even our public safety professionals agree, were in a state of crisisthe violent crime rate in New Mexico is twice the national average. Addiction is rampant. And were clearly struggling to protect New Mexicans from this madness. Following a nearly year-long tour of New Mexico to build support for her public safety agenda, the governor on Tuesday laid out several of the proposals she will push lawmakers to adopt during the legislative session that began at noon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those include toughening penalties for people with felony convictions who illegally possess firearms; sentencing for criminals who traffic deadly drugs like fentanyl; and civil commitment for those who need treatment the most. The governor also wants to reform criminal competency laws that let too many dangerous people remain on our streets. She will also be pushing for a tax rebate for businesses to help businesses foot the cost of security personnel and equipment until we can get our crime epidemic under control. The governor made no mention of yesterdays inauguration of Donald Trump as president, but ended her speech with a call to action for lawmakers to address crime. I recognize that the issues that plague us are rooted in poverty, inequality and generational challenges long neglected, she said in prepared remarks. But our crime problem destabilizes the very communities we seek to empower; it threatens the very prosperity of our state, in which we have invested so much. We cannot and we must not let this continue. We need the tools to overcome this challenge. We can respect civil rights and protect the right of every family to live safely, the right of small businesses to conduct commerce securely and the right of our children to grow up in communities free from danger. Following the governors speech, Republican leaders in a news conference said they appreciated her new tough-on-crime agenda, which they said theyve touted for years without any purchase in the Legislature. But they said her speech focused too much on behavioral health spending, which they described as throwing more money at solutions that will be slow to arrive. As other applaud Sen. Minority Leader William Sharer, R-Farminton, quietly listens to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham deliver her State of the State Address before a join session of the House and Senate, Tuesday, January 21, 2025. This was shortly after the start of the 2025 legislative session. (Photo by Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal) In a statement provided to Source, Lena Weber, interim policy director at the ACLU of New Mexico, said the organization was encouraged to hear the governors commitment to taking bold steps to reduce homelessness and improve access to behavioral health care, describing them as the real solutions we need to build lasting community safety for all New Mexicans not more of the same tough on crime approach that has failed our state for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, she said, we were disappointed to hear the governor yet again propose policies that will fuel mass incarceration in our state and harm our communities. Longer sentences and coerced treatment arent the solutions our state deserves. We urge the governor and the Legislature to reject harmful proposals and instead double down on the real solutions that the governor and lawmakers have already proposed that will offer stability and safety by investing in housing, healthcare, education and jobs. While the governor made public safety and the beleaguered Children, Youth and Families Department centerpieces of her speech, she also touted her administration for its work on the economy and education, reviewed her proposals for schools, housing, climate, jobs and healthcare. CYFD While the governor claimed the state has made progress in CYFD, particularly in the last year, she proposed a partnership with an independent, outside expert in child welfare and foster caresuch as the Urban Instituteto evaluate CYFD alongside the state auditor and make reports to her office and the Legislature every six months. At the same time, she said she supports an Independent Child Protection Authority that will be jointly appointed by her office and the Legislature. The Legislative Finance Committees budget recommendations note that New Mexico consistently ranks among the worst six states for repeat maltreatment occurring within 12 months of the initial allegation, and in FY24 the states reported rate of repeat maltreatment worsened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the governor said, the health department is assuming responsibility for the federal Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act because public health experts are best equipped to support families with drug-addicted babies. Too many families, the governor added, garnering applause, do not adhere to the spirit of the program. Thats why its time to make these interventions on behalf of children mandatory. She also will back exempting foster families and grandparents raising grandchildren from personal income tax and push to double their stipends up to $900 more dollars monthly. I say, if you are stepping up for kids in need, were going to make it easier for you to support them, she said. She also urged the Legislature to fully fund CYFD so it has the resources and personnel it needs to do this important work. The governors budget recommends $286.4 million for the department; the LFC recommendation is $389.4 million. Education The governor said she will propose incentives for schools that ban cellphone use during school hours, along with funding for enhanced safety measures so that parents dont have to worry about getting ahold of their kids in an emergency. She also said lawmakers need to pass a bill to make the states Office of Special Education permanent. Another big-ticket item: a $50 million annual investment in the Indian Education Fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She will also push for $205 million to solidify the states free childcare program; a comprehensive math and STEM program; and to fully fund 180-day school years. Economy Citing the addition of 134,000 jobs in the past four-and-a-half years, the governor noted that the state has cut its unemployment gap in half over the last two years. The most recent employment gap data available does show gap decreasing, but that appears to be because the number of openings has decreased. The number of unemployed people has stayed largely the same over the last two years. The governor also announced that quantum computing company Quantinuum is establishing a major research and development presence here in New Mexico. Climate change Noting the devastating coverage of wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, the governor also acknowledged the fires that have ravaged communities in our state, testing our patience and resilience as we struggle under the weight of natural disasters in our backyards. Moreover, she said, getting insurance protection is becoming impossible, either because its simply no longer available or exorbitantly expensive. To that end, the governor said shell propose a state-sponsored fire insurance program outside the private marketto help make people whole when tragedy strikes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state does currently offer insurance as a last resort to those who have been denied in the private market, through its so-called FAIR plan. The states insurance regulator is seeking $50 million to expand that program during this years session. The governor also re-upped her proposal for a Strategic Water Supply. Our state, like so many others, is facing a severe water shortage, and climate change is only making the problem worse. Yet we have enormous reserves of brackish water lying beneath our feet. And we have massive amounts of industrial water that is being injected right back into the ground. Lets build the technology to clean up that industrial water rather than pollute our aquifers. The proposal has garnered opposition from environmentalists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor said she would suggest lawmakers spell it out that the recycled industrial water will not be used for human or animal consumption, or to irrigate our crops. The governor, who co-chairs the U.S. Climate Alliance, said New Mexico, also encouraged lawmakers to make this the session in which the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 becomes the law of the land. Housing Citing redevelopment of the New Mexico State Fairgrounds, as well as planned housing units across the state, the governor also said too often such developments are stalled or frankly never finished. We must remove the barriers with regulatory and zoning changes to make homebuilding easier. Her administration also will propose $50 million in development subsidies to build houses for people who are priced outmaking home buying more affordable in New Mexicoas well as capital investments in roads and water systems to accelerate development of affordable housing. She also reintroduced her proposal for a state Office of Housing. Homelessness and health The governor said she wants $50 million to fight homelessness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we are really committed to getting our unhoused populations off the streets and back on their feet, we also need high-fidelity services that are available 24/7 from medication-assisted treatment to temporary housing to job training, she said. She also will call for an additional $50 million for the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund and $100 million for behavioral health expansion initiatives, along with a state-sponsored medical malpractice insurance program. Insurance rates for doctors and health care providers shouldnt be any higher in New Mexico than in neighboring states, and they most certainly shouldnt be twice the national average, she said. Danielle Prokop, Patrick Lohmann, Leah Romero and Austin Fisher contributed reporting to this story. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Jan. 21New Mexico's attorney general and those of 17 other states sued President Donald Trump on Tuesday to block an executive order that questions a decades-old guarantee of citizenship for all U.S.-born children. Trump's 700-word executive order, issued Monday, argues that the U.S. Constitution does not automatically confer citizenship to all children born in the United States a decades-old principle known as birthright citizenship. The federal lawsuit contends that the order is an unconstitutional attempt to "strip hundreds of thousands of American-born children of their citizenship" based on the immigration status of their parents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Birthright citizenship, enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, confers citizenship on "all persons born" and "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States. The amendment was adopted in 1868 to guarantee citizenship for African Americans. Trump's order excludes children born to mothers who are not in the U.S. legally and whose fathers are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. It also bars citizenship to children whose mothers are in the country legally but on a temporary basis, such as work or student visas, and whose fathers are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement announcing the suit that the principle of birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and "is not a privilege to be granted or revoked by political whim." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eighteen states, plus the cities of Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, filed suit in federal court to block the order. Four other states filed a separate federal suit challenging Trump's order. They are Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. "President Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship is a direct attack on the Constitution and the fundamental rights it guarantees to every child born on American soil," Torrez said. The order applies only to children born in the United States after 30 days from the date of the order, or Feb. 19. The suit argues that if the order is allowed to stand, children born after that date "will lack any legal status in the eyes of the federal government. They will all be deportable, and many will be stateless." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Uncertain is how many New Mexico-born children might be affected by the order. About 9% of New Mexico residents are foreign-born and 5.9% of its U.S.-born residents lived with at least one immigrant parent in 2022, according to the American Immigration Council, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. The nonprofit estimates that 113,000 U.S.-born residents in New Mexico lived with at least one immigrant parent in 2022. About 27,000 U.S.-citizen children lived with at least one undocumented parent that year. The suit seeks to invalidate the order and block actions to enforce it. "The President has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment or duly enacted statute," the suit contends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's order argues that the 14th Amendment "has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States." New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said Tuesday that presidents might have broad authority but are not kings. "The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, period," he said. In addition to New Mexico and the two cities, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin joined the lawsuit to stop the order. Mexico will not object to President Trumps plan to force asylum seekers detained at the southwestern border to wait in Mexico until their cases are heard in U.S. immigration courts, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday. Sheinbam did not endorse Trumps controversial Remain in Mexico policy but said her nation would accept returned noncitizen asylum seekers as a humanitarian gesture, and would work to repatriate them to their homelands in Central America and elsewhere. Sheinbaum's comments at her daily news conference were her first on Trumps inaugural-day blitz of executive orders, including several directly affecting Mexico and others overhauling U.S. immigration and border policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Disappointment at border as Trump cancels immigration program Sheinbaum, a leftist who took office in October, adopted a conciliatory tone and did not directly criticize Trump. She said that although Mexico must protect its sovereignty, its people must remain calm and cool-headed." We have to avoid confrontations; thats a responsibility, said Sheinbaum, who was accompanied at the news conference by her foreign and security secretaries. At the same time, we have to behave as equals, never subordinate. Defend our sovereignty, our independence and defend Mexicans. As she responded to Trump's decrees on a variety of contentious topics, from immigration to security to tariffs, she noted that several of his initiatives mirrored policies enacted during his first administration including Remain in Mexico and the new U.S. declaration of a national emergency along the southwestern border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Trump signs orders to crack down on immigration, send troops to the border Its nothing new, Sheinbaum said, adding that familiarly would aid in Mexico's response. Thats important to recognize." Mexican citizens in the United States facing forced expulsion under Trumps vowed mass deportation plans would be provided legal and other assistance and would be in line for financial, logistical and other aid if returned to Mexico, Sheinbaum vowed. Mexicans in the U.S. should know they "are not alone, Sheinbaum said. They are heroes and heroines of la patria, she said. That is how we are going to treat them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The millions of Mexicans residing in the United States are also pillars of the Mexican economy, sending home more than $60 billion annually to relatives and others. A large-scale deportation could be a major blow to Mexicos already fragile economy. But the president again expressed the hope which some analysts call illusory that immigrant contributions would temper Trumps deportation agenda. Mexicans in the United States sustain a good part of the [U.S.] economy, Sheinbaum said. Among Trumps most provocative actions was an executive order saying that the U.S. would designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. But Sheinbaum downplayed widespread fears in Mexico that the decree could lead to unilateral U.S. military actions. Sheinbaum said that officials in new U.S. administration should work with with Mexico on binational security concerns. "They can and should act in their territory" she said, noting that organized crime also operates in the United States. "They in their territory, we in our territory." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We all want to combat drug cartels, that is obvious, Sheinbaum said. "We have to coordinate efforts, collaborate. Sheinbaum was equally circumspect on the 25% tariffs Trump has vowed to impose on Mexican imports if the country fails to stop U.S.-bound traffic of drugs and migrants. Her government, Sheinbaum said, would commence dialogue on the matter with Trump, who has set Feb. 1 as a likely target date for imposing the tariffs. She made no mention of previous comments that Mexico would be forced to impose retaliatory tariffs should Trump proceed. Its very important that everyone, the media, the people of Mexico, business leaders everyone that they remain calm and united," Sheinbaum said. "Evaluating step by step, without getting ahead of ourselves." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexicos export-oriented economy is closely tied to the United States, which is the destination of more than 80% of the countrys exports. Read more: Migration across the U.S.-Mexico border, in 5 charts On the immigration front, Sheinbaum again stressed how Mexican enforcement had helped reduce illicit crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border to the lowest levels in years. Mexico reported a record 1 million detentions of illegal immigrants last year, sending most migrants back to southern Mexico. "No caravan has arrived, Sheinbaum boasted, referring to organized groups of migrants who have set off from southern Mexico for U.S. territory, only to be thwarted by Mexican authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his first term in office, Trump launched Remain in Mexico as a means to deter illegal immigration, eventually forcing more than 60,000 people mostly Central Americans and Cubans to await U.S. court hearings on the Mexican side. Many asylum seekers sent back to Mexico became victims of kidnapping, extortion and other abuses at the hands of organized crime groups. Mexico, which is under no legal obligation to take back noncitizens, agreed to do so under pressure from Trump's first administration. Read more: What's in a name? Gulf of America? Mexican America? This time, it appears, no U.S. arm-twisting will be needed. Mexico will cooperate, Sheinbaum said, but would seek U.S. financial aid to help cover the costs of repatriating third-country nationals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She did have one light moment talking about Trump's executive orders. As a Spanish-language version of Trump's executive order on "RESTORING NAMES THAT HONOR AMERICAN GREATNESS" was projected on the wall, she referred to Trump's proclamation to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." Sheinbaum laughed. He can call it what he likes, she said. "For us it will continue to be the Gulf of Mexico," the president said. "And for the whole world, it will continue to be the Gulf of Mexico. Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Monday enabling Michigan pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraceptives. House Bill 5436 signed by Whitmer will allow pharmacists to issue prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives such as patches, vaginal rings, pills and emergency contraceptives. By the fall of 2026, the state's licensing agency and pharmacy board must develop rules to implement the change. With the governor's signature, Michigan joins Washington, D.C. and 30 other states that allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and advocacy group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitmer also signed House Bill 5435 which requires insurance coverage of contraception prescribed by a pharmacist. Democrats who supported the bills described them as a way of expanding access to birth control in Michigan. Democratic lawmakers passed the bills along party lines against GOP opposition during the previous legislative session. Whitmer said the bills she signed will make obtaining birth control more convenient. "Right now, if you want to get most birth control pills, you have to make an appointment with your doctor maybe take time off work or find child care to go into the office, pay your co-pay and after all that, you still have to go to a pharmacy to actually pick up your medication. Let's call it what it is: unnecessary government red tape that slows down busy Michiganders who are just trying to get through their to-do list," she said in a video on her X account. Michigan's Clean Energy Transition: Data centers coming to Michigan have some Democrats worried about environmental impact Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitmer also signed several bills that also passed during the previous legislative session related to maternal and newborn health, including legislation to create a scholarship program to cover the cost of doula training, mandate health insurance coverage of blood pressure monitors used by women during a pregnancy and right after one and require hospitals to provide information on the process for adding a newborn to a health insurance policy. During the bill signing spree, Whitmer also approved House Bill 4224 repealing Michigan's unenforceable law requiring Medicaid recipients to work or undergo job training to maintain health coverage. Democrats passed the bill in a party-line vote, overcoming objections from Republicans. Former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, signed Michigan's Medicaid work requirement into law in 2018. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under President Donald Trump's first presidency gave formal approval to Michigan's Medicaid work requirements several months later. But a federal judge struck them down before they went into effect, and about a year later President Joe Biden's administration rescinded the waiver previously granted under his predecessor to allow Michigan to implement the work requirements. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New Michigan law expands who can prescribe birth control LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced she is running for governor. I am running for Governor because our state needs a bold leader who will save all Michiganders time and money, deliver real results that improve everyones lives, and protect our residents. And thats what Ive done my entire career, said Jocelyn Benson in a news release sent to 6 News. This campaign is about ensuring government is on your side. I want Michigan to be the best place in the country to be a kid, raise a kid, and be healthy, safe, and successful. A place where government is efficient and easy to deal with, where businesses and communities thrive, and where every resident has access to quality child care, health care, education, and housing. As governor, I will bring people together to solve our biggest problems and make sure everyone has a fair shot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benson has been serving as Secretary of State since 2019. Her office says operations of the Secretary of State have improved under her leadership with the department moving from some of the longest waits in the country to creating more than 150 self-serving stations for Michiganders. 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 WLNS 6 News. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, announced Wednesday that she is launching a campaign for governor. Im running for governor to truly make government work for everyone. We need leaders who are transparent and accountable. We need our schools and neighborhoods to be safe for all of us, Benson says in a video accompanying her campaign launch. The video highlights Bensons experience, as she mentions her work as secretary of state, her time as dean of Wayne State University Law School and her experience as a co-founder of Military Spouses of Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benson is the first major candidate to jump into the 2026 Democratic primary for governor. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan last month launched an independent campaign, bypassing the Democratic primary. Though Duggan opted to take a different path, Benson could face a tough primary. Other Democrats, like Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, have also been floated as possible names who could run to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who is term-limited. On the Republican side, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt jumped into the race last week. Almost two years out from Election Day, Michigans race for governor is already likely to be one of the most closely watched contests in the country next year. Though Whitmer and Benson won statewide in 2018 and 2022, President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 and 2024, cementing Michigan's reputation as one of the most tightly divided battlegrounds in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her launch video, Benson mentions her work in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election fighting back against Trump allies who falsely accused her of allowing election fraud and made baseless claims that Trump won the state that year. In the weeks after that election, armed pro-Trump protesters showed up outside Bensons home demanding that she certify the election in Trumps favor. Joe Biden carried the state by 2.8 percentage points that year. I ran for secretary of state to make sure government is efficient and transparent, that every voice is heard and every legitimate vote is counted in every election, no matter the outcome. Now, some people didnt like that very much, Benson says in the video, which includes local news clips of the protesters outside her home. Later in the video, Benson tells viewers, Ive spent my life standing up to powerful interests, and Ill keep standing up to any bullies or billionaires who try to deceive us, divide us, take away our rights or deny anyone the opportunity to get a fair shot, and shows photos of Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The International Organization for Migration and Microsoft are teaming up to use current on-the-ground experience and artificial intelligence to address extreme weather events and save lives. Launched in September 2023, Microsoft's AI for Good Lab is working in Ethiopia, Libya, and the Maldives to collect data on the effects of several kinds of changes to the climate. The IOM hopes that this data will allow it to target its actions to better serve people in those countries. All data will eventually be available in the organizations' Climate Action Portal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Data collected about people in the Maldives will inform the IOM's preparation of its Early Warning for ALL and National Adaptation Plan initiatives. Sea levels are estimated to rise there by 2050. Since most of the Maldives population lives less than a meter above sea level, with about 9,000 people living in at-risk places, taking action now is crucial. The IOM reports that 700,000 people in Ethiopia, as well as 1.5% of cropland, are susceptible to flooding. Almost 10% of them live in the Somali region along the Shabelle River, which is a crucial part of the region's agricultural process. On the other hand, average temperatures in Libya may rise by more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Data estimates that 72% of migration pathways will cross through those areas with extreme rises in heat. This includes 100% of pathways through Jalu, the center of the Al Wahat region in eastern Libya. All of this data has the power to create preventative action that will keep thousands of people safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "These projects show how local teams on the ground can unlock insights with AI to anticipate risks and respond with solutions that improve the resilience of communities," said Dr. Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist and director of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, to the IOM. AI can also help prevent outbreaks of illness after natural disasters create unsanitary conditions. It can even help us better predict more immediate weather disasters. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. While there are a variety of actions we can all take to help mitigate these changes together, this solution is one of many that can save the lives of many people around the globe. 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. The Israeli military said Wednesday its soldiers killed an alleged militant in Gaza whom it said posed a threat to its forces, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stretched into a fourth day. It appeared to be the first time since the ceasefire began Sunday that the Israeli military said it struck targets in Gaza. It was not clear whether the killing would affect the deal. The truce is supposed to bring calm to war-battered Gaza for at least six weeks and see 33 Hamas-held hostages released in return for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Israeli forces are pressing ahead with a major military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second day. At least 10 people have been killed, Palestinian health officials say. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Around 100 hostages still remain in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed dead. The rest have been released, rescued, or their bodies recovered. Israels military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. ___ Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's the latest: Israels Netanyahu will probably visit Trump in the next few weeks, official says UNITED NATIONS Israels ambassador to the United Nations believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington to meet President Donald Trump in a few weeks. Danny Danon told reporters Wednesday: Im sure he would be one of the first foreign leaders invited to the White House. Danon said he expects their discussions to include the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages taken during Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel. Israel says it killed a militant in Gaza, an apparent first since the ceasefire began Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TEL AVIV, Israel The Israeli military said Wednesday its soldiers killed an alleged militant in Gaza whom it said posed a threat to forces, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stretched into a fourth day. It appeared to be the first time the Israeli military said it struck targets in Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began Sunday. It was not clear whether the killing would affect the deal. The military said troops in southern Gaza saw several armed suspects. It said troops then eliminated an alleged militant with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group identified by the military as Akram Atef Farhan Zanon. The militant group had no immediate comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ceasefire will see a six-week pause in the war in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel and Hamas are expected to begin talks soon over extending the truce. Israel's military has said it will uphold the agreement but would act against perceived threats. UN envoy visits Syria and urges forming a new national army DAMASCUS, Syria U.N. special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Wednesday during a visit to Damascus that forming a new national army in Syria should be a priority for the countrys rulers the former insurgents who toppled President Bashar Assad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bringing Syria's disparate factions together into one military is vital for stability, but it also requires careful management in a way that avoids competing armies and fragmented command structures, he said. Pedersen said he is concerned about ongoing fighting in northeastern Syria between Turkish-backed groups and U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led forces. He said Turkey and the U.S. have crucial roles to play in negotiating an end to the fighting so this does not end in the full military confrontation that will not serve the interests of the Syrian people, he said. He also criticized Israels occupation of Syrian territory in a buffer zone set up as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement. Israeli forces captured the area after Assads fall, and Israeli officials have said they will remain there until a new arrangement is established to ensure Israels security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no excuse for what is what the Israelis are now doing, Pedersen said. And this needs to stop. Speaking at Davos, the Syrian foreign minister has high hopes for economic recovery BEIRUT Syria's new foreign minister said Wednesday at the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos that his country hopes it can follow in the footsteps of economic powerhouses like Singapore and Saudi Arabia as it begins rebuilding after nearly 14 years of war. We need the help of the international community to help us in this new experiment, Asaad al-Shibani said. He also pledged that Syria's government and constitution will be representative of all of the country's communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western nations, although they have moved to restore ties with Damascus since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown by a lightning insurgent offensive last month, are still somewhat circumspect about the new rulers, led by the Islamist former rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. All the time they ask us about the how to guarantee the rights of (this or) that group and how to guarantee the rights of the woman in Syria all of us will be under the Constitution and under the rule of law, al-Shibani said. The committee of experts formed to draft a new constitution a process that could take years will comprise all the different groups of Syria including women, he said. Israel pulls more troops out of Gaza Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JERUSALEM The Israeli military said Wednesday it was drawing down soldiers from the Gaza Strip, as a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas holds for a fourth day. Also Wednesday, Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said that troops will begin to withdraw Saturday from a corridor that bisects northern Gaza from the south. That will pave the way for Palestinians prevented from heading north to return to their homes. The withdrawal would only happen once the next batch of hostages set to be freed Saturday are in Israeli custody, Shoshani said. The military shared footage of what it said were tanks crossing out of Gaza. It said the force leaving, the Givati Brigade Combat Team, spent weeks in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, where Israel launched a major offensive late last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the first stage of the three-phase ceasefire agreement, Israel is to withdraw troops from parts of Gaza and displaced Palestinians will begin returning to what's left of their homes. Syrian defense minister is open to all possibilities in talks with the Kurds DAMASCUS, Syria Syrias new defense minister is ready for all possibilities in negotiations with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces who control northeastern Syria, with the intention of having the war-torn country under one military force. The former rebels who now run Syrias government have rejected any form of federalism or autonomous regions, and aim to have all weapons solely under state control. We want a solution with the administration that runs eastern Syria in order to preserve the Kurdish component and find a peaceful solution with them and not to cause a large-scale war, Murhaf Abu Qasra told reporters Wednesday. The Kurdish forces have been fighting with Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria in the weeks since President Bashar Assad was overthrown. Turkey wants to create a border buffer zone free of the Kurdish forces, but the Kurds have been a key U.S. ally in combatting Islamic State group sleeper cells. Israeli forces are surrounding a hospital in the West Bank and hundreds of Palestinians are trapped inside, health officials say JENIN, West Bank Hundreds of Palestinians were trapped in a hospital by an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank that has killed at least 10 people in two days, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Wednesday. The Israeli military said its forces were trying to detonate explosive devices planted by militants beneath the road outside the hospital in the city of Jenin, and had told patients and doctors not to exit the hospital during the detonations. Dozens of military bulldozers have carved up tracts of roads in Jenin. A nurse inside the Jenin Government Hospital said patients were terrified as hundreds of people were unable to leave for hours. On Wednesday afternoon, pregnant women and older adults, one carrying an infant bundled in a blanket against the winter chill, walked past ambulances and armored vehicles away from the hospital and the Jenin refugee camp, as gunfire echoed down the empty streets and Israeli military drones and aircraft buzzed low overhead. Theres no medicine, no food, no supplies, nothing, said Ashram Abu Sroor, shaking his head as he exited the hospital. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Israeli forces had begun the large operation in Jenin with the main goal of clearing roadside bombs placed by militants under streets and civilian infrastructure aimed at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces have regularly clashed with Palestinian militants in Jenin in recent years, even before the war in Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, and Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. Escalations in one area frequently spill over. Yemens Houthi rebels release crew of commercial vessel seized in 2023 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Yemens Houthi rebels said they released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they seized in November 2023 at the start of their campaign in the Red Sea corridor. The rebels said Wednesday they released the sailors after mediation by Oman. The crew of 25 included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. They then had a campaign targeting ships in international waters, which only stopped with the recent ceasefire in Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel says it will keep control of the Rafah crossing with Egypt JERUSALEM Israel says it will maintain control of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas. A statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office on Wednesday denied reports that the Palestinian Authority would control the crossing. It said local Palestinians not affiliated with Hamas who had been vetted by Israeli security would merely stamp passports at the crossing. It noted that, under international agreements, this stamp is the only way Gazans may leave the Strip in order to enter, or be received in, other countries. The statement said Israeli forces would surround the crossing and that Israel must approve the movement of all people and goods through it. It said European Union monitors would supervise the crossing. Israel captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing last May, forcing it to shut down. Egypt, a key mediator in more than a year of negotiations that led to the ceasefire, has demanded that Palestinians control the Gaza side. UN says aid is flowing smoothly into Gaza UNITED NATIONS The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Gaza says trucks from the U.N., aid groups, governments and the private sector are arriving and no major looting has been reported - just a few minor incidents. Nearly 900 trucks of aid entered Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire Tuesday, the United Nations said. That's significantly higher than the 600 trucks called for in the deal. Muhannad Hadi, who returned to Jerusalem from Gaza on Tuesday afternoon, told U.N. reporters by video that it was one of the happiest days of his 35-year humanitarian career to see Palestinians in the streets looking ahead with hope, some heading home and some starting to clean up the roads. In his talks with families at a communal kitchen run by the U.N. World Food Program and elsewhere, he said, they all told him they need humanitarian assistance but want to go home, to work and earn money. They dont like the fact that they have been depending on humanitarian aid, Hadi said. Palestinians talked about resuming education for their children and about the need for shelter, blankets and new clothes for women who have been wearing the same clothes for more than a year. He said a shipment of tents is expected in the coming days. MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) Middlebury College has announced that Dr. Ian Baucom, PhD, will serve as the schools 18th president. The colleges Board of Trustees officially made Baucoms appointment yesterday, January 21. He will succeed the previous president, Laurie L. Patton, who stepped down one month ago to work for the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Interim President Steve Snyder will manage the school until June 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baucom is the current acting executive vice president and provost at the University of Virginia plus the Robert C. Taylor Professor of English. He will officially start work and take office on July 1. In an article posted to the Middlebury College website, Baucom said that Middlebury embodies the world-gathering capacity of collegiate life at its finest. 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 ABC22 & FOX44. (NewsNation) Immigrants who entered the United States illegally contributed more than $25 billion in Social Security taxes in 2022 although they are not eligible to collect retirement benefits without their immigration status changing. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reported that in 2022, these migrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes. By doing so, they contributed $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes, $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes and $1.8 billion in unemployment insurance taxes. However, after President Donald Trump has vowed to close the U.S. southern border and begin a mass deportation effort that targets millions of migrants, it could cost Social Security almost $20 billion in cash flow each year, The New York Times reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens to my 401(k) if I quit my job? The report cites actuaries at the Social Security Administration, which sent Social Security benefits to 68 million Americans monthly totaling $1.5 trillion last year, the newspaper reported. How migrants pay into Social Security The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2023, foreign-born workers, including those who entered the United States illegally, made up 29.1 million (18.6%) of the American workforce. The agency said that the labor force participation of those not born in the U.S. increased to 66.6%, which is almost 5% higher than those workers who were born in the country. Most of the migrant workers were employed in service occupations such as construction, transportation and material-moving occupations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The American Immigration Council reported that in 2022, 4.5% of the U.S. workforce was made of foreign-born workers and that 89.9% of those migrants were of working age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Migrants pay property tax and sales tax as well as federal payroll taxes, which are deducted from their wages. The workers also have state and federal taxes taken from their checks even though they are not permitted to collect from social programs. In some cases, migrants have difficulty collecting federal or state tax returns. There are tons of laws that prevent undocumented workers from getting benefits, Richard C. Auxier, a principal policy associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, said, according to The Alabama Reflector. They get a lot of political attention. At the end of the day, theyre just normal people paying normal taxes. Social Security is mainly funded through a dedicated payroll tax that was created by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. According to The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, employees and employers each pay 6.2% of wages with a cap on the amount of wages that are subjected to the tax. What happens if you do an early 401(k) withdrawal? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In states like California, the way migrants contribute to the state is felt much stronger. The California Budget & Policy Center reported that in 2022, migrants contributed $8.5 million in state and local taxes. However, that number would grow to $10.3 billion if these migrants were granted work authorizations, the report said. How Trumps border policy could add to Social Security shortfall Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, told NewsNation that some aspects of Trumps policy changes regarding the border, like mass deportations, could take some time. The plans for mass deportation could affect an estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally. Most of those migrants are of working age. While other aspects of Trumps border plan will be felt almost immediately like the deactivation of the CBP One app, other parts will take longer to take hold. But as immigration-related policies begin to take effect, tolls on illegal immigrants paying into Social Security will eventually catch up. Falling birth rates over the past decade have contributed to the shortfall, while growing retirement rates among baby boomers has added to the growing concern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without Congress taking action on Social Security, the trust funds that Social Security relies on to pay out benefits to Americans are expected to run dry by 2035, CNBC reported. That is one year later than originally anticipated, according to the report. If Congress fails to act, 83% of benefits will be payable, which will cut the amount the average couple receives by nearly $17,000 per year, NewsNation previously reported. That has called many Americans to call on lawmakers to act when it comes to Social Security. However, the Peterson Foundation reported that only 30% of Americans knew that their benefits could be slashed. Voters understand that not touching Social Security is not an option because automatic cuts are unacceptable and waiting only makes the problem more costly and difficult to solve, Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation, said in a statement. 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 NewsNation. CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico Margelis Tinoco Lopez arrived at the border at 4 a.m. Monday for her 1 p.m. immigration appointment along with her husband and her 13-year-old son. Standing on the bridge in below-freezing weather, Lopez got an email from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that made her heart drop: Existing appointments scheduled through the CBP One application are no longer valid. She broke down in tears. Im devastated, she said, sitting on a chair at a Juarez migrant shelter. It feels like a sense of instability, and I feel vulnerable and scared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tinoco Lopez is among the thousands of migrants who had hoped to enter the United States legally but saw their long-awaited appointments canceled shortly after President Donald Trump was inaugurated Monday. Video of her crying at a bridge that connects El Paso and Juarez has spread across social media, which makes her worried for her safety, she said. On his first day back in office, Trump made good on his campaign promise to crack down on immigration, starting with shutting down the use of an app that let migrants make appointments to request asylum. The Biden administration had allowed 1,450 appointments daily at eight different ports of entry along the 2,000-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly 300,000 people a day tried to get an appointment, some waiting several months before they got lucky. More than 936,500 people had secured appointments since January 2023, according to CBP. Trump also issued an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship and declared an emergency at the border intended to allow the federal government to send the military and National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border. And he halted refugee resettlement, a program through which thousands of people fleeing war and persecution have entered the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Migrants immediately felt the impact of Trumps immigration agenda. Tinoco Lopez and her family left Colombia six months ago with the hope of migrating to the U.S. She declined to speak in detail about the reasons they left, but she said her oldest child was killed in her home country. After arriving in Mexico City late last year, she downloaded the CBP One app on her cell phone to attempt to get an appointment to request asylum. On Jan. 1, she finally received her appointment, so she and her family sold what little they had and bought one-way tickets to Juarez. We were so happy, we thought we were finally going to be able to enter the U.S., said Jose Loaiza, Tinoco Lopezs husband. They made us feel hope because they said they would take us in for our appointment at 11 a.m. But when we found out they wouldnt let us in it was just an overwhelming feeling that came over us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pastor Juan Fierro Garcia, who runs a migrant shelter in the outskirts of Juarez, said before Monday, 12 migrants were staying in his shelter. But with the mass cancellation of appointments, he expects that number to grow. Theres just a lot of uncertainty right now, he said. At the cafeteria inside a Catholic church in the citys plaza, Jesse Palmera, 31, ate beans, white bread and oatmeal. The Church provides free food and legal consultations for migrants seeking to enter the U.S. Palmera, who left Venezuela with his younger brother in April to migrate to the U.S., had an appointment with immigration officials for Jan. 28. His father, back in Venezuela, called him on Monday afternoon to ask if the news that the Trump administration had revoked the appointments was true. Palmera said thats how he discovered that his opportunity to enter legally had vanished. Jesse Palmera at El Buen Pastor migrant shelter in Ciudad Juarez. Palmera's asylum appointment, scheduled for Jan. 28, was canceled following the president's inauguration on Monday. Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune When I got the appointment, I thought, My parents and sisters wont have to suffer economically because I can finally work and send money back home, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My dad just told me, If its Gods will, youll be able to enter the U.S., Palmera said. Cristina Coronado, coordinator for the Ministry for Migrants of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban, which offers the services inside the Catholic church, said that she hasnt seen more migrants coming to the center but they have been bombarded with questions that they cant answer. She said she has advised people not to cross the border illegally or hire someone to smuggle them. Im hoping there will be a moment of peace and clarity so that both countrys governments can talk and find a solution, she said. I hope they think of the people because, unfortunately, in the past few years, theyve not thought about the migrants needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost instantly, Trumps moves on immigration were challenged. The American Civil Liberties Union sued to halt the order targeting birthright citizenship and filed a request for a hearing regarding the end of asylum appointments through CBP One, the phone app. We are working hard on bringing other lawsuits, said Cecillia Wang of the ACLU. We are coming to court in order to stand up for your rights. Other lawsuits may follow. Elora Mukherjee, director of Columbia Law Schools Immigrants Rights Clinic, said the executive order ending birthright citizenship is at odds with the 14th Amendment, which assures citizenship for all. She said the executive orders to shut down the border and reinstate remain in Mexico a policy that forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are pending violate domestic and international laws, and questioned the justification for declaring a national emergency at the southern border because the number of illegal crossings is currently low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just because the president does it, it doesnt make it legal, Mukherjee said. It doesnt make it right. In South Texas, Andrea Rudnik worried that Trumps executive orders could cause a chilling effect for organizations like the one she co-founded, Team Brownsville, which provides migrants with humanitarian aid. The organization has already been targeted by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has launched investigations into several shelters and nonprofits that help migrants. Margelis Tinoco Lopez, left, and her husband Jose Loaiza, right, at El Buen Pastor migrant shelter in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Tuesday, after their asylum appointment was canceled. We were so happy, we thought we were finally going to be able to enter the U.S., Loaiza said. Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune We havent seen the worst of it yet, Rudnik said, nodding to Trumps promised mass deportations. Theres just a lot of unknown. We will continue to try to serve in the best way that we can. The pathway is not clear at this point. Jennifer Babaie, the director of legal services for Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, an El Paso nonprofit that provides migrants with legal services, said she will closely follow how federal agencies try to implement the orders so that she can try to protect people she represents from wrongful deportation. These executive orders no matter your political party totally disregard civil liberties, Babaie said. If a government can come in on day one and put this much restriction on civil liberties, what else would they be willing to do? I have often thought that the words we choose when marketing our ideas reveal much about our underlying values. Over the last two decades, Hoosier policymakers have certainly gone heavy touting the dismal science of our state. Sloganeering like "Aiming Higher," "Major Moves," "A State That Works," "Restart Your Engines" and "Indiana is for the Winners" all speak, to one degree or another, of the economics of Indiana. After a seven-year run, weve finally reached the end of the Next Level Agenda era. Opinion: No, Illinois counties won't secede to Indiana. Here's why. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With so much emphasis placed on return on investment, it shouldnt surprise you that our states default policy focus is economic development. International trade missions and capital investment press releases are the lens through which we filter Hoosier success. Whether you're an elected official or a Bureau of Motor Vehicles employee, everyone is even if unbeknownst to them expected to be a job creator. If every sailor in the Navy is ultimately a firefighter, every member of state government is an agent of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. While it was roundly mocked at the time, I was always partial to the admittedly twee tourism slogan, "Honest To Goodness Indiana." As the father of a son on the spectrum, I find myself less concerned with a quantity of place than I am a quality of place. After all, when everything is reduced to its actuarial components, its easy to forget that an economy ultimately exists to serve people, not the other way around. Disability issues particularly those involving intellectual and developmental disabilities have been a policy domain that Ive leaned into during my time in the Statehouse. While the last two legislative sessions have not been without wins for Hoosiers living with a disability, special needs families have increasingly been forced into a defensive posture, often caught up in belt-tightening measures whenever the budget necessitates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that the 2025 legislative session is in full swing, many friends and colleagues who share my conviction on these issues have expressed a spectrum of emotions that range from skepticism to existential dread. Certainly, opportunities to move the needle on these issues face strong headwinds: the long-term growth of Medicaid, revenue forecasts missing their mark and the still-raw $1 billion Medicaid rounding error by FSSA have many in this policy space lowering expectations. However, I remain optimistic. A new Indiana General Assembly is joined by a new administration. And, budget constraints aside, a new governor will bring with him fresh perspective and fresh leadership. If internal transition personnel alone were any indication, then Gov. Mike Braun represents the first truly new GOP administration in over a decade. His restructuring of state government from scores of agency reports into a cabinet model of eight policy verticals reveals that he understands that Indiana is a complex organization that serves a much broader constituency than the site selectors of the Fortune 500. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More to the point, as a special needs dad, I appreciate the words he chose to define his agenda: freedom and opportunity. Good marketing, by design, is meant to be interpretive. However, it strikes me that the choice of such words is an intentional gesture toward policymaking on a more human scale. Winning, boldness, and motorsports references are the banalities of boardrooms. Those concerned with matters of human flourishing do not speak of life in such terms. Gov. Mike Braun signs his first executive orders as Governor of Indiana, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in his office at Indiana Statehouse. To be clear, Im not saying that advocates for disabled Hoosiers will not have to continue to play fiscal defense this session. Rather, tautologies aside, I believe there could be more opportunity in a Freedom and Opportunity era to help special Hoosiers achieve greater measures of both. Many of the solutions that I, and others, who care about this policy domain are advocating for this session are essentially fiscally neutral. It begins with removing many of the perverse incentives and regulations that keep so many disabled Hoosiers from achieving greater independence: burdensome restrictions around earning, saving and marrying. Concerning opportunity, it may surprise you to learn that nearly 80% of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed or underemployed. For individuals on the spectrum, that number is closer to 85%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are unconscionable statistics in 2024. They pervade the thoughts of every special needs parent, as we are universally haunted by one question: What will become of my child once Im gone? Because, when I watch my son put his left shoe on his right foot every morning as he has for the last four years, despite teaching him the correct way every morning as we have for the last four years I cannot afford to presume that he will be among the fortunate 15%. Those who do work often have to turn away raises, bonuses, or overtime due to extremely low resource limits to qualify for Medicaid. If that wasnt enough, the government caps how much an individual may save for their personal rainy day fund. Many disabled Hoosiers are one broken household appliance away from being financially devastated. In terms of freedom, the system treats ones marital status as a net negative, often finding individuals choosing between access to much-needed services or marrying the one they love. At best, it has led to a sort of relational black market of unofficial unions and cohabitation; at worst, divorce or forgoing marriage altogether. With so much angst on the left over marriage equality, and natalist handwringing on the right over the growth of the never-marrieds, this ought to be a source of common ground. While the intent was to prevent gaming the system, in practice these policies have had the unintended consequence of denying both freedom and opportunity for thousands in order to prevent the fraud of tens. Raising limits, or better yet, removing them altogether, while disregarding marital status, would cost the state nothing while opening up greater opportunities for Hoosiers living with a disability. Which, in turn, will lead to more individuals living lives of greater independence, less dependence and contributing more within our society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After all, isnt that ultimately the neoliberal promise of economic development? Using the levers of government to remove barriers that will ostensibly pay future dividends? How much more that we should treat human capital with the same regard as a data center. I begin the 2025 session with a degree of hope, because I believe that the words we choose matter. And, if the Freedom and Opportunity Agenda is this administrations justification for governance, then I look forward to working with them to ensure special Hoosiers see more of both. State Rep. Robb Greene (R-Shelbyville) represents District 47. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Freedom and Opportunity agenda can help with special needs | Opinion Mike Johnson is a fairly well-known name in American politics. He currently serves as the 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A lawyer by profession, he assumed the position in 2023 after former speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the office. Heres everything we know about Mike Johnsons wife, how they met and more details about the couple. Who is Mike Johnsons wife? Mike Johnson is married to Kelly Renee Lary. Johnson first met Lary when he was still attending Louisiana State University from where he earned his law degree in 1998. The couple tied the knot just a year after his graduation on May 1, 1999, in a covenant marriage. They have been inseparable ever since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She has been a constant pillar of support for her husband over the years. During his acceptance speech after being re-elected as Speaker of the House in January 2025, Mike Johnson expressed his gratitude towards his wife Kelly. He said, I want to thank my dedicated wife of almost 25 years, Kelly (via People). What is Kelly Larys job? Kelly Lary is a licensed pastoral counselor. Kelly Johnson graduated from Louisiana Tech University, where she earned her degree in elementary education. Prior to becoming a pastoral counselor, Lary had been a certified teacher. She currently serves as the founder and president of Onward Christian Counseling Services. The organization strives to provide religious-based individual, marriage and family counseling to the people of Louisiana. Additionally, Lary is also the director and advisor of the Louisiana Right to Life Federation (via Answers in Genesis). How many kids do Mike Johnson and Kelly Lary have? Mike Johnson and Kelly Lary have four children together, apart from an adopted son, Michael (via New York Post). Their two biological sons are Jack and Will. Their eldest daughter Hannah has decided to follow in her fathers footsteps and is currently pursuing a law degree from Louisiana State University Law School. Abigail, their second daughter, on the other hand, is attending her mothers alma mater Louisiana Tech University. The two younger boys are still in school, with Jack joining United States Naval Academy with the Class of 2028. The post Who Is Mike Johnsons Wife? Kelly Larys Job & Kids appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. President Donald Trumps reversal on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok has led to dramatic 180-degree turns from Republican supporters, most prominently by his national security advisor Mike Waltz, a former Florida congressman. During his first term, Trump initiated an effort to ban TikTok in the United States unless it was sold. But on Monday, shortly after he was inaugurated, Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban which became law after it passed Congress and was signed by President Joe Biden for 75 days. He said he wants the app to continue to operate in the U.S. and invited Shou Chew, the CEO of TikTok owner ByteDance, to his inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waltz backed Trump in his decision to keep TikTok alive, telling Fox News on Sunday that Trump will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark. The app, Waltz continued, was a great platform for him and his campaign to get his America First message out. Waltz, of St. Augustine Beach, is a longtime China hawk who carved out a reputation opposing the influence of the Peoples Republic of China. He was one of 197 Republicans who voted in March to ban TikTok from operating in the U.S., unless it was sold, in the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act later signed into law by Biden. In 2023, Waltz called the video-based app CCP spyware, referring to the Chinese Communist Partys influence over ByteDance. A year ago, before the vote to ban the app, his campaign sent out an email stating he was extremely disturbed that our kids are being inundated with pro-terrorist messaging on TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im taking action to STOP this new wave of terrorist sympathy in America, Waltz wrote. The ban was set to go into effect on Sunday, the day before Trump returned to office. But increased opposition to it from both Trump and some Democrats, worried about the effect it would have on Generation Z voters, led Biden to say he would not enforce the ban on his last day in power. But TikTok shut down temporarily on Saturday evening anyway, showing some users the politically-charged message, We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned! The app returned to operation on Sunday, telling users, As a result of President Trumps efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Orlando, who voted against the ban last year, wrote on social media that the TikTok issue was a massive political blunder on our end. Lets be clear: the whole thing is a con, Frost wrote. TikTok couldve kept the app rolling on Sunday but by shutting down & mentioning Trump, he gets to be the savior. One of many examples of companies & billionaires bowing down. Its BS. But its also the reality. While keeping TikTok alive, Trump also implied he would try to force ByteDance to sell 50% of the company to the federal government, according to Reuters, with the threat of Chinese tariffs behind it. Speculation has also pointed to X owner Elon Musk as a potential U.S. buyer for TikTok. Republicans appear to remain mixed on the issue. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said state Attorney General Ashley Moody, whom he chose to succeed Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate, has been integral in our states effort to defend Florida against Chinese influence. She opposed Chinas ability to spy on Americans through the use of social media apps. Hanan Refugees Relief Group in Milwaukee just resettled a family from Somalia, and another from Mali, on Monday. Now, with an executive order from new President Donald Trump, the federal refugee program that brought them here will be paused indefinitely. Other refugees who were expecting to board planes to the U.S. in the coming weeks are in limbo. Hanan's phone lines and offices have been swamped by clients nervous about their future, and the fate of their relatives. It's one example of how the president's newly issued executive orders on immigration are creating uncertainty and concern. At the same time, several of the orders are already facing legal challenges, and local advocates are trying to emanate calm and prepare people for what's ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We don't want folks to panic, but we want folks to be educated and to know their rights," said Milwaukee Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, whose south-side district includes many immigrants. Birthright citizenship order, mass deportation promise prompt concern Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul was among 18 top state prosecutors who sued Tuesday over an executive order trying to end birthright citizenship. It is a constitutional right enshrined in the 14th Amendment, but the Trump administration argues it does not extend to children born to undocumented parents, or kids of some parents who are legally here but just for a short time, such as foreign students or tourists. In signing the order, Trump said the U.S. is the only country that gives birthright citizenship. He's wrong dozens of other countries have comparable policies. The Constitution, federal law, and Supreme Court precedent all make clear that the children who would be impacted by this executive order are United States citizens, Kaul said in a statement. This attempt to deny them citizenship in blatant violation of the Constitution should be rejected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the slew of other orders, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and directed the defense secretary to create a plan for deploying troops there. He also sought to end the "catch and release" policy of releasing undocumented immigrants from detention while they await court hearings. What looms largest for local immigrants, though, is Trump's much-publicized promise of mass deportation, said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of local advocacy group Voces de la Frontera. His advisers have said anyone living in the U.S. undocumented is at risk of deportation. The logistics and costs of deporting all 11 million undocumented residents are widely believed to be prohibitive. But experts have said they expect a number of high-profile raids in the early days of Trump's presidency as a show of force. The Wall Street Journal reported late last week that the Trump administration planned post-inauguration raids in Chicago, though Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, later said the details were still being finalized. "The threat of mass deportation we know it's as much of a threat for Milwaukee or Wisconsin as it is for Chicago or New York," Neumann-Ortiz said. A protester in Milwaukee expresses frustration last week with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. Advocates: It's safe to reach out to police, fire departments The administration is also rescinding Biden-era rules that barred federal agents from arresting undocumented immigrants at or near "sensitive locations," like schools, hospitals and churches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Undocumented individuals should be careful about driving without a license right now, especially in rural areas, as traffic stops could potentially lead to deportation, Neumann-Ortiz said. The Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office share information with federal immigration officers only when the person is suspected of terrorism, gang activity or violent felonies, and not in cases of less serious crimes. More: Is Milwaukee a sanctuary city? Not quite, but it's one of Wisconsin's closest examples Zamarripa said she and other Common Council members have been in contact with Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, and she is confident in the "strength" of the department's policies. She wanted to encourage people not to be afraid to report crimes or cooperate with police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want them to feel safe calling their police and their fire department here in the city" Zamarripa said. If there is a culture of fear in going to the authorities, undocumented immigrants may become targets for exploitation by landlords or employers, said Darryl Morin, president of Forward Latino. Advocates are planning to drive home that reassurance that it's safe to report crimes and fires Wednesday in a news conference. "Now more than ever, we need everyone to be vigilant and report what they see," he said. More: ICE detention center not planned for Milwaukee, contrary to some statements Law students work to inform detainees of their rights Meanwhile, about five to 10 University of Wisconsin law students are preparing for a visit to the Dodge County Detention Facility, where people facing deportation are detained. Erin Barbato, director of the UW Immigrant Justice Clinic, said the goal is to be thoughtful in the information they share with clients about the Trump orders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barbato and the students are readying for the possibility that some of the detainees they meet later this week will not be convicted of serious crimes, but may be convicted of driving without a license, or have immigration violations. The clinic also is focusing on helping detainees figure out future plans, such as where children will live if both parents are deported, or how family members will be informed of the deportation, as well as making sure they know their rights. More: 'Playing defense': Activists organize workshops to support DACA recipients, immigrants in Milwaukee More: Think H-1B visas are just a Silicon Valley issue? Hundreds of Wisconsin firms use them. Sheila Badwan, executive director of Hanan Refugees Relief Group, is pictured at the refugee resettlement agency's offices in 2022. Refugee resettlement agency expects delays with program under review At Hanan's refugee resettlement office, people have been eager to file applications for green cards and other immigration documents as quickly as possible, said executive director Sheila Badwan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hanan was scheduled to resettle some refugee families in February, but they're not likely to arrive now, she said. The executive order directs members of Trump's cabinet to submit a report within 90 days regarding whether resuming the program "would be in the interests of the United States." Badwan expects "a huge delay" in processing Social Security cards, work permits and other paperwork. The order pausing the refugee resettlement program mentioned the recent influx of mostly Nicaraguan migrants to Whitewater conflating two different groups of people. "Cities and small towns alike, from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Ohio, to Whitewater, Wisconsin, have seen significant influxes of migrants," the order read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In general, the migrants who settled in Whitewater crossed the southern U.S. border and presented themselves to a border agent to petition for asylum, or they entered the country undetected. In contrast, the refugee resettlement program brings to the U.S. persecuted individuals who have fled their home countries and have registered as refugees with the United Nations. Refugees often wait years to be selected for resettlement in the U.S. and go through security and biometric vetting by more than a dozen federal agencies before they are flown to the U.S. and welcomed by an agency like Hanan. Badwan, born here to immigrant parents, said she feels "disappointment in where we've come to." "We're supposed to be a welcoming country," she said. "I'm praying for a better world and hoping that things will get better day by day." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at scarson@gannett.com or 920-323-5758. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: As Trump immigration orders sow fear, Milwaukee advocates stress poise Milwaukee police released body cam footage of the Jan. 6 shooting of a man wanted for child sexual assault. The Milwaukee Police Department footage, released Tuesday afternoon, shows a police officer struggled with 19-year-old Emilio A. Arner-Ortiz over a firearm, before shooting him in the midsection. Arner-Ortiz, who survived the shooting, faces charges of second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 and abduction of a child, among other charges. The footage matches the initial police description of the event and shows the leadup to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officers arrive, they're met by Arner-Ortiz's mother who seems concerned and asks why officers want to talk with them. His mother then goes to get him and Arner-Ortiz asks the officers if they have a warrant. The officer replies, "For you, yes," and Arner-Ortiz subsequently draws gun. The officer and the teen struggle over it, before Arner-Ortiz is shot. "What the hell is going on?" Arner-Ortiz's mother can be heard shouting. Prosecutors say he chatted online with a 13-year-old boy from Illinois for three years and recently picked him up to bring back to Milwaukee to have sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In all, Arner-Ortiz is charged with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, abduction of a child, child enticement, second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16, and intentionally pointing a firearm at law enforcement. Arner-Ortiz is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday. David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police release body cam footage of shooting of suspect Minnesota state Senator Heather Gustafson is hoping to protect her constituents from a toxic class of chemicals making their way into the food system. On January 16, Gustafson introduced bill SF 188, which aims to pressure food manufacturers to reduce their use and levels of phthalate chemicals plasticizers used to make plastics more flexible and durable in their products. Plastic chemicals are all too common in the food we eat and pose a serious threat to our health, Gustafson shared in a statement provided to Food & Wine via Consumer Reports. Minnesotans have the right to know whether the food they are eating and serving their families is contaminated with toxic phthalates. My bill will help consumers make healthier buying decisions and create a strong incentive for food manufacturers to get plastic chemicals out of our food. Here's what you need to know about the bill, phthalate chemicals, and what you can do about it even if you don't live in Minnesota. Related: More Than 3,000 Chemicals Enter Our Bodies Through Food Packaging Here's What You Can Do About It What is bill SF188? According to the Consumer Reports release, bill SF 188 is aimed at food manufacturers who sell packaged foods in Minnesota. If passed, it would require companies to test their products for phthalates and submit a notice to the Department of Agriculture, which would disclose the levels of all of the phthalates it detected. How prolific are phthalates, anyway? Consumer Reports noted that in 2024 it investigated popular fast foods and supermarket brands and found phthalates "in almost every food tested, often at high levels." It noted that these phthalates usually end up in our food through packaging but also from exposure to "plastic in tubing, conveyor belts, and gloves used during food processing" and can even "enter directly into meat and produce via contaminated water and soil." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its report, it tested 85 foods and found the worst offender to be Annies Organic Cheesy Ravioli, as it contained 53,579 nanograms of phthalates in a single serving, or 75% higher than the next canned pasta in its tests. Other products of concern included the Yoplait Original Low Fat Yogurt (French Vanilla); with 10,948 nanograms in a single serving, Cheerios Original with 10,980 nanograms, and Green Giant Cream Style Sweet Corn with 7,603 nanograms. When you sit down for a meal at home with your family, the last thing youd expect is that youll be eating plastic chemicals, Brian Ronholm, the director of food policy at Consumer Reports, added. Unfortunately, toxic phthalates are widespread in the food we eat. The good news is that our tests found that some food products had much lower levels of phthalates, demonstrating that it is possible to reduce their presence. Monty Rakusen / Getty Images Just how bad are phthalates for humans? A number of scientific reports show that phthalates are bad. One review study found that they are present in "blood, amniotic fluid, and urine" and that they are endocrine disruptors. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences defines endocrine disruptors as "human-made chemicals that may mimic, block, or interfere with the bodys hormones" and are "associated with a wide array of health issues." Clinical studies, the review study noted, show that phthalates have the potential to disrupt hormones enough to cause endometriosis, precocious puberty, asthma, and obesity. Consumer reports also noted that other studies show they can also cause diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infertility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Food manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that their products are free of hazardous levels of toxic plastic chemicals, Avonna Starck, the state director of Clean Water Action, added. Senator Gustafsons bill will ensure that companies are testing their products for phthalates and encourage them to take steps to protect the public from these dangerous chemicals. Related: Eating Like a Salmon Is Better Than Eating Actual Salmon, Study Finds Here's how you can reduce your exposure. According to Toxic-Free Future, there are a few ways you can reduce your exposure to phthalates. That includes avoiding PVC/vinyl products and packaging whenever possible, using glass or stainless steel for food storage, and avoiding the ingredients fragrance and parfum. Toxic-Free Future added that if you want to avoid exposure you should also "eat less processed food and cook more." However, it added that it is "impossible for us to shop our way out of this problem. And we shouldnt have to. When you walk into a store, you should be able to trust that the products on store shelves are safe." That's why it stated that the only way to "protect everyone from toxic chemicals like phthalates is to change policies at government and corporate levels to make sure that safer solutions are the norm," which is exactly what this bill aims to do. This isn't the only thing Minnesota is doing to protect people, either. In January, "Amara's Law" took effect in the state, banning PFAS chemicals from being added to 11 categories of products, including everything from children's toys to cookware. And, by 2026, companies will be required to report intentionally added PFAS in their products, CBS reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Minnesota is in a unique spot, and it is because we have had a manufacturer of PFAS here in Minnesota that has led to our work to start and be the first in the nation to really address it," Kirk Koudelka, Minnesota's Pollution Control Agency Assistant Commissioner, shared with CBS. And, as the law states, nonessential use of PFAS in products will be prohibited by 2032. Read the original article on Food & Wine ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday on whether it should wade into a partisan power struggle that has roiled the state House for over a week, with Democratic lawmakers boycotting the state Capitol to try to prevent their Republican colleagues from exploiting their temporary one-seat majority. Although the standoff is unusual for Minnesota, lawmakers have resorted to the tactic many times elsewhere. They've even gone into hiding in other states to prevent state troopers or sergeants-at-arms from dragging members back to their statehouse to ensure enough members are present to conduct business. A complex chess game has been playing out since the November election resulted in a 67-67 tie in the House. The chamber's top Democratic and Republican leaders worked out most of a power-sharing agreement, but the deal fell apart after a Ramsey County judge ruled that the Democratic winner of a Roseville-area seat didn't really live in his district. That meant the session would start with a 67-66 GOP majority pending a special election to fill that seat, which is expected to restore the tie because it's a heavily Democratic district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Tim Walz initially called the special election for Jan. 28, which would have limited the standoff to about two weeks. But the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Democratic governor set the date too early because the seat, vacated by a retiring lawmaker, didn't officially become open until the Legislature convened last Tuesday. Walz is expected to reschedule it for around March 11, about eight weeks away, but under the law it's too early for him to announce it. David Schultz, a political scientist at Hamline University who specializes in election and constitutional law, said the dispute might make for interesting political theater but its no way to govern. From a spectators point of view, its great. From a political science professor or law professors point of view, its a question I should ask on an exam. But from the public interest point of view, its absolutely horrible, Schultz said. The state's highest court will tackle the broader dispute Thursday when it hears oral arguments on petitions by Democrats to declare that a quorum under the state constitution and other rules is 68 members present a majority of the seats and that everything the GOP has done since convening last week is legally invalid. House Republicans argue that the required quorum for the House to organize itself, elect a speaker and appoint committees is just 67 a majority of current members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Republican leaders said in a filing Tuesday that the Supreme Court should respect the constitutional separation of powers and leave it to lawmakers to find a solution. The parties to this dispute, and Minnesotas voters, have all the tools they need to resolve it themselves. Judicial interference is unnecessary and unwarranted, their attorneys wrote. Schultz said he doesnt think either side is on particularly strong legal ground. Democrats and Republicans alike have taken actions that have contributed to the impasse, so neither is blameless, he said. The professor predicted that the high court more likely than not will rule that the House lacks a quorum. He said the justices also could and he thinks should decide both sides hands are dirty and decline to step in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schultz said its an open question whether House Republicans have the power to round up absent Democrats and force a quorum of 68. And Schultz said hes not sure that Republicans would really want to do that anyway. But GOP lawmakers kept up the threat Wednesday, passing a nonbinding resolution calling on Walz to direct the State Patrol to help secure the attendance of the absent Democrats. We need to get a budget done. We have a lot of problems for the people of Minnesota that we need to get to work on. And so this resolution is to urge the governor to enforce the law, the No. 2 House Republican, Rep. Harry Niska, of Ramsey, told his colleagues. Since there were no Democrats present, it passed on a unanimous voice vote. There was no immediate response from the governor's office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fear of being hauled in has subsided a bit among Democrats, who argue that their chamber is not legally organized yet and that Republicans therefore don't have the legal authority to order the sergeant-at-arms to round them up. But House Democrats reaffirmed Tuesday that they're ready to stay away until Republicans agree to go back to the previous power-sharing deal and, crucially, promise not to try to unseat Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke, who won a seat by just 14 votes in a swing district where the GOP would stand a good chance of winning a low-turnout special election. Republicans have refused to give that assurance, even though a Scott County judge declared Tabke the legal winner last week. The top House Democrat, Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, conceded Friday that Minnesota's rules are rather genteel and probably don't allow the sergeant-at-arms or state troopers to dragoon lawmakers back to the Capitol after all. Hortman, who was speaker for the previous six years when Democrats controlled the House, said she's even asked the sergeant-at-arms in the past what they can actually do to round up absent members. Like, are you going to go bear hug somebody and bring them on in?" she recalled. "And theyre like, Well, well try their cellphone. (WJW) FOX 8 and Amanda Berry are working together to find the missing. Luis Medina Garcia is 49. He has been missing from Cleveland since December 13, 2024. Anyone with information is asked to call 216-623-2755. Click here for other missing cases. 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. The plane of missing pilot Michael Martin was found near Mount Jefferson in Nevada on Saturday, Jan. 18, the Nye County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The experienced licensed pilot, 65, departed in his 1968 Piper PA-28-300 airplane from North Las Vegas on Thursday, Jan. 2, and did not tell anyone, per KSNV. Cathy Martin, his wife of 40 years, previously told The Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday, Jan. 17, that she and her husband had a little tiff on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Jan. 2, Martin took off at 10:51 a.m., but his flight transponder stopped transmitting at 11:15 a.m. Around an hour later, at 12:06 p.m., Martins daughter-in-law, Kathleen Martin, said he was traceable near Tonopah, Nev., per The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Twenty minutes later, his iPad and his Apple Watch last showed him near Mount Jefferson, which is around 50 miles northeast of Tonopah and 281 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Once his family had not heard from him by Sunday, Jan. 5, they reported he was missing. Getty Stock image of a private Cessna 172 aircraft Stock image of a private Cessna 172 aircraft While authorities suspended search and rescue operations on Thursday, Jan. 16, Nye County Director of Emergency Management Scott Lewis told the Review-Journal that a game warden found the plane using special glasses on Saturday, Jan. 18. The area was covered by snow during an earlier search. The Nye County Sheriff's Office wrote in the Jan. 21 announcement, Based on photos of the crashed plane, there would be no chance of survival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after he saw the crash site that the aircraft sustained significant damage. Related: 9 People Missing After Small Plane Crashes in Remote Mangrove Forest: Reports We just need to get the resources and get them up there as quickly as we can. It was very windy during our search just now, very treacherous area, very steep area. We have a lot of things to overcome, but were working on it, Lewis said. Lewis said that the team needed to wait for helicopters to reach the scene, which is inaccessible by foot due to its elevated nature. Getty Nevada Mountains Nevada Mountains Since Michaels aircraft was found, his daughter, Katie Martin-Perry, asked the public to help ask authorities and government officials to find him in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need everyone, family and friends to start calling the governors office to demand that resources be spent to recover his body. They know the location, they just dont have the will. They need to hear from constituents, she wrote. Related: Missing Plane and Human Remains Found in Lake Huron 17 Years After Aircraft Vanished Nye County is stating that it could be several weeks until they have the resources to reach this site and recover Michael," Martin's daughter-in-law, Kathleen, wrote on Facebook. "We are asking that everyone who reads this take a minute to call or email their state and federal representatives to ask that resources be expedited for this effort so that we can bring Michael home and lay him to rest. Please help us end the agony we have been in during this process. 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. A representative for Nye County Emergency Management did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Tuesday. Read the original article on People MISSOURI A Missouri lawmaker introduced a bill that may give judges the right to finalize a divorce even if one spouse is pregnant. A similar proposal was first introduced during the last legislative session by Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Platte County, but never made it past the House. Now, Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-North St. Louis County, aims to reintroduce the proposal in House Bill 280. Since the 1970s, Missouri has barred couples from finalizing a divorce if the married woman was pregnant, but Missouri law does not prevent couples from starting the process during pregnancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevada Smith, a St. Charles, Missouri, lawyer, told the Associated Press last year that a judge will not finalize a divorce because an unborn child will impact the custody and child support terms of the divorce. According to House Bill 280, pregnancy status shall not prevent the court from entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation. When Aune first introduced the bill in 2024, it was aimed at supporting domestic violence victims and even men who were stuck married to a wife pregnant by another man, according to the Associated Press. 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 2. State Sen. Travis Fitzwater, a Republican from Holts Summit, presents legislation to a Senate committee on Wednesday (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent). With billions of dollars at stake, a legislative battle in Missouri over payments for prescription drugs kicked off again Wednesday between pharmacies, health care providers and insurance companies. For those unfamiliar with the conflict, terms like white bagging, brown bagging, 340B and biosimilarity can make the debate impossible to fathom. But each of those phrases, and others equally baffling, play a part in how much patients and insurers pay and whether they can get their prescriptions from their favorite pharmacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A bill passed last year attempted to decide one issue in favor of hospitals, not-for-profit clinics and other selected providers by mandating that pharmaceutical manufacturers offer discounted drugs under the 340B program to any pharmacy with a contract to supply the providers patients. That law is being challenged in federal court, but no trial has been held. Two bills discussed Wednesday by the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee would expand on that legislation and take on one of the other major features of prescription sales pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. State Sen. Travis Fitzwater, a Republican from Holts Summit, wants to protect independent pharmacies from practices that favor large chain operations. His bill would require reimbursements to all pharmacies to be the same as reimbursements for pharmacies affiliated with PBMs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That will help the independent pharmacies stay in business, he said. They take care of our communities, they are leaders in our communities, they invest in our communities, and they are going away, Fitzwater said. Fitzwaters bill would also require insurance providers to include amounts paid on behalf of a patient for prescription drugs to be counted against the maximum out-of-pocket costs allowed in a policy. Those payments can include rebates or outlays by a relative, Fitzwater said. Currently, many plans only recognize payments made by the patient only. The provisions are especially important when a high-cost specialty drug is involved, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyll say you can only get this drug in an approved pharmacy that will fulfill the requirements we have, Fitzwater said. So they will reimburse themselves at a much larger margin than theyll reimburse the independent pharmacy. Supporters of the bill said PBMs get in the consumer choice. Erica Crane, founder of NextRx Pharmacy in Columbia, said PBMs force people to use large chains and reap the benefits of negotiated discounts. PBMs do not lower the cost of medications, Crane said. They dont increase the availability. What they are doing is closing our independent pharmacies. Opponents argue that the bill will shift costs and hurt self-insured plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Laurel Pickering, president and CEO of the St Louis Area Business Health Coalition, said her organization purchases health care on behalf of 500,000 people, employees and families of employees at Anheuser-Busch, Panera, Boeing and several other large companies. The provisions in this bill are being used to capture money from employers and their workers, and theyre going to increase those costs, Pickering said. State Sen. Mike Moon, an Ash Grove Republican, pushed back against Pickerings argument. More choice in the marketplace should mean reduced prices, he said. What Im hearing you say is that you are for centralization of power and concentrating that in just a few hands, as opposed to competition, because you said that allowing choice increases prices, and thats usually not the way the free market works, Moon said. Karen White, left, CEO of Missouri Highlands Health Care in Ellington, testifies Tuesday in favor of legislation from state Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla, right, that would require drug manufacturers to allow access to drugs discounted under the federal 340B program (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent). The other legislation considered Wednesday, sponsored by state Sen. Justin Brown of Rolla, would limit how PBMs reimburse pharmacies for physician-administered drugs, as well make them pay the same amounts for biosimilar drugs. PBMs would also be barred from paying a pharmacy less for a drug obtained under the 340B discount program than it pays for the same drug when it is not covered by the manufacturers discount. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karen White, CEO of the not-for-profit Missouri Highlands Health Care, headquartered in Ellington, said the 340B program provides essential revenue for her clinics. Without these savings that we rely on, we will have to take a hard look at what services we can continue to provide, White said. Many of the provisions in his bill were in the legislation he filed last year on the 340B program, Brown said. They were removed as lawmakers worked through one of the most difficult years in recent history, passing a record low number of bills, he noted. While we made some progress with last years 340B legislation, its clear that we still have much to do, Brown said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A biologic medication is made from a living organism or its products and a biosimilar medication is one that has the same effect but is derived from a different source and is often administered by physicians by infusion or injection. Browns bill would require the same reimbursements whether the originally prescribed biologic or a biosimilar drug is used. When a patient visits a pharmacy to obtain a medication that is then administered in a physicians office, it is called brown bagging. When the pharmacy delivers the same drug to a physicians office so it can be administered to a patient, it is called white bagging. The bill would require the insurance companies and PBMs to treat the transaction the same either way. Daniel Good, vice president for pharmacy at Mercy Health, said the provisions will help providers keep their focus on patient needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill is going to ensure that the health systems and the pharmacy and therapeutic communities make a choice in the best interest of the patients, Good said. Representatives of the insurance industry, who oppose the bills, said that the well-intentioned legislation will actually drive up costs for many. At the end of the day, its about that dollar, said Shannon Cooper, lobbyist for the Americas Health Insurance Plan, the national trade organization of health insurance companies. Employers work to control costs for themselves and employees and the bills interfere with those relationships, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When you meddle with legislation like this, when you break contract law, when you break agreements, Cooper said, that drives the cost of those services up for the ultimate consumer. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Julie Weber, right, director of the Missouri Poison Center, testifying Wednesday about the increase in children ingesting THC-laced products alongside state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance. Schroer wants to restrict the sale of hemp-derived THC products (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent). Arguably the biggest opponent of unregulated intoxicating hemp products said its willing to concede to allowing hemp-THC drinks to continue to be sold in grocery and liquor stores. We are working through and very excited about the possibility of developing a carve out for low-THC hemp drinks, said Tom Robbins, a lobbyist for the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association during a Senate committee hearing Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislative battle to regulate intoxicating hemp products kicked off Wednesday with a hearing on Republican state Sen. Nick Schroers bill to treat hemp-derived THC edibles, vapes and beverages the same as marijuana meaning under the Division of Cannabis Regulations rules and exclusively sold in dispensaries. Robbins announced MoCanns proposed amendment to cap the amount of THC at five milligrams per can and exclude drinks made with synthetic THC, or THC that has been converted from CBD using a chemical process. Schroer confirmed a plan is in the works to include this language in a committee substitute that may come up to vote within the next few weeks. We will more than likely have some sort of compromise language to use that existing framework within the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control on some of these low-dose products, Schroer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Brooklyn Hill, president of the Missouri Hemp Trade Association, said MoCanns carve out is not a solution to the problem. This bill will still, even with the hemp beverage carve out, shut down hundreds of Missouri businesses and cost hundreds of Missourians their jobs, Hill said. Schroers legislation is among several to regulate products made with hemp-derived THC. Currently, Delta-8 THC products including a large variety of drinks that are popular at bars and available at gas stations throughout the state can be sold in Missouri stores because the intoxicating ingredient is derived from hemp, not marijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hemp is federally legal. Theres no state or federal law saying teenagers or children cant buy them or stores cant sell them to minors though some stores and vendors have taken it upon themselves to impose age restrictions of 21 and up. What the products contain really we do not know because its not regulated, Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center, told the Senate committee and thats where weve come into some very serious exposures where children have ended up unresponsive and on ventilators. All proposed bills include age restrictions. The proposal backed by the hemp association would limit beverages and edibles to 100 mg of THC per serving, saying that some people who use the products medicinally require a higher dose. It directs the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to regulate hemp licensees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the other proposals is the beer wholesalers legislation, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater, which lays out regulations only for hemp beverages. It would also establish the same three-tier distribution system that the alcohol industry has long abided by. The Missouri Hemp Trade Association believes vehemently opposes establishing the three-tier system, saying it would create a monopoly on behalf of the distributors. On Wednesday, Hill spoke about her fathers business, Daves Doobies, in Bunker, a town of about 300 people. His manufacturing and distributing company produces vapes and gummies, among other products. Its incredible to see my dad, hero of my childhood, build a legacy from the ground up, she said, one in a small town that can help employ whats normally poverty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hill said Schroers bill would devastate her fathers business, as long with hundreds of others. Rick McGavock, owner of Popcorn Dispensary in Hermann, said it would destroy his business as well and he has nothing to do with the cannabis industry. A line in Schroers bill states that no person or entity other than licensed marijuana facilities can conduct business under a name that contains the word dispensary or any word similar. McGavock and his partner, Nicole Woods, just opened in June, after settling on the name and finding a location. We poured our blood, sweat and literal tears into building this business, McGavock said. Our name has become an integral part of our brand. This bill puts our business and the livelihoods of our 10 employees at risk. These are real people with families so rebranding is not an option. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McGavock was scheduled to meet with Schroer after the hearing. The hearing room was packed with people waiting to testify on the bill, most of whom did not get to speak when the hearing was limited to one hour. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX State Sen. Steven Roberts, a St. Louis Democrat, sponsored the wrongful conviction restoration bill (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). For the 43 years Kevin Strickland spent behind bars in Missouri for a triple murder he didnt commit, he received no compensation from the state. Its impossible to describe what its like to lose your life, Strickland, who was released in 2021, testified at a state Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Strickland was convicted in 1979, a year after being arrested and sentenced to life in prison based on witness testimony that was later recanted. He didnt regain his freedom until Jackson County prosecutors moved to exonerate him in 2021, under a state law passed that year giving prosecutors a pathway to present evidence of innocence to a judge. I lost everythingI never had the opportunity to become the person I should be today, he testified, adding that his daughter was a few weeks old and he was about to enter the military when he was arrested, and he suffers from medical issues that went poorly treated in prison. Missouri law only allows for payments to prisoners who prove their innocence through specific DNA testing which severely limits the types of cases where the wrongfully convicted can receive restitution. Missouri state senators on Wednesday held a public hearing on a bill that would expand who could qualify for restitution after a wrongful conviction, and increase the payment amounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These individuals leave prison now with no resources to aid their transition back into society, said state Sen. Steve Roberts, a St. Louis Democrat who sponsored the bill, and this bill would provide them with the legitimate opportunity to lead productive lives following egregious errors made by the state at their expense. Strickland and another exonerated man, Joseph Amrine, along with a handful of advocacy organizations, testified in support of the bill. Only one person, representing the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, testified in opposition, arguing the standard of evidence to qualify for restitution in the bill was too broad. The legislation would allow a claim for damages to be filed within two years of being freed from prison. A judge can order payment of $179 per day for each day of imprisonment, capped at $65,000 per fiscal year. The restitution would be made as a combination of an initial payment not to exceed $100,000 or 25% of the award, whichever is greater. The remainder of the damages would be paid as an annuity not to exceed $80,000 per year. The law would be similar to one approved by Kansas lawmakers in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similar bills have been filed for the last several years. In 2023, a version of the legislation was included in a large crime package that then-Gov. Mike Parson vetoed. In a letter explaining his veto, Parson wrote that crimes are investigated and prosecuted locally and that juries and judges are from the community where the person was tried and convicted. He objected to the state being made to pay for the mistakes. The Senates judiciary committee heard the wrongful conviction restitution legislation Wednesday (Clara Bates/Missouri Independent). While Amrine serving a sentence in prison for a robbery conviction, he was charged with murdering another inmate. The witnesses who led to his murder conviction later recanted. When Amrine was exonerated in 2003 after spending 17 years on Missouris death row, there was nothing available to me, he testified Wednesday. Ive been struggling since I got out, Amrine said. A lot of people dont understand it: mentally, physically, financially, you know, you need all the help you can get. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state looks at it like, you know, you were exonerated, let you go and thats it, he said. Whereas I feel like the state is really responsible for me being wrongly convicted, so I think they are responsible to help me to deal with things Ive been through. In lieu of compensation from the state, exonerees often must rely on charity. When Strickland was exonerated in December 2021, The Midwest Innocence Project set up the GoFundMe page for him that raised $1.7 million. Strickland always maintained he was home watching television and had nothing to do with the murders that sent him to prison when he was 18. The key witness eventually recanted her testimony, and no physical evidence ever tied Strickland to the crime scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I strongly support this legislation because it will provide me and other wrongly convicted people in Missouri, with the support necessary to rebuild check rebuild, Im going to start with build. I never had a life. They took mine at 18 after suffering a terrible injustice of being incarcerated as an innocent person, Strickland said. Even though Im home, lifes not easy, he said. Tricia Rojo Bushnell, executive director of the Midwest Innocence Project, which represented Strickland and other wrongfully convicted people, said she has had the misfortune of walking someone out of prison and directly into a homeless shelter. Because the wrongfully convicted get out of prison with no money, no job experience, no credit, no access to housing, transportation, health insurance, many life necessities that we all take for granted, everyday living becomes an obstacle itself, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson was the only person to testify in opposition, speaking on behalf of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. I do want to say that in spirit, we actually, we do support the concept of the bill, Thompson said. However, some of the language in there would allow for payments to individuals not found to be actually innocent. Actual innocence requires a more rigorous burden of proof clear and convincing evidence than the preponderance of evidence in the bill, he said. Based on the language that we have here right now, Thompson said, were opposed. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Jan. 21MITCHELL When Mitchell Crothers auditioned for the South Dakota Middle School All-State Jazz Band last year, there was a lot to take in. But he was confident in his abilities, and he soon passed the test and found himself and his alto saxophone among the dozens of students playing at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center. When he auditioned for this year's band, he knew he could pass the audition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Last year, I was pretty confident," Crothers told the Mitchell Republic. "And then this year going into it, I knew that I could make it because I did last year. So it was more comfortable this year." The hard work and practice paid off again for the eighth-grader at Mitchell Middle School, as he once again qualified to perform with the prestigious group when it returns to Mitchell Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 for its annual concert. The concert performance, which will be held Feb. 1 at 3 p.m., is open to the public. Crothers said he's looking forward to the experience again this year. Playing with the all-state jazz band was an experience that is hard to emulate in other groups owing to the wide-range of different music and fellow performers that make up the rest of the band. That variety is part of what he enjoys most, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We got to do a bunch of pieces of music. And it was all high-level compared to what I'm used to playing. It was good to play music that was more challenging," Crothers said. "And new people there was nobody that I had known, so it was good to meet new people." Crothers drew inspiration from his experience playing with musicians outside the classroom, including the Mitchell Municipal Band, with which Crothers said he also was challenged with more complex music and arrangements than he might otherwise. Challenging himself by playing with a band he was less familiar with also expanded his abilities, he said. The work, lessons and practice he put in over the past year has improved his playing greatly, he said. "Over the summer I was enrolled in the municipal band for the city, and they do a lot more challenging music that I'm used to there, as well. We get so much music in the span of a summer, way more than the entire rest of the school year combined," Crothers said. "So, I got better at sight reading new music, and that's a big part." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The audition process for the middle school all-state jazz band is somewhat different than the audition process for other bands. Auditions are recorded instead of live, and students must learn a blues scale in a swing style as well as play a jazz standard, which is played to a backing track to see how auditioners handle their timing. Students are also encouraged to perform an improvisational piece, a hallmark of jazz music. Joel Van Peursem, who teaches band music at Mitchell Middle School, said Crothers handled everything with aplomb, which wasn't entirely surprising given his work ethic and desire to improve. "He's a very naturally talented student and works extremely hard. He asks some of the most inquisitive questions, and he's always trying to get better, so that's something I really appreciate," Van Peursem said. "He also has a great ear for jazz band and improvisation in general, and that's something he's been working on a lot in lessons." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Van Peursem said he was most impressed with Crothers' embracing of the improv aspect of jazz music. That particular characteristic of jazz music can be intimidating for even experienced players, but Crothers has improved greatly in the last year. It's not something every student necessarily excels at, especially in middle school. "Grasping the improvisation concept is definitely one of the most nerve-wracking things, especially for this age of student. They, I think, feel self-conscious of how they sound and their ideas, because they're coming up with them on the fly," Van Peursum said. "I feel like this is the time that they should be experimenting with it." There will be plenty of chances to show off those improvisational skills, jazz standards and other talents when Crothers takes the stage with the rest of the South Dakota Middle School All-State Jazz Band at the Performing Arts Center Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The event will also welcome a pair of clinicians to the event Ryan Stahle, who teaches band music and lessons at Mitchell High School, and from whom Crothers currently takes saxophone lessons, and Erik Mahon, professor of jazz at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the all-state jazz band performance, Crothers said he's keeping an eye to the future when he enters Mitchell High School next year. He's especially looking forward to joining the marching band, where his older brother also currently plays. He said he tries to share his love of playing with fellow students, telling them that performing music is a skill that only gets better with time. He said he knows others could find the same satisfaction if they just gave it a try. "It gets better every single year," Crothers said. The Feb. 1 performance at the Performing Arts Center is open to the public. Tickets are $5 for adults and free for those under 18. Jan. 22MOSES LAKE During the Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event Monday, the winners of the Martin Luther King Jr. essay writing contest for Columbia Middle School students were announced. The event and essay contest were organized by the Moses Lake Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. The Moses Lake Creative District helped with planning the event. The essay contest was led under the guidance of substitute teacher Micheal Nordsten. Students explored Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The students watched the speech and had thought-provoking discussions regarding equality and justice, according to a release from Moses Lake School District. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am incredibly proud of Adelyn, Giselle, and Thomas," said Nordsten in a statement from the district. "These kids are another piece of good news in the district, and their achievements are something the community should celebrate. Their work with this essay stands as the highlight of my time as a substitute teacher for Mrs. Nesmith at Columbia Middle School." The first-place winner was seventh grader Adelyn Cruz. "She should feel proud because her essay was the bomb," Moses Lake Martin Luther King Jr. Committee President Miranda Bridges-Lindsey said during the event. Second place went to Giselle Serrano. Third place went to Thomas Los. "They should feel proud," Bridges-Lindsey said during the event. "The parents should feel proud. They did a fabulous job with their essays. So, I'm excited. I thank you again for participating in our essay contest, and we will be doing this again next year." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s teachings called for unity among marginalized communities and demanded accountability from those who enabled injustice. Yet, as we examine the current sociopolitical landscape, we must ask: How would Dr. King view the state of Black America today? Would he be heartened by the progress made, or would he find himself dismayed by the contradictions, compromises, and even betrayals among those he fought so hard to uplift? A recent example that underscores these contradictions is the participation of prominent Black entertainers Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, and Soulja Boy in a pro-Donald Trump event known as the Crypto Ball. This gathering, hosted by billionaire venture capitalist David Sacks, was a celebration coinciding with Trumps 2024 inauguration. The events irony is impossible to ignore. Snoop Dogg, once one of Trumps most vocal critics, who even depicted himself shooting a clown-faced version of Trump in a music video, was now on stage entertaining the very forces he previously condemned. Meanwhile, Soulja Boy and Rick Ross joined him in what many saw as a blatant display of opportunism at the expense of the same communities Trumps policies and rhetoric have harmed. The situation echoes Dr. Kings warning: Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Were forced to examine whether these artists acted out of ignorance genuinely unaware of the implications of their actions or out of willful negligence, prioritizing financial gain over the collective struggle. These artists responses to the criticism have varied, but there are definitely common themes. While Soulja Boy plainly claimed money as his motivation (Obama [and] Kamala aint never put no money in my f-cking pockets, he proclaimed in a response video), rappers who have supported Trump have expressed gratitude for being in proximity with the Oval Office. The politics, for me, its over. He won, Nelly said, after professing to be clueless regarding some elements of politics. It is an honor for me to perform for the president of the United States, regardless of who is in office. If President Biden wouldve asked me to perform, I wouldve performed. If Vice President Kamala Harris wouldve won and asked me to perform, I wouldve performed. Soulja Boy reasoned similarly. Yall want me to not answer the phone for the f-cking president? This n-gga [is] the president of the motherf-cking United States. Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg thanked Trump in 2021 for pardoning the prison sentence of Death Row Records co-founder Michael Harry-O Harris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It appears that more than anything, many of these artists just want a seat at the table regardless of whose table it is. Maybe they think that proximity to power is power itself, and that since Trump and the Republican Party are wielding so much power right now, that they should align themselves with the winners. Maybe they hope that Trumps veneer of loyalty can be an asset to keep in their back pocket, similar to when Trump pardoned Lil Wayne and Kodak Black when he left office in 2021. While their motivations may be nebulous, the response to their participation is clear. Even with Trump making headway with Black voters, many of them recognize Trump for his bigotry, and the backlash toward these artists is commensurate with that understanding. Exit polls from the 2024 election revealed a significant Black turnout, signaling a renewed commitment to collective political action. CNN commentator and former White House aide Keith Boykin framed it eloquently when he ran down the list of transgressions that Trump has had toward Black people, including his admonition of the falsely convicted Central Park Five, refusing to rent apartments to Black tenants in the 1980s, falsely accusing Haitian immigrants of eating cats and dogs, and more. You dishonor those people when you go and perform for this man, Boykin said. Martin Luther King III, one of Dr. Kings sons, recently stated on Meet the Press that his father would be disappointed but not surprised by the current state of affairs. He noted that while America has made strides toward racial progress, the rise of overt racism and the regression of voter protections are stark reminders that the work is far from complete. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet, amid these challenges, there are glimmers of hope. Exit polls from the 2024 election revealed a significant Black voter turnout, signaling a renewed commitment to collective political action. While the Black community is far from monolithic, this level of engagement suggests that many recognize the high stakes of the current political moment. Despite these moments of solidarity, Dr. King would likely question whether the current generation has strayed from the moral and strategic unity that powered the civil rights movement. The dissonance between Black men and women, particularly in political and social discourse, is stark. Even President Obama felt compelled to admonish Black men in ways he never did Black women, pointing to what he perceived as an intracultural divide in priorities and responsibilities. This gap remains evident as certain factions of the Black community elevate personal gain over collective progress, engaging in behavior that aligns with systems of oppression rather than resisting them. Bakari Sellers underscores this ongoing struggle in his book The Moment, noting that Black America finds itself at a crossroads between progress and regression. The threats to voting rights, economic stability, and cultural representation demand not only activism but also a renewed sense of accountability among Black leaders and influencers. If the moral arc of the universe is to bend toward justice, as Dr. King envisioned, then the question remains: Are we pulling it forward, or are we allowing distractions and division to keep us stagnant? Dr. Kings children, particularly Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, and his only grandchild, Yolanda Renee King, continue to carry his legacy forward. They remain outspoken about racial injustice, advocating for policy changes and urging Black Americans to remain vigilant in the fight for equality. Crowds still march against discrimination and inequality, echoing the movements of the past, but the challenges today demand more than just marching. They require strategic action, cultural accountability, and a rejection of the complacency that allows injustice to fester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Kings dream was not just about ending segregation it was about creating a society where Black people were empowered, united, and unwilling to compromise their dignity for short-term gain. As we reflect on the state of our community, we must ask ourselves: Are we living up to that vision? Or are we, in moments of convenience, engaging in what Dr. King condemned as sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity? The answer to that question will determine whether we continue to move toward justiceor whether we allow history to repeat itself. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) announced Tuesday they were investigating a teen for potential involvement in recent vehicle break-ins. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Detectives with the MNPDs Violent Crimes division said they found a stolen Ford F-150 pickup truck at an East Nashville apartment complex Monday. The pickup truck had reportedly been stolen out of Berry Hill Sunday. A 16-year-old boy got into the truck and started driving, but before officers could stop him, he abandoned the Ford and fled on foot. Officers took him into custody following the foot pursuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The frustration is real: Dozens of cars broken into in East Nashville, Germantown, and Edgehill The MNPD said the teen was charged with both vehicle theft and evading arrest in juvenile court. Authorities added other teens had been standing near the Ford when the 16-year-old drove off; they are investigating a potential involvement in other vehicle break-ins. 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 WKRN News 2. Natalie DiDonato, a former star of the Staten Island-based reality show Mob Wives, has been reported missing after not being heard from for several days. A missing-persons report was filed in Las Vegas on Tuesday after DiDonato reportedly missed two flights home to Florida one from Philadelphia and then another from Las Vegas, according to TMZ. Denise Fuoco, the 44-year-olds mother, told the outlet she last spoke to DiDonato on a FaceTime call on Jan. 14, more than a week after she missed a flight from Philadelphia, where she had been visiting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fuoco said her daughter seemed distressed when they spoke, and hastily got off the phone without clarifying where she was. Fuoco contacted the Philadelphia police after she failed to hear from DiDonato in the subsequent days. A friend later told Fuoco that DiDonato was in Las Vegas, and that shed reached out to him late last week for help getting home to Florida. He claims to have purchased her a plane ticket but that she missed that flight as well. The friend, only identified as Ben, is believed to be the last person to hear from DiDonato. He was the one who reported her missing in Vegas. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to Us Weekly on Tuesday that DiDonato was the subject of a missing-persons report, and that they are actively investigating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need your help! If anyone has seen my girl Natalie DiDonato, please report it right away to the authorities, her former co-star Renee Graziano wrote on Instagram Tuesday. We are all very worried and just ask to be on the look out and report anything that can help us bring her home safely. DiDonato appeared as a recurring cast member on season 5 of Mob Wives in 2015. She has also worked as a real estate broker, nightlife promoter and occasional actress. Update: 1:58 p.m. PT (Jan. 22, 2025) Natalie DiDonato has been found safe, TMZ reports. Denise Fuoco, DiDonatos mother, told the outlet that she spoke with her daughter earlier today on the phone, and shes safe in Nevada. She noted that the reality TV star is not injured, but had her handbag and IDs stolen. Fuoco isnt exactly what transpired with her daughter, but their family is working on getting DiDonato home safely amid the lack of identification. Original story below Natalie DiDonato of Mob Wives is reportedly missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per TMZ, the report was filed on Tuesday (Jan. 21) with the Las Vegas Police Department after she missed two flights home to Florida, the first being on Jan. 5. Her family spoke with Philadelphia police after she missed the first flight. DiDonatos friend, known as Ben, said that she contacted him via WhatsApp asking for money to get a plane ticket to Florida, which he bought but she never made the flight. Ben is reportedly the last person to have spoken with DiDonato and filed the missing person report in Vegas. DiDonatos mother, Denise Fuoco, told TMZ that her last conversation with her daughter was on FaceTime last week. According to Fuoco, Natalie did not disclose her whereabouts and rushed off the phone while appearing nervous and distressed. Fuoco attempted to contact DiDonato multiple times on both of her cellphones, but didnt receive an answer. Fuoco admitted that DiDonato seemed distant for the past month, and not knowing her whereabouts has her worried sick and unable to sleep. DiDonatos last social post was from December 2024. She posted a photo of herself and captioned it: Not bad for 44. I love me some me. 44 sitting on 24s still. (its not my bdayIm just feelin myself, dropped 10 lbshit that goal weight). Getting older is a blessing, cant believe I made it this far. Im embracing my age because to me its a badge of honor to have made it to 44. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She joined the VH1 series in its fifth season. Mob Wives: The Last Stand was the final season of the acclaimed franchise, which ended in 2016. More from VIBE.com Sign up for Vibe's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A Tuesday night fire heavily damaged an Horry County mobile home, but authorities said nobody was injured. It happened just after 7 p.m. in the 2000 block of Olive Drive in the Green Sea community. Horry County Fire Rescue crews were assisted by Fair Bluff Fire and Rescue and the Loris Fire Department. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WBTW. (Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi an insider's guide to the emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise, delivered weekly. Most Read from Bloomberg Indias government is evaluating options ranging from a trade deal, cutting tariffs and importing more goods from the US if President Donald Trump follows through with threatened trade action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials in the Narendra Modi-led administration have sketched out various scenarios to counter any steps a new Trump administration may take to narrow Indias trade surplus with the US, which was $35.3 billion for the year ended March 31, people familiar with the matter said. The US was Indias largest trading partner for the period, data from Indias Ministry of Commerce and Industry show. Among the options discussed, the government could buy more whiskey, steel and oil from the US, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private. It could also reduce some import tariffs, with officials drawing up a list of likely products, such as bourbon whiskey and farm goods like pecan nuts, they said. One of the proposals being considered is to reduce duties on goods imported from US states that are politically important for the Republican party, one of the people said. The plans under discussion are part of Indias larger strategy to avoid any confrontation with Trump, and also benefit from any potential US-China trade war, the people said. Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that New Delhi is set to take back at least 18,000 illegal Indian immigrants from the US to help placate the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indias Ministry of Commerce and Industry didnt immediately respond to an email seeking further information. The plans havent been finalized and are still under discussions, the people said. In his first few days in office, Trump said he would slap a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and hike duties on China by 10%. He also threatened countries in the European Union and BRICS group of developing nations with increased tariffs. Indian officials are also considering a limited trade deal with the US under one of its scenarios, people familiar with the matter said. New Delhi had tried unsuccessfully to implement this during the first Trump administration. The plan under discussion would include reducing some most-favored nation tariffs, which are imposed on countries with which India doesnt have a bilateral trade deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are more details of the scenarios being discussed, according to people familiar with the matter: India could consider buying more goods from the US in sectors including soybean, dairy, vehicles, medical instruments, and aircrafts Electronics, hi-tech machinery, textiles, footwear and chemicals among sectors to benefit if China slapped with higher tariffs by the US and curbs on access to advanced technology India expects the new Trump administration to pressure the country on issues including data regulations, intellectual property rules and e-commerce Across the board tariffs of 10%-20% on all countries would help boost Indias exports of auto components and metals --With assistance from Sudhi Ranjan Sen. (Updates with Trumps comments on China tariffs.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Throughout Monroe County, folks can spot numerous vacant and abandoned properties. Some of them have been more problematic than others, including prompting safety risks. With that in mind, affordable housing has become a hot topic for county leadership, with hopes to expand efforts throughout all of the countys rural and suburban communities. To help address both issues, a new transformative initiative was introduced. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced that the Monroe County Land Bank Corporation (MCLBC) is expected to help acquire, rehabilitate and sell properties to homebuyers across Monroe County. This is the 29th land bank created in New York State. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello made the announcement Tuesday at a home sold in Greece as part of the countys ongoing initiative to help first-time homebuyers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Hochul gives New York budget presentation This is the kind of program that needs to be expanded across Monroe County to create more pathways to homeownership while eliminating the risks posed by zombie properties that sit vacant for far too long, Bello said Tuesday. Together, were not just renovating houses, were building stronger neighborhoods, expanding opportunities and securing the future of homeownership in our county. The initiative is funded using $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Typically, Monroe County was only able to do, really only a small handful of projects like this a year. Now, with the American Rescue Plan Act funding, and a fully operational land bank, we can take action throughout the county, all 19 suburban and rural communities across Monroe County, Bello said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This initiative will complement existing programs, like the First Time Homebuyer and Make Monroe Home programs. 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 RochesterFirst. The Montana State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan) State Sen. Susan Webber said Montana has paid a lot of attention to missing and murdered indigenous people, but earlier legislation has focused on data collection. Tuesday, Webber told the Senate Judiciary Committee Senate Bill 107 has a different focus, one that would help all elementary and secondary school children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of them have addressed prevention. Lets give our children the tools, said Webber, D-Browning. If it becomes law, the bill would instruct the Office of Public Instruction to develop curricula and activities to teach students to identify and avoid child sex trafficking and human trafficking, Webber said, and students are the population most vulnerable to it. At the hearing, Webber shared a handout with committee members that showed the pictures of young people who are currently missing, a problem she and others described as an epidemic. A Department of Justice database counts 45 Indigenous people missing, and 31 children missing, with overlap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One concern, Webber said, is Native people make up 6.7% of the population in Montana, but 30.6% of missing and murdered people. I want you to see the faces of the children that are missing, said Webber, of the Blackfeet Nation. Sen. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, asked about the cost of the bill Webber said it was just another educational module, easy for OPI to absorb and Sen. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, said he worried about another shift away from reading, writing and arithmetic. The committee didnt take action Tuesday, and proponents said it would go a long way in preventing children from being trafficked, possibly sold for drugs or into slavery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human traffickers are targeting youth as young as 9 years old and prey on victims based on hardships the child may be facing in their home, said Patrick Yawakie, representing the Blackfeet Nation, Fort Belknap Indian Community, and Rocky Boys Indian Reservation. The bill would protect all Montanans, not just Native American students, and it would help potential victims steer clear of perpetrators and help their peers do the same, Yawakie said. Having an educated community in sex and human trafficking for elementary and secondary schools helps all involved with a clear understanding for how to be responsible for each other, Yawakie said. In support of the bill, Imani Kindness, with the Montana Budget and Policy Center, said the number of cases of trafficking in Montana went from seven in 2015 to 143 in 2023, an increase of 1,900%, citing the state Department of Justice data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sharon Kickingwoman, with the ACLU of Montana, said no community is immune, and no institution seems more poised to be part of the solution than OPI. Often, said Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, the signs of human trafficking are often right under a persons nose. Dunwell said she has a similar bill to help awareness for bus drivers and supports this bill too. Ria Bahadur, who described herself as author of the bill and currently a student at Stanford University, said more than 45% of victims of trafficking are minors attending school every single day, most commonly 12- to 18-year-olds. Bahadur urged the committee against apathy and said real lives depend on educating children. Bahadur also shared a nickname Montana has, one she would like empowered youth to help erase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montana is known as the truck stop state in sex trafficking circles, Bahadur said. The Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence also expressed support for the bill. Although the bill is aimed to protect all students, Keaton Sunchild, with Western Native Voice, said its no secret that young people on reservations go missing at a far higher rate than young people off the reservation. Sunchild said a lot of legislators want to protect children, and SB 107 fits. This bill is a real, tangible solution that does that, Sunchild said. Editors note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travels weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. Feel like airport security lines keep getting longer, or that youre booking hotel reservations way further in advance than you used to? Its true. The UNs World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has just released its 2024 year-in-review data, confirming that the tourism industry has bounced back from the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 1.4 billion people traveled internationally last year, which is 99% of the number who did the same in 2019, the last full year before Covid-19 hit the world. That amounted to $1.9 trillion being spent in the tourism industry, meaning each tourist spent more than $1,000 per person on average. But where did people go? Overall, Europe was the most-visited continent with 747 million tourists in 2024, according to the UNWTO. That number was especially impressive considering that Russias ongoing war in Ukraine kept travelers away from parts of the region, notes the tourism body in its report. France was the worlds most-visited nation in 2024, with 100 million tourists, according to figures recently released by the countrys tourism board. Spain made a strong showing with 98 million tourists to land in second place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 was an exceptional year for French tourism, promising prospects for 2025! Atout France, the countrys national tourism marketing department, said in a statement. The statement cited the 2024 Summer Olympics, the re-opening of Paris iconic Notre Dame cathedral, and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy as three major events that people traveled to France for in the past year. Meanwhile, the UNWTO reports that 316 million people traveled to Asia and the Pacific in 2024, 213 million went to the Americas, 95 million to the Middle East and 74 million to Africa. There was no data on tourism to Antarctica. Small countries, big gains The usual big tourism players werent the only ones with rising tourist numbers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Middle East, Qatar experienced an impressive 137% increase in tourists. Much of that was fueled by the countrys investment in infrastructure: Qatar Airways was named the worlds best airline in 2024, while Dohas Hamad International snagged the title of the worlds best airport. Other smaller countries celebrated big wins for tourism last year, including Andorra, the micro-state on the France-Spain border, as well as the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Albania and El Salvador. Visitors pass graffiti reading "Tourist Go Home" in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Friday, July 26, 2024. - Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images Looking to 2025 and beyond Global tourism isnt just returning to previous highs it seems to be on an upward trajectory. Spain, the worlds second most visited country, marked 2024 with several major anti-tourist movements: residents shooting water pistols at travelers in Barcelona, Seville weighing an entry fee and mass protests in the Canary Islands, among others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Italy, which had 23% year-over-year growth, the popular cities of Venice and Florence have both banned large tour groups. Around the country, overtourism prevention measures took a variety of forms, including night swimming bans, stoplights to indicate when an area was too crowded and rules prohibiting people from reserving coveted beach spaces with umbrellas the night before. In its annual release, the UNWTOs panel of experts cautioned that balancing growth and sustainability will be critical in 2025 and advised the discovery of lesser-known destinations. Atout France also tempered its celebrations for being the worlds most-visited country, stating that its goal is to make France the worlds leading destination for sustainable tourism. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com More Californians may be moving to Utah as a result of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires. Theyre looking for lower housing costs, especially since the deadly blazes are likely to boost already high prices in Los Angeles, Daryl Fairweather, chief economist for the nations largest brokerage website, Seattle-based Redfin, told the Deseret News. Los Angeles is the top feeder market into Salt Lake City, so we think there could be an uptick in the number of people leaving Los Angeles for Salt Lake City because of the worsening affordability from these fires, Fairweather said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wildfires have destroyed more than 10,000 homes ranging from beachfront mansions to middle-class bungalows and have killed at least 28 people since Jan. 7, and continue to be fueled by fierce winds and dry conditions. The impact on housing is serious. I think that the L.A. wildfires are going to make Los Angeles less affordable to live in, Fairweather said. The wildfires depleted the stock of housing in Los Angeles by a significant amount and that should push up rents and home prices. While the Salt Lake area was recently designated one of the nations hottest housing markets for 2025, she said the median home price is nearly half of the $1 million it costs to buy in Los Angeles. Where do LA residents displaced by wildfire want to live? Still, Redfin data shows that the Salt Lake area isnt among the top choices for L.A. residents seeking to relocate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many more people are going to places like San Diego, Las Vegas, Bakersfield, Phoenix, than are going to Salt Lake City, Fairweather said, citing as an example 5,000 Redfin users looking to depart L.A. for Las Vegas, compared to 800 for Salt Lake. The list of the Top 10 metropolitan areas that Redfin users want to leave Los Angeles for isnt confined to the west, she said. After San Diego, Las Vegas, Bakersfield and Phoenix, the leading destinations are Nashville, Portland, Dallas, San Luis Obispo and Boise. The analysis used to develop the list is based on about 2 million Redfin.com users who searched for homes across more than 100 metropolitan areas, viewing at least 10 homes over a three-month period, Fairweather said. Ryan Dickey, a real estate agent with Windermere Real Estate in Park City, said he hasnt heard of any of the companys 400 agents in Utah being contacted by someone wanting to move from California because of the wildfires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California is our No. 1 feeder market. And its on fire. What does that mean? Dickey said, noting that with only a small share of the Californians impacted by the wildfires likely to come to Utah, youre not actually talking about that many people. In the end, he said, the numbers might not even be noticeable. You wonder if we would feel it here, Dickey said. Its already such an attractive place to move. Fairweather said she anticipates more Californians calling Utah home even though the wildfire risk is higher, with 52% of properties in the Salt Lake area deemed at risk in one survey compared to 30% for Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite entire communities being all but wiped out by the wildfires, she said the Californians looking to move out of state amid the devastation are focused on finding a place to live that they can afford. Usually, people arent moving for climate reasons, theyre moving for affordability reasons, she said. So I think that would be the main driver. A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. | Ethan Swope How will the LA wildfires affect the Las Vegas housing market? Las Vegas is betting on new transplants from Los Angeles as a result of the fires. Its all over the news, everyone is talking about it, even in neighboring states like here in Nevada, and the market starts to react, Shawn McCoy, director and associate professor for UNLVs Lied Center for Real Estate, recently told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Californias wildfires also may affect the Las Vegas rental market, McCoy said. We may certainly see the fires in L.A. place upward pressure on rent locally in Las Vegas, both as a result of displaced L.A. households whose homes were damaged, but also from two other important groups, he told the Las Vegas newspaper. Households near the wildfires but that were not directly affected by the fires may now hold a heightened awareness or concern of potential future fires and act on that heightened awareness by moving out, he said. This may be especially true given research which shows that about 18 percent of the housing stock in the Palisades is multifamily housing. Seeing entire neighborhoods destroyed in the wildfires also may be giving some would-be Angelenos second thoughts, the real estate professor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Think, for example, about households currently outside of L.A. or even the state of California who were in the process of considering a move to LA. These fires may change these households perception of L.A. fire risk and instead of moving to L.A. to rent, they may instead turn to other cities including Las Vegas, McCoy said. How many Californians move to Utah? Nevada has the nations fifth-highest share of Californians moving in, behind Texas, Arizona, Florida and Washington, according to a 2022 U.S. Census Bureau survey, while Utah ranks 15th, with less than 19,000 compared to more than 102,000 for Texas. In Utah, one of every five in-migrants came from California, according to the most recent data cited by the University of Utahs Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Only international migrants accounted for more new Utah residents. But, the institute pointed out in a July 2024 report, nearly one in four of Utahs California in-migrants was born in the Beehive State, indicating some return migration, or Utahns who left the state at one point but returned. Editors note: The Hills Morning Report is our daily newsletter that dives deep into Washingtons agenda. To subscribe, click here or fill out the box below. In todays issue: Trumps orders provoke immediate pushback Track and unpack presidents executive orders Fetterman: Id make a pretty bad Republican Rubio gets a running start at State Within hours of his inauguration, President Trumps flurry of executive orders is facing significant pushback from politicians and legal groups. On Day 1 of his second administration, Trump signed a slew of actions covering everything from immigration to energy policy. Unlike during Trumps first term, where opponents of the president were for the first weeks occupied with litigating the controversial Muslim travel ban, his second term is dividing their attention with the sheer number of quick executive actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, the president instituted a plethora of border security laws including the Remain in Mexico program which requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date and to shutting down the CBP One app, which facilitates appointments for immigration proceedings. He also pledged to end birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment. On Tuesday, attorneys general from 22 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, sued Trump in two federal district courts to block an executive order that refuses to recognize children of immigrants without legal status who were born in the U.S. as citizens. President Trump now seeks to abrogate this well-established and longstanding Constitutional principle by executive fiat, one group of states wrote in their complaint. The principle of birthright citizenship has been enshrined in the Constitution for more than 150 years. The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment unambiguously and expressly confers citizenship on [a]ll persons born in and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Trump also signed a sweeping executive order recognizing only two sexes and preventing government dollars from being spent on what his administration called gender ideology. The executive order is part of a broader campaign promise to roll back trans rights and diversity and inclusion initiatives instituted by the Biden administration that Republicans argued went too far. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Logan Casey, director of policy research at the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit that tracks LGBTQ legislation, told The 19th an executive order doesnt equate to immediate policymaking or new laws and can be easily challenged in court. They will issue executive orders and actions and other directives, but it will still take time before those things actually become law, if they ever actually go into effect, he said. Meanwhile, the National Treasury Employees Union sued over an executive order creating a new class of federal employees Schedule F who can be hired outside the traditional merit-based system for bureaucrats. Federal workers see Schedule F as a way to insert politics into government actions, a move that could both reward Trump allies and politicize government decisionmaking. The Hill: The Trump administration has directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) employees be placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hill: Trumps efforts to buck a legislative and Supreme Court deadline by which TikToks Chinese parent company must sell the popular app raise a slew of legal and practical questions about its future. The Hill: Trump is under fire after launching two cryptocurrency tokens shortly before his inauguration. The Hill: Four major climate, energy moves included in Trumps day one executive orders. The New York Times analysis: Trump is at the peak of his power. The question is for how long? Hes closer to a lame-duck period than any newly inaugurated predecessor in the modern era. The great uncertainty is how that contradiction plays out Trumps honeymoon with the public could last, or his pursuit of so expansive an agenda, so quickly, could spark intense backlash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unprecedented use of pardons by former President Biden on his last day in office coupled with Trumps sweeping pardon of violent Jan. 6 offenders on his first day sparked renewed scrutiny of unilateral presidential power. At the stroke of a pen, both presidents acts of clemency marked a stark departure from the status quo, stretching the already vast limits of the pardon power and raising alarm among critics and allies alike. The Hill: Trump, fulfilling a vow he made to Libertarian voters while reviving his assertions about weaponization of justice, on Tuesday pardoned Ross Ulbricht, founder of illicit online black market site Silk Road, who was serving a life sentence. On Capitol Hill, Trumps sweeping pardons of Jan. 6, 2021, protesters are putting Republican senators and House members on defense. The presidents decision to include people convicted of assaulting police crosses a red line that GOP senators had drawn in recent weeks. Trumps allies on Capitol Hill predicted that Trump would only pardon non-violent offenses, but the president went much further, writes The Hills Alexander Bolton. GOP senators want to move on from Jan. 6 and focus on Trumps agenda and confirming his nominees. The Hill: Trump pardoned violent Jan. 6 offenders. Here are five of them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Axios: The Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., and the International Association of Chiefs of Police denounced Trumps Jan. 6 pardons. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Tuesday criticized Trumps decision to pardon individuals who were convicted of assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6 attack. Anybody who was convicted of assault on a police officer, I just cant get there at all, Tillis told a reporter for Spectrum News. I think it was a bad idea. SMART TAKE with NewsNations BLAKE BURMAN Back in 2009, I was a cub political reporter in local news in Miami and often interacted with a state lawmaker with big dreams. At the time, the prevailing thought was there was no way he could unseat the sitting governor of his own party to become a U.S. senator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That lawmaker is now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the first member of the Trump Cabinet to be confirmed. Rubios tenure at the State Department started off with a light moment Tuesday. After speaking in Spanish, he looked at Vice President Vance and joked: I just said I saved a bunch of money by switching to GEICO. Trumps top diplomat stares down a global map that includes seeing a ceasefire through in the Middle East and ending the war in Ukraine. His boss has also brought Greenland, the Panama Canal and even Canada to the forefront of political conversations. Rubio has been around the political block but in his new role could encounter a diplomatic landscape we have never seen before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burman hosts The Hill weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. The Hill & NewsNation are owned by Nexstar Media Group. 3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY Trump said Tuesday he intends on Feb. 1 to impose a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports into the United States. Trumps Justice Department has reassigned at least 20 senior officials across multiple divisions in a leadership shakeup that precedes Senate confirmation of an attorney general. Clubby: At least 16 billionaires, officials from eight countries, 14 of Trumps Cabinet choices, 22 governors, eight senators and 65 members of the House visited Mar-a-Lago between Trumps November election and his inauguration. LEADING THE DAY TRACKING THE NEW AGENDA: Trumps mashup of unilateral orders and decrees as of Tuesday have been sorted and summarized by The Hill: 26 executive orders with the temporary effect of law; 12 memos; four proclamations and the presidents withdrawal of 78 executive actions signed by his predecessor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wondering how executive orders work and how they can be overturned? The Washington Post explains. Is Trumps order to change birthright citizenship likely to succeed? Experts outline why the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court precedent and the law raise doubts about the presidents legal ability to bar citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who do not have legal status. Immigration arrests and deportations are underway (and the Trump administration is spreading the word as a way to deter migration and to encourage those without legal status to voluntarily exit the U.S.). White House immigration czar Tom Homan appeared to confirm during a Tuesday interview with CNN that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will identify, arrest and deport migrants without legal status regardless of whether they are charged with crimes or are in the United States while seeking asylum. Immigration authorities may enter schools, healthcare facilities and places of worship to conduct arrests, according to a new policy from the Trump-led Department of Homeland Security. Homan said that so-called sanctuary cities that try to shield migrants will see more collateral arrests. Trump said the federal government will recognize two sexes and no other options for official federal purposes including passports and documents. What does that mean? Note that as of Tuesday, the governments Biden-era online passport application had not changed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Artificial intelligence: Days before leaving office, Biden urged Trump to keep the U.S. government in the lead with AI rather than turning to offshore entities. On Tuesday at the White House, Trump announced a partnership among three major business leaders SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle Corp. Chair Larry Ellison to create a new company called Stargate based in Texas with up to $500 billion in private investment over four years. What we want to do is we want to keep it in this country, Trump said in the Roosevelt Room while appearing with the three businessmen. China is a competitor, others are competitors. We want to be in this country. Cabinet: The Senate failed to reach an agreement Tuesday night to swiftly vote on the nomination of John Ratcliffe to be CIA director. Senators now plan to work into the weekend to try to confirm more of Trumps Cabinet nominees. Senate Democrats are using procedural hurdles, which require time for consideration of each nomination. Defense Department appointee Pete Hegseth, who advanced Monday along party lines in the Senate Armed Services Committee, has denied new allegations posed in an affidavit signed by a former sister-in-law. Senate Republicans anticipate a floor vote on Hegseths nomination by weeks end. WHERE AND WHEN The House convenes at 10 a.m. The Senate meets at 11 a.m. The president today will record a Fox News interview from the Oval Office with Sean Hannity for broadcast at 9 p.m. ET. ZOOM IN Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is not going to switch parties. That was his reaction Monday to Semafors question about rumors following his recent Florida meeting with Trump. Thats amateur hour sh, he said. The senator, who has pointed out that he does not represent only the Democrats living in his state, added, Its not going to happen. And even if I wanted to do that, this is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try and switch I would make a pretty bad Republican. Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who has represented Arizonas 5th Congressional District since 2017, on Tuesday filed a statement of interest to run for governor of his state in 2026. Hes one of the first major names to formally file a statement of interest in the race. Trumps Tuesday firings: Adm. Linda Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard, was removed from her position. Trump, through acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman, appointed Adm. Kevin Lunday to serve as acting commandant. Fagan had served in the leadership role since June 2022 and was the first uniformed woman to lead a military branch. Fox News reported that the new administration viewed her as ineffective in the deployment of Coast Guard assets to support national border security, including in intercepting fentanyl and other illicit substances. Trump used social media Tuesday to fire a collection of Biden-appointed members of various councils and boards, including Brian Hook, a top envoy to Iran during his first term, and retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump selected to be chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2018 before Milley became a prominent critic. Trump, while a candidate, suggested Milley should be court-martialed and executed. Trump fired Hook for unspecified reasons from the Wilson Center and Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. The president said he jettisoned former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (who previously worked in the Biden White House as an adviser) from the Presidents Export Council. He also said he fired humanitarian and chef Jose Andres from the Presidents Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, although the founder of World Central Kitchen said on social media that he resigned earlier this month. (The Trump Organization and the chef until 2017 had been in a lengthy legal battle over a restaurant contract.) North Carolina politics: A skirmish has erupted over a state Supreme Court race in the Tar Heel State more than two months after Democrats narrowly clinched the seat. Justice Allison Riggs, the Democratic incumbent, finished just 734 votes ahead of her Republican challenger, Jefferson Griffin, with more than 5 million votes cast in the race making it one of the closest in the country. But a lawsuit from Griffin has prevented the state elections board from certifying Riggs as the winner after two recounts confirmed her lead, writes The Hills Jared Gans. Now Democrats accuse the GOP of attempting to overturn the results to nab a court seat. White House website makeover: Under Trump, the White House website has been overhauled, with traces of the Biden administration removed and a new page added that declares America Is Back. The contrasts are stark. Instead of tackling the climate crisis, the website now has a pledge to end policies of climate extremism. Replacing Bidens boasts that the White House had forged historic partnerships and restored American leadership is Trumps declaration that the U.S. will no longer be beholden to foreign organizations. Also gone: The Spanish-language version of the website, the landing page for the Constitution and all mentions of LGBTQ issues. The government website reproductiverights.gov also appeared to be offline as of this morning. The site, launched in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a public awareness campaign, contained information about access to abortion and reproductive healthcare. Courts: Florida Judge Aileen Cannon halted the release to lawmakers of the Justice Departments Trump classified documents evidence, which was a step former Attorney General Merrick Garland had planned to take if he had received court approval before the end of the Biden administration. ELSEWHERE FOREIGN AID: Trump on Monday signed an executive order suspending any new U.S. foreign development assistance for three months and directed a review of foreign assistance programs. The order pausing funding follows an executive order directing the State Department to implement an America First foreign policy, although the specifics of that policy are not defined. The executive order includes a waiver for the secretary of State to waive the rules for specific programs. Meanwhile, fresh from taking an oath of office, Rubio hit the ground running Tuesday with meetings with counterparts in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad, which includes India, Australia and Japan, a bloc formed to counter Chinese clout in the Indo-Pacific. All the Quad foreign ministers were in attendance at Trumps inauguration, seated close to the front. GAZA CEASEFIRE: Burned-out buildings reduced to rubble were all that was left to return to in northern Gaza for thousands of displaced Palestinians who made the journey on foot this week as a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Hamas paused the fighting in the enclave. The United Nations estimates around 90 percent of Gazas population almost 1.9 million people have been displaced from their homes. The U.N. previously estimated that around 60 percent of the enclaves infrastructure has been destroyed, including schools and hospitals. Everything is destroyed as you can see. Nothing remains, Asma Qaoud told NBC News on Monday in what remained of the Jabalia refugee camp. Everything has been devastated our homes and our hearts. Hamas said four more female Israeli hostages will be freed this weekend in return for Palestinian prisoners while Trump said he was not confident that the ceasefire deal he personally insisted on would hold. Seven Israeli women remain on the list of the initial group of 33 hostages designated for release in the first phase of the three-part truce, which includes women, children and elderly and sick people. Meanwhile, Israeli security forces on Tuesday embarked on a military operation in Jenin, a Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The operation comes amid sharply rising tensions in the West Bank, as the militants have grown in power and settler violence against Palestinian civilians has soared. On Monday, Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on dozens of far-right Israeli individuals and settler groups accused of violence against Palestinians. The Washington Post: Google employees have worked to provide Israels military with access to the companys latest artificial intelligence technology from the early weeks of the war in Gaza. The Wall Street Journal: Hamas is effectively back in control in Gaza. With no alternative following a ceasefire with Israel, the militant group has a moment to assert power. OPINION Trump just pardoned himself, by Jeffrey Toobin, guest essayist, The New York Times. Heres how TikTok can still save itself, by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), opinion contributor, The Hill. THE CLOSER And finally Without a maximus kerfuffle, can Trump order the Gulf of America to rise from the Gulf of Mexico? Perhaps. The International Hydrographic Organization, which oversees naming conventions for bodies of water worldwide, permits countries to refer to the same location by different, preferred names. If the Sea of Japan is known as the East Sea in some countries, the Gulf of Mexico could be just as fluid. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names oversees the approval of official names for geographical features within the United States, with exacting rules. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) floated his implicit endorsement of Trumps decree while describing this weeks cold weather in the South: An area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday, he said. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, during a Tuesday news conference, reacted to Trumps order with bemusement. He says that he will call it the Gulf of America on [the U.S.] continental shelf, she said. For us, it is still the Gulf of Mexico and for the entire world, it is still the Gulf of Mexico. Stay Engaged We want to hear from you! Email: Alexis Simendinger (asimendinger@thehill.com) and Kristina Karisch (kkarisch@thehill.com). Follow us on social media platform X (@asimendinger and @kristinakarisch) and suggest this newsletter to friends! 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 The Hill. Democratic state officials were largely subdued in their response to Donald Trumps return to the White House, marking a stark contrast from eight years earlier when many were already stoking the resistance as he took office. But theres little doubt that Democrats across the country will soon be fighting the new administrations aggressive policy agenda on multiple fronts, most notably immigration and energy, sparking confrontations in the courts and beyond. In fact, by the end of Trumps first day back in office, many Democratic state officials were already blasting the raft of executive orders he issued and filing lawsuits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The intent [is] to attack peoples rights, said Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, in one of the most fiery responses. That is something we will have to put up with or deal with every single day of this administration. Here in Illinois, were going to stand up, fight back, follow the law and make sure theyre following the law. Meanwhile, Republican state officials overwhelmingly hailed Trumps return to the White House on Monday and total Republican control in Washington. Heres a rundown of how some of the countrys most important governors, state attorneys general and mayors observed the momentous day: GOVERNORS Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) Where he was on Inauguration Day: In Los Angeles, dealing with fallout from wildfires Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What he said: As our nation observes the peaceful transfer of power, we are reminded of the enduring principles that underpin our democracy: finding common ground and striving toward shared goals. In the face of one of the worst natural disasters in Americas history, this moment underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect values that enable civil discourse, effective governance, and meaningful action. I look forward to President Trumps visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) Where he was on Inauguration Day: Washington What he said: DeSantis highlighted Trumps executive orders on illegal immigration in a post on X. Hes currently in a battle with Republican leaders in the Legislature because he wants to pass new immigration laws to help the Trump administration but others arent on board. After the inauguration, DeSantis became more resolute. We need to get to work, DeSantis wrote. We must seize this moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor was in the U.S. Capitol on Monday for the swearing-in ceremony and took some photos with other governors, but returned to Tallahassee that night rather than stick around for the numerous balls around Washington. A key factor was likely a rare winter storm hitting the state. He was at Floridas Emergency Operations Center by Tuesday morning briefing Floridians about how to stay safe amid conditions that could lead to power outages and hazardous roads. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) Where he was on Inauguration Day: After planning to travel to Washington, Murphy stayed in New Jersey to attend to winter storm response efforts What he said: Murphy tried to leverage the first hours of Trumps presidency to kill New Yorks new congestion pricing plan, which tolls drivers entering parts of Manhattan. As you begin your second term as president, I welcome any opportunity to work with you and your administration where we can find common ground, Murphy wrote in a letter the governors office released shortly after Trump was sworn in. One area where I believe our priorities align is congestion pricing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By 10 p.m., Murphy was sounding a different note, criticizing Trump on X for pardoning Jan. 6 defendants. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) Where he was on inauguration day: Washington What he said: Today marks the beginning of a new era in our nation one brimming with promise and hope, Abbott said in a statement. As President Trump takes the oath of office and assumes his responsibilities as Americas chief executive, I am confident that his leadership will restore and strengthen the principles that have long defined our great nation: freedom, economic opportunity, prosperity, and the rule of law. ... Texas looks forward to working with President Trump and his Administration to secure the border and build a brighter, more prosperous future for all Americans. JB Pritzker (D-Ill.) Where he was on Inauguration Day: In Chicago, for MLK Day events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What he said: Pritzker came out swinging against Trump within hours of the inauguration, calling the presidents effort to revoke birthright citizenship unconstitutional. Pritzker also criticized the new administration for not working with local leaders on plans for deportations. They have not communicated with us, he told reporters. This is indicative of what youre going to see of the Trump administration for the next four years. Its chaos. The Illinois governor also called Trumps inauguration a gathering of oligarchs, a reference to tech barons Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos having prime seats at the swearing-in ceremony. Maura Healey (D-Mass.) Where she was on inauguration day: Attending events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in Boston and Springfield What she said: First of all, we have to see what the president does once he is sworn in and takes office. Theres been a lot of talk about a lot of different things happening. We just have to wait and see, Healey told reporters Monday after Bostons annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast. Ive been clear, though, with the people of Massachusetts. I will do all I can to work with the new federal administration where it benefits the people of Massachusetts, and Ive also said that we will not change who we are here in the state, and were going to continue going forward on the important investments that weve made. Jeff Landry (R-La.) Where he was on inauguration day: Flew back from Washington early Monday before the inauguration ceremony to deal with preparations for a rare winter storm in Louisiana Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What he said: Gone are the days of open borders. Gone are the days where Americans have to worry about gas and grocery prices while taxpayer dollars are shipped overseas, Landry said in a statement a few days before the inauguration. Today, under President Trump, begins a renaissance in this nation. One where America and her people will always come first. In Louisiana, we think that is worthy of celebrating! Wes Moore (D-Md.) Where he was on inauguration day: Moore spent the day in Annapolis, participating in a public service project and wreath-laying ceremony to honor King, according to his public schedule What he said: Our priority has been and will continue to be protecting the interests of all Marylanders. In the days after the 2024 election, we articulated our shared dedication to four key principles: Deliver for Marylanders; defend our constitutional rights; grow our economy; and restore faith in our public servants, our institutions, and our democracy. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their steadfast partnership in pursuing each of these four goals, and we will partner with the Trump-Vance Administration when we are aligned on those core principles that will make progress for Marylanders. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) Where she was on inauguration day: Washington Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What she said: I stand with President Donald Trump in promising to protect lives here in Iowa and across our country from dangerous criminals illegally crossing the southern border, Reynolds sad in a statement. Former President Bidens abdication of his constitutional duty put innocent Americans at risk and turned every state into a border state. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) Where she was on inauguration day: Attended MLK march in Grand Rapids What she said: I want to congratulate President Trump as he begins his second term, and I look forward to getting to work on the priorities we share. Here in Michigan, we are focused on creating good-paying, local jobs, fixing the damn roads, fighting for our advanced manufacturing industries including autos, defense, maritime, and aerospace, and working with our partners in Canada to keep costs low for working families and small businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Together, with Republicans and Democrats in Lansing and the new administration in D.C., I know we can lower costs, bring more manufacturing back to Michigan, boost research and innovation, and cut red tape. Attorneys General Ken Paxton (R-Texas) Where he was on inauguration day: Washington What he said: It is a great day in America. President Trumps inauguration marks the beginning of a new era and the triumphant return to the foundational principles that make America great, Paxton wrote on X. Together, we will secure our borders, uphold the law, and restore the freedoms that Bidens unlawful policies sought to undermine. Just this morning I sued Biden for the last time, making it a total of 106 legal actions over the course of four years. Instead of empowering people to pursue their American dream, Biden consistently abused his power as he pushed a radical agenda that undermined our economic opportunity, national security, and religious liberty. Rob Bonta (D-Calif.) Where he was on inauguration day: Sacramento Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What he said: Around the time Trump was sworn in, Bonta spoke at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in downtown Sacramento. Bonta didnt mention Trumps name, but he evoked Kings legacy in a pointed manner: Every generation has had to stand up and make sure that we continue to have our rights, our freedoms, that our democracy is sound. And I commit to you to do everything in my power to stand with you as we do that in the days, months and years ahead. Gentner Drummond (R-Okla.) Where he was on inauguration day: Washington What he said: It was an honor to be in our nations capital for this historic day & watch as President Trump was sworn in for his second term, said Gentner, who recently announced that hes running for Oklahoma governor in 2026. I look forward to working with him to protect Oklahoma families & deport illegal immigrants who have invaded our state. Americas best days are truly ahead! Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) Where he was on inauguration day: St. Paul, Minnesota What he said: On this day, when theres an inauguration, when the incoming president says that transgender people just dont exist, [says] hes going to review the race and gender policies of the federal government, clearly signaling that hes going to get rid of diversity, equity, inclusion and our effort to try and make sure America reflects all of its people. A day when hes talking about drill, baby drill as LA, the fires arent even all the way out yet. The wreckage is still smoldering. People are still suffering from that catastrophic disaster. Hes acting like theres no such thing as climate chaos. So I cant think of a more important day for this inauguration to happen and a more important day for you and I to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental principles that Martin Luther King gave his life for. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.) Where he was on inauguration day: Washington What he said: Im in Washington, D.C. today with Elizabeth and our kids for the inauguration of our 47th president, @realDonaldTrump, Griffin wrote on X. What an amazing experience to share with our children, witnessing firsthand our nations transfer of power. Its a new day in America! Dana Nessel (D-Mich.) Where she was on inauguration day: Lansing, Michigan What she said: I have grave concerns regarding many of the proposed actions President Trump, and those who have been nominated to serve in his administration, have publicly promoted, Nessle said in a statement. Many of these actions, if implemented, would involve flagrant violations of the United States Constitution, the Administrative Procedures Act, and other federal laws and long-held standards and confines by which all public actors must abide. Mayors Eric Adams (D-New York) Where he was on inauguration day: The mayor left town around 3 a.m. to head to Trumps inauguration in what his staff described as a last-minute decision, following an invitation from Steve Witkoff, Trumps Middle East envoy and a New York real estate developer. The embattled mayors decision to skip events commemorating MLK Day in New York in favor of attending Trumps swearing-in ceremony sparked robust criticism from other city officials. What he said: On MLK Day, like Reverend Dr. King said, we must put partisan politics aside to do whats best for our country, Adams said in a post on X defending the decision. I believe theres much we can achieve working alongside the federal government as we support our citys values and fight for New Yorkers. Francis Suarez (R-Miami) Where he was on Inauguration Day: Washington What he said: As we look to the future, we have every reason to be optimistic about the restoration of the American Dream, and I look forward to supporting you both on this journey to Make America Great Again, Suarez posted on X, referencing Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Suarez also attended numerous inauguration events throughout the weekend, including a breakfast and a gala for the Republican Party of Florida. The City of Miami sent officers to help with security in Washington, a fact Suarez drew attention to on social media. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) Where she was on inauguration day: Los Angeles What she said: Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Bass was asked about Trumps planned visit to the region on Friday to witness wildfire damages. I joined in the invitation to the president along with the governor and Kathryn Barger [the only Republican LA County supervisor], so its certainly my hope to meet with him. I know its going to be a quick visit. In response to a question about what she would say to the president, Bass continued: Ill say welcome to Los Angeles and immediately go into what were facing right now and how we hope to continue the federal partnership. It is my hope he will be very supportive. Muriel Bowser (D-Washington, D.C.) Where she was on inauguration: Washington What she said: Every four years, Washington, DC is proud to support the peaceful transfer of power, and I am grateful for all the teams working together to make this a safe and memorable event, Bowser said in a statement. I have said before that I am blessed with a sense of optimism, and the strength and resilience of my city and our people give me reason to be optimistic. Today, I am optimistic that by focusing on our shared priorities with President Trump whether it is keeping DC safe and clean or bringing workers back to our Downtown we will continue to deliver for DC and the American public. Liz Crampton, Paul Demko, Kelly Garrity, Shia Kapos, Kimberly Leonard, Julia Marsh and Ry Rivard contributed to this report. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed dozens of executive orders that sought to reach into nearly every corner of America life. Yet that was overshadowed by Trumps unprecedented, sweeping pardons and commutations for nearly all of the roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Among those pardoned were high-profile figures convicted of seditious conspiracy and violent assaults that left dozens of police officers injured. Though Trump had promised the move, its broad scope reportedly surprised even members of his inner circle. Just days before being sworn in as vice president, J.D. Vance told reporters that the most violent perpetrators obviously shouldnt be pardoned. To help understand the true scope of Trumps action, on Tuesday I spoke with Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and co-author of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America. Wares work examines the deep roots of far-right extremism and the importance of the sedition charges that followed Jan. 6 in sending a message of accountability in America. Now, with Trumps pardons reversing much of that, I asked Ware how he sees this moment. He had a simple response: Were in unprecedented territory. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Aymann Ismail: What was your gut reaction to the news of the pardons? Jacob Ware: This is pretty devastating moment for counterterrorism in the U.S., particularly counterterrorism against domestic paramilitary groups. It sets a terrible precedent for rule of law, for violence against institutions, violence against law enforcement. And it sends a message of permissionthat political violence will be tolerated as long as its on behalf of a certain movement and a certain man. And thats tremendously dangerous. Were in unprecedented territory where people who sought to overthrow the government have now been allowed back on our streets as returning warriors. What worries you most about Trumps action? Jan. 6 was the largest investigation in Department of Justice history. Those prosecutions were really about two things: punishments of crimes committed and deterring follow-on acts of violence. The consensus among the counterterrorism community is that the deterrence has been completely and fully eroded now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not just because of the pardons. In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, even the most conservative Republicans were horrified. Elise Stefanik called for people to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Over the course of the past four years, that narrative has been steadily eroded as Jan. 6 defendants have been recast and redefined from insurrectionists to martyrs, political prisoners, victims, hostages. At one point, President Trump even used the word warriors, a word that actually celebrates organized state violence. And so the concern is there is now no deterrence against political violence from this particular movement. What was the anticipation in the online extremism world heading into the Trump inauguration? What is the reaction to these broad pardons? We know that countless individuals who are enmeshed in these criminal cases were trying to delay or postpone trials, waiting for Trumps inauguration, truly believing that he was going to protect them from the criminal justice system. This has been an ongoing dance that weve seen over the course of the past eight years, where President Trump would issue these public proclamations of support condoning these movements. We saw that at Charlottesville, and with the Proud Boys stand back and stand by comment. And we know from statements that these groups make from the chatter within their online spaces that they do take his words and his actions to be supportive of them. It was barely months between stand back and stand by and the Jan. 6 insurrection. So they were waiting for this moment, and they will be celebrating their freedom. I should also point out that Jan. 6 was an incident that had a huge variety of activity. You did have people who were involved in nonviolent crimes, trespassing crimes, and they served very short prison sentences, if they served prison sentences at all. And then you had people prosecuted for very violent crimes, including seditious conspiracy, which is arguably the most serious crime in our country. I think even the most conservative Republicans did not expect President Trump to pardon or commute the sentences of those prosecuted for seditious conspiracy. So that is also a big shock. The people the Justice Department proved had intended to overthrow the government have now been protected and condoned by President Trump. That is a big deal. As the people convicted of Jan. 6 crimes start getting out of prison, what will you be watching? Do you think most of them will try to fade into ordinary life, or is there a chance they will jump back into organizing or activism? You have two kinds of Jan. 6 defendants. You have those who recognize that they were duped and are genuinely remorseful. Those are the kind of people who I hope will be given the space to rebuild their lives. You also have those who acted out on Jan. 6 because they had a grievance against the government. And that victimhood has now been propelled further. They feel they now have more evidence that they are struggling against a tyrannical government. Certainly, I would expect those people to double down in their activism and go back to their paramilitary and militia groups as battle-hardened leaders who now can speak with authority about the violence against the government that theyve been promising all these years. I do think this will be a shot in the arm for the movement and for several groups who had been relatively dormant since Jan. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since President Trump first emerged on the political stage, he has redefined what we once called anti-government extremism. These kinds of movementsthe Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, and the Proud Boysused to be fundamentally opposed to all governments or federal authority in the United States. That has changed now. Theyve been recast as anti-Democratic and pro-Republican, because they feel that President Trump is an ally in the White House. Because President Trump has shifted the Overton window, whether we see those people enter the political process or continue in their violent activism remains to be seen. I would also not be surprised to see some people use that to propel political careers as well. The narrative has been rewritten. Jan. 6 perpetrators are no longer violent insurrectionists. They are now peaceful patriots who were victimized by the government. And that is going to be something very powerful for people who decide to run for office, much as it was an honorable thing to have been a prisoner of war. What about the Proud Boys specifically? What do you think Enrique Tarrios release could mean for the groups future? Enrique Tarrio has a long, checkered history of cooperation, which of course is not looked upon very positively by the movement. Hes going back with this sense of legitimacy and authority because he is somebody who has personal experience of government tyranny in quotation marks; he stared down an overreaching tyrannical government and won. I think thats going to be an incredibly powerful narrative that hes going to be able to spin, which can make him a very powerful figure in whatever the next generation of the violent far right is. This pardon will be taken as a stamp of approval by the movement, and hes going to become a poster child for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The violent far right has always been exceptional at weaving this narrative of martyrdom and hailing those people who have been felled at the hands of the government as martyrs. And these people will now carry that authority with them forever. Whether Tarrio determines that hes going to go deeper into the movement and rebuild it for this golden age in the second Trump administration, or whether he decides to do something more productive with his life, it remains to be seen. Has anything of this scale happened before? Im thinking a lot about historical parallels. In 1988, the U.S. government tried 14 white supremacists for seditious conspiracy at Fort Smith, Arkansas. And those 14 white supremacists were acquitted. It was a huge deal for the movement because they felt they had approval. But one of them, a former KKK leader called Louis Beam, realized that the entire movement had almost been decapitated. So, he went underground, formed this journal called the Seditionists, in reference to the charges, and he revived an old treatise of insurgency and guerrilla warfare known as leaderless resistance, basically lone-actor terrorism. And most of the violence that weve seen from the far right over the past decadein places like Charleston, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Buffalohave actually followed this model. I dont know whether the movement is going to say Jan. 6 was proof of concept for leaderless resistance, because when they organized publicly, the government was able to decapitate the movement temporarily, or whether they see that as a success now that they have infiltrated the mainstream. I can see it going either way. I think certainly we will see both groups and individuals acting with more of a sense of invincibility because they attacked the United States government. How does this moment stack up against other pivotal points in your work studying domestic extremism? Were in unprecedented territory. The success of the seditious conspiracy charges a couple of years ago was a really important moment because the government had made up for the mistakes that they made in 1988. For the first time, arguably since the Civil War, the United States government had proven without question that groups that organize against the government on behalf of white supremacist and anti-government ideologies were attempting to overthrow the government. And that was a significant deal, not just legally, but also in terms of deterrence and building a democratic norm against violence. All of that has now been destroyed. It is fundamentally a rewriting of the norm against violence in democracies. That will affect our own battle here against domestic terrorism, but I think it also has implications abroad. Right now, in Washington, D.C., our national security bureaucracy is obsessed with great power competition, obsessed with strategic competition against China and Russia, and our allies and adversaries are watching crucial democratic norms be undermined in the alleged city on a hill, the United States. And that has impacts abroad. In fact, we saw that in Brazil in January 2023 when an election riot struck that capital city. Its not just an unprecedented impact for our own battle against domestic terrorism, but it also deeply affects American soft power and American foreign policy at a critical moment. I really think this is a transformational day for American national security and American counterterrorism, if not for American democracy writ large. MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The Midland Police Department has asked the community for help to identify two men accused of theft. According to MPD, on January 16, two men entered a local business and allegedly stole more than $900 worth of merchandise. The men were captured on security cameras and are pictured below: Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 432-694-TIPS and reference case number 250117300. You may also submit your anonymous tip online or by using the P3 TIPS mobile app. If your tip leads to an arrest, it could be worth a cash reward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Yourbasin. With the future of TikTok in the United States in jeopardy, a YouTube star known as MrBeast is among several groups of investors reportedly looking to buy the popular social media app before it is banned. I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires. TikTok, we mean business, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, said in a video posted to TikTok last week. We have an offer ready for you, we want to buy the platform. The amount of the offer was not disclosed. CNN reported that Donaldson is part of an investor group led by Employer.com CEO Jesse Tinsley and comprised of institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals looking to acquire TikTok before it is permanently banned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are not alone. Bloomberg News reported this week that Chinese officials have been considering selling at least a portion of TikTok to Elon Musk. And a group that includes Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary and billionaire Frank McCourt has also offered to buy the platform. On Wednesday, a rep for Donaldson told the Associated Press that he hasnt officially joined any bids to buy the app. How we got here The news comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed to uphold a federal law banning TikTok unless ByteDance, its China-based parent company, sells the platform to a non-China-based company. Former President Joe Biden had signed the law, which was passed overwhelmingly by Congress last year amid concerns that the Chinese government could use TikTok to spread propaganda to or collect data from approximately 170 million U.S. users. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TikTok briefly went dark in the U.S. on Saturday evening. Sorry, TikTok isnt available right now, a message on the app read. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you cant use TikTok for now. Hours later, service was restored. "As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!" a new message on the app read. In a statement Sunday, TikTok said it was "in the process of restoring service" and thanked Trump for "providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers" for the app to continue operating in the U.S. Trump delays TikTok ban, proposes U.S. buy app in joint venture At a pre-inauguration rally in Washington, D.C., the same day, Trump proposed that the U.S. should own 50% of TikTok" in what he called a joint venture, and predicted there would be a lot of bidders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Trumps inauguration on Monday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng were in attendance. President Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Shortly after he was sworn in as president, Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of the law banning TikTok for 75 days so that his administration has an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward. The law includes a provision that allows the president to pause the TikTok ban for 90 days if ByteDance proves it is in the process of selling the app. But without evidence that ByteDance is actively working to divest from TikTok, his order could be challenged in court. As he signed the order, Trump repeated to reporters that the U.S. should be entitled to get half of TikTok if a deal for the app is reached, adding that he thought TikTok could be worth a trillion dollars. He also floated imposing tariffs on China if it does not sell the app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear, though, whether Trump wants the U.S. government to own half of TikTok, or if he means 50% of the social media platform should be owned by a U.S. company. He did not elaborate. TikTok not available in app stores Despite Trumps executive order delaying the ban, TikTok remains unavailable for download from the Apple and Google app stores. So while U.S. users who already had the app downloaded on their phones have been able to resume using it, new users have not. Android users who search for TikTok in the Google Play Store are greeted with a message that reads: Downloads for this app are paused due to current U.S. legal requirements." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement iPhone users who search the app store on their phones see a similar message that reads: "Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates." The removal of TikTok from app stores has apparently created an opportunity for people with the platform downloaded on their phones. As USA Today reports, iPhone users who have kept the app downloaded are now offering to sell their phones on eBay for up to $25,000. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Following the Memphis-Shelby County School boards 6-3 vote to terminate Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins contract, they addressed the decision in a press release. After nine months as superintendent, Dr. Feagins has not demonstrated the transformational leadership that is critical to the success of MSCS, which is the largest school district in Tennessee, Board Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman said. As for the decision to appoint Dr. Roderick Richmond as the interim superintendent, Vice Chair Stephanie Love said that shes confident he can handle the position until they find a permanent successor to Dr. Feagins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we determine our next steps in the selection of a permanent superintendent, Dr. Richmond will provide steady and experienced leadership for the District by collaborating closely with the Board and by addressing pressing issues facing the District, Love said. Dr. Richmond is uniquely qualified to guide us forward. School board votes to terminate Superintendent Feagins contract Prior to his appointment, Dr. Richmond served as the transformation officer for MSCS. In his position, Dr. Richmond was responsible for helping low-performing schools with grades such as Ds and Fs achieve greater academic success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am surprised yet honored to be offered this opportunity to serve as the interim superintendent for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Dr. Richmond said. I look forward to working with the MSCS Board of Education on a path forward to ensure that our students continue to have the education and resources they deserve. The school board will host a press conference on Thursday, January 23 at 12 p.m. inside the 901 Cafe at the MSCS Central Office to discuss the forthcoming changes around the district. 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 WREG.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Multnomah County officials presented the Board of Commissioners with rough estimates for replacing the countys cramped and outdated animal shelter on Tuesday which could cost taxpayers between $55 million and $85 million. Multnomah County has worked toward building or replacing the current shelter since 2007, due to the overcrowding issues. Roughly $3.5 million was put toward the project in 2016 and the proposed shelter has remained in the consulting phase since 2019. Division Director of Multnomah County Animal Services Erin Grahek told commissioners at Tuesdays briefing that the countys current animal shelter doesnt currently meet the publics expected standards for a county animal shelter. A 2023 community survey showed that the local citizens would like to see more open space and greenery for the animals, larger medical facilities and improved quarantine zones for sick animals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The back hallways are always cluttered with storage of supplies and equipment due to lack of adequate space, Grahek said. Our current examination and surgical spaces are cramped, with inadequate kennels for pre-and-post-operative management and monitoring for the range of species and the volume of surgeries were required to perform. Proposed shelter expansion options compared to the current size of the facility. (All slides courtesy of Multnomah County) Cramped conditions at Multnomah Countys current animal shelter. Oregon, Washington attorneys general challenge Trumps birthright citizenship order In the fall of 2024, the Oregon Department of Agriculture issued a warning notice regarding the inadequate amount of space used to quarantine animals carrying different infectious diseases. Our current isolation area can only support cats, and does not allow for isolation of multiple diseases at one time, Grahek said. At this time, we depend on other agencies for isolation bandwidth, if available, in order to house dogs and other pets if our isolation area is currently housing animals with a different disease than that which is already housed in our single-isolation area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multnomah County Division Director for Facilities and Property Management Dan Zalkow told commissioners that very early estimates show that there wouldnt be much of a financial difference between building a new facility or refurbishing the current space. In our work, it doesnt appear theres much cost difference between building on a news site or renovating and expanding on the current site, Zalkow said. [The estimates do not] take into account the cost of buying new land or selling the current property. President Trump says Portland is where they kill people in speech on Inauguration Day If the project moved forward today, the new shelter would cost the county $55 to $75 million, according to a firm hired to predict cost estimates for the project. If the shelter is built in 2028, the project is estimated to cost $62 to $85 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the proposed project exceeding a cost of $1,500 per square foot, Multnomah County Commissioner Meghan Moyer said that she has concerns that the shelter may be more expensive than necessary. Im a little bit concerned that this is outside of comparable-sized buildings, Moyer said. And I want to understand how we got to thinking that those price estimates that we want to move forward with. The animal shelters current cost estimates are subject to change as the project is still in the early stages, Zalkow said. The county has not yet decided how it will pay for the project, where the new shelter will be located or what the designs will look like. The Board of Commissioners will meet to rediscuss the project in March. 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 KOIN.com. Tech billionaire Elon Musk voiced doubts about President Trumps newly announced infrastructure plan for artificial intelligence, claiming the technology companies behind the effort do not yet have the $500 billion promised for the project. Trump announced a joint project Tuesday called Stargate, which will invest up to $500 billion over the next four years to build the infrastructure to support artificial intelligence (AI) development. OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank are the initial equity investors for the project. Musk, responding to OpenAIs statement on the project on his social platform X, wrote, They dont actually have the money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority, he added. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to Musks comments on Wednesday with praise for the Tesla CEO. [I] genuinely respect your accomplishments and think you are the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time, Altman wrote. Less than an hour later, Altman followed up with a stronger rebuke and an invitation to Musk to see the apparent progress already underway. [Wrong, as you surely know. want to come visit the first site already under way? this is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope youll mostly put [the U.S.] first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musks comment was a notable break from Trumps optimistic tone Tuesday. The tech billionaire is leading Trumps Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is expected to focus on reducing government spending and regulations, and has already secured a White House email address. Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Larry Ellison, Oracles chief technology officer, joined Trump for the announcement at the White House. Son joined Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in December for an announcement that his company planned to invest $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. At the time, Trump pressed the SoftBank leader to double his investment to $200 billion on the spot. Masayoshi laughed and said he would try to make it happen. Now I come back with $500, Son said Tuesday at the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A source familiar with the Stargate project told The Hill SoftBank is prepared to immediately deploy $100 billion, which comes from a combination of equity from founding partners, co-investors, third party debt and other sources. According to SoftBanks earnings results for Q2 last year, the company had about $24.3 billion of cash on the balance sheet as of the end of last September. Middle East AI fund MGX, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Arm are also involved in the joint venture. When asked on Wednesday about Musks response, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told CNBCs Squawk Box, Look, all I know is, Im good for my $80 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president called it the greatest AI infrastructure project by far in history and nodded to the foreign competition the U.S. faces regarding emerging technology. The newer AI technology, like OpenAIs ChatGPT chatbot, requires an exhaustive amount of power to build and maintain. The Department of Energy estimated last month the energy demand for U.S. data centers tripled over the past 10 years and is expected to double or triple by 2028. Altman said he was thrilled we get to do this in the United States of America and added he thinks the companies would not be able to do it without Trump. Trump called Altman the leading expert on AI and described the group of tech leaders as a massive group of talent and money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk, who owns the AI firm xAI, has had a tumultuous relationship with Altman in recent years. He is currently suing Altman and OpenAI, alleging the AI company that Musk helped found in 2015 has abandoned its original mission. The Hill reached out to the White House, OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle for further comment. Updated at 12:23 p.m. EST. 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 The Hill. Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a top aide to President Trump, drew and quickly dismissed a raft of condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, historians, politicians abroad and others across the internet after twice making what to some looked like a Nazi salute from an inauguration stage. Musk who has endorsed antisemitic remarks and aligned himself with far-right factions, including the Alternative for Germany in that country made the gestures during a giddy speech celebrating Trump's return to power at an indoor rally Monday at Capital One Arena in Washington. "I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you," Musk said to the crowd. He slapped his chest with his right hand and then shot that hand out and up, open and flat and palm down, with his right arm rigidly extended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then turned and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. "My heart goes out to you," he said. Read more: Smart business? Currying favor? Why big tech leaders are friending and funding Trump Some defended Musk. The Anti-Defamation League, which works against antisemitism, offered Musk a pass with a post on X a platform Musk owns. "It seems [Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge," the group said. "In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others disagreed sharply. "Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in response to ADL's post on X. "People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all." Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) expressed shock at seeing Musk's gesture at an inaugural event. "I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal," Nadler wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The concerns were echoed by politicians across Europe, and sparked a sharp debate online where people compared videos of Musk and Hitler side by side. Neo-Nazi and white supremacist figures around the world cheered the gestures. Others came to Musk's defense. After one account on X called the uproar a "hoax" and part of what Musk had once called a "dirty tricks campaign" against him by liberals, Musk reposted the comment. "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired," he wrote, before adding a sleeping-face emoji. Musk also suggested on X that debate over his gestures was evidence of "legacy media propaganda." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Column: I watched Trump's inauguration with a Democrat and a Republican. Here's what they saw On Tuesday, the matter was raised again in Congress. At a confirmation hearing for Trump's nominee for United Nations ambassador, Elise Stefanik, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.) asked her what she thought of Musk "doing two Heil Hitler salutes last night at the presidents televised rally?" "No. Elon Musk did not do those salutes," Stefanik said. She said Musk likes to cheer on Trump and is a visionary. It was "simply not the case" that Musk made Nazi salutes, she said. "And to say so, the American people are smart they see through it. They support Elon Musk." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy then noted that neo-Nazi and other far-right and white supremacist extremists around the country had made clear online that they believed Musk had made Nazi salutes which they approved of and thanked him for and asked Stefanik what she made of that. Stefanik criticized Murphy for asking the question, and said both she and Trump have strong records of combating antisemitism. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Donald Trump is planning to scrap the White Houses National Space Council following pressure from an Elon Musk lobbyist, according to reports. It signals that Musk, the billionaire owner of rocket company SpaceX and a close ally of Mr Trump, has already started to flex his muscles in the new administration and may seek to take personal control of space policy. Mat Dunn, SpaceXs top lobbyist, and Mr Trumps aides have recently told associates that they see the space council as a waste of time, according to Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three people familiar with the plans of the Trump administration said it was planning to eliminate the body, which was reinstated by the president during his first term in office after a 24-year absence. Mr Trumps team did not contact the space council as it did with Nasa and other agencies regarding transition plans, one source said, adding that its offices near the White House have largely been emptied. The councils page on the White House website appears to have been deleted. The space council was set up in 1989 but abolished four years later, before Mr Trump signed an executive order in 2017 to restore its role reviewing the US governments space policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was also tasked with advising and developing recommendations for the president, and its members were made up of high-ranking cabinet officials including the vice president and secretaries of state, defence, and homeland security amongst others. It is credited with taking an instrumental role in the administrations space strategy, in which Mr Trump created a Space Force branch of the armed services and directed Nasa to send astronauts to the moon. It could have presented a potential threat and rival power base to Mr Musks influence over space policy in the second Trump White House. The SpaceX owner has openly spoken about his aim to land astronauts on Mars. In his inaugural address shortly after taking the oath of office, Mr Trump said: We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move may also mark one of the early cuts being made by the department of government efficiency (DOGE), which is expected to be headed by Mr Musk, who has promised trillions of dollars worth of savings. A source told Politico last week that the space council was expected to be one of the first and early cuts in the new Trump White House. Mr Musk spent around $280 million on Mr Trumps re-election effort and since polling day has cemented his presence in the Republicans inner circle. 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. It was dangerously cold outside on Monday, which necessitated that Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony be held inside the Capitol Rotunda. Four years ago on Jan. 6, 2021, Trumps MAGA followers attacked the Capitol with the goal of keeping him in office and nullifying the results of the 2020 election. They carried the Confederate Battle Flag. During the Civil War, that symbol of white supremacy and treason never flew inside of the Capitol. Four years later, Trump would stand in the Capitol building and take his oath of office as the countrys first elected autocrat who has promised to rule as a dictator on day one. One of Trump's first official acts on Monday was to either pardon or commute the sentences of nearly all the MAGA followers (approximately 1,600 people in total) who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 in his name. They will likely be his most zealous foot soldiers and enforcers. At The American Prospect, Ryan Cooper summarizes: "This has two immediate effects. The first is to set loose a large number of dangerous insurrectionists who may well form the core of a Sturmabteilung-style paramilitary force. The second is a signal that federal law enforcement will almost certainly not hold anyone who commits crimes or violence on behalf of Trump accountable so long as he is president." In addition to freeing his Jan. 6 MAGA people, Trump would sign many dozens of Executive Orders as part of his shock and awe campaign to destroy President Biden's legacy (and multiracial pluralistic democracy more broadly) and then build the foundations for his autocratic rule as the country's first elected de facto dictator. Donald Trump and his MAGA movement and their agents are much more dangerous than they were during his first presidency. The MAGA movement and the larger right-wing and the neofascists now have a much better understanding of the weak points and other vulnerabilities in American government and democracy and civil society. Perhaps most importantly, the Supreme Court has made Trump a de facto king who is above the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In all, the MAGAverse and the Trumpocene are a type of never-ending horrible story and epic, one that is overwritten and contains so many plot twists and genres that if it were fiction few people would read or watch it. Unfortunately, this never-ending horrible story is the reality that the American people and the world must now navigate for (at least) the next four years. What of the Resistance to Trump and the MAGA movement that was the focus of so much praise and discussion during his first time in the White House? The Democrats are not acting like an opposition party. Instead, they are trying to find ways to cooperate (or more accurately collaborate) with Trump and his MAGA Republicans. The mainstream news media is preemptively surrendering to Trump as well. Civil society organizations are on the defense, afraid of how Trumps administration and its agents will use lawfare and perhaps even go so far as to declare them supporters of terrorism or find other ways to take away their funding and tax-exempt nonprofit status as enemies of the people. This is in addition to how threats of violence and intimidation will create an overall chilling effect on attempts to organize in opposition to the Trump administration and the MAGA agenda and in defense of American democracy and freedom. What about the activists, large protests, marches and other such actions? The everyday Americans who comprise the base of the Resistance are tired, exhausted and frustrated and, for now, at least, appear to have tapped out of a rematch with President Donald Trump before it has even begun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, the Resistance, in whatever form it is going to take, will have to use new approaches (which will necessarily mean (re)learning lessons from successful pro-democracy movements both here and abroad, such as the Black Freedom Struggle and the civil rights movement) to confront and hopefully slow down Trumpism and American fascisms advance. The Resistance is quickly running out of time. President Trumps shock and awe and trauma campaign is no longer a hypothetical. It is real, here and will gain great momentum in the days and weeks ahead. In an attempt to gain some perspective as we navigate Trumps return to power and the rise of MAGA America, I recently spoke with Virginia Kase Solomon, president and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization driving systemic change and holding power accountable through grassroots advocacy and legislative action. Since 1970, Common Cause has championed government accountability, ethics and the removal of big money from our nations political system. Today, the organization represents over 1.5 million members and 23 state offices. This is the second part of a two-part conversation. What is democracy? Why should Americans want to protect and preserve it? As shown by the outcome of the 2024 election, real democracy is not something that many Americans appear to embrace or are willing to defend. Cheap gas and eggs and the border crisis were more important than the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law for those Americans who put Trump back in power. This is a really great question and its one we discuss a lot at Common Cause. From a values standpoint, it really is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as described in the Declaration of Independence. At its core, democracy is a system of government where the public elects leaders to advocate on their behalf. In theory, it was created to empower everyday people and to prevent the consolidation of power by any one despot or monarch. Although we know that American democracy has always been flawed and has never fully met its promise, most Americans still support this system of government and we know for a fact that they will protect it when they think its being challenged. It is not just partisan battles we should keep a close eye on but also inaction from lame-duck legislatures that failed to codify voter protections for disenfranchised voters before leaving office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also true that millions of Americans dont feel our democracy can deliver for them right now. For that reason, many people are willing to take a chance on political leaders who attack democratic norms and promise a full overhaul of our system. These people have every right to be concerned and as we begin a new term in Washington, its on all political leaders in both parties to show Americans that our democracy is still able to address the most pressing challenges of our time. Democracy is something we do. Part of defending democracy in this time of American autocracy and ascendant fascism will mean doing things in ones own immediate community that on the surface do not look like politics." This will be a very long struggle and not one measured in a few years or one election cycle. Its true that all politics is local, and over the next few years, I expect well see a lot more young people taking action at the community level to address the issues that they feel are overlooked by our leaders in Washington. People can do amazing things when they come together. I can speak from firsthand experience about the impact of community organizing. When I was 22, I helped launch the Hartford Youth Peace Initiative in Connecticut, a nonprofit to provide a safety net and educational support to youth. I came out of a community with only a 56 percent high school graduation rate. We had more people living in public housing per capita than any other city in the country. This was a time and a community that was very economically disenfranchised and over-policed. We werent getting help from adults or elected leaders, so we took action and got organized. We saw that there were not enough social programs, so we fundraised and built programming to help young people improve their education. This is democracy in action, people organizing to yield power and make positive change. This work wasnt unique. It happens to this day in communities all around the country and it requires investment. Is Donald Trump a populist? Is MAGA a populist movement? In short, yes. Trump is a populist. He has the ability to speak to broad voter anger and voters are very angry. They feel like the system doesnt work, so theyre willing to put their trust in someone who speaks to that anger. However, grassroots organizing was created to empower everyday people, the kind of folks who dont have a lobbyist fighting for their interests in Washington. The MAGA movement has hijacked the traditional tactics of grassroots organizing but used it to advance an agenda that serves our countrys richest citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If were going to defend democracy and unite an electoral majority behind important policies in D.C. and in states across the country, we need to meet people where they are and address the issues that impact them most acutely every day. Some of the most common issues are affordability, access to healthcare, safety, freedom of expression and so much more. Too often, political leaders fall into the trap of lecturing their constituents when they should actually be on the ground, in their communities, listening to people talk about their problems. Using the exact same strategies from the last time Trump was in power will likely not be effective given how he has expanded his base of support, has professionalized and expanded his attack on democracy, the countrys institutions and the rule of law and has the Supreme Court, almost literally, in his back pocket. The next four years will look a lot different than the last Trump administration. However, the president is still fundamentally the same person he was when he was elected in 2016, even if he has a more professional operation around him. We can learn a lot from the first term and shouldnt repeat the mistakes of the past as we work through these next four years. A few high-level lessons: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1) criticize the politician and/or the policy, but not the voters 2) dont get so lost in fact-checking that you amplify the president-elects lies to a larger audience 3) focus on bringing people together around issues where we agree 4) make it plain and simple for people to understand the impact of issues on them and their lives and why they should care The right-wing and conservatives and other actors spent decades building parallel organizations, institutions, media, think tanks and interest groups. What can the Resistance and others who want to help defend and renew American democracy learn from the opposition? The GOP was much better at using non-traditional media spaces to reach voters in 2024 and politicians on both sides of the aisle have fully embraced the power of podcasts and Substack as a means of mass communication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In general, I think legacy media as a whole needs to do a better job of reaching people. For many voters, the intervention of Jeff Bezos in The Washington Posts endorsement decision was deeply concerning. So many great papers and networks have shuttered, consolidated, or been bought out by billionaires. Over the next four years, Id encourage folks to really focus on identifying independent newsrooms, responsible voices on social media and new platforms to communicate and build new coalitions. Much media attention and that of the engaged public has been focused on Project 2025 for example. But Project 2025 is just one part of a much larger revolutionary project by the American right to remake society in their vision. What are some of the other initiatives and projects that you and your colleagues are monitoring? While all eyes are on Trump and the imminent threats of Project 2025 and Agenda 47s egregious policies, we must not lose sight of the democracy denialist threats playing out in state legislatures and city halls across the country. These hyper-local policies will have massive implications for our democratic processes. Take a look at the Allison Riggs-Jefferson Griffin race for state Supreme Court in North Carolina. Griffin, the Republican candidate and North Carolina appellate judge, lost the race to Democratic Supreme Court incumbent Allison Riggs. He lost by just over 700 votes, with over five million ballots cast. The Republican Party is demanding that 60,000 lawfully cast ballots get thrown out despite two recounts and weeks of litigation an attempt to silence voters and interfere in North Carolinas democratic election system. This challenge disenfranchises voters and calls the entire states election system into question. A Republican-controlled Supreme Court in North Carolina will now decide the winner of the race, which could create a dangerous precedent for other state legislatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not just partisan battles we should keep a close eye on but also inaction from lame-duck legislatures that failed to codify voter protections for disenfranchised voters before leaving office. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. I also think that we have to pay close attention to the role of billionaires and corporations in our government and how they are influencing policy, elections and our courts. Far too many of our elected officials, and even a few Supreme Court Justices, are dare I say being bought and paid for by those whose very interests are not aligned with the American people. While this is not new, this level of corruption is at an all-time high and we cannot look away. The role that money has in politics has gotten so out of control that we now have people questioning if Donald Trump is just a proxy for Elon Musk. Thats both sad and embarrassing for our country. What will it require for the Democrats and other mainstream political actors, including the news media, to adopt a posture of being the opposition? I have deep worries that the Democratic Party, given its present leadership, is even capable of operating in that manner. The country is very polarized right now. But when you remove the parties, theres broad consensus on a lot of issues. People want the same things: they want to earn a living, have freedom over their bodies, have access to adequate health care and live free from fear or intimidation. These are universal values shared by a broad spectrum of voters. These are values that both parties should be holding sacred while looking for real solutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remember, a lot of the people who voted for Bernie Sanders also voted for Donald Trump. We must hold both parties accountable and realize that we must save ourselves, no political party or politician is going to do that for us. What is the role of big money and moneyed interests in Trump 2.0? Well, Trump has accepted millions and millions of dollars from CEOs and billionaires to fund his inauguration and pay off his campaigns debts. Additionally, the new Cabinet has over 20 billionaires in it to date. Its fascinating because the involvement of elite corporate interests has been a Republican talking point used to critique the Democratic party, but the same standard does not exist for Trumps administration. This needs to be addressed. Theres an expression: tell me who your friends are and Ill tell you who you are. When Trump is surrounding himself with billionaire donors and tech leaders, he is separating himself from the American people, especially the middle and working class. When the founder of SpaceX is put in charge of regulating NASA, you have a serious conflict of interest. What do you want to prepare the American people for in these weeks and months ahead? We will see injustice. We will see inequity, oppression and unjust laws. This is not new in America. However, for many, this is the first time you will have experienced this for yourself. Be reminded that far too many have experienced these things their entire lives. It is okay to feel sadness, anger and even despair, but you cannot sit in it. Use those emotions as motivation to be part of the change. Find ways to engage and be in community with others. There, you will find the inspiration you need. There, you will find joy and hope both of which are active forms of resistance. A few years ago, I was arrested with the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. We were engaging in civil disobedience with the Black Womens Roundtable protesting at the Senate in an effort to get them to eliminate the filibuster so we could pass voting rights legislation. She was one of my cellmates. As we sat in our cell talking, she said, Isnt this great? I responded, Isnt what great? Being in jail? She responded, Yes. How fortunate are we that we get the honor and the blessing of doing this work for so many people? Perspective. Even in a jail cell, she took pleasure in doing something that just might make peoples lives better. We didnt win that battle, but we both left that day knowing that we had done our part with joy, to fight another day. There will always be another day and one day, we will win. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) Nearly a dozen flights were cancelled and many others delayed at Myrtle Beach International Airport, as a rare winter system has put the region into a deep freeze. Most of those were Charlotte-bound flights were slated for between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. A News13 crew spent much of Tuesday at the airport, where travelers took the setbacks in stride. One man who was flying into Illinois and Ohio said Midwesterners like him a used to a lot more snow than what officials were predicting for coastal South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We actually kind of find it a little humorous, kind of the panic that goes on down here, because we one to three inches on a regular basis, Kevin Asher said. We drive through it. We laugh when we watch everybody down here try to drive through it, so its a good time. A Dallas couple told News13 they were relieved to make it on their airlines last flight out of Myrtle Beach. Raymond and Marie Jacko, who are originally from Pittsburgh, said they were surprised by the number of cancellations. They explained when we checked in. They said our flight is going to go at 2:40 p.m. to Charlotte, and then we go into Dallas, Raymond said. But then, they said all the flights after that are cancelled and I was like, why,' he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work 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 WBTW. The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case centered on the internal affairs records of a Jersey City police lieutenant who got arrested in 2019 after he fired a gun at his party guests. (Photo by New Jersey Monitor) The New Jersey Supreme Court will weigh whether internal affairs records of police misconduct should be public under the common law right of access as an appellate panel recently decreed or hidden from public scrutiny if officers successfully get their criminal records expunged. The case dates to August 2019, when Michael Timmins, a Jersey City police lieutenant, fired a gun at his guests during a party at his Sussex County home. State police responded and charged Timmins with terroristic threats and possession of weapons for unlawful purposes, but Timmins went through a pretrial diversionary program that enabled him to get details of his arrest expunged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New Jersey Monitor obtained details of Timmins gun arrest in 2021 after prosecutors divulged them as exculpatory material in an unrelated murder case. In March 2022, the state Supreme Court ruled that public officials must release police disciplinary records in New Jersey, under the states common law right of access, when the publics interest in them outweighs an officers confidentiality concerns. The New Jersey Monitor consequently sought Timmins records under that ruling. Jersey City officials denied the New Jersey Monitors records request, so States Newsroom its parent nonprofit sued the city and records custodian Sean Gallagher for the records in June 2022. Two months later, a Superior Court judge in Sussex County agreed to expunge Timmins record. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April 2023, a trial court sided with the city against States Newsroom. But an appellate panel in September partially reversed the trial judges decision and granted access to the records in question. Jersey City officials appealed to the state Supreme Court, arguing that the city needs guidance on how to protect expunged information when the public seeks it via the common law right of access. Attorney CJ Griffin, representing States Newsroom, argued that internal affairs files are not listed as records subject to expungement under state statute, and without the high courts guidance, law enforcement agencies will continue to deny access to those records in violation of the courts 2022 ruling. Griffin also represented police reformer Richard Rivera in the case that prompted that decision. The justices agreed last week to certify the case for a hearing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) publicly acknowledged that shes eyeing a 2026 gubernatorial run potentially setting up the firebrand member of Congress for another statewide run. Mace has long been rumored to be considering a bid, with Gov. Henry McMaster termed-out in 2026. But Mace made her plans public this week, telling the Associated Press she is seriously considering entering the governors race next year. Mace, who is serving her third term in Congress, has made headlines pushing two of President Donald Trumps rallying causes: fighting DEI and illegal immigration. Mace brought forward the resolution to ban transgender women from using womens bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, and has repeatedly mocked first-term Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first transgender member of Congress, with insults about her gender identity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump backed Mace in her GOP primary race for South Carolinas 1st District last year, and she has recently cast herself as a die-hard supporter of the president. But Trump and Mace havent always been on the same page politically. She heavily criticized Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol and made calls to rebuild the Republican Party. In 2022, Trump endorsed her primary challenger, calling her disloyal. Mace later said she was ready to bury the hatchet throwing her support behind Trump in 2024, and riding the MAGA train since. Trump carried South Carolina easily in all three of his presidential runs. Mace and other Republicans will be competing for Trumps endorsement, which could be determinative in the primary. Should she enter the race, shell likely face competition from several other South Carolina politicians. State Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette are also potential candidates, among others. Trump is going to need people in governor seats in 26, Mace told the AP. In 26, we need people who can win, win big, and implement his agenda, and I will do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mace said shell be making a final decision in the coming weeks, but needs to spend more time in other parts of the state first. She ran statewide in 2014 in a primary to Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), but finished a distant fifth. Ive been in the state Legislature before, I have great relationships in Washington now, and Ive acquired the leadership necessary to be bold, to make sure that we are moving forward with conservative policies, Mace said. Nashvilles booming economy has earned it a reputation as one of Americas top-performing cities. With strong job growth, high wages, and an unemployment rate of just 2.9%, Nashville is thriving. A report from the Milken Institute ranks Nashville among the nations best-performing metro areas, recognized for its tech and healthcare sectors. In 2023 alone, Middle Tennessee added 24,000 new jobs, making Music City a model of economic growth. Yet beneath these impressive statistics emerges a critical challenge: the health of Nashvilles population. While economic growth flourishes, poor health particularly mental health and chronic conditions threatens the sustainability of this success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As leaders in economic policy and healthcare, we, respectively Laurel Graefe with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Fahad Tahir with Ascension Saint Thomas believe that prioritizing public health is essential to securing Nashvilles future prosperity. Economic prosperity versus health reality Nashvilles economic success masks a growing health crisis. According to findings from the Nashville Community Health + Well-being Survey, Davidson County residents report an average of 5.3 poor mental health days each month, far exceeding state and national averages. Mark Yancy, chief executive officer of NashvilleHealth, speaks with other Nashville leaders following a news conference on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Women in particular report even higher rates at 6.2 days. Mental health challenges like stress and anxiety are prevalent and affect every aspect of life, from relationships to civic engagement. Chronic physical health conditions are equally alarming. Nearly one-third of Nashville adults have high blood pressure, and two-thirds are overweight or obese. Smoking rates remain high at 13.2 percent, further exacerbating these health risks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These conditions not only reduce quality of life but also increase healthcare costs and decrease productivity across the region. The community-wide impact of poor health Health isnt just a personal issue; it affects every part of our community. When people struggle with chronic conditions, they have less time and energy to invest in their families, workplaces, and neighborhoods. This limits their ability to fully participate in education, local businesses, and civic life. Preventable health issues limit Nashvilles ability to reach its full potential. A healthy population supports growth parents can focus more on their childrens success, consumers are able to engage with local businesses, and residents contribute to vibrant communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public health impacts every dimension of Nashvilles future, from workforce productivity to neighborhood vitality. Prioritizing public health for economic and social success While a healthy workforce drives economic growth, a healthy population is essential for a thriving and resilient society. While Nashville is home to world-class healthcare institutions, the healthcare system alone cannot solve the broader health challenges we face. Laurel Graefe Social determinants of health, such as access to nutritious food, safe housing, and reliable transportation, also play important roles. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among business leaders, communities, and policymakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NashvilleHealth is at the forefront of these cross-sector partnerships. In 2023, NashvilleHealth and Metro Government launched the citys first Wellness Opportunity Zone, focused on improving health outcomes in Nashvilles 37208 zip code. Initiatives like this show how aligning health with community needs can create a healthier, more engaged, and more productive city. A path forward toward building a stronger Nashville Nashvilles economic success is clear, but its future depends on addressing the health challenges that quietly threaten the broader community. If we fail to act, the hidden costs of poor health can undermine our progress and weaken both the economy and quality of life. Fahad Tahir We have the opportunity to take a different path one where health and economic prosperity go hand in hand. By integrating health into Nashvilles growth strategies, we can ensure our city remains a place where everyone can flourish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be part of this vital conversation, we encourage you to connect with NashvilleHealth and explore how you can contribute to a healthier, more prosperous future for our city. Together, we can build a stronger Nashville where businesses thrive, neighborhoods flourish, and all residents benefit. Laurel Graefe is the regional executive and senior officer at the Nashville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Views are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlanta Fed or the Federal Reserve System. Fahad Tahir is the president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville works to keep booming while improving health | Opinion Paul J. Batura is a local writer and founder of the 4:8 Media Network. He can be reached via email Paul@PaulBatura.com or on X @PaulBatura. A proposed Metro Nashville law detailing how police surveillance technology can be used across Davidson County won approval on the first of three readings on Tuesday evening. The legislation, which would amend Metro code allowing for the use of a "community safety camera network," was part of the agenda for the first Metro Nashville Council meeting of the new year. It was approved on introduction and first reading alongside a host of other pieces of legislation, which is the group's typical procedure when legislation is first introduced. The group's last vote related to police camera networks was much more narrow and contentious. That $774,900, 34-month contract with law enforcement surveillance company Fusus failed to earn approval by a single vote in early December 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A dozen council members sponsored the ordinance introduced Tuesday, including three members Olivia Hill, Rollin Horton and Brenda Gadd who'd voted against approving the Fusus contract in December. Another co-sponsor, Sandy Ewing, was one of two council members who was absent from the December meeting, either of whom could have advanced the Fusus contract with a single vote in favor. What's in the new ordinance? Broadly speaking, the legislation applies to a community safety camera network that includes donor cameras and outlines where such cameras are allowed to be installed, who can access them and what they can be used for. That already exists in some form in Nashville. The Metro Nashville Police Department had already used the Fusus system from September 2022 until February 2024, when it was paused because surveillance contracts require council approval under Metro code. MNPD counted nearly 1,200 cameras as part of that network before its use of Fusus was paused, 268 of which were integrated with Fusus devices. The new legislation specifies that public safety cameras wouldn't be allowed in locations where theres a reasonable expectation of privacy." It also requires MNPD to post a map of any cameras it owns and operates on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation also limits MNPD's ability to access a "donor camera" meaning any camera owned and maintained by a private entity whos voluntarily elected to participate based on the camera owner's parameters and "only for the purpose of responding to a public health and safety emergency" or to conduct an audit of the network. The legislation is explicit about what the network couldn't be used for, namely to identify individuals and their characteristics using facial recognition technology or through artificial intelligence. It also couldn't be used to target, harass and/or intimidate individuals or groups solely based on characteristics like race, national origin, gender identity or disability. When will the surveillance be up for more discussion? More robust conversation and debate among council members often occurs when legislation returns to a future meeting agenda on a second or third reading. That means the earliest community members may expect to see the ordinance back on the agenda would be at the council's next meeting, set for Feb. 4. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville council backs police surveillance plan on first reading Nashville native William Ridley Wills II wrote nearly a book a year for the last four decades of his life, digging into Middle Tennessee's history from the Civil War to modern monumental growth and development. The local historian, philanthropist and Vanderbilt University Board of Trust member died on Jan. 16 in his home at 90 years old. "He will be greatly missed," son Tom Wills said in a statement. "If you knew him you likely didnt forget him. He gave master classes in how to reinvent oneself and for reaching out to the community." Nashville historian and philanthropist Ridley Wills II died on Jan. 16, 2025 at 90 years old. Ridley Wills grew up a seventh generation Nashvillian notably earning the "Most Daring" superlative at Montgomery Bell Academy in 1952 and captaining Vanderbilt University's swim team in 1956. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From there, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving in peacetime for two years before going to work for his grandfather's Nashville-based National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Wills worked his way up to National Life senior vice president. Apart from the core insurance business, the company also owned Grand Ole Opry, WSM radio station and the Opryland Hotel. When Texas-based American General Life Insurance Company acquired National Life in a hostile takeover in 1982, Wills was "not able to stomach the new corporate culture being inflicted upon the beloved Nashville institution." He resigned shortly thereafter and opted for yet another career shift. This time, he rediscovered his love for history, teaching night classes at Belmont University and Montgomery Bell Academy. Wills published his first book, "Belle Meade: Mansion, Plantation, and Stud," in 1991, and 33 more followed. "Some people shape history, and some people write history, and some very special people do both. Mr. Wills is one of those very special people," former Nashville Mayor John Cooper said at a Land Trust for Tennessee event honoring Wills in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to his leadership and donations to Vanderbilt, Wills' other philanthropic ventures included serving as president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Nashville, president of the Tennessee Historical Society and a deacon and elder at The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville. "With heavy hearts, we must announce the passing of our beloved, Ridley Wills," the church said in a statement last week. "Ridley was supported by your prayers and surrounded by loved ones throughout his final days, thanks be to God." Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville historian, Vanderbilt donor Ridley Wills II dies at 90 This story discusses suicide and self-harm. If you or a loved one are at risk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for support at 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Two 17-year-olds, including the shooter, are dead and another student is injured after shots rang out in the cafeteria of Antioch High School in Nashville at 11:09 a.m. Wednesday. Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said police received the first call to 911 two minutes after the 17-year-old student opened fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooter killed one student, Aaron said. He then turned the gun on himself and died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The third student suffered a grazing wound, Aaron said. The names of the students have not yet been released. The shooting comes nearly two years after three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members were killed in a shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. The shooter was also killed by police. This is a developing story. Follow along for updates below. Federal officials react to Antioch High School shooting Republicans in Tennessee's federal delegation shared their concern for victims and prayers for those involved, but none indicated need for policy changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My team and I are closely monitoring the shooting that occurred this afternoon at Antioch High School, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, in whose district the shooting occurred. Please join me in lifting up in prayer those who were injured, their families, and the entire Antioch High School community. U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty said he was heartbroken to hear news of the shooting. He and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn both said they are monitoring the situation closely and praying for families involved and first responders. U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais also shared prayers and encouraged people to avoid the area to allow for emergency staff to work. Gov. Bill Lee: 'Praying for the victims, their family & the school community' Gov. Bill Lee made a brief statement about the shooting at 1:04 p.m., offering prayers for the victims and school community. "Ive been briefed on the incident at Antioch High School and am grateful for law enforcement & first responders who responded quickly and continue to investigate," Lee said. "As we await more information, I join Tennesseans in praying for the victims, their families & the school community." Antioch High School grandparent awaits reunification with student Tiffany Brooks said her heart dropped, asking her son if her granddaughter Ki'Mani Brooks had gotten on the bus to join them at the reunification site at Ascension Medical Group, 3754 Murfreesboro Pike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I got a call from my granddaughter because I live so close to the school," she said, noting that the girl was safe, but she said she could hear shots coming from the cafeteria. Brooks said she wanted to come get her, but a lockdown was put in place, so all she could do was wait, pacing the sidewalk until her reunification call came. Officers enter Antioch High School following shooting Officers armed with rifles and tactical gear spread out on the school grounds at 1 p.m. They busted into an outlying shed and climbed the bleachers to the press box, seemingly to search them. Small booms could be heard echoing around the high school and grounds as they worked the property. State lawmaker urges legislative changes to prevent gun violence Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said the state clearly should start doing the work needed to keep kids safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tragic news in Antioch today, Yarbro wrote in a social media post. High school kids really ought to be able to go to the cafeteria without fear of being shot. Antioch High shooter was 17-year-old student Metro Nashville Police Spokesman Don Aaron said a 17-year-old student opened fire in the cafeteria of Antioch High School with a pistol at about 11:09 a.m. Two minutes later police received the first call to 911. The shooter killed one student, Aaron said. He then turned the gun on himself and died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The third student suffered a grazing wound, Aaron said. The two shooting victims, including the student who was killed, were female. The shooter, who fatally shot himself, was male. There were two school resource officers in the building, but not in the cafeteria. Neither could intervene before the shooter turned the gun on himself, Aaron said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The names of the students have not yet been released. Antioch High School shooting leaves two person dead, one injured Two people are dead, according to police, and a third person is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Parents anxiously await reunification with students Traffic was backed up on Murfreesboro Pike as far as the eye could see from the Mapco at the streets intersection with Hobson Pike just before 1 p.m.. More than 100 parents were grouped anxiously at the hospital across the street, where they were waiting for students to be dropped off in school buses. Sen. Charlane Oliver: 'My heart is broken' Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, who represents the community in which Antioch High School is located, issued a statement on Wednesday following the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My heart is broken over the devastating shooting at Antioch High School today. As a mother and a representative of this community, I grieve with the families, students, and staff who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to the victims who were shot, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. No child should ever feel unsafe in their school, and no family should face the anguish of such a senseless loss," said Oliver in an emailed statement. I am in contact with local officials, law enforcement, and school leadership to offer my full support and ensure our community has the resources needed to heal. My senate office stands ready to assist families, students, and educators with navigating this crisis and will do everything in my power to push for meaningful legislative changes to prevent senseless acts of gun violence. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell: 'This is a heartbreaking moment' Mayor Freddie OConnell posted about the shooting on his Bluesky page at 12:47 p.m., noting that the incident is still under investigation and sharing the location of the reunification site on 3754 Murfreesboro Pike. This is a heartbreaking moment for the families, the school and the city, OConnell said. Voices for a Safer Tennessee 'devastated' to learn about Antioch High School shooting Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonprofit formed in the wake of the Covenant School Shooting in 2023, released a statement on Thursday: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Voices for a Safer Tennessee is devastated to learn about the shooting inside the Antioch High School cafeteria today," part of the statement read. "Our hearts break for the students, families and staff impacted by this tragedy. Schools should be safe spaces where children can learn and grow without fear of violence. We also stand alongside the families of victims and survivors of mass shootings who are continually retraumatized when news of yet another shooting breaks." Students arrive at reunification site The first schools bus of students arrived at the reunification site shortly before 12:40 p.m. Minutes later another round of students were led out of Antioch High School and shuffled onto a school bus waiting to take them to the reunification site. Antioch High School parent: 'It was terrifying' Chante Fryes daughter, a ninth grader, was in a classroom when she heard gunshots.She texted her mom that the school was on lockdown. It was terrifying, Frye said.But it's almost not surprising because it's getting worse with the fights and the violence at school, Frye said, standing across from the Ascension Saint Thomas Antioch hospital where reunification with students was about to occur. How parents can connect with students According to Metro Schools, parents can connect with their students by call the reunification number at 615-401-1712. Metro Police direct parents to reunification site Two Metro Nashville Police officers stood guard at the Pin Hook Road entrance to Antioch High School Wednesday afternoon.Drivers slowed, begging the men to let them pick up their children. Armed with a notepad, one officer relayed the same information over and over again.Please go to Murfreesboro Pike to pick up your child, he said.Each driver appeared to steel themselves as they drove away resigned.A fleet of school busses rounded the corner, prepared to take students to the reunification site. Reunification site for Antioch High School parents established Buses are taking Antioch High School students to a reunification site at 3754 Murfreesboro Pike, according to police. The exit leading to Old Hickory Boulevard off Interstate 24 was backed up around noon as multiple police and emergency vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the shooting. MNPS: 'Antioch High School on lockdown due to shots fired' "Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building," Metro Nashville Public High School spokesperson Sean Braisted said in an emailed statement. "Metro Police are on the scene. The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available." Rep. John Ray Clemmons: 'Unspeakable tragedy' Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons, who represents House District 55 where Antioch High School is located, released a statement shortly after noon Thursday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, our community has suffered an unspeakable tragedy in a school that has detrimentally impacted innocent children and families," Clemmons said in the emailed statement. "We are continuing to monitor this situation with the Mayors office, MNPD and MNPS, and we will provide more information as we receive it. In the meantime, we will be praying for the children reportedly injured and all the students of Antioch High School whose lives have been forever altered today. Our efforts will not stop at thoughts and prayers we will continue to fight for common sense gun safety solutions that protect our children and communities from gun violence." This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Antioch High School shooting updates: Two dead at Nashville school The head of Nato has said crazy ethical investing rules are thwarting Europes efforts to ramp up defence spending. Mark Rutte, general secretary of the transatlantic military alliance, said that finance companies were withholding money from defence companies after effectively putting them into the same category as drug dealers and pornographers. He blamed ESG (environmental, social and governance) rules, which are used by many big banks, asset managers and pension funds to decide where to invest savers money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking at a side event in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Rutte said: We still are not able to explain to the pension funds, to the banks, the difference between illicit drugs and pornography on the one hand and spending on our collective defence on the other. And somehow its all the same basket. This is crazy, but this is one of the reasons why Im trying to reach out to the one billion people living in Nato territory and asking them: go to your banks and your pension funds and tell them that you want to be defended and you want them to spend more. And that it is crazy that somehow we only have these nice little projects connected to the [United Nations] Millennium Goals. The Millennium Goals are a set of eight targets for sustainable development agreed by the UN in 2015, which include promoting gender equality, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and reducing child mortality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Rutte said: First of all, we have to make sure we can fight the Russians if they attack us. He was supporting remarks by Francois Michel, chief executive of Belgian defence manufacturer John Cockerill, who claimed that ESG risked destroying the European defence industry. Mr Michel said: Clearly there is an issue with the ESG regulations on the financial side because, whatever the regulations we have in Europe in general, finance has been pushing the defence industry to sit apart from civilian infrastructure and from civilian activities. This is destroying the European defence industry, this is something we absolutely need to solve, and I fully agree with the fact that public spending is not the only answer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Private capital has to be able to flow efficiently between savings and companies. The comments are the latest warning that ESG is having disastrous consequences for Europes defences. Earlier this month, Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of Natos military committee, claimed that stupid investors were failing to play their role in the collective defence of society while also missing out on potentially large returns. Since Russia launched an attempted invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nato member states have been ploughing money into arms as part of efforts to rebuild their own capabilities and support Kyivs warfighting efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Mr Rutte warned that arms production in China and Russia was dramatically outpacing the US and Europe, where there is a particular need to replenish depleted ammunition stocks. He said more private investment was needed to expand manufacturing capacity. All over Nato we produce in a year, in terms of ammunition, what Russia is producing in three months, he said. So this is evidence that we have huge problems, and thats why my plea is, yes, we are safe now but in four or five years, if we do not ramp up production and do not ramp up spending, then we are really into difficulty. The Dutchman reiterated that Natos spending target of 2pc of GDP was clearly not enough, amid calls by Donald Trump, the US President, for European countries to shoulder more of the burden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said discussions about higher government spending by Nato states were under way and a deal would be hammered out at a gathering in June. Mr Trump, who returned to the White House on Monday, is reportedly pushing for spending targets of between 3pc and 5pc of GDP. Experts have warned this will be extremely difficult for many countries to meet. The President has accused Europe of freeloading off American taxpayers and warned the US may not come to the aid of countries found to be delinquent. The UK currently spends around 2.3pc of GDP on defence. Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, has vowed to lay out a path to reaching 2.5pc following a UK defence review but this may now be delayed until the autumn, setting up a potential clash with the US President. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking in Davos, Mr Rutte warned that higher spending looked inevitable. He said: When you look at the emerging reality, it is clearly the case that 2pc is not enough. He also criticised a lack of coordination between European Nato members, which was leading to smaller, more fragmented and costly equipment programmes. Mr Rutte pointed to the two multi-billion pound stealth fighter programmes being developed as a prime example of this: one by Britain, Italy and Japan; and a second by France, Germany and Spain. We are developing two competing, sixth generation fighter jets. So this is evidence that it is still very difficult in Europe to work together, and this is the big problem, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the US there are around 30 weapons systems, compared to nearly 180 across the European militaries. We have really a problem here, Mr Rutte said We are not buying jointly, almost not. The contacts are too small, and we are innovating too slowly. And when you look at Ukraine, you can see how important it is that you do that. Of course, for Ukraine itself, it remains the case that we have to do everything to make sure that we can change the trajectory of that conflict. We need the US in that, but I expect the US to ask for us to pay more for their delivering - I think we have to prepare for that, its only logical. 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. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: NATO NATO has launched Operation Baltic Sentry to protect its undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea from sabotage. According to The War Zone, the alliance will deploy uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) also referred to as "drone boats" to enhance its overall situational awareness in the area. At least 20 USVs are assigned to the mission, which will be deployed alongside around 12 ships from the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 and an unknown number of maritime patrol aircraft. This move was made after several incidents in the past months where a Russian-affiliated vessel is suspected of damaging critical undersea cables. The first incident happened in November 2024, when a Chinese-flagged ship is suspected of damaging two communications cables connecting Finland and Sweden to Central Europe, while the other event occurred a month later in December, when another ship cut a power cable and some communications cables between Finland and Estonia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, the plan to deploy sea drones was already discussed, with a NATO admiral expecting them to be deployed in June 2025. However, it seems that the alliance moved the timetable up by six months, especially given the sensitivity of the infrastructure it needed to protect. These USVs will likely have several sensors onboard, including optical and electromagnetic, and will be combined with other data that will be shared to all stakeholders. Those requirements will focus on delivering situational awareness, through largely passive sensors (including imagery and the electromagnetic spectrum) and generating the necessary number of platforms to cover the areas of interest, A NATO spokesperson told The War Zone. The initiation foresees the fleet evolving over phases, allowing for the opportunities to scale the effort, integrate new or different technologies, and broaden the operational domains. On the other side of the world, Taiwan is also increasing its surveillance of its undersea cable network after a Chinese-owned cargo ship was suspected of sabotaging an undersea internet cable connecting the island country to the East Coast of the United States. The Taiwanese Navy and Coast Guard will work together to monitor ships, especially those suddenly changing speeds or following erratic and unusual paths. Authorities said that the Navy will deploy ships at the Coast Guards request, and that it will also board suspicious vessels for inspection or seizure, if required. HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio (WDTN) Over 9,000 people reported outages in the Huber Heights and Vandalia area Tuesday evening. Crews are working to restore power currently. According to AES Ohios outage map, less than 100 are without power as of 1:54 p.m. on Jan. 22. AES Ohio told 2 NEWS that crews are on-site of a power substation near I-70. The substation issue caused an outage heavily affecting Huber Heights along with parts of Vandalia and Tipp City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Huber Heights Police Department reminds all residents NOT to call 911 with power questions or to report outages. You can report an outage through AES Ohios website here. AES told 2 NEWS that they are still trying to figure out what exactly caused the outage. Warming centers available for those without power The City of Vandalia has opened the Vandalia Recreation Center at 1111 Stonequarry Road as a warming center due to the outage. Vandalia says AES officials estimate power restoration by 9 p.m. Huber Heights is offering the Wayne High School Cafeteria to those without power. In a social media post, officials shared that residents can enter through the Student Entrance. Some areas of the city that were without power have been restored and AES anticipates full restoration in the next few hours for everyone else, Huber Heights said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montgomery County also shared a round up of warming centers available this evening. Click here to view the list. Residents share reactions to power outage on coldest night of the year 2 NEWS went to Huber Heights to learn more about how residents are coping without power on the coldest night of 2025 so far. The whole Huber Heights area is in near pitch darkness. with the only available light coming from dim solar powered lights along driveways and a few homes with generators. Dozens of cars are seen idling in neighborhoods with people just trying to stay warm. One employee at the Huber Heights YMCA recalls the moment the power flicked off. We were just standing up front and it all went black really fast, said Peyton Ferguson, YMCA employee. Were trying to keep people calm. I live all the way on the other side of town so Im hoping that it is still good, but Ive heard a lot of people say theyre out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City officials share that power should soon be restored. From the nearly 10,000 customers that initially lost power, over half has been restored. Stay with 2 NEWS as this develops. 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 WDTN.com. By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal will increase the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by more than 35%, making the worlds tallest peak more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade, officials said on Wednesday. Income from permit fees and other spending by foreign climbers is a key source of revenue and employment for the cash strapped nation, home to eight of the worlds 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A permit to climb the 8,849 metre (29,032 feet) Mount Everest will cost $15,000, said Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the Department of Tourism, announcing a 36% rise in the $11,000 fee that has been in place for nearly a decade. "The royalty (permit fees) had not been reviewed for a long time. We have updated them now," Regmi told Reuters. The new rate will come into effect from September and apply for the popular climbing April-May season along the standard South East Ridge, or South Col route, pioneered by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Fees for the less popular September-November season and the rarely climbed December-February season will also increase by 36%, to $7,500 and $3,750 respectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some expedition organisers said the increase, under discussion since last year, was unlikely to discourage climbers. About 300 permits are issued each year for Everest. "We expected this hike in permit fees," said Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based expedition organiser, Furtenbach Adventures. He said it was an "understandable step" from the government of Nepal. "I am sure the additional funds will be somehow used to protect the environment and improve safety on Everest," Furtenbach said. Regmi did not say what the extra revenue would be used for. Hundreds of climbers try to scale Mount Everest and several other Himalayan peaks every year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nepal is often criticised by mountaineering experts for allowing too many climbers on Everest and doing little to keep it clean or to ensure climbers' safety. Regmi said cleaning campaigns were organised to collect garbage and rope fixing as well as other safety measures were undertaken regularly. Climbers returning from the Everest say the mountain is becoming increasingly dry and rocky with less snow or other precipitation, which experts say could be due to global warming or other environmental changes. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Sonali Paul) Has the penny finally dropped in Downing Street? The rapid pursuit of so-called net zero may play well with climate pressure groups but is inimical to the Governments growth strategy and potentially disastrous for the viability of the countrys energy supplies. Ministers are required by the Climate Change Act to move towards a renewable future but Labour has accelerated what were already unfeasibly early targets, including making the grid virtually carbon free by 2030. The implications have been clear for years but only now are they being acknowledged in the Labour Party. The embattled Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, told the World Economic Forum in Davos that growth trumps other things, which presumably includes net zero. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She is preparing to give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, which has previously been blocked on environmental grounds. This will trigger a monumental fight in the party between supporters of Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and those of a more pragmatic disposition. It also blows a hole in the argument that net zero and growth are complementary because the former generates economic activity to produce the wind farms, solar panels, pylons and the rest of the required infrastructure. Ms Reevess comments follow an assertion by Mr Miliband that net zero is unstoppable. That may be true in the long run, but this is a dispute about pace as well as direction. The Energy Secretary believes the transition is not going fast enough. But, with the new American president pulling out of the Paris climate accords and China and India carrying on regardless, the UK risks becoming isolated. If Ms Reeves is serious, then she will have to argue for a change in the legislation that binds the Governments hands introduced by the Tories. Britain has turned its back on the shale gas bounty that should have been fracked more than a decade ago and it is blocking future North Sea oil extraction while importing oil and gas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ministers will doubtless argue that if they proceed with Heathrow they will offset emissions elsewhere, but this ducks the real issue. Can Ms Reeves face down opponents in the Cabinet? For that she will need the support of the Prime Minister, who has not shown any great inclination to address this matter seriously beyond using it to signal virtue. Which side he comes down on will determine the future of his Government. 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. LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) The freezing cold means many people are cranking up the heat in their homes, but experts said its important to note that house fires happen most often during winter. So, firefighters in Nicholasville are working to help homeowners prevent the worst from happening. The winter months are a busy time for the Nicholasville Fire Department. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: We actually just had a fire a few weeks ago; a candle was left on a plastic shelf, and just by leaving it, newly moved in, hadnt had much, come back to the bedroom on fire, said Deputy Chief Josh Bolton. So, it can happen quickly. When temperatures drop dangerously low, Assistant Fire Chief Marty Kazsuk said heating systems are often overworked, which tempts some homeowners to get creative with alternative heat sources. Some turn to space heaters or candles. While these can be used indoors, Kazsuk said you need to watch them carefully and turn them off or blow out the flame when you leave the room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in the event of a power outage or anything like that, try to keep any open flame away from any other combustible materials, said Kazsuk. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: He also said its important to make sure your home has working smoke detectors and for homes with appliances that run off of gas. As far as gas hot water heaters and gas furnaces, make sure you do have working carbon monoxide detectors in the home. As tempting as it may be, Bolton said you should never use an oven to heat your home. He added that all stove equipment and chimneys should be regularly checked and cleaned. Because they have creosote buildup, and that stuff will actually catch on fire, he said. And then chimney fires extend into house fires and just spread from there. If a fire does happen at your home, Bolton said its important that the whole family knows how to escape safely and call 911. 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. Denver stabbing-spree suspect Elijah David Caudill was released on his recognizance several months ago on other charges pending treatment for mental health issues. Instead, he walked away. Sir Nick Clegg has claimed it is unfeasible for Facebook to stop social media users calling trans people mentally ill. The former UK deputy prime minister, who is preparing to quit Facebooks parent company Meta after six years as its head of global affairs, said it was unrealistic to ban such statements when they were used in mainstream discourse. Asked at the World Economic Forum in Davos whether it was acceptable that people would now be able to state LGBT people have a mental illness on Facebook, Sir Nick said: It just seems unfeasible for us for people to be able to say things on the floor of the House of Congress, or in everyday media, that they cant say on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg revealed a broad revamp of the technology giants moderation rules. In an update to the companys hateful conduct policy, Meta carved out a rule to allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality. It will still ban targeted bullying and harassment. LGBT groups warned the changes set a dangerous precedent. However, Mr Zuckerberg argued the company was seeking to restore free expression. Sir Nick insisted the companys new hate speech rules were tailored. He also defended the technology giants decision to scrap its fact-checking programme in the US and instead relying on a crowd-sourced system of community notes to call out disinformation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said: Were still spending $5bn (4bn) a year this year on integrity on the platform. We still have by far the industrys most sophisticated community standards. Sir Nick said the company still had tens of thousands of people working on content moderation. The system is similar to one deployed by Elon Musks X. Sir Nick described the plans as more scalable. Republicans had long complained that Facebooks fact-checking process was politically biased and chafed against some of the companys moderation rules on transgender rights. Mr Zuckerberg argued earlier this month that the companys fact-checkers, made up of third-party journalists and non-profits, had destroyed more trust than they have created. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The companys fact-checking groups have rejected any claims of bias. Sir Nick, the former Liberal Democrat leader who joined Meta in 2018, is preparing to stand down at Meta and will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a former Republican party strategist. The changing of the guard is seen as part of efforts by Mr Zuckerberg to build closer ties with Mr Trump. Sir Nick was instrumental in the suspension of Mr Trumps account in 2021 following the Capitol riots on January 6. 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. Southern New Jersey police have charged a 26-year-old man after a 2-year-old Bichon Frise was found in a dumpster slightly south of Staten Island. A maintenance worker spotted the freezing pup outside an apartment complex Tuesday morning and called authorities, according to Township of Old Bridge public safety officials. They immediately launched an investigation to locate the culprit. Based upon surveillance video from several residents, it is believed the dog was put in the dumpster around 10 p.m. on Jan. 20, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The management company that owned the apartment complex joined police in circulating that video, which led them to a suspect who hasnt been named. Hes charged with animal neglect and abandonment. Police said a veterinarian determined the dog to be in good health. Information about adopting the abandoned pooch will be announced at a later day. Reactions to the dog being dumped in subfreezing temperatures went as one might expect. Hope youre holding him in a dumpster outside, one person posted on the police departments Facebook page. Others demanded the name of the suspect, who police say is from Old Bridge, be released. Its not clear if he was the dogs owner. The American Kennel Club describes the resilient Bichon Frise breed as popular personality dogs. Temperatures in New Bridge hit single digits early in the week. Sky City Buffalo Ram Dancers from Acoma Pueblo Perform in the New Mexico Capitol rotunda on Tuesday, the opening day of the legislative session. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) The first day of the 2025 legislative session is over. Fifty-nine more to go. Over the course of the next two months, lawmakers will try to approve what is projected to be another record budget, find consensus on dozens of expected bills related to public safety and behavioral health, plus address various other crises like housing and health care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 60-day session comes after lawmakers and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham failed to agree on her set of crime proposals during a short-lived special session last summer. In her roughly 4,000-word State of the State speech on Tuesday, the governor again urged lawmakers to take action on crime, saying that that single issue is undermining progress on a variety of other fronts, like health care and the economy. We have come so far together, she told lawmakers in the State of the State. But our crime problem destabilizes the very communities we seek to empower. It threatens the very prosperity of our state, in which we have invested so much. Read more about her speech here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leaders in the Democratic party, which controls both legislative chambers, said they have made progress in recent months with the controversial and often complicated matters of civil commitment and criminal competency. As a result, they are optimistic a compromise will be reached, and possibly soon. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth told Source New Mexico that action is expected in the first 30 days of the session. Republicans, meanwhile, said at a news conference following the governors speech that they felt vindicated but also frustrated by the governors new focus on tackling crime. The minority party leaders thought she devoted too much time, and is asking for too much money, when it comes to behavioral health. She did acknowledge that we have serious crime problems, but she more focused on behavioral health than on what the real crime was, said Sen. Bill Sharer (R-Farmington), Senate minority leader. Republicans have been talking about real crime solutions for a long time. Sen. Bill Sharer (R-Farmington), the Senate minority leader, speaks at a conference following the State of the State on Tuesday. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Over the next 60 days, New Mexicans can expect a new, more proactive messaging strategy from the GOP, leaders said, one that aims to reinforce what the Democrat majority is doing to the public, rather than for the public, Sharer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the things that we as Republicans have done forever is we have a press release and we say, Oh, well, you know, this bad bill has passed, Sharer said. Well, no, we want to let you all know before the bill passes, before the bill is even voted on, so that everybody outside this building knows whats going on. Also on Tuesday, the first piece of legislation started making its way through the Legislature. Known as the feed bill, the bill approves money required to fund the 60-day session and the work of nonpartisan staff throughout the year. This year, that will cost taxpayers about $68 million, according to the bill. The bill passed the House on Tuesday and will head to the Senate on Wednesday. Both legislative chambers also elected new leaders and announced committee assignments. See a list below: House House Speaker: Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Majority Floor Leader: Rep. Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe) Majority Whip: Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque) Majority Caucus Chair: Rep. Raymundo Lara (D-Chamberino) Minority Leader Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena) Minority Whip Alan Martinez (R-Bernalillo) Minority Caucus Chair Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) Senate President Pro Tempore: Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) Majority Leader: Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) Majority Caucus Char: Leo Jaramillo (D-Espanola) Minority Leader: Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) Minority Whip: Pat Woods (R-Broadview Caucus Chair: David Gallegos (R-Eunice) (NewsNation) President Trump announced a $500 billion private sector investment by several tech companies who have pledged to pour in big bucks to create artificial intelligence infrastructure in the U.S. OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank will create a joint venture called Stargate, the president announced, calling the collaboration a resounding declaration of confidence of Americas potential. Trump, flanked by Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, said the companies would be investing billions in artificial intelligence in a Tuesday address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump announces $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure What is Stargate? Stargate is a partnership company formed by tech companies OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank and other financial backers that will lay the foundation for AI technology in the U.S., according to Trump. The joint venture will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. It is expected to create more than 100,000 American jobs through the creation of AI plants and colossal data centers nationwide, Trump said. They have to produce a lot of electricity, and well make it possible for them to get that production done very easily at their own plants if they want, Trump said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ellison confirmed that the first data centers are already under construction in Texas. Most teens use AI with little oversight: Study The initial plans for Stargate go back to the Biden administration. Tech news outlet The Information first reported on the project in March 2024. OpenAI has long relied on Microsoft data centers to build its AI systems, but it has increasingly signaled an interest in building its own data centers. Where is the money coming for Stargate? Trumps announcement has garnered some confusion as to the federal governments financial role. The money to move Stargate forward will come from OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT, SoftBank, Oracle and MGX, a United Arab Emirates-based investment firm focusing on AI, according to OpenAI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SoftBank and OpenAI are the lead partners for Stargate, with SoftBank having financial responsibility and OpenAI having operational responsibility, the company said. Son will be the chairman. The companies are expected to commit $500 billion to Stargate over the next four years. They have committed $100 billion for immediate use, with the remaining investment expected to occur over the next four years. But not everyone is confident in the companies ability to pay up. When OpenAI announced the project Tuesday on X, tech CEO Elon Musk responded to the post saying They dont actually have the money. He added, SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority. What is the AI investment plan going to do? The tech executives explained that some of the AI software being developed would store electronic health records and allow doctors to tap into medical data as needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other health features include using AI to diagnose cancer via blood tests and design a vaccine for every individual person to vaccinate them against cancer. Altman also mentioned the importance of establishing artificial general intelligence in the United States. AGI is defined as hypothetical intelligence of a machine that possesses the ability to understand or learn any intellectual task that a human being can, according to Google. From deepfake nudes to incriminating audio, school bullying is going AI Could AI centers lead to energy drains? The newer AI technology, like OpenAIs ChatGPT chatbot, requires an unprecedented amount of power to build and maintain the tools, The Hill reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Department of Energy (DOE) report last month, the energy demand for U.S. data centers tripled over the past 10 years and is expected to double or triple by 2028. Data centers are also projected to consume between more than 6% to 12% of the U.S.s electricity by 2028, according to the report. As U.S. power consumption rises from AI data centers and the electrification of buildings and transportation, about half of the country is at increased risk of power supply shortfalls in the next decade, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said in December. Will Stargate have any regulations? Trump signed a slew of executive orders in his first days in office including one rescinding former President Joe Bidens executive order that established safety guidelines to reduce the risks that generative AI poses both to consumers and national security. Bidens previous order had required large language models to share safety test results with the US government and tasked federal agencies with assessing potential risks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With that guardrail gone, it is unclear how the companies will go forward. NewsNations Robert Sherman and the Associated Press contributed to this 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 NewsNation. Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to his one-time ally Vladimir Putin, threatening him with retribution if he doesnt make a deal to end Russias war against Ukraine. In an apparent effort to make good on his already-broken vow to end the war within 24 hours of becoming president, Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to try and bend the strong-man leaders arm. Im going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War!, Trump wrote. ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its time to MAKE A DEAL, he added NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!! The threat comes a day after Trump, who has long drawn criticism for his amiable relationship with the Kremlin, issued a rebuke to Putin, saying from the Oval Office that the war was destroying Russia. Trump did, however, cushion the blow of his ultimatum with a healthy amount of boot-licking. Putin and Trump were close allies during the Americans first term in office. / Anadolu / Getty Images Im not looking to hurt Russia, he wrote in the post. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin - and this despite the Radical Lefts Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump sustained a friendlyand occasionally fawningrelationship with Putin over the course of his first presidency. That connection reportedly didnt completely dissipate when Trump left office in 2021. Putin and Trump exchanged as many as seven secret phone calls between 2021 and 2024, according to a book released by legendary journalist Bob Woodward in October of last year. On the campaign trail, though, Trump, who opposes Americas aid to Ukraines war effort, often bragged that he would bring a quick end to the conflict that has raged for nearly two years. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 09: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) leaves Manhattan Federal Court on July 09, 2024 in New York City. Prosecutors wrapped up closing arguments, giving way to the defense to begin in Sen. Menendez's trial. Menendez is charged with corruption after gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were found at his home. Menendez and his wife, Nadine, are accused of extortion, obstruction of justice and accepting bribes to perform favors for businessmen with connections to Egypt and Qatar. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) A federal judge has denied Bob Menendezs bid for a new trial, rejecting defense claims that New Jerseys former senior senator and his co-defendants did not get a fair trial because the jury was exposed to insufficiently redacted evidence during their deliberations. In a 14-page order issued Wednesday, Judge Sidney H. Stein said defense attorneys had two days to review exhibits before they were loaded onto a laptop for jurors to consult as needed in the jury room, yet the lawyers didnt spot the miniscule amount of extra-record material that prosecutors uploaded to the device in an apparent error. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extra-record material was a few phrases buried in thousands of exhibits and many thousands of pages of evidence, Stein wrote. All defense counsel as well as the government attorneys acutely attuned to the evidence in this case failed to notice the improper redactions during their preparation and review of the jury laptop, and for a full four months thereafter. The jury probably didnt notice the material either, Stein wrote. Jurors only deliberated 12 hours before declaring Menendez and co-defendants Wael Hana and Fred Daibes guilty on all counts in a complex, international bribery scheme, the judge said. Thats an impossibly small amount of time for jurors to have discovered the improper documents, especially given that they didnt come up at all during the trial, he wrote. Defendants posit that the jury was a team of super sleuths, determined to uncover a few bits of information that it had no reason to know existed sprinkled on a few of pages within tens of thousands of pages of evidence, Stein wrote. Even in the infinitesimal chance that the jury happened upon this evidence, there is similarly a miniscule likelihood that the jury would have understood it, much less attribute the significance to these exhibits that the defendants now do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides, he added, defense attorneys did not ask for additional time to review the jury laptop before deliberations began and bear just as much responsibility as prosecutors to ensure the proper evidence was there. He denied the Menendez teams request for discovery to determine why prosecutors erred and why they wiped the laptop clean after the July verdict. Defense attorneys had speculated that prosecutors did not make an innocent mistake, as they claimed, when they loaded the improperly redacted exhibits to jurors laptop. But Stein found no evidence of that and rejected Menendezs claim that not ordering a new trial would incentivize attorneys to intentionally try to pull a fast one and sneak extra-record material into the jury room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the facts lay bare, there is no indication that this error was anything other than pure inadvertence which Menendez concedes, Stein wrote. He added that he was unpersuaded that wiping the laptop clean was anything other than a routine procedure to prepare the laptop for use in other cases. The defendants were not prejudiced such that a new trial is required, Stein concluded. Menendez responded on social media, blasting prosecutors misconduct and vowing to prevail on appeal. We respectfully disagree with the Courts decision and expect the Court of Appeals will hold these prosecutors to account for their misconduct, he wrote on X. To think that prosecutors can put unconstitutional and inadmissible evidence in front of the jury, assure the defense they only provided the jury with admitted exhibits, and escape any consequences, is outrageous. This is precisely the sort of misconduct by prosecutors that has caused so many to question the motives and judgments of overzealous prosecutors who act above the law and believe they are unanswerable to anyone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 29 in Manhattan. Menendez, 71, faces 24 to 30 years in prison under sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors are seeking a 15-year sentence, citing his age. Defense attorneys have suggested 21 to 27 months of incarceration. Prosecutors showed over nine weeks of trial testimony last spring and summer that Hana and Daibes showered Menendez and his wife, Nadine, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes including cash, gold bars, paychecks for a fake job for Nadine Menendez, a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible, and more. In exchange, the men expected the ex-senator who then helmed the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee to exert his influence to benefit their business interests and derail various criminal probes and prosecutions. Nadine Menendez and businessman Jose Uribe were also charged in the scheme. But Uribe pleaded guilty in a cooperation deal and Stein ordered a separate trial, now set to start Feb. 5, for Nadine Menendez to accommodate her treatment for breast cancer. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The main campus of Monument Health in Rapid City, on a December day in 2022. The health system is among those that would be affected by a reduction in state funding for residency programs. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) PIERRE Health care organizations opposed to Gov. Kristi Noems proposed funding cut for the South Dakota medical residency program say the decision could leave the state bereft of doctors. Noems proposal comes as South Dakota and the rest of the country grapple with a worsening physician shortage, making states compete for medical professionals. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects the countrys doctor shortage will worsen to 86,000 vacancies by 2036. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Dakota ranks 35th in the nation for patient-to-physician ratio, with 763 people for every one primary care physician. Fifty-one of South Dakotas 66 counties are health professional shortage areas, according to the state Department of Health. Earlier this week, Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed creating 460 new medical residency slots in the state within the next four years to combat her states growing shortage. Jacob Parsons, director of advocacy and reimbursement for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, spoke against South Dakotas proposed cut Tuesday during a meeting of the Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee. I think the message wed be sending to our potential residents is that, Why not go to Iowa? Theyre going to put funding forward there, Parsons said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A residency, or graduate medical education, is an intensive, on-the-job training period for doctors after the completion of medical school. The programs are funded by health systems, Medicare and state funds tied to Medicaid. Noems proposal would eliminate the states $1.7 million share from the general fund, as well as the $1.86 million match in federal Medicaid funds. Since the program receives general funds and there arent any laws regarding the residency program funding, there wont be a bill introduced about the funding cut. Lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee will decide whether to keep the money in the budget thats ultimately presented to the full Legislature and the governor. Appropriators heard the testimony after the state Department of Social Services presented its recommended budget on Tuesday. Residency programs in the state range from pediatrics to family medicine to internal medicine. South Dakota does not offer an obstetrics-gynecology residency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Departmental Chief Financial Officer Jason Simmons said the state funding is based on the number of Medicaid patients served by residencies. There are 78 residency programs impacted by the state general medical education funding between Sanford, Avera and Monument health systems, department Secretary Matt Althoff said. As of this year, there are 154 residents participating in the programs, Parsons said. South Dakota Department of Social Services Chief Financial Officer Jason Simmons presents to the Joint Committee on Appropriations on Jan. 21, 2025, as Secretary Matt Althoff looks on. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) State funding for the rural residency program is separate from the general medical education funding. Noem proposed increasing general funds for the rural residency program by $70,821. More than 80% of residents who complete their training in South Dakota stay and practice in the state, Parsons added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Avera Healths Vice President of Public Policy Kim Malsam-Rysdon, who served as state Department of Health secretary from 2015 until 2022, said the health care system is grateful Noem recommended continuing funding for the states rural residency program. But if South Dakota doesnt have the same capacity for residencies as other states, she said, well lose doctors to other states where theyre being trained. If the state doesnt continue to support the programs with state Medicaid funding, Malsam-Rysdom said, some residency slots will be at risk of being cut altogether. If those funds arent continuously appropriated, Malsam-Rysdom said, well have some hard questions to answer about the ability to continue to support medical students who are training in our space. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Elise Stefanik, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for United Nations ambassador, said on Jan. 21 that Trump should be given "maximum flexibility" to end Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine. Trump nominated Stefanik, a Republican congressmember and Trump loyalist with a mixed record on Ukraine support, for the ambassador role shortly after his election win. When asked how she would use her position at the U.N. to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes in Ukraine, Stefanik said her concern was supporting Trump's attempts to negotiate a peace agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I support President Trump's commitment to bringing this war to a resolution to stop the killing," Stefanik said at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Stefanik defended her record in the U.S. House of Representatives, saying she has "a very strong record when it comes to deterring Russia." She also referenced her vote in favor of supplying lethal military aid to Ukraine during Trump's first term. "I believe that peace through strength is our strongest deterrence," she said, echoing a phrase from Trump's inaugural address. "(M)y effort will be supporting President Trump's mission to bring that to a resolution and to deter Russia in the long term." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stefanik did not detail any possible sanctions or other accountability measures against Moscow or Russian President Vladimir Putin. When asked again about efforts to penalize Russia for human rights abuses, Stefanik reiterated the importance of supporting Trump's agenda. "Certainly it's going to be important to support President Trump's approach with his special envoy to address and bring that to a resolution, and I will work with the National Security Council and my colleagues in the cabinet who sit in the national security spaces to use this position at the United Nations to support his strategy and give him maximum flexibility to bring this to a resolution." Trump has repeatedly promised to negotiate a swift end to the war in Ukraine. His special Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, said the administration aims to negotiate a ceasefire within 100 days of taking office. The goal represents a change from Trump's previous pledge to end the war within 24 hours. Both Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky are reportedly arranging upcoming meetings with Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Following Trumps inauguration, Russian pundits and politicians show some enthusiasm, some reserve Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (NewsNation) The highly contagious outbreak of norovirus has sickened at least 28 people staying at a California wildfire evacuation shelter. Public health officials said the gastrointestinal illness has been detected among a group of people at the Pasadena Convention Center, one of the many structures that were converted into evacuation shelters after the wildfires in Los Angeles County displaced thousands, reported CBS News. The norovirus, also called the stomach bug, causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines, and spreads quickly especially in close quarters, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LA wildfire victims contend with price-gouged rental prices Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, the CDC said. While most people get better within 1 to 3 days, they can still spread the virus for a few days after. The virus spreads via direct contact, eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus, and touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth, according to the agency. More than 12,000 homes and businesses have been burned in the massive fires which have forced many into shelters. The Pasadena Health Department said it will install more handwashing stations, implement more frequent restroom cleaning and utilize disinfectants strong enough to kill the virus, CBS reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 NewsNation. SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's state media on Wednesday reported U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration but without any commentary on his presidency, but did accuse the United States of committing atrocities during the 1950-53 Korean War. The Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party mouthpiece, published a brief article saying Trump was elected as the 47th president in a November election and an inauguration ceremony was held in Washington on Monday. It did not elaborate and include any commentary on Trump or U.S. affairs, though the newspaper carried a photo of young students receiving propaganda education about the Korean War and "soaring in rage at the atrocities committed by the enemy, the U.S." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump held unprecedented summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term and has touted their personal rapport. South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last week that Pyongyang's recent missile tests were partly aimed at "showing off its U.S. deterrent assets and drawing Trump's attention" after vowing "the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction" at a key year-end policy meeting last month. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Michael Perry) NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KCAU) Members of the North Sioux City community voiced their concerns over noise from the local rail yard to the council on Tuesday night. The owners of Baileys RV Park came forth to discuss the loud noise that L. G. Everist is producing while transferring riprap (large stones and concrete) from their train and onto their trucks. They even said that some of their trailers are bouncing up and down. Clay County gets federal funding to repair flood damage Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the council have met with the company, and they says that L. G. Everist is working to fix the noise problem. Its very loud, very loud, concerned citizen Terri Bailey said. They did put train cars, and to their benefit, they thought that would help. So well give them an opportunity to get the full train cars there, give them an opportunity to build a berm there, city administrator Jeff Dooley said. Well measure the decibel levels before and after to see if theres an impact, and then you can come to the council and say it didnt work. The city will continue to work with L. G. Everist to complete additional mitigation to try and reduce the noise. That includes filling the empty rail cars to absorb more sound and build a berm on the west side of the project to further deflect the sound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A North St. Paul school recess and traffic monitor has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of possessing child pornography. William Michael Haslach, 30, of Maplewood, has worked the job at Cowern and Richardson elementary schools and North High in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District since September 2021. Hes been put on administrative leave, the school district said. Haslach was charged in Ramsey County District Court on Tuesday and made a first appearance on the charges Wednesday. An attorney was not listed in his case file Wednesday, when he remained jailed in lieu of $100,000 ahead of a Feb. 27 court hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maplewood police said in a Wednesday statement they are working to determine if any students are involved in the case. According to the criminal complaint, Maplewood police on Jan. 2 received information about a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that someone had uploaded child pornography to a Dropbox account on Nov. 19. Detectives found the Dropbox account was accessed from an email account and IP address connected to Haslach and obtained search warrants. Haslach was arrested Friday during a search of his Maplewood home, and later admitted in an interview with detectives that he has a sexual attraction to children, the complaint says. He said he acquired child pornography from people he met on Telegram, Teleguard and BlueSky, and denied that he has ever had sexual contact with a child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers recovered multiple USB drives and devices that a preliminary forensic examination showed contain approximately 800 files of child pornography. A Dropbox search warrant turned up multiple files of child pornography, including the 10 videos prosecutors used to file charges. They involve prepubescent females and boys being sexually abused by adults, the complaint says. Related Articles Christine Tucci Osorio, the school district superintendent, notified families of the charges Tuesday in an email, saying they have not received complaints or allegations regarding Haslachs conduct toward students. The district takes the safety and security of our students extremely seriously, the email says. We have been cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation and will continue to do so as the process unfolds. We understand the gravity of these charges and remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students. Police urged parents or guardians who believe their child is a victim in relation to the investigation to contact the BCAs Predatory Crimes Unit at 651-793-2465. AURORA, Ohio (WJW) While President Donald Trump is facing criticism in some quarters for the pardons he granted to 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, a Northeast Ohio man who was among those pardoned considers it a victory for American justice. The fact that he did it that night at the Oval Office was so awesome and I was just thrilled, said 40-year-old Trevor Cain. The Aurora resident says the pardons that he and the other Jan. 6 defendants received bring a close to the controversy that has hung over their heads for the past four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be pardoned by President Trump. Thank you, President Trump. Youre a champion, youre a man of your word. I mean, promise made, promise kept, and for it to come this quick has been incredible, said Cain. 2 plane incidents at Hopkins Airport under investigation: I-Team On a video that Cain recorded on Jan. 6, 2021 inside the Capitol, he is heard agreeing with another protester that they should not damage the building. Thats right, dude said no vandalizing. That is common sense with us patriots, we would never destroy our heritage, he said. Cain says he went to the rally in Washington to protest the outcome of the 2020 election and federal COVID-19 mandates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only down there for free and fair elections, but down there for just the Constitution. That its we the people that tell the government what to do, not the other way around, he said. Cain says he did not harm anyone or do any damage to the Capitol when he entered the building that day. On the video, he is heard singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, and he told us on Tuesday, the last time I checked, singing songs in the Peoples House is not illegal. Cain suspected that he might face a trespassing charge, but after being identified by the FBI, he discovered that he was being charged with felony crimes that could send him to prison for up to 20 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the agents said I cant believe were doing this and I said what do you mean? and he said we dont go after people like you,' Cain said. I was like, yeah, thats what I thought, man, whats going on here? and hes like I dont know, I think its just all political.' Local police doing wellness checks during bitter cold After he was charged, Cain says he was harassed and threatened by people who attempted to destroy his woodworking business. They went and found people we did work for and then told them I was a terrorist, he said. Facing the possibility of a long prison term, Cain pleaded guilty in 2024 to a misdemeanor charge of parading and picketing in a restricted Area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Jan. 31, but the pardon by Trump brings a close to the most challenging chapter of his life. But what Ive been going through is nothing compared to the Jan. 6ers that have been in prison for the last almost four years for just being in the U.S. Capitol peacefully, so my heart always goes out to them and their families facing much more than my situation. In response to critics who accuse Trump of pardoning an attack on the nations seat of democracy, Cain said, anybody whos a fair-minded American knows that Jan. 6 was just a protest that got out of hand in certain places. 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. Millwood Public Schools Superintendent Cecilia Robinson-Woods presents the charter school concept of P3 Urban Montessori to the Statewide Charter School Board on Tuesday at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Organizers of a Montessori charter school concept have applied a third time to open an early childhood center in northeast Oklahoma City. The school boards of both Oklahoma City Public Schools and Millwood Public Schools voted last year to reject applications to establish the charter school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats why P3 Urban Montessori is now under consideration by the Statewide Charter School Board. Applicants seeking to found a new charter school must apply first with their local school district and, if rejected, can appeal to the statewide board. P3 signifying play, process and progress would serve 90 children from age 3 through kindergarten who live in the 73111 ZIP code, a majority Black and low-income area in northeast Oklahoma City. The school would offer year-round education in the hands-on, student-led Montessori method of learning. The Statewide Charter School Boards executive director, Rebecca Wilkinson, said her staff is reviewing P3s application, and the board would vote in March at the latest on whether to approve the school. Millwood Superintendent Cecilia Robinson-Woods and her sister, Rosalyn Robinson, are two of the leading founders aiming to open P3. Robinson-Woods would be the schools executive director and Rosalyn Robinson would work as the business logistics manager. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robinson-Woods said some of her own children attended Montessori schools in other states, but there are limited options for this type of education in Oklahoma. Millwood Public Schools Superintendent Cecilia Robinson-Woods said the founders of P3 Urban Montessori hope to expand options for Oklahoma City families to access the unique Montessori method of learning. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) We just thought, This is something we know is good for kids, and why isnt it in our area? Robinson-Woods said while presenting to the statewide board. The state has three public Montessori schools, all in Tulsa, and 17 more that are private. A fourth public Montessori school is preparing to open for the 2025-26 academic year in northwest Oklahoma City. Robinson-Woods said only 40% of students in the Millwood district enter elementary school ready to read. Bolstering early childhood schooling in the area could change the trajectory of students education, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Robinson-Woods recommendation, the Millwood school board turned down an application to open P3 in a Jan. 8, 2024, vote. Millwood Board President Rickey T.L. Hunt Sr. said at the time that Oklahoma law wouldnt prohibit Robinson-Woods from being involved in both the district and the charter school, but the board found it in Millwoods best interest to keep the entities separate. Robinson-Woods said she considered the possibility of creating a Montessori program in Millwood schools but decided against it. Montessori classrooms have a distinctly different educational philosophy that wouldnt fit easily in a traditional school environment, she said Tuesday. We had a lot of conversations about why not put a couple of (Montessori) classrooms over there (in Millwood), she said. It just puts one practice against another, so it just makes sense for it to be isolated. Board members and future staff of P3 Urban Montessori attend a Statewide Charter School Board meeting Tuesday at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. Their nonprofit, Legacy Learning Inc., applied for permission to open P3 as a charter school. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) The nonprofit seeking to open P3, Legacy Learning Inc., also applied for authorization through the Oklahoma City district, but the OKCPS school board voted 5-2 against the application. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OKCPS staff expressed concern over the schools location and potential overlap between Oklahoma Citys and Millwoods district boundaries, as well as with its financial plan. P3 received the weakest evaluation results out of the four charter schools that applied with the Oklahoma City school board in fall 2023. Robinson-Woods said the P3 application has changed quite a bit since then. The new framework has a different location at another northeast Oklahoma City church, she said, and it shares greater detail of start-up funding and purchasing processes. She and the other founders are optimistic their third time applying will be a success. I think the application now looks more like a more developed school and less about a concept, she told Oklahoma Voice after meeting with the statewide board Tuesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (FOX40.COM) Deputies in Northern California are crediting a new law for their success in several retail theft operations. The law referenced is Proposition 36 which went into effect on Jan. 1. Prop 36 allows felony charges to be filed for thefts under $950 if the defendant has two prior theft convictions. The legislation was passed by voters in November 2024. Before its passage, most offenders would only be charged with a misdemeanor offense and did not have to serve any jail time no matter how many convictions they had so long as the thefts were under $950. Police stop woman from being trafficked during Stockton kidnapping, arrests made Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most recently, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office conducted a four-day sting operation known as Operation Frostbite. As a part of the crackdown, deputies staked out retail stores such as Target and caught people walking out of the businesses with stolen goods. Footage from the operation shows several people being detained by deputies and arrested. Additionally, some phone calls from jail were recorded that highlighted the shock of the new penalties being faced by defendants. They passed all these new laws.like what you stealany amount like petty theft stuff is now a felony, one person said over the phone to an inmate. SCSO said that in total, 148 misdemeanor charges were filed, 38 felony charges, and 27 felony charges based on Prop 36. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX40 News. (This story has been updated to add to new information.) All Northwest Local Schools are closed Wednesday due to a threat being investigated by police, the district told parents. "All NWLSD schools are closed today, 1/22/25, due to a threat being investigated in conjunction with the police. More info will be shared as soon as possible," the district said in a message to parents Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district was already under a two-hour delay due to the extreme cold striking the Greater Cincinnati area. Colerain Township police are investigating the threat, township spokeswoman Helen Tracey-Noren told The Enquirer. Staff members were in some school buildings when the decision was made to close for the threat and some bus routes for students were already in progress, Tracey-Noren said. Students on busses were returned home and those who walked to school were brought into a warm bus while they coordinated with parents for pickup, she added. The nature of the threat or what school it was targeted to was not immediately available, Tracey-Noren said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School officials declined to make anyone available to field individual calls or interviews, saying in an email to The Enquirer they are "busy diligently looking into the threat." "Our decision to close was made out of an abundance of caution as the investigation into the reported threat remains ongoing with law enforcement," the school district said in a statement to media. "We want to assure you that the safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are taking every measure to ensure their well-being." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Northwest Local Schools closed Wednesday because of threat to district When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Instagram/Det Norske Kongehuset Norway's future queen, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, celebrated her 21st birthday on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and the Norwegian royal familywhich has been experiencing quite a turbulent time in recent monthsreleased some laid-back photos to mark the occasion. "Happy birthday, Princess Ingrid Alexandra! The princess, who is currently serving in the Armed Forces, turns 21 years old" the royal family's official Instagram account posted. Along with the birthday message, the palace released five casual snapshots of the princess to celebrate her milestone birthday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first photo featured the royal dressed in full camouflage gearincluding a name tag reading "Alexandra" and a blue beret featuring a crown emblem. Military service is compulsory for both men and women in Norway, and that doesn't exclude members of its royal family. Princess Ingrid Alexandra is currently carrying out her military duty at Skjold Camp in Troms, Norway, and will complete her service in April following 15 months of training. Other shots of the princess included one of her relaxing on a boat with a towel covering her legs, a somewhat blurry snap of the royal covered in face paint and holding a toothbrush in the woods, and a snowy photo of Ingrid Alexandra bundled up with ski goggles. The last pic in the carousel was a more dressed-up one featuring the princess linking arms with her brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, while dressed in green eveningwear for their aunt Martha Louise's wedding last year. One of the photos the palace shared with this casual snap of Ingrid Alexandra in a lifejacket. | Credit: Getty Images The princess bundled up in the snow in another one of her 21st birthday photos. | Credit: Getty Images She joined her grandparents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, along with parents Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon, for a Christmas photo in 2024. | Credit: Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, the princesswhose parents Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are next in line for the thronetold the media (via Hello!), that she's "been challenged many times" while carrying out her military service. "I think the most important thing I have learned is that you can do much more than you think, and you are much stronger together," she said. "Whether it is in a team or in a squad or company, you can achieve much more when you are not alone." The celebratory post follows a tough year for the Norwegian royals. Princess Ingrid Alexandra's half-brother, Marius Borg Hiby, was arrested three times in 2024, including one arrest on suspicion of rape. If I had to choose one word for this year, it would be challenging,"" Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who was a single mother when she met her royal husband, shared with NRK (via the Daily Mail). "It has been a demanding year and a demanding autumn for us." Norway's TV2 commentator Ole-Jrgen Schulsrud-Hansen previously told Marie Claire that "according to surveys, the Norwegian public has voiced a diminishing trust in the monarchy due to the scandals and controversies that have rocked the institution the past year." However, those feelings don't seem to extend to Princess Ingrid-Alexandra's mother. "The public seems to have a deal of sympathy for the Crown Princess at this time," the royal journalist explained. The body of the missing Louisiana man who was last seen in Manitou Springs in mid October was discovered near a trail, according to a news rel NORWICH, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) A Norwich man is facing several charges regarding the alleged rape of a woman on Friday. The Chenango County Sheriffs Office announced the arrest of Brandon King, 23, following an investigation into an alleged break in and sexual assault. On January 17, deputies responded to a home in the Town of Norwich for a trespass in progress complaint. Upon arrival, officers located a female victim inside of the residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following an investigation, deputies determined that King unlawfully entered the victims residence and waited there until she arrived home. King allegedly pointed a firearm at the victim, insisting they needed to talk. It is alleged that King then displayed a knife and held it to the victims throat before forcing her to have sex with him. According to the Sheriffs Office, the victim received phone calls from family members during the incident. She was able to explain that someone was in the house. The family members then called 911 and King fled the scene on foot. King was later located in the City of Utica and taken into custody without incident by the City of Utica Police Department. King was charged with the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burglary in the First Degree, a Class B Felony Rape in the First Degree, a Class B Felony Two counts of Menacing in the Second Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor Criminal Obstruction of Breathing, a Class A Misdemeanor King was arraigned and remanded without bail to the Chenango County Jail. He will appear in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date. 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 WIVT - News 34. President Donald Trump lashed out on Wednesday at the bishop who had delivered a pointed plea directly at him on behalf of immigrants and LGBTQ+ children during a service at the National Cathedral a day earlier. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, a Radical Left hard line Trump hater who is not very good at her job. He said she brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way and demanded an apology. Buddes sermon may have been the only critical words Donald Trump heard during his first full day in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Trump sat in the first pew of the National Cathedral on Tuesday during a traditional prayer service, Bishop Budde asked Trump to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. Trump glared and shifted uncomfortably as she spoke. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. In his first hours as President, Trump signed an order recognizing two sexes, male and female, and saying those are set at birth and cannot be changed. He also ordered immigration officers to ramp up deportations of people in the country without authorization. Budde said in her sermon that those being targeted for deportation may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurudwaras and temples. She added, I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. Since her sermon drew national attention on Tuesday, Budde tells TIME she has heard from many people who are grateful that someone was willing to speak on their behalf as well as those who have said they do wish me dead, and that's a little heartbreaking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budde has served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington since 2011. She was also critical of Trump in 2020 when he ordered racial justice protestors to be forcibly removed from Lafayette Park and the courtyard of St. Johns Church and then posed there for a photo while holding a Bible. In an interview with TIME, Budde described her reaction to the blowback and Trump calling her out. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. TIME: Are you comfortable with being this well known nationally? BISHOP BUDDE: I hope that a message calling for dignity, respecting dignity, honesty, humility and kindness is resonating with people. I'm grateful for that. I'm saddened by the level of vitriol that it has evoked in others, and the intensity of it has been disheartening. I've heard from many people who are grateful that someone was willing to speak on their behalf, and also others feeling emboldened to do the same, and I'm grateful for that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm not comfortable with the I don't know how to describe it but I'm perfectly happy to be in conversation with people who disagree with me. The level of attack has been sobering and disheartening. Are you hoping to inspire others to push back against President Trump's policies? I would love to have people present another alternative, yes, and to bring compassion and breadth into our public discourse. Budde arrives as President Donald Trump looks on during the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Chip SomodevillaGetty Images Trump called you a "Radical left hard line Trump hater." What's your response to that? I don't hate President Trump. I strive not to hate anyone and I dare say that I am not of the 'radical left' either, whatever that means. That is not who I am. He said you're not very good at your job. That is for other people to judge, and so he is certainly entitled to his opinion. And he said you should apologize. Will you apologize? I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others. Have you received threats? Do you feel in danger? The real people who are in danger are those who are fearful of being deported. The real people who are in danger are the young people who feel they cannot be themselves and be safe and who are prone to all kinds of both external attacks and suicidal responses to them. So I think we should keep our eyes on the people who are really vulnerable in our society. I have a lot of support and a lot of safety around me, so no, I'm not feeling personally at risk. Although people have said they do wish me dead, and that's a little heartbreaking. It was a pretty mild sermon. It certainly wasn't a fire and brimstone sermon. It was as respectful and as universal as I could with the exception of making someone who has been entrusted with such enormous influence and power to have mercy on those who are most vulnerable. Anything else? I think it's all of us, you know. I think it's not about me. It's about the kind of country we are called to be. And that's what I did my best to try and speak to, to present an alternative to the culture of contempt, and to say that we can bring multiple perspectives into a common space and do so with dignity and respect. And that we need that, and the culture of contempt is threatening to destroy us. And I'm getting a little bit of a taste of that this week. Contact us at letters@time.com. The broad pardon power vested in the U.S. president is often a topic of controversy, especially when its exercise shocks the public conscience, as was seen when President Donald Trump pardoned individuals convicted of violating federal criminal law in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Critics of the presidents action argue for a more judicious, case-by-case approach, but the framers of our Constitution had far-reaching foresight in granting such sweeping authority to a single person. The presidential power to pardon is more than a political tool; it is a fundamental aspect of our legal system, designed to balance justice with mercy. The framers understood that the federal judiciary, constrained by the letter of the law, could sometimes deliver unduly harsh sentences that needed correction. Consequently, they entrusted the president with the ability to act decisively and compassionately where the law fails. Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist No. 74, argued that the pardon power should reside with the president to enable swift action, particularly in cases that might help quell insurrections or soften national crises. This was not mere speculation but a design to integrate flexibility within the executive branch, allowing it to respond promptly to extraordinary circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: State legislators should not also be paid advocates for issues under consideration Consider the historical precedents: post-Civil War, President Andrew Johnson used his pardon power to pardon Confederate soldiers and reintegrate them into the nation. Although contentious, the full pardon of Confederate veterans arguably prevented the war from reigniting, causing further national fracture. Similarly, President Trumps pardon of Alice Johnson corrected what had come to be seen as a disproportionate punishment due to evolving societal norms. Johnson was sentenced to a life in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. She had served 22 years in prison when her sentence was commuted freeing her from incarceration. These examples highlight the dual nature of the pardon power: It can foster healing in a divided nation and also right the individual wrongs of an inflexible justice system. However, the breadth of this power is not unchecked. It is bounded by the court of public opinion and the political consequences that follow its use. If a president missteps, the electorate has the ultimate oversight through the ballot box. Moreover, the complex process to amend the Constitution to adjust the pardon power reflects that it is likely here to stay. Opinion: We need to balance freedom of expression with civility in public discourse Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a republic that values both the rule of law and the leniency of mercy, the presidential pardon remains a critical instrument of the president. It ensures that our justice system remains humane and adaptable, capable of correcting itself when it errs in the pursuit of justice. If we want the president to have the power to pardon the Alices of the nation, we must accept that the president is empowered to pardon the rebels. Carla D. Pratt Carla D. Pratt is the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Chair in Civil Rights, Race and Justice at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. The views expressed are those of Pratts and not those of the university. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Trump has sweeping pardon power. Thank the Constitution | Opinion WEST PALM BEACH A man currently serving prison time for murder is facing new criminal charges after authorities alleged that he wrote a threatening letter to the Palm Beach County Circuit judge who sentenced him. Authorities transferred Roosevelt Sifford, 24, on Sunday to the Palm Beach County Jail from a state prison facility in Lake Butler after the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office alleged that he made threats in September to harm Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss and her family. Investigators say the letter accused Weiss of imposing an unfair sentence in the 2018 murder case that has Sifford in state custody. In this proceeding, he faces two counts of making written threats to kill or do bodily harm, along with one count each of extorting or threatening another person and corruption by threat against a public official or family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Florida law, making a written threat to kill or cause bodily harm and extortion by threat are considered second-degree felonies, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Corruption by threat against a public official is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years. Child porn arrest: Bail set for Jupiter man who police say had 5,400 images, videos on laptop Circuit Judge Daliah H. Weiss, seen here in June 2024, told authorities she wished to prosecute when a man she sentenced on a second-degree murder charge sent her a letter threatening her and her family if she continued to hand out harsh sentences. In February 2021, Weiss sentenced Sifford to 14 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the May 3, 2018, shooting death of Carlos DaCosta at his home in suburban Boca Raton. Sifford, who was 17 at the time, was one of two teens accused of burglarizing DaCosta's home in the moments before the fatal shooting. His co-defendant, George Dixon, received a sentence of 24 years in January 2021 after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Dixon also was a juvenile the day DaCosta died. Broward County judge to preside over written threats case During a hearing Jan. 21 at the Palm Beach County Courthouse, Circuit Judge Caroline Shepherd appointed Sifford a public defender in the threat case and ordered that he be held at the county jail without bail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because the case involves a sitting judge in the 15th Judicial Circuit, the Florida Supreme Court has assigned it to Judge Michael Usan of the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County. A statement released Tuesday by the 15th Judicial Circuit said the sheriff's office was notified of the threat and has put appropriate security measures in place. Court officials declined to discuss those measures further. Court records show that Sifford wrote in his letter that he was sentenced unjustly. He indicated that he is a "high ranking" gang member and stated that other members of the gang would carry out violent acts against Weiss if she continues to issue harsh sentences. Fatal stabbing: Wife faces murder charge in husband's death; Boca police say blade hidden within cane Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is not a threat it's a promise," a copy of the letter posted in online court records said in part, "so to protect you and your family, I advise you to take this advice." Deputies compared the letter to previous handwritten correspondence to the court from Sifford, including a letter in which he sought to dismiss his attorney. Copies of his letters were also submitted to the FBI for further analysis. According to Sifford's arrest report, Weiss told investigators she was concerned for her and her family's safety and wished to prosecute. She also told investigators she believed Sifford was attempting to influence her decisions as a judge. In speaking to sheriff's investigators, Sifford denied sending any recent letters to the judge and he also denied being in a gang. He declined to answer additional questions without an an attorney. According to the 15th Circuit's website, Weiss became a judge in 2012 after serving as a prosecutor for more than 15 years. She joined the circuit court bench in 2016 and has served in its criminal division since 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PBSO: Inmate sent written threat to judge who sentenced him for murder Donald Trumps day two pledge was to cure cancer through an artificial intelligence initiative with $500 billion in private sector investment. Calling his mammoth infrastructure project Stargate, the president said the AI project would create 100,000 new jobs almost immediately. Trump then prompted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to explain more about the medical hopes for the plan spearheaded by three of Americas AI leaders. Announcing The Stargate Project The Stargate Project is a new company which intends to invest $500 billion over the next four years building new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States. We will begin deploying $100 billion immediately. This infrastructure will secure OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 21, 2025 Altman said it was the most important project of this era and claimed that diseases from cancers to heart ailments will be cured at an unprecedented rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The AI boss added that the cures will come at a rapid, rapid rate. Joining Altman and Trump were Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son and Oracle Corp Chairman Larry Ellison. One of the most exciting things were working on - again, using the tools that Sam and Masayoshi are providing - is a cancer vaccine, Ellison explained. You can do early cancer detection with a blood test. And using AI to look at the blood test, you can find the cancers that are actually seriously threatening the person. So, again, cancer diagnosis using AI has the promise of just being a simple blood test. The Texas-based Stargate would attract an initial investment of $100 billion, rising to $500 billion over four years, according to the Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AI seems to be very hot, continued Trump. It seems to be the thing that a lot of smart people are looking at. It is going to be a golden age, he added, repeating his inaugural vow that America had a bright future under his presidency. This is money that would normally have gone to China, he insisted. The president went on to list his initial edicts, saying There has never been a first day like yesterday. He repeated some of his executive orders, involving immigration, the Jan. 6 pardons, energy initiatives, and DEI mandates. WEST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) Two West Haven High School students are using their knowledge and skills in the field of robotics to teach a younger generation. Tanjib Jamil and Sufyan Sayed are teaching concepts of robotics and engineering to students through their organization Robo Reach. The students, who are the captains of the robotics team at WHHS, sat down with Ann Nyberg to talk more about their mission with their group. Watch the full video in the player above. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WTNH.com. HELLS KITCHEN, Manhattan (PIX11) A Manhattan aesthetician is accused of injecting fake Botox into customers and smuggling counterfeit drugs from China, according to a criminal complaint. Joey Grant Luther, 54, was arrested on Wednesday, authorities said. He is facing charges of wire fraud, smuggling, and other crimes related to misbranded and counterfeit drugs, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. More Crime News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court documents, from January 2021 through at least July 2024, Luther ran a medical spa called JGL Aesthetics in Manhattans Hells Kitchen neighborhood. He allegedly used the fake Botox to treat multiple patients. At least one victim went to Luthers business for Botox injections. Luther allegedly injected fake Botox into the victims armpits and eyebrows. Days later, the victim experienced double vision, lightheadedness, difficulty swallowing, and heart palpitations. The victim was also unable to lift their arms, visited three hospitals, and was later diagnosed with botulism, according to court documents. Officials said multiple other victims who also received counterfeit Botox injections from Luther messaged him about adverse side effects. The victims complaints included lazy eyes, double vision, and drooping eyelids. Officials said Luther would assure his clients that the side effects were temporary and that his counterfeit Botox was from a reputable distributor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents stated U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents also seized multiple parcels intended for Luthers business, including one package with a return address in Hong Kong. As alleged, Joey Grant Luther, who does not possess the licensing required by New York State to perform injections of Botox, knowingly purchased counterfeit Botox from China, injected it into his clients, and represented that the counterfeit Botox that he was peddling was genuine. Luther continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox even after he learned that clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms after Luther injected them, U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon said. Luther faces one count of wire fraud (up to 20 years in prison), one count of dispensing a misbranded drug (up to 1 year), one count of holding counterfeit drugs (up to 10 years), one count of receiving misbranded drugs in interstate commerce (up to 3 years), and one count of smuggling (up to 20 years). Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 PIX11. NEW YORK Ingrid Lewis-Martin told investigators she was innocent and the Department of Correction would take care of her after her arrest last month, according to court filings from last month. Corrections will take care of me, Lewis-Martin, former chief adviser to the mayor, told investigators during her arrest processing, according to prosecutors. Ive been good to them. Im not afraid. I know what I did and didnt do, she added, according to a filing, which didnt make clear the context in which she spoke. This is wrong. I have God and faith. Ill tell the judge myself Im not guilty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis-Martin was indicted in Manhattan Criminal Court in December on charges she orchestrated a $100,000 bribery scheme in which she sped up construction permits for two real estate businessmen in exchange for $100,000 in cash and checks to be spent on a Porsche and promises to invest in her sons business ventures. Lewis-Martins son, Glenn Martin II, overheard her talking to investigators and told her to callate la boca, or shut your mouth, according to a separate filing. Prosecutors intend to use the statements as trial evidence, Assistant District Attorney Guy Tardanico wrote in a letter to Arthur Aidala, Lewis-Martins attorney, on Dec. 30. Neither Aidala nor Michael Cibella, an attorney for Martin II, immediately responded to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis-Martin also apologized to her son, as well as to Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi, the real estate moguls, as she turned herself in. Im sorry youre both there because of me, because of who I am, Lewis-Martin said, according to the filings, which were first reported by Politico. The indictment came after months of investigation into the former top official in Mayor Eric Adams' office. In September, investigators with the Manhattan District Attorneys Office seized her phones and searched her Brooklyn home right after she returned to JFK Airport from a trip to Japan. Also at the airport, federal agents also served her with a grand jury subpoena that required her testimony and documents in the probe that led to Adams indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After being presented with the search warrant by the DAs investigators, Lewis-Martin said: So youre the ones that have been listening to my phone. This is crazy. Who am I bribing? What is money laundering? Check my bank records. Lewis-Martin also stated that she would still be going to the mayors arraignment, according to the filings, though adding, I dont know how Im going to get there. The mayors arraignment on corruption charges occurred the same day her phones were seized. She also apologized to her travel companions who, like her, had their phones seized, including Cushman & Wakefield executive Diana Boutross and Jesse Hamilton, the citys top real estate official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre only looking into you because of me and the mayor, Lewis-Martin said, according to a filing. As investigators carried out a search warrant at the home of Raizada Pinky Vaid, the businessman said to his wife that this was about the woman and the mayor. Vaid also told an investigator his father used to tell him that whenever you shake hands with a politician, it will cost you money, according to a filing. _______ Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams ranted about the Democratic Party abandoning him while echoing MAGAs immigration talking points in a sit-down with Tucker Carlson . While the Democrat mayor acknowledged that the U.S. is a country of immigrants, he said the influx of migrants into New York City led to a free for all where any and everything goes. He criticized the Democrats to Carlson, a former Fox host and right-wing commentator, and claimed he was even demonized for speaking against the grain. Adams said the failed border policy cost the city $6 billion as it was forced to feed, clothe, house, and educate migrants because he wasnt allowed to give them work authorization. Having been indicted by the Biden DOJ for political crimes, New York Mayor Eric Adams is sounding a lot like a Trump voter these days. (0:00) Eric Adams Indictment Is Ridiculous (6:04) How Biden Destroyed New York With Immigration (17:27) What Do New Yorkers Think About the pic.twitter.com/GZLofb2ZFv Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 22, 2025 Recalling his conversation with former President Joe Biden, Adams said: I sat down with the with the President, and I said, Mr. President, Im not sure what theyre telling you about this problem, but this is a terrible problem thats playing out on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administrations response? Basically, Be a good Democrat, Eric, he said. That was the basic overall theme. You know, one of his aides told me that, Listen, this is like a gallstone, itll pass. Itll hurt now, but itll pass. Adams claimed he was demonized for voicing his concerns about the migrant crisis. The Eric Adams interview. Out tonight. pic.twitter.com/KSFUrEaTxM Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 21, 2025 People often say, Well, you dont sound like a Democrat, and you seem to have left the party. No, the party left me, and it left working-class people, the mayor said. Adams, a former cop, said New York was beginning to see a decrease in crime when an onslaught of migrants was brought to the city and began creating crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That doesnt mean hes on board with Trumps mass deportation plans, though. I totally agree [that] those who violate their rights to come here by committing crimes, they need to leave our country after they serve their time, he said. That immigrant family whos trying to get a pathway into becoming a citizen, living out this amazing American dream, I dont think they should be rounded up in the middle of the night and say, Were going to move you out. The NYC mayor also claimed that his indictment last year over his controversial relationship with the Turkish government was retaliation for complaining about the migrant crisis. That is clearly my belief, and based on several aspects of it that I cant go into detail that shows me that I was targeted, he said, adding that he was shut out by the Biden administration after his indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams appears to have found refuge in Donald Trump, who he met with at Mar-a-Lago days before attending his inauguration on Monday. Trump, who previously said both he and Adams were being persecuted as they faced legal battles in New York, once said he would consider pardoning the mayor. The wide-ranging interview on the Tucker Carlson Network was kept off the mayors daily public schedule, according to Politico . Spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said she typically doesnt announce interviews published only on social media. When Carlson praised Adams on his Fox News show in 2021, the mayor was quick to dissociate himself from the conservative anchor: I dont want or need the support of Tucker Carlson, or anyone else who perpetuates racist, anti-immigrant propaganda, he wrote on X. NEW YORK (PIX11) A West Side non-profit needs volunteers to help with their lunch program. On cold days like this one, West Side non-profit saves the day and keeps thousands of older New Yorkers warm and fed. More Local News They need dozens of volunteers to keep their thriving lunch program. Since 1977, its been a home away from home. Organizers say its the volunteers who make it happen. They have a shortage of helping hands. Email Volunteer@encorenyc.org if you want to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twin brothers, 64-year-old Robert and Richard Moore from Harlem say they have been coming to Encore Community Center on West 49th Street for more than four years for the company and to stay warm. Hundreds of older New York City adults rely on programs here every day, from free lunch to social services. Up to 50 volunteers give their time every day. Rooselie Brutus, a Brooklyn worker, works nearby and gives a few hours of her time, which makes a world of difference. PIX11 News first visited in the summer when the building needed air conditioning and a new elevator. Since our story, nearly half a million dollars have been secured to make the repairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Encore has three locations here on the West Side. 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 PIX11. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to slam Elon Musk over a gesture he made during a speech on President Trumps Inauguration Day, which she described as a Nazi salute. If youre cool and want to defend the Sieg Heils and the Nazi salutes whatever you want to do, thats on you, she said. Im on the opposite side of that. Im not with the Nazis. The New York Democrat said hating Nazis is a foundational, defining part of being American. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two of probably the most foundation-defining things about American history is that we beat the Confederates and we beat the Nazis, she said. I dont know what side people may be on today, but I am still not rocking with anyone sympathetic to Nazis, and I will do that until I am 6 feet in the ground. In a post on his social platform X, Musk responded to the criticism over the gesture, saying Democrats need better dirty tricks. The everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired, Musk added, with a sleeping emoji. While addressing a large crowd Monday at Capitol One Arena, Musk thanked attendees for helping to elect Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He grabbed the left side of his chest with his right hand and extended his arm at a raised angle. Musk turned around and made the gesture a second time. My heart goes out to you, he said. Musk spent millions of dollars to get Trump elected and has been tapped to lead the presidents Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While some Democrats have hammered Musk over the salute, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has defended Musk, calling the move awkward but not a Nazi salute. Ocasio-Cortez on Monday criticized the ADL for its statement on Musk. Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity, Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. 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 The Hill. GOSHEN After 30 years climbing the ranks in the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office, Capt. Brian Holloman believes its time to aim for the top. Holloman on Saturday announced his candidacy in the 2026 Republican primary for sheriff. He made the announcement in the Goshen VFW hall surrounded by family, friends and supporters. If you, too, see Elkhart County as a gem thats worth protecting as I do, he told the gathering, one that may not be perfect, but certainly one that is not like so many other counties that exist, I ask you to join me as I embark on this journey to be your next sheriff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the primary election being 16 months away, Holloman said he wanted to start putting in the work now. I made it known so early because I believe in putting in the effort and the time. The community deserves it, somebody thats willing to put in the work, he said. And I also understand it takes time to build relationships and build trust and to build all the things that are necessary to be sheriff. Holloman said current Sheriff Jeff Siegel has a strong record on fiscal responsibility and often emphasizes the values of the sheriffs office, and he wants to take it a step further. He said focusing on staff retention would be an effective way to save money, because it would spare the department the expense of making new hires and conducting background checks. I recognize that part of fiscal responsibility looks at ensuring were living the core values of the agency, and keeping the great men and women who have stepped to the plate to serve our community, Holloman said. There are struggles and challenges, certainly, with the nuances of a sheriffs office. Working in the jail is an example, its a role that not many people consider when you think of public service, but obviously for the safety and security of our community, its vital. So figuring out ways that we can improve morale, improve investment from those officers in the agency, and in turn that radiates out into the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues that are likely to confront the next sheriff include marijuana legalization and deportation. Holloman said he doesnt favor marijuana decriminalization, something Indiana lawmakers pushed for in a bill introduced last week. He hopes if legalization does succeed, that people are educated on impacts such as the long-lasting effects of impairment. With every action, theres a consequence. If its legalized, how many people understand, first of all, marijuana today is not the marijuana of yesteryear when marijuana was outlawed? he said. Its so genetically altered, the THC concentrations are so much higher that, look at it, there are studies that show it leads to addictions. Yeah, it can cause overdoses. Yeah, it drives paranoia. All these things end up being represented in the justice system because of the decisions. Donald Trump was swept into office partly on the promise of enacting costly mass deportations. White supremacist organizations in the region signaled they were eager for Inauguration Day, with flyers scattered in cities throughout Indiana urging people to monitor, track and report all immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holloman said he doesnt see it as a sheriffs job to address immigration, despite any pressure that may come from higher up. Pressure? I can tell you, its not my role and it wouldnt be my role as sheriff to address immigration. That is a national problem, a national challenge, he said. My job is to enforce Indiana law and make sure that the Constitution of Indiana is represented and cherished. Yes, there is a piece to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. But as a whole, its not the sheriffs role to target immigration. Youre not going to fix the problem one arrest at a time. Law enforcement ambitions Holloman imagined himself in law enforcement since the time he was a child in Millersburg. That was despite the animosity his father felt toward them as an over-the-road trucker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This has been a long journey and it has been a long time coming. ... I fondly remember patrolling the mean streets of that small town on my bicycle as a kid growing up, as I reenacted my desire to be Poncherello from CHiPs, he said. Ponch and Jon, right? As a kid, those guys epitomized to me what law enforcement was about: Tenacity, thoroughness, never giving up on adversity. After joining the department in 1995, Holloman said he came up through the ranks alongside Siegel. He has served in the Corrections and Investigations divisions as well as the Patrol Division, which he now leads. He has also spent just under a year as an undercover investigator with the countys drug task force and held the position of coordinator for the Fatal Alcohol Crash Team. He currently sits on boards including the Elkhart County Drug Free Partnership, the Goshen Salvation Army advisory board and Indiana Alliance on Prenatal Substance Exposure. During his announcement, Holloman recalled walking alongside Congresswoman Jackie Walorski in the Elkhart County 4-H Fair parade a week before her Aug. 3, 2022, death in a car crash. He said she would introduce him to people, over his protests, as the next sheriff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holloman said his and Walorskis families grew closer after her death. Keith Walorski, her brother, gave an opening prayer before Hollomans announcement. We ask you this morning, Lord, to look down on this little meeting right here and bless this meeting as this campaign kicks off, Keith Walorski said in prayer. Because we really feel that your man for the job will be Brian. LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) Several pets have died and a firefighter was injured following a home fire in Longview on Monday. Firefighters injured in rollover released from hospital, officials say The Longview Fire Department responded to 404 Hillsdale Dr. for a reported residential structure fire at around 12:07 a.m. When crews arrived, they found heavy fire and smoke encompassing most of the house. Courtesy of the Longview Police Department The fire was brought under control in around 20 minutes, however, officials said a firefighter sustained an ankle injury and an occupant had a minor cut trying to extinguish the fire before officials arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longview FD said several pets died as a result of the fire and the cause of the fire remains 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. Stock photo from Getty Images. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has joined Ohio with three other states in a federal lawsuit seeking to keep certain immigrants from being counted in the U.S. Census including those in the country illegally and those with temporary visas. The case was filed in U.S. District Court on Jan. 17 and also includes the attorneys general from Louisiana, West Virginia and Kansas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yost and the other state legal chiefs filing the action against the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau (an agency within the Commerce department) say a residence rule that allows foreign nationals living in the U.S. to be counted in the decennial census resulted in 2020 Census figures that included illegal aliens and aliens holding temporary visas to determine apportionment for U.S. House districts and Electoral College representatives. Since the first U.S. Census in 1790, counts that include both citizens and noncitizens have been used in the census and no count has left out residents due to immigration status. For decades, the hard-line Federation for American Immigration Reform has been fighting to stop that, and President Donald Trump attempted to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the census count during his first administration. Reapportionment is the process of dividing up congressional seats among the states based on the census numbers, which then leads to the congressional redistricting that lays out the district lines for those representatives. The rules on counting residents of a state say that citizens of other countries who are living in the U.S. are counted at the U.S. residence where they live and sleep most of the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to this unlawful decision, Plaintiff State Ohio lost one congressional seat and one electoral vote in the reapportionment conducted pursuant to the 2020 Census, the lawsuit states. That congressional seat and electoral vote were reallocated to a state with a larger illegal alien and nonimmigrant alien population. The states in the lawsuit say in allowing the count as the residence rule does, the Census Bureau is in violation of the 14th Amendment, thus robbing the people of the Plaintiff States of their rightful share of political representation, while systematically redistributing political power to states with high numbers of illegal aliens and nonimmigrant aliens. Including illegal aliens in the apportionment base is inconsistent with the text of the Fourteenth Amendment because illegal aliens and nonimmigrant aliens are not inhabitants of the states, the attorneys general stated. Yost told the Capital Journal in a Wednesday statement that the situation at the U.S. border was also part of the problem that resulted in Ohios loss of representation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After failing to secure the border, the federal government reallocated Ohioans democratic representation to sanctuary states like California with a larger illegal alien and nonimmigrant alien population. Yost said. I am fighting for Ohioans voices and the rule of law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Congressional redistricting process in Ohio following the 2020 Census was fraught. The Ohio Redistricting Commission adopted two different congressional maps, both of which were found to be unconstitutionally partisan by the Ohio Supreme Court. The most recently adopted map stayed active, however, and was the map used for the last two election cycles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The map will be up for redrawing this year because it was not adopted with bipartisan agreement. Ohios redistricting law states that a map passed without bipartisan agreement only lasts four years, whereas bipartisan agreement allows the map to last 10 years. Legislators have until the end of September to agree on a redrawn map. If legislators as a whole cant agree and pass a map, its again up to the Ohio Redistricting Commission to adopt a map, since an effort to eliminate the commission and introduce a citizen-led process failed in the November general election. West Virginia also lost a congressional seat and vote on the Electoral College, according to new lawsuit, and if residents living in the state illegally or through temporary means continue to be allowed each of the other Plaintiff States is likely to lose a congressional seat and an electoral vote in the 2030 reapportionment. California, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York were listed as other states who lost a U.S. House seat and an Electoral College vote, though they are not parties in the lawsuit. Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Montana and Oregon were mentioned as states who gained a House seat, along with Texas who gained two seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states in the lawsuit also argue they are being deprived of federal funding that could be provided to them based on their population, if the census data was changed. The suit cites Pew Research Center data from 2021, which found that Ohios illegal immigrant population makes up 1% of the total population. The attorneys general harken back to the countrys founding and the Reconstruction Era for their interpretation of the constitutional obligation to count the number of people in each state. The lawsuit argues the Founding Fathers and those around in the years following the Civil War understood the phrase persons in each State to be restricted to United States citizens and permanent resident aliens who had been lawfully admitted to the body politic constituted by the Constitution. Representatives and electors represent only the self-governing people of the United States, their descendants, and aliens whom the people of the United States have chosen to admit to the political community created by the Constitution through lawful immigration by granting them lawful permanent resident status, the attorneys stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohio, Louisiana, West Virginia and Kansas asked the court to vacate the residence rule as it pertains to counting illegal immigrants or temporary visa holders in the decennial census, and to order the Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce to include questions about citizenship in the 2030 census. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Ohio Republicans say higher education is broken. They want to fix it by eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs; prohibiting faculty from striking and firing poorly performing tenured professors. Senate Bill 1, announced Wednesday, is a sweeping higher education package rising from the ashes of the contentious Senate Bill 83, which died at the end of the last two-year legislative session. The new bill has many features of Senate Bill 83, which professors and students fought against for months. But it goes much further and could pass much quicker with support from new GOP legislative leaders. Advertisement Advertisement "Ohio is going to be at the top of the heap in higher education reform," said Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, who is leading the charge. He and Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Twp., are introducing companion bills titled the "Advance Ohio Higher Education Act." Universities and colleges that don't comply with the changes could risk losing their share of the $2 billion Ohio spends on higher education operations and construction projects. Ohio's bill comes as a third of Americans have very little or no confidence in higher education, according to a June 2024 Gallup survey. That shift is particularly stark among Republicans, who responded by eliminated DEI programs at state universities in Florida last year and banning state DEI initiatives in Indiana days ago. A DEI ban in higher education Senate Bill 1 would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion from Ohio college campuses in almost all circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Universities couldn't conduct training or orientation about diversity, equity and inclusion, have a DEI office or list DEI in their job descriptions. The university couldn't offer any new scholarships based on diversity, equity and inclusion an expansion of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down affirmative action in college admissions. The proposed law goes further than Cirino's previous bill, which would have prohibited mandatory DEI programs not eliminated them entirely. "Taxpayers certainly shouldnt be paying for institutional discrimination," Cirino said of DEI programs. "It impacts other students' lives, students who do not fit whatever the mold is that they're looking for." The bill would prevent training or teaching that says: "an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously" or that "an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex." Advertisement Advertisement There is an exception for research grants that require DEI. In those cases, the university must ask the Ohio Department of Higher Education for an exception to the DEI prohibition. Ban on faculty strikes returns The bill would also prohibit full-time faculty from striking. Cirino removed the strike ban from his prior proposal as a concession to House lawmakers. But that bill didn't pass in the last session so the idea is back. "It's back in because it was important in the first place," Cirino said. "Students should not be used as pawns in the negotiation process. There are other mediation opportunities for faculty to take their grievances." Faculty oppose strike bans because they eliminate a key tool in the bargaining process, creating a power imbalance. Changes to how faculty, degrees are eliminated Several changes would empower university trustees, who are appointed by the governor, to act more like a business' board of directors. Advertisement Advertisement Every five years, trustees would reevaluate how often faculty must teach, research or provide clinical care to avoid disciplinary action, remedial training or termination even if they have earned tenure. "We have to start running these institutions like they are businesses," Cirino said. Universities and colleges would also eliminate any undergraduate degree program if fewer than five students have earned degrees over three years. Cirino said the current process of eliminating programs is too cumbersome and doesn't allow higher education institutions to adjust to businesses' demands. Faculty also would undergo annual performance evaluations, including feedback from peers and students. Students' evaluations would include the question: "Does the faculty member create a classroom atmosphere free of political, racial, gender and religious bias?" Advertisement Advertisement Tenured faculty members who don't meet expectations on two of their most recent three performance reviews could face discipline or termination after a post-tenure review. "We need to make sure when they have that job guarantee that we are getting continuous improvement in what they're doing," Cirino said. Cirino said he's not going after tenure. "I'm not proposing that we eliminate tenure. I think that would be a disadvantage for Ohio." No position on 'controversial beliefs,' online syllabi: What else is in Senate Bill 1? The 70-plus-page bill would also: prohibit universities from taking positions on a "controversial belief or policy," defined as climate policies, politics, foreign policy, DEI programs, immigration policy, marriage, abortion or "any belief or policy that is the subject of political controversy." require faculty and staff to allow students to "reach their own conclusions about all controversial beliefs or policies." Cirino said if a student falsely claimed gravity doesn't exist or the world is flat, the professor would point out evidence to the contrary. "They have a right to say something, as dumb as it may be." require professors and instructors to post their course syllabi online for students, parents and the public to see. reduce the tenure of university trustees from nine years to six years starting in mid-2025. Trustees would also have to complete training on their job responsibilities and trends in higher education. require students to complete a three-credit hour course on American civics literacy, including a review of capitalism and documents like the U.S. Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation. prohibit universities and colleges from accepting gifts or donations from China. require approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to enter into new or renewed academic partnerships with Chinese research institutions. This would impact programs like the partnership between the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering and Chongqing University. Chinese students could still attend Ohio universities and colleges. require the Ohio Department of Higher Education to review whether more degrees can be completed in three years instead of four. require universities and colleges to provide a five-year cost summary to lawmakers. Jessie Balmert covers state government and politics 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: New Ohio higher ed bill would ban DEI, faculty strikes President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an indoor inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) President Donald Trump offered a reprieve to more than 70 Ohioans convicted or charged with crimes in connection with the U.S. Capitol siege, with one of the defendants saying it was an honor to stand up with other patriots that day, to be prosecuted for it, and to be vindicated by Trump now. In an Oval Office signing ceremony for his executive order pardoning roughly 1,500 people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, Trump explained, I will say this, theyve been in jail for a long time already. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I see murderers in this country get two years, one year, and maybe no time, Trump claimed wildly without evidence. So theyve already been in jail for a long time. These people have been destroyed. What theyve done to these people is outrageous. Trump further attempted to justify his actions by suggesting also without evidence and despite prosecutions featuring extensive photography and video evidence of the defendants undertaking their actions that the violence on Jan. 6 came from outside agitators, and that obviously the FBI was involved, a conflation of confidential sources present at the riot with the conspiracy theory that undercover FBI agents instigated violence. An Office of the Inspector General report published last month found 26 confidential human sources were present for the events of Jan. 6, 2021; the same report found the FBI had no undercover agents present at the riot. Reactions Trumps actions were met with praise from those receiving pardons. Alex Sheppard of Powell, Ohio was sentenced to 19 months in prison for his participation in the riot, but got an early release after the U.S. Supreme Court took up a case challenging the Department of Justices use of obstruction charges. As a Free Man, I am no longer banned from entering our Nations Capital. I no longer need 1-week notice to leave the Southern half of Ohio, nor must I ask for permission to leave the United States. No more house checks, drug tests, or mandated phone calls. No more status Alexander Sheppard (@NotAlexSheppard) January 21, 2025 In a lengthy post on social media, he thanked Trump and cataloged the restrictions hell no longer face adding, FREEDOM, AT LAST! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I woke up this morning with a new lease on life, and so did every other J6er, Sheppard wrote. Looking back, it was truly an honor to stand up for Electron Integrity with so many other amazing Patriots, to be persecuted for it, only to eventually (and finally!) be vindicated. Jessica Watkins, a member of the Oath Keepers from Champaign County, received one of the longest sentences among the Ohioans. In 2023, she and handful of other Oath Keepers were convicted of conspiracy, obstruction and civil disorder charges. Watkins was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, but Trumps commutation reduced her sentence to time served as of Jan. 20, 2025. Tuesday morning, she posted a photo on social media with the message Im freeeeeeee!!!!! Court appointed public defender Heather Shaner represented 44 of the Jan. 6 defendants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its like Holocaust denial, she said. Jan. 6 was horrible. It was a crime against our democracy and these blanket pardons are just all part of this scheme to make it a walk in the park this was fun, it was a day of love. It wasnt a day of love. Shaner said she worries the pardons might mean some of them lose access to mental health services they received through the corrections and probation system. A lot of the people involved in Jan. 6 came to the Capitol with mental health conditions, Shaner described. PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, drug addiction, and they had been flailing around in their home communities for years without ever receiving mental health or medical services. Shaner doesnt actually oppose the idea of some defendants getting pardons she noted shes happy for those of her clients who will feel better with a clean record and dont need ongoing services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But she added, The majority of my clients did not ask me to seek pardons, and knew they were guilty of what they had done and expressed a lot of remorse about what they had done. I know a lot of the cops who were injured, Shaner said. You cant deny that that happened. Officials from Ohio largely decline to weigh in Ohio Capital Journal reached out to several statewide officeholders as well as Ohios U.S. Senators and likely Republican candidates in the mix for 2026 gubernatorial race. Attorney General Dave Yost, Treasurer Robert Sprague and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy all of whom have telegraphed plans for a 2026 run for governor didnt respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted didnt respond either. Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno didnt reply to the Ohio Capital Journal, but HuffPost quoted him defending Trumps pardons. Echoing Trump, Moreno argued that defendants have been behind bars long enough and he claimed that they were denied due process, though he did not elaborate or provide evidence or any legal argument for that extraordinary claim. Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno defends Trumps Jan. 6 pardons: Some of these people have been in jail for a long time. January 6 was a long time ago, and they've been in jail with their due process rights taken away. Look, nobody is a stronger supporter of law enforcement than Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 21, 2025 Only about a week ahead of the inauguration, Vice President J.D. Vance stated obviously those who committed violence shouldnt get pardons. In a statement Tuesday, Vances press secretary Taylor Van Kirk defended Trumps blanket approach. Due to the corrupt process of these prosecutions, she said, President Trump rightly decided to grant a broad pardon to all wrongfully convicted January 6 protestors. In a parting shot to the outgoing Biden administration, Van Kirk added his application of presidential pardons for members of the Biden family are far more deserving of additional media scrutiny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Mike DeWine took a hands-off approach, with a spokesperson simply noting the governor has not issued any comments on that issue. Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The victim of a viral Karen meltdown finally shared his story, and its even uglier than it seemed. Turns out the whole thing was a simple misunderstanding but you know, Karens absolutely have to take it there. Last night on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco Johnsons Nightcap podcast, real estate developer DaMichael Jenkins and his wife explained how they were racially profiled by a white woman in their neighborhood. Jenkins said on the podcast he saw the woman walking with her two kids as he was driving home. The woman then turned into a drivewaywhich happened to be part of Jenkins home. When he pulled in, the woman ran toward his front door and began ringing the doorbell, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the video clip taken from the homes Ring camera, the woman is seen asking Jenkins if he lived at the home, to which he replied in the affirmative. I dont believe that, the woman replied. Are you looking for somebody? Jenkins asked. What happened next left both parties in fear of their lives. The woman suddenly abandoned her stroller and took her two kids to run in the opposite direction. In the video, she can be heard screaming, Help! Help! At that point, Jenkins said on the podcast that he was worried the woman would call 911 and went through the garage to enter his home to tell his wife what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the video, Jenkins wife stepped out from the front door and asked if someone was there. From across the street, a white man responded, confirming that it was his wife who was the one yelling for help and alleged someone was chasing her, per the video. The two couples then came face to face to discuss what happened and came to the conclusion that it was all a misunderstanding. The woman in question apologized and explained she was afraid for her life and pretended to be going home by walking toward the house, not realizing it belonged to who she was running from. However, Jenkins wife posed a fair question: How did he scare you, though? Well, you just have to understand my point of view. I was by myself with two kids and I saw a car coming and it scared me so I just pulled up here and I kept thinking, This could be his house, the woman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She then tried to say Jenkins never told her it was his house which he did. Its fair to assume the internet tracked her down once the video of the incident was released. The woman, later identified as Michelle Bishop, said on social media she was dragged from her personal Instagram to her neighborhood Facebook group. In a series of white-woman-tears filled videos, she tried to explain herself, denounce any claims of being racist and even went as far to claim that she didnt think Jenkins was a Black man because she believed a white man lived in the home. There was never racial intent. Ever. What I will apologize for is - sorry for sharing the story of me being scared. I could absolutely be slower to speak, Bishop said, choked up on tears that never fell from her eyes. Eventually, the police got involved after Jenkins and his wife made a report. However, its unclear any developments came of it. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Ohio has announced a new tool for combating human trafficking in the state. During a meeting of the governors Human Trafficking Task Force, the Ohio Department of Public Safety announced a new data dashboard that will coordinate human trafficking data from multiple state agencies into one location, which the state said would increase the publics access to the information. New details for proposed 43-acre project near Ohio Universitys Dublin campus Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dashboard includes human trafficking data from the states departments of children and youth, developmental disabilities, mental health and addiction services, rehabilitation and corrections, and youth services, each members of the Human Trafficking Task Force. Combining this agency-specific data for the first time helps to identify and connect survivors to services in a more comprehensive way, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. The new dashboard will also help develop a more accurate picture of the number of survivors by addressing duplicates in data. The dashboard is available on the states DataOhio portal. DeWine pledged $9 million to fight human trafficking in the states 2024 budget, a portion of which funded the dashboards creation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) With Lt. Gov. Jon Husted stepping into the Senate vacancy left by newly inaugurated Vice President J.D. Vance, Gov. Mike DeWine has another important seat to fill. Ohio needs a new lieutenant governor. Husted was selected to fill Vances unexpired Senate term on Jan. 17, and he will represent Ohio until a 2026 special election. Husted has served as Ohios lieutenant governor since 2019, and was Ohios Secretary of State from 2011-2019. Former professors of J.D. Vance weight in on swearing in Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Ohio Constitution, the governor nominates a new lieutenant governor in the event of a vacancy, who must then be confirmed by the state House and Senate. In a typical term, the lieutenant governor is elected alongside the governor. Husteds replacement will serve the rest of his term, which will end in January 2027 after the 2026 gubernatorial election. See previous coverage of Husteds appointment to the Senate in the video player above. DeWine has yet to indicate a timeline for a nominee and told NBC4s Natalie Fahmy last week that he was focusing on one major decision at a time, referring to the Senate selection. However, the frontrunner seems to be Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. Although Ohio billionaire and DOGE appointee Vivek Ramaswamy appeared to join Husted as finalists in the Senate decision, some threw out Mihaliks name early in discussions of who might replace Vance. Former state GOP chair Jane Timken, U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and former state Rep. Jay Edwards were also named as possible Vance successors, NBC reported. Mihalik has also not indicated a run for governor in 2026, which Ramaswamy, Sprague, early Ohio COVID-19 lockdown leader Dr. Amy Acton and Attorney General Dave Yost have all at least hinted toward. Husted previously voiced interest in the role, and DeWine is term-limited and cannot run again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Columbus funding for homeless programs in jeopardy Mihalik was appointed by DeWine in 2019, before which she served as mayor of Findlay. She is also a close ally of DeWines, and the two have worked together on a number of projects. A representative for Mihalik and the Department of Development said they could not comment on unofficial matters. A representative for DeWines office said the governor has not named any potential replacements and said any rumored names are speculative. When asked about a possible timeline, the governors office said none has been announced. 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. (Bloomberg) -- Oil edged lower after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on China and the European Union, while traders continued to assess the fallout from unprecedented US sanctions on Russia. West Texas Intermediate settled below $76 a barrel after swinging between gains and losses for much of Wednesdays session. Crudes recent run of declines has been partly spurred by the bearish implications of a renewed global trade conflict that poses risks to consumption and growth. Trump on Wednesday widened his threats to include a 10% tariff on China and the EU, two of the worlds largest energy markets. The new threats follow Trumps plans to impose tariffs as high as 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, which are major crude suppliers to the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The possibility of tariffs on Canadian oil already is pushing a flood of crude out of the country to the US to beat potential levies. Still, the Canada tariffs would result in higher gasoline costs for American consumers, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. warned last year. Oil traders also are still digesting the most comprehensive set of sanctions on Russian oil to date. State-owned refiner Indian Oil Corp. said it sees a supply hit of up to 2 million barrels a day from the measures. The value of Dubai crude has soared relative to other benchmarks as traders scramble for alternative supplies. Trump said hes likely to impose more penalties on Moscow if President Vladimir Putin doesnt negotiate on Ukraine. Crude remains higher so far this year, helped by the Russia sanctions and frigid weather in the northern hemisphere. A historic winter storm caused bitter cold from Texas to North Carolina Wednesday, upending regional energy markets. Oils 2025 uptrend reflects unsustainable bullish momentum, primarily fueled by transient factors: winter demand, a short-term Chinese export boost ahead of US tariff risks and hedging against upside risks driven by U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, said Razan Hilal, a market analyst at Forex.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recent run of declines has been limited by WTIs 200-day moving average, which is serving as a floor for losses. To get Bloombergs Energy Daily newsletter in your inbox, click here. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Tankers that once transported oil from Russia's western ports are now being redirected to the eastern part of the country to support the key oil supply route to China, which has been impacted by extensive US sanctions. Source: Bloomberg Details: Reportedly, the shift is partly driven by financial factors. Freight rates for transporting oil from Russia's Kozmino port to China have more than tripled since the US imposed sanctions on tankers using this route. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of vessels typically used for this trade are Aframax tankers, which can carry around 750,000 barrels. At least two tankers, owned by companies registered in Hong Kong, have started operating on this route, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It is unclear whether the owners of these companies are Russian. Background: Last week, Russia's maritime oil exports saw their biggest drop since November, following wide-ranging sanctions on the country's oil trade imposed by outgoing US President Joe Biden. This marked the first signs that these measures are beginning to alter oil flow patterns. The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as on the ship insurance providers Ingosstrakh and AlfaStrakhovanie. Support UP or become our patron! On Oct. 7, 2023, the world was irrevocably shaken by the horrific Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. In its wake, a surge in violence and antisemitism spread across the globe. Violent pogroms in Amsterdam. Jewish elementary schools shot at in Toronto. Jewish people harassed, attacked and forced to live in fear in cities from Dallas to Dagestan. While Oklahoma has largely been spared the kind of violence seen elsewhere, we are not immune, and we cannot afford to be complacent. This insidious hatred of our Jewish neighbors exists here, too. Antisemitism is not merely a distant threat; it is an alarming reality that is creeping closer to home and it could reach us at any moment. In 2022, Oklahoma made an important first step when Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a proclamation adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. This proclamation was a clear statement that Oklahoma would not tolerate hate. It was a meaningful recognition of the need to confront antisemitism and to protect our Jewish community. However, while proclamations are important, they are not permanent solutions. Proclamations are vulnerable to change with future administrations and can be undone with the stroke of a pen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: Like it or not, President Trump has constitutional authority to pardon rebels Since Oct. 7, antisemitic incidents have escalated dramatically. A study by the Antisemitism Research Center found that antisemitic incidents on campuses surged by 565%, with two-thirds of these incidents occurring in states that have not yet codified the IHRA definition of antisemitism into law. This alarming statistic underscores the importance of taking stronger action. Without legal protections, we leave ourselves open to the rising tide of hate. Fortunately, the blueprint already exists. Many other states have acted decisively, enacting laws that codify the IHRA definition. These states understand that antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue it is an American issue. When we allow hate to fester, it erodes the core values that define us as a nation values of freedom, equality and respect for all people. Oklahoma must follow suit and take this crucial step to ensure that hate has no place in our communities. A sign related to a faith message about antisemitism is displayed Aug. 18, 2024, at St. Luke's Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. The Jewish Federation of Tulsa is calling on state lawmakers to codify the definition of antisemitism into law. Jewish communities across Oklahoma are united in this call to action. From Tulsa to Oklahoma City, from small towns to college campuses, the message is clear: Oklahoma must codify the IHRA definition of antisemitism into law. Our communities are asking our lawmakers to take this definitive step to protect not only Jewish Oklahomans but all who call this state home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fight against antisemitism transcends partisan politics. It is about upholding the principles that have always made Oklahoma a beacon of American values. Our state has a long-standing tradition of standing up for what is right, fighting for the underdog, and defending human dignity. By codifying the IHRA definition into law, Oklahoma can send a powerful message that we will not tolerate this insidious hatred. Opinion: Oklahoma lawmakers must take our states mental health struggles seriously This issue is not solely about protecting the Jewish community; it is about safeguarding the fundamental freedoms and values that define us as Americans and as Oklahomans. It is about ensuring that our shared values are upheld for everyone and that this hatred has no place in our society. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The risks of inaction are clear, and the time to act is now. Codifying the IHRA definition into law will not only protect the Jewish community; it will ensure that Oklahoma remains a place where tolerance, respect, and civility are more than just ideals they are a way of life. It will send a message to the rest of the nation that Oklahoma stands firmly against hate, in all its forms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue; it is a threat to the fabric of our society. It is an attack on the values that bind us together as Oklahomans and as Americans. If we are serious about protecting our way of life, we must act now. Joe Roberts Joe Roberts is the executive director at the Jewish Federation of Tulsa. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma needs antisemitism definition in state law | Opinion OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) An Oklahoma City attorney says hes spent nearly five years on a legal team representing a North Dakota man former President Joe Biden decided to grant clemency to Monday. OKCPD officers alleged rape case dismissed by state Leonard Peltier, 80, is currently serving life sentences after being convicted for the 1975 shootout deaths of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams at a South Dakota reservation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before that, Peltier was a leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a grassroots activist group fighting for the rights of Indigenous people. Peltier has insisted hes innocent, and his supporters say his trial was unreliable. There were letters written directly to Senator Biden 25, 30 years ago on behalf of Leonard Peltier, when Senator Biden was then head of the Judiciary Committee, said Robert Gifford, one of Peltiers attorneys based out of Oklahoma City. Gifford says he was brought onto the case a few years ago and helped submit a clemency petition for Peltier in 2021. It wasnt the first time Peltier had applied, but previous attempts never proved to be successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2021-07-28-Clemency-Petition-FINALDownload The petition documents say Peltiers involvement in AIM made him a target of an FBI campaign to crush indigenous political momentum through surveillance and sham legal proceedings. They call Peltier a scapegoat and accuse the FBI of using false testimony and fabricated evidence. The FBI has refuted those allegations. Fugitive on A.G.s 10 Most Wanted List arrested in California A statement from the FBI Agents Association Monday pushed back on Peltiers release, calling it a cruel betrayal. You can read the entire statement below: The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) is outraged by then-President Bidens decision to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a convicted cop killer responsible for the brutal murders of FBI Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams. This last-second, disgraceful act by then-President Biden, which does not change Peltiers guilt but does release him from prison, is cowardly and lacks accountability. It is a cruel betrayal to the families and colleagues of these fallen Agents and is a slap in the face of law enforcement. Agents Coler and Williams gave their lives in service to this nation, and their families continue to bear the heavy burden of that sacrifice. The loss of these heroes is felt as deeply today within the FBI family as it was in 1975. Leonard Peltier has never expressed remorse for his actions. Special Agents Coler and Williams were stolen from their families, robbed of the chance to share precious time and milestones with their loved ones. Leonard Peltier should not have been granted a mercy he so cruelly denied to the Coler and Williams families. The profound sacrifice made by Agents Coler and Williams should be honored, not diminished. FBIAA remains steadfast in our commitment to preserving their legacies, and we look forward to working with new leadership in Washington to protect the public, honor our heroes and leave cop killers where they belong in prison. Natalie Bara, President of The FBI Agents Association A warrant of commutation signed by Biden on Monday says the former president is leaving all other components of his sentence intact aside from his ability to serve the rest of it under home confinement. Gifford says he and Peltiers legal team had heard rumors the commutation could come Sunday, but hope diminished rapidly heading into President Donald Trumps inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As President Biden was walking into the rotunda during the inauguration, his name was released, said Gifford. It truly was one of those moments that we were in shock. Gifford says flight arrangements have been made to transport Peltier back to North Dakota, where he has a home waiting for them. Hell serve out the rest of his sentence under U.S. probation officer supervision. Obviously, if he wants to leave the home to go to a church service or if he needs to go to a doctor or speak to an attorney, hell be allowed to do so, said Gifford. But really he will primarily be at his home on the Turtle Lake Reservation there in North Dakota. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. released the following statement Monday regarding Peltiers commutation: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day a day dedicated to honoring the pursuit of justice and equality we commend President Biden for granting clemency to Leonard Peltier on his last day serving in office. This historic decision reflects a critical step toward reconciliation, not only for Mr. Peltier but for Native communities that have long fought for recognition, sovereign rights, and dignity. Leonard Peltiers role in the American Indian Movement embodies the greater struggle for equality, dignity, and recognition faced by Indigenous peoples for generations. His story speaks to the shared values of justice, equity, and compassion that Dr. King also championed a reminder of the unity and resilience needed to overcome adversity. On behalf of the Cherokee Nation, we are thankful Leonard Peltier gets to return home to his Native people and live out his life as a man who fought for Native rights. Chuck Hoskin Jr., Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Gifford says the support Peltier has received from tribes across the country undoubtedly played a big part in his commutation. He says the support hes seen has truly been something for the history books. I had the honor and, you know, the responsibility of just being the lawyer on the case, but in this case, it took a movement and it was a movement of people who saw something that was unjust, that was unfair, and that, you know, Mr. Peltier, hed served his time and it was time for him to go home, said Gifford. Peltier is expected to be released from his Florida prison on February 18. Gifford says that will give everyone involved enough time to plan out arrangements. Gifford also shared a phone call with Peltier Monday after learning of his own commutation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im overwhelmed with happiness right now, said Peltier. I want to cry. I want to scream. I cant believe its overI didnt think wed see this happen in my lifetime; I really didnt. I didnt think it would get this far. 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. A woman who's been on Oklahoma's death row for two decades could get another shot at defending herself after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that she may not have received a fair trial because of sex-shaming by prosecutors. Brenda Evers Andrew, 61, was convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting death of her estranged husband, Rob Andrew. She has been on death row since 2004 but has maintained her innocence on the charges. Her alleged accomplice in the crime, 71-year-old James Pavatt, is also facing execution. Why is Brenda Andrew on death row? On Nov. 20, 2001, Rob Andrew came to the family home to pick up his son and daughter for Thanksgiving. He went into the garage after Brenda Andrew told him the pilot light on the furnace was out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After entering the garage, prosecutors alleged, Rob Andrew was shot twice first by Pavatt and then by his wife. Pavatt also shot Brenda Andrew in the arm with a .22-caliber pistol to make it look like she was also a victim, prosecutors said. Brenda Andrew told police that two armed, masked men had attacked her husband. As police suspicions about her story grew, Pavatt and Andrew fled to Mexico with her children. After running out of money, the couple re-entered the United States in February 2002. They were arrested at the border and put on trial. After her trial and sentencing, Andrew became the only woman on Oklahoma's death row. The state has executed three women, all in 2001. Why could Brenda Andrew get a new trial? In their opinion issued this month, a majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices acknowledged that Oklahoma prosecutors "spent significant time at trial" focusing on irrelevant evidence about Andrew's sex life and failings as a wife and mother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Among other things, the prosecution elicited testimony about Andrews sexual partners reaching back two decades; about the outfits she wore to dinner or during grocery runs; about the underwear she packed for vacation; and about how often she had sex in her car," they wrote. In their 2004 closing arguments, prosecutors showed the jury Andrew's "thong underwear," discussed her sexual relationships in college and claimed she engaged in numerous extramarital affairs. That evidence was so prejudicial against her that Andrew can claim she did not get a fair trial, the Supreme Court wrote. The U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment guarantees that states must follow the due process of law when attempting prosecution. By 2004, the Supreme Court had already established that irrelevant and prejudicial evidence could make a trial fundamentally unfair, the justices said. What's next for Brenda Andrew The Supreme Court's ruling does not mean Andrew will be released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, they ordered the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver to reconsider their previous opinion that Andrew received a fair trial. The appellate court will now have to use the Supreme Court's ruling when deciding how to proceed. It's not clear what the appellate judges will decide, but they could require the state to conduct a new trial or restart the sentencing phase. They could also reconsider the trial record and again rule that Andrew's conviction and sentencing were fair. Her attorney, Jessica Sutton, said they were hopeful the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals now "will stop this injustice." "Wielding these gendered tropes to justify a conviction and punishment of death is intolerable and poses a threat to everyone who does not follow rigid gender norms," Sutton said. Oklahoma's next scheduled execution The next death row inmate scheduled to die is Wendell Arden Grissom, 56. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Execution date set for Oklahoma confessed killer Wendell Arden Grissom Grissom and an accomplice were convicted in the 2005 slaying of 23-year-old Amber Matthews, who was hiding from the pair with an infant child when Grissom shot her in the head during a robbery. The accomplice, Jessie Johns, is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. Grissom's execution date is set for March 20. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Brenda Andrew: What to know about Oklahoma death row inmate's case, trial Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener, front, and Tom Gann, R-Inola, sit at their desks in the House chamber while fellow lawmakers speak during the body's organizational day on Jan. 7. The lawmakers are attempting to appeal an OG&E rate increase. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Three Republican lawmakers are trying to stop the states highest court from dismissing their appeal of an $127 million OG&E rate increase approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. The Oklahoma Supreme Court gave Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rick West, R-Heavener, until Friday to demonstrate that they had standing to challenge the rate increase. If they cant, the states highest court said the case would be dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Corporation Commission, along with OG&E, had argued that the appeal was premature because its based on an interim order. The lawmakers argued in a filing Friday that the Oklahoma Constitution does not specify that an appeal on an action or decision in a case like this must be a final order. Although Interim . (the order) approves and adopts a Joint Stipulation and Settlement Agreement that modifies rates for monopoly public utility OG&E, resulting in a $127 million rate increase for OG&Es captive customers, including Appellants, the trio wrote in their most recent filing. The rate increase equates to about $10 per month for the average residential consumer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawmakers argued that they believe the interim order is void because of Commissioner Todd Hiett cast the deciding vote despite accusations of ethics violations. The Oklahoman reported that Hiett was observed groping a man and being intoxicated at an out-of-state regulatory conference and that he has also been accused of driving drunk after a 2023 event in Oklahoma City. Hiett told the newspaper he drank too much in June but does not remember the incident and that he is getting treatment. The lawmakers said they still believe the order is appealable. If the Court eventually decides this appeal was premature, Appellants respectfully request that the court specify when and on what terms an appeal would be proper, the lawmakers wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives for OG&E filed in response to the lawmakers Monday, pointing out that despite a lack of language in the Oklahoma Constitution or Supreme Court rules requiring an order be final to be appealable, the high court has declined to consider cases with similar issues. The utility company argued that the lawmakers failed to show cause for why the appeal of the Corporation Commissions interim order should not be dismissed. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission had not yet filed a response to the suit as of Wednesday morning. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) A 79-year-old Oklahoma man was killed in a crash on Tuesday. It happened just before noon on old U.S. 166 Highway and Kansas Highway 26 in Cherokee County. The Kansas Highway Patrol said a Volkswagen Jetta was eastbound on old 166 Highway when it stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of K-26. The Jetta began to cross but failed to yield to a southbound tow truck on K-26. The two collided. Kansas emboldened to keep rolling back trans rights Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver of Jetta, identified as Joseph M. Reed of Vinita, was killed. A 73-year-old woman, a passenger, was seriously injured and taken to a hospital in Joplin. The 23-year-old driver of the tow truck wasnt injured. The KHP says all occupants were wearing seatbelts. 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 pathologist puts on a pair of surgical gloves in preparation for an autopsy. (Photo by Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma state medical examiners office is seeking to have its national accreditation restored, but a cut in funding could jeopardize that, a Senate panel was told Wednesday. Dr. Eric Pfeifer, chief medical examiner, said the agency lost accreditation in 2019 through the National Association of Medical Examiners, which found 29 deficiencies due to staffing shortages and inadequate facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency is on the cliff of regaining it, he told a legislative committee examining agency budgets. Once youve achieved national accreditation, it means youve got the staff, youre doing the cases in a timely manner, and everything is being done professionally, he said. Since August, 90% of the agencys cases have been completed in 90 days, he said. That is the national benchmark, he said. Lack of accreditation makes it difficult to attract quality staff and is an issue that gets brought up in court, he said. It is more than just a plaque that you hang on the wall, Pfeifer said. It means youre meeting minimum national standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency is seeing a $3.5 million supplemental appropriation to work toward accreditation. Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, asked Pfeifer what would happen to the agencys accreditation if the $3.5 million wasnt appropriated. Yes, it will affect absolutely everything, Pfeifer said. You know, more than the accreditation. The agency would not be able to maintain case turnaround times and would lose pathologists, he said. Gollihare said it appeared the state was trying to buy accreditation when not having it has not impacted operations. The $3.5 million would be a recurring cost, Gollihare said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of a family waiting half a year or a year to get a report back, they have a 90% chance of getting it in 90 days, Pfeifer said. He said his agencys results impact just about every law enforcement entity in the state. They need our results to do their work and if theyre waiting that long for our reports, then everybody suffers, Pfeifer said. Gollihare said the state will have less revenue to spend this year in part due to elimination of the states portion of the sales tax on groceries. The agency is seeking what amounts to a 21% increase in funding, he said. What if the agency were to get a 2% reduction, Gollihare asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it were a flat budget or even a 2% reduction, that sometime by next December, January, we will have bled to death, Pfeifer said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Thirteen Oklahomans were pardoned after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday allowing defendants involved in the January 6 attack to be freed. What theyve done to these people is outrageous, said Mr. Trump, shortly after signing the order. The President pardoned approximately 1,500 people who were at the Capitol on January 6, including many who were convicted of violent crimes. He also commuted sentences of several others who were part of far-right groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OKLAHOMA POLITICS: Bill aims to cap train length at 8,500 feet When somebody has their sentence commuted, that means he or she is either let out of prison or has their sentence shortened, said Ed Blau, legal expert. Those individuals are still convicted felons. They still have a record. If you receive full pardon, your conviction is gone. Before Mr. Trump signed the order, nine Oklahomans had pled guilty. Three others pled not guilty, and one case was still ongoing. Attorney General Gentner Drummond posted to social media Tuesday stating, I am pleased to report that all J6 prisoners who were in custody here in Oklahoma have been released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Department of Justice, around 140 law enforcement officers were hurt during the incident at the Capitol. Five people died. One D.C. Metro officer, Michael Fanone, was attacked by six people. He said he suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a heart attack. He commented on the decision Monday night and told reporters the move pardoned hundreds of violent cop assaulters. Drummond, who has been pro-policing, sent KFOR a statement Tuesday. President Trump was open and honest about his intention to issue pardons to January 6 defendants, and a majority of Americans voted for him. While I certainly wish the media and President Trumps detractors had expressed the same level of outrage over Bidens pardons, some will always seek to sow division. I am fully supportive of the Presidents agenda and look forward to working with him to secure the border, deport illegal immigrants and put America First. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond Former President Joe Biden received pushback for his pardons in the final hours before the end of his term. He pardoned members of his family, health officials, and members and staff of the January 6 House Committee, as well as police officers who testified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aftermath of January 6 was considered the largest investigation in federal law enforcement history, which cost tens of millions of dollars. Prosecutors are very likely to be less inclined to bring these types of charges because in the back of their mind, they will know this individual could be led out of jail or be fully pardoned within the next couple of years, said Blau. The friends and family or those people who spoke out, witnesses, I can see where they would be concerned or even frightened. 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. What an amazing place Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen has been. Its been a remarkable run for a restaurant to survive from 1956 to 2025. Its been an important gathering place for generations of families and friends. They served their share of celebrities from Frank Sinatra, to President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline. They had the most powerful of politicians dining there. Its been immortalized in at least one feature film. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most importantly, the Old Canteen made people happy. The food, the service, and the ambiance made for a heady mixture that brought joy to many. Still, the most amazing part of the legacy is that one family devoted itself to making the Old Canteen what it was. Imagine what they sacrificed to run a family business for so long. Then there are the two men, the culinary legends who ran it day by day for nearly 69 years. The late Joe Marzilli and son Sal welcomed diners to their home with nary an interruption. The entrance to Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen pays homage to the two owners, Joe, the founder in 1956, and his son Sal Marzilli who has run the restaurant for more than two decades. Even more astonishing is that they did it on their own terms. They didnt chase fads or try to be trendy. Their food was homestyle right from their family recipes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've stayed true to those who like to come in and remember all the old-time cooking like they had at home and at grandma's," Joe Marzilli told me in 2002. "We are an old-fashioned, Italian-American restaurant," he said. "Our food isn't dressed up with greens and weeds." The dessert du jour was vanilla ice cream with claret sauce. Take it or leave it. Everyone loved it. The dessert du jour was vanilla ice cream with claret sauce. Take it or leave it. Everyone loved it. They were not slaves to fashion. The walls stayed their signature mauve with the old-time murals, which soothed the diners souls. Now, Sal is going out on his own terms, too. For the better part of three years, he was open about his desire to sell the building and retire after a lifetime in the kitchen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, its happening for him. But people arent happy. They are mourning the loss of the Old Canteen. Life will never be the same, some have written on social media. What are they grieving? Its not likely a dish of veal parmigiana or a bowl of minestrone soup. There are other spots on Federal Hill that offer a similar menu with homestyle Italian dishes. Its the moments of their lives they spent at the Old Canteen with family and friends. So many of those once at their table are gone. Their memories stayed alive as long as they could pull up a chair and remember those old feelings in the dining room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can all keep those memories in our hearts and say goodbye to the Old Canteen. We owe that much to the Marzillis for all theyve given. What if they want their legacy to have a beginning and an end? Theyve earned the right to make that decision. This isnt the first time Rhode Island has said goodbye to a restaurant, and it wont be the last. Change is inevitable. Federal Hill has been evolving since it was named in the 18th century. Its not a bad thing. The Old Canteen has been making diners happy on Federal Hill since 1956. Joe Marzilli said that when he opened his place, it was one of a handful on Federal Hill. By the turn of the century, it had grown to three dozen more. He didnt mind. All the restaurants on the Hill just improved his business, he said. 2007: Joe Marzilli was a legend in Rhode Island food circles and was honored by Johnson and Wales. Here he poses in the dining room of his restaurant, The Old Canteen. Marzilli died April 2, 2007 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A newcomer promises to revitalize the walls inside 120 Atwells Ave. while paying homage to the Old Canteen. The iconic sign will be displayed inside as a centerpiece to the ambiance. All Old Canteen gift certificates will be accepted at Heritage Restaurant Group eateries in Rhode Island. Maybe Wallys Wieners and the Copper Club deserve a chance to be places to make new memories. If you want to share your favorite memory at the Old Canteen to be printed in a story, email it to gciampa@providencejournal.com by Friday, Jan. 24. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Celebrate Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen and create new memories: Opinion KANSAS CITY, Mo. Police in Kansas City, Kansas are investigating an overnight homicide. Police found a man inside a home who had been shot and killed near Ruby Avenue and South Valley. Police were sent to the scene around 2:35 a.m. Wednesday. Massive fire destorys Independence apartment building Wednesday morning Police said other residents were home at the time of the shooting, and detectives were talking to them Wednesday morning, trying to find out what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not yet clear if the man lived at the house or his relationship with the others. KCKPD identified the victim on Thursday as 40-year-old Jason Adam Jackson. No word yet on a suspect, but police say the crime scene is confined to the house. 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. WINKLER COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The driver of a Chevrolet Cruze was killed after a head-on collision and double vehicle fire early Sunday morning. According to a report from the Texas Department of Public Safety, at about 3:20 am on Sunday, January 19, a Chevrolet Cruze was heading east on State Highway 115 near mile marker 358. Meanwhile, a 2012 Freightliner with a trailer was stopped on the shoulder of the roadway, facing west on SH 115. DPS said the driver of the Cruze abruptly turned left, crossing over the center stripe and westbound lanes, before running into the semi-truck head-on. Both vehicles caught on fire as a result. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and taken to South Plains Forensic Pathology for autopsy and identification. This crash remains under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Yourbasin. CASS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) An Arkansas man has been sentenced to 40 years after touching an East Texas child while he and his fiance visited her familys home. The Cass County Criminal District Attorney said that Dillon Austin Venson, 24 of Pocahontas, AR., was found guilty of two counts of indecency with a child by contact and not guilty on an aggravated charge. Venson was sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he has served half the time, along with a $10,000 fine on each charge. Firefighters injured in rollover released from hospital, officials say Mugshot of Dillon Austin Venson, courtesy of Cass County Criminal District Attorney According to the DAs office, during the spring and summer of 2023, Venson and his fiance visited the victim and her family at their home in Queen City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the first occasion, the victim younger than 14, woke up to Venson touching her leg and moving his hand to her private area the document stated, the DAs office said. He then proceeded to touch her private area over her underwear. In the second incident, the victim and Venson were watching a movie in her familys living room when he tried to touch her again. According to the DA, the victim testified that she left the living room before Venson went any further. During the final incident, Venson reportedly grabbed the victims hand and forced her to touch his private parts. The document said the victim didnt immediately come forward and report the abuse until her mother found a text from her daughter to Venson. The text said that he needed to focus on his fiance rather than herself. When the mother asked about the text, her daughter reportedly admitted that Venson had been putting his hands down her pants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OFFICIALS: Man arrested after assaulting Texarkana police officer The document says that the victim and mother testified about the relationship between Venson and the family, including the text messages between the victim and Venson after the inappropriate behavior was discovered. Afterwards, law enforcement was called and the victim was taken to Texarkana Childrens Advocacy Center where a forensic interview took place. During the interview, the victim reportedly made an outcry that detailed several acts of sexual abuse. This case is a prime example of how difficult it is for child victims to come forward about the abuse they are suffering, especially when they know it will tear their family apart. And on top of that, the process of coming forward and having to deal with the criminal case is not easy and causes additional trauma. But we are extremely grateful and proud of the victim for having the courage to come forward and face her abuser in court and let the jury know what he did. Because of her, there is one less child predator on the streets. Assistant District Attorney Nick Ross 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. US President Donald Trump has called on Russia to make a "deal" to end the war in Ukraine, warning of intensified sanctions and tariffs against Moscow if no agreement is reached. Source: Trump on his social media platform Truth Social, as reported by European Pravda Details: Trump said he "is not looking to harm Russia", expressed his love for the Russian people, and highlighted his "very good relationship with Putin". He also recalled how "Russia helped us win WWII, losing almost 60 million lives in the process". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "All of that being said, I am going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and Putin a very big FAVOUR. Settle now and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE." More details: Trump warned that if a "deal" to end the war is not reached "soon", he will have "no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States and various other participating countries". Quote: "Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were president, over with! We can do it the easy way or the hard way and the easy way is always better. Its time to MAKE A DEAL. NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!" Background: On the first day of his presidency, Trump said that Vladimir Putin was destroying Russia by not ending the war. Later, Trump indicated he was prepared to consider stronger sanctions against Russia if it refused to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. As he congratulated Trump on taking office, Putin said he was ready to engage in dialogue regarding Russias war against Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Like death and taxes, speculation about an alliance between the Conservatives and Reform UK is unavoidable. Now that Suella Braverman has spoken enthusiastically about the need for a united Right-wing in Britain to emulate the electoral success and legislative agenda of Donald Trump, this is a topic that will dominate Conservative circles for the foreseeable future. The Government will not be unhappy or overly concerned about the former home secretarys intervention, made during a trip to Washington, DC, for the presidents inauguration this week. Ministers recognise that even if such an arrangement could be agreed between the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, it would not happen soon, nor without a disastrous fracturing of the Tories already fragile coalition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet the attraction to Braverman and others in her party of offering voters a single Right-wing option on future ballot papers is one that will sustain this speculation. Under Britains first-past-the-post electoral system, any party whose core voter base is split will not prosper. Consider the plight of the Labour Party under the hapless Michael Foot in 1983, when it faced the twin threat of a confident Conservative government and a splinter faction the Social Democratic Party consisting mainly of ex-Labour MPs disillusioned by Labours leftward drift. Mrs Thatchers party won a landslide victory, with Labour reduced to barely 200 seats and the SDP/Liberal Alliance returning just 23 MPs. Last years general election produced a similar result, with the Conservatives, facing opponents on both their Left and Right flanks, reduced to a rump of 120 seats and now facing an impregnable Labour majority of 170. Yet in examining the core of Bravermans proposal for an unspecified electoral alliance between her own party and Reform, its clear that she envisages less of a merger than a take-over. All of the Trump-style reforms that she wants enacted in Britain a tougher line on genderism and immigration, the abolition of the Human Rights Act, as well as withdrawal from both the Paris climate change treaty and the World Health Organisation, as the Trump administration has done play to Reforms agenda rather than the Conservatives, the latter of which retains at least some moderate centrists to whom Trump remains a figure of fun or of horror. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Political alliances are supposed to be a two-way street: if Conservatives must embrace at least some core Reform aims, what compromises can Nigel Farage be expected to make in order to broaden the appeal of this new party? Its difficult to think of a single area of policy where Farage would be willing to lean to his Left. A full-on merger between the two parties might win the support of some members of the electorate currently flirting with the notion of supporting Reform in future. But it would turn off moderate Tory voters who have stayed true to the party despite, rather than because of, its Rightwards drift. Both Farage and Badenoch will be reading the runes and the tea-leaves to discern a way forward that will deliver the necessary electoral dividends in the short term. Both will be tempted to look at what happened to the Labour Party after it recovered from its succession of defeats in the 1980s and the 2010s. Despite competing against a plethora of other Left-wing parties the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, as well as independent pro-Gaza candidates and nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales it succeeded in winning enough support to govern on its own. That is the real prize. The difficulty for Farage and Badenoch is that they both believe they can pull off the same trick and both of them cannot be right. 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. The dust has settled on the 2024 election, and Republicans remain gleeful about their opponents struggles. One source of Republican glee is the now-infamous financial mismanagement of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. In just 15 weeks, the Harris-Walz campaign burned through $1.5 billion, only to lose convincingly in seven out of seven battlegrounds. From glitzy fundraisers to millions of dollars on a single celebrity endorsement, the Harris spending spree was historic for all the wrong reasons, and more details are emerging by the week that will live in infamy long after election 2024. Democrats are now left wondering how they became the party of the elites, to quote The New Yorker. Republicans, on the other hand, can celebrate a Trump campaign that was drastically outspent but outperformed Harris in every single battleground state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But now is the time to tread carefully. There is such a thing as humility in victory, knowing that the pendulum of politics swings back and forth. Even better, there is such a thing as learning from victory, so that weaknesses can become strengths in the years ahead. Lets be clear: A red wave in 2026 is not a foregone conclusion just because something like that just happened in November. Nor is 2028 a given for JD Vance or any other Republican nominee for president, assuming Democrats learn their own lessons and correct course by moving to the middle (still to be determined). So how can Republicans learn from their red wave? Its the money, stupid. Yet again, the 2024 election exposed a troubling vulnerability for Republicans that leaves them exposed in the 2026 midterms and beyond, and that is low-dollar fundraising. Although welcome allies, Republicans have come to rely far too heavily on individual donors like Elon Musk. The hero worship of Musks mobilization in battleground states such as Pennsylvania which was pivotal masks the fact that an overreliance on mega-donors like him can spell long-term trouble. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Musk had not flooded the zone with critical soft dollars to get out the vote in Pennsylvania, the 2024 election could have turned out very differently, and there would be no reason for Republicans to celebrate. Without Musk, Harriss $1.5 billion spending spree may have looked like a prudent investment. There is no guarantee of sustained mobilization from Musk or other high-dollar sources come 2026, let alone 2028, and Republicans must prepare accordingly. My company is extremely engaged in Senate and House races, and Republicans are often outraised three-to-one among low-dollar donors. This failure stems from a struggle to engage with everyday voters who can only contribute $10 or $25 to a campaign. Even if such voters are highly motivated by a once-in-a-generation candidate like Donald Trump, that doesnt necessarily translate to a low-dollar gift. Republicans must figure out how to engage with low-dollar donors and speak in their terms, even if it translates to only $5 here and $5 there. Most voters are with Republicans on issues like the economy and immigration, but candidates and campaigns still need to go out of their way to bring them into the fold. On the left, there is much talk about economic populism and Democrats embracing the Bernie Sanders model for presidential politics in future races. But Republicans can and should take their own cues from the Sanders campaigns of 2016 and 2020, when the Vermont senator used low-dollar fundraising to become a national sensation. The Sanders campaign relied primarily on donations under $50 a pop, attracting millions of voters who feel alienated by the Washington, D.C. establishment and seek attention from political forces like Sanders or Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the 2024 victory, it is not sustainable going forward for Republicans to trail Democrats by a three-to-one margin in any metric. Losing to a $1.5 billion candidate is a short-term win, but what does it say about the long run? What happens if the Democrats get similar funding, but put up a much stronger nominee? The Republican Party must focus on building deeper relationships with small dollar donors and drawing new donors into the GOP so we increase the number of new donors. The foundation for low-dollar success needs to be laid now before victory turns into inevitable defeat. Will Republicans learn in time? Wesley Donehue is founder and CEO of Push Digital Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. After four years covering a White House that prided itself on the clockwork predictability of process and routine, political reporters awoke on Tuesday morning to the familiar feeling of Trumpian chaos. Thanks to a pile of executive orders that President Trump had signed the night before, undoing many of former President Joe Bidens policies, it almost felt as if time hadnt passed at all since Jan. 20, 2021. Trump threw himself into the optics of governing with gusto, signing some of his most controversial orders in front of a cheering crowd at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. The disorienting spectacle was pure Trump. A majority of voters tired of Trumps never-ending circus by the time his first term wound down. Now, freed from the concerns of running again, Trump has repeatedly pledged to use his second term to cement his MAGA ideology into every aspect of American politics and culture. The end result will be an America that is unrecognizable to half of the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least this time around, we wont need to wrestle with a movement that attempts to deny, minimize or sugarcoat the autocratic, big-government nature of its political goals. Gone are the days when Trump sycophants in Congress pretended to not understand the presidents actions. Now the disloyal have either left the party or faced humiliating political purges. Four years ago, a few House Republicans might have raised some small protest over Trumps decision to pardon 1,500 January 6 rioters. Among those freed are 600 men and women who attacked police officers and 14 senior members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, two street gangs who mask their violence in the language of conservative patriotism. Several of those men, including Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, were serving lengthy sentences for seditious conspiracy. If you beat up a cop, of course you deserve to go to prison. If you violated the law, you should suffer the consequences, Vice President JD Vance told CNN back in May, before the expediency of becoming Trumps running mate forced him to surrender his principles. Survey some of the Republican lawmakers walking the halls of Congress, and few will even acknowledge the pardons exist. Instead, theyre still talking about Biden. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was one of the very few willing to offer even slight criticism of Trumps decision. No one should excuse violence. And particularly violence against police officers, McConnell told Semafor on Tuesday. Thats a fine sentiment, but Republican leaders know by now they can safely ignore McConnell. At 82 years old, battling ill health and with his political career winding to a close, Trump must see McConnell as hardly worth the effort to berate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The invisible Republican response to Trumps anti-cop pardons may be met with obedient silence on Capitol Hill, but voters havent yet been cowed into silence. Most Americans dislike pardons in general, a fact we learned following Bidens disastrous decision to pardon his son Hunter for a handful of federal crimes. Voters like pardons for violent anti-government kooks even less. A new AP-NORC poll finds just 20 percent of Americans support Trumps sweeping January 6 pardons an even lower number than after Bidens pardons. That might bother a political party thats still interested in majoritarian politics, but having achieved his victory, Trump no longer needs to appeal to voters. That his fellow Republicans in Congress still have elections to worry about is a secondary concern. The sweeping nature of Trumps pardons indicates hes prepared to go all out with the time he has in power, regardless of its long-term consequences for a post-Trump Republican Party. Thats why, at the height of his political might, both Republicans and Democrats should exercise caution in cutting legislative deals with Trump. The first heaving days of his presidency make clear that Trump is playing largely for himself and the solidification of his personal legacy. While his MAGA movement has been an undeniable boon for the Republican Party, its worth remembering that most of that magic has never translated well beyond Trump himself. Just ask Ron DeSantis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps overwhelming self-interest, coupled with the unaccountability of never needing to run for office again, makes him an unreliable president and a short-sighted party leader. As far as Trump is concerned, the Republican Party will be someone elses mess in 2029. This second Trump era is going to feel a lot like the first. It will be always-on, frenetic in its pace and exhausting in the volume of news it produces. And by Trumps own admittedly brilliant design, most of that coverage will be about him. Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies. 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 The Hill. President Trumps chilling promise to target migrants for mass deportation should have motivated Californias governor and Legislature to take substantive steps to protect our immigrant community. But Gov. Gavin Newsoms proposed immigrant support network and $25-million fund for the states legal defense miss the mark. The states leaders are overlooking our legal systems single most important means of preventing mass deportations: public defenders. The vast majority of deportations start when a noncitizen encounters law enforcement, often during a routine traffic stop or misdemeanor arrest. Even if prosecutors decline to charge such an individual with a crime, a simple detention can escalate to deportation proceedings. Early access to a public defender with adequate training and resources is therefore the first line of defense against mass deportations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Opinion: Why Trump's plan to deport millions will fall far short of what it promises But Californias public defense system is in crisis because the state has declined to fund it at the county level. California simply does not have enough public defenders, and those we do have are overwhelmed by massive caseloads with limited resources. Furthermore, few California public defender offices have immigration specialists on staff, leaving many unable to effectively navigate the complex issues involved. With an estimated 1.8 million people without proper documentation in California, this constitutes an immense shortage of crucial legal services. While the state and federal constitutions guarantee a right to counsel, many defendants in California dont meet their lawyers until days or even weeks after an arrest. But early access to an attorney is particularly vital to defend those targeted for deportation. Critical decisions are often made in the first hours or days of a case, when, guilty or not, people without access to a public defender are routinely pressured into waiving the right to counsel, incriminating themselves or accepting unjust plea bargains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed $25-million fund for state agencies to mount a legal defense against mass deportations will prove to be an empty gesture if there arent enough public defenders to represent people in a timely manner. Read more: Abcarian: Trump's deportations are on a collision course with a California economy built on hypocrisy The state must immediately provide counties with more funding to hire public defenders, particularly those with immigration expertise. San Diego and San Francisco have excellent examples of public defender units focused on immigration that can serve as statewide models. Officials could take advantage of the Office of the State Public Defenders Indigent Defense Improvement Division to create standards for immigration defense programs, grant funds to counties that meet them and collect data to assess the efficacy of their work. In addition, the Legislature should follow the examples of Arizona and Florida by mandating that Californians have access to an attorney within 24 hours of an arrest. A bill introduced in the last session would have done so, but it died in committee. Early access to counsel not only has the capacity to prevent deportations but also has been shown to improve public safety, reduce incarceration and save counties money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before showering the attorney generals office with money or creating a social services network, the governor and lawmakers must invest in the first line of defense for Californians who are most at risk of removal. The states immigrant communities need prompt, effective and robust legal representation now. Cyn Yamashiro is a principal at the legal reform advocacy group the Wren Collective. 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. Three months ago, I worked the fireline in New Yorks Sterling Forest, fighting whats commonly known as the Jennings Creek fire. I was only on the line for a day, but rotating crews battled that monster for two weeks. In the end, it burned 5,000 acres the largest and most destructive fire in the Hudson Valley in recent memory. I spent most of my time cutting trees with a small electric chainsaw, felling them before they could become fuel bridges, allowing the fire to escape. I was shocked to learn that New York State Parks officer Dariel Vasquez was killed by a falling tree shortly after I came off the line, and wondered if he had died doing similar work. For the rest of the time the Jennings Creek fire burned, I ran local calls for other fire companies whose crews were denuded working in the forest. Complaining to a friend that I couldnt do more (Im a volunteer who serves when Im not working my day job), he replied, Dont worry, with climate change, youll get another chance and sooner than you think. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, this mirrored a warning I sounded just six months ago. And then Los Angeles burned, and I realized that were just getting started. Worse, I discovered that so much of the discourse around what to do to prevent this in the future is pointed in the wrong direction. When last we had an update, the death toll in the Los Angeles fires stood at 27, with 40,000 acres burned and the largest portions of the blaze still not contained. The number of people under evacuation orders at one point stood at nearly 200,000. With more than 17,000 structures destroyed so far, this fire has jumped the wildland urban interface. This means the fire moved from the wildland fuels that built and grew it and consumed structures where urban meets rural. That didnt happen in the Jennings Creek fire, but this was a miracle, per a local town supervisor. Jennings Creek wasnt even close to being as wind-driven as whats happening in Los Angeles, but there were certainly moments. Id be working the fireline a safe distance from the flames, the wind would pick up briefly, and within seconds, Id be standing in them. Fires like these, starting in the wildland and threatening habitations, need to be addressed and urgently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The press is rife with recriminations. President Trump has blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (calling him Newscum) for the disaster. A lot of hay is being made of the fact that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who promised not to travel internationally while serving, happened to be in Ghana at a state event when the fires broke out. Newsom has ordered an investigation into why hydrants ran dry. Foreign countries have sent help, and rich folks are hiring private crews. Manpower and water dominate the headlines, and those things are important for combatting fires, but I am not seeing much conversation about fire prevention, specifically about building the kind of resilient forests that will prevent fires from taking off like this in the first place. Take Bend, Ore. The city butts up against the tall Ponderosa pine of the 1.6 million-acre Deschutes National Forest, a veritable tinderbox on its very doorstep. Bends arid climate, hot, dry summers, abundant grasses and reputation as an outdoor destination for vacationers make it a prime candidate for the kind of wildfires that encroach on human habitations just like what were witnessing in Los Angeles. The city has responded with the kind of preventative thinking were going to need moving into a climate-change-strained future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This includes the Own Your Zone program, helping homeowners develop defensible space, essentially creating home firelines that remove combustible fuel. In a twist of intense irony, Oregon unveiled new codes mandating vegetation reduction in certain zones on new maps of wildfire-susceptible areas on Jan. 7, the very same day the conflagration kicked off in Los Angeles. But the shining example is the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project, a volunteer collaborative focused squarely on the problem of ensuring healthy forests are getting the helping hand they need. The collaborative helps to tackle climate change, and build the kind of resilient wildland that wont cure wildfires but can help ensure those wildfires that do break out are easier to control. Indeed, wildfires shouldnt be cured, as many ecosystems are dependent on normal natural burns that are nothing like what we saw in Jennings Creek or what were currently seeing in Los Angeles. This involves a range of commonsense measures which, unlike the dramatic and immediate impact of assets like additional firefighters, the gear they need to do their jobs, and abundant water, have to be undertaken gradually, over many, many years, to help wildlands build the resilience they need to keep these kinds of blazes manageable. In some parts of the forest, the Deschutes Collabortive notes, we are past the point of allowing nature to take its course. These forest stands need our help to get back to health. This includes a variety of forest management practices, including reducing invasive species that burn more readily than native plants, thinning to remove thick underbrush that adds to the fire fuel load and opens canopies that prevents crown-to-crown spread of fire through the treetops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire suppression efforts in wildlands are necessary in many cases, but they also run counter to the natural ecosystem that depends on fire (there are species of pine and oak that require it) to maintain balance. Big meadows, cleared by fire, become overgrown, adding to fuel load and allowing for more rapid spread. Prescribed or controlled burns, where humans deliberately simulate the natural spread of fire, can help mitigate this, but it requires funding, skill, and care. Even then, theyre still risky. In 2022, a controlled burn leapt its bounds to become the worst wildfire in New Mexicos history. In fact, some are arguing that forest management is the real culprit behind the Los Angeles fires, but these are fringe voices sometimes tied to climate change denial, and drowned out by the focus on bodies, water and gear. Back here in New York, there are multiple projects like the Deschutes Collaborative. Theres the Black Rock Forest Consortium, just down the road from me. Theres the Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing and Conservation, which strikes a rare balance between attempting conscious management of ecosystems alongside the need to provide affordable housing to the regions growing population. The Audubon Society runs a healthy forests initiative in the state that helps create the kind of wildland resilience that might help prevent the next Jennings Creek disaster, or at least make it more manageable. All of these efforts, like Deschutes, are nonprofit, heavily dependent on community involvement, volunteer labor and public funding. You cant even call the Los Angeles fires a warning shot. Rather, they are merely the latest episode in a rapidly unfolding story. With climate changes increasing impact, and the increasingly populated intersection between wildland and urban environments, we can expect more of the same unless we address it urgently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of that move should absolutely be the tools firefighters need more hands to do the hard work, more water to put the wet stuff on the red stuff, more and better gear. But the longer, slower and more patient work of managing the wildlands where these things start is going to be a critical part of that fight, demanding volunteers, dedicated activists and, of course, lots and lots of money. Whats more, it demands political courage and deft communication to sell the slower and more complex solution to a public who, as the current news cycle and social media conversation shows, have short attention spans consumed by outrage. As we reckon with what is still unfolding around Los Angeles, we need to be thinking about the full range of solutions to employ to move toward a time where this becomes a moment in history, and not the new normal. Myke Cole is a historian, novelist and essayist. His career spans service in the military, intelligence, law enforcement and firefighting. His most recent book is Steel Lobsters: Crown, Commonwealth, and the Last Knights in England. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. Los Angeles is being investigated, pilloried and derided over the horrific loss of life and property in the 2025 fires. Certainly, Mayor Karen Bass, the City Council and the county Board of Supervisors, and many of their recent predecessors, have not convinced the world that L.A. is a governable city. Fire preparedness isnt the only problem. In recent years, Los Angeles has been losing residents right and left. Census data show that its poverty rate is among the highest in the state, and that it's in the top 10 nationwide . South L.A., roughly the area between the 10 Freeway south to the city boundary, locale of two of the worst riots in U.S. history, is now poorer in relation to the rest of Los Angeles than it was before those upheavals the Watts riots, in 1965, and the Rodney King unrest in 1992. The city and county of Los Angeles has the second-highest unhoused population in the U.S., behind New York, and yet L.A. builds far less new housing than almost every other large metro. It has a deepening budget hole . Read more: With rain possible for the weekend, Bass works to shore up burn areas Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The news is far better if you look at smaller cities in the county: Downey, Lakewood, South Gate, Cerritos, Bellflower and Paramount. As you drive through downtown neighborhoods toward these southeastern suburbs, youre likely to encounter broken pavement, battered buildings, empty storefronts and sidewalks crowded with vendors and food stalls reminiscent of the developing world. But just past the city limits, the reality changes. In South Gate, for example, the main streets are well-maintained and landscaped, and theres a dearth of the graffiti and homeless camps that scar so much of Los Angeles. A study by Chapman University researcher Bheki Mahlobo to be published later this year found that these cities generally outperform the city in many important economic, social and educational markers. The overall office vacancy rate in downtown L.A., 31.5% in mid-2024, is more than three times higher than in the smaller cities to the south. Mahlobos comparisons show that the unemployment rate and poverty rate are lower in Bellflower, Cerritos, South Gate, Paramount, Lakewood and Downey than in adjacent parts of Los Angeles. All have violent crime rates below Los Angeles as a whole, and less than half of that endured in adjacent city neighborhoods. Read more: Newsom orders investigation into dry fire hydrants that hampered firefighting in L.A. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These suburbs' livability has been hard-won. Two decades ago, Paramount was written off as among the worst suburbs in the country. Rand described it as an urban disaster area. Many were devastated by factory layoffs and plant shutdowns in the 1970s, recalls Hector De La Torre, executive director of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, a joint-powers authority of 27 cities and several unincorporated areas. Their economic base was torn from them, he added, but these places figured how to adjust. Size matters, De La Torre suggests being small, between 50,000 and 100,000 people is a sweet spot, and the successful cities in Mahlobos study were basically in that range. Although some suffered from corruption in the past, most have built on the close connections between voters and the elected officials: These cities compete with each other, which is very helpful, De La Torre told me, and they are small enough that officeholders get a lot of feedback. Read more: L.A. fire rebuilding might be on collision course with Trump immigration crackdown The city of L.A. isnt suddenly going to shrink from 3.8 million people to 100,000, but it could take some lessons from the best-performing smaller cities. They govern within themselves; they are hyperlocal in their focus. These communities are held together by a sense of pride more than anything, notes Lakewood City Manager Thaddeus McCormick. Its about accomplishing things in the here and now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here and now refers to taking care of basics, especially public safety and infrastructure. Los Angeles expends time, money and political capital on massive problems social justice overall, climate change, even foreign policy with a large helping of blue tribe ideology. The City Council made a show of refusing to cooperate with federal immigration policies right after President Trump's reelection. In March, Bass signed a climate agreement with Finland, and in August, she released proposals for paying slavery reparations to its residents. Caring about big issues is fine, but it is hardly as important or appropriate for city government as the here and now. In the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, then-Mayor Richard Riordan repeatedly questioned and overcame bureaucratic roadblocks that would slow recovery. With the help of then-Gov. Pete Wilson, he managed to get a critical section of the 10 Freeway near downtown rebuilt in a remarkable 66 days . Under Riordan, much of the city, including sections that burned in the 1992 riots, was rebuilt. Read more: Inside L.A.'s desperate battle for water as the Palisades fire exploded L.A.s government is technically nonpartisan, but it was no secret that Riordan was a center-right Republican. When he was elected, notes his campaign strategist, Arnold Steinberg, registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans 2 to 1; today he estimates the ratio as 4 to 1. If the city and county can be fixed, it will have to be largely by Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The good news is that even before the fires, Angelenos patience with ineffective government was wearing thin. They voted out L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascon, a champion of progressive criminal justice reform, amid a backlash against his alleged soft on crime policies. Now the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires are fueling a recall push against Bass, whose junket to Ghana as extreme fire danger loomed exacerbates the view that she didnt take firefighting budgets and infrastructure seriously enough. Until the fires, Los Angeles seemed to be itching to fight Trump on national issue after national issue. Now it has to look inward and rekindle pragmatism at City Hall and at the Board of Supervisors. L.A. needs to trade its ideological posturing for whats really needed more water pressure in hillside fire hydrants, building permits that speed rebuilding rather than hinder it, and keeping the hills and the flats, the beaches and the mountains, and the people who live there, safe. Joel Kotkin is a contributing writer to Opinion, the presidential fellow for urban futures at Chapman University and senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. 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. Jan. 21What might have been a battle between two Democratic heavyweights for governor of New Mexico is shaping up as no contest at all. Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland looked almost gubernatorial Tuesday as she attended opening-day ceremonies of the New Mexico Legislature. She was perhaps the most recognizable face at the Capitol after her four years in the Biden administration. If Haaland is going to run for governor, she will make her move in a few months. The Democratic primary is in June 2026. Serious contenders will allow themselves more than a year to raise money and devise a strategy to carry the vote-rich Albuquerque metro area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With Haaland in New Mexico's hub of politicking, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich sounded as if he's staying in Washington rather than preparing to campaign for governor. Heinrich made his most definitive statement to date after President Trump's inauguration Monday. "In the long four years ahead, I will do my part to fight for working families, our democracy, and the values that are core to both, while holding President Trump accountable for the hurt he inflicts," Heinrich said. He sounds like a senator committed to staying put. Trump is one good reason for Heinrich to keep doing his work in the Senate. Self-awareness is another. Heinrich only 11 weeks ago won reelection to another six-year term in the Senate. He was cagey during his Senate campaign about whether he would run for governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With Trump tossing around executive orders like so much confetti, Heinrich knows he'd face condemnation if he shifted his attention to a gubernatorial campaign. There's another factor weighing against Heinrich. He would stand a good chance of losing to Haaland in a primary for governor. An obvious reason is Haaland would be a formidable candidate. She was one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Less than three years later, in 2021, she became the first Native American to serve as a U.S. Cabinet secretary. She's been in the big league of politics. The pressures of running for governor wouldn't be more intimidating than a partisan confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haaland's presence at the state Capitol didn't obscure a notable absence. For a few days at least, there will be taxation without representation for residents of New Mexico House District 6. They can blame the commissioners of Cibola and McKinley counties, who put cronyism above the law. The House of Representatives went into session Tuesday with 69 of the 70 seats filled. District 6 had no lawmaker. Seven of the eight commissioners in Cibola and McKinley counties nominated former state Rep. Harry Garcia to fill a vacancy in District 6. After the seat opened in November, Garcia suddenly attested he lived in a trailer park he owns in District 6 rather than in his spacious home miles away in House District 69. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Skeptics protested. They said Garcia, a 75-year-old Democrat, had not left the comforts of his house for a trailer park. County politicians nonetheless remained helpful to Garcia, a former state representative in District 69. Led by Chairperson Christine Lowery, Cibola County's five commissioners voted unanimously to nominate Garcia to fill the vacancy in District 6. Lowery said dual residency is common in rural New Mexico. She ignored the real issue: Garcia doesn't live in the district he hoped to represent. Two of the three commissioners in McKinley County also nominated Garcia to fill the vacancy. Only Commissioner Danielle Notah had the good sense to oppose Garcia's candidacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mindful of doubts about where Garcia lives, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham refused to appoint him until his residency was investigated by the state attorney general's staff. The agents released a report last week saying Garcia does not reside in the trailer park. Garcia was groggy from a night of sleep in his house when an agent arrived at his door in District 69. As of press time Tuesday, neither the McKinley nor Cibola commissioners had scheduled meetings to nominate someone other than Garcia. Members said they were awaiting official requests from the governor for new nominees. Commissioner Ralph Lucero of Cibola County said a special meeting of his board might be possible as soon as Friday night. New Mexico's public meetings law requires a 72-hour notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lucero said Cibola's legal department and the secretary of state's staff advised the commissioners Garcia had changed his voter registration record to claim he lived in the trailer park. "I accepted that to mean he was a resident of the district," Lucero said. Garcia wasn't able to pull off a residential shell game to return to power. The downside is the 30,000 residents of House District 6 will have to wait for a voice at the Capitol. Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080. When asked in recent interviews, What has been your greatest career achievement to date? I havent hesitated to say I created and launched Facebooks Supplier Diversity Program. With that program, Facebook (it wasnt Meta yet) committed to integrating diversity into the fabric of the company, not just through improving employee representation, but also by strategically engaging demographics with large spending power to make better products and reflect our user base. Now, I have to change my answer, thanks to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a guest of President Donald Trumps inauguration, who just deposited Metas Supplier Diversity Program in the circular file because it no longer serves him or, in this case, doesnt please the incoming administration. Im not surprised Zuckerberg is getting rid of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative I helped create, or that hes removing fact-checking and letting people from marginalized communities be subjected to more harassment. Im only surprised that it took him so long. Sheryl Sandberg, who served as Facebooks chief operating officer between 2008 and 2022, was the companys champion of content moderation, sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion. When she left in 2022, I started a countdown clock in my head for the inevitable. With Sandberg gone, the buffer was removed. So what might strike outsiders as a change in ethos for the company is really just Zuckerberg showing us who he really is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The business case for diversity was only valid as long as Sandberg was around to enforce it. Now that its not politically in vogue, Zuckerberg is abandoning the business use case for diversity and fact-checking, and hes picked for his VP of global policy Joel Kaplan (who sat behind Brett Kavanaugh, his friend from the George W. Bush White House, at his Senate confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court). All are clear signs of Zuckerbergs conservative philosophy. During the so-called racial reckoning of the summer of 2020, which we now can see was a huge demonstration of corporate pandering, companies were bending over backward to demonstrate how inclusive and accommodating they could be. Conglomerate after conglomerate issued saccharine statements about supporting their diverse (read: Black) employees after the murder of George Floyd, while Covid disproportionately ravaged Black and brown communities. Hundreds of millions of dollars were pledged to civic and civil rights organizations to do business with Black companies and to fund training programs and scholarships to ease that pesky and ever-present pipeline problem. In June 2020, Facebook pledged a $1.1 billion investment in Black and diverse suppliers and communities in the U.S. In 2022, Meta reported: In 2021, we exceeded our diverse supplier commitment, spending $1.26 billion with US certified diverse suppliers and more than $306 million with Black-owned businesses in the US. Sandberg left the company as COO the year that report was made, and gone with her was the desire to protect DEI initiatives. Zuckerberg, whos now evangelizing on the virtues of masculine energy in companies, has reportedly blamed Sandberg for the existence of the company's diversity initiatives and said she was the reason why he couldnt disband them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta abandoning all companywide DEI programs would mean abandoning efforts to recruit at schools typically outside of their funnel the Grace Hopper Conference, the AfroTech Conference, historically Black colleges and universities and state schools so its clear diversity is not an asset to them. Zuckerberg must have seen Elon Musk of X questioning the talent and intellect of HBCU students; by eliminating DEI programs, hes essentially doing the same. This is personal for me. From October 2014 to October 2016, I spent nights, weekends and even part of my maternity leave, creating the supplier diversity program. And now its defunct. The company went from hosting what's called the Billion Dollar Roundtable with Google three months ago to disbanding the whole program the next quarter, giving me the worst case of whiplash known to man. When political tides change, lobbyists and global affairs teams seek to improve their relationships with the new people in power. That playbook is nothing new. But surely, Zuckerberg could make inroads with the new administration without co-hosting a black-tie gala or sitting on the dais during Trumps inauguration. Making nice with a new administration definitely doesnt require a visit to Mar-A-Lago or sharing his planned policy changes with Trump adviser Stephen Miller before announcing them. With the end of fact-checking and Meta abandoning diversity, marginalized people are not only unsafe on these platforms, but hate speech is damn near encouraged. If thats the kind of products and policies being created, I have no faith that our voices will be heard concerning the disparate impact on product changes. Because to get rid of DEI initiatives is to make sure were no longer at the table. Even for those still at Meta, their voice will carry less weight as soon as they advocate for those viewpoints, use cases and outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only thing people can do at this point is vote with their engagement. Im encouraging people I know to delete their accounts or let them sit dormant. We need to move on from platforms that give free rein to people foaming at the mouth to insult and harm us for their pleasure and that create products that dont consider their disparate impact on us or our communities. All that as they sell our data. Are these fundamental changes, or are they just for show? Some may be holding out hope that the DEI work Meta says its abandoning will still be done, just under a different name, but I dont believe that. I believe this is Zuckerberg showing us who he really is. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Recent reports about TikTok have exposed a deeply troubling practice: adults using virtual currency to pay minors for inappropriate acts on the platforms LIVE feature. Even more disturbing, TikTok allegedly allowed this to happen while failing to enforce effective age restrictions. An internal investigation, known as Project Meramec, uncovered evidence of sexual exploitation involving children, and instead of acting swiftly to protect them, TikTok prioritized profits over safety. This is not just about corporate negligence; its about a system that monetizes exploitation. TikTok must be held accountable for creating a platform that not only permits but profits from harm to children. Protecting kids online is a shared responsibility, and social media companies like TikTok cannot be allowed to shirk theirs for the sake of financial gain. In Utah, our commitment to families runs deep. Grounded in strong community values, we have always prioritized creating safe, supportive environments where families can thrive. But today, that mission faces a new and urgent threat: data mining companies better known as social media companies exploiting our children and prioritizing profit over safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2009, rates of self-harm among young women have skyrocketed a trend researchers directly link to the growing impact of social media. With 95% of teens now using these platforms and over a third admitting to being online almost constantly, the data paints a troubling picture. Nationwide, 57% of teen girls report persistent sadness or hopelessness, and closer to home, 88% of Utah parents believe social media harms children and youth. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent our children, our neighbors and the future of our state. This crisis demands action. Utah is answering the call with a comprehensive, threefold strategy that addresses the issue from every angle: legislation, litigation and education. Legislation First, we are leading the charge with groundbreaking legislation. Recognizing the connection between excessive screen time and rising anxiety and depression, weve enacted laws to enhance data privacy protections and set limits on harmful digital behaviors. These measures are designed to give parents more control while holding tech companies accountable for their exploitative practices. Litigation Second, Utah is taking a stand through litigation. We are pursuing legal action to protect our children from harmful digital practices and inappropriate content. By challenging these companies in court, we aim to ensure that technology serves as a tool for connection and learning not a source of harm. Education Finally, we are empowering families through education. Resources like socialharms.utah.gov provide parents with the tools they need to understand and mitigate social medias impact on mental health. By fostering awareness and equipping families with actionable solutions, we are strengthening the fabric of our communities. Moving forward This continues to be a back-and-forth issue at the national level, but here in Utah, we refuse to let it be that way. Protecting our youth requires every platform to step up, take responsibility and make safety a priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utah has always been a state that leads with vision and values. Other states are adopting our approach as a model for their own policies, and at the federal level, theres growing acknowledgment of the importance of this issue. We remain steadfast in holding social media companies accountable until every child is safe. This isnt just a government initiative; its a collective effort. Utahns know that protecting our children requires the combined strength of parents, educators, community leaders and policymakers. Together, we are forging a path forward one that safeguards our childrens well-being in the digital age. Last fall, I stood in front of a classroom of 24 undergraduates and asked how many of them wanted to become teachers. Only one raised their hand. This wasnt just any classit was the education course designed to inspire students to choose an education major and join the teaching profession. In that moment, I knew I had my work cut out for me. But I shouldnt have been surprised. Everywhere you look, it appears that the U.S. teaching profession is in a state of crisis. While the severity varies by state, the nation continues to see declines in teacher education program enrollment and perceptions of teaching as a prestigious career. From my regular interactions with students, its clear that negative messages about the profession are deeply ingrained in their minds. So where are these messages coming from? Why arent young people interested in teaching? While these are complex questions without simple answers, TikTok, the ultimate message spreader, offers us a window into one part of the puzzle. Over half of Americans aged 18-34 use TikTok. However, the fate of the app is now uncertain. On Sunday, TikTok shut down as a nationwide ban was set to go into effect. On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting a 75-day extension, allowing the Chinese company more time to consider selling. Whatever the future holds, its crucial to reflect on what it taught us about the field of education. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter TikTok has been a paradoxical tool for education: both damaging and useful. For every report about the apps negative effects on teaching and learning (e.g., mental health concerns and destructive challenges), there are reports of the apps benefits (e.g., open-source instructional strategies and community engagement). When I began researching teachers use of TikTok, I was struck by how videos tagged with the hashtag #TeacherQuitTok epitomized this duality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related How One School Principal Uses TikTok to Build School Culture & Recruit Teachers #TeacherQuitTok, with over 400 million views, serves as a digital repository of teachers resignation stories. Scrolling through these videos reveals raw emotion and unfiltered truths. Teachers across the U.S. share their journeys of leaving the profession, often capturing poignant moments packing up classrooms, bidding farewell to students, or speaking directly to the camera through tears. These videos combine personal footage with text overlays, music, and storytelling to underscore the gravity of resignations and expose systemic challenges that push educators to the brink. Teachers reasons for quitting echo decades of educational research: unmanageable workloads, insufficient pay, deteriorating mental health and a lack of support. One teacher shares, I quit my teaching job in the middle of the year because of the daily stress. I developed anxiety and fell into a depression. I had to take meds just to cope. Her story is far from unique. Many educators on TikTok describe similar struggles, reflecting a profession under immense strain. In a sense, #TeacherQuitTok has become a digital picket line, allowing teachers to bypass traditional exit interviews and speak directly to the public. The sheer volume of posts transforms individual resignations into a collective statement: The U.S. teaching profession is unsustainable under current conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While some may dismiss these posts as venting, I argue that #TeacherQuitTok plays a vital role in shaping public discourse about the profession. TikToks algorithm amplifies these stories, enabling some to reach millions of viewers. For instance, one viral video of a teacher resigning has garnered over 13 million viewsan unprecedented audience for a workplace grievance. Related TikTok Trend has Students Stealing and Schools Reeling This amplification is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it reinforces the perception that teaching is a profession riddled with stress and systemic obstacles, potentially deterring young people from pursuing it. On the other hand, it validates educators struggles, fosters solidarity, and pressures policymakers to address the systemic issues driving teachers away. For researchers, social media platforms like TikTok provide valuable data to gauge public sentiment about teaching and identify critical areas for reform. In this case, the popularity of #TeacherQuitTok is a clarion call for urgent action. These stories underscore that teacher well-being is inexorably linked to the quality of education students receive. Schools cannot function without teachers, and if the profession continues to erode, the consequences for students and communities will be severe. To create an environment where teachers can thrive, schools must address foundational issues such as manageable workloads, competitive salaries, and mental health support. Whatever happens to TikTok, lets not forget the lessons it taught. Teachers are voting with their feet and sharing their decisions online. Whether its on TikTok or another app, teachers are no longer leaving quietly. By sharing their resignations online, they expose the challenges of the profession to the next generation. At a time when recruitment is plummeting, the country cannot afford for young people to be disillusioned before they even begin. Reforming the profession is no longer optional; it is essential for safeguarding the future of our education system. Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde delivered a powerful and compassionate sermon at a national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. While President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance sat in the sanctuary, the bishop challenged the new executive orders harming vulnerable communities, including immigrants and LGBTQ+ Americans. Predictably, Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the so-called Bishop as a Radical Left hard line Trump hater and accusing her of bringing her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. He dismissed her sermon as nasty in tone, boring and uninspiring, going so far as to demand an apology from her and her church. Neither Budde nor her church should apologize for following Jesus. Despite President Trump and his allies attacking Budde, its important to recognize that her compassionate sermon does not represent some left-wing fringe of American Christianity. Buddes words reflect the values held by a majority of American Christians a fact that Trumps divisive rhetoric seeks to obscure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country, Budde proclaimed. And were scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families some who fear for their lives. Trump and Vance might have been surprised to hear such a strong embrace of LGBTQ rights by a bishop, because the far-right evangelical and Catholic leaders who surround them are the chief purveyors of anti-LGBTQ hate. Yet theyre far from the norm. A strong majority of U.S. Christians including Catholics and evangelicals support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. Bishop Buddes Episcopal Church has been a leader within American Christianity and the worldwide Anglican Communion in advancing LGBTQ rights. Bishop Gene Robinson was elected the first openly gay bishop of a major U.S. denomination in 2003. Robinsons election must not have rankled Trump too much, because in 2005 he married Melania in an Episcopal church in Palm Beach, and his son Barron attended a private Episcopal school during the first Trump administration. Bishop Budde also called attention to Trumps executive actions targeting immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, she said. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues and temples. A few hours after the sermon, Trump revoked the Immigration and Customs Enforcements guidance against arresting undocumented immigrants in churches. But as with LGBTQ rights, the presidents virulently anti-immigrant actions are deeply unpopular among American Christians, including Catholics and evangelicals. Seventy-five percent of U.S. evangelicals support potential immigration legislation that establishes a path toward citizenship, according to a 2024 survey by LifeWay Research; 91% of them support potential immigration legislation that respects the God-given dignity of every person; and 70% agree that Christians have a responsibility to care sacrificially for refugees and other foreigners. Budde isnt the only religious leader calling out Trumps mass deportations agenda. Pope Francis has named a new Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy, who unequivocally declared mass deportations incompatible with Catholic doctrine in his first news conference earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buddes message was a reflection of Jesus call to love our neighbors, to care for the oppressed, and to seek justice for the marginalized. The fact that its gone viral across social media is proof that mainstream Christians are hungry for truth-telling, justice-seeking Christian leaders to step up at this critical moment for our democracy and our faith. Followers of Jesus are going to have to endure the president labeling us the Radical Left. Denigrating and attacking the Gospel is necessary for him to push his authoritarian agenda forward. Yes, he will continue to surround himself with court clerics and wave the banner of Christian nationalism. But Trumps outrage is evidence that, far from being a champion of religious freedom, he will treat any attempt to confront his policies in the name of Jesus as a challenge to his authority. At a time when political and religious divisions threaten to tear the country apart, Buddes voice reminds us of the power of faith to heal and transform. Her sermon not criticized harmful policies but invited us to build a more just and compassionate society. For Christians across the nation, the choice is clear: to follow the path of fear and exclusion or to embrace the Gospels call to love boldly, act justly and stand with the marginalized. Bishop Budde chose the latter and in doing so, she spoke for the majority of U.S. Christians. Let her words resonate in our hearts and in our actions for the next four years: May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that purportedly would end what is known as birthright citizenship, the concept that anyone born in the United States is a U.S. citizen. That right is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Just as a president does not have the authority to establish a national religion, or stay in office for a third term, the president does not have the authority to erase protections set forth in an amendment to the Constitution. To claim such authority is cynical at best, a sop to nativist elements on the right that should not survive legal challenge. But, in the meantime, millions of lives could be thrown into disarray with the presidents stroke of the pen, and perhaps thats the point. The notion of birthright citizenship was established as a principle of law in England in the 1600s and was enshrined in the U.S. Second Founding, the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution in the wake of the Civil War. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 14th Amendment, which guarantees to anyone born within the United States the rights and protections of citizenship, was a direct response to the Supreme Courts infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857. That decision became one of the many sparks that contributed to the Civil War. There, the court not only found unconstitutional any efforts by Congress to compromise around the spread of slavery to new U.S. territories and states; it also determined that enslaved persons, even ones who had resided in areas that prohibited slavery, did not enjoy the rights of citizens. The decision helped galvanize and harden public opinion around slavery, both among those who opposed it and those who supported it and wanted it to operate unfettered by federal law. After the end of the war and during Reconstruction, Congress passed these amendments with the explicit purpose of ending slavery and involuntary servitude in all their forms. The 14th Amendments opening text provides that All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. Because of that language, the president cannot, with the stroke of a pen, rewrite the Constitution. Nor can Congress. Indeed, roughly 30 years after passage of the 14th Amendment, Congress attempted to exclude from its protections individuals born in the U.S. who were the children of Chinese parents. But the Supreme Court, in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, found that any person born within the United States was entitled to benefit from the citizenship provisions of the 14th Amendment. The plain language of the amendment made that clear and the court endorsed that obvious position. So what would it really take to rewrite the 14th Amendment? Well, another amendment, which would require not just a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress in favor of repeal of the 14th Amendment, but also ratification by three quarters of the states. Such events are highly unlikely. The Constitution is hard to amend, as it should be. And the notion that the president can sidestep that process is simply preposterous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, that likely will not stop the president and those who wish to see the end of birthright citizenship as enshrined in the Constitution from trying. Indeed, it was a pillar of the Project 2025 playbook. That does not change the fact that the Constitution protects this path to citizenship and only an amendment to the Constitution can change it. But that does not mean that the presidents effort to try to rewrite the Constitution with the stroke of a pen will not disrupt lives in the meantime. The cruelty of such a cynical move may be exactly what those who wish to end birthright citizenship wish to achieve. Certainly, such a step would be met promptly by lawsuits challenging the action. In fact, a collection of 18 state attorneys general and some cities have already filed a suit against the order. Perhaps some judge, somewhere, will consider such an action permissible and refuse to prevent it from going into effect. Would it only prevent citizenship from being conferred on those born on U.S. soil in the future as the order purports to do? Could a judicial ruling approving the order invite the administration to seek to strip current citizens of their status? But the Supreme Court even this conservative court will be hard-pressed to engage in down-is-up, up-is-down, Alice-in-Wonderland thinking: that the explicit words of the Constitution, as interpreted consistently for roughly a century-and-a-half, do not mean what they say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, the president is seeking to end birthright citizenship; such action should be deemed contrary to the plain text of the Constitution. At the same time, lower court endorsement of the position might embolden even more aggressive steps by the administration, even if the Supreme Court should ultimately say the order is unconstitutional, which it should. That does not mean that, in the interim, the lives of real people will not be upended, and all for a cynical, cruel and unconstitutional joyride. But that may be the point. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com When President Donald Trump invoked the phrase manifest destiny during his inaugural address Monday and celebrated our American ancestors for having won the Wild West, he used phrases that drained historic crimes of their brutality and bloodshed. There is no way to soften it: This new Golden Age Trump promises arises from an imperialistic mindset that views people in Americas way as subjects to conquest. Using language that reframes imperialism as heroic doesnt make it so. The language Trump used in his address foretold a Monday evening flurry of executive orders that included attacking the legal right to asylum and declaring an end to birthright citizenship. Trump described migration as an invasion. This new Golden Age mirrors a past America when leaders wielded violence as a tool of progress and prosperity. After describing the Panama Canal as having been foolishly given to the country of Panama, Trump claimed that we have been treated very badly and said, Panamas promise to us has been broken. Ignoring Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulinos comment last month that every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to be so, Trump claimed that China has control over the Panama Canal. And we didnt give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and were taking it back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the same speech, he said, The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth ... carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons. And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars. Popular columnist John OSullivan coined the phrase manifest destiny in 1845 in arguing for Texas annexation. He claimed it was Americas God-given right to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on its borders, OSullivan wrote about Western expansion into California. This belief, adopted by President James K. Polk, dismissed the sovereignty of Mexico and Indigenous nations and treated their lands as a divine inheritance for Anglo-Americans. It justified forced removal, war and the spread of slavery into new territories, cloaking violence in the language of inevitability. Manifest destiny is a call to domination and erasure, a justification for the nations most brutal expansions. And its the message Trump led with on the first day of his second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as he invoked Martin Luther King Jr. and said, We will make his dream come true. Promising to send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, take the Panama Canal, criminalize the legal right to asylum and declare that children born in the United States arent Americans arent parts of Kings dream. An estimated 62.1 million U.S. Latinos constitute the nations largest ethnic group. Never a homogenous population, Latinos in the United States now face the dual reality of being excluded from an America First narrative while also becoming its proponents. As the Brookings Institute notes in a postelection study, Even amidst rising xenophobic rhetoric and being scapegoated for many of the countrys challenges, certain segments of the migrant base, who have traditionally leaned Democratic, are showing signs of shifting to the right. That means some Latinos, drawn by Trumps promises, find themselves supporting the very forces that marginalize their communities. And leading this charge is Marco Rubio, whose nomination as Trumps secretary of state Senate approved 99-0 on Monday. Rubio, the child of Cuban immigrants, is now the face of an America First foreign policy, allowing Trump to claim to be inclusive while declaring a manifest destiny ideology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubios presence forces U.S. Latinos to confront the uncomfortable reality that some of their own are active participants of an American ideology founded on crimes against humanity, all in the name of making America bigger, less welcoming and more imperialistic. The pattern is clear: In the Trump era, a new Manifest Destiny is here, accelerating protectionism and expansionism at the cost of the powerless. This is a United States that feels far too familiar. Manifest destiny was a failure of the American past. We shouldnt talk about it with nostalgia or fondness, in the same way we dont talk about slavery or the subjugation of women with fondness. However, in the first few minutes of his second term as president, Trump praised that benighted worldview and made it the basis of his policy views. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Donald Trumps inauguration speech was full of red meat for his supporters. There were vague but ominous references to a horrible betrayal of America in the recent past. He claimed that Americas education system teaches young people to hate our country. He lumped together the assassination attempt he survived in July with his years of legal problems, portraying all of it as the work of [t]hose who wish to stop our cause. And he promised to send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country. This is all pretty standard Trump stuff, infuriating to leftists like me but music to the ears of the MAGA faithful. About two-thirds of the way through the speech, though, he devoted two full paragraphs to talking about his admiration for the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. It was a deeply revealing moment. Trump is constantly portrayed by both friends and enemies as a populist. Steve Bannon, for example, talks about Trumpism as a nationalist, populist revolution. Bannon thinks thats a good thing. On the other end of the Republican spectrum we have Marc Short, former chief of staff for former Vice President Mike Pence, expressing horror at the prospect that Trumps new administration will be marked by a populist ideology more akin to that of Bernie Sanders than Ronald Reagan. And yet Trump took time in his speech to effusively praise the greatest enemy of the original populists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Thomas Franks excellent book The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism, the word populism was first coined on a train ride from Kansas City to Topeka in 1891. The group on the train was looking for a catchy word to describe the adherents of the political party theyd just founded. During its brief moment in the sun, the Peoples Party was one of the most effective third parties in American history. At its core, they were a movement of poor farmers being ground down by big banks and monopolistic businesses, although they also worked to build bridges with urban workers and they attracted the support of labor union leaders like Eugene V. Debs (who would go on to become Americas most prominent democratic socialist). According to Frank, the Kansans on that train in 1891 came up with the name in conversation with a local Democrat who knew some Latin. A populist was someone on the side of the populus (Latin for the people) against wealthy plutocrats. These original populists wanted to ease the financial burdens of small farmers by moving the United States off the gold standard, but they werent a single-issue party. They advocated a whole raft of reforms ranging from a shorter workweek for the urban working class to public ownership of railroads to the direct election of senators. This was a broadly popular agenda. In the 1892 presidential election, the Populists nominated James Weaver, a brigadier general in the Union army in the Civil War, and he actually won four states (Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and North Dakota). It was the only time a third party had won even one state in decades, and it wouldnt happen again until Teddy Roosevelts third-party Bull Moose run in 1912. In 1896, the pops decided not to run a candidate of their own for two reasons. One is that the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan, adopted important parts of the Populist platform. The other is that the Populists were terrified that, if they didnt line up behind Bryan, theyd split the vote and throw the election to a man they deeply hated and regarded as an ultra-reactionary champion of big business and the big bankers who were crushing them Republican nominee William McKinley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bryan ended up running with the nominations of both the Democrats and the Populists. Wealthy interests mobilized behind McKinley. Frank writes that pro-McKinley newspapers routinely fearmongered about the Bryan campaign with comparisons to the French Revolution. Political cartoonists loved to depict Populists as marching peasants wearing liberty caps and the New York Sun called Bryan William Jacobin Bryan. In the end, McKinley won handily, and the Peoples Party collapsed. McKinley presided over years of plutocrat-friendly policies at home and warmongering abroad until he was assassinated by an anarchist factory worker in 1901. Trump loves McKinley, as he said in the inauguration speech, because McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and Trump himself is enthusiastically pro-tariff. But this itself should give pause to anyone who thinks that tariffs are an innately populist tool of economic policy. The original Populists hated tariffs, which at the time were seen as very much in the interests of business magnates and very much not in the interests of poor farmers like them. Their primary purpose is to protect the profit margins of American corporations from foreign competition, which sometimes helps the working class by making jobs more stable but doesnt do much to guarantee that theyll capture any significant chunk of their bosses wealth and meanwhile sticks them with higher prices at the grocery store. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Trumps record from his first four years in office is like McKinley in that both were belligerently hostile to labor unions. McKinley sent federal troops to Coeur dAlene, Idaho to crush striking mine workers. Trump filled the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with hard-core union busters who made a series of decisions that made it harder for workers to organize unions, go on strike and win better contracts. And both were foreign-policy hawks. McKinley gave us the Spanish-American War. Trump tore up Obamas diplomatic detente with Iran and doubled the rate of drone strikes. So hes not wrong to identify with President McKinley. But the sight of Trump heaping praise on the greatest anti-populist of the 19th century at an inauguration where he surrounded himself with a phalanx of tech billionaires reveals the deep absurdity of calling this man a populist. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com To the Black and Hispanic communities, I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote, President Donald Trump said during his inauguration address Monday. We set records and I will not forget it. Ive heard your voices in the campaign and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. While its important to note that these numbers may change when the validated voter data is released, according to NBC's exit polls, Trump got 13% of the Black vote and 46% of the Hispanic vote. The president improved on his 2016 numbers by 5 points with Black voters, and 18 points with Hispanic voters. The data reveals a truth thats been largely ignored in discussions about Novembers election: Regardless of how anyone feels about it, Trumps coalition is multicultural and multiclass. So was Vice President Kamala Harris. Americas two dominant political parties, then, are engaged in a high-stakes debate over what the character of multiculturalism should be: whether it looks like Americans celebrating their distinctiveness or downplaying it. This debate is as old as the country, and every generation of Americans has had it; this is our time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today is Martin Luther King Day, Trump said in his speech Monday. But in his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true. It is fair to say that the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. looms over every aspect of American culture and government in the same way that Thomas Jeffersons and George Washingtons legacies do. King has attained a kind of Founding Father status because he, as a matter of historical record, was one of the founders of the multicultural republic that we all currently live in. This is why his dream is so often invoked with the same reverence as, say, We the people. It is fair to say that a multicultural republic was part of Kings dream. But where do things stand in the multicultural republic he helped create but didnt live to see? According to the NBC exit polls, Trump received 57% of the white vote and 33% of the nonwhite vote. Harris received 42% of the white vote and 64% of the nonwhite vote. The Republican and Democratic coalitions have always been diverse to an extent. But Trumps performance with nonwhite voters this time finally caught peoples attention, despite him getting 26% of the nonwhite vote in 2020. It was shocking to those observers whod accepted the classic framing that the right is the homogeneously white part of the political spectrum, and the left is the diversity end. This was always a specious claim, but the 2024 election exposed just how wrong it is and, not just because, as Noah Smith pointed out, Trump got a significant slice of the nonwhite vote, but also because Harris did better with white voters than Obama did in his 2012 rout of Mitt Romney. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What does this tell us about the state of the multicultural republic in 2025? That it is complicated in ways many people did not anticipate, based on their assumptions about the historical patterns of certain communities. They forgot that identity politics is as fluid as other forms of politics. One of the standard metaphors that children are taught about America is that we are the melting pot. Saying that America is a melting pot is as self-evident as saying that the ocean is salty. However, views on what the character of multiculturalism should be are as diverse as the country itself. None aligns neatly with a political party, as the 2024 election results confirm. The views range from complete separatism to assimilation to integration with the maintaining of cultural distinctiveness, to a complete Creole blending where, to quote Belize from Angels in America, race, taste and history finally overcome. This most profound debate over the character of American multiculturalism is happening in a country where millions of people remember life under Jim Crow; where fights over diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies are happening against a backdrop of endemic racial and class neighborhood and school segregation; where clashes over immigration and how to tell the American story are raging; and where, according to the Census Bureau, multiracial is one of the fastest growing demographics. The number of people identifying as being of two or more races increased by 276% (from 9 million to 33.8 million) between 2010 and 2020. Of that number, 32.5 % of people identifying as multiracial are under 18. The debates are complicated and multifaceted because multiculturalism, with its rough and smooth edges and clashes over meaning for American culture, is complicated and multifaceted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will the Republicans and the Democrats be able to maintain their multicultural coalitions? Political coalitions are, after all, fickle and can either evaporate or last for generations. Only time will tell. However, the question of the character of American multiculturalism is the nebula in which all other debates are currently raging. American society must finally have it without hiding behind platitudes, euphemisms or proxies, and without reservation. The winner gets to decide the path Kings multicultural republic will take. But at the present moment, President Trump has achieved something that many champions of multiculturalism are loath to admit. He put together a multicultural coalition of voters that supports his agenda; its just not a liberal one. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com On the eve of his inauguration, President Trump took to Truth Social, declaring his intent to bring TikTok back to the United States deal or no deal with a U.S. buyer. In other words, the man who spent four years sounding alarms about Chinas threats scrambled to rescue its most potent Trojan Horse. This isnt just a betrayal of his America First doctrine its a surrender. For a president who loudly championed national security and American sovereignty, this move reeks of capitulation to the very forces his administration decried as existential threats. TikToks parent company, ByteDance, has long faced scrutiny for its ties to the Chinese government. Allegations of data harvesting and the apps manipulation of American culture and politics have sparked bipartisan alarm, culminating in a Supreme Court ruling to sever ties with Beijing or shut down U.S. operations altogether a rare moment of political unity in defense of national security. Trumps last-minute reprieve undermines this hard-won consensus. It signals to the world that principles bend under the weight of convenience and optics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the TikTok saga isnt just about security its a revelation. It exposes the America First mantra as hollow a cruel deception wielded to rally voters, only to be discarded when inconvenient. Trumps inconsistency on national security extends far beyond TikTok. Consider his administrations arms sales to Saudi Arabia, even after the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. While Trump loudly touted his America First mantra, his administration prioritized lucrative arms deals over moral and security concerns, citing economic benefits as justification. This decision not only betrayed Americas values but also emboldened a regime known for human rights abuses and with documented links to funding the 9/11 attacks, further undermining Americas global standing. Additionally, Trumps military interventions or lack thereof further complicate his America First doctrine. While campaigning as a critic of endless wars, Trump escalated drone strikes to unprecedented levels, often bypassing the transparency his predecessors maintained. His administration also oversaw increased military activity in places like Yemen, Syria and Somalia, entangling the U.S. further in conflicts that had minimal direct bearing on American interests. Far from prioritizing America, these actions perpetuated the very global policeman role Trump claimed to oppose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his first term as president, Trumps trade war with China was heralded as a bold move to protect American industries and assert economic sovereignty. Tariffs on Chinese imports were framed as a strategic tool to level the playing field, bolster domestic manufacturing, and punish China for unfair trade practices. However, the reality of these policies was a far cry from their populist packaging. They inflicted significant harm on American businesses, farmers and consumers while achieving little in terms of tangible victories. The agricultural sector was among the hardest hit. Chinas retaliatory tariffs targeted key U.S. exports, such as soybeans and pork, devastating American farmers who were already operating on thin margins. To pacify the resulting backlash, the Trump administration doled out over $28 billion in bailout funds, effectively forcing taxpayers to shoulder the financial burden of policies meant to protect them. These subsidies, however, failed to address the long-term structural damage inflicted on rural economies, as market share once dominated by American exports was ceded to competitors. For American consumers, the tariffs were essentially a hidden tax. By increasing the cost of imported goods, from electronics to clothing, the trade war drove up household expenses. Adding insult to injury, Trump has doubled down on this strategy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his campaign for a second term, he promised to impose even more tariffs on China, framing it as a continuation of his economic battle against Beijing. But what he fails to acknowledge is that tariffs are not paid by foreign governments; they are paid by importers, which means American businesses and consumers will once again bear the brunt of his policies. In essence, Trump is promising to hit China while knowingly inflicting financial pain on the very citizens he claims to champion. Despite casting himself as a populist warrior against entrenched elites, Trumps presidency often revealed a cozy relationship with corporate power, particularly Big Tech. Companies like Google, Amazon and Mata became frequent targets of Trumps ire, with accusations of political bias and monopolistic behavior. Yet, his administrations actions were largely superficial, more focused on headline-grabbing feuds than meaningful reform. For example, while Trump publicly lambasted Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, for exploiting tax loopholes and dominating e-commerce, his administration took no significant steps to address antitrust concerns. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice investigations into Big Tech were tepid, resulting in few concrete actions. This failure to rein in monopolistic practices left smaller businesses vulnerable and perpetuated the consolidation of power among a handful of corporations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, Trumps signing of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act further exemplified his alignment with corporate interests. The legislation slashed the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent providing a windfall for tech giants and other large corporations. While proponents argued that the cuts would spur investment and job creation, the reality was a surge in stock buybacks that disproportionately benefited wealthy shareholders rather than ordinary workers. Trumps close ties to Larry Fink, the head of BlackRock, also deserve scrutiny. As CEO of the largest asset management firm in the world, with over $10 trillion in assets under management, Fink wields unparalleled financial influence. Trumps administration leaned heavily on BlackRock during critical moments, particularly in responding to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm was entrusted with managing the Federal Reserves bond-buying program, effectively giving it unprecedented control over public funds and the direction of U.S. economic policy. This arrangement handed BlackRock the power to decide which companies received financial lifelines, a move that further entrenched corporate monopolies while leaving small businesses to fend for themselves. Rather than supporting Main Street, this partnership fortified the dominance of Wall Streets most powerful players. It deepened economic inequality and undermined the very principles of populism Trump claimed to champion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That swamp Trump so often denounces? BlackRock doesnt just swim in it they own it. The same hypocrisy fuels his TikTok lifeline. By propping up a platform labeled a legitimate national security threat, Trump prioritizes political convenience and corporate interests over the nations safety. If Trump genuinely intends to uphold his populist promises, he must abandon any reprieve for TikTok and take decisive action to protect U.S. national security. Anything less not only shatters the credibility of his doctrine but also jeopardizes the very people he vowed to defend. John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores culture, society and the impact of technology on daily life. 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 The Hill. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced the arrest of 39 violent criminals involved in gang violence, including drug dealing and arms trafficking. Operation Los Impuestos has taken down alleged street gang members operating in San Diego County under the direction of the largest prison gang, known as the Mexican Mafia. This case is one of the greatest of our time, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the six-month investigation, authorities say the street gangs were directed to impose mafia-style taxes on local businesses in areas of downtown, Barrio Logan, Logan Heights and Southeast San Diego. Essentially they are shot callers that coordinate with Mexican cartels and they also then give essentially orders to our street gangs on multiple gangs on what theyre supposed to do, who are they supposed to execute because they didnt pay the tax, what business should they blow up, Stephan said. Trump declares national emergency, how will this impact the U.S.-Mexico border? She said the criminals behind bars are able to direct street gangs by using cell phones. This operation has led to the confiscation of about 50 guns, including AR-15 rifles, 60 pounds of fentanyl and 75 pounds of meth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities say these street gangs are directed to harass and vandalize businesses. They were told if you call law enforcement, what we are doing to you now, will only get worse, we will vandalize your business, we will burn your business, we will beat your employees, we will kill you and your employees, said SDPD Lt. Chris Tivanian. Wahl said this case should send a message to the community. Let this be a message to those that wish to do harm for organize crime, you can expect more of this, if you exist here in our county, Wahl said. 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 states deer herd will once again be a leading topic as the Pennsylvania Game Commissions Board of Commissioners meets Friday and Saturday at their headquarters in Harrisburg. The boards five-member wildlife management committee is to examine a number of proposals, including the addition of an early antlerless archery season, and creating a general unit antlerless deer license that could be used in multiple Wildlife Management Units. The committee will also propose to expand the Agricultural Deer Control seasons and streamline the application process, as well as allowing any muzzleloading firearm to be used on Deer Management Assistance Program properties during the after-Christmas flintlock season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regarding muzzleloaders, a proposal to allow fall turkey hunters to use single projectile muzzleloading firearms is also on the docket, just four years after the use of centerfire rifles were banned in 2021. Removing the requirement for mentored youth younger than 7 to receive big-game tags by transfer will also be proposed by the committee. Currently, youth younger than 7 are not eligible to hunt deer, turkey, or bear in Pennsylvania unless a mentor transfers a tag at the time of harvest. Mentored youth (and adults) are not permitted to apply for an antlerless license, and only one antlerless deer license may be transferred to a mentored hunter per year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Limiting the number of elk licenses that can be drawn by nonresidents annually, will also be brought up. Currently there is no quota, and non-residents are eligible to apply for all available rifle, archery, and antlerless elk lottery tags. The agenda for the meeting will be posted online prior to the meeting. John Rucosky is a photographer for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5055. Follow him on Twitter @JohnRucosky. COLUMBIANA, Ohio (WKBN)- Sheriff Brian McLaughlin and the Columbiana County Sheriffs Office announced that they assisted the Columbiana County Drug Task Force with a search warrant on Sunday in Columbiana. The search warrant happened in the 200 block of Brenda Lane. Reports said that Seraphim Laws was arrested for multiple outstanding felony warrants issued by Beaver County, including robbery, theft and escape. Future charges are pending state lab results. Columbiana County Sheriffs Office assisted the Columbiana County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 220 Brenda Lane, Columbiana, OH Officers reportedly found approximately 113g (roughly 1/4 lb) of suspected methamphetamine, suspected LSD, suboxone and money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agencies were assisted by the Columbiana County SRT, Columbiana County Prosecutors Office, Columbiana Police Department, Salem Police Department, Lisbon Police Department and East Liverpool Police Department. 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 WKBN.com. (KRON) The Alameda County Sheriffs Office (ACSO) announced Tuesday its conclusion of a long investigation into a drug trafficking organization in the Bay Area that operated the sale of fentanyl. According to the sheriffs office, the investigation culminated after a multi-location search warrant that ended in East Oakland. A total of $155,000 in cash and 28 kilograms (or about 61 pounds) was recovered from the operation. Authorities say that amount of fentanyl is valued to be more than $700,000. Alameda County supervisors inching closer to pick for DA Twenty-eight kilograms of fentanyl and $155,000 in cash were recovered after a multi-location search warrant operation. (Photo: Alameda County Sheriffs Office) Three men and one woman were arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail for charges including conspiracy and drug possession for sale, according to the sheriffs office. Alameda County Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation with assistance from ACSO and the California Department of Justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KRON4. CONNECTICUT (WTNH) President Donald Trumps massive grant of clemency impacts over 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection including over a dozen Connecticut residents, including Mauricio Mendez. That turned into a huge, huge ordeal. I am still on probation, Mendez said. I wasnt doing anything. I didnt touch a cop. I didnt hit a cop. I didnt do anything. I didnt push anybody. I wasnt even yelling at anybody. I was basically there observing and for them to basically kettle us live livestock. Blumenthal calls Trumps pardons of Jan. 6 defendants sickening Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Groton man was charged with curfew violation and unlawful entry according to court documents. Mendez said he did not enter the capitol building and was arrested in the parking lot. He said he ultimately took a plea deal after looking at a potential six months behind bars. Hes currently serving two years probation but a new pardon is expected to cancel that punishment. It erased the punishment, but the conviction is still there on your record, City of Middletown General Counsel Brig Smith said. Smith said for people charged with felonies, a pardon restores the right to vote, serve on jury and bear firearms. Meanwhile, 14 people convicted on more serious charges received commutations and will not regain those civil rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith said a pardon does admit guilt. All the pardons, all the commutations accepted are a tacet admission of the guilt, Smith said. Stay on the record, conviction stays on the record punishment disappears, conviction remains. Over a dozen people from Connecticut were included in the mass pardoning, including Benjamin Cohen of Westport who declined to speak with us but said, I am grateful. Former Derby Alderman Gino DiGiovanni Jr. sent News 8 statement saying, I am grateful and hope our nation will heal and unite. Mendez said a pardon wont impact him much. I dont want a pardon. I want the truth to come out, Mendez said. I just want the truth out there, too many lies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Numerous Connecticut legislators have spoken out against President Trumps decision to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro was at the capitol on Jan. 6 and calls it an assault from violent offenders. In a statement she calls the pardon, an insult to the brave police officers and capitol staff who put their lives on the line to defend our democracy. President Trumps decision to pardon these individuals does nothing to help Americans or bring down their cost of living. In fact, it unleashes a torrent of convicted violent criminals into our streets. 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 WTNH.com. Police in Pakistan have launched an investigation after a lion attacked a man filming a video for TikTok at a private breeding facility. The incident has sparked public outcry over safety and animal welfare concerns. "A case has been registered against the owner of breeding house for putting the life of person in danger," police official Karam Nawaz said on Wednesday. The mauling occurred over the weekend in the eastern city of Lahore - where big cat cages on rooftops and farm houses are a common sight - after the social media enthusiast entered the lion's cage to shoot a video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man was badly injured but in stable condition, Faisal Mushtaq, an inspector from the provincial wildlife department said. There are more than 100 private breeding houses in the province of Punjab. The provincial government is in the middle of amending laws on keeping big cats, including tigers and cheetahs, in homes and for commercial purposes. No one will be allowed to keep lions at homes, said Mohammad Ramzan, a spokesperson for Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department. Ramzan said that the proposed changes were approved by the provincial cabinet and would soon be signed off by the provincial assembly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, a pet lion was shot dead after it escaped from the cage causing panic in streets of densely populated residential area of Lahore. Trade of wild animals is a roaring business in Pakistan. The demand is partly fuelled by internet videos showing owners coddling them and even parading big cats through public places and at political rallies as a symbol of power. The dramatic images of uniform-clad supporters of the Palestinian militant Hamas celebrating the release of the first three Israeli hostages leave Abdullah Abdel Aal unmoved. The 45-year-old, who has lost 40 family members in the Gaza war, views Hamas' declarations of victory over Israel as deeply cynical. "I am homeless, without a life or a future," the father of six tells dpa. "I don't know why we have to pay this price." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recently brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has brought a respite from the violence. It has brought new hope but also much bitterness. For many residents like Aal, the suffering is far from over. A homeland reduced to rubble Abdel Aal, now living in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, holds Hamas as accountable as Israel for his plight. "They have turned my homeland into a pile of rubble, full of pain and suffering that will never end - even if the war ends," he says. The Gaza war began after the worst massacre in Israel's history on October 7, 2023, when over 1,200 people in Israel were killed by Hamas militants and other groups. Some 250 hostages were also taken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 46,700 people, according to Palestinian sources. While these figures, which include both civilians and combatants, have not been independently verified, the United Nations has deemed them credible. A recent UN Human Rights Office report found that 70% of those killed in Gaza were women and children. The fighting has left approximately 90% of Gaza's 2.1 million residents displaced, with many forced into makeshift camps or former schools, according to UN estimates. Before the war, Abdel Aal worked as a trader. Now, he is reliant on aid deliveries to survive. He has no plans to return to his home in Rafah, which he knows has been destroyed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Why should I go back?" he asks bitterly. "Everything is destroyed. The smell of death is everywhere. What else would I find but oppression and pain?" A fragile ceasefire and flickers of hope As soon as the ceasefire came into effect, many in southern Gaza began returning to what was left of their homes. Families carried their belongings on donkey carts or walked from displacement camps, only to find rubble where their homes once stood. According to UN data, about two-thirds of all buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged during the conflict. Despite this devastation, some, like Halima Abu Nasr, are determined to return. The 50-year-old, originally from Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, is eager to go back, regardless of the state of her home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If necessary, she will pitch her tent among the ruins, she says. "Israel wanted to expel us, and Hamas did not protect us," she says. But it is still her home, and despite all the destruction around her, the mother of seven is not considering leaving Gaza. "It's a very difficult situation," she says. "We don't know what will become of us or whether the [ceasefire] agreement will hold." "I hope that we will achieve lasting and genuine peace," she says. Holding onto hope Samir Ghattas from Gaza City shares Nasr's optimism. He is thankful for the temporary silence of the guns, but his thoughts are already on the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is already dreaming of a swift reconstruction and a return to stability. Despite the overwhelming destruction and his own exhaustion, he refuses to surrender his hope for normalcy - even if that normalcy means living among a landscape of ruins. A member of the Palestinian Hamas police directs traffic on a street in Khan Younis, amid a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa One former Jan. 6 suspects hopes of post-pardon freedom have been dashed for now. Daniel Ball, a 39-year-old Florida man, was arrested on a federal gun charge a day after Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon for the majority of those accusedor convictedof crimes related to events of Jan. 6, 2021. The firearm charge was filed in Washington and first reported by Politico, which added that Balls arrest was the first federal warrant filed in the nations capital during Trumps second term. Despite an emotional call to his parentswhere he can be heard saying its been a long 20 months for meto discuss his pardon on Monday, records show Ball was never released from a D.C. jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ball was charged in August with possessing a firearm in Florida as a felon, but had been unable to appear due to his detention. While the charge was filed in Florida, WUSA9 reports the alleged discovery of a firearm stemmed from a raid of his home that was tied to his Jan. 6 charges. Federal prosecutors allege that Daniel Ball is the person who threw an explosive device in the direction of officers at the U.S. Capitol. / U.S. District Court Washington Ball, who faced 12 charges related to his alleged Jan. 6 actions, was staring down years in prison if convicted. Federal investigators had accused him of setting off an explosive device in a Capitol tunnel on Jan. 6. NBC News reported at the time of his arrest, in 2023, that he was the only alleged rioter to face charges for allegedly setting off an explosive. A criminal affidavit claimed the tunnel explosion was the most memorable event that day for many officers who were interviewed by the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some thought it was a fragmentation grenade and anticipated pain or significant injury, the affidavit said. Some thought they were going to die. Some officers suffered psychological trauma from the explosion. One officer told investigators they suffered from hearing impairment lasting months. Ball has previous convictions for strangulation, domestic violence, and for resisting law enforcement with violence. A now-dormant Facebook page, which listed his ex-employers as a Chilis and a Mexican restaurant, chronicled his outrage after the 2020 election. Ill bet $100 against any liberal, ill beat them on an IQ test.. available all day today, for any takers, he wrote on Nov. 28, 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also documented his disdain for COVID-19 vaccines. New York just passed mandated vaccines, he posted on Nov. 11, 2020. People of New York, its time to become violent, or a slave. Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 people with the stroke of a pen on Mondaya decision he apparently arrived at during his transition. While debating whether he should or not, Trump reportedly told advisers, F--k it. Release em all. A man accused of assaulting law-enforcement officers and tossing an explosive device into a Capitol tunnel on Jan. 6 was rearrested just days after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump. In May 2023, Daniel Ball of Homosassa, Florida, was indicted on 12 counts related to his participation in the attack on the Capitol. Charges against him included assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon; using fire or an explosive to commit any felony; and knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence while carrying or using a deadly or dangerous weapon. Ball was accused of throwing an explosive device that detonated upon at least 25 officers into the Capitols Lower West Terrace tunnel, injuring law-enforcement personnel. On Tuesday, Balls case was dismissed following President Trumps blanket pardon to more than 1,500 defendants charged with offenses related to the attempted insurrection. Less than a day later, the Department of Justice rearrested Ball on a separate, pending charge related to the unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jan. 6 was nowhere near Balls first brush with law enforcement. Three previous felony convictions including for domestic-violence battery by strangulation, resisting law enforcement with violence, and battery against a law-enforcement officer are listed in the charging documents. While Ball was nabbed on a pending charge unrelated to Jan. 6, the presidents widespread amnesty for Jan. 6 offenders let hundreds of individuals charged or convicted of violence during the attack off the hook. These include members of the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and individuals who mercilessly assaulted law-enforcement agents defending the Capitol from the mob. Trump dodged a question on Tuesday about pardoning rioters who assaulted officers. After agreeing that its never acceptable to assault a police officer, the president responded well take a look at everything when asked about his pardon of someone who drove a stun gun into an officers neck. Axios reported the following morning that according to a close adviser Trump didnt care much to scrutinize whom exactly he was pardoning. Trump just said: Fk it: Release em all,' an adviser told the outlet. There had reportedly been trepidation within Trumps inner circle over releasing violent offenders. Little more than a week before the inauguration, Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News: If you committed violence that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. The indiscriminate nature of the pardons also blindsided some members of Congress, who struggled to openly endorse the release of individuals whod stormed the Capitol with violence against themselves and their colleagues in mind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters that it was simply not his job to second guess the president. The presidents made his decision, and I dont second guess those, he said, according to The Hill. Its kind of my ethos, my worldview, we believe in redemption. We believe in second chances. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), meanwhile, wrote on X that Capitol Police are the backbone of Congress every day they protect and serve the halls of democracy. I strongly denounce the blanket pardons given to the violent offenders who assaulted these brave men and women in uniform. In a joint statement the Fraternal Order of Police which endorsed Trump in this election and the the International Association of Chiefs of Police wrote that they were deeply discouraged by the recent pardons and commutations granted by both the Biden and Trump Administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers. Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety they are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families, they wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have made backing the blue a staple in their public cultural posturing, but when it comes to the men and women in uniform who put their lives and safety on the line to protect lawmakers on Jan. 6, the GOP is more than willing to let the mob win. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. WASHINGTON (AP) A day that began with the outgoing president's pardon of lawmakers and his own family ended with the incoming president's pardon of supporters who violently stormed the Capitol four years ago. The clemency Monday by departing President Joe Biden and new President Donald Trump one benefiting relatives and public servants not accused of criminal wrongdoing, the other aiding rioters convicted of violent felonies are vastly different in scope, impact and their meaning for the rule of law. But the remarkable flex of executive authority in a 12-hour span also shows the men's deeply rooted suspicion of one another, with both signaling to their supporters that the tall pillars of the criminal justice system facts, evidence and law could not be trusted as foundational principles in each other's administrations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a sad day for Lady Justice no matter which side of the political spectrum you're on, said John Fishwick Jr., a former U.S. attorney in Virginia during the Obama administration. In alternative ways, both Biden and Trump were sending the same message. Trump was saying it was a corrupt system the last four years, and Biden was saying it's about to be a corrupt system. And that's a horrible message. In pardoning his siblings and their spouses in one of his final actions in office, Biden said his family had been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me the worst kind of partisan politics. He said he had no reason to believe these attacks will end," a similar rationale he cited when pardoning his son Hunter in December for tax and gun crimes despite having repeatedly pledged not to. He also pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol all considered potential targets of investigation in a Trump administration despite no public evidence of any criminal behavior. Trump's pick for FBI director, Kash Patel, has for instance singled out Fauci as someone deserving of investigation and prosecution over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The clemency reached beyond those who might have reason to fear retribution under Trump. In a move that went against the explicit urging of the recently-departed FBI Director Christopher Wray and angered law enforcement, Biden commuted the sentence of Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who had been imprisoned for nearly half a century for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as Biden said he believed in the rule of law and was optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics, he acknowledged that exceptional circumstances compelled him to act. That wobbly faith in the criminal justice system under Trump's watch appears to mirror the American public's perspective. About half of Americans are not very or not at all confident that the Justice Department, the FBI or the Supreme Court will act in a fair and nonpartisan manner during Trumps second term. In each instance, roughly 3 in 10 are somewhat confident and about 2 in 10 are extremely or very confident, according to an AP-NORC poll from January. While the outgoing Democratic resident was convinced his successor could not be trusted not to target his perceived adversaries, including his own relatives, the incoming Republican president seemed equally convinced the prior administration engaged in political persecution of his supporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences of or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. His action far exceeded the forecasts of other Trump administration officials, who suggested the clemency grants would be narrower. The clemency wiped out the largest investigation in Justice Department history, the beneficiaries including members of the mob of Trump supporters who violently attacked police officers with weapons like flag poles, bats and bear spray, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep the Republican in power. Trump has cast the rioters as hostages and patriots despite the breadth of evidence accumulated by prosecutors and has complained that the cases were politically motivated despite no evidence of any coordination between the Justice Department and the White House. Thats breathtaking. This is a man who does not believe in the rule of law. He believes he can do as he pleases. Hes made that clear for many years, said Chris Edelson, an assistant American University professor specializing in presidential powers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he did not fault Biden for the preemptive pardons, given Trump's warnings of reprisal. It would be a lie or at the very least misleading for President Biden to assure Americans that they can trust the system, Edelson said. Questions about faith in the rule of law have taken center stage as Trump looks for the Senate to confirm both Patel and his attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, who during her confirmation hearing last week told senators that she would not play politics while also suggesting that the Justice Department over the last four years had become weaponized. For critics of the pardons like Fishwick, the former U.S. attorney, the clemency risks adding to the misguided public perception that the criminal justice system is rigged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think both Biden and Trump were using the pardon power as part of political statements," Fishwick said, "and that's not how the Founding Fathers envisioned them being implemented by the president. ____ Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) A Kentucky lawmaker is working to pass a bill that would open up more research on Parkinsons disease. Parkinsons isits a scary diagnosis, Jane Rice Williams told FOX 56 News. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Williams was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2016. Just two years later, she founded Parkinsons in Motion, a nonprofit providing resources and support for those impacted by the disease across East Kentucky. The disease is now considered by several researchers the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We do, more than anything, need to find out how to stop Parkinsons, Williams said. Shes worked with her local lawmaker, Sen. Brandon Storm, to file Senate Bill 27 this year. And its to set up a registry to basically start researching the prevalence of Parkinsons disease in Kentucky, Storm explained to FOX 56. Creating a registry of Parkinsons patients would be more than just a simple list. Not only could experts be able to learn more about the disease, but those fighting it could get access to more help. It would help us with record-keeping. would help us with resources. It would help us know where we need resources, Williams said. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where is this happening? Is it prevalent in Laurel County? Is it prevalent in this county or that county? And if we can start to see where its prevalent at, then we can start trying to narrow down, Okay, is there environmental factors, is there food factors, is there, you know, genetic factors? Storm said. Storm said personal identifying data would not be collected. He hopes by laying the foundation for more research some early indicators can be identified that would help detect the disease before it progresses. Williams said theres still much more to learn about the disease, like how high-intensity exercise can influence recovery. We want all states to have a registry. We want to know whats going on with Parkinsons all over. And so, Im seeing progress. From the time I was diagnosed until now, I feel like weve jumped leaps and bounds, Williams said. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Veteran lawmaker and former economy minister Yassine Jaber has emerged as a frontrunner for the job of Lebanons next finance minister, a key post as the country seeks to reform its economy and complete a long-delayed debt restructuring. Most Read from Bloomberg Officials have put Jabers name forward along with other candidates, according to people familiar with the discussions, who asked not to be named as a final decision hasnt been made. Other names being floated include Wassim Mansouri, the deputy and acting governor of the central bank, who has been credited with stabilizing the currency and boosting foreign currency reserves during his short tenure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jaber declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg. Mansouri didnt respond to phone calls seeking comment. Jaber, who stepped away from parliament in 2022 after 30 years, has been a vocal critic of Lebanons political class for its failure to implement economic reforms. He cited an absence of any vision for recovering from the crisis in his decision not to seek office again. Lebanon has shown signs of turning a corner, and has in turn emerged as a favorite bet for emerging-market bond investors. Lawmakers this month elected US-backed Joseph Aoun as president, filling a post that was vacant for more than two years. Aoun designated Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice, as prime minister after binding talks with lawmakers, and tasked him with forming a government. MORE: Lebanon Picks US-Backed Aoun as President in Shift From Iran Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lebanons sovereign dollar bonds have given investors total returns of 30% so far this year, on top of a 114% rally last year. The rally followed bets that a weaker Hezbollah would emerge after a ceasefire agreement ended the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. The first order of business for the incoming finance minister would be to oversee the implementation of crucial reforms demanded by the IMF to unlock a $3 billion support package that could also facilitate the disbursement of billions of dollars in additional donor aid. The prime minister and the president will need to approve the final list of candidates for finance minister. Calls to the prime ministers office for comment were unanswered. $80 Billion Hole Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last time an IMF delegation visited Lebanon was in May, when it said that reforms so far were insufficient for recovery, citing the absence of a strategy for the financial system. The new prime minister and his finance minister will have to navigate Lebanons complex web of political interests and religious sects, IMF demands, private bondholder negotiations, and bank shareholders as they seek to find a solution for an $80 billion hole in the financial system, four times the size of the entire economy. The distribution of financial sector losses has been a sticking point since Lebanon plunged into its worst economic crisis in history in 2019. Lenders had parked most of their money at the central bank, part of the latters financial engineering scheme that aimed to keep the governments finances and the currency afloat. Lebanon defaulted on some $30 billion of eurobonds in March 2020 and proposals to restructure the debt and initiate talks with bondholders had been opposed by several political groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his tenure in parliament, Jaber was part of a committee that tried to reconcile differences over the countrys financial losses. He ran for elections with longtime Speaker Nabih Berris party, the Shiite movement allied politically with Hezbollah, but he is not a member of the group. Berri has named finance ministers for the past 10 years and its become convention for the portfolio to be allocated to a Shiite Muslim, although Salam, the new prime minister, says thats not a requirement. --With assistance from Omar Tamo. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. A Christian pastors year-long legal battle with government officials in Bryan, Ohio, over a homelessness ministry entered a new phase on Tuesday when the pastor was found guilty of a criminal charge. A municipal court judge found the Rev. Chris Avell guilty of violating the citys fire code and handed down a 60-day suspended jail sentence and $200 fine. The charge stemmed from an investigation that began after the Rev. Avell opened his church, Dads Place, to members of the local homeless community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He allowed people experiencing homelessness to sleep in the building overnight and kept the church open 24/7, as the Deseret News previously reported. Government officials objected to this ministry, arguing that it violated the part of Bryans zoning code dealing with downtown buildings. They said Dads Place was operating like a residence instead of a church. The Rev. Avell and Dads Place faced a number of zoning code violations, and city officials raised related safety concerns. The Rev. Avell characterized the citys feedback as unlawful interference with a religious ministry and worked with First Liberty to file a federal religious freedom lawsuit against government officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, in February of last year, the church and city leaders announced that they were committed to working together to resolve the dispute. Dads Place was expected to make safety-related improvements to its building, and both parties agreed to work toward a resolution in the religious liberty case. But then, in April, the city served the Rev. Avell with a new criminal charge related to a fire code violation, and it resulted in Tuesdays ruling. Bryan, Ohio, Mayor Carrie Schlade said Tuesday that officials are focused on promoting public safety and have not interfered with religious freedom protections, per WTVG, a news station in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city will continue to work with the appropriate agencies to address homelessness and support faith-based organizations in fulfilling their missions while ensuring the safety of the broader community, the mayors statement said. The Rev. Avell did not release a statement Tuesday, but one of his attorneys did. No pastor in America, including Pastor Chris Avell, should be pronounced guilty for providing temporary shelter to those in desperate need, said Ryan Gardner, counsel for First Liberty, in a press release. Only government officials could say with a straight face that people are safer in the sub-zero temperatures on the street than inside the warmth of a church. The press release said that the Rev. Avell and his legal team will appeal Tuesdays decision. The federal religious freedom case is still ongoing. An advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence launched a six-figure ad campaign Wednesday opposing President Trumps nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The ad campaign from Advancing American Freedom, details of which were shared first with The Hill, includes digital ads that will run through the next couple of weeks in the nations capital as Kennedy awaits his confirmation hearing. The ad spend also includes a mobile billboard that will travel around Capitol Hill and the March for Life, an annual anti-abortion event that will take place Friday on the National Mall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ads highlight various controversial comments Kennedy has made. One references his past comments supporting abortion access throughout pregnancy. Another cites misinformation he shared about vaccines amid a measles outbreak in American Samoa. A third refers to past comments he made claiming the polio vaccine was linked to cancer. And another ad notes that Kennedy has argued vaccines cause autism. The ads also feature a website address that directs viewers to a group the letter wrote urging senators to oppose Kennedys nomination. Kennedy has yet to have a confirmation hearing scheduled. His nomination has come under scrutiny largely because of his anti-vaccine rhetoric. Thousands of doctors and public health officials have signed onto letters expressing concerns about Kennedy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some senators have expressed support to his push to get chemicals out of food and to reduce chronic disease across the country, which has been wrapped in the slogan Make America Healthy Again. Kennedy has been on Capitol Hill in recent weeks holding meetings with dozens of senators. No Senate Republican has publicly said they will vote against the nomination, and Kennedy can afford to lose three GOP votes if every Democrat opposes him. The ad campaign marks an escalation of efforts by Advancing American Freedom to oppose Kennedys nomination to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services. Shortly after Trump announced Kennedys nomination, Pence in a statement urged senators to reject him because of his previous support for abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The organization last week sent a letter to senators urging them to vote against confirming Kennedy because of his previous support for abortion. While RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time, the groups leaders wrote. Kennedy has tried to reassure Republicans by saying his personal views dont matter, and that he will implement all of the anti-abortion policies from the first Trump administration. Trump has repeatedly argued the issue of abortion law should be determined by individual states, criticizing certain restrictive laws as too harsh. At the same time, he has taken credit for nominating three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pence has been outspoken for decades about his opposition to abortion, and he has been publicly critical of Trump for what he called a retreat on the Right to Life. 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 The Hill. (WHTM) Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday responded to critics who suggested he would play politics with his new position. The former York County District Attorney was sworn in as Pennsylvanias next Attorney General on Tuesday, making him the states first Republican Attorney General in 12 years. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania Before Sunday was sworn in, Pennsylvanias Consumer Advocate, Patrick Cicero, submitted his resignation letter, claiming that Sunday would do the bidding of utility companies who donated to his campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The concern is that the new Attorney General is going to replace a very effective consumer advocate on behalf of residential customers with somebody who is going to pull his punches and not represent customers with the zeal that Patrick Cicero does, said former PUC Chairman Jim Cawley. The role of the consumer advocate, a position appointed by the Attorney General and confirmed by the Senate, is to fight for billpayers and against utilities looking to increase rates. Sunday responded to Ciceros claims, insisting that no politics were played and that Ciceros replacement process would be transparent. Pennsylvanians are losing an important nonpartisan voice who was willing to stand up against corporate greed and price gouging, said Senate Democrat Katie Muth. Bank closing 15 branches, including three in central Pennsylvania Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Definitely this is going to be an open and transparent basis for people to apply, said Sunday. Ive already reached out to people from all walks of life to help us with this, including groups that advocate for consumers specifically. So bring everybodys voices in, we listen to it, we let anyone apply, theyre interviewed. They then have to go through questions that they receive from the Senate. Sunday added that he wouldnt dive into cases the Attorney Generals Office has been working on until the swearing-in. Consumer Advocates are appointed by the Attorney General and must be confirmed by the Senate. Cicero was then-AG Josh Shapiros pick. Now that Shapiro is the Governor, does he share the concerns of fellow democrats about his resignation? I appreciate the work that Patrick Cicero did during my time as Attorney General and governor-general, said Shapiro. Sunday has the right to surround himself with the people who he thinks will best serve him as hes serving the people to come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ciceros last day will be January 31, per his resignation letter. 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 ABC27. (WHTM) The three statewide row officers were sworn in today to new four-year terms. There were two incumbents and a brand new Attorney General. Treasurer Stacy Garrity celebrated her second inaugural with two videos, including a tribute to her father who died the day before the election. Garrity called for unity in Harrisburg. We must put aside disagreements and find common ground, said Garrity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Incumbent Auditor General Tim DeFoor was the first African American to win a statewide office and the first actual auditor on the job. I strive to be a leader that does the job the way the job is supposed to be done, based on facts, not politics, DeFoor said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Alerts New Attorney General Dave Sunday returned the office to Republican control for the first time in 12 years, which he insists is irrelevant. I dont view this through the lens of politics, I view it through the lens of public safety and doing whats right for the community, said Sunday, who previously served as York Countys District Attorney. The Honorable Joseph C. Adams, of the York County Court of Common Pleas, administers the oath of office to David W. Sunday, Jr. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at The Forum Auditorium in Harrisburg, Pa., officially making him Pennsylvanias attorney general. The Hon. Maureen Beirne, president judge of Bradford County, and Justice Christopher P. Baker of the Supreme Court of New York administer the oath of office Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, to Stacy Garrity, officially installing her as Pennsylvanias 78th treasurer. Harrisburg, PA. Timothy L. DeFoor was sworn in for a second term as Pennsylvanias Auditor General. During his inaugural speech, Auditor General DeFoor reflected on the past four years and highlighted his departments successes since he took office. January 21, 2025. I strive to be a leader who does the job the way it is supposed to be donesomeone who draws conclusions based on facts, not politics, and serves the people of Pennsylvania by improving government, not tearing it down, Auditor General DeFoor said. In the four years since I have been Auditor General, I have held onto those principles, because I truly believe in the purpose of this office. In his first term, Auditor General DeFoor worked to transform and modernize the department through technology upgrades; piloting risk-based auditing processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of audits; and creating job opportunities with the department through programs such as the Intern to Hire initiative. Program: Master of Ceremonies Luke Bernstein National Anthem Trooper Robert Brallier Pledge of Allegiance Ava and Addison DeFoor Invocation Pastor Duane Coleman Remarks Governors Josh Shapiro and Mark Schweiker Swearing In Honorable Scott Arthur Evans Remarks Timothy DeFoor, Auditor General of Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro gave upbeat remarks at all three swearings-in, but the former Attorney General frequently challenged then-president Donald Trump in court. Is he afraid Republican Sunday will not be as vigilant? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement General Sunday will run his office as he sees fit, engage in the litigation that he thinks is important to engage in, said Shapiro. Im not going to get ahead of him or speak on his behalf. The pomp and circumstance is now over. As DeFoor said, its time now to get to work. 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 ABC27. Early in my career as a journalist, I reported on education and one lesson I quickly learned is that state and public school leaders are lightning rods for criticism and controversy. The politics of education involve the safety and well-being of children, tons of money and adults who want to control the outcomes in and out of the classroom. Leaders, from directors or superintendents to state commissioners are scrutinized for every decision and become scapegoats for anything that might go askew. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn who is President Donald Trump's pick for U.S. deputy secretary of education faces intense backlash from conservatives who see her as too tied to equity, "wokeness" and DEI initiatives that lawmakers have legislated against. However, these criticisms ignore several achievements under her watch during the first part of Republican Gov. Bill Lee's administration that reformed public school financing and helped navigate the state's nearly 1 million public school children through the COVID pandemic. This is to say that there's a deeper story there and Schwinn deserves a shot to be considered for this role in the Trump administration. School funding formula reforms showed thoughtful advocacy "Woke" has become a byword to label someone as too liberal or concerned with matters of racial and social justice. It would be strange if Trump, a fierce "woke" critic, sought a nominee with that philosophy. Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn sits with students working on a math assignment at Parsons Elementary School on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. The commissioner's visit to Decatur County Schools was part of her statewide bus tour to see how summer learning programs were doing. In fact, the president wrote in a Truth Social post: "Penny has a strong record of delivering results for children and families. A former teacher herself, Penny became the founding principal of a charter school, because she believes in the power of School Choice, and is committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she was Tennessee education commissioner, she led the effort to help get the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act passed in 2022, which created a radical shift from a 30-year-old Basic Education Program funding formula, which stakeholders universally blasted taking the state from a systems-based approach to a student-based approach. TISA drew several critics including in urban districts, such as Metro Nashville, which considered the new funding formula skewed against them. During that year, The Tennessean opinion pages ran numerous essays for and against TISA, and I was among the editors who met with Schwinn and heard her make a well-researched, thoughtful and convincing case for TISA. The Tennessean's editorial board recommended that the legislature pass the plan. Under her tenure, the legislature passed several laws in the post-pandemic period that addressed areas including literacy, summer school and discipline. Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn discusses the how the state is handling school districts and COVID-19 during a news conference with Gov. Bill Lee at Tennessee state Capitol in Nashville, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Schwinn was also the commissioner leading the education department during the start of Lee's Education Savings Account (aka school vouchers) program and the efforts to try to attend to public school students' needs during the era of remote learning caused by the COVID pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April 2020, I wrote a column about a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Education and PBS to offer digital programming aimed at young children. "As education commissioner, (Schwinn) is looking for a solution for 650,000 households used to sending nearly 1 million children to 1,850 schools across Tennessee," I wrote. "As a mother of three children, ages 4 months old to 8 years old, she is also in the same predicament as many parents balancing work and home during a pandemic and trying to explain to young ones why they cant play with their friends. 'I am struggling with that myself,' Schwinn said." We forget, but this was just five years ago. It also goes to show that making education policy is messy even more so during a crisis. Can Schwinn make good on GOP platform to close education department? The 2024 Republican Party platform provides a clear roadmap on Trump's philosophy on education, in short, universal school choice, parental rights and abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are going to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. and send it back to the States, where it belongs, and let the States run our educational system as it should be run," according to the GOP platform. Governor Lee applauded the pick of Schwinn as deputy education secretary where she would serve with Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon, if they are both confirmed. "@realDonaldTrump has made another strong choice to further his education agenda delivering school choice & finally returning power back to the states. Penny is a true conservative with a brilliant mind for education. Tennessee benefited from her service & now our country will," Lee wrote on X. .@realDonaldTrump has made another strong choice to further his education agenda delivering school choice & finally returning power back to the states. Penny is a true conservative with a brilliant mind for education. Tennessee benefited from her service & now our country will. pic.twitter.com/i21VP0jXyA Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) January 18, 2025 The question remains on what it means to return power back to the states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will Schwinn be the education leader who finally succeeds in working herself out of a job and the DOE out of existence? That should appease her conservative critics, but it certainly will not for those who are on a "wokeness" witch hunt. And again, the politics of the adults trump the conversation about what's best for children. David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters.. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @davidplazas. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump's Department of Education needs a leader like Schwinn | Opinion By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It's hard to tell just where retired General Mark Milley's portrait once hung in the Pentagon's prestigious E-ring hallway, alongside all of the former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Painters on Tuesday spread a fresh coat to hide the holes that showed where it had been mounted until its sudden removal following President Donald Trump's Monday inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Poof! He's gone," one uniformed military official joked, shaking his head in bewilderment. But the worry in the Pentagon is hardly confined to the long-running animus between Trump and Milley, who was Trump's top military advisor between 2019 and early 2021 and had a dramatic falling out with his boss. It is about a larger shake-up of top brass that feels increasingly likely at the U.S. military's headquarters, which during the post-9/11 era was seen as above the political fray. The Pentagon has declined to say who gave the order. Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to lead the Pentagon advanced on Monday past the Senate Armed Services Committee in a party-line 14-13 vote, has made no secret that he believes there are too many four-star generals and that nobody is above review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We won World War Two with seven four-star generals. Today we have 44 four-star generals," Hegseth said last week. "There's an inverse relationship between the size of staffs and victory on the battlefield." The firing of U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, the first female uniformed leader of an Armed Forces branch, echoed in the halls of the Pentagon. While the Coast Guard is part of the armed forces, it falls under the Department of Homeland Security and not the Pentagon. REVIEW OF MILITARY STAFF EXPECTED Hegseth has declined to rule out firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown, if he takes over the military, a possibility first reported by Reuters. He said he would be carrying out a broad review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given," Hegseth said at his Senate confirmation hearing last week. Some U.S. defense officials - civilian and uniformed - hope that Trump's review and potential staff cuts will mirror those of past administrations and will not cause disruption across the military. When Robert Gates was defense secretary at the end of George W. Bush's administration and the beginning of Barack Obama's he sought to cut costs to reinvest those funds in warfighting. Gates, who bristled at costly congressionally mandated studies, ordered their price tags be published. He scrapped production of F-22 fighter jets and shuttered the U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), which had 2,800 U.S. military and civilian staff and about 3,000 contractors. He also moved to reduce the number of generals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as Trump's team is sworn into jobs across the Pentagon, there is anxiety about sweeping personnel decisions. "People are trying to read the tea leaves about what might be coming," a second U.S. official said. Milley's portrait removal is not doing much to allay those concerns, officials said. Trump's rivalry with Milley ran deep. At his retirement ceremony in 2023, Milley took a veiled jab at Trump, saying U.S. troops take an oath to the Constitution and not a "wannabe dictator." Trump later that day lashed out at him with a series of insults, calling Milley "slow moving and thinking" and a "moron." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the aftermath of Trump's supporters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Milley called China to reassure them of U.S. stability. Trump, in a social media post, described the phone call as "an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH." Some of Trump's supporters, seeing Milley as disloyal to Trump, had wanted him called back to active duty and tried for treason. Hegseth has also lashed out at Milley in his latest book, writing "Fuck Mark Milley too." As they finished painting the wall where Milley's painting had hung for just over a week since its January unveiling, one painter looked at the blank wall with humorous satisfaction. "There was no portrait here," he said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Don Durfee and Sandra Maler) The Pentagon is sending up to 1,500 troops to help secure the southern border as President Trump pushes to stem the tide of migrants entering the country. Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses is expected to sign a release order on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press, but the exact number of troops and which ones would deploy is still unclear and could fluctuate. Trump vowed on the campaign trail to send active-duty troops to the border. The expected deployment comes just two days after Trump signed multiple executive orders relating to troop presence at the border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One declares a national emergency at the border to allow for increased military presence. Another authorized U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) to draft a plan for sending troops to the border writing that the military must be present to respond to an invasion. The executive order demanded detailed operational plans that are now expected in the coming days, but it did not say how many troops would deploy. Northcom already has a border mission based out of Fort Bliss, Texas, called Joint Task Force-North. The task force has up to 4,000 U.S. troops authorized for the border mission, primarily from the National Guard, though the number fluctuates and active-duty troops have been sent before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their mission is primarily to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel. U.S. troops are generally assisting CBP with logistical, transportation, detection and monitoring work. But the Trump order could push the military beyond its role assisting existing immigration agents something that would raise new legal questions. Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Brennan Centers Liberty and National Security Program, said the move deserved careful review. In this executive order, Trump seems to be bypassing the Insurrection Act and going straight to the presidents inherent constitutional authority to repel foreign invasions with enormous implications for the use of force, cross-border operations, detention authority, etc, she wrote on the social platform X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, unlawful migration is not an invasion in any legal sense. The use of commander-in-chief powers to conduct military operations against migrants would be a stunning abuse of power, even by Trumps standards. The notion that unlawful migration can and should be met with military force must be swiftly condemned and discredited. Trumps military-related orders come amid a series of immigration-related executive actions, including reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy that requires migrants seeking asylum to wait in Mexico. Updated at 1:52 p.m. EST 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 The Hill. Inhabitants of the Colombian town of Tibu, on the northern border with Venezuela, have fled following a wave of violence that has left at least 80 people dead in clashes between two armed groups in the last week. (AP/Fernando Vergara) Jan. 21Households moving into New Hampshire during the COVID-19 pandemic earned an average of $24,000 more a year than households leaving the Granite State, according to new research released Tuesday. Between 2020 to 2022, migrants to New Hampshire collectively earned $3.3 billion more than those who left the state. That compares with a $1.1 billion net gain for the three years prior to the pandemic, according to research at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. "Most of the increase in income came from migrants moving to New Hampshire from Massachusetts," senior demographer Ken Johnson said in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Hampshire experienced a net migration gain of 26,000 people from 2020 to 2022 compared with 17,000 in the prior three-year period. Households who came to New Hampshire during the pandemic earned an average $111,000 a year compared with $87,000 for households leaving the state. "In addition to their contribution to the state's population gain, migrants to New Hampshire earn considerably more than those who leave," according to a research brief by Johnson, and Tyrus Parker, a research scientist at the Center for Social Policy in Practice at the Carsey School. "What our research clearly demonstrates is the critical role that migration plays in New Hampshire's demographic and economic future," the brief said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massachusetts was the largest source of people moving into New Hampshire, with the state seeing a net gain of 32,000 between 2020 and 2022. "However, the net income gain from the migration exchange between Massachusetts-New Hampshire more than doubled, rising from $1.4 billion in the pre-pandemic era to $2.9 billion during the pandemic," the brief said. People moving into New Hampshire help to ease worker shortages. "Migrants to New Hampshire from other states tend to be in their prime working years and bring considerable talent, education, and expertise that enhances the state's labor force," the UNH brief said. "As we show here, they also earn substantial incomes that contribute to the state's economy." Domestic migration during the year ending July 2024 has slowed, "but it did not stop," Johnson said. mcousineau@unionleader.com After he won the presidential election, Donald Trump told Time magazine that he was still considering pardoning his supporters who were involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol but that he was particularly eyeing those who were charged with non-violent crimes. Im going to do case-by-case, and if they were non-violent, I think theyve been greatly punished, he said. Instead, on his first day in office, Trump went far broader, issuing pardons for most of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6 attack. His actions have paved the way for the releases of numerous people found guilty of violent attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some of them: Tyler Bradley Dykes The FBI received information from a confidential source, which included images, that identified Tyler Bradley Dykes' unique facial features, including his eyebrows. Dykes, of Bluffton, South Carolina, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing a police riot shield and twice using it against officers. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Prosecutors accused Dykes of giving a Sieg Heil! (Hail to victory!) salute during the attack, which he denied. Prosecutors also said that Dykes quoted Adolf Hitler before the attack and that he had participated in a training for a neo-Nazi accelerationist group, The Base. When Dykes, who was discharged from the Marines for participating in extremist behavior, was taken into federal custody, he was serving a five-year sentence for his actions in the racist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Andrew Taake Andrew Taake at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Taake, of Houston, was sentenced to a little more than six years for assaulting law enforcement officers with bear spray and a metal whip. On Dec. 20, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon. A sting operation launched by a woman on the dating app Bumble after the Jan. 6 attack led to his arrest. Taake and other Jan. 6 participants gave up information to her about their activities during the attack, which she provided to investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taake was on pretrial release on a charge of soliciting a minor at the time of the attack. He was among the first to breach the restricted perimeter of the Capitol grounds and swarm the West Plaza, prosecutors said. Christopher Quaglin Christopher Quaglin, left, outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Quaglin, who federal prosecutors said viciously assaulted numerous officers and was one of the most violent rioters, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. On July 10, 2023, he was found guilty of 14 charges: 12 felonies and two misdemeanors. On at least a dozen occasions, Quaglin stood face-to-face with officers as he screamed at, pushed with outstretched arms, punched, swatted, and slapped officers; pushed bike racks into officers; and even choked one officer to the ground, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to prosecutors, Quaglin said on social media that he traveled to Washington to fight in what he believed would be a CIVIL WAR! against a tyrannical government and that he intended to show the members of Congress who their bosses were. Quaglin, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, lashed out at the U.S. district judge who sentenced him, Trevor McFadden, whom Trump appointed in 2017. Youre Trumps worst mistake of 2016, Quaglin told McFadden in a lengthy statement at his sentencing. McFadden told Quaglin that he had falsely claimed the attack was mostly peaceful. You were anything but peaceful on that day, he said. Youre a menace to our society. Taylor James Johnatakis Taylor James Johnatakis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnatakis, of Kingston, Washington, was convicted of three felonies in November 2023: obstruction of an official proceeding, assaulting officers and civil disorder. Johnatakis represented himself at trial and indicated that did not think he was subject to the laws governing the United States. He was also convicted of four misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds and engaging in an act of physical violence in the grounds of any of the Capitol building. He was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. Prosecutors said that he coordinated a violent assault on a line of police officers defending the Capitol and that video shows he used a metal barricade to attack officers head on and grabbed one officer to prevent him from defending himself against other attacking rioters contributing to that officers physical injury. Before the attack, Johnatakis said on social media that he was going to Washington, D.C., to CHANGE the course of HISTORY #stopthesteal and What the British did to DC will be nothing... David Dempsey David Dempsey in front of gallows at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Dempsey, who, according to prosecutors, was one of the most violent rioters, received one of the longest sentences: 20 years in prison. The FBI arrested him in August 2021. He traveled from his home in Santa Ana, California, to Washington with others and attended the Stop the Steal rally at the Ellipse on the morning of Jan. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later that day, Dempsey said various Democratic politicians, including Clinton, Obama, Jerry Nadler and Nancy Pelosi, should be hanged and called them pieces of garbage and other expletives, prosecutors said. Dempsey walked with others toward the Capitol and made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement occurred, prosecutors said. He joined the crowd, pushing into a line of police officers defending the tunnel, prosecutors also said. Dempsey climbed over fellow rioters like human scaffolding and used his hands, feet, flag poles, crutches, pepper spray, broken pieces of furniture, and anything else he could get his hands on as weapons against officers, according to prosecutors. Nearly three years later to the day, on Jan. 4, 2024, Dempsey pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said Dempsey had a very significant history of arrests and convictions. He assaulted anti-Trump protesters with bear spray in 2019, which resulted in a two-year suspended sentence. He also assaulted a counterprotester with a skateboard in 2019, used the same skateboard to assault another person at a political protest the following year and hit a person with a metal bat during another 2020 protest. Daniel Rodriguez Daniel Rodriguez. Rodriguez, of Fontana, California, used a stun gun and plunged it into the neck of Washington Police Officer Michael Fanone multiple times. Fanone has been one of the most vocal critics of the rioters. Rodriguez traveled to Washington with fellow Trump supporters who belonged to a Telegram group called the PATRIOTS 45 MAGA Gang. Prosecutors said he was the administrator of the group. There will be blood, Rodriguez wrote in a MAGA Gang Telegram chat the night before the Jan. 6 attack. Welcome to the revolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He would go on to attend Trumps rally at the Ellipse. On Jan. 6, after having joined the fight in the Capitols Lower West Tunnel, Rodriguez attacked Fanone. He later bragged about his actions in the Telegram chat, writing: Omg I did so much f---ing s--- rn [right now] and got away, and Tazzed the f--- out of the blue. He pleaded guilty in February 2023 to felony conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, tampering with documents or proceedings and inflicting bodily injury on officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Ahead of his sentencing, Rodriguez said in a rambling 20-minute speech that he truly thought a civil war was going to begin and that he believed the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers formed because police were standing down across the country. He acknowledged his actions against Fanone but did not apologize. Before he was sentenced, Fanone said, in part: Any compassion or empathy I felt toward those who laid siege to our Capitol, whose actions I felt were at least in part influenced by their leader, Donald Trump, and his lies, has been eroded eroded by the attacks directed at me and my family by supporters of Donald Trump and the right-wing media. Ryan Nichols Photo evidence in an FBI affidavit showing Ryan Nichols at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Nichols, of Longview, Texas, assaulted officers with pepper spray, and later on Jan. 6, at his hotel room, he called for additional violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nichols confessed on video in the third person. He was arrested in Texas on Jan. 18, 2021. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one felony count each of obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting officers performing their duties. He was sentenced to more than five years in prison. In a video recorded before he took part in the attack, Nichols said the mob would lynch elected officials who voted to certify Joe Bidens presidential victory. Ryan Nichols said it, if you voted for f---ing treason were going to drag your f---ing a-- through the streets, he said in the video as he marched to the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After he was seen on video spraying a giant canister of a chemical weapon at officers inside the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, Nichols bragged about his conduct on Facebook and called for more violence. So if you want to know where Ryan Nichols stands, Ryan Nichols stands for violence, he said in a video cited by prosecutors. Prosecutors sought an 83-month sentence, noting that Nichols said repeatedly that he was ready to die for his cause. I will f---ing die for this, Nichols said on video after the attack. But before I do that, I plan on making other people die first, for their country, if it gets down to that. At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said that while Nichols apology at his sentencing hearing appeared to be sincere, he made very rigorous comments on tape about his desire for future violence. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) No injuries were reported after a house fire near NE Glen Oak and Wisconsin Avenues in Peoria on Tuesday. When fire crews first responded to the scene around 6 p.m., they reported heavy smoke coming out of the attic, Peoria Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Hascall said. All the homes occupants left the residence before fire crews arrived. The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes. Crews spent about 2 hours after that to extinguish hot spots in the home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bloomington fire starts in house being remodeled Investigators determined the cause of the fire to be electrical. The fire caused an estimated $100,000 in damages. The Red Cross was called to assist the homes occupants with housing. 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 CIProud.com. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) A Peoria man was indicted Tuesday by the Peoria County Grand Jury for allegedly pulling out a gun while robbing a pair of shoes. A Peoria County grand jury returned an indictment charging Tobias Taylor, 24, with a count of aggravated robbery in connection with the heist. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. On Oct. 26, Peoria police officers responded to the Knollridge Apartment complex on a report of an armed robbery. When they arrived on the scene, a man told police that he arranged to sell some shoes on Facebook Marketplace, said Anna Perales of the Peoria County States Attorneys Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the meet-up, two men showed up. One of them allegedly demanded the shoes or the other would shoot him, then the second man allegedly brandished a handgun. The victim handed over the shoes and the suspect fled, Perales said. Later, the victim allegedly identified Taylor as one of the men who robbed him. Judge Mark Gilles sided with prosecutors, who had asked Taylor be held pending the outcome of his case. 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 CIProud.com. (KTLA) Authorities in Riverside County are asking for the publics help in locating a person of interest sought for questioning in connection with a homicide earlier this month, officials announced. On Jan. 12, deputies with the Riverside County Sheriffs Department responded to reports of a shooting in San Jacinto and located an adult male on the ground suffering significant injuries. In a news release, authorities said a short time after the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased, a male juvenile arrived at a local hospital where he received treatment for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators determined that this second victim was injured during the same incident, the release noted. Jonathen Amezola, last seen in Corona is wanted for questioning in connection with a fatal shooting on Jan. 12, 2025. (RCSD) Detectives are now searching for a person of interest, identified as Jonathen Amezola, described as a Hispanic male standing approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing around 135 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. 250 roosters, guns, cash seized in Southern California cockfighting bust Amezola was last seen in the city of Corona. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact Riverside County Sheriffs Department Investigator Robertson at 951-955-1094. No information was provided on a possible motive for the deadly shooting, nor was the deceased victim identified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTLA. Punxsutawney, Pa. (WKBN) Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA, is offering up a new substitution in place of the nations favorite weather-predicting rodent. In a Tuesday letter addressed to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Clubs president Tom Dunkel, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk is offering a weather reveal vegan cake each Groundhog Day in order to replace [the] exploited groundhog. If the inside of the cake is blue, there will be six more weeks of winter. If its pink, there will be an early spring. This would allow you to still make tourism dough while showing Phil a slice of decency, the letter read, in part. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter concludes by stating if the club isnt a fan of the idea, PETA would be happy to send them a large thermometer for Gobblers Knob instead with the message If its still cold, its still winter. When allowed to be themselves, groundhogs avoid humans, create intricate networks of underground burrows, communicate with one another, and even climb trees, but poor Phil is denied all of that for a tired old gimmick, Newkirk stated. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has not published a response at the time of this report, as its website continues to count down the 11 remaining days until the annual Groundhog Day celebration. 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 WKBN.com. CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) Tuesday was the first time Carter Countys Interim Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Shannon Winters was supposed to provide an update after former EMA director Billy Harrell was fired last month but he, Mayor Patty Woodby and other county leaders did not attend the county commission meeting. Woodby was scheduled to deliver a mayoral report during Tuesday nights commission meeting and Winters was scheduled to provide an update on EMA operations. Neither were present at the commission meeting. Discussion of Harrell was not on the agenda, but last week, News Channel 11 learned he was seeking $1 million in damages from Mayor Patty Woodby for his termination. Woodby cited the lack of emergency planning in place before Hurricane Helene hit as the reason for firing Harrell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of Carter Countys past EMA directors, Gary Smith, said during public comment that he is sure the county had an emergency plan before Helene happened. I can assure you that Carter County had a basic emergency operation plan, Smith said. It was updated in 2016 by me. We sent it to all the appropriate agencies by CD and by e-mail. I believe Mr. Harrell did the same. I cant speak to that because I was gone by that point. Others who spoke during public comment also defended Harrell. Billy Harrrells the first EMA director of this flood, the flood of 98 and any other major disaster that Ive been involved with that actually showed up, Chris Little, Carter County resident said. He was there and he was there for days after. Was this over Billys head? Probably. But now were going to have to replace him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the first day, Billy did what he could do. Little recommended hiring retired fire chiefs, battalion chiefs and other former emergency personnel who already have the training to lead in emergencies. James Byrd, a resident in attendance Tuesday night, presented and submitted a petition to remove Woodby from her position. Byrd told News Channel 11 that he and other citizens who signed the petition feel like Woodby does not represent them well. He also said the decision to fire Harrell also motivated them to file the petition. I was approached by several citizens of Carter County to start this ouster petition, Byrd said. They were concerned about the mayors absence as being absent for some of the meetings. And they were also concerned about some of her past statements, such as the public cannot address the mayor. That was made in the March commission, full commission meeting where the mayor stated the public could not address her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In documents provided to the county attorney, Byrd included a letter from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agencys (TEMA) Regional Planning Manager at the time, Trip Voss from 2021. The letter is addressed to Billy Harrell approving a Basic Emergency Operations Plan (BEOP) for Carter County. Well, he [Harrell] was fired based on false statements by the mayor and some other people during the commission meeting, Byrd said. And it just wasnt a fair statement [made]. I mean, it was an incorrect statement [made] about Mr. Harrell. In other words, people, including mostly led by the mayor, said that there was not a plan filed. Byrd claims the emergency plans were on file at the Carter County Emergency Management building. He would like Josh Hardin, Carter Countys attorney, to investigate Woodbys comments about not having an emergency plan. I believe that what should happen is the county attorney should, at minimum, censure the mayor, Byrd said. But I do believe the mayor should probably resign because theres a history of First Amendment violations and now these false statements in order to remove a paid employee from the EMA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Byrd wants to know why Woodby isnt more readily available to the public. He said he has called her office multiple times and left messages but has not received a return call. Shes available for photo shoots and pictures with congressmen and senators. But yet, when it comes time for the public, Ive called her office before with no return call. Everyone else Ive talked to says theyve called her office and get no contact. The petition has over 90 signatures, only 10 are required to file the form. Near the end of the commission meeting, Commissioner Danny Deal made a motion to censure Mayor Woodby for her comments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner Aaron Frazier said the emergency plan was never signed or voted on by the commission. Commissioner Lesley Hughes said the plan was not properly distributed to emergency agencies. Deal later withdrew due to legal advice from Hardin because of litigation conflicts. Hardin said these types of discussions need to be made during closed executive sessions. Something that was officially discussed by the countys attorney was efforts to negotiate a new contract for the Elizabethton-Carter County Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism. Last month, the commission voted not to renew an existing three-year contract with the chamber but rather offered a new one-year contract. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hardin said he has talked with the chamber about a one-year contract offer. It would begin March 9, 2025, and end on March 9, 2026. This contract offer is also non-auto-renewable. The chamber would like the new contract to include a 90-day notice before the one-year contract ends. Chamber members also request any new contracts to be two years in length. The commission did not make a decision about the tourism contract during Tuesdays meeting. Commissioners went into a closed executive session following the public portion of the meeting. Many other items regarding Hurricane Helene recovery efforts were approved and discussed during Tuesdays meeting. The full commission meeting can be found on YouTube. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Although President Donald Trump is determined to have federal workers return to the office, nearly half of the workers surveyed by the Pew Research Center indicated that they would search for a new job to continue teleworking if they were ordered to do so. According to the Pew Research Center, although companies agree with Trumps stance on curtailing remote work, many Americans are not interested in returning to the office and indicated they would look for a new job if forced to return to their offices. According to its survey, three categories of workers are more inclined to leave their jobs if they are required to return to an office full-time: women, workers under 50, and full-time teleworkers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Notably, the survey excludes self-employed workers, such as freelancers. However, it also indicates that in 2024, more workers said their employers required them to work a certain number of days per week or month than in 2023. As might be expected, workers who work primarily or solely from home would not want a hybrid situation, and vice versa; in both cases, a solid majority (over 60%) would not want to exchange their particular work arrangements. According to The New York Times, companies like Amazon, JPMorgan, and AT&T have been playing up the benefits of office culture in statements announcing their plans for employees to return to work. For example, JPMorgan wrote in a memo to its employees that it would eliminate its hybrid work option. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that some of you prefer a hybrid schedule and respectfully understand that not everyone will agree with this decision, JPMorgan wrote. We feel that now is the right time to solidify our full-time in-office approach. According to Harry Holzer, an economist at Georgetown University, the renewed push for a return-to-work mandate comes as employers assume they have the leverage in an economy with less need to cater to the workforce. It becomes like another dimension of compensation in a really tight labor market, employees get their way more, employers might not pressure them to come back because they might want to quit, Holzer told the New York Times. In a labor market where theres more slack, employers might be less worried about that. However, Nick Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University who studies workplace trends, told Vox in 2024 that a full-on in-office policy could backfire, particularly among young workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [O]ne way this plays out is they have a ton of quits. They find it harder to hire, Bloom told the outlet. I know from talking to my own undergrads and MBAs that they dont want to go in five days a week. So its going to be harder to hire them. Bloom continued, It also turns out, if youre hiring folks remotely, you can hire a lot better employee for your money because youre not looking locally, youre looking nationally or even globally. Alex DiLeonardo, the chief people officer for Citadel Securities, a Miami-based financial firm, indicated that the tension between in-office and telework allows companies to evaluate their roles in the social contract between an employee and an employer. As somebody who spent my entire career in the people space, I think its great that all of these different forms of working are causing organizations and societies to ask questions about how best to enable individuals to succeed in their different roles and their different careers, DiLeonardo told Vox. But I also think that leaves a ton of room for organizations to choose the kind of environment that they provide and be very clear in the social contract about what it means to work at this company. RELATED CONTENT: Trump Signs Executive Order Recognizing Only Sex, Not Gender; Also Ends Federal DEI Programs (Getty Images) School administrators provided mostly positive feedback to lawmakers curious about implementation of a 2023 law prohibiting students from using their phones. School officials provided the House Student Academic Success subcommittee feedback last week on HB 379, a 2023 law that prohibits phone use during instructional time, prohibits access to certain websites on school networks, and requires instruction to students to responsibly use social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its gone very very well in many of our classrooms, especially I would say it goes really well in our classrooms with struggling learners. The teachers have seen the benefit of that increased interaction with each other, the increased focus, said Toni Zetzsche, principal of River Ridge High School in Pasco County. The law, introduced by Rep. Brad Yeager, a Republican representing part of Pasco County, received unanimous support before serving as a sort of model legislation across the nation. The first step of this process: remove phones from the classroom, focus on learning, take the distraction out. Number two was, social media, without just yanking it from them, try to educate them on the dangers. Try to help to learn and understand how social media works for them and against them, Yeager said during the subcommittee meeting. An EducationWeek analysis shows Florida was the first state to ban or restrict phones when the law passed, with several other states following suit in 2024. State Rep. Bradford Troy Brad Yeager via Florida House Florida schools have discretion as to how they enforce the law, with some prohibiting cellphones from the beginning until the end of the day, while others allow students to use their phones during down times like lunch and between classes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some teachers have taken it upon themselves to purchase hanging shoe organizers for students to bank their phones in during class, Yeager said. Since the law took effect in the middle of 2023, Zetzsche said, students in higher level college preparatory classes have partially struggled because of the self-regulating nature of the courses and the expectation that teachers give them more freedom. But for younger and lower-performing students, the law has been effective, according to Zetzsche and research Yeager used to gain support for the bill. In some of our ninth and tenth grade classrooms, where the kids need a little more support, those teachers are definitely seeing the benefit, Zetzsche said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Orange County Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez said schools have combatted student complaints about not having their phones by filling down time, like lunch periods, with games or club activities. Zetzsche said she has seen herself and others use the phoneless time as an opportunity to get to know more students. I know Ive spoken with teachers, elementary teachers, middle school teachers, and high school teachers that have said, Ive had to teach students to reconnect and get involved or talk to people. They are doing a better job of focusing on that replacement behavior now, I think. I think we all are, Zetzsche said. I think, as a high school principal now, when I see a student sitting in the cafeteria and theyre on their cellphone watching a movie, I immediately want to strike up a conversation and say, Hey, are you on the weightlifting team? Do you play a sport? Zetzsche said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Bell to bell Orange County schools decided not to allow phones all day, while Pasco County chose to keep phones away from students during instructional time, the extent the law requires. It was surprisingly, and shockingly, pretty easy to implement, Marc Wasko, principal at Timber Creek High School in Orange County, told the subcommittee. Rep. Fiona McFarland, a Republican representing part of Sarasota County and the chair of the subcommittee, encouraged further planning to better enforce the law. I will tell you, because not everything we do up here is perfect, there are some schools that Ive heard of where, even if the teacher has a bag, kids are bringing a dummy phone, like moms old iPhone, and flipping that into the pouch where theyve got their device in their pocket or if youve got long hair, maybe you can hide earbuds, McFarland said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I mean, this is the reality of being policymakers, folks, McFarland continued. We make a law, we can make the greatest law in the world, which is meaningless if its not executed and enforced properly. We could pass a law tomorrow to end world hunger and global peace, but it means nothing if its not operationalized well and planned for well. Yeager told the committee he does not plan to seek to ban phones outside of instructional time, although other lawmakers could push for further phone prohibitions. Department of Education obligation The law requires the Department of Education to make instructional material available on the effects of social media, required for students to learn under the law. Finding the time to be able to embed that into the curriculum is really difficult. We are struggling with instructional minutes as it is, when we have things like hurricanes impact learnings, Zetzsche said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are struggling to get through the content, so it would be nice to have something from the Department of Education that is premade that we can share with students, but maybe through elective courses or some guidance on how they would expect high schools, how they would feed that information to students. Administrators said parental pushback has been limited, and Zetzsche added that parents have sought advice from schools about how to detach their kids from their phones. When we struggle with the student whos attached to their cellphone, the parents want to put things in place. They just dont know what to do, Zetzsche said, calling for the department to provide additional information to parents. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Florida isnt usually a state that sees much snow, but that changed Tuesday as a winter storm blew through, covering roadways and neighborhoods in snowfall. Residents and officials from around the Panhandle sent 8 On Your Side photos from their homes, showing just how much snow they were seeing. Florida airports close due to snow, hazardous winter conditions in Panhandle Some parts of Florida were forecast to get as much as six inches of snow, a big change for residents in the Sunshine State. A dog plays in the snow in Pace, Florida (Credit: Polly James/ReportIt) Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Snow at a home in Pace, Florida (Credit: Polly James/ReportIt) Snow falls on a yard in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (Credit: Charles Dedmon/ReportIt) Snow falls on a yard in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (Credit: Charles Dedmon/ReportIt) An FHP patrol car in the Pensacola snow (Photo provided by the Florida Highway Patrol) TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA JANUARY 21:People walk in the middle of a snowy rain on January 21, 2025 in Tallahassee, Florida. The National Weather Service has placed North Florida under a winter storm warning with some predicting the Gulfs biggest snow and ice storm in more than 100 years. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images) TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA JANUARY 21: Car Pass in the middle of a snowy rain on January 21, 2025 in Tallahassee, Florida. The National Weather Service has placed North Florida under a winter storm warning with some predicting the Gulfs biggest snow and ice storm in more than 100 years. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images) Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Sunrise Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Courtesy Tara Lambright Panama City Beach snow courtesy Tara Lambright Courtesy Tara Lambright (Bay County Sheriffs Office) (Bay County, Florida Emergency Services) (Bay County Sheriffs Office) (Bay County, Florida Emergency Services) Do you know of something newsworthy happening in your community? Report It! Send in tips, photos videos and other information 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 WFLA. Winter Storm Enzo hit the Gulf Coast on Tuesday with heavy snowfall from Florida to Texas. New Orleans and Pensacola, Florida, received record-breaking amounts of snow. Snow blanketed landmarks such as Bourbon Street, Myrtle Beach, and Pensacola's Naval Air Station. Winter Storm Enzo blanketed the Gulf Coast in snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, with winter storm warnings and heavy snowfall in Southern states from Florida to Texas. Pensacola, Florida, received 7.6 inches of snow, breaking a record set in 1954. Snowfalls in New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, also broke decades-old records, according to the National Weather Service. Schools and businesses shuttered across the South, and over 25,000 homes and businesses in Florida were left without power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Poweroutage.us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photos show landmarks across the South covered in snow from the rare winter storm. Naval Air Station Pensacola, the Navy base that hosts the National Naval Aviation Museum, was closed except for mission-essential personnel. Pensacola, Florida. Tony Giberson/Pensacola News Journal/via REUTERS In South Carolina, Myrtle Beach's oceanside SkyWheel Ferris wheel closed for the week due to 5.5 inches of snowfall. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sean Rayford/Getty Images The grounds of the South Carolina State House in Columbia were covered in snow. The South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina. Sean Rayford/Getty Images New Orleans received 8 inches of snow, shuttering popular tourist spots like Cafe Du Monde, which is known for its beignets. Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street was largely empty on Tuesday due to the winter weather. Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Michael DeMocker/Getty Images Heavy snowfall obscured signs at Caesars Superdome advertising Super Bowl LIX on February 9. Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images Snow clung to the branches of the oak trees in New Orleans' City Park. City Park in New Orleans. Michael DeMocker/Getty Images Up to 6 inches of snow fell in parts of Houston, including a dusting at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros. Daikin Park in Houston. Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locals went sledding at Buffalo Bayou Park near downtown Houston a rare occurrence in Texas. Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston. Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Read the original article on Business Insider The NYPD on Wednesday released surveillance footage of a suspect wanted for stabbing a stranger on a Manhattan subway and revealed the clash was over spitting on the train. Police say the two men argued over spitting on a downtown No. 1 train as it neared the 110th St.-Cathedral Parkway station in Harlem at about 9:15 a.m. on Jan. 1. As the quarrel escalated, the 30-year-old victim was stabbed multiple times in the head, arm and upper body by the enraged attacker. The victim was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital and is recovering. Cops are asking the publics help identifying and tracking down the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. The criminal case against two Pierce County men charged for their alleged roles in the January 2021 U.S. Capitol riot was dismissed Tuesday after President Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons and commutations for everyone accused of participating or convicted of crimes in the mob attack. Richard Slaughter, an ex-Orting School Board member who resigned shortly after his arrest, and his stepson, Caden Paul Gottfried, were scheduled to have their verdicts read next week following a bench trial held earlier this month, according to court records in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. But on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth granted the governments motion to dismiss the indictment. The motion was filed by federal prosecutors Monday after Trump gave clemency to more than 1,500 criminal defendants tied to storming the Capitol in the aftermath of Trumps 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government cites to the Executive Order dated January 20, 2025, Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at Or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, as the reason for this dismissal, acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, Jr. wrote in Mondays filing. Federal prosecutors say video and photos show 20-year-old Caden Gottfried of Orting at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack joining a crowd the pushed police. U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia/Courtesy Trumps wide-reaching executive order, which had been expected, included case dismissals for people convicted of assaulting police officers as well as far-right extremist group leaders who plotted to keep the Republican president in power after he lost the 2020 election, according to the Associated Press. Obviously, dismissals are flying fast and furious, attorney Bill Shipley, who represented Slaughter and Gottfried, told The News Tribune on Tuesday. In an interview, Shipley said that he doubted either of the men could have received a fair jury trial in Washington, D.C., and suggested that both of his clients constitutional rights were violated by being forced into a bench trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Slaughter and Gottfried were 40 and 20 years old, respectively, at the time of their arrests in Tacoma in October 2022. They had been accused of illegally entering the Capitol grounds and joining others in the Lower West Terrace area on Jan. 6, 2021, federal prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors say video and photos show 40-year-old Richard Slaughter of Orting at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack wielding a pole. U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia/courtesy Slaughter was alleged to have taken, or attempted to take, a baton from a Metropolitan Police Department officer and purportedly attacked Capitol police with a long pole, according to prosecutors. He allegedly handed chemical spray to another person in the crowd and kept a police shield from an officer after grabbing it from a person who was also accused of rioting. Gottfried purportedly used his body weight to push against a line of officers, prosecutors said. Their defense focused on whether Slaughter had used a deadly or dangerous weapon, according to Shipley, who said that such a finding was a major variable since it could dramatically alter sentencing. For Gottfried, the question was whether he tried to push through a police line or simply had opted to escape in the only direction that he could amid a crush of the crowd, Shipley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both men, who faced a combined 13 counts in a superseding indictment, had pleaded not guilty to charges that included assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds. Following Trumps election victory in November over then-Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Shipley unsuccessfully sought to pause his clients criminal case until Trump took office, citing Trumps public declarations that hed pardon defendants in the Capitol riot. Trump, himself, faced four felony charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, preceding the Capitol attack, but those charges were dismissed in November due to Justice Department guidelines that prevent prosecution of a sitting president, multiple media outlets reported. Shipley, who said he represented 91 defendants involved in Jan. 6 cases, didnt yet have a definitive answer on what to take away from global resolutions of his clients cases, believing it would all come into better focus in the days ahead. History will judge the rest, he said. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) After Gov. Joe Lombardo took aim in his State of the State address at an ever-expanding number of boards and commissions that operate in Nevada with minimal oversight, a plan to reform the system is emerging. Kristopher Sanchez, Department of Business and Industry director, on Tuesday released recommendations to reorganize boards and commissions with new legislation that will be introduced during the 83rd session of the Nevada Legislature. Lombardo directed the department to create a new framework. Nevadas regulatory, advisory and occupational licensing boards are a form of participatory state government where citizens can volunteer to serve their community and their profession, according to a Tuesday news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the states founding in 1864, the number of boards, commissions and advisory committees has ballooned to over 300. The size and scope of these entities has created a de facto fourth branch of government with appointed representatives that operate with minimal oversight and wide-ranging authorities that impact the states economy and the livelihood of thousands of Nevadans, the release said. A comprehensive evaluation produced recommendations for regular review and sunset clauses for boards and commissions, term limits, appointment provisions and the elimination of existing meeting requirements, allowing the boards to convene only when necessary. Also, although specifics werent included, some boards and commissions might be merged or eliminated, and operations could be centralized. Democrats control both houses of the Nevada Legislature, and they saw Lombardo, a Republican, veto a record number of bills two years ago. It remains to be seen if they can agree on proposals to reform boards and commissions. The department used Iowa as a model for the process and sent staff there to learn about a comprehensive reform effort that took place in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One-on-one meetings with industry associations, executive directors and board chairs, executive branch leadership, legislative leadership and other key stakeholders also helped guide the plan to reform Nevadas boards and commissions. Sanchez and Nikki Haag, deputy director of the Office of Nevada Boards, Commissions and Councils Standards, led the effort. Goals were identified as: 1) increasing board and commission accountability and transparency, 2) enhancing operations and reducing redundancy, 3) reducing administrative cost burdens to licensees, 4) providing excellent service delivery, and 5) enhancing Nevadas economic competitiveness. See a full copy of Reforming Nevadas Boards and Commissions: Findings and Recommendations. 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. Our fractured ages greatest heroes are a far cry from Achilles. They fight not for glory but freedom, with weapons forged of pure moral steel. Consider the fatalistic courage of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. By the time he was poisoned in 2020 with a neurotoxin secretly applied to his underpants by Vladimir Putins agents, hed suffered at least one previous chemical attack and been jailed by the regime more than 10 times. After five months of convalescence in Germany, Navalny returned to Moscow, where he was arrested at the airport and later imprisoned in a remote penal colony. He seemed undaunted by the prospect of death. If they decide to kill me, he said in the 2022 documentary film Navalny, it means that we are incredibly strong. The supreme Soviet poet Osip Mandelstam, who fell afoul of the Bolsheviks shortly after the Russian Revolution of 1917, was Navalnys equal in staking his life on publicly resisting ideological tyranny. Mandelstam sealed his fate in late 1933, when he composed verse that portrayed Stalin as a murderer with cockroach whiskers who forges order after order like horseshoes, / hurling them at the groin, the forehead, the brow, the eye. Brutally interrogated in Moscows Lubyanka prison in 1934, he was sent into exile, was rearrested in the spring of 1938, and died in a Gulag transit facility that winter. In her memoir of those terrible years, Hope Against Hope, his wife, Nadezhdawhose name means hope, and who published a sequel, Hope Abandonedwrites that Mandelstams destiny was hatched from character, like a butterfly from its chrysalis. He attacked Stalin because he did not want to die without stating in unambiguous terms what he thought was going on around us. Mandelstam anticipated Navalny when he observed that poetry is power and is respected only in this countrypeople are killed for it. Both men died in Siberian prison camps at the age of 4786 years apart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: A dissident is built different] The power of Mandelstams poetry, a bell pealing in the muffle of a pea-soup fog, arises from the harmony of his words and actions. The dominant theme in the whole of M.s life and work, Nadezhda writes, was his insistence on the poets dignity, his position in society and his right to make himself heard. Mandelstams speech was his deed. In 1918, he saved the life of an art historian targeted by the Cheka (the secret police), ignoring a pistol-brandishing Chekists warning that hed be shot if he dared to interfere in the case. He later stopped the execution of five bank officials by sending to Nikolai Bukharin a volume of poems that the Central Committee member had helped him publish, accompanied by the message that every line here is against what you are going to do. Bukharin returned the favor by writing to Stalin in Mandelstams defense after his arrest in 1934. Its hard to say what he appreciated more: Mandelstams adamant integrity or his poetry. While terrified artists mouthed the alien language of the state, Mandelstams verse sprang inexorably from some high and sacred ground that would not fall. He captures this almost physical necessity in his very short poem Meteorite, which describes an exiled line of poetry that, having fallen from the heavens and woken the earth, couldnt be anything else. Its not that Soviet leaders disliked Mandelstams work. Genrikh Yagoda, the head of the secret police who, along with Bukharin, was condemned to death in the last show trial of old Bolsheviks in 1938, was so fond of Mandelstams Stalin poem that he learned it by heart. Nor, it seems, were leaders particularly hostile to him because he was a Jew: Official anti-Semitism in Stalins Russia didnt hit full swing until 1952, when all of the prominent Yiddish writers and eight other Jews were executed on Stalins orders in what came to be known as the Night of the Murdered Poets. According to Nadezhda, Mandelstams real crime was his defiant confidence, his usurpation of the right to words and thoughts that the ruling powers reserved exclusively to themselves. Equally unforgivable was his inclination to lay down the law, as a writer is supposed tothat is, to pass unequivocal judgment on social realities, a consequence of his inability to be indifferent to good and evil, and [to] say that all that exists is rational (a Communist dogma frequently invoked to excuse terror as historical necessity). The viciousness of the totalitarian state only strengthened the poets hand. For while rulers who rely on terror lack authoritypower that is rooted neither in coercion nor persuasion but is spontaneously recognized as legitimate, like that of a doctor on an airplane when a passenger falls illMandelstam radiated it. This was not just because he was a generous and conscientious man who couldnt keep a second pair of trousers (there was always someone more in need), and who blamed himself for leading into temptation whatever friend betrayed him after he recited his Stalin poem to a dozen people. His authority came from what Nadezhda calls the absolute character of his urge to be a source of truth for his fellow men, and his inability to curb or silence himself by stepping on the throat of his own song. Above all, it came from the authenticity of his inner voice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what awakens that voice? For Mandelstam, poetry sprang from joy as much as from angerand emerged in the manner that a musical phrase does. Like the Irish poet W. B. Yeats, Mandelstam composed by ear, uttering the same lines with minor variations over and over until they achieved their proper form. Watching him work must have been like listening to a songbird, one whose protective coloring couldnt conceal its deepest feelings. Mandelstam, who called poetry the yeast of the world, suggests as much in his poem The Cage: When the goldfinch like rising dough suddenly moves, as a heart throbs, anger peppers its clever cloak and its nightcap blackens with rage. The goldfinch sings in a cage built from a hundred bars of lies and the plank on which he sings is slanderous. These are inhospitable conditions, but Nadezhda explains that he was reconciled with persecution and poverty by his simple love of life. For him, eternity was tangibly present in every fleeting fraction of time, which he would gladly stop and thus make even more tangible. He knew, in the words of the poet Anna Akhmatova, from what trash poetry, quite unashamed, can grow, turning into vibrant song the colorless prose of daily existence under the crushing weight of totalitarianism. This was the drop of good that the merciless grip of the age squeezed out of him. But the evil age could not forgive him for that good, and not just him: the feeling for poetry, which Mandelstam regarded as the definitive characteristic of the true intelligentsia, went with the qualities of the mind which in our country doomed people to death. Foremost among them was the dynamic strength of the individual who sings his inner freedom, as Mandelstam does in a 1935 poem that ends with the triumph of the poetic voice: you could not stop my lips from moving. Courageous and authoritative individual voices are as urgently necessary today as they have ever been, not just in Russia but across the West. In Soviet fashion, the proponents of cultural Marxism seek consensus through intimidation, insisting, among other things, that oppressors have no right to an opinion about oppressed groups or individuals. Primary and secondary schools have for years spoon-fed students such ideological pap, damaging their capacity to appreciate any ideas not packaged in hackneyed phrases. In universities, professors expose intellectually susceptible undergraduates to popular partisan concepts, concepts as stale, in Orwells words, as tea leaves blocking a sink. These viral variants of recombinant Marxismhaving in common a peculiarly enervated voicehave now spread throughout society by multiple vectors, including ubiquitous DEI training programs, to which 52 percent of U.S. workers have now been subjected. One new study suggests that these programs increase the endorsement of the type of demonization and scapegoating characteristic of authoritarianism. [Read: Poetry is an act of hope] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donald Trumps reelection, among other cultural shifts, suggests that Americans have grown tired of progressive bullying. But if anything, technology poses a more insidious threat to the development of future Mandelstams than ideology. Its not just that people prefer new iPhones to old books. I tell undergraduates who are laboring to improve their writing that their ultimate goal is the achievement of style: a voice so distinctive that readers will immediately recognize whose work they hold in their hands. But nearly four in 10 students admit to using programs such as ChatGPT to write their papers, and the actual rate of AI plagiarism is probably much higher. As this technology advances, few will be able to resist the temptation to outsource the greatest part of their thinking to machines. This brings to mind the poets of ideology and algorithms that Nadezhda would have called mechanical nightingales. When a friend told the Mandelstams about a bird hed seen that, on its owners signal, hopped out of its cage, sang, and then obediently returned to confinement, his precocious son remarked: Just like a member of the Union of Writers. Too many writers and artists in the West sing the same potted tunes on demand, hopping from perch to scandalous plank. But unlike songbirds, poets and readers can learn from the dead, and they can refuse to be tamed by the forces of ideological conformity and technological brain-suck. Thats the spirit we need today. Let a hundred poets whose lips are still moving, heroes living or dead, leaven our days, and let them teach their life-affirming music to our young. Article originally published at The Atlantic Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for drastically higher defence spending in the European Union in an address to the European Parliament on Wednesday. "If Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed," he told EU lawmakers gathered in Strasbourg, France. He called on EU countries to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. "This is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security," said Tusk, whose country borders Russia's ally Belarus, the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, and Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Tusk, Poland already spends around 5% of GDP on defence. There is no set defence spending goal in the EU. Of the 27 EU countries, 23 are also members of the Western defence alliance NATO. NATO allies have pledged to spend at least 2% of economic output on defence, a target which might be increased at the next NATO summit in June. US President Donald Trump is demanding NATO allies spend 5% on defence - a level that Washington does not meet. Germany has increased its expenditure to just over 2%. NASHVILLE (AP) Police say 2 students have been wounded by gunfire at a Nashville high school and the shooter is "no longer a threat." Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Authorities in Australia on Wednesday announced the arrest of a 33-year-old man accused of vandalizing and attempting to set fire to a Sydney synagogue earlier this month. The arrest comes as police in the southeastern state of New South Wales crack down on anti-Semitic crimes amid a slew of attacks and vandalism targeting Australia's Jewish community. "We will leave no stone unturned in combating rampant anti-Semitism and violence in our community," NSW Premier Chris Minns told reporters during a press conference. "It will never be tolerated." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unnamed suspect was arrested overnight Tuesday by detectives with Strike Force Pearl, a police task force launched to crack down on rising anti-Semitic crimes in the state. The arrest occurred as the detectives were executing search warrants at two addresses on Pyrmont Bridge Road, in Camperdown in neighboring Victoria state, the NSW Police Force said in a statement. The man was initially taken to the hospital under police guard before being transported to Surry Hills Police Station, where he was charged with several offenses in connection to the Jan. 11 attempted arson attack targeting a synagogue in Sydney's inner west suburb of Newtown. Police said two people were seen spray-painting graffiti on the fence and building of the synagogue and are believed to have attempted to light it on fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters during the press conference that they expect to make a second arrest in the case "shortly." Strike Force Pearl has now arrested nine people in connection to four crimes targeting the state's Jewish community. However, the state has been plagued by a string of such attacks that go back to at least October, with the most recent incident occurring Friday, when a number of vehicles and the home of a former Jewish community leader were damaged. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Friday incident "another anti-Semitic attack that is against everything that we stand for." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's more to do, but if you have committed or you are thinking about committing one of these offense, expect a knock on your door," Yasmin Catley, minister of police and counter terrorism in NSW, said in the press conference. "It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but let me tell you, it will come." The crimes come as the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia soared amid Israel's war against Iran-backed Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of people. According to a report published late last year by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, there were more than 2,000 anti-Jewish incidents tallied during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, marking an increase of 316% compared to the same period a year prior. A local police department is mourning the loss of a retired sergeant. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] James L. West passed away on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Kettering Medical Center surrounded by his wife and three daughters, according to his online obituary. TRENDING STORIES: He worked at the Xenia Police Division for 28 years and retired as a Police Sergeant. He will be remembered for his advocacy, carpentry work, and the love of his family, the department wrote on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West started his law enforcement career with the Central State University Police Department, his obituary stated. The City of Xenia posted a tribute to Sgt. West on its Facebook page. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of James L. West, a dedicated member of the Xenia Police Division for 28 years who retired as a Police Sergeant. Services will be held on Jan. 27 at McColaugh Funeral Home. Please join us in honoring his memory. A gathering for friends and family will be at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, at McColaugh Funeral Home on N. Detroit Street. The funeral is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., his obituary said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Violence Free Futures or Family Promise of Greene County. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Its been nearly a week since a pickup truck drove off the Arlington Memorial Bridge and plunged into the Potomac River during a crash. In an update on Jan. 22, the United States Park Police (USPP) told DC News Now that the two victims were identified as Jerod and Jerel Wert. They were both 52 years old and from Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | 2 dead after truck drove off Arlington Memorial Bridge, into Potomac river Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, it is still unclear who was driving the truck and the investigation is ongoing. The incident happened on the evening of Jan. 16, when the pickup truck was involved in a collision with another vehicle. During the impact, the truck swerved, went through the bridges concert railing and fell into the icy Potomac River. Several first responders including the DC Fire and EMS Department and D.C. police were called to the scene. Dive teams searched for the truck and its occupants. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | WATCH: Crash causes vehicle to go off Arlington Memorial Bridge, into Potomac River Officials said after about 22 minutes, one of the men was pulled from the water. He was taken to the hospital where he died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday afternoon, dive teams returned to the Arlington Memorial Bridge and removed the second man from the truck in the river. He was pronounced dead there. This is a developing story. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Australian detectives are investigating whether foreign actors are paying criminals to commit antisemitic attacks in the country, police said on Wednesday. Australia Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw was meeting on Wednesday with state police chiefs to discuss an increase in antisemitic crime in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023. We believe criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents, Kershaw told reporters in the national capital, Canberra. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So part of our inquiries include: Who is paying those criminals, where those people are, whether they are in Australia or offshore, and what their motivation is, Kershaw added. He did not take questions from reporters. Kershaw told federal and state government leaders on Tuesday in a briefing on antisemitism that detectives were investigating 15 serious allegations of antisemitic crime. We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs, Kershaw said after Tuesday's meeting. We are looking at if or how they have been paid, for example in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were also investigating whether young people were involved in antisemitism and if they had been radicalized online and encouraged to commit antisemitic acts, Kershaw said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday declined to comment on who might be paying for antisemitic crime in Australia. It is important that people understand where some of these attacks are coming from and it would appear ... that some of these are being perpetrated by people who dont have a particular issue, arent motivated by an ideology, but are paid actors, Albanese told reporters. An arson and graffiti attack on a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue on Tuesday is the latest in a spate of targeted attacks in Australias largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which are home to 85% of the country's Jewish population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fires and other attacks have targeted buildings, businesses and cars. One person suffered burn injuries in a fire that was set at a Melbourne synagogue in December. After the childcare center fire, New South Wales Police said the number of detectives working for Strike Force Pearl, which was formed to investigate antisemitic crime, had been doubled from 20 to 40. Strike Force Pearl detectives arrested 33-year-old Adam Edward Moule on Tuesday night and charged him with attempting to burn down a synagogue in the inner Sydney suburb of Newtown on Jan. 11. A liquid accelerant burned out without the building catching fire. Red swastikas were also painted on an exterior wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moule was to appear in a Sydney court on multiple charges on Wednesday but his case was adjourned until Thursday to allow time for him to instruct a lawyer. He will remain in custody until then. Police say Moule's alleged accomplice was expected to be arrested soon. ESPANOLA, N.M. (KRQE) Espanola police are searching for a truck they said hit a school bus Tuesday evening. Officers were sent to 1810 N. Riverside Dr. around 5:30 p.m. for a crash. They said a white F-150 side-swiped the bus that had seven kids on board. The truck left the scene of the crash. Sandoval County Sheriffs Office deputies save baby in stolen truck They said the truck had damage to its passenger side mirror. The bus had minor damage. No students were injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call dispatch at 505-753-5555 and leave a message for Detective Epling or Detective Mayers. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A 51-year-old man from Decatur, Georgia, was charged by Tamaqua police after reports that he impersonated a federal agent. Police said that around 3 p.m. Sunday, the defendant, Gemini Lake, went to Advance Auto Parts to get his battery in his vehicle repaired and told employees that he was a member of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence. Lake faces a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a public servant. He was charged by Tamaqua police Cpl. Karl Harig. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendant was arraigned Sunday by on-call Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, and jailed in Schuylkill County Prison. He was released the next day after posting $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. Jan. 28 before District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) A man is accused of shooting at the manager of a car wash during an armed robbery before stealing a car from a nearby restaurant Tuesday in Spartanburg. According to the Spartanburg Police Department, officers responded to Shine on Twenty 9 Car Wash on W. O. Ezell Blvd. around 1:45 p.m., after getting reports of an armed robbery. Witnesses told police a car wash employee tried to break into a safe in the business office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When a manager tried to approach the employee, officers said the employee pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the manager. No one was injured in the shooting. The employee, Minorrie Jeremiah Riley, left the car wash and went to the Texas Roadhouse next door, approached a restaurant employee, and demanded the employees Jeep at gunpoint, according to police. Officials said Riley left the scene in the stolen Jeep, heading toward downtown Spartanburg. While driving, police said Riley lost control of the Jeep and crashed at West Main Street and Baltimore Street. Police arrested Riley near the scene of the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While responding to the alleged robberies, a Spartanburg Police Department car was involved in a crash on W. O. Ezell Blvd. The other driver was taken to the hospital with injuries. The police officer was not injured in the crash. South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating both crashes. Riley, 23, is charged with two counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Two people died and a police officer was injured in an officer-involved shooting in Columbiana County, Ohio near the Pennsylvania state border Wednesday. The St. Clair Township Police Department said officers were called about a possibly suicidal man shortly after 2 p.m. When officers found the man walking down the street and tried to talk to him, he almost immediately started shooting. Officers returned fire and hit the suspect. An officer was shot in the head, police said. A 4-year-old child was also shot while at a nearby local business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NBC affiliate WFMJ reports the girl was also shot in the head. St. Clair Township police said the officer was responsive after the shooting but was flown to a Pittsburgh-area hospital in critical condition. He was taken into surgery and is now on the road to recovery. The girl was also flown to a hospital but later died. The suspect, Joseph Como, 30, also died from his injuries. Were trying to gather information as fast as we can so we can update the community, St. Clair Township Police Chief Brian McKenzie said. Right now, we need the community to pray for our officer and the child who were shot. Chief McKenzie has also made counselors available to his officers to help them through this situation. Click here to donate to support to officer and the family of the child. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW A traffic stop in Florida ended in catastrophe when a man was accidentally shot in the leg with his own gun. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released body cam footage of Jason Arrington's arrest for running a red light on Dec. 13th, 2024. According to local news outlet newsforjax.com, Arrington was 39 years old at the time of the incident. The video shows that after being pulled over, Arrington told Officer Shaun Lowry that he had a gun on him. Florida state law allows a person to carry a concealed weapon or firearm with a valid concealed weapons license or without a concealed weapons license, provided that the criteria for obtaining a license are met. Jax Sheriff's Office Arrington was accidentally shot in the leg Arrington was accidentally shot in the leg Related: Local TV Meteorologist Tears Up On-Air Following Nationwide Layoffs: 'Tonight Is Our Last Broadcast' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lowry thanked him for his honesty and told him he would be required to exit his vehicle for "my safety [and] your safety." Arrington then gets out of the vehicle as Officers Austin Weippert and Mindy Cardwell stand beside the driver's side door. Jax Sheriff's Office Arrington winces in pain after the incident Arrington winces in pain after the incident Weippert held onto Arrington as Cardwell attempted to remove the firearm from his waist. "The firearm was secured in a holster and Officer Cardwell had difficulty removing it. When Officer Cardwell was finally able to remove the firearm from the holster, she unintentionally placed multiple fingers inside the trigger guard of the firearm, causing the firearm to discharge," the incident summary states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Don Cheadle Opens Up About Evacuating During L.A. Fires: 'Definitely Too Close' Immediately after the gun goes off, the video shows Arrington being escorted to the side of the road as the officers call for backup. In the minutes that follow, the officers attempt to help stop the bleeding before medical personnel arrive. Arrington was then taken to an area hospital in stable condition, per WCSC-TV. Per Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, an internal affairs investigation resulted in a sustained charge of incompetence against Officer Cardwell. Termination proceedings for Officer Cardwell have begun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a press conference in late December, Arrington opened up about how the incident affected his life and announced his intent to sue. It messed with me as far as me working and stuff, Arrington said. "Certain things in my job I cant do no more, perform, like getting up on equipment and stuff, different things." 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. "I have to get on top of trains and unload stuff, forklift, crane, whatever I have to do at my job. Its kind of hard for me to do it. I can do it, but its challenging, like real bad," he added. Read the original article on People A police officer has been seriously injured after a suspect opened fire at authorities from inside a home, officials said. Officers were called to a home in the Renaissance Park neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina, just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Raleigh Police Deputy Chief of Operations Rico Boyce said. MORE: Fire chief shot and killed after stopping to help driver who hit deer with their car Once at the scene, someone inside the home opened fire at responding officers, causing officers to return fire before striking and fatally wounding the suspect, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One officer was shot during the exchange and was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, Boyce said. MORE: Woman poisoned 1-year-old girl for months to exploit her for online donations: Police The incident was contained to the home, and the emergency alert that was sent to those in the area has since been lifted, Deputy Chief Boyce continued. "I have been briefed by Chief Patterson concerning the shooting of a Raleigh police officer tonight. The officer is being treated at the hospital now. Anna and I are praying for a complete recovery," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein posted on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: 2 dead, 2 injured after man attacks group of people with a stick Police did not give any further details behind the motivation of the shooting or the identities of those involved. The investigation is currently ongoing. Police officer shot inside home they were responding to for help originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A shooting in Jamaica Plain Tuesday night sent one person to the hospital. Boston Police say they received a call around 9:05 p.m. for a person shot in the area of 26 Walden Street. The victim was transported to an area hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time. There were no reports of any arrests. The incident remains 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. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Law enforcement organizations have criticized President Trumps sweeping pardons for Jan. 6 rioters. The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., said in a joint statement that theyre discouraged by the recent pardons from both the Biden and Trump administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers. When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence, the joint statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The IACP and the FOP did not specifically name the Jan. 6 pardons, but the National Association of Police Organizations did so in a separate statement, saying those who commit violent assaults on law enforcement officers should not benefit from a pardon. On his first day in office, Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants, whom hes referred to as hostages, affecting roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. Some of that number had been sentenced to years in prison for attacking law enforcement that day. Trumps action, particularly when it comes to pardoning those who assaulted Capitol Police, has drawn backlash from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. But Trump has defended the mass pardons, brushing away the suggestion that he doesnt support law enforcement. Asked on Tuesday why one person who used a stun gun on a police officer during the riot deserved to be pardoned, Trump said: I dont know, was it a pardon? Because were looking at commutes and were looking at pardons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And asked on Monday whether anyone who assaulted law enforcement during the Jan. 6 riots should face punishment, Trump said theyve already been in jail for a long time. The Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations notably endorsed Trump for the White House. 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 The Hill. BOSTON, Mass. (SHNS)The states policing oversight commission must pay $30,000 under a settlement agreement reached with law enforcement groups, comply with the Massachusetts open meeting law, and not include certain queries in certification questionnaires. Hours after plaintiffs celebrated the deal, the commissions executive director disputed any open meeting law violations and hinted at the possibility of updated questions in the future. Chicopee woman arrested for allegedly hitting police officer with car Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission members must participate in refresher training on the open meeting law under the settlement agreement, which stems from complaints filed in 2022 by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (MassCOP), International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the New England Police Benevolent Association, and other individuals. The commission was created through the 2020 policing reform law, is responsible for certifying, training and disciplining police officers. MassCOP on Tuesday called the settlement a major victory for accountability in government and the constitutional rights of law enforcement officers. The POST Commissions illegal meeting practices and unconstitutional inquiries into social media activity and officers memberships and affiliations were damaging to the credibility and purpose of police reform in Massachusetts, MassCOP President Scott Hovsepian said in a statement. Transparency and accountability are crucial for a policy making body, and law enforcement officers are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as all other Americans. The settlement, which plaintiffs and the commission reached on Jan. 16, states the agreement shall not be considered an admission of any wrongdoing on the part of the POST Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although the lawsuit alleged that the POST Commission violated Open Meeting Law, we vehemently deny any violations, POST Commission Executive Director Enrique Zuniga said in a statement to the News Service Tuesday afternoon. POST has been and remains committed to continue complying with Open Meeting Law. As part of the settlement, the Commission agreed to take a refresher training in Open Meeting Law. MassCOP and other police union representatives previously accused commission subcommittees of repeatedly violating the states open meeting law. Plaintiffs in April 2022 said illegal subcommittee meetings produced a broad range of policy materials and other work product that was rubber stamped into formal policy by the POST Commission with zero input from members of the law enforcement profession, and no scrutiny from the public. Zuniga at the time had said the commission strongly believes that it has complied at all times with the Open Meeting law. Subcommittees must follow open meeting law requirements, including those tied to notice, public access and participation, and record-keeping, the settlement states. Within 60 days of the agreement taking effect, the commission must request open meeting law training from the Division of Open Government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The settlement means that consolidated lawsuits from police groups against the commission will be dismissed, and the parties have agreed not to further litigate or seek judicial resolution of the factual and legal claims raised in the Verified Complaints. The deal outlines pathways police groups can pursue if they believe the commission is not complying with their settlement, including requesting a Division of Open Government investigation into a potential open meeting law violation. The POST Commission is required to pay $30,000 to cover the plaintiffs legal fees. The settlement states the timing of the payment is wholly dependent on appropriation by the Legislature and payment from the Settlement and Judgements Fund, which payment POST shall diligently pursue. The Suffolk Superior Court in June 2022 blocked the commission from using two questions within their recertification questionnaire that asked about social media posts from the last five years that could be viewed as biased, as well as involvement in organizations that unlawfully discriminated including by limiting membership based on race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation, among other demographics. Police groups in a lawsuit had claimed the social media question was too broad and vague, while the membership question could be unconstitutional. Under the settlement, the POST Commission agreed not to use those questions in future questionnaires for certifying or recertifying police officers. Should the POST Commission choose to use redrafted questions, plaintiffs can file a new lawsuit if they believe the updated versions violate the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement POST also agreed to refrain from asking two questions in the form that a court previously preliminarily enjoined, Zuniga said Tuesday. POST does not concede the line of questioning is unconstitutional or that POST lacks the authority to ask the questions in a different form in the future. -END- 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 WWLP. SILVER SPRING, Md. (DC News Now) Police have released photos of suspects in an armed robbery that happened at a Silver Spring hotel. The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) said in a news release that on Wednesday, Jan. 15, two people confronted the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn on Georgia Avenue. One of the suspects, who was armed with a gun, attacked the clerk and stole cash. The other was a lookout, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MCPD said that they left in a black four-door Chevrolet sedan and drove towards Washington, D.C. Police identify 2 killed after truck drove off Arlington Memorial Bridge, into river Police provided the following images of the suspects: (Image courtesy of the Montgomery County Department of Police) (Image courtesy of the Montgomery County Department of Police) Anyone with any information should call 1-866-411-8477 or submit a tip online. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) A Rochester Police officer was put on paid leave after allegations surfaced that he sexually abused and harassed someone in an off-duty incident, officers confirmed Tuesday evening. According to the Greece Police Department, Nicholas Romeo was arrested on Jan. 7 and charged with second-degree harassment and sexual abuse in the third degree. Officers said the arrest came as the result of a complaint filed around Halloween accusing Romeo of having unwanted sexual contact with another adult. Further details were not released. Rochester Police Department confirmed its officers became aware of the incident, which happened while Romeo was not on the clock as a police officer, back in early November. At that time, Chief David Smith ordered an internal investigation and suspended him from the police department Nov. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Captain Greg Bello told News 8 that Romeo had been an officer with the department since 2006 and remains on paid suspension at this time. Repeat sex offender in Rochester headed to prison The primary agencies investigating are the Greece Police Department and the Monroe County District Attorneys Office. 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 RochesterFirst. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) The Morgantown Police Department is actively investigating after a man was reported missing on Sunday. The police department told 12 News Wednesday that 59-year-old Kevin Lataille was last seen at the Kroger Fuel Center on University Avenue in Morgantown on Sunday, Jan. 19. He is from Pennsylvania but works in the Morgantown area and was last seen driving a bronze colored 2013 Hyundai Tuscon with Pennsylvania plates. Kevin Lataille (Photo shared with 12 News by family members) Lataille is a white man, is 60 tall and weighs approximately 190 pounds, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Missing woman from Pennsylvania found dead in Fairmont, West Virginia Officers said that initial investigation did not reveal anything, but its detective division is still actively following up on possible information. Officers also said that the weather has hindered some of their options for the investigation. Anyone with information about Latailles whereabouts can contact the Morgantown Police Department at 304-284-7522. A photo of Lataille was not provided to 12 News by investigators. 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 WBOY.com. The Fraternal Order of Police refuses to comment on Donald Trumps massive pardons of January 6 insurrectionists, including those guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers. The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Trump for president. They congratulated him on his win in November, wrote S.V. Date of Huff Post. Here is what they had to say when I just asked them about Trump releasing HUNDREDS of violent felons who assaulted cops: We dont have a statement about that. Trump pardoned over 1,500 people in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Some of them, like Julian Khater, who pepper-sprayed Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick in the face, clearly committed violence against police and were found guilty of doing so (Sicknick died the day after the attack). Yet one of the most vocal, most powerful police unions in America has nothing to say about the cops who were under attack by supporters of the candidate they endorsed. Those who participated in the assaults, looting, and trespassing must be arrested and held to account, the Order wrote on X just six months after January 6, 2021. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Police are warning the community of three known scams that are playing out across the valley. Social media posts by Metros Northwest Area Command and the North Las Vegas Police Department said a scam involves a caller who pretends to be a bank employee, but theyre really out to steal your debit card number. Scammers tell the victim that there is a suspicious or fraudulent charge on their bank account, and then say a person from the bank will come to their home to take their debit card and shred it. When the fake bank employee shows up, they cut up the card and then leave without giving it back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim find out from their bank that several withdrawals have been made from their account many times, amounting to several thousand dollars. You should be aware the bank will never send anyone to your house to pick up your debit cards and shred them, according to a statement on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments Northwest Area Command Facebook page. If this happens to you and you have handed over your cards, immediately take these steps: Contact your bank to lock your account and cancel all associated debit cards. Contact police in your area to file a report. Set up bank alerts for all bank accounts to identify any transaction which may be fraudulent. The warning was posted on Jan. 14 by the Northwest Area Command, and then on Jan. 19 by North Las Vegas police. Police in Metros Bolden Area Command are using their First Tuesday event on Feb. 4 to inform residents of romance scams that are preying on residents. You can find out more by attending the 5 p.m. meeting at Boldens headquarters, 1851 Stella Lake St., not far from the intersection of Lake Mead Boulevard and Martin Luther King Drive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Facebook post for the event says: Youve met them online, theyre single, working overseas, they seem to have a good job, they quickly say theyve fallen in love with you but are now asking you to purchase gift cards for them or wire transfer money? Dont let criminals go breaking your heart with a Romance Scam! The Mesquite Police Department posted on Jan. 11, Were seeing an increase in schemes where criminals pressure victims to deposit money into Bitcoin ATMs to settle fake debts, unpaid bills, or legal issues. Police advise residents that legitimate businesses or government agencies will never demand payment through Bitcoin or gift cards. If it seems like someone is rushing you to give them some form of money, it should raise a red flag. If it feels suspicious, hang up or stop communication and verify the information independently, police said. Police advise Mesquite residents to call police at 702-346-6911 if they think theyve been targeted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A judge in Great Falls on Tuesday issued an order that reopens the communications files between state lawmakers, lobbyists and others that are compiled during the bill-drafting process, which legislative attorneys had closed off last year. Cascade County District Court Judge John Kutzman issued a preliminary injunction and writ of mandamus ordering the communications files, called junque files, be produced entirely unredacted to any member of the public when requested "without delay and consistent with past practice." The files were closed off last year after a different judge in a different case suggested they may not be subject to public disclosure. Kutzman's order is a win for two citizens and the Montana Environmental Information Center, the three plaintiffs in the case, as well as news organizations including Lee Enterprises which joined the suit as intervenors late last year. "This is the Montana I know and love, and Im guessing the hundred citizens who worked together tirelessly to enshrine that right in Montanas tremendous Constitution back in 1972 would agree," the lead plaintiff in the case, David Saslav, a MEIC member, said in a statement. The plaintiffs and news organizations argued that a 1995 court decision involving the MEIC established the precedent that the junque files be public records, and the court agreed. "Legislative Services, legislators, lobbyists, journalists, and the public all understood for the past 30 years that these files were subject to the constitutional right to examine public documents," Kutzman wrote in the order. In late September, the Legislative Services Division emailed lawmakers who were already requesting bills to be drafted for this session telling them that division attorneys were interpreting a July decision from a Lewis and Clark County District Court judge in a redistricting case to mean that junque files fell under "legislative privilege" and should be off-limits to the public. The next week, Todd Everts, the legal services director within Legislative Services, explained to the Legislative Council that lawmakers would have to opt in to allow their junque files to be public. Several Democrats pushed back. By the end of the month, the MEIC, Saslav and attorney Kaylee Hafer sued over the changes, saying they did not believe the Lewis and Clark County District Court judges decision went so far as to include junque files in legislative privilege. And in early December, a coalition of eight Montana news organizations and media representative groups including Lee Enterprises Inc., which owns the Montana State News Bureau asked to intervene in the case and argued that under the Montana Constitutions right to know, members of the press and public are entitled to documents that had been public for 30 years. At the beginning of the year, Kutzman heard arguments from some members of the Montana press and from Montana Department of Justice attorneys representing Legislative Services in the case. "What were talking about is the legislators mental impression of what they want to do with a given piece of legislation during the drafting process," DOJ attorney Brent Mead told the court at the hearing, the Montana Free Press reported. An attorney for the press organizations argued that journalists were not using the junque files to challenge legislators in court, rather to shine a light on what happens behind the scenes during the Legislature that leads to the creation of many bills and laws. In his Tuesday order, Kutzman noted that Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Christopher Abbott "did not hold that junque files are confidential or non-public" in his order regarding efforts by attorneys to gain information through junque files surrounding a Public Service Commission redistricting bill from 2023 they are challenging in court. He said Abbott's ruling only mentioned junque files three times in passing and did not suddenly transform what have for decades been understood to be public documents into private ones. "Judge Abbott ruled correctly, in this Courts view that the system cannot tolerate (hauling) a legislator into a deposition or court hearing to be adversely examined about the motives and factual bases for his official legislative actions, or compelling him to produce his personal documents for inspection at that deposition or hearing," Kutzman wrote. He said the challenge to the junque file decision from Legislative Services had nothing to do with compelled testimony or document production, but rather public documents held on public servers by Legislative Services that are paid for by the public. "The current litigation does not implicate individual legislators privacy interest in any private documents they may create, receive, or maintain to assist in the performance of their legislative duties," he wrote. Kutzman pointed out that no law says junque files cannot be public and that legislators did not request such a change from Legislative Services and were "not involved in developing it." "Legislative privilege is personal to the legislator; it does not protect lobbyists and cannot be used to obscure private sector influence," the judge wrote in his order. He found that issuing an injunction would also be in the public's interest because it would be the only remedy to serve that interest and return to the status quo in place for the last 30 years when the 2025 session is already underway and will only run for 90 days. Legislative Services Division Executive Director Jerry Howe did not respond to a request for comment and a question about whether the division planned to appeal the order. Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, said he was "very much for the open government" facet of the ruling, but still agreed with Abbotts earlier decision about not being able to question a legislator about acts committed inside the Legislature. He said he understood Legislative Services had been maintaining the full junque files regardless of Legislative Services' decision from last year and that he had been telling his caucus to expect the decision to come down in the manner it did. "Were used to the junque file, so I dont think anybodys too concerned about it," Regier said. Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, and House Minority Leader Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, both said they had committed their caucuses to opting in to making their junque files public and that they were happy with Kutzmans ruling. "We think that an important part of our job as senators or representatives is transparency. It's one of the foundations of our Constitution," Flowers said. "So, we support the idea of making those junque files available to the public, to the press, and so were very pleased by the ruling." With about a month to go until Germany's general election, the conservative CDU/CSU bloc has seen its lead shrink, according to a new poll released on Wednesday. The YouGov poll shows that the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), dropped 2 percentage points compared to the previous week. The bloc now stands at 28%. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) gained 1 percentage point and is now tied with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 19%, after the AfD dropped 2 percentage points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Greens also saw an increase, rising by 1 percentage point to 15%, their highest level of support since April 2024, according to the YouGov poll. Among the smaller parties, the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) remained steady at 6%, while both the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and The Left party are below the 5% threshold needed to secure seats in the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, standing at 4%. Germany goes to the polls in early elections on February 23. For the survey, YouGov reached out to 2,194 people between January 17-20, with a total of 1,858 people answering questions about their voting intentions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The survey also revealed that nearly a third of voters remain undecided. Also among those surveyed, 79% said no party fully represents them, 75% are waiting for further developments, and 70% feel insufficiently informed. As Donald Trumps return to the White House threatens to reignite public debates about how schools teach subjects like civics and American history, newly released polling shows that many students are exposed to critical messages about the country and its government on a near-daily basis. Published on Wednesday by the journal Education Next, the survey of 850 high schoolers reports that 36 percent say their teachers either often or almost daily argue that America is a fundamentally racist nation. No less striking, roughly the same proportion of respondents said they frequently heard claims that African Americans are victims of discrimination by racist police officers and an unjust economic system, while whites contribute the most to racism in society. At the same time, large numbers of adolescents also absorb comparatively positive views about the United States, with 56 percent saying their teachers regularly discussed the progress made toward racial equality since the 1970s. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The data offer a somewhat rare student perspective on a question that has roiled education politics for much of the last five years: whether the tenets of critical race theory, a contentious and little-understood academic field that scrutinizes the relationships between race and power, have trickled from university campuses down to K12 classrooms. In both his 2020 and 2024 campaigns, President Trump warned that students were subjected to ubiquitous anti-American bias in their lessons and pledged to root out CRT from public school curricula. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related Race, Trump & History: Weeks Before Election, President Leaps Into Culture War Skirmish Over Teaching 1619 Project University of Missouri professor Brian Kisida, the lead author of the polling analysis, said that the student responses made clear that teachings opposed by Trump and his allies had taken root in many schools as the function of a certain progressive politics. Im sure there are schools where its not happening at all, Kisida said. Im also sure that there are schools where its happening quite a bit, and its really ingrained in the approach that those schools take. Brian Kisida, University of Missouri While they burned especially hot between the 2020 election and the 2022 midterms, controversies over instruction on race, gender, and sexuality have quieted in recent months, subsumed by the larger disputes that helped power Trumps reelection. But in his inauguration address Monday, the president signalled that he has not given up his aim of cleansing education of unpatriotic themes, announcing that he would take aim at an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves. The commitment echoed his earlier promises to defund schools that teach CRT. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether Washington has the authority to meaningfully alter K12 teaching remains in doubt; curricular choices ultimately rest at the local level, though experts have observed that a GOP-led Department of Education could penalize school districts for teaching material deemed racially discriminatory. Further uncertainty clouds the true prevalence of indoctrination in American school systems. Even if significant minorities of students say they encounter progressive concepts throughout their time in high school, the authors of the report note that they are far from universal. Related 9 Education Storylines to Watch as Trump Returns to the White House Gary Ritter, Kisidas co-author and dean of the Saint Louis University School of Education, said he was surprised by the occurrence of apparently ideological programming in high schools, but that he also believed teacher bias was not overwhelming or uniformly left-coded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I expected there to be roughly zero of this, and theres obviously more than zero of it going on, Ritter said. Still, I dont think its a problem. It doesnt feel one-sided In an interview alongside Kisida, Ritter said he had been relieved by high schoolers responses to explicit questions about partisan animus and self-censorship. Specifically, 77 percent of survey respondents said that they were either never or rarely made to feel uncomfortable about disagreeing with their teachers stated views. Over half of students, by contrast, said their teachers typically encouraged them to share different opinions. While 18 percent said their teachers had spoken negatively about Republicans, slightly more said that theyd heard Democrats disparaged. Education Next Whats more, he added, educators appear to deliver affirming statements about race in America with some frequency. Forty-two percent of students said their teachers cited the United States as a global leader in securing equal rights for its citizens, exactly the same proportion as said theyd heard their teachers express support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wanted to know if these statements were made as much as people said, and if they were one-sided, said Ritter. Were hearing various claims, and it doesnt feel one-sided. Related 5 Strategies to Help Teachers Continue to Educate for Diversity and Democracy Some of the messaging tested in the poll veers more toward advocacy than simple observation. Along with the sizable number of teachers who praised Black Lives Matter, considerable numbers argued often or almost daily that African Americans should receive an advantage in the hiring process (22 percent) or college admissions (21 percent), students reported. Nearly one-in-five respondents said their teachers made frequent calls for reparations to be made for slavery. But it is a challenge to interpret the exact nature of classroom references to concepts such as institutional racism or white privilege. Majorities of students said they had heard teachers voice two phrases often held in tension with one another: Black lives matter (64 percent) and All lives matter (53 percent). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of education and history at the University of Pennsylvania, said it was necessary to understand whether teachers were inviting open-minded discussion of such ideas or delivering an unsubtle form of propaganda. The wording of one poll question simply asked participants if their teachers had used one of a list of phrases including anti-racist, systemic oppression, decolonization, and the 1619 Project without specifying whether they were described approvingly, or even properly defined. Some of the kids saying that they heard the phrase inherently racist country will have heard it in the context of a discussion, and some heard it as part of something resembling indoctrination, Zimmerman said. The question is the relative proportion of those. Thaw in the culture war? Though the second Trump administration is only getting underway the presidents nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, has yet to undergo a confirmation hearing Republicans have loudly announced that they plan to attack what they view as unchecked political interference in K12 learning. Related Project 2025 Would Cut Ed. Dept., Fulfill GOP K-12 Wish List Under Trump When preparing his third run for the presidency, Trump himself vowed to strip federal funding from any school teaching critical race theory or gender ideology, a promise renewed in the conservative Heritage Foundations Project 2025 policy document. Meanwhile, during Trumps four years out of office, GOP lawmakers across 18 states passed laws restricting the teaching of what they often call divisive concepts. Similar bills have been filed and debated in 25 other legislatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the uproar over equity efforts and identity politics in schools had appeared to be settling over the last year. The prominent parent advocacy group Moms for Liberty, which has energetically challenged library books and curricular materials it considers divisive, faltered in its efforts to win school board seats throughout 2023, and the pace of new anti-CRT legislation slowed considerably compared with the early days of the Biden administration. More evidence for the apparent thaw came in an analysis released last week by the libertarian Cato Institute. According to policy researcher Neal McCluskeys ongoing tracker of culture war disputes in school districts, 2024 saw the fewest such conflicts since 2020, when COVID-related school closures set off a wave of parental dissatisfaction. The gradual end of online learning, along with the spectacle of the 2024 campaign, may have diverted outrage away from local clashes, McCluskey argued. Trumps second term will likely bring a resumption of hostilities. Earlier polling has indicated a broad acceptance of instruction on the facts of slavery and discrimination throughout American history, but also widespread skepticism of teaching strategies such as separating students into different identity groups to talk about racial matters. In Education Nexts poll, 14 percent of students more than one in eight said they had been separated along racial lines for discussions of racism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kisida noted that good instruction must walk a tightrope between candor about the shortcomings of American society and an equally comprehensive accounting of the strides that have been made to overcome them. Theres a general idea that parents want their kids to learn a sense of pride and patriotism about the United States, he said. So there has to be a good balance where were able to talk about all of the struggles, but also talk about the successes. Related Facing Four More Years of Trump, Democrats Wonder: How Did They Lose Parents? Dealt a harrowing blow by their loss of Congress and the presidency last November, Democrats may opt to formulate a new line of argument on cultural dust-ups in schools. At the urging of progressives and academics, the party spent much of the Biden administration attempting to counter GOP claims of political influence over schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zimmerman said schools should encourage discussion of thorny issues among older students, while cautioning that educators needed to recognize the line between teaching and preaching. Its false to say that all teachers are telling kids to hate America and that America is racist. But its also false to say that none of those ideas have penetrated our schools. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Popeyes, known for its traditional New Orleans-style fried chicken, is coming to Kansas City, Kansas. The company confirmed with FOX4 on Tuesday that a Popeyes restaurant is opening up at the former Arbys location at 10930 Parallel Parkway, across the street from the Legends Shopping Center. Union Station auctioning off Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia, collectibles Popeyes first opened in 1972 and now has over 2,700 restaurant across the United States, including 16 in the Kansas City area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The restaurant made national headlines in 2019 when the chains original fried chicken sandwich debuted to sell-out demand with sales increasing by 100%. The company doesnt have information at this time when the new KCK location will open. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android The new location is also just a few miles from where a new Buc-ees travel center plans to open near Kansas Speedway in 2027. 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. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) A San Francisco-based coffee chain is expanding with another location. Andytown Coffee Roasters is opening a new cafe in downtown San Francisco. Andytown Coffee Roasters is coming soon to 747 Front St., according to signage posted outside the door. There is no set opening date for the cafe, but the owner tells KRON4 the hope is to open before St. Patricks Day on March 17. The area, which neighbors Sydney G. Walton Square Park, could use a new coffee shop as that neighborhoods Starbucks is set to close next month prompting outrage from its local senior community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Front Street location would mark Andytowns sixth in San Francisco and seventh overall. It is the second one to open downtown, joining 181 Fremont St. The lone shop outside of San Francisco is at 1302 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. Bloomingdales closing San Francisco City Centre location Signage posted outside of the future Andytown Coffee Roasters location at 747 Front St. Andytown is set to open up its sixth San Francisco location. Andytown Coffee Roasters was founded in 2014 by Michael McCrory and Lauren Crabbe in the Outer Sunset of San Francisco. In 2017, it opened its second location on Taraval, blocks away from the San Francisco Zoo. The shop has grown in popularity among locals as its Instagram page has grown to more than 25,000 followers. Last week, Andytown announced it will no longer charge extra for orders that use plant-based milks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KRON4. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Officials with Portland police and the Multnomah County district attorneys office spoke Wednesday morning after five people were arrested Tuesday night after authorities say they were spotted vandalizing buildings during an anti-Trump protest in Downtown Portland. During the event, PPB Chief Bob Day as well as District Attorney Nathan Vasquez spoke about the events of the protest, sharing that they respect Portlanders rights to protest. However, they said if crimes are being committed, they will intervene. We took just very selective action making sure that we were not interfering with the opportunity for free speech and the demonstration, but also being consistent with our message, which is that we are not going to tolerate criminal behavior, including violence or vandalism, said Chief Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KOIN 6 News asked the law enforcement officials what lessons police have learned from the 2020 protests and how thats shifted their response. In response, Chief Day and DA Vasquez said they are partnering together to take a more measured approach. They pledged to protect peoples free speech and prosecute bad actors. Left, right or center, if people break the law, they are going to be held accountable, Vasquez said. The newly-elected DA said his approach will be more direct than his predecessors, former Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who was in office during the 2020 protests. I dont think it served this community, and I dont think it served the individuals that were actually out trying to get their message. I think, when you have and you allow criminal behavior, it detracts peoples ability to exercise free speech, Vasquez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DA and Chief Day also spoke about the numerous other peaceful demonstrations that have happened around the city, saying that in those situations no police presence was needed, which is how they hope all demonstrations will be. At least 5 arrested in anti-Trump protest in Portland Day also shared that there are other upcoming protests which officials are aware of and that they have been in contact with the people running the events to ensure that things remain peaceful and that free speech is protected. Though Portland Mayor Keith Wilson wasnt at Wednesdays press conference, he did share a statement about the protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Wilson proudly supports the right of Portlanders to peacefully express their views, the statement read. He stands with the District Attorney and the Portland Police in safeguarding this right by addressing criminal behavior. The Portland Police have effectively addressed acts of vandalism by promptly arresting those suspected of being responsible. We extend our gratitude to everyone who peacefully joined in sharing their beliefs, helping us unite around the principles of free speech, freedom, acceptance, and the protection of the vulnerable. On Wednesday, Portland police shared photos of what they described as evidence of vandalism, including paint cans, fireworks and paint pens taken as evidence during arrests. A paint can, paint pens and a firework seized as evidence after protesters were arrested during a march on January 21, 2025 (courtesy Portland Police Bureau). A paint can and other items seized as evidence from a protester who was arrested during a march on January 21, 2025 (courtesy Portland Police Bureau). According to Portland police, five people were arrested on Tuesday night as the protesters began marching on Southwest Naito Parkway and onto Southwest Morrison. Customer feels ripped off after Woodburn gas station hides its high prices from signs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A police sound truck directed at the protest told marchers that people were being arrested after they witnessed spray painting. Arrests are being made due to this criminal behavior. Thank you to those expressing your First Amendment rights in a lawful manner. Police intervention will cease when criminal activity stops. Thank you, the police said over a loudspeaker. In total, two people were arrested by PPB and another three were taken into custody by Oregon State Police. All five have been charged with misdemeanors including criminal mischief and interfering with law enforcement. The suspects, who all appeared in court on Wednesday, ranged in age between 19 and 31. Last night unfortunately, a small group of people chose to act in a criminal manner and were going to be consistent as we have been for the past year in that we are not going to tolerate or associate criminal behavior and free speech. They are different, Chief Day said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After his second inauguration on Monday, President Donald Trump didnt waste time in mentioning Portland ahead of signing an executive order pardoning those convicted and dismissing outstanding cases in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He called the City of Roses, which saw more than 100 nights of social justice protests during 2020, a place where they kill people and destroy the city nothing happens to them. DA Vasquez, responded to Trumps comments, saying they didnt reflect reality. Unfortunately, the president made those remarks, but thats not reality. I personally have prosecuted rioters and protesters. Ive personally worked on those cases, and Ive personally seen those individuals sentenced to prison, he said. Chief Day said that in light of the current political climate, he believes Portland may be entering a new season of protests. He said law enforcement will continue to take a measured approach going forward, including when and if they respond to another demonstration planned for this upcoming Saturday. Watch the entire press conference below: 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 KOIN.com. A Detroit city councilwoman is expressing concern about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging they have been going to some homes in southwest Detroit, which has a high concentration of immigrants. Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero said in an Instagram post Tuesday afternoon that she has "been getting reports and videos of ICE going to peoples homes." In a video accompanying her post, Santiago-Romero added: "I have seen videos of ICE patrols walking up to people's homes. ... We are getting videos, and we are getting reports of ICE in our city." Santiago-Romero indicated that she had not seen the ICE activity herself, but saw videos of them. She said she drove to some areas to find out what was happening. Detroit City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero. "I tried to find them, and they were gone," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Santiago-Romero did not return a phone call and email from the Free Press seeking additional details on what allegedly happened. The Detroit ICE office did not return an email seeking comment. ICE arrests and removals are routine and happen throughout the year, but the activities of federal immigration agencies have been in the spotlight since the election of President Donald Trump. Some immigrants have expressed anxiety about what may happen in coming months. During his inaugural address Monday, Trump vowed to deport millions and announced several new measures aimed at restricting some immigration. ICE arrests in Michigan and Ohio declined in the first two years of former President Joe Biden's term compared to the first two years of Trump's first term, according to federal data. More: Michigan among states suing to stop Trump executive order ending birthright citizenship Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Michigan's transgender community terrified about Trump order rescinding rights It's unclear if metro Detroit will be on the list of areas the Trump administration will target in coming weeks. Santiago-Romero said in her post the city wasn't on the priority list for enforcement under Trump but she received reports of some activity Tuesday. A report last week in the Wall Street Journal said Chicago was on the list for ICE raids, but "border czar" Tom Homan later said he's reconsidering those plans, the Washington Post reported. Detroit Police told the Free Press earlier this month in a statement that while Detroit is not a sanctuary city, it's a welcoming city and doesn't generally enforce federal immigration law. But it said police will work with immigration agencies in criminal cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Whenever DPD makes a criminal arrest, DPD does not shelter any suspect from federal immigration enforcement," the statement read. In another immigration issue that has drawn concern, Detroit's two members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, and Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, posted statements Tuesday on X opposing Trump's executive order that would end birthright citizenship, referring to how children born in the U.S. whose parents are immigrants automatically become citizens. Trump's order would affect both children of unauthorized immigrants and also some children whose parents are here legally, but on temporary visas, said immigration experts. "No matter what Donald Trump says or does, birthright citizenship has and will be the law of the land," Thanedar wrote. "I will fight to protect it at all costs." Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday she's joining other states in filing a lawsuit challenging Trump's order ending birthright citizenship. Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: City councilwoman concerned about ICE in southwest Detroit MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) Police are searching for a suspect accused of trying to rob a United States Postal Office in Manhattan on Jan. 10. The incident happened around 6:15 p.m. at 153 East 110th Street. More Local News Police say the suspect entered the post office, displayed a gun, and demanded money. The suspect then allegedly hit a 51-year-old woman working at the post office in the head with the gun and fled on a red and white bicycle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No property was stolen, according to the NYPD. The suspect was last seen heading west on 110th Street on the bicycle. Police shared the following photo obtained from a surveillance camera. The suspect can be seen wearing black clothing and riding on a red and white bicycle (Courtesy of the NYPD) 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). Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 PIX11. As President Donald Trump's Cabinet and Administration nominees face confirmation hearings, they are set to wield control over a range of departments affecting everything from healthcare to the economy. And many of them will have some power over abortion accesseven in agencies you may not expect. Many health and legal experts expect that the Trump Administration will curtail abortion access. Elizabeth Sepper, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, says Project 2025 offers a roadmap for what the Trump Administration might do when it comes to abortion, and that she thinks the Administration will launch sweeping efforts to make abortion more difficult to access even in states where abortion is relatively accessible. (Trump distanced himself from Project 2025s plans during the 2024 election cycle, though it has ties to his orbit.) But experts also say that the specific actions the Administration will take on abortion are, at this point, still unknown. Trump on the campaign trail was kind of cryptic about what he would do on abortion, says Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. His nominees havent exactly clarified things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Trump took sweeping actions on his first day in office on issues from immigration to gender identity, he has yet to announce policies related specifically to abortion. But soon after he took the oath of office, reproductiverights.gov, a website launched by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Biden Administration that shared information about abortion and reproductive health care access, went offline. Here are some of the actions Trumps nominees could take on abortion, if confirmed by the Senate to their positions. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s appointment to head HHS alarmed some public health experts, in particular because of his vaccine skepticism. When it comes to abortion, Kennedy, like Trump, has flip-flopped: he previously expressed support for a federal ban on abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy, but later said that abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter. RFK Jr. is best known for his anti-vaccination stance, but there is a strong degree of overlap between anti-abortion activists and anti-vaccine activists, Sepper says. They swim in the same water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: Public Health Experts Alarmed at Trumps Pick of RFK Jr. to Lead HHS HHS oversees many of the countrys health agencies, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and, if Kennedy is confirmed to lead the department, he would have authority over these agencies. For instanceTheres a possibility that RFK could take pretty dramatic steps on mifepristone, even without the approval of FDA, Ziegler says, adding that its possible Kennedy could impose restrictions on the abortion pill or withdraw it from the market. Any such move would likely face legal challengesas is the case with many of the possibilities outlined in this story. Under the Biden Administration, HHS issued guidance on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to stabilize patients experiencing life-threatening situations whether or not theyre able to pay. The Biden-era guidance emphasized that EMTALA preempts any conflicting state law, and that EMTALA includes abortion care when thats the necessary stabilizing treatment. Under Kennedys leadership, HHS could withdraw that guidance, Ziegler says. Dr. Marty Makary, Commissioner of the FDA Dr. Marty Makary, a surgical oncologist at Johns Hopkins University, would have significant influence over the abortion medication mifepristone if hes confirmed to lead the FDA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FDA approved mifepristone to be used for abortion purposes in 2000. Under the Biden Administration, the FDA helped facilitate access to medication abortion by allowing mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and received by mailfirst temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, before making the change permanent in 2023, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected the constitutional right to an abortion. Read More: How the BIden Administration Protected Abortion Pill Accessand What Trump Could Do Next The accessibility of mifepristone was recently threatened after a group of anti-abortion doctors and organizations challenged it in court, but ultimately the Supreme Court struck down the challenge. Project 2025 calls for a crackdown on abortion pills. Both Ziegler and Sepper think its more likely that, if Makary takes action on mifepristone, he would rollback the telehealth changes, reinstating the requirement that mifepristone must be dispensed in person, rather than revoking access of the drug entirely. That alone would have a significant impact on abortion accessmedication abortion accounted for more than 60% of all abortions in the U.S. healthcare system in 2023, and Ziegler says that many people obtain that care through telehealth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abortion-rights advocates are concerned about some of Makarys stances on abortion, including him claiming on Fox News after the Supreme Court overturned Roe that fetuses between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation will actually resist the instruments of abortion, which advocates labeled misinformation. Pam Bondi, Attorney General While serving as Floridas attorney general, Pam Bondi supported restrictions on abortion, such as mandatory waiting periods. And during her Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, Bondi said she has always been pro-life. If Bondi is confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ), experts say she could take steps to restrict abortion access through the Comstock Act, a 19th century anti-obscenity law. Under the Biden Administration, the DOJs Office of Legal Counsel released a letter reaffirming that the law doesnt ban the mailing, delivery, or receipt of legal medication abortion, although anti-abortion activists expressed interest in using the law to do so. Under Bondis leadership, the DOJ could withdraw the Biden-era memo without issuing a new one. Then theres going to obviously be a lot of uncertainty, and we wont know if DOJ will proceed with prosecutions, Ziegler says. That could still have a chilling effect because doctors may be reluctant to act if they dont know when theyll be protected. Or the Trump Administrations DOJ could issue a new memo stating that the Comstock Act could be used to prohibit the mailing of abortion pills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the Biden Administration, the DOJ and the FDA defended access to mifepristone. At Bondis hearing, Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, asked the nominee if she would commit to maintaining the DOJs efforts to defend the FDAs approval of mifepristone in the face of lawsuits challenging the drug. Bondi replied that she had not been aware of the issue until she had spoken to Booker about it and that she would look at that policy. I am personally pro-life; I have always been pro-life, but I will look at that policy, Bondi said. I will not let my personal beliefs affect how I carry out the law. Under the Biden Administration, the DOJ also filed a lawsuit that argued that Idahos near-total abortion ban violated EMTALA (the Supreme Court ruled in June that hospitals in the state that receive federal funds are allowed to temporarily provide abortions in emergency situations). Sepper says she thinks its likely that the Trump Administrations DOJ will drop litigation efforts like that. Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, asked Bondi during her hearing about whether she would advocate for federal abortion restrictions if confirmed to lead the DOJ. Bondi replied that the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that overturned Roe meant that abortion law should be left to the states. I will follow the law of the United States of America, Bondi said. My personal feelings would not influence, Senator. Doug Collins, Secretary for Veterans Affairs, and Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense Both Doug Collins, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, and Pete Hegseth, co-host of Fox News Channels Fox & Friends, have publicly shared their anti-abortion beliefs, and experts say the two could roll back Biden-era protections for veterans and active service members if confirmed to their roles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) enacted a rule that allows VA to offer abortion counseling and abortion care to veterans and VA beneficiaries in certain situationsfor instance, if the health or life of the patient is at risk or in situations of rape or incest. Under the policy, VA employees are allowed to provide abortion services even if their state has restricted or banned the procedure. Collins, if confirmed to head the department, could reverse that policy. Collins was asked about the policy during his hearing on Tuesday; he said a 1992 law prohibits VA from offering abortion care, but said: We will look at this rule and see if it complies with the law. The Biden Administration's Department of Defense (DoD) helped facilitate travel for active service members and their families to access reproductive health care, including abortion. Hegseth, if confirmed to lead the department, could also reverse that policy. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, asked Hegseth during his hearing on Jan. 14 if he would maintain this common sense policy, to which he replied: Ive always been personally pro-life. I know President Trump has as well, and we will review all policies. Our standard is whatever the President wants on this particular issue. I dont believe the federal government should be funding travel for abortion. Other Administration officials Marco Rubio, Trumps new Secretary of State who was confirmed this week, has said he was against abortion. In his new role, he could enforce the Global Gag Rule if Trump reinstates it, according to Sepper. The Global Gag Rule prohibits U.S. federal funding to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that offer abortion counseling, services, or referrals. During Trumps first term, he reinstated the policy, which has often been put in place by Republican Administrations and later repealed by Democratic ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Dave Weldona physician, veteran, and former congressman who has publicly shared his anti-abortion viewswas nominated to serve as director of the CDC. The CDC is responsible for collecting health data across the country, and Ziegler says that the CDC could require states to report more data related to abortion. Sepper says that people may have concerns about the surveillance of abortions and pregnancy outcomes with a Trump Administration CDC. Contact us at letters@time.com. An Illinois man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2022 murder and decapitation of a pregnant suburban St. Louis woman. Deundrea Holloway was sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, for first-degree murder in the killing of Liese Dodd and the intentional homicide of her unborn child, the Madison County State's Attorney said according to The Alton Telegraph, First Alert 4, and EdGlen Today news. Holloway, 25, pleaded guilty last month to the charges, according to First Alert 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holloway killed Dodd, 22, at her apartment on June 9, 2022, according to the outlet, and decapitated her afterwards, leaving her head in a nearby dumpster. On that night I received a life sentence, Dodds mother Heidi Noel reportedly said at the sentencing hearing last week, according to First Alert 4. To live the remainder of my life without my beautiful, loving, sassy daughter. A life without knowing the joy of watching Liese raise my granddaughter. Dodd was eight months pregnant at the time of the murder, according to the outlet. The child was not Holloways, who had an "on-and-off relationship" with Dodd, the Madison County States Attorneys Office said in a news release Monday. Related: Pregnant Illinois Woman Set to Give Birth in July Was Allegedly Beheaded by Ex-Boyfriend GoFundMe Liese Dodd Liese Dodd Dodds mother became concerned after she couldnt get ahold of Dodd the night of her killing and later found her daughters decapitated body after going to her apartment to check on her, according to the states attorneys office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She was just a bright light that cared for everyone," Noel, Dodd's mother, told First Alert 4 back in 2022, remembering her daughter as someone who "had a big heart." "She'd do anything for anyone," the mother said. "She'd go out of her way to help people." A GoFundMe for Dodd's family has raised nearly $16,000 since her murder. 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. Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine said at a press conference following Holloways sentencing that he hopes the courtroom result will grant the Dodd family some closure following their daughters killing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "For the family and loved ones of Liese, these types of issues have caused continued angst and uncertainty. The guilty conviction ends that," Haine said in a statement. "Our hope is that this conviction and sentence provide the family and loved ones some assurance and will be a step towards healing." Haine said Holloways guilty plea last month spared the Dodd family additional trauma that would come with a murder trial. My heart goes out to the family, whose strength, courage and resiliency during this process have been truly remarkable, the states attorney said. Read the original article on People (WSPA) President Donald Trump is expected to visit western North Carolina Friday as part of the first trip of his second term. The New York Post is reporting that Trump will travel to North Carolina to view recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene. The Asheville Police Department said they are aware of the planned visit and will work with the Secret Service to ensure community safety. No other details about the trip were immediately available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is also expected to visit California to survey damage from wildfires which destroyed thousands of homes and killed more than two dozen. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. President Donald Trump, fulfilling a promise made at the Libertarian Party's National Convention in May, pardoned Ross Ulbricht today. Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence for his role in founding and operating the dark web marketplace Silk Road. As Trump put it in a Truth Social post: "in honor of [his mother Lyn Ulbricht], and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross." He said "the scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me." As I reported on his sentencing in May 2015 (he has been in prison since his October 2013 arrest): Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison with no paroleby Judge Katherine Forrest in U.S. District Court for the southern district of New York. Ulbricht was convicted back in February on seven charges, all related to the operation of the darkwebsite called Silk Road, which used Tor-enabled anonymity and the cryptocurrency bitcoin to allow people to buy and sell often illegal items in safety and security, with the site providing an escrow service between buyer and seller to ensure both were satisfied. Ulbricht was a clever entrepreneur, enthralled by libertarian ideas derived from the likes of Murray Rothbard and Samuel Konkin about the richness and justice of truly free markets not hobbled by government threats. The charges were: "narcotics trafficking; distribution of narcotics by means of the Internet; narcotics trafficking conspiracy; continuing criminal enterprise; conspiracy to aid and abet computer hacking; conspiracy to traffic in fraudulent identity documents; and money laundering conspiracy." None of the charges were related to either personally selling an illegal substance to anyoneUlbricht merely ran a website that facilitated itand none were related to causing direct harm to anyone's life or property. Given the amazing water-muddying the prosecution achieved by talking about, but never trying Ulbricht for or proving in court beyond a reasonable doubt, allegedly planned, but never executed, murders for hire, one wonders whether the judge allowed any thoughts of those rumors, even subconsciously, to shape her sentencing decision. Silk Road's innovative mail order using bitcoin, combined with user reviews of sellers, imposed some real market discipline on dealers, kept buyers from the occasional dangers of physically obtaining drugs, and allowed people not violating others' lives and property to buy and sell drugs with less (but not zero) legal risk. Because of all that, and the site's role in publicizing and popularizing the use of bitcoin as currency, Ulbricht was considered a martyr of sorts to many in the libertarian and bitcoin communities. Trump's promise, out of character for a man who otherwise advocates the death penalty for drug dealing, was widely seen as an attempt to appeal to those parts of the larger anti-establishment coalition he put together on his way to his return to the White House. Ulbricht has expressed regret and his intention to be a law-abiding citizen, and there is certainly little reason to think he'd ever represent any danger to others on release. Reason's Nick Gillespie and Jacob Sullum have, in the past week, provided detailed discussions about why letting Ulbricht out after serving 11 years is proper and just. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As I wrote upon his sentencing, Ulbricht need not "worry about redemption per se. Ulbricht and Silk Road.sent out a more powerful message than the one the government wanted Judge [Katherine] Forrest to send: that ingenuity and technology and effort can create wonderfully helpful realms of freedom in markets and behavior." The Libertarian Party Connection Despite facing criticism for her support of Trumpand for the L.P.'s falling fortunes in membership, money, and candidatesAngela McArdle, chair of the Libertarian National Committee, argued for Libertarian support for Trump in large part based on his promise of Ulbricht's release, or at least because he was the type of major party candidate who would release him. While she has at different times intimated that her cooperation with Trump induced him to make the promise, and also that, as she told Tom Woods on his podcast in June 2024, Trump in fact already signed a pardon for Ulbricht in 2020 but was somehow foiled by underlings, the pardon does indicate that Trump considers a libertarian constituency one he is behooved to do favors for, which is an encouraging sign that he can feel pressured to sometimes do the right thing in libertarian terms. While many doubted Trump would come through, Ulbricht himself seemed confident it would happen, as he expressed in a November post-election X post. McArdle also insisted in a November interview with Reason's Robby Soave on The Hill's Rising program that she'd arranged meetings between Trump's people and Ulbricht's family about the matter. McArdle repeated her confidence that Trump would make good on his vow last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One just favor for libertarians does not a libertarian administration make, especially not one so dedicated to hobbling free trade, punishing the press, rounding up peaceful immigrants, and pursuing autarkist nationalist industrial policy. But Trump's coming through on this promise makes a huge difference for one man who did not deserve to spend the rest of his life in prison, and deserves justified applause. The post President Donald Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht appeared first on Reason.com. President Donald Trump is expected to visit western North Carolina later this week to assess post-Helene recovery efforts. It will be the first trip of his second presidential term, according to WLOS. ALSO READ: Former pastor accused of stealing donations meant for Helene victims He will reportedly focus on viewing recovery efforts nearly four months after the storm hit. No further details on the presidents visit have been released yet, according to WLOS. VIDEO: Pastor accused of stealing donations meant for Helene victims ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) Following his inauguration ceremony, President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders in his first day in office. A few of those pertain right here in the Permian Basin as one of Trumps focal points is the use of American oil and gas. After speaking with former chairman of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association Kirk Edwards, he believes that LNG facilities again after being paused during the Biden Administration. How we really get affected here, said Edwards. Is through endangered species and some of the environmental things that the past administration was putting on us. Hopefully, were going to see some relief from that. And how that hurts us is building pipelines from, say, the Permian to the Gulf Coast to get our natural gas out of here. Thats going to be a big one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representative August Pfluger was in attendance at the inauguration and was able to give us this statement explaining the impact the Permian Basin has on the country Number one, we need to make sure that our economy is strong and that underpins everything energy is a big piece of that, said Pfluger. I represent Midland and Odessa the Permian Basin the men and women that produce so much energy every single day that helps not just domestic needs but also our allies around the world. Representative Brooks Landgraf sent ABC Big 2 a statement as well. President Trumps return to the White House brings a renewed sense of optimism for West Texas and the hardworking men and women of the Permian Basin. On his first day back in office, he prioritized unleashing American energy and, through executive action, targeted the burdensome regulations that have hindered domestic production for far too long. By eliminating these unnecessary roadblocks, we can once again strengthen our energy independence, lower costs for American families, and drive economic growth. West Texas has long been the heartbeat of Americas energy sector, and with this renewed focus, I am confident we will see even greater opportunity and job creation. President Trumps leadership reaffirms that domestic drilling is the cornerstone of our economy and a pillar of our national security. With a strong and dedicated energy workforce, the Permian Basin is poised to lead America toward true energy dominance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More executive orders are expected to be signed by President Trump in the future as he is promising a golden age of America in his second term. 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 Yourbasin. President Donald Trump followed through with his promise for Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection defendants pardons, commutations and charges dropped. One Chicago activist arrested for participating shared his reaction in a follow-up to a WGN News report. WGN first spoke with Larry Ligas days before the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot. Charged with misdemeanor obstruction and then felony obstruction for participating in the Stop the Steal movement, he was hopeful the incoming Trump Administration would follow through on his promise of clemency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Chicago man contests Jan. 6 charges, claims he was there to discuss election issues To get my case dismissed by President Trump, that was a good feeling, Ligas said. The Logan Square activist was waiting for his day in court but, instead, saw that burden taken away. Ligas stated that he never fought with officers or rushed a barricade on Jan. 6. Still, putting me in a document with 1,500 rioters, it was like a bittersweet moment because Im far from a rioter, Ligas said. Ligas says he wanted the chance in court to describe Jan. 6 as he sees it as a set-up by insiders to cause a riot to embarrass and diminish Trump. Ligas said he sees Trump as a righteous leader, even though he still calls himself a conservative Democrat. I clearly believe that Jan. 6 was a massive scandal. In the last four years, we were dealing with massive coverup, Ligas said. WGN asked Ligas: You dont believe that Donald Trump was stirring up his supporters to impede the peaceful transfer of power? No, I dont believe that, he responded. Ligas insists he was there to call out election fraud, not stir violence. As for those who did, like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys members, he says Trump should have drawn a line. Trumps first day back in White House includes firings, infrastructure announcement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe (Oath Keepers founder) Stuart Rhodes should not have been set free, Ligas said. He never showed any remorse. I believe he is still going to be a problem. Now that his charges have been dropped, Ligas says he may seek legal action against those he feels defamed him. Its taken a toll on me, Ligas said. Physically, mentally, psychologically, emotionally. Ligas says he plans to remain in the public eye and advocate for a national voter ID. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that 43 of the 53 Illinois defendants were convicted and sentenced. 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 WGN-TV. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that former President Joe Biden wrote him a nice letter. As part of an Inauguration Day tradition, the letter was left inside the Resolute Desk at the White House. President Trump found the letter in the Oval Office on Monday night following his inauguration. He wrote me a nice letter, Trump said. It was a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it. Do a good job. Important, very important how important the job is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump went on to say that he might let people see it at some point and he appreciated the letter. The tradition of the outgoing president leaving the incoming president a letter started with Ronald Reagan in 1989. Reagan left a note for his successor George H.W. Bush who served as his vice president of eight years. President Trump left a note for Biden when Biden took office in 2021, but the contents of the letter have never been shared. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. NEW YORK (PIX11) As the saying goes, membership has its privileges, and for some 157 years, the United States government has granted citizenship to any child whose parent was able to get to this soil and have that baby here. Its ridiculous. Were the only country in the world with birthright, said President Donald Trump. That statement is actually incorrect. There are more than two dozen countries that offer either conditional or unconditional birthright citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, with the stroke of a pen, Trump, through one of his many new executive orders, aims to strip that birthright by: barring citizenship to a child if their mother is here illegally, and even if theyre here legally but on a temporary basis. Additionally, citizenship would not be an option if the childs father is here illegally, or is not a citizen, or not a permanent resident at birth. The executive order has triggered a wave of fear now rolling through New York Citys migrant community. Ximena Bustamante, founder of the advocacy organization Undocumented Womens Fund, is telling her members not to panic and to continue holding on to the dream of a better life, emboldened by citizenship for their children. I mean, of course they are scared, said Bustamante, A lot of the work we do is around political education. We believe that this is, of course, an attack on immigrants. But its also an attack on women and child-bearing people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eighteen other states and counting, New Jersey among them, share Bustamantes sentiment and filed a lawsuit Tuesday on the second day of the Trump administration. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin argues that Trump has no legal standing to revoke birthright citizenship, which is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This is an extreme and unprecedented act. And this executive order is an attack on the rule of law. But this isnt just an attack on the law. Its an attack on the very fabric of this nation, said Platkin. Pace Law School Professor Bennett Gershman said there is a wild card and thats not knowing what the outcome would be if the U.S. Supreme Court ever takes up this matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You need a constitutional amendment to accomplish what Trump wants. I dont see any way that this issue can be negotiated. Were talking about thousands and thousands of children who are here lawfully under the Constitution. Were going to now watch how this thing unfolds, said Gershman. 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 PIX11. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) President Donald Trump plans to visit North Carolina on Friday, according to N.C. Gov. Josh Stein (D). Stein announced Trumps visit during a severe weather briefing Tuesday afternoon. We just learned the president is coming to North Carolina, Stein said. I think that is very good news for the people of western North Carolina that this issue is front of mind for the administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The visit to the state will likely be Trumps first trip since taking office for his second term. Trump will likely tour areas of the North Carolina mountains that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene. PREVIOUS: Trump bashes NC governor and FEMA in tour of Helene storm damage I dont know what my schedule is on Friday but I hope to be able to see him, Stein said. The trip will be Trumps second visit to areas damaged by Helene in North Carolina. On Oct. 21, Trump attacked the federal response to Hurricane Helene and bashed North Carolina then-Gov. Roy Cooper (D) during a stop in storm-ravaged Asheville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No location or times have been announced for Trumps visit. 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 CBS17.com. (The Hill) The State Department has suspended flights bringing previously approved refugees to the United States, cutting off access to protection in advance of the timeline set by President Trump in a new order pausing the program. An email reviewed Wednesday by The Associated Press, the U.S. agency overseeing refugee processing and arrival told staff and stakeholders that refugee arrival to the United States have been suspended until further notice. The suspension of flights indicates early action on an order that didnt direct movement from agencies until Jan. 27. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State Department did not return a request for comment, but a page on refugee admissions was already unavailable. Afghan refugees walk through a refugee camp at Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, N.J., on Sept. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) A Day 1 order from Trump pauses the refugee program for a minimum of three months, calling for the departments of State and of Homeland Security to issue a report within 90 days detailing whether its in the nations interests to resume the admission of refugees. The agency heads are directed to do so every 90 days until it is found that it is appropriate to resume refugee admissions, the order states. Until then, such admissions will remain suspended. The U.S. refugee program is considered one of the most rigorous on the globe, providing a pathway to safe haven for those fleeing danger or who has faced persecution due to their race, religion, nationality or political views. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The refugee program is not just a humanitarian lifeline through which the U.S. has shown global leadership. It represents the gold standard of legal immigration pathways in terms of security screening, community coordination, and mutual economic benefit, Krish OMara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, which helps resettle refugees, said in a statement when the order was first announced. The US Refugee Admissions Program was designed and ameliorated over four decades precisely to address the concerns used to suspend it today. Democrats seized the moment to criticize Republicans over the orders impact on stranding an estimated 1,600 Afghan allies cleared for resettlement in the U.S. They pointed to GOP attacks on the Biden administration for leaving behind thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. during the chaotic and deadly American withdrawal. Republicans spent 4 years baselessly chastising Biden for abandoning our Afghan Allies. But *this* is what abandonment looks like. Leaving vetted, verified Afghan Allies at the mercy of the Taliban is shameful, the Democratic side of the House Foreign Affairs Committee wrote in a post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among those being abandoned are: family members of US military service personnel, Afghans who fought alongside us and allies who worked with US contractors. We owe them better. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she was alarmed at the suspension and that it goes against bipartisan support for the Refugee Admissions Program. She noted that among those stranded are victims of genocide, such as the Rohingya Burmese and Sudanese refugees, as well as Afghan partners. Stepping away from this program at a time of unprecedented displacement will put refugees lives at risk and ultimately weaken our nations long-term security, she said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Queen City News. Prince Harry appeared to call for criminal proceedings to be launched against Will Lewis, the embattled Washington Post CEO handpicked by owner Jeff Bezos after he won a stunning victory over Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers (NGN) on Wednesday. Lewis was put in charge of cleaning up the phone hacking mess for NGN in 2011, and has been accused of being involved in the mass deletion of 30 million emails. Since being appointed as CEO and publisher of the Post he has presided over a collapse in readership and subscriptions. Although Lewis was not named in a statement made after the settlement was announced on behalf of Harry and his co-plaintiff, former British lawmaker Tom Watson, he appeared to be clearly in its sights, not least because he was due to be accused of playing a pivotal role in the cover up if the case had gone ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harrys statement said: Senior executives deliberately obstructed justice by deleting over 30 million emails, destroying back-up tapes, and making false denialsall in the face of an on-going police investigation. They then repeatedly lied under oath to cover their tracksboth in court and at the Leveson Public Inquiry Far from being relics of a distant past, many of those behind these unlawful practices remain firmly entrenched in senior positions today, both within News UK and other media outlets across the world, wielding editorial power and perpetuating the toxic culture in which they continue to thrive. Britains Metropolitan Police said there were no active police investigations into allegations of phone hacking or related matters after Harry and Watson called for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover ups along the way. It is not hard to identify Lewis as one of the people Harry has in mind as deserving police attention, given that he was involved in deleting the emails and still wields enormous power in the media world. As the Daily Beast reported yesterday, Harry was set to accuse Lewis of having instigated and authorized a cover-up of endemic illegality at U.K. tabloid The Sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, Lewis own newspaper, where he is widely reviled, reported that skeleton arguments (which in the event went unused in court), indicated that Harry and Watsons legal teams planned to allege that over 30 million emails were deliberately destroyed as part of a scheme to keep evidence from police investigators. The Washington Post added the skeleton argument alleged that a pivotal role in orchestrating the email deletions had been done by none other than Lewis. The WaPo report again seemed to have Lewis in mind when it noted that the settlement would help insulate current and former NGN executives who had been accused by Harry and Watson of participating in an alleged coverup. NGN has always maintained that emails were deleted as part of a change to data retention policy, and no laws were broken. NGNs apology to Harry reiterated this point, saying there was no admission of any illegality over their regrettable response to the arrests of their reporters linked to the phone hacking scandal. However, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has previously accused Lewis of trying to mislead British detectives, and justify the deletion of emails, by telling them that Brown and Watson were behind a plot to steal the emails of senior NGN executives. Brown wrote in the Guardian: I have only recently discovered how Lewis attempted to accuse me of a crime I did not commit. Prince Harry's determined quest to hold U.K. tabloids accountable for decades of alleged unlawful intrusion into his life came to a conclusion as he settled his case against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers publisher of The Sun before the trial officially began. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, News Group Newspapers issued Prince Harry a "full and unequivocal apology" and "substantial damages" for hacking his phone and invading his privacy, acknowledging the "unlawful" actions of private investigators hired by The Sun. This marked the first time the publisher admitted wrongdoing connected to the tabloid. The publisher also issued an apology for past intrusions by its journalists into the "private life" of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PEOPLE understands the damages awarded to Harry involve an eight-figure sum. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images The trial, originally scheduled to begin Tuesday morning, was delayed by a day due to private settlement discussions. Harry, 40, was one of only two claimants who had refused to join the hundreds who previously settled lawsuits with NGN over allegations of phone hacking and other illegal information gathering by journalists and private investigators. He accused the publisher of illegal information gathering between 1996 and 2011, a period during which The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World allegedly targeted him. Harry was set to give evidence later in the trial, which was taking place alongside former Labour Member of Parliament Tom Watson. Harry was not present in court on Tuesday and was represented by his lawyer David Sherborne. Carl Court/Getty Prince Harry at the Royal Courts of Justice in 2023 Prince Harry at the Royal Courts of Justice in 2023 Related: Prince Harry's Illegal Information Gathering Claim Against The Sun Will Go to Trial, Phone Hacking Dismissed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement obtained by PEOPLE following the settlement, NGN said they offer "a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun." "NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World," the statement continued. "NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years," the statement added. "We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages." NGN also offered "a full and unequivocal apology" to Lord Watson "for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009- 2011." The company has also agreed to pay Lord Watson "substantial damages." James Manning/PA Images via Getty Prince Harry's lawyer David Sherborne on Jan. 22 Prince Harry's lawyer David Sherborne on Jan. 22 Related: Prince Harry to Miss First Day of U.K. Trial, Dismissing Reports He Was Set to Receive Police Protection Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside the court, Lord Watson praised Prince Harry for his leadership in the case. His bravery and astonishing courage has brought accountability to a part of the media world that thought it was untouchable. I am sure I speak on behalf of the thousands of victims when I say we are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure, he said. Watson called on Rupert Murdoch to follow this corporate admission of guilt with a personal apology to Prince Harry, to his father our King and to the countless others whove suffered the same unlawful behavior at the hands of his media empire. In December, Prince Harry admitted during a conversation with The New York Times columnist and DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin that his anticipated legal expenses would far exceed any potential court settlement. One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because Im the last person that can actually achieve that," he said. Victoria Jones/Shutterstock Prince Harry's co-claimant Lord Watson Prince Harry's co-claimant Lord Watson Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry is not the first high-profile name to accept a settlement in the case. In April, 2024 Hugh Grant settled with NGN, citing the vast costs that were at stake. Other famous names, including Sienna Miller, were also involved in the initial claims but largely settled at an earlier stage. Grant explained in April 2024 that he felt he had no choice to settle as he may have been hit with legal fees running into more than $10 million, even if he had been successful. In a lengthy thread on X (formerly known as Twitter), he said, "News Group are claiming they are entirely innocent of the things I had accused the Sun of doing - phone hacking, unlawful information gathering, landline tapping, the burglary of my flat and office, the bugging of my car, the illegal blagging of medical records, lies, perjury and the destruction of evidence." Steve Granitz/FilmMagic Hugh Grant at the 2024 Governer's Ball in Los Angeles Hugh Grant at the 2024 Governer's Ball in Los Angeles Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! "As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court." "I dont want to accept this money or settle. I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court," he continued. "But the rules around civil litigation mean that if I proceed to trial and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I would have to pay the legal costs of both sides." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for NGN told PEOPLE in a statement at the time that it admitted no liability and that settling the case was "in both parties' financial interests not to progress to a costly trial." Read the original article on People Rupert Murdoch ended a five-year battle with Prince Harry with a dramatic apology Wednesday for illegally intruding into his life for yearsand made a massive settlement with the British royal to end an explosive court case. The Fox News tycoons British newspaper group issued a full and unequivocal apology for the serious intrusion by The Sun into his private life... including the unlawful gathering of information about him. But the apology did not say anything directly about Harrys explosive allegation that Jeff Bezos handpicked Washington Post CEO, Will Lewis, ran an illegal cover-up of Murdochs journalists phone-hacking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead the apology called News Group Newspapers response regrettable and pointedly added, without any admission of illegality. The crisis-hit Post boss will be spared being questioned under oath about Harrys allegations. NGN also apologized to Harry for the impact on his relationships and friendships, and agreed to pay substantial damages. Harry had claimed that private investigators employed by British tabloid The Sun used a wealth of unethical and illegal methods to gather information unlawfully for stories about him. The resolution came after a hectic day of negotiations on Tuesday between the two sides, with the time difference between California and London slowing matters down as Harrys side struggled to receive instructions from Harry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports Tuesday said the negotiations were triggered after Murdochs team made a massive offer at the very last minute. The settlement will likely come as a relief to Lewis, who was put in charge of cleaning up the phone hacking mess for NGN in 2011. Although Lewis was not named in a statement made on behalf of Harry and Watson after the settlement was announced, he appeared to be in its sights, having been previously accused of playing a pivotal role in a mass deletion of emails. The statement said: Whats even worse is that in the wake of the 2006 arrest of a Royal correspondent, there was an extensive conspiracy to cover up what really had been going on and who knew about it. Senior executives deliberately obstructed justice by deleting over 30 million emails, destroying back-up tapes, and making false denials all in the face of an on-going police investigation. They then repeatedly lied under oath to cover their tracks both in Court and at the Leveson Public Inquiry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Far from being relics of a distant past, many of those behind these unlawful practices remain firmly entrenched in senior positions today, both within News UK and other media outlets across the world, wielding editorial power and perpetuating the toxic culture in which they continue to thrive. Harry and Watson called for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover ups along the way. Its clear now this has occurred throughout this process, including through sworn evidence in inquiries and court hearings, and in testimony to Parliament, until todays final collapse of NGNs defence. Will Lewis, the CEO and Publisher of The Washington Post. / Marvin Joseph/Washington Post/Getty Images Court papers were due to accuse Lewis of having instigated and authorized a cover-up of endemic illegality at U.K. tabloid the Sun. However, these allegations will now not be tested in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to Daily Beast reporting last year, Lewis said, Any allegations of wrongdoing are untrue. I have no further comment to make. Trial paperwork published by Byline Times showed that Prince Harrys team intended to accuse Lewiswho was put in charge of dealing with the phone hacking scandal in 2011James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks of masterminding a coverup of a regime of unlawful information gathering including the bugging of cars and phones to get stories on Harry and his co-plaintiff, former lawmaker Tom Watson. The suit also alleged that NGN owner Rupert Murdoch misled a Parliamentary Committee and that a staggering 30 million emails were deleted by NGN to cover up their malfeasance. Harry is likely to have dropped the case in part out of fear of being hit with an enormous legal bill, even if he won. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under U.K. rules, Harry would have risked being lumped with the legal costs if the amount he was awarded had been less than what NGN offered to settle the case. Rupert Murdoch at Trumps inauguration on Monday. / JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / POOL/AFP via Getty Images British lawyer Mark Stephens of Howard Kennedy told the Daily Beast he estimated Harry could have faced an 11 million ($13.4 million) legal bill. The actor Hugh Grant said in April 2024 that he felt he had to settle with NGN after being advised his liability could run to more than 10 million ($12.2 million), even if he was successful. In a lengthy thread on X, Grant wrote, News Group are claiming they are entirely innocent of the things I had accused the Sun of doing phone hacking, unlawful information gathering, landline tapping, the burglary of my flat and office, the bugging of my car, the illegal blagging of medical records, lies, perjury and the destruction of evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court. I dont want to accept this money or settle. I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court, he said, But the rules around civil litigation mean that if I proceed to trial and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I would have to pay the legal costs of both sides. My lawyers tell me that that is exactly what would most likely happen here. Rupert Murdochs lawyers are very expensive. So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching 10 million in costs. Im afraid I am shying at that fence. Harry had previously talked up his desire to take the battle all the way. In December, during an onstage talk at the New York Times Dealbook summit, Harry said: One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because Im the last person that can actually achieve that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry did not make an appearance in court. He had been expected to travel to London in February to give evidence and be cross-examined, a process that could have lasted last two days or more. This trial had been in the works for years. After settling more than 1,000 claims, there are two men, Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson, left fighting News Group Newspapers (NGN). Watson alleged his phone was hacked 15 years ago, around the time he was investigating Murdoch newspapers during the hacking scandal. Prince Harry receives more than 10 million (over $12 million) in damages from News Group Newspapers NGN also issued a "full and unequivocal apology" to the Duke of Sussex Harry's lawyer David Sherborne called the ruling a "monumental victory" Prince Harry has received an eight-figure sum in damages after reaching a surprise settlement in his legal battle against the publisher of U.K. newspaper The Sun. PEOPLE understands that the settlement involved an eight-figure sum, likely exceeding $12 million, covering damages in his case against the publisher over accusations of illegal information gathering by journalists and private investigators. In a statement obtained by PEOPLE following the Jan. 22 settlement, which came after both sides reached an agreement before the trial in London officially began, NGN said they offer "a full and unequivocal apology" to Harry and confirmed they had agreed to pay him "substantial damages. The settlement fell short of Harry winning an apology from named senior executives at the company and newspaper at the time of the allegations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking outside the High Court in London on behalf of Harry and his co-claimant, former Labour Member of Parliament Tom Watson, Harrys lawyer David Sherborne called for a police investigation into the newspaper and spoke of how Harry bringing a case against the publisher has impacted him and his familys life. James Veysey/Shutterstock Related: Prince Harry to Miss First Day of U.K. Trial, Dismissing Reports He Was Set to Receive Police Protection In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdochs U.K. media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them, Sherborne began. After endless resistance, denials and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs (as well as paying off those in the know) to prevent the full picture from coming out, News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law, Sherborne continued. It has also specifically admitted wrongdoing against Tom Watson, and admitted unlawful acts by The Sun, as well as by the News of the World, against Prince Harry. Leon Neal/Getty Prince Harry's lawyer David Sherborne speaking outside court on Jan. 22 Prince Harry's lawyer David Sherborne speaking outside court on Jan. 22 Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! The truth that has now been exposed is that NGN unlawfully engaged more than 100 private investigators over at least 16 years on more than 35,000 occasions. This happened as much at The Sun as it did at the News of the World, with the knowledge of all the editors and executives, going to the very top of the company, Sherborne added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sherborne went on to share that todays result has been achieved only through the sheer resilience of Prince Harry and Lord Watson, whose willingness to take NGN to trial has led directly to this historic admission of unlawfulness at The Sun. Related: Hugh Grant Explains Why He Is Taking 'Enormous Sum of Money' to Settle Privacy Lawsuit in U.K. As a direct result of him taking a stand, Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago. This has created serious concerns for the security of him and his family, he continued. The rule of law must now run its full course. Prince Harry and Tom Watson join others in calling for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover-ups along the way, Sherborne added. Its clear now this has occurred throughout this process, including through sworn evidence in inquiries and court hearings, and in testimony to Parliament, until todays final collapse of NGNs defense. Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also speaking outside court, Lord Watson praised Harry, who was present for proceedings on Tuesday, for his leadership in the case. His bravery and astonishing courage has brought accountability to a part of the media world that thought it was untouchable, he said. I am sure I speak on behalf of the thousands of victims when I say we are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure. Watson then called on Rupert Murdoch to follow this corporate admission of guilt with a personal apology to Prince Harry, to his father our King and to the countless others whove suffered the same unlawful behavior at the hands of his media empire. Leon Neal/Getty Prince Harry's co-claimant Lord Watson outside court in London on Jan. 22 Prince Harry's co-claimant Lord Watson outside court in London on Jan. 22 The settlement on Jan. 22 followed a frenzied day of negotiations the previous day that delayed the start of the hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry and Lord Watson had refused to join the hundreds of others, including Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, who previously settled lawsuits with NGN over allegations of phone hacking and other unlawful surveillance before going to trial. The prince had accused the publisher of illegal information gathering between 1996 and 2011, a period during which The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World allegedly targeted him. NGN had previously denied any wrongdoing. In their statement on Tuesday, NGN said, "NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. The statement continued, NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years," the statement added. "We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages." NGN later responded to Sherborne's comments, clarifying, "Today, our apology to the Duke of Sussex includes an apology for incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, not by journalists, during the period 1996-2011." Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the ruling. Read the original article on People Prince Harrys court case against News Group Newspapers was scheduled to take 10 weeks at trial and see multiple witnesses called over allegations of unlawful activities. However, it never even got going after the Princes lawyers this morning announced a surprise settlement, reading out a statement from NGN in Londons High Court. NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, Harrys lawyer David Sherborne said. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. The statement went on to apologize for extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amount of damages was not disclosed, however it was reported by some outlets, including Reuters , that it was an eight-figure sum. There may be surprise that the Prince has settled as he had previously made it clear that he wanted to go all the way to court, telling DealBook last month that he was one of the last people who could afford to see the case through. However, it was clear from what his lawyer David Sherborne said outside the court that he was happy with the settlement and saw the outcome as a big win. Sherborne stood before media and said that the outcome was a monumental victory for the Prince and the one other claimant, politician Lord Tom Watson. In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdochs UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices, he began. Later, he added, Todays result has been achieved only through the transparent resilience of Prince Harry and Lord Watson, whose willingness to take NGN to trial has led directly to this historic admission of unlawfulness at The Sun. "It has only been by taking NGN - not just to the steps of court but inside the court room itself - that these Claimants have finally managed to extract this historic admission of guilt. Sherborne also said that the Prince was now calling for police and Parliament to investigate. Todays case was a civil case, not a criminal one. He did not answer a question by one journalist about the fact that there was no admission of liability by senior managers within NGN in the apology read out in court. The Prince had accused the newspaper group in earlier hearings of a cover-up by executives. NGN had previously said in a statement that the case would be fully defended. You Might Also Like Prince Harrys privacy invasion lawsuit against Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers came to a sudden end on Wednesday before the trial even got underway, with the U.K. tabloid publisher offering both a settlement and an apology. [We offer a] full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators, the settlement read, per The AP. NGN further apologizes to the duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years, it continued. We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That payment, according to People, is reportedly somewhere in the eight figures. The trial was set to begin Tuesday, but was delayed. Harry was not present in court on Wednesday. In turn, Prince Harry shared a statement of his own through his attorney, David Sherborne: This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them. Of the 1,300+ people who initially accused NGNs papers of allegedly hacking their phones and other corrupt activity including Hugh Grant only Harry and another man remained on the case ahead of trial, as the others had all previously settled or backed down. Furthermore, Sherborne accused NGN of crafting an extensive conspiracy in which senior executives deliberately obstructed justice. While they had admitted fault in the past by shuttering News of the World, this apology also places some blame on The Sun for decades of intrusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At her trial in 2014, Rebekah Brooks said, When I was editor of The Sun, we ran a clean ship, Harrys statement noted. Now, 10 years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise. This update also comes more than a year after the royal won his similar lawsuit against British tabloid publisher Mirror Group Newspapers. The post Prince Harry Receives Full and Unequivocal Apology From Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers Upon Settlement appeared first on TheWrap. Prince Harry has shockingly reached a settlement in his legal battle against Rupert Murdoch-owned The Sun. The settlement, reportedly in eight figures, was over his accusations that the company obtained private information about him for nearly two decades using illegal methods. Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, has also called for the authorities to investigate News Group Newspapers, the parent company. A Settlement Was Reached Before The Trial MEGA According to People Magazine, Prince Harry has come into a huge sum of money after shockingly settling his brutal legal battle against the publisher of the U.K. newspaper The Sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former senior royal first filed his suit against News Group Newspapers (NGN) in 2019, claiming that the company, via their news outlet and the now-defunct News of the World, committed illegal acts to obtain private information about him from 1996 to 2011. These acts include the use of journalists and private investigators who were paid by the company. Following the legal action, there have been numerous back-and-forths in court. However, just before a trial in London was set to begin to decide the case, a settlement was reached. The exact amount remains uncertain, although it is believed to be around eight figures and likely exceeds $12 million. Other details of the settlement remain unknown at this time. Prince Harry Was Offered An Apology MEGA Alongside reaching a settlement with the Spare author to pay him to pay him "substantial damages," NGN also tendered an analogy to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They admitted to being guilty of the accusation, a turnaround from their previous stance of denying any wrongdoing. "NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun," read a statement from the company. It further read, "NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World." The company also apologized for "the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life," including that of his mother, Diana, the late Princess of Wales. Prince Harry's Lawyer Wants The Authorities To Investigate The Company MEGA In a statement to the press about the legal win, Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, called for NGN to be investigated by the police, having admitted to their guilt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The rule of law must now run its full course. Prince Harry and Tom Watson join others in calling for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover-ups along the way," Sherborne said. He continued, "It's clear now this has occurred throughout this process, including through sworn evidence in inquiries and court hearings, and in testimony to Parliament, until today's final collapse of NGN's defense. Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived." Sherborne also mentioned that winning the case was "achieved only through the sheer resilience" of Prince Harry and his co-claimant, former Labour Member of Parliament Tom Watson, noting how they were willing to take NGN all the way to trial. Prince Harry Is Still Involved In Other Suits Against The Press MEGA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry remains embroiled in a suit against Associated Newspapers (ANL) and is one of many stars who have accused the tabloids of alleged privacy breaches. In his suit, the Duke of Sussex accused the paper of using methods such as hiring private investigators, tapping phone calls, and impersonating individuals to obtain medical information for their articles about him. It was also noted that the alleged acts occurred between 1993 and 2011, with some carried out as late as 2018. The Duke Dropped His Libel Claim MEGA While a trial for the case could be held in 2026, the one for his libel case is no longer possible after he dropped the claim last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, his team filed a notice of discontinuance hours before the deadline to submit a list of documents and did not reveal why they chose to withdraw the case. Away from his battles with the U.K. tabloids, Harry still has other matters to settle, including his issue with security after he and his wife were stripped of their royal protection when they stepped down as working royals. Could it be that the heat of the Los Angeles wildfires has gone to Prince Harrys head? Or is it just that from a distance of almost 9000 km, its rather difficult to judge the mood in your home country? Following a dramatic eleventh hour settlement in his long running privacy dispute with a newspaper group, the Duke of Sussex unleashed a furious broadside against the publisher, demanding yet more retribution for his supposed suffering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement read by his lawyer, he depicted his sudden decision to throw in the towel in his decades-long battle with Rupert Murdochs newspaper group as a monumental victory. Listening to his extraordinary diatribe, you could almost see the Prince puffing out his chest. Far, far away from chilly reality in London, it is clear Harry thinks that the agreement he has reached with the newspaper group is a phenomenal triumph and that this marks the moment that he finally reigns supreme. Well, heres a cold hard reality check for the Prince of Montecito: no aspect of his crazed vendetta against the media will make him any less unpopular with the British people. By extracting a public apology from News Group Newspapers, he might think he has scored a tremendous win, but here in the UK, we are all sick of his endless courtroom crusades. Once upon a time, we thought we had a Prince to be proud of: a handsome; warm-hearted; supportive brother to our future king, and all round asset to the Royal Family. Watching him grown up, throwing himself into military life in the Blues and Royals and dedicating himself to an array of charities, we imagined a future in which he would emulate his late grandmother putting others first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, his chosen stage is either the red carpet or the court house, where it appears his primary concern is not serving his country, but serving himself. It turned out that the fifth in line to the throne is a spoilt, self-obsessed, self pitying attention seeker and he just cant stop reminding us. Doubtless the Duke of Sussex has some grounds for gratification after securing substantial damages from the newspaper group. Had he struck a different note outside court today, some of his fathers subjects might have given him some credit for his long campaign over tabloid ethics though anyone who has worked for any national newspaper since the phone hacking scandal in 2011 could tell him that the questionable journalistic practices he keeps banging on about died out decades ago. The trouble is that he just cannot help overplaying his hand. Instead of banking this latest win in a dignified manner, acknowledging the radical transformation in the culture of tabloid newsrooms since the press hounded his late mother, he just had to go further: making wild demands for yet more parliamentary investigations into press standards. Seriously? Have we not already done all that, ad nauseum, with the ghastly charade that was the Leveson inquiry, way back in 2012? One of the very few good things the last government did was to abandon plans for a totally unnecessary Leveson 2. Heres hoping Sir Keir Starmer, who as Director of Public Prosecutions back in 2012, brought criminal charges against a number of journalists, dismisses the notion out of hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last thing this country needs at this point when voters are crying out for accountability over the grooming gang scandal and any number of other appalling failures by public authorities is yet another monstrously expensive public inquiry into the press. As for all the whinging in todays statement about aggressive and vengeful coverage of the case give me a break! If he wants a quiet life, how about raising chickens in his backyard? Standing next to the Dukes barrister this morning, old Labour bruiser Tom (Lord) Watson, a co-complainant in the case, paid tribute to Harrys bravery and astonishing courage. The truth? Knowing he was about to settle the case, the Duke wasnt even brave enough to show up and read his statement himself. For his part, Watson went even further than the Prince, appealing to the Metropolitan Police to consider yet more criminal inquiries. Given the very real law and order crises this country faces, and how thinly our police are stretched, this crazed campaign against the press beggars belief. Between them, HRH and this peer of the realm have just extracted the apology they craved, and pocketed a huge sum of money. Cant they see its time to let go and give the rest of us a break? 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. Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Prince Harry settled his phone hacking case against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers on Wednesday, receiving an apology from the company and damages, his attorney told the British high court. The royal's trial against the parent of The Sun and defunct News of the World was scheduled to start this week but was delayed in court as the two sides apparently hammered out a settlement. Harry's attorney David Sherborne said his client was offered a "full and unequivocal apology" for phone hacking, surveillance, and "misuse of private information" by NGN's journalists and private investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sherborne also told the high court that Harry would be paid "substantial damages" to settle the case, but the sum was not disclosed. "NGN further apologies to the duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years," Sherborne said, according to The Guardian. Tom Watson, a former Labor Party politician who had also sued Murdoch's newspaper group settled with NGN and was expected to pick up the legal fees for him and Harry in both cases. Harry's is just the latest of high-profile cases NGN has settled. The company had previously reached agreements with actors Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller. Overall, NGN has reportedly settled more than 1,300 claims against it. LONDON (AP) Prince Harry claimed a monumental victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdochs U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit. News Group Newspapers acknowledged its private investigators and journalists targeted Harry with phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information. The company offered him a full and unequivocal apology" for intrusion by the now-defunct News of the World and its sister tabloid The Sun. The statement, read out at the High Court in London by Harrys attorney David Sherborne, even went beyond the scope of the case to acknowledge intruding on the life of Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana, and the impact it had on his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages, the settlement statement said. His phone was hacked and he was spied on News Group has long acknowledged that phones were hacked by staff at the News of the World, the weekly newspaper that Murdoch shut down in 2011 amid a public outcry over tabloid snooping. But this is the first time the company accepted wrongdoing at The Sun, a paper that once sold millions of copies with its formula of sports, celebrities and sex including topless women on Page 3. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, had vowed to take his case to trial to publicly expose The Sun's misdeeds and win a court ruling upholding his claims. He and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trial was due to start Tuesday, but was postponed amid last-minute negotiations that led to the dramatic settlement announcement. Although the settlement means Harry will not get his day in court, his lawyer said it delivered the accountability he sought for himself and hundreds of others who were snooped on with intercepted voicemails, tapped phones, bugged cars and various forms of deception. News Group acknowledged phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators aimed at Harry. NGN had strongly denied those allegations before trial. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them, Sherborne said outside court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Source of a bitter feud Harry's feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs. But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper. He blames the media for the death of his mother, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020. The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary Tabloids On Trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million). Im doing this for my reasons, Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him. Harry and the other holdout Watson, who was targeted by NGN when he was part of an investigation into allegations of tabloid wrongdoing, also said the intrusion had taken a heavy toll on himself and his family. I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators, Watson said. I was wrong, they have Prince Harry. We are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watson, who also received an apology and substantial settlement, called on Murdoch to issue a personal apology to Harry, the king and countless others affected by tabloid intrusion. An end to the story? News Group Newspapers said the settlement draws a line under the past and ends more than a decade of litigation. The company has now settled more than 1,300 claims without going to trial. In doing so, it has spent more than 1 billion pounds ($1.24 billion) in payouts and legal costs. Harry's attorney said the company still had questions to answer. Sherborne said the company engaged in perjury and cover-ups to obscure the truth for years, deleting 30 million emails and other records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was an extensive conspiracy, the statement said, in which senior executives deliberately obstructed justice. News Group said in a statement that it would have disputed at trial that evidence was destroyed and it continues to deny those allegations. Sherborne took aim at former Sun editor Rebekah Brooks, now the CEO overseeing News Group, who was acquitted of phone hacking a decade ago. At her trial in 2014, Rebekah Brooks said, When I was editor of The Sun, we ran a clean ship, he said. Ten years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NGN apologized for wrongdoing by private eyes hired by The Sun, but not for anything done by its journalists, adding: There was no voicemail interception on The Sun. Two cases down, one to go Harrys case against NGN was one of three he brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops. His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was widespread and habitual at the newspaper and its sister publications. During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchys desire to keep its problems out of view. The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how his third case against the publisher of the Daily Mail will proceed. That trial is scheduled next year. Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, the Rupert Murdoch-owned company that publishes The Sun and previously published now-defunct News of The World. The settlement, announced Wednesday, included a "full and unequivocal" apology and admission of wrongdoing from NGN. The news company apologized for its actions, saying it made a "serious intrusion" into Harry's private life between 1996 and 2011, "including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun." The media company said it would pay a "substantial" amount of damages to Harry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages," NGN said in an apology statement. Harry was joined in the lawsuit by Tom Watson, a U.K. lawmaker. The pair welcomed the "monumental victory," which amounted to a "historic admission of unlawfulness at The Sun," their lawyer, barrister David Sherborne, said in front of the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in London. "Today the lies are laid bare," he said. "Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived. Thank you very much." The settlement ends a legal fight that began in 2019 when Harry, the youngest child of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, sued NGN over alleged illegal information gathering that dated back to the 1990s and 2000s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the lawsuit, Harry alleged that journalists at The Sun gathered information on him illegally, and hired private detectives to do so. He also claimed in the suit that senior executives at The Sun knew about the alleged illegal information gathering and covered it up. NGN apologized on Wednesday for "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World." "NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years," the media company says. Leading up to the trial, NGN had strongly refuted Harrys claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry's settlement with NGN was announced just one day after the start of the trial in London's High Court. PHOTO: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 4, 2024 in New York City. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images, FILE) On Tuesday, a lawyer for Harry -- who did not attend the trial's opening day -- asked for an hours adjournment, which was followed by additional requests for delays from both Harry's and NGN's legal teams. In one request for additional time, NGN's lawyer Anthony Hudson KC said there had been "intense negotiations" between the two legal teams for the past few days. Prince Harry turns 40 with birthday wishes from King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both parties are in complete agreement The number of times the parties have been in agreement in this litigation are very few and far between," Hudson said in his request. Harry spoke about the upcoming trial as recently as December, saying he wanted accountability. Meghan Markle's 'With Love, Meghan' release date delayed due to wildfires "The goal is accountability. It's really that simple," Harry told an audience at the New York Times' DealBook Summit in December. Had the trial continued, Harry was expected to testify in-person in February. Both Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Harry's settlement with NGN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped away from their senior royal roles in 2020. The couple and their two children now live full-time in California, where Meghan was born and raised. ABC News' Zoe Magee contributed to this report. Prince Harry settles lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloids with 'substantial' damages originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com The News Britains Prince Harry settled a lawsuit against Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of illegal information gathering and destruction of evidence. NGN issued a full and unequivocal apology, and will pay substantial damages, though the amount was not released. Prince Harrys lawyers alleged that the publishers outlets used more than 100 private investigators on 35,000 occasions over 16 years. They also claimed that criminal news gathering occurred at The Sun, as well as the now-defunct News of the World, and involved executives going to the very top of the company, The BBC reported. The legal settlement is a hugely dramatic turnaround, a BBC royal correspondent wrote, after Prince Harry previously stated he wanted to hold NGN accountable for other victims and to have his day in court. NGN has previously paid out over $1.2 billion in out-of-court settlements over a phone hacking scandal. Prince Harry has settled his case against the publisher of the Rupert Murdoch-owned The Sun newspaper, who has offered the Duke a full and unequivocal apology. The trial against the News Group Newspapers (NGN) unit of the Murdoch-owned News Corps U.K. operation had kicked off at the High Court in London on Tuesday, without the Duke of Sussex in attendance, but last-minute negotiations have officially ended the long-running legal battle. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry had brought the case to NGN, claiming his privacy had been violated by alleged phone hacking and unlawful information gathering had been carried out by journalists and private investigators working for The Sun and the defunct News of the World between 1996 and 2011. Another topic for the court would have been whether senior executives knew about these activities. On Wednesday, NGN agreed to pay substantial damages and issued an apology to Harry, read by his lawyer David Sherborne, of the serious intrusion by The Sun into his private life. NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, the apology read. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. It continued, referencing the intrusion into Princess Dianas private life: NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGNs response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable. The goal is accountability. Its really that simple, Prince Harry told a press event in New York in December. NGN has previously denied unlawful activity at The Sun and settled cases with dozens of other high-profile personalities, including the likes of Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, with total payouts of more than $1.5 billion. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. LONDON (AP) Prince Harrys lawsuit against The Sun ended dramatically on Wednesday with an apology from the newspaper's publisher for serious intrusion and unlawful activities over a 15-year period. The settlement, which includes a substantial damages payment to Harry. is the latest dramatic move in two decades of legal drama over the cutthroat practices of the British press in the days when newspapers sold millions of copies and shaped the popular conversation. The scandal destroyed a Rupert Murdoch -owned newspaper and cost the business tycoon hundreds of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits from the targets of tabloid attention. It also fueled Harrys quest to tame the British press, which he blames for dividing his family, blighting his life and hounding both his late mother Princess Diana and his wife, Meghan Markle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are key moments in the saga: November 2005 Murdochs Sunday tabloid the News of the World reports that Prince William has a knee injury. A Buckingham Palace complaint prompts a police inquiry that reveals information for the story came from a voicemail that was hacked. January 2007 Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator working for the News of the World, is sentenced to six months in prison and the papers royal editor Clive Goodman to four months for hacking the phones of royal aides to listen to messages left by William and others. Goodman later acknowledges hacking Williams phone 35 times and that of his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton now Princess of Wales more than 150 times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murdochs company initially maintains that the illicit behavior was the work of two rogue employees working without the editors knowledge. January 2011 British police reopen an investigation into tabloid phone hacking after the News of the World says it has found significant new information. April 2011 The News of the World admits liability for phone hacking. The following month, it agrees to pay actress Sienna Miller 100,000 pounds to settle a hacking lawsuit. Since then, Murdochs News Corp. has paid to settle claims by scores of celebrities, politicians, athletes and others against both the News of the World and its sister tabloid, The Sun though it has never accepted liability for hacking by The Sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement July 2011 The Guardian newspaper reports that News of the World journalists hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a murdered 13-year-old schoolgirl, while police were searching for her in 2002. The revelation causes public outrage, and prompts Murdoch to shut down the 168-year-old News of the World. November 2012 A judge-led inquiry into media ethics ordered by then-Prime Minister David Cameron concludes that outrageous behavior by some in the press had wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people whose rights and liberties have been disdained. Judge Brian Leveson recommends the creation of a strong press watchdog, backed by government regulation. His findings have only been partially implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement October 2013 Former News of the World editors Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks go on trial alongside several other defendants at Londons Central Criminal Court on charges of phone hacking and illegal payments to officials. After an eight-month trial, Coulson is convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Brooks is acquitted. She is now chief executive of Murdochs British newspaper business. December 2015 Englands chief prosecutor says there will be no more criminal cases against Murdochs U.K. company or its employees, or against 10 people under investigation from the rival Mirror Group Newspapers, including former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan. Both companies continue to pay to settle hacking lawsuits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2019-onwards Prince Harry launches lawsuits against three newspaper groups Murdoch's News Group, the Mirror Group and Associated Newspapers. He claims stories about his schooldays, teenage shenanigans and relationships with girlfriends were obtained by hacking, bugging, deception or other forms of illegal intrusion. February 2021 Harrys wife Meghan wins an invasion of privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over publication of a letter she wrote in 2018 to her estranged father. June 2023 Harry testifies in his case against the Mirror Group, becoming the first British royal in more than a century to appear in the witness box. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement December 2023 Harry wins his case against the Mirror Group when a judge rules that Mirror newspapers had hired private investigators to snoop for personal information and engaged in illegal phone hacking for well over a decade. He is awarded legal costs and 140,000 pounds in damages. February 2024 The Mirror Group agrees to pay Harry legal costs and undisclosed damages to settle outstanding claims. Harry says he is vindicated and vows: Our mission continues. Jan. 21, 2025 The trial is due to open in lawsuits by Harry and former Labour Party lawmaker Tom Watson against The Sun, with Harry expected to testify in February. They are the only two remaining from among dozens of claimants after others accepted settlements rather than risk potentially ruinous legal bills. But the opening is delayed when lawyers for both sides say they have been holding intense negotiations on a settlement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jan. 22, 2025 The two sides announce a settlement, with News Group Newspapers offering a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. Harry's lawyer David Sherborne calls it a monumental victory and declares: "The time for accountability has arrived." Harrys case against Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail, is ongoing. Private prison company GEO Group has been accused by the National Labor Relations Board of retaliating against immigrant detainees who protested working conditions inside a California facility. GEO Group punished detainees housed at its detention center in Bakersfield who signed a petition and participated in a work stoppage to protest wages and other working conditions, federal labor regulators alleged in a Jan. 6 complaint by a regional NLRB office in Los Angeles. Protesters had commissary privileges revoked, were placed in solitary confinement and faced disciplinary write-ups, the complaint alleges. Some of the detainees also launched a hunger strike in February 2023, and in response the company "forcibly removed" workers and transferred them to a detention center in El Paso, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two detainees named in the complaint, Pedro Jesus Figueroa Padilla and Jose Ruben Hernandez Gomez, held cleaning and maintenance jobs at GEO Group's Bakersfield facility, where the company houses people detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The men were paid $1 per day for the work, their attorney said. The California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, an organization that represents the detainees and has previously sued the GEO Group over wages, called the NLRB's complaint "a landmark move for workers rights," because it recognized detained workers as employees under federal law. GEO Group spokesperson Christopher Ferreira said in an email that the company "strongly disagrees with and disputes the allegations." Ferreira said that, because work was performed on a "strictly voluntary" basis, the immigrant detainees could not be considered employees under federal law and were not subject to alleged violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Participation in the Voluntary Work Program by persons detained and housed at the Center by the federal government does not make such persons 'employees,'" Ferreira said. "We believe that the decision by a non-employee to discontinue his or her participation in a voluntary work program cannot and does not constitute a 'labor strike.'" The complaint is a first step by the NLRB in litigating the case and comes after an investigation found merit to claims made by the detainees. If a settlement with GEO Group is not reached, the case will be reviewed by an administrative law judge at a hearing scheduled for August. The judges decision on what, if anything, GEO Group must do to address the issues raised in the complaint could then be appealed. Sameer Ashar, an attorney at UC Irvine's Workers, Law, and Organizing Clinic who represents the detainees, said that the case likely faces an uphill battle with the labor board now under the control of President Trump's administration. Trump has been critical of what he views as the board's pro-worker leanings. "I'm not sure whether the agency under the new Trump administration will allow this complaint to go forward, and GEO will certainly be doing whatever it can to kill it," Ashar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gomez, one of the workers involved in the complaint, and his attorney said that when the GEO Group transferred Gomez and several other detainees to a facility in El Paso, armed ICE officers shackled their hands and feet, put them in solitary confinement for several hours and threatened to force-feed them to break the hunger strike. He was released from custody soon after the transfer, in April 2023, in a wheelchair because of injuries he suffered from several falls due to the effects of the hunger strike and unsanitary conditions in the detention facility. "I have to deal with nightmares and flashbacks," Gomez said. "I think about those that are still in detention." GEO Group did not respond to questions about force-feeding and Gomez's description of his treatment in the facility. The Florida-based GEO Group operates three facilities in California Mesa Verde, Adelanto and Golden State Annex that have been hotbeds of activism among detainees for years. The company, meanwhile, has waged battle with California officials to keep regulators out of its facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When COVID-19 outbreaks hit ICE detention centers, there was confusion among state and local health officials over who was responsible for vaccinating detainees. In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law clarifying the facilities had to abide by local and state health orders. The law included a provision that made them subject to state workplace safety rules. However, in 2022, when California workplace health and safety regulators opened an investigation into the Golden State Annex facility, they accused the GEO Group of resisting inspections, according to Cal Matters. California eventually levied $104,510 in fines after immigrant detainees complained about unsafe conditions, including a lack of protective equipment and proper training, while cleaning the facility for $1 per day. In August, Newsom signed a law allowing local public health officials to inspect immigration detention facilities. In October, GEO Group filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to block the law. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed Jan. 20-26, 2025, as Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week across the state. CRR is a data-driven process that identifies and prioritizes local risks, which is followed by the investment of emergency response and prevention resources to reduce their impact and occurrences. IL expands free online training for law enforcement officers with new partnership Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illinois continues to be a leader in CRR thanks to the amazing work being done by fire departments across the state and our CRR taskforce, said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. Every 23 seconds, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere across the country, according to crrweek.org. 79% of all fire deaths happened in homes in 2023, and home fires were responsible for 13,350 civilian injuries and an estimated $23.2 billion in property damage. Additionally, 70% percent of all fire department responses across the state come from EMS calls. CRR Week looks to raise awareness among the fire service that introducing CRR concepts will make departments and communities safer. The week will focus on the five Es of CRR: Education Engineering Enforcement Economic Incentive Emergency Response Monday was Martin Luther King Day, which is nationally recognized as a National Day of Service and was an opportunity for communities to decrease risks for their residents through a number of programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ford County Chronicle fights for tax credit meant to save local journalism The OSFM is committed to funding and supporting CRR work across the state, and we plan to continue to help build these programs which in the end will lead to safer communities across the state, Rivera said. The mission of the State of Illinois Community Risk Reduction Task Force, which the CRR process promotes, is to emphasize the importance of risk reduction across the state by inspiring community ownership and providing coordinated resources. I encourage communities of all sizes to learn about and engage in the CRR process, it can start with something small which can build into bigger programs in the future, Rivera said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To learn more about the task force and to find CRR resources to help get a CRR program started in your community, visit illinoiscrr.com or follow Illinois CRR on Facebook. Pritzkers full proclamation can be viewed 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. CHICAGO Elected officials and area organizations are vowing to protect immigrant communities as President Donald Trumps promise of mass deportation continues to make waves. Trumps Department of Justice has now ordered federal prosecutors to investigate any local efforts to obstruct immigration enforcements. Part of Trumps executive orders would allow immigration arrests to be made in sensitive locations like churches and schools, which for more than a decade have been off-limits. It is a critical time for our community and our country, and it is very important that we stay together and fight against injustice and racism to build healthy, safe, and inclusive communities for everyone, Amalia NietoGomez, the executive director of the nonprofit organization Alliance of the Southeast, said at a Wednesday morning press event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illinois State Senator Robert Peters said he knows he may be included in the group of people that Trump ordered prosecutors to investigate if immigration enforcement is obstructed but said the moment calls for solidarity. I am not going to allow myself or the people I care about to become pages of a history book of brutal pain, the Chicago Democrat said. Illinois State Senator Robert Peters Trumps border czar, Tom Homan, has called Chicago ground zero for mass deportations. On the Fox & Friends program Wednesday morning, Homan said 308 immigrants have so far been taken into custody. A source told WGN some of those arrests were in Chicago. The presidents deportation pledge has been criticized by many in blue-state Illinois, but some Republican state legislators say there needs to be more cooperation when it comes to violent criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public safety is not a partisan issue, and Democrats must work to cooperate with federal efforts to remove people who are not here legally and have criminal records, Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) said in a written statement. Chicagos immigrant communities fearful of Trumps mass deportation plan Chicago police reminded they cant cooperate with deportations Chicago braces for potential deportation efforts under incoming Trump administration Some Republicans in Springfield have called on Gov. JB Pritzker to repeal the Trust Act, which bars Illinois law enforcement from engaging in immigration enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pritzker said its been a long-standing U.S. policy to deport undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes, but he added that deporting law-abiding immigrants who work, pay taxes and raise families causes more harm than good. According to Pritzker, there has been no communication with ICE officials on timing for any potential Chicago raids, but he said theres been talk about the federal government targeting about 2,000 undocumented individuals in Chicago alone. Mayor Brandon Johnson also had an event Wednesday morning in the Loop. WGN News attempted to ask Johnson about the memo obtained Wednesday morning by the Associated Press from Trumps DOJ, but the mayor left without taking any questions from reporters. Chicago Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce De Leon said the city wont bend when it comes to protecting the citys hardworking immigrant communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ponce De Leon put out an information blitz Tuesday on resources people can use, and city planners are also running table-top exercises to prepare for what could come. Our Corporation Counsel provided guidance to departments, Ponce De Leon said. Our deputy mayor of community safety has also been working closely with the Chicago Police Department. Ponce De Leon also says the Cook County Public Defenders Office has an immigration division that provides legal support. Chicago Public Schools: ICE agents not allowed in schools Additionally, Chicago Public Schools has been informing principals that ICE agents are not allowed in schools unless they have a signed federal warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday morning, the Chicago Teachers Union talked about immigration enforcement. The Chicago Teachers Union has spent a lot of time in the last six weeks training both staff and faculty at our space about to deal with the encroachment of civil liberties that is happening in this moment, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said. The Chicago Transit Authority issued directives to workers stating they dont have the authority to provide consent for a search. Chicagos immigrant community and supporters, meanwhile, are continuing to speak out, fearful that families could soon be ripped apart. The growing concern was evident Tuesday during a protest in Little Village. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our community is clearly being attacked by this administration, one protestor said. The immigrant community has provided so much for this country, and yet we are being attacked. 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 WGN-TV. A police union that endorsed Donald Trump during the 2024 election campaign has condemned the now-president over his sweeping pardon of Jan. 6, 2021, rioters. In a joint statement with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) on Tuesday said it was deeply discouraged by recent pardons and commutations given by Trump and former President Joe Biden to those who have been convicted of killing or assaulting police. On Monday, Trump offered clemency to the roughly 1,500 people charged in relation to the Capitol riot. Some of those given pardons had been handed multi-year sentences forassaulting police officers or other more serious crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dozens of officers were injured during the attack. Five officers died afterward, one from a stroke and four by suicide. The statement does not make an explicit reference to the Jan. 6 pardons. But the only ones handed down by Trump in his second term involve the violence at the U.S. Capitol four years ago. It reads, Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families. When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence, the statement continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FOP, which has a membership of more than 377,000 officers, is the largest police union in America. In a September press release headed FOP Endorses Trump!, Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, said there was no doubt zero doubt as to who (members) want as our president for the next four years: Donald J. Trump. The union also endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020. The FOP did not have a statement prepared when approached by HuffPosts S.V. Date following the announcement of Trumps pardons. The joint statement came nine hours later. Related... The Fraternal Order of Police has finally spoken: Trump was wrong for pardoning January 6 insurrectionists who were convicted of assaulting police officers. The countrys most powerful police union released a statement condemning Trumps pardons after not having a statement about that when the pardons initially dropped. The [International Association of Chiefs of Police] and FOP are deeply discouraged by the recent pardons and commutations granted by both the Biden and Trump Administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers, the union said in a statement. The IACP and FOP firmly believe that those convicted of such crimes should serve their full sentences. Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safetythey are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FOP endorsed Trump for president in 2024. On Monday, he pardoned over 1,500 people in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Some, like Julian Khater, who pepper-sprayed Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick in the face, committed deliberate violence against police and were found guilty of doing so (Sicknick died the day after the attack). Multiple Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were also pardoned. The FOPs statement is actually fairly weak, as it doesnt name a single person or pardon it has issue with and even takes time to throw stones at the prisoners Biden pardoned. The union being discouraged with both Trump and Biden for pardoning individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers could be referring to Bidens commutation of the sentence of Native American activist Leonard Peltiera man whose own prosecutor thinks he is innocent. If the FOP truly thinks that Trump pardoning violent insurrectionists is wrong, it should say that with its chest. Jan. 21UNION TOWNSHIP The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal incident that occurred on State Route 7 near State Route 775 in Union Township, Lawrence County. On January 18, 2025 at approximately 2:05 a.m., a 2008 Toyota hatchback being operated by Daniel L. Jones II, 48, of Proctorville was traveling on State Route 7 near State Route 775. The vehicle drove off the left side of the roadway and struck a guardrail. Daniel L. Jones II was transported to St. Mary's Medical Center and was pronounced deceased at St. Mary's Medical Center. The Lawrence County Coroner's Office was advised. Next of kin has been notified of his passing. Impairment is not suspected to have been a factor in the incident. There are indications that Jones experienced a medical emergency while driving. The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office and the Lawrence County EMS were on scene to assist with the incident. This incident remains under investigation. Georgia Congressman Mike Collins has called for the deportation of the bishop who urged Donald Trump to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants. Trumpworld has erupted in the wake of Episcopal Bishop Mariann Buddes direct appeal to the president in the inaugural prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C on Tuesday, just two days into his second term. Sharing a clip of the sermon on X, Collins called for Budde to be added to the deportation list, a day after Trump began signing a deluge of executive orders related to immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list, the GOP congressman wrote on Tuesday. Budde was born in New Jersey in 1959 and is a U.S. citizen therefore, she cannot be deported. It is not clear how Collins plans for Budde to be deported, nor where she should be deported to. The Independent has contacted his press office for clarification. Mike Collins, photographed in Georgia's 10th Congressional District republican primary election runoff debatein June 2022, has lashed out at Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde on Tuesdsay (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The Trump and Vance clans sat stony-faced in the front rows of the nave, as the softly-spoken bishop issued her warning. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now, Budde said. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She continued: The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Upon finishing her sermon, Trump said something to Vance which caused him to shake his head. Leaving the cathedral, reporters asked the president what he made of the service. Not too exciting, was it. I didnt think it was a good service. No, they can do much better, he was recorded saying. Trump stands near Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde as he attends the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington on January 21 (REUTERS) Meanwhile, in a fiery rant on TruthSocial late on Tuesday, Trump wrote that Budde owes the public an apology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump wrote on Truth Social. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.... She and her church owe the public an apology! Vice President JD Vance is yet to comment on Buddes remarks. Trumps attack followed harsh criticism of the bishop from his MAGA faithful earlier in the day. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville condemned Buddes speech in a Newsmax interview Tuesday. For this Bishop to do this to President Trump after a weekend of talking about God more than ever, talking about how he was spared to give an opportunity maybe to change this country back to something that should be it just absolutely amazes me how far these people go, he said on On Newsmaxs The Todd Starnes Show. Mariann Budde leads the national prayer service attended by President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Fox News hosts also lashed out at Buddes comments and swooped to the defence of the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She made the service about her very own deranged political beliefs with a disgraceful prayer full of fear-mongering and division, longtime Trump ally and Hannity host, Sean Hannity said. While Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham, added: But rather than a Christian service about God and country, they were forced to listen to the rantings of a lunatic. Budde later addressed the controversy in an appearance on CNN, claiming that she was reminding us all that in the people that are frightened in our country. She continued: The two groups of people that I mentioned are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign, in the harshest of lights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not the first time Budde has spoken out about Trump. During the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C in June 2020, she lambasted against the National Guard and polices use tear gas to disperse crowds at the St. Johns Episcopal Church. It was to allow for Trump to have a photo op, which the bishop described as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A bill filed in the Arkansas legislature on Tuesday would create mental health screening programs in public schools. House Bill 1179 was filed by Rep. DeAnn Vaught (R-Horatio) and would create child and adolescent mental health screening programs in schools and childcare facilities for children birth to 19 years of age. The bill says the mental health screening program would be selected by a public school, open-enrollment charter school, private school, or childcare facility that has been approved by the Department of Human Services in consultation with the Department of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boozman, Cotton applaud Laken Riley Act passage, bill headed to House If approved, a students parent or guardian could sign them up to participate in a mental health screening. The parent or guardian would then later receive the results and be notified of the resources available to the student. The bill says if funds are appropriated, DHS may distribute them to help a parent or guardian pay for resources that cannot be provided by a school mental health professional. Click here to read the full bill. 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 KNWA FOX24. Jan. 21Animal rights advocates tangled with leaders of the state's veterinarian lobby over bipartisan legislation (HB 201) that would make New Hampshire the fifth state to ban the declawing of cats. Over the past five years, the legislative campaign has grown in political strength over stiff opposition from the New Hampshire Veterinary Medicine Association which contends it would be an unprecedented interference into the ethical judgment of medical professionals. Rep. Mike Bordes, R-Laconia, said owners often ask a vet to remove a cat's claws out of convenience so the pet doesn't scratch the furniture or other humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To me it's a cruel and inhumane procedure. A lot of corporate veterinarians will not even perform it," Bordes told the House Environment and Agriculture Committee Tuesday. "We wouldn't do that with a child who drew on the wall with crayons so why would we do that with an animal?" Dr. Lisa Boyer, a veterinarian in Brentwood, said proponents of the ban vastly overestimate how often this cat surgery occurs. "This removes my autonomy as a veterinarian to make a qualified medical decision about a patient. I personally do not perform declaw procedures and I don't need the Legislature to tell me so," Boyer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Every colleague I know does not perform these procedures. This is a solution in search of a problem." Jane Barlow Roy of Weare, speaking for the veterinarians association, said its survey last month found that 83% of vets who responded said they don't offer it at all. "The remaining only offer it as a last resort. This shows our membership is not pro-declaw," Roy said. "Enacting this bill would simply be virtue signaling." Kurt Ehrenberg, representing the state chapter of the Humane Society of United States, said one survey in 2020 found that 86 out of 140 vet practices said they performed surgeries that could include declawing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He likened it to amputating the cat's paw at the knuckle. "This bill is about ending cruelty to cats," Ehrenberg said. "You can't find a veterinarian in this state who will tell you they do it, but you call them up and they offer the service." Roy and other vets said that 2020 study encompassed three other procedures beyond cat declawing. In 2020, Roy said, her membership was split, 51% to 47%, against passing the bill. "I understand half and half are split on this, but I have to go with my majority," Roy said. Last month, Massachusetts became the fourth state to adopt a statewide ban, joining New York, Maryland and West Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight cities in California have adopted their own prohibitions, as have Denver; Pittsburgh; Austin, Texas; and Madison, Wisconsin, among other cities. The practice used to be common in Canada, but 9 of 10 provinces have outlawed it. This House committee deadlocked on the question in early 2023, but the House passed it by a solid 225-147 vote in March of that year. At the urging of then-Senate Majority Leader Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, the GOP-led Senate placed the bill on the table, and it officially died in December 2023. klandrigan@unionleader.com ST. LOUIS History may have just been made in the City of St. Louis. St. Louiss mayor, aldermen, and Greater St. Louis Inc., which promotes economic growth in the St. Louis region, praised a compromise to spend more than a quarter of a billion dollars from the 2021 $790 million legal settlement with Rams owner Enos Stan Kroenke and the NFL. From Delmar to Dutchtown to Downtown, every neighborhood in St. Louis deserves to benefit from these settlement funds, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said. Legislation is messy. Its making sausage. This is part of that sausage-making. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple aldermen tell FOX 2 News that substitute Board Bill 153, dubbed the Transform Act, already has enough support on the 14-member Board of Aldermen to win majority approval. The bill would allocate the largest share to revitalizing downtown: $74 million. Any money spent downtown requires a private dollar match to be secured by Greater St. Louis Inc., including $11 million for the iconic but condemned Railway Exchange (former Famous Barr) Building. Man killed in head-on collision on Ladue Road $50 million would go to a city workforce fund, with $30 million for childcare and the rest for job training and education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $50 million would go toward revitalizing struggling neighborhoods in north St. Louis and southeast St. Louis. $40 million would go toward upgrades of the citys crumbling water system. Another $40 million would be allocated for north St. Louis to redevelop vacant lots with new homes and small businesses. Improvements in north St. Louis, southeast St. Louis, and downtown would include tens of millions of dollars for mobility infrastructure improvements to streets and sidewalks. Everybodys not going to get everything they want but everybody is going to ensure that the communities that have been neglected for over 70 years will not be (that way) anymore, Alderwoman Pam Boyd (Ward 13), a key architect of the compromise along with Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier (Ward 7), said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Not only is this a historic example of collaboration, of public-private partnership, its also reaffirming that your citys leaders understand that either all of St. Louis wins or all of St. Louis loses, Sonnier said. We will not grow if we do not address depopulation in north St. Louis. We will not grow if we do not revitalize Downtown, period, Dustin Allison, interim CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc., said. With interest earned since the 2021 settlement, the amount spent will be nearly $300 million. The plan is set to be voted out of committee and head to the full Board of Aldermen this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 2. NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) 22News is Working For You on how to protect yourself from frostbite during this arctic blast across our region. We spoke with a doctor from Cooley Dickinson Health Care who says some symptoms of frostbite include redness, stinging, burning, or even a prickling sensation followed by numbness. Avoid rubbing frostbitten skin and do not submerge the affected area directly into hot water. Instead, use warm water or a warm washcloth. Youll want to seek medical attention immediately if the sensation does not return or if the skin begins to turn gray. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Sundeep Shukla told 22News, People of extreme age, really young children or people over the age of 65, are more at risk. Especially people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, or other medical comorbidities that may make symptoms worse, they need to be cared for. Medical experts say to stay out of the cold for as long as you can. If you must go outside, protect your body with multiple layers and make sure snow cannot get inside your boots or clothing. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Hundreds of people gathered at the Capitol to protest against Donald Trumps upcoming presidency, just two days before his inauguration. Monica Haladyna, a Mexican immigrant, and event organizer says the purpose of the rally was to unite people, let their voices be heard, and protect their rights. Were just going to march forward for our rights because weve earned them, said Haladyna. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says when she heard the news Trump had won the 2024 election, she couldnt believe her ears. I thought it was a joke. I mean, its unreal, but its an oligarchy. Were dealing with people with so much power, said Haladyna. Only two days before Trumps inauguration, one of his main priorities is deporting undocumented immigrants. Protestors rally at the Capitol/ WLNS Haladyna believes that the order is too expensive. Thats going to be over 3 trillion dollars, and our government is already in deficit for 37 trillion dollars, said Haladyna. Alyssa Hargett, a protestor, says shes worried for the future of the country as a whole. None of it makes sense. Were a joke to the world, said Hargett. We have to stand up for something or else were going to fall for everything. Protestors rally at the Capitol/ WLNS Dina Walters, a transwoman and protestor, says Trumps perspective on trans people in America, is nothing positive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump treats us like were 9th class citizens, said Walters. like we dont matter. Were still human. We still have feelings. Haladyna hopes the protest will bring change during the next four years. We need to move forward, and we need to lead our children and our future children, and generations with a good clean planet, said Haladyna. 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 WLNS 6 News. Pallet shelters are shown amid the snow on a lot located off Victor Street in Providence on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. The community of cabins meant to shelter homeless people is slated to open by the end of February over an entire year after they were first assembled. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) Forty-five tiny cabins assembled off Route 146 in Providence in February 2024 to temporarily shelter people experiencing homelessness will be ready for occupancy by the end of February 2025, Rhode Islands acting housing secretary told a panel of senators Tuesday. Ive not given a date in the past because weve disappointed so many people, Secretary Debroah Goddard told the joint gathering of the Senate Oversight Committee and Committee on Housing & Municipal Government. But I would say probably within four weeks we will be open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been an agonizingly slow process to open ECHO Village, which will be managed by House of Hope, a Warwick community development corporation. The one-room cabins off Victor Street were supposed to have opened by the end of March 2024. Then the project was pushed to the end of spring, then the fall, and then to some time this winter. Part of the blame has been placed on the states fire and building codes. The states fire marshal told a legislative committee in December that his office found it difficult to determine which section of the state fire code applied to the pallet shelters. Staff decided to go with the one used for hotels or dorms which the state also used in its initial application submitted last January. Fire permits were ultimately approved in April. A building permit was issued last June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its seven months that this project has been under active construction, House of Hope Executive Director Laura Jaworski told senators Tuesday. Thats still incredibly aggressive and [a] remarkable time period to have done what we have done on that site. All that remains is hooking up each of the cabins to a Rhode Island Energy transformer something the state initially requested last July, Housing Department Spokesperson Emily Marshall told Rhode Island Current in an email. At that time, the site still had significant work to do before it could be electrified, but the request was made early in the process knowing that, given supply chain issues, it could take many months for RI Energy to acquire a transformer, Marshall wrote. Goddard called the delays inhumane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to have a collective mind and a collective will across government, across communities, across actors to address this, she said. I want to keep looking forward. Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican, still had doubts about the states new timeline. By the time the end of February comes, were looking at spring, she said. Tuesdays meeting was called by Senate leadership in order to review the states plan to address homelessness, which has faced scrutiny over a lack of emergency shelters amid recent cold snaps. It also served more as an informal confirmation hearing for a housing secretary who has yet to undergo the chambers formal vetting process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the first time Im meeting most of you, Goddard told the joint panel. I hope I have the chance to show you that my manner is generally very straightforward sometimes too straightforward. Acting Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard, second from left, speaks before a joint gathering of the Senate Oversight Committee and Committee on Housing & Municipal Government on Jan. 21, 2025. To her left: former Interim Secretary Daniel Connors. To Goddards right: House of Hope Executive Director Laura Jaworski, Crossroads Rhode Island CEO Michelle Wilcox and Crossroads Chief Program Officer John MacDonald. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Some Providence parents are upset after their children had to wait an extra hour in the cold for their school bus to arrive. They really dropped the ball, said Skye Alviti. Her daughter was one of seven middle school students left waiting in the frigid cold Tuesday morning. The Pinpoint Weather Team says temperatures in Providence were as low as 6 degrees Fahrenheit that morning, but the wind chill made it feel like -5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had a short-sleeved shirt along with a T-shirt, a hoodie and then this jacket on. I had two pairs of gloves, a hat and two pairs of pants on, said Destiny Viau, Alvitis daughter. Everything was still numb. Alviti was at work tracking the bus on her app when she noticed it was 20 minutes late. She called the bus company, First Student, and was told that the bus would be there in a minute. Alviti said she called back again after another 20 minutes passed and the bus still wasnt there. The woman I spoke to that time told me that the bus had broken down and they were sending another bus, and it would be there in 20 minutes, Alviti said. Thats an hour after the bus was supposed to pick them up. Thats just not acceptable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson with Providence Public Schools told 12 News the district was aware of the delays, and messages were sent to parents. However, Alviti says the messages came too late. She wants the school and bus company to do better when it comes to notifying parents. Theres no reason that it took so long to let us know what was going on, she explained. Theres only so many kids on the bus to have someone make phone calls, get the information to the parents, so that we can make the best decisions for our kids. The school district says it has reached out to the bus company to express concerns about the delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 12 News also reached out to First Student, but have not heard back. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Pinpoint Weather 12 Alerts 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 WPRI.com. CONNECTICUT (WTNH) Street takeovers and other hazardous roadway behaviors are in the crosshairs of state legislators. The bipartisan leaders of the Public Safety Committee outlined their top priorities at the committees first meeting of the year. Atop the list of bills they plan to pursue in this legislative session are those aimed at street takeovers a problem they say could be addressed by more aggressive enforcement. Extremely concerned and ecstatic: Connecticut officials weigh in on Trumps inauguration Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to give some more teeth to our law enforcement officials to be able to pursue individuals who are endangering the safety of those pedestrians who may be walking and also those that may be on our roadways, State Sen. Herron Keyon Gaston said. Gaston, a Bridgeport Democrat, is co-chair of the Public Safety Committee. Gastons counterparts across the aisle decried what they characterized as relaxed enforcement. It should be no surprise to anybody that when enforcement is down, compliance is down, traffic crash fatalities are going to be up, street takeovers are going to be up, and the amount of which you solve crime is going to be down, State Rep. Greg Howard, a Republican from Stonington, said. We need more law enforcement officers back on the streets. Howard, Gaston and their fellow committee leaders all agreed that recruitment and retention of law enforcement professionals is a core challenge facing agencies across the state a challenge they hope to address with new legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have to look at educational opportunities, maybe exploring the idea of tax incentives tax breaks for young officers to move into certain hard to reach populations where the crime might be a little bit higher, Gaston said. Howard, an actively-serving police detective with more than two decades of law enforcement experience, said the recruitment challenge is also a product of anti-police sentiments that have seeped into the legislative process. Police work used to be a calling and what weve done a lot in this building is weve turned it into a job, Howard said. Thats what some of the legislators in this building want. And we need to get it back to a calling. Its a way of life. The Public Safety Committee also outlined other priorities, including measures to strengthen existing health and safety programs for firefighters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre exposed to things that other people arent in different professions, State Sen. Paul Cicarella, a ranking Republican on the committee, said. We need to realize that and make sure they have the insurance and financial stability to get that care if they need it. State Rep. Pat Boyd, a Democratic co-chair on the committee who serves as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Pomfret, added that he wanted to ensure that a fund set up to assist firefighters battling service-connected cancer was fully funded for future generations. 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 WTNH.com. Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation on 21 January, during which they stressed the need to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic and energy sectors. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Quote: "Putin and Xi reiterated boilerplate narratives emphasising increasing Russian-PRC foreign policy, energy, and economic cooperation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: According to Putins aide, Yuriy Ushakov, the war in Ukraine and both countries relations with the United States were discussed, even though these issues were not included in the official Kremlin press release. Ushakov also stated that President Xi Jinping provided Putin with details of his recent conversation with US President Donald Trump. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 21 January: Ukrainian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Russian defence industrial enterprises and oil refineries in Russia on the night of 20-21 January as part of an ongoing strike series aimed at degrading Russian military capacity. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces also continue to conduct strikes against Russian command posts in the Russian rear. Russian [leader] Vladimir Putin and People's Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping held a phone call on 21 January and emphasised deepening cooperation. Acting Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Khinshtein's recent appointment has thus far failed to solve or distract from Russia's failure to adequately respond to Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast and near Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove. Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions near Pokrovsk. Russian ultranationalist milbloggers renewed complaints against the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for failing to hold the Russian military command accountable for military failures. Support UP or become our patron! Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping pledged to take China-Russian relations to a higher level, hours after Donald Trump took office. The pair spoke over the phone on Monday and discussed future relations with the United States, the war in Ukraine and Taiwan. Over the course of the conversation, which lasted more than an hour-and-a-half, the two men called each other dear friends and stressed their commitment to deepening ties in order to defend their legitimate interests, according to Chinas ministry of foreign affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xi emphasised Russia and China should continue to deepen strategic cooperation, firmly support each other, and safeguard the legitimate interests of the two countries. Experts have said relations between China and Russia are the strongest they have been in years. The 90-minute conversation between the two men reflects the growing bond between their countries - Russian presidential press office/AFP via Getty Images The two countries declared a no limits partnership in 2022, days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Since then, they have also taken part in joint military drills and expanded their bilateral trade, which reached record highs in 2024. The timing of the call raised eyebrows, coming only hours after Mr Trump, the US president, was sworn in for his second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Putins aide Yury Ushakov said the call had been planned before the inauguration. He said Xi and Putin indicated a willingness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial, mutually respectful basis if the Trump team really shows interest in this. Mr Trump, who spoke with Xi before his inauguration last Friday, has previously called the Chinese president a brilliant guy. He has also said he gets along great with Putin. Mr Trumps second term could test US relations with Russia and China - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images However, Mr Trumps second term could test the waters. During his first day in office, he threatened to impose 10 per cent tariffs on China and other countries, a move which Xi has said would divide the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump also threatened sanctions against Russia if Putin refuses to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. During yesterdays call, Putin said any Ukraine settlement must respect Russian interests. Mr Trump has previously said he has called on Xi to help end the war, claiming that his Chinese counterpart has a lot of power but has not done enough yet. Xi and Putin also addressed Taiwan, with the Russian president saying that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory and reaffirming Russias firm opposition to Taiwan independence in any form. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, a position which Taiwans government rejects. 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. Jacob Chansley, the so-called QAnon Shaman whose headdress of horns and makeup made him one of the more prominent faces of the Capitol riot, declared he was going to purchase firearms after being pardoned by President Donald Trump. I JUST GOT THE NEWS FROM MY LAWYER... I GOT A PARDON BABY! he wrote on X Monday. THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!! NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MOTHA FU*KIN GUNS!!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!! J6ers are getting released & JUSTICE HAS COME... EVERYTHING done in the dark WILL come to light! he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chansley, who carried a spear into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of an official proceeding. He was among the first wave of trespassers in the Capitol building and admitted to using a bullhorn to incite the rioters, according to authorities. He sat where Vice President Mike Pence was seated earlier on the Senate floor, refused to leave the premises, and left a note on the dais that read: Its Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming! He served 27 months in prison before an early release and was transferred to a halfway house in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, in March 2023. He was released that May. I regret nothing, Chansley said in an interview on Tuesday. Im a better man because of what I went through. At one point he disavowed the QAnon movement, The Associated Press reported in 2023. Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, at right, is confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber. via Associated Press After his swearing-in on Monday, Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack to overturn Joe Bidens rightful victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The presidents inclusion of those who assaulted police, such as D.J. Rodriguez, reportedly extended beyond what his own party wanted and has prompted further controversy. Related... NEW MEXICO (KRQE) The worlds largest integrated quantum computing company announced plans to expand into New Mexico. Quantinuums new location will be a research and development hub aimed at advancing photonics technologies. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. I am thrilled to welcome Quantinuum to New Mexico, launching a new industry for our state that builds on our proud foundation of innovation, said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in a news release. New Mexico To Become Quantum Computer Workforce Hub Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor made the announcement about the expansion during her State of the State address Tuesday, which two of Quantinuums corporate leaders attended. As the established leader in quantum computing, Quantinuum has found an ideal partner in New Mexico. The states dynamic technology ecosystem and highly skilled workforce align perfectly with our strategic goals, Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, president and CEO of Quantinuum, stated in a news release. Officials did not say where the center will be built, but said it is planned to open later this year and is expected to bring in high-paying jobs and drive economic growth. The company has collaborated with experts from Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of New Mexico. Is Albuquerque the next great quantum technology ecosystem? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerces Economic Development Administration, as part of its Tech Hubs program, officially designated Colorado and New Mexico as leading hubs for quantum information technology. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Dr. Mark Turco attends the Rhode Island Senate session on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, with his family members. Turco was confirmed as president and CEO of the Rhode Island Life Science Hub. (Screenshot) Rhode Islands life science agency has its first, full-time CEO after a legislative confirmation Tuesday. The Rhode Island Senates unanimous vote the chambers first appointment of the 2025 session cements Dr. Mark Turcos new position as president and CEO of the Rhode Island Life Science Hub. The agencys 15-member board of directors signed a three-year contract with Turco in December, but required signoff of state lawmakers under the states fiscal 2024 budget, which created the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vote Tuesday came swiftly and without discussion. Turco attended with his family, who snapped cell phone photos of him waving to applauding lawmakers. Finding a full-time, paid president to lead the nascent agency has been a priority since the volunteer board began meeting in January 2024. Turco, a 25-year industry veteran whose resume includes clinical medicine, academia, research and medical startups, was picked from a pool of 300 candidates through a nationwide search. His breadth of experience, industry connections and local ties hes lived in Rhode Island for the last 12 years made him the ideal candidate, Neil Steinberg, board president, told a Senate panel during a preliminary confirmation hearing on Jan. 9 As agency president, Turco will be charged with setting up a strategy and spending plan to put the Ocean State on the map as a life science hub, similar to Cambridge and Worcester, Massachusetts. His initial term lasts three years, expiring Jan. 15, 2028, with a corresponding $400,000 annual salary, per his contract. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states fiscal 2024 spending plan seeded an initial $45 million for the Hubs programs and staffing costs, though Turco has already indicated he plans to ask for more money in the states fiscal 2026 budget, along with seeking private investment and grant funding. Sens. Lou DiPalma and Thomas Paolino were absent from the confirmation vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rachel Maddow believes that President Donald Trumps choice to pardon nearly every Jan. 6 rioter only emboldens his followers. The MSNBC host explained in detail that Trumps choice to pardon almost every rioter from the Capitol Hill riots in 2021 regardless of whether they were violent toward police officers or not is essentially the 47th president embracing political violence on his behalf. Trump pardoning and releasing from prison the January 6th defendants, including the paramilitaries, means he is effectively immunizing his followers from committing violence in his name, Maddow said. Hes making clear, you know, if you support me, the law doesnt apply to you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She continued, Not incidentally, the people hes pardoning and their families will feel like they owe Trump everything, and that they therefore should, and now can, do absolutely anything for him. In total, Trump pardon or commuted sentences of around 1500 people who rioted on and in the Capitol Building on Jan. 6. 2021. Maddow called the choice to do this for almost everyone involved was a maximalist option. She also drew plenty of parallels to what Trump was doing and some of the most famous autocrats in history and called the pardons textbook authoritarian takeover 101 tactics. The MSNBC host wrapped her Inauguration Day coverage with a plea of vigilance to the America people. More than ever, this is not a time to pretend this isnt happening, Maddow said. Youre going to want to have a good answer when you get asked what you did for your country when your country started to take a turn this radical. She finished, We are here. Its happening in our lifetimes. Well, we are citizens responsible for the fate of our country. All hands on deck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The other headline-making executive order Trump passed in the first day as president was to postpone the TikTok ban for 75 days. He said the extension will give his administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok, which has 170 million American users. Watch the full Rachel Maddow video above. The post Rachel Maddow Warns Trumps Jan. 6 Pardons Are Immunizing His Followers From Committing Violence in His Name | Video appeared first on TheWrap. An interfaith service at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday took a controversial turn when the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, spoke directly to President Donald Trump at the end of her sermon. The Rev. Budde urged Trump to care for immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community, and to keep mercy at the front of his mind. As you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rev. Buddes remarks evoked a strong reaction, including from the president. President Donald Trump, left, listens during the national prayer service led by the Rev. Mariann Budde, right, at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. | Evan Vucci More liberal people of faith took to social media to thank her for speaking up for vulnerable communities, while some conservative commentators criticized her for bringing politics into a sacred setting. In a Truth Social post shared Wednesday morning, Trump criticized the Rev. Budde for being nasty and not compelling or smart. The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump argued that the Rev. Budde should have reflected on acts of violence linked to migrant families. He also said she and the Episcopal Church should apologize. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Inaugural prayer service The Rev. Budde has served as the bishop of Washington since November 2011. She is the first woman to hold the role, according to the dioceses website. Tuesday was not the first time she publicly called out Trumps leadership. She grabbed national headlines in June 2020 when she criticized law enforcement for clearing Black Lives Matter protesters away from St. Johns Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., ahead of Trumps famous photo shoot with a Bible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The symbolism of him holding a Bible as a prop and standing in front of our church as a backdrop when everything that he has said is antithetical to the teachings of our traditions and what we stand for as a church I was horrified," the Rev. Budde told Religion News Service at the time. President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John's Church, June 1, 2020, in Washington. | Patrick Semansky The Rev. Budde was one of many faith leaders who took part in Tuesdays inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. The service which Trump officials call a National Prayer Service but which cathedral sources referred to as A Service of Prayer for the Nation featured prayers, invocations and Scripture readings from Episcopalian, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Mennonite, Jewish, Indigenous, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh traditions, as well as members from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Religion News Service reported. As of Wednesday morning, the Rev. Budde, Washington National Cathedral and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington had not responded to Trumps call for an apology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During an appearance on CNN Tuesday night, the Rev. Budde said her message was not just for Trump but for all Americans. I wanted to present a vision of what unity can look like in this country ... acknowledging our common humanity, she said. The Rev. Budde also noted that she wasnt expecting Trump to love her remarks, since she never goes into sermons with high expectations. I keep my expectations low whenever I preach, she said. I have to let all of that go. I speak from what I believe Ive been given to say and let it go from there. Jan. 21AUSTIN Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian released the following statement Tuesday on President Donald Trump's Executive Orders supporting reliable energy production in America: "On day one, President Trump prioritized actions to undo some of the harmful, radical policies from the last administration and set America on a course toward energy independence. His executive orders will grow U.S. fossil fuel production by incentivizing new investments and unleashing new areas of production, which will lead to more energy, cheaper costs and a more secure nation. "The last year has seen the turning of the tide against 'woke' energy agendas and unrealistic environmental policies in America and across the globe. Radical, anti-energy policies like ESG are finally being revealed to be the scam that they are, from major U.S. investment banks withdrawing from global 'climate' organizations to a federal judge ruling that ESG is a violation of fiduciary responsibility. They don't work, they're based on fantasy ideals and leave hard working Americans worse off. President Trump withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords and other globalist cohorts will only further fuel the fire to the domestic reliable energy renaissance that the Americans will benefit from. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As Commissioner of the largest oil and gas producing state in the nation, I look forward to President Trump's leadership and having an ally in the White House. Energy is the catalyst to a better everything in our lives and the economy, and having access to cheap, clean and reliable sources is paramount to human flourishing. To my fellow Texans, I hope you're ready to 'drill, baby, drill' and reap the benefits that increased production will do for the State and your individual lives." Background: In 2019, the U.S. became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 67 years, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. This gave the nation affordable energy, thousands of new jobs, economic growth and national security. America achieved this by simply empowering, instead of attacking, domestic oil and gas producers. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)- Part of East Midlothian Boulevard was blocked Wednesday morning. It happened at the intersection with Southern Boulevard at the railroad tracks. The railroad safety arms and lights were blocking traffic. As of 7 a.m., the arms are back upand the traffic lights are yellow now. Use caution if you take this route. Authorities have not said what caused the issue overnight. Jonathan Renforth contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WKBN.com. Much-anticipated rain could be headed to drought-stricken Southern California this weekend -- but rainfall also brings the threat of landslides in the wake of Los Angeles County's devastating fires. Rain and mountain snow are expected in Southern California on Saturday and Sunday. Rainfall rates are expected to be light, up to 1 inch over the course of the weekend. PHOTO: An aerial view of homes which burned in the Eaton Fire near one home which survived on Jan. 21, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) MORE: Landslides are among the hazards emerging as LA-area wildfires scar terrain Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But thunderstorms are possible; lightning could spark new fires and the thunderstorms would cause heavier rainfall. Heavy rain over the vulnerable wildfire burn scars would be extremely dangerous because it could lead to landslides. PHOTO: A mobile home park destroyed in the Palisades Fire is seen on Jan. 21, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images) MORE: California fires live updates: 2 wildfires ignite in San Diego, Cal Fire says The extreme burn scars are the result of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which erupted on Jan. 7. The wildfires ripped across the LA communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, destroying neighborhoods, claiming more than two dozen lives and forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've never seen a burn scar in an urban area of this scope and magnitude," LA City Council member Traci Park said Tuesday. PHOTO: The wind whips embers while a firefighter battles the fire in the Angeles National Forest near Mt. Wilson as the wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area, during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Jan. 9, 2025. (Ringo Chiu/Reuters) MORE: Here's how to help wildfire victims "I normally pray for rain. God knows, we generally need it," Park said during a news conference. "But right now, let me point out the obvious: The burn scar of the Palisades Fire not only sits feet from the ocean itself, but already on hillsides that are already prone to slide, and which have already absorbed a tremendous amount of water from firefighting, broken pipes and melted pools." "Adding water to this mess and saturated, unstable hillsides is the last thing we need," she continued. "But we already know at some point, it's going to happen. And let me remind folks burn scars don't absorb water at a normal rate. They simply add to the risk of floods, landslides and debris flow." PHOTO:An helicopter flies near a burning house as the Palisades Fire rages on at the Mandeville Canyon, in Los Angeles, Jan. 11, 2025. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: LA wildfire victims: What we know about those killed LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order on Tuesday to shore up the burn areas ahead of the rain. "This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravished by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff," Bass said during the news conference. "The action plan I have directed our city Public Works bureaus to implement includes the installation of barriers, debris removal and diverting runoff from our stormwater system and into our sewer system where it can be treated." California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he's deploying specialized debris flow teams to Southern California ahead of the rain. PHOTO: The Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 16, 2025. (Damian Dovarganes/AP) Among the state resources will be more than 400 California Conservation Corps members who'll "be working on watershed protection at firestorm burn scar areas to place silt fencing, straw wattles, and compost socks to act as physical barriers to filter contaminants found in rainwater runoff," the governor's office said. "More Corpsmembers will be trained to augment capacity in the coming days." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 80 California National Guard service members are also headed to the scene "with 2 dozers, 1 excavator, 1 loader, 4 dump trucks and other engineering assets to haul 527,000 cubic yards of materials in local debris basins," the governor's office said. Click here to learn more about landslides. Rain headed to fire-ravaged Southern California will bring threat of landslides originally appeared on abcnews.go.com North American port container drayage and rail ramp operations are running relatively smoothly, with little change expected through the end of the month. The exception is Canadas Port of Vancouver, which is still working through a backlog of containers, according to the January U.S. Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index released by ITS Logistics. Vancouver is still clearing a three-week backlog of containers that are awaiting rail transit, said Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain for ITS Logistics, in a release. The Lunar New Year rush, a November port strike that has now come to an end, and lack of rail equipment are contributing to the Vancouver terminal challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. West Coast port and rail ramp operations will remain at an elevated status, and there are still concerns that there may be an increase in trans-Pacific inventory front-loading throughout the month. This is in addition to Western Canada port and rail issues. The index forecasts port container and dray operations for the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf regions, as well as West and East inland ocean and domestic container rail ramp operations. While Vancouver is on course to clear congestion by next month, that could change amid plans by the Trump administration to levy new tariffs on imports from Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frontloading by shippers due to tariff uncertainty and a now-averted strike by East Coast longshore workers drove all November container imports higher by 14.7% from a year ago to 2.17 million twenty-foot equivalent units, ITS said, citing data from the National Retail Federation, which projected December volume 19% better at 2.24 million TEUs. The late volume led the NRF to revise full-year volume upward to 25.6 million TEUs and a further 10% y/y increase in January and March. February is expected to be weaker on account of the timing of Lunar New Year. Shippers should prepare for the potential of a front-loading event similar to 2018, impacting trans-Pacific trade lanes from Asia into North America regardless of origin as front-loading bottlenecks at the same entry point ports, said Brashier. Industry professionals should also expect exports to be negatively impacted as well due to equipment imbalance and these possible retaliatory tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here. Related coverage: Sola to head Federal Maritime Commission Asia-US container rates decline in slack season Ocean rates could fall as Houthis say they will end Red Sea attacks The post ITS rates West Coast port drayage, rail ops as elevated but running smoothly appeared first on FreightWaves. As the dairy industry dips its toes into artificial intelligence (AI), it is clear that there is still a world of unknown possibilities that lie before us. For those who love cows and data, this is the golden age, said Jeff Bewley of Holstein Association USA, who spoke at the recent Pacific Northwest Animal Nutrition Conference in Boise, Idaho. The dairy industry has barely even scratched the surface of what AI can bring to the table, and the future is bound to be bright and exciting! The topic of AI in agriculture has been a beaten drum over the last few years, and to some, it has left a bad taste in their mouth. But for many, dialing in on the new opportunities and data that AI can provide will ultimately help us make our dairy operations more successful and profitable. For instance, wearable technology, such as activity monitoring collars, are now considered commonplace on many dairies. The question is, how can we get more data out of this wearable technology? The answer is AI. Questions about fertility and reproduction may be answered through the use of AI without having to go through the work of drawing blood samples. While potentially daunting, this is just the beginning. AI can be used on all facets of the farm, from installing precision soakers to manage heat stress, using machine vision technology to identify locomotion scores to make culling decisions, or implementing image analysis to identify dry matter intake. This opens a whole new world of trackable data that will allow farmers to make better decisions for their operations. While new data can be helpful, Bewley recommended using AI to look at old data in new ways. Take a deeper look into lactation curves, mastitis incidents, reproduction, ration response, and lifespan data from the past. Seeing this data in a new light may provide answers to identify areas of improvement. New data can track specific areas more closely, allowing the farmer to monitor areas of concern or improvement. While AI may seem all the rage, it is important to note that it is not a silver bullet, but it is a management tool. AI isnt magic. Continuous improvement requires biological feedback. Just because we use AI, doesnt mean its better, Bewley said. While AI has the ability to track a lot of data, some of the data isnt useful to farmers. Track the data that is beneficial to your operation and dont waste time tracking areas that arent helping make the farm more efficient. AI can enhance profitability by optimizing operations and enhancing cow well-being. But the most important thing to remember is, We need to make sure we never lose sight of the cow in that process, Bewley noted. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2025 January 20, 2025 ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) An engineering teacher at the Charles W. Day Technical Education Center (DAYTEC), has been named as a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), by then-President Joe Biden. Raymond Cotter has been named as a recipient of the nations highest award for math a science teachers. Mr. Cotter will also a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, a certificate from the president, and will visit Washington D.C. to be honored later this year. (Photo Credit: Roanoke City Public Schools) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The whole process of being considered for and then receiving the Presidential Award has been powerfully validating, improved my instruction, and helped me be a better mentor, all thanks to the support of many outstanding people, Cotter said. My students amaze and inspire me every day, so I am excited to see how the opportunities this award provides will help me continue to improve their experiences as promising young engineers! Cotter was one of the 336 teachers around the nation selected and only one of six teachers was selected from Virginia. Roanoke City Public Schools tackle teacher shortage Cotter started his career at Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Virginia in 2004, then joined Roanoke City Public Schools in 2006. He also served at the Roanoke Technical Education Center (ROTEC) until he moved to William Fleming High School in 2012. He has been DAYTECs inaugural engineering teacher since the center opened in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Cotter has the magical ability to connect with the students enrolled in his classes by providing a safe and welcoming environment where students develop a passion to learn, said Kathy Duncan, RCPS Director of Career & Technical Education. Nominees for the award went through a tough application process to show deep content knowledge along with abilities to adapt to a large range of learners and teaching environments. This went in front of a panel of elite mathematicians, scientists, and educators at state and national levels before nominations were taken to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Teachers were then selected based on their classroom and dedication within improving STEM education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am honored to recognize and celebrate the six Virginia educators who have received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. This prestigious award exemplifies each of these educators outstanding teaching abilities, content expertise, and commitment to ensuring every student succeeds. Congratulations and thank you for serving as outstanding representatives of the Commonwealth. This award was established in 1983 and is the highest award a K-12 math and science teacher can receive from the U.S. government. 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 WFXRtv. Local fire departments warn those preparing for the cold tonight about the dangers of using space heaters. Floridians dont get this kind of cold often, so many dont really know how to operate the devices, especially those powered by propane or fuel. We will be ready, said Timothy Shank, a Volusia County resident who braced for the cold temperatures with the heaters on and extra blankets. We havent had this cold for the last couple of years. Its been pretty moderate temperatures, but this is cold for us. We usually keep the house above 70. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read: ARCTIC BLAST: Winter storm systems bring cold, rain and wind to Central Florida Shanks AC system broke down a few weeks ago, so the only option he has is to use multiple space heaters across his home. I have two space heaters and two fireplaces, said Shank. We had to move around some outlets that were a little bit weak. We wanted to make sure they were strong. As temperatures drop across central Florida, residents are heading to hardware stores, many looking for temporary heating devices to keep it nice and toasty. We got a lot of customers coming in right now looking for heating options, stuff to keep the house warm for pets, for kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeffery Vierbickas, assistant manager at Ace Hardware on South Orange Avenue, said, " Ive got a lot of folks coming and looking for firewood. Read: 22 states sue to stop Trumps order blocking birthright citizenship As convenient as they might be, space heaters need extra attention - especially if you have kids and pets at home. About 1/3 of all the fires in the United States are caused by space heaters in the wintertime. About 80% of the deaths are caused by fires started by space heaters, said Tod Zellers, Assistant Chief of Seminole County Fire Department. Read: Prepared for all conditions, race fans and drivers gear up for the 63rd running of Rolex 24 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To ensure home safety, keep space heaters on the floor, plug them straight into an outletno power strips or extension cordsand keep kids and pets away from them. Space heaters should not be left unattended, and you should not go to sleep while theyre on. thats when they can get knocked over by a pet or a child, said Zellers. Having a smoke detector at home is just as important as having a carbon monoxide detector, especially if youre using heaters with propane. Those are two different devices; you should have both at home all year, especially during the cold days. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. - Credit: Jon Putman/NurPhoto/Getty Images A white picket fence stands with untouched roses. Six feet away, a home is gone. The decimation caused by the Palisades and Eaton fires is catastrophic and abnormal, and Los Angeles is grieving loss unlike ever before. As several wildfires erupted across the city on Jan. 7, with fierce Santa Ana winds making it impossible for fire crews to stop the ensuing destruction, some residents and online spectators began to criticize Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, particularly because the LAFDs 2024-25 budget received $17 million less than the previous year. Though the city maintains that the LAFD actually received $80 million more than 2023-24 thanks to money allocated outside the department budget a narrative began to take shape: Budget cuts made these fires worse, and these two women leading the response should take the blame. Part of the outrage was that the Los Angeles Police Department got a 6.8 percent funding bump while LAFD funding was cut. Part of it was the perception that the women only received the jobs because of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies, rather than their extensive experience. Across the political spectrum, people were pissed. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to CAL FIREs active incident reports, at the time of publication, the Palisades fire burned over 23,000 acres, resulting in 10 deaths, and the Eaton fire burned over 14,000 acres in eastern L.A. County, resulting in 17 deaths. Together, the fires destroyed more than 13,000 structures, from single-family homes and apartment buildings to schools and local landmarks. Though an untold number of firefighters were injured, Los Angeles County Fire Department Fire Chief Anthony Marrone confirmed that none were killed. People want answers. When your house burns down or your loved one is killed, you want answers as to who was responsible for this, Marrone says. We have people hurting, people that need to bury their loved ones, and thats pretty heavy 27 people in a brush fire. Cherry picking without looking at the full picture Although the department received 7.4 percent more money than the previous year, there were still cuts to some operations. Crowley had previously raised concerns about the department facing budget cuts in a Dec. 4 memo. The document said that a $7 million reduction in certain overtime hours had severely limited the departments capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires. According to the memo, budget cuts had affected core operations including technology and communication infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention and community education. Last year, Mayor Karen Bass 2024-2025 budget plan proposed $23 million reductions in fire department spending. When the city council approved the budget in May, the proposed cuts were reduced to $17 million. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez says she helped to restore wildland hand crews and secured $1.2 million for 26 positions, and Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district includes the Pacific Palisades, was able to restore four mechanics who perform maintenance, securing $440,000 for the positions. Within this fiscal year, LAFD actually would go above what was allocated, the Mayor said at a news conference, when asked about the memo. When asked for comment by Rolling Stone, her office provided a statement from her spokesperson, saying that she has secured the federal, state and local resources we need to continue fighting these fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo expresses frustration that most news reports misrepresented the budget situation by cherry-picking one account without looking at the full picture. He says the budgeting is done with multiple accounts and money is allocated for the department with several agreements being worked out in parallel. The firefighters were still negotiating adjustments to compensation several months after the budget was approved by the council, so salaries were not included in it. In contrast, the union contract for the LAPD was approved a year earlier, according to Szabo. The council approved the salary deal in November with a 23 percent pay increase across five years, adding about $76 million for salary increases, pensions and indirect costs. Another appropriation made outside the budget was $58 million for apparatus and vehicle replacement. In total, the LAFD was budgeted $963 million during the 2024-25 cycle. When you actually look at the documents as it relates to the sworn fire suppression personnel, theyve been funded at the level that theyve been requested, says Szabo, who prepares the budget and provides financial analysis to the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Szabo says that during the budgeting process, the city only reduced vacant civilian positions and did not cut any sworn firefighters. He adds that in case of an emergency, both the fire chief and the police chief have complete authority to deploy as they see fit. As the fires began, there were funds available for any type of emergency deployment activities. Part of my job is to figure out how to pay for [emergencies] after the fact, if necessary. But in this case, there was plenty of funding, Szabo says. Crowleys critics also asserted that the chief should have paid the outgoing shift overtime to stay at work to increase the number of firefighters deployed that first day, as some other fire departments had done. We are spending more on labor costs. Rodriguez, the councilwoman, tells Rolling Stone that the LAFD has not grown commensurate with the population growth. And while the department got more money for the 2024-2025 budget cycle, it was primarily to cover cost-of-living salary increases. A year ago, it was a lot less to pay for a gallon of milk, she says. We are spending more on our labor costs. It doesnt mean that theres any new positions being funded to the department. Rodriguez, who is the daughter of a firefighter, says that the department has not been funded to the greatest need possible. The community of Sylmar in her district, for example, has endured numerous wildfires, yet has been denied a much-needed second fire station for more than 20 years. In 2023, Rodriguez got approval for it and is in the process of acquiring a property but is still working on getting funding for design, construction, and staffing. There were significant reductions to the fire departments staffing and apparatus after the 2008 financial collapse. The city has never recovered its fire personnel and apparatus to those pre-recession levels, Rodriguez says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The LAFD Fire Chiefs office declined an interview, saying Crowley is focused on mitigating the fires and ensuring public safety. LAFD Public Information Director Karla Tovar tells Rolling Stone in an email that the department is focused on getting the proposed budget for 2025-2026 approved. The proposal requests over $1.1 billion for the LAFD, including $882 million for the operating budget and $244 million for non-departmental requests. Are there politics at play? Absolutely. Online attacks on Mayor Bass and Chief Crowleys handling of the wildfires have ramped up, as more than 8,600 firefighters have been working to contain the fires and dealing with the aftermath. Many on the right are blaming the fires on diversity and pitting the two women against each other. Last week, a five-page letter signed by unnamed Retired and Active LAFD Chief Officers called for Crowley to resign, saying she went along with the budget cuts and leveling other serious allegations of failure against her. Three days later, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles Local 112 wrote a letter supporting Crowley. Disgruntled and anonymous individuals are now mounting a campaign against you youve been the only fire chief in decades to repeatedly demand adequate resources, the letter said. Others from the fire service have spoken out in support of Crowley as well. At the end of the day, there has not been one comment made about the myriad of male fire chiefs, Stacy Barneveld-Taylor, a retired battalion chief, tells Rolling Stone. So the L.A. County Fire Chief, Orange County Fire Authority Chief, the male fire chiefs of Pasadena and the surrounding areas, CAL FIRE. Nobodys making any commentary about those leadership individuals, she says. She believes that the anonymous letter against Crowley isnt from a collection of chiefs, but one individual with an axe to grind with her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barneveld-Taylor is a 26-year veteran of the LAFD and has known and supported Crowley for two decades, although they were never assigned at the same fire station. They also worked together through the Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service group, of which Barneveld-Taylor is a founding member, helping women and people of color get hired and fairly promoted in the fire service. The reality is that the fire department has been underfunded, under-resourced, and understaffed for many, many years, Barneveld-Taylor says. Rodriguez has the utmost respect for Crowley. Ive watched people come for her but its all counterproductive, she says. And are there politics at play? Absolutely. There are plenty of people who still dont believe a woman belongs in any other role than being at home. Lauren Andrade is the president of Equity on Fire, a nonprofit advocating for an inclusive fire service, and a Fire Captain with the Orange County Fire Authority. Through her work with the nonprofit, Andrade has spoken out against harassment and discrimination within the fire service. She says that during former Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas era, there were a lot of complaints that were not being investigated, and Crowley has brought in an era of accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobody is going to stop [an] 100-mph flaming firefront. And then you couple that with the fact that there was a lack of water, an infrastructure mishap, thats what has caused this devastation. Has nothing to do with [Crowley] as a fire chief, and her tactics or strategies, Andrade says. County Fire Chief Marrone calls Crowley a valued and trusted colleague and says unsigned complaints are inappropriate. I dont think attacking who people are personally is appropriate. You do not attack who they are, what their gender is, what their sexual preference is, what pronouns they use that is off limits. Marrone has been working with Crowley and other leaders to coordinate the response. He says that the chiefs dont yet know the cause of the fires. Marrone says its neither normal for that many fires to start over a four-day period nor two very destructive fires to start on opposite ends of the county, eight hours apart. So, the fire chiefs have asked the federal government and arson experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to come in and help local investigators. Fire Weather Watch will remain in effect though the evening of Jan. 23. Expecting possible rain, the Mayor issued an Emergency Executive Order Tuesday to shore up burn areas and to mitigate the health and environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants on the stormwater system, beaches and ocean. The LAFD has also pre-deployed resources around the city ahead of the dangerous forecasted conditions with powerful and damaging winds and an increased risk for fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budget cuts happen, Barneveld-Taylor says. I get that mayors need to do that. But when you look at the size of Los Angelesyouve just got this exponential risk of something catastrophic happening. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. NZULO, Congo (AP) The M23 rebel group's advance toward eastern Congo's largest city has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks, the United Nations said, as the fighters closed in on Goma on the border with Rwanda. The M23 has been making significant advances, though it was unclear whether the rebels will try to capture Goma, which they seized in 2012 and controlled for over a week. Congolese authorities said Tuesday its fighters seized the town of Minova, on a key supply route for Goma, a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago. Rwanda's government denies the claim. The U.N. humanitarian agency said Tuesday the new mass displacement was caused by fighting around Minova in South Kivu province. Thousands of people spilled out of packed wooden boats in Goma on Wednesday, some with bundles of belongings strapped around their foreheads. Displaced people have filled the Nzulo camp on the outskirts of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and home to around 2 million people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some people were already leaving the camp as rebels approached. David Kasereka fled on a motorbike with a child, barely stopping to speak. We dont know where we are going, because everywhere, the bombs are following us, he told The Associated Press. Nadege Bauma, like many in Nzulo, was first displaced due to intense fighting in the town of Sake. Inside the camp, the mother of six gathered what she could of her belongings and piled them into a minibus to flee again. We just learned that the M23 have arrived in Ngwiro (about 19 miles or 30 kilometers west of Goma) and we decided to leave the area because bullets and bombs are falling, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The provincial governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi, confirmed the capture of Minova, adding that the rebels have also taken the mining towns of Lumbishi, Numbi and Shanje along with the town of Bweremana in North Kivu province. Congos military said in a statement Tuesday that the rebels made breakthroughs in Minova and Bweremana. Do you recognize this suspect? [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Xenia Police Division have asked for the publics help in finding a theft suspect. They said on social media that security captured this person breaking into the Maharaja Food Mart at the 1900 block of W. Second Street. TRENDING STORIES: Police said the suspect stole vapes before leaving the store. If anyone recognizes the suspect, please contact Detective Shelley at (937) 376-7210 or reach out by email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can also contact the polices tip line at (937) 347-1623. Photo contributed by Xenia Police Division (via Facebook) [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] INDEPENDENCE, Mo. The American Red Cross has opened a shelter for residents who lost their homes in a large fire at an Independence apartment complex Wednesday morning on East 37th Terrace. The shelter is at Sermon Community Center, located at 201 N. Dodgion Avenue in Independence. The shelter is open to anyone in need of help after the fire. They can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS for more information. 4 dead after Independence apartment fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Admission to a Red Cross shelter does not require identification or proof of residency. American Red Cross services are free and available to all regardless of race, religious beliefs, nationality, or citizenship status. According to the Kansas City Fire Department, crews responded to a fire at Independence Ridge apartments around 6:00 a.m. Wednesday. The apartments are located behind the Independence Commons Shopping Center. Eric Michael from the Independence Fire Department said the fire started in a unit kitchen from an unattended pan on the stove, but investigations are still ongoing. He said the unit where the fire started is believed to be on the third floor. Although no injuries were originally reported, in a press conference Wednesday afternoon, it was confirmed that four people died in the fire. Two of the victims were adults and the two others were children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The dangerous fire conditions in Southern California are expected to last a little longer than previously anticipated. The red flag warning was set to expire at 2 p.m., but the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said in an alert that it had been extended until 10 p.m. Tuesday. The extension means the soft road closure near the Palisades Fire area has been extended as well. The following areas are limited to residents only: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Topanga Cyn Blvd/Mulholland Dr (southbound) Old Topanga Cyn Rd/Mulholland Hwy (southbound) Please note the current Hard Closure on Topanga Cyn Blvd between Grand View Dr PCH remains in effect until further notice, Sheriffs Department officials added. 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 KTLA. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A Red Flag Warning that went into effect Monday for San Diego County mountains and valleys has been extended due to strong gusty winds and low relative humidity. The Red Flag Warning, which was originally set to expire Tuesday at 10 p.m., will now last until 8 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service San Diego said on its website Tuesday. The San Diego County Office of Education announced the closures of the following school districts amid the Red Flag Warning: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mountain Empire Unified School District Warner Unified School District The safety of students and school staff is of the utmost importance to San Diego County school districts, SDCOE said. Evacuations lifted for Lilac Fire in North County The strongest winds could be felt Wednesday night, with winds increasing northeast 20 to 30 mph. Residents should expect gusts from 40 to 50 mph, while isolated gusts may reach up to 75 mph for the San Diego County and Santa Ana mountains, according to NWS. For relative humidity, NWS says it will be a very poor recovery Tuesday night and Wednesday morning of 10 to 20 percent in wind prone areas. Wednesday and Thursdays relative humidity will be as low as 4 to 10 percent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, NWS said. NWS defines a Red Flag Warning is defined critical fire weather conditions that are either occurring now or will shortly from a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures. Thousands of San Diego Gas & Electric customers are experiencing outages during another round of public safety power shutoffs that went into effect Monday at 6 a.m. An 85-acre fire that prompted evacuations also occurred during a Red Flag Warning Tuesday just south of Pala Mesa overnight into Tuesday. Evacuations have been lifted, and that fire is currently 50% contained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 office of Little Red Book, Shanghai, China, November 10, 2023. - Credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images The U.S. TikTok ban, brought on by government concern over the companys Chinese ownership, has been a messy whirlwind of updates for the apps users. The company circled through announcements that it will be banned, it might not be banned, the Supreme Court might stop the ban, the Supreme Court upheld the ban. The platform was banned two and half hours before its Jan. 19 deadline to transfer ownership to an American owner, but was then reinstated 14 hours later. As of now, it may still be banned two and a half months down the line. As a result, many users, frustrated by the governments interference with their beloved social media platform, decided to stick it to Congress and show how little they care about the governments concerns of foreign government data mining and ran straight to Xiaohongshu. Known in English as RedNote, the Chinese social media app became the most-downloaded free app in the Apple App Store in the week before the ban, as self-proclaimed TikTok refugees sought out a new place to find content. Marketing intelligence app Sensor Tower reported that U.S. mobile downloads increased more than 20 times in the week beginning Jan. 8 compared to the previous week, and were up 30 times more compared to the same time period last year. The app, which functions similarly to Pinterest with a short-form, vertical video element, wasnt even localized to English at the beginning of last week, with much of the interface still in Mandarin, but by Jan. 15, the company had rolled out English translations. If the U.S. government was saying that there was a Chinese threat, the answer seemed to be to get even more Chinese. Commenters asked Chinese users how to translate English slang like ho is you magical and ate into Mandarin. Duolingo reported that the app saw a 216 percent growth in new Mandarin learners compared to the same time last year. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since TikTok might get banned, I joined the Chinese app Xiaohongshu instead. THEYRE SO FUNNY OVER THERE LMAO, one user wrote. Xiaohongshus for you page is infinitely cooler than any other apps for you page, another said. As users migrated to Xiaohongshu en masse, a wave of change hit the platform, as people on two sides of a decades-long geopolitical cold front began interacting for the first time. China, through the lens of America, is a world that has always been stuck in time, which has made the touchstones of its culture and humanity even more amorphous to many Americans. On the other side, women living in China say they are happy that they are being humanized as regular people rather than stereotypes on a global scale. Kathy Lou, 46, was born and raised in China, and has been using Xiaohongshu for six years. Shes used the app historically to follow blogger recommendations for tourist destinations, lifestyle tips, and trending topics. The app was originally built as an alternative to Instagram, its earliest content focusing on lifestyle, beauty and fashion content. But now, her feeds are filled with Chinese people explaining their daily lives to Americans, and vice versa. I like whats happening, she says. It helps Americans know more about real China, like the price of groceries, price of public transportation, and robot delivery-ordered food at hotels and such. And at the same time, it helps Chinese people to know more about America like the society, culture, and their real lives and viewpoints, as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jessica Lee, 23, posts vlog content to her 27,200 followers on Xiaohongshu. The Shanghai-based creator has been using the app for four years. Before, being on Xiaohongshu, a lot of Americans seemed to think that China is behind in development and old, but it is highly-developed, high-tech and convenient in different ways, she said. She feels as though the surprise is not necessarily equal; because shes been watching American content for years, through the lens of mass media and TikTok, she hasnt been as surprised by the content Americans are posting on Xiaohongshu now, as some of it shes already seen on TikTok. Lou feels that both sides have been historically short-sighted with propaganda and stereotyping. And while she also isnt totally surprised with the information that Americans are sharing, she is surprised that the TikTok ban inspired people to join Xiaohongshu at all. There hasnt historically been much overlap between American and Chinese social platforms, owing to the longtime technological decoupling between the nations, and for both sides, this sort of interaction is new. Some users were startled by the influx. Isa Feng, 35, says that at first, she thought the notes that American users were posting were posted by fake accounts. I was shocked and thought it was a kind of scam, she tells Rolling Stone. When it began going viral, and I saw that an increasing number of American users were indeed flocking to Xiaohongshu as an alternative, I thought it was an interesting development. Of course, like other social media apps, Xiaohongshu has faced backlash over the years for promoting unrealistic beauty standards, called by some on the app , or serving in the army of beauty, as well as fraudulent e-commerce content. But Feng said once she realized it was real, she enjoyed getting a glimpse into what American life is like. Her feed is largely American Samoyed puppies that she can say hi to, she says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the topics of conversation that Feng was most interested in following was the discussion that Chinese and American users began having about the cost of living in both countries. The discourse mostly consisted of American surprise at the convenience of transportation, food delivery, and groceries in China. One conversation that Feng followed was the revelation of how expensive American health care is. Chinese people were shocked at how expensive it is to call an ambulance in the U.S. without medical coverage, she said. Its breaking the information cocoon on social media. Medical coverage has been a specific point of disbelief to many Chinese users, who expressed surprise at photos of American medical bills that charged money for skin-to-skin contact after birth or the drastically higher costs of comparable cancer medications. Some Chinese commenters, in their astonishment, have also wondered if some of the issues that Americans have brought up like the low paid time off, high cost of living, and struggle to make ends meet are exaggerated or posted by bot accounts. Under a post shared by American user @Nerdcabinet that asked Chinese users to share what they were most surprised by after speaking with Americans. I suspect that all the people on Xiaohongshu are fake Americans, one commenter based in Guangdong wrote. The information I have received since I was a child is that the United States has high welfare, high wages, freedom, and ease, one person works to support the whole family, and most of the holidays are spent traveling. Now it is found that Americans can endure hardships even more than us, another Zhejiang-based user responded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a general sense of Chinese national pride for a culture that has long been conceptualized as villainous as a result of government action. Feng says theres even a saying being passed around among users right now: Koreans are experiencing China offline, Americans are experiencing China online, based on the recent news that Shanghai beat out Tokyo as a top winter travel destination for South Korean tourists. Still, many have expressed some unhappiness with the sudden shift on their feeds. Lee feels as though the overall quality of the app has gone down. The feed is a lot like TikTok now, she says. Chinese users already have a domestic version of TikTok Douyin and Xiaohongshu was always posited as a more lifestyle-geared, Instagram-esque platform. Theres also been a strong culture of sisterhood on the app, as nearly 70 percent of users are women, with the majority being young women living in first-tier or second-tier cities. The default video greeting to audiences is even , or sisters, which has become an inclusive phrase to mean everyone. But now, those demographics might be changing. There have already been changes to adjust to the new audience. All the women who spoke with Rolling Stone mentioned a drastic shift towards English-language content on their feeds, as well as an increased amount of branded content as creators and brands alike attempt to capitalize on the glut of new users. Seventy percent of my feed is in English now, and a lot of English comments are there, Lee says. Its an awkward contrast against some of the content trends like (New Chinese style makeup) or the viral city walk fitness trend are often centered around Chinese culture and locations, specifically. Users like Feng alsouses Xiaohongshu for traditional Chinese cultural knowledge. While the language might not be a problem for these women, who all are fluent in English, its not necessarily a widespread skill in the country. According to a 2012 national survey between the Ministry of Education and Xian JiaotongLiverpool University, 67 percent of people in mainland China with junior secondary education qualifications or above had studied a foreign language, almost all of them having chosen English, but use for it was often low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is interesting that despite not understanding Chinese at all, they would rather be on Xiaohongshu than Lemon8, Instagram Reels, or other American apps, she says. Its pretty cool how people are communicating and learning different cultures. Its still unclear what will happen with the future of TikTok, and with Xiaohongshus rising popularity, its possible that the app could also be banned in the US given the governments concerns of foreign government data mining. In wake of TikToks reinstatement, some users shared joking goodbyes to the TikTok refugees. But regardless, Lou is happy to have experienced this cultural exchange on the app. Its fascinating that people from different cultures and backgrounds came together on one platform, she said. We were united together as more similar than different. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves joked about Elon Musks online trolling of world leaders, in a break from the UK governments careful efforts to avoid responding to frequent criticism from the close Trump ally. Most Read from Bloomberg Britains finance minister was discussing the use of technology to cut out some of the costs in the back-office functions of government, during an on-stage interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. By cutting costs, she said, the government would be able to do less on tax, provide better public services and invest more in capital project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Reeves rejected the analogy when asked whether the UK was going down the same road as Musk, the Tesla boss who US President Donald Trump has installed in an advisory role atop his administrations new Department of Government Efficiency. Well, look, we want to root out waste in government spending, Reeves replied, with a laugh. I think maybe the comparison might end there. Im not going to go troll presidents around the world. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been alongside the leaders of Germany, Canada and other US allies a repeated target of the worlds richest mans attacks on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Reeves remarks represent the closest thing a senior UK Cabinet minister has come to criticizing Musk, as Labour tries to avoid straining relations with the US president. During a wave of anti-immigrant riots in Britain last year, Musk posted that civil war is inevitable, before accusing Labour of suppressing freedom of speech after far-right rioters were jailed following the disorder. This month, he unleashed a fresh volley of posts criticizing the UK governments decision not to call a national inquiry into historic cases of child grooming, questioning Starmers actions in his past role as director of public prosecutions, and calling a junior minister, Jess Phillips a rape genocide apologist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starmer has sought to avoid commenting on the billionaires posts, but the attack on Phillips a minister whose career before politics involved helping women who were victims of domestic violence and the threats she received as a result, prompted him to say that a line had been crossed. --With assistance from Ailbhe Rea and Julian Harris. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Just hours into his second presidency, Donald Trump was already bulldozing congressional Republicans. He granted clemency to some 1,500 Jan. 6 offenders, some of them convicted of violent assaults. He flouted a bipartisan TikTok ban, ordering it to remain unenforced. And he moved to cancel some of his predecessors energy programs over the pleadings of some in the GOP who wanted him to wait to name just a few of the ways he undercut members of his own party. A day later, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a meeting Tuesday with top GOP leaders, he didnt move to settle key strategic disputes over raising the debt limit and passing the partys big domestic policy package. Top leaders from the House and Senate left the White House and gave reporters completely contradictory accounts of how his agenda would be passed. In other words, Trump is already showing his split-screen approach to congressional relations one that, so far, is more concerned with using his political muscle to perform acts of dominance than to settle the intramural disputes that are holding up his agenda. The past two days underscore how Trump and his team view Capitol Hill, informed by his previous four years in office, and the four subsequent years he spent climbing back: Republicans will eventually fall in line with whatever he wants, they believe, so why hold back? The sooner these guys recognize that it's the president that kept their House majority and their Senate majority, and the sooner they realize it's the president that has the will of the people not them the sooner they will be able to live a productive life, one Trump insider granted anonymity to discuss relations with Congress told me recently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the end of the day, hes the one with the mandate, and they know it, said another. There was immediate evidence that such a read is absolutely correct. Faced with questions about Trumps Jan. 6 pardons, most GOP lawmakers opted for a delicate tap dance. Many deflected attention to predecessor Joe Bidens pardons of family members. Others quickly dusted off the old first-term playbook: I didnt see the tweet/comment/executive order. I haven't seen the list, Speaker Mike Johnson told my colleague Meredith Lee Hill. I haven't had a chance to evaluate it." And when Trump essentially flipped them the bird on TikTok putting off dealing with something theyve described for years as a major national security issue nary a squawk was heard. Johnson and Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) spoke out Sunday to reiterate their support for the ban passed nine months ago, only to be neutered a day later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Same goes for Trumps first-day decision to gut Bidens electric vehicle mandates. Hill leaders wanted to repeal it themselves so they could book the savings and use them to offset the cost of tax cuts. Trump bullied forward anyway. He even burned political capital on a molehill of a mountain: re-renaming Denali to Mount McKinley over the objections of Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. A more traditional politician might consider it risky to wildly alienate members of your own party (especially a known swing vote like Murkowski) when much of your agenda requires congressional approval doubly so when you have a House majority even narrower than in the Senate. Not so for Trump, obviously. Yet the alpha-male power plays suddenly evaporate when it comes to settling disputes among Republicans about his own agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chambers remain on diverging paths when it comes to passing border, energy and tax measures, with the House pushing one vote on one massive bill while the Senate wants to split it in two. Same for the debt limit: Include it in a party-line budget reconciliation bill? Or cut a deal with Democrats? Some Republicans were hoping Trump would use his audience with Hill leaders at the White House on Tuesday to crack the whip on those questions and others. That doesnt seem to have happened: One senior Republican aide we spoke to afterward couldnt hide his disappointment; Trump continued to waffle rather than provide clarity. Thats despite complaining in the meeting, as he often does, about how Democrats always stick together and Republicans instead bicker and fracture. He insisted on unity but didnt do much to facilitate it. Which is partly why Trumps whatever-I-want posture early on is raising so many eyebrows among some Republicans. The president, they believe, will have to spend some of the political capital he seems intent on burning now to get his agenda passed later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A key test is at hand, with some of Trumps most controversial nominees headed toward confirmation votes that will force some Senate Republicans to eat a shit sandwich, as one Republican aide told me on Inauguration Day. Pete Hegseth, his pick for Pentagon chief, is teed up for a vote within days despite a late-breaking report that hed made an ex-wife fear for her safety. (The woman denied shed been physically abused.) And many senators remain uncomfortable with his choice of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, with her isolationist views and policy flipflops. They havent even gotten yet to his plans for tariffs not only on China but allies like Mexico and Canada potential levies that have given traditional pro-business Republicans heartburn for months. If Republicans fall in line behind Hegseth, Gabbard and tariffs as most now expect it will be proof positive that Trumps steamroller approach is working. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From his end, hes doing what he said he would do, so this notion that were going to have any ability to stop him from doing what he feels is right is laughable, said one senior GOP aide. Its just not happening. So who cares if he isnt sweating the small stuff? Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery) and advocates from Renters United Maryland rallied in support of good cause evictions legislation in front of the State House on Tuesday. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Advocates for renter protections braved frigid morning temperatures Tuesday for a rally urging lawmakers to finally pass good cause evictions legislation to protect tenants from being kicked out without a justified reason. I know its very cold out here which is just another reminder of how important it is to keep people safe and stable in their homes, Christianne Marguerite, communications director for Progressive Maryland, said at a rally hosted in Annapolis by Renters United Maryland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation, also known as just cause evictions, would require that landlords who want to cancel a lease must inform tenants of the reason, from a specified list outlined in the bill. Reasons would include not paying rent, engaging in disorderly conduct or breaching the lease agreement, among other issues. Last year, the measure passed the House but never came to a vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. But Renters United Maryland, a coalition of progressive advocates, are looking to Judicial Proceedings to bring the legislation to a vote this year and help push the bill over the finish line. We are on the cusp of finally passing good cause eviction this will be the eighth year that were introducing this bill, said Del. Jheanelle K. Wilkins (D-Montgomery), sponsor of the bill in the House. A companion bill is being sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince Georges). Both Muse and Wilkins sponsored the measure last year. Their continued efforts this year will likely face pushback from housing developers and property managers, who say good cause evictions contribute to an overregulated housing market that is less friendly for future housing projects. This is at a time when state leaders are pushing for new development to solve a 96,000-unit housing shortage. Advocates urge lawmakers to pass good cause evictions legislation during the 2025 General Assembly. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) But Wilkins called housing a matter of life or death. It is stability. It is security. It is access to resources, access to health care, access to food. And we have to make sure it is a part of our agenda to protect our communities under this administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of yesterday, our communities are truly in danger, she said, referencing Mondays inauguration of President Donald Trump. We saw executive orders that took action to literally harm the communities that we serve and the most vulnerable. One thing we can do, in terms of the plethora of things that the state has to do, is protect them when it comes to their housing. Advocates believe that without good cause requirements, tenants are at the whim of their landlord, who can use eviction to retaliate against tenants who raise concerns about inhospitable living conditions. All the landlord has to do is give 60 days notice, which leaves tenants a small window to find a new living arrangement. Sen. President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said before the start of this legislative session that good cause eviction legislation has not been a priority for the Senate, especially as the state looks to encourage new development to help tackle Marylands housing shortage. He said lawmakers will need to find balance between protecting renters and ensuring that developers want to build in Maryland. As we are looking to increase supply, if we put in policies that make it less of an incentive to build, we kind of cut our nose to spite our face, Ferguson said at the time. If were going to increase supply, it has to be the right balance with policy so that developers come in and quickly build but well see how things move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That very issue came up Tuesday afternoon, as renter advocates and housing developers pitched their cases to senators on the Judicial Proceedings Committee in a four-hour hearing on the pros and cons of good cause evictions, along with other contentious housing policies such as rent stabilization and vacancy control. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The reality is that many Maryland residents live in their homes at the whim of their landlords, said David Wheaton with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, who said Black residents tend to be disproportionately hurt by evictions and housing instability. Any time their lease is up, or their landlord wants them out, they face possible eviction, even if they are keeping up with rent, he said. Theyre doing everything they can, but at the end of their lease, they still are told that they have to move out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When these folks leave, where are they supposed to go? he asked. But Arianna Royster, senior adviser for the apartment company Borger Residential, told committee members that landlords are not incentivized to evict tenants without good reason, and good cause legislation could get in the way of removing problem tenants. These policies put good residents at risk by limiting the ability of housing providers to manage their properties and act quickly to remove problem residents, she said. As good business practice, apartment community owners and operators want long-term residents. And we strive to avoid eviction where possible. The process to evict and turn over an apartment is expensive. Gabrielle Duvall, president of Southern Management Cos., says that good cause evictions limit actions landlords can take against disruptive tenants. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Gabrielle Duvall, president of the Southern Management Cos. which manages apartment complexes across Maryland and in Virginia, said that good cause evictions would restrict landlords and property managers in ways that other industries are not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If I behave poorly in a restaurant, we all agree, the restaurant can simply say We dont want to do business with you any more. If my children misbehave in a grocery store, they can ask us not to come back, she said. We are taking away, with just cause, the right of housing providers to say, We are no longer in a contract together we dont want to continue doing business with you for the benefit of our other residents and we need to ask you to leave,' Duvall said. And for some reason, it feels okay to regulate housing differently than any other industry. At the end of the four-hour meeting, Committee Chair Sen. Will Smith (D-Montgomery) noted that good cause evictions, the states housing shortage and efforts to build up new developments are all part of an extremely complex problem set. The conversation continues, he said. (FOX 44) Following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Congressman August Pfluger, Representing the 11th district of Texas, shared his thoughts on why he is optimistic about what the 47th president of the United States has in store for the next 4 years. For well, first off, just being able to be at the inauguration to hear, president trump, give his address to really feel like somebody has our back again, that theyre going to secure the border, unleash American energy, get our economy going back again, and rebuild the military. I mean, what could be more important than our safety security and prosperity. Thats exactly what he said yesterday, said Representative Pfluger. The representative was also asked about tax cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were going to extend the tax cuts, the president trump passed in 2017, and were going to get back to the reality of what our country, the foundation, what our country is, which is hardworking Americans just wanting to do right by their families, said Representative Pfluger. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met Wednesday with Latino Democratic lawmakers to sharpen the partys strategy on immigration as President Trump barrels ahead with a wide crackdown that includes using the military to secure the border and threats to deport millions. The Brooklyn lawmaker and his leadership team met with the Hispanic Caucus to forge Democratic unity behind a message of support for tightening border security while resisting Trumps controversial deportation plan and his effort to end birthright citizenship. We had a great discussion about priorities for the American people, including making sure we secure the border, fix our broken immigration system, stand up for Dreamers and farm workers, Jeffries told reporters as he left the meeting on Capitol HIll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeffries and other Democrats are seeking to walk a tightrope on immigration by moving the party to the right on border security, which many party leaders see as a major albatross, while maintaining a unified stance against Trumps mass deportation crackdown. Some moderate Democrats, including a few members of the Hispanic Caucus from border states, would like the freedom to vote with Trumps Republicans on some popular immigration-related measures, like the GOP-sponsored Laken Riley Act authorizing deportation of undocumented immigrants arrested for shoplifting and other petty crimes. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a south Texas moderate, warned party leaders not to tell him how to vote on controversial measures. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an outspoken advocate for immigrants, told Punchbowl News that she believes taking a strong stance on the issue can help Democrats win back the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were within striking distance of winning the majority back, Ocasio-Cortez said. Many progressives, including some Latinos from deep-blue urban districts like Ocasio-Cortez, want Jeffries to lead the party in a much more aggressive pushback against Trumps immigration crackdown. Jeffries, who stands to become House Speaker if Democrats regain control of the House in 2026, appears to see Trumps economic policies and planned tax cuts for the wealthy to be more effective cudgels to use against the new Trump administration. He replied to a question about immigration over the weekend on Meet the Press by changing the subject to Democrats focus on the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, he stressed that the meeting with the Hispanic lawmakers was not only about immigration but also aimed at working to drive down the high cost of living for everyday Americans. Many Democrats believe Trumps anti-immigration message was a key driver of his surprisingly decisive win over Kamala Harris in the November election. But they believe Trump may lose public support if his crackdown goes too far, especially if he creates chaos on farms, factory floors and in cities by rounding up millions of undocumented immigrants. WASHINGTON (KFDX/KJTL) Texas District 13 Representative Ronny Jackson has been named co-chair of a pro-Israel caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Israel Allies Caucus (CIAC) was the first pro-Israel caucus established in the House in 2006. It eventually became part of a network of 40 worldwide pro-Israel caucuses. Trump signs multiple executive orders on first day As one of Israels strongest allies in Congress, I am extremely proud to be named Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, Jackson said in a press statement. He added that he would continue to work to fight for Israels right to exist as it defends itself against countries that attempt to weaken its standing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jordanna McMillan, the U.S. director of the Israel Allies Foundation, expressed support for Rep. Jacksons position on the caucus, stating he has distinguished himself as a strong supporter of Israel and that the foundation looks forward to working with him during the upcoming congressional session. The caucus works to fight for an indivisible Jerusalem, combating the BDS Movement/antisemitism, and support Israels right to safe and secure borders, according to Rep. Brad Shermans website, another of the caucuss co-chairs. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 Texomashomepage.com. Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first openly transgender member of Congress, called President Donald Trumps executive order proclaiming there are only two sexes that are not changeable red meat for his extreme base. This is red meat for the online trolls who are doing his bidding every single day, but this is not what the American people want, McBride told NBC Philadelphia on Tuesday. They want a federal government that, one, respects everyone across all of our differences, but also a federal government thats focused like a laser on lowering costs for workers, and that is not what this executive action does. And frankly, its really not what any of the executive actions that this president has put forward will do. Trump signed dozens of executive orders Monday, just hours after his inauguration, including one titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The order declares that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes, male and female, and that these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The order directs the secretaries of state and homeland security to implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holders sex, as defined by the order. The action also broadly bars federal funds from being used to promote gender ideology, which it says replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity, permitting the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa, and requiring all institutions of society to regard this false claim as true. The order also prohibits the Bureau of Prisons from providing transition-related medical care to trans inmates a policy that runs contrary to some court decisions within the last few years. During a call with reporters Monday morning, incoming White House officials said the order will ensure that taxpayer funds are not being used to have so-called transition services, and that womens prisons, migrant shelters and rape shelters will be separated based on sex assigned at birth, barring trans women from womens prisons and shelters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McBride conceded that the actions taken as a result of Trumps executive order related to gender could have real consequences for people. She said they could harm LGBTQ peoples privacy and access to accurate identity documents, and that federal programs could be affected. However, she said that the Supreme Court has made clear that LGBTQ people are protected under federal civil rights laws, and an executive action cant undo that Supreme Court precedent. As much as this president seeks to protest to the contrary, he cant, with a single stroke of his pen, undo Supreme Court precedent or undo the Constitution, she said. McBride appeared to be referring to the Supreme Courts landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, in 2020, which granted LGBTQ people protection from employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps executive order pertaining to gender also referenced that high court precedent, noting that the Biden administration applied its logic to Title IX a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools and education programs to ensure that trans students could use the restrooms of their gender identity. This position is legally untenable and has harmed women, the order says. The Attorney General shall therefore immediately issue guidance to agencies to correct the misapplication of the Supreme Courts decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) to sex-based distinctions in agency activities. Though Trumps order will have effects on trans people, McBride said no policy can erase the reality of diversity across gender in our society and no executive action can erase the LGBTQ community. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com President Joe Biden poses for a photo with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, incoming Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan and outgoing Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz at the U.S. Coast Guard Change of Command Ceremony Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) A Michigan lawmaker is among those calling out the Trump administrations middle-of-the-night firing of Adm. Linda Fagan, who served as the first female commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and the first woman to head up a branch of the U.S. military. U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids), a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committees Coast Guard Subcommittee, said in a statement she was disappointed to learn that President Donald Trump had abruptly fired Fagan and had done so after midnight Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) speaks at a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Grand Rapids on July 29, 2024. | Lucy Valeski I am proud to have worked with Admiral Fagan to encourage the acquisition of a new Great Lakes Icebreaker, critical to our mission here in the Great Lakes region, said Scholten, who noted Fagan had made multiple visits to Grand Haven Coast Guard City, USA during her tenure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Admiral Fagans leadership, we also saw Coast Guard recruitment and retention rise, which remains one of my top priorities. I thank her for her service to West Michigan and our country, said Scholten. In confirming Fagans firing, a senior official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Coast Guard, cited leadership deficiencies that included dissatisfaction with recruitment and retention. That was despite an announcement last September that the Coast Guard had exceeded its 2024 recruitment target and had for the first time since 2017 achieved all of its recruiting goals for enlisted active duty, the Reserve, and Non-Academy officer programs. The official also cited efforts surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, which appears to be part of the Trump administrations broader anti-DEI efforts. In 2023, Fagan apologized on behalf of the Coast Guard for not taking appropriate action in cases of sexual assault and harassment at the services academy in New London, Conn., that had occurred years before her tenure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fagan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2022, replaced now-retired Adm. Karl Schultz, who CNN reported had withheld from Congress the findings of an investigation documenting years of sexual assaults at the academy. While Fagan had also been criticized for her slow response to providing records on the investigation to Congress, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told the Rhode Island Current her firing was uncalled for. Ive been critical of Adm. Fagan concerning the Coast Guards response to problems of sexual assault and harassment in the aftermath of a cover-up executed by her Trump-appointed predecessor, said Blumenthal. But this abrupt firing certainly raises concerns about how Donald Trump intends to treat dedicated, professional men and women who have faithfully served our country for decades. Fagan is now succeeded as acting commandant by Adm. Kevin Lunday, who had been serving as vice commandant since last June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholten said the Coast Guard deserves strong leadership needed to protect the nations maritime borders, and Fagans firing seemed at odds with that goal. A sudden, middle-of-the-night firing of a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not set our Coast Guard up for success, threatening our mission readiness and national security, said Scholten. Ousting Admiral Fagan without announcing a plan for her successor has undermined that stability. I am calling on President Trump to move quickly in appointing a new Commandant and not resort to hasty firings in other branches of our military. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Senate chambers at the Washington state Capitol. (Legislative Support Services) Emily Alvarado moved from the House to the Senate in the state Legislature on Tuesday after the King County Council appointed her to replace Joe Nguyen, who Gov. Bob Ferguson tapped last month to lead the state Department of Commerce. Alvarado, a Democrat, was sworn into the Senate shortly after the council selected her for the seat in the 34th Legislative District, which includes West Seattle, Vashon Island, White Center, and part of Burien. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The council also chose a replacement for Tana Senn, former state representative for the 41st Legislative District, who Ferguson picked to lead the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Alvarado was elected to the House in 2022. Shes worked as an executive with an affordable housing nonprofit and previously served as the director of Seattles Office of Housing. I believe we all have a shared obligation to provide high-quality public services to our communities, Alvarado said. Nguyen was first elected to the state Senate in 2018 and reelected in 2022. He was the first Vietnamese American elected to the Washington state Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The council also approved Brianna Thomas as Alvarados replacement in the state House of Representatives. Thomas currently works as the senior policy and labor advisor for the Seattle mayors office and previously was chief of staff for former Seattle City Council member Lorena Gonzalez. Im not here for a power grab, Im here to hold the door open for the same people that held the door open for me so more folks like me have those opportunities, Thomas said. The council chose Janice Zahn to fill Senns former seat. Zahn is the chief engineer at the Port of Seattle and has been serving on the Bellevue City Council, which she was first elected to in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I bring unique perspectives as an immigrant, engineer, elected and staffer, with extensive and broad experience at every level of government, Zahn said. Senn first joined the state House in 2013 when the King County Council appointed her to the seat in the 41st District, which covers parts of Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island and other communities. Both the House and Senate positions will be on the ballot in a special election in November, with the winners serving through 2026. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A new report done by the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG), an organization based in Buffalo, shows that water shutoffs in the city of Buffalo disproportionately affect low-income residents. PPG said the city isnt doing enough to help people pay for their water bills before pulling the plug. The stories that weve gathered through this project are really shocking to know, said Andrea O Suilleabhain, the executive director of PPG. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Researchers at PPG investigated the issue of water shutoffs in Buffalo after receiving complaints. PPG looked at data from 2019 and found nearly 3,000 water shutoffs that year. Zip codes with the highest shutoffs rates are on the east side in zip codes 14208, 14215 and 14211. Behind these areas are Black Rock-Riverside and the west side. Sadly the results were not very surprising. Buffalo has a long history of segregation coupled with income inequality, said Anna Blatto, a PPG research associate. We had to go through thousands of pages, scanned PDFs to identify the addresses that these attempted shutoffs took place at. The worksheets also provided the balance of the account. Experts said this issue comes down to water prices rising for years while incomes for families are not keeping up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue here goes beyond just economics, its about ensuring water, which is a basic human right, is accessible to everybody, Blatto said. Researchers said in some cases, they also found inhumane conditions for some city residents and recounted one mans story. He said, I had to let go of one utility, I just couldnt pay them all, so he lived with bottled water and catching rain water under his roof for 16 months, Suilleabhain said. There are programs out there to help residents with their water bills, but the report said those programs are based on the citys median income, not the income in more disadvantaged zip codes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not doing enough to tailor to what do people make, what can a household really afford? Suilleabhain said. Cities like Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia have put in whats called income-based payment. PPG said the city of Buffalo should look into those models in other cities. WIVB News 4 reached out for comment from Acting Mayor Chris Scanlons office several times. Weve also reached out to Buffalo Water, but have not heard back. The full report can be found here. Latest Local News Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work 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 News 4 Buffalo. President Donald Trump dodged then rambled Tuesday when asked why he pardoned a violent Capitol rioter. (Watch the video below.) Trump granted clemency on Inauguration Day for about 1,500 convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. But his inclusion of those who attacked police reportedly went beyond what his own party wanted. NBC News Peter Alexander brought up one particular case to the returning president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You would agree that its never acceptable to assault a police officer? Alexander began. Sure, Trump said. So, then, if I can, among those you pardoned, D.J. Rodriguez, he drove a stun gun into the neck of a D.C. police officer who was abducted by the mob that day, Alexander said. He later confessed on video to the FBI and pleaded guilty for his crimes. Why does he deserve a pardon? Well, I dont know, Trump answered. Was it a pardon? Because were looking at commutes, and were looking at pardons. Informed it was a pardon, Trump danced further. Well look at everything, he continued. (However, a pardon is not rescindable.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump diverted to false claims about murderers never being charged in blue cities. He veered off into false allegations about the George Floyd protests. But in the word salad were a few details about his decision to pardon, though not focusing on Rodriguez in particular. He asserted that those convicted had done enough time in conditions he deemed inhumane. These people have already served years in prison, and theyve served them viciously, he said. Its a disgusting prison. Its been horrible, its inhumane, its been a terrible, terrible thing. ... So, these people have always served a long period of time and I made a decision to give a pardon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also suggested there was tit-for-tat at play, falsely claiming that President Joe Biden had pardoned criminals the day before. Biden did issue preemptive pardons to Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, members of the Jan. 6 committee and some family. None were charged with crimes but could be targeted in a perceived vengeance campaign by the new administration. h/t Mediaite Related... In his first term as president, Donald Trump appointed three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. But Trump, who takes the oath of office for a second term Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, has said he will leave abortion policy to the states. But the reality is the Trump administration will likely have to take some federal action, including on litigation that has major implications for access to abortion drugs and emergency health care. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) In the days following President-elect Donald Trumps win last November, a national abortion-assistance hotline was being inundated with calls. They were confused about whether abortion was even still legal in the country, because they have heard the rhetoric around Trumps position on abortion, said Brittany Fonteno, the president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The association of abortion providers runs what Fonteno says is the largest financial assistance program for people seeking abortions and is among the many groups preparing for another potentially destabilizing shift in U.S. reproductive health policy after Trump takes office Monday. The Republican who appointed, in his first term, three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, has said he will leave abortion policy to the states. But the reality is the Trump administration will likely have to take some federal action on abortion, including on several pending federal lawsuits that have major implications for access to abortion drugs and emergency health care. Many activists that spent the last year trying to fight off a subsequent Trump term are now focused on how to maintain and expand access to abortion and birth control but also maternal and prenatal care. All has been affected in states with abortion bans, but activists fear people in states with liberal abortion policies could soon be impacted. Everything has changed, Fonteno told States Newsroom. We are heading into absolutely the most hostile landscape for abortion access in 50 years in this country, without the legal protection of Roe and with the most hostile administration to abortion access. Maintaining access abortion and miscarriage drugs As legal confusion over abortion persists across the country, the Abortion Defense Network is going into its third year providing free legal advice to abortion providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, we are readying ourselves for whatever may come and getting ready to respond to any changes and understand those changes so that we can best serve our clients, said Cassie Ehrenberg, senior counsel for pro bono initiatives for the Lawyering Project, which manages the intake calls and operations of the network. Ehrenberg would not specify how many clients the network serves, but said they field a lot of provider questions about medical licensing and what different state laws allow. She said that November 2024 saw more than three times as many inquiries to the hotline as the year before. Many of the ongoing federal abortion fights involve two medications approved in 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration for first-trimester abortions but also used for miscarriage management and other health conditions: mifepristone and misoprostol. These drugs and their loosened restrictions under the Biden administration have made it possible for more people, including those living in states with abortion bans, to terminate pregnancies. They accounted for an estimated 63% of all abortions in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute, up from 53% in 2020. However, states such as Texas and Louisiana have begun cracking down on the mailing of these drugs and restricting their use even for non-abortion purposes. And many anti-abortion activists are lobbying the new Trump administration to ban telehealth abortions and reinstate other old FDA restrictions, or to enforce the 1800s-era Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and information. During his campaign, Trump said he would not order the U.S. Justice Department to enforce Comstock. But after the election, he gave TIME Magazine conflicting statements about whether his administration would try to restrict access to medication abortion, saying both that he was open to the FDA reversing the approval of abortion pills and committed to maintaining access to abortion drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fonteno said the National Abortion Federation has prepared for different contingency plans, including giving clinics guidelines to administer medication abortions without mifepristone, were the drug to become unavailable. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Helping patients finance abortions with dwindling resources As the director of case management at Tampa Bay Abortion Fund in Florida, Bree Wallace said a big part of what her organization does is not just help people pay for abortions they cant afford, but also teach them how to fly. Many of the people who call in, Wallace said, are really young or poor or on the verge of being unhoused and have never been on a plane before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a lot of having to explain, like, heres how you get to the airport and get your boarding pass; this is how you get off and get a ride share; this is how you check into a hotel, Wallace told States Newsroom. Its definitely really scary for them, and were not next to them to really help, so were just kind of helping through the phone. In addition to the logistical and informational support, these patients depend on the money to be able to take a short-notice plane ride or to pay for lodging or child care or the abortion itself. Most abortion are not covered under public insurance in about half the country. Like many independent abortion funds across the country, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is struggling to meet the rising patient need as ballooning abortion and travel costs outpace donations to these independent funds. Wallace told States Newsroom that the average pledge for appointment costs per caller grew from $340 to $430 between 2023 and 2024. The increase in patient need is partly because many abortion clinics have had to increase their prices to stay open but also because national organizations like Planned Parenthood and NAF cut their patient funding last summer. NAF reduced its patient grants from 50% of the cost of care to 30%, which abortion funds leaders told States Newsroom has put major strains on their budgets. Wallace said that Tampa Bay Abortion Fund assisted nearly 2,000 people in 2024 and spent nearly $700,000. But the situation has also shifted in Florida, which had been a major abortion access point for the Southeast until last May, when the state began enforcing a 6-week abortion ban, a law that was ultimately not overturned by a much anticipated citizen-led ballot initiative that narrowly missed the 60% required approval. As of Dec. 31, more than 60,000 abortions happened in Florida in 2024, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, down from around 84,000 in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Floridas law limits abortion before many people even know they are pregnant. Wallace said the fund is now serving fewer out-of-state patients but receives many calls from Floridians who are around five weeks pregnant and racing against the clock to come up with $500. She said the fund also helps people travel outside of Florida. Less than three weeks into 2025, Wallace said things are incredibly busy at the fund. I think Ive talked to over 70 people in the past three days, she said, noting that her organization is working hard to raise more money. No matter whos president, I think abortion funds and organizations are going to help people get abortions as long as they possibly can. Some states with liberal abortion policies, like California and Illinois, have started allocating funding to some abortion funds. But Chicago Abortion Fund executive director Megan Jeyifo said that even with $1 million annually from the city along with county and state funding for wraparound services like transportation, lodging, child care, and meal stipends, shes constantly worried about her organizations budget. Illinois has become a major access point serving people from the Midwest and South, where abortion has been largely restricted or banned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeyifo said CAF supported around 15,000 people last year, compared to around 800 in 2019, many of them coming from Indiana and Missouri, but also from nearly all 50 states. In response to greater patient need, Jeyifo said new clinics have opened in the state and many have increased capacity. She said CAFs helpline budget for appointment costs rose by more than 93% in November 2024 compared to the previous year. For five years we funded every single person that reached out to us, Jeyifo told States Newsroom. And we just cant guarantee that anymore because of the constraints on our budget. Fonteno said NAFs decision to cut patient grants last year was necessary to keep pace with their growing need more than 100,000 patients last year, many of whom had to travel out of state despite having the largest budget in the programs history. She said NAF has the same $55 million budget for this year, which will allow them to bump up some of the funding they cut and restore what Fonteno calls the exception budget, which before last summer would help fund later abortions (which can cost as much as $10,000) as well as help patients weather extreme circumstances like intimate partner violence. We anticipate that the need for practical and financial support for abortion care is only going to increase with this incoming administration, with the potential for additional threats to abortion access, Fonteno said. So were going to be really doubling down on our patient support. Advocates on edge over Trumps deportation pledge While playing coy about his abortion policy intentions, Trump has been firm on immigration, pledging to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, which has put reproductive health and justice advocates on edge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were seeing that, for immigrants specifically, the [abortion] bans have created impossible situations, said Lupe M. Rodriguez, executive director of the advocacy group National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. She said undocumented immigrants are scared of traveling even within border states like Texas, noting there are internal immigration checkpoints. She said those who live in areas without affordable reproductive health clinics may not be able to access prenatal, contraceptive or wellness care. But even for people without immigration status concerns, Rodriguez said the Latinx community is disproportionately impacted by abortion bans. In addition to policy advocacy, Rodriguez said her organization is focused on informing people how and where to access abortion and reproductive health services. Fonteno said NAFs member clinics have been advised not to ask questions about a persons immigration status when it comes to providing funding. Pushing for broader reproductive justice On Saturday, two days ahead of Trumps second presidential inauguration, thousands of progressive advocates will march in Washington, D.C., at an event organized by the Womens March, now called the Peoples March to signify a more inclusive and expansive civil rights movement focused on democracy, immigration and climate issues in addition to gender and reproductive justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Juxtaposing Trumps Make America Great Again message, the marchs theme is We Are Not Going Backwards, or as is relayed in a promotional video, Erew ton gniog sdrawkcab. Womens March managing director Tamika Middleton said about 40,000 people RSVPd to rally and march from Franklin Park to the Lincoln Memorial. The event will also include informational sessions on bodily autonomy and reproductive justice, the principle that people have the right to control their reproductive health care, including the ability to birth and parent safely. Regina Davis Moss, a reproductive justice advocate and public health expert, told States Newsroom that the legal abortion framework enshrined in Roe v. Wade, which marks its 52nd anniversary on Jan. 22, was not enough to guarantee abortion access especially for people of color and those living in poverty. But more crucially, Roe did not address high poverty and infant and maternal mortality rates among Black women, which Moss said her group, In Our Own Voice: National Black Womens Reproductive Justice Agenda, is focused on. This week, Moss said she met in Las Vegas with some of the original founders of the reproductive justice movement, looking for insight on how to move forward with Trump and the Republican majority in Congress that could limit reproductive health access further and fail to address the impacts of state abortion bans. This is a time that we can really spend on education, Moss said.Im more than certain that were going to see the unintended impact of some of these [abortion bans] in real time. We are going to continue to see people having to be brought to the brink of death before hospitals will intervene, and more and more health care providers leaving rural areas. And so hopefully that helps people understand, on both sides of the aisle, why its important. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Abortion rights and anti-abortion rights activists demonstrated outside the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2024 to mark two years since the court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, which reversed federal protections for access to abortions. Donald Trump has said he will leave abortion policy to the states. But the reality is the Trump administration will likely have to take some federal action, including on litigation that has major implications for access to abortion drugs and emergency health care.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) In the days following President-elect Donald Trumps win last November, a national abortion-assistance hotline was being inundated with calls. They were confused about whether abortion was even still legal in the country, because they have heard the rhetoric around Trumps position on abortion, said Brittany Fonteno, the president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The association of abortion providers runs what Fonteno says is the largest financial assistance program for people seeking abortions and is among the many groups preparing for another potentially destabilizing shift in U.S. reproductive health policy with Trump taking office. The Republican who appointed, in his first term, three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, has said he will leave abortion policy to the states. But the reality is the Trump administration will likely have to take some federal action on abortion, including on several pending federal lawsuits that have major implications for access to abortion drugs and emergency health care. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Many activists that spent the last year trying to fight off a subsequent Trump term are now focused on how to maintain and expand access to abortion and birth control but also maternal and prenatal care. All has been affected in states with abortion bans, but activists fear people in states with liberal abortion policies could soon be impacted. Everything has changed, Fonteno told States Newsroom. We are heading into absolutely the most hostile landscape for abortion access in 50 years in this country, without the legal protection of Roe and with the most hostile administration to abortion access. Maintaining access to abortion and miscarriage drugs As legal confusion over abortion persists across the country, the Abortion Defense Network is going into its third year providing free legal advice to abortion providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, we are readying ourselves for whatever may come and getting ready to respond to any changes and understand those changes so that we can best serve our clients, said Cassie Ehrenberg, senior counsel for pro bono initiatives for the Lawyering Project, which manages the intake calls and operations of the network. Ehrenberg would not specify how many clients the network serves, but said they field a lot of provider questions about medical licensing and what different state laws allow. She said that November 2024 saw more than three times as many inquiries to the hotline as the year before. Many of the ongoing federal abortion fights involve two medications approved in 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration for first-trimester abortions but also used for miscarriage management and other health conditions: mifepristone and misoprostol. These drugs and their loosened restrictions under the Biden administration have made it possible for more people, including those living in states with abortion bans, to terminate pregnancies. They accounted for an estimated 63% of all abortions in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute, up from 53% in 2020. However, states such as Texas and Louisiana have begun cracking down on the mailing of these drugs and restricting their use even for non-abortion purposes. And many anti-abortion activists are lobbying the new Trump administration to ban telehealth abortions and reinstate other old FDA restrictions, or to enforce the 1800s-era Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and information. During his campaign, Trump said he would not order the U.S. Justice Department to enforce Comstock. But after the election, he gave TIME Magazine conflicting statements about whether his administration would try to restrict access to medication abortion, saying both that he was open to the FDA reversing the approval of abortion pills and committed to maintaining access to abortion drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fonteno said the National Abortion Federation has prepared for different contingency plans, including giving clinics guidelines to administer medication abortions without mifepristone, were the drug to become unavailable. Helping patients finance abortions with dwindling resources As the director of case management at Tampa Bay Abortion Fund in Florida, Bree Wallace said a big part of what her organization does is not just help people pay for abortions they cant afford, but also teach them how to fly. Many of the people who call in, Wallace said, are really young or poor or on the verge of being unhoused and have never been on a plane before. Its a lot of having to explain, like, heres how you get to the airport and get your boarding pass; this is how you get off and get a ride share; this is how you check into a hotel, Wallace told States Newsroom. Its definitely really scary for them, and were not next to them to really help, so were just kind of helping through the phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the logistical and informational support, these patients depend on the money to be able to take a short-notice plane ride or to pay for lodging or child care or the abortion itself. Most abortion are not covered under public insurance in about half the country. Like many independent abortion funds across the country, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is struggling to meet the rising patient need as ballooning abortion and travel costs outpace donations to these independent funds. Wallace told States Newsroom that the average pledge for appointment costs per caller grew from $340 to $430 between 2023 and 2024. The increase in patient need is partly because many abortion clinics have had to increase their prices to stay open but also because national organizations like Planned Parenthood and NAF cut their patient funding last summer. NAF reduced its patient grants from 50% of the cost of care to 30%, which abortion funds leaders told States Newsroom has put major strains on their budgets. Wallace said that Tampa Bay Abortion Fund assisted nearly 2,000 people in 2024 and spent nearly $700,000. But the situation has also shifted in Florida, which had been a major abortion access point for the Southeast until last May, when the state began enforcing a 6-week abortion ban, a law that was ultimately not overturned by a much anticipated citizen-led ballot initiative that narrowly missed the 60% required approval. As of Dec. 31, more than 60,000 abortions happened in Florida in 2024, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, down from around 84,000 in 2023. Floridas law limits abortion before many people even know they are pregnant. Wallace said the fund is now serving fewer out-of-state patients but receives many calls from Floridians who are around five weeks pregnant and racing against the clock to come up with $500. She said the fund also helps people travel outside of Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Less than three weeks into 2025, Wallace said things are incredibly busy at the fund. I think Ive talked to over 70 people in the past three days, she said, noting that her organization is working hard to raise more money. No matter whos president, I think abortion funds and organizations are going to help people get abortions as long as they possibly can. Some states with liberal abortion policies, like California and Illinois, have started allocating funding to some abortion funds. But Chicago Abortion Fund executive director Megan Jeyifo said that even with $1 million annually from the city along with county and state funding for wraparound services like transportation, lodging, child care, and meal stipends, shes constantly worried about her organizations budget. Illinois has become a major access point serving people from the Midwest and South, where abortion has been largely restricted or banned. Jeyifo said CAF supported around 15,000 people last year, compared to around 800 in 2019, many of them coming from Indiana and Missouri, but also from nearly all 50 states. In response to greater patient need, Jeyifo said new clinics have opened in the state and many have increased capacity. She said CAFs helpline budget for appointment costs rose by more than 93% in November 2024 compared to the previous year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For five years we funded every single person that reached out to us, Jeyifo told States Newsroom. And we just cant guarantee that anymore because of the constraints on our budget. Fonteno said NAFs decision to cut patient grants last year was necessary to keep pace with their growing need more than 100,000 patients last year, many of whom had to travel out of state despite having the largest budget in the programs history. She said NAF has the same $55 million budget for this year, which will allow them to bump up some of the funding they cut and restore what Fonteno calls the exception budget, which before last summer would help fund later abortions (which can cost as much as $10,000) as well as help patients weather extreme circumstances like intimate partner violence. We anticipate that the need for practical and financial support for abortion care is only going to increase with this incoming administration, with the potential for additional threats to abortion access, Fonteno said. So were going to be really doubling down on our patient support. Advocates on edge over Trumps deportation pledge While playing coy about his abortion policy intentions, Trump has been firm on immigration, pledging to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, which has put reproductive health and justice advocates on edge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were seeing that, for immigrants specifically, the [abortion] bans have created impossible situations, said Lupe M. Rodriguez, executive director of the advocacy group National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. She said undocumented immigrants are scared of traveling even within border states like Texas, noting there are internal immigration checkpoints. She said those who live in areas without affordable reproductive health clinics may not be able to access prenatal, contraceptive or wellness care. But even for people without immigration status concerns, Rodriguez said the Latinx community is disproportionately impacted by abortion bans. In addition to policy advocacy, Rodriguez said her organization is focused on informing people how and where to access abortion and reproductive health services. Fonteno said NAFs member clinics have been advised not to ask questions about a persons immigration status when it comes to providing funding. Pushing for broader reproductive justice Regina Davis Moss, a reproductive justice advocate and public health expert, told States Newsroom that the legal abortion framework enshrined in Roe v. Wade, which marks its 52nd anniversary on Jan. 22, was not enough to guarantee abortion access especially for people of color and those living in poverty. But more crucially, Roe did not address high poverty and infant and maternal mortality rates among Black women, which Moss said her group, In Our Own Voice: National Black Womens Reproductive Justice Agenda, is focused on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, Moss said she met in Las Vegas with some of the original founders of the reproductive justice movement, looking for insight on how to move forward with Trump and the Republican majority in Congress that could limit reproductive health access further and fail to address the impacts of state abortion bans. This is a time that we can really spend on education, Moss said.Im more than certain that were going to see the unintended impact of some of these [abortion bans] in real time. We are going to continue to see people having to be brought to the brink of death before hospitals will intervene, and more and more health care providers leaving rural areas. And so hopefully that helps people understand, on both sides of the aisle, why its important. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The day after President Donald Trump began his second term, people noticed that they could no longer access a .gov web page outlining women's rights to abortion and contraception under US law. The Biden administration created the web page, reproductiverights.gov, after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending the federal right to abortion. In the wake of its disappearance, theSkimm is publishing the content of reproductiverights.gov to ensure that the critical information and resources it outlined remain available to women and families. Note: The content appears below as it did on reproductiverights.gov on Jan. 15, 2025 when it was last saved in the Internet Archive. This was the US government's guidance prior to Jan. 15 and does not reflect the guidance of the current or subsequent administrations. Because the Biden-Harris administration has ended, we've removed a reference to that administration from the first paragraph. Update on Medication Abortion On June 13, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision holding that the plaintiffs in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine lacked standing to challenge FDAs actions. Mifepristonewhich FDA approved as safe and effective more than 20 years agoremains available under the conditions of use approved by FDA. Know Your Rights: Reproductive Health Care Reproductive health care, including access to birth control and safe and legal abortion care, is an essential part of your health and well-being. While Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion remains legal in many states, and other reproductive health care services remain protected by law. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is committed to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information about access to and coverage of reproductive health care and resources. Our goal is to make sure you have appropriate information and support. Your Reproductive Rights Below you will find information on your right to access reproductive health care, what your health insurance is required to cover, and where to go if you need health insurance. Whether you get coverage through your employer, Medicaid, HealthCare.gov, or elsewhere in the private insurance market, most plans cover family planning counseling, birth control, and other preventive services at no additional cost to you. Federal law allows federally-funded health coverage (like Medicaid) to cover abortion in some situations, and some private health insurance plans also cover abortion care. Your Right to Emergency Care In light of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, it's more important than ever that you know your rights on receiving emergency medical care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires Medicare-participating hospital emergency departments to offer any person who requests it an appropriate medical screening examination within the capability of the hospitals emergency department. If the hospital determines that you have an emergency medical condition, federal law requires the hospital to offer you treatment until your emergency medical condition is stabilized, or an appropriate transfer to another hospital if you need it. An emergency medical condition includes any medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms and that, in the absence of immediate medical attention, could reasonably be expected to place the persons health in serious jeopardy. Emergency medical conditions involving pregnant patients may include, but are not limited to, ectopic pregnancy, complications of a pregnancy loss, or emergent hypertensive disorders, such as preeclampsia with severe features. In some instances, the treatment reasonably necessary to stabilize a pregnant womans emergency medical condition may be an abortion. These federal rights preempt any directly conflicting state laws or mandates that apply to specific procedures. 1 To learn more click here. 1 Please note: pursuant to the injunction in Texas v. Becerra, No. 5:22-CV-185-H (N.D. Tex.), HHS may not enforce the following interpretations contained in the July 11, 2022, CMS guidance (and the corresponding letter sent the same day by HHS Secretary Becerra): (1) the Guidance and Letters interpretation that Texas abortion laws are preempted by EMTALA; and (2) the Guidance and Letters interpretation of EMTALA both as to when an abortion is required and EMTALAs effect on state laws governing abortion within the State of Texas or against the members of the American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) and the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA). Your Right to Birth Control Coverage The Affordable Care Act requires most employer-based health plans and private health insurance plans to cover family planning counseling and to cover certain birth control methods with no out-of-pocket costs to you if you have a prescription. This includes, but is not limited to: Hormonal methods, like birth control pills and vaginal rings Implanted devices, like intrauterine devices (IUDs) Emergency contraception, like Plan B and ella Barrier methods, like diaphragms and sponges Patient education and counseling Sterilization procedures And additional forms of contraceptives approved, granted, or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) To learn more about birth control coverage requirements for different types of health coverage, visit here. To learn more about birth control methods, visit here. Some birth control methods are available over-the-counter and without a prescription including: Emergency contraception, like Plan B Condoms Birth control pills, like Opill Your Right to Access Medication The law prohibits pharmacies that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in their health programs and activities. While pharmacies regularly dispense medications; make determinations regarding the suitability of a prescribed medication for a patient; and advise patients about medications and how to take them, pharmacies that receive federal financial assistance may not discriminate against pharmacy customers on the bases prohibited by statute when they do so. Read the guidance for the nation's retail pharmacies here. HHS is committed to ensuring that people are able to access health care free from discrimination. If you believe that you or another persons civil rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with HHS here. Your Right to Access Abortion As a result of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, access to abortion will depend on the state you live in even more than before.Mifepristone, in a regimen with misoprostol, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2000 for the termination of early pregnancy, and is safe and effective when used as directed. Mifepristone for medication abortion currently is available for dispensing by mail by certified prescribers or by certified pharmacies for prescriptions issued by certified prescribers, in addition to in-person dispensing in clinics, medical offices, and hospitals. If you are covered through Medicaid: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While federal Medicaid funds can only cover abortion in the circumstances of rape, incest or if the patients life is in danger, there are over a dozen states that provide more comprehensive coverage for abortion using state Medicaid funds. To find out more on state funding of abortions under Medicaid visit this website. If you are covered through your employer, a plan offered through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, or elsewhere in the private market: Coverage will vary by state, employer, and insurance company. In some states, private health insurance plans (including employer coverage) are required or allowed to cover abortion in either all or certain circumstances. Review your plan benefits document to find out whether your plan covers abortion. If you are using a plan where you are not the primary policy holder (for example if you are on a parents or spouses plan), be mindful that the policy holder may receive documentation from the plan known as an Explanation of Benefits that includes information about your care. If you need help paying for an abortion, abortion funds may be able to provide financial assistance. Information about abortion funds and resources to help are available at AbortionFinder.org. If you need information on your states laws or legal help, you may consider this website: AbortionFinder.org. Your Right to Coverage of Other Preventive Health Services Most employer health plans and health insurance plans must cover certain other preventive health services with no out-of-pocket costs because of the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, they are required to cover womens preventive health services, including: An annual well-woman visit to screen your health (which may be completed at a single visit or part of a series of visits over time) including a pap smear, breast exam and regular checkup Certain counseling and screening services Breast and cervical cancer screenings Prenatal care, which is care you would receive while pregnant Breastfeeding services and supplies Interpersonal violence screening and counseling (e.g., sexual assault evidence collection exams) HIV screening and sexually transmitted infection (STI) counseling If You Do Not Have Health Insurance Coverage Civil Rights Complaints The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in health programs receiving federal financial assistance. If you believe that your or another persons civil rights or health information privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with HHS here. Patient Privacy Federal law prohibits health care providers, health insurance plans, and other entities subject to the HIPAA Privacy Rule from using or sharing your health information to investigate or impose liability on yourself or any person for the mere act of seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive health care.2 To learn more click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Understand your rights to protect your private medical information under federal law. If you think your privacy has been violated, click here to learn how to file a complaint. Guidance on Protecting the Privacy and Security of Your Health Information When Using Your Personal Cell Phone or Tablet may be found here. Guidance on the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Disclosures of Information Relating to Reproductive Health Care may be found here. Guidance on the Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates may be found here. Department of Justice Resources The U.S. Department of Justice is also working to protect access to reproductive health services under federal law. Visit the Justice Department's Reproductive Rights Task Force website for more information. 2 This prohibition goes into effect on June 25, 2024, and can be enforced beginning on December 23, 2024. WASHINGTON (AP) Many Republican senators say they do not agree with President Donald Trumps decision to pardon and commute sentences for more than 1,500 people who assaulted police officers, broke into the building or committed other crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol four years ago. But they arent pushing back on the decision. Were not looking backwards, were looking forward, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, repeating his frequent response to questions about Trumps promises of retribution from his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thune did not say whether he supported or opposed the pardons, which rattled many on Capitol Hill who lived through the attack and fled the mob of Trumps supporters as they violently broke into the building and halted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said he would have preferred a more surgical approach to the pardons, looking at them case by case. Its not ideal in my mind, Cramer said. But I do think I understand the spirit of it, and Im comfortable with it hopefully we move forward now. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., agreed. Its a hard one, because we work with them up here, Tuberville said of the Capitol Police who were beaten by the rioters and guard lawmakers every day. At the end of the day, weve got to get Jan. 6 behind us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moving beyond the attack on the Capitol and downplaying its violence have become a central approach for congressional Republicans who have enthusiastically re-embraced Trump after his 2020 defeat and his attempts to overturn Bidens win. And the muted GOP response to his sweeping pardons of both non-violent and violent Jan. 6 rioters was another display of their longtime strategy of praising Trump when they agree and ignoring him when they dont. Were looking forward and beyond on other policy issues, said West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a member of Republican leadership. The pardons, part of a flurry of executive orders on Trumps first day in office, immediately upended what had become the largest prosecution in Justice Department history and freed criminals who brutally beat police and members of far-right extremist groups determined to stop Biden from assuming office. More than 100 police officers were injured. Some were never able to fully return to work. Many prominent Republicans, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, had suggested that Trump would review the cases individually. But, as he had long promised, Trumps actions were much more sweeping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In defending Trump's move, Republicans have also been able to point to Bidens own flurry of preemptive pardons, including of his own family and House members who investigated the Jan. 6 attack, as he left office. How come everybodys asking me about January 6th? Arent you going to ask me about the Biden pardons? asked Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. What we should be focusing on is the Biden pardons, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said angrily as reporters asked him about the clemency for Jan. 6 rioters. Many Democrats said they disagreed with Bidens actions, as well. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that he opposed the preemptive pardons, and was frustrated that they gave Trump an argument even though its a false argument to pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few Republicans said they agreed with Trump. New Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said that he appreciates Capitol Police officers, but nobodys been treated worse than the rioters. Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said she is so glad those people are out of jail. More than 200 people convicted of Jan. 6 crimes were released from federal Bureau of Prisons custody by Tuesday morning, officials told The Associated Press. A few Republican senators said they opposed the pardons, even as they appeared resigned to the idea. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he has an honest disagreement with the president over pardoning violent offenders. South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds said he couldnt defend them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she had received a message from a police officer who sent her a video of his assault. I dont disagree with him at all, she said. People who committed violent crimes on January 6th, 2021, should not be pardoned. The pardons by both Trump and Biden erodes public confidence, she said. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was disappointed in the pardons, and pointed to a police officer who was guarding Republicans as they entered their weekly luncheon. I do fear the message that is sent to these great men and women that stood by us, Murkowski said. ___ Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. WASHINGTON Its looking like House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.) might not investigate corruption allegations against President Donald Trump as vigorously as he did the allegations against former President Joe Biden. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the oversight committee, asked Comer in a letter Tuesday to take a look at Trumps various financial entanglements. In response, a Comer spokesperson suggested it wouldnt be a priority, calling Democrats hypocrites. Republicans exposed how Joe Biden sold out the American people by allowing his family and their cronies to profit from selling access to his influence, totaling nearly $30 million, the spokesperson said. If Democrats truly care about presidential ethics, they must first acknowledge the evidence we uncovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Comer led Republicans impeachment inquiry against Biden, scouring the bank accounts and phone records of various family members in search of evidence Biden participated in his brothers and sons business deals. Witnesses said Biden occasionally greeted their business partners but didnt get involved; a financial link proved elusive and the inquiry ultimately went nowhere. Connolly, recently elected by House Democrats to replace Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as the committees ranking member, suggested Comer investigate several Trump family ventures, including the recent launch of a crypto platform backed by foreign investors, as well as his son-in-laws overseas business deals. Jared Kushners private equity firm has received billions of dollars in financial investments from Persian Gulf nations with histories of buying political influence in Washington, Connolly wrote. Just last month, Jared Kushner disclosed that his firm had raised an additional $1.5 billion from the Qatar Investment Authority and Lunate, a company based in Abu Dhabi. Using documents obtained through subpoenas issued before Republicans took control of the House in 2023, Democrats tallied nearly $8 million in spending by foreign governments at Trumps commercial properties during his first term, money Democrats said violated the Constitutions ban on presidents receiving gifts from foreign officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his letter Tuesday, Connolly noted that Comer worked with former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) on a bipartisan bill to boost ethics rules for presidents, including by expanding disclosure requirements to family members and in-laws. Connolly and most other committee members didnt join as cosponsors of that bill but on Tuesday described it as the gold standard for presidential ethics. The legislation went nowhere in the last Congress, and its unclear if Comer plans to reintroduce it. Comer once said Kushners business activities after serving in the White House during Trumps first term crossed the line of ethics, but has since given no indication he would pursue investigations against Donald Trump or his family. No surprise there: Republicans in Congress prize loyalty to Trump and banish members who dont go along. In their statement, Comers spokesperson decried the pardons Biden issued to his family members in the last hour of his presidency and demanded Democrats condemn the pardons as well. Some have done so, but most have not. Related... Republican efforts to exclude people in the U.S. illegally from numbers used to divvy up congressional seats among states have begun anew, with four Republican state attorneys general suing to alter the once-a-decade head count even before President Donald Trumps second term in office began Monday. Trump joined in the battle immediately upon returning to office, signing an executive order on Monday that rescinded a Biden administration order and signaled the possibility of a push by his new administration to change the 2030 census. Those efforts may get a boost from the GOP-controlled Congress, where Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards from North Carolina earlier this month re-introduced legislation that would put a citizenship question on the census form. During his first term, Trump signed an order that would have excluded people in the U.S. illegally from being included in the 2020 census numbers used to allot congressional seats and Electoral College votes to each state. The GOP president also mandated in a second order the collection of citizenship data through administrative records. A Republican redistricting expert had written that using citizen voting-age population instead of the total population for the purpose of redrawing congressional and legislative districts could be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump issued the memos after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked his earlier attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census questionnaire. The high court said the administrations justification for the question seems to have been contrived. Both Trump orders were rescinded when President Joe Biden arrived at the White House in January 2021, before the 2020 census figures were released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation's largest statistical agency. I think its an open question about how much energy the administration and Congress will try to bend the statistical system to its will, historian Margo Anderson said about Trump's second term. Not because they wouldnt like to, but because there are other parts of the national government that they are more interested in. The Fourteenth Amendment says that the whole number of persons in each state should be counted for the numbers used for apportionment, the process of allocating congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states based on population. The numbers also guide the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal dollars to the states for roads, health care and other programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit filed Friday by the GOP attorneys general of Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio and West Virginia seeks to exclude people in the country illegally or temporarily from the numbers used to apportion congressional seats. It claims that Ohio and West Virginia each unfairly lost a congressional seat and an electoral vote after the 2020 census because people in the U.S. illegally were included, and that each of the four states stands to lose a congressional seat and electoral vote after the 2030 census if that doesnt change. Projections released last month by Election Data Services dont show those four states losing seats after the 2030 census. The projections instead say California, New York and Illinois states with Democratic majorities are likely to lose the most seats and electoral votes. The Census Bureau on Tuesday didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Opponents of the citizenship question on the 2020 census said it discouraged participation by immigrants and residents who were in the country illegally, resulting in inaccurate figures. A Census Bureau simulation released in 2023 indicated that a significant number of noncitizens were missed in the count, which took place during the last year of the first Trump administration and at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demographers and researchers expect the second Trump administration to change or reverse recent actions by the Biden administration related to U.S. statistical agencies. They include combining into a single question race and ethnicity questions that previously were asked separately on forms and adding a Middle Eastern and North African category. Many experts also expect planned questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on the most comprehensive survey of American life to be on the chopping block. Some have concerns that Trump will politicize the Census Bureau with large numbers of political appointees, with little experience, as happened during his first term. The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 policy guidebook for a Republican presidential administration advocated putting committed political appointees and like-minded career employees in bureau positions so they could execute a conservative agenda. They could easily put in the same type of idiots they put in last time for political purposes, said Andrew Beveridge, a sociology professor at Queens College and the CUNY Graduate School and University Center, who is an expert on the census. I would assume that he will do what he tried to do before. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP. After flames leveled nearly 500 homes in Bel-Air and Brentwood in 1961, Los Angeles had a reckoning over firefighting. By 1964, city leaders had added 13 fire stations, mapped out fire hydrants, purchased helicopters and dispatched more crews to the Santa Monica Mountains. To accommodate growth in Pacific Palisades, they built a reservoir in Santa Ynez Canyon, as well as a pumping station "to increase fire protection," as the L.A. Department of Water and Power's then-chief water engineer, Gerald W. Jones, told The Times in 1972. Some Palisades residents had initially fought having a reservoir so close, fearing a repeat of the 1963 Baldwin Hills disaster when a reservoir failed, killing five people and destroying about 280 homes. In a photo published in 1970, Department of Water and Power engineers Gerald W. Jones and William J. Simon watch as the Santa Inez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades is filled. (George R. Fry) In the decades since, the Santa Ynez Reservoir became a source of comfort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I used to say all the time, 'Boy, I know one thing that will never happen is our place will burn down,'" said Peggy Holter, who in 1978 purchased a town house in Palisades Highlands, just a stone's throw from the reservoir. "It was the one thing I was never worried about." But on Jan. 7, the reservoir that had long been a lifeline was empty when Palisades residents needed it most, as a wildfire spread rapidly amid dangerously high winds. "I think if the reservoir had been there and they were sucking out of it, I'm sure that our building would have been saved," said Holter, who lived in a 36-unit condo complex. Holter's town house and others in the complex survived the first night of the fire but later burned down after water pressure in the area diminished. "There's nothing left." That the 117-million-gallon reservoir was off line for repairs sparked outrage against the DWP and its leadership, prompting at least two lawsuits and spurring Gov. Gavin Newsom to order an investigation. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has also promised a complete assessment of the city's response to the wildfire, which has destroyed at least 6,380 structures and killed at least 11 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former and current DWP officials acknowledge that if the reservoir had held water, higher-elevation areas of the Palisades would have had more water pressure, but its unclear for how long. Read more: State to probe why Pacific Palisades reservoir was offline, empty when firestorm exploded The reservoir remains empty, and the DWP's chief of water operations told The Times that the repairs will not be done until April or May. The episode has drawn an urgent question from residents and city leaders: Why was the reservoir empty for nearly a year? The saga traces back to January 2024, when a DWP property manager spotted a tear in the reservoir's floating cover after a series of rainstorms, according to internal emails reviewed by The Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For decades, the reservoir sat uncovered until the city in 2012 installed a large floating membrane to comply with federal regulations. The cover is meant to prevent animals and debris from contaminating the water and to limit algae and bacteria. Read more: Inside L.A.'s desperate battle for water as the Palisades fire exploded When a property manager saw the tear again two days later, it seemed to have grown, according to the emails. At the time, the reservoir held about 56 million gallons of water less than half its capacity. DWP policy calls for minor repairs to the cover to be addressed "within 48 hours of discovery," according to a maintenance manual for the reservoir. Major repairs, however, require "specialized skills" and are contracted out, the manual indicates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's unclear how the DWP initially assessed the tear, but in either case, the manual reflects urgency: "Make repairs ASAP as directed by the engineer." By late January, the DWP was developing a plan for repairs and had a target date for bringing the reservoir back, by April 2024, before "higher demands" in the late spring and summer, the emails indicate. There was one hitch: Emptying the reservoir was time-consuming, and sending that much water down a drain and creek after back-to-back rains risked significant erosion, according to emails. Instead, DWP officials wanted to keep the reservoir running, despite the tear, letting residents use 20 million gallons before draining the rest. State officials appear to have balked at that plan, according to the emails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An engineer with the state Water Resources Control Board said his team was "not supportive" of allowing the Santa Ynez Reservoir to go back in service in late January 2024, according to an email by a DWP regulatory affairs official summarizing the call. "Their decision is apparently not based on the sampling results provided earlier today, which demonstrated that samples collected yesterday did not contain bacteria," the DWP official wrote. However, the tear in the reservoir's cover posed an "ongoing threat of contamination," even after tests, because debris, feces or other materials could pollute the water, a spokesperson for the state Water Resources Control Board told The Times recently. The DWP began draining the water from the reservoir, a process that can take up to two months. In April, the utility issued an invitation for bids to repair the cover, with the cost put at $89,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only one company, Layfield Group which had installed the cover in 2012 turned in a bid, and the contract was finalized Nov. 21 for about $130,000. For the months when the reservoir was empty, its absence barely drew notice. Residents still had water to shower or fill their pools the city's wider water system supplied enough to the area and helicopters could land at the reservoir's helipad to refill from a hookup linked to the water system. The DWP has not detailed the timeline but said in a statement that the repairs were "subject to the city charters competitive bidding process which requires time. " On Tuesday, DWP Chief Executive Janisse Quinones was scheduled to publicly address the utility's response to wildfires at a meeting of the L.A. City Council's Energy and Environment Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Quinones' presentation was apparently blocked by City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto. "Given the multiple lawsuits filed against the L.A. Department Water and Power in light of the Palisades wildfires, the city attorney insisted for [Quinones] to not join us today," Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, chair of the committee, said Tuesday afternoon. Nazarian said Quinones would be available instead to field questions from council members Wednesday at a closed-door meeting focused on one of the lawsuits filed over the Palisades fire. A spokesperson for Feldstein Soto did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More residents of the upper Palisades are contemplating litigation, according to multiple interviews, although it's unclear whether the reservoir would have made a meaningful difference in firefighters' ability to combat the flames. Water systems experts said that with extreme Santa Ana winds that prevented the use of planes and helicopters, the Palisades fire was impossible to control, and that municipal water systems aren't equipped for such blazes. Palisades residents, meanwhile, are taking stock of the long and costly rebuilding process. Hunter Simon, who lived with his family about 2,000 feet away from the reservoir, believes his home would not have burned down if the reservoir had been filled. In previous fires, he benefited from the proximity, with helicopters inadvertently dropping water on his property, even if the flames weren't close by. You never evacuate really thinking that you're saying goodbye to something," Simon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Times staff writer Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Sanaa Abourezk will be cooking up something special at her restaurant in downtown Sioux Falls. An evening youll never forget, Abourezk said. The owner of Sanaas Gourmet Mediterranean is auctioning off a Damascus dinner for 10 people. Jason Aldean to perform at Premier Center Damascus, where Im from, is famous for its appetizers, Abourezk said. The meal will also include several main dishes and desserts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im giving you the whole experience if you travel all the way to old Damascus and enjoy a meal with an old Damascus chef, Abourezk said. The chef has already received a $2,000 bid for the meal, but the auction is open until January 31st. All the proceeds will go to World Central Kitchen and Chicago Chefs Cook. Both organizations are helping people impacted by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The devastation is beyond imaginable, Abourezk said. If you dont want to take part in the auction, you can just stop by the restaurant and drop off a donation. Ive already had people who said, I cannot afford the meal, give me money, Abourezk said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any donation, big or small, helps. America is the most generous country in the world, so lets show Los Angeles how generous South Dakotans are, Abourezk said. To place your bid you can call the restaurant, stop by, or send Abourezk an email at sanaacooks@gmail.com. The winning bidder can choose a meal date that works for them. 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 KELOLAND.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A retired police sergeant with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has served as a key witness in a murder trial involving a suspect he caught over a decade ago. Pat Postiglione has been a key witness in the murder trial of Bruce Mendenhall, who has been dubbed the Truck Stop Serial Killer. Mendenhall has been accused of murdering an Indianapolis woman, Carma Purpura. As of publication, he is serving a life sentence for the murder of two Tennessee women and has been accused of killing as many as 10 women. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Postiglione is responsible for catching Mendenhall at a truck stop on North 1st Street 17 years ago. At the time, Postiglione was investigating the murder of 25-year-old Sara Hulbert on July 12, 2007. He told the court Tuesday the yellow color of one of the trucks caught his attention because he recognized it as the same color he saw two weeks prior while investigating a different murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Postiglione testified that he knocked on the semi-truck to get Mendenhalls attention and convinced him to sign a consent form so the MNPD could conduct a search of the truck. Postiglione said he had no idea what he would find. Officers with the MNPD recovered tape, a trash bag, womens clothing and blue napkins covered in blood. Additionally, they found a debit card and a cell phone belonging to the victim. Postiglione testified Mendenhall told him the blood came from a cut on his leg. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com He had no cut, no scar, no scab; he had nothing to indicate that he had been bleeding, so I knew that was not good informationEverything in that bag was covered in blood, Postiglione testified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jury is expected to hear testimony from a retired special agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and a Lebanon Police Department officer Wednesday. Mendenhall is expected to face another murder trial in Birmingham, Alabama. 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 WKRN News 2. A retired sergeant with the New York Police Department has died following a surfing accident in chilling waters. Jack Shapiro, 54, of Holbrook was identified as the victim after being pulled to shore by a bystander off the coast of Gilgo Beach, just after 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, the Associated Press reported, citing police. He was given CPR at the scene before being transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Florida Surfer Dies After Reportedly Hitting Sandbar and Striking Pier with His Head: 'We Love You Brother' In a Facebook post by the Long Island Surfers, Shapiro was remembered by his community as a father, a retired, decorated NYPD Sergeant, a craftsman, an aspiring Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner..and an avid surfer. According to the tribute, he died doing what he loved, which was surfing Long Islands South Shore. The post included a photo of Shapiro smiling for a selfie inside of a Jiu Jitsu studio. Richard Joseph Stamm, the author of the message, said he and his father are hoping to give Jack a proper paddle-out at Gilgo in the coming months, adding that more details will follow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Father of 4 Who Beat Cancer Dies Kitesurfing After Gust of Wind Slams Him into Side of Building I'm so sorry for your loss and everyone he was connected to.. especially his beloved family. This is so heartbreaking! I pray his family can find peace, one person commented as more than 100 condolences filled the comment section. Shapiros cause of death is still under investigation by the Suffolk County Medical Examiners Office, AP News said Tuesday, Jan. 21. PEOPLE reached out to Suffolk County Police for comment, but did not immediately hear back. Everyone in the [83rd Precinct] family is devastated, a police officer who worked with Shapiro in the 90s told the New York Post. Jack was a great cop and an even greater person. We cant believe it. 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. He was a good swimmer and he has been surfing for years, the former co-worker added. After spending a decade with the NYPD, he retired in 2013. Read the original article on People PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has officially launched a statewide initiative aimed at improving communication between drivers with autism and police officers. Drivers with autism can now opt into the DMVs Blue Envelope program. The voluntary program provides eligible drivers with a blue envelope to keep in their glove box. The blue envelope contains a copy of their drivers license, vehicle registration, insurance details and an emergency contact card. It also comes with clear instructions on how to navigate a traffic stop and interact with a police officer in a safe manner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver can then inform police officers of their neurological disability simply by handing them the blue envelope that contains their information. We welcome all opportunities to make Rhode Island roads safer, DMV Administrator Walter Craddock said. The Blue Envelope program will ease communication between neurodivergent drivers and law enforcement. We encourage any affected Rhode Islander to get the envelope during their next appointment with us. Left to right: DMV Administrator Walter Craddock, Sen. Victoria Gu and Rep. Samuel Azzinaro. (Courtesy: RI DMV) The DMV said police officers across Rhode Island have been trained on the program and best practices for effectively communicating with neurodivergent drivers during traffic stops. The statewide Blue Envelope program, sponsored by Rep. Samuel Azzinaro and Sen. Victoria Gu, was signed into law last year and enacted earlier this month. Their proposal was modeled after similar initiatives in Connecticut and New Jersey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just because an individual is on the autism spectrum does not make them incapable of navigating daily life, including being able to drive a vehicle, Azzinaro said. The situation that tends to arise though is a difficulty in communicating with law enforcement if the individual is pulled over for speeding or for another traffic infraction. This [law] will help law enforcement recognize the situation, allowing them to do their job while also being respectful of the needs of the individual with autism, he continued. Azzinaro and Gu were inspired to propose creating the program thanks to Westerly High School student Toby Silva, who learned about similar initiatives while conducting research for his senior project. During that time, I learned I have autism, Silva explained. I learned that having autism is the reason that I sometimes do unexpected things. I wanted to make Rhode Island a safer place for other neurodivergent people who may also behave in unexpected ways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella commended Silva for being involved from start to finish. The legislative process can be long, but he was determined to make a difference and he was instrumental in bringing this initiative across the finish line, Gingerella said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) With homelessness in Rhode Island at record highs, advocates are making persistent calls for urgent solutions to the growing crisis. Experts detailed the severity of the issue, noting that homelessness in the state has more than doubled over the past five years. Michelle Wilcox, president and CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island, described the alarming trend as unprecedented in her more than three decades of work in homelessness services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ: Providence councilors urge McKee to declare homelessness a public health emergency With continuous pressure on the state to declare homelessness a state of emergency and temperatures dipping into single digits, a joint Senate committee hearing was held Tuesday to discuss addressing the crisis. I have never seen the level of people experiencing homelessness that we are experiencing in Rhode Island today, Wilcox said during the hearing. Lawmakers focused on the state housing departments preparedness and the delays surrounding Echo Village, the states first pallet shelter community. Last night we had 72 people in two rooms and we are getting close to our capacity, Wilcox added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: RI senators push for emergency declaration to address homelessness crisis While Crossroads has multiple new developments underway, state Sen. Jake Bissaillon emphasized that resolving homelessness requires addressing Rhode Islands broader housing shortage. The sad reality is that decades of poor policymaking, decades of underinvestment have led to a true housing crisis in the state of Rhode Island, a crisis where theres been a year over year, a 35% increase in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness, Bissaillon explained. Constructed in April 2024, Echo Village has faced repeated delays due to regulatory hurdles. City officials initially promised the 45-unit shelter would open by winter, but as January nears its end, the units remain empty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked Tuesday when Echo Village would finally open, Rhode Island Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard said, End of February, and Im quite confident well beat that. Lawmakers voiced frustration, highlighting the life-threatening conditions caused by the delays. The delays and what the ramifications are on the weather that were dealing with I dont know, my heart goes out to a lot of people that are having to live outside that type of weather, state Sen. Gordon Rogers said. I dont know how they do it. Its time to listen: Protesters demand action on homelessness as pallet shelters sit empty Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December, Providence Mayor Smiley criticized the delays, citing increased costs and safety concerns. Originally budgeted at $3.3 million, the project has incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional expenses. Many of these encampments are in my city, and weve had fires, overdose deaths, and incidents of violence, Smiley told 12 News. The alternative housing options for the folks who would stay in these shelters are unsafe, and the extra protections required by the fire marshal are totally unrealistic and totally unreasonable. Goddard outlined the remaining steps for opening Echo Village, including electrification testing and final inspections, which she said are happening simultaneously. She also presented new initiatives, such as a homelessness dashboard, to improve transparency and accessibility to resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a matter of trying to be more transparent, provide information in alternate settings, she said. And well also have information on our emergency winter hubs and a link to the coordinated entry system for people who are experiencing homelessness. AHEAD: RI gets $17M in federal grants to combat homelessness Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) With a view of the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, crews along Quonsets coastline are preparing a vessel thats expected to arrive in Maines waters this summer. Its the first-ever electrically propelled vessel thats been built here in New England, said Ted Williams, president of Senesco Marine. He said the company builds hybrid ferries, and has been at Quonset for 25 years. Williams said the company uses propulsion technology from Europe because he said its years ahead from whats available in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But with President Donald Trump promising tariffs, Williams said he has already made changes to his business plans, in anticipation of a rise in the cost on foreign goods. He said the biggest problem is that his company cant change bids for new vessels, once the contract is locked in. If a tariff were to come out, an unknown tariff, wed be stuck to the price that we bid here in 2025, regardless of what the amount were to be in the future as we purchase the material, Williams said. Newly re-elected President Donald Trump has promised to impose tariffs on several countries to promote American-made manufacturing. While he has not yet issued an Executive Order, he said he intends to put a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico by Feb. 1, in response to illegal border crossings and fentanyl trafficking into the US. RELATED: Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico coming on Feb. 1 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson and Wales Professor Timothy Howes said tariffs can be popular among politicians because they are a viewed as a solution to deal with foreign competitors. But he said the economic strategy can bring along winners and losers. Other goods from other countries are going to be more expensive, he said. Thats going to certainly preserve and create jobs in those industries. On the other hand, for consumers that are buying those goods and services from other countries, they may well see an increase in prices in the short-run. Meantime, Williams worries about getting future bids, if these tariffs become a reality. With our higher cost of living here in the northeast in general, your higher wages, put tariffs on top of that and were going to struggle getting new work here, Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. (KRON) A Richmond man used his 6-year-old nephew to hide a loaded gun inside of the boys pants, federal prosecutors said. The uncle, 30-year-old Darneko Yates, is a convicted felon, prosecutors said. The gun incident happened on August 27, 2023 in San Pablo. At the time, Yates was on parole following three felony convictions for carjacking, solicitation to commit murder, and possessing a loaded firearm. San Pablo Police Department officers attempted to pull Yates vehicle over, but he continued driving for several blocks with his young nephew and niece in the backseat. He eventually parked in front of his relatives house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Yatess six-year-old nephew got out of the car, Yates urged the child to go inside the house. The child moved slowly and kept his back to the officers. When officers looked at the front of the child, they saw an object tucked into the front of his pants, the U.S. Attorney Northern District of California wrote. Officers found a loaded Glock firearm inside the boys pants, prosecutors said. The gun had a machinegun conversion device that which allows a shooter to fire an endless stream of bullets with one pull of the trigger, prosecutors said. Using a child to conceal a loaded, fully automatic firearm shows an alarming disregard for their safety and well-being, said FBI Special Agent Dan Costin. While Yates was still inside his vehicle, he allegedly sent text messages telling someone inside the house to get the boy away from the car before officers could search it because his nephew had the gun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suspect arrested in deadly 7-car San Francisco crash U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey said Yates endangered his nephew. Thanks to the careful work of the officers on the scene, this did not turn into a tragedy, Ramsey said. Following a 1-day trial this week, a federal judge found Yates guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 28. 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 KRON4. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Six Tri-Staters are directly affected by President Trumps pardon of the Jan. 6 rioters. The President signed the executive action Monday. It which affects about 1,500 people who were charged after the insurrection. Some are charged with misdemeanors and others with violent crimes. Those included stretch across Kentucky and Indiana: Jordan Revlett of Island, Ky. , Jonathan Sanders Sr. of Vincennes, and Morganfields Shelly Stallings, and Lori and Thomas Vinson. Owensboros Peter Schwartz had one of the longest sentences related to the event. Schwartz is sentenced to 14 years in prison for attacking police with pepper spray. Officials say he also threw a chair that knocked over the police line and allowed people to rush in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although not willing to speak on camera, two of those pardoned gave insight into what happens next. Politicians, organizations react to Trumps inauguration Pardoners say theyre unsure on when terms will be finalized, but conversations with their probation officers have begun. Conversations by the public have centered around how pardoning those with violent crimes will affect the future of the justice system, but how impactful is this for those charged with a misdemeanor? First, lets clarify the difference between an expungement and a pardon. An expungement erases criminal history completely, as a persons criminal record is sealed by court order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A pardon does not erase your criminal history. With a pardon, convictions can still be seen in background checks and public databases. However, those whose rights to own firearms were stripped away may get those back. Processes made more difficult by felonies, like employment and applying for a passport, could be made easier. Those pardoned from felonies can also run for public office and petition to get their voting rights restored. Sanders Sr., charged with a misdemeanor, says the impact to him is minimal. He is charged with entering and remaining at a restricted building or grounds without authority and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds. He voiced his appreciation of the forgiveness, and in the same breath, acknowledged the consequences that follow breaking the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He says he entered the capital and took pictures and videos of things like murals and paintings. He completed his 60 hours of community service, paid the $500 fine and was released 2 years early from probation. He says hes ready to move forward and put it all behind him. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Local groups are offering a warm place to stay for those who need it at what they call the White Flag Shelter. They give temporary shelter when its dangerously cold. In Jacksonville, New Rivers Ministries will open its doors at 6 p.m. on New Bridge Street. They will have a movie, snacks and a hot meal available. Theyre asking people to get there by 8:30 p.m. unless theyre coming in after work or have another reason. They are also still looking for volunteers, as well as, donations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they want to volunteer. Only thing that I ask is that they do it with a loving heart, Pastor of New River Ministries Lisa Holloway said. You know, If you know you aint a night person, dont volunteer for the night. You just do it with a loving heart. I told them Sunday they are no longer homeless. Theyre just misplaced. For donations, you can either stop by or Cash App them. 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. (WRBL) As snow continues to fall in the Chattahoochee Valley, the Alabama Department of Transportation is monitoring the road conditions in the area. According to ALDOT, the roads and highways in the following counties are considered impassable: Lee County Russell County Drivers are advised to be careful when driving on the icy roads. Updates will be provided accordingly. 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 WRBL. Jan. 21ROCHESTER Rochester police responded to a suspected overdose in the 900 block of 11th Avenue Northwest around 11:20 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20. According to a Rochester Police Department release, officers located a 25-year-old Rochester man who collapsed outside. The man had difficulty responding and was transported to the emergency department for treatment. Police found evidence of drug use located at the scene, the release said. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) Starting in the fall of 2025, Rockford Promise students at Northern Illinois University (NIU) will accept transfer students from Rock Valley College (RVC). Students must earn their Associates Degree with a 2.5 GPA or better to qualify. NIU and RVC have also collaborated on engineering degree completion programs. We are never afraid to do something that makes the pathway for students more seamless, easier to navigate, more affordable, and we can have honest conversations across our organizations and with our students, said NIU President Lisa Freeman. The most important thing is for students to see a path to their dreams and dreams their families have for their future success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, Rockford Promise has 448 students attending college on full-tuition scholarships. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. Reproductive rights supporters marched in Phoenix to mark Roe v. Wades anniversary in January 2024. Arizona voters approved an amendment restoring abortion access up to fetal viability in the fall. (Photo by Gloria Rebecca Gomez/Arizona Mirror) Erika Christensen decided to become a patient advocate for abortion later in pregnancy after she had to travel from New York to Colorado to get a third-trimester abortion. Christensen found out her wanted pregnancy wasnt viable around 30 weeks. At that time in 2016, New York banned abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, and only allowed abortions after that limit to save a patients life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She and her husband were able to borrow thousands of dollars from her mother and put last-minute travel funds on a credit card to access abortion care across the country, Christensen told States Newsroom. At every stage, I realized how many pieces had to be in the perfect place for me to be able to do that, to be able to get this urgent health care that I desperately needed, she said. When she and her husband returned home to New York, a lawyer at the state American Civil Liberties Union affiliate reached out and asked if they wanted to be advocates. They led a grassroots effort to get legislation passed in 2019 that protected abortions after 24 weeks for fetal abnormalities and to preserve a patients health. The Reproductive Health Act also decriminalized abortion later in pregnancy and allowed health care providers besides physicians to perform abortions. Former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law on Jan. 22, 2019, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade ruling that protected the right to an abortion nationally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year would have marked the 52nd anniversary of Roe, which ensured abortion rights until fetal viability, when a fetus can survive outside the womb generally thought to be around 24 weeks. Only about 1% of all abortions in the United States happen after that point, typically for medical reasons, research shows. But a conservative-majority bench overturned Roe nearly three years ago, upending abortion access across the nation with the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision. States rolled out a patchwork of varied health care restrictions. Twelve states ban most abortions today, while voters in 10 approved ballot measures enshrining the right into state constitutions. Most of the states with constitutional protections have fetal viability limits. Advocates, activists and folks in the movement have different opinions about how we reach the ideal policy on reproductive rights and justice, and initiatives and laws may vary from state to state depending on the political realities that we see, said Ashley All, president of Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, who has worked on several successful abortion-rights initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some within the reproductive rights movement argue that gestational bans on abortion later in pregnancy cause patients harm, and say that the protections of Roe the 1973 Supreme Court said abortion is a privacy right based on the due process clause of the 14th Amendment are insufficient. Renee Bracey Sherman is the founder of the nonprofit WeTestify, a nonprofit devoted to evaluating and shifting the narrative around abortion. Allowing the public to vote on personal medical decisions is wrong and completely ridiculous, she said. But somehow its acceptable with abortion, and then doubly acceptable when it comes to later abortion. We have a population that does not understand how anatomy works, how pregnancy works, how abortions happen, and why people need later abortions. In pregnancy, viability isnt straightforward and can be used in more than one way. The word can reference whether a pregnancy is expected to develop normally or if it could lead to a miscarriage, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. And fetal viability is the point in pregnancy when a fetus is able to survive outside of the womb. Premature babies have a 42% to 59% chance of survival at 24 weeks, according to ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many states only allow abortion after 24 weeks in cases of fetal anomalies or if the patients life or health is at risk. Alaska, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, D.C., have no fetal viability limits on abortion. In 2023, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill permitting abortion after viability if a doctor determines theres a medical reason for it. ACOG, the national OB-GYN organization, strongly opposes policy makers defining viability or using viability as a basis to limit access to evidence-based care and said the decision to terminate a pregnancy should be between patients and medical providers. Viability language in policymaking stemmed from the Roe decision in 1973, according to Adrienne Ramcharan, assistant director of state policy at Physicians for Reproductive Health and MiQuel Davies, the former public policy director at the organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While this framing was built into the law, researchers and medical providers who care for pregnant people recognize that viability is not a set point in time, Ramcharan and Davies wrote in August 2024. Instead, it occurs along a continuum shaped by an individuals medical history, access to medical care, and demographic characteristics among other things. Later abortion care is criminalized and stigmatized, Christensen said, causing the cost of care to go up. Plus, abortion providers willing to offer the procedure later in pregnancy are scarce. I have the benefit of having directly experienced a viability ban and knowing in my core how unjust it was, how my humanity was erased, my dignity was erased, Christensen said. She is the co-author of a memo published last year titled Abortion Justice Now. The authors wrote that they reject efforts to restore Roe-era limits into abortion policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gestational and viability limits will disproportionately impact the most marginalized among us, either denying them critical care or pulling families toward financial instability, they wrote. These limits will result in an inequitable ability to exercise rights, allow for criminalization in pregnancy, and ultimately reinforce the dangerous assertion that the government has any role in regulating a pregnant persons body. Abortion opponents, including doctors, sometimes hinge their argument on the concept of fetal viability. I think, certainly, beyond the point where a child can survive outside of his or her mother, there would never be a reason you would need to intentionally end that childs life, Dr. Christina Francis, chief executive officer at the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told lawmakers on a U.S. Senate committee in June, States Newsroom reported. You would simply deliver that baby, Francis said. Youd take care of mom and youd take care of baby in an appropriate way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patients may seek abortion after fetal viability for several reasons: They receive a fetal fatal diagnosis later in pregnancy, giving birth could risk their life or health, they couldnt access or afford an abortion earlier, or they didnt know they were pregnant, according to ACOG. Polling shows that Americans support abortion in most cases, but not necessarily after fetal viability. A June 2023 poll from Gallup found that 69% of respondents said abortion should be legal in the first three months of pregnancy, while 37% said it should be legal in the second trimester and 22% in the third. But the nonpartisan public opinion research firm PerryUndem found last year that most public polling on abortion later in pregnancy lacks context. Of those who heard stories about women with complications later in pregnancy who needed to travel out-of-state for abortions, 69% said abortion should be legal in all cases. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Reproductive rights supporters marched in Phoenix to mark Roe v. Wades anniversary in January 2024. Arizona voters approved an amendment restoring abortion access up to fetal viability in the fall. (Photo by Gloria Rebecca Gomez/Arizona Mirror) Erika Christensen decided to become a patient advocate for abortion later in pregnancy after she had to travel from New York to Colorado to get a third-trimester abortion. Christensen found out her wanted pregnancy wasnt viable around 30 weeks. At that time in 2016, New York banned abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, and only allowed abortions after that limit to save a patients life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She and her husband were able to borrow thousands of dollars from her mother and put last-minute travel funds on a credit card to access abortion care across the country, Christensen told States Newsroom. At every stage, I realized how many pieces had to be in the perfect place for me to be able to do that, to be able to get this urgent health care that I desperately needed, she said. When she and her husband returned home to New York, a lawyer at the state American Civil Liberties Union affiliate reached out and asked if they wanted to be advocates. They led a grassroots effort to get legislation passed in 2019 that protected abortions after 24 weeks for fetal abnormalities and to preserve a patients health. The Reproductive Health Act also decriminalized abortion later in pregnancy and allowed health care providers besides physicians to perform abortions. Former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law on Jan. 22, 2019, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade ruling that protected the right to an abortion nationally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year would have marked the 52nd anniversary of Roe, which ensured abortion rights until fetal viability, when a fetus can survive outside the womb generally thought to be around 24 weeks. Only about 1% of all abortions in the United States happen after that point, typically for medical reasons, research shows. But a conservative-majority bench overturned Roe nearly three years ago, upending abortion access across the nation with the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision. States rolled out a patchwork of varied health care restrictions. Twelve states ban most abortions today, while voters in 10 approved ballot measures enshrining the right into state constitutions. Most of the states with constitutional protections have fetal viability limits. Advocates, activists and folks in the movement have different opinions about how we reach the ideal policy on reproductive rights and justice, and initiatives and laws may vary from state to state depending on the political realities that we see, said Ashley All, president of Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, who has worked on several successful abortion-rights initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some within the reproductive rights movement argue that gestational bans on abortion later in pregnancy cause patients harm, and say that the protections of Roe the 1973 Supreme Court said abortion is a privacy right based on the due process clause of the 14th Amendment are insufficient. Renee Bracey Sherman is the founder of the nonprofit WeTestify, a nonprofit devoted to evaluating and shifting the narrative around abortion. Allowing the public to vote on personal medical decisions is wrong and completely ridiculous, she said. But somehow its acceptable with abortion, and then doubly acceptable when it comes to later abortion. We have a population that does not understand how anatomy works, how pregnancy works, how abortions happen, and why people need later abortions. In pregnancy, viability isnt straightforward and can be used in more than one way. The word can reference whether a pregnancy is expected to develop normally or if it could lead to a miscarriage, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. And fetal viability is the point in pregnancy when a fetus is able to survive outside of the womb. Premature babies have a 42% to 59% chance of survival at 24 weeks, according to ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many states only allow abortion after 24 weeks in cases of fetal anomalies or if the patients life or health is at risk. Alaska, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, D.C., have no fetal viability limits on abortion. ACOG, the national OB-GYN organization, strongly opposes policy makers defining viability or using viability as a basis to limit access to evidence-based care and said the decision to terminate a pregnancy should be between patients and medical providers. Viability language in policymaking stemmed from the Roe decision in 1973, according to Adrienne Ramcharan, assistant director of state policy at Physicians for Reproductive Health and MiQuel Davies, the former public policy director at the organization. While this framing was built into the law, researchers and medical providers who care for pregnant people recognize that viability is not a set point in time, Ramcharan and Davies wrote in August 2024. Instead, it occurs along a continuum shaped by an individuals medical history, access to medical care, and demographic characteristics among other things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later abortion care is criminalized and stigmatized, Christensen said, causing the cost of care to go up. Plus, abortion providers willing to offer the procedure later in pregnancy are scarce. I have the benefit of having directly experienced a viability ban and knowing in my core how unjust it was, how my humanity was erased, my dignity was erased, Christensen said. She is the co-author of a memo published last year titled Abortion Justice Now. The authors wrote that they reject efforts to restore Roe-era limits into abortion policy. Gestational and viability limits will disproportionately impact the most marginalized among us, either denying them critical care or pulling families toward financial instability, they wrote. These limits will result in an inequitable ability to exercise rights, allow for criminalization in pregnancy, and ultimately reinforce the dangerous assertion that the government has any role in regulating a pregnant persons body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abortion opponents, including doctors, sometimes hinge their argument on the concept of fetal viability. I think, certainly, beyond the point where a child can survive outside of his or her mother, there would never be a reason you would need to intentionally end that childs life, Dr. Christina Francis, chief executive officer at the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told lawmakers on a U.S. Senate committee in June, States Newsroom reported. You would simply deliver that baby, Francis said. Youd take care of mom and youd take care of baby in an appropriate way. Patients may seek abortion after fetal viability for several reasons: They receive a fetal fatal diagnosis later in pregnancy, giving birth could risk their life or health, they couldnt access or afford an abortion earlier, or they didnt know they were pregnant, according to ACOG. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polling shows that Americans support abortion in most cases, but not necessarily after fetal viability. A June 2023 poll from Gallup found that 69% of respondents said abortion should be legal in the first three months of pregnancy, while 37% said it should be legal in the second trimester and 22% in the third. But the nonpartisan public opinion research firm PerryUndem found last year that most public polling on abortion later in pregnancy lacks context. Of those who heard stories about women with complications later in pregnancy who needed to travel out-of-state for abortions, 69% said abortion should be legal in all cases. (Bloomberg) -- Romanias largest opposition party threw its support behind the poll-leading pro-Russian politician whose shock victory in last years presidential election prompted authorities to invalidate the result. Most Read from Bloomberg The far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians will back Calin Georgescu in the redo of the first round of the presidential ballot thats now scheduled for May, the party said in a statement on Wednesday. AUR leader George Simion wont run again after placing fourth in the canceled election, it added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romanias top court voided Novembers ballot following allegations of Russian interference. But Georgescu, who has yet to formally announce his candidacy and who may still be blocked from running, has proved resilient. An Avangarde poll published on Tuesday showed him with a 13-point lead over his nearest rival, the ruling coalition-backed Crin Antonescu. The anti-establishment 62-year-old Georgescu catapulted from obscurity to win the Nov. 24 first-round vote in a campaign that largely relied on TikTok videos, for which he had denied having received funding. Hes a fan of US President Donald Trump and has denounced NATO while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The states top insurance regulators recent suggestion that Floridas most popular roofing might go the way of copper piping may have you wondering what to do if your insurance company insists you run for new cover. Michael Yaworsky, commissioner of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulators, said at a recent gathering of insurance industry representatives that, when it comes to asphalt shingles, maybe its time to start writing them out of the plot in Florida. No specifics have emerged about what new incentives or disincentives policyholders might find in that report that comes after your insurance companys drone or inspector comes to have a look at what youre living under. In recent years, Florida insurers have been trying to reduce their liability by requiring homeowners to replace old, copper piping and certain models of electrical boxes and repair any bumps and bulges on driveway pavement. Roofing company employees at work at a home in Broward County December 22, 2024 in Margate. Still, it doesnt seem like the changes Yaworsky alluded at that November insurance summit are imminent; a spokesperson for Yaworskys office said changes to roofing guidelines are not likely in the foreseeable future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What to use for roofing, though, does present a conundrum, especially for Florida homeowners more likely to face natures wrath in the form of hurricane-force winds. What manufacturers say about the lifetime of certain materials might not jibe with what insurers say. For one example, Bob Perry, a retired condo property manager who was president of his West Palm Beach condo association, said his condo buildings master insurer is refusing to insure the roofs because of their age, despite how the association spent millions on having it coated with a closed cell polyurethane foam coated with silicone finish. Top insurance regulator: Asphalt tiles, popular roofing material, may need to go in Florida Cool Roof Foam and Coatings is offering a similar product to what Perry procured to coat the associations 21 buildings 10 years ago. On its website, the Pompano Beach-based company says its product will stop roof leaks permanently a lifetime warranty at one-third the price of reroofing, coming with a CAT5 hurricane wind warranty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The product has performed as described, Perry said, but now the association is faced with trying to find an insurer who will accept the coating, or theyll have to tear off the old roof along with the coating. Why is the roofing industry permitted to advertise, sell and install a product that is not recognized by the insurance industry? Perry asked rhetorically. "Why is the insurance industry not recognizing these systems that appear to be superior to traditional systems? Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the states largest property insurer and also the insurer of last resort, issued a statement in 2022 saying that a coating or sealant is ineligible for underwriting if it was applied instead of replacing the roof. Perry said that he can't understand why the insurance company has taken this stance: His association has found that the product worked as advertised, until the associations insurance company weighed in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I researched this system, I was convinced that this system was far superior to the existing asphalt system, he said, no seams, no pitch pockets, extremely resistant to wind lift, long life, and less expensive to maintain and recoat. Heres a breakdown of what you should know about the three main types of roofing materials currently in use: Asphalt tiles the cheapest Asphalt tiles are made with a base of either organic felt or glass fiber, surfaced with a mineral granule and bound with asphalt. These are the least expensive of the three main roofing materials. Lisa Pate, executive director of Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association, estimated that a 3,000-square-foot house would cost $18,000 to $22,000 to cover with asphalt tiles. They are known to resist rain better than the other materials, according to industry materials. Clay, concrete roofing tiles tops in fire protection With the highest level of fire resistance, clay or concrete tiles usually come with a 50-year warranty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clay roof tile is produced by baking molded clay into tile and the density can vary. Concrete roof tiles are made by mixing Portland cement, water and sand in varying proportions. Installing them presents a challenge, however. Pate says that the same, 3,000-square foot house would cost $65,000 or more to install with these tiles. And some of that cost is because the structure underneath must be stronger to bear the weight of the material. Metal tiles are the most expensive, longest lasting The most expensive of the three main options, metal tiles often are rated for the longest life: 100 years. Metal tiles, considered the most recyclable and eco-friendly of roofing materials, resist fire, insects and mildew. They also resist severe weather conditions like snow, wind and hail. If they were to get damaged during a hurricane, however, the damage is likely to be severe. Certain metals can dent if hit by debris and, should it become detached, it could become a deadly missile. Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Here's how roofing materials stack up in durability, price President Donald Trump granted Ross Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon on Tuesday. Ulbricht founded Silk Road, an online drug marketplace. In 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the online drug marketplace Silk Road, received a full and unconditional pardon on Tuesday from President Donald Trump, who announced the move in a Truth Social post. Ulbricht had been held at the US Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona, since the FBI arrested him in 2013. The FBI described Silk Road as a "digital bazaar" for illegal goods and services that buyers and sellers accessed through Tor a network designed to conceal its users' identity and location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FBI said it generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales, as well as more than $13 million in commissions. In 2015, a judge sentenced Ulbricht, now 40, to life in prison for drug trafficking, computer hacking, and money laundering without the possibility of parole, ruling that Silk Road was "destructive to our social fabric." Libertarian cause celebre Ulbricht has become a cause celebre for the libertarian movement. The Libertarian Party, which has long supported a criminal-justice overhaul and drug legalization, has continuously pushed for his release, viewing his life sentence as an example of government overreach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a speech at the Libertarian National Convention in May, Trump pledged to commute Ulbricht's sentence on the first day of his administration if he was reelected president. Trump said in his post on Tuesday that he granted Ulbricht's pardon in honor of Ulbricht's mother "and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly." In 2015, Wired reported Ulbricht developed an interest in libertarian economic theory while in college and embraced the political philosophy of Ludwig von Mises, a staunch opponent of interventionism and an advocate for the idea that free-market capitalism serves a moral purpose. In a letter he wrote to his trial judge in 2015, he said he created Silk Road not to seek financial gain but because he "believed at the time that people should have the right to buy and sell whatever they wanted so long as they weren't hurting anyone else." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Silk Road was supposed to be about giving people the freedom to make their own choices, to pursue their own happiness," he added. Ulbricht also said: "While I still don't think people should be denied this right, I never sought to create a site that would provide another avenue for people to feed their addictions." However, the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York said the "vast" majority of goods sold on Silk Road were illegal drugs. Preet Bharara, then the US attorney for Manhattan, said at the time: "Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited people's addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ulbricht was convicted of seven offenses after a four-week jury trial and sentenced to life in prison. He was also ordered to forfeit $183.96 million. Trump's pardoning power In his Truth Social post, Trump called Ulbricht's sentence "ridiculous." In a statement on Tuesday, Angela McArdle, the Libertarian National Committee chair, thanked Trump for following through on his promise. "I'm proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities, and that has finally paid off," she said. "This is an incredible moment in Libertarian history," McArdle added. On Monday, Trump also issued sweeping pardons for roughly 1,500 people related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, fulfilling a campaign promise to wipe clean the records of most people connected to the riot. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an underground website for selling illegal drugs and other contraband goods like hacking equipment and stolen passports. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 after a high-profile prosecution that highlighted the role of the internet in black markets and ended with him being convicted on seven counts, including conspiracy and money laundering. The president posted on his Truth Social platform that he had spoken to Ulbrichts mother on his first full day in office at the White House to deliver the news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, he wrote. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me. Trump called Ulbrichts prison sentence ridiculous. Ulbricht created Silk Road in 2011 under the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, a reference to Rob Reiners popular fantasy film The Princess Bride (1987), and ran it for two years on the dark web, its services available anywhere in the world and typically accessed via an anonymity-protecting Tor browser, until it was shut down by the authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors at Ubrichts trial said more than $200m in drug deals had taken place on his site and alleged that he had also solicited six murders-for-hire, including one against a former Silk Road employee, although they said they had found no evidence that any of the killings were actually carried out. Transactions on the platform were made using bitcoin, with Ulbricht hailed in some quarters as a pioneer in the use of cryptocurrency, according to The Washington Post. Brandon Sample, Ulrbichts lawyer, told the Post that Ulbricht and his family were deeply and eternally grateful to the commander-in-chief, calling the pardon an extraordinary act of grace. This decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society, he said. Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the website Silk Road, in a photograph presented as an exhibit during his 2015 criminal trial in New York federal court (US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York/Reuters) Ulbricht has been serving time in federal prison in Arizona since his conviction and it is not immediately clear when he will be released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump had promised to help Ulbricht during the speech he gave to the Libertarian Party National Convention last May. Libertarian activists, who generally oppose criminal drug policies, have long believed that government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road. Many held up Free Ross signs at that event. Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade, said a statement from Libertarian National Committee chair Angela McArdle in response to his release. Im proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has been eagerly using his pardon power since beginning his second term. On Monday, hours after taking office, he also wiped clean the records of roughly 1,500 people who participated in the January 6 2021 riot at the US Capitol. The decision, which applied to some people who were convicted of attacking police, upended the justice departments sweeping investigation into the attack. Additional reporting by agencies. There were no real surprises on the first day of the 2025 legislative session. 012125_GC_OpeningDay02rgb.jpg Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is escorted onto the floor for her speech by Richard Sena, sergeant-at-arms for the House. Lets double down on our achievements, and lets expand their reach, Lujan Grisham challenged lawmakers at the conclusion of her 50-minute State of the State address. Much of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's State of the State address was focused on child welfare, including proposals to fund free universal child care, help foster families and grandparents raising children, make changes to the Children, Youth and Families Department and increase education funding. Crime and public safety came later in the speech, with the governor mainly reiterating proposals such as increasing penalties for felons in possession of firearms and increasing funding for behavioral health that she has been pushing for months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 012125_GC_OpeningDay07rgb.jpg Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, waves to members of the House after winning a vote to stay on as the chamber's speaker on the first day of the 2025 legislative session. Her speech contained no mention of immigration or of President Donald Trump, despite the discussion before the session from her and other Democrats of ways the state might resist some of his policies. As the New Mexico Legislature met for the first day of its 60-day session Tuesday, Trump was busy issuing executive orders on topics from renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" to revoking birthright citizenship for the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. New Mexico was one of about 20 states that immediately signed onto a lawsuit challenging the move. 012125_MGS_Republican Rebuttal_001.JPG Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview, highlighted what he said was too much bureaucracy tied to business and housing development as part of the Republican rebuttal to the State of the State address Tuesday. Senate Republicans are on board with much of the governor's anti-crime agenda, although some areas of disagreement also came out at a news conference after the speech. There were protests Tuesday morning ahead of the session opening by climate change activists and state workers, although nothing that seems to have led to any serious incidents. The leadership votes in both chambers were uneventful, with House Speaker Javier Martinez and Senate President Pro Tempore Mini Stewart, both Albuquerque Democrats, reelected to lead their respective chambers. The state Senate plans to gavel in at 11 a.m. and work today and Thursday, taking Friday off. The House will convene at 9 a.m. In non-statehouse news, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury was named the ranking Democrat on the DOGE Subcommittee, an effort headed by Elon Musk to cut federal spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As a former budget examiner in the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), I know what good government looks like and am not afraid to fight for it," she said in a statement. "At the same time, I am prepared to fight to protect the vital programs, services, and employees that keep our communities safe and the economy running. This means fighting to protect programs that help families put food on the table and a roof over their heads, protecting our kids and the environment and ensuring we have a government that looks like and works on behalf of the people it serves." Stansbury said she is willing to work across the aisle on "broadly-supported, bi-partisan solutions that will improve government efficiency and transparency." Jan. 22ROYAL CITY The City of Royal City said goodbye to longtime Public Works Director John Lasen with a small retirement party Friday at City Hall. "For years and years, it seemed like Royal City was the same forever and ever," Royal City Mayor Michael Christensen said at the celebration. "But in these last 10 years in particular, we've seen some considerable change, and John has been a significant part of that, helping see the vision and oversee some of the big projects that we've done." Lasen has worked for the city for 23 years cumulatively, he said, from 1995 to 2002 and then again since 2008. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'd taken a job (in 2002) down in the Yakima area that didn't work out, and then after that, they'd already hired somebody to replace me here," Lasen said. He spent a few years as the public works director in Mattawa, but that wasn't for him either, he said. "I was given an opportunity to come back to work for Royal City as the wastewater treatment plant operator," he said. "That (plant) was one of the things that was near and dear to me; it was one of the things that was constructed when I was here for my first stretch. I knew it well, I had the license, so I came back to work there, and then the public works director quit, and there I was." "I've worked with John for probably most of those 23 years off and on and really appreciate his professionalism and his commitment to the community," said Jake Hollopeter, an engineer with Anderson Perry, which has handled many of the city's projects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Through the years, I've had really good support from the council and mayor," Lasen said. "They've seen my visions ... I always tried to make sure we shot for the moon, put longevity into anything that we planned. We wanted 20 years or better of life out of anything that we were planning." Lasen, originally from Washtucna, didn't really have a plan when he graduated from high school. "I went down to the Tri-Cities and sowed my wild oats," he said. "I wasn't interested in further education or anything like that. I decided to just become a workaday guy, and I found out quick (that) without any skill I wasn't getting anywhere, and I was getting there fast." So Lasen joined the Air Force in the hope of getting some training that would help him in civilian life, and after aptitude testing gave him a list of training tracks, he opted for Environmental Support Specialist. He spent 16 1/2 years in the Air Force, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At his first station in West Germany, Lasen met Karen, who was taking classes through the Air Force Community College while her father was stationed there. The two married in Denmark, Karen Lasen said, and have been married for 45 years. "I followed him from Air Force base to Air Force base, just like my mother had followed my dad," she said. "Then he retired, and he put in a couple of applications. So we came down here and checked out Royal City and he really liked it." It was a good place to raise their daughter, Marissa Scroggins, Lasen said. "One of the things that brought me to Royal City was consideration for her," he said. "I wanted a small-town atmosphere for her education. I didn't want the big city attractions for somebody when they're young." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "(My husband and I) tried to leave and came back, because you just don't really get Royal out of your blood," Scroggins said. "You're always gonna come back." Lasen's replacement at Public Works is Curt Carpenter of Moses Lake, who's well known in the Basin. He's worked in the city of Moses Lake's engineering department and was the Director of Public Works for the city of Othello until last year, as well as putting in seven years as the general manager of the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District. "He's gonna do some good for the city," Lasen said. "I'm really happy with the choice that the city (made) bringing him on board. He's got good credentials." Carpenter will take over several projects that are in the works to keep up with Royal City's recent growth, Lasen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We were starting to lose capacity in the waste treatment plants," he said. "We have to build more capacity in there; otherwise, we won't be able to grow anymore. The first few years I was here, we put one or two houses in or something like that ... so we had plenty of room at the treatment plant. Then all of a sudden, boom. We started getting hit with development after development." Adding a third well for the city is also a priority, Lasen said. "It won't give us any more water rights, but it will give us a more hardy water system," Lasen said. "There was never any time I lost more sleep than when we had one well down for any kind of problem because that meant we were down to one well, so to have a third one in the circle would be nice. And then we need to build capacity in our distribution system, namely the reservoirs. So there's a lot of projects yet to be done that are a part of our six-year plan." Lasen said he hadn't made a lot of plans for post-retirement life except to enjoy the time with his family. "He works really hard," Scroggins said. "He definitely deserves to ... spend some time with my mom and do what he wants to do, rather than what he has to do." Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers (NGN) has made a shock apology to Prince Harry and the pair have settled in court. In the past few minutes, the BBC reported NGN apologizing for phone hacking, and the impact this had on Harry as well as the impact of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion on his private life, including the coverage of his late mother, Princess Diana. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Financial terms of the settlement are not yet known. BBC News reported that legal fees are estimated to be 10M for both sides in total, and NGN is expected to pay Harrys legal fees. The NGN apology was full and unequivocal and for the first time included an admission of criminal activity by The Sun. NGN offers an apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, it read. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. NGN went on to apologize to Lord Watson, the former deputy Labour Party leader who had also taken the group to court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to calls for fresh legal action against Murdochs group, NGN subsequently issued a follow-up statement saying the settlement draws a line under the past and brings an end to this litigation. It said any allegations that would have been brought up at the trial involving News International destroying evidence in 2010-11 would have been the subject of significant challenge with extensive evidence to rebut these allegations. The follow-up statement pointed out that the unlawful activity it had acknowledged was carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, not by journalists. Monumental victory A statement from Prince Harry called the settlement a monumental victory and the apology a historic admission of guilt. He said NGN had unlawfully engaged more than 100 private investigators on 35,000 occasions over 16 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His lawyer David Sherborne read: Far from being relics of a distant past, many of those behind these unlawful practices remain firmly entrenched in senior positions today, both within News UK and other media outlets across the world, wielding editorial power and perpetuating the toxic culture in which they continue to thrive. Whats even worse is that in the wake of the 2006 arrest of a royal correspondent, there was an extensive conspiracy to cover up what really had been going on and who knew about it. Sherborne said Harry and Watson join others in calling for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover ups along the way. The judge, press and court were all set for a weeks-long trial in London but in a bizarre move yesterday the entire mornings session was delayed as both sets of lawyers negotiated what onlookers quickly realized could be a last minute settlement. After one final adjournment was awarded by the judge, the lawyers said they would take leave to appeal the decision to not allow any more delays in what was an unprecedented situation, allowing them to spend the rest of the day on the settlement. NGNs lawyer Anthony Hudson at that point was quoted by the BBC as saying: We are very close. The court was told back in November that 39 cases had been settled since a hearing last July, with only Prince Harry and Watson left. The Prince was expected to fly over to give evidence next month. He had previously indicated a refusal to settle, citing accountability. But, by a strange quirk of the British legal system, if a claimant turns down an offer of settlement and is later awarded less in damages by a judge, they have to pay the legal costs of both sides, which could have led to huge costs for Harry even if he were to win in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case, which had been rumbling for years, had seen the California-based Duke of Sussex sue The Sun and now-defunct News of the World owner for alleged unlawful information gathering by journalists and their contractors. NGN apologized for unlawful practices against others at the News of the World many years ago, but denies similar claims against The Sun and allegations of a wider cover-up. The High Court ruled almost a year ago that Harrys lawsuit would not include media tycoon Murdoch or ex-News of the World editor Piers Morgan, who were dubbed trophy targets by the judge. Furthermore, Harry was not able to bring claims that he was the victim of bugging and tracking devices. Harry does have one more high-profile privacy trial to come, which is expected next year. That trial against the Daily Mails publisher has been instigated with the likes of Elton John and Liz Hurley and was given the go-ahead late last year. The Mails publisher has described the allegations as preposterous smears. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Jan. 21STERLING A 32-year-old woman has been identified as the victim of a Sunday fire at a rural Sterling residence. Christina M. Haugen died in the fire at 5500 Mill St. in Emerson, Whiteside County Sheriff John F. Booker announced Tuesday afternoon. An autopsy conducted Tuesday morning confirmed Haugen as the victim. The house caught fire about 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Haugen, the home's resident, was discovered Monday about 2:30 p.m. during a recovery mission conducted by the Sterling Fire Department, Illinois State Fire Marshal and Whiteside County Sheriff's Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complete autopsy results are not available at this time, Booker said. The cause of death and cause of the fire are still under investigation, he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go to the family of Christina Haugen," according to Tuesday's news release. On Sunday, Sterling and Rock Falls firefighters and CGH EMS were called to the scene for a reported structure fire with flames and smoke visible. Mutual aid from surrounding departments including Dixon Rural Fire and Polo was requested while units were en route, according to a news release from the Sterling Fire Department. Sterling firefighters arrived on scene within 10 minutes and found heavy smoke and fire conditions throughout the first floor of the structure. A second alarm was requested later, bringing a total of 16 departments to the scene, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire crews made multiple attempts to search the interior of the structure, but were forced to evacuate due to heavy fire conditions and a partial collapse of the ceiling on the first floor, according to the release. "Sterling Fire Department would like to say thank you to the responding fire departments who assisted with this fire," according to the release. The investigation has been conducted by the Sterling Fire Department, Illinois State Fire Marshal, Whiteside County Sheriff's Office, and Whiteside County Coroner's Office. Even as the wildfires still raged, the impulse to quickly restore two devastated communities to what they once were became a political imperative. First Gov. Gavin Newsom, then Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, issued orders designed to speed the rebuilding of damaged and destroyed homes by stripping away bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles. As urgent as that show of determination felt to many, it has critics among architects, urban planners and academics who would rather see public officials slow down and think deliberately about how to make the communities more resistant to future fires and contribute more to the region's affordable housing needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If we just build back the way it was, it's definitely a missed opportunity," said Liz Falletta, an architect and professor in the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. "It's a missed opportunity to think differently about these things." More bluntly, Mark Ryavec, a former L.A. City Council legislative analyst and now acerbic critic of City Hall, is calling for a dead stop on rebuilding in Pacific Palisades "without first examining what happened there and applying lessons that may be learned to reform building codes and significantly increase the capacity of the local firefighting water system." The orders "will allow property owners to more quickly start rebuilding with the same building materials and fire safety requirements that failed to protect over 10,000 homes," he said in an opinion piece. Unlike so many disasters that ripped through communities randomly, taking out one home and leaving the one next door intact, the Palisades and Eaton fires in wiping out whole neighborhoods created blank slates that could be redesigned from the ground up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: L.A. fire rebuilding might be on collision course with Trump immigration crackdown Tucked away in semirural settings away from the urban core, both communities, despite their dramatic demographic differences, share an insularity that engendered strong identities and also made them vulnerable. Besides attention to fire-resistant construction, ideas being floated to reshape the two communities include creating more common space and greater distance between houses, improving street patterns and swapping out popular but fire-prone vegetation. Alexandra Syphard, senior research scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute in Oregon, said studies have shown, for instance, that California oaks are more capable of absorbing embers without igniting than staples such as eucalyptus and palms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with the building code enhancements that are likely to emerge after these fires, change could come through land use innovations such as buying out landowners who don't want to rebuild, putting restrictions on investors and swapping development rights. One repeated theme is adding multifamily housing to make the communities more economically diverse and help alleviate the region's affordable housing shortage. In California Planning & Development Report, contributing editor Josh Stephens proposed adding two- and three-story apartments to the Palisades commercial district where side streets are "filled with shops, cafes, and small offices that, for lack of a better word, are a lot cuter than California's typical commercial strips are." "If European cities are any guide, it can come back even livelier and more uplifting than it once was," Stephens wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dowell Myers, a specialist in urban growth and societal change at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, isn't advocating delay. "The housing situation is so desperate we don't want any dilly-dallying," Myers said. But he does advocate for more density. "You really need to have more multifamily," he said. "L.A. is suburban density built out to the sea. It isn't viable for a 21st century metropolis." Myers, who lives close to the Altadena fire zone, said he thinks his community would welcome it, especially if it were designed for seniors and young families that can't afford to buy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That would be a socially desirable and appealing trade-off," he said. "I don't think you want to threaten the heart of their neighborhood, but certainly on the commercial corridors, why not put multifamily there?" Among these commentators, however, there was a common pessimism about the likelihood that their ideas can be realized. "The forces that made it hard to do things new and different in the past are still with us insurance and mortgage underwriting standards, planning and zoning, risk-averse developers, NIMBYism," Falletta said. "The difficult part is making everybody whole, both financially and emotionally," said former Ventura Mayor Bill Fulton, now a professor of practice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Design Lab at UC San Diego. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fulton compares the situation to the aftermath of the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm that destroyed nearly 3,000 single-family homes. An immediate call to prohibit rebuilding in the same location faltered under a barrage of TV coverage of people who had lost everything. Most probably, there will be property owners in both Pacific Palisades and Altadena who decide to take their insurance money, if they are insured, and move elsewhere. (A 2018 state law bars the insurance industry's previous practice of requiring policyholders to rebuild on the same site.) Stephanie Pincetl, a professor in the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, sees potential to use their properties as leverage for community change by applying transfer of development rights, or TDR, a process in which a property owner would sell their right to rebuild to a developer who would be allowed to build above the allowable density somewhere else, such as the Palisades' commercial district. "Rebuilding in the same place and, by and large, in the same way is not in the public interest," Pincetl said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Something similar to development rights transfers has become a key element in the recovery of Paradise, Calif., the foothill town almost completely destroyed in the 2018 Camp fire. Paradise commissioned a study that found the new community could reduce its fire risk 75% with three layers of protection: an exterior buffer of nonflammable vegetation, selective rebuilding in the least fire-prone areas and compliance of individual homes with the wildfire program designed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. The city is seeking state and federal grants to buy up properties to be left vacant and has also received donations from owners who have decided to not return. "We want you guys to know down there that there's another jurisdiction that went through this and you are not alone," said Paradise Irrigation District Manager Kevin Phillips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fulton said he is skeptical that the TDR process would work in Los Angeles because new city and state laws already give density bonuses to stimulate development. "You could in theory buy some people out if they were willing to sell, and build something taller," Fulton said. "You'd have to have money." Ryavec proposes that the city come up with the money to acquire sites for mini fire breaks, more fire stations and reservoirs. How these ideas would be received in the communities could vary. Barbara Broide, Westside Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee chair, scorned density advocates who "seek to do away with single-family homes and the zoning for those neighborhoods. That agenda continues to rest beneath the surface of many of these conversations." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is not a time to let the ideologues prevail," said Martin Muoto, founder and chief executive of the affordable housing developer SoLa Impact, whose Palisades home burned to the ground. Muoto said he could imagine new apartments in the commercial district of the Palisades to provide affordable housing for some of the domestic staff employed there. "The Gelson's, for example, could be rebuilt for ground-floor grocery and three or four stories of affordable housing," he said. But he sees any lot-swap plan as a threat. The well-to-do and resourceful residents are important to the city's tax base and cultural life, but they have options, he said. L.A. would be poorer if they give up on the city in large numbers. "I know personally of half a dozen people who are debating moving to a second home in Utah or a second home in Colorado," Muoto said. "We don't want them to flee. We don't want them to go to Florida. "My position is it is critically important to give the families whose lives have been devastated by tragedy certainty, clarity and speed." In Altadena, Town Council Chair Victoria Knapp also worries that longtime residents will abandon the community, but her concern is focused on speculators making lowball offers that low-income Black and Latino families may find hard to refuse. "We have multigenerational families that own plots of land together," Knapp said. "If they just sell it all, they can go somewhere else and start over." Knapp said she thinks the community would welcome more multifamily housing if it goes in the right place, specifically the small-business zones scattered through the community. "That is possible," she said. "But we have to plan it. We're too soon to determine what Altadena 2.0 would look like but not too soon to prevent it from being something we don't want it to be." The goals of rebuilding to protect against future fires and to serve broader civic interests are treated as unrelated, or even contradictory, Syphard of the Biology Conservation Institute said. "We have a housing crisis in California," Syphard said. "In terms of fire-safe housing, people talk about them in two different conversations. We need to start bringing them into the same conversation." 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. Russia wanted to install pro-Kremlin oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk as Ukraine's president after forcing President Volodymyr Zelensky to step down, the Ukrainian head of state said on Jan. 22, citing a Kremlin ultimatum he received in the early days of the full-scale war. "Some people came to me on the first days of the war, some people from UkraineThey gave me the ultimatum from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," Zelensky said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "They said that I have to go, and they will change me (for) Medvedchuk (as president)." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Zelensky, the ultimatum also demanded Ukraine recognize Russian occupation authorities in Donbas, change its constitution to commit to "neutrality," shrink its army to 50,000 troops, give up much of its weapon arsenal, and recognize Russian as an official language of Ukraine. "This was not a negotiation; its an ultimatum," Zelensky said, adding that Russias points were similar to those later presented during unsuccessful peace talks in 2022 that took place in Turkey. Formerly a Ukrainian lawmaker and businessman, Medvedchuk was among the leading pro-Russian figures in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion. He maintained close personal relations with Putin, the godfather of the oligarch's daughter. Medvedchuk was detained by Ukrainian authorities in 2022 and exchanged with Russia later the same year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Possible peace talks are again coming into focus as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table. Zelensky said earlier during the forum that his country will seek to achieve a quick but just peace this year. Read also: US seeks sustainable peace in Ukraine to avoid new war in 2-4 years, Rubio says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia lacks sufficient forces for a big breakthrough in Ukraine, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, said during a discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 21. "I'm not worried that Ukraine could suddenly lose. I don't see the potential for a massive (Russian) breakthrough," Cavoli said. "And this is not a political but a military vision. It's got to do with both sides, the effective defenses that the Ukrainians have been putting in, but also the difficulty that the Russian side has in generating significant offensive forces to be able to exploit a potential breakthrough." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia quickly advanced in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast in late 2024, making operationally significant gains near Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and Kupiansk, as well as on its own soil in Kursk Oblast. Ukraine has struggled to contain the Russian offensive as Ukrainian forces are overstretched and dealing with manpower shortages. Despite Russian advances, Cavoli said Russia's slow and incremental push is "exhausting" for Moscow's forces. "After all, there is a reason why Russia brought thousands and thousands of soldiers from North Korea," he added, referring to the 12,000-strong North Korean contingent dispatched to Kursk Oblast. "I think we're going to continue to see this tension between the desire to attack and the lack of manpower on the part of the Russians. I think that will largely define the conflict and force the Russians to use more weapons of deterrence, as we've seen them do in recent years." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The general also said that though it remains unclear whether the U.S. will continue providing military aid packages under the Trump administration, he pointed to the "very significant uplift in European aid" provided to Ukraine. Recently inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump criticized military aid for Ukraine during his campaign and, after his reelection, hinted at reducing it. Multiple media reports have nevertheless indicated that Trump does not intend to cut aid completely but wants to see Europe take up greater responsibility for Ukraine's security. Read also: A team of attention-seekers Ukrainians react to Trumps Inauguration speech Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least two people and injured at least 29 over the past day, regional authorities reported on Jan. 22. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, three people were injured in Russian attacks against the Synelnykove district on Jan. 21, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Close to 70 houses in the area were damaged. Russian strikes killed one civilian and injured another in Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. Two more people were reportedly injured in the town of Bilytske. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Kharkiv Oblast, 10 people were injured over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Three police officers and two civilians were wounded during a drone attack in the town of Kupiansk on the morning of Jan. 21. Later the same day, Russian attacks injured an 87-year-old woman in the Bilyi Kolodiaz village, three women in Kupiansk, and a 62-year-old woman in the Borshchivka village. Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed one civilian and injured 11, said Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor. Two high-rise buildings and seven houses were damaged. A Russian drone strike against the city of Mykolaiv in Mykolaiv Oblast injured a 74-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man and damaged a six-story residential building, Governor Vitalii Kim reported. The woman is in serious condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Ukraine-Russia peace deal would require at least 200,000 peacekeepers, Zelensky says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- A Russian spy ship entered British waters twice in recent weeks, prompting the UK to deploy Royal Navy ships, Royal Air Force planes and a submarine, Defence Secretary John Healey said. Most Read from Bloomberg The vessel called Yantar began its most recent incursion on Monday when it entered British waters about 45 miles off the coast, Healey told the House of Commons on Wednesday. The same ship had been detected loitering over vital undersea infrastructure in November, prompting Britain to deploy a submarine to surface close by as a warning, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let me be clear: This is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure, Healey said. This is another example of growing Russian aggression targeting our allies abroad and us at home. The revelation highlights the growing threat posed by Russia to cables and other offshore infrastructure in what Healey described as a reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe. It comes less than a month after undersea cables were damaged in the Gulf of Finland in an incident blamed by the Nordic country on a vessel identified as a member of the so-called shadow fleet transporting Russian petroleum products. I want President Putin to hear this message: We see you, we know what youre doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country, Healey said. The vessel has left British waters and is now in Dutch waters in the North Sea, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. British Defense Secretary John Healey told Parliament on Wednesday the Royal Navy was tracking a "Russian spy ship" that passed through U.K. waters, warning Russia's President Vladimir Putin: "We know what you're doing." Healey said the Yantar vessel was being "used for gathering intelligence and mapping the U.K.'s critical underwater infrastructure." "I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: We see you, we know what you're doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country," he told lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ship entered British waters on Monday about 45 miles off the country's coast, with the Royal Navy dispatching two vessels to monitor it, Healey said. "It was detected loitering over U.K. critical undersea infrastructure," the defense minister said. He added the ship was now in the North Sea, "having passed through British waters." Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a videocall with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jan. 21, 2025. / Credit: Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Healey said a Royal Navy submarine was authorized to surface close to the Yantar "strictly as a deterrent measure" and "to make clear that we have been covertly monitoring its every move," BBC News reported. Healey said it was the second time the Yantar had been detected in British waters recently, after it was also spotted in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement British warships have tracked Russian navy vessels on several occasions in recent months. Earlier this month, the Royal Navy revealed that in late December the frigate HMS Somerset had tracked a Russian naval group as it sailed from the North Sea to the English Channel, although the group had stayed in international waters. In December 2024, the frigate HMS Somerset had tracked a Russian naval group as it sailed from the North Sea to the English Channel. / Credit: Royal Navy In November, British jets were scrambled to monitor a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying close to U.K. airspace, just days after NATO jets were mobilized when Russian aircraft were spotted over the Baltic Sea and off the coast of Norway. In September last year, Royal Navy warships spent a week "closely shadowing" four Russian vessels in U.K. waters, while two Royal Air Force jets scrambled to intercept two Russian aircraft operating near the U.K., the navy said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also in September, the U.S. Coast Guard said that it tracked a group of Russian naval vessels, including two submarines, as they crossed into U.S. waters off Alaska in an apparent effort to avoid sea ice. The month before that, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol around Alaska's Aleutian Islands came across a Russian ship in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Trump signs executive orders after inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day Designer Eric Javits discusses Melania Trump's inauguration hat A Russian spy ship has been tracked by the Royal Navy passing through British waters. Yantar, an intelligence ship belonging to Moscow, entered the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday, the Defence Secretary said, as he branded it another example of growing Russian aggression On Wednesday, John Healey told the House of Commons: Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UKs critical underwater infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he had changed the Royal Navys rules of engagement so that HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne could monitor Yantar closely for the past two days. He also said he had authorised a Royal Navy submarine to surface close to the vessel to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. The Yantar then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean, he added. Mr Healey said: I wont comment further on reasons for operational security but I want to thank all the personnel involved for their dedication and their professionalism I also want President Putin to hear this message. We see you. We know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And with our Nato allies, we are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy, secrecy near the UK or near Nato territory. This is another example of growing Russian aggression, targeting our allies abroad and us at home. It is the second time Yantar has entered UK waters in recent months after being monitored off the south-west coast of the UK and along Norways shoreline in November. Mr Healey said: In November, the ship was also closely watched and detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure to deter any potential threat. HMS Somerset flanks Russian spy ship Yantar near UK waters In November, Yantar was monitored by HMS Astute in Widemouth Bay off the coast of Cornwall, the Daily Mail reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crew are reported to have then sent a message including the words good morning to the Russians in an unprecedented move. The crew were very polite. They sent a message informing them they had been watching what they were doing and then they [the Russians] swiftly left, a source told The Times. The military believes the Yantar has been used to gather intelligence and map crucial subsea infrastructure, the newspaper reported. Military chiefs have repeatedly warned that Russia is increasing its underwater activity and could sever cables which are vital for international communications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It comes amid fears over vulnerable undersea cables after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Blair McDougall, the Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, told the Commons: [Mr Healey] will be aware of the reports in Newsweek in recent days about patents that have been filed in China for specific cable-cutting technology for, presumably, military use by the Chinese. So, I wonder if he can reassure the House, as well as being active in deterring Putin that he and the Government are also taking a similarly robust stance to any attempts to cut the cables from China? Mr Healey replied: I am aware of what he cites, I am aware of the pace of development of many aspects of Chinese technology and equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much of it may be for civilian use, but I can assure him also that we, with allies, are keeping a very close eye on what theyre developing. Tories shoulder to shoulder with approach James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said he supported the Governments openness regarding how it planned to tackle the Russian naval threat. Mr Cartlidge said the Conservative opposition stood shoulder to shoulder with Labour regarding their approach. He said: We welcome that transparency because it is critical for our war readiness... that as far as we are able, and without compromising our national security and operational security, we tell the British public the truth about the serious nature of the Russian threat and what that will inevitably mean for public expenditure on defence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I specifically welcome the change to the Royal Navys rules of engagement. This sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond. Russian aggression grows Other Russian vessels have also been recently monitored in UK waters. In November, RFS Admiral Golovko, a Russian Navy warship equipped with hypersonic missiles, was reported to be conducting drills in the Channel. The same month, a cargo ship with Russian links the MV Ruby dumped 300 tons of toxic fertiliser into the North Sea. In September, Novorossiysk, a Russian Kilo-class submarine, passed through the Channel and the North Sea, forcing the Royal Navy to deploy a warship to shadow it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russias growing aggression comes as there are concerns about the future of the UKs military spending. Labour has said it aims to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP after the completion of the sector-wide Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The SDR will look at how best to tackle international threats amid the challenges posed by the countries such as China, Russia and Iran. It was expected to report in the first half of 2025 but industry figures fear that the review could be delayed to the autumn. 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. UK Defence Secretary John Healey has reported that a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, has been spotted in UK territorial waters again. Source: John Healey during a speech in the House of Commons, as reported by European Pravda, citing PA Media Details: Healey said the Yantar is now in the North Sea, but before that, it passed through UK waters. As it did so, the Russians were flanked by the Royal Navy ships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne on the defence ministers instructions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Healey: "A Russian spy ship has been tracked this week in the English Channel by a Royal Navy warship just weeks after it was caught loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in UK waters." Details: Healey noted that Russia uses the Yantar to "gather intelligence and map the UK's critical underwater infrastructure". Quote from Healey: "We know what you are doing [Putin], and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain." Details: The Yantar is officially classified as an auxiliary general oceanographic research vessel with underwater rescue capabilities. It reports to the Russian Ministry of Defence and is not part of the Russian Navy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Open-source intelligence analysts have shown that it can deploy deep-sea vehicles and has repeatedly operated in the vicinity of seabed infrastructure. Background: In November 2024, the Yantar was also spotted off the coast of Ireland in an area where critical underwater infrastructure is located. Support UP or become our patron! Russias crucial diesel attack submarines can likely no longer operate in the Mediterranean Sea, after Moscow appears to have been kicked out of its naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus. The new Syrian government terminated a 49-year lease on the base the Kremlin brokered with the Bashar al-Assad regime in 2019, according to Russian and Syrian media reports. Two Russian cargo ships that had been waiting offshore for three weeks were tracked entering the port on Tuesday and Wednesday to begin a probable evacuation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It marks a major loss for Russia. The port at Tartus has played a vital role as a hub for its military presence in the Mediterranean, which it has increased over the past decade to support its operations in Africa. Russia effectively lost its military use of the port in early December, when its fleet withdrew 10 miles off the coast as Moscow-backed dictator Assad was overthrown after a lightning-quick rebel offensive. The lease cancellation will be another blow to the Kremlins hopes of retaining the port, which it has held since 1971, after it said it had reached an informal understanding with the new Syrian government over its use last month. Rows of military vehicles and hardware have been lined up at the port, waiting to be taken away, since the ships left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riad Judi, Syrias customs director, said revenues from the port would now be used for the benefit of Syria, as he accused Moscow of not modernising the facilitys equipment as dictated by the terms of the 2019 deal. Russian troops, for now, are continuing to operate at its Khmeimim air base in the Syrian port city of Latakia. Satellite image of Russia evacuating its fleet from the Syrian port of Tartus in December - Maxar Tartus is the only Russian facility in the region capable of sustaining its diesel-electric powered submarines, which are cheaper and often quieter than nuclear-powered boats but require regular refuelling. Moscow had maintained a near constant undersea presence of at least two attack submarines in the region since 2013, until the Kalibr missile-carrying Novorossiysk withdrew earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without Tartus, any of Russias submarines diesel-electric or nuclear deployed in the region would have to remain at sea, with only the possibility of an occasional visit to a friendly port that could not offer long-term logistical and infrastructure support. Russia will struggle to sustainably operate Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy officer and naval warfare expert, said that Russia would now struggle to sustainably operate any submarines at all in the Mediterranean. Nuclear-powered submarines can operate at sea for much longer than conventionally-powered submarines without docking, but experts said their deployments could also be hampered by the loss of Tartus, which is reportedly able to service nuclear-powered submarines and ships. The last Russian nuclear-powered submarine detected in the Mediterranean was the Severodvinsk in 2022, although it is unclear whether it docked at Tartus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement H I Sutton, a Naval analyst, writing for Naval News, said it was possible Russia could have a nuclear submarine operating in the region, but considered it unlikely. The potential loss of Tartus is likely to send the Kremlin scrambling to find alternative bases with its North African allies. Algeria has long-standing friendly relations with Russia and ports that already serve its navys Russian-built submarines. These facilities could assist Russian vessels, but access would be dependent on the permission of the Algerian government, which has expressed recent concern over Russias growing influence in neighbouring Mali. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another option would be war-torn Libya, where Russia already appears to be increasing its foothold as it retreats from Syria. A growing partnership with Khalifa Haftar, the warlord who controls the eastern and southern parts of the country, could open up the ports of Tobruk and Benghazi to Russian warships and submarines. However, analysts have questioned whether either of the ports are large enough or in good enough shape to accommodate warships and submarines. 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. Press Release January 21, 2025 Senator Loren Legarda's manifestation on Senate Bill No. 2826 under Committee Report No. 329, or An Act Enhancing the Fiscal Regime for the Large-Scale Metallic Mining Industry 21 January 2025 Mr. President, yesterday, I introduced an amendment to Senate Bill No. 2826 or the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining bill. Prior to amendments, Section 12 of the bill imposed a 2% cap or ceiling on royalties due upon Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) from mining operations within ancestral domains, to wit: "Section 12. Royalty due to Indigenous Cultural Communities from Mining Operations Within Ancestral Domains. - The royalty due to Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) under Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 is based on the right of the ICCs/IPs to benefit from the utilization, extraction, and development of lands and natural resources within their ancestral domains, done with their free and prior informed consent, and shall be agreed upon by the parties concerned: Provided, that the ICC/IP shall be paid not more than two percent (2%) of the gross output of minerals produced from the ancestral domain. Provided further, that parties concerned shall be free to negotiate on its components, both monetary and non-financial, such as employment, social, development, and environmental management of the ancestral domain." Thus, this representation's proposed amendment was to make 2% the minimum threshold that the ICCs and IPs can receive, and not the ceiling. The proposed amendment was rejected by the good sponsor, Senator JV, on the ground that the provision being amended will be deleted as it is being considered a rider to the bill. The deleted provision pertains to royalties, a subject matter that is different from taxation. Nevertheless, while the discussion was set aside due to the deletion of the subject provision, we wish to highlight some key findings from our review. I wish to bring to the attention of this august chamber that we found no legal basis for imposing a cap on the share of benefits that ICCs/IPs are entitled to receive from the use of natural resources within their ancestral lands under existing laws. Republic Act No. 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997, grants Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs)/Indigenous Peoples (IPs) the right to benefit from and negotiate terms for resource exploration within their ancestral domains. Notably, this law does not impose a cap on royalties that ICCs/IPs may negotiate for the use of resources. Similarly, Republic Act No. 7942, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, mandates that royalties from mineral utilization within ancestral domains must be mutually agreed upon and allocated to a trust fund for the ICCs/IPs' socioeconomic well-being. However, it also does not set a specific cap for these royalties. Despite this statutory framework, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 7942 specify that royalties to ICCs/IPs must not be less than 1% of the gross output, with community development expenses chargeable against this royalty. While this provision aims to secure ICCs/IPs a minimum share, it has effectively constrained their bargaining power by institutionalizing 1% as a baseline standard. Furthermore, tying community development expenses to the royalty share diminishes the financial benefits available to ICCs/IPs, further limiting their capacity to negotiate equitable terms. We view this as a diminution of the rights afforded to ICCs/IPs under the law. Since no ceiling was prescribed by the law, none should exist, and the 1% minimum share should not have been misconstrued as a baseline for negotiations by those seeking to utilize resources within ancestral domains. For the record, we emphasize the need to revisit the laws and regulations governing royalty shares for ICCs/IPs to ensure they are placed in the strongest possible negotiating position, in alignment with their right to self-determination and the overarching goal of advancing the development of their communities. Furthermore, strengthening the NCIP's guidelines on Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) ensures that ICCs/IPs are empowered to negotiate fair agreements aligned with their cultural values and long-term welfare. The incorporation of frameworks like the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) under Republic Act No. 11995 ensures royalty payments are calibrated to reflect the ecological and cultural impacts of mining operations. Additionally, provisions prohibiting unreasonable representation fees safeguard ICCs/IPs from financial exploitation and undue influence, further reinforcing their autonomy and protecting their rights during negotiations. Mr. President, with these findings, this representation sees the need to ensure equitable royalty arrangements and empower ICCs/IPs to negotiate on fair terms. This is not only a matter of justice but also a crucial step toward preserving their cultural heritage, promoting sustainable development, and upholding the principles of self-determination enshrined in our laws. This is our sacred duty to protect the rights of Indigenous People as the stewards of our nation's ancestral lands for generations. Thank you, Mr. President. Xavier University President Reynold Verret. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) NEW ORLEANS As the only university in the United States founded by a Catholic saint, Xavier University of Louisiana might be, in a literal sense, sacred. But to those who walk the grounds of the campus one century after its founding, its sanctity comes less from its founder and more from the service that its students and alumni do for one another and for their community. That other-centeredness, I think, is what is part of that sacredness, President Reynold Verret said in an interview with the Illuminator. Our students understand that none of what they learn in their major fields in classes is of any ultimate significance because significance doesnt come to fruition until we put it in service of someone else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sacredness of the small private historically Black university in New Orleans the nations only Catholic HBCU came up repeatedly Friday in a ceremony kicking off its year-long centennial celebration. Nowhere else in the world do you get the level of love, respect and academic progress that you will get at Xavier University, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, a 1986 Xavier graduate, said during remarks at the ceremony. The school was founded in 1925 as a university for Black New Orleanians by Sister Katharine Drexel, a nun who dedicated her life to founding and funding schools for Black and Native American students. In 2000, she was canonized by Pope John Paul II. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One hundred years after Drexel established Xavier, her priority of service is motivating the universitys leaders to reach new heights. The university has long been the top undergraduate program for Black male medical school students. Now Xavier is poised to launch the next HBCU medical school. It will aim enroll its first class of medical students within the next few years, Verret said. Among Verrets other big plans for the university is a $500 million fundraising campaign, The university has already raised about one-third of its goal, a noteworthy accomplishment on its own when compared with the universitys modest $170 million endowment. Those new funds could help more of the universitys students, who are primarily low-income and first generation, afford tuition, Verret said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xaviers orientation toward social justice is increasingly unique among other universities in Louisiana and across the nation. The trend in higher education has been to turn away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) after a few years of interludes toward social justice goals in education. Louisianas flagship university, LSU, made the decision to dismantle its DEI programs, getting ahead of a possible ban that state lawmakers are likely to consider this spring. In light of this trend, Verret sees Xavier as an example for other universities. To use an old African proverb: The caravan has moved on, but the dogs keep barking, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proverb refers to a scenario in which progress continues despite the criticism it attracts. While Xavier is not a primarily research-focused university, the prospect of a medical school presents the school with an opportunity for progress in the field of medical research. In the past few years, there has been a push for more equity in research from higher education leaders and racial justice advocates, and multiple HBCUs are competing to be the first to be recognized as a top research institution. Howard University was the first HBCU designated as an Carnegie Classifications R1 institution, meaning it has very high levels of research activity, but lost the status in 2005. It is likely to regain that status this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Southern University in Baton Rouge is also aiming to up its research chops. Verret said having researchers who are truly representative of the American population is important in setting a research agenda that serves the people. Having people in the room asking those questions is important, Verret said. The questions are as important as the answers. Xaviers centennial celebrations will continue with lectures, exhibits and Catholic services planned throughout the year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE (Bloomberg) -- House Republicans are in talks over raising the cap for state and local tax deductions after winning pledges from President Donald Trump and congressional leaders to include the measure in a must-pass tax bill this year. Most Read from Bloomberg New York Republicans are having discussions about how to raise the $10,000 SALT cap so that their constituents can deduct more local income and real estate taxes from federal bills. Lawmakers are hoping to come up with a figure for the deduction cap in the coming weeks potentially as soon as February, GOP Representative Nicole Malliotakis said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We looked at increasing the deduction, perhaps putting in some income restrictions so its not going to billionaires. We talked about possibly the marriage penalty. We talked about if second properties would be allowed for deduction, Malliotakis said. She said increasing the SALT cap to $20,000 would not be enough. How to handle SALT will be a key point of negotiations in Congress this year as Republicans write a broader tax bill to extend Trumps 2017 cuts, which will expire at the end of the year unless lawmakers act. Several Republicans representing areas in New York, California and New Jersey where high incomes, property values and local taxes make an increase in the SALT cap especially lucrative for many residents have said theyd block the bill if the deduction isnt adequately addressed. Its a threat they could make good on, given the GOPs narrow majority in the House. The race to negotiate an increase to the SALT cap kicked off earlier this month after several members from those high-tax states met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith has also expressed support for including SALT in the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York Representative Mike Lawler is among the Republicans due to meet with Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss issues including SALT. Lawler said Trump has been supportive of ensuring that the question is resolved in any tax bill Republicans write in 2025. He is in full agreement with us, which is extremely helpful, obviously, when dealing with some of my colleagues who are reflexively opposed because they think they are subsidizing bad blue-state policies, Lawler said on Wednesday at a Politico event in Washington. It was Trump himself who first imposed the cap on SALT during his 2017 legislation, where it helped offset the cost of other tax cuts. But many of the New York and California districts that most benefit from SALT have flipped Republican, putting pressure on the party to reverse course. Along with SALT and the extension of the 2017 bill, Republicans are also weighing Trumps campaign tax promises including plans to stop taxing overtime pay, tips and Social Security proposals which could cause the cost of any tax bill to balloon. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he wants to pass the bill by May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representative Nick LaLota, a Long Island Republican who has been vocal about raising the cap, said he expects pro-SALT House members to take a proposal for a new SALT cap to the White House, backed with an explanation of why that number is specifically important. Despite having the blessing of Trump and congressional leaders to address SALT in the tax bill, Republicans are still divided on exactly how high to push the deduction cap, and on other details. Lawler has introduced a bill that would lift the cap to $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for those filing jointly. Any increase is a win for my constituents, Malliotakis said in an interview. Any money you can keep in their pockets will be a step in the right direction. Lawler said moderate Republicans are determined to find a fix before agreeing to other aspects of the proposed tax bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have unified government for only the fourth time since World War II, he said. Republicans have one opportunity to get this right, and it means everybody is going to have to give. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. AI tech leaders are stumbling over themselves to kiss the ring of newly-minted president Donald Trump. Earlier this week, Trump announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure deal, a joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and UAE-backed investor MGX. The companies involved in the project, dubbed "Stargate," are committing a combined $100 billion, with the plan to ratchet that up to a full half trillion over the next four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noticeably absent from the ranks is xAI, which was started by Trump's tight confidante Elon Musk, who subsequently blasted the participants for not "actually" having the money to invest. OpenAI Sam Altman, however, has since shot back, prolonging a years-long feud between the two dramatic billionaires. "Wrong, as you surely know," Altman wrote. "Want to come visit the first site already under way?" "This is great for the country," he added. "I realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope you'll mostly put [America] first." It doesn't take much reading between the lines to suggest Musk is feeling left out by the deal. He and Altman have been caught up in a bitter rivalry that started years after they cofounded OpenAI together, with Musk later departing the project under a dark cloud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could the latest kerfuffle be a sign of what's still to come? How will Trump contain the "Succession"-like squabbling between the two tech billionaires while fuelling his latest infrastructure project? Where does Stargate leave his own close relationship with Musk? Earlier this week, OpenAI hailed the project as an important step forward in the development of generative AI. "More compute leads to better models, better models enable us to build better products," OpenAI chief product officer Kevin Weil told the Wall Street Journal in Davos, Switzerland. How exactly OpenAI will be involved in the construction of AI infrastructure in the US remains unclear, and Weil refused to rule out the possibility of the company entering the AI chipmaking industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This infrastructure will secure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and generate massive economic benefit for the entire world," OpenAI boasted in a statement on X-formerly-Twitter. "This project will not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies." Regardless of whether generative AI will turn out to be a major source of profit, a lot of money is at stake. Stargate is a massive bet that could lead to either a major windfall for AI companies, or huge losses. But Altman's intrusion into Trump's affairs has clearly rattled Musk, an entrepreneur who launched his own competing venture, called xAI, in 2023. And now that one of his closest confidantes is striking deals with one of his oldest nemeses isn't sitting well with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite his snide remarks, Altman pulled some punches. "I genuinely respect your accomplishments and think you are the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time," he wrote. More on OpenAI: Rumors Swirl That OpenAI Is About to Reveal a "PhD-Level" Human-Tier Intelligence SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) The story of birthright citizenship is as San Francisco as they come, City Attorney David Chiu declared. On Tuesday, San Francisco and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit to halt President Donald Trumps order on birthright citizenship. Trump took advantage of his first day back as President of the United States to issue an executive order that seeks to end the longstanding American immigration policy. The policy makes any child born in the U.S. an automatic citizen, even if their parents did not enter the country legally. Birthright citizenship stems from the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 and states, All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president overstepped his authority by a mile, Bonta said. If Trump succeeds in denying birthright citizenship for newborns, the move would impact more than 24,000 children who are born in California every year, Bonta said. Melania Trump and U.S. President Donald Trump arrive for services at St. Johns Church as part of Inauguration ceremonies on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) This is an attack on children. Its an attack on U.S. citizens. Its an attack on our foundational document, Bonta said. Birthright citizenship was upheld in a landmark 1898 U.S. Supreme Court case that centered on a San Francisco man, Wong Kim Ark. Ark was born in San Francisco to immigrant parents. In 1895, he was traveling from China back home when he was denied re-entry at the Port of San Francisco. Officials claimed he was not a citizen and he was subject to the Chinese Exclusion Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ark challenged his case all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-2 decision, judges ruled in favor of Ark, finding that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment automatically made him a U.S. citizen, and thus, he could not be denied entry into his home country. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) If Trumps order succeeds in striking down a century-old legal precedent, it will cause chaos and confusion for families of newborns, according to San Francisco City Attorney Chiu. Birthright citizenship is as clear cut as legal precedents come, Chiu said. The Constitutions guarantee of this right was affirmed in a 127-year-old Supreme Court case. As a San Franciscan born to immigrant parents, I am determined to ensure the next generation of Americans are not deprived of this constitutional right. It will sow confusion about the legal status of numerous newly-born American citizens. Constitution page on White House website shows 404 error Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit names President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the U.S. Social Security Administration as defendants. Trumps order excludes the following people from automatic citizenship: those whose mothers were not legally in the United States and whose fathers were not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents; people whose mothers were in the country legally but on a temporary basis and whose fathers were not citizens or legal permanent residents. Vice President JD Vance, Barron Trump, President Donald Trump and Melania Trump are seen during the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Kenny Holston/The New York Times / AFP) It goes on to bar federal agencies from recognizing the citizenship of people in those categories. Trumps order is set to take effect on Feb. 19. New Jersey Democratic Attorney General Matt Platkin joined the lawsuit. On Tuesday he said presidents might have broad authority but they are not kings. The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, Platkin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second Trump win represents a new America, political experts say Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a U.S. citizen by birthright, also joined the lawsuit and said it was personal for him. The 14th Amendment says what it means, and it means what it says if you are born on American soil, you are an American. Period. Full stop, Tong said. By Tuesday afternoon, attorneys general from 22 states have joined the lawsuit. The Associated Press contributed to this 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 KRON4. MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is a "reliable partner" in NATO, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Madrid for falling short on its financial contributions to the defence alliance. Spain has increased defence spending by 70% in the last decade while its investment of 30% on new equipment was above the 20% required by NATO, Sanchez said in an interview for CNBC from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Sanchez also said the Spanish army's participation in NATO operations was "well above the average". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are a reliable partner and I think you have to look more broadly to see if a country is committed or not with the security of NATO's allies," Sanchez said. NATO allies will discuss increasing defence spending requirements from the current target of 2% of gross domestic product at a summit in the Hague this summer. Trump insists they all raise their contributions to 5% of GDP - a target no NATO member currently meets. Spain spent $22.27 billion on defence in 2024, NATO figures show, the 10th largest contribution in absolute terms among the 31 NATO allies, but this amounts to an estimated 1.28% of its GDP, the lowest in relative terms. The U.S. spent 3.38% of GDP last year on defence, preliminary NATO figures show. "Spain is very low," Trump said on Monday when asked about its NATO contributions. However he also wrongly suggested that Spain was a member of the BRICS group of emerging economies that comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others. (Reporting by Inti Landauro; Writing by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Gareth Jones) Deleware Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, brushed off President Donald Trumps anti-transgender executive order Tuesday evening. Trump announced his anti-trans order on his first day in office. Specifically, the order defines a female as a a person belonging, at conception to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell, while a male is a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell. The president also laid out the policy in his inaugural address on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female, he declared. But critics pointed out that genitalia at conception are phenotypically female, according to the National Library of Medicine. For the first several weeks after conception, all human embryos follow a female developmental blueprint until the activation of the SRY gene initiates sexual differentiation. Embryos with an XY genotype will begin developing male traits linked to the Y chromosome at roughly six weeks. Before then, human embryos have only developed female traits linked to the X chromosome. One social media critic scoffed that the order was written by morons. McBride laughed off the distinction between reproductive cells during Tuesday evening votes in the House of Representatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well, it appears that he just declared everyone a woman from conception based on the language of the executive order, she told The Independent. The executive order also targeted gender ideology, which it defines as replacing the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity, permitting the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa, and requiring all institutions of society to regard this false claim as true. The garbled, head-twisting order requires federal agencies to remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology. The order would also require that transgender women are not placed in womens prisons or detention centers and that the Federal Bureau of Prisons revise its policies so that no federal dollars go toward any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmates appearance to that of the opposite sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his sole debate with former vice president Kamala Harris, Trump attacked Harris and said she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison. Last week, the House passed legislation to amend Title IX, the law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal money, to define sex to be recognized based solely on a persons reproductive biology and genetics at birth. Only two Democrats joined Republicans with one other Republican voting present. McBride has been a particular target for Republicans. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced legislation last Congress to ban McBride and all trans women from using womens restrooms on U.S. Capitol grounds. Ultimately, House Speaker Mike Johnson agreed to adopt the policy. The News Saudi Arabia wants to get rid of unproductive government workers, and is offering 12.7 billion riyals ($3.4 billion) in cash incentives to encourage resignations. The kingdoms three-year Golden Handshake program which ultimately aims to make way for government workers with skills suited for digital transformation will reduce the financial burden of civil servant wages, which account for 44% of the 2025 budget. Riyadh also wants to shift more citizens into private sector roles, where 2.8 million Saudis are currently employed, and to support the kingdoms target of reducing unemployment to 5% from 7.5%. While the government has not disclosed exact severance details, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that payouts could range from 24 to 60 months of salary. WASHINGTON House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced a new committee to investigate false narratives about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. Hours earlier, Johnson had brushed off a question about Trump pardoning the rioters by saying Republicans were not looking backwards, were looking forward. The new committee, however, will be looking backwards and working to rewrite the history of the insurrection at the Capitol. Republicans want to divert blame from Trump for telling his supporters to fight like hell and march on Congress before they stormed the building to interfere with the certification of Trumps 2020 election loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson said in a press release that Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who led Republicans counter-inquiry into the original bipartisan Jan. 6 committee, would lead the new effort. House Republicans are proud of our work so far in exposing the false narratives peddled by the politically motivated Jan. 6 select committee during the 117th Congress, but there is still more work to be done, Johnson said. In his own statement, Loudermilk listed the causes of the Jan. 6 attack, notably omitting the man whose name was on the flags carried by the mob. What happened at the Capitol that day was the result of a series of intelligence, security, and leadership failures at multiple levels within numerous entities, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loudermilks panel will be a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who pointed to unanswered questions about live pipe bombs that were discovered at buildings near the Capitol on Jan. 6. Why dont we know who planted the pipe bombs? Its been four years, Jordan told HuffPost on Wednesday. In a report earlier this month, Loudermilk revealed details about the FBIs search for the pipe bomber, including that a person of interest had searched pipe bomb DC online prior to Jan. 6 and that a suspect had taken pictures of the bomb sites beforehand. The FBI is still asking for tips on the suspect. Jordan also said the committee would seek to learn more about the FBIs 26 confidential human sources who were on the Capitol grounds that day. Trump suggested when he pardoned the rioters this week that they had been manipulated by undercover FBI agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were outside agitators involved, and obviously the FBI was involved, Trump said at the White House on Monday. Confidential human sources people paid by the FBI to provide information about potential domestic terrorists tagged along with some of the extremists who traveled to Washington in January 2021. Last month, a report by the DOJ inspector general, Michael Horowitz, confirmed there had been 26 informants in Washington, but that none had been directed by the FBI to commit illegal acts. The report said there were no undercover FBI agents. Still, the presence of the informants will be fodder for Republicans new committee. How much would these people paid? How long have they had a working relationship with the FBI? How long have they been confidential human sources? Whatd they do that day? Were they the first to enter the Capitol? Were they the first to cross the barricade to come into restricted space? We dont know any of that, Jordan said. Related... COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) A South Carolina bill concerning selling alcohol to people who appear intoxicated was discussed in front of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Tuesday. If ratified, the Dram Shop bill would hold businesses and individuals responsible if alcohol is to someone who is intoxicated, and that person harms another person. Committee Chair, Senator Michael Johnson, sponsored the bill. According to Sen. Johnson, he wants to help individuals and businesses Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to lower insurance premiums for companies and businesses and individuals in South Carolina, he said. That is my goal and that should be everyones goal because I think we can all agree liquor liability and certain liability policies are out of control. Attorney Kenneth Berger shared public testimony. He said he has several concerns about the technical language of the bill. Berger said before the bill is debated on the senate floor, loopholes should be removed. He said it should be clear that businesses should be liable if they serve minors at all. A certain number of drinks for an 18-year-old is that the same thing as the same number of drinks whose 25, 30 or 40 and thats why I leaned toward lets just draw a hard line on it and say just dont serve underaged people, Burger continued. I just dont want to open that door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to being liable for selling to minors, Senator Shane Massey said the servers should be liable for serving anyone who is visibly intoxicated. I have a real problem with a server could be held responsible for someone elses injury when they didnt do something that contributed to that injury, Massey said. Berger suggested businesses require servers complete an alcohol training course to ensure customers and businesses are behaving responsibly. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. (iStock / Getty Images Plus) COLUMBIA Gov. Henry McMaster asked federal officials Tuesday to quickly approve his request that would expand Medicaid eligibility for poor parents who are working or going to school. If the Trump administration agrees, more South Carolina adults would qualify for the government-paid health insurance if they can prove theyre either working, training for a job, going to school or volunteering for at least 80 hours each month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states Medicaid agency does not yet know how many people could be newly covered. South Carolina is among 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility to cover all adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, as the 2010 federal health care law known as Obamacare intended before a U.S. Supreme Court ruling made it optional. In states that followed the laws intentions, people with incomes above that 138% threshold can get federal subsidies toward private health care. McMaster reiterated Tuesday he remains adamantly opposed to expanding Medicaid that way. But he wants to end what he considers a disincentive for poor families on Medicaid to find better-paying jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under South Carolinas existing eligibility rules, parents no longer qualify for Medicaid if they make more than 67% of the federal poverty level, which is just $17,856 this year for a family of three. But if they make less than 100% (the poverty level) or $26,650 for that same family of three parents get no help on the private marketplace. This presents working families with an undesirable choice: earn additional income to support their family or lose their healthcare coverage, McMaster wrote in the letter to Acting Health and Human Services Secretary Dorothy Fink sent a day after Trumps inauguration. McMaster is seeking a federal waiver that would expand eligibility to the poverty level, when subsidies would kick in, closing the coverage gap for working parents. Childless adults would remain ineligible for Medicaid, according to Jeff Leieritz, spokesman for the state Medicaid agency. Parents exempt from the work-or-school rules would include people with disabilities, pregnant women, and new mothers, who qualify at higher income levels anyway. Children qualify as long as their parents income is no more than 208% above the poverty level. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Carolinas pending application is similar to one approved in December 2019, during President Donald Trumps first term. But the pandemic hit before it could be implemented, and the Biden administration revoked the permission. Theres one big difference: Unlike the previous version, people who already qualify for Medicaid wont have to meet the work-or-school rules. Those would apply only to people newly eligible because their incomes fall between 67% and 100% of the poverty level, Leieritz said. Granting South Carolina the authorities necessary to reinstitute this initiative will strengthen the Medicaid programs dual missions of financing health services and improving opportunities for independence, self-reliance, and prosperity for the states citizens, McMaster wrote in his letter. The states Medicaid agency is working to determine how many people would be affected by the change, Leieritz said. When officials initially applied for the waiver in 2018, the agency predicted roughly 32,000 parents in the coverage gap would be newly eligible for Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The work requirements would be similar to those required by the federal government for people receiving grocery benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is often called food stamps. Under those rules, people under 55 who can work what the government calls able-bodied adults are limited to three months of food benefits over a three-year period unless they can prove they work, volunteer or attend job training at least 80 hours each month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Because people can qualify for SNAP while making up to 100% of the federal poverty level, its likely many who would apply for Medicaid under the proposed eligibility expansion are already meeting its work requirements. That was intentional, Leieritz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an important step in reducing the administrative burden on accessing services for those who qualify, he said in an email. State Medicaid officials are working to put together the states official application for the program, which will follow McMasters plea to give it expedited consideration. Theres no timeline yet for submission, but officials are hoping to put in their application as soon as possible, Leieritz said. Sen. Larry Grooms listens to state Treasurer Curtis Loftis on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, during a Senate Finance subcommittee meeting concerning $1.8 billion that has been discovered in an account. (Travis Bell/Statehouse Carolina/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA The bills continue to pile up as South Carolina legislators consider spending more actual dollars on a series of snafus over nonexistent billions that have the state staring down the barrel of a federal securities investigation. A Senate budget committee wants to repurpose $1.2 million from the current state budget to hire an outside financial supervisor in an effort to stave off sanctions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which for the past year has been investigating the states financial agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal comes out of a forensic accounting report released last week that found the states financial leaders allowed a $1.8 billion accounting blunder to linger unreported on the states ledger for nearly a decade. Legislators hired the forensics accounting firm, AlixPartners, last year after a Senate panel was alerted to what appeared to be $1.8 billion of taxpayer dollars sitting untouched on the states books with no record of where it was supposed to go. Last weeks report revealed that all but about $200 million of the $1.8 billion never actually existed. And the $200 million that was real isnt excess that can be spent. Its just more bad accounting related to an earlier $3.5 billion error that went unchecked for a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That earlier mistake stemmed from a computer coding issue in the office of former Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom, which caused public colleges revenue to be doubled counted. It looked like the state had $3.5 billion more on hand than it actually did. That ultimately led to the 2023 resignation of Eckstrom, who had been the states top accountant for 20 years. Sen. Larry Grooms, who has led the Senate inquiry, has largely blamed the latest mess on Treasurer Curtis Loftis a claim the treasurer has vehemently denied. The assertion that my office failed to disclose critical information for years is categorically false, Loftis wrote in a letter sent to the SC Daily Gazette. Transparency has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone of my administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grooms renewed calls last week for Loftis to resign. More money Now, as the state tries to stay out of federal investigators crosshairs, Grooms subcommittee wants the Legislature to recycle $1.2 million. Its money the budget provided the Treasurers Office to help resolve questions about the $1.8 billion. But Loftis office hasnt used it. Grooms suggests using it to hire an outside firm to monitor the comptroller, treasurer and auditors offices to ensure theyre following recommendations for preventing another blunder. In other words, we need to hire a babysitter to take a look at what happens within the states Treasurers Office, within the Comptroller Generals Office and with our internal auditor, said Grooms, R-Bonneau Beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $1.2 million available for redirecting could cover oversight for the next six months, according to estimates from legislative staff. But the forensic accountants estimate it could be two years before issues are fully resolved. That means legislators could need to designate more money for the next two state budgets. Meanwhile, the state Attorney Generals Office has already spent $4 million defending South Carolina in the federal investigation and has requested another $5 million for continued defense. The state treasurer, comptroller general and auditors offices also are spending money on legal defense, Grooms said. This is in addition to the $3 million the state paid for the forensic audit. Sen. Wes Climer, R-Rock Hill, asked about the need to bring on yet another outside firm, rather than relying on legislative oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the forensic accountants, Susan Markel, previously worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission. She said federal regulators could ultimately choose to impose its own monitor on the state if its not satisfied that the house has been put back in order. Markel said being proactive would show that South Carolina lawmakers are taking this seriously and would aid the states lawyers in negotiations. The eight-member Senate subcommittee unanimously approved the proposal Tuesday, sending it on for further consideration. Treasurers response None of the accounting errors put the states coffers in the red because state budget writers rely on a separate agency for revenue projections. But the erroneous reports may have misled Wall Street credit agencies that rate the financial health of state and local governments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The origin of the issue, financial officials have testified, was a chaotic, decade-long transition from the states old accounting system to a new one, which took place between 2007 and 2017. David Bligh, one of the forensic accountants, told legislators its not uncommon for organizations to encounter issues when making a major accounting system shift. The difference, he said, is in how the states financial leaders, who knew about the issue as early as 2016, responded: They didnt alert lawmakers or conduct their own investigation into the discrepancies. We dont particularly see issues like this going on for as long as they have without resolution, Bligh said. Loftis brushed off calls for his resignation, as well as a House Democrats call for impeachment proceedings, saying hes not at fault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $1.8 billion conversion entry was a shared responsibility among several agencies, not an isolated failure of the State Treasurers Office, he wrote in the letter. From the moment concerns arose, my team acted swiftly and within legal parameters to address them, Loftis continued. To suggest otherwise ignores the collaborative nature of state financial oversight and unfairly assigns blame for systemic issues. Constitutional changes Voters could ultimately decide whether they want to keep electing a state comptroller general. A resolution approved by a Senate panel Tuesday would ask voters in November 2026 whether the states top accounting post should cease being publicly elected. If voters say yes, the governor would fill the position, with Senate approval, said Sen. Chip Campsen, the referendums chief sponsor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats essentially what happened in 2023 anyway. By law, the Legislature was supposed to replace Eckstrom. However, with the House and Senate at odds over who they wanted in the job, a joint assembly election to fill the post never happened. Within minutes of the session ending, McMaster made the appointment with senators blessing. Most voters dont know what the comptroller general does, making it difficult to make changes when problems arise, said Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Boiling Springs. A constitutional officer cannot be simply fired. But if the person is no longer a constitutional officer, theres greater accountability that when this person does something like we just experienced, we can kick them out, said Kimbrell, a co-sponsor of the measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last March, the Senate unanimously approved putting the question on the next general election ballot, which wouldve been last November. But the House never took up the measure. A constitutional referendum requires two-thirds approval by both chambers. Theres no similar proposal to ask voters about the state treasurers position at least, not yet. Loftis, who has said he wont seek a fifth term in 2026, contends that would misguided. An appointed State Treasurer would answer to special interests, not directly to the people, he wrote. I remain accountable to voters, ensuring their voices guide the stewardship of our states finances. Edmonds Police is warning residents of a new scam that is making the rounds threatening arrest if you fail to pay a fine for missing jury duty. On Tuesday, the Edmonds Police Department took to Facebook to warn residents not to fall for the latest scam. How it works You get a call telling you that you missed jury duty and You need to pay a fine If you refuse to pay the fine, they threaten to have you arrested. Except that none of it is true. Washington Courts wrote on their website: Scammers can be very convincing, repeating your name, address, Social Security numbers and other information that makes them seem legitimate. Please tell your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors that courts, law enforcement and government agencies do not initiate calls about missing jury service and warrants, and will never ask for payment or financial information over the phone. Police advise against sharing any information. Hang up if you receive these calls, as this is not how jury duty notifications work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Snohomish County Clerks Office and Superior Court are aware of the scam. Their website says: Snohomish County Clerks Office and Superior Court have received reports of citizens receiving telephone calls and emails from individuals who claim to be law enforcement or court staff demanding immediate payment of a fine to avoid an arrest warrant for failure to appear for jury duty. Please be assured staff of Snohomish County Superior Court or the Clerks office will NEVER ask past or prospective jurors for financial data such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or Social Security numbers and will NEVER demand the payment of a fine. If you receive such a telephone call you should contact law enforcement immediately. This is not the first time this scam has hit the county. Records show that the county has warned about the scam in previous years. If you want to report a scam, the USA.gov website can help you find where to report it by answering a few questions. For information about jury duty and scams in Snohomish County, visit the county website here. If you are unsure if a jury summons is valid, residents can also call the Jury Management office at (425) 388-3386. The former commander of the scandal-hit Ukrainian 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade has been remanded in custody with a bail of Hr 90 million ($2.1 million), Hromadske reported on Jan. 22. The court's decision comes amid an investigation into allegations of poor leadership and widespread issues within the unit, which was deployed near Pokrovsk. The brigade, initially intended as a flagship project for Ukrainian military modernization, was trained and equipped with assistance from France and other foreign partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June that France would provide training and military supplies, including AMX-10 armored vehicles, Caesar howitzers, and German Leopard 2A4 tanks. An investigation by Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of Censor.net, uncovered significant issues within the brigade. Butusov reported high numbers of soldiers going absent without official leave (AWOL) due to disorganization and poor leadership. Read also: Negative lesson Ground Forces chief acknowledges desertions, mismanagement in French-trained brigade The State Bureau of Investigation said on Jan. 20 that the brigade commander "did not respond to violations in his unit, including the unauthorized abandonment of the military unit by his fighters." If convicted, the commander faces up to 10 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The brigade, which has approximately 5,800 troops, faced challenges from its inception. According to Butusov, 2,500 service members were reassigned to other units before training began, depleting its experienced personnel. Between March and November 2024, over 1,700 soldiers reportedly abandoned their posts, with an additional 50 deserting while training in France. Of the 1,924 soldiers sent to France for training, only 51 had more than a year of military service, while 1,414 had served fewer than two months. Replenishment efforts brought in new recruits, but Butusov claimed proper selection processes were often neglected, exacerbating the unit's operational challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Kyiv court arrests 3 senior officers accused of failed defense of Kharkiv Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) There will be a drop-in public information meeting about safety improvements on Robert Grissom Parkway, hosted by the South Carolina Department of Transportation. The proposed project looks to add the following safety elements from Stalvey Avenue to Executive Avenue/Cannon Road: High Visibility Crosswalks ADA Ramps Leading Pedestrian Intervals Countdown Signal Heads New Pavement Markings Intersection Improvements Pedestrian Crossings Access Management Practices in areas with a high frequency of crashes The drop-in will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Robert H. Reed Recreation Center, Classroom C in Myrtle Beach. SCDOT representatives will be available to discuss the proposed project, but there will not be a formal presentation. Public comments on the project will be accepted from Wednesday to Feb. 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work 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 WBTW. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to travel to Paris on Wednesday to meet President Emmanuel Macron two days after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. The French head of state is expected to receive the German chancellor at the Elysee Palace around midday. In addition to the future positioning of the EU with regard to the United States, the talks are also likely to focus on the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholz is not the only leading German politician travelling to France at the moment. Anke Rehlinger, president of the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, is in Paris from Tuesday to Thursday and is scheduled to meet the presidents of the two houses of the French parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is due to meet his counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Paris on Thursday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said Europe "will not duck and hide" in response to Donald Trump's return as US president. Speaking in Paris ahead of a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Scholz said Europe will be a "a constructive and self-confident partner" for the United States. "We are strong, we stand together," said Scholz, who was in the French capital to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Elysee Treaty. The landmark agreement cemented the post-war reconciliation between France and Germany. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Macron and Scholz agree that "Europe must be strong and resilient in a world that is - to put it mildly - on the move," the German chancellor said, describing Trump's second term as a "challenge." His comments were echoed by Macron, who said the two countries want to "accelerate" the European agenda in the face of threats of US tariffs on European exports. The president said it is "up to us Europeans, and thus to our two countries, to play our full role in consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe." "Today more than ever, Europeans' priority must be our Europe and, above all, our competitiveness, our prosperity and our security," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two countries are cooperating in a number of fields, including artificial intelligence, Macron said. "We have a Franco-German plan for artificial intelligence and want to jointly develop more research projects, start-ups and the growth of our companies." Macron hinted at tensions in the Franco-German relationship in recent years, but signalled that ties remain strong. "In the face of challenges and the worries that sometimes arise, the pair we form is solid." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said Europe "will not duck and hide" from the incoming US administration, as he visited Paris for key talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. Ahead of the meeting, Scholz said Europe will be a "a constructive and self-confident partner" for the United States during President Donald Trump's second term. "We are strong, we stand together," said Scholz, who was in the French capital to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Elysee Treaty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The landmark agreement cemented the post-war reconciliation between France and Germany. Macron and Scholz agree that "Europe must be strong and resilient in a world that is - to put it mildly - on the move," the German chancellor said, describing Trump's return as a "challenge." His comments were echoed by Macron, who said the two countries want to "accelerate" the European agenda in the face of threats of US tariffs on European exports. The president said it is "up to us Europeans, and thus to our two countries, to play our full role in consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today more than ever, Europeans' priority must be our Europe and, above all, our competitiveness, our prosperity and our security," he added. The two countries are cooperating in a number of fields, including artificial intelligence, Macron said. "We have a Franco-German plan for artificial intelligence and want to jointly develop more research projects, start-ups and the growth of our companies." Macron hinted at tensions in the Franco-German relationship in recent years, but signalled that ties remain strong. "In the face of challenges and the worries that sometimes arise, the pair we form is solid." Scholz is not the only leading German politician visiting France at the moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anke Rehlinger, president of Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, is in Paris from Tuesday to Thursday and is scheduled to meet the presidents of the two houses of the French parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is also due to meet his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Paris on Thursday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that peace in Ukraine is still far from being achieved, but it is still necessary to take care of the countrys future after the war, so a conversation with the allies on security guarantees for Ukraine will take place soon. Source: European Pravda citing Scholz's interview with German newspaper Rheinische Post Details: When asked what a peacekeeping force in Ukraine might look like, as recently mentioned by the country's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Scholz replied: "First of all, it would be good news if the war in Ukraine ended. But even then, we would still be called upon to provide Ukraine with a secure future." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He noted that it is about security guarantees and how Ukraine will be able to maintain a strong army, which "we are equipping together". Quote from Scholz: "We will discuss this with our allies soon. But such speculation is out of the question for now. After all, nothing should be decided over the heads of Ukrainians. And we are still very far from peace." Background: Recently, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said he believed that the German military could ensure the security of the demilitarised zone in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. Recently, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that London is ready to play a "full part" in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, although he does not see such a prospect at the moment. Meanwhile, Poland's Defence Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has ruled out sending peacekeepers to Ukraine after the war, explaining that "NATO should focus on greater burden-sharing and diversification". Support UP or become our patron! GUEST OPINION:The honeymoon is over for generative AI, with users demanding more grounded responses and better performance at a whole-of-organisation level. Australian businesses and governments have become familiar with generative AI over the past year. However, through experimentation, its become clear that many public-facing generative AI tools are unable to meet the needs of corporate use. A lot of this comes down to the output that public-facing tools produce when prompted for a response. Its not always clear what data these public-facing tools were trained on or where the responses come from. This has a direct impact on the quality and trustworthiness of the answers being generated. What businesses and governments alike have learned is that they need to be more in control of the AI platform and the data used by the AI model to generate responses. By hosting a private instance of generative AI themselves, organisations have been able to train it only on data held in their own knowledge bases or other internal data repositories. As these private generative AI setups produce responses based on privately held data, staff and other users can have greater assurance and confidence that the outputs are at least grounded in their own data. While that sounds a fairly straightforward proposition, in reality, there is a lot of complexity involved in being able to do this successfully at scale. Its one reason that corporate generative AI programs still tend to be quite limited in the number of use cases they support - because it remains challenging to structure and ingest multiple sources of data from across an organisation to power more sophisticated generative AI capabilities. But if generative AI is truly going to be as prevalent in business and government environments as predicted, two key questions must be prioritised: How is the data that generative AI produces verified, and how can this activity be performed at scale? For an increasing number of Australian businesses and government agencies, knowledge graph technology represents the missing link that will allow them to use generative AI accurately and at scale. A knowledge graph is an organised representation of real-world entities and their relationships, typically stored in a graph database. Specifically, a knowledge graph combined with GraphRAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) can provide the technical means to retrieve and organise data for ingestion by the AI model, and transparent reasoning around how and why the AI model generated the response that it did. Addressing the need for more data Traditionally, generative AI pulls content from relational databases and neural networks that, if given enough data, produce natural language outputs. But, the technology's shortcoming is that it has no means to organise, understand, or analyse the relationships and connections between data from various sources stored in rigid tables. This is problematic because generative AIs power lies in its ability to look across multiple datasets and to synthesise the contextually relevant pieces of data into a single source of truth, in a simple, easy-to-digest format. That is not to say generative AI cant produce value when it queries only one source of data; we have seen this work in complex and jargonistic domains such as processing insurance claims, where the circumstances of each claim needs to be matched to the specific coverage clauses of a policy to determine the extent of liability and coverage. However, for generative AI to fulfil its potential as a digital assistant for staff, it needs to be capable of sitting across a whole organisations worth of data. The answer to a single question is likely to require data from more than one source, which requires an enabling mechanism. Knowledge graph technology can act as a solution by providing a unified framework that connects data sources, allowing AI systems to understand the relationships and associations between organisational entities and datasets. With a graph database, businesses can utilise the predictive qualities of AI across their entire value chain, unlocking contextual awareness and enabling AI systems to provide more insightful and relevant responses based on interconnected data points. Grounding and validating outcomes While generative AI is usually able to synthesize answers, the people prompting the AI for a response need to know that the answer they receive is grounded in fact, that there are references back to the source data, and that these can be easily checked out. Grounding is essential to maintaining a strong foundation of accuracy and trust when using AI systems. It uncovers the deterministic facts in datasets, ensuring that generative responses are based on factual truth determined through explicit relationships. Businesses should aim to train the large language models (LLMs) that power their generative AI capability with high-quality, structured data in a knowledge graph. Doing so allows them to visually track connections between data and why an answer is accurate, as opposed to an answer appearing with no ability to trace the reasoning behind it. Taking the next steps with generative AI Businesses and government agencies have been able to demonstrate the potential of generative AI in different operational contexts, though often not on a whole-of-organisation basis. The Australian Department of Infrastructure, for example, has selected Neo4j as its database for analysing how Australian commuters and road freight moves around the country. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has also deployed Neo4j to use knowledge graphs for network observability supporting the companys focus on cybersecurity and its transition of digital assets from on-premise to the cloud. While booming in popularity, with new levels of sophistication being added all the time, we are still at the early adopter stage of generative AI. Until large language models have the ability to create and predict answers with greater accuracy by uncovering the complex relationships hidden within datasets, this may remain the case. Businesses are turning to knowledge graphs to capture the semantic relationships between words and phrases to understand their environments and the opportunities that may exist within them. This approach enhances language understanding and enables AI systems to deliver accurate and coherent responses, effectively engaging with users in natural conversations. Jan. 22JAMESTOWN The Jamestown Public School Board unanimously approved on Monday, Jan. 20, to close Washington Elementary School after this school year without a reduction in staff. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the Jamestown Public School District will operate four elementary schools with seven elementary classrooms of each grade level for K-5. Superintendent Rob Lech told The Jamestown Sun before the meeting that the school board and administration have expressed multiple times that the district is not looking to not renew contracts or reduce staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are looking to restructure so that means that staff would be given an opportunity to share perspective on open positions or whatever type of positions they would be interested in and then moved into those other positions," he said. If the school district keeps operating five elementary schools, the general fund is projected to dry up by the 2029-30 school year, The Jamestown Sun reported in September. With the district already capped for its general fund levy, the cost to operate the same facilities and staff as the 2023-24 school year will result in a complete loss of the general fund balance by the 2029-30 school year. "We need to do something different before we get ourselves in trouble and continue to defer and defer and defer," said Aaron Roberts, school board member. "It's time to take action." Lech said the school district and school board have been exploring options to address declining enrollment and aging facility needs. He said the school district has a significant funding shortfall to address aging facility needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school board targeted Washington and Lincoln elementary schools as the schools that would be the most advantageous to retire, according to a memo from Lech that outlines the process and recommendations for the board to consider restructuring elementary buildings. "The rationale for this includes the total investment needed, cost per square foot to address operational, safety, and maintenance needs, capacity (existing and maximum), and ability of existing space to meet current educational needs," he wrote. The four options are: * Option 1: Stay with the status quo. This option would include operating five elementary schools for eight elementary sections of each grade level and existing staffing. An elementary section is a classroom. The school district currently has eight classrooms for each grade in K-5 across five elementary schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Option 2: Retire one building that has one classroom for each grade in K-5. The school district would operate four elementary schools with seven elementary classrooms of each grade level. * Option 3: Retire two buildings including one with a classroom for each grade in K-5 and another with two classrooms for the same grades. This option also includes building an elementary school that has two classrooms for each grade in K-5. The school district would have seven classrooms for each grade in K-5 in four buildings. The estimated cost is $18 million to build the elementary school with two classrooms for each grade in K-5. The district would request up to 16 mills for the sinking and interest levy. * Option 4: Retire three buildings, including two with one classroom for each grade in K-5 and one with two classrooms for the same grades. This option also includes building an elementary school that has three classrooms for each grade in K-5. The school district would have seven classrooms for each grade in K-5 in three buildings. The estimated cost is $25 million to build the elementary school with three classrooms for each grade in K-5. The district would request up to 22 mills for the sinking and interest levy. Lech said the school district has limited funding and the school board prioritizes facility needs with a capital projects plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are allocating 100% of the funds we have every year to the projects," he said. "It's just the projects are greater than the funding that we have." School board member Jason Rohr said closing Washington Elementary School is not tied into bringing a referendum forward for voter approval. "That's going to be another step at some point," he said. "There's been a lot of talk about the two being connected. We have now separated both items and for several reasons, mostly time." School board member Owen McKenna said the board's work is beginning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the community, we need as much input through surveys, and we need those voices heard, and folks at the table moving forward as we think about really exciting prospects for developing new spaces and modernizing and creating awesome learning environments," he said. The school district will communicate with Washington Elementary School parents about transitioning the students to other elementary schools. Lech said the school district will gather some questions from those parents and create a document of frequently asked questions. "We're going to start doing things for our students, helping them transition to wherever building they are going to be placed," he said. RSP & Associates is working on enrollment and boundary studies. The enrollment study is being done by a demographer who is looking at many factors, including birth rates, economic factors, family size and age of families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boundary study will help determine where students will attend elementary school for each of the options, Lech said. "That's going to help us understand at the elementary level what those different boundaries are going to be that's going to impact everybody," Lech said. "That doesn't just impact one building. There's a waterfall effect that's going to happen across the district. If one building is retired, it's not that all students from one building are going to go to another. There's going to be a spillover effect into every boundary zone." This post contains graphic images and/or details. Reader discretion is advised. DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) An employee with the Davis County School District was recently arrested and charged with more than 30 felony counts relating to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or child pornography. Chase Steven Hutchings, 29, was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 15, on 30 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, each of which is a first-degree felony. In a charging document filed Jan. 17, two counts of enticing a minor were added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bodycam footage released after police shoot man in the act of killing parents An undercover official who communicated with Hutchings spoke with him from Dec. 10, 2024, until Jan. 2, 2025. According to court documents, Hutchings sent 144 child pornography files to the undercover officer over the course of three days. The charges include a representative sample of 10 images per day that were sent to the agent on three separate occasions, documents said. Hutchings admitted to possessing and sending child pornography via an encrypted messaging app, and also admitted to having a sexual interest in children, according to documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The affidavit also said Hutchings may have had access to other children through a family member babysitting them. Documents also said he had potential access to children and schools because of his position with the school district. The Davis County School School District told ABC4.com in a written statement that Hutchings was employed with the district, but his position did not give him direct access to students. He is currently on unpaid suspension and is in the process of being terminated, the district said. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sorina Trauntvein contributed to this 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 ABC4 Utah. DENVER (KDVR) Concerns over possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in metro Denver schools are growing, now that President Donald Trump has signed executive orders cracking down on immigration. Denver Public Schools has told its staff, do not allow entry into the building if ICE agents show up on campus. Colorado immigrant rights group reacts to President Trumps executive actions Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Place the school on secure perimeter and use an intercom to communicate with the government official, the memo from the DPS superintendent said. Flor Canales is part of a group called Movimiento Poder, which is trying to address a growing concern among some children in schools. Theyre asking, Can ICE come to our school? What happens if, you know, one of my parents is detained by ICE? What happens if Im detained by ICE?' Canales said. Aurora Public Schools told its staff in a memo to politely inform federal agents the district has a process regarding requests to talk with students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district wrote, Theres no indication there will be immigration action in APS schools. John Fabbricatore, a former ICE field office director and Heritage Foundation traveling fellow, said ICE has never targeted children in schools. Colorado AG joins lawsuit against Trump over birthright citizenship executive order ICE agents have targeted cases that theyre going to be going after right now. Were talking about criminal illegal aliens. Were talking about final order cases. ICE has no reason or want to go into an elementary school, junior high or high school, Fabbricatore said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that agents will now be allowed to go into sensitive areas, which includes schools. Fabbricatore said ICE will go after criminals where they may be hiding. In the meantime, Movimiento Poder is working to help make sure students know what to do if ICE agents show up. We are (encouraging) them to know (their) rights and that you have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney, Canales said. The organization is now preparing packets for migrants with information on how to be prepared if someone from their family is arrested by ICE agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox A spokesperson for Greeley Public Schools said the district has met with its staff about what to do if ICE agents show up at campuses. The Cherry Creek School District also spoke about the issue in a newsletter. FOX31 reached out to ICE for a response to this story but has not yet heard back. 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 FOX31 Denver. Jan. 21Marcello named to President's List at Bob Jones University GREENVILLE, S.C. Haley Marcello, a Senior Nursing major from South Point, was among over 580 Bob Jones University students named to the Fall 2024 President's List. The President's List recognizes students who earn a 3.75 or higher grade point average for the semester. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Bob Jones University provides an outstanding regionally accredited Christian liberal arts education purposely designed to inspire a lifelong pursuit of learning, loving and leading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perego named to SNHU Dean's List MANCHESTER, N.H. Taylor Perego, of Proctorville, has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's Fall 2024 Dean's List. The fall terms run from September to December. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.500 to 3.699 for the reporting term are named to the Dean's List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with a 92-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students make Dean's List at Miami University OXFORD Miami University students who are ranked in the top twenty percent of undergraduate students within each division for the fall semester 2024 have been named to the Dean's list recognizing academic excellence including three students from Lawrence County: Kaeli Huff, of Ironton Alex Rogers, of Proctorville Lilly Zornes, of Ironton. Established in 1809, Miami University is consistently ranked among the top 50 national public universities by the U.S. News & World Report for providing students with an Ivy League-quality education at a public school price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Located in Oxford, Miami University serves more than 22,600 undergraduates across more than 100 areas of study, and more than 2,200 graduate students through 78 master's and doctoral degree programs. Ward named to Campbellsville University's Fall 2024 President's List CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. Maxwell Ward, of Proctorville, has been named to Campbellsville University's President's List for the Fall 2024 semester: The academic honors list recognizes students who achieve a grade point average of 3.50 or above for the semester with a course load of at least 12 hours. Campbellsville University is a comprehensive, Christian institution that offers non-credit technical programs, along with certificates, associates, undergraduate, and graduate programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Southard named to President's List at Miami University OXFORD Ben Southard from Proctorville, OH was named to the Miami University fall 2024 President's list. Miami University students ranked in the top three percent of undergraduate students within each division for the fall 2024 semester have been named to the President's list recognizing academic excellence. Nationally recognized as one of the most outstanding undergraduate institutions, Miami University is a public university located in Oxford. Clark named to Fall 2024 Dean's Honor List at Cedarville University CEDARVILLE Elijah Clark, of Kitts Hill, was named to the Dean's Honor List at Cedarville University for Fall 2024. This recognition requires the student to obtain a 3.75 GPA or higher for the semester and carry a minimum of 12 credit hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cedarville University, a Baptist institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. Brown named to Cumberlands President's List for Fall '24 semester WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. In recognition of academic performance, the Office of Academic Affairs at University of the Cumberlands has announced that Anna Brown, of Waterloo, has been named to the President's List for the fall 2024 semester. To be eligible for the President's List, students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours (a full course load), maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 4.0 for the semester, receive an "A" grade in UC Engage, and be in good academic standing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement University of the Cumberlands is one of the largest and most affordable private universities in Kentucky. Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, Cumberlands is an institution of regional distinction offering quality undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online degree programs. Jackson Named to President's List at Capital University for Fall 2024 BEXLEY Capital University is pleased to announce Erikai Jackson, of South Point, was named to the President's List for the fall 2024 semester. Capital has three lists denoting academic distinction among full-time, degree-seeking students: the President's List, Provost's List, and Dean's List. The President's List indicates the highest level of academic distinction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be named to the President's List, students must have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.85. Located in the Columbus neighborhood of Bexley, Capital University is a private, four-year undergraduate institution and graduate school. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." About five years ago, Yale School of Medicine neuroscientist Zvonimir Vrselja, Ph.D., and his colleagues shocked the medical community with a groundbreaking experiment. They removed a slaughterhouse pigs brain from its head and deprived it of oxygen at room temperature for four hours. Then, they hooked it up to their resuscitation machine and revived itto an extent. A living brains vasculature, or network of blood vessels, carries oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to the brain through arteries and capillaries. So, the researchers used their machine, called BrainEx, to pump a mixture of preserving agents and drugs into the dead pig brain, targeting pathways typically damaged due to a loss of oxygen. The blend contained a substitute for blood made up of molecules that balance cell pH levels, drugs that prevent an excessive immune response, and antibiotics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several remarkable things happened: the gray cortex blushed pink. Brain cells resumed the production of proteins. Neurons began displaying signs of metabolic activity just as living cells do. The brain was once again carrying out basic cellular functions, but it wasnt consciousresearchers didnt expect anything that extremeand couldnt be called alive. Still, the researchers watching this process said that the brain no longer appeared dead. This result goes against everything we thought we knew about death, Dr. Lance Becker, an expert in resuscitation, cardiac arrest, and critical care, told New Scientist in November. Were at a real paradigm-shifting moment as we redefine what is life and what is death, continued Becker, who is also a researcher at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York. After testing it on pigs, Vrselja and his colleagues are now studying donated human brains with their machine, BrainEx. Its a more delicate operation than the pig experiments, and poses grave ethical consequences. For the porcine version of the experiment, researchers made sure that no perception-related brain activity occurred. They included sedatives in their formula that prevented electrical activity and ended the experiment after six hours, according to their 2019 paper published in Nature. We had to develop new methods to make sure no electrical activity is occurring in an organised way that might reflect any kind of consciousness, Vrselja told New Scientist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When dealing with a human brain, preventing perception would require even more care. If a persons brain inched toward consciousness under such an experiment, the consequences would be thorny, according to Hank Greely, a biomedical legal expert at Stanford University in California. Thats very tricky ethically, legally and scientifically, he told New Scientist. Vrselja told the publication that he and his colleagues have no intention of plugging anyone at the point of death into their BrainEx machine. But what theyve accomplished so far is a significant step toward proving that brain death may not be as final as we once thought, arousing fresh hope that patients who are hovering between life and death can still be saved. In the meantime, the researchers have had some success in keeping brains cellularly active for up to 24 hours so they can test treatments for neurological conditions. They hope to help patients with diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. You Might Also Like Star Wars has been in the cultural zeitgeist for nearly half a century, and its influence in the world beyond pop culture remains strong todayso much so that scientists named a newly discovered ocean species after one of the film series' most recognizable characters. A new study published in the ZooKeys journal tells the story of Bathynomus vaderi, a new "supergiant" sea bug species found off the coast of Vietnam. Its menacing face and its resemblance to the unnerving mask of Darth Vader gave the crustacean its name. Bathynomus are deep-sea sea bugs that have been eaten in Vietnam for the better part of a decade. They're technically crustaceans as they're members of the isopod family and are usually found deep in the South China Sea and sold to markets and restaurants. While scientists in the region were doing research on where these bugs are sold, they found a never-before-seen isopod measuring approximately 30 centimeters, or nearly one foot, in length. That shocking size is approximately 10 times larger than the average isopod. To date, 11 "supergiant" and nine "giant" Bathynomus species have been discovered, and vaderi is only the second to be found in the South China Sea. Supergiant Sea Bug 'Bathynomus vaderi' Brings the Dark Side to the South China Sea New Discovery: Scientists studying crustaceans in Vietnam have uncovered a massive deep-sea isopod species resembling Darth Vaders iconic helmet. Meet Bathynomus vaderi: Measuring a pic.twitter.com/yjJ1f5yWCq Network Axis Group (@NetAxisGroup) January 21, 2025 "Over the last seven years, Bathynomus has become increasingly popular in Vietnam as a delicacy in contemporary culinary culture, and it has even been compared to lobsters for the quality of the flesh. The demand has resulted in increased fishing efforts to collect Bathynomus for the live-seafood market, and specimens have been sold alive in eateries (out of water in chilled boxes) or in cold-water tanks in large restaurants (personal observations)," the scientists wrote in their paper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They found Bathynomus vaderi at a seafood market, but its exact originsincluding the exact depth they were foundhave yet to be accurately pinpointed. "We are unable to determine the exact location where B. vaderi was trawled, as the dealers and fishermen would only say they were obtained from deep waters off Vietnam near the Spratly Islands," they said. Related: Why Scientists Are Injecting Rhinos With Radioactive Material Adventurous eaters and Star Wars fans have a new food to try on their next visit to Vietnam. Antarctic sea ice dropped to a record low in 2023. A new study says the loss of ice that year contributed to an increase in ocean heat loss and storms. What's happening? The annual maximum sea ice extent dropped to 6.55 million square miles on September 10, 2023, the lowest maximum in the satellite record that dates back to 1979. That maximum smashed the old record set in 1986 by nearly 400,000 square miles. It was also 676,000 square miles below the average Antarctic maximum extent observed from 1981 to 2010. "Our results reveal that the 2023 Antarctic sea-ice loss has substantially modified airsea interaction in the Southern Ocean and motivate in-depth analysis of the wider climate-system impacts," according to the study published in Nature. "The severity of sea-ice decline is a substantial concern as it has a wide range of physical and biological impacts that include ocean warming leading to enhanced ice-shelf melt, weakening of the Southern Ocean carbon sink and population reduction leading to potential colony extinction in penguins." Why is record-low Antarctic sea ice important? The study says the loss of ice has brought "substantial changes on both sides of the oceanatmosphere interface" that include an increase in storm frequency. The study concluded that "the strongest winter 2023 ice-retraction regions provide an important new source of turbulent ocean heat loss to the atmosphere in wintertime." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Strong heat-loss events are key to initiating ocean convection and influence atmospheric storms," the study added. "Thus, the shift towards more frequent extreme events in 2023 has the potential to substantially affect both the ocean and the atmosphere." The British Antarctic Survey says the record-low levels of Antarctic sea ice observed in 2023 were "extremely unlikely" to happen without the influence of an overheating planet. Scientists say that Antarctic sea ice plays a crucial role in shaping marine and coastal ecosystems and regulating ocean-atmosphere interactions in the Southern Ocean. It also impacts the global climate by reflecting sunlight in the Southern Hemisphere and affecting ice sheets and oceanic currents worldwide. What's being done about Antarctic sea ice loss? Scientists sounded the alarm after they documented a dramatic, six-month collapse of Antarctic sea ice cover in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The World Economic Forum believes we can still avoid the worst impacts of Antarctic sea ice loss by reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases being released into our atmosphere. They recommend the deployment of new clean energy technologies. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Scientists have reached a major milestone in the development of a nuclear fusion reactor, which some scientists call the "holy grail of clean energy." Researchers have also achieved a breakthrough in the development of solar technology that could change the future of solar power and clean energy as a whole. Researchers at the University of Nottingham recently announced they have developed an exciting AI weather forecasting model that could lead to more reliable solar power. 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. SCOTLAND Scotland taxpayers will have the opportunity to pay their January installments locally at a special one-time session. Scotlands tax collection service is outsourced to the Town of Windhams Revenue Office, and a Windham revenue collector will come to the Scotland Town Hall on January 22. The current mill rate for Scotland is 29.75 mills. Taxes are due and payable anytime during the month of January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only checks will be accepted as payment during the special session, which will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at the town offices, located at 9 Devotion Road/Route 97. The session is provided to allow local residents an in-person session without traveling to Willimantic, but taxpayers may still pay with cash, credit or debit cards or checks at the Revenue Office at the Windham Town Hall, located at 979 Main Street. The Windham Revenue Office is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Taxpayers may also pay online, with an additional fee. The service fees, issued by the online vendor and not the town, cost $3.95 per debit card payment, or 2.5% for credit card payments with a minimum fee of $2, or $1 per payment by electronic check. Online payments made be made via a link on the Town of Scotlands website. Residents can also pay over the phone using an automated, secure system. Scotland residents can reach a dedicated line by dialing 833-228-5061. State Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, speaks on the South Dakota House floor on Jan. 21, 2025. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) Some Democrats raised concerns over privacy, censorship and government overreach Tuesday as the South Dakota House of Representatives voted 61-5 to advance an age verification requirement for pornographic websites. Critics of the bill, including Rep. Erin Healy, D-Sioux Falls, said they are concerned about children accessing pornographic material. But Healy worries the measure could create a gold mine of personal data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think it sets a dangerous precedent of increased government control over the internet, she said. Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, said the bills definition of pornography, including a reference to content thats harmful to children, could be interpreted more broadly than intended. We should be extremely wary of bills like this that place pressure on platforms to police their content out of fear for legal consequences, Wittman said. The bill, introduced by Rep. Bethany Soye, R-Sioux Falls, would require adult websites to verify users are at least 18 through measures such as uploading an image of an ID card. It would prohibit websites from retaining personal information post-verification. Noncompliance would result in escalating penalties for the sites, including misdemeanors for first offenses and felonies for repeated violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soye said the bill is an important step in protecting minors from exposure to explicit online material. I think most people today, especially older people, dont understand just how violent and misogynistic porn has become, she said. This isnt your old girly magazine. The bill now moves to a Senate committee. The Senate, meanwhile, has its own age-verification bill. Its modeled after Texas legislation thats under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate bill would only take effect if the Texas law is upheld. The other difference is that the Senate bill would only require age verification for sites where at least one-third of the content is harmful to minors, to more clearly distinguish between pornographic sites and sites that merely contain some adult content. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Essex County Sheriffs Department is searching for a missing Brighton woman. Monica Quick, 59, was last seen leaving her home on Saturday and has not made contact with family members. She is believed to be in the Orleans/Essex County area with her dark blue 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Quicks Vermont license plate number is KMT862. Individuals with information on this incident can call the Essex County Sheriffs Department at (802) 676-3500 or leave an anonymous tip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 ABC22 & FOX44. LogicMonitor, the leading SaaS-based platform for artificial intelligence (AI)-powered data centre transformation, announced its strategic collaboration with OpenAI, solidifying its leadership in AI-powered innovation and data centre transformation. Together with OpenAI, LogicMonitor advances its mission to enable seamless, scalable, and intelligent IT operations (ITOps) that benefit the management of AI and the shaping of the future workforce. Powering the future of AI LogicMonitor has leveraged its own robust data sets gathered from over a decade of monitoring data centres to create large language models (LLMs) purpose-built for ITOps and the teams driving AI innovation. This collaboration underscores LogicMonitors commitment to transform data centres by enabling enterprises to future-proof their IT environments through AI-powered insights, automation, and operational resilience. By integrating with OpenAIs cutting-edge technologies, including o1, LogicMonitor enhances its platform intelligence - delivering smarter and more actionable data, intelligent automation, and unmatched scalability and efficiency for enterprise IT teams. Christina Kosmowski, chief executive officer, LogicMonitor, said, LogicMonitor has long been the trusted, strategic partner to CIOs, helping them build resilient, scalable businesses ready for the Agentic AI era. This integration with OpenAIs technology accelerates our AI leadership, enabling us to deliver the most advanced reasoning technologies that transform data centres and ITOps. By embedding OpenAIs advanced reasoning technologies into our platform and workflows, were empowering IT teams with agentic interfaces and intelligent automation to stay ahead in a complex landscapewhile driving faster innovation and greater value for our customers. Giancarlo Lionetti, chief commercial officer, OpenAI, said, Were thrilled to support LogicMonitors efforts. By integrating our advanced reasoning technologies into Edwin AI and internal workflows, LogicMonitor's customers will be able to manage the complexity of modern data centre environments faster and with more precision. Simplifying ITOps with agentic AI LogicMonitors Edwin AI empowers IT teams with purpose-built AI agents for ITOps that deliver proactive insights and intelligent automation. Now integrating with OpenAIs advanced reasoning models, Edwin AI transforms raw fragmented data into actionable intelligence, helping enterprises streamline operations, solve complex problems faster, and improve data center performance. Benefits of the integration include: Unified data integration Unified insights from native first-party telemetry data, third-party telemetry data and critical IT data, enabling faster root-cause analysis and reducing downtime for improved service reliability. Unified insights from native first-party telemetry data, third-party telemetry data and critical IT data, enabling faster root-cause analysis and reducing downtime for improved service reliability. Advanced reasoning capabilities Analyse multiple factors in parallel, enabling human-like decision-making and complex problem-solving to address IT challenges with greater speed and accuracy, ensuring seamless data centre operations. Analyse multiple factors in parallel, enabling human-like decision-making and complex problem-solving to address IT challenges with greater speed and accuracy, ensuring seamless data centre operations. Proactive problem solving Always-on AI insights that predict and prevent issues before they impact performance, enhancing uptime and operational resilience for complex data centre environments. Always-on AI insights that predict and prevent issues before they impact performance, enhancing uptime and operational resilience for complex data centre environments. Flexible AI architecture LLM-agnostic design that leverages the latest technologies from OpenAI while enabling integration of other AI models, ensuring adaptability for evolving business needs and scalability. Karthik SJ, general manager of AI, LogicMonitor, said, Were setting a new standard for AI in ITOps. Edwin AI isnt just another AI copilot - its a purpose-built AI agent for ITOps that can understand, reason, act and resolve the most complex issues in the data centre. By integrating with OpenAIs cutting-edge reasoning models, were enabling teams to automate complex operations and optimise performance, redefining whats possible for enterprise IT. Upskilling the workforce of the future As part of the collaboration, LogicMonitor is adopting OpenAIs ChatGPT Enterprise to empower the workforce of the future - modernising its internal workflows that impact the transformation of ITOps. By integrating AI-powered chat and automation, LogicMonitor is accelerating AI adoption to upskill the workforce, boosting productivity, streamlining operations, and driving smarter decision-making. This initiative empowers the companys teams to innovate faster, improve efficiency, and deliver superior outcomes for customers. LogicMonitor continues to lead the charge in AI for hybrid observability, enabling businesses to monitor, manage, and optimise their modern data centre environments with greater precision. This initiative with OpenAI reinforces LogicMonitors leadership in AI, fast-tracking innovation across its platform and workflows to redefine enterprise efficiency, scalability, and growth in an increasingly complex digital world. Discover how LogicMonitor is shaping the future of IT operations. Learn more at www.logicmonitor.com. About LogicMonitor LogicMonitor offers AI-powered data centre transformation. The companys SaaS-based platform, LM Envision, enables observability across on-prem and multi-cloud environments. A Visionary on the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Observability, LogicMonitor provides IT and business teams operational visibility and predictability across their technologies and applications to focus less on troubleshooting and more on delivering extraordinary employee and customer experiences. For more information, visit www.logicmonitor.com and our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube. HONOLULU (KHON2) The search continues for two teens who have been missing since Friday. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Assets from varying agencies have been looking for Samantha Chun and Joey Fujioka since Saturday after the couple did not return from a night out. HPD said Fujioka picked up Chun sometime after 9 p.m. on Friday and they were last seen at a gas station on Kipapa Drive. They arrived at Ke Iki beach around 10:30 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two teens missing in North Shore waters, search paused until morning Fujiokas family found his car locked and secured at the beach the next morning and the couples belongings, including their phones and wallets, were found on a blanket on the beach. HFD said human remains were found Saturday afternoon around 200 yards off Ke Iki beach. Just moments ago we received a report from the medical examiners office that those remains are in fact human and we have informed the family of such. We do not have confirmation though that those remains are related to this search effort, HFDs Jaimie Song said at a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The USCG said they came to the difficult decision to suspend the search Tuesday night at sunset unless anything new came up. Chuns family released a statement thanking those involved in the search. We dont know what happened that night. We dont know for sure that they went into the water. The waves were huge and both kids were born and raised in Hawaii and know and love the ocean. HPD said their missing persons unit is investigating and has not ruled out foul play. 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. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) The second suspect in a deadly 2024 shooting on Lakeview Drive has been extradited to Huntsville and booked into the Madison County Jail. According to jail records, 34-year-old Kiarah Donque Jones was booked into the Madison County Jail on Tuesday. Judge rules Colbert County man charged with 2024 murder did not act in self-defense He is charged with homicide-murder of a non-family member with a gun and is being held without bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Huntsville Police Department said officers responded to the 3000 block of Lakeview Drive for a shooting around 5 a.m. on Nov. 17 and found 35-year-old James Grays with a gunshot wound. The department said they learned that the morning of the shooting, Grays was leaving a party when he was shot. HPD said Grays was pronounced dead at the scene. After gathering evidence from the scene, HPD obtained a warrant for Jones on Wednesday, Nov. 20. According to HPD, Jones was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday, Nov. 22. Two arrested following shooting at Best Western Hotel Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second suspect was also taken into custody with Jones, 31-year-old Erica Lashawn Baker. Huntsville Police said that after an extensive investigation and consultation with the Madison County District Attorneys Office, an additional murder warrant was issued for Baker. Both Baker and Jones were held in the Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center in Kentucky awaiting extradition. On Dec. 18, Baker was booked into the Madison County Jail and charged with: Capias warrant-theft of property 4th-miscellaneous Possession of drug paraphernalia-misdemeanor Reckless murder In-state detainer for misdemeanor warrant Court records show on Jan. 8, Baker filed to waive her right to a preliminary hearing and filed a motion for a speedy trial and on Jan. 13, documents show Baker bonded out of jail on the charge of reckless murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huntsville woman arrested for cutting man after argument Jones is still awaiting a trial date following his extradition. 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. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A shooting suspect is in critical condition after a security guard shot him. According to the Dayton Police Department, officers were called to the 3500 block of North Main Street on a shots fired call around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. Two teens sent to hospital after Sunday morning shooting in Dayton Investigation revealed a disturbance had occurred at a local business involving a 32-year-old male. While a security guard was trying to escort someone from the property, the 32-year-old suspect began firing shots at a victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The security guard then shot at the suspect, striking him. The suspect was sent to the hospital by personal means. Police say he is in critical condition. Dayton PDs Homicide Unit is investigating the incident. 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 WDTN.com. Ask CSUB President Vernon B. Harper Jr. why he spends his valuable time greeting students at the beginning of each new semester, and he may seem a little surprised by the question. "There's no greater use of my time than to greet students and make sure they understand that we care about them at this institution," Harper said. The university's administrators, faculty and staff forge personal relationships with students, he said, and have a personal stake in their success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many local windshields froze over early Tuesday morning, and temperatures at the campus were hanging in the low-30s as Harper, Chief of Staff Kristen Watson, Interim Provost James Rodriguez and others welcomed scores of arriving students to the campus on the first day of spring semester 2025. Some arrived by car, others by bus and many were dropped off by family members. Standing at the beginning of what is affectionately known as CSUB's "Red Brick Road," the administrators and staffers handed out free gifts, such as roadrunner lapel pins and squeezable blue rubber balls that are said to help relieve the stress many students may feel on the first day of a new term. "We want the students to know that we're always here to support them," Watson told The Californian. "It's really critical, given the population of students that we serve." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many students, she said, are the first in their family to attend college. They're embarking on a journey their parents and grandparents may only have dreamed of. "So, this can be an emotionally draining day," she said. As of Tuesday morning, total campus enrollment stood at 9,682 students, a 4% increase over the same time last year. However, there's still a few weeks until those numbers become official, so some fluctuation is possible. Across town, Bakersfield College was also marking the first day of its spring semester for most of its students. However, students enrolled in weekend classes started on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michelle Mancilla, 20, a transfer student from Bakersfield College, admitted to being "a bit nervous on the first day." As she walked to her first class on her first day at a four-year university, the biology major said she's not sure yet what direction she's going to take after earning a degree. Dulce Romero also was starting her first day at the university after transferring from BC. And despite her experience at the community college, coming across town to CSUB felt just a little bit daunting. "There's a very big difference between Bakersfield College and CSUB," she said. "I'm technically a junior, but I feel like a freshman. Everything is new." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another student, Ariana Mora, is only 18, but she's coming to Cal State as a junior thanks to her attendance at Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano, where she earned college-level credits. Now starting her second semester, the psychology major said she still feels some nerves, but it's not as intense as her first semester. These students are so busy they may not yet know of important new developments coming to the campus. "We are now preparing for our new Department of Public Health, a significant development," said Interim Provost Rodriguez, who also serves as vice president of academic affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're also continuing our preparations for launching our doctoral nurse practitioner program in the fall," he said. Those developments in academic programs are mirrored by plans for concrete developments on campus, including a new center of learning directly connected to the region's business and industry, Harper said. "I'll be meeting with the board of trustees in a couple of months and talking about our Energy and Innovation Center," he said. "By the end of the year, we'll break ground, and that new STEM facility will help us add more faculty, double our engineering program and produce more innovation for this region." There's even more new developments coming that Harper said he can't talk about publicly. Not yet. But one gets the sense it's gonna be big. Jan. 21Sen. Angus King joined Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday in voting against the nomination of former Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense. Hegseth's nomination was endorsed by the committee in a 14-13 party-line vote and now advances to the full Senate, where it is also likely to encounter a partisan divide. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes in order to confirm one of President Donald Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks. While King was already able to cast a vote on Hegseth as a member of the committee, political observers continue to keep a close eye on Maine's other senator, Sen. Susan Collins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins is among a small number of moderate Republicans who could be an influential vote. She has not yet said how she plans to vote on Hegseth's nomination, and a spokesperson said Tuesday that she is still reviewing Hegseth's committee hearing. In a prepared statement, King, an independent, said he voted against Hegseth's confirmation because he was concerned by the nominee's answers to questions last week regarding the rules of international warfare and his qualifications for the job. "What I heard or failed to hear on Tuesday is of great concern and would do great harm to America's role in the world," King said. "Mr. Hegseth failed to acknowledge that he would abide by the international laws of warfare, like the Geneva Conventions, which outlaws torture, something that the Senate sought to root out last decade. "Nor did he explain how his spotty professional career in nonprofit management or broadcasting prepares him to run one of the largest and most complicated organizations in the world," King said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King focused his questioning of Hegseth before the committee last week on international warfare and the role of women in combat. Democrats focused tough questions on statements Hegseth has made about women not belonging in combat and about accusations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and financial mismanagement during his time running veterans' organizations. Republicans, meanwhile, defended Hegseth and praised his qualifications. Hegseth told King last week that the humane treatment of prisoners and international rules are important, but he said the way wars are fought has changed over time and the rules aren't always applicable. "We fight enemies that play by no rules," Hegseth said. "They use civilians as human shields. They target women and children. We don't do that. We follow rules, but we don't need burdensome rules of engagement that make it impossible for us to win these wars." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King also noted that Hegseth declined to meet with minority members of the Armed Services Committee, as is customary. And he said Hegseth "evaded an opportunity to clearly and directly support Ukraine in its fight against Putin's illegal invasion a response that (China's) Xi Jinping and (North Korea's) Kim Jung Un are watching closely as they wonder whether the United States would stand firm in defense of their allies." Copy the Story Link Voters at a polling station in Buckingham County. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for the Virginia Mercury) The Democratic-controlled Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Tuesday afternoon struck down several Republican-backed bills aimed at restricting voting access, while advancing measures to expand ballot accessibility, including a local option for ranked choice voting. Defeated proposals included stricter photo ID requirements, a shorter early voting period, and tighter voter registration verification rules. Despite the partisan divide, the committee unanimously approved a bipartisan bill to shorten the voter registration closure period, signaling rare cooperation in an otherwise contentious debate over election laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By an 8-7 party-line vote, the panel killed a Republican proposal to reinstate stricter photo ID requirements for voters. Senate Bill 1070, sponsored by Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, would have required voters to present a photo ID at the polls, ending the current option to sign a statement affirming identity under penalty of perjury. Peake defended the measure, saying photo ID laws previously worked well in Virginia and enjoyed broad public support. Eighty percent of the population supports photo ID, and Im just trying to help bring the commonwealth into agreement with that 80%, he said. A national Gallup poll from October found that 84% of Americans favored a photo ID requirement for voting. Supporters, like Melody Clarke of Virginia Institute Action, argued that voter ID laws increase trust in elections and boost minority participation. Opponents, including Chris DeRosa of the Virginia League of Women Voters, countered that the bill would turn away legitimate voters without improving election security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By another 8-7 party-line vote, the committee defeated another Peake proposal to reduce the early voting period for primary elections from 45 days to 14 days. SB 1072, merged with an identical bill from Sen. Timmy French, R-Shenandoah, aimed to streamline election operations and reduce costs associated with maintaining lengthy early voting periods, according to Peake. Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, sponsored a slate of measures aimed at limiting access to voting which Democrats defeated. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) Peake argued the change is necessary to address overburdened registrars and underutilized resources during early voting. Fourteen days is more than enough for primaries, he said. Registrars are horribly overworked, and people are not showing up in these primaries, even the presidential ones. French added that the current 45-day period was costly for localities in his district, stating, Its costing about $150,000 a year in my district alone money that could go to schools. Supporters of the bill, including Clarke of Virginia Institute Action, highlighted the financial and personal toll of extended early voting. These very extended elections cost a lot of money, and its not just money. Grandmothers who work in registrars offices dont get to spend time with their grandkids because of 45 days of early voting, Clarke said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opponents, however, warned the proposal would reduce voter access and create barriers for those with limited availability. Kristin Szakos, an election worker from Charlottesville, said the longer early voting window reduces Election Day congestion and helps prevent errors. Gaylene Kanoyton of the Virginia NAACP emphasized the importance of prioritizing voter access over cost savings. Once you start cutting back on voting rights and cutting back on access, its going to keep cutting, and were not going for it at all, she said. Committee members also debated the bills potential impact. Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, supported the proposal, citing weeks of low voter turnout in smaller jurisdictions. The last two weeks or 14 days is very reasonable, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, opposed the measure, arguing that elections should focus on voters needs, not registrars. Its not We the registrars of the United States. Its We the People, he said. In closing, Peake called the current 45-day period excessive and costly. 135 days of early voting out of 365 is absurd, he said. Despite his arguments, Democrats on the panel ultimately rejected the proposal. The panel further voted to defeat SB 1073, another Peake proposal which proposed verifying voter registration information such as Social Security numbers against federal or state databases before finalizing registration. Peake argued the bill would bolster election security and prevent fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We could make sure that our elections would be foolproof, and that way when somebody lost, as a sore loser, they cant go around saying, Oh, I think some illegal person voted in the election and cost me the election, Peake said. He called the requirement very easy and emphasized it would apply only to new registrations. Supporters like Clarke of Virginia Institute Action called the bill common sense, adding, Its unfortunate that we have so many measures that would help all Virginians, including your constituents, of the individuals who are voting against these measures. Critics argued the measure would create barriers for voters and overburden local election offices. This requirement would impose undue and costly burdens on local offices of voter registration and likely lead to the denial of the right to vote to qualified residents, Szakos, the election worker from Charlottesville, said. Democrats on the committee ultimately defeated the proposal, citing concerns about restricting voter access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But they advanced a bill that would allow localities to use ranked choice voting for local offices, such as mayoral and school board elections. SB 1009, sponsored by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, D-Fairfax, passed on an 8-7 party-line vote. Ranked choice voting enables voters to rank candidates in order of preference, redistributing votes until a candidate secures a majority. Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, D-Fairfax County, introduced a measure that would allow localities to use ranked choice voting for local offices. (Photo by Charlie Paullin/Virginia Mercury) Salims legislation directs the State Board of Elections to establish standards, approve compatible vote tabulation software, and create educational materials to inform voters about the system. It also requires the Department of Elections to review the states voting equipment testing process and submit a report by 2026. This bill provides localities the flexibility to include mayoral and school board races in their adoption of ranked choice voting, Salim said. It clarifies and continues the concept, allowing every jurisdiction to choose how to make every vote count in a way that fits their community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters highlighted the benefits of ranked choice voting in crowded local races. Sean Crow of UpVote Virginia noted examples of races where localities could improve outcomes, such as Arlingtons sheriff races, Loudoun Countys school board contests, and mayoral elections in Newport News and Richmond. All of these are local races with crowded fields, and all of these are races which are currently not covered under the ranked choice voting local option, Crow said. Fatima Moaihead of the Humanization Project emphasized how ranked choice voting could amplify underrepresented voices. This bill provides each community the opportunity to choose how to best get voters voices heard for all local offices, not just some, she said. However, opponents argued that it complicates voting and could discourage turnout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clarke of Virginia Institute Action expressed concerns about its impact on elections. We are opposed to ranked choice voting because the ballots are more complex than the traditional one person, one vote, she said, adding that turnout tends to drop in districts adopting RCV. The proposal, seen by supporters as a step toward modernizing Virginias election practices, now heads to the full Senate for consideration. In a rare display of bipartisan support, the committee unanimously advanced a proposal to reduce the period when voter registration records are closed before elections. SB 991, sponsored by Sen. Angelia Williams Graves, D-Norfolk, aims to align voter registration deadlines more closely with absentee ballot requests, giving Virginians more time to register ahead of elections. What this does is just bring all of those dates in line to the same date, Williams Graves explained. The last day to register to vote and the last day to request an absentee ballot are now 10 days prior to election day. This bill came from the registrars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the proposed change, the closure period for voter registration would decrease from 21 days to 10 days for primary and general elections. For most special elections, the period would shrink from 13 days to 10 days. Supporters say the adjustment would improve accessibility, particularly for voters who register closer to Election Day. David Bailey of the Voter Registrar Association voiced support for the measure, noting that it could ease administrative burdens. When you cut off at 21 days, certainly you could have more people that happen to go provisionally or have to come back later, Bailey said. If you allow the registration to go ahead and take place up until 10 days, it should shorten some of the work. If enacted, the bill could simplify voter registration timelines and encourage greater participation, while also helping election officials better accommodate last-minute registrants. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg (left), Gov. Glenn Youngkin (center) and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears during a news conference in support of an amendment enshrining "right-to-work" laws in the state constitution in Richmond on Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods) A push to enshrine Virginias right-to-work laws in the state constitution was blocked Tuesday by the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, which voted 8-7 along party lines to defeat the proposed amendment. Senate Joint Resolution 271, introduced by Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, aimed to make it unlawful to deny employment based on union membership or refusal to join a union. The defeat delivers another blow to right-to-work advocates, whose similar effort was rejected by Virginia voters in 2016. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Workers can choose to join a union and many of them will, or they can choose not to join a union, Obenshain told the committee Tuesday. And if they choose to join a union, they cant be fired for making that choice. If they choose not to join a union, they cant be fired for not joining a union. Right-to-work laws are currently in place through state statute. Supporters of Obenshains amendment have argued that embedding these protections in the state constitution would make it harder for future legislatures to weaken or repeal them. If the measure had passed, it would have required approval in two consecutive General Assembly sessions and ratification by Virginia voters in a statewide referendum. Calling the proposal a fair piece of legislation, Obenshain added, This protects our status here in the commonwealth of Virginia, ensures that we remain a vibrant, growing economy, and is an opportunity for each of us to reaffirm our commitment to our right-to-work laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, sharply criticized the measure, invoking the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to emphasize the negative impacts of right-to-work laws on workers and unions. Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William. (Photo by Charlie Paullin/Virginia Mercury) Yesterday was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and I would like to remind the body of his full quote in 1961, Carroll Foy said, citing the Civil Rights leader. Right to work is a false slogan because right-to-work laws provide neither rights nor work, and are in fact designed to rob us of our civil rights and job rights and to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone. Carroll Foy also pointed to Virginia voters dismissal of a similar ballot measure nine years ago, noting, Virginians have voted, the voters have spoken, and Virginians have rejected this measure. Instead of using this time to undo the will of Virginians, we should be working on bills and budgets that uplift and help Virginia workers. Advocates of the amendment framed it as a safeguard for worker freedom and the states pro-business reputation. Among them were Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who held a press conference earlier on Tuesday to voice their support for Obenshains amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earle-Sears, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, emphasized that the proposal was not anti-union but rather pro-worker, framing it as a measure to protect individual choice. It should not be controversial to pass, she said, adding that the amendment was about allowing workers to decide how much of their money they keep. While Virginias right-to-work laws have been codified for decades with little challenge, Youngkin, too, argued that more was necessary to protect against potential efforts to repeal it in the future. This constitutional amendment is critically important to make sure that the constant pressure to undermine this core building block in Virginias competitiveness to succeed is protected, Youngkin said, referencing past statements by his 2021 gubernatorial opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. While the Democrat expressed general support for right-to-work laws during his campaign, Youngkin noted that his opponent had also signaled openness to repeal efforts in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the committee hearing, business groups spoke in favor of the amendment, highlighting the importance of various options in the workplace. Brandon Robinson of the Associated General Contractors of Virginia said, On behalf of our hundreds of members and the thousands of workers they employ in the commonwealth who currently have the choice to join a union or to not join a union, we adamantly support this. Julia Hammond, representing the Associated Builders & Contractors Virginia Chapter, echoed that sentiment. We too support this amendment, we support the choice that it puts inside the constitution, much like other constitutional amendments. Choice is very important, she said. Labor advocates and unions pushed back, arguing that the amendment is unnecessary and distracts from efforts to improve workers rights. Doris Crouse-Mays, president of the Virginia AFL-CIO, also reminded lawmakers of the failed 2016 attempt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We stand in opposition to this, Crouse-Mays said. We should be focused on things that benefit workers, like raising the minimum wage and giving all public service workers the freedom to collectively bargain. And if we want to talk about choices for workers, and that is our interest, then workers should have the choice to join the union if they want to in an atmosphere that is free of intimidation and fear. The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted 8-7 along party lines to defeat the proposed amendment. (Courtesy of Legislative Information System) Committee member Sen. Glenn Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, voiced frustration with the opposition to the proposed amendment. I guess Im kind of confused, Sturtevant said, addressing union representatives who testified against the measure. I cant imagine a better protection for union members than putting this protection, preserving their right to work in a labor union, in the constitution. Sturtevant suggested that objections were driven by political motives, adding, Im sort of really kind of shocked that the unions we heard testify today would be opposed to having this language in the constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obenshain, the amendments sponsor, defended the proposal and challenged arguments that it lacked public support. He noted that while an identical amendment was previously rejected by voters, the margin was narrow. The vote was not overwhelming back in 2016, it was a single-digit margin, Obenshain said. He argued that assurances at the time from lawmakers that right-to-work laws would remain unchallenged influenced the outcome. Those comments make it clear that our right-to-work laws are controversial, Obenshain said, acknowledging a divide on the issue. Were entitled to fair-minded differences on issues that are important to us, and this is important to Senator Carroll Foy. Its important to me, too. We just happen to have a different opinion on this. Committee Chair Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, offered a passionate defense of unions and their role in protecting workers, framing the amendment as part of broader efforts to weaken organized labor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a member of a union myself, the unions are under attack today, Rouse said. He criticized what he described as union-busting techniques seen across the country, adding, We need to understand that the federal minimum wage, even the minimum wage that Democrats tried to pass, has not kept up with the cost of living. Rouse highlighted the struggles many workers face, from rising healthcare costs to balancing basic needs like housing, childcare, and transportation. These are all issues relevant to making sure that peoples dignity is reflected in their paycheck, something that unions stand strong for, he said. He argued that unions play a critical role in addressing income inequality, which he called one of the defining challenges of the era. At a time where we have seen the largest wealth income gap, where 99% of the wealth is accumulated in the top one percent, whos speaking for the little guys? This is what unions do, so I am proud to be a part of the union, Rouse concluded. Reporter Charlotte Rene Woods contributed to this story. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Utah Senate President Stuart Adams warned that if the state fails to respond to a recent court ruling that limited legislative changes to citizen initiatives then Utah could become the next Petri dish of America. Adams predicted that lawmakers will draft language for another constitutional amendment before the 2026 election cycle to work around the Utah Supreme Courts interpretation of the Legislatures limited ability to reform citizen ballot initiatives. The people in Utah that are elected ought to be making decisions for people in Utah, Adams, R-Layton, told reporters on Tuesday. How did we get here? In July, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that the Utah Constitution prohibits lawmakers from altering the results of citizen-led ballot initiatives that reform the government unless the changes are narrowly tailored to meet a compelling government interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, the states highest court upheld a decision from a 3rd District Court judge that voided Amendment D, a ballot initiative crafted by legislative leadership that would have amended the Utah Constitution to allow lawmakers to amend or repeal citizen initiatives in all cases. But the Utah Legislature is far from ready to cede their ability to amend laws passed via ballot initiative. Is Utah becoming more like Oregon? Adams insisted that continuing with the court decision would undermine the states republican form of government and would set the state on a path to becoming like California and Oregon. Adams recounted a conversation he had with the Democratic senate president of Oregon, where a ballot initiative decriminalizing hard drugs wreaked havoc for four years before the legislature stepped in last year with a recriminalization law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregons citizen initiative policy made it the Petri dish of America, this lawmaker reportedly told Adams. Every crazy idea in America is passed with an initiative in Oregon, Adams said. Citizen initiatives are often driven by activist groups from other states, Adams pointed out. The 2020 Oregon initiative that legalized the possession of all drugs was funded by an organization from New York City. Out-of-state companies coming in and running initiatives like that are destroying states, Adams said. Another constitutional amendment Other states have attempted to prohibit foreign influences on ballot initiatives. But these laws have been held up by court challenges on First Amendment grounds, according to Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passing this kind of restriction on special interests through a constitutional amendment before all Utah voters could put it on stronger legal footing, Cullimore said. Voters can only vote on a constitutional amendment during a presidential election year. Adams said he isnt sure whether the Legislature will pass a bill to place another constitutional amendment on the ballot this session or next. The last time lawmakers attempted to amend the state Constitution to allow changes to all citizen-led ballot initiatives, the effort was struck down because of misleading language and the failure to adequately advertise the amendment. We have served the people well, and Im just really concerned that out-of-state groups will come in and spend the money and destroy all that weve done here, Adams said. Pete Hegseths former sister-in-law gave an affidavit to the Senate Armed Services Committee accusing him of being abusive toward his second ex-wife, according to a copy of the affidavit obtained by CNN. The allegations against Hegseth, President Donald Trumps nominee to be defense secretary, became public Tuesday, a week after his confirmation hearing and one day after the Senate Armed Services Committee approved his nomination on a party-line vote, sending it to the full Senate. Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Hegseths brother from 2011 to 2019, wrote in the affidavit that Hegseth was abusive toward his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth. She did not specify the nature of the abuse and said she did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth. Danielle Hegseth wrote that Samantha Hegseth at times feared for her safety and that she had a code word if she needed help to get away from her husband. She said she once received a text from Samantha Hegseth with the code word sometime in 2015 or 2016. The affidavit also alleged that she witnessed Hegseth abusing alcohol at multiple family gatherings, and that she also witnessed him drinking to excess in public twice during 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have chosen to come forward publicly, at significant personal sacrifice, because I am deeply concerned by what Hegseths confirmation would mean for our military and our country and because I have been assured that making this public statement will ensure that certain Senators who are still on the fence will vote against Hegseths confirmation, she wrote. But for that assurance I would not subject myself or others referenced in this statement to the public scrutiny this statement is likely to cause. CNN has reached out to Samantha Hegseth for comment. She said in a statement to NBC News, which first reported the affidavit: There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision. Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Hegseth, said in a statement that Danielle Hegseth is a lifelong Democrat and used to pick fights with family because she was a Democrat. She hates Pete and there is no truth to any of this. Most of what she is saying are things she didnt in fact witnesses, she is accusing his ex-wife of lying in her divorce proceeding and lying to the FBI, Parlatore said in the statement. She shared this info during his background check and FBI followed up and was unable to find corroboration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseths nomination has already been endangered by allegations including sexual assault and excessive drinking in the workplace that emerged after he was selected by Trump to lead the Pentagon in November. Hegseth has repeatedly denied all allegations of misconduct, including having a drinking problem, but has said he would not drink while serving as secretary of defense if hes confirmed. Theres no indication yet whether the new allegations would impact Hegseths chances of winning confirmation, but his chances remain solid. While the vote is expected to be close, four Senate Republicans would have to defect to stop Hegseths nomination, and none have emerged following his confirmation hearing last week. Two swing votes, Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have yet to take a position. In her affidavit, Danielle Hegseth wrote that she was providing the affidavit at the request of Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She said that she had spoken to the FBI as part of the agencys background investigation of the defense secretary nominee, first in December and again last week on January 18. On January 18, Reed wrote a letter to Danielle Hegseth requesting any information she had about allegations of abuse, mistreatment of a spouse or public drunkenness related to Pete Hegseth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has come to our attention that you may have information relating to matters of interest to the Committee, information that would shed light on the fitness of Mr. Hegseth to occupy this important position, particularly in the nature of his personal conduct, and potential misconduct, Reed wrote. In a statement, Reed said: As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseths history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms my fears. The alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing. This behavior would disqualify any servicemember from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker told CNN he believed Hegseths ex-sister-in-law has an axe to grind. I have not reviewed the document. My reaction is that I have grave doubts as to the substance, Wicker told CNN, citing the statements attributed to Hegseths ex-wife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think the nomination is going to forward by Thursday, he said, suggesting thats when a key procedural vote would occur and that a final confirmation vote could occur over the weekend, if not sooner. But several Senate Democrats argued that the allegations showed that Hegseth is unqualified to be defense secretary and complained that it was not included in the FBIs background investigation briefed to Armed Services leaders. This is not an anonymous smear, said Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Hawaii Democrat. The fact that this person came forward and talks about his erratic behavior and his drunkenness, none of this was disclosed in the FBI report that was only available to the chair and ranking member. Sen. Joni Ernst, one of the Republicans who had initially expressed concerns about Hegseths nomination but ultimately said she would support him, told CNN Tuesday the affidavit is from his sister-in-law, and the wife has said it did not happen. So we can move on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ernst said she thinks that Hegseth has the Republican votes to be confirmed. The sooner the better. We really need someone at that post, she said. Samantha Hegseth filed for divorce from Pete Hegseth in 2017, one month after Fox executive producer Jennifer Rauchet gave birth to Hegseths baby. Hegseth and Rauchet married in 2019. Records from the divorce case in Minnesota show the couple accused each other of saying hurtful things to their children about the other parent. A court-appointed parenting consultant chastised Pete Hegseth in one letter for his conduct around his sons, writing that he had shown hostile and degrading communication toward Samantha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A judges order filed in the divorce stated, Neither parent claims to be a victim of domestic abuse. In a statement to CNN, Danielle Hegseths lawyer Leita Walker said: Danielle will not be commenting beyond her statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which required much courage. She asks for respect for her privacy and the privacy of those she cares about including Pete Hegseths former wives and children. CNNs Paula Reid, Jim Scuitto, Natasha Bertrand, Kit Maher, Curt Devine and Ali Main contributed to this story. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com GUEST OPINION: Cloud environments, while offering unparalleled agility and scalability, are also a major source of risk exposure for organisations worldwide, with breaches ranging from misconfigurations to advanced cyberattacks. According to Tenables 2024 Cloud Security Outlook , 95% of organisations had experienced cloud-related breaches in the previous 18 months. New cloud-based attack vectors have combined with known risks to create threats across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. To add complexity, many organisations are plagued by siloed security tools and a shortage of cloud expertise. Enter Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs)a game changer in cloud security. CNAPPs are rapidly becoming the central nervous system of cloud defence, offering businesses a comprehensive solution to manage risk in todays fast-changing digital environment. As data flows dynamically across multiple cloud environments, CNAPPs provide an integrated approach to securing cloud workloads by combining security features such as threat detection, vulnerability management, compliance monitoring, and workload protection. These platforms empower organisations to identify and address security gaps proactively, ensuring that critical assets remain protected against cyber threats. By adopting a proactive security model, CNAPPs not only help detect threats earlier but can also significantly reduce the cost of remediation by preventing issues before they escalate into full-scale breaches. Beyond securing cloud infrastructure, CNAPPs embed security throughout the entire cloud-native application lifecycle, from development to runtime. This marks a critical shift for businesses navigating the complexities of multi-cloud operations. Rather than merely responding to vulnerabilities, security teams can now prevent breaches by integrating protections from the outset. This proactive strategy is crucial for tackling the growing challenges of cloud security. Why CNAPPs Are Necessary Now The cloud, with its promise of agility and scalability, has transformed how companies operate. However, it has also introduced new vulnerabilitiesespecially for those utilising multiple cloud platforms. Each cloud provider offers its own set of security tools, but these tools often only cover its specific cloud environment. This creates blind spots, leaving businesses exposed to undetected breaches across their multi-cloud setups. Security teams now face the challenge of managing fragmented tools across various cloud platforms, made even more difficult by the rapid pace of cloud innovation. Traditional CSPMs focus on cloud infrastructure configuration but often fail to address application-level threats. This gap becomes particularly dangerous in multi-cloud environments, where disjointed security tools make it nearly impossible to manage risks comprehensively. These fragmented security tools often result in critical security gaps, delayed responses to threats, and difficulty meeting regulatory requirements across multiple platforms, ultimately putting organisations at a higher risk of breaches and non-compliance. From Reactive to Proactive Security For too long, businesses have relied on cloud providers built-in security tools, assuming they were enough to keep their data safe. But recent data paints a different picture. According to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), 527 businesses experienced security breaches in the first half of 2024 alonea nine percent increase from the previous year. These breaches led to financial losses, operational disruptions, and significant reputational damage, highlighting the urgent need for stronger, more proactive cyber defences. CNAPPs represent a broader shift in how security is managed. Unlike traditional CSPMs, which often focus on mitigating risks after theyve been identified, CNAPPs enable organisations to proactively embed security measures during the development phase, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers and enhancing threat visibility across the entire cloud environment. By providing a unified security strategy across multi-cloud environments, CNAPPs eliminate the need to rely on a fragmented set of tools from different cloud providers. This allows businesses to gain a clearer, more comprehensive view of their entire cloud landscape, making it easier to manage risks and protect critical data across all clouds. Managing the Future of Cloud Security Despite the advancements CNAPPs bring, the cloud remains an inherently uncertain space. As cloud-native technologies like Kubernetes and serverless architectures evolve, new attack vectors such as container-based vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in automated deployment pipelines will continue to expand the attack surface. The relentless pace of cloud innovation requires businesses to continuously reassess their security strategies to stay ahead of evolving risks. CNAPPs are not a cure-all, but they represent a significant step forward in managing the complexities of modern cloud security. They offer businesses the ability to protect themselves from existing threats and anticipate and mitigate future risks. As more organisations transition from on-premises systems to cloud-based models, traditional security tools are no longer enough. CNAPPs fill this gap, providing a proactive, unified approach to cloud security that is better suited to todays rapidly evolving environments. The future of cloud security isnt about eliminating uncertaintyits about managing it effectively. With CNAPPs, businesses are better equipped to do just that, ensuring their security strategies evolve in step with the cloud itself. By embracing CNAPPs, companies can stay ahead of tomorrows threats while securing the innovations of today. Jan. 21SANTA FE Despite many items on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's legislative agenda matching up with Republican priorities, Senate GOP leadership criticized how she wants to go about finding solutions. They also touted their efforts that they've been doing for years, they added to implement "common-sense solutions" on crime only to have them blocked by the governor's own party. "Look at the special session," said Caucus Chair Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, referring to the half-day session over the summer called to address crime. "We did not leave. The Democrats did." The state needs to address catch and release issues, said Minority Floor Leader Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, at the news conference held after the governor's State of the State Address kicking off the 2025 Legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He outlined specific policies like enhancing criminal penalties, implementing more aggressive pretrial detention and expanding the justice system's ability to deal with human trafficking. "The real solution to crime is certainty of punishment," Sharer said. He also later said it's not "the person sleeping on the street" who's the crime problem; it's cartels. But he's hopeful President Donald Trump will address that, he said. Ultimately, Republicans found issue with the governor's focus on behavioral health programs as a way to address crime. Sharer said while that's a factor, it takes time to build up a health system, and Senate Minority Whip Sen. Pat Woods, R- Broadview, added that the state doesn't have the number of practitioners it needs to change the system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To that effect, Lujan Grisham, in her speech, proposed a medical malpractice program, saying insurance rates for doctors and health care providers shouldn't be higher in New Mexico than in neighboring states or the national average. Woods said he's been asked to co-sponsor a bill with Sen. Martin Hickey, D-Albuquerque, for this, but he's skeptical the Democratic majority would ever let it be heard. "We have things that we believe will work, but we've got to get at least heard in a committee," Woods said. Majority Floor Leader Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said in a statement to the Journal that there are ways to recruit and retain medical professionals "without harming the patients we need to protect." "The compromises we reached on malpractice claim caps in 2021 and then again in 2023 were a result of bringing everyone to the table; all parties were on board and the measures passed with bipartisan support," he said. "Undoing these important changes to the law now will only harm patients and allow insurance companies to evade responsibility for compensating hurting families." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Republicans also disagreed with Lujan Grisham's ideas for the long-troubled Children, Youth and Families Department, which included hiring an outside oversight expert to analyze CYFD's performance and creating an independent agency to ensure CYFD resolves complaints from parents and families. House Republican leadership has voiced support for policies that hold CYFD more accountable. "It's a real problem. We're not protecting our children," Sharer said. "And so her solution was to create another government program when I think the government programs are what's failing us. We need something else." Other priorities the Senate Republicans announced at the conference include reinstating local school boards, rolling back electric vehicle mandates and removing regulatory barriers for small businesses, like insurance liability payout requirements. House Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, in his speech after being sworn in on the floor earlier in the day as Speaker of the House, reminded legislators the parties are here to work together for the benefit of New Mexicans. "We can and we should have heated debates, yet we can still treat each other with civility and respect," he said. MISSOURI An executive order from the president means fans of TikTok get a little more time to enjoy their favorite app. It briefly shut down Sunday following a congressional ban. President Trump pushed the deadline back 75 days, meaning its back on, only with a new deadline. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley spoke about the app in an interview last week, saying he agrees it needs to be banned or sold. It is owned by a company that is essentially an arm of the Chinese Communist Party. so the problem with TikTok is if you have it on your phone, the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing can monitor all your personal information, your emails, your text messages, your phone logs, said Hawley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extension of the TikTok deadline was one of the executive orders signed by the president yesterday. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. This week Missouri lawmakers will discuss putting the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department back under state control. Back in 2012, Missouri voters approved taking away state control and giving the City of St. Louis control of its police department. Now, Republicans, including the new governor, want the state to regain control. Those not on board said instead of allowing the state to takeover, the agency needs resources instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its another attempt to overturn the will of the voter, Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, D-Affton, said. A long-debated political issue is one of the first up for discussion in Jefferson City. Shortly after being elected, Gov. Mike Kehoe said he wants to put the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department under state control. He said he believes if the state has control of the agency, the streets will be safer and it will be easier to recruit and retain officers. Ive been very vocal, especially in St. Louis, that I think state control is appropriate for that police department, Kehoe said in November. Youre not going to have any private business consortium spend money and redevelop any inner city, not just St. Louis, unless they feel like their employees and their customers can be safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike Matheny reflects on near-death experience and new life mission Last week, St. Louis officials announced crime remains on a downward trend in the city, including an 11-year low in homicides. It cant be this symbolic, you know were going to take control of the St. Louis Police Department, Sen. Steven Roberts, D-St. Louis, said. What we really are going to do is make sure our officers have the resources they need and the tools they need to be successful to make St. Louis and the whole state of Missouri as a whole safer. On the western side of the state, Kansas City, whose department is controlled by the state, saw record high homicides in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the mayor said: As Kansas Citians have seen for generations, state control has too often been synonymous with a lack of accountability by police departments under the states control State control has not led to increased hiring or better staffing, nor has it reduced crime in our community. Legislators have been debating state takeover for the past two years, but the idea has not reached the final stage. With Missouris governor behind the idea, it could have the momentum to become law this session. Senate Bills 44 and 52 are set to be heard in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee Wednesday at 11 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 2. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Senators grilled President Donald Trumps choice to lead the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tuesday. Former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) promised to be veterans biggest advocate if confirmed as the VA secretary. The mission is the vet, Collins told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee multiple times. The VA does not exist in and of itself. It exists for the veteran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked Collins if he meant all veterans. I care deeply about our women veterans and that they have the services they need, Murray said. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the VA started offering abortion services to military veterans and their families in certain cases. Republicans have argued any rule change should go through Congress. We will be looking at that issue when I get in there to confirm the VA is actually following the law, Collins said. Another issue before senators came from an executive order President Donald Trump signed at the White House Monday, related to the Afghanistan withdrawal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sir, this is an executive order realigning the United States Refugee Admission Program to better align with American principles and American interests, a White House official said. This action puts flights in limbo for more than 1,600 Afghans the U.S. government cleared to resettle here, including family members of active-duty military personnel. The risks to these Afghan allies are so dire and dangerous, and many of our veterans groups have been advocates for them, said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Blumenthal did not specifically ask Collins how he could intervene, but both said they are still seeing how other new executive orders, like a federal hiring freeze, could impact VA services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The VA is the largest civilian agency in the federal government with nearly half a million workers. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) A Seneca man was arrested on Friday after inappropriately touching a minor, according to deputies. Deputies with the Oconee County Sheriffs Office said an investigation was conducted with the West Union Police Department in regards to a report of a sexual assault of a minor. Based on evidence, the incident happened on January 12 and only involved one victim, deputies said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 67-year-old Lawrence Raymond Belcher was arrested on Friday, on a $100,000 bond. Belcher was charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor, second degree. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. New London Marie Grasso, who lives alone in the AHEPA 250 II Senior Apartments in Waterford, lamented the prices Tuesday while a family member pushed her wheelchair through the aisles of ShopRite. Everythings so expensive, she said. Even the peas, the can of peas. Grasso, 82, still shocked that she had been selected to participate in a $125 shopping spree Tuesday, said the peas one item on a grocery list of about 20 that she clutched tightly in one hand are what she uses to make one of her favorite Italian dishes, peas and macaroni. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the price of groceries rising, many seniors like Grasso, who is on Social Security, have trouble paying for them. But Tuesday morning, she and 29 other seniors who were selected by Waterford Senior Services based on their income level or because they are facing significant hardships, were given $125 ShopRite gift cards, allowing them to shop for groceries without worrying about how to pay for them. The event, called Plate it Forward, was organized by the Cactus Jack Foundation, a local nonprofit. Mike Buscetto, a board member, handed out the gift cards, which were funded by the nonprofit and its donors. The seniors had been called and told to come to ShopRite at 9 a.m. Tuesday to get their gift card. Many of them thought it was a scam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was kind of surprised, because I did not know about it, said Tommy Brooks, a 66-year-old Waterford resident. Senior Services signed me up. I had no knowledge about it. Waterfords Human Services Administrator Dani Gorman, who leads the towns senior services department, said the department knows January is a difficult month for people financially and said each of the seniors had something that made them a match to receive the gift cards. Many of them, like Brooks and Grasso, are on a fixed income, which stays the same even while the costs of everything around them increases. So many of them have gone without the items that many of us take for granted, Gorman said. Like coffee and paper towels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grasso was able to get everything on her 20-item list including milk, bread, garlic, parmesan cheese, Jello pudding, soda, eggs, pasta and Tylenol. I still cant believe this actually happened, Grasso said as she spent two hours filling a cart pushed closely behind by Dave Nilsson, a family member. When they reached the eggs, Nilsson asked her, You want extra large? No no. Ive got to have large, Grasso told him. You never bake with extra large. You always bake with large. And you always cook with large. I learned that a long, long time ago. Extra large is too much of an egg. Grasso took her time, searching closely for deals, and inspecting expiration dates. She said she also liked how she could take her time and was able to get out of her apartment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im a VIP today, she said. Another senior, 67-year-old Carmen Perez, was able to buy one of her favorite foods, fish, for the first time in a year. Perez said she usually has trouble buying even basic necessities such as cleaning supplies or detergents, let alone splurging on more expensive items like meat and seafood. Its very expensive to go out and shop when you are on a budget, Perez said. The way things are going nowadays, its very hard. Perez said she was so excited that even an hour before the Waterford Senior Services bus picked her up for the trip to ShopRite, she was ready to go, with her list in hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was so excited to come and get groceries, she said. While Perez on Tuesday made her way toward the medicine aisle to find the last item on her grocery list Tylenol she called the spree a blessing, and an early birthday gift. In addition to fish and meat, Perezs cart had four packages of Pepsi and olive oil. She said the groceries would last her two to three weeks. Brooks, who has been through many hardships related to disabilities, navigated the aisles on a motorized scooter with a Snapple in a cup holder. Hes looking for some frozen dinners and peach Snapple, said Mindy Stone, a senior services employee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First he selected three packages of blueberry muffins, then two packages of Lipton peach iced tea, then six frozen dinners and two boxes of Texas toast. His cart soon filled up. He ended with a case of bottled water. That should do it, he said. As the seniors finished shopping, ShopRite cashier Enza Langella rang out Grassos items. They came to $231.20. Her bill, after the gift cards, and senior discount, came to $106.20. Around 11:30 a.m., with most seniors having finished their shopping, a group of five sat on the senior services bus with paper bags of groceries in the seats next to them. While they waited, senior Lois Williams of Waterford said that in a world where prices have gone up not by the day, but by the minute, the event had helped her tremendously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gorman said the senior services department, and Cactus Jack, had sought to provide seniors with relief and hope through the shopping spree. We would love to offer it again, if Cactus Jack offers that opportunity, she added. d.drainville@theday.com Editors note: This version corrects the position of Mindy Stone. She is an employee with Waterford Senior Services. U.S. Sens. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced theyd secured more than $500,000 to help homeless veterans living in the Atlanta area, through a combination of rental assistance and services. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the announcement. The news comes the day that Atlanta officials and volunteers would have been performing the yearly point in time count of the city, but weather conditions have pushed the date back. Atlanta city officials told Channel 2 Action News a new date has not yet been selected. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Veterans who have put their lives on the line for our nations freedoms should never have to worry about if theyll have a safe place to sleep, Warnock said. As the son of a veteran and one of twelve kids growing up in public housing, I understand the dignity and security housing provides, which is why I will continue working with Senator Ossoff and my colleagues across the aisle to secure further investments that combat the housing crisis across Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warnock and Ossoff said they had gotten $572,901 for homeless veterans in the metro Atlanta area, and the funds would be split between the Housing Authority of Atlanta and the Housing Authority of East Point to provide rental assistance and case management and clinical services provided by the VA. RELATED STORIES: The funding from the VA comes as homelessness in the United States continues to increase as the ability to afford a place to live, either renting or owning it outright, remains out of reach. Our national honor requires that we lift up and support all who have sacrificed in Americas defense. Thats why Senator Warnock and I continue working to end veteran homelessness in Georgia and nationwide, Ossoff said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said homelessness had increased about 18%, following a 12% increase in 2023. While Georgia saw a nearly 8% decrease in the number of homeless veterans, according to the VA, in 2024, that still meant more than 640 veterans were homeless that year. The point in time count that happens each year is the federally-required check on how many homeless people are able to be accounted for on a single night. With the Atlanta count being pushed back to the weather conditions, the current levels of homeless Atlantans, and homeless veterans in the area, wont be updated as soon as expected. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] FAIRLEA, WV (WVNS) WVU Extension, the Greenbrier County Health Alliance, and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine have partnered to host a Free Community Meal and Winter Clothing Giveaway at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds. Warming centers open in Greenbrier County This event holds a deeper meaning. On January 29th, anyone who needs a hot meal and some warm clothes for the winter will be welcome to come to the West Virginia University Building at the West Viginia State Fairgrounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicines Center for Rural and Community Health will be conducting Point in Time counts for the community. Point in Time counts are done by every county in order to ascertain how many unhoused people are currently there. Terri Baker, Workforce and Strategic Partnership Program Director for the center, said this count is incredibly important. The PIT count is so important because in Greenbrier County we want to be able to count those who are in need of homes so that we can get more funding through the federal government that will help in this area to provide housing, said Baker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baker said the questions will be asked in privacy and will only take a few minutes. Thats when WVU Extension will take over and provide healthy, warm meals as well as hats, gloves, scarves, and coats donated by the Greenbrier County community. Elizabeth Reynolds, Youth Health Educator for WVU Extension, said those with the event also want to encourage a sense of support throughout the community. We have a few pots of soup that we will have. It will be a meal where they can come in and break bread with other people and sit down and have some conversation in the warm and just enjoy the evening, said Reynolds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Planned power outage to affect part of Greenbrier County Reynolds said the WVU Extension will be handling the logistics of the event and will also be providing information on the free services they offer for the community. 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 WVNS. Four people were injured in a knife attack on Tuesday in the centre of the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, emergency services reported. The attacker was reportedly shot by a passer-by. The attack occurred in the city centre of Tel Aviv, a popular area with many restaurants and cafes. The police spoke of a terrorist attack. Initially, there was no official information about the perpetrator. The Times of Israel newspaper reported that according to his papers, he entered Israel as a tourist on Saturday and holds a permanent residence permit in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the Palestinian militant organization Hamas called the attacker a martyr and said the attack was in response to the Israeli military operation in Jenin in the northern West Bank. The group also repeated its call for Palestinians in the West Bank to confront Israeli security forces and settlers. The attack was the second stabbing in Tel Aviv within four days, after another person was seriously injured on Saturday before the suspected attacker was shot by an armed civilian. COMPANY NEWS: Appian (Nasdaq: APPN) today announced that AGL (ASX: AGL), Australias leading energy retailer is using the Appian Platform as part of a large-scale retail transformation project, which aims to connect every customer to a sustainable future. As part of its retail transformation, AGL recently launched eAGL, a workflow management tool designed to manage approximately four million pieces of work that were previously completed by AGL agents. Built on the Appian Platform, eAGL has already delivered automation levels of over 70% and helped remove repetitive manual work associated with back-office exceptions. eAGL replaces AGLs legacy Workflow and Resolve solutions, which were used for exception and customer complaint work allocation. The application manages millions of pieces of work that were traditionally actioned by AGL agents. We've moved all of thatactivity into the Appian Platform, giving us the flexibility to modify our processes to providethe best customer outcomes. It enables us to hyper-automate tasks, remove manual work,and process activity faster, allowing staff to focus on higher value work, said Rohan Ware, Strategic Operations Manager at AGL. Prior to eAGL, the retailer had investigated an off-the-shelf workflow management software but had not found a solution that met its requirements. Appian was chosen for the flexibility it gives AGL to build everything it wants and customise applications around the organisation's needs. When we looked at our previous IT architecture, we didn't have a tool that allowed flexibility to perform various functions within the ecosystem. We had highly specialised softwaresolutions that managed specific functions, but nothing that provided extensive capabilities that we could apply to multiple disciplines. The Appian Platform allows that flexibilityeffectively, to capture exceptions across the ecosystem and across various platforms built using different technologies, said Waqas Ishaque, Transformation Technology Owner atAGL. The eAGL workflow management tool has been rolled out to over 1,000 users across four different locations to help streamline back-office operations and fast-track customer activity. Best case, we've got transactions going from the market into our systems and our customers; hands without anybody having to look at them. We're seeing our automation rates really improve with the use of Appian, which means we are delivering a better experience for our customers, said Glenn Waterson, General Manager of Retail Transfo'rmation at AGL. The eAGL app is a key part of AGLs wider retail transformation, which aims to simplify how the energy retailer operates, embrace digitisation, and create a more personalised andef fortless experience for its customers and people. AGLs retail transformation is an amazing opportunity for an organisation to do something truly new, innovative, and different for our customers. We want to lead the market. The market is shifting, and we need new technology and a new operating model to support that. We are absolutely committed to our journey to deliver and connect our customers to a sustainable future. We will get there, and it is the likes of Appian and other platforms that we are bringing into retail transformation that will help us achieve that, said Waterson. In addition to supporting the eAGL application, Appian is also being used in a new processoptimisation application. Appians process mining and data fabric capabilities will continue toplay a key role in AGLs ongoing digital transformation, particularly in automation and process analysis, and managing workflows across multiple systems. Appian is excited to partner with AGL on their retail transformation project, which will help connect every customer to a sustainable future in support of Australias 2050 net zero emissions. We believe Appian will play a key role in AGLs future state for automation, business process management, and operational improvement using our extensive processorchestration capability, said Luke Thomas, Area Vice President of Asia Pacific and Japan at Appian. To learn more about AGLs retail transformation with Appian watch the video here. New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) skates with the puck against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) NEW YORK (AP) Igor Shesterkin made 20 saves, Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist and the New York Rangers beat the Ottawa Senators 5-0 on Tuesday night. Arthur Kaliyev, Matt Rempe, Artemi Panarin and Will Cuylle also scored for the Rangers, who are 7-1-3 since Jan. 2 and have won three straight at home. The shutout was Shesterkin's third this season and the 18th of his career. Lafreniere beat Ottawa netminder Leevi Merilainen for his 13th goal at 18:48 of the first. Kaliyev made it 2-0 at 1:50 of the middle period with his second goal as a Ranger since being claimed off waivers from Los Angeles on Jan. 6. Kaliyev appeared to score again at 4:59 but the goal was waved off for offside. Rangers forward Sam Carrick had a goal negated for the same reason just before Lafrenieres goal. Anton Forsberg replaced Merilainen in net for Ottawa after the challenge on Kaliyevs play. Merilainen made 14 saves before his departure. Forsberg finished with 10 saves. Rempe scored his first this season at 3:34 of the third, depositing a backhand past Forsberg. Panarin made it 4-0 with his 20th goal on the power play at 9:01 before Cuylle completed the scoring at 9:57. The Senators were 5-0-1 in their last six games before Tuesday. Takeaways Rangers: Improved to 11-9-2 at home after struggling with one win in six home contests in December. Senators: Lost for the first time in regulation since Jan. 9. Key moment Rempes goal was his first in 12 games this season. He was suspended in late December for eight games after a hit on Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Key stat Rangers defenseman Adam Fox had two assists to move him one point ahead of Hall of Famer Harry Howell into fifth on the franchise list for points by a defenseman. Up Next Rangers: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. Senators: Visit the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two Iranian cargo vessels carrying an ingredient for missile propellant will sail from China to Iran in the next few weeks, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing intelligence from security officials in two Western countries. The reported transactions could make the Chinese entities involved subject to U.S. sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's weapons programs, as the two Iranian vessels are already under U.S. sanctions. The FT said the Iranian-flagged ships, the Golbon and the Jairan, were expected to carry more than 1,000 tonnes of sodium perchlorate, which is used to make ammonium perchlorate, the main ingredient for solid propellant for missiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ammonium perchlorate is among chemicals controlled by the Missile Technology Export Control Regime, a voluntary international anti-proliferation body. The FT said the officials could not say if Beijing was aware of the shipments. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a regular press briefing in Beijing that she was not aware of the specifics of the case but that China has always abided by its export control laws as well as the country's international obligations. Mao added that China continued to oppose what it considers to be illegal unilateral sanctions. The FT report cited two unnamed officials as saying that the sodium perchlorate could produce 960 tonnes of ammonium perchlorate, enough to make 1,300 tonnes of propellant, which could fuel 260 mid-range Iranian missiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officials said the sodium perchlorate was being shipped to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that 34 20-foot (6-metre) containers containing the chemical had been loaded onto the Golbon, which departed the Chinese island of Daishan on Tuesday and was off the coast of Ningbo in Chinas Zhejiang province early on Wednesday. The FT said the Jairan was expected to depart China with 22 containers in early February. The officials told the FT that both ships, owned by Iranian entities, were expected to make the three-week voyage to Iran without making any port calls. The officials said the chemicals were loaded onto the Golbon at Taicang, a port just north of Shanghai, and were destined for Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. U.S. SANCTIONS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug Jacobson, a Washington-based sanctions lawyer, said that while U.N. sanctions on Iran's missile program were no longer in effect, Chinese entities involved in the alleged transactions could face U.S. sanctions against dealings with both the IRGC and the already sanctioned vessels. Vann Van Diepen, a retired U.S. non-proliferation official, said Chinese entities had been helping Iran's missile program since the 1980s. He said Iran probably had its own ammonia perchlorate production facility by now, but may need feedstock to make the chemical. "It's probably not sort of a continuous flow thing," he said. "But from time to time, over these many years, these kinds of shipments will go on." The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but an official there, who did not want to be identified, said that if the missiles were designed to be used by Russia in Ukraine, the shipment could be subject to U.S. sanctions to curb dealings with Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, The United States imposed sanctions on people and entities in China, Hong Kong and Iran, including Iran's defense attache in Beijing, over accusations they helped procure parts and technology for Iran's ballistic missile development. It imposed similar sanctions on individuals and entities last year. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Michael Martina, Daphne Psaledakis, Michelle Nichols and Colleen Howe; Editing by Rod Nickel, Stephen Coates and Alison Williams) Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Bostons Dorchester neighborhood Tuesday night. According to police, a man was shot in the area of 73 Ridgewood Street around 7:22 p.m. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. His identity is not being released at this time. Officers blocked off Ridgewood Street with red and yellow tape, and appeared to be focused on an SUV with a bullet hole in the window. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation remains active and there have been no reports of any arrests. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. No further information was immediately available. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron recently showed off the tools of their trade in absolutely spectacular fashion. The stunning photo was taken during a controlled demolition somewhere in the U.S. Central Command region. The picture, published on Jan. 10 by U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT), shows three squadron members, two wearing bomb suits, which are donned when remote manipulation of a device is not an option. Between them is an airman holding an M240 machine gun. They are standing in front of an American flag. Behind it, a ball of flames erupts in the wake of the detonation as a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet soars overhead. Michael Bay couldnt have come up with a better shot if he tried. An airman holding an M240 machine gun is flanked by two wearing bomb suits. (AFCENT) The photo also offers a glimpse of what these airmen use to detect and disarm roadside bombs, landmines, unexploded ordnance, scattered mines, submunitions released by cluster bombs, and other highly hazardous threats. The job, which offers very little room for error, is not for the faint of heart, to say the least. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On either side of the troops is a Cougar 44 Mine Resistant, Armor Protected (MRAP) vehicle. The vehicle to the left is an M-ATV variant. The Cougar to the right is a Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance system (RADBO), featuring a remotely-controlled turreted laser on top to detonate unexploded ordnance and a second alternator to provide the requisite power. The truck also has an extendable arm so that personnel can move debris and other objects weighing up to 50 pounds while sitting safely inside its armored shell. You can read more about this vehicle in our deep dive here. An airman in a bomb suit stands next to a Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance system (RADBO), the Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle featuring a remote-controlled turreted laser on top. (U.S. Air Force) There are also four remote-controlled robots pictured that enable the EOD techs to detect and disarm explosives at a standoff distance. An F6A EOD robot, one of four types of remote-controlled systems featured in the picture. (U.S. Air Force). These troops and their equipment proved invaluable support during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, protecting U.S. and partner forces. Between Sept. 27, 2002 and the time their mission in Afghanistan ended 12 years later, EOD airmen in Afghanistan and Iraq completed 55,847 missions and responded to 19,946 IEDs, Air Force Times reported, citing AFCENT statistics. EOD airmen received more than 100 Purple Hearts and several valor awards for their actions. At least 20 EOD airmen were killed during these wars, 12 in Afghanistan and another eight in Iraq, the publication reported. All told, Air Force EOD techs saved countless lives and prevented many more injuries. The service of EOD troops was also given the Hollywood treatment in 2008s hit movie The Hurt Locker. Clearly they are pretty proud of their mission, as can be seen in this absolutely epic shot. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Technologists rejoice; civil servants update their CVs; red tape quivers in fear: Dominic Cummings is back. Since his dramatic defenestration from Boris Johnsons No. 10 in November 2020, it had looked as though we might have seen the last of the hoodie-loving handmaiden of Brexit in frontline politics. For most of the past five years, Cummings has seemed content to sit on the sidelines, firing off lengthy emails to his 60,000 subscribers on Substack, tweeting rude things about his old boss, doing the odd bit of consultancy and railing against the traditional media and classes he decries as NPCs a video-game term for non-player characters. Yet, just as the officers in Star Wars can sense when Darth Vader is nearby, there is a feeling around Westminster that Cummings is back at, or at least very near, the centre of things. His name is frequently coming up on both sides of the Atlantic, where Cummingsian ideas have seemingly never been more popular. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Britain, Labour ministers are reportedly coming round to the idea that Dom was right about the need to reform the Civil Service, while Keir Starmers statements on AI, infrastructure and growth echo perennial Cummings fixations. In the United States, Donald Trump has taken office with a promise to slash regulation and government expenditure. Two of his first executive orders were to halt new regulation and found the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to be led by Elon Musk. There have even been rumours that Cummings has been helping orchestrate Musks social media attacks on Starmer. (The Tesla tycoons focus on a specific perceived weakness in the notion of government inaction and a supposed cover-up on grooming gangs is reminiscent of Cummings campaigning style.) As Cummings himself wrote in a post after Trumps election in November: Finally, realisation is spreading and elites are cracking up and re-forming. Ideas that were resisted for decades have suddenly gone mainstream in months. Even SW1, always the last to see anything, is shifting a little! Cummings agreed to become Boris Johnsons chief adviser in 2019 on the condition that the government set up a research and innovation agency - Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP It is clear Cummings is on manoeuvres. But wheres he going? I dont know what his long-term game plan is, says one old friend. But look at what he has chosen not to do. Hes chosen not to go into a commercial role ever. He hasnt done lots and lots of media. Hes done his own thing. Im a big believer that there will be a third act by Dominic Cummings, but I dont know what it is. Maybe he doesnt either, yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the signs Cummings is up to something are becoming more frequent. In December, he gave the keynote address at the launch of Looking for Growth, a new political movement aimed at promoting growth-based policies, which has support from Labour and Reform MPs. In Cummings speech he described the current moment as a split in British politics akin to the 1910s and 20s, when the Liberal Party died and was replaced by Labour. Cummings reiterated his plans for the Startup Party, his idea for a new party, not necessarily under that name, which would bring together talent from a number of different fields. It made complete sense to ask him to give the keynote speech, says Dr Lawrence Newport, the co-founder of Looking for Growth, who previously led the campaign against XL Bully dogs. He is someone who has been in government who can tell us that it is mad inside, but we can make it better. Looking for Growths first action is a proposed National Priority Infrastructure Bill, aimed at making it easier to build things. Newport and Cummings are also working together on Crush Crime, an initiative to reduce crime by jailing career criminals and reversing the collapse in the justice system. Cummings is working on an initiative to reduce crime by jailing career criminals - Jacob King/PA Cummings speech at the Looking for Growth event was far from the only time his name has come up recently. Last month, senior Labour sources were quoted as saying that, having finally got into office, they had been forced to concede that Dominic Cummings was right. Its a sign that [the Government] are confronting the system and finding out that it is very, very similar to the way he described it, Newport says. Its shocking, but extremely good they talked about it like that. If were going to get out of this growth emergency that were in, we need new, bold ideas and the courage to go forward with them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than simply needing the grown-ups to be back in government, ministers are finding that the Civil Service is crying out for fundamental reform, of the type Cummings has advocated for decades. When he agreed to become Boris Johnsons chief adviser after the 2019 election victory, one of his conditions what he called his terrorist demands was that the government would form a version of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), an cutting-edge innovation programme in the US. This he achieved in the form of the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency, or ARIA, whose chair, Matt Clifford, was behind the wide-ranging AI proposals Starmer announced last week. Cummings first mooted his idea for a new party in September 2023. In a Substack post, he said it would be focussed on curbing immigration, closing tax loopholes for the wealthy, reforming the Civil Service and investing in public services. I think he is super serious about the Startup Party, says a former government colleague. He is genuinely messianic about the world being f----- up and believes it [needs to be] better. He genuinely thinks the old party systems are done. And he will be delighted Keir Starmer is so old-fashioned, in a classic late 20th century dynamic, and Labour are nothing like as radical as they should be about reform of the state. This, says the ex-colleague, ensures the demand for Cummings ideas will remain high. Hes not really bothered by money or profile. He likes being the power behind the throne and knows hes not going to be good as a front man. There are rumours that Cummings has been helping orchestrate Musks social media attacks on Keir Starmer - Kevin Lamarque Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elon Musks proposed reforms to the US government also have a Cummings flavour to them. And the former No.10 adviser is firmly lodged in the Silicon Valley universe, a member of the kinds of billionaire-filled circles whose constituents, figures like Peter Thiel and Mark Andreesen, dont just moan about the world but have the power to change it. I think Doms been ahead of his time, says one friend. What hes good at is vision and strategy and spotting issues, and people are waking up to that. I think Labour thought, Were not useless, corrupt Tories, therefore well be able to change things. It doesnt work like that. The system is broken and needs radical surgery. Cummings made his name as a campaigner, helping to stop Britain joining the Euro and spearheading a campaign against the formation of a North-East Regional Assembly in 2004, the second of which proved a testing ground for tactics that would triumph in the Brexit referendum. Even when things have not turned out as he had hoped in the years since, Cummings has always given the impression that he is several steps ahead of those around him. In From Russia with Love, the chess-playing Spectre agent Kronsteen explains that his plan will work because he has anticipated every possible variation of any counter move, says James Frayne, chairman of policy research agency Public First, who ran a think-tank, the New Frontiers Foundation, with Cummings from 2003 to 2005. Dominic is the Kronsteen of British politics. On those issues he chooses to engage in, he comes up with plans which encompass policy, politics and communications. In a world where almost nobody thinks hard about anything, this puts him in a powerful position, regardless of who is in power. Kronsteen ultimately failed, but he proved the power of being the man with a plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some argue that for all his skill at breaking things and short-burst campaigns, he is less effective at building consensus and persuading those who do not share his worldview. His 18 months in No. 10 were dominated by Covid, but he also did little to reform the Civil Service. And, for all his iconoclastic rhetoric, his public reputation was irrevocably damaged by an old-fashioned, highly avoidable scandal, when he ignored lockdown restrictions to drive to Barnard Castle. He left Downing Street in November 2020 with few bridges unburned. Cummings speaking at a press conference in the Rose Garden at No.10 in 2020 following accusations that he broke lockdown regulations - Jonathan Brady/AFP And while there is a growing consensus around the need for radical action of the type he has long-advocated, not everyone is convinced Cummings himself has been unequivocally helpful. The truth is, hes right, says one former senior Downing Street adviser. The systems a bit f-----, the Civil Service isnt working properly, the state isnt quite working as it should be, mainly because thanks to Dominic Cummings we left the European Union. Its not about the merits or demerits of Brexit, its a bandwidth problem. Whitehall has not focussed on public service reform since 2016 because theyve been too busy dealing with Brexit. Then you had Covid, which is another massive distraction. But the system needs to change. And then theres a bigger point about how do we grow the economy? As Musk and Labour embrace Cummings-style thinking, we may soon get a sense of whether his solutions work. And, whatever the Startup Party ends up looking like, with Cummings involved, it is unlikely to be dull. Third acts tend to offer triumph or disaster. 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. President Trump has followed through on one of his key campaign promises at least for those in the crypto community pardoning the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. "I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," Trump wrote on a Truth Social post. The move assures an imminent release for Ulbricht, who in 2015 was convicted of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and distributing narcotics, along with a host of related crimes, via his operation of the darknet Silk Road marketplace. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ulbricht's case has become a cause celebre for many in the crypto community who note he did not himself sell drugs or other illegal items but instead operated a platform where others were allowed to transact. Then-candidate Trump promised a "Day One" commutation of Ulbricht's sentence last May while addressing the Libertarian Party convention The price of bitcoin (BTC) rose in the minutes following the news, possibly as the pardon, along with a flurry of executive orders over the past hours, signals the president's intention to follow through on campaign promises. Another one of those promises was a far friendlier crypto regulatory stance, including the possibility of the creation of a strategic bitcoin reserve. This piece first ran in March 2021 for the release of the film Silk Road, chronicling Ross Ulbrichts life and arrest. Ulbricht, who was serving two life sentences in prison, has now been given a full and unconditional pardon by President Trump Hes been called a digital age drug lord, a millennial gangster, a kingpin of the virtual black market. Ross Ulbricht is the man behind the most notorious contraband-trading operation of the century but hes not who you might expect. Channel 4 News Krishnan Guru-Murthy would describe the real-life Silk Road website hidden in the depths of the dark web, where users could not be traced as an eBay for illegal drugs in a 2013 report. In the two-and-a-half years it was active (between 2011 and 2013), it would trade over $1.2 billion in Bitcoin-generated revenue across more than a million transactions. Here was the largest online drugs marketplace on the planet, and Ulbricht 26 years old at the time of its inception was its Godfather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A decade on from its foundation, Ulbricht and his ill-advised project are getting the movie treatment: Silk Road stars Nick Robinson (Jurassic World) as the misguided dark web entrepreneur, who, over the course of the sites brief lifespan, finds himself hunted by Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty)s corrupt DEA agent Rick Bowden. It was a story unlike any the films director Tiller Russell had encountered before. I was fascinated from moment one, says Russell, a former newspaper reporter whose recent Netflix production Night Stalker is the latest true crime serial to become a streaming sensation. I remember, vividly, waking up and opening the newspaper when Ross was arrested in San Francisco, he says. I thought, theres a fascinating story here: Who is this kid? How did he get to this point? The arrest, which also led to the shutdown of Silk Road, bookends Russells film. In 2013, Ulbricht who was worth $28.5 million at the time was cornered in a San Francisco public library by a squad of FBI agents. His laptop was seized, revealing a trove of incriminating evidence. Two years later, he would receive a double life sentence plus 40 years, without the possibility of parole. The ruling remains controversial for its harshness. And yet, the jury is reported to have reached its verdict within just a few minutes of deliberations. Its conclusions would be influenced, in part, by testimonies from families who had lost loved ones after purchasing goods traded on Silk Road. The prosecution, moreover, would allege that Ulbricht had paid $730,000 in murder-for-hire deals targeting at least five people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this wasnt Tony Montana from Scarface, or Henry Hill out of Goodfellas, says Russell. It was the story of a young guy from Austin [who] wanted to change the world in a positive way. It is this moral complexity, then, that makes Ulbrichts story so compelling. The real Ross Ulbricht was a devout libertarian bent on the ideals of social freedom. He believed he was contributing to a brighter future by dismantling market restrictions on the sale of illegal drugs an image effectively conjured on-screen by Nick Robinsons hoodie-wearing heartthrob, who shares his vision with friends while typing barefoot at a stand-up desk. Ulbrichts girlfriend, Julia Vie (played by Alexandra Shipp on-screen), became a consultant to Russell for the script, advising him on the potency of Ulbrichts libertarian principles: He would literally accost strangers in bars and get into political arguments about our rights and individual freedoms, the director recalls of her accounts. A sketch of Ross Ulbricht in court in 2013 - Reuters To some, he might have seemed a megalomaniac, an upper-middle-class disruptor who thought he was the next Edward Snowden. But to the users of the Silk Road website, who knew the sites founder only by the alias Dread Pirate Roberts (a name several characters in the book The Princess Bride go by to intimidate their opponents), his philosophies and idealist ambitions coloured him as a kind of modern-day Che Guevara. Letters submitted to the judge in his defence trial in 2014, signed by 97 people, testified to Ulbrichts altruistic tendencies. Prior to Silk Road, he had trained as a Boy Scout, and spent his twenties studying physics, engineering, and even crystallography theoretical work for the betterment of mankind, as his father would proclaim. He founded a book-selling business with a significant charitable component. Even while incarcerated, as Ulbrichts brother would attest, he founded a yoga group to ease the stress of fellow inmates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the founder of the worlds most notorious illegal marketplace, Ulbricht explicitly forbade the trading of stolen goods, weapons and morally detestable materials such as child pornography. His father would ultimately compare his actions with the French Revolution being born of an idealistic vision of freedom before becoming a nightmare that consumed its founders. This grab from the Silk Road website shows thumbnails for products allegedly available through the site - AP Russell sees something similar in Ulbrichts fateful quest: it became a Frankenstein story: a bright, promising individual poured all of his talent into a project that ended up grabbing him by the throat. It seems poetic, then, that Ulbricht was reportedly downloading a television interview with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan at the time of his arrest. Russell has gone to extreme measures to get a scoop in the past. During the production of 2018 documentary Operation Odessa he bribed a guard to sneak him into a Panamanian prison. But with Ulbricht incarcerated at MCC New York while awaiting sentencing at the time Russell chose to adapt his story, the director was refused access over fears that Ulbrichts defence could be compromised. Instead, a tremendous archival record of journalistic reports and character profiles, including David Kushners Rolling Stone essay Dead End on Silk Road, ensured that Russells portrait of Ulbricht would have a strong grounding in truth. Silk Road is therefore voiced over by monologues quoted and paraphrased directly from Ulbrichts personal writings. They range from Silk Road chat logs and public postings to his own private journals, providing an intimate insight into the creators experiences and emotions right up until the time of his arrest. It doesnt always make for the most inspiring dialogue (Ever since I can remember Ive always wanted to change the world being one of many cliches uttered on-screen). Perhaps thats because they were never meant to be read out loud. But it is, at least, a script bound by truth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The film is more than just a character portrait, though. The thin and sometimes porous line between cops and criminals is the films most predominant theme and on that subject, points out Russell, even some of the most unlikely aspects of Silk Road are steeped in cold, hard fact. The staged torture of waddling keyboard warrior Curtis Clark Green a central event in the controversial operation against the Silk Roads operator was framed in accordance with real-life photo evidence of the sites underboss, smeared with Campbells Chicken Soup so as to replicate the unsavoury aftermath of an apparent death by asphyxiation, as ordered by the Dread Pirate Roberts over the Silk Roads chat logs for fear of his identity being revealed. Ross Ulbrichts pardon is full and unconditional - Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In real life, the hitman the Dread Pirate Roberts solicited was a corrupt DEA agent named Carl Mark Force, working with Secret Service agent Shaun Bridges. The former was eventually incarcerated for six-and-a-half years for extortion, laundering money and obstructing justice. The latter received six years for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Bitcoin during the same operation. Theres a whole amazing other side of the story, says Russell of this counterpoint to Ulbrichts journey. These corrupt law enforcement officers start out trying to bust this kid, and they end up trying to rip him off. The details remain cagey, with the information largely concealed, as Russell suspects, so as to not disrupt the case against Ulbricht. But with the gaps filled in by Russells experiences working alongside Jurassic Narcs as a newspaper reporter, the composite character of techno-illiterate, recovering addict DEA agent Rick Bowden (Jason Clarke) would provide an essential foil to Ulbrichts own morally-dubious lead. But it is Ulbricht that remains the prime attraction. People have forces of light and forces of darkness warring for control of their soul, the director concludes, which is why drawing moral conclusions remains complicated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im a believer in second chances, Russell reflects. I can understand the perspective of having a loved one who bought drugs on Silk Road and subsequently died And yet at the same time, he got two life sentences plus 40 years, without the possibility of parole, which is, in my opinion, a more Draconian sentence than El Chapo received [one life sentence plus 30 years]. Ross Ulbricht, whose appeal against his life sentence was turned down in 2017, before he appealed again in 2019, was hoping for a pardon from President Trump in early 2021. He had claimed during trial that the Dread Pirate Roberts account had long been operated by another user, months after the site was founded. Nick Robinson as Ross Ulbricht - Catherine Kanavy Instead Ulbricht remains locked up indefinitely at a penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona. Russells reaction to the news was to send him a letter: Ive made this version of your story, he wrote, my portrait of you. But if you ever want to sit down and tell me your story in an interview or a documentary, Ill be there the next day. That date remains unwritten, and yet the Ross Ulbricht story will endure. Like an evil sibling to the Facebook genesis told in The Social Network, Silk Road, and the factual accounts it is based upon, are a tale of pioneering entrepreneurship, disruptive technology and police corruption that remains hugely relevant to contemporary global culture. While many copycat websites from AlphaBay to Dream Market sprang up after Silk Roads demise, none of them were able to take its place both AlphaBay and Dream Market were shut down in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With Elon Musk investing billions of dollars into Bitcoin this year, the legacy of Silk Roads own economy remains vivid in the zeitgeist. Controversial new legislature in the UK over the publics right to protest, meanwhile, ensures that libertarian idealism will only become more concentrated. And with the connective tissue of society fuelled more than ever by online technology and digital media in pandemic-era 2021, Ulbrichts socially-distanced crimes now seem prescient of a future that he would not have the freedom to experience himself. Silk Road is on digital platforms now 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. As Trump returns to the White House with new threats against China, Singapores leader thinks that a full split between Washington and Beijing is unlikely, yet warns that disaster looms if the two sides cant get alongand drag the rest of the world along with them. At an event at the National University of Singapore on Tuesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was asked what Trumps second term meant for the region. According to the Straits Times, a local newspaper, Wong suggested that while the U.S. and China were competing for global leadership, neither Washington nor Beijing wanted a hot war. Yet he warned that countries like Singapore should not be forced to take sides, joining either a U.S. bloc or a China bloc. A move like that could take the world to the brink of a third world war, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fortune has reached out to the Prime Ministers Office for additional comment. Miscalculations could also happen around geopolitical hotspots like the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait, Wong added. Beijing claims almost all the South China Sea, leading to territorial disputes with Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. In recent years, China has tried to buttress its claims by building artificial islands or harassing ships from competing nations. Washington often criticizes Chinas actions in the South China Sea, especially those toward the Philippines, a U.S. ally. The U.S. Navy conducts frequent freedom of navigation exercises through the South China Sea as well, to Beijings disapproval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Southeast Asian countries have, for the most part, tried to maintain good relations with both the U.S. and China, sticking to a policy of nonalignment. Several countries in the region maintain strong security ties with Washington, yet China is the regions largest trading partner. Despite his warning, Wong said on Tuesday that he felt it was unlikely that relations between the U.S. and China would get so bad as to spark a third world war. If the U.S. were to cut themselves off from China, it will be very damaging for the U.S. economy and for American citizens. So much of what the U.S. manufactures and produces and imports for its people comes from China, so I cant see how a full decoupling can happen at this stage, Mothership.sg, another local outlet, reported Wong saying. On Tuesday, Trump raised the possibility of a new 10% tariff on Chinese goods as early as Feb. 1, which would be the first move in a likely renewed trade war between the U.S. and China. On Wednesday, Chinese officials reiterated that there are no winners in a trade or tariff war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Global companies continue to rely on China for their supply chains. Experts note that China is still the only country that can manufacture intricate products, like motherboards and electronics, at scale and at low cost. U.S. retailers also rely on China for cheap imports. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City is hosting Iowas most popular cover band for the second time in six months. According to a release, The Pork Tornadoes will be storming into Anthem on Saturday, May 3 at 8 p.m. The band last performed in the venue on Nov. 15, 2024. Former American Idol winner coming to WinnaVegas The Pork Tornadoes promises to play all your favorite pop/rock hits from the 1980s-today, the release says. Their playlist will include tunes by the likes of Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Lizzo, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tickets will go up for sale on Friday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. and can be bought in-person at the Rock Shop or online by clicking here. Anthem events are only for guests 21 and older. 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. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) During his first day in office, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly every rioter who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. One of those pardoned was Sioux City man Kenneth Rader. Rader pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building (a misdemeanor charge) in order to get two other charges dropped. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation in Sept. 2022. Trump rolls back Biden directive to study methods of lowering prescription costs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rader said that while hes grateful for his pardon, there were more people in need of the pardon. I stayed up late last night watching, he said. Its more amazing watching them, seeing them released last night. You know, coming out the door two, three at a time. Thats what the good feeling was. Another Iowan that received a pardon was Des Moines man Doug Jensen, who gained notoriety when he was captured on video chasing a Capitol police officer during the riots. Jensen turned himself into police on Jan. 8, 2021 and was later convicted of seven federal charges. Despite being sentenced to serve five years in jail, Jensen was released last year. 10 Iowans were charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) A Sioux City man could serve as many as 40 years in federal prison after admitting to downloading and watching child pornography. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He faces a minimum of five years in prison. Former Sioux City paramedic charged with involuntary manslaughter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Buffalo Chief-Torrez said that people on multiple social media platforms would try and sell him child porn, including offers on Telegram of CP for $65. He also admitted to downloading child porn on nine occasions, viewing a total of 15 or 16 videos, and streaming others on social media. The child pornography included sadistic or masochistic conduct or an infant/toddler being sexually abused, a release says. In addition to a prison sentence, Buffalo Chief-Torrez may have to pay a $250,000 fine and serve five years to life of supervised release. The Sioux City Police Department investigated the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. This anxious century has not given people much to feel optimistic aboutyet most of us resist pessimism. Things must improve. They will get better. They have to. But when it comes to the big goalsglobal stability, a fair economy, a solution for the climate crisisit can feel as if youve been pushing a boulder up a hill only to see it come rolling back down, over and over: all that distance lost, all that huffing and puffing wasted. The return trek to the bottom of the hill is long, and the boulder just sits there, daring you to start all overif youre not too tired. In the Greek story of Sisyphus, the king was condemned for eternity to move a massive rock up a hill but never reach the summit. Albert Camus famously saw it as a parable of the human condition: Life is meaningless, and consciousness of this meaninglessness is torture. This is how Id remembered Camus essay The Myth of Sisyphus, which describes an afterlife as devastating as that of Prometheus having his liver pecked out by an eagle anew every day. But when I reread it recently, I was reminded that for Camus, the king isnt entirely tragic; he has some power over his existential predicament. Once he grasps his fatethe wild and limited universe of manSisyphus discovers a certain freedom; he gets to determine whether to face the futility of it all with joy or sorrow. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world, Camus writes. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a mans heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy. This is a bleak model for those in lamentation over our current moment. But Camus brand of pessimism is apt, simultaneously acknowledging that sense of being cosmically screwed while knowing that finding purpose, and even some kind of hopefulness, is possible in a world that promises nothing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopeful Pessimism, the title of the philosopher Mara van der Lugts new book, perfectly captures this oxymoronic attitude. It is an attempt to redeem pessimisms Debbie Downer reputation. For starters, van der Lugt writes, pessimism is not the same as fatalism. Just because you believe that the sky is likely to fall does not mean that you think it necessarily will. Pessimism is simply a refusal to believe that progress is a given. Van der Lugts main concern is arguably both more farsighted and more immediately pressing than any particular fire or election. As the world comes off the hottest year on record, weeks into a new one already marked by cataclysmic fires, she hopes to articulate a philosophical outlook for climate-change activistsa cohort with seemingly every reason to despair. On this topic especially, she sees the danger, and even cruelty, in optimism. She imagines how a pessimist and an optimist might approach the problem. As she puts it, the optimist would say, There is every reason to believe we can turn the tide and prevent the worst impact from climate change. Our efforts to prevent climate catastrophe are likely to succeed. The pessimist would say, There is every reason to believe we cannot turn the tide and prevent the worst impact from climate change. Our efforts to prevent climate catastrophe are likely to fail. [Read: How to find joy in your Sisyphean existence] Which attitude will lead to action? Van der Lugt thinks the pessimists is more motivating and sees a danger in the optimists, because if things look so generally bright, why should anyone get off the couch? The climate activist driven by pessimism has a sense of direness, of panic. They cant assume the arrival of an imagined savior, such as some utopian technology or a conversion among all of the worlds leaders. Disaster, and grief about that disaster, is with them always, and so they feel that they have no choice but to act. Moreover, the presumption that individuals have supreme control over the direction of the worldwhen they very much do notsets one up for perpetual disillusionment and pain. As Voltaire called it almost 300 years ago, optimism is a cruel philosophy hiding under a reassuring name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So what about the hopeful part of hopeful pessimism? I called van der Lugt, who teaches philosophy at the University of St Andrews, last week to ask her. Pessimism, after all, is not that hard to come by; just open the newspaper on any given day. Hope is another thing. But she insisted that a certain kind of hope is compatible with pessimismso long as it obeys two ground rules. First, it should be built not on an expectation of what will happen in the future but instead on uncertainty, based on the factand it is a factthat we just dont know how things will turn out. Things might get pretty bad, but theres no telling if things could at some point get better again, van der Lugt told me. Similarly, things might be pretty good; they could also get pretty bad again. So its never ever a closed story. The open-endedness of the future means that theres always ground to stick with things that are worth fighting for and worth being committed to. This leads to her second condition: If hope cant emerge from any concrete belief that you will actually achieve your hoped-for outcomes, then what can sustain it? Values, van der Lugt said. The simplest way to put this is to ask whether the cause or the change you are fighting for would still feel worth fighting for if you knew youd never see it realized. Your hope is value-oriented, she said, when it is driven by principles such as justice, duty, solidarity with your fellow human, and just your sense of goodness. You act because you feel you must. This formulation of hope immediately made me think of Vaclav Havel, the Czech dissident who would become the president of his country (and a thinker who has come to mind for me a lot lately). Havel was interviewed in 1985 precisely on this question of hope. He insisted that it was not a prognostication but rather an orientation of the spirit: Hope is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: A mindset for the Trump era] This is also the kind of hopewhat van der Lugt refers to as radical hope birthed in the most desperate of situations, a moment when all is truly lost, when even death seems certain, and people still find a reason to fight back. I think of the men whom Chris Heath wrote about in his recent book, No Road Leading Back. These were Jews and Russian prisoners of war who were forced by Nazi SS officers to do something unimaginably grotesque and inhumane: exhume the more than 70,000 corpses buried in mass graves in a forest named Ponar outside Vilnius, Lithuania. The Nazis wanted to conceal the crime by burning the bodies on mass pyres. The prisoners were shackled with chains and lived in a deep hole in the ground. Some of them discovered their families among the dead. And they had total certainty that once their job was done, they too would be killed. Yet at night, as Heath meticulously details, they began to dig a tunnel through a wall of their subterranean prison, using only their bare hands and spoons. On the night of April 15, 1944, after months of digging, they made their escape. What could possibly motivate someone in these hellish circumstances to keep digging, night after night, hoping against hope? Heath combed through the testimonies left behind by the dozen escapees who made it out. Their mindset, if I can summarize it, was that they were going to be murdered, one way or another, and that it was better to die while making an attempt to undermine their captors. At the very least, they were exercising their own agency, their own remaining humanness, and in the very, very unlikely event that one of them could tell the story of what had happened in Ponar, they could sabotage the Nazis efforts to incinerate history. Americans are not in the world of Sisyphus or in the world of those who face imminent death because of who they are. But these stories do tell us something about the way despair can clarify, producing a purer kind of hope shaped not by expediency but by a sense of what really matters. This is what Byung-Chul Han, a South Koreanborn philosopher, calls a dialectic of hope in a new meditation on the subject, The Spirit of Hope, in which he sees despair as hopes abysmal twin. The higher hope soars, the deeper its roots, Han writes. Just as despair can feel like stumbling through a pitch-black cave without an idea of where it ends, hopeful pessimism has the quality of being stranded on a deserted island yet bolstered by the oceans infinite blue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those who feel dread about America and the world, hopeful pessimism might seem like a thin string to grab on to, but it offers, I think, what might otherwise be called realism without requiring that one abandon the beauty of possibility. I like, too, that hopeful pessimism demands action, because there are no promises; it banishes wishful thinking. Its the attitude of the philosopher Terry Eagleton, who began his 2015 book, Hope Without Optimism, by admitting that he saw himself as one for whom the proverbial glass is not only half empty but almost certain to contain some foul-tasting, potentially lethal liquid. And yet, he had to conclude, there is hope as long as history lacks closure. If the past was different from the present, so may the future be. Article originally published at The Atlantic MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) The courtroom was filled, at least on one side. On one side Tuesday sat the loved ones and relatives of CDOT workers Nathan Jones and Trent Umberger; there were no empty seats. The other end of the courtroom held only a handful of people for Patrick Sneddon. He is charged with the deaths of Jones and Umberger, as well as his passenger, Kathi Ann Wallace, last September in Palisade. Sneddon was due in court as part of a bond hearing to see whether the $100,000 cash-only bond should be reduced or changed. Judge Jeremy Chaffin changed the bond to cash or surety but kept the amount the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sneddon is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence and failure to yield the right of way to a stationary public service utility vehicle (Colorados Move Over Law) among other charges. Sneddon allegedly had marijuana in his system following the crash. Chaffin had a lot to consider before his decision was made. Chief Deputy District Attorney Robert Fisher told the court Sneddon does have a criminal history. He was convicted for possession of marijuana and careless driving both in 2013. Fisher said this arrest shows Sneddon has a long-standing relationship with the drug. Interestingly, Wallace, who Sneddon had referred to as his wife to investigators, was not ever married to the man, according to Fisher. There is reportedly not one document to show they were ever hitched or even common law married. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sneddons defense said his bond should be lowered as he has to take care of his son, who has autism. Sneddon is worried his child would become homeless if he were to stay in jail. As a veteran, Sneddon receives benefits through the VA because of his disability to help his son. Trents brother, Steven, said Sneddon should be sitting in jail for what he allegedly did. Troy Trent and Stevens brother said Sneddon should not be able to drive a car as it is like a weapon, adding the mans actions were like if someone accidentally killed someone with a firearm. Wendy Jones, Nathans mother, told the court that her son and Trent followed all the rules and safety regulations that come with their jobs as CDOT workers. But Sneddon didnt follow the rules that day and now they dont get to see their families, Wendy added. Chaffin ruled Sneddon cannot drive or possess marijuana or alcohol. He will be regularly substance tested. He has a curfew as he must be home from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. He also cannot have contact with the victims or witnesses, and he cant leave the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m., March 28. 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. Twenty children were among the 76 fatal victims of a fire that spread through a Turkish ski resort in the early morning hours of Jan. 21, according to local media. The fire took place at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in northwestern Turkish province of Bolu. Local investigators have detained 11 people, including the hotels owner, the Deputy Mayor of Bolu Municipality Fire Department and the Bolu Municipality Fire Department Director in connection with the fire, Turkish Minister of Justice Ylmaz Tunc announced on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were more than 230 guests at the hotel at the time of the fire, according to Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the Associated Press previously reported. A lot of the guests were children with their families because schools were on semester breaks, according to local newspaper Sozcu. Entire families were killed in the fire, local outlets Serbestiyet, the Hurriyet Daily News and Turkish Minute reported. Ala Dora Turkmen, 18, asked for help on social media in the last minutes of her life, per Serbestiyet. We are in room 9013, facing the track, we cannot hear from my family, we are trapped in the fire, urgent help, she reportedly wrote. Ala Dora, along with her father journalist Nedim Turkmen Turkmen, mother Ayse Neva Turkmen and sibling Yucel Ata Turkmen all died in the fire, the outlet reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: 66 People Killed, 51 Injured in Hotel Fire at Popular Ski Resort: Reports At least a quarter of our customers were children, Necmi Kepcetutan, a 58-year-old ski instructor, told Sozcu. I have students I couldn't reach. I don't know what they are. I'm just praying. Another family, identified by Turkish Minute as the Gultekins, lost at least seven members: Bilal Gultekin, his wife Zehra Sena, their three children and Gultekins two siblings. Kepcetutan told Turkish Minute several children who were his students were on the sixth and seventh floor. With the others, I leaned a ladder against the front wall and helped 15 to 20 people get out, he told the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he lost five of his students, including a 6-year-old. Related: 4 Arrested After Fire at Popular Ski Resort that Reportedly Killed at Least 76 Mert Gokhan Koc/ dia images via Getty Funeral prayers for fire victims Funeral prayers for fire victims 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. A cause of the fire has not been released. The investigation into the fire is "being carried out with great sensitivity, multi-faceted and meticulousness," Tunc said on X on Wednesday. No Americans have been reported to be injured or present at the resort as of publication time. Read the original article on People On his first full day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an estimated 1,500 pardons for people arrested during the January 6th riots at the US Capitol. Boston 25 News spoke with two New Englanders who had vastly different views of the pardons. In Swansea, Massachusetts, Michael St. Pierre had few, if any, regrets about his role in the January 6th attacks. I didnt hurt nobody. I threw a flagpole up against a closed door. I didnt hit cops or anything like that, St. Pierre said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October a federal judge in DC convicted him in the case. He was looking at five years in federal prison. Instead, he is one of 1,500 people that President Trump is pardoning. I think the pardons are most certainly justified. And Trump knows that thats why he did what he did. He dealt with it himself, said St. Pierre. St. Pierre told Boston 25 that January 6 has caused him personal problems, but looking back, he would do it again. You were looking at five years in federal prison. And you dont regret taking part in this? Bob Wad asked. No, because, Im a faithful guy, St. Pierre said. Im glad I went and stood for something because what do you do? If you think your country is headed down the wrong path and theres a chance to protest your voice and use your voice, you should use it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a different story for Jason Riddle of Keene New Hampshire. He recorded video of himself storming the capitol and then drinking wine from a wine cabinet at the Capitol. It was a low point of my life, getting arrested was definitely a good thing Im grateful for it. I appreciate my rehabilitation. And this pardon is a slap in the face to that rehabilitation. If I pretend Im happy about it, then Im adding to the lie, he said. Jason Riddle served a 90-day federal sentence for his role in the riots. Since being released, he tells us he has completely turned around his life. He even voted for Kamala Harris and donated to her campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have a life now, with my husband. A good one. And its been getting better since the riot. And its thanks to accepting my responsibility for my actions, being held accountable for them, Riddle told us. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW (Bloomberg) -- Slovakias opposition called for an investigation into Prime Minister Robert Ficos administration for potentially misusing the intelligence service to suppress political adversaries and civil society. Most Read from Bloomberg The Freedom and Solidarity party filed a criminal complaint with the General Prosecutors Office on Wednesday after the premier cited a classified report to accuse the opposition of organizing a coup in collusion with media and non-governmental organizations. The grouping alleged that the spy agency is operating in the interests of the government by surveilling activists to discredit anti-government protesters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The central European nation has been rocked by anti-government protests for several months. Demonstrators criticize the erosion of the rule of law and Ficos pro-Russian policies, which they argue endangers Slovakias stances within the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Non-violent protests aim to maintain the democratic character of Slovakia, preserve its pro-Atlantic and pro-European orientation, and prevent Slovakia from collaborating with Russia, Ondrej Dostal, a Freedom and Solidarity member, said before filing the complaint. Fico has regularly rejected opposition accusations that his government his seeking to amass power and exploit control over key state institutions, including the secret service, police, prosecution and state media. On Wednesday, Fico reaffirmed his accusations, saying that a group of experts financed by the US is operating in Slovakia and preparing to use protests to topple the government. He also claimed that the group was involved in similar movements in Georgia and Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fico announced the Security Council meeting for Thursday. We will agree on preventive measures to prevent the destabilization of the state, Fico said. Rights to peaceful protests should not be threatened, he added. The intelligence service is headed by Pavol Gaspar. He is the son of a senior member of Ficos party, Tibor Gaspar, who was recently part of a parliamentary delegation to Russia and suggested that Slovakia might consider leaving the EU in the future. The Not in Our City platform, co-organizers of the protests, defended them as peaceful and legitimate. The information that the intelligence service described as dangerous with the aim of destabilizing Slovakia originated from emails from its accounts sent to 120 people to coordinate protest activities in January and February, the organization said in Facebook comments. Another round of protests is scheduled for Friday in several cities across Slovakia, including the capital, Bratislava. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates with Premier Ficos comments in sixth and seventh paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. HARTFORD, Ala (WDHN) Like most of the Wiregrass, Geneva County was covered in blankets of snow Tuesday from a winter storm. In Hartford, two young teens went to the town square to make snow angels. Hartford residents Hilburn and Wendy Stanley told WDHN they are not used to this amount of snow, but Its pretty cool. It has been a long time, like since nineteen seventy-something since it was this much, said Hilburn. Before its over, its definitely going to be a lot more than this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was really excited this time, said Wendy. On East Roehlig Street in Hartford, the roadway was completely frozen and buried by Tuesday afternoon. In Geneva, several children were sledding down the side of the levee behind the Geneva County Courthouse, and snow could be seen blanketing the top of the brand-new city hall. 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. President Trump on Tuesday announced an eye-popping investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the U.S., funded through a joint venture called the Stargate Project. According to Trump, the investment is likely to spur an increase of 100,000 jobs and will be accompanied by a spate of executive orders to ensure new data centers built in connection with the investment will have enough energy. Trump was joined by Oracle founder Larry Ellison, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who said the investment would start with $100 billion, plus a goal of $500 billion over the course of four years. Son said Abu Dhabibased investment partner MGX would be involved, along with tech juggernauts Nvidia and Microsoft. Son noted that the latter had been very supportive of Altman and OpenAI and would continue to be. I think AGI is coming very, very soon andthats not the goal, said Son at the White House briefing. After that, artificial super intelligence will come to solve the issues that mankind never ever thought that we could solve. He declared the dawn of a new golden age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, OpenAI said the initial equity funders are SoftBank, OpenAI, and MGX, with SoftBank and OpenAI as the lead partners for Stargate. OpenAI will have operational responsibility and Son will be the chairman of Stargate. Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and OpenAI are the project's key initial technology partners." Ellison said the applications produced through advancements in AI would revolutionize health care. He offered the example of early cancer detection and the potential for a cancer vaccine. The Oracle executive chairman said cancer tumors contain small fragments that float in blood and can be detected with a blood test. Using AI to analyze a blood sample could diagnose life-threatening cancers, he said. After gene-sequencing a cancerous tumor, someone with a potentially life-altering illness could be vaccinated against the cancer in a short time frame, said Ellison. He noted in his remarks that Oracle had been working with OpenAI and Son for years already. Some 10 data centers of half a million square feet are already under construction in Texas, and Ellison said the number would expand to 20. Stargate will also build in other locations beyond the first in Abilene, Tex., said Ellison. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Louis Sola has been designated by President Donald Trump as chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. Sola, a Republican, has served as an FMC commissioner since 2019 when he was nominated during the first Trump administration. The FMC is an independent federal agency responsible for regulating international ocean commerce as it relates to U.S. interests. The chairman also serves as chief executive and administrative officer, and directs the agencys agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sola replaces Democrat Daniel B. Maffei, who was designated as chairman by President Joe Biden in 2021. The five-member commission serving staggered five-year terms also includes Rebecca Dye, a Republican who was first appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002, and Democrat Max Vekich, who was appointed by Biden in 2021. There is one vacant commissioner position after Trump appointee Carl Bentzel resigned in December to become president of the National Association of Waterfront Employers. Sola had worked as a megayacht broker in Panama prior to joining the FMC, according to his agency biography. From 1998-2004, he served as a consultant with Berkshire Capital and Arden and Price while raising his family in the Panama Canal Zone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here. Related coverage: Asia-US container rates decline in slack season Ocean rates could fall as Houthis say they will end Red Sea attacks ILA to review tentative longshore contract; union ratification vote next The post Sola to head Federal Maritime Commission appeared first on FreightWaves. Home to the Tennessee Valley Authority headquarters and a neighbor to major Department of Energy sites, Knoxville is an energy town. The 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, after all, was built on the slogan "Energy Turns the World." Energy also is critical to the second-term agenda of President Donald Trump, who in his first term criticized the pay of TVA CEO Jeff Lyash and the proposed outsourcing of the federal utility's IT jobs. In his role, Lyash is responsible for overseeing a sprawling network of power plants that generate electricity for almost all of Tennessee and parts of six other states. He's also the one leading TVA's refined vision for powering the future, which includes replacing coal plants with natural gas plants in a move that seemed to contradict the Biden administration's goal of a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could it be that, despite Trump's previous criticisms, TVA is more in tune with the energy priorities of the new president? In an interview with Knox News, Lyash spoke about Trump's incoming Department of Energy, pitfalls of renewable energy and why TVA is looking to nuclear for meeting clean energy goals as the nation's largest public power provider. Since the interview on Jan. 16, the newly sworn-in president has declared a national energy emergency, citing the nation's "inadequate energy supply and infrastructure." Trump also withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement and signed orders to increase domestic oil drilling and to end EV rules and subsidies from the Biden administration. Trump will have the unique power of being able to replace TVA's entire board during this term, though it will still be the board that sets pay for Lyash. Here are the highlights from our discussion with the TVA CEO. TVA and Trump's energy secretary pick have 'similar' views "My view is his stated views are very similar to what TVA thinks needs to be accomplished here in the Valley and working with the industry. So, I'm encouraged and excited and hopeful that we're going to be able to work even more closely with DOE to make these things happen." - TVA CEO Jeff Lyash on Chris Wright, Trump's nominee for energy secretary Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wright, an oil executive who promotes fossil fuels as a pathway out of poverty, wants to expand U.S. oil and gas exports and support new nuclear reactors. Though he expressed support for wind and solar power during his confirmation hearing, he has been critical of the energy sources. It's likely Wright will be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, many of whom spoke favorably of his nomination. TVA could work even more closely with the Department of Energy under Chris Wright, President Trump's nominee for energy secretary, pictured at a confirmation hearing on Jan. 15. Renewables like solar aren't enough, TVA CEO says The most reliable, dispatchable, lowest-carbon resource that we've ever built as a society is nuclear power. ... You cant do it all with renewables. You need more than that." - TVA CEO Jeff Lyash on diversifying energy sources As TVA phases out coal plants by 2035, the vast majority of its new electricity will come from natural gas, not renewable energy or nuclear energy. TVA executives have said solar power is less flexible than fossil fuels, though the utility does plan to purchase more solar power from private companies. TVA partnering to reach nuclear goals "Partnership has always been in TVA's DNA and ... we partner to land businesses here. On the nuclear topic, just look at the nuclear cluster that we've landed together over the last few years here in Eastern Tennessee." - TVA CEO Jeff Lyash on recruiting business Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are more than 150 nuclear companies in the Knoxville and Oak Ridge areas, according to the East Tennessee Economic Council, and TVA has attracted companies by selling them relatively inexpensive power dating back to the Manhattan Project. TVA led a team of utilities and nuclear companies to apply for an $800 million federal grant to support its small modular reactor project at the Clinch River Site, the utility announced Jan. 17. Would TVA ever partner with Big Tech on nuclear? There's nothing inherent in TVAs model that prevents it or even discourages it. ... I think there are no real constraints on this. - TVA CEO Jeff Lyash on partnering with private tech companies TVA could take advantage of the ravenous energy needs of AI developers, including big names like Google and Microsoft, to expand its nuclear portfolio. TVA could co-own a nuclear reactor with a tech company, if such an agreement contributed to TVA's mission to serve its 10 million customers, Lyash said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amazon and Google are already tapping into the local potential for nuclear energy. In the space of two days last October, Amazon signed a partnership with X-energy and Google signed a partnership with Kairos Power. Both small modular reactor developers are building facilities in Oak Ridge. TVA might build large nuclear plant at Bellefonte "It's an outstanding place for a nuclear plant, particularly a gigawatt-scale reactor. And we think in the long run, the country will need to build more gigawatt-scale reactors." - TVA CEO Jeff Lyash on Bellefonte site development TVA might one day have a fourth large-scale nuclear plant if it can secure financing and partnerships to build new reactors at the Bellefonte site. Bill Johnson, CEO and president of TVA from 2013 to 2019, doubted the need for another large nuclear plant. But rising electricity demand could justify a reversal, and TVA's board voted to reverse course on selling the Bellefonte site in 2023. In the 1970s, TVA began building two reactors at Bellefonte in northeast Alabama but halted construction in 1988. Since then, the utility has gone back and forth on finishing the original reactors and explored building two additional advanced reactors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gigawatt-scale reactors can produce around one gigawatt of power or 1,000 megawatts enough to power around 650,000 homes. Lyash leads international nuclear groups Lyash, who came to TVA in 2019, is chair of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and chair of the Canada-U.S. Cooperation Executive Task Force at the Nuclear Energy Institute. He is, as one TVA spokesperson put it, "in high demand within the industry to lead the way forward." Before TVA, he was CEO and president of Ontario Power Generation, president of CB&I Power and executive vice president of Energy Supply for Duke Energy. His resume is particularly deep in the nuclear sector, having worked at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission early in his career. He has held a senior reactor operating license from the regulator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: 5 takeaways on East Tennessee's energy future from TVA CEO Jeff Lyash TOPEKA (KSNT) A local man accused of fatally stabbing his dad nearly 60 times last year has been declared not guilty Tuesday. Robert Fapp, 38, of Topeka was found not guilty on all charges following a bench trial on Jan. 21 by reason of mental disease or defect, according to court records. Robert will be committed to a state security hospital. He was accused of stabbing his mom and dad in April 2024 at a home in the Potwin neighborhood which resulted in his fathers death. Officers with the Topeka Police Department (TPD) were called just before 8 p.m. on April 16 to a home in the 400 block of Southwest Woodlawn Avenue on reports of a stabbing. Two people, later identified as Katherine and Ross Fapp, were transported to a local hospital for care with Ross later dying due to his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Card skimming device found at Topeka Dillons grocery store Court documents obtained by 27 News in the days after the stabbing showed police found Katherine on the front porch of the home bleeding heavily. Officers found Ross and Robert in an upstairs bedroom where the pair were struggling for control over a knife. Robert was reportedly straddling his father and trying to stab him in the chest. Ross allegedly sustained the injuries when he tried to protect his wife from his son. Law enforcement reported that Ross was stabbed a total of 57 times during the encounter before dying at a local hospital. The Shawnee County District Attorneys office charged Robert shortly after the stabbing. He was initially charged with the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murder in the first degree. Murder in the first degree. Two counts of mistreatment of a dependent adult or elder person. Attempted murder in the first degree. Aggravated battery. Driver busted going 165 mph in Kansas by state troopers in biggest speeding violation of 2024 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 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 KSNT 27 News. (Bloomberg) -- South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa said he expects to find common ground with his US counterpart Donald Trump, despite concern among some world leaders about what his return to the White House may bring. Most Read from Bloomberg South Africa enjoys good relations with America, its second-largest trading partner after China, and they will work closely on addressing climate financing and other issues, Ramaphosa told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im sure that we will find great solutions, Ramaphosa said. President Trump is a great dealmaker and so am I. So we will be able to work together. South Africa assumed the leadership of the Group of 20 nations from Brazil in December, the first African nation to do so, and is due to host a summit of its leaders in Johannesburg in November before the mantle goes to the US. Trumps return stirred a lot of talk among leaders in Davos this week and some of them are fearful, some of them are hopeful, Ramaphosa said, adding that South Africa is confident of retaining close trading and economic ties with the America ahead of the handover of the G-20 leadership. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2025 Bloomberg L.P. PIERRE, S.D, (KELO) A state lawmaker from Sioux Falls is taking a second run at requiring Internet sites to verify ages of people who want to look at pornography. The South Dakota House of Representatives considered a proposal from Republican Rep. Bethany Soye on Tuesday. She is trying to stop people younger than age 18 from using the Internet to look at porn sites. A look ahead to Day 6 of the 2025 legislative session Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vote was 61-5. The legislation, HB1053, now moves to the Senate for consideration. Soye attempted somewhat similar legislation last year. But senators, led by Republican Lee Schoenbeck, wouldnt let it through. They instead forced a study that produced a separate age-verification proposal that was then filed this year. This years Senate membership is very different. Schoenbeck has retired, and the current senators include a half-dozen lawmakers who supported Soyes bill last year when they were in the House: Republicans Kevin Jensen, Chris Karr, Ernie Otten, Carl Perry, Sue Peterson and Stephanie Sauder. The Senate sponsor of Soyes new bill is Jim Mehlhaff, the Senates new Republican leader. Soyes two bills are different, too. The 2024 version called for providers to face civil actions of up $5,000 apiece, plus actual damages, court costs and attorney fees, brought by parents or guardians. They also could have faced civil damages for retaining minors information and the state attorney general could have initiated actions for civil penalties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her 2025 version calls for providers to face Class 1 misdemeanors for a first violation and Class 6 felonies for subsequent violations, as well as injunctions and civil penalties of up to $5,000 per incident. It also would require the attorney general to send written notice to an alleged violator, who would then have 90 days to comply with the age-verification requirements or be taken to court. The study committees proposal, SB18, is somewhat different. The committee bill would require that at least 33 and 1/3% of the website be considered harmful to a minor, while Soyes new bill sets a vaguer threshold as a website for which it is in the regular course of the websites trade or business to create, host, or make available material that is harmful to minors. SB18 provides for similar penalties as does Soyes bill, but the committees version would allow either the county prosecutor, known as the states attorney, or the attorney general to take action against a suspected violator. Mehlhaff and Soye served on the study group and they are listed as co-sponsors of SB18. The legislation was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which hasnt yet scheduled a hearing date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard arguments in Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton, challenging the constitutionality of the Texas law, which uses the one-third threshold for pornographic content. Soye, a lawyer, said Texas was one of four states where courts have questioned the one-third standard. Her bill instead sets the standard as the regular course of business or trade. And I believe this one is much better, she said. 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 KELOLAND.com. SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) Dr. Troy E. Meink, a Lemmon, South Dakota native has been named by President Donald Trump as the new United States Secretary of the Air Force. Dr. Meink currently serves as the Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Prince Harry greets SD firefighters in CA Acording to the U.S. Air Force website he began his career in 1988 through an ROTX program at SDSU and began his career as a KC-135 Tanker Navigator, and later, as a test engineer for missile defense systems. President Trump said in a social media post that Troy will work with our incredible Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to ensure that our Nations Air Force is the most effective and deadly force in the World, as we secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KELOLAND.com. By Hyunsu Yim SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's transport ministry said on Wednesday that it would remove the concrete embankment installed at Muan International Airport following last month's Jeju Air crash, its deadliest domestic air disaster. While investigators are still probing what caused Jeju Air flight 7C2216 to crash, including reported bird strikes, experts have said the massive berm that supported navigation antennas at the end of the runway likely made the disaster more deadly than it might have been otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some of the first widespread reforms announced since the crash, authorities said they will make new foundations or other adjustments for similar antennas at seven airports including Muan and Jeju International Airport - one of South Korea's busiest - that are either below ground level or easy to break. The decision came after reviewing the structures housing the antennas that guide landings at the airports across the country known as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), or a "localiser". "Muan International Airport plans to completely remove the existing concrete and reinstall the localiser in a fragile structure," the ministry said in a statement. The Dec. 29 crash killed 179 people, with only two crew members seated near the rear of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft surviving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video footage showed the passenger jet slamming into the structure and exploding after landing at high speed without gear down and skidding past the end of the runway. The runway design has also been criticised as failing to meet safety standards, prompting authorities to extend post-runway safety zones that are free of major obstacles. The transport ministry said it will ensure a 240-metre (787-ft) long runway safety area at all airports to meet all relevant regulations. The area at Muan airport was about 200 metres long before the crash. Police said separately that Son Chang-wan, the former president of the state-run Korea Airports Corporation who was in office when the structure at Muan airport was renovated, was found dead in his home on Tuesday of an apparent suicide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Son was not under investigation over the plane crash and had not been summoned for questioning over it, a police official said. A shutdown of Muan airport has been extended until April 18, the transport ministry said on Saturday. (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Jamie Freed) JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) The South Korean government will reduce subsidies for biomass energy after rising domestic and international criticism of its link to deforestation. Environmental activists generally applauded the reforms but criticized loopholes and slow timelines for phasing out the subsidies. While not without caveats, (the) decision by the South Korean government demonstrates that large-scale biomass power has no place in a renewable energy future, Hansae Song, program lead at South Korea-based nongovernmental organization Solutions for Our Climate, said in an email to The Associated Press. Biomass power, predominantly generated by burning wood, is growing globally as countries accelerate their transition to use cleaner energy even though many scientists and environmentalists see it as problematic. In South Korea, it's the second-largest source of renewable energy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Korea has subsidized biomass energy with millions of dollars for more than a decade via their renewable energy certificates program. In a single recent year the government gave approximately $688 million to support power plants using biomass, according to a press release from South Koreas Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Faced with limited domestic forest resources, South Koreas biomass power industry has structured its business model around importing large volumes of wood pellets at lower prices from forest-rich nations. In 2023, imports accounted for 82% of the countrys wood pellet demand, making South Korea the worlds third-largest importer of biomass fuels, after the United Kingdom and Japan. An AP report found that biomass imported from Indonesia was linked to deforestation of natural, intact forest. As the (biomass) market expanded, various issues emerged, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in their press release. Criticisms regarding forest degradation and carbon emissions associated with biomass power generation persist." Under the revised policy, South Korea will not support any new biomass power plants. Subsidies for six existing state-owned plants co-firing coal and biomass will end this year, while the value of renewable energy certificates for three state-owned dedicated biomass plants will be phased down by 2027. At privately owned plants, subsidies for co-fired biomass from six plants will be phased out over the next decade, while subsidy weightings will be reduced for 12 dedicated biomass plants over the next 15 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But environmental activists are critical of loopholes in the new policy. Domestically produced wood pellets and chips will still have the same level of support as before, including those co-fired with coal which experts say could pose a threat to South Koreas forests. Power plants under construction or in planning with approved business permits are exempt from the new policy and subject to the phased reduction timelines for existing facilities. State-owned co-firing facilities which will lose their renewable energy certificates currently account for only 10% of South Koreas biomass power fleet, while the phase-out of most private co-firing will take over a decade to complete under the new policy, said Solutions for Our Climate. This extends the life of thermal power plants many with emissions per unit of energy higher than coal beyond the Paris Agreement-aligned coal phase-out deadlines, Song wrote in an email to AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Forest Service and Ministry of Environment did not respond to requests for comment from AP. Experts said South Korea's policy change could signal a shift in how countries consider and incorporate biomass as part of their own energy transitions. There has been a positive shift in terms of discourse around biomass subsidies, said Claire Squire, a research associate at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy Center for Global Sustainability. Cutting subsidies wont necessarily fix everything, but potentially if theyre constructed differently than they have in the past, that might be an improvement. As countries accelerate their energy transitions, demand for biomass is growing: The use of bioenergy has increased an average of about 3% per year between 2010 and 2022, the International Energy Agency said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Experts including the IEA say its important for that demand to happen in a sustainable way, such as using waste and crop residue rather than converting forest land to grow bioenergy crops. Deforestation contributes to erosion, damages biodiverse areas, threatens wildlife and humans who rely on the forest and intensifies disasters from extreme weather. Many scientists and environmentalists have rejected the use of biomass altogether. They say burning wood-based biomass can emit more carbon than coal and tree-cutting greatly reduces forests ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Critics also say that using biomass to co-fire, instead of transitioning directly to clean energy, simply prolongs the use of coal. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. (Bloomberg) -- Soybeans fell in Chicago after US President Donald Trump said hes considering tariffs on China, stoking fresh worries of a trade war between the worlds biggest economies. Wheat and corn also declined. Most Read from Bloomberg Futures for March delivery dropped as much as 1.1% on Wednesday. The retreat wiped out some of the previous sessions 3.2% advance that was propelled by optimism Trump would hold off on immediate levies on China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Trump said later Tuesday that his threat to hit all Chinese goods with 10% tariffs was still on the table. Such a move could prompt retaliation from China, the worlds biggest soybean importer, and deal a blow to US farmers. Chinese customs authorities suspended soybean shipments from units of some Brazilian exporters. In a statement Wednesday, Brazils agriculture ministry said Chinese customs oficials cited instances of sanitary non-compliance in some soybean cargoes. The timing of the move is curious, as it comes right as the flush of new-crop supplies start reaching the ports in Brazil, Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX, wrote in a note to clients. Its possible that there were genuine phytosanitary issues, but I doubt it. More than likely China was looking for some leverage either against these companies or against Brazil or possibly simply wanting to manipulate the basis market. --With assistance from Keira Wright. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. DAVOS (Reuters) - Social media owners should be held responsible for "poisoning society" and eroding democracy with their algorithms, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. Sanchez also said he would propose at an EU Council meeting to end anonymity on social media, including by linking users' data to a common EU identity wallet, and by making algorithms more transparent. "The owner of a small restaurant is responsible if their food poisons customers; social media tycoons should be held responsible if their algorithms poison our society," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Let's take back control. Let's make social media great again," he added, mimicking the campaign slogan of U.S. President Donald Trump. Sanchez said while social media had brought plenty of benefits, such as connecting people, they also came with "huge downsides hidden in the bowels of the algorithms like invaders concealed in the belly of the Trojan horse". Social media algorithms use data and rules to determine what content to show users. Attempts to bring social media to account have been risible so far, according to Sanchez. He cited the largest fine meted out to a social media company in the European Union to date of just 0.6% of its annual profit, and called for harsher fines. He did not name the company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of a dwindling band of centre-left European leaders, Sanchez has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of social media barons in recent weeks, referring to them as a "techno-caste" and echoing comments by former President Joe Biden of an oligarchy and "tech-industrial complex" threatening democracy. Spanish Labour Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz said on Tuesday she would withdraw from Elon Musk's social media platform X due in part to the billionaire's behaviour during events linked to Trump's swearing-in. Musk, who is now an adviser in Trump's administration, has also infuriated many in Europe in recent weeks with a string of rants about leaders of several countries, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Reporting by Inti Landauro, Charlie Devereux in Madrid; Writing by Emma Pinedo and Andrei Khalip, editing by Rod Nickel) DES MOINES, Iowa Spencer city officials made the trip to the Iowa State Capitol building on Tuesday to speak to lawmakers in the Iowa House about the ongoing recovery efforts. In late June, the city saw river levels raise eight feet in only seven hours. The record flooding wiped out 40% of homes in the city, thousands of people needed rescued or evacuated, and two people passed away. Spencer officials outlined the devastation in the immediate and long term to Iowa State Representatives in a Local Government Committee meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had 5,100 structures, houses, industrial commercial. Of the 5,100 structures, 75% had sewer back up, so we lost our wastewater treatment plant, said Kevin Robinson, City of Spencer City Manager. 40% of the 5,100 had top water flooding, we had 103 collapsed foundations of homes. Spencer lost the 911 local communications when the fire and police departments flooded. Rural 911 communications were not restored until three and a half weeks later. If the city hadnt lost the wastewater treatment plant, Robinson said that 40% of the damage done to the city would have been prevented. 5 puppies rescued after being left on side of a road in freezing cold The Department of Transportation told us is they measured the cubic flow rate of the river that day through their systems, on the river gauges that it was equivalent from what goes through Niagara Falls, from a volume and a speed standpoint, said Robinson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robinson and the city officials remain hopeful for the future, as the city is working to improve 911 communications for better durability for events like this, something that would be the first of the kind in the state. There are people in Spencer that couldnt afford to rebuild homes and had to sell property for cheap to contractors to build those properties back up, from foundation and up. Robinson noted that some of the rental properties that got damaged are back open for people to rent, but prices have skyrocketed from the monthly payments before the storm. Robinson concluded asking lawmakers to go talk with all of the city officials in areas they represent to make sure they know what is in each citys budget when looking at property tax legislation. Current law that is on the books caps communities on budget increases if there isnt growth. Hundreds have left the city at the minimum is what Robinson articulated. Iowa News: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, anticipates revisions to the states LGBTQ anti-discrimination policies, citing what he believes are potential loopholes in existing legislation. Adams previewed a new bill, titled Privacy Protections in Sex-designated Areas, that was introduced and will be debated this session related to where students can live on public college campuses. Controversy over a transgender resident assistant In 2015, lawmakers added gender identity to the list of classes protected from discrimination by Utahs fair housing act, as the Deseret News previously reported. Landlords could not deny housing to individuals based on their gender identity unless they qualified for a religious exemption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But recent events at Utah State University sparked interest among lawmakers in amending the legislation. Cheryl Saltzman said she was upset when her daughter was assigned to an all-girls dorm suite with a transgender resident assistant at USU, according to KUTV. Her Facebook post on the issue went viral. Changes to transgender anti-discrimination laws I think we did a very good job in 2015 finding a way to respect both religious thought and principles, and also find a way to give housing and employment protection to the LGBTQ+ community, Adams told reporters, then added: We may have missed some loopholes back then. The new bill, HB269, says that private, sex-designated spaces in the public education system may only be accessed by students whose sex corresponds with the space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If gender identity or a reasonable fear of bullying cause a student to request otherwise, the institution must ensure access to unisex or a single-occupant facilities. If ratified, HB269 would take effect May 7, 2025. Adams expressed hope that lawmakers would maintain the spirit of cooperation through the revision process that characterized the passage of the 2015 legislation. The post Spotify Hosts Trump Inauguration Brunch appeared first on Consequence. Spotify held a brunch celebrating the power of podcasts in this election on Sunday (January 19th) one day before Donald Trumps second presidential inauguration. Joe Rogan was previously reported to be featured at the event but was not in attendance. Per Bloomberg, however, his presence was still felt when Spotifys chief public affairs officer Dustee Jenkins said Rogans interview with Trump was the platforms most listened-to episode by a long shot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro and conservative YouTube provocateur Tim Pool were among the biggest names there. Naturally, Shapiro recorded a live episode of his podcast at the brunch. In a statement issued to Bloomberg, Spotify said the brunch was business as usual. The company added, Spotify has long hosted events in Washington D.C, and other capitals worldwide, bringing together political leaders, media figures, and industry peers from across the political spectrum. Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter also reports Spotify donated $150,000 to the inauguration ceremony. In a statement (translated from Swedish), the company once again said there was nothing out of the ordinary with the contribution. The donation aims to continue to expand our presence in Washington, D.C. while furthering the goals of our platform and our creators, a spokesperson said. It is in line with the work we do in capitals around the world to advance our policy issues, regardless of who is in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its worth noting Spotifys contribution was relatively small compared to competitors Apple and Amazon, who each contributed $1 million. During the so-called podcast election, Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris prioritized shows like The Joe Rogan Experience and Alex Coopers Call Her Daddy over traditional interviews. Trumps second inauguration ceremony featured a performance from Carrie Underwood. Over the weekend, names like Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Soulja Boy, Jason Aldean, and the Village People performed at inauguration events. Spotify Hosts Trump Inauguration Brunch Eddie Fu Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) Following the death of a six-year-old girl who was pulled from an icy river in Norton, Massachusetts, fire officials are reiterating the importance of ice safety. Caring for your car during extreme cold temperatures Just because its bitterly cold doesnt mean its exactly safe to walk or skate on ice. Ice on a river or stream may seem more solid, but it can be weaker and more prone to breaking. Those things tend to never truly freeze. Moving water is not going to freeze the same way that the standing bodies will. So any ice thats around the river or anything like that is always going to be unsafe, said West Springfield Fire Lieutenant, Tony Spear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spear says the top layer of a standing body of water like a lake or pond will freeze faster since it is constantly exposed to the cold. Those are going to be the safe areas where youre going to want to do your skating or outdoor activities, added Spear. But generally,y Spear says it typically needs several days of below-freezing temperatures for a standing body of water to freeze over. Unlike rivers, where the constant movement of the flowing water prevents it from reaching a stable temperature low enough to form ice. Now officials say you should know how thick the ice is before you go on it. They advise avoiding ice that is less than two inches thick as it may not be strong enough to support a persons weight. There are also other ways to tell if the ice is safe to walk on. Youre going to look for discolored ice. If you see any slushy ice, cracks in the ice, things like that, that you know, generally clear blue ice is going to be the safest ice to be on. So if it looks slushy, dark, cracked, anything, looks off, just dont go on it, explained Spear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spear adds the citys parks department will post on social media or put signs up around unsafe ponds or lakes to alert the public of dangerous ice conditions. If you see someone fall through the ice its best to call 911 if you can and to shout to the victim to reassure them help is on the way. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 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 WWLP. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Austin A. Ball, 31, of Springfield was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole in federal court Tuesday for his role in a fatal shooting in 2020 as well as drug trafficking. Ball pleaded guilty to attempting to distribute marijuana and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense in April 2024. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in a separate case. According to federal court, on April 19, 2020, Ball was in his vehicle at a local gas station looking to distribute marijuana when he saw another person, identified as C.T. in court records, approach his car. Fearing C.T. would rob him, he shot at them from his driver-side window with a firearm. One of the bullets hit C.T. and caused their death later in the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana man charged after being found with illegal rifles, shotguns in Branson motel Officers later searched Balls residence and found the firearm that was used in the shooting at the local gas station. Ball also admitted to his role in distributing methamphetamine from April 19, 2017, to Oct. 2, 2019, as well as possessing methamphetamine, Xanax, Klonopin and more when he was stopped by an SPD officer in 2018. He is the sixth person to be sentenced in this particular case, with two co-defendants pleading guilty and awaiting sentencing. 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. Clarification: The lawsuit seeks at least $25,000. This is the minimum amount required by the state of Missouri to keep the case in circuit court. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. A St. Louis County contractor faces a lawsuit after a crane accident last year resulted in lower-body amputations for an ironworker. Attorneys for Brian Brinkley, a 29-year-old injured in the accident, filed a lawsuit on Jan. 17 against the Budrovich Contracting Company, according to court documents obtained by FOX 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Imos Pizza is my ayahuasca; Jimmy Kimmel explains distaste for St. Louis staple The lawsuit states that Brinkley suffered a catastrophic jobsite crush on Oct. 22, 2024, when a structural steel column being moved fell on him at a jobsite in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. According to the lawsuit, Brinkley was a union ironworker at the Continental Tire Mixing Plant jobsite and present while a Budrovich employee operated a crane with the intent to unload a steel column. The lawsuit alleges that the Budrovich employee abruptly dropped a steel column that landed on Brinkleys lower body. Brinkley suffered severe injuries and underwent extensive medical treatment after the fall, including 34 surgeries and hemicorporectomy, which led to his lower half of his body being amputated, according to the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News The lawsuit contends that Budrovich and the crane operator were negligent in following proper safety protocols. It claims that Budrovich failed to offer adequate job training and investigate prior alleged complaints about the employee who operated the crane. Brinkley is seeking $25,000 in the lawsuit to cover for medical expenses, lost wages, and future pain and suffering. 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 2. ST. LOUIS A previously convicted felon from St. Louis appeared in federal court on Tuesday and admitted to a carjacking, a shooting, and two other incidents involving firearms. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Darnell L. Clemons, 38, will be sentenced on April 24 after pleading guilty to one count of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Clemons admitted that he and another man carjacked the manager of a University City restaurant on May 16, 2018, and stole her 2015 Toyota Corolla, cash, and phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike Matheny reflects on near-death experience and new life mission On July 29, 2021, Clemons accompanied his nephew to steal someones gun at a convenience store. Clemons shot the victim in the back as he fought with Clemons nephew. A week later, Clemons was involved in an apparent shootout in the OFallon neighborhood in north St. Louis on Aug. 4. Clemons jumped through a strangers window and was arrested with a stolen 9mm pistol in his possession. The gun was empty. Finally, Clemons was arrested on outstanding warrants on Dec. 8, 2021, and police found a loaded 9mm Glock with a large capacity drum magazine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 2. A stabbing attack at a park in the southern German town of Aschaffenburg on Wednesday left a 2-year-old child and a 41-year-old man dead, and two others, including a second child, seriously injured, police said. A 28-year-old man taken into custody shortly afterwards is the suspect in the attack, a police spokesman told dpa. According to the Interior Ministry for the southern German state of Bavaria, Joachim Herrmann, the man attacked the victims with a kitchen knife. A second person believed to be a witness to the incident was also detained by the police but is not suspected of any wrongdoing. "He is currently being questioned," police said in a post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scene of the crime and the park were cordoned off after the incident in the Bavarian town at midday. The spokesman said on Wednesday afternoon that there was no ongoing danger to the public. The man arrested is believed to be the only suspect, and the alleged murder weapon has been seized by police. The Schontal Park, where the incident occurred, is located in the town centre and is subject to regular police foot patrols, the spokesman said. The police presence may be one of the reasons why the suspect was caught quickly, he added. Police asked for help from possible witnesses, and also solicited videos or photos from the public that may have captured the incident or the suspects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are currently preparing a portal where you can send us your relevant pictures and videos," said the Lower Franconia regional police headquarters on X. Attack not motivated by Islamism, minister says According to dpa information, the suspect is an Afghan citizen who was living in asylum accommodation in the area and had a history of psychological problems. A police spokesman said investigations into the motive were under way and urged the public to avoid speculation until further facts can be gathered. Later on Wednesday, Herrmann said investigators have found no evidence that the suspect had Islamist motives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At the moment, the speculation is very much in the direction of his obvious mental illness," he said. The man was found to be taking medication at his accommodation centre. According to Herrmann, the suspect entered Germany in November 2022 and later applied for asylum, but his case was closed after he told the authorities in December 2024 that he planned to obtain the necessary paperwork to leave the country again. The suspect had been arrested three times in the past for acts of violence, Herrmann said, and was admitted to psychiatric institutions after each incident. German politicians express sympathy for victims German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his sympathy on Wednesday for the victims of the "act of terror." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also called for lessons to be drawn from the incident, adding that "talking is not enough." "I am tired of such acts of violence taking place in our country every few weeks," Scholz said in a statement, referencing "perpetrators who actually came to us for protection." Bavarian Premier Markus Soder spoke of an "appalling day." He said: "The terrible news from Aschaffenburg has deeply affected us. We mourn the victims of a cowardly and vile act." ST. JOHN, Kan. (KSNW) Stafford County is receiving $25 million to build a transload facility in St. John. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportations Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Port Authority of Stafford County will use the grant to design and construct a transload facility, grain terminal, and industrial park next to the BNSF rail line in St. John. The location will allow for the shipment of grain, commodities, and other products to be shipped by truck or by rail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, no public transload or intermodal facility serves the western half of Kansas. The Port Authority of Stafford County project is an example of what can be accomplished with crucial funding, said Governor Laura Kelly in a news release. By utilizing matching funds, we are making a difference for communities across Kansas. Swiss rail company to put US HQ, more jobs in Winfield I am so glad to hear that the Port Authority of Stafford County is receiving a RAISE grant. This is a project that we have been working on for a few years now that will make a positive difference for Stafford County and central Kansas, said Troy Waymaster, Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee Chair. This is the prime purpose of the BUILD Kansas Committee: to make prominent changes for our small and rural communities by providing them with assistance and matching dollars for federal grants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $25 million will be combined with $5 million in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund. Once completed, the facility is expected to help reduce transportation costs, especially for grain, and help spur economic development by attracting more businesses to Stafford County. On behalf of the Port Authority of Stafford County, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the Build Kansas Fund for their invaluable support through both matching dollars and technical assistance. The partnerships created will be instrumental in the development of our new rail-served transload facility and grain terminal, said Carolyn Dunn, Port Authority of Stafford County President. This facility will enhance our regions transportation infrastructure, foster economic growth, and provide critical resources to our agricultural sector, strengthening Stafford Countys role in the global supply chain. The Build Kansas Fund has provided over $34 million in matching funds for federal match grants, resulting in Kansas projects receiving nearly $76 million in federal grant funding. 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. Adrianna Adame Buffalo's Fire Janet Alkire, chairwoman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, urged North Dakota lawmakers to join forces with tribal nations during Tuesday's state Legislatures opening address. Delivering remarks at the Capitol in Bismarck she said, Our collective work can create lasting change and brighter futures for the next generation. Alkire praised SB 2304, a 2021 law former Gov. Doug Burgum signed that mandates that fourth and eighth graders receive Indigenous studies lessons. The law provides coursework focusing on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Mni Wakan Oyate, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She thanked Burgum for his support of Native communities and pressed lawmakers to pass more education policies that serve the interests of North Dakotas tribes. As education bills move through the state and at the federal level, we want to work with you to ensure the outcomes are in the best interest of all children, she said. I know we agree that the children of our state deserve the best opportunities we can provide for them. Alkire emphasized the importance of economic development on reservations. She argued that growth in tribal economies benefits the entire state and should be a shared priority between Native nations and North Dakota. The chairwoman suggested a state-funded study to assess the economic contributions of the five tribal nations to North Dakotas economy. This is critical to understanding our joint relationship, she said. We must know our impact on each other to strategize a cooperative future for common citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alkire raised concerns about the federal underfunding of tribal law enforcement, which she said has created a public safety crisis affecting both tribes and the state. She called for state support in securing federal monies for more reservation officers and training. Violent crimes and criminal activities are much higher than in non-Native areas, which have adequate funding and adequate staffing, Alkire said. Crime doesn't respect political boundaries. Criminal behavior does not end at the reservation border. She commended Turtle Mountain Chippewa citizen Rep. Jayme Davis, a Democrat from District 9, for planning a bill to create a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) alert system. The measure would help address the higher rates of violent crime on reservations, she said. Alkire acknowledged Burgums efforts to strengthen the relationship between the state and tribes, recalling that one of his first acts as governor was to reach out to Standing Rock tribal leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later launched the government-to-government summit, fostering ongoing dialogue between state officials and tribal nations. Burgum relinquished the governorship to former U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND, on Dec. 15, after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him for future Interior Secretary. Looking ahead, Alkire called for continued collaboration and communication between state lawmakers and neighboring tribes. We may not always agree, but we must remain united in service to our people and the state of North Dakota, she said. This story was published via AP Storyshare Starbucks decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom policies that has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to use the loo and when. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. New York requires restroom access for customers at food establishments with 20 or more seats. California requires larger restaurants to provide restrooms for customers and guests, but only if they were built after 1984. In Chicago, restaurants dont need to have restrooms for customers unless they serve liquor. Its so mish-mash, said Steven Soifer, the co-founder and treasurer of the American Restroom Association, which advocates for clean, safe and well-designed public toilets. If (a retailer) is serving food and drink, its a health hazard if there isnt a public bathroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starbucks opened the can, so to speak, when it said last week it was reversing a 7-year-old policy that invited anyone to hang out in its stores or use the restroom, regardless of whether they bought anything. Starbucks new code of conduct, which will be posted in all company-owned North American stores, also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and asking strangers for money. Reaction to the coffee chains rule change for potty privileges was heated and divided. Many said Starbucks had the right to restrict restroom access to paying customers. I do think its up to Starbucks to set the atmosphere in their stores, Paul Skinner, 76, a retired firefighter in Daytona Beach, Florida, told The Associated Press. If theyve decided that their paying customers are going to be better served by limiting restroom access, it doesnt make me mad. Im not going to stop going there. But Skinner said he also doesnt mind when homeless people occasionally visit his local Starbucks, and he sometimes offers to buy them breakfast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think about all the people who dont have housing who would love to wander into a Starbucks and get warm, he said. Now theres one more place they arent welcome. Other patrons lamented the change and said it didnt reflect Starbucks often-stated goal of being a welcoming, community-oriented coffeehouse. Norman Bauman, 81, a semi-retired science writer in New York, said he stopped going to his local Starbucks to read, meet people and maybe buy a coffee when the store hung an Employees Only sign on its sole restroom. I used to sit in a coffee shop once or twice a week and read my science journals. I always wondered how they could survive with customers like me, Bauman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Social media posts ran the gamut. Some said the change was overdue, and that Starbucks open-door policy had invited trouble and left fewer seats available for paying customers. But others criticized the company, saying the new policy made them much less likely to patronize Starbucks. Starbucks said its new code of conduct matched those of other big retailers. The Associated Press reached out to several other restaurant chains to ask about their restroom policies, including McDonalds and the parent companies of Dunkin, Burger King and KFC. None responded. But the National Retail Federation said businesses have a right to set limits on restroom use. Stores and restaurants are private property, and these establishments have a right to enforce certain conduct in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations that ensures the health and safety of the customers they serve and the people they employ, the federation said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starbucks stressed this week that the code of conduct is meant to end disruptive behavior. We know there will be times when a customer needs to use the restroom before theyve made a purchase, or maybe uses the restroom and then decides against making a purchase, and of course that is OK, Starbucks spokeswoman Jaci Anderson said. Starbucks also said it will comply with any local laws requiring bathroom access for non-customers. But thats where things get murky. Most states and the District of Columbia follow the International Plumbing Code, which sets minimum regulations for plumbing systems. The code says businesses must make toilet facilities available to customers, patrons and visitors, said Soifer, who is an adjunct professor at the Adelphi University School of Social Work in addition to his duties at the American Restroom Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Andrew Rudansky, a spokesman for New Yorks Department of Buildings, said the International Code Council, which developed the plumbing code, has published separate commentary making clear that restrooms are intended for people involved with the activities of the establishment and not just passersby. Other states and cities use the Uniform Plumbing Code or the National Standard Plumbing Code as the basis for their regulations. Those codes also refer to restrooms as being for customers. But Soifer said even the term customer is ambiguous. If I walk into a Starbucks and Im thinking of ordering something but Im not sure, am I a customer? Sure, he said. A homeless person may also be a customer, he pointed out, but might be discouraged from using the restroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To add to the confusion, at least 20 states have passed versions of the Restroom Access Act, which requires retailers to let people with certain medical conditions, like Crohns disease, use their restrooms, even if those restrooms are usually reserved for employees. The wider issue, Soifer said, is a lack of public restroom facilities in the U.S. If there were more public facilities, he said, there would be less pressure on retailers like Starbucks. The number one complaint tourists have about visiting the U.S. is, Where are your public toilets? he said. Donald Trump has announced a $500 billion "Stargate Project." Backed by major tech companies, it aims to boost AI infrastructure in the U.S. Donald Trump has announced a new $500 billion "Stargate" AI infrastructure project. During his first full day in office, the president made the announcement alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. The three companies, along with Abu Dhabi-based investment partner MGX, are the initial equity funders in Stargate. Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and OpenAI are set to be the projects key initial technology partners. Oracle said in a statement the project aims to support the "re-industrialization of the United States," providing 100,000 jobs and boosting capabilities to protect the "national security of America and its allies." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres how the Stargate project will work. Key Players OpenAI and SoftBank are the lead partners for Stargate. SoftBank is set to take on financial responsibility, while OpenAI will assume operational responsibility; SoftBank chief Son will chair the project. In a blog post, OpenAI said the project also builds on the company's existing partnership with Microsoft, while establishing a new one with Oracle. "As part of Stargate, Oracle, NVIDIA, and OpenAI will closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system. This builds on a deep collaboration between OpenAI and NVIDIA going back to 2016 and a newer partnership between OpenAI and Oracle," the company said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "OpenAI will continue to increase its consumption of Azure as OpenAI continues its work with Microsoft with this additional compute to train leading models and deliver great products and services." In a blog post on Tuesday, Microsoft said its exclusive cloud deal with OpenAI was coming to an end and the company had signed a new right of first refusal deal. This means Microsoft still gets the first choice on whether to host OpenAI on the cloud, but if Microsoft can't meet its needs, OpenAI can opt for a rival cloud provider. $500 billion in funding Altman, who has been arguing for the need for more investment in data centers in the U.S., called Stargate the "most important project of this era." The joint venture will invest an initial $100 billion of private capital to fund U.S. AI infrastructure, with a further $400 billion expected over the next four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said he would help with other emergency declarations to get more AI infrastructure off the ground, citing the need to keep AI development in the U.S. Hes expected to issue a spate of executive orders to ensure new data centers built in connection with the investment will have enough energy. A boost for Big Tech The announcement may help assure investors that the AI boom still has room run. Big Tech stocks saw a boost following the announcement, with Stargate partner Oracle stock finishing regular trading up by 7% on Tuesday. Wedbush's Dan Ives said the project was likely just the start of a wave of U.S. AI investments and may help soothe investors nervous about the pace of the AI boom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We ultimately believe another $1 trillion of U.S. AI investments could be committed by the rest of the Big Tech world as momentum builds in Silicon Valley," Ives said in a note. "This comes at a critical juncture as we expect Trump to aggressively court more AI investments in the U.S. with the China tariff negotiations in the backgroundall part of a broader game of high-stakes poker with China." Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, noted that Trumps promise to fast-track these projects using emergency declarations and executive orders further "highlights the urgency and scale of this economic shift." Its unclear what impact the project will have on OpenAI's competitors, including Elon Musk's xAI and Google, but Trump is expected to aggressively court AI investments and approach regulation in the U.S. with a light touch. On Monday, Trump also revoked a 2023 executive order signed by the Biden administration that aimed to reduce the risks posed by AI to consumers, workers, and national security. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com BOSTON (SHNS) Low-income families robbed of their grocery funds are no longer getting reimbursed by the federal government, and some Bay Staters are now looking to the state government to replace their stolen benefits. Skimming scams targeting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit recipients spiked in Massachusetts and across the U.S. in the summer of 2022. Crime rings install skimming devices on point of sale devices at ATMs and in grocery stores, which can steal information from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which have less federal legal protections against theft than credit or debit cards. The federal government began reimbursing families who could prove their EBT dollars were swiped. As of September, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance had issued about $9 million in federally funded replacement benefits to about 20,100 Bay State households who were victims of SNAP theft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Congress had to renew the policy in December to continue reimbursing stolen benefits. With the reimbursement policy ending in December, a bipartisan bill was introduced to Congress that included an extension of the policy until 2028 but the omnibus bill ultimately collapsed, and the extension was cut, effectively ending the federal reimbursements of stolen benefits. That brings us to where were at now in Massachusetts and the most important thing is that families who are actively being stolen from in Massachusetts through no fault of their own arent having their money replaced. So were urging the governor and Legislature to make a plan to address that, said Victoria Negus, benefits policy advocate at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. Negus said MLRI has urged Gov. Maura Healey to include $5 million in a fiscal year 2025 supplemental budget, and to fill the reimbursement gap in fiscal year 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers EBT cards, is iexploring the implementation of a new chip or tap pay system for the cards, which DTA expects in late 2025 or early 2026. The change will make the cards more secure, DTA says. Chip and tap technology is safer from skimming schemes. Healey will roll out her fiscal 2026 budget on Wednesday, and plans to file a fiscal 2025 supplemental budget in tandem. For fiscal 2026, were urging the governor and Legislature to just fill the gap between the start of the year and when the department will begin to do chip/tap cards. For fiscal 2025, were talking about approximately $1 million a month its not a huge dollar figure for the state, but for families who are stolen from, that investment is critical, Negus said. A spokesperson for Healey did not respond to a question Tuesday when asked if Healey would include the reimbursement dollars in her budget filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Sally Kerans and Sen. Robyn Kennedy have also filed bills (HD 2802 / SD 1741) to require the state to replace stolen SNAP dollars when the federal government fails to do so. The bills say the state should promptly replace the full amount of financial assistance or nutrition benefits stolen through electronic benefit transfer card skimming, card cloning or other fraudulent methods. Kerans and Kennedy both said they also estimated that the state would need to spend about $1 million to replace stolen dollars until DTA rolled out the new chip/tap cards. Its critically important that we ensure that all Massachusetts families eat while DTA addresses the root causes, and improves our systems to make it more difficult for theft to occur, Kennedy said. Kerans said she was hopeful that the policy would get sufficient support in the Legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So much great work has gone on in the arena of food insecurity here, like the school lunch bill, people understand the very real need for these benefits, she said. I do think people appreciate this in all districts, but may not be aware of the extent of the theft of these criminal operators. Massachusetts was selected to participate in a federal pilot with USDA for mobile/contactless pay for EBT cards in 2023. The state invested $2 million to implement the chip/tap system. The department will explore chip EBT cards with a new vendor in the next two years, as theyre currently in the middle of a vendor transition. 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 WWLP. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) After Governor Kathy Hochul released the proposed budget for Upstate Hospital renovations of $200 million, some lawmakers said they are ready to get the number raised to $450 million. Some are expressing their thanks that the hospital is included in the state budget, but are ready to take on the fight for additional funding. Upstate Hospital needs the $450 million, Assemblymember William Magnarelli said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assemblymember Pamela Hunter said one of the hospitals top priorities is upgrading the emergency response unit to reduce waiting times for care. The emergency roomwaiting hours are very long, and we need to make sure that health care is expedient, quality, and folks can get in and out, Hunter said. Assemblymember John Lemondes expressed concern about the occupation risk for future employees at Micron, who could sustain chemical burns while working. If we dont have an upgraded center, with respect to technical capabilities, as well as staff, as well as facilitiesthen we wont be able to handle, perhaps, the number of injuries and the frequency of injuries that could occur, said Lemondes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State lawmakers are asking for more funding to be allocated towards a new emergency room, burn unit, additional operating rooms and other essential needs. It really is going to take the weight of all of the Central New York delegation to, kind of, lift our voices to get to the magic numberwhich is the $450 million that were requesting, Hunter said. Congressman John Mannion said he is ready to work with Gov. Hochul to raise the proposed budget. Its not over, Mannion said. Its the beginning, and I know that my former colleagues in the state legislature, that represent the region, are going to be fighting for Central New York. A statement from NYS Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay can be seen below: I was pleased to see $200 million included today this is critical funding and a significant investment. I recently had a good discussion with the SUNY Chancellor and today is just the first step in the budget process. Members of the Assembly and Senate will work hard to increase the funding commitment to Upstate above whats been proposed. A statement from Upstate Hospital can be seen below: We sincerely thank Governor Hochul for prioritizing critical capital funding in the Executive Budget to support the modernization and expansion of Upstates emergency department, burn unit, and operating rooms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $200 million outlined in the Executive Budget provides an incredible foundation for the annex plan that will help Upstate address some of its most pressing needs. With this support from Governor Hochul and the Legislature, we can begin these essential infrastructure upgrades and recognize Upstates crucial role as the regions only Level 1 trauma center and emergency department for adults and children. A letter from state lawmakers to Gov. Hochul requesting $450 million in funding for Upstate Hospital can be seen below: CNY-Delegation-Letter-to-Gov-Upstate-Hospital-Capital-Request-12.20.24Download 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 WSYR. CAMBRIDGE - It may be bitterly cold outside in Boston, but it's not cold enough for one very dangerous activity. Massachusetts State Police are asking people to please stay off the ice, after they got several calls about people trying to walk across the Charles River, saying even parts that look safe are still very risky. Dispatchers can be heard on police radio communications for different calls about people on the ice, saying, "Storrow Drive for kids on the water on ice on Charles River," and "A few calls on four skaters in the middle of the Charles." One wrong step and first responders say you could find yourself on thin ice. That's why some running groups and walkers would rather keep their feet on solid ground even if it means a longer trek. "It's dumb. Dumb and not safe at all," runner Jack Courtney told WBZ-TV. "It might be like two inches thick and that cannot support a body right now." "It's probably a death sentence if you go out on the ice and you go through," said walker Graham Sahagian. Why Charles River ice isn't safe State police say the water underneath the Charles can change in depth every day, making it unpredictable and unsafe. "The water that's under the Charles River can vary in height up to two feet every day," said State Trooper James DeAngelis. "This can cause an air void below the ice and walking on that without the ice being supported by the water underneath can significantly increase the risk of you falling through the ice." It's not just rivers, people are urged to be careful around lakes and ponds too. Last week, first responders had to crawl on an icy Lake Waban in Wellesley to help a man and his dog after the pup got loose. In Wareham, first responders found a man clinging to a kayak after he fell through an icy pond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Stay off the ice" "Hypothermia, death from drowning, you're not just putting yourself at risk, you're putting first responders at risk, so we want you to stay off the ice," said Trooper DeAngelis. If the police see you walking or skating on the Charles or a body of natural water, they will advise you against it. Trump signs executive orders after inauguration Former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama arrive for Trump inauguration President Trump and first lady Melania attend inaugural balls after busy first day SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA'S STATEMENT ON CALLS TO EXPEDITE THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL AMENDING LAWS VS ESPIONAGE Bago pa man nangyari ang pag-aresto ng mga awtoridad sa mga diumano'y Chinese spy, itinutulak ko na dito sa Senado ang pag-amyenda sa batas kaya't naghain ako ng Senate Bill No. 2368 para ma-update ang antiquated na espionage laws na nasa ilalim ng Commonwealth Act No. 616 at Revised Penal Code. As a legislator and a staunch advocate of national security, I recognize the urgent need to modernize and strengthen our laws to address emerging threats to our sovereignty and security. The call to expedite the passage of amendments to the Espionage Law is both timely and necessary in light of the evolving methods and technologies employed in espionage and other acts of sabotage. Sa kasalukuyan, may mga importanteng impormasyon at datos na hindi pa naisusumite sa Committee on National Defense and Security na kailangan namin na isaalang-alang ang mga ito bago ko iprisenta ang committee report sa plenaryo. It is imperative that we strike a balance between safeguarding national security and upholding the constitutional rights of our people. Rest assured, this effort is geared toward fortifying our defenses while maintaining transparency and accountability in governance. Kaisa ako na maipasa ito sa lalong madaling panahon. ________________ *The Commonwealth Act No. 616 was signed in 1941 and RPC took effect in 1932 Newly appointed Oregon Sen. Lisa Reynolds at her pediatrics clinic in Portland on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by Rian Dundon/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregons state Senate has a tradition of offering new members leadership responsibilities, but one new Democratic senator was given more than most. Sen. Lisa Reynolds will lead a committee created for her. Reynolds, a pediatrician, will chair the newly created Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee. In the last session, mental health issues were assigned to the Senate Health Care Committee and child welfare issues were discussed on the Human Services Committee. But after Reynolds, a former two-term House member, was appointed to fill a Portland Senate seat, Senate leaders felt they should take advantage of her expertise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I felt that given her acumen, skillset, talent and experience, both in the House and then professionally, that there was a place where she could really nest in and make a difference, said Senate President Rob Wagner. The committee gives Reynolds a perfect perch to continue her work from the House, where she served two terms and chaired the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services. It also sets her up for potential success in advancing initiatives designed to help mothers and babies in the perinatal and postpartum periods. Reynolds didnt expect to chair such a committee as a first-term senator. She told the Capital Chronicle she was incredibly honored and moved by the appointment which wasnt even possible several months ago. In November, Reynolds won her third term in the House representing the Beaverton-based 34th District. But that election also opened up the Portland-based 17th Senate District, with Elizabeth Steiner, a family physician who had represented the district since 2012, elected treasurer. State Senate jobs dont open frequently, especially not in Portland. Each term is four years, rather than two in the House, giving senators more time to focus on policy. And they also have more influence, Reynolds said, with only 30 members compared with twice that in the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She pursued the opportunity and won the appointment with the endorsement of Multnomah and Washington County commissioners. Shes now the only physician in the Legislature, with Steiner gone and another physician, Maxine Dexter, who represented Portland for two terms in the House, now representing Portland in Congress. Reynolds applies her knowledge as a pediatrician and experience with patients to her legislative work, she said. Shes worked to pass gun safety legislation and sponsored the child tax credit that passed in 2023, and she has tried to get flavored tobacco banned, something shes pursuing again this session with Senate Bill 702. But her biggest focus this year will be Momnibus, a set of initiatives supporting pregnancy, maternal health and people and babies in their first year of life. She wants to give babies a good start in life to help protect them from problems later on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would love to put child welfare out of business, she said, or at least really take a lot of their business away. Bills often require more than one session to pass, and its not clear shell be able to get all of the initiatives over the finish line this session. But shes taking a six-month leave of absence from her work as a pediatrician in the Portland-based Childrens Clinic to try. Im going to miss it. But it just felt like the right time to do it, Reynolds said. Newly appointed state Sen. Lisa Reynolds at the Childrens Clinic in Portland on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by Rian Dundon/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Chicago childhood Reynolds grew up in a working class family of four kids in Chicago. Her father was a roofer, who worked in his own company until he was 80. Her mom was a maverick. She subscribed to Ms. Magazine, which discussed abortion, welfare and lesbianism. She dragged Reynolds to Equal Rights Amendment marches and took her children to farmworker camps to donate blankets and clothes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And she believed in education. From a very early age, my mom said, Youre going to college, Reynolds said. Her mom set an example: After raising her kids, she returned to college and obtained a degree at 40, eventually becoming a college counselor. College was cheaper back then but still too expensive for her dad to foot the bill she and her siblings qualified for free lunches in high school. Reynolds landed a needs-based scholarship to the University of Chicago and obtained other aid to pay for her education. Initially, she considered a degree in history but found the prospect of writing a long term paper daunting so she switched to science, something she had loved in high school. She found research tedious so latched on to pre-med. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She obtained a biology degree and then went to the University of California, Los Angeles. She was stunned by the poverty in parts of the city.. L.A. was an eye opener for me just in terms of people living in tents, Reynolds said. And seeing soup lines and things like that. She and other medical students created a clinic in a new Salvation Army shelter, where they got hands-on experience working under the supervision of a teacher. She expanded her horizon through her clinical rotations at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, about 130 miles to the Mexican border. Plenty of immigrants sought care at the county hospital, and they sometimes had unusual diseases. Many didnt speak English, either, which spurred Reynolds to study Spanish and do a clinical rotation in Guatemala. Today, she speaks Spanish with about one-fifth of her patients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In med school, she didnt plan to pursue pediatrics. She wasnt a super kid person growing up, always wanting kids around and babysitting. She figured shed go into primary care. And then I did my pediatrics rotation, she said, and it just really, really clicked. Kids were fun to work with. I really enjoy interacting with the families, but the kids are just a blast. Theyre so funny, Reynolds said. State Rep. Lisa Reynolds before her swearing in as a state senator at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo by Rian Dundon/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Influence of work, motherhood Reynolds met her husband in med school. After graduation, they moved to Portland, inspired by a visit with one of Reynolds best childhood friends and UCLA classmates who ended up marrying Knute Buehler, a surgeon who served two terms in the state House and lost the 2018 gubernatorial election to former Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Portland, Reynolds worked a year at what is now Randall Childrens Hospital and then switched to the Childrens Clinic, where shes been ever since. Shes worked there nearly 30 years, treating teens who later brought their children to her. Thats given her a long-term perspective on the effect of childhood trauma on adulthood and the importance of giving babies a good foundation in life. About a quarter of her patients are on Medicaid, and shes cared for young foster children whose parents have an addiction. She said poverty and mental illness have a toxic affect on life but said child endangerment is the worst, especially when children are removed from the home. Thats a very tough rupture to come back from, she said. Shes also seen the effect of being an immigrant without legal residency has on families and has written to immigration authorities in favor of keeping families together in the U.S. when theyre facing health issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It feels like a privilege, Reynolds said, the intimacies and vulnerabilities in these times in peoples lives, and I get to be a part of it. I learn something new every day. Being a mom also has influenced her professional life. She and her husband have two kids, now 24 and 26 and college graduates. She said she became more flexible as a physician after becoming a mom, realizing that often several possible solutions will work. And she felt enormous compassion for parents who struggle to make ends meet. Medical supplies at the Childrens Clinic in Portland on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Rian Dundon/Oregon Capital Chronicle) She said pediatrics has changed enormously over the past three decades, from a focus on vaccines and infections to concern about living conditions and family history. Part of Reynolds job involves taking stock of social needs and trauma and directing families toward help. Worried about gun violence, she became involved in Moms Demand Action, a nonprofit focused on gun safety. That brought her to Salem, where she met lawmakers and learned how the system worked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She discovered being a pediatrician gave her authority. She could talk about children and the risk of suicide and people would listen. She realized that she could use her voice to help improve the lives of people struggling. I wanted to take what I was seeing and really try to impact things on a bigger level, she said. In 2020, when her youngest graduated went off to college, she ran for the House and won. In the Legislature, shes kept kids front and center, said fellow Sen. Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton. She has such a great perspective around youth being a pediatrician, Lieber said. Every time we have conversations, she is there saying, Yes but what about what about youth? What about the kids? When Rep. Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland, has her tennis shoes on, shes hard to keep up with, colleagues say. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Reynolds) The session ahead Reynolds and her colleagues began the 160-day session on Tuesday, with introductory committee meetings and discussions. The early childhood committee, which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m., heard from state officials about the work of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care in preparation for discussion about her Momnibus and other bills. Among the nearly two dozen bills now assigned to the committee, six are connected to ideas shes been developing for a year, including through several video discussions with hundreds of government officials, community leaders, specialists and members of the public. Senate Bill 690 is a Momnibus placeholder in the event Reynolds decides to package the proposals, and the others cover targeted areas like creating a perinatal unit in Oregon Health & Science University to support addiction treatment during pregnancy and postpartum (Senate Bill 691), creating a taskforce on improving and diversifying the perinatal workforce (Senate Bill 693) and increasing the Oregon Kids Credit and income limits (Senate Bill 694). The aim of these bills is to reduce child poverty and approach problems upstream rather than spending money after the fact on crises. Preventive care is cheaper than dealing with chronic problems, economists and health professionals say. But raising the child tax credit or creating a new perinatal unit would cost money and there are a lot of competing interests this session. Gov. Tina Kotek is pressing for millions more to be spent on housing and homelessness, addiction, behavioral health and education and lawmakers gearing up to allocate millions for fixing roads and bridges and other transportation problems. The latest economic forecast in November shows that lawmakers could have nearly $38 billion to spend over the next two-year budget cycle, which starts in July. But budget writers will face a lot of demands, Wagner, the Senate president said. I think its going to be sobering for people, Wagner said. There just isnt enough to go around. Those who know Reynolds say she wont give up. She looks so sweet and mild-mannered but she is absolutely fierce, said Democratic Rep. Dacia Grayber of Portland. I think people underestimate her sometimes. Shes this nice, mom and pediatrician, and she is all those things. But if she needs to, she will get right in there and fight for what she believes in. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. Its official: After months of voicing concerns about the effects of cellphones on student mental health and learning, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a $13.5 million plan to help districts implement a ban. Hochul said her plan would help create a distraction-free learning environment during the school day. The money aims to help cover associated costs that districts might incur, such as paying for digital pouches that lock devices or additional staff to collect phones each day. Covering the potential costs was one of the issues that forced New York City to put the brakes on its own ban, and it remains to be seen how far the governors proposed allocation will go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Hochul included the proposal in her $252 billion state 2026 budget, which would send $37.4 billion to schools across the state a nearly $1.7 billion increase, or 4.7%, from the prior years budget. It builds on a broader agenda focused on affordability outlined by Hochul during her State of the State address last week. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The governors budget proposal marks the start of negotiations with lawmakers over how the state should allocate its funding for the next fiscal year, which begins in April. Under Hochuls cellphone proposal, students would be required to disconnect from devices from bell to bell, including during class time, lunch, and in the hallways. The policy would go into effect at the start of the next school year, with districts able to decide the specifics of how they would store phones and ensure compliance, according to Hochuls office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our kids will finally be free from the endless disruptions of social media and all the mental health pressures that come from it, she said during her speech at the State Capitol. Students with disabilities, as well as others who rely on digital devices for medical reasons or translation purposes, would be allowed exemptions from the policy. Related So Your School Wants to Ban Cellphones. Now What? In New York City, the Education Department appeared poised to implement a citywide ban on student cellphone use in schools last summer but later reversed course after intervention by Mayor Eric Adams. Jenna Lyle, a spokesperson for the Education Department, said Tuesday that the department was looking forward to partnering with the Governor on the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The feedback we have heard from our school communities has been clear: access to cell phones in the classroom distracts from learning, divides attention, and significantly impacts our students mental health, she said in a statement. Following our engagement with parent leadership groups last spring, in partnership with the Health Department, weve been working on an evaluation to better understand both how schools are implementing policies to restrict cell phones, and lessons learned from those implementations. Currently, the citys schools can make their own determinations over whether and how to restrict student cellphone use. At the end of last school year, about 350 schools already had bans in place, with an additional 500 planning to implement them this year, city officials previously said. Some schools provide students with locking Yondr pouches, while others collect phones or employ alternative strategies. Those pouches, though, can cost schools $30 per student in the first year, according to the company. Yondr CEO Graham Dugoni noted the company offered volume discounts in a statement and praised Hochuls proposed cellphone ban. We look forward to supporting more school communities across New York in creating successful phone-free learning environments, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams, who has expressed some concerns about adopting a citywide policy on the issue, previously told reporters that the city would comply with any state mandate. NYC could lose out under school funding formula proposal Hochuls proposed budget also called for updates to the states school funding formula, an issue expected to take center stage in education budget discussions this year. Known as Foundation Aid, the formula was originally created in 2007, and in some cases relies on decades-old data to determine how much funding is sent to school districts. For years, advocates, lawmakers, and other education officials have called for updates to the formula, with some arguing it requires a complete overhaul. But the governors proposed updates which were among the suggestions put forward by the states Board of Regents and a recent report issued by the Rockefeller Institute could potentially result in New York City receiving a smaller funding increase, advocates warned Tuesday. For one change, Hochul called for replacing the 2000 Census poverty rate with the most recent Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, or SAIPE, data. The formula should also stop using federal free- and reduced-price lunch eligibility as a basis for measuring student need, the governor said, instead switching to broader economically disadvantaged student counts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will ensure that state dollars go to students who need them the most, Hochul said. But according to the more than 300-page report issued by the Rockefeller Institute last month, switching from the 2000 Census Bureau poverty count to three-year average SAIPE data would decrease New York Citys Foundation Aid funding by a projected $392 million. (The citys schools would still see an overall increase to Foundation Aid funding.) Kim Sweet, executive director of the nonprofit group Advocates for Children of New York, said even when combined with the swap to using economically disadvantaged student counts, the proposed changes would result in less overall funding for New York City schools. The current federal poverty threshold for a family of four is just $32,150, she said in a statement. Trying to make ends meet on $30,000 means something very different for a family in New York City than elsewhere in the State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hochuls proposal did not include several changes to the formula sought by city advocates and officials, such as additional funding for students in temporary housing, or extra dollars to implement the states class size mandate for New York City schools. The citys Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how the proposed changes were expected to impact local schools. The governors budget proposal would also modify the formula to send additional aid to low-wealth school districts, as well as ensure that every district receives an annual increase of at least 2%, state officials said. The proposed modifications would result in an increase to Foundation Aid of roughly $1.5 billion, or 5.9%, according to officials. Early college funding, free school meals, and other proposals Hochuls other proposals included establishing a $64.6 million College in High School Opportunity Fund, allocating $340 million for universal free school meals, increases in funding for child care programs, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed College in High School Opportunity Fund would seek to build institutional support for the model, which provides high school students with a chance to take college courses and receive additional mentorship opportunities while earning their diplomas. Across the country and the state, the model has seen success at improving college matriculation rates and other measures of academic achievement among high school students. As she unveiled her budget proposal, Hochul also addressed concerns about the cloud of uncertainty posed by President Donald Trumps administration, as the president vowed to slash federal funding during his campaign. Changes at the federal level will create new challenges for our state, Hochul said, warning Republicans could cut critical funding streams for Medicaid, education, child care, utility assistance, and more. Those who are hurt need to raise their voices, and direct that anger at Washington, and push their members of Congress to fight for them, she said. Because New York and other states will simply not be able to shoulder these costs on our own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. DARIEN, Ga. (WSAV) Officials in McIntosh County say theyre prepared for potentially dangerous road conditions brought on by winter weather. The county has had the help of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in preparing major state highways and roads. Our main thoroughfares are actually state highways, so state Highway 17, State Highway 99 and State Route 251. Those are all under the Georgia Department of Transportation. And so our connection there, they did start this weekend with brining those roads and preparation and everything, explained McIntosh County Commission Chair Kate Karwacki. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes asking her residents to stay home if they can and be safe. Get the latest weather updates from Storm Team 3 If you dont have to go out, dont go out, Karwacki said. Stay home, stay off the roads, warm and toasty, you know, practice fire safety as it relates to potential heaters and how you heat your house. Dont use your oven to heat your house, she advised. You know, dont overload your power strips or electrical outlets. There are several bridges across the county, however, officials dont expect any of the smaller bridges to close. GDOT will determine closures of state road bridges if needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of Darien has sand and gravel to put out on the ice, and public works has cleared drains for when the ice melts, according to Shane Middleton. If we get in a location where its large patches of ice, well try to put some sand out or maybe even gravel to help break it up so that it will be more of a slush instead of frozen solid, Middleton said. Sheriff Thornell King tells News 3, they have 10-14 deputies out on the roads, should accidents happen. Right now, we just see sleet on the road. Were just asking everybody, if you dont have to drive, just stay off the highways and be careful. If youre out there, drive below the speed limit if necessary, so that you can stay safe, Sheriff King said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WSAV-TV. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) clashed during her confirmation hearing with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) over comparisons of Elon Musks gesture during an Inauguration Day speech to a Nazi salute. What do you think of Elon Musk, perhaps the presidents most visible adviser, doing two Heil Hitler salutes last night at the presidents televised rally? Murphy asked Stefanik, who is Trumps pick to lead the United Nations, after she raised concerns about antisemitic rot in the international organization. No, Elon Musk did not do those salutes, Stefanik said. I was not at the rally, but I can tell you Ive been at many rallies with Elon Musk, who loves to cheer when President Trump says we need to send our U.S. space program to Mars. Elon Musk is a visionary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said shes looking forward to working with the tech mogul, whom Trump has tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency. That is simply not the case, Stefanik said of the comparison. The American people are smart. They see through it; they support Elon Musk. We are proud to be a country of such successful entrepreneurs. A gesture from Musk during an Inauguration Day event drew swift backlash as some compared his movement to a Nazi salute. Musk has dismissed the criticism, saying on his social platform X that the everyone is Hitler attack is sooo tired. The Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit geared at combating antisemitism, also defended Musk as making an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Murphy pressed the would-be U.N. envoy by pointing out that right-wing extremists have appeared to recognize or celebrate the gesture. Over and over last night, white supremacist groups and neo-Nazi groups in this country rallied around that visual. Does it concern you that those elements of the neo-Nazi and white supremacist element in the United States believe that what they saw last night was a neo-Nazi salute? the senator asked. Stefanik said what concerns her is that these are the questions you believe are most important to ask to the U.N. ambassador, and she pledged to be a beacon of light against antisemitism at the international body. The former House GOP conference chair has been an outspoken advocate against antisemitism and called Israel during the hearing our most precious ally. These are the questions I choose to ask because I think that your work and the administrations work on antisemitism only comes with real impact and credibility if it holds both right and left accountable, Murphy retorted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I simply dont believe that if a member of the squad made that same gesture last night that there wouldnt be commentary from you and others, Murphy said, making reference to the informal group of progressive lawmakers in the House. 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 The Hill. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) assured skeptical Senate Democrats during her confirmation hearing as President Trumps pick for U.N. ambassador that she is committed to engaging in the United Nations, saying its a priority venue to challenge Chinas push for dominance on the global stage. Stefanik, the former Republican Conference Chair, is likely to get bipartisan support in a vote on the Senate floor, said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and added that the Republican congresswoman did a good job. I dont agree with her on everything, but I thought she was strong and clear about what her values are, Shaheen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as she criticized the global body as infected with antisemitic rot against Israel, Stefanik pledged to rally Americas conventional allies, build coalitions among smaller countries and push for leadership and staffing positions in key agencies to box out China and its supporters. They are the most significant national security challenge, I think generationally, Stefanik said, referring to China. This will be the greatest challenge that my generation faces, she said, adding that standing alongside Israel is a huge priority for me. Democrats nodded in accession over the threat from China, demonstrating that some areas of bipartisan agreement remain, even as partisanship deepens among lawmakers on foreign policy historically an area where Republicans and Democrats seek to project a united front on the global stage. But a rash of executive actions signed by Trump on Monday night raised alarm among Democrats that the U.S. was already abdicating its role to China withdrawing from the World Health Organization and pausing all U.S. development assistance for three months pending reviews. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Can we agree that 90 days may be too long and that, if confirmed, youre going to try to figure out where to turn the spigot back on? Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), brought up to Stefanik about Trumps executive order. Because right now this is a blanket freeze itd be better if we could unfreeze some of these things in 20 days rather than 90 days, because there are real geopolitical consequences to freezing all aid for three months. But Stefanik said she backed Trumps foreign aid order. We will work on the National Security Council to make sure that all the tools that are needed to protect our national security, and the diplomatic piece is an important part of that when it comes to the U.N., she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) raised concerns that the funding freeze would likely impact key U.N. programs that Stefanik was pledging support for like the World Food Program. He also noted how assistance to allies plays a diplomatic role, as in Jordan, which is critical in the combustible Middle East, and in U.S. support for an economic corridor between the Philippines and Japan, which is important in pushing back against China. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the committee, acknowledged a valid and legitimate concern among his colleagues but said the Congress has power to amend executive orders. When you do a blanket executive order like that, sometimes law of unintended consequences takes over. Having said that, every one of these executive orders can be amended, and we have a history of amending them, both sides, over years, he said. Stefanik said she would defer to Trump, the National Security Council and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirmed Monday, on how to move forward with resuming funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stefanik shed more light on what Trumps America first foreign policy might look like in terms of U.S. engagement abroad, calling for detailing where every U.S. dollar is spent at the global body and ensuring that it delivers on specific results that are related to Americas national security. When I was referencing reforms, I was mostly talking about ensuring that all of our taxpayer dollars are going to U.N. entities that function very well. But I am open to having conversations about how to make it work better, she said. I think we need to have a broader strategy reaching out to countries within the global south, where Chinas made significant inroads and its obviously not the U.N. alone, its working with Secretary Rubio its working with USAID, working with USTR and significant economic Investments that are happening in various other countries, Stefanik said, referencing the U.S. Agency for International Development and the office of the trade representative. Dont forget the DFC [Development Finance Corporation], Coons interjected, referencing the public-private investment program that Trump signed into law during his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The congresswoman committed to pushing for U.S. engagement at technical bodies at the U.N. such as telecommunications, intellectual property, civil aviation, artificial intelligence to counter Chinas efforts to determine global standards in these arenas. We need to push back in the short term and long term against the [Chinese Communist Partys] inroads and we need to do so with people as well, both at the lowest level, the starting entry levels within the U.N. system, but also the senior level and heads of these sub-U.N. agencies, she said. Rallying a strong coalition of smaller countries at the 193-member U.N. is a persistent challenge for the U.S. and its democratic partners. Groupings of nations from the Pacific, Africa and Latin America often feel their priorities are sidelined in the face of competition between democratic countries and China and Russia. Or, their issues get caught up in gridlock at the Security Council where the five permanent members hold veto power the U.S., China, Russia, United Kingdom and France. While competing against China for global influence will be an overarching priority of U.S. engagement at the United Nations, Stefanik, if confirmed, will also be charged with confronting a host of immediate challenges to peace and security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This includes how the U.N. will respond to Syrias caretaker government, which ousted the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad but is headed by a U.S.-designated terrorist group. The U.N. is also a player in helping maintain ceasefires brought over the finish line by the Biden administration, in Lebanon and between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. And theres a question what role the U.N. will play in any settlement between Russia and Ukraine that Trump has made it a priority to resolve. Addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by Sudans civil war; maintaining support for Kenyan security forces in Haiti and pushing back against Irans human rights abuses and nuclear weapons ambitions are just a few of the other issues at the body. Stefanik expressed support for career U.S. diplomats at the U.N. mission as critical to helping her navigate the complex technical challenges of the forum and the personalities of diplomats with longstanding ties compared to her relative novice. I hope to dig in and gain their expertise, particularly the regional expertise that many of the officials within the State Department serving at the U.S. U.N. Mission, its very important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Julia Mueller contributed to this 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 The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Stellantis NV is recommitting to US factory investments agreed to more than a year ago as the maker of Jeep sport utility vehicles seeks the good graces of President Donald Trump. Most Read from Bloomberg The manufacturer will build a new midsize pickup at its plant in Belvidere, Illinois, which had been shuttered under former Chief Executive Carlos Tavares, according to an internal memo viewed by Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stellantis reached a deal with the United Auto Workers in late 2023 to build a truck there, but Tavares sparked a lawsuit from the union by delaying those plans, which he blamed on a slowdown in electric vehicle demand. The moves allow the owner of the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands to settle a festering dispute with the UAW and curry favor with Trump, who has threatened to impose tariff as high as 25% on Mexico and Canada to draw manufacturing jobs back to the US. Its the latest move by executives to unwind the strategy of Tavares, who left in December after sagging sales and relentless cost cutting soured investors and politicians on his leadership. The board is still searching for his replacement. These actions are part of our commitment to invest in our US operations to grow our auto production and manufacturing here, Antonio Filosa, the head of Stellantis North American operations, said in the memo. We have shared with the UAW all these actions and our desire to work together to strengthen our great company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investment will return about 1,500 UAW employees to the factory northwest of Chicago, Filosa said in the memo. He emailed employees about the plans for Belvidere and plants in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana days after Chairman John Elkann met with Trump. The moves suggest the company expects more flexibility to sell gas-powered cars under Trump, who has pledged to loosen fuel economy standards and revoke Californias authority to set its own clean air rules. The midsized truck and next generation Dodge Durango will take full advantage of our multi-energy strategy, a company spokeswoman said. Stellantis committed to build the next-generation Dodge Durango SUV at its assembly plant in Detroit, and to invest in operations in Toledo, Ohio, and Kokomo, Indiana, where it will build a new engine. All those investments were previously promised during negotiations with the UAW, except for the engine plans in Indiana, which are new, a spokeswoman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UAW, which had threatened a strike over the plant delays, claimed victory for companys shift. This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar corporation accountable, UAW President Shawn Fain said in an emailed statement. Weve shown that we will do what it takes to protect the good union jobs that are the lifeblood of places like Belvidere, Detroit, Kokomo, and beyond. The Belvidere plant was shuttered after Stellantis declined to invest in the next generation of its Jeep Cherokee SUV made there, leaving a key hole in its product lineup. The replacement for that vehicle, a hybrid, is due out this summer and is being made in Mexico, according to Sam Fiorani, vice president for global forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. Stellantis had also canceled plans for the Durango in Detroit while planning to make a smaller, electric version of the SUV at its Windsor, Canada plant. That product has been canceled as well, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one ever said it was a replacement for the Durango, because if they had a replacement and moved it to Canada, the UAW would have been very upset, Fiorani said. Windsor is getting new product, but they are currently in flux. (Updates with UAW comment from 11th paragraph, investment details throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Jan. 21STERLING The Sterling Police Department honored two of its own Monday with its Cadet T. Thorp Officer of the Year and Non-Sworn Employee of the Year awards. Officer Travis Ganther was awarded SPD's Cadet T. Thorp Officer of the Year award. Sterling Deputy Police Chief Pat Bartel presented the award to Ganther, a Rock Falls-Sterling native who has served with the SPD for the last six years. "Being a cop is something I wanted to do my entire life," Ganther said. "This is such a great honor. I work hard to serve the community and do the best job that I can. It's awesome that they're recognizing those efforts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bartel said the award recognizes officers who, "through their community, enforcement and educational efforts, most reflected what Chief Thorp stood for." Thorp served as Sterling's police chief for 22 years and was also a member of the Whiteside County Board. In 1987, he helped establish and organize Whiteside County's DARE program and was instrumental in founding CrimeStoppers. "Travis has been with us since May of 2019 and you'll not find a more active or educated officer in the department," Bartel said. "If you look at enforcement and traffic activity for the past several years, you'll find him at the top of most categories. If you look at contacts and involvement with citizens, you'll also find him at the top. He comes to work every day to try and make Sterling a better place, and to give the city his full efforts. He is someone who exhibits daily what Chief Thorp would have been proud to see in a Sterling officer." SPD also honored Executive Administrative Assistant Sara Young with the Non-Sworn Employee of the Year award. Young has been with the department since 2001. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When people think about the police, they see the officers in uniform, the squad cars, arrests and everything that comes with that," Bartel said. "The truth is that Sarah and all the others in records, evidence and the non-sworn positions are the ones that make the department run and do all the things that nobody sees. Sarah is the mothership of the PD. She goes above and beyond her job description and keeps us all in line. She tells us where we're supposed to be and makes sure we're all taken care of." Both recipients received multiple nominations from their peers, who voted on the awards. Mayor Diana Merdian also announced a proclamation recognizing Jan. 20 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Merdian presented the proclamation to Tina Wren of the Sauk Valley Diversity Alliance. The City Council also approved a motion to award a bid for $644,936 to Martin & Company Excavating of Oregon for six blocks of reconstruction work expected to begin later this year. The following streets were included in the bid: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Fifth Street Woodburn Avenue to Avenue L * Fifth Avenue 400 block * 17th Avenue 300 block * 19th Avenue 500 block The city opened bids for the project Jan. 15, 2025. The bids ranged from $644,936 to $958,145, with two bids falling below the engineer's estimate and three above. * Martin and Company of Oregon: $644,936 * Twin City Construction of Sterling: $691,777 * Helm Civil Materials of Freeport: $773,113 * Fischer Excavating of Freeport: $769,637 * Porter Brothers of Rock Falls: $958,145 Steve Bannon wants more aggressive lawyers to represent him when he stands trial on charges he defrauded donors to an online campaign to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, he argued in a court hearing Wednesday. "I've been smeared by a political prosecution, persecution, for years and going to trial I need people who are more aggressive and will use every tool in the toolbox to fight this," Bannon said. Bannon, who was a White House strategist during President Donald Trump's first term in office, pleaded not guilty in 2022 to charges he defrauded donors to the "We Build the Wall" online fundraising effort. PHOTO: Steve Bannon, former advisor to President Donald Trump, arrives for a pre-trial conference hearing in his fraud case stemming from a fundraising effort to build a border wall, at New York Criminal Court in Manhattan, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: Judge declines to postpone Steve Bannon's trial on 'We Build the Wall' fraud charges Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors saw Bannon's request on Wednesday as a gambit to delay trial. "If there's going to be request for delay because of the new attorneys coming in then we would oppose their entry," prosecutor Jeffrey Levinson said. Judge April Newbauer did not immediately relieve Bannon's previous attorneys, but agreed to delay the trial by one week -- to March 4 -- to give Bannon's new attorney, Arthur Aidala, time to get up to speed. "This does not seem to upset anyone's apple cart," Newbauer said. "It does give new counsel a bit more time to prepare." PHOTO: Steve Bannon, former advisor to President Donald Trump, arrives for a pre-trial conference hearing in his fraud case stemming from a fundraising effort to build a border wall, at New York Criminal Court in Manhattan, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: Bannon says tech billionaires have 'surrendered' to Trump Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aidala pledged to be ready for trial by the date set. "We will roll up our sleeves and get it done," Aidala said. The trial is expected to last about three weeks. MORE: Judge orders Steve Bannon to explain why he switched attorneys close to fraud trial Bannon is accused of defrauding New York-based donors to the online fundraising campaign to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. Bannon was initially charged with federal crimes, but received a pardon at the end of Trump's first term. He is expected back in court on Feb. 11. Steve Bannon pushes for more 'aggressive' defense in court originally appeared on abcnews.go.com PINE BLUFF, Ark. Jefferson County employees are still without a paycheck as issues with a proposed county budget drag on. The Jefferson County Quorum Court has now met three times for a special meeting discussing the 2025 budget. Each of those times, the budget presented by the judges office has failed. Jefferson County Quorum Court fails to pass a 2025 budget for the third time in two weeks No budget means the county is still experiencing a government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It goes way deeper than not getting paid right now, Jefferson County Sheriffs Office IT director Johnathan Powell said. More than 300 Jefferson County employees, like Powell, continue to show up to work but see no paycheck. I am angry, sad, getting a little depressed at this point, Powell said. Its stressful. Jefferson County still shutdown as 2025 budget fails to pass after second reading However, Powell says that if the budget on the floor were to pass, his life would be forever changed. If the budget that Judge Robinson is trying to pass were to pass as is, my position would take a $25,000 pay cut, thats almost half my paycheck, Powell said. Thats not something that I could live off of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., there are two budget proposals. However, Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson says the secondary budget was illegal and vetoed, and Woods disagreed at a news conference last week. This budget which was carefully crafted in all legal requirements and met all legal requirements, Woods said. Jefferson County leaders continue to discuss budget issues that led to shutdown Before last nights quorum court meeting, the judge sat down for an interview with our station. Although there are some justices that feel like the departments have been slighted or whatever, we still need to get a budget in place, we can always amend budgets, Robinson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robinson presented this idea at Monday nights meeting; according to him, the letter was sent to all of the justices of the peace. The letter included recommendations for reintroducing positions at the sheriffs office without the raises, presenting any shortfalls in juvenile education, school lunch programs, or grants, and retroactively paying wages lost by employees. We will make it retroactive back to January 1, and they will still be paid, Robinson said. Jefferson County community meets to share concerns about county government shutdown People within the crowd simultaneously stated that it wouldnt matter as those people would lose their jobs if his budget were passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the quorum court members, including District #3 Justice of the Peace Reginald Johnson, ask that if the judge plans to reinstate people later through potential amendments, then why not fix the current budget now instead of having to bring amendments and the budget back through the committee? Powell says something has to be done and soon, just not this budget. Not getting paid right now is something I have to do to, you know, hopefully, get back to where I need to be, Powell said. Currently, there has not been an announcement about the next budget meeting. 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 KLRT - FOX16.com. Prince Harry at the New York Times DealBook Summit on Dec. 4, 2024, in New York - Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images News Group Newspapers, the British newspaper publisher that owns the tabloid The Sun, has issued an apology to Prince Harry as part of a settlement of the lawsuit the Duke of Sussex filed in 2019. The publisher and owners of the Sun admitted to using unlawful activities to intrude into his private life between 1996 and 2011. By association, the apology was also extended to Princess Diana, who was the target of phone hacking prior to her 1997 death. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World, the publishers apology read. NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The publisher agreed to pay the Duke substantial damages in the case, which was expected to go to trial prior to the last-minute settlement agreement. According to BBC, NGN is expected to pay legal fees for all parties, including Harry, The Suns owners, and former lawmaker Lord Tom Watson, whose own accusations of hacking were also part of the trial. The fees reportedly total 10 million, not including damages. Beyond addressing unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, the publisher also acknowledged and apologized for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family. It also expressed regret about its response to the 2006 arrest of a royal correspondent for the News of the World, the tabloid NGN shuttered in 2011 but admitted no legal fault there. Phone hacking at the News of the World was not due to be a part of this trial but it is a part of this settlement, an additional statement noted. NGN claimes strong controls and processes have since been established to avoid the practices named in the case being utilized going forward. In the 2024 documentary Tabloids on Trial, Harry expressed remorse that his mother is not around today to find out the truth about the tabloid industry. The tabloid press very much enjoy painting her as being paranoid, he said about the suspected phone-hacking scandal. But she wasnt paranoid, she was absolutely right of what was happening to her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Duke previously prevailed in a lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers, which publishes The Mirror, The Sunday Mirror, and The Sunday People. In 2023, a U.K. judge found that the papers engaged in unlawful information gathering tactics, including hacking the phones of Harry and his associates as well as intercepting his voicemails. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Donald Trumps billionaire clique is a threat to global stability, a group of millionaires including a Disney heiress and Dale Vince, British energy boss, have claimed. Pressure group Patriotic Millionaires said a survey it had undertaken of the worlds wealthy found almost two thirds viewed the influence of the super-rich on the new US president as a danger to the world. Just over half of the 2,900 millionaires surveyed agreed that extreme wealth concentration is a threat to democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Billionaires had some of the prime seats at Mr Trumps inauguration on Monday, with wealthy guests including Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla; Mark Zuckerberg, the chief of Facebook-owner Meta; and Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder. (L-R) Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk all had prime seats at Trumps inauguration - Getty Images North America Bernard Arnault, the founder of luxury group LVMH and Europes richest man, was also in attendance, as was Mukesh Ambani, Indias richest man. Abigail Disney, an heiress and the face of Patriotic Millionaires, said Mr Trumps election was the result of the extreme inequality on show at the inauguration. She said: Its easy to see the election of a figure like Donald Trump as an aberration, but thats not the case. Donald Trump along with his so-called first buddy, Elon Musk is the final and inevitable conclusion of decades of inaction on the part of world leaders to put a check on extreme inequality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hard to be optimistic about what lies ahead over the next four years and maybe more but if officials want to do something to ensure the stability of our democracies, they need only find the political resolve to once and for all tax wealthy people like me. Political fear of upsetting the rich The campaign group has taken a letter to Davos, in Switzerland, to hand to attendees of the World Economic Forums annual jamboree, at which the super-rich mingle with business and political leaders. Mr Trump is not attending in person this year. Oligarchy cannot be born from the political fear of upsetting the super rich, the letter warns. You may dismiss this as hyperbole, but we know differently. We are people who have wealth. We know how money can buy access. Our experience tells us the super rich are offered more of a say than everyone else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campaign is being supported by actor Brian Cox, who starred as foul-mouthed fictional billionaire Logan Roy in Succession, the award-winning drama which cast an unsympathetic light on the influence Americas business and media elite hold over elections. Our leaders have lacked the backbone needed to put ordinary people first: Successions Brian Cox has supported the campaign - HBO via AP Mr Cox said: The super-rich now manage so much more than money they manage what we read, what we watch, the information were given, and ultimately, how we vote. When a super-rich elite is determining the outcome of elections purely to protect their vested interests and accelerate profits, its clear that we are in a terrifying age of wealth extremism. Our leaders have lacked the backbone needed to rein in political capture and put ordinary people first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump won both the popular vote and the Electoral College in the US election, with a majority of US counties shifting towards the Republican. Although initially scorned by swathes of the coastal elites and much of the billionaire class, the president has since been besieged by wealthy tech bosses keen for close links with the White House. 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. The leader of a Massachusetts school district accused of drunken driving and speeding down a local highway at 100 mph is off the job pending the outcome of an investigation. The Uxbridge School Committee announced during a meeting on Tuesday night that Uxbridge Public Schools Superintendent Michael Baldassarre has been placed on paid leave, effective immediately. The safety and well-being of our students are of our top priorities, a committee member said during the meeting. After careful consideration, Superintendent Baldassarre has been placed on paid administrative leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Massachusetts State Police trooper patrolling the northbound side of Interstate 495 in Bolton around 2:40 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, spotted a gray Toyota Camry operating 35 mph over the posted 65 mph speed limit, according to a criminal complaint. A traffic stop was conducted on the highway after the trooper said the vehicle nearly struck another car. I observed his eyes were red, glassy, and bloodshot. His speech was slurred and had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath as he was speaking, the trooper wrote in the complaint, identifying the driver as Baldassarre. Baldassarre said he had wine. After a series of field sobriety tests, Baldassarre refused a breath test and was arrested on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lane violation, and speeding, according to the complaint. I observed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage was present in the cruiser during transportation to state police Leominster Barracks, the trooper added in the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trooper said that Baldassarre was later found with a receipt from Victory Cigar Bar in Worcester dated a few hours before his arrest. The receipt listed, 1 Open cigar, 1 Taylor 10 years Tawny, 1 Taylor 10 years Tawny, 1 open liquor, 1 Stella Artois, and 1 Stella Artois, according to the complaint. Baldassarres license has since been suspended. He is due back in court in March. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed inclined to revive a civil rights lawsuit against the Texas police officer who shot a man to death during a traffic stop in Houston over unpaid tolls. The justices appeared to be in broad agreement that the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should take another look at the case of Ashtian Barnes, who died in his rental car in April 2016 on the shoulder of the Sam Houston Tollway. Barnes was shot by the officer, Roberto Felix Jr., who jumped on the sill of the driver's door of Barnes' car as it began to pull away from the stop. Felix fired twice in two seconds because he reasonably feared for his life, his lawyers wrote in their Supreme Court brief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lower courts had dismissed the excessive force lawsuit filed against Felix by Barnes' mother, Janice Hughes. The issue before the justices is whether those lower courts used the right standard, evaluating Felix's actions only at the moment of the threat that caused him to shoot Barnes. Lawyers for Hughes and the Justice Department said courts should use a wider lens, the totality of the circumstances, to evaluate the suit against Felix. Taking all the circumstances into account, courts would find that Felix acted unreasonably by jumping onto the side of Barnes' car, Nathaniel Zelensky, Hughes' lawyer, told the court. The justices appeared headed for a narrow ruling that might simply say the two-second rule is not the law, Justice Neil Gorsuch said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Brett Kavanaugh posed several questions in which he appeared worried that a win for Hughes could make life more dangerous for police officers during traffic stops, when they might have to make decisions in a matter of seconds. The officer does not get the time we spent here today making the decision, Kavanaugh said. Barnes had been driving to pick up his girlfriend's daughter from day care when he was pulled over by Felix, who received a radio message that the license plate on Barnes' car had unpaid tolls associated with it. Barnes' girlfriend had rented the car and Barnes was unaware of the outstanding tolls, according to court records. In siding with the officer, 5th Circuit Judge Patrick Higginbotham voiced regret that a routine traffic stop has again ended in the death of an unarmed Black man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court's decision could help clarify the standard judges apply nationwide, but it might not ultimately help Hughes. Even if Felix ultimately is found to have violated Barnes' rights, the officer probably would be shielded from financial liability by a separate high court standard known as qualified immunity. A decision is expected by early summer. A surrendering North Korean soldier risked his life by refusing to drop his sausage at gunpoint, according to the Ukrainian paratroopers who captured him. A detailed video account, published by Ukrainian special forces, described how the soldier refused to lay down his food, while one of his compatriots tried to kill himself by running into a pillar. They later asked to watch Korean romance films, the Ukrainians said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was lying there, with his head and an arm wounded. He had a grenade, a knife and a sausage on him, one of the soldiers of Ukraines 95th Air Assault Brigade said in an interview published on Tuesday. I asked him to drop everything, but he refused to drop the sausage because it was food, so we let him keep it. One of the North Korean soldiers sits up in his prison cell bed with an injured face The brigade captured the two North Koreans alive on Jan 11 the first of Pyongyangs troops to be taken back to Kyiv for questioning. After a failed North Korean assault on Ukrainian positions, the paratroopers said they found the first soldier lying in a trench, his head and arm wounded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is no secret that North Korean soldiers do not surrender to capture, they are ready to commit suicide just to avoid being captured by Ukrainian soldiers, the brigades press service said in a message accompanying the video interview, which was posted on Telegram on Tuesday. Credit: Telegram/ua_dshv North Korea deployed 12,000 soldiers to its ally Russia in late October to help Moscow expel Kyivs troops from the Kursk border region after Ukraines surprise incursion in August. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang who signed a mutual military assistance deal last June have confirmed North Koreas participation in the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some 4,000 of Kim Jong-uns troops had been killed or wounded, Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this month. That number is likely to be higher after recent reports of battlefield losses. Numerous reports also suggest the North Korean troops have standing orders not to surrender. Some have blown themselves up with grenades, while others have been killed by their own comrades to prevent capture. The second soldier suffered injuries to his hands, which have been bandaged The soldiers of the 95th brigade said that during the extraction of the second soldier, he began panicking and had to be dragged from the trench. We were escorting him to the road where there were some concrete pillars and suddenly he ran and hit his head on the pillar, a paratrooper with a call sign Ded (Grandpa) said, adding that the man knocked himself unconscious with the impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another Ukrainian soldier, Pavlo, then described how once he was given food and medical attention he calmed down. Later, he even asked to turn on romance movies for him in Korean, Pavlo added. The soldiers will be interrogated with assistance from South Koreas spy agency Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His comrade, Serhiy, also mentioned the inferior battlefield tactics of the North Korean troops, likening it to those used by Russians in the early stages of the war. Theyre trying to crush us with numbers. Theres no special tactic, he said. They fight like the Soviet army. They didnt retreat until the very last critical moment when our reinforcement group arrived, and we outnumbered them. By then, they already had wounded and dead, Serhiy explained. Military analysts say North Korean soldiers have not been trained in modern warfare and are being used as cannon fodder by their Russian allies, often sent out into the open fields in human wave attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian commanders also say they are struggling with an unfamiliar battlefield environment, including an inability to counter drone attacks, and are using outdated weapons. The prisoners of war have asked to watch Korean romance films in their cell The two North Korean POWs were taken to Kyiv to be interrogated, with assistance from South Koreas spy agency. They said they were told they were being sent to Russia for training, not to fight in the war and were issued fake Russian military IDs. Mr Zelensky earlier this month offered them up to Pyongyang in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia. He added that there would undoubtedly be more of its soldiers captured by Kyiv in future. So far, Pyongyangs troops appear to be limited to infantry roles in Kursk, where Ukraine invaded in the summer to create a foothold inside Russia. Kyiv is believed to still be in control of 300 square miles after losing 40 per cent of the territory it once controlled. 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. The woman who police said was responsible for Eries first homicide of 2025 is now in police custody. After spending weeks in hiding, police found and arrested 27-year-old Shakeyah Barnes who police said shot and killed 20-year-old Jalea Turner. The shooting happened outside of a New Years Eve party in the 900 block of West 19th Street just after midnight on Jan. 1. Police acquired footage of Barnes firing three shots and then running from the building to a vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also received tips indicating that Barnes may have fled the area to Ohio. However, a credible tip led to her arrest at a home Monday night in the 1800 block of West 14th Street. Officers from the Erie police departments patrol division went to that residence, did a knock and announce, spoke with the residents, and ultimately,y, were able to find the wanted individual inside of the house where she was taken into custody, said Deputy Chief Rick Lorah, Erie police. Barnes has been charged with criminal homicide and attempted criminal homicide among other charges. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. DENVER (KDVR) Golden and Denver officers fired at a suspect, hitting him at least once on Tuesday evening and sending the suspect to the hospital, said the Lakewood Police Department. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The shooting was reported near the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Pierce Street. The intersection borders the shopping plaza that Casa Bonita calls home. A heavy police presence was reported at about 5:21 p.m. and police asked for the public to avoid the area. An active police presence remained in the area as of 9 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John Romero, public information officer with the Lakewood Police Department, provided an update at about 6:45 p.m. and said multiple jurisdictions were involved in the shooting, but that a Denver detective and a Golden detective had fired at the suspect and at least one hit him. Lakewood police had attempted to contact a suspect of felony eluding at about noon on Tuesday, Romero said, in an attempted traffic stop because he was suspected of eluding police several times. Officers approached his vehicle, and the suspect once again fled, according to Romero. Police said he had a firearm on his lap when police contacted him, and he almost hit the officers with his car while fleeing. Sounds like he had several felony warrants out there, including eluding, Romero said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force became involved, and detectives began helping investigate the case. At about 3:45 p.m., police caught up with the suspect, who was still in a vehicle, at an apartment complex in the 1600 block of Pierce Street. The suspect fled on foot with a gun in hand and was shot at by a Denver detective and a Golden detective, Romero said. 4 juveniles charged in armed robbery, car theft that ended with police chase The suspect was struck at least once by officers gunfire and taken to a local hospital. Hes expected to survive. Several people were in the car with the suspect when he was found at the apartment complex, Romero said Tuesday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romero said there could be further suspects in the case, and that a firearm was recovered from the scene. FOX31s Rachel Saurer, who arrived on scene after 6 p.m., said officers were using a bullhorn to ask suspects to reveal themselves when she arrived. No law enforcement were injured in the shooting, Romero said. The Jefferson County Critical Incident Team has been tasked with reviewing the incident, and Lakewood police will continue investigating the eluding incidents. The suspect was formally identified on Thursday as 49-year-old Jason Wayne Ray. He remains hospitalized and will face charges upon release, Lakewood police said. 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 FOX31 Denver. An Illinois trucker linked to a string of killings in 2007 was found guilty Wednesday in the death of one of his victims: An Indianapolis woman. Following a two-day trial, a jury convicted 73-year-old Bruce Mendenhall of murder in the killing of Carma Purpura, whose body was found on the side of a Kentucky highway more than four years after she was last seen. The trial, and decision, bring an end to the 17-year wait for justice for the 31-year-old mother's family. The heinous act may never have come to light if not for Mendenhalls chance encounter with an astute detective years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the morning of July 12, 2007 police were on the lookout for a truck captured on surveillance footage near a parking lot off I-24 in Nashville where a womans body had been found two weeks earlier. Veteran homicide investigator Pat Postiglione spotted a yellow truck similar to the one captured on the video in Nashville. The detective approached the cab driven by Mendenhall and saw blood on his thumb. Postiglione asked to look inside. More: Family of woman murdered by suspected serial killer has waited 17 years for justice The search uncovered blood throughout the trucks cab, on a .22 caliber rifle and inside a trash bag carrying womens clothing and shoes. Police also found an ATM card, cell phone and other items belonging to Purpura. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He asked Mendenhall if he was the man police were looking for in connection with the body found at the truck stop. Mendenhall stared back and shrugged. If you say so, he said. Mendenhall then provided details about at least five other killings at truck stops that occurred in 2007. He denied direct involvement in any of them. The interaction at the Nashville truck stop gave police a lead that connected the Southern Illinois man to four killings over 36 days that year, though police say he implicated himself in six deaths. He was ultimately charged with murder in four cases and convicted in two of them, including the case of 25-year-old Sara Nicole Hulbert who was found in the Nashville parking lot where Mendenhall was arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: How an alert detective and a victim named Carma ended trucker's multi-state murder spree Mendenhall's streak of terror extended from Indiana to Tennessee to Alabama. The four women killed all died similarly left nude, their heads covered in plastic bags secured with tape and shot in the back of the head. Their bodies were then dumped. Purpura was last seen in the early morning hours of July 12, 2007 talking to Mendenhall at a Flying J Travel Center in south Indianapolis. "It is my hope that today's verdict brings resolution to Carma's family and others who have waited years for answers and accountability after losing their loved ones," prosecutor Ryan Mears said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mendenhall is serving a life sentence in Hulberts killing. He also was found guilty of soliciting the killing of three witnesses in that case and handed another 30 years. In 2018, he was given another life sentence for the death of Symantha Winters, a 48-year-old woman of Lebanon, Tennessee. She was found on June 6, 2007 stuffed into a garbage can in the city which is roughly 25 miles east of Nashville. He still faces trials in two other killings. His next appearance in court is likely in Alabama for his trial in the July 1, 2007 death of Lucille Greta Carter. The 44-year-old's body was found next to a trash bin on a road in Birmingham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement IndyStar's Tim Evans contributed to this report. Contact IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Accused serial killer found guilty in Indy woman's death at truck stop Over a span of 12 hours, two presidents went on a clemency spree. The extraordinary wave of pardons Monday from Joe Biden as he left the White House and from Donald Trump as soon as he returned to it demonstrate the potency of the Constitutions pardon power, but also expose its perils, constitutional scholars say. The pardon power a relic of English monarchs that was adopted by Americas founders as a way to extend grace and mercy in exceptional circumstances cant be checked by Congress or the courts. And in a country gripped by political rancor, that power is increasingly prone to abuse, experts say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both presidents, on the same day, stretched the pardon power to new, questionable frontiers in wildly different ways. It was perhaps a constitutional mistake to give the president this one unchecked, unilateral power, said Mark Rozell, a George Mason University expert on presidential power. Madison believed that any power granted without institutional checks would be abused. The recent exercises of the pardon power by two presidents proves he was right. Biden kicked off the pardon binge when he granted preemptive clemency to political allies, including Gen. Mark Milley, a former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Covid czar Anthony Fauci, members of the Jan. 6 committee and, minutes before departing the White House, his own siblings and their spouses. In each case, Biden described them as potential targets of a vengeful Trump administration. Trump, on the other hand, delivered massive blanket clemency to virtually all of the roughly 1,600 people who have been prosecuted in connection with the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, including hundreds of people who assaulted police and a dozen convicted of a sedition plot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both sets of pardons drew bipartisan condemnation but also a recognition that pardons are purely at the discretion of the president and theres little recourse for abuses. The pardons by outgoing President Biden and incoming President Trump yesterday signal a dangerous new era in pardoning, said Bernadette Meyler, a constitutional law expert at Stanford University. We havent seen these kind of blanket indemnifications in a long time perhaps since Congress and President [Andrew] Johnson sparred over amnesties for members of the former Confederacy. Alexander Hamilton wrote that he envisioned the pardon power as a benign prerogative to be exercised with scrupulousness and caution by presidents who would fear public condemnation for misuse. Yet all presidents in modern history have engaged in politically suspect pardons, typically at the end of their terms. Experts say a combination of other factors has encouraged more dangerous abuses of the power. Among them: the Supreme Courts recent ruling granting sweeping immunity to presidents for their official acts including pardons as well as the increasingly corrosive effect of the nations polarized politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The misuse of the pardon, they add, will lead to public cynicism about the powers original intended use as a tool of mercy. Stigmatizing good pardons and making the ordinary expectation that allies and people in your camp get automatic pardons is what this changes the landscape to, said John Barrett, a St. Johns University constitutional law scholar. I think the expectation now is that a departing president in the last hour of serving in office pardons every family member, hanger-on, et cetera, for whatever they did. This kind of green-lights going for it as a crook. To be sure, Biden did deploy his clemency power in the final days of his presidency in ways that seem more closely aligned with its original purpose. He commuted the sentences of 2,500 nonviolent offenders, and he granted clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their death sentences to life in prison. Trump made similar pardons to nonviolent drug offenders and others in the final months of his first term as well. But the Biden pardon that will be best remembered is the sweeping pardon he granted in December to his son Hunter, who was facing sentencing in two federal felony cases. That pardon, it turned out, was a prelude to the other Biden family pardons he issued on his final day in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some legal experts emphasized that the entire debate around pardon abuse is really about Trump, who has repeatedly promised retribution against his political adversaries notably including the Biden family. And Trump showed in his first term that he is willing to hand out pardons to protect his own allies (like Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn) and family members (like Charles Kushner). Notably, Biden did not extend clemency to other ostensible political allies like former Sen. Robert Menendez or New York Mayor Eric Adams. Mondays pardons from both Biden and Trump are evidence of the pressure that Trump is placing on the kind of rules of the road that made democratic institutions at the national level work, said Aziz Huq, a constitutional expert at the University of Chicago. Whats going on here is that Trump is exerting a gravitational force on his opponents and through his own behavior. Edward Foley, a constitutional scholar from Ohio State University, said the misuse of the pardon is just one symptom of a larger problem with Americas political framework: the failure of impeachment proceedings to deter improper conduct and a political primary process that encourages extreme, unpopular positions. The recent precedents are disturbing, Rozell said, and will be seen by some future presidents as a license to pardon friends, family, cronies without any consequence other than historys judgment. NAWA, Syria (AP) As insurgents raced across Syria in a surprise offensive launched in the country's northwest late last year, officials from several countries backing either the rebels or Syrias government met in Qatar on what to do. According to people briefed on the Dec. 7 meeting, officials from Turkey, Russia, Iran and a handful of Arab countries agreed that the insurgents would stop their advance in Homs, the last major city north of Damascus, and that internationally mediated talks would take place with Syrian leader Bashar Assad on a political transition. But insurgent factions from Syrias south had other plans. They pushed toward the capital, arriving in Damascus largest square before dawn. Insurgents from the north, led by the Islamist group Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham, arrived hours later. Assad, meanwhile, had fled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HTS, the most organized of the groups, has since established itself as Syrias de facto rulers after coordinating with the southern fighters during the lighting-fast offensive. Wariness among the southern factions since then, however, has highlighted questions over how the interim administration can bring together a patchwork of former rebel groups, each with their own leaders and ideology. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has called for a unified national army and security forces. The interim defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, has begun meeting with armed groups. But some prominent leaders like southern rebel commander Ahmad al-Awda have refused to attend. Officials with the interim government did not respond to questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cradle of the revolution The southern province of Daraa is widely seen as the cradle of the Syrian uprising in 2011. When anti-government protests were met with repression by Assads security forces, we were forced to carry weapons, said Mahmoud al-Bardan, a rebel leader there. The rebel groups that formed in the south had different dynamics from those in the north, less Islamist and more localized, said Aron Lund, a fellow with the Century International think tank. They also had different backers. In the north, Turkey and Qatar favored Islamist factions very heavily, he said. In the south, Jordanian and American involvement nudged the insurgency in a different direction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018, factions in Daraa reached a Russian-mediated reconciliation agreement with Assads government. Some former fighters left for Idlib, the destination for many from areas recaptured by government forces, while others remained. The deal left many southern factions alive and armed, Lund said. We only turned over the heavy weapons the light weapons remained with us, al-Bardan said. When the HTS-led rebel groups based in the north launched their surprise offensive last year in Aleppo, those weapons were put to use again. Factions in the southern provinces of Daraa, Sweida and Quneitra reactivated, forming a joint operations room to coordinate with northern ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defying international wishes On Dec. 7, we had heard from a number of parties that there might be an agreement that no one would enter Damascus so there could be an agreement on the exit of Bashar Assad or a transitional phase, said Nassim Abu Ara, an official with one of the largest rebel factions in the south, the 8th Brigade of al-Awda. However, we entered Damascus and turned the tables on these agreements, he said. Al-Bardan confirmed that account, asserting that the agreement was binding on the northern factions but not the southern ones. Even if they had ordered us to stop, we would not have, he said, reflecting the eagerness among many fighters to remove Assad as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ammar Kahf, executive director of the Istanbul-based Omran Center for Strategic Studies, who was in Doha on Dec. 7 and was briefed on the meetings, said there was an agreement among countries officials that the rebels would stop their offensive in Homs and go to Geneva for negotiations on transitional arrangements. But Kahf said it was not clear that any Syrian faction, including HTS, agreed to the plan. Representatives of countries at the meeting did not respond to questions. A statement released by the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran, Qatari, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq after the Dec. 7 meeting said they stressed the need to stop military operations in preparation for launching a comprehensive political process but did not give specifics. The initial hours after armed groups' arrival in Damascus were chaotic. Observers said the HTS-led forces tried to re-impose order when they arrived. An Associated Press journalist saw an argument break out when HTS fighters tried to stop members of another faction from taking abandoned army munitions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abu Ara acknowledged that there was some chaos but added, we have to understand that these people were pent-up and suddenly they achieved the joy of victory in this manner. Waiting for a state During a visit by AP journalists to the western countryside of Daraa province this month, there was no visible presence of HTS forces. At one former Syrian army site, a fighter with the Free Syrian Army, the main faction in the area, stood guard in jeans and a camouflage shirt. Other local fighters showed off a site where they were storing tanks abandoned by the former army. Currently these are the property of the new state and army, whenever it is formed, said one fighter, Issa Sabaq. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The process of forming those has been bumpy. On New Years Eve, factions in the Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria blocked the entry of a convoy of HTS security forces who had arrived without giving prior notice. Ahmed Aba Zeid, a Syrian researcher who has studied the southern insurgent groups, said some of the factions have taken a wait-and-see approach before they agree to dissolve and hand over their weapons to the state. Local armed factions are still the de facto security forces in many areas. Earlier this month, the new police chief in Daraa city appointed by the HTS-led government, Badr Abdel Hamid, joined local officials in the town of Nawa to discuss plans for a police force there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamid said there had been constructive and positive cooperation with factions in the region, adding the process of extending the states influence takes time. Abu Ara said factions are waiting to understand their role. Will it be a strong army, or a border guard army, or is it for counterterrorism? he asked. Still, he was optimistic that an understanding will be reached. A lot of people are afraid that there will be a confrontation, that there wont be integration or wont be an agreement, he said. But we want to avoid this at all costs, because our country is very tired of war. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Residents in Collierville, Tennessee, and Olive Branch, Mississippi reported strong gas smells in their areas on Wednesday morning, according to the cities. Some residents in the Forest Hill subdivision in Olive Branch said the heat output in their homes Wednesday morning was very low. The problem is similar to one WREG reported on around the same time in January 2024. At that time Atmos Energy and Olive Branch Public Works asked customers to use their gas lines conservatively as they try to heat their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue Wednesday morning also impacted nearby Center Hill Elementary School. Center Hills principal notified parents and guardians about the unexpected heating issue, stating in part, School officials worked with The City of Olive Branch and discovered low gas pressure as the determining factor. After a temporary delay, gas pressure was restored. Center Hill Elementarys heat has been fully restored, and we will continue with regularly scheduled school activities. The City of Olive Branch said the issue was related to the extreme low temperatrures in the area and was fixed in a matter of hours. Extreme low temperatures in our area reached into the single digits this morning and we experienced a drop in natural gas pressure due to very high customer demand. We were able to increase the pressures throughout the system, and within a couple of hours we saw these pressures rise and return to normal, Olive Branch officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collierville Fire and Rescue said the reports of a gas odor were coming from various locations in the city and Memphis Light, Gas, and Water is investigating the source of the odor. The City of Olive Branch said the Public Works Gas Department received reports of a gas odor across the city and beyond. They are also investigating the source of the odor in the area. MLGW released a statement saying it was likely due to a tanker truck. After investigating the issue, we believe that complaints generated in Collierville are part of a larger complaint zone that extends into north Mississippi. It is likely coming from a tanker truck of mercaptan that is traveling along I-385, I-269, and I-55. Mercaptan is the additive we use to help alert people to gas leaks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MLGW says that there is no danger or cause for alarm. The chemical odorant is what MLGW adds to natural gas to give it the rotten egg/sulfur smell so that it can be easily detected. 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 WREG.com. WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) This years tax filing season starts January 27th, and 22News is working for you with what you need to know before you file. Experts at Liberty Tax in West Springfield told 22News that forms issued by an employer, such as your W-2s, should be distributed soon. Belchertown updates plan to address natural disasters You would receive a 1098 form or a 1099 for interest or dividends if you have a mortgage. If you have an identity protection PIN, theres a new one issued every year. If you havent received a PIN, make sure to contact the IRS as soon as possible. To avoid identity theft, taxpayers are urged to file as soon as all of their documents are in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ray Maagero, a tax expert with Liberty Tax, told 22News, If that does happen, if you get a letter from the IRS that says, we are having trouble processing your refund, make sure to pay attention to that, and that would be a reason to file early so no one steals your identity. If you plan to e-file, you can use the IRS Wheres My Refund? tool to check the status of your income tax refund within the first 24 hours of filing. The deadline to file your taxes this year is April 15th. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 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 WWLP. A fifth grader who cant read an analog clock or make change. A 13-year-old who cant tell if $20 million is greater than $200,000. A first grader who doesnt recognize that the numeral 5 is greater than the numeral 3 if the 3 appears larger in size on their paper. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter These are among the hallmarks of dyscalculia (pronounced dis-kal-KYOO-lee-uh), a learning disorder that hinders students ability in math, as they were observed in the classroom by long-time teachers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But educators who saw these types of limitations in their students through the years told The 74 they didnt always know what they were seeing or how to mitigate it. Toronto teacher Mufrida Nolan attributed some students difficulty with mathematics to a lack of confidence or foundational knowledge gaps. But some showed persistent problems, she said, including difficulty understanding place value despite multiple explanations or trouble memorizing basic math facts. To support these students, I relied on general strategies like breaking concepts into smaller steps, using visual aids and providing extra practice, she said. These interventions were helpful to a degree, but they lacked the specificity needed to address the unique challenges of dyscalculia, which I didnt understand at the time. Just as dyslexia disrupts areas of the brain related to reading, dyscalculia affects the areas of the brain used to understand mathematics. Roughly 4% to 7% of students suffer from the condition, according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Research indicates a link between the two: Children diagnosed with dyslexia are more likely to also have dyscalculia than those without a dyslexia diagnosis. Teachers say, too, that dyslexia, which affects 20% of the population, is far better understood, leaving them mostly on their own in combating the math disorder thats evidenced by difficulties with number sense and calculation. Most of the educators who talked to The 74 said they first heard about dyscalculia in the early 2000s or 2010s, but said it didnt start gaining traction until roughly three years ago, around the same time that teachers, policymakers and academic experts began to re-evaluate math instruction for all students in the face of COVID-era learning loss. Nolan and other educators from the United States and Canada have been meeting online since September in a group called Overthink Tank to share the latest research and best practices on this lesser-known disorder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maureen Stewart, a seven-year Math for America Master Teacher the nonprofit MfA was founded in 2004 to help retain and nurture outstanding New York City math educators is grateful for the outlet. But, she said, identifying children as having the disorder is only the first step in helping them. The label is really not as important as the strategy, said Stewart, who works in Brooklyn and has 17 years of teaching experience. We have to be aware as educators, what am I seeing in this child and what does it really mean? Its not like a checklist, and if you have everything on this checklist, you therefore have this thing. JUMP math creator John Mighton conducts a demonstration lesson at a school in Seven Oaks School Division in Manitoba, Canada. (JUMP math) Mathematician John Mighton, the founder of the curriculum JUMP Math, said research in cognitive science suggests the teaching methods that work best for students with dyscalculia also work best for almost all other students. This includes scaffolding concepts into manageable chunks and providing lots of opportunity for practice. But, he said, he agrees with teachers who say students with dyscalculia sometimes need something extra, adding it varies from one child to the next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the students Ive taught who had dyscalculia just needed to go back to very basic foundational concepts and learn them properly, he said. Then they can surprise you in how quickly they progress. Because teachers usually dont have time to do this work, some think that the missing thing is invariably difficult to find or remediate. Related JUMP In: Math Tutoring Program Slows Pace, Builds in Repetition and Gets Results Mighton said, too, that teachers should introduce concepts with generic or semi-abstract models and representations rather than those that are overly detailed or contextualized, meaning they should steer away from complex word problems and present materials more plainly. He added that the sequence of problems should become incrementally harder. Of course, dyscalculia is not the only challenge schools face in bolstering student achievement in math. Years of falling test scores have made K-12 learners lack of proficiency a full-scale emergency: It could threaten the nations global standing as the world moves even more toward technology-focused jobs. Dawn Pagliaro-Newman dressed as One from the BBC math cartoon The Numberblocks, and Olivia dressed as Angelica Schuyler from Hamilton for Halloween last year. (Dawn Pagliaro-Newman) Dawn Pagliaro-Newman, also an MA Master Teacher in Brooklyn, learned of dyscalculia through her daughter, Olivia, a fifth grader who loves to cook and who hopes to one day work for NASA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Olivia attends a state-approved private school for students with learning disabilities where she said her teachers have equipped her with special tools to address dyscalculia. Its like you need certain things to help you get through math, Olivia said, adding it often takes her extra time to finish assignments. If there is a test on division, that will take me hours. Its hard for me. Dawn Frank, who also teaches in Toronto, said children with dyscalculia have no flexibility with numbers. Most learners, when they come to understand that 5+5 = 10, will also realize that 5+6 = 5+5 +1, Frank said. Students with dyscalculia would not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A sixth grader, when multiplying 21 x 30 would understand that 20 x 30 = 600 and another 30 is 630, she said. But students with dyscalculia would follow a standard set of rules, or algorithm, for solving the problem, and in doing so would work much harder, she said. Some children also struggle with estimates. A second grader subtracts 4 from 20 and gets the answer 6 and does not see that this is not possible, Frank said. Anxiety is a common response, she said. Students, when they are anxious, will often avoid math. They might try to go to the bathroom a lot. There are students who miss school because their anxiety is so high or they purposefully have some kind of issue in the class before or in recess that causes them to miss math class. Related Being Bad at Math is a Pervasive Concept. Can it Be Banished From Schools? Children with dyscalculia, she said, also often have difficulty with time management and reading maps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further complicating matters, there is no consensus on how many types of dyscalculia there are: some experts say four, others more. And even when a child is diagnosed with the disorder, that doesnt guarantee they will qualify for services. The New York State education department notes, for example, that a clinical diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia (a learning disability related to writing), or dyscalculia do not automatically qualify a student for special education programs and services but that they are conditions that could qualify a student as having a learning disability. Some families have tremendous difficulty in accessing the help their children need. Maryland-based attorney Nicole Joseph has represented some 800 students and their families in their fight for educational access in the past 20 years. Most suffer some combination of dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia, she said. Part of the problem for children who struggle from math-related learning disabilities, Joseph said, is that teachers arent properly trained enough to help them nor do they have sufficient time for the repetition and individual attention required. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the science of reading has clarified the need for phonics-based instruction for all and that this is particularly critical for children who, like Josephs son, have dyslexia there is less clarity around mathematics. Joseph said, too, that schools often fail to properly diagnose learning disabilities in well-behaved children, those who she called bright, struggling and masking. Part of her job is to help parents get a diagnosis often through private psychologists and to get schools to recognize their disability. Despite these ongoing challenges, Pagliaro-Newman is hopeful about teachers growing understanding of the disorder. Because discussions of dyslexia, autism, and other neurodivergence have become more commonplace, I find that parents and educators are now turning their attention to math, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related Americas Most Popular Autism Therapy May Not Work and May Seriously Harm Patients Mental Health Increased awareness and the development of better strategies might help some children avoid later pitfalls. While they will struggle with the disorder for life like dyslexia, dyscalculia doesnt go away some can still achieve great heights in the subject with workarounds, teachers in the Overthink Tank group told The 74. I am very excited about the conversations that are being had in the education community about how best to support these learners as well as the questions being asked regarding much-needed research and funding, Pagliaro-Newman said. ERIE COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) A wrong way driver told a sheriffs deputy that he had no idea where he was when he was pulled over Monday evening in Erie County. According to a report, Erie County Sheriffs Deputy Ryan Opfer stopped the driver around 11:30 p.m. Monday on State Route 2. Solon, Parma, Cleveland cancel school Wednesday: Full list Upon approaching the vehicle, an overwhelming odor of marijuana was emanating from the vehicle, Opfer wrote in his report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deputy said he then advised the driver he was going the wrong way. He stated no way, but did not seem to comprehend the severity of his actions. The driver admitted to the deputy that he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day. He also told the deputy he was trying to drive to Fremont and got lost. Erie County Sheriffs Deputy body camera video shows the deputy questioning the man. Where do I think I am? the man said. I have no idea. The deputy asked if the man felt he was ok to drive. The man said he did. Ok, because you reek of marijuana, you are driving on the wrong side of the highway, and you dont even know what road you are on, Deputy Opfer told the man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mogadore man pleads guilty to amended charge in death of wife The man was handcuffed and brought to the jail. Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said charges are pending. Dont drink alcohol and drive, and dont use marijuana and drive, Sigsworth said. Dont use anything that is going to alter your mental state when you are driving. 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. The internet hasnt quite lived up to its utopian ideals. - Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images Even to the supremely cynical, it was striking to see the most recognizable billionaire leaders of Silicon Valley seated together at an event ahead of the second inauguration of President Donald Trump on Monday. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Alphabet (Googles parent company) Sundar Pichai, and Apple chief executive Tim Cook rubbed elbows before Trump was sworn into office the first three companies had each donated $1 million to his inauguration fund, while Cook had personally chipped in another million. They were joined by Trump megadonor Elon Musk, who spent more than a quarter billion dollars to put him back in the White House, securing a role as close advisor during the transition of power and beyond. Why are these titans of tech now in step with the MAGA movement? How did Bezos come to steer The Washington Post toward Trump-friendly coverage, while Musk and Zuckerberg instituted changes on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to facilitate the kind of harassment, falsehoods, extremist language and slurs typically wielded by the hard right? Wasnt the internet they helped to shape supposed to be a liberalizing, empowering, progressive force for society, ushering in an hyperconnected age of pure, unbiased information? More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not at all, argues technologist Mike Pepi in the eye-opening new book Against Platforms: Surviving Digital Utopia. Through a series of essays debunking our most elemental assumptions of the web as we know it (titles include Technical Solutions Wont Solve Social Problems, Computers Cant Think, and Algorithms Are Made of People!), the veteran of numerous venture capital-funded startups (which hed rather not name) contends that deliberate ideological choices have led us to the disastrous digital world we now inhabit. If you follow Pepis counter-narrative of the past 25 years, it can be no real surprise that the men who control the constellation of apps on our smartphones are now Team Trump. Trump just wants to win, you know? Pepi tells Rolling Stone. And if you think about Silicon Valley, thats kind of their mentality, too. They just want to win. They want to exit. They want to grow. It is this desire for growth at all costs, Pepi writes, that shaped the architecture of Web 2.0 the social matrix we believed would accelerate human achievement by unleashing our greatest potential. The same kind of capitalist-libertarian philosophy, he says, has now given us a mania for cryptocurrency (along with evangelists who earnestly declare that blockchain tech is the answer to any question) and artificial intelligence (increasingly integrated across every possible product). These two areas of supposed innovation, both of which will be overseen by Musk ally and venture capitalist David Sacks in this Trump administration, are similar in that they are basically fodder for VCs, Pepi says. Therefore, they almost exist as ideas that need to be propagandized as being the sort of new frontier. The reason you hear about them incessantly is because its just people pushing this out into the public sphere through pseudo-intellectual VCs. The Silicon Valley oligarchy backing Trump, he predicts, will continue to insist that our dissatisfaction with the federal government is simply because of a lack of a metaverse, crypto, or AI. Yet the core takeaway of Against Platforms is that none of this is truly new, and began as long ago as the dot-com bubble, at the turn of the millennium. Its around this time, Pepi says, that many people assimilated a false sense of the internet as a free-floating, immaterial thing that sort of exists out there in nature. But to the contrary, all these technologies we use are made by humans, and those humans have political ends. Writers of pro-tech manifestoes (he critiques one such 2023 text by venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, a Silicon Valley Democrat turned Trump supporter) prefer to pretend that apps, websites, and so on are intrinsically apolitical, Pepi explains, so that any attack on their negative influence over mass consciousness can be written off as Luddite fear-mongering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, there were major public epiphanies through the 2010s about the massive tradeoffs the tech giants made in their efforts to expand and conquer, Pepi says. He cites the National Security Agencys secret access to Google and Yahoo servers, exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden; Facebooks Cambridge Analytica data scandal; and the #DeleteUber campaign, launched in response to the ride-sharing apps continued service to John F. Kennedy International Airport during a 2017 taxi driver strike in protest of Trumps refugee travel ban. Pepi describes this mainstream awakening as the tech-lash, though he notes that our naivete as to the hidden agendas of investors and entrepreneurs behind these platforms has nonetheless persisted. There are zombies of digital utopianism lurking even in some of the solutions that we put forth [today], he says. At the same time, figures including Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos have perhaps never been so open about their actual values or lack thereof as they are at this moment, while remaking the platforms under their control to suit MAGA culture. Folks who are so used to platforms being relied on as an arbiter of truth, or arbiter of political speech, are in a bad position right now, because what theyre starting to realize is that this was never the point of these digital platforms, Pepi says, with these companies only incentivized to drive engagement, harvest data, and increase their reach. Fleeing to competitor sites, he adds, leads to a perpetual kind of Whac-A-Mole situation, when the root cause of this ongoing migration is, in fact, all of us crying out that we just need better institutions to govern these things, not a seemingly better version of the last platform. But if the tech industry effectively eroded our institutions, from government to journalism to education, by disrupting them with failed replacements, will the web find itself hollowed out in turn? I think AI might be the bridge too far here in Silicon Valley, Pepi says. A lot of the ways that we are now encouraging users, artists, and musicians to automate creation and in some cases, automate consumption will potentially be, in a kind of historic irony, the thing that makes people realize, Hey, no, this is a dead web, this is a gray web.' Indeed, one revealing incident covered in Against Platforms is the outraged response to a dystopian 2024 Apple commercial that showed instruments, books, and paint jars crushed by a hydraulic press into the flat surface of an iPad Pro (the company apologized for the ad, saying it missed the mark). More recently, we have seen bafflement over Facebooks plan to introduce user accounts for AI characters. Wherever those trends take us in the future, what makes Pepis book invaluable at the outset of 2025 is its clear reframing of the tools that got us here, and the bogus ideals that led us to trust them as fundamentally neutral. As much or more than anyone else, tech zealots who made their fortunes in the industry have to answer for our political climate of brazen corruption and cheap, viral, reactionary hate. As Pepi writes, the platforms incessant service to capital has elevated a network whose owners are beyond democratic control. And that is what we should see as they stand shoulder to shoulder behind Trump, ready to dismantle the last few flimsy obstacles that might stand in his way. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. KANSAS CITY, Mo. An 18-year-old man was found guilty Tuesday for making a school shooting threat at a Kansas high school on social media in September 2024, according to the Office of the Leavenworth County Attorney. Court records said that Kaden Ray Bentley was found guilty of Aggravated Criminal Threat after he shared a post on Snapchat threatening to shoot Leavenworth High School on Sept. 16, 2024. According to court records, officers were made aware of a potential school shooting threat posted by Bentley on social media that day. A portion of Bentleys post said, LHS count yo days (devil emoji), Im bout to walk in da [expletive] like John Wick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massive fire caused by unattended pan destroys Independence apartment John Wick is a fictional character from a movie series that brings down an organization by shooting its members, the Leavenworth County Attorneys office said. Bentley was charged with Aggravated Criminal Threat one day after the post, and on Tuesday, nearly five months later, a jury found him guilty in a Leavenworth County court. A threat to a school and the consequences of that threat are serious matters, Thompson said. The defendants actions led to real consequences while creating fear, panic, and disruption. Bentleys sentencing trial is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 nearly 50-year-old Hawaii cold case murder might have finally been solved following the arrest of a suspect in a Utah nursing home. Dawn Momohara, 16, was found dead on the second floor of McKinley High School in Honolulu on March 12, 1977. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled, with an orange cloth found tightly wrapped around her neck, Honolulu police Lt. Deena Thoemmes said at a press conference on Jan. 21. The morning before she was killed, Dawn reportedly received a phone call from an unknown male. Later, she told her mother that she was going to a local shopping center with her friends. Her mother never saw her again, police said at the press conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For decades, no suspect was charged in connection with Dawns murder, despite a sketch of his face and a description of his possible vehicle, a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac Lemans with a maroon body and white vinyl top. Now, Honolulu police say a DNA match has led them to arrest Gideon Castro, a 66-year-old man living in a Utah nursing home. According to Thoemmes, Castro had graduated from McKinley High School in 1976 and had met Dawn at a school dance that same year. 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. DNA samples from the investigation were tested by a lab in 2019, leading to Castro and his brother being identified as potential suspects, Thoemmes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Castros brother was eventually excluded as a suspect after further testing, leading to Castro's arrest. It is not immediately clear if Castro has been formally charged. Read the original article on People NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A new bill filed in Tennessee and loosely modeled after a Louisiana law currently facing a legal battle would require schools to display the Ten Commandments, a portion of the Declaration of Independence, and the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Senate Bill 151, sponsored by Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) would require the documents to be displayed together in a prominent area of the school, including an entryway, the cafeteria, or other common area where students are likely to see them. The goal is to educate students on the significance of the Ten Commandments to the principles and ideals of the United States of America, as established in its founding documents, according to the bill. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts We did one that said, In God We Trust that had to be in all the schools; that had to be paid for with donations, so were filing one the same way, Sen. Pody said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pody told News 2 that organizations would be encouraged to donate money for the documents or the documents themselves to the schools, so the legislation wouldnt cost the state any money. However, some argue the bill would cost school districts in court if it passed. If you make it a requirement, you are going to draw a lawsuit, said J.C. Bowman, the executive director and CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee. Bowman told News 2 he is not against the Ten Commandments, however, in 1980 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that they are plainly religious in nature, and displaying them in schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment after Kentucky passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether I agree with it or not, it is the current law, and I dont like public schools being used in Tennessee to try a case that could be drawn out and cost taxpayer money, Bowman said. Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom Last year, Louisiana passed a similar law requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms, which was set to go into effect Jan. 2025 before a federal judge overturned it last Nov. The state argued the Ten Commandments hold a historical significance to the foundation of U.S. law. A federal appeals judge is expected to hear arguments on the case Thursday. Sen. Pody told News 2 his bill is almost going to piggyback off of Louisiana[s bill]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bowman said states could be trying to poke the bear now that the Supreme Court has swung more conservative. We know they challenge laws on a periodic basis to see if the Supreme Court will eventually overturn something. Maybe thats the case here and the intent, Bowman said. If thats the case, we dont want to be guinea pigs, and I know no district wants to go in and say, Okay, were required to do it, and all of a sudden weve got a lawsuit. Bowman suggests lawmakers could consider a bill to add foundational documents, which could include the Ten Commandments, to Tennessees social studies standards instead, which were just approved last year. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com That would be the appropriate placement for that if he felt like that should be included, Bowman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill still needs a House sponsor. It was introduced and passed on first consideration in the Senate last week. News 2 previously reported on another TN bill that would allow schools to post the Ten Commandments along with other historical documents. That bill still needs a Senate sponsor. 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 WKRN News 2. The Israeli military continued on Wednesday its major campaign across the restive West Bank city of Jenin. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said 10 people had been killed and at least 40 injured so far. The military said that since the operation was launched on Tuesday, "over 10 terrorists" had been hit along with several "terror infrastructure sites." Roadside bombs were also defused, it said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday a new drone attack on Jenin, located in the north of the occupied West Bank and a stronghold of militants. According to Palestinian accounts, Israeli forces have raided numerous houses near a refugee camp in Jenin. While violence frequently flares in Jenin, this is Israel's largest operation there in years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign, named Iron Wall, would be "extensive and significant." Tensions in the West Bank have long been high, but they dramatically escalated after the massacre carried out by the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas in Israel in October 2023 and the resulting war in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. There is currently a six-week ceasefire in place in Gaza. Operation Iron Wall was launched just hours after a group of Israeli settlers rampaged through two Palestinian villages, torching homes and vehicles and wounding more than 20 people, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Matthew B. Durrant, the chief justice of Utahs Supreme Court for the past 13 years, said Tuesday that the state has set the standard for judiciaries across the nation that entire time. During his State of the Judiciary address in front of Utah lawmakers, Durrant credited amendments made in 1984 to the states Judicial Conduct Commission, which restructured our judiciary, revamped the judicial selection process and established a new system for judicial evaluation and discipline, resulting in collaborative efforts across the three branches of government and positioned Utahs judiciary as a national model with strong centralized leadership, a merit-based judicial selection process and robust accountability measures to promote public confidence in judicial fairness. As the 2025 legislative session began Tuesday, Durrant recognized the work of Utahs judiciary council and called for mutual respect as lawmakers continued to enact policy guidelines and share recommendations throughout the 45-day session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The job of being a governmental leader in todays environment is a challenging one that is never free of criticism, fair and unfair, Durrant said. He acknowledged controversial decisions the U.S. Supreme Court made in the last year like the decision in President Donald Trumps presidential immunity case that he said some sitting in the House Chamber may have disagreed with and found frustrating. Legislators applaud following Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaking at a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Utahs highest court, likewise, has been criticized by lawmakers over the past year for a series of controversial rulings that heightened tensions between the states Supreme Court and legislative leaders. These rulings include blocking the Legislatures effort to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot and striking down an attempt to alter the outcome of a voter-approved redistricting initiative. Around the same time last summer, the court also allowed a lawsuit challenging Utahs abortion law to proceed. During the first day of the 66th legislative session, state Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, was asked whether Utahns should expect any legislation that directly responds to court rulings that majority leaders were not in favor of. He said he believes Utahs judiciary is well-meaning and that he doesnt know of any legislation targeted at their rulings. However, Adams did accuse the justices of having blinders on when deciphering the state constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think perhaps they need to look beyond the state constitution and look at our federal Constitution, article four, section four, and I think I can see it differently than they do, and I believe that they violated the very foundations of our Republic, and I feel strongly about that, he said. In response to the tension between the two branches, Durrant said in his State of the Judiciary address that disagreements could benefit the states legal system if its citizens have faith in their elected leaders to represent them according to the law. I note the genuine respect that my colleagues and I have for this body, for respect shared by judges and administrative leaders across the judiciary, he said. By fulfilling our constitutional role, the judiciary helps reassure the public that the legislative and executive branches also operate within Utahs constitutional framework. No matter political affiliation, all government leaders swear to support, obey and defend the Constitution, Durrant said during his address, but judges must be free to abide by that oath, to decide cases without fear of adverse personal consequences. They must be free to make decisions driven by the law and the facts and not based on who the litigants are and how they might react to those decisions. This is a central tenet of our democracy. Associate Chief Justice John A. Pearce shakes hands with Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, ahead of Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaking to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaks to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Rep. Norman K. Thurston, R-Provo, shakes hands with Justice Diana Hagen, as members of Utahs Supreme Court arrive ahead of Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaking to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate President Stuart Adams talks with four of Utahs Supreme Court justices, Justice Jill M. Pohlman, Justice Diana Hagen, Justice Paige Petersen and Associate Chief Justice John A. Pearce, after Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, spoke to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper and Senate President Stuart Adams talk ahead of Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaking to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Associate Chief Justice John A. Pearce, Justice Paige Petersen, Justice Diana Hagen, and Justice Jill M. Pohlman listen as Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaks to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaks to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utahs Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaks to a joint session of the Utah Legislature inside the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News 2025 Judicial budget requests As Utah continues to be one of the fastest-growing states in the country, Durrant emphasized the need for efficient judicial services during Utahs legislative session, which prioritized fiscal responsibility and budget requests. According to Durrant, Utahs judicial branch accounts for less than 1% of the states fiscal budget, funding requests that are genuinely necessary for our branch of government to provide Utahns the level of service they deserve. That being said, he requested two funding changes be considered in this legislative session: Better compensation for courthouse workers Durrant said courthouse clerical staff and probation officers receive starting wages of $21 to $22 an hour, creating a staff turnover rate (that) is reasonable and unsustainable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Durrant said that granting higher compensation would create a competitive workplace and a more skilled workforce. Funding for more judges Durrant also referenced statistics from a judicial-weighted caseload study that found many state districts working well above their capacity, citing Utahs 1st Congressional Districts juvenile courts facing 123% and 114% of standard caseloads respectfully. This session, we are requesting seven new trial court judges, two court commissioners, and one court of appeals judge, the first such request since the court was formed in 1987, he said. These additions are critical to maintaining timely and effective judicial services for Utahs growing population, which has more than doubled since 1987. Because of our common fiscal responsibility, we do not put before you funding requests that arent critical. TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) The Texarkana NAACP marked MLK Day with their annual Martin Luther King Junior Program to reflect on the legacy of the civil rights leader, but for Memphis-native and Chapter President of the Texarkana NAACP, Dr. James Morris, the injustices that Dr. King fought against are more than just a page in the history books. I remember having tanks and the National Guard with bayonets in the streets, I remember curfew, and so that encouraged me also to become a social activist, said Dr. Morris. The fact that the holiday coincided with the presidential inauguration was not lost on them either as speakers discussed the programs theme of protecting freedom, justice, and democracy in the spirit of nonviolence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More Texarkana News I thought about today and I thought about January 6th and I said we have a peaceful transfer of power. Thats what Dr. King would have wanted, a peaceful transfer of power, no matter who won. said Dr. Morris. On that day they wanted to remind people to keep fighting to reach the mountaintop that Dr. King imagined, even in the face of what they see as a divided country. We have elements in the country that are trying to push us back to what they consider the good old days. Well, those good old days werent good old days for women and minorities. Said Dr. Morrist, So his message is still to stay in the struggle, stay into into the fight because his message was that one day his kids would not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And while they continue to work towards making that dream come true, in the meantime they encouraged people to take the day to bring positive change in the community, big or small. Volunteer for the Salvation Army, or at home, dont be asked to take out the trash. If paper (is) in your neighborhood, pick up the paper. Were going to ask them to do things, young people to do things that will commit them to understand that were all in this together. said Dr. Morris. Bridging the Gap Arkansas also held an MLK Day Parade in downtown Texarkana to mark the holiday. 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 KTALnews.com. AUSTIN (Nexstar) On Monday, the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate released their respective state budget outlines for 2026 and 2027. The House proposal includes $335.7 billion in spending, while the Senate proposal comes in at $332.9 billion. Both proposals call for spending $1 billion to establish education savings accounts, which Gov. Greg Abbott calls school choice. The House and Senate also include $6.5 billion for border security efforts, and $402 million for new state troopers. Both plans dedicate more than $32 billion for property tax relief. Our conservative approach to budgeting has allowed Texas to maintain a pristine balance sheet going into the next biennium, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wrote in a release on Monday. I look forward to the legislatures final product. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The similarities between the initial House and Senate budget proposals are a positive indication that the chambers are open to working together, according to Rahul Sreenivasan, Director of Government Performance and Fiscal Policy for Texas 2036. Given a lot of the political background thats been occurring between the House and the Senate over the last few months, I think its noteworthy that both of these budget proposals have a lot of similarities, said Sreenivasan. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Senate Finance Chair Joan Huffman also sent news releases highlighting their budget priorities, highlighting numbers in the proposals from each chamber. According to releases from Patrick and Huffman, key items on the Senate budget for the next biennium include the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Education: $73.1 billion to be dedicated to the Foundation School Program, the primary source for funding Texas school districts and increasing enrollment. $1 billion dedicated to education savings accounts. $4.85 billion to increase teacher compensation. Energy: $5 billion to fund the Texas Energy Fund to ensure reliability of the states electrical grid. Border Security: $6.5 billion allocated to Operation Lone Star, which works to deploy the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to the southern border. Transportation and infrastructure: $36.2 billion to address the states transportation needs through highway project development, construction, and maintenance. Tax relief: $32.2 billion in property tax relief. Public Safety: $402 million for 567 new Department of Public Safety troopers and 159 enforcement personnel with needed equipment. It is no secret that the Texas economy is thriving, Huffman wrote. By remaining fiscally conservative and making strategic investments, we can address the needs of our growing state while keeping an eye on the future. According to Burrows, the House budget proposal includes $335.7 billion in total spending and $154.1 billion in general revenue spending. Their priorities are as follows. Border security: $6.5 billion across multiple agencies to secure Texas international border. Transportation and infrastructure: $36 billion for highway projects, with an additional $2.5 billion for water infrastructure and $34 million for flood control dam projects. Education: $63 billion to fully fund student enrollment. $1 billion dedicated to education savings accounts. $4.85 billion in new funding. Tax relief: Provides $32.8 billion for property tax relief. Public safety: $402 million for 600 new state troopers and $363 million for correctional officer raises. I would urge my colleagues in the House to identify additional resources within the budget to deliver even greater property tax relief and additional funding for classrooms and teachers, Burrows wrote in his release. Sreenivasan emphasized that these budget proposals are each chambers first drafts and still have a long way to go before they are finalized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is a slate with a lot of details in it, but theres more to be done, said Sreenivasan. Just because its in there doesnt mean itll end up in the end budget, and just because its not in there doesnt mean itll never make it. These current versions will return to their respective committees, where weeks of budget hearings will be held to gather input from agencies and the public. After a final vote in their appropriate chamber floors, the House and Senate will come together in a conference committee to negotiate their differences. Their final budget will be certified by the Comptroller and signed by the Governor in June. 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 KXAN Austin. Texas lawmakers are looking to spend billions of dollars over the next two years to create a school voucher-like program, cut property taxes, raise teacher pay, shore up water infrastructure and continue the states border crackdown, according to initial state budget drafts House and Senate leaders filed Wednesday. Both chambers set aside $1 billion in their initial spending plans for education savings accounts, a voucher-like policy that would let families use state funds to cover the cost of private school tuition and other education-related expenses. That amount is double what was on the table two years ago and is a sign that supporters are emboldened after recent electoral gains in the House, the chamber that has thwarted past voucher proposals. The chambers also aligned on putting $6.5 billion toward what Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks office described as maintaining current border security operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott had previously suggested they would look to redirect some of the states recent border spending surge toward other uses now that President Donald Trump is set to crack down on immigration through federal policy. But the $6.5 billion proposal mirrors the budgeted amount for border security for the current budget cycle. The spending proposals provide the first glimpse of how the Republican-controlled Legislature might use the states projected $24 billion surplus in the next two-year budget cycle, which begins in September. Both chambers proposed spending nearly $5 billion to increase public school funding and $3.5 billion for new property tax cuts. While the two chambers unveiled similar spending priorities, they will have to iron out scattered differences in their nearly 1,100-page budget drafts before sending the final version to Abbotts desk. Much of the spending also depends on lawmakers passing separate legislation to unlock the money, as is the case with education savings accounts, property tax cuts and a new dementia prevention research institute. The Senates $332.9 billion proposal, Senate Bill 1, was filed by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, while Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, introduced the Houses $335.7 billion proposal, House Bill 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newly elected House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, has not yet announced his committee chairs, including who will lead the House Appropriations Committee. But Bonnens authorship of the House budget bill signals he is likely to remain in charge of the budget-writing panel. Burrows characterized the two chambers budgets as substantially identical. This initial step in the budgetary process signals a strong commitment to collaboration between the two chambers to pass a fiscally conservative budget that addresses the priorities of Texans, he said in a statement. Passing a balanced budget is the only thing state lawmakers must do during their 140-day session that began on Jan. 14 and concludes on June 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers are expected to have $194.6 billion in available general revenue to fund the states business over the next two years, according to an estimate from Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. That estimate could change based on economic conditions and does not include allocations from the federal government for programs such as Medicaid. A constitutional spending cap limits how much general revenue lawmakers can spend each year. Both budget drafts would spend just north of $150 billion in general revenue Texas main source of paying for core services like public education and law enforcement coming in under the spending cap outlined last week by the Legislative Budget Board. Both plans leave billions unspent before lawmakers would run into Hegars $194.6 million general revenue estimate, though they would have to take a politically perilous vote to bust the spending cap well before then. Rep. Armando Walle, a Houston Democrat who has served on the House Appropriations Committee since 2015, noted that the chambers draft budget continues paying for flood infrastructure and the states food bank program, both of which fall under the sections of the budget he oversees. But, he added, we again have historic amounts of money we can spend, and so many essential services that need investment. First and foremost are our neighborhood schools and educators, Walle said. But Texas families are also looking to the Legislature for leadership to make child care affordable and accessible, to modernize flood control and drinking water infrastructure, and to make it a little easier to put food on the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rest of the state budget is paid for by federal funds; general revenue earmarked for specific uses; and a mix of other state funds, such as the State Highway Fund fueled by things like vehicle registration fees and the Economic Stabilization Fund, known informally as the rainy day fund. The account has ballooned in recent years and is projected to reach its constitutional limit next year, after which any money that would have gone into the fund would instead go toward general revenue. Enhancing education spending Both the Texas House and Senate proposed setting aside $1 billion in the next two years for the creation of education savings accounts, a $500 million increase from what lawmakers proposed for such a program during the 2023 legislative session. The school voucher-like program would allow families to use taxpayer dollars to pay for their childrens private schooling and home schooling. The dramatic increase comes after Abbott helped oust many of the Texas Republicans who opposed the policy during the most recent election cycle. The House and Senate proposed allocating $4.85 billion in new funds to the states public schools. During the last legislative session, public schools did not receive a meaningful funding boost after lawmakers declined to pass a school voucher program. Abbott had promised not to sign a bill increasing public education funding without the passage of vouchers, his top legislative priority in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This session, the Senate wants to increase teacher pay by $4,000. Teachers in rural areas would receive an additional $6,000 pay bump, for a total of $10,000, under the Senates proposal, which Patrick said would close the salary gap between urban and rural teachers. It was not immediately clear whether teachers would receive the pay raise annually or one time only. The raise is higher than what lawmakers proposed last session but still falls short of what public school teachers say they need. That doesnt come close to covering their pay deficit which now trails the national average by more than $9,000, Texas State Teachers Association President Ovidia Molina said in a statement. Legislative budget writers need to start over, and they should start by scratching out the money set aside for vouchers and allocating it to public schools. The House budget draft does not specify whether the new public education dollars would go to teacher raises. But existing state law requires school districts use at least 30% of a funding increase to boost compensation for non-administrative employees. Both chambers proposed adding $400 million for school safety, after school districts said lawmakers did not fully fund new safety mandates, including requiring an armed security guard at every school and providing mental health training to certain employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Closely tied to the states education spending are lawmakers efforts to limit property taxes residents pay to their local school district. Both chambers proposed spending more than $32 billion to continue funding tax cuts approved in 2019 and 2023 most of which involves paying school districts to cut their tax rates and pass a new round of relief this year. Patrick said he wants the $3.5 billion set aside for unspecified new tax cuts to go toward increasing the school homestead exemption, or the amount that homeowners can shave off the taxable value of their main residence. Patrick, who spearheaded a push to raise the homestead exemption to $100,000 two years ago, proposed hiking it another $40,000, which would allow Texans to pay school property taxes as if their home was worth $140,000 less than the actual appraised value. Supporting Operation Lone Star Budget proposals in both chambers call for $6.5 billion to go toward border security. That would increase the amount of taxpayer money used on such efforts to close to $20 billion since the state launched Operation Lone Star in 2021. The bulk of the proposed allocation would go to the governors office, which would receive $2.9 billion; Texas Military Department, which would receive $2.3 billion; and the Department of Public Safety, which would receive $1.2 billion. DPS would receive an additional $402 million to hire more state troopers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The draft budgets suggest that lawmakers wont scale down the states presence at the border, as Abbott and Patrick had suggested after President Trumps victory in November. Trump already began his promised clampdown on immigration by ending the use of an app that let migrants make appointments to request asylum among a flurry of executive actions he issued on his first day back in office. The state began its all-out effort to control the border deploying troops, building a border wall and arresting migrants on state criminal trespassing charges amid a spike in migrant crossings under the Biden administration, whose policies Abbott cast as overly lax. While Abbott has credited the border mission for a recent decrease in illegal crossings, immigration experts question Operation Lone Stars efficacy. The number of illegal crossings reached record highs years into the program, the states border wall is largely incomplete and expensive to build, and people across the world continue fleeing poverty and violence for the U.S. State lawmakers have also signaled they will double down on border security by filing a variety of bills, including one that would create a Texas Border Protection Unit whose officers are authorized to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While border security funding appears to be available over the coming biennium, the real question is: how long can we ask the current personnel strength to maintain such a high operational tempo? Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, who chaired an interim committee on border security, wrote in a recent report. Texas should cautiously expect some form of federal relief of our current operational tempo in the coming months. Boosting energy and infrastructure Lawmakers have proposed a combined $10 billion infusion of funding into the states water, broadband and energy infrastructure. Both chambers have aligned on spending $5 billion to double the Texas Energy Fund, which offers low interest rate loans to incentivize the development of new power plants. Voters approved a constitutional amendment to create the Texas Energy Fund in 2023. It provides 3% interest rate loans to build or upgrade gas-fueled power plants, part of lawmakers push to fortify the grid in the aftermath of 2021 Winter Storm Uri. For all the acrimony that weve had politically over the last few months, its notable that the House and Senate budget proposals are very similar, said Rahul Sreenivasan, director of government performance and fiscal policy at Texas 2036, a nonprofit public policy organization. They both have money for notable things like water infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both chambers have proposed $2.5 billion for the Texas Water Fund, though the Senate indicated that funding would be in the supplemental budget, not the general appropriations budget. The supplemental budget covers expenses during the current budget period and is typically passed towards the end of the legislative session. The proposal is less than the $5 billion that Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, told The Texas Tribune he was asking lawmakers to spend on water supply and infrastructure projects. Perry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, expressed initial disappointment upon learning the amount is half of what lobbyists, local leaders and Perry have sought. If we are constrained to that amount it can lessen our ability to have an impact in water projects, Fowler said. Fowler said he appreciates the growing bipartisan support for water funding but that there is more urgency for Texas to step up with a greater investment after Trump signed an executive order asking federal agencies to pause spending money from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. We cant count on the feds now for funding, Fowler said. State lawmakers are also looking to inject $2.5 billion into the states Broadband Development Office to expand internet access to the estimated 7 million residents who arent connected. House lawmakers also included a line item for a Nuclear Energy Fund, which would incentivize nuclear reactor projects, according to a November report from a working group the governor appointed to help Texas advance its nuclear industry. Health spending Health care takes up the largest portion of the Texas budget, amounting to roughly 50% of the states spending. Both budget proposals allocate an additional $3 billion to a new Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, a top priority of the lieutenant governor. The program would be modeled off the states successful $6 billion Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Patrick has said, and would require voters to approve its financing with a constitutional amendment. Texans for Children, a nonprofit advocacy organization, praised both budget bills for allocating what they consider significant new funding to improve the enrollment process for Medicaid health insurance. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has requested $300 million to make it easier for Texans to sign up for Medicaid and Lone Star cards for groceries through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. Health commission officials did not immediately confirm whether the request was reflected in the draft budgets. Were glad to see both budget bills invest in upgrading the Medicaid enrollment system so it actually works for families, said Diana Forester, health policy director at Texans Care for Children. Instead of state workers typing in everyones personal data, the state should be using modern technology to improve efficiency and cut down on the risk of mistakes and long delays. Texans have historically waited months to be enrolled in Medicaid and other state-run programs. While it was disappointed that the draft budgets dont include funding to increase the number of child care slots reserved for low-income children through the Texas Workforce Commission, the group hopes theres still time to convince lawmakers to do so. Still, the group was pleased to see that both bills supported a boost in funding, adding another $18 million over the next two years to the states Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays. Its great to see that legislators came together to provide funding for the growing number of infants and toddlers enrolled in ECI so they can learn to walk, communicate with their families, get ready for school, or meet other goals, said Alec Mendoza, senior policy associate for health at Texans Care for Children. Jaden Edison, Alejandro Serrano, Alejandra Martinez, and Terri Langford contributed to this report. Disclosure: Texans Care for Children, Texas 2036 and Texas State Teachers Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) thinks former President Biden left Latinos hanging amid a flurry of last-minute pardons that sought to preempt legal action by the incoming Trump administration. As a member of the U.S. Congress who believes in second chances, I am deeply disappointed that President Biden who made headlines for pardoning his son and issuing a record number of commutations and pardons refused to grant clemency to deserving Hispanics in South Texas and across this country. These nonviolent offenders paid their debt to society and took all of the requisite steps to remove a stain from their record only to be met with rejection, said Gonzalez in a Tuesday statement. A spokesperson for Gonzalez declined to name specific cases, citing constituents privacy, but the lawmaker said Biden and President Trump, who on Monday pardoned, commuted sentences for or vowed to dismiss the cases of more than 1,500 people accused of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol ignored deserving clemency candidates while checking off their own political boxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group, consisting of Hispanic/Latino constituents, included an 86 year old man who served his sentence over 20 years ago. He turned his life around and has been pardoned by the Texas State Bar and has been practicing law. These are folks who made a mistake and did everything to rectify it. President Biden and his staff had the power to give them a new lease on life, but chose not to, said Gonzalez. Instead, he pardoned his family. Then, President Trump pardoned insurrectionists while my people in South Texas are still left in the lurch. This is not right. Trumps January 6 pardons earned him friendly fire, much in the same way that Bidens acts of clemency toward associates, friends and family, including toward his son Hunter Biden in December, drew attacks from both sides of the aisle. Trumps GOP critics included former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who in an article on Semafor Tuesday singled out Trumps pardoning of rioters who directly attacked Capitol Police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 The Hill. The Texas Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint against the state Republican Party Chair alleging that he illegally threatened and intimidated lawmakers over their support for a House speaker candidate, according to the state House Member who filed the complaint. Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, told The Texas Tribune on Tuesday that the commission dismissed the complaint against Texas GOP Chair Abraham George because they did not believe they had the jurisdiction to give an opinion. The complaint highlights an intense and ongoing civil war between the Texas GOPs far-right wing and its more establishment, but still deeply conservative, flank. That acrimony exploded late last year after a majority of House Republicans voted to support Mansfield Republican Rep. David Cooks bid for House speaker. The same day, Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, announced that he had enough bipartisan support in the 150-member chamber to win a majority. He was elected speaker last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burrows defiance immediately prompted a pressure campaign from the Texas GOP. In the lead-up to the official House vote last week, the party and George vowed to send negative mailers about Burrows supporters into their districts and to censure any Republican who does not vote for Cook a move that, under recently adopted party rules, would bar those lawmakers from appearing on a primary ballot for two years. In the complaint, Harris alleged that George violated ethics rules by threatening to spend money on mail pieces in Harriss district attacking him if he didnt cast his vote for Cook. Harris argued that such a mailer amounted to an economic benefit for a primary candidate against Harris and thus constituted a bribe. I think they chose the politically expedient way out, Harris said of the commissions decision. The Texas GOP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The commission declined to comment. Ethics complaints that are dismissed are confidential under state law. Typically, when the commission receives an ethics complaint, it has five days to determine whether the alleged violation comes under its jurisdiction. When the commission declares it does not have jurisdiction, the complainant can request a review by the commission. Harris said he hasnt decided yet if he wants to request a review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A mandatory review of the ethics boards by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, which evaluates agencies and issues recommendations, is already underway. Some Republicans have sought to use the review period as an opportunity to weaken the ethics commissions oversight powers. That includes political operatives and groups funded by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, two West Texas oil billionaires who have spent tens of millions of dollars pushing Texas to the far right. Wilks and Dunn are longtime foes of the Ethics Commission; one of their chief operatives has been engaged in an unsuccessful, 10-year legal attempt to strip the agency of its regulatory powers. In the days after Harris allegations were made public, groups and figures funded by the billionaires again mobilized against the ethics commission. The complaint, they argued, proved that the commission had become a political weapon, wielded by powerful people to silence everyday citizens by conducting intense and time-consuming investigations into even the most baseless allegations or mundane violations. AUSTIN (KXAN) This legislative session, artificial intelligence (AI) is on the minds of many Texas lawmakers. There are several bills already filed that have to do with regulating AI in different ways. Texas lawmaker files bill to regulate artificial intelligence Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, filed SB 815 to stop health insurance companies from using AI to delay, deny or modify claims. Artificial intelligence is a technology that is still rapidly developing and has enormous potential to support many systems, including healthcare, Schwertner said. However, this technology should not be used to make critical, sometimes life-saving decisions regarding a patients care. We simply cannot and should not solely rely on algorithms to understand the complexities and unique needs of patients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB 815 would prohibit health insurance companies from using the technology to determine medical necessity on behalf of patients, according to the press release. In addition, it gives the Texas Department of Insurance the authority to inspect or audit a health plans benefits to ensure compliance, the release said. The Texas Department of Insurance told KXAN it is aware of the increased use of AI tools by some health plans to process and approve claims more efficiently. Were not aware of any plans that are using A.I. to deny claims which would clearly violate existing requirements. State law requires Texas-licensed healthcare professionals to review claim denials. Texas Department of Insurance Spokesperson Insurance companies using AI There have been reports nationwide of insurance companies using AI to process claims and review prior authorization requests. The main way that Ive heard AI being used by insurance companies is to review claims, said Dr. Samantha Shorey, an AI expert with the University of Pittsburgh. Using AI in order to automate aspects of that process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shorey said AI can help review information and notify if something is missing or point out an error. In that sense, AI is just kind of an alarm bell, Shorey said. The other thing that AI can be used to do is make decisions about whether or not a claim, for example, might be approved or denied or sent back to the beginning of the queue. Last October, the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released an investigation into how some insurance companies have used AI to deny some claims from Medicare Advantage plan subscribers. When it becomes really concerning is when its not conducted with human oversight or transparency, so when nobody is reviewing the automated systems decisions for their accuracy. Dr. Samantha Shorey, University of Pittsburgh Ultimately, Shorey said this bill and others like it could set the precedent for legislation across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas is a laboratory and a laboratory for technology development, Shorey said. If they can set the tone for what responsible regulation looks like, a lot of other places are going to follow suit. In June 2023, the American Medical Association adopted a policy calling for more oversight of AI in prior authorization. While the AMA supports automation to speed up the prior authorization process and cut down on the burdensome paperwork required by physicians, the fact remains that prior authorization is overused, costly, inefficient, and responsible for patient care delays, the release said. The new AMA policy called for insurers to require a human examination of patient records prior to a care denial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KXAN Austin. This article is part of Dealing the Dead, a series investigating the use of unclaimed bodies for medical research. The president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center is stepping down, four months after an NBC News investigation uncovered that the center had failed to contact families before using their loved ones corpses for medical research. In an announcement Monday, the University of North Texas System Board of Regents said it had accepted Sylvia Trent-Adams resignation. The three-paragraph statement, which praised Trent-Adams dedication, integrity, and respect, did not mention NBC News reporting or include a reason for her departure. Sylvia Trent-Adams resigned effective Jan. 31. In an email responding to questions, Health Science Center spokesperson Andy North said Trent-Adams "has indicated her reasons for this departure are personal." Trent-Adams didn't respond to a message requesting comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, NBC News published the first installment of a yearlong investigation into the Fort Worth-based Health Science Centers practice of chopping up, studying and leasing out the bodies of the unclaimed dead those whose family members often cannot be easily reached, or whose relatives cannot pay for cremation or burial. Over a five-year period, the center had received about 2,350 unclaimed bodies from Dallas and Tarrant counties and used many of them to train medical students; others it dissected and leased to outside groups, including major biotech companies and the U.S. Army, helping bring in about $2.5 million a year to the center. This was done without consent from the dead and, in many cases, without the knowledge of any of their survivors. Just days before NBC News investigation was published, after reporters had shared detailed findings, the Health Science Center announced it was suspending its body donation program, firing the officials who ran it and hiring a consulting firm to study the programs operations. In emails to students and faculty, Trent-Adams said the reporting had revealed a lack of sufficient controls and oversight of the centers Willed Body Program, which she said had fallen short of the standards of respect, care and professionalism that we demand. She said center leadership had been unaware, for example, that the body program was routinely shipping unclaimed remains including those of U.S. military veterans across state lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the days that followed, Trent-Adams fielded several messages from concerned students, staff and alumni, according to emails obtained through a public records request. In one message, a Health Science Center medical student wrote that theyd been taught that consent is at the forefront of the practice of medicine, but that NBC News reporting had called into question whether the administration was practicing this in our academic anatomy lab. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that we dissected bodies without consent, another student wrote to Trent-Adams. We referred to them as donors because that is what we thought they were, not indigent individuals who had no say in the matter. Many of those whose bodies were used by the Health Science Center were described as having no next of kin, but NBC News was able to quickly locate several families who were angry and heartbroken to learn from reporters that their relatives had been dissected and studied without permission. In October, the news outlet published the names of hundreds of people whose unclaimed bodies were sent to the center, leading more survivors to come forward. In total, reporters have identified more than 25 families who learned weeks, months or years later that a relative was used for research. The University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth used hundreds of bodies for research and training without consent. As additional survivors came forward, the Health Science Center said in a statement in September that officials were working to connect with families to extend our deepest apologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abigail Willson was among those seeking answers. She learned of her mothers death and donation to the Health Science Center from the list published by NBC News. When Willson and her family went to the center in October to request more information, she said a staff member told them Trent-Adams wished to meet with them. We sat there for 45 minutes, and the president of the university never came, Willson said. Then they took our information to give to her, and she never called. The fallout continued in November when the Texas Funeral Service Commission sent a letter to Trent-Adams ordering the center to immediately halt the practice of liquefying bodies, which the commission said was prohibited under state law. The center defended the legality of the practice commonly known as water cremation, but said it had stopped doing it on the day NBC News published its investigation in September. The Health Science Center had been receiving unclaimed bodies since at least 2019, three years before Trent-Adams was hired as president following a career in the military. She previously served as acting U.S. surgeon general during President Donald Trumps first term. Her last day at the Health Science Center will be Jan. 31. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Editors Note: The video above first aired in October of 2024. MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The family of Caitlin Denison confirmed that a search in Midland County early Wednesday morning was connected to the young Reno womans 2018 disappearance and the ongoing efforts to find her. In a statement, the family said: This afternoon, we received an update from the Texas Rangers regarding our inquiry into the search of the vacant field in Midland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were informed that the Rangers had indeed been conducting a search related to Caitlins case, though, unfortunately, they did not locate her. While this outcome is heartbreaking, we remain steadfast in our commitment to finding Caitlin and bringing her home. We are grateful that law enforcement continues to actively investigate her disappearance, and we appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Texas Rangers and all involved. However, it is disheartening that we were not notified in advance of this search, leaving us to learn about it from third-party sources. We believe that more transparent communication would have helped to support Caitlins family and all those working tirelessly to resolve this case. As we move forward, we remain hopeful that, together with law enforcement, we will uncover the answers we so desperately need and bring justice to Caitlin and her loved ones. Because this is an active and ongoing investigation into the 2018 disappearance, we wanted to remind the community about certain aspects of the case for which law enforcement are still seeking answers. On January 9, 2018 flew from Reno to Midland to meet a man shed met previously. The unidentified man is known to have worked as a truck driver in the Permian Basin oil industry, but Denison never told her family the mans name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the pair landed in Midland, investigators said they believe Denison stayed with the man in his RV, which may have been parked in West Odessa. The following day, on January 10, 2018, the RV was moved to a location in Midland south of IH-20/Loop 250. That same day, Denison advised family and friends that she was at the Wal-Mart at 4517 N. Midland Drive with the man but was afraid for her life. Investigators also believe the pair visited the Dominos Pizza on Linda Avenue in Odessa and then went to Ricks Cabaret in an attempt to find Denison employment. That is the last day Denison had contact with any of her family and friends. The attached flyer contains additional photos and information on Caitlin Denison. Investigators remain hopeful that someone may have seen something or may have information to assist in this investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Missing-Person-DenisonDownload Tips on this case may be submitted in the following manner: Submit a Tip Online through the Texas Rangers Cold Case website. Contact the Texas Rangers by telephone at 1-800-346-3243. Your information will be forwarded to the Texas Ranger assigned to this case. Call Crime Stoppers Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of the person/persons responsible for this crime. To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters MUST call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). All tips are anonymous. Tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name. A DPS spokesperson said Wednesday after the search, This investigation is ongoing, and investigators remain hopeful of finding answers to her disappearance. A large police presence, including agents with the Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Midland County Sheriffs Office was seen in Midland County early Wednesday morning near the area of CR 1223 1/2 and CR 160. Law enforcement officials at the scene said the K-9 teams were searching about 10 acres of vacant land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sgt. Steven Blanco with the DPS confirmed, The Texas Rangers are searching that lot in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation. While investigators have not revealed any more details about the situation, we do know that last October investigators with the Texas Rangers identified the area as one possibly connected to missing Reno woman, Caitlin Denison. Investigators said Denison was living in an RV in West Odessa that might have then been moved to the area off SCR 1223 1/2. Heres what we know about that ongoing investigation: New information sparks renewed interest in Caitlin Denison disappearance We reached out to Denisons loved ones to see if theyd been informed of any updates to the case and they said they were not aware of any new developments; however we can confirm, according to investigators on the scene, that the Texas Ranger looking in to Denisons disappearance is reportedly on the scene as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will continue to follow this story and will provide updates are more information becomes 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 Yourbasin. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Texas Roadhouse Grill is holding a fundraiser Tuesday for those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. The company announced the fundraiser will take place at every restaurant in California on Jan. 21, and that all profits will be donated to two Los Angeles-based organizations. The recipients of the funds will be the Pasadena Humane Society, which helps displaced pets, and Baby2Baby, an organization that provides items for children impacted by natural disasters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bakersfields Texas Roadhouse Grill is at 3203 Ming Avenue, at the Valley Plaza Mall. If you would like to donate to Baby2Baby, 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 KGET 17 News. Jan. 21AUSTIN The Texas Trustee Implementation Group for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill seeks public input on the recently released Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #3: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats (Draft Plan). In addition, the group solicits public comment on extending the Texas portion of the Sea Turtle Early Restoration project. The draft plan focuses on revitalizing coastal intertidal wetlands using dredged material to restore and conserve various coastal habitats. The Texas trustees propose seven projects as preferred alternatives for implementation. The projects have a total estimated cost of $40 million and include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1. Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Roberts Mueller Tract Wetland Restoration 2. Goose Island Wetland Restoration 3. Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area Old River Unit Wetland Restoration 4. McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Willow Lake Terraces 5. San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Sargent Oil Field Wetland Restoration 6. Schicke Point Wetland Restoration 7. Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge Wetland Restoration Trustees encourage public comment on the draft plan during the period that extends through Feb. 18. Those wishing to provide comments may do so by one of the following methods: Online: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/TXTIGRP3 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In person at the public meeting: Date: Jan. 28 Location: Rosenburg Library, 2310 Sealy Avenue, Galveston (Wortham Auditorium) Time: Open house from 5-5:30 p.m.; presentations and public comment from 5:30-7 p.m. By mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Restoration Office, 1875 Century Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30345 Those planning to attend the public meeting who are in need of special assistance such as a language translator, contact Nanciann Regalado via email at: [email protected] by Jan. 22. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided during the meeting. In addition to the draft plan, the Texas Trustee Implementation Group also requests public comment on extending the Texas portion of the Sea Turtle Early Restoration project. The project extension will allow continued work to address threats to Kemp's ridley, green, and loggerhead sea turtles' nesting beaches and marine habitat. This extension will expend the remainder of the Texas Trustee Implementation Group's Sea Turtle restoration funding allocation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details on the project extension can be found in the project change analysis. The public comment period extends through Feb. 18. Comments may be submitted during the public comment period by one of the following methods: By e-mail: [email protected] In person at the public meeting: Date: Jan. 28 Location: Rosenburg Library, 2310 Sealy Avenue, Galveston, TX 77550 (Wortham Auditorium) Time: Open house from 5-5:30 p.m.; presentations and public comment from 5:30-7 p.m. Its morning in America. Donald Trump is back. And this time he not only means business but hes actually on a mission to take the world on a journey of growth, exploration and success. While he talks about missions to Mars, the replenishment of common sense to government and the country, and the ending of diversity, equity and inclusion hes actually reminded me of a President who did all of those things only a lot longer ago. Ronald Reagan was the man they said could never be President. He had risen from the ranks of Hollywood union roustabout to genuine political power as the Governor of California. They said he was an actor, after all. And the political snobs of Washington DC didnt see him coming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As ever, they were out of step with the bulk of the country who wanted a change from the previous ten years of scandal and failure. It was 1980. 45 years ago. The recently lauded peanut farmer Jimmy Carter had failed miserably to solve the Iranian hostage crisis. His abortive helicopter rescue in the desert ended in humiliation and death for US forces. On top of that, the electorate wanted no part of a Republican Party still tainted by the disgrace of Watergate and the shame of a president Nixon who had had to sneak off in the middle of the night to avoid arrest. He claimed he was not a crook. No one believed him. It was a glorious time when I arrived at JFK in late 1983. An opportunity. I was a 23-year-old journalistic hopeful who moved to New York with less than $100 in my pocket. What drew me to Manhattan was a relentless belief that I could make a better life in the land of opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reagan sold it well. While Margaret Thatcher was busy rebuilding Britain after six years of Labour vandalism, strikes and economic destruction I was impatient for faster results. And boy was I ever rewarded. By the time I left Manhattan nine years later in 1992, I had bought a duplex apartment for $250,000 and I had built a business worth half a million pounds. And much of it was due to the loose application of taxes, red tape and a belief that small businesses are the bedrock of the economy. When Reagan stood at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin and ordered Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down that wall the entire world was behind him. Thatchers children, of whom I am one, had never been prouder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And this week that feeling has returned. Donald Trump may be many things, and some people dont like a lot of his traits, but let us not deny that his inauguration speech was nothing short of sensational. As Joe Biden and Kamala Harris looked on with increasing anxiety and dread in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, Trump battered their record with a litany of their mistakes, their political correctness and their hopelessly woke agenda. It was a thing of beauty to witness after all these years of BLM marches, climate change days of action and faux middle-class angst about immigration. The feel-good factor has returned to America. Accompanied by the soundtrack to the 80s, the 90s and beyond YMCA is as good an anthem for Trump 2.0 as anything. The Village People have proven that no one cares if it is a gay song, no one cares if its a little cheesy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Trumps appearance behind the counter at McDonalds during the campaign last year, they are a liberating force. Proof, if you need it, that Donald would probably be an OK guy to get stuck in a snowdrift with. When he turned to my favourite subject common sense in his speech I could barely contain my enthusiasm. He declared a revolution of common sense. Here at Talk we invented common sense as a vision for everything we do. I christened the station the home of common sense years ago when we were the sole voice questioning Covid restrictions, net zero commitments and foreign policy that took us into dangerous wars. A few years ago, the Tories cashed in their chips and started the Common Sense Group another nod to my wisdom too late as it turned out because they couldnt save Rishi Sunak from being run over by the clattering Labour train. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont mind that the Trump administration has nicked our slogan. Id rather live in a world where common sense is government policy rather than a simple and clear slogan for a TV network. But lets be clear. We have set the course for the new Trump vision. And Ill be delighted to see my adopted country returning to a place we can all look up to and aspire to be. God bless America. Mike Graham is host of Morning Glory from 6am every weekday morning on Talk 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. The best cars come at a costand the official one tends to be the least onerous of the bunch. Four men are headed to jail for their part in a North Carolina-based theft ring that stole well over 100 high-end vehicles between 2021 and 2023, reports Road and Track. The men used various means to steal over $11 million worth of cars from dealerships across the country and then sold them back in the Tarheel State. More from Robb Report Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The four menDewanne White of South Carolina and Kevin Fields, Reginald Hill, and Garyka Bost of North Carolinawere sentenced in federal court late last week, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office Western District of North Carolina. Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and was sentenced to time in prison followed by a period of supervised release. White, who also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle, received the harshest penalty: 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The thieves were brought to justice thank to the work of Charlotte police and a mult-state task force. The Department of Justice says the theft ring stole vehicles from dealerships nationwide, including in the states surrounding the Carolinas, Florida, Ohio, New York, and Arizona. No specific vehicles were named, but the men targeted those made by luxury automakers like Bentley, BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, but also went after high-end models made by Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford. The men are said to have used a variety of methods to steal the vehicles, according to the DOJ. Sometimes, they would pose as potential customers and swap out a vehicles key fob with another following a test drive, then use the legitimate device to steal the car at a later time. In other instances, they would simply break into a dealership, locate keys, and drive off with the targeted vehicles right off the lot. Several times, the ring made off with multiple cars at once. Once a vehicle had been stolen from a dealership, any GPS navigation or tracking systems would be removed and it would be transported out of state. Once in North Carolina, the vehicle would be sold locally for a price far below market value. Local outlets report that 132 vehicles valued at $11.5 million were recovered by authorities during the investigation. Best of Robb Report Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Thousands of residents across the Inland Empire say theyre frustrated as they continue living without electricity due to wildfire threats. On Tuesday, around 34,000 households are still waiting for power to be restored, with many residents saying they are struggling to live and work. Its never been this bad in the five years that Ive been here, said Edward Vuljak, a Jurupa Valley resident. According to Southern California Edison, power shutoffs typically occur during dangerous weather conditions to prevent our electric system from becoming a source of ignition. These safety shutoffs are a measure of last resort for keeping you and your community safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frustrated locals said they havent been notified of when power will be restored. Vuljak decided to fix the issue by hiring an electrician. With an electrical box, he was adding a plug for us to go ahead and plug our generator which will run our house so we dont have to lose our groceries and things like that, he told KTLAs Shelby Nelson. Generators that Edward Vuljak, a Jurupa Valley resident, is using to power his home after spending nearly two weeks without electricity. (KTLA) SoCal Edison said its Public Safety Power Shutoff occurs during dangerous weather conditions to prevent our electric system from becoming a source of ignition. These safety shutoffs are a measure of last resort for keeping you and your community safe. SoCal Edison said its Public Safety Power Shutoff occurs during dangerous weather conditions to prevent our electric system from becoming a source of ignition. These safety shutoffs are a measure of last resort for keeping you and your community safe. Thousands of residents across the Inland Empire have been living without electricity in the wake of the deadly wildfires across Southern California and continuing high wind warnings. (KTLA) Thousands of residents across the Inland Empire have been living without electricity in the wake of the deadly wildfires across Southern California and continuing high wind warnings. (KTLA) Vuljak, who has gone without power for 11 days, said around $400-$500 worth of food had spoiled without refrigeration in his home. His neighbor, Tambra Lozano, runs a dog grooming business from her house. Without electricity, shes struggling to make an income. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im a dog groomer and I work from home, I work out of my trailer, Lozano explained. My trailer is powered by the electricity at my house so when we dont have power, I cant work unless Im running a generator. Although most residents said they understand the need for safety precautions, many are frustrated over the lack of a definitive timeline as they live each day not knowing when power will be restored. Give us a lot more notice and be more precise so that we know how to deal with it and when its going to turn off, Lozano suggested. It would be so much easier. A SoCal Edison spokesperson explained that even if a neighborhood doesnt appear to be under dangerous conditions, a power shutoff could still occur if the circuit is located in another area where wind conditions are different. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through Thursday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior, NWS said. If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread. Residents can check if their neighborhood is under a Public Safety Power Shutoff by visiting SoCal Edisons website. 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 KTLA. SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Spartanburg School District One is dismissing students at three schools due to a power outage. According to the school district, Inman Elementary, Inman Middle and Mabry Middle schools all dismissed at 10:30 a.m. after the schools lost power. The district said the outage was caused by a downed transformer in the Inman area. District officials are in communication with Duke Power as they work to resolve the issue. Further updates will be shared as necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 1,600 customers were without power, according to Duke Energy. Power had been restored to all but 152 customers by 12:20 p.m. 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 WSPA 7NEWS. A high school was on lockdown on Wednesday night after two students were shot in what is believed to be the first school shooting to take place in the United States this year. Officers raced to Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee following reports of gunfire at 11.11am on Wednesday. The gunman, who opened fire in the cafeteria, was no longer a threat after turning the gun on himself, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is thought to be the first school shooting of 2025. A student of Lindley Middle School in Mabelton, Georgia shot herself with a gun on campus earlier this month but did not target any fellow students. A statement from Metro Nashville Public Schools said: Antioch High School is on a lockdown due to shots being fired inside the school building. Metro Police are on the scene. The person responsible for shooting is no longer a threat. We will be gathering students in the auditorium and will provide information on reunification as soon as possible. This is an active crime scene and investigation. We will work with the MNPD to provide further updates as they become available. 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. Originally appeared on E! Online TikToker Charles Smith is facing legal trouble. The influencer, known on social media as Wolfie Kahletti, was indicted on felony and misdemeanor charges, one month after he was arrested on Dec. 21 when police say he filmed himself spraying bug spray on produce inside of a Mesa, Arizona, Walmart. The 27-year-old faces two felony charges, including one count of burglary in the third degree, and two counts of adding poison or other harmful substance to water, food, drink, or medicine, the Maricopa County Attorneys office said in a press release. Smith was further charged with one count of endangerment and one count of Criminal Damage as the meat and produce he sprayed, totaling $900 of damage, had to be discarded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mesa Police Department said in a press release that at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, Smith entered the Walmart store intending to film pranks for social media but instead selected a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug and Flea Killer from the shelf without paying for it. More from E! Online He then sprayed the pesticide on various produce items, including vegetables, fruit, and rotisserie chickens that were available for purchase, the authorities continued. Smith filmed his face, the pesticide can, and the act of spraying. He later posted the video online. According to police, Smith turned himself in less than 24 hours later and admitted to theft and spraying the bug spray. Mesa PD E! News has reached out to Smith's attorney, who confirmed he has pled not guilty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Smithwho often posted prank and shock content across social mediawent viral after he shared the since-deleted TikTok video of himself inside of the store. In the video, Smith filmed himself in the act of picking up the can of pesticide and spraying it on the various food items. After reading the comments from users shaming him for the act, police said that Charles returned to the store to collect the infested meat and produce. In the press release, the Mesa Police department issued a stern warning to those who post similar content, noting, This incident underscores the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks. Keep reading to see more influencer controversies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colleen Ballinger Her YouTube alter ego may sing, but it's Colleen Ballinger who faced the music in 2023. The Internet star known for her intentionally awkward Miranda Sings persona found herself facing allegations of grooming and forming inappropriate relationships with underage fans. In a since-deleted June video titled "why I left the colleen ballinger fandom", YouTuber KodeeRants shared screenshots of an alleged text exchange between Colleen and her followers, accusing the comedian of forming exploitative relationships with underage fans. Per NBC News, the unverified group text was named "Colleeny's Weenies," with the performer allegedly asking her fans their "favorite position" during one conversation. NBC News was unable to verify the screenshots. Days later, content creator Adam McIntyrewho first began running a fan account for Miranda Sings when he was 10responded with videos on his own YouTube claiming Ballinger grooms her fans emotionally. Ballinger has yet to directly respond to his claims, nor did she respond to E! News' request for comment. But on June 28, the mother of three addressed the accusations in a 10-minute ukulele song posted to her personal YouTube account. In the video, Ballinger likened the accusations to a "toxic gossip train" headed for "manipulation station" as the rest of the internet "tie me to the tracks and harass me for my past." In July, the remaining dates of her Miranda Sings tour were canceled. She hasn't posted to social media since. Rachel Hollis Girl, watch your mouth. It all started when the Girl, Wash Your Face author posted about her house cleaner and it got increasingly dirty. In a clip of the since-deleted post resurfaced by Angie Treasure, Hollis referenced an April 2021 livestream where she spoke about a woman who "cleans the toilets," noting that "someone commented and said, 'You're privileged AF' and I was like, 'You're right. I'm super freaking privileged, but also I worked my ass off to have the money to have someone come twice a week and clean my toilets' and I told her that. And then she said, 'Well, you're unrelatable.'" Hollis' response was to explain she had no interest in being relatable pointing out that icons and historical figures like Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Marie Curie and Oprah Winfrey were "all unrelatable AF." Exceptwhile selling millions of copies of her books is great, a revered abolitionist she is not. Days later, Hollis issued an Instagram apology, explaining, "I know I've caused tremendous pain in mentioning prominent womenincluding several women of colorwhose struggles and achievements I can't possibly understand." Moreover, she continued, "I disregarded the people whose hard work doesn't afford them financial security, often due to inherently racist and biased systems." Added the Girl, Stop Apologizing author, "The important thing for me to do now, something I should have already done, is honestly, be quiet and listen." Arielle Charnas In March 2020, the founder of the Something Navy clothing line and the OG blog told her Instagram followers she had tested positive for COVID-19, vowing to quarantine in her Manhattan apartment with husband Brandon Charnas and their daughters Ruby and Esme. But eight days later, her whole crewincluding her nannydecamped to the Hamptons. Let's just say, it wasn't her best look. The comments on her Instagram page grew increasingly heated as she boasted about taking walks outdoors for "fresh air"rather than maintain social distance. When her husband cracked that only "hot" people were getting the virus, emotions boiled over. She later posted a lengthy apology addressing many concernstheir nanny was with them because she, too, had contracted the virus; they had doormen clear out the lobby of their building before departing, hadn't stopped for gas and had groceries delivered; her Hamptons pad was on a relatively isolated streetbut the damage lingered. Nordstrom, who had been carrying Charnas' line, announced they wouldn't renew the contract that had expired in 2019. In response, Charnas, who welcomed third daughter Navy in 2021, pivoted to a direct-to-consumer relaunch, explaining, "I wanted more control," and is now back to posting about her favorite Shopbop picks and collabs with A Pea in the Pod. Her valuable takeaway, she shared on The Glossy Podcast, "People wanted me to be more sensitive about what was going on in the world, and I should have been." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tanya Zuckerbrot In 2020 fashion influencer Emily Gellis Lande dished out a healthy serving of criticism to registered dietitian Zuckerbrot. In a series of posts, Gellis Lande shared anonymous tales from dieters, not verified by E! News, at least one of which who said she had paid upwards of $20,000 to follow the New Yorker's high-fiber F-Factor Diet only to experience rashes, intense cramps, indications of metal poisoning andin the most extreme allegationa miscarriage. Gellis Lande's crusade caught the attention of The New York Times which published a piece detailing the saga. Having hired lawyer Lanny Davis, once White House special council to former president Bill Clinton, Zuckerbrot denied the claims and the suggestion that her plan led to disordered eating, telling the paper that across upwards of 176,000 purchases of her snack bars and powders she had received just 50 health complaints. She later released a Certificate of Analysis to dispute concerns the products contained heavy metals and went on Today to further defend her program. As for Gellis Lande, Zuckerbrot is hardly impressed. "I believe in her mind she thinks she's helping people and that the lifestyle I lead is poisoning everyone and giving them anorexia," Zuckerbrot, who's worked with Megyn Kelly, sniped to the Times. "But she's a fashion blogger." Zuckerbrot filed two lawsuits against Gellis Lande, claiming she "began a smear campaign to destroy" her brand. Both suits are pending. Gellis Lande has denied the claims. Jessica Mulroney Much of the world underwent a long overdue racial awakening in 2020. But it was stylistand Meghan Markle friendJessica Mulroney who got a wake-up call. In a nearly 12-minute Instagram video, lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter explained her issues with her acquaintance began when Mulroney "took offense" to Exeter's plea that her followers "use their voice for good and help combat the race war and what's happening to the Black community." Believing the message target her, Exeter continued, Mulroney engaged in "very problematic" behavior, allegedly speaking poorly about Exeter to other brands and "sending me a threat in writing." Though Mulroney commented on Exeter's video with an apology, she later sent a DM that Exeter shared, Mulroney writing, "Liable [sic] suit. Good luck." Though Mulroney posted a mea culpa to her own followers, announcing her intentions to promote "Black voices by having them take over my account and share their experience," CTV announced they were dropping her reality show I Do, Redo. Speaking "about the situation surrounding my wife, Jessica," her husband Ben Mulroney stepped down from his role as co-host of CTV's eTalk, stating, "It is my hope that the new anchor is Black, Indigenous, or a person of color who can use this important platform to inspire, lead, and make change." But the mom of three did get to keep her high-profile friendship, writing in a since-deleted post, "Meghan and I are family. She is the kindest friend." Jake Paul Known for such cinematic greatness as "I DUCT TAPED My Brothers $400,000 Dollar TRUCK!" and getting fired from Disney Channel's Bizaardvark, the Vine star turned YouTube personality graduated to the big leagues in 2020. On the morning of Aug. 5, FBI authorities executed a federal search warrant at Paul's Calabasas, Calif., home, the bureau confirming it was in connection to a May 30 incident at a Scottsdale, Ariz., mall. Broadcasting live from a Black Lives Matter protest that ended at the city's Fashion Square Mall, Paul unlawfully entered and remained inside the shopping center after cops ordered everyone to leave, police insisted in a statement. (Paul responded on Twitter that while he was documenting the protest, "neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism.") Conversation about the reason for the FBI raid grew as outsized as his YouTube following, as video from a local ABC station showed multiple firearms being carried into a police vehicle, Paul insisted in a since-deleted Aug. 12 video that the search was "entirely related to the Arizona looting situation that happened. It's an investigation. There are rumors about it having to do with so many other things that have nothing to do with me or my character and the s--t that people are making up is absolutely absurd." While no charges were filed, Paul's attorney told E! News in a statement that they intended to "cooperate with the investigation." James Charles More than a year after making up with fellow beauty vlogger Tati Westbrook, the YouTube sensation started falling into some new feuds. First, in an August 2020 subtweet "about how I thought some celebrities shouldn't launch makeup lines," he insinuated that perpetually bare-faced Alicia Keys had no business having a skincare collection, later apologizing because he's "not the gatekeeper of makeup." But not two weeks later the Instant Influencer host was forced to cover up another mistake when he came for Lauren Conrad's new beauty line. Slamming The Hills alum in a series of Instagram Stories, he showed his 22 million followers the empty packaging he'd received "from a new makeup brand from somebody who has no business having a makeup brand." Fortunately the LC Lauren Conrad fashion designer didn't shed a single mascara tear, hilariously copping to her misstep on Instagram by blaming the "woman who put together the gifts" (read: the winged eyeliner expert herself). Having put empty samples into a bag to test if they would fit, "When beauty products arrived and it was time to fill all the makeup bags she (again, me) accidentally included the bag full of empties with the others and it was sent out," Conrad shared. "She will be let go immediately." Charles later apologized, saying the videos were meant to be funny and sharing that "Lauren and I spoke privately about the misunderstanding & are both good." Still, it's pretty clear he knows what he did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Myka Stauffer When The Stauffer Life vlogger and YouTuber kicked off a May 2020 video by saying, "This is by far the hardest video James and I have ever publicly had to make," it was evident she wouldn't be sharing her newborn nighttime routine or her daily diet. Instead, she and her husband revealed they had placed their then-4-year-old son Huxley, adopted from China in 2017, with "his now new forever family" after struggling to manage his autism. The reaction from their nearly 1 million subscribers could best be categorized as outraged, fans debating whether the coupleparents to four other childrenwere simply naive or had exploited Huxley for clicks and donations only to discard him when his care became too challenging. The two lost followers and brand collaborators, the likes of Fabletics, Suave and Danimals announcing that they were severing ties and Ohio's Delaware County Sheriff's Office even confirmed to E! News that they were investigating the well-being of Huxley. Authorities announced in late June that they had closed their case "without any charges," but Myka's brand remains shut down as well. A once constant Internet presence, she hasn't posted to YouTube or Instagram since she issued a lengthy statement, apologizing for "being so naive when I started the adoption process," and noting that they were "not under any type of investigation." Bryce Hall & Jaden Hossler Quite the ride. When Hall announced in May 2020 that he and his fellow TikTok star "might do a whole road trip all the way across country in the next few days..." they received more than just the sightseeing recommendations they were after. Hall's Twitter followers were already less than thrilled that the two were flouting stay at home recommendations to take a trip, causing the Gen Z idol to shoot back, "most states lifted quarantine, the boys are driving across country staying out of contact from everyone... it's not that deep." But they dug an even deeper hole when they passed through Lee County, Tex. five days later, the sheriff's office confirming that Hall was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and Hossler arrested and charged with possession of controlled substances. (They both posted bail the next day. E! News reached out to both reps for comment at the time. Hall's rep declined to comment; Hossler's didn't respond.) In a June essay, Hall told People he'd "started on the path" toward getting sober: "While I've messed up in the past, I'm learning and growing... and I will make you proud. I promise." Alan & Alex Stokes Some pranks are cute. Say, George Clooney and Brad Pitt covering Julia Roberts' dressing room door in shaving cream. This is not that. In October 2019, the YouTube personalities, known as the Stokes Twins clad themselves in black and, pretending as if they'd just robbed a bank, called an Uber to serve as a getaway while a camera rolled. Definitely not in on the joke, the Uber driver refused to peel away and a bystandercalled the cops. "Irvine police arrived and ordered the Uber driver out at gunpoint," the Orange County District Attorney's Office later shared in a press release. The driver was released once authorities determined he was not involved, the release continued, and "police issued a warning to the Stokes brothers about the dangers of their conduct." Four hours later the twins allegedly recreated the routine on the University of California, Irvine campus, resulting in their arrest. Facing up to four years in prison if convicted on false imprisonment and swatting charges, they received the ire of Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer, who said in a statement, "These are crimes that could have resulted in someone getting seriously injured or even killed." In a 2020 news release, their lawyer said, "We can say without hesitation that our clients are in fact not guilty of any crimes." Still, they pled guilty to lesser charges of misdemeanor false imprisonment and reporting false emergencies, receiving 160 hours of community service and one year of probation. Shane Dawson Crowned the "King of YouTube" for his lengthy videos that earned him some 34 million followers, Dawson saw his reign end in June 2020 after he posted a since-deleted explosive tweet about why he was leaving the online beauty community. "They are all attention seeking, game playing, egocentric, narcissistic, vengeful, two-faced, ticking time bombs ready to explode. And I'm OVER it," he griped, calling out James Charles in particular as "a young, egocentric, power-hungry guru who needed to be served a slice of humble pie in the size of the f--king Empire State Building." His followers were not impressed, noting that those that live in glass glam rooms shouldn't throw stones. And within days Dawson had posted a 20-minute video titled "Taking Accountability" in which he apologized for his own bad behavior, noting "I have done a lot of things in my past that I hate," including using blackface, making racist remarks and jokes about pedophilia and posting a video that sexualized a then-11-year-old Willow Smith. "This video is coming from a place of just wanting to own up to my s--t, wanting to own up to everything I've done on the internet that has hurt people, that has added to the problem, that has not been handled well," he said. "I should have been punished for things." Which he was, YouTube suspending his ability to monetize his three accounts. He returned to creating content in 2021, saying, "I'm so grateful that I got cancelled, because it really changed my life." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A billboard in St. Paul promotes safe gun storage. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer. Today, the leading cause of death for American children is firearms. Tragically, many of these deaths result from suicides with unsecured guns in their own or a friends home. Others are due to homicides involving stolen guns. Most of these children might still be alive if these guns were stored securely. In Minnesota alone, firearms are found in over a third of households, with more than half unlocked and 20% stored loaded, according to the CDC. So, how can we save lives? We need a social movement for safe firearm storage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement University of Minnesota anthropology professor Luther Gerlach studied movements like Black Power, Pentecostalism, and environmental action, identifying five key elements in a social movement: a network of organizations that communicate but act independently; a way to recruit new members; a process to commit members to the cause; a clear ideology; and, opposition to a real or perceived threat. This framework could drive a secure firearm storage movement, just as it did for the smoke-free movement that now lets us dine, fly and receive medical care without breathing tobacco smoke. Many pieces of this movement already exist. Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, Protect Minnesota, Moms Demand Action and Everytown are advocating for secure storage. Campaigns like Be Smart provide resources for parents, including text messages and videos on how to ask if firearms in another home are stored securely before a playdate or party. Individual leaders are stepping up, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Marc Gorelick, president and CEO of Childrens Minnesota, addresses the issue in his book, Saving Our Children. (And in a recent Reformer commentary.) Researchers from Protect Minnesota, the University of Minnesota, Childrens Minnesota, the Minnesota Medical Association and HealthPartners Institute are mapping locations for secure, off-site gun storage and analyzing how doctors can better encourage safe storage practices with their patients. The movements message is simple: All firearms should be stored securely. Biometric pistol safes can be purchased for under $100, making it easy for gun owners who need quick access to still store their firearms safely. This movement stands in opposition to the tragic, avoidable deaths of thousands of American children every year. Caregivers have a huge opportunity to spread this movement. Most people join social movements through conversations with family and friends. Asking about gun storage while setting up playdates or birthday parties is one way caregivers can protect their kids and others while also raising awareness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A single question Are all firearms in your home stored securely?and a follow-up ask, Please add secure gun storage to your childs safety check list, could spark a ripple effect. A social movement for secure firearm storage wont bring back those weve lost, but it can save lives going forward. Sol Kersey is "tired of being tired" and of their "existence being political" so they decided to do something about it. The transgender attorney announced on Facebook and in a press release they Kersey uses they/them pronouns are running for Cincinnati City Council. And Kersey is doing it with the backing of LPAC, an organization that supports LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates who support social justice and women's equality. Advertisement Advertisement Kersey, 32, of Westwood, is the first openly transgender person to run for city council. Run comes as council has no openly gay members The Cincinnati Democrat Committee is expected later this year to endorse a slate of candidates, but last year many in the LGBTQ community expressed disappointment when Reggie Harris, who is openly gay, resigned from council and replaced by a straight man, leaving council with no LGBTQ representation for the first time since 2011. The election for nine members is a field race set for the November general election. Eight of the nine members are running for reelection. All are Democrats, as is Kersey. I got tired of being tired," Kersey said. "I got tired of my existence being political without my consent." Who is Sol Kersey Kersey is the intake coordinator for Equality Ohio Legal Clinic. The legal clinic offers free legal services family law, civil rights, administrative help and more. In November they advocated for Cincinnati City Council to fund mental health for transgender youth. Advertisement Advertisement Kersey has lived in the region since 2010 after growing up in the Tennessee River valley. They attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music before completing their undergraduate studies at Northern Kentucky University. Kersey then completed their masters degree in womens, gender and sexuality studies and went to the University of Cincinnati College of Law. They were a Social Justice Fellow at the Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice. And their first position after law school was working under Kimberle Crenshaw at the African American Policy Forum, a national think tank dedicated to dismantling structural inequality. There, Kersey tracked and analyzed anti-critical race theory and antidiversity, equity and inclusion bills across the nation. Announcement comes as transgender rights under fire Their announcement came Sunday night, at the end of Republican President Trump's inaugural weekend. Trump has signed executive orders proclaiming the government will recognize only two sexes, male and female. Trump also moved to roll back DEI programs in the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Former Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach, council's first openly gay council member who was elected in 2011, said he was thrilled to see Kersey announce his candidacy. "Leaders like Sol, who bring the lived experience of being queer and transgender, play a vital role in creating policies that uplift everyone, especially our most vulnerable residents," Seelbach said. "Sols candidacy is more than a milestone; its a reflection of how far weve come as a city and a reminder of the potential we have to continue moving forward together. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Transgender attorney announces run for Cincinnati City Council NEW YORK (PIX11) Ready to leave the frigid weather in the rearview mirror? The Old Farmers Almanac released its weather predictions for the spring and the long-range outlook looks hopeful for New Yorkers holding out the cold winter. More Local News In New York City and other parts of the Atlantic Corridor, temperatures will be warmer than usual, according to the site. Rainfall in April is anticipated to be above normal but slightly below normal in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the rest of New York, temperatures are also projected to be above average in April. The Farmers Almanac also suggests that there will be no significant snowfall. The outlook is welcome news for many, as New York City has been dealing with below-freezing temperatures, further exacerbated by bitter wind chills. Is New York in a polar vortex? For those eagerly awaiting the end of winter, Groundhog Day is just around the corner, and all eyes will be on Punxsutawney Phil to see if he sees his shadow. The Farmers Almanac predicts that Phil will not see his shadow this year, suggesting an early spring. However, we will have to wait until Feb. 2 to find out for sure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work 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 PIX11. ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) Tennessees top tourism official says he and his agency are here for awhile and were gonna be here to help Northeast Tennessees recreation economy bounce back from storm damage thats still impacting whitewater, hiking and other businesses. Court docs: Camera footage of alleged Sullivan Co. murder deleted Department of Tourism Development Commissioner Mark Ezell and Jenni Veal, his outdoor tourism development manager, spent about four hours last week with Unicoi County political and business leaders. Ezell said the time was right to take stock now that roads and bridges are being rebuilt and debris removal is about to begin in earnest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unicoi County and other counties that were affected have a lot of tourism business, Ezell told News Channel 11 Tuesday. They utilize those natural resources like the Nolichucky (River) and others for rafting, the Appalachian Trail for hiking. Our job was to then come and meet with them and to say, as these assets get ready, are you ready? Is our industry ready to take care of that visitor? And if so, how do we come along and support and promote those communities because they need those visitors back to drive their countys economic impact and development. While the visit was more of a fact-finding mission, Ezell said he left pretty fired up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, he left a business community hopeful that as its members dig deep to try and not just salvage but enhance what was an increasingly recreation-dependent economy, the state is going to have their backs. Its a bigger part of our industry than people may think, Steel Rails Coffee House owner and Unicoi County native Ben McNabb said Tuesday. Standing in front of an Appalachian Trail map, McNabb said Erwin is a key supply point on one of the ATs most stunning section. Hot Springs is the closest trail town to the south, about 65 miles by the trail, with Damascus, Va. the next one north by more than 100 miles. Steel Rail Coffee House owner Ben McNabb talks about the impact recreation has on Unicoi Countys economy at his business in downtown Erwin, Tenn. Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo: WJHL) Hikers, whether long-distance or day trippers, spend money here at the coffeehouse, the outdoor store (Erwin Outdoor Supply), McNabb said. That is revenue that we need to exist and I think its close to 20% of our business. Perhaps an even bigger economic driver, judging by the more than half-dozen companies that have made their concerns clear to Ezell, is the whitewater industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ezell learned that those folks are still wondering whether theyll be issued permits for the coming season that usually starts in mid-April. That uncertainty, and significant losses many of them suffered from Sept. 27s Hurricane Helene-caused floods, is compounded by the destruction of important bridges and river access points. They are courageously making efforts to rebuild and ready to put their operations back in as the river and the ramps and the roads are ready, Ezell said, adding that recent data showing the river water doesnt appear to pose any hazards. So Im really inspired and encouraged by their willingness. We believe there will be rafting seasons again in Unicoi County. The question is how quick. Is that in weeks or in months? And those are the things that are still undetermined. Trey Moore, a whitewater instructor, said some of those businesses have invested hundreds of thousands in the community. Blue Ridge Paddling and USA Raft both suffered extensive damage due to their facilities being in the path of the flood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyve invested, they made a commitment, theyre not going anywhere, Moore said of some of the companies that may or may not come back full-strength in 2025. They want to build and come back better than ever and we have a real opportunity to do that. He attended the meeting with Ezell and left encouraged by the fact that other state agencies were also there, from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Environment and Conservation. To know that we have the support of Commissioner Ezell and his team, to hear TDOT talk about when theyre putting these bridges back over the river theyre going to see if they ahve space to create a parking lot, create a boat ramp, it showed a lot of support not just to our businesses but to our community. Icons rising from the ashes: Uncle Johnnys and USA Raft Ezell pointed to two well-known local businesses as examples of what he hopes will be not just a recovery granted, a long term one but a revitalization that someday makes Unicoi County and some of its distressed rural neighbors more economically viable than ever. USA Raft in better days, before devastating floods nearly destroyed it Sept. 27, 2024. (USA Raft) USA Raft owner Matt Moses and Uncle Johnnys hostel owner Terry Wise, once just a few minutes apart from each other via the Chestoa Bridge, both lost much of their infrastructure when the Nolichucky raged out of the gorge. It also took out the bridge, which will take an estimated $13-$15 million to rebuild. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both say they plan to not just rebuild but expand, with Wises already underway. Its going to be built with a second level and you just go, well, thats bigger and better,' Ezell said. And then Matt Moses, you see his place and he talks about where the water came and what it wiped out and (says), oh yeah, I plan on building more of these. Ezell said the nearly clean slate reminds him of the recovery from wildfires that devastated Gatlinburg in 2016. The recovery efforts actually allowed them to rebuild with a better methodology, almost, because they knew what they wanted to accomplish and they had the ability to kind of start from scratch with some of those things, he said. He thinks the new models in Northeast Tennessee can yield similar outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new model can actually be even more successful and outdoor recreation can even be greater in those communities a few years down the road, because theyve rebuilt with the intentionality of knowing if we do this, its even better than what we had. And unfortunately what they had, some of thats been destroyed. McNabb, who grew up in Unicoi County and said we took the river for granted, we took the trail for granted back in those days, agrees. Long term, I think we come back better, he said. What were doing with Uncle Johnnys hostel is looking great. We can we can actually do some better things on the trail. Theres a lot of people that are actually active and wanting it to be better. We need to work towards that. That doesnt mean hes not concerned about the future. A local stretch of the AT is still impassible as through-hiking season arrives, and those hikers crossed the Nolichucky on the now-destroyed Chestoa Bridge. All those things are being worked on, but the clock is ticking on the 2025 season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ezell said he gets the anxiety. We are kind of racing against the clock to see, can we be ready by late spring for there to be a spring rafting season? If not, can we be ready by summer for there to be a summer rafting season. The timing of that is still undetermined. Were pretty hopeful, to be honest. Our visit last week had more positive pieces toward recovery. As for the bridge and hikers, the first question was, okay, if it takes two years to rebuild that bridge, is there a temporary bridge or a swinging bridge, because hikers could get back and wouldnt be afraid of a swinging bridge? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said his department is working on ways to help draw people to Erwins small businesses in the meantime, and that theyll be back frequently. Visits to Carter and Johnson counties are also on the docket. Were not leaving. 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. Heres a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 22, according to the Tribunes archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 59 degrees (1909) Low temperature: Minus 17 degrees (1936) Precipitation: 1.39 inches (1887) Snowfall: 6.2 inches (2005) 1849: Illinois General Hospital of the Lakes later known as Mercy Hospital was established at Rush Street and the Chicago River, making it the first hospital in Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flashback: Mercy Hospitals major milestones The building formerly housed Lake House, an opulent hotel. 1957: The nude bodies of sisters Barbara and Patricia Grimes were found along a rural road near Burr Ridge. The girls slipped away from their home in Chicagos McKinley Park neighborhood a month earlier to see an Elvis Presley movie at a nearby theater, but never returned. Investigators didnt find enough evidence to explain their deaths. The official cause of death was exposure to winter cold, and despite an exhaustive investigation and widespread media attention, the case remains one of the Chicago areas most notorious unsolved mysteries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1966: It was revealed that Martin Luther King Jr. planned to live in a four-room, third-floor walk-up apartment on South Hamlin Avenue in North Lawndale. Rent was $90 per month (about $840 in todays dollars). He moved in a few days later. Vintage Chicago Tribune: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. leads the first significant freedom movement in the North Today the site is home to the Dr. King Legacy Apartments, which were constructed in 2011. 1998: Unabomber Ted Kaczynski pleaded guilty almost 20 years after his first pipe bomb exploded choosing to spend life in prison rather than be portrayed at trial as mentally ill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 5 things you might not know about Chicago native Ted Kaczynski the Unabomber Want more vintage Chicago? Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicagos past. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com Tohono Oodham Nation Chairman Verlon Jose and U.S. Bureau of Land Management Tucson Field Manager Colleen Dingman gather at the Tohono O'odham Nation Cultural Center and Museum near the Baboquivari Mountains on Dec. 23, 2024 to sign a co-stewardship agreement between the BLM and the tribe for federal lands. (Photo Courtesy of the Tohono O'odham Nation) The Tohono Oodham Nation signed a co-stewardship agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for federal lands with deep cultural and religious ties for the tribal nation. This agreement will ensure that the Nation has a voice and an active role in protecting these ancestral lands that are so important to our people, Tohono Oodham Nation Chairman Verlon Jose said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Tohono Oodham Nation is a federally recognized tribe in southern Arizona with about 28,000 tribal members. Its reservation is the second largest in the state and extends from the outskirts of southwestern Tucson to the Mexican border. The co-stewardship is for the Baboquivari and Coyote Mountains, including the Baboquivari Peak Wilderness and Coyote Mountains Wilderness areas. The agreement allows the tribe and the BLM to collaborate on conservation and management efforts for the wilderness area. This is something the (Tohono Oodham) Nation has wanted for years, BLM Tucson Field Manager Colleen Dingman said. The tribe approached the agency multiple times over the years, and they were finally able to accommodate the request this past fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tribe and BLM signed the agreement during a ceremony held on Dec. 23 at the Tohono Oodham Nation Cultural Center and Museum. Im excited about what this opportunity could present, Dingman said, adding that it would allow the BLM office in Tucson to grow and learn more from the tribe about how to best protect the area. The co-stewardship agreement is consistent with a 2021 Joint Secretarial Order directing federal land and water management agencies to facilitate such agreements with tribes to better protect tribal religious and cultural interests as part of the federal governments trust responsibility to tribes. Dingman said that the tribe and BLM worked together to develop the intergovernmental cooperative agreement that allows both entities to utilize the expertise of the tribal members, incorporating traditional knowledge and resources toward the best ways to preserve the area and share knowledge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By partnering together, Dingman said any potential projects or work occurring within the wilderness areas allows the agency to reach out to the tribe for input and listen to ways they can mitigate any impacts or concerns the tribe may have. Dingman said the tribe and BLM have committed to meeting quarterly to discuss the areas priorities and how the agency can ensure that the tribe and its members can access their sacred sites and other culturally significant places. The Tohono Oodham have deep cultural and religious ties to the Baboquivari Mountain Range and Baboquivari Peak, viewing the land as the sacred dwelling place of Iitoi, the Tohono Oodham creator. It has been the work of many years to achieve this agreement, which will benefit tribal members and the public for generations to come, he added. We appreciate the productive working relationship with the BLM and we look forward to collaborating with them to provide the best possible stewardship for these areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the tribes main reservation was established in 1917, only the western portion of Baboquivari Peak and the Baboquivari Mountains were included in the boundaries established by the federal government. These wilderness areas include 2,040 acres on the eastern side of Baboquivari Peak and 5,080 acres in the adjacent Coyote Mountains, bordering the Nations reservation. The BLM also manages an additional 2,247 acres of non-wilderness lands in the Baboquivari Mountains. Dingman said the co-stewardship agreement has no expiration date, but the tribe and BLM must reevaluate it in 10 years. If no changes are presented, it will continue. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Jan. 21BRISTOL On Jan. 9, 30 newly appointed probationary troopers graduated from the 86th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy. Three of these troopers are being assigned to the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post and will begin their next phase of training, a three-month field training period, riding with veteran troopers. The purpose of the field training is to put into practical application the training received over the duration of the formal academy. Upon successful completion of field training, a news release from ISP states, each trooper will be assigned a state police patrol vehicle and will begin solo patrol. These troopers have already completed over 1,100 hours of structured training in law enforcement techniques as well as hands-on and scenario-based training at the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy. The curriculum included criminal law instruction, emergency vehicle operations, psychology, traffic law, crash investigation, self-defense, first responder, and other general enforcement related training. Trooper Andrew Bixler is a native of Steuben County. Bixler was homeschooled and went on to attend Faithway Baptist College near Toronto, Canada. He graduated with a theology degree in 2021. He will patrol the Indiana Toll Road primarily in St. Joseph, Elkhart and LaGrange counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trooper Carson Hieber is a graduate of East Noble High School. Following high school, Hieber attended Indiana University South Bend studying criminal justice for three years. While studying at Indiana University South Bend, Hieber was an intern for the Indiana State Police at the Toll Road Post. He will patrol the Indiana Toll Road primarily in St. Joseph, Elkhart and LaGrange counties. Trooper Brianna Santoyo is a graduate of Triton High School. She went on to earn a general studies degree from Indiana University South Bend with a concentration in mathematics and science. While attending Indiana University South Bend, she was an intern for the Indiana State Police Bremen Post in 2019. She will patrol the Indiana Toll Road primarily in Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties. Anyone interested in becoming an Indiana State Trooper should visit IndianaTrooper.com. (Reuters) - Tonga's King Tupou VI has appointed 'Aisake Eke as prime minister, a month after he was selected by lawmakers to be the Pacific Island nation's next leader, a Tonga government statement said on Wednesday. Former prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni, who had a tense relationship with the monarch, resigned in December saying the move was "for the good of the country". Eke, 64, also becomes chairman of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, where Tonga has supported a region-wide policing initiative to reduce the group's reliance on outside security partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nation of 107,000 people has external debt equivalent to 32% of its GDP, of which half is owed to China's Exim Bank, according to government budget statements. Eke is a former public servant and finance minister who attended university in Australia and Fiji. He was elected as the member of parliament for Tongatapu No.5 constituency in 2010. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Facebook he looked forward to "continued engagement" to support Tonga's priorities. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Kate Mayberry) European Union top diplomat Kaja Kallas warned on Wednesday of a possible attack by Russia in the coming years. "Many of our national intelligence agencies are giving us the information that Russia could test EU's readiness to defend itself in three to five years," she said, addressing the annual conference of the European Defence Agency in Brussels. "Russia is not the problem for some, but for all of us. Europeans need to wake up," she urged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow currently spends almost five times more on defence than the EU, Kallas added and called for an increase in spending. "Europe's failure to invest in military capabilities also sends a dangerous signal to the aggressor. Weakness invites them in." "We need to prepare. There's nothing that cannot be weaponized against us today," Kallas said, without giving further details on the intelligence information. Kallas also said that work is under way on the 16th package of EU sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU and its member states have provided Ukraine with a total of more than 134 billion ($140 billion) in aid including close to 50 billion in military support, Kallas said. General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, believes that Russia does not currently have the military capability to make a major breakthrough on the front line in Ukraine. Source: Holos Ameryky (Voice of America), with reference to Cavoli during a discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, as reported by European Pravda Details: Journalists asked Cavoli how the situation on the battlefield might develop in 2025. In response, he said that he was not worried that Ukraine could suddenly lose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't see the [Russian ed.] potential for a massive breakdown or breakthrough. And thats not a political, but a military judgement. And its got to do with both sides: the effective defences that the Ukrainians have been putting in, but also the difficulty that the Russian side has in generating significant offensive forces to be able to exploit a potential breakthrough," he explained. Cavoli believes that this year will see many more small-scale offensives. He stressed that such incremental advances were exhausting for Russia. "Weve seen they are exhausting for Russia. There is a reason Russia brought thousands and thousands of soldiers from North Korea in to help fight," he said. Cavoli also expects that there will continue to be "tension between a desire to advance and the shortage of manpower on the Russian side". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think that will define much of the conflict and will push the Russians to use a lot more stand-off weapons, as youve seen them increasingly do over the past years," Cavoli concluded. Background: Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the possibility of ending the war in 2025. However, Zelenskyy stressed that for this to happen, Ukraine must receive reliable security guarantees to strengthen its negotiating position with Russia. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Justice Department employees were told to support Donald Trumps immigration agenda by sharing data collected on people in the country illegally with federal immigration enforcers. Most Read from Bloomberg Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, sent a memo to department staff Tuesday night outlining an aggressive stance on enforcement that he said is necessary to implement executive orders issued on the first day of Trumps new administration. Under the policy, DOJ staff must comb through files for information and biometric data identifying non-citizens in the US illegally and turn it over to the Department of Homeland Security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the memo, a copy of which was reviewed by Bloomberg News, Bove sketched out a framework for using the departments powers to fulfill Trumps immigration agenda, targeting people in the country illegally, drug traffickers and gangs. Bove told agency staff that state and local authorities are required by the US Constitution and other laws to comply with federal immigration enforcement. A Justice Department representative declined to comment on the policy memo. Since taking office on Monday, Trump has made immigration and boosting security on the US border with Mexico a primary focus. Within hours of being sworn in, Trump signed executive orders seeking to rescind birthright citizenship and limit immigration. Meanwhile, migrants across the country are bracing for a wave of deportations promised by his administration. With more than 100,000 employees, the Justice Department plays an integral role in enforcing immigration laws and administration policy. It also doles out billions of dollars in grant funding to local authorities related to policing and law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bove is serving temporarily as the No. 2 DOJ official under acting Attorney General James McHenry, who was also put in office Monday to oversee the Justice Department until Trump nominee Pam Bondi is confirmed. Threaten Public Safety Bove said in the memo that the Justice Department will investigate, and consider prosecuting, incidents of resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related orders and requests coming from the administration. Any decision not to prosecute such conduct will have to reported to top Justice Department officials. Laws impeding immigration efforts by US agencies, including those that prohibit state and local officials from disclosing information to federal immigration officials threaten public safety and national security and may be challenged by the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Department units including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons are among the agencies that were directed to look through files for information and biometric data identifying non-citizens in the US illegally. The memo also directs other DOJ programs to prioritize immigration-related enforcement, including regional strike forces that are part of the departments Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. A federal prosecutor who is involved in that work and wasnt authorized to speak publicly about it expressed concern that the memo appeared to shift their focus away from tackling transnational drug shipments, since it states that they should devote significant time and attention to the investigation and prosecution of immigration offenses. In a separate action Tuesday, the Trump administration moved to eliminate restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Protection, from conducting operations at schools, places of worship, hospitals, and events such as weddings and funerals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Chris Strohm and Zoe Tillman. (Adds reaction to memo of federal prosecutor in 13th paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. TOPEKA (KSNT) A Topeka landmark is in the running to be internationally recognized for its cultural significance. Monroe Elementary School, part of the Brown v. Board Education National Historical Park, is under consideration to become an international cultural landmark, according to the Black American Blueprint Collective, The Black Collective. The Black Collective announced in a news release on Monday, Jan. 20, that Georgia State University (GSU) is nominating 11 U.S. Civil Rights Trail sites to receive UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The Monroe Elementary School is the only Kansas location mentioned. Sherri Camp, executive director of The Black Collective, announced that the GSU has visited the Monroe school multiple times to exchange information about the Civil Right Trail nominations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Kelly shares annual budget; focusing on funding education, health care This designation would be huge for Topeka. Ive been part of a local team hosting the delegation to move the nomination forward since they first visited in 2018. Monroe Elementary School is the only Midwest site considered in the nomination, and its important for the community to rally around this effort. If it succeeds, a historic site right here in Topeka, Kansas, would join the ranks of universally recognized cultural landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Taj Mahal in India, and many more. Sherri Camp, executive director of The Black Collective The Topeka school was named in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case that outlawed segregation in U.S. public schools. Monroe Elementary School is accompanied on the nomination by sites in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Lake Shawnee will soon see 3,500 pounds of trout The World Heritage Initiative is working to submit the nomination for review in August 2025 for a final report to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre in Paris, France in January 2026. According to a news release, a final decision will be made the the World Heritage Committee in 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 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 KSNT 27 News. A traffic stop led to an arrest and drugs being found in Miami County. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Jan. 22 around 12:20 a.m., deputies stopped a car on South County Road 25A in Concord Township for a moving violation. TRENDING STORIES: During an investigation, it was found that the front seat passenger, Andrew Caughey, 37, of Troy had an outstanding arrest warrant out of Miami County for possession of narcotics and a second arrest warrant from the Ohio Adult Parole Authority for a parole violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While arresting Caughey deputies found three bags of narcotics 31 grams of suspected cocaine, 20 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 112 grams of suspected meth, according to the Miami County Sheriffs Office. Caughey was booked into jail on the two arrest warrants. Drug charges will be sought after the suspected narcotics are sent to a crime laboratory for testing. We will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] People rally in support of transgender rights at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) This story has been updated with comment from Rep. Stephanie Gricius. Potential attacks on transgender Utahns are already surfacing in the Utah Legislature, drawing more than 100 people to the Capitol steps to share their feelings in a cheerful show of support for LGBTQ+ rights on the first day of the general session, despite the frigid temperatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rallygoers silently and peacefully entered the Capitol holding signs and wearing various flags to demonstrate their support for the trans community. Originally planning to yell and chant once inside the building, Angel, who goes by Veronika DaVil, a Salt Lake City drag entertainer and the organizer of the event, led the group back outside and said it didnt feel appropriate to chant in front of the many children who were visiting the Capitol on field trips. But DaVil told the crowd that although it was a silent march, we were loud and proud. There was so much love and support (in) there from the teachers and from the kids and they saw us, DaVil added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Already, several bill files have been opened aimed at restrictions on trans people including one from Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, which would restrict which dorm rooms transgender students are allowed to live in. The bill follows a viral social media post where a mother of a Utah State University student complained to the school that her daughter was sharing a common area with a transgender resident assistant. USU told FOX13 that Merrill Hall, where the student was living, is a co-ed building, and students are assigned apartments according to their reported gender in the housing application. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nick Arteaga, transgender rights strategist and organizer with the ACLU of Utah, told demonstrators there was no incident or altercation to provoke the outrage that seemed to follow the complaint about the transgender resident assistant at USU. So just remember, even though its disheartening, we are so powerful just simply living our truth and being our fabulous queer selves, Arteaga said. Gricius explains her bill regulating transgender housing Gricius told Utah News Dispatch on Wednesday that her bill, HB269, isnt meant to target transgender students, but rather strengthen privacy options by requiring that students who live in sex-designated, on-campus housing are assigned to a housing unit that corresponds with their birth sex unless they have amended their birth certificate and undergone a full sex reassignment surgery. Gricius said the bill wont outright ban transgender students from entering dorms that are designated for men or women. They can still hang out, they can still study, they just cant be assigned to live there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked how her bill would apply to the situation at USU since it happened at a co-ed building, Gricius said HB269 would regulate rooms or apartments, but not entire buildings. So they can still have a co-ed building, but what they would not be able to do is put a biological male and a biological female in the same room unless thats something thats been opted into by all parties, Gricius said. If her bill was law today, Gricius said the transgender student at USU would have been assigned to an essentially gender-neutral room. So each individual apartment would be sex-designated, with some designated as gender neutral, which this individual would have been able to use the gender neutral one, she said. And if biological females wanted to go gender neutral, theyd also be able to go into the neutral room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gricius added that she wanted to be clear that this is not just about the USU incident. This is an issue thats come up at multiple universities at different times across the state, and so the goal is really just to give clear guidance on how were going to handle those cases to ensure that sex-segregated housing provides privacy that the students expect. In response to criticisms that her bill targets transgender people and restricts their lives, Gricius told Utah News Dispatch, I want to let them know I see them. They are people too and deserve to be treated with respect. But also, going to college can be a difficult time for people. Its a vulnerable time for people. They might be living away for the first time, living with people they havent previously met, Gricius said. They have this certain privacy expectation that the least we can do is ensure that its met. So were not keeping these people out of dorms, were just changing how they are assigned to make it so all students can have that privacy that theyre expecting when theyre assigned housing. Gricius said Utah lawmakers arent trying to target or attack transgender individuals, but its just a different landscape that were newer to navigating as a society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were still working on figuring out where everybodys lane is, she said. Its something new that we have to figure out what to do with, so were going to do our best in a way that respects all people. Rallygoers said they were happy to show support and love for their community. Veronica Argyle, therapist at Flourish Therapy Inc., said it was worth braving the cold to support transgender people they know. Visibility and knowing that youre not alone is really important right now, especially when legislation and policy is trying to keep people from knowing that other people like them exist, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Argyle said they wanted lawmakers to know that we are their constituents. The direction that (the Legislature has) been heading is not serving us, its harming us, Argyle said. So I hope that they get to see us, that were happy, lovely, diverse people that also deserve rights. Republican leaders weigh in on LGBTQ+ issues this session Gov. Spencer Cox told Utah News Dispatch in an interview Tuesday the only bill dealing with transgender issues hes aware of so far is Gricius bill, HB269 and that hes supportive of that effort, which he described as a tweak to last years legislation restricting transgender access in sex-designated bathrooms and locker rooms in publicly-owned and controlled buildings. Weve had parents that are concerned and weve been very focused last year on making sure we have safe spaces for women. Thats really important, Cox said. We want to make sure that continues. Gov. Spencer Cox gives an interview at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Asked about HB252, sponsored by House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield which would ban the Utah Department of Corrections from initiating certain surgeries or hormonal treatments for transitioning prison inmates the governor was noncommittal on supporting or opposing it, but he said its an issue that should be hashed out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had some issues with that over the past couple of years, and weve been trying to figure out solutions. Every states dealing with this. Its kind of a mess right now, Cox said, though he added he hasnt looked at the specifics of the bill yet. But I know weve been having those conversations. On HB250, a bill sponsored by freshman Rep. Nicholeen Peck that would prohibit the Utah State Board of Education from disciplining teachers or other employees for using pronouns that conflict with a persons preferences, Cox shrugged and said, sure, though he hinted he may have questions about whether its necessary legislation. Let us know what you think... I dont know that thats been an issue, Cox said. I dont know anywhere where that kind of discipline is happening, I feel like school districts have that under control. When pressed on Gricius bill restricting transgender student housing, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, told reporters in a Senate availability he thought lawmakers did a very good job back in 2015 when they modified the Utah Antidiscrimination Act and the Utah Fair Housing Act to balance religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Adams also said hes open to changes though he didnt definitively say whether he supported Gricius bill. We may have missed some loopholes back then, but I think well work through it and hopefully have the same spirit of cooperation as we look through that process, he said. But Ill look at the bill and let you know. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, told reporters she expected bills related to the transgender community and that she heard about the concerns with the transgender dorm bill. This is the aftermath of HB261, she said, pointing to last years bill that dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in schools and public offices. This idea that we dont have to look into it, be inclusive and respectful about those differences, creates this type of situation. Rep. Sahara Hayes, D-Millcreek, said the goal of the caucus is harm reduction. So that looks like and has looked like in the past: talking with the speaker, with sponsors, trying to convey why there are problems with them or problematic language, she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) A lieutenant at the Travelers Rest Police Department is urging state officials to create a new law making it illegal for a person to throw bodily fluids onto another without their permission. Earlier this month Thomas Aiken, a lieutenant at the Travelers Rest Police Department, wrote letters to state Sen. Rex Rice, who represents Greenville and Pickens counties, urging the state to create a new law after two women were assaulted at local businesses in recent years. In one of the letters, Aiken details an incident at the Walmart in Travelers Rest in 2022 when a man was reportedly following closely behind a woman as she was shopping, making her uncomfortable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When a loss prevention officer working in the store approached the man to ask what was happening, he fled. The Walmart employee looked behind her and could see that this unknown man had masturbated and ejaculated all over the back of her with some on the floor, the letter reads. This woman reached back and some of this ejaculate transferred to her hand and she was completely shocked and broke down crying. When police located and interviewed the man accused of following the woman, he reportedly admitted to the act and told police hed done it multiple times at other stores. I could only charge this suspect with misdemeanors for one of the most despicable crimes that could happen to someone short of an actual rape or sexual assault, wrote Aiken. I even researched with the Solicitors office and the Attorney Generals office, and no other law applied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a media release, Aiken detailed a similar incident which occurred last year at another business, though in this case the victim turned to confront the man following her before he could ejaculate onto her and he ran away. Police found they could only charge the man with a misdemeanor crime. South Carolina currently has a law regarding the throwing of bodily fluids, but it only applies to people in custody throwing fluids at law enforcement officials and corrections officers. That law carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and could carry additional penalties if the person is discovered to be HIV positive or have a blood-borne disease. According to the state legislatures website, on January 14, Rice filed a bill to create a new felony offense for people who throw certain bodily fluids, including blood, urine, feces or semen onto another. Anyone charged under the statute would face a fine and up to five years in prison, with enhancements for anyone tests positive for communicable or blood borne diseases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rice said he was surprised to hear police departments were so limited in ways to respond to incidents like the ones outlined in Aikens letter. Obviously law enforcement knows issues with the code and things that we need to change as law makers. I appreciate them coming forward and saying weve got this issue and we need to change it. We appreciate the law enforcement community and we want to do anything we can to help, said Rice. The bill is currently sitting in committee. Rice said committee members are working with him to improve the bill before it can go before the full legislature for a vote. When asked whether he thinks the bill can make its way to the governors desk, he said it is possible, but could take time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think it will ultimately get passed if it comes back enough. We might be able to get it passed this year if enough people get behind it, if law enforcement gets behind it, but sometimes it can take several years, he said. Its got a good ways to go but I think its got a good chance to move forward. The bills progress through legislative process can be tracked 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Travis Barker is showing his appreciation to those on the front lines fighting the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Blink-182 drummer, 49, took to his Instagram Stories to share a series of images of himself at the Rose Bowl Complex in Pasadena, Calif., meeting up with incarcerated firefighters, National Guard members, Anti-Recidivism Coalition representatives and other first responders. The first image, a repost from film producer and criminal justice reformer Scott Budnick, showed Barker donning a black-and-white zip-up hoodie and graphic T-shirt while sitting at a large wooden table outdoors surrounded by members of the Growlersburg Fire Crew, a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that employs incarcerated individuals as firefighters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Kick Off 2025 with Passionate Kiss on Instagram "@travisbarker you are a real one! Thank you for stopping by and showing love as soon as they got off the fire! #growlersberg33," Budnick captioned the aforementioned image. In the next shot, Barker can be seen posing for a black-and-white snap with CDCR Lieutenant Hill, with the musician writing, "Thank you for having me ... So much respect for you and what you do." In the following image, Barker appears alongside a group of National Guard members, throwing up a piece sign and captioning the image, "So much love to our National Guard for all their hard work." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his final story post, Barker shared a fisheye image of himself with members of the Growlersburg Fire Crew, alongside a passionate message advocating for the work the unit does with incarcerated individuals. "These guys are heroes," he wrote. "They are risking their lives to serve people. Save people. Help people. And becoming men in the process. So much love and respect to @calfire and @scottbudnick1 I love the awareness that the anti recidivism coalition is bringing to the incarcerated guys working these fires. A lot of them came from the juvenile system and this program gives them the ability for real change and to make a difference. To see the humanity in all of them was amazing." As of Jan. 10, the CDCR has enlisted over 800 inmates who volunteered to help fight the California wildfires, according to ABC News. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, CDCR secretary Jeff Macomber highlighted, Wildfires are a constant and formidable challenge for California, and CDCR conservation fire camps remain dedicated to supporting the states response. The work of our incarcerated firefighters and staff is an essential part of this effort, and their commitment to protecting lives and property during these emergencies cannot be overstated." David McNew/Getty A firefighter battles the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. A firefighter battles the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. Related: 10-Year-Old Blind Boy Who Jammed with Travis Barker Loses Family Home in L.A. Fires: I Knew We Had to Go, Mom Says Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the CDCR, inmates are paid a daily wage between $5.80 and $10.24, plus an additional $1 per hour when they respond to active fire or fire-related emergencies. Furthermore, crews could work up to a 24-hour shift during emergencies, but are compensated during rest periods. Barker isn't the only celebrity who has called attention to the work that incarcerated firefighters are doing amid the ongoing wildfires. The drummer's sister-in-law, Kim Kardashian, has been outspoken about her belief that incarcerated firefighters deserve higher pay, calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to "do what no Governor has done in 4 decades and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate [that] honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes," per the Los Angeles Times. Read the original article on People Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the bordering nation is crucial to President Trumps golden age during a Tuesday press conference in Montebello, Quebec. The president has said that he wants to usher in a golden age for the United States. That will require more steel and aluminum, more critical minerals, more reliable and affordable energy, more of everything to run the U.S. economy full steam ahead, Trudeau told reporters. He pointed out those resources could be sourced from Canada, as opposed to buying them from Venezuela, China or Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canada is a safe, secure and reliable partner in an uncertain world. Trump declared he would usher in a golden age for America during his inaugural address. While he did not sign any executive actions involving tariffs during his first day in office, he warned they could be expected in early February. We are thinking in terms of 25 percent on Mexico and Canada because theyre allowing vast numbers of people to come in, and fentanyl to come in, Trump said Monday while signing executive orders. However, both countries have maintained that they are not a threat to the U.S. economy or its citizens and have pushed back on Trumps proposed tariffs on imported goods, which they say would be detrimental for American families and product affordability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trudeau also noted his administrations $1 billion comprehensive plan to address the trafficking of fentanyl through border security measures in an effort to ease Trumps concerns. The Canadian prime minister recently agreed to resign from his post once a new party leader was named but affirmed the nation would not be forced into a deficient trade relationship with the U.S. Of course, if the president does choose to proceed with tariffs on Canada, Canada will respond. Everything is on the table, Trudeau stated. Canada and the U.S. are each others largest trade partners, and the prime minister said he is looking forward to continuing a mutually beneficial relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are strongest when we work together, and I look forward to working with President Trump, his administration, members of the United States Congress, and officials at the state and local levels to deliver prosperity for our peoples while protecting and defending the interests of Canadians, Trudeau said in a statement congratulating Trump on his inauguration. 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 The Hill. Hours after taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump put a stop on U.S. foreign development assistance for 90 days to review and ensure it aligns with the new administration's policy. Ukraine tops the recipient list of U.S. development assistance, receiving over $17 billion in economic aid in 2023 as it faced Russian all-out war, official data shows. According to the White House statement, it is now up to the U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio or his designee to determine whether to request to continue, modify, or cease each foreign aid program based upon the review recommendations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. The direction he has given for the conduct of our foreign policy is clear," Rubio said before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week. "Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to one of three questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Or does it make America more prosperous? " Then-nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing at Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, U.S. on Jan. 15, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images) What does this mean for Ukraine? Experts told the Kyiv Independent that Trump's move does not apply to funding programs through which the U.S. provides Ukraine with military aid. Artur Koldomasov, a Ukrainian expert on U.S. politics, says that the order is aimed at taking certain actions, but it cannot override existing legislative mechanisms or procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump can freeze funding for initiatives conducted by international organizations on human rights, refugee support, etc., according to the expert. Read also: We want to bring stability State Secretary Rubios position on Russias war against Ukraine "In the context of this particular decision, it is quite difficult to imagine the implementation of this idea since the funds allocated for these initiatives have already been distributed, and the next budget will be adopted in September," Koldomasov said. "It is quite difficult to imagine the implementation of this idea since the funds allocated for these initiatives have already been distributed, and the next budget will be adopted in September." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the order may apply to financial and humanitarian aid programs for Ukraine under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), he said. Since the start of Russia's full-scale, USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support. The agency has also allocated funds to restore Ukraine's energy grid, which Russia is trying to destroy by launching barrages of missiles and drones. Oleksandr Kraiev, an expert on North American policy at the foreign policy think tank Ukrainian Prism, said that Trump's decision does not threaten Ukraine's support now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "One way or another, our assistance still depends primarily on the decision of the Congress," he added. 155 mm artillery shells that are ready to be shipped are stored at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. on April 12, 2023. (Hannah Beier/Getty Images) Ukrainian soldiers of the 110th Brigade operate a 155mm American Paladin self-propelled howitzer in the direction of Velyka Novosilka as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 21, 2025. (Wolfgang Schwan / Anadolu via Getty Images) What is Trump's position on Ukraine aid? The future of U.S. aid to Kyiv under Trump's administration remains uncertain. During the inaugural speech, he did not mention Ukraine, claiming that the U.S. "will stop all wars." Yet, his full plan on how to end Russia's full-scale war remains unclear, too. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly criticized the level of support provided to Ukraine and signaled Kyiv should brace for reduced assistance once he takes office. When asked in early December whether Ukraine should prepare for such a scenario, Trump responded: "Possibly, sure." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, the pro-Trump wing of the Republican Party blocked the U.S. aid bill in Congress for months. This led to the fall of the key eastern city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, followed by the loss of several other towns in the region. The $61 billion aid bill was passed by the U.S. Congress in April, giving the former President Joe Biden around $10 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the U.S. to supply Kyiv with military equipment from existing military stockpiles. Around $3.8 billion remained unspent. Now, these funds are at Trump's disposal. Yet, the majority of U.S. funding remains in the hands of the U.S. Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "So far, despite the large number of Trump's orders, despite his executive activity, not even half of them can be implemented," Kraiev said. "You can plan and write all kinds of plans, but if you don't have the money to implement them, then these plans risk simply remaining plans." Read also: A team of attention-seekers Ukrainians react to Trumps Inauguration speech Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. It seems that Donald Trump was extremely triggered after being called out during a service at the Washington National Cathedral, taking to social media to post a rant in the early hours of Wednesday. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their spouses attended a service at the Episcopal church on Tuesday, and were faced with a surprising direct appeal from Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde. The bishop of Washington urged Trump to have mercy on gay, lesbian, and transgender children, as well as undocumented immigrants who now have to fear his sweeping deportation raids, even though the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. But it didnt seem that mercy was of any interest to Trump. Not even at church. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social hours later. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA, Trump wrote. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job, he continued. She and her church owe the public an apology! The post was signed t, indicating that it was actually written by Trump and not one of his staffers. It seems that Trump cannot hear a plea for mercy without becoming so enraged he starts name-calling and demanding an apologya great quality for a president to have. Within hours of President Donald Trumps inauguration, the new administration took down the Spanish-language version of the official White House website. The site currently https://www.whitehouse.gov/es/ now gives users an Error 404 message. It also included a Go Home button that directed viewers to a page featuring a video montage of Trump in his first term and on the campaign trail. The button was later updated to read Go To Home Page. Hispanic advocacy groups and others expressed confusion at the abrupt change and frustration at what some called the administrations lack of efforts to maintain communication with the Latino community, which helped propel him to the presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Spanish profile of the White House X, @LaCasaBlanca and the government page on reproductive freedom also were disbanded. Meanwhile, the Spanish versions of other government agencies such as the Department of Labor, Justice and Agriculture remained available for users on Tuesday. Asked about the changes, White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields responded Tuesday that the administration is committed to bringing back online the Spanish translation section of the website. Its day two. We are in the process of developing, editing and tweaking the White House website. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content in a short timeline," he said without elaborating. Trump removed the Spanish version of the page in 2017. At that time, White House officials said they would reinstate it. President Joe Biden reinstated the page in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The page's removal coincided with Trumps first-day wave of executive orders highlighted by the launch of an illegal immigration crackdown that was one of his key campaign pledges. Trump on Monday declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and announced plans to send U.S. troops to help support immigration agents and restrict refugees and asylum. According to 2023 Census Bureau estimates, about 43.4 million Americans 13.7% of the U.S. population age 5 and older speak Spanish at home. The U.S. has no official language. Monica Rivera, a brand and communications strategist in New York City of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, said the shutdown sends a clear signal. There are 43 million Latinos who speak Spanish as their first language and removing access to information directly from the White House draws a distinct line as to who they are serving and more dangerously, signals to the administrations MAGA base that we as Latinos are other and a less significant part of this country," Rivera said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anthony Hernandez, a paralegal in the nation's capital, wasnt initially aware of the move and said it suggests what the coming years of a second Trump presidency would look like, with specific issues making headlines while minor but equally malicious things like that go unnoticed. A move like shutting down the Spanish White House page and X profile serves no purpose other than to cut off resources for millions of Hispanic Americans and immigrants attempting to enter the United States legally," Hernandez said. "And its a slap in the face to the millions of Hispanic voters that supported him in this recent election. Trumps secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is Cuban American and speaks Spanish. At his swearing-in Tuesday, he gave remarks in Spanish, thanking God, his family and Trump. Meanwhile, Hispanic leaders and communication strategy experts expressed surprise with the page's removal, given Trumps popularity with certain Latino voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the White House is seriously interested in engaging with Latinos, the second largest group in this country, then they need to make sure that updates can also be distributed in Spanish, a preferred language for millions in our community, said Frankie Miranda President and CEO of the Hispanic Federation. He called that a way to ensure "everyone is a part of the civic process. Kris Klein Hernandez, a U.S. historian specializing in race, gender, and sexuality at Connecticut College, said the content removal from official White House websites not only limits the access available to Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens and migrants but leads "some to question which constituencies the administration prioritizes. Jeff Le, former deputy cabinet secretary and deputy director of external and international affairs for former California Gov. Jerry Brown, said the move seems counterintuitive given the opportunity to showcase policy changes, especially ones related to economics and border security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I didnt see any other language mediums that got the kibosh. So I think thats a really interesting thing to single out if thats the case," Le said. AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters, found Trump won a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020, and most notably among men under age 45. Young Latinos, particularly young Latino men, also were more open to Trump than in 2020. Roughly half of young Latino men voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, compared with about 6 in 10 who went for Biden. ___ The story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jeff Les last name, from Lee. The Trump administration is placing all government staffers in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility roles on paid administrative leave as part of the White Houses revamp of how federal agencies operate. Agencies were ordered to do so by 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the latest, according to a memo issued Tuesday by Charles Ezell, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management. The memo included a template for agencies to use to inform their staff of the policy that states DEIA programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars and resulted in shameful discrimination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move is downstream from an executive order that President Donald Trump signed Monday rescinding certain Biden-era diversity policies and eliminating all DEIA offices within agencies. The memo also directs agencies to ensure that any public-facing media from these various offices is taken down, a process that has already begun. Ezell instructed agencies to report back on their progress by noon on Thursday, and begin developing plans due by the end of the month for executing a reduction-in-force action regarding the employees who work in a DEIA office. OPMs template for agencies also calls for federal workers to contact an email tipline to ferret out efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language. The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that federal immigration enforcement agents could make arrests at or near sensitive locations, sparking fears about the impact on New York City public schools. The policy change undid over a decade of precedent that restricted two federal immigration agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from enforcement activity in settings including schools or houses of worship. This is the topic of discussion, said Naveed Hasan, an advocate for immigrant students on a citywide education panel. Are our schools and our hospitals and I think courts and houses of worships no longer considered sanctuaries for people to feel like they are safe, like they have found a place that can protect them? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everybody who Im working with, whos an advocate for immigrants, is deeply concerned specifically for schools. Were worried about attendance. Were worried about parents not telling anyone where theyve gone. Schools will be held accountable for absenteeism and test scores, and none of that will be helped when families are living in fear. Trump has put migrant communities in NYC and across the nation on edge as he threatens swift action to remove some undocumented immigrants, including mass deportations. A series of executive orders issued late Monday included an effort to revoke birthright citizenship, sparking a legal challenge from more than 20 attorneys general. During a weekly press conference Tuesday, Adams said his team had spoken with ICE about sensitive locations, such as schools, but did not go into detail about those conversations. The New York City mayor revealed Tuesday he agreed to refrain from publicly criticizing President Trump in exchange for a direct line to the president. Listen, weve been having good conversations with ICE, the mayor said at City Hall. Were going to continue to do so. Our team knows how important it is to coordinate. And if youre not at the table, youre not able to give real good input. And that is our goal. Thats what we want to [focus] on doing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later Tuesday, Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Mayor Adams, wouldnt say if his administration is taking or urging any additional precautions in schools and other sensitive locations in response to the federal policy shift. Regardless of immigration status, everyone in New York City should be able to get an education, seek medical care, and practice their faith, Garcia said. Law-abiding immigrants play a vital role in our city, and the mayor has been clear that any enforcement should be focused on the small number of people who are coming to our city or country and committing violent crimes. In recent trainings, local principals were reminded not to grant ICE access to school facilities, students or their records without speaking with an education department lawyer or a warrant. The Panel for Educational Policy, the citys version of a school board in a district controlled by the mayor, is trying to go further with an advisory resolution calling on the school system to protect the rights of immigrant students. Its expected to pass at the panels monthly meeting Wednesday, with more sponsors than it needs votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Staff in schools, they care deeply about their students and have expressed strong support for the resolution, Hasan said, and want the PEP to pass this. With Chris Sommerfeldt SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) President Donald Trump stood with one of San Franciscos top tech tycoons inside the White House on Tuesday to announce a $500 billion artificial intelligence project, dubbed Stargate. Trump held a press conference alongside Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle to reveal to hefty investments for creating infrastructure to power artificial intelligence, including developing data centers and electricity plants. This will be the most important project of this era, declared Altman, who founded his AI company in San Francisco. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stargate will create more than 100,000 American jobs through a partnership with OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, the president said. Bay Area tech CEOs get front-row seats at Trump inauguration Trump described Altman as by far the leading expert, based on everything I read. The president said Stargate involves big money and high quality people, and the project represents a declaration of confidence in Americas potential. Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool) Tuesdays Stargate news conference was held just 24 hours after Silicon Valley tech moguls had front-row seats for Trumps inauguration. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai sat front and center for the ceremony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KRON4. President Trump on Tuesday announced the creation of a new project to invest up to $500 billion in building the infrastructure needed for artificial intelligence (AI) development over his second term. The joint project, called Stargate, involves OpenAI, Softbank and Oracle as initial equity investors and will focus on projects related to the development of AI. It will invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure with the goal to create over 100,000 U.S. jobs. Middle East AI fund MGX, Microsoft, Nvidia and Arm are also involved in the tech project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Larry Ellison, Oracles chief technology officer, joined Trump for the announcement at the White House. The president called it the greatest AI infrastructure project by far in history while nodding to the foreign competition the U.S. faces regarding emerging technology. It will ensure the future of technology. What we want to do, we want to keep it in this countryChinas a competitor, others are a competitor, Trump said. Construction of data centers, which he said will employ a lot of people, and campuses are currently being scouted nationwide, the president said. Ellison later said that data centers are already under construction for Oracle in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the beginning of the golden age, Masayoshi said, referencing Trumps line from his inauguration speech the day before. This is not just for business, this will help peoples life. This will help solving many, many issues with the power of AI, the Softbank leader added. Altman later said he is thrilled we get to do this in the United States of America and added that he thinks the companies wouldnt be able to do this without Trump. The fact that we get to do this in the United States is, I think, wonderful, Altman added. The newer AI technology, like OpenAIs ChatGPT chatbot, requires an unprecedented amount of power to build and maintain the tools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Department of Energy (DOE) report last month, the energy demand for U.S. data centers tripled over the past 10 years and is expected to double or triple by 2028. Data centers are also projected to consume between more than six to 12 percent of the U.S.s electricity by 2028, according to the report. Masayoshi predicted generative AI, which is a type of AI that can create content based on prompts, is coming very soon and hinted at artificial superintelligence, a hypothetical form of AI that surpasses human intelligence in the future. The announcement is the latest sign Silicon Valley has managed to make headway with Trump, who was a longtime critic of the traditionally deep blue industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altman was at Trumps inauguration Monday, along with several other tech leaders who met with the president in the weeks leading up to his reelection. The partnership with the president is a significant shift for Altman, who was a longtime Democratic donor. He personally dished out $1 million in personal money to Trumps inaugural fund. Trump called Altman the leading expert on AI and described the group of tech leaders as a massive group of talent and money. Masayoshi joined Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in December for an announcement that his company planned to invest $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. At the time, Trump pressed the SoftBank leader to double his investment to $200 billion on the spot. Masayoshi laughed and said he would try to make it happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now I come back with $500, Masayoshi said on Tuesday at the White House. When CBS first reported that Oracle, OpenAI and Softbank were joining in the investment Trump was set to announce later that day, Oracles stock jumped by over 7 percent on the day. Oracle CEO Safra Catz joined the 2016 Trump transition team, Reuters reported at the time. As part of his first actions as president Monday night, Trump repealed former President Bidens 2023 executive order on AI, which focused on taking advantage of the advancing technology but still managing its risks. The repeal has left the regulation and research of AI somewhat in a gray area, with several tech advocacy groups calling for clearer guidelines from the Trump White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investment may come as a surprise to some in the tech world who predicted late last year the president could cut back on federal funding for the emerging tech. It comes just one week after Biden signed an executive order to boost the construction of new data centers and the accompanying energy infrastructure needed to power the development of AI. Updated at 6:16 p.m. EST 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 The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- For more than 15 years, the US federal government has slapped limits on greenhouse gas emissions based on a conclusion that planet-warming pollution imperils public health and welfare. Most Read from Bloomberg But now President Donald Trump has launched an attack on the governments 2009 ruling, tasking his incoming environmental chief with determining its continued legality and continuing applicability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The direction contained in one of several energy-related executive actions by Trump in his first day in office sets the stage for a potentially vast policy upheaval, one that could immediately sweep away the legal foundation for regulations governing emissions from power plants, oil wells and automobiles. With the stroke of a pen, Trump is attempting to end the EPAs ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, said Dominique Browning, director of Moms Clean Air Force, an environmental advocacy group. If successful, the gambit would mean the US has no federal path in place for cutting the pollution that is rapidly destabilizing our climate and putting our weather on steroids, she said. Trumps order doesnt guarantee the so-called endangerment finding is on borrowed time, as he has merely tasked his Environmental Protection Agency administrator with recommending an approach for it. Yet conservatives have tried for years to eliminate the determination they call legally and scientifically flawed. Opponents have mounted lawsuits challenging it. And a blueprint for policy drafted by conservative groups known as Project 2025 recommended it be updated. At issue is the EPAs conclusion that carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations. That endangerment finding rooted in scientific determinations about the heat-trapping gases contribution to climate change has provided the legal basis for a host of climate regulations ever since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The determination sprang from a Supreme Court ruling two years earlier in Massachusetts v EPA, in which a 5-4 majority affirmed the agencys authority to regulate greenhouse gases as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. After the court said greenhouse gases qualified as pollutants, it was up to the EPA to determine whether they constituted a threat that should be regulated, which they did in 2009. Conservatives argue the EPA should reverse the endangerment finding effectively amassing fresh evidence and concluding greenhouses gases arent a threat after all. President Trump is absolutely right to want the EPA to review the legality and continued applicability of this finding, said Daren Bakst, director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. If it is revoked, this would help end EPAs baseless greenhouse gas regulations. Even some of the presidents most ardent supporters argue it would be a heavy lift, potentially consuming time and resources theyd rather EPA officials devote to work on easing individual Biden-era power plant and automobile regulations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shaky Legal Ground Environmental advocates warn the change also would be on shaky legal ground from the start. That 2009 finding stood on an enormous scientific foundation about the climate threat and, since then, the science has only gotten stronger and more definitive, said David Doniger, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Its impossible for me to imagine that EPA could write a decision repealing the endangerment finding that would stand up in court. Environmentalists contend any reversal would fly in the face of a growing scientific body of evidence that greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If President Trump orders EPA to issue a technical finding that climate change doesnt threaten public health and welfare, it would be a major about-face that rejects overwhelming scientific consensus, said Sam Sankar, a senior vice president with Earthjustice. Federal courts have turned back challenges to the endangerment finding, most recently last year, when the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from groups known as the Concerned Household Electricity Consumers Council and the FAIR Energy Foundation. Activists unsuccessfully lobbied Trump to make the shift in his first term in office. The presidents decision to open the door to changes on day one of the his second term signals the seriousness the new administration is bringing to the effort, said Myron Ebell, chairman of the American Lands Council. Theyre just much more ambitious and getting started much earlier, he said. Senate Democrats sought unsuccessfully to pin Trumps nominee to lead the EPA, Lee Zeldin, on the issue during his confirmation hearing last week. The agency is authorized to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, he said, but he stopped short of affirming the EPA is necessarily obligated to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, the onus is on senators to verify Zeldin will follow the science on the issue, said Vickie Patton, general counsel with the Environmental Defense Fund. It is the science-anchored foundation that protects millions of people from oil and gas pollution, tailpipe pollution and smokestack pollution. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. (The Hill) President Donald Trumps sweeping pardons of more than 1,500 people charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, including individuals who assaulted police officers, stunned Republican lawmakers who witnessed firsthand the chaos on Capitol Hill four years ago. Trumps action, which defied assurances from his allies that he would examine convictions on a case-by-case basis and not grant clemency to people who committed violence, divided GOP senators and overshadowed talk about his first-100-days agenda. GOP leaders stare down legislative minefield after Trumps Day 1 blitz Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GOP lawmakers are largely willing to overlook the hundreds of people who entered the Capitol illegally four years ago, which disrupted the certification of former President Joe Bidens victory by several hours, but pardoning people who assaulted Capitol Police, causing dozens of injuries, was hard to swallow. It is wrong to pardon individuals convicted of violent crime, especially when many of the victims of their violence were law enforcement officers, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said in a statement. Moran was expressing a view shared by many of his Senate GOP colleagues even though many of them are reluctant to criticize Trump publicly. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), whos up for reelection this election cycle, said people who assaulted police should serve out their sentences, breaking with other Republican senators who tried to avoid talking about the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not right. People who assault police officers, if they do the crime, they should do the time, he said. Cassidy described himself as a big back the blue guy, referring to his record of supporting law enforcement. Whether youre in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport, Monroe, Lafayette, Alexandria, Lake Charles or Washington, D.C., its wrong to assault anybody, he said. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said the blanket pardon of people convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes sends the wrong message to the police officers who protect lawmakers on a daily basis. I dont think that the approach of a blanket pardon that includes those who caused harm, physical harm to our police officers, to others, that resulted in violence Im disappointed to see that. And I do fear the message that is sent to these great men and women who stood by us, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters outside a meeting of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday morning she does not support pardons for people convicted of violent crimes. Cassidy, Murkowski and Collins are three of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump on the impeachment charge of inciting insurrection on Jan. 6. Other Senate Republicans joined the chorus of criticism regarding Trumps action. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he had concerns with any pardons for people who did harm to a police officer. Full stop. He called pardons for people who committed violence against officers a bad idea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cited Vice President JD Vances (R) statement during a recent Fox News Sunday interview, in which he said people who committed violence that day obviously shouldnt be pardoned. Well, I think I agree with the vice president, McConnell told Semafor. No one should excuse violence. And particularly violence against police officers. The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia found that about 140 police officers were assaulted on Jan. 6, including 80 from U.S. Capitol Police and 60 from D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department. Even Trumps closest allies in Congress warned Trump last month that pardoning people who attacked Capitol police personnel would be the wrong move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in December that he wouldnt try to stand in the way of Trump pardoning convicted Jan. 6 protesters but argued that people convicted of assaulting police officers fall in a different category. Well see what he does. I mean its been four or five years [since the attack]. The ones that hurt cops, theyd be in a different category for me, but well leave that up to him, he said. Graham declined to talk about the sweeping pardon order on Tuesday, explaining he would have more to say about it this weekend. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) tried to dismiss the controversy when he was barraged by television camera crews outside his office in the Dirksen Building on Tuesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Look, I dont have any comments. I havent seen all the stuff, the [executive orders] that he signed yet, he said. We said all along that Biden opened the door on this, he said, referring to the former presidents pardon of his son Hunter Biden in early December and his preemptive pardon of five other family members only minutes before Trump took the office. Trumps shock and awe is Washingtons new normal again Thune later told reporters: Were not looking back, were looking forward. But Republican senators acknowledged they didnt feel good about the broad scope of Trumps action, which wiped out the long prison sentences given to former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wish he had done it case by case and maybe had a different outcome for some of them, said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). But once President Biden pardoned the entire Jan. 6 Committee and his entire family, it certainly validates in many respects the desire and the move to simply put the whole thing behind us, Cramer argued. Its not ideal in my mind, he added. I just want to put it behind us now. Some Republican senators privately expressed frustration over Trump plunging into another huge controversy less than a day after being sworn into his second term. One lawmaker said it reminded GOP senators of the daily roller coaster of controversies that marked his first term in the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its deja vu, quipped the senator. Trumps sweeping use of the pardon power didnt do anything to help Senate Republicans convince Democrats to set aside partisanship to speed up the confirmation of Trumps Cabinet nominees. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) slammed Trumps action as un-American. Lets be clear. President Trump didnt just pardon protesters. He pardoned some people convicted of assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy, Schumer said on the Senate floor. Its a betrayal of the highest order of our Capitol Police officers who risked their lives to keep us safe, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Washington Post poll conducted last month found that two-thirds of Americans oppose pardons for people convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes. 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 Queen City News. US President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine and called on the Kremlin to stop the conflict in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. "STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE," Trump said on the platform which he cofounded. "If we dont make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," Trump said in his post of the war that began in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. Its time to 'MAKE A DEAL.' NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!" he said. Trump, who took office on Monday, has in the past said he is willing to talk to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to end the conflict. The US, the EU and other states have already imposed numerous punitive measures on Russia and Russian politicians, businesspeople and military personnel since Moscow launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022. It was not clear what further sanctions Trump was considering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine is heavily dependent on Western support as it seeks to fend off the invasion, primarily massive arms supplies from Washington. It is also unclear whether Trump plans to maintain the billions in Ukraine aid pledged by his predecessor, former president Joe Biden. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 21 that he pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping to help put an end to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump claimed he brought the matter up with Xi during a call. "He's not done very much on that," Trump said. "He's got a lot of ... power, like we have a lot of power. I said, 'You ought to get it settled.' We did discuss it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xi and Trump spoke by phone on Jan. 17, though Trump did not mention Ukraine in his comments directly afterwards. Trump's latest remarks come a day after his presidential inauguration. On the same day, Xi held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he praised the deepening ties between Moscow and Beijing. While Trump in the past has spoken admiringly of both Xi and Putin, he told reporters that the U.S. would "likely" impose new sanctions on Russia if Putin refuses to make deal. The previous day, he said Putin was "destroying Russia" by not making a deal to end the war. Trump campaigned on the promise that he could end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours of his election. Since his November victory, the timeline for a peace agreement has changed significantly, with Trump acknowledging in December that the situation is "a tough one." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both the U.S. and Ukraine have previously urged China to exert pressure on Russia to de-escalate the war, including by withdrawing North Korean troops and military aid. Although China has positioned itself as a possible mediator between Russia and Ukraine in future negotiations, Beijing remains Moscow's key economic ally and leading source of dual-use goods that feed the Kremlin's war machine. China nonetheless denies accusations of supporting Russia's invasion. Read also: It needs to end State Secretary Rubios position on Russias war against Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Just hours after taking the oath of office, President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders, including one directing the attorney general to take all necessary and lawful action to help states obtain lethal injection drugs to carry out executions. The executive order titled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety directs the attorney general to ensure pro-death penalty states have a sufficient supply of drugs needed to carry out lethal injection. But those drugs are notoriously difficult to get, and states with lethal injection executions have turned to other methods as a result. Eleven states use pentobarbital for their executions, including Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for executions. State and federal governments typically rely on pharmacies to obtain the drugs. Over the years, the medications have become nearly impossible to obtain as the names of supplying pharmacies become public and created a significant backlash, making fewer pharmacies willing to produce them. The European Union has banned the sale of pentobarbital to the U.S. for executions. In 2017, the ban prompted Arizona officials to allow inmates to bring their own execution drugs to prison. Given this, it remains unclear how the order will be implemented. Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, and other death penalty opponents hold a demonstration outside the Alabama Capitol in September (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Trump extensively spoke about expanding capital punishment while on the campaign trail. Hes advocated for an increase in federal executions and making more people eligible for the death penalty. Only three people remain on federal death row after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 offenders to life in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Department of Justice had paused federal executions until Monday. The DOJ had conducted a review of pentobarbital and found the drug may cause unnecessary pain and suffering. In past executions, death row inmates have experienced a flash pulmonary edema, causing their stomachs to roll and shake, the DOJ determined. The condition produces feelings of suffocating or drowning. The department withdrew the federal governments lethal injection protocol, which the administration could rescind. Speaking about the executive order, Robin M Maher, executive of the non-partisan Death Penalty Information Center, said: It reads more like campaign rhetoric than a practical plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of what this executive order wants to do will require congressional action or dramatic changes to well-settled laws and procedures. She anticipates the order will meet resistance in court since some of Trumps proposals would require congressional action, like expanding the number of capital crimes. These are a lot of just broad statements about what he would like to see happen without us understanding what the mechanisms are going to be. The executive order also lays bare logistical challenges. Several of Trumps demands, including modifying the conditions of prisoners, seeking to charge prisoners with capital crimes in state courts, and encouraging states to bring forward more capital cases will likely be met with immediate injunctive relief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump cannot impose punishments or ask states to reopen cases that wouldve been eligible for the death penalty. Alabamas lethal injection facility (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The president cannot use executive orders to act in areas in which the executive lacks authority, said Robert Dunham, special counsel to Phillips Black, a nonprofit dedicated to incarcerated individuals. This is nothing but a rampant politicization of the judicial process. In the short term, Dunham thinks the U.S. could see more executions as pro-death-penalty states become emboldened to carry out death sentences. In the long run, data shows millennials and younger generations staunchly oppose the death penalty leading to lower death penalty sentences. 2024 saw more people come off of death row in the U.S. than any year in more than two decades, Phillips Black found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Trumps executive order is being seen as a positive sign from death penalty proponents. In a statement to The Independent, Steve Marshall, the attorney general of Alabama, which executed the most people in 2024, said: Alabama leads the nation in our zero-tolerance approach to violent crime, aggressive capital litigation, and successful executions. We hope the presidents executive order will encourage more states to follow Alabamas lead. The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. All federal employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion roles will be placed on paid leave by the end of Wednesday, thanks to a new mandate by President Donald Trump. The forty-seventh president has set a deadline that all DEI-related offices, programs, and their related websites and social media accounts shall be shuttered by 5 p.m., according to a memo from the Office of Personnel Management. The memo also states that federal agencies need to submit a written plan by the end of the month for dismissing the DEI employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News in a statement Tuesday night, adding that the move to oust diversity roleswhich Trump had mentioned in his inaugural speechshould come as no surprise. This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept, Leavitt said. Trump signed an executive order ending the programs Monday night. The order, titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, accused the Biden-era diversity policies of being illegal and immoral discrimination programs. But outside of the federal government and in corporate America, the administrations message on diversity initiatives is loud and clear: They are, simply, not necessary. Mentions of DEI in company earnings calls have dropped by approximately 82 percent since Q2 of 2021, reported Axios. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shift away from DEI began when the Supreme Court ruled on the diversity program in 2023, but the trickle became a flood after Trumps election victory, with companies such as Harley Davidson, Ford, Molson Coors, Walmart, and McDonalds peeling back their corporate diversity commitments, according to the Financial Times. Major social media companies, including Elon Musks X and Mark Zuckerbergs Meta, have simultaneously stripped their respective platforms of their content-moderation divisions. Earlier this month, an updated version of Metas hateful conduct policy suddenly allowed users on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to refer to women as property, Black people as farm equipment, transgender individuals as it, and LGBTQ+-identifying persons as mentally ill. What were seeing is companies looking at the holistic picturelike social media campaigns that have been run against companies and the political environment in which you have not only Trump, but his closest advisors, such as Elon Musk, going after particular companies around DEI, Ann OLeary, partner and co-chair of government controversies and public policy litigation practice at Jenner & Block, told Axios on Thursday. But were also seeing companies really taking a close look at why theyre doing what theyre doing. President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended the pardons and commutations of roughly 1,500 defendants charged with crimes connected to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including some convicted of assaulting police officers. Trump, in one of the first presidential acts of his second term, commuted the sentences of 14 prisoners and pardoned all others convicted of offenses related to the 2021 riot. He also directed the attorney general to dismiss all indictments pending before judges related to what became the largest federal investigation ever. Theyve served years in jail, Trump said in response to questions from reporters at the White House about why he pardoned violent offenders. They should not have served, and theyve served years in jail. And murderers dont even go to jail in this country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added, We pardoned people that were treated unbelievably poorly. Many of those pardoned had been convicted of violent attacks on police officers defending the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when Congress was certifying Joe Bidens electoral victory. The pardons apply to people who were armed with items such as stun guns, batons and hatchet. Trump went on to say that members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia, were serving sentences that he called ridiculous and excessive, adding that of the cases the White House looked at, these were people that actually love our country, so we thought a pardon would be appropriate. Some Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy related to Jan. 6. Trump used the subject to return repeatedly to the issue of violent crime in American cities, as well as pardons that Biden signed for the House Jan. 6 committee members and, separately, for his relatives as he left office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump talked about a variety of hot-button issues during the question-and-answer session, telling reporters that it is likely that his administration would place additional sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin doesnt come to the table to negotiate a deal with Ukraine in the war. Trump also said that his administration plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Feb. 1 because of the "millions and millions of people" he said each country had allowed into the United States, as well as a flood of dangerous narcotics. Additionally, Trump said his team is discussing the possibility of a 10% tariff on China. Asked about his position on an immigrant visa program that has prompted significant backlash among some of his populist supporters, Trump hedged, saying he is "sort of on both sides of the argument." "I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do," Trump said about H-1B temporary worker visas, a carve-out for high-skilled workers who some in the MAGA world say are taking American jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, after issuing an order to suspend a U.S. ban on TikTok on his first day in office, also said that he would be "open" to Elon Musk, the billionaire tech tycoon who is overseeing a mandate to improve government efficiency, or billionaire Larry Ellison, buying the company so that it can continue to operate in the country. It's worthless if it doesn't get a permit," Trump said of TikTok, after a law signed by former President Joe Biden last year required the app's owner, Chinese company ByteDance, to sell most of its stake. It was the second day in a row that Trump took questions from reporters at the White House, weighing in on the policy issues of the day and responding to follow-ups in a return to the unscripted, freewheeling dynamic frequently displayed during his first term. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Hundreds of thousands of federal workers in the DMV are being told to return to in-person work, full-time. President Donald Trump signed that executive order Monday, hoping to fill empty office space all over D.C. Police identify 2 killed after truck drove off Arlington Memorial Bridge, into river Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary. This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law. Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump It drew cheers from supporters, but skepticism from others. Its going to be too hard, ADA accommodations, some agencies cant accommodate the number of staff. So I think its not gonna happen any time soon, said one worker downtown whos a former contractor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Markilla King is a federal worker and understands why its happening. Because theres all these empty buildings around here, and the merchants, restaurants and everything are losing their money. I get that. I do, King said. But King said teleworking and remote work is a quality of life issue. I think they need to keep that in mind before they just sign that away, King said. Thats not fair. But I come into work every day. I telework if I need to. The reality is that 54% of all federal workers arent eligible for telework. For the 46% or so that are eligible for those who are on a telework program or eligible for it, theyre there an average more than three out of five days a week in the office, said Randy Erwin, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, the union representing 110,000 federal workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crowd gathers outside DC jail following pardon of January 6 inmates Telework is provisions of collective bargaining agreements and executive orders do not override collective bargaining agreements, Erwin said. But only a little over half the people in the federal government are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. He calls it political nonsense for a currently productive workforce. He worries many will decide to leave the federal government over the new mandate. Theyre kind of viewing it as some kind of positive, that people are going to be forced out of their government jobs, Erwin said. No, thats in the in the end, thats going to cost the taxpayers more than if we retain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said thats because it costs a lot to recruit employees, especially because the private sector pays much higher wages for some of the same jobs. Its those family-friendly type policies, like a decent telework program that keeps people around, Erwin said. If they do away with those youre certainly not going to be able to recruit and retain the best and brightest. Maryland Attorney General: Trumps executive order on transgender rights threatens peoples lives Theres also a concern about the congestion commuters will face. Theres a lot of people that have one-and-a-half, two-hour commutes, Erwin said. You force them in, theyre going to be beat before they even get to the job. Theyre going to be unhappy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. DES MOINES, Iowa On his first day in office, President Donald Trump followed through on several of his campaign promises, signing a slew of executive orders aimed at controlling the U.S. and Mexico border and ending birthright citizenship. Now, those executive orders are being met with pushback, as the ACLU, LULAC, and many other civil rights organizations have banded together to file a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. According to the American Immigration Council, more than 200,000 immigrants live in Iowa. Joe Henry, the state political director for the League of United Latin American Citizens, says the impacts these executive orders could have are far-reaching. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have heard from many local law enforcement agencies across the state that they do not have the operations to take this on, they do not want to do any of this stuff, and they do not want to be deputized to do the work of the federal government, said Henry when asked about possible mass deportations. Henry also spoke about the economic impacts immigrants have, as they help boost the states economy and work in key Iowa industries like agriculture and meat packing. It is going to cause havoc on local businesses. Employers are going to be wondering where their workers are look at meatpacking, agriculture, the service sector, and healthcare, said Henry. Ames police release name of weekend shooting victim Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another concern surrounds Trumps executive order to end birthright citizenship. This leaves the Supreme Court to either uphold the 14th Amendment or amend the United States Constitution. They will not know based upon this executive action if their children will even gain citizenship after the birth of that child, Henry said. Henry also said this executive order has vague language that leaves many questions unanswered, stating that Trumps youngest son, Barron, is from a mixed family. His mother, Melania Trump, is an immigrant herself born in Slovenia and later became a U.S. Citizen in 2006, the same year Barron was born. Henry used the now Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as another example. Rubios parents were immigrants from Cuba and were not U.S. citizens when Rubio was born in Florida. Making him a birthright citizen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Henry said he doesnt believe that the executive order of birthright citizenship will survive the courts, but says problems are going to be created, and its going to have an impact on all Iowans. Iowa News: 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. President Donald Trump on Tuesday found a way to defend pardoning thousands of convicted Jan. 6 rioterssome of whom violently attacked police officersby arguing that they had already spent enough time behind bars. Trump took questions from reporters at the White House during a press conference, beginning with NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander, who first asked, You would agree that its never acceptable to assault a police officer? That prompt elicited a sure" from Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexander then got specific. Among those you pardoned was D.J. Rodriguez. He drove a stun gun into the neck of an officer who was abducted by the mob that day. He later confessed on video to the FBI and pleaded guilty for his crimes. Rodriguez, who was arrested in March 2021, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in June 2023. Why does he deserve a pardon? Alexander asked. Initially, Trump had no answer. Well, I dont know, he said. Was it a pardon? Because we are looking at commutations and were looking at pardons. Alexander affirmed that it was a pardon. OK, well well take a look at everything, Trump replied, even though the pardon of Rodriguez cannot be rescinded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump then went off-topic, falsely claiming that murderers in some cities arent charged. But I can say this: Murderers today are not even charged. You have murderers that arent charged, all over. You take a look at whats gone on in Philadelphia. You take a look at whats gone off in L.A., where people murder people and they dont get charged, he said. Shifting back to those convicted for Jan. 6-related crimes like Rodriguez, Trump finally seemed to have found his argument. These people have already served years in prison, and they have served them viciously. Its a disgusting prison. Its been horrible. Its inhumane. Its been a terrible, terrible thing, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After another digression about Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis, Trump reiterated, So, these people have already served a long period of time, and I made a decision to give a pardon. Officer Michael Fanone, who was Tasered by Rodriguez, said upon hearing about the thousands of pardons: I have been betrayed by my country. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is swiftly breaching the traditional boundaries of presidential power as he returns to the White House, bringing to bear a lifetime of bending the limits in courthouses, boardrooms and politics to forge an expansive view of his authority. He's already unleashed an unprecedented wave of executive orders, daring anyone to stop him, with actions intended to clamp down on border crossings, limit the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship and keep the popular Chinese-owned TikTok operational despite a law shutting down the social media platform. Democrats and civil rights organizations are rallying to fight Trump in court, but legal battles could drag on before slowing the president down. Meanwhile, Trump is drafting a new blueprint for the presidency, one that demonstrates the primacy of blunt force in a democratic system predicated on checks and balances between the branches of government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He's going to push it to the max, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama. Trump tried to take a similar approach in his first term, with mixed results. This time, there are fewer guardrails. His administration has few of the establishment figures that once tried to curb his penchant for upheaval. The U.S. Supreme Court is stocked with conservative justices, and recently decreed that presidents are broadly immune from prosecution for any official actions taken during their term. Republicans are in complete control on Capitol Hill, where the leaders owe their majority positions to Trumps support or acquiescence. In a striking display of Trumps dominance, almost no one from his party challenged the decision to pardon almost everyone charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not looking backwards, were looking forward, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota. It's the kind of scenario that Democrats warned about during last year's campaign, when they claimed that Trump would govern as a dictator if elected to another term. Sitting in the Oval Office just hours after being inaugurated on Monday, Trump rejected the characterization. No, no, he said, shaking his head and pursing his lips. I cant imagine even being called that. Then he continued scrawling his signature on executive orders that were laid out across the Resolute Desk. Trumps blitz didnt surprise Barbara Res, who worked for the future president years ago at his namesake company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Politics is about compromise. Business is all about leverage, Res said. Hes not a compromiser. Although Trump got his start in the brick-and-mortar field of real estate, he appears to be taking a page from the move fast and break things tactic of technology company executives who spent millions bolstering his presidential bid and attended his inauguration. John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley who helped expand presidential authority while working for George W. Bush, said Trumps executive orders were unprecedented in terms of the sweeping scope of the orders and in the sheer number." Although such orders can be easily reversed by a future president, they could have a profound impact for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yoo described as legally shaky Trumps effort to allow TikTok to keep operating even though U.S. officials have described it as a national security threat because of fears that China could access user data or manipulate the content algorithm. A law signed by President Joe Biden required the platform to shut down in the United States unless its Chinese parent company found a new owner by Sunday, the day before Trump took office. But Trump directed his Justice Department not to enforce the ban, which Yoo compared to a student asking for more time on an exam after it was due. Yoo also said Trump is trying to really push the envelope by declaring that migrants who are entering the country constitute an invasion." The president directed the military to help take operational control of the U.S. border, but troops are not allowed to handle law enforcement, whether its seizing drugs or arresting migrants. This is without historical parallel, Yoo said. This is really an extraordinary claim of presidential power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly two dozen states have already sued Trump over his executive order intended to limit birthright citizenship, part of his sweeping effort to curb immigration. The president's opponents said the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that people born in the U.S. are citizens, including people whose parents were not legally citizens at the time of their birth. Presidents have broad power but they are not kings, said New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Democrat. Depending on how the legal battles play out, Yoo said Trump could set a new standard for his successors. If hes successful with even half the executive orders, every future president is going to want to do the same thing, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not unusual for presidents to test the limits of presidential authority, said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian. For example, Biden tried to expand the cancellation of federal student loans, only to see his proposal blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. But as with most things, Zelizer said, Trump goes further than the rest to see just how far he can go. Res recalled a similar approach at the Trump Organization, where Trump prided himself on his ability to chisel down contractor costs or lean on local officials for favorable treatment for his properties. No matter what you gave him or offered him, he wanted more, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Res said Trump would keep in his desk a black-and-white picture of Roy Cohn, an attorney renowned for his ruthlessness. He would pull that out when he was arguing with a contractor," she said. "'Heres my lawyer, sue me.' Trump's ongoing challenge will be keeping Republicans in line on Capitol Hill, and some have suggested they're still willing to cross him. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican known for an independent streak, said she supports some of Trump's executive orders but others I have real questions about. Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California who has been a political nemesis of Trump, said Trump's actions run the gamut "from the plainly unconstitutional as in the attempt to end birthright citizenship to the draconian, with mass deportations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others, he said, like the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, are just absurd. Asked if Congress would stand up to the new White House, Schiff said he wasn't sure. Were about to find out," he said. The Trump administration fired four top officials at the Justice Departments Executive Office of Immigration Review, which oversees U.S. immigration courts, late Monday. The officials were the chief immigration judge, Sheila McNulty; the acting director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review, Mary Cheng; the office's general counsel, Jill Anderson; and its head of policy, Lauren Alder Reid. All were civil servants, not political appointees. Alder Reid said they were not given any warning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My career Senior Executive Service colleagues and I are shocked and severely disappointed in the decision to remove us from our positions without notice or cause," she said. "We have dedicated our careers to upholding the rule of law, regardless of the administration. Our continued pursuit of justice will not be diminished." The four fired officials had decades of experience leading the nation's overburdened immigration courts. The Justice Department employs more than 700 immigration judges, who decide whether migrants seeking asylum in the United States can remain in the country legally. The court system faces a record backlog of more than 3 million cases. Spokespeople for the Trump administration and the Executive Office of Immigration Review did not immediately respond to request for comment on the firings. The firings came shortly after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders related to immigration Monday night. The Day 1 orders and firings follow Trumps promises on the campaign trail to issue mass deportations and reshape the American immigration system immediately after taking office. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com President Donald Trump fired the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday, removing the first woman to lead a branch of the American military. The Trump administration removed Admiral Linda Fagan, a four-star admiral who was sworn in in 2022. She first graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1985. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman thanked Fagan for her long and illustrious career in a message sent to Coast Guard units on Tuesday morning. But DHS later criticized Fagans work. Her removal was first reported by Fox News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was terminated because of leadership deficiencies, operational failures and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard, the department said in a statement to news outlets. The agency went on to say the Coast Guard had failed to stop fentanyl and other illicit substances from entering the country, according to The New York Times. Fagan was also criticized for what the Trump administration called an excessive focus on diversity programs. Admiral Linda Fagan attends the U.S. Coast Guard change of command ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 1, 2022. Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images The Coast Guards vice commandant, Admiral Kevin Lunday, will serve as the branchs acting leader. Our duty to our nation and the American people we serve remains unchanged, and the Coast Guard remains Semper Paratus, Lunday wrote in a message to the service on Tuesday, using the branchs phrase, meaning Always Ready. Continue to execute our missions and operations with the excellence we are renowned for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firing comes amid Trumps pledge to reshape the U.S. military and rid the nation of what he calls woke generals. He has stood steadfast by his nominee for Pentagon secretary, Pete Hegseth, who has vowed in the past to help clean house and remove any military leaders who have worked to promote diversity and inclusion programs. The move prompted fierce blowback from some Democrats. I think its appalling, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said in an interview with CNN. The lawmaker credited Fagan for her work to address a culture of sexual harassment within the Coast Guard. Now, we get a new commandant the first woman commandant in the history of an Armed Forces of our nation to serve she stood up and said, This is a problem and we have to deal with it, Cantwell said Tuesday. And today, shes being fired. Related... President Donald Trumps former national security adviser-turned-critic John Bolton is gravely concerned he will be killed after having his Secret Service detail terminated. Bolton said Trump pulled his security detail within hours of taking office, and now he fears he is at greater risk of attack from Iran, a country he has frequently taken a hard line on. They called me at about 11:30 p.m. last night, and I was asleep, said Bolton, who added that he was given around a 12-hour notice, in an interview with the Telegraph Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont remember the exact words, but it was something like: The President has directed that your protection be terminated at noon tomorrow. Bolton, 76, told the outlet on Tuesday that he is putting measures in place after he was informed as recently as a few days ago that threats on his life remain high. Asked if he expects threats to increase without a security detail, Bolton said it was an inescapable conclusion. In 2022, an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps member was charged in a plot to murder him. Bolton said he believes his protection was unceremoniously revoked as political vengeance for his previous criticisms of Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to the New York Times, Bolton said he was disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has made this decision. Bolton served as Trumps national security adviser from 2018 to 2019 before he was fired. Bolton addressed his tenure in Trumps first administration in his 2020 memoir, If his first four years were bad, a second four will be worse. Trump defended removing Boltons detail on Tuesday, declaring that he had enough time to make his own protection arrangements. Were not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives, the president told the White House press pool. He added, I thought he was a very dumb person, but I used him well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Trumps former senior adviser David Urban argued Bolton should be protected by the very nature of the job he chose to undertake. I dont know what the intelligence looks like, Urban said Tuesday on CNN. If theres an active threat still on former Ambassador Boltons life, I think he should have security. He added, If John Bolton did things in our nations defense that put his life at risk, then he should be defended by our nation for as long as it takes. A Jan. 6 defendant whose felony assault charges were dismissed a day earlier was arrested Wednesday on federal gun charges that have been pending for nearly two years in Florida. Daniel Ball, one of the hundreds charged with violence on Jan. 6, 2021, aimed at police, was among the members of the mob whose charges were dismissed at the behest of President Donald Trump. Trump on Monday pardoned more than 1,000 people who stormed the Capitol that day and ordered the Justice Department to drop hundreds of pending cases. Ball was being held in pretrial detention in Washington, D.C., because of what a magistrate judge described as some of the most violent and serious offenses of any of the charges being brought against participants in the January 6 events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among them, Ball is charged with hurling an explosive device into the packed Lower West Terrace tunnel of the Capitol, the scene of some of the most egregious violence against police that day. The explosion allegedly disoriented officers and caused hearing losswhich for some of the officers lasted months, Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather noted. Defendant also allegedly threw a large piece of wood into the line of officers protecting the Capitol. Balls charges were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras on Tuesday after Trumps directive. But Balls charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm remained pending and unconnected to his Jan. 6 case. According to that indictment, Ball has previously been convicted of domestic violence battery by strangulation in June 2017, resisting law enforcement with violence and battery of a law enforcement officer in October 2021. Its unclear if U.S. marshals executed the arrest warrant on Ball prior to his release on the Jan. 6 charges. However, its the first docketed federal criminal case in Washington since Trumps inauguration. Press Release January 22, 2025 Pimentel sponsors bill increasing compensation for wrongful conviction, detention Filipinos who were wrongfully convicted or illegally detained may soon be eligible to receive higher monetary compensation. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III sponsored Senate Bill No. 2920 under Committee Report No. 438, which aims to strengthen support for individuals wrongly convicted or unjustly detained, by amending Republic Act No. 7309, the law that established the Board of Claims under the Department of Justice. The measure seeks justice for those who have been unjustly accused, convicted, and imprisoned but later released through acquittal. It also covers individuals who were detained and released without being charged, those subjected to arbitrary or illegal detention and released without charges, and victims of violent crimes. Pimentel noted that the Board of Claims, established under the Office of the Secretary of Justice in 1992, was created to implement the national government's Victims' Compensation Program. He emphasized that the time has come to modernize and expand the scope of Republic Act No. 7309, in line with the principles of liberality, generosity and fairness. "We live in a country where no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws," the 1990 Bar Topnotcher added. The proposed amendments include increasing ten-fold compensation for unjust imprisonment or detention from 1,000 to 10,000 per month and raising the maximum compensation for victims of violent crimes to 50,000 or more, depending on incurred expenses. To make the process more accessible, the bill proposes extending the filing period for claims from six months to one year after release or the date of injury. It also seeks to modernize the system by allowing remote claim submissions, subject to regulations to be outlined by the Board of Claims. "More than ever, the Filipino people must be reminded that we are a country of laws and not of men. We are neither a kingdom ruled by a tyrannical monarch, nor a penal colony that ignores the humanity of those under our custody," Pimentel said in sponsoring the measure. The Trump transition teams internal debate about which Capitol rioters to pardon and which violent convicts to keep behind bars ultimately came down to a snap decision and a four-letter word from the then-president-elect. Trump just said: F--- it. Release em all, an adviser familiar with the talks told Axios. On Monday, Trump signed a blanket pardon for about 1,500 rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn former President Joe Bidens 2020 election victory. A police officer and four people in the mob died, while another four police officers died by suicide in the months that followed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The would-be insurrectionists pepper sprayed and beat police officers with flagpoles, stomped on their heads, threw a bomb into a tunnel full of police, hurled officers down a flight of stairs and plotted to kill FBI agents investigating the attacks. The Justice Department denounced the riot as an act of domestic terrorism, and some of its key figuresincluding leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militiasreceived prison sentences of up to 22 years. Trump issued them clemencies instead of pardons, meaning their convictions still stand, but theyre now either back on the streets or will be soon. Throughout his re-election campaign, Trump had promised to pardon the Jan. 6 hostages and patriots, as he called the attackers. In December, he told Meet the Press he would look at individual cases. But the detailed reviews apparently became too much for the presidents famously short attention span. Trump began going back and forth on whether to grant targeted clemencies or issue a blanket pardon, Axios reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As recently as Jan. 13, his Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that people who committed violence during the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, should not be pardoned, which he thought was in line with Trumps thinking. Days later, Trump decided he just wanted to get it over with, and that he would pardon everyone as soon as he was sworn ineven though the move promised to be deeply unpopular with the public. Last week, a poll found that a resounding 73 percent of Americans living in the most competitive congressional districts opposed pardoning rioters convicted of assaulting the Capitol police officers, including more than half of Republicans. But Trumps advisers dont think that opposition will translate to any electoral consequences, according to Axios. As far as theyre concerned, the issue was already litigated in November, when voters proved they didnt actually care enough to abandon Trump over the matter. Even the Fraternal Order of Police union, which slammed the pardons on Tuesday, endorsed Trump in the 2024 electiondespite his promise to pardon the rioters. US President Donald Trump said he could impose 10% tariffs on Chinese goods from February 1. China's stock markets fell after Trump's comments, breaking several straight days of gains. Trump had said he could slap tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico from February 1. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed a raft of executive orders and threatened Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs that could come as soon as next month. China got a pass on day one, but the break didn't last long. On Tuesday, his second day in office, Trump said he could impose tariffs on China next month. "We're talking about a tariff of 10% on China, based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump said at a press conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Probably February 1 is the date we're looking at," Trump said. Trump previously threatened 60% tariffs on Chinese goods while on the campaign trail. China is calling for better dialogue and cooperation for mutual benefit. "Keeping business ties sound and stable serves the fundamental interests of both countries and both peoples, it is also conducive to global economic growth," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said at a scheduled press conference on Tuesday. China's stock markets fell on Wednesday following Trump's comments, breaking several straight days of gains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CSI300 Index closed 0.9% lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed 1.6% lower. Trump's consistent threats of tariffs reflect his "American First" trade agenda, which he outlined in a presidential memo on Monday. In the memo, Trump asked the US Trade Representative to assess China's compliance with a trade deal the two countries signed in early 2020 and recommend actions including tariffs as needed. China did not meet the import requirements in the trade deal, economists from Nomura wrote in note on Tuesday. "The concern here is that this gives the Trump administration another reason to impose additional stiff tariffs or trade demands on China to force compliance with the original trade deal," the economists wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Trump also took aim at the European Union. "We have a $350 billion deficit with the European Union. They treat us very very badly, so they're going to be in for tariffs," Trump said. Read the original article on Business Insider DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Local LGBTQ+ groups are pushing back against the Trump administration after the president signed an executive order on Monday declaring that the government will only recognize two genders male and female. This is just one of dozens of executive orders President Trump signed yesterday. Specifically, this order will require the federal government to use the term sex instead of gender, and only recognize two sexes, male and female. Trump signs multiple executive orders on first day Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My administration will defend womens rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female and men are biologically male, the order states. Trump says the order aims to maintain the validity of the entire American system. 2 NEWS spoke with Equitas Health about what this means for the LGBT community in the Miami Valley. Equitas is a regional nonprofit clinic that serves the healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Equitas Health Director of External Affairs Rhea Debussy says an order like this isnt about protecting womens rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protecting womens rights will involve a whole host of other things that actually involve protecting women from things that are harming them in our society, such as tackling pay discrimination and tackling the fact that we still dont have the Equal Rights Amendment. said Dr. Rhea Debussy with Equitas Health. President Trumps order goes against the Biden administrations efforts to be more inclusive when it comes to gender identities for the American people. Under Biden, U.S. Citizens have had the option to choose X as their gender marker on passports. Trumps order, however, directs the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to make sure government-issued IDs like passports, visas and global entry cards reflect the persons biological sex accurately. Trump plans to rename Gulf of Mexico, Denali but can he? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (While similar, sex and gender have different meanings. Sex is defined as the reproductive organs a person is born with, labeled as male or female. Gender is defined as the characteristics, behaviors and roles that society associates with being a woman or man.) Doctors say that if this order goes into full effect, the Miami Valley could see an immediate impact. Not only will the order harm the LGBTQ+ community, but also women and men in need of gender-specific programs, like violence prevention and support programs. It will have some impacts on grant-funded programs that are seeking to support the LGBTQ+ community, said Debussy. So things like gender specific homeless shelters and housing programs. Gender specific intimate partner violence and prevention support programs. The full impact of the new gender order is still unclear, since it was just signed on Monday. There is also the possibility that Congress or the courts could block the order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WDTN.com. (Bloomberg) -- Migrant communities in cities from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles remain on edge after President Donald Trump vowed to start mass deportations and issued orders including handing immigration agents power to enter churches and schools, sites that previously were protected. Most Read from Bloomberg Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump promised that he would crack down on immigration on Day One of his new presidency, with the focus on those who have committed violent crimes. His top Justice Department official, Emil Bove, warned prosecutors they had to comply with Trumps agenda, targeting those in the country illegally, drug traffickers and gangs. But despite the hardline rhetoric and the flurry of executive orders there were few signs of additional enforcement, even as his border czar Tom Homan told Fox News that raids were already happening across the US and that ICE arrested 308 serious criminals on Tuesday. In places such as Chicagos Little Village, shelters in New York and restaurants in Washington, DC, there was anxiety among migrants over what may be coming, with many choosing to stay off the streets. Im afraid, but I have to go outside. I have to work, Diana Medrica, who fled Venezuela with her husband and son a year ago, said outside a shelter in Brooklyn. If immigration shows up I dont know what Ill do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has pledged to enact the largest mass deportation operation in US history, targeting an estimated 11 million people who are in the country illegally. Hes declared a national emergency at the southern border with the AP reporting that the Pentagon will deploy up to 1,500 active duty troops and announced plans to restrict birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, a move that sparked legal challenges from Democratic-led states. In New York, the police department has told officers that its rules block them from participating in immigration enforcement actions conducted by ICE and that requests from federal immigration authorities must undergo legal review before the department provides assistance. Trumps order on Tuesday is a switch from a long-standing policy that restricted US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Protection, from conducting operations at schools, places of worship, hospitals, and events such as weddings and funerals. The rollback eliminates protections meant to ensure immigrants could access essential services without fear of arrest. Olivia Golden, interim executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy, said ending the sensitive-areas policy could destabilize entire communities. It increases the chances of children witnessing the arrest or their parents and raises the stress levels for teachers and caregivers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This action could have devastating consequences for immigrant families and their children, including US citizen children, deterring them from receiving medical attention, seeking out disaster relief, attending school, and carrying out everyday activities, Golden said. The administration also moved to disband the Biden-era Family Reunification Task Force, which worked to reunite children who were split up from their parents under Trumps first-term family separation policy. Roughly 4,600 migrant children were separated from their parents during the Trump administration. As of March, about 70% had been reunited with their families, according to a DHS status report. Amy Fischer, director of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Program at Amnesty International USA, condemned the measures, calling them a return to a harmful, racist, anti-immigrant agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family separation and detention is an inherently cruel practice that results in significant and long-lasting trauma for children, Fischer said. In a separate move, the administration reinstated the controversial Remain in Mexico policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols. The program forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are adjudicated in the US immigration courts. Most migrants subjected to the policy were ultimately denied asylum. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared to accept that the US would be turning back certain migrants to Mexico, implying that it was a unilateral decision. This has nothing to do with the safe third country and all that, but is a statement from the United States government. What do we do about it?, Sheinbaum said in a statement posted to the Mexican governments website on Tuesday. Mexico will act in a humanitarian manner and potentially help non-Mexicans return to their home countries, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Trumps inauguration celebrations on Monday, the administration abruptly ended the CBP One app system, which had allowed migrants to schedule appointments along the southern border. The decision effectively closed legal avenues for most asylum seekers. (Updates with troops sent to the border in seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) President Donald Trump will visit Nevada to thank voters for his election win, he told reporters Tuesday. Trump said he was scheduled to visit North Carolina and Los Angeles on Friday. It was not immediately clear which day Trump would be in Nevada. Im going to Nevada and Im really going to Nevada to thank them for the vote because we won Nevada, overwhelmingly, Trump said. Thats usually a Democrat vote. I just want to go there to thank the people of Nevada for the big for the big vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump won the election in November by 1.5% or about 2 million votes. The president became the first Republican candidate since 2004 to win Nevadas six electoral votes, besting Vice President Kamala Harris by about 46,000 votes. Trump began his second term Monday. He often visited Las Vegas as both a candidate and president. 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. A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPMs Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. We Saw It Coming While Trumps retribution tour is performative, it is also substantive. Real people and real values hurt by the vengeful and vindictive policies and actions that thrill his supporters. A quick rundown of the most notable developments: The Trump administration has removed and reassigned several top career officials in the Justice Departments national security and criminal divisions, according to multiple people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.WaPo Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump terminated the Secret Service detail that was assigned to his former national security adviser John Bolton, Bolton confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.CNN Coast Guard commandant terminated over border lapses, recruitment, DEI focusFox News Trump orders all federal diversity, equity and inclusion employees placed on paid leave starting Wednesday.NBC News It is way too early to know what else has transpired across the vast expanse of the federal government in the first 36 hours since Trump took office. Stay tuned. Jan. 6 Pardons: Day 1 Simply an astounding reversal to the rule of law, the constitutional order, and civil society, with the mass release of hundreds of people convicted of what amounts to political violence: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Tuesday, 211 peopleevery clemency recipientwho had been in federal Bureau of Prisons custody had been released, officials said, a process that took roughly 12 hours.WSJ A rogues gallery of some of the most violent Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump via NBC News Trumps pardons led to the dismissal of a pending case against an alleged rioter who harassed police officers testifying in Jan. 6 cases. Witnesses in the Jan. 6 cases, including police officers, began getting automatic notifications from the Justice Department that the defendants they had testified against are being released from prison. In some instances, that meant multiple notifications for a single witness. Outside the DC jail, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) angled to be the first member of Congress to offer released Jan. 6 rioters a guided tour of the Capitol. Reax To The Jan. 6 Pardons NBC News: People in the Justice Department and legal scholars are calling the move an unprecedented and dangerous use of the pardon power that dealt a crushing blow not just to federal law enforcement, but also to the U.S. justice system. They say it makes a mockery of years of work by FBI agents, prosecutors and federal judges, some of whom Trump appointed, after an effort that included charges against 1,583 defendants, more than 1,000 guilty pleas and more than 200 convictions at trial. Some worry it signals open season for political violence given that 608 of those charged were accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement agents or officers while others fret about the marker laid down for future presidents. Randall Eliason: This is a blueprint for a lawless administration that knows it will not be held accountable for criminal acts. That would include, of course, crimes committed to interfere with the next presidential election to allow the party, if not Trump himself, to stay in power. Trumps team came very close to overturning the 2020 election. No doubt they have learned some lessons and will not repeat the same mistakes. Mapping The Jan. 6 Cases Jan. 6 defendants by state (credit: @jan6thdata.bsky.social A final rundown on the geographic dispersion of the Jan. 6 defendants. A New Corrupt Trump Pardon In pardoning Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the illegal online drug marketplace the Silk Road, Donald Trump openly admitted to ill motives, declaring that he was doing it in part to honor the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly. The Proud Boys Are Back The cascading effects of pardoning some 1,500 insurrectionists remain to be seen. But to researchers, activists and reporters covering extremism in America, the implication was clear: Political violence will be tolerated, and even rewarded, when its carried out on behalf of Trump.HuffPost Elon Musk Watch Take it from right-wing extremists: They loved, in the muted language of the Associated Press, Elon Musks straight-arm gesture. Aileen Cannon Still At It On the first full day of the Trump administration, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the Justice Department from sharing the Mar-a-Lago volume of Special Counsel Jack Smiths report with members of Congress. Trump II Clown Show WSJ: Hegseth Routinely Passed Out From Alcohol Abuse, Witness Says NYT: Senate Questionnaire Sheds Light on Kash Patels Early Years Quote Of The Day We are, quite frankly, the dominant predatorRep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), on Fox Business talking about Americas Manifest Destiny to obtain Greenland Making Sense Of The Trump Executive Orders Mark Nevitt at Just Security: Unpacking Trumps Executive Order on National Emergency at the Southern Border Charlie Savage: [Trump] not only revived some of the same expansive understandings of executive authority that were left unaddressed [from Trump I], but went even further with new claims of sweeping and inherent constitutional clout. WSJ: Pentagon officials are planning options for using federal troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border against drug traffickers, human smugglers and migrants, a potentially major shift in military priorities ordered by President Trump, officials said Tuesday. Pushing Back Against Trump States and advocacy groups have already filed four lawsuits to block implementation of Trumps executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship. The first hearing in those cases is likely to be in Seattle in front of U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, an 83-year-old Reagan appointee. The National Treasury Employees Union has sued to block Trumps executive order reimposing Schedule F and limiting civil service protections. Memorable Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., addressed President Trump directly during a prayer service Tuesday at National Cathedral, beseeching him to show mercy to the people he is marginalizing, including immigrants and people who identify as LGBTQ: Vice President J.D. Vances squirming and sneering was notable, as was the refusal of his wife to engage with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump went off on the bishop overnight, calling her ungracious, nasty, and not compelling or smart. It was the reaction of Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), though, that was most indicative of the current moment: He publicly called for the bishop to be deported. Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know! NEW YORK A new court filing from federal prosecutors undercuts Mayor Eric Adams argument that his criminal case resulted from political retribution. Interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon said the mayors claim of payback from the Biden administration disintegrated when discovery made clear that the investigation into Adams began more than a year earlier, based on concrete evidence that Adams had accepted illegal campaign contributions. The response, included in Sassoons submission to U.S. District Judge Dale Ho on Wednesday, contradicts the mayors central thesis: that former President Joe Biden targeted him for his criticism over the White Houses handling of migrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump who has been receptive to Adams case, citing his own federal indictments has floated the possibility of pardoning Adams, who faces reelection on June 24. And Adams has been cozying up to Trump lately, dining with him in Florida on Friday and then attending his inauguration Monday. Adams has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Alex Spiro, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spiro has hinted at the timeline of the investigation in court filings, and the probes origins have been included in news reports. But Sassoons filing marks the first instance of the government explicitly pushing back against the mayors claims of a revanchist Department of Justice. The letter is especially notable because Trump, who blames a vindictive Biden for his own legal troubles, appointed Sassoon to be the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York on an interim basis Tuesday a break from standard practice. Typically, the previous U.S. attorneys deputy leads the department until the presidents permanent pick is confirmed by the Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has appointed Jay Clayton to lead the Manhattan-based office. A confirmation hearing for the former head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has yet to be scheduled. Sassoon had been co-chief of the criminal appeals unit under Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who also featured prominently in Wednesdays filing. On Jan. 16, Williams penned an opinion piece lamenting corruption at City Hall and lackluster leadership elsewhere in the state, immediately sending the political class into speculation about whether the former litigator would run for office. A new website promoting Williams only stoked those conversations further. In response, Spiro accused Williams of bringing the case against Adams to further his own political career and, in the process, tainting a future jury pool. He asked the judge to consider the op-ed when mulling whether to dismiss the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Williams brought a meritless case against a political rival to bolster his own immediate candidacy for office, potentially including Mayor of New York City, Spiro wrote in a Jan. 18 letter to the judge. Sassoon had an answer for that Wednesday, too, indicating that Williams essay has had no bearing on the case. Williams did not cause Adams to be investigated, she wrote. The evidence of Adamss crimes was uncovered by career law enforcement officers performing their duties, in an investigation that began before Williams took office and, as observed above, continued after he left. Hours after the governments filing became public, the judge denied the mayors motion to dismiss the case. Ho also noted he reviewed Williams piece and found nothing amiss. In the op-ed, Mr. Williams provides hyperlinks to several prosecutions brought during his tenure as U.S. Attorney, including those of federal and state elected officials, but none concern Mayor Adams, Ho wrote. In fact, the majority of the statements in the op-ed that Mayor Adams claims are problematic concern New York State rather than New York City politics. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order granting a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, founder of the controversial Silk Road darknet marketplace. The announcement was made via a post on Truth Social, where Trump expressed his gratitude to Ulbricht's mother and acknowledged support from the Libertarian Movement. Ulbricht was serving two life sentences plus an additional 40 years after being convicted in 2015 on multiple charges, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiracy to distribute narcotics. His arrest by the FBI in October 2013 stemmed from his role in facilitating the sale of illegal products and services on Silk Road, which notably utilized Bitcoin for transactions. This association contributed to early perceptions of Bitcoin's links to criminal activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Free Ross campaign, representing Ulbrichts family, shared their gratitude on social media, stating, Words cannot express how grateful we are. President Trump is a man of his word and he just saved Ross's life. Advocates for Ulbricht had long argued that his sentence was excessively harsh, viewing his actions through a lens of libertarian ideals centered on free markets and personal freedom. During his presidential campaign, Trump had pledged to commute Ulbrichts sentence on his first day in office if re-elected. Following Trumps victory over Kamala Harris in the November election, prominent figures in the cryptocurrency community reminded him of this commitment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the pardon, Trump had previously announced intentions to create a strategic Bitcoin stockpile and appoint a cryptocurrency-friendly SEC Chair. The pardon marks a pivotal moment for Ulbricht's supporters, who have campaigned for his release for years, citing the impact of his work on the cryptocurrency landscape. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Donald Trumps second term is officially underway. Hes using a series of executive actions in these first few days to carry out his agenda. President Trumps latest executive order aims to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion offices in the federal government. Its one of dozens of actions since being sworn in Monday. We had a great first term, but were going to have an even better second term, said Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump announced a $500 billion private investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure Tuesday night. Were starting off with tremendous investment coming into our country, said Trump. Hes also starting off with a slew of executive orders targeting illegal immigration and boosting energy production. Nothing that President Trump did on Day One lowered grocery prices, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Democrats, like senators Chuck Schumer and Tim Kaine, slammed the presidents moves, especially his pardoning of roughly 1500 January sixth rioters. The Jan. 6 pardons are an abomination, said Kaine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even some Republicans, like North Carolinas Thom Tillis, say they were caught off guard. Was surprising to me that it was a blanket pardon, said Tillis. While the president implements his plans by pen Congress is working to confirm his cabinet. Former senator Marco Rubio was sworn in as secretary of state Tuesday. He said hes focused on advancing American interests. Anything that makes us stronger or safer or more prosperous, said Rubio. Secretary Rubio is the first to be confirmed to the presidents cabinet. There are still several others waiting for a vote in the Senate, that could happen later this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. (This story has been updated with new information.) Twenty-eight Hoosiers accused in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, will likely have their charges relating to that day wiped away. President Donald Trump in one of his first acts in office pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in the attack and also commuted the sentences of those still fulfilling their punishment. The White House has not yet released a full list of those being pardoned, but ultimately, many or all Indiana residents who took part could see their records cleared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors filed motions to dismiss the six ongoing cases when the executive order was issued. All of those dismissals have been granted. Three men incarcerated for violent crimes on Jan. 6, 2021, have also been set free. Dale Huttle of Crown Point, who assaulted two officers with a flagpole, was released on Jan. 20, 2025. Mark Mazza of Shelbyville and Curtis Logan Tate of Jefferson were both released the following day. Mazza brought a loaded revolver to the Capitol, and Tate struck a police officer with a metal baton. More: How Indiana's Jan. 6 defendants reacted to potential pardon Jan. 6 defendants from Indiana Nancy Barron From: Patriot Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May 2024, a federal judge sentenced Barron to three years on probation after a jury found her guilty of her charges. Investigators said Barron turned herself in after telling police she had entered the Capitol that day. She was then charged with several nonviolent offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. James Link Behymer and Donald Lee Moss From: Hope and Elizabethtown In October 2024, James Link Behymer and his alleged accomplice, Donald Moss, pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers during the Capitol breach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pair were accused of physically confronting police officers on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol as law enforcement ordered the mob to move back. Behymer was seen on body camera footage grabbing an officers baton and pushing other law enforcement officials hands away. Moss conceded to investigators that he struck and pushed law enforcement while outside the Capitol, including using a chair to block them from closing a door to the U.S. Senate wing. Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed the case without prejudice on Jan. 22, 2025, writing in her order that "no pardon can change the tragic truth of what happened on January 6, 2021." Dona Sue Bissey From: Bloomfield Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bissey was sentenced in October 2021 to two weeks of incarceration, 60 hours of community service and a $500 fine after pleading guilty to one of her charges of entering the Capitol during the riot. Bissey was at the Capitol that day with her friend and fellow Hoosier, Anna Morgan-Lloyd, who became the first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced in the country. Eric Cantrell, Jared Cantrell, Quentin Cantrell From: Greenwood and Indianapolis Jared Cantrell and his two cousins were accused of illegally entering the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, after surveillance footage and social media posts showed the men taking selfies in the Rotunda and climbing over the West Terrace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through plea deals or jury trials, each has been convicted for entering the building. On March 27, 2023, Eric Cantrell was sentenced to three months of probation, 40 hours of community service and $1,510 in fines and restitution. A month later, Jared Cantrell was found guilty of his charges and sentenced to six months of incarceration followed by a year on supervised release, 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay $500 in restitution and another $8,060 in fines. Quentin Cantrell was sentenced to six days of incarceration, a year on probation, $500 in restitution and $6,035 in fines the same month. Michael Greene From: Indianapolis Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greene, accused of being an operations leader hired by the far-right Oath Keepers group, was ordered to two years' probation in July 2023 after being found guilty of entering a restricted building. He was acquitted of his more serious alleged offenses in what the Associated Press described as a rare setback for prosecutors. Prosecutors accused Greene of conspiring with the Oath Keepers in breaching the U.S. Capitol, a claim Greene denied during his trial. The federal judge overseeing the case went against the recommended one year behind bars, arguing Greene did not enter the Capitol building, nor did he have a major presence in the groups chats, the report states. Ian Horvath From: Plymouth In May 2023, Horvath was ordered to serve three years of probation after pleading guilty to entering the Capitol during the breach, telling investigators he live-streamed the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still surveillance footage photos showed Horvath inside the Capitol for 30 minutes wearing a furry hat with a raccoon tail. He was then seen exiting the building and telling other rioters, Come on in, all are welcome. Horvath pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Dale Huttle From: Crown Point Dale Huttle and his nephew, Matthew Huttle, were each sentenced to prison for their involvement during the breach, which included the elder Huttle striking police officers. Court documents state he was captured on surveillance footage among a crowd on the Lower West Terrace trying to push a bike rack placed by officers as a barrier. He was then seen holding a U.S. flagpole and striking two officers on the steps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June 2024, Dale Huttle was ordered to two and a half years behind bars, followed by two years on supervised release after pleading guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Huttle was released from prison on Jan. 20, 2025. Matthew Huttle From: Hebron Matthew Huttle was arrested after investigators say he was seen on video inside the Capitol building going into multiple offices, the Crypt area and hallways. He was sentenced in November 2023 to six months in prison and a year on supervised release after pleading guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building, a lower charge than issued to his uncle, Dale Huttle, whom he traveled with that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police fatally shot Huttle during a traffic stop Jan. 26, 2025. The shooting occurred about 4:15 p.m. after a deputy with the Jasper County Sheriffs Department stopped Huttle's vehicle near the Pulaski County line, according to a release sent out by Indiana State Police. While the deputy was attempting to arrest Huttle, an altercation broke out between them, resulting in the deputy shooting Huttle, according to ISP. The initial investigation found that Huttle had a firearm in his possession. More: Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter killed by police in northern Indiana traffic stop Kash Lee Kelly From: Hammond Court records state Kelly posted photos of himself on social media climbing a wall at the U.S. Capitol, in one caption stating the day we let the Traitors who constantly push the divide in OUR country know that we are done playing their games." He was sentenced in November 2022 to 60 days in prison after entering a plea to one count of violent and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Troy Koen From: Brownsburg Koen pleaded guilty in November 2024 to assaulting law enforcement officers after investigators say he was seen yanking away a barricade and using a flagpole to jab toward police during the Capitol breach. A criminal complaint stated surveillance footage showed Koen using the pole donned with Trump 2020 and Confederate flags to jab double doors in the Lower West Terrace tunnel and help break the glass. As rioters pushed into the crowd, Koen continued to jab at the officer line. Koen's sentencing hearing was just over a month away when the judge dismissed his case on Jan. 21, 2025. David Scott Kuntz From: Elizabeth Kuntz was taken into custody after being identified in video footage in a restricted area of the U.S. Capitol wearing a black tactical vest, according to a criminal complaint. According to the FBI, Kuntz was seen watching rioters breach the grounds outside an entry on the Upper West Terrace and calling out (explicit) the police. He is associated with the Three Percenters, an extremist ideology falling within the larger antigovernment militia movement, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Investigators said that in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, Kuntz on social media mentioned going to Washington, D.C., fully armed and making a stand. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to impede or injure an officer. His case was dismissed on Jan. 21, 2025. Mark Mazza From: Shelbyville Mazza was arrested after police say they retrieved his gun on the Capitols grounds following the riot and traced the weapon to him. Investigators said they further found him among the crowd on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to break into the West Front Terrace. In October 2022, Mazza was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting, resisting and impeding officers with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license. Mazza reported the gun stolen to Shelbyville police two days after the Capitol breach, claiming it was taken from his car at a Hard Rock casino in Ohio. Mazza was released from prison on Jan. 21, 2025. Gregory Mijares From: Crown Point Capitol surveillance footage showed Mijares was among the first rioters to pursue police in the Lower West Terrace, according to a criminal complaint. Investigators in the report said Mijares was seen wearing a gas mask and pursuing officers, then pulling open a broken glass door and ushering other rioters in. He was indicted on seven counts including felony civil disorder. On Jan. 23, 2025, Mijares' case was dismissed without prejudice. "No stroke of a pen and no proclamation can alter the facts of what took place on January 6, 2021," Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote in the dismissal order. Anna Morgan-Lloyd From: Bloomfield Morgan-Lloyd made history as the first person to be sentenced in the Jan. 6 breach. In June 2021, she was sentenced to three years of probation after entering a plea in which she penned a note to the judge about her remorse for how the day turned violent. Morgan-Lloyd traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend Donald Trumps rally that day with her friend, Dona Sue Bissey. One day after her apology in court, Morgan-Lloyd appeared on Fox News and downplayed the breach. Where I was at, we see nobody damage anything. People were actually very polite, she said. Jeffrey Munger From: Goshen Munger, according to a criminal complaint, told investigators he climbed through a broken window to enter the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. He told police the crowd behind him was pushing him into a corner and the only way to leave was through the building. Surveillance footage showed him leaving 14 minutes later. Munger was sentenced to 30 months of probation in October 2022 after pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Arthur Reyher and Jessica Reyher From: Brownsburg The Indiana couple were among the first rioters to enter the tunnel on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and push against a wall of police officers. On Nov. 6, 2023, the Reyhers pleaded guilty to a felony offense of civil disorder. Arthur Reyher was sentenced to eight months in prison. Jessica Reyher was sentenced to 90 days in prison in February 2024. The Reyhers were also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to each pay $2,000 in restitution. Jonathan Ace Sanders Sr. From: Vincennes Sanders was arrested after the FBI received a tip that he bragged during his shift at a bakery about being just 70 feet away from where Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot by Capitol police during the riot. Investigators following up on the lead said Sanders told them he traveled to Washington, D.C., that day and entered the Capitol building. He pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building and was sentenced to three years of probation in November 2021. Jon Ryan Schaffer From: Columbus The heavy metal guitarist was charged after being photographed arguing with police and holding a can of bear spray in the building. Schaffer, an Iced Earth guitarist, surrendered to the FBI 10 days after the riot. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol to obstruct Congress certification of the U.S. presidential election results in 2021, marking the first Jan. 6 defendant to enter an agreement. In his plea, Schaffer admitted to being one of the founders of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing militia group that describes itself as a non-partisan association of current and formerly serving military, police and first responders. Schaffer was not charged in the Justice Departments conspiracy case against the organization. Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation on Oct. 25, 2024, more than three years after his guilty plea. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and restitution. Curtis Logan Tate From: Jeffersonville According to police, Tate was seen striking a police officer and charging more law enforcement officials near the U.S. Capitol. Body camera footage and surveillance videos showed him entering the Lower West Terrace tunnel and using a metal baton to strike an officer. He was then seen waving the baton, destroying property and throwing items at police, according to a criminal complaint. Tate was sentenced in July 2024 to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting law enforcement. He was released from prison on Jan. 21, 2025. Israel Tutrow From: Greenfield The Greenfield man was arrested after being seen moving in and out of the U.S. Capitol wearing a distinct black beanie with TRUMP lettering during the riot, according to court documents. Tutrow entered a plea to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. He was sentenced in December 2021 to three years of probation. Annie Vo From: Fishers The Fishers mom and her son were charged in the Jan. 6 riot after police said the pair were seen entering the building on Jan. 6. Annie Vo was arrested on March 7, 2024, on four counts tied to the riot, including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. Her son, Antony Vo, was sentenced to prison for his participation at the Capitol but absconded to Canada instead of reporting for his sentence. Antony Vo From: Bloomington The former Indiana University student was found guilty of entering the U.S. Capitol and disorderly conduct in the Jan. 6 riot, having been seen in photographs posing with his mother inside the building. A jury found him guilty in September 2023 on his charges of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Vo was sentenced in April 2024 to nine months in prison followed by a year of supervised release but did not report to the correctional facility and remained a federal fugitive until he was arrested on Jan. 6, 2025, in Canada. In November 2024, he'd told a reporter with WISH that he was seeking asylum and expected to be pardoned by Trump. On Jan. 15, 2025, a new case was filed against Vo, alleging failure to surrender for service of sentence pursuant to a court order. Joshua Wagner From: Indianapolis Wagner was charged in the Jan. 6 riot after law enforcement released a photo of him on a wanted poster. He would become the second Hoosier taken into custody for storming the U.S. Capitol. Police said Wagner and his friend and another defendant, Israel Tutrow, were seen inside the Capitol building that day. Wagner was sentenced to 30 days incarceration in February 2022 for a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. William Lance Wilkerson From: Bedford Charging documents showed Wilkersons Facebook comments, security camera images from the Capitol and cellphone records led to his arrest in the Jan. 6 riot. Closed-circuit television footage captured six photographs of him inside the building wearing an olive green jacket. He was sentenced in November 2023 to two years probation after pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Contact IndyStar reporter at Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com and Ryan Murphy at rhmurphy@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: President Trump grants Jan. 6 pardons to Hoosiers A pro-Trump mob breaks into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C., hoping to overturn the outcome of the presidential election (Win McNamee/Getty Images). In the first hours of his second term, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly everyone convicted of crimes associated with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol including former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and commuted the sentences of 14 more, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. CNN reported that nearly 1,600 people have been charged and about 1,300 have been convicted of crimes committed on that day. There are about 300 cases still active and unresolved, CNN reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Washington Post analysis, 14 leaders of far-right militant groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys have been convicted of seditious conspiracy. And 379 people have been charged with felony assault; most of them have been convicted already. though some are still awaiting trial. Trump also ordered the Justice Department to dismiss all pending indictments against Jan. 6 defendants. To understand the situation, Jeff Inglis, a politics editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with John E. Jones III, a retired federal judge who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously by the Senate in 2002. Jones is now president of Dickinson College. Whats the difference between a pardon and a commutation? A pardon essentially wipes away the offense and restores the constitutional rights that a person convicted of a federal felony crime would be deprived of, such as the right to vote and to travel unimpeded. Technically, it does not mean theyre not guilty of the offense, but it washes away all the consequences of the offense. A pardon can be anticipatory, but in most cases historically its given after a person has been convicted of a crime, or at least charged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A commutation means that, essentially, the president believes the sentence is too harsh or too long. The commutation could either let somebody out of jail immediately and terminate their sentence or could shorten the amount of time remaining for them to serve. The key difference is that a commutation doesnt change the fact of a conviction and doesnt wash away the consequences. What do judges think about a president exercising the power to pardon and commute? There have been instances historically where judges probably have agreed with commutations and pardons. Its typically not ever top of mind when you sentence people that someone is going to commute that sentence or pardon. Its a pretty rare occurrence. I will say that in my experience, if someone was angling for a commutation or pardon without any sense of gratitude or remorse, that would be more difficult to swallow for the judge who passed the sentence. What do judges think about Trumps actions in these Jan. 6 cases? In many cases, these judges sentenced the offenders to less than what the government was asking for. They gave them a break and went below the advisory sentencing guidelines that judges have to consult when they pass sentence. Theyre not mandatory, but judges have to explain why theyve sentenced outside the guidelines when they pass sentences. The Department of Justice wanted sentences at the upper end of the guidelines because of the conduct of the individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to Jan. 6 offenders, not only do I think they received appropriate due process, but in some cases, I believe they received excessive due process. For example, look at the case of a person from Pennsylvania named Joseph W. Fischer. Fischer is a former police officer, and he was charged, among other things, with obstructing the business of Congress by damaging or destroying items. He argued that his actions did not meet the criteria of obstructing Congress and took his case all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided with Fischer. He had access to the courts. He had good lawyers. He took the case all the way up and was able to rid himself of that particular charge. I think the judges were fully capable and did, in fact, sentence according to the degree of conduct of the offenders. Youre a retired federal judge. How does this action of pardoning and commutation of this group of people make you think about the justice system? Two of the purposes of sentencing are deterrence and respect for the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taking deterrence first, imagine you are an individual who believes that taking the law into your own hands and attempting to interfere with the business of government is the right way to proceed when you disagree with the result. The message that blanket pardons or commutations sends is essentially: You can get away with those actions without penalty, because your benefactor is going to save you in the end. Respect for the law is another aspect. What Im hearing from a number of incarcerated folks who say they expect to be pardoned or have their sentences commuted is that they dont believe theyve done anything wrong. Might those same individuals engage in similar behavior at another time, thinking that they can do that with impunity? I think Trump is going to make these people into martyrs and heroes, and to my mind, that flies in the face of the facts of these cases. How do you think about Trumps Jan. 6 pardons and commutations alongside the pardons and commutations that former President Joe Biden issued on the way out the door? Its really troublesome. Setting aside my judicial career and history and career in the law, the fact of the matter is, the general public just sees dozens and dozens, if not hundreds, of pardons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is probably true that were seeing an overuse of the pardon power at this point, maybe more than weve ever seen in history. I think Biden pardoning his family members was bad for him. If youre going to do it, do it in the light of day. Theres still a bad taste in many peoples mouths about Hunter Bidens pardon. I see the point: Hes taking Trumps threats of retribution seriously. The Justice Department could convene grand juries and investigate folks, and whether they were bona fide charges or not, it would cost them millions of dollars in legal fees. In the case of Hunter Biden, I guess any parent has empathy. Its his son, and he had the power to do it. Its sort of a tortured situation. But then I think about all of us on Jan. 6, 2021, turning on the TV and seeing something that weve never seen before in history. It is rare that something happens for the first time in history, and that searing image is stuck in a lot of folks brains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think you absolutely can logically and factually differentiate them. But I dont know if thats whats going to happen in the court of public opinion. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. WASHINGTON Donald Trump incurred no legal consequences for his Jan. 6, 2021, attempted coup, and now members of his mob who assaulted police officers in his name that day will no longer be held accountable, either. Within hours of swearing to protect and defend the Constitution in his oath of office, Trump on Monday freed from federal prison hundreds of his followers who had been convicted of beating, kicking, punching, bear-spraying and otherwise attacking police officers to help him remain in power, despite having lost reelection what authoritarian experts describe as a self-coup. Authoritarianism is the conversion of rule of law into rule by the lawless. He needs the people with those skill sets on his side, said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Added Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson: He is sending a signal that he will take care of anyone who will fight for him. As Trump signed an order granting the mass release, he repeated falsehoods about the Jan. 6 criminals who by their actions meet the definition of domestic terrorists that he and his allies have been spreading for three years, including that prosecutors were imprisoning an elderly grandmother merely for protesting. He continued to lie to reporters about Jan. 6 in the White House Tuesday, even claiming that some jurisdictions in this country do not prosecute murderers, while maintaining that his supporters had been punished too harshly. Theyve served years in jail and their lives have been ruined, he said, and then added that he thought that the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militia groups members of which have been convicted of violence or seditious conspiracy were actually great patriots. These were people who actually love their country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fact, the vast majority of protesters who merely trespassed that day and did not engage in violence were not charged with felonies and did not receive jail time. A HuffPost analysis of sentencings of the Jan. 6 defendants tracked by The Prosecution Project found that the median sentence for 534 nonviolent offenders whose cases had been completed was zero time behind bars, and that the average sentence was 4.3 months. In contrast, the median sentence for 319 defendants convicted of violent offenses was 30 months in prison, with an average of 38 months. They included Trump supporters like Andrew Taake, who received 74 months at a federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, for pepper-spraying police officers and hitting one with a metal whip. And Christopher Alberts, who got 84 months in the federal prison in Milan, Michigan, for carrying a loaded 9mm pistol onto Capitol grounds and hitting police officers with a wooden pallet. And Steven Cappuccio, who got 85 months in the federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas, after beating an officer with such ferocity, including with the officers own baton, that he held his cellphone in his mouth so he could use both of his hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three, and hundreds more, won their freedom with full pardons, meaning they will have all their rights restored, including the right to own firearms. Trump also released from prison 14 members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, but used commutations, not pardons, so their criminal records will not be expunged. How many precisely are to be freed is unclear. The Bureau of Prisons, now under Trumps control, did not respond to a HuffPost query. However, the Department of Justice earlier this month reported that about 600 individuals had been charged with assaulting or impeding a police officer, and a database created and maintained by NPR showed 418 cases of assault and violence. Trump White House aides did not respond to HuffPost queries asking why Trump released violent criminals who attacked police officers, a group that Trump claims to support. The comprehensive pardons contradicted assurances from Vice President JD Vance, who on Jan. 12 told Fox News: If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump himself suggested the same in interviews before the November election when he said those who were out of control on Jan. 6 or who were radical, crazy would not get pardons. Amanda Carpenter, a former Republican aide in the Senate who is now with the Protect Democracy nonprofit, said that his release of those willing to attack police officers and commit other violence on his behalf should not have been surprising, given that Trump repeatedly honored them at his rallies. Hes been signaling hes going to do this since he started his 2024 campaign, she said. Trump could have issued a blanket pardon for all the eventual Jan. 6 offenders in the two-week span between Jan. 6 and the day he left the White House for his South Florida country club. At the time, though, he was focused on avoiding potential criminal charges against himself, as well as a Senate conviction on his impeachment for inciting the attack. Had enough GOP senators joined with Democratic colleagues, they could have banned Trump from federal office forever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, Trump read a speech, prepared with input from White House lawyers, in which he scolded the insurrectionists and promised that they would be prosecuted. To those who broke the law, you will pay, he said. His own lawyers claimed during his impeachment trial in the Senate that Trump did not approve of what happened. He, like the rest of the Country, was horrified at the violence, they wrote in a Feb. 8, 2021 brief. While the House impeached Trump on a bipartisan vote, not enough Senate Republicans voted with Democrats to convict Trump with the necessary two-thirds majority. Within weeks, Trump was back to claiming that the 2020 election was stolen from him a lie he continues to repeat to this day. Later in 2021, Tucker Carlson, at the time Fox News top rated primetime host, produced a lie-filled series that claimed the FBI had staged the Jan. 6 attack as a false flag. Trump subsequently began claiming that his followers had done nothing wrong that day and were hostages and political prisoners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A year later, Trump participated in a recording of the Star-Spangled Banner with a number of his supporters who were in the District of Columbia jail. Trump read the Pledge of Allegiance aloud and his words were interspliced with the inmates singing. A Just Security analysis of the jail roster that day found that 17 out of the 20 were either charged with or had already been convicted of assaulting a police officer. By the time he had won the GOP nomination in spring 2024, most elected Republicans had already bought into the propaganda version of Jan. 6. Trumps release of those ready to engage in violence to do his bidding was merely the closing chapter, Carpenter and other democracy advocates said. Pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters was his first and most important campaign promise, she said. What this does is create a license of more political violence in the future. Related... (Bloomberg) -- In Donald Trumps first 36 hours back in the White House, he threatened to slap tariffs on the USs top four trading partners starting as soon as next week. Most Read from Bloomberg But after a campaign in which he promised far bigger and broader levies, the fact that he didnt actually impose any was enough to allay some critics worst fears about his plans, with many reading the latest threats as just negotiating ploys. At least for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buried in the dense language of Trumps executive order on trade were potentially sweeping changes in how the US does trillions of dollars of business with the world. He ordered studies on how to overhaul many of the rules that have governed US trade policy for decades. Theyre essentially setting the stage for future tariff actions, said Scott Lincicome, vice president at the Cato Institute. All this kind of sigh of relief, he added, strikes me as a bit premature. For his part, Trump hasnt tempered his public enthusiasm for imposing sweeping tariffs to raise revenue, reshape trade flows and as leverage for other foreign policy goals. His threats so far against Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union fall into that last category. With the North American neighbors, Trump has said hes looking for more cooperation to stem the flow of migrants and drugs across the border. From Beijing, he also wants more steps to cut fentanyl traffic, as well as a deal on TikTok, which is facing a ban on operations in the US. He wants European allies to spend more on defense and go easier with taxes and regulations on US companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Lincicome, the combination of Trumps daily public threats with the methodical work kicked off by the executive order is the way that they can get to where Trump wants on using tariffs, but do so in a more systematic way. That gives Trump kind of a loaded weapon to run around the world for the next few months and say, If you dont do what I want on fentanyl or whatever, Im going to launch a bunch of tariffs, he said. Trump invoked his tax-and-tariff playbook against Russia Wednesday to pressure it to end the war in Ukraine even though Moscow is already under heavy sanctions blocking most trade with the US. The executive order signed Monday also opened the way to using tariffs for the other purposes his team has outlined. Trump ordered an investigation into unfair and unbalanced trade, as well as the economic and national security implications and currency manipulation by trade partners. Even tax rules were thrown in as possible trade tools. Reports on those topics from cabinet departments are due by April 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You could call it the blueprint and the foundation for the tariffs and trade policies that may or may not emerge over the next 100 days, White House Trade Counselor Peter Navarro told Fox Business on Tuesday. Youve got discussions about the universal baseline tariff. Youve got discussions about the USMCA, which needs to be reviewed in 2026, he said, referring to the trade deal with Canada and Mexico. And action may come before the reports are due. I dont see this memorandum certainly as precluding taking action before the reporting deadlines., said Greta Peisch, a partner at law firm Wiley Rein. I think that thats still a possibility. Administration officials have big hopes for using tariffs to raise revenue as they go into what are likely to be tough negotiations with legislators on extending Trumps first-term tax cuts and delivering on other costly campaign promises. There is therefore a fiscal incentive to announce tariffs ahead of new tax legislation, Deutsche Bank AG analysts wrote on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But after promising to create an External Revenue Service to collect all the tariff revenue he plans to raise, Trump in his executive order merely ordered a feasibility study on the issue. At the same time, the lack of immediate action on China, which had been a prime target of Trumps threats during the campaign, has reassured some. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists called his tone on China notably less hawkish and dialed back its estimated probability for a major hike in levies, though they still kept it a base case. Higher global tariffs, they said, are a lower priority than we would have expected. Trump began his first term by threatening to withdraw from the USMCAs predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement, before putting tariffs on steel from the EU and placing duties on hundreds of billions of dollars in imports from China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trajectory for tariff hikes and talks is likely to be bumpy, as we experienced in trade-dispute 1.0, Citigroup Inc.s Xiangrong Yu said in a note to clients this week. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid for wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles unless California leaders change the state's approach on its management of water. In a Fox News Channel interview on Wednesday, Trump repeated false claims that the state's fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. He says the blame for Los Angeles' struggles to tame some of the deadly fires lies with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a political foe who has called for partnership and mutual respect as the state fights the blazes. I dont think we should give California anything until they let the water run down, Trump said in an interview with Fox's Sean Hannity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president leveled the threat as he prepares for the first presidential trip of his second term. On Friday, he will visit Southern California in addition to western North Carolina, which is recovering after Hurricane Helene pummeled the area more than three months ago. Trump in the interview also called for reform of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, claiming it is getting in the way of everything." Id rather see the states take care of their own problems, he said. He did not elaborate on his proposed reforms, only saying that the agency is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly. In other developments for the new administration, Trump met Wednesday with a small contingent of the most politically endangered House Republicans as the party struggles to agree on a strategy for implementing the tax cuts and other priorities that it promised voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting happened as Trump tried to advance other priorities during the first week of his second term. Roughly 160 aides at the National Security Council were sent home while it is determined whether they align with Trump's agenda. The Pentagon has begun deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to support border security efforts. The American people have been waiting for such a time as this," said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, met with Senate Republicans to update them on plans for deportations and reinstating Title 42, a policy that was put in place during the coronavirus pandemic to stop border crossings. Although Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, they have only thin majorities on Capitol Hill, and there are disagreements on how to move forward with so many issues on the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's meeting unfolded amid a series of private listening sessions with House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose ability to unite his conference will be sorely tested in the weeks and months ahead. Trump has held his own dinners with Republican lawmakers at Mar-a-Lago, and he's preparing to address them next week at their private retreat in Doral, Florida, where the president owns a resort. "Were working very closely in close coordination with the White House because this is an America First agenda that takes both of those branches of government to work in tandem, Johnson said Wednesday at a news conference. Trump on Wednesday also announced his picks for U.S. Secret Service director and European Union ambassador. Hes nominating former fast food executive Andrew Puzder to serve as his EU envoy and Secret Service veteran Sean Curran as his pick to head the U.S. Secret Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Puzder, a former chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Carls Jr. and Hardees restaurants, was nominated by Trump to serve as labor secretary early in his first term, but abruptly withdrew his nomination after Senate Republicans balked at supporting him, in part over taxes he belatedly paid on a former housekeeper not authorized to work in the U.S. Puzder didnt pay taxes on the housekeeper until after Trump nominated him to the Cabinet post and five years after he had fired the worker. Curran was among the agents who rushed to Trumps aid after he was shot in the ear in a failed assassination attempt at a July campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He served as the assistant special agent in charge of the presidential protective division during Trumps first term. In a posting on Truth Social, Trump praised Curran for his fearless courage during the Pennsylvania assassination attempt. Sean has distinguished himself as a brilliant leader, who is capable of directing and leading operational security plans for some of the most complex Special Security Events in the History of our Country, and the World, Trump said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump in the Fox News interview also suggested he would like to see investigations into former President Joe Biden. Trump is the first president to be convicted of a felony in a case relating to business records of hush money payments and had faced criminal charges over his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Its really hard to say that they shouldnt have to go through it also, he says. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -Its the first full day of the Trump administration and the new president and his team are busy trying to implement his agenda. Trump is expected to announce billions of dollars of private sector investment to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in the U.S. The new president started his morning with a National Prayer Service where one of the faith leaders made a plea to the president to protect LGBTQ people and immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now, said The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. President Trump is already reshaping the federal workforce, promising to dismiss over 1,000 workers who were appointed under President Biden. The Senate is working to quickly confirm his cabinet starting with former senator Marco Rubio, who was confirmed as Secretary of State late Monday night and sworn in Tuesday morning. He says hes ready to lead a foreign policy focused on advancing American interests. Anything that makes us stronger or safer or more prosperous. And that will be our mission, said Rubio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president already signed dozens of executive orders on priorities like restricting immigration and boosting energy production, but hes also leaning on the Republican controlled Congress to pass bills to enact his agenda. He met in the Oval Office with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). President Trump has brought a new direction to Washington and yesterday, marked the beginning of a new era, said Thune. Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer is already criticizing the new administration. Nothing the president did on Day One lowered grocery prices. Nothing helped Americans achieve their dream of owning a home, said Schumer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the executive orders Trump signed are already facing legal challenges. The ACLU says theyre suing over the presidents attempt to end birthright citizenship. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. President Donald Trumps reversal on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok has led to dramatic 180-degree turns from Republican supporters, most prominently by his national security adviser Mike Waltz, a former Florida congressman. During his first term, Trump initiated an effort to ban TikTok in the United States unless it was sold. But on Monday, shortly after he was inaugurated, Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban which became law after it passed Congress and was signed by President Joe Biden for 75 days. He said he wants the app to continue to operate in the U.S. and invited Shou Chew, the CEO of TikTok owner ByteDance, to his inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waltz backed Trump in his decision to keep TikTok alive, telling Fox News on Sunday that Trump will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark. The app, Waltz continued, was a great platform for him and his campaign to get his America First message out. Waltz, of Florida, is a longtime China hawk who carved out a reputation opposing the influence of the Peoples Republic of China. He was one of 197 Republicans who voted in March to ban TikTok from operating in the U.S., unless it was sold, in the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act later signed into law by Biden. In 2023, Waltz called the video-based app CCP spyware, referring to the Chinese Communist Partys ownership of ByteDance. A year ago, before the vote to ban the app, his campaign sent out an email stating he was extremely disturbed that our kids are being inundated with pro-terrorist messaging on TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im taking action to STOP this new wave of terrorist sympathy in America, Waltz wrote. The ban was set to go into effect on Sunday, the day before Trump returned to office. But increased opposition to it from both Trump and some Democrats, worried about the effect it would have on Generation Z voters, led Biden to say he would not enforce the ban on his last day in power. But TikTok shut down temporarily on Saturday evening anyway, showing some users the politically-charged message, We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned! The app returned to operation on Sunday, telling users, As a result of President Trumps efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., who voted against the ban last year, wrote on social media that the TikTok issue was a massive political blunder on our end. Lets be clear: the whole thing is a con, Frost wrote. TikTok couldve kept the app rolling on Sunday but by shutting down & mentioning Trump, he gets to be the savior. One of many examples of companies & billionaires bowing down. Its BS. But its also the reality. While keeping TikTok alive, Trump also implied he would try to force ByteDance to sell 50% of the company to the federal government, according to Reuters, with the threat of Chinese tariffs behind it. Speculation has also pointed to X owner Elon Musk as a potential U.S. buyer for TikTok. Republicans appear to remain mixed on the issue. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said state Attorney General Ashley Moody, whom he chose to succeed Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate, has been integral in our states effort to defend Florida against Chinese influence. She opposed Chinas ability to spy on Americans through the use of social media apps. _____ Trumps pardons dont stop with violent January 6 insurrectionists. On Tuesday, he also freed a massive dark web drug dealer. Ross Ulbricht ran Silk Road, an online black market that moved $200 million worth of illegal drugs, distributed fake passports, helped hackers collaborate, and laundered money. He was also prosecuted for allegedly soliciting six murders for hire, one against a former employee. Ulbricht was sentenced to double life imprisonment, plus 40 years, in 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited peoples addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people, said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara after Ulbrichts sentencing. Ulbricht went from hiding his cybercrime identity to becoming the face of cybercrime and as todays sentence proves, no one is above the law. Trump initially promised to pardon Ulbricht during a speech at the 2024 Libertarian Convention, making a direct appeal to the right-of-center crowd for their votes. And if you vote for me, on day one I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced. Hes already served 11 years. Were gonna get him home. Im proud that I have put forward a detailed plan to smash the censorship and industrial complex and restore free speech. The room erupted in cheers of FREE ROSS. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, the president wrote on Truth Social Tuesday evening. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous! Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance, Ulbricht wrote on X. After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel. Henry Clays sword photographed by Louis Edward Nollau in February 1910. (Glass Plate Negative Collection, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Resource Center) Donald Trump says he wants Canada as our 51st state. But hes not the first American politician whos yearned to unfurl the Stars and Stripes over our northern neighbor. Two centuries ago, Henry Clay, Kentuckys greatest statesman, was gung ho for invading Canada, then a British possession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is hard to escape the belief that Clay was the chief agent in forming the public opinion of the West in favor of a Canadian invasion, wrote Ellery L. Hall in the October 1930 issue of the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. Canada would be a pushover, the British-bashing Clay bragged in a U.S. Senate speech in February 1810. Bluegrass State troops could do the job by themselves, he claimed. Hall quoted Clay: I trust I shall not be deemed presumptuous when I state I verily believe, that the militia, that the militia of Kentucky are alone competent to place Montreal and Upper Canada at your feet. Portrait of Henry Clay, undated. (National Archives) With Clays blessing, American armies, which included a slew of eager Kentucky volunteers, marched into Canada during the War of 1812. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clay apparently believed most Canadians would welcome the invaders as their liberators from British rule. They didnt. Canadian militiamen, some of whom were American loyalists who fled north during the Revolutionary War, were all too happy to help His Majestys regulars thrash the unwelcome Yankees and send them home. Last month, Trump claimed on Truth Social that many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state, according to The Hill. Canadian polling suggests otherwise. In a recent Leger survey, 82% of respondents said they didnt want to join the U.S., while only 13%t said they did, The Miami Herald reported. At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sticking to his vow that his nation wont become a U.S. state. Its not going to happen, he warned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, after filling out an unexpired Senate term, Clay, from Lexington, got elected to the U.S. House and became speaker. He led the War Hawks, a group of mostly young, Western and Southern congressmen who were spoiling for war against Great Britain. Clay came to regret his boast about the Kentucky militia, according to Kentucky state historian and author James C. Klotter. After several embarrassing defeats early in the conflict mainly to a mix of British and Native forces, Kentuckians finally won a battle in Canada, at the [1813] Battle of the Thames, where the Indian leader Tecumseh was killed. But the invasion went no farther than a few miles inside the country, Klotter said recently in an email. Klotter, a Clay biographer, added that the ill-fated Canadian foray helped turn War Hawk Clay into a dove. He joined [future president] John Quincy Adams [and other U.S. emissaries] in the peace commission that ended an unpopular war. The Treaty of Ghent signed by U.S. and British representatives in Belgium on Christmas Eve in 1814, left Canada British. The status quo antebellum pact helped unify Canada, and Mother Britain gave up trying to force her wayward former American colonies back into the imperial family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the war, Clay swore off saber-rattling. Never again would he advocate for war as the best answer, and would, in fact, bitterly oppose the Mexican War, Klotter said. (Henry Clay Jr. was killed in the 1846-1848 conflict.) In addition, Clay brokered three compromises to preserve the Union and stave off civil war. Dubbed the Great Compromiser, he died as the most respected political figure of his generation, Klotter said. The historian declared that Trump is no Henry Clay, whose estate Ashland is preserved in his hometown where he is buried in the Lexington Cemetery. Clay sought compromise, while Trump eschews it; Clay supported a union of all the American people, while Trump seems to be for only his supporters, Klotter said. Clay was a statesman, while Trumps place in history remains uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is indisputable, however, is the fact that the nation could benefit from another Henry Clay. Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. President Donald Trump has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year-old war Russia launched against Ukraine, and is threatening to impose further sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader does not acquiesce. In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was not looking to hurt Russia and expressed love for the Russian people while boasting of his very good relationship with Putin who in 2016 ordered what the Department of Justice called a sweeping and systematic effort to interfere in the presidential election on Trumps behalf. Trump also noted that the former Soviet Union lost 60 million people when it allied itself against Nazi Germany and with the U.S. and the U.K. during the Second World War. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of that being said, Im going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE, Trump said. Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin have not yet spoken since the 47th US president was sworn in on Monday. Trump is now calling on Putin to end the war with Ukraine (AFP/Getty) The president added a threat that if a deal was not reached soon, he would have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Trump added: Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way and the easy way is always better. Its time to MAKE A DEAL. NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!! Trump has long promised that he would bring the war in Ukraine to an end when he returned to the White House. He frequently said he would end it on his first day, but the war is ongoing. So far, the U.S. has given more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear what, if any, Russian goods would be subject to Trumps tariffs, as a series of increasingly restrictive sanctions levied by the Biden administration in concert with dozens of other countries has crippled Russias economy and cut Moscow off from much of the international banking and finance system. A series of sanctions imposed by Joe Biden earlier this month targeted Russias energy sector. They covered two major Russian petroleum producers and exporters Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas both of which are involved in the export of liquified natural gas and efforts to expand the Russian energy sector into the Arctic. Trump has not spoken to Putin since he was sworn in on Monday, though the two leaders have reportedly spoken during the transition period following last years presidential election. Trump met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the run-up to the election. The new president has promised to end the war between Ukraine and Russia (AP) But the newly-minted 47th president said he and his aides are working to arrange a conversation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, he told reporters that Putin cant be thrilled about how the war is going and said Russia is not doing so well against Kyivs forces. I mean, hes grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in one week, and now were into three years. So he cant be thrilled, [its] not making him look very good, Trump said before adding that roughly 1 million Russian soldiers and 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died during the war. Trump also said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had told him that he wants to make a deal to end the war. Zelensky wants to make a deal. I dont know if Putin does ... He should make a deal. I think hes destroying Russia by not making a deal, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to Trumps threat, Russias deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow would need to see what Trumps definition of a deal would look like before coming to the negotiating table. Its not merely the question of ending the war its first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis, he said. So we have to see what does the deal mean in President Trumps understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it anti-Russia and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy, Polyanskiy added. For his part, Zelensky told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday that a sit-down with Trump was in the works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The teams have been working on a meeting; they are currently in the process, he said. We are your partner. We know all the sore spots; we have lost our people we want to end the war this year, he continued, adding that Ukrainians want an end to the three-year-old conflict not just quickly, but fairly and, above all, reliably for us. The Ukrainian leader met with Trump last September in New York while the president was in the midst of his campaign against then-Vice President Kamala Harris. At the time, Zelensky said he believed he and Trump shared a common view that the war has to be stopped and Putin cant win. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump later told Fox News that hed learned a lot from the sit-down and said both he and Zelensky want to see this end and want to see a fair deal made. The two leaders have a checkered history dating back to July 2019, when Zelensky and Trump spoke on the phone just after the Ukrainian leader was sworn in as his countrys head of state. At the time, Trump attempted to use the threat of withholding needed American military aid a a coveted White House visit to pressure Zelensky into announcing a sham investigation into Joe Biden, who was then a former vice president looking to challenge Trump in the 2020 election. Fallout from the now-infamous phone call led to the first of Trumps two impeachment trials before the US Senate. President Donald Trump ordered the end of diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government and moved to have officials working on them put on leave by the time they clock out from their jobs on Wednesday. A memo sent by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday evening instructed the heads of federal departments and agencies to abolish the DEI colleagues in their midst by placing them on paid administrative leave by 5p.m. EST Wednesday and drafting a plan to get rid of them by the end of the month. The order was part of a rapid attempt to carry out elements of an executive order Trump signed on his first day in office to end diversity programs, which the order claimed were illegal and immoral. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps press secretary Karoline Leavitt gladly confirmed the memos authenticity, in a post on X. To every reporter asking about this: I can gladly confirm! https://t.co/gRb356vSwO Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 22, 2025 The OPM memo also told departments and agencies withdraw any DEI related internal documents, cancel any DEI trainings, sever any DEI related contracts, and take down any DEI-related websites or social media accounts. Department and agency leaders are to tell DEI workers that their offices are shuttered. They were also instructed to question those employees if any DEI efforts remained in disguise at their departments. To that end, the Trump administration is opening up what is effectively a snitch line to encourage government departments to rat out any remaining diversity initiatives or potentially face adverse consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language. If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances... within 10 days, the memo reads. The memo says timely reporting of these supposedly disguised diversity initiatives will be met with no reprisal, but that departments that fail to raise them within the 10-day period could face blowback. Trumps aggressive efforts to shut down diversity initiatives also extend to the private sector. In a separate executive order signed Tuesday, the president urged companies to end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences and directed the attorney general to draw up a plan to discourage their adoption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Tuesday order tells agencies to draft a plan to potentially hound up to nine entitiespublicly traded corporations, state bar associations, non-profits, universitieswith civil compliance investigations into their DEI practices. Several major American firmsincluding Walmart, McDonalds, Meta and Fordhave rolled back DEI initiatives in recent months as the private sector has faced escalating pressure from conservative groups. They have typically cited a 2023 Supreme Court decision to strike down affirmative action at colleges and universities as putting them on sound legal grounding. The orders also includes a review of spaces that have been renamed under DEI initiatives. Its unclear how they will affect the private sector. A Trump administration official Monday advised businesses to wait and see how further guidance will pertain to them. US federal agencies were told to put their workers in DEI roles on leave by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order terminating DEI roles and initiatives. It's part of a wider right-wing pushback against DEI, which Trump says is discriminatory. US federal agencies have been told to put their workers in diversity, equity, and inclusion roles on paid leave as DEI initiatives, offices, and programs are dismantled under the Trump administration. CBS News obtained an Office of Personnel Management memo, dated Tuesday, that said all federal employees in DEI roles should be placed on leave by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Agencies were instructed to tell those in DEI offices that their leave would be "effective immediately" as the agency works to wind down DEI initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, his first day in office, declaring the termination of DEI "mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities" in the federal government. The order required agency, department, and commission heads to work with the attorney general and the directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to take action within 60 days. As well as the termination of DEI roles, the order also called for the termination of "environmental justice" offices. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, confirmed the memo's authenticity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To every reporter asking about this: I can gladly confirm!" she wrote on X. The memo also urged heads of departments and agencies to immediately take down all "outward facing media," including social media and websites, of DEI offices and cancel any related training. It also said the heads of departments and agencies needed to report to the Office of Personnel Management by midday ET on Thursday detailing steps taken to implement the memo, including by providing lists of DEI offices, personnel, and any related contracts as of Election Day 2024. Additionally, the department and agency heads were asked to submit "reduction-in-force" plans for DEI offices to the OPM by the end of the month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's executive order accused the Biden administration of forcing what it called "immoral discrimination programs" into "virtually all" aspects of the federal government. The move is part of a wider effort to clamp down on DEI, which has increasingly become the subject of criticism in conservative circles. On Tuesday, the White House issued a separate presidential order ending DEI-based hiring in the Federal Aviation Administration, including hiring that considers race, sex, or disability. Trump said in his inauguration speech on Monday that the US would "forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also announced that it would become official US policy that there were "only two genders: male and female." Correction: January 22, 2025 An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the federal agency affected by an executive order Tuesday. It's the Federal Aviation Administration, not the Federal Aviation Authority. Read the original article on Business Insider President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order requiring federal departments to order employees to return to the office five days a week a move he previously promised, along with a threat to fire those who don't comply. The executive order one of many Trump signed on Jan. 20 could affect thousands of civilian federal employees in Indiana. "If people don't come back to work, come back into the office, they're going to be dismissed," Trump said during a fall press conference at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and personal residence. Trump at the time also pledged to challenge in court a Biden-era agreement allowing for remote work by Social Security employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Somebody in the Biden administration gave a five-year waiver of that, so for five years people don't have to come back into the office," he added. "It's ridiculous. It was like a gift to a union, and we're obviously going to be in court to stop it." The Social Security Administration and more than 40,000 workers represented by the American Federation of Government Employees union reached a deal last fall that allows most of those employees to continue working remotely two to five days per week through 2029. Many more of the 2.3 million civilian federal workers could lose their jobs if Trump fulfills other campaign promises to shutter the Department of Education, and overhaul agencies including the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services. About half of the country's federal employees work fully in-person, while the other half are eligible for at least some remote work, according to the Office of Management and Budget. About 10% are fully remote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's a look at what the order could mean in Indiana. What does Trump's executive order say? Trump's order, signed Monday, is relatively brief: "Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary. "This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law." Is Trump's order being challenged? The American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing about 800,000 federal workers, filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration and the Office of Management and Budget to ensure they comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AFGE National President Everett Kelley told USA TODAY the union will push back. "What we worked for is not a gift, it's called negotiation. Telework and remote work are tools that have helped the federal government increase productivity and efficiency," said Kelley, citing Office of Management and Budget statistics that only 10% of federal workers are in fully remote positions. 'Will I have a job?' Federal workers full of uncertainty, fear over Trump plans How many federal employees are there in Indiana? The federal government employs roughly 2.3 million civilians across the country. There are 24,680 federal civilian employees in Indiana not including uniformed military personnel or federal contractors, according to the Congressional Research Service, as of December 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on OMB figures showing 57% of all federal employees were eligible for remote or hybrid work, roughly 14,000 people in Indiana could be affected. The exact number of federal civilian employees who chose to work remotely in Indiana last year wasn't listed in the OMB report to Congress. Story continues after photo gallery. How many employees does the Social Security Administration have? The Social Security Administration has a nationwide staff upwards of 60,000 employees, according to the agency. Numbers from the OMB report show more than 56,300 employees, or about 92% of the Social Security Administration's total staffing, teleworked in the previous fiscal year. How many Social Security offices are there in Indiana? While it's unclear how many Social Security employees work remotely in Indiana, the Social Security Administration's Chicago regional office lists 26 Indiana sites, which include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anderson Auburn Bloomington Columbus Crawfordsville Elkhart Evansville Fort Wayne Gary Hammond Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis Northeast Indianapolis West Kokomo Lafayette Madison Marion Merriville Michigan City Muncie New Albany Richmond South Bend Terre Haute Valparaiso Vincennes What other federal offices are located in Indiana? In Indiana, the U.S. General Services Administration manages more than 100 leased and 50 owned buildings, which include five courthouses. Among the federal buildings in Indiana are: Are there other offices represented in Indiana? Yes, there are a variety of other offices and departments that operate in Indiana. It's unclear how many employees work remotely or in person. What other states could be impacted by firing federal workers? The District of Columbia has 162,000 federal workers, California has 147,000, Virginia has 144,000, Maryland has 142,000 and Texas has 129,000. Others are reading: President Trump seethes at 'nasty' bishop who told him to 'have mercy,' demands apology John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Trump orders federal workers back to office in Indiana, nationally Two days after being sworn in, President Donald Trump has ordered thousands of active duty troops to the southern border, according to a report. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the U.S.s border with Mexico, allowing the National Guard and military personnel to be sent to the border. The troops are being sent there to help Customs and Border Protections work in the area, CNN reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not immediately clear how many or which units are being deployed. The Independent has reached out to the White House for more information. These troops are not authorized to conduct arrests, seize drugs or interact with migrants aside from transporting them to other facilities, according to the outlet. They are expected to help in command-and-control centers, aid in air operations and provide additional intelligence specialists to assess threats and migrant flows, CNN reported. There are already roughly 2,200 active duty forces at the border as part of Joint Task Force-North, helping support CBPs efforts in the region by detecting and monitoring and conducting other logistical tasks, the outlet reported. Donald Trump ordered more troops to go to the southern border to aid CBP days after he declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico boundary (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The move comes days into Trumps second administration. He has already signed multiple executive orders that will support his plan for a crackdown on migrants at the southern border. Among this flurry of orders, Trump signed one Monday declaring a national emergency at the southern border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president also ordered the construction of additional physical barriers. In an order, Trump wrote: The Secretary of Defense, or the Secretary of each relevant military department, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, shall order as many units or members of the Armed Forces, including the Ready Reserve and the National Guard, as the Secretary of Defense determines to be appropriate to support the activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security in obtaining complete operational control of the southern border of the United States. Members of the Mexican National Guard patrol along the border wall separating Mexico and the United States. More than 2,000 U.S. troops are already at the border to help slow migrants entering the U.S. (AP) He claimed: Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans, including America. Although Trump has declared an emergency at the border, monthly border crossings have actually decreased over the past year, compared to the record highs in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 46,000 people crossed the border illegally in November, the lowest number during the Biden administration. In this order, Trump also gave the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security 90 days before recommending whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, allowing the president to deploy U.S. troops on American soil in certain situations. Hundreds of rioters accused of violently assaulting police at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were pardoned Monday by President Trump, despite remarks from his allies in recent weeks condemning those defendants. More than 600 people who invaded the Capitol that day as lawmakers sought to certify the results of the 2020 election were charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement and nearly 200 of them did so using a deadly or dangerous weapon. The crowds forced the evacuation of lawmakers who were set to certify the results of the election, and while they later returned to the Capitol that day to complete their work, more than 140 officers had been injured and some later died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps sweeping pardons countered the messaging of his allies, many of whom condemned violent offenders until the stroke of his pen. Vice President Vance said earlier this month that people who committed violence on Jan. 6 should obviously not receive pardons though he walked that back to add that he and Trump care about people unjustly locked up. Pam Bondi, Trumps pick for attorney general, similarly condemned any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country during her confirmation hearing and vowed to help Trump look at the cases individually, if asked. But the pardons showed little regard for the wide range of offenses among the rioters, instead encapsulating all of those who fought their way past police and into the Capitol building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are five of the rioters who committed violent assaults that day but still received pardons. David Dempsey A Jan. 6 rioter with a history of political violence, David Dempsey was given one of the longest sentences in connection with the riot. Prosecutors said he viciously assaulted and injured police officers at the Capitol that day, climbing over other rioters like human scaffolding to reach the front of the crowd. There, he began a prolonged attack on law enforcement using his hands, flagpoles, broken furniture, pepper spray and anything else he could get his hands on. Dempsey was one of the most violent rioters, during one of the most violent stretches of time, at the scene of the most violent confrontations at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, federal prosecutors wrote in their sentencing request to the judge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was previously convicted after spraying a crowd of anti-Trump protesters with bear repellent in 2019 while wearing a Make America Great Again cap, which the government said ominously foreshadowed his later assault at the Capitol. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, sentenced Dempsey to 20 years in prison, describing his conduct as exceptionally egregious. Julian Khater Julian Khater, who pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police with a dangerous weapon, aimed pepper spray at officers using a bike rack to hold back rioters. One officer he sprayed, identified as Officer B.S. in court documents, was later identified as Brian Sicknick a Capitol Police officer who had two strokes and died of natural causes the day after the riot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khater sprayed another officer identified in court documents as Officer C.E., who was later identified as Caroline Edwards, one of the officers who testified before the now-defunct House Jan. 6 select committee. Edwards testified before the panel that she engaged in hours and hours of hand-to-hand combat and remembered Sicknick looking ghostly pale after he was sprayed. It was carnage. It was chaos, she said. Shane Jenkins Shane Jenkins used a metal tomahawk to shatter a Capitol window on Jan. 6, creating a new breach point that allowed rioters to stream into the building. Once inside, federal prosecutors said Jenkins disassembled wooden furniture for makeshift weapons and hurled nine different objects at police, including a solid wooden desk drawer, a flagpole, a metal walking stick and a broken wooden pole with a spear-like point which he launched like a javelin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jenkins was sentenced to seven years in prison. Christopher Worrell A member of Floridas Proud Boys chapter, Christopher Worrell was convicted of assaulting police with a deadly and dangerous weapon and other felony counts. After plotting with other Proud Boys members to disrupt the certification of the vote, prosecutors said Worrell headed to Washington where he yelled threats at Capitol Police officers and called them names. He later unloaded a full can of pepper spray on police, hitting at least three. Days before he was set to be sentenced, Worrell cut off his ankle monitor in a Walmart parking lot and went on the run, triggering a six-week manhunt that ended in his arrest at his Florida home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There, the FBI found night-vision goggles, camping gear and about $4,000 in cash, and they discovered Worrell unconscious. He later admitted to faking a drug overdose as a delay tactic and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Thomas Webster Thomas Webster, a retired New York police officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after assaulting a police officer with a metal flagpole and attempting to rip off his gas mask. Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathbun testified that the confrontation began as he sought to move Webster back from a security perimeter. Webster slammed a bike rack at Rathbun, leading the officer to strike the side of Websters face. Then, Webster swung the metal flagpole at the officer. As Rathbun grabbed for the pole, Webster tackled him to the ground and grabbed his gas mask, choking the officer by the chin strap as other rioters kicked him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors accused Webster of disgracing a democracy that he once fought honorably to protect and serve. 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 The Hill. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Two leaders of the far-right extremist groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were among those released from federal prison Tuesday after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Monday, commuting the sentences of six people and pardoning 1,500 others jailed for their roles in the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. William Sarsfield was released within hours of the pardon announcement. He had been awaiting sentencing at the D.C. jail. In November, he was convicted of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6 riot. I think its pretty cool to be pardoned by a felon, Sarsfield said. He added that, like many others that day, he got caught up in the crowd and believes he was unfairly targeted by the Justice Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the Proud Boys and other groups supporting Trump camped outside the D.C. jail to celebrate the news and demand the release of more Jan. 6 defendants. On Capitol Hill, Republicans, including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) defended the pardons. He told reporters the convictions were a total miscarriage of justice. Democrats, on the other hand, slammed Trumps decision. The Jan. 6 pardons are an abomination, said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.) called the executive order a sad day in American history. We just saw the celebration and endorsement of political violence, Murphy said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he will file legislation to increase penalties, up to the death penalty, for the murder of a police officer. Tillis also suggested that Congress evaluate ways to restrict all presidents pardon power. He said former President Joe Bidens wave of pardons in his final weeks in office showed the power was being abused. Biden issued pardons for Democrats on the Jan. 6 committee, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of his family before leaving office. More than 140 police officers were injured on Jan. 6. The family of Brian Sicknick, an officer who died from his injuries the next day, called the pardons a grave national disgrace. Trump said he next plans to order his Justice Department to dismiss more than 400 pending Jan. 6 cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. Jan. 22 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening said he issued a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web Silk Road marketplace of illicit drugs. "I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright [sic] to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son," Trump said in a statement published on his Truth Social social media platform. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in May 2015 for his operation of Silk Road, which was active between January 2011 and October 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The site operated as a criminal marketplace where people could buy and sell illegal goods, including narcotics, with the use of Bitcoin. Prosecutors said hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other unlawful goods and services were distributed to more than 100,000 buyers during the website's short life. It also laundered hundreds of millions of dollars. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement states Silk Road contributed to at least six overdose deaths in the United States. Prosecutors said Ulbricht reaped more than $13 million from the illicit sales conducted through his site. He also solicited six murders-for-hire in order to protect his criminal enterprise, though prosecutors said there is no evidence the murders were ever carried out. Trump, in his statement, called those of the Justice Department who worked to convict Ulbricht "scum" and were "some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was convicted of election-related fraud by a New York court and was being prosecuted in federal court for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results when elected in November. The federal cases were closed as it goes against the Justice Department to prosecute a sitting president. Among Trump's first actions upon taking office on Monday was to pardon the more than 1,500 of his supporters who were convicted of attacking the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. Some 140 police were injured protecting the building that day. Trump's pardon of Ulbricht reflects his ongoing embrace of cryptocurrency and its community. Meanwhile, Ulbricht is seen by many within the Libertarian Party as a political prisoner who tried to break the status quo of society with his pioneering decentralized marketplace. During a speech in late May before the Libertarian Party's national convention in Washington, D.C., Trump vowed to pardon the January 6 insurrectionists, whom he called "hostages," and commute the sentence of Ulbricht to time served if they vote for him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crowd erupted into cheers at the announcement. Many waved signs that read "Free Ross." "He's already served 11 years," Trump said. "We're going to get him home." Ulbricht on X expressed gratitude for all those who voted for Trump after he won the election in November. "I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance," Ulbricht said on X in November. "After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel." The Libertarian Party celebrated Ulbricht's release in a statement on Tuesday. "This pardon does more than liberate Ross -- it liberates the imagination," it said. "It says, maybe, just maybe, there's room for second chances in this dystopian hellscape." Jan. 21Glen Mitchell Simon wouldn't describe himself as a political person, but he says concerns about an overpowering government and a softening society drew him to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Simon, who is from Minot and now lives in Georgia, pleaded guilty in May 2022 to disorderly and disruptive conduct after using a metal bicycle rack to push police officers during the riot at the Capitol building. He was sentenced to eight months behind bars and 12 months of supervised release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They wanted to make an example out of me, I guess," Simon said in a phone interview Tuesday after he and thousands of others who participated in the violence were pardoned by President Donald Trump. Simon said that as someone who already served his eight-month prison sentence at a federal prison in Georgia, the pardons don't mean much to him. But he said he's happy for those who are getting released. If he were still sitting in prison, he said he would be "elated." He remembers the feeling of the corrections officers banging on his bunk, telling him it was time to go home. "Hearing that was like being born again," Simon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The courts also ordered him to pay $1,000 in fines and $500 in restitution. He is not sure if he will get reimbursed. Almost all of the 15 of the defendants with ties to Maine had already been sentenced and served their sentences for their roles in the Washington, D.C., riot, which attempted to overturn the 2020 election and left more than 100 police officers injured. Only three are still in custody. Kyle Fitzsimons, of Lebanon, is being held in federal prison on a seven-year sentence for 11 charges, including felony charges for assaulting five law enforcement officers; he is expected to be released soon. He was one of the more violent protesters who brandished weapons, like bear spray, a spear and a metal pole. Trump launched his campaign in March with a promise to help his supporters, whom he called "unbelievable patriots," on his first day back in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christopher Maurer, of Biddeford, is serving a little more than four years in federal prison for assaulting police. He pleaded guilty in July to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon. And Matthew Brackley, a Waldoboro man who ran for the Maine Senate, is serving a 15-month sentence in federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, for one count of assaulting, impeding or resisting police. He was sentenced in May and ordered to surrender himself at the prison in September. CONGRESSIONAL REACTION Trump's order immediately pardoned nearly all of those who had been convicted of crimes related to the siege and demanded that the U.S. attorney general dismiss all pending cases. (Fourteen people had their sentences cut short.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pardons don't mean that the defendants are considered innocent, according to the federal Office of the Pardon Attorney, but they do remove any conditions given after their conviction like a firearm restriction. A presidential pardon is the only way a person convicted of a federal felony can be allowed to obtain guns again. The pardons came hours after Trump's return to the White House and include even those who committed violent crimes a controversial decision that led to pushback from Maine's congressional delegation. Republican Sen. Susan Collins released a written statement condemning pardons for people who assaulted police officers and broke windows to get inside the Capitol building. "While I believe some Americans were caught up in the crowd on January 6 and may well deserve the clemency President Trump has given, there is a great difference between violent crimes and nonviolent crimes," Collins said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Independent Sen. Angus King, meanwhile, called the riot a "violent insurrection and a dark moment in our nation's history." He said while the U.S. Constitution promotes peaceful assembly, this situation was a clear crime "that included direct attacks on individual Capitol police officers, leading to serious injury and death." "President Trump's speech touting the importance of law and order is impossible to reconcile with a blanket presidential pardon hours later for those who carried out the attack on the Capitol, along with the rule of law, and the peaceful transfer of power," King said in a written statement. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said Trump's pardons of 1,500 people were a "shocking dismissal" of the justice system and an insult to the officers who defended the Capitol that day. But Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, did not comment on the pardons and cautioned against reacting to every one of Trump's actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "President Trump is going to do and say a lot over the next four years," Golden said in an emailed statement Wednesday morning. "In his first term, the press demanded an immediate reaction from members to everything Trump did or said. All of us elected officials and the media need to avoid falling into this routine again. It was exhausting to everyone involved, including the public, but rarely changed anything. I'm focused on my job and the things I can control." DISMISSED CASES Many other Capitol riot cases involving Mainers were pending in the judicial system and are now being dismissed. One Sanford man whose request to attend Trump's inauguration was denied by a federal judge this month received notice Tuesday morning that the federal prosecutor was dropping his case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement David Bobrow, the attorney representing Christopher Belliveau, said his client denies ever being a violent protester despite accusations that he sprayed a canister of bear deterrent at a police officer. "The judge will sign off on the dismissal," Bobrow said in a phone interview Tuesday. "There's no prosecuting party and that means that the case is done, it's over. And because the president ordered the cases to be dismissed with prejudice, the charges can't be refiled. Bobrow said he had planned to take Belliveau's case to trial because there was "no evidence that he injured anyone." Belliveau was arrested in June and faced five felony charges, including assaulting an officer and entering a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and three misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Mr. Belliveau is elated to have this matter behind him and looks forward to continuing his life and businesses and is very thankful for President Trump," Bobrow said in an emailed statement. A Lewiston man who ran a popular sausage restaurant in Lisbon also had his charges dismissed Tuesday. Christopher Macchiaroli, an attorney who represents Andre Maurice Bonneau, said his client never assaulted or threatened anyone when he was in Washington that day. Bonneau is accused of pushing a bike rack barricade toward Capitol police officers, but Macchiaroli said the metal rack didn't move anywhere because it was heavy. Bonneau was then charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. "This is a significant overcharging and aggressive prosecution," Macchiaroli said in a phone interview Tuesday. After the dismissal, he said Bonneau will "continue his life of lawfulness." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas Bordeau Sr., of Peru, was waiting for his case to be dropped. He faces multiple charges, including disorderly conduct and parading, demonstrating or picketing. His attorney, Nathan Silver, said he spoke with the federal prosecutor Tuesday morning. While the dismissal motion hasn't been filed yet, it's "just a matter of time," Silver said. He declined to talk further about the accusations that Bordeau held open the Upper West Terrace for other rioters to enter. But he said his client was one of the many people who went inside the Capitol building that day, and that the government had been charging anyone it can identify. Staff Writer Daniel Kool contributed to this report. Note: this story was updated at 11 a.m. Jan. 22 to include a statement from Rep. Jared Golden. Copy the Story Link Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of online drug marketplace Silk Road who became a hero for Americas libertarian movement. The US president allowed Mr Ulbricht to walk free on Tuesday, having championed his case after growing pressure from Right-wing libertarians. It marks a significant turnaround for Mr Ulbricht, who was sentenced to double life imprisonment plus 40 years in 2015 for running Silk Road, a dark web marketplace that was a haven for online drug dealing until it was shut down by the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A judge had described Mr Ulbricht as a drug kingpin, while prosecutors claimed he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to have people who threatened his business murdered. No such killings ever took place and Mr Ulbricht was never charged or convicted over the alleged payments. Mr Trump had promised to free Mr Ulbricht, 40, as part of his attempt to win support from Americas Libertarian Party and the vocal Bitcoin community. Donald Trump sought to woo Libertarian Party voters during the 2024 election campaign - Jose Luis Magana/AP The Silk Road, which operated between 2011 and 2013, transacted entirely in Bitcoin and helped to establish the cryptocurrency before it entered the mainstream. Mr Trump said he had awarded a full and unconditional pardon to Mr Ulbricht and spoke to his mother Lyn, who had campaigned for his release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honour of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, he said on social media. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponisation of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous! Mr Ulbrichts family posted a photo of him walking out of prison with the caption: FREEDOM!!!! Mr Ulbricht, who went by the online pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, founded The Silk Road in 2011. The site operated on the dark web, meaning it could only be accessed by special browsers and that authorities could not monitor who was using it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was only tracked down by the FBI after investigators linked a web forum post about The Silk Road to a post on a separate site, where he posted his personal email address. Mr Ulbricht was arrested in a San Francisco library in 2013, while two years later he was found guilty of charges including overseeing a criminal enterprise and narcotics conspiracy. The FBI said Silk Road had generated more than $200m (161m) in sales of drugs, guns, fake IDs and computer hacking services, while it also linked six drug-related deaths to the site. It was used by thousands of drug dealers and had more than 100,000 users, who would rate and review sellers in a similar format to legal marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay before delivering drugs in the post. The site was used by people in more than 10 countries including the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peter McCormack, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur who had supported Mr Ulbricht, said: The case of Ross Ulbricht resonates deeply not just within the Bitcoin community but among all who value freedom and liberty. He said that Ross created the Silk Road based on libertarian principles, allowing individuals to trade freely outside of government regulation. He said that the issue was the severity of Mr Ulbrichts sentence, saying: Many see this as a gross miscarriage of justice. Ross Ulbrichts supporters came to see his trial and sentencing as a gross miscarriage of justice - Vicki Behringer/AP Mr Trump spoke at the Libertarian National Convention last year, saying: If you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He repeated the promise at last years Bitcoin Conference, as part of an attempt to secure the backing of the cryptocurrency industry. Supporters had grown concerned that Mr Ulbricht would not be freed after his pardon was not included alongside the round of executive orders signed immediately after Mr Trumps inauguration, when the new president pardoned 1,500 people associated with the Jan 6 riots four years ago. However, Elon Musk had promised his release, writing: Ross will be freed too. The Ulbricht family said: Our immense gratitude to President Trump for giving Ross a second chance and to all those who have supported us throughout the years. 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. Jan. 21WASHINGTON A little more than four years before President Donald Trump took the oath of office at the Capitol on Monday, some of his most fervent supporters forced their way into the same building in an attempt to stop his presidency from ending, spurred on by Trump's insistence that he was the rightful winner of an election he had lost. Some of the rioters smashed windows and beat outnumbered police with blunt weapons, leaving officers with broken ribs and bloodied faces. Others walked in through open doors and strolled through the building taking pictures after police, under-equipped and overwhelmed by the mob, lost control of the crowd and fell back. In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, 2021, many congressional Republicans decried the rioters' actions, although fewer ascribed the violence to Trump. In the years that followed, the biggest investigation in Justice Department history resulted in charges against nearly 1,600 people for what they did that day, ranging from trespassing and disrupting official proceedings to assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the stroke of a pen on Monday night, Trump reversed that work and fulfilled one of his signature campaign promises by commuting the sentences of the rioters convicted of the most serious charges and issuing full pardons to the rest. Former President Joe Biden, in the final days and hours of his presidency, issued a flurry of his own pardons and commutations. In addition to the more traditional grants of clemency for people who had repented after serving long prison terms, the outgoing president also issued pre-emptive pardons to several of his own family members and to the members, staff and witnesses of the House committee that investigated the Capitol riot, who have been threatened with retribution by Trump and his allies. At the Capitol on Tuesday, some Trump supporters who had traveled from the Inland Northwest to witness his inauguration were enthusiastic about many of the new president's Day 1 actions but said they were conflicted about the pardons. Several of the roughly 80 people on a tour of the Capitol led by Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, said they saw a clear distinction between violent and nonviolent crimes. "I am a God-fearing, law-abiding citizen," said Adrian Lawrence, of Elk. "And I feel like if you actually broke the law if you came up and broke a window or you destroyed something you should be held accountable for that. You shouldn't get a pardon." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawrence said he traveled to D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, and marched to the Capitol after listening to Trump deliver a speech outside the White House in which he repeated his claim that the 2020 election was rigged and told his supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue and demand that Congress reject the election results. "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," Trump said at the time, before adding that they should make their voices heard "peacefully and patriotically." Lawrence said he didn't enter the Capitol on that day, but when he arrived, he saw protesters walking in through open doors. He sees a clear distinction between those people and the rioters who climbed through smashed windows and attacked police. "We made doors different than windows," he said. "Those guys in blue do their very, very best, and we should have respect for them." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keith Scribner, of Spokane, who traveled to D.C. with his family and watched the inauguration from the Museum of the Bible after it was moved indoors due to dangerously cold weather, said he was surprised to see Trump grant such sweeping clemency. "I don't know enough about it, but it doesn't seem like they did much wrong by just walking into the Capitol," Scribner said. "But if they did something wrong, they need to have consequences for that." Attacking police officers, he added, is "completely intolerable." Baumgartner, who was elected to Congress for the first time in November and was serving as Spokane County treasurer in 2021, agreed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In general, my preference would have been that the folks who used violence were not pardoned," he said in a brief interview after the tour. Not all Northwest Republicans were willing to go that far. In an interview on Monday, before Trump issued the pardons, Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho said he couldn't comment on Trump's repeated pledge to pardon convicted rioters because he didn't know what the president had said, but he said the pardons issued by Biden were "unnecessary and potentially just part of a political attack." "I haven't followed closely what President Trump has said that he may do or not do in terms of pardons," Crapo said. "So I guess I just have to defer right now responding to that, because I don't know exactly what he may have said or may be thinking of." Through a spokeswoman, Crapo declined to comment on the pardons on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After watching Trump address an overflow crowd at the Capitol following his inauguration, Gov. Brad Little of Idaho said in a brief interview that his opinion on pardons for convicted rioters "depends on what the crime is, obviously." When asked if he would be in favor of pardons for certain crimes committed during the Capitol riot, Little declined to weigh in on the president's decisions. "Well, I mean, we pardon people all the time for a variety of reasons, so you've just got to look at the reasons," he said. "We've got a lot bigger fish to fry than that." Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, whose Capitol office was ransacked by rioters, took a similar approach. When asked before the inauguration about Trump's promise to pardon the rioters, Risch said, "I don't want to go there. He's going to do what he's going to do, and we'll talk again if he does." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the Capitol on Tuesday, Risch said he wouldn't talk about Trump's pardons. When asked about Biden's clemency orders, the senator invoked his past as a county prosecutor. "If you look at that list of people that he pardoned, I mean, it was stomach-turning when you read what these people did," he said of Biden's actions. "There were cop killers in there, and rapists and murders." When asked if he had similar feelings about the people convicted of attacking police officers at the Capitol, Risch abruptly ended the interview. "You're going where I told you not to go," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Maria Cantwell, who sat next to Risch during the inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda, said in an interview Tuesday that Republicans and Democrats alike should remain clear-eyed about what happened on Jan. 6, 2021. "He's pardoning people who did serious damage to our Capitol, to our country, and physical harm to police officers," she said. "So I couldn't disagree more." Referring to Baumgartner's statement on Monday that Biden's pardons were the behavior of "a banana republic dictator," Cantwell recalled how she and other senators were escorted back to the House chamber to certify the election after the riot and said, "That turned us into a banana republic." Rep. Adam Smith, a Bellevue Democrat who was one of the most vocal critics of Biden's initial decision to stay in the presidential race after a disastrous debate performance, said in an interview Monday that Biden had no choice but to pre-emptively pardon people whom Trump and his allies, including FBI Director-designee Kash Patel, have promised to target for retribution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Kim Schrier, a physician and Democrat whose district spans the Cascades from Wenatchee to the Seattle suburbs, recalled in an interview how she sheltered in an office during the riot with Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat and former mixed martial arts fighter, preparing to fight their way out and render first aid. "It was a terrible day with a violent mob with the worst intentions," she said. "And I'm deeply frustrated that one of President Trump's first actions in office was to forgive violent offenders that attacked police. I think it's a terrible statement, and it really sends a message that political violence is OK, as long as it is in support of him." Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor. ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) 87 Virginians were charged with crimes tied to the January 6 Capitol breach, and a dozen of them were known to be from or were arrested in our region. President Donald Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 people Monday for those charges. John Fishwick, a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia and current owner of law firm Fishwick and Associates, explained the pardons impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those whove been charged but are awaiting trial or sentencing, that case will be dismissed by the new Attorney General, he says. Those actively serving a sentence should have had that sentence cut short immediately. For everybody who was in prison or jail last night, they should have been released, said Fishwick. Once a pardon is issued, its effective immediately. Trump pardons Capitol rioters He says people who were found guilty and already served their time will simply get the pardon. For example, he explained, for folks who were found guilty or pled guilty to a felony charge(s), they cannot possess a firearm unless that privilege is restored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump and former President Joe Biden have come under fire for their use of pardons in the last few days. In addition to Trump pardoning January 6 defendants, Biden pardoned the House Committee that investigated the events of the insurrection plus his former Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci. I think the pardon power was envisioned as an individual case by case basis for somebody that for equity reasons should be pardoned for what they have done, said Fishwick. I dont think the founding fathers ever envisioned that presidents would sort of protect the folks who were on their side of the political equation and then have the other side protect the folks on their side. Biden said his pardons were issued to protect critics of trump, while Trumps are following up on a long time promise to protect his supporters. Both presidents have come under criticism. That means both presidents have said we lack confidence in our criminal justice system in fact we lack so much confidence that were going to put our thumbs on the scale of justice, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WFXRtv. This story has been updated to include video. President Donald Trump has pardoned Austin native Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the online drug marketplace Silk Road. Trump announced the pardon Tuesday evening on his social media platform Truth Social, calling Ulbricht's sentence "ridiculous." Trump said he granted the full pardon in honor of Ulbricht's mother "and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly." Trump pledged during a speech at the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024 to commute Ulbricht's sentence on the first day of his administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and found guilty two years later on a variety of charges including drug trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering related to Silk Road. He quickly became a Libertarian hero following his initial arrest. The Libertarian Party which has generally opposed to criminal drug policies and supported drug legalization pushed for his release. Ulbricht has been held at the U.S. Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona. Ulbricht, born in 1984 in Austin, graduated with a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Texas and holds a master's degree in materials science from Pennsylvania State University. The American-Statesman reached out to the Ulbricht family via email and phone for comment but had not received a response as of Wednesday afternoon. The Justice Department described Silk Road as "the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: After President Trump pardon, two participants in Jan. 6 riot released from Bastrop prison Hours after taking office, Trump pardoned about 1,500 people for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, including two who were released from a prison in Bastrop on Tuesday. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Trump pardons Silk Road founder, Austin native Ross William Ulbricht President Trump announced Tuesday that he signed a full pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder who was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of running the dark web marketplace used to deal drugs. Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 of seven drug and conspiracy charges for his role in creating Silk Road, including drug trafficking, computer hacking, and money laundering. Ulbricht, who operated the site under the alias Dread Pirate Roberts, was also accused of soliciting multiple murders for hire, according to the Associated Press. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me, the president continued. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous! In October 2013, the FBI shut down Silk Road, a now-defunct marketplace that allowed users to anonymously buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services using bitcoin. The site made about $214 million in sales, with Ulbricht taking more than $13 million in commissions from the transactions, said prosecutors during the trial. Make no mistake: Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited peoples addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people, said Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, when announcing his sentence in 2015. Ulbricht went from hiding his cybercrime identity to becoming the face of cybercrime and as todays sentence proves, no one is above the law. Although he was a convicted criminal, Ulbricht was praised as a hero among some in the cryptocurrency and libertarian spheres. According to Semafor, amid his run for reelection back in May, Trump pledged to Libertarian Party members that he would put a libertarian in my cabinet and commute Ulbrichts life sentence on his first day in office. Its time to be winners, said Trump, asking if the third party delegates wanted to continue settling for single-digit protest votes. Im asking for the Libertarian Partys endorsement, or at least lots of your votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pardon is the latest to come from the president following his inauguration. On Monday, Trump issued a blanket pardon to 1,500 individuals who were convicted of offenses or faced charges relating to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. President Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of notorious 2010s drug trafficking website Silk Road, on Tuesday. Ulbricht, 40, was serving a life sentence in federal prison following his 2015 conviction on numerous charges including drug trafficking and money laundering. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, 78, had announced his plans to pardon Ulbricht during a speech at the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024 while he was on the campaign trail. Libertarians have supported Ulbrichts cause for years, as it fit neatly into their arguments against government overreach and drug laws of any kind. In 2011, Ulbricht founded the underground website Silk Road, which quickly became a flourishing marketplace for anyone who wanted to buy cocaine, heroin or other illegal drugs over the internet. Federal agencies raced to take it down, but Ulbricht operating under the screen name Dread Pirate Roberts remained one step ahead until 2013. During that time, the site did $200 million in business and made Ulbricht rich. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But at trial, Ulbricht was convicted on all counts and then-Manhattan Federal Court Judge Katherine Forrest dropped the hammer, sentencing him to life in prison. You are no better a person than any other drug dealer, she told Ulbricht. Trump has made expansive use of his pardon powers during his first three days in office, clearing the sentences of more than 1,400 people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. With News Wire Services By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running an underground online marketplace where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin. The Republican president made good on a campaign pledge to free Ulbricht, 40, who was arrested in 2013 and sentenced in 2015 in what became a landmark U.S. prosecution launched only a few years after the emergence of the popular cryptocurrency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump said the pardon was "full and unconditional" and said he called Ulbricht's mother to break the news to her. Ulbricht was released from a federal prison in Arizona late on Tuesday following Trump's announcement, according to federal Bureau of Prisons records. "After enduring over a decade of incarceration, this decision offers Ross the opportunity to begin anew, to rebuild his life, and to contribute positively to society," Brandon Sample, Ulbricht's clemency attorney, said in a statement. Trump's administration is expected to significantly reverse course on what had been a crackdown by regulators on the cryptocurrency sector during former Democratic President Joe Biden's tenure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump had announced plans to commute Ulbricht's sentence in May during a speech at the Libertarian National Convention. The Libertarian Party, which has advocated for drug legalization, had pushed for Ulbricht's release, calling the case an example of government overreach. BITCOIN PAYMENTS His arrest brought to an end what prosecutors described as a global, black market bazaar that for two years starting in 2011 was used by more than 100,000 people to buy and sell $214 million worth of illegal drugs and other illicit services. Prosecutors said some people died due to drugs bought on Silk Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Silk Road website relied on the Tor network to communicate anonymously and accepted bitcoin as payment, which prosecutors said allowed users to conceal their identities and locations. Prosecutors said Ulbricht ran Silk Road under the alias Dread Pirate Roberts, a reference to a character in the 1987 movie "The Princess Bride," and took extreme steps to protect the marketplace's operation. Those steps, they said, included soliciting the murders of several people who posed a threat, though they also said no evidence exists that any murders were actually carried out. Ulbricht acknowledged he created Silk Road, which a defense lawyer at his trial said was intended as a "freewheeling, free market site." But his lawyers contended Ulbricht had later handed off the website to others and was lured back toward its end to become the "fall guy" for its true operators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I wanted to empower people to make choices in their lives and have privacy and anonymity," Ulbricht said at his sentencing hearing in May 2015. A federal jury in Manhattan in February 2015 found Ulbricht guilty of charges including distributing drugs through the internet and conspiring to commit computer hacking and money laundering. "What you did was unprecedented," now-former U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest said in sentencing Ulbricht. "And in breaking that ground as the first person, you sit here as the defendant having to pay the consequences for that." (Reporting by Ismail Shakil, Jasper Ward and Nate Raymond; Editing by Sandra Maler, Alexia Garamfalvi, Rosalba O'Brien, Cynthia Osterman, Kim Coghill and Alison Williams) WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) From the start of her confirmation hearing, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) pledged to deliver a message to the rest of the world if she becomes the next U.N. ambassador. I stand ready to implement President Trumps mandate from the American people to deliver America First peace through strength, national security, leadership on the world stage, Stefanik said. Stefanik pointed to the hostage situation in the Middle East and national security challenges from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as reasons for the U.S. to take a leadership role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has never been more critical for the United States to lead with strength and moral clarity, she said. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) urged Stefanik to combat anti-Israel sentiments at the U.N. Im deeply troubled by the virulent anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, McCormick said. Many Democrats acknowledged Stefaniks qualifications, but voiced concerns about her priorities. Credibility comes with calling out anti-Semitic behavior when it comes from both the right and the left, said Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.) said. Murphy called on Stefanik to treat anti-Semitism the same regardless of political affiliation and referenced Elon Musks actions after the inauguration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What do you think of Elon Musk, perhaps the presidents most visible adviser, doing two Heil Hitler salutes last night at the presidents televised rally? Murphy asked. No, Elon Musk did not do those salutes. I was not at the rally, Stefanik responded. Stefanik faces an uphill battle, with only one Democratic senator publicly supporting her confirmation. 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. The News US President Donald Trump threatened Russia with further sanctions unless Moscow moves quickly to negotiate an end to its war in Ukraine. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries, Trump wrote in a social media post Wednesday. Russias trade with the US has fallen to lows comparable to the end of the Cold War, but US allies in Europe have so far purchased record levels of Russian gas in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump team is considering ways to dial up US sanctions on Russia, Bloomberg reported; options include harder enforcement of secondary sanctions, new penalties on Russias European facilitators and Asian energy customers, and intervening on tankers moving Russian oil. I will be 100% on-board for taking sanctions up, especially on the oil majors, Scott Bessent, the nominee for Treasury Secretary, said in his Senate confirmation hearing, adding that the Biden administration had been too concerned about raising US energy prices. There is still a lot of room to escalate sanctions, a former State Department official said on X. Some low-hanging fruit: blocking sanctions on Rosneft + Gazprom. Know More Trump is also putting pressure on European allies in NATO to spend more on defense, pushing for an increase in national spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP. The US currently pours about 3.5% of its GDP into defense, although some Republicans advocate for a spending surge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps call is being heeded by key figures in Eastern Europe: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the US president was right that Europe needs to significantly boost its defense spending. Only an ally can wish another ally to get stronger. This is not what an opponent of Europe would say, Tusk said. Lithuania pledged last week to spend at least 5% of its GDP on defense from 2026 onwards, making it the first country to commit to Trumps demands. By Daniel Trotta, Andrea Shalal and Bianca Flowers (Reuters) -The Trump administration on Wednesday urged government employees to inform on each other and their departments in order to root out any attempts to hide diversity programs. The latest escalation in U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) comes a day after he pressured the private sector to join the initiative and told government employees in offices administering such programs they would be placed on paid leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also issued a series of executive orders to dismantle DEI programs on his first day in office on Monday, marking a complete reversal from his predecessor Democrat Joe Biden, who prioritized DEI programs and initiatives across the federal government. DEI programs attempt to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates have argued such programs are necessary to address longstanding inequities and structural racism. Trump and his supporters say DEI programs end up unfairly discriminating against other Americans and weaken the importance of candidates' merit in job hiring or promotion. In a new message distributed on Wednesday, government employees were warned they would face "adverse consequences" if they failed to promptly report any hidden DEI programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language," said the memo, which set a 10-day deadline for information. It was not immediately clear what evidence the administration has of any efforts to conceal diversity programs. "There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences," the memo said. The same language was sent to employees of several departments and attributed to different members of Trump's cabinet - for example it came from Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department and from Acting Attorney General James McHenry at the Justice Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's latest attack on DEI drew widespread criticism from civil rights advocates. Psyche Williams-Forson, a professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland, said long-standing resentments among white men were resurfacing and helped enable Trump's political comeback despite his felony convictions and the civil judgments against him for fraud and sexual abuse. "This country is fundamentally founded on racist principles. It always has been and it continues to be. There was no way in the world that America was going to allow another Black person to succeed. Obama just totally defied the odds," Williams-Forson said. U.S. Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, accused Trump of "turning back the clock and dismantling decades of progress made by Black people." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), a nonprofit group promoting gender equality, said Trump's executive orders would also impede American competitiveness. "The message is clear: this administration is willing to sacrifice both civil rights and economic growth to advance an extremist agenda," Farrell said in a statement. Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, formally announced Wednesday the organization and its partners plan to identify two companies in the next 90 days that will be boycotted for abandoning DEI pledges. Reuters first reported the coordinated action ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The White House did not respond to a request from Reuters to address criticism from civil rights advocates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also sought to dissuade private companies that receive government contracts from using DEI programs and hiring on the basis of race and sex and asks government agencies to identify private companies that might be subject to civil investigation. The federal government committed $739 billion to contractors in fiscal year 2023, according to the Government Accountability Office, and the programs Trump is attacking are intended to ensure minority-led businesses are not overlooked due to discrimination. Trump's actions mark a significant setback to decades-long efforts to ensure equality in federal hiring and contracts. Tuesday night's order rescinded a 1965 executive order signed by former Democrat President Lyndon B. Johnson that prohibited federal contractors from discriminating in employment and employed affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity based on race, color, religion and national origin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson's order was seen as a significant moment of progress in the civil rights movement, coming at a time when Black Americans faced the threat of violence and "Jim Crow" laws that prohibited them from voting and from living in predominantly white neighborhoods. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta, Andrea Shalal, Bianca Flowers and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Jamie Freed, Stephen Coates, Alistair Bell and Michael Perry) Immigration detainees at the Eloy federal contract prison. (Photo by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.) As Donald Trump took office Monday, his team said he would issue a flurry of executive orders to stop asylum seekers from coming to the United States and to expel huge numbers of noncitizens who are already here. But as Ohio sheriffs eye federal contracts to hold detainees, an immigrant advocate has a warning: The cost and difficulties of taking them in on behalf of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement could be greater than sheriffs and county commissioners might think. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have to factor in litigation because immigrants who are in ICE jail have rights, said Lynn Tramonte, founder of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. They have the right to medical treatment, they have the right to decent food and access to legal resources and all these things. Are you getting enough money from the federal government to cover your costs including the cost of potential litigation if you violate peoples rights? As evidence, Tramonte pointed to the last time Trump was president. Jails in Butler, Morrow and Geauga counties all took in ICE detainees after 2017, and all had problems they probably didnt anticipate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE As relatively small facilities, Morrow and Geauga counties struggled to cope with COVID-19 as it swept through their jails. Before mid-2020, 100% of the inmates in the Morrow County Jail at some point had been infected with the potentially deadly virus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That prompted claims that foreign detainees and others being held werent able to see doctors or otherwise receive the health care to which all incarcerated people are entitled. A federal judge eventually ordered the release of ICE detainees. As Morrow County Sheriff John L. Hinton dealt with covid, escapes and a suicide, he said his jail was substantially understaffed, and that it was difficult to hire enough corrections officers at the rate of pay the county could offer. Thats a problem across the United States for jails and police departments, law enforcement officials said at a conference held in November by the National Immigration Forum. Every police department and sheriffs office in the United States right now is hiring, Marshalltown, Iowa, Police Chief Michael Tupper said as he argued against tasking local police and sheriffs deputies with enforcing immigration law. For the last five years its been a constant battle to try to maintain staffing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tramonte, of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, said those problems can become especially acute if a jail holds ICE detainees. Its an indefinite form of detention because immigration court cases dont have a specific timetable, she said. You could have somebody in your immigration jail for years. When you have immigrants in your jail, it could be forever. Especially problematic can be jails with corrections officers who dont understand that even though theyre not citizens, ICE detainees have the same rights everybody else has. A still-pending federal lawsuit against Butler County alleges that officers there have called Black detainees numerous racial epithets, including dirty Africans, monkeys, and goats.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit also says guards repeatedly beat ICE detainees without reason. In one instance, the suit says, they pushed Bayong Brown Bayong of Cameroon down some stairs. In another, an officer punched him repeatedly in the face and knocked out a tooth, the suit says. The guards continue to make threats such as, I hope you die, bitch, and after being pushed down the stairs, When you get down the stairs Im going to beat all the teeth out of your mouth, the lawsuit says. Lawyers for Butler County and the corrections officers themselves deny the charges. Tramonte said theres a price for keeping ICE detainees that goes beyond money or prisoners getting sick or beaten. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want the sheriffs to be thinking about the true cost of detaining people on civil charges, she said. The cost to these individuals is taking a breadwinner out of their family homes, the psychological impact on them and their families and many of their families include U.S. citizens. If a sheriff says he cares about citizens first, he should care about the children and the spouses of the people who are taken out of their homes because theyre waiting for the civil court process to conclude, Tramonte said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX President Donald Trump championed a commonly-held racial ideology during his inaugural address on Monday. One expert weighs in on the controversial approach on race and race relations thats been shown to perpetuate racism not stop it. During his overtly divisiveand combative inaugural speech, Trump broached the topic of race by saying, We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based. This week I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life, he said beforehand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps push for racial color blindness refers to the idea that a persons race should be ignored and completely overlooked, and that racial groups shouldnt influence how people are treated in society. Furthermore, his mention of supporting a merit-based society appeared to be a dog whistle to his supporters and other conservatives who have increasingly embarked on a crusade against affirmative action and DEI practices in recent years. Conservatives have weaponized the term DEI which refers to practices that value diversity, equity and inclusion to suggest that people representing marginalized groups dont actually earn their achievements. LaGarrett King, professor of social studies education in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo, previously told HuffPost that he believes DEI criticisms are, overall, dishonest since the United States labor history has never practiced pure meritocracy. He said that the labor system, which has historically left out qualified people of color and other marginalized groups, has largely been predicated on your personal connections and who you know. And the idea of racial color blindness has been widely criticized for years. Critics of the approach argue that it falsely suggests that racism, racial disparities and a history of racial discrimination in the U.S. including in areas such as health, housing, economics, education and the labor market no longer exist. Erica Foldy, associate professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, said that racial color blindness is wrong for many reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most importantly, not seeing race makes it impossible to see racism we cant see how people from different racial groups are treated differently, she told HuffPost. As used by Trump and his allies, color blindness is a cover for white supremacy. Foldy, who is the co-author of the book, The Color Bind: Talking (and Not Talking) About Race at Work, also took issue with Trumps call for a merit-based society. She said that without DEI programs, what we have is affirmative action for white people. It is DEI programs that at least bring us closer to a level playing field, she said, later adding that Trumps merit-based remark during his speech was definitely a dog whistle in favor of protecting the interests of white people. Read on to hear more on why Foldy says a racial color blind approach can be detrimental in our society, and some other examples she shares of ways organizations can begin to pursue racial equity at the workplace. Having a colorblind approach to race has repercussions. Foldy said that practicing racial color blindness keeps the status quo in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the status quo is centuries of structural advantages for white people, and explicit and implicit biases against people of color, she said. While DEI programs have not brought full equality by any means, dismantling them will take us backwards. She added, It will make the leadership of our workplaces more white and make it even harder for people of color to be treated fairly at work. There are other effective ways to pursue racial equity and its impossible and can even be insulting to disregard a persons race. We should not seek to be colorblind, Foldy said. First, it is literally impossible to not see color. Its a meaningless phrase. Foldy also pointed out that many people believe their racial identity is crucial to who they are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are insulted by the idea that their race should not be seen, she said. Jamie Abaied, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Vermont, previously pointed out in an interview with HuffPost: Theres a subtle distinction between saying race doesnt matter and race shouldnt matter. Foldy explained that acknowledging race allows us to see the structural advantages for white people. And for companies and organizations aiming to actually achieve racial equity, Foldy recommends that they first distinguish and identify racial equity and not just racial diversity as an organizational goal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said that tracking representation, hiring practices, promotions and salaries by racial groups are all ways to help identify inequities. Make changes in organizational policies and organizational culture to address these inequities, and help people of all backgrounds feel they are valued and included, she said. Related... President Donald Trump revoked Secret Service protection provided to his onetime national security adviser, John Bolton, within hours of taking office on Monday. I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret Service, Bolton wrote on X on Tuesday morning. Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Bidens national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend that protection to me in 2021. I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret Service. Notwithstanding my criticisms of President Biden's national-security policies, he nonetheless made the decision to extend John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 21, 2025 Bolton has had a round-the-clock security detail for years amid threats on his life from Iran. The Department of Justice charged a member of the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a plot to hire a hitman to kill Bolton in 2022. At the time, officials said the plan was retaliation for the killing of Qassem Suleimani, a top Iranian general, during Trumps first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trumps own assassination, Bolton wrote Tuesday. The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call. A notorious hawk on Iran, Bolton served in Trumps first administration, but the then-president fired him after saying the pair had disagreed strongly on many things. Trump confirmed his plans to withdraw Secret Service protection for some in comments to reporters on Tuesday. Were not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives, the president said, per The New York Times. Why should we? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also revoked Boltons security clearance, as he did for dozens of other former intelligence officials. Related... (Bloomberg) -- The Netherlands expects President Donald Trump to keep pressing to restrict ASML Holding NVs exports of chip-making machines to China, according to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Most Read from Bloomberg The Biden administration pushed very hard and I expect the Trump administration pushing the same way, Schoof said in an interview with Bloomberg in Davos on Wednesday. With regard to the China policy, the US and the Netherlands are aligned, the prime minister said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Netherlands has been limiting ASMLs sales to China under pressure from the US, which wants to limit the development of the Asian nations chip sector, in the name of national security. When it comes to ASML, we currently have discussions on a weekly basis, Schoof said. Still, I think its important that we decide on our own on what we will do with the export controls policy, he said. ASML is very important for the Dutch economy and we want to make sure that position doesnt change, Schoof said. ASML is worlds only producer of cutting-edge lithography machines needed to produce high-end chips used in everything from electric vehicles to military gear. The company has never been able to sell its most-advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography machines to China because of US-led export restrictions. Last year, the Dutch government also restricted immersion deep ultraviolet lithography systems to China after pressure from the Biden administration. DUV is the next most sophisticated chip-making equipment after EUV machines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China accounted for 2.79 billion ($2.9 billion) of ASMLs sales in the third quarter, nearly half of its total. The company expects China sales to account for about 20% of total revenue this year. Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet echoed Schoof in an interview with Bloomberg in October, predicting that the US pressure on ASML to further restrict sales of semiconductor technology to Beijing will likely grow. Schoof is set to meet with Chinas Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in the Netherlands on Thursday. In response to a question on whether he expects China to retaliate against the Netherlands export controls, Schoof said retaliation is not on the agenda, we meet as good friends. We will probably talk about export controls and we will listen to each other very carefully, he said. We have good trade relationship with China but between good friends you can always have disputes on particular issues. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The News US President Donald Trump said he favored imposing a blanket 10% tariff on goods imported from China, indicating that early hopes of a rapprochement may be misplaced. Beijing criticized Trumps proposal, with a top official arguing against protectionism which China itself practices by restricting access to Western firms such as banks and tech firms. Still, some analysts were upbeat: Trumps proposed tariffs were lower than those he suggested against US allies, and his rhetoric has been less harsh than it was during his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can sense there is cautious optimism, a Shanghai-based academic told the Financial Times, while a prominent US political scientist said well be surprised on the upside in terms of an improvement in ties. A chart showing Mexico, Canada, and China trade with the US since 2017 SIGNALS Trump administration gathers Indo-Pacific allies Sources: Politico, The Washington Post, The Wire China On his first full day as secretary of state, Marco Rubio convened a meeting of the Quad, a China-focused group consisting of the US, India, Australia, and Japan. This is a very good example that we can continue this kind of minilateral or multilateral cooperation under the second Trump administration, a Japanese spokesperson said. One analyst told Nikkei Asia that the early meeting is a sign that were going to see a continued focus on working with allies and partners to counter China. Rubio is expected to be joined at the State Department by a number of prominent Republican China hawks, including Jacob Helberg who played a key role in the TikTok ban as a top economic official and Elise Stefanik who backed legislation banning Chinese drones as UN ambassador. But how hawkish will the Trump administration actually be? Sources: The Wire China, The Atlantic, Project Syndicate Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as Trump stacks his second administration with prominent China hawks, experts are divided over his approach to Beijing. During Trumps first term, the president undercut his administrations China policy, repeatedly praised Xi, and seemed to view competition with China strictly through an economic lens rather than the consensus view that Beijing was a security threat, a China researcher at the International Crisis Group argued. Now, Trumps coziness with corporate titans who do business in China, could see figures like Elon Musk press Trump to go easy on China, an expert said. Other leading analysts disagree, however: Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer argued that Trump seems determined to tighten the pressure on China and its stumbling economy. US could see opening to disrupt China-Russia relationship Source: The Wall Street Journal After Trumps inauguration, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russias Vladimir Putin held a video call to discuss potential outreach to the new US administration, the Kremlin said. While both leaders congratulated Trump on his reelection, relations with the US have not improved since Trumps first term. Some Chinese experts fear that Trump will pursue a policy referred to as a reverse Nixon, The Wall Street Journal reported: In this scenario, just as President Richard Nixon fostered ties with China to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Trump might work to turn Moscow against Beijing. On the campaign, Trump promised to un-unite the two US adversaries. Theyre [natural enemies], and weve allowed them to get together. Its such a dangerous thing. Donald Trump has ordered that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff be put on paid leave immediately and eventually laid off. The move follows an executive order the president signed on his first day back in the White House which revoked Lyndon Johnsons protection of workers against discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. Mr Trumps order also encourages the private sector to end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heralding a new golden age for the US, he has sought to quickly dismantle many Biden-era policies with a flurry of executive orders on immigration, gender and climate. The president has vowed to fire more than a thousand of his successors appointees, including Adml Linda Fagan, whom Joe Biden, the former president, appointed to lead the US Coast Guard in 2022. Mr Trump sacked Adml Fagan on Tuesday for excessive focus on diversity policies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed agencies to place DEI office staffers on paid leave, take down all public DEI-focused webpages and cancel any DEI-related training by 5pm EST on Wednesday (10pm GMT). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The memo also encouraged employees at federal agencies to inform on those attempting to disguise DEI programmes. Federal department and agency bosses are required to ask employees if they know of any efforts to disguise these [DEI] programmes by using coded or imprecise language. The memo, issued on Tuesday, included a template email for bosses to send to employees, which asks them to report to OPM if they are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 (Election Day) to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies. The memo added that DEI programmes divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars and resulted in shameful discrimination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal government departments had started to take down public webpages associated with diversity, equity and inclusion on Wednesday, in line with the OPM memo and ahead of the 5pm deadline. The US Treasury, Department for Labor, Agency for International Development and the General Services Administration appeared to have heeded the order by dismantling their DEI landing pages. US government recognises two sexes The State Department also appeared to have removed the selecting your gender marker page from its website. Where previously those applying for or updating a passport were advised on selecting between male (M), female (F), or unspecified or another gender identity (X), now the page redirects applicants to a general passport information page. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move comes a day after Mr Trump issued an executive order instructing all government agencies to ensure official documents such as passports and visas accurately reflect the holders sex. The order also declared that the US government would recognise only two sexes, male and female, as part of a wider campaign to end radical and wasteful DEI initiatives. Marco Rubio has pledged to eliminate DEI from the State Department and restore a strict meritocracy. In a memo to the diplomatic corps, Mr Rubio, who was confirmed as secretary of state on Tuesday, said: There is tremendous talent and expertise in this Department I have seen it first-hand in missions across the globe and upholding strict meritocracy is essential to securing our nations future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that he would follow Mr Trumps executive order to ban diversity programmes in both letter and spirit and that his new department must stop pushing political and cultural causes that are divisive at home and deeply unpopular abroad. 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. With one of his final acts in office, President Joe Biden took part in the presidential tradition of writing a letter to his successor, President Donald Trump. The tradition began with President Ronald Reagan leaving a letter for his own Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1989, with Bush carrying on the convention four years later after losing the 1992 election to President Bill Clinton. Every president since then - including Trump in 2021 - has left a letter for their successor. Trump found the handwritten letter in the desk on Monday as he was signing executive orders in the Oval Office, prompted by a journalist who asked if he had received a message from Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After locating the letter, Trump held it up for the cameras, showing a handwritten 47, for 47th president. He said he would read it before deciding whether to share what it said. Biden called Trumps letter very generous, but never released it publicly. The short note, which Trump described as inspirational and very nice was later shared in full with Fox News. It was a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it, do a good job. Important, very important. How important the job is, Trump told reporters. Read the letter in full below. Dear President Trump, As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years. The American people - and people around the world - look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation. May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding. Joe Biden 1-20-25 Bidens letter to Trump Donald Trump repeatedly promised during his presidential campaign to quickly end Russias war with Ukraine. It appears his plan to do so involves the threat of sanctions against the country. In a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, Trump called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, saying that if we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Truth Social screenshot Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: Im not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin - and this despite the Radical Lefts Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, Im going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Lets get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. Its time to MAKE A DEAL. NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!! Jan 22, 2025, 10:46 AM Although Trump began by praising Russia and the Russian people, as well as touting his close relationship with Putin, the rest of the post contains possibly some of his toughest language to date against the country and its leader. Some of Trumps threats are already in place, however: Sanctions have been in place against Russia since the early days of the Ukraine war, hurting the countrys economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump repeatedly bragged on the campaign trail that he could end the Russia-Ukraine War in 24 hours, but after he won the election, Russia threw cold water on that idea, even boosting its troop levels less than a week later. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the new presidents choice for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, a post solely focused on ending the war, has suggested withholding aid for Ukraine in order to force negotiations with Russia. Kellogg has already backtracked on a quick end to the war, suggesting that Trump never really had a concrete plan to quickly end hostilities as he promised. The fact that the president is now bringing up sanctions when only four months ago, he decried their use against Russia, seems to indicate that his threat is a bluff and hes making up a plan on the fly. Russia is probably not going to respond in the way Trump wants. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he had revoked a six-decade-old executive order designed to combat workplace discrimination and promote affirmative action among federal contractors, undoing a labor standard that stretches back to the presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson. The rule Trump nuked, Executive Order 11246, forbade federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. It granted the Labor Department the power to enforce its provisions through a contracting standards office. The order was part of a long history of the federal government using contracting rules to try to root out discrimination. Signed a year after the Civil Rights Act was passed, it explicitly required that employers who accept federal contract money take affirmative action not to discriminate against job applicants or workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement Wednesday, Trump attacked it as radical DEI preferencing, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI programs, which aim to improve workplace conditions and reduce hiring disparities for minorities, have grown into a conservative obsession and major policy target for Trump and his allies, who often say DEI enables reverse discrimination instead. The regulations Trump revoked included placement goals, or targets for employers to meet in the hiring of underrepresented groups. Moving forward, Trump said, the Labor Department would be forbidden from pushing contractors to balance their workforce based on race, sex, gender identity, sexual preference, or religion. He called his order rolling back the 60-year-old protections the most important federal civil rights measure in decades. President Donald Trump signs an (unrelated) executive order on Monday. via Associated Press As of Wednesday afternoon, the Labor Departments webpage still described Johnsons executive order as a historic step towards equal employment opportunity and said it remains a major safeguard for millions of workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Signed by President Johnson that early autumn Friday in 1965, Executive Order 11246 became a key landmark in a series of federal actions aimed at ending racial, religious and ethnic discrimination, an effort that dated back to the anxious days before the U.S. was thrust into World War II, the site reads. Democrats and advocacy groups were quick to criticize the move. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said Trumps order would gut core civil rights protections as well as the Labor Department office that enforces them. Judy Conti, government affairs director at the National Employment Law Project, a worker advocacy group, said Trump had stripped away a key tool in combating discrimination. This is not a return to so-called meritocracy, Conti said in a statement. Rather, its an attempted return to the days when people of color, women, and other marginalized people lacked the tools to ensure that they were evaluated on their merits. Related... Q: Can the President intervene to save TikTok with an executive order? A. TikTok is a social media platform that permits the sharing of short-form videos that are displayed through a sophisticated recommendation algorithm. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACAA), which was enacted last year, bars app stores and hosting platforms from supporting TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, completes a divestiture that ends any operational or ownership ties to the Chinese government. The deadline for compliance was Jan. 19, 2025. The law was passed based on a concern that some companies may share the data it gathers on its American users with foreign governments like China. This is also an additional caution that the social media app could be used to as a platform for state-sponsored propaganda directed at the American people. In a speech before Congress, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark) argued that TikTok is a tool that has been used to gather data on Americans, manipulate our kids, and spread harmful content. A recent book I co-authored from Oxford University Press called Directed Digital Dissidence in Autocracies: How China Wins Online, shows how effective nations like China can be, influencing and directing online discourse. Another Civics Project: The Civics Project: Constitutional wall between church and state forever being tested in courts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nonetheless, TikTok challenged the law as violating the First Amendments guarantee of free speech. However, the courts were not receptive to this argument. Historically, Courts have been deferential to Congress and the president in areas of national security. Despite the challenges, multiple federal courts and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the PAFACAA. As one court noted, the government has a compelling interest in countering foreign manipulation and data collection. The president cannot easily circumvent the law. The presidency grants the officeholder a vast amount of power, including the ability to issue directives and orders to the executive branch. However, there are limits. The president cannot override or suspend legislation enacted by Congress. The PAFACAA does give the president the flexibility to grant a one-time extension of the deadline, up to 90 days, provided the President certifies the need for such an extension to Congress. However, this is only a delay, the core requirements of the Act remain unchanged. If the President goes beyond this and attempts to help TikTok by issuing an executive order which permits it to operate, some may want to bring suit claiming the order is illegal. Indeed, some of the proposals presented as solutions, such as the U.S. Government owning half of TikTok, may not satisfy the law and might raise other substantive and constitutional issues. However, for the courts to even consider the matter, there would need to be clarity about who has standing or the right to sue. Another Civics Project: The Civics Project: Has American politics always been this bad? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legally, the fate of TikTok should rest more with Congress than with the White House. Congress could, in theory, amend the law to provide alternative pathways to compliance, such as stronger oversight mechanisms instead of a full divestiture. However, this would require a bipartisan consensus, which is never easy or quickly achieved. However, the role that executive branch and the presidency play in carrying out and enforcing laws may create some uncertainty. While presidents do not have the power to change laws, they have significant power over enforcement. There may be a question of how the law would be enforced if the president chose not to do so. Kevin Wagner Kevin Wagner is a noted constitutional scholar, political science professor and Co-Director of the PolCom Lab at Florida Atlantic University. The answers provided do not necessarily represent the views of the university. If you have a question about how American government and politics work, email him at kwagne15@fau.edu or reach him on (X) @kevinwagnerphd. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: TikTok ban: Expert on if Trump can save ByteDance app | Opinion For about a day, it looked like China had gotten a lucky break as Donald Trump returned to the White House. One of Trumps initial executive orders was a delay of the TikTok ban, giving the ByteDance-owned social media app more time to find a way to operate in the U.S. Trump also promised several new tariffs on Mondaybut none on China. That ended on Tuesday, as the president revealed he was considering a new 10% tariff on Chinese imports that could come into effect as early as Feb 1. Trump accused China of sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada, necessitating tariffs. On Monday, Trump proposed new 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three measures were mentioned in a November post on Trumps Truth Social account. Hed floated even higher tariffs on China, as high as 60%, during the presidential campaign. Beijing said on Wednesday that its firmly committed to safeguarding national interests following Trumps tariff comment. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also added that there are no winners in a trade or a tariff war, a line Beijing often repeats. Chinese markets dipped on Tuesday. The Hang Seng Index closed down around 1.8% and the CSI 300 was down by 0.9% at close. Markets in Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei rose. On his first day in office, Trump also floated the idea of a 100% tariff on China in the event a TikTok deal couldnt be reached. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, Trump ordered agencies like the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to review trade relations between the U.S. and China. In 2020, during his first term, Trump signed a Phase One deal with Beijing that cut some tariffs in exchange for Beijing increasing its purchases of U.S. goods and services by $200 billion over a two-year period. Beijing did not meet that target as the COVID pandemic hit. Worsening trade tensions with Beijing have encouraged companies to diversify their supply chains away from China, moving investment to countries like Vietnam and India. Yet manufacturers have struggled to ditch China entirely; supply-chain experts note that no other country yet matches Chinas ability to manufacture intricate products at scale and at low cost. Higher tariffs may also hurt U.S. companies that still rely on cheap imports from China, like massive retailers Walmart and Costco. Both companies have warned that broad tariffs could raise prices for U.S. consumers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And while Chinese companies are shifting focus to markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America, as the U.S. market begins to be closed off, experts noted Chinese manufacturers may struggle to find a replacement market for the U.S. and its high-spending consumers. Update, Jan. 22, 2025: This piece has been updated with a comment from China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said former President Joe Biden left him a "nice" letter inside the Resolute Desk at the White House, continuing an inauguration day tradition. Trump told reporters he opened the letter on Monday evening and was thinking of making it publicly available. He said Biden advised him to enjoy his term and emphasized the importance of the role. "It said, 'To Number 47,' Trump said. "It was a very nice one .... just basically a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it. Do a good job. Important, very important how important the job is." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who was inaugurated to his second term in the White House on Monday, said he felt he should let people see the letter because it was "a positive" for Biden. Trump found the handwritten letter in the desk on Monday during a ceremony in the Oval Office after a journalist asked if he had received a message from Biden. He held it up for the cameras, showing a handwritten "47," saying he would read it privately before deciding whether to release its contents. Trump, the first president since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s to serve nonconsecutive terms, left a letter for Biden when he took office in January 2021. Biden said it was a "very generous" letter but never released it publicly. Former President Ronald Reagan started the modern letter-writing tradition in 1989, leaving one for his vice president and successor, George H.W. Bush, on stationery marked "Don't let the turkeys get you down." (Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Andrea Shalal and Ryan Patrick Jones; Editing by Leslie Adler) (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg President Donald Trump widened his tariff threats to include China and the European Union on his second day back in office after day one saw Canada and Mexico in his sights. Were talking about a tariff of 10% on China, based on the fact that theyre sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada, Trump said during an event at the White House on Tuesday, specifying Feb. 1 as a possible date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other countries are big abusers also, you know its not just China, Trump said. We have a $350 billion deficit with the European Union. They treat us very very badly, so theyre going to be in for tariffs. The threats echo comments made throughout Trumps campaign for a return to the White House and since his sweeping Nov. 5 victory. But the only actual action taken so far is the call for a review of trade practices thats due by April 1, potentially giving China and others almost 10 weeks to avert new levies or address his demands. Chinas government reiterated their opposition to tariffs, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Wednesday that there are no winners in a trade war, adding that China would safeguard its national interest. Read: Trumps China Tariff Threat Suggests More Pain to Come Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier Tuesday, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said China would expand its imports, saying the country did not seek a trade surplus. Bloomberg News has reported that people familiar with Trumps discussions around China have said that he is interested in opening negotiations with China. On Monday, the first day of his new term, Trump held off on ordering China-specific tariffs, even as he said that he intended to hit Canada and Mexico both US neighbors and close allies with the 25% levies by Feb. 1. That had fueled gains for Asian shares on Tuesday. Market Volatility Chinese stocks fell Wednesday after Trumps latest comments, with the onshore benchmark CSI 300 Index headed for its first decline in five days and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index the worst performer in Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the 10% level is lower than the potential levies of 60% on Chinese products that Trump floated during his election campaign, investors are bracing for more volatility. It only gets tougher from here, said Xin-Yao Ng, an investment director at abrdn Plc in Singapore. Its a reminder that Trump will do something, because the first day might have given some the false impression that he might not. More gradual tariffs might also delay or reduce the force of stimulus that the market wants. Trump on Tuesday also reiterated his earlier threat to hit Canada and Mexico with tariffs, emphasizing that this wasnt an attempt to force renegotiations of the three nations free-trade deal, but was because they had allowed illegal immigrants and drugs to cross into the US. It is unclear under what legal authority Trump could order these tariffs imposed. In the executive action on Monday, he told officials to assess the unlawful migration and fentanyl flows from Canada, Mexico, and China and report back by April 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before his inauguration there were reports he was considering declaring a national economic emergency to allow new tariffs, but such a move hasnt been announced. While the Trump administrations instant actions do not lead to new tariffs being imposed immediately, the memorandum demonstrates a clear and methodical effort to lay the foundations for future tariff actions and other measures, according to a report on the executive order by law firm Baker McKenzie. Earlier: Xi Dodges Early Trump Tariffs, Buying China Time to Influence US Trump aggressively targeted China during his first term over trade, starting a clash that reshaped supply chains and the global economy. Trump spoke to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping days before his second inauguration, in a call in which they discussed trade, fentanyl and ByteDance Ltd.s social media app TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We didnt talk too much about tariffs, other than he knows where I stand, Trump said Tuesday, defending his approach to the issue. Look, I put large tariffs on China. Ive taken in hundreds of billions of dollars. Until I was president, China never paid not 10 cents to the United States, he said. --With assistance from James Mayger, Zhu Lin, Meghashyam Mali, John Harney and Lucille Liu. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. President Donald Trump is fanning the flames of a trade war with China by renewing campaign threats to up duties on products made by the sourcing superpower. In a statement to reporters at the White House on Tuesday evening, Trump said his administration was considering levying 10-percent tariffs on China starting next month. More from Sourcing Journal Were talking about a tariff of 10 percent on China based on the fact that theyre sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada, he said, according to a report from CNBC. Probably Feb. 1 is the date were looking at, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The comments took place in the early morning hours for Chinese officials, who had not yet released comments on the matter by the time of publication. But at his morning briefing on Tuesday, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to the news that Trump had ordered a review of trade issues pertaining to China. Economic cooperation and trade between China and the United States benefit both sides. Keeping business ties sound and stable serves the fundamental interests of both countries and both peoples, it is also conducive to global economic growth, he said. China stands ready to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, strengthen dialogue and communication with the U.S., properly manage differences, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, he added. We hope the U.S. will work with us to promote the steady, sound and sustainable growth of bilateral trade and economic ties. Trump also reiterated his thinking about a potential duty increase for Mexico and Canada during the exchange with news outlets, repeating comments that the two countries could see tariffs of approximately 25 percent by or around Feb. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His first comments on the timeline took place within hours of his inauguration, prompting a swift but measured response from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At a press conference Tuesday, the outgoing leader said, If there are unfair tariffs, we will respond robustly and we will be there to support Canadians and protect our interests. Conservative party Premier Doug Ford was more colorful in his remarks on the issue, telling the Associated Press that Trump declared an economic war on Canada with his tariff threat. The leader from Ontario said he and his contemporaries are going to use every tool in our tool box to defend our economy, including imposing dollar-for-dollar duties on American-made alcohol and other products. President Trump seems intent on starting a trade war that will create the kind of economic uncertainty that only benefits China, Ford wrote on X Tuesday. Theres a better way. Lets beat China with Fortress Am-Can. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he had granted a pardon to Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. Ulbricht, who was accused of creating the shadowy e-commerce site the Justice Department had described as the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today, had been serving a life sentence on charges related to the operation. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump called Ulbrichts sentence ridiculous, claiming it was disproportionate to the crime. He went on to express frustration with the legal figures involved in Ulbrichts conviction, referring to them as scum and accusing them of being among the same individuals responsible for the weaponization of government against him during his time in office. The FBI shut down Silk Road in October 2013 and arrested Ulbricht after he allegedly posted his email address online. He was found guilty in February 2015 on a variety of charges including money laundering, drug trafficking and computer hacking. Trumps act of clemency makes good on a campaign promise. In May 2024, Trump pledged in remarks to the Libertarian Partys national convention in Washington, DC, to commute Ulbrichts sentence immediately upon taking office. If you vote for me, on Day 1 I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht to a sentence of time served, Trump said at the time. Hes already served 11 years. Were going to get him home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle celebrated the announcement Tuesday, calling Ulbricht a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade. Im proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities and that has finally paid off, McArdle said in a statement that also thanked Trump for following through on his vow. The government had alleged that Ulbricht, who donned the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, a nod to the fictitious character in the film The Princess Bride, founded the site in 2011. The now-defunct marketplace allowed users to anonymously trade drugs and other illegal goods and services in near-total secrecy using bitcoin. According to the indictment, Silk Road acquired nearly a million registered users worldwide, about 30% of whom were based in the US. Ulbricht had been convicted following a four-week jury trial. Preet Bharara, then the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at the time that Ulbricht was a drug dealer and criminal profiteer who exploited peoples addictions and contributed to the deaths of at least six young people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ulbricht went from hiding his cybercrime identity to becoming the face of cybercrime and as todays sentence proves, no one is above the law, Bharara said. The Southern District of New York declined to comment on the pardon. Bharara also declined to comment. This story has been updated with additional information. CNNs Kara Scannell and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com US President Donald Trump has said he will consider additional sanctions against Russia as its war against Ukraine approaches its third anniversary. Source: CNN Details: Trump was asked whether he would impose additional sanctions on Russia if Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin does not come to the negotiating table. The US president replied: "Sounds likely." Quote from Trump: "Were talking to Zelensky. Were going to be talking with President Putin very soon, and well see what how it all happens." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: At the same time, he accused the European Union of not spending enough money on Ukraines defence, and added that he would "consider" whether the US would send additional weapons to Ukraine. The administration of the previous US President Joe Biden worked in the last months of his administration to send as many weapons and as much money as possible to Kyiv before leaving the White House. Trump also confirmed that he had discussed the war in Ukraine during a recent phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping: "Hes got a lot of power like we have a lot of power. I said you ought to get it settled." The US president stressed that Zelenskyy wanted peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But it takes two to tango. Well see what happens," Trump concluded. Background: Support UP or become our patron! WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, refuses to negotiate about ending the war in Ukraine. Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The United States has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump said his administration was also looking at the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine, adding his view that the European Union should be doing more to support Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're talking to (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy, we're going to be talking with President Putin very soon," Trump said. "We're going to look at it." Trump said he had pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call to intervene to stop the Ukraine war. "He's not done very much on that. He's got a lot of ... power, like we have a lot of power. I said, 'You ought to get it settled.' We did discuss it." (Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; writing by Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason; Editing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis) President Trump will travel to North Carolina, California and Nevada this week for the first trips of his presidency, he told reporters on Tuesday. The president said he will be going Friday to North Carolina, which he said has been abandoned by the Democrats. Hurricane Helene hit the Tar Heel State in September, and Trump has been critical of the federal and local response to the storm. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper (N.C.) was a surrogate for former Vice President Harriss 2024 campaign. Trump won the state with just under 51 percent of the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After North Carolina, Trump will travel to Los Angeles, which continues to battle deadly wildfires. Trump has floated the idea of including federal aid to Los Angeles as part of a massive reconciliation package, and on Tuesday, he said that talks with GOP leaders about how to enact his agenda was made simpler by Los Angeles, because theyre going to need a lot of money. Additionally, Trump said he will travel to Nevada after his visit to Los Angeles. Trump won Nevada by over 50 percent of the vote, flipping a key battleground state that former President Biden won in 2020. Im really going to Nevada to thank them for the vote, because we won Nevada overwhelmingly and thats usually a Democratic vote, the president said about that trip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Trump said that he is considering a visit to the Middle East. The president hasnt said yet what his first international trip will be. Ahead of his visit to California, Trump has been particularly critical of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) since the wildfires started raging in the Los Angeles area. Newsom this week said he looks forward to Trumps visit and said he stands ready to work with his administration. 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 The Hill. The State Department suspended its refugee program Tuesday night, halting all refugee flights into the United States, under direction of one of President Donald Trump's Day 1 executive orders. The order initially was set to go into effect on Monday, and its swift implementation surprised and alarmed advocates and nonprofits, leaving some refugees who were already in transit to the U.S. stranded in intermediate countries. Travel has been canceled for people who had plans," said Kathie OCallaghan, the president of Hearts and Homes for Refugees, a nonprofit based in Westchester County, N.Y., that resettles families from around the world. Many of these families were very close to arriving and will be in limbo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are hundreds of small groups like O'Callaghan's as well as larger organizations such as churches and international nonprofits that work with the federal government to resettle refugees around the country. Advocates say data shows refugees are not an excessive drain on government resources and tend to go on to be successfully employed after receiving initial public assistance upon arrival. The rate of employment and participation in the labor force for refugees exceeds that of the U.S. population as a whole, according to studies. Refugees are also subject to more elaborate security vetting than immigrants to the U.S., experts say. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a longtime advocate for refugees, said she was alarmed by the executive order to suspend the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Stepping away from this program at a time of unprecedented displacement will put refugees lives at risk and ultimately weaken our nations long-term security," Shaheen said in a statement Wednesday. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the program's suspension. The U.S. refugee resettlement program was largely decimated under the first Trump administration due to restructuring, budget cuts and the impact of the pandemic. The Biden administration began rebuilding it, and was still working on it up until Trump took office. The just over 100,000 refugees resettled in the U.S. in the 2024 fiscal year represented a historical milestone: the most refugees resettled in the United States in three decades and a dramatic shift from the 11,454 refugees admitted into the country just three years earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. government has not yet posted refugee figures for the current fiscal year, according to World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization. From October through December 2024, "more than 27,000 refugees were admitted to the United States, 2,241 of whom were resettled by World Relief in collaboration with local church partners across the country," the organization said in a statement, noting that nearly 70% of those resettled refugees fled a threat of persecution in five countries: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela. The International Rescue Committee, a high-profile nonprofit refugee assistance group, called the decision a step backwards. This country has been a leader in refugee resettlement, the committee's president and CEO, David Miliband, said. The refugee resettlement program is a proven, orderly, cost-effective way of offering life-saving protection to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Afghans at risk The suspension of the program leaves tens of thousands of Afghan refugees at risk, many of whom have already been vetted by the U.S., advocacy groups say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unconscionable to abandon them, said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups, noting that many of those remaining in Afghanistan are at great risk there. "It sends a message to our allies around the world that we're with you until it's inconvenient, or with you until our administration changes," he said. "They need to be able to trust the word that our diplomats and our service members give to them." The change does not affect the Special Immigrant Visa program, a separate immigration pathway for Afghans who have worked for the U.S. government or military, including the tens of thousands who have served as translators for the U.S. military since 2001. Afghans who served in the Afghan military or who campaigned for human rights, but did not work directly for the U.S. military or embassy, are not eligible for the special immigrant visas and have to apply through the refugee program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taliban has targeted Afghans who served in the Afghan government and security forces, as well as journalists and civil society activists, beating, detaining and killing an unknown number, according to human rights organizations and the United Nations. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has documented evidence of the Taliban committing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture against specific groups, including media workers, human rights defenders and people affiliated with the former government. An Afghan woman resettled in the U.S. told NBC News that her parents were supposed to be on a Jan. 30 flight from Afghanistan to the United States, but she did not know whether the flight would go ahead. The family has not yet heard from the State Department about the planned flight. We are so worried especially for my dad because he is hiding for three years. It is so hard for my family, said the woman, who spoke on the condition that her name not be used due to what she said are threats from the Taliban against her father, who served in the Afghan police and worked closely with the U.S. government before the Taliban came into power in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his first message to the U.S. diplomatic corps, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a State Department-wide memo setting priorities in line with the second Trump administration, including, Curbing Mass Migration and Securing Our Borders. The era of mass migration must end. This Department will no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage it, Rubio wrote in the note obtained by NBC News. And diplomacy with other nations, especially in the Western Hemisphere, will prioritize securing Americas borders, stopping illegal and destabilizing migration, and negotiating the repatriation of illegal immigrants. But the administrations priorities on refugees may be at odds with some of its supporters. Earlier this month, before Mondays inauguration, several evangelical Christian organizations urged Trump to maintain the refugee program to ensure Christians facing persecution abroad can find safety in the United States. We are grateful for President-elect Trumps commitment to ensuring that our nations borders are strong and secure. We also appreciate and affirm his recent call to ensure systems so that immigrants with love for the country are able to come in legally, the Christian groups said in a Jan. 14 statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has received strong support from evangelical voters, including in his election victory in November, and has promised to protect Christians from what he has portrayed as discrimination in American society. Out of the roughly 100,000 refugees admitted to the United States last year, nearly 30,000 were Christians from countries accused of persecuting the Christian community, according to the nonprofit Open Doors. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com President Donald Trump took aim at federal and state support for electric vehicles on his first day in office. But its not clear he has the power hes claimed on the topic. In his executive order, Trump said he was eliminating the electric vehicle mandate. But there has never been a federal mandate that prohibited Americans from buying gasoline-powered cars, as he claimed in his inaugural address. And its not clear whether the specifics in the executive order can be accomplished through a stroke of his pen alone. It could take congressional action to roll back some of the measures he wants eliminated, and other actions are certain to spur a prolonged court battle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And even if all of it were legal and possible, automakers are likely to plow forward with EV efforts anyway. The order seeks to end the federal support in recent years for electric vehicles. This includes a $7,500 tax credit for buyers of EVs that was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2022, along with federal support for vehicle-charging stations and low interest loans for traditional automakers building new plants to build EVs and the batteries they need. But this federal support for EVs was part of a 2022 law that may require congressional action to change, although the details of the tax credit were set by the Internal Revenue Service, not Congress. And Trump wants to eliminate local regulations from California and the eight other states Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington that would ban the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Those nine states make up about a quarter of the American car market. President Donald Trump speaks during inauguration ceremonies as he takes office for his second term. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Trump already tried to limit the power of California to regulate its own air pollution rather than the federal Environmental Protection Agency, with other states to follow suit, during his first term in office. The issue ended up in the courts, but that legal battle was put on hold after he left office and the states power was restored by President Joe Biden. A new court fight over those powers is likely to be waged again and could take years to settle, perhaps longer than Trumps time in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps executive order on Monday would scale back the EPAs emission rules that currently push automakers to sell more zero- and low-emission vehicles, such as plug-in hybrids. EPA environmental regulations on emissions must go through a rule-setting process, although supporters of the current standards, which were put in place under Biden, will have a tough time stopping any changes set by Trumps EPA. Auto industry lobbies to keep EV help Trump may try to change regulations and incentives to boost petroleum-powered cars and the oil industry as much as he can, but hell have a hard time in the board rooms of the auto industry. Major automakers generally agree with Trump on the state EV mandates. Analysis from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry trade group that represents most major automakers other than Tesla, said that while gasoline-powered emissions targets from the Biden EPA are on the ragged edge of achievable, the rules from California and the eight other states are going to take a miracle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But US automakers are too committed to EVs to pull back completely, no matter what changes Trump is able to implement. The tax credit and other federal support for EVs have broad support among automakers. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation has pushed to continue the tax credit and other support, arguing that US automakers seeking to build and sell EVs need the help to compete with Chinese automakers who make far more vehicles than any other country, thanks to Chinas focus on EV sales. While US electric vehicle sales continue to grow, rising to 1.3 million vehicles sold last year, that only makes up 8% of total sales of new passenger vehicles, according to Cox Automotive. The other 92% of US car buyers bought cars at least partly, if not totally, powered by gasoline. China, in contrast, built nearly 50 million vehicles in 2024, with nearly one third of those EVs or plug-in hybrids. Chinese electric cars for export stacked at the international container terminal in Suzhou, awaiting to be exported. - STR/AFP/Getty Images The United States is no longer the largest auto producing country, said a letter from the industry trade group. Chinas strategic focus on EVs has propelled it to global leadership. While the letter was sent to Congress last October, the position of the trade group has not changed since the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the legacy automakers dont want to walk away from EVs, even if theyre losing money on the endeavor right now. They forecast that as their EV sales increase, they will swing from losses to profits just as Tesla did as it was scaling up its EV production. And with fewer moving parts, it can be more profitable to build an EV than a gasoline-powered car with its complex engine and transmission. Teslas profit margin on its cars, for instance, was about 16% during the first three quarters of 2024. Thats nearly twice the profit margin at General Motors. And the industry also knows that the car market is a long-term game. American hunger for electric vehicles isnt just growing its growing faster than demand for petroleum-powered cars. Dozens of EVs are wending their way through product pipelines that take years to navigate, often far longer than a single presidential term. And legacy automakers have already sunk $33 billion into factories that will only build electric cars, plus another $90 billion in American battery factories many of which are in southern states that voted for Trump. We might see a much slower adoption of EVs (with a regulation change), said Jeff Schuster, global head of automotive at GlobalData, an industry consultant. But with all the investment, were not likely to see it reversed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement General Motors and Ford declined to comment on Trumps EV executive order Tuesday. Stellantis, which makes cars under the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands, said it is well positioned to adapt to the policy changes enacted by the new administration. But it also has fewer EV offerings in the US market than most of its rivals. Musk wants end of help for EVs It might seem that the Trump administrations efforts to pull back support for EVs would hurt the fortunes of one of his top supporters, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who owes much of his world-leading net worth to the value of his Tesla shares. After all, most US buyers of Tesla are getting the $7,500 federal tax credit, and that money makes the price of Teslas more competitive with the price of gas-powered vehicles. But Musk has said that EV subsidies should end. And most analysts believe that federal support for EVs is hurting Tesla more than it is helping it. Those billions in subsidies are helping to create more competition for Tesla among EV buyers who now have more options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The end of the credit will widen Teslas competitive moat by making competing EV models even more uneconomic, as we believe Tesla is the only profitable manufacturer of EVs, Garrett Nelson, an analyst for CFRA Research, wrote in a note to clients the day after the election. Tesla, which was seeing double-digit sales growth every year, just reported its first drop in annual sales in its history, greatly due to more competition from legacy US automakers EV models, as well as those from Chinese automakers. CNNs John Fritze and Vanessa Yurkevich contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) President Donald Trump's expansive executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in Alaska is being cheered by state political leaders who see new fossil fuel development as critical to Alaska's economic future and criticized by environmental groups that see the proposals as worrying in the face of a warming climate. The order, signed on Trump's first day in office Monday, is consistent with a wish list submitted by Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy shortly after Trump's election. It seeks, among other things, to open to oil and gas drilling an area of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge considered sacred to the Indigenous Gwich'in, undo limits imposed by the Biden administration on drilling activity in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on the North Slope and reverse restrictions on logging and road-building in a temperate rainforest that provides habitat for wolves, bears and salmon. In many ways, the order seeks to revert to policies that were in place during Trump's first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump just can't wave a magic wand and make these things happen, said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Environmental laws and rules must be followed in attempts to unravel existing policies, and legal challenges to Trump's plans are virtually certain, he said. Were ready and looking forward to the fight of our lives to keep Alaska great, wild and abundant, Freeman said. What's planned for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? The order seeks to reverse a Biden administration decision canceling seven leases issued as part of the first-ever oil and gas lease sale in the refuge's coastal plain. Major oil companies didn't participate in the sale, held in early 2021 in the waning days of Trump's first term. The leases went to a state corporation. Two small companies that also won leases in that sale had earlier given them up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's order calls for the Interior secretary to initiate additional leasing and issue all permits and easements necessary for oil and gas exploration and development to occur. Gwichin leaders oppose drilling on the coastal plain, citing its importance to a caribou herd they rely upon. Leaders of the Inupiaq community of Kaktovik, which is within the refuge, support drilling and have expressed hope their voices will be heard in the Trump administration after being frustrated by former President Joe Biden. This comes weeks after a second lease sale, mandated by a 2017 federal law, yielded no bids. The law required that two lease sales be offered by the end of 2024. The state earlier this month sued the Interior Department and federal officials, alleging among other things that the terms of the recent sale were too restrictive. What do Alaska political leaders say? Alaska leaders cheered Trump's order, which was titled, Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is morning again in Alaska, Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan declared. President Trump delivered on his first day in office! Dunleavy said on social media. This is why elections matter. Alaska has a history of fighting perceived overreach by the federal government that affects the state's ability to develop its natural resources. State leaders complained during the Biden administration that efforts to further develop oil, gas and minerals were being unfairly hampered, though they also scored a major win with the approval in 2023 of a large oil project known as Willow in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Environmentalists are fighting that approval in court. Dunleavy has repeatedly argued that development of Alaska's vast resources are critical for its future, and he's billed the underground storage of carbon and carbon offset programs as a way to diversify revenues while continuing to develop oil, gas and coal and pursue timber programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state faces economic challenges: oil production, long its lifeblood, is a fraction of what it once was, in part due to aging fields, and for more than a decade, more people have left Alaska than have moved here. What happens now? Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the conservation group Center for Western Priorities, called Trump's order an everything, everywhere, all-at-once order that seeks to undo measures that in some cases it took the Biden administration years to enact. The length of time it would take the Interior Department to accomplish everything in that executive order is at least one terms worth, maybe two. And even then, you would need the science on your side when it all comes back. And we know in the case of Alaska specifically, the science is not on the side of unlimited drilling," he said, pointing to climate concerns and the warming Arctic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Communities have experienced the impacts of climate change, including thinning sea ice, coastal erosion and thawing permafrost that undermines infrastructure. Erik Grafe, an attorney with the group Earthjustice, called the Arctic the worst place to be expanding oil and gas development. No place is good because we need to be contracting and moving to a green economy and addressing the climate crisis. Donald Trump told Vladimir Putin to stop this ridiculous war or face a fresh round of tariffs and sanctions. The US president said he was doing a favour for Putin by offering him the chance to negotiate over peace, but would punish Russia if it did not come to the table. Mr Trump, who was inaugurated on Monday, has repeatedly promised to bring a swift end to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, has publicly backed his American counterpart to broker a ceasefire, but Putin has yet to signal his willingness to entertain peace talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the Ukrainian president said for the first time on Wednesday that he would demand US troops join a Western peacekeeping force as part of any settlement, in a blow to Mr Trumps attempts to end the war. Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social website: Im going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOUR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we dont make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. In a pointed message to Putin, Mr Trump added: We can do it the easy way, or the hard way and the easy way is always better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His message highlights the struggles faced in brokering a deal to end the fighting between Russia and Ukraine, which next month enters its fourth year. Few in the West believe that Putin is ready to hold peace talks as his army continues to make progress in capturing Ukrainian territory. There are also doubts over whether threats to further ratchet up sanctions regimes will work given that trade between Russia and the West has hit historic lows in response to Putins invasion of Ukraine. The US president has steadily escalated his rhetoric towards his Russian counterpart since taking office for the second time earlier this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before his election victory in November, Mr Trump had pledged to end the war within 24 hours of re-entering the White House. However, that timetable has gradually slipped, with his Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, asking for 100 days to find a solution. Big trouble On Monday, the American warned Putin he was in big trouble in an attempt to convince the Russian despot to the negotiating table. Mr Trump said in the Oval Office on the first day of his latest presidency: Zelensky told me he wants to make a deal, I dont know if Putin does He might not. While Mr Zelensky has said he wants to end the war through diplomacy, he has said Kyiv would need to be offered substantial security guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion before a deal is negotiated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian president said at least 200,000 allied troops would be required to enforce any agreement struck by Mr Trump. Its a minimum. Its a minimum, otherwise its nothing, he said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In a separate interview with Bloomberg, Mr Zelensky suggested US troops would have to be deployed as part of the peacekeeping force for it to be effective. It cant be without the United States, he said. Even if some European friends think it can be, no it cant be. Nobody will risk without the United States. Ending the war should be a victory for Trump, not for Putin, Mr Zelensky added. Putin is nobody to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian also indicated that he would demand agreements on any post-war security measures before sitting down for peace talks. The only question is what security guarantees and honestly I want to have understanding before the talks, he said. If he can guarantee this strong and irreversible security for Ukraine, we will move along this diplomatic path. Ukrainian officials have pinned their hopes on Mr Trump to end the war after losing faith in former president Joe Bidens ability to help Kyiv achieve victory against Russia. But they are also engaging positively because Mr Trump has been highly critical of the cost of Washingtons military support for Ukraine and is feared to be primed to end aid packages if Mr Zelensky refuses to negotiate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Russia and China have promised to further boost cooperation in response to Mr Trumps return to the White House. Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Xi Jinping via video conference on Tuesday - GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, told Putin during a phone call on Tuesday: This year, I am ready, together with you, to elevate Chinese-Russian relations to a new level, to counter external uncertainties by preserving stability and resilience of Chinese-Russian relations, for the development and prosperity of both countries and for justice and equality in the world. The two countries have already signed a pact which proclaimed their relationship has no limits, while Beijing is viewed by the West as the driving force keeping Moscows sanctions-stricken economy afloat. Xi is considered key to any peace negotiations because of Putins growing economic and military reliance on China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He can push Putin for peace, Im sure, Mr Zelensky said of his potential involvement. President Trump is the strongest and Xi Jinping. I think theres no other ally who can really do it. His economy, Putin, depends very much on China. 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. The president of the United States does not have the lawful power to end birthright citizenship. That did not stop President Donald Trump from trying to do just that in one of his first executive orders on Inauguration Day. The order itself is strangely writtenpartly out of necessity and partly out of ideology. If the Constitutions words still matter, it will fail in the federal courts. The order, titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, seeks to redefine the Fourteenth Amendment. The amendments language on citizenship is straightforward: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. The subject to the jurisdiction exception is typically taken to mean the children of foreign diplomats. In the Trump administrations telling, however, everyones been getting it all wrong for the last 150 years. The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not subject to the jurisdiction thereof, the order stated. Consistent with this understanding, the Congress has further specified through legislation that a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof is a national and citizen of the United States at birth. Accordingly, it laid out additional categories of American-born citizens whom it hopes to exclude. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first and most important thing to note about the order is that it is not retroactive. Nobody currently living in the United States is affected by it at this moment, no matter their parentage or lawful presence. Instead, it says that it shall apply only to persons who are born within the United States after 30 days from the date of this order. In other words, the first children affected by it will be born on or after February 19. From there, the order says it applies to any child whose mother was unlawfully present in the United States or whose mothers presence in the United States was lawful but temporary, so long as the father is also neither a U.S. citizen nor someone with lawful permanent status. In other words, a child born to at least one parent with lawful permanent residence or U.S. citizenship would be unaffected by its restrictions. (The emphasis on the mothers presence may be meant for cases where a father is not listed on birth records.) The overall intent appears to be to transform American citizenship law from jus solia Latin term for when children acquire citizenship from the soil on which they are born, so to speakto a solely jus sanguinis system where citizenship is passed down solely by dint of ancestry and blood. That would represent a sharp break with historical practice and shift the U.S. toward the Old Worlds approach to nationality. Trump and his allies have long complained about the children of undocumented immigrantsthat is, the children of people who did not lawfully enter the United States. Under Bidens current policies, even though these millions of illegal border crossers have entered the country unlawfully, all of their future children will become automatic U.S. citizens, he complained in a video post on Truth Social last year. The exact size of this population is unknown; some immigration policy groups estimated that upward of 4.4 million children in the U.S. lived with at least one undocumented parent in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the orders terms go well beyond that group to cover any child born to parents who did not have green cards or U.S. citizenship at the time, even if they were otherwise lawfully present in the country. A child born to two H-1B visa recipients in Silicon Valley, or to two student-visa recipients at Ohio State University, or to two H-2A farmworkers in a Florida citrus farm would be affected by the order. It would also apply to children born to parents who are in the country under the Temporary Protected Status program. Since the number of legal immigrants is much larger than the number of undocumented ones, that could amount to tens of thousands of births each year. A hypothetical example is illustrative here. If the executive order applied retroactively, it would almost certainly cover former Vice President Kamala Harris. She was born in 1964 to parents who were lawfully residing in California at the time but were not U.S. citizens. Harriss India-born mother was in the country on a student visa and did not obtain a green card until 1968. Her Jamaica-born father arrived in 1961 and almost certainly did not have a green card by the time she was born. (He eventually obtained one and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015.) The order may not have been crafted with Harris in mind. (If it had been, it would apply retroactively.) It also cant be ruled out after some of Trumps top legal allies, including January 6 mastermind John Eastman, previously argued that Harris was not a birthright citizen and was thus ineligible for the presidency. Either way, it underscores how the order can cover people who have never known any life other than within the United States and who are culturally and socially woven into the fabric of American life. So what are the practical effects? This is where things get murky. The Trump administration is somewhat limited in how it can target people without birthright citizenship. Birth certificates and other vital records are generally issued by state and local governments, not the federal government. (There are rare exceptions that arent relevant here.) And while the administration can naturalize new citizens on its own through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, neither the executive branch nor Congress can denaturalize anyone against their will without a court order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, the executive order itself amounts to more of a willful blindness to ones citizenship status than an outright revocation of it. It says that no department or agency of the United States government shall issue documents recognizing United States citizenship, or accept documents issued by state, local, or other governments or authorities purporting to recognize United States citizenship from anyone covered by its terms. The shall-issue provisions impact is strange because the federal government does not typically issue documents recognizing United States citizenship to those covered by the order. It does not cover citizenship applicants who complete the USCIS naturalization process, for example, since they have lawful permanent status. Nor would it affect those who complete a N-600 form for a certificate of citizenship since that option is only available to the children of U.S. citizens born overseas. But the accepting-documents provision carries more weight, though a lot will depend on how far the Trump administration is willing to go to enforce it. Federal agencies check a persons citizenship for a variety of reasons. The most obvious example is for employment: Every business in the country is required to fill out I-9 forms for new hires. But no one covered by this executive order should be getting a job anywhere for at least 15 or 16 years. Children affected by the order could still be caught up by it in other ways: It could make it difficult or perhaps impossible for them to obtain a U.S. passport, among other government benefits. The good news is that the Fourteenth Amendment forbids all of this. Some constitutional provisions are written in broad terms and can be interpreted multiple ways. The Fourteenth Amendment is not one of them. The amendments drafters made clear that it meant the citizenship language to be as broad as possible to overturn Dred Scott v. Sandford and to forestall ex-Confederate states efforts to deny citizenship to Black Americans. And the Supreme Court itself has held since the Wong Kim Ark case in 1898 that it applies to any non-diplomat foreign nationals within American borders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bad news is that the Trump administration appears to believe that the courts will simply reinterpret the Fourteenth Amendment in its favor. (I would not be surprised if this is the real reason why it doesnt apply retroactively, for example.) Here is where describing the law and the Constitution falls apart. If the text, original meaning, and precedent still matter, Trump should suffer a 90 defeat at the Supreme Court when this order reaches them. That day will likely come soon since it is already facing multiple challenges from 18 Democratic-led states, from the ACLU and other civil rights groups, and from others. I do not have a high opinion of the justices these days, nor am I particularly confident in their ability to correctly read the Constitution. These are the same nine justices who gutted the Fourteenth Amendments disqualification clause last spring to avoid applying it to Trump; this is the same conservative majority that conjured presidential immunity out of thin air last summer to shield him from a federal criminal trial. If Trump had issued this executive order after his first inauguration in 2017, I would already be writing its obituary. But it is not 2017 anymore. Jan. 22 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Moscow with sanctions and called on President Vladimir Putin to make a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine for the sake of his economy. Trump, who promised on the campaign trail that he could end Russia's invasion of Ukraine quickly, said he and Putin always had a good relationship and used a little bit of flattery, reminding readers how Russia helped the allies win World War II. "All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin a very big favor," Trump said in his public negotiation on Truth Social. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Settle now and stop this ridiculous war. It's only going to get worse. If we don't make a 'deal' soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States and various other participating countries." Trump ended his message by saying that "no more lives should be lost," and that it can be done "the easy way or the hard way." In comments to reporters at the White House this week, Trump suggested that Putin was destroying his own country by not making a deal and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for a diplomatic end to fighting. In his comments, Trump was noncommittal to continuing support to Ukraine and added that allied European countries should be doing more to support them. The News Congressional Republicans who voted to force TikTok to divest or risk a US ban are in a serious bind thanks to President Donald Trumps attempt to delay implementation of the law. Except that only a few of them are acknowledging that in public. The law is very clear, right? If you dont have a deal, and if TikTok wasnt sold to an American company by January 19, or at least have a contract, then the ban takes effect, California GOP Rep. Young Kim told Semafor. There is no gray area on this issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Monday executive order, Trump pushed back a Jan. 19 deadline for the popular apps US ban, which was set in motion by a law that sailed through Congress last year on a bipartisan basis. His vow to make a deal by compelling China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok is challenging Republicans who muscled through the ban to backtrack as delicately as possible to give him the benefit of the doubt on the order. Many of them are eager to see Trump try to extract leverage from Beijing: I am hopeful that this is part of a bigger strategy to negotiate with China, to make them come to the table on other things, said Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, a member of the Houses select committee on China who voted for the ban. But as TikTok remains reopened to US users without a clear path forward on a sale, Republicans are left with few options but to cross their fingers that their business-savvy president can pull off a deal in time. If Trumps interest in shared US ownership of the app doesnt materialize, or if his order fails to hold up in court, lawmakers will be forced to revisit the same national security threats theyve already agreed that TikTok presents. One source familiar with TikTok sales conversations, which have included GOP meetings with Shark Tank investor Kevin OLeary beyond the publicly reported ones, put it bluntly: Investors can purchase ByteDance. Theyre not interested in selling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This source pointed out that neither Trump nor former President Joe Biden took advantage of a 90-day extension that allows for a delayed ban in the event of a viable deal to sell TikTok suggesting that no such deal is imminent. My understanding is that the individuals that were making an offer to TikTok or to buy TikTok had approached the administration and asked, If ByteDance would agree to the deal, would the administration put forth a 90-day extension? That would have been Sunday night at midnight, right? None of that happened, the source added. So, as such, the law is very clear. Know More Some experts and even some Republicans have questioned the legality of Trumps order, which tells the US attorney general not to enforce the law for 75 days in order for him to determine an appropriate course forward that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans. The group of prospective TikTok buyers thats led by OLeary and billionaire Frank McCourts Project Liberty says it has the necessary financing for a deal, with expressions of interest from private equity firms and wealthy individuals. But with TikToks US operations potentially valued at $50 billion, according to some estimates, a buyer would need the kind of deep pockets that are more in line with big, cash-rich tech firms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complicating matters further was a recent suggestion by Trumps new national security advisor, former GOP Rep. Mike Waltz, that ByteDance be allowed to keep owning the application, so long as it provided assurances that TikToks data and algorithm were fully protected from Chinese government interference. The idea drew immediate pushback from Republicans. Go back to the details of the law, Kim said. Its very clear the whole purpose was divesture outside of the ByteDance ownership. So we cannot give even 10%, 20%, 50% to ByteDance. Without directly raising Waltzs comments, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., sounded skeptical that TikTok could meet the burden of proof that would be required for it to pan out. The law says that TikTok has to show us categorically, unequivocally, that they do not have the ability to share Americans data with the Communist Party of China, Kennedy told Semafor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether Republicans would consider revisiting the law they passed just months ago, however, is another matter. As shaky as Trumps 75-day order may be, legal experts were also unsure that a credible challenge could materialize to threaten it. Opponents of Trump would be on firm legal ground to challenge the order, said Sarah Kreps, a law professor at Cornell University and director of the schools Tech Policy Institute. But do those would-be opponents have political motivation to initiate these challenges? Anupam Chander, a Georgetown Law School professor and specialist in global tech regulation, pointed out that former President Barack Obama extended the deadline to implement the Affordable Care Acts employer health insurance mandate without any statutory authorization to do so. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., summed up the quandary for Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im hopeful that the law is the law. And ultimately its going to have to be followed, he told reporters on Wednesday. If it can bring around a buyer, which it was designed to do, then well see. But I think were living on borrowed time with TikTok. The View From democrats Notably, top Democrats are also staying optimistic about a divestiture that spares TikTok which would prevent the political blowback from either a shutdown of the app or the appearance of a Congress thats waffling on national security. I hope that we can move forward on a divestiture and a US acquisition, Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, told Semafor when asked about Trumps order. Everybody thinks theres a national security threat, so now all you have to say to China is, Quit screwing with US citizens, and heres how a deal can get struck. Weve given him the tools, he just needs to implement the law, she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., a cosponsor of the original ban-or-divest bill and his partys top member on the China committee, said simply: We need to save TikTok. ByteDance divesting remains the only real solution to protect our national security and guarantee Americans access to TikTok, he added. Morgan and Kadias view The relatively weak Republican pushback to Trumps softened approach to TikTok which he wanted to ban during his first term is further proof of his airtight grip on the party. But you dont see Democrats champing at the bit either to criticize Trump for delaying the ban at the expense of a bipartisan law. Thats probably in part because Democrats were in their own TikTok bind before Trump took office, as Biden also searched for a means to delay a ban that could hurt their partys position with younger voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So it may be that TikToks sale by ByteDance is the one Trump goal that everyone in Washington is rooting for him to accomplish. Lawmakers on both sides are reaping what theyve sowed, which can come with unpredictable consequences. Notable Hours after his inauguration, Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that in the eyes of the U.S. government, women are biologically female, and men are biologically male meaning transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and two-spirit individuals would no longer be recognized. But it didnt stop there. This deliberate rollback of trans and other LGBTQ+ rights and protections also includes a section with definitions that belies basic biology: claiming that female means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell, and male means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell. Its especially egregious that this order defines sex as starting at conception, which is impossible, says Ash Lazarus Orr, press relations manager at Advocates for Trans Equality. While its possible to know chromosomal information, human embryos dont show sexual differentiation at that stage and all embryos initially develop along female lines until later in development. So, according to this definition, all Americans are female. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the implications of this misguided misgendering extend far beyond problems with language. This obsessive focus on sex at conception something that cant even be determined reveals the administrations anti-science stance and its commitment to spreading falsehoods about how sex and gender actually function, Orr tells Rolling Stone. While much of Trumps anti-trans agenda has focused on protecting children from left-wing gender insanity, in reality, the executive order relies on transphobic stereotypes like the idea that LGBTQ+ people are sexual predators who will harm cisgender women to strip the community of the protections we have spent years fighting for, says Allegra L. Fishel, founder and executive director of the Gender Equality Law Center. Though its unclear how and when the relevant executive branch departments will create policies enacting the executive order, this blatant attempt to erode human rights touches on everything from education to passports to prisons, rescinds five of Joe Bidens executive orders expanding transgender rights, and dissolves the White House Gender Policy Council. Heres what to know about one of Trumps first acts in office. An attempt at trans erasure Given Trumps ongoing commitment to degrade and dehumanize transgender people which has included spending $15.5 million on anti-trans TV ads over a three-week period during his campaign the contents of the executive order are hardly surprising. Trump did exactly what he said he was going to do, and he made it his top priority on day one, says Mariah Moore, director of policy and programs at the Transgender Law Center. The purpose of this executive order is to erase the existence of trans folks and continue to drive hatred towards our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, as Orr points out, by attempting to force a binary definition of sex, the executive order is a direct attack on the dignity, rights, and safety of trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, aiming to erase us from public life and deny us equal protection under the law. This erasure occurs by way of definitions. The executive order stipulates that for the purpose of federal law and policy, sex refers to a persons biological classification as male or female, and should be used instead of gender in all applicable Federal policies and documents. Of course, Trump cant magically make a group of people disappear by signing a piece of paper. You cant undo who people are, or how they experience their internal sense of gender by issuing an executive order, Fishel says. The executive order tries to suggest that transgender and non-binary individuals shouldnt exist. We and other advocates do not intend to accept this. Passports and prisons In addition to only recognizing two sexes, the executive order also directs the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holders sex. This includes rolling back 2022 Biden administration policy permitting passport holders to use the gender-neutral X marker. As of Tuesday, a page on the State Department website that had previously provided instructions for updating passport gender markers redirected to a general passports page. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond passports, the executive order calls on the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to stop housing incarcerated trans women with other women to ensure that males are not detained in womens prisons or housed in womens detention centers. It also stipulates that no federal money should be used for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmates appearance to that of the opposite sex. Finally, denying trans women access to sexual assault survivor shelters and other single-sex spaces like restrooms and locker rooms is another directive in the executive order, Orr explains. The fight ahead Even though executive orders are legally binding, Sarah Warbelow, a vice president at the Human Rights Campaign who leads their team of lawyers, says that they will take time to go into effect, and will be challenged in court. The CEO of Lambda Legal, Kevin Jennings, told CNN that the organization is preparing to challenge Trumps decision in court, and the American Civil Liberties Union has pledged to take the Trump administration to court wherever we can to defend LGBTQ+ individuals. While the immediate impact of this executive order may be limited, It could set the stage for a series of targeted anti-trans actions across federal agencies, Orr says. Not to mention that having this type of messaging come from the president is in itself incredibly damaging. The day following Trumps election, the Trevor Project, a group focused on suicide prevent among LGBTQ+ youths, reported an overall volume increase of nearly 700 percent and that was out of fear of what he might do in office. These actions are designed to create division and chaos and serve no other purpose than to hurt our communities and our families, and treat us differently than all other Americans, Warbelow says. The president may believe that with a stroke of his pen he can rip away our freedoms, but he does not, in fact, have the power to unilaterally do this. We will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything weve got. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A bishop urged Donald Trump to have mercy on transgender children and immigrants during an inauguration church service attended by the president and his family. The Rt Rev Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, delivered the sermon at a prayer service on Tuesday morning attended by Mr Trump, his wife Melania, JD Vance and his wife Usha. Directly addressing the newly appointed president, who was sitting in the front pew, Rev Budde said: In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives. Rev Budde urged the president to show the same compassion to illegal migrants, who he intends to deport in large numbers. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, she said. The president remained stoney-faced throughout the sermon, but later said he didnt think it was a good service. They could do much better. Have mercy upon the scared people, Washington bishop Mariann Edgar Budde told Donald Trump - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Mr Trump signed a slew of executive orders just hours after returning to office rolling back protections for transgender people and declaring an emergency on the countrys southern border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One order declared that the federal government would recognise only two sexes male and female as a way to protect women from gender extremism. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female, the president said in his inaugural address. Mr Trump also revoked protections for an estimated 9,000-14,000 transgender military personnel that were put in place under Joe Bidens administration. On the subject of immigration, Mr Trump issued a string of executive orders designed to aid his stated ambition to deport millions of criminal aliens. Donald Trump and first lady Melania attend the National Day of Prayer Service - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters These included ending birthright citizenship, halting all refugee admissions to the US and ending the CBP One programme, an app which enabled migrants to register for immigration appointments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 200 migrants had their CBP One appointments axed following Mr Trumps decision, the New York Post reported. Tom Homan, the presidents border tsar, told Fox Business that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement would begin raids throughout the country on Tuesday. The Trump administration has also issued guidance to border officials instructing them to call migrants illegal aliens, immigration sources told CBS. Rev Budde previously criticised Mr Trump in 2020 for taking a photo outside St Johns Episcopal Church, saying his message went against everything that our church stands for. The National Cathedral has held an interfaith prayer service the day after the Inauguration since 1933. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump declined to respond to questions from reporters when asked about the sermon. 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. Donald Trump is trying to redefine who is allowed to be a U.S. citizen. On the first day of his presidency, Trump signed an order challenging a long-standing constitutional right that people born inside the U.S. are guaranteed citizenship. The right has been considered settled law since it was ratified as part of the Constitution more than 150 years ago. Trump told federal departments to deny the right known as birthright citizenship from children born to mothers and fathers in the country unlawfully. Under his order, it would also deny citizenship to children born to parents in the U.S. on work or study visas, tourism visas, or when neither parent is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The order could impact who is granted passports, social security numbers, and certificates of citizenship. If it stands, the changes would go into effect on Feb. 19. Within hours, Trumps action was challenged in court as unconstitutional. A coalition of immigrant rights groupsexpecting Trump to quickly sign such an orderfiled a lawsuit on Monday night asking a federal court in New Hampshire to declare the order unlawful and stop the federal government from implementing it. The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment specifically enshrined this principle in our Constitutions text to ensure that no onenot even the Presidentcould deny children born in America their rightful place as citizens, read the lawsuit. On Tuesday, the attorneys general for 22 Democratic-led states, Washington, D.C. and the city of San Francisco joined in, filing similar lawsuits in federal courts in Seattle and Boston. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what to know about Trumps order: Who would the executive order impact? If allowed to stand, the order would block citizenship for all children born after Feb. 19, 2025, who dont have at least one U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent. Trumps instructions would stop the granting of automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to mothers who are not legally in the country, unless their father was a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. It would also deny citizenship from children of mothers who are temporarily in the country on a work visa, student visa or tourist visa, and whose fathers arent citizens or permanent residents. About 150,000 children are born each year in the U.S. to two parents who dont have legal status, according to the lawsuit filed by 18 states. They will all be deportable, and many will be stateless, says the lawsuit. And despite the Constitutions guarantee of their citizenship, they will lose their rights to participate in the economic and civic life of their own countryto work, vote, serve on juries, and run for certain offices. What documents would be denied? The federal government routinely creates certain documents for newborns recognized as U.S. citizens. Those documents include passports issued by the Department of State, social security cards issued by the Social Security Administration and certificates of citizenship issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Trumps order instructed federal agencies to draft new instructions to guide federal officials on who should be excluded from receiving those documents that confirm citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The order could also impact applications for benefits like food assistance for children administered by the Department of Agriculture, and health care services supported by the Health and Human Services. Trumps order does not directly affect the granting of birth certificates, which are usually administered by states. When does the order go into effect? Trump gave federal agencies 30 daysuntil Feb. 19to draft instructions for how to deny citizenship to the categories of people he laid out. The order would only apply to people born on or after that date. If courts intervene, the orders implementation could be delayed or blocked entirely. Does Trump have the power to do this? Trumps order hinges on convincing courts to upend a century and a half of judicial rulings by accepting his interpretation of a single clause in the 14th Amendment. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. The key phrase there is subject to the jurisdiction thereof. Trumps order instructs agencies to consider people who are in the country on temporary visas or without authorization as being not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps reading of the Constitution flies in the face of settled law, says Evan Bernick, associate professor of law at Northern Illinois University, and co-author of The Original Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment: Its Letter and Spirit. The amendment was first designed in the wake of the Civil War by Black activists and abolitionists. The Republican Party decided it should be enshrined in the Constitution in order to protect the citizenship rights of formerly enslaved people and their descendants. Bernick says the act was purposely written to be sweeping and broad in scope. The exception to automatic citizenship intended through the phrase subject to the jurisdiction thereof primarily applies to children of foreign diplomats, who have diplomatic immunity and are not subject to U.S. laws. The phrasing was debated when it was written and the intended exceptions were made intentionally narrow, Bernick says. Birthright citizenship is a constitutional guarantee that has been settled as a matter of Supreme Court doctrine for over 150 years. The Trump administrations interpretation, he adds, ignores both the meaning of the text of the 14th Amendment and the history behind why that text is the way it is. Nonetheless, the legal fight over Trumps executive order is widely expected to end up at the Supreme Court. Contact us at letters@time.com. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an indoor inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) President Donald Trump will head to western North Carolina on Friday for his first trip after returning to the White House, according to the New York Post. During his inaugural address on Monday, Trump spoke about how Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc upon rural areas of the Tar Heel State in late September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina, whove been treated so badly, and other states that are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago, or more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense, Trump said during his speech. The storm killed more than 100 people in North Carolina and left thousands without shelter, resulting in more than $50 billion in damages. Trump won North Carolina for the third time in 2024, campaigning heavily in the state. He held 19 separate events in the state that year, according to NC Newslines analysis, including a rally in Raleigh on the day before the election. He last visited the western portion of the state in late October. The then-presidential hopeful make a campaign stop in storm-damaged Swannanoa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump heavily criticized President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and FEMA in the weeks following the storm, but was found on multiple occasions to have been spreading misinformation. The White House has yet to release more specific details about the trips timing, locations, and other guests, as well as what Trump intends to do. Hes also expected to visit California and address the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area, multiple outlets reported. Governor Josh Stein said during an unrelated news conference that he hopes to meet with the president, according to McClatchy. I think that is very good news for the people of western North Carolina that this issue is front of mind for the new administration, Stein said. Visitors to Talkeetna take in a view of Denali. President Donald Trump announced the name would be changed back to Mount McKinley during his inaugural address. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) President Donald Trump announced the name of Alaskas highest peak and North Americas tallest at more than 20,000 feet Denali, would be changed back to Mount McKinley. Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday, and made the announcement in his inaugural address, also promising to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, Trump said. And we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. William McKinley was the 25th president, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. Trump has praised his tariff policies, known as the McKinley tariffs, which raised taxes on some imported goods. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent he was a natural businessman and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama, he said. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has opposed the name change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I strongly disagree with the Presidents decision on Denali, Murkowski said in a statement on Monday. Our nations tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan has also publicly opposed the change, but did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. In December, Sen. Sullivan repeated his support for the name Denali, via spokesperson Amanda Coyne, who said: Senator Sullivan, like many Alaskans prefers the name that the very tough, very strong, very patriotic Athabascan people gave the mountain thousands of years ago Denali. In the language of Interior Alaskas Koyukon people, Denali means the High One. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The naming of the mountain prompted debate and national controversy for decades. The name change effort from Mount McKinley to Denali began in 1975, when the Alaska Legislature asked the federal government to change the name. It was formally recognized by the Obama administration in 2015. It was seen as a victory in a larger movement to restore traditional indigenous place names, and acknowledge the history and heritage of Alaska Native peoples. McKinley never visited Alaska, nor had any significant historical ties to the mountain or the state, according to the resolution renaming it. A local prospector named the mountain after the then-presidential nominee McKinley in 1896. Reverting the name back to Mount McKinley is expected by executive order by Trump, directing the change to the secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the Republican governor of North Dakota, is expected to be confirmed to that role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear whether the 6-million acre Denali National Park and Preserve will also be renamed. It was renamed in 1980, 35 years before the mountains name change. Requests for comment to the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Tanana Chiefs Conference were not immediately returned on Monday. This story was produced by the Alaska Beacon which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. President Donald Trump said he'd impose high tariffs on Russia if it didn't end the Ukraine war soon. Trump said Wednesday that he'd also place more sanctions on Russia. US imports of Russian goods have collapsed, leaving Trump little economic leverage. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he'd impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on Russia if its leader, Vladimir Putin, didn't end the Ukraine war soon. The threat is largely symbolic because of the diminished trade between the US and Russia since its invasion began in 2022. "I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War!" Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," Trump added. Trump promised during his campaign that upon his return to the White House, he would swiftly end Russia's devastating invasion. The grinding conflict, which is nearing its three-year mark, has reduced cities in Ukraine to rubble and killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of soldiers. On the campaign trail, though, Trump left it unclear how his administration planned to bring Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the negotiating table. Many war analysts said that getting the Russian leader to negotiate would be difficult while his forces were advancing. Before the war, the US imported $29.7 billion worth of commodities from Russia, the majority of which was in oil, minerals, lime, and cement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this trade cratered after Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Biden administration to impose tariffs on many goods, metals, and Russian products. In 2023, the US imported $4.57 billion worth of Russian goods, amounting to 0.14% of total imports that year, according to a breakdown of trade data from the US Census Bureau. Nearly three years into the war, narrowing trade with Russia leaves the Trump administration with few tariffs to collect as it aims to force Putin's government into peace talks. Sanctions are another matter, and the Trump administration appears ready to keep tightening the screws on Moscow's vital energy trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his confirmation hearing last Thursday, Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent criticized the Biden White House for a sanctions regime that was "not fulsome enough." "I will be 100% on board with taking sanctions up especially on the Russian oil majors to levels that would bring the Russian Federation to the table," Bessent told lawmakers. That could add more to pressure on Russia's economy, which has shown increasing signs of strain under the weight of sanctions as more time passes. Inflation has been rising as Russia increases spending on its military and the lucrative contracts needed to recruit more soldiers. In response, Russia's central bank has hiked interest rates to a historic 21%, sparking protest among business leaders amid fear of rising bankruptcies and stagflation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Existing sanctions, such as restrictions on Russian cargo vessels and the country's expulsion from the SWIFT financial network, have all contributed to the effect, forcing the Kremlin to tap last-resort support for its economy. The nation's liquid reserves have fallen to $31 billion, down from $117 billion in 2021. Meanwhile, wartime conditions have contributed to an exodus of workers out of the country, while others have been sent to Ukraine to fight. That's left Russia dealing with a major labor shortage, that has pressured wage inflation higher. Trump said in his Truth Social post that he was not looking to hurt Russia and that he had a good relationship with Putin. Hours after he was sworn into office on Monday, the US president said he was setting up a meeting with his Russian counterpart. Throughout the war, Russia has also found ways to sidestep Western sanctions. For instance, Moscow has relied on its "shadow fleet" of vessels to move oil and circumvent embargoes on its energy exports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andy Kiersz, Business Insider's economic-data editor, contributed to this report. Read the original article on Business Insider In the hours after taking office for the second time, President Donald Trump signed numerous executive orders in quick succession. Among the diktats, he ordered the end of birthright citizenship as guaranteed in the Constitution and the expansion of the death penalty. Another addressed transgender people and how the government should treat them. Like many of Trump's other "Day 1" orders, it gets some fundamental points wrong and seems more concerned with scoring points in the culture war than advancing sensible policy. In an effort to "defend women's rights" against "efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex," the ordertitled "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government"seeks with the force of federal law to establish men and women as distinct and immutable categories. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female," which "are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality," the order states. It defines "sex" as "an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female" and notes that the term is "not a synonym for and does not include the concept of 'gender identity,'" which the order says "does not provide a meaningful basis for identification and cannot be recognized as a replacement for sex." Perhaps ironically, supporters of transgender equality might agree with parts of this characterization. "Sex is a labelmale or femalethat you're assigned by a doctor at birth based on the genitals you're born with and the chromosomes you have. It goes on your birth certificate," according to Planned Parenthood. Gender identity, on the other hand, "is how you feel inside and how you express your gender through clothing, behavior, and personal appearance. It's a feeling that begins very early in life." The executive order defines "female" as "a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell" and "male" as the opposite"a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell." In other words, anyone with an XX chromosome is a female, and anyone with an XY chromosome is male, with no exceptions. The order tautologically defines "sex" in terms of "male" and "female," which are then defined in terms of "sex." But by ruling so starkly, the order completely writes intersex people out of existence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "People who are intersex have genitals, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don't fit into a male/female sex binary," according to the Cleveland Clinic. "Some people who are intersex consider their gender to be intersex. Others identify as female, male, nonbinary or a different gender." In this case, a person's professed gender may change from the one assigned at birth because they literally have biological markers of both. The clinic further notes that one in 100 Americans is estimated to be intersex. The executive order criticizes "gender ideology," which it says "replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity" and "diminishes sex as an identifiable or useful category but nevertheless maintains that it is possible for a person to be born in the wrong sexed body." But intersex people literally are born in the wrong sexed body, at least as defined by the executive order, which says everyone is either all male or all female. The order also scraps previous State Department changes that allowed transgender and nonbinary travelers to more easily change the gender on their passports. "Monday's executive order is not retroactive and does not invalidate old passports," the White House told NOTUS' Oriana Gonzalez this week. "However, if government-issued documents need to be renewed, they must reflect the person's sex assigned at birth." But perhaps most consequentially, Trump's order demands that prisons house transgender inmates in facilities corresponding to their biological sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that males are not detained in women's prisons or housed in women's detention centers," the order states. This appears to be based on the misconception that predatory men are routinely dressing as women to gain access to intimate women's spaces, like restrooms, lockers rooms, and prisons. Nearly a decade ago, North Carolina passed House Bill 2, which required everyone to use the public restrooms corresponding to their biological sex. The measure came after the Charlotte City Council passed an ordinance allowing transgender people to use the gendered bathroom of their choice; then-Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, warned the ordinance could "create major public safety issues by putting citizens in possible danger from deviant actions by individuals taking improper advantage of a bad policy." "From a scientific and evidence-based perspective, there is no current evidence that granting transgender individuals access to gender-corresponding restrooms results in an increase in sexual offenses," according to a 2018 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. It's also rather uncommon for transgender women, who were born biologically male, to be housed in women's prisons. "Out of 4,890 transgender state prisoners tracked in 45 states and Washington, D.C.," NBC News in 2020 was able to confirm "only 15 cases in which a prisoner was housed" according to their preferred gender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And trans inmates are more often targets for abuse than abusers themselves. "An estimated 35% of transgender inmates held in prisons and 34% held in local jails reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another inmate or facility staff in the past 12 months," according to a 2015 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 2018, the American Medical Association (AMA) "urge[d] that housing policies be changed to allow transgender prisoners to be placed in correctional facilities that are reflective of their affirmed gender status," citing studies showing that transgender inmates are more than three times more likely to suffer physical violence and sexual abuse. Much of Trump's executive order reflects the social conservatism of the voters that propelled him to office for a second time. But the scope, scale, and implications of the order should give libertarians pause, even those who may agree with Trump ideologically. The post Trump's Aggressively Broad Executive Order on Transgender People appeared first on Reason.com. (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump's decision to exit the Paris Agreement and renege on the US International Climate Finance Plan puts in jeopardy much-needed financial assistance to help developing countries adapt to a warmer planet and curb carbon emissions. Most Read from Bloomberg The moves, announced within hours of Trump taking office Monday, also risk derailing the commitment that all countries made at COP29 in November to triple annual climate finance to $300 billion by 2035. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former President Joe Biden introduced the US climate finance plan four years ago, signaling the nations resumption of international funding that was halted or cut during Trumps first term in office. The US contributed about $11 billion to climate finance in 2024, according to the Biden administration. Thats among the largest from individual countries, but is dominated by costly loans, not grants. The amount pales in comparison to more than $1 trillion needed for emerging economies annually and the US has faced consistent criticism for not providing its fair share as the world's largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases. The US was not a climate finance leader in the first place, said Laetitia Pettinotti, research fellow at ODI Global.Bidens plan promised $60 million over three years to support climate-smart infrastructure in emerging markets, as well as $50 million over five years from the US International Development Finance Corporation, a federal agency. Trump said on Monday that the plan, along with other climate agreements, steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance. His reversal of Bidens policies will be felt globally. The US is one of the biggest shareholders in most multilateral development banks, including the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, which are expected to contribute significantly toward the $300 billion in annual climate finance by 2035. With Trump in charge, these organizations might not be able to increase their climate spending as quickly as needed. The question now is: who steps up? said Bob Ward, a director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Countries are due to deliver more ambitious national climate plans this year under the Paris Agreement, and if we want strong [commitments], the money needs to be there, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US withdrawal leaves opportunities for China, the European Union or the UK to step in. Weve been here before, and the door remains open for other nations to play a bigger role, Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations climate body, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He argued that the energy transition is unstoppable with $2 trillion invested last year in clean energy generation, double what was spent on fossil fuels. Trump's past efforts to stifle international climate cash flows from the US had limited success. While he was able to block new US disbursements to the UN's Green Climate Fund, other funding continued to be funneled through different accounts. Some of the assistance flows through international programs that aren't specifically earmarked for climate, making them more durable. Even some congressional Republicans fought to preserve the spending. There are some champions in Congress who might continue to want international climate finance, at least in some way, shape or form, said Jake Schmidt, senior strategic director of international climate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York-based nonprofit. In practice, Trumps opposition could simply mean more hoops to jump through to get money moving. It's not the end of the world, it's just a pain in the ass, said Sean Kidney, chief executive officer of the Climate Bonds Initiative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This time around, diplomats, international development bureaucrats and other government officials are also better prepared to deal with disruption caused by Trumps climate skepticism. COP29s $300 billion pledge was made after Trump won the US election, with the hope that a future administration will fill the gaps just as Biden tried to do after Trumps first term. The biggest damage, LSEs Ward said, is symbolic. Here we have the worlds richest country turning its back on the poorer countries that are also dealing with the worst fallout from climate change, he said. This will be hugely damaging to multilateral climate processes. Listen on Zero: Inside the Frantic Maneuvers That Saved COP29 Talks at a Cost --With assistance from Jennifer A Dlouhy, Ishika Mookerjee and Sheryl Tian Tong Lee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The Trump administration has ordered federal agencies to place all employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles on administrative leave by Wednesday evening, and to come up with a plan to lay them off by the end of the month. The memorandum, issued by the Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday, is a part of President Donald Trumps aggressive reversal of the federal DEI policies of his predecessor. Federal agencies have until 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday to place DEI employees on paid leave and remove all public web pages of DEI offices. Agencies have until Jan. 31 to submit a plan for a reduction-in-force of those employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The memo also orders all DEI-related training and contracts to be scrapped and encourages employees to file a report if they suspect that any such program has been disguised under different terminology or face adverse consequences. Its unclear how many people in the federal workforce will be affected by these cuts. The White House, meanwhile, has characterized the crackdown on DEI programs as a win for Americans. President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday night. Trump had vowed to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government on the campaign trail, and he signed an executive order to shut down all federal DEI offices and initiatives on his first day back in office, calling them illegal and immoral discrimination programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent years, Republicans have aimed their ire at DEI programs as part of an anti-woke crusade, claiming that such initiatives foster discrimination and are racially divisive. Some have also wielded it as an attack against prominent people of color, like the DEI hire accusations leveled against Vice President Kamala Harris during the election. Advocates, however, have said that DEI programs, despite their flaws, are a tool to advance equality in schools and in workplaces, and that they help recruit and retain talent outside of traditional channels. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, who was tasked by Trump with ending the war in 100 days, faces significant challenges in negotiating any peace agreement. This is due to his lack of diplomatic experience, limited influence on policy, and his alignment with Trump's views, The Wall Street Journal believes. Source: WSJ Quote from the WSJ: "President Trump has handed retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg the job of ending the Ukraine war in a hundred days. Almost no one thinks he can do it especially the Russians." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather, they say Kelloggs role as a special envoy to Ukraine, which comes amid a flurry of such appointments, is an opening gambit in peace talks that Trump is determined to control himself. But dealmaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin will be far more difficult than Trump promised on the campaign trail, when he said he would end the conflict before he took office." Details: The publication highlights that, despite Trumps bold statements, the war is still ongoing, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin made it clear on the new US presidents inauguration day that he is in no rush to resolve it. WSJ also points out that while Special Representative Kellogg will undoubtedly advise Trump on negotiations, it is unclear whether Trump will seek much counsel. John Bolton, who served as national security advisor to Trump in 2018 and 2019, recalled hearing Trump say he liked Kellogg because he "never offers his opinion unless I ask for it". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The publication also notes that Kellogg became a staunch Trump supporter in 2015 when he worked as an unpaid advisor. Colleagues of Kellogg mentioned that during his four years at the White House, he was a frequent presence in the Oval Office, often listening to conversations but rarely engaging in them. Former colleagues of Kellogg argue that his military experience could be valuable to the president as he considers the implications of providing or withholding aid to Ukraine. However, they also point out that Kellogg has never worked as a diplomat, and his time at the White House suggests he won't play a role in any substantial negotiations with Russia. Quote: "Trump enjoys his company and sees him as a fiercely loyal guy, but he has never exerted any kind of meaningful policy influence. Hes [Kellogg ed.] certainly not going to come up with anything that deviates from where Trumps head is," said one former National Security Council staffer who worked with him in the Trump administration. WSJ also reports that Russia has shown no interest in working with Kellogg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bolton worries that Trump may pressure Kyiv into making harmful concessions to Moscow in future negotiations, stating, "I think Putin knows how to play Trump", and that Kellogg is unlikely to act as a counterbalance to Putins influence. Quote: "Hell [Kellogg] simply do what Trump tells him to do. He might protest briefly, but Trump didnt pick Kellogg for his independent judgment," Bolton said. Support UP or become our patron! President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security has rescinded a previous policy that directed federal immigration authorities to stay away from protected areas such as schools, places of worship and hospitals. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued the change on Monday, the first day of Trump's new administration, overturning guidelines established by former Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas under the Biden administration. This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens including murders and rapists who have illegally come into our country, the department said Tuesday in a written statement. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayorkas authored a memo in 2021 that directed Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to avoid enforcement actions in locations where they could disrupt access to essential services or discourage community engagement. Mayorkas guidelines emphasized caution and noted that officers should consider societal impacts and avoid enforcement in or near sensitive areas whenever possible. But just one day into the new Trump administration, Homeland Security officials now say that the guidelines under the previous administration created unnecessary obstacles to enforcement. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense, the department's statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December, 10 Arizona Christian leaders, among them John P. Dolan, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, signed an opinion piece in The Arizona Republic denouncing possible immigration raids under the Trump administration near or at houses of worship, calling them a threat to religious freedoms under the Constitution. Their op-ed also denounced immigration raids at schools and hospitals. "Of special concern to us are reported methods of detention and deportation that might include raids on churches, houses of worship, hospitals, schools and other locations associated with meeting basic human needs," the Christian leaders wrote. "While the practice of religion is a basic human right recognized by most international organizations, we note that for those living in America it is part of the very foundation upon which our nation was built," the op-ed said. "We find it unacceptable that undocumented persons might be intimidated from going to a church and thereby exercising their right to the practice of religion," they continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We also assert that the disruption of any religious gathering for deportation purposes is equally an assault on our own right to the free exercise of our religion." Antonio Velasquez, a pastor whose evangelical Christian congregation on the west side of Phoenix is made up mostly of recent Latino immigrants, said he believes churches are protected under the Constitution from immigration raids. Thats not something he can do" without violating the Constitution, Velasquez said. And Trump should keep in mind that the majority of Christians voted for him." Velasquez also said the Trump administrations decision to rescind the Biden administrations sensitive-area guidelines is part of an overall strategy that includes mass deportation plans intended to scare immigrants into self-deporting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republic data pages: How many undocumented immigrants are in the US? How many have been deported? But he said the immigrants he has spoken to do not believe Trump will follow through with threats of mass deportations because of costs, logistics and other factors. The majority of the people I talk to say this is pure propaganda by Donald Trump, Velasquez said. In the first administration he said a lot of things that didnt happen. Only like 5% of what he said he was going to do actually happened. Tuesday's Homeland Security Department announcement also gutted a humanitarian parole program that allowed hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Nicaraguans Haitians and Venezuelans to legally enter the U.S. and seek protections to remain in this country under the Biden administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden created the program to help stem the flow of asylum-seekers arriving at the southern border and entering illegally. Migrants from those countries, marked by political upheaval, economic crisis, gang violence and natural disasters, had been among the largest groups of asylum seekers arriving at the southern border. The department accused the previous Biden administration of using the program to indiscriminately allow 1.5 million migrants to enter our country. Huffman said he would return the program to its original purpose of evaluating cases individually rather than granting broad entry to large groups. Both moves reflect a broader push by DHS to empower enforcement agencies and streamline operations. While officials insist that agents will continue to use discretion, they say the changes are necessary to protect public safety and restore the rule of law. It remains unclear how the new policies will be implemented in practice as federal agencies balance enforcement priorities with the potential for legal challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, the revised guidelines signal a significant departure from the previous administrations more restrictive approach to immigration enforcement near sensitive community spaces. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump administration ends immigration protection for 'protected areas' SAN FRANCISCO (AP) As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school. In many districts, educators have sought to reassure immigrant parents that schools are safe places for their kids, despite the president's campaign pledge to carry out mass deportations. But fears intensified for some when the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a policy that had been in effect since 2011. Oh, dear God! I cant imagine why they would do that, said Carmen, an immigrant from Mexico, after hearing that the Trump administration had rescinded the policy against arrests in sensitive locations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She took her two grandchildren, ages 6 and 4, to their school Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay Area after school officials assured her it is safe. What has helped calm my nerves is knowing that the school stands with us and promised to inform us if its not safe at school, said Carmen, who spoke on condition that only her first name be used, out of fear she could be targeted by immigration officials. Immigrants across the country have been anxious about Trump's pledge to deport millions of people. While fears of raids did not come to pass on the administration's first days, rapid changes on immigration policy have left many confused and uncertain about their future. Several schools said they were fielding calls from worried parents about rumors that immigration agents would try to enter schools, but it was too early to tell whether large numbers of families are keeping their children home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Missing school can deprive students of more than learning. For students from low-income families, including many immigrants, schools are a primary way to access food, mental health services and other support. Tuesdays move to clear the way for arrests at schools reverses guidance that restricted two federal agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from carrying out enforcement in sensitive locations. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. Daniela Anello, who heads D.C. Bilingual Public Charter School in the nations capital, said she was shocked by the announcement. Its horrific, Anello said. Theres no such thing as hiding anyone. It doesnt happen, hasnt happened. ... Its ridiculous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the memo rescinding the policy, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said it was unnecessary to have bright line rules dictating where immigration laws can be enforced. But he said officers should continue using discretion and a healthy dose of common sense around entering sensitive locations, such as schools. An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many more have U.S. citizenship but have parents who are in the country illegally. Schools work to reassure parents Education officials in some states and districts have vowed to stand up for immigrant students, including their right to a public education. In California, officials have reminded schools of state law limiting local participation in immigration enforcement. New York City schools last month highlighted policies including one against collecting information on students' immigration statuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A resolution passed by Chicago Public Schools Board of Education in November said schools would not assist ICE in enforcing immigration law. We're trying to simplify for our staff, making it clear we're just not going to interact with ICE, district CEO Pedro Martinez said. He said he anticipated little fallout from a new Justice Department directive to investigate state or local officials blocking the federal crackdown on immigration. If federal agents turn up at any of Chicago's 633 schools, he said, they will have to present a valid court or judicial order. Even then, they're going to have to go through my legal department, Martinez said. The district has been stressing to families that school is still the safest place for children. It's hard because there is so much noise, Martinez said. There's just a huge megaphone that we're fighting against. That's not the case everywhere. Many districts have not offered any reassurances for immigrant families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Educators at Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School have learned even students and families in the country legally are intimidated by Trumps wide-ranging proposals to deport millions of immigrants and roll back non-citizens' rights. Theyre not even at risk of deportation and theyre still scared, Chief Operating Officer Luma Mufleh said. Officials at the small Atlanta charter school focused on serving refugees and immigrants expected so many students to miss school the day after Trump took office that educators accelerated the schools exam schedule so students wouldnt miss important tests. Asked on Tuesday for attendance data, school officials did not feel comfortable sharing it. We dont want our school to be targeted, Mufleh said. The new policy on immigration enforcement at schools likely will prompt some immigrant parents who fear deportation to keep their children home, even if they face little risk, said Michael Lukens, executive director for the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. He said he believes it's part of the administrations goal to make life so untenable that immigrants eventually leave the United States on their own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While many U.S. adults are on board with the idea of undertaking some targeted deportations, a shift toward arresting people in the country illegally at places like schools would be highly unpopular, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It found only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults somewhat or strongly favor arresting children who are in the country illegally while they are at school. Some parents see school as one of the last safe places For Iris Gonzalez in Boston, schools seem like just about the only safe place for her to go as someone in the country illegally. Shes had children in Boston schools for nearly a decade and she doesnt expect anyone there to bother her or her daughters for proof theyre here legally. So her children will keep going to school. Education is important, she said in Spanish. Gonzalez, who came to the U.S. from Guatemala illegally 14 years ago, does worry about entering a courthouse or driving, even though she has a license. What if they stop me? she wonders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont sleep, she said. Theres a lot of uncertainty about how to look for work, whether to keep driving and whats going to change." Carmen, the Mexican grandmother who now lives in California, said returning home is not an option for her family, which faced threats after her son-in-law was kidnapped two years from their home in Michoacan state, an area overrun with drug trafficking gangs. Her family arrived two years ago under former President Joe Bidens program allowing asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. and then apply for permission to stay. Following his inauguration Monday, Trump promptly shut down the CBP One app that processed these and other arrivals and has promised to end asylum during his presidency. Carmen has had several hearings on her asylum request, which has not yet been granted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My biggest fear is that we dont have anywhere to go back to," she said. "Its about saving our lives. And protecting our children. ___ Sophia Tareen contributed reporting from Chicago. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. WASHINGTON (AP) Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of orchestrating his far-right extremist groups Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, showed up Wednesday on Capitol Hill, a day after he was released from prison as part of President Donald Trumps sweeping clemency order. Rhodes who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases brought by the Justice Department met with at least one lawmaker during his visit and chatted with others, defending his actions that day and taking no responsibility in violent siege that halted the certification of 2020 election. "I didnt lead anything. So why should I feel responsible for that? Rhodes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was an extraordinary moment just days into Trump's new administration after the president granted clemency for the more than 1,500 people charged in the riot. At the same time, judges who sentenced hundreds of rioters criticized the presidential pardons that have freed scores of them from prison. Rhodes surprise visit also came on the same day that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson revived a special committee to investigate the riot, an effort to defend Trumps actions that day and dispute the work of a bipartisan committee that investigated the siege two years ago. Johnson said he would not second-guess Trumps decision to pardon the rioters and we believe in redemption, we believe in second chances. On Wednesday, Rhodes stopped in at a Dunkin Donuts inside the House office building in the Capitol complex before delivering a lengthy defense of himself and his actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wearing a Trump 2020 hat, Rhodes said he was at the Capitol to advocate for the release of another defendant. Rhodes was among 14 Jan. 6 defendants whose sentences were commuted. He told reporters he would be pushing Trump to grant him a full pardon. I think all of us should be pardoned, Rhodes said. Rhodes said he hoped to eventually speak with the president, but had not done so yet. Right now, I like to come here as much as I can, Rhodes said. Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy in the siege that halted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory and left more than 100 police officers injured. He was found guilty of orchestrating a weekslong plot that culminated in his followers attacking the U.S. Capitol in a desperate bid to keep Trump in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rhodes did not enter the building on Jan. 6 and said it was stupid that members of the Oath Keepers did. My guys blundered through doors, he insisted. Judges in Washington's federal court spent Wednesday dismissing a slew of cases against Jan. 6 defendants that were still pending. Several judges took the opportunity in written orders to lament the abrupt end to the prosecutions, saying Trump's mass pardons wont change the truth about the mobs attack on a bastion of American democracy, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said evidence of the assault on the Capitol is preserved through the neutral lens of riot videos, trial transcripts, jury verdicts and judicial opinions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies, she wrote. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presided over Trump's election interference case before its dismissal, said the president's pardons can't change the tragic truth about the attack. Chutkan added that her order dismissing the case against an Illinois man who was charged with firing a gun into the air during the riot cannot "diminish the heroism of law enforcement officers" who defended the Capitol. It cannot whitewash the blood, feces and terror that the mob left in its wake, Chutkan wrote. And it cannot repair the jagged breach in Americas sacred tradition of peacefully transitioning power. Chutkan and Kollar-Kotelly are among over 20 judges to handle the hundreds of cases produced by the largest investigation in the Justice Department's history. Kollar-Kotelly issued her written remarks in an order dismissing the case against Dominic Box, a Georgia man who was among the first group of rioters to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other judges at the federal courthouse in Washington spoke out against pardons for Capitol rioters before Trumps second inauguration Monday, when the Republican president pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of charges in all of the 1,500-plus Capitol riot criminal cases. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump nominee, said in November that handing out blanket pardons to Capitol rioters would be beyond frustrating and disappointing." Nichols expressed his criticism during a hearing at which he agreed to postpone a Jan. 6 riot defendants trial until after Trump's return to the White House. During a hearing last month, District Judge Amit Mehta said it would be frightening if Rhodes was pardoned. In Congress, lawmakers were stunned by Rhodes' arrival at the Capitol complex many had fled that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Does he still constitute a threat to public safety? Does he constitute a threat to American constitutional democracy? asked Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. He led the House's impeachment of Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate on charges inciting the insurrection. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said, Its new and interesting that theyre using the front door this time." At an emotional news conference in the Capitol, two of the police officers who fought the rioters said they are angry and exhausted but will continue to speak out. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, who was crushed in the main center doors of the Capitols West front as rioters grabbed his gas mask and tried to gouge his eyes, said he had been working 12-hour shifts to protect Trump and his supporters during the inauguration. It doesn't matter, Hodges said. "Ill be there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Box, who was featured in the HBO documentary Four Hours at the Capitol, was found guilty of charges including interfering with police during a civil disorder, a felony. He was scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 21. More than 130 other convicted rioters were awaiting sentencing when Trump issued pardons. John Banuelos, 39, of Illinois, was awaiting trial in a Washington jail when Chutkan dismissed charges that he climbed scaffolding outside the Capitol, pulled what appeared to be a gun from his waistband and fired two shots into the air. In hundreds of cases like this one over the past four years, judges in this district have administered justice without fear or favor, Chutkan wrote. The historical record established by those proceedings must stand, unmoved by political winds, as a testament and as a warning. Nearly 1,600 people were charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. More than 1,000 of them pleaded guilty. Approximately 250 others were convicted by a judge or jury after trials. Over 1,100 were sentenced, with more than 700 receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from several days to 22 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over 130 police officers were injured during the riot. At least four officers who were at the Capitol later died by suicide. And Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died after engaging with the protesters. A medical examiner later determined he died of natural causes. Kollar-Kotelly said the heroism of officers who defended the Capitol "cannot be altered or ignored. Grossly outnumbered, those law enforcement officers acted valiantly to protect the Members of Congress, their staff, the Vice President and his family, the integrity of the Capitol grounds, and the Capitol Building our symbol of liberty and a symbol of democratic rule around the world," she wrote. __ Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri, Matt Brown and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. A Trump Justice Department official is threatening criminal probes to local officials. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said the DOJ will monitor officials who don't cooperate on immigration. President Trump repeatedly promised to begin "mass deportations" after retaking the White House. A top Justice Department official on Wednesday made clear that federal authorities are watching local officials who defy President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who was previously part of Trump's private legal team, wrote in a memo to the entire Justice Department that "laws and actions that threaten to impede" Trump's actions harm "public safety and national security." Bove's memo, published in full by The Washington Post, cites a new "Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group," within the DOJ that will work to "identify state and local laws, policies, and activities that are inconsistent with Executive Branch immigration initiatives and, where appropriate, to take legal action to challenge such laws." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the existence of Bove's memo to Business Insider but declined further comment. Trump and congressional Republicans have long complained about states and cities that refuse to fully cooperate with federal immigration requests under so-called "sanctuary policies." The American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations have repeatedly sued over the legality of holding someone solely based on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request. Some local officials, particularly Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, have defended policies that require officers to not fully cooperate with federal officials. On Tuesday, Trump wasted little time in implementing the immigration restrictions he ran on during the 2024 campaign. He moved to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional guarantee. Trump also formally declared that illegal immigration is a federal emergency, part of any effort to involve US troops in border security. A host of Democratic state attorneys generals quickly sued to block the birthright citizenship order, and other legal fights are expected to follow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Business Insider has spoken to over a dozen immigration researchers and policy analysts across the political spectrum. Conservative-leaning researchers have defended Trump's policies, arguing there will be benefits from deporting a large number of people in the country illegally. Economists, particularly those on the left and center, have warned that mass deportations could cause economic calamities. It is also expected that a full-scale mass deportation effort would cost the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars. Read the original article on Business Insider At the start of his new term in office, US President Donald Trump tested the limits of his power and immediately faced resistance. Several US states and civil rights organizations said on Tuesday they intend to legally prevent the abolition of birthright citizenship in the United States for children of people without residency status. Trump ordered the change via presidential decree the previous day, one of dozens of decisions on his first day in office that marked a radical departure from the previous administration's policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Presidents cant overrule the Constitution and centuries of precedent with a stroke of a pen," New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin posted on the platform X. In a longer statement posted online, Platkin said he was leading the efforts of 18 states, the District of Columbia, and the city of San Francisco. He described Trump's order as unlawful. "President Trumps attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Constitution, Platkin's statement said. For more than 150 years, our country has followed the same basic rule: Babies who are born in this country are American citizens." The 14th amendment to the US constitution states that anyone born in the US is a citizen of the country. However, Trump argues that this does not apply if the mother was unlawfully or only temporarily in the US. He refers to a clause in the amendment stating that it pertains to people subject to US jurisdiction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court has so far made no distinction based on whether the parents were legally or illegally in the US. However, Trump's decree could result in the Supreme Court examining the issue. The judges could potentially interpret the constitution differently from before. During Trump's first term, the Supreme Court shifted significantly to the right due to several appointments. In the lawsuit by civil rights organizations, the Trump administration is accused of overriding the constitution's provisions, Congress's intent, and the long-standing jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. "Denying citizenship to US-born children is not only unconstitutional its also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values," criticized Anthony Romero of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upon signing the decree, Trump himself admitted that the plan might fail. However, he believed he had a solid legal foundation. Ban on immigration raids in 'sensitive' locations scrapped US immigration and border officials will be able to arrest migrants at so-called "sensitive" locations again, after the Trump administration overturned policies limiting where such arrests could happen. Officers will now be able to make arrests at designated "sensitive" areas, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. Officials have been prohibited from doing this since 2011. Later, the Biden administration expanded the regulation, further restricting the authority's powers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. "The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense." A second directive has reinstated the ability for the US to quickly deport any undocumented person arrested who is unable to prove they have been in the country for more than two years. As Los Angeles rebuilds from a devastating wildfire that destroyed swaths of Pacific Palisades, the city's access to federal money could be imperiled by one of President Trump's first-day immigration actions targeting "sanctuary cities." An executive order that Trump signed Monday, shortly after he was sworn in, directs federal officials to take actions "to ensure that so-called 'sanctuary' jurisdictions, which seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations, do not receive access to Federal funds." The order , titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion, is one of several the President issued cracking down on immigration, including another directive to end birthright citizenship for children of immigrants in the country temporarily or without authorization. Several states, including California, filed an immediate legal challenge on the grounds that birthright citizenship for any child born in the U.S. is protected by the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Fire victims seek answers about rebuilding, cleanup timeline In November, the Los Angeles City Council approved a sanctuary city law that forbids city employees and resources from being involved in federal immigration enforcement. It was signed into law by Mayor Karen Bass last month. "Mayor Bass will work with anyone to bring federal resources to our city and will stand against any policy that would harm L.A. families," Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in an email. "Right now, her focus is to work with our federal partners to lead the most monumental recovery effort in history." Nick Barnes-Batista, a spokesperson for City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, said in an email that the city will not lose funding under Trump's executive order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement L.A.'s sanctuary city law, which Soto-Martinez proposed with two colleagues, "does not interfere with federal law enforcement operations; rather, it ensures that city resources and staff are not used to collaborate with immigration authorities," Barnes-Batista said. "Simply put, the city of Los Angeles neither obstructs nor assists federal immigration operations. The sanctuary city law, first proposed in 2023, codified preexisting policies to protect immigrants and their families that were established under an order by former Mayor Eric Garcetti. The law says that city employees and property may not be used to investigate, cite, arrest, hold, transfer or detain any person for the purpose of immigration enforcement. Read more: L.A. 'sanctuary city' law won't prevent deportations. But 'we are hardening our defenses' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigrant rights groups in L.A. and other cities have pushed for sanctuary city policies, which limit cooperation with federal officials on immigration enforcement. They are intended to build trust between immigrant communities, police and other government institutions by enabling undocumented people to report crimes and access essential services without fear of deportation. Trump, who has said that immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country, promised the largest deportation operation in American history, to use the military to execute it and to ask Congress to pass a law outlawing sanctuary cities nationwide. Trump has also threatened to withhold firefighting aid to California if its leaders do not carry out his political agenda. House Speaker Mike Johnson and congressional Republicans have said they want to place conditions on providing federal aid to California fire victims, while Trump has suggested using Los Angeles fire relief as a bargaining chip to get Democratic support for his policy and budget priorities. During a news briefing Tuesday, Trump said that it's been, in some ways, made simpler by Los Angeles, because they're going to need a lot of money, and generally speaking, I think you find that a lot of Democrats are going to be asking for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Look, we're going to take care of Los Angeles, Trump said. The Palisades fire, which started the morning of Jan. 7, has destroyed more than 6,300 structures and killed 11 people. It was 65% contained as of Tuesday. The Eaton fire, which broke out near Altadena later that day, has destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 17 people. It is now 89% contained. Los Angeles officials emphasized the importance of coordination with federal officials as the city undertakes one of the largest disaster recovery efforts in its history. Federal disaster aid is essential not only for our citys recovery but also for maintaining the stability and resilience of the entire region, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the budget and finance committee, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yaroslavsky added that the federal government has a strong interest in partnering with Los Angeles to ensure the success of this recovery, particularly as we prepare to host global events like the 2028 [Olympic and Paralympic] Games. Trumps actions against immigrants will have outsized impacts in California, and the Los Angeles area in particular as it recovers from the fires. California has more first-generation immigrants than any other state, and more than 62% of L.A. Countys nearly 10 million residents are either foreign born or have at least one immigrant parent, according to the Pew Research Center. About 800,000 people in L.A. County lacked legal status in 2023, according to the USC Equity Research Institute. Times staff writers Colleen Shalby and David Zahniser contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Jan. 21An executive order that President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office targeting further development of offshore wind complicates, and likely delays, Maine's budding effort to stand up an industry to capitalize on winds sweeping the Gulf of Maine. The order issued Monday temporarily halts offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pauses approvals, permits and loans for onshore and offshore wind projects. The secretary of the interior will review wind leasing and permitting practices for federal waters and lands, and will consider the environmental impact of wind projects on wildlife, the economic costs of the intermittent generation of electricity and how subsidies help the wind industry operate as a business. Trump has for years attacked wind power as harmful to wildlife and has sought to disrupt former President Joe Biden's target of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 a goal unlikely to have been achieved regardless of the Republican's election in November. Trump has instead promised to increase production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal that he says will provide lower cost energy and electricity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At stake are three projects in Maine: commercial offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine; a state research site, also in the Gulf of Maine; and plans to build a terminal on Sears Island to assemble turbines. COMMERCIAL LEASES The commercial venture involves two energy companies: Avangrid Renewables LLC of Portland, Oregon, a unit of Avangrid Inc., that successfully bid $11.1 million for nearly 224,000 acres in federal waters in the Gulf of Maine in October, and Invenergy NE Offshore Wind LLC, which bid $10.8 million for about 216,000 acres, also in the Gulf. A spokesman said Avangrid will not comment on how Trump's executive order might affect the energy company's project. A spokeswoman said Invenergy, with industry partners, is evaluating the executive orders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's pause on permitting likely means that several years will pass before turbines can be installed. But turbines weren't expected to quickly rise in the Gulf of Maine anyway. Pasha Feinberg, director of renewable energy at the Ocean Conservancy, said projects were unlikely to be built and run in the next four years. "It takes quite a while to put together a construction and operating plan," she said. Work that remains to be done includes "site characterization" by examining the sea floor and the ability to anchor the floating turbines, Feinberg said. It remains to be seen how much of this part of the project can be done without a new government permit, she said. Trump's directive is "potentially very serious," Feinberg said. But the impact depends on how the departments of the Interior and Justice choose to enforce it and the speed at which they move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew Price, president and CEO of Competitive Energy Services, a consulting group in Portland, said lease negotiations between the federal government and Avangrid and Invenergy will likely stall as long as the president's executive order is in place. In addition, reversals from Biden to Trump and possibly to the next president in 2029 are "not helpful to the industry when you lurch from one set of policies to 180 degrees opposite," Price said. "It does not give investors confidence or businesses confidence," he said. The future is unclear for four other Gulf of Maine commercial lease sites that did not draw bids at auction last fall. Under Trump's order, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management would not be allowed to immediately auction them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RESEARCH AREA A second project affected by Trump's order is the state's research array in a much smaller area in the Gulf of Maine. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced in August the first floating offshore wind energy research lease in the U.S., which could allow for up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines able to generate up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy. The research array will allow Maine, the fishing industry, wildlife experts, the offshore wind industry and others to study floating offshore wind as a renewable energy source and evaluate the compatibility with ocean uses and potential impact on the environment, supply chains and job creation. Chris Wissemann, CEO of Diamond Offshore Wind, the development partner with the University of Maine on the research array, said in an email that engineering, research and planning will extend beyond the end of Trump's second term in January 2029. No federal action, he said, "is necessary or expected for the research array for more than five years." In addition, a likely delay in the commercial offshore wind projects "actually opens the door for the Maine Research Array to become even more relevant" because it sets the standard for accommodating fisheries and other ocean users and "helps the state maintain economic leadership with a smaller, phased port plan that can be funded and built over time," Wissemann said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maine House Republicans agree with Trump's decision. Rep. Reagan Paul, R-Winterport, has said that wind turbine production requires mining, construction and maintenance that use carbon-based energy. And after a turbine is decommissioned, it becomes "forever waste" because the fiberglass used to produce the turbine blades poses an environmental hazard, she said. Dan Burgess, director of the Governor's Energy Office, said in an email in response to questions about the impact of Trump's actions that the agency is reviewing the "range of relevant executive orders." Directions concerning withdrawal of areas from offshore wind leasing do not apply to existing offshore wind leases such as Maine's research lease, he said. "Offshore wind remains important to addressing Maine's energy challenges and the state remains committed to advancing responsible offshore wind, particularly through the research array," Burgess said. WIND PORT Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal halt to offshore wind may also complicate Maine's effort to find financing for its preferred wind port site at Sears Island. The U.S. Department of Transportation last year rejected the state's application for $456 million to build an offshore wind port. State officials said at the time that they will continue to seek funding, but Trump's executive order appears to foreclose an appeal to federal officials. In response to a question of what options may be available to the state Department of Transportation, spokesman Paul Merrill said in an email that agency officials are working with the Governor's Energy Office to review the executive orders. The Governor's Energy Office on Friday released the Maine Energy Plan that said the state is committed to installing 3,000 MW of offshore wind by 2040. "Responsible and sustainable development of offshore wind is essential to meet Maine's growing electricity demand as well as the state's clean energy, climate and economic development goals," the report said. Copy the Story Link Two days after President Donald Trump signed a raft of executive orders cracking down on immigration, arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers appear to remain along the lines of routine operations and not part of a large scale raid in any one place, a source familiar with operations told NBC News. Trumps designated border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News on Wednesday that ICE had conducted 308 arrests across the country. For comparison, in September of 2024, the latest month for which data is available, ICE arrested 282 migrants per day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The source said the arrests targeted criminals, but could not say whether migrants without criminal convictions were arrested as collateral arrests. The actions come in the days after officials in major cities friendly to migrants, such as Chicago, Denver and Minneapolis, anticipated ICE major raids of immigrant communities. The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it was ending a policy that restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ability to arrest undocumented people at or near so-called sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. NBC News reported last month that the Trump administration would roll back the restriction, which had been in place since the Obama administration. It was continued during the first Trump administration and expanded by the Biden administration to include areas like domestic violence and disaster relief shelters. The restriction discouraged immigration actions from those areas without approval from supervisors in the interest of public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Criminals will no longer be able to hide in Americas schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense, DHS said in a statement announcing the decision Tuesday. Whether and how that will play out in major sanctuary cities like Chicago is yet to be seen. Its a lot of rhetoric designed to fear and terrorize people, especially immigrants, said the Rev. Beth Brown of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church in Chicago. If they dont have a signed judicial warrant, they still cannot enter church buildings or faith community buildings, because its not just churches its all houses of worship. DHS also officially reinstated Migrant Protection Protocols, or what was commonly known as the Remain in Mexico policy, which had asylum-seekers wait in Mexico until they were scheduled to appear before immigration judges in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said the United States made the decision to reinstate Remain in Mexico unilaterally and that it was not part of an agreement with Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters Tuesday that Mexico has its own migratory policies and will engage in future discussions with U.S. agencies about the matter. Will there be ICE raids? Trumps border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News on Tuesday that there would be targeted enforcement action, which is similar to what ICE already does throughout the country every day. NBC News asked Homan how those operations would be different. We have more people assigned to the mission, he said. He declined to say how many people had been assigned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department issued a memo Tuesday with a series of directives instructing Justice Department officials to significantly overhaul its approach to immigration enforcement and prioritize identifying illegal immigrants and prosecuting immigration violations. The memo orders the FBI, DEA, ATF, the U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Prisons to review their files for identifying information and/or biometric data relating to non-citizens located illegally in the United States. It also instructs officials to investigate for potential prosecution any state or local officials who resist the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and it directs the Civil Division to examine possible legal action against states or cities with laws barring officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement officers. There is no precedent for prosecuting state or local officials who are deemed to have resisted federal immigration enforcement. Where could they be? While the Trump administration has not said where the first raids will take place, officials familiar with discussions about possible targets say they will be arresting migrants in major metropolitan cities first. Some of the locations under consideration include the Washington, D.C., area, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Whats next for Trumps promises of mass deportation? The Trump administration is sending 1,500 more troops to the southern border, including helicopter crews and intelligence analysts, Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses said in a statement Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This represents a 60 percent increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn in Monday," he said. Salesses added that the department would be conducting a military airlift to deport more than 5,000 people detained by Customs and Border Protection in San Diego, Calif., and El Paso, Texas. It is not clear what parts of the government the troops will come from or what their aim will be, according to a defense official and a senior White official. Trump will most likely have to secure more funding from Congress to make good on his promises for mass deportations. He pledged in his inaugural address to deport millions and millions of immigrants back to their home countries. But ICE is already short $230 million to fund its current level of deportations, which removed over 230,000 migrants last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his Day One executive orders, Trump declared a national emergency and ordered the military to help expand detention space and help transport migrants to use Defense Department funding on deportations. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A flurry of moves by newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump prompted consternation, concern and discussion in Germany, as leaders in Berlin tried to navigate Trump's return to the White House after four years. Trump's threats to hike tariffs on global trade, including on US imports from the European Union, raised particular alarm in Germany, where the struggling economy has long been heavily dependent on exports. Trump's swift moves to yank the US out of several international institutions, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Accords, meanwhile, alarmed German leaders long used to multilateral approaches to global problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Tuesday that the EU shouldn't be intimidated into silence if Trump follows through with threats of new tariffs. EU countries should act with an outstretched hand towards the Trump administration, but not allow their hand "to be slapped away without limits," Habeck said at a conference on energy in Berlin organized by the financial newspaper Handelsblatt. Habeck, a Green, also called Trump's decision to quit the Paris deal a "fatal signal" for global efforts to limit climate change and avoid catastrophic consequences of continued warming. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, meanwhile, said that Trump's plans to withdraw from the WHO and stop US funding for the group would deal a serious blow to the international fight against global health crises, and also cut funding for important efforts to respond to famines, natural disasters and wars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Hundreds of thousands of people would be at risk, many children in particular," Lauterbach warned. In an executive order on Monday, Trump stated that the organization had reacted poorly to the coronavirus pandemic and was demanding unfair contributions from the United States. A leading German economist also joined the voices warning about the dangers that a trade war triggered by Trump could hold for the German economy, where gross domestic product has now shrunk slightly for two years in a row. "This is not good for the German economy," Moritz Schularick, president of Germany's Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), said on Tuesday. "We don't know what plans Trump really wants to implement and where he might be bluffing to strengthen his negotiating position." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only thing that is certain is that Trump is more interested in deals than in a rules-based global economy, he said. "The days of ever-faster globalization, low tariffs and dispute resolution within the WTO are over for the time being," said Schularick. Trump again touted tariffs on global trade during his inaugural speech on Monday, claiming that the revenue would benefit US citizens. Later, at a press conference in the White House on Tuesday evening, he again threatened the EU with new tariffs for treating the US "very, very badly." Trump said that tariffs were the only way to achieve fairness. He lamented the trade deficit, accusing the EU of not purchasing American cars or agricultural products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Habeck, the economy minister, echoed other leaders in Berlin on Tuesday when he said the EU is prepared to respond to any moves against trade with the EU. "Then we will know what tariffs we have to impose. We don't want that. That's bad for the people, it's bad for our relationship, it's bad for us as a whole," Habeck said. "But we don't have to let ourselves be pushed around either." German centre-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz, who is widely seen as the favourite to replace current Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the upcoming elections on February 23, described an urgent need for European allies to coordinate. "The Europeans must now sit down together quickly and discuss two major issues," Merz, the chairman of the Christian Democrats (CDU), told Deutschlandfunk public radio on Tuesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Firstly: What are we doing for our own security? This is long overdue. This has been necessary for years. And secondly: How do we strengthen our position in trade with America?" Germany, together with other NATO allies in Europe and the European Union, must assume leadership responsibility, Merz said. Merz also said that the EU bloc, with its single economic market, should use its size and global heft to act together in talks with the US. "With 450 million inhabitants, [the European Union] is a market that is larger than America and Canada combined," Merz said. President Donald Trump's transition team and outside allies have been signaling for weeks that they were planning to "flood the zone" in the first 100 days of the new administration. Former senior adviser and activist Steve Bannon had pushed this idea during Trump's first term, telling author and journalist Michael Lewis that "the Democrats dont matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with s**t. He called it "shock and awe," which was described by historian Douglas Brinkley as "bizarre, rapid-fire presidential policy making." "[E]very day theres a new, radical initiative, and it doesnt give journalists or the public a chance to get a grip on what just happened." Current senior adviser Stephen Miller has refined the idea for the second term. He recently told the New York Times that he believes that "those he regards as Mr. Trump's enemies Democrats, the media, groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and portions of the federal bureaucracy are depleted and only have so much bandwidth for outrage and opposition." Miller, the Times reports, "has told people that the goal is to overwhelm them with a blitz of activity." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russell Vought, Project 2025 author of the first 180 days memorandum and Trump's pick for the Office of Management and Budget, has described the political opposition as enemy fire thats coming over the target, while urging allies to be fearless at the point of attack and calling his policy proposals battle plans. Bannon, for his part, has recently said that "shock and awe" is "so 2017." So now he's calling it "Rolling Thunder." I think you're getting the picture from all these military terms. These guys are all cosplaying Clausewitz. It seems to make them feel very strong and manly. In turn, Trump signed a huge pile of executive orders on day one but they're as substandard as MAGA legal work always is. Slate's Dahlia Lithwick writes, "We saw some shoddy, shoddy lawyering in some of these new executive orders": Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And I want to note that the one promise, for at least the last six months, as I understand it, was that these Project 2025 jobs were going to be ready from Day 1. That the greatest minds in the conservative legal movement were beavering away for months to make sure that when all of this went into effect on Day 1, or Week 1, it would be bulletproof. And this is not bulletproof. Some of it looks like it was written by A.I. or by a first-grader using A.I. And I just want to flag that one of the reasons Donald Trump lost a whole lot in the first four years of Trumpism was because of crap lawyering by crap lawyers cutting corners and doing a bad job. It seems to me that wouldve been the one lesson they learned. Maybe none of that matters if the whole point of the exercise is to "flood the zone" with you-know-what and rain down shock and awe on the American people but I have to wonder if maybe people are on to them this time. Rather than confusing and overwhelming everyone with their flurry of sloppy executive orders, there was one specific action Trump took on Tuesday that got everyone's attention, almost to the exclusion of everything else his shocking pardons of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants and commutations of the handful who were convicted of sedition. On top of that, he completely went back on his promise that he would not interfere with the workings of the Department of Justice by ordering it to drop all pending Jan. 6 cases. Everyone knew that Trump was planning to pardon some of the convicted prisoners but nobody expected this full sweep. Polling before and after the election has shown that, of all Trump's proposals, from the ridiculous to the bizarre, this one is the most unpopular. A Scripps-Ipsos poll before the election found that 68% of Americans disapproved of Trump's plan to pardon the J6 rioters. Likewise, a recent AP-NORC poll from this month showed that 60% disapproved. Just a couple of weeks ago, Vice President JD Vance was asked about the possibility and said, "If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 ... you should be pardoned, if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned." Trump's nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, said just the other day in her confirmation hearing that if she was asked to advise the president on the pardons (as is the usual process) she would take those on a case-by-case basis but added, "Let me be very clear in speaking to you, I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump pardoned people who were convicted of literally attempting to murder police officers that day. He was asked about it yesterday and his pathetic response was that he didn't know anything about that and would "take a look at it," as if that means anything, and went on to say that murderers get away with it all the time in cities around the country: BREAKING: In a stunning moment of incompetence, Donald Trump just completely failed to answer why he pardoned someone who used a stun gun to assault a police officer. This is insane. pic.twitter.com/VE2yZBZHOm Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) January 21, 2025 That officer had a heart attack from the stun and suffered a brain injury. More than 140 officers were injured that day, which was the worst single day for law enforcement since 9/11. Trump had the chutzpah to call himself a "friend of police": Q: Arent you sending the message that assaulting officers is okay with these pardons? Trump: No, the oppositeI am the friend of police more than any president that has ever been in this office. pic.twitter.com/XeYaxE34eF Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) January 21, 2025 As it happens (in a proverbial leopards eating faces moment), the Fraternal Order of Police, which enthusiastically endorsed Trump last November, begged to differ, putting out this statement: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety they are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families. It went on to say that, contrary to Trump's deplorable excuses, his pardons sent a dangerous message, potentially "emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. But then, that may be a feature, not a bug. At the same press conference, Trump virtually invited the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers to rejoin the MAGA cause, saying that "they love our country" One of the leaders whose sentence Trump commuted, Enrique Tarrio, told Alex Jones yesterday that he wants the people who prosecuted him to "feel the heat" and be put in prison. There is no mistaking the messages Trump sent with his sweeping pardons yesterday. He told his followers that if they commit crimes, violent or otherwise, on his behalf, he has their backs. The immunity the Supreme Court gave him is therefore conferred on anyone who does his bidding. He has also told his political opponents, and any official protection they might have, that they are not safe from political violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He means it. Yesterday he revoked Secret Service protection from his nemesis, former national security adviser John Bolton, who has reportedly been threatened by Iranian agents: News: BOLTON, in phone interview with me, says Secret Service called him at 11:30pm last night to say his protective detail ended today. It ended at noon. He said threat from Iran on his life and lives of other Americans continues nonetheless. Robert Costa (@costareports) January 21, 2025 The new Trump administration may have miscalculated the effects of its "shock and awe" strategy. Pardoning even the violent criminals who attacked police officers has broken through the fog of war; people can see exactly what they're up to. The "law and order" president is acting exactly like someone who's been convicted of multiple crimes. After all, that's what he is. Trump's first day in office on January 20 included proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Trump's tariff plans could raise the costs of some medications for Americans. Additionally, Trump said on the campaign trail he would impose a 60% tariff on Chinese imports. Tariffs are already a central feature of President Donald Trump's second-term agenda and those could have a significant impact on what Americans pay for some medications. In his inauguration speeches and Day One executive orders, the president detailed his plans for imposing sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, including a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada. Trump said the tariff policies could begin on February 1. It follows his tariff proposals from the campaign trail, including a 60% tariff on imports from China. Some trade policy experts previously told Business Insider that broad tariffs on key trading partners like Mexico and Canada could increase the prices of goods imported from those countries. This could also stretch to key medical drugs like pain relievers, antibiotics, and cancer treatments, several of which are used in the US and manufactured abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Countries like China, Canada, and Mexico not only make prescription and over-the-counter medicines, but they also supply drug ingredients. In many cases, foreign-manufactured medications are more affordable than those directly made in America but prices and access could change with tariffs. Trump has previously denied that his tariff policies will increase prices for Americans. Trump's press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI. What tariffs mean for your medicine costs Under Trump's tariff plans, frequently used medications could become more expensive. Per the nonprofit organization KFF, importing some pharmaceutical drugs or ingredients from other countries has made some medicines more affordable in the US than if they were manufactured domestically due to lower production costs and cheaper labor. In 2023, Mexico exported 165 of the 350 pharmaceutical products and drug ingredients designated as critical by the International Trade Administration. Although it was a small share of America's total pharmaceutical imports about 1.5%, per the nonpartisan policy research firm Wilson Center Mexico supplied key ingredients for medicines like pain relievers and antibiotics. Major pharmaceutical and vaccine companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca also have operations in Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canada, too, manufactures some generic forms of over-the-counter and prescription medications, like pain relievers. Per the Census Bureau, the US imported about $5.8 billion in pharmaceutical preparations in 2023. Some states, like Florida, have previously proposed importing some prescriptions from Canada to increase affordability. The FDA signed off on imports from Canada to Florida on a range of drugs, including those used to treat HIV, AIDS, and diabetes, and other states are working to get approval to import drugs from Canada in bulk to lower high prices. Trump proposed even steeper tariffs on China, which could affect drug prices. A 2023 report by the policy analysis firm Atlantic Council found that, between 2020 and 2022, US imports of Chinese pharmaceuticals grew by over $8 billion, and China remains one of America's major medical suppliers. China manufactures many healthcare products used by Americans like pain relievers, cardiovascular medicine, cancer treatments and immunosuppressives, cold and cough medicine, antibiotics, and bandages. Tariffs and trade restrictions on foreign pharmaceuticals could also lead to higher prices and drug shortages if the US is unable to manufacture cheaper alternatives. Trump has suggested enforcing a "universal tariff" on all imported goods, which may impact other main suppliers of medicine, like Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and India. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details are unclear on how exactly Trump will impose these tariffs, and the legal authority he uses would likely determine how soon the US could see the prices of goods change. Still, tariffs are not the only avenue through which Americans' healthcare could be impacted. On Monday, Trump signed a range of executive orders some related to healthcare including plans to pursue actions that will "eliminate unnecessary administrative expenses and rent-seeking practices" that raise healthcare costs. Are you changing how you approach healthcare costs with to the new Trump administration? If so, reach out to allisonkelly@businessinsider.com and asheffey@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider Here we are, three days into the second Trump administration, and the president has already served up ample reminders of what his political reign is like: erratic, unpredictable, sporadically delightful, intrinsically authoritarian, often horrifying, and always a bit weird and confusing. We've yet to see much at all on the sex front (thank goodness), but with tech-related matters, all the typically Trumpian tendencies have been on full display. Take last night's full and unconditional pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the creator of dark web drug marketplace Silk Road. Ulbricht was sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 years in federal prison for facilitating drug sales through the website. Such extreme punishment "should give pause even to supporters of the war on drugs," my colleague Jacob Sullum suggested. And when it comes to ardent drug-war supporters, Donald Trumpwho has, on numerous occasions, called for drug dealers to be executedis way up there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Except when he isn't. Somehow, the same man who has said drug dealers should get the death penalty has also, on numerous occasions, spoken out about the unfair and disproportionate nature of drug crime punishments. He oversaw sentencing reform and commuted the sentence of nonviolent drug offender Alice Johnson. And now, Trump has pardoned Ulbricht, whose Bitcoin- and Tor-driven marketplace undeniably enabled drug peddling and whose charges included narcotics trafficking, distribution of narcotics by means of the internet, and narcotics trafficking conspiracy. Reminder No. 1: Trump's statements and actions are often contradictory. Ultimately, Ulbricht's pardon seems to stem from a protracted campaign by libertarians and other supporters to both convince Trump of the injustice of Ulbricht's sentence and connect Ulbricht's plight to Trump's own. In announcing the pardon, Trump said that "the scum that worked to convict [Ulbricht] were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me." It's great that Ulbricht is free (and that Trump kept his word), but I don't think Trump's decision here tells us anything about how Trump will treat drug crimes or digital marketplaces more generally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reminder No. 2: Trump's actions seem driven more by personal relationships and grievances than any underlying philosophy or deep conviction. Which brings us to TikTok. Trump's recent attempts to save TikTok are a far cry from his actions during his first presidency, when Trump tried to effectively ban TikTok by executive order. But let's back up. In case you forgot, the Supreme Court declined last Friday to stop the divest-or-ban law that Congress passed last year. TikTok briefly went dark. Then President Trump declared that he would save TikTok and also maybe nationalize it? As usual, no one is quite sure what he means. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Truth Social, Trump seemed like he might be OK with ByteDance retaining partial control of the company so long as the U.S. government also got to retain partial ownership. ("Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose," he posted.) Then, in Oval Office comments to reporters, Trump again floated this "joint venture" idea but made it sound more like the U.S. would merely help broker ByteDance's sale of the company and take a cut of the sale money. He also suggested that the government could still play some undefined role in policing the app. What does any of that really mean? No one knows! Perhaps Trump himself isn't quite sure. But what is clear is that this is a hallmark of Trump leadership: seemingly off-the-cuff comments that allude to elaborate plans that may or may not be constitutionally sound, may or may not be serious, and may or may not be ever mentioned again. Reminder No. 3: Not even Trump has any real idea what he's talking about. Then, on Monday, Trump issued another executive order telling the Department of Justice and state authorities not to enforce the law that would ban TikTok. So TikTok might come out of this OKbut that's a hell of an executive-overreaching way to ensure it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reminder No. 4: Trump tends to mix his pro-freedom concerns with authoritarian impulses. The dizzying nature of Trump's political whims leaves little room for formulating expectations. What will tech policy be like in the Trump era? I don't think anyone knows. During his first presidency, Trump was a harsh critic of social media companies, including TikTok. His administration launched antitrust cases against Google and Facebook, which many Republicans saw as being in the tank for Democrats. And Trump frequently lambasted Section 230 of the Communications Act, which protects free speech on the internet by removing some of tech companies' liability for third-party speech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, Trump partially owns a social media platform, Truth Social, and he's besties with Elon Musk, who runs X. Lo and behold, we've heard little about Section 230's flaws lately. Now the Democrats oppose TikTok, and former President Joe Biden signed a law to force its sale or ban it. Trump responded by positioning himself as TikTok's champion. Now, tech leadersseemingly tired of trying and failing to appease Democratsare trying to cozy up to Trump and Republicans. Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew all attended Trump's inauguration. Theoretically, this all portends a better tech policy climate under Trump 2.0. And in the immediate future, I think we'll see it. But to believe that it will last, one would have to forget everything we've learned about the erratic, opportunistic, and personality-driven nature of Trumpian politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How long until Trump and Musk quarrel and suddenly we're hearing from the White House about how we need to ban algorithms? How long until some Trump-mocking meme trends on TikTok and, you know what, TikTok is a communist propaganda tool after all? Democrats undoubtedly played politics when it came to tech policy, placating and using tech companies when it suited their agenda and lashing out at them when populism building, crime-panic stoking, or censorship lust demanded it. Democrat-led tech policy was a roller coaster, but one you could see the general contours of, at least. Under Trump, we can expect a different sort of tech policy roller coaster, driven by the politics of personal alliances and grievances, and it's anyone's guess where it's going. More Sex & Tech News Trade associations NetChoice and TechNet are suing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and its director, Rohit Chopra, over what they call the agency's "attempted power grab over digital payments." The tech trade groups argue that the CFPB's recent rule regulating digital payment processorsthink Venmo, Paypal, Cash App, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, etc.exceeds its authority and violates the principle of separation of powers. The rule, finalized in November, says the CFPB can conduct "proactive examinations" of these companies to check their compliance with federal privacy and fraud laws. "This is the second lawsuit related to the regulation," notes The Verge. "Google filed a lawsuit in December after the CFPB placed Google Payment Corp. under federal supervision. In a statement to The Verge, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda called the rule 'a clear case of government overreach.'" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pregnancy surveillance? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Vermont and the advocacy group Pregnancy Justice are suing the Vermont Department for Children and Families, alleging that it "relied on baseless allegations about a pregnant woman's mental health to secretly investigate her and win custody of her daughter before the baby was born," the Associated Press reports. South Dakota is advancing an age-verification law for adult websites. One of the many executive orders issued by Trump on his first day back in office seems unaware that intersex people exist. Today's Image D.C. | 2016 (ENB/Reason) The post Trump's Tech Love Affair Won't Last appeared first on Reason.com. The Tulsa City Council is doing away with the opening invocation prayer after controversy sparked last year. Instead of an opening invocation, the council will now open their meeting with a moment of silent prayer or personal reflection. The vote was approved by 8-1. Councilor Laura Bellis proposed the rule change after Amy McAdams, a pagan priestess, dedicated an opening invocation to Medusa in November. Following the meeting, Governor Kevin Stitt claimed that Satan is trying to establish a foothold in the state through McAdams. Satan is trying to establish a foothold, but Oklahoma is going to be a shining city on the hill. Tulsa City Council needs to stand strong against actions like this, and Tulsans need to remember who allowed this at the ballot box. https://t.co/unhvhZfPGJ Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) November 24, 2024 Bellis has wanted the rule changed for a few years, but after constituents responded to McAdams prayer, she was more motivated to change it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That really gave the impetus to say, I dont want anyone to be in one of our government meetings and feel that whats being shared is alienating to them or unwelcoming or infringing on their sincerely-held beliefs, she told the Public Radio Tulsa. In Oklahoma City, regular city council meetings still start with an invocation or prayer from different faith leaders in the community each month. The Oklahoma State Board of Education's monthly meetings also start with a prayer led by state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma council eliminates opening prayer after pagan controversy ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court late on Tuesday ordered far-right Victory Party leader Umit Ozdag be held in custody pending trial on charges of inciting public hatred through social media, prompting widespread condemnation from opposition leaders. Ozdag was detained on Monday for allegedly insulting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan over comments in which he said "even crusades had not done as much damage to Turkey as Erdogan has". In a post on his X account, Ozdag said arresting him means arresting the people he represents, people in need, patriots, and people who are opposing the latest developments in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Workers who had to survive on minimum wage, retirees living below the hunger threshold were arrested!...You can arrest me, but you cannot silence me without killing me!" Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) protested the arrest of Ozdag, who declared support for CHP's presidential candidate in 2023 elections. Ozel said the arrest decision is a murder of justice, a destruction of both democracy and judicial independence. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu also protested Ozdag's arrest and said that this amounts to an intervention of politics in the judiciary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The mind that has signed these practices will surely succumb to the will of the people and will leave those seats. This is our promise to our nation," Imamoglu said in a post on X. In a news conference following the decision, nationalist opposition Iyi Party leader Musavat Dervisoglu said the ruling party is trying to muzzle opposition parties by threatening, discrediting and intimitading them. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Michael Perry) ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party said it will send a delegation to meet Abdullah Ocalan, head of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in jail on Wednesday for a second time as part of a political effort to end a decades-long conflict. The PKK's insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 has led to some 40,000 deaths. Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999, still holds significant influence over Kurdish politics. Last week Devlet Bahceli, the natinalist MHP leader and President Tayyip Erdogan's main ally, urged Ocalan to announce the group's "unconditional" disbandment after his next meeting with the opposition DEM, parliament's third-biggest party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bahceli made the call after a rare initial meeting between DEM leaders and Ocalan at the end of last year, after which the militant leader was cited as indicating a willingness to call on the PKK to lay down arms. DEM, long a critic of Bahceli and Erdogan, has said it remains committed to pursuing a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue through dialogue, but has called for a legal framework and a clear road map. The talks fostered peace hopes in Turkey. But the precarious situation of Kurdish forces in Syria, where president Bashar Al-Assad was ousted after 13 years of civil war, and uncertainty about Ankara's intentions have left many Kurds anxious about the path ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and European Union. Ocalan, captured in Kenya in 1999, is imprisoned on Imrali island in northwest Turkey. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer) Two people who died when a truck plunged into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., have been identified as twin brothers. The fatal crash occurred around 7 p.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 16, when their truck collided with another vehicle on the Arlington Memorial Bridge, according to FOX affiliate WTTG. The truck then veered to the left before going over the edge of the bridge and into the water, ABC affiliate WJLA reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two people in the truck have been identified by their older sister, Nikki Windsor, as Jerel and Jerod Wert, of Chesapeake Beach, Md. Related: Fla. Dad Killed in Crash After Celebrating 16-Year-Old Daughter's Birthday; Girl Is Also Injured The 52-year-old brothers were on their way to a job in the District of Columbia at the time of the accident, she said, according to WTTG. Jerod, an HVAC mechanic, was driving the truck and Jerel, a carpenter, was in the passenger seat when the crash occurred, she added. "They were very hard workers, especially Jerod," Windsor told WTTG, noting that her brother "loved his family." Jerel, she continued, "loved his music, his guitars." 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 twins had just celebrated their birthday on Dec. 11, according to Windsor. "They came in together and went together," she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dashboard camera footage captured by witness Nigisti Adane showed the moment the white pick-up truck appeared to clip another vehicle before veering off the edge of the bridge in a matter of seconds. "The truck went straight down. It looked like it went straight down," Adane said, per WTTG. Related: 10 Members of the Same Family Killed After Private Jet Crashes into Center of Busy Tourist Resort: Reports One of the brothers was pulled from the water about 20 minutes after the crash, according to DC News Now. He later died at the hospital. The body of the second brother was reportedly pulled from the truck in the river on Friday, Jan. 17. It is unclear which brother was recovered at which time. An investigation into the crash is ongoing, according to WTTG. U.S. Park Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Read the original article on People Two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were freed in a prisoner exchange between the United States and the Taliban. The deal was brokered by former President Biden before he left office, a Trump administration official told the Associated Press. The two American citizens were exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life in prison in 2008. The Trump administration celebrated the swap while the Taliban said it was hopeful that the tensions could be mended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corbetts family announced the news on a website dedicated to freeing him. They thanked President Trump and Biden, along with their teams, for negotiating the deal. Corbetts family also acknowledged Qatar, which helped secure the deal. Corbett had been living in Afghanistan with his family at the time of the 2021 collapse of the government. He was detained by the Taliban in August 2022 while on a business trip. Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryans life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging 894 days of our lives, the Corbett family said in a statement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) celebrated Corbetts release in a post online, calling it a blessing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) also celebrated Corbetts release and shared photos of him with Corbetts family when they joined him at the Capitol in 2024. It was unclear what McKenty was doing in Afghanistan. His family has requested privacy, BBC reported. 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 The Hill. Students at Antioch High School board buses for transport to a reunification site after a 17-year-old student opened fire in the school cafeteria. (Photo: John Partipilo) This story has been updated with additional details. Two teenage students are dead and one is injured following a Wednesday shooting at Antioch High School in South Nashville, Metro Nashville police confirmed. The shooter, who was identified as Solomon Henderson, 17, shot two students in the cafeteria at 11:09 a.m. before killing himself, according to police. Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The other, a male, suffered a grazing wound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle released a statement Wednesday evening saying: This is a heartbreaking day for the entire Antioch High School community and all of us in Nashville Public Schools. My heart goes out to the families of our students as they face unimaginable loss. I want to thank the school staff who quickly and heroically followed emergency protocols, potentially preventing further harm, as well as the Metro Nashville Police Department and Nashville Fire Department for their swift and urgent response. While we have been focused on addressing the immediate situation, we are committed to understanding how and why this happened and what more we can do to prevent such tragedies in the future. Its important to remember that our schools have historically been safe places for learning, friendship, and growth. We cannot allow this tragedy to overshadow the positive experiences of our 80,000 students. Antioch High School will be closed for the rest of the week to give students time to grieve, Battle said, and grief counseling will be provided there and at other schools, which will remain open. Dasia Pietez, right, embraces her daughter Dulce Acevedo, as the pair wait to be reunited with Pietezs younger daughter at Antioch High School on January 22, 2025. (Photo: John Partipilo) We are committed to supporting Antioch High Schools students, staff, and families in the days and weeks ahead. I am grateful for the support of our Nashville community as we navigate this difficult time together, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting comes almost two years after three 9-year-old students and three staff members were shot to death at The Covenant School in Nashville before police intervened and killed the shooter. It also comes just three months after a shooting on Nashvilles historic Jefferson Street killed a 24-year-old man, and injured six adults and three teenagers. Wednesdays shooting drew renewed grief from lawmakers, along with some pleas for common sense gun safety solutions. As a mother and a representative of this community, I grieve with the families, students, and staff who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy, said Sen. Charlane Oliver, a Nashville Democrat who represents the Antioch area in the state legislature, in a statement. My heart goes out to the victims who were shot, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. No child should ever feel unsafe in their school, and no family should face the anguish of such a senseless loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other elected officials took to social media following the shooting. Gov. Bill Lee said he was praying for the victims, their families and the school community. State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Nashville Democrat, called for the legislature to start doing the work needed to keep kids safe. High school kids really ought to be able to go to the cafeteria without fear of being shot, Yarbro said. Nashville State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, the state House Democratic Caucus chair, echoed Yarbros sentiments. We will continue to fight for common sense gun safety solutions that protect our children and communities from gun violence, Clemmons wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Antioch High School serves about 2,200 students speaking 41 languages, and offers STEM programs and an international baccalaureate curriculum. School buses have taken students to be reunified with parents at Ascension St. Thomas Hospital, 3754 Murfreesboro Rd. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. (Cassandra Stephenson and Adam Friedman contributed to this story.) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Tyra Banks opened up about losing her home in the recent L.A. wildfires that have displaced thousands of Los Angeles County residents. The former Dancing with the Stars host says she learned her house had burned down while working in Australia. More from Deadline I lost my house, Banks said on Australias morning show Sunrise. I havent really talked about it, but, yeah, I have. She continued, I just didnt want to pull a lot of attention to me. I feel like theres a lot of people that need that attention, so I havent really talked about it, but I cant sit here and not tell the truth that, yeah, we lost our house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Americas Next Top Model host and creator said she was at a friends house here, and we were celebrating just having fun when she learned about the wildfires. I kept checking my phone, not for my house, but for friends and family, making sure they were evacuating and everything, Banks said. And then I asked my partner, I was like, Im seeing something here, what do you think? and he [nodded]. And I just pulled it together and just didnt say anything to my friends and just stayed in that moment, and then we went home and we cried and we had our moment. RELATED: L.A. Wildfires: Firefighters Extend Containment Amid Calmer Weather; Additional Evacuation Orders Lifted; LA Mayor Appoints Rebuilding Czar Banks said that although she had a home in L.A., she is living between Australia and New York City, adding, Were between here and New York, so a lot of those memento-mementos are here and in New York, so I didnt lose that, thank goodness. There were some mementos that we lost. But yeah, its tough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fires across L.A. have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 15,000 structures, with the Palisades and Eaton wildfires still burning. Firefighters continue to battle the Palisades Fire, which is now over 60% contained, while the Eaton Fire is almost 90% containment after almost two weeks. RELATED: Stephen King Calls For Oscars Cancellation Amid Wildfires: No Glitz With L.A. On Fire Watch Tyra Banks full interview below. TYRA BANKS ON SUNRISE Sunrise Exclusive: shes one of the biggest supermodels of all time. Now Tyra Banks is in Australia as she expands her business empire. WATCH SUNRISE FOR MORE | @7plus pic.twitter.com/RbQB5D0iB7 Sunrise (@sunriseon7) January 19, 2025 Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Press Release January 22, 2025 Tulfo wants to reinstate ban for new PH domestic workers to Kuwait Senate Committee on Migrant Workers Chairperson Raffy Tulfo has renewed his call for a deployment ban of new Filipino household service providers or kasambahays to Kuwait following recent killings of Pinoy domestic workers in said country. The victims include Dafnie Nacalaban. During a Senate hearing on Tuesday Jan. 21, Tulfo also stated that he receives an average of 150 complaints from OFWs from different parts of the world who were either abused, maltreated or not properly compensated by their foreign employers. He said that Filipino domestic workers are generally hardworking and the problems normally stem from problematic and abusive employers, who he believes were not screened properly. "Continuing the deployment of new Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait without fixing the current system is like sending our workers to the lion's den," he said. Tulfo said the Philippine government must reinstate said ban until it managed to coordinate and sit down with Kuwaiti officials to discuss additional requirements for foreign employers before hiring Filipinos. He stressed that these must include, among others, evaluation of mental functions through a neuro-psychiatric exam, on top of submission of police clearance and proof of financial capacity to pay workers. Tulfo also underscored the need for a spot inspection of the employer's household before sending out OFWs in Kuwait. Foreign employers must also be required to attend seminars introducing them with Filipino culture. Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac admitted that spot inspection currently only applies to Filipinos employed in Singapore, stressing that this spot inspection system must be coordinated to the specific foreign country like Kuwait in order to be implemented. "You want our workers, then this is what you need to do. Kapag hindi nakipagcoordinate sa atin ang Kuwait, then we must totally stop deployment of domestic workers in their country," said he. Cacdac, for his part, vowed to make necessary actions upon Tulfo's recommendation. Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. Border Patrol agent, who was shot and killed Monday during a traffic stop in Vermont, has been identified as David C. Maland, federal and state officials announced Tuesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Maland, 44, "passed away in the line of duty." He "succumbed to injuries caused by gunfire following a traffic stop" in the town of Coventry, located in northern Vermont near the U.S.-Canada border, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Maland worked in the U.S. Border Patrol's Swanton sector, which covers the border of Quebec, Ontario and the states of Vermont and New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our hearts are heavy as we send our deepest condolences to the U.S. Border Patrol's Swanton Sector after Agent David "Chris" Maland was fatally shot yesterday in the line of duty in Coventry, Vt.," Vermont State Police wrote Tuesday in a post on X. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his loved ones, his fellow agents and all who protect and serve." Our hearts are heavy as we send our deepest condolences to the US Border Patrol's Swanton Sector after Agent David "Chris" Maland was fatally shot yesterday in the line of duty in Coventry, Vermont. All affected by this tragedy are in our thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/6SeCd7e4N0 Vermont State Police (@VTStatePolice) January 21, 2025 The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the shooting took place Monday afternoon at 3:15 p.m. on Interstate 91. According to the FBI, Maland was fatally shot in the neck and one "subject," a man, was also killed. A third person, a woman, was injured and is currently in custody. While a motive remains under investigation, authorities said they were aware of the suspects before Monday's shooting. The man and woman were reportedly looking to buy real estate in the Northeast Kingdom area, according to investigators, who also said the couple had been staying at a Newport hotel for about five days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maland lived in Newport and had worked for the Border Patrol for about a decade. On Tuesday, Vermont state Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex-Orleans, honored Maland with a moment of silence on the Senate floor. "I just want to put a name to the face of the officer that was killed yesterday," Ingalls said. "His name is David Maland, and I thank you very much for the moment of silence." "These are our friends and neighbors, they live amongst us, we respect them, we are glad for what they do, and it's just ... it really is a tragedy," Ingalls added. "I know those folks so well and I know how they are feeling, I do. And yet they are back at it today keeping us safe." A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed in Vermont near the Canadian Border has been identified as a Minnesota native. David "Chris" Maland, 44, was fatally shot in the line of duty on Tuesday in Coventry, Vermont, according to the Vermont State Police. Maland was an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector and was conducting a traffic stop at the time. Maland is originally from Blue Earth and graduated from Fairmont High School, according to a family statement to The Associated Press. Maland also was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was active security at the Pentagon during 9/11. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery," his family said. "He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self." David Maland.David Maland Facebook According to the FBI in Albany, New York, the shooting happened at 3:15 p.m. on Interstate 91. The agency says an exchange of gunfire occurred during a traffic stop, with Maland and 2 others involved shot. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed another person was killed in the exchange: a German national in the U.S. on a current visa. Another suspect is being treated at an area hospital. Maland later died from his injuries, according to the agency. He's the first border agent to be killed in the line of duty since 2014, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protections records. BREEZEWOOD, Pa. (WTAJ) A Coast Guardsman was charged after allegedly causing a multi-vehicle crash while more than double the legal limit for alcohol, state police report. Ryan Lee Geisel, 46, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, three counts of reckless endangerment and multiple traffic offenses after Pennsylvania State Police were called to a crash scene right off the PA Turnpike in Breezewood Dec. 23. According to the criminal complaint, Geisel greeted troopers when they arrived at the scene and provided them with his Coast Guard identification instead of his drivers license. Troopers said while talking to him they could smell alcohol. It was also noted that he was walking around with an iced tea bottle that contained liquid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illegal immigrant found in Pennsylvania after two previous deportations, DOJ announced Troopers said they spoke with first responders at the scene and were told that Geisel maintained distance from everyone. According to the charges, a firefighter managed to speak with Geisel and when asked about smelling alcohol, they told troopers It was real bad. One first responder allegedly told police he didnt get close enough to Geisel to smell alcohol but said he wouldnt be surprised as Geisel was carrying around the bottle of iced tea. According to the complaint, Geisel got quiet when asked how much he may have had to drink. The affidavit shows that Geisels blood alcohol was .208%. It was noted that further blood test results showed there were no drugs in his system, just caffeine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to troopers, two others involved in the crash were diagnosed with concussions and had back pain. Geisel was arraigned and released on $30,000 unsecured bail. Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices. A recent U.S. Coast Guard registry shows Geisel is currently a Chief Warrant Officer. Its unclear if these charges will affect his position. A response from the U.S. Coast Guard was not immediately 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 WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Prince Harry has just won an unprecedented case in the battle for his privacy. After launching three lawsuits against newspaper groups in 2019 for illegally obtaining information about his life, the princes suit against Rupert Murdochs News Group Newspapers (the publisher of The Sun) was settled early this morning, when the newspaper published a full and unequivocal apology to the royal. Eugene Gologursky - Getty Images As noted by People, this is the first time the publisher has ever openly admitted to wrongdoings committed by its subsidiary. They even called out the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators who were hired by the now-defunct News of the World to pry into Harrys life, deeming it to be unlawful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with the apology, the publisher promised to pay substantial damages to settle the lawsuit, in a statement that read: We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. Of course, this isnt the first time a royal family member has been the victim of unethical journalistic tactics, as Harrys mother, Princess Diana, was often subject to it as well. The late princess was even called out by name in the publishers statement, which said: NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. For quite some time now, the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Duchess Meghan, have been battling tabloids that committed nefarious invasions of privacy. Back in 2021, Meghan won a lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, after the outlet shared a private letter she had written to her father. Then, in early 2024, Harry settled his case against the Mirror Group, after it was found that the publisher had hired private investigators to hack into the royals phone for over a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report from People, it is believed that Harry will receive damages from NGN in the form of an eight-figure sum. You Might Also Like By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. military will send 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the border with Mexico, the White House said on Wednesday, just two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on immigration. The additional troops include 500 Marines, as well as Army helicopter crews and intelligence analysts. They will join 2,200 active duty troops and thousands of National Guard that were on the border prior to Trump's inauguration this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his first term, Republican Trump ordered 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico. Democratic former President Joe Biden deployed active-duty troops to the border as well. "This comes off of (Trump's) day one action... to direct the Department of Defense to make homeland security a core mission of the agency," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters. A separate official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there had been informal discussions about sending as many as 10,000 troops over time. But, officials cautioned, a final figure had not been determined and troop numbers would depend on several factors, including impact on military readiness and what the Department for Homeland Security requests. Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said the U.S. military would help provide flights for Department of Homeland Security-led deportations of more than 5,000 immigrants held by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "DHS will provide in-flight law enforcement and the State Department will obtain the requisite diplomatic clearances," Salesses said. A U.S. official, briefing Pentagon reporters on condition of anonymity, said the additional 1,500 troops heading to the border were not seen having law enforcement responsibilities. Trump in his first day in office declared illegal immigration a national emergency, tasking the U.S. military with aiding border security, issuing a broad ban on asylum, and taking steps to restrict citizenship for children born on American soil. His Jan. 20 executive order instructed the Pentagon to send as many troops as necessary to obtain "complete operational control of the southern border of the United States." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Within 90 days, the heads of the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security will need to recommend whether additional actions, including invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807, might be necessary," it said. The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the U.S. president to deploy the military to suppress domestic insurrection and has been used in the past to quell civil unrest. Trump recaptured the White House after promising to intensify border security and deport record numbers of migrants. He criticized Biden for high levels of illegal immigration, although the number of migrants caught crossing illegally had already begun to fall dramatically after Biden toughened his policies last year and Mexico stepped up enforcement. The Coast Guard, which is tasked with maritime security and law enforcement, on Tuesday said it would "immediately surge" forces and ships to a number of areas, including the southeast border near Florida, to "deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and/or Cuba." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said another key area was the maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the "Gulf of America." Trump has said he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) UCLA has hired a 27-year LAPD veteran and top commanding officer to lead its eight-month-old Office of Campus Safety created in the wake of a violent melee last spring at a pro-Palestinian encampment, which was among the university's darkest chapters. LAPD Cmdr. Steve Lurie, who previously oversaw the department's West Bureau, will begin his role as an associate vice chancellor on Feb. 1. He will replace Rick Braziel, the former Sacramento police chief who was hired in May by then-Chancellor Gene Block to be the university's chief safety official in a new role that included responsibility for the UCLA Police Department, Office of Emergency Management and other safety initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In announcing Lurie's appointment Friday, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said that Lurie's "track record combined with his leadership experience, firsthand knowledge of our campus and academic insights as an adjunct professor of law make him uniquely qualified to lead UCLAs efforts to strengthen and connect our campus safety initiative." "He will take a community-informed, collaborative approach to campus safety that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of those who call UCLA home," said Frenk, who began his role this month. "Our goal is to ensure that our policies and practices are not only effective but also equitable, respecting the safety, rights and well-being of all Bruins." Lurie received an undergraduate anthropology degree from UCLA in 1994 and is a professor of criminal justice at USC. As a detective, he worked on domestic violence, robberies, sex crimes and homicides. He has also worked in the unit that investigates officer-involved shootings and was a liaison for the department to L.A's Jewish community. "I am honored and excited to return to my alma mater in this new role," Lurie said in an interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As a proud alum, I recognize the impact my UCLA education has had on my professional and personal development... I look forward to spending my first 100 days on campus listening and learning more about the Bruin communitys safety concerns, as a 'safe' university is defined by much more than the absence of crime." LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell praised Lurie, saying the department would "miss Steves talents and dedication at the LAPD. But we are happy that if he has to leave he will continue to be a great partner at UCLA." Read more: Two major reports slam UCLA over policing, violence at pro-Palestinian protest Lurie will take over a campus safety operation that has been widely criticized since the spring, when a badly coordinated response between UCLA Police, LAPD, California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies led to an hours-long delay as a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment overnight on April 30 and May 1. An LAPD Police Commission report as well as a report from a Republican-led House education committee in the fall cited the failed coordination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A November report from an outside policing firm hired by the University of California, 21st Century Policing Solutions, reached similar conclusions. Because no codified plans existed, UCLA administrators engaged in a chaotic process in which they needed to make difficult decisions ... in the midst of ongoing disruption, without clarity on who maintained final decision-making authority, lacking a commonly understood process for reaching decisions, and largely lacking the ability to react quickly to fast-changing events and dynamic circumstances on campus, that report said. In his LAPD role, Lurie was closely involved in the response to the campus protests. The LAPD Commission report cites Lurie several times, saying he was notified as early as 5 a.m. April 25 by then-UCLA Police Chief John Thomas that UCLA "may need some assistance as the day progresses" while tents went up on Royce Quad. Reports and public records show that Lurie was also part of the LAPD response later in the week, including being informed that UCLA police were overwhelmed by counterprotesters on the night of April 30 although there was a lag between those reports and requests for mutual police aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In creating the new campus safety office last year, UCLA sought to better coordinate campus safety to prevent similar future incidents. Upon taking up his role, Braziel reassigned Thomas, who left the department in December. It is unclear whether Thomas was fired or resigned. Read more: UCLA criticized for 'chaotic' response to protest melee in UC independent review Braziel also faced criticism as the university opened the fall quarter with an increased presence of security workers that made some students, faculty and staff concerned, as well as new, widespread restrictions on unpermitted protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Braziel, who stayed in Sacramento and never moved to Los Angeles, was paid $52,000 a month. Lurie's salary was not immediately disclosed by UCLA. Times staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Nobody expected anything special when the squadron of Navy F/A-18 fighter jets headed out for routine aerial maneuvers off of the coast of Virginia Beach one day in 2013. The F/A-18s, a Naval workhorse, owned the local air space that daybut only until they didnt. All at once, the jets radar picked up a cluster of half a dozen objects flying along with them, moving erraticallyand entirely acrobatically. At some moments they ripped along side-to-side at speeds exceeding 350 knotsor 402 mph. Then, suddenly, they would stand utterly still in winds that themselves were moving at 150 knots (172 mph)gusts that had the jets struggling to maintain position. Then the objects would accelerate again. They had no visible exhaust, no discernible means of propulsion, and indeed looked nothing like any aircraft in the nations civilian or military arsenal. Measuring five to 15 ft. across, they were a dark gray or black cube inside a clear sphere, former Navy Lieutenant Ryan Graves, who was aloft that day, tells TIME. We almost hit one of the objects; they came within 50 ft. of the lead aircraft, and that's really when we knew we were dealing with something a bit abnormal here. There's no aircraft in our inventory I'm aware of that has the ability to operate at very low speeds, or no speeds, and then accelerate and operate like a fighter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That wasnt the last time the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)the genteel, modern-day term for Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO)harrassed the Navy. We saw them in Virginia Beach between 2013 and 2015, says Graves. Later, when we executed training operations aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., they were either already down there or they had followed us down, because we had over a dozen incidents, two of which were recorded [by the Navy] and released by The New York Times in 2017. Those videos, known popularly as the Gimbal, after the objects pinwheeling motion, are just part of the eyewitness visuals featured in the new PBS NOVA documentary What Are UFOs? premiering on PBS stations on Jan. 22. And Graves is just one of the many people who have borne witness to them who offers his accounts. The documentary traces the arc of UFOs and UAPs in American skies, from June 24, 1947, when aviator and businessman Kenneth Arnold reported the first widely publicized sightings of flying saucers, to the present, when accounts of UAPs have exploded, with 801 reported to the military since 2023 alone. Within the Pentagons $65 billion black budget of classified expenditures, an estimated $22 million has reportedly been spent on its Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, which investigates UAPs. Even before that contemporary program, the U.S. military was keenly interested in the provenance of UFOs and UAPs, as the NOVA film documents. From 1947 to 1969, the Air Force ran a secretthough since declassifiedprogram dubbed Project Blue Book, which investigated 12,618 sightings of flying objects. Of these, 701 remain unidentified. Some of the earliest reports, from 1947 to 1949, were sightings of military assets that were part of the Department of Defenses Project Mogul, under which the Air Force lofted high altitude balloons carrying sensitive microphones designed to pick up sonic signatures of Soviet nuclear tests. The initial rumors of extraterrestrial doings at Roswell, N.M. stemmed from a local rancher collecting debris from a balloon that descended on his land. In the 21st century there is a lot more airborne traffic giving rise to a lot more potential false UAP alarms. More than 1,800 weather balloons are launched worldwide everyday, according to the NOVA documentary, and the Federal Aviation Administration reports that over one million registered drones are in private hands in the U.S. Plenty of what is reputed to be aliens likely has a perfectly banal terrestrial explanation. But sightings like the gimbal are a lot harder to explain awaya point proven by another UAP incident known colloquially as the Tic Tac. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2004, the U.S.S. Nimitz Carrier strike group off the coast of southern California picked up repeated radar reflections of flying objects that would rapidly appear and disappear from tracking screens. During those intervals when they were visible, they would fly in a looping, diving, and skittering path, rapidly dropping from 80,000 ft. to 20,000 ft. and hovering there. Finally, Naval pilot David Fravor and others were sent aloft to investigate and found their quarrya 45-ft. long flying machine that for all the world resembled in both color and shape a Tic Tac breath mint. All four of us looked down and saw a Tic Tac object with a longitudinal axis pointed north-south and moving very abruptly over the water, like a ping pong ball, said Fravor in 2023 testimony before Congress. There were no rotors, no rotor wash, or any sign of visible control surfaces like wings. The object suddenly shifted its longitudinal axis, aligned it with my aircraft and began to climb. As we pulled nose onto the object within about a half mile of it, it rapidly accelerated and disappeared. Video of the encounter was released by the Navy which has never offered a theory as to what it was. Like the Tic Tac and the Gimbal, the hundreds of other unexplained UAPs continue to flummox experts. Graves is now executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace, a nonprofit that collects sightings of UAPs with an eye toward helping to shape the public conversation around unidentified objects and deconflict airspace. He does not pretend to know what the bogeys arebut hes pretty sure what theyre not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I don't think that we're seeing an adversary demonstrating capability beyond our state of the art during these relatively low reward, high risk operations, he says. To be able to take these technologies that we're not aware exist and to put them basically directly over our homeland, in a position to be captured and reverse engineeredI don't see that. I don't see that logic. Equally unlikely is that the craft are highly classified domestic technology that much of the military has not been tipped off about. These were airborne assets that were exhibiting capabilities beyond our state of the art, Graves says. And what I mean by state of the art is technology that would take greater than 10 years for the U.S. to develop, if they started now. That leaves non-earthly origins and Graves, for one, does not speculate on that score. I don't think we have the proper definitions to go down that road, he says, without having a better way of defining how we would determine whether something is truly from another star system[whether] these objects are using magical physics that we don't understand. The NOVA film does offer other explanations. Conspiracy debunker Mick West, author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole, theorizes that its not the object in the gimbal video thats doing the moving but the camera that captured the image, creating merely the illusion of motionthough that doesnt explain what the object, which would be stationary in this case, actually is. In anotherinfraredvideo in which the object appears to disappear and reappear, West suggests that the camera might be capturing the image of a bird that reached thermal equilibrium with the background temperature and thus simply seemed to vanish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filmmakers leave viewers with pretty much as many questions as they greet them withwhich fairly matches the state of the UAP art. With up to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way and an estimated 200 billion galaxies in the universe, there are uncounted trillions of planets that could host a highly technological civilization. Whether one of those civilizations would send any of their flying machines to our lonely worldand why theyd botheris impossible to say. But the sightings keep comingeven if the answers remain elusive. Write to Jeffrey Kluger at jeffrey.kluger@time.com. LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said it monitored a Russian spy ship in the English Channel in recent days and would strengthen its response to secret operations by Russian ships and aircraft in an effort to protect undersea cables. Defence minister John Healey said Yantar, a Russian spy vessel used for intelligence and mapping critical infrastructure on the sea floor, entered British waters on Monday and the Royal Navy tracked it for two days until it entered Dutch waters. Russia's embassy in London did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worries over the potential sabotage of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been growing after a string of outages in the Baltic Sea following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "We will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain," Healey said on Wednesday. "We are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near UK or NATO territory." Britain decided to send maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to help NATO's efforts to protect cables in the Baltic Sea, Healey announced, adding that it would also deploy an advanced AI system to help safeguard undersea infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Healey said Yantar had already been caught in British waters in November when it loitered over cables. He told parliament that given Yantar's activities he had changed the rules of engagement in order to allow Royal Navy ships to get closer and better track it, and he had also authorised the surfacing of a Royal Navy submarine close to Yantar as a deterrent measure. (Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by William James) Russia launched nearly 100 strike drones on Ukraine on the night of 21-22 January. Air defence forces shot down 65 of them, while 30 failed to reach their target. Source: Ukraines Air Force on Facebook Details: Starting at 21:00 on 21 January, the Russians launched 99 strike drones of the Shahed type and various imitator drones from the following directions: Chuda temporarily occupied Crimea, Millerovo, Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of 09:00 on 22 January, air defence confirmed the destruction of 65 Shahed strike drones and other types of UAVs across Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa oblasts. A total of 30 Russian decoy drones disappeared from radar without causing damage. The overnight attack resulted in damage to industrial facilities, utility buildings, houses and apartment buildings in Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Sumy, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. Emergency services are dealing with the aftermath, with no casualties or fatalities reported so far. Support UP or become our patron! PARIS Ukraines Ministry of Defence will provide its combat units with 2.5 billion hryvnia (US$60 million) of direct funding per month to procure their own drones, in a move to allow commanders in the field to buy the equipment they need rather than rely on centralized purchasing. The ministry already provided 2.1 billion hryvia directly to combat units in December for buying drones, and decided to scale up the initiative based on that experience, officials said in a Jan. 22 statement . Allowing troops to buy unmanned aerial vehicles directly allowed for rapid fulfillment of service members needs while increasing diversification, the ministry said. Commanders of the units will have the flexibility to use these funds to acquire the drones that are the most effective for carrying out mission requirements at the front, Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov said in the statement. This marks another step towards building a highly flexible system to ensure the military has everything necessary for Ukraines defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Ukraine, long guns become desperate defenses against small drones Ukraine has been a crucible for drone innovation as it fights off Russias invasion, with troops using unmanned systems for everything from intelligence gathering to strike operations, as decoys or for laying mines. Western militaries are closely studying the new ways UAVs are being used on the Ukrainian battlefield including air-to-air drone combat, use of artificial intelligence, fiber-optic controls, bomber drones and more to see what lessons to apply to their own forces. The funds to buy drones will be distributed among the brigades of the armed forces after Ukraines Cabinet of ministers backed the proposal by the ministry, the MoD said. Drones can be made more profitably in Ukraine than anywhere else in Europe, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier in January . The country raised its drone manufacturing capacity to 4 million units a year, the president said at a defense industry forum in October, compared with production of about 300,000 drones in 2023. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Seeing the face of Ukrainian soldier Maksym Kolesnykov light up with joy over an apple upon his release from Russian captivity last February was enough to bring anyone to tears. During nearly a year in captivity, Kolesnykov lost over 30 kilograms and could not walk freely due to a severe injury in his left leg. Yet the only international organization he should have been able to rely on was never there for him. "Not once did I see a representative of the Red Cross," Kolesnykov, now 47, told the Kyiv Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Kolesnykov, most Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) have never been visited by the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) while in Russian captivity, says Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Upon their release, numerous Ukrainian POWs revealed the horrific conditions they had endured in Russian prisons, facing near starvation, torture, and humiliation. Ukraines Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs said in October that 177 Ukrainian soldiers have "died from torture and inhumane treatment" while in captivity. But international organizations "turn a blind eye," says Lubinets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kolesnykov recalls conditions in the Russian prison improving only slightly during an internal inspection by the Russian Prosecutor Generals Office. He believes that if the ICRC had been present, it might have prompted the prison staff to treat POWs better. "I think their (the ICRC) appearance could have changed something for us. Maybe some conventions would have been followed, or the (prisoners') physical state would have been documented," says Kolesnykov. "Any oversight in such a criminal situation would be good." With the start of the Russian full-scale war, Ukraine seems to have lost faith in major international bodies like the ICRC and the United Nations (U.N.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once seen as pillars of global humanitarian aid, both organizations have been widely criticized by Kyiv for not doing enough, effectively undermining their authority and the very concept of international institutions as a cornerstone of the West. Read also: In photos: Grinding war in Donetsk Oblast through the lens of photojournalist-turned-soldier Failure after failure The relationship between Ukrainian officials and civic society, and international organizations has deteriorated since the start of the full-scale war. Myroslava Kharchenko, a lawyer with the NGO Save Ukraine, recalls asking the Ukrainian branch of the ICRC for a vehicle to evacuate children from Russian-occupied Kyiv Oblast early in the war, hoping its emblem would deter Russian attacks. According to Kharchenko, the ICRC refused, citing mandate limitations and also declined to provide body armor for volunteers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We didn't ask them to go there personally, to risk their lives; we were going to do it ourselves, but they refused," Kharchenko says. President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the ICRC for similar cases at the time, saying that it "says a lot" about the organization. As the war went on, the criticism escalated: Ukraine denounced both the U.N. and the ICRC for insufficient or delayed humanitarian responses, including when Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, resulting in a major flood in the south of Ukraine. "They are not there," Zelensky told the Bild media outlet at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just a few hours after Russian forces destroyed the dam in Kherson Oblast, causing a humanitarian and ecological disaster, the U.N. posted on X to mark its annual Russian Language Day. "Russian commanders will have given the order to blow up the Kakhovka Dam in Russian (language). What a day at the U.N. to celebrate the Russian Language!" Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in response. Russian commanders will have given the order to blow up the Kakhovka Dam in Russian. What a day at the UN to celebrate Russian language! @UnitedNationsRU tweets about cultural diversity, ignoring the biggest catastrophe in Europe in decades caused solely by Russia. Why be silent? https://t.co/8z5PIyfs8P Oleh Nikolenko (@OlehNikolenko_) June 6, 2023 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That has once again prompted a discussion in Ukrainian society about whether Russia's place in various U.N. bodies and the U.N.'s lenient attitude toward Russia should be reconsidered. Zelensky has called for the U.N. Security Council to strip Russia of its veto power multiple times: "All the U.N. actions either by the Security Council or the General Assembly that could have stopped this aggression are shattered by the privilege granted by this seat to the aggressor." "Veto power in the hands of the aggressor is what has pushed the U.N. into a dead end," Zelensky said at the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 20, 2023. "Veto power in the hands of the aggressor is what has pushed the U.N. into a dead end." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last fall, the heads of both the ICRC and the U.N. faced backlash in Ukraine again. In September, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric met with the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, who, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their involvement in the forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children. In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, in Moscow, Russia on May 31, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) In her social media post, Lvova-Belova even thanked the ICRC for its support in "reuniting the families" since the start of the full-scale war. According to the Ukrainian national database, Russia has deported over 19,500 Ukrainian children from occupied territories since Feb. 24, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia has deported over 19,500 Ukrainian children from occupied territories since Feb. 24, 2022. Although it's not part of the ICRC's mandate to "counter" the deportation of children, supporting it is "the height of cynicism," Kharchenko says. On Oct. 24 United Nations Day which marks the anniversary of the day in 1945 when the U.N. Charter entered into force the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took part in the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, despite facing sharp criticism. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) during their bilateral meeting at the BRICS Leaders' Summit in Kazan, Tatarstan Republic, Russia, on Oct. 24, 2024. (Contributor / Getty Images) He also met Putin there, with a photograph of their handshake blasted by Ukrainians, as well as several Western officials on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before that, Guterres had declined Ukraine's invitation to the first global peace summit in Switzerland, held last summer. In response, Zelensky also reportedly rejected Guterres' visit to Ukraine. "Although even some of its functionaries prefer the temptations in Kazan to the content of the U.N. Charter, our world is built in such a way that the rights of nations and the norms of international law matter and will matter," Zelensky said on Oct. 24, alluding to Guterres' actions. Read also: What Trumps 90-day pause on US foreign development assistance means for Ukraine Access to Ukrainian POWs The treatment of Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity remains one of the most pressing issues for Ukrainian society. Multiple reports have revealed torture, inhumane conditions, and executions of POWs in captivity, while Ukraine also indicates minimal access to its POWs by the ICRC. Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of POWs, says there are "many things that the ICRC is currently unable to monitor within Russia." While the ICRC claims to have paid over 3,000 visits to POWs on both sides, it never specifies how many of them were to see Ukrainian POWs in Russia, Yatsenko says, adding the number is "extremely low." "This is a form of manipulation directed at both Ukrainian and international society," he says. "We demand the ICRC recognize that they can not effectively carry out their mandate within Russia or in the detention facilities set up in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine," Yatsenko says. According to the Ombudsman's office, Russia "fundamentally ignores" the mandates set by international humanitarian law for the ICRC and U.N. bodies, especially regarding the treatment of Ukrainian POWs and civilians in captivity. "Despite having the authority, the ICRC and U.N. structures continue to demonstrate 'concern and a neutral approach,' which in practice equates to inertia, despite numerous calls from the Ukrainian side to intensify their activities," the Ombudsman's office said in a comment for the Kyiv Independent. "Despite having the authority, the ICRC and U.N. structures continue to demonstrate 'concern and a neutral approach,' which in practice equates to inertia." "It encourages Russia to disregard basic international norms," it added. On Nov. 20, Ukraine presented the Moscow Convention campaign aimed at exposing Russia's systemic violations of the Geneva Conventions as well as drawing attention to the ICRC and the U.N.s neutral stance. Based on testimonies from former POWs and their families, the printed "Moscow Conventions" replicate the structure of the original Geneva Conventions but highlight the vastly different "standards" practiced by Russia, such as electric shock torture, physical and psychological abuse, sexual violence, and murder. "Russians treat the Geneva Conventions as mere scraps of paper, something they can blatantly ignore and dismiss," Lubinets said during the presentation. "Russians treat the Geneva Conventions as mere scraps of paper, something they can blatantly ignore and dismiss." "Meanwhile, the ICRC has spent this entire time burying its head in the sand not befitting for a professional organization that should be upholding its mandate with dignity, he added. Patrick Griffiths, the spokesperson for the ICRC delegation in Ukraine, says their neutrality is a tool that "works best" for them when it comes to reaching POWs on both sides. "Every decision that we make about what we say or don't say, what we do or what we don't do in this armed conflict, the first thought we have is, will it help the people that our mandate is to help?" Griffiths says. "And it's not in their interests for us to say something that risks losing the humanitarian access that we have limited though it already is, we acknowledge that," he says. Although the ICRC wants to be able to visit every POW, it is the "obligation of the state" which holds them to grant access, which they can not enforce, Griffiths says. Yatsenko, however, dismissed Griffiths arguments, calling them "excuses" that offer "no constructive solution." "If we had seen a significant number of changes during these two and a half years of Russian aggression, and if these excuses influenced changes in access for the ICRC to places of detention, then it would be justified. But we do not see such changes," he says. "Something needs to be changed here." Are changes possible? Even if Ukraine says a million times that it's not happy with the ICRC's work "it will not change anything," says Mikhail Savva, a legal expert from the Center for Civil Liberties, a Ukrainian human rights organization. According to Savva, the biggest issue is that the 1949 Geneva Conventions do not provide any sanction tools; hence, they do not give the ICRC any "enforcement mechanisms." "It is necessary to raise the issue that the Red Cross (ICRC), and not only it but Ukraine as a state, should have tools to compel any aggressor country to comply with the norms of international humanitarian law," Savva says. Developing and signing an "additional protocol" to the Geneva Conventions is necessary for that, Savva says, adding that it should have the "same authority as the conventions and should take into account the three years of wartime experience." A protester holds a placard expressing her opinion during a demonstration in Lviv, Ukraine, on July 31, 2022. (Pavlo Palamarchuk / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images) Yet he says it would be impossible without the will of state parties to the Geneva Conventions, the same as removing Russia from the U.N. Security Council. Oleksandr Pavlichenko, the Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, believes that currently "there is neither a legal means nor political will" to strip Russia of its status in the Security Council. "It would set a precedent for stripping a permanent member of the Security Council of that status. I believe other members, like the U.S., would not want to set such a precedent, as it could later lead to questions about potentially losing their own status, for example." Savva agrees, saying that "under current legal conditions, this is practically impossible." "It would mean dismantling the U.N. and creating other organizations. But would that impact the global situation?" he says, adding: "Russia would still have nuclear weapons and remain free from any restrictions altogether." A Ukrainian serviceman reacts after being released from Russian captivity at an undisclosed location near the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, on Sept. 13, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Anatolii Stepanov / AFP via Getty Images) Read also: Massive Russian hack on Ukrainian database shows cracks in digitalization drive Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine will not agree to any compromise involving the recognition of occupied territories as part of Russia, even under pressure from all allies. Source: Zelenskyy during a meeting with members of the International Media Council Details: Zelenskyy emphasised that the occupied territories would always remain Ukrainian until they are returned to state control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "No matter what anyone wants, even if all the allies in the world unite, we will never recognise the occupied territories [as part of Russia]. This is impossible. We will not legally recognise them. For us, they will always remain occupied territories until we liberate them." Details: Zelenskyy stressed that dialogue with Russia should only occur from a position of strength, as any attempt to treat the aggressor as an equal would signify defeat for Ukraine. Quote: "Putin cannot be treated as legitimate in this situation. He has violated everything. He must understand his transgression. But he cannot be stopped and if approached as an equal that would be a loss for Ukraine." Details: Zelenskyy also highlighted that ending the active phase of the war is the country's top priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "We must find all possible ways to end the hot phase of the war. This is the number one issue. There can be many talks, but the main goal is to stop the active phase. This is the first guarantee of security." Background: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that achieving peace is a priority for President Donald Trump's administration, but that the process will be challenging and require significant concessions from both sides. US President Donald Trump urged Russian leader Vladimir Putin to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, emphasising that the ongoing war is causing significant economic and human losses for Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine would not end "tomorrow or the day after", despite promises by US President Donald Trump to bring it to a quick conclusion. Support UP or become our patron! Permits issued by the German government for the export of arms and military equipment have reached a new record in 2024, according to figures made available to dpa. Last year, the German government approved exports of weapons and military equipment worth a record 13.33 billion ($13.8 billion), the Economy Ministry said. The information is based on a response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by a lawmaker from the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The record can largely be attributed to exports to Ukraine, with 8.15 billion approved for Kiev. This was followed by Singapore with 1.21 billion, Algeria with 558.7 million, the US with 319.9 million, and Turkey with 230.8 million. German armaments deliveries to Turkey, a NATO member, have been controversial in recent years due to concerns about human rights conditions in Turkey and some of the Turkish government's international actions. The information request came from Sevim Dagdelen, who sits in the Bundestag for the upstart BSW party. The party, which split from the far-left The Left party last year, is led by Sahra Wagenknecht, who has characterized its political ideology as "left conservatism." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its coalition talks at the end of 2021, the ruling centre-left coalition agreed to restrict arms exports and to introduce legislation to this end, but the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a radical policy shift. Dagdelen expressed sharp criticism of the continuing rise, saying the government was fuelling conflicts around the world. Ukraines Defence Ministry has officially codified and authorised the use of the Poseidon reconnaissance UAV in units of the Ukrainian defence forces. Source: Ukraine's Defence Ministry Quote: "This system is designed to perform a variety of specialised missions. The system's aerial elements are equipped with electric engines and advanced navigation technology. It operates effectively in temperatures ranging from -20C to +45C, including during strong winds." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The ministry said that the UAVs battery charge lasts for several hours of continuous operation. Poseidon can reach significant altitudes, allowing it to stay out of the effective range of most enemy weapons. Background: In December, Ukraine's Defence Ministry codified and authorised the supply of a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called Shchedryk, which can monitor Russian activity both day and night. The ministry also codified the robotic platform Ravlyk (Snail), authorising its use by Ukrainian forces. Read more: Blinding the Russians' eyes in the skies: how the Ukrainian army mastered the art of downing Russian spy drones Support UP or become our patron! U.S. President Donald Trump's foreign aid pause may hinder Ukraine's ability to rebuild energy facilities damaged by Russian attacks, Politico reported on Jan. 21, citing Ukrainian officials. Trump issued an executive order imposing a 90-day freeze on all U.S. foreign development assistance on Jan. 20, his first day in office. The order appears to target programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The aid freeze could affect Ukraine's ability to rebuild damaged energy infrastructure, conduct demining operations, and fund civil society programs, according to Maksym Samoiliuk, an economist at the Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The question is how exactly this decree will be implemented and whether the previous Biden administration was preparing for such a development and did not transfer funds in advance, for example," Samoliuk told Politico. U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat, also slammed Trump for issuing the order in winter amid Ukraine's ongoing energy crisis. "Does that mean that we will abandon Ukraine in the middle of winter? Because USAID has been providing critical funding for the rebuilding of their electric grid every time Russia attacks it," Coons said. Russia continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, ramping up attacks in the winter months. In December 2024, Russia carried out one of its largest assaults on Ukraine's electric grid, launching 90 missiles and 200 drones against the country's thermal power plants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While a pause on USAID funding could put some projects in Ukraine at risk, other types of aid have already been secured under former U.S. President Joe Biden, officials said. Trump's freeze does not apply to weapons or the $20 million in loans backed by frozen Russian asset revenues that the U.S. allocated for Ukraine last fall. "In terms of budget funding, we're secured," Roksolana Pidlasa, chair of the Verkhovna Rada's budget committee, told Politico. "Biden's administration transferred all the funds under the ERA initiative to the World Bank." Read also: A team of attention-seekers Ukrainians react to Trumps Inauguration speech Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is preparing a significant expansion of digital consular services for Ukrainians abroad in 2025. Source: MFA press service; Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; European Pravda reports Details: Sybiha noted that the e-Consul system should be fully operational this year, which will simplify access to consular services. In particular, it is planned to launch automated notarial services in all Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from MFA: "This means that in e-Consul, you will be able to choose the type of power of attorney or application you need, add information if necessary, and have a document ready for signing when you visit the consul. It saves time and effort." Details: New features for the most popular services will also be launched in the system within six months. Sybiha said that the experience of receiving public services for Ukrainians abroad would be similar in terms of simplicity and accessibility to the experience of using Diia. [Diia is a mobile app, a web portal and a brand of e-governance in Ukraine ed.] In February, several countries will introduce courier delivery of passports in cooperation with Nova Poshta, which means that applicants will only need to visit a diplomatic mission once to take biometrics. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to begin granting driving licences abroad in the spring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the second half of 2025, a comprehensive service for registering a child's birth abroad should be launched, including state registration of birth, acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship by birth, registration in the State Register of Individuals Taxpayers, and registration of the child in the Unified State Demographic Registry. The Minister emphasised that Ukrainian diplomatic missions should be able to issue tax numbers and ID cards (Ukrainian passports) at the same time frame. Background: In December, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a document that further simplifies consular services for Ukrainian citizens abroad. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraines ascension to NATO ultimately rests on U.S. President Donald Trumps will, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22. "Everything depends on the United States. If Trump is ready to see Ukraine in NATO, we will be in NATO, everyone will be in favor. If President Trump is not ready to see us in NATO, we will not be in NATO," Zelensky told journalists. Zelensky also named four countries Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and the United States that currently do not want Ukraine to join the military alliance. Politico reported last year that other countries, such as Belgium, Slovenia, or Spain, are also in opposition, even though they are less vocal about their stance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is little evidence that the new Trump administration would be more open to accepting Ukraine into NATO than former U.S. President Joe Biden. Trump even attacked Biden over alleged support for Kyiv's aspirations, claiming it provoked Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine did not obtain any definitive commitments from Western partners on its NATO membership ahead of the full-scale invasion and, as of 2025, has yet to receive a membership invitation. A report by The Wall Street Journal has previously suggested that Trumps team was exploring a plan to delay Ukraines NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for Western arms supplies and European peacekeepers to monitor a potential ceasefire with Russia. Moscow has already rejected the proposal, with Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly seeking a permanent ban on Ukraine's entry into the alliance in expected talks with Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyiv submitted its application to join in September 2022, and in July 2024, the alliance affirmed Ukraine's "irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership." Read also: Ukraine hopes Washington will support Kyivs NATO bid after elections, as opposition in Europe persists Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Join our exclusive KI Insights Monthly Briefing to gain critical perspectives on the highly anticipated Ukrainian elections (whenever they occur). We will analyze key potential players, what to expect from their platforms, and reflect on broader implications for the country's future. Whether you are following Ukrainian politics closely or seeking deeper insights, this session promises to be informative and thought-provoking. Event Details: Topic: Ukraine's Next Election: Political Forces to Watch in 2025 Presenter: Jakub Parusinski, Director of KI Insights Date: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 Time: 16:00 Kyiv time (EET) Format: Online Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes What to Expect: Delve into Ukraine's domestic political trends and discuss in a closed-door setting. How to Register: To secure your spot, please register by completing the form linked below: Register here Once registered, you will receive the access link via email. Don't miss the briefing; add it to your calendar: For Google Calendar, click here. For Outlook Calendar, click here. Questions? If you need any assistance or have questions, please contact us at insights@kyivindependent.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KI Insights Visit KI Insights to learn more and subscribe to the insider weekly newsletter visit ki insights About KI Insights: KI Insights, backed by The Kyiv Independent, provides an in-depth analysis of Ukraine's political and business environment. Our briefings offer essential insights for analysts, decision-makers, and organizations overseeing investments or operations in Ukraine. Please note that a KI Insights subscription is separate from a Kyiv Independent membership and provides more detailed, expert-level analysis. For more information about our work and to subscribe, visit KI Insights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: The Week Ahead: Key Developments Impacting Global Politics & Markets Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's tax service is looking to collect taxes on Ukrainians' income made on the the subscription-based site OnlyFans, widely known for being an adult content platform, despite pornography being illegal in the country. After the country's tax service sent out requests to Ukrainian citizens who earn money on the platform, 451 people sent in declarations totaling Hr 326.1 million ($7.76 million) for the period of 2020-2022, Ekonomichna Pravda reported on Jan. 22, citing information requested from the country's tax service. Ukraine's tax authorities said it had requested data from the U.K.'s tax service on Ukrainian earnings on OnlyFans for the period from 2020-2022, Ekonomichna Pravda reported. OnlyFans is owned by the British company Fenix International Limited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine's tax service refused to disclose how many Ukrainian citizens were earning money on OnlyFans, but said it had sent out 4,429 requests to Ukrainians to declare their income from the site. Only 451 people, or 10% of those contacted, filed declarations. These filings revealed a total tax liability of Hr 63.2 million ($1.5 million) in personal income and military taxes. It is unclear what type of content those who responded to the request for declaration are creating on OnlyFans. Although OnlyFans is known for adult content, it hosts a variety of materials, including fitness tutorials, cooking lessons, and behind-the-scenes content from artists. Ukraine's tax service also told Ekonomichna Pravda that it had received a court order to pass along information on Ukrainians earning money on the site to a law enforcement agency, without specifying which one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The media outlet reported a day earlier that Ukraine's Bureau of Economic Security was provided the names of Ukrainians earning income on the platform, and had begun carrying out searches of models and bringing charges against them under Article 301 of the criminal code that deals with the production of pornography. Kyiv has looked to increasing tax revenues as a means to bolster its wartime budget amid Russia's ongoing war. But as pornography and adult content, which makes up a lot of the activity on OnlyFans, remains illegal in Ukraine, its users have largely avoided declaring income from the site out of fear of legal repercussions. Ukraine's strict anti-pornography laws have created complications for creators. The legal framework prohibits the production and distribution of pornography, with broad interpretations leading to prosecutions even for consensual sharing of intimate images. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "OnlyFans already pays taxes in Ukraine. But for 'Ukrainian actors,' even if they want to pay taxes, it is impossible. It would be an admission of guilt," Opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said late last year. OnlyFans as a company pays taxes in Ukraine through the country's taxes on electronic services. Efforts to change the laws surrounding pornography are underway. A bill to decriminalize pornography was registered in late 2024 for the second time in recent years and gained support from the Verkhovna Rada's specialized law enforcement committee in December. Zhelezniak, who has supported amending the laws around pornography in Ukraine, said late last year that there are more than 5,000 people in the country currently making money through OnlyFans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Zelensky touts Ukraines potential in meeting with global investors at Davos forum Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Warning: Footage includes violent and graphic content. Soldiers of the 8th Regiment of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces resisted a North Korean assault in Russias Kursk Oblast for eight hours before retreating, killing 21 and wounding 40 soldiers, the unit said on Jan. 22. The statement comes as Russia ramps up efforts to push out Ukrainian troops entrenched in the western Russian region, deploying its North Korean allies in ground assaults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a video shared by the Special Operations Forces, a large assault group of purportedly North Korean soldiers is seen crossing an open field and forest, followed by close combat footage with only dozens of meters between the two sides. In the end, graphic footage shows killed soldiers claimed to be North Koreans. "At the ninth hour of the battle, the Special Operations Forces had only a third of their ammunition left. They spent the rest on destroying (North Korean forces)," the Telegram post read. 0:00 / 1 The Ukrainian fighters held off the assault with small arms, grenade launchers, and snipers. Eventually, the Ukrainian troops retreated in two Humvees, the post read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Korea deployed around 12,000 soldiers in Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion in August 2024 to bring the war to Russian territory. They have suffered 4,000 casualties, both wounded and killed, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed earlier in January 2025. In exchange for the troop transfer, Russia is paying over $2,000 for each North Korean soldier, though officials said it is unclear how much is allocated to individual soldiers and the Pyongyang government. Read also: Theyve overcome the shock North Korean soldiers adapting to war in Russias Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Operatives from Ukraines Special Operations Forces have killed 21 and wounded 40 North Korean soldiers who were advancing on Ukrainian positions in Russias Kursk Oblast. Source: press service of Ukraines Special Operations Forces (SOF) Details: The operatives from the 8th SOF Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, alongside friendly infantry troops, used small arms and grenade launchers to repel an assault of North Korean soldiers fighting on the side of Russia which lasted for over eight hours. Snipers also participated in the operation. Only a third of the SOF groups ammunition was left by the ninth hour of the battle. The rest had been used to fight off the North Korean forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The operatives made the decision to exfiltrate (a military tactic for quickly withdrawing a group from the battlefield to a safe location). It was reported that the Ukrainian fighters successfully left in two Humvees. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraines Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications is working with the government to create depositories to preserve cultural artefacts. Source: Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, on the Karpiak on Suspilne project, as reported by Suspilne Kultura (Culture) Details: The plan involves building dual-purpose storage facilities that can house artworks and museum exhibits while also accommodating people. Two such facilities have already been approved, and construction is expected to begin soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The locations of these depositories are not being disclosed for security reasons. This issue will also be on the agenda at the "Cultural Ramstein" meeting with ministers from other countries, as Ukraine has an acute shortage of such facilities. Conversations about exhibiting evacuated artefacts are underway with international partners. Background: The idea of shelters for cultural treasures was first announced by Rostyslav Karandieiev, Tochytskyis predecessor and acting minister, in the summer of 2024. Karandieiev said the ministry had been negotiating funding for construction with Japan, Poland and Sweden. Support UP or become our patron! The Ukrainian defence forces successfully pushed back the Russian troops near the settlements of Shevchenko and Udachne on the night of 21-22 January. At the same time, the DeepState analytical project reports that Russian troops advanced near other settlements in Donetsk Oblast. Source: DeepState Details: According to DeepState, the Russians continue to advance in Donetsk Oblast. Quote: "The enemy has advanced in Velyka Novosilka, near Vozdvyzhenka, Slovianka and Sribne." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: Russian troops are trying to capture Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast. They are trying to block the road from Zelene Pole and capture the settlement without fighting in the urban part of Velyka Novosilka. The Russian army is bypassing Pokrovsk from the south and approaching Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Currently, the Russians are moving towards Kotlyne and Udachne, which are located on the Mezhova-Pokrovsk road. Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, said that near Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, the Russians, who have superior forces and resources, are conducting active offensive actions and want to capture nearby villages in order to partially encircle Pokrovsk. Serhii Dobriak, Head of Pokrovsk City Military Administration, reported that Russian troops had intensified attacks on the city. According to Dobriak, Russian troops are less than three kilometres from the town. Fierce fighting continues in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast. The Russians are using scorched earth tactics, trying to destroy the city's infrastructure and the positions of the Ukrainian military. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian paratroopers said a North Korean soldier they captured ran into a pillar to knock himself out. They said they found him alone on the battlefield with a grenade, a knife, and some food. Their prisoner closely resembles one of the two North Koreans Ukraine said it captured. Ukrainian paratroopers in Kursk said they captured a North Korean soldier who tried so hard to evade capture that he intentionally ran into a concrete pillar to knock himself out. Three members of the 95th Separate Air Assault Polissia Brigade spoke of the encounter in a video published on Tuesday, describing how one of their drones found a lone North Korean on the battlefield after an assault had ended. The clip was published by the brigade's press service on its YouTube, Facebook, and Telegram accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The paratroopers said they enveloped the North Korean with guidance from drone operators and found that he didn't respond to commands in Ukrainian, Russian, or English. "With gestures, we showed him what to do," one of the paratroopers said. The soldier was carrying a grenade, a knife, and a sausage, the paratroopers said. They said the North Korean was also visibly wounded, with his jaw bandaged and one of his hands appearing to be injured. One paratrooper said the injured soldier appeared calm at first but grew agitated when he saw a vehicle coming to pick him up. "When we brought him near the road, suddenly he ran headfirst into a concrete pillar at full speed. He hit it very hard and probably passed out," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the paratrooper also suspects it might have been a ploy by the North Korean soldier, because the latter fell backward, not forward, as one might expect when a charging person faints. "I think he was faking it, trying to get us close so he could grab a weapon and attack us," he said. The paratroopers said they eventually hauled the North Korean into a vehicle and took him away from the front lines, after which he received food and watched romance films upon request. An older paratrooper said in the video that the North Koreans' tactics appeared to mimic Russia's Soviet-era fighting, with frontal assaults where "they try to crush simply with massive numbers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he added that while Russian forces in Kursk tend to attack in groups of two or three, the North Koreans would conduct assaults with groups of at least six. The paratroopers said that Pyongyang's forces would fight to the end if cornered, adding that their brigade reported instances where wounded North Koreans blew themselves up to avoid capture. "They are not in a mood to surrender," one of the paratroopers said. The man they captured appears to be one of two North Korean soldiers whom Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced had been seized from the battlefield in early January. One of the North Korean soldiers presented by Zelenskyy closely resembles the man seen in the video posted by the paratroopers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Social Media / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images One was captured by Ukraine's special forces, while the other was found by the Polissia brigade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The paratroopers posted a clip of their prisoner on January 11, which they referenced when recounting the events of his capture in their Tuesday video. Another North Korean soldier, separate from the pair shown by Zelenskyy, was captured in December, but South Korea's intelligence service said he died of his injuries shortly after. Western and South Korean intelligence estimate that 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia, where they've been deployed to fight a Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region. Their presence in the war is a significant sign of Pyongyang and Moscow strengthening an economic and military partnership spurred by Russia's isolation since the war began. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is believed to have received food, financial assistance, and Russian expertise in space and weapons technologies in return for his troops and guns. Meanwhile, the West fears that North Korean troops are gaining valuable combat experience from fighting in Russia. A captured North Korean soldier's documents obtained by The Washington Post discusses guidance related to the six-man frontal assaults the paratroopers spoke of. "In modern warfare, where real-time reconnaissance and drone strikes are conducted, failing to disperse combat teams into smaller units of two to three members could lead to significant casualties from enemy drones and artillery," one document read, per The Post. Read the original article on Business Insider DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) -Iran must make a first step towards improving relations with countries in the region and the United States by making it clear it does not aim to develop nuclear weapons, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday. He also said he hoped all parties in Gaza would realise they would benefit from a permanent truce that could open the path to negotiations over a two-state solution and urged countries to ease sanctions on Syria. "The most relevant question is Iran and relations between Iran, Israel and the United States," Guterres said as he discussed the situation in the Middle East at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Here my hope is that the Iranians understand that it is important to once and for all make it clear that they will renounce to have nuclear weapons, at the same time that they engage constructively with the other countries of the region." The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, touched on the same theme in Davos, saying Iran is "pressing the gas pedal" on its enrichment of uranium to near weapons grade. Iran has always said its programme is entirely peaceful and it has the right to enrich uranium to any level it wants. Reflecting on the situation in Gaza, Guterres said the ceasefire there had so far been successful in allowing in aid to the enclave, but had a warning over any further future action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is a possibility of Israel feeling emboldened by the military successes to think that this is the moment to do the annexation of the West Bank and to keep Gaza in a kind of a limbo situation," he said. "That would be a total violation of international law ... and would mean there will never be peace in the Middle East." SYRIA SANCTIONS Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not articulated a vision for Gaza's postwar future beyond insisting the Islamist group Hamas can play no role and stating that the Palestinian Authority which partially administers the occupied West Bank - also cannot be trusted under its current leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli security forces raided the volatile West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday in what Netanyahu called a "large-scale and significant military operation". Hamas called on Palestinians in the territory to escalate fighting against Israel. The U.N. chief said he was more optimistic about Lebanon, where he believed the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was holding. Guterres called on countries to ease their sanctions on Syria, to help the country transform after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, while saying the new government still has to prove it will represent all minorities. "We still have a strong risk of fragmentation and of extremism in at least parts of the Syrian territory," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is in the interest of us all to engage to make things move in the direction of an inclusive form of governance and I think some gesture must be made in relation to the sanctions." (Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Alison Williams) BANGKOK (Reuters) - United Nations human rights experts have urged Thailand not to send 48 Uyghurs in its custody back to China, warning they are at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned. Human rights groups and some Thai lawmakers have raised concerns in the past week that the transfer to China of the Uyghurs, who have been held in immigration detention for more than a decade, was imminent. The government has said it has no such plans. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of surveillance and forced labour in camps. Beijing denies any abuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "These persons should not be returned to China," said U.N. Human Rights Special Rapporteurs in a statement on Tuesday on the 48 Uyghurs. "Instead, they must be provided with access to asylum procedures and other humanitarian assistance," the experts said, adding half of the group had serious health conditions. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said last week there was no immediate plan to deport the Uyghurs to China, while national police chief Kittirat Panpetch said on Monday there had been no government order on their deportation. Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said last week the agency was assured by Thai authorities they would not be transferred to China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's embassy in Thailand did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Incoming U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his confirmation hearing last week he will use his country's strong relationship with Thailand to prevent the Uyghurs from being sent back. DECADE DETAINED The detainees were part of a group of 300 Uyghurs who fled China and were arrested in Thailand in 2014. Thailand deported more than 100 Uyghurs to China in July 2015, sparking international condemnation and fear they could face torture following their return. Their fate is unknown. More than 170 others, mostly women and children, were sent to Turkey in June 2015, leaving more than 50 Uyghurs in Thai detention. At least five of those have since died, according to human rights groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese authorities at the time said many Uyghurs who fled to Turkey via Southeast Asia planned to bring jihad back to China, saying some were involved in "terrorism activities". Over the years, hundreds, possibly thousands, of Uyghurs have escaped Xinjiang by travelling clandestinely via Southeast Asia to Turkey. Diplomats and security analysts said Thailand's 2015 deportation of Uyghurs to China led to a deadly bomb attack a month later at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people in what was the worst attack of its kind on Thai soil. Thai authorities concluded that attack was linked to its crackdown on a human trafficking ring, without specifically linking the group to the Uyghurs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two ethnic Uyghur men were arrested, and charged with murder and illegal possession of explosives and their trial, which has been delayed repeatedly, is ongoing. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Martin Petty and Raju Gopalakrishnan) International pressure is mounting on Thailand including from the new US administration over the fate of dozens of Uyghur men held in detention for more than a decade, following reports the Thai government planned to deport the group to China. United Nations experts on Tuesday urged Thailand to immediately halt the possible transfer, warning the men were at real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment if they are returned. Concerns for the 48 men, who have been detained in Bangkok since 2014, are growing after a Uyghur activist shared a voice note from one of the detainees, who said the men had been on hunger strike since January 10 in a desperate protest against deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arslan Hidayat, an activist working with Justice for Alls Save Uyghur campaign, told CNN he understands the men remained on hunger strike as of Wednesday. We are still on hunger strike, still in a dangerous position since weve been on hunger strike we are not feeling so well, the detainee said in a voice note to Hidayat. The detainee said they wish to be sent to a third country and live in peace with their families. The 48 men were arrested by Thai authorities 11 years ago after crossing the border to Thailand in an attempt to escape persecution in China. They were part of a larger group of about 350 people detained at the time, some of whom were minors, according to previous reports from UN experts, rights groups, and Uyghur campaigners. Five Uyghur detainees, including a newborn and a 3-year-old, have died in detention, the reports said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human rights groups and campaigners say that in the years since, the men have been held in life-threatening conditions without access to lawyers, family members or UN representatives. Human Rights Watch said the men were living in squalid conditions with poor hygiene and inadequate medical care. We are informed that 23 of the 48 individuals suffer from serious health conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction, paralysis of the lower body, skin diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, and heart and lung conditions, the eight UN experts said Tuesday. They include the UN special rapporteurs on torture and on migrants human rights, and other independent human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. It is essential they be provided with the necessary and appropriate medical care, the UN experts added. Fears the 48 would be imminently transferred to Chinese custody arose on January 8 when Thai authorities reportedly gave the detainees voluntary return documents to sign, according to the Save Uyghur campaign. Detainees told the group their photos were taken, and reported an increase in threats of deportation from officials in the immigration detention center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thai officials have denied plans to deport the Uyghurs, according to local media. CNN has reached out to Thai police and the countrys defense minister for comment. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday: The matter involves judicial cooperation between two sovereign states. UN experts should abide by the principle of the UN charter and refrain from interfering with the judicial sovereignty of the member states rather than making irresponsible remarks, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing. Long persecuted minority The predominately Muslim Uyghurs are a distinct ethnic minority from Xinjiang, a massive, nominally autonomous region in the far west of China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinas repression of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang has been labeled genocide by the US and other countries, with widespread and credible reports of arbitrary detention, mass surveillance, forced labor and restrictions on movement allegations China vehemently denies. A landmark 2022 report from the UNs high commissioner for human rights said China had committed serious human rights violations against the Uyghurs, documenting what it described as arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominately Muslim groups. At the time, more than 1 million Uyghur and other Muslim minority peoples were estimated to be held in extrajudicial camps for re-education and indoctrination. Descriptions of detentions were marked by patterns of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the UN report found. China has fiercely denied committing rights violations. It has previously said it established such centers to counter extremism in the region, and has since said the facilities were closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A letter from the 48 detainees dated January 10 said: We urgently appeal to all international organizations and countries concerned with human rights to intervene immediately to save us from this tragic fate before it is too late. Human Rights Watch said they face risks of enforced disappearance, long-term imprisonment, torture, and other severe mistreatment, if they are forcibly repatriated. Pressure on Thailand Among the prominent voices adding pressure on Thailand was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told his Senate confirmation hearing ahead of being sworn in Tuesday that he would lobby Bangkok against deporting the Uyghur men. Thailand is actually a very strong US partner, strong historical ally as well, Rubio said. That is an area where I think diplomacy could really achieve results because of how important that relationship (is) and how close it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, wrote a letter to Thailands Ambassador to the US last week expressing his alarm over the reports and urged the government to release the men to a third country. The UN experts also called on Thailand, which is a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to respect its obligations under international law. The prohibition on refoulement prohibits the return or transfer in any manner whatsoever to a country where there is real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, they said. The Southeast Asian kingdom is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not recognize the concept of asylum. Thailand has a history of pushing refugees back across its borders and of deporting dissidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2015, Thailand deported 100 Uyghurs to China, sparking international outcry. The fate and whereabouts of those returned are unknown, UN experts said last year. In the same move, more than 170 Uyghur women and children were voluntarily transferred to Turkey. Many families were separated, including those of the men still in detention in Thailand. We call for a prompt, effective investigation, and assessment of all the circumstances of the arrest and continued deprivation of liberty of this group of persons, the UN experts said Tuesday. CNNs Kocha Olarn contributed to this report from Bangkok, Thailand. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A utility vehicle crash killed two 12-year-old children and injured another in Morgan County. Just after 5 p.m. Monday, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers responded to Old Buckhead Road and found the victims. On behalf of the Morgan County Sheriffs Office, I extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these two young men. This is a heartbreaking incident that has shaken our small community. Our hearts go out to their loved ones as they navigate this unimaginable loss, Morgan County Sheriff Tyler Hooks said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, and we will provide support to them in any way we can, he added. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] GSP said the children were traveling on a Polaris UTV when they hit the front of a lowboy trailer that was parked on a private drive. Both the driver and front seat passenger were killed. The other child sitting in the rear passenger seat survived. Officials said the children were not related. Counselors were present at Morgan County Middle School on Tuesday to support grieving students and staff. There are no words that can ease the sorrow and sadness we feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these exceptional young men, Morgan County Charter Schools wrote in a statement. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A major winter storm slammed the US Gulf Coast Tuesday, blanketing parts of a region largely unaccustomed to extreme winter weather with record-breaking snowfall. The storm impacted 1,500 miles of the Deep South from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Atlantic coast of the Carolinas, causing widespread closures and travel disruptions, including stranded motorists and thousands of canceled flights. The storm, along with the brutal cold that helped cause it, is blamed for at least 11 deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The snowfall that dazzled Southerners unaccustomed to significant accumulation is over, but the cold is sticking around and keeping slippery conditions in place. Many cities are begging residents to avoid driving as the sun melts snow that then refreezes, increasing the danger on roadways. A beach walker heads to the ocean on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, Wednesday after a winter storm dropped ice and snow. - Mic Smith/AP In New Orleans, which saw record snowfall and frigid temperatures, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Wednesday the city is focusing on response and recovery. The city has been through challenging situations before, Cantrell said. Through the dedication and tireless efforts of our people, we will get through this history snow event. City crews in New Orleans are working to clear bridges and roads while warning residents should still shelter in place. Snowfall records broken Multiple locations in Florida recorded enough snow to preliminarily shatter the states all-time snowfall record of 4 inches set in 1954. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than a foot of snow fell in Louisiana, the high mark from the storm. New Orleans shattered its modern all-time daily snowfall record on Tuesday, receiving 8 inches of snow, far surpassing the previous record of 2.7 inches. The city has recorded more snowfall this month than Anchorage, Alaska, which has seen nearly two inches in January. The Big Easy typically sees measurable snow only about once per decade. Other Southern cities also broke long-standing snowfall records: Mobile, Alabama, reported 7.5 inches, exceeding the previous 3.6-inch record from 1973. Pensacola, Florida, recorded 7.6 inches, surpassing its 2.3-inch record from 1954. Milton, Florida, recorded the most snow in Florida: a preliminary total of 10 inches The Mobile Civic Center roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow Wednesday morning. The collapse occurred in a manner consistent with the plans for the buildings ongoing demolition, the city said in a social media post. No one was injured. Deadly conditions Nationwide, at least 11 deaths have been reported due to the severe cold affecting large parts of the country and the winter storm. On Tuesday, at least five people died in a vehicle accident caused by icy conditions in Zavala County, Texas, Sheriff Eusevio Salinas told CNN. Four of the victims were ejected from their vehicle as it wrecked on a bridge. Wednesday morning, a woman was also killed when a minivan she was in collided with a tractor-trailer on US Highway 57 east of La Pryor, Texas, Salinas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 27-year-old woman died in Ozark, Alabama, after her car slid on a snow-covered highway Tuesday and hit a pickup truck head-on after crossing the center line, according to the Dale County Coroners Office and Ozark Police Department. Authorities are also investigating two deaths in Austin as potentially cold-related, though the medical examiners office has not confirmed the causes. In Georgia, officials reported one hypothermia-related death, noting the individual had been outside the previous night. People walk as snow falls in New Orleans Tuesday. - Gerald Herbert/AP While the wintry storm has had a visceral impact on the Gulf region, below-freezing temperatures are also affecting much of the US. An 80-year-old man in Milwaukee is suspected to have died from hypothermia after falling outdoors early Sunday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office. Below-freezing weather helped law enforcement in Oklahoma catch a fugitive. A man accused of slamming a vehicle into a Pottawatomie County Sheriffs deputys cruiser during a pursuit and then leading authorities on a foot chase was caught less than three hours later, according to the sheriffs office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chase ended after the suspect entered a strangers home and asked them to call the sheriff because he had decided it was too cold to stay on the run, the sheriffs office told CNN affiliate KOCO. As temperatures plunged below freezing this week, the plight of those experiencing homelessness became increasingly dire. In San Antonio, Mariah Pena and Daniel Vertiz felt the weight of this reality when Pena found a woman seeking refuge in their dog kennel on the porch Sunday, CNN affiliate KSAT reported. Startled yet desperate, the woman explained that she had nowhere else to turn. Though the couple hesitated to invite a stranger into their home, they felt an imperative to help, thinking that even a makeshift shelter would offer respite from the life-threatening cold. Who knows what could have happened if she were left out on the streets? Vertiz told the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were about 1,300 people using warming shelters in Houston Wednesday morning, Mary Benton with the Houston mayors office told CNN. The two largest centers were filled, but Houston Mayor John Whitmire said no one was turned away. Theres no such thing in weather like this as reaching capacity, Whitmire said Wednesday. Two warming centers in New Orleans quickly reached capacity on Wednesday causing the city to open a third. Mobile Crisis Units and the health department are working to transport people to the newly opened center, a city spokesperson said. Airport disruptions Airports in Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida closed Tuesday due to unprecedented snowfall. Issues from the closures rippled into Wednesday. More than 1,800 flights have been canceled nationwide as of Wednesday afternoon, primarily affecting routes to and from Texas and Louisiana along with Atlanta, the nations busiest airport, according to FlightAware. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Mississippi, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport closed its terminal and runway until conditions improved. Jacksonville International Airport reopened at noon on Wednesday, while Tallahassee International, Mobile Regional and Mobile International Airports will remain closed until midday Thursday, due to ongoing weather conditions, Wednesday updates said. Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana also remained shut down due to icy conditions. All departing flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were canceled Wednesday, but flights resumed at both of Houstons major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby. Widespread road closures With cold weather conditions across the region this week, roads could remain hazardous as snow melts and refreezes. In Louisiana, Interstate 10 from the Louisiana/Texas state line to Baton Rouge a roughly 150-mile stretch was closed in both directions due to deteriorating road conditions Wednesday, according to the state Department of Transportation and Development. Nearly 30 state roadways were closed as of Tuesday, including the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway the nations longest bridge over water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To help treat roads, New Orleans has hired 14 snow plows from an Indiana-based company, Collin Arnold, the city director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, told reporters Tuesday. The initial focus will be on clearing critical routes, while crews will tackle main thoroughfares, he said. A car drives on a snowy road in Tallahassee, Florida. - Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images Meanwhile, roads in Alabamas Escambia, Mobile and Baldwin counties were deemed impassable and closed due to the storms impact, officials said. Nineteen counties in Mississippi were still reporting ice on roads and bridges Wednesday morning, with black ice remaining a significant threat, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said on social media. Until the sun warms us up enough to thaw things down today, please only drive if its an emergency! The Georgia State Patrol responded to more than 100 vehicle crashes in a 14-hour period, the Department of Public Safety said. Metro-Atlantas DeKalb County declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning after hundreds of 911 calls and over 100 vehicles became stranded on icy roadways, with many obstructing emergency response efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a highly unusual winter weather event impacting nearly three-quarters of the state and our crews cannot be everywhere at once, Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said. Georgia DOT will need time, ability to access the roads to treat or plow, and warmer temperatures working in our favor to help restore and maintain passable conditions. CNN Meteorologists Mary Gilbert and Brandon Miller and CNNs Alexandra Skores, Lauren Mascarenhas, Jamiel Lynch, Karina Tsui and Dakin Andone contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON (AP) US adults want action on the border but split on mass deportations and largely oppose arrests in schools: AP-NORC poll. The US Air Force just got its first F-15 fighter aircraft upgraded with new technology. The technology is designed to improve the electronic warfare capabilities of the decades-old jets. The Air Force hailed the development as a milestone as it looks to modernize its fourth-gen planes. The US Air Force just received its first F-15 fighter jets upgraded with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, a significant milestone for the decades-old aircraft. The Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing said on Tuesday that two F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft equipped with the new system arrived last week at RAF Lakenheath, a British base that hosts American forces, including newer F-35A fighters. One of the upgraded jets was assigned to the 494th fighter squadron, while the other went to the 492nd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new upgrade, known as the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System, or EPAWSS, is designed to autonomously detect and identify threats to the aircraft and then take measures to disrupt them in self-defense. The technology is intended to improve the F-15's radar warning and geolocation, among other features, giving the pilot more situational awareness when flying in highly contested environments. An F-15E assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron takes off at RAF Lakenheath. US Air Force photo by Airman Madeline Herzog Lt. Col. Timothy Causey, the 494th commander, said that "having EPAWSS operational at RAF Lakenheath significantly enhances our ability to detect and counter threats, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of our crews." He said that "this advanced electronic warfare system, when combined with the F-35s, acts as a powerful force multiplier, transforming our operations and amplifying the 48th Fighter Wing's impact in the battlespace." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US Air Force had been looking at ways to improve the capabilities of its F-15s, a fourth-generation fighter first introduced in the late 1980s and made by US defense contractor McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing. F-15E fighter-bombers play an important role in US air capabilities. Jets from RAF Lakenheath were deployed to the Middle East last year as part of efforts to boost the US military's presence in the region amid tensions between Israel and Iran. British aerospace company BAE Systems, which makes the technology, said last year after it completed operational testing that EPAWSS would allow aircraft to penetrate deeper into areas that are protected by modern air defenses. An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron flies above Scotland. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Cooper "We're using agile software development to provide iterative upgrades to fielded EW systems allowing our customers to defeat future electromagnetic threats," Amy Nesbitt, the EPAWSS program manager at BAE, said in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement EPAWSS is standard equipment on the new F-15EX Eagle II fighters, but not the older aircraft. Around 100 older F-15E variants will receive upgrades. The Air Force earlier this month cleared the system for full-rate production under a contract worth nearly $616 million. In its Tuesday statement, the 48th Fighter Wing hailed the delivery of the two upgraded F-15s as "a major milestone in the Air Force's ongoing efforts to modernize its fourth-generation fleet." "By equipping these aircraft with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, the 48th FW is ensuring their readiness for operations in austere environments and supporting NATO's missions across Europe and the Pacific," the fighter wing added. Read the original article on Business Insider ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Five men from the Carolinas, including a US Army employee stationed at Fort Liberty, are charged with trying to solicit children as young as five for sexual acts, according to the Rowan County Sheriffs Office (RCSO). Officials say these arrests are just part of the yearlong Operation Blue Light: Oscar Adrian Osorio, 43, of Fayetteville, N.C. Osorio is a full-time employee with the U.S. Army and is stationed at Fort Liberty and is charged solicitation of a child by computer and dissemination of obscene material to a minor. The Armys Criminal Investigation Division helped RCSO deputies arrest Osorio. He is being held on a $20,00 secured bond at the Rowan County Jail. Christopher Anthony Carras, 60, of Kernersville, N.C. Carras was arrested at his home when RCSO deputies and Winston-Salem Police carried out a search warrant, officials say. He is charged with solicitation of a child by computer and being held at the Rowan County Jail under a $400,000 secured bond. Edgar Jack Malcom, 70, of Newberry, S.C. Officials say Malcom went to a Salisbury home where he thought he was going to sexually assault a child. However, Malcom was met at the home by RCSO deputies and arrested. He is charged with solicitation of a child by computer and is being held on a $150,00 secured bond. Eric Lukjanczuk, 42, of Lewisville, N.C. Lukjanczuk is charged with solicitation of a child by computer and dissemination of obscene material to a minor. He is under a $20,000 secured bond. Lewis Babbidge, 56, of Indian Land, S.C. Babbidge was arrested at his home by RCSO deputies and the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office. He is charged with solicitation of a child by computer. On Jan. 14, he was extradited to N.C. and is currently being held at the Rowan County Jail under a $25,000 secured bond. A Yearlong Investigation Officers reportedly talked with these men through text messages, social media and phone calls. Officials say the men thought they were talking with children between 5 and 14 years old. Through the investigation, authorities say they have gained information on real children who were actually being abused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was Phase 3, the final phase, Operation Blue Light which started in Oct. 2023 to learn more about human trafficking. Phase 3 in Dec. 2024 was focused on the online solicitation of children. A private home was used as a fake home for the undercover officers posing as children or parents of vulnerable children, but only Malcom showed up. Around 20 suspects committed crimes but were not able to be identified and arrested. Officials say one of the five arrested asked an undercover officer, posing as the parent to a 5-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, if he could abuse the two children in exchange for the officer being able to abuse his two children. The other four arrested believed they were speaking with children. Officials say they still preyed on who they thought was a child and are being held accountable for it. Arrest made after missing 16-year-old girl rescued from Charlotte-based prostitution operation: Rowan County Sheriff Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phase 1 in Oct. 2023 involved an undercover officer posing in Salisbury as a sex worker. As a result, 15 men were charged. Phase 2 in March 2024 involved undercover officers requesting sex workers to come to a Salisbury hotel. In total, 9 men and woman were identified. Deputies say that most were impacted by drug addiction or poverty and were not able to find other employment. Notably, a 16-year-old girl was sent to do sex work by 33-year-old Kadeem Williams, who was controlling the money she was making. He has since pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution of a minor and has been sentenced to at least 7.4 years in prison. The total operation was about 3,000 hours of work. RCSO is thanking the many law enforcement partners and community members who helped them in this investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Queen City News. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A recent settlement between the federal government and the ACLU of Oregon has closed one of the many lawsuits filed on behalf of protesters after the 2020 racial justice protests in downtown Portland. The lawsuit claimed that protesters, journalists, and medics were beaten, shot, and abducted by federal law enforcement who were sent to Portland by the Trump administration during his first term in office. Oregon, Washington attorneys general challenge Trumps birthright citizenship order Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the lawsuit, the use of federal force was a violation of the U.S. Constitutions right to peacefully protest. It also claimed that the chemical weapons used on protesters have been banned in international warfare because of their severe and indiscriminate impact on human life and health. It shocked the conscience that this level of force was used against veterans, moms, and other nonviolent protesters, ACLU client and veteran Nichol Denison said. The way our own government treated us violated everything we learned in the military. Years later, in exchange for the lawsuits dismissal, the U.S. Government will need to compensate those who filed the claim for injuries sustained by federal law enforcement. They suffered serious injuries because of federal law enforcements unlawful, aggressive actions, and it is just and fair that they are being compensated, ACLU Legal Director Kelly Simon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump says Portland is where they kill people in speech on Inauguration Day The settlement comes more than four years after President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of federal border patrol agents and other law enforcement in Portland as well as other U.S. cities that experienced similar protests in 2020. This settlement gives local leaders the opportunity to lead by refusing to participate in violence against the people they represent, and by rejecting the federal governments assault on our constitutional rights if federal law enforcement is deployed against us again, client Mark Pettibone said. 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 KOIN.com. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 21 that he would likely impose additional sanctions against Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. "Sounds likely," Trump said responding to a question from a reporter on whether he would impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin fails to come to the negotiating table. Trump comments on the issue come as Trump administration officials are reportedly developing a comprehensive sanctions strategy aimed at facilitating a diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump team is reportedly weighing two primary approaches. The first set of policy recommendations suggests that, if a resolution to the war appears possible, the administration should focus on good-faith measures to benefit sanctioned Russian oil producers that could help seal a peace deal. The second option would involve expanding sanctions to exert maximum pressure, increasing leverage over Moscow. Trump has repeatedly vowed to quickly negotiate the end of the war. Although a detailed plan has not yet been proposed, the deal that would likely require the presence of European peacekeepers. Trump, who has previously stressed he needs to consult with Russian President Vladimir Putin first, is working to actively arrange a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden administration and the U.K. recently imposed their most extensive sanctions yet on Russia's oil sector, targeting nearly 200 vessels in the "shadow fleet," key oil companies, and related entities. These measures, announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Jan. 10, have already impacted the global oil market, pushing Brent crude prices up by nearly $5 per barrel. The G7 nations are also considering tightening the existing $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 19. Read also: Trump advisers draft sanctions plan to pressure Moscow toward peace, Bloomberg reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Thousands of additional active duty US troops are being ordered to the southern US border with Mexico, just two days after President Donald Trump mandated that the US military step up its presence there, according to officials familiar with the matter. There are already roughly 2,200 active duty forces at the border as part of Joint Task Force-North, US Northern Commands border mission based out of El Paso, Texas. They help support US Customs and Border Protections work there, performing mostly logistical and bureaucratic tasks like data entry, detection and monitoring, and vehicle maintenance. It is not yet clear which specific units are being ordered to the border, but an initial wave will include around 1,500 troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First operations for them should commence within the next 24-48 hours, theyre moving right now, as we sit here, a senior military official told reporters on Wednesday. Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses said he directed the Defense Department to begin augmenting its forces at the southwest border with 1,500 ground personnel as well as helicopters with associated crews, and intelligence analysts to support increased detection and monitoring efforts. Salesses also confirmed CNNs earlier reporting that US Transportation Command had been instructed to prepare to use US military assets, including military aircraft, for migrant repatriation flights. The senior military official said four total aircraft two C-17s and two C-130s are being sent to San Diego and El Paso to support repatriation flights. The air crews for those aircraft are not included in the 1,500 ground troops being sent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [T]he Department will provide military airlift to support DHS deportation flights of more than five thousand illegal aliens from the San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, sectors detained by Customs and Border Protection, Salesses said in a statement. DHS will provide inflight law enforcement, and the State Department will obtain the requisite diplomatic clearances and provide host-nation notification. This is just the beginning, Salesses added. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed the number to reporters at the White House on Wednesday. President Trump signed an executive order - 1500 additional troops to United States southern border. This comes off of his day-one actionto direct the Department of Defense to make homeland security a core mission of the agency, Leavitt said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration asked the military earlier this week to be prepared to deploy up to 10,000 active duty troops immediately, setting off a scramble inside the Pentagon, one of the officials and another person familiar with the matter told CNN. Military officials have pushed back on that because they believe that sending so many troops to the border at once could pull them away from other mission requirements elsewhere in the world and strain resources, the first official said. Even more active duty troops are expected to be deployed to the border in the coming weeks and months, one of the officials said, with this first wave laying the groundwork for a larger military footprint. A senior defense official denied on Wednesday that the 10,000 number had been floated, though the senior military official said 10,000 could be the number but we dont know, its kind of too early to tell as were in the planning process with our interagency partners. The senior military official also said that the initial 1,500 were chosen because it would not have an impact on other mission or deployment requirements, and as the department looks at potentially deploying more troops, well make that judgement regarding potential risk to other operations or troop readiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats really a big part of our job, is to look at what is risk to mission, risk to force, over the set of global priorities, the military official said. The initial wave of 1,500 troops includes 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton and the 1st Marine Division in San Diego, according to another defense official. The Marines are expected to arrive at the border imminently and will be prepared for all contingency operations, acting as both a rapid response force and a long-term solution. Weve been told to treat this like a national emergency because its been declared a national emergency, the official said. Dont be surprised if you see Marines being dropped off by helicopters. The number of Marines deployed as part of the border mission could ultimately climb to 2,500, the official said. The senior military official said the Marines had been on call to support the response to the California wildfires but had been released from that mission as they were no longer needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The senior military official said the 1,500 also includes roughly 1,000 Army personnel including a battalion headquarters. Those personnel will largely be military police, another Pentagon official told CNN, who are coming from a patchwork of Army installations in the US, to include Forts Bliss, Riley, Cavazos, Stewart, Carson, and Campbell. Already at the border are UH-72 Lakota helicopters that have been supporting Customs and Border Protection; the senior military official said they flew their first missions on Wednesday. There is also a National Guard contingent at the border called Operation Lonestar, headed by the Texas National Guard. There are roughly 4,500 National Guardsmen currently assigned to the mission, according to the Texas Military Department. The additional active duty troops being sent to the border this week will be doing much of the same, the officials said, and are expected to feed into and augment Joint Task Force-North. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They will be helping to maintain operational readiness for Border Patrol, assisting in command-and-control centers, and providing more intelligence specialists to assess threats and migrant flows, according to sources familiar with the planning. The troops are also expected to augment air assets and help with air operations. It is not clear whether the troops will be armed. But none of the active duty troops are authorized to perform any kind of law enforcement role, like perform arrests or seize drugs, or engage with migrants other than to help transport them to and around different migrant facilities. A law that dates back more than a century known as posse comitatus bars active-duty US troops from domestic law enforcement without authorization. Other laws and regulations have further clarified that troops cant participate in activities such as making arrests and conducting searches, according to a Congressional Research Service analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump did say in an executive order Monday, however, that he will decide within 90 days whether to invoke the Insurrection Act at the US-Mexico border, which would allow him to use active duty troops domestically for law enforcement. Federal resources along the US southern border have been stretched thin for years amid an influx of migrants. The number of migrants crossing the southern border has dropped recentlythere are between 1,100 to 1,300 migrants illegally crossing the border daily, according to a Homeland Security official. But by adding more Pentagon personnel, sources expect Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been assisting along the border, will be able to go back to the interior to focus on arrests of undocumented immigrants already inside the US. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (NewsNation) President Donald Trump insisted Monday that he wants the Panama Canal back under U.S. control, feeding worry in Panama, home to the critical trade route and a country familiar with U.S. military intervention. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino rejected Trumps vow to retake the canal, stating his nation intends to maintain control in the name of the Republic of Panama and its people in a statement Monday. Heres a look at the history of the canal and what it would take for the US to retake it: What is the Panama Canal and when was it built? The Panama Canal is a 51-mile man-made waterway with locks and reservoirs connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, saving ships from a 7,000-mile detour around Cape Horn at South Americas southern tip. It significantly reduces shipping time and costs, especially for time-sensitive or perishable goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The canals construction began in 1880 under Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built Egypts Suez Canal, but failed due to diseases, like Malaria and yellow fever, and harsh conditions, costing over 20,000 lives. After Panama became a Colombian province, the U.S. pushed for control by sending warships and drafting a constitution granting U.S. intervention rights. Panama declared independence in 1903 and soon signed a treaty allowing the U.S. to complete the canal. The U.S. project saw 5,600 worker deaths. Russia warns Trump against seizing Panama Canal Why doesnt the US control the Panama Canal? The Panama Canal opened in 1914, but almost immediately some Panamanians questioned U.S. control, sparking what became known as the generational struggle for sovereignty. In the 1930s, the U.S. renounced its right to intervene in Panama, and by the 1970s, rising costs prompted negotiations to transfer control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Carter administration, in collaboration with Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, negotiated two key treaties: the Permanent Neutrality Treaty and the Panama Canal Treaty. The first granted the U.S. rights to ensure the canals security, while the second set a 1999 deadline for the U.S. to hand over control. Both were signed in 1977 and ratified in 1978, remaining intact even after the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama. While polls in the late 1970s showed roughly half of Americans opposed the transfer, by 1999, public opinion had shifted, with about half supporting it. Why does Trump want to regain control of the Panama Canal? Trump claims the U.S. is being ripped off by Panama over the 1977 canal treaty, which he calls a foolish giveaway. While the neutrality treaty allows U.S. intervention if the canals operation is threatened, it doesnt permit reasserting control. Experts argue theres no legal way to recover the canal without military action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has first full day in office after inauguration However, Trump hasnt said how he might make good on his threat. Panama is also a U.S. partner in stopping illegal immigration from South America perhaps Trumps biggest policy priority. Can Trump order US troops to seize the Panama Canal? Trump has suggested using military force to retake the Panama Canal, but such an action would involve significant complications. The canal spans more than 500 square miles, and Panama has a population of 4.5 million, many of whom might oppose U.S. occupation. According to U.S. Army estimates, counterinsurgency operations would require about 90,000 troops. Additionally, any military action would be highly disruptive to global trade, as the canal handles around 6% of world commerce. It would also draw the U.S. into another land war, which Trump has criticized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Associated Press contributed to this 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 The Hill. By Andrew Chung (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined on Wednesday to revive a Texas woman's civil rights lawsuit against the Houston police officer who fatally shot her son during a traffic stop in a case that could make it easier for plaintiffs to show that police unlawfully used excessive force. The nine justices heard arguments in an appeal by Janice Hughes, whose 24-year-old son Ashtian Barnes was killed in the 2016 incident. Hughes appealed after a lower court dismissed her lawsuit that had accused the officer, Roberto Felix Jr., of violating the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures by using deadly force against her son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the justices seemed to agree that lower courts in the case improperly analyzed the incident by considering only the exact "moment of threat" to the officer, while excluding the officer's actions leading up to the deadly episode. Some justices, however, worried that a ruling along those lines would deter police from doing their jobs. Nathaniel Zelinsky, a lawyer for Hughes, asked the Supreme Court to reject the "moment of threat" doctrine, which he called a "kind of legal amnesia" that "defies common sense." Zelinsky urged the justices instead to require courts to assess the "totality of the circumstances" to determine if an officer's conduct was reasonable. "Given the varied nature of encounters between police officers and citizens across the country ... we've always said reasonableness is a totality of the circumstances," conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch told Zoe Jacoby, a lawyer from the Justice Department who faulted the lower court's decision. Gorsuch noted that a powerful legal defense called qualified immunity is also available to "protect the officers in these cases." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hughes sued the officer and Harris County, seeking monetary damages. Lower courts found that Felix's actions were reasonable, as they considered only the two seconds before the officer fired his first shot, when he was hanging onto the moving vehicle and believed his life was in danger. Felix, a Harris County Constable's Office traffic enforcement officer, pulled Barnes over on April 28, 2016, because the rented Toyota Corolla he was driving on a highway had outstanding toll violations. Barnes searched for his license and proof of insurance, and suggested they might be in the trunk, according to court papers. Felix claimed to smell marijuana, though no evidence of drugs was found in the car, the filings showed. Felix ordered Barnes out of the vehicle, but instead the car began to move forward, according to court papers. Felix stepped on to the driver's door sill and shouted at Barnes not to move, then fired twice, the filings showed. Barnes died at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local officials investigated the shooting but Felix was never charged with a crime. An internal police probe also cleared Felix of any wrongdoing, according to court papers. At the moment Felix used force, "he was clinging to the side of a fleeing suspect's car. And Felix reasonably believed that his life was in imminent danger. That conclusion should end this case," his attorney, Luke McCloud, told the justices on Wednesday. McCloud cautioned against a ruling that would make it harder for police to defend their use of force even if they made a mistake, used bad tactics or had poor planning. Supreme Court precedent, McCloud said, "requires courts to put themselves in the shoes of the officer who used force, not to second-guess every decision the officer made in some of the most stressful circumstances imaginable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh appeared concerned about a ruling favoring Hughes. "You know, officers, if they're held liable for jumping on cars for anything that happens thereafter, are just going to let cars go," Kavanaugh told Jacoby. "An individual officer ... who is risk-averse on being held liable for something is just not going to do it." The lawsuit alleged that the shooting resulted from Felix's dangerous decision "to pull his gun without provocation, then point that gun in Ashtian Barnes' direction, then leaping onto a moving vehicle and firing twice into it without warning, with no clue as to what he was aiming at." The "moment of threat" doctrine is used by courts in several regions of the country, including the Texas federal courts overseen by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where this case was decided - but not in other federal courts, according to lawyers for Hughes. A Supreme Court decision is expected by the end of June. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) A crew of Utah firefighters are sharing a story of hope amid the destruction from the site of the California wildfires. Dozens of firefighters from across the state traveled to Los Angeles last week. Theyre still putting out hot spots and cleaning up properties that homeowners are coming back to for the first time since they were initially evacuated. A California man named Craig was approached by a crew of Salt Lake City firefighters stationed in his Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Sunday. When he asked for help, they delivered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We just happened to be cutting some trees and clearing some brush from a street in our work area assignment when Craig approached us the homeowner who was sifting through some of the remains of his foundation and he asked us if we could assist him in finding some rings, SLC Fire Capt. Scott Winkler said. The team said it was up to the challenge but, given the conditions of the area, it would be a hard task. Most of the homes that did catch fire are a total loss and so there is not a lot to sift through and recover, Winkler said. Craigs house was a total loss and he was pretty overcome, but he was already in the process of thinking about rebuilding and the only thing that he wanted to retrieve today, when visiting his property for the first time, was those rings. Fire Capt. Matt Taylor said hes seen and worked on large fires but has never seen devastation as extensive as the Pacific Palisades fire. He was determined to help Craig. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had already said that he had given up pretty much finding anything else, he said. Craig told the out-of-state firefighters where his bedroom used to be among the mounds of melted-down belongings and piles of ash as fine as sand. Salt Lake City firemen helped a California man recover his wedding and college rings in Pacific Palisades neighborhood after one of the wildfires destroyed his home. | Unified Fire Authority We found a pull knob from his nightstand and then my crew, literally shovel by shovel, did a little bit of an archeological dig, Winkler said. They found a circular object covered in charcoal. We were able to read the inscription and hes like, Yeah, thats my wedding ring, Taylor said. Utah fire engineer Scott Haney said they continued scooping and sifting until they found Craigs college ring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After finding the wedding ring, he was kind of just like, Its OK, dont worry, dont worry, and its like, Weve come this far, Haney said. Winkler said after 20 to 30 minutes of digging, both rings were recovered. It was just like a small victory in a sea of destruction, he said. Just when Craig was ready to walk away, he found the crew who would reunite him with precious belongings. I saw him turn away and get a little emotional, and I think he immediately texted his family and let them know that what he was there for he found, and thanked us four or five times before he left, Winkler said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a social media post, Unified Fire Authority said Craig told them, I was sifting through everything, what I thought would be impossible to find anything, everythings destroyed. I was just getting ready to walk away when the Salt Lake crew came up and said Can we do anything? I said actually, I know exactly where my wedding ring is, my college ring is, maybe you could help me find it. It didnt even take 10 minutes and we found both of them. It was amazing. It means a lot to me. They were super, super, super helpful. I just cant even imagine the shock and the grief, Winkler said. Were here to give to whatever they need, even if its something as simple as a bottle of water. These Utah firefighters may be coming home soon. Theyre expecting to learn more closer to the end of this week. They said they feel the love from Utah. All of our spouses and dependents at home are well taken care of, Winkler said. Its almost overwhelming for us to be out here and know how much support were getting all around. The people of California have been beyond gracious hosts for us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These firemen said it is an honor to be there, lending some support and they know the same would be done for us. Cal Fire is asking us to do things as simple as clearing a sidewalk so an affected homeowner can have access to their property, removing debris and nails and things like that from a driveway, Winkler said. Just something on a human level that you would like to see if you showed up to your property and just wanted to survey it without walking across broken glass. A GOP lawmaker with decades of experience in the energy sector is seeking to establish a nuclear energy coalition to prepare the state for deployment of the next generation technology. Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, is sponsoring HB249 this upcoming session that began Tuesday. Albrecht spent 40 years with Garkane Energy, with 23 of those years as its chief executive officer. His measure would create the Utah Energy Council, establishes parameters for energy development zones and creates the Nuclear Energy Consortium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latter would have members that include a member of the state Senate, the House of Representatives, the director of the Office of Energy Development, as well as the executive directors of the natural resources and environmental quality and the chair of the Public Service Commission. Other members could include a representative of the Idaho Nation Laboratory, the nations premier federal research facility dedicated to nuclear research, universities, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, energy providers, nuclear fuel manufacturing and experts in nuclear safety, waste management and workforce development. Top GOP lawmakers have made energy a top priority for this session and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox unveiled Operation Gigawatt in October that seeks to double the states energy production in a decade. Both Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, and state Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, made clear at a Park City conference hosted by INL and the Atlantic Council that nuclear energy must be part of Utahs future both from an energy benefit but also as an economic development tool. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Frontiers Project meeting was a daylong event hosted by the Idaho National Laboratory, located just a few hours from Salt Lake City. The project is an initiative of the Idaho National Laboratory established in 2021 to foster and support eight states creating economic development plans focused on deployment of advanced nuclear technology. Utah has been identified as 1 of 4 first mover states that have developed strong partnerships with INL to get to that deployment stage. The initiative for first movers also includes other states in the West, such as Idaho and Wyoming. Alaska is on the list as well. Adams, speaking at the conference, said Utah is well positioned to lead the country in deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. He said he is particularly interested in microreacters which are small and can easily be deployed to act as backup baseload power for emergency dispatch centers, the military and hospitals. They would also send energy to the grid and curtail emissions in manufacturing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want some of the first ones in Utah, and I think we can, and they arent big, and we know that, but they can be mass produced in a very controlled environment, and they ought to be able to be permitted as they hit the ground, he said at the conference. I want them in Utah, and I want them next year. So lets get going. Utah has some of the lowest energy prices in the entire nation and I want to keep that going. Deployment of advanced nuclear technologies is not without its struggles and detractors. The costs became too high for the Carbon Free Power Project by the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, which is made up of communities and special districts who sought to have nuclear power as baseload power as regulatory pressure mounts on fossil fuels. The small modular reactor would have been located at the Idaho National Laboratory, with more units installed as needed. Critics such as the Utah Taxpayers Association warned cities about unsustainable electrical rates but UAMPS has said it has not totally abandoned the project if the time comes when it is suitable to pursue. The planned small modular reactor had to wind its way through the laborious regulatory process at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission but was the first in the country to receive a favorable design certification. In Eagle Mountain, planning commissioners voted 3-2 last week to disapprove of an ordinance change on new energy sources, which would have included small modular reactors. On Tuesday, the city council tabled the discussion until after the legislative session. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The 2025 Utah Legislative Session commenced Tuesday morning, and several Utah House representatives are proposing bills related to gender identity and pronoun usage. The legislative session comes one day after President Donald Trump was sworn into office for the second time and signed several executive orders rolling back transgender protections, including one that says the federal government will only recognize two sexes. Several local Republican representatives are taking a similar stance, proposing bills that address pronouns in schools and gender identity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 10 interesting bills to check out ahead of the 2025 Utah Legislative Session Pronouns in schools Rep. Nicholeen Peck (R) is proposing a bill that would prohibit teachers who refuse to use gender-specific language to accommodate another individual from being punished by their employers or the State Board of Education. This comes just weeks after a teacher in Ohio successfully sued the school district for disciplining her after she refused to use transgender students preferred names and pronouns. The Utah bill clarifies that teachers who in good faith or due to personal moral or religious beliefs refer to a student by their biological sex pronouns or birth name cannot be disciplined regardless of school or district policy. University sex-designated housing Rep. Stephanie Gricius (R) has introduced a bill that aims to preserve individual privacy in university student housing by restricting transgender people from living in housing that does not align with their biological sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill comes after Speaker Mike Shultz called out a transgender woman for serving as a dorm mom to female students at Utah State University. The university responded saying it does not have all-female or all-male residence halls, and the housing in question is a co-ed hall. One parent said the transgender student was living in her daughters apartment, but the university did not confirm or deny this claim, saying only that the student worked as a resident assistant. In Shultzs post, he said lawmakers will make it clear during this legislative session that female spaces are for biological females only. For housing that is divided by sex, H.B. 269 would require students to live in housing that aligns with their assigned sex at birth. This only applies if the housing is divided by sex, and exceptions will be made for intersex individuals and people who have undergone sex surgery or amended their birth certificate. Children in state custody H.B. 283 addresses gender identity and children who have been placed in state custody for their protection. These children are usually in state custody due to abuse, neglect, or parental substance abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill outlines that a court may not restrict a parent from reunifying with their child solely because they do not support their childs gender identity or sexual orientation. It also states that authorities cannot withhold information about a childs gender identity or sexual orientation from their parents while they are in protective custody. Authorities will also need permission from the parents of the child to refer to them using pronouns that do not correlate with their biological sex. Gender-affirming surgery for inmates H.B. 252 is proposing a restriction on gender-affirming surgery for inmates. The bill would ban the initiation of hormone treatments and gender-affirming surgeries for transgender inmates. The bill makes an exception for inmates who were born with intersex traits. If passed, Utah inmates would not be allowed gender-affirming medical care, but could receive psychotherapy and mental health care to treat the inmates gender dysphoria and any co-occurring mental health disorder. 2024 Legislative Session Last year, Utah politicians passed a controversial transgender bathroom bill that required transgender people who have not undergone surgery or changed their birth certificate to use public bathrooms that correspond with their birth sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill created a public tip line where Utahns could report government-run entities if their buildings failed to comply with the new law. The tip line was immediately flooded with thousands of fake complaints. John Dougall, the state auditor at the time, was tasked with fielding these complaints and began publicly criticizing the legislature for hastily passing the bill. This piece of the bill looks like its really more about show than substance, Dougall said. And it wouldnt be the first time the legislature did something like that, would it. The legislative session is 45 days long. ABC4 will continue to follow these bills and provide updated information as it becomes available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindsay Aerts contributed to this 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 ABC4 Utah. The Utah Capitol is pictured with downtown Salt Lake City behind it on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The 2025 Utah Legislature is starting off with a bit of tension between Salt Lake City and state leaders on what comes next after state leaders demanded Mayor Erin Mendenhall improve public safety in her city or else the Legislature could step in. While Democrats urged Republican legislative leaders to be collaborative and also remember Salt Lake City cant stand alone on this issue, the governor and top Republican legislative leaders expressed a willingness to partner with Salt Lake City, but were also noncommittal on whether theyll answer all of Mendenhalls requests for stable, ongoing funding for the states homeless system, mental and behavioral health services, and affordable housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled a complex public safety plan. It was her answer to a call from Utahs top Republican leaders Gov. Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz and Senate President Stuart Adams who sent her a letter Dec. 13 expressing frustrations with disorder in Salt Lake City and calling the Salt Lake City Police Department ineffective. Along with promising to crack down on drugs and gun offenses in Utahs capital, Mendenhall also issued a call to action of her own for other cities and state leaders: make system-wide improvements to not just the states homeless network, but also the Salt Lake County jail and the larger criminal justice system. Mendenhall warned that for her plan to succeed, state leaders cant treat it as an a la carte menu, and pick and choose what they like. She said it has to be implemented holistically and she asked for more funding. Among her biggest short-term actions Mendenhall included in her plan is calling on the Legislature to identify and allocate a stable, dedicated funding source for homeless services, mental and behavioral health, and affordable housing during the 2025 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several ideas for funding streams have been discussed in past years, including an alcohol or tobacco tax, a real estate transaction fee, an increase to the local option sales tax, and a boarded and vacant building tax, her plan states. Lack of increased state funding for all of these issues has been a sticking point for years. Advocates have said its created a bottleneck to move people out of emergency homeless shelters and into permanent supportive housing or other services to better address their needs. She also called on the Legislature to consider requiring all counties to provide some ratio of emergency shelter and housing services in proportion to their population, projected growth, and number of cost-burdened or housing insecure household units. As an immediate action to create more space for shelter beds, Mendenhall urged lawmakers to partner with Salt Lake City and others to expedite creation of shelter beds by creating a temporary emergency shelter while state leaders continue their secret search for a 30-acre property meant to house up to 1,200 new shelter beds as part of a transformative, centralized campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Utah Homeless Services Board has given State Homeless Coordinator Wayne Niederhuaser and other state officials until Oct. 25 for that 1,200-bed shelter to be built, so Niederhauser has said its likely the facility wont be up and running until well after the 2025 legislative session. In the meantime, Mendenhalls plan says that Salt Lake City would allow the use of a city-owned property for a campus facility for up to 24 months if capital and operational costs can be allocated by the state and philanthropic partners while the state builds the permanent campus. Its not yet known which Salt Lake City-owned property Mendenhall would offer up for that temporary shelter. Will Republican state leaders answer Mendenhalls call to action? As the 2025 Utah Legislature convened for its first of 45 days on Tuesday, Utah News Dispatch asked the governor, the Senate president and other Senate leaders whether theyd be answering Mendenhalls funding requests outlined in her plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They gave noncommittal answers, though Cox indicated hes supportive of trying. Well see. Well see what the final budget numbers look like for sure, but it is something we have to be serious about, Cox told Utah News Dispatch in an interview. Shes not wrong that we do need those other pieces to make it all work. But the governor doesnt control the purse strings. The Legislature does. And the state budget usually isnt finalized until after final revenue projections which give lawmakers a more holistic picture of how much revenue they have to allocate for the coming budget year are released in mid-February. They then have only a matter of weeks to finalize the budget before the session ends March 7. Gov. Spencer Cox gives an interview at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Cox, however, indicated theres willingness to work with Mendenhall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know the speaker, the president, were all very grateful for the plan that shes put forward. The execution is going to be critical, and were all going to have to execute together, Cox said. So I think youll see us working together over the session and beyond. Pressed on Mendenhalls call for a dedicated funding source for a wide range of services, Cox said hes called for that for a long time. Last month, Niederhauser, Coxs appointed state homeless coordinator, told Utah News Dispatch everybody still agrees that we need that, but its going to be difficult to get passed through a Legislature. What is it? How much is it going to be? Niederhuaser said, at the time, that his focus will be getting one-time money, while a dedicated funding stream would be a longer term issue that would be hashed out perhaps another year. So well continue to work on that, but until that actually happens, were going to be seeking appropriations to fill the gaps that we have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Niederhauser said this session hes focused on drumming up support for the governors $18.8 million budget recommendation for homeless services needs over the next year. Niederhauser said included in that would be $13 million for homeless shelter beds to get us through winter next year and into the summer. Were going to need additional (money) for next year, Niederhauser said. If or when we get to the point of having another facility, it will replace winter response. So well be able to have $13 million to operate a facility through the winter into next budget year. Niederhauser said the governors office request would fund additional shelter beds temporary or permanent depending on what comes to fruition. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our request would get us through either winter response in Salt Lake County, or another facility, Niederhauser said. Our request will fund that. If a facility doesnt exist at that point, it will be (for) winter response. If a facility exists at that point, it is our winter response plan. He added: Those funds, we feel like, will be sufficient to get us through the 2026 fiscal year. However, that would be a one-time appropriation and is separate from the discussion for a dedicated funding source. Thats a more difficult conversation and one that wasnt necessarily something Niederhauser expected could be hashed out during the 2025 session, but perhaps a future session. Our highest priority right now is whats in the governors budget. Discussions on direct funding will always continue to be an issue, but less of an issue for us this session, Niederhauser said, though his comments came before Mendenhalls plan was released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Niederhauser, former Utah Senate president, has also previously told Utah News Dispatch that in past years hes advocated for dedicating a portion of the states profits on alcohol toward homelessness, but he said that proposal didnt get traction. So now, he said hes exploring pursuing other ideas, like perhaps an optional local sales tax increase that the Legislature could authorize a locality like Salt Lake County or any county in the state to enact. In a media availability Tuesday, Republican Senate leaders did not give any firm answers of whether theyll act on Mendenhalls funding recommendations. Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, said lawmakers will be working closely with the Governors Office on their requests, but he also noted the Utah Legislature has already committed hundreds of millions of dollars toward homelessness services in recent years, which is unprecedented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think there does need to be a dedicated source. Whether thats specifically from the state or whether we can find paths that the counties and cities can participate in that, I think there will be efforts to find that, Cullimore said. Im just not sure where its coming from. Pressed on whether the funding could come from a local option sales tax hike, Cullimore said the Legislature last year already expanded authorization for rural counties to raise taxes for public safety, but it remains to be seen whether that could be a way to answer Mendenhalls call. So that might be one of the things we can talk to them about, about dedicating a portion of that in exchange for some state cooperation, Cullimore said. Senate Budget Chair Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, said since the state started becoming more involved with homelessness, starting in 2017, we have literally put hundreds of millions of dollars into this process. Actually, Im very eager to see the city step up a little heavier than they have, Stevenson said. This isnt going to be solved by one level of government. Its going to take multiple levels to solve it. The cooperation, that piece has been a little bit missing, but I believe were on a good track. Democrats urge collaboration and focus on community needs House and Senate Democrats that represent Salt Lake City told reporters on Tuesday that they are concerned that Republican state leaders seemed to strong-arm Mendenhall in managing crime and homelessness in Salt Lake City to their liking. They said state leaders should also be ready to commit increasing funding throughout the state to help solve homelessness and other complex issues, not just expect Salt Lake City to solve it alone. Homelessness is not just a Salt Lake City concern, House Minority Leader Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City said. The state capital is an urban setting with the most homeless resources in Utah, attracting homeless individuals, so, she said, the governor and the legislative majority should work with the city. The Senate president and the speaker of the House werent elected by Salt Lake City residents, Romero said. They need to trust the elected officials in Salt Lake City. And this is not just about Salt Lake City. This is about Salt Lake County. This is about the district attorney. This is about the sheriff, Romero said. Theres a common theme there. Theyre all Democrats. Theyre all elected to represent the people, but they have a D behind their name. Romero has concerns because she has seen crime in Salt Lake City go down. While there are still issues that need to be addressed in the city, she believes the question isnt about crime. I think the question should be about what should we do more as the state of Utah to address the needs of our community, Romero said, whether its dealing with mental illness, whether its dealing with substance or drug abuse, or whether its dealing with people not being able to afford a place to live. at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, also believes there should be statewide solutions to homelessness, since data shows that unsheltered communities come from all over Utah, not just Salt Lake City. Those solutions include a facility, and, as a representative of Salt Lake Citys west side, Escamilla worries a new shelter would be located in that specific area. Thats a problem for our constituents, she said. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to address homelessness and other related issues, she said. But, she hopes theres a shared responsibility. I know weve all been pretty collectivist when we were proposing that heavy hand on Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City, Escamilla said. And sometimes it doesnt feel very fair to the rest of the state. Finding ways to address the strong suggestions of the state in a short timeframe while meeting Salt Lake City residents wishes is a big task for Mendenhall and her team, House Minority Whip Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, said on Tuesday. Balancing a stronger focus on public safety while not criminalizing homelessness is also challenging for the city, she said. I know that it is really, really hard to see unsheltered people. Its really easy to make assumptions about people who are unsheltered, and it is also challenging to find a place of compassion in our hearts to try to understand where those are coming from, Dailey-Provost said. And simultaneously be willing to invest the resources and time and energy that it takes to address the problem. Statistically, Dailey-Provost said, there has been an increase of 180 homeless people from January 2023 to January 2024. If compared to the general population, unsheltered individuals face murder at 19 times higher, attempted murder at 27 times higher, assault 12 times more often, and sexual assault nine times more often. Perhaps we need to have a stronger conversation about the vulnerabilities and risks of those human beings, and start our problem solving conversation there, she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX For Rep. Burgess Owens, one thing is clear: President Donald Trump, who was sworn in, is living up to his promise to hit the ground running on day one. Within 24 hours of returning to the White House, he took decisive action to secure our borders, unleash American energy, cut unnecessary regulations, end divisive DEI initiatives within the federal government, and restore accountability in Washington, Owens said. He represents Utahs 4th District. Other Republican representatives from Utah also reiterated these statements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The executive orders related to immigration signed by Trump include one that ends birthright citizenship, another designating the cartels and migrant gangs as terrorist organizations, restrictions on the transfer of funds to sanctuary states, and reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. | Evan Vucci As for energy policy, Trump expedited the deregulation of drilling, paused offshore wind leases in federal waters and withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. One of the directives will end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government, and another will allow the government to allow only two genders, male and female, on official documents. Americas fighter is back, and as a result, our nation will be stronger, prouder, and more prosperous than ever before, Owens said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, in a statement to the Deseret News, said, This is what the American citizens have been waiting for. Kennedy, who represents Utahs 3rd District, echoed Owens' remark about the president wasting no time in getting our nation back on track. On Monday, Rep. Celeste Maloy, who represents Utahs 2nd District, said Trumps work has already improved the lives of everyday Utahns. His all-of-the-above approach to energy independence and actions to streamline permitting will unleash energy production and innovation in Utah, she said. Additionally, his work to secure the border will provide relief for local law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maloy added, For Utahns to continue thriving for decades to come, I am working with my colleagues in the House to ensure this administrations work is cemented by law. She expressed enthusiasm for Trumps swearing-in ceremony by sharing a few pictures on social media from the day. POV: Lee Greenwood is singing God Bless the USA while Im sitting under the apotheosis in the Capitol Rotunda. Im proud to be an American she said in one post. In another, she uploaded a picture of her wearing Converse-style red sneaker shoes to celebrate a new chapter in America. POV: @TheLeeGreenwood is singing God Bless the USA while Im sitting under the apotheosis in the Capitol Rotunda. Im proud to be an American. pic.twitter.com/mL2tMW7RfU Rep. Celeste Maloy (@RepMaloyUtah) January 20, 2025 All four Utah Republican delegates Owens, Kennedy, Maloy, and Rep. Blake Moore attended the inauguration on Monday. The University of Wisconsin-Madison removed its chief diversity officer from his position after an internal financial review sparked concerns, university leaders announced Wednesday. UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Provost Charles Isbell, Jr. said they "initiated a leadership change" in the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement. La Var Charleston, who has led the division since 2021, will return to his appointment as a clinical professor in the School of Education. Charleston was among 10 people reporting directly to the chancellor. Isbell will serve as acting director of the division until an interim director is appointed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An internal review of the division's finances revealed "areas of concern about financial operations and fiscal judgments in the division," the university said in a statement. UW-Madison officials declined to elaborate on the nature of the review and when it may conclude, but said the review began to prepare for an upcoming state audit of the UW System's diversity offices. The review, while still ongoing, produced enough information to prompt the leadership change and move fiscal authority of the division to a different office. Charleston did not immediately return a request for comment. He previously earned about $324,000 in 2023-24, according to salary records. His new salary will be $133,000. A UW-Madison statement said the the leadership change should should have no direct impact on students in programs run through the division. "The university remains steadfastly committed to ensuring all students and employees are offered the opportunity to thrive and find a sense of belonging on campus," the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campus diversity offices were in the state spotlight throughout 2023 when the Republican-controlled Legislature questioned their value and turned them into bargaining chips during the state budget process. The UW System agreed to restructure about a third of the campus positions focused on diversity, equity and inclusion to roles supporting the success of all students. A few months after the deal, Republican lawmakers launched the audit of diversity efforts across state agencies, including the UW System. Nationally, diversity offices and employees are under increasing scrutiny. The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered the shuttering of all executive branch diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and placed all employees working in such offices on leave. (This story was updated to add new information.) Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: University of Wisconsin removes chief diversity officer Back in summer 2013, paleontologist Dave Lovelace took some University of Wisconsin-Madison students on a dig in Wyoming. There, they found an ankle bone in an area where fossils typically aren't found. More than a decade of analysis later, the fossil no bigger than a section of a human pinky finger is being hailed as a monumental discovery that turns upside down the belief that dinosaurs originated in the southern hemisphere. Lovelace and graduate student Aaron Kufner's just-published research contends dinosaurs inhabited the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than thought, and around the same time as they were in the southern hemisphere. UW-Madison researcher Dave Lovelace holds an ankle bone from Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, a newly discovered dinosaur species he and his team found in Wyoming in 2013. Their research challenges the longtime understanding about dinosaur origins coming from the southern hemisphere. He is shown Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at the UW-Madison Geology Museum in Madison, Wisconsin. "That's kind of the big part of the story that this little, tiny bone tells," Lovelace said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another first, the newly discovered dinosaur species is named in the language of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. The field site where the fossil remains were found sit on the tribe's ancestral land. Tribal elders and students were involved in the naming of Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, which means "long ago dinosaur." The approach strays from the longstanding practice of paleontologists naming their discoveries. Lovelace said it takes time to build relationships with tribal members, a luxury he said he is afforded because of his position as a research scientist in the UW-Madison geology museum. He has different responsibilities than a tenured professor who feel the publish-or-perish pressure in academia to prove their worth to the agencies funding their work. UW-Madison researcher Dave Lovelace and his team found an ankle bone from an Ahvaytum bahndooiveche in Wyoming in 2013 that challenges a longtime understanding about dinosaur origins coming from the southern hemisphere. He is shown Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at the UW-Madison Geology Museum in Madison, Wisconsin. "Our science can be relatively inexpensive," Lovelace said. "Basically, I need a vehicle and tents and food, and that's it. And then we go to the field and it's relatively cheap to go find and dig stuff." That's what Lovelace grew up doing in Wyoming. He never went through a dinosaur phase as a child, preferring rock collection and finding random antelope bones on the prairie. Initially a nursing major in college, Lovelace switched to forensic science. Then he took a geology course. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Within a week, it was my passion," he said. Lovelace now shares his passion with undergraduates through the museum's fossil lab and on summer trips where they can gain field experience. Ankle bone came from a smaller sized dinosaur Ahvaytum was about the size of a chicken with a long tail, he said not exactly the colossal creature most imagine when they think of dinosaurs. That's because the team focuses on the late Triassic age, also known as the dawn of the dinosaurs, that dates back more than 230 million years. High-precision radioisotopic dating helped confirm the age of the ankle bone. A lack of previous studies from this time period in the geographic area Lovelace's team focuses on helps explain the 11 years it took from discovery to publication. It required him to build the story of the environment, flora and fauna, and age of the geological unit Lovelace's team studies and how that relates to other well-known geological units around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I had to build that whole story, and doing that with a week and a half or two weeks of field season each year is a slow process," he said. Lovelace credits his supportive boss for giving him the latitude to explore in an understudied area. A student volunteer found the ankle bone near Dubois, Wyoming, about 50 miles southeast of Grand Teton National Park. "It was a gamble," he said. "We don't know if there's anything out there. Nobody else has really worked these rocks. But if you find something, it's probably going to be new. So it's it's high risk, high reward. Either way, the students were getting great experiences, and that's what our lab is all about." Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (This story was updated to add a video.) This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Madison researchers discover oldest dinosaur in northern Former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, President Trumps pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, on Tuesday hinted at an expanded health care delivery system after years of pressure to bring down costs and lower wait times for care for former service members. At the end of the day, the veteran is getting taken care of. VA care is going to happen. . . [but] theres different expressions of how we make it better. We dont do the same things 40 years ago that we still do today, Collins said at the top of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing. Our newer veterans deserve every access to finding care where they can. Collins faced questions from panel members for nearly three hours, fielding queries ranging from appointment backlogs and outdated record-keeping systems to whether he would require VA employees to report back to work in person or if he would uphold former President Bidens abortion policy at the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But a majority of the time was devoted to how Collins might improve how the VA provides health care and other services to former members of the military, particularly through a program introduced by Trump in his first term known as the Mission Act. The act, passed by Congress in 2018, allows veterans to seek health services with private systems outside the departments purview if they have to wait too long to receive a service from the Veterans Health Administration or must drive at least 30 minutes to a VA facility. Were going to be following the Mission Act. . . . nothings going to hold that up, Collins said. Though expansions under the Mission Act sought to strengthen VAs direct care service and whats known as community care particularly for rural veterans the department experienced ballooning costs. In 2023, community care cost the VA $28.5 billion, up from about $15 billion in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, roughly nine million veterans are enrolled in the VA health care system but about 40 percent of all their health care appointments are through the community care system. Democrats now fear that more veterans seeking medical care outside the VA could pull funding away from department medical centers, which already struggle with appointment backlogs and staffing. Republicans contend that the Biden administration sought to prevent some veterans from finding care outside VA centers using excessive bureaucracy. Former VA Secretary Denis McDonough, in his final news conference earlier this month, denied that the department was trying to thwart veterans access to community care, calling it patently, fundamentally, overwhelmingly inaccurate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins, who faced the panel after a delay in his FBI background check forced lawmakers to move his nomination hearing from last week, told senators he supports veterans choosing where they receive medical care, including mental health help. He asserted that delivering timely access to care and benefits for every eligible veteran is job No. 1 at VA. Among his other goals, Collins said he will encourage VA employees to come back to work after Trump signed an executive order Monday directing federal workers to return to office. Were going to encourage them to come back to work, were going to follow the presidents directive on that, and were going to make sure that we get people in there because at the end of the day, its about veterans, Collins said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He noted, however, that there are certain issues surrounding the VAs roughly 470,000-person workforce about 80 percent of which are unionized and on contracts. Many federal employees have been able to work remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, but Trump and his allies have signaled that requiring them to return to in-person work could be a way to thin out what they see as a bureaucrat-heavy workforce. But Collins, a Navy veteran, Air Force Reserve chaplain and former pastor, did not commit to upholding a Biden administration rule enacted two years ago that allows the department to provide abortions to veterans for a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or when the life of a pregnant woman is at risk even in states where it has been largely outlawed. The question was raised by both Sens. Maziei Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is something that has been looked at here as what the law actually says, and the original law from 1992 says the VA does not do abortions. Two years ago, that was a decision that was looked at and decided. I will tell you this, we will be looking at that issue when I get in there to confirm that the VA is actually following the law, Collins said. As VA secretary, Collins is expected to help roll back abortion access for veterans in states that enforce abortion bans following the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision. Collins did promise that the VA would not assist with migrant healthcare if he is confirmed, a topic that was brought up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). The Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center contracts with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention healthcare facility to process medical claims reimbursements for migrants detained at the southern border, according to a DHS report released in July 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins said he would immediately investigate the situation. I do not believe any money taken outside of the VA to help the veteran is a worthy cause for the money that has been appropriated for the veteran, Collins said. The hearing was not expected to make waves, and Collins is expected to have bipartisan support in the panels confirmation vote, expected on Thursday. Following that, he would advance to the full Senate, where a confirmation vote could come as early as next week. 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 The Hill. Jan. 21VAN WERT The collection and analysis of gun shot residue and its admissibility as evidence in the upcoming murder trial of Ryan Houser was the topic of a hearing Tuesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. Dr. Ted Manasian, a forensic scientist with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, was called by the state to testify about gun shot residue, or GSR, collected in Houser's case. Houser, 39, is charged with the September 2023 shooting death of Barbara Ganger, 43, at a residence on West Main Street in Van Wert. Ganger was a former girlfriend of the Celina man, who was indicted in November of 2023 on charges of aggravated murder, an unclassified felony; murder, an unclassified felony; possessing a weapon under disability, a third degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third degree felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Lucas County Coroner's Office established Ganger's date and time of death as 10:43 p.m. on Sept. 4, 2023. Defense attorney Kenneth Rexford throughout the case has maintained his client's innocence and said he intends to present evidence at trial that will show Houser was in or near Rockford, Ohio, at the time of the woman's death. The Lima attorney says evidence sets a more likely time of Ganger's death at roughly 8 a.m. on Sept. 4. That time disparity is crucial to the defense attorney's claim that GSR samples found in Houser's clothing were obtained outside the four- or five-hour window that is considered standard practice in the scientific community for such a collection. Manasian testified Tuesday that approximately 32 hours had lapsed between the alleged time of the shooting and the GSR collection from a pair of Houser's jeans. While the official report from a BCI forensic scientist shows the finding that gun shot residue was found on the jeans, Manasian conceded that the official ruling "does not mean that this person fired a gun." He said GSR can be transferred from a secondary source and that it "makes sense to me that (the residue) in this case came from a secondary transfer." Judge Martin Burchfield started Tuesday's hearing by stating that Manasian's testimony surrounding the collection and handling of evidence "prior to its analysis" by BCI scientists would be determined by the court. Burchfield at the end of the hearing said he will issue a written opinion on the admissibility of Manasian's testimony in the near future. Houser's trial is scheduled to begin April 7, 2025. Featured Local Savings VAN BUREN, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Van Buren man was sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sex abuse material. Jeffrey Sandy, 34 Jeffrey Sandy, 34, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of possession of sexually explicit conduct involving a child, according to Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Holmes. Holmes said Sandy pleaded guilty to similar charges in California in 2020 and re-offended when he moved to Arkansas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holmes said that the Crawford County Sheriffs Department and the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections helped secure his conviction. 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 KNWA FOX24. (Reuters) - Global analytics firm Verisk expects insured property losses from the Palisades and Eaton fires in the range of $28 billion to $35 billion, one of the highest loss estimates from the industry. The insured losses from the Palisades fire is estimated between $20 billion and $25 billion, while losses from the Eaton fire could be between $8 billion and $10 billion, Verisk said. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on Los Angeles' western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in the city's history. U.S. as well as European insurers are expected to face catastrophe-related claims worth billions of dollars from the disaster, which analysts estimate will be the costliest ever in California. Citi earlier warned that Europe's big four reinsurers Munich Re, Swiss Re, Hannover Re and Scor will have used up around a third of their 2025 natural catastrophe budgets in the first two weeks of the year. CONTEXT Insurers have been hit by rising catastrophe claims from several wildfires and other natural disasters over the past couple of years. The LA fires create a further dent to their catastrophe claims budgets. Raging Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed hundreds of homes and stretched firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit. Several Hollywood celebrities lost their homes as wildfire spread to their neighborhood. (Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) The victim in a deadly seven-car crash involving a Tesla Sunday evening in San Francisco has been identified. Mikhael Romanenko, 27, of San Francisco, was killed in the crash which took place in SFs SoMa neighborhood, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The driver of the speeding Tesla who allegedly caused the crash, 66-year-old Jia Lin Zheng, has been arrested and booked on multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, felony vandalism, and speeding. KRON4 exclusively spoke to Romanenkos mother Julia. Watch in the video player above. Photo courtesy of Romanenko family Julia says he was her youngest son and that his smile and heart touched a lot of people. The mother added she hadnt slept since the accident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was my everything, Julia said. I want safety and for this to never happen again. The crash, which occurred just after 6 p.m. in the area of 6th and Harrison streets, also involved a driverless Waymo robotaxi. According to Waymo, the autonomous vehicle was hit from behind by a speeding car that was going about 98 miles per hour and crashed into multiple other vehicles. The Waymo was unoccupied at the time. A Waymo representative told KRON4 the company was deeply saddened by the crash and grateful that no one was in the vehicle when it was struck from behind. Remorseless Fremont killer sings in front of murder victims families Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim, now identified as Romanenko, was found dead at the scene. Two other victims were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. A dog also died in the crash, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. Prior to the SoMa crash, there were multiple hit-and-run collisions on northbound Interstate 280. Investigators are working to determine if there is a connection. Romanenkos next-of-kin have been notified, the OCME said. The agency declined to offer further comment. An SFMTA representative told KRON4 that the agency is in the process of installing pedestrian bulb-outs at the intersection where the crash occurred to help slow vehicle speeds and restrict turn movements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The San Francisco District Attorneys Office said that despite an arrest having been made, the investigation into the crash remains ongoing. 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 KRON4. Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice who now co-hosts The View talk show, called President Trump a DEI hire on Tuesday. While DEI normally stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, Hostin said that when applied to Trump, it actually stands for didnt earn it. Pointing to Trumps promise to make Martin Luther King Jr.s dream a reality in his inauguration speech on Monday just hours before revoking DEI programs in the federal government, Hostin called out the presidents hypocrisy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The irony of it. Martin Luther King not only wanted racial equality, he wanted economic equality, and that is something that people tend to miss, Hostin said. She added, I want to remind people that he said that Black Americans deserved reparations for the injustices they faced. He argued that reparations were a form of justice, in fact, not charity. Hostin continued by quoting Kings famous saying, Its all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is cruel just to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps. The second-term president, Hostin said, has only ever been given everything that he has. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre talking about a man who didnt become the president of the United States because of merit. He had no political experience whatsoever. He had no business experience, the talk show host said. He is, if anything, a DEI hire, Hostin concluded. A didnt-earn-it hire. DEI programs and policies have been a divisive issue around the nation, particularly since the Supreme Courts 2023 ruling to overturn affirmative action in college admissions. During the 2024 campaign season, Republicans including Trump vowed to end DEI programs. Many argued such programs are discriminatory. Since Trumps election, companies including Walmart, Tractor Supply and McDonalds have rolled back DEI promises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, Trump rescinded an executive order signed by former President Biden that provided agencies with information, resources and a methodology to assess DEJ and in the workforce. Trumps order, however, asks the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to terminate all discriminatory programs in agencies, according to the incoming White House officials. The order will also direct the assistant to the president for domestic policy to have monthly meetings with deputy secretaries to assess DEI programs and figure out ways to end them. 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 The Hill. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's Democratic-led Senate on Tuesday passed constitutional amendments on abortion and voting rights that were quickly lambasted by Republicans who could use the issues as the party tries to regain ground in November's statewide elections. The Senate passed the resolutions in two party-line votes. In a 24-15 bipartisan vote, senators also passed a resolution repealing a now-defunct ban on same-sex marriage backed by Sen. Adam Ebbin, the first openly gay lawmaker elected to the legislature. The Democratic-led Virginia House of Delegates passed similar legislation on all three issues earlier this month. We will enshrine these rights to our Constitution, ensure our freedoms are no longer at risk, and hand the power back to the people, said Democratic Sen. Jennifer Boysko, who sponsored the abortion resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesday's debates provided insight into what lawmakers could campaign on this November, when all 100 seats of the House of Delegates will be on the ballot. Proposed constitutional amendments must be passed twice by lawmakers in at least two years, with an intervening election between the two sessions. Then the amendments can go to a public referendum. Republican lawmakers blasted Democrats for refusing to add language to the abortion amendment that would explicitly require parental consent for minors. When it comes to the amendments, we pick parents' abilities to be able to be involved in their childrens decisions as the highest priority, Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, a Republican from central Virginia, said at a Tuesday news conference. Those are the things that we are fighting for this session and will continue to fight for. In a raucous debate, Democratic Sen. Barbara Favola found fault with the argument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not every family is loving and supportive not every family has the best interest of the child, Favola said, later adding: There are cases where a child is raped by her father, her stepfather. There are cases where a family would evict ... their daughter because she became pregnant. But Republican Sen. Tara Durant described the abortion amendment, which doesn't distinguish between adults and children, as an assault on parental rights. We are no longer going to respect parental authority and shred the very fabric of us as a mother, as a father, Durant said. And to say strangers will make that decision that can threaten your childs life if anything, we should never forget this moment. Republicans also criticized Democratic Sen. Mamie Locke's resolution enshrining the right to vote, which revises the process the state currently uses to restore voting rights for people convicted of felonies. Earlier this week, McDougle unsuccessfully proposed that those convicted regain their voting rights only after fully paying any restitution owed to victims and that those convicted of violent felonies be denied voting rights unless they're restored by the governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, Locke remarked that each person is more than the worst thing they have ever done. It has nothing to do with restitution. It has nothing to do with whether or not someone committed a violent or nonviolent felony," Locke said Tuesday following the votes. It has to do with the fact that the individual, once they have served their time, they have a fundamental right to vote once they get out. ___ Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur turned failed presidential candidate, reportedly backed away from co-chairing the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency due to deep philosophical differences over how the advisory board should function. Ramaswamy was tapped to co-chair DOGE with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. They aimed to slash federal spending by trillions of dollars through budget cuts and mass firings. In November, Ramaswamy wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal explaining how DOGE would dismantle the administrative state using current laws and Supreme Court precedents. This includes reducing the federal workforce, stripping agency regulations via executive orders and re-examining the budgeting process within each agency to reduce costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That, stood in contrast to Musks approach which reportedly focused on technology and data mining to achieve DOGEs aim to cut federal spending, those familiar with the plan told the Washington Post. Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer co-charing the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency after deep philosophical differences, according to a report (Getty Images) On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing DOGE. Much of its layout mirrored policies that fell in line with Musk. Hours later, the White House confirmed Ramaswamy would depart as a co-chair. Speculation about Ramaswamys position leading DOGE has been circulating for days. Though Musk and Ramaswamy appear to have a good relationship publicly, those familiar with the matter told CBS News there had been tension behind closed doors. According to the Post, Musk believed DOGE should operate as a small team within the government that can access highly sensitive information. With that information, Musk could draw on his business experience and use AI to achieve the cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the two different approaches, it led to a break, sources told the Post. These were competing visions, the person said. Musk used his Tesla and SpaceX empires to find people to work for DOGE, the Post reported. He also used SpaceXs Washington, D.C., headquarters for a DOGE command center. Ramaswamy, instead, had a small team of staff who worked from his home state in Ohio, without a set schedule. They looked for constitutional measures where costs could be trimmed. Musk and Ramaswamy met with lawmakers on the Hill last month to discuss DOGEs plans (Getty Images) The two also battled over who the true leader of DOGE was, the Post noted, given Musks large presence. Sources told the outlet the partnership was probably doomed from the start. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think Vivek would have signed up under any sense on paper he wouldnt be co-lead, said one person with knowledge of DOGEs structure. All the assurances were they were going to be coequal leaders. Tensions between the two bubbled after Ramaswamy earned the ire of some Trump allies by claiming the U.S. does not produce the best engineers in a post supporting H-1B visas. The icing on the cake was Ramaswamys desire to pursue political ambitions. By co-chairing DOGE, Ramaswamy likely would not be able to focus his attention on fulfilling those. The tech entrepreneur has teased a possible political campaign in Ohio rumored to be a gubernatorial run. Now, Musk will lead DOGE which, despite its name, is not an official department. It seems apparent that Trump was convinced of Musks DOGE plan from the executive order establishing it. Much of it focuses on the technology portion of the government, dictating that agency heads should allow DOGE to have full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems and IT systems. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Volunteers with The Upcounty Hub distributed free food to hundreds of families at Germantown Elementary School on Tuesday. They said working in the cold is difficult, but helping their neighbors makes it all worth it. Youre just frozen, a volunteer at The Upcounty Hub, Nicole Butler-Hammond, said. Youre moving as a frozen person. Butler-Hammond has handed out food even when temperatures are below freezing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is very challenging because we have to input stuff on our phone, she said. And we cant wear gloves for that. Howard County firefighters rescue dog from frozen pond Butler-Hammond said what keeps her warm is knowing that shes making a difference in her community. When I get those smiles and those thank yous, she said. That makes me feel real good inside. The Upcounty Hub provides food to more than 1,200 families each week. We offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for our clients, Marko Rivera-Oven, director of operations for The Upcounty Hub, said. Rice, beans, canned soup, cereal, shelf-stable milk that were able to offer to our clients. Then also, the third that we offer is fresh meat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rivera-Oven said as temperatures have dropped, the group has seen the needs of the community increase. We saw a spike right after Christmas and we havent seen that spike go down, he said. Trash collection in Bowie suspended due to below-freezing temperatures He said no matter the weather, his team is committed to providing free food to those in need. Regardless if its 100 degrees outside or zero, Rivera-Oven said, People are still hungry. We still need to be out there, and if were able to out there and its safe for us to operate, we will continue to be out there because people are still hungry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Upcounty Hub holds food distributions five days a week at various locations throughout Upper Montgomery County. More information on The Upcounty Hub can be found 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Volunteers for Youth Justices My Community Cares (MCC) program set to hold legal clinic. According to a press release the program is committed to strengthening families and supporting the Shreveport community through vital resources and education. In that spirit, MCC is excited to announce a Community Legal Clinic on Thursday, February 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. More local news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event will be held at Linwood Public Charter School (Annex Building), 331 W 71st St., Shreveport. This free clinic, led by MCC Attorney Mary Winchell, will provide valuable informational sessions on topics including: Domestic Violence and Family Law Public Benefits Housing Consumer Health and Protection Officials say the information presented at this event is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For more information about the event contact: 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 KTALnews.com. Illustration by Oona Zenda. This story was originally published by KFF Health News. In November, Montana voters safeguarded the right to abortion in the states constitution. They also elected a new chief justice to the Montana Supreme Court who was endorsed by anti-abortion advocates. That seeming contradiction is slated to come to a head this year. People on polar sides of the abortion debate are preparing to fight over how far the protection for abortion extends, and the final say will likely come from the seven-person state Supreme Court. With the arrival of new Chief Justice Cory Swanson, who ran as a judicial conservative for the nonpartisan seat and was sworn in Jan. 6, the court now leans more conservative than before the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A similar dynamic is at play elsewhere. Abortion rights supporters prevailed on ballot measures in seven of the 10 states where abortion was up for a vote in November. But even with new voter-approved constitutional protections, courts will have to untangle a web of existing state laws on abortion and square them with any new ones legislators approve. The new makeup of supreme courts in several states indicates that the results of the legal fights to come arent clear-cut. Activists have been working to reshape high courts, which in recent years have become the final arbiters of a patchwork of laws regulating abortions. Thats because the 2022 U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization overturned federal abortion protections, leaving rulemaking to the states. Since then, the politics of state supreme court elections have been supercharged as fights around abortion shifted to states top courts, according to Douglas Keith, a senior counsel at the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice. Because were human, you cant scrub these races of any political connotations at all, said former Montana Supreme Court Justice Jim Nelson. But its getting worse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The wave of abortion litigation in state courts has spawned some of the most expensive state supreme court races in history, including more than $42 million spent on the nonpartisan 2023 Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, where abortion access was among the issues facing the court. Janet Protasiewicz won the seat, flipping the balance of the court to a liberal majority. In many states, judicial elections are nonpartisan but political parties and ideological groups still lobby for candidates. In 2024, abortion surfaced as a top issue in these races. In Michigan, spending by non-candidate groups alone topped $7.6 million for the two open seats on the state Supreme Court. The Michigan races are officially labeled as nonpartisan, although candidates are nominated by political parties. An ad for the two candidates backed by Democrats cautioned that the Michigan state Supreme Court can still take abortion rights away even after voters added abortion protections to the state constitution in 2022. The ad continued, Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Thomas are the only Supreme Court candidates who will protect access to abortion. Both won their races. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abortion opponent Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, decried the influence of abortion politics on state court elections. Pro-abortion activists know they cannot win through the legislatures, so they have turned to state courts to override state laws, Pritchard said. Some abortion opponents now support changes to the way state supreme courts are selected. In Missouri, where voters passed a constitutional amendment in November to protect abortion access, the new leader of the state Senate, Cindy OLaughlin, a Republican, has proposed switching to nonpartisan elections from the states current model, in which the governor appoints a judge from a list of three finalists selected by a nonpartisan commission. Although Republicans have held the governors mansion since 2017, she pointed to the Missouri Supreme Courts 4-3 ruling in September that allowed the abortion amendment to remain on the ballot and said courts have undermined legislative efforts to protect life. In a case widely expected to reach the Missouri Supreme Court, the states Planned Parenthood clinics are trying to use the passage of the new amendment to strike down Missouris abortion restrictions, including a near-total ban. OLaughlin said her proposal, which would need approval from the legislature and voters, was unlikely to influence that current litigation but would affect future cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A judiciary accountable to the people would provide a fairer venue for addressing legal challenges to pro-life laws, she said. Nonpartisan judicial elections can buck broader electoral trends. In Michigan, for example, voters elected both Supreme Court candidates nominated by Democrats last year even as Donald Trump won the state and Republicans regained control of the state House. In Kentuckys nonpartisan race, Judge Pamela Goodwine, who was endorsed by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, outperformed her opponent even in counties that went for Trump, who won the state. Shell be serving on the bench as a womans challenge to the states two abortion bans makes its way through state courts. Partisan judicial elections, however, tend to track with other partisan election results, according to Keith of the Brennan Center. So some state legislatures have sought to turn nonpartisan state supreme court elections into fully partisan affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Ohio, Republicans have won every state Supreme Court seat since lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 requiring party affiliation to appear on the ballot for those races. That includes three seats up for grabs in November that solidified the Republican majority on the court from 4-3 to 6-1. These justices who got elected in 2024 have been pretty open about being anti-abortion, said Jessie Hill, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, who has been litigating a challenge to Ohios abortion restrictions since voters added protections to the state constitution in 2023. Until the recent ballot measure vote in Montana, the only obstacle blocking Republican-passed abortion restrictions from taking effect had been a 25-year-old decision that determined Montanas right to privacy extends to abortion. Nelson, the former justice who was the lead author of the decision, said the court has since gradually leaned more conservative. He noted the states other incoming justice, Katherine Bidegaray, was backed by abortion rights advocates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dynamic of the court is going to change, Nelson said after the election. But the chief justice has one vote, just like everybody else. Swanson, Montanas new chief justice, had said throughout his campaign that hell make decisions case by case. He also rebuked his opponent, Jerry Lynch, for saying hed respect the courts ruling that protected abortion. Swanson called such statements a signal to liberal groups. At least eight cases are pending in Montana courts challenging state laws to restrict abortion access. Martha Fuller, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana, said that the new constitutional language, which takes effect in July, could further strengthen those cases but that the courts election outcome leaves room for uncertainty. The states two outgoing justices had past ties to the Democratic Party. Fuller said they also consistently supported abortion as a right to privacy. One of those folks is replaced by somebody who we dont know will uphold that, she said. There will be this period where were trying to see where the different justices fall on these issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those cases likely wont end the abortion debate in Montana. As of the legislative sessions start in early January, Republican lawmakers, who have for years called the state Supreme Court liberal, had already proposed eight bills regarding abortion and dozens of others aimed at reshaping judicial power. Among them is a bill to make judicial elections partisan. Montana Sen. Daniel Emrich, a Republican who requested a bill titled Prohibit dismembering of person and provide definition of human, said its too early to know which restrictions anti-abortion lawmakers will push hardest. Ultimately, he said, any new proposed restrictions and the implications of the constitutional amendment will likely land in front of the state Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Stock photo from Getty Images. This article was originally published in Bolts Magazine. Conservative judges have chipped away at voting rights and put the Voting Rights Act through renewed stress over the last decade. Theyre now set to gain new allies with the incoming Trump administration and GOP majorities in Congress. At the same time, GOP-led states are devising new restrictions on voter registration and ballot access, leaving civil rights organizations scrambling to field viable legal challenges in federal and state courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Faced with eroding federal protections, some states have tried to shore up voting rights. They have passed their own voting rights acts, banned partisan gerrymandering, and expanded the franchise. But their efforts are facing legal challenges as well, this time from the right, raising fresh questions as to what strategies can most effectively strengthen democracy. Heading into this new political era, Bolts has identified eight legal battles that are likely to shape voting rights in 2025. These cases will affect election rules locally, from redistricting in Florida and Louisiana to the future of mail ballots in Mississippi and the fate of new protections in New York. But their effects will also ripple nationwide, as other states eye how they may further buttress or cut down on voting. 1. Will a redistricting case out of Louisiana weaken the VRA? Conservatives are pursuing a multi-pronged attack to eliminate what is left of the Voting Rights Act. Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions in 2023, conservatives have objected with renewed vigor to the longstanding approach of considering race in redistricting to create minority-majority districts, arguing that race-based districting is unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their effort is coming to a head this year in a blockbuster Supreme Court case that is centered around Louisianas congressional map. After the 2020 census, Louisiana legislators approved a new congressional map that included only one Black-majority district, stretching from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. A lawsuit countered that this map diluted the power of Black voters, and that the Voting Rights Act required two Black-majority districts. After lengthy proceedings, the Fifth Circuit of Appeals sided with plaintiffs in late 2023 and ordered that a new map be drawn by January 2024. The legislature abided by the ruling, creating a second majority-Black district that goes from Baton Rouge in central Louisiana to Shreveport in the far northwest corner. The district elected Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat, in November. But a group of mostly white voters, who describe themselves as non-African American, now wants to throw the new map out. They claim the legislature impermissibly relied on race to draw the districts, violating the Fourteenth Amendments Equal Protection Clause. Two Trump-appointed judges ruled last year that the map was likely unconstitutional and struck it down, though the Supreme Court stepped in and allowed it to be used in the 2024 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court will hold hearings on this case in the spring of 2025. The justices will decide whether Louisianas new map survives by the end of their session in late June. Complicating matters: The state of Louisiana is ostensibly defending the new map, but voting rights advocates have accused the state of deliberately undermining its own case. Louisiana officials already raised eyebrows last year when they chose to draw a new majority-Black district that bore a striking resemblance to a district that was struck down in the 1990s. Civil rights groups had pushed for a more compact design they deemed legally safer, and they suspected Republicans had different intentions. If the Supreme Court sides with the plaintiffs, it could gut Section 2 of the VRA, which shields minority-majority districts. Or, the court may introduce new restrictions on factoring in race in redistricting. Even if it doesnt strike down Section 2, this would raise a host of new questions about its implementation and the viability of minority-majority districts nationwide. In either case, it would spell major trouble for Cleo Fieldss future in Congress. 2. How will courts treat new state-level Voting Rights Acts? As the U.S. Supreme Court has trimmed the federal VRA, some states have stepped in to pass VRAs of their own. Though details vary depending on the state, they frequently go much further than federal law in safeguarding fairness in redistricting and access to the ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But these laws have sparked conservative challenges of their own. Last fall, a superior court judge in New York struck down the states VRA, concluding that it violated the U.S. Constitutions Equal Protection Clause. The case is now working its way through New Yorks appeals process, an important test of the viability of state VRAs as an alternative to the federal law. Other VRAs have fared better in their own states courts so far, but still more states have adopted these laws in recent years (including New Mexico in 2023 and Minnesota last year), creating new battlegrounds to watch. 3. Will mail ballots still be afforded a grace period to arrive? In 18 states, mail ballots can trickle into election offices after Election Day, as long as theyve been postmarked by Election Day. The approach helps people vote by mail without needing to worry about possible delays in delivery, but it also lengthens election counts, and Republicans have accused it without evidence of facilitating voter fraud. In a bombshell ruling in October, a panel of conservative federal judges threw this longstanding practice into question. The case will continue in 2025 and possibly create new obstacles to mail voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican National Committee and the Mississippi Republican Party last year challenged Mississippis rule, which allows ballots to arrive up to five days after Election Day, arguing that it conflicts with a federal law that sets the date of the election. Three Trump-appointed judges on the Fifth Circuit agreed. They ruled that ballots must be both cast by voters and received by state officials by the day of the election, though they did not apply their holding to the 2024 elections. Several voter groups have asked the full Fifth Circuit to hear the case; their appeal may end up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which could swat away the ruling. Mail ballots in the Los Angeles County elections office in November 2024. California allows mail ballots to arrive after Election Day as long as they are postmarked on time. (Photo from LA Clerks office/Facebook) But the Supreme Court could also apply the rule nationwide, affecting all of the states that allow ballots to arrive after Election Day. This would risk disenfranchising thousands of voters. Administrative delays and errors in sending ballots out are common enough, and a requirement that ballots be received by Election Day would put voters at the mercy of how quickly the U.S. Postal Service operates. Trump has evoked the prospect of privatizing USPS, which could add further complications. 4. Will GOP states succeed at criminalizing voter assistance? GOP-run states have passed new bans in recent years on civic organizations helping people vote. Theyve made it harder to provide assistance with registration, to fill out requests for mail ballots, and to collect filled-out ballots. Just last year, Alabama adopted a law that imposes lengthy prison sentences on paid organizers who help people vote by mail. A new Missouri law similarly restricts assisting people with absentee ballots and with voter registration. And Florida barred non-citizens from assisting with voter registration efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These bans on voter assistance now all face legal tests. All three suffered early defeats in 2024; the Florida and Alabama laws were suspended or struck down by a federal district court, and a state court judge blocked Missouris. But proponents of the bans have appealed to salvage the laws. These cases in 2025 will shape how similar restrictions evolve around the country. 5. Will lifetime disenfranchisement survive two lawsuits in Virginia? Youngkin has made Virginia one of the harshest states in the nation when it comes to restoring the voting rights of people with criminal convictions. Two years ago, he rescinded policies put in place by his predecessors and brought back a lifetime ban on voting for anyone convicted of a felony. The ACLU of Virginia and other groups have filed an unusual lawsuit in response: They claim that Youngkins decision violates the Virginia Readmission Act, the Reconstruction-era federal law that allowed Virginia to rejoin the United States. In an effort to limit schemes to exclude Black residents, Congress in 1870 restricted the range of felonies that Virginia can use to strip people of the right to vote. Yet, Virginia today disenfranchises people whove been convicted of any felony whatsoever; the practice disproportionately affects Black Virginians. The case is now poised to go to trial in federal court, after the Fourth Circuit greenlit the lawsuit in December. Jared Davidson, a co-counsel for the plaintiff, has said the case is a milestone in terms of ensuring that the promises and guarantees of the Reconstruction Congress are finally fulfilled and honored by the state of Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Virginias felony disenfranchisement rules are also the target of a separate lawsuit, this one brought by George Hawkins, a Virginian profiled by Bolts in 2023 who expected to regain his voting rights until Youngkin cut down his hopes. The lawsuit alleges that Virginias new rules violate the First Amendment. A district court ruled in favor of the state last year, and this case currently sits with the Fourth Circuit. George Hawkins, right, here pictured with Deshun Watkins, has tried and failed to get his voting rights back. He is suing Virginia over its lifetime ban on voting. (Photo by Alex Burness/Bolts) If courts strike down Virginias approach in either case this year, it may expand the franchise just in time for the states elections that will decide, among other offices, Youngkins successor. 6. How will eligible voters be affected by measures targeting noncitizens? Donald Trump and his allies have relentlessly spread the false claim that non-citizens are illegally voting in significant numbers in U.S. elections, and Republican state officials have taken a range of actions in response. Arizona and New Hampshire have passed laws requiring that voters provide proof of citizenship at the time of registration; the rule is tripping up many people who are citizens but lack the proper documentation. And in the final stretch of the 2024 election, several GOP-led states purged their voter rolls, claiming they were getting rid of alleged non-citizens. But the purges affected U.S. citizens who were eligible to vote. This issue is sure to keep grabbing legal headlines in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voting rights advocates have battled Arizonas law for years, pointing out that the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA, shields voters from needing to prove their citizenship. The Supreme Court last summer allowed parts of the law to be enforced in the 2024 elections, but the case remains alive in the Ninth Circuit. In September, voting rights advocates also filed a similar suit against the New Hampshire law. Should federal courts end up ruling that the NVRA authorizes proof-of-citizenship requirements, it may open the floodgate to similar laws in other states. Republicans in Congress have also signaled this will be a priority for them at the federal level. And Virginias upcoming elections will be fought in the shadow of Governor Glenn Youngkins decision to order a big voter purge last summer. Youngkin issued his order 90 days before the presidential race, even though the NVRA bars systematically purging voters within 90 days of a federal election. A lawsuit to block his order saw some early success but, in a shock order, the U.S. Supreme Court intervened and allowed the purges to continue with no explanation. The case will still be heard in lower court to determine the legality of Youngkins purge. The result may set important precedent, not just for purges in other parts of the country, but also for how Youngkin himself acts in the lead-up to Virginias gubernatorial race in November. 7. Will courts allow noncitizens to vote in New Yorks local elections? Across the country, even as nativist rhetoric has amped up, some municipalities have gone in the opposite direction: Theyve allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, with the idea of giving them a voice in the decisions closest to them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But conservatives have sued to stop these laws, arguing that they dilute the political power of citizens. Federal law does not prohibit allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, so these lawsuits are usually playing out in state court. San Francisco, Washington, D.C, and multiple towns in Vermont have managed to implement this reform in recent years despite litigation to stop them. But with just months to go before New York Citys municipal elections this summer, this reform remains stuck in the countrys most populous city. The city council passed an ordinance to allow noncitizens to vote in its local elections in late 2021, but a local judge struck it down in the spring of 2022 and an appeals court affirmed that ruling last year. The city council has since appealed the decision to the states highest court, but theres been no development since. 8. Will Florida judges destroy protections against gerrymandering? Floridians in 2010 embraced redistricting reform. They approved two constitutional amendments that barred partisan and racial gerrymandering and set up other measures to force lawmakers to draw fair maps. After GOP lawmakers largely ignored those requirements, the state supreme court in 2015 struck down their maps for violating the 2010 measures. Significantly, this produced a new Black-majority congressional district that connected Tallahassee to Jacksonville in north Florida, which elected Democrat Al Lawson in 2016. Urged on by Governor Ron DeSantis, Republicans in 2022 adopted new aggressive gerrymanders and eliminated Lawsons seat. And this decade, the voting rights groups that are challenging the maps are faced with a judiciary that has veered sharply to the right during DeSantis tenure. This has left the Fair District Amendments on the brink of irrelevance. The Florida Supreme Court heard a lawsuit against the states new congressional map in September. The plaintiffs argued that the state diluted Black political representation by eliminating the Black-majority district in North Florida, in violation of the 2010 amendments. Under Florida precedent from last decade, this is an open and shut case, Michael Li, a redistricting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, told NPR at the time. Instead, Chief Justice Carlos Muniz, a DeSantis appointee, raised the prospect that the 2010 Fair Districts Amendments might be unconstitutional altogetherand that the court might strike it down. While this court always appeared unlikely to strike down the legislatures map, striking down the fair districting requirements entirely would be another matter. There would be no more protection against partisan gerrymandering in the Florida Constitution, allowing Republicans going forward to freely gerrymander without even the feeble threat of state court intervention. Honorable mentions There can be no exhaustive list of the challenges that await democracy in 2025, and there are plenty of other state-specific legal battles that are already brewing. In the final days of 2024, North Carolina Republicans passed legislation that upended election administration, stripping the Democratic governor of his authority over election boards and transferring that power to an office held by a Republican; Democrats have signaled they will sue over these changes. Wisconsin awaits a supreme court decision on the fate of Meagan Wolfe, the states top election administrator whom Republicans hope to fire. And today, Pennsylvanias supreme court said it will decide whether mail ballots that have not been dated should count; the state has a complex legal landscape when it comes to mail voting. And the upcoming legislative sessions may create new sources of litigation if states pass laws that affect voting rights. For instance, an Idaho lawmaker just introduced legislation to make it harder to pass ballot instance; the state supreme court struck down a prior round of restrictions on direct democracy at the beginning of this decade. Tuesday morning State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, along with other state leaders, announced a proposal to eliminate the debt of over 60,000 struggling Vermonters. The states partnership with national non-profit, Undue Medical Debt, aims to use $1 million in funds, previously assigned to the purchase of outstanding bonds, to eliminate up to $100 million in debt across the state. 85,000 Vermonters said the fear of medical debt impacts their decision to get medical care. People who hold medical debt often hold shame around the debt and they put off the care they need as a result, said Pieciak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the treasurers proposal, Vermonters will be eligible for relief if they: Have patient accounts that have reached terminal bad debt status. Are in households at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or that owe medical debt equal to or above 5% of household income. Through the program, the non-profit will be able to contract with providers to purchase the debt of eligible Vermonters and dissolve it at no cost to the debtor. The state will also be able to remove medical debt information from consumer credit reports. Rhode Islands Treasurer, James Diossa, who proposed a similar initiative last October, shared his states progress thus far offering his support to Vermont. Weve already been able to buy 7 million dollars worth of medical debt from people in our state, impacting over 3,000 people, said the treasurer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State healthcare leaders, including Vermont Senator Ginny Lyons and Representative Alyssa Black, say they will be introducing the bill later this week. No one should ever be penalized just because they needed medical care. This bill is part of a larger solution, said Black. Treasure Pieciak says, if the bill is adopted, eligible Vermonters will be automatically enrolled in the program. 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 ABC22 & FOX44. Washington state lawmakers proposed new stricter gun bills that are aimed at reducing gun violence across the state. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon inside the Washington State Capitol Building, several state lawmakers and leaders of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility announced six bills, including a new permit-to-purchase system (HB 1163/SB 5140) that would require applicants to submit their fingerprints and show proof that they have completed firearm training before purchasing a gun. Other bills include secure storage requirements for guns inside vehicles and homes (HB 1152), additional requirements and accountability for gun dealers (SB 5099), restrictions on bulk purchases of weapons and ammo (HB 1132), a tax on the sale of guns and ammo to fund violence intervention programs and support victim services (HB 1386), and restrictions on the possession of weapons on state or local properties, parks or playground facilities where children are likely to be around, and county fairs and facilities (SB 5098). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no single policy that will reduce all gun violence. Its a public health problem and it takes a system of laws, safeguards, training and programs that work together to keep guns out of dangerous hands and keep our communities safe, said Renee Hopkins, CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. Gun violence remains a national epidemic. It is the leading cause of death of children and teens in our country, she added. Liz Hjelmseth, a gun violence survivor and a gun owner, said the new bills would help protect communities. You need to store your gun properly. If that law was in place when I was kid, I wouldnt have been shot, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KIRO 7 News spoke with Andy Theilen, co-owner of Glacier Gun Club, to understand his perspective on the bills. Theilen said he supports sensible gun laws, however, the new bills do not address the root issue. If theyre really concerned about those things, why arent we going after the criminals that are committing these things? We all know in this state, its a slap on the wrist for those things. Theyre only going after the sensible gun owners, he said. The co-owner said several of the new bills, especially the secure storage requirements for guns, would put families in danger. You cant have it on your nightstand loaded. You cant have it in your drawer in your nightstand. It has to be locked up. Bad guys know that. If somebody kicks in my bedroom door, I dont have time to go to my safe, unlock my safe, load my gun and to protect myself, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After reaching out to the National Rifle Association, John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, shared the following statement: Just weeks into the legislative session, gun control extremists are pushing more anti-gun measures in Olympia that seek to dismantle the right to keep and bear arms. This is on top of the 28 other gun control laws enacted in the state over the past decade. The NRA and its members will fight against these egregious proposals that infringe on the Second Amendment. The State Legislature should focus on targeting and punishing criminals, not peaceable gun owners. WACO, TX (FOX 44) Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer held the first meeting of the High School Student Advisory Council. The Council consists of 14 students from Waco and University High School together to discuss their experiences and share ideas for improving their campuses. The Council, which Dr. Spicer formed, aims to provide a platform for students to voice their concerns and collaborate with district leadership on solutions to issues they face in their schools. Dr. Spicer emphasized speaking directly with students to better understand their needs. University High School senior Stephanie Rodriguez said she was excited to be part of the Council, even though she is nearing graduation. She believes her involvement will help future students in ways she didnt experience herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel like me being able to do this will make a huge impact on incoming freshmen and those still in high school, Rodriguez said. Not only will they get to experience the changes I wish I had, but Ill also be able to see them succeed in ways I couldnt, due to things like scheduling changes. Rodriguez added that participating in the Council has opened her eyes to the shared challenges and perspectives among students at both high schools, It definitely opens my eyes to the different perspectives of everyone. Im able to compare myself with others and see what we have in common, and where we face similar struggles. Other students echoed Rodriguezs sentiments, expressing appreciation for Dr. Spicers initiative to listen to their concerns. Council member Karyme Reyes is a junior at Waco High School, who said knowing the superintendent wants to hear their voices made her feel valued. It makes me feel like she really cares, Reyes said. It also makes me feel like I can make a difference, not just for myself but for everyone at my school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the meeting, students discussed a range of topics, including scheduling, counseling services, and campus policies. They plan to continue working together over the semester to find solutions to these challenges. I feel very empowered, Reyes added. I feel like I have a voice, not just for myself, but for everyone at my school. To be selected for the Council, students were recommended by their principals based on their academic performance, campus involvement, and behavior. As the group moves forward, Dr. Spicer and the Council hope to create lasting changes that will enhance the high school experience for all students in the district. Superintendent Spicer also formed a middle school advisory council which will meet this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An overall goal for these new Councils is to bring the students and the school district closer together to move forward. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. The first shock came after rising waters outside their St. Pete Beach apartment totaled their cars and shuttered their workplace, Paradise Grille. Then came the race to get in line for state unemployment aid. Like hundreds of displaced restaurant workers, Daniel and Makaila Zelin rushed three days after the storm to CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas, which assists with job placement and unemployment claims. They filed claims each week, which displaced workers must do repeatedly to keep qualifying for aid. The states regular program gives people a maximum of $275 per week for three months enough to cover some bills and groceries but not the couples monthly $2,500 rent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As they waited for the money to come, they applied, unsuccessfully, for jobs and more disaster aid. One month passed. Then two more. Daniel took on temporary work in mold remediation. A Madeira Beach restaurant told Makaila she was hired, then stopped responding to her messages before her first day of training came, she said. By the time a Pinellas County official handed them an eviction notice in early January, they were $4,000 behind on rent. They havent received a dime from state unemployment, nor from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the slew of other aid and grant programs theyve applied to. Pinellas beach communities are filled with those who lost work during the storms and now await unemployment checks all these months later. Citing insurmountable damage, Madeira Beachs Sweet Brewnette sold in December. Former owner Vicki Ferrari said her 16 staffers lacked state aid nearly three months after losing their jobs. A representative for the state agency, FloridaCommerce, didnt respond to questions regarding how many claimants have received aid in the months after the storms. But she urged applicants to reach out to the agencys help center and check messages sent to their account if they havent yet gotten a check. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The long delays suggest the state program is experiencing a bottleneck, said Rachel Arnow-Richman, an employment law professor at University of Florida. That bottleneck poses long-term financial problems to unemployed beach workers like the Zelins, who must reckon with slashed credit scores and eviction. They used to dream of opening their own restaurant. After months of mounting debt, their credit scores are too low to take out a small business loan, the Zelins said. Theyre preparing to fight their eviction in court while borrowing money from their parents to find a place to live, likely away from St. Pete Beach. Im so beyond mentally unwell, Makaila Zelin said. I had to drop out of grad school because of this, and I cant go back, probably for a long time. My entire life that I worked extremely hard for was just completely uprooted. Pandemic-era scrutiny brought little change Floridas unemployment system came under fire even from Gov. Ron DeSantis during the pandemic, when the states unemployment rate neared 15%, with leisure and hospitality workers facing the worst losses. Floridas system was the second-slowest in the nation in processing claims during the early months of the pandemic, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In August 2020, DeSantis said the system was designed to create pointless roadblocks for workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later in 2020, the state agency hired an outside firm to explore why the states system had failed. And in 2021, state lawmakers gave the agency funds to modernize its claims processing system. This year, the unemployment agency said it was in the final phase of modernizing the system to help those asking for aid. Lawmakers considered but never made good on upping the maximum benefit workers can receive: a total of $275 per week over three months, or $3,300. That doesnt go very far to cover your living costs, particularly for families, said Cindy Huddleston, a senior analyst for Florida Policy Institute. Its been this way for years. Weve modeled our program to give the least amount of assistance we can possibly provide. Texas, for example, gives workers a maximum of $591 per week for six months, totaling over $15,000 a year. More than a fifth of unemployed workers receive state benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike during the pandemic, Floridas unemployment rate after last years hurricanes has stayed below 4%. But that doesnt mean its easier to file a claim. Florida lags behind other states on a key metric: the percentage of unemployed people who actually receive state benefits. In the third quarter of 2024, around 9% of unemployed people in Florida received state aid, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. The state ranked 52nd in the nation, below some territories. Floridas rate was similarly low during the first quarter of 2020, when the pandemic hit. It rose swiftly from there as federal unemployment programs like those in the American Rescue Plan Act kicked in, then sunk in 2022 and 2023. The rate late last year, as hurricanes thrashed parts of the state, was the lowest it had been since the pandemic began. Not all unemployed people are eligible to receive benefits, like those who voluntarily quit their jobs. But the state agency advertised unemployment programs to those impacted by storm damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arnow-Richman said Floridas agency should prioritize unemployment claims that resulted from hurricanes. When its so patent that (people will lose their jobs because) a business is closing or theres a natural disaster, maybe we can imagine there being some kind of a fast-track for those situations, she said. Arnow-Richman said she wants stronger worker protection laws, which could require employers to give wage workers severance if their job is terminated abruptly. Beach workers at mom-and-pop shops have never had that safety net. Angry phone calls, appeals and giving up In mid-December, Daniel Zelin got an unwelcome answer to his unemployment claim: a status update reading ineligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had quit a job in tech manufacturing last March, then took a new role at Paradise Grille soon after. The state agency focused on his decision to quit that job, not what had happened to his beach workplace of nearly six months. He tried to make his case in an appeal, conducted by phone, with the state agency. Again, he was denied and told he could appeal to another state commission. Unless an attorney will take his case pro bono, hes not optimistic. Braeden Durbin, a cook at Paradise Grille, is also in a holding pattern. His status on the state website has read pending adjudication for months. When Durbin has tried to call the agency and ask questions, or correct potential mistakes, hes sat on hold for hours, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eventually, he stopped filing each week. He sold his boat and two fishing rods to make rent. Ive become accustomed to the average American way: credit card debt, he said, adding that his score has dropped by 100 points since Helene. Bridget Robison, a self-employed artist on St. Pete Beach, filed for disaster unemployment assistance, a federal fund targeting those who dont qualify for their states regular unemployment program. She applied for that program through Floridas unemployment agency. It took two dozen calls a day to reach someone at the agency shortly after Helene, she said. When she finally submitted her application, she logged in to a horrifying result: somehow, the answers she had dutifully filled out were changed. She was deemed ineligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Was she impacted by Hurricane Helene? She knew she had pressed yes. But now it read no. The next agent she reached by phone told her it was a common problem for the system to change applicants answers. She resubmitted, fixing mistakes to maintain eligibility as she was told. A spokesperson for the agency didnt respond to a question seeking clarity on whether Robisons experience represents a common problem. More than two months without a check passed before something broke in her. Robison called back, adrenaline pumping. She snapped at an agent, demanding to talk to a manager. I had to yell on a voicemail to get them to move their butts on my case, she said. I said, This is cruel. I have no income. Im going to lose my car. I cant feed myself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she was finally approved in late December, all her fighting got her $944 for months of unemployment half her maximum benefits. She had reported three days of work in early December, making her ineligible for her full amount, an agent told her. Im happy I got something out of it, but its not what its supposed to be, Robison said. This is a disaster. It shouldnt be like this. The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal is criticizing President Trumps decision to pardon more than 1,500 his supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. This is a rotten message from a President about political violence done on his behalf, and its a bait and switch, the Journal wrote in an editorial published late Tuesday. What happened that day is a stain on Mr. Trumps legacy. By setting free the cop beaters, the President adds another. The president this week issued pardons of more than 1,500 people charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot, a move that has sparked outrage from some in law enforcement and Republicans who have condemned the violence that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump defended his decision this week and seemingly pointed to what he and other Republicans have said is failures by Democrats to combat crime in America. Well take a look at everything, the newly inaugurated president said on Monday. But I can say this: Murderers today are not even charged. You have murderers that arent charged all over. The Journal is owned by billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who attended Trumps inaugurating on Monday and was consistently attacked by the president along the campaign trail as a globalist who Trump argued was trying to tear me down. 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 The Hill. Jan. 21OLYMPIA Washington and at least 23 other states are challenging President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. "I was sworn into office six days ago, and I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the constitution and laws of the state of Washington," state Attorney General Nick Brown said Tuesday. "This case is in furtherance of that oath. It is our obligation to protect Washingtonians from unjust actions no matter where they arise." The Washington State Attorney General Office joined Illinois, Oregon and Arizona in a suit filed Tuesday in the Western District of Washington. A separate group of 19 states has filed a similar lawsuit in Massachusetts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states argue Trump's executive order violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution During a news conference Tuesday, Brown said the cases are "very similar." The lawsuits from attorneys general throughout the country were filed less than a day after Trump was sworn into office for a second term and again put Washington state at the forefront for challenging Trump's initiatives. "On Monday, one man, the president, said that the citizenship of millions of Americans born to immigrants in this country means less, that the children of immigrants born into citizenship don't have as much value in this country as others," Brown said Tuesday. "He is wrong." In the hours after taking office, Trump signed a flurry of orders, including an executive order ending automatic birthright citizenship that read, in part: a "child born in the U.S. must have at least one parent who is either a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident" to automatically become a U.S. citizen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The order is set to take effect on Feb. 19. "This is plainly illegal. This one is fairly obvious," Brown said. "Not only is it spelled out explicitly in our constitution, the Supreme Court has specifically weighed in on this case." If enacted, Brown said the executive order would deny citizenship to 150,000 newborn children every year. "That's thousands of people born here in Washington who would be denied the key to full participation and opportunity in American society," Brown said. "It would render them undocumented at birth. It could even render them citizens of no country at all." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As he signed the order in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters the order "could be" challenged in the courts. "We think we have good ground, but you could be right," Trump said after a reporter asked about potential legal challenges. "You'll find out. It's ridiculous. We're the only country in the world that does this with birthright, you know, and it's just absolutely ridiculous." Currently, 32 other countries including Mexico and Canada guarantee unrestricted birthright citizenship, and an additional 32 countries guarantee birthright citizenship with some restrictions. The executive order, Brown said, relies on a "fringe theory that this clause changes decades and generations of legal precedent upheld by our Supreme Court." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a news conference Tuesday, Brown said his office would file an emergency motion within the next 24 hours "to seek to block any federal agency from relying on the order to deny citizenship" to babies born in Washington. During the event, Brown called the executive order "unconstitutional, un-American and cruel," and said it attempts to "redefine what it means to be an American." "The President's executive order claiming to end birthright citizenship in the United States is plainly and obviously illegal," Brown said. "Washington state will not abide by such harmful and unjust action." Under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Brown, birthright citizenship dates back more than 150 years, when "our nation had a population of formerly enslaved people who were, in effect, stateless" and has since been affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court to include the children of noncitizens. "Birthright citizenship makes it clear that citizenship cannot, cannot, be conditioned on one's race, ethnicity or where their parents came from," Brown said. "What's not in the Constitution is anything saying the president has the authority to decide who is granted citizenship." In his remarks, Brown said that Trump began his political career "in large part, by inciting fear and hatred against immigrant communities." "Now he wants to redefine American citizenship altogether, but he cannot," Brown said. "One man cannot simply erase what the meaning of the Constitution is, not even the President." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, said in an interview Tuesday that while "in general, I'd rather have things go through Congress than have executive orders," he thought the practice of birthright citizenship was "worthy of debate and clarification from the courts." "My preference would be that these things would come through Congress, but I do think it's a very legitimate question, and I think the 14th Amendment we'll see what the courts decide but certainly the intent of the folks that created it, the amendment, was to right the wrongs of slavery and not a means of what it has become," Baumgartner said. Ahead of Brown's announcement Tuesday morning, state House Republican Leader Rep. Andrew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, told reporters he had not seen either the executive order or the lawsuit, and that he "did not read anything of the things that Trump did yesterday." "As I said last Monday, we got elected to solve state issues, not federal issues," Stokesbary said. "I really like Nick Brown, but I would caution him the same way. He was elected to represent Washington and protect Washington state's interests." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stokesbary noted that 10 of the 12 members of Washington's congressional delegation are Democrats, and that it was "surprising that Democrats like Nick Brown don't trust Democrats like Maria Cantwell to stand up for Washington's interests." Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, told reporters Tuesday afternoon that she discussed the lawsuit with Brown on Monday evening, and that she expressed "a strong support for his doing so." "I think we will be very focused on protecting the constitutional rights of Washingtonians from beginning to end, this year and every year," Jinkins said. "And we'll again do the things that we need to do to protect Washington's values." Sen. Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, noted that while it was important for the Legislature to protect Washington's values, "we have our own job to do." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have a budget to balance, we have a lot of ideas for policy," Pedersen said. "And we're not going to allow ourselves to be distracted by the chaos machine in Washington, D.C. We're going to stay focused on meeting the needs of folks in Washington." Immigrant rights advocate and first-generation American Monica Mendoza-Cawthorn, who was born in King County, said Tuesday that her parents came to the country in search of the American dream. Since then, Mendoza-Cawthorn has earned a law degree and plans to take the bar exam later this year. "Unfortunately, we are in a dark time in our national government where the dreams of my parents are threatened to be taken away for so many people in the future," Mendoza-Cawthorn said. Seeking to reassure others who find themselves in a similar position, Mendoza-Cawthorn said "in Washington, our leaders will do everything they can to ensure that every immigrant is safe, that attempted orders like these are simply attempts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to formally filing the lawsuit, Brown said the state "has spent the last year preparing for this day," which included reviewing Project 2025, a plan of proposals authored by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, and other documents and case law. In a statement, Gov. Bob Ferguson said "we started preparing for this scenario more than a year ago." "The excellent team at the Attorney General's Office is ready to fight this unlawful action, and they will have the full support of my administration," said Ferguson, who filed dozens of lawsuits against the first Trump administration while he served as Washington's attorney general. Prior to formally announcing the lawsuit, Brown said in a statement Monday that Trump "signed a host of gravely concerning executive orders that pose significant harm to thousands of Washingtonians." Ferguson, who was sworn in as governor last week, filed a lawsuit against the first Trump administration challenging a "travel ban" Trump issued against citizens of certain nations 10 days into the term. During a joint news conference following the November election, Ferguson said the state AG's office has increased staff compared to Trump's first term to challenge the federal government when necessary. In his remarks Tuesday, Brown said it wasn't his goal to "challenge every single thing that comes through the Trump administration. "There might be opportunities for us to work collaboratively," Brown said. "But again, my obligation is to protect the people of this state and the laws of this state. And that is why we have brought this particular suit." Furious MAGA supporters have inundated the Episcopal Diocese of Washingtons social media after Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde stood up to Donald Trump at a National Prayer Service. MAGA faithful have overwhelmed the churchs Facebook page by leaving over 100 negative reviews in the last 24 hours and angrily commenting on posts, which have been limited by admins. On Tuesday, Budde called on Trump to have mercy for the scared LGBT+ children and immigrant families across the country when the president and his family attended the service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump hit back in an unhinged rant on Truth Social where he branded the bishop as a nasty and Radical Left hard line Trump hater. His supporters have called for Budde to resign on the churchs Facebook page and branded the place of worship a fake church. The president branded Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde as a nasty and Radical Left hard line Trump hater (REUTERS) This church is a fake church, one person wrote in a review. Never have I heard a sermon that is so political. This church is one of example of cults they use the name of God and Jesus Christ for other agendas. Beware of false prophets. I dont who this bishop thought they were. You dont reprimand a sitting President of the United States, another person vented. She used a church service to vent her political views. She should be removed from the Diocese. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I find this Bishop a disgrace after the stunt she pulled in front of President Trump, someone else posted. You clearly dont know the word of God by your teachings and should resign in disgrace! This church does not teach from the Bible, but instead spreads its own woke agenda, charged another. One supporter simply referred to the bishop as BISHOP SATAN. Trump supporters left angry reviews on the church Facebook page (Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook) People are calling for the bishop to resign (Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook) But the page has also received positive comments countering the hateful reviews. Thank you for restoring some faith in Christian leadership, someone wrote, while another said: Thank you for standing up to a bully. Just turn off the comments. MAGA is full of hate and only want to bring you down, someone else said, while another added: Warm, inclusive, doing the work of Christ in the World. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Independent has contacted the Episcopal Diocese of Washington for comment. The church yesterday shared a letter from Episcopal leaders on the new administrations immigration executive orders. There were over 100 angry reviews left in the last 24 hours (Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A person accuses the church of being pure evil (Episcopal Diocese of Washington/Facebook) Hours before Buddes service, Trump signed a slew of executive orders, many of which included hard-line immigration policies such as ending birthright citizenship while another denied the existence of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people throughout the government. Even as we gave thanks for a peaceful transfer of power, we learned from news reports that the new presidential administration has issued a series of executive orders that are a harbinger of President Trumps pledge to deport undocumented immigrants at a historic scale, restrict asylum, and direct other immigration actions, the church leaders responded in the letter. We read this news with concern and urge our new president and congressional leaders to exercise mercy and compassion, especially toward law-abiding, long-term members of our congregations and communities; parents and children who are under threat of separation in the name of immigration enforcement; and women and children who are vulnerable to abuse in detention and who fear reporting abuse to law enforcement, it added. Budde said at the service, addressing Trump: There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families some who fear for their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added: I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Trump did not immediately respond to Buddes comment in anger. During the service, he merely looked on awkwardly. Watch the trailer for The Age of Disclosure, the documentary directed and produced by Dan Farah that just got a prime opening weekend slot at SXSW. This comes on the heels of bi-partisan Congressional hearings on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP, aka UFOs) and proposed legislation to disclose what the Government knows. Farah got 34 senior members of the U.S. Government, military, and intelligence community to come on camera. He says they reveal an 80 year cover-up of the existence of non-human intelligent life and a secret war amongst major nations to reverse engineer technology of non-human origin. The film explores the profound impact the situation has on the future of humanity, while providing a look behind-the-scenes with those at the forefront of the bi-partisan disclosure effort. The film was granted unprecedented access and support from senior members of the U.S. Government, military, and intelligence community. Everyone interviewed in the film has direct knowledge of UAP as a result of their work for the U.S. Government. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amongst those featured in the landmark film are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Lue Elizondo (former Department of Defense official, member of the Governments Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, aka AATIP), Senator Mike Rounds, Jay Stratton (former DIA official, Director of the Governments UAP Task Force), General Jim Clapper (former Director of National Intelligence), Mike Gold (NASA UAP Study Team member), Admiral Tim Gallaudet (Former Navy Chief Oceanographer), Brett Feddersen (former Director of Aviation Security on the White Houses National Security Council), Jim Semivan (former senior CIA official), Representative Carson, Mike Gallagher (former Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party), Christopher Mellon (former Department of Defense official), senior scientist from multiple Government UAP programs such as Dr. Garry Nolan, quantum physicist Hal Puthoff Ph.D., astrophysicist Eric Davis Ph.D., military eye-witnesses of UAP events over U.S. military bases, and more. Last year, the U.S. Senate introduced the bipartisan UAP Disclosure Act, sponsored by then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Rounds, Sen. Rubio, and Sen. Gillibrand. The act proposed laws that would bring about public disclosure on what the Government knows about UAP and non-human intelligence. Despite being passed in the Senate, the act was ultimately blocked by special interest groups and concerns over public disclosure of the truth regarding UAP. At the time, Senator Chuck Schumer declared, The American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, non-human intelligence and unexplainable phenomena. Commercial distribution plans are still in the works. Cinetic Media is repping the film. The Age of Disclosure is a Farah Films production, in association with Born Ready Films. Produced and directed by Farah, Executive Producers are Colin Frederick, Andrew Farah, and Shara Senderoff. Farahs producer credits include Ready Player One, which also premiered opening weekend of the 2018 SXSW. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. LAFOURCHE PARISH, La. (WGNO) Officials in Lafourche Parish and New Orleans are requesting that residents conserve water the day after a winter snowstorm covered parts of Southeast Louisiana. In Lafourche Parish, the notice was issued by the Lafourche Parish Water District No. 1. It asks customers to refrain from non-essential water use until further notice. LCMC Health place hospitals on lockdown after winter storm Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Water Conservation Notice was issued in response to the excessive demand on the water system during the winter storm and its aftermath. The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans issued a voluntary water conservation notice on Wednesday evening. Boil water advisory issued for parts of Grand Isle SWBNO officials said residents are being asked to avoid using appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. Stay with WGNO for updates on when the conservation is lifted. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WGNO. Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was due to stand trial today on criminal charges. The start of the trial was delayed by a day, for reasons other than the case itself. Via the Associated Press, a water main break closed the courthouse in Quincy, Massachusetts until Thursday. The case will begin then. According to court documents, Peppers faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B substance, which is believed to be cocaine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alleged incident happened in October 2024. Peppers allegedly pushed a woman to the ground, allegedly shoved her head into a wall, and allegedly choked her six times. The league initially placed Peppers on the Commissioner Exempt list. In late November, he was restored to the active roster. League discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy remains possible, if Peppers is convicted or pleads guilty. A conviction will also likely result in a termination of his employment. Said team owner Robert Kraft in October, "If what was reported is true, hes gone." CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Pennsylvania American Water has fixed the water main breaks in two Cumberland County neighborhoods. According to Pennsylvania American Water, a message from American Water states that emergency repairs dealt with water main breaks in Lower Allen Township and Hampden Township. Residents in the area may have experienced low or no water pressure or discolored or cloudy water. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nittany Insiders American Water said repairs took around six to 6.5 hours to complete. Customers may still experience some changes in water pressure when work is completed. However, it should clear up once water runs for three to five minutes. Landlords should inform their tenants, American Water said. 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 ABC27. BAY VILLAGE, Ohio (WJW) As an arctic blast grips Northeast Ohio, temperatures have plunged, transforming everyday life into a winter nightmare. From frozen water main breaks to dangerously icy roads, the weather is creating headaches across the region. Hundreds of schools cancel classes Wednesday In Bay Village, a water main break at the intersection of Wolf Road and Clague Road had turned the area into a slippery, frozen mess. Jorge Rodriguez, a local resident, described the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been like this for quite some time. We called it in at 3 a.m., and they finally came out to fix it, he said. Credit: FOX 8 photo Crews have since resolved the issue, according to police, but residents had struggled to navigate the icy conditions. When you try to get out of the driveway, you skid all over the place, Rodriguez added. My truck got stuck in a ditch yesterday, so it makes it hard to drive. -25 below freezing: Heres when Freezing temperatures have caused pipes to crack, leading to a surge in water main breaks across Northeast Ohio. In Brook Park, a water main break on Brook Park Road created an icy hazard that even salt trucks and police presence struggled to manage. Despite efforts, the sub-zero temperatures quickly refroze treated areas, turning the road into a constant danger zone. Check it out in the video below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Repair crews are racing to address the growing number of water main breaks, but progress is slow. In Bay Village, Cleveland Water confirmed that a crew is actively working on the break at Wolf Road but did not provide a timeline for when the area will reopen. Rodriguez, like many others, is ready for a resolution. We dont have enough pressure to do anything. We barely have enough to wash our hands, he said. 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. (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Wednesday as the embattled leaders try to chart a new course for Europe with US President Donald Trump threatening to upend transatlantic relations. Most Read from Bloomberg Despite their many policy differences and weakened positions, Scholz and Macron will try to project strength and will call for a quick response if the US follows through on threats to impose tariffs on European exports, according to people familiar with the plans. Theyll also pledge to speak with one voice when dealing with the new administration in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A disastrous snap election last year left Macron marginalized in Frances parliament and German voters are poised to vote Scholz out of office next month. That gives the leaders of the European Unions two largest economies limited room to maneuver in the face of an aggressive US. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on the EU over a range of issues, from the blocs trade surplus to not spending enough on defense. Bloomberg reported earlier that the EU has prepared a list of American companies to target with retaliatory duties if Trump does carry through with the threats. We will defend free trade as the basis of our prosperity together with other partners, Scholz said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday. Europe is committed to free, fair global trade and we are not alone in this. The meeting between the two leaders wont be the first time the duo has tried to put up a united front in the face of aggressive foreign powers, even amid their differences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholz and Macron failed over the past three years to build a strong working relationship due to their contrasting views and styles. That difficult dynamic has coincided with the EU navigating urgent issues, such as Russias invasion of Ukraine, a sputtering economy and high energy prices. The stakes, however, are much higher now in the midst of a global reshaping of power dynamics. For Scholz, European nations can only secure their prosperity if they safeguard a certain openness to their economies amid Chinas growing global trade ambitions and Trumps hostile posturing. The German leader wants the EU to seal more free-trade agreements with countries in South America and beyond. Macron has a different take on trade. The French president was furious when despite his staunch opposition, the European Commission in December pushed ahead and completed negotiations on a free-trade accord with the South American Mercosur bloc, an agreement backed by Germany. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similar differences came to light when France last year convinced the commission to raise import tariffs on Chinese electric cars, a move opposed by Germany since it feared Chinese retaliation on German auto manufacturers. France and Germany will also have trouble finding common ground on security and defense. While Scholz is in favor of loosening Germanys strict borrowing limits to finance more defense spending at home via debt, he is opposed to Macrons proposal to go for another round of joint European borrowing to fund defense initiatives. In February, Macron caught Scholz off guard when he didnt exclude the possibility of sending Western ground troops to Ukraine during a press conference in Paris that followed a meeting of EU leaders that included the chancellor. The German leader quickly shot down the proposal. During Wednesdays meeting, Scholz and Macron will also broach the topic of European regulation of US tech giants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholz and Macron will discuss how both governments can support the EU in its efforts to shield citizens from the growing threat of misinformation and hate speech on social media platforms like Elon Musks X and Mark Zuckerbergs Facebook and Instagram, said the people. As the EUs Digital Services Act provides the toolbox for protective measures, Scholz and Macron are likely to agree that Europeans should push against any US attempts to weaken or even abolish those European rules. As the European Union, we can also build on our own strength, Scholz said on Monday. As a community of more than 400 million Europeans, we have economic weight. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Wednesday: We started out brutally cold this morning. Much of Central Alabama dropped into the single digits before the sun came up! The rest of the day will be sunny with high temperatures finally climbing above freezing into the upper 30s. Thursday/Friday: High pressure will build across the Southeast U.S. on Thursday. We will not be as cold with plenty of sunshine and highs in the middle 40s. The lows will be in the 20s. A cold front will move across Central Alabama on Friday with a few clouds and possibly a snow flurry. High temperatures will be in the lower 40s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weekend Outlook: The warming trend will continue into the weekend ahead of a cold front with southerly winds. Saturday will be partly cloudy with highs around 50. The cold front will move into Alabama on Sunday with scattered showers. Highs will be around 50. Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes, Meteorologist Alex Puckett, and Meteorologist Jacob Woods. 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 CBS 42. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a lawyer from Dnipro suspected of aiding Russian missile strikes against the city and then attempting to flee the country, the SBU said on Jan. 22. The agency did not reveal the suspect's identity but described him as a "well-known local lawyer" and one of the most "deeply undercover FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service) agents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast." The man, detained while allegedly attempting to flee across the Polish border at the Krakivets checkpoint, was accused of providing Russia with coordinates for a strike that killed six people and seriously injured 30 in Dnipro on Dec. 29, 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack damaged a shopping center, a maternity hospital, a house, administrative buildings, and at least two dozen high-rise buildings. The suspect is said to have provided Russia with coordinates for a local enterprise, workshops, and drone warehouses to help "inflict maximum damage." He then passed information on the consequences of the attack and provided coordinates for another strategic facility in Dnipro, according to the SBU. The lawyer maintained contact with a senior member of the Russian occupation administration in Crimea and with FSB officers, Ukrainian prosecutors said. The suspect was charged with treason and justifying Russian aggression and faces life in prison. Dnipro is the regional center of the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Ukraine's fourth-largest city, serving as an important logistics and medical hub for the front since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion. Multiple deadly drone and missile strikes have targeted the city since 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Russias primitive glide bombs are still outmatching Ukraines air defenses, killing more civilians Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he was not considering a run for president in 2028, as he tried to tone down speculation about his national aspirations ahead of his own reelection bid next year. Most Read from Bloomberg Asked if he were contemplating a candidacy in the next presidential election, Moore, a Democrat, said, No. Ive got the best job around. And I love the momentum were actually seeing in the State of Maryland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The comments, one of his most direct responses on the question, were made in an interview with Bloomberg Televisions The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations, which will be broadcast on Jan. 29. Moore said that as governor he could serve as a pragmatic partner to President Donald Trump. At the same time, he pledged to absolutely stay involved in the Democratic Party at the national level, adding he wouldnt shy away from criticism of the Republican president when warranted. I am very clear that I will work with this administration and find ways of finding common-sense solutions that are going to uplift Maryland, Moore said. Ill push back on things that I think either dont make sense, or are unconstitutional, or challenge our values, but I am approaching this truly with a sense of partnership. Earlier: Democrat Wes Moore to Be First Black Governor of Maryland Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore, a former Rhodes scholar and Army combat veteran who was elected in 2022 as Marylands first Black governor, described Marylands workforce and infrastructure project interests as tethered to the federal government, pointing out that more than 160,000 federal workers live in the state, which borders Washington, DC. I want this to be Marylands decade, and I want to lead that charge, he continued. Democrats are navigating a new political reality after Trump won Novembers general election, carrying all seven swing states and the popular vote. The defeat, which also left both houses of Congress in Republican hands, has left the party grappling with its brand and searching for new messengers, particularly when it comes to the economy. Moore remained an ardent supporter of President Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance against Trump last June. Even so, that didnt prevent his name along with those of other governors, like Gavin Newsom of California and Michigans Gretchen Whitmer, from being bruited about as possible Biden replacements on the ticket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once Biden dropped out and Vice President Kamala Harris became the nominee, the governor strongly backed her. Moore, a former chief executive of the Robin Hood Foundation and author of The Other Wes Moore, weighed in on the competition between governors and senators, and how presidential candidates emerge from those ranks. I think if people want to find inspiration, look at the states. Because we just get stuff done, you know? We dont play the partisan game, Moore said. He pointed to more than two dozen pieces of legislation that he has signed in the state with bipartisan support in the legislature. Right now, Moore is the only gubernatorial candidate in the 2026 race. He had more than $4 million in cash on hand for his state campaign operation, according to a January campaign finance filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A recent poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services, Inc. showed him leading in a hypothetical matchup with Larry Hogan, a popular former Republican governor who lost a Senate race in November. For the full interview, watch The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations on Wednesday Jan. 29 at 9:00 pm in New York on Bloomberg Television. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. DAKAR, Senegal (AP) The junta-led West African countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have created a joint force that will soon be deployed in the restive Sahel region against rising extremist violence, Nigers defense minister said Wednesday, The force of 5,000 personnel will be posted in the three countries, Salifou Mody said during an interview on state television, adding that some joint operations have already taken place. Niger and its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso have battled for over a decade an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russias mercenary units for security assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mody also said the force will have its own personnel, as well as air, land, and intelligence resources, and a coordination system. We are in the same space. We face the same types of threats, in particular this threat from criminal groups," the defense minister said. We had to pool our efforts. The security situation in the Sahel has worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and civilians killed both by Islamic militants and government forces. The violence in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has killed more than 3,470 people in the last six months while 2.6 million people are currently displaced, according to the United Nations refugee agency. After coming into power, the juntas in the three countries left the Economic Community of West African States, the nearly 50-year-old regional bloc known as ECOWAS, and created their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September last year. Some analysts described it as an attempt to legitimize their military governments amid coup-related sanctions and strained relations with neighbors. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The principal of West High School, Dr. Jared Wright, officially announced his resignation Tuesday night, about a week after he had been placed on administrative leave. In a statement posted to Facebook on Jan. 21, Wright said he has worked in the Salt Lake City School District at various schools throughout the past 20 years. He cited pressing family obligations as the reason behind his stepping down as principal after four and a half years at West High. I look forward to seeking other opportunities in the field of education when the time is right, the statement reads. I want to thank the Salt Lake City Board of Education for the opportunity to serve in these wonderful communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS STORY: Salt Lake School District addresses rumors of West High principals leave After confirming Wright had been placed on leave, district officials told ABC4.com on Monday, Jan. 13, that Assistant Principal Wayne Culley was named Acting Principal. The district further addressed speculation about Wrights leave in a statement on Friday, Jan. 17. We have heard speculation that Dr. Jared Wrights leave is related to the concerns he and others have shared related to school safety at West High, the Jan. 17 statement reads. While we cannot discuss details surrounding personnel matters, we want to dispel any misinformation related to this topic and state clearly that the two are unrelated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also on Jan. 17, students walked out of West High to call for the return of Wright. Protesters said they wanted more answers about Wrights leave, and a petition was also created to reinstate him as principal, gathering nearly 1,500 signatures. The district previously said further discussion about Wrights leave would be inappropriate because of state and federal laws. We want to keep our stakeholders informed about critical updates, and we understand hearing that we dont comment on personnel issues can be frustrating and may lead to speculation or misinformation, the districts website reads. But we have good reasons for not sharing details about personnel matters. Wrights full statement can be read on Facebook, and is included below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Friends and Family, For the past 20 years I have had the privilege of working in the Salt Lake City School District, at Dilworth Elementary, Clayton Middle, and West High School. Due to some pressing family obligations, I have decided to resign and step down as principal of West High School. I look forward to seeking other opportunities in the field of education when the time is right. I want to thank the Salt Lake City Board of Education for the opportunity to serve in these wonderful communities. When I was a senior at West High I set the goal to become the principal of West. For the past four and a half years that dream has been a reality. It has been my honor to work alongside an amazing faculty and staff, a supportive and compassionate community, and the most incredible students in the state of Utah. The world is and will be a better place because of you. You will always have a place in my heart. Go Panthers! Love, JW Dr. Jared Wright via Facebook 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. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) With widespread school closings in West Michigan this week, some districts have now seen a half dozen or more snow days this school year. Frigid wind chills and icy road conditions led to area-wide school closings Tuesday and Wednesday. When combined with a December filled with lake-effect snow, the snow day count has been steadily rising. Another round of snow, high winds target lakeshore Wednesday and Thursday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There arent any clear closing trends, mostly because of the mix of some schools having Martin Luther King, Jr. day off while others used a snow day. Many schools in West Michigan have canceled either four or five days this winter due to weather. West Michigan school closings through Wednesday, Jan. 22. WHO HAS THE MOST? Lakeshore communities in Van Buren and Oceana counties are leading the way with more than a half dozen snow days this winter. South Haven, Covert and Bangor Public Schools in Van Buren County all have seven, along with Hart and Pentwater Public Schools in Oceana County and Hesperia Community Schools in Newaygo County. There are several schools with six, including in the greater Grand Rapids area. Wyoming Public had its sixth day Wednesday, along with Spring Lake Public in Ottawa County and Hopkins Public in Allegan County. Experiments for kids during the Arctic blast MOST SCHOOLS AT FOUR OR FIVE The large majority of schools in West Michigan had their fourth or fifth snow day Wednesday, though there arent any clear trends or concentrated areas. Grand Rapids, Grandville, and Hudsonville all recorded their fifth day Wednesday, along with Kalamazoo, Portage, Hastings and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Battle Creek, Byron Center, Forest Hills, Grand Haven, Kentwood, Muskegon and Rockford were among the districts that recorded their fourth snow day Wednesday. CANCELLATIONS GO BEYOND SNOW DAYS Cedar Springs Public Schools is at seven days of canceled classes as of Wednesday. While its had four snow days, including the past two days, Superintendent Scott Smith said his district has also had to take off two days due to a water main break and another day off due to power issues earlier in the academic year. If it comes to be the case that we have to cancel again, then there is an opportunity where you can petition the Department of Education to receive an extra three days of forgiveness, he said. But in the event that those days are not forgiven, then we can add days on in June. Other districts in West Michigan have experienced a new trend in forced cancellations: online threats. Jenison Public Schools, for example, had to cancel classes across the district this school year due to a threat eventually deemed to be unsubstantiated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you cant bring students on campus safely, you just cant bring students on campus, regardless of the reason, Smith said. WHATS THE LIMIT? While there are no hard limits for how many snow days schools can have, the state of Michigan requires districts to begin making up dates after the sixth in a given school year. Most choose to add dates to the end of the year or cancel miscellaneous days off to make up the difference. Districts can also apply for an additional waiver from the state, which would allow for three additional forgiven days if approved. The 2018-19 school year saw many West Michigan schools close a dozen or more times as the polar vortex, ice storms and other inclement weather impacted the area. The Michigan state legislature passed a bill to forgive four of those days. That wasnt enough for Ionia Public Schools, which recorded 19 snow days and extended the school year to June 13. 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 WOODTV.com. Jan. 21LIMA Senior Box Pickups scheduled for Tuesday at the West Ohio Food Bank, 1380 E. Kibby St., Lima, have been canceled due to cold weather, according to a press release. Second chance pick-ups will be Jan. 23 from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. Featured Local Savings SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Thrifting is a good option for anyone looking to be more sustainable or just save a few bucks on shopping sprees. And in Sioux Falls there are quite a few options for shopping secondhand. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul opened up its second thrift store at the beginning of the month along Ellis Road and already its seen some repeat customers. Lauren Soulek: Is this your first time coming to the thrift store? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, this place has been open for two weeks, are you kidding, shopper John Miller said My second time at this thrift store, shopper Bam Palcovic said. Daktronics to move jurisdiction to Delaware General Manager Scott Ausland says the response for this new thrift store has been tremendous. They have been giving us huge offerings of generous donations and, of course, the front of the house has been very busy as well, Ausland said. Turnouts that could almost confirm this is what the west side has been wanting. Its the only thrift store on this side of town, first of all, and its bigger than the other St. Vincent, Miller said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a lot closer to my house, not as much of a drive and I love thrifting, Palcovic said. Giving more people the option to shop secondhand and donate to a cause. Were not just another thrift store. We do help the community, its very important that we give back, Ausland said. 99 percent of everything that we produce through here is returned through payroll and through actual direct help to those in need and our friends in need. Ausland says that any over-abundance of items donated to them rarely goes to waste, but rather they work with partners outside of Sioux Falls who will take things to either repurpose or recycle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KELOLAND.com. WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) A family in West Springfield is offering a reward for the person who finds their missing 7-month-old puppy, Remi. Murder conviction upheld for West Springfield man The Golden Retriever was last seen back on January 3rd and was wearing a red collar with white bones on it. The Blaser family said they gathered enough donations from the community to hire Hawkeye Aerial Systems, who used their drones to try and find Remi. Two searches have been conducted to try to find him. Theyre also working with Missing Mutts Search & Rescue, along with Missing Dogs of Massachusetts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family says that if the dog is returned to them, a reward will be provided, with no questions asked. If you find Remi or have any information about where he might be, please call the West Springfield Police Department at 413-263-3210. You can also contact Remis owner Liz Blaser at 413-364-0223. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 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 WWLP. HANOI, Vietnam Vietnam has traditionally been a loyal client of Soviet and Russian military equipment, but Western companies are looking at the Southeast Asian nation as a market with significant potential. Their interest was evident at the Vietnam International Defense Expo VIDEX 2024 for short held here in late December. American prime contractors such as Boeing, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and Textron were in Hanoi for the second edition of this biennial exposition, as well as European conglomerates like Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Rheinmetall and Thales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also remarkable at VIDEX 2024 was the presence of kit belonging to the U.S. military, while Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, was in attendance as well. The U.S. Army displayed a Stryker 8x8 armored vehicle and M777A2 towed howitzer, whereas the U.S. Air Force dispatched two A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft from a South Korean base, and a C-130J Super Hercules from Japan. The government of Vietnam has shown interest in the Hercules to plug gaping holes in its air transportation capability. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson told Defense News that the company was highlighting the C-130Js tactical-by-design capabilities at VIDEX 2024. The spokesperson added, Lockheed Martin stands ready to support Vietnam and other U.S. partners and allies across the Indo-Pacific region in meeting their current and future mission requirements across all domains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Vietnamese deal for C-130Js is not unrealistic, as Vietnam has already procured a dozen T-6C Texan II trainer aircraft from American firm Textron. Five T-6Cs were delivered last November, and the remainder will follow this year. Washington annulled a weapon sales ban to the Southeast Asian country in 2016, and a comprehensive strategic partnership signed during President Joe Bidens visit to Vietnam in 2023 is paving the way for even more deals. Marc Knapper, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, said at the show: Our goal is to ensure that Vietnam has what it needs to defend its interests at sea, in the air, on the ground and in cyberspace. Knapper continued, This is why we came out in force in a truly historic, unprecedented participation by the United States government and private sector in this event, and it reflects our commitment to Vietnam and to Vietnams aspirations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boeing executive Dale McDowall told Defense News that his companys presence at VIDEX 2024 was all about building relations with Vietnam. McDowall said Boeing understands that maritime security is critical to Vietnam, a country bordering the South China Sea. Boeing was thus promoting its Wave Glider unmanned surface vessel and ScanEagle drones. The United States, under its Maritime Security Initiative, supplied six ScanEagle systems to the Vietnam Coast Guard in 2022. Also, because many parts of Vietnam are inaccessible and lack airstrips, McDowall said transport helicopters like the CH-47F Chinook have huge potential there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere, Natasha Pheiffer, BAE Systems managing director for Asia, said, Vietnam is a new market for us. She added, We really are just exploring at the moment. There are no hard and fast opportunities for us per se, though the company was supporting the U.S. governments promotion of the M777 howitzer. Working with Vietnam presents challenges too. There isnt a fixed procurement program, necessarily, which does make it a little more difficult to understand what it is theyre looking for, Pheiffer noted. Unsurprisingly, Russia had a very visible presence at VIDEX 2024, with large exhibition booths and several vehicles on display, including a BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and Rubezh coastal missile system. Also out in force showing their wares at Vietnams blue-ribbon defense show were the Czech Republic, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Such a diverse list is an indication of Vietnams efforts to diplomatically balance relations with competing powers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, both Russian and Western suppliers must also contend with up-and-coming defense companies from Vietnam itself. Viettel, owned by the Ministry of National Defense, is Vietnams largest defense company. Viettel was the most prominent exhibitor at VIDEX 2024, and it is now moving into the production of kinetic weapons. An example is the VCS-01 Truong Son coastal defense missile system now operational in the Vietnamese Navy. The VCS-01 system fires the VSM-01A missile possessing a 50-mile (80km) range. The U.S. and European countries remained in contact with Russia throughout the full-scale war, namely on the level of intelligence agencies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22. "The U.S. and Russia maintained contacts on various levels during the three years of the war and Europeans too," Zelensky said in a meeting with international journalists. Zelensky noted that "diplomacy has to have an isolationist quality, just like sanctions. If the leaders don't talk, but the intelligence agencies are constantly in touch, then, in principle, this may suit Russia." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Western countries have largely cut official contacts with Russia following the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. The international isolation imposed on the Kremlin appears to be weakening as U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential peace deal. Commenting on the news that Trump plans to arrange a phone call with Putin, Zelensky said he is not surprised by Washington's efforts to establish contact with the Kremlin but believes Ukraine "should be the priority because we are the allies of the U.S." Trump's new secretary of state, Marco Rubio, recently confirmed in an interview that the Trump administration will aim for a sustainable peace deal so that the war with Russia does not begin anew in two to four years. Trump said earlier if Putin does not come to the negotiating table, Moscow may face fresh economic sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: It needs to end State Secretary Rubios position on Russias war against Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. DANSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) After more than two years of being detained by the Taliban, Western New Yorker Ryan Corbett is finally coming home after being freed. Corbett will soon be reunited with his wife and their three children. During a business trip in August 2022, Dansville resident Ryan Corbett was captured by the Taliban and was held as a hostage in Afghanistan for nearly 900 days. Ryans wife, Anna, fought every day for his release. She made multiple trips to Capital Hill to meet with government leaders, calling on them to bring Ryan home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last March, WIVB News 4s Sarah Minkewicz caught up with Anna at their family home in Dansville. At the time, she said Ryan was in a basement cell with little sunlight. She said he also had poor nutrition and little communication with his family. Hes a really brave person, really strong, but even the strongest people in these types of circumstances are affected physically and emotionally by these really hard circumstances that hes in, Anna said in March. Anna was frustrated, but remained strong for her family and never gave up hope. This week, the Corbett family found out Ryan is one of two U.S. citizens being released as part of a prisoner swap. In a statement, Ryans family thanked President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, members of Congress, Senators, friends, neighbors and others for their efforts in bringing Ryan home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryans life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives, they said. While we begin the healing process with Ryan by our side, we remain mindful of the many families who are still waiting for their loved ones to return, including the families of George Glezmann and Mahmoud Habibi. We recognize the immense privilege of our familys reunion today, and pledge to keep praying and fighting for George and Mahmouds swift release. On the Senate floor Tuesday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated Ryan being freed. When I heard Ryans story from his family and listened to them as they pushed and pushed for his defense, I saw that even in the darkest moments, even when hope seemed lost, the Corbett family never, never gave up, Schumer said. And they never got angry. They never pointed fingers and called names. They just kept persisting and persisting and persisting. And their beautiful, hard, unrelenting, patient persistence has paid off. Latest Local News Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 News 4 Buffalo. Tech billionaires such as Tesla's Elon Musk of Tesla, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple, Sunar Pichai of Google, and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta were in attendance at Monday's presidential inauguration. The tech typhoons have spent weeks offering praise and millions in contributions to President Donald Trump. Last Wednesday, during former President Joe Biden's farewell address, he warned that the U.S. could become an "oligarchy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy," Biden said. "Our basic rights and freedoms. And a fair shot for everyone to get ahead." Here is what this term means and why people say it could apply to the U.S. What is oligarchy? Oligarchy is a type of government where authority is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals. These individuals may be distinguished by nobility, fame, wealth, education, or influence in corporate, religious, political, or military realms. According to City University of New York government and politics scholars, oligarchies have existed throughout human history, with Russia often cited as a contemporary example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the fall of the USSR, influential business owners gained control of Russia's natural resources, using this advantage to amass wealth and political influence. Once entrenched, such systems frequently make it difficult for middle- and lower-class citizens to improve their socioeconomic status. What is plutocracy? Plutocracy is a form of government in which power is held by the wealthy. In this system, those with significant financial resources influence or control political decisions. Wealth, rather than merit or other forms of authority, becomes the primary basis for power and governance. Plutocracy Vs Oligarchy: Similarities And Differences What are the forms of government? Here are some definitions of different types of governments seen around the world, according to the CIA: Absolute monarchy: A monarch rules without being hindered by other governing bodies. Anarchy: Lack of governmental authority, a condition of lawlessness or political disorder. Authoritarian: State authority is imposed on citizens' lives. Communist: The state controls the economy with a single, often authoritarian, party in power. Private ownership is eliminated with the goal of all goods being equally shared in a classless society. Democracy: Power is retained by the people, usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority. Dictatorship: A ruler or small group wield absolute power without a constitution or laws. Ecclesiastical: Church-administered government. Emirate: Power in the hands of the ruler of a Muslim state, an emir. Monarchy: Supreme power is in the hands of a monarch, usually a king or queen and usually hereditary. Socialism: A central government produces and distributes goods to seek a more just and equitable society. Sultanate: Supreme power rests in the hands of a sultan. Theocracy: A deity is recognized as the supreme leader, but ecclesiastical authorities interpret the deity's laws. Totalitarian: A government subordinates individuals to the state, controlling political, economic and social attitudes, values and beliefs. 'Welcome to the Divided States of Oligarchy' Leading up to President Trump's inauguration, "oligarch" seemed a buzzword on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what people shared on X: Welcome to the Divided States of Oligarchy: Elon Musk Wealth 2012: $2 billion 2025: $449 billion Jeff Bezos Wealth 2012: $18 billion 2025: $245 billion Mark Zuckerberg Wealth 2012: $44 billion 2025: $217 billion Federal Minimum Wage 2009: $7.25 an hour 2025: $7.25 an hour pic.twitter.com/InJmLfWuTP Warren Gunnels (@GunnelsWarren) January 20, 2025 For all Trump's talk of manufacturing jobs, you didn't see the CEOs of GE and Caterpillar sitting in the prime seats today. You saw the CEOs of Amazon and X and Meta and Google and TikTok. It's the attentional oligarchs whose power he cares about. Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) January 20, 2025 Each one of the oligarchs at Trumps inauguration owes their success to Obama. Obama created Trumps regime in more ways than one. pic.twitter.com/eSiwZ5J7oI Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) January 21, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's how oligarchs work. Welcome to poli sci 101 https://t.co/Cj7oBHWXM2 Ameshia Cross (@AmeshiaCross) January 21, 2025 -USA TODAY NETWORK contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Oligarch vs plutocrat: What's the difference? Here's what they mean Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary, on Tuesday, drew mockery for her breathless praise of Donald Trump on Fox News. Leavitt no strangerto bombasticallygoing to bat for the president claimed of Trumps second administration: We have truth on our side at this White House. This man is already doing more in less than 24 hours than his predecessor did in four years, Leavitt, the youngest ever press secretary, also declared. Leavitts hyperbole came as she teased an imminent announcement from Trump on infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Trump was pilloried during his first term for not delivering on his often-touted Infrastructure Week, on Tuesday he did actually announce that billions of dollars from the private sector will be invested in infrastructure to boost the use and development of artificial intelligence. Critics, though, likened Leavitts rhetoric on Trump to that which is parroted on foreign state media, particularly in North Korea. Propaganda so blatant it would make the dictator of North Korea blush, one commenter wrote. Another cackled at her talk about truth. Trump told more than 30,000 lies during his term, per The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related... Douglas Sacha/Getty Images Sign up for The Agenda Them's news and politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Thursday. This story was originally published in NOTUS, a nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom from The Allbritton Journalism Institute. President Donald Trumps recent executive order declaring that the U.S. recognizes only two sexes, male and female, will not impact passports issued before the start of his term to transgender and nonbinary people that have their preferred gender or X marker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House told NOTUS that Mondays executive order is not retroactive and does not invalidate old passports. However, if government-issued documents need to be renewed, they must reflect the persons sex assigned at birth. They can still apply to renew their passport they just have to use their God-given sex, which was decided at birth, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Thanks to President Trump, it is now the official policy of the federal government that there are only two sexes male and female. Trumps order directs the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Office of Personnel Management to implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holders sex. Its unclear when that will happen, given Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the only cabinet official who has been confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LGBTQ+ rights groups urged trans and nonbinary people to update documents like passports, Social Security cards, and drivers licenses ahead of Trumps return to the White House. While those documents remain valid, advocates expect lawsuits to challenge Mondays order. Now were going to look at what they actually do and when peoples rights are actually affected, then there will be lawsuits, said Jennifer Pizer, chief legal officer at Lambda Legal, a firm that supports LGBTQ+ rights. Lambda Legal represented Dana Zzyym, an intersex and nonbinary veteran who challenged the State Department in 2017 for refusing to recognize their preferred gender marker. Zzyym argued that the male and female markers were inaccurate for intersex and nonbinary people. Ultimately, a federal court sided with Zzyym, and they became the first person with an X marker on their passport in 2021. In 2022, the State Department announced that the X designation would be available for people who select it on their passport application forms. Trumps new order reverses that decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been a number of federal courts that have rejected arguments from states that have wanted to deny people updated gender markers on drivers licenses, birth certificates. And, in most of the circumstances, the federal courts have ruled that it is a violation of the 14th Amendment to deny a transgender person the ability to update their gender markers, said Sarah Warbelow, vice president of legal for the Human Rights Campaign. So theres definitely precedent on this, besides the Dana Zzyym case. While the Supreme Court has not ruled on cases specifically pertaining to a persons gender marker and is currently evaluating a case that will decide whether bans on gender-affirming care are constitutional, advocates pointed to the 1996 Romer v. Evans case, where the justices decided that a state cannot discriminate against homosexual or bisexual people because it violates the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause. For social conservatives, Trumps order was an achievement. The president had made anti-trans messaging a key part of his campaign. Everything You Need to Know About Trump's Executive Order Attempting to Erase Trans Americans Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president signed the sweeping order within hours of taking office, signaling that curtailing the rights of trans people is a top priority for his administration. I think this is stronger than probably most social conservatives anticipated, said Jon Schweppe, the policy director for American Principles Project. Its across the board, you know, sex is sex. When asked about what the order means for the existence of trans and nonbinary people, given that Trumps order says the two sexes are not changeable, Schweppe said that this is acknowledging that from now on the policy of this government is going to be to acknowledge biological sex. How someone presents themself or what have you, you know, I dont think anyones trying to do a dress code or anything like that, but ultimately for the purposes of identification, for the purposes of all the things mentioned in the order we are going to acknowledge biological sex, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twenty-two percent of respondents of the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey, the largest survey of trans people in the country, reported being verbally harassed, assaulted, asked to leave a location, or denied services when they showed someone an ID with a name or gender that did not match how they present themselves. Get the best of whats queer. Sign up for Thems weekly newsletter here. Originally Appeared on them. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps national security adviser on Wednesday sidelined about 160 National Security Council aides, sending them home while the administration reviews staffing and tries to align it with Trumps agenda. The career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees, were summoned Wednesday for an all-staff call and told they will be expected to be available to the council's senior directors but would not need to report to the White House. The council provides national security and foreign policy advice to the president. Brian McCormack, chief of staff to national security adviser Mike Waltz, delivered the news in a two-minute phone call, telling the detailees they are directed to be on call and report to the office only if contacted by the NSC leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As anyone who has had the privilege of working here in the White House knows, its a tremendous honor to support the executive office of the president and the presidency itself, said McCormack, according to a recording of the call obtained by The Associated Press. We also know that every president is entitled to have a staff and the advisers that they need to implement the goals that the American people elected him to pursue. Trump, a Republican, is sidelining these nonpolitical experts on topics that range from counterterrorism to global climate policy at a time when the United States is dealing with a disparate set of complicated foreign policy matters, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Such structuring could make new policy experts brought in to the NSC less likely to speak up about policy differences and concerns. Waltz had signaled before Inauguration Day that he would look to return holdover civil servants who worked in the council during President Joe Biden's administration to their home agencies. That was meant to ensure the council is staffed by those who support Trump's goals. By the end of the review, Waltz will look to have a more efficient, flatter NSC, one official said. The officials declined to comment on the ultimate number of personnel nonpolitical detailees as well as political appointees whom Trump and Waltz would like to see as part of the council once the review is completed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said they have already begun bringing detailees from agencies with expertise that the new administration values, including some who had served during the first Trump administration. Some directors have made decisions to inform detailees they will be sent back to their home agencies. For example, multiple holdover detailees assigned to the counterterrorism directorate were told on Tuesday that their assignments were being cut short, according to two people familiar with the move who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. At least some holdover detailees sent home Wednesday had their White House emails turned off soon after the call ended, but were told to remain reachable on their personal cellphones. It is unlikely they will be assigned any substantive work during the review. Waltz "promised and authorized a full review of NSC personnel, council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement. It is entirely appropriate for Mr. Waltz to ensure NSC personnel are committed to implementing President Trumps America First agenda to protect our national security and wisely use the tax dollars of Americas working men and women. Since 12:01 pm on Monday personnel reviews and decisions based on the evaluations are being made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dozens of staff members affected by the decision are largely subject matter experts from the State Department, the FBI and the CIA on temporary duty that typically lasts one year to two years. Incoming senior Trump administration officials this month also had questioned some career civil servants about which 2024 candidate they voted for, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by Trumps team, a person familiar with the matter told the AP. That person spoke on the condition of the anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel matter. Waltz in a recent interview with Breitbart News said that he wanted the NSC to be staffed by personnel who are 100% aligned with the presidents agenda. The NSC was launched as an arm of the White House during the Truman administration. It was tasked with advising and assisting the president on national security and foreign policy and coordinating among various government agencies. It is common for experts detailed to the NSC to carry over from one administration to the next, even when the White House changes parties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, made a case for the incoming Trump administration to hold over career government employees assigned to the NSC, at least through the early going. He called the career appointees patriots who have served without fear or favor for both Democratic and Republican administrations. Trump, during his first term, was scarred when two career military officers detailed to the NSC became whistleblowers, raising their concerns about Trumps 2019 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump sought an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter. That episode led to Trumps first impeachment. Alexander Vindman was listening to the call in his role as an NSC official when he became alarmed at what he heard. He approached his twin brother, Eugene, who at the time was serving as an ethics lawyer at the NSC. Both Vindmans reported their concerns to superiors. The White House Spanish language page was shut down just hours after President Trump assumed the Oval Office for the second time. The website, whitehouse.gov/es/, was functioning during the Biden administration, shows a 404 error along with a Go to home page button. The White Houses @LaCasaBlanca Spanish-language page on Instagram is also unavailable. The Constitution page on Trumps White House website is also showing a 404 page not found error. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White Houses Spanish language website was also removed in 2017 by Trump administration officials. It was reinstated in 2021 when former President Biden assumed office. The page went dormant as Trump announced on Monday a slew of executive orders and directives aimed at curtailing crossings at the U.S. southern border, including declaring a national emergency at the border. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. A White House spokesperson told The Associated Press it is committed to bringing back online the Spanish translation section of the website. Its day two. We are in the process of developing, editing and tweaking the White House website, spokesperson Harrison Fields told the AP. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content in a short timeline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Spanish language version of the page has been hosted by the White House since the George W. Bush administration. Former President Obama kept it active. The Trump administration has shut down other websites, including reproductiverights.gov, which provided reproductive health information. The site was started by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2022. Officials in the new administration have also shut down the CBP One app, the mobile app that allowed migrants without a visa to make appointments at the U.S.-Mexico border. 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 The Hill. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Under new Michigan law, state police will be required to destroy all firearms turned over to them that were purchased under a gun buyback program. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill into law Wednesday, according to a release from her office. It requires the Michigan State Police to make sure all parts of the firearms are destroyed. Reselling is prohibited. This legislation ensures when we destroy a firearm, our current practice of destroying all parts of the firearm will remain the standard now and for the future, said Col. James F. Grady II, MSP director, in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gun buyback programs have been used by numerous police departments over the years, including in Grand Rapids, where residents in 2022 turned in nearly 300 firearms at a gun buyback event. It was twice the number turned in during previous gun buyback programs in the city. In exchange for each firearm turned in, residents received a gift card ranging from $100 to $200. In the past, police agencies had the discretion to auction off the guns that were turned in. News 8s John Hogan contributed to this 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 WOODTV.com. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sits for a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights in Grand Rapids, Michigan with Vice President Kamala Harris on Feb. 22, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) Bills to expand reproductive rights in Michigan, including a bill that allows pharmacists to directly prescribe and dispense contraceptives to patients, were signed Tuesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Flint. Currently, one-third of Michigan counties are experiencing a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists, meaning these families have to wait months or travel long distances just to access basic health care, said Whitmer in a video posted to social media. The bills Im signing today will help address this. Theyll also save Michiganders several trips to the doctors office and help lower their out-of-pocket costs. And these bills are just a few and a long list of actions weve taken here in Michigan to make sure every Michigander can make their own decisions about their own bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Bills 5435 and 5436, sponsored by state Reps. Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit) and Kara Hope (D-Holt), respectively, expand contraceptive access by permitting a pharmacist to directly prescribe birth control while also requiring insurers to cover the cost of the contraceptives. Today, we are breaking down barriers to reproductive health care access in Michigan. This new law makes it easier for individuals especially those in underserved communities to take charge of their health and their futures, said Young (D-Detroit). Access to contraceptives shouldnt depend on where you live or whether you can get a doctors appointment. By expanding access, we are prioritizing equity, convenience and the well-being of our residents. The legislation codifies the 2022 policy from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) resulting from an executive directive Whitmer issued that year. More than half of states already allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives, and Hope says its past time to allow pharmacists in Michigan to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contraception should be easily and safely accessible, said Hope. Now that these bills have been signed into law, barriers like geography and health care shortages are no longer obstacles to receiving contraceptive health care in Michigan. These new laws will make a meaningful change in the lives of Michiganders. Rep. Kara Hope at a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Lansing, July 25, 2024 | Anna Liz Nichols Eric Roath, executive director of the Michigan Pharmacists Association, said pharmacist-provided hormonal contraception is necessary to increase its accessibility, especially in areas with limited access to health care services. It enhances womens health by further empowering them to take control over reproductive decisions using safe and effective medications. This is critical toward improving health outcomes and reducing unnecessary health care spending, said Roath. Other bills signed by Whitmer on Tuesday include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Bill 5636, sponsored by state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), defines and provides licensure of freestanding birth centers, which provide midwifery care, reproductive and sexual health care, and newborn and postpartum care. House Bill 5826, sponsored by state Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren), creates a program that will award one-time scholarships of up to $3,000 to help cover the cost of doula training for Michigan residents, who show financial need. Doulas serve as advocates for expectant mothers during the labor and delivery process. House Bill 5956, sponsored by state Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac), will prohibit discrimination against a health care provider who is acting within the scope of that providers license or certification. The bill further codifies federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions into Michigan law, which supporters argue is needed in case of a policy change at the federal level. House Bill 5166, also sponsored by Young, continues support for the states Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQC), which are networks of perinatal care providers and public health professionals, working to improve outcomes for women and babies through continuous quality improvement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Bill 5172, sponsored by state Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker), will establish a program to designate perinatal facilities according to the level of care they offer. Standardizing the criteria will help mothers identify a facility that matches the risk level of their pregnancy. House Bills 5167 and 5168, sponsored by state Reps. Cynthia Neeley (D-Flint) and Kimberly Edwards (D-Eastpointe), respectively, require health insurers to cover the cost of blood pressure monitors for pregnant and postpartum women to better identify potential risks to their health, including preeclampsia and premature birth. House Bills 5169, 5170 and 5171, sponsored by former Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) and Reps. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac) and Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids), respectively, expand mental health services for postpartum individuals. After pregnancy, about 85% of mothers experience some type of mood disturbance, and about 10% to 15% develop more significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. These bills require a health professional to offer a mental health screening at a follow-up appointment or well-child visit as well as require insurers to cover the cost. They also allow medical professionals to provide mental health resources to their patients, such as a referral. House Bill 5173, also sponsored by Hope, will support new parents and guardians by requiring hospitals to provide information on the health insurance enrollment process for newborns, a process that can be stressful and overlooked. This bill takes that burden off of new parents and ensures they dont lose out on necessary dollars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three bills, all sponsored by state Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo), were also signed by the governor: House Bill 4728 supports families that rely on donor breast milk by making it easier for individuals to donate. The bill eliminates the requirement that regular breast milk donors must be tested every three months for HIV, while still maintaining initial screening requirements. Because the pasteurization process deactivates the HIV virus, ongoing testing is not medically necessary for breast milk safety. House Bill 5825 reinforces Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections in Michigan by requiring health insurers to issue rebates to their customers if they fail to meet minimum spending requirements on patient care, a threshold known as medical loss ratio (MLR). House Bill 4224 repeals workforce requirements for the Healthy Michigan Plan after a federal court ruled they were unlawful in 2020. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is on the rise across southwest Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health in Roanoke City and the Alleghany districts say they usually see around three to four cases of whooping cough a year, but since January of 2024, its case number is at over 30. Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease caused by bacteria in the nose and throat and spread through sneezing or coughing, the health department says there isnt a specific age group or area that is showing a higher number of infections, they say its all over the board, and with this rise in numbers, the health department worries about one vulnerable group: Seasonal visitation restrictions for Sovah Health amid rising respiratory viruses Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were most concerned about babies, very young children, before they can get fully immunized. It takes a few doses for them to become fully immunized. And so when theyre very young, under the age of one, they can be hospitalized if they get pertussis. So its very dangerous for them, said Christie Wills, communication officer for the Roanoke city and the Allegheny health districts. So we always want to see people take advantage of getting their vaccinations to help protect the most vulnerable. The health department isnt sure why cases are rising. One reason they believe the uptick is happening now, is people are still catching up on post-pandemic vaccines. The health department says they worry case numbers may be higher than reported because some may think its the flu or Covid-19. The biggest way you can tell a difference is the sound your cough will make, its where the disease gets its name. Its very, very contagious. Sometimes pertussis starts off more like a cold, maybe something routine. But over time, in a few weeks, it can really ramp up and get very deeply embedded in the lungs and cause a very severe cough, said Wills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The health department advises to stay home if youre sick and continue to keep up to date on your vaccines. 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 WFXRtv. In one of the many starry boasts made at his inauguration, the 47th (also 45th) president of the United States promised to put a man on Mars. From this side of the Atlantic, the depressed, downtrodden masses cried as one, Please can that man be Keir Starmer? We looked upon that glorious, happy occasion, watched agog as the new incumbent signed executive orders that would rewire his nation with cheery insouciance, and rubbed our eyes in disbelief. Imagine having a leader who puts the good of their country first. We cant. Britain Last is our Governments motto. It is becoming increasingly clear that we are run by progressive lawyers who use our taxes to fund their international human rights projects and pay reparations for resurrected sins of the past. Forking out 11.6 billion in overseas climate aid appeared to take first prize for national self-harm, and then along came paying Mauritius to take the Chagos islands off us, an idea so mad our only hope is that President Trump has arrived in time to slap it down. Like benighted souls behind the Iron Curtain, we must now peer enviously from afar as the US does pretty much everything we wish would happen here. On X (formerly Twitter), I said, Anyone else looking forward to watching the Trump administration humiliate our calamitous Labour Government? I meant it as a joke, but almost a million views later the heartfelt replies kept thundering in. Cant wait, its going to be delicious. Ive already got the popcorn in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Honestly, its the only bit of good news we have to look forward to at the moment, said Susan. As a proud and loyal Brit, said Phil, Im looking forward to Trump giving the UK a good kicking for the next four years. Never in my life could I have dreamt of wishing a foreign state would heap humiliation on our own countrys leader, said another anguished contributor. Yet this is what we have been reduced to. Starmers cabal is treacherous and corrupt. The response I liked best came from Tina: Cant wait, Im hoping hell proscribe the Labour Party as a terrorist group. We can but hope, Tina. Sending that blithering idiot David Lammy to Guantanamo Bay for calling the new president a Nazi sympathiser would be perfect. One respondent did call me treasonous for inviting a foreign power to influence our affairs, although its fair to say it was only due to foreign interference that the child-rape gangs suddenly went to the top of the news agenda. We have so lost our way, it seems, that we need people with the perspective of distance to point out clear moral abominations. If treason means betraying your country and its interests, there are plenty here who are doing that already. Treason is creating economic conditions so hostile that a dollar millionaire is leaving the UK every 45 minutes. A terrifying 10,800 millionaires have left since Labour came to power. As that top 1 per cent pay 29 per cent of all income tax, this is seriously bad news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Treason is refusing point blank to exploit your countrys bountiful natural resources we are built on coal and surrounded by a sea of oil and gas out of some deluded aspiration to virtue-signal your green credentials to other countries who privately think youve lost the plot. Treason is dumbing down your young people, teaching them their culture is toxic, Shakespeare is elitist and not for the likes of them, and that the majority population must atone for their white privilege, even when theyre struggling to make ends meet. Treason is having borders so porous that 150 illegal migrants (at least) get in every day to benefit from accommodation and healthcare not available to those who have lived here all their lives. Treason is a justice system which says its not possible to deport those illegals and calling anyone who wants them gone bigots and racists. Why would envying America her exciting new direction count as treachery? Even female friends who hated Trump the first time seem to have come around; there is private acknowledgement that a President Kamala Harris would have bowed down to the Democratic nutcases and put rocket boosters on the gender-identity nonsense which jeopardises womens spaces and equality itself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I found rather a lot to enjoy about Trumps hilariously bombastic inauguration. Melania thrillingly strict in a Victorian governess-meets-Wonder-Woman outfit; her boater recalling Oddjobs lethal hat in Goldfinger. You half hoped she might suddenly throw it like a murderous discus at a dazed Joe Biden to see if he was still with us. The First Son, Barron Trump, towered over his tall mother; he must be 6ft 10in, adding to the vertiginous, slightly scary sense that a superior new species of human was taking over. Almighty God was invoked at regular intervals and, its fair to say, He may have been surprised to learn that He had saved Trump from assassination solely to Make America Great Again. JD Vance, his wife Usha (radiant in powder pink) and their three adorable children were there representing the American Dream. Vance was born in the poorest part of the country to a drug-addict single mother a story he tells brilliantly in his book Hillbilly Elegy, which was feted by the liberal elite until they realised, to their horror, that Vance had come to the view that Americas working class stood a better chance with Trump and the Republicans. Usha is a Hindu, the daughter of immigrants (and an alumna of my Cambridge college), the first Asian Second Lady, but no one made a thing about that because diversity is a thing that should happen naturally, not be legislated for with quotas. As Trump said of his vice president, the only person smarter than him is his wife. In the first 24 hours, we got executive orders banning net zero and promising bountiful cheap energy for Americans (Drill, baby, drill!). No more open borders letting millions of people, some of them dangerous, into the country. (See, it can be done!) Farewell lunatic excesses of wokery and schools telling vulnerable children they can change sex. No more funding of UNRWA (Hamas supporters masquerading as a relief agency in Gaza). Quit the corrupt World Health Organization, which danced to Chinas tune during Covid. A passionate commitment to free speech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All that, and a bust of Winston Churchill returned to the Oval Office after it was removed by the Anglophobic Biden. Hell, yeah, lets go! It comes to something when things are so dire that our dearest wish is that The Donald takes pity on us and adopts the dear old country as the 51st state of America. Id be on for that how about you? 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. Twelve hours after 170 million Americans lost access to TikTok over the weekend, the popular social media app suddenly reappeared. Users opened TikTok Sunday to a "welcome back" message. "Thanks for your patience and support," the pop-up read. "As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!" After the Supreme Court upheld the TikTok ban last week, users have some questions. Why did Trump restore TikTok access, and how did he do it? Did someone buy the U.S. operations of TikTok? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what we know. TikTok ban reversal: Why did Trump bring back TikTok? As one of his first moves following his inauguration, President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday aiming to halt enforcement of a ban on TikTok in the U.S. for 75 days. "I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans," Trump said in the executive order. "My Administration must also review sensitive intelligence related to those concerns and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date." Trump's order comes days after Congress passed the ban with overwhelming bipartisan support, citing national security concerns. TikTok's owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, drew criticism after the U.S. Department of Justice said TikTok has access to American data and is sharing it with the Chinese government, and could manipulate the content on the app to shape American opinions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first ban was proposed by Trump himself in a 2020 executive order. His ban, which also gave ByteDance a deadline to sell to a U.S. company, coincidentally came a month after TikTokkers gleefully trolled him by organizing a campaign through the app to sign up for seats at his rallies, causing Trump to brag about the number of RSVPs received, and then not showing up. While ByteDance was in negotiations to sell to Microsoft and Oracle, the company filed a request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the app from being banned and got it, so Trump's ban never went into effect. Biden later revoked the order and ordered the Secretary of Commerce to investigate the app. In 2022, Biden signed a bill prohibiting the app on government devices. Following the Supreme Court's ruling last week, he signed legislation requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets by Jan. 19, 2025. Despite his actions five years ago, Trump seems to have had a change of heart concerning the video-sharing app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Because I got to use it," Trump told reporters Monday during a wide-ranging Oval Office media session when asked why he changed his mind about TikTok. "And remember, TikTok is largely about kids, young kids. If China is going to get information about young kids, I don't know. To be honest with you, I think we have bigger problems than that." 'I got to use it': Donald Trump's evolution from TikTok foe to a fan Who bought TikTok in 2025? Did Meta buy TikTok? Did Elon Musk? As of Wednesday, it remained unclear whether TikTok's U.S. operations were sold and, if so, to whom. Some users have speculated that Meta bought the app, citing TikTok's feature that allows users to sync with their Facebook accounts. Others noticed Facebook has an official account on TikTok. However, Newsweek reports both of these happened some time ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also been the subject of speculation regarding TikTok's purchase. If TikTok were to merge with Musk's social media platform X, Musk would garner access to large amounts of data from TikTok which could potentially feed into his separate artificial intelligence company, xAI. Musk is also expected to head the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created by Trump. On Tuesday, Trump confirmed he would be open to Musk's purchase of TikTok. The president briefly spoke to reporters on the topic, Reuters reports. "I have met with owners of TikTok, the big owners," Trump said. "So, what I am thinking about saying to somebody is 'buy it and give half to the United States of America.'" When will TikTok be back on the app store? Users who already had the app downloaded onto their devices were able to jump back into TikTok after the ban was reversed. However, those who hadn't yet downloaded it or had deleted the app seem to be unable to get it back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Wednesday morning, TikTok could still not be downloaded from the Apple and Google app stores in the U.S. Android users who search for TikTok in the Google Play Store are greeted with an unclickable icon of the app logo along with a query: "Looking for TikTok?" Underneath is a message reading, "Downloads for this app are paused due to current U.S. legal requirements." Apple users are met with a similar notice reading, "TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you're in." A prompt to "learn more" takes users to a support page with additional information about the availability of TikTok and other apps owned by ByteDance in the U.S. "Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," the message reads, citing the law that went into effect Jan. 19. Google and Apple may be awaiting additional protections before bypassing the ban, which could levy punishments against companies for distributing the app, according to analysts, per a report from Reuters. It is unclear when users will be able to download the TikTok app again. Is TikTok getting banned again? Maybe. Trump's executive order only delayed the app's ban, which Trump said had "unfortunate timing" and "interferes with my ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications of the Acts prohibitions before they take effect. This timing also interferes with my ability to negotiate a resolution to avoid an abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform while addressing national security concerns." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am instructing the Attorney General not to take any action to enforce the Act for a period of 75 days from today to allow my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans," Trump's executive order reads. Who is the CEO of TikTok? Singaporean business executive Shou Zi Chew is the current CEO of TikTok. He made a notable appearance at Trump's inauguration Monday, after praising Trump for his role in restoring TikTok to U.S. users. "On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States," Chew said in a video last week. USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Is TikTok still getting banned? Why Trump reversed the ban In the days since a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and suspected Jewish settlers have rampaged through two Palestinian towns. The violence comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces domestic pressure from his far-right allies after agreeing to the truce and hostage-prisoner exchange with the Hamas militant group. U.S. President Donald Trump has, meanwhile, rescinded the Biden administration's sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the territory. It's a volatile mix that could undermine the ceasefire, which is set to last for at least six weeks and bring about the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, most of whom will be released into the West Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, and Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. Escalations in one area frequently spill over, raising further concerns that the second and far more difficult phase of the Gaza ceasefire which has yet to be negotiated may never come. A rampage and a military raid Dozens of masked men rampaged through two Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank late Monday, hurling stones and setting cars and property ablaze, according to local Palestinian officials. The Red Crescent emergency service said 12 people were beaten and wounded. Israeli forces, meanwhile, carried out a raid elsewhere in the West Bank that the military said was in response to the hurling of firebombs at Israeli vehicles. It said several suspects were detained for questioning, and a video circulating online appeared to show dozens being marched through the streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the Israeli military launched another major operation, this time in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, where its forces have regularly clashed with Palestinian militants in recent years, even before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip triggered the war there. At least nine Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, including a 16-year-old, and 40 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The military said its forces carried out airstrikes and dismantled roadside bombs and hit 10 militants though it was not clear what that meant. Palestinian residents have reported a major increase in Israeli checkpoints and delays across the territory. Israel, meanwhile, says threats from the West Bank against its citizens are on the rise. Earlier this month, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on motorists there, killing three Israelis, including two women in their 70s. That attack fueled calls from settler leaders for a crackdown in the territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz cast the Jenin operation as part of Israel's larger struggle against Iran and its militant allies across the region, saying we will strike the octopus' arms until they snap. The Palestinians view such operations and the expansion of settlements as ways of cementing Israeli control over the territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under seemingly open-ended Israeli military rule, with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority administering cities and towns. Prominent human rights groups call it a form of apartheid since the over 500,000 Jewish settlers in the territory have all the rights conferred by Israeli citizenship. Israel rejects those allegations. Netanyahu's far-right partners are up in arms Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu has been struggling to quell a rebellion by his ultranationalist coalition partners since agreeing to the ceasefire. The agreement requires Israeli forces to withdraw from most of Gaza and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners including militants convicted of murder in exchange for hostages abducted in the Oct. 7 attack. One coalition partner, Itamar Ben-Gvir, resigned in protest the day the ceasefire went into effect. Another, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to bolt if Israel does not resume the war after the first phase of the ceasefire is slated to end in early March. They want Israel to annex the West Bank and to rebuild settlements in Gaza while encouraging what they refer to as the voluntary migration of large numbers of Palestinians. Netanyahu still has a parliamentary majority after Ben-Gvir's departure, but the loss of Smotrich who is also the de facto governor of the West Bank would severely weaken his coalition and likely lead to early elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That could spell the end of Netanyahu's nearly unbroken 16 years in power, leaving him even more exposed to longstanding corruption charges and an expected public inquiry into Israel's failure to prevent the Oct. 7 attack. Trump's return could give settlers a freer hand Trump's return to the White House offers Netanyahu a potential lifeline. The newly sworn-in president, who lent unprecedented support to Israel during his previous term, has surrounded himself with aides who support Israeli settlement. Some support the settlers' claim to a biblical right to the West Bank because of the Jewish kingdoms that existed there in antiquity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The international community overwhelmingly considers settlements illegal. Among the flurry of executive orders Trump signed on his first day back in office was one rescinding the Biden administration's sanctions on settlers and Jewish extremists accused of violence against Palestinians. The sanctions which had little effect were one of the few concrete steps the Biden administration took in opposition to the close U.S. ally, even as it provided billions of dollars in military support for Israel's campaign in Gaza, among the deadliest and most destructive in decades. Trump claimed credit for helping to get the Gaza ceasefire agreement across the finish line in the final days of the Biden presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this week, Trump said he was not confident it would hold and signaled he would give Israel a free hand in Gaza, saying: It's not our war, it's their war. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Even though President Donald Trump had vowed to deliver pardons to those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the Capitol, his sweeping clemency for roughly 1,500 people was stunning. The recipients of Trumps incredible generosity included Enrique Tarrio, a onetime leader of the Proud Boys who was convicted of sedition and serving a 22-year sentence; Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, who was serving an 18-year sentence for his involvement; and about 600 people who had been charged with assaulting or resisting law enforcement officers, including more than 170 who were charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or seriously injuring an officer. Plenty of people were convicted of nonviolent offenses, but the notion that Jan. 6 was peaceful or a day of love, as Trump called it, is an abject lie. If history is any guide, this is not likely to be the last time that you hear about these people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump promised to free the Jan. 6 defendants on his first day back in office, and he has now followed through on that promise. But this will not be a one-day story, and Trump and the Republican Party may come to regret the political costs of this decision. For starters, Trumps blanket pardon is unpopular, and it could help to frame early perceptions of his return to the White House. After the election, multiple polls reported that somewhere around two-thirds of Americans opposed Trumps promise to pardon the Jan. 6 defendants, including about two-thirds of independents. It is not hard to understand why: Despite the best efforts of Trump and many of his political allies, most Americans have not forgotten about what happened that day, and most Americans have rejected the fantasyland version of events that Trump has sought to portray. That is why Trumps approval rating collapsed after Jan. 6, even though it has since recovered. That is why surveys showed most Americans wanted Trump to stand trial in Washington in the Justice Departments prosecution alleging that he tried to steal the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6 riot. That is why most Americans repeatedly told pollsters that they thought Trump was guilty of criminal conduct. And that is why about half of the country said that Trump should have gone to prison if he had been convicted in the election subversion case. In the wake of the election, many Republicans have tried to claim that the results were somehow an all-purpose vindication of Trump and a repudiation of the Justice Departments long-delayed efforts to hold Trump accountable for his alleged misconduct in connection with the 2020 election. The much better explanation is that a critical mass of voters rather than signing on to Trumps claims on this point decided to vote for him because they did not like the direction of the country under the Biden-Harris administration. These positions may seem to be in tension or perhaps even irrational, but they are not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps mass pardon has also created a political problem for many of his fellow Republicans. He has once again cut the legs out from under his own vice president, who said less than two weeks ago, If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldnt be pardoned. Plenty of other Republicans took the same position that JD Vance did and will now have to twist themselves into knots explaining their past comments and their vocal defenses of Trump, who has once again made them look credulous and foolish. That is just the short-term fallout. The potential for political backlash will linger for months and years to come. Thats because the Jan. 6 defendants are not just going to evaporate into society. Trump has once again sent a disturbing message to his supporters: If you engage in political violence on my behalf, I will protect you. Tarrio, Rhodes and their associates should feel emboldened, and there is no telling what they will do with Trump now firmly behind them. Even setting aside the prospect of further political violence, you can safely expect a fair amount of recidivism among those who were convicted particularly the defendants convicted of violent conduct. That means that we may see and read stories in the years to come involving Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by Trump who went on to commit more and potentially more serious crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not idle speculation. Several people who received pardons or commutations in the final days of Trumps first term went on to be charged with committing more crimes. This is also not unusual. According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, about two-thirds of defendants convicted of violent crimes are rearrested within eight years of their release. They also recidivate more quickly than nonviolent offenders with a median time to rearrest of about 16 months. And, not surprisingly, they are rearrested for violent offenses at higher rates than defendants who were convicted of nonviolent offenses, with roughly a quarter of them rearrested for assault. That is not to say that we will see this exact pattern play out with the Jan. 6 defendants. Most were nonviolent offenders, who recidivate at about half the rate of violent offenders, and many were older Americans, who also recidivate at lower levels. But given the large number of people convicted of violent offenses in connection with Jan. 6, some very rough back-of-the-envelope math suggests that a sizable number of them could go on to commit more crimes in the years to come. Trump and the Republicans who back this effort will not be able to hide from those developments if they come to pass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the substance, Trump has set a deeply disturbing and politically corrupt precedent. He abused the pardon power (again) and has effectively endorsed political violence carried out in his name (again). The political fallout of the pardons is also worth keeping a close eye on. Trump is at the start of his second term, but its his last one; the Republicans have a razor-thin majority in the House; and the 2026 midterms will be here before we know it. Real risks exist for the GOP both now and in the future. Trump would no doubt like his mass pardon to be the last word on Jan. 6 and its legacy. He may not be so lucky. Donald Trump at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in July 2024. Credit - Brett Carlsen/Bloomberg-- Getty Images When Donald Trump won the presidency in November, many crypto fanatics celebrated, based on his promises to the industry that he would prioritize deregulation and legitimize crypto entrepreneurs. Days before his inauguration, industry heavyweights gathered in Washington for the Crypto Ball, celebrating their newly minted status as D.C. insiders. But during the event, Trump shocked nearly the entire room by posting online about the launch of a new cryptocurrency called TRUMP. This new currency, a so-called meme coin, has no inherent value, but rather fluctuates in price as people buy and sell the coin. Trumps fans and opportunistic day traders have generated billions of dollars in sales, driven by loyalty, hype, and the chance to make a quick buck. All of these trades have made the coins creatorsaffiliate companies of the Trump organizationbillions of dollars on paper. A day after its release, Melania Trump announced her own meme coin, which also rose and fell in crazed spurts. On Wednesday, TRUMP was the 25th most valuable cryptocurrency in the world, according to CoinMarketCapalthough its price of about $43 was well off its $75 high. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: What Trumps Win Means for Crypto. Trumps meme coins brought a surge of attention to crypto and many newcomers into the space. To some, the coins signaled Trumps commitment to crypto and to spurring its growth. But many more in the crypto world responded with revulsion to what they saw as a cash grab, and a way for Trump to directly profit off of his followers. Trumps team holds at least 80% of the coins supply, giving them vast power to control its price. While they are not allowed to sell off their holdings for months, doing so would crash the market and leave regular users with a loss. Crypto insiders worry that the coins will make the public even leerier of an industry already filled with scams and bad-faith actors. The crypto sector put someone in power whose first act is to emphasize and take advantage of the opportunity for grift within crypto, says Angela Walch, a crypto researcher and writer. And that's just embarrassing. Trump has downplayed his role in launching the coin, saying at a Jan. 21 press conference: I dont know much about it other than I launched it. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A White House press officer declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But elected officials and legal experts are raising ethical and geopolitical concerns about the tokens, which they say could serve as a vehicle for bribery and conflicts of interest. These coins open a channel for him to receive financial benefits from foreign adversaries and to prioritize his personal interests, to the collective detriment of Americans, says Puja Ohlhaver, a lawyer affiliated with Harvards Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation. What are meme coins? TRUMP and MELANIA are meme coins: cryptocurrencies that are essentially created by entrepreneurs out of thin air by writing code to deploy on a blockchain. Their worth comes from how much people believe in them and buy them. In order to generate excitement, the teams behind such coins often market them using popular memes which can be shared and iterated upon on social media. If memes on social media can propel culture, creativity, and even ideology, the thinking goes, then why shouldnt they be worth something financially as well? Dogecoin and Shiba Inu are two examples, with Dogecoin particularly propelled by Elon Musk, whose tweets about the coin have led to price spikes. The lack of inherent value makes meme coins especially volatile and speculative, which, to some, is part of their appeal: If investors buy at the right time, they can make a lot of money. Conversely, they can lose everything extremely fast if they buy in at the markets top. Meme coins have also been the vehicle for alleged scams, in which investors lost significant sums. Trumps admirers have often wielded memes as a marketing tool. During his presidential campaign, a team of content creators flooded social media with pro-Trump meme content. Last summer, unofficial Trump meme coins with names like Pepe (TRUMP) and Maga People Token (PEOPLE) rose and fell, with some bettors treating them as proxies for his chances of victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also has a history of using crypto to make money. He started selling NFT trading cards in 2022, and has made millions from them, according to financial disclosure documents. In September, he launched World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency platform which is not yet live. And in 2025, meme coins are perhaps the easiest way for aspiring crypto entrepreneurs to make money, fast. TRUMP starts trading On Jan. 18, two days before taking the oath of office, Trump launched his token via CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of the Trump Organization, while the Crypto Ball was in full swing. The move took the industry by surprise. Nick ONeill, a crypto entrepreneur at the eventwhich also featured appearances from Snoop Dogg and Speaker Mike Johnsonposted a video on X saying that very few people there were aware of the token. The next day saw a mad rush to buy and sell the token, causing all sorts of spillover effects. Solana, the blockchain supporting the token, and Coinbase, an exchange used to trade the coin, both experienced hours-long transaction delays. We were not anticipating this level of surge, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong wrote on Twitter. Within a day, the team controlling the token, led by CIC Digital, owned tokens worth some $51 billion on paper. (This figure isnt realistic, though, because the more they tried to cash out into actual dollars, the more the price would decrease.). Later that day, however, Melania Trump released her own meme coin, MELANIA, which actually deflated TRUMPs market cap by billions of dollars, as traders appeared to sell their holdings to buy into the new coin. Within an hour of MELANIAs launch, TRUMP fell from above $70 to around $45. A fake BARRON memecoin unassociated with Trumps youngest son also accumulated a $460 million market cap before crashing 95%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of Trumps staunchest supporters from the crypto world accused him of predatory behavior in connection with the coins launch. Crypto is supposed to champion the concept of decentralization; the Presidents team controls at least 80% of the TRUMP tokens supply. Another blockchain analytics company, Bubblemaps, found that 89% of MELANIAs token supply was in a single crypto wallet. Conor Gregor, a Coinbase executive, wrote on Saturday that Trumps team had made $58 million in trading fees alone. Trumps credibility has been totally destroyed, wrote Michael A. Gayed, an investment manager. Anthony Scaramucci, Trumps former White House communications director and a crypto evangelist, wrote: No one can honestly think this is good for our society. There's a lot of soul searching in the industry right now, says Walch. Great, we got power, but was it serving any purpose that we originally set out to achieve? Concerns over ethics and national security Critics outside crypto also raised ethical concerns. Trump now has a direct stake in an industry that he is in charge of regulating. (The controlling companies, which are affiliates of Trumps business, wrote that Trump tokens are not investments or securities but are an expression of support.) The Presidents crypto windfall, critics suggest, disincentivize him to crack down on the industry, which could cause his tokens to decrease in value by billions of dollars. Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who is one of Congresss foremost crypto supporters, wrote on X that Elected officials must be barred from having meme coins by law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some critics worry that these tokens represent a threat to national security, because they allow foreign agents to buy large amounts of the token as leverage over Trumps policy decisions. These agents could buy tokens to win Trumps favoror threaten to sell them off, which could crash the tokens price. They could also use cryptographic techniques to conceal their identity to everyone in the world but Trump, says Ohlhaver, at the Allen Lab. The Founding Fathers tried to prevent this sort of conflict of interest with the Emoluments Clauses in the Constitution, which prevent a President from using their office to enrich themselves. (At the time, gift giving was a common corrupt practice among European rulers and diplomats.) Some contend that the fact that Trumps token launch happened before he was sworn into office means he was operating as a private citizen. It's less complicated for them to launch these BEFORE he officially becomes President, wrote the crypto journalist Zack Guzman on X. Claiming Trump is profiting from the Presidency and violating the Emoluments Clause would have been far easier if not. But Ohlhaver contends that as long as Trump owns a share of tokens, theres a significant conflict of interest. He still owns tokens, which will appreciate in price if a foreign adversary pumps it, she says. Ohlhaver also says that the Trump meme coin threatens our public understanding of money at its core. With the rise of social media and global social networks, it's very easy to leverage your status and influence to make a new form of money and legitimize that, she says. Its important for us to maintain our national public goods and make sure that they serve our common interests, rather than the narrow interests of an elite who will benefit tremendously at the expense of everybody else. Andrew R. Chows book about crypto and Sam Bankman-Fried, Cryptomania, was published in August. Contact us at letters@time.com. House Economic Matters Chair Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) said he was willing to consider ways to limit the state's liability for payments to settle sex abuse allegations, after lawmakers were warned this week about an "enormous" potential liability from thousands of claims. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) The lead sponsor of a 2023 law that vastly expanded the ability of child sex abuse victims to sue their abusers and the institutions that protected them said Tuesday he is open to finding ways of limiting the financial jeopardy faced by state government. Negotiations to settle allegations against the state by 3,500 people could add additional strain on a budget that already required $3 billion in proposed cuts and tax changes to balance. Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) said Tuesday that he has concerns about the looming potential costs ranging from hundreds of millions to possibly billions facing the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal was never to bankrupt the state, obviously, Wilson said of the 2023 law he sponsored. I made it clear every time I testified, it wasnt about money. Theres no amount of money thats going to undo the pain that these individuals have gone through. Wilson, who is also the chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, said he was recently contacted by Gov. Wes Moores (D) office about the issue. A spokesperson for the governor could not immediately comment and noted the matter was the subject of ongoing negotiations. Legislative budget analysts Monday warned members of the House Appropriations and Senate Budget and Taxation committees about potential costs to the state of settlement negotiations with lawyers representing the 3,500 people. This is potentially an enormous liability to the state, David Romans, a budget analyst, told the committees. Maryland Senate President Sen. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City). (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Tuesday the initial tranche of cases are just the first ones to be vetted. He called the allegations of abuse of children in state facilities a horrific reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We spent many years warehousing children in facilities in which, now, today, the chickens have come home to roost, Ferguson said. These are very real costs associated with very real, horrific scenarios of whats happened to young people who have been violated when in the states custody. And so, we have to figure out a way to make it right. We have to do it, obviously, in a way thats sustainable and is practical and thoughtful. And were working closely with the attorney generals office to understand how we can do this in the midst of settlement negotiations, he said. But Ferguson called it a delicate balance between victims that deserve compensation and the states fiscal realities. I think the victims in these cases have borne this cost for years and decades, and so we have to find some way to compensate for those pains and do it in a way that is practical for the state that is real, and its going to cost money, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Minority Leader Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) voted against the bill in 2023 after raising a number of legal concerns. I opposed the bill for two reasons. I believe it is unconstitutional to go back in time and remove statute of limitations retroactively for cases from decades ago, Ready said. I believe the court will find that to be the case but unfortunately the bill as passed also obligated the state and potentially county and municipal governments to pay out massive sums of taxpayer money for these lawsuits. Even if the court struck down the private sector part of the legislation, the state would still be on the hook. Readys amendments to address some of his concerns were all rejected. He was one of four votes all Republicans against the bill in the Senate. Romans did not offer specifics on the potential financial hit facing the state, but noted that there is currently nothing in the budget to make any sort of settlement payments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its very possible that there will be a settlement reached before the end of session, and you all may be asked to find the money to make the first settlement payment, which could very easily be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, he said. The total cost could be higher. The 2023 law lifted limitations on filing lawsuits against institutions involved in hiding sexual abuse allegations and protecting abusers. At the time, much of the focus was on the Roman Catholic Church, but Wilsons law also lifted the limitations on filing lawsuits against state and local governments. The law capped liability for public entities at $890,000 per occurrence, and raised the liability limit on claims against private institutions for noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering, to $1.5 million. It also eliminated caps for economic damages for costs of services such as therapy or medical treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are open questions in the law primarily how an occurrence will be defined. The definition could have a huge impact on the potential payout from the state. Even if each of the 3,500 cases was counted as only one occurrence, the state could face more than $3.1 billion in liabilities. Those 3,500 cases are not believed to be the total number of cases that could be filed against the state. A settlement could potentially set a precedent for lawsuits that come after. I am not opposed to putting a cap on or some guardrails around how much money can be collected, because at the end of the day, as Ive said, I did not put this in for money, Wilson said. I did not put this in for individuals to recover any kind of windfall. I put it in so individuals have an opportunity to face their abuser and bring their abuser to court and close this chapter in their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE One possibility could be to set up a fund to pay claims against the state, Wilson said, calling for a finite amount of money I just dont see some unlimited well that gets to be dug into. Wilson called the lawyers involved in the cases predators and questioned whether all the claims were even covered by the law. All these cases the institution, had to know something, Wilson said. It cant just be merely a teacher does something to a student in the school. Thats a horrible thing, no question. But you go after the teacher until you find out the school has been hiding, protecting or moving that teacher. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, I really do question these claims on that level alone, not that they didnt happen, but they (the institutions) knew they happened, and they did nothing about it, he said. Thats whats so frustrating about these predatory lawyers. I dont believe they have the good faith of these people in mind. Wilson, who himself was a victim of sex abuse as a child, long fought for the legislation initially known as The Hidden Predators Act. Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll). (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) Wilson said he thinks the attorneys involved are more focused on lets put a big number up. If you give us half, well go away. Im not questioning that things didnt happen to people, because why would I? But they have a burden of proof. I do believe its being bastardized quite a bit into being something else, into being this huge catch all, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ready said he was very concerned at the time about the huge fees he estimated 40% that would go to lawyers because of the law. Primarily its out of state firms that are advertising and representing these claimants so for a $3 billion settlement, $1.2 billion of taxpayer money will be going to attorneys in other states, not to education, health care, public safety or roads in Maryland, Ready said. Thats why I also warned about this and offered a floor amendment to at least cap attorneys fees but that amendment was also rejected. China, ASEAN to boost digital cooperation 08:59, January 22, 2025 By Cheng Yu, Ma Si ( China Daily China is set to deepen digital collaboration with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2025 and beyond, with new frameworks and action plans aimed at further strengthening digital infrastructure, promoting cloud computing and enhancing artificial intelligence governance, said an official from the country's top industry regulator. Xu Chaofeng, director-general of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Department of International Cooperation, said in an interview with China Daily that the nation aims to formulate a new five-year action plan with ASEAN on building a sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystem. "The plan will prioritize digital, intelligent, and green transformation, with the aim of strengthening policy communication, deepening development consensus, and fostering a new digital industry ecosystem," Xu said. The comments follow the 5th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting and the 2nd China-Thailand Ministerial Dialogue on Digital Economy Cooperation, which were held in Thailand last week. Zhang Yunming, vice-minister of industry and information technology, who led a delegation to Thailand, discussed at the meetings the latest developments and policies, as well as future cooperation plans, in the two sides' digital fields. Building upon this framework, digital infrastructure remains a cornerstone of the partnership. China has already made significant strides in enhancing ASEAN's digital backbone, with over 30 cross-border terrestrial optical cables linking China with various ASEAN markets. To advance the collaboration, China is pushing for the establishment of an Asian undersea cable association, alongside a computing power interconnection partnership plan. Xu, the official from China's top industry regulator, said: "Digital infrastructure is the foundation for digital development and is essential in bridging the digital divide. More efforts will be made to enhance cooperation with ASEAN members in areas such as 5G, cloud computing, data centers, and the internet of things." He noted that AI is another key area for deeper cooperation between China and ASEAN, and the two sides are also committed to advancing AI technology, industry standards and governance to ensure fair and equitable development across all member states. To facilitate the collaboration, China and ASEAN members plan to establish a China-ASEAN artificial intelligence cooperation center, which will host AI projects and drive digital transformation initiatives. "We must ensure that AI development and governance are based on equal rights, opportunities, and rules for every nation," he added. While digital infrastructure and technological advances are crucial, the collaboration also extends to enhancing digital skills and building talent in the region, according to Xu. Yu Xiaohui, president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said, "China's achievements in digital innovation, particularly in 5G and AI, complement ASEAN's unique needs in industries such as tourism and agriculture, paving the way for broader international cooperation." China and ASEAN share a commitment to using digital technologies to promote innovation and sustainable development, with both sides embracing emerging technologies such as 5G, cloud computing and AI, Yu added. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Press Release January 22, 2025 MARK VILLAR: Senate approves third reading of DFA Retirees Differential Pension The Senate approved on the third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2863 or the Act Providing for a Pension Differential to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Retirees. The bill aims to provide a monthly pension differential to officers and employees of the DFA who are receiving a monthly pension from the GSIS and those who opted to retire under Republic Act No. 1616. Provided, that the retirees reached 65 years of age and served the DFA for at least 15 years at the time of their retirement. Under the bill, the monthly pension differential shall be the difference between the basic monthly pensions and years of service of retirees holding the same rank, multiplied by the adjustment factor. The bill also addresses the concerns of family members left behind in the event of a DFA retiree's death. The bill allows the surviving legal spouse, as long as he or she has not remarried, and the qualified dependent children to receive 50% of the pension differential that the deceased retiree was receiving or entitled to receive. Senator Mark Villar, the bill's principal sponsor, in his manifestation, expressed his gratitude for the chamber's support of the measure, "Mr. President and my dear colleagues, I rise to manifest my gratitude for everyone's support of Senate Bill No. 2863 under Committee Report No. 334- the Foreign Affairs Pension Differential Act. The bill's approval on Third Reading takes our distinguished DFA retirees one step closer to a reality where they can bask in the fruit of the hard work and labor they have graciously offered to the Philippines. Our DFA retirees have, literally and figuratively, crossed borders and flown miles, to ensure that our country's diplomatic ties remain favorable and suitable to the needs of Filipinos here and abroad." He further highlighted the pressing need for immediately passing the bill to properly compensate the DFA retirees and foreign service personnel. "Mr. President and dear colleagues, it is high time that we return this sacrifice. It is important to note that this bill is not solely about financial compensation. It is a long-overdue recognition of the extraordinary and unique sacrifices made by our foreign service personnel. Mr. President, through this bill, our retirees are assured of pensions that are apt to the life-long service they have graciously offered to the country." VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) WIN Energy REMC has announced three programs that are currently accepting offers, for youth in the community. Scholarship Program: Each year, WIN Energy REMC said they will provide a $1,000 scholarship to 10 high school seniors. To apply for the scholarship students are asked to submit an application and high school transcript to be considered. Applications will be accepted until February 21. Club Soda in need of funding for building and vehicle repairs Youth Tour to Washington D.C. In June of this year, WIN Energy said they will sponsor three students to go on the annual Indiana Youth Tour to Washington D.C. The three-week-long trip to the Nations Capital is for students entering their senior year in 2025. Students on the trip will get to visit monuments and museums, meet legislators and learn about the Nations Capital. Applications will be accepted until March 3. Camp Kilowatt: Three students, entering the 7th grade in 2025, will be sponsored by WIN Energy REMC to attend Camp Kilowatt at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. The camp will be held this June, and participating students will have the opportunity to go horseback riding, canoeing, zip-lining, as well as participate in archery, swimming, learning about electrical safety, and bucket truck rides. Applications will be accepted until March 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WIN Energy REMC said to qualify for these programs, the parent or legal guardian of the student must be a member of WIN Energy REMC. Hoosier Lotto jackpot is now second largest in country 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 MyWabashValley.com. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Some could see wind chills sink to -25 or colder before sunrise in West Michigan before becoming relatively warmer and quite windy today. Watch for blowing snow and still icy roads. Here is a look at which West Michigan schools are closed today Cold weather advisories continue until noon today for everyone. A winter storm warning for Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana, and Newaygo Counties will last until 10 a.m. Thursday for blowing snow, falling snow, and very dangerous travel. A winter weather advisory has also been issued for Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, Allegan, Kent, and Mecosta counties through 10 a.m. Thursday for similar, but lesser impacts. TODAY Cloudy, blowing snow (and falling snow for Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana, and Newago) 8 AM: -2 HIGH 16 WIND CHILL -15 to -25 WIND S 15 G20-40 mph (fastest gusts near Lake Michigan) How fast can frost bite set in? Here is a guide TODAY Cloudy with a very cold start to the day. Temperatures will eventually climb into the teens by evening due to a strong southerly wind. Gusts near 30 mph inland and up to 40 mph at the lakeshore are likely, causing visibility drops at times. Most wont see much new snow, but a few could see several inches by Thursday morning! Areas like Grand Haven, Muskegon and Newaygo could be dangerous at times, especially after dark, due to the combination of blowing snow, moderate falling snow, and gusty winds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TONIGHT Light snow will overspread most of West Michigan, but snow will likely be much heavier for counties in the winter storm warning. Lows will stay in the mid-teens with winds gusting to 20 mph. THURSDAY Light snow will continue to overspread West Michigan. Notably warmer temperatures with highs reaching the mid 20s. Wind chills will be 10 to 15 above zero. LOOKING AHEAD Temperatures relax back to near 30 by Saturday. 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 WOODTV.com. From school closures, car crashes, and power outages, the effects of the winter storms of the past several days have shown its effect throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Nassau County (FL) UPDATE 9:35 a.m.: URGENT TRAFFIC ALERT - MAJOR CLOSURES 9:15 AM UPDATE I-95: NORTHBOUND: Closed at SR200 (All traffic must exit, All NB traffic being routed off at SR 200) SOUTHBOUND: Closed at Georgia/FL line. US-17: Both directions closed at Duval line (Ice/crash) No injuries Nassau County SO (@NCSO_FL) January 22, 2025 UPDATE 8:44 a.m.: NCSO says most rodes are clear, traffic flowing normally Reported dangerous ice conditions throughout Intercoastal Highway had closed but opened around 3:15 a.m. School closures for Wednesday Duval County (FL) UPDATE 9:15 a.m.: Hart, Mathews and Main Street bridges are closed due to multiple wrecks and icy road conditions and traffic accidents, undetermined reopening DCPS, major universities to close on Wednesday No reported outages No reported bridge closures, heavily monitored TRAFFIC ALERT The Main Street, Hart and Mathews Bridges are all CLOSED at this time due to multiple crashes and ice concerns. Your #JSO is working as quickly as we can with local and state partners to get the bridges back open. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will reopen pic.twitter.com/5Pv0muIG0S Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) January 22, 2025 Camden County (GA) Road conditions reported not safe, advised to stay off roads School closures for Wednesday Reported power outages, click HERE to learn more >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Glynn County (GA) No reported road closures, however people were urged to stay off main roads via GCPD Expected/Ongoing power outages, click HERE to learn more. School closures for Wednesday Clay County (FL) Expected road, and bridge delays School closures on Wednesday Minor reported outages St. Johns County (FL) No expected school closures for Wednesday No road closures/outages Putnam County (FL) School closures for Wednesday Expected road delays From Rebecca Mosley in Hilliard Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Charlie Whitlock in Brunswick, Ga. From Charlie Whitlock in Brunswick, Ga. From Melissa Kasper in Yulee From Melissa Kasper in Yuless Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Melissa Kasper in Yulee From Melissa Kasper in Yulee From Raphel Maddox in Blackshear, Ga. From Tracy Bunch in Waynesville, Ga. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Jammie M. McCormick in Lee, Fla. From Kayla Brown in Hilliard, Fla. From Jammie M. McCormick in Lee, Fla. From Tracy Bunch in Waynesville, Ga. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Macie in Fernandina Beach From Kayla Brown in Hilliard, Fla. From Kayla Brown in Hilliard, Fla. From Alan Borst in Waverly, Ga. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Tracy Bunch in Waynesville, Ga. From Jeania Bellamy in Waycross, Ga. From Tracy Bunch in Waynesville, Ga. From Deborah Johnson in Waycross Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Kim Supernor in Yulee From Kim Supernor in Yulee From Kevin Lamb in Sea Island, Ga. From John in Waycross Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Deborah Johnson in Waycross From John in Waycross From John in Waycross From Cuquisariol In Jacksonville Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Meghan Elizabeth Sawyer in Yulee From John in Waycross From Meghan Elizabeth Sawyer in Yulee From John in Waycross Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Kevin Lamb in Sea Island, Ga. From Meghan Elizabeth Sawyer in Yulee Nikki Sprinkle in Kingsland, Ga. From Kevin Lamb in Sea Island, Ga. From Cuquisariol in Jacksonville John Stuckey in Jacksonville From Deborah Johnson in Waycross From Cuquisariol in Jacksonville From John in Waycross From Deborah Johnson in Waycross From John in Waycross John in Waycross If you have any photos you would like to submit to Action News Jax, click HERE. Stay safe! [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) The Wiregrass saw historic snowfall Tuesday afternoon and into the night, crippling most of the roadways across the region. A woman was killed on Highway 231 in Dale County after hydroplaning over a median and hitting another car. The Dale County Coroner identified the woman as 27-year-old Maia M. Sterns of Madison, Alabama. Woman killed in icy road crash near Ozark On that same highway in Dale County, a semi-truck crashed and stranded around 40 drivers near the intersection of Highway 51. The truck crashed after hydroplaning on a hill and jackknifing into a barrier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crash caused a domino effect, causing several other 18-wheelers and cars to lose control. Semi-truck crash strands 40 drivers on icy Dale County highway In Coffee County, Sheriff Scott Byrd told all drivers to stay out of his county for their safety. The sheriff said several semi-trucks and cars had crashed throughout Tuesday afternoon and into the night. Stay out of Coffee County sheriff says during winter storm Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship told WDHN his deputies had responded to a multitude of crashes across the county. Dothan officials closed all city roads to the public Tuesday afternoon and Dothan Police had reported several crashes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dothan roads closed afternoon amid winter storm 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text HOPELINE to the National Crisis Text Line at 741741. A new proposal that would make gun safes exempt from Wisconsin sales tax an effort to encourage more people to secure their firearms began circulating among lawmakers in Madison Tuesday. The bill was authored by two Republicans and was getting Democratic support just hours after it was sent around. Such measures are routinely circulated for sponsorship before being formally introduced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, and state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, are the authors of the proposal. State Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, and Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay, both agreed to co-sponsor the measure Tuesday afternoon, their offices confirmed. In a joint statement, Neylon and Wanggaard said: "We are offering this legislation to encourage people to store guns securely, and keep children safe from accidental injury, death, and suicide. Simply put, this bill promotes responsible gun safety." Subeck said in a statement that better storage is vital to stem the number of children being killed by firearms. "While there is much we need to do to prevent these deaths, increasing access to gun safes and promoting safe storage is the very least we can do," she said. Eddie Silas, owner and operations manager of Prolific Arms LLC, works with Mikieya Williams of Milwaukee on how to safely load and unload a firearm during a CCW firearm safety training course at the shop on South 60th Street in West Allis on March 11, 2024. Andraca added: "I hope this bill signals a new willingness by my Republican colleagues to work together and finally pass common-sense gun safety laws to keep Wisconsinites safe." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new proposal echos a 2019 bill, which also had bipartisan support. It was authored by then-state Sen. Patty Schachtner, D-Somerset, who has since left the Legislature. Wanggaard was a co-sponsor. That bill, however, did not advance out of committee. The state Department of Revenue estimated the bill would have resulted in $309,000 in lost tax revenue. Several other states exempt gun safes from sales tax, including Washington, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Texas. And a hospital in Philadelphia is giving away gun safes for free. It is far more common for groups to give out free cable locks, which are inexpensive but not as effective as gun safes, experts say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed measure comes as firearms deaths have jumped in recent years in Wisconsin. In 2022, the most recent year data was available, more than 800 people died from gunshot wounds, a 95% rate increase when adjusted for population growth since 2004, a Journal Sentinel analysis found. Suicides are the largest category of firearm deaths, accounting for 71 of every 100 such deaths in Wisconsin. In 2022, there were more than 500 firearm suicides in Wisconsin, a record high for the state. Gun safes are particularly useful in preventing accidental shootings involving children, which are comparatively rare, but extremely tragic and easily avoidable with secure storage of firearms. In 2023, Gov. Tony Evers included a measure in his budget that would have made gun safes as well as trigger locks and gun barrel locks exempt from sales tax, as part of a larger package of firearms-related measures. The bill did not pass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evers, a Democrat, last week created an office within the state Department of Administration aimed at reducing shootings, following a deadly school shooting in Madison in December. Evers said he would put $10 million toward the new state office that will distribute funds to local school districts, city and county officials, firearm dealers and nonprofit groups. He also promised a sweeping package of firearms-related proposals in his 2025-27 state budget that will be released in February. He urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass the measures, which have been been defeated in the past. It is unclear yet if the package will include a measure to exempt gun safes from sales tax. Journal Sentinel Reporter Molly Beck contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin lawmakers want to make gun safes tax-free for safe storage There are no doubt many factors that have contributed to the recruitment crisis currently facing the US military, not least the controversies surrounding Americas recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But another reason one the incoming Trump administration is keen to address is the woke agenda being pursued by many top commanders. Despite America continued status as the worlds leading military superpower, the recruitment crisis has led to concerns being raised about its readiness to fight another war due to shortages of soldiers, sailors and airmen. With major conflicts taking place in Europe and the Middle East, the global security environment has never been more challenging. The US army has failed to meet its recruitment targets for the past two years, registering a 20 per cent shortfall in the number of new recruits, which has seen it fall to its smallest size since 1940. Meanwhile, both the navy and air force have similarly struggled to meet their recruitment objectives. The marine corps has managed to stay up to strength, but this is only because a recent restructuring means it needs fewer personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And even though there are many reasons young Americans are proving reluctant to serve their country, the incoming Trump administration clearly believes that the woke agenda of many of Americas leading commanders has contributed to the malaise. Consequently, the US military is bracing itself for a purge of its senior ranks, as the incoming Trump administration has made reversing the outgoing Biden administrations policies on gender and diversity one of its core priorities. While Trumps orders on gender and diversity were primarily aimed at the federal government, they are also likely to apply to the military, where Trump already has a track record for interfering on gender issues. In his first term, he issued a ban on transgender Americans serving in the military, a move subsequently overturned by the Biden administration. Trumps latest executive orders indicate that he intends to adopt the same policy in his second term. Another of his executive orders states that there are only two sexes, male and female, which cannot be changed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps determination to address the so-called woke agenda of some of the countrys top commanders is evident from recent statements made by Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News star who is Trumps nominee for secretary of defence. Hegseth is said to be considering the creation of warrior boards of retired military officers to purge serving officers suspected of supporting diversity and inclusivity initiatives. One Trump-supporting think tank has already circulated a list of 20 generals, colonels and admirals accused of supporting such an agenda. The Trump administrations no-nonsense approach was underlined by the decision to sack Admiral Linda Fagan, the head of the US Coast Guard, over accusations she had spent too much time focusing on diversity policies. Just how Trumps assault on Americas military establishment over what is, fundamentally, a relatively fringe issue, will improve its war-fighting capabilities as well as attract new recruits remains to be seen. Of far more importance will be how Trump decides to deploy Americas military resources at a time when his country faces challenges on a number of fronts. One of the more constant features of Trumps first presidential term was his reluctance to involve US forces in military interventions, even when faced with extreme provocation, such as in 2019 when Iran shot down an American surveillance drone deployed in the Gulf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than responding by launching retaliatory attacks, Trump overruled national security officials who were in favour of mounting an overwhelming military response, on the grounds it could end up involving Washington in a costly war with Iran. He did later approve the assassination of Major General Qassim Soleimani, head of Irans covert-action arm, the Quds Force, but this was a comparatively surgical operation. Another indication of Trumps desire to scale down American involvement in overseas conflicts was evident from his attempt to withdraw US forces from northern Syria that had been involved in the military campaign to destroy Islamic State terrorists in Syria. Such a move, which Trump later reversed following pressure from his national security advisers, would have constituted a betrayal of the brave Kurds who led the assault on Islamic States so-called Caliphate. Trumps aversion to involving US forces in unnecessary foreign conflicts might be popular with his Maga followers, but it may no longer be prudent, given the dramatic changes that have taken place across the global security landscape since he was last in office. Trump can argue, as he does frequently, that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are none of Washingtons business, but he will find it harder to ignore Chinas growing military power, especially if Beijing intensifies its preparations to invade Taiwan. If the US is to maintain its status as the worlds pre-eminent military power, then Trump should focus on making sure the it has the cutting edge firepower to win wars, rather than worrying about the effectiveness of its gender-neutral recruits. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A woman is recovering from injuries to her eye and mouth after she was punched and stomped on during a robbery outside a Walgreens in Midtown. The victim told police she exited the store in the 1800 block of Union Avenue around 10:15 p.m. on January 9 and was attacked from behind as she walked toward her car. 1800 block of Union Avenue. WREG photo She said the robber punched her in the face with brass knuckles and when she fell to the ground, they snatched her cross-body purse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a GoFundMe set up by a friend, when the victim tried to fight back, the attacker also stomped on her head. The friend said the victim was traumatized by what happened and suffered two concussions, an eye injury that is affecting her vision, cracked ribs, a misaligned jaw, a broken tooth, and a sprained wrist. Meat thieves steal choice cuts from East Memphis store Police said after the robbery, the victim managed to drive back to her job at the Renasant Convention Center, and a co-worker took her to the hospital. The victim said her purse contained around $40. She could not identify the suspect and so far, police have not been able to locate video of the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have information that could help investigators find the suspect, call CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-CASH. For more on the fundraiser for the victim, 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 WREG.com. A woman who sparked a missing person investigation in New Hampshire earlier this month has been arrested for child edangermet, authorities announced Wednesday. Nicole Wise, 29, surrendered to authorities after an arrest warrant charging her with endangering the welfare of a child was issued, according to the Manchester Police Department. Wise was reported missing on Christmas Eve 2024 and found safe in early January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wise was seen at her home on Orange Street in Manchester on Christmas Eve, but her boyfriend discovered her missing and found their 4-year-old child alone in their apartment when he returned from work that night, according to police. Concerns for Wises safety arose as she had left her wallet and phone behind, however, the investigation revealed that she had left voluntarily, police said in an updated statement. There were no additional details immediately available. An investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Jan. 22A 25-year-old woman is facing murder charges in a deadly shooting in Riverside Friday afternoon. Halle Harvey, of Riverside, was charged with two counts each of murder and felonious assault in the death of 30-year-old Shyanne Mitchell, according to Montgomery County Municipal Court Eastern Division records. Her bond was set at $500,000 on Tuesday. Harvey is accused of shooting Mitchell in the head at a house in the 4700 block of Opperman Avenue, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mitchell was pronounced dead at the scene. Riverside police responded to the house shortly before 3 p.m. and took Harvey into custody. Maj. Angela Jackson confirmed Friday it was a homicide investigation but could not provide additional details or say what led up to the shooting. A Plant City woman is facing criminal charges in connection to a wrong-way crash that killed another driver on the Selmon Expressway last month. Sarah Beverly Downing, 40, was arrested Dec. 30 on charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Downing is accused of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of a Dec. 7 crash that killed Ricardo Tishane Laird, 33, of Orlando, according to court documents. The crash happened shortly before 3 a.m. as Downing was driving a Honda Fit west in the eastbound lanes of the expressway, according to an arrest affidavit. Just east of the Hyde Park Avenue exit, Downing crashed head-on into Laird as he drove east in a Toyota Yaris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were no passengers in either car. Paramedics pronounced Laird dead at the scene. Downing was pulled unconscious from the Hondas drivers seat and taken to Tampa General Hospital, where Florida Highway Patrol investigators seized her blood samples and medical records. The records showed her blood alcohol level about an hour after the crash was .219, the affidavit states. Under Florida law, a driver is presumed intoxicated at .08. The blood samples were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for analysis. The results were pending at the time investigators obtained a warrant for Downings arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Downings arrest, prosecutors filed a motion seeking to keep her in jail until her case is resolved. According to the motion, a friend who was interviewed by an investigator on Jan. 2 said she was drinking with Downing at two different bars on the night of the crash and that downing had a Long Island Iced Tea before she left the second bar at about 2 a.m. Prosecutors noted in the motion that Downing has two prior DUI convictions, in 2009 and 2011, and argued that she is a danger to the community and should be held without bond. Judge J. Logan Murphy granted the motion at a hearing on Jan. 6. Downing is set to be arraigned on Thursday. Records show she is being represented by a public defender. Laird moved to Florida from his native Jamaica with his wife and young daughter months before the crash, according to his obituary and a GoFundMe page created to raise money for his family. He was an HVAC technician who was starting his own business, and had a passion for DJing. A video of a white man pointing a gun at a Black woman, sometimes directly at her head, started because of a dispute at a gas pump. The video shows a man near a 2015 Ram pickup with a flatbed trailer attached and a woman near a 2017 Chevrolet Impala at a Speedway gas station at the intersection of Emerson Way and East 56th Street in northeast Indianapolis about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. The two are arguing before things escalate to the man walking up to Tashauna Gooch, 21, near her car, pointing the gun at her and wrestling her with the gun in his right hand. At least three men, including the one filming, can be heard yelling at the man to put the gun down and stop. They also tell Gooch to get into her car to leave. She tells them to call the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers arrested Mark Douglas White, 59, on preliminary charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness, strangulation and battery in connection with the case. He remained jailed Wednesday afternoon and has his first court appearance Friday. Jail records indicate he lives in North Carolina. The video that preceded the arrest Tuesday in Indianapolis was widely viewed on social media and ignited conversations about race in Indianapolis. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the Facebook video had racked up over 400 likes, 1,000 comments and 2,300 shares. 7-second viral video of an Indy mans killing raises questions about self-defense, road rage Gooch told police she was at a disabled gas pump when White pulled up behind her in his pickup and trailer and honked multiple times. She moved her car, got out of the vehicle and the two began arguing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was sitting at the pump that wasn't even working and he pulled up telling me to move all aggressive," Gooch told IndyStar. "I asked him what his problem was and he started calling me all types of n-words and threatening me ... Basically, I was at the pump too long for him." So Randy Gill says the new neighborhood I I moved in isnt to bad .. this is my first hour of being here I beg to differ Posted by Kevin Anthony on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 More: About that white van in Indianapolis with a hand sticking out, here's what police have learned White told police Gooch pulled a gun on him, something she denies and was not seen by witnesses or police reviewing bystander footage during their investigation, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in White's arrest. Gooch said she did have a firearm in her right pants pocket and when she was approached pulled it out and kept the handgun pointed down at her side. During the fight, Gooch put her firearm inside her vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I didn't want to have to shoot him 'cause, I mean, look at him. He's an old man," Gooch said. Body-worn cameras capture events after video Officers arrived and were waved down by a witness who said a man and woman were arguing near the gas pumps. Officers found White and Gooch yelling at each other before telling them to both show their hands. The officers saw White with a Smith and Wesson handgun in his right hand. He was told to drop the gun by officers and complied by placing it in the bed of his pickup before being handcuffed. Gooch told police she also had a gun, but that it was inside her car. She also was handcuffed, and officers found a black handgun in a holster in the driver's seat of her car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White told officers Gooch exited her vehicle, approached him with a gun, and pointed a gun at him, a detail he later retracted, police noted. White also told police he then walked Gooch back to her car at gunpoint and threatened to "blow her head off," according to court documents. During the incident, Gooch was struck several times, and officers observed marks on her neck and a scratch on the back of her head likely caused by the Smith and Wesson, according to the affidavit. A viral video of a white man pointing a gun at a Black woman's head was taken at a gas station on the city's northeast side Jan. 21, 2025. Why didn't the woman in the video leave? Many on social media were criticizing Gooch for not just driving away from the gas station. "I felt like if he wanted to shoot me, he would have just shot me," Gooch told IndyStar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If things escalated to violence, Gooch said, she wanted to have witnesses, which might not be possible if she drove away and was followed. "I have too much to live for and I'm not going to shoot somebody for calling me the n-word," Gooch said. "I had witnesses and I wanted the police to come. He went to jail and that was what was supposed to happen. I'm just happy we're both still here." 'Hate in his voice,' is the video a preview of what's to come? Activist believes so. The motivation behind White's actions wasn't clearly defined in the court records, but Gooch, along with many who have seen the video, fear racism is at its root. "I (could) hear the hate in his voice," Gooch said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Josh Riddick with the Indiana Black Church Coalition said he hadn't seen the video, but between the recent erasure of government diversity, equity and inclusion roles, the pardoning of Capitol riot participants and the controversial salute by Elon Musk during President Donald Trump's second inauguration ceremony, bigotry is becoming more boldly normalized. "There's a deep history of racism in Indiana with housing the KKK and that history isn't that distant," Riddick told IndyStar. "Those people are still here and when you have legislators and leaders both national and local using some of the language that they do it influences people willing to cause everyday physical harm to minority groups." 'There's no place for it.' Alyssa Thomas calls out 'racist' comments from some Fever fans Riddick says that's compounded by the fact Indiana doesn't have strong hate crime laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indiana does have a law resulting from Senate Bill 198, which was signed into law in 2019 by Governor Eric Holcomb. It allows judges to consider stricter sentences for someone who harms or intimidates a person based on a characteristic such as race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. "When certain ideology and rhetoric is enforced by this administration, it trickles down to the states and even further to the everyday person," Riddick said. "It's certain narratives rooted in hate, and bigots then feel like they need to do this or act this way or take it upon themselves to address minorities like this in the name of the majority." Days before President Donald Trump's inauguration an Indianapolis man was arrested for threatening to shoot and kill "illegals" on Jan. 20. According to court documents, Preston Pickett, 58, posted to his TikTok that on the day of the inauguration, "I will be famous for killing the most illegals in one day.. We the people will kill all you monkeys." Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formally Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Woman in Indiana gas station video says man 'had hate in his voice' Health officials asked the public for help Wednesday identifying a patient who has been hospitalized in Los Angeles for more than a week after being struck by a car. The woman believed to be in her 50s was brought to Los Angeles General Medical Center on Jan. 14, but officials have been unable to locate any friends or family members who can identify her. Officials are asking for help identifying a patient at Los Angeles General Medical Center. (L.A. County Department of Health Services) She weighs 143 pounds and is about 5 feet 1 inch tall with salt and pepper-colored medium-length hair and brown eyes, the L.A. County Department of Health Services stated in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unidentified woman was involved in an auto vs. pedestrian accident, the news release read but gave no further details about the incident. Anyone with information about the patients identity was asked to contact Clinical Social Worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6884 or the Department of Emergency Medicine, Social Work Department at 323-409-6883. 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 KTLA. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A woman was taken to the hospital for evaluation after an apartment fire in Southeast D.C. early Wednesday morning. In a post on the X platform just after 3:45 a.m., responders said crews with the DC Fire and EMS Department (DCFD) responded to a box alarm at an apartment building in the 500 block of 32nd St. There, first responders discovered the fire in an apartment on the first floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats Going Around: How to treat frostbite Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an update shortly before 5 a.m., officials said the fire was out. Plumbers, HVAC crews busy in Prince Georges County due to frigid cold conditions The fire department said one person was displaced and they are being assisted by the American Red Cross. In an update around 8 a.m., the DCFD said one firefighter sustained a minor injury during the fire. D.C. firefighters battled the blaze in 10 degrees as an arctic blast continued to move across the region Wednesday morning. The fire came as the District remained under a cold weather emergency alert. The DCFD said a salt truck was requested to the scene for icy road conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. Jan. 21RACELAND, Ky. A Worthington, Kentucky man has been arrested on Tuesday for the fire that destroyed the Raceland clubhouse in early January. The fire occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 2 and once it was determined the cause of the fire was possible arson, the Raceland Fire Department requested the Flatwoods Police Department Fire Investigator Brett Ritchie take the case. After a three-week investigation by the Flatwoods Police Department, Kentucky State Fire Marshal, in coordination with Raceland Police Department and Greenup County Commonwealth Attorney's Office, it was announced that Doyle T. Bonzo III, 32, of Worthington, Kentucky, was arrested without incident and lodged in the Greenup County Detention Center on the charge of arson first degree, a class "a" felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case was developed with help from the community that identified a suspect vehicle that was seen around the time of the fire and further evidence led investigators to interview Bonzo. Ritchie said that due to this case going to the court system, he couldn't provide any more details at this time. He did thank the community and Kentucky Fire Marshal's Office for their assistance in the case leading to the arrest of Bonzo. One of the property's owners, Dan Howell, said there was no insurance on the clubhouse because insurance companies are reluctant to insure vacant buildings and the premium is so high that it wasn't affordable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howell said he had been working with the City of Raceland to get a grant to turn the clubhouse into a community center. Part of the property had recently been sold to Southern Ohio Medical Center to build a new medical facility. The clubhouse was the last building on the Raceland Park horse track that was stared in 1924 by John Oliver "Jack" Keene in Chinnville in Greenup County, where the city of Raceland is now. The track operated from 1924 to 1929. Chinnville changed its name to Raceland for consistency after the post office changed its name due to the volume of mail for the track. "The state of Kentucky had a fee in the 1920s that required the track to pay $2,500 per day to race," Sammons said. "That's what closed the track." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a 1923 issue of The Thoroughbred Record said "a complete racing and recreation plant" unlike any other in America was planned at Chinnville. Tri-State Fair and Racing Association owned and managed the track. Keene was taking journalists of that day on tours of the facility. Trains brought racing enthusiasts from Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville, Portsmouth, Ashland, Catlettsburg, Russell, Charleston and Huntington. It is a misconception the Great Depression ended the track, according to Raceland Police Chief Donald Sammons in 2009. ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) Virginia State Police are investigating a serious two-vehicle crash in Alleghany County that killed an 86-year-old man from Buena Vista on January 21. VSP said around 12:53 a.m. on Tuesday, a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta driven by 86-year-old Edmond Thomas Floyd of Buena Vista was heading east in the westbound lane of I-64 near Dabney Drive. Mr. Floyd then collided with a Kenworth tractor-trailer head-on traveling west. Dump truck, semi, & pick-up in serious three-vehicle crash on 460W in Botetourt County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Floyd was pronounced dead at the scene and was not wearing a seat belt, police said. The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment and was later released. Police said he was wearing his seatbelt. Police said the crash is still being investigated. 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 WFXRtv. An Arizona man has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison for killing three college students in a wrong-way crash in 2022 while he was intoxicated, authorities said. Vincent Ian Acosta, 27, was sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of second-degree murder, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced in a statement on Friday, Jan. 17. Just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2022, Acosta was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 17 near New River when he crashed into several cars, including a Honda Accord carrying three freshmen from Grand Canyon University, Mitchell said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victims were identified as Abriauna Hoffman, 18, and Magdalyn (Maggie) Ogden, 18, both of Clarkston, Wash., and Elaine Hunter Balberdi, 19, of Kula, Hawaii. Balberdi and Ogden were pre-med students at Grand Canyon University. Hawaii News Now reports. Hoffman was studying marketing and advertising, the university said in a 2022 email, the Idaho Statesman reports. The three were roommates, according to the Idaho Statesman. They were on their way to watch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon when they were killed, AZ Central reports. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Vincent Ian Acosta Vincent Ian Acosta Two victims died at the scene; the third victim was taken to a hospital and later died, Mitchell said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the hearing on Friday, Judge Sam Meyer said, There is not a sentence that would do what I wish I could do for all of you, and that is, bring back your beautiful daughters, ABC 15 reports. 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 judge sentenced Acosta to 22 years in prison for each of the victims, which he will serve concurrently, with credit for 813 days he has already spent in jail, ABC 15 reports. Acosta had a blood-alcohol level of .129 at the time of the crash, court documents show, Hawaii News Now and Arizonas Family reported. The legal level in Arizona is 0.08. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was found unconscious at the scene. Acosta pleaded guilty in August 2024. He was supposed to be sentenced in September, but the judge at that time, Judge Pamela Dunne. recused herself, 12 News reported. Read the original article on People A bill to require school districts to adopt policies restricting cellphone use in classrooms advanced out of legislative committee Monday. The Senate Education Committee voted 4-1 to send Senate File 21, Ban on cell phone use in schools, to the floor for consideration by the whole body, but not before softening the language to read restrict instead of the original prohibit. The measure comes amid a bipartisan trend of new limits on smartphone and social media use in schools. Nearly 20 states, including California, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Florida, have passed laws or enacted policies that either ban or restrict students use of cellphones or recommend local districts enact such policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related So Your School Wants to Ban Cellphones. Now What? Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Sponsor Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, a retired teacher, said she was inspired to bring the bill by a common teacher complaint that policing phone use has become a classroom nightmare. She cited data on the harmful mental health effects of social media and the hours of screentime many teenagers experience. When we talk about trying to do good things for our kids in education, I think this might be one of the most important things we can do for our students, Schuler said. The bill zeroes in on restricting use just during instructional time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not everyone agreed, however, that its as simple as banning devices, and due to potential complexities around safety, health conditions and communication needs, lawmakers replaced the more stringent prohibit in the original version with restrict. What they said At least 18 of Wyomings 48 school districts and likely more do not have cellphone policies, according to data collected this fall by the Wyoming School Boards Association. The lack of district-wide policies hasnt stopped some schools in those districts from adopting specific rules. Senate File 21 would force all districts to adopt policies restricting smartphone use In states that already have such regulations, Schuler said, the results are promising. Theyre seeing better social interactions with kids with their peers, better focus in class, higher achievement. Kirk Schmidt of Lander, a retired school administrator, warned lawmakers about passing a bill that would not be nimble enough to react to the ever-changing realities of technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schmidt also noted that some teachers use these devices for instructional purposes. This takes all that away, he said. Others wondered about enforcement, privacy concerns and timelines. Supporters, meanwhile, echoed that smartphones are correlated with declining academic performance and behavioral problems like bullying. I can tell you that the phones in the schools are very difficult for the teachers and administrators, said Cheyenne resident Deb Mutter Shamley, who has experienced it firsthand as a substitute teacher. Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder supports the bill, a spokesperson told lawmakers. Degenfelder and Gov. Mark Gordon penned a joint letter in September urging Wyoming schools to limit cellphones. Tweaks In order to allow districts more flexibility, committee members voted to amend the language. They also pushed out the timeline two months to give school districts until Sept. 1 to enact policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, said he thinks the measure can make significant progress in improving the quality of instruction in public schools. Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, who cited concern about state government overreach, was the lone dissenting vote. The bill now heads to the Senate floor where it must pass three readings before it can advance to the House. This story was originally published on Wyofile. (Bloomberg) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed his countrys ties with Russia during a video call with Vladimir Putin a day after Donald Trumps inauguration as US president, signaling a resolve to deepen their alliance. Most Read from Bloomberg Xi said hes willing to work with his Russian counterpart to take bilateral relations to new heights, vowing to leverage the resilience and stability of the ties to respond to external uncertainties, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two leaders spoke a day after Trump was sworn in for a second time. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the call, which lasted 95 minutes, was planned in December and had no connection with Trumps inauguration, Interfax reported. Still, the exchange between them suggests Beijing and Moscow will look to present a united front in confronting the second Trump administration. The two leaders declared a no-limits friendship just weeks before Putin launched his 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with China since then becoming a diplomatic and economic lifeline for Russia after the US and its allies imposed sweeping sanctions. A separate report from the state-run RIA Novosti quoted Ushakov as saying that Xi had briefed Putin on his Friday call with Trump, and that both China and Russia are open to dialog with the US president on the war in Ukraine if appropriate signals come from Washington. Both sides should deepen strategic coordination, firm up mutual support and safeguard the legitimate interests of the two countries, Xinhua cited Xi as saying. The Chinese president also touted growing bilateral trade and agreed to maintain strategic communication, the news service said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russias trade with China in the first 11 months of last year grew 7% and exceeded $220 billion, despite negative external circumstances, Putin said during the call. Putin also invited Xi to attend Russias Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, an annual celebration of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, according to Interfax. The Russian and Chinese leaders met several times in 2024 and have said that relations are at their best in history. They have also vowed to intensify cooperation against US containment and seek a larger role for the Global South on the world stage. --With assistance from Vladimir Kuznetsov and Josh Xiao. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Yemen's Houthi rebels have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. The move by the Iranian-backed Houthis marks their latest effort to de-escalate their attacks following a ceasefire in Gaza. However, it came as U.S. President Donald Trump moved to reinstate a terrorism designation he made on the group late in his first term that had been revoked by President Joe Biden, potentially setting the stage for new tensions with the rebels. The Houthis said they released the sailors after mediation by Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that's long been an interlocutor with the Houthis. A Royal Air Force of Oman jet took a flight to Yemen earlier Wednesday and took off again about an hour after the Houthi announcement with the crew, who smiled as they stepped off into freedom in Muscat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Houthis also said Hamas separately requested the release of the ship's crew of 25, who included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Houthis said in a statement on rebel-controlled SABA news agency. In the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the release of 17 Filipino crew members, describing the moment as an utmost joy. The Filipinos returned to their home country Thursday to welcomes from their families and government officials. Bulgarias Foreign Ministry confirmed the release of two Bulgarians identified by officials as the ships captain, Lyubomir Chanev, and assistant captain, Danail Veselinov. A government jet was on the way to Oman to bring the Bulgarians home, the ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, called the crews release heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and separation that they and their families endured for more than a year. This is a step in the right direction, and I urge Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks, he added, using another name for the Houthis. Vessel's link to Israeli billionaire The Houthis said they hijacked the Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel. The attack launched the rebels' campaign targeting ships in international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A representative for the Galaxy Leader's owners had no comment on Wednesday. The Bahamas-flagged vessel is affiliated with an Israeli billionaire, Abraham Rami Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel. The Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader saw the rebels launch a helicopter-borne raid. Propaganda footage of the raid has been played constantly by the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the ship at one point. On Monday, the Houthis signaled they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it likely wont be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the route thats crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic through the region, cutting deeply into revenues for Egypt, which runs the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The release of the vessel's crew now may have been an effort to curry favor with the U.S., though the ship still remains moored off the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. This gesture by the Houthis may be intended as a goodwill measure towards the new Trump administration, said Yemen expert Mohammed al-Basha, of the Basha Report risk advisory firm. However, Trump signed an order urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reinstate a foreign terrorist organization designation on the Houthis. Rubio separately called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, who have led a coalition battling the Houthis since 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea, the White House said. Biden lifted the designation early in his term, citing the humanitarian threat that the sanctions posed to ordinary Yemenis and to back an de facto ceasefire that still broadly holds in Yemen's war. Houthi attacks targeted over 100 commercial ships The Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, after Hamas surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. Israels military offensive has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Houthis have sunk two vessels in their campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate U.S.- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels. The rebels had maintained that they only targeted ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection, including some bound for Iran. The tempo of Houthi attacks has slowed in recent weeks, particularly involving ships at sea. That may be due in part to the U.S. airstrike campaign. The U.S. and its partners alone have struck the Houthis over 260 times, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. ___ Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi rebels said on Wednesday they have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel, who have been detained for more than a year. In November 2023, the Houthis hijacked the cargo ship in the Red Sea, brought it to the Yemeni coast and took the crew hostage. The release came after contacts with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and mediation by Oman, the Houthis said in a statement, published by the rebel-run SABA news agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This move comes "in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza," it added. A ceasefire went into effect in the Gaza Strip after US, Qatari and Egyptian mediation between Israel and Hamas. According to Israeli media, the ship is operated by a company partly owned by a British-Israeli businessman. The Houthis have attacked ships they said were linked to Israel in the Red Sea, prompting several of the world's largest shipping companies to suspend transports through the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. Brentford striker Yoane Wissa will attend court in France this week for the trial of a woman who allegedly attacked him with acid and attempted to kidnap his child. The incident, which occurred in the summer of 2021, left Wissa with serious injuries to his face and requiring emergency eye surgery. He was described as fortunate not to lose his sight. The attack took place just a few weeks before Wissa joined Brentford from Lorient in a deal worth around 8.5 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wissa is the subject of transfer interest from Nottingham Forest, who made a bid of around 20 million for him earlier this week, but this week he will be travelling back to France to attend the case. Ahead of the trial, Wissas lawyer, Karim Morand-Lahouazi, told French outlet RMC Sport that the woman, known as Mrs Laetitia P, had wanted to kidnap Wissas newborn daughter. Wissa has scored 11 Premier League goals for Brentford this season - John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters On the night of July 1 to 2, 2021, Mrs. Laetitia P. tried to kidnap the daughter of Yoane Wissa, a player at the time for FC Lorient who was in the process of being transferred to Brentford, said Morand-Lahouazi. This person entered the players home in the middle of the night and threw a corrosive liquid in my clients eyes, which could have had much more serious consequences. He felt severe pain when he came into contact with this liquid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She wanted to kidnap Yoane Wissas child. It was my clients intervention that allowed the accused to flee fairly quickly. In the end, the child was not kidnapped. It should be remembered that a few hours before the incident, this woman had come to ask the player for an autograph at his home. Morand-Lahouazi added that the accused woman had lied to her husband for months about being pregnant. I think that during all this time, she was developing her plan to kidnap a mixed-race child. There is no debate. There is even premeditation with the purchase of this corrosive product in a supermarket near my clients home. She tried to kidnap a child from a mixed-race couple. That was her goal. Morand-Lahouazi said Wissa is waiting for clearer explanations and that he will be present for two days of the trial. He said the Brentford forward and his family feel safe and sheltered in England, but that the alleged attack has left after-effects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wissa has enjoyed an excellent campaign so far, scoring 11 goals in 19 Premier League appearances for Brentford. Their next match is against Crystal Palace on Sunday. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) New York would give hundreds of dollars in financial support to low-income parents under a new proposal. Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a proposal to give low-income parents a birth allowance during pregnancy and at the birth of their child. More Local News The state would provide a $100 benefit each month during pregnancy and a $1,200 benefit at birth to parents. To qualify for the birth allowance, parents must be recipients of public assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Examples of public assistance programs in New York include Family Assistance and Safety Net Assistance. For more information on public assistance programs, click here. New York City to help wipe out student loan debt: Who qualifies The birth allowance is meant to help create a stronger foundation for parents and children and help reduce childhood poverty. We are prioritizing maternal and infant health, because every family deserves a stress-free start. We have a moral obligation to do everything in our power to support kids, parents and families Hochul said in a statement. The proposal was announced as part of Hochuls 2025 State of the State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York City also provides funding for a guaranteed income program to support soon-to-be mothers experiencing housing insecurity. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than six years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work 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 PIX11. When Keeonna Harris was 15, her life swerved sharply off course. Harris became pregnant. Then, before she could come to terms with the life-changing event, her boyfriend, Jason, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a violent carjacking and shooting incident. Two years later, in 1998, she married Jason at Calipatria State Prison. The Los Angeles born-and-raised author details her experience as a parent with an incarcerated partner in her memoir, Mainline Mama out Feb. 11 a vulnerable and fierce look at prison reform and the women affected by imprisonment. It spares no personal and political questions and provocations, daring readers to challenge their prejudices around the role and nature of jails, and the stereotype of hard-boiled, dangerous prisoners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris has received several honors, including fellowships with PEN America, Hedgebrook and Haymarket Books, as well as Tin House, Baldwin for the Arts and Edith Wharton residencies. Writing the book helped me heal a lot of these parts of myself, because the prison system has basically been like a family member to me, right? Harris says. It's been in my life since I was a child, then [been] there for my [now] ex-husband and my family. Its the third party always in your life, so its not just you and a loved one; youre in a relationship with the prison too. I had to sit with those feelings during writing the book. And even though Ive been through trying times, Im resilient. Im a product of Los Angeles, which showed me how to get up and dust myself off. Harris spoke with The Times on Jan. 13, when the city was beset by fires. Even though Im currently in Seattle, all of my family is in California so its been gut-wrenching to watch my city burn like this. People say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, but I think that about California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris says shes found peace with the adulthood shes lived, intertwined with the prison system. It has enabled her to meet people like herself, and she wants women to know that prison doesnt define you. That realization took time. As a pregnant teenager, Harris thought all the doors of opportunity would slam shut. Her 15-year-old self would be delighted by the woman she has become, Harris says. It almost makes me start crying because everything I do in my life is for her, she says. When I advocate for myself, my family, my community, its all for her, and shes smiling because she thought it was over for her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Star athlete, addict, prisoner, journalist: A memoirist on her story and her mission Harris recalls being an overachiever as a child and aspiring to become an obstetrician. I was on a roll all through elementary and junior high because my goal was to graduate from high school to 4.0 [GPA]. I wanted to go to Spelman College to become a doctor. When I got pregnant, I felt like my life was over. I immediately became an adult, so I didn't think that becoming a doctor was my life anymore. I thought, I'm gonna raise my son. I'm gonna get a regular job. I thought all my hard work was for nothing. I thought it was over for me. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, a criminal-justice public policy think tank, more than 1.9 million people are incarcerated in the U.S. on any given day, at a staggering cost of $182 billion per year, and many of those prisoners especially in California, Texas and Florida are Black, non-Hispanic men. According to the nonprofit, "California locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on Earth." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris knows the ins and outs of the complicated U.S. prison system, both from an academic and a harrowingly personal perspective. Unfortunately, were in the age of mass incarceration, she says. Thats how our society deals with our social ills. Im not an exception; I was not the only one there with a child, by far. There were thousands of us. Its very jarring to see and understand. Ive met many women, and even though its traumatizing on prison grounds and were often not treated well, it was so beautiful to watch us come together and mother each other, to help each other raise our children, and they became my second family since we saw them every weekend. Read more: How one novelist built a world without prisons that's even crueler than ours Harris credits therapy with helping her through her lowest points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was a time when I felt like I was going to completely unravel, and that was after I decided to divorce Jason, which was finalized in December 2015," she says. "After I decided to leave and work slowed down, I really reflected over my whole life, and I was really depressed. I felt Id lost so much time, and I questioned myself and my decisions. Therapy gave me clarity and perspective, and it helped me to realize that all the shame Id been carrying never belonged to me. It was imposed on me by other people or society, whether it was being shamed for being a teen mom or being shamed for marrying somebody in prison. Harris is unabashedly an abolitionist. I think this whole system is ridiculous. We have so many things that are making most folks go to prison, and things that we can change, which is education or putting money into after-school programs. And most folks are not in jail for crazy things. Most folks are trying to survive, [and] we need to start really focusing on things that are the issue, which is class disparity, inequality, education and healthcare. There are no imminent signs of reform, she adds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I've been connected to many people in prison, and while they're there, they're not getting the help they need. They're not getting therapy, and they're not learning real skills that are transferable to society for when they come home. You're basically setting folks up for failure. Read more: Naomi Watts gets frank about menopause in new book that draws on her own experience Harris, who is currently working on her next nonfiction book, says Mainline Mama is a love letter to Black and brown girls and women. I wish I had that when I was growing up, to know I wasnt by myself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, of course, theres the most important people in Harris life: her five children, who range in age from 5 to 29. When I look at them, its a little unreal, she said. Especially with the older children, I realize Ive been a mom longer than I havent been, and I think, Where did the years go? Im looking forward to them reading this book and getting to know me for real. My prayer is that they really see why Ive made some of the decisions that I have, and it was all for them. Theyve always been at the center of my life. They are the reason why I was dead set on surviving. Get the latest book news, events and more in your inbox every Saturday. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Volodymyr Zelensky separately met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz and Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 22. Talks between Zelensky and Merz focused on "necessary efforts and coordinated actions with allies to achieve a just and lasting peace," the Presidential Office said. Merz is the chancellor candidate of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance for the parliamentary elections in February. The German politician, who met Zelensky in Kyiv last December, has urged Berlin to provide more decisive support to Ukraine and supported the provision of long-range Taurus missiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to Merz in Davos, Zelensky "underscored the critical importance of Germany approving an additional 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) defense support package for Ukraine." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has blocked the approval of additional funds for Ukraine unless they are paid through additional borrowing, drawing criticism from his coalition partners. Merz's party, whose support is crucial for passing the funding since Scholz's coalition lost the majority in the parliament, backed the additional funding for Ukraine but insisted the federal budget can cover it without abandoning the debt break. During his meeting with the Israeli president, Zelensky highlighted "shared challenges facing their nations and agreed on areas for future cooperation, particularly in the field of security." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has sought to secure Israel's backing in the war with Moscow, arguing that the Russian-Iranian alliance presents a shared enemy to both Kyiv and Tel Aviv. The outreach has been largely unsuccessful, with Israel staying out of the Russia-Ukraine war while fighting its own conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. The Ukrainian president also said that Ukraine understands "the pain of having loved ones held in captivity and share the joy when people return home from captivity." The Palestinian militant group Hamas recently released three Israeli hostages in the first phase of a ceasefire deal between the group and Tel Aviv. Read also: Israel proposes sending seized Russian weapons in Lebanon to Ukraine, deputy FM says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Source: Office of the President of Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy and Stubb discussed strengthening Ukraine's defence capabilities, security guarantees and tightening sanctions against Russia during the meeting. The Office of the President of Ukraine emphasised that an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO remains a key and most effective security guarantee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Stubb: "We will continue supporting Ukraine. There are no questions about it. This is about your independence, your sovereignty and your territorial integrity. We admire your efforts." Details: Zelenskyy and Stubb also addressed the preparation of the 27th assistance package and Ukraine's current military needs. Special attention was given to investments in domestic drone production, particularly using the Danish model and advancing defence cooperation. Zelenskyy and Stubb also agreed on the dates for future meetings. Background: In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Europe must become stronger to be able to defend itself. Zelenskyy said that European states should not try to cut costs on their security and indirectly supported the call of new US President Donald Trump to increase NATO allies' defence spending to 5% of GDP. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met in the German Bundestag with Friedrich Merz, the leader of the German opposition and the CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group, as well as a candidate for the next chancellor of Germany. Source: Zelenskyy on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy and Merz met on Tuesday, 21 January. During the meeting, the Ukrainian president thanked Germany for supporting Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They discussed the furthering of Ukraines goals of just peace, along with its global challenges and the situation at the front. Background: The CDU/CSU included support for Ukraine and a promise to extend sanctions against Russia in its election programme. At a meeting with Merz in December, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine expects Germany to "strengthen Ukraine's long-range capability". Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, 22 January. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Vucic for Serbia's "humanitarian and financial assistance" to Ukraine and emphasised the importance of strong security guarantees for "a lasting and sustainable peace". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "We discussed our integration into the European Union, which is a common goal for both our countries." Details: Commenting on the meeting with Vucic, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv's position "remains unchanged: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine". The press service for the Serbian president noted that Vucic and Zelenskyy discussed the "current geopolitical and regional situation, prospects for achieving sustainable peace and stability on our continent, as well as energy security". Vucic also expressed hope that Kyiv and Belgrade would "continue good and open cooperation" to support each other on their mutual European path. Background: Serbia refuses to support EU sanctions against Moscow. However, unofficial reports suggest that Serbia supplies weapons to Ukraine through intermediaries. Vucic has expressed doubt as to whether US President Donald Trump could resolve the situation regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that US President Donald Trump can influence the issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO. Source: European Pravda citing Zelenskyy's statement during a meeting with representatives of the Davos International Media Council Quote: "It all depends on the United States. If Trump is ready to see Ukraine in NATO, we will be in NATO, everyone will support [Ukraines accession ed.]. If President Trump is not ready to see us in NATO, we will not be in NATO." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Zelenskyy said some countries had initially pursued a non-transparent policy towards Ukraine and had not supported its accession to NATO since the beginning. Quote: "These were just false pretences that Ukraine would be in NATO, because decades passed and Ukraine did not become a NATO member. It was dishonest." Details: The Ukrainian president stressed that the United States and Germany had a weak position on Ukraine's accession to NATO and were engaged in dialogue with Russia on this issue. However, he thinks they have lost this dialogue because they always appealed to the fact that they once had agreements with Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "I would like to equalise the level of respect for Ukraine by others. And we are fighting for security guarantees, we want to be in NATO, most NATO countries support us." Zelenskyy stressed that there are four countries that do not support Ukraine in NATO: The United States, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary. Background: In the interview, Zelenskyy also stated that the prospect of ending the war or achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine depends on Europe's readiness to take a tougher stance on Russia, adding that without the Ukrainian army, Europe "has no chance against Russia". Ukraines Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, in an interview with European Pravda, emphasised that Ukraine will not abandon its NATO membership aspirations and will not accept alternatives to full membership. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev and called for increased pressure on Russia over the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, urging the aggressor to "tell the truth" and disclose the details of the crime. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram Quote: "During the meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, I once again expressed my condolences regarding the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane and the loss of lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The evidence from the crash site is clear, and it is essential to pressure Russia to compel it to tell the truth." Details: Zelenskyy also said that he discussed bilateral relations with Aliyev and their future development, including increased trade turnover and collaboration in the energy sector. Background: The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, flying from Baku to Grozny, crashed in Kazakhstan with nearly 70 passengers on board. Several people survived but are in critical condition. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which faced trouble over Russian territory, was shot down from the ground. Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during a phone call with Aliyev, apologised that the "tragic incident with the Azerbaijan Airlines plane occurred in Russian airspace", but did not acknowledge any Russian responsibility. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that any effective peacekeeping forces deployed in Ukraine must include US troops. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Bloomberg Details: Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine's European allies lack sufficient troop numbers to counter the forces of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Quote: "It [the peacekeeping mission] cant be without the United States. Even if some European friends think it can be, no it cant be. Nobody will risk without the United States." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy warned that without long-term commitments from Ukraines Western allies, Putin would exploit a ceasefire to rearm and launch a renewed offensive. Quote: "Ending the war should be Trumps victory, not Putins. Putin is nobody to him." More details: Zelenskyy emphasised that he wants security guarantees from Trump before engaging in direct negotiations with Putin. Quote: "The only question is what security guarantees, and honestly I want to have understanding before the talks. If he [Trump] can guarantee this strong and irreversible security for Ukraine, we will move along this diplomatic path." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: Zelenskyy stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos that at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be required to prevent a renewed Russian attack on Ukraine after a ceasefire agreement. Support UP or become our patron! Jan. 22FARMINGTON TOWNSHIP, Minn. A Zumbro Falls man was killed in a head-on crash Tuesday, Jan. 21, on Highway 63 north of Rochester. A 2019 Kenworth dump truck driven by Gerald Henry Pulver, 80, of Rochester, was northbound on Highway 63 near milepost 48 when it collided with a southbound 2014 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Andrew Jay Johnson, 30, of Zumbro Falls, around 2:20 p.m., according to a Minnesota State Patrol crash report. Johnson was killed in the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pulver was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys with non-life-threatening injuries. The highway was closed for about four hours as emergency crews were on scene. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, Rochester Fire Department, Elgin Fire Department and Mayo Clinic Ambulance also responded to the crash. By Gianluca Lo Nostro and Jakob Van Calster (Reuters) -The Dutch government is seeking to prevent the rollout of "buy now, pay later" services in physical retail outlets due to the financial risks they pose for consumers, according to a letter sent by Finance Minister Eelco Heinen to parliament on Tuesday. "Buy now, pay later" (BNPL) schemes surged in popularity for online purchases since the COVID-19 pandemic and allows consumers to split payments over time into smaller, interest-free installments. These loans are often provided by digital lenders such as Sweden's Klarna. Although an outright ban would be "unfeasible" because of EU regulations, the Dutch government believes that BNPL services can trigger earlier and larger debts, particularly among younger consumers, Heinen said in the letter, co-signed with the Minister for Legal Protection Teun Struycken. The government urged Klarna to refrain from further expanding its BNPL services in physical stores in the Netherlands, according to the letter. "Any discussion about limiting BNPL must also tackle the risks of more harmful credit options like credit cards... In the Netherlands, 99.4% of Klarna loans are repaid in full, showing Dutch consumers responsible use of our products," a Klarna spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Meanwhile, the Dutch government has held discussions with other BNPL providers, including Zalando and Amazon. Unlike Klarna, these companies have not yet signed a code of conduct requiring them to verify the age of all customers. Last September, Dutch payments group Adyen struck a deal with Klarna to extend their existing partnership to in-store terminals in Europe, North America and Australia. However, a spokesperson for Adyen told Reuters on Wednesday that when Klarna announced its BNPL expansion, it was still in the pilot phase in some countries and had not been launched in the Netherlands. (Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro and Jakob Van Calster; Additional reporting by Supantha Mukherjee; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Elaine Hardcastle) By Divya Chowdhury, Jesus Calero and Mateusz Rabiega DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Norwegian industrial software firm Cognite plans to shift its headquarters to the U.S. this year to access faster-growing markets in North America, Asia, and the Middle East, its co-founder John Markus Lervik told Reuters on Tuesday. Lervik told the Reuters Global Markets Forum that Europe's regulatory environment was hampering growth. "We are doubling down in the U.S., and with the new president's focus on investment, we're growing extra aggressively, with over 100 open positions," he said. Donald Trump's second presidency, marked by trade threats and sweeping executive actions, poses fresh risks for European players as tariffs and regulatory changes loom large. Lervik said he had had concerns about Europe's growth for a decade, and hoped tailwinds in the U.S. would prompt European regulators to take action as well. "I think Ursula (von der Leyen) just said earlier today that she wants to reduce regulations," he said. Cognite is majority-owned by Norwegian industrial investment conglomerate Aker ASA, which also controls the oil and gas firm AkerBP. Accel, TCV and Saudi Aramco are among investors since its inception in 2016. The company sells software that aggregates and analyses industrial data to clients including AkerBP. Speaking alongside Lervik, AkerBP's chief digital officer Paula Doyle said "smarter regulation" or "deregulation" would be necessary for Europe's players to move forward in commercializing technology and software. "We know that Europe hasn't been able to make the strides into technology and software compared to... the U.S.," Doyle said. Following Saudi Aramco's purchase of a 7.4% stake in the firm, Cognite's valuation has been estimated at $1.6 billion. (Join GMF, a chat room hosted on LSEG Messenger, for live interviews: ) (Reporting by Divya Chowdhury in Davos, Jesus Calero and Mateusz Rabiega in Gdansk; Editing by Jan Harvey) Inmate accused of trying to escape Yakima hospital three days before his scheduled release Attorney General-elect Nick Brown, left, and Attorney General Bob Ferguson speak about Washingtons preparations for a second Trump administration, in November 2024. (Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times) Today Windy with periods of light rain and showers. High around 65F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low 48F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tomorrow Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. The Metropolitan Government Office has ordered a ban on drinking water in Pilis after reports of maggots found in the water in several households. Residents will receive three litres of water per person per day from the Dabas and Area Waterworks until the network is disinfected. The decision followed social media posts showing worms in the water, with some claiming it affected multiple households. In response, the waterworks company stated the contamination probably affected one street only and that the pollution was not caused by their operations. Following further investigation, authorities determined that the problem had probably originated in the water storage basins, where worms were found in two of the three basins. Disinfection was scheduled for Tuesday. Water tanks have been placed in several areas of Pilis to provide temporary water supply, and the government office will reassess the situation once disinfection is complete. Photo: courtesy of Kekfeny ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here. Gergely Karacsony, the mayor of Budapest, on Thursday said he is filing a request for data of public interest with the National Asset Manager (MNV) for the documents on a previously planned tender for the project to redevelop the capital city's Rakosrendezo area. In a post on Facebook, Karacsony said he was seeking the release of "every document, fact and piece of data that explain how an open tender would have turned into the shadiest government property deal of the century had Budapest not intervened". Addressing criticisms that other property developers had previously prepared renderings for the redevelopment of the Rakosrendezo area, Karacsony said they had been hired to do so by the MNV in 2023 for an open international tender. "So two years ago, the National Asset Manager wasnt preparing for a secret deal with an Arab billionaire, but an open, international tender," Karacsony said, adding that this plan was later "thrown out, along with the public funds spent on it". Karacsony: Government wants to back out of Rakosrendezo commitments Gergely Karacsony, the mayor of Budapest, has accused the government of wanting to back out from the transport development commitments it has made regarding the Rakosrendezo brownfield area. "It will soon become clear if the people of Budapest are as important to the government as the Arab investor," the mayor said in a post on social media on Saturday. Karacsony said the government has committed to a 320 billion forint (EUR 789.5m) transport investment in a two-thirds vote law, without which the green residential area investment planned for the area could not even start. According to the purchase agreement, the government and the city council must agree on the details and exact schedule of the developments within six months, he added. These developments cost more than ten times as much as cleaning up the area, but as the government was focusing on the latter, this was in preparation for the government to "back out of its commitments", the mayor said, adding they "will not let this happen, because the Arab investor cannot be more important than the people of Budapest". Vitezy: Funds from MOHU could finance Rakosrendezo purchase Funds from MOHU, a unit of Hungarian oil and gas company MOL that has a nationwide municipal waste management concession, are allowing Budapest Kozmuvek Nonprofit (BKM), a company owned by the Budapest municipality, to purchase the Rakosrendezo brownfield area, David Vitezy, the leader of the Podmaniczky Movement group in the Budapest assembly, said in an interview with news portal Index. Vitezy said in the interview that BKM has funds from the revenue of the waste management concession as "there was a one-time income from the transfer of a waste recycling plant, which was 33 billion forints, which the city can use for this" purchase, he said. Vitezy noted that the 33 billion forints (EUR 81.4m) would be enough to pay the first two instalments for the areas purchase price, a combined 30.5 billion forints, but the third instalment, some 20.9 billion forints, would have to be provided by the city by 2039. The cleaning and development of the area should be carried out with the involvement of private investors, but in such a way that the land remains in the ownership of the capital as much as possible, meaning that the investors only have ownership of new buildings, he added. In response to the interview, MOHU issued a statement on Saturday saying that Vitezy was inaccurate and that city council will "definitely not buy the Rakosrendezo area from the waste management revenues". The company noted that MOHU had paid 39 billion forints to BKM for a 50 percent stake in MOHU Budapest and its operation, however out of this amount 17 billion forints can only be spent by BKM on the development of the jointly owned MOHU Budapest. MOHU further noted that at the end of 2024, as part of this contract, MOHU Budapest also purchased a waste sorting and logistics facility from the capital, partly financed with EU funds, for an additional 13 billion forints. However, the purchase price can be used by the municipality only in connection with EU support. The company said it was not MOHU's business to determine what resources Budapest has, the company's task was to "modernise and develop the domestic waste management system". Mini-Dubai: Budapest to Exercise Its Pre-Emption Rights for Rakosrendezo, Says Mayor The BKM unified public utility company of Budapest has pre-emption rights for the capital's Rakosrendezo area and the capital will exercise this right, Mayor Gergely Karacsony said. He told a press conference that the government was going to classify a contract that would have enabled it to sell the area for a fraction of the market price. Karacsony added that the National Asset Manager has made the contract public and it showed that BKM holds pre-emption rights for the entire area as a result of district heating rights. Karacsony said that it was a precondition for the coming into effect of the contract that the metropolitan company should surrender its pre-emption rights. "We have no intention at all to surrender this right," he said. Karacsony said he would submit a proposal at next Wednesday's meeting of the Municipal Assembly to authorise BKM to exercise its pre-emption right and pay the first instalment of 12.7 billion forints (EUR 31m). He added that the second instalment would have to be paid once the state carries out its required regulatory tasks, and the third by 2039. Karacsony said the metropolitan council would be the best owner of the largest rust belt area in Budapest. He added that it was "worth paying" the price of 50.9 billion forints included in the contract considering that the value of the area was at least ten times or rather twenty times more. He said that once the area is in Budapest's ownership, an international property utilisation project would take place to create what has been dubbed as a "park city" in previous strategic plans. "We are ready to pay the first instalment in order to ensure that Budapest's gold reserve is utilised according to the interest of Budapest and not according to the interest of foreign investors," he said. Karacsony: Budapest insists on preemption rights over Rakosrendezo brownfield area The Budapest municipality will not waive its pre-emption rights over the brownfield area at Rakosrendezo, the site of major reconstructions planned, Mayor Gergely Karacsony told a press conference on Wednesday, adding that statements by the government and ruling parties were contradicting each other. The Hungarian National Asset Management Company (MNV) said earlier in the day that real estate around the Rakosrendezo train station in Budapest may only be sold to a buyer designated by the the United Arab Emirates, with the prior consent of the government, according to an intergovernmental economic cooperation agreement promulgated in 2024. Karacsony said the agreement published by MNV clearly showed that City Hall had pre-emption rights over the area. The municipality will exercise that right to "prevent a harmful investment the government is trying to force onto Budapest residents," Karacsony said, adding that the municipality will build "Park City", an earlier plan, in the area. Budapest has pre-emption right over Rakosrendezo development area Budapest has pre-emption rights over the entire Rakosrendezo area, Gergely Karacsony, the city's mayor, said on Facebook. Regarding a browfield area in Budapest's 14th district, which is subject to conflicting development plans by the government and the municipality, Karacsony said the legal situation was "clear and unequivocal". The seller, the Hungarian state, informed the buyers in the sale and purchase agreement that two Budapest-owned companies have pre-emption rights over the entire area, he said. The purchase contract stipulates that the investor must pay the first installment of the purchase price within ten days of the Hungarian state presenting declarations waiving the right of pre-emption or the deadline for exercising pre-emption rights "has passed uneventfully", he said. "That deadline won't pass uneventfully," Karacsony added. The mayor said the current owner, the Hungarian state, "has allowed this especially valuable area to decay and be polluted for decades." He said it was time that development started according to "principles espoused by practically the entire profession of city development", which he said had been strengthened by the latest decision of the Budapest assembly on the matter. "The Park City concept", he said, promoted "affordable housing and a lot of green [areas] for many, rather than luxury for a few." Should the state violate the pre-emption rights of Budapest Kozmuvek (BKM), the Budapest utility company will immediately sue both the Hungarian seller and the UAE buyer, "the Arab billionaire", Karacsony said. BKM will pay for the area from the price of Budapesti Hulladekhasznosito, a waste management plant, he said. "We are prepared for attempts from the Hungarian government to circumvent our pre-emption rights," and will use all legal remedies to prevent that, he said. The Budapest Assembly will debate the proposal on the matter on Wednesday. He said councillors "will have to decide whether they are serving Budapest's future or [giving in to] the government's machinations". Karacsony: Budapest insists on preemption rights over Rakosrendezo brownfield area The Budapest municipality will not waive its pre-emption rights over the brownfield area at Rakosrendezo, the site of major reconstructions planned, Mayor Gergely Karacsony told a press conference on Wednesday, adding that statements by the government and ruling parties were contradicting each other. The Hungarian National Asset Management Company (MNV) said earlier in the day that real estate around the Rakosrendezo train station in Budapest may only be sold to a buyer designated by the the United Arab Emirates, with the prior consent of the government, according to an intergovernmental economic cooperation agreement promulgated in 2024. Karacsony said the agreement published by MNV clearly showed that City Hall had pre-emption rights over the area. The municipality will exercise that right to "prevent a harmful investment the government is trying to force onto Budapest residents," Karacsony said, adding that the municipality will build "Park City", an earlier plan, in the area. Source: MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here. New Delhi: The government has decided to raise the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute. For the 2025-26 season, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the MSP for Raw Jute (TD-3 grade) at Rs 5,650 per quintal, an increase of Rs 315. This hike will help farmers by providing a return of 66.8 per cent above the average cost of production. The approved Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute in the 2025-26 marketing season aligns with the governments goal of setting MSP at least 1.5 times the all-India average cost of production as outlined in the 2018-19 Budget. According to an official statement following the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting, the new MSP for raw jute is Rs 5,650 per quintal, marking an increase of Rs 315 compared to the previous season (2024-25). "Government of India has increased MSP of Raw jute from Rs.2400 /-per quintal in 2014-15 to Rs.5,650/- per quintal in 2025-26, registering an increase of Rs. 3250/- per quintal (2.35 times)." the cabinet said. The MSP amount paid to jute growing farmers, during 2014-15 to 2024-25, was Rs 1300 crore while from 2004-05 to 2013-14, the amount paid was Rs 441 crore, the statement said. The jute industry supports the livelihoods of around 40 lakh farm families, either directly or indirectly. Approximately 4 lakh workers are employed in jute mills and trade. Last year, jute was purchased from 1,70,000 farmers. A majority, 82 per cent, of jute farmers are from West Bengal, while Assam and Bihar each contribute 9 per cent to the country's jute production. The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will remain the central governments main agency for handling Price Support Operations. Any losses from these operations will be fully reimbursed by the central government, according to the official statement. New Delhi: Shares of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance declined up to 10 per cent on Wednesday after the company's December quarter earnings failed to cheer investors. At close, the stock settled lower by 6.04 per cent at Rs 597.50 apiece on the BSE. During the session, it plummeted by 10 per cent to hit an intraday low of Rs 572.35 apiece -- also its lower circuit level. On the NSE, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance stock declined by 5.91 per cent to close at Rs 598 per piece. In volume terms, 1.31 crore equity shares of ICICI Prudential Life traded on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and 4.55 lakh shares on BSE. The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 566.63 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 76,404.99 on Wednesday. The broader NSE Nifty climbed 130.70 points or 0.57 per cent to settle at 23,155.35. On Tuesday, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance reported a 43 per cent surge in net profit to Rs 326 crore for the third quarter ended December 2024. The life insurance company promoted by ICICI Bank posted a profit of Rs 227 crore in the same quarter a year ago. During the third quarter of the ongoing fiscal year, the net premium income increased to Rs 12,261 crore, as against Rs 9,929 crore a year ago, ICICI Prudential Life said in a regulatory filing. The assets under management of the company increased to Rs 3.10 lakh crore as against Rs 2.86 lakh crore, it added. New Delhi: The Union Budget of India is an important annual document presented by the government, detailing how the country plans to manage its finances for the upcoming year. It outlines the expected revenues and expenditures, helping shape the nation's economic policies and priorities. The budget plays a vital role in deciding how resources will be allocated to critical areas such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, defence, and social welfare, all of which are essential for the country's growth and development. The Union Budget for 2025-26 will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on February 1. Who was the first to present the Budget in India? James Wilson was sent to Queen Victoria to India to reform the financial system to establish a tax structure and introduce a new paper currency following the failed rebellion. One of his major contributions was the introduction of income tax which remains a vital source of government revenue today. The British government had considered introducing direct taxes but wasn't sure how to implement them. Further, they also had a plan for a poorly designed license tax. When James Wilson arrived, he scrapped this idea and introduced two clear measures: an income tax and an updated license tax. In his financial statement, he made it clear that those earning less than Rs 200 a year would not have to pay taxes. James Wilson also set up an appropriation audit based on the English system to monitor monthly spending. With the goal of tackling India's financial challenges after the revolt, he made notable contributions in a short time. First Post-Independence Budget The first Union Budget of independent India was presented on November 26, 1947, by RK Shanmukham Chetty, who was the country's first Finance Minister. Since 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman has been presenting the Union Budget, and this will be her eighth consecutive one. Archana Jains journey exemplifies her dynamic spirit and unwavering commitment to creating a meaningful impact in diverse domains. From an accomplished investor and research analyst to a passionate speaker on womens empowerment and financial planning, she has seamlessly blended entrepreneurship with social activism. Trailblazing Ventures and Leadership As a visionary entrepreneur, Archana Jain is the driving force behind: Florian Spa N Salon : A haven of wellness and rejuvenation. : A haven of wellness and rejuvenation. India Brainy Beauty: A platform redefining beauty with intellect and inclusivity. A platform redefining beauty with intellect and inclusivity. Florian Foundation: Dedicated to uplifting underprivileged children and women. Dedicated to uplifting underprivileged children and women. IBB Chronicles: A publication celebrating inspiring stories and initiatives. She also serves as a Council Board Member at WICCI, Maharashtra Information and Broadcasting, where she amplifies voices advocating change. A Journey Rooted in Excellence Archanas academic pursuits are a testament to her thirst for knowledge: Alumni of JB Vaccha High School and R.A. Poddar College. Specializations in the Wellness Industry and Global Financial Management (Bombay Stock Exchange). Executive MBA from the prestigious S.P. Jain Global Management Institute. Certifications in Skin, Aesthetics, Trichology, and SPA Therapy from Tulip International, Australia. Her training under renowned hairstylist Jawed Habib further reflects her diverse expertise. A Force for Social Change Archanas dedication to social activism is evident in her relentless efforts to: Empower underprivileged women and children. Champion rights for marginalized communities. Foster initiatives that create lasting change at the grassroots level. Inspiring Philosophy Archana lives by the belief that age is just a number when paired with resilience and ambition. At just 32, her impressive accoladesranging from prestigious awards to honorary titlesreflect her determination and risk-taking spirit. A Legacy of Empowerment Beyond her accomplishments, Archana Jains true legacy lies in her ability to inspire and empower others. Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that with courage, passion, and an unwavering commitment to ones dreams, transformative change is possible. Through her ventures, activism, and leadership, Archana Jain is not just rewriting her own story but empowering countless others to craft theirs. Disclaimer-: (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts consumer connect initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) Chhattisgarh News: At least 14 Maoists, including six women, have been killed in the ongoing encounter with the security personnel in the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh, a top police official said. All the bodies of the deceased Maoists have been recovered. Briefing about the encounter between Maoists and security forces, Raipur Inspector General of Police (IGP), Amresh Kumar Mishra, said on Tuesday that this encounter took place in the dense forests of Bhalu-Diggi located at Kulhari Ghat in Gariaband district, which started on the night of January 19 and is still underway. "Information was received about the presence of Maoists in the area, following which security personnel were sent to the spot. As many as 14 Maoists have been killed in the last two days. Apart from this, a huge quantity of weapons has also been recovered from the spot during the search operation, including INSAS rifle, SLR, revolver, and cartridges. Other materials have also been recovered," the Raipur IGP said, as quoted by news agency IANS. The ongoing operation was launched on Monday night following specific intelligence inputs. It was a joint effort by security forces from Chhattisgarh and Odisha, including Operation Group E30 of Odisha Police, the 207th battalion of CRPFs CoBRA unit, CRPFs 65 and 211 Battalions, and SOG Nuapada. IGP Mishra further stated that a search operation is being conducted in the dense forests of Bhalu-Diggi. Security personnel were also deployed in the area on Tuesday night as well. The encounter is underway with intermittent firing between security personnel and the Maoists. More than 50 Maoists were present in the area, against whom the search operation is underway, IANS reported, citing official sources. Security forces have started searching every corner of the forest. CM Vishnu Deo Sai Hails Security Forces Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai praised the security forces for successfully neutralising the Maoists and congratulated them. He said, "I congratulate our security forces very much. Their courage deserves the utmost praise. This operation proves that we are continuously succeeding against the Maoists." Earlier on January 16, 17 Maoists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, and a large cache of weapons was also recovered. The joint operation marks a significant success for security forces in their ongoing efforts to curb Maoist activity in the region. With the Delhi Elections 2025 approaching, eligible voters are gearing up to exercise their democratic right. But what happens if you dont have a voter ID card? The good news is that you can still cast your vote, provided you carry specific documents as approved by the Election Commission of India (ECI). As many as 699 candidates are in the fray for the February 5 polls to the 70-member Delhi Assembly, marking a slight increase from the number of people who fought the elections in 2020. Documents You Can Use to Vote Without a Voter ID Card The Election Commission recognizes several identity documents as valid alternatives to a voter ID card. These include: Aadhaar Card Passport Driving License PAN Card Ration Card MNREGA Job Card Passbook with a photograph issued by a recognized bank or post office Pension document with a photograph Make sure your name is on the voter list before heading to the polling booth. You can check this online via the Election Commissions official website. Importance of Carrying Valid Identification Having valid identification ensures a smooth voting process. It helps election officials verify your identity and avoid any discrepancies at the polling station. Without these documents, you might be denied the chance to vote, even if your name is on the voter list. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged Delhi BJP members to target winning over 50 per cent of votes in every booth in the upcoming assembly polls, and excoriated the AAP for its "unfulfilled" promises, "fake" announcements and "corruption". People are openly expressing anger with the AAP government during the party's campaign, he said, claiming that it is making new announcements every day as it is aware that it is losing ground across the national capital. In an online interaction with Delhi BJP members, Modi reiterated his "aapda" (disaster) barb against the AAP and asked them to gather photographic and video evidence of the city's poor roads, sanitation and other problems in their outreach to voters ahead of the February 5 polls. Calling for defeating the AAP, which has been in power since 2015, the prime minister said the BJP will pave the way for fulfilling the resolve of making Delhi the developed capital of a developed India. He accused the city government of not tabling CAG reports, which reportedly highlight the losses caused to the exchequer by its policies, for the fear of being exposed. The reports will be tabled by the new BJP government, he said, asserting that people have made up their mind to oust the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Modi said the common man is saying, "aapda ko hata kar rahenge. BJP ko laakar rahenge (We will surely remove aapda and bring BJP)". People are aware of the AAP's "misdeeds" and BJP workers should continue to highlight the destruction the ruling party has inflicted on the national capital which, he added, lacks an identity of its own unlike several other cities such as Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Noida and Chandigarh. Delhi is still associated with the central government, he said. With Purvanchali voters emerging as a key voting bloc in the city, the PM accused the AAP of conspiring to push the people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh out of the national capital following the COVID-19 outbreak and alleged that the party is full of hate for them. In the over 75-minute programme, the prime minister interacted with a number of BJP workers and took repeated jibes at the AAP. When a party worker spoke about the lack of water supply in an area, Modi said "liquor is available but water is not", a reference to the city government's now-scrapped excise policy which led to the arrest of several AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, on corruption charges. Modi said he is writing a letter to Delhi voters and asked BJP members to read it out to them. This "aapda" has engaged in lies and deceit, and city residents have been betrayed by it and the Congress over the last 25 years, he said, claiming that the AAP has surpassed the main opposition party in deceiving people with fake promises. The Congress was in power in Delhi from 1998 to 2013. "They (AAP) have set new records in corruption but have no shame. There is a lot of anger among people against their scams," he said. The AAP makes excuses in Delhi but it has not fulfilled its promises in Punjab too, he added. Those born in the last 25 years or those who are in the 35-40 age group have seen nothing but destruction, Modi said, adding that they have lost hope and are in despair. He exuded confidence that the BJP will secure a massive majority due to the hard work of its booth workers. With the AAP depending on its welfare plank, including sops to women, to clinch a third consecutive win, Modi noted that BJP governments in several states such as Odisha and Maharashtra are successfully running cash assistance schemes for women besides other welfare initiatives. Unlike the AAP, the BJP's model is based on truth, he said. The BJP will run a massive campaign to ensure that drinking water reaches everyone once it is voted to power, he said. Slamming Kejriwal, the PM said the "Sheesh Mahal" is an example of the AAP's deceit and lies. The BJP has dubbed Kejriwal's official residence as "Sheesh Mahal", claiming he spent crores on the house. The prime minister urged BJP members to ensure record polling to surpass the turnout figures of the last 10 years. Without naming Kejriwal, Modi said he promised to clean the Yamuna but is now claiming that cleaning the river does not get votes. The prime minister said the AAP also failed to fulfil its promise of building houses for the poor and noted that the Centre has built thousands of homes for them. Underscoring the BJP's commitment to the middle class and improving its ease of living, Modi said the central government has spent a significant amount of money for this, including by building metro and highways. To ensure the middle class enjoys a comfortable standard of living, the government spends significant amounts of money. "We have responded to the aspirations of the middle class in Delhi," he added. The prime minister also noted that lakhs of families in Delhi include those of central government employees and pensioners, and asserted that the 8th Pay Commission will change their fate. He said the young population has suffered the most in the past 10 years due to the lack of government assistance, asserting that the BJP will improve the conditions of government schools and implement its agenda for the youth. The Assam government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has firmly refuted claims that rescued elephants were relocated to other states. The state administration clarified that no elephants have been transported out of Assam, dismissing rumors about a convoy of animal ambulances ferrying elephants from the region. I categorically state, with all the authority at my command, that the elephants shown being transported in vehicles over the last two days are not from Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X. I categorically state, with all the authority at my command, that the elephants shown being transported in vehicles over the last two days are not from Assam. https://t.co/QY2jx3VCnB Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 20, 2025 CM Sarma's clarification came in response to a social media post by Mukrang Engti, founder of the Karbi Anglong Animal Welfare Society, who sought an explanation regarding media reports on the issue. In recent days, footage surfaced showing a convoy of animal ambulances passing through Assam, with some vehicles displaying Gujarat registration plates. At least one elephant was visible in the footage, with its trunk emerging from the open hood of an animal ambulance. It is hereby clarified that no elephants have been transported from Assam in the recent past. Certain news items and social media posts published linking Assam to such activities are completely unwarranted and false.@assamforest @assampolice pic.twitter.com/YaLg3sWoE8 Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) January 20, 2025 The Assam government has categorically stated that these reports are baseless. "No elephants have been transported from Assam in the recent past. The news items and social media posts linking Assam to such activities are completely false and unwarranted," the government asserted. The JDU has withdrawn support from the BJP-led Manipur government. The JD(U) state unit in Manipur has decided to withdraw its support from the BJP-led Biren Singh government and has communicated this decision to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. According to the party's announcement on Wednesday, the sole JD(U) MLA in the state, Md Abdul Nasir, will now serve as a member of the opposition. In a letter to governor Bhalla, JD(U) state president Ksh Biren Singh said, "In the election to state assembly of Manipur held in February/ March 2022, six candidates set up by JD (U) were returned. After a few months, five MLAs of JD (U) defected to BJP. Trial under Tenth Schedule of India of the five MLAs is pending before the Speaker's Tribunal." "After JD (U) became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP-led government was withdrawn by JD(U)... As such, the seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD(U) in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the Assembly by the Speaker," it added. However, soon after, the JD(U) sacked its Manipur unit president, Ksh. Biren Singh, in an effort to quell growing speculation about its ties with the BJP. Party's national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said Singh's removal was due to indiscipline and asserted that the party would continue to support the BJP-led government in the northeastern state. Ranjan affirmed that the JD(U) remains committed to supporting the BJP-led NDA, not just in Manipur but across the country. "Our party has worked diligently to strengthen the NDA and will continue to do so," he added. The withdrawal, however, will not have any impact on the Biren Singh government as the BJP has 37 seats in the 60-member assembly and is also supported by five MLAs of the Naga People's Front and three independents. Minister of Externals Affairs Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday clarified that India and the United States are on the same page when it comes to illegal mobility of people but highlighted that the two nations need to prioritize mobility of people which is mutually beneficial. Jaishankar also said that India wants its skilled workforce to have the maximum opportunity at the global level. However, Jaishankar shared that he flagged the delayed US visa approval during the bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "I told him (Rubio) that while we accept this (illegal immigration issue) and agree that these are autonomous processes, it's in our mutual interest to facilitate legal and mutually beneficial mobility. If it takes 400-odd days waiting period to get a visa, I don't think the relationship is well served by this," said Jaishankar, adding that Secy Rubio noted the point. Speaking to the press in Washington DC. https://t.co/DJsRaAyXAJ Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 22, 2025 Reacting to the reports of the deportation of thousands of Indians illegally residing in America, Jaishankar said that illegal migration was one of the issues which came up during the discussion. "We have a position on mobility of people which is a principal position that applies to all countries. As a government, we are very much supportive of legal mobility because we believe in a global workplace. We want Indian talent and Indian skills to have the maximum opportunity at the global level. At the same time, we are also very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration because when something illegal happens, many other illegal activities get joined onto it," said Jaishankar. Jaishankar said that it's neither desirable nor reputationally good. "We have this policy with every country and the US is no exception. We have always taken a view that if there are any of our citizens, who are not here legally, if we are sure they are our citizens, we have been open to their legitimate return to India," said Jaishankar. Jaishankar said that India has been consistent and very principled about it and it remains New Delhi's position and the same was conveyed very clearly to Secretary Marco Rubio. Many of Trumps initial executive actions in office focused on addressing illegal immigration in the US. These included declaring a national border emergency and deploying troops along the US-Mexico border. It will affect thousands of undocumented Indians who landed in the US illegally or are overstaying. With Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto as Chief Guest at this year's Republic Day, a 352-member marching and band contingent from the country will be participating in at the Parade on the Kartvya Path in the national capital. This will be the first time that an Indonesian marching and band contingent will participate in a national day parade abroad. President Prabowo, who will pay a State Visit to India on January 25-26, will attend the 76th Republic Day parade as Chief Guest. The entire gamut of bilateral cooperation including political, defence and security cooperation, trade and investment, healthcare, digital technologies, energy, culture, connectivity, tourism and people-to-people relations will be reviewed during his visit. Several MoUs and announcements are likely to be concluded and the third CEO Forum will be held on the sidelines. This will be the first visit of President Prabowo to India as Head of State. Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia, was the Chief Guest at India's first Republic Day in 1950. President Prabowo will be the fourth Indonesian President to attend India's Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Indonesia in 2018. During the visit, India-Indonesia bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a shared vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also adopted. Prime Minister Modi met President Prabowo on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November last year. This was the first meeting between the two leaders. India and Indonesia are close maritime neighbours with cultural and trade ties spanning over a millennia. The annual Bali Yatra festival, which commemorates the historic voyages by Indian seafarers who would set sail to Bali, is one such example of these cultural linkages. Indonesia is an important pillar in India's Act East Policy. There are regular high-level interactions including convening of bilateral mechanisms like Joint Commission Meetings and Foreign Office Consultations. In terms of economic cooperation, Indonesia is one of India's largest trading partners in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade in 2023-24 reached USD 29.40 billion. Indian investments in Indonesia amount to USD 1.56 billion in infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automotive, mining, banking and consumer goods sectors. The Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2018 has further strengthened defence ties. There are regular talks between the defence services of the two countries and bilateral Army Exercise 'Garuda Shakti' and Joint Naval Exercise 'Samudra Shakti' are held regularly. There is regular conduct of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT). India and Indonesia also share robust and active space cooperation dating back to 1997. Two Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TTC) ground stations set up by ISRO at Biak, Papua support Indian satellite and launch vehicle missions. Apollo Hospital is working with the Indonesian Mayapada Hospital group to build a green hospital in the new capital Ibu Kota Nusantara(IKN) for clinical collaboration, providing capacity building, technical training, hospital management services and collaboration to make affordable and quality healthcare available to Indonesians. Exports of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to Indonesia have risen from USD 167.01 million in 2020-21 to USD 230.41 million in 2023-24. Indonesia is a major recipient of ITEC and TCS of Colombo Plan scholarships. ICCR offers around 20 scholarships every year to Indonesian students for pursuing higher studies in India. ITEC offers around 100 slots to Indonesia every year. Direct flight connectivity between India and Indonesia commenced in August 2023. Routes include Mumbai-Jakarta, Delhi- Bali and Bangaluru-Bali sectors. India has emerged as the second largest source of tourists (more than 6,00,000) to Bali in 2023-24. There are approximately 1,50,000 Persons of Indian Origin whose ancestors migrated to Indonesia in the 19th and 20th centuries. There are around 14,000 Indian Nationals (NRI) living in Indonesia including entrepreneurs, engineers, chartered accountants, IT professionals, consultants and bankers. President Prabowo's visit will provide an opportunity for the leaders to undertake a comprehensive review of bilateral ties as well as to discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently unveiled satellite images of the Maha Kumbh Mela, currently underway in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. These images highlight the vast scale of the worlds largest religious gathering, which is attracting millions of devotees from across the globe. The Maha Kumbh Mela, also known as the Poorna Kumbh, is a major Hindu pilgrimage that takes place every 12 years. This years event began on January 13 and is scheduled to continue for 45 days until February 26. It is expected to draw over 45 crore (450 million) people over the course of the festival. Devotees from all corners of India and the world gather at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river, to take a holy dip, believed to cleanse sins and offer spiritual salvation. Satellite Images Showcase Massive Preparations ISROs satellite imagery provides a bird's-eye view of the ongoing developments and the sheer scale of the gathering. These images were captured over multiple dates, highlighting the progression of infrastructure development in preparation for the influx of millions. Among the key landmarks captured are the ongoing construction of Shivalay Park, a 12-acre park shaped like India, which is designed to be a major attraction during the Mela. The imagery also sheds light on the transformation of the Parade Grounds and the Triveni Sangam area, illustrating the extensive changes in the landscape as the city is readied to accommodate the religious congregation. The Triveni Sangam holds immense religious significance, and ISROs satellite images from different months provide a compelling look at the area's evolution. Time-series images taken in September 2023 and December 2024 clearly showcase the growth in infrastructure and changes in the surrounding landscape as preparations for the Mela reached their peak. The Scale of the Gathering The Uttar Pradesh government estimates that more than 45 crore people will attend the Maha Kumbh this year, a significant increase compared to previous editions. Along with the devotees, Kalpavasis (those who live by the river for the duration of the Mela) and revered seers also take part in this spiritual event, contributing to the extraordinary scale of the gathering. BENGALURU: Despite party high command's strict instructions, the talk about the 'next chief minister' refuses to die down in the ruling Congress in Karnataka. In a show of strength, Congress leader Parashuram Pujari of Hire Bagewadi and his supporters performed special pooja at Sigandur Chowdeshwari Devi temple in Belagavi on Wednesday to see his leader and state Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi as the next chief minister. They performed pooja, holding posters which had Jarkiholi's picture and the message Satish Jarkiholi, the next Chief Minister'. On Tuesday, the supporters of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar raised the CM issue during the 'Gandhi Bharat' event in Belagavi. Holding a photograph of Shivakumar, who is also the Congress Karnataka unit president, the supporters raised slogans - "Shivakumar should be made the next Chief Minister". A Digambar Jain monk, Gunadhara Nandi, along with 18 other senior monks of the Jain order blessed Shivakumar of becoming the next CM. "Today I am making this prediction that Shivakumar will become the next chief minister," the monk announced before a huge crowd at Varur in Dharwad district on Tuesday evening. Shivakumar termed it the monk's wish of blessing him the way he wanted. "Can we guide anyone while blessings to utter words of our choice? It is their wish. But for me, my party is important. We work based on the responsibilities given to us by our party," Shivakumar told reporters at the Hubballi Airport on Tuesday night. He added that he never went after any post and focused on performing his duties."I am not in a hurry," he quipped. At the time of Congress coming to power in May 2023, there were reports about a pact that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would head the state for the first two and half years and Shivakumar would be the CM for the rest of the term. While some Vokkaliga leaders started a campaign to make Shivakumar as chief minister, Jarkiholi, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, underlined the need for a full time Congress state president'. "We ministers are not able to focus on our party works and there is a need for a full time Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president," Jarkiholi had recently said. His statement came a day after the Congress Legislative Party meeting where the Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala conveyed the party high command's direction that no one should speak a word on touchy issues like change of guard in the state, replacing the Congress president, cabinet expansion and revoking guarantees. Within the party circle, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's message during the 'Gandhi Bharat' convention in Belagavi became a talking point. Kharge on Tuesday called upon the leaders to learn from former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's sacrifice in 2004. She sacrificed the prime ministerial position and gave the coveted post to late Manmohan Singh, he said. As we step into 2025, the literary world is a buzz with a slew of new voices and well-established authors continuing to captivate readers across genres. From poetry and motivational guides to deep dives into India's history and future, the books scheduled for release this year promise to enrich our minds and stir our emotions. Heres a look at some of the notable authors whose works are set to illuminate the literary landscape in 2025. 1)V. Shruti Devi: "Canvassing Art" V. Shruti Devi, a Supreme Court advocate, politician, and prolific writer, continues to make waves with her latest book, Canvassing Art (December,2024), a collection of poems born out of the #TheWriteAngle writing challenge. Known for her thought-provoking explorations of nature, governance, and metaphysical thought, Devis work offers a rare window into her personal reflections and the art that inspired them. Canvassing Art is a unique blend of poetry and visual art, inviting readers to explore the intricate relationship between the poets amateur paintings and the deeper meaning embedded in each work. The poems, which grew out of her experiences as a lawyer and her political career, offer readers an intellectual feast, tackling issues of the environment, indigenous rights, and the pursuit of justice. The books appeal transcends the literary world; art dealers, social scientists, and even theatre enthusiasts will find something to engage with in its pages. Devis work is destined to find a home in many libraries and creative spaces, from quiet reading nooks to lively workshops. 2) Arun Malik: "Inviting Abundance" Arun Malik, an author with a gift for motivating and inspiring others, is back with a new book, Inviting Abundance (2025). Known for his collection of seven previous books, Malik has become a well-regarded thought leader in the realm of self-help and motivation. With a background in mechanical engineering and an MBA from IRMA, Malik draws upon his experiences working in large corporations and leading diverse teams across the world. In Inviting Abundance, Malik shares practical insights for individuals looking to manifest success in their lives. His approach is grounded in positivity, focusing not on changing the world around us but on transforming our own thoughts and attitudes to unlock our potential. This book is particularly timely as readers seek ways to recalibrate their lives in a world increasingly focused on self-growth and productivity. Through his uplifting language, Malik offers readers a path to embrace abundance in every aspect of lifefrom career and relationships to personal growth. This motivational guide is sure to become a staple in the self-help genre. 3) Smarak Swain: "Digital Fortunes For those interested in the burgeoning world of digital finance, Smarak Swains Digital Fortunes: A Value Investors Guide to the New Economy (2024) is an essential read. Swain, a distinguished financial investigator and policy expert, brings a wealth of knowledge to this exploration of virtual assets, digital platforms, and the future of investment in the digital economy. With a deep understanding of global financial systems, Swain offers readers a detailed examination of the forces that drive value in the digital world. One of the standout features of Digital Fortunes is Swains innovative "fraud risk map," a tool designed to help investors navigate the complex and often volatile landscape of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. As cryptocurrencies continue to evolve, this book provides readers with a clear framework for assessing potential investment opportunities, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to capitalize on the digital revolution. Swains expertise in anti-money laundering and global tax systems ensures that this book is not only practical but also rooted in a deep understanding of international finance. 4) Venkata Subramaniam: "Quantum Nation" Indias push towards becoming a global leader in quantum technology is embodied in Quantum Nation: Indias Leap Into the Future* (2024), authored by L. Venkata Subramaniam, a distinguished quantum computing expert. As the head of IBM Quantum India and an inventor with 34 patents to his name, Subramaniam is uniquely positioned to offer insights into Indias ambitious quantum agenda. In this book, Subramaniam traces Indias path toward becoming a key player in the quantum revolution, with a focus on the National Quantum Mission and the countrys strategic investments in quantum technologies. Quantum Nation presents a compelling narrative that bridges the technical and the visionary, offering readers a glimpse into the future of technology and its potential to reshape industries worldwide. With Subramaniams firsthand experience in pushing India to the forefront of quantum research, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, technology, and national policy. The books place on Amazons bestseller list and its recognition in top media outlets underscore its relevance and importance in the tech world. 5) Chirasree Bose: "Live with Me Die with Me" Chirasree Bose, a celebrated Indian author known for her gripping thrillers and complex characters, released her latest fiction Live with Me Die with Me. Its a psychological thriller that promises to keep readers on the edge. In this tale, Meera is found murdered at a deserted construction site, and Dwiti, a blind woman, wakes up claiming to see her. As the investigation unfolds, dark secrets about Dwitis marriage come to light, leading to a breathless climax. Boses mastery of suspense and her ability to craft intricate, multi-layered narratives are on full display in Live with Me Die with Me. With a track record of over 300 short stories and five bestselling books, Bose is set to further solidify her position as one of Indias premier thriller writers. Fans of mystery, intrigue, and the supernatural will find themselves captivated by this chilling tale. 6) Raghavan Srinivasan: "Indian Philosophy: Quick and Concise" Raghavan Srinivasan, a writer and social activist, takes readers on a journey through the diverse philosophical traditions of India in his latest work. Indian Philosophy: Quick and Concise (2025). This accessible guide offers a comprehensive yet digestible overview of the major schools of thought, from the Vedas to the Bhagavad Gita, Buddhism, Jainism, and more. Srinivasans ability to distill complex ideas into clear, concise language makes this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in exploring the intellectual legacy of India. In Indian Philosophy, Srinivasan explores not only the well-known systems of thought but also lesser-known traditions like the Ajivikas and the philosophies embedded in Indian medical systems. His balanced approach provides readers with a nuanced understanding of how philosophy, religion, and culture intersect in Indias intellectual history. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the philosophical traditions that have shaped the subcontinent. 7) Sumant Batra: Anarkali The enigmatic figure of Anarkali has long captivated history and folklore, with her tragic love affair with Prince Salim, son of Emperor Akbar, remaining a poignant legend. In Anarkali, Sumant Batra brings to life the woman behind the myth, offering a compelling narrative that explores her identity, family, and life beyond her doomed romance. Batras evocative prose delves into the complex social structures of the Mughal Empire, portraying a woman who dares to assert her desires, with all the consequences that follow. The novel honors both her love story and her resilience, blending historical detail with imaginative storytelling. Anarkali became a national bestseller, with its first print run of 3,000 copies selling out within 45 days of its December 2023 release. The book was launched by filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who expressed interest in adapting it into a film. Subsequent launches took place across India and internationally, garnering widespread acclaim. As 2025 unfolds, these authors promise to offer a diverse range of insights and perspectives, making this year an exciting one for readers across the globe. Whether you're drawn to poetry, business insights, thrilling mysteries, or deep philosophical explorations, theres something in store for everyone. Keep an eye out for these literary luminaries as they continue to shape the future of literature and thought. Disclaimer: (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts consumer connect initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) Pryagraj: A special cabinet meeting of Uttar Pradesh government, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commenced on Wednesday at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. UP Deputy CM Keshav Prashad Maurya has informed that important decisions will be taken in the meeting. "Many important decisions will be taken in the Cabinet meeting today. All cabinet members along with the CM will also take a holy dip at Sangam today." Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak who is also attending the meeting, welcomed saints and devotees in Maha Kumbh. "I welcome all the saints and seers who have come here to attend the Maha Kumbh. There will be a Cabinet meeting here and all members will take a holy dip," Pathak said. UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said, "We will be briefed only after the cabinet meeting. Afterwards, all the ministers will go together to take a dip (in the Ganga)." All 54 ministers of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet have been invited to this meeting, which is expected to approve several significant proposals and schemes for the state. Following the meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with the entire cabinet, will take the holy dip in the sacred waters of the Triveni Sangam. This isn't the first time CM Yogi has led his cabinet to the Sangam. In 2019, during the Kumbh Mela, he took a ceremonial dip along with his ministers, Akhada Parishad President Narendra Giri, and other saints. Maha Kumbh is one of the largest and most significant religious congregations in the world. The key 'snan' dates left are: January 29 (Mauni Amavasya - Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami - Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri). Uttar Pradesh police deployed over 10,000 personnel, including local police and paramilitary forces for the event's security. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed a "water ambulance" stationed at Sangam to ensure the safety of devotees. The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will continue until February 26. Ludhiana: After a spellbinding performance at the Jhoom event in Sri Ganganagar, where Mohinder Pal Singh (MP Singh) captivated hearts with his soulful Sufi music and made the evening truly special, the celebrated artist is now bringing his musical magic to Ludhiana for the very first time. Known for his deep, soul-stirring voice and the ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level, MP Singh has carved a niche for himself in the world of Sufi music. His unique style blends traditional Sufi elements with contemporary influences, creating a mesmerizing experience that resonates with listeners of all ages. With every performance, he takes the audience on a spiritual journey, leaving them enchanted and yearning for more. His recent success in Sri Ganganagar is a testament to his growing popularity and the profound impact of his music. Ludhiana music enthusiasts can look forward to an unforgettable evening as MP Singh gears up to perform live at Studio Xo, Ludhiana, with his band Shere Dil Ki Mehfil. Known for their mesmerizing renditions and deep emotional connect, it's going to be an extraordinary blend of timeless Sufi melodies and modern arrangements, ensuring an evening filled with magic and soulful vibes. Don't miss this grand musical night! Book your tickets now and reserve your tables at: +91 9958600398 | +91 9958600503 Venue: Paragon Waterfront, South City Road, Ludhiana Follow for more updates: instagram.com/sheredilkimehfil Disclaimer- (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts consumer connect initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) RG Kar Rape-Murder Case Verdict: In the fresh updates pertaining to the RG Kar rape and murder case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Wednesday, challenged the West Bengal government's plea at a division bench of Calcutta High Court seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the case of the rape-murder of a woman doctor of the state-run college and hospital. Whether the state governments petition on this count will be admissible or not will be heard at the same division bench on January 27. This comes two days after a special court in Kolkata, on January 20, sentenced Roy to life imprisonment in the case and stated that his offence cannot be considered the rarest of rare crimes. However, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government challenged the special court order and approached Calcutta High Courts division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi on Tuesday, moving the plea for the death sentence of Roy. After the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday morning, CBI challenged the petition by the state government, raising questions on the grounds on which it could make such an appeal. According to news agency IANS, the deputy solicitor general, Rajdeep Majumdar, argued that it was only the probe agency, which was handling the case, and the victims parents who could move such a plea at a higher court, and not the state government, which is not a party in the case. The West Bengal government had appealed to the Calcutta High Court's Division Bench against the trial court's life imprisonment verdict convicting Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar case. The next hearing in the case will be held on January 27. Advocate General Kishore Dutta has approached the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak, seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy. The matter has been allowed to be filed. The horrific incident took place at the state-run RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata last year when the body of the doctor was recovered from a seminar hall within the R.G. Kar premises on the morning of August 9, 2024. The initial investigation was carried out by the Kolkata Police. It was the state police that first arrested Roy. However, after five days of initial investigation by the city police, the charge of the probe into the matter was handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court. On this point, Majumdar also referred to a case by CBI against former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, where the state governments plea was not considered by the Patna High Court. However, the state advocate general, Kishor Datta, while appearing on behalf of the state government, in his counterargument said that in this particular case, the West Bengal government can appeal under Section 377 (which allows the state government to appeal a sentence if it considers it inadequate) and Section 378 (relating to appeals against acquittal orders for cognizable and non-bailable offences) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC). Finally, the division bench decided to hear the argument on the admissibility of the states governments plea in the matter on January 27. (With agency inputs) Pushpak Express Accident: In a tragic accident, at least 12 people lost their lives after stepping onto the tracks and being struck by an oncoming train in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Wednesday evening. According to Central Railway officials, the incident occurred near Pardhade station, close to Pachora, when the Pushpak Express came to an unscheduled halt around 5 p.m. following a chain pull triggered by rumors of a fire onboard. The Indian Railways has issued a helpline number from Lucknow Jn station and the number is 8957409292. Pachora, located over 400 km from Mumbai, became the site of the tragedy when some passengers of the halted Pushpak Express disembarked onto the tracks and were hit by the Karnataka Express traveling in the opposite direction. Central Railway's chief spokesperson, Swapnil Nila, confirmed the incident. An emergency relief train has been dispatched from Bhusawal, and Central Railway is making every possible effort to provide medical assistance to the injured passengers. "Our preliminary information is that there were sparks inside one of the coaches of Pushpak Express due to either `hot axle' or `brake-binding' (jamming), and some passengers panicked. They pulled the chain, and some of them jumped down on the tracks. At the same time, Karnataka Express was passing on the adjoining track," a senior railway official told PTI. "Senior officials are reaching the spot, after which more information will be available," said Maharashtra minister Gulabrao Patil who is also the guardian minister of Jalgaon. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reacted to the accident. ""The train accident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra is extremely sad. I spoke to Chief Minister Dev Fadnavis in this regard and got information about the accident. The local administration is providing all possible help to the injured. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "The unfortunate incident near Pachora in Jalgaon district in which some people lost their lives is very painful. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them. My colleague Minister Girish Mahajan and the Superintendent of Police have reached the spot and the District Collector will reach there shortly. The entire district administration is working in coordination with the railway administration and immediate arrangements are being made for the treatment of the injured. 8 ambulances have been dispatched. The general hospital as well as other nearby private hospitals have been kept ready for the treatment of the injured. Emergency equipment like glass cutters, floodlights etc. have also been kept ready. We are monitoring the entire situation and all necessary assistance is being provided immediately. I am in touch with the district administration." Central Railway said in a statement that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has expressed deep grief over Jalgaon train accident. "He has collected complete information from Railway Board chief and other officials. He has also directed them for the adequate medical treatment of the injured. He has also expressed condolences to the deceased," it said. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the Pushpak train accident. He has ordered adequate medical treatment for the injured, also condoled the demise of passengers, said Uttar Pradesh CMO. "Senior officials are reaching the spot, after which more information will be available," said Maharashtra minister Gulabrao Patil who is also the guardian minister of Jalgaon. The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred the hearing on a series of petitions related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Masjid dispute. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna announced that the matter will now be taken up during the week commencing April 1, 2025. In the meantime, the court extended the operation of its earlier interim order, issued on January 16, 2024. This order had stayed the execution of a commission appointed to inspect the disputed premises. The stay was granted in response to a plea by the Shahi Idgah Masjid Management Committee, which challenged an Allahabad High Court decision allowing Hindu devotees to seek the appointment of a commissioner to survey the site. During earlier hearings, the Supreme Court had instructed all parties to complete pleadings and file written submissions not exceeding three pages, along with judgments they intended to rely on. The court, however, clarified that trial proceedings before the Allahabad High Court could continue. The dispute stems from multiple suits filed in Mathura courts claiming that the Shahi Eidgah complex was constructed on the land believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, where a temple once stood. In January 2024, the Allahabad High Court directed that all 15 suits filed by the Hindu side be consolidated into a single proceeding for the sake of efficiency. Recently, the Supreme Court addressed a plea filed by the Shahi Eidgah Masjid Management Committee challenging the consolidation of these suits by the High Court. CJI Khanna remarked, Why should we intervene in the issue of consolidation of suits? It doesnt make a difference. It is to the benefit of both sides, so multiple proceedings are avoided. The Supreme Court is also hearing a plea from the mosque management committee contesting the Allahabad High Court's decision to transfer all suits to itself. The committee has expressed concerns over the implications of this move, but the CJI-led bench noted that the consolidation of cases was in the interest of justice and aimed to streamline proceedings. Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Fresh details surfaced in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case after the Mumbai Police on Tuesday recreated the crime scene with the accused at the Satguru Sharan building, where the actor resides. The police revealed that the Bangladeshi national arrested for attacking Saif Ali Khan gained entry into the actor's building in Mumbai's Bandra area by scaling its compound wall, and found the security guards sleeping at that time, as reported by news agency PTI. The actor (54) was stabbed repeatedly by the intruder, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das (30), inside his 12-floor apartment in the wee hours of January 16. The actor suffered multiple stab injuries in the attack and underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital. Three days after the attack, the police arrested the accused from neighbouring Thane city. A police official said, "Both the security guards in the building where actor Saif Ali Khan resides were sleeping when his attacker entered it by crossing over the boundary wall." "As he found both the security guards in deep slumber, the accused entered the building from the main entrance where no CCTV camera had been installed. The accused removed his shoes and kept them in his bag to avoid making any noise and also switched off his phone," he said. "During the probe, the police found that there are no CCTV cameras installed in the building's corridor. The investigation revealed that one of the two security guards was sleeping in the cabin and the other near the gate," he added. Here Are Top Updates 1. To recreate the crime scene, the police took the accused to the actor's building as well as at other places that he possibly visited to have food, to change clothes and to board a train, he said. 2. The accused is kept in the police lockup either at the Bandra or the Santacruz police stations and no one except the investigation officer has permission to meet him, he said, adding that he is being provided food that other accused are being given. 3. Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Lingnurkar has been appointed as the investigation officer in the case, the official said. 4. Fakir, a native of Jhalokathi district in Bangladesh, had been residing in Mumbai for over five months, working odd jobs and associated with a housekeeping agency, the police have said. A court in Mumbai on Sunday remanded the accused in five-day police custody. 5. Meanwhile, Saif Ali Khan returned home on Tuesday afternoon after being discharged from Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital. 6. As Saif reached his Bandra residence he waved to the media. The 'Hum Tum' actor looked healthy as he greeted the paps with a smile. Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor were spotted at the residence. 7. Security has been tightened at his Bandra residence and CCTV cameras have been installed. (With agencies inputs) New Delhi: After impressing audiences and critics alike with her debut performance in Binny and Family, Anjini Dhawan is ready to take the next big step in her career. The young actress recently confirmed via an Instagram post of the Sikandar teaser announcement. She will be starring in the highly anticipated film Sikandar, alongside Bollywood heavyweights Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna. WHO IS ANJINI DHAWAN She is the daughter of Siddharth Dhawan and Reena Dhawan. The granddaughter of veteran actor Anil Dhawan who is David Dhawan's brother. She was recently spotted at Aaliyah Kashyap's (Anurag Kashyap's daughter) cocktail party last night in Estella, Mumbai. Anjini is Varun Dhawan's cousin sister. Anjinis debut in Binny and Family earned her widespread praise for her natural screen presence and ability to portray complex emotions. With Sikandar, she is set to bring that same charm and dedication to a bigger platform. SIKANDAR RELEASE Sikandar promises to be an action-packed drama with a compelling storyline. While details about Anjinis role are still under wraps, industry insiders suggest that her character will play a significant part in the films narrative, showcasing her versatility as an actor. Sikandar is set to hit the screens this Eid. New Delhi: Deva, starring Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde, is all set for a grand theatrical release, marking Shahid's highly anticipated return in an action-packed role. The film, produced by Zee Studios and Roy Kapur Films, has generated immense excitement through striking posters, a thrilling teaser, and the electrifying first track, "Bhasad Machaa." The trailer has already set the internet abuzz, offering fans a glimpse of stunning visuals and intense action sequences. One of the most intriguing aspects of Deva's promotion is its first look, featuring Shahid with a graffiti of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan in the background. An industry insider shares that the first poster of Deva hides subtle clues about the films plot. Shahid Kapoors rugged, raw look, paired with Amitabh Bachchans graffiti in the background, is more than just a design choiceits a hint at the films tone and narrative. These details arent accidental; theyre carefully crafted to spark curiosity and get the audience thinking about the connections between the visuals and the storyline. Its a smart move to tease the plot while keeping the mystery intact. Director Rosshan Andrrews revealed the inspiration behind the graffiti, explaining, Being a huge Amitabh Bachchan fan, I decided to include a graffiti of him in the film. This graffiti and Amitabh Bachchans aura play a significant role in the movie. When you watch Deva, youll understand the importance of this element and why its there. The trailer and song have already garnered rave reviews for their high-octane action and electrifying energy, showcasing Shahid Kapoors dynamic return in a massy, intense role. Fans are equally excited about Pooja Hegdes performance, adding to the anticipation for the film. Directed by renowned Malayalam filmmaker Rosshan Andrrews and produced by Zee Studios and Roy Kapur Films, Deva is an explosive action thriller set to release on January 31, 2025. Mumbai: A heartwarming photo of Saif Ali Khan hugging autorickshaw driver Bhajan Singh Rana has been going viral. The reunion took place at the hospital, where the driver expressed his happiness at seeing Saif safe and healthy after the traumatic knife attack incident at his residence. Earlier, Bhajan Singh Rana shared the sequence of events with NDTV, recalling how he rushed to help the actor without knowing his identity. I was going via Linking Road when a woman came running, shouting, Rickshaw, rickshaw, stop! She asked me to stop near the building gate, Mr. Rana said. At the time, he didnt realize the passenger was Saif Ali Khan. He admitted to feeling nervous, It was an emergency. Even I was nervous about who this passenger was, wearing a white shirt stained with blood. A child and a young man accompanied him. I was worried I might get into trouble. Auto driver who saved Saif Ali Khan after stabbing pictwitter.comwERjlkQaMn Manobala Vijayabalan ManobalaV January 22 2025 Despite his apprehension, Rana acted swiftly, ensuring Saif reached the hospital on time. The police later arrested Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national living in India under a false identity, for breaking into Saifs home and attacking him. In recognition of his timely help, Bhajan Singh Rana was rewarded Rs. 11,000. The gesture was praised widely, with fans applauding the autorickshaw drivers presence of mind and compassion. Saifs gesture of reuniting with and embracing the driver further highlighted his gratitude. The moment resonated deeply with fans, who lauded both Saif and Rana for their humanity and resilience. This incident serves as a reminder of the kindness and bravery of everyday heroes like Bhajan Singh Rana, who step up in moments of crisis. Mumbai: Esha Deol, the beloved daughter of Bollywood legends Hema Malini and Dharmendra, once faced shocking rumours that she was addicted to drugs. The baseless speculation, which surfaced in the early 2010s, left Esha deeply hurt and had a profound impact on her family, especially her mother, Hema Malini. The incident was highlighted in Hema Malinis biography, Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, where Esha opened up about this difficult chapter in her life. Esha recalled how devastated she felt when the rumours gained traction, with some publications even suggesting she was headed to rehab. To clear her name and reassure her mother, Esha took an extraordinary step, When that article (about her being a drug addict) came out, I was so depressed and hurt that I told my mom she could get my blood test done to check. She added emphatically, I am dead against drugs, and I have never touched them. Esha emphasised her commitment to preserving her parents dignity, saying, I would have never done anything that would put my parents to shame. Yes, I would party, I would have a few drinks with my friends, I had my share of fun and why not? That was the right age and time. At that age, everyone parties and drinks; the only issue was that I was in the public eye. The rumours took a toll on Hema Malini, who was deeply hurt by the false accusations. Eshas gesture of offering to take a blood test demonstrated her determination to clear her name and protect her familys honour. New Delhi: 8th Pay Commission Latest Update: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 January 2026 approved setting up the 8th Pay Commission which will result in revision of salaries of nearly 50 lakh central government employees and allowances of 65 lakh pensioners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government's decision to constitute the eighth pay commission will boost consumption and improve the quality of life. He wrote on X, "We are all proud of the efforts of all Government employees, who work to build a Viksit Bharat. The Cabinet's decision on the 8th Pay Commission will improve quality of life and give a boost to consumption." We are all proud of the efforts of all Government employees, who work to build a Viksit Bharat. The Cabinet's decision on the 8th Pay Commission will improve quality of life and give a boost to consumption. https://t.co/4DCa5skxNG Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 16, 2025 8th Pay Commission: When Will Central Government Get Revised Salaries? Check Expected Date The 8th pay commission is expected to be implemented from 1 January 2026. Based on the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission, it is expected that the revised salaries will be counted form 1 January 2026 onwards. Pay credit is expected to begin soon after and arrears of 1 January 2026 salaries. This is based on the past parlance. Since the last pay hike came into effect from January 1, 2016, the next salary should be revised from January 1, 2026 as the hike in salary of Central government staff takes place after 10 years. 8th Pay Commission: Expected Salary Hike The 8th Pay Commission, when implemented, will potentially increase salaries of Central government employees by 25-30 per cent and pensions proportionately, news agency IANS quoting industry experts has mentioned. For the 8th Pay Commission, a fitment factor between 2.6 and 2.85 is speculated, potentially increasing salaries by 25-30 per cent and pensions proportionately," IANS quoting Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital wrote. The basic minimum is expected to rise beyond Rs 40,000, along with perks, allowances and performance pay. 7th Pay Commission Recommendation: Minimum/Maximum Pay Hike The 7th Pay Commission had raised the Minimum pay to Rs 18,000 per month, maximum pay to Rs 2,50,000 per month. 7th Pay Commission also recommended a new pay matrix instead of grade pay system Focused on allowances and work-life balance. It included Over 10 million Beneficiaries (including pensioners) Galaxy S25 Series India Launch: Samsung is hosting its first Galaxy Unpacked event 2025 on January 22 in San Jose, California. At this highly anticipated mega event, the company is set to unveil its premium flagship Galaxy S25 series. The flagship series is expected to debut with the Android 15-based One UI 7 interface, featuring enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities. Notably, the series will include the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is expected to run on Android 15, layered with Samsung's One UI 6.0, delivering a seamless and intuitive user experience. Powering the devices will likely be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor or a high-performance Exynos chipset, depending on the market, ensuring top-tier performance and efficiency. It is important to note that the Samsung's flagship phones will arrive as the successor to the Galaxy S24 series which debuted on January 17, 2024. Moreover, the company may also shed more light on the much-anticipated Project Moohana new extended reality (XR) headset designed to rival the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest. Where To Watch Galaxy Unpacked Event Live Stream The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will begin at 11.30 PM IST and will be live streamed on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom and the company's official YouTube channel. Adding further, the updates from the event will also be shared on Samsungs social media handles across X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and other platforms. Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Pre-Reserve Benefits In India Samsung has begun accepting pre-reservations for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series in India via the Samsung India Store ahead of the official release. Customers can reserve their spot by paying a token amount of Rs 1999. As a reward for pre-booking, Samsung promises benefits worth Rs 5000. Notably, Samsung has confirmed that pre-reservations will be open until January 22, 2024, or until the actual pre-booking phase commences. Samsung Galaxy S25 Series (Expected) The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is expected to offer impressive specifications across its models. The Galaxy S25 will feature a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. The premium smartphone will house a 4000mAh battery with 25W wired charging support and a versatile camera setup, including a 50MP wide lens, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, and a 12MP front camera. The Galaxy S25 Plus is set to include a larger 6.7-inch display, a 4900mAh battery, and support for faster 45W wired charging. At the top of the lineup, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will boast a 6.9-inch 1440p display, a cutting-edge 200MP primary camera, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP periscope telephoto, and a 10MP telephoto lens. It will be backed by a 5000mAh battery and offer storage options of up to 1TB. The C-Type cable has revolutionized the way we charge and connect our devices. With its reversible design and fast-charging abilities, it has become an indispensable accessory in our daily lives. But with so many options available, choosing the right C-Type cable can be quite overwhelming. 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Shop now for seamless connectivity and convenience. Disclaimer: At IDPL, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. It should not be construed as an endorsement to buy. IDPL may make a very small commission from its sale if one chooses to buy the product from any of the links in this article. Indian-American lawmakers have opposed the executive order by US President Donald Trump on changes in birthright citizenship, a move likely to hit not only illegal immigrants from around the world but also students and professionals from India. On Monday, in the opening hours of his second term as president, Trump signed an order declaring that future children born to undocumented immigrants would no longer be treated as citizens. The order would extend even to the children of some mothers in the country legally but temporarily, such as foreign students or tourists. Trumps executive order asserts that the children of such noncitizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and thus are not covered by the 14th Amendments longstanding constitutional guarantee. Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said changes in birthright citizenship as done through the executive order would impact newborn babies of not only illegal and undocumented immigrants but also those staying in this country legally like on H-1B visas. 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. Trump's order removes birthright citizenship for children born in the US not just to undocumented parents but to 'lawful' immigrants who are temporarily on a student visa, H1B/H2B visa, or business visa. So much for the pretence that the Republicans are for legal immigration, Khanna said. Indians are the main beneficiaries of the H-1B visas, which bring in the best of the talent and brains from across the world. Highly skilled professionals from India walk away with the overwhelming number of H-1B visas - which is Congressional mandated 65,0000 every year and another 20,000 for those who received higher education from the US. No matter what Donald Trump says or does, birthright citizenship has and will be the law of the land. I will fight to protect it at all costs, Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar said. Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal described it as unconstitutional. Plain and simple this is unconstitutional and cannot be done with the stroke of a pen. If enacted, it would make a mockery of our countrys laws and the precedents set in the Constitution, she said. A coalition of immigration rights groups has challenged this in court and said that this is unconstitutional. As per the executive order, the US would not give automatic citizenship to newborn babies after February 19, 2025, if one of the parents is not a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Also, attorneys general from 22 states sued President Trump in two federal district courts on Tuesday to block the executive order that refuses to recognise the US-born children of unauthorised immigrants as citizens, the New York Times reported. Eighteen states and two cities, San Francisco and Washington, DC, challenged the order in the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, arguing that birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment is automatic and that neither the president nor Congress has the constitutional authority to revise it. Four other states filed a second lawsuit in the Western District of Washington. The states request immediate relief to prevent the Presidents Order from taking effect through both a Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction. President Trumps attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Constitution, said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. "The Presidents executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Ajay Bhutoria, Biden White House Commissioner and Deputy National Finance Chair for the Democratic Party, in a statement, said, the 14th Amendment is not up for negotiation. This executive order is not only unconstitutional but also undermines the values of equality and justice that define America," he said. Bhutoria urged the South Asian and broader immigrant communities to stand united against policies that threaten the fundamental principles of the Constitution. "We must work together to ensure that these divisive and unconstitutional actions do not succeed," he said. In response to US President Donald Trump's recent remarks regarding a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, China has vowed to defend its "national interests." The statement came from a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, who emphasized that China has always maintained that there are no winners in a trade war. Mao reiterated China's firm commitment to safeguarding its national interests in the face of potential tariffs, following Trump's announcement that he may impose the new tariffs starting February 1. Trump's Fentanyl Concerns and Tariff Proposal During a White House press conference, President Trump outlined his rationale for the proposed tariff on Chinese goods. He claimed that the tariff would help curb the flow of fentanyl, a highly addictive opioid, from China to Mexico and Canada, which ultimately ends up in the United States. Trump pointed to the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) findings, which suggest that chemical companies in China play a central role in the global fentanyl supply chain. According to the DEA, fentanyl is one of the most significant drug threats facing the US today. Trump explained that the tariff would apply to both China and its neighbors, Mexico and Canada, which are involved in the trafficking of fentanyl into the US. He described the tariff as a measure to stop this illegal drug trade and address what he sees as a pressing threat to American citizens. Trump's Claims About Previous Deal with Xi Jinping In addition to discussing the tariff, Trump also referenced a past conversation he had with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where he claimed they had reached an agreement to impose the death penalty on individuals involved in the fentanyl trade. According to Trump, under the terms of this deal, Chinese authorities would execute drug dealers who sent fentanyl to the United States. Trump suggested that this agreement had been settled during his first term in office but was not followed up by the current administration under President Joe Biden. Trump argued that had the death penalty been implemented, fentanyl would not have been able to flow freely to Mexico, Canada, or other nations. He criticized the Biden administration for not pursuing this agreement, implying that this lack of action contributed to the ongoing fentanyl crisis. China's Stance on Trade and Drug Control While China has expressed its commitment to addressing the fentanyl trade, it has also warned against the use of tariffs as a solution. The Chinese government has consistently advocated for dialogue and cooperation in resolving international issues, including drug trafficking, rather than escalating tensions through economic measures. The ongoing dispute between the US and China over tariffs has the potential to further strain relations between the two countries. On 21 January Mexicos Presidentsaid that she would respond with a cool head and a calm approach to the wide range of presidential actions announced by US Presidentduring his inauguration speech in Washington the day before. End of preview - This article contains approximately 385 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 21 January Perus Presidentpromised that her government would combat organised crime with an iron fist following the detonation of a bomb the previous day outside the regional attorney generals office in the city of Trujillo. End of preview - This article contains approximately 587 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned a chemical widely used to color some food products red. The ban of the coloring chemical, called dye, came nearly 35 years after it was removed from skin products because of a possible cancer risk. A group of food safety and health supporters issued a petition in 2022 seeking to have the FDA ban Red No. 3 in food. The earlier ban was ordered in 1990, after two studies showed Red No. 3 caused cancer in male rats eating high levels of the chemical. At the time, however, the FDA only acted to ban the coloring mixture in products put on the skin or in drugs taken by mouth. Health activists had long sought FDA approval to expand the ban to food products. In November, nearly two dozen members of Congress sent a letter demanding that FDA officials ban Red No. 3. Some of the most common products containing Red No. 3 include sweets, icing, strawberry milk, maraschino cherries, strawberry protein drinks, as well as some gummy vitamins and medications. The FDA said food manufacturers will have until January 2027 to remove the dye from their products. Other countries still permit certain uses of the dye. But any imported products will still have to meet the new U.S. requirement. Red No. 3 is already banned for food use in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, except in certain kinds of cherries. The dye will be banned in California starting in January 2027. And lawmakers in Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana have also proposed limits on certain dyes, especially from foods offered in public schools. Jim Jones is the FDA's deputy commissioner for human foods. He noted that even though the agency had established the new ban, the way that FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans." FDA officials said the ban was enacted because of a U.S. rule called the Delaney Clause. This legal policy requires the FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in people or animals. Dr. Peter Lurie is director of the consumer activist group the Center for Science in the Public Interest. He helped lead the latest effort to remove Red No. 3 from food products. Lurie told The Associated Press, "This is a welcome, but long overdue, action from the FDA. The International Association of Color Manufacturers has repeatedly said Red No. 3 is safe in levels usually taken in by humans. The group pointed to research carried out by scientific experts from the United Nations and the World Health Organization. One study, released in 2018, confirmed the safety of Red 3 in food. Some food manufacturers have already changed their products to remove Red No. 3. One example is Sensient Food Colors, a St. Louis-based supplier of food colors and flavorings. In its place, the company uses beet juice, a dye made from insects and other coloring mixtures. Im Jill Robbins. Jonel Aleccia reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. ______________________________________________________ Words in This Story petition n. an official request for someone in authority to do something occur v. to happen consumer n. a person who buys goods or services overdue adj. not appearing or presented by a stated, expected, or required time What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section. A recent study suggests that female family ties were central to social networks in ancient Celtic society before the Roman invasion. Genetic evidence from a late Iron Age cemetery in Britain shows that women were closely related. At the same time, unrelated men were more likely to come into the community from other places, likely after marriage. For the study, researchers examined ancient DNA from 57 burial places in Dorset in southwestern England. People used the cemetery from around 2100 years ago to around 1800 years ago. The results showed that two-thirds of the individuals descended from a single maternal lineage. Lara Cassidy of Trinity College Dublin was one of the studys co-writers. Cassidy suggested to the Associated Press (AP) that the results were surprising, or in her words, jaw-dropping. She said that such a finding had never been observed before in European prehistory. The study appeared recently in the scientific publication Nature. The research suggests that women stayed in the same circles throughout life. They kept social networks and likely inherited or managed land and property. Cassidy told the AP that the findings suggest, its your husband who is coming in as a relative stranger, dependent on a wifes family for land and livelihood. Such a way of living is called matrilocality. The researchers said it is historically rare. Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone is with the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Gnecchi-Ruscone was not part of the study. He said researchers studying burial places in Britain and Europe have only discovered the opposite behavior. He said in those communities, women left their homes and families to join their husbands family group. He said such a way of living, known as patrilocality, has been observed in other ancient time periods. These include the Neolithic period which started more than 10,000 years ago to the early Medieval period more than 1000 years in the past. Cassidy said in studies of pre-industrial societies from around 220 years ago to the present, researchers found that men join their wives extended family households only eight percent of the time. But researchers already knew there was something special about the role of women in Iron Age Britain. A group of tribes with closely related languages and art that is often described as Celtic lived in England before the Roman invasion about 2000 years ago. Valuable objects have been found buried with Celtic women. Roman writers, including Julius Caesar, wrote with disrespect about their relative independence and fighting abilities. The network of strong female family connections that the researchers found does not necessarily mean that women also held official positions of political power. Study co-writer Miles Russell of Bournemouth University in England researches ancient societies. He said the findings do suggest that women had some control of land and property and strong social support. Such a situation made Britains Celtic society more egalitarian than the Roman world, Russell said. Im John Russell. Christina Larson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. ____________________________________________________ Words in This Story cemetery n. a burial ground descended from v. (phrasal) to be related by birth to an ancestor maternal adj. of or related to the mother lineage n. a group of individuals descending from a common ancestor inherit v. to receive property or something of value because of a family relationship manage v. to oversee or look over extended family n. a large group of people who are related by blood or marriage who consider themselves as a large family egalitarian adj. aiming to make people in a society more equal than they are US President Donald Trump exchanged cute remarks with his wife Melania during their dance at the inauguration. The couple attended three balls in one day, capturing the attention of millions of people. ADVERTISIMENT The Trumps chatted naturally while dancing to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" performed by the US Marine Corps Band. Lip-reading expert Jeremy Freeman told the Mirror that he was able to make out a few phrases. "Today is one we will never forget," Melania said to her husband, to which Trump replied: "You're right, I'll learn, I'll fight." The first US couple exchanged a few more lines. For example, Trump told his wife that he had shaved and asked if she could smell his lotion. According to experts, Melania was uncomfortable during the awkward dance with her husband. However, despite the tension, she tried to smile sweetly. ADVERTISIMENT "Trump and Melania's first dance at the inaugural ball was stiff and awkward. It looked more like a hostage situation than a celebration," said expert Greg Matt Travis. "The man who claimed to 'make America great again' couldn't even make a slow dance convincing." During the balls, the Trumps looked gorgeous. Melania wore a white and black dress made by stylist Herve Pierre, while the president wore a tuxedo. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! One of the Soviet Unions most outspoken critics, nuclear physicist Dr Andrei Sakharov, has been ordered into internal exile. Officials in Moscow were angered by an interview Dr Sakharov gave American television last week, in which he called for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. It was the final straw after the Nobel peace prize winner had escaped arrest during more than 13 years of dissident activity. In the interview, Dr Sakharov also told American viewers he supported plans to boycott the summer Olympics in Moscow. He said he was in favour of the US sanctions ordered by President Carter in retaliation for the invasion. The scientist and his wife, Yelena Bonner, were seized by officers of the Soviet secret service, the KGB, while walking in a Moscow street. Dr Sakharov was stripped of his official honours. The couple were given two hours to pack before being sent to Gorky, an industrial city 250 miles east of Moscow and off limits to foreign reporters. Dr Sakharov was credited with creating the first Soviet hydrogen bomb but later became involved in campaigning for nuclear disarmament. He won the 1975 Nobel Peace Price because of his fight for human rights. In a recent interview with the BBC, Dr Sakharov spoke about the need for change in the Soviet Union. He said: Our country, like every modern state, needs profound democratic reforms. It needs political and ideological pluralism, a mixed economy and protection of human rights and the opening up of society. Courtesy BBC News In context Dr Sakharov spent nearly seven years in exile in Gorky where he continued to write letters and appeals in support of human rights activists. He staged three hunger strikes protesting at his own persecution and seeking permission for his wife to go to the United States for medical treatment for eye and heart problems. In 1983, Yelena Bonner was charged with slander against the Soviet state as she was about to board a plane to fly to the US. Dr Sakharov claimed it was a trumped-up charge to prevent her travelling abroad. She, too, was ordered to remain in exile in Gorky. After President Mikhail Gorbachev ordered his release in 1986, Dr Sakharov became a leading member of the pro-democracy movement. He also helped to lead the opposition in the new Soviet parliament in 1989 and was involved in drafting a new constitution. He died on 14 December 1989 of a heart attack. Analysts expect the local gaming industry to generate moderate revenue growth during the Lunar New Year (CNY) Spring Festival. In their most recent forecast, JP Morgan analysts DS Kim, Mufan Shi, and Selina Li said, We expect Chinese New Year GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue) to grow moderately at low-to-mid-single digits year over year. The same analysts also expect a similar GGR performance in the first half of 2025, followed by a better performance in the second half of the year, which should reach a 7% year-over-year increase. In general, JP Morgan analysts forecast a growth of 5% for the whole year this year. They noted that the sectors performance during the current month contributed to this forecast. As of last Sunday (January 19), the industry should have generated about MOP12.1 billion, representing a daily GGR of about MOP636.8 million. With the arrival of CNY, a traditional high season for Macau, the daily average is likely to increase, particularly during the eight days of the Spring Festival, which starts on January 28 and lasts until February 4. If the forecast is confirmed, January should post a result slightly above the MOP20 billion monthly line drawn by the government in its annual estimates of MOP240 billion for 2025. Concurrently, analysts from S&P Global also expect GGR growth in Macau to be between 5% and 6% this year. The forecast puts the performance of mass-market gaming postings between 15% and 20% above the pre-pandemic results. At the same time, the VIP market volume will likely stay near current low levels unless regulations change, they remarked. Despite the promising prospects, S&P analysts warned that the current instability in Chinas economy could impair Macau cash flow and (compromise) improvement. ARCTERYX, the Canadian premium outdoor brand, has opened its first 4.0 Design Shop in Macau at the Shoppes at Venetian. The stores design mimics the layered textures of the mountains, utilizing varying heights of display racks. Inside, customers will find distinctive Macanese touches, including traditional Portuguese tiles incorporated into the wall design. The design of the store is inspired by the Cliff House found in the mountains, exploring the shared spirit of professional design, harmony with nature, and a bold, adventurous spirit. Related The Judiciary Police (PJ) has confirmed that in 2024, it received five cases of local residents lured by criminal groups into scam jobs abroad. Questioned by the media during the press conference that presented the results of the force last year, the PJ director, Sit Chong Meng, confirmed that five people had fallen victim to these scams that attract people to work abroad, offering high salaries for jobs that require no specialized or technical proficiency. According to Sit, from these five victims, four were lured to alleged jobs in Taiwan, while the last one was caught in a similar scheme in Cambodia. The information that the PJ collected until now noted that the four residents who went to Taiwan were lured into an alleged scheme of transporting currency and ended up involved with a fraudster group dedicated to performing scams in Taiwan. The residents were allegedly forced to work for this group, acting as money collectors for the scams performed by the group. According to Sit, they were eventually caught by the Taiwanese authorities and arrested for participating in criminal acts. The PJ director added that from these, at least one is underage, 16 years old. He said the local police are in contact with their Taiwanese counterparts, but not much information is available as their case is still under investigation. As for the resident lured to Cambodia, the PJ said that upon his arrival, he was forced to work in a so-called scam farm performing telecommunication scams such as the ones that often target residents via SMS and phishing websites. The PJ said that these people are chosen to enroll in the groups due to their high profile or contacts, being through them that the criminal group targets other people to fall victim to scams. Sit said that according to what the PJ knew, he eventually managed to escape from the location where he was kept captive and contacted some friends in Hong Kong who notified the local police. His whereabouts were not known with precision for some time due to the location and the fact that he had been hiding in different places. The resident finally returned to Macau after the PJ solicited support from the Embassy of China to track him down and transport him back. Sit also said that on January 8 this year, a resident called for help from the PJ after suspecting that a family member had been attracted to one of these scams, but the police managed to stop him in time. He does not rule out the possibility of more cases of this kind being revealed in the upcoming weeks or months. Government officials anticipate a significant increase in the flow of people visiting the Taipa Old Town area during the Lunar New Year compared to previous years, they said in a press conference yesterday. In response, the authorities have announced the establishment of crowd control measures at the temporary pedestrian zone to be implemented in the historic district, aiming to enhance safety and manage the expected influx of visitors. The temporary pedestrian area, which runs from January 29 to February 4, will transform key intersections and thoroughfares in Old Taipa Village into a pedestrian-friendly zone from noon to 7 p.m. During yesterdays press conferences Q&A session, government officials addressed key concerns from media representatives, including plans to handle the anticipated increase in visitor traffic, transportation arrangements for residents with mobility challenges, and the impact on local businesses. One pressing concern was the expected influx of visitors, particularly given the recent introduction of the measure allowing visitors from Zhuhai to enter Macau once a week. Officials acknowledged that the enforcement of the measure could result in a significant rise in the figure of around 30,000 visitors per day recorded in the area last year. Authorities are poised to manage the anticipated peak flows, although specific measures will adapt based on real-time assessments. I believe that my colleagues will do a good job of regulating and controlling the flow of people, but it will depend on the situation at that time and how to control the flow of people, Yau Yun Wah, director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, stated. The police and local departments will monitor crowd dynamics to ensure a safe environment. Transportation for residents with reduced mobility The government will introduce seven-passenger shuttle vehicles during the pedestrian period to assist elderly residents and those with mobility difficulties. Residents can contact local associations to reserve these services, and the elderly can utilize the shuttles without prior registration. This approach ensures that elderly residents and those with mobility difficulties can access the area without hassle. Concerns from local merchants Addressing the challenges faced by delivery drivers in the past year due to the pedestrian zone, officials assured that new measures have been implemented this year to facilitate merchant loading. However, some difficulties may persist due to road closures. Authorities aim to balance the needs of residents and merchants. Dynamic reservation system for shuttle services The government emphasized the importance of addressing residents needs, remarking that the registration system for shuttle services will remain flexible, allowing adjustments based on real-time demand. If necessary, the shuttle buss operating hours may also be extended beyond the planned 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. window. Victoria Chan The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), in collaboration with Zhuhais Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau and the Zhuhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, hosted the Zhuhai-Macao Construction Safety Visit and Exchange Session. This event, held at Zhuhais Future City project, aimed at strengthening construction management connections within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. Themed New Vision for Security between Zhuhai and Macau, the session emphasized integrating Macaus safety standards with Zhuhais construction practices. An exhibition showcased Macaus safety equipment and provided a platform for professionals to exchange knowledge on construction safety and management practices. As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, Taiwanese authorities advise their citizens to exercise caution when traveling to Macau and Hong Kong, which remain under an orange travel alert, the Taipei Times yesterday reported. According to the report, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) advisory comes amid heightened tensions since June, when the alert level was raised from yellow to orange. This change followed Beijings announcement of penalties for those advocating Taiwanese independence. The current alert advises against nonessential travel to China and its territories. Travelers are also reminded that pepper spray, stun guns, electroshock devices, brass knuckles, switchblades, folding knives, retractable batons, e-cigarette devices, and other potential weapons are strictly prohibited in these regions. The council emphasized that individuals should familiarize themselves with local laws by visiting the websites of the Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, and Macau Customs Service. Taiwanese travelers are also encouraged to register with the MAC before their trips to ensure their safety. In case of emergencies, the MAC has established a 24-hour hotline for assistance from its Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong and its office in Macau. Additionally, the MAC has reiterated the importance of adhering to regulations concerning the importation of animal products. Due to the ongoing threat of African swine fever, travelers are prohibited from bringing meat from land animals. Victoria Chan STEVENS POINT Fourteen years after she had a stroke and moved into the Portage County Health Care Center, Grace Skibicki says she gets wonderful care at the county-owned nursing home, where she enjoys playing Scrabble and listening to polka bands. Skibicki fears the countys plan to sell the facility to a private owner will reduce the quality of care and the activities. I dont think a private company will be invested in the interest of residents, she said. Portage County Executive John Pavelski said the county can no longer afford to run the 94-year-old nursing home, for which he said a needed replacement facility would cost about $24 million. The county must remodel its courthouse and build a new jail, projects expected to cost a total of $160 million or more, he said. Wisconsin counties find additional uses for nursing homes instead of selling them By adding dementia crisis units, assisted living beds or services such as housing for the homeless, some counties are diversifying nursing homes as an alternative to selling. Private industry can do just as good of a job, if not better, than we can in running a skilled nursing facility, Pavelski said. The priorities of public safety are very high. Wisconsin counties are engaged in an escalating debate over whether to continue owning nursing homes or sell them, as staffing shortages and historically low Medicaid reimbursements have led officials to increasingly view the facilities as fiscal challenges. The Portage County Boards vote in December to pursue a sale is the latest move in a decade-long deliberation over what to do with its nursing home. Theres a general feeling from county boards that (running a nursing home) doesnt match their primary obligation to their residents anymore, said Rene Eastman, vice president for policy and finance at LeadingAge Wisconsin, which represents nonprofit and government-owned nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Theyre looking very closely at all county services that arent mandatory. Although private nursing homes far outnumber public facilities, government-owned nursing homes provide the best care, at least as measured by the federal governments five-star rating system, Eastman said. In Wisconsin, public facilities have an average of 3.9 stars, compared to 3.2 stars for nonprofit nursing homes and 2.7 stars at for-profit facilities, according to LeadingAge. Staffing shortages remain a concern, but Medicaid payments to nursing homes have increased by nearly 25% in Wisconsin since 2022, Eastman said. Many counties can now operate the facilities with less or no extra support from county taxpayers, she said. It is now possible for a county nursing home to operate near break-even, whereas before that was simply not possible, Eastman said. Thirty of Wisconsins 72 counties own a total of 35 nursing homes, with Dunn County owning three and La Crosse, Trempealeau and Wood counties each having two. Many of the operations including Dane Countys Badger Prairie Health Care Center in Verona, where a new facility opened in 2011 started as 19th-century poor farms. Three municipalities also own nursing homes: the village of Spring Valley, west of Eau Claire, and the cities of Galesville and Westby, near La Crosse, whose nursing homes are managed by Bethany St. Joseph Corp. of La Crosse. The city of Algoma sold its facility to a private company in 2022. Selling or closing In the face of operating deficits and the need for costly repairs, Wisconsin counties as small as Rusk, north of Eau Claire, and as large as Milwaukee sold or closed 18 nursing homes from 1986 to 2017. From 2016 to last year, 68 nursing homes of all types of ownership closed around the state, according to LeadingAge. As of January, Wisconsin has 337 nursing homes with a total of 25,647 beds and 4,171 assisted living facilities with a total of 61,040 beds, according to state officials. The Iowa County Board cited staffing challenges and the need for expensive repairs in closing its 65-bed nursing home, Bloomfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, in 2022. The move came after a proposal to merge operations with Upland Hills Health, which has a 44-bed nursing home attached to its Dodgeville hospital, didnt materialize. Upland Hills now plans to close its nursing home and open a 63-bed assisted living facility in another location by 2027. The facility will take high-needs residents, said Lisa Schnedler, Upland Hills CEO. Washington County sold its 131-bed Samaritan Health Center last year to EOM Healthcare Group, which in 2023 bought Middleton Village Nursing and Rehab near Madison. EOM paid $1.6 million for the West Bend facility, according to the Washington County Insider. In a 2023 article in Wisconsin Counties Magazine, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann said the sale would keep the facility open while helping the county pay down debt. The articles headline: Saving the county nursing home by selling the county nursing home. Sauk told: Not so fast The piece caught the attention of Tim McCumber, chair of the Sauk County Board, which was evaluating the future of its 82-bed Sauk County Health Care Center in Reedsburg. It may have sparked this thought (of selling) with a lot of folks, McCumber said. McCumber said county taxpayers have had to cover the facilitys deficits, which peaked at $2.3 million in 2017 before decreasing to about $790,000 last year. He said his mother-in-law was a resident at the county-owned nursing home, his mother was at a for-profit nursing home and his father-in-law was at a nonprofit facility. From what we experienced, the care was the same, he said. The county board voted in September to sell the facility for $5.1 million to Aria Healthcare, a for-profit company with three nursing homes in southeastern Wisconsin. Aria has not yet filed an application for state approval required to complete the sale. The sale will make more money available for county programs such as the Aging and Disability Resource Center, Meals on Wheels, veterans services and mental health and substance abuse resources, McCumber said. I think we need to free up that revenue to put it towards these other programs, he said. The county is not obligated by statute to provide a nursing home. What Ive learned is were bad at managing one. But the Reedsburg facility, built for $15.7 million in 2009, is in good shape and worth well over $5.1 million, said Judy Brey, a leader of Citizens for Sauk County Health Care Center, which in October filed a claim against the county to try to stop the sale. We are giving it away, and we had no input, said Brey, a retired teacher. This is a cherished service. We are not going to just lie down and take this. Tom Kriegl, another leader of the group and a former county supervisor, questions the deficits McCumber cites, saying they dont account for some of the revenue the facility makes. Other disputes Similar arguments have been made in Lincoln County, where officials early last year approved selling the 120-bed Pine Crest Nursing Home and an adjacent building for $8.5 million to Rochester, Minnesota-based Care and Rehab, which owns four nursing homes in Wisconsin. County supervisor Don Dunphy filed a lawsuit against the sale, leading Care and Rehab, also known as Senior Management, to pull out. The county does not have sufficient tax levy to cover the $49 million needed to run and upgrade the facility over the next 14 years, the resolution approved by the board said. In August, the board rejected asking voters if they wanted to exceed tax limits to support Pine Crest. The board opposed a similar referendum in 2023. That irritated me; I wanted that option, said Eileen Guthrie, a leader of People for Pine Crest. We feel the care is better, it has a history in our community and a lot of people have contributed to the facility. Portage County voters have twice approved paying more to maintain ownership of their nursing home south of downtown Stevens Point. A 2018 referendum authorized $5.6 million over four years, and a 2022 measure approved $4.5 million a year for 20 years, or $90 million, to fund operations and build a $20 million new facility. By 2023, however, officials estimated the cost of a replacement to be $24 million, with other expenses also on the rise. But last year, the county board declined to ask voters for an additional $3.5 million a year to support the increased costs. The county has not levied the full $4.5 million a year authorized in 2022, instead raising $2.9 million in 2023, $1.9 million last year and $1.2 million this year to offset the operational deficit, officials said. We really need to be fiscally responsible, said County Board Chair Ray Reser, of Amherst Junction, who said many retired farm families live in his rural district. I dont want to see Portage County become one of the highest-tax counties in the state. Nancy Roppe, of Stevens Point, said her grandfather, two aunts and her sister got attentive care at the county-home nursing home. As a leader of Save the Portage County Health Care Center, she is fighting to prevent the sale. Private ownership would diminish the influence county residents can have, she said. At a private entity, if you have a problem, they can tell you to go pound sand, Roppe said. At a health care center owned by the county, you can contact your elected officials. You have some redress. Skibicki, 87, once worked as nursing director at the nursing home, caring for residents on the same wing where she now resides. Along with the facilitys good care and stimulating activities, its location is convenient, she said. Her son, daughter and several grandchildren frequently visit. She worries that a private owner wouldnt be as committed to quality of care, forcing residents like her to move to government-owned facilities in other counties to find better care. How can somebody from outside feel invested in whats going on here if they arent part of the community? she said. We dread the day the sale goes through. Filipino investors are turning to Golden Visa programs as a strategic way to enhance global mobility, achieve financial diversification and secure greater stability, according to Golden Visa Central, an international property marketing consultancy specializing in residency by investment. These residency-by-investment programs offer a compelling blend of investment opportunities and improved quality of life for individuals and families alike, it said. - Advertisement - Golden visas have evolved beyond obtaining residency or citizenship, becoming a tool for wealth growth and global access, it said. They have evolved into a strategic tool for Filipinos seeking better education, healthcare and mobility for their families while also investing in stable and economically viable markets, said Vicky Luis, founder and president of Golden Visa Centrale. They are now seen as attractive investment opportunities that offer tangible financial returns. Whether through real estate, private equity funds, or other avenues, these programs allow investors to grow their wealth while enjoying global mobility and a secure future, said Luis. European countries like Portugal and Greece remain top choices for Filipino investors seeking residency-by-investment opportunities. Greece, known for its Mediterranean lifestyle and efficient application process, recently increased its investment threshold from 250,000 to 400,000 euros. Despite this change, it remains one of Europes more affordable options, offering visa-free Schengen travel, quick residency approvals and an attractive quality of life. Portugal shifted its focus from real estate investments to private equity funds to address local housing challenges. In 2023, the country introduced a 500,000-euro investment option into regulated funds, allowing applicants to secure residency while benefiting from high-growth sectors like technology and infrastructure. The evolution ensures both economic impact and lucrative opportunities for investors. With Portugals pivot to private equity funds, Filipinos are presented with new ways to secure residency while also engaging in high-growth sectors of the economy, Luis said. This evolution ensures that investors remain integral to local development while enjoying the benefits of a Golden Visa, said Luis. The landscape in the Philippines is experiencing a noticeable shift in its clientele. While families remain key applicants, drawn by access to better education and healthcare, an increasing number of young professionals are entering the market, said Luis. These individuals are leveraging golden visas not only for global mobility but also to diversify their investments and secure passive income through innovative avenues like private equity funds and other non-traditional opportunities. The demographic is particularly attracted to programs that allow minimal physical residency requirements. These programs enable them to maintain their careers and lifestyles while benefiting from visa-free travel, asset diversification, and long-term stability. Young professionals and entrepreneurs are increasingly drawn to Golden Visa programs to expand their global reach and build financial security, said Luis. These programs now offer flexible pathways that align with the goals of a younger, dynamic audience, combining global mobility with future-ready investment opportunities, said Luis. 120 years ago, on a cold Sunday in 1905, tens of thousands of unarmed St. Petersburg workers marched to the Tsars Winter Palace to deliver a petition. When they arrived, tsarist soldiers fired into the crowd, killing hundreds and wounding thousands. The events of that day, 9 January 1905 [Old Style, which is 22 January in the New Style calendar; all dates in this article are listed in the Old Style], went down in history as the Bloody Sunday massacre, and it marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution of 1905. It was on this day and in the months that followed that, for the first time, large numbers of Russian workers and peasants came to clearly understand that the Tsar was not and could not be their protector, but was one of their oppressors. At the same time, as they fought back, they began to realise their power as a class to change not only the conditions of their daily lives, but the whole world! Background Since the 1870s, Russia's major cities had been undergoing rapid industrial development. St. Petersburg, Moscow, Baku, and others were becoming centers of concentration for a new industrial class, the proletariat. They concentrated within them enormous contrasts between the splendor and luxury of the elites and the poverty of the working people. Russia remained by and large a poor, underdeveloped agrarian empire, with peasants making up the vast majority of its population. But amidst this backwardness arose these major cities, which were overcrowded, unhealthy, harsh centres of exploitation for the working class. Workers toiled eleven or more hours a day, six days a week, lived in cramped, uncomfortable conditions and performed forms of manual labour long outdated in more developed western capitalist countries. For the tsarist government, these workers were little more than cattle. This attitude is vividly illustrated by the fact that, during this period, the tsarist government had a policy of deliberately getting the working and peasant population drunk with vodka the state had an enormously profitable monopoly on the sale of vodka, and up until 1914, a full third of state revenue came from selling vodka to the working masses. For years, many had rebelled against this state of affairs. Some tried to form small local trade unions; others even joined radical political organisations like the People's Will (Narodnaya Volya) or the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP). But, repressed by the vast tsarist police apparatus, these groups remained small and did not exert any serious influence on the growing mass of workers. At that time, the Social Democrats could only hope to reach a very thin layer of the most advanced workers. On a national scale, their forces were no more than a drop in the ocean. A fateful day In 1904 in St. Petersburg, dozens of worker activists under the leadership of a priest named Father Georgy Gapon, founded a workers' organisation called the Assembly of Russian Factory Workers of St. Petersburg. Gapon was encouraged and directed by tsarist officials who wanted to create a reformist workers' body that could channel the discontent of the proletariat onto the path of economic reform and away from political struggle. The violence that took place has become a symbol of the merciless exploitation and oppression that Russian workers and peasants have faced for centuries / Image: Public domain In other words, the organisation had to be under strict control in order to keep the workers politically passive for example, each meeting closed with the singing of the imperial anthem, God save the Tsar. This was known as Zubatovism, after its main conductor at the top of the empire, the head of the Special Department of the Okhrana (the secret police), Sergei Zubatov. Despite the restrictions, Gapon's organisation offered a means for workers to come together and organise in solidarity with one another, and by 1905 its membership had grown to at least 2,000. It was at this point that the workers themselves, responding to their harsh living and working conditions, pushed the organisation toward a more radical position, taking more of a fighting stance towards the tsarist regime. On 3 January, a small group of workers were fired from the Putilov Iron and Steel Works, one of the largest factories in St. Petersburg. Gapon and the Assembly demanded their reinstatement, and a strike began. Initial demands, including an eight-hour day and better working conditions, gradually evolved into political demands, including the right to freedom of speech and assembly. By 7 January, 140,000 workers were on strike. The sweep and strength of the movement began to give workers a concrete idea of how they could exercise their power. According to Leon Trotsky, in his brilliant and detailed analysis of the 1905 Revolution, it was at this moment that the Social Democrats came to the fore. By Social Democrats, he meant the Marxist RSDLP, the party out of which the Bolsheviks would later emerge. These activists helped draft the famous petition that the demonstrators attempted to deliver on 9 January. The petition in the most respectful tone asked for various legal, political and labour reforms that would alleviate some of the suffering of the workers. It called the Tsar sire and begged him to protect them from the bureaucrats and employers who exploited them. In these poignant lines, the St. Petersburg workers described their situation: Sire! There are more than three hundred thousand of us here, yet all of us are human beings only in appearance; in reality, we are not recognised as having a single human right, not even the right to speak, to think, to gather, to discuss our needs, or to take measures to improve our situation. Any of us who dares to raise our voices in defence of the interests of the working class is thrown into prison or sent into exile. They punish us as if it were a crime to have a kind heart, a responsive soul. To pity a worker, a downtrodden, disenfranchised, tormented person, means to commit a grave crime! Sire! Is this in accordance with the divine laws, by whose grace you reign? And is it possible to live under such laws? Is it not better for all the working people of Russia to die, so that the capitalists and embezzling officials, the robbers of the Russian people, can live and enjoy themselves? However, despite its respectful tone, the petition demanded significant changes that, if accepted, would have called into question the very basis of the Tsar's rule. In particular, it asked him to convene a Constituent Assembly that could usher in a new democratic era in Russia, in which the workers and poor peasants could at least have their voices heard. Clearly, the Tsar and the feudal lords could not allow such a concession. The petition, signed by 150,000 people, was never accepted by the Tsar. Instead, on 9 January, St. Petersburg police, troops, and mounted Cossacks attacked the unarmed demonstrators at various points in the city, shooting many in open squares and hacking them to death with sabres in cavalry charges. Estimates of the dead vary so widely that it is impossible to give an exact number. At least hundreds were killed and at least thousands were wounded in the hours of urban fighting in the Russian capital. That day, Sunday 9 January, has since become known as Bloody Sunday. The violence that took place has become a symbol of the merciless exploitation and oppression that Russian workers and peasants have faced for centuries. The massacre left a profound impression on the lower and middle classes of Russian society. Having witnessed what happened on the streets of St. Petersburg that day, the artist Valentin Serov painted one of his most famous paintings, the title of which was imbued with bitterness, irony and a sense of deep disappointment: Soldiers, brave boys, where is your glory? Having witnessed what happened on the streets of St. Petersburg that day, the artist Valentin Serov painted one of his most famous paintings, the title of which was imbued with bitterness, irony and a sense of deep disappointment: Soldiers, brave boys, where is your glory?" / Image: Public domain But it was also a turning point, the moment at which the masses could no longer accept their oppression, and were instead compelled to challenge their oppressors and fight for control of society. The massacre clearly revealed that the Tsar was one of their oppressors, no different from the powerful landowners or the rich factory owners who directly exploited them. Lenin wrote that the revolutionary education of the proletariat has made a leap forward in one day that it could not have made in months and years of gray, everyday, downtrodden life. The enormous leap in the political consciousness of the Russian proletariat who, in the course of a day, had gone from marching to the Tsar with icons in their hands, to organising a strike and rising up in armed struggle against the regime came as a shock to the liberal intellectual public, who had declared the Russian proletariat insufficiently mature for revolution, as described by Leon Trotsky: The Russian worker is culturally backward, downtrodden and (we mean mainly the workers of St. Petersburg and Moscow) not yet sufficiently prepared for organised social and political struggle. This is what Mr. Struve wrote in his Liberation. He wrote this on 7 January 1905, two days before the uprising of the St. Petersburg proletariat was crushed by the guards regiments. There is no revolutionary people in Russia yet... These words should have been engraved on Mr. Struve's forehead, if his forehead had not already resembled a tombstone, under which rest so many plans, slogans and ideas socialist, liberal, patriotic, revolutionary, monarchist, democratic and others always calculated not to run too far ahead, and always hopelessly behind There is no revolutionary people in Russia, said Russian liberalism through the mouth of Liberation, having managed to convince itself during a three-month period that it was the main figure on the political scene, that its program and tactics determined the entire fate of the country. And before this statement had even reached its destination, the telegraph wire carried to all corners of the world the great news of the beginning of the Russian people's revolution. (L. Trotsky, After the Petersburg Uprising: What Next?, 2 February, 1905) The aftermath The massacre in the capital provoked a nationwide general strike that escalated into what is now considered the first Russian revolution. In the days and weeks following the massacre, word of the bloodshed spread, and the anger of the people exploded. First, the city's electricity workers went on strike. Then the printing workers. Then the sailors at the Kronstadt naval base. Finally, in October, a general strike began. The railroad workers spread it throughout the country. Then the miners stopped work, and so on. Marching from city to city, the general strike spread throughout the Russian Empire. The strikes would last a month or more, then die down, only to be followed by another strike a month or two later. The massacre in the capital provoked a nationwide general strike that escalated into what is now considered the first Russian revolution / Image: public domain Leon Trotsky's description conveys the wave-like development of the strike, which developed into full-blown revolution: The strike begins to confidently rule the country. Indecisiveness finally leaves it. Together with the growth in numbers, the self-confidence of its participants grows. Revolutionary demands of the class are put forward above the economic needs of the professions. Having broken free from professional and local frameworks, it begins to feel like a revolution and this gives it unheard-of courage. (L. Trotsky, Strike in October) In the midst of these surging revolutionary waves, Russian workers became pioneers of a new form of organisation the Soviets. These workers councils were created in early October as bodies that could unite workers of different professions and political parties into one body for the coordination of self-defence and strike actions. The Soviets were to represent only one class: the working class. The first such body, organised in St. Petersburg, was called the Soviet (the Russian word for council) of Workers' Deputies. It immediately got to work in organising the revolution, by calling for strikes, promoting communication between workers' organisations, demanding policy changes from the city government, dealing with issues of food and goods supplies, making public statements on behalf of the working class, and organising the defence of factories and striking workers. Although many of the representatives were non-party workers, others were Mensheviks and Bolsheviks, members of the RSDLP. It was the first democratic, working-class body in Russian history. By late 1905, however, the upsurge of the revolution was slowly fading under the pressure of a combination of tsarist repression, mild reforms, and exhaustion. In November, the members of the Soviet of Workers' Deputies were arrested and sent into exile. In December, the last workers' revolt in Moscow was brutally suppressed, and the revolution of 1905 entered its twilight years. The significance of Bloody Sunday In spite of its defeat, the revolution of 1905 heralded the dawn of a new era. Not only had workers, peasants, and soldiers who participated in the revolution shed their old illusions about the Tsar, they had also witnessed their own colossal collective power in struggle against their oppressors and the repressive system that shaped their lives, and had developed powerful new tools for exercising it: the general strike and the soviets. Both would be used twelve years later, in the Russian Revolution of 1917. In fact, the experience of the revolution of 1905, and the lessons drawn from it, laid the foundation for the successful socialist revolution 12 years later. The trigger for all of this was Bloody Sunday. The murder of hundreds of workers in St. Petersburg on that cold day violently awakened the proletariat, the peasants, and even the soldiers to an understanding of their position in society, their enemies, and as they rose up, arms in hand their own strength, which they would use to irreversibly change the world. In a development that reinforces the growing collaboration between Bangui and Moscow, the ruling United Hearts Movement (MCU) in the Central African Republic has signed a cooperation agreement with United Russia, President Vladimir Putins governing party. The agreement, formalized remotely on Monday, is portrayed as paving new horizons for political and legislative cooperation between the two parties. President Faustin-Archange Touadera returned from a three-day official trip to Russia shortly before the signing. On the Russian side, Senator Andrei Klimov, who is under Western sanctions for supporting Moscows actions in Ukraine, led the negotiations. Key figures such as Russian Ambassador Alexandre Bikantov, Consul Vladislav Ilin, and Dimitri Sityi, who directs the Russian House in Bangui and oversees local Wagner-linked activities, were present as witnesses. The Central African delegation was represented by longtime Touadera ally Simplice Mathieu Sarandji, the president of the National Assembly and executive secretary of the MCU. Images from the event showed Sarandji wearing a scarf emblazoned with Touaderas likeness, underscoring the partisan significance of the agreement. The timing of this accord coincides with early maneuvering ahead of a national election set for the end of the year. While government supporters praise the pact as a strategic move to bolster economic, security, and political ties, opponents argue that it risks deepening Russian influence over Central African institutions. Critics, such as opposition figure Crepin Mboli-Goumba, contend that the deal mirrors the sprawling dominance of United Russia in its home country. As Moscows footprint in the Central African Republic expands, questions persist about the long-term implications for Banguis sovereignty and democratic governance. 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 Scientists from a collaboration of Australian research institutions have proposed that editing multiple genetic variants in human embryos could significantly lower the likelihood of developing complex diseases such as coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's, major depressive disorder, diabetes, and schizophrenia. Advancements in germline genome editing have accelerated rapidly, highlighted by the controversial birth of genetically edited twins Lulu and Nana in 2018. This event sparked international debates and led to calls for stricter regulations. Subsequently, the birth of Aurea, the first child born through embryo screening using polygenic scores, underscored the potential benefits and ethical complexities of genomic technologies. Genome-based medical conditions place a significant burden on quality of life and health care systems, contributing to premature mortality. Addressing these challenges through genetic interventions offers a promising avenue to alleviate both human suffering and economic strain. In the study, "Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?," published in Nature, researchers employed mathematical modeling and liability threshold frameworks to assess the impact of editing multiple DNA variants identified through genome-wide association studies. By analyzing allele frequencies and effect sizes at various genomic loci, the study projected potential reductions in disease prevalence among individuals with edited genomes. Additionally, the team examined the influence of editing variants related to quantitative traits such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and glucose metabolism. Findings indicate that altering as few as 10 genetic loci could lead to substantial decreases in the lifetime prevalence of targeted diseases among those with edited genomes. For instance, modifying 10 variants associated with Alzheimer's disease could reduce its prevalence from 5% to below 0.6% in edited individuals. Similar significant reductions were observed for schizophrenia, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease. While the study is not a proposal of research that is expected to occur anytime soon, it might be time to start the conversation. A "News and Views" article published alongside the Nature study, "Human embryo editing against disease is unsafe and unprovendespite rosy predictions," raises significant concerns about the study's underlying assumptions and the practical implementation of such technologies. Key criticisms of the article include the current inaccuracy of gene-editing technologies, the challenges in accurately identifying causal gene variants, and the possibility of pleiotropic effects (also mentioned in the study) where a single edited gene could influence other traits, potentially increasing the risk of other diseases. The opinion piece also highlights the range of ethical or social conflicts and attributes national bans of the technique more out of response to these concerns than concerns about technical safety and efficacy. Issues they mentioned as possibly leading to bans on the technique; unnaturalness, stigmatization, discrimination, inequality, reproductive autonomy, reproductive norms and values, parent-child relationships, and disability rightsare all issues people with inherited diseases must face without having such treatments. It may be easy to dismiss the technology without a family history of devastating genetic disease. For those who do, the promise of lifting the burden will likely outweigh societal opinions. Disease-proofing future generations from heritable traits, as described in the study, may not be ready for some time. As gene editing technologies continue to evolve, the study emphasizes the necessity for proactive international cooperation and ethical deliberation to navigate the profound implications. More information: Peter M. Visscher et al, Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08300-4 Shai Carmi et al, Human embryo editing against disease is unsafe and unprovendespite rosy predictions, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-04105-7 We need to talk about human genome editing, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-025-00015-4 Journal information: Nature 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain All humans cry. Some of our tears are meant to keep our eyes moist and healthy. Others clean out the eye from dust, pollens and other pollutants. Emotional tears play another role. Although triggered by strong feelings such as anger, pain, fear, or disappointment, there are aspects of these tears that have not been fully studied. In a paper called "Emotional tears: What they are and how they work" by Debra Lieberman, professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and co-authors Daniel Sznycer of the Department of Psychology at Oklahoma State University and Asmir Gracanin of the Department of Psychology at the University of Rijeka in Rijeka, Croatia, an unexplored territory in the world of emotional tears is examined. The work is published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. The paper concluded that tears are nonverbal signals that communicate the value a person places on acts, ideas, and events, said Lieberman. Tears aremore or lesshonest signals of how a person perceives a state of the worldfrom the most joyous to the darkest. Tears accompany great achievements and severe loss. They occur when in love, when grateful, and when angry. The ubiquitous nature of tears might seem to resist a functional explanation. However, Lieberman and colleagues suggest that tears, much like yelling, shouting, and screaming, convey the intense amplitude of a felt state. "Tears signal internal evaluations to targets as a means to an endas a bid to adjust the target's own evaluations and behaviors in ways that would favor the tearer," the authors wrote. "For example, tearing up may cause your spouse to stop doing something you dislike them doing." But who tends to cry? Lieberman and colleagues argue that people tear up more when their aggressive formidability or ability to generate benefits is low; that is, when people are of low leverage in a given social situation. To some degree, that explains why women tend to cry more than men and children tend to cry more than adults, she said. In our society, most men still hold a superior statusboth physically and in terms of power, she said. Thus, women in a situation that involves conflict with a man tend to cry, but in the same situation with another woman, they may not. "The capacity for anger and the physical imposition of costs would not have been foreign to ancestral women, who would have engaged in femalefemale physical conflicts and also dealt with less formidable children and juveniles," the authors wrote. "But malefemale conflicts posed great threats to women, and so the ability for women to shift from direct aggression to tears would have been adaptive. In contrast, tears and other signals of low formidability would have had more adverse effects on a male's fitness." Of course, tears might also occur even in individuals who have extreme leverage in a given situation, for instance, when expressing the intensity of the pride they feel at their own accomplishments. As an amplitude signal, tears can be shed by all. The study found that criers tend to cry emotional tears near people who can empathize with their plight and comfort them. That explains why a child may fall but only start crying when they reach their parents or caretakers. The intensity of the crying signal required to obtain consideration can provide tacit information about which individuals care and how much. In some situations, a person may cry around people who tend to care about them, and if a few tears do not work, then they may sob. The mind strategically determines how much crying is necessary. Criers are perceived as less physically formidable. A crier, in negative contexts, is signaling that they have assessed a situation as imposing undue costs. Whereas women, for whom tears are more frequently used in social negotiations, might understand that tears are associated with perceived costs, men might interpret such signals as general weakness and suggest the person is physically and potentially mentally incapable of handling a situation. This may be translated into perceptions of incompetence. Pregnant women tend to cry more than nonpregnant women because they are more needy and more vulnerable. Although the paper only briefly touches on tears and various psychopathologies, Lieberman mentions that sensitivity to another's tears varies between people. While most people understand tears to mean "I am hurt" or "I need help" or, more generally, "I am experiencing a cost," clinical groups like psychopaths and narcissists, who lack empathy, do not interpret tears in this way. It is almost like they are immune to the manipulative effects of tears yet have no trouble using tears themselves to get the supply and investment they seek. More information: Daniel Sznycer et al, Emotional tears: What they are and how they work, Evolution and Human Behavior (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2025.106652 Journal information: Evolution and Human Behavior 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 Women are being prescribed drugs that were never tested on women's bodies. Or when they experience uterine pain or migraine headaches, their concerns are sometimes downplayed by male doctors. The phenomenon is called medical misogyny, or the ingrained prejudice against women in the health care space. While it has generated sporadic headlines in the U.S., the U.K. Parliament has taken up the issue with an aim toward making measurable progress over the next decade. Experts across the Pond say a dearth of investment in women's health has created the problem. As the U.K. looks for ways to fix it over the next decade, the debate and the resulting policy solutions in Britain could serve as a template for lawmakers in Atlanta and Washington to follow. The debate got underway in December, when a parliamentary committee hearing in London found that women experiencing painful reproductive health conditionssuch as endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleedingare frequently dismissed or told to "suck it up" by doctors. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that lines the uterus grows uncontrolled. Adenomyosis occurs when endometrial tissue, the tissue that lines the uterus, grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. Both conditions can cause intense pain, infertility and other symptoms. As women in the U.K. begin speaking out, their counterparts in the U.S. are nodding in affirmationbecause medical misogyny is just as much a problem across the Atlantic, said Justina F. Avila-Rieger, a research scientist at Columbia University. Sexism in many spheres of American life appears to be damaging women's health. But researchers have only recently begun to quantify the cost in terms of stress on women's bodies. There's also the economic damage: When women are brushed off by the U.S. medical industry, the cost of missed work and complications from unsuitable treatments stacks up. But it's encouraging that the U.K. is addressing the issue, and maybe the U.S. will as well, Avila-Rieger said. "We are a bit behind the U.K.," Avila-Rieger told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The U.K. took the first big step of acknowledging that there are these issues." In December, Avila-Rieger and colleagues released a landmark study that found sexism seemed to be a factor in women developing dementia later in life. Black women were the most affected of all American women. The state where it was the worst was Mississippi; the least worst, Connecticut. A study by Georgetown University ranked Mississippi last in a study looking at 12 factors that affect quality of life for American women. Women born in the highest "structural sexism" states had memory declines similar to those who were about nine years older in age. The Columbia University data linking sexism to dementia was seen as particularly alarming, given that American women account for two-thirds of U.S. Alzheimer's cases. It's part of a growing body of evidence that has ignited a debate on both sides of the Atlantic. A separate, earlier study at Florida State University came to a similar conclusion. It found that women living in states with the highest levels of structural sexism, such as Utah, Wyoming, Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma, reported higher levels of chronic conditions, worse self-reported health and had worse physical function at age 40 and 50. The Institute for Women's Policy Research gave Georgia a "D" for women's health and well-being. The most highly ranked states were Minnesota (A-) and North Dakota (B+). Other metrics looking at women's health status in the U.S. have found that: The U.S. has the highest rate of women dying during childbirth of any wealthy country, and especially poor outcomes for Black women. Nearly all of the deaths are preventable. The U.S. government overfunds research dealing with male-linked illnesses and underfunds those afflicting women. Women are significantly underrepresented in the majority of heart disease research studies. And because women were not enrolled in U.S. drug trials until 1993, thousands of products that are still on the market today are based on male bodies, meaning the medical field still doesn't know how well many drugs and medical devices work for women. Thirty years ago, Atlanta cardiologist Dr. Nanette Wenger and colleagues pushed the National Institutes of Health to include women in research, the AJC reported. Still today, women remain underrepresented, comprising just 29% to 34% of participants in drug safety trials. In March, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to increase federal government spending on women's health research. Experts say one relatively quick policy response would be better training for doctors so that they can correctly diagnose and then prescribe pain management for conditions like endometriosis. On average, American women spend 11.7 years visiting doctors before being correctly diagnosed for endometriosis, compared to eight years in the U.K., and 6.7 years in Norway, according to researchers at the University of Surrey. The lag in diagnoses is more often than not because women's symptoms are dismissed, said Dr. Sejal Tamakuwala, an obstetrician and a gynecologist at Emory Women's Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown. "Pain is more likely to be labeled psychosomatic or attributed to stress or anxiety in women compared to men," she said. Tamakuwala said doctors who lack training, or who maintain racial and gender biases, can create additional barriers. "On top of that, high health care costs, poor insurance coverage, and a disjointed system make it often difficult to get the right care. For many women, especially in rural areas, these challenges are worsened by limited access to specialists and restrictive health policies," she said. It was an experience that Curtisha Johnson of Atlanta saw first hand. She was diagnosed with fibroids in 2008, after noticing a growth on the right side of her pelvis. She saw three doctors before finding a fourth who offered her a myomectomya surgery to remove fibroids from the uterine muscle while leaving the uterus intact. Her first three doctors insisted she needed a hysterectomy, or the removal of the entire uterus, including the fibroids. She said they dismissed her concerns about the procedure. "I had to utilize strategic self-care strategiesto ask, 'What is it I need, and how can I find that support system?'" she said. Fibroids are tumors that grow in the uterus, or womb, and are typically noncancerous but can be painful. They affect about 70% of females between ages 35 and 49. This increases to 80% for Black females, according to researchers at Augusta University in Georgia. When Johnson asked her previous providers if the personal care products she had been using could be contributing to the fibroids, she said she was met with blank stares. A study at Northwestern University has linked phthalatesfound in many personal care productswith the growth of uterine fibroids. Johnson later went on to found her own cosmetics company. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastic packaging more flexible and transparent, and are often not listed on product labels, the Environmental Working Group said. The risk from personal care products can also extend beyond packaging to the products themselves. Women use more personal care products than men, and for that reason, face greater exposure to chemicals in soaps, hair straighteners and hair dyes. Some of the chemicals have been linked to cancer, genetic mutation or reproductive harm, according to a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. The U.K. parliamentary committee also found that a lack of trauma-informed protocols in routine gynecologic procedures often leaves women feeling dismissed or retraumatized. Experts like Dr. Tamakuwala of Emory say greater investment in research and prevention, along with integrating women's health into broader health care policies, could help close the gap and reduce costs. Despite American women spending $15 billion more each year on health care costs than men, they are still, like women around the world, "second-class citizens when it comes to health," according to the World Economic Forum. For just one malady, heart disease, closing the gap between men and women could boost the U.S. economy by $28 billion annually by 2040, a report by McKinsey Health Institute found. The savings would come from reduced neonatal mortality and extending women's working lives, McKinsey said. 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Brown University School of Public Health and Brookings Institution researchers have conducted a longitudinal and cross-sectional study investigating trends in hospital and private equity affiliation among primary care physicians and the associated impact on negotiated service prices. The study revealed that, compared to independent primary care physicians, both hospital and private equity-affiliated physicians commanded higher negotiated prices for equivalent services. The consolidation of medical care has been accelerating, driven by hospitals and private equity firms seeking to optimize market power and payment rates. Primary care has experienced significant corporate interest due to its fragmented structure, demands for coordinated care, and a perceived opportunity for unrealized gains. Prior studies have documented higher prices linked to hospital acquisitions of physician practices and increasing private equity activity in specialties such as dermatology and gastroenterology. Data on the impact of private equity on primary care have been limited due to transparency issues. The introduction of Transparency in Coverage (TiC) rules requiring insurers to disclose in-network negotiated rates provided researchers with a window into the practice. In the study, "Growth of Private Equity and Hospital Consolidation in Primary Care and Price Implications," published in JAMA Health Forum, researchers analyzed data on practice affiliation from PitchBook, IQVIA, and TiC datasets. Ownership trends from 2009 to 2022 were examined alongside 226.6 million negotiated prices for office visits across four major national insurersAetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare. The study included 198,097 primary care physicians. Primary care physicians were categorized as hospital-affiliated, private equity-affiliated, or independent. Linear regressions with fixed effects for service type, state, and insurer were used to compare prices for office visits across ownership types. Data collection occurred from January to June 2024, with analysis completed by October 2024. Hospital-affiliated primary care physicians grew from 25.2% in 2009 to 47.9% in 2022, while private equity-affiliated physicians reached 1.5% in 2022. Higher concentrations of private equity-affiliated physicians were observed in Florida and Texas, while hospital-affiliated primary care physicians were most prevalent in North Dakota and Wisconsin. Regression-adjusted results showed hospital-affiliated primary care physicians negotiated prices that were $14.91 higher (10.7%) per office visit compared to independent primary care physicians. Private equity-affiliated primary care physicians negotiated $9.56 higher prices (7.8%) per visit than independent peers. The price difference between hospital and private equity-affiliated primary care physicians was statistically significant (P = .006). Unadjusted mean prices for new patient visits were $180 for hospital-affiliated, $155 for PE-affiliated, and $147 for independent primary care physicians. For established patient visits, prices averaged $135, $116, and $113, respectively. Hospital affiliation continues to dominate primary care consolidation, while private equity involvement remains regionally concentrated. Prices were highest in hospital-affiliated settings, consistent with prior findings linking vertical integration to increased costs. Private equity-affiliated practices also exhibited higher prices, likely due to market consolidation or strategic acquisition of high-priced practices. These trends raise questions about the impact of corporate ownership of health care. While the study did not include quality of care assessments, the increased patient and insurance costs suggest a trend towards less efficient health care. Ownership transparency and regulatory oversight are critical for monitoring corporate consolidation in primary care and understanding its implications for health care costs. More information: Yashaswini Singh et al, Growth of Private Equity and Hospital Consolidation in Primary Care and Price Implications, JAMA Health Forum (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.4935 Journal information: JAMA Health Forum 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Villi of the small mouse intestine. The dots and lines represent cellular networks. Credit: Elena Lin, UCSD. The human immune system is like an army of specialized soldiers (immune cells) each with a unique role to play in fighting disease. In a new study published in Nature, led by scientists at the Allen Institute, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and UC San Diego, researchers reveal how cells known as tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells, play unique and specialized roles based on where they are located within the small intestine. Tissue-resident memory cells provide a local first line of defense against re-infection and call for "backup" from other immune cells and are also critical for maintaining peace in a tissue exposed to many outside pathogens. This discovery sheds light on how tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells adapt to their location in the body, ensuring a coordinated and effective immune response and how microenvironments and cellular interactions shape this location-specific adaptation. Ultimately, location matters, and this understanding could also lead to improved immunotherapy and vaccines. Specialized roles based on location The study shows that tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells in the small intestine are diverse with distinct responsibilities, and their position inside the gut's architecture dictates what they do. The frontline: At the villus tips, a subset of tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells with a higher killing capacity are positioned like guards in watchtowers. These cells are designed to attack invading pathogens immediately, preventing infections from spreading further. Reinforcements: In a pocket of cells called the crypts, a different subset of tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells, which act as reserve forces, stand ready to respond should the body encounter the same pathogen in the future. These cells provide long-lasting immunity. "What really struck me is that we have been able to see that immune cells in distinct locations have these special functions," said Maximilian Heeg, M.D., one of the study's lead co-authors and investigator at the Allen Institute. "They're strategically positioned in the small intestine to fulfill their function, and this is the key finding from the paper." These differences ensure the immune system can react quickly to immediate threats while simultaneously maintaining a backup defense for long term protection. "In response to infection, immune cells stream into tissues to fight infection and help repair damage. Importantly, these cells 'talk to' the tissue cells to coordinate the immune response," said Ananda W. Goldrath, Ph.D., executive vice president of the Allen Institute for Immunology. "In this study, we can now visualize how the functional state of an immune cell relates to which cells and signals are found in different neighborhoods or regions of the tissues. This new knowledge of how the immune system works in tissues is game changing as we explore how to enhance immune protection while avoiding damaging inflammation." Understanding microenvironments and cellular interactions Using advanced transcriptional profiling techniques, the researchers mapped the genetic instructions that instruct the behavior of tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells based on their location. "I am most excited about the possibilities our new approaches bring: Studying immune cells in their unperturbed natural environments at high plex, throughput and resolution," said Miguel Reina-Campos, Ph.D., study co-author and assistant professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. The findings provide insight for designing better immunotherapies and vaccines. By targeting the mechanisms that direct tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells to specific sites inside a tissue and enhance their capabilities, researchers hope to develop treatments to boost the immune system's effectiveness and keep us healthy. "One part of this work was discovering causal relationships between well-characterized genes and CD8 T cell spatial and transcriptional phenotypes," said study co-first author Alex Monell, a UC San Diego graduate student working with Goldrath. "We are expanding our CRISPR pooled spatial screening to profile the impacts of many types of genetic perturbations at once within CD8 T cells with an overarching goal of finding and manipulating modulatory mechanisms of tissue-specific immunity." Future research goals This work highlights the importance of anatomical niches in shaping immune responses and establishes a framework for studying how immune cells interact with their environment. It presents new approaches to treating chronic diseases, infections, and inflammatory disorders by leveraging the unique dynamics of tissue-resident memory immune cells in barrier tissues. Moving forward, the group is focused on understanding how this knowledge can be used to therapeutically target our immune responses. More information: Ananda Goldrath, Tissue-resident memory CD8 T cell diversity is spatiotemporally imprinted, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08466-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08466-x Journal information: Nature This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Brain oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response to viewing nature, art, and meditation videos. Credit: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1440177 Past research suggests that meditation and exposure to art or nature can positively impact people's well-being and brain health, in some cases even reducing stress and supporting the processing of emotions. Yet most past studies focused on each of these experiences individually, rather than comparing their effects on brain activity. Researchers at University of California Los Angeles set out to examine the brain activation patterns associated with a visualization-based transcendental meditation of connecting to the cosmic soul and compare them to those from people watching evocative digital art or nature videos. Their findings, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, suggest that these different types of transcending experiences prompt different brain activation patterns. "We recruited nine healthy adults with low levels of stress and anxiety and exposed them in the fMRI scanner to the videos of digital art by Rafik Anandol, nature videos of the national parks and compared these conditions to rest and meditation," Dr. Helen Lavretsky, senior author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. "We trained participants to perform a transcendental meditation on the cosmic soul while watching star nebula videos. Watching videos was the common component between the conditions to control for visual stimulation that activated the visual cortex." After teaching nine participants a transcendental meditation practice, the researchers asked them to complete this practice with their head inside an fMRI scanner so that they could record their brain activity. The team also recorded the participants' brain activity in the scanner while they were watching nature videos and while they were watching digital art created by the Turkish-born visual artist Refik Anadol, who is a faculty member at UCLA. "We found that compared to rest, meditation led to blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) increases in the bilateral lateral occipital and fusiform gyri, as well as the right postcentral gyrus and hippocampus," explained Dr. Lavretsky. "Compared to viewing AI-generated digital art, increased BOLD responses during meditation were observed in the left parietal and central operculum, and right pre- and postcentral gyri, and compared to nature, they were observed in the left parietal operculum, bilateral postcentral and supramarginal gyri, and bilateral lateral occipital cortices." With their newly devised experimental paradigm, the researchers were able to explore the unique neural signatures of three distinct "transcending" human experiences that could hold some potential for reducing stress. Their results suggest that the brain regions activated by these three types of experiences differ significantly, which could help to better understand the neural processes by which they could bring pleasure and boost well-being. "Compared to rest, meditation showed brain activation in regions associated with object, sensory, and memory processing," said Dr. Lavretsky. "Compared to watching nature videos, meditation led to activity in bilateral sensory and object processing areas, as well as a left sensory integration region (error monitoring), while when compared to watching art videos, meditation showed activity in left sensory integration and right sensorimotor regions." While the sample of participants who took part in the recent project is relatively small, the results gathered by these researchers could inspire more research studies assessing the neural signatures and therapeutic effects of transcendental meditation, observing nature and exposure to digital art. Meanwhile, Dr. Lavretsky and her colleagues are planning to conduct additional studies of their own, to further explore the potential of contemplative experiences for reducing stress and improving well-being. "Further studies are needed to delineate the distinct neural signature and therapeutic effects of inner contemplation using human connection to art, nature, or meditative transcendent practices, in the brain and its potential in clinical applications," added Dr. Lavretsky. "In our next works, we will continue to address the role of spiritual neuroscience and neuroesthetics in documenting the neural mechanisms of human experience of transcendence, and in seeking therapeutic solutions for stress-related disorders." More information: Beatrix Krause-Sorio et al, Your brain on art, nature, and meditation: a pilot neuroimaging study, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1440177 Journal information: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Overview of APOE study in human postmortem brain (A) and novel AD risk factors (genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic elements) and their relative position at the APOE locus (B). Brain collection: ROSMAP, The Religious Orders Study and the Memory and Aging Project; LIBD, Lieber Institute for Brain Development. Ancestry: EA, European Ancestry; AA, African American. Brain region: DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; AC, anterior cingulate cortex. Green boxes represent exons; blue boxes represent untranslated regions (UTRs); Me represents methylation site; peaks represent active chromatin regions; 3 solid blue lines represent genomic DNA. Credit: Molecular Neurodegeneration (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00751-7 Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects about 7 million Americans, a figure that is expected to nearly double by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. While there is no cure for the disease, early detection and treatment can preserve brain function for longer. A study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, discovered a specific protein-coding transcript that may contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk across all genetic types of apolipoprotein E (APOE). Understanding APOE and its variants All humans have APOE protein in their genetic makeup, and the main forms, called alleles, are 2, 3 or 4. Each person inherits two APOE allelesone from each parentresulting in one of six combinations. APOE 3 is the most common and is seen as neutral, and APOE 2 is believed to provide some protection against Alzheimer's disease. Having one or two APOE 4 alleles is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, the presence of APOE 4 does not mean a person will develop Alzheimer's disease, and this has led researchers to explore other genetic factors. "Despite over three decades of dedicated research, the precise mechanism by which the APOE 4 allele elevates the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias remains elusive. The complex regulation of APOE gene expression across various bodily systems, organs, tissues and cell types is believed to be pivotal in understanding its multifaceted role in chronic human conditions, including dementia," said co-investigator Agustin Ruiz, MD, Ph.D., professor and director of the Biological Core Laboratory at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Pat V. Orme Endowed Chair in Alzheimer's and Neurogenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. Insights from diverse brain studies Recent large-scale genetic studies uncovered variants in the APOE region that may be linked to greater risk for Alzheimer's disease. Still, the challenge remained to discover which APOE elements these variants affected in the brain. Ma's research team analyzed five datasets from more than 1,000 postmortem human brains of European and African ancestry. They focused on three regions of the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortexa critical center for learning, memory and executive function. The inclusion of brains from diverse ancestries is critical, as Alzheimer's disease prevalence, progression and risk factors may differ across populations. Studying multiple ancestries helps identify risk factors that are specific to certain groups or factors that may be universally applicable. "We need brain data from other populations so we can compare it to data we have for Europeans. Hopefully in the future, we'll be able to obtain data from Asian, Hispanic and other populations so we can get a more comprehensive understanding. But for now, we have a better understanding of some risk factors shared between African and European ancestries," Ma said. What are transcripts and single nucleotide polymorphisms? Genes, such as APOE, produce messenger RNA, or mRNA, which act like an instruction book telling cells how to make proteins. Changes in mRNA, or how much is expressed, can influence disease risk. This study found that certain variants potentially cause changes to mRNA in the brain that increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. An mRNA transcript is a nucleotide sequence formed during alternative splicing to create a protein. Variations in how RNA segments come together can affect how a protein is made or alter its function. The research team discovered that dysregulation of a certain APOE transcript (jxn1.2.2) in the prefrontal cortex was particularly associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. This link correlated in both European and African brain samples regardless of APOE allele type (2, 3 or 4). Single nucleotide polymorphisms occur normally in human DNA and are the most common genetic variation. They occur when there is a difference in one nucleotidethe most basic unit of DNA. Most of these variations are harmless, but some can affect how genes function. In the study, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs157580 and rs439401) are believed to be Alzheimer's-causative genetic variants for impacting expression of APOE transcript jxn1.2.2 and their effects were consistent across European and African samples. When compared with the genomic databases, these polymorphisms were associated with amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau proteinsboth significant biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. In people with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta proteins break down and clump together to form plaques between brain cells, while tau proteins become dysregulated, creating tangles that block the transport of nutrients and signals to neurons, ultimately causing their death. "Fortunately, the data shows that the risk factor, gene expression changes and polymorphisms are consistent between European and African ancestries. This suggests these are common risk factors across both populations. That's good news, because if we develop a drug, we can potentially use it to treat both populations," Ma said. Discovery opens new avenues for diagnosis, treatment By expanding our understanding of genetic risk factors beyond APOE 4, this research brings us closer to identifying additional biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease. The discovery of APOE transcript jxn1.2.2 and its association with Alzheimer's risk across diverse populations provides a promising avenue for developing diagnostic tools that could enable earlier detection and intervention. Understanding how these genetic elements influence disease progression may pave the way for innovative treatments that address underlying mechanisms, offering hope for more effective prevention and management of Alzheimer's disease. "This discovery not only enhances our comprehension of [APOE] function in the brain but also paves the way for novel research avenues into the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. Deciphering the physiological role of this transcript and its potential contribution to disease progression is a current challenge that holds promise for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies," Ruiz said. More information: Qiang Chen et al, Identification of a specific APOE transcript and functional elements associated with Alzheimer's disease, Molecular Neurodegeneration (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00751-7 Journal information: Molecular Neurodegeneration 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: Clinical diagnoses of PTSD and anxiety among women firefighters were associated with reductions in anti-Mullerian hormone levels, according to a study published in the Journal of Women's Health. Credit: Kris Hanning, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications A new study showed that post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety are associated with lower levels of anti-Mullerian hormone, a marker of ovarian reserve, among women firefighters. The ovarian reserve is the number of healthy eggs in a woman's ovaries that could potentially be fertilized. It is a measure of a woman's fertility and ability to have children. "These findings highlight the negative effect that mental health conditions can have on healthspecifically, reproductive health," said first author Michelle Valenti, MPH, a doctoral student in epidemiology at the Zuckerman College of Public Health and program coordinator of the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study's Women Firefighter Study. The paper, "Evaluating the Effect of Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Anti-Mullerian Hormone Levels Among Women Firefighters," was published in the Journal of Women's Health. The study was led by University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health researchers in collaboration with fire service partners and other researchers around the country through the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study. Firefighters are exposed to high stress and traumatic situations in addition to chemical exposures and have a higher prevalence of PTSD compared with the general population. Previous research showed that women firefighters have lower levels of anti-Mullerian hormone compared with women who are not firefighters; however, the reason why was unknown. The research team, which included personnel at the Zuckerman College of Public Health's Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research, led this analysis to determine whether anxiety, depression or PTSD were associated with anti-Mullerian hormone levels. They found that clinical diagnoses of PTSD and anxiety were associated with reductions in anti-Mullerian hormone levels of 66% and 33%, respectively. These findings highlight a potential mechanism through which adverse mental health conditions could lead to adverse reproductive outcomes. Further research is needed to identify potential areas for intervention. "The work of this AMH study within the broader context of the FFCCS is imperative to taking care of all of our firefighters," said Capt. Caitlin St. Clair of the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. "These findings provide scientific leverage to fire departments to implement programs to reduce stress and improve the lives of our firefighter women." The Women Firefighter Study, a subgroup of the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, aims to identify causes of stress, cancer and adverse reproductive health effects in women firefighters that would inform effective interventions to mitigate these conditions. "This study demonstrates the power of the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study Women Firefighter Study to evaluate exposures that lead to adverse gynecologic conditions," Valenti said. "The Women Firefighter Study would not be possible without our amazing fire service partners who have championed women firefighter research." Co-authors from the Zuckerman College of Public Health include senior author Jeff Burgess, MD, MPH, a professor and director of the Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research at the U of A Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and a member of the BIO5 Institute; Leslie Farland, ScD, an associate professor and member of the BIO5 Institute; Yiwen Liu, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics; Shawn Beitel, program administrator for firefighter research; research technician Jordan Baker; and graduate student Kaiwen Huang. In addition to St. Claire, other fire service research liaisons who contributed to the study include Capt. John Gulotta of the Tucson Fire Department, Capt. Jamie Kolar and Derek Urwin, Ph.D., of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and many other firefighters. More information: Michelle A. Valenti et al, Evaluating the Effect of Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Anti-Mullerian Hormone Levels Among Women Firefighters, Journal of Women's Health (2024). DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2024.0534 Journal information: Journal of Women's Health 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 There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell and non-small cell. According to the American Cancer Society, non-small cell lung cancer is often categorized in one of two stages: limited or extensive. "If your cancer is limited stage, you might get radiation or chemotherapy (chemo) treatments to try to cure the cancer," the society reported. "An extensive-stage cancer will be treated, but is less likely to be cured. Be sure to ask your doctor about your cancer's stage and what it might mean." Lung cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates around 226,650 new cases of lung cancer in 2025. Small cell makes up around 15% of all lung cancer cases. Consequently, there will be around an estimated 33,997 new cases of small cell lung cancer this year. "On a positive note, the number of new lung cancer cases continues to decrease, partly because more people are quitting smoking (or not starting)," the society reported. "The number of deaths from lung cancer continues to drop as well, due to fewer people smoking and advances in early detection and treatment." Smoker or non-smoker, the odds a man will be diagnosed with lung cancer are an average one in 17. For a woman, the odds are around one in 18. Common symptoms of small cell lung cancer are coughing, trouble breathing and chest pain. If your doctor is concerned you may have it, they may order imaging tests be done, like a chest X-ray or MRI scan. "If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective," according to the American Cancer Society. "Most of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than lung cancer. Still, if you have any of these problems, it's important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed." Coughing up blood, hoarseness, loss of appetite, weight loss, wheezing and reoccurring infections, bronchitis or pneumonia infections are also common symptoms. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, accounting for roughly 20%. It kills more people than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. In 2025, the American Cancer Society anticipates around 124,730 deaths due to lung cancer. The five-year relative survival rate of small cell lung cancerthe odds that a cancer patient will live another five years compared to a non-patientranges from 7% to 30% depending on the cancer's stage (distant, regional, localized, etc.) Radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are some of the most common treatments for small cell lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. "Radiation uses high-energy rays (such as X-rays) to kill cancer cells," the society reported. "In limited-stage small cell lung cancer, it's most often used along with chemo to treat the tumor and lymph nodes in the chest. Or it could be used on the brain to try to keep the cancer from spreading there. Radiation can also be used to relieve symptoms, such as pain, bleeding, trouble swallowing, or other problems. It's usually given in small doses every day for many weeks." Instead of using rays, chemotherapy uses drugs to do battle with the disease. It's the most common treatment for small cell lung cancer and often takes several months to complete. The treatment comes with potentially significant side effects, including fatigue and hair loss. Immunotherapy, meanwhile, uses the immune system itself to attack the cancer cells. "An important part of the immune system is its ability to keep itself from attacking normal cells in the body," the American Cancer Society said. "To do this, it uses 'checkpoint' proteins on immune cells, which act like switches that need to be turned on (or off) to start an immune response. Cancer cells sometimes use these checkpoints to avoid being attacked by the immune system. Drugs that target these checkpoints (called checkpoint inhibitors) can be used to treat some people with small cell lung cancer (SCLC)." 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Job seekers talk with employers at a job fair held for the 2025 graduates of the Heilongjiang University in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China created 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, hitting the annual target, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Tuesday. In 2024, China's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1%, 0.1 percentage points lower than the previous year, according to the ministry. The country has set an annual target of creating more than 12 million new urban jobs in 2024 and it also aimed to keep the surveyed urban jobless rate at around 5.5% for the year. "The employment situation remained generally stable," said Lu Aihong, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, at a press conference. By the end of 2024, over 33.05 million people who had been lifted from poverty were employed, Lu said. China's social security card holders reached nearly 1.39 billion by the end of last year, including 1.07 billion digital social security card users, the spokesperson said. Social security cards are divided into physical cards and digital cards. Many people hold both types. Lu said that the ministry has also strengthened the standardized management of vocational competence assessment, with over 12 million individuals obtaining vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates last year. The ministry announced that in 2025, a targeted employment support program for key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots, as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will be implemented, establishing a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects. The ministry will also accelerate the research and formulation of relevant policies and measures to further enhance the appeal of the private pension system. By the end of 2023, there were 70,000 human resource service agencies across the country, employing 1.06 million people, according to Zhang Wenmiao, an official with the ministry. He added that throughout 2023, these agencies provided services to 300 million workers and 55.99 million employers, with approximately 40% of these employers in the manufacturing sector. The ministry said that this year it would introduce a youth job creation program, including measures to boost employment for college graduates. Youth employment, particularly for college graduates, remains a top priority for the ministry, said Chen Yongjia, an official with the ministry, adding that throughout 2025, the ministry will organize a series of activities to promote employment and entrepreneurship among young people. Sweeping policy changes marked Donald Trumps second term as President of the United States. Following his inauguration at the Capitol Hill on January 20, President Trump signed several Executive Orders that included the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), tighter immigration rules, exit from the Paris Climate Agreement, increased tariffs on Mexico and Canada, deregulation of artificial intelligence (AI) among many others. These policies have been implemented in line with his Make America Great Again (MAGA) slogan in the run-up to the presidential election in November. The ripples of these policy changes will be felt at every nook and cranny of the world. Nepal cannot be the exception. President Trump's declaration of a stricter immigration control will likely impact many undocumented Nepali immigrants in the U.S. Thousands of Nepalis living in the US could face mass deportations, threatening the livelihoods of many who support and contribute to their families back home. Reduced inflow of remittances could most likely also hurt Nepals economy. The tighter immigration rules mean the Trump administration may not extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) set to expire in June this year, directly impacting an estimated 19,000 Nepalese beneficiaries. His new trade policy may have mixed outcomes for Nepal while it would greatly impact nations like Canada and Mexico with the imposition of 25% tariffs on imports from these two nations. The escalation of U.S.-China trade war under Trump may spell unfavorable times for Nepal as Nepal depends on massive imports from China. However, the broader economic impact, coupled with Nepal's trade deficit with the U.S., necessitates the need for Nepal to strengthen its trade diplomacy for extending trade benefits like the customs exemption under the NTPP program beyond 2025. As President Trump has decided to quit the WHO, it could have indirect consequences for nations like Nepal. Health programs related to maternal and children's health and well-being in Nepal may face difficulties as reduction in the US funds could cause strains on these WHO funded programs, making it harder for Nepal to achieve its health goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals. Trump's exit from the Paris Agreement can pose a threat to global battle against climate change impacts. Nepal has made less than negligible contribution if at all to the global climate change crisis, but is highly vulnerable to climate change. We may confront troubles in meeting climate risk mitigating goals after the partners like the US decide to quit the Paris Agreement. Related story Trump says hell fight like hell to hold on to presidency Nepal falls on the U.S. radar owing to its geopolitical location between China and India, especially under Trumps foreign policy. The US-sponsored Millennium Challenge Corporation grant, with US$ 500 million allocation on Nepal's infrastructure projects, is a groundbreaking factor of the U.S.-Nepal ties in recent years. There are many who believe that Nepal-US ties would not see any drastic changes during President Trumps second term. They, however, stress that it will have indirect impacts on Nepal. The US aid to Nepal and its trade with us requires careful diplomacy on our part in order to avoid risks and maximize benefits. President Donald Trumps second term will be a mix of opportunities and challenges for Nepal. While his policies reflect a focus on U.S. interests, their global outcomes must spur Nepal taking proactive engagement on issues of bilateral ties and trade agreements, climate mitigation initiatives and Nepali immigrants plight. During this new era of US leadership, making careful diplomatic moves would serve Nepal better to safeguard her not-very-well-articulated national interests vis-a-vis the inward-looking policies of the US under President Trump. Activist Jackson Kuria Kihara, widely known as Cop Shakur, has claimed that the State has blocked his attempts to resign from the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS). In an interview on Tuesday, January 21, Kihara revealed that he had submitted two resignation letters, both of which went unanswered. The officer, who joined the anti-finance bill protests in June, was later suspended for his involvement but confirmed his intention to leave his career as a security officer to pursue activism. Shakur stated that his decision to leave the force had resulted in disciplinary action and intimidation, including a posting to a hardship area as punishment. Many people ask me why I choose to be an activist despite being an officer. After the Gen Z protests, I was interdicted, reinstated, and posted to a hardship area as punishment, he explained. He further shared that the authorities had refused to accept his resignation, telling both him and his lawyer that he could not leave the force. I have written two resignation Letters and none has been responded to. They said they wont let me go, they even told my lawyer the exact thing, he added. Kihara also condemned unlawful actions like extra-judicial killings, calling on his fellow officers to resist illegal orders. I will always stand for justice. I was trained for nine months as an officer, I knew having a sniper on top of KICC shooting harmless Kenyans was wrong. I know abductions are wrong, extra-judicial killings are wrong. I want to urge every officer in the service not to follow unlawful orders. Let them charge you with anything they want. Stand for what is right, he stated. Kihara was charged on Monday for allegedly publishing false information on social media. He denied the charges and was granted a Kes. 100,000 bond, with the case set for mention on February 17, 2025. Kenya is introducing new regulations that require cryptocurrency firms to establish local offices as the government moves to regulate crypto trade in the country. The National Treasurys Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025 mandates that cryptocurrency firms maintain a registered office in Kenya. The bill is part of the governments push to license crypto trade and ensure proper oversight of the growing sector. Under the proposed regulations, crypto firms must appoint chief executive officers or directors, with appointments subject to approval by regulatory bodies such as the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). The government will vet the heads of these firms to ensure they meet educational and professional qualifications and have no history of dishonesty, fraud, or violations of laws related to virtual assets. Additionally, the bill mandates that crypto companies must be managed by a board of at least two directors. The proposed law specifies that the board must consist of natural persons only, and no director can serve on more than one board. RELATED Treasury Plans Ksh1.82 Billion Budget for Crypto Regulation Amid IMF Pressure These developments follow the governments announcement in October 2024 of plans to implement a new tax system that will integrate real-time monitoring of crypto transactions. This initiative is part of the Kenya Revenue Authoritys (KRA) efforts to tap into the local crypto sector and combat tax evasion and criminal activities. KRA sees significant potential in the sector. UNCTAD figures indicate that the local crypto market has an estimated four million users. Between 2021 and 2022, Kenyas crypto market transacted about Kes.2.4 trillion, which is nearly a fifth of the countrys GDP. In parallel, the Capital Markets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, introduced in Parliament, aims to amend the Capital Markets Act to include digital currency within the definition of securities If passed, the bill would allow the KRA to impose capital gains tax on exchanges and excise duty on transactions. The National Assembly finance committee has approved the bill, which is currently under consideration in Parliament. Kenya has risen in global military rankings, now holding the 11th spot in Africa and 83rd worldwide, according to Global Firepowers annual assessment. Egypt ranks first in Africa, followed by Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia as the continents top five strongest militaries. Angola, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Libya also make up the top 10 strongest forces in Africa. Globally, Kenyas military has made significant strides, securing the 83rd position among the worlds strongest forces. Egypts dominance, as the most powerful Arab nation, reflects substantial military investments aimed at combating terrorism and addressing regional instability. The Global Firepower assessment evaluates military strength based on factors such as financial capacity, logistical resources, and strategic positioning. The size of a nations armed forces plays a key role in determining military strength. Egypt, for example, boasts over 400,000 active personnel, supported by modern fighter jets like the F-16s and advanced naval systems. Conversely, countries such as Benin, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gabon, Senegal, and Burkina Faso rank among Africas weakest militaries. Police officers on patrol arrested a man in Nairobis Huruma area on suspicion of murdering his wife. The cops intercepted 29-year-old John Kiama Wambua at around 5:00 am on Tuesday, January 21, as he walked along Kelly Towers. Upon searching his bag, police found human body parts. Wambua reportedly confessed that the body parts belonged to his 19-year-old wife, Joy Fridah Munani. He led police to his home, where they discovered additional dismembered body parts hidden beneath his bed. The suspect admitted to killing his wife following an argument after finding her with another man. At the crime scene, police recovered a blood-stained kitchen knife and female clothing, with bloodstains on the floor indicating the brutal nature of Munanis death. The body parts were transferred to the City Mortuary for postmortem analysis. Meanwhile, Wambua is in custody at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Starehe, as officers continue investigating the motive behind the murder. Hashim Dagane Muhumed, also known as Hashim Mohamed Khalif, faced charges in court on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the gruesome murders of four women who were reportedly abducted from Eastleigh late last year. The Somali national, of Ethiopian origin, is accused of murdering Dahab Daud Said, alias Waris, in Kyumbi, Machakos County on the night of October 21. He also faces charges for the deaths of Dahabs relatives, Amina Abdirashid Dhahir and Musayba Abdi Mohamed, who were killed in Parklands, Nairobi, on the same date. Additionally, Hashim is charged with the murder of a fourth victim, Deka Abdinoor Gorane, at a short-stay rental apartment in Lavington, Nairobi, between October 29 and 31, 2024. The charge sheet states that Hashim murdered Deka at the Veley Heights Apartment in Lavington on the night of October 29 and 30. Hashim, who appeared virtually from the Nairobi Area Remand and Allocation Prison, denied the charges before High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo. He remains in pre-trial detention, and through his advocate, he requested lenient bail and bond terms. However, the Prosecution opposed his release on bail. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that Hashim, identified as Hashim Mohamed Khalif in his passport, fraudulently registered as a Kenyan. Senior Prosecution Counsel Millicent Kiringia stated that the prosecution would file an affidavit to oppose his release on bond. Justice Kimondo ordered the ODPP to file the affidavit within seven days, and Hashim must respond before February 11, when the matter will be mentioned for further directions. Dibrugarh: The 1st International Tai Youth Festival marked a momentous occasion with the launch of the book Basic History of Multiracial Burma: Indianization and Burmanization by renowned Myanmar-based author Sai San Aik. The grand event, held at Assams Langi Godapani Khetra, brought together luminaries from various fields to celebrate the deep historical and cultural connections between India and Myanmar. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! Author Sai San Aik, who attended the event, provided an insightful account of the ancient Hindu influences in Burma (modern-day Myanmar), tracing the enduring cultural bonds that have shaped both nations over millennia. He highlighted how these influences continue to resonate today, strengthening the shared heritage of the two countries. Dr. Sunil Mohanty, Assam Kshetra Prachar Pramukh of RSS and a distinguished scholar with a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies, elaborated on Bharats ancient cultural and trade relations with Southeast Asia. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! He explained how Indias rich legacy of script, scriptures, spirituality, art, and craftsmanship is still deeply ingrained in the regions cultural fabric. Speaking on the occasion, Assams Honourable Minister of Transport and Indigenous Affairs, Shri Jogen Mohan, praised the book as a significant intellectual contribution. He noted its potential to strengthen Indias Act East policy by fostering a deeper understanding of historical and cultural ties. The event also featured Vijay Sharma of EBH Publishers, who expressed pride in bringing such an impactful work to readers. The release of Basic History of Multiracial Burma: Indianization and Burmanization marks a significant step in highlighting the intertwined histories of India and Myanmar, offering valuable insights into their shared legacy and fostering greater cultural connectivity. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said he is willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue guiding bilateral relations towards a new height in the new year. Speaking with Putin in a video meeting, Xi called for coping with uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations, jointly promoting the development and revitalization of the two countries, and upholding international fairness and justice. The two heads of state exchanged festive greetings for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. Xi recalled the three meetings he had with Putin last year, which led to a range of important common understandings. He also said last year marked the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations, which feature permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and have become increasingly dynamic. Xi also mentioned various activities held as part of the China-Russia Years of Culture, as well as steadily progressing pragmatic cooperation and growing bilateral trade. The close coordination between the two countries on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS has provided more positive energy for the reform and development of the global governance system, Xi said. He called on the two sides to continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries. China and Russia should consolidate and expand bilateral relations and push for in-depth development of practical cooperation, Xi added. He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. He said as the rotating chair of the SCO, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to usher in a new phase of the SCO featuring higher-quality development and greater responsibility. Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of unity and self-improvement for the Global South. Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] Putin said that Russia and China have always provided each other with trust and support, and treated each other as equals. Cooperation between the two sides is in the interests of the two peoples and has been unaffected by changes in the international landscape. He expressed satisfaction with the sustained positive momentum in bilateral trade and energy cooperation, the constant increase in mutual visits by people of the two countries, and the close communication and collaboration between the two sides on multilateral arenas. Putin said Russia firmly upholds the principle that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and resolutely opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. He noted that 80 years ago, the Russian and Chinese people resisted aggressors with their blood and lives, safeguarding their national sovereignty and dignity. He said that this year, the two sides will jointly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and defend the outcomes of World War II. Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on multilateral affairs, and play a positive role in promoting world peace and development, Putin added. The two heads of state also engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year. 3/13/2025 11:59 PM - 2:30 AM View Description Date: 3/13/2025 Time: 11:59 PM - 2:30 AM Location: Neckers lawn, SIU Carbondale 11:59 PM to 2:30 AM - Neckers lawn, SIU Carbondale: Total Lunar Eclipse at SIU Carbondale March 13 14, 2025 FREE Public Astronomy Observation on the Neckers building south west lawn.11:59pm CT, Thursday, March 13, 2025 2:30am, Friday, March 14, 2025 A total lunar eclipse will be visible over most of the Americas on March 13 and 14, 2025. Often referred to as a Blood Moon, the Moon will appear to go through different phases this evening and turn a deep orange / red color for about 1 hour during totality from roughly 1:30 am 2:30am CT. It is at this time that the earth blocks direct light from the Sun and we see light refracted by the Earths atmosphere projected on the Moon. It is for this reason that the Moon appears the color of a sunset, the exact color depending on the amount of particles or dust in the atmosphere at the time of the eclipse. The public is invited to join members of the SIU School of Physics, the STEM Education Research Center, the Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois and the Adler Planetarium this evening on the southwest side of the Neckers building for free, guided telescope viewings and special activities during peak eclipse hours from midnight to 2:30am. Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to be part of a special program, Half of the magic and majesty of living on Earth happens at night; a nature walk under the eclipsed moon led by Experiential Education Specialist and Researcher Steve Gariepy. This event is outside and weather dependent; DRESS APPROPRIATELY. Neckers 240 will be open with live stream views of the eclipse from other locations. Lawn chairs, blankets, telescopes, photographic equipment and coolers are allowed, please No Alcohol. Parking available in Lot #47 between the Public Policy Institute and Neckers building. The south end of the parking lot will be blocked to keep headlights from shining into the observation area. Some lighting will be on in this area, but we encourage visitors to keep white lights to a minimum in the telescope area. Visitors who plan to bring their own telescope or photographic equipment are welcome to arrive early and keep their equipment set up for the entire eclipse. No tickets are required for this event. For more information or for special accommodations, call SIU Events and Outreach at (618) 536-7751or email events@siu.edu. Schedule 11:59pm, March 13 Telescope observations beginGather for nature walk at telescope area. Adler Planetarium Sky Observers Hangout goes live Neckers 240 open to visitors 12:09am, March 14: U1, Partial phase of eclipse begins. 1:26am: U2, Beginning of totality 1:30am: Nature walk returns to telescope area 1:45am: Cosmic Surfing , Description: Beginning at 1:45 am, Steve will also facilitate his version of R. Buckminster Fullers activity Cosmic Surfing, training you to be a Cosmic Surfer, and Cosmic Surfing instructor for your friends and family. 1:59am: Greatest Eclipse (middle of totality) 2:30am: Public programming ends 2:32am: U3, End of totality 3:48am: U4, Partial phase of eclipse ends. More SIU Events Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his party''s negotiating team to withdraw from further talks with the government if a judicial commission is not established within seven days, The Express Tribune reported. Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail, Gohar Ali Khan called the formation of judicial commission critical for meaningful dialogue. He said, "If the government does not move forward on forming the commission, there is no point in continuing negotiations." PTI has demanded formation of judicial commission to ensure accountability and transparency. He said, "Imran Khan has made it clear that the fourth meeting will only happen if the commission is formed within the deadline," emphasising PTI''s commitment to talks and its resolve to hold the government accountable for its promises. Gohar Ali Khan has accused the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N)-led government of being uneasy regarding the demand for transparency, terming it the "Form 47 government." He criticised government''s negotiation committee spokesperson, Irfan Siddiqui, for delaying the progress. PTI chairman said, "Siddiqui should not derail the talks by turning minor issues into major controversies," adding that discussions focused on law and order and should not be politicised, The Express Tribune reported. He called on the federal government to focus on talks for benefit of Pakistan. He said, "Successful negotiations mean success for Pakistan" and called for patience and mutual understanding in the process. On January 16, the PTI formally submitted its ''charter of demands'' to the government in the third round of negotiations between the two sides, Dawn reported. Negotiations between the government and the PTI began in December as an attempt to de-escalate political tensions. However, significant progress has yet to be made on pivotal concerns, including the establishment of a judicial commission and the release of PTI members detained in political cases. The meeting was held under the supervision of the National Assembly Speaker and was attended by six representatives from the opposition, including three PTI leaders, and eight from the government. The opposition was represented by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen chief Senator Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja. During the meeting, the government''s side was represented by Pakistan''s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP MNAs Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, prime minister''s aide Rana Sanaullah, and MQM-P MNA Farooq Sattar. During the meeting, the PTI presented a three-page document detailing its demands, signed by all six opposition members present. These demands include two primary objectives: the formation of judicial commissions and the government''s cooperation in facilitating legal relief for political prisoners. The PTI specifically called for two judicial commissions to be established under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017, each led by either the Chief Justice of Pakistan or three serving Supreme Court judges mutually agreed upon by the government and opposition.The PTI further asserted that the establishment of these commissions was essential to demonstrate the government''s commitment to addressing their concerns. The party stated, "We shall not be able to continue with the negotiations if the two commissions sought by us are not agreed to in principle and constituted forthwith," Dawn reported. One of the commissions is expected to investigate the legality of events surrounding the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. The PTI has demanded an in-depth inquiry into the actions of law enforcement during the arrest, the subsequent nationwide protests, and the circumstances under which individuals targeted high-security locations. The party also demanded a review of media restrictions and the government''s internet shutdowns during the unrest, emphasising the need for accountability. The second commission would probe the crackdown on the PTI''s November ''Final Call'' protest in Islamabad, where tensions escalated after clashes between protestors and law enforcement. (ANI) Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu hailed MEIL's investment decisions, stating that these projects align with Telangana's vision for sustainable development, job creation, and economic progress. The agreements showcased Telangana's commitment to fostering growth and sustainable development. One of the key MoUs involves the establishment of a state-of-the-art 2160 MW Pumped Storage Project, an initiative aimed at strengthening Telangana's renewable energy capabilities. MEIL will invest Rs11,000 crore in this landmark project, which is expected to generate over 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and an additional 250 jobs during its operational phase. The company will also conduct campus recruitment drives to employ local talent. In another significant step toward bolstering its renewable energy infrastructure, Telangana has partnered with MEIL to develop a 1,000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at various strategic locations across the state. With an investment of Rs3,000 crore, the project is projected to create over 1,000 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs within two years. The BESS will enhance energy storage capabilities, ensure grid stability, and support peak load management, aligning with Telangana's sustainability goals. The third MoU involves the development of a luxury wellness resort at Ananthagiri, a picturesque destination in Telangana. MEIL plans to invest Rs1,000 crore in the project and is expected to generate over 2,000 jobs during construction and operations phases. The company will also conduct campus recruitment drives in Telangana to ensure local workforce participation. The initiative underscores Telangana's focus on promoting tourism and fostering regional economic growth. Telangana's collaboration with MEIL highlights its dedication to achieving a balanced approach to growth, sustainability, and employment, marking yet another milestone in the state's development journey. (ANI) NewsVoir Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], January 22: Indian fintech leader CheQ, founded by ex-Flipkart executive Aditya Soni, has unveiled Wisor, India's first AI-powered credit card expert, designed to turn credit card chaos into clarity. This game-changing innovation is set to redefine how millions of Indians interact with their credit cards, offering personalized insights, effortless management, and maximise rewards-all at their fingertips. What Makes Wisor a Game-Changer? Wisor isn't just another feature; it's a revolution in credit card management. Built on cutting-edge AI, it simplifies the way users handle their credit cards, saving time, maximizing value, and removing all guesswork. Here's how Wisor transforms the experience - Your Personal Credit Expert: Through a simple and intuitive Q&A chat interface, Wisor delivers instant, human-like responses to all your credit card questions. No more hunting for information-everything users need is just a chat away. - Smart Spend Analysis: For the first time in the industry, Wisor provides detailed comparisons of your spending across all your cards and merchants in one view. No more need to track multiple statements to understand spending trends. Track month-to-month changes, analyze spending by categories, and gain clarity like never before. - Unlock Maximum Rewards: Wisor brings transparency to credit card rewards, putting all users' points, cashback, and benefits in one place. It even advises users on the best ways to optimize them, ensuring no opportunities are missed. Why This Matters for India India's fintech market is booming, yet credit card management remains a challenge for millions. Wisor bridges this gap by offering a one-stop solution that's proactive, intuitive, and tailored to the needs of users. "With Wisor, we want to change how people interact with their credit cards," said Aditya Soni, Founder of CheQ. "We've taken away the frustration of juggling multiple bank websites, Credit Card Twitter (X) threads, or manual spend analysis. Wisor will do it all for you, setting the stage for even more groundbreaking innovations to come." CheQ's Impact So Far CheQ is already a powerhouse in the fintech ecosystem. In just two years, it has: - Processed over $4 billion in credit card payments. - Served more than 3 million customers across India. Wisor builds on this success, showcasing CheQ's commitment to making financial management simple and rewarding for everyone. Currently Available to BETA Users Exclusively available on the CheQ platform, Wisor is being rolled out to 10,000 Beta users, offering an exclusive opportunity to experience the future of credit card management. Wisor is part of the 7 new products that CheQ is launching this month. CheQ is India's fastest-growing fintech company, dedicated to simplifying credit card management. With a focus on innovation and user-first solutions, CheQ is redefining the fintech landscape in India. For more information, visit www.cheq.one. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 22: V3 Infrasol is proud to announce its association with the Bulandshahr Development Authority (BDA) for the planning and execution of an ambitious 250-acre industrial township at Kaimrala, Chakrashenpur. This prestigious project, a part of the Chief Minister's Urban Expansion New City Promotion Scheme. V3 Infrasol's association with the 250-acre industrial township project in Bulandshahr underscores its commitment to delivering sustainable, green-certified developments. The project is expected to become a benchmark for industrial and urban growth in the region, showcasing V3 Infrasol's ability to execute large-scale initiatives with an emphasis on eco-friendly practices and community enhancement. V3 Infrasol is a milestone in the region's industrial and urban development. V3 Infrasol, known for its innovative practices, is committed to delivering this transformative project with precision, efficiency, and a focus on long-term value creation for all stakeholders. V3 Infrasol is a trusted development manager for real estate projects, offering end-to-end solutions for residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. The company excels in diverse domains, including land verification and procurement, approval and licensing, architectural and urban planning, project management, and RERA consultancy. With over a decade of experience, V3 Infrasol has established itself as a one-of-a-kind consulting organization that stays with its clients throughout the lifecycle of their projects, from conceptualization to execution and beyond. With services spanning mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design, digital marketing, strategic CRM, sales management, legal advisory, and corporate social responsibility, V3 Infrasol ensures holistic solutions for its clients. The company also specializes in reviving stalled projects, offering strategic interventions that align with both market demands and regulatory compliance. The company's capabilities are showcased in its impressive portfolio, which includes partnerships with prominent developers such as Bhutani Infra for projects like Alphathum, Cyberthum, and Noida Cyber Hub, HCL, Pardos, Valiancy Infratech as well as Sanfran Private Developers Limited for landmark projects like Sanfran Sarovar Heights and Sanfran Estate. Its collaboration with Agrasheel Infratech Private Limited for residential townships in Lucknow further demonstrates its expertise in managing complex, large-scale developments. For clients navigating the post-RERA era, V3 Infrasol provides seamless consultancy to ensure projects meet statutory requirements under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. The company's RERA consultancy services guide developers through the registration process, compliance mandates, and risk assessments, ensuring their projects align with regulatory standards. This proactive approach has helped V3 Infrasol establish long-term partnerships by building trust and delivering results. In addition to compliance support, V3 Infrasol assists companies with extensive land banks by offering strategic advice on land utilization, planning, and project approvals from various authorities. Its services include due diligence, land acquisition support, and end-to-end project management, ensuring the efficient execution of every development aspect. From determining raw material needs and construction specifications to managing costs and scheduling, V3 Infrasol's expertise covers all facets of project execution. The company's leadership has been instrumental in shaping its growth and reputation. Mr. Abhishek Singh (Director), a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in real estate, infrastructure, and industrial sectors, spearheads the organization with a strategic vision. His expertise in fundraising, organizational strategy, and government liaisoning, coupled with his educational credentials as a law graduate from Delhi University and an MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad, ensures V3 Infrasol remains at the forefront of innovation. As demand for innovative and sustainable real estate solutions grows, V3 Infrasol is uniquely positioned to address evolving market needs. By staying committed to its core values of innovation, expertise, and environmental responsibility, the company continues to redefine industry benchmarks and contribute to the nation's infrastructure development. For more information please visit: https://www.v3infrasol.com/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Dubai [UAE], January 22: In a grand celebration of excellence, ELITE Magazine hosted its annual Most Influential Indians event at the iconic Museum of the Future, cementing its reputation as the ultimate arbiter of success and influence. Among the esteemed honorees this year was Dhruv Maggu, a name synonymous with innovation, leadership, and impact, who joined an elite list of trailblazers that included Karan Johar, Ashneer Grover, Vivek Oberoi, Srikanth Bolla, and many more. Dhruv, whose contributions span industries and transcend borders, was recognized for his unparalleled ability to inspire and lead. Though details of his achievements remain understated, his work reflects a rare combination of vision, perseverance, and ingenuity that has left an indelible mark on his peers and the industries he serves. The event, attended by a constellation of luminaries from India and beyond, underscored the global stature of Indian talent and influence. In addition to Dhruv, the list of honorees featured dynamic personalities like R. Madhavan, Dubai-based entrepreneur Ebraheem Al Samadi, and legendary figures such as Sadhguru and Adi Godrej. This illustrious gathering celebrated not just individual achievements but the collective spirit of innovation and leadership that continues to define the Indian diaspora. Speaking at the event, Puraskar Thadani, Editor of ELITE Magazine and mastermind behind this annual celebration, emphasized the significance of the occasion. "The Most Influential Indians list is not just a recognition; it is a testament to the transformative power of visionaries like Dhruv Maggu. These individuals are reshaping the narrative of what it means to be Indian on a global stage." The Museum of the Future served as the perfect venue for this celebration of forward-thinking excellence, its futuristic design mirroring the ethos of ELITE Magazine and its honorees. Against this breathtaking backdrop, Dhruv's recognition stood as a beacon of what can be achieved with relentless passion and unwavering commitment. While details about Dhruv's journey remain shrouded in modesty, his inclusion in this exclusive circle of influencers signals his extraordinary impact. Whether through groundbreaking initiatives or inspiring leadership, Dhruv represents the new face of Indian excellence--a visionary with his sights set firmly on the future. This recognition by ELITE Magazine places Dhruv Maggu among the vanguard of those shaping tomorrow, a distinction that resonates far beyond the glittering confines of the Museum of the Future. As India continues to shine on the global stage, figures like Dhruv ensure that the legacy of influence and innovation remains brighter than ever. (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) Xi says China, Russia should jointly defend UN-centered int'l system Xinhua) 09:06, January 22, 2025 BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video meeting on Tuesday, saying China and Russia should jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of World War Two (WWII) victory. Xi noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN). China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the victory of WWII, promote all countries' adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism, Xi stressed. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Flash People attend a protest calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Nov. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi resigned on Tuesday, citing the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) failure to prevent Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered the Gaza war. Halevi, 57, is the most senior official to step down over the security lapse, which saw thousands of Hamas-led militants and Gaza civilians breach the border fence in a coordinated land, air, and sea assault, overrunning military bases and communities in southern Israel. The attack resulted in Israel's single deadliest day: some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. As of Tuesday, more than 90 hostages still remain in Gaza, with about a third presumed dead. "Under my command, the IDF failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel," Halevi wrote in his resignation letter. He said his resignation would take effect on March 6, adding he had made the decision "a long time ago." "Now, as the IDF maintains the upper hand on all fronts and another agreement for the return of hostages is underway, the time (for my resignation) has come," he wrote. Shortly after Halevi's announcement, Yaron Finkelman, the commanding officer of the Southern Command, also said he would leave the IDF. Israel's security forces have faced criticism for failing to anticipate the unprecedented attack and for delays in mobilizing reinforcements to southern communities to counter Hamas forces. Israel's security forces have come under heavy criticism for failing to foresee the unprecedented attack and for delays in deploying reinforcements to southern communities to repel Hamas forces. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Halevi after the resignation was announced, thanking him for his long service to the country. Following the resignation, opposition leaders in the Knesset called for Netanyahu to follow Halevi's lead and resign. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tweeted, "I saluteHerzi Halevi. Now let the prime minister and his entire disastrous government take responsibility and resign." New Delhi [India], January 22: Royaloak, India's No. 1 furniture brand announces the launch of its latest product, Royaloak Verona Italian Leather Recliner in 3+2+1. Designed to bring a touch of Italian sophistication and comfort to homes across the nation. Keeping minimalism at its core, this limited-edition Italian range of furniture is sure to inspire and add charm to your living spaces. The Recliners provide ultimate comfort combined with genuine leather (Body Touch), while the modern design gives it a dashing appeal. The comfortable high backrest, wider armrests, and sturdy footrests provide proper support when used for extended periods. The heavy-duty metal support ensures long-term durability. The tufting design makes it look visually appealing, and the product is ergonomically designed. POWER MOTION USB C Type PORT is a USP of the Three-seater and The Single Seater is a Rocker offering a smooth motion for ultimate relaxation. Price of 3 Seater - Rs1,21,000 Price of 2 Seater - Rs78,000 Price of Single Seater -Rs45,000 Explore the limited-edition range exclusively at Royaloak showrooms across India and online by logging on to www.royaloakindia.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL New Delhi [India], January 22: The Indian School of Business and Finance (ISBF), a leader in global academic excellence, has launched a BSc Psychology (Hons) program in collaboration with King's College London, a globally recognized institution ranked third in the UK for psychology education by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This program addresses the increasing demand for skilled mental health professionals in India. With mental health awareness on the rise but resources remaining scarce, this program aims to equip students with the skills needed to address India's mental health challenges. Enhancing this initiative, ISBF will introduce a psychology laboratory, allowing students to conduct simulations and experiments, deepening their understanding of psychological concepts and research techniques. "The BSc Psychology (Hons) program, along with the Psychology lab, reflects ISBF's commitment to empowering students with a globally aligned education that combines theoretical depth with practical innovation," said Mrs Arushi Bakshi, Director of ISBF. "Our collaboration with King's College London ensures students have access to world-class academic resources and opportunities." A Legacy of Global Excellence ISBF has been at the forefront of delivering globally recognized undergraduate programs in partnership with the University of London (UOL), with academic direction from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Programs in Economics, Management, Finance, Data Science, and Business Analytics have positioned ISBF as a premier institution offering world-class education in India. ISBF's unique academic model integrates LSE's rigorous curriculum with experiential learning through case studies, research projects, and practical exposure. This approach ensures that graduates are equipped with the tools to thrive in competitive global markets. ISBF's commitment to quality education has been recognized with accolades such as the National Education Award for B-School Leadership (2017) and the Best Institute for Providing Global Exposure Award from ASSOCHAM India (2018). Guiding ISBF's excellence is an Advisory Board comprising notable academicians and industry leaders, including Prof Wolfgang Viet (Cologne University), Prof Vidur Varma (London Business School), Prof Viney Sawhney (Harvard University), Mr Devansh Jain (INOXGFL Group), Mr Rikant Pitti (Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip), Mr Deepak Gupta (Co-Founder, Bombay Shaving Company) and Mr Asish Mohapatra (Co-Founder & CEO, OfBusiness). In addition, ISBF has established a Mentorship Board comprising professionals from renowned institutions like Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford, along with experts from leading companies such as Meta and Google, to provide guidance and support to its students, enhancing their academic and professional journeys. Their insights ensure that ISBF's programs remain aligned with international academic and professional standards. Beyond Borders: Global Opportunities for ISBF Students ISBF provides students with unparalleled opportunities for global exposure. A key offering is the LSE Summer School, a six-week program that immerses participants in international teaching methodologies. All ISBF students are eligible for a 40% scholarship to attend the program, making it accessible and enriching. Additionally, students can explore transfer options to LSE and other esteemed universities worldwide, such as Carnegie Mellon, Warwick Business School, and the University of British Columbia. ISBF's rigorous academic foundation also gives its students a distinct advantage when applying for master's programs at leading universities globally, enabling them to excel in advanced academic and professional pursuits. Students can further benefit from the Mountbatten Programme, which offers international internships at firms like HSBC, Merrill Lynch, UBS and Deutsche Bank. These internships, accompanied by monthly stipends, provide valuable corporate exposure in global financial hubs like London and New York, enhancing employability and global competence. Modern Campus for Holistic Learning In July 2024, ISBF moved to its expansive one-acre campus in Jasola, South Delhi, designed to foster both academic and personal growth. The campus features modern classrooms, advanced research facilities, and comprehensive sporting amenities, creating a holistic environment for students to thrive academically and socially. Applications Open for 2025 Intake Applications for ISBF's undergraduate courses, including the BSc Psychology (Hons) program, are now open for the 2025 intake. For more information and to apply, visit ISBF's official website at www.isbf.edu.in. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 22: Dr. Dinesh Shahra, celebrated author and thought leader, made an impactful visit to Nagindas Khandwala College, Malad, to launch his latest book, Dalai Lama's Secret to Happiness. The event was marked by the presence of prominent faculty members, including Professor Dr. Mona Mehta, Vice Principal and IQAC Coordinator, along with Poonam Shah, Dr. Poonam Popat, and Dr. Meha Mandawewala, who welcomed him warmly. During his keynote address, Dr. Shahra reflected on his personal experiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, describing them as life-altering. "The humility and wisdom of His Holiness showed me the true meaning of compassion and inner strength," he shared, inspiring the audience to explore the deeper teachings of the revered spiritual leader. His book captures the essence of the Dalai Lama's journey and his unwavering commitment to peace and resilience. Dr. Shahra encouraged students to adopt these values, saying, "The principles of loving-kindness and mindfulness can guide young minds through challenges and help them build a life rooted in harmony and purpose." A unique highlight of the event was Dr. Shahra's heartfelt performance of a song he composed as a tribute to His Holiness. The soulful melody resonated with the attendees, leaving them uplifted and inspired. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mona Mehta remarked, "Dr. Shahra's words reflect his passion for spreading positivity and wisdom. His book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking inspiration and clarity." The coordinators of the college also commended Dr. Shahra's ability to connect with students, emphasizing how his insights align with the aspirations of today's youth. The session concluded with a lively interaction where students engaged Dr. Shahra with questions about his life, the writing process, and lessons from the Dalai Lama's philosophy. He left them with a powerful message: "Compassion and mindfulness are the keys to unlocking your true potential." Dalai Lama's Secret to Happiness Path is now available and offers readers a deep dive into the life and teachings of one of the most iconic spiritual figures of our time. (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) These initiatives are integral to realizing the government's vision of modernizing the railway network under PM Gati Shakti and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Ministry of Finance posted on X, "With 68 operational Vande Bharat trains already running, Indian Railways is in process of selecting technology partners to indigenously manufacture Energy Efficient Vande Bharat trains in India. #BudgetForViksitBharat" Indian Railways is set to develop and manufacture 400 next-generation Vande Bharat trains over the next three years. These new trains will feature enhanced energy efficiency and superior passenger comfort. This ambitious target aligns with the 2022-23 budget announcements aimed at boosting India's domestic manufacturing capabilities. Currently, 68 Vande Bharat Express trains are operational across 15 zones, offering fast and comfortable travel with 136 train numbers in service. Progress in manufacturing additional trains includes- Tender No. WTA-527: Contracts for procuring 200 train sets have been finalized, tender no. WTA-529: A tender for 100 lightweight aluminum-bodied train sets was discharged on administrative grounds. The focus on indigenous manufacturing is a significant step towards achieving self-reliance in the railway sector. Ministry of Finance posted on X, "Kavach is indigenously developed world-class technology that enhances safety and capacity augmentation of Indian Railways. #BudgetForViksitBharat" In addition to modernizing rolling stock, the deployment of Kavach technology is enhancing railway safety and capacity. Kavach, an indigenously developed advanced system, is designed to prevent collisions and ensure efficient train operations. As of October 2024, Kavach has been deployed over 1,548 route kilometers (Rkm) across South Central Railway and North Central Railway. Key sections covered include- South Central Railway with Lingampalli-Vikarabad-Wadi and Vikarabad-Bidar sections (265 Rkm), Manmad-Mudkhed-Dhone-Guntkal section (959 Rkm), Bidar-Parbhani section (241 Rkm) and North Central Railway with Mathura-Palwal section (83 Rkm). Further work is underway for an additional 3,000 Rkm on high-priority routes like Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah. Bids have also been invited for approximately 15,000 Rkm of track-side Kavach deployment, with a project finalized to equip 10,000 locomotives with this technology. (ANI) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Raw Jute for Marketing season 2025-26, as per an official release. The MSP of Raw Jute (TD-3 grade) has been fixed at Rs 5,650 per quintal for 2025-26 season. This would ensure a return of 66.8 percent over the all India weighted average cost of production. Addressing the Cabinet Briefing, Union Minister Piyush Goyal stated that CCEA that Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute for the marketing season 2025-26, has been increased to Rs 5,650 per quintal, marking a 6 percent rise compared to the previous year. As per the Union Minister, the decision to increase the MSP will directly benefit approximately 1.70 lakh farmers involved in jute cultivation and positively impact around 40 lakh families linked to the jute farming sector. The move is seen as a critical step in ensuring better income stability for jute farmers and improving the financial sustainability of the jute industry. The approved MSP of raw jute for Marketing season 2025-26 is in line with the principle of fixing MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times all India weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19. The MSP of Raw Jute for Marketing season 2025-26 is an increase of Rs.315 per quintal over the previous Marketing season 2024-25. Government of India has increased MSP of Raw jute from Rs 2400 per quintal in 2014-15 to Rs.5,650 per quintal in 2025-26, registering an increase of Rs 3250 per quintal (2.35 times). The MSP amount paid to Jute growing famers during the period 2014-15 to 2024-25 was Rs 1300 Crore while during the period 2004-05 to 2013-14, amount paid was Rs 441 Crore. Livelihood of 40 Lakh farm families directly or indirectly depends on Jute Industry. About 4 Lakh workers get direct employment in Jute mills and trade in Jute, the release added. Last year jute was procured from 1 Lakh 70 thousand farmers. 82 per cent of Jute farmers belong to West Bengal while rest Assam and Bihar have 9 per each of jute production share. The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will continue as Central Government Nodal Agency to undertake Price Support Operations and the losses incurred, if any, in such operations, will be fully reimbursed by the Central Government, as per the release. (ANI) Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 22: BatchMaster Software, a leading provider of process manufacturing ERP solutions, has announced its collaboration with Reliable Paints, a renowned paint manufacturer based in Vadodara, Gujarat. Impressed by BatchMaster's industry-specific solutions, Reliable Paints has selected BatchMaster ERP as its business management software. BatchMaster ERP offers thoughtfully designed features that help manufacturing organizations digitalize and streamline their operations while adhering to local and global regulatory guidelines. This enables companies to gain industry expertise and operate more efficiently. Previously, Reliable Paints managed all operations manually using Excel sheets, a time-consuming and traditional approach. This led to a few challenges, underscoring the need for improvements in planning, streamlined production timelines, consistent product quality, and enhanced collaboration and communication across departments. Additionally, the company relied on Tally for financial management, but its limitations prevented it from accurately meeting the complex financial needs of the business. In search of a comprehensive solution, Reliable Paints aimed for proper production planning and scheduling, robust inventory management, and precise formulation. After extensive research, the company found BatchMaster's Paint ERP software to be the perfect fit, offering all the required functionalities. BatchMaster ERP provides capabilities such as costing, laboratory management, order entry and sales management, purchase order management, bill of materials, batch ticket and production, GST calculation, GHS and SDS label printing, and more. These features ensure a holistic solution for Reliable Paints' business needs. Reliable Paints expects this association with BatchMaster ERP to resolve its underlying complexities and streamline production processes. Sanjay Panjwani, Managing Director of BatchMaster Software Pvt. Ltd., expressed gratitude for Reliable Paints' trust and assured them that the implementation and support team would meet their expectations. About Reliable Paints Established in 2007 and located in Vadodara, Gujarat, Reliable Paints is a leading manufacturer and exporter of liquid paints and primers. The company specializes in high-performance, multi-functional, organic barrier paints, coatings, and linings suitable for medium to extreme service conditions. About BatchMaster Software Pvt. Ltd. BatchMaster Software is a market leader in enterprise software solutions for process manufacturing industries. With over 3,000 implementations worldwide, BatchMaster has extensive industry experience and offers ERP solutions that support industry-specific functionalities and handle critical processes of micro-verticals. BatchMaster helps organizations streamline operations, reduce costs, increase profits, and manage compliance and safety to ensure customer satisfaction. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL New Delhi [India], January 22: We at Valuedesign are thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with Rucards, a leading innovator in India's money spending landscape. This powerful collaboration aims to redefine how businesses and individuals engage with Gift Cards, Expense management, and digital payments across India. This partnership will be a game-changer for our clients and partners, combining Rucards' robust personal and corporate expense management platform with our proven expertise in Gift and Reloadable Card Solutions. Together, we're creating a seamless two-way business relationship that promises to deliver unparalleled value to our customers, helping businesses increase engagement, boost loyalty, and drive significant growth. A Dynamic Partnership- Valuedesign's impact is already felt worldwide: * We've worked with 1000+ corporate and retail businesses across Asia, serving over 100,000 retail locations globally. * Our expertise has helped clients retain 50% of their existing customers while simultaneously attracting new ones. * Gift Cards powered by Valuedesign are the first choice for various occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, festivals, and employee recognition programs. Meanwhile, Rucards is a powerhouse in India: * Rucards operates in Pan India. * It offers a comprehensive SaaS-based cards and corporate expense management solution that streamlines expense tracking and ensures financial discipline for businesses of all sizes. * RUCard shave wide acceptance and contactless payment capabilities with NFC, NCMC, Magstripe with Rupay as scheme processor. Together, Valuedesign and Rucards are combining our strengths to offer enhanced Gift Card Solutions that empower businesses and delight consumers. Why Valuedesign-Rucards Partnership Matters- Our mission at Valuedesign has always been to provide businesses with the tools to maximize the value of every customer interaction. By integrating Rucards' domestic prepaid card solutions and payment services with Valuedesign's Gift Card Solutions, we're offering a powerful, end-to-end solution that delivers measurable results:- * Increased Customer Engagement: Businesses using our Gift Cardsolutions see increased foot traffic, higher average transaction values, and improved customer loyalty. * Enhanced Corporate Expense Management: Rucards' SaaS platform simplifies the complexities of expense tracking, helping companies maintain tighter control over their spending while enjoying the benefits of our customizable corporate gift cards. * Diverse Card Options: Together, we offer reloadable balance cards, physical and virtual gift cards, and customized card solutions, all backed by world-class technology for security and control. Technology at the Core: Powered by Valuedesign- We pride ourselves on offering the most advanced technology in the Gift Card Market. Our Gift Card Solutions are fully integrated into both physical and digital environments, providing businesses with real-time insights and analytics that drive decision-making. By partnering with Rucards, we're extending these capabilities to a broader audience, helping businesses across India take advantage of cutting-edge financial technology. Rucards' expertise in wallet loading, expense tracking, and corporate management aligns perfectly with our vision for a fully digital, customer-centric economy. From magstripe and DIP capabilities to NFC-enabled contactless payments, our partnership will meet the evolving needs of today's consumers. Our Partnership Benefits for Consumers and Businesses For consumers, the benefits of our combined solutions are clear. Whether they're shopping for a birthday gift or managing corporate expenses, our combined solution offers: * Wide Acceptance: Our Gift Cards can be used at thousands of locations across India. * Security and Control: Advanced security features ensure that both consumers and businesses can trust our solutions. * Customization: Businesses can create Personalized Gift Cards that align with their brand and customer preferences. For businesses, the partnership between Valuedesign and Rucards means: * Improved Financial Discipline: With tools that simplify expense tracking and budgeting, companies can better manage their resources. * Enhanced Customer Loyalty: Our Gift Card Solutions are proven to increase customer retention and attract new customers, driving sustained growth. * Streamlined Operations: Our integrated platforms make it easy for businesses to manage both Gift Cards and corporate expenses from a single dashboard. Expanding Business Opportunities Our partnership with Rucards not only enhances customer engagement but also unlocks new business opportunities for corporations and retailers across India. As more businesses look for innovative ways to manage expenses and reward customer loyalty, our combined expertise offers a versatile Gift Card Solution tailored to meet diverse needs. For large corporations, our customizable Corporate Gift / Reloadable Cards are perfect for employee rewards, client incentives, and festive gifting. With reloadable balance options and virtual card capabilities, businesses can streamline their incentive programs while maintaining full control over expenses. Our platform's real-time analytics allows companies to track usage patterns, ensuring that every rupee spent delivers maximum impact. Retailers, on the other hand, benefit from increased foot traffic and higher sales through the deployment of Gift Cards powered byValuedesign. Whether it's a small local shop or a large retail chain, our solutions help merchants tap into India's growing digital payment ecosystem, driving both customer satisfaction and loyalty. With wide acceptance across thousands of locations and seamless integration into existing systems, our partnership with Rucards positions Valuedesign at the forefront of India's digital transformation. Together, we're not just driving growth--we're reshaping the way businesses engage with their customers in a rapidly evolving market. Driving Growth in India's Digital Economy As India continues its journey toward a fully digital economy, Valuedesign and Rucards are committed to supporting this transformation. Our partnership aligns with India's push for greater financial inclusion and digital adoption, providing businesses and consumers with the tools they need to succeed in today's fast-paced, technology-driven world. With Valuedesign powering this next phase of growth, businesses can look forward to innovative, user-friendly solutions that maximize the value of every rupee spent. Together with Rucards, we're creating a future where every transaction is smarter, every customer interaction is more meaningful, and every business has the tools it needs to thrive. We encourage businesses across India to explore the possibilities of our new partnership with Rucards. Whether you're looking for a powerful Gift Card Solution to boost customer engagement or a comprehensive platform to manage corporate expenses, we've got you covered. For more information, visit our website or contact us today to learn how Valuedesign and Rucards can help your business succeed in the digital age. "Rucards and ValueDesign's strategic partnership is a significant step forward in creating synergies that will drive innovation and enhance our market reach. By leveraging Rucards' established user base and operational expertise, ValueDesign is well-positioned to expand its footprint and accelerate its growth," said Mr. Sachin Kumar , CEO of ValueDesign. "We are pleased to partner with ValueDesign in this exciting venture. This collaboration is a key milestone in Rucards', and we are confident it will lead to the development of innovative solutions that will resonate with high-demand markets worldwide," said Mr. Vineet Tewari, CEO of Rucards. About Valuedesign Founded in 2006 and listed in 2016 in Tokyo Stock Exchange, Valuedesign is a global leader in Gift Card Solutions, serving over 1000+ corporate and retail businesses across Asia. We're committed to helping businesses retain customers, drive engagement, and unlock new growth opportunities. About Rucards Rucards is a leading provider of corporate expense management solutions in India, offering a comprehensive SaaS platform that combines prepaid card solutions with advanced financial technology. With a presence in PAN India, Rucards is dedicated to helping businesses achieve financial discipline and success. Valuedesign India Office No. 244, 2nd Floor, Ecstasy Business Park, JSD, Mulund West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Sachin Kumar Website: https://valuedesign.co.in/ Rucards India Office No. 306, 3rd Floor , Sigma IT Park, MIDC Industrial Area, Rabale, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra , India. Vineet Tewari Website : https://rugift.in (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) VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 22: Abolition of Securities Transaction Tax (STT) and the revision of the income tax exemption slab to Rs 25 lakh are two major expectations from the upcoming Union Budget - 2025, said Akshat Khetan, corporate and legal advisor and Founder of AU Corporate Advisory and Legal Services (AUCL). As India aspires to achieve developed nation status by 2047, the need for innovative strategies to ensure sustainable growth, inclusivity, and resilience has become more pressing than ever. The dynamics of many sectors have been reshaped by technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence, posing both challenges and opportunities for policymakers. According to Akshat Khetan, this Union Budget is expected to unveil pivotal reforms and initiatives that will address immediate concerns, and also lay the foundation for long-term economic transformation. First of all, the banking and financial sector has long awaited relief in the form of the abolition of the Securities Transaction Tax (STT). "Viewed as a burden on market participants, particularly retail investors, its removal would lower transaction costs, encourage broader market participation, and boost liquidity," he said. "Another much-anticipated reform is the revision of the income tax exemption slab to Rs 25 lakh. This bold step would not only provide tax relief to a larger section of the middle and upper-middle class but also directly boost disposable incomes. Increased consumer spending from this move would serve as a catalyst for economic growth," he added. In an increasingly digital world, cyber security is paramount. Khetan, a cyber-legal expert, believes that adequate funding to tackle cyber fraud and cyberbullying is essential. Specialized cybercrime units with trained personnel and investments in advanced technology can fortify defences against cyber threats. Such measures are vital for protecting sensitive government and private data from malicious attacks. Khetan firmly believes that India can never see real progress unless its women are empowered. For women, the budget must prioritize access to entrepreneurial funding, dedicated social security measures, and skill development initiatives. Programs that encourage women's participation in high-growth sectors like technology, finance, and healthcare can nurture gender parity and significantly boost the country's GDP. Likewise, India's youth remain its most significant asset. Khetan said, "To address unemployment and skill gaps, the government must allocate resources toward skill enhancement in fields such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and robotics. Tax subsidies for companies offering internships and apprenticeships could bridge the gap between education and employment." Judicial infrastructure remains a foundation of effective governance. Khetan said that the budget must allocate substantial funds to modernize courtrooms, build new judicial complexes, and digitize records to enhance efficiency and accessibility. "Initiatives such as e-courts, video conferencing facilities, and AI-driven case management systems are crucial to reducing delays and improving the delivery of justice. Additionally, setting up alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centers within court premises could significantly ease the burden on traditional courts," he further said. According to Khetan, the modernization of armed forces must remain a priority. "Allocations for indigenous production of advanced weaponry and the development of technologies like drones, cyber defence systems, and artificial intelligence will bolster India's strategic capabilities. Strengthening the nation's defence infrastructure is essential to maintaining sovereignty and preparedness in an evolving geopolitical landscape," he said. This Union Budget carries the weight of aspirations, challenges, and opportunities. Strategic investments across these key areas could lay the foundation for a resilient and progressive India, steering the nation closer to its goal of becoming a developed economy by 2047. About AUCL: AUCL is a one stop solution for companies looking for assistance with Corporate Strategies, Mergers and Acquisitions, Financial Advisory, Debt Syndication, Litigation Services, Cyber Security, Cyber threat and much more. Over the years, they have emerged as the country's preferred name for legal and corporate advisory services. They stand apart with their ability to work seamlessly with our in-house experts in various segments such as General Corporate, Litigation, Regulatory, Taxation and Corporate Finance. Their team work closely with investment banks, accounting firms, law firms and financial institutions for implementation of transactions. (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) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in a series of strategic engagements on Wednesday in Switzerland before heading for World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos. The discussions underscored India's commitment to fostering international collaboration and embracing innovative technologies in the railway sector. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Vaishnaw stated, "PM Modi ji has always guided us to benchmark our efforts to the global bests. Today's visit is also in this direction. There is a lot of interest around the world for our made-in-India products." The day in Zurich commenced with a presentation by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), where the latest advancements in infrastructure diagnostics were showcased. Minister Vaishnaw engaged with Swiss experts to understand the cutting-edge technologies that can bolster operational efficiency and safety within the Indian Railways system. This was followed by a meeting with leading railway sector SMEs, including Rhomberg Sersa Ag, Selectron, Ucentrics, Autech, and nu Glass. These interactions focused on exploring potential partnerships and technology transfers, particularly in areas such as smart railway solutions and sustainable manufacturing practices. A significant highlight of the day was a meeting with Stadler Rail Management and a visit to their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in St. Margrethen. Stadler Rail's expertise in producing double-decker multiple-unit trains resonated with India's ambitions to modernize and expand its passenger rail fleet. On Wednesday, Ashwini Vaishnaw made a presentation on the Indian Semiconductor Ecosystem to Arvind Krishna, an Indian-American business executive and the chairman and CEO of IBM. The Annual Meeting 2025 of The World Economic Forum is taking place at Davos-Klosters from 20th to 24th January 2025. India Pavilion at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, features eight states, each seeking investment opportunities from executives of companies worldwide. Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal are the states which have established their presence at WEF, 2025. Davos 2025 convenes under 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.' More than 350 governmental leaders are expected to participate this year, including 60 heads of state and government. India has sent its largest-ever delegation to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, comprising five union ministers and three state chief ministers. Nearly 100 CEOs and leaders from government, civil society, and the arts are also in attendance at the event. (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday invited the globally renowned container terminal company to come forward to set up its smart container terminal in the eastern state. During the ongoing World Economic Forum summit, the Chief Minister, on the third day of his visit to Davos, held deep discussions with the Managing Director of the DP World Central Asia and Africa, Rizwan Sumoor. Chandrababu told the Managing Director that though DP World has five container terminals in India, till now there is no single terminal in Andhra Pradesh. Kakinada, Krishnapatnam and Mulapeta are the most suitable places for setting up its container terminals in Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister told Rizwan and asked them to think over the possibility of setting up one at one of these places. The Chief Minister also invited investments in seaports that are being constructed now and also in integrated logistics. DP World has been managing 83 marine and inland terminals in over 40 countries owing over 10 per cent of the global market in container traffic. If the company sets up its terminal in Andhra Pradesh, it will contribute to the development of international trade in the State. CM Chandrababu Naidu also has detailed discussions with the founder of Microsoft and Bill Melinda Gates, Bill Gates. "Back in 1995- IT Now in 2025-AI A pleasure reconnecting with Mr Bill Gates after many years," the Andhra CM posted on X after the meeting. The discussions mainly focussed on the establishment of AI university, Innovation and Incubation, Centre of Excellence for Health and Gateway to South India. The Director of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, Archana Vyas, was also present during the discussions. The Andhra CM also had a meeting with Eugene Willemsen, CEO (AMSEA and International Beverages) at Pepsi Co to discuss investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. He also met with a delegation from the Kingdom of Bahrain led by Abdulla Bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce. (ANI) Flash U.S. President-elect Donald Trump addresses a victory rally held at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] About 20 states and the city of San Francisco unleashed a legal firestorm Tuesday by filing a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's controversial executive order that would deny U.S. citizenship to children born to undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders. Led by the attorneys general of California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, the lawsuit contended that Trump's directive brazenly defied the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause, threatening to strip tens of thousands of American-born children of their birthright each year. "The President's executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and, quite frankly, un-American," declared California Attorney General Rob Bonta when announcing the lawsuit. "California condemns the President's attempts to erase history and trample on 125 years of Supreme Court precedent." Trump signed the order hours after taking office on Monday. It directed federal agencies to halt recognition of citizenship for children born after Feb. 19, 2025, to mothers who are either undocumented or legally present on temporary visas if the father is neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident. According to the complaint, this sweeping policy would impact approximately 153,000 children nationwide every year, including about 24,500 in California alone, according to figures derived from the 2022 data provided by the National Demographics Corporation. The lawsuit warned that these children would be rendered effectively stateless, robbed of access to social security numbers, passports, and federal benefits, and placed at risk of deportation despite entering the world on American soil. The states also forecast enormous financial strain, as they would lose vital federal funding for programs serving these children yet remain legally compelled to provide critical services. New Jersey, for instance, estimated that it could lose millions of dollars in federal healthcare reimbursements every year while still having to care for these young individuals. "If this unprecedented executive action is allowed to stand, both Plaintiffs and their residents will suffer immediate and irreparable harm," the complaint insisted. "Many of these children may never be able to naturalize, nor secure citizenship from any other nation." Central to the states' argument is the Supreme Court's landmark 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which established that children born on U.S. soil to non-citizen parents are citizens by birth under the 14th Amendment. According to the lawsuit, Trump lacked the constitutional authority to override more than a century of settled legal precedent through an executive order. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, urged the court to declare Trump's order unconstitutional and block its enforcement while the case proceeds. According to campaign materials cited in the legal filing, the White House has staunchly defended the directive, saying it is necessary to "eliminate a major incentive for illegal immigration." The administration now faces a looming deadline to respond. MSN Holdings Ltd has signed an MoU with the government of Maharashtra in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis. This collaboration will pave the way for an advanced lithium battery and cell manufacturing project under the under 'Ultra Mega Project' as outlined in the State government's policy. The project, with an investment of Rs 14,652 crores is poised to transform the industrial landscape of Maharashtra by creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for approximately 8,760 individuals, particularly in the backward region of Vidarbha, MSN Holdings Limited said. Maharashtra government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has signed a total of 54 MoUs worth Rs 15.70 lakh crore as of Wednesday at Davos. These investments are expected to create about 16 lakh jobs. a statement from the Chief Minister's office said. Among today's MoUs, the largest investment deal is with Reliance Group, with an investment of Rs 305,000 crore in petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, green chemicals, industrial sector development, retail, data centres, telecommunications, hospitality and real estate, a statement from the CMO further said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' dream is to make Maharashtra the first state with a USD 1 trillion economy, the statement added. The Annual Meeting 2025 of The World Economic Forum is taking place at Davos-Klosters from 20th to 24th January 2025. India Pavilion at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, features eight states, each seeking investment opportunities from executives of companies worldwide. Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal are the states which have established their presence at WEF, 2025. Davos 2025 convenes under 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. More than 350 governmental leaders are expected to participate this year, including 60 heads of state and government. India has sent its largest-ever delegation to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, comprising five union ministers and three state chief ministers. Nearly 100 CEOs and leaders from government, civil society, and the arts are also in attendance at the event. (ANI) Amber Connect, a vehicle telematics company is set to open a 4000-seat Innovation Center in India's Coimbatore, besides planning to hire 1,000 individuals in the next two years. For the global vehicle tracking company Amber Connect, India is a strategic market that will spearhead its IPO ambition, a company release said on Wednesday. The company plans to achieve this goal by expanding its operations to all 28 states in India through strategic partnerships with leading automotive OEMs, and strategic distributors in the country. Amber Connect, a global leader in vehicle tracking and telematics solutions headquartered in Jamaica, will build vehicle telematics software in India that will be exported worldwide. The construction of the office is currently underway, with the company planning to open it by the end of 2025. Hiring for the new innovation center will take place in a phased manner. Amber Connect plans to onboard 1,000 people over the next 2 years for various roles including technology development, sales, and customer support needed to expand operations across the country. Currently, Amber Connect's office in Coimbatore comprises 1,200 skilled professionals across various roles including product development, software engineering, operational support, sales, logistics, demand generation, data science, and Al expertise. The team in India has been instrumental in building Amber Connect's innovative solutions popular in key markets around the globe, and is the foundation for its expansion in India. Amber Connect will focus on offering seamless vehicle tracking, Al- powered analytics, and enhanced security features which will drive significant value for Indian consumers and businesses. "India's increased digitization, rapid growth and the rise in adoption of premium technology solutions make it the right market for Amber's Connect's advanced telematics solutions. With a dynamic automotive ecosystem and progressive regulations like AIS-140 compliance, the demand for intelligent fleet and vehicle management solutions is growing in India and Amber Connect is excited to contribute to this smarter, safer, and more connected future," said Dushyant Savadia, Founder and CEO, Amber Group. "Amber Connect chose a tier-2 city like Coimbatore to expand operations owing to its rich engineering talent. For us, India's tier-2 markets are a reflection of the country's potential growth, which makes it the ideal choice for us to open a new innovation center." In the statement, Amber Connect said it has set a revenue target of Rs 100 crore in India and Rs 500 crore globally over the next 2 years. The company aims to install its telematics solution on over 200,000 vehicles over the next two years. Amber Connect is a subsidiary of the Amber Group which operates 13 businesses across various industries such as Aviation, Technology, Payments, Automotive, etc operating in nearly 100 countries. (ANI) Economic Explosives Limited, a part of Solar Group of Industries, has signed an MoU with Maharashtra government to establish an Anchor Mega Project. This initiative reinforces EEL's commitment to advancing nation's capabilities in critical sectors such as defence and aerospace. Having nearly completed its earlier Mega Project under the "Aerospace and Defence Policy of Maharashtra 2018," with a total investment of Rs 1,350 crores (Rs 800 crores already invested as of December 2024), this new MoU signifies the company's strategic intent to enhance its production capacities and introduce additional high-demand products in alignment with the Government of India's initiatives for self-sufficiency in critical defence products. The new Anchor Mega Project entails an estimated investment of INR 12,780 crores and falls under the "Thrust Sector Incentive Scheme" of the Government of Maharashtra in the "Defence and Aerospace" category. The proposed project involves expansion of certain defence products such as Propellant, War head explosives, Ammunitions, Defence electronics, Drones and UAVs, New Generation Explosives, Energetic binders and new products such as Military transport aircraft; small, medium and large ammunition and chemicals for high energy explosives and propellants. The project will be established in the backward region of Maharashtra, further contributing to the region's socio-economic development; Solar Industries, Nagpur. Maharashtra government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has signed a total of 54 MoUs worth Rs 15.70 lakh crore as of Wednesday at Davos. These investments are expected to create about 16 lakh jobs. Among today's MoUs, the largest investment deal is with Reliance Group, with an investment of Rs 305,000 crore in petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, green chemicals, industrial sector development, retail, data centres, telecommunications, hospitality and real estate. It is estimated that 3 lakh jobs will be created from this one contract with Reliance Group. The Annual Meeting 2025 of The World Economic Forum is taking place at Davos-Klosters from 20th to 24th January 2025. India Pavilion at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, features eight states, each seeking investment opportunities from executives of companies worldwide. Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal are the states which have established their presence at WEF, 2025. Davos 2025 convenes under 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. More than 350 governmental leaders are expected to participate this year, including 60 heads of state and government. India has sent its largest-ever delegation to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, comprising five union ministers and three state chief ministers. Nearly 100 CEOs and leaders from government, civil society, and the arts are also in attendance at the event. (ANI) Dhanashri Mandhani, CEO of agri-tech platform Salam Kisan, on Wednesday said her startup has signed an MoU with Maharashtra government for expanding its drone manufacturing capacity. "We are going to be expanding our drone manufacturing facility, going from 6,000 drones to 40,000 drones (per annum)," she told ANI from Davos. "At Salam Kisan we are democratizing data-driven agriculture for farmers and we are currently working with 300,000 farmers," she said. This MOU with the Maharashtra government is in collaboration and support with Microsoft, who is Salam Kisan's technology partner. She said her intention is to bring more and more women, marginal communities, forward to have an added source of income, by the way of drone as a business and drone as a service, and also increase productivity and profitability for farmers. Founded in 2022, Salam Kisan's facility is based in Jalna in Marathwada, Maharashtra. The facility is 20,000 square feet in size. The total capacity capacity at present is 6,000 drones per annum. India is promoting usage of dron extensively, with particular focus on women. Namo Drone Didi is a central sector scheme aiming to empower women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by equipping them with drone technology to provide agricultural services. The scheme aims to provide drones to 15000 selected Women SHGs during the period from 2024-25 to 2025-2026 for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purpose (application of liquid fertilizers and pesticides for the present). (ANI) The Maharashtra government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has signed a total of 54 MoUs worth Rs 15.70 lakh crore as of Wednesday at Davos, the state's highest-ever investment proposals. The largest investment among today's MoUs was from the Reliance Group, which will invest Rs 3.05 lakh crore in the state, across sectors like petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, green chemicals, industrial development, retail, data centers, telecommunications, hospitality, and real estate. This single agreement is expected to generate around 3 lakh jobs. Chief Minister Fadnavis mentioned that the agreement with Reliance, which includes significant investment in the service sector, will contribute significantly to job creation. Anant Ambani of Reliance Group stated that this investment is part of their vision to make Maharashtra the first state with a USD 1 trillion economy, a goal the government is committed to achieving under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Another major investment is from Amazon, which will invest Rs 71,795 crore in data centers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This investment will create 83,100 jobs. Over the past two days, MoUs have been signed with investments across all regions of the state, aiming for balanced development. Of these total agreements, the Industrial Department has signed agreements worth Rs 11.71 crore, the MMRDA has signed deals worth Rs 3.44 lakh crore, and CIDCO has signed agreements worth Rs 55,200 crore. Among other companies with which Maharashtra government signed MoUs are CEAT, VIT Semicons, Tata Group, Rural Enhancers, PowerIn Energy, Open Origin India Industries, eLearning Solutions, Gritta Energy, Vardhan Lithium, Indorama, Sotefin India, Blackstone, Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Economic Explosives Ltd, MSN Holdings Ltd, Hazero Industries, Temasek Capital Management, Hiranandani Group, Amazon, among others. These agreements will contribute significantly to the development of various sectors in Maharashtra, fostering both investment and employment opportunities. The Annual Meeting 2025 of The World Economic Forum is taking place at Davos-Klosters from 20th to 24th January 2025. India Pavilion at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, features eight states, each seeking investment opportunities from executives of companies worldwide. Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal are the states which have established their presence at WEF, 2025. Davos 2025 has convened under 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.' India has sent its largest-ever delegation to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, comprising five union ministers and three state chief ministers. Nearly 100 CEOs and leaders from government, civil society, and the arts are also in attendance at the event. (ANI) Cutting across party lines, all Union ministers, Chief Ministers, and other state ministers spoke in one voice to promote India's growth story at Davos. Even when they otherwise compete with each other for investments and other resources, the leaders spoke in unison putting aside the competitive mindset. India has sent its largest-ever delegation to the World Economic Forum annual event in Davos, comprising five union ministers and three state chief ministers, besides the government officials and civil society members. "We may be different political parties, we are all one when we came to Davos," Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA government in New Delhi, told a press conference in Davos, with many other political leaders from various parties on the same table. "India first, our people first. That is our slogan," CM Naidu stressed. Naidu said India as a country is well positioned with economic reforms, right time adoption of technology, demographic dividend, stable growth rate, and very strong policies from the government. "India brand is very strong under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi," CM Naidu added. He said with leaders from different parties participating in Davos as 'Team India', they were giving the right messages to the world. Taking the thread forward, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also echoed the 'Team India' sentiment. "At Davos, we could see one India, and I think it's a great example of cooperative and competitive federalism whereby we are talking in one voice, but at the same time we are competing for business, we are competing for showcasing the abilities of our states, and I think that is what is contemplated in the cooperative and competitive federalism," he voiced at the press conference. "For us, it's a forum to network, to understand the emerging technologies, to take the emerging technologies back home, to interact with different businesses, to tell them that we want to welcome them to our states and our country, and I think we could do it successfully here," Fadnavis, who recently got the mandate from the people of Maharashtra said. At a time when India aims to become a USD 5 trillion economy, Fadnavis believes it is very important that all states grow together. "There was a time when 3 or 4 states only used to grow. They used to get the share of growth, but now is a time when more states are competing and they are showcasing their strengths and they are attracting the investment, and I think together if we grow, India is going to grow," Fadnavis complemented his argument. Besides portraying a united 'Team India' at Davos, Fadnavis said leaders from different states also got the opportunity to share the best practices with each other. For all present during the press conference, India comes first and later the healthy competition within the states. P Rajeev, Minister for Law, Industries and Coir, Kerala, representing his state, said he was in Davos to showcase the potential state of Kerala. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader thanked the central government for recognising Kerala for having simplified the process following the direction of the Union government. TRB Rajaa, the Tamil Nadu minister from DMK, also affirmed that he believed in the idea of inclusive 'Team India' at Davos. Taking the thread from the previous speaker, he said, "I don't differ from you, but I think we should not be surprised at what we have achieved here as a nation. The world needs India though. And I think we are in a position to leverage that." "When you bat as one, the kind of successes that you can get from this world it's amazing What I see from success here outcomes every, every state has its own, views on MoUs and how to sign, when to sign, all that, and, and the kind of interest we've gotten, the kind of interest Maharashtra is getting, the kind of interest Telangana, Andhra, all the states that are here are getting," the Tamil Naidu Minister added. He also suggested that it was time for India to dictate policy for the world, given its stature in the world economy and its size. "We should start leveraging (India's) position and start writing policy for the world, or at least we should have a say in what policy gets written for the world," TRB Rajaa said. Out of nowhere, he also floated an idea on why can't India have a Davos like event in India. He specifically took the name of Jammu. "Why not? If India calls, the world will come today. If India calls, the world will come," the Tamil Nadu minister backed his idea of hosting the economic summit in India. Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, when asked to share his Davos experience, said, "It has been a tremendous show of spirit and unity representing all the best strengths and talent and skill." Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister minister at the Centre and from Chandrababu Naidu's party TDP, also painted the picture of a diverse but cohesive India. "This is the beauty of India is the unity and diversity and no better picture than the people here can showcase that at Davos. So this is the strength that we have. We have been able to showcase it at Davos, and I feel that this is the strength that is going to continue into the future in the coming days, and we are going to take it back to India just like how the discussions that are happening here, we're going to continue that," the young minister said at the press conference. Chirag Paswan, another Union minister and an alliance partner in the NDA government, was in Davos for the first time. "The kind of reception that we have seen and I think a lot of credit and the only credit goes to my prime minister the way he has in the past one decade, the way India in front of all the other developed countries, the way it has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies, as one of the fastest developing countries has given us that respect," Chirag Paswan of LJP party said. The Annual Meeting 2025 of The World Economic Forum is taking place at Davos-Klostersfrom 20th to 24th January 2025. India Pavilion at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF)annual conference 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, features eight states, each seekinginvestment opportunities from executives of companies worldwide. Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal are the states which have established their presence at WEF, 2025. Davos 2025 convenes under 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. (ANI) 2025 is going to be super exciting for Hollywood lovers as Warner Bros Pictures announced their slate for this year. The lineup includes Superman, Jurassic World: Rebirth, horror thrillers like The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination: Bloodlines, live-action like How to Train your Dragon 2, Wicked: For Good, gaming adaptations like A Minecraft Movie, Mortal Kombat II, a formula one racing film F1 along with Michael, a film on the legendary pop star Michael Jackson. While Mickey 17 starring Robert Pattinson and directed by Academy Award winning Bong Joon-Ho releasing on March 7. Based on one of the most popular game in the video game history, 'A Minecraft Movie' starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black releases on April 4. From the new age director-actor duo taking over Hollywood - Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, Sinners, a new vision of fear releases on April 18. On May 16, the worldwide record-breaking supernatural horror franchise is coming up with its sixth installment - Final Destination: Bloodlines. The highly anticipated Formula 1 racing feature film F1 starring Brad Pitt releases on June 27. In his signature style, director James Gunn is taking on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe. Superman starring David Corenswet releases on July 11. The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers the final thrilling chapter of the iconic Conjuring cinematic universe on September 5. A sci-fi horror film, The Bride starring Christian Bale releases on September 26. A live-action/CG hybrid road trip comedy, Animal Friends starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa releases on October 10. The sequel to 2021's blockbuster and based on world famous video game, Mortal Kombat II releases on October 24. Warner Bros. Pictures will also release titles from Universal Pictures, making the entire slate very interesting for the fans. Anora, a romantic comedy releases on February 21. The Brutalist starring Adrien Brody releases on February 28. Both these films are strong Academy Award contenders. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the latest in the much-loved Bridget franchise sees the return of Renee Zellweger in the Titular role and supported by a cast that includes Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Isla Fisher & Chiwetel Ejiofor and releases on February 14. Black Bag, an espionage thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender and Pierce Brosnan releases on March 14. How to Train your Dragon (Live Action version of the Animated classic) directed by the original film's director Dean DeBlois and also featuring Mason Thames, Nico Parker & Gerard Butler releases on June 13. M3GAN 2.0, the sequel to the extremely successful M3GAN and produced by Jason Blum & James Wan releases on June 27. Jurassic World: Rebirth, a brand new edition of the eternal Jurassic saga starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali & Rupert Friend and directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) releases on July 4. Sharing the details about 2025 release dates, Denzil Dias, VP and Managing Director - India Theatrical, in a statement said, "We're incredibly proud to present such a dynamic and exciting slate of films for 2025. Working with some of the most talented filmmakers in the world, we're bringing powerful stories and unforgettable characters to the big screen. From epic blockbusters to thrilling horrors, heartwarming family adventures to compelling dramas, our diverse lineup from Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Pictures offers something for every audience, across all ages and genres. This lineup is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional cinematic experiences for Indian audiences." The Bad Guys 2, from the DreamWorks Animation Franchise, based on the popular Bad Guys book series by Aaron Blabey sees the return of the original voice cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Anthony Ramos & Awkwafina releases on August 1. Nobody 2, the sequel to the 2021 film that surprised everyone with its innovative action set-pieces sees Bob Odenkirk headlining the role once again. Directed by famous Indonesian movie director Timo Tjahjanto, the film releases on August 22. Downton Abbey 3, the third film in the evergreen Downton franchise and directed by Simon Curtis releases on September 12. Michael, a feature film on the legendary pop star featuring Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long & Miles Teller and directed by Antoine Fuqua releases on October 2. Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie a live-action/animated feature comedy film based on the beloved Gabby's Dollhouse series releases on October 17. Wicked: For Good, the second part to the wildly successful 2024's Wicked sees the return of all the cast members from the first film. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film releases on November 21. Five Nights at Freddy's 2, the second part of the surprise hit from 2023 and based on the most popular Video game series of the same name starring Josh Hutcherson releases on December 5. (ANI) In an exciting turn of events for the 'Star Wars' franchise, Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling is reportedly in negotiations to star in a new Star Wars feature film, directed by Shawn Levy. This project, which has been in development since 2022, is set to take the Star Wars universe in a fresh direction and could be the next major movie to enter production under the Lucasfilm banner, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Shawn Levy, best known for his work on 'Deadpool' and 'The Adam Project', has been working on this Star Wars film for over two years, with Jonathan Tropper, a frequent collaborator of Levy's, penning the script. Levy will also produce the film through his 21 Laps banner, alongside Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy. Although specific details regarding the project are scarce, according to The Hollywood Reporter, sources confirm that it will be a standalone film, separate from the core Skywalker Saga that has defined the franchise for decades. The exact timeline and plot of the movie remain a mystery, leaving fans to speculate about whether the story will revolve around Jedi, Sith, or explore other aspects of the expansive Star Wars galaxy. The project is expected to focus on new characters and narratives, further expanding the beloved universe beyond the Skywalker family. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources suggest that Gosling's involvement is a late-game development that could rapidly propel the film forward. Initially, Levy had been in talks to direct a movie centred on a boy band for Paramount, which would have reunited him with actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. However, Gosling's unexpected interest in the Star Wars project has brought the movie into the fast lane, with cameras potentially rolling as early as this fall. If the deal is finalized, this Star Wars feature will be the next film in the franchise to go into production, following the success of 'The Mandalorian', which wrapped in December and is set to be released in 2026, as per The Hollywood Reporter. In addition to his potential Star Wars role, Gosling is set to star in 'Project Hail Mary', another space-themed film directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. (ANI) Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, known for his iconic crime drama 'Satya', has shared details about his upcoming film 'Syndicate', a project that promises to be his most ambitious and terrifying work yet. The film, according to Varma, is set to explore the rise of a terrifying criminal organization that threatens India's very existence. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Varma explained the conceptual evolution behind 'Syndicate', noting that while street gangs were a significant threat in India in the past, the real danger today lies in the formation of a powerful syndicate comprising various factions, including political forces, law enforcement, ultra-rich businessmen, and even military personnel. 'Syndicate' will address how the intense polarisation in the country today makes it ripe for such a dangerous group to emerge, as per Varma's post. 'Syndicate,' Varma explained, is not a film about supernatural horror but rather an exploration of the horrific potential of human beings. The filmmaker emphasized that the movie will expose the cyclical nature of crime and terror, illustrating how criminal organizations evolve into even more deadly forms over time. As Varma put it, "Crime and terror never die; they keep coming back in more deadlier forms." https://x.com/RGVzoomin/status/1881987016046637431?t=yoCpuyIRs0O27blgvtCrbA&s=08 The filmmaker's confession about 'Syndicate' is a continuation of the introspective reflections he shared recently regarding his earlier works, particularly 'Satya'. Varma revealed that watching 'Satya' again after 27 years left him deeply emotional, as he reflected on how the success of films like 'Satya' and 'Rangeela' led him astray, causing him to lose his creative focus. He admitted that he became intoxicated by his own success, losing sight of the core principles that had initially driven him to create memorable films. "I cried in guilt for my betrayals of all those who trusted me due to Satya. I became drunk, not on alcohol, but on my own success and my arrogance," Varma shared. This self-reflection led him to vow to create something as worthy as 'Satya' in his remaining years, with 'Syndicate' being the result of that newfound commitment. Varma promises that 'Syndicate' will be a scary film not due to supernatural elements, but because it will delve into the dark truths of human nature and the potential horrors that may lie ahead. He stressed that the film's narrative would begin with a chilling statement, "Only man can be the most terrifying animal." The story will follow a shadowy organization aiming to replace India with a "New India," through a series of devastating events that push the boundaries of terror. In terms of production details, Varma revealed that further information regarding the cast and other specifics would be announced soon. (ANI) The Mumbai Police have found several fingerprints of the accused in Saif Ali Khan's stabbing case at the actor's Bandra residence. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked last week by an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, who entered his home with the intent to commit theft. After a violent confrontation with the accused, Saif Ali Khan sustained stab wounds to his thoracic spine and other body parts. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital for immediate treatment following the attack. In the ongoing investigation, the police found the accused's fingerprints on the stairs of the building, the door of the toilet, and the door handle of his son Jeh's room. According to the police, the accused attempted to enter three houses before reaching Saif Ali Khan's residence with the intent to steal. Mumbai Police believes the discovered fingerprints will play a significant role in the investigation. As per the police statement, the accused entered the residence of the renowned actor with the intent to commit theft. A case has been registered under sections 311, 312, 331(4), 331(6), and 331(7) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Further, the police stated that the accused was about to flee to his native village in Bangladesh when he was detained at Hiranandani Estate in Thane. Shehzad was sent to five-day police custody by the Bandra Holiday Court on Sunday. His advocate, Sandeep Shekhane, denied the police claims and alleged that "no proper investigation" had been conducted so far. "A police custody for 5 days has been granted. The court has asked the police to submit a report within 5 days. The police have no proof that he is a Bangladeshi. They said that he came here 6 months ago, it is a wrong statement. He has been living here for more than 7 years. His family is in Mumbai... This is a clear-cut violation of 43A. No proper investigation has been done," Shekhane told reporters. The case was reported by Aleyamma Philip, a 56-year-old staff nurse. After the attack, the actor was immediately taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, where he received treatment for serious injuries, including stab wounds to his thoracic spine. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was discharged from Lilavati Hospital after surgery on Tuesday. Upon returning to his Bandra residence, he waved to the media. The 'Hum Tum' actor appeared healthy as he greeted the paparazzi with a smile. Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor were spotted at the residence. (ANI) Flash China has not participated in the management and operation of the Panama Canal and has never intervened in the Canal affairs. China consistently respects Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and recognizes the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's statement about "retaking" Panama Canal. China agrees with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino's statement that the sovereignty and independence of Panama are not negotiable, and that the Canal is not controlled directly or indirectly by any major power, Mao said. Delhi Congress President and candidate from Badli Assembly constituency, Devendra Yadav, has expressed confidence in his party's victory in the assembly election saying that the people are troubled by the AAP rule and have made up their minds to form a strong Congress government. Speaking to ANI, Yadav said, "Judging by people's mood, Delhi citizens are troubled by the rule of AAP, whether it is the problem of pension of the poor, ration card and dirty water. The big promises made by Arvind Kejriwal have been exposed. He has not opened any new school or Mohalla clinic. People have made up their mind that they will form a strong Congress government in 2025." Yadav is contesting against AAP's Ajesh Yadav and BJP's Deepak Chaudhary from the Badli Assembly constituency. Meanwhile, Independent MP from Purnia (Bihar), Pappu Yadav, campaigning for Congress in Delhi, has accused Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of not fulfilling any of the promises made to Delhi voters and raised questions on the new promises. He also accused Kejriwal of using public money for advertising. Pappu Yadav said, "Arvind Kejriwal advertises using public money. Arvind Kejriwal has not fulfilled even a single promise. What new promises are you making now? These people have cheated Purvanchal so much that they remember Congress today. AAP has looted the people." Congress candidate from Kalkaji assembly constituency Alka Lamba also expressed confidence in winning the Delhi Assembly elections and said that the people of Kalkaji want change as they are fed up with the BJP and AAP. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Lamba said, "Gradually my belief is getting stronger that the people of Kalkaji want change. The people of Kalkaji are fed up with BJP and AAP. I am getting full cooperation and support from the people. We are trying to connect with women and people through small meetings in every house." The Delhi Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 5, and the counting of votes is set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are competing for the 70 assembly seats in Delhi. The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections by winning 67 and 62 seats respectively out of a total of 70 seats while the BJP got only three and eight seats. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Greater Kailash assembly seat Saurabh Bhardwaj has accused the BJP-led central government of demolishing 12 slums in Delhi over the past two years and filing court cases for further demolitions. He demanded that the BJP withdraw these cases if it truly cares for the slum dwellers. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Bhardwaj said, "In the last 2 years, BJP government and its agencies have demolished about 12 slums in Delhi... Several cases have been filed in court by the central government, demanding that these slum clusters be demolished... If BJP is a well-wisher of these slum dwellers, then all the cases filed in the court should be withdrawn in the next 2 days." Bhardwaj, the sitting MLA, is contesting against BJP's Shikha Rai and Congress' Garvit Singhvi from the Greater Kailash assembly seat. Earlier in the day, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu criticised AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, questioning why slums still exist in Delhi despite his three terms as chief minister. Speaking to ANI, Bittu said, "Kejriwal should answer why there are slums remaining at all. You became the CM thrice and, how do slums still remain in Delhi? Now he is doing slum politics. he says he will give a thousand rupees, does he not feel ashamed? Kejriwal does the same fraud in Punjab, and he cheats the people of Delhi in the same way. But now it is the limit. His expiry date has arrived now." On Monday, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal warned slum dwellers that the BJP loves their votes and not them and will sell off their land after the elections. Addressing a public rally, Kejriwal said, "I want to warn the slum dwellers that these days they (people of BJP) are staying in slums, they do not love you, they love your vote and will sell all your land after the elections." Notably, in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a special initiative to connect with slum voters. As part of this, BJP leaders, including MPs and MLAs, have been staying overnight in slum areas to connect directly with the residents. The party's campaign, titled "Where There's a Slum, There's a House," is being promoted by the central government. The Delhi Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 5, and the counting of votes is set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are competing for the 70 assembly seats in Delhi. The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections by winning 67 and 62 seats respectively out of a total of 70 seats while the BJP got only three and eight seats. (ANI) Following the arrest of a Bangladeshi national in connection with the stabbing attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora has urged the Maharashtra government to deport Bangladeshis living illegally in the state "as soon as possible" to make "Mumbai safe." Speaking to ANI, Deora said on Tuesday, "I have written a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and urged that wherever any Bangladeshi is living illegally, should be deported as soon as possible. The incident that happened at Saif Ali Khan's house is very worrying." The audit of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living across the state is needed to "make Mumbai more safe," he added. Earlier, the Rajya Sabha MP also posted the letter on his social media account 'X', urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to conduct a thorough "audit" of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants across the state stating that Maharashtra's safety and security must come first. He also demanded strict action against agencies which fail to verify documents before giving jobs to individuals. https://x.com/milinddeora/status/1881639826497089894 "I have written to Maharashtra CM @Dev_Fadnavis Ji, urging a thorough audit of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants across the state. I've also recommended strict action against staffing agencies that fail to verify documents before placing individuals in jobs. The recent tragedy involving #SaifAliKhan highlights the urgent need to address this issue. #Maharashtra's safety & security must come first," Deora said on X. Saif suffered stab wounds to his thoracic spine when an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, entered his home with the alleged intent of theft last week. The actor was immediately taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries. Khan on Tuesday returned home after being discharged from the hospital. Accused Mohammed Shariful Islam Shahzad was apprehended at Hiranandani Estate in Thane on Saturday while attempting to flee to his native village. It was further disclosed that the accused is a native of the Jhalokati district in Bangladesh. The Bandra Holiday Court remanded the accused to five days of police custody on Sunday. Following the attack, security has been tightened at Khan's Bandra residence. (ANI) Campaigning for the Congress in Delhi polls, independent MP from Bihar's Purnia, Pappu Yadav, has accused Arvind Kejriwal of not fulfilling any of the promises made to Delhi people and raised questions on his new guarantees. He also accused the AAP leader of using public money for advertising. Pappu Yadav said, "Arvind Kejriwal advertises using public money. Arvind Kejriwal has not fulfilled even a single promise. What new promises are you making now? When such a powerful PM does not fulfil even a single promise in 11 years, then what will you do? You will remember Congress." Earlier, Delhi Congress President and candidate from Badli Assembly constituency Devendra Yadav also expressed confidence in his party's victory in the assembly election saying that the people of Delhi are troubled by the rule of AAP and have made up their minds to form a strong Congress government. Speaking to ANI, Yadav said, "Today, the people of Delhi are troubled by the rule of AAP, whether it is the problem of pension of the poor, ration card and dirty water. The big promises made by Arvind Kejriwal to the people of Delhi have been exposed. He has not opened any new school or Mohalla clinic. People have made up their mind that they will form a strong Congress government in 2025." The Delhi Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 5, and the counting of votes is set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are competing for the 70 assembly seats in Delhi. The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections by winning 67 and 62 seats respectively out of a total of 70 seats while the BJP got only three and eight seats. (ANI) BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has extended support to the parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital and supported their decision to challenge the life sentence of main culprit Sanjay Roy in the High Court as they have been demanding the death penalty. The Sealdah Court has sentenced Sanjay Roy, the prime accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, to life imprisonment. Additionally, the court has directed the state government to provide a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the victim's family. The case involves the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found on August 9, 2024, in the RG Kar Hospital's seminar room. Speaking to ANI, after meeting with the family of RG Kar rape and murder case victim Adhikari said, "I am standing with the family since the first day. I have talked to the parents. We support the family's decision to reject the compensation and move to the higher courts for the further fight." On Monday, RG Kar's rape and murder case victim's father rejected the Rs 17 lakh compensation and said that he will move to a higher court seeking death penalty for the accused. Speaking to ANI, the victim's father said "What the Court thinks as a good judgement based on the evidence produced by the CBI, the Court has given that verdict. We have a lot of questions on the investigation done by CBI. We did not go to the court for compensation. We want justice, not compensation. Kolkata police did wrong and the CBI will have to do something. The Kolkata police have given us more pain than the passing away of my daughter." West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also expressed dissatisfaction over the court judgement and said if the case had been with Kolkata Police, they would have ensured a death penalty. "I learned about the sentencing from the media. We have always demanded capital punishment and we continue to stand by it. However, this is the court's decision and I can't say much about this. For three other cases, Kolkata police ensured capital punishment through thorough investigations concluded within 54-60 days. This was a serious case. Had it been under our purview, we would have ensured the death penalty long back," CM Mamata said while addressing the media at Malda. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has moved to the Calcutta High Court against the Sealdah court's decision sentencing Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment. Advocate General Kishore Dutta has approached the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak, seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy. The matter has been allowed to be filed. (ANI) "In a series of successful joint operations, Indian Army in coordination with Manipur Police and other security forces, recovered 12 weapons, ammunition and warlike stores from both hill and valley regions in the districts of Thoubal, Kangpokpi, Churchandpur and Tengnupal in Manipur," the release said on Tuesday. Intelligence-based operations by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police in general areas of Mongjang village of Churachandpur district on January 11 and Phayeng Hill, Kangpokpi district on January 13; Nepali Basti, Zero Point - P1 Railway Site Road, 6 km North of Kotlen village, Kangpokpi district on January 14; Salam Patong village and Waithou in Thoubal district have resulted in the recovery of Carbine Machine Guns, Single Bore Barrel Rifles, AKs, pistols, grenades, ammunition and war like stores, as per the release. "The weapons and other items recovered in the joint operations have been handed over to Manipur Police," the release read. Violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei and the Kuki communities after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023, following the Manipur High Court order directing the state to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. Earlier, on January 16, Assam Rifles arrested two people and recovered a massive cache of banned Yaba tablets and Brown Sugar worth approximately Rs 62 crore from them in Churachandpur district. The apprehended individuals were identified are Chingsen (age 36 years) and L Pausuanlal Simte (age 38 years). (ANI) The father of Ravi Teja, an Indian student who went to USA for studies and was shot dead, requested the Indian government to return the body of his son to India for his last rites. Ravi Teja was from Hyderabad and had gone to the US for doing a Masters in Science. He was shot dead in New Haven, Connecticut. The father broke down while talking about his son to ANI, and said that since the death of his son, his health has deteriorated too. "I ask the government to bring the body of my son here, please request them (US) to get the body. Embassy people have told me that by Friday, Saturday I will know, but during these five days I am not sure about my health, I have high BP," K Chandramouli, the father, told ANI. He explained that during his son's birthday in December, they had sent a lot of gifts to him, but now this shocking news is unbelievable to him. "My son went to US to do MS (Master of Science), he started doing a temporary job to help with his fees. He said he was going to come back in March, now it is January and on December was his birthday, we had sent clothes, sweets, everything from here. They killed my son there, I cannot even believe it," he added. Talking about the minute he got to know about the news from his family friend he added, "He used to call me even if there was a small incident or had any trouble, that day I had some work, and when I came back it was late at 12:30 so I slept. Sometime later, my family friend, he lives nearby told me to just stay in the house. When he came, he told me that (Ravi) Teja was shot on his arm. I was told he is just injured, but I knew if he was just injured then he would have called me, he didn't." Earlier, a family friend, Upender Reddy told ANI that due to such incidents, Indian students are scared to go to the US and requested the authorities to send back his mortal remains. "We request the Central government and Telangana government to take necessary steps to bring back his body at the earliest. We also request the Union government to take necessary steps such that our students does not face these kind of incidents in the future. Seeing such incidents, the students are afraid to go abroad. There is no security for our students there. Along with business tie-ups, the governments should also focus on the security of our students who go there," Reddy told ANI. The Indian consulate in New York expressed condolences on Teja's death and said that they are extending all possible help and is in touch with the deceased's family. "Deeply saddened to learn about tragic demise of Mr. Ravi Teja in shooting incident in New Haven, Connecticut. Consulate General of India in New York is in touch with his family and is extending all possible assistance, including repatriation of his mortal remains to India," read the post by the consulate. (ANI) The Madhya Pradesh government has issued an order to observe a two-minute silence across the state in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country on Shadeed Diwas, January 30. India observes Martyrs' Day every year on January 30 to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and to honour his contribution towards the freedom of the country and the other freedom fighters who have sacrificed their lives during the struggle. The state government issued the order to all the department heads, all divisional commissioners and all the collectors in the state to observe a two-minute silence at 11 am on January 30. The order issued by the state government dated January 20 read, "Every year on January 30 at 11:00 am, two minutes of silence is observed across the country in memory of the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives in the freedom of the nation. To mark the day, 2 minutes of silence should be observed and work and other activities should be stopped." Additionally, it has been observed in the past years that though two minutes of silence is observed in some offices, the general public does their work as usual without paying any attention to the solemnity of the occasion. It is therefore requested that the Shaheed Diwas may be observed with due seriousness, stated the order. "Instructions should be issued to all educational institutions and public undertakings under your (commissioners and collectors) control that the Shaheed Diwas be observed with utmost seriousness. Discussions and speeches on freedom struggle and national unity should be organised in hybrid mode," it further read. On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse at Gandhi Smriti in Birla's house, months after India's independence. (ANI) Three Bangladeshi nationals were sentenced to imprisonment and fined by the 8th Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Mumbai after being found guilty of illegally entering India and residing with forged documents. The judgment was pronounced by Addl CJM Kanchan Zanwar, based on evidence presented by the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police. According to a release from the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police, the case began on April 24, 2024, when the Criminal Intelligence Squad, under the leadership of Police Station Incharge Milind Kathe, received confidential information about Bangladeshi nationals entering India without proper travel documents. These individuals were alleged to have forged Indian citizenship documents and were residing illegally in Mumbai. A team was sent to Vishnu Magar, opposite Hala Colony, RCF, where the accused were detained. A case was registered under sections 465, 466, 467, 471, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1950, Foreign Nationals Order, 1948, and the Foreigners Act, 1946. The investigation, led by Police Inspector Dilip Tejankar, resulted in the filing of a charge sheet in court. The court sentenced the accused to imprisonment and imposed fines under multiple sections, including sections 465, 468, and 471 of IPC (which deal with forgery and use of forged documents), and violations under the Passport Act and Foreigners Act. Since January 1, 2025, special operations have led to the registration of 28 cases, the arrest of 42 Bangladeshi nationals, and the seizure of fake documents, including 14 Aadhaar cards, four PAN cards, four voter ID cards, and three Bangladeshi passports. Moreover, an Indian citizen found aiding the infiltrators has also been arrested, the release said. Earlier, the anti-terror squad (ATS) of Maharashtra arrested 60 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants across the entire state in the year 2024. In December 2024 alone, the ATS managed to arrest 43 Bangladeshi nations residing illegally, a release said. According to the Maharashtra ATS, the Bangladeshi nationals were using fake documents, including Aadhar cards, PAN cards and Voter ID cards. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a roadshow in support of the party's mayor candidate Saurabh Thapliyal in Dehradun on Tuesday, before the campaign for the civic elections ended, said a statement from CM's office. During the road show a large number of workers participated. In many places, local people welcomed CM Dhami with flowers and garlands. Wherever the roadshow passed, people were seen raising slogans in support of CM Dhami. CM Dhami's road show, which started from the BJP Metropolitan Office, reached Raja Road Main Road Tiraha via Parade Ground, Ghantaghar, Paltan Bazaar. After the roadshow CM said, "Our government has been committed to the overall development of Dehradun. Many works have been done in the city under Smart City. After the formation of the triple engine government, many works including the ring road will be taken forward to reduce the traffic pressure in Dehradun." CM further appealed to vote for the BJP on January 23 for the development of Dehradun. Earlier in the day CM Dhami stated that, just as the people of the state elected a double-engine government, they will once again support the triple-engine BJP in the upcoming local body elections. Speaking to the media, Dhami highlighted the significant support the BJP received in the state and thanked the people for electing a double-engine government. "The way people of Uttarakhand elected the double-engine government, they'll also elect the BJP in local elections. I thank all the people as they have always supported the BJP. The public in Delhi will also support our party in large numbers and I believe that BJP will be elected to form a double-engine government in the national capital," said CM Dhami. The Commission has set the voting date for January 23 with the counting of votes scheduled for January 25. (ANI) A mysterious illness has struck the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in 17 deaths. Medical authorities have rushed to the area to investigate the cause of the illness. According to Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Principal of Government Medical College Rajouri, a common factor among the deaths is the involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system. "Forensic departments from Chandigarh and Lucknow, and teams from MHA are present here. A common factor in all the deaths is the involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system," Dr Bhatia said. He also emphasised the recovery rate of the people affected by this ''unidentified disease.'' "Out of 9 patients that were admitted to GMC Rajouri, 5 recovered. We have conducted preventive CT scans also, but recovery becomes tough once the brain gets involved," Bhatia said. "We are hoping to find the cause (behind the illness) soon. We will educate the people and raise awareness among them like not to exchange foods," he added. While the exact cause of the illness remains unknown, authorities have ruled out bacterial or viral infections. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, has assured citizens that the health department, along with other departments, is working to understand the causes behind the incidents. On Tuesday, JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Rajouri''s Badhal and assured citizens affected by the disease. CM Abdullah told reporters, "The day when we got the information, the health department along with other departments have been working to understand the causes behind such incidents... Tests were done, and we reached the conclusion that there were no bacteria or viruses - that caused those deaths." "Later, we found that all those deaths happened in three families," he added. He said that the authorities are yet to ascertain the cause behind these deaths. "But, we are yet to find the reason behind 17 deaths... Since it''s not a disease, police are also involved in it and they have formed a team to investigate the matter. Central govt team is also there - and we together will look into the incidents to find the reason behind all these deaths...," CM Omar Abdullah added. An inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs has been constituted to investigate the causes of the unexplained deaths. The team includes experts from forensic departments in Chandigarh and Lucknow. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday ordered the constitution of an inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to investigate the causes of unexplained deaths in three incidents reported over the past six weeks. (ANI) Ten people were killed and 15 injured after a truck carrying them met with an accident at Arebile area in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada on Wednesday morning, said the police. The victims were travelling to Kumta market from Savanur to sell vegetables. The injured were rushed to the nearest hospital, said the police. More information is awaited. (ANI) As Congress commemorates 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi's presidency in Belagavi, Karnataka Assembly LoP, R Ashoka dubbed the Congress a "duplicate" staging the program using the name of real 'Gandhi'. Congress had organised Jai Babu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' rally in Belagavi to mark 100 years of the Nava Satyagraha Baithak held in 1924, which was chaired by Mahatma Gandhi in his capacity as the Congress president. Speaking to ANI R Ashoka said, "It is duplicate Congress and Gandhis. Did Sonia Gandhi go to jail or did Rahul Gandhi go to jail for freedom? No. This is a duplicate Congress doing this program in the name of real 'Gandhi'. They looted money from the people here. The looted money has been transferred to Belagavi..." "They have spoiled the Karnataka, police system used to be very robust but now it's not. Every other day crimes like robbery, bank robbery, rapes are cow slaughter is happening. It seems like there is no home minister in the state or every other minister is home minister," he added further. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate 100 years of his party's presidency. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Dy CM DK Shivakumar and other party leaders were gathered in Belagavi for the same. Hailing Mahatma Gandhi as the soul of India, DK Shivakumar said that the Mahatma gave the message of peace and coexistence to the world. "We chanted the Gandhi mantra yesterday, we do it today, and we will continue to chant his mantra in the future," he said while addressing the "Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan" convention. "A century ago, Mahatma Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress and led the Independence movement. A hundred years later, we are organising this convention to spread his message to future generations," he said. He explained that the convention was held to honor the roles of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar in protecting the Constitution. "The main objective of this convention is to remember the contributions of Gandhiji and Ambedkar to the nation and to protect the Constitution. Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan is not a mere slogan but Shakti mantra of India," he noted. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh government will hold a special cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj today. UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar informed that the meeting will be held at noon, afterwards CM Yogi Adityanath along with other ministers will take a bath at Maha Kumb. "The cabinet meeting will be held at noon, after that all the cabinet ministers along with the CM with take a bath here. We have inspected the preparations. We are trying to provide better facilities to everyone here," Prashant Kumar said. UP Minister of State for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari reaffirmed that BJP government will take UP's development to a new level. "There is a cabinet meeting in Prayagraj today. We will take Uttar Pradesh's development to a new level. Our Yogi government is working on development of UP, UP's Youth, empowering of UP's women and many other points. I believe that under the leadership of Chief Minister we will make Uttar Pradesh a 'Uttam Pradesh'," Ansari said. UP Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dinesh Pratap Singh said that this is a moment of pride and expressed enthusiasm about being at MahaKumbh. "This is a moment of pride. We will take bath in Ganga with our families and cabinet ministers. We will together for the fight for the benefit of the state. This will the first time ever," he said. UP Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh said,"This is Sanatan Dharma, This is our tradition, this is our history. The Whole world is watching. Our government is welcoming devotees." All 54 ministers of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet have been invited to this meeting, which is expected to approve several significant proposals and schemes for the state. UP Minister Jaiveer Singh said, "It is a historic day. After 500 years of struggle and sacrifices, on this day last year, 'Ram Lalla' became 'virajman' in Ayodhya. Today, we have the opportunity to attend the world's largest spiritual gathering of Mahakumbh. It is due to the blessings of God that we have got this opportunity today. What is more fortunate is that the UP is headed by a 'sant' and a Cabinet meeting will be held here, in which many decisions for the welfare of the people will be taken...All members of the Cabinet will take a holy dip in Triveni Sangam today." Following the meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with the entire cabinet, will take the holy dip in the sacred waters of the Triveni Sangam.This isn't the first time CM Yogi has led his cabinet to the Sangam. In 2019, during the Kumbh Mela, he took a ceremonial dip along with his ministers, Akhada Parishad President Narendra Giri, and other saints. Maha Kumbh is one of the largest and most significant religious congregations in the world. The key 'snan' dates left are: January 29 (Mauni Amavasya - Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami - Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri). Uttar Pradesh police deployed over 10,000 personnel, including local police and paramilitary forces for the event's security. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed a "water ambulance" stationed at Sangam to ensure the safety of devotees. The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will continue until February 26. (ANI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that 'illegal foreigners' living in India is a matter of national security and urged the government to deport them. This comes after Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora wrote a letter to Maharashtra government to deport illegal Bangladeshis following the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan by a Bangladeshi national. Speaking with ANI, Sanjay Raut said, "This is a matter of national security, not just Bangladeshis but every foreigner coming to India illegally must be deported. In the US, 17,000 Indians are being removed, they are not illegal but are still being removed." On Tuesday, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora urged the government to deport Bangladeshis living illegally in the state "as soon as possible" to make "Mumbai safe." Speaking to ANI, Deora said on Tuesday, "I have written a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and urged that wherever any Bangladeshi is living illegally, should be deported as soon as possible. The incident that happened at Saif Ali Khan's house is very worrying." "The audit of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living across the state is needed to "make Mumbai more safe," he added. He also demanded strict action against agencies which fail to verify documents before giving jobs to individuals. Actor Saif Ali Khan suffered stab wounds to his thoracic spine when an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national, entered his home with the alleged intent of theft last week. The actor was immediately taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries. Khan on Tuesday returned home after being discharged from the hospital. Accused Mohammed Shariful Islam Shahzad was apprehended at Hiranandani Estate in Thane on Saturday while attempting to flee to his native village. It was further disclosed that the accused is a native of the Jhalokati district in Bangladesh. The Bandra Holiday Court remanded the accused to five days of police custody on Sunday. (ANI) Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of creating an atmosphere of "terror" in the Kalkaji assembly constituency, levelling serious allegations of "hooliganism" and use of "profanity" against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers by Ramesh and his associates. Launching a scathing attack on BJP candidate Bidhuri and demanding action from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the matter, Atishi said that he and his workers were indulging in hooliganism. "Ramesh Bidhuri and his workers are not contesting elections, they are doing hooliganism. We demand from the Election Commission that action should be taken in this matter," Atishi said in a press conference. She said that people claiming to be nephews of Bidhuri were threatening AAP workers while grabbing their collars and "burning" the campaign materials including pamphlets. "Ever since Rakesh Bidhuri is contesting elections from Kalkaji, BJP has created an atmosphere of terror in the Kalkaji Vidhan Sabha region. In every area, BJP workers, and some people who claim to be the 'bhatijas (nephews)' of Ramesh Bidhuri, are threatening AAP workers, grabbing their collars. They are snatching and burning the campaign materials," Atishi said. Meanwhile, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also joined the news conference and said that the events described by Atishi were not limited to one assembly constituency. "What Atishi said is not limited to just one assembly constituency. BJP has resorted to hooliganism," he said. "Any party or candidate resorts to violence only when they see that it is impossible to win peacefully. BJP is heading towards a historic defeat in Delhi. It will be written in history that a party will lose so badly," Kejriwal added. Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Police, Kejriwal said that police were now campaigning for the BJP while helping "goons" indulging in hooliganism. "Amit Shah has now taken charge and the entire Delhi Police is now campaigning for BJP. They help BJP goons in committing hooliganism. Money, goods, and sarees are being distributed and the police were helping in this," he added. Furthermore, the Delhi CM narrated various incidents alleging hooliganism from the side of BJP workers, saying that AAP ward president Arun Chauhan from Giri Nagar was abused by BJP's Rajeev Bhati, who claims to be a nephew of Bidhuri. "On January 15, in the Giri Nagar area, AAP ward president Arun Chauhan and our women wing team were campaigning door-to-door. BJP's Rajeev Bhati, who claims to be a nephew of Bidhuri, abused our party workers, snatching away the pamphlets they had," Atishi added. She further alleged that a young man Ankit Gupta, who was campaigning for AAP, was slapped by BJP workers on January 19. Meanwhile, Atishi said that AAP's Deepa Singh from Govindpuri received a call from Bidhuri, who told her to rejoin the BJP or else she would be arrested after the election results. "On January 19, one of our workers Deepa Singh who lives in Govindpuri got a call from Ramesh Bidhuri at 11:40 PM and he told her to come back to BJP or else he will get you arrested after (February) 8th. On the same day, one of our worker's relatives Ankit Gupta was slapped by the BJP workers," Atishi added. The Delhi CM further accused the BJP workers of issuing threats, saying that another nephew of Bidhuri said that he would break the hands and legs of AAP workers if they didn't remain in their homes. "On January 20, when one of our women workers objected to BJP's team tasking children with putting up posters, they used profanity against her. On January 21, Ramesh Bidhuri's nephew Manish threatened our workers to stay at home or else he would break their hands and legs," Atishi told the media. This comes as the assembly elections in Delhi nears its commencement date and the chaos between AAP and BJP keeps intensifying over various issues. The national capital will go to the polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. A three-way contest is on the cards in Delhi between the ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress. Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got eight seats. (ANI) Devotees throng the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple in Ayodhya as the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla's 'Pran Pratishtha' completes 1 year on January 22 as per the Gregorian calendar. However, the first anniversary was celebrated on January 11, 2025, following the alignment of the Hindu calendar. Last year, this sacred event was celebrated on Kurma Dwadashi during the Shukla Paksha of the Hindu calendar's Paush month. Therefore, this year, the Shukla Paksha falls on January 11. The historic ceremony took place on January 22, 2024, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the main rituals. The idol of 'Ram Lalla' was carved by Arun Yogiraj - a famed sculptor from Karnataka. The idol is 51 inches tall and weighs 1.5 tonnes. The idol portrays Lord Ram as a five-year-old child standing on a lotus also crafted from the same stone. Chief Priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Acharya Satyendra Das also explained the logic behind January 22 also being marked as the anniversary of Pran Pratishtha. "... According to the Hindu calendar, it (Pran Pratishtha) happened on Dwadashi, so the anniversary was celebrated on the 11th... But the Pran Pratishtha of the Lord happened on 22nd January, so many people are coming today for darshan... Those who understand according to English date are coming today... Today people are having darshan very well... Some have returned from Prayag, so there is a huge crowd...," said Acharya Satyendra Das. "This year it (Pran Pratishtha) was celebrated according to the Dwadashi date, so the next (year) will also be celebrated in the same way, according to Dwadashi. One year ago it was unique in itself, it was the second, it was amazing and that is why there was a huge crowd there... It was how Prayagraj is feeling today...," he elaborated further. Visuals from this morning saw huge crowds heading to the temple premises raising chants of Jai Shri Ram, while security has been deployed to manage the rush. One of the devotees Ravi from Hyderabad said, "We had been planning for three months for this date... Three days before we went to Prayagraj and took a dip (at Maha Kumbh)... It took 500 years of struggle for this moment... Preparations have been made well, whether it be the queue system, security system, or comfortability inside the temple..." Another devotee Vijaylakshmi from Rajasthan said, "We are here to celebrate his (Ram Lalla) birthday. We are very excited... It's his blessings because of which we are here today... Many people worked hard to establish Ram Lalla in Ayodhya..." Uttar Pradesh Minister Jaiveer Singh called the day historic and said After 500 years of struggle and sacrifices Ram temple was constructed in Ayodhya. Singh also mentioned the Uttar Pradesh government holding a special cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj today. "It is a historic day. After 500 years of struggle and sacrifices, on this day last year, 'Ram Lalla' became 'virajman' in Ayodhya. Today, we have the opportunity to attend the world's largest spiritual gathering of Mahakumbh. It is due to the blessings of God that we have got this opportunity today," said Jaiveer Singh. "What is more fortunate is that the UP is headed by a 'sant' and a Cabinet meeting will be held here, in which many decisions for the welfare of the people will be taken...All members of the Cabinet will take a holy dip in Triveni Sangam today." (ANI) To promote awareness about the Constitution of India and citizens' legal rights, the Department of Justice is organizing a special event at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on January 24, 2025. The occasion will celebrate the success of the year-long nationwide campaign, "Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman" Launched by the Vice President of India on January 24, 2024, in New Delhi, the campaign was a powerful call to action for every citizen to contribute to the vision of a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047. It also marked India's 75th year as a Republic and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution. The campaign saw remarkable participation, with over 1.3 lakh citizens taking the Panch Pran Pledge on the MyGov platform, demonstrating their commitment to nation-building. Through the Gram Vidhi Chetna initiative, law students organized legal awareness activities in rural villages, reaching more than 21,000 beneficiaries. Additionally, the Nari Bhagidari and Vanchit Varg Samman initiative successfully engaged over 70 lakh people through webinars conducted in collaboration with Doordarshan and IGNOU, encouraging women's participation in legal and social matters. The Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp campaign further inspired youth through interactive competitions, fostering their involvement in shaping a better future. Throughout the year, the campaign held regional events in Bikaner (Rajasthan), Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), and Guwahati (Assam), drawing over 5,000 attendees. In total, more than 8 lakh citizens participated in sub-campaigns like Sabko Nyaya Har Ghar Nyaya, Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp, and Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyaan. The event in Prayagraj will take place at Parmarth Triveni Pushp, Arail Ghat, where key activities will be held to celebrate the campaign's achievements. The event coincides with the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the world's largest spiritual gatherings, where millions of devotees converge to bathe in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. This historic convergence of spiritual and constitutional values adds unique significance to the closing ceremony of the campaign, symbolizing the unity of India's cultural heritage and its democratic ideals. According to a Press Statement issued by Ministry of Law and Justice, The "Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman" campaign has been a pivotal initiative in promoting awareness about the Indian Constitution, its historical significance, and its continued relevance in the modern world. The upcoming event in Prayagraj will not only celebrate the campaign's remarkable success but also mark the launch of the "Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Swabhiman" campaign, which honors the collective efforts of citizens nationwide in advancing constitutional values. The event will be attended by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, as the chief guest. Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji, President and Spiritual Head of Parmarth Niketan, will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honor, while Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati Ji, International Director of Parmarth Niketan, will be the esteemed guest. Other dignitaries, including Raj Kumar Goyal, Secretary (Justice), and Niraj Kumar Gayagi, Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, will also be present. This fourth and final event in the series of regional gatherings will take place at the Parmarth Niketan Triveni Pushp, near Arail Ghat in Prayagraj, set against the majestic backdrop of the Maha Kumbh Mela. The occasion will officially launch the "Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Swabhiman" campaign, designed to deepen public awareness of the Constitution, its core values, and the vital importance of legal rights for every citizen. (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at 16 locations across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in connection with the last year's Chandigarh grenade blast case linking Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and US-based Harpreet Singh. The raids include 14 locations in Punjab, along with one each in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The operation aims to uncover crucial evidence and track down individuals linked to the incident. The grenade blast, which occurred in Chandigarh in September last year, had raised security concerns, prompting an intensive investigation by the NIA. The development comes months after Punjab Police on September 13, 2024, said that they had cracked the Chandigarh grenade blast case by arresting a man, in a joint operation with central agencies. They claimed that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and US-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia masterminded the operation. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had informed then that state police arrested a man namely Rohan Masih, a resident of Passia village in Amritsar. According to police, an investigation has revealed that Happy Passia provided accused persons with explosives, weapons and logistical support through his local associates in Punjab and also arranged some financial backing for them. After committing the crime, the duo came to Amritsar and subsequently parted their ways, he said, while adding that Vishal first went to J-K and then moved to Delhi, when police teams apprehended him. On September 11, a hand grenade was lobbed at a house in Chandigarh's sector 10. Later, Chandigarh Police investigated the incident and found that two individuals arrived on an auto-rickshaw and one of them hurled a hand grenade at the house. The house belongs to KK Malhotra, a retired principal of an institute in Himachal Pradesh. (ANI) The West Bengal government has appealed to the Calcutta High Court''s Division Bench against the trial court''s life imprisonment verdict convicting Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar case. The next hearing in the case will be held on 27th January. Advocate General Kishore Dutta has approached the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak, seeking the death penalty for Sanjay Roy. The matter has been allowed to be filed. The Sealdah Civil and Criminal Court announced life imprisonment for the accused Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar rape and murder case. Along with this, the court has also fined Rs 50,000 to the accused. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the court giving life imprisonment to the convict in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case and said if the case had been with Kolkata Police, they would have ensured a death penalty. "I learned about the sentencing from the media. We have always demanded capital punishment and we continue to stand by it. However, this is the court''s decision and I can''t say much about this. For three other cases, Kolkata police ensured capital punishment through thorough investigations concluded within 54-60 days. This was a serious case. Had it been under our purview, we would have ensured the death penalty long back," CM Mamata said while addressing the media at Malda. On Monday, RG Kar''s rape and murder case victim''s father rejected the Rs 17 lakh compensation and said that he will move to a higher court seeking the death penalty for the accused. Speaking to ANI, the victim''s father said "What the Court thinks as a good judgement based on the evidence produced by the CBI, the Court has given that verdict. We have a lot of questions on the investigation done by CBI. We did not go to the court for compensation. We want justice, not compensation. Kolkata police did wrong and the CBI will have to do something. The Kolkata police have given us more pain than the passing away of my daughter." (ANI) New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Wednesday said that thousands of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers across 256 mandals, 70 assembly constituencies, and 13,000 booths were preparing to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which remains a source of enthusiasm during elections. The 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" program has attracted all booth-level workers, who will hear PM Modi in the afternoon. "Today PM Narendra Modi will have a direct dialogue with all booth level workers. 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' and 'Booth Jeeta, Chunav Jeeta' are the mantras of our organisation. This direct dialogue with the PM boosts enthusiasm during elections. Everyone in our 256 mandals, 70 assembly constituencies and 13,000 booths is preparing to listen to PM Modi. Thousands of (BJP) workers who have registered through the NaMo app will listen to the PM's dialogue today," Chahal told ANI. Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to carry out huge rallies in Delhi, featuring top leaders including PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Manohar Lal Khattar and Nitin Gadkari. Chief Minister and leaders of various states will also be joining the campaign ahead of the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, including Yogi Adityanath, Pushkar Singh Dhami, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Deputy CM Bihar Samrat Choudhary. PM Modi's rallies are likely to be held in the last week of January. He is expected to address three to four rallies, a senior party source said. The BJP is set to launch a series of rallies from January 23 to attract Purvanchali voters, featuring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as the main face. Adityanath will address 14 rallies in various locations across Delhi, including Kirari, Outer Delhi, Keshav Puram, North West Delhi, Shahdara, Karol Bagh, Najafgarh, Mehrauli, Sahadara, South Delhi, and Mayur Vihar etc. As part of its outreach efforts, the BJP has already held over 2,500 small meetings and drawing-room gatherings. On Makar Sankranti, the party aimed to hold around 70 "baithaks" (meetings) and has successfully conducted 50 so far. The BJP's goal is to convince voters about the benefits of a BJP government and the various welfare schemes implemented by the central government. With approximately 50 per cent of Purvanchali voters residing in Delhi, the BJP is focusing on maximising its votes in the upcoming polls. The party's campaign may also gain traction among slum area voters who hail from Purvanchal. The national capital will go to the polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. A three-way contest is on the cards in Delhi between the ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress. Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got eight seats. (ANI) Congress leader Ajay Maken on Wednesday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal of committing a health-related scam worth Rs 382 crore. Of the 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports, one report suggests a scam carried out by Kejriwal, which is related to health, he added. "The Delhi CM made his party on the basis that he will fight corruption... At that time, he made corruption allegations against Congress based on CAG reports. Today, there are 14 CAG reports that make serious corruption allegations against Arvind Kejriwal. One such CAG report suggests a scam by Arvind Kejriwal related to health which is worth Rs 382 crore," Maken said in a press conference. Maken made serious allegations against Kejriwal, claiming that the additional expenditure on three hospitals, which has been revealed in the CAG reports, was the reason they were stopped from being tabled. "The CAG reports suggest that a sum of Rs 382.52 crore more than the tender was spent on three hospitals. This is the reason that Arvind Kejriwal did not let the CAG report be presented in the Vidhan Sabha. I am making a direct allegation that this is the reason that the CAG report was stopped," Maken alleged. He highlighted the delays in the hospital construction by the AAP government in Delhi, saying that only three hospitals have been erected in a decade, which started during Congress' tenure. "The CAG report says that three hospitals have been prepared in the last 10 years. All three of them were started in Congress time. The delay in Indira Gandhi Hospital was five years, Burari Hospital was delayed by six years and Maulana Azad Dental Hospital was delayed by three years," Maken said, adding that an additional Rs 314 crore was spent for the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Delhi followed by additional Rs 41 crore spent on Burari Hospital and additional (than the tender) Rs 26 crore on Maulana Azad Dental Hospital. The Congress leader further revealed that Rs 2,623 crore sanctioned for the infrastructure budget lapsed, from 2016-17 to 2021-22, since the money was not spent. Of the Rs 653 crore grant provided by the centre during the COVID-19 crisis, Rs 360 crore was not spent, Maken said, adding that the AAP government merely installed 1,235 medical beds instead of the announced 32,000 beds. "From 2016-17 to 2021-22, Rs 2,623 crore sanctioned for infrastructure budget lapsed because the money was not spent. This was also the Covid period. This is criminal negligence that Rs 2623 crore lapsed. This is the reason why the CAG report was not presented. During Covid, they got a Rs 635 crore grant from the centre. Out of which, Rs 360 crore were not spent at all... People were dying due to lack of medical facilities and 56 per cent of the grant given by the centre remained unused... From 2016-17 to 2021-22, in four different budgets, they announced that they will install 32,000 medical beds... But only 1,235 beds were installed. Only 3.8 per cent achievement... This is also in the CAG report on which they (AAP) are sitting," Maken said. Maken pointed out that shortages of doctors were 50 to 74 per cent while the nursing staff was short by 73 to 96 per cent in Rajiv Gandhi and Janakpuri Super Speciality hospitals. "In Rajiv Gandhi and Janakpuri Super Speciality hospitals, doctor shortage is 50-74 per cent... The nursing staff is short by 73-96 per cent. Paramedic staff is short by 17-62 per cent... This is what the CAG report says... In the Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital, the bed occupancy rate is 20-40% because of a shortage of staff," the Congress leader added. (ANI) On the occasion of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative completing 10 years, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday raised three questions highlighting the crime against women and expenditure on media advertising. Slamming, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government alleged BJP of adopting the policy of "save the criminals." Taking to X, Kharge asked, "Why did the BJP adopt the policy of "Save the criminals" instead of "Save the daughters"? When will the women of Manipur get justice? Whether it is the Dalit daughter of Hathras or the daughter of Unnao, or our champion female wrestler, why has the BJP always protected the criminals?" "Why are 43 crimes against women recorded every hour in the country? Every day 22 crimes are registered against women and children of the most vulnerable Dalit-tribal class of our country. Modi ji has spoken about women's safety many times in his speeches at the Red Fort, but why is there a difference between words and actions?" Kharge asked the second question on X. His last question targeted the BJP over expenditure on media advertising. "What is the reason that till 2019, nearly 80% of the total amount allocated for the "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" scheme was spent only on media advertising?" Kharge asked. https://x.com/kharge/status/1881969553355219441?t=hgzCT8mBI2lyNLx9WIuz-A&s=08 Earlier in the day, PM Modi expressed gratitude on the occasion of 10 years of the "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" movement, saying that it has become a people-powered initiative, drawing participation via people from different walks of life. "Today we mark 10 years of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao movement. Over the past decade, it has become a transformative, people-powered initiative and has drawn participation from people across all walks of life," Prime Minister Modi posted on X. PM Modi said that the movement has focused on overcoming gender barriers and biases, paving the way to ensure that girl child has access to education and opportunities. "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao has been instrumental in overcoming gender biases and at the same time it has created the right environment to ensure that the girl child has access to education and opportunities to achieve her dreams," he added. The Prime Minister expressed gratitude towards the efforts undertaken by people and various community organisations given the "historically low child sex ratios". The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme has made significant progress in improving the lives of girls in India. It has helped improve the Sex Ratio at Birth, increase access to education, expand healthcare, and support women's economic empowerment. By working with government bodies, NGOs, and local communities, the scheme has created a strong foundation for valuing and protecting every girl child. As the scheme enters its second decade, the focus will be on making long-term changes through inclusive policies, better implementation, and active community participation. This will ensure continued progress toward gender equality and empowerment. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday held a cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and approved significant proposals and schemes for the state. After the meeting, CM Yogi announced that three medical colleges would be established in Hathras, Kasganj and Baghpat. He further added that 62 Industrial Training Institute and 5 centres of Innovation, invention and training will be established across the state. The decision to renew Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence and employment policy was taken at the meeting. Additionally, to bolster investment in the state, the UP government will announce new incentives. "Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence and employment policy has completed 5 years. It will be renewed. New incentives have been announced to attract more investment," Yogi said. CM Yogi announced the issuing of Municipal corporation bonds for Prayagraj Varanasi and Agra "And bonds will be issued in these three important municipal corporations of Prayagraj, Varanasi and Agra. Till now we have issued bonds of Lucknow and Ghaziabad. Very good results have come out of this. This is an important medium for branding the municipal corporation and for its development and a new vision," CM Yogi said. CM Yogi announced establishing the Prayagraj-Chitrakoot development region on the lines of Lucknow. "Keeping today's Maha Kumbh in mind, and taking action to link Prayagraj as well as this entire region with a sustainable development program, with the inspiration of Honorable Prime Minister, the government has decided to take it forward that as per the vision of Honorable Prime Minister, like in Lucknow, we have made a development plan by combining State Capital Region Lucknow and the districts around it, similarly we will develop a development region here by combining Prayagraj and Chitrakoot," CM Yogi said. "Along with the Prayagraj-Chitrakoot development region, in Varanasi too, a development region would be developed in association with the Niti Aayog," Yogi added. CM Yogi Adityanath also emphasized that Ganga Expressway will go from Prayagraj to Mirzapur to Bhadohi to Kashi, Chandauli and connect to the Purvanchal Expressway in Ghazipur. "This (Ganga) Expressway will connect Sonbhadra to the National Highway," Yogi added. Earlier in the day, Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Yogi government for holding a cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and said, "Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken." "Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken. To organise cabinet meeting at Kumbh is political. Many of us (Samajwadi party people) must have gone to take a holy dip but didn't post a picture or told you (media)," Yadav said (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Delhi and campaigned in favour of the BJP candidate from the Wazirpur constituency Poonam Sharma following Assembly polls and showed confidence in her victory. Dhami also said that a double-engine government is going to be formed in Delhi. "... Poonam Sharma is BJP's candidate from Wazirpur constituency...People are very excited here and want to change the government and a double engine is going to be formed in Delhi. Everyone is waiting for February 5 so that they can press the button over the Lotus symbol. She is going to win with a large margin and will serve the people here and restart the development that was stopped in last 10 years," he said. Notably, AAP has filed Rajesh Gupta from the seat while Congress has deployed Ragini Nayak from the Wazirpur constituency. When asked about civil polls to be held in January in Uttarakhand the CM said, "Uttarakhand's people elected BJP government thrice... In local body elections as well, triple engine government will be formed and development will speed up..." Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to carry out huge rallies in Delhi, featuring top leaders including PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Manohar Lal Khattar and Nitin Gadkari. Chief Minister and leaders of various states will also be joining the campaign ahead of the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, including Yogi Adityanath, Pushkar Singh Dhami, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Deputy CM Bihar Samrat Choudhary. PM Modi's rallies are likely to be held in the last week of January. He is expected to address three to four rallies, a senior party source said. The BJP is set to launch a series of rallies from January 23 to attract Purvanchali voters, featuring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as the main face. Yogi Adityanath will address 14 rallies in various locations across Delhi, including Kirari, Outer Delhi, Keshav Puram, North West Delhi, Shahdara, Karol Bagh, Najafgarh, Mehrauli, Sahadara, South Delhi, and Mayur Vihar etc. As part of its outreach efforts, the BJP has already held over 2,500 small meetings and drawing-room gatherings. On Makar Sankranti, the party aimed to hold around 70 "baithaks" (meetings) and has successfully conducted 50 so far. The BJP's goal is to convince voters about the benefits of a BJP government and the various welfare schemes implemented by the central government. The party's campaign may also gain traction among slum area voters who hail from Purvanchal. The national capital will go to the polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. (ANI) The complaint stated that artwork, which depicted Hindu deities Hanuman and Ganesha holding nude female figures, sparked outrage after a formal complaint was filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who deemed the paintings "offensive." The controversy began when Complainant Amita Sachdeva, a practising Advocate visited the DAG in Connaught Place on December 4, 2024, and took photographs of the disputed pieces. Following this, she filed a complaint with the Parliament Street Police Station on December 9, 2024, after researching past FIRs lodged against Husain for similar works. However, during a subsequent visit on December 10, 2024, with the investigating officer, the paintings were mysteriously removed and gallery officials claimed that they had never been on display. In response to Sachdeva's petition, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sahil Monga reviewed the Action Taken Report (ATR) from the police, which included CCTV footage and a list of artworks provided by the gallery. The court noted that the report confirmed that the disputed paintings were listed under Serial Nos. 6 and 10 in the gallery's inventory. Judge Monga then issued an order for the paintings to be seized, directing the investigating officer to file a report on the seizure by January 22, 2025. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took the holy dip in Triveni Sangam during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Wednesday. Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak and other cabinet ministers were with the CM. The UP CM was seen offering thanks to God as he and his ministers took part in this spiritual moment. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said the "joy" of taking the holy dip in Sangam can't be descibed. "The joy cannot be described in words. A joint meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Cabinet was held here today in Mahakumbh Prayagraj. Tough decisions have also been taken and preparations have started for the Ardhakumbh of 2031 in the Mahakumbh of 2025. It is spiritual bliss which I said cannot be expressed in words." Maurya said. Before taking the holy dip, CM Yogi and cabinet members fed migratory birds. This comes after Yogi Adityanath chaired a cabinet meeting at the Maha Kumbh and approved significant schemes for the state. After the meeting, CM Yogi announced that three medical colleges would be established in Hathras, Kasganj and Baghpat. He further added that 62 Industrial Training Institute and 5 centres of Innovation, invention and training will be established across the state. The decision to renew Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence and employment policy was taken at the meeting. Additionally, to bolster investment in the state, the UP government will announce new incentives. "Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence and employment policy has completed 5 years. It will be renewed. New incentives have been announced to attract more investment," Yogi said. CM Yogi announced the issuing of Municipal corporation bonds for Prayagraj Varanasi and Agra "And bonds will be issued in these three important municipal corporations of Prayagraj, Varanasi and Agra. Till now we have issued bonds of Lucknow and Ghaziabad. Very good results have come out of this. This is an important medium for branding the municipal corporation and for its development and a new vision," CM Yogi said. CM Yogi announced establishing the Prayagraj-Chitrakoot development region on the lines of Lucknow. CM Yogi Adityanath also emphasized that Ganga Expressway will go from Prayagraj to Mirzapur to Bhadohi to Kashi, Chandauli and connect to the Purvanchal Expressway in Ghazipur. "This (Ganga) Expressway will connect Sonbhadra to the National Highway," Yogi added. (ANI) The leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan on Wednesday slammed the Left Democratic Front government in the state, pointing out the remarks in the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that expired drugs were supplied to 26 hospitals in 60 instances during 2016-17 to 2021-22. "The CAG has underlined our allegation and revealed there was corruption and excess expenditure. Another shocking thing is that the state government through Kerala Medical Services delivered medicines that were expired," VD Satheesan, told reporters here. According to the CAG report, drugs and supplies issued to wards (in hospitals) exceeded the date of expiry in 60 instances in 26 hospitals from 2016-17 to 2021-22. The total value of expired drugs and supplies issued to wards comes to 0. 89 lakhs in respect of these 26 hospitals. Usage of expired drugs is a serious matter as the change in chemical composition after expiry may put the lives of patients in danger, said the CAG. Satheesan demanded an enquiry into the allegations. "We have approached Lokayukta. That case is pending before Lokayukta. The government approached HC to quash the case. However, the HC dismissed the petition. We strongly demand enquiry into the allegations made by the opposition and confirmed by the CAG," he said. Kerala's purchase of PPE kits during the COVID-19 pandemic has come under scrutiny, with a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report revealing an additional expenditure of Rs10.23 crore. The report states that the Kerala government accorded special sanctions to the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL) to procure PPE kits, N95 masks, and other essential commodities in March 2020. Despite having prescribed unit rates for PPE kits at Rs545 to control prices, the government procured kits at much higher rates, up to 300% above the unit rate, in March and April 2020. This led to significant additional expenditure, the CAG report stated.CAG report also said that undue favours were given to San Pharma company, which offered to supply PPE kits at the highest rate of Rs 1.550 per unit, as 100 per cent of purchase value was paid as advance to this company. The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the worst pandemics in the history of mankind with more than 70 lakh deaths reported all over the world, as per the World Health Organisation. India was also severely affected by the pandemic with more than 5 lakh deaths, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI) The BPSC controversy has taken a shocking turn with Educator Guru Rahman attempting self-harm in solidarity with protesting students. Rahman slashed his wrist and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, reiterating the demand for a re-examination of the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. The 70th BPSC exam was in controversy due to allegations of paper leak. However, the BPSC has not cancelled the examination in question. Meanwhile, Chairman Ravi Parmar earlier said that no irregularities were found while denying the allegations. "I request Nitish kumar to take action against Chairman Ravi Parmar," Guru Rahman said, adding that previously he wrote a letter opposing the removal of article 370 and this time he was writing for the students. The matter is currently in the High Court, with a hearing scheduled for January 31. Rahman has urged the government and BPSC not to publish the exam results until the issue is resolved. The situation has gained attention from prominent figures, including Rahul Gandhi, who met with the protesting students, and Jan Suraj Party Chief Prashant Kishor, who flagged off a statewide bike rally to raise awareness about the issue. Rahul Gandhi also met with the BPSC students during his visit to Patna and said that Bihar became the centre of the "paper leak." Meanwhile, Jan Suraj Party Chief Prashant Kishor on Sunday flagged off a statewide bike rally in Patna to raise the issues of Bihar Public Service Commission's students. Kishor said that the bike rally will be led by former IPS and Party's Youth President Anand Mishra and will cover 20,000 km across the state. He added that the purpose of the journey is to raise his voice against the "injustice" against Bihar's youth. "We have decided to hold a bike rally which will cover 20,000 km all across Bihar. The purpose of the rally is to raise the issue of Bihar's youth. The injustice being done to them. At least 100 bikers along with the party's members will lead the rally for the next two-three months." Kishor said. A week ago, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan met with a delegation of BPSC aspirants and heard their grievances assuring them of issuing necessary instructions to relevant authorities. The governor also appealed to Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who has been fasting in support of the aspirants, which has entered its twelfth day, to end his fast-unto-death, citing health concerns. Jan Suraaj Party's working president, Manoj Bharti, shared that a delegation of aspirants from the 70th BPSC exam met the governor, who assured them of addressing their concerns on Monday. (ANI) Amid Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's visit to Davos to attract investments for the state, BRS MLC K Kavitha on Wednesday welcomed the initiative but demanded a "white paper" from the Congress government on the status of previous Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). Speaking to ANI, Kavitha acknowledged the importance of the visit while highlighting the achievements of the BRS government. "We welcome it. Any CM should be responsible for bringing more investment into the state. We have done very well during the 10 years of KCR. We got thousands of crores of investments from Davos and we hope our state gets more investment," she said. "But last time they claimed they got 40,000 crores investment till date there is no clarity on how much investments have been grounded and functioning. We demand they give us a white paper on what happened to the previous MoUs. Right now, I wish all the good luck to our Chief Minister," Kavitha added. Meanwhile, addressing the roundtable on 'Reimagining Urban Mobility' at the World Economic Forum (WEF) CII conference in Davos on Tuesday, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy outlined his vision for transforming Hyderabad into the world's best city in terms of urban mobility. "I want to make Hyderabad's future city the world's best in urban mobility," said Reddy, emphasizing that the key to success lies in three guiding principles- "fastest, greenest, and lowest cost," he said. A major highlight of his address was the focus on inclusivity, he stated, "Besides infrastructure and sustainability, I also have to think of access... My government has given free bus travel to around 20 million women. Empowering women and marginalised people through mobility is a big achievement for my government," he said. Revanth Reddy also spoke about his ambitious plan to create a "net-zero city"--a sustainable urban hub that integrates state-of-the-art mobility solutions. "We are building a new future city- a net zero city. We want to build the world's best mobility options in this city. Finally, we want to move our people at a low cost, and in a sustainable way," he added. Revanth Reddy called for significant investments to develop the infrastructure necessary to move over 40 million people across Telangana, positioning the state as a model for sustainable urban development. (ANI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that actor Saif Ali Khan's recovery is nothing more than a medical miracle and wished him good luck for his health. "Saif Ali Khan's recovery is a medical miracle. I wish him good luck for his health. He is a good artist of our country... No matter how deep the knife was lodged, he is alive and standing on his feet. I feel that the doctors of Lilavati Hospital have performed a miracle," said Sanjay Raut while speaking to ANI. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam pointed out and said that the gravity of the attack must be revealed. He added that Saif's family must come up and disclose details of the attack as an atmosphere now has been created that the law and order of Mumbai has collapsed and the centre and the state government have failed. "Mumbai citizens and I had some innocent questions, that I have raised... Has the medical sector progressed so much that Saif Ali Khan comes to his home jumping and dancing (after the attack)... It should be revealed how deadly the attack was and how badly he was injured. The family should come forward and disclose this because, after this incident, such an atmosphere was created in Mumbai that the law and order of Mumbai has collapsed, the Home Ministry has failed, the Maharashtra government has been ruined, and every citizen in Mumbai is unsafe. The way Saif came out (of the hospital), it seems as if nothing happened four days ago... I want to ask the doctors, can a person whose operation lasted for six hours come out in such good shape within four days?..." Actor Saif Ali Khan suffered stab wounds to his thoracic spine when an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national, entered his home with the alleged intent of theft last week. The actor was immediately taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries. Khan on Tuesday returned home after being discharged from the hospital. Accused Mohammed Shariful Islam Shahzad was apprehended at Hiranandani Estate in Thane on Saturday while attempting to flee to his native village. It was further disclosed that the accused is a native of the Jhalokati district in Bangladesh. The Bandra Holiday Court remanded the accused to five days of police custody on Sunday. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar to undergo cataract surgery at AIIMS on January 24. He has been directed to surrender on January 27. Sengar is serving a life sentence in the Unnao rape case and ten years of imprisonment in a custodial death case. A division bench headed by Justice Navin Chawla granted interim bail on medical grounds for the cataract surgery at AIIMS. The bench granted the relief on the condition that Sengar furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety of the same amount. The High Court stated that Sengar would be released from jail on January 23 and admitted to AIIMS on January 24 for the surgery. If the surgery does not take place on January 24, he is to surrender before the concerned jail authorities that same day. If the surgery takes place, he must surrender to the authorities upon being discharged from the hospital. The court also directed that one police constable be stationed outside his private ward, and only two visitors will be allowed to see him at a time. Senior advocate Manish Vasisth along with Advocate Kanhaiya Singhal argued for Sengar, stating that he had been advised to undergo cataract surgery at AIIMS, scheduled for January 24. His medical bail had expired on January 20, and he was instructed to surrender by the coordinate bench. It was further argued that the appellant required the cataract surgery. On the other hand, advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the victim, opposed the interim bail application. In another development, a single judge bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan had asked the victim's counsel to file objections. The matter has been listed for hearing on January 31. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, saying it has "completely failed" to deliver on its promises. Addressing a roadshow in support of BJP candidate Poonam Sharma in the Wazirpur assembly constituency, Dhami alleged that the Kejriwal government has "cheated" the people of Delhi in the name of opening new hospitals and schools. CM Dhami said that the Aam Aadmi Party government has completely failed in Delhi. The Kejriwal government has cheated the people of Delhi in the name of opening new hospitals and schools. Dhami emphasised that the states have a double-engine government under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Those states are rapidly progressing today. He further continued that there has not been a single rupee of corruption in those states, whereas, in Delhi, the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Minister to MLA have had to go to jail on charges of corruption. "The people of Delhi have to decide whether they want a double-engine government that takes Delhi to new heights or a government involved in corruption," Dhami said. CM Dhami said that it is the failure of the Delhi government that the Yamuna, which flows clean and pure in Uttarakhand, turns into a drain as soon as it reaches Delhi. He also criticised the AAP government for not implementing the Ayushman Yojana, which has deprived people of affordable healthcare. Dhami inaugurated the BJP election office and was welcomed by a large number of people, who showered him with flowers and garlands at various places. Earlier today, Dhami also said that a double-engine government is going to be formed in Delhi. "... Poonam Sharma is BJP's candidate from the Wazirpur constituency. "People are very excited here and want to change the government, and a double engine is going to be formed in Delhi. Everyone is waiting for February 5 so that they can press the button over the Lotus symbol. She is going to win with a large margin and will serve the people here and restart the development that was stopped in the last 10 years," he said. The national capital will go to the polls on February 5, and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. (ANI) Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid has approached the Delhi High Court with a bail application under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2017 terror-funding case. His lawyer stated that they have sought directions from the High Court to the trial court judge to expedite a decision on Rashid's pending regular bail application. Alternatively, they have requested the Delhi High Court to adjudicate the matter and make a ruling on the bail. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the Delhi High Court tomorrow. Recently, Delhi's Patiala House Court rejected an application seeking a decision on the regular bail plea of Rashid, Member of Parliament, in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case. The court clarified that, at this stage, it is only empowered to address miscellaneous applications and not to rule on the regular bail petition. Previously, the district judge returned the case to the ASJ court after a request from the ASJ for the matter to be transferred to a designated court for lawmakers, given Rashid's status as an MP. This transfer request was made with the consent of both the accused and the prosecuting agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The district judge's decision came after noting that the issue of court jurisdiction was still pending before the Delhi High Court. Until the High Court rules on jurisdiction, the ASJ court will continue to hear the case. Both Rashid's counsel and the NIA had agreed to keep the matter in the current court. In addition to the NIA's case, the special judge had suggested moving a related money laundering case and Rashid's regular bail application to the court designated for lawmakers. Engineer Rashid, an independent Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after his interim bail expired. This is related to the Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case currently being investigated by the NIA. In August 2019, Rashid was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). During his incarceration, he filed his nomination for the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail and won by a margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. In 2022, the NIA Court of Patiala House Court ordered the framing of charges against Rashid and several other key figures, including Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam, Zahoor Ahmed Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmed Shah, Avtar Ahmed Shah, Naeem Khan, and Bashir Ahmed Butt (also known as Peer Saifullah). The charges are part of an ongoing investigation into terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir, where the National Investigation Agency (NIA) alleges that various militant organizations, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and JKLF, collaborated with Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, to orchestrate attacks on civilians and security forces in the region. The NIA's investigation claims that in 1993, the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to further separatist activities, with funding channeled through hawala and other covert methods. Hafiz Saeed, along with Hurriyat leaders, is accused of using these illicit funds to fuel unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting security forces, inciting violence, burning schools, and damaging public property. The agency contends that these operations were designed to destabilize the region and promote terrorism under the guise of political resistance. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari on Wednesday spoke on the cabinet meeting held at MahaKumbh Mela and said that support had been received from people from every religion and caste. Speaking to ANI, Ansari said "There is support from people of every religion and caste here. Our aim should be to progress towards development." Earlier the Uttar Pradesh cabinet met at Maha Kumbh. During the meeting significant proposals and schemes for the state were announced. After the meeting, CM Yogi announced that three medical colleges would be established in Hathras, Kasganj and Baghpat. He further added that 62 Industrial Training Institute and 5 centres of Innovation, invention and training will be established across the state. The decision to renew Uttar Pradesh Aerospace and Defence and employment policy was taken at the meeting. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the government had already started their preparations for the 2031 Ardha Kumbh. Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak, and other cabinet ministers were present with the Chief Minister. The UP CM was seen offering thanks to God as he and his ministers participated in this spiritual moment. "A meeting of the cabinet was held here in Prayagraj Mahakumbh. Big decisions have been taken here. Preparations for 2031 Ardha Kumbh have also started here in Mahakumbh 2025..." the Deputy CM Keshav Maurya said while speaking to ANI. Maurya also responded to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's remarks about the cabinet meeting being held at the Maha Kumbh, urging Yadav to "get rid of this kind of mentality." "Akhilesh Yadav is suffering from a mental disease. He should be treated soon. I pray to Maa Ganga to bless him so that he gets rid of this kind of mentality," Maurya added. Earlier today, Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Yogi government for holding a cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh, saying that "Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken." "Kumbh or Prayagraj is not the place where politics or political decisions should be taken. To organise cabinet meeting at Kumbh is political. Many of us (Samajwadi party people) must have gone to take a holy dip but didn't post a picture or told you (media)," Yadav said. All 54 ministers of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet had been invited to this meeting, which was held to approve several significant proposals and schemes for the state. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived in Pune on Wednesday to participate in the "Interactive Session on Investment Opportunities in Madhya Pradesh" and to hold a meeting with investors and industrialists, aiming to attract them to establish industries in the state. Before leaving for Pune, CM Chouhan interacted with reporters in Bhopal and highlighted that his government is continuously working towards the industrialisation of the state. "I am happy that the Madhya Pradesh government is continuously working for the industrialisation of the state through all its departments. The way Regional Industry Goncalves held in the state so far, we have received encouraging investment proposals at all the conclaves. Investment proposals worth around Rs 4.5 lakh crores received and around 3 lakh people would get employment opportunities," CM Yadav said. He further stressed that the Global Investor Summit will be held on February 24 in the state and that it is his responsibility to invite major industry houses to the summit. He emphasised that he was visiting Pune for this purpose. "We are going to hold a Global Investor Summit on February 24 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so it is our duty to invite big houses to the Summit and work on all kinds of possibilities. I visited various cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata for the same. Today, after Mumbai, Pune is a big place in Maharashtra, where big players or investors from many sectors meet, thereby we will put our policies in front of them, amining they should become a part of our industrialization campaign. I am going to invite them and hope for good results," the CM added. The state government is preparing to work towards the progress of both the state and the country while fulfilling the hopes of youth, women, the poor, and farmers in the state. "Let us all resolve to participate in India's development activities under the leadership of PM Modi and make Madhya Pradesh the number one state in the country," he added. (ANI) The Shimla district police, under the leadership of Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, have ramped up their efforts to curb drug peddling in the region. In the last 24 hours, seven individuals involved in drug trafficking have been arrested, and approximately 225 grams of heroin have been seized. Speaking to the ANI, SP Gandhi said, "We are making every possible effort to eradicate drug-related activities, particularly targeting peddlers. Continuous action is being taken against those involved in these illegal activities." He said that the department's commitment to combating the challenges posed by drug trafficking includes employing advanced investigative techniques. "We are drawing backward and forward linkages to trace the origins and destinations of the drug supply chain," Gandhi explained. He assured that individuals involved in the supply network, regardless of their position, will not escape scrutiny or legal action. "Those who believe they can evade investigation will not be spared. We have developed new investigation modules to ensure thorough action against everyone involved," the SP said. The Shimla police are now leveraging geo-mapping technology to pinpoint those embedded in the drug supply chain. Gandhi underlined the accountability of everyone in the network, stating, "Anyone involved in the supply chain, whether it is the supplier, consumer, or manufacturer, is equally culpable. We are committed to taking decisive action against all parties," he added. In the past four months, the Shimla police have dismantled more than three significant drug peddling networks. Over 200 individuals connected to these activities have been arrested during this period. Gandhi noted that this reflects the police's unyielding determination to address the drug menace plaguing the region. The police have also initiated a robust strategy to eliminate drug consumption and distribution, focusing on preventive measures and creating awareness about the risks associated with narcotics. The SP reiterated the police's goal of creating a drug-free environment in Shimla and neighbouring areas, stating that such efforts are vital for the well-being of the community. With these actions, the Shimla police continue to strengthen their resolve to dismantle drug cartels and protect the region from the scourge of narcotics. "We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure strong action in this direction," the SP added further.(ANI) 11 people have died in the accident and 6 others are injured after some passenger of the Pushpak Express were hit by Karnataka Express. Jalgaon SP Maheswar Reddy said that no one is in critical condition. The Executive Director of the Information & Publicity Department of Railway Board, Dilip Kumar said that few people pulled the alarm chain and then tried to cross the rail track in a wrong manner or were standing on the tracks. Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, "A few passengers pulled the alarm chain on Pushpak Express and deboarded the train. Bengaluru-New Delhi Karnataka Express was coming from the other side. We have received information of grievous injuries to a few passengers after getting hit by it. Several people had boarded the train from Bhusawal and one of them pulled the alarm chain. After that, they deboarded the train and either tried to cross the train in a wrong manner or were standing on the tracks. Due to this, they were hit by the train." "Bhusawal Divisional Railway Manager has left for the spot, the medical team is there, and local admin is there as well. Railway's senior section engineer is there as well. Other senior doctors and ambulances have been arranged," he added. Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Swapnil Nila said that they have taken help from local administration and nearby hospitals. "Near Pachora in Jalgaon Pushpak Express which was coming from Lucknow towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, an incident of alarm chain pulling occurred. After this incident, a few passengers deboarded the train. At the same time Karnataka Express was crossing through there and going in the opposite direction, we have come to know that a few passengers were hit by that train. As primary information, 7-8 passengers have suffered injuries," Nila told ANI. "We have taken the help of local administration to take care of them. We have also sought help from nearby hospitals. Railway's accident relief medical van has also left from Bhusawal and it will reach the site soon... Karnataka Express has resumed its onward journey and Pushpak Express will resume the journey after help is provided to injured passengers," he added. The Divisional Commissioner of Nashik, Praveen Gedam confirmed the death of eleven people in the accident. "As per the information, 11 people have died in the accident and 5 others are injured. Police and other officials are at the spot. 8 Ambulances and several railway rescue vans have been sent to the spot...District Collector and DRM are in contact and all possible help is being provided," Gedam told ANI. "Passengers of Pushpak Express were on the track when they met with an accident as Karnataka Express was passing through an adjacent track. We are on the spot. Additional SP, SP, Collector and everybody is on their way. We are coordinating with DRM and Railway officials. Additional rescue vans of Railway and Railway ambulances are being rushed to the spot," he added. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased. "The state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the heirs of those who died in the unfortunate accident in Jalgaon district, and the state government will also bear the entire expenses of the injured. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said. (ANI) Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday attended the closing ceremony of Sugathakumari Navathy celebrations in Kerala's Pathanamthitta and paid tribute to the late Malyalam poetess on her 90th birth anniversary, saying that a poet channelises compassion beyond verse to effect real societal changes; a sensitive soul like Sugathakumari emerges. "Poets are inherently compassionate and empathetic. When a poet channels this compassion beyond verse to effect real societal changes, a sensitive soul like Sugathakumari emerges... She had realised the power of poems to bring people together for a common good. I pay my deepest respect to Sugathakumari, a dedicated environmentalist and human rights advocate who lived selflessly for others," said Rajnath Singh. Highlighting Sugathakumari's commitment to the environment, conservation and climate change, the Union Defence Minister said, "As her 90th birthday celebrations come to an end, it is important to reflect on her remarkable legacy and the relevance of her campaign for the environment, conservation and climate change. As we witness how Kerala is grappling with the severe impact of climate change and other issues, the devastating floods of 2018 and the recent Wayanad landslides act as a stark reminder of the ecological fragility... Sugathakumari warned about these changes many decades ago... Her call to action was not only poetic; it was a clarion call to maintain the delicate balance of nature for future generations..." Malayalam poet and environmental activist Sugathakumari passed away while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in December 2023. One of the most noted poets of Malayalam, Sugathakumari was born in Aranmula on 3 January 1934. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1968), Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (1978), Odakkuzhal Award (1982), and Vayalar Award (1984). Her noted literary works include Pathirappookal (Flowers of Midnight), Raathrimazha (Night Rain), Manavahridayam (Heart of Humanity), Muthuchippi, Irulchirakukal and Swapnabhoomi. Sugathakumari was the founder secretary of the Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, an organisation for the protection of nature and of Abhaya, a home for destitute women. During her lifetime, she actively participated in many environmental movements in Kerala and outside the state as well. (ANI) The Government of Gujarat started a unique initiative with the construction of 607 new Anganwadi-Nand Ghars in Gujarat using Light Gauge Steel Frame Technology (LGSF) as Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel digitally launched the construction work from Gandhinagar. According to an official release, Patel stated that Anganwadi centres will play a crucial role in shaping future generations, advancing the vision of Viksit Gujarat thereby contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. The Chief Minister was addressing the e-inauguration ceremony of 607 Anganwadi centres-Nand Ghars, which will be built under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC group), the release said. The event saw the presence of Finance and Energy Minister Kanubhai Desai, Women and Child Development Minister Bhanuben Babariya, Chief Secretary Raj Kumar, and senior officials. In collaboration with the Women and Child Development Department, GSPC will construct these 607 Anganwadi centres using Light Gauge Steel Frame (LGSF) technology. The release said that mentioned that, "the Prime Minister has referred to Anganwadis as Nand Ghars and Anganwadi workers as Mata Yashodaji." According to the release, CM urged Anganwadi workers to serve with the same dedication while nurturing the children. He urged everyone present to create an inspiring environment to encourage regular attendance at Anganwadis. "The CM remarked that by 2047, when the nation celebrates its centenary of independence, the children currently enrolled in Anganwadis will have reached their youth. He urged the importance of instilling a sense of national interest in these youth from a young age, emphasizing the responsibility to foster the noble development of future generations, " said the release. Appreciating the socially impactful initiative of GSPC, the CM ensured that the state government is committed to allocating adequate funds for the construction of modern, high-quality and well-equipped Anganwadis. On this occasion, Women and Child Welfare Minister, Bhanuben Babariya shared insights into the department's various schemes. As per the release, she said that "53,000 Anganwadis are currently operational in the state, benefiting over 45 lakh children, women, and lactating mothers. Through quality nutrition and education, we will build a Viksit Bharat through a Viksit Gujarat." The Minister emphasized that children are the nation's future, and Anganwadi centres are vital in laying a strong foundation for their development. The state government is working tirelessly to eliminate any obstacles to their growth. "Therefore, the state has begun using advanced technologies like light gauge steel framing (LGSF) to ensure the newly built Nand Ghars are sustainable and of superior quality," said the release. She further mentioned that the LGSF technology, approved by the Government of India for these Nand Ghars, was chosen by GSPC and the Women and Child Welfare Department after six months of research and consultation. This cutting-edge technology facilitates the construction of Nand Ghars, within just 60 days, that can withstand earthquakes, moisture, and fire. State Chief Secretary and GSPC Chairman Raj Kumar stated that the government, under the continuous guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is committed to making Anganwadi centres and schools--where the future of the country is shaped--sustainable, eco-friendly, and fully equipped with all necessary facilities. "GSPC has taken the first step in modernizing Nand Ghars for the benefit of the state's children and women. GSPC's commitment to annually developing Anganwadi centres under CSR until all Anganwadis in Gujarat are fully modernized with essential facilities," said Kumar. According to the release, Milind Torawane, MD of GSPC elaborated on the initiative to revamp old and deteriorating Anganwadi centres into modern Nand Ghars, incorporating innovative technology and providing them with essential facilities. The program began with a welcome address by Rakesh Shankar, Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, followed by a vote of thanks from ICDS Commissioner Dr Ranjit Kumar Singh. The event was attended by Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy and Petrochemicals Department S.J. Haider, Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department, GSPC officials, Women and Child Development Department employees, and other distinguished guests. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party's state president K Annamalai called it a historic day for farmers on Thursday as the protesting farmers of Tamil Nadu were assured by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy that Tungsten mining in Nayakkarpatty, Madurai will not be implemented. A group of 10 individuals, including farmers from Arittapatti and Vellalapatti, along with BJP members, departed from Madurai Airport to Delhi to discuss the Tungsten mining project with the Union Minister for Mines, Kishan Reddy. "Today is such a historic day. When the state government made a lot of mistakes, played politics with respect to the recent Tungsten mining, never wanted the project to get stopped, is only politicising the whole issue, after we brought it to the knowledge of the (union) government, PM stopped the mining and today the farmers and villagers from Vellalapatti, Nayakkarpatti and Arittapatti have come here," Annamalai told ANI. Talking about the meeting with the farmers and the union minister, he said that they were assured that no farmer will be affected in Tamil Nadu. "The Minister has assured that the PM always stands with farmers and PM will not make any decision whereby even a single farmer in Tamil Nadu is affected," he said. The state BJP president added that the official announcement on the stoppage of mining will be made tomorrow after the minister Reddy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discuss it. "Minister has given a very positive assurance and a historic news is coming tomorrow because the Minister will take up with PM Narendra Modi and the PM will once against stand with the farmers of Tamil Nadu and tomorrow will be a historic day for all farmers," he added. Earlier the Central Government recommended reassessing the site, suggesting that areas outside the biodiversity zones be considered for further evaluation. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution opposing the tungsten mining project. Despite this, public protests continue. Annamalai also hit out at Congress accusing them of supporting the "gifting" of Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka and playing with India's territorial integrity. "It is very shameful that Tamil Nadu Congress president speaks openly that they are feeling so happy that Katchatheevu is gifted to Sri Lanka, they call this a strategic manoeuvre. This is another example of Congress playing with our territorial integrity, giving Katchatheevu island, after those hundreds of fishermen getting killed in the high sea, thousands of fishermen getting arrested and they call this strategic manoeuvre." (ANI) ECI will commemorate 75 years of service to the nation on January 25. President Droupadi Murmu will be attending, with key awards for electoral excellence and a multimedia exhibition on Lok Sabha Elections 2024. India will celebrate the 15th edition of National Voters' Day on January 25. According to a release, the Election Commission of India will also commemorate 75 years of dedicated service to the nation during this celebration. The event will be attended by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu, who will present the Best Electoral Practices Awards to state and district officials who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in ensuring the smooth conduct of elections, the release said. The release noted, "These awards will recognize initiatives that enhanced voter participation, such as the use of technology, innovative outreach campaigns, and making elections more accessible. The theme for this year's celebration, 'Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure,' continues from last year, urging citizens to take pride in exercising their franchise." According to the official release, "As India's electorate approaches the 100 crore mark, with 99.1 crore registered voters, the event will also highlight the significant strides made in creating a youthful and gender-balanced electoral roll. The database now includes 21.7 crore young electors in the 18-29 age group, alongside a 6-point increase in the Electoral Gender Ratio from 948 in 2024 to 954 in 2025." The release said, "The President will receive the first copy of the Election Commission's coffee table book, 'India Votes 2024: A Saga of Democracy,' which chronicles the journey of the 18th Lok Sabha elections. "The book offers a visual and narrative tribute to all those who contributed to the success of the elections, including voters, election officials, and security personnel," said the release. The release mentioned that the event will feature the release of a short clip from the upcoming docu-drama 'India Decides' produced by Warner Bros Discovery, which explores the making of the world's largest elections. Another publication, "Belief in the Ballot: Human Stories Shaping India's 2024 Elections," will also be presented, showcasing human interest stories from the 2024 elections. National Voters' Day, observed annually since 2011, commemorates the foundation of the Election Commission on January 25, 1950. It focuses on voter awareness and encourages participation, with a special emphasis on enrolling new voters, particularly young citizens. Across India, new voters will be presented with their Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) at NVD ceremonies. The day is celebrated nationwide, from national to local levels, emphasizing the importance of voter participation in shaping India's democracy. (ANI) The Defence Ministry has found the Indian firm Larsen and Toubro (L&T) bid non-compliant in the Rs 70,000 crore tender to acquire six submarines. The Indian Navy is looking to buy six advanced submarines with the ability to stay underwater for three weeks under Project 75 India. The proposal of the L&T in partnership with Spanish Navantia has been rejected by the Ministry for not being compliant with Indian Navy requirements, defence sources told ANI. The L&T and its partner had showcased the functioning of its critical Air Independent Propulsion system in Spain to the Indian Navy team there on shore but the Indian Navy demanded a sea-proven system in its requirements in the tender document. The latest development means that the state-owned Mazagaon Dockyards Limited along with its partner ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany would be the only vendor left in the race for making the six submarines. Vendors involved in the programme have been making representations to the government and the Defence Ministry has been moving ahead as per procedures in the project and have vetted the process at all levels. There have also been suggestions made to the officials concerned to equally divide the project between the shipyards. The Mazagaon Dockyards recently supplied the last of the six Project 75 Scorpene class submarine INS Vagsheer to the Indian Navy but is going to get orders for three more submarines under Project 75 (Additional Submarine) to be built with French Naval Group support. Against the backdrop of the fast modernisation of the Chinese Navy, the Indian government has also cleared many submarine projects including both nuclear and conventional ones but India has to do a lot of catching up at a fast pace to develop the desired capabilities to tackle both China and Pakistan in its area of interest. Larsen and Toubro have been deeply involved in the strategic submarine projects for the Indian Navy and have facilities on both the seaboards to mainly support defence forces' projects. (ANI) Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Wednesday addressed reports of sporadic incidents of resentment regarding the appointment of guardian ministers in certain areas. Speaking to ANI, Shirsat said "There were some sporadic incidents in one or two places where there was mutual resentment over the guardian minister..." He added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently in Davos, would address the matter upon his return "The Chief Minister has gone to Davos and will take a decision on this after returning. But there is no conflict or tension in the Mahayuti because of this..." he further added. The Minister reiterated that there is no conflict or tension within the Mahayuti alliance over the issue, dismissing any speculation to the contrary. "However, there is no conflict or tension in Mahayuti because of this..." he further said. On January 19, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis was appointed as the Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, a Naxal-affected district, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was assigned Thane and Mumbai city. This announcement came over a month after the BJP government assumed power in the state. Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar was appointed the Guardian Minister for Beed and Pune, while Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule was designated the Guardian Minister for Nagpur. State ministers Ashish Shelar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha were assigned the role of Guardian Ministers for Mumbai suburbs. Notably, the state government recently announced the appointment of guardian ministers for all 36 districts across Maharashtra. These ministers are tasked with overseeing the development of their respective districts, addressing local issues, and promoting growth. This initiative is expected to strengthen the state's governance and overall development. Some of the other appointments include Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil for Ahilyanagar, Hassan Mushrif for Washim, Ganesh Naik for Palghar, Sanjay Rathod for Yavatmal, Uday Samant for Ratnagiri, and Jaykumar Raval for Dhule. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh's tourism industry, particularly in its capital Shimla, is facing a significant downturn due to several factors, including the lack of snowfall, the ongoing Mahakumbh, and the elections in Delhi. Despite the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast predicting snowfall, the region has experienced a sharp decline in tourist arrivals. This has severely impacted the hotel industry, travel businesses, and transport services, leaving many stakeholders concerned about the future. Tour operator Vasu, who works closely with the tourism sector, shared his concerns and said "There has been a sharp decrease in tourist inflow this season. Normally, 90 per cent of the tourists would come to Himachal Pradesh during this period, but now they are diverting to Mahakumbh. The elections in Delhi have also played a role in reducing the number of tourists. Additionally, the lack of snowfall has further discouraged visitors," he said while speaking to ANI. The travel and hospitality sectors have also been bearing the brunt of this downturn. Hotel occupancy rates in Shimla have dropped significantly, with many lodges and roadside eateries reporting a sharp decline in business. Vasu emphasized that the effect of the Mahakumbh Mela, Delhi elections and minimal snowfall has delivered a severe blow to the tourism industry. "Tourism this season is down by 90 per cent. The combined effect of the Mahakumbh, Delhi elections, and minimal snowfall has delivered a severe blow to our industry. Taxi operators, hotels, and roadside businesses are all struggling to stay afloat," he further added. Shimla's tourism-dependent businesses have been pinning their hopes on a change in weather conditions. Without snowfall, however, the prospects remain grim. A local travel agent shared his plight and said that he had suffered severe losses this season. "We have suffered massive losses. Hotels and eateries are empty, and the transport system has collapsed. Snowfall is critical to reviving tourism, but looking at the current weather conditions, it seems unlikely. We are anxiously waiting for January 25th or 26th, hoping the weather takes a favorable turn," the travel agent said. Visitors who come to Shimla expected a snow-covered wonderland however left dissatisfied. "People travel here for the snow experience, but they are met with bare, dry weather," said a local hotelier. The disappointment among tourists is palpable, with many expressing regret over their decision to visit during this season. The lack of fresh snowfall has been particularly disheartening for tourists who had traveled to Shimla with hopes of enjoying the winter charm. Mohit, a visitor from Delhi, expressed his disappointment and said "I came to Shimla on the 19th, expecting to see snowfall. I even visited Kufri and Narkanda, but all I found was some old snow lying on the ground. We were hoping for fresh snowfall, but the weather here feels no different from Delhi. Many people seem to have opted for Mahakumbh or stayed back for the Delhi elections. This trip has been a disappointment," said Mohit , a tourist from Delhi. The Mahakumbh, a religious event of significant cultural importance, has also drawn a large number of potential tourists away from Himachal Pradesh. Coupled with the Delhi elections, these factors have led to a sharp decline in footfall. Businesses are hoping that future weather conditions and the conclusion of these events will bring relief to the struggling tourism sector. The drop in tourist arrival reflects the vulnerability of tourism-dependent regions like Shimla, which heavily rely on seasonal snowfall to attract visitors. For now, the industry waits with bated breath, hoping for a turnaround that can revive its fortunes. (ANI) "On January 22, BSF intelligence wing developed and shared an information about a smuggling attempt being carried out on Amritsar border. In a significant joint raid operation, the BSF and the Special Task Force (STF), Amritsar apprehended one Indian smuggler alongwith one mobile phone and further on his revelation the joint party conducted a thorough search of the suspected area and recovered 01 Packet (Gross weight- 550 Grams) of suspected heroin from the area adjacent to village- Balharwal, distt- Amritsar," BSF said in a press release. Earlier in the day, BSF recovered two drones in two separate incidents from the border area of Amritsar and Fazilka district. "Today, acting on information provided by the BSF Intelligence Wing, vigilant BSF troops recovered 02 drones in two different incidents from the border area of Amritsar and Fazilka district," an official statement read. According to the BSF, a search culminated in the recovery of a DJI Mavic Classic 3 at about 1:50 pm from a farming field adjacent to the village - Rattan Khurd in district Amritsar. In a separate operation, during a joint search with Punjab police, the party recovered one assembled Quadcopter drone from a farming field in district Fazilka, as per the release. Earlier in the day, BSF recovered four pistols dropped by a Pakistani drone in Amritsar's Rajatal village. "Acting on specific intelligence inputs, BSF troops, in collaboration with Punjab Police, successfully recovered a large packet weighing over 5 kg from Village Rajatal in District Amritsar. The packet, wrapped in yellow adhesive tape with a hook attached, was dropped by a Pakistani drone. Upon opening, the packet was found to contain 4 Zigana pistols and seven magazines, making it a significant recovery," BSF said on X. (ANI) Sharing their experiences about the Maha Kumbh, foreign ''Mahamandaleshwars'' praised Sanatan Dharma and also lauded the government for its "incredible" efforts in organising the grand event. The love and sense of belonging are unmatched in Sanatan Dharma, they said. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Rajeshwari Maa Mahamandaleshwar, a spiritual leader from Tokyo, Japan, shared her thoughts on the Kumbh Mela and her journey in Sanatana Dharma. Reflecting on her spiritual path, she mentioned, "I looked at many traditions, and when I met my guru, Jagatguru Sama Lakshmi Devi, everything I had been studying came together in one place. Everything was in Sanatana Dharma--learning about Atma, about the self, and understanding that all the answers are within. It is a science that teaches us how to live life, to be fully in alignment." Regarding the preparation for the Kumbh, Rajeshwari Maa praised the efforts of the organisers, noting, "The preparation of Kumbh is amazing. I think this is my fourth Kumbh now, and the government has done an incredible job putting everything together." She acknowledged the scale of the event, saying, "With 400 million people coming, this is by far the biggest Kumbh that I''ve ever experienced. And so far, everything has been so smooth." Further, a foreign Mahamandaleshwar, a psychologist from the United States shared his thoughts on the profound impact of attending the Kumbh Mela and the teachings of Sanatana Dharma. he explained, "Every Kumbh that I come to, I come running to because there is an experience of life here that is unadulterated, pure, joyful, peaceful, and full of vitality. I could live here every day of my life if the Kumbh allowed me to." He emphasised the transformative nature of Sanatana Dharma, saying, "Sanatana Dharma gives us access to peace, joy, and fulfilment. This is the path of Dharma, the path of Sanatana Dharma, as it allows us to experience life in those ways." Hayendra Das Maharaj Mahamandaleshwar from France shared his deep connection to the Kumbh Mela and his lifelong journey with Sanatana Dharma. Reflecting on his visit, he said, "I came here for the Kumbh, came here in India where each breath is full of Shakti. It''s a world of worshipping, devotion, positive energy, love, and peace. He explained that he attends the Kumbh to recharge spiritually, adding, "This is what I''m coming for here--to meet and to be with that to recharge some of my feelings on this." He also shared his long-standing connection to Sanatana Dharma, stating, "I joined Sanatana when I met my guru. This is like 40 years ago, and since then, I never left." Maha Kumbh is one of the largest and most significant religious congregations in the world. The key ''snan'' dates left are: January 29 (Mauni Amavasya - Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami - Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri). Uttar Pradesh police deployed over 10,000 personnel, including local police and paramilitary forces for the event''s security. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed a "water ambulance" stationed at Sangam to ensure the safety of devotees. The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will continue until February 26. (ANI) One of them is in moderate to serious condition with a stab wound in his neck. He was transferred to the operating room. In addition, another wounded man arrived in mild-moderate condition and another wounded man in mild condition, both of whom are currently being treated in the trauma room. (ANI/TPS) Tel Aviv [Israel], January 22 (ANI/TPS): Magen David Adom (MDA) confirmed that two people were wounded in a terrorist stabbing attack that occurred just after 9PM at two different scenes, on Nachalat Binyamin and Kalisher Streets in Tel Aviv. MDA said that one wounded person is 24-years-old, and a 59-year-old man in a minor condition. The terrorist was eliminated.(ANI/TPS) Tel Aviv [Israel], January 22 (ANI/TPS): Israel's top soldier and a second general responsible for southern Israel announced their resignations on Tuesday over the military's October 7 failures. "I notified the Defense Minister today (Tuesday) that in acknowledgement of my responsibility for the [Israel Defense Force's] failure on Oct. 7 and at this juncture when the IDF has recorded significant achievements and is implementing a hostage release agreement, I am requesting to conclude my tenure on March 6, 2025," said military Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi in a statement. "During the remaining period, I will complete all investigations and reinforce the IDF's operational capabilities to meet security challenges," he added. "Throughout the past four decades, protecting Israel's security has been the mission that defined my life," Halevi said. "On the morning of Oct. 7, the IDF under my command failed to fulfill its fundamental mission of protecting Israeli citizens. The State of Israel has endured a devastating and painful toll - in lives lost, in hostages taken, and in both physical and psychological trauma. Despite countless acts of valor from many - our security forces, IDF soldiers and commanders, and brave civilians - these heroic efforts could not prevent the catastrophic outcome. The weight of my responsibility for this terrible failure remains with me every day, every hour, and will continue to do so for the remainder of my life." The last time an IDF chief of staff resigned before the end of his term was Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, who resigned in 2007 over IDF failures during the Second Lebanon War of 2006. Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman, commander of the Southern Command, who was responsible for military readiness and activities in southern Israel and along the Gaza border also announced his resignation. "Guided by my conscience and the values I hold, I have made the decision to conclude my position as Southern Command commander and my service in the IDF. On Oct. 7, I failed to defend the western Negev and its beloved and heroic residents. This failure will remain etched within me for the rest of my life," Finkelman said. Halevi previously signaled he would offer his resignation around the end of January when the army's internal inquiries into October 7 are submitted to Defense Minister Israel Katz. Katz refuses to sign off on promotions of officers to the ranks of major general or give generals new roles until he reviews the army's findings. There have been growing calls for the government to appoint an independent commission of inquiry to investigate political and military failures. Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice. They may include personal recommendations about individuals under investigation, though the government is not bound to act on the recommendations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the governing coalition say an independent commission should only be appointed after the war. The last state commission of inquiry, which investigated Israel's worst civilian disaster -- a stampede that killed 45 people at a holy site on Mount Meron -- held Netanyahu personally responsible for the tragedy in a report released in April. (ANI/TPS) A devastating fire broke out at a hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, killing at least 76 people and injuring 51 others. Many guests jumped from windows to escape the flames and smoke, CNN reported. Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the death toll, noting that many of the victims were children. Authorities have identified 52 of the deceased so far. As the identities of the victims began to emerge, local schools and businesses posted death notices for students and staff. Among the victims were reportedly several fifth-grade children, aged 10 to 11 years old, as per CNN. Following the incident, the Interior Minister told reporters "We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared Wednesday a day of mourning. "Today is not a day for politics; it is a day for solidarity, for being one and together," he said on X, adding that anyone found responsible would be held to account. Officials said some desperate holiday goers had tried to jump out of windows in order to escape, as flames licked the top floors of the facility. Footage of the aftermath showed wreaths of gray smoke swirling around the charred building. According to CNN, the 12-story hotel was built onto a cliff, complicating efforts to extinguish the flames. Emergency crews arrived at the scene at 4:15 am local time - almost an hour after the fire broke out - at 3:27 am local time, said Yerlikaya. Turkey's government has launched an investigation into the deadly fire at a hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort, with at least nine people detained, according to Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Around 234 guests were staying at the hotel when the fire broke out, Governor Abdulaziz Aydin confirmed to the state-run Anadolu Agency. Two victims died after jumping from the building in panic, Aydin added. In response to the blaze, at least 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were dispatched to the scene. A total of 267 emergency personnel were mobilized to assist with rescue efforts. As a precaution, authorities evacuated other hotels in the resort area and relocated guests to nearby hotels in Bolu. (ANI) Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge D'affaires of the Palestine Embassy in India, spoke on Tuesday about the role US President Donald Trump can play in bringing lasting peace and stability in West Asia. In an interview to ANI, Palestinian Charge D'affaires Abu Jazer informed that the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, sent a message and extended his congratulations to the Donald Trump on taking oath as 47th president of the United States. He further added that Abbas spoke about, "The importance of the collective cooperation between all the countries and the stability in the region, guided by the two state solution". Palestinian Charge D'affaires Abu Jazer added, "We hope that President Trump in the second tenure can play a fit role to reach peace and stability in the region". Commenting upon the ceasefire deal, he said that it has many technical parts. "The implementation of the ceasefire deal is the result of hard work of different and various countries like Egypt, Qatar and the United States and others". "They are working together very hard to reach this ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and the ceasefire deal is for three phases. We hope that the implementation is going on the right way". Speaking about the benefits of the ceasefire, he said, "Through this ceasefire deal, there are 600 or more trucks everyday entering Gaza from Egypt side carrying essential assistance in medical and food and everything". Speaking about India-Palestine ties, he hoped to increase the bilateral relations between the two in the upcoming time. He said that the relationship between India and Palestine is "remarkable". "Our belief towards India is that they never leave the Palestinians when they need help and will never leave any war, any type of people when they are in need of assistance. India is leading in humanitarian assistance", he added. (ANI) US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his stance to support the H-1B visa program, which allows employers in the US to hire nonimmigrant workers for speciality occupations, stating that the country needs "competent" and "great" individuals to come to the US and that this can be achieved through the H-1B visa program. While addressing the media at The White House on Tuesday (local time), Trump emphasised his belief in the importance of attracting skilled individuals to the country, citing the H-1B visa program as a key tool in facilitating this. He further argued that allowing "quality people" to come into the US further helps in bolstering the economy by supporting various industries. The US President also pointed to the diverse range of roles covered by the program, from maitre d's and wine experts to high-quality waiters, noting that these individuals contribute to the growth of businesses. "You got to get the best people...We have to have the quality people coming in... By doing that, we're expanding businesses, and that takes care of everybody... But what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country and we do that through the H-1B," Trump said. "I like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop. And I'm not just talking about engineers. I'm talking about people at all levels. We want competent people coming into our country. And H-B1, I know the program very well. I use the program. Maitre d's, wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters," he added. Trump's remarks highlight his administration's focus on attracting top talent from abroad, arguing that such individuals not only fill critical positions but also drive business expansion, which benefits the broader workforce. Earlier in December, Trump expressed his support for the H-1B visa programme and acknowledged frequently using it for his own properties, calling it a "great programme," according to a report by the New York Post. Notably, during Trump's first term, the administration imposed restrictions on H-1B visas, citing concerns over "abuse" and "economic strain." In 2016, Trump condemned the program, describing it as a means for companies to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign employees. Restrictions tightened further in 2020 in response to economic challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, continuing his international outreach, paid homage to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Tokyo earlier this week. This visit marks another step in strengthening the relationship between India and Japan, rooted in deep historical, cultural, and civilizational ties. Earlier this week, CM Sarma concluded the first phase of his International Roadshow in South Korea for Advantage Assam 2.0. He had multiple productive meetings with stakeholders in sectors like renewable energy, semiconductors, and small and medium enterprises. Sarma highlighted the potential for Assam to emerge as a global semiconductor hub, emphasising the state's strong policy support for the industry. He invited major semiconductor firms like SK Hynix and Seoul Viosys to be part of Advantage Assam 2.0. The CM also engaged with South Korean leaders in the SME sector, and in the renewable energy domain, to align with Assam's goal of reaching 3,000 MW of clean energy by 2030. The Chief Minister's visit to Tokyo is seen as part of India's broader strategic outreach to Japan, with the two countries sharing a "Special Strategic and Global Partnership." Japan-India relations are based on a rich history, intertwined through cultural exchanges and historical connections. These ties date back to 752 AD, with Indian monk Bodhisena's contribution to the consecration of the Todaiji Temple's Buddha statue in Nara. The legacy of Indian figures like Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, and others has also helped cement the historical bond. In recent years, Japan's growing Indian diaspora, especially professionals from the IT and engineering sectors, has also added depth to this partnership. With over 40,000 Indians residing in Japan, areas like Nishikasai in Tokyo are increasingly becoming hubs of cultural exchange, prompting the establishment of Indian schools. This community further reflects the strengthening of India-Japan relations, both in cultural and economic spheres. (ANI) Pakistan government negotiation committee spokesperson Irfan Siddiqui has announced that government has not yet taken any decision regarding the establishment of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9 and November 26, The Express Tribune reported. Siddiqui made the remarks while speaking to reporters after the first round of discussions held to discuss demands raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI). Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq chaired the meeting in his chamber. Several lawmakers, including Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Aleem Khan, Salik Hussain, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Rana Sanaullah, Farooq Sattar, Ejaz ul Haq, and Khalid Magsi attended the meeting. During the meeting, Azam Nazeer Tarar gave a detailed briefing on each point of the opposition's charter of demands raised by PTI, according to The Express Tribune report. He noted that representatives from all seven parties in the committee held comprehensive discussions. However, he said that the legal committee is yet to form a conclusive view on proposals made by Imran Khan-founded party. Irfan Siddiqui said that the discussions would continue in another session scheduled to be held on Wednesday. He said that the fourth round of dialogue would take place after seven working days, in accordance with the planned timetable. Meanwhile, PTI has continued to demand formation of judicial commission to probe the events of May 9 and November 26. PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reiterated party's stance, according to The Express Tribune report. He said, "PTI is willing to continue talks with the government, but forming a judicial commission is a key condition." Gohar Ali Khan stressed that there was little point in further dialogue if there is no progress on this demand. Calling for mutual understanding and patience, PTI chairman said, "Successful negotiations mean a successful Pakistan." He said that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his party's negotiating team to withdraw from further talks with the government if a judicial commission is not established within seven days, The Express Tribune report. He said, "Imran Khan has made it clear that the fourth meeting will only happen if the commission is formed within the deadline." PTI chairman accused the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N)-led government of being uneasy regarding the demand for transparency, terming it the "Form 47 government." He criticised government's negotiation committee spokesperson, Irfan Siddiqui, for delaying the progress. (ANI) The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) officially began on January 21, 2025, with leaders from around the globe emphasising the urgent need for collaboration in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, set the tone for the event by focusing on the theme of "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," stressing the importance of global partnerships to address the complexities and opportunities arising from the rapid transition from the Industrial to the Intelligent Age. "This transition from the Industrial to the Intelligent Age is occurring at an exponential pace, carrying unprecedented risks for humanity as we strive to prepare and adapt for its complexities. Yet, it also offers significant opportunities to transcend our current challenges and spark a new renaissance - one defined by advancements in knowledge, health, culture and societal welfare," Schwab said. He urged stakeholders from all sectors - government, business, civil society, and academia - to embrace "constructive optimism" and work together to craft solutions that can shape a future where every human being can reach their full potential. Borge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, highlighted the critical juncture the world finds itself at, stressing that 2025 would be a year of monumental importance. He pointed out that the traditional international order, which had shaped the global landscape for the past three decades, is in decline, urging leaders to seek more effective ways of working together. Brende underlined that collaboration is the only viable path forward to overcome challenges and secure future progress. Echoing these sentiments, Karin Keller-Sutter, the President of the Swiss Confederation for 2025, reinforced the need for stable governance to ensure prosperity. She emphasised that democratic and liberal values provide a framework for stability and progress, with open markets, fair rules, and fiscal discipline as the cornerstones of sustainable prosperity. "Only a state with stable institutions can create a sound environment where everyone can realise their potential, and a state must protect this freedom with rules," Keller-Sutter said. Europe's role in navigating the shifting global dynamics was also addressed, with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, laying out a strategy to adapt to an era of "harsh geostrategic competition." She called for increased competitiveness within Europe, the strengthening of global partnerships, and a continued commitment to sustainable development. "To sustain our growth in the next quarter of the century, Europe must shift gears," von der Leyen asserted. "We should not take anything for granted. We must look for new opportunities wherever they arise. This is the moment to engage beyond blocs and taboos. And Europe is ready for change." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke about the pressing need for renewed commitments to both security and prosperity in the face of global challenges. He underscored that partnerships are key drivers of successful economic development and announced plans to reform Germany's public debt regulations to boost domestic growth. Scholz also highlighted the need for Europe to strengthen its defense capabilities and industrial base, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the new administration in Washington, DC, but remaining optimistic about emerging technologies. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, now in the third year of the war with Russia, emphasised the importance of Europe uniting to solidify its role as a global leader. Zelenskyy urged European nations to prioritise technological advancements and military cooperation to ensure their continued strength on the world stage. "Europe needs to compete for the top spot in priorities, alliances, and technological development," Zelenskyy said, urging European countries to allocate sufficient resources for security and defense. China's Vice-Premier, Ding Xuexiang, used the platform to address growing concerns over the fragmentation of the global economic system and the rise of protectionism. He warned that a "trade war has no winners," advocating instead for a process of globalisation that benefits all nations equally. Ding reaffirmed China's commitment to multilateralism, emphasising the importance of a UN-centered global order and stressing that nations must work together on issues like climate change and economic inequality. He also highlighted China's progress in green energy and ongoing economic reforms. "China's door of opening up will not be closed and will only open even wider, and our business environment will only get better," Ding stated. Pham Minh Chinh, the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, spoke of the country's dedication to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for its economic development. He noted that Viet Nam aims to become a hub for high-tech manufacturing and development in the region, prioritising the establishment of research and development centers, especially in AI and other advanced technologies. "These efforts will not only advance technological innovation, but also position Viet Nam as a hub for high-tech manufacturing and development in the region," Chinh said. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, outlined the priorities for the country's G20 Presidency, which will focus on solidarity, equality, and sustainable development. Ramaphosa emphasised the need for global cooperation to tackle the pressing challenges of the 21st century, including climate change, pandemics, poverty, and terrorism. "We are again called upon to harness that most powerful, and that most enduring, of human attributes: mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration," he said, as South Africa prepares to host the first G20 Summit in Africa later this year. Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, touched upon the regional instability in the Middle East, welcoming the recent ceasefire and the release of hostages but cautioning against premature optimism. "I want to be lucid and cautious...there are opportunities, but still risks. We must ensure this never happens again," Herzog said, emphasising the need for continued vigilance and collaboration in the region. (ANI) Charge d'Affaires of Chinese Embassy in India, Wang Lei, hosted a reception in New Delhi for Chinese New Year on Tuesday. During the event, he expressed China's readiness to work with India "in the spirits of looking to the future and pursuing win-win cooperation to invest their resources into development and revitalization and place the border issue in an appropriate position within bilateral ties. In his remarks at the reception held in New Delhi on Tuesday, Wang Lei said that India and China should jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas, forging a path for the neighbouring nations to co-exist in harmony and create a better future together. He noted that 2025 marks 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and China. He recalled that India was one of the first nations to recognize New China and the first non-socialist nation to establish diplomatic ties with New China. He said, "The Year 2025 also marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. India was one of the first countries to recognize New China and the first non-socialist country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. As two major developing countries, representatives of emerging economies, and important members of the Global South, China-India relations maintain healthy and stable development, which is in line with the fundamental interests of over 2.8 billion people in both countries and the historical trend of common development of the Global South." Expressing China's willingness to work with India, he said, "We stand ready to work with the Indian side, in the spirits of looking to the future and pursuing win-win cooperation, to invest our valuable resources into development and revitalization, and place the border issue in an appropriate position within bilateral relations. We should jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas, forge a path for the neighbouring countries to coexist in harmony, and create a better future together. We will hold dozens of celebratory activities for the 75th anniversary and look forward to your participation. Together, we will write new stories of China-India friendship." Wang recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting in Russia's Kazan in October and the two sides agreed to step up strategic communication, safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas. Recalling the meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping, he said, "Last October, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi held a meeting in Kazan, Russia. The two sides agreed to step up strategic communication, safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas, and strive to bring the bilateral relationship back to the track of stable development at an early date. The two leaders viewed China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and pointed the way forward for the improvement and development of bilateral relations at a critical moment." He also talked about the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India Boundary Question held in Beijing in December. According to him, the officials of two nations during the meeting held discussions on border issues and agreed on six-point consensus. "Last December, the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India Boundary Question was held in Beijing. Based on the important common understandings reached by the two leaders, both sides had substantive discussions on the China-India border issues and agreed on a six-point consensus," he stated. Speaking about trade exchanges between India and China, he said, "Our economic and trade exchanges have become closer, with trade volume reaching 126.6 billion US dollars in the first 11 months of 2024, registering a year-on-year growth of 1.9 per cent. People-to-people exchanges have seen rapid growth, and the Chinese Embassy and Consulate Generals in India issued 280,000 visas to Indians last year." National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's Minister of Foreign Affairs held the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) in Beijing on December 18. The meeting between NSA Doval and Wang Yi was scheduled after New Delhi and Beijing in October reached an agreement regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas. During the event, Wang Lei said that the year 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and noted that it was crucial year for the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan. He said that the Year 2025 is the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan and emphasised that China will implement more proactive and effective policies to promote high-quality development and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development. He said that China's vision was put forward at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, APEC, G20 and other multilateral forums. Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, shared pictures of the reception held in New Delhi on X. He said that representatives from Indain government, political parties, think tanks, media and students attended the event. "Chinese Embassy in India held a reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for Chinese New Year. Representatives from Indian government, political parties, diplomatic corps, enterprises, think tanks, media as well as Chinese enterprises and students attended the event," Xu Feihong posted on X. (ANI) Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, has termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the real "Boss" of the world. In a meeting with Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu and IMF Founder Prof. Himani Sood in Fiji, Rebuka said PM Modi is a top global leader. Praising PM Modi's mantra of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' for ensuring everybody develops and prospers together, the Prime Minister of Fiji said, "I believe Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is a great governance model that PM Modi is practising, which ensures inclusive development for all. I think the world should adopt it for making it a better place to live". "My friend (PM Modi) had been re-elected (as PM) after we met (in 2023), so congratulations again and I would like to make sure that he gets the message that Fiji is still here. We are still committed to our journey of peace, on which he has been on that journey for long. Oneness' in our development, oneness in our progress and all these are great ideals for all world leaders," Fiji PM added. The Fijian PM said PM Modi has become an icon for peace and Hindus all over the world. "Having the confidence of those in India is a big number. So, I congratulate him for that. The oneness in that journey of Hindus in the world will eventually translate into oneness in the peoples of the world," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Rabuka in May 2023 in Port Moresby during his visit to Papua New Guinea on the sidelines of the third Forum of India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit. On behalf of the Fijian President, Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, Prime Minister Rabuka had then bestowed Prime Minister Modi with the highest civilian honour of the Republic of Fiji--the Companion of the Order of Fiji (CF). This is not the first time that any world leader has praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier in 2023, Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese had called him (Modi) Boss. The former President of the US, Joe Biden, had described PM Modi as a fantastic and globally powerful leader and expressed a desire to take his autograph. The Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni also described PM Modi as the most loved of all around the world. The Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen had said that PM Modi is an inspiration for the world and the President of Guyana said that they owe him a debt of gratitude. (ANI) Popular Pakistani YouTubers Sohaib Chaudhry and Sana Amjad resurfaced on Tuesday after a mysterious 21-day disappearance, sparking rumours of abduction or even death. In a video, Sohaib revealed he was abducted and tortured by members of a significant political party who pressured him to join their organisation. While refraining from naming the group, Sohaib promised to disclose further details in future videos. Both YouTubers, known for their content related to India, have often courted controversy. In his video, Sohaib Chaudhry detailed his ordeal, saying he lived in constant fear of death during his captivity. "I was thinking that any day could be the last of my life," he said. The YouTuber alleged he was subjected to severe torture as his captors tried to force him into compliance. Despite the physical and emotional pain, Sohaib vowed to stand firm. "I will not fear, as all my fear has been removed now. I will continue to say what is true," he declared. His statements underscored his defiance in the face of threats. Sana Amjad shared her traumatic experience, revealing how her family was targeted to silence her. She disclosed, "The men tortured my mom because of my channel. They want the content to be banned or my channel shut down." Despite this, Sana's resolve remains unbroken. "They have removed all my fear after torturing my mom. I will continue to make videos," she said. Sana's channel, which has often praised India and advocated for greater cooperation between India and Pakistan, has made her a divisive figure in Pakistan. Defending her content, Sana stated, "Praising India is not a crime in Pakistan. Several politicians, including the Prime Minister, have also praised Indian policies in the past." She thanked Indian media and YouTubers for their support during her disappearance while criticising the silence of her Pakistani peers. "I would like to thank Indian media and YouTubers for standing by us, but Pakistani media and YouTubers chose to remain silent," she remarked. Both YouTubers remain determined to continue their work despite the risks. Sohaib declared, "It's a chance that my death could become a reality in the coming days, but I will continue to tell right from wrong, no matter what." (ANI) Airport Executive Director Group Captain Kamrul Islam confirmed the matter to reporters. He said that flight BG-356 was threatened with bomb attack on its way from Rome to Dhaka. The flight made an emergency landing at Hazrat Shahjalal Airport at 9:20 am. The flight's 250 passengers and 13 crew were evacuated from the plane and brought to the terminal. (ANI) The United Nations (UN) human rights experts have sent a letter to the Chinese government, expressing serious concerns about ongoing human rights abuses in Tibet and East Turkestan, as reported by Tibet.net. According to Tibet.net, the letter highlights the unlawful detention and forced disappearance of rights defenders and others in these regions. It calls on the Chinese government to explain the fate of several individuals, including nine Tibetans who have been detained without clear charges or access to legal representation. The UN experts pointed out a disturbing pattern of human rights violations, such as incommunicado detentions, enforced disappearances, and the suppression of cultural, religious, and artistic expression. They stated that these actions are meant to silence critics, limit freedom of expression, and suppress minority groups in Tibet and East Turkestan, Tibet.net reported. The communication specifically named nine Tibetans--Tsedo, Kori, Chugdar, Gelo, Bhamo, Lobsang Samten, Lobsang Trinley, Wangkyi, and Tsering Tashi--who have been detained or disappeared. The experts also raised questions about their arrests, detentions, and whether their cases were kept secret or handled unfairly in closed trials. They urged the Chinese government to clarify whether these individuals have received fair treatment and whether any investigations have been launched into their mistreatment. Reports from the UN experts also highlighted the ongoing issue of torture and inhumane treatment of detainees. Many Tibetans have been tortured during police interrogations, with some dying due to the abuse or lack of medical care. The letter called for transparency about efforts to investigate and address any cases of wrongful imprisonment, torture, or deaths in custody, as reported by Tibet.net. The communication also mentioned several cases from recent years, such as the arrests in August 2022 of five Tibetans who were involved in religious activities like offering prayers and burning incense. These acts, although peaceful, led to their arrests, and their families were not allowed to send them food. One of the individuals, Chugdar, reportedly died while in custody after being severely beaten and tortured. Additionally, according to Tibet.net, the experts raised concerns about four Tibetans who were arrested in September 2024 including Lobsang Samten, Lobsang Trinley, Wangkyi, and Tsering Tashi. These individuals were detained without any information about their charges or where they are being held. The experts noted that Lobsang Samten and Lobsang Trinley are important religious figures at Kirti Monastery, and their arrest is part of a larger pattern of repression against religious freedom in Tibet. The letter also highlighted the Chinese government's increasing crackdown on religious practices. Simple acts like possessing images of the Dalai Lama, burning incense, or offering prayers have led to arrests. The government has imposed strict surveillance on religious activities and taken control of monasteries and nunneries. Religious leaders are often detained or forced to undergo political re-education. These actions are part of China's broader campaign to "sinicise" religion, aiming to forcefully align Tibetan religious practices with Chinese state ideology, Tibet.net reported. The letter was signed by several UN special rapporteurs, including experts on enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, freedom of expression, the rights of human rights defenders, and religious freedom, among others. They called for China to take immediate action to address these violations and provide clarity on the fate of the detained individuals. The communication serves as a reminder of the ongoing human rights struggles in Tibet and East Turkestan, where cultural and religious freedoms continue to be severely restricted. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed the Bishop who during her sermon for the inaugural prayer service urged him to have "mercy" on people in the US who she said are "scared now." Calling Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde "nasty and "Radical Left hard line Trump hater," Trump said that her sermon was "very boring and uninspiring" and added that she and her church "owe the public an apology." In a post shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that Bishop Budde failed to speak about the large number of illegal migrants that entered the US and killed people. "The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart," Trump posted on Truth Social. He added, "She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!" https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113870397327465225 Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, during her sermon for the inaugural service on Tuesday, looked directly at Trump and urged him to have mercy as the "vast majority of immigrants are not criminals," The New York Times reported. She said, "I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now." She stated, "There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives." Bishop Budde said, "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals." She said, "I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here." It was the direct appeal to Trump at the start of the first full day of his presidency. Her remarks came 24 hours after Trump returned back to the White House and issued several executive orders focused on transgender rights and immigration. Donald Trump, who sat in the first row of pews in the towering Washington National Cathedral, looked down and away. US Vice President JD Vance raised his eyebrows and looked several times at his wife, Usha Vance, who kept looking at the Bishop, The New York Times reported. When Bishop Budde finished, Trump said something to Vance, who shook his head. Members of the Trump family seemed to look at one another and they were noticeably disturbed. Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, shook his head, as per the report. When asked on what he thought of the service, Trump responded, "I didn't think it was a good service, no." Bishop Budde is not the only prominent clergy member to express concern over Trump's stance on immigration. Earlier on Sunday, Pope Francis termed Trump's plans for mass deportations "a disgrace." (ANI) Police in Gwadar conducted a raid at a bookstall associated with the "Balochistan Kitaab Karwaan" initiative, a project organised by the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC). The Pakistan police authorities confiscated books and detained several students who were present at the stall, taking both the individuals and the seized materials to the police station, as reported by the Balochistan Post. According to the Balochistan Post, the BSAC swiftly condemned the action, calling it an attack on education and free expression. In a strongly worded statement, the committee remarked, "If reading and teaching books are deemed illegal, then all universities and colleges across the country should be shut down, and a bill should be passed banning books altogether." The group expressed frustration over the irony of Gwadar being promoted as a symbol of progress in Balochistan while education-related activities are being disrupted. The BSAC also pointed out the paradox that while serious social issues, such as drug use and crime, persist openly in the city, young people engaged in spreading knowledge through books are targeted by the authorities, the Balochistan Post reported. The Balochistan Post further reported that the committee accused the government of systematically discouraging education among Baloch youth and argued that such actions were part of a broader pattern of harassment aimed at alienating young people from learning. The BSAC warned that this ongoing repression was designed to instill a sense of hopelessness among the youth of Balochistan. Despite the intimidation, the BSAC pledged to continue its efforts to promote education and access to knowledge. The group demanded the immediate release of the detained students and the return of the confiscated books. The BSAC called for an end to the ongoing harassment of Baloch youth, emphasising that their mission to spread education would not be deterred, the Balochistan Post reported. (ANI) Beijing has pledged to elevate the relationship with Moscow to new heights this year, hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President. The Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, "shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead." Xi Jinping emphasised China's readiness to work with Russia to elevate bilateral ties and respond to global uncertainties, stressing the importance of enhancing strategic coordination, supporting each other, and defending their legitimate interests, as per a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. According to the statement, Xi highlighted the need for both countries to strengthen practical cooperation. Additionally, Xi called for China and Russia to collaborate in strengthening the BRICS cooperation and supporting the Global South's pursuit of unity. In his remarks, President Putin affirmed the strong and trusted relationship between Russia and China, noting that bilateral cooperation remains resilient despite changes in the international environment. Putin also highlighted the steady progress in trade, energy cooperation, and mutual tourism visits. He reiterated Russia's support for China on the issue of Taiwan, opposing any form of "Taiwan independence." Putin emphasised the shared history of both countries, celebrating their joint efforts in World War II to defend national sovereignty and dignity. He expressed Russia's commitment to working with China to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War and to defend the outcomes of the war. Putin also reaffirmed Russia's intention to strengthen cooperation with China in multilateral affairs, contributing to global peace and development. "President Xi stressed his readiness to work with President Putin and guide China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025, to respond to external uncertainties with the stability and resilience of China-Russia ties, to boost the development and prosperity of both countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice. He underscored the need for the two countries to deepen strategic coordination, firmly support each other, and defend their legitimate interests. He also noted the need to cement and expand bilateral relations with a view to deepening practical cooperation... China and Russia should also work together to advance greater BRICS cooperation and write a new chapter of the Global South pursuing strength through unity," the statement read. Meanwhile, President Putin noted that Russia and China always trust each other, support each other, and treat each other as equals, and that the bilateral cooperation, which serves the interests of both peoples, has remained impervious to shifts in the international landscape. Russia further called for support for the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and firmly opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form. "President Putin noted that Russia and China always trust each other, support each other, and treat each other as equals, and that the bilateral cooperation, which serves the interests of both peoples, has remained impervious to shifts in the international landscape...Russia firmly supports the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and firmly opposes "Taiwan independence" in any form," the statement added. The yearly custom of the two leaders conversing around the new year highlights the two nations strong personal bond, particularly the timing of it this year, as it comes hours after Trump was sworn in as President. Notably, both leaders have expressed a desire to reset strained relations with the US under the new administration, while Trump has indicated interest in engaging with or meeting both leaders early in his presidency, although it remains uncertain whether the new administration will adopt a conciliatory or tough stance toward either of these US rivals. (ANI) The Ukrainian Embassy in India celebrated the "Chain of Unity" on Wednesday. The Ukraine Embassy team in India along with the Ukrainian community formed a symbolic "Chain of Unity" to honour the occasion. In a statement, the Ukrainian Embassy in India stated that the gesture showcased the spirit of the "Chain of Unity" formed on January 21, 1990, when millions of Ukrainians joined hands from Kyiv to Lviv, demonstrating the resolve of the people. They called unity a cornerstone of Ukrainian statehood. "Unity has always been a cornerstone of Ukrainian statehood, and history shows we have triumphed when standing together. The embassy team together with the Ukrainian community in India formed a symbolic "Chain of Unity" to honour this historic occasion. This gesture reflects the spirit of the "Chain of Unity" formed on January 21, 1990, when millions of Ukrainians joined hands from Kyiv to Lviv, demonstrating the unbreakable resolve of our people," the Ukraine Embassy in India said in a statement. "Today, as we defend Ukraine from Russian aggression, we honour the memory of the defenders who gave their lives for freedom and unity. We thank every person safeguarding our country and call on the global Ukrainian community to remain united and work together to restore peace and justice. Together, with our collective efforts, the voice of Ukraine will continue to resonate powerfully across the world," it added. Ukrainian Embassy in India stated that Ukraine celebrates Unity Day for the third consecutive year amidst a full-scale war with Russia. It emphasised that unity remains Ukraine's greatest strength in "resisting Russian aggression and fighting for independence, freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity." In a statement, Ukraine's Embassy in India stated, "On January 22, we mark the 106th anniversary of the Act of Unification, when the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic came together, laying the foundation for a united Ukrainian state. The Unification Act, signed in St. Sophia Square in Kyiv, symbolized the fulfillment of the Ukrainian nation's long-standing aspiration for unity and independence." In a post on X, the Ukraine Embassy in India wrote, "Signed at St. Sophia Square in Kyiv, the Unification Act symbolized the fulfillment of Ukraine's long-standing dream of unity and independence--a cornerstone of our statehood." https://x.com/UkrembInd/status/1881978941856182369 The Ukrainian Embassy in India urged the Ukrainian community across the world to stay united. It further said, "Together, we will restore peace, justice, and ensure the voice of Ukraine resonates loudly across the world." (ANI) The event will be held at Waldorf Austria Hotel under the patronage of Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event will recognise organisations in 13 nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkiye, Jordan, Oman, Tunisia, Iran, Lebanon and Algeria. Tickets for the ceremony are available on: www.StevieAwards.com. Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller said, "The quality of nominations received this year was exceptional. The programme has grown every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region." More than 1,100 nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of 118 professionals worldwide, acting as judges on five juries to recognise innovative apps, achievements, entire organisations, public relations, customer service, human resources, individual professionals, live and virtual events, management, sustainability, technology, thought leadership, among others. Maggie stated that winners of multiple Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Awards include Abu Dhabi Customs, UAE; Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, UAE; ACTION LABS CONSULTANCY, Bahrain; Al Dhafrah Region Municipality, UAE; DHL Express, multiple locations across the region; Ebebek Magazacilik A.S, Turkiye; General Civil Aviation Authority, UAE; Gulf Agency Co. (Dubai) L.L.C/ GAC, UAE; Insan Charitable Society for the Care of Orphans and Their Mothers, Saudi Arabia; and Miral Destinations, UAE. Additionally, Mobile Communications Company of Iran - MCI, Iran; Ooredoo Group, multiple locations across the region; Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu, Saudi Arabia; Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia; Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), UAE; The Fashion Commission, Saudi Arabia; ZIRA Arabia, Saudi Arabia, among others. (ANI/WAM) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), highlighted key discussions on Ukrainian-Israeli cooperation during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The talks focused on shared challenges, security collaboration, and efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "We met with President of Israel @Isaac_Herzog to discuss important issues of Ukrainian-Israeli cooperation." "Ukraine is glad to see people who were in captivity returning home. Among the main topics of our discussion were shared challenges, collaboration - particularly in the security sphere - and ways to achieve a just peace for Ukraine," the post added. https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1881994474152177758 Meanwhile, Herzog also concluded a series of high-level meetings with global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, focusing on issues such as regional security, the return of "abductees held by Hamas," and the prevention of nuclear weapons in Iran. In a rough translation in a post on X, the Office of the President of Israel said, "The President of the State @isaac_herzog concluded a series of meetings with leaders from around the world within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, including the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the President of Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa, the President of Finland @alexstubb, the President of Serbia @predsednikrs, the President of the Congo @Presidence_RDC Felix Tshisekedi, the Prime Minister of Albania @ediramaal, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands @MinPres, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency @rafaelmgrossi, the Foreign Minister of Switzerland @ignaziocassis and many other leaders." The post added, "During the meetings, the President emphasised the urgent and important need to return all the abductees held captive by Hamas to their homes, and to implement the hostage deal in all its phases. He also raised the necessity of maintaining the security of the citizens of the State of Israel who are under threat from Iran and its proxies, and reiterated the danger of terrorism that threatens regional security, and the obligation to prevent nuclear weapons from Iran." https://x.com/IsraelPresident/status/1882005944512446482 The annual WEF meeting 2025 in Davos is taking place from January 20-24. The meeting brings together government, business and civil society leaders to set the year's agenda for how leaders can make the world a better place for all. Davos 2025 is convening under the theme, 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.' (ANI) Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, paid a visit to Taitung on Tuesday to motivate and encourage the local army garrisons and highlight the role they play in safeguarding national security. In a post on X, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said, "President @ChingteLai visited Taitung today, encouraging the local #ROCArmy, #ROCN, and #ROCAF garrisons to play key roles in safeguarding national security and ensuring a peaceful Lunar New Year for #Taiwan. #ROCArmedForces" https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1881630730285097254 In recent times, Taiwan has been showcasing its military prowess in response to Chinese aggression near its territory. Earlier in January, the Armed Forces held their Annual Media Event, where they demonstrated their combat power. In a post on X, MOND said, "Today marks Day 1 of the #ROCArmedForces annual media event Increased Readiness during Chinese New Year. #ROCArmy demonstrated its combat power with armored units supported by army aviation and special forces, highlighting its capability to counter any threat." https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1876485183022796809 The second stage of the #ROCArmedForces annual media event, 'Increased Readiness during Chinese New Year,' was held at Ching Chuan Kang AFB. #ROCAF F-CK-1 fighters demonstrated scramble drills, highlighting their commitment to defending our airspace. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1876571449257083116 Today marks Day 2 of the ROC Armed Forces annual media event, 'Increased Readiness during Chinese New Year.' The #ROCAF demonstrated PAC-2 and PAC-3 deployment drills, as well as an F-CK-1 (Fighter jet) integrated combat turnaround, highlighting Taiwan's ability to counter air threats. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1876853051924820438 Today marks Day 3 of #ROCArmedForces annual media event, 'Increased Readiness during Chinese New Year.' The #ROCN demonstrated missile corvettes and boats launching urgent strikes on maritime targets, while the new rescue ship Da Wu showcased its agility and rescue capabilities. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1877220819148959744 These drills and demonstrations are taking place ahead of Chinese aggression. The Taiwan-China issue is a complex and longstanding geopolitical conflict centered on Taiwan's sovereignty. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), operates its own government, military, and economy, functioning as a de facto independent state. However, China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and insists on the "One China" policy, which asserts that there is only one China, with Beijing as its capital. This has fueled decades of tension, especially since the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), when the ROC government retreated to Taiwan after the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of mainland China. Beijing has consistently expressed its goal of reunification with Taiwan, using diplomatic, economic, and military pressure to isolate Taiwan internationally. Meanwhile, Taiwan, supported by a significant portion of its population, continues to maintain its independence. (ANI) Prince Harry has resolved his legal dispute with News Group Newspapers (NGN), the UK media company owned by Rupert Murdoch, according to his lawyer, as reported by CBS News. The lawsuit, filed in 2019 by Harry and a former senior UK lawmaker, accused News Group of engaging in illegal practices through its tabloids, The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, involving journalists and private investigators. NGN also issued an apology to Prince Harry for "incidents of unlawful activities." "NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun," a statement read in court on Wednesday said. The statement also included an apology for the activities of journalists and private investigators working for the News of the World. "NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages," the statement said, CBS News reported. News Group has previously faced over 1,300 lawsuits from politicians and celebrities over allegations of phone hacking and other unlawful activities. While it has settled many of these claims, the company has consistently denied any wrongdoing by The Sun or that senior executives concealed illegal actions. In court documents that emerged in 2023, Prince Harry claimed that his own brother, Prince William, heir to the British throne, quietly received "a very large sum of money" in a 2020 phone hacking settlement with Murdoch's UK newspaper group, according to CBS News. (ANI) Taiwan's High Prosecutors' Office said on Wednesday that it has indicted retired army lieutenant general Kao An-kuo and five others for allegedly creating an organization in Taiwan to assist China in the event of a military invasion, according to the Taipei Times. The office stated that the six defendants are suspected of violating the National Security Act and have been transferred to the Taiwan High Court. The court has decided to detain them, prohibiting any outside contact. After retiring from military service, Kao An-kuo founded the pro-unification group "Republic of China Taiwan Military Government," according to a news release from the office. In 2019, Chinese intelligence personnel recruited Kao, along with a military spokesperson surnamed Hou and a woman surnamed Liu, following several exchanges. According to prosecutors, Hou and Liu are suspected of receiving financial support from the Chinese military to develop armed organizations and operational bases in Taiwan. The six defendants collectively received over 9.62 million New Taiwan dollars from China, the prosecutors said, according to the Taipei Times. Prosecutors claimed that Hou and Liu recruited former military colleagues to undermine the government, planning to support the Chinese military in the event of a Taiwan invasion. They have requested the court to impose sentences of at least 10 and eight years, respectively, on Kao and Liu, as their actions placed national security in a dangerous and unpredictable situation. Prosecutors also stated that the other defendants should face sentences ranging from three years and five months to over eight years in prison, the Taipei Times reported. In 2021, Kao posted a video of himself in military fatigues, urging Taiwanese military personnel to surrender to China and overthrow the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government. Earlier in December, Taipei prosecutors indicted four former military personnel on charges of selling state secrets to China. The four individuals, surnamed Lai, Lee, Lin, and Chen, have been detained, Taipei Times reported. According to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, the three suspects who were responsible for security at the Presidential Office Building served in the 211th Military Police Battalion, surnamed Lai, Lee and Lin, while Chen served in the Ministry of National Defense's Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command. "Lai served from August 2015 to November last year, Chen from December 2017 to July last year, Lee from 2018 to February, and Lin from 2021 to August. From the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022, Lai and Chen were allegedly brought into the scheme by a man surnamed Huang, who is currently wanted, on behalf of China's intelligence agents," prosecutors said. "Starting in April 2022, Chen used his cellphone to take photographs of classified documents before passing them on to Lai and Chen, or Chinese agents," prosecutors added. Further, the prosecutors highlighted that between March or April last year and August this year, Chen, using a fake identity, recruited fellow soldiers to spy for China in exchange for rewards. (ANI) Ambassador Alameri highlighted the UAE leadership's commitment to fostering and developing its strategic partnership with Bahrain, expressing his wishes for continued prosperity and progress for the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people. Minister Al Khalifa praised the two nations' long-standing brotherly relations and strong strategic partnership, emphasising the ongoing growth and progress in various areas. He stressed the importance of deepening cooperation, exchanging knowledge, and supporting joint investments in transportation, communications, and logistics to benefit both countries and their peoples. (ANI/WAM) With Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto as Chief Guest at this year's Republic Day, a 352-member marching and band contingent from the country will be participating in at the Parade on the Kartvya Path in the national capital. This will be the first time that an Indonesian marching and band contingent will participate in a national day parade abroad. President Prabowo, who will pay a State Visit to India on January 25-26, will attend the 76th Republic Day parade as Chief Guest. The entire gamut of bilateral cooperation including political, defence and security cooperation, trade and investment, healthcare, digital technologies, energy, culture, connectivity, tourism and people-to-people relations will be reviewed during his visit. Several MoUs and announcements are likely to be concluded and the third CEO Forum will be held on the sidelines. This will be the first visit of President Prabowo to India as Head of State. Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia, was the Chief Guest at India's first Republic Day in 1950. President Prabowo will be the fourth Indonesian President to attend India's Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Indonesia in 2018. During the visit, India-Indonesia bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a shared vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also adopted. Prime Minister Modi met President Prabowo on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November last year. This was the first meeting between the two leaders. India and Indonesia are close maritime neighbours with cultural and trade ties spanning over a millennia. The annual Bali Yatra festival, which commemorates the historic voyages by Indian seafarers who would set sail to Bali, is one such example of these cultural linkages. Indonesia is an important pillar in India's Act East Policy. There are regular high-level interactions including convening of bilateral mechanisms like Joint Commission Meetings and Foreign Office Consultations. In terms of economic cooperation, Indonesia is one of India's largest trading partners in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade in 2023-24 reached USD 29.40 billion. Indian investments in Indonesia amount to USD 1.56 billion in infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automotive, mining, banking and consumer goods sectors. The Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2018 has further strengthened defence ties. There are regular talks between the defence services of the two countries and bilateral Army Exercise 'Garuda Shakti' and Joint Naval Exercise 'Samudra Shakti' are held regularly. There is regular conduct of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT). India and Indonesia also share robust and active space cooperation dating back to 1997. Two Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TTC) ground stations set up by ISRO at Biak, Papua support Indian satellite and launch vehicle missions. Apollo Hospital is working with the Indonesian Mayapada Hospital group to build a green hospital in the new capital Ibu Kota Nusantara(IKN) for clinical collaboration, providing capacity building, technical training, hospital management services and collaboration to make affordable and quality healthcare available to Indonesians. Exports of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to Indonesia have risen from USD 167.01 million in 2020-21 to USD 230.41 million in 2023-24. Indonesia is a major recipient of ITEC and TCS of Colombo Plan scholarships. ICCR offers around 20 scholarships every year to Indonesian students for pursuing higher studies in India. ITEC offers around 100 slots to Indonesia every year. Direct flight connectivity between India and Indonesia commenced in August 2023. Routes include Mumbai-Jakarta, Delhi- Bali and Bangaluru-Bali sectors. India has emerged as the second largest source of tourists (more than 6,00,000) to Bali in 2023-24. There are approximately 1,50,000 Persons of Indian Origin whose ancestors migrated to Indonesia in the 19th and 20th centuries. There are around 14,000 Indian Nationals (NRI) living in Indonesia including entrepreneurs, engineers, chartered accountants, IT professionals, consultants and bankers. President Prabowo's visit will provide an opportunity for the leaders to undertake a comprehensive review of bilateral ties as well as to discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. (ANI) The Thai Consulate in Karachi has issued revised guidelines for travellers, stressing the importance of submitting authentic documentation, including valid airline tickets and hotel reservations, for e-visa applications. Any individual or travel agency found submitting falsified documents will face severe penalties, including blacklisting. This move follows an October incident where Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended two individuals at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport for attempting to travel abroad with counterfeit visas. During the operation, the FIA immigration team arrested two passengers including a woman, identified as Nazar Abbas and Umme Salma, who were found to have fake visas affixed to their passports. As per the FIA spokesperson, the woman suspect was attempting to travel to Iraq on flight number IA-432, carrying a counterfeit Iraqi visa, while Nazar Abbas was bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands on flight TK-709 with a fraudulent Cuban visa, ARY News reported. Also, for the first time in two decades, the FIA has issued a travel advisory aimed at combating human trafficking. The FIA Headquarters has sent a letter to Deputy Directors of Immigration across the country, instructing strict monitoring of passengers from 15 countries, nine cities in Pakistan, and two airlines, The Express Tribune reported. These include Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan, which have been identified as transit hubs for human trafficking to Europe. The advisory mandates enhanced monitoring of passengers aged 15-40 travelling on FlyDubai and Ethiopian Airlines. The movement of passengers with tourist, religious, or educational visas to these countries is being reviewed. The advisory was prepared based on the analysis of the IBMS database from July to December. According to the advisory, passengers from Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Bimber should be closely monitored. Profiling measures for passengers from Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, and Sheikhupura should also be enhanced, according to a report by The Express Tribune. (ANI) The Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States Secretary of State on Tuesday emphasized the Quad alliance's commitment to boosting regional maritime, economic, technology, and supply chain security in the Indo-Pacific. Notably, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on his first day in office on Tuesday, hosted the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan for a significant meeting of the Quad alliance between the four nations. Sharing a post on X, Jaiswal wrote, "Quad Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan & the Secretary of State of United States met immediately after the inauguration of the new US administration, signifying the commitment of the grouping to strengthening regional maritime, economic, technology & supply chain security in the Indo-Pacific." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1882030746082357515 They also opposed any unilateral actions aimed at altering the status quo through force or coercion in the Indo-Pacific. In a joint statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Washington DC to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended." "Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," it added. The joint statement further emphasized that the four nations are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains. "We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India," the statement said. (ANI) Johnnie Moore, former spiritual advisor to Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed the India-US ties under US President Donald Trump's first administration and expressed confidence for the ties to deepen further with the onset of the second term of US President Donald Trump. In an interview with ANI, Johnnie Moore, who also served as the former Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that the trajectory of the India -US ties under Trump 2.0 can be judged on the basis of his first term. "The relationship between India and the United States was better during Donald Trump's first term than it had ever been between our two countries," he said. He added, "America is the richest, most powerful democracy in the world. India is the largest. We are a match made on Earth that can impact every problem, every concern, every opportunity can be realised through this partnership". Bringing to attention how the Indian-American community sees the relationship under Trump, Moore said, "I think you can bet on the fact that the relationship between India and the United States is going to be better than ever, and that's just not my opinion. That's the opinion of the Indian American community which voted for Donald Trump at record levels. By the way, it's the opinion of the president himself. If you take his cabinet picks and across the administration, he has more Indian-Americans in his administration than ever before". Moore remarked, "The re-election of President Donald Trump was Namaste from the United States of America to our brothers and sisters, our friends and family in the country of India". Speaking about External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attending the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump, Moore told ANI, "If you watch the inauguration, there weren't that many people that were allowed to be inside of the of the actual hall where the inauguration took place and who was sitting on the front row, the representative of Prime Minister Modi. This is an indication on every level that there is only opportunity ahead for this relationship". (ANI) Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held a conversation with his lawyers and media representatives at Adiala Jail, where he defended the Al-Qadir Trust, addressed the cases against his wife Bushra Bibi, and called for the establishment of a judicial commission in the country. Khan said, "The Al-Qadir University project had been running long before the agreement between Malik Riaz and the NCA. Neither our cabinet played any role in the Al-Qadir Trust matter nor transferred this amount to the Supreme Court. The cabinet only approved the confidentiality of the Non-Disclosure Agreement so that such a large amount of foreign exchange could flow into Pakistan. The so-called 'sealed envelope' can be opened by the government and investigative agencies. Open it and tell the public what's written inside so that truth is revealed." He further added, "The Al-Qadir Trust is a welfare institution through which underprivileged students are introduced to the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Neither my wife nor I have obtained any personal benefit from it." Speaking about his wife, Bushra Bibi, Khan said, "Bushra Bibi was previously jailed for nine-and-a-half months to punish her for supporting me. Dragging housewives into politics is shameful and against our morals and traditional values. Bushra Begum is a woman of strong nerves. She is not my weakness, but my strength." Notably, Imran Khan also gave a call for approaching international human rights organisations regarding the deaths of "innocent, unarmed people". He said, "Our innocent, unarmed people were martyred and their families look to us to ensure they get justice. Negotiations without establishing a judicial commission are meaningless. I instruct Salman Akram Raja and Barrister Gohar to write to the Chief Justice and the head of the constitutional bench, Justice Aminuddin Khan, requesting that our human rights cases be heard on a priority basis. They should also write to international human rights organizations about this". (ANI) Johnnie Moore, former spiritual advisor to Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke about religious freedom as a priority for the Trump 2.0 administration, the issue of Khalistan, revised immigration policies and how India-US ties would progress under Donald Trump's administration. Speaking about the issue of religious freedom to ANI, Moore said, "It is crystal clear that religious freedom is a top priority of the Trump administration and when President Trump was running for re-election just a few months ago, he was one of the only world leaders that spoke out clearly and directly about what was happening to the Hindu community in Bangladesh". "So you can rest assured that President Trump is going to be a friend of Hindu Americans, not just Indian Americans, but of all Americans, whatever God they believe in or don't believe in, however they worship". Johnnie Moore, who also served as the former Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) told ANI. Speaking about the issue of Khalistan, Moore said, "I'm not an expert on that subject, but what I can inform you and I'm pretty confident of is that for any issue that's a point of conflict between the United States and India, there'll be channels to negotiate those things". Elaborating further, he said, "When he (Trump) says he's going to negotiate, he means it. But one of the things that I also know about visiting India more than 20 times in my life is that some of the best negotiators in the world are Indians, and I think one of the most interesting things to watch will be India and the United States negotiating over all kinds of things". Speaking to ANI about the discussions on tariffs, Moore said, "What will come of all of this will be a win-win relationship for both countries that will make everyone more prosperous". Commenting on the changes which the Trump 2.0 administration is bringing towards America's immigration policy, Johnnie Moore remarked, "President Trump has been very clear when it comes to immigration policy. He wants to crack down on illegal immigration, on our southern border. What he is not interested in doing is not allowing the people who have incredible talents to contribute to the United States". He gave the example of the Indian Americans who are leading tech sector in the US as an example substantiating his statement. "There is absolutely nothing that we can't achieve together. As an American that knows my country quite well and a supporter of the President, I bet on that. It's going to be the best time. It's not just going to be the golden age for America, it's going to be the golden age for the Indian-American friendship," he said. (ANI) Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a stand in defending the rights of Indian immigrants in the United States. Surjewala also highlighted the contributions of over 20,000 Indian immigrants and expressed concerns over the government's silence on the deportation orders under President Donald Trump's administration. Sharing a detailed post on X Surjewala said, "Dear Prime Minister Modi ji, Pls spare a few moments to watch Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde speaking the truth to President of United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump! Modi ji, please understand that immigrants are not interlopers or intruders or trespassers. Particularly, over 20,000 fellow Indian immigrants have gone to USA by sacrificing their scarce personal resources, family life and at times personal choices in search of jobs, personal growth and a better life. Our immigrants toil tirelessly in a foreign land giving their best... their risk taking capacity, huge guts and immeasurable determination to succeed, come what may, can not be described in words ..." The post added, "We, as a nation, partially failed them when we didn't provide the same jobs, opportunities, respect and assimilation to them as the government and people. By silently bowing down and accepting the diktats of newly elected President of United States to extradite them, our Union Govt is failing them again and all of us as a nation." Drawing attention to India's "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" and democratic principles, he called on the Prime Minister to uphold the values of equality, justice, and fraternity while protecting the dreams and aspirations of Indian citizens abroad. "On one hand, you speak of our ancient wisdom enshrined in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and on the other hand, you, as PM, quietly fall in line in front of Mr. Donald Trump, without caring for the shattering of thousands of dreams and draining of hope. Do you forget that like India, USA is also founded upon the tenets of equality, liberty, justice and fraternity and the blanket deportation order of our fellow Indian immigrants negates its essence, spirit and core ideology," Surjewala said. He added, "Do you forget the oath of the Constitution of India that you took to defend and protect every fellow Indian? If so, how can you shy away from speaking for over 20,000 fellow Indian immigrants?...So please, rise up and face the President of the United States and do not be scared of speaking the truth or defending our fellow immigrant Indians or their rights. If nothing else, please learn from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and emulate her moral compass. Let it not matter that she is a christian (before your troll army unleashes their vitriolic for me urging you to emulate a person of different faith)." https://x.com/rssurjewala/status/1882061226986901679 Notably, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, during her sermon for the inaugural service on Tuesday, looked directly at Trump and urged him to have mercy as the "vast majority of immigrants are not criminals," The New York Times reported. She had said, "I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now." She stated, "There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives." "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here," Bishop Budde added. (ANI) US President Donald Trump has called for an immediate resolution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and warned of potential economic consequences for Russia, including "taxes, tariffs, and sanctions." Trump also emphasised his long standing admiration for the Russian people and his past positive relationship with President Vladimir Putin. Sharing a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "I'm not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin - and this despite the Radical Left's Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big favour." "Settle now, and stop this ridiculous war! It's only going to get worse. If we don't make a "deal," and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It's time to 'make a deal.' No more lives should be lost," the post added. Earlier, President Putin had expressed willingness to hold communication with the incoming US administration about the Ukraine conflict and called elimination of the root cause of the crisis as the "most important thing," TASS reported. He made the remarks during the meeting of Russia's Security Council. "We are also open to dialogue with the new US administration about the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing there is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, which we have talked about many times. This is the most essential thing," TASS quoted Putin as saying. Notably, Trump had pledged to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine which has been ongoing since February 2022, halt the chaos in the Middle East, and take measures to prevent the outbreak of World War 3. (ANI) Noting that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself and is prioritising the bilateral relationship, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that the ties are being built further on the strong foundation that has been laid. Interacting with the media here, Jaishankar said the Trump administration is keen to take Quad further and intensify its activities. "If I were to share my overall impressions, I would say one, it was very keen. It was very clear that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself. They're clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship. Secondly, in the meetings, it was also evident that they would like to build on the foundation of the relationship, a foundation which the first Trump administration also contributed a lot to building," Jaishankar said. "President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at that time took a number of initiatives, and we have seen that mature in many ways. And the third impression was, with regard to the Quad, a very strong sense that the current administration would reciprocate our desire as well to take the Quad further, to intensify its activities," he added. Jaishankar represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his Special Envoy at the inaugural function of President Donald Trump in Washington DC today. He carried a letter from the Prime Minister for President Trump. Donald Trump took oath as the 47th US President on January 20. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Jaishankar in Washington DC, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening the US-India partnership. Secretary Rubio and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar affirmed a shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India. They discussed a wide range of topics, including regional issues and opportunities to further deepen the U.S.-India relationship. Secretary Rubio also emphasized the Trump Administration's desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration. This meeting marked Secretary Rubio's first bilateral engagement since assuming office. Both leaders emphasised collaboration in areas such as critical and emerging technologies, defence, energy, and the advancement of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Jaishankar expressed optimism about the bilateral relationship. "Delighted to meet Secretary Marco Rubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State. Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which Secretary Marco Rubio has been a strong advocate. Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look forward to closely working with him to advance our strategic cooperation," he said on X. The US-India relationship has seen substantial growth in recent years, with a focus on defence collaboration, trade, and shared strategic goals in the Indo-Pacific region. Secretary Rubio emphasised the importance of critical and emerging technologies as a key area for partnership, reflecting both nations' interests in fostering innovation and enhancing security frameworks. The Indian American community, numbering approximately 4.4 million, plays a pivotal role in strengthening ties between India and the United States. With 3.18 million persons of Indian origin constituting the third-largest Asian ethnic group in the US, this community excels across diverse fields, including politics. Their contributions have been instrumental in fostering closer bilateral relations. Notably, five individuals of Indian origin currently serve in the US Congress, further highlighting their influence and integration into American society. (ANI) Chinese FM calls on China and Bangladesh to successfully host Year of People-to-People Exchanges Xinhua) 09:14, January 22, 2025 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Adviser for Foreign Affairs of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on China and Bangladesh to consolidate traditional cooperation, expand emerging fields, successfully hold the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and Year of People-to-People Exchanges to push forward bilateral ties. Wang made the remarks during a talk with Touhid Hossain, Adviser for Foreign Affairs of the Interim Government of Bangladesh on Tuesday in Beijing. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh and the Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said there are new opportunities in the development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Bangladesh to continue the traditional friendship, strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to advance the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, said Wang. China supports Bangladesh in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and national dignity, and exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, respects the choice of the Bangladeshi people, and stands ready to continue to provide assistance for Bangladesh's economic and social development, said Wang. China is further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, which will generate more opportunities for the rest of the world, especially its neighbors, Wang said, adding that the two sides should coordinate the promotion of major landmark projects and "small but beautiful" livelihood projects. As developing countries, China and Bangladesh share broad common interests and need to strengthen solidarity and coordination in international and regional affairs and work for a more just and equitable global governance system, Wang added. Friendly relations with China are a cross-party consensus of Bangladesh, which has been supported by successive governments and all people, said Touhid. Bangladesh is committed to deepening cooperation with China in such fields as politics, economy and trade, infrastructure, medical care, water conservancy and human resources development, as well as strengthening people-to-people and governance exchanges, Touhid said, adding that Bangladesh looks forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with China and pushing bilateral relations to a new level. Touhid said that Bangladesh firmly upholds the one-China principle, adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, and resolutely defends the authority and effectiveness of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Bangladesh attaches great importance to the three global initiatives and is willing to support each other on international occasions, strengthen coordination in regional affairs, be partners in promoting connectivity and regional economic integration, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, Touhid added. Also on Tuesday, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met with Touhid in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Adviser for Foreign Affairs of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Sharjah [UAE] January 22 (ANI/WAM): Beirut International Airport has received the 23rd UAE relief plane as part of the "UAE stands with Lebanon" campaign, carrying 35 tonnes of medical supplies, including advanced devices and equipment and medical essentials needed in hospitals and health centres throughout the country. This additional medical aid came in compliance with the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the follow-up of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and under the supervision of Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Families Affairs and Chairman of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council and the Board of Trustees of the Erth Zayed Philanthropies. Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Vice Chairman of the Emirates International Aid Agency, stressed the UAE's continued commitment to mitigate the repercussions of the crisis that the people of Lebanon had been going through over the past few months, especially in areas of healthcare, societal welfare and the economy. "The need for medical essentials, devices and equipment that match the enormity of the crisis was greater than ever before," he noted. Al Shamsi continued, "The 23rd relief plane arrived at Beirut International Airport as part of an extended series of UAE aid supplies by air and sea to the Lebanese people. The country will continue to offer unlimited support not only to Lebanon, but to all nations and peoples suffering from the consequences of conflicts and disasters. We are providing aid to the people who are in dire need of it in consultation with concerned local and international authorities and relief agencies in Lebanon." "The UAE stands with Lebanon" campaign was launched in early October last year and consisted of two parts: official government aid and support from the general public. Since the campaign's launch, the UAE has continued to deliver large quantities of food parcels, medical supplies and shelter equipment, although the campaign had concluded by the first week of January. (ANI/WAM) Tel Aviv [Israel], January 22 (ANI/TPS): H5N1 bird flu was diagnosed in a flock of turkeys at Kibbutz Tzora in the Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. Following an unusual mortality of approximately 19,300 turkeys, aged 6.7 weeks, in four chicken coops, samples were sent to the laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which confirmed the suspicion. This is the 16th case of bird flu diagnosed in the current flu season in commercial chicken coops. As a reminder, in the past two weeks, two additional cases of bird flu were discovered in a turkey coop at Kibbutz Tzora. In order to prevent the spread of the disease, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is acting in accordance with the procedures recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) regarding the treatment of avian influenza. Among other things, a quarantine zone has been defined within a range of up to 10 km from the infected poultry houses, in which the movement of poultry is restricted, the population of poultry houses is prohibited, and strict biosecurity measures are required from those involved in the industry. The veterinary services at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security continue to conduct active monitoring of all poultry houses in the area. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security calls on breeders of ornamental birds and poultry farms, as well as free-range poultry farms, to keep the poultry they own inside buildings, prevent them from roaming in open areas, and thus reduce the risk of infection from wild birds during the migration season. (ANI/TPS) Hadley Danielle Baker - the strongest warrior that we all know and love is now our angel.Hadley gave it her all these... Posted by Hope for Hadley on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Hadley Baker, a 12-year-old De Pere native who had the northeastern Wisconsin community right behind her as she fought cancer, has died. The news was announced Wednesday on the Hope for Hadley Facebook page, which documented Hadley's journey. "Hadley Danielle Baker the strongest warrior that we all know and love is now our angel," the post said. "Hadley gave it her all these last few days in true Hadley style and was surrounded by her family and close friends the entire time." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hadley returned to the Green Bay area on Saturday after undergoing operations while in Miami, Florida. When her condition began to worsen, Baker and her family needed a medical flight to get her back to Wisconsin. It cost about $40,000, according to a Jan. 17 post. That post was later updated with: "We got the flight!!!! Thank you Russ and Denise Nowak and The Wheeler Family for the HUGE donations to get her on a medical flight first thing in the morning! On Saturday, many people lined up outside of St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay to welcome her back home. Words cannot express how heartwarming it was to see the crowd at the hospital today to welcome Hadley home. To all... Posted by Hope for Hadley on Saturday, January 18, 2025 Hadley was diagnosed in July 2023 with a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma in July. Throughout Hadley's journey, the Baker family has received, including nearly $55,000 raised between two GoFundMe fundraisers. According to the Hope for Hadley page, Hadley was in the arms of her sisters Lily and Macy at the time of her passing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Update on HadleyTo say shes a warrior is an understatement.She came home where she wanted to be on Saturday 1/18... Posted by Hope for Hadley on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Rashad Alexander can be contacted at ralexander@gannett.com and 920-431-8214. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Community in mourning after 12-year-old De Pere girl dies of cancer Dion Schilling speaks during a committee hearing on homelessness on Jan. 21, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Advocates for low-income housing and people seeking to reduce homelessness lined up to testify Tuesday in favor of a bill that allocates $211 million to address North Dakotas housing crisis. Senate Bill 2030 would provide: $200 million to the states Housing Incentive Fund. The money is to be distributed from that fund over four years. $10 million to the Housing Finance Agency for grants to address homelessness over two years beginning July 1. $1 million to the Department of Public Instruction to assist students experiencing homelessness in the 10 largest school districts in the state for the next two years. A school district may receive no more than $50,000 per fiscal year and must provide matching funds. $50,000 to the Housing Finance Agency for a study of homelessness over the next two years. The bill also calls for a legislative study of homelessness in the state before the 2027 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More 2025 legislative session coverage Legislative Management introduced the bill. The bill so far has bipartisan support, with Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, and Sen. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, testifying in favor of the bill during the hearing in front of the Education and Environment Division of the Senate Appropriations Committee. David Flohr, executive director of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, said building affordable housing helps attract and retain workers, a major challenge in the state. Adding housing supply also helps address homelessness and helps keep rent affordable, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dan Madler, chief executive officer of Beyond Shelter, a company that specializes in building affordable housing, called the bill a bold move that would have more of an impact than the smaller appropriations of the past. He said it would help the whole state and is needed to keep up with housing incentives in neighboring Minnesota and South Dakota. The committee heard from several people who work to address homelessness, along with emotional testimony from people who stay in shelters and make use of homeless services. Racine Jackson speaks during a committee hearing on homelessness on Jan. 21, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Dion Schilling said without the United Way Center for Opportunity in Bismarck, I can guarantee you one thing, Id be dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sue Shirek, executive director of the Northlands Rescue Mission in Grand Forks, said her facility went from providing people with about 14,000 nights of shelter in 2023 to more than 20,000 in 2024. She said mental health issues are one driver of homelessness. We arent anywhere near equipped to provide for those behavioral health needs, Shirek said, adding that many clients need services like those provided by the State Hospital at Jamestown. Weve become a junior State Hospital, and were not equipped to do it. No one spoke against the legislation at the hearing, but there was written testimony submitted in opposition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug Sharbono of Fargo wrote that the city has dumped money and resources into a bottomless pit where the support attracts additional homeless to move to Fargo. Koppelman was asked why the school liaison program was only targeted to the 10 districts with the most students. He said he viewed it as a pilot program that could be expanded to more districts if it proves to be effective. Committee Chair Sen. Ron Sorvaag, R-Fargo, said the plan would likely get more discussion as the committee considers the overall budget of the Housing Finance Agency. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Nathan Loura, chief information security officer at the Rhode Island Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, is seen through a glass door at the Warwick Municipal Annex during a meeting on Jan. 17, 2025. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Software, hardware, firewalls. The flow of network traffic and files between state and federal computers. The apps admins used to make changes remotely, right down to the version numbers. In blue, green and gray rectangles, a diagram shows how RIBridges, the public benefits eligibility and application system used by Rhode Islanders and state workers, is built. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone could have gotten a basic idea of how the RIBridges system works from the document posted publicly to the states procurement website at least until Tuesday afternoon, when the Rhode Island Department of Administration finished scrubbing the document from not just one location, but two, after inquiries were made by Rhode Island Current. The document was a scope of work attached to a 2024 request for proposals (RFP), posted in September 2024, which asked potential vendors to modernize the public benefits and health insurance system. I wouldnt say it was best practice, said Nathan Loura, the states chief information security officer, when asked about the sensitive information then still on the states website as he left the Warwick Municipal Annex on Friday, Jan. 17 around 2 p.m. Loura had just finished discussing the RIBridges breach, after leading a meeting of the Rhode Island Cybersecurity Planning Committee, which he co-chairs. Fifteen members of the committee spent 40 minutes of the approximately hourlong meeting behind closed doors discussing the details of the breach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loura asked the public to leave the community room because we may talk details, and may mention system names and confidential information. The executive session was allowed under a section of Rhode Island General Law that allows a public body privacy for discussion regarding the matter of security. Loura said that the committee would discuss security-related matters in this case, specific IP addresses. Loura was addressing the committee and the two members of the public who attended the meeting: A reporter, and a retired data architect. The RIBridges system has been in the spotlight for over a month after falling victim to an approximately one-terabyte-large data breach by cyber criminals in December. Letters containing free credit monitoring information have started to arrive in mailboxes of the up to 657,000 people who may have been affected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talking outside after Fridays meeting, Loura, who works in the states Division of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Services, said he was aware of the RIBridges schematic being online I dont want to say it was news to me noting that state officials were having internal discussions on the topic. But he also saw the need for the state to inform potential vendors about the systems theyre bidding to improve. Sometime between Louras interview with Rhode Island Current on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday, the scope of work attachment was removed from the current RFP listing. Other files which do not contain the system diagram remain. Fridays encounter wasnt the first time Rhode Island Current asked about the scope of works presence online. An email to the Department of Administration on Monday, Jan. 13, asked why potentially sensitive information was made public as part of the procurement process. A Department of Administration spokesperson replied that same day that she was working on the request. A follow-up request on Friday afternoon after the Cybersecurity Planning Committee meeting prompted a response from the departments Deputy Director Brenna McCabe at 8:49 p.m. At this time, we have no additional information to share and the State cannot comment on any perceived or potential security risks, McCabe wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A search Tuesday of the state procurement website found the same scope of work and same diagram in a request for information posted in June 2024. After Rhode Island Current notified McCabe that this document was still available around 1 p.m., it appeared to have been taken down around 3 p.m. The upper floors of the Power Building in Providence, which houses the Rhode Island Department of Administration, on Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Through the window Cybersecurity follows many of the same principles as defensive warfare or hiding in the most secret recesses of the earth, in Sun Tzus ancient phrasing. But the Rhode Island Cybersecurity Planning Committee was hiding in plain sight when they went into executive session during their first meeting of the year on Friday, and its first since the breach. The executive session, which was not on the agenda, took place behind a door with a large glass opening that allowed anyone to look in. At the start of the meeting the committee asked anyone from the public attending to sign in and introduce themselves. Richard Langseth, the retired data architect, said he was a citizen concerned about cybersecurity. He reminded the committee to hold a roll call vote before going into executive session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking in the municipal building lobby afterward, Langseth, a Warwick resident, lamented the fiasco with Deloitte and how the state manages IT with outside vendors. Normally, the Cybersecurity Planning Committee discusses municipal IT department grant requests before theyre sent to the federal government. The grant program is co-administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and began in 2022 to help municipalities get the often expensive resources they need to strengthen their network security. Langseth wasnt too sure of that model either. What theyre doing at the statewide, if not the federal, level, to allow the cities and towns to do their own cybersecurity is beyond the abilities of the staff of the town, he said. A tale of two architectures The RIBridges system diagrams version and model information could have provided insights for IT folks and hackers alike. Tech companies publicize known vulnerabilities in their products so that patches, if available, can be installed to block off possible points of system entry. Thats why most cybersecurity guidelines, including federal ones, include diligent updating of software. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RIBridges relies on older versions for several software components, although some apps have been updated or added since the systems inception. The intertwining of older and newer technology is part of why the state wants to modernize the RIBridges system, which debuted in 2016. Its development goes back even further to former Gov. Lincoln Chafees administration. Chafee left office in 2015. Achieving the strategic objectives is becoming more challenging due to the age and architecture of the system which are triggering larger efforts and investments, according to the 2024 RFP. This story has been updated for clarity about executive sessions. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Claim: An executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, would retroactively revoke the citizenship of second lady Usha Vance, as well as for all people whose parents did not hold citizenship at the time of a child's birth. Rating: Rating: False Context: This matter pertained to Trump's executive order, titled "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship." The order's authors made arguments about the 14th Amendment and set forth a policy that the government should not issue or recognize citizenship of children to parents who did not hold citizenship at the time of a child's birth. However, the order also said the rule would only apply to persons born in the U.S. in the future, not retroactively, beginning "30 days from the date of this order" meaning Feb. 19. This policy, if enforced as written, would not impact Usha Vance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A rumor circulating online in January 2025 claimed that an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 would retroactively revoke the citizenship of second lady Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, as well as for all people born to parents did not hold U.S. citizenship at the time of a child's birth. Snopes readers asked us about this matter and shared a social media meme positing the claim. For example, one X user wrote (archived) on Jan. 20, the same day as Trump's second inauguration: "NEW: JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance, will have her citizenship revoked if Trump signs his executive order banning birthright citizenship. Her parents were not US citizens at the time of her birth. Oops." Other social media users also shared the same claim on Facebook, Threads and X. However, the rumor that Trump's executive order would retroactively revoke both Usha Vance's citizenship and the citizenship of other people in her situation was false. The order's text featured specific language specifying its citizenship policy would "apply only to persons who are born within the United States after 30 days from the date of this order." In other words, the Trump order, if enforced as written, would apply only to children born on or after Feb. 19, 2025. USA Today also reported this same information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Reuters, Usha Vance's parents moved to the U.S. in the late 1970s and now teach engineering and molecular biology in San Diego. We did not immediately locate any information about when they obtained citizenship. Even so, that information would not change the fact that Usha Vance would not lose citizenship under the aforementioned Trump executive order. Snopes contacted the White House by email to ask whether they had a statement to share about this misleading rumor, as well as whether Trump's administration had plans involving retroactive actions and citizenship. We will update this story if we receive a response. Trump's Executive Order and 14th Amendment Trump's first-day executive orders, signed on Jan. 20, included the one pertinent to the rumor at hand. That order (archived) was titled "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship." The order's authors began by presenting various arguments regarding the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, an amendment dating back to the 1860s. For reference, the beginning of the 14th Amendment reads: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Several paragraphs into Trump's executive order, the authors mentioned criteria regarding the issuance and recognition of documents related to U.S. citizenship, then mentioned the part specifying that the policy, if enforced as written, would not begin until 30 days from Jan. 20, on Feb. 19. We bolded that part below: Sec. 2. Policy. (a) It is the policy of the United States that no department or agency of the United States government shall issue documents recognizing United States citizenship, or accept documents issued by State, local, or other governments or authorities purporting to recognize United States citizenship, to persons: (1) when that person's mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the person's father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person's birth, or (2) when that person's mother's presence in the United States was lawful but temporary, and the person's father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person's birth. (b) Subsection (a) of this section shall apply only to persons who are born within the United States after 30 days from the date of this order. The New York Times further said of the executive order: "The president cannot change the Constitution on his own, so it is not yet clear how Mr. Trump plans to withhold the benefits of citizenship to a group of people born in the United States. Any move is all but certain to be challenged in court." The Associated Press wrote that, as of this publication, attorneys general from 22 states had already filed lawsuits to block the enforcement of Trump's policy. Sources: Bernstein, Joseph. "Who Is Usha Vance, the Wife of J.D. Vance?" The New York Times, 15 July 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/style/usha-vance-jd-vance.html. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burack, Emily. "Meet Usha Vance's Parents, Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri." Town & Country, 20 Jan. 2025, https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a63459579/who-are-usha-vance-parents-krish-lakshmi-chilukuri/. Catalini, Mike. "22 States Sue to Stop Trump's Order Blocking Birthright Citizenship." The Associated Press, 21 Jan. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-trump-executive-order-immigrants-fc7dd75ba1fb0a10f56b2a85b92dbe53. Cole, Devan, et al. "24 Democratic States and Cities Sue over Trump's Bid to End Birthright Citizenship | CNN Politics." CNN, 21 Jan. 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/21/politics/democratic-states-sue-birthright-citizenship-trump/index.html. "Constitution of the United States: Fourteenth Amendment." Constitution Annotated, https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diaz, Olivia. "Who Is Usha Vance? Yale Law Graduate and Wife of Vice President JD Vance." The Associated Press, 16 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/usha-vance-attorney-jd-vance-wife-vp-63406da4f6739546391ed7797fc1fef2. Hals, Tom. "Explainer: What Is US Birthright Citizenship and Can Trump End It?" Reuters, 21 Jan. 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-birthright-citizenship-can-trump-end-it-2025-01-21/. Kanno-Youngs, Zolan, et al. "Trump's Executive Orders: Reversing Biden's Policies and Attacking the 'Deep State.'" The New York Times, 20 Jan. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/trump-executive-orders-list.html. McCreary, Joedy. "Usha Vance Is a US Citizen. Order on Birthright Citizenship Won't Change That | Fact Check." USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2025/01/21/usha-vance-trump-birthright-citizenship/77848108007/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship." The White House, 20 Jan. 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/. Santana, Rebecca, et al. "Trump Rolls out His Blueprint on Border Security, but His Orders Will Face Challenges." The Associated Press, 20 Jan. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19. TOI World Desk. "Why Indian-American Usha Vance Cannot Lose Her US Citizenship under New Trump Order." The Times of India, 21 Jan. 2025, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/why-indian-american-usha-vance-cannot-lose-her-us-citizenship/articleshow/117430904.cms. "U.S. Senate: Landmark Legislation: The Fourteenth Amendment." U.S. Senate, https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/14th-amendment.htm. Trained, professional firefighters like those battling the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires are vital to saving lives and mitigating disastersbut firefighter impersonators? Not so much. Even if they own their very own fire truck. As the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department detailed in its Facebook post on January 19th, law enforcement located two individuals dressed in firefighting gear inside the Palisades Fire evacuation zone. Both wore CAL-Fire t-shirts under actual turnout jackets and helmets, as well as possessed multiple handheld radios. But the biggest prop of all was a bright red fire truck allegedly from Oregon emblazoned with Roaring River Fire Department. According to Jalopnik on Tuesday, however, investigators still felt the pair did not appear to be legitimate. A look into the fire trucks registration information revealed the vehicle not only wasnt in service at the Roaring River Fire Departmentthe Roaring River Fire Department didnt actually exist in the first place. It turned out that the truck had previously been purchased at an auction, presumably then decorated with the fake name. Some of the gear seized by law enforcement from the impersonators. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Both suspects admitted to having unlawfully been inside the Palisades area on January 17th and 18th, one of whom also has a record in Oregon for criminal mischief and arson. Their exact motives for repeatedly visiting the evacuation area remain unclear. Investigators subsequently arrested the trespassers, charged them with impersonating a firefighter and entering an evacuation zone, and impounded the fire truck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ABC News noted that a similar firefighter impersonation incident occurred earlier this month in Malibu, while dozens of others have also been arrested for various other incidents. On January 9th, an unapproved commercial drone flying above the Palisades fires struck the wing of a Canadair CL-415 Super Scoopers operating in Los Angeles. No one was injured, but the aircraft was forced to land and remains out of commission. Only one other Super Scooper plane is currently available to aid firefighting efforts there. [ Related: This crowdsourcing app is a lifeline for Californians tracking wildfires ] The Palisades fire alone has burned through an estimated 23,700 acres and destroyed over 6,000 structures since its outbreak on January 7th. At least 28 people have died as a result of the multiple blazes, while the Palisades fire is currently around 68 percent contained at the time of writing. For verifiable information from actual professionals and community members, thousands of users have recently turned to Watch Duty, a free, crowdsourced wildfire information app. Secret Los Angeles features a resource list to help emergency responders and evacuees. Editor's note: This file captures the news of the snowstorm across the South from Wednesday, Jan. 22. For the latest updates on the snow and frigid temperatures, follow USA TODAY's coverage for Thursday, Jan. 23. PENSACOLA, Fla. Light snow fell on this panhandle city Wednesday as the last remnant of an unprecedented, deadly storm rolled out to sea after smashing snow records from here to New Orleans and casting a blanket of ice across a region not targeted by such a severe wintry assault in generations. The storm's impact will be felt for days in cities in the South unaccustomed to the deep freeze that has gripped most of the nation this week. About 20 million people across the region were under winter weather advisories and warnings, according to the National Weather Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Florida capital of Tallahassee, which usually gets temperatures in the 60s at this time of year, is expecting an overnight low of 20 degrees. Sleet and snow-topped 2 inches in at least one location in Tallahassee, according to preliminary snowfall estimates from the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. This has been the worst winter storm to hit the Gulf Coast in decades," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. The dig-out, so common in the nation's northern tier, was underway in earnest from Texas to Florida while challenged by a dearth of snow plows. Residents were urged not to travel on the iced-over roadways, and temperatures were expected to linger around freezing into Thursday. The storm began its march Tuesday in Texas, blanketing highways and snarling traffic before making its way east. Neighboring Louisiana saw it first-ever blizzard warning. New Orleans International Airport recorded 8 inches of snow, triple the previous record set more than 60 years ago, the National Weather Service reported. Records fell in Alabama, and parts of Mississippi were hit with almost a foot of snow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Florida, the Pensacola area broke the state's 130-year-old record for total snowfall. The National Weather Service reported 8.9 inches in Pensacola and 9.8 inches in Milton, both breaking the previous Florida record of 4 inches set in 1954. "We plead with our with our residents to continue to stay off the road," Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said. "They not only put themselves at risk, but they put our first responders at risk and our ability to respond at risk." 'Crazy to see': Parts of Gulf Coast get first-ever blizzard warning Developments: Interstate 10 was closed Wednesday evening in both directions for about 200 miles from the Alabama-Florida state line to near Tallahassee because of the icy conditions on the road and expected freezing temperatures overnight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 10 inches of snowfall in New Orleans on Tuesday shattered the previous official record of 2.7 inches in December 1963, although unofficially the February 1895 storm also dumped 10 inches at the city's Audubon Park. The last time New Orleans received any measurable snowfall was 2009, according to the National Weather Service. In Alabama, 7.5 inches fell in Mobile, where such accumulations have not been seen in more than 60 years, according to the weather service. Beyonsleigh, Taylor Drift and more: The amazing names plows adopt while pushing snow Corneilous Hughes, 12, left, and Chris Jasper, 20, wore Louisiana mittens (socks) on their hands as they made snowballs in Alexandria, La., on Jan. 21, 2025. Jacksonville Airport records first measurable snow since 1989 In its Record Event Report on Wednesday night, the National Weather Service confirmed that one-tenth of an inch of frozen precipitation, mostly in the form of sleet, fell at the Jacksonville International Airport just after 5 a.m. Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Northeast Florida experienced far less snow than the Florida Panhandle or Southeast Georgia the Panhandle town of Milton recorded nearly 10 inches on Tuesday and Wednesday the First Coast's snowstorm ranks among Jacksonville's top five snowfalls in National Weather Service archives dating to 1871. Jacksonville's last measurable snow before Wednesday occurred on Dec. 23, 1989, when 0.8 inches fell. The city's record snowfall came on Feb. 13, 1899, when a winter storm dumped snow to the depth of 1.9 inches on Northeast Florida. The National Weather Service also issued a Record Event Report for Alma, Georgia, which recorded its highest-ever single-day snowfall of 5 inches. Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union At least 12 deaths attributed to the storm At least 12 people have died, seven of them in Texas. Near La Pryor, 100 miles west of San Antonio, five people were killed Tuesday in a crash in icy conditions. Two people also have died from cold exposure in Austin, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Alabama, the Dale County Coroner's office confirmed two deaths likely related to the weather one in a car crash, the other in a house fire. And in Georgia, Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security Director Chris Stallings said a "critical needs" patient went outside and died of hypothermia. A 19-year-old was killed Wednesday afternoon when his vehicle overturned into the icy waters of Cross Creek in North Carolina, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. Police spokesperson Rickelle Harrell said the weather conditions contributed to the crash and speed was not a factor. Snow in Florida's capital city a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience' The storm brought a rare snow day to Tallahassee, shutting down practically the entire city and giving people a chance to throw snowballs or sleighs down a hill some for the first time. Local schools, universities, and state, local government agencies and Tallahassee International Airport had already planned to close for the day. But the sleet and snowstorm rendered Tallahassee an utter ghost town. Nearly every business in town closed, at least for the first part of the day, before a beaming sun began to melt some of the ice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside, the usual traffic noise of honking horns and screeching tires was replaced by the sound of laughter as kids and the young-hearted alike played outside. The Flom sisters, Pandora, 18, and Kalliope, 15, rigged cardboard boxes with exercise bands to race down a frozen hill at Lafayette Park in Midtown. "Its hard to comprehend that this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the older sister said as she wiped ice from her smile. Jeff Burlew, Douglas Soule, Ana Goni-Lessan, and Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat Snow collapses old Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama The roof of the Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama, a building that was in the process of being demolished, collapsed under the weight of the snow Wednesday morning, the city said in a Facebook post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The collapse occurred in a manner consistent with the plans for the buildings ongoing demolition,'' the city said. "Fortunately, there were no injuries, and the mosaic murals were undamaged.'' The port city received 7 1/2 inches of snow Tuesday as part of the massive storm hitting the Gulf Coast states. WKRG-TV showed drone footage of the collapsed roof in a building whose demolition started in September. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver Tallahassee sees a winter Waffle House indicator In Florida, Tallahassee police have advised residents to stay off icy roads. But a handful of brave patrons made their way to one local Waffle House on Wednesday morning bundled up, clutching fresh cups of coffee to warm their hands for the walk back home. The full menu wasn't available, but Tallahassee's Waffle Houses were serving the "Emergency Bowl Menu." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Customers could enjoy a bacon, egg and cheese bowl with their hash browns. Best known for being an indicator of how severe a hurricane threat is, the Waffle House easily withstood the Florida winter storm threat in Tallahassee. Waffle House said the limited menu is designed to accommodate lower staffing levels and to serve guests quickly. The chain's website shows eight 24-hour locations in and around the city. Kyla A. Sanford, Tallahassee Democrat For Houston resident, snow makes her feel 'like a kid inside' Not since elementary school had retired truck driver Thelma Foster seen the snow fall the way it did Monday night in Houston. "I just started feeling all warm like a kid inside," Foster, 55, told USA TODAY. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foster was prepared for any possible power outages with portable generators and camping heaters from her planning for Hurricane Beryl last year. She's staying off the roads and has spent the last few days enjoying the powdery snow from her apartment window with coffee in hand, wrapped in a blanket. This, she said, is the best way to take in the frigid weather. "I've been taking in every moment," Foster said. "I've really enjoyed it." Sam Woodward Storm will be costly to businesses AccuWeather issued a preliminary estimate of $14-$17 billion across the South for total damage and economic loss from the snow, ice and extreme cold. Porter noted that businesses have been forced to shut down, in some cases for days, and supply chain and shipping logistics have been severely disrupted. "With the cold remaining in place, the impacts and interruptions from this winter storm will be felt for days to come," Porter said. Concern for the homeless in Pensacola In Pensacola, transit bus drivers provided free transportation to area cold weather shelters that made room for record numbers of people. Waterfront Mission staff moved all the furniture out of its lobby to make room for emergency cots and pallets. Pensacola police have been reaching out to people who stay in camps or on the streets asking whether they need help or a ride to a shelter. For those who refuse, police offer them donated blankets and sleeping bags. We have officers out there patrolling, and if they're contacted by anyone that wants assistance, we're going to transport them to any shelter that's available that's open, officer Gregory Gordon said. We're going to get them off streets. Sophia Fox, 13, takes a selfie with her parents, Tim and Angela, in front of Graffiti Bridge as snow falls in Pensacola on Jan. 21, 2025. Stunning snowfall totals sweep across South Babbie, Alabama, 100 miles northeast of Pensacola, claimed the region's highest snow total with 11.5 inches reported, according to the National Weather service snowfall report. Lafayette, Louisiana, checked in at 10.5 inches. Milton led the way in Florida, but several locations reported 9 inches as did Cordele, Georgia, 160 miles south of Atlanta. In Texas, La Porte outside Houston recorded 6 inches, and in Mississippi, Evanston reported 5 1/2 inches. Still, a more likely community topped the weather service list: 48 inches fell in Rodman, N.Y. Storm brings havoc to air travel Air travelers are continuing to feel the effects of a rare winter storm that swept across the Southeast on Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 1,800 U.S. flights were canceled and another 3,100 others were delayed as of 4:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Those cancellations include hundreds of flights to and from George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports in Houston, which both planned to resume operations later Wednesday after temporarily suspending them for the storm. Cities such as New Orleans, Charleston, South Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida, were also seeing major cancellations. Read more here. Zach Wichter and Eve Chen What are your rights? What happens if your flight is delayed or canceled? Generational storm slams Gulf Coast and 'there are no plows' The snowstorm currently lashing the Gulf Coast which included the first-ever blizzard warning in Louisiana is being described as a once-in-a-generation weather event, the National Weather Service said Monday. How rare is snow for some of these Southern cities? "This will be the most significant winter storm the Greater Houston area has experienced since at least 1960," the weather service in Houston said. Elsewhere, New Orleans hasn't seen measurable snowfall since 2009. And it has been 35 years for Jacksonville. "This will be an historic snowfall for the Gulf Coast," noted meteorologist Paul Douglas on X, who added that in many parts of that region, "there are no plows they will pretty much wait for the snow to melt (which happens later this week)." Read more here. Doyle Rice How rare is this Southern snowstorm? Texas, Louisiana, Florida blanketed by snow Rare snow in Louisiana is a thrill for this family For 21-year-old meteorology student Gabriel Hebert, a once-in-a-lifetime winter storm in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, isn't just a snow day, but a great learning opportunity. "I'm so thrilled," he told USA TODAY. "This is my favorite kind of weather." Hebert had been monitoring the storm for a few days, staying up late to track snowfall. In preparation, his family left open their cabinets to prevent pipes from freezing, have all agreed to stay off the roads and stocked up on essential food for the days ahead. "We don't know how to prepare for anything like this," Hebert said. As the snow fell and his family bunkered down, his young siblings relished the first. "I just want to enjoy this time with my family, watching them make snow angels and snowmen," he said. Sam Woodward In New Orleans, 'taking time to really sit and enjoy it' New Orleans resident Claire Spenard has had her fair share of snow days from her time growing up in Rochester, New York. At first, she thought the weather predictions of a frozen landscape in the South were a hoax. Now watching schools and major highways close, she regrets failing to buy a shovel before the storm hit. It reminds me of being home, and I never thought I would say that, Spenard told USA TODAY. The 23-year-old ballet teacher and server described a ghost town of a city sprinkled with excited children seeing snow for the first time, making snowmen and walking in the middle of roads untouched by cars. Her advice for those not used to braving the cold? Yield to the occasional vehicle and soak up the wonder. Sit and watch, 'cause its really beautiful,'' Spenard said. "And I think thats what a lot of people here are doing, theyre taking time to really sit and enjoy it, 'cause thats what people in New Orleans do about most things. Sam Woodward Contributing: Troy Moon, Edward Bunch III, and Tom McLaughlin, Pensacola News Journal; Jeff Burlew, William L. Hatfield and Douglas Soule, Tallahassee Democrat; Joseph Pierre, Fayetteville Observer; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rare winter storm turns deadly in the South as dig-out underway The News US President Donald Trump has used his first days in office to double down on his promise to make immigration a focus of his presidency. On day one, Trump signed executive orders to mobilize the US military at the southern border, classify drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, expedite deportations, shut down refugee applications, and revoke birthright citizenship. Much of the fine print remains unclear, but legal challenges are already in motion although many will take months, if not years, to resolve. Meanwhile, state and foreign governments are scrambling to respond to the measures, even as some advocates believe their early efforts will fall short. SIGNALS Birthright rollback could provide a talking point even as likely to fail Sources: Bloomberg, Brennan Center for Justice Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump likely knows the birthright order will fail, Bloomberg columnist Patricia Lopez argued, but it still gives him a talking point and another way to blame opponents for thwarting him. Birthright citizenship whereby children born in the US are automatically citizens is enshrined in the Constitution, and most legal scholars agree that an executive order alone cant nullify that right. And while some critics worry that the current US Supreme Court has bent American jurisprudence into novel shapes to avoid direct conflict with Trump, even the most conservative justices in the nations history, including those that upheld segregation in the late 1800s, couldnt find an honest way around the 14th Amendments plain language, the Brennan Center for Justice wrote. Blue state protections for immigrants could fall short, advocates warn Sources: Poliitco, Los Angeles Times Democratically-controlled California is mulling new legislation that would help connect migrants to legal and community support systems, Politico reported. But the California resolution does not provide funds to hire public defenders that have the training and resources to serve as the first line of defense against mass deportations, immigration law advocate Cyn Yamishiro wrote in the Los Angeles Times. California simply does not have enough public defenders, Yamishiro argued, with many immigrants often going weeks in detention without access to one. Guatemala offers Latin America a roadmap for dealing with Trump Source: The New York Times Weeks before Donald Trump returned to office, Guatemala said it would be open to accepting deportees who are not from Guatemala, adding that deported migrants from the US would be welcomed into the Latin American country with health and employment services, The New York Times reported. The proposal reflects the implications of Trumps unspoken expectation that Latin American countries must receive their deported citizens, and stop them from returning illegally to the US. The promised uptick in deportees could be an enormous economic opportunity for the region, according to one political scientist. Still, many people could choose to try and return to the US as Latin America struggles to combat organized crime, poverty, and the fallout of climate change. Republican incumbent Sherry Capello announced Tuesday, Jan. 21, that she will be running for a fifth term as Lebanon city mayor. During a press conference in the atrium of Lebanon City Hall amongst city and state politicians, Capello said she is seeking another term because she "delivers results necessary to stabilize and grow" the city. Capello is currently serving her fourth term as Lebanon city mayor after defeating Democratic challenger Cesar Liriano in 2021. "First and foremost, we have not raised taxes in the past 10 years, indicating a stable fiscal environment," she said. "We have restored financial stability and accountability by addressing budget deficits and audit findings, improving cash flow and establishing a capital reserve fund to save for major expenses." Republican incumbent Sherry Capello announced Tuesday, Jan. 21, that she will be running for a fifth term as Lebanon city mayor. Several residents have inquired with the Lebanon County Elections Official about running for the office of city mayor, according to county election officials. On Jan. 16, local photographer Scott Church officially announced that he planned to challenge Capello for the Republican nomination. The deadline to begin filing for the 2025 municipal primary is Feb. 18. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Capello said Tuesday that her administration has "improved public safety and efficiencies" for the police and fire departments by implementing new policies and providing necessary equipment to officers and volunteers. Her administration also secured more than 77 million in federal and state grants for various projects. "We have seen $261 million invested in our city through construction and improvement projects, which have provided jobs and increased property values," she said. "We have provided 80 city businesses with forgivable loans to assist with economic recovery after COVID. We have granted one million to non-profits to expand operations and serving our most vulnerable populations. We have reduced serious crime, and we have invested $12.1 million in street improvements again as of year end 2023." In May 2022, Lebanon City officials cut the ribbon to their new Cumberland Street location, completing a return of city hall and police headquarters to downtown Lebanon. Capello said that her administration has been revitalizing the downtown area over the past few years, including improving the streetscape with new sidewalks and adding additional lighting for pedestrian safety. If able to secure a fifth term, Capello said she wants to develop a housing plan to aid in combating the city's housing shortage. While wishing to work with organizations like the Lebanon County Coalition to End Homelessness, Capello said there is no one item that needs to be dealt with to tackle the housing crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Capello added that she's been working with other mayors in the commonwealth to receive state and federal funding, including providing funding for elevators in downtown Lebanon. "A lot of people can't afford to meet the building code requirements in our state for residential housing above commercial, and an elevator is one of those," she said. "If they could provide the funding so that they could get an elevator, it would help because they are all under utilized. There's a lot of space that could be used for residential units, and it's just storage or vacant." Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello If re-elected, Capello said her administration would continue "supportive policies for financial accountability and long term fiscal sustainability." This includes providing services for virtual, on-demand training for businesses and creating a "downtown visioning and action plan." "By focusing on these goals, I believe we will attract additional private sector investment, facilitate additional job opportunities, insure a vibrant downtown and create an environment that fosters community and attracts young professionals and families," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Capello added that officials would also continue dealing with quality of life issues through recreational improvements, including playground upgrades and the construction of a dog park at Coleman Memorial Park. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello announces run for fifth term Jan. 21. An artist performs during the "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2025. The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance enchanted an audience of around 800 at the National Theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy here on Tuesday. During the event, artists from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute delivered stunning performances of Wu Opera classics such as "The Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" and "Monkey King Fights the White Bone Demon." (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) DHAKA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance enchanted an audience of around 800 at the National Theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy here on Tuesday. During the event, artists from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute delivered stunning performances of Wu Opera classics such as "The Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" and "Monkey King Fights the White Bone Demon." The actors conveyed emotions with exquisite nuance, showcased dynamic and vigorous martial arts, and their performance elegantly blended strength and grace. "I never watched Chinese opera before. I enjoy it a lot. I like the culture of the Chinese Spring Festival," local spectator Sumaiya Islam told Xinhua. "I really like the cultural show, their Chinese costumes and their style," said another spectator Labia Mohini, a high school student. "The Chinese New Year celebration is awesome, full of various artistic elements." Atiqur Rahman, who has enjoyed Chinese cultural performances many times, said that he was always impressed by the diverse cultural performances of Chinese artists. Rahman added that he hoped such programs could be regularly held in collaboration with local authorities, so that "more and more Bangladeshis can access to China's vast and diverse art and culture." During the event, local artists also staged wonderful dance performances, gaining applause from the audience of both countries. Anita Sinha, a local artist who performed at the celebration ceremony, said she was excited to be able to perform with Chinese artists. "Their performance is unforgettable and very beautiful." "Even though we can't understand everything, we can understand their feelings or what they are trying to convey by looking at their movements, their acting and their performance," she said. In his speech, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen noted that the Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese people and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Wu Opera, as a treasure of China's intangible cultural heritage, represents an important facet of Chinese traditional art and culture, Yao said. He hoped that more Bangladeshi friends would experience the profound heritage and unique charm of Chinese culture, making cultural exchanges even more vibrant between China and Bangladesh. For his part, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, cultural advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, extended Chinese New Year greetings to the people of both nations and spoke highly of the event for injecting new vitality into Bangladesh's cultural communities, effectively promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Bangladesh and China. The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, marked the beginning of the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute's "Happy Chinese New Year" tour. The troupe will host special performances and community shows for overseas Chinese, and for the faculty and students from the drama department of Dhaka University and the University of Chattogram in both Dhaka and Chattogram. Artists perform during the "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2025. The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance enchanted an audience of around 800 at the National Theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy here on Tuesday. During the event, artists from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute delivered stunning performances of Wu Opera classics such as "The Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" and "Monkey King Fights the White Bone Demon." (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) Artists perform during the "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2025. The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance enchanted an audience of around 800 at the National Theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy here on Tuesday. During the event, artists from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute delivered stunning performances of Wu Opera classics such as "The Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" and "Monkey King Fights the White Bone Demon." (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) Artists perform during the "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2025. The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance enchanted an audience of around 800 at the National Theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy here on Tuesday. During the event, artists from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute delivered stunning performances of Wu Opera classics such as "The Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" and "Monkey King Fights the White Bone Demon." (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) Artists perform during the "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2025. The "Happy Chinese New Year" Wu Opera special performance enchanted an audience of around 800 at the National Theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy here on Tuesday. During the event, artists from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute delivered stunning performances of Wu Opera classics such as "The Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" and "Monkey King Fights the White Bone Demon." (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) At his second State of the Hudson Valley Address, U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan focused on taxes, gun violence and protecting individual freedoms. New Yorks 18th congressional district covers Orange County, as well as much of Dutchess and Ulster counties, including Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Newburgh, Middletown and Port Jervis. Ryan, a Democrat, was reelected to the seat in November, defeating Republican challenger Alison Esposito. At the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park on Saturday, Ryan, who was sworn in by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said he felt "clear in purpose, and even more clear in the stakes for our country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My mission, each and every day, is to make the Hudson Valley more affordable, more safe, and more free," he said. More: New Poughkeepsie restaurant's name, menu inspired by dumplings unique to Nepal Ryan outlines plan to address 'intense' financial pressure Ryan said people of the Hudson Valley are facing financial issues from housing and healthcare to gas, groceries and utilities. He said he is aiming to provide immediate economic relief for those living paycheck to paycheck, while remedying the "decades-old system," allowing for billionaires and corporations to make record-breaking profits. "Ill put it bluntly: weve all got a lot of work to do," Ryan said in a statement. "The financial pressure folks are feeling right now is intense, and its across the board." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He pointed to legislation he introduced in November 2023, "Stopping Pharmas Ripoffs and Drug Savings For All Act," which would lower costs of prescription drugs for Americans across the country and "check the power of these huge corporate monopolies," Ryan said. Additionally, he said he hopes to continue to work in a "bipartisan way," removing the state and local tax (SALT) cap and ending double taxation being taxed twice on the same source of income. Ryan said he is also working to reinstate the Child Tax Credit a tax break for families with qualifying children and lower the cost of housing through a package of four bills he proposed in the summer of 2024 to "actually" cuts taxes for the working and middle classes. In addition, Ryan said he would work to protect Social Security and Medicare from "cuts that are looming." 'Doubling down' on gun violence in the Hudson Valley The main safety concerns of the Hudson Valley Ryan said he is "doubling down" on include gun violence, particularly in schools, as well as the fentanyl crisis and continued funding for police agencies, fire departments and first responders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Every person, every family deserves to feel safe in their home and in their neighborhood," Ryan said. To combat gun violence, he pointed to continued partnerships with faith leaders and community advocates as a method to ensure weapons are not in schools, churches or at sporting events. Ryan said he also plans to continue to deliver funding for programs such as ORACLE, led by Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, which is meant to strengthen law enforcement and community relationships and provide education to the community on how to respond to overdoses and how to use naloxone. Ryan: 'Far too many of these freedoms are at risk' "Finally, I want to conclude with what I see as the most fundamental of American principles, the single most unifying idea in shaping the American identity: freedom," Ryan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He listed core freedoms he plans to uphold while in office, including reproductive rights, ensuring clean air and water and protection from discrimination. "We must be clear-eyed about the reality that were facing: far too many of these freedoms are at risk," Ryan said. This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: How Pat Ryan plans to address taxes, gun violence in Hudson Valley (This story was updated to add the most current information.) South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Wednesday afternoon the State Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) investigated the report of possible explosives being located at the site of the new state prison in Lincoln County. Later Wednesday afternoon, according to a release, Jackley confirmed that no explosives were found following an investigation at the site of the new state prison in Lincoln County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigations Bomb Unit was dispatched to the scene after a citizen called the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office concerned about the possibility of agricultural-related explosives being located at the scene where several old farm buildings were to be demolished, the release said. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office received the first call and promptly responded, said Attorney General Jackley, according to the release. DCI, the Sheriffs Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol searched the area and found no explosives of any kind. We utilized two DCI bomb technicians and a Highway Patrol Police Service Dog. We appreciate the quick response and cooperation of those involved. Lincoln County law enforcement received the first call of possible explosives at the site, and we are working together to address the concerns, Jackley said. Their prompt response allowed DCI to quickly start the investigation with our DCI Bomb Unit. This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Report of explosives at South Dakota State Prison site unfounded His foreign minister just abruptly resigned. A deadly wave of violence between fighting guerrilla groups is endangering his nations hard-won peace accord, and 17 of his countrymen, former soldiers accused in the July 2021 assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moise, are locked up in a Haitian jail. Nevertheless Colombian President Gustavo Petro doesnt seem to be letting any of it stop him from visiting Haiti. Petro is scheduled to arrive in Haiti on Wednesday, a country whose historic link to Colombia he always touts but that is also reeling from a security, humanitarian and political crisis since his soldiers from his own nation were accused of killing its president. The daylong visit is scheduled to take place in the city of Jacmel. Located on the southeastern coast, the port city was once home to both Francisco de Miranda and Simon Bolivar, the self-appointed liberators of South America who launched their freedom movements from its shores in the early 19th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: They moved back a decade ago. Now theyre struggling amid Haitis economic collapse Haitian authorities, who visited Colombia in December, say they are trying to strengthen relations with the country, even as it undergoes its own crisis. Theyve noted that its experience with guerrilla groups can serve as a lesson, and they hope to be able to purchase arms for their beleaguered security forces. They also point to a new port that the Caribbean nation officially inaugurated last week in the south, a project that officials believe can open trade between the two nations. We are working with the government of Haiti on seven cooperation agreements, Colombias Deputy Foreign Minister Jorge Rojas Rodriguez said in a post on the social media site X, from Jacmel. Still, the timing of the visit has raised eyebrows and expectations. Both countries are currently experiencing their own violent upheaval after Petro, a former guerrilla, suspended negotiations with rebels last week and their attacks left at least 80 dead and 18,000 displaced in Colombias Catatumbo region. On Tuesday many were unsure about whether Petro, who has vowed war on left-wing guerrillas amid the frightening wave of violence, would even make the trip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But among the families of the Colombians jailed in Haiti, the trip has offered hope. Accused of assassinating Moise after storming his residence in the middle of the night, the Colombians were only formally charged last year, February. And until armed gangs, weeks later, raided their prison, they were kept in decrepit, inhumane conditions since their arrest two years earlier. We hope that in his agenda for the meeting is the issue of the transfer of the 17 military members that have been accused of being involved in the killing of the president. That is in essence what we are asking for and what we have been working toward during the last three years, Milena Carmona, partner of Second Lt. Jheyner Alberto Carmona Flores, one of the accused, told the Miami Herald. A woman walks by a building in repair in Jacmel where the tourism industry has taken a downturn, gang violence in the country being a leading reason. Carmona and other family members said they do not know the reason for Petros visit to Haiti, but they want concrete actions as a result. We cannot continue to have 17 people in limbo, in a country without any institutions, and where everyone already knows that they will not reach a happy ending, Carmona said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither county has publicly raised the matter of the Colombians, who have insisted on their innocence. A source in the previous government said that the matter of release had been approached with Haiti, but Leslie Voltaire, the current head of the Transitional Presidential Council said in an interview this week that neither freedom nor amnesty has been discussed. That has never been discussed, said Jacques Ambroise, spokesman for the presidential council. Since coming into power a year after Moises shocking death, Petro has repeatedly talked about the historic ties between Colombia and Haiti. In August, he attempted to visit during the inauguration of President Luis Abinader in the neighboring Dominican Republic. His team told Haitian officials at the time that he wanted to lay a wreath for Moise at the National Pantheon Museum, where the countrys independence heroes are featured, along the Champ-de-Mars public square in Port-au-Prince. Then prime minister, Garry Conille, however, said that security forces could not accommodate the visit, which included an entourage of more than 50 individuals at the time. Now the visit, smaller in size, is planned for Jacmel, the seaside town on the southeastern coast that played a pivotal role in the liberation of Colombia and other South America nations. Jacmels historical ties with South America Two years after Haiti won its freedom from France in 1804, Miranda, considered to be the precursor of Venezuelas independence, stitched the countrys first flag in Jacmel and set sail from the port city on what would be a failed expedition to free his country and other nations from Spanish rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A decade later, Bolivar, inspired by Miranda, arrived in the city. With the help of Alexandre Petion, the then-ruler of southern Haiti, Bolivar would also set sail from Jacmel; this time with guns and Haitian soldiers to free South America. Haiti was the first country in the Americas to free slaves, the second to achieve its independence on the continent and Alexandre Petion, was the first Haitian general who supported Bolivar in consolidating the liberation of Colombia from the Spanish yoke, Rojas said after arriving onboard a Colombian military aircraft. In preparation for the visit, Voltaire and the government pulled out all stops. For weeks, the neglected city, which lacked electricity for three years, underwent a face-lift. The long-neglected trash-strewn streets were cleaned for the first time in years, government offices were reopened and hotels received the first guests, in months. The government has reportedly spent more than $3.8 million on the visit, including lengthening the short runway so that the citys small airport can accommodate Petros Wednesday morning arrival, and future airplanes with 40-seats. But as decorators on Monday put the finishing touches on gathering rooms, draping them in the colors of the Colombian flag, in Port-au-Prince, the capital, the judicial process around the presidents murder was moving painstakingly slow. The former soldiers have filed an appeal contesting their indictment and after a hearing was postponed last week, all were back in court with their lawyer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That same day, Petros foreign minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, announced his resignation. In a joint statement on social media, the families of the jailed Colombians, issued a plea both to Murillo and his successor, Laura Sarabia, not to abandon their loved ones. With our hearts in our hands, we implore you, in the process of handing over the position of Foreign Minister, to consider as a priority and as a humanitarian necessity the difficult situation of our relatives, retired military personnel, unjustly detained in Haiti, the families said in the message. We ask that the efforts that are being made continue with the same firmness and dedication, trusting that they will reach a good conclusion and will restore hope and justice to our families. We cling to your sensitivity and leadership to make this a priority case, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: This seaside Haiti town used to attract tourists. Now it draws refugees from gangs Jose Espinosa, who heads an association of retired military officers known as Mipofaamcol and had been fighting for the officers transfers, said he hopes that the new foreign minister will take up the matter. He doesnt see how, he said, Wednesdays visit by Petro to Haiti can end without the ex-soldiers fate coming up. We believe it will be in address in the meeting because there is a motion we introduced before the Attorney Generals Office, which led that office to ask the foreign ministry to work on behalf of all Colombians detained around the world, including those in Haiti and in Mexico and those that have been kidnapped in Venezuela, Espinosa said. Not everyone, however, wants the Colombians released or thinks they are innocent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post on X, Joverlein Moise, the son of the late Haitian president, denounced the appeals court hearing as a ruse to release the accused and directed his comments at their Haitian lawyer, Natalie Derisca, who has been seeking their freedom. What freedom? he asked on X, declaring that the Colombians should remain in prison until the process is over. Any other decision is an insult to every single Haitian and to our sovereignty as a people. A photo illustration shows the front and back of the envelopes used in Rhode Islands new Blue Envelope program. (Collage of photos courtesy of Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles) An initiative aimed at supporting drivers with autism is now officially available statewide, the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminded motorists in a news release Tuesday. Drivers on the autism spectrum can now sign up for the Blue Envelope program, an extra form of identification intended to smooth interactions with police. The statewide program went into effect Jan. 1, following legislation introduced early in last years session and signed last June by Gov. Dan McKee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We welcome all opportunities to make Rhode Island roads safer, Walter Craddock, DMV administrator, said in a statement. The Blue Envelope program will ease communication between neurodivergent drivers and law enforcement. We encourage any affected Rhode Islander to get the envelope during their next appointment with us. Program participants will receive a blue envelope from the DMV that can hold their drivers license, registration, and insurance and emergency contact information. Instructions printed on the envelope help guide drivers in their interactions with police officers during traffic stops. The envelope can be handed to officers, who have been trained in best practices for engaging with neurodivergent individuals during traffic stops, according to the DMV press release. Theres not yet any data on the number of people who have signed up, said Paul Grimaldi, a spokesperson for the DMVs parent agency, the Department of Revenue, in an email Wednesday. Grimaldi also stressed that residents can ask for the envelope during any scheduled license or registration appointment, and dont need to sign up in advance. The DMV collaborated with the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association and the Governors Commission on Disabilities to create the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat who sponsored the legislation on the Senate side, said in a statement Tuesday, Traffic stops are stressful for a lot of people and people on the autism spectrum may not respond to a police officer the way that officer might expect. This Blue Envelope program builds on those in use in Connecticut and New Jersey. Before the statewide legislation, Central Falls Police were the first law enforcement officers in Rhode Island to introduce such a program, in March 2024. Cranston introduced the blue envelopes in June 2024, and Narragansett did in November 2024. In the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Rep. Samuel Azzinaro, also a Westerly Democrat, was lead sponsor on the bipartisan bill. The legislation included one Republican, Cranston Rep. Barabra Ann Fenton-Fung. That makes it one of the last pieces of successful legislation Fenton-Fung co-sponsored before leaving her House seat for Cranstons mayoral race last year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SANFORD, Maine A local man is facing drug trafficking charges after police executed a search of his home Tuesday and seized 40 grams of fentanyl. John Leroy Gray, 44, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in fentanyl. The arrest was the result of a month-long investigation into illegal drug trafficking that was allegedly occurring at 8 York Street. Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said the investigation was spawned by citizen complaints and tips from community members. John Leroy Gray, 44, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in fentanyl. "During the investigation, agents and officers observed activity consistent with illegal drug trafficking as well as individuals trafficking illegal drugs being armed with firearms," police stated in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the investigation, officers from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, York District Task Force and Sanford police made undercover purchases of fentanyl from Gray, who lives in the single-family home. A high-risk search warrant of the home was executed Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. "Due to the seriousness of the drug trafficking charges, suspected firearms possession, and safety concerns for the neighborhood residents and officers, the Southern Maine Special Response Team assisted in tactically rendering the residence safe and secure for agents," police said. The Special Response Team detained 17 individuals throughout the home, including Gray, who was arrested without incident. Police said after identification, most individuals in the home were released. However, six were taken into custody due to outstanding warrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said a search of the home resulted in the seizure of approximately 40 grams of fentanyl, $1,800 in suspected drug proceeds, and additional evidence of illegal drug trafficking. Four realistic-style pellet-type handguns were located throughout the residence, but police said no actual firearms were found. Assisting agents in the investigation and search warrant were members of the Sanford Police Department, Sanford Fire/Rescue, Sanford Police Animal Control, York County Sheriffs Office, FBI Safe Street Task Force, Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Southern Maine Special Response Team, and the City of Sanford Code Enforcement. Gray was transported to York County Jail, where he is being held on a $25,000 cash bail. It was not immediately known if Gray has an attorney. Police ask anyone with information about this investigation or the illegal sale of drugs to contact the Maine Drug Enforcement office closest to you. You can also provide tips by texting MDEA to TIP411 (847411) or by calling the MDEA tip line at 1-800-452-6457. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Sanford man charged with trafficking fentanyl after police raid By Radovan Stoklasa and Jan Lopatka BRATISLAVA (Reuters) -Slovakia's opposition accused Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday of laying the groundwork to take the country out of the European Union, but dropped its no-confidence motion to dismiss him and his leftist-nationalist government. Fico in turn accused the liberal pro-Western opposition of planning protests that would paralyse his administration in the latest show of growing tensions in the central European EU and NATO member country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opposition withdrew the motion in protest over Fico's move to close the debate to the public on the grounds of discussing secret information, but it was bound to fail anyway given a slim parliamentary majority was expected to back his government. Fico has worked to maintain relations with Russia during the war in Ukraine and halted official military aid to Kyiv, criticising sanctions imposed on Moscow and escalated a rift with Kyiv after it stopped the transit of Russian gas supplies at the end of 2024. The four-time prime minister travelled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on a unannounced, private trip in December to discuss gas and Ukraine. Fico, who leads the leftist Smer-SSD party, has also said Slovakia needed to prepare for "all possible crisis situations" which the EU could face in the short term, suggesting even a break-up of the bloc was possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This cannot be read in any other way than... what we had warned of: that the government of Smer is preparing the ground for leading Slovakia out of the European Union," Michal Simecka, leader of the opposition Progressive Slovakia party, told parliament. Fico told parliament that foreign policy was determined by NATO and EU membership, but warned of potential unacceptable proposals to create an EU "superstate" where smaller, nations would have no veto powers. FICO CLAIMS OPPOSITION PLANS 'MAIDAN' Citing information from the national security service that he read out in the closed parliamentary session, Fico later told a news conference the opposition was "preparing to occupy government buildings, prevent the execution of government power, cooperate with abroad". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He used the term "Maidan" in reference to protests which toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president in 2014. Fico also said the opposition would try trigger an early election and refuse to respect the results if it loses. Opposition leader Simecka called the accusations "absurd" and accused Fico of turning the parliamentary session into a "farce", saying the opposition would call a new no-confidence vote. (Reporting by Radovan Stoklasa and Jan Lopatka; writing by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Ros Russell, Peter Graff and Tomasz Janowski) WISCONSIN RAPIDS The debate over the benefits and drawbacks of allowing ATV/UTVs on city streets will continue after the Common Council again declined to make a decision on an ordinance to allow the off-road vehicles. The Common Council voted 4-4 Tuesday with Mayor Matt Zacher casting a tie-breaking vote to table an ordinance that would allow ATV/UTVs on most city streets while alderpersons and city staff seek further information. Alderpersons and about a half dozen interested residents discussed for over an hour and a half the ordinance and revisions to its language compared to an ordinance rejected in November in a direct legislation referendum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In early January, the Board of Public Works approved revised language of an ordinance that largely mirrors state law governing roadway use of the off-road vehicles and included a requirement for an operator to hold a valid drivers license and insurance. At Tuesdays meeting, opponents to allowing the vehicles spoke about following through on the November referendum results in which city residents voted 4,895 to 3,923 to not allow ATV/UTVs on their roadways, noise from off-road vehicles engines and tires, and safety concerns regarding collisions with larger motor vehicles. I dont see where the purpose of making money outweighs keeping it quiet. Its a city. Why would you want to open up all the streets to that? resident Ron Koran asked during the meeting. Once you lose your peace and quiet in a community, you cant get it back again. Speakers in favor of the ordinance referenced economic impacts of residents and visitors using the vehicles as a recreational activity and opening connections to neighboring trails and communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tourism is the only way that youre going to quickly bring revenue into this area, especially the Wisconsin Rapids area, Lance Pliml, Wood County Board chairperson and District 16 county supervisor, said during a portion of the meeting open to public comments. Pliml also serves as chairperson of North Central Wisconsin Tourism Partnership board of directors. On Jan. 2, the Wood County Highway Infrastructure and Recreation Committee voted to open Wood County Z between 20th Street and Sampson Street, a stretch of roadway within city limits, to off-road vehicles. The committee could do this as the city had no ordinance in place stating the vehicles are not allowed, according to the meeting minutes. Madalyn Palmquist, Common Council president and District 8 alderperson, confirmed road signs indicating the prohibition of off-road vehicles on Wood County Z had been removed along that section since the Jan. 2 meeting. Topics placed on the table can be brought up again by any council member with approval by the council, according to Sue Schill, city attorney. She asked that council members bring any further agenda items related to ATV/UTVs to the city clerk to prevent conflicts with council procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A committee or the Common Council will likely discuss the conflict with Wood County Z in upcoming weeks. Day spa, car washes & demolition: 8 development projects to watch in 2025 in Wisconsin Rapids Local election news: These candidates filed paperwork to appear on the 2025 spring ballot in Wisconsin Rapids Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Common Council tables decision on ATV/UTV ordinance at Tuesday meeting Officials in the Lynchburg area will need to figure out where to send their trash in the wake of the Campbell County Board of Supervisors decision earlier this month to reject a proposed expansion of the landfill near Rustburg. The Region 2000 Services Authority, which owns the landfill, estimates the current site will reach capacity by 2029. The proposed expansion that was rejected by Campbell County supervisors would have provided an estimated 24 years of additional capacity, according to the authority. Right now, unless the Campbell County Board of Supervisors decides to take another vote with a different outcome, there will be no landfill expansion, Lynchburg Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick, who is Lynchburgs representative on the Region 2000 Services Authority Board, said in an email to The News & Advance. With an estimated four years left before the landfill reaches capacity, the clock is ticking for Lynchburg and other jurisdictions in the region to decide on alternatives for dealing with their waste. According to the Region 2000 Services Authority, the expansion of the landfill on Livestock Road in Campbell County would be less expensive than building transfer stations. Patrick said city staff plans to provide an update to the Lynchburg City Council on Jan. 28 on the citys options for disposing of waste. We are exploring all of our options to determine the best deal for our residents and taxpayers, Patrick said. Without a doubt, the lowest cost option for the City of Lynchburg and our residents would have been the existing landfill expansion. The Region 2000 Services Authority, which was established in December 2007 and includes the city of Lynchburg and the counties of Campbell, Nelson and Appomattox, has operated the landfill on Livestock Road since July 2012. At the Campbell County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 7, Rustburg District Supervisor Jon Hardie, who voted against a rezoning petition to allow the expansion, said a bigger landfill would pose many risks and would be bad for business in the county. Many residents spoke out against the proposed expansion at the meeting over concerns about the landfills impact on homes near the site in a part of the county east of U.S. 29 likely to see more medium- and high-density development in the coming years. Campbell County officials said they will now consider building a transfer station as an alternative to expanding the Livestock Road landfill. In Lynchburg, if the city decides to build a transfer station, Patrick said the footprint of such a facility would depend on the scope of its operations, especially if any proposed transfer center handles municipal and commercial customers. A transfer station is a facility where trash that is picked up from a community is taken, placed in trucks and then hauled to a landfill in another area. The Region 2000s previous landfill, on Concord Turnpike in Lynchburg, saw its final waste dumped there in early 2013 after reaching capacity. The landfill then was closed according to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. The old site now serves as a convenience center for Lynchburg residents to drop off waste that gets transported to the Livestock Road landfill. As for Lynchburg possibly opening a new landfill site elsewhere within city limits, Patrick said it would likely not be an option as the timeline for permitting would be a significant issue. At the Lynchburg City Council winter retreat on Jan. 9, Patrick told councilmembers the city has some money set aside for a transfer station but not enough to cover the siting, permitting and construction of such a facility. Patrick also said Lynchburg is probably in a better position than Campbell County to make a transfer station work because the city has a refuse operation run by its solid waste division. Another factor in the solid waste discussion is a lawsuit filed by Campbell County and the City of Lynchburg over money issues related to the Region 2000 Services Authority. For years, the litigation centered on excess revenue that led to more than $6 million to Campbell County being withheld. A framework for a legal settlement to the litigation had been adopted by all four member localities that would see Appomattox and Nelson counties leave the authority and Lynchburg carry on as Campbells partner. But the agreements were based on the rezoning and special use permit to expand the landfill on Livestock Road getting approved. The settlement agreements from the participating localities are null without the proposed landfill expansion, Patrick said. In Appomattox County, a solid waste consultant is conducting a study that will provide options for future solid waste disposal in the county once the landfill in Campbell County reaches capacity. The study is expected to be presented to the board of supervisors at a meeting in March or April, according to County Administrator Susan Adams. A private company has been working to obtain the necessary local and state approvals to build a transfer station in the county. But Appomattox County has yet to receive verification from the company of the required outside agency approvals, Adams said. The consulting firm contracted by Appomattox County will likely include the option of a transfer station in its study, but it remains to be determined whether the county will decide the construction of a transfer station will be the most feasible alternative, she said. Nelson County already has a transfer station in Arrington. County Administrator Candy McGarry said in an email that the county will explore other disposal solutions for when the Region 2000 landfill reaches capacity. TOKYO, Jan 22 (News On Japan) - Meta, the U.S.-based tech giant, announced on January 21st that it has implemented new restrictions for teenage users on its photo-sharing app Instagram in Japan. The measures, aimed at addressing concerns over negative impacts on young users, were first introduced in the U.S. and the U.K. in September last year. Domestic users aged 13 to 17 will be automatically transitioned to a "Teen Account," which limits the visibility of inappropriate posts and blocks direct messages from unknown users. Source: ANN OSAKA, Jan 22 (News On Japan) - A fire broke out near Osakas iconic Tsutenkaku Tower, engulfing a popular retro game center and shocking the bustling area frequented by tourists. The blaze was reported just before 5 p.m. on January 21st. The scene unfolded at Tsutenkaku Hondori Shopping Street in Osakas Naniwa Ward, a commercial area known for its mix of old and new shops and its proximity to the Tsutenkaku observation tower, a major tourist attraction. Takai Takamitsu, president of Tsutenkaku, commented on the incident: The surrounding area was covered in smoke, and the severity of the fire was palpable. Its a situation where we cannot let our guard down. The fire resulted in multiple explosions heard across the area, leading to the deployment of over 40 fire engines. The five-story building that caught fire housed the retro arcade Zarigani, a game center renowned for its collection of classic arcade games, some of which are exclusive to this location. The arcade was a favorite among both local and international visitors. According to the arcades official X account, it was described as a completely amateur-run, hobby-based arcade and boasted operating 365 days a year. A nearby resident recalled the incident: I noticed heavy smoke, and then flames burst out suddenly. I didnt think there was anything in the arcade that could easily catch fire. The fire spread from the arcade building to an adjacent structure, burning approximately 500 square meters in total. A 31-year-old male arcade employee suffered burns and was transported to the hospital. By around 7 p.m., the fire was nearly extinguished. On January 21st, Osaka experienced a minimum humidity of 41%, with dry air conditions potentially contributing to the fires spread. Source: ANN TOKYO, Jan 22 (News On Japan) - Three people were attacked near JR Nagano Station at around 8 p.m., leaving a man in his 40s in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest and two others hospitalized. According to authorities, the incident occurred near the bus rotary outside JR Nagano Station. Two men and one woman were assaulted with a knife. Fire department officials reported that the man in his 40s was in cardiopulmonary arrest. The other two victims were taken to the hospital, with one man reportedly sustaining serious injuries. The police believe the suspect, described as a slim man between 165 and 175 centimeters tall, fled the scene armed with a knife. Investigators are considering the possibility of a random attack and are continuing their search for the suspect. Source: TBS NARA, Jan 22 (News On Japan) - Nara Prefecture is considering changing the venue for a free K-pop live concert initially planned to take place at Nara Park. The concert is being organized to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the friendship agreement between Nara Prefecture and South Koreas Chungcheongnam-do Province. The event was scheduled to be held at Nara Park, with a total project cost of 2.7 billion yen. In December of last year, a supplementary budget proposal that included approximately 2.5 billion yen for stage setup and related expenses was approved. However, some prefectural assembly members have called for cost reductions. On January 22nd, Governor Makoto Yamashita revealed that the prefecture is considering shifting the venue from Nara Park to an existing facility such as a hall in order to reduce costs. Makoto Yamashita, Governor of Nara Prefecture: "Chungcheongnam-do has requested a venue capable of hosting around 10,000 people to accommodate well-known K-pop artists. We are also discussing ways to hold the event on a smaller scale." The prefecture plans to continue discussions with South Korean counterparts moving forward. Source: YOMIURI Welcome to Japan. If you've just landed at Narita Airport (NRT) and are wondering how to get to Tokyo city center on the plane, this guide will walk you through your first 60 minutes in Japan. From immigration, baggage claim, train & transport options, to getting your SIM card & cash. (Tokyo Kenchan) OSAKA, Jan 23 (News On Japan) - Tomoka Nishiyama, a 29-year-old holder of three women's shogi titles, faced the final match of the professional shogi qualification series on January 22nd at the Kansai Shogi Hall in Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture. Competing against Kanta Sakujo, a 26-year-old fourth-dan professional, Nishiyama was defeated, concluding the five-match series with a record of two wins and three losses. As a result, she did not qualify to become the first female professional shogi player. Following the match, Nishiyama expressed her thoughts during a press conference. "I was fortunate to make it to the final match. Ive worked hard to play shogi in a way I can be proud of, and Ive gained a lot from this experience. It was a fulfilling journey," she remarked, her disappointment evident but tempered by a sense of accomplishment. Source: Kyodo NAGASAKI, Jan 23 (News On Japan) - A senior yakuza member and three others were arrested by Osaka Prefectural Police on suspicion of extorting road-use fees from residents of a subdivision in Nagasaki Prefecture. The suspects, including a 55-year-old yakuza leader, were apprehended for violating Japan's Organized Crime Punishment Act. In 2019, the leader and his accomplices allegedly placed barricades marked "No Entry" on a private road in a residential area of Aoyama-cho, Nagasaki City. The road had been a vital part of local residents' lives for nearly 50 years. Investigators believe the suspects purchased the road with the intent to intimidate residents and extort fees. According to police, the group distributed written notices to residents, demanding a monthly toll of 10,000 yen per household for road use. Authorities have not disclosed whether the suspects have admitted to the charges. Source: KTV NEWS TOKYO, Jan 23 (News On Japan) - Here are nine noteworthy updates in the world of generative AI. 1. AIST Launches AI Supercomputer ABC3.0 The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has begun offering its latest AI supercomputer, ABC3.0, which boasts top-class performance in Japan. This system is expected to support generative AI development with its advanced data processing capabilities, serving as a vital foundation for next-generation AI research by organizations and companies. 2. Fujitsu Commences Development of Next-Generation Supercomputer Fujitsu announced the development of its new supercomputer, Fugaku NEXT. This next-generation system aims to enhance simulation performance by more than fivefold through GPU integration and AI collaboration. It is poised to significantly impact generative AI research and development while advancing scientific progress and industry-wide innovation. 3. Hitachi Establishes GenAI Ambassador to Accelerate AI Adoption Hitachi has launched the GenAI Ambassador initiative to promote the social implementation of generative AI. This effort aims to enhance corporate and societal use of AI, enabling more efficient and innovative operations. The initiative is expected to expand practical AI applications across various industries. 4. LINE Introduces Generative AI for Advertising Services LINE has integrated generative AI features into its advertising platform, allowing advertisers to adjust image aspect ratios and customize generated visuals. This development enhances creative possibilities in advertising and accelerates generative AI utilization in the industry. 5. Yoshimoto Develops AI-Powered Comedy Translation Service Yoshimoto Kogyo, leveraging Googles Gemini, has developed a comedy translation AI service. Initially providing subtitle functions, the service aims to offer real-time translations in the future. This initiative uses generative AI to transcend language barriers and bring Japanese comedy to a global audience. 6. Kobe City and NEC Begin AI-Powered Administrative Reform Trial Kobe City and NEC have initiated a trial project to reform administrative operations using generative AI. This program focuses on improving office workflows and enhancing services, serving as a critical step toward broader AI adoption in municipal operations. 7. Adobe Advances AI Content Transparency Adobe has launched the Content Credentials initiative to distinguish AI-generated images. This effort seeks to ensure the reliability of AI-produced content, marking a significant step in the responsible use of generative AI technologies. 8. HR Strategies in the Age of Generative AI TKGs Organization Excellence Lab Fellow, Kenji Ozawa, shared insights in an interview on the impact of generative AI on organizational operations and HR strategies. The discussion explored innovative approaches to talent management facilitated by AI. 9. Generative AI Poses Challenges for Music Creators Revenue A study revealed that the spread of generative AI could reduce earnings for music creators. Automated composition and AI music generation tools are reshaping the revenue model for creators, potentially altering the economic structure of the music industry. Generative AI continues to revolutionize various sectors, from administrative tasks and advertising to music and beyond. Its wide-ranging applications and societal impacts are vast, making it a technology to watch as it drives innovation and transformation across industries. Source: Lab - AI OSAKA, Jan 23 (News On Japan) - Toru Hashimoto, a former governor and mayor of Osaka, and a prominent lawyer, recently shared his insights on urban development, political dynamics, and the future of Osaka. Reflecting on the political landscape of 2024, which saw significant events such as the "Ishimaru Phenomenon" in the Tokyo governor race, the formation of the Ishiba administration, and a major defeat for the ruling party in the general election, Hashimoto provided his perspectives on these developments and their implications for Japan's political climate. The conversation also delved deeply into Osakas current state and its preparations for Expo 2025, scheduled for the spring of next year. Hashimoto discussed the challenges and opportunities surrounding Osakas integrated resort (IR) concept, which includes potential casino development. He highlighted the political difficulties associated with casinos, noting that public opinion tends to be polarized on the issue. However, he suggested that embracing bold initiatives like casino development could have positive effects, citing the example of Tokyos gubernatorial race. If a candidate like Ishimaru had proposed casino development, Hashimoto argued, it might have generated excitement and increased voter turnout, potentially altering the outcome of the election. Hashimoto compared this hypothetical scenario to Osakas experience with IR projects. Initially, there was widespread public opposition, with around 70% of the population against the idea. Over time, through strategic communication and repeated elections, the narrative shifted, and support for the project grew. He emphasized the importance of using large-scale events like Expo 2025 as a platform to reshape public opinion and highlight the economic benefits of such initiatives. Drawing on international examples, Hashimoto discussed the transformative impact of hosting global events. He pointed to Singapores success with the Marina Bay Circuit during Formula 1 races, where the citys economic activity surged, and hotel rates skyrocketed during the event. According to Hashimoto, Japan, particularly cities like Tokyo and Osaka, could replicate this success if it invests wisely and effectively markets its potential. He also acknowledged the challenges of financing such events, stressing that significant investment would be required to achieve similar results. The discussion also highlighted the need for Japan to move away from a rigid focus on equality and embrace profitability when undertaking large-scale projects. Hashimoto observed that the cultural emphasis on fairness often prevents the country from maximizing the potential of high-value investments. He suggested that introducing premium services, such as exclusive VIP experiences, could attract global attention and generate substantial revenue, which would benefit both the public and private sectors. He also expressed concern about whether the current direction of Expo 2025 preparations aligns with these goals, suggesting that more could be done to ensure the event leaves a lasting impact. Hashimoto concluded by emphasizing the importance of learning from past successes and failures, both in Japan and abroad. He noted that events like Expo 2025 could serve as a turning point for Osaka and the country as a whole if approached with innovation and vision. By leveraging its resources and embracing bold strategies, Japan has the opportunity to redefine its approach to urban development and position itself as a global leader in hosting large-scale events. Source: BENIN CITYTHE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, yesterday, called their witnesses to justify their claim that the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the election, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, did not win the election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Led in evidence by PDP counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents copies of the election results for 76 polling units in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, where he alleged four electoral irregularities. He told the tribunal that irregularities were observed when the agents copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the results of BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INECs IREV portal, and that the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to adopt in evidence in the case. Osifo said he was the PDP local government collation officer in the poll and alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the final result of the election. When cross-examined, Osifo said his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents. On his part, Adebayo Ogedegbe told the tribunal of irregularities in 45 units across Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state and claimed to be the party collation officer for the local government, testified that the INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies. For Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye, tendered agents copies of results in nine units where he said overvoting took place. Aroye said there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government area, urging the tribunal to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case. Meanwhile, Kalu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and Ijala, SAN, counsel to the INEC, Okpebholo and the APC respectively objected the admissibility of the tendered documents, but reserved their grounds to the final written addresses. Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Chairman of the tribunal in his ruling, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence. The first petitioners witness from Ikpoba-Okha testified that he was neither an agent at any of the polling units or wards nor directly involved in the election process but that his role was limited to observing and personally examining the results in a situation room. The PW2 from Akoko-Edo council said he was not a polling unit or ward agent but coordinated all the results from 241 polling units and 10 wards in a single day. Under cross-examination, PW1 admitted that the sensitive BIVAS materials were not available for inspection in the situation room. The tribunal adjourned till today for continuation of hearing. Member of the European Parliament Thierry Mariani has called for rescinding the invitation extended by the far-leftist group to the Polisario militia to a behind-closed doors meeting to be organized by the Committee on international trade on January 29. The committee is expected to discuss the ruling issued last October by the European Court of Justice scrapping EU fisheries & agricultural deals with Morocco because they included goods from the Sahara territory. At the European parliament, several members of Patriots for Europe group, including Thierry Mariani, denounced Polisario invite, saying appearance before MEPs of a separatist militia, backed by Algeria and involved in embezzlement of humanitarian aid, will damage the Parliaments credibility. Addressing Tuesday European lawmakers, Mr. Thierry said: the meeting initiated by the far-left undermines our relations with Morocco and discredits our institution. He called for the cancellation of such a scandalous meeting, saying the Polisario militia is supported by Algeria to destabilize Morocco, an important partner for the European Union. Thierry Mariani also cited the reasons for rescinding such a meeting, underlining the Polisarios ties with jihadists, their deadly rocket attacks launched against civilians in the Moroccan Sahara city of Smara in 2023 and 2024 and misappropriation of humanitarian aid in the Tindouf camps. In December, the European Parliament dissolved the inter-parliamentary group that was supporting the Polisario, dealing a hard blow to the Algerian regime. President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana has named a retired national security official, Lieutenant Colonel Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, as his special envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), signaling a desire to renew dialogue with neighboring junta-led nations, reported Reuters. The AES, comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, was formed last July after military takeovers in those countries led them to distance themselves from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and several Western partners. Political relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso deteriorated in 2022, when Ghanas then-president, Nana Akufo-Addo, alleged that Burkinabe authorities had enlisted mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group. With Ghanas northern border directly affected, tensions escalated, bringing bilateral cooperation on security matters to a standstill. According to Accra-based security expert Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, Gbevlo-Larteys appointment demonstrates Ghanas intention to build trust and mend ties with the Sahels transitional leaders. Since Mahama returned to office in December 2024, he has prioritized improving regional diplomacy, an approach that aligns with his efforts to stabilize Ghanas own recovering economy. Observers note that Gbevlo-Lartey, a seasoned figure in Ghanas security landscape, has experience that may foster common ground with AES officials. In tandem, Mahama announced other key cabinet appointments, naming Edward Omane Boamah as defense minister and assigning former finance minister Seth Terkper as a top adviser on economic policy. Analysts suggest these moves underscore the administrations commitment to regional and internal stability, especially during a period of increased security threats across West Africas Sahel corridor. As the volume of trade between Africa and India has multiplied in the past 20 to 30 years and India has become the continents third largest trading partner after China and the EU, analysts say that the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers significant opportunities for New Delhi to help the continent realize its vision of a prosperous Africa. From prime minister Narendra Modis visit to Nigeria, and inaugurating the naval base in Mauritius, to deploying defense attaches in several key African countries, 2024 has been a pivotal year for the India-Africa relationship, says an analysis published by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in New Delhi. Reflecting an unprecedented renaissance in relations between India and Africa, two-way trade has grown from $5.3 billion in 2001 to some $70 billion in 2013, though it still remains much below Chinas $200 billion trade with the continent. Some experts call on New Delhi to focus on the AfCFTA that is an often-ignored area that could shape the course of Indias future engagements with the continent. Indian government should use its experience dealing with similar challenges in boosting trade and economic growth and assist African nations in implementing and improving the AfCFTA, an ORF analysis says. India and the AfCFTA member states could work together to boost investment in transport infrastructure. With its vast experience in the agricultural trade, India could also help implement agri-tech initiatives for African smallholder farmers by empowering modern technologies and encouraging digitalization. Indias pharma-industry once a global supplier and now an economic powerhouse could also invest in Africas agro-industry and equip the local farmers with drones, artificial intelligence (AI) and other more sophisticated technologies to assist with with agricultural production, yield prediction, and tracking the health of soil and crops. Africa may be facing uncertainty following the re-election of Donald Trump as US president who signed a flurry of executive orders on his first day in the White House, sparking concerns especially about their potential impact on African countries that heavily rely on US humanitarian aid. The barrage of executive orders signed by president Trump on Monday (20 January) included withdrawing the country from the Paris climate agreement, reversing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers or a temporary suspension of all US foreign aid programs for 90 days pending review. The move that the incoming secretary of state Marco Rubio had hinted at last week is to give the Department of State the opportunity to determine if and where foreign aid should be spent. According to Rubio, all funding proposals would have to answer three questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous? The impact of the order on assistance levels is not immediately clear, as Congress has already allocated foreign aid for many programs, which must be spent as set out in the legislation. Trump, who has in his first term aroused controversy including by labelling Africa in unfavorable language, has long complained about US foreign aid spending. The latest official data on foreign aid in the Biden administration showed $68 billion was earmarked for initiatives abroad, ranging from disaster relief to health and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions. But experts have now warned that any deep cuts into the US foreign aid could worsen Africas drought and famine crises, triggering increased migration to Europe and heightened support for extremist groups. Moroccos Renault factories hit a record production at 413,614 vehicles in 2024, becoming the groups second largest production site. Most of the production was reported in the Tangier factory with 312,381, followed by Somaca in Casablanca with 101,203 cars, Renault Morocco director General Mohamed Bachiri told a press conference. Morocco-made cars represented 18% of all Renault production in 2024, as the group increased its Morocco production capacity to 500,000 cars, he said. Last year, the group exported 89% of its output, or 370,165, to 68 countries, he added. The main export destinations include France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Turkey, he said. The main pillars of the strategy put in place by Morocco to fight terrorism, particularly in Africa, were highlighted Tuesday before the UN Security Council during a public debate on the fight against terrorism led by Africa. In his address during the debate, Moroccos Permanent Representative to the UN Omar Hilale outlined the multi-faceted strategy put in place by Morocco, in line with the far-sighted vision of King Mohammed VI. Morocco has adopted a major national strategy, based on a multidimensional, proactive, and inclusive approach to prevent and eradicate terrorism, Hilale stressed. The strategy implemented by the Kingdom is based on four fundamental pillars: strengthening security and the legal framework; enhancing economic and human development; preserving religious identity; and promoting regional and international cooperation, the diplomat explained. He insisted that the Moroccan strategy is mainly focused on promoting a moderate Islam, based on the universal values of coexistence and peace, adding that these are the principles that the Kingdom shares with many countries, including brotherly African countries. In this respect, the ambassador highlighted the role of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulema and the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines and Morchidates, specifying that these two institutions actively respond to requests from African, European, and Asian countries for the training of religious leaders. Since its creation in 2015, the Rabat-based Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines and Morchidates has trained more than 3,000 beneficiaries from various African countries, he recalled, adding that this January, the Institute celebrated the graduation of 100 imams from Mali. On the other hand, Omar Hilale warned against the link between separatism, terrorism, and cross-border crime which, according to him, constitutes a very serious phenomenon for peace and security on the African continent. In the same vein, the ambassador denounced the growing collusion between some separatist groups and terrorist organizations, such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh, noting that this phenomenon dangerously exacerbates regional instability in Africa. These pernicious alliances do not only sow terror. They divide fragile communities, exploit the structural vulnerabilities of societies and fuel a cycle of persistent insecurity in Africa, he warned, noting that separatist groups, in particular, are trying to take advantage of this destabilization to threaten the territorial integrity of Member States and undermine their development. The diplomat deemed it essential that the international community mobilizes proactively to anticipate, counter, and neutralize these destabilizing groups, which endanger peace, security, and the rule of law. Moroccos Permanent Representative to the UN expressed the Kingdoms firm commitment to its partnership with the UN system, embodied by concrete actions such as the establishment of the ONUCT Program Office in Rabat, the first of its kind in Africa. The establishment of this Office demonstrates the Kingdoms steadfast commitment to pooling expertise with ONUCT, in order to provide quality training for the benefit of African States, according to a collaborative and supportive approach reflecting a spirit of collective responsibility, he said, recalling that since its creation in 2021, this structure has trained more than 2,000 agents from 38 African countries. In this connection, Hilale reiterated Moroccos willingness to pursue its endeavors to strengthen and diversify this partnership to meet the needs and expectations of the African countries. He also cited the Marrakech Platform, a high-level event bringing together the heads of counterterrorism and security agencies in Africa, the 3rd edition of which took place in Fez in June 2024. The ambassador further indicated that the fight against terrorism goes far beyond the security framework. It is part of a global and holistic dynamic, where the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the preservation of the values of peace and human dignity, as well as the promotion of partnerships and international cooperation, become essential levers to eradicate the root causes of this scourge and sustainably prevent its impacts and ravages. Morocco has called on Africans to take control of the instruments of their health sovereignty, especially so as the continent has all necessary human resources. The call was launched by Moroccos Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, at the opening Wednesday in Sale, Rabats twin city, of the 8th General Assembly of the Alliance of African and Atlantic Press Agencies (FAAPA), held under the theme African News Agencies, levers to advance the continents health sovereignty. In a turbulent world, it is up to us Africans to take in hand the instruments of our health sovereignty. We have all the human resources to do so: African doctors, paramedics, biologists and researchers fill Western hospitals, universities and research laboratories, said Bensaid. These resources are waiting for their home countries to offer them the conditions to exercise their vocation, he said recalling that this is the ambition of the African Academy of Health Sciences (AAHS), launched last November in Dakhla, by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health. The official noted that the Academy is considered as a milestone and the foundation of our African ambition to bring together in Dakhla, the Sahels window on the Atlantic, the African human skills of today and tomorrow, to build the multidimensional continental sovereignty to which we all aspire. In this regard, he stressed that there is no sovereignty when health is delegated to others, noting that the integrated health model, as desired by King Mohammed VI for the Continent, cannot exist and be consolidated without training, exchanges and synergies between African nations. Bensaid highlighted the decisive role of African press agencies in connecting this collective dynamic that is our continent, full of potential. In this context of African emergence on the world stage, the role of communication, media, journalism, and the press is fundamental, he added. Long monopolized by external discourses on Africa, we are now able to write our vision on ourselves. This reappropriation of the word is as important as the reappropriation of oceanic space, or of our independent presence on the global stage, Bensaid insisted. Morocco aims to be, more than ever, a player in African sovereignty, and a window for African partners. The continents most precious asset is its youth, increasingly educated, increasingly connected and now eager to express their own views, and no longer content to be merely consumers of foreign media, he stated further. Referring to the role of African press agencies in consolidating the continents sovereignty, the minister noted that FAAPA had grown over the years to include a growing number of members, as well as observers representing press agencies in partner areas (the Mediterranean, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Islamic world). This undeniable success confirms our conviction that the alliance of African and Atlantic press agencies will give our peoples and nations greater strength and weight on the international stage. Ten years ago, the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies was founded in Casablanca. The FAAPA name alone is a symbol and a banner, that of an Africa emancipated from its imaginary fetters, which is appropriating what rightfully belongs to it, namely its oceanic horizon, its sovereign presence in maritime globalization, on its own terms, and according to its values, history and aspirations, he added. Taking the floor, Ivorian Minister of Communication Amadou Coulibaly said African press agencies must play a key role in promoting African initiatives in the field of health, by publicizing discoveries and work of the continents researchers. Strengthening press agencies capacities in science and health journalism is an essential requirement for specialization, he said. Highlighting the relevance of the chosen theme of this event, he praised the premonitory and enlightened vision of King Mohammed VI in the health field, and welcomed the creation of the African Academy of Health Sciences (AAHS) in Dakhla, whose main mission, he said, lies in promoting federative South-South cooperation, and mobilization for African health sovereignty. The Ivorian minister also called for pooling health information by setting up a network of exchanges between African press agencies, noting that this is a reality that is becoming more and more essential in view of crisis periods that we have gone through and will always go through. The impact of social networks and the risks of misinformation further reinforce the importance of press agencies, recognized as safeguards of local information, he stressed, adding that the recent COVID-19 health crisis has created a major flow of content, making it imperative to have safe media offering reliable information, produced according to the rules of ethics and press deontology. In this regard, press agencies must become solid ramparts against the spread of false information, in particular by developing fact-checking services and by contributing to raising public awareness of the responsible use of social media, noted the Ivorian official. The Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) is a professional platform bringing together around thirty press agencies and observer members. Its mission is to promote cooperation and the exchange of experience between African press agencies in all areas of mutual interest, including information dissemination, training, digital and multimedia products. Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net. Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023. Cooperation between Morocco and Spain in circular migration, combining economic development, womens empowerment, and the strengthening of bilateral ties, is an example to follow, Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, stated. Cooperation with Morocco, a partner and friendly country, is based on innovative migration policies such as circular migration, as well as on strong economic and trade exchanges, Saiz told MAP in an interview, on the eve of her working visit to Morocco to attend the closing of the first edition of the Wafira program, a pilot project for the development of female entrepreneurship aimed at seasonal migrant workers from rural communities in Morocco. The Wafira program is a prime example of the success of this strategic collaboration with Morocco, the official emphasized, adding that the project had benefited 209 Moroccan women, enabling them to develop their skills and participate actively in the development of their local communities. After she emphasized the positive impact of this program, Elma Saiz recalled that 100% of participants in the program wish to renew it and more than 66% of them have stated a significant improvement in their skills, both professional and personal. Saiz said that the Wafira program cuts across a wide range of economic and social sectors, demonstrating how circular migration can act as a lever for growth and transformation, both for the participants and their communities. This model of cooperation is advantageous for both Morocco and Spain, she explained, stressing the need to continue this collaboration in the future for more effective management of human mobility. As to her visit to Morocco, she said it aims to strengthen circular migration projects, deepen cooperation with the Kingdom and broaden existing policies. It will be a question of evaluating the results of the program and considering possibilities for expansion, she said, stressing that with solid political will, such initiatives can be strengthened and expanded. This visit to Morocco, featuring several meetings and initiatives, will focus on expanding programs that have already proven effective for both countries and for the beneficiaries, she said. Photo: Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images When he campaigned for mayor the first time, Eric Adams made his opinion of Tucker Carlson clear. I dont want or need the support of Tucker Carlson, or anyone else who perpetuates racist, anti-immigrant propaganda, he said of the far-right commentator on social media in May 2021. But a beleaguered Adams is now embracing Carlson: He sat down with the former Fox News talk show host for a lengthy interview taped at Gracie Mansion. The nearly 50-minute friendly chat was largely an airing of grievances with Adams sounding off on his legal strife and tying it back to his criticism of the Biden administrations handling of the migrant crisis. The interview comes as Adams has made significant overtures to President Donald Trump in recent months with speculation growing that he is angling for a pardon from the newly sworn-in president. Here are some notable moments from their sit-down. Having been indicted by the Biden DOJ for political crimes, New York Mayor Eric Adams is sounding a lot like a Trump voter these days. (0:00) Eric Adams Indictment Is Ridiculous (6:04) How Biden Destroyed New York With Immigration (17:27) What Do New Yorkers Think About the pic.twitter.com/GZLofb2ZFv Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 22, 2025 Adams believes the Biden administration targeted him Carlson opened the interview by asking Adams about his pending legal case, calling the federal charges of bribery and campaign-finance fraud against him ridiculous. Adams echoed Carlsons words, saying that many people wanted to dismiss his claims that he was a target. He suggested that there were people in then-President Joe Bidens orbit who were upset by his criticism of the White Houses handling of the migrant crisis affecting New York. I think that there were those who were just angry about it and thought I wasnt a good Democrat, he said. Carlson asked, You complained, and this indictment was punishment for complaining. Is that what youre saying? That is clearly my belief and based on several aspects of it that I cant go into detail, but there are other aspects of it that show me that I was targeted because of that, Adams responded. Adams says the White House downplayed his concerns Adams told Carlson that he met with several members of Bidens administration and twice with the president himself in order to relay his concerns about the influx of migrants into the city. He recounted one joint meeting in New York City with Biden and Governor Kathy Hochul, saying that he told Biden directly about the ongoing crisis. I said, Mr. President, Im not sure what theyre telling you about this problem, but this is a terrible problem thats playing out on the ground. We need to fix our border, Adams said, noting to Carlson that the city was responsible for providing food, housing, and education to migrants and their families. Eric Adams tells Tucker Carslon he was told "to be a good Democrat" when he complained about Biden's border crisis. pic.twitter.com/pJzsU61AEv The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 22, 2025 Carlson then asked what the response was from the administration after sharing all this. Basically, Be a good Democrat, Eric, Adams said. One of his aides told me, This is like a gallstone. Itll pass. Carlson challenges Adams on sanctuary cities During the interview, Carlson indicated his disdain for sanctuary cities, saying that he believes New York City committed an act of insurrection in defiance of federal law by declaring itself one. Adams did not take the bait when asked by Carlson if the federal government should send the military to the city as punishment for allowing undocumented immigrants to reside there. But the mayor indicated that he shares at least one position with Trumps incoming border czar, Tom Homan. Those who violate their rights to come here by committing crimes, they need to leave our country after they serve their time. Were on the same page with that, he said. That immigrant family whos trying to get a pathway into becoming a citizen, living out this amazing American Dream, I dont think they should be rounded up in the middle of the night. Adams continues to distance himself from the Democratic Party As he has in recent months, the mayor continued to distance himself from his political party, saying that Democrats are not focused on the real issues of everyday people. People often say, You dont sound like a Democrat. You seem to have left the party. No, the party left me, and it left working-class people, he said. He continued, People are concerned about the future of their families, and that should be our focus and thats the focus of this administration. The Eric Adams interview. Out tonight. pic.twitter.com/KSFUrEaTxM Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 21, 2025 The mayor invokes his rival Andrew (not that one) Carlson asked Adams about a potential primary challenge from former governor Andrew Cuomo, who is said to be mulling a bid. The mayor demurred and focused instead on another Andrew, his 2021 challenger Andrew Yang. He hasnt announced, and Im a firm believer that Im not running against anyone. Im running against myself. Andrew Yang got into the race the last time. He was 13 points up in the poll, and the team we were very clear. We have to run our race, he said. So no matter whos in the race, Im going to run my race, and Im going to sell to New Yorkers what we did with this city and the reversal of where we were headed and where were going now. Photo: Jeenah Moon/The New York Times/Redux Prince Harry has experienced various business setbacks and royal snubs recently, but he scored a rare win on Wednesday. King Charless younger son settled his long-running lawsuit with Rupert Murdochs U.K. tabloids, winning an eight-figure sum and an unprecedented apology. The deal was announced a day after a trial was set to begin over phone hacking and other illegal activities Murdochs News Group Newspapers (NGN) engaged in years ago to gather information about Harry and other prominent people. NGN has long acknowledged that staffers at the shuttered News of the World engaged in phone-hacking, but this is the first time the company admitted to wrongdoing at The Sun. In the statement, NGN said it offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. It went on to apologize to Harry for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. The statement also included an apology for the publishers treatment of Harrys late mother, Princess Diana: NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. Harrys lawyer, David Sherborne, described the outcome in court as a monumental victory and a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them. Harry and former Labour Party leader Tom Watson, who was also named in the apology, were the last two people pursuing litigation with NGN over phone hacking. As the New York Times notes, Mr. Murdochs companies have used lucrative payoffs to avert trials in 1,300 cases stemming from the phone hacking scandal. That figure includes Harrys estranged older brother, Prince William; in 2023, court documents from Harrys case revealed that William settled with NGN for a very large sum of money in 2020. Harry did not get absolutely everything he wanted in the settlement. He had said he wanted the case to go to trial to publicly expose The Suns wrongdoing, but now NGN has avoided what could have been weeks of damaging testimony. If Harry had refused the settlement offer, he could have been on the hook for both sides legal fees under U.K. law; analysts told the Washington Post, it would have been reasonable to expect Harrys trial to cost roughly 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in legal fees for each week the court was in session. The NGN statement did not accept Harrys claims that its papers also targeted his wife, Meghan Markle. As Newsweek notes, in a 2023 court statement Harry accused The Sun of hiring a private investigator to obtain private information in the form of a report about my new relationship with Meghan. The statement only acknowledges unlawful activities conducted between 1996 and 2011; thats prior to the start of their relationship, and Meghan is not named. I have mixed emotions today. I was talking to a coworker I'm close to. (She's an older black woman) And she was taking me someone in her dept wire a trump hat to thier team meeting Anyway we were talking about how important to take care of yourself right now. Like I can't let things stress me into sickness. Going through all the Executive orders that trump is overturning was depressing Edited at 2025-01-21 10:22 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link the nazi salute. TWICE. its honestly terrifying, theyre masks off now and making our policy. and we get to just sit and have horrors unleashed on us. Reply Thread Link And everyone was saying it was just a wave, and not to read too much into it. Reply Parent Thread Link idk how anyone can watch the video and NOT see it for the nazi salute that it is Reply Parent Thread Expand Link So many defending it as he has autism. Like yeah, ok. Now the right-wing are finally getting behind neurodivergence. Reply Parent Thread Link The ADL being like nope just a wave is something else Edited at 2025-01-21 10:33 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Its driving me crazy that all big news outlets were foaming at the mouth to label the pro-Palestine pro-ceasefire student protestors as antisemitic and extremists, but when Musk does the Nazi salute twice in the context of having voiced support for the extreme right and the AfD in Germany just over a week ago its described as a provocative, but awkward gesture devoid of meaning. Flames on the side of my face.gif Reply Parent Thread Link And seeing people defend it by saying he's autistic so that's not what he really meant to do is infuriating tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link Audrey had life long health problems bc the Nazis starved out the dutch population during the war Reply Thread Link Not to mention it looks so basic and boring on her. A void of charisma Reply Parent Thread Link keeping a list of all the houses that cater to these monsters Reply Parent Thread Link same i follow a bunch of fashion accounts on multiple plattforms and have thankfully not seen a lot of inauguration coverage anywhere Reply Parent Thread Link Who else provided custom attire? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Is there an insta or secret account that posts all the fashion houses catering to the facists, so I can avoid them like the plague. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like she's the worst one Reply Parent Thread Expand Link this is so!!!!! aaaahhhh Reply Parent Thread Link Can the cartels take them out?? Reply Parent Thread Link I think the scariest thing about the executive orders is how it signals the priorities of the Trump administration. I really don't know what we're in for over the next four years. Reply Thread Link Im sitting in an interagency meeting being like 'Does any of this matter anymore? You think the Trump childreb care the monarch butterfly will be extinct in 60 years?" Just quietly working while Rome burns Reply Parent Thread Link Im at the start/in the middle of a couple lawsuits involving medical bullshit and the vibe is: fear Reply Parent Thread Link Mariah better get in here and fight bitch. Reply Parent Thread Link Are there no checks or rules for these fucking executive orders? Reply Thread Link no. they're not laws so they're less permanent and binding. and they're supposed to do with like enforcement of laws. but like a chunk of these will probably get challenged in court so hopefully the damage is mitigated. Reply Parent Thread Link No. They have the courts, so we're basically fucked. Reply Parent Thread Link There really need to be more. The President shouldn't be able to do whatever Congress should have to pass the legislation. Reply Parent Thread Link I believe they're already being sued for a few of these EO's, so they'll be tied up in courts for a couple of years at least. Reply Parent Thread Link Yep, there are are already lawsuits. Reply Parent Thread Link no, that was the whole plan Reply Parent Thread Link As mentioned it will be the courts. 18 states and the ACLU have sued so far over his EO on birthright citizenship. This happened last time with the Muslim ban and ban on transgendered people in the military. This is why it was important that the Senate confirmed so many of the judges Biden appointed in the last few weeks of Congress. And why an Obama judge un-retired. Reply Parent Thread Link What can I even fucking say Everyone should be rioting in the streets Reply Thread Link they keep everyone dumb and starving and on the brink of homelessness so that they cannot be in the streets Reply Parent Thread Link I agree with this except for a different reasons. The US government keeps enough people barely comfortable enough that we aren't willing to take the risk to lose whatever we do have. That plus some weird beliefs around American exceptionalism and the glorification of the checks and balances... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It will take a lot for that to happen in the US. Especially among non-bipoc folks, i.e., white people. When it comes down to it I think many/most Americans do not have a collectivist mindset. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link embarrassed, disgusted, and angry. Reply Thread Link I don't know how else to describe it but I feel like i've been floating since yesterday? but like not in a good way. like a "oh my god what the fuck?" way. Reply Thread Link he was 100% doing it on purpose come on. he's a 50 something South African who spends all day on Twitter replying to and boosting neo-Nazi accounts. get real. Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) January 20, 2025 I'm really annoyed at the mainstream media. People like him don't deserve the benefit of doubt. It was totally on purpose and a signal to their followers.I'm really annoyed at the mainstream media. People like him don't deserve the benefit of doubt. Reply Thread Link i cannot even with ivanka and jared being cool with this. what the fuck do people at their temple think?!?! it's super disgusting. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm in a state of existential despair. I honestly don't think we are coming back from this through voting or peaceful demonstration. Reply Thread Link I would be except my whole life has sucked, so Im used to it haha. But Im here if you need anything. Reply Parent Thread Link https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social is a good follow for news involving immigration Reply Thread Link Whats up with him wanting to rename things? I saw he wanted to take back Denali and back to Mckinley like just fuck off dude. Its like he just solely wants to undo everything that Obama/biden did just out of spite. Hes a child. Its also terrifying as a Canadian because fucking Pierre is going to come it into power and Mr we shouldnt apologize for our past is going to do the same shit. Reply Thread Link He's a white supremacist. They want to change back the military bases that were renamed bc they were named after confederates. I'm sure we'll retroduce Lee/Jackson King day next year Reply Parent Thread Link Exactly. He wants to MAGA- by reverting as far back as possible. Reply Parent Thread Link I was assigned a project on William McKinley in fifth grade. there is no reason he should have anything named after him. Reply Parent Thread Link Im here for the cute raccoons (so that I dont cry). Reply Thread Link As a Canadian I obviously have no vote or say in who is President but he might have such a massive effect on my countrys economy and Im just tired and pissed off. We have enough going on already without that dipshit fucking things up more for us. Also if someone could punt Danielle Smith off to the moon that would be great. Actually no, the moon doesnt deserve that. Reply Thread Link OSHA Appoints Scott Ketcham as Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Ketcham, OSHA's new deputy assistant secretary, brings over 20 years of OSHA experience and a strong background in safety enforcement and leadership. Scott Ketcham has been named OSHAs new deputy assistant secretary. Ketcham, who has over 20 years of experience with OSHA, steps into the national office after serving in several leadership and enforcement roles. Ketcham recently directed OSHAs Directorate of Enforcement Programs and spent nearly five years as the head of the Directorate of Construction. He also served two years as deputy director for the same directorate. His previous roles within OSHA include assistant area director, area director, deputy regional administrator and compliance officer. Before joining OSHA, Ketcham worked as a staff industrial hygienist with the U.S. Army Medical Activity at Bassett Army Hospital in Alaska. A Certified Safety Professional, Ketcham holds a masters degree in public administration from the University of Alaska and a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University. Ketcham also brings 24 years of military service in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. OSHA Cites Appliance Manufacturer for Willful Machine Safety Lapses Haier US Appliance Solutions faces OSHA penalties after a supervisor's fatal injuries exposed ongoing machine safety violations. OSHA has proposed $193,585 in penalties against Haier US Appliance Solutions Inc., the manufacturer of GE-brand appliances, for multiple safety violations following a fatal workplace incident in July 2024. According to a recent release, a 58-year-old supervisor at the companys Decatur, Alabama, facility suffered fatal injuries while attempting to service a door molding machine. OSHA investigators found that the company allowed workers to bypass safety doors and failed to use lockout/tagout procedures designed to de-energize equipment during servicing. Haier US Appliance Solutions could have avoided this tragedy but put production schedules and profit ahead of employee safety, OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama, said in a statement. This companys troubling history of safety failures in its manufacturing process has posed a significant risk to the more than 1,500 workers at its Decatur location who rely on a safe and healthy workplace. The Decatur facility has a history of safety violations. OSHA noted that this latest incident marks one of many safety lapses at Haier facilities, including a 2019 fatality at its Louisville, Kentucky, plant, where similar violations were found. Since 2016, OSHA has conducted 40 inspections at Haiers two primary U.S. manufacturing facilities, uncovering repeated machine safety issues. "Our organization, and the Decatur facility in particular, has a strong safety record," Julie Wood, senior director of corporate communications for GE said in an email to OH&S. "Our Decatur facility was a part of OSHAs highly regarded Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) from 1996 to 2024. The plant underwent seven extensive on-site reviews by OSHA VPP teams during that time, during which OSHA performed an in-depth review of the facilitys documentation, conducted employee interviews and performed a wall-to-wall inspection of the plant. As you know, last year there were fewer than 1,200 U.S. work sites possessed this respected designation, which was an explicit recognition by OSHA of the excellent safety program present at Decatur." In this latest case, OSHA issued the company one willful violation for failing to enforce lockout/tagout standards and two serious violations for allowing employees to bypass safety interlocks and neglecting annual procedure inspections. The proposed fines represent the maximum penalties OSHA can recommend. Wood says Haier intends to contest OSHA's findings. "GE Appliances has always been and remains deeply committed to safety, and there is no issue we take more seriously as a company," Wood told OH&S. "We cooperated fully with OSHA on the incident investigation, but we disagree with OSHAs conclusions. It is against company policy and company training to bypass machine safeguards and enter equipment without de-energizing and locking out the equipment." The country also aims to boost oil production from 1.4 mb/d to 2 mb/d by 2028 but requires significant investment to achieve this goal. Libya is planning to boost its crude refining capacity from the current 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 400,000 bpd, Libyas Minister of Oil and Gas Khalifa Abdulsadek has announced. To maximize exports, you need to keep an eye on the local demand first, as it is increasing for power generation, the minister said. According to Chairman of Libyas National Oil Corporation Masoud Sulaiman, Libya plans to increase oil output from 1.4 mb/d currently to 2 mb/d in 2028. However, ramping output to that level will require considerable capital outlays: Abdulsadek estimates that Libya needs between $3 billion and $4 billion to reach its intermediate goal of oil production rate of 1.6 mb/d, adding that a new license bidding round is expected to be approved by the cabinet before the end of January. The Libyan economy relies heavily on oil, with fossil fuels accounting for more than 95% of its economic output. "There is momentum in reconstruction and this can only be achieved by increasing the production," Abdulsadek said. Libya is not the only OPEC producer targeting higher production: Kuwait has revealed ambitions to nearly double its oil output over the next decade. Speaking at last years CERAWeek by S&P Global conference, Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah, CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corp., revealed that the country plans to ramp up crude production from ~2.4 million barrels of crude per day currently to over 4 mb/d by 2035 by cooperating with international oil majors. According to Sabah, the emirate has lifting costs onshore of just $10/b but has pumped the brakes on drilling due to OPEC+ production quotas. Kuwait expects the capacity additions to come from the Neutral Zone it shares with Saudi Arabia as well as its domestic fields Kuwait is a wealthy petroleum-based economy and the fifth richest country in the world by gross national income per capita. Its OPECs 5th largest producer, and is home to 101 billion barrels in proven oil reserves, the 7th largest in the world. Indeed, Kuwaits oil reserves are considerably bigger than the U.S. ~70 billion barrels. Unfortunately, similar to many OPEC producers, Kuwaits economy is too reliant on oil. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Middlemen who supply Russian oil have stopped offering cargoes after the latest U.S. sanctions imposed by the Biden administration targeting Russian producers, tankers and insurers, Bharat Petroleum CFO has revealed. The sanctions have targeted Surgutneftgas and Gazprom Neft, two Russian oil firms that handle 25% of Russian oil exports. The two companies shipped an average of 970,000 bbls a day in 2024. Bharat Petroleum and other Indian state refiners buy Russian oil in the spot market, mainly from traders. "We have not received any new offers for the March window (delivery). Traders are asking us to wait. We are waiting to get offers," Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta told Reuters on Wednesday. "We are not expecting the similar number of cargoes that we used to get in the months of December and January," he added. Earlier, India announced that it will abide by the sanctions and turn away sanctioned tankers. Previously, we reported that the sanctions would severely disrupt Russian oil exports to India and China--the biggest buyers of Russian crude--and could also give Trump more leverage in future negotiations as he tries to end the war in Ukraine. Last year, India briefly overtook China as the largest buyer of Russian crude. However, India's import of Russian oil in November plummeted 55% Y/Y to its lowest point since June 2022. This could be the result of the country trying to diversify its oil supplies to avoid overlying on a single country. Standard Chartered has predicted that the strength in oil markets in the early innings of the new year is likely to continue, powered by, among other things, the removal of more Russian barrels from the market following the sanctions. According to StanChart, the new restrictions roughly triple the number of directly sanctioned Russian crude oil tankers, enough to affect around 900 thousand barrels per day (kb/d). Whereas its highly likely that Russia will try to circumvent the sanctions by employing even more shadow fleet tankers and ship-to-ship transfers, StanChart sees 500kb/d of displacements over the next six months. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com European banks are reevaluating their participation in net-zero alliances, and the future of climate finance initiatives is uncertain. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has also left the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative due to legal concerns and confusion surrounding its practices. Major US and Canadian banks have withdrawn from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance following pressure from Republican-led states and the election of President Trump. A few years ago, the worlds biggest banks and asset managers raced to commit to funding the energy transition and drop fossil fuel projects from portfolios as they came under shareholder and market pressure to join net-zero alliances. But after years of scrutiny and blacklisting from Republican states in the U.S. and lawsuits from Republican attorney generals, North American banks and asset managers began quitting net-zero alliances en masse following President Donald Trumps election victory. Net Zero Exodus The top U.S. banks and four of Canadas largest banks are no longer part of the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a group of leading global banks committed to aligning their lending, investment, and capital markets activities with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Now several European banks are considering withdrawing from the NZBA, too, while the leading figures of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) the umbrella group for the finance institutions that have pledged net zero goals are struggling to hold their regular annual meeting this month, the Financial Times reports, citing sources with knowledge of the situation. Some of Europes biggest banks are rethinking their membership and involvement in net-zero initiatives as Donald Trump returns to office and Republican-led U.S. states are going after woke capital. This, they say, discriminates against Americas oil, gas, and coal industry by committing to net-zero portfolios and adopting principles that could reduce financing for fossil fuel projects. Since early December, the biggest U.S. banks Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan have all quit the NZBA. Commenting on the banks withdrawals, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, More and more financial institutions are taking a major step in the right direction by leaving the radical and anti-energy Net-Zero Banking Alliance. The NZBA seeks to undermine our vital oil and gas industries, and membership could potentially prevent banks from being able to enter into contracts with Texas governmental entities, Paxton added. BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, early this month quit the parallel Net Zero Asset Managers initiative in the latest exit of a major financial institution from a climate finance alliance since Trump was elected U.S. President. BlackRock has decided to leave the voluntary Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, which launched in December 2020 and aims to support the asset management industry to commit to a goal of net zero emissions in order to mitigate financial risk and to maximize long-term value of assets. The worlds top asset manager has quit the initiative because its membership has caused confusion regarding BlackRocks practices and subjected us to legal inquiries from various public officials, Vice Chairman Philipp Hildebrand wrote in a letter to institutional clients. Net Zero Under Scrutiny BlackRock and major banks have come under increased pressure from Republican politicians and Republican-governed states over their pledges to scale back funding for fossil fuel projects. Texas authorities, for example, have decided to withdraw $8.5 billion in assets of the Permanent School Fund from the asset manager. The Texas legislature passed a law in 2021 to penalize financial firms that, according to state authorities, discriminate against energy companies. At the end of November, a group of Republican states led by Texas sued BlackRock and fellow asset managers Vanguard and State Street for alleged violation of antitrust laws. The states allege that the asset managers have been pressuring coal firms to lower output to cut emissions, thus driving up electricity prices in America. Since leaving the net-zero asset managers alliance, BlackRock has reached a settlement with the state of Tennessee, which had sued the worlds biggest asset manager for misleading consumers regarding the role of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in its investment practices. The settlement concluded a lawsuit filed by the State of Tennessee under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The Americans are totally obsessed about not being sued by Texas. The banks have been the worst, a European executive involved in the Glasgow initiative told FT. Canadian banks BMO, National Bank, TD Bank Group, and CIBC also quit the net-zero banking alliance last week. European lenders have threatened to follow suit unless NZBA eases rules and ends all formal tracking and any issues that are perceived contrary to US antitrust, according to FTs sources. The asset managers net zero alliance is already struggling under the pressure. A week ahead of President Trumps inauguration, the Net Zero Asset Managers said it was launching a review of the initiative. Recent developments in the U.S. and different regulatory and client expectations in investors respective jurisdictions have led to NZAM launching a review of the initiative to ensure NZAM remains fit for purpose in the new global context, the alliance said. While the review is ongoing, the initiative is suspending activities to track signatory implementation and reporting. European banks want the net-zero banking alliance to undergo a similar overhaul. Otherwise, they have threatened to quit and follow in the footsteps of the biggest U.S. and Canadian banks. Several banks have said that unless the banking alliance goes the same way [as] the asset management initiative, they will begin the process to leave, a source familiar with the banks thinking told FT. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com A cornerstone of Donald Trumps foreign policy during his first U.S. presidency was the utilisation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a fulcrum by which he could leverage back Chinas growing influence in the Middle East. Through a related energy policy connected to India, he also hoped to counteract Beijings increasing dominance in Asia. When the UAE became the first major Arab state to sign an Abraham Accords peace agreement with Israel (brokered by the U.S.) on 13 August 2020, Trumps Middle East strategy appeared to be going perfectly to plan. However, his loss of the presidency later the same year preceded a complete breakdown of that strategy under new President Joe Biden. During the latters tenure in office, Chinas influence across the Middle East broadened and deepened at a pace matched only by the U.S.s loss of power in the region. By the time Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the U.S.s relationship with key leaders in the Middle East had reached such a low point that the UAEs leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan refused even to take a telephone call from Biden to discuss how he might help alleviate the resultant spike in energy prices. Saudi Arabias de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman treated Bidens request with the same contempt. It is exceptionally difficult to imagine either of them doing the same to Trump, so it is no surprise to see the UAE making moves to indicate that it may be edging back towards a closer relationship with Washington in his second term as president. The latest signs of such a realignment have come from the UAEs awarding of contracts for the massive expansion of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) capabilities, centred on the Ruwais LNG Project. Once fully operational, the Ruwais LNG plant will more than double the current LNG production capacity of the UAEs ADNOC Gas to over 15 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Last week saw the UAE energy giant award US$2.1 billion in contracts to bolster its LNG supply infrastructure with the largest (valued at US$1.24 billion) going to a consortium consisting of the Egyptian firms, Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI) and Petrojet. As also detailed in my latest book, Egypt has been a key focus of the efforts by the U.S. and its allies to boost gas and LNG capacity to compensate for the loss of the same from Russia as sanctions against it have been ratcheted up since 2022. Multiple U.S. and allied firms including ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, and ENI are now at the forefront of these efforts in Egypt to help wean Europe off its former dependence on cheap Russian energy, which includes extensive on-the-ground presence across the country. These latest contracts for Ruwais are geared toward the build-out of an LNG pre-conditioning plant, compression facilities and transmission pipelines to supply feedstock to the Ruwais LNG Project. These will form a core element of ADNOC Gas Habshan 5 plant, which is part of the Habshan Complex and will have a combined 6.1 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day gas processing capacity. The newly awarded transmission pipelines will connect this Complex with the Ruwais LNG facility. On the other side of the equation, the most recent long-term supply contract for LNG from the plant was Decembers 15-year sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for 0.6 mtpa of LNG with major Western firm, Energie Baden-Wurttemberg AG (EnBW) -- one of the largest operators of energy infrastructure in Germany and across Europe. This is the second such long-term deal between ADNOC Gas and a German firm, following Novembers SPA for 1 mtpa for 15 years with SEFE Marketing and Trading Singapore Pte Ltd., a subsidiary of Germanys SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH. Highly significant in this context is the fact that it was Germany above all other countries in Europe that was seen by the U.S. and its key European allies of the U.K. and France as by far the weakest link in supporting meaningful sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Germanys effective leadership position in the European Union (E.U.) -- the U.K. having earlier withdrawn from it -- and its longstanding reliance on cheap and plentiful Russian oil and gas to power its economic growth was seen as the key reason for Europes muted response to Russias invasion of Georgia in 2008 and its first invasion of Ukraine in 2014 (and subsequent annexation of Crimea), as also analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order. Indeed, just after the invasion, the only real flurry of activity within the EU was aimed at ensuring that Russia did not stop supplying its member states with either gas or oil, due to their not being able to pay in the way Moscow preferred. This followed the 31 March decree signed by President Vladimir Putin that required EU buyers to pay in roubles for Russian gas via a new currency conversion mechanism or risk having supplies suspended. That said, although the UAE had made plain its contempt for Biden in early 2022, its attitude changed later that year after the discovery by U.S. intelligence agencies that there was still activity around the port of Khalifa indicating Chinas attempts to construct a secret military facility there had not ended. As highlighted by OilPrice.com at the time, the U.S. had made it very clear after discovering in December 2021 that China had been building such an installation that it looked forward to a new phase in its relationship with the UAE. In 2022, these hopes were conveyed even more forcefully by Washington to the UAE, and shortly afterwards, the UAE-Germany Energy Security and Industry Accelerator was signed with the purpose of advancing cooperation in energy security, decarbonisation and lower-carbon fuels. In February 2023, ADNOC delivered 137,000 cubic metres of LNG its first at that point to Germany to the Elbehafen floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) LNG terminal in Brunsbuttel. Consequently, Trump still has something of a foundation energy relationship to work on with the UAE, and the Arab state never cancelled the Abraham Accord with Israel either. Hopes are high in Washington that the new Presidential Administration will once again be able to resuscitate the full plan for the UAE over time. As detailed in my latest book, this is centred on the U.S. investing heavily in the UAEs oil and gas sectors in order to substantially increase the production of both, which would then be directed principally towards India, rather than China, as the primary long-term Asian destination. Washington still sees India as the natural political, economic, and military counterpoint to Chinas dominance in Asia, so playing a pivotal role between it and the UAEs energy resources would benefit Washingtons ambitions both there and in the Middle East. Additionally helpful to the U.S. is that the UAE already has a very close energy relationship with India to build on, with ADNOC being the only overseas company allowed to store crude oil in Indias Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR). This is mainly done at the Mangalore strategic storage facility, with the other major SPR pool being at Padur. India has also allowed ADNOC to export this oil to allow it greater operational flexibility. Leveraging this relationship further both from the UAE side into India and from India back into the Middle East is also intended by the U.S. to enable India to make substantive progress on its Neighbourhood First policy as an alternative to Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Funeral urn. Godong/Getty Images A jury awarded three Bexar County family members just over $1 million after their mothers urn and ashes were destroyed in 2021 at San Jose Burial Park. Shown is the entrance to the cemetery. Google screengrab/Google A San Antonio jury has awarded more than $1 million to three siblings after their mothers urn and ashes were destroyed by an excavator at San Jose Burial Park. Deidre Kollars,Yvonne Rigal Holguin and Peter Moreno sued Mission Park Funeral Chapels & Cemeteries over the incident, which occurred during a burial service for their father, Pedro G. Moreno Jr., in August 2021. Mission Park intends to appeal Thursdays verdict. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The siblings alleged in their lawsuit that Mission Park carelessly unearthed the wrong burial plot before the service for Pedro Moreno despite markers indicating where the burial should take place. They advised Mission Park of the correct location for burial of their fathers urn next to his wifes cremated remains. Diana Jane Moreno was 54 when she died on Sept. 30, 2005, but her urn was not interred until 2009. A cemetery caretaker dug the new burial plot with an excavator rather than a shovel, said the siblings lawyer, Anthony Malley of Beaumont. The excavators arm broke their mothers urn, tore the internal bag holding the ashes and spread the ashes in the dirt and grass, the lawsuit said. Theyre picking up the cremains in a blue Solo cup, Malley said. Dirt, grass, leaves, cremains, dumping it into an urn vault. Then the family got on their hands and knees to help because it started raining. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The siblings sued MPII Inc., which does business as Mission Park, for more than $1 million in damages in December 2021. After a trial last week in state District Judge Antonia Toni Arteagas courtroom, 11 of 12 jurors found Mission Park negligent. They awarded each of the siblings these amounts for past and future mental anguish: $175,000 for Kollars, $500,000 for Holguin and $350,000 for Moreno. The combined amount is $1,025,000. In an emailed statement, an MPII representative said San Jose Burial Park operates as a municipal cemetery under an agreement between the company and the city of San Antonio. The city has been the owner and custodian of cemetery records since the cemeterys establishment in 1922, the company said. It added that its role is limited to facilitating operations and maintenance in compliance with city policies. Despite attempts to link Mission Park Funeral Homes to this case, Mission Park did not provide funeral home services to the family involved in this case, the company said. The issue stemmed from a previous burial conducted by the City of San Antonio at San Jose Burial Park and the location records for that burial. We believe the verdict unfairly penalizes an entity acting within its limited role for pre-existing conditions that were unforeseeable, it added. We are deeply committed to treating families with care and respect. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In its answer to the lawsuit in November, the company denied liability. Diana Morenos remains were buried significantly shallower than the minimum 2 feet required by state law, it said. It blamed the city or an unknown person or entity responsible for burying her remains. Moreover, the City records reflect that Diana J. Moreno was buried adjacent to the headstone and not in the middle of the grave, Mission Park said in the document. Either the city incorrectly noted the location of the burial in its records or the city or the unknown person or entity responsible for the burial buried the remains in a location not identified in the records, Mission Park said. Therefore, when MPII, Inc. dug the grave for Pedro Moreno, it did not expect and could never expect to encounter the urn containing the cremains of Diana J. Moreno at such a shallow depth and did not expect and could not expect that the urn would be buried without an urn vault, the company added in its answer. The cemetery is at 8235 Missions Road. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mission Park said a motion to designate the city as a responsible third party was granted during pretrial proceedings, but the judge decided not to submit the question of the citys negligence to the jury. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed a commitment to repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which would lift trade restrictions on several Central Asian countries. The Trump administration signals it will likely continue the B5+1 initiative started under the Biden administration to improve trade relations with Central Asia. Donald Trumps return to the White House is raising hopes in Kazakhstan that long-reviled Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions will be repealed soon. More broadly, the incoming US administration is sending signals that a Biden administration initiative to improve political and trade ties with Central Asia will continue. Repeal expectations in Astana are based on comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his confirmation hearings earlier in January at which he expressed a commitment to improving trade relations with Central Asian states. He described Jackson-Vanik as an absurd relic of the past. The Jackson Vanik amendment was adopted during the latter stage of the Cold War as a lever to compel improved observance of basic rights by communist-led governments around the world, in particular the former Soviet Union. The measure linked access to US goods and services for communist states to their willingness to permit the freedom of movement and emigration. Since the 1991 demise of the Soviet Union, Congress has lifted Jackson-Vanik restrictions for most formerly communist nations, giving them permanent normal trade relations status (PNTR). But Jackson-Vanik still applies to five formerly Soviet republics Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Annual reviews are needed for those states to gain exemptions from the amendments provisions. Congressional approval is needed to lift the restrictions. The United States during the Biden administration launched an initiative, known as B5+1, to boost westbound trade out of Central Asia by promoting regional connectivity. Rubio indicated that the new administration plans to continue promoting B5+1. Accordingly, Rubio indicated two key Central Asian states would be prioritized by Congress Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for the awarding of PNTR. Steve Daines, a Republican senator from Montana who is a leader of the congressional caucus on Central Asia, stated at Rubios confirmation hearing that the United States needs more friends in Central Asia. This is a part of the world that is often neglected, but has such strategic importance, he said. In response, Rubio agreed that improved relations between Washington and Central Asian states were important. On his first day in office, Trump ordered a review of US trade arrangements with China, including a provision contained in the 2020 agreement in which Beijing committed to expanding imports from the United States. If US officials determine China is not in compliance, the United States may impose punitive measures up to and including the imposition of tariffs or other measures as needed, according to a memo issued by Trump. US-China trade tension could result in Washingtons increased attention to and activity in Central Asia, which sits on Chinas western frontier. Valery Volodin, a Kazakh political scientist, said in an interview with Eurasianet that the United States wants to widen its access to Kazakhstans natural resources, such as uranium, oil, natural gas and rare earths. Saying Trump knows what is good and what is bad for the United States, Volodin added that he expects the US congress to lift Jackson-Vanik restrictions in the not-too-distant future. For Kazakhstan, this would be great news: our land is rich in natural resources and we have something to offer America, Volodin said. By Almaz Kumenov for Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Taiwan is increasingly worried about Chinese aggression and the possibility of a future invasion, with gray zone tactics and military exercises creating a tense atmosphere. Undersea cables have become a strategic target, with incidents in the Baltic and near Taiwan raising concerns about potential future conflicts. China and Russia's growing military cooperation and hybrid warfare tactics are creating new challenges for the Trump administration. Attacks on strategic undersea telecom cables off the coast of Taiwan are not new, but when one was suspected of being severed off its northern coast by a Chinese-owned ship in early January, it fit a growing pattern. Just a few weeks earlier, a Russian-flagged ship had cut an electricity cable running between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. That followed several similar developments in the Baltic involving Chinese-flagged ships harming undersea infrastructure, including severing fiber-optic cables in November and damaging a gas pipeline in October 2023. For Gabrielius Landsbergis, who served as Lithuanias foreign minister until December, the string of incidents highlights how the dividing lines between simmering tensions with the West and Russia over the war in Ukraine are blurring with Chinas aggression in the South China Sea as it claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own. There shouldnt be any doubt that Russia is behind these incidents in the Baltic, Landsbergis told RFE/RL in an interview as he visited Taiwan. For China, there is no clear attribution, but if it wanted to build up pressure on Taiwan through a shadow war by cutting cables, there are lessons to learn about that from Moscow. While China has supported Russia diplomatically since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, helped its economy, and bolstered its war effort by supplying dual-use technology for the battlefield, the prospect of growing coordination between Beijing and Moscow represents a new challenge for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. "China is trying to create a new normal around Taiwan, Chiu Chui-cheng, the minister of Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, the body that spearheads relations with Beijing, told RFE/RL. Beijings goal is to shrink the buffer zone between us and make it that much easier for it to escalate, if it decides to. The recent cable incident is the latest of what Chiu says has been a steady uptick in such events -- ranging from new military exercises intended to simulate a blockade of the island to a threefold increase in suspected Chinese espionage cases -- meant to lay the groundwork for future moves against Taiwan. We dont see these as accidents, we see them as strategy, he said, referring to an increase in incidents targeting undersea infrastructure around Taiwan in recent years. Living In The 'Gray Zone' Fears over a potential Chinese invasion are far from the surface of everyday life in Taiwans lush, urban capital. But the realities of these shifting dynamics are also setting in. During his campaign, Trump said that Taiwan doesnt pay enough for its own defense and raised doubts over the level of U.S. support in the event of a Chinese invasion. For the islands policymakers, thats raised concerns that severing underseas cables as part of so-called gray zone operations -- the term often used by Taiwanese officials to refer to the hybrid tactics used to intimidate the island but which remain below the threshold for war -- will make it harder to defend against Chinese aggression should it escalate to an outright attack. China has denied involvement in the January cable damage in Taiwan and investigations into the incidents in the Baltic Sea are still under way. While these cable episodes highlight the vulnerability of crucial offshore infrastructure and the difficulties in prosecuting sabotage, analysts say that they are part of a worrying new security climate in frontline areas near Ukraine and Taiwan that could easily escalate in the coming years as Trump takes office. These hybrid tactics that were seeing from China and Russia are meant to create favorable conditions for them if an opening presents itself to carry out a larger move, Sari Arho Havren, an associate fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute, told RFE/RL. It seems there is also a desire to signal some red lines to Washington as Trump comes into office. A New Normal While Trump has vowed to quickly end the war in Ukraine, the risk of tensions between Beijing and Taipei escalating into a conflict appears to be rising. U.S. officials have warned in recent years that China is preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan, a call echoed by Senator Marco Rubio, Trumps pick for secretary of state, during his January 15 U.S. Senate confirmation hearing. We need to wrap our head around the fact that unless something dramatic changes, like an equilibrium [between China and Taiwan], where they conclude that the costs of intervening in Taiwan are too high, we're going to have to deal with this before the end of this decade," Rubio said. Added to the rise in hybrid encounters and growing tensions is stepped-up military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. Recently, Chinese and Russian bombers have flown exercises near Alaska, conducted naval drills together off the coast of South Africa, and carried out live fire exercises in the South China Sea. The joint war games are part of a pattern of more than a decade of enhanced military coordination and one of the more visible expressions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinpings alignment, which is held together by a shared desire to counterbalance the United States. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, has recorded 102 joint war games, multilateral military drills, or patrols from 2003 to the end of July 2024. Since then, an additional four exercises involving China and Russia have occurred. According to CSIS data, their militaries held at least four and as many as 10 joint drills each year between 2014 and 2023. The two countries carried out 11 exercises together in 2024. U.S. policymakers have repeatedly warned in recent years about the risks posed by China and Russias growing partnership -- from economic support to growing military cooperation -- with one congressionally mandated report describing China and Russias deepening alignment as the most significant strategic development in recent years. As a military planner, you need to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which is Russia and China teaming up in a major way, said Elizabeth Wishnick, a senior researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses who studies Chinese foreign policy. Taken together, the trend raises difficult questions for the Trump administration and other U.S. policymakers who have long factored how to deal with each nuclear-armed power separately, but now must plan for the risk of dealing with both, especially how China and Russia could act together in any potential future conflict in Europe or the Asia-Pacific. Its still unclear how this would all play out and this isnt a true military alliance, said Wishnick. But within the contours of where Beijing and Moscow like their cooperation to be, its growing. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Argentinas energy trade surplus surged to its highest level in 18 years in 2024 as exports jumped by 22.3% while imports slumped by 49.4%, data from the Argentinian government showed. The biggest energy surplus in nearly two decades is a win for the first year in office of President Javier Milei, who has promised a domestic energy revolution to boost Argentinas economy, exports, and foreign exchange revenues and reserves. Argentinas energy trade surplus rose to $5.668 billion last year, thanks to rising exports and plunging imports, the government said. Energy exports rose by 22.3% to $9.677 billion. This export value accounted for 12.1% of Argentinas total exports. Energy imports, on the other hand, slumped by 49.4% from a year earlier to $4 billion, the government data showed. Chile was the top buyer of Argentinian energy last year, receiving $2.844 billion worth of energy products, a surge of 74.1% compared to 2023. Argentinas shale province Vaca Muerta has been touted for years as the next Permian that would make the South American country a net exporter of energy after decades of import dependence. After years of underwhelming performance in the shale basin, Milei has started to turn the fortunes for Vaca Muerta and its operators. The president has enacted market reforms to encourage large-scale and foreign investments into the energy sector, hoping that oil and gas exports would bring in billions of U.S. dollars to Argentinas depleted foreign currency reserves. Oil production in Vaca Muerta has quadrupled over the past five years, from less than 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) to almost 400,000 bpd as of the third quarter of 2024. Expectations are that Vaca Muertas crude oil output will hit 1 million bpd by the end of the decade. Argentina is now looking at the next step of the resource boomexporting its huge hydrocarbon resources. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Chinese state-held oil and gas giant CNOOC is keeping its capital expenditure flat this year compared to 2024 as it lowered its oil and gas production growth target, although it still expects annual output records going forward. CNOOC, which specializes in offshore oil and gas developments in China and internationally, said on Wednesday that its net oil and gas production was about 720 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) for 2024setting a record high for the sixth consecutive year. The companys capital expenditure will remain flat this year compared to 2024. In 2025, the total capital expenditure is budgeted at $17.2 billion (125 billion Chinese yuan) to $18.6 billion (135 billion yuan), CNOOC said in its 2025 Business Strategy and Development Plan. Capex was $18.2 billion (132 billion yuan) in 2024. In 2025, the capital expenditure for exploration in China will mainly be directed to sustain crude oil reserves while expanding natural gas reserves, led by the construction of the three trillion-cubic-meters-level gas regions, CNOOC said, as it continues to follow Chinas directive to state majors to boost domestic oil and gas reserves and supply. Despite the fact that the production targets for 2025-2027 are now lower than the previous goals communicated to the market a year ago, CNOOC continues to expect its oil and gas production to keep setting all-time high annual records in the period through 2027. The net production target for this year is 760 million to 780 million boe, of which, the production from China and overseas accounts for approximately 69% and 31%, respectively. Thats lower than the previous target for 780 million to 800 million boe for 2025. The new production guidance for 2026 is now between 780 million and 800 million boe in 2026, down from 810 million to 830 million boe, which the company guided last year. The 810 million to 830 million boe target is now set for 2027. The lowered guidance was partially due to the sale of some assets in the Gulf of Mexico to Ineos announced in December, CNOOC chief executive Zhou Xinhuai told analysts today. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Aframax oil tankers that serviced crude oil exports from Russias western ports are now being redirected to the Russian Far East-China route to service the exports of Russias ESPO crude, a favorite with Chinese refiners, Bloomberg reports, citing shipbroker and ship-tracking data. The Biden Administrations final sanctions on Russian oil trade were the most aggressive yet and sanctioned dozens of vessels that Russia used to ship the ESPO crude blend from its Far East port of Kozmino to Chinas independent refiners. Many of the vessels, specialized tankers, and shuttle tankers transporting Russias oil from the Arctic and Far East Pacific fields and production clusters to Asia have now been sanctioned. This put around 1.5 million bpd of Russias crude flows from its Pacific and Arctic ports at risk, according to a Bloomberg analysis of the tankers now designated by the U.S. Some 70% of the oil tankers that Russia used to ship crude from Kozmino have been slapped with sanctions, per Bloombergs estimates. This has likely prompted Moscow and the traders it works with to withdraw tankers servicing the western Russian ports of Primorsk, Ust-Luga, and Novorossiysk and redeploy them on the Far East-China routes. The freight rates for shipping ESPO crude on the Kozmino-East China route have tripled since the U.S. sanctions were announced on January 10. At least two oil tankers that previously transported Russian crude from the western ports are now on the Kozmino-China route, according to the vessel-tracking data Bloomberg has compiled. Both these tankers are owned by companies based in Hong Kong, but it is unknown whether the ultimate owners are Russian. Following the latest U.S. sanctions, supertanker rates doubled in a week and pushed up the cost of hiring Aframaxes and Suezmaxes, too. Fleet capacity to service Russian exports is expected to tighten significantly, according to Mary Melton, a freight analyst at Vortexa. The most likely scenario for Russian crude exports going forward is that they will most likely face serious logistical difficulty due to the lack of available tonnage, according to Vortexa. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Complicated political uncertainties and security issues have forced TotalEnergies to push back once again the restart of works for its $20-billion LNG export project in Mozambique, which has been under force majeure since 2021, the French supermajor told the Financial Times. In 2021, following Islamist militant attacks in towns close to the site, TotalEnergies suspended works on the project, which was Africas largest foreign investment when announced. The project site is close to the town of Palma in the Cabo Delgado province, where Islamic State-affiliated militants have been active for a few years. In the spring of 2021, Islamic State-affiliated militants raided the town of Palma in attacks that left dozens of people killed. Since 2021, TotalEnergies has waited for several conditions to be met to take a positive decision on resuming work on the project. The goal to achieve first LNG production has also slipped, first to 2027, and later, to 2029. Now the 2029 timeline is also threatened as TotalEnergies did not resume work on Mozambique LNG by the end of 2024, as planned last year. TotalEnergies confirmed to FT that its plans to restart the project by the end of last year slipped amid the disputed presidential election in Mozambique, the continued violence, and concerns about the security situation. The October presidential election in Mozambique has been highly contested, with the opposition claiming the vote was rigged. Daniel Chapo of the Frelimo party, which has ruled the country for nearly five decades, won the election and was sworn in earlier this month, but the defeated independent candidate, Venancio Mondlane, has rejected the result and called for nationwide strikes and protests. These events have forced TotalEnergies to further delay the restart of the project as it needs public services and normal life, the company told FT. The priority is to restore peace and security in the Cabo Delgado and the lifting of the force majeure, said TotalEnergies. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Additional purchases of U.S. LNG from the European Union would help ease the tightness in global natural gas markets and reduce consumer and industry prices in Germany, Michael Lewis, chief executive at German energy giant Uniper, told Reuters on Wednesday. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump urged the EU, again, to buy more American oil and gas to avoid tariffs. When Trump sends more gas to Europe it will reduce the world gas price, Unipers Lewis told Reuters. Lower global gas prices mean reduced energy prices for German households and industries, Lewis said, adding thats why its positive. Germany has imported U.S. LNG cargoes at its newly built floating receiving terminals after the end of the Russian pipeline gas deliveries. So far this month, at least six LNG cargoes loaded in the United States and initially en route to Asia have been diverted to Europe as European natural gas prices have rallied in recent weeks while Asian prices drop with weaker demand and high inventories. Asian spot LNG prices have risen in the winter period, but not enough to keep a wide enough premium to Europes benchmark prices to incentivize selling U.S. cargoes to Asia, according to shipping data and analysts. Meanwhile, President Trump on Monday urged the European Union to step up its purchases of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from the U.S. if it wants to avoid tariffs. The one thing they can do quickly is buy our oil and gas, Trump told the media on Monday, as quoted by Bloomberg. We will straighten that out with tariffs, or they have to buy our oil and gas. That was the second time President Trump has urged Europe to buy more American energy, after threatening TARIFFS all the way!!! in December. On his first day in office, the President lifted a so-called pause on new LNG export terminal construction that the Biden administration imposed on the industry following one study that claimed LNG exports had a higher carbon footprint than coal. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Greenland's rare earth resources could provide the US with an opportunity to reduce its dependence on China and enhance its supply chain security. China currently controls most of the global rare earth production and processing, using it as a geopolitical tool. The US has a long-standing interest in Greenland, with Trump's recent push driven by national security concerns and Greenland's vast rare earth deposits. Via Metal Miner Soon-to-be-sworn-in U.S. President Donald Trump has not been shy about his interest in purchasing Greenland, and it is possible rare earths are a big reason why. However, Trump is not the first President to consider adopting the northern landmass, which is currently an autonomous region under the Kingdom of Denmark. It remains to be seen whether this attempt will be successful or not. A Long History of U.S. Interest in Greenland According to media reports, the earliest recorded attempt by the U.S. to acquire Greenland was in 1868. More recently, President Harry Trumans administration made an effort, and Trump himself proposed doing so in 2009. However, nothing further happened in the latter case, except that he had to cancel an upcoming visit to Denmark. Earlier U.S. efforts were primarily driven by trade and, to some extent, strategic considerations. However, Trumps renewed push incorporates national security alongside these traditional motivations. After all, Greenland sits on some of the largest deposits of rare earths in the world, including metals like neodymium, dysprosium and scandium, to name a few. Nowadays, all of those are required to manufacture critical components in things like computers, mobile phones, electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines, as well as technology related to the defense sector. Greenland is also home to the Kvanefjeld deposit, one of the worlds richest rare earth reserves, which contains significant uranium deposits essential for nuclear applications. Trump has already declared that Greenland is needed for national security purposes. This sets up the potential for an arctic tug of war in his coming term. Some Facts About Rare Earths As per statistics released by the U.S. Geological Survey and the International Energy Agency, most global rare earths production and processing is currently handled by China. Production-wise, Beijing controls about 70% of the total production, while it processes about 90% of mined rare earths. As much as 99% of the processing for heavy rare earths, a subset of primary rare earth elements, is also done by China. These are important for the production of EVs, fiber optic cables and more. Because China controls most of global rare earth exports, it has been using rare earths as a tool to gain geopolitical advantage. Reasons for Chinese Dominance Beijing not only declared rare earth elements a property of the state, but it banned the export of technologies used for their extraction in October 2024. For many reasons, it has always been a challenge to diversify the rare earths supply chain beyond China. This is despite the fact that nations like Australia, Brazil, Angola and Canada sit on plentiful rare earth deposits, and despite mines opening up in other countries. Map of the Arctic region, the northwest passage and the northern sea route. Credit: lesniewski According to this analysis, the main issues with countering Chinese dominance in the industry stem from the subsidies the Chinese government provides to rare earth miners, the extensive deposits the country has already stockpiled and economies of scale. The analysis quotes Neha Mukherjee, a senior critical minerals analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, as saying that all these reasons help Chinese firms undercut competitors with low prices. Also, many rare earths are by-products of mining other minerals like iron ore, which keeps them from being produced consistently. This further complicates efforts to establish alternative supply chains. Why the U.S. Continues to Eye Greenland Because of Chinas tight-fisted control over the supply of rare earths to global markets, the U.S. must look at other countries or regions outside its borders to break the Chinese stranglehold. Greenland offers that opportunity. Gaining access to Greenlands resources could enhance Washingtons supply chain security and reduce Chinas potential leverage. At the same time, the U.S. remains acutely aware of Russias focus in the Arctic, which revolves around both rare earth minerals and maritime transport. For example, the Northern Sea Route, a historic Arctic shipping lane officially recognized under Russian law, extends from the Barents Sea, located north of Finland, to the Bering Strait. By Sohrab Darabshaw More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The Omaha mayor and police chief reiterated the citys policy on immigration enforcement Tuesday with the stated goal of reassuring the public they can call for help or report witnessing a crime without fear of having their immigration status questioned. We dont want anyone to be afraid if you are the victim of a crime or a witness of a crime, Mayor Jean Stothert said. We want you to feel free to call 911, and the Omaha Police Department will help you and will not check your legal status. She and Police Chief Todd Schmaderer discussed the citys policy during a press conference in the Mayors Office. Its part of their push to address concerns in the community about expected federal immigration raids and the possibility of mass deportations as threatened by President Donald Trump. Stothert and Schmaderer also made a video that the city posted Monday night, after Trump was inaugurated. The video includes a Spanish interpretation of the message delivered by Spanish-speaking officers. Briefly, our message recognizes that there is uncertainty on federal immigration actions, and it has created a lot of concern and fear, Stothert said. But enforcing immigration law is the responsibility of federal law enforcement agencies, not the Omaha Police Department. Omaha police officers do not and they will not stop individuals to check their legal status, she said. OPD will not participate in raids The Omaha Police Department will not participate in any raids, Schmaderer said. Within the Omaha Police Department, our mission is the protection of everybody thats in this community, Schmaderer said. That protection extends to noncitizens as well as citizens, he stressed. We are looking to further police-community relations as a means to reduce crime in our community, Schmaderer said. In addition, as chief, if I was to give the mission that all my officers will become agents of the federal government and have a role in enforcing immigration status in the country, then I have just created a bed of unreported victims, a bed of unreported crimes. He needs crime victims and witnesses to be able to make reports to Omaha police, he said. By bed, he said he means a layer of unreported crimes. If youre in fear of your immigration status, that will go unreported, Schmaderer said. And so I dont want a bed of domestic violence or child abuse or anything of that nature occurring in our city. So the best approach to police this matter, from our point of view, is the Omaha Police Department maintains our role as police officers in the city, and the immigration side of things from the federal authorities, they will be the ones to do immigration enforcement. But anyone who commits a crime can be subject to the policies of federal agencies, Stothert said. In those cases, the Omaha Police Department must cooperate with our federal partners, but only as outlined in our policies and according to federal law, she said. Schmaderer added that there will be times when a dangerous person needs to be located, and Omaha police will help find such a suspect. When you get arrested, your crimes are obviously turned over at that point from the jail system to the government, and that could trigger an immigration revocation, he said. Omahas policy hasnt changed Asked whether the Omaha Police Department will assist in immigration raids if the federal government insists that it do so, he said the federal government and local government are two different silos. So the federal government cant come one day and give a directive to the Omaha police chief, the mayor, and say, This is what youre going to do, Schmaderer said. We have our defined mission. Were not going to alter from that. It would be a hypothetical, he said, as to how Omaha police could be compelled to help with federal immigration enforcement. Schmaderer noted that he and Stothert had come out with the same message in 2017 amid similar concerns in the community. He said he and the mayor decided over the weekend to create and post the video message after hearing that national reports about impending immigration enforcement actions were causing unease in Omaha. They had the press conference to further disseminate the message through the media. Schmaderer described Omahas policy on immigration as pretty much right down the middle between the various approaches that U.S. cities are taking. You have some cities that choose to be sanctuary cities, meaning they wont work with the federal government at all on any aspect dealing with immigration, he said. Then you have some cities where the law enforcement agencies may take an active role and actively go out and search and check those illegal statuses. He said the policy Omaha is following is an appropriate blend for the local community. Its meant to make people feel comfortable about reporting that they were victimized by a crime or witnessed one. And its also a way where we do still maintain ties with our federal government, understanding that it is an important issue to them, Schmaderer said. A great step Omaha City Council member Ron Hug, who represents South Omaha, where a lot of the citys Latino residents live, said the message is consistent with OPDs policy since 2017. As long as OPDs policy doesnt change, and I dont believe it will, that is in the best interests of Omaha, Hug said. Advocates complimented the mayor and police chief on the policy and for making it public. Its a great step, said Elsa Ramon Aranda, state director of the Nebraska chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. South Omaha activist Ben Salazar also complimented the city for publicizing its policy. He said it will have the desired effect among some people of easing fears about reporting crimes, but wont address larger fears among Latinos about being swept up in raids regardless of their status. This is a more pressing issue now because weve got the new (presidential) administration, Salazar said. I believe him (Trump). I believe hell undertake mass deportations. So theres more of a pressing fear among so many people and its not just undocumented people that are upset about this. President Donald Trump speaks Tuesday at the White House as Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, Oracle founder and chief technology officer Larry Ellison and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, listen. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press Rows of servers fill Data Hall B at the Facebook's Fort Worth Data Center in Texas. Joint venture Stargate will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. Paul Moseley/TNS President Donald Trump, accompanied by Oracle Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, speaks during a news conference Tuesday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. They announced an investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure that begins with a project already being built in West Texas. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Open AI CEO Sam Altman, center, speaks with boxer Jake Paul and wrestler Logan Paul in Emancipation Hall at the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Al Drago/Pool Photo via AP) Al Drago/Associated Press President Donald Trump talks as he signs executive orders Monday in the Oval Office of the White House. On Tuesday, he talked about a joint venture that would invest up to $500 billion for infrastructure projects. Evan Vucci/AP Texas is the launching pad for a new joint venture that says its investing as much as $500 billion in infrastructure tied to the fast-evolving artificial intelligence scene. The leaders of OpenAI, Oracle Corp. and SoftBank joined President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House to announce creation of a new company to be known as Stargate. Trump said it would build the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI. Construction of data centers and power generation now tied to the project began in 2022 at a site near Abilene. The joint ventures initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and reach $500 billion over four years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI, Trump said. I think its going to be something thats very special. It could lead to something thats the biggest of all. Joining him were Sam Altman of OpenAI; Larry Ellison of Oracle and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank. All three credited Trump for helping to make the project possible, even though it already has begun. The data centers are already under construction here in Texas, Ellison said. He added that 10 buildings are being built near Abilene and that Stargate will eventually expand to 20 other locations. A data center development dubbed Project Ludicrous in Taylor County near Abilene fits his description, according to information filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Its among multiple data center projects already underway across the state, including some in San Antonio. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ellison suggested the project also is tied to digital health records and would make it easier to treat diseases such as cancer by possibly developing a customized vaccine. This will be the most important project of this era, Altman said. This is the beginning of golden age, said Son, referencing Trumps statement that the U.S. would be in a golden age with him back in the White House. Musk questions it Elon Musk, the Texas-based tech titan who has an increasing role in the Trump administration, questioned the project immediately after it was announced. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They dont actually have the money, he said in a post on X. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority. Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, responded that Musk was wrong and invited him to visit the site in West Texas. This is great for the country, Altman said. I realize whats great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope youll put (American flag image) first. Musk was an early investor in OpenAI but has since challenged its move to for-profit status. In 2023, he started his own AI company, known as xAI. Hes also CEO of Tesla Inc., which hes working to position as an AI company creating self-driving vehicles and using AI-enabled factories. Musks AI projects arent part of Stargate and he wasnt part of the White House announcement. He is also in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, which was created formally by one in the parade of executive orders Trump signed Monday after being inaugurated to a second term as president. The departments stated goal is to reduce government spending. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While Trump has previously seized on development announcements to show his presidency is boosting the U.S. economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout in data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work but also the risk of displacing jobs if poorly implemented. The initial plans for Stargate go back to the Biden administration. Tech news outlet the Information first reported on the project in March. OpenAI has long relied on Microsoft data centers to build its AI systems, but it increasingly has signaled an interest in building its own. OpenAI wrote in a letter to the Biden administrations Commerce Department last fall that planning and permitting for such projects can be lengthy and complex, particularly for energy infrastructure. The push to build data centers also predates Trumps presidency. Last October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those estimates for investments suggest that much of the new capital will go through Stargate, as OpenAI has established itself as a sector leader with the 2022 launch of its ChaptGPT, a chatbot that captivated the public imagination with its ability to answer complex questions and perform basic business tasks. Abilene foothold Stargates foothold in West Texas is a development known as the Lancium Clean Campus, a development originally intended as a renewable energy-powered data processing campus for bitcoin mining. Shenandoah-based Lancium arrived in Taylor County in 2021, according to the Development Corp. of Abilene, when 800 acres was annexed into Abilene city limits to begin the project. Breaking ground in 2022, Lancium said its all-in-one approach allows more flexible operations than other large-scale data operations. This means instead of just being a large power consumer, working with ERCOT we can return power to the grid when its needed most, said Michael McNamara, Lancium co-founder and CEO. Our customers benefit from green, low-cost power while strengthening the power grid at the same time. This is a win-win. And we will continue to partner with the Abilene community as we develop our site. The development corporation, Abilenes economic development arm, said Lancium has built a 200-megawatt substation for the campus. In 2023, the company pivoted from its original plans. Thats when it partnered with Crusoe Energy Systems to develop a data processing campus for multiple customers. Then, last year, it said the data center would first host customers focusing on artificial intelligence. In November, the development corporation said Lancium, as owner and developer of the data center campus, was leasing 90 acres to Crusoe, which is headquartered in Denver and San Francisco. Crusoe is building 998,000 square feet of data center which is scheduled to be leased to a Fortune 100 tenant in 2025, it said without identifying the tenant. Oracle is a Fortune 100 company, according to the magazines annual ranking of public companies by their revenue. Texas data boom Demand for data centers is already surging in Texas, which has become an attractive location for such facilities because the cost of electricity is low compared with other parts of the country. Land is often less costly, too, its easy to get to from the East and West coasts and severe weather events are infrequent in most of the states major cities. In April, Texas grid operator the Electric Reliability Council of Texas projected that the states power load, which is currently about 85,000 megawatts, could hit a whopping 152,000 megawatts by the end of the decade, in part because of the boom in data centers. That led to lawmakers concerns about the effect of the industrys growth on the power grid, with some calling for more regulations. Many of the centers are building new AI technology virtual assistants like ChatGPT take months of computing to accomplish. And every company such as Spotify, Netflix and Meta wants to be ahead of competitors as they launch new tools that can take up to nine months of running models to create, Michael Webber, a professor of energy at the University of Texas at Austin, said last year. The Dallas-Fort Worth area already ranks second among U.S. markets by inventory of data centers, behind northern Virginia but ahead of Silicon Valley, according to commercial real estate services firm CBRE. The San Antonio data center market is far smaller, but its inventory is increasing, in part because of CPS Energys comparatively low rates and the fact hurricanes are not a major concern. The citys far West Side in particular has become a hot spot for data centers built by companies and agencies such as Microsoft, Valero, Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc., Christus Health, Lowes Cos. Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and the federal governments National Security Agency. CPS already is gearing up for a tenfold increase in demand from data centers, which are expected to consume more than 3,300 megawatts by 2033, or enough energy to power more than 650,000 homes. In June, Stream Data Centers announced its building a 135-acre campus in San Antonio. The first 300,000-square-foot building is expected to open later this year. Microsoft also is building a $482 million data center in Castroville. Policy wrangling The White House has put an emphasis on making it easier to build out new electricity generation in anticipation of AIs expansion, knowing that the United States is in a competitive race against China to develop a technology increasingly being adopted by businesses. In Tuesdays announcement, Trump said he would remove barriers to allow creation of more data centers. Without providing details, he said he would make emergency declarations to allow Stargate to generate its own electricity, too. Were going to make it as easy as it can be, he added. Still, the regulatory outlook for AI remains somewhat uncertain as Trump on Monday overturned the 2023 order signed by then-President Joe Biden to create safety standards and watermarking of AI-generated content, among other goals, in hopes of putting guardrails on the technologys possible risks to national security and economic well-being. John Dickson, CEO of Bytewhisper Security, a San Antonio firm focused on securing AI software, called Stargate a quite a positive sign. This is part of a broader trend thats already happening, and public policymakers are aware of it, and electrical providers are most certainly aware of it and discussing the future, he said. The announcement also sent a message having it in Texas, because we have probably the least-regulated environments to do that, which is, in my mind, positive. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will, on June 11, re-arraign a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, and two others charged with N650 million fraud. Akinjide and the others will appear before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court in Lagos. She was first arraigned on Jan. 16, 2018, before Justice Sule Hassan alongside two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ayo Adeseun and Olarenwaju Otiti, on an amended 24-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering. They, however, pleaded not guilty, and were granted bail. Trial began before Hassan, with witnesses testifying, but midway, the case was transferred to Aneke. When the case came up on Friday before Aneke, the defendants mounted the dock. Messrs Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), O.F.A Adeosun and Akinola Oladeji appeared for the first, second and third defendants, respectively, while Mr U.U. Buhari announced appearance for the prosecution. Ayorinde prayed the court to give another date for the re-arraignment, saying that lead prosecution counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, and himself were to appear in another trial before another judge. He told the court that Oyedepo would want to be present during the arraignment. His application was not opposed by other counsel. The court consequently adjourned the case until June 11, for re-arraignment. According to the EFCC, the defendants received money from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 General Elections. The money was said to form part of a total sum of 115 million dollars allegedly disbursed by Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 Presidential Election. By Kazeem Ugbodaga The Lagos State Police Command on Saturday said it has begun massive crackdown on social, religious and other gatherings above 50 people in a bid to halt the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the nation. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bala Elkana, in a statement, said the police had decided to enforce the ban on social gatherings, clubs, parties, ceremonies and religion gatherings of more than 50 persons in Lagos State. Lagos State Police Command wishes to inform the General Public that the Command in compliance with the guidelines and directives issued by both the Federal Government and Lagos State Government on prevention of the spread of Coronavirus, popularly known as Covid-19 which the World Health Organisation has declared as a pandemic, has embarked on massive enforcement of the ban order. To that effect, the Command has deployed adequate resources across the State to ensure that the orders are fully obeyed. The order imposed bans on social gatherings such as, wedding ceremonies, naming ceremonies, burial ceremonies, parties, clubs and religion gatherings of people more than 50. Commercial vehicles carrying passengers above capacity (overloading) are also part of this order. Members of the public are encouraged to avoid overcrowding themselves at bus stops, market places, business places and scene of incidents, he said. Elkana said the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu had called on the good people of Lagos State to obey the safety regulations put in place for the benefit of everyone, saying that We must be alive and healthy before socio-economic activities will be effective. He added that the Command had rolled out its medical team to market places for awareness creation and Police detention facilities to safeguard the safety of suspects. The Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate release of suspects arrested for minor offences as part of preventive measures. Together we can prevent the spread of Covid-19. For information or complaints regarding covid-19 called the following toll free number 080097000010 or text Coronavirus to 24453, he said. In several of my last columns I have suggested that former President Joe Biden lacked the cognitive capabilities to execute a variety of recent executive orders that essentially and purposefully interfere with President Donald Trumps ability to execute the authority of the Office of the President of the United States. And now there is proof positive validating my concern. A January 18, 2025 article in the New York Post noted: President Biden had no clue whether or not he signed a critical executive order during a conversation last year with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who admitted he left the meeting fearing the nation is in serious trouble. An addled Biden insisted to the Louisiana lawmaker that he never issued the order to freeze new liquid natural gas export permits even though he signed off on it less than a month earlier. Johnson told the Free Press Bari Weiss he didnt believe Biden was lying, but was left to believe the then-81-year-old leader genuinely didnt know what he had signed. The troubling encounter happened in the Oval Office in early 2024, when the two met to discuss the latest aid package for Ukraine. Afterwards, Johnson asked Biden why he had inked an executive order pausing new permits for American liquid natural gas export to European allies a crucial issue for his constituents in the Bayou State, which in 2023, handled 61% of the nations LNG exports, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putins war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him, Johnson said he told Biden. Biden was stunned, Johnson said. I didnt do that, the president said, according to Johnson. Sir, you paused it, I know. I have the export terminals in my state. I talked to those people in my state, Ive talked to those people this morning, this is doing massive damage to our economy, national security, Johnson said he told the commander-in-chief. Biden continued to deny that he froze the exports and then remembered he signed the executive order, which he said was simply to study the effects of the fuel. I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, We are in serious troublewho is running the country? Johnson said. Like, I dont know who put the paper in front of him, but he didnt know, he said. This is serious business. This is not just another assault on Mr. Biden. The world has watched the cognitive decline of Mr. Biden for several years. It has been whispered in the halls of both the legislative and executive branches as well as the diplomatic channels of the world and even the green rooms of the mainstream media. Starting at least as early as the beginning of 2024 people began to wonder aloud who was actually in charge of the country Mr. Biden or some cabal of senior staffers? Mr. Bidens public appearances were tightly crafted to minimize his exposure in fear that spontaneous conversation would reinforce the rumors of Mr. Bidens decline. His public statements were always from teleprompter written by others. While Mr. Biden had mastered the art of using the teleprompters years ago, his mastery began to dissolve. He became so dependent on the script and so ignorant of what he was actually saying, that he often read stage instructions contained alongside of the text. And of more recent vintage he began to hurry through the script after all they were just words to say without understanding their import. In doing so, Mr. Bidens voice would drop to the disinterested monotone that most of us use when reading aloud from something. He would lose his place. slur over words, ramble while he tried to catch up and which then increased his scrambling of thoughts and words. The United States Constitution provides for just such an instance and commands the Vice-President with the majority of either the Cabinet or either house to advise the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House of the infirmities of the President. But Kamala Harris did not. The only other avenue was the impeachment of Mr. Biden and that process had become so politicized by the Democrats in the flailing about in pursuit of Mr. Trump that it was impossible to pursue. Ms. Harris held the only key and she failed to act. But that isnt the end of the story. The law presumes that a person has the authority and the acuity to act. There is no question that Mr. Biden was the duly elected President of the United States and as such had the authority to act within the limitation of the United States Constitution. But Mr. Bidens acuity is and was questionable. One or more of Mr. Bidens decisions particularly those involving the expenditures of public funds can be challenged on the basis of diminished capacity. It is the same process and the same standard as those challenging a decision of an elderly person who has succumbed to a fraudster or greedy relative. And the result is precisely the same. Upon a finding of diminished capacity the transaction can be set aside and be void ab initio. Mr. Bidens rush to spend money, grant pardons, forgive debts and extend labor contracts are all subject to challenge starting with his decision to restore $16 Billion of Iranian money frozen previously for a variety of unlawful acts. In pursuing it the cause of action should be against the Office of the President and not Mr. Biden personally. Even though he no longer holds public office he is likely immune from such lawsuits because they were performed during the time of his presidency. Rather the action should be against the Office of the President which has the added benefit of putting Mr. Trump and the revised Department of Justice in charge of the litigation. There should be no stalling or refusing to comply as was the case for four years under Mr. Biden. The files of the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the State Department and probably the medical files of the White House attending physicians would be open for inspection to determine 1) Mr. Bidens acuity at the time of executing orders and 2) those who participated in assisting Mr. Biden to execute those orders, including their knowledge of Mr. Bidens acuity. If Mr. Biden is found to be incompetent at those times the actions will be voided. If those assisting Mr. Biden in making those decision knew of his diminished, they should be charged with any of a variety of crimes up to and including treason if the actions in question involved a hostile foreign government. The reason that this is so important is that this is not the first time it has happened. Previously former President Woodrow Wilson. History Net summarized: AT 11 A.M. ON MONDAY, October 6, 1919, a grim Secretary of State Robert Lansing gazed across the table at nine men seated in the White House Cabinet Room. The members of President Woodrow Wilsons cabinet had come, at Lansings call, to an unprecedented meeting. Historically, the cabinet did not convene without the presidents approval. However, circumstances demanded action, and no department head had balked. The presidents chair, at the head of the table, remained empty. Four days earlier, Wilson had taken ill, as the newspapers were phrasing it, and since then had been incommunicado. Washington is a rumor factory, and the capital was jittering with dark talk. No one knew if Woodrow Wilson ever again could do the job voters twice had elected him to do. Lansing, who had not seen his boss since early September, suspected the worst about the presidents condition. Lansing thought the cabinet should squarely face a topic that days earlier would have been unthinkabletransferring power from a disabled president. For the cabinet, Lansing, 54, had two questions: who was to decide if the president was disabled, and, if so, should the cabinet, which so far had done nothing, run the executive branch in Wilsons absence? Lansing suggested that Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, who was elsewhere in Washington that day, might have to fill the void. The official cabinet meeting answered neither question. Ending the session but requesting that his fellow secretaries remain, Lansing summoned Dr. Cary T. Grayson, the presidents personal physician. Lansing and colleagues pressed Grayson for details on his patients condition. Genially sidestepping, the doctor painted Wilson in rosy tones. The presidents mind was not only clear but very active, the doctor declared. All that was afflicting Woodrow Wilson, Grayson claimed, was a touch of indigestion and a depleted nervous system. Lansing, an attorney who had served Wilson through the recent world war and during the peace talks at Versailles, knew when he was being snowed. Grayson, 40, had made Lansings antennae vibrate by carefully avoiding giving any definite information, Lansing wrote later. However, the secretary of state had no concrete information with which to challenge the medical practitioner, who protested that Lansing lacked authority to call a cabinet meeting without the chief executives knowledge. For the cabinet, Lansing, 54, had two questions: who was to decide if the president was disabled, and, if so, should the cabinet, which so far had done nothing, run the executive branch in Wilsons absence? Lansing suggested that Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, who was elsewhere in Washington that day, might have to fill the void. The official cabinet meeting answered neither question. Ending the session but requesting that his fellow secretaries remain, Lansing summoned Dr. Cary T. Grayson, the presidents personal physician. Lansing and colleagues pressed Grayson for details on his patients condition. Genially sidestepping, the doctor painted Wilson in rosy tones. The presidents mind was not only clear but very active, the doctor declared. All that was afflicting Woodrow Wilson, Grayson claimed, was a touch of indigestion and a depleted nervous system. Lansing, an attorney who had served Wilson through the recent world war and during the peace talks at Versailles, knew when he was being snowed. Grayson, 40, had made Lansings antennae vibrate by carefully avoiding giving any definite information, Lansing wrote later. However, the secretary of state had no concrete information with which to challenge the medical practitioner, who protested that Lansing lacked authority to call a cabinet meeting without the chief executives knowledge. The awkward two-hour meeting ended in a whimper, with Secretary of War Newton D. Baker assuring Grayson that the cabinet had been meeting innocently to address unfinished business. Baker asked the physician to convey the cabinets best wishes to Wilson. Not knowing Wilsons condition or prognosis, the cabinetand the entire nationspent the next 17 months paddling in a sea of hearsay, whispers, and speculation.* And again in the latter part of President Ronald Reagans presidency there were allegations of mental decline which were known and covered up by Nancy Reagan and a variety of aides and advisors. The New York Times opined later after Mr. Reagans terms as President and his announcement in 1994 that he had Alzheimers disease wrote: Throughout his years in Washington, Mr. Reagan had been portrayed by many pundits and political opponents as absent-minded, inattentive, incurious, even lazy. And his Presidency was marked by a succession of very public mental stumbles most notably his dismal performance in the first debate of the 1984 campaign, and his confused and forgetful accounting of his role in the Iran-contra affair. But even with the hindsight of Mr. Reagans diagnosis, his four main White House doctors say they never detected any evidence that his forgetfulness was more than just that. His mental competence in office, they said in a series of recent interviews, was never in doubt. Indeed, they pointed out, tests of his mental status did not begin to show evidence of the disease until the summer of 1993, more than four years after he left the White House. There was never anything that would raise a question about his ability to function as President, said Dr. Lawrence C. Mohr, one of Mr. Reagans physicians in his second term. Ronald Reagans cognitive function, belief structure, judgment, ability to choose between options, behavior and ability to communicate were totally and completely intact. It is entirely possible that an examination of Mr. Bidens mental acuity would render a similar determination although I doubt it. I would note that Mr. Reagans condition was never subject to the type of rigorous cross examinations as I have suggest for Mr. Biden. The damage done by Mr. Biden particularly in the latter halve of his presidency demands examination and remedy. Mr. Biden has cemented his stature as the worst president in history and added to that he is the most corrupt**. Justice demands that he be held accountable in some fashion ________________________________________ * Much of this, including the comments of the White House physicians seems eerily the same as we have experienced with Mr. Biden. **I would note that Mr. Bidens llth hour blanket pardons for his family does not end the matter either. I would also note that Mr. Bidens cleverness in immunizing his family did not extend to his wife Jill Biden. It also exposed all of those family members to testifying against Mr. Biden for his participation in any of their doings because they no longer have Fifth Amendment rights having been pardoned they cannot claim jeopardy in resisting testimony. Boerne City Manager Ben Thatcher, left, greets City Attorney Mick McKamie prior to the start of a Boerne City Council meeting on April 23, 2024. A lawsuit filed by a former city employee accuses Thatcher and the city of age discrimination and retaliation. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer A lawsuit filed by a former Boerne city employee accuses city officials of age discrimination age and alleges she was fired for complaining about how she was being treated. The lawsuit, filed by former planning and community development director Laura Haning, alleges that Boerne City Manager Ben Thatcher made "age-related comments" and promoted an "'out with the old, in with the new' approach to personnel." The suit alleges that Thatcher, who was appointed city manager in 2020, "communicated his intent to aggressively disrupt (the city of Boerne's) workforce, which Ms. Haning interpreted as a plan to phase out senior employees with long tenures." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The city has denied Haning's claims and said she was fired for poor job performance. Attorney Mark Anthony Sanchez, who represents Haning in the suit, said "the evidence strongly suggests the city manager exploited claims of government reform and being a change agent or a disruptor as a smoke screen to target and remove older employees." Haning, 64, who had worked with the city since 2004, was paid $134,284 in 2022, according to public records. She filed a complaint against Assistant City Manager Kristy Stark through the city's human resources department. Stark had "created a hostile and toxic work environment" with "hostile interactions," the lawsuit alleges. Thatcher became "openly hostile" to Haning after she filed the complaint, according to a document filed with the Texas Workforce Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Haning filed an EEOC complaint on Aug. 21, 2023, that alleges there was a "deliberate slowdown in my work." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thatcher allegedly told Haning "you need to leave," and "you are not a good fit," according to the complaint. The document alleges the discrimination first took place in August 2021 and that seven or eight long-time employees had since retired from the city. Sanchez said those retirements were not a coincidence, but a result of a "culture under Thatcher." Sanchez said the situation had a negative effect on the city's operations. "Boerne has experienced a tremendous amount of growth, and (Haning) held responsibility over a very important department," Sanchez said. "It's not like from one week to another the city's responsibilities to the taxpayers were reduced. This is a busy department with a lot of activity and a lot of responsibility." Thatcher fired Haning on May 23, 2023, the suit said. She refused an offer for severance pay in exchange for her resignation, according to the lawsuit. "Thatcher falsely accused Ms. Haning of disrespecting him, refusing to follow his directions and exercising poor leadership over her department," the suit said. Being fired caused Haning to suffer "severe emotional distress... uncontrollable panic attacks... and alienation of affection from her family and friends," according to the lawsuit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Haning seeks more than $50,000 in relief and compensation for lost wages, mental anguish and legal fees. She also seeks to be re-instated to full employment with the city. City disputes claims In a response filed with the court, the city of Boerne denied Haning's claims and said she was fired for poor job performance. "Plaintiff Haning could not perform her job function as director of planning," the city of Boerne's response. "Defendant city of Boerne terminated Plaintiff Haning for poor work performance since she could not fulfill her responsibilities as director of planning." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The city also asked for a jury trial and to be compensated for legal fees. 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 Scotland must do more to help hydropower facilities maximize their output and prevent negative impacts on wildlife in the face of the challenges posed by climate change, according to a new report. Scotland's Center of Expertise for Waters (CREW) commissioned the report, which was published 22 January, and is based on research from the University of Glasgow and cbec eco-engineering. They worked closely with partners at hydropower companies, Scottish Canals, SEPA and NatureScot on the report, which lays out a series of recommendations to help tackle the problem of sediment buildup at dams and weirs across the country. Impounding running water using dams and weirs is a key part of hydropower operations and water supply. In recent years, hundreds of smaller hydroelectric impoundment projects have been installed in waterways across Scotland, helping to generate enough electricity to power up to a thousand homes each. While these 'run-of-river' hydropower structures can produce significant amounts of power, contributing towards Scotland's target of reaching net-zero by 2045, they can also disrupt the natural flow of river sediment like silt, sand, gravel and cobbles from upstream to downstream. When sediment builds up, it reduces the impoundment's ability to generate its maximum amount of power and can require costly action to remove. Blocking the flow of sediment can also have negative impacts on downstream wildlife, changing the makeup of the river bed that provides habitats and sustenance for fish, birds and insects. As climate change intensifies, increased rainfall is expected to sweep increasing amounts of sediment from land into waterways across Scotland. Experts have predicted Scottish rivers could see an increase of more than 25% of current levels of sediment in the years to come, and larger sediment particles being picked up by more energetic river flow. The report sets out some recommendations, based on detailed cost-benefit analysis, which could help hydropower operators and catchment managers improve the resilience of existing impoundment sites to sediment buildup and reduce their impact on river biodiversity. Planting trees alongside rivers, restoring peatland, and tree planting more broadly across river catchments could help reduce the amount of sediment entering rivers by capturing it before it reaches waterways. That, in turn, could reduce the need for expensive operations to dig out sediment from behind dams, which can cost operators tens of thousands of pounds each time. Planting trees alongside rivers and more widely in catchments and restoring peatlands provides additional benefits for the environment by capturing and storing carbon dioxide, thus helping Scotland to achieve its Net Zero target. An online survey of nearly 1,000 people showed Scottish households would on average be willing to pay a maximum of 52 per year for better river managementindicating significant public support when considered across Scotland's 2.55 million households. Using knowledge exchange activities with the hydropower community and research visits to three hydropower locations, the project team also developed a series of initiatives to raise awareness of the commercial and environmental risks of sediment movement. The team produced a video and infographic to communicate the importance of sediment continuity for good river health, potential implications for sediment management resulting from a changing climate, and the importance of best-practice sediment management. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The researchers also highlight the need for greater communication and collaboration between regulators, operators, consultants, and researchers. The project recommends creating a Scottish community of hydropower practitioners to share knowledge and improve commercial resilience in the face of climate change. Prof Richard Williams, of the University of Glasgow's School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, led the report's research. He said, "The research highlights the complex balance that needs to be maintained between meeting Scotland's renewable energy needs and ensuring the environment is properly protected. While hydropower is vital for meeting climate change targets, care must be taken to minimize its impacts on river health and ecosystems. "The project also demonstrated that there is a desire within the hydropower community for further discussion and knowledge exchange activities regarding best practice activities. If this can be achieved, it would likely maintain or improve river health and make this industry, and river catchments, more resilient in the face of expected climate changes. "We hope that the work we've done with our partners will provide valuable new insight for the hydropower community, empowering them to take appropriate action to ensure that impoundments can work as efficiently as possible for the benefit of all." Dr. Chris Bromley, Senior Hydromorphologist at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said, "SEPA recognizes the importance of Scotland's water environment and the components that contribute to healthy river habitats. The continuity of sediment transport in rivers is one of the components that can be interrupted by hydropower operations resulting in adverse environmental and commercial impacts. "We are delighted to see that the University of Glasgow and cbec eco-engineering have proactively taken steps to produce some excellent guidance material that will help operators in understanding the environmental importance of sediment and raise awareness on the importance of correctly managing sediment in a climate-changing world." Grace Gubbins, Sustainable Development Officer at NatureScot, said, "We welcome environmental energy sources like hydropower, but it's vital that we consider any impacts on nature. That's why NatureScot is keen to be involved in partnership work like this, reducing any negative impacts on wildlife. "Sediment is a vital habitat for many species, some of which help break down and clean water, as well as providing nursery grounds for fish. The recommendations from this study will help us work together, in the face of the climate emergency, to protect river habitats, fish, birds and insects." Dr. Olivia Lassiere, Environment Manager, Scottish Canals, said; "As a major operator of water in Scotland through our canals and reservoirs, we're already feeling the impact of climate change. Research like this is incredibly important to us as we seek to manage our water infrastructure and adapt to projected climate change impacts while protecting Scotland's rich wildlife and environment. "We are delighted to have been involved in this project led by the University of Glasgow and cbec eco-engineering and look forward to continuing to engage with the water infrastructure management community." More information: Environmentally effective and cost-efficient sediment management at impoundments. www.crew.ac.uk/publication/hyd -sediment-management 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: Much more in line with field observations, the new results show that the ice was thinner than in previous models. Credit: UNIL Scientists at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have used AI to massively speed up computer calculations and simulate the last ice cover in the Alps. Much more in line with field observations, the new results show that the ice was thinner than in previous models. This innovative method opens the door to countless new simulations and predictions linked to climate upheavals. The research is published in Nature Communications. 25,000 years ago, the Alps were covered by a layer of ice up to 2 kilometers thick. For almost 15 years, this glaciation has been put into perspective by 3D digital models, based on climate reconstructions, thermodynamics and ice physics. However, these models have sparked debate in the scientific community, as until now there has not been a full correspondence between these simulations and the physical tracesrocks, moraines, etc.found in the field, particularly erosion lines, which bear witness to past ice thicknesses. A team of scientists from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have just solved this persistent problem. For the first time, they have used artificial intelligence to massively boost their new glacial evolution model, generating a large series of simulations of unprecedented accuracy: they correspond much more closely to the physical traces left on the ground. Their results show an average ice cover 3550% thinner than in previous reference simulations. Model resolution has been increased from two kilometers to 300 meters, and it is only thanks to this precision that it is possible to describe the complex topography of the Alps numerically. In line with the current state of scientific knowledge, based on field observations, it shows, for example, that certain peaks such as the Matterhorn and Grand Muveran were clearly protruding from the ice during the Ice Age. The research is significant in more ways than one. Firstly, the ability to correctly model the glacial past is essential to understanding our environment. For over 2 million years, the Earth has experienced alternating glacial and warm cycles, which have profoundly shaped the landscape in which we live. The new model now corresponds much more closely to the evidence left on the ground following the retreat of the glaciers, and make it possible to better quantify many natural phenomena, such as glacial erosion, which has largely contributed to sculpting the relief of the Alps. Three-dimensional views of best-fit Instructed Glacier Model (IGM) 300 m simulation (number 37). Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56168-3 On the other hand, the innovative methodology used in this research marks a new era in numerical modeling. "By using recent technology, and applying it to the last major glaciation in the Alps, we can finalize a 17,000-year simulation at very high resolution (300 m) in 2.5 days, whereas such spatial resolution would have taken 2.5 years to calculate using traditional methods, which are also extremely costly and energy-intensive," explains Tancrede Leger, researcher at UNIL's Faculty of Geosciences and Environment (FGSE), and first author of the study. With this approach, the model first learns about the physics of ice flow, using Deep Learning methods. It then receives data on the climate of the period (temperature, precipitation, etc.), to calculate ice supply and melt. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Deep learning calculations are then performed not by the traditional central processing unit (CPU), but via a GPU (or graphics processing unit), which enables numerous operations to be performed in parallel, boosting the computer's computing power phenomenally. "It's as if we once had six Ferraris at our disposal, and now we have ten thousand small cars. We've gone from very large machine clusters to a simple 30 cm graphics card," illustrates Guillaume Jouvet, FGSE professor behind the AI model and co-first author of the study. "We're not doing anything new, but we're doing it a thousand times faster, making it possible to achieve resolutions that were not even considered before." This progress will enable new research to be launched. In particular, a new project is about to get underway to use this revolutionary method to better predict the impact of the melting Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets on global sea level rise. More information: Leger, T.P.M. et al. A data-consistent model of the last glaciation in the Alps achieved with physics-driven AI, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56168-3 Journal information: Nature Communications 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: 20 colors of bioluminescent protein "eNLEX". The method for changing bioluminescence color (top) and the bioluminescent image of 20-color eNLEX taken with a smartphone camera (bottom). Credit: 2025 Nagai et al., Creating coveted bioluminescence colors for simultaneous multi-color bioimaging, Science Advances Imaging live cells with fluorescent proteins has long been a crucial technique for understanding cellular behavior. While bioluminescent proteins offer several advantages over fluorescent proteins, the limited availability of color variants has made it difficult to observe multiple targets simultaneously. Now, researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University have developed a method to expand the color palette of bioluminescent protein to 20 distinct colors, enabling advanced simultaneous multi-color imaging. The research is published in the journal Science Advances. Cells are the fundamental building blocks of life. Understanding how they function is essential for progress in biological sciences, medicine, and drug discovery. Optical labeling techniques allow scientists to observe cell behavior, track cell fate, and identify cells with specific traits. While fluorescent proteins are widely used for these purposes, bioluminescent proteins are gaining popularity due to their unique advantages. Bioluminescence, the natural emission of light by living organisms, is powered by a chemical reaction catalyzed by an enzyme, typically a luciferase, acting on a bioluminescent substrate. Unlike fluorescent proteins, bioluminescent proteins do not require external light for excitation, avoiding issues like phototoxicity and background light. However, their use has been limited by the small number of available colors. Having distinct and easily distinguishable colors is vital for tracking multiple targets simultaneously. Previously, a five-color series of bioluminescent labels was created by coupling one of the brightest luciferases, NanoLuc, with a fluorescent protein. This technique leverages the transfer of excited-state energy from the substrate to the fluorescent protein, altering the bioluminescence color. While effective, this five-color palette was insufficient for more complex imaging needs. The researchers at Osaka University have now addressed this challenge by expanding the bioluminescent color palette to 20, making a significant leap forward in multi-color imaging technology. Bioluminescence imaging of human cultured cells transfected with eNLEX. (A) HeLa cells expressing each color of eNLEX. Scale bar: 20 m. (B) A mixture of cells of each color. Scale bar: 100 m. (C) Time course observation (hours: minutes). Scale bar: 100 m. All images were taken with a color CMOS camera. Credit: 2025 Nagai et al., Creating coveted bioluminescence colors for simultaneous multi-color bioimaging, Science Advances "Instead of fusing NanoLuc with a single fluorescent protein, we fused it with two," says lead author Mitsuru Hattori. "This approach allowed us to access a much broader range of bioluminescence colors by fine-tuning the combinations of fluorescent proteins." The researchers achieved a remarkable milestone with their new bioluminescent protein labels. They captured a single-shot image of a mixture of cells expressing all 20 bioluminescent proteins, used the labels to visualize distinct subcellular components, and even demonstrated their capability in live mice. Additionally, they successfully conducted time-lapse observations of cell behavior over several hours, simultaneously tracking seven distinct labels. "What's truly exciting is that we could detect all 20 colors simultaneously without any time lag, using a standard smartphone camera," explains senior author Takeharu Nagai. "This innovation makes it significantly easier and more cost-effective to monitor multiple targets or track individual cells within a population." These newly developed bioluminescent colors have the potential to revolutionize cell fate tracking, offering insights concerning how cells develop into specific cell types and identifying cells with unique responses to drugs. The team's breakthrough in bioluminescent imaging opens new doors for advancements in biological research, drug discovery, and medical science. More information: Mitsuru Hattori et al, Creating coveted bioluminescence colors for simultaneous multi-color bioimaging, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp4750. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp4750 Journal information: Science Advances 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 Canada faces a major contradiction in its immigration policies. Thousands of international students, once celebrated as "ideal immigrants," are now turning to the asylum system. As a migration policy researcher and former international student, I have watched this predicament unfold with growing concern. Federal immigration data reveal a surge in asylum claims by international students. The claims rose from 1,810 in 2018 to nearly 12,000 in 2023, with another 13,660 filed in the first nine months of 2024. There are multiple reasons why international students in Canada may end up seeking asylum. Some experts suggest heightened costs of living have forced some students to drop out of school, while others point to the influence of immigration consultants or others advising them to apply for asylum. As Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) acknowledged in a statement in September 2024, some "temporary residents come to Canada as genuine visitors, students or workers, and then make an asylum claim because of developments in their country of origin." While the stories behind individual asylum claims remain unclear, research on international student integration demonstrates how sudden policy shifts can force students to seek alternative paths to remain in the host country, even through systems not designed for their circumstances. Canada's abruptly shifting policies have exposed a breach of trust at the heart of Canada's immigration system. The rise in asylum claims reflects Canada's systemic de-prioritization of support for those it actively encouraged to invest in futures here. Decades-long policy For decades, Canada has cultivated an environment where transitioning from study permits to permanent residency felt achievable. This was not merely implied, it was actively encouraged. As a result, students have invested savings, uprooted their lives, acquired jobs and built communities in Canada, only to find themselves facing an uncertain future. This breach of trust highlights what is in effect an unwritten pact with international students. By encouraging them to invest in Canada as a gateway to permanent residency, the country created expectations it is now failing to fulfill. How Canada built expectations Canada's immigration system has long positioned international students as ideal candidates for permanent residency. For decades, policies and public messaging have framed education in Canada as a pathway to a permanent future, encouraging students to see their time here as an investment in long-term settlement. This messaging has been echoed across government initiatives and public statements. For instance, in 2021, then Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino declared: "Your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lastingwe want you to stay." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The comments were made as Canada rolled out a program to grant permanent residence to 90,000 recent international graduates and some temporary foreign workers. Similarly, official documents like the 2024 IRCC Deputy Minister Transition Binder explicitly frame international students as a vital "pool of talent" for addressing demographic and economic needs. This sentiment was also central to the International Education Strategy 201924, which described international students as "excellent candidates for permanent residency," citing their Canadian education and work experience as key advantages. Educational institutions reinforced this messaging. Colleges and universities marketed programs as pathways to permanency, persuading students to invest heavily in tuition and their futures in Canada. Statistics supported this narrative: Global Affairs Canada valued international students' contributions at $30.9 billion annually, including more than 360,000 jobs. High rates of successful transitions to permanent residency further validated the belief that education in Canada was the first step to building a life here. The broken pact In recent years, Canada has systematically dismantled the enabling environment it once cultivated. Tightened Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility, rising financial requirements and the reduction in the temporary resident population have created significant barriers to permanent residence. It would appear that the surge in asylum claims reflects the severe disruption faced by international students caused by these policy changes. Their lives have been derailed by a government that encouraged students to invest in Canada, only to shift the rules mid-course. For many students, returning home is not an optionreturn is financially and personally untenable. International students invest years and significant resources in Canada. They have established budding careers and key relationships. They've built communities in Canada, and made substantial financial investments through international student fees. A policy and moral failure This issue is not merely a policy failureit is a moral one. Canada's unwritten pact with international students created a bond of trust. Breaking that trust jeopardizes not only the futures of thousands of people but also Canada's reputation as a fair and welcoming destination. The stakes are high. Canada faces pressing demographic challenges, including an aging population and labor shortages in key sectors like health care and skilled trades. International students, already integrated into Canadian society, are essential to solving these problems. Alienating them undermines both economic goals and the moral credibility of Canada's immigration system. At a crossroads: From crisis to reform Canada must decide whether to honor the commitments it made, explicitly and implicitly, to international students or to continue down a path of short-sighted policy shifts. Restoring trust and creating transparent, predictable pathways to permanent residency is essential. Aligning Post-Graduation Work Permit durations with permanent residency application timelines is a critical first step. Standardizing processing times and tailoring immigration streams to meet labor market needs will provide needed stability. Above all, future reforms must be clear, consistent and aligned with the promises Canada has historically made. It is time to honor the pact and rebuild the trust that international students placed in this country. The future of Canada's immigration system depends on it. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Illustration of the quantum strong Mpemba effect. Credit: Springer Nature Limited. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54303-0. In a new Nature Communications study, scientists have demonstrated the quantum version of the strong Mpemba effect (sME) in a single trapped ion system. The Mpemba effect is a counterintuitive phenomenon in whichunder certain conditionshotter water cools faster than colder water. It was first described by Tanzanian high school student Erasto Bartholomeo Mpemba in 1963. However, according to early scientific literature, it was observed much earlier, as far as Aristotelian times. While the classical effect remains incompletely understood, researchers have now shown they can create and control a quantum version that works fundamentally differently. Phys.org spoke to some members behind the research, including Associate Professors Yan-Li Zhou and Jie Zhang, Professors Hui Jing and Ping-Xing Chen from the National University of Defense Technology in China and Associate Professor Weibin Li from the University of Nottingham. The researchers shared their motivation behind the collaboration, "One common theme shared by all of us is about quantum control." "A few years ago, we were engaged in research related to relaxation acceleration and noticed Carollo et al.'s theoretical work on the quantum Mpemba effect, which inspired us to investigate the acceleration effects of the strong Mpemba effect from an experimental and theoretical joint perspective." The strong Mpemba effect (sME) Relaxation describes the process of a system returning to its equilibrium or steady state. During this, a system can choose any path to reach equilibrium, with the path taking the most time being the slowest decaying mode (SDM). In the classical Mpemba effect, a hotter system naturally has less overlap with the SDM, allowing it to reach equilibrium faster than a colder system. While this happens naturally with temperature differences in classical systems, the quantum Mpemba effect works differentlyit focuses on relaxation dynamics through quantum states and their evolution towards equilibrium. In the quantum sME, an exponentially fast relaxation can be achieved by preparing a special quantum state that completely avoids the SDM, as shown theoretically by Carollo and colleagues. However, their study demonstrated this was theoretically possible in quantum systems, but until now, no one had shown it working in practice. The team explained, "The underlying principles that allow the strong Mpemba effect to be observed in a quantum system is devising an optimal initial state to prohibit excitation of the slowest decaying mode of the system." "This optimal initial state can be a quantum superposition state, representing a fundamental difference from the classic Mpemba effect, and thus the resulting dynamical behavior cannot be captured by semi-classical approaches." Liouvillian exceptional point The preparation of this optimal initial state, however, will not always lead to exponential speedup. The team identified a critical point in the system when this exponential acceleration is possibleLiouvillian exceptional point (LEP). "LEP is the boundary between the quantum strong Mpemba effect and weak Mpemba effect, which means we build a link between the Mpemba effect and the LEP," explained the team. At the LEP, the decay rates (eigenvalues) and paths (eigenmodes) of the systems "coalesce" into a single new rate and its associated path. Before the LEP, the system can achieve exponential speedup because the optimal state can be prepared to avoid the slow decay path. However, at and after the LEP, exponential speedup is impossible since all paths merge, marking a boundary between the weak and strong Mpemba effect. The team was the first to experimentally demonstrate the coalescence of eigenvalues and eigenmodes, and they did so using a single trapped ion system. Single ion system The team's experimental setup consisted of a single trapped Calcium (40Ca+) ion, focusing on three energy levels, ground state |0 and two excited states |1 and |2. A 729 nanometer (nm) laser ensures coherent decay between energy states using two frequency components with precisely controlled Rabi frequencies. The laser and quantum gate operations helped prepare the system's initial state. An additional 854 nm laser created a tunable decay channel, enabling the researchers to engineer specific relaxation dynamics. A 397 nm optical pumping beam was also introduced to prevent unwanted population leakage between quantum states. The system was then allowed to evolve in this controlled environment, with researchers using quantum state tomography to measure the system's quantum state and precisely track the relaxation dynamics. The experimental approach not only represents the first realization and observation of the quantum sME, but also the observation of the coalescence of eigenvalues and eigenmodes at the LEP. "We demonstrate, for the first time, the coalescence of the LEP clearly in the experiment from both eigenvalues and eigenmodes perspectives. Thus, our work builds a new bridge between such two active fields as the Mpemba effect and non-Hermitian physics, through which more exciting physics can be uncovered in the near future," said the researchers. Beyond the sME The study of the Mpemba effect has attracted interest beyond fundamental physics. Energy dissipation, which in this case is the relaxation process, is central to all processes. Optimizing or engineering this process is central to many fields, including quantum technologies. The researchers explained, "If the dissipation of the quantum system is engineered to prepare a specic steady state, then one might use this effect to speed up the relaxation." "In the context of quantum computing, our findings are expected to improve the efficiency of quantum state preparation and enhance the instantaneous bandwidth of quantum sensors." More information: Jie Zhang et al, Observation of quantum strong Mpemba effect, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54303-0. Journal information: Nature Communications 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The hybrid-integrated electro-optic frequency comb generator. More than 2000 comb lines covering 450nm spectrum can be generated within a footprint smaller than 1cm2. Credit: Junyin Zhang (EPFL). In the world of modern optics, frequency combs are invaluable tools. These devices act as rulers for measuring light, enabling breakthroughs in telecommunications, environmental monitoring, and even astrophysics. But building compact and efficient frequency combs has been a challengeuntil now. Electro-optic frequency combs, introduced in 1993, showed promise in generating optical combs through cascaded phase modulation but progress slowed down because of their high power demands and limited bandwidth. This led to the field being dominated by femtosecond lasers and Kerr soliton microcombs, which, while effective, require complex tuning and high power, limiting field-ready use. But recent advances in thin-film electro-optic integrated photonic circuits have renewed interest, with materials like lithium niobate. Nonetheless, achieving broader bandwidth with lower power has remained a challenge, the intrinsic birefringence (splitting light beams) of the lithium niobate also sets an upper limit for the achievable bandwidth. Scientists at EPFL, the Colorado School of Mines and the China Academy of Science have now tackled this by combining microwave and optical circuit designs on the newly developed lithium tantalate platform. Compared with lithium niobate, the lithium tantalate features 17 times lower intrinsic birefringence. The work is published in the journal Nature. Led by Professor Tobias J. Kippenberg, the researchers developed an electro-optic frequency comb generator that achieves an unprecedented 450 nm spectral coverage with over 2,000 comb lines. The breakthrough expands the device's bandwidth and reduces microwave power requirements almost 20-fold compared to previous designs. The team introduced a "integrated triply resonant" architecture, where three interacting fieldstwo optical and one microwaveresonate in harmony. This was achieved using a novel co-designed system that integrates monolithic microwave circuits with photonic components. By embedding a distributed coplanar waveguide resonator on lithium tantalate photonics integrated circuits, the team significantly improved microwave confinement and energy efficiency. The device's compact size, fitting within a 1x1 cm2 footprint, was made possible by leveraging lithium tantalate's lower birefringence. This minimizes interference between light waves, which enables smooth and consistent frequency comb generation. Additionally, the device operates using a simple, free-running distributed feedback laser diode, making it far more user-friendly than its Kerr soliton counterparts. The new comb generator's ultra-broadband span, covering 450 nm, exceeds the limits of current electro-optic frequency comb technologies. It achieves this with stable operation across 90% of the free spectral range, eliminating the need for complex tuning mechanisms. This stability and simplicity open the door to practical, field-deployable applications. The new device can be a paradigm shift in the world of photonics. With its robust design and compact footprint, it can impact areas like robotics, where precise laser ranging is crucial, and environmental monitoring, where accurate gas sensing is essential. Moreover, the success of this co-design methodology highlights the untapped potential of integrating microwave and photonic engineering for next-generation devices. All samples were fabricated in the EPFL Center of MicroNanoTechnology (CMi) and the Institute of Physics (IPHYS) cleanroom. The LTOI wafers were fabricated in Shanghai Novel Si Integration Technology (NSIT) and the SIMIT-CAS. More information: Tobias Kippenberg, Ultrabroadband integrated electro-optic frequency comb in lithium tantalate, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08354-4. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08354-4 Journal information: Nature This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Typically, asteroidslike the one depicted in this artist's conceptoriginate from the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, but a small population of near-Earth objects may also come from the moon's surface after being ejected into space by an impact. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech A near-Earth object was likely ejected into space after an impact thousands of years ago. Now it could contribute new insights to asteroid and lunar science. The small near-Earth object 2024 PT5 captured the world's attention last year after a telescope discovered it lingering close tobut never orbitingour planet for several months. The asteroid, which is about 33 feet (10 meters) wide, does not pose a hazard to Earth, but its orbit around the sun closely matches that of our planet, hinting that it may have originated nearby. As described in a study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers have collected further evidence of 2024 PT5 being of local origin: It appears to be composed of rock broken off from the moon's surface and ejected into space after a large impact. "We had a general idea that this asteroid may have come from the moon, but the smoking gun was when we found out that it was rich in silicate mineralsnot the kind that are seen on asteroids but those that have been found in lunar rock samples," said Teddy Kareta, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, who led the research. "It looks like it hasn't been in space for very long, maybe just a few thousand years or so, as there's a lack of space weathering that would have caused its spectrum to redden." The asteroid was first detected on Aug. 7, 2024, by the Sutherland, South Africa telescope of the University of Hawai'i's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Kareta's team then used observations from the Lowell Discovery Telescope and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawai'i to show that the spectrum of reflected sunlight from the small object's surface didn't match that of any known asteroid type; instead, the reflected light more closely matched rock from the moon. Researchers studying asteroid 2024 PT5 have plotted its looping motion on two graphs. To a trained eye, they show that the object never gets captured by Earths gravity but, instead, lingers nearby before continuing its orbit around the sun. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Not (old) rocket science A second clue came from observing how the object moves. Along with asteroids, Space Age debris, such as old rockets from historic launches, can also be found in Earth-like orbits. The difference in their orbits has to do with how each type responds to solar radiation pressure, which comes from the momentum of photonsquantum particles of light from the sunexerting a tiny force when they hit a solid object in space. This momentum exchange from many photons over time can push an object around ever so slightly, speeding it up or slowing it down. While a human-made object, like a hollow rocket booster, will move like an empty tin can in the wind, a natural object, such as an asteroid, will be much less affected. To rule out 2024 PT5 being space junk, scientists at NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), which is managed by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, analyzed its motion. Their precise calculations of the object's motion under the force of gravity ultimately enabled them to search for additional motion caused by solar radiation pressure. In this case, the effects were found to be too small for the object to be artificial, proving 2024 PT5 is most likely of natural origin. "Space debris and space rocks move slightly differently in space," said Oscar Fuentes-Munoz, a study co-author and NASA postdoctoral fellow at JPL working with the CNEOS team. "Human-made debris is usually relatively light and gets pushed around by the pressure of sunlight. That 2024 PT5 doesn't move this way indicates it is much denser than space debris." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Asteroid lunar studies The discovery of 2024 PT5 doubles the number of known asteroids thought to originate from the moon. Asteroid 469219 Kamo'oalewa was found in 2016 with an Earth-like orbit around the sun, indicating that it may also have been ejected from the lunar surface after a large impact. As telescopes become more sensitive to smaller asteroids, more potential moon boulders will be discovered, creating an exciting opportunity not only for scientists studying a rare population of asteroids, but also for scientists studying the moon. If a lunar asteroid can be directly linked to a specific impact crater on the moon, studying it could lend insights into cratering processes on the pockmarked lunar surface. Also, material from deep below the lunar surfacein the form of asteroids passing close to Earthmay be accessible to future scientists to study. "This is a story about the moon as told by asteroid scientists," said Kareta. "It's a rare situation where we've gone out to study an asteroid but then strayed into new territory in terms of the questions we can ask of 2024 PT5." More information: Theodore Kareta et al, On the Lunar Origin of Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 PT5, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad9ea8 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters Provided by NASA 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: Detail of bear tracks from Honseca Cave. Credit: J. Rodriguez et al A set of footprints impressed in clay in the Honseca Cave (Velilla del Rio Carrion, Palencia), which were made by cave bears that inhabited this area during the Late Pleistocene, are the subject of a new article featured on the cover of the journal Ichnos. The set, which consists of 16 footprints of the front and hind legs of bears, was discovered by members of the Velilla del Rio Carrion Speleological Association, who have also provided logistical support in this study. Jesus Rodriguez, Alfonso Benito, Adrian Martinez and Ana Mateos, scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigacion sobre la Evolucion Humana (CENIEH), are the authors of the paper. Bear tracks are not uncommon in the soft sediments of the caves of the Iberian Peninsula, and many speleologists are familiar with their presence. "However, until now, these fossil traces had not been the subject of systematic research. In fact, to date only one study of this type was carried out in the Ursilor Cave in Romania," says Mateos. Three-dimensional model To carry out this study, the team needed to create a three-dimensional model of the footprints. This was achieved by combining two different techniques, laser scanning and photogrammetry, conducted in the CENIEH Digital Mapping and 3D Analysis Laboratory. As Martinez, a technician at this laboratory, explains, "We carried out a scan of the surface with the footprints and its immediate surroundings with a laser scanner that creates a three-dimensional cloud of millions of points and we combined it with a model obtained by photogrammetry." Detail of bear tracks from Honseca Cave. Credit: J. Rodriguez et al This model has been used to take different measurements of the footprints and compare them with those of other caves in Europe, like the Romanian cave of Ursilor. "In addition, processing the model has allowed us to generate images that highlight the shape of each individual footprint," adds Benito. Ursichnus europaeus Fossil footprints are not named after the species believed to have made them; instead, they are assigned a Latin name specific to each type of footprint (or ichnotaxon) based on their shape. The analyses conducted on the 3D model indicate that the Honseca footprints are similar to those described in Ursilor Cave and, therefore, should be assigned to the same ichnotaxon, named Ursichnus europaeus. The shape of the toe impressions and the length of the claw marks, both in Ursilor and Honseca, suggest that in both cases they belong to cave bears, a species that went extinct about 28,000 years ago, rather than brown bears. "Unfortunately, some of the footprints were destroyed by the footsteps of amateurs who visited the interior of the cave without being careful before the scientists knew of their existence. Therefore, one of the goals of these types of studies is to highlight the value of these fossils and promote their preservation," says Rodriguez, lead author of the work. More information: J. Rodriguez et al, Cave bear tracks ( Ursichnus europaeus Diedrich, 2011) from Honseca Cave, Palencia, Spain, Ichnos (2025). DOI: 10.1080/10420940.2024.2446153 Journal information: Ichnos Provided by CENIEH 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 New research in Contemporary Economic Policy indicates that rising minimum wages in a state are associated with reduced summer employment for college students, the time when students tend to work the most. The study, which involved data from a public university and quarterly work records from Washington State, found that college students' employment and hours worked decrease as minimum wages rise in the summer quarter. Students experiencing the largest reductions are those with little or no work experience and non-local students. Several explanations may account for the study's findings and should be examined in future research. "This study offers some of the first empirical evidence on the employment of inexperienced workers, particularly those entering the labor market for the first time, when minimum wages rise," said corresponding author Adam Wright, Ph.D., of Western Washington University. More information: Adam C. Wright et al, Dude, Where's My (Summer) Job? Minimum Wages and Student Employment, Contemporary Economic Policy (2025). DOI: 10.1111/coep.12687 Journal information: Contemporary Economic Policy Provided by Wiley This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A cathedral in the French Quarter of New Orleans is barely visible in heavy snow that has blanketed the southern US city in a rare winter storm. Bitter Arctic air plunged more than half the United States into a deep freeze Tuesday, including New Orleans, where the heaviest snow in decades brought dangerous conditions to the famously festive Gulf Coast city. Temperatures dropped more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) below average across large swaths of the country, causing airports, schools and health clinics to shutter and major roadways to close due to ice and freezing rain. Over 170 million Americans were enduring an especially frigid Arctic front that has already impacted scores of communities, including the US capital Washington, where President Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday was moved indoors due to the weather. "Dangerous cold weather for most of the country," blared the latest National Weather Service (NWS) report on Tuesday. The agency has issued storm warnings across parts of eight states in the US Southeast and said the region could see record cold temperatures. Extreme cold was also threatening states in the Plains and the Upper Midwest, where life-threatening wind chills down to 50 degrees below zero were possible, according to the NWS. Across the US Southespecially the Gulf Coast, which is far more accustomed to temperate or tropical weather than dangerously low temperaturesofficials warned of frostbite and hypothermia. New Orleans, a city more often targeted by tropical hurricanes, was slammed with at least seven inches of snow Tuesday, the NWS said, soaring past the city's record single-day snowfall that had held since 1948. Sous chef Eric Walker engages in a snowball fight outside the Bourbon House Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, where a rare snow storm hammered the southern US city. West of New Orleans, the first-ever blizzard warning across several Louisiana counties was issued, including near Lafayette, where more than 10 inches of snow has fallen, according to The Weather Channel. Commercial flight operations for Tuesday were cancelled, the New Orleans airport announced, as local media quickly dubbed the rare winter storm a "snow-pocalypse." Flights were also cancelled for the day in Houston, Texas, the two main airports there said, while to the east the airport in Florida's state capital Tallahassee closed at 3:00 pm (2000 GMT). Eerie images emerged along the banks of the Mississippi River, where docked riverboats were cloaked in snow. Along Bourbon Street, the center of New Orleans' iconic French Quarter nightlife hub, workers and tourists threw snowballs and frolicked in a rare winter wonderland. "Stay off the roads, stay safe, stay warm," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell posted on X. The extreme weather was fueled by an Arctic air mass that dipped deeply southward from Canada, combining with a moisture-laden low-pressure system. 2025 AFP 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: Reconstruction of the complete skeleton of a Diatryma. Credit: Uni Halle / Markus Scholz Around 45 million years ago, a 4.6 foot-tall (1.40 meters) flightless bird called Diatryma roamed the Geiseltal region in southern Saxony-Anhalt. An international team of researchers led by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt report on the bird's fully preserved skull in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica. The fossil was unearthed in the 1950s in a former lignite mining area in the Geiseltal in Germany. It was initially misclassified and thus led a shadowy existence until its rediscovery. The only other place that a similar skull fossil has been found is in the U.S. The Geiseltal Saxony-Anhalt is located south-west of Halle and was a lignite mining area until 1993. Numerous exceptionally well-preserved animal fossils have been unearthed there. The Geiseltal Collection at MLU comprises 50,000 fossils and is considered a national heritage asset. These fossils offer unique insights into the evolution of animals and the Eocene Epoch around 45 million years ago. At that time, the Geiseltal was a warm, tropical swamp. Ancient horses, early tapirs, large land crocodiles as well as giant tortoises, lizards and numerous birds lived here. Some of the latter were flightless and the largest of these was Diatryma, a herbivore with a gigantic beak that stood about 4.6 feet high. For many years no one knew that an almost completely preserved skull of Diatryma was part of the collection. "The find was initially misidentified as a crocodile skull," says Michael Stache, a geological preparator at MLU's Central Repository of Natural Science Collections. Stache came across the fossil again by chance several years ago. He realized the mistake and got down to work, restoring and then analyzing the piece of skull. He combined the fossil with another object from the collection, reconstructing an almost entire skull. Dr. Gerald Mayr, a researcher at the Senckenberg Institute, examined the find more closely and realized its importance: The skull clearly belonged to a Diatryma. Only one other fully preserved skull is known to exist in the world, and it is housed in the American Museum of Natural History in the U.S. The almost complete skull fossil can be found in the Geiseltal Collection. Credit: Uni Halle / Michael Stache "This shows once again that many of the most interesting discoveries in paleontology occur in museum collections. Just a few years ago, nobody would have thought that the Geiseltal Collection would contain such surprises," says Mayr. Stache also reports that there is great scientific interest in the fossils. Researchers from Germany and abroad come to MLU on a regular basis to investigate the objects. "This research expands our understanding of the Eocene Epoch in the Geiseltal even though the excavations were completed long ago," says Stache. Up until 10 years ago, for example, it was assumed that Diatryma hunted prehistoric horses in the Geiseltal. More recent investigations have found that the bird was, in fact, a herbivore. There are about 40 specimens of the bird in the Geiseltal Collection. "Diatryma was probably a rare guest in the Geisetal. Otherwise, there would probably be more fossils," concludes Stache. More information: Gerald Mayr et al, Resurrecting the taxon Diatryma: A review of the giant flightless Eocene Gastornithiformes (Aves), with a report of the first skull of Diatryma, Palaeontologia Electronica (2024). DOI: 10.26879/1438 Journal information: Palaeontologia electronica 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 The Anthropocene is a relatively recent term, coined to define the epoch in which human activity is increasingly dictating environmental and biological change on Earth as previous periods driven by natural occurrences did in pre-history; during the Pleistocene, for instance. Technically, the current epoch is the Holocene, but human activity has altered the world so significantly, that, with our usual species-centric perspective, we have shunned hubris and given the current epoch this new name in a fit of unaccustomed self-awareness. Writing in the Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, Miti Mallick of Bankura University in Purandarpur, West Bengal, India, discusses how the concept of the Anthropocene plays out across the economic landscape too. While the Anthropocene has brought major improvements in living conditions for the wealthier nations, it is becoming ever clearer that the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation will demand more drastic measures from these same nations in terms of sustaining their own living standards and improving those of the majority that live in poverty. At the heart of any such discourse is the concept of capitalism. This is the dominant global economic force that organizes production, labor, and the distribution of wealth. Capitalism is driven by the principles of private ownership and the pursuit of profit. It has been instrumental in driving what we consider economic growth but has also contributed to social inequality, environmental destruction, and a growing sense of disconnection between the economy and the planet's ecological limits. Capitalism functions in liberal market economies, which emphasize decentralized markets, as well as in state-coordinated models, where government plays a more prominent role. The consequences of capitalism have become increasingly difficult to ignore as, historically, the maximization of profits has been at the long-term cost of environmental and social considerations, the research argues. The rise of oligarchic capitalism, which benefits a select few and sees multibillionaires in powerful positions within society, and the focus on technological innovation, have further worsened the social and environmental toll. In the context of the Anthropocene, this economic model is coming under increasing scrutiny. It seems that capitalism as we know it may be at a pivot point. Given that scholars, activists, and policymakers are beginning to challenge the assumption that economic growth and ecological sustainability are inherently incompatible, there is a need for a new capitalism. One that redefines value in terms that extend beyond profit margins. This reimagined model of capitalism might center on the well-being of individuals, communities, and the environment. Investments would no longer solely be evaluated on their financial returns but also on their potential to reduce inequality and promote sustainable development. This putatively idyllic world may not be to everyone's taste, especially some of those multibillionaires. While entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers are increasingly being called to task, there is not necessarily the political will nor the motivation for egocentric oligarchs to imagine such a world. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. More information: Miti Mallick, How capitalism could be the new market in the Anthropocene era: a review, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review (2025). DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.143620 Provided by Inderscience 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: Selected images of high-confidence cut-marked specimens from the Oltet River Valley assemblage. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56154-9 Research led by the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Ohio University has found evidence of hominin activity at a Romanian fossil site dating to at least 1.95 million years ago. This discovery pushes back the known date of European hominins by half a million years and establishes Graunceanu as the oldest confirmed European evidence of hominin activity. Graunceanu, part of the Tetoiu Formation in Romania, lies within a Late Villafranchian biochronological zone (2.21.9 Ma) and has yielded a diverse faunal assemblage indicative of a forest-steppe environment. The timing of the earliest hominin dispersals into Eurasia has been elusive. Fossil evidence from Dmanisi, Georgia (~1.851.77 million years ago) represents the earliest indisputable hominin presence outside Africa. Isolated sites in Europe and Asia with lithics and bone modifications suggest earlier, intermittent hominin activity. Until now, no European site had reliably demonstrated hominin activity predating ~1.4 million years ago with robust age determinations. In the study, "Hominin presence in Eurasia by at least 1.95 million years ago," published in Nature Communications, researchers analyzed faunal remains from Graunceanu, a site in the Oltet River Valley of Romania, identifying cut marks indicative of hominin butchery methods. A total of 4,524 specimens were examined for surface modifications such as weathering, root etching, and anthropogenic cut marks. Linear marks were analyzed macroscopically and quantitatively using 3D optical profilometry. Map of fossil localities showing evidence of hominins (either hominin fossils, lithics, or cut-marked bones) in northern Africa and Eurasia prior to 1.0 Ma. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56154-9 Twenty bones exhibited anthropogenic surface modifications, including seven high-confidence cut-marked specimens. These marks were found on animal tibiae and mandibles, showing straight, transverse trajectories consistent with defleshing. Quantitative analysis confirmed their classification as cut marks, distinguishing them from carnivore, trampling, or excavation damage. Seven dentine samples from Graunceanu and two from nearby sites were dated using high-precision laser ablation U-Pb. The method yielded minimum depositional ages for the fossils ranging from 2.01 0.20 to 1.87 0.16 million years ago, averaging around 1.95 million years. These results align with prior faunal-based biochronological estimates and establish the site as the oldest known evidence of hominin activity in Europe. Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios from a horse molar were analyzed to reconstruct seasonal temperature and precipitation patterns, suggesting a temperate woodland-grassland environment with higher (than modern-day) seasonal rainfall. Faunal remains, including ostrich, pangolin, and an extinct European monkey, suggest relatively mild winters despite the site's mid-latitude position. Graunceanu provides evidence of hominin activity in East-Central Europe by at least 1.95 million years ago, pushing back the timing of their presence in the region and suggesting earlier dispersals into Eurasia. This evidence challenges the previous hypothesis that hominins first established themselves in Georgia, indicating they likely exploited a broader range of environments much earlier. The presence of warm-adapted fauna, such as pangolins and ostriches, alongside isotope evidence for heavy seasonal precipitation, suggests that hominins may have dispersed during interglacial periods when conditions were more favorable. Finding such ancient hominins capable of exploiting temperate and seasonal environments illustrates the early ecological flexibility of the species that has seen many successful dispersals out of Africa. More information: Sabrina C. Curran et al, Hominin presence in Eurasia by at least 1.95 million years ago, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56154-9 Journal information: Nature Communications 2025 Science X Network